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For Good Beer Week we’re bringing together all the local beer lovers AND creators from Greater Geelong, Bellarine, The Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road and beyond to partake in the West Side Beer Markets.
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It’s being a gloomy few days for the regional music industry.
FREEBIES
Earlier this week, our beloved Karova Lounge in Ballarat announced that it will be closing its doors later this year. The venue, which opened in 2004, has become a staple on Australia’s regional touring circuit, took to Facebook to share they will shut its doors in mid-October after its 15th anniversary, in part due to financial reasons. This isn’t the first regional venue to announce its closure this year, with Warrnambool’s The Loft set to put on its final show in the coming months. It breaks our heart to see these local venues, who have helped a number of local bands cut their teeth, be faced with these painful decisions. It’s time regional Victoria. Original live music needs you all – keep your Spotify playlists for the car, head out and enjoy the live music before it’s too late.
The Spiegeltent is coming to Geelong and we are giving you and seven of your closest friends the chance to catch to the headline show LIMBO in a private booth with a bottle of sparkling on Saturday June 1 2019. Presented in the magnificent Spiegeltent, LIMBO whisks audiences into a sinister netherworld of gutchurning contortion, breath-taking acrobatics and jaw-dropping stunts. A sold-out hit everywhere from London to Munich, Auckland to Adelaide, now’s your chance to see it in style.
TO ENTER:
Publisher Furst Media Pty. Ltd. Editor Talia Rinaldo
talia@fortemag.com.au
Advertising Josh Dowling
josh@fortemag.com.au
General Manager Glenn Lynch
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Email your name, number and code word ‘LIMBO’ to talia@fortemag.com.au
Art Director Nathan Mossop
artwork@fortemag.com.au
This issue we have Melbourne metal larrikins King Parrot on our cover. Few bands look after their regional fans the way King Parrot look after their regional fans. Their Regional Rampage tour returns for another year, and the grindin’, thrashin’, punk wrecking machine is ready to bring their A game and kick winter square in the nuts. Check out our chat with lead vocalist Matt ‘Youngy’ Young.
Interns Chloe Cicero, Liam McNally, Kayla Macleod, Jordyn Workman, Naseem Radmehr.
FORTÉGRAM Tag us @Forte_mag or #Fortemag to be featured!
@chloest.claire
Further in this issue, we chat to local sister duo Lash 78, Queensland rockers The Lonesomes, experimental pop outfit On Diamond, Californian punk-rockers Thrice, Rockabul filmmaker Travis Beard, the one and only Kevin Bloody Wilson, and we take a look at the newest coffee venture to hit the Surf Coast, plus heaps more! Big Love. Talia and the Forté team xx @j4ckmeredith
@ondiamond
The Seven Ups,
Contributors Anthony Morris, Alastair McGibbon, Chris Lambie, Dr John Lamp, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Tammy Walters, Wylie Caird. 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. Forté accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions. Forté reserves the right to edit all articles and letters.
Ade Ishs & eMotion Band, Django Frets, Elissa Rodger, Emilia, Esstee Big Band, Goldfields Jazz Orchestra Feat Meg Corson, Hermeto Magnetico, Jade Kerber, Melba Women's Big Band, Nardia Rose Band Phileas Fogg Trio, Piano Wizard - Andrew Farrell, Shirazz, The Bridge, The Old Married Couple, Willow Jam Jazz Band, Yusupha Ngum & the Affia Band, Jungle Fusion and more 8
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THY ART IS MURDER ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
STEVE MARTIN & MARTIN SHORT ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Australian masters of extreme metal Thy Art Is Murder have announced their fifth record Human Target, a brutal ten track affair tracing the socio-political trauma laced within the world today. Delving into an array of topics challenging the modern world, Human Target acts as Thy Art Is Murder’s first studio offering since 2017’s Dear Desolation, which debuted within the Top 5 of Australia’s ARIA charts. Exploring concepts such as organ harvesting, social media and pharmaceutical addiction across its ten track runtime, Human Target is slated for release via Human Warfare on Friday July 26. Right before Thy Art Is Murder release Human Target, the band will tear down the east coast of Australia for a quick run of headline shows before heading back to Europe. The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – July 13. Tickets via oztix.com.au
Two absolute comedy legends, Steve Martin and Martin Short, are heading to Australia as part of their joint Now You See Them, Soon You Don’t tour and it’s a show you don’t want to miss. Having been friends for three decades, this is just the latest in a string of tours the two have embarked on together. It follows previous tour An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life, which was filmed for a Netflix special that earned rave reviews. Joined on stage by the Grammy winning bluegrass band The Steep Canyon Rangers, the critically acclaimed tour will see the comedic duo take on Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – the latter as a part of Sydney’s Just For Laughs festival. Catch them at Melbourne Arena on November 15.
GORMAN LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION DOG COATS
ROB THOMAS ANNOUNCES MASSIVE CHIP TOOTH TOUR 2019
For the past few years, Gorman has partnered up with a charity to release special edition raincoats for you and your doggo. This year is no different, and sees the brand collaborating with animal welfare charity PetRescue. Three exclusive Gorman prints (Neighbours Garden, Walk It and Green Fingers) have been fashioned into dog coats, arriving in four different sizes for pooches great and small. Each purchase is guaranteed to keep your four-legged friend toasty this winter, while also helping at-risk pets find safe and loving homes around Australia. 100 per cent of proceeds from the dog coats will be donated to PetRescue, and will be available in all Gorman stores and online from 10am today. Check it out and treat your doggo via gormanshop.com.au
Currently promoting his brand new album Chip Tooth Smile, the gifted vocalist, spell-binding performer and an acclaimed songwriter Rob Thomas makes a welcome return to our shores for performances including three a day on the green events. Fans can expect a dynamic show of huge hits and favourites plucked from Thomas’s 30+ year career, including solo classics like ‘Lonely No More’, ‘This Is How A Heart Breaks’, and ‘Streetcorner Symphony’; as well as Matchbox Twenty favourites ‘Push’, ‘3AM’, ‘If You’re Gone’ and ‘Bent’, as well as ‘Smooth’, his worldwide smash hit Santana collaboration, as well as a tasting of new tracks lifted from Chip Tooth Smile. Oh boy. This will be huge! He’ll take on Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley – November 9 & Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne – November 19
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NORTHLANE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘ALIEN’ & NATIONAL TOUR DATES Sydney metalcore titans Northlane have announced the imminent arrival of their fifth studio album, Alien. The album, due to hit shelves on August 2nd, is set to be the band’s most personal statement to date. “I was raised in hell but I made it out,” Northlane frontman Marcus Bridge says in a statement. “Raised in a place I shouldn’t have been, and no child should have been. But I’ve been able to break free.” Fans intrigued to see this new material live won’t have to wait too long, with the band also announcing they will embark on a national ‘Alien’ headline tour this October. 170 Russell, Melbourne – October 18. Tickets via northlaneband.com
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS JUST ANNOUNCED AN AUSTRALIAN TOUR WITH THE AVALANCHES Dance legends The Chemical Brothers will return to Australia this October and November in support of their new record No Geography. Hailed as their finest album since 1999 classic, Surrender, No Geography features the three blistering singles ‘Free Yourself’, ‘M.A.H.’, and ‘Got To Keep On’. The shows will be their first in the country in six long years, and they’ll only be playing three shows along the east coast in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne (Melbourne Arena - November 5). They’ll be joined by Aussie favourites The Avalanches at each show, who’ll be dropping a DJ set. Don’t miss out on tickets to the past, present, and future of electronic music, The Chemical Brothers. They won’t last long. Photo by Hamish Brown
‘LAND OF PLENTY’ IS COMING TO SHEPPARTON
THERE’S A MAGIC FESTIVAL COMING TO MELBOURNE
Victoria have a new festival to look forward to in 2019, as new event Land Of Plenty has announced its first ever run. The one day event is all ages, taking place at Shepparton Showgrounds in early November, and promises to be one major, multi-genre music festival. The lineup, which is coming next week, is rumoured to feature a myriad of genres from hip-hop to rock to indie. They’ve hinted at who the headlining acts are, saying that both of them have featured in the top 10 of the Hottest 100 before. On top of that, they’re also giving one lucky local Shepparton act a chance to play the festival. All you have to do is email hello@landofplentyfestival.com with the subject line “Pick of the Crop”, explaining in 150 words who you are, what you’ve achieved and why you think you’d be perfect for the festival. Keep your eyes peeled for the lineup on Tuesday, 14th May at 8:30am. Tickets on sale 9am AEST Thursday May 16.
I bet you didn’t know that Melbourne is internationally known as the centre of magical arts in Australia – Hogwarts here we come!! The Melbourne Magic Festival is back for another huge year, with last year’s festival attracting over 12,000 magic lovers from all around the world. This year will feature a huge line up of both international and local superstar guests, including the world’s most famous magician Lu Chen, as well as David Kaplan, Simone Turkington, our very own Cosentino, Tim Ellis and many more. It will also feature the festivals very first father/daughter show, featuring Nick Nickolas and Ruby. The Melbourne Magic Festival is running from June 30 – July 13, at over a dozen locations across Melbourne so make sure you abracadabra and purchase your tickets quick so you don’t miss out. Head to www.MelbourneMagicFestival.com to book.
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WRITTEN BY TAMMY WALTERS HAVING JUST WRAPPED UP THEIR ‘TRASH, BLAST, GRIND TOUR’ WITH THE LEGENDARY PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGAL’S AND OSAKA METALCORE BAND, PALM, METAL ROYALTY KING PARROT ARE OFF AGAIN FOR A RUN OF REGIONAL VICTORIA SHOWS. Heading to Sooki Lounge in Belgrave and Geelong’s own The Barwon Club on the weekend of the 31 May and 1 June 2019, and then to Karova Lounge in Ballarat and Pelly Bar in Frankston the weekend of 14 and 15 June 2019, the metal lads are keen to revisit some of their favourite venues with some great talent joining them. Old friends of the band, Frankenbok, Black Rheno and Mason are stepping up to the plate for what is set to be a raucous few shows. “We usually try to do this kind of stuff once a year at least around regional Victoria. We play wherever we can! We just thought let’s get all of our mates together and play a bunch of shows around Victoria and see how it goes,” laughs vocalist, Matt Young. “We hope the fans will kind of latch onto it and have a great night with us. All of the bands bring something really different to the table so I think it’s going to be a great time!” Different is right. From the unique rap-influenced aggressive vocals of Black Rheno singer, Ryan Miller, 12
the beast mode of Frankenbok, the cleaner stylings of Mason and the true Aussie fuse of genre-bending stylings from the Parrots, newbies to the audience can expect a wild ride, particularly with their 2018 ARIAnominated album, ‘Ugly Produce’ filling the set list. “We’ll always be a band who sort of hasn’t limited ourselves in terms of what our influence is but we’re obviously quite an extreme band and I don’t think King Parrot ever really has too much intention to steer away from that. But we do take influence from punk rock and rock n roll stuff and stoner rock stuff, even proggy stuff, but then we’ve also got thrash metal, grind and death metal influence as well. I guess we’re just sort of happy that we’ve sort of found a sound that we own.”
recently been praised for their respectful behaviour “We’re working on new material at the moment and at shows. A dedicated fan and now friend of the band, we’ve all got different ideas that we’re bringing to the Mark Miljons-Rostoks, commended fellow punters for table but I think we’ve decided on this next one that accommodating his medical and wheelchair access we’ll take our time with it and we want to get someone requirements in the pit. that is an amazing producer that can really help us shape the songs so we can step it up again,” says Young. “I think there is this strange kind of stereotype - well not “We don’t feel like there’s any point in doing the same strange because if you look at it from a visual aesthetic, thing over and over.” you think ‘oh geez I’m not going to go to that because its rough and all these mean looking people are there CATCH KING PARROT AT SOOKI LOUNGE, and they’re all dressed in black and blah blah blah’ - BELGRAVE – MAY 31, THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL, but I think when you go there to a show like ours or GEELONG – JUNE 1, KAROVA LOUNGE, BALLARAT any other metal show you find that the people are – JUNE 14 & PELLY BAR, FRANKSTON – JUNE 15. really friendly and they know each other from going to different shows and they look out for each other and I’m sure everyone likes to party and have a drink or whatever they do at these shows,” Young explains.
“We’re a ridiculous band really [laughs]; to watch on stage and see the way that we perform is ridiculous. We’re a high energy band – in your face – but it’s also “But I think for the most part 95% of the audience is in quite light-hearted and comedic in some elements so really great spirits and they’re there for the music and it’s a really fun thing to be a part of. We’re just grateful it’s a great culture and I think especially with metal we’ve been able to create this thing that is its own beast music, there’s not too many friendlier, happier cultures that’s bigger than any one of us, and that the fans keep out there. I think the metal crowd has something to be coming out to support us!” proud of and we’re really glad to be a part of it.” While the show sounds extreme to match the nature of the band, the King Parrot Army (a name spawned from an ever-growing fan-made Facebook group) have
It seems they will be a big part of that scene for some time to come with a new album in the works and a hell of a lot of love for what they do.
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LOCH HART MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES
FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK, TAKE 3
After a spectacular inaugural event in 2018, Loch Hart Music Festival will be returning once again from 15 17 November, 2019. Situated a stone’s throw from The Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge along Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road, the three-day festival last year played host to performances from Waax, Last Dinosaurs and more to the delight of hundreds of happy punters. Prepare for yet another diverse crop of Australian artists in addition to locally-sourced craft beers and culinary delights, comedy, glamping, yoga, arts and crafts and more. 2019 line-up and ticketing information due in the coming months.
It looks as though Freya Josephine Hollick will have some stories to tell, to go along with the release of a third album. Following 2018’s Feral Fusion, the singer-songwriter scored a sweet Creative Victoria grant which allowed her to travel to the US to record with Lucinda Williams’ Buick 6. She even did so at Rancho De La Luna, run by Eagles of Death Metal guitarist Dave Catching. The Palais, Hepburn Springs – June 22.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF ADAM HARVEY
MARK LANG LAUNCHES HIS DEBUT Ararat Live will host Mark Lang on May 15. There are some things you may know about the songman, including how he helped shape three albums as part of Skipping Girl Vinegar. There are things you may not know about the songman, including how he made a short film about the plight of Pictou Landing (also titled Pictou Landing). He also has his debut solo album, which is what is going down at Ararat Live.
ENJOY BENDIGO’S HERITAGE Bendigo’s best heritage sites will be offering donation only and heavily discounted tours on Saturday 11 May as part of the Victorian Heritage Festival as it presents Heritage Unwrapped. Heritage Unwrapped is an open day event that aims to celebrate the local community’s ongoing support of the city’s rich heritage, so that locals and visitors alike can explore the best heritage experiences the city has to offer. Whether it be travelling aboard one of Bendigo Tramway’s themed heritage trams or exploring Bendigo’s amazing gold story at the Central Deborah Gold Mine, venturing into secret spaces at the Historic Post Office or appreciating the city’s contribution to Australia’s armed forces at the Soldiers Memorial Museum… there is something for everyone. To view the full schedule for the day visit bendigotourism.com
For a man with enough Golden Guitars to test the stability of any mantelpiece, Adam Harvey took more than twenty years to fulfil a musical dream. To record his tenth album, the country purist made his way to Nashville to record an album dipped in the country sounds of the 1970s. Appropriately titled The Nashville Tapes, the album was recorded with some of the finest session musos in the game. Gateway Hotel, Corio – May 10.
FUNK BUDDIES GON’ GIVE IT TO YOU They play New Orleans street funk and the eight members involved seem to get along just fine, so Funk Buddies seems a pretty perfect band name. While the band takes influence from anything funky, they hold a special place for the funk acts of the 1970s. The bottom line is the brassdriven act promises dirty, raucous, in-your-face funk. Their debut EP, In Real Life, is available now. Workers Club, Geelong – May 10.
THE SEDUCEAPHONES DROP DEBUT What’s in a name? Can a band named The Seduceaphones actually seduce you? With their fusion of Balkan trubaci tradition and Melbourne’s contemporary music scene, I think you will find that the answer is a most definitive yes. You may well have caught the nine-piece outfit at one of their many festival outings, but now you can catch them in more snug surrounds as they launch their debut album, Muskrat. Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – May 10.
WINDFIRE MUSIC FESTIVAL The 11th annual Windfire Music Festival kicks off tomorrow, May 10, with a number of concerts, a great choral workshop and free organ recitals taking place in Geelong’s churches and halls until May 26. Concerts include Music of Hildegard De Bingen and The Sublime Mozart, while The Geelong Chorale features in the festival’s opening night. Further information is available through musicatthebasilica.org.au.
