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It’s basically winter (one week to go!), which for me means an abundance of scarves, beanies and Nonna’s hand-knitted blankets, complemented with caffeine, porridge and those fluffy panda slippers to get me through the fortnightly deadline to bring you this issue.

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This issue we’ve got a cover that will resonate with any Beatles fans out there. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of ‘Abbey Road’ (AKA one of the greatest records of all time), some of Australia’s most respected musicians and members of iconic groups, collectively known as ARC – Kram (Spiderbait), Mark Wilson (Jet), Davey Lane (You Am I) and Darren Middleton (Powderfinger) – will bring The Beatles’ creation to life on stage. If you’re partial to this stately, majestic, playful yet fiercely rocking masterpiece of pop music then you will want to get to this.

East London luminaries, Rudimental are heading back to Australia for a national tour as part of their Toast To Our Differences world tour, in celebration of their new album of the same name. Originally slated for February, the band rescheduled the gig and will now drop into Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on Sunday, June 9. To celebrate their return, we’ve got some tickets up for grabs!

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Editor Talia Rinaldo

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Further in this issue we chat to Aussie rock legend Deborah Conway, Bendigo roots rockers Four Lions, Northern Illawarra’s Pinheads, Geelong’s alternative rock band Smoked and Overdue, renowned singer/songwriter Toni Childs, plus we take a look at some of our favourite winter dishes.

Interns Chloe Cicero, Liam McNally, Kayla Macleod, Jordyn Workman, Naseem Radmehr.

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Contributors Anthony Morris, Alastair McGibbon, Chris Lambie, Dr John Lamp, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Tammy Walters, Wylie Caird.

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7–10 June 2019

National and international artists • Queen’s Birthday weekend • Woodend Victoria www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au 8

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THE BEATLES’ ABBEY ROAD LIVE CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC ALBUM LIVE IN CONCERT 1969 WAS A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANCE, TO SAY carefully crafted recordings with ambitious musical THE LEAST. IT WAS THE YEAR THAT HUMANS arrangements to life on stage all around the country.

FIRST SET FOOT ON THE MOON; THE YEAR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG “I got given the tape [Abbey Road] when I was in high PEOPLE GATHERED IN NEW YORK’S CATSKILL school many years ago and on one side was the Sex MOUNTAINS FOR A MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT Pistols and the other side was The Beatles and that BECAME A CULTURAL MILESTONE; THE YEAR changed my whole headspace and perspective on music THAT SESAME STREET PREMIERED ON PUBLIC from that moment,” self-confessed Beatlemaniac Kram TV, AND THE YEAR THAT THE FIRST CONCORDE recalls of his first memory of the iconic record which TEST FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN FRANCE. spawned hits such as ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Come Together’, ‘Something’, and ‘Oh! Darling’.

It was also the year The Beatles released Abbey Road, which unbeknown to them would become viewed as “I loved the Sex Pistols and had never heard anything among their best work, and as one of the greatest like it, but The Beatles – just the variation and all these albums of all time. different styles of music. It was a real spin out. I think it’s the recording quality of that record; it’s quite a Released on 26 September 1969 by Apple Records, different sound to say Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club the band’s eleventh studio album was an immediate Band [1967] or Revolver [1966]. It was very much early commercial success, reaching #1 in the UK and US. 70s sounding. There’s a lot of love about that record.”

Abbey Road ended up spending 81 weeks on the UK albums chart, 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart, Recognised for its iconic cover featuring the four band and was certified 12-times Platinum by the RIAA in members walking across a zebra crossing outside Abbey 2001, selling in excess of 31 million copies.

Road Studios, which has become one of the most famous and imitated images in the history of popular With this year marking the 50th anniversary of Abbey music, it was the breadth of the musical vision and the Road, it only seems right that the record would be sheer scale of the band’s collective musical imagination celebrated and the world would reflect on what a on the record that led the band to be regarded as the masterful piece of work it was and continues to be. foremost and most influential in history.

It’s not just the music of The Beatles that resonates with musicians today, however, but also The Beatles themselves, who were the first group to prove that success didn’t have to be a solo endeavour.

to be very much the case of certain sections during the course of this record – we’ll all be looking around at each other with a grin on our face going ‘I actually can’t believe we’re really doing this’!”

“The ARC is very much about the collective spirit in the band; where we’re really about celebrating these songs and this incredible band that inspired us all to want to become musicians, as well as inspire us to actually want to play in bands,” Kram explains.

Featuring two huge sets; these shows will see Kram and his three fellow Beatles’ tragics perform Abbey Road in its entirety, before the band returns to play through a selection of highlights from throughout The Beatles’ career.

“I have been playing Spiderbait for so many years and my bandmates are some of my closest friends and The Beatles were one of the first bands, in a way, that got the idea out there that you didn’t have to be Elvis Presley, or Frank Sinatra, or a movie star to achieve success. They proved you could actually get together with a group of mates and create something bigger and more powerful and more amazing than what the individual can do.”

“We’re performing their final work at the start, so the idea with the second set is that that we would go retrospectively from the end to the start. So basically we’re going to do a selection of songs starting from just before Abbey Road, and work all the way back to their very first songs,” Kram says. “It will create an interesting space so you can see, in retrospect, how they came to that point of Abbey Road at the end.”

While Abbey Road was not the group’s final album to be released to the public (‘Let It Be’ was released in 1970), it was their final album to be recorded together. With the band having ceased performing live in 1966, and the release of the album coming three years later, it’s affecting that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were never able to bring this album to life on stage.

Of course, even with all their ARIA Awards and ARIA albums between them, the ARC can’t do this alone, with a number of guests joining them live on stage.

One of the most exciting celebrations will be happening “I really loved the variety of musical styles and the “Abbey Road was in a way their final hurrah; where they this August when four of Australia’s most respected different singers,” the Spiderbait drummer and vocalist said goodbye and knew they were going to break up. It’s musicians come together to bring The Beatles’ swansong explains. “This had a very big influence on me and thus inspiring that they were able to be focused despite the and their crowning achievement as a recording on Spiderbait’s work. You don’t just have to have one difficulties and pressures they were under to create the group to life, performing the iconic 1969 LP in full. singer and you don’t just have to do one type of music, greatest work at the end of their career,” Kram reflects. and in a way, I think that if it wasn’t for that influence Collectively known as Antipodean Rock Collective I don’t think we’d still be a band because that variation “It’s crazy that The Beatles never actually got to play this (ARC), and arguably the most successful supergroup went a long way through such a successful career. You record live and we are about to,” he continues. “Side B is in Aussie rock history with 33 ARIA Awards and 16 Top don’t burn out when things are always fresh, and the very complicated and we want to do the record justice, Ten ARIA albums combined, Powderfinger’s Darren one way to keep things fresh is by changing it up all but when you really love playing something, you’re Middleton, Jet’s Mark Wilson, You Am I’s Davey the time and The Beatles were pretty much the first getting the music audibly in a sensory way, as well as Lane and Spiderbait’s Kram will bring The Beatles’ band to do that.” playing your instrument yourself. I think that’s going 10

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Featuring the likes of Ash Naylor (Paul Kelly, Even and RocKwiz), Linda Bull (The Black Sorrows, Vika and Linda Bull), Brett Wolfenden (The Pictures, Jim Keays), and James Fleming (Eagle and the Worm, Bob Evans), these shows are set to be a must-see for any lover of The Beatles or Aussie music.

WHEN & WHERE: PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE – THURSDAY, AUGUST 15.

FOR COMPLETE TOUR, TICKETING, AND VIP EXPERIENCES INFORMATION VISIT: LIVENATION.COM.AU.

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LAST CHANCE TO SEE MAYA ROSE

PRIDELANDS RETURN TO OLD FAVOURITE

Castlemaine is home to Maya Rose, a singer-songwriter who is sure to become a familiar name outside her stomping ground. With her debut single, ‘See You Again’, the vocalist brings depth in tone and range to the table, resulting in a striking offering. Dripping with melody and that 90’s R&B vibe that has seen a resurgence thanks to the international success of young artists including CXLOE, Wafia, and Kehlani, Maya Rose’s sound is instantly welcoming; inviting the listener to lose themselves in each beat and vocal sway. Her last stop on the See You Again tour is at The Vine, Bendigo – May 24.

Warrnambool venue The Loft was one of the first venues outside of SA to first host Mount Gambier-bred outfit Pridelands, and it is to this venue they return on June 6. The band moved to Melbourne in 2014 and released their debut EP the following year. Last year saw the release of EP Any Colour You Desire, before the band tapped the brakes on performing while they made working on new music their priority.

KRISIUN ARE COMING TO GEELONG

MONNONE ALONE STOCK UP ON REPELLENT A six-year wait since Together at Last has come to an end with Melbourne quartet Monnone Alone releasing their second album, Summer of the Mosquito. It has been described as a “sweet ‘n’ salty bike ride through the dizzying heights and gutter-scouring lows of summers past”. The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 25. They will be joined by Truffle Pigs (aka Steph and Al of Dick Diver) and The Steinbecks.

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

Scourge of the Enthroned, Krisiun’s 11th studio album released last year, saw the Brazilian death metallers decide to head for a faster and extremely savage record. Clocking in at an intense 38 minutes, Scourge of the Enthroned is a real monster and one they’re bringing down under when they descend on their Australian tour this June. Barwon Club Hotel, Thursday June 20 with supports from local bands Destruktor, Stormtide and Nemesium.

FORMILES TAKE A TRIP THROUGH TIME

OH YEAH, IT’S AROCKALYPSE

Geelong’s Formiles will play their first hometown show in almost a year when they hit up Workers Club on May 31 in support of new single, ‘1984’. David Bowie has a song titled 1984, Van Halen has an album titled 1984, so where does that leave Formiles? You get to find that out come the end of the month. As for their gig, the big night of tunes also features Die in a Dream, Modern Divide and 74Kings.

The Loft may be shutting up shop, but the Warrnambool venue won’t be forgotten as they unleash Arockalypse on June 9. Dallas Frasca, Abbe May, The Pretty Littles, The Motorvators and King of the North will be there, plus many others. No express lane here.

You will have artists you know and love, old venue favourites and new artists with whom to fall in love.

Get in touch with an old friend and bring ’em on down.

HUGE RACE GETS BUSY Hugo Race is a former member of The Wreckery and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds who also happens to be a handy producer, composer, performer and author. Oh, and he has been a busy man for three decades. In 2019 you are spoilt for choice with new music from his instrumental electronic collaboration Gemini 4 and a new album with the Fatalists, Taken by the Dream. The Palais, Hepburn Springs – July 27.

LACHLAN & BEN & GEORGIA & KATE & HANA THE PROCLAIMERS KEEP ON CHARMING You still have a chance to snap up a ticket for The Proclaimers, and you don’t even have to walk five hundred miles in order to do so. Charlie and Craig Reid head to Geelong’s Costa Hall this Sunday, May 26, with eleven albums of material from which to choose. Your favourites will no doubt be performed (‘Oh Jean’, cheers), as well as a tune or two from 2018’s Angry Cyclist. There will be no support.

The tour may be named Friends & Acquaintances, but by the end it may be the BFF tour. Lachlan Bryan & the Wildes have teamed up with Ben Leece & Left of the Dial for a serving of alt-country tunes.