MAX & ASHA
OCEAN SLEEPER’S NEW TUNES Ocean Sleeper will do it for their regional fans, with the Gippsland metalcore outfit heading out armed with some new material. The band has been working with producer Kris Crummett (Sleeping with Sirens, Dance Gavin Dance, Issues) and fans will no doubt be curious as to how they can follow-up on tracks like ‘Six Feet Down’ and ‘Worthless•No Purpose’. Workers Club, Geelong – May 11 & Karova Lounge, Ballarat – May 18.
After making their debut in Geelong supporting local boy Xavier Rudd at Costa Hall in August 2018, Torquay local, Maximillian Rudd & Asha Henfry are set to feature in Geelong’s Windfire Music Festival. Two of Australia’s most promising instrumentalists united by a shared love of Brazilian music, their sounds are set to descend on the city from The Dome of Geelong’s recently redeveloped library. Max & Asha play The Dome at Geelong Library on Saturday 18 May at 3pm. Show tickets and festival passes available online at TryBooking.com. For more information go to www. maximillianrudd.com.
FERLA SHARES A STORY Ah, the album inspired by heartache. It sucks for the person or people involved, but it’s good for us. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is one of the most wellknown albums inspired by romantic trouble. Closer to home, Melbourne’s after-dark pop outfit Ferla has It’s Personal. So instead of drunk messaging your ex, give this a listen instead. The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 18 & Karova Lounge, Ballarat – May 23.
THAT’S THREE FOR TOBIAS HENGEVELD
CEDRIC BURNSIDE RETURNS
Thursday 9 Andy Forster
Thursday 16 Andy Forster
Friday 10 Luke Biscan
Friday 17 Ryan Bell
Saturday 11 Ryan Bell
Saturday 18 Dave Anderson
Wednesday 15 Wednesday 22 Open Mic Karaoke Open Mic Karaoke Luke Biscan Luke Biscan
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Ten years on from the release of his debut album All the Lines are Down, Melbourne singer-songwriter Tobias Hengeveld has released his third album, Naughts & Ones. The album is described as “a triumphant mirror-maze of snappy pop tunes set in a hinterland of darker rock ballads”. The songman launches his new album at The Bridge, Castlemaine on May 19, where he will be joined by Closet Straights.
A number of shows are on the cards for Cedric Burnside before he zips off for other duties, and fortunately one of these shows takes place at The Bridge, Castlemaine on May 11. Raised by the late, great R.L. Burnside, his Grandfather, on a diet of Hill country blues, it would have been a poor bet to suggest anything other than music would be in his future. His latest album is Benton County Relic.
MICF ROADSHOW The main event is over, but the laughs keep coming with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow. COPACC – May 22 & 25; Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – May 23; Ballarat Mechanics Institute, Ballarat – May 30; The Capital, Bendigo – June 1; Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura – June 6; and GPAC – June 29. Performers for each date can be found through comedyfestival.com.au. Forté 714
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AFL IN BALLARAT Ballarat’s Mars Stadium will host the team of the mighty West, Western Bulldogs, this Saturday, May 11, in the first of two games the club will play at the venue in 2019. The Doggies played the first game at the venue for premiership points in 2017. As part of the partnership, the club is committed to deliver a range of community engagement and schools programs. They’ll be taking on the Brisbane Lions.
IVAN OOZE CALLS TIME OUT For the past half a dozen years, Ivan Ooze has had the pleasure of touring with childhood heroes and releasing music that has been heard around the world. He has been living a dream he has had since he was eight years old, which he owes to you. With humble gratitude, he is touring one more time before he takes an indefinite hiatus. Workers Club, Geelong – May 18 & Karova Lounge, Ballarat – June 21.
ROB SNARSKI RETURNS Rob Snarski [lead singer of The Blackeyed Susans] unveils the songs from his second solo album Sparrow & Swan ~ finishing his national tour at The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine Friday June 15 and Lost Ones Basement Bar, Ballarat Saturday June 16. Accompanied by guitar maestro and producer Shane O’Mara [Paul Kelly, Chris Wilson, Lisa Miller, Stephen Cummings]. Tickets available at venues or robsnarski.com
I N D U S T R Y U P D AT E S F R O M M U S I C V I C T O R I A
Hello Forte readers, With the federal election just around the corner, it’s exciting to see both major parties commit to supporting music with packages, and also bi-partisan support from the Federal Inquiry into the future growth and sustainability of the Australian music sector. Labor announced a $28 million package which will support live music, music exports, youth music and music hubs. It also promises to crack down on scalping and support mental health programs for artists and crews. The Coalition then announced a $30 million support package in the recent federal budget, which should be passed regardless of who wins the election. This includes $22.5 million in $10,000 venue grants, a boost to the Australia Councils touring grants, support for businesswomen, indigenous artists and Sounds Australia to expand into Asian markets. We also hope to see more State Government support for music in the State Budget which has been delayed to late May. It’s great to see so much advocacy work around the country reaping rewards, and the major parties consulting, listening and taking music seriously. Make sure you stay tuned to Music Victoria’s communications to capitalise on grants and programs. And thanks for all the members who signed up or renewed during our recent membership drive. If you’re yet to check out our new membership structure, member benefits and professional development program, visit musicvictoria.com.au. Till next time, Patrick Donovan (Music Victoria CEO) Member Moment Rye Hotel The Rye Hotel is a family-friendly restaurant with an indoor play centre, beachfront and poolside accommodation, and best of all – they now host
WHAT’S ON AT PISTOL PETES
It was their live shows however which truly set them apart. To witness Midnight Oil was to experience the full visceral, transcendent, kinetic power of live rock and roll… and it’s an energy that has spawned many great tributes.
RAISED BY EAGLES Their entrance onto Melbourne’s musical landscape in July 2013 immediately garnered the attention of Americana music aficionados across the country, and their debut release scored the band a nomination at the Age Music Victoria Awards that year for ‘Best Country Album’. Since then, continually raw and captivating performances have cemented Raised By Eagles’ reputation as one of Melbourne’s most sought after independent acts, now with three albums behind them. A band of integrity and a generosity of spirit, Raised By Eagles remains unaffected by the smoke and mirrors of music in the post-modern era, and encapsulates the art of storytelling at it’s heartfelt finest… See them at Pistol Pete’s on Thursday May 23.
Let us introduce you to one of our favourites; Powderworks The Midnight Oil Tribute Show. Celebrated as one of Australia’s premier Oils Tribute band, the Melbourne-based band covers the extensive catalogue of Oils hits from the early albums and EP’s, such as their self-titled debut album from 1978, Head Injuries, and Place Without a Postcard right through to the chart smashing 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, Red Sails in the Sunset, Diesel & Dust and Blue Sky Mining. Whether you like guitar, bass, drums, or just thought-provoking lyrics, there is always something to love in any Midnight Oil song.
ERIC STECKEL Pistol Pete’s is proud to host Eric Steckel’s second and final show in Australia this tour. Visiting for his third Australian tour, Eric Steckel goes against the grain and harkens his listeners back to the days when great guitars were played loudly through great amps. Hailed by many as the top rising star of Blues/Rock, Eric delivers a powerhouse performance that has left audiences in 25 countries (and counting) mesmerised. He brings an energy and passion to the stage that never disappoints and is a must see for fans of vintage guitar rock. Don’t miss what will be a killer show at Pistol Pete’s on Sunday, May 26.
Consisting of five seasoned and accomplished players (Alex Hell, Steven Burns, Craig Sayer, Rick Gauci and Joshua Sforzin), Powderworks recreate the passion, energy and big, big sound that Midnight Oil were famous for in concerts, such as 1982’s Live at Capitol Theatre.
A NIGHT OF THE OILS
CAT CANTERI AND JUSTIN BERNASCONI Melbourne roots artists Cat Canteri and Justin Bernasconi are the singers from acclaimed Alt Country band The Stillsons. They will both be performing a selection of solo acoustic tunes from their huge repertoire of songs. Showcasing her stunning voice and cutting edge songwriting, Cat’s latest solo release Inner North was nominated for best folk album in The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2018. Justin is a guitarist who’s playing has been lauded on both sides of the globe – on launching his last album Barefoot Wonderland in London, leading UK magazine fRoots described him as ‘like Leo Kottke and John Fahey on the instrumentals and John Prine on the songs.’ Catch them Wednesday, May 29 from 8pm.
live music in their 150 capacity upstairs top deck bar! Tickets are affordable, and it’s one of the few music venues in the region. Get in there and support it, and keep an eye on it over the coming months, as we reckon it’s gonna be a really special venue! Check their upcoming concerts at www.ryehotel. com.au/whats-on/ Gig of the Month Low Light, Queenscliff Friday 3 May – Sunday 30 June Queenscliff (Victoria’s 19th century coastal jewel in the crown) and Point Lonsdale (the picturesque seaside village) will once again be taken over by the second instalment of Low Light, Queenscliff, bringing together local arts, music, literature, film & culinary talents in a two month-long celebration of the senses this May and June. The musical highlights include performances by Dan Sultan, Clare Bowditch, Archie Roach (QMF Concert Series), a live soundtrack by the Grigoryan Brothers as part of Bellarine Lighthouse Film Festival, plus intimate performances from Jen Cloher and Mark Lang (both presented by Lighthouse Arts Collective). For more information visit http:// lowlightqueenscliff.com.au/
Midnight Oil are one of the most ‘Australian’ rock bands this country has ever produced. Born from the Australian pub rock scene that gave us AC/DC, Cold Chisel and INXS, the Oils were able to break out of that scene without compromising themselves in any way.
Quite simply, Powderworks is the most dynamic and energetic Midnight Oil tribute to be found… and they are coming to Geelong’s Petrel Hotel this month. For fans of the Oils, who are true Australian rock’n’roll icons, this show is a pulsating, hot and sweaty must see. WHEN & WHERE: PETREL HOTEL, GEELONG – SATURDAY 18 MAY.
There is no doubt, they were more than just a rock and roll band. They stopped traffic, inflamed passions, inspired fans, challenged the concepts of “business as usual” and broke new ground.
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DEBORAH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER In 1991, Deborah Conway needed a guitarist to help tour her debut album. Willy Zygier walked into her life, and has stayed there since. The Words of Men is their tenth album, and they will be pairing this album with 1993’s ARIA-winning Bitch Epic as they tour throughout Australia. The Words of Men features their three daughters, Syd, Alma and Hettie, on backing vocals. The Capital, Bendigo – June 13.
CHASING LANA PUT UP THEIR DUKES
A VISUAL FEAST AT THE POTATO SHED
This month welcomes the release of The Fight, the debut full-length studio album from Chasing Lana. The heavy rock quartet was formed by Dave and Robbie Cutting, along with mates Chris Coote and Keith Harland. With a couple of EPs released already and supports with P.O.D, Saliva, Theory of a Deadman and Trapt, the band continues to push for bigger and better things. Workers Club, Geelong – July 20.
The cult cabaret YUMMY DELUXE heads to the Potato Shed 8pm Saturday 18 May, for a powerhouse cabaret of drag, dance, circus and live music that has been smashing it the world over. With a unique sense of gender balance and fluidity reflecting a cultural attitudinal shift toward gender identity, YUMMY DELUXE is recognised for incorporating women in drag spaces. Starring Valerie Hex (James Welsby), YUMMY DELUXE has carved a name for itself by blending absurd and outrageous drag conventions with complex and intriguing contemporary choreography.
WINTER BLUES FESTIVAL If you’ve always intended to make it to Echuca for the Winter Blues Festival for the last weekend in July (25 to 28), this is absolutely the year to make it happen. The line-up will include more than 60 bands belting out blues music in more than 30 venues across Echuca Moama from Thursday night to Sunday night. The Wrap Party on the Sunday night is the one ticketed event for the Festival, while all the other events are free. YES. You heard right... FREE! There will also be a number of special activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the festival. Head to www.winterblues.com.au and don’t wait to book, accommodation books out early, with good reason!
DR. COLOSSUS UNITES THE PEOPLE
“A sexy, transgressive, genderfluid, non-stop party.” The Scotsman 2018 Winner of the Best Production and Best Ensemble (Cabaret) at the 2018 Green Room Awards, now is the time to book your tickets to see YUMMY DELUXE. TICKETS ON SALE AT THE POTATO SHED, OR BY CALLING 5251 1998, OR AT ANY CITY OF GREATER GEELONG CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE.
THE 80S ACES STRIKE BACK
The election may be all over by the time their gig rolls News of Warrnambool’s The Loft closing has made around, but there is still one band brave enough to keep us pretty damn sad, but if there is good news in there fighting for what is right: bridging the divide between somewhere it is that they are going out in super style. Geelong and Melbourne. And that band is Simpsons- And talking about super style, how about The 80s Aces? themed doom-rock outfit Dr. Colossus. Drummer, Dr. It has been several years since the alt-rockers have hit Skins: “The only way I see this rift healing is through a the stage, but they have put aside their differences to love of really dumb riffs and an obsolete American car- celebrate the venue’s final days. The Loft, Warrnambool toon which peaked in the ’90s.” Barwon Club, Geelong – June 1. – May 24.
MONNONE ALONE STOCK UP ON REPELLENT A six-year wait for a new album has come to an end with Monnone Alone releasing their second album, Summer of the Mosquito. Following their debut, the band spent time touring the US and Europe with a rotating lineup but when it came to the new album Mark Monnone set out to solidify the camp. The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 25. They will be joined by Truffle Pigs (aka Steph and Al of Dick Diver) and The Steinbecks.
LOW LIGHT, QUEENSCLIFF Low Light, Queenscliff festival will give your weekends some warmth throughout May and June. The second incarnation of the boutique fringe festival will play host to art exhibitions, film premieres and screenings, spoken word and literary readings and music performances. The QMF winter series will run as part of the event, with Dan Sultan (June 15), Clare Bowditch (June 21) and Archie Roach (June 22) performing gigs at the Queenscliff Town Hall. Get the good stuff through lowlightqueenscliff. com.au or qmf.net.au.
HAVE WE GOT MORE FOR YOU! Hanny J – The Eastern, Ballarat on May 11; The Old Married Couple – Courthouse Hotel, Smythesdale on May 12; The Settlement – Seanchai, Warrnambool on May 17; Nathan Cavaleri & Shaun Kirk – Workers Club, Geelong on May 17; Sun Kil Moon – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine on May 18; Callum Watson – Queenscliff Uniting Church, Queenscliff on May 19; and Matthew Fagan – Echuca-Moama Uniting Church on May 19.
GETTING TO KNOW FAMOUS WILL
After forming Famous Will in 2014, Will Gardiner and his crew were quick to debut single ‘My Scars’. The short and sweet song has since found its share of YouTube love. The indie-pop outfit kept plugging away on material while supporting artists including Thirsty Merc, Phil Jamieson and Wendy Matthews. Last year was dedicated to writing their debut album, which is available for you now. Workers Club, Geelong – June 8.
TONI CHILDS LOOKS BACK, AND AHEAD American-Australian singer-songwriter Toni Childs continues her Retrospective tour with dates ahead for Forte readers. The first hour is dedicated to her greatest hits and fan favourites, while the second hour gives fans a peek at her new 3D mapping show It’s All a Beautiful Noise (2020). Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – June 8; Drama Theatre, Geelong – June 9; and Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – June 16.
ANDREA ROBERTSON IS BACK
In October 2018, Ocean Grove musician Andrea Robertson, recorded her third independent album over Tease up that hair and have your leather pants at the two sessions with a captive audience in Point Lonsdale. ready because glam rock sensations Sisters Doll are ‘Live at New Hall’ is the end result with 18 new, origiheading out in support of new single, ‘Black Mirror’. nal songs. The album will be officially launched on Austin Mileto: “We believe our generation is so reliant Friday, May 17 at Bellarine Estate, followed by The on technology, which isn’t a bad thing, but I think if Tap Room, Castlemaine – May 24, Macedon Railway it keeps going on the direction it is we will all be like Hotel, Macedon – May 26, as well as gigs in June at zombies in the future. We love technology and social Door Gallery Café, Pistol Pete’s Food N Blues, The Old media but just feel it’s taking over the world.” Barwon Church On The Hill, Blue Bean Love Café, and The Mex. Club, Geelong – May 31.
SISTERS DOLL’S SOCIAL MEDIA DIET
PSEUDO ECHO KEEPS YOU GROOVIN’
QUEEN IS COMING
Some songs you know as soon as the opening riff begins. And just try resisting the dance floor when that happens. With their 1986 cover of Lipps Inc.’s ‘Funkytown’, Pseudo Echo scored a number one hit and international success. They’ve also given ‘Nutbush City Limits’ an electro-funk-rock makeover. With plenty of good stuff in between, the band is back by popular demand at Gateway Hotel, Corio on June 15.
Queen Forever recreates the music and performance of Queen. Here you’ll get authentic costumes, a stunning portrayal of Freddie Mercury, all the amazing guitar solos of Brian May and ground-breaking rock harmonies, in a stage show with state-of-the-art sound and lighting that will blow you away. With all Queen’s biggest hits including Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio GaGa, We Are The Champions, and more, and of course, Bohemian Rhapsody, this is as close as you can get to the real thing. The Wool Exchange, Geelong – May 11.
Vocalist needed for Alt Rock band
Percussionist required
CL ASSIFIEDS
Alternative rock band from Geelong
nobody to sing at the moment. For fans
Influences include The Black Crowes,
nationally (Canada,UK) Must be GOOD,
Send your info to: enquiries@fortemag.com.au
of Foo Fighters, Queens of the stone
Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Stone
experienced, any age ok, auditions will
age, Nothing But Thieves.. Must be
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willing to play as many gigs as possible.
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Would like to write originals also. If
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You will experience vibrant, subversive cabaret as you are taken on the ride of your life. YUMMY DELUXE mixes new acts and YUMMY favourites so make sure you book to join the stars of YUMMY as they lead you through new, outrageous, joyful and innovative cabaret.
Male looking for players to form a band
Bass player wanted Male or female bass player for
Keyboard player with ability to improvise,
paid gig, 19th of May and
Rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, drums
bluesy, rocky, funky four piece band.
playing original Prog rock, Jazz Fusion,
needing a singer with mad pipes, we
also on an ongoing basis.
and bass required. Blues and blues/
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Experimental styles. Band has both CD
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rock genre with a bit of grunge.
contact 0430971319 for more info.
and vinyl releases and have played inter-
Percussionist required for a
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Great keyboard player wanted
B A L L A R AT B L O G
CIRCLES Get your winter woolies ready because Melbourne prog-rock/ metal outfit Circles will be braving the chill later in the year. From the band: “We have a massive set in store, chock-full of ‘The Last One’ goodness, plus some epic delicacies from our back catalogue. You definitely do not want to miss this one!” Karova Lounge, Ballarat – August 3. Circles will be joined by local prog-punk specialists Ebonivory.
WRITTEN BY GLEN ANDERSON
With the cooler months approaching, the fear of coming to Ballarat and freezing ya tootsies off becomes more prevalent for many musos! So, why not let some of the local acts have a crack? Trucks are a local act who have recently recorded their first EP By The Time I Come Home. Stating their influences as Title Fight and Basement, deep lyrics and catchy tunes are the driving force behind the band’s way to connect with their audience. Fuzzy guitars, sad lyrics and punchy drums are will ring out throughout Ballarat on May 10 at Karova Lounge. It’s a Friday night and a perfect way to launch into your weekend. Support acts are Nervous Pedestrians, Meraki Minds and Matt Murray and the Durry Busters. Should be an absolute hoot of a night and you have the whole weekend to recover! Don’t forget to get along to Mick Thomas and The Roving Commision when they play at Cabaret Club on May 11. It’s going to be a cracker of a night and it would be wise to get there early or get ya tickets beforehand. On June 1, Old Melbourne Road (the band) will play at Cabaret Club. This will be one of the last chances to see the lads as several members are heading overseas. There are not many bands that come from Dunnstown and play traditional Irish/
LAURA IMBRUGLIA HAS HER GUARD UP
Featuring a spiffy backing band comprised of Alex MacRae (Sons of Rico), Kelly Dingeldei (Loobs) and James Trewenack (Glass Diamonds), Laura Imbruglia is venturing out in support of album number four, Scared of You. She has already knocked over a few shows, but has another local one at The Eastern, Ballarat on May 16. Joining in on the happy occasion will be Porpoise Spit and Honey Hunter. Photo by Rex Kane-Hart
KICK OUT THE JAMS 4 Hot damn, Ramdaddy and The Eastern have gone bam with the musical slam that is Kick out the Jams. The fourth instalment takes place on May 18 and features Drunk Mums, Mesa Cosa, Bananagun, The Baudelaires, Electric Mud, Spiral Perm, Dewey and the Panel Beaters, Fuzzsucker, Foggy Notion, Outer Blue Suite, The Indian Skies, Gangz and Medico. Your DJs in between bands are Groove Sweat and DJ Ramdaddy.
folk music. The So Long For Now Tour is guaranteed craic, so get yourself and ya buddies out there to dance the night away. The Western Hotel put on a grand afternoon on Good Friday when the carpark rocked with Skyscraper Stan headlining an all-star line-up. Proceedings kicked off around 4pm and a great afternoon was had by all. A great idea and hopefully this gig will become a yearly thing. I love this Pub. The food is amazing…and Burger, Parma(?), tradie and steak nights all happen on respective nights of the week. Check their Facebook page for details. Music is always happening on a weekend and there are some great solo artists that get into the beer garden worth having a listen to whilst you down a coldie! There is a great incentive happening in Ballarat at the moment with Life Is A Song, a workshop for people with mental health issues to participate in songwriting. Here is where to to register; info@ wildatheart.org.au. Another great place to dine will soon be opening in Armstrong Street Nth. Winner Winner is a “sister” restaurant to the mighty Moon & Mountain. Deluxe fried chicken and Korean BBQ is the word on the street and of course… cold booze!
BENDIGO AU GO GO W R I T T E N B Y LY N E T T E WA L K E R
Renowned local bluesman Bill Barber is back on the boards this weekend – and this time he’s not on his own. The singer/guitarist, who regularly graces stages in a solo capacity, has rejoined forces with The Revelators for a muchanticipated show at the Golden Vine on Friday, May 10 from 8pm. ”It’s going to be a really interesting one for us,” Barber says of the Vine show. “We haven’t played in Bendigo, really, since the very start of the year, and there’s a whole lot of new things that have been written and tweaked since. We’re really excited to show people what we’ve been working on.” The current incarnation of The Revelators cemented its line-up two years ago, forging a sound that Barber describes as “eclectic, to say the least”. “(Drummer) Brad (Locke) and (bassist) Jaspar (Austin-Gray) are mainly funk/rock musicians, so the band has definitely been driven more in that direction,” says Barber, “although the music is always going to be pretty deep-rooted in blues.” Barber admits to being fixated on different genres – anything from funk, to soul, to ‘70s rock, to Americana – but the blues was his first love and the arena in which he has made his musical name. “All my heroes and early influences were predominantly acoustic blues artists,” he says. “But as I got older and I started to become influenced much more by electric guitar, it almost seemed like a rebellious thing to try and get a band going after being a solo performer for so long.” As usual, a host of diverse music will be pouring
out of local venues all month long. Come down to Hargreaves Mall on Friday, May 10, and get funky with Funk Junkies and friends. From 11am-2pm; free entry. The mall will also host its regular singersongwriter showcase on Saturday, May 11. Featured artists are Alex and Dan; Patrick Lionel; Sherri Parry; and Dan Duggan. From 10am-2pm; free entry. Jump on board the Blues Tram on Saturday, May 11, along with this month’s featured artists, Melbourne-based duo Lily and King, and local singer-songwriter Alister Turrill. From 2-4.30pm; tickets $35 from the Bendigo Visitor Centre or www. bendigotourism.com Dirty Rascal are hitting the highway from Melbourne and bringing their self-described “epic, transformational rock” to the Golden Vine on Saturday, May 11, as part of their national What Would Love Do tour. It is the second single from their debut album You Be The King, which came out late last year. From 8.30pm; entry $5. Melbourne-based rapper Ivan Ooze is bringing his Thanks For The Memories tour to the Tap House on Friday, May 17, before going on “indefinite hiatus”. From 8pm; tickets $25-$30 from www. moshtix.com.au Local rockers Astareth will be supporting Nirbira at the Golden Vine on Saturday, May 18. From 9pm; entry $5. CONTACT: NETTEE136@GMAIL.COM
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BALLARAT HERITAGE WEEKEND THERE’S NO TOWN QUITE LIKE BALLARAT, AND THE ANNUAL HERITAGE WEEKEND IS BACK AGAIN TO PROVE IT. For over a decade, Ballarat Heritage Weekend has been delivering an immersive, engaging and fascinating experience for visitors in ways that go beyond the surface. With a storied history and incredible streetscapes, Ballarat is an exciting place to explore and this event delicately intertwines the past and present to create a unique offering unlike any other. By the end of this weekend, visitors will leave the city having loved everything about it, from its epic laneways, authentic stories and local creatives, to the amazing chefs, winemakers, and brewers who use the best produce our region has to offer. We’ve highlighted some of the events from the fiery, action packed weekend. HISTORY ABLAZE This year Ballarat will be burning brightly across the weekend, as the streets, laneways and stories of this gorgeous city are brought to life with fire pits, fire displays and entertainment. As you stroll through the famous CBD on Saturday night, you’ll come across a number of fire bits, barrels and installations making for a unique Ballarat Heritage Weekend experience like never before. Expert storytellers will be on hand to help provide a detailed account of the history and heritage of Ballarat, using fire as a medium for discussion, while visitors will also have the chance to share their own stories of Ballarat. Keep an eye out for the roving entertainment and flame cannons – it promises to be a fiery affair. BALLARAT’S BEARD & STACHE COMPETITION As part of The Ballarat Heritage Weekend, The 20
esteemed Ballarat Beard and Stache Competition is back at Hop Temple on the Saturday, giving people that chance to enjoy some spectacular staches and beards, celebrating all kinds of facial hair. You can enter your stach-tacular beards in any applicable category. Think moustache, full beard, partial beard or the verdi (an impeccably groomed beard style). There is also a “just for fun category,” where you can play around with fake beards or freestylers. Even the ladies can get involved. With free entry and more than $1000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, you’d be mad not to get around it. Shave your if’s and but’s for later. Even if beards aren’t your thing, this event will definitely have them grow on you. TOURS OF THE OLD BALLARAT GAOL Ballarat is saturated in Australian history, making it a perfect opportunity to spend the day exploring the criminal history of the town’s early days with a guided tour of the old Ballarat Gaol - including a look at the goal tunnels and turrets in Virtual Reality. With tours running every hour across the weekend, visitors can uncover the colourful history of the former gaol and its inmates and explore Ballarat’s criminal underworld of the 19th century through artifacts, blueprints and images as part of an extensive exhibition. This one even includes new material on the lives of the women held in the Ballarat Gaol and their stories. Oh, and the best part is it’s all free! BALLARAT LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE TWEED RIDE Another regular highlight for the weekend includes The Tweed Ride held on Sunday, May 26. This immersive and unique experience is unlike anything else. Dress in your best dapper and elegant tweed, ride through Ballarat’s beautiful streets, and listen to some
of the amazing stories that the city’s unique and iconic architecture holds. Not only will you get to enjoy all the different vintage attire, but you’ll also find a variety of bikes from penny farthings, modern racing bikes, to decorated bikes, vintage bikes and shearing bikes. It’s the perfect excuse to get involved in something a little different! There will even be awards for the best-dressed riders and spectators, so get creative! ADAM MADA What’s a weekend away without a little bit of magic? As one of Australia’s leading magicians and magic/ illusion consultants, Adam Mada has almost 20 years of experience creating, teaching and performing original magic and illusions for live theatre, events and screen and he will be making his way into the heart of Ballarat for a free show. Mada’s live performances are at the front line of contemporary magic with a nod to the golden era of grand illusionism, his unique show is in demand across the country touring twice through India, courtesy of the Australian High Commission. He is currently the Australian magic and illusions associate for the global smash hit ‘Harry Potter and The Cursed Child’ as well as the Magic /illusion designer and director for the highly anticipated stage adaptation of Mem Foxes Australian classic ‘Possum Magic’ – touring Australia. COFFEE EXCHANGE BY MR BLACK As part of the historic weekend, visitors can also expect uniquely heritage-infused food and drink that’s sure to be the envy of your Instagram followers. Courtesy of our favourite Mr Black cold brewed coffee liquor, guests will be able to sample carefully crafted cocktails from some of Ballarat’s best venues for one night only on Saturday evening from 7:30pm.
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Combining two of our favourite things, coffee and cocktails, you’ll find unique concoctions from The Lost Ones, Workshop Cafe, Moon & Mountain, Mitchell Harris, Kittelty’s, Cafe Sidra, Healthy Hub, Freight Bar, Canberra Hotel & Websters, plus something a little colder from Il Piccolo Gelato. Take some old favourites, add plenty of imagination, and get your taste buds ready to be blown away. This one’s a ticketed event and can be booked via www. plateupballarat.com.au.
THESE ARE ONLY SOME EXAMPLES OF THE HUGE SELECTION OF EVENTS ON THAT WEEKEND, SO DEFINITELY JUMP ON THEIR WEBSITE AND SUSS OUT WHICH EVENTS WOULD SUIT YOU THE BEST. BALLARAT HERITAGE WEEKEND IS PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF BALLARAT AND IS HELD OVER MAY 25 – 26. FOR DETAILS, VISIT BALLARATHERITAGEWEEKEND.COM OR FOLLOW THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM TO BE PART OF THE HERITAGE DISCUSSION.
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THE SPARKLING ON DIAMOND A run as a 4ZZZ ‘Album of the Week’ shows just what a happy place experimental pop outfit On Diamond is in at the moment. Their self-titled debut album follows on from Lisa Salvo’s 2014 I Could Have Been a Castle, as a more collaborative project shaped. We chat to Lisa. Hey Lisa, let’s start off with a little about yourself. You’re the lead singer of On Diamond. How did the band come together? What was the driving force? It started as a solo project in around 2013, when I put together a band to record my first album. After releasing that album, it developed into a more expressive and wilder vibe. I got some improvising players involved and we worked on the sound for a couple of years until we got to where were are today. I think the songs called for a more elaborate arrangement, and having other players to bounce off and react to is really important for On Diamond’s music. What inspired your band’s name? Well... my solo album was called I Could Have Been a Castle, and that was actually taken from one morning when I was walking to work in Fitzroy. There was a huge pile of sand that had the words I could’ve been a castle spray painted onto it. I thought that was really beautiful and sad... and how I felt
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about my life in terms of my upbringing not being ideal – I could’ve been a castle but I’m just a pile of sand. It took me a long time to get to where I am now, standing on my own two feet. And then the name On Diamond came partly through Online Bandname Generator...strangely! It made sense, because I realised I was starting again on a stronger foundation, and the new brain pathways and life I was creating were built on something solid and true and rare. That’s where On Diamond came from. Your debut album features a versatile range of songs. Some sound quite serene, others have more of a rock feel. Do you consider On Diamond a certain genre? I call On Diamond experimental pop because I think they are pop songs, and that’s the style I enjoy writing. But the experimental part is having the freedom to do whatever you like with pop music and make it your own, rather than trying to adhere to a uniform industry approach, or what you think is going to be a hit. And then a huge inspiration I guess is improvised music, outside of pop. There are a lot of amazing improvisers in Melbourne and they just play whatever they like. They get together and play in different groups and they develop their own language – then it’s whatever comes out and whatever they’re feeling at the time. So we try and marry the two. One song from the album really stood out to me, ‘The Purple Palace’. To me it touches on the notion of home and what home truly means. Can you describe the meaning for you behind it?
It is actually about the literal house where most of the album was written, which I moved out of in November. But before that, Scott, our guitarist, and I were there for three and a half years. I guess it was the first house where I felt I could really stretch out, and it was my first time not living in a share house. There was a lot of exploration I could do creatively, and also, I had been in therapy for a while, so it refers to a literal house plus the way that my inner world and inner house was developing: learning to embrace the positivity coming about through that. What would you be doing if you weren’t a singer? Is this something you’ve always wanted to do? I don’t think I ever really had specific career aspirations. I’ve been into music since I was young, but now that I’m playing music I have to find other ways to support myself and that lifestyle. Well, it’s not a lifestyle, but for many there’s little financial gain. I like kids, so at some point I was considering studies in that area, but I never pursued it. I teach performance a little, and I work in a shop. I’ve heard you write all the songs... where do you get the inspiration? On this album, it’s sort of like every song is a different theme in my mental progress over the past few years: revelations that I’ve had or lessons I’ve learnt along the way. I think lyrically that’s where all of the songs come from. What are you most excited about regarding this album launch? In Melbourne I’m really excited about Music Yared playing. They’re a beautiful band with two EastAfrican songwriters who are the core of the band, and Soft Rubbish who play kind of psych pop/rock. It’ll be really fun to share the night with them and celebrate what we’ve achieved with this album as a band. We’re also playing a Castlemaine show with Jaala which will be wonderful – she’s playing solo. CATCH ON DIAMOND’S ALBUM LAUNCH WITH MUSIC YARED AND SOFT RUBBISH ON 30 MAY AT THE GASOMETER, COLLINGWOOD, OR WITH JAALA ON 17 MAY AT THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE.