Lachlan and the team have their new single ‘Take It Out on Me’, while Ben and his crew have new single ‘Nothing (Not Anymore)’. Pistol Petes, Geelong – May 30. You’ll also catch at at All Saints, Bendigo on June 2 and you’ll get Georgia State Line and Kate Alexander & Hana Brenecki too. Whoa!

GROOVECULT RECORDS SHOWCASE Melbourne’s Groovecult Records will make their Ballarat debut this weekend when some of their finest roster talent hits up The Eastern on May 25.

The community-based record label will deliver the fab four of Sapphire Street, Ivy Streep, Honey Hunter and The Veins. Groovecult also hosts Thumpin’ Thursdays and Sunday Sessions, which you can check out through soundcloud.com/groovecultrecords.

KASEY CHAMBERS CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY

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Thursday 23 Andy Forster

Thursday 30 Andy Forster

Friday 24 Ryan Bell

Friday 31 Luke Biscan

Saturday 25 Dave Anderson

Saturday 1 Ryan Bell

Wednesday 29 Open Mic Karaoke Luke Biscan

Wednesday 5 Open Mic Karaoke Luke Biscan

AUSTRALIA WELCOMES NAXATRAS If you are curious as to how the Greeks do hard psychedelic rock, let Naxatras be your introduction. The band name comes from Nakshatras, a Hindu astrology term for the various phases of the moon. They have released three full-length albums since 2012, with their selftitled debut clocking up more than 4.5 million YouTube streams. Barwon Club, Geelong – September 6. They will be joined by Sydney space rock quartet, Comacozer.

When Kasey Chambers released The Captain twenty years ago, her debut made one of the biggest impressions on the local music scene in some time. The album picked up the ARIAs for Best Country Album and Best Female Artist, reached double-platinum, and found heavy interest in the US. The Captain Deluxe Edition is available now, while a lengthy tour has also been announced. GPAC – September 14. Charlie Collins supports.

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CASTLEMAINE JAZZ FESTIVAL The Castlemaine Jazz Festival will get the city hopping across the Queen’s Birthday weekend (June 7-10) with a line-up so good you will do a double-take. One of the festival’s big gets is Harry Coulson’s Blue Dogs, who will give a rare performance of their 2014 instrumental release (and previous moniker), Harry Coulson’s Rain Dogs.

Everything you need to know about the festival can be found through castlemainejazzfestival.com.au.

BRAIN ROMANCE & CLIO Some friendly souls will be performing a friendly show in support of new music, with Brain Romance and Clio taking in an afternoon show at The Bridge, Castlemaine on June 9. Brain Romance is the musical partnership of Melbourne’s Hannah Cameron and Canadian-born Sydneysider Brian Campeau. Their single is ‘Honest Words’. The multitalented Clio released her debut EP last year, with another on the way in 2019. Her single is ‘Silly Girls’.

AIMEE FRANCIS EMBRACES A CLICHÉ With an EP arriving this year, Melbourne’s Aimee Francis has dropped its first single, ‘Big Cliché’.

The song is about the ol’ chestnut of looking back at a previous relationship. Aimee: “It was all a bit of a cliché in terms of all the things that happened. I had split up with my ex and we were in that awkward together but not stage. I was on tour and staying at her place (our old place) in Sydney.” The Deck, Geelong – June 9.

S TA M P O U T A N D A B O U T S TA M P S Y I S T H E M U S I C D I R E C T O R A N D D R I V E A N N O U N C E R AT K R O C K IN GEELONG CURIOUS CASE OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME I recently suffered a serious case of imposter syndrome.

I was at dinner with Sony Music Australia. It’s work AND play as K rock’s Music Director. You eat and listen to great tunes. Win-win. We went to a restaurant on Swan Street in Melbourne, before making the trek up to Margaret Court Arena to see Amy Shark perform.

This restaurant is set up like a butcher. You walk in and on the left is a display case, (because the record company was paying, I went straight to the prime wagyu cut. You’d do the same TBH) while on the right were the tables.

As we sat down, I took note of the stools. Six people would be joining us for the feast. One by one we arrived. A mutual acquaintance from Fox FM, a guy from the AFL, my friend, and a rep from Sony took a seat.

Then SHE walked in. A breakfast announcer from a Melbourne radio station. Her hair was slicked back into a ponytail and she was wearing a green pinafore. Cool, calm and stylish... and my current radio idol.

I was speechless. When I come to these events, I’m usually surrounded by fellow music directors and show producers. The people behind the scenes, making the radio station sound “hot” and “tight” and “slick” and other wanky radio terminologies.

So, here she is, her hand is reached out… and I lose the gift of speech. I can’t remember what I said so I verbalised something like “ahhhhuuummmmmmtayyyyyaaaaHi”.

This is a woman who breathes air, wears shoes and has a regular bowel movement. I assume. I didn’t follow her into the bathroom. What I mean is, at a basic level we are all the same. We all eat and shit.

People warn you “not to meet your idols” because you may not like what you meet. But what if they are even better? This woman is at the prime of her radio career, sincerely nice and genuinely funny. And here she is sitting across from me, eating a steak. But I couldn’t talk to her. It was my first chance at a first impression and I may have blown it!

I’ve clearly put her on a pedestal she did not ask to be put on. I sat there telling myself my stories wouldn’t be funny or interesting enough. My life up to now felt boring against the life I’ve seen on Instagram. But here’s the thing. This assessment was all going on in my mind. I had built up this wall of expectation and assumption, and because of this, she didn’t stand a chance.

As we’re leaving the restaurant, she asked me if I was ok. At the time I thought it was because I had eaten my weight in cow and fried potato. Now I think about it, she was probably concerned about my lack of sentence structure and inability to make eye contact.

I need to work on my self-belief. I should be my own cheerleader while muting the part of my brain that tells me I am way out of my league. We are all interesting and inquisitive and passionate. And we all poo.

‘Til next time, Stampsy xx CHECK OUT STAMPSY ON THE GRAM LEE_ STAMPS AND ON FB STAMPSYKROCK

MAINFM KICKING GOALS FOR COMMUNITY The second annual MAIN Kick-Off is hitting Castlemaine’s Camp Reserve on Saturday June 1 for a community fundraiser of a different kind, featuring an all-inclusive game of footy. As a major fundraising initiative for 94.9 MAINfm, this will kick off the station’s subscriptions drive across the month of June, all in the name of encouraging locals to support their community radio station. MAINfm has encouraged teams of all genders and people of mixed abilities to get amongst it and just give it a go. The big game will see The Rockatoos going head to head against The Radio Galahs – teams made up of local musicians, radio presenters, tradies, and other members of the community keen to get involved. Not only will event-goers get to watch an action-packed game of footy, but they’ll also be treated to live, local entertainment, face painting, jumping castle, alongside food trucks, coffee and the MAINfm bar. Entertainment includes local bands World Turtle World, Stop That Mammoth, Movement Zone Soul Funk Crew and Lady Fun Times. Alongside all the fun and games, the MAINfm van will be broadcasting live from the event for those listening at home, with live and entertaining commentary from on the ground. Gates will open at midday, with entertainment starting at 12:30pm. Game kicks off at 1:30pm. Entry is free for MAINfm subscribers, $5 for non- subscribers, free for kids under 12. More info visit mainfm.net/themainkickoff/

THE BARWON CLUB ARE HOSTING A 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!

As the first Winter Solstice Festival, you’ll see the likes of Totally Unicorn, Arse, Blackhelm, Spawn, Defenestration, Aya Aya, and Cry Baby hit the stage as the team 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 also 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, because why the heck not?! You can purchase tickets at oztix.com.au or direct from The BC bar.

This is an 18+ event, from 3pm – 1am.

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NO MORE PINING FOR ALPINE Guess who is back? Alpine is back, and they’re back with new single ‘Dumb’. Phoebe Baker: “It’s about how we can encourage our romantic imagination to a point of ignorance. Hopeless optimism on a sinking ship.

There is a somewhat perverse enjoyment found when flirting with someone when ultimately you know it’s going to hurt.”

The band kicks off their tour at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on June 22. Photo by Jacqui Shelton

THE BENNIES HIT THE ’BURBS Remember when Ben Folds rocked the suburbs, just like Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot and Jon Bon Jovi did? Well, all those names ain’t got nothing on The Bennies and their Punk Rockin’ the Suburbs tour. Mow your lawns, clean up your white sneakers and wash your hands.

They’re coming for you. Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool – June 28; Workers Club, Geelong – July 12; and Karova Lounge, Ballarat – July 13. Photo by Ian Laidlaw.

Don’t Be Late for a Very Important Date at the Potato Shed Melbourne City Ballet return to the Potato Shed 7pm Friday 31 May with their interpretation of the classic Lewis Carroll tale, Alice In Wonderland.

With two of Australia’s leading choreographers, Melbourne City Ballet’s Michael Pappalardo (Artistic

AMBERYSE KNOW WHAT THEY WANT

AMERICANA TUNES FROM RAISED BY EAGLE

Geelong metalcore badasses Amberyse have lined up some shows in support of their new single ‘Glass House’, based around the struggle of addiction. According to vocalist Jayden Andrews, the track is “about someone who wants to break out of the lifestyle they’ve fallen into, but is fighting against others who are trying to pull them down.

Glass House is a struggle of self, a fragile state”. Workers Club, Geelong – June 29.

We apologise for the late notice, but Raised by Eagles have a show at Geelong’s Pistol Pete’s tonight, May 23. If you can’t do that, celebrate the end of the week with the band at The Loft, Warrnambool tomorrow night, May 24. The Melbourne band with an Americana flavour has released three albums, their latest 2017’s I Must be Somewhere. The album scored ‘Best Country Album’ at The Age Music Victoria Awards.

BEATLEMANIA RETURNS TO OZ 2019 marks 50 years since the Beatles released their eleventh album, Abbey Road. Often cited as one of the greatest albums of all time, Abbey Road will be played in its entirety by The Mersey Beatles as part of their first Australian tour. The Liverpool-bred outfit was the resident band for more than fifteen years at the Cavern Club. The first set is the album, while a second set features a trip through the eras. Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – June 20.

METAL GOES MENTAL IN GEELONG If you like your metal to come with two more servings of metal, the Forte presented (yay us) The Darkest Winter Night is for you.

Damnations Day, Nemesium and Requiem, who earlier in the year released a video for their track ‘Blackened Winter’, will turn Geelong’s Workers Club into a metal sanctuary on July 5. Side effects may include temporary loss of hearing, excessive sweating and a stiff neck.

CL ASSIFIEDS

CAT CANTERI & JUSTIN BERNASCONI Having developed a musical bond in The Stillsons, Cat Canteri and Justin Bernasconi are no strangers. Bless ’em, they just enjoy performing together. Cat released her latest solo album Inner North last year, a collection of songs written about Melbourne’s ‘inner north’ and its people. Raised in Cambridgeshire, Justin moved to Melbourne in 2004. His latest is Barefoot Wonderland.

Pistol Pete’s, Geelong – May 29.

CHANGE OF PLANS With the Localles camp rocked by some terrible news, they won’t be able to go ahead with their planned EP launch at Workers Club in Geelong on June 1. They will still be releasing their EP via the usual channels though so keep your ears out. In their place, Matt Bourke and The Delusional Drunks will step up for the gig as they support some fresh tunes by Hold//Fire. To top it all off, Nathan Seeckts will open the night’s games.