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PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ Dig out your sequins, put on your glad rags and slip into your dancing shoes. It’s time to head back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Following the huge success of their 2017 debut Australian tour, Puttin’ On the Ritz is back by popular demand and gliding its way across Australia in May and June for an all-singing, alldancing celebration of some of the most iconic music of all time. Presented by Mellen Events, Puttin’ On the Ritz delivers all the razzamatazz and style, celebrating the most famous songs which hark back to the glory days of Hollywood. This wonderful extravaganza features a 16-strong stellar cast of six multitalented vocalists and 10 energetic dancers direct from London’s West End. The soundtrack includes timeless classics by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter including Cheek to Cheek, Alexander’s Rag Time Band, Birth of the Blues, Swanee, Night and Day, I Got Rhythm, Easter Parade and of course Puttin’ On the Ritz. Glittering costumes and slick staging, paired with the most famous songs, are a perfect match for a glamorous night out and a show you’ll never forget. What are you waiting for? A dazzling theatre spectacle awaits! IT’LL LAND AT GEELONG’S COSTA HALL ON FRIDAY JUNE 7. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: WWW.GPAC.ORG.AU
WHO’S PLAYING? TOTALLY UNICORN ARSE BLACKHELM SPAWN DEFENESTRATION AYA AYA CRY BABY PLUS MORE TBA…
WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL Whether you’re a fan of winter or wish it would go away, you can’t deny the beauty of the Winter Solstice. Also known as midwinter, the Winter Solstice occurs when the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in the middle and once at the end. The Winter Solstice is the day with the least daylight and longest night of the year! So, the team at The Barwon Club thought why not throw a party to celebrate! Please welcome the very first Winter Solstice Festival, a festival working with bands, artists, DJs and sponsors to transform The BC into a pagan celebration for the longest night of the year on Saturday June 22. Using artists from the Geelong area, The BC team will create a space in the venue akin to mini art exhibitions, covering as many walls as possible with installations, banners, projections, glitch art and more for ONE NIGHT ONLY! In true pagan fashion, they will be performing a special ceremony as the sun sets so it’s wise to get down early! We encourage all those coming to dress up and celebrate the Winter Solstice.
WHO’S SPINNING TRACKS? MUTANT DANCE (EDDIE EXAMPLE, DEEN ARIFF, BLACKWAVE, DHUNT, STEVIE LOVECRAFT) DAD DOES DISCO (DAWSON & DEXTER) BUGG WHO’S BRINGING THE ART? GHSDUDE MAX DEBOO RICK CHESSHIRE BRIDIE COUGHLIN RYAN TRICKEY ALICE WOOD RORY GILMORE MARTHA DAWSON SAMUEL LOWREY DANIEL HUNT YOU CAN PURCHASE TICKETS AT OZTIX. COM.AU OR DIRECT FROM THE BC BAR. THIS IS AN 18+ EVENT, FROM 3AM – 1AM.
LASH 78
For those that aren’t lucky enough to be familiar with you, please give us a little introduction to your music and how you came to be? We are a sibling female fronted band called Lash78. I think the best way to describe our music is rock pop; we grew up with our speakers blasting classic Aussie rock but also in a time where MTV was influencing their viewers with upcoming pop sensations. Being sisters, it’s made the process of forming who we are as musicians in ways easier, coming from the same upbringing and having similar/if not the same inspirations. We’ve travelled the world with our music, worked with some very talented people, learned a lot of valuable lessons about life and the industry which has made us the artists we are today. Congrats on the debut EP – can you tell our readers a bit about it? Thank you! Some of the songs on the tracklist have been in our catalog for years! This EP is like the white dove release, a symbol of new beginnings for us, a chapter that meets its end but opens up for something even bigger. If you’re looking for a CD that empowers and strengthens you, look no further than our EP... Plus we have some pretty kick-ass harmonies and emotion injected lyrics in there might I add. You’ve done a lot of travelling over the past couple of years. How has this influenced your music?
Travelling forces people to grow. You’re in a different country, sometimes people speak a different language, you have to navigate your way through the unknown and that puts you out of your comfort zone and forces new opportunities. The growth that we gained from travelling fuelled our creativity, we were inspired by the scenery and people we met and we got some great songs out of it. You’ve got a launch coming up in support of your new EP. Landing at the Barwon Club, what can gig goers expect from the tour and what are you looking forward to most about being on the road? Every gig will start off with chills and end with a bang... let’s just say that! I guess you will have to be there to find out what that means! I think that the being on the road will allow some space from our day to day lives and allow us to start writing for an album or our next single! Whatever comes next I guess. That being said we do still have some killer songs up our selves which we want to release first! You’re known for your knockout harmonies and a performance that keeps audiences coming back for more – what elements do you believe crucial to a great live show? Do you prefer being up on stage or in the studio? Energy! Your energy sets the tone for the audience, I’m a foot stomping, head banging type of girl and Lauren’s the same! So when we get up on stage we always bring that lust to perform and I think that really shines through for the audience and encourages them to join in on another level. We definitely can’t choose between the stage and the studio! We love the studio because it enables us to create new content and also, collaborate with other like-minded musicians but we also would go mad if we couldn’t interact with our fans and perform the songs that we’d put so much effort into making. WHEN & WHERE: THE BARWON CLUB, GEELONG – MAY 11 AMPED, GEELONG – MAY 12 THE PUBLICAN, MORNINGTON – MAY 26
JOE BONAMASSA
2019 TOUR DATES
SEPTEMBER 18 BRISBANE QPAC SEPTEMBER 20 & 21 SYDNEY STATE THEATRE SEPTEMBER 23 MELBOURNE PALAIS THEATRE TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT JBONAMASSA.COM Forté 714
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That instant when a needle touches vinyl is perhaps the definitive sound of analogue. Since 1963 Audio-Technica has been that connection! In 2019 the revolution continues with an all new turntable range and a new level of emotion and connection between you and your music. Fore more information go to audio-technica.com.au Follow us @AudioTechnicaAU
MEET THE NEW LINEUP
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Amazing tunes aren’t the only thing on offer for festival lovers, with fun performances, installations, arts programs and magical ‘Lands’ to explore. Artistic Director, Ian Pidd has planned a spellbinding celebration of creativity, finding surprising and wonderful things for the Arts & Wonder program. Expect lots of hands-on activities, delightful artists and shows you’ve never heard of, and plenty of wellknown acts too. Alongside the cracking lineup for 2019, this year the festival has truly stepped it up, expanding into a three-day event, when it returns to the magnificent gardens of the Werribee Mansion Melbourne Cup Weekend on 1-3 November 2019. As the brainchild of Simon Daly and Mella Morgan, a husband and wife duo, who collectively founded and ran The Falls Music & Arts Festival for 20 years, The Lost Lands is a magical experience where families can dance, unleash their creativity and enjoy breathtaking performances together.
THE LOST LANDS HAVE DROPPED THEIR JUICY LINEUP FOR 2019 Victorian music festival The Lost Lands is back for 2019 and today they have dropped their juicy lineup. Joining previously announced hip hop star Baker Boy, The Lost Lands have just added English indie rock legends Gomez, soul sisters Vika & Linda Bull, electro rock icons Regurgitator, songwriter & poet Sampa The Great, indie rock band Holy Holy, Japan’s pop punk outfit Shonen Knife, Rolling Blackouts CF, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, as well as Haiku Hands, Nicky Bomba, I Know Leopard, Sahara Beck and The African Intelligence.
Commenting on the announcement, Simon said “We’re thrilled to present The Lost Lands for a 3rd year. We’re especially excited to offer a diverse music and arts program that will delight folks of all ages.” Mella added, “The Lost Lands is a welcoming space for people to come together and share meaningful experiences. A natural wonderland where kids and adults can escape digital screens and connect with each other.” The three-day event is the ultimate festival for big and little folk to escape the ordinary and discover a wondrous world of imaginative performances, installations and workshops. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THELOSTLANDS.COM.AU AND ARE ON SALE FROM 9AM, FRIDAY 3RD MAY. ZIP PAY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO LAYBY TICKETS. PHOTO BY HARRY DEADMAN
THE LONESOMES WRITTEN BY AINE KEOGH We sit down with Geelong born and bred vocalist and drummer Matt Callan of Queensland rockers The Lonesomes to discuss their new EP, Paranoia Destroyer. Blending tones of garage rock, surf punk and distortion– where do you draw from, or who are your biggest influences to your music making and more specifically your new EP? Our influences are a bit of a mixed bunch. I listen to a lot of older stuff or ‘Dad Rock’, everything from 60’s garage like The Seeds to 70’s Australian punk like Radio Birdman. Kesh [Head, Guitar] likes anything that most people would consider ‘weird’ like Primus & The Garden, and our bassist Lewis [Jamison] really gets around heavy breakdowns and dudes screaming. It’s an odd mix of influences, but I guess that helps to make the sound that you just mentioned. Although, we never necessarily had a specific sound or genre in mind when we started, it just kind of happened! Is this an EP you’ve been working on since forming the band? We have been sitting on these songs for almost a year now. We had our minds pretty set that we wanted to record with Greg Jard in Byron Bay who does sound for Frenzal Rhomb and Regurgitator. We love the vibe that Greg brings to recordings. He’s a busy man so we had to wait a while before we could track him down,
but I’m glad we did because we are pretty proud of the finished result. For a fairly fresh band, forming only last year, you’ve been making a name for yourselves, playing alongside The Chats and Peter Bibby (just to name a couple). How did The Lonesomes come to playing together? Have you come from different bands? Those guys are legends! Lewis and I formed The Lonesomes at the start of 2018, but we thought we were done after a few gigs because our guitarist at the time moved to Japan. Then, I was having a house party at my place one night and a friend brought along Kesh. He found my guitar in the lounge room and started playing it. I set up my drum kit and started jamming with him in the middle of this party although I didn’t have any sticks at the time and used paint brushes instead, but people were still getting around it... After that Kesh was pretty much in the band. Based in QLD, a lot of your gigs are played up in the East of us here in Melbourne, where are some of your favourite venues to play and where would be your dream venue? Our favourite venue and basically our second home is Miami Shark Bar. Unfortunately, it’s closing down at the end of this week which is a huge blow for the Gold Coast music scene. But they are throwing a big farewell party with DZ Deathrays, Voiid, Crum, Radolescent and heaps more. I think we are jumping up for a cheeky appearance, it’ll be a fun send off to an amazing venue! As for dream venues, not really sure we have one. But I’m from Geelong originally and all my family is there so I’d love to play a few shows down south soon! I grew up playing in bands around the Melbourne/ Geelong area as a grom. I’ve always really enjoyed playing Barwon Club, The Tote and The Nash (R.I.P). The Geelong region has always had an exciting music scene with bands like King Gizz and The Vasco Era coming out of there, also really got a lot of respect for what Anti Fade is doing down south! The place is a breeding ground for good music so we would love to come down south for a few shows. RELEASE: PARANOIA DESTROYER IS OUT NOW.
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Dealdly Down Under WED 22 MAY THE PUBLICAN MORNINGTON THURS 23 MAY WANTHAGGI GOLF CLUB – THE CLUB HOUSE FRI 24 MAY WERRIBEE PLAZA TAV SAT 25 MAY SPHINX HOTEL GEELONG SHOW & TIX DEETS VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HOUSOSTV/ Forté 714
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didn’t end up working out and then we had a fouryear hiatus and the past few years since we got back together we have just been constantly trying to fit in as many shows as we can to our schedule.” Doing something a bit different for this tour, Thrice are actually allowing fans to curate the setlist.
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“We are doing this thing where we are letting fans vote on what they want to hear, so hopefully they want to hear a bit of everything because we have so many songs to choose from now.
FRIDAY 10TH MAY 7-10PM
THRICE
FRANK BELL S A T U R D A Y 11 T H M A Y
WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN
Californian punk-rockers Thrice are making their long-awaited return to Australia with it being a decade since their last stint down under. Previously scheduled for February, the tour will now be hitting our shores this May and the excitement is buzzing. “We had some scheduling conflicts and the only way to resolve it wasn’t the best, but we were able to push back the Australian trip and fulfil this other touring opportunity in the States,” apologises the group’s bassist Ed Breckenridge.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW W W W. T R Y B O O K I N G . C O M / B C H E F
“I feel like there are some songs that are kind of outliers, but they usually aren’t chosen. I think the hardest thing for us is when people choose the songs we have played millions of times before. I hope everyone ends up happy with the setlist, we are trying to keep it as democratic as possible.” With the bands most recent LP only being released last year, fans will definitely have a lot of material to choose from. In fact, they will have 20 years-worth and multiple different styles to choose from. Speaking of how the band’s musical tastes and inspirations have developed over the years, Ed thoughtfully said, “I think when we started we were more so influenced by punk-rock and metal bands and then over the years jazz and electronic bands started influencing things.
“When it was possible that the tour would be moved we made sure we rescheduled it as soon as possible because it’s been far too long since we’ve been in Australia.”
“I feel that’s the natural progression that a lot of musicians or listeners of music have gone through, especially from our peer group. Everyone was just trying to do the heaviest thing possible for a bit and then all of a sudden everyone started trying to make the extremes of pretty sounds and ugly sounds that get slammed together to create these dynamics. It’s a really fun way to play music so hopefully, it’s fun to listen to as well.”
When asked about why it had been so long since the band’s last headline tour of Australia, Ed responded, “I think it was due to a couple of things. One is that we had multiple offers to come over and then they
STOP BEING HUMBLE ED, IT’S DEFINITELY FUN TO LISTEN TO. DON’T BELIEVE ME? GO SUSS OUT THE MELBOURNE SHOW ON THE 19TH OF MAY AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.
S U N DAY 19 T H M AY 4 P M
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PBS ANNOUNCE 2019 RADIO FESTIVAL
TUESDAY 28TH MAY 7PM
POETRY NIGHT OPEN MIC - REGISTER ON THE NIGHT
12-14 UNION ST GEELONG OPEN 6 DAYS FROM 2PM @VALHALLABREW
Prepare to be amazed – the most magical time of the year is upon us again, as PBS 106.7FM gets ready for its biggest membership drive of the year. The charmers of PBS invite you to Work Your Magic, to help them keep Melbourne’s beloved music station dazzling and astonishing audiences for another year with the magic of radio. Behold, and be captivated by the spellbinding diversity of music that emerges from the station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Clear your calendar and dust off the old magic wand and top hat (make sure the rabbit’s well fed), and prepare to immerse yourself in PBS’ wondrous 2019
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Radio Festival. Commencing Monday 13 May through to Sunday 26 May, PBS is asking its marvellous supporters to clear out the spare change from behind their ears and gaze upon the array of benefits of an annual PBS membership. By renewing or becoming a first time member, your support will help the station to “Work Their Magic”, allowing its loyal volunteer presenters to continue to bring their transcending shows to airwaves. All those people who sign up or renew during the festival will automatically go into the draw to win one of the astounding major prizes Primavera 125 i-GET Vespa (classic Rosso Dragon red courtesy of Peter Stevens Motorcycles), plus a plethora of daily prize giveaways. PBS RADIO FESTIVAL 2019: WORK YOUR MAGIC RUNS FROM MAY 13 – MAY 26 2019. FULL DETAILS AT WWW.PBSFM.ORG.AU/
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FOODIE NEWS BIG MAMMA GNOCCHI OPENS IN GEELONG Ah, gnocchi. The key to our potato-loving hearts. Who would have thought a simple pillowy soft potato parcel paired with some meaty ragù would be so amazing, and when you get the real deal, the homemade stuff that melts on the tongue… oh boy. If you’re feeling all these feels too you’ll be stoked to know that Big Mamma Gnocchi is now open. Brought to you by the legends at Uncle Donut (makers of all things sweet), Big Mamma Gnocchi will leave the humble spaghetti in the dust, operating as an unpretentious takeaway/ virtual restaurant. The team will be serving handmade gnocchi made daily with honest sauces. YOU CAN TAKEAWAY FROM THEIR WINDOW ON LITTLE MALOP STREET OR ORDER ON DELIVEROO.
THE SURF COAST’S ROCKY ROAD FESTIVAL IS BACK
FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW When New Zealand barista Stephen Baker met his German wife Mandana five years ago, the couple fell in love – not only with each other but also with Australia, including its relaxed surf lifestyle, inspiring them to make a life for themselves on our humble Surf Coast. It was during their time here, embracing the opportunity to live a slower pace of life, that Stephen was motivated to explore his passion for coffee by opening his own vintage, coffee trailer, serving up specialty coffee on Victoria’s Surf Coast in a unique, mobile fashion. “We noticed that there weren’t many coffee trailers out there who are doing proper specialty coffee, just like if you were to go into a decent Cafe in Melbourne. We really wanted to recreate the Melbourne Cafe vibe
and have a product that is consistently great and mobile at the same time,” explains Stephen. With fifteen years’ experience behind him, Stephen first learned how to make coffee at one of New Zealand’s first premier specialty coffee places in Christchurch called ‘C1 espresso’ and has continued to refine his skills with some of the most knowledgeable baristas across Australia and New Zealand. With a bit of research and a dash of luck, the couple sourced their vintage caravan via Melbourne’s esteemed Spitfire Vintage Caravans, and soon enough spawned their own mobile coffee haven (complete with hints of wood grain and warm auburn lighting), becoming the Coast’s most wholesome purveyors of damn fine cups of coffee, parked along the Surfcoast Highway. As the newest and perfectly named coffee stop to grace our region, Little Things Big Things is created on the conviction that we need, more than ever, locals who support locals. While meticulously providing locals and tourists alike with consistently smooth Ocean Grind Coffee (hand-roasted in Torquay), Stephen has endeavoured to source products from the local region, stocking organic vegan and gluten-free
Running for a whole month, Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie’s Rocky Road Festival is making a return this May.
Sweet tooths will also love the special menu of Rocky Road infused desserts, ice creams, sundaes, waffles and Rockin’ Hot Chocolates on offer from the all-day café.
The crew are also giving visitors the chance to create your very own Rocky Road block to take home. Anything that celebrates the marshmellow, nut, cherry and chocolate creation of the Rocky Road sounds like a pretty good time to us. THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD CHOCOLATERIE IS LOCATED AT 1200 GREAT OCEAN ROAD, BELLBRAE. FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION BY VISITING THE FACEBOOK PAGE OR THE WEBSITE.
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IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN HAVING LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS AT YOUR EVENT, CONTACT THEM VIA SOCIAL MEDIA (@ LTBTSPECIALTYCOFFEE) OR VIA EMAIL HELLO@LITTLETHINGSBIGTHINGS.COM.AU.
SHANNON PIZZA HAS A NEW DROOL-WORTHY MONTHLY SPECIAL
For the entire month (yes all 31 days), the European Chocolatiers will be giving the classic Aussie Rocky Road treat a makeover and create 31 different flavours of the treat which will take form as hand made blocks, bars, truffles, ice creams and desserts using couverture chocolate with seasonal and exotic ingredients.
For the Rocky Road devotees, they’ve also got a few special Rock Around the Block Classes which kicks off with a Rockin’ Hot Chocolate, samples of six different Rocky Road flavours and a Rocky Road ice cream treat (you will have to book for this).
sweets from Manuko and The Graham Family Pantry, tea’s from Tea Thief and a range of Good Brew Kombucha, which uses Daylesford Spring Water, naturally fermented without artificial fizz or flavours. “Our sweets, teas, and coffee are from Torquay or the immediate area, and everything else is still from Victoria where possible. We love the idea of creating something a bit more sustainable and supporting local business along the way – what goes around comes around, right?” Even their unique, wooden surfboard menu is locally-sourced, created at the hands of a local couple. While you’ll usually find the van parked on the highway Friday to Sunday, it’s also used as a backdrop to vintage-themed weddings and is a no-fuss catering option for local events that require caffeinated beverages, from gym openings and farmers markets to weddings and music festivals. With lyrical inspiration from the 1991 Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody song, ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’, this local modest, coffee venture is a welcomed addition to our coastal town. “This is our first little family business together and we are planning to grow eventually and want to support people from the community who also run a small business. It has been a long journey for us to get here, and we want to encourage others that it is always worth following your dreams. Only when you start something (little), something bigger can grow...”
GOOD BEER WEEK In just nine years, Good Beer Week has grown from an innocent pot to boisterous pint-sized, transforming into a global festival that celebrates the beauty of beer through more than 300 diverse and innovative events across Melbourne and Victoria. Running from May 10-19, the awe-inspiring, dedicated week aims to encourage more people into the good beer world, and we couldn’t think of a more worthy way to spend a week dedicated to our favourite type of brew, than by celebrating with our own local legends. Here are a few thirst-quenching events any beer fanatic should get around. WESTSIDE BEER MARKETS For the second year, Little Creatures is bringing together the local beer lovers and creators from the West, from Greater Geelong, The Bellarine, The Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road and beyond with pop-up beer stalls full of delicious ales and lagers, quirky beer gear, takeaway tastes, great food, and live entertainment. The markets will be pumping until 5pm, then stick around for some beers and dinner in White Rabbit’s Barrel Hall or Little Creatures Canteen. Saturday May 11, 12pm – 10pm BLACKMAN’S MEETS THE BELLARINE DISTILLERY When brewing meets distilling... Blackman’s
Brewery is teaming up with local legends at the Bellarine Distillery, the team responsible for the amazing Teddy and the Fox Gin. Hosted at the Good Beer Bar in Geelong, the team will bring you a night of gin and beer matching, in the form of three rounds of Gin Boiler Makers. Come and chat with the makers, and learn about these crafts at The Good Beer Bar. Tuesday May 14, 7pm – late BEER AND BBQ AT THE BEACH Come and visit the awesome new brewery on the Surf Coast, Bells Beach Brewing, for a cracking afternoon of their freshest brews, the best slow cooked American BBQ around, live music and some surf related fun. Surf films on the big screen and other surf related fun. Saturday May 18, 12pm – 11pm TANK PARTY Fresh is best! Come and drink beer straight from the tanks at Blackman’s Brewery and hang out with the brewing team. There’ll be local musical legends playing live tunes, paella and games. It’s an epic private beer garden party with the brewers for all of you beer loving legends. Let the good times roll. Saturday May 11, 12:30pm – 5:30pm VISIT GOODBEERWEEK.COM.AU/EVENTS/ REGION/REGIONAL FOR MORE EVENTS!
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Ah, Garlic Bread. The holy trinity of bread, butter, and garlic created by the gluten gods to make us mere mortals very, very happy - you know, in a greasy, buttery, carby type of way. Shannon’s Pizza is aware of this, as demonstrated by their latest monthly pizza special… and no we aren’t talking about their traditional garlic pizza. Introducing the Garlic Breazza… a pizza made up of tomato sauce, cheese, garlic, oregano, more cheese, sauce on top and, wait for it, slices of garlic bread. Oh boy. Voted in by the people, this Shannon Pizza exclusive is the perfect pairing for those cold, winter nights curled up on the couch with a bottle of wine while you’re binge-watching MasterChef. You can nab a small for just $10 or invest in a large for $20. If you’re anything like us and can’t order a pizza without a side of garlic bread, this is the pizza for you. BYO breath mints. WHERE: 146 SHANNON ST, GEELONG WEST WHEN: 5-9PM EVERY DAY EXCEPT TUESDAYS SITE: WWW.SHANNONPIZZA.COM.AU PHONE: 5229 6169
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to the floor. For the last 20 odd years, I’ve always the responses between American, British and been declaring my show ‘a P.C free zone’. So, if people Australian crowds? want to come to the show they know exactly what None whatsoever. They know what it is, they come to expect, and they’re turning out in droves, for that in and they’re singing all the songs at the top of their very same reason I believe, they’re just sick to fucken voices, punching holes in the air. Sometimes I feel death of it. like I’m just the fucken conductor of the choir. They You’ve been doing this for a very long time, take over, and I’m happy about that. have you been getting more backlash now? You’ve been arrested for performing your Nah, not at all. You get your keyboard warriors, comedy in public before, can you tell us a bit your social justice warriors. But fuck em, they don’t about what happened there? deserve a comment, ya know? My kryptonite through Uh, yeah five times in my early days. Twice in this whole process has been an acronym, DILLIGAF… Western Australia, twice in Victoria and once in ‘do I look like I give a fuck?’ which I have tattooed on Queensland. The law is still out there, a pub or a my wrist. It reminds me every day, ya know, these theatre is still deemed to be a public place in much fucken idiots aren’t worth a fucken’ c**t full of gold the same way a bus stop is a public place. It is alleged water. I dare you to print that... I said the word fuck in a public place…But actually, A lot of it [the backlash you receive] comes from the coppers driving me to Brisbane lock-up turned jokes about things like race and homosexuality. ‘round the back and said, ‘Fuck you’re a funny cunt, Do you have a line in your own head between Kev.’ I said, ‘Fuck, you just arrested me for saying what makes something a joke, and what makes that!’ to which he replied, ‘Yeah, it wasn’t our idea.’ something prejudice? You’ve been performing since the ’80s. you’ve Yeah, I do. I do. It’s subjective as well, my barriers had a pretty massive career… what have some of may be a little bit broader than yours. But ya know, your personal highlights been so far? with the gay thing… I had a gay brother, who died of Oh, without a doubt was fucking Kylie Minogue. AIDS in 1990 during the epidemic. I believe you have Mumbling something about wax in his pubes and as much say in sexuality as you have in the colour of Madame Tussauds, I suppose we’ll just wrap it up your eyes, you don’t have any say in that whatsoever. there. But it doesn’t mean you can’t fucken joke about it, which we did as a family. CATCH THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT Tell us a bit about your plans for the tour? FUNNYMAN AT BENDIGO STADIUM ON MAY 14, WRITTEN BY LIAM MCNALLY Well it actually started in L.A. We were over there ARARAT PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ON MAY to record a streaming special for a network that 15, COLAC RSL ON MAY 16, WARRNAMBOOL The controversial staple of Australian comedy, we’re not allowed to disclose at this stage. So, I’ve GREYHOUND RACING CLUB ON MAY 17, Kevin Bloody Wilson is bringing his new show now got two specials sitting with them, and that’s GEELONG’S SPHINX HOTEL ON MAY 18, AND ‘F.U.P.C’ to the region this month. We caught up where it started and now rolls out into rural Victoria, BALLARAT’S MERCURE HOTEL ON MAY 20. with him for a chat about the new show and some right through to rural Queensland and into Perth. career highlights. The touring finishes this year in London, would ya You’re touring your new show, starting in May. believe? It then starts again in Scotland the following Could you tell us a bit about that and what is year (in March 2020), so it’s totally global these days inspiring you to perform ‘Fuck You P.C’? and I love it because I never thought for a minute Well… there’s a lot of P.C push out there. I think it’d ever get to that. I just thought it was about me it’s time we had a little P.C push-back. As I deal and writing songs and singin’ for my mates in my with most things, I attack it in a humorous way, and hometown of Kalgoorlie. I never thought for a minute people know when they come to my shows exactly it would turn into a career. what it’s going to be like, anyway. You know, it’s only Your comedy is very Australiana themed the last few years where the P.C thing has really come and fairly colloquial, is there a difference in
KEVIN BLOODY WILSON
some degree she is right that it is no walk in the park and I’d much rather be on a Greek Island in a bikini whilst a hot guy makes me cocktails and feeds me grapes (mmm), I do in fact often feel a deep and profound sense of gratitude during times like these. Let me explain why… Yes. It’s true that our hospital system is far from perfect. But my gosh sometimes we forget that it is one of the best in the world. We forget that we are lucky to even have one. If I was in America right now without private health, we would be more stuffed financially than a turkey on Thanksgiving. Thanks to the fact I live in Australia, I had the freedom to choose to care for my dad via having a full-time carers Centrelink benefit provided so I don’t have to work night shifts while dad sleeps to support us. Not only that, but during all this, I have somewhere The Proverbial Tea Room to live that is safe with clean running water, access to services to help support me as a carer and the Some times in life crappy things happen. It’s freedom to drive to the hospital daily, a luxury many one of those ‘can’t avoid it, non-negotiable’ women around the world don’t have. certainties about our time on planet Earth and I guess what I am saying is that yes, sometimes one of the inspirations behind the name of my life can be hard and a bit of a hot mess and living in blog, “This Hot Mess” because life really can be Australia isn’t always perfect, but in times like these a hot mess at times, can’t it? Well, lately, for let’s never lose sight that a lot of these “troubles” are me, this has 100 percent been the case. What actually the greater of two evils and in some cases, a a sh*t fight my last six weeks have been! I’ve great privilege to have. It’s a privilege to be able to had an infection that landed me in the hospital whinge about the hospital system as many people twice, then again when I passed out and hit don’t have access to one. It’s a privilege to be able my head on the way down, which left me to complain about the inconvenience of my dad’s with a crazy bad concussion and been unable hospital being 50min away from home in peak hour to walk for almost two weeks. Then, my dad traffic because many women don’t even have a car, who is disabled and for whom I care for full- let alone the ability to drive one. It’s a privilege to time was hospitalised after taking a sudden care for my dad as there a many people out there and very random downturn. What a hot mess! who would give everything they have to have one The reason I’m telling you this is not for sympathy more day with theirs. (although, if you are feeling particularly sympathetic So next time you find yourself in the proverbial please show this by delivering wine and dark “tea room of a private hospital” having a whinge, just chocolate to my house and doing a load of washing remind yourself that although what you’re going while you’re there). But no, I’m telling you because through may suck, simply being in there is a privilege during all this I had an interesting conversation with denied to many. one of the nurses while making a cuppa in their tea room. She was commenting on how hard it must be SENDING MY LOVE GUYS! to be the parent to your parent and how difficult KIM XX pulling such long hours at the hospital must be due to dads high dependency on me. And although to
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Silvers is a name synonymous with the Circus and it was with great excitement that my four-year-old Zoe (plus Mum, Dad, and Bubs) journeyed to Waurn Ponds to check out the Big Top. It seems Dinosaurs are everywhere at the moment, and Silvers are all over it with their own Dinosaur exhibition welcoming us on entry, which delighted Zoe, sparked up my one-year-olds interest, and got things off to a great start before keeping the blinkers on through the food and game section and taking our seats. I won’t give too much away, but you’ll get the usual juggling, clowns, acrobats and the like; but when the dogs came out, the young, the old, and the in-between all lit up! Most of the performing dogs are rescue dogs, trained by the Jratlou Family, and all look like they enjoyed performing as much as we enjoyed watching them! Laughs aplenty, and the poodle in the dress was a classic!! The Wheel of Steel was probably my favourite part of the show and needs to be seen to be believed. The Grand Finale, “The Globe of Death” fortunately provided no death, but did provide some deathdefying motorbike riding/entertainment. Do you think one bike riding around the cage is crazy enough? Wait until they add more riders to the Globe!! Whether you’re one or 101, Silvers provides entertainment for all, and Ballarat, it’s your turn!! Silvers are performing for 2 weeks from Friday 10th May until Sunday 26th May, so round up your friends, round up your family, and enjoy the show, millions of years in the making!
BRAVO BEAUTY From the beautiful language of the motherland, Bravo means good, and Tori Bravo, the boss babe behind Bravo Beauty is nothing short of AMAZING. @BRAVOBEAUTYMUA SJK MAKE-UP ARTIST New to the makeup game is the one and only Salli Karnilowicz. Although she is just starting out, she is a gun at transforming my face for any event I need her.