Seeking a Drummer and Singer

Percussionist required

Looking for a drummer who can do

Percussionist required for a

a bit of backing vocals, and a singer,

paid gig, 19th of May and

Rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, drums

who doesn’t mind doing a few gospel

also on an ongoing basis.

songs as well as secular. I would like

Contact Marie on 0402310353

For individual use only, not for commercial purposes.

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MAKE SURE YOU HEAD TO THE POTATO SHED BOX OFFICE, CALL 5251 1998 OR VISIT ANY CITY OF GEELONG CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR EITHER (OR BOTH!) SHOWS.

PAT DEVLIN TAKES NOTES Pat Devlin is a singer-songwriter who hails from the Macedon Ranges. Releasing his debut EP in 2017, the young songman has also supported artists locally and abroad including Michael Dunstan, Pacific Avenue and Jordy Maxwell. Since the release of his debut, Pat has dedicated his time to discovering his sound. You can check out his new single, ‘Notes’. Major Tom’s, Kyneton – June 1.

ANDREA ROBERTSON HITS THE ROAD Andrea Robertson is giving you plenty of opportunities to join her on her album tour. Live at New Hall is her newie, recorded over two sessions at New Hall, Point Lonsdale in October 2018. Pistol Pete’s, Geelong – June 2; Old Church on the Hill, Bendigo – June 8; Blue Bean Love Café, Daylesford – June 14; and The Mex, Ocean Grove – June 29. Note that Andrea will also shine as part of the Lowlight Festival.

25 YEARS OF GEOFF ACHISON It has been 25 years since Geoff Achison and his Souldiggers crew began working together, and they are taking celebrations here, there and everywhere.

When Geoff moved to Melbourne, he had but three things: his Holden HQ, a Gibson Les Paul guitar and $40 in his pocket. His many highlights since include winning the Albert King Award at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. All Seasons, Bendigo – June 7.

NANCIE SCHIPPER HAS YOUR BACK Many years ago when I braved the nightlife world, I would walk home without telling anyone I was leaving. Poor form, arguably, but Nancie Schipper is far more mindful. The talented singer-songwriter has a new single for you titled ‘When You Get Home’, written about the idea of looking out for your friends and asking them to check in. The Loft, Warrnambool – June 7. Note that Nancie will also be at the same venue on June 9 for Arockalypse.

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Director) and Brendan Bradshaw (Artistic Associate), this magical portrayal pays homage to Lewis Carroll and the work of composer Tchaikovsky in a show that is perfect for all ages.

You’ll witness all of Alice’s adventures, from drinking potions and avoiding the wrath of the Queen of Hearts, befriending the Knave and taking tea with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse, to meeting the Cheshire Cat upon a giant mushroom and attempting to make sense of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. That’s not all though.

A few nights earlier will see the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of The Violent Outburst that Drew Me To You, 7pm Tuesday 28 May take over the Potato Shed.

This is a smart, sweet and fiery tale about two offkilter kids who, at war with the world and themselves, find a moment’s piece with each other. Tackling the ticking-time bomb that is adolescence, it is a reminder of the impulse within us all to kick and scream at the Universe and the equally impatient need to lie in the woods, planning for the future.

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B A L L A R AT B L O G

NO ONE DOES IT BETTER THAN GONZO

WRITTEN BY GLEN ANDERSON

Gonzo let you know in their bio that they are not punk, indie, shoe-gaze or psych. They are a rock band, and one that references the sounds of The Saints, The Victims, Gang of Four and the Easybeats. The band came together out of Ocean Grove in 2014, around the time they were finishing high school. Do It Better Again is their second album and was recorded over three days using analogue gear. The Eastern, Ballarat – May 24. Photo by Millar Wileman

The days are getting shorter and word around town is that there was a crackin’ 50th birthday party held at The Sporting Globe a few Sundays ago. Davey Lane, Ash Naylor, and Brett Wolfie were rumoured to have rocked the socks off a gathering of 80 people attending the party for local rubbish removal king, Poss! Thee Marshmallow Overcoat play covers from the ‘60s and ‘70s and are available for private parties. I can highly recommend the lads will give you and your friends the party of a lifetime! Look them up on Facebook under Thee Marshmallow Overcoat Appreciation Society.

Former Black Eyed Susan’s vocalist Rob Snarski will play at The Lost Ones Basement in Ballarat on June 15. Bringing with him one of Australia’s finest guitarists and producers, Shane O`Mara. Snarski is a class act and entry is. In 2015, Snarski recorded an album of eighteen songs requested by fans. Recorded on various devices in the kitchen, bedroom, or office, producer Shane Omara gave the tweaks and touchups needed to put the lid on an eclectic bunch of songs. A fabulous venue to see these guys as a duo.

Ferla have a really interesting sound reminiscent

DIABOLIC RITES DROP DEBUT

After teasing the black metal world with a demo last year, Adelaide’s Diabolic Rites have released their well-received debut full-length album, Litanies of the Lecherous. For those unfamiliar, the band cites early ’80s pioneers and Scandinavian Satanists as primary influences. They will be joined by Whoretopsy, who will serve up some tunes from their latest album, Take My Breath Away. Karova Lounge, Ballarat – August 9.

of the ‘80s and we are lucky enough to have them come to Karova Lounge on Thursday, May 23. Two nights later, we have local indie pop-funk rockers Meraki Minds who will launch their new EP Persuade Me at Karova Lounge on May 25. Beautiful melodic guitars and rich melodies run throughout this EP. I took quite a liking to Knew Sun on the EP with its Cure-like guitars and driving rhythm. High energy progressive punk rockers The Kite Machine play Karova on June 1. This Geelong-based band have been quite successful and their hit Charlotte has had over 450k plays on Spotify! 2019 also saw the band release their 10 track self-titled LP. The Eastern Hotel is not going to miss out on the action as they host psych-rock outfit Sapphire Street, Ivy Streep and local sweethearts Honey Hunter. Also, the noisy but ‘subdued” The Veins will kick off proceedings. The great thing about this gig is that it is only $10 to get in. Pencil July 6 into your diaries as Horace Bones plan to make a stopover in Ballarat on their Australasia Tour. Take your earplugs and be prepared to have your ears blown off as these guys tend to play at one speed and volume… fast and loud! Stay safe and look out for each other!

BALLARAT HERITAGE WEEKEND As the sun goes down on the Saturday night of this weekend’s Ballarat Heritage Weekend (May 25 & 26), fire pits will warm the bodies while stories detailing the history of Ballarat will warm the soul. You will also find exhibitions, tours, entertainment, music and a heritage expo at the festival. There is even a beard contest for the follicly blessed. The full program can be found through ballaratheritageweekend.com.

BENDIGO AU GO GO W R I T T E N B Y LY N E T T E WA L K E R

Local roots rockers Four Lions have something special lined up for their hometown Hard Days album launch early next month.

The band’s eight-date metropolitan and regional Victorian tour will culminate in a bumper show at the Golden Vine on Saturday, June 1. In a onenight-only performance, Four Lions will be playing the Hard Days album in full, accompanied by some of the guests who lent their talents in the studio.

These include pedal steel guitarist Dave Moore, singer Mariah McCarthy, and horn section Brendan Bartlett (trombone) and Harry Godfrey (saxophone), along with Midweek Blues guitarist Paul Robins.

Hard Days is the band’s fourth album, independently released on their own label Verse Chorus Verse – and they say it’s their best work yet, and the band are thrilled to have the musicians who played on the album on stage with them at the Vine.

“The time we spent, the labouring with songwriting, the value of everyone who was part of this record, their opinion and expectation of an exceptional performance, translated into this album,” frontman/ chief songwriter Shann Lions says.

Heathcote singer/songwriter McCarthy will open the night with her own solo set, followed by Melbournebased protest punk quartet The One Twos. From 8pm; $5 entry.

There are plenty of musical reasons to hit a venue near you this fortnight.

Castlemaine R+B singer/songwriter Maya Rose launches her new single See You Again at the Golden Vine on Friday, May 24. Support from Sparrow and jazz duo Strawberry Jamz. From 9pm; $5 entry.

The Flannos will be rocking out at the Golden Vine on Saturday, May 25 - so don your favourite shirt and head on down! From 9pm; free entry.

Singer and pianist Erica Hawkey joins forces with guitarist David Turpie for a night of funk, soul and blues at Rocks Underground (Rocks On Rosalind) on Friday, May 31. From 7pm; free entry; dinner packages are also available at www.opentable.com. au Heavy-hitting local quartet Dero are supporting Melbourne-based thrash-punk trio Wolfpack at Entree Music Bar on Friday, May 31. From 8pm; free entry.

Ramble Town bring their classic rock, rockabilly and country boogie to The Golden Vine on Friday, May 31. From 9pm; $5 entry.

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and composer, Emilia, will be bringing the jazz, soul, and funk. With a voice that has been likened to Chaka Khan’s, mixed with the writing style of Kimbra and Esperanza Spalding, get ready to be transported back into time with Emilia’s timeless voice in what will be a truly magical performance.

Festival goers and musicians alike will also see a new addition to the Festival programme this year with the original and electrifying fusion quartet ‘Jungle Fusion’. An original electrifying jazz fusion quartet with deep ethno roots and an avant-garde philosophy, the band is inspired by the Miles Davis electric era, John Coltrane’s avant-garde emotion and John McLaughlin’s spiritual wisdom. Frontman Deco Jovanovic is a versatile and adventurous guitarist and composer. The band’s lineup is completed with the remarkable Gordon Gunn on bass, the extraordinary Chris Georgiou on drums and multi-instrumentalist Mark Gardner on trumpet and didgeridoo. You can Another festival taking place this month expect a seriously wild and eclectic show at the is the sixth annual the Castlemaine Jazz Maurocco Bar on Saturday afternoon, and at the Festival, which will be held on the Queen’s Senior Citizens Centre later that night.

Birthday weekend. Taking place right in the Another highlight of the weekend includes heart of Castlemaine, a real treat is that the ‘The Goldfields Jazz Orchestra’ with Meg Corson festival runs across a number of separate and performing at the Theatre Royal in what will be historical venues, each within walking distance an unforgettable experience of quality music from and all specially selected to create the ideal entirely local musicians. Promising to deliver a high environment to enjoy this weekend full of jazz. energy evening of hip-swinging, toe-tapping tunes, Over the four days, stunning venues such as The featuring smokin’ instrumentals, cracking solos, and Phee Broadway Theatre, The Theatre Royal, the songs to fall in and out of love to, this classic 18-piece Castlemaine Senior Citizens Centre, Run Rabbit line-up will leave audiences flushed with a bad case Run, The Maurocco Bar, and The Cumberland Hotel of gold fever as they power through a glittering array will open their doors to a bill that includes Nardia of tunes from the great arrangers.

Rose Band, Paige Duggan, The Django Fretts, The Located in the central area of Victoria, the Seven Ups, Bete Noire, Elle T & the Doctors, Harry Castlemaine region is less than 90 minutes from Coulson’s Blue Dogs, and Lachie Evans Band, plus North-West Melbourne, and roughly a two-hour drive many more. With more than 50 different bands and from Geelong, making it easily and conveniently around 300 highly talented musicians, this Queen’s accessed by road and rail. With stunning villages Birthday long weekend is sure to be a musical one. and towns located close by, this region is an ideal Returning as festival favourites, Melbourne’s Low base to explore Central Victoria.

Down Big Band will be playing a balanced mix of Trad, Blues, Funk, New Orleans, and Contemporary YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION, styles once again. Under the leadership of guitarist RUNNING TIMES AND TICKET SALES VIA Ben Delves, you can expect high-intensity, hard- WWW.CASTLEMAINEJAZZFESTIVAL.COM.AU swinging, funk-filled fun when this 18-piece hits the stage, while award-winning 22 year old performer

CASTLEMAINE JAZZ FESTIVAL

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NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL 2019

THE GUINNESS WILL FLOW LIKE WINE WHEN These bands join an already exciting and eclectic THOUSANDS DESCEND ON THE TOWNSHIP line-up of musical showcases, including international OF PORTARLINGTON OVER THE WINTERY acts like Duncan Chisholm (Scotland), Maggie LONG WEEKEND NEXT MONTH FOR THE Carty and Mairtin Staunton (Ireland), Angela Usher 17TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL. (Ireland), Air Iomall (Scotland) and Charlie Grey & Attracting thousands of visitors every year, the Joseph Peach (Scotland). Representing the Australian festival transforms the foreshore and surrounding Celtic circuit this year include ‘Gypsy Scotsman’ Colin haunts into a bustling winter-wonderland of talented Lillie, Fiona Ross and Shane O’Mara, The McKinnon musicians and performers, presenting concerts across Sisters, Melbourne folk outfit Rich Davies and the Low 14 stages over four days, with showcases, dance, theatre, Road, Celtic Ska Collective, indie Irish folksters Zeon, literature readings, masterclasses and more celebrating Melbourne contemporary folk outfit The Maes, and all things Celtic and Craic.

Tim Scanlan Trio, among many other high-class acts.

For those well-versed with the Irish and Scottish “We try to break a lot of bands into the Australian traditions, the National Celtic Festival is compulsory. market in wintertime,” she continues. “We bring a lot of Meanwhile, for those not initiated, it is a wonderful surprise acts. There’s not much on offer for a lot of these surprise to find such amazing music and dedicated cultures so we often take a risk on unknown bands, and musicians in our midst. quite often, they end up becoming festival favourites.”

Showcasing some of the world’s most culturally rich Along with the focus in diverse genres of music, the performers and introducing fresh up and coming acts festival delves deep into the culture to include countless each year, it’s the diversity of this festival that gives comedy, singing sessions, dance, literature, medieval the National Celtic Festival a distinct edge, attracting sports and theatre troupes for festival-goers at a range audiences from all walks of life. of venues throughout the town. Punters will even be “This year’s lineup is quite contemporary, but each treated to an atmosphere that takes you to another year we go from one extreme to the other so we ensure place with an exhilarating vibe, with displays of Celtic that we have something that pleases everyone. Whether martial arts and the resident Vikings who settle in for that be the young bands or the masters of tradition, the weekend to present traditional Vikings practices the acts will all bring a twist of blues, classical, jazz, of wrestling, animal hide curing and iron mongering. indie, rock and much more to the festival, catering to a As purveyors of delivering a culturally rich festival range of different musical tastes,” says event’s director program, this year the team will welcome the Una McAlinden.

Australian Highland Cattle show in a National Celtic “This year we’ve got The Young Folk, who are Festival first. Yes, actual cows! These highland cattle contemporary Irish indie folk band; we’ve got a female – affectionately known as “Koos” - were imported into band from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada called Australia by Scottish migrants in the middle of the The Lumber Jills, who honour the tradition of fiddling Nineteenth Century and this will be your chance to and step-dancing, and we’ve even got a band called see 60 of the best of the breed, with cattle appraised INYAL, who are a massively contemporary Scottish by an international host judge. band who create music that belongs to both Glasgow’s “Every year we seem to connect with people that underground scene, so dance club music, and its folk are aligned and then they come to us with these wild tradition. These bands have all come from a traditional ideas. So this year, we’ve partnered with the Australian background and they have broken away into different Highland Cattle Society who are bringing their annual extensions of the traditional music.” highland Australian show to the festival,” McAlinden 18

reveals. “They only have it in Victoria every three years and it falls on the same weekend as the National Celtic Festival.

“Every year we have something different which is the exciting part of it, but also the challenge to make it work from our end.”

Other special projects this year include Theatre C21 (Ireland) - a one-woman black comedy set in contemporary Belfast that is an energetic, funny and compelling tale of how easy it is, with the right (or wrong) combination of events, to slip into homelessness. It’s highly topical in its unflinching look at credit card debt, the benefits system, addiction to prescription drugs, and living on the streets.

“We’ve never brought a whole show from Ireland before so that is really exciting for the festival,” McAlinden says. “We’ve also got Kin and the Community which is a project where Scottish musicians and Australian musicians collaborate. Musicians from Fèis Rois have spent several months working alongside acclaimed fiddler and composer Duncan Chisholm to research a local story, create a film, and an original soundtrack for it.”

With all the music, art and entertainment, you can’t forget about The Folk Market, bursting with fine food and fresh produce from a wide range of food trucks, along with delicious local wines, craft brews, and spirits from Victoria’s bespoke distilleries. Here you’ll find all the regular delicious festival food, along with a range of delicious cultural tastings. This market is adjacent to the festival and free to the public so non-ticket holders can get amongst it.

“Last year we introduced the free area and it was really successful so now we are taking it a step further from last year and making it bigger so we appeal to the day trippers who don’t have a ticket, but they want to see what we are all about,” McAlinden explains. “There will be free music, there will be dancing, there will be buskers, there will be markets, there will be the cattle – you can just poke your nose in for a few hours and get a taste of it.

We want to be inclusive of everyone, and we don’t want people to miss out just because they can’t afford it.”

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If all that isn’t enough for you to start digging out your warmest tartan attire, this year the festival is also making the bold move toward zero waste. Partnering with Caring for our Bays, Geelong Sustainability, B-Alternative, Geelong Intrepid Landcare and Bellarine Bayside, the festival has a major focus on implementing a range of sustainable and environmental strategies to combat the growing problem of plastic polluting the environment.

Punters can do their part by bringing along their own refillable water bottles, utilise the washable plates and cutlery provided, return washable items to the wash station and recycle correctly in the bins provided and, of course, avoid littering.

This event truly transforms Portarlington’s foreshore and surrounding haunts into a bustling winterwonderland. With an easy 90-minute drive out of Melbourne to the stunning Bellarine Peninsula, a 40-minute ferry ride from Sorrento to Queenscliff, or a 90-minute ferry ride from Melbourne’s Docklands that goes direct to Portarlington, there’s no excuse to miss experiencing Australia’s premier Celtic Folk Festival.

Pull out your kilts, put your winter woollies on and rug up to dive head first into this Celtic affair.

WHEN & WHERE: WG LITTLE RESERVE, NEWCOMBE ST, PORTARLINGTON - FRIDAY JUNE 7 – MONDAY JUNE 10 2019.

A FULL RANGE OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE – COVERING ALL FESTIVAL VENUES FROM FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL MONDAY AFTERNOON. HEAD TO WWW.NATIONALCELTICFESTIVAL.COM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BOOK TICKETS.

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She explained that her latest show includes a unique 3D mapping experience with lots of audience engagement. “It’s a nice interactive experience to help support our bees and other pollinators,” she says.

“Audiences are given either 1 of 6 possible maps/hats with LED lights that I control from the stage. They are then led on a treasure hunt.”

TONI CHILDS WRITTEN BY SALLY POEHLAND

Renowned singer/song writer Toni Childs sounds a little Forest Gump like as she refers to her latest show as a box of chocolates.

“The show is divided into two parts – first I play the old songs and then move onto the new stuff. It’s like a box of chocolates. You eat the ones you know and love first and then you are ready to try and discover something new,” she said when speaking with Forte Magazine about her current tour ‘Retrospective’.

Toni, an Emmy winner and three-time Grammy nominated recording artist, has launched the tour to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of her album Union. Audiences can enjoy a host of classic hits from all of her albums including Don’t Walk Away, Stop Your Fussin’, Walk and Talk Like Angels, Zimbabwe, Where’s the Ocean, Many Rivers to Cross, I’ve Got To Go Now and Because You’re Beautiful.

The second hour will be an introduction to Toni’s new music from two latest albums It’s All a Beautiful Noise and Citizens of the Planet. Toni says her latest albums were inspired, “by music itself. I love to follow the many threads of inspiration from music including African music and find those voices.”

DALLAS FRASCA AND ABBE MAY ARE HEADLINING THE LOFT’S FINAL GIG WRITTEN BY LIAM MCNALLY After twenty long years of supporting original live music, The Loft in Warrnambool will sadly be closing its doors. To ease their passing, they’ve organised a massive farewell party in the form of their eighth annual AROCKALYPSE. An incredible 36 acts, all of whom have graced The Loft’s stages over the past 15 years, will perform in one jam-packed day at the venue.

The line-up is chock full of rock fit for the end of days including rocker extraordinaire Dallas Frasca, award-winning pop-rock-soul innovator Abbe May, re-uniting local legends The Motorvators, heavy duo King Of The North, Warrnambool’s top tribute act Rage Against The Sewing Machine, Adelaide metalheads Hidden Intent, and Melbourne indie-punks

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Toni says the experience is designed to keep audiences engaged for up to five months – before, during and after the show ending with asking the audience members to send their hats to a physical location where they become part of a large public installation.

“It’s two hours of 3D mapping with amazing high tech features and such an engaging experience.”

Toni says her latest tour is a nice balance of old and new energy. “We have had nothing but positive feedback about it which is great.”

Over her extensive career, which has included working alongside greats Al Green ad Peter Gabriel, Toni says she has experienced several defining moments. “Playing 10,000 foot above ground in the Himalayas and also under the water at Hervey Bay would definitely be up there.”

Toni also had the experience of opening for Bob Dylan early on in her career. She described him as a “very sweet and gracious guy.”

Toni, who currently resides in Byron Bay, after moving from Hawaii with her Australian husband in 2012, says she cherishes her career and all of its ups and downs. “It’s been a fullbodied experience and one that I have been able to hold onto regardless of what has been thrown at me. I am very grateful”.

WHEN & WHERE: LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, WARRNAMBOOL – JUNE 8 GEELONG DRAMA THEATRE, GEELONG – JUNE 9 ULUMBARRA THEATRE, BENDIGO – JUNE 16

ROB SNARSKI Hey Rob, thanks for chatting to Forte! To start, when did you get your start in music?

I started playing music initially with my brother Mark in a band we founded as fledglings called Chad’s Tree, I was 19. I played electric guitar and sang one or two tunes. We emerged out of the Perth post-punk scene, moved to Sydney mid-‘80s, recorded our first single ‘Crush The Lily’ then two albums. We played support to everyone from Nico and John Cale, to The Triffids, The Laughing Clowns and The Go-Betweens.

Tell us a bit about the new album?

Sparrow & Swan was recorded at Yikesville Studio in Yarraville [Melbourne] with Shane O’Mara, along with some very fine musicians including Kelly & Jane from Broads, Rebecca Barnard, Kiernan Box [Augie March] Ben Wiesner [The Audreys] and two double bass players Ben Franz and Rosie Westbrook.

As for the songs, I’d been gathering them over the last couple of years, though my writing process changed halfway. I began tuning into conversations, shaping songs from late night tales and everyday conversations – footballers, cab drivers, a friend from Northern Ireland who as a teenager ventured off into the night in search of Van Morrison. That’s why the title of the album sounds a little fable-like, Sparrow & Swan. I’m half-sharing the stories of others.