THIS HOT MESS
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STARDUST AND THE MISSION Family drama unfolds, and the tension between patriotism and racism is revealed in the double bill performance of Stardust and The Mission, featuring two regular Aussies with remarkable tales, when it arrives at GPAC for two days this May. Stardust is the story of the esteemed Victorian jazz musician Col Brain and his wooden dresser – which sat unopened for over 25 years in the family garage of his grandson: the multi-award winning ABC presenter and performer, Joel Carnegie. “Before he died in the late 1980s, Col stored all of his life’s most important musical possessions in this old wooden dresser (called a gentleman’s wardrobe!), locked it up and it was never opened again. That was until I started working on a radio documentary about his life for ABC Radio National back in 2014 and decided to open this cupboard for the very first time,” explains Carnegie, the star of Stardust. “Over time, I started to collect stories about this man who I’d never really knew – and ultimately turned this radio documentary into a ‘radio cabaret’ show that the ABC recorded at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre in 2016, with a live brass band and three packed houses! Tom (Molyneux) directed the show and it aired to critical acclaim – picking up “Best Performance By an Actor” and “Best Innovation” at the 2017 New York Festivals International Radio
, took a decline so people were more reluctant to take risks because there were more threats. “The only thing that is really thriving still is hip-hop because with hip-hop you only need a microphone and sound card and a computer, so the footprint is a lot smaller, you don’t have to be as loud as you do with a metal band, you don’t need as much equipment. “But that being said, about three months ago a young kid in Kabul contacted me and he is trying to start a metal band post the heightened musical peak of Afghanistan, which is kind of what we had always hoped for and it seems as if it’s actually coming into fruition now.” Outside of the obvious; metal music being illegal in Afghanistan (it is of the belief that metal listeners are Satanists who will have flames come from their ears on Judgement day), what other challenges are musicians facing over there? “This kid is struggling on several levels,” responds WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN Travis. “The first is that he can’t find any musicians because the scene over there is largely dead. ‘Would you put your life on the line for your music?’ Secondly, he wants to put on a concert for World Fortunately for us, we will never have too. United Metal Day which is actually something For District Unknown, on the other hand, it wasn’t my friend in Sydney organises and that involved a hypothetical question, it was their life. over 40 countries all hosting a metal concert on Formed in the midst of the destruction and chaos the same day. So, I put it out to this kid that he of a war-torn Afghanistan, District Unknown was could put on a concert for that to tie Afghanistan Afghanistan’s first ever metal band. With lyrics into the international metal community but now fuelled by political disdain and a local following we are struggling to find venues for it and that’s big enough to get the authorities attention, District a real challenge. And beyond that, if he does find Unknown was largely putting their life at risk to a venue he then has to find ways to advertise and express themselves via their music. promote. When we promote our event over there Rockabul is a documentary that chronicles this we had to do it in a, as coined by Rolling Stone, a amazing journey. Filmed over eight years, it follows ‘stealth’ style of promotion to get the audience in the band from their inception to their absolute peak; without creating risks and threats.” being featured in Rolling Stone, playing in India With the political state of Afghanistan still in and having the Taliban shut down their live shows. disrepute, Travis is heading back over at the end of the I was lucky enough to have a chat with the film’s year to make his new political driven documentary. director, Travis Beard about this incredible story and Before then, Victorians will be lucky enough to see gain some further insight into the current state of Rockabul for a bunch of special Q and A screening live music within Afghanistan. with Travis in Melbourne (Cinema Nova) on May 14, “To be honest, it took a bit of a downturn after Geelong (Pivotonian) on May 22 and Castlemaine 2014 when the troops withdrew and the money (Theatre Royal) on June 16. dried up, that caused a bit of a vacuum across the board from everything to do with unemployment PICK UP YOUR TICKETS VIA POTENTIALFILMS. to cultural aspects,” Beard explains. “Security also COM/CONTEMPORARY-MOVIES/ROCKABUL/
Awards,” he continues. “I don’t think we often appreciate how much our family past influences who we are today and this project has been really revealing for me. I’ve uncovered so much about my family, which I never knew before. Stardust is really a story about exploring someone else’s life through the things they left behind…” Following an interval, Tom Molyneux will take front and centre with The Mission: a story about Allan McDonald, Molyneux’s great, great uncle and one of Victoria’s first indigenous soldiers to fight in World War I. He fought in many of the famous ANZAC battles, including in Gallipoli. The extreme racism he faced didn’t deter him from fighting for Australia, and Indigenous rights. This is the account of a man who stood up for what be believed in no matter the cost. With both stories exploring the notion that the people of your past plays apart in fully understanding who you are today, it only made sense to Carnegie and Molyneux to bill the two shows together. “We all make choices in life, which directly impact our future. This double bill (two shows in one) gives people the chance to consider where they are at in life, and how the past can influence (and even haunt) you to this very day,” Carnegie says. “As long-time collaborators, we felt that these two stories spoke to each other.” With local brass bands also performing across both shows, Stardust and The Mission will reveal the extraordinary stories of two ordinary Australians whose legacies still reverberate today – in a double bill that brings to life both lingering memories and lessons from the past.
ROCKABUL
GRAB YOUR TICKETS FOR THE PERFORMANCE ON MAY 16-17 AT TO WWW.GPAC.ORG.AU/ STARDUST-AND-OPHELIA-OFFER. STARDUST & THE MISSION WILL ALSO VISIT BALLARAT MECHANICS INSTITUTE ON MAY 25, ARARAT TOWN HALL ON JULY 26, COLAC OTWAY PERFORMING ARTS & CULTURAL CENTRE (COPACC) ON JULY 27, AND WARRNAMBOOL’S LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE ON AUGUST 10.
involve question and answer format as well as panel discussion and interviews – and this year is no different. Among the esteemed wordsmiths heading to Williamstown for the festivals 16th year, we’re particularly excited about the addition of Port Fairybased writer Jock Serong. With a prestigious publishing repertoire including Quota (winner of the 2015 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction), On the Java Ridge (shortlisted for the 2018 Indie Awards) and The Rules of Backyard Cricket (shortlisted for the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Award for Fiction, finalist of the 2017 MWA Edgar Awards for Best Paperback Original, and finalist of the 2017 INDIES Adult Mystery Book of the Year), it’s his most recent book, Preservation (2018), based on the true story of the wreck of the Sydney Cove, that sees master storyteller Jock Serong turn his talents to historical narrative.
A book festival is the perfect place to celebrate your love of literature with fellow fans, see your favourite authors in action, and of course, discover new writers and illustrators. Taking place over two days in the Williamstown Town Hall and the Williamstown Library, The Williamstown Literary Festival (aka the Willy Lit Fest) promises a weekend feast of books, ideas, conversations, and performances. Known as one of the country’s most respected wordfests, attracting some of Australia’s best-loved authors, each year there are over 80 authors who present and take part in over 50 sessions which discuss all topics from life, death, happiness, self, politics, ageing and science fiction, appealing to people of all ages and literary tastes. Many sessions
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS Isabella Khalife
Making his way to the heart of Williamstown historic docks, Serong will lead the discussion ‘Unchartered Territory and Dangerous Waters’ alongside Fled author, Meg Keneally, as they explore the realm of travelling broiling seas and hostile countryside, discussing two titles that prove to re-imagine history with full immersion. They’ll be joined by awardwinning historian and author, Clare Wright. JOCK’S SESSION WILL BE HELD AT THE PIRATES TAVERN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 15TH AT 1PM. TICKETS ARE ON SALE AT WWW.WILLYLITFEST. ORG.AU
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WILLIAMSTOWN LITERARY FESTIVAL
Beginning his writing life (after a career as a criminal lawyer) as a surf magazine writer and editor, it makes sense that the regional novelist has a knack at writing about people at the mercy of a violent ocean, both with Preservation, and his 2017 novel On the Java Ridge which is considered surf-related fiction.
Izzy Losi and The Auracles
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PAULY FENECH WRITTEN BY LIAM MCNALLY
Pauly Fenech has been creating nuggets of Australian comedy gold for TV, film and stage for over twenty years. Pizza was a late night SBS staple in my house growing up, and Housos is a cult sensation just to name a couple. He’s bringing his new live show to Geelong, and between the jokes, the audience thonging’s and the de-facto-at-first-sight segment it’s sure to be a unique performance with far more to offer than the run-of-the-mill stand-up show. We got to have a chat to him ahead of his show
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at Geelong’s Sphinx later in May. Pauly’s stayed there before and reckons you have to try the feast, but most of all he’s just amazed a piece of ancient Egypt ended up in Geelong. He reckons “the theory of ancient aliens is proved by the discovery of The Sphinx in Geelong. It could only be ancient aliens mate.” Strap in. Pizza first aired almost 20 years ago now, how did the original idea come about and how did it first all come together? Well, I was a pizza delivery boy for a very short period of time so that was a bit of inspiration. Before that, when I was in high school I used to drive around in Valliant’s, and I used to go to the drive-in, and drive past this really lonely pizza shop. There were always just two guys in there watching TV. It always looked like it was empty, right? And I always thought how funny it would be to do a TV show about this really crappy pizza shop, even as a teenager I thought it’d be funny. So, I kept it in my mind, and then I did a bunch of short movies that won a few little awards and, next minute, it was a TV show. There you go... You’re touring your new live show later in May, do you want to tell us a bit about it? It’s a bit of a crazy show. It’s a mix of stand-up comedy and audience interaction, there’s a lot of videos and stuff people haven’t seen before… there’s thong slapping, there’s beer drinking comps. It’s really Aussie and it’s really adult. If you’re watching Disney every day or go to church about three times a week, it’s probably not your kind of show. In the last twenty years, what have some of the highlights of your career been? Definitely some of the threesome scenes in Housos, they were a highlight… and winning the Logie, of course. I never thought I’d win that. I got nominated like four or five times for Pizza and stuff, and the night of winning the Logie I just wrote it off and said ‘no chance’ so I got really pissed with Kev the Kiwi and I’m surprised I could actually even speak when I won the award. That was a highlight, just the fact that I could speak with the amount of alcohol that had been drunk prior to the speech. It’s all a highlight really – and it gives you a great life, comedy is just the best thing. What else can you manufacture that makes people feel good besides hand jobs?
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What sort of goals do you have left, any boxes you want to tick? I’ve already done everything I could possibly do in Australia, there’s nothing else I could do. I’ve done radio, TV, film, stage, what else can you do, you know? Maybe it might be nice to try something in America – but then again, I’m in a movie with Paul Hogan that’s coming out this year which is an American movie. It’s got John Cleese and some very big stars in it, Mel Gibson, Olivia Newton-John. I got to do four or five pretty cool scenes with Paul Hogan playing a Mexican, so I was going to say I could do something in America, but I guess I have! I have ticked the box, there you go! What’s that one called? I don’t know if they’ve settled on the title, but I think it’s called the excellent Mr Dundee, or that was the working title anyway. I should’ve mentioned that, that was definitely a highlight. Working with Paul Hogan, ya know, you’re probably a bit too young to remember the TV shows of Hoges. I used to sit there as a little kid watching them, he was such a big star, and then he had that massive international success… he’s probably the biggest star Australia ever produced in terms of movies, at least until some of these new ones. Maybe Nicole Kidman but c’mon… you marry a Scientologist, I think you give up your citizenship when that happens, I dunno if she’s an Aussie anymore, I think she’s a reptilian. How much practice does it take for you to jump those big metal back yard fences as smooth as Franky does? Mate that’s just natural talent. That’s all I can tell ya, there are Olympic athletes who can’t jump those fences. I’ve challenged high jumpers and Cathy Freeman. I said, ‘C’mon jump the fence mate!’ she couldn’t do it. It’s just a natural talent that comes from running from cops as a teenager. For fans of any of his shows, Pauly also let slip that there’s “going to be some fat pizza specials later. I can’t say where, or when, or how, or why, but Fat Pizzas coming back!”
H E R I TA G E
Vinyl enthusiasts listen up: The Geelong Record Fair is back for the second time this year and it has you covered for all your vinyl collecting needs. Whether you’re looking for something new to fill that small space in between Joy Division and Judas Priest, or you’re just an old soul, searching for music you can actually hold in your hand, this free event is one not to be missed. Run by local crate diggers, a motley crew of dedicated hoarders and collectors who for reasons of lack of money, space or sanity, and in some cases all three, are selling obscure and prized possessions from their personal collections. There will be 30 tables of music treasures to sift through, with two tables covered in CD’s, 45’s, 78’s and memorabilia, while the rest is purely dedicated to original 12 inch vinyl albums. You can find the fair at The Malthouse on Lowe Street in Corio. This quirky location is enough to spark excitement in every vintage enthusiast, not to mention there are also heaps of private collectors and dealers selling across all different genres. Starting at 11am on Sunday June 9, they’ll be slinging LP’s, cassettes, memorabilia and heaps more til 4pm. Music lovers unite!
CATCH PAULY ON THE PLAZA TAVERN, WERRIBEE ON MAY 24 & SPHINX HOTEL, GEELONG – MAY 25.
B A L L A R AT
THE GEELONG RECORD FAIR IS BACK AGAIN
W E E K E N D
P R E S E N T
Two stories about love, music and war, and all the things that people leave behind...
STARDUST+ THE MISSION D O U B L E
B I L L
“This show truly is a treat” – ABC Radio National (Stardust) “The Mission is a beautiful, touching and rich tribute.” – Keith Gow (The Mission)
BA L L A ARAT MEC HANICS ’ INSTITUTE SATURDAY 25 MAY at 2pm & 7.30PM | ADULT $35, CONC $32, MEMBERS $30 & CHILD $15 BOX OFFICE: 5333 5888 WEB: HERMAJ.COM
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BURNING
THE HUSTLE
TOP END WEDDING
LONG SHOT
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Lee (Yoo Ah-in) does odd jobs in the Korean city of Paju and idly dreams of becoming a writer. Then he runs into his former neighbour Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), who he doesn’t remember (she says she had plastic surgery) and they start up a hesitant relationship. She seems a little off-kilter; when she returns from an overseas trip (he was left feeding a cat he doubts actually exists) she has the mysteriously wealthy Ben (Steven Yeun) on her arm. She still wants to be friends, as does Ben – who is also a little off-putting, but in a remote way that seems to fit his wealthy status. Then Shin vanishes, and while there could be any number of reasons (it seems she had massive debts for one), Lee’s thoughts begin to take a darker turn. At two and a half hours this is definitely a slow burn (sorry), but director Lee Chang-dong skilfully works through a series of increasingly tense and unsettling scenes to create a gripping, if often elusive, drama.
Josephine (Anne Hathaway) is a highclass con artist working the casinos of a small town on the French Rivera and doing very well from it. Lonnie (Rebel Wilson) is also a con artist… and that’s pretty much where the similarities end (she escapes from the cops early on by disguising herself as a bag of trash). But when Lonnie arrives on Josephine’s turf, it rapidly becomes clear that the town isn’t big enough for the two of them. The solution? A competition where the first to con a tech billionaire (Alex Sharp) out of half a million dollars wins. This remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (itself a remake of 1964’s Bedtime Story) is enjoyably silly without being offensively stupid, and director Chris Addison (you may remember him playing Ollie Reeder on The Thick of It) does a surprisingly good job of maintaining the film’s farcical tone throughout. At barely 90 minutes long (there’s even a deleted scene in the credits) it definitely doesn’t overstay its welcome, but the rapid patter and fast pace mean the focus stays firmly on Hathaway, who comes off strong as the dry, restrained one, and Wilson, whose usual brash antics suit her character well. It’s just entertainment pure and simple, but at least it’s entertaining.
A heart-warming tale of finding your family - and through them, yourself - Top End Wedding takes full advantage of a range of spectacular scenery and some very funny performances to create a rom-com that’s surprisingly assured once it finds its feet. Adelaide lawyer Lauren (the extremely charming Miranda Tapsell) and her partner Ned (Gwilym Lee) are getting married. This is not a straightforward procedure: they not only have a narrow window in which to seal the deal (Lauren’s boss in not big on time off), Lauren wants to have the ceremony with her family in the Northern Territory, and it turns out her mother Daphne (Ursula Yovich) has gone missing (there’s also the little matter of Ned being unemployed, but he hasn’t told Lauren that yet). There’s only one way to track her down: road trip! This is perhaps too uneven to be truly satisfying across the board - if you like the broad silliness of the first act the more thoughtful and emotional scenes in the third may not be for you, and the film’s middle stretch is largely forgettable. This drifting is all the more frustrating for viewers because the final act of the film really does connect with Lauren’s family history in a powerful way. It’s the obvious highlight of the film.
Fred Flarsky (Rogen) is a passionate – maybe a little too passionate – journalist who angrily quits his job when his paper is bought by a soulless media mogul. Drowning his sorrows with his surprisingly wealthy best friend (O’Shea Jackson Jr), they end up at a fundraiser where they bump into Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), the US Secretary of State. It turns out she used to babysit Fred, and while their brief encounter ends with him going head first down some stairs, Charlotte – who is planning a run for the Presidency, and who needs some writers to punch up her speeches – decides to offer him a job. Unlike Rogen’s biggest rom-com hit Knocked Up, which also featured him as a schlub paired off with a woman seemingly well out of his league, this works hard to show why both characters would be into each other and (surprisingly?) succeeds. Theron and Rogen are so good together, and the film itself is so funny (it’s joke-heavy enough to work even if you somehow don’t buy the core relationship) that it’s easy to overlook the film’s few wobbles. Director Jonathan Levine (who Rogan worked with on 50/50 back in 2011) has made a smart, funny rom-com that’s retro in the best way .