Musically, Sparrow and Swan shows a bit of a shift in style compared to your earlier work, what

The Pretty Littles. Nathan Seeckts will be playing too, who if you haven’t listened to yet, then you’re not reading enough Forte.

That’s just the tip of the ice berg though, the 14-hour, three-stage extravaganza will also feature The Alamo, Dirty Rascal, Louise Adams, Nancie Schipper, Lee Morgan, The Refuge, Worm, Hey Mammoth, Mick Ferguson, Snakes Don’t Need Keys, Florian Lindemann, Flynn Gurry, Jess Skye, Phil Holmes, Eight Gauge Jesus, Dave Burgess, Eddie Boyle, The Doctor, Cobey Fletcher, Owen Ellemor, Ruby McKenna, Kinnon, Blake Rudland-Castles, Carly Clifford, Fiona Kershaw & Shar, Tate Mooney, Bronson Valpied, and Martee.

Nobody wants to say goodbye to such an integral part of the Warrnambool music scene, but since we have to, you might as well make your last party there one to remember… and with a line-up like this that surely won’t be a problem.

THIS LAST GOODBYE TO THE LOFT KICKS OFF AT 11AM ON SUNDAY JUNE 9 AND FINISHES AT 1AM. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH OZTIX. PHOTO BY HANNAH JONES

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lead to you to this, kind of, free-form type of sound?

We had a few albums that we’d refer to every so often as we progressed. My main go-to album was Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison. There was something about the piano playing that I particularly loved.

Loose, yet delicate, but assured and direct. Clever.

I love Astral Weeks also, but who doesn’t I’d never written songs that were as wordy, as loquacious... nor as lengthy, I wasn’t sure in some cases that the music needed a defined end or parts as such. There was also a little Cuban tilt – Buena Vista, Mambo Sinuendo, Ruben Gonzalez and some Ry Cooder inspired moments... it’s all in there. I like to say somewhere between Havana and Helsinki, a Cuban cigar with a liquorice ice cream.

The album is rich in storytelling and lyricism, who are some of the other songwriters that have inspired your writing?

Van Morrison, David McComb, Paul Kelly, Gareth Liddiard, Guy Garvey, The Handsome Family, Scott Walker – writers who love a narrative. Vivid, cinematic, broad, evocative writers. Gareth Liddiard has lifted the bar for us singer-songwriters, his solo work is unparalleled. Unseen from The Handsome Family is a favourite of mine. Beautiful stories within, a little unsettling.

You’ve been playing some shows solo and some with a full band, how does this diversify your set and what do you prefer?

I’ve also been playing shows in duo-mode with Shane O’Mara [guitarist/producer] who’s coming on this tour]. Solo is probably the most satisfying from the ego’s point of view. If the song works solo, it works, it’s as simple as that. Yet, the band is the most rewarding. The richness of the arrangements and dynamics of the music carry the songs so beautifully, the band add colour and texture. I’m happy to move from the bare bones of the song in solo mode to the fullness of the band to mix it up, keep it interesting from my point of view and the listeners.

WHEN & WHERE: THE BRIDGE HOTEL, CASTLEMAINE – JUNE 15 LOST ONES BASEMENT BAR, BALLARAT – JUNE 16

bittersweet song for Sisters Doll. “It’s not like we’re saying we hate social media, we hate the technology in the world as it is now, but you see things differently now. Everyone’s on their phones.

“You go out to dinner, a husband and wife are sat at a table having a coffee but they’re both on their phones – everyone’s the most vulnerable when they’re looking in their black mirror. It definitely disconnects from those around us.

“For good or bad, I reckon the black mirror has taken control and is letting a lot of us lose our souls in a way.”

SISTERS DOLL WRITTEN BY ANNA ROSE Dark tones run rife in ‘Black Mirror’, the latest single from glam rock outfit Sisters Doll. Aptly a synonym for our reliance on technology and social media, and the manipulation, the trepidation, that comes from a generation constantly glued to “black mirrors”. The single is a little darker and a little edgier than what we’ve heard from Sisters Doll in the past, but it still sticks to their traditional melodic sound.

This is the first song that Sisters Doll have penned as a band, so what really stands out is, particularly given the themes of the song, how even they have been affected as a collective, technologically and musically. “When we started this band Austin and Bryce were a bit younger, so they were still growing as musicians,” says Brennan Mileto of his brothers and bandmates. “I think now, we’re all growing and getting better on the music side of things so everyone has more of a voice, and yeah, a lot of it is to do with the [effect of] social media side of things as well.”

Sisters Doll 2.0 is a lot to do with mutual experience as well as determination. “The thing with social media as well, it connects us with people but disconnects us, too,” says Mileto. This means that ‘Black Mirror’ is a

Indeed – we’ve never been closer, and never been further apart. Disconnect is a brilliant word, to sum up the phenomenon of technology and social media, but with some live shows coming up to launch the single, Sisters Doll are hoping their performances will be an opportunity for people to live in the moment without them having to dictate that people look up from their screens. “It’s such a big thing at the moment, you can’t stop it,” says Mileto, “but it’s also good PR for us.

“There’s nothing worse when you’re doing a show and everyone’s on their phones and disconnected, but if they’re filming the show so they can go back to a moment to relive it, that’s amazing.

“It’s more so when you see people at the back of the room and they’re not engaged, that’s when it hurts a bit, and we’ll try and cut that out if we can.”

WHEN & WHERE: THE BARWON CLUB, GEELONG – MAY 31.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM WWW. SISTERSDOLLBAND.COM

FOUR LIONS WRITTEN BY BRIX GORDON

Bendigo roots rockers Four Lions have just released their fourth album, Hard Days – and the band says it is their best work yet. “It’s something I listen back to, and there is nothing I would change,” frontman and chief songwriter Shann Lions says.

Four Lions are currently undertaking an album launch tour of regional and metropolitan Victoria – taking in Daylesford, Kyneton, Ballarat, Geelong, Castlemaine and Melbourne – that will wind up in a special homecoming show at the Golden Vine on Saturday, June 1.

As a big thank you to local fans and supporters, the band will perform the Hard Days album in full, with special appearances from some of the local musicians who played on it – including singer Mariah McCarthy, pedal steel guitarist Dave Moore, saxophonist Harry Godfrey, and trombonist Brendan Bartlett.

Midweek Blues guitarist Paul Robins will also join the band on stage for a couple of numbers.

Lions says the band is relishing the opportunity to take the new album on the road and introduce it – and themselves – to brand-new audiences.

“We are excited by playing new rooms and hopefully converting people into becoming fans,” he says. “We love playing to new people, that’s a thrill for everyone in the band. And for those in the crowd, it’s about

playing an unforgettable show for them.

“I enjoy being able to see some of our country, and to share in that with the band will translate into forever lasting memories.”

The tour will be moving interstate during the next six months, with shows planned in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Tasmania. Lions says the rest of the year is about seeing where the album takes the band in terms of shows and festivals – “whatever presents itself,” he adds.

And while touring is the band’s focus in 2019, they are already considering their next album. “We might start demoing some new tracks, but already there are many new songs for album No.5,” Lions says.

They are also looking to the future. “If we dream big, some of those things are going to happen. It’s those dreams and/or goals that we hope to build upon,” Lions says. “But just being a band that is able to keep recording and getting good crowds to shows so we all can be full-time musicians would be monumental.”

WHEN & WHERE: MAJOR TOM’S, KYNETON – MAY 25 THE PRINTER’S ROOM, BALLARAT – MAY 30 THE DOOR GALLERY CAFE, GEELONG – MAY 31 GOLDEN VINE HOTEL, BENDIGO – JUNE 1 THE TAPROOM, CASTLEMAINE – JUNE 2.

THE FIRST SINGLE ‘I’LL TELL YOU TOMORROW’ FROM THE UPCOMING ALBUM IS OUT NOW!

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SMOKED AND OVERDUE We sit down with Connor Pawsey from Geelong’s alternative rock band Smoked and Overdue in celebration of their latest single.

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte Mag. Smoked and Overdue started out in 2014 with the average age of the band being just 12 – it’s undeniably a young age to be starting up a band, what led to you wanting to start working on music collectively?

It initially all started out as just a couple of kids who were curious about playing music with other people. I originally asked Henry our singer if he wanted to start a band with me playing drums and him playing guitar just for a bit of fun. He said he wasn’t very good at guitar but he could sorta sing and that a mate of his, Jax, from primary school actually played guitar. After asking Jax he told us this new kid in his class Nico plays bass and that he has a music studio in his back yard. So before we knew it the whole thing just sort of fell together without any of us really pushing it.

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As a young band, the decision to progress from covers to creating original music was a bold move, what were the driving factors to wanting to branch out into original concepts?

After Charlie our keys player joined the band a couple years later in 2016, we were all getting a little tired of playing other peoples songs but we never really had a reason to write about anything or anything to even write about. We tried writing a song when we first started but nothing clicked so we ended up ditching it. Adding the whole new dynamic of a piano player though gave us a little bit of a push towards something new. We ended up writing our first song ‘Subconscious Man’ for a music assignment in school where we had to make a group of 4 or 5 people and write an entire song in a few weeks. It was around this time where we were starting to fully understand each others playing style now and we were able to use that to our advantage in the writing process. After that first song, we found a new undiscovered love for creativity which we didn’t have before so we just continued to keep writing outside of school.

Years on, Smoked and Overdue now have a really unique Alt-Rock sound that oozes Muse and Royal Blood vibes, do these bands play a key role in what inspires you when writing songs?

Absolutely. Since around 2016 we all really developed a strong strong passion for music in general, as we started to really notice things in songs that we hadn’t before. Royal Blood, in particular, has been a massive influence on all five of us after Henry discovered them back in year 9. Seeing them perform live at Rod Laver Arena last year opened so many doors in terms of creating unique music and really putting on an enjoyable performance, as do a lot of bands. Whilst we all listen to similar bands, each of us also have individual passions for other specific genres of music like metal or funk which usually tend to subtly work their way into our playing here and there.

You have a new single coming out May 23. Tell us a bit about the song and what listeners can expect from the track.

‘I’ll Tell You Tomorrow’ was actually one of the

first songs we wrote after the release of our debut EP ‘Under the Rug’ but the idea surrounding the song started a little earlier. As far as the rest of our discography goes that song, in particular, represents our sound and the sound we want to create most as a whole. It embodies elements of generic rock and heavy distortion whilst also incorporating more spacious and almost experimental aspects. The name ‘I’ll tell you tomorrow’ also began as a little inside joke between Henry and I a few years earlier so once we had written the music, it almost seemed fitting that this would be our little come back after ‘Under the Rug’.

You’re currently recording your second major release of tracks, what can people expect from this upcoming record? Tell us a bit about it.

This next album is something we’ve been working on for a long time now, pretty much immediately after the first EP. It’ll be our first full length 12-track LP so the amount of effort we’ve put into each song is enormous. We’ve tried to make each track slightly different by taking inspiration from other genres to broaden the horizon a little whilst still keeping noticeable aspects consistent between the songs. So far we’re roughly about a third of the way through the recording process and everything is going really well. With the last EP we tracked all 5 songs in a little over a day but for this time we’re trying to take things slow and make sure we really do it as well as we possibly can to try and get the best result possible.

It’s something we’ve been really passionate about recently, especially during the writing process so we’re determined to get it out there by the end of the year at least.

Before we wrap things up, is there anything you’d like to say to rock lovers who are considering checking out Smoked and Overdue?

If you’re any lover of music or rock, stay tuned for our new releases throughout the year and check out our debut EP on Spotify, iTunes and all other streaming services. Also, feel free to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with gigs and more new music.

‘I’LL TELL YOU TOMORROW’ IS OUT NOW.

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CHYA IS HOSTING A FREE ONEDAY INTENSIVE ABLETON LIVE WORKSHOP WITH ALICE IVY A free one-day intensive Ableton Live workshop, Operator, is coming to Geelong on Saturday 15 June led by music producer Alice Ivy. Operator is a workshop series supporting women in building skills in electronic music production.

This workshop will give female/female identifying musicians based in the Geelong region the opportunity to work with music producer Alice Ivy, developing their skills in using music production software Ableton Live. The workshop will incorporate beginner-level learning of Ableton Live, electronic music production basics and an introduction to preparing for live performance.

Operator supports the enhanced presence of women in electronic music production (EMP), with a focus on strengthening networks, creating new connections, and offering a space for open questioning and discussion relating to EMP. This workshop will be held at Courthouse Youth Arts in Geelong, and is open to women living in the Geelong area, aged 16-26. Software, laptops and necessary gear will be provided for the workshop.

IF YOU THINK THESE WORKSHOPS ARE FOR YOU, APPLY NOW VIA WWW.ARTSCENTREMELBOURNE. COM.AU/WHATS-ON/2019/THECHANNEL/OPERATOR-GEELONG

DEBORAH CONWAY, WILLY ZYGIER & THE MEN: EPIC WRITTEN BY NASEEM RADMEHR Two epic albums, make one epic concert! Set to be the concert event of 2019, EPIC is celebrating the new alongside the much loved; launching Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier’s tenth album, The Words Of Men and pairing it with 1993’s ARIA Award Winning and Gold selling record, Bitch Epic. We chat to the esteemed Deborah ahead of the show.

You’ve been creating albums for a long time now since your first with String of Pearls in 1991.

What keeps you going?

String of Pearls was my first solo album but I was in a band before that called Do Re Mi. We put out a couple of EP’s followed by a couple of albums (Domestic Harmony which featured Man Overboard & The Happiest Place in Town), and before that, there was the ABC TV show soundtrack for Sweet & Sour where I was the voice for Tracey Mann’s character.

It’s a really long time to have been plugging away at being a musician. Obviously, to have dedicated so much of your life to one pursuit, you have to love it and you have to be lucky. Perhaps most importantly, you have to have a burning need to say something in a way that hasn’t been said before.

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How has your style evolved through each album?

Do Re Mi was a collective where we were all contributing to what was being created; String of Pearls was a strong reflection of me finding my authorial voice away from the band collective. It was a naive collection of songs in many ways, I didn’t want to overthink them and all these songs were kind of pouring out of me through that period, a sort of liberation from the shackles of pleasing three other people. I met Willy Zygier who joined me as a guitarist on the String Of Pearls tour and we formed a strong and enduring collaborating partnership.

He had a formal Conservatorium training which complemented my self-taught rawness and I think those qualities are very much in evidence on our first album together, Bitch Epic. Since those heady days, we have continued to push ourselves harder and harder as songwriters and I think our last three albums – Stories of Ghosts, Everybody’s Begging, and The Words Of Men – are a testament to what a lot of drafting and redrafting can achieve. We have also had an acoustic revolution where we have turned away from using amplified instruments and synthetic noises, and have chosen instead to explore deep in the world of wood.

What was the biggest inspiration for your new album, The Words of Men? The great waters of social upheaval we are all swimming in right now. We are living in interesting times, a Chinese curse but a blessing for your common or garden type songwriter. That, and steroids!

How has your husband, Willy Zygier, helped

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you along your musical journey? Did your relationship enhance your musical partnership?

Willy and I spend a lot of time together, he is an inspiring musician and a stimulating collaborator, but the main thing we do for each other is tear each other’s work apart in order to make it stronger and to force each other to re-examine everything we do until we really can’t make it any better. That is a truly valuable relationship to have with someone and it relies on trust, time and love.

Your new album is one of the most creative bursts in your 27-year collab with Willy Zygier.

What themes does it touch on?

Well, the album is definitely the most political thing we have written together but we have tried very hard to avoid bombast or agitprop. I guess most of all what we wanted to convey, is the question and the provocation to rethink things we often take for granted. It’s always been very important to me to write from an honest place, to write to reflect a reality I am familiar with; in that way hopefully the song touches, moves or provokes listeners to investigate for themselves what they think of these things.

For your 25th anniversary since Bitch Epic, and in honour of your latest album launch, you’ll be presenting EPIC, the concert event of 2019. What should fans expect to see?

They’ll see energy, they’ll hear dazzling musicianship and they’ll be transported to a familiar soundscape that will remind them of things they were experiencing 25 or so years ago. Who wouldn’t want that?

Thanks for chatting with us! Is there anything you’d like to add?

This band will be startling and incredible, I would urge music lovers to not miss out, it will be a beautiful night of transporting musical adventures.

WHEN & WHERE: THE CAPITAL, BENDIGO – JUNE 13 HAMER HALL, MELBOURNE – JUNE 16

B A L L A R AT

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NANCIE SCHIPPER Nancie Schipper; we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… she’s one of our favourite young regional artists.

Beginning her music career at the tender age of 12 where she performed her first pub gig, the Warrnambool singer-songwriter has spent the better part of the last seven years working her way around the local scene, driven by her passion to continually develop her stage skills time and time again.

Now, she’s back with her new single ‘When You Get Home’ and is celebrating with two single launch shows in Melbourne and her hometown of Warrnambool.

‘When You Get Home’ was recorded and produced

by John Castle (Vance Joy, Thelma Plum, Angie McMahon). It is the first single following ‘Long Fall’, which was added to spot rotation on triple j and shortlisted her as one of 6 finalists chosen from more than 1000 high school acts in triple j’s Unearthed High competition.

Drawing similarities to the likes of Middle Kids and Angie McMahon, ‘When You Get Home’ boasts a jangly folk-rock sound that’ll get ya groovin’ along no worries, and then by the third or fourth listen you’ll slow down and take note of lyrical content that shows wisdom well beyond her years. An immediate must-suss for anyone who likes telling people they listened to musicians before they got massive, because your window is surely closing.

On the single, Nancie says, “this song is about checking in on all your friends and not letting them deal with things alone. A friend had asked me to send her a text when I got home safe and it got me thinking about how powerful friendship has been in my life and how much I value it. We all want our friends to succeed and would do anything to help them so it can be hard to watch them go through hard times.”

In bittersweet news, the headline show at The Loft in Warrnambool on Friday June 7th will be one of the last shows at the venue.

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

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“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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JOE BONAMASSA UNVEILS EAST COAST TOUR DATES WRITTEN BY LIAM MCNALLY Blues-rock guitar legend Joe Bonamassa is coming to Melbourne for one night only.

Blues is one of the defining genres of the twentieth century, and sadly opportunities to see blues mastery are slowly becoming fewer and further between.

Bonamassa was shaped by blues, having started his reputation at a young age. Growing up in New Hartford, New York, at just twelve years old Bonamassa managed to open for none other than B.B. King at one of his shows.

Since then, his career has cemented its self into legend status with a

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resume that boasts over 30 albums, 21 of which reaching number 1 on the Billboard blues charts, two Grammy nominations and collaborations with Beth Hart, Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party to name a few.

Last year Joe Bonamassa’s 21st Billboard Blues chart topping album, Redemption was released, and even more recently, Joe showed off his producing chops on Reese Wynans & Friends’ Sweet Release album, Reese’s first solo album in his 50-year career which the critics hail as ‘Electrifying’, ‘extraordinary’ and ‘classic.’

He’s been featured in a plethora of publications from Esquire and Parade to Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, as well as on the covers of Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar, Guitarist and Classic Rock Magazine.

Now, it’s time for him to return to Australia for a headlining tour, for the first time since 2016.

Starting in September, he’ll be making his way down the east coast

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backed by a stellar band of legendary musicians including Late Night with David Letterman’s Anton Fig (drums), Nashville recording legend Michael Rhodes (bass), Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble member, Reese Wynans (piano/ organ), Paulie Cerra (sax) and Lee Thornburg(trumpet). The band also features our very own Mahalia Barnes, Jade MacRae and Juanita Tippins on backing vocals bringing a whole new life to the show which will feature brand new songs alongside career-spanning favourites.

“I am really looking forward to coming back to play for the fans in Australia who have always supported me,” explains Joe. “They are amazing!”

HE’LL PERFORM ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 23 AT PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE. TICKETS VIA JBONAMASSA.COM/

You’ve teamed up with rising up and comer Ben Leece for this tour. How did the collaboration come about?

We have a mutual friend who is a great music lover with taste we both trust. She suggested it and we both went for it. I’m a fan of Ben as a person and his music – so that helped too!

We hear you’re set to drop a new single – The Road – in June! Can you tell us a bit about what inspired this one?

It’s very autobiographical, which is not my usual bag. It’s a story of my adult life so far, which I didn’t realise until after I’d finished writing it.

This will be off the forthcoming fifth album.

Not having heard the album, what can you tell us about the new record and the differences between previous releases?

It’s kind of a feel-good album – as we mature more we’re getting a lighter touch on our records.

Hey thanks for chatting to Forte mag! First up The arrangements are in some ways getting more can you tell our readers who aren’t familiar with simple and rudimentary – but the songs are heartfelt Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes a little bit about and uplifting. yourselves and your music?

You’re also set to head to Europe for some We play the kind of music people call ‘Americana’ - more shows. What were your experiences and but really we’re just storytellers who are into a whole memories of touring Europe last time? How lot of stuff from soul music to country music. We’ve do you navigate the challenges of touring in a been together in some form or another for the best foreign country? part of a decade and our music has allowed us to Europe has been very kind to us these last two years. travel the world and Australia with regularity – so We’ve been invited to return to our favourite festival we’re very grateful.

- Maverick Fest - for the third consecutive year and You’re currently halfway through your Friends we just can’t wait. If anything, touring in a foreign & Acquaintances Tour. How do you find the country is easier because you don’t really have to touring circuit, are you guys more at home with deal with everyday life. music on the stage, or in the studio?

Thanks for chatting! We’re looking forward to Well two of us work together as record producers, catching you in Geelong and Bendigo! To finish so we are very comfortable in the studio - but we up, if you could sit down with one artist – dead love the immediate response of performing live. The or alive – just to talk music, who would it be? touring circuit that we’re on is full of music lovers Ray Charles and interesting people – so we find it inspiring and rewarding most of the time.

WHEN & WHERE: The venues you’re visiting are great humble PISTOL PETE’S FOOD N BLUES, places that embrace live music – what do you GEELONG – MAY 30 enjoy about performing in places like this?

We are playing some quite intimate places – and BILLYROY’S GRASSROOTS MUSIC CLUB, I think the personal connection to the audience is ALLSAINTS BENDIGO – JUNE 2 the best part of that.

LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES

THE PINHEADS WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN

The Pinheads have been one of my favourite up and coming Australian acts since I first came across them early 2016 at The Barwon Club.