The Marvel Universe characters are never really going to die, if for no other reason than Disney paid billions of dollars for them; good luck explaining to the shareholders why you just threw [spoiler redacted] into the bin. Still, this is a pretty spectacular bin toss. Running over a doesn’t-feellike-it three hours (being split into three fairly distinct stages helps), this brings in pretty much everyone from the past and present Marvel Universe for a greatest hits collection that manages to emotionally pay off the cliffhanger from the previous Avengers film, throw in some fun time travel hijinx, and wrap it all up with an allstar massive battle that... okay, it’s big rather than brilliant, but sometimes big does the job. The tension that really drives Avengers: Endgame isn’t whether Thanos will be defeated or how, but how they’re going to provide a satisfying ending for a story that has no end. Fortunately the comics books got there first, and so this resolves that problem (reasonably successfully) in the same way the comic books do – some of the actors move on but the brand names remains. It’s a farewell to the actors rather than the characters: once you put on a superhero outfit, nobody ever really dies. REVIEWS BY ANTHONY MORRIS
STAFF PICKS
RECORD WATCH
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TALIA
When We All Fall Asleep
Currently touring.
AWAKEN I AM - THE BEAUTY IN TRAGEDY
Second album from this groundbreaking electro artist.
NATHAN
Limited vinyl.
METRIC- ART OF DOUBT
For fans of Halsey, Kimbra or Beyonce.
GLENN
Available from Real Music Vinyl & CDs, located at 83 Little Malop Street, Geelong.
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• WE HAVE MOVED TO 99 KEPLER STREET, WARRNAMBOOL •
I have wanted to check out Bluesfest for years now so I was absolutely stoked that the 30th Anniversary also doubled as my first year, especially with the stacked lineup they’d come pulled together. Before I get into the bands, I wanted to mention a few things about the event itself.
For starters, the scale of the festival in itself is insane; five stages and well over 100 food and clothing vendors – it was honestly like its own city. Secondly, I wanted to give a specific mention to the fact that every single stage was undercover and wheelchair accessible (with an elevated platform allowing wheelchair bound punters to have a better view.) Thirdly, I have never come across such a beautiful crowd of people. Every single person I spoke to was incredibly knowledgeable on all the acts playing and music as a whole, and it truly seemed like there wasn’t a single person in the crowd who was just there to get fucked up with their mates and that was such a welcomed change in my eyes. Now onto the music. Unfortunately with five days worth of acts, I can’t review everyone so I’m going to hit you with some highlights.
Kurt Vile opened with ‘Loading Zones’, the opening track off 2018’s Bottle It In and breezed through his hour of consistent guitar changes, changing his string instrument for literally every single song of the set, including a mandolin and a 12-string. Tracks such as ‘Bassackwards’ and ‘Waking On A Pretty Day’ highlighted his musical ability through their melodic stylings, while ‘Pretty Pimpin’ was a singalong favourite for the crowd. Fantastic Negrito was hands down my favourite of the long weekend. Stumbling across him on the Thursday night and then making it my mission to see every set he performed over the event, I was truly in awe. It sounds cliche to say that both the crowd and his band were ‘eating out of the palm of his hand’, but for lack of a better term, they were. It was as if we were puppets to the Fantastic Negrito show. ‘A Boy Named Andrew’ and ‘An Honest Man’ were both the evident favourites with the crowd participation being at an all time high, closely followed by his haunting cover of Leadbelly’s ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night.’ Gary Clark Jr was incredible for both of his sets. The choice to open with ‘Bright Lights’ clearly surprised a lot of punters, especially all the ones lining up at the bar who immediately came running in. His prowess on the guitar is honestly next to none; the intricacy of his skills was hypnotizing and I don’t feel like I’m alone in saying that. His second set featured a welcomed surprise in the form of Lukas Nelson and Marcus King who both made guest appearances. Iggy Pop, I mean Iggy fucking Pop... where do I possibly begin? Yeah he’s old, and yeah he seemed like somewhat of a shell of a human, but did he fucking rock? You bet. Opening with ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and going straight into ‘Gimme Danger’ was a surprise (I tried not to fuel myself with too many expectations of Stooge’s songs before his set.) But I should have because he went on to bust out tracks like ‘Search and Destroy’ and ‘T.V Eye’ and the crowd was in a sheer frenzy, which didn’t die down. ‘Lust For Life’, ‘The Passenger’ and ‘Nightclubbing’ all made an appearance, it was just wild. In fact, Iggy’s set was that wild that I somehow ended up boogying with B.C. from Dune Rats and I can honestly say that has never happened before. Thando is a Melbourne based artist who I first
discovered a month or so ago at By The Meadow and I’m so glad I did. Her smooth RNB/rap vibes are honestly so fantastic live and it was really great to see the difference in her set as the Bluesfest show incorporated a full band arrangement. Please, if you do one thing after reading this review, check out Thando. ‘Inferno,’ ‘Naked’ and ‘Dance with the Devil’ were some of my highlight songs from the whole weekend. Mavis Staples is now on par with the best voice I’ve ever seen live (the other contender being Lee Fields). She was an absolute powerhouse on the stage and a highlight for me was her emotional cover of Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’. Miss Velvet and The Blue Wolf was another massive standout for me. Previously knowing nothing about their/her music, I was blown away by her incredible stage presence, huge riffs and amazing horn section. Think heavy riffs in a similar vein to Zeppelin’s ‘In My Time of Dying’ with the vocals of Dallas Frasca, but that’s almost unfair to compare her to any other singer because in terms of Bluesfest specifically, she was incredibly unique. Funkadelic-Parliament are the Men In Black of funk (the best of the best of the best). Having first seeing them with the RHCP recently, the second time didn’t falter at all. With songs like ‘Super Stupid’ and ‘Give Up The Funk’ getting the crowd moving, it was ‘Maggot Brain’ that was the real show stopper. The Saboteurs (aka The Raconteurs) which featured Jack White as well as members of the Dead Weather and Queens of the Stone Age was the perfect way to round out the festival. There is and only ever will be one Jack White and that was evident the second he hit the stage. It was as if the crowd was communally hyperventilating. Busting out a bunch of new songs (which were all very well received), the older classics like ‘Consoler Of The Lonely’ and ‘Steady As She Goes’ will forever be some of the most memorable live music moments I have ever witnessed. I wish I could keep going because I have so much more I want to talk about but I’m already well above my word count. All in all, go to Bluesfest. It’s honestly fantastic for fans of any age and I thank the team immensely for having me. I’ll catch you guys next year!
ALEX LAHEY
THE LONESOMES
GONZO
FOUR LIONS
The Best of Luck Club
Paranoia Destroyer
Do It Better Again
Hard Days
Nicky Boy Records/Caroline Australia
Independent
Anti Fade Records
Verse Chorus Verse
Reviewed by Kayla Macleod
Reviewed by Liam Mcnally
Reviewed by Liam McNally
Reviewed by Jordyn Workman
BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2019 WHEN: THURSDAY 18TH APRIL TO MONDAY 22ND APRIL 2019 REVIEWED BY ALEX CALLAN PHOTOS BY JASON ROSEWARNE PHOTOGRAPHY
Melbourne based musician Alex Lahey has returned with her second album The Best of Luck Club, following up from her successful debut album I Love You Like A Brother (2017). After touring locally and internationally Lahey has dedicated her time to record this second album, she spent some time in Nashville where she wrote half of the record, Lahey has described her writing process as “just locking herself in a room 12 hours a day”. This record will take you on a rollercoaster of youth emotions. Consisting of 10 songs, Lahey switches from heavy guitar riffs to lively piano hooks. The record documents the 12 months to which Lahey navigated the highest highs and the lowest lows, and boy does this album reflect that, each song exploring a new emotion and experience, keeping you constantly captivated. A particular tug at the heartstrings is in ‘I Don’t Get Invited To Parties Anymore’, which sees Lahey reflect the consequences of being in the music industry and all it requires of her. Earlier this year Lahey teased the new album with her sax-infused single ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself’ and confirmed it with ‘Am I Doing It Right’, which incorporates her iconic blunt storytelling to which she discusses the judgement of a musicians lifestyle. My personal favourites include ‘Misery Guts’, a short, punchy track, and the melodic ‘Isabella’ which are both very different tunes, but really portray Lahey’s musical diversity. This album is candid and relatable.
Queensland rockers The Lonesomes have just put Gonzo are back with their second full-length out their debut EP Paranoia Destroyer – four tracks of release, the first taste of music we’ve had from them low-tone guitar riff-age, gravely vocals and an amped since their move up to Melbourne last year and it’s up pace. ‘Three Stripes’ kicks off with a ‘yeow’ and chock full of steezy analogue rockin’ goodness. a big fuzzed guitar riff that demands you turn your The album kicks off with the lead single ‘Put The headphones up to appreciate it. Money’. Compared to the bands last release, which ‘Pump up Hysteria’ is up next, a hyped up, heavy was full of big, fuzzed surf guitar sounds (rocked), ‘Put version of party rock that makes you want to find a way The Money’ kicks off but a little more attention to to head-bang and boogie at the same time. It reminds subtlety and dynamics than you’re used to hearing me of early DZ Deathray’s stuff, but with a bit of a from Gonzo with its wiry guitars over a steady thumpin’ tougher edge to it. beat.’ ‘Wishbone’ steps in a little later with a pleasant Speaking of Queensland influences, ‘Cobwebs’ has instrumental, with chill and bright melodies, that serve echoes of Violent Soho’s early music, too. It’s no direct as a little intermission that lulls you into a false sense copy though, it has a big body swaying riff through of relaxation before the distorted wail at the start of it, and the vocal effects have a cool, woozy feel to it ‘Videodrome’ snaps you straight out of it. ‘Videodrome’ when Matt Callan sings a little clearer. Awesome drum is my top pick for the album for sure. The verse has fills too. this forward-leaning intensity that feels like barely The final track, ‘Bonnie’, is my favourite of the contained madness, the chorus thumps in your head four. The verse has this catchy riff that guides you and keeps you guessing with some unexpected little along, combined with the little chant at the start of pauses, before it all lets loose after the last chorus the chorus it almost makes it sound like an older, more when the guitar switches up and goes wild for the classic rock sound except played through a car muffler outro. It’s a really good time. or something. The base is deep and driving, and it The album ends on a strong note with ‘Escalator’. explodes into a really cool guitar section at the end, too. Real catchy baseline, in and out of the quiet of the Paranoia Destroyer is a rad debut from The verse and the loud of the chorus in a way that makes Lonesomes; heavy rock that’s twisted by some well- you want to jump around really bad. It keeps saying “I placed effects for an unhinged and raw sound that you want something more” in the verse, and after it ends, I know would go off in a live setting. want something more from Gonzo. I see what you did with that album placement there, nice one.
Forté 714
If you’re a fan of Americana Rock acts such as Wilco, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Bruce Springsteen then boy, do I have a band for you. Four Lions are a Bendigo based act that has fused the genres of Americana, Roots, and Alt-Country together to create an extremely solid album named Hard Days. Driven by small towns and the stories of the people within them, Four Lions tell familiar stories of the blue collar working man. Hard Days is the band’s fourth studio album and with this release, they have substantially upped their game, recruiting Finn Keane (Wilco) to engineer and mixed by Sam Kassirer (David Ramirez, Josh Ritter) in Boston Massachusetts. This decision has paid off big time, with an authentic American influence, which is not always easy for an Aussie band to replicate, heard loud and clear throughout the entire album. The lead single ‘Stay’ is a standout song for me as it serves as a stellar tribute to artists the band has been influenced by and aspires to be, similar to a Dire Straits throwback but without the cheesy tribute band feels. Also, the final song ‘Living With A Stranger’ is an epic seven-minute journey championed by passionate vocals and roots guitar. The passion of Four Lions is felt on record and I’m sure it will be even more impressive live. Luckily for us, they are touring regional and metropolitan Victoria throughout May and June, hitting Geelong on Friday 31st May. Be sure to check them out!
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WRITTEN BY ALASTAIR MCGIBBON
BLUES NEWS
WRITTEN BY JOHN (DR JOHN) LAMP
TOO HEAVY TO HUG
SURFBEAT
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY MORRIS
POP
PULP
WRITTEN BY PAUL S. TAYLOR
BY JOHN FOSS
What if Game of Thrones fails to stick the (Kings) landing? Even a few weeks ago the idea was absurd. We all knew the broad strokes of what was to come: The Night King would kill a bunch of much loved characters in delightfully horrible ways, the remains of the North’s forces would either team up with Cersei or watch on as everyone else got their butts handed to them, someone would come out a winner but at what cost, etc etc. But after two episodes full of fan service where your faves stood around being chummy followed by an epic (if hard to see) battle that seems to have taken the Night King off the board for good, the path to the finish line currently seems to be going down the traditional good-versusevil-and-the-bad-guys-lose tracks that the last couple of seasons have been not-sosecretly laying down. There’s still three episodes to go – two from your point of view, as I’m writing this last week – so anything could happen, but suddenly it feels like maybe we’re going to get the kind of generally happy ending that was never previously on the cards. And so what? The ending isn’t the whole story – often in television it’s not even the best part, no matter how much “sticking the landing” has become a thing over the last decade or so – and even if the ending is kinda meh the real victory is the friends we made along the way and so on. But if Game of Thrones ends up with an ending that means it slips down the rankings of TV series to become good but not really great (remember how Battlestar Galactica was the hottest show on TV in season two and nobody really cared by the finale?), there’ll be one group that loses big time: TV critics. Twenty years ago television criticism wasn’t exactly a joke, but it was largely about telling people what was worth watching that night or writing longer articles explaining why some show or another was, well, worth watching that night. It’s only been since The Sopranos that television has been seen as something worth actually reviewing, with shows featuring characters and motivations and themes and so on (it’s still pretty hard to find them in shows like, say, NCIS). But over the last few years the explosion in the number of shows on the air – and the gradual reduction in the number of shows that are must-see to, well, just Game of Thrones now – has pushed TV criticism back towards the old days of “here’s what’s worth your time tonight”. Game of Thrones is really the last stand of the idea that television can be widely popular and also be worthy of critical attention. If Game of Thrones wraps up in a way that’s satisfying on a critical level, that leaves the door if not open then at least ajar for TV critics to argue that television is still a place where quality matters; if, on the other hand, it fizzles out, then the quality side of things becomes less important and the critics (not so much the fans) will look silly for taking it all so seriously. It’ll be a big hit that didn’t add up to all that much in the end; who really wants to read reviews of something like that?
Hey everyone! While it feels like winter has definitely arrived early, Pulp never hibernates – come rain or shine, I’m always happy to rant, rave and/or ramble on about all things comic booky. I’m coming down off the high of the fantastically epic Avengers: Endgame, so I figured I’d talk about a book that achieved a hell of a lot of acclaim in its own time: Mister Miracle, written by Tom King (Batman, Grayson, The Vision) and drawn by Mitch Gerads (The Punisher, Sheriff of Babylon). Scott Free – Mister Miracle, the greatest escape artist in the universe – has escaped everything. He escaped Apokolips, the hellish planet he was forced to grow up on. He escaped the clutches of Granny Goodness and Darkseid, arguably the most evil creatures in the universe. He escapes deathtraps as his day job. It’s safe to say that no prison can hold him, and no trap can contain him. But there’s one question that remains unanswered: can Scott Free escape death itself? Scott and his wife Big Barda have established an idyllic life on Earth, but they’re called back to the stars, drawn into an ever-escalating war between their home worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips. With Darkseid having reportedly done the impossible and discovered the Anti-Life Equation, the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. If, like me, you’ve had minimal exposure to Jack Kirby’s frankly bizarre New Gods mythos, the above paragraph probably sounds like gibberish. While it does take some getting used to – I think Darkseid is the most commonly-known aspect of the New Gods – King and Gerads have set up a fantastically crafted tale that I think any comic fan can pick up, digest and appreciate. King’s Mister Miracle is a great story built on top of the work of one of comic books’ greatest creators, and while it might seem easy to build on celebrated foundations, King has really outdone himself. Despite it being centred around literal gods, King has managed to piece together a story that is grounded and ultimately relatable. Scott and Barda’s relationship is a core aspect of King’s story. Their bond – despite the sheer horror of their respective upbringings, and their damaged adult lives – is incredible, and their attempts to adjust to parenthood in spite of those childhood traumas are all the more endearing as a result. Honestly, it’s one of the most wholesome relationships I’ve ever seen portrayed in a comic book, and I loved it. Special mention has to be made for Gerads’ artwork, too; Tom King might be a master of the 9-panel layout, but Mitch Gerads make it work incredibly well. His character designs are intricately detailed, his action scenes flow beautifully and comedic moments hit perfectly, even constrained by the 9-panel layout. He uses a glitched kind of effect repeatedly throughout the book that becomes a fantastic recurring motif that – depending on how you interpret the story – will probably have you questioning the reality of the narrative over and over. All up, Mister Miracle is a lot to take in. Its narrative can be a bit confusing – and confronting, given its focus on mental health – at times, but I would recommend this book to any comic fan. It’s one of those books that will probably go down as a classic. Pick it up, read it, enjoy it.