Performing the support slot for Skegss and Hockey Dad, the Wollongong rockers performed to roughly seven people; four of which were far too stoned and awkward to get around the punk antics of lead singer Jez Player who was making the most of the empty space jumping on tables and screaming in punters faces. For a punk enthusiast like myself, I was in awe.

Looking back now, it’s weird to think about how few people were in attendance. Hockey Dad and Skegss have since become Australian festival favourites and The Pinheads have been killing it over in Europe as well as scoring an appearance at this years revered SXSW festival.

Now gearing up for the release of their sophomore release, ‘Is This Real,’ it seems The Pinnies have taken a much more evolved and cultivated sound.

“I think it’s just a natural progression,” reflects Jez. “The songwriting is a bit more matured and holds it’s own a little bit more than our previous songs. I feel we have hit more of the mark of what we would like to be doing creatively.”

Expanding on what led to the evolution of their sound, Jez stated, “We have played over in Europe and a lot of other places since releasing the first album and I feel that may have been a bit of an influence.

“When you play bigger places you realise how small home is. You kind of realise that you’re the little kids in the big pond and that you can make whatever music you want because someone out there will probably like it.”

With all of The Pinheads material being recorded

by Jez himself, he spoke of how ‘Is This Real’ marks a few firsts for the band, the first being that Player also undertook all the post-recording mixing. “I’ve always recorded all of our own stuff but I didn’t feel as if I had the know-how to mix songs. I love Owen’s [Penglis from Straight Arrows who previously mixed The Pinheads] work but I figured it was time to give it a crack myself. I do really like the idea that we do it all ourselves.

“We also recorded it live which was cool. In the past, we had done a few instruments together before but we’d never recorded completely live,” he continues.

“It was done about two weeks after we toured Europe last year because we had done 26 shows over there so we were pretty oiled up and thought we would keep the momentum going. I think that helped to give it more energy and power. That wouldn’t have been the same if we had recorded it the more conservative kind of way.

“We did it all in a day and a half. We just set it up and did it as if we were playing a live show. We made a rule that we could only do three takes of each song before we’d have to move on to the next one. So a lot of the songs ended up being done in the first take.

“It helps that everyone has been getting better at playing their instruments as well,” he laughs, “When we started we couldn’t play at all so I think we feel like more of a band now, for better or for worse.”

GIG GUIDE FRIDAY 10TH MAY 7-10PM

FRANK BELL S A T U R D A Y 11 T H M A Y

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

S U N DAY 19 T H M AY 4 P M

GEORGIA RODGERS F R I DAY 2 4 T H M AY 7 P M

LUKE POTE S U N DAY 2 6 T H M AY 4 P M

CHLOE ST CLAIR TUESDAY 28TH MAY 7PM

POETRY NIGHT OPEN MIC - REGISTER ON THE NIGHT

RELEASE: ‘IS THIS REAL’ OUT MAY 24 VIA FARMER & THE OWL / INERTIA

12-14 UNION ST GEELONG OPEN 6 DAYS FROM 2PM @VALHALLABREW

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Butternut Pumpkin, and Lemon and Lentil, but you’ll just have to head on over and find out.

FOODIE NEWS

AUTHENTIC THAI Winter is here and the need for comforting and nutritious food is rising as fast as the darkness in our evenings. Thai food ticks all the boxes. Dishes such as green and red curry, pad Thai and fried rice are perfect for cooler days and nights. Our pick would be checking out ARANI Thai Restaurant for their signature authentic dishes such as classic Pad Thai, the thick and creamy Gang Massaman potato curry, Tom Yum served with prawns or the Pad Med Ma Muang. If you’re more open to trying something new and really warming up, we really recommend trying the stir-fried chilli, garlic and sweet basil (Pad Grapow), the tangy and spicy stir-fried noodle (Drunken Noodles) or the Chef’s special which offers a seafood combination served on a sizzling hot plate.

MURPHYS ARE HOSTING A ROOFTOP GIN FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND Gin lovers and spirit drinkers, boy do we have something for you.

Currently well and truly in the middle of a Ginaissance that isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, Geelong’s Murphys have decided it’s the perfect time to throw a Rooftop Gin Festival.

Featuring some of the best Local and International Gin distillers, this festival is bringing them together for an afternoon on The Rooftop where you can enjoy Geelong’s finest views whilst sipping on your favorite G&T. Attendees will get a chance to meet the Distillers, taste the Gin (of course) and find out the methods behind the madness. Breaking the corporate shackles and following a crazy dream, ask these inspiring people how they found themselves selling their own Gin on a Sunday afternoon on a Rooftop in Geelong?

Here’s some of the legends on the lineup: - Bellarine Distillery (Teddy & The Fox - Bellarine) - Great Ocean Road Gin (Aireys Inlet) - Queenscliff Distillery (Bellarine) - Archie Rose (Sydney) - Bombay Sapphire (UK) - Here’s Looking at you, Kid (Melbourne) - Shortcross (Ireland) - G Vine (France)

IT’S GETTING CHILLY, HERE’S SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE WINTER DISHES WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO Winter is basically here so it seemed like a fitting time with the colder weather to look at the comfort foods we’re all guilty of eating in bulk throughout June, July and August. Here are some of our favourites comfort foods that are almost as cozy as staying in bed…. almost.

PIZZA I feel like pizza is an all-year-round food, and I could eat it for every meal, every day and have no ragrets – not even one letter. Pizza is round and doughy, which is what I love to be during winter.. and there’s just something about eating a giant ball of dough, complete with magical toppings in winter that just sounds perfect. We’d recommend local favourites

Pizza Bar, Shannon Pizza and Ripe Pizza Bar for all your pizza needs!

PORRIDGE Porridge is much more than just a convenient breakfast food; it also provides nutrients that are essential during winter. Oats are high in zinc (important for proper immune function) and soluble fiber (associated with heart health), but aside from the health benefits, there’s nothing better than warming your insides with a big, bowl of porridge. Newfolk does a killer sourdough porridge, complete with fresh fruit.

Can you think of anything better to warm up your belly on a cold winter’s morning?

Soup is winter’s perfect food, and there are so many ways and variations to have them. Our pick for all your soup needs is Sprout and Bean, who change their soup special daily, but always ensure to make them organic, vegan AND gluten-free. Soup options could include Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower, Maple Roasted

EL SANTO

As you sip your way around the stands, there will be DJs spinning the tunes and a Paella burner and Pizza oven firing. The bar will be fully stocked with tasting paddles and all sorts of tonics, botanicals, fruits, herbs, and spices so you can enjoy your Gin just as you like it, or venture into the unknown.

You can buy bottles directly from the brands on the day, so not only will you be able to hear their stories, you’ll be part of them and drive them onto the next step in their journey.

Tickets are limited so get in early. Let the celebrations be-GIN...

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Ya’ll have no idea how excited I am that PEOPLES POTATOES HAVE RETURNED, and just in time for winter. With the best baked potatoes in all of Geelong, these are THE PERFECT winter dish. Just picture it, a giant baked potato, lots of fried bacon, melted butter then covered in melted cheese, life actually cannot get better. Legit will warm you up from the inside out <3

SOUP

- The Melbourne Gin Company

IT ALL GOES DOWN ON MURPHYS ROOFTOP ON SUNDAY 26 MAY; 12:30PM - 5PM. TICKETS ARE $25 AND INCLUDES A G&T OF YOUR CHOICE ON ARRIVAL AND PLENTY OF TASTINGS. TICKETS VIA THE FB PAGE.

BAKED POTATOES

WINE, FOOD AND FUN AT HEATHCOTE ON SHOW Held on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend 8-10 June, Heathcote On Show has been established as one of Victoria’s most popular festivals, with a number of Heathcote wineries and traders are at-the-ready to show off the best of the region, giving visitors the chance to explore all the things you love and expect.

Showcasing the very best the Heathcote region has to offer, a highlight is of course the wine and food, featuring more than 18 local cafes cellar doors and restaurants offering a delicious range of dining options over the weekend.

At Shiraz Republic you can expect an extravagant beastly meal, prepared by Justin McPhail (of Flight Bar, Bendigo) with each course paired with craft beer

by Cornella Brewery on Saturday from 6:30pm. The fun doesn’t need to stop at the Saturday night though.

Back it up at the same place on Sunday evening with indulgent Spanish wine and mouth-watering paella from award-winning chefs ‘Simply Spanish’, alongside an intimate parlour style performance by Dan Kelly.

Heathcote Inn practices a farm-to-table philosophy with a focus on obtaining as much local produce as possible the menu reflects a real paddock-to-plate experience with quality, home-grown cuisine at the forefront serving lunch and dinner all weekend.

Bonus is they also offer accommodation so suss it

out ahead of your trip.

Another favourite is Heathcote Harvest, a true paddock to plate experience where owners Lyndal and Steve ensure that everything grown on the property has the good life from paddock to plate.

Their passion for food and love for sharing can be experienced for lunch so pop in and say hello.

Vinea Marson cellar door will be offering a delicious menu of Italian dishes by Chef Dario from ‘That’s Amore Cheese’, plus many more locations with hearty winter offerings, food trucks and more.

There’s even more music and dinner at the Toolleen Hotel & Tin shed with Johnny Cash Tribute show, and a whole weekend of masterclasses at Sanguine Estate across the entire weekend, including a special Goldfields Farmhouse Cheese and Wine Matching’ session on Sunday.

This is just a taste of what’s on show. June is the perfect time of the year to visit Heathcote’s wineries to sample new release wines and a unique oneon-one experience to meet with winemakers and producers.

Located in Goldfields region of Victoria is just a 30-minute drive from Bendigo and around two hours from Melbourne, Ballarat, and Geelong, you won’t want to miss this.

VISIT WWW.HEATHCOTEONSHOW.COM.AU FOR ALL THE DETAILS AND BOOKINGS IS ESSENTIAL.

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Remember the days when Mexican food was a box of hard-shelled tacos, a block of cheddar and a packet of spice mix?

Thankfully, we’ve moved on from those days and are now blessed with the most esteemed foodies creating authentic Mexican food, with the drinks to match.

One place to do as the Mexicans do is El Santo, previously known as Mexican Republic.

Now, you might know of the owners, Bek and Sev, who also own everyone’s favourite café, The Pickers Union.

Rebranding the Mexican destination just this month, El Santo has a fresh new look (with some pretty schmick new signage and neons), and a fresh new menu to match… and word around the street is that it is home to the best tacos in Geelong.

With delicious items spanning quesadillas, fritters, tacos, burritos, nachos, burgers and even a Chimichunga (fried burrito!!) and Mexican fried ice cream, you’ll be dreaming of your next visit before you’re even out the door.

These legends even cater to those on a budget with ‘Taco Tuesdays’ where you can fill up on $4 tequila, $4 tacos and $4 cans. What’s not to love about that?

Head on down today and order a few rounds of tacos and match with a damn fine tequila. Dinner, margaritas and good vibes guaranteed.

EL SANTO IS LOCATED AT 115 RYRIE STREET, GEELONG AND IS OPEN TUESDAYFRIDAY LUNCH, AND TUESDAY-SUNDAY DINNER. VISIT WWW.ELSANTO.COM.AU.

WHAT IS HERITAGE?