We’ve got a couple of prime gigs coming up in the next few weeks. First up, Cat Canteri and Justin Berlusconi are on at Pistol Pete’s. You will have come across them as the singers from acclaimed Alt Country band The Stillsons and they’re teaming up to perform a tour of acoustic shows throughout May and June. Geelong gets its turn on the 29th May at Pistol Pete’s, and this one is ticketed. Cat has emerged from the grit and grime of Melbourne’s inner city and has become a renowned songwriter who intertwines bold and reckless guitar playing with poignant and poetic lyrics to create music that’s both fragile and life affirming. With a disarming stage presence her songs document real life situations and experiences with a brave, personal and candid honesty. Her debut album, ‘When We Were Young,’ was released in 2014, with the ‘Late At Night’ EP in 2016; and her current LP ‘Inner North’ was released in 2018. This latest solo release was nominated for Best Folk and Roots album in The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2018, and was named album of the week by The Sydney Morning Herald/ The Age. Justin Bernasconi is a rarity among guitarists and songwriters, dumping single genres and straddling styles and sounds from delta blues, Appalachian bluegrass, English folk and all stops in between. Through all of this his highly original tunes are infused with exciting and soulful guitar playing. Justin has been lauded on both sides of the globe – in 2017 on launching his last album Barefoot Wonderland in London, leading UK magazine fRoots described him as ‘like Leo Kottke and John Fahey on the instrumentals and John Prine on the songs.” Barefoot Wonderland has been embraced by fans and critics with Acoustic Magazine describing it as ‘a dazzling gumbo of songs’ and was equally acclaimed by Rolling Stone, and The Age. If you thought The Stillsons were a great band, as a duo they sound even better. On the 26th of May, Sleepy Hollow Blues Club is hosting the Jump Cats. The Jump Cats are a Melbourne fourpiece band with Mark ‘Harpo’ Greenway on guitar, Jeff Walters on double bass, Alf Mott on the skins and Chris ‘Stibbo’ Hanger blues harp and vocals. Jump Cats specialise in a form of blues known as jump blues. This is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It evolved from the music of big bands such as those of Lionel Hampton and Lucky Millinder. These bands of the early 1940s produced musicians such as Louis Jordan, Jack McVea, Earl Bostic, and Arnett Cobb. Jump blues was revived in the 1980s by artists such as Joe Jackson and Brian Setzer and in the 1990s was popularised as part of the swing revival. So extend your blues repertoire with the Jump Cats at SHBC on May 26th, and Cat Canteri and Justin Berlusconi at Pistol Pete’s on May 29th.
Welcome to THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal. Soundworks Touring and Max Watts Melbourne have a lot to answer for after bending at the knee in front of a shitty music website that decided to publish an article that extremely tenuously ties Destroyer 666’s live shows to a horrific act by the mentally deranged individual who shot 50 people in Christchurch. Destroyer 666 have been kicked off their own headline tour because of the article, because someone with no life and no idea about black metal sat down and smeared the most biased piece of shit ever. Google the piece if you’d like to waste 10 minutes of your life reading an article that is so one sided it makes A Current Affair seem balanced. The article is so radically leftwing it even states “the music scene can no longer pretend there is a neutral (political) ground.” And “the delusion of neutral ground was erased when 50 people were murdered by an Australian neo-Nazi in two mosques in Christchurch.” I’m not going to sink to the same seriously low level as the smearing child, except to say that he is the douchebag, but I will say that he is obviously not a fan of heavy metal music but worse, I would guess he is suffering psychological problems and if my guess is correct, I would suggest he seek therapy. But to the wider problem here at hand. Who are you to tell the rest of us what we can and can’t see? Who are you, smearing child? Who are you, Max Watts and who are you, Soundworks Touring? Despite what happens in the world music will always remain apolitical and it’s people and venues and businesses like you who add politics to the music. Destroyer 666 have throughout their 20 plus year career played the satanic/anti-Christian/antireligion/don’t-give-a-fuck-what-I-say/ fuck-you-all persona up to 11, this is not a new thing. And to draw such a long bow in the shit smear and say between the lines that Destroyer 666 fans, should they see the band live, will be so easily swayed and convinced to commit a horrific act as per the above mentioned, or similar, shows that the only person generalising is you, smearer, and your followers Soundworks Touring and Max Watts Melbourne, it is you all who, in this instance, are controlling what we all can see and listen to as long as it adheres to your strict regime. Music is art and art is apolitical no matter how uncomfortable you feel, no matter how much inner resilience you’re lacking, and the slow censoring of art by people who don’t get it, is the start of a slow journey to somewhere the world has been before.
BIG BELLS AND JJ WINS THE TITLE The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach has a reputation as a big wave place. Oddly enough, Bells has only experienced REALLY big waves on a few occasions (1967 and 1981 come to mind) so each year people head down to Bells in anticipation of huge waves for the Rip Curl Pro… and this year for the first time in decades the ocean did not disappoint. The first week of the contest was a non-event with small waves and lotsa lay days. By Easter Monday, word was starting to float around town that a BIG swell was heading our way. The media got all excited and started to call it the ‘50 Year Swell’, a reference to the big swell in the final scene of Point Break where Agent Utah tracks down big wave bad guy Bohdi to ‘Bells Beach’ on the day of the mythical ‘50 year swell’. Agent Utah lets Bodhi paddle out into the massive waves (filmed on the north-west coast of America… not Bells) and you know the rest. Anzac Day dawned and the swell was small but on the rise. Experienced locals had been talking talk up the swell and a number of pro surfers had flown in bigger boards from Queensland and the USA.. just in case (we have all been down this road before, promises of huge swells that never arrived). Thursday night the rumbles around town suggested that a big swell had indeed hit the coast. By morning it was messy but huge so the contest kicked off. By midafternoon solid 10-15 foot uneven waves were thundering into Bells Beach. It was big, cold and ugly.. The contest was now on in earnest and not for the faint-hearted. Without giving a blow by blow description, there were a number of standouts. Firstly the surf was big and ugly, like a washing machine with 30 foot faces. Hawaiian surfer John John Florence revelled in the big waves during his Quarter Final as did Gabriel Medina and big Jordy Smith. Last years Bells winner Italo Ferreira was washed onto the Winki button and smashed around while the jet skis tried to get to him. He collapsed climbing the Bells steps after his Quarter Final win but was through to the next round. Broken boards, surfers snapping leg ropes. The second last day of competition had it all plus dramatic surfing and hideous closeouts in the bells Beach shorebreak. It was one of the most spectacular days of surfing at bells Beach in decades. The next day saw the Men’s and Women’s Finals run again in solid (but cleaner) 8-10 foot waves. There were dozens of stories on the day but two dynamic surfers from Hawaii and the USA, John John Florence and Courtney Conlogue surfed with guts and power to win their right to ring the Bell. What a day, what a contest. Bells had thrown up the most challenging waves in decades. Its reputation was enhanced for another generation of surfers around the world.
++ King Parrot with Frankenbok will be at the Barwon Club on Saturday June 1 and Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Friday June 14. ++ Karnivool will play at The Croxton in Melbourne on Wednesday June 5. ++ Rings Of Saturn will be at Melbourne’s Stay Gold on Wednesday June 19. ++ Born of Osiris and Chelsea Grin will play the Corner Hotel on Thursday June 27. ++ Thy Art Is Murder will be at The Corner Hotel on Saturday July 13.
Proudly presented by the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club 36
In other news ++ Darkthrone will release their new album Old Star on Friday May 31.
Forté 711 714
++ 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
#fortescenepix
BEAVS
B E A VS
HOMEHOUSE
BARWON CLUB
BARWON CLUB
BARWON CLUB
Forté 714
EDGE
37
GUIDE THURS 9TH
KAROVA LOUNGE: PURR USUAL
EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ
THE LOFT: ABLAZE, SHEWOLF
BEAVS BAR: ANDY FORSTER
GASOMETER: LAURA IMBRUGLIA GPAC: ENTER OPHELIA
THE INN: DATE NIGHT THURSDAY’S PISTOL PETE’S: PAPERJANE
QUEENSCLIFF BREWHOUSE: BELLARINE SECONDARY COLLEGE MUSICAL EVENINGS STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
THE WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: LOWERCASE POETRY FRI 10TH
AMPED: MR MEANER
BARWON CLUB: DYNASTY: A KISS TRIBUTE + THE DIPSTICKS BEAVS BAR: LUKE BISCAN
DEANS MARSH HALL: DANIEL CHAMPAGNE
THE DECK: JADE ALICE
THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE: SITAR MAN THE EASTERN: LITRO’S 30TH
EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJS
THE ESPY: MOLER, MANNEQUIN DEATH SQUAD, HANNY J, MIKEY ERG GATEWAY HOTEL: ADAM HARVEY
GEELONG MUMS MOTHERS DAY LUNCH
LITTLE CREATURES: WEST SIDE BEER MARKET
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
GROVEDALE HOTEL: WILL GARDINER & KIM COOPER
PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
PISTOL PETE’S: SHANNON BOURNE
THE LOFT: NOT 4 KIDS
MOZART HALL: HEY MAMMOTH, THE RUN, GABBY STEEL PAKO FARMERS MARKET
PIANO BAR: B*TCHES WITH BALLS!
QUEENSCLIFF BREWHOUSE: JUSTIN KEENAN
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
PISTOL PETES: DARREN JACK BAND RECESS: SAUCY SATURDAYS
BEAVS BAR: ANDY FORSTER
TORQUAY HOTEL: BEACH BUMS
THE EASTERN: LAURA IMBRUGLIA, PORPOISE SPIT, HONEY HUNTER
THE TAPROOM: MAYA ROSE
WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: OCEAN SLEEPER
WOOL EXCHANGE ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX: QUEEN FOREVER
YOGA 213: YOGA 213 BLOCK PARTY SUN 12TH (MOTHERS DAY)
2019 MOTHERS DAY CLASSIC BARKING DOG: GUITAR BAR EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ
ELEPHANT & CASTLE: THE KATE BUSH & JONI MITCHELL
SAT 11TH
AIREYS PUB: JEFFREY JORDAN AMPED: BOOM BABY
PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
BLACK HATT: THE TREPIDS
BENDIGO STADIUM: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON
BLOOM: STEVE WARD
THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE: SOUL SISTER SWING EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ
THE EASTERN: HANNY J AND MIKERY ERG ELEPHANT & CASTLE: GLITTER GANG
THE ESPY: WITCH FIGHT
GROVEDALE HOTEL: LEVI ANDERSON DUO HOME HOUSE: DIXIE, DJ PHILLY
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
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FRI 17TH
AMPED: RIVERSNAKE
BARWON CLUB: DJ BLACKWAVE BEAVS BAR: RYAN BELL
THE DECK: KARAOKE
GROVEDALE HOTEL: RACH BRENNAN
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
BLACKMAN’S BREWERY: TANK PARTY
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
TERINDAH ESTATE: SUNDAY SESSIONS MON 13TH
EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ
GPAC: STARDUST AND THE MISSION
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
KAROVA LOUNGE: ANTICLINE
THE LOFT: COOPER LOWER
LOW LIGHT FESTIVAL: MARK LANG PALAIS-HEPBURN: FOUR LIONS
TUES 14TH
PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
BLACKMAN’S BEER BAR: BLACKMAN’S MEETS BELLARINE DISTILLERY
SEANCHAI IRISH PUB: THE SETTLEMENT
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
PIANO BAR: THE PIANO MEN
PISTOL PETE’S: HEATH ROBERTSON & JACK MEREDITH RECESS COCKTAIL DINNER
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL WED 15TH
ARARAT PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON
KAROVA LOUNGE: OCEAN SLEEPER PALAIS-HEPBURN: MAYA ROSE, SOL NATION PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
PETREL HOTEL: POWDERWORKS: THE MIDNIGHT OIL TRIBUTE SHOW
PISTOL PETE’S: JUKE BOY EMMET & THE RESERVOIR DOGS POTATO SHED: YUMMY DELUXE
QUEENSCLIFF BREWHOUSE: DAYS GONE BY
THE SPHINX: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
THE BARKING DOG: TRINITY HUNT
THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE: BANDS NIGHT
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
HOME HOUSE: SAMMY LA MARCA, DJ SHOOK
QUEENSCLIFF BREWHOUSE: BELLARINE SECONDARY COLLEGE MUSICAL EVENINGS
PISTOL PETE’S: BLUES ROULETTE – PAUL SLATTERY
PISTOL PETES: BLUE SUNDAY
WARRALILY COCKATOO: TRINITY HUNT
EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ
PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
LAMBYS SUNDAY SCHOOL
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
THE EASTERN: KICK OUT THE JAM
TORQUAY HOTEL: NICK TABONE
BRIDGE HOTEL: ON DIAMOND ALBUM LAUNCH, JAALA
BARWON CLUB: LASH78, IZZY LOSI & THE AURACLES, ISABELLA KHALIFE BEAVS BAR: RYAN BELL
THE INN: UNIRAYS 90S PARTY
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
BAR OPEN: FAMOUS WILL
PIANO BAR: PITCH PLEASE!
WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: FUNK BUDDIES & THE RUN
GPAC: STARDUST AND THE MISSION
GROVEDALE HOTEL: ABE ANDERSON
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
VALHALLA: FRANK BELL
COLAC RSL: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON
VALHALLA: BILL BARBER
THE VINE: DIRTY RASCAL
MELBOURNE ARENA: PEKING DUK
TORQUAY HOTEL: WILL GARDINER & KIM COOPER
THURS 16TH
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
PISTOL PETES: CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE
PALAIS-HEPBURN: KING MAXWELL’S WORLD FAMOUS TRIVIA NIGHT
MAX WATTS: HELLIONS
THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE: BLUE WINDOWS
THE LOFT: DNTJ ROCK THE LOFT ONE MORE TIME
BEAVS BAR: DAVE ANDERSON
THE BRIDGE: FERLA
MARS STADIUM: AFL – BULLDOGS VS BRISBANE LIONS
GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: BACK BAR CHOIR
MARGARET COURT ARENA: AMY SHARK
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
LAMBYS: MAFS MEET LOVE ISLAND
BEAVS BAR: OPEN MIC, KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN
BARWON CLUB: THE CHERRY DOLLS, THE CROOKEDS
THE ESPY: SUN KIL MOON
AMPED: LASH 78
KAROVA LOUNGE: TRUCKS
ARCHIVE WINE BAR: AN EVENING WITH MARC CIRILLO
THE LOST ONES: BASEMENT SESSION: PAIGE DUGGAN DUO
GROVEDALE HOTEL: DELLA
GPAC: MY LEONARD COHEN
89A RYRIE ST, GEELONG 3 STORES ACROSS BENDIGO, BALLARAT & GEELONG WWW.OFFYATREE.COM.AU
PRESENTED BY
PISTOL PETES: DOC HALIBUT
STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
TORQUAY HOTEL: MADZ GOT RICH
WARRNAMBOOL GREYHOUND RACING CLUB: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON
THE WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: NATHAN CAVALERI, SHAUN KIRK SAT 18TH
AIREYS PUB: TOMBOLO
AMPED: THE VOLCANOS
ART GALLERY OF BALLARAT: ESPAÑA EL VITO - THE SPIRIT OF SPAIN & TANGO ATHENAEUM THEATRE: STEVE HUGHES
Forté 714
WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: IVAN OOZE SUN 19TH
THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE: CHLOE ST. CLAIRE EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC
THE ESPY: THE LOUNGE DETECTIVES GROVEDALE HOTEL: LUKE BISCAN
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT LAMBYS: SUNDAY SCHOOL MILLION PAWS WALK 2019 PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
PISTOL PETE’S: BO JENKINS
SOUTH GEELONG FARMERS MARKET STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL MON 20TH
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
LITTLE CREATURES: PINT OF SCIENCE 2019 MERCURE HOTEL: KEVIN BLOODY WILSON PBS RADIO FESTIVAL TUES 21ST
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT
PISTOL PETE’S: JACK MEREDITH & HEATH ROBERTSON PBS RADIO FESTIVAL WED 22ND
BEAVS: OPEN MIC, KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN
CHYA: BRACKETS ART PRIZE
THE EASTERN: SCREAMING FEMALES
JURASSIC UNEARTHED BY SILVERS CIRCUS BALLARAT PBS RADIO FESTIVAL
PISTOL PETE’S: SHANNON BOURNE
PH: 5278 2911
SPHINXHOTEL.COM.AU Forté 714
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selected Items
for all of May