BA LL ARAT HERITAGE WEEKE ND 25 -26 MAY 2019

b a ll a rathe r i ta gewe e ke n d.com

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WITH LOVE DESIGN WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO

You know what they say—an outfit isn’t complete without accessories. Jada Pinkett Smith was even quoted saying the accessories are the outfit. “If I had it my way, I’d wear jewellery, a great pair of heels and nothing else.”

Well whether or not you’re wanting to make a statement or just add to your outfit, we’ve found a local business who has all your quirky and bold accessory desires covered with her handmade earrings.

We sit down with creative genius Alisha Taylor from With Love Design to talk all things business, creativity and how we can get our mitts on her designs.

Hey Alisha, thanks so much for chatting to Forte. Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Well, I am 26 years old and I work full time in finance. I have been with my partner for five years this year and we got engaged in December 2017, due to be married next year! I have a gorgeous little dog named Mishka who is four years old and that’s

about all really!

How did you get into making earrings?

Well I do love earrings and love a bit of a statement earring. I have sensitive ears so really I was stuck with gold and silver and the odd time I would find some surgical steel earrings, so I thought why not make my own, and it stemmed from there.

Where do you draw the inspiration for your designs from?

I tend to just see colours or patterns that I like and think about what I could do with that. Sometimes I just have a play around and end up coming up with something I like!

What products do you use, and where do you source them from?

The main part of the earring is made from Polymer clay. All of my earring posts are surgical steel. I sometimes use some acrylic paint in the patterns too. I source most things online, all the main jewellery supplies for the posts and the jump rings are from Jewellery Supplies Co. Do you find it hard to not keep one of every design for yourself?

I certainly do! My partner has to tell me I can’t keep them all. I do love all of the ones I have made so far so it is hard for me to tell myself I can’t keep them!

How can people go about purchasing off you, and do you do custom orders?

Both my Facebook and Instagram have the link to my Etsy store. All my designs available are listed on there, or alternatively keep an eye on my social media and I will be attending some markets. Custom orders can certainly be discussed, I am open to suggestions and ideas and I would love to see what I can come up with.

Is there anything exciting coming up for With Love Design?

Always something exciting in my eyes, any new design is so much fun and I find that exciting. I hope to experiment with some elements other than Polymer clay at some stage too so that will be a lot of fun.

CHECK HER INSTA OUT @WITHLOVEDESIGN_

that focuses on looking beyond a label and the diagnosis of dementia. Reacquaintance: A Series of Portraits contains 22 portraits (11 paintings and 11 drawings) and accompanying these works, a written history about each person. “Dementia is not the focus of my project though, the emphasis for me is entirely the on person: their uniqueness, their contribution, their history… I hope that everyone who views these paintings and drawings can look beyond the diagnosis and let the faces tell their own story.” she says. See it at Boom Gallery, Rutland St, Newtown until June 16.

down and thought, “if she stops walking because she is about to drop everything or seems to be far from her car, I’ll get out and help her.” I continued to watch her walk with great caution and calculation to her car which ended up being only a few more metres away, carefully place her coffee on the roof, pop her bags down and find her keys. “Nailed it!”, I thought... and I drove off.

Now that woman had no idea someone was watching ready to come to her rescue if she needed it. She may have been internally panicking, wondering how she was going to make it. How was she going to navigate getting her keys whilst juggling all the things in her hands? Was what she was attempting even possible? Beating herself up for taking on such a seemly impossible task. Who was she to think she could juggle all this?! Or perhaps there was just an inner monologue of “shit, shit, shit, shit, SHITTTT!!” as she walked as fast as she could towards her car.

THIS HOT MESS Live like there is a creep in the car watching you

Little did she know if she got into trouble, help was right there waiting to step in… Because I had noticed. I was watching and I was there willing to help if it was required.

But it got me thinking… How often do we approach life like we don’t perhaps have help available because it’s support or a solution we just can’t quite “see” yet?

Ever felt like you’re trying to do something that’s really hard and you’re just alone in it? It made me want to live like there is perhaps a Like no one sees your struggle and there is no “stranger in the car” watching out for me in my time help to be found? I sure have. This week however of need. The universe has my back in ways I perhaps I instinctively did something that reminded me I have no understanding of. So next time you’re may not be quite as alone as I think in those times. feeling super alone, just remember, you may not be quite alone as you feel, there may be a “stranger I was in my car driving through the car park of in a car” there willing to help if you really need it… a shopping centre when I saw a woman carrying a coffee, a few too many shopping bags, and her SENDING MY LOVE GUYS! handbag. She looked like she might need some help KIM XX getting to her car if she wanted to keep it all upright (it kind of felt like I was watching a metaphor for when you’re going through life and you think ‘If someone doesn’t help me soon, I’m literally going to drop everything I’m currently carrying’), so I slowed

featuring the music of

Irving Berlin • Cole Porter George Gershwin

HURRY, 2 WEEKS TO GO!

A SPARK AND A DANCE

WHAT’S ON IN THE ARTS

Some people think about it, Alex Dellaportas goes ahead and does it. At the age of eighteen, and frustrated with the lack of opportunities for young people within the dance industry, Alex founded Spark Youth Dance Company in 2016. The youthrun organisation is currently touring Ariadne, a 90-minute contemporary dance show accompanied by a full orchestra. Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – May 30. Tickets through sparkyouthdance.com.au.

JUMP FIRST, ASK LATER For a night of thrills, chills and excitement, look no further than ‘Jump First, Ask Later’, a show heading to GPAC that fuses parkour, acrobatics and dance for a high-octane performance like no other. You’ll be at the edge of your seat wowing amidst the smoke, bright lights and daring tricks.

The movement-based team, ‘Dauntless Movement Crew’ are talented young adults who are experts in street dancing, martial arts, and all sorts of daring tricks. Movement is not only a talent for DMC, it is a way of coping with life and finding your way. Grab your tickets via gpac.org.au and make Tuesday 28 May at 7pm an exhilarating and inspiring night.

TOP HAT • ANYTHING GOES • EMBRACEABLE YOU NIGHT AND DAY • I GOT RHYTHM • EASTER PARADE

DEAKIN’S COSTA HALL, GEELONG Fri 7 June 2019 • 7.30pm GPAC.ORG.AU OR 03 5225 1200

ATHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE

A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT DEMENTIA

Sat 15 June 2019 • 2pm & 7.30pm TICKETEK.COM.AU OR 03 9650 1500

If you’re looking for something different, local artist Virginia Hodgkinson has created an exhibition

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REVIEW: ROCKABUL THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT AFGHANISTAN’S FIRST METAL BAND REVIEWED BY CHRIS MCEWIN Our resident metal movie buff Chris McEwin watched RocKabul over the weekend. Here’s what he had to say: How many bands from Afghanistan can you name?

None? No, I didn’t think so. And honestly, neither could I. Until now that is.

RocKabul is a documentary that takes us on a journey from the inception of the first ever Afghan heavy metal band called ‘District Unknown’. They are described as a progressive metal band in the film, and we get to see their timeline and growth from the days when they were a mere twinkle in the eye of a few friends with an unlikely dream, right up through the trials and tribulations most bands would not ever have to endure, and onto the international stage via an invitation to play at India’s SAARC Festival in New Delhi in 2012 which was covered by Rolling Stone magazine.

The story starts out with the group holding up a very humble beginning, barely knowing how to perform as a collective unit. One particular moment of note is the moment they realise after being told by filmmaker Travis Beard that they actually have to tune their instruments, even when practicing, because they

thought this was only done for live shows. Literally dodging the threat of suicide bombings on a regular basis, dealing with the cultural issues stemming from the rejection of heavy metal music in their Muslim beliefs, and facing constant threats from local community members about their betrayal of Allah through their music which is directly against their cultural teachings, District Unknown really do have a tale to tell that only the rarest of circumstances would allow.

Filmmaker Travis Beard takes us on an arm in arm journey alongside the band from day dot. Through the hardships of becoming a direct target of the Taliban due their rising popularity forces them to take more drastic measures to protect their individual identities, to seeing them endure the realities of living and operating as a band under third world conditions, such as electricity shortages and outages, limited resources, and literally no peer support. When the threat becomes too real, their lead singer Lemar decides to leave his position and move to Turkey to marry and start a new life. This leads to them working with Travis toward recruiting a new member Yosuf, who injects a new life into their dream. We see the band go through ups and downs and the film ends with the relocation of all members to other countries to start new lives under refugee status, and support their own families in a better world.

This documentary gives a real-life account of how lucky we are in the western world to be able to simply pick up and express ourselves creatively in almost any format or narrative we choose. RocKabul is a candid and at times frightening account of the risk these young men put on their own lives, as well as the lives of those who chose to support them and walk the path alongside them, at the same time as showing if you stick you your guns and follow your dreams you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Victorians will be lucky enough to see Rockabul for a bunch of special Q and A screening with Travis including Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on June 16.

PICK UP YOUR TICKETS VIA POTENTIALFILMS. COM/CONTEMPORARY-MOVIES/ROCKABUL/.

GEELONG

Record Fair

SUNDAY JUNE 9

The Malthouse , 23 Lowe Street , CORIO Take St George’s Rd from Princess Hwy

11 am—4pm Free Entry

“THE YOUNG GROUP OF PERFORMERS ARE DISMISSING MYTHS AND CRUSHING STEREOTYPES LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE.” THE BRAG

fairfield

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ALL IS TRUE After his Globe Theatre was destroyed in a fire, William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs from a script

by Ben Elton) returns home to a family he’d largely neglected and starts to work on a garden. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to deal with various family dramas; one daughter is unhappily married to a puritan, another is unhappily single, and his wife (Judi Dench) isn’t exactly thrilled that he’s returned to insert himself into their lives. Elton’s script makes all this more dramatic than it seems – there’s even a mystery running behind things – and focusing on the end of Shakepeare’s life avoid the temptation to show events that inspired (or “inspired”) his plays. A scene where Shakespeare’s former benefactor the Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen) stays overnight is a classic; it’s a two-hander that could easily be a play on its own.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM Why does John Wick (Keanu Reeves) kill? In the first film it was payback for his dead dog; in the second he was back in the hitman business. Now he has an entire world of professional killers gleefully after the bounty on his head; for anyone else, running would seem pointless. But run he does, and gradually a plan – one that sees his destiny entangled with familiar acquaintances (Lawrence Fishburne, Ian McShane) and fresh faces (Halle Berry, Anjelica Huston) – comes into shape. Reeves, who’s rarely been given his due as an actor, radiates a weary sadness that somehow makes an everyman out of super-competent killer in a baroque world of archcriminals. At a time where many big franchises figure going big will hide how generic their action sequences really are, the Wick movies promise – and deliver – a combination of brutally intimate and smoothly choregraphed violence (not for nothing is one of Wick’s teachers revealed to be a ballet instructor). It’s formulaic, but within this formula returning director Chad Stahelski (who was Reeves stunt double on the Matrix films) constantly finds new riffs to play. It’s thrilling from start to finish; John Wick is the best all-action series going.

PETERLOO

DETECTIVE PIKACHU

POMS

Suffering under the burdens of rapid industrialisation, high grain prices and a government with zero interest in representing their interests, the working class across England’s north grew increasingly restless in the early years of the 19th century. In Manchester, various groups meet to discuss ways to bring their plight to the attention of the powerful, seemingly unaware that the powerful couldn’t care less about their plight. Eventually a mass rally is held on St Peter’s Fields to hear orator Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) speak, only to have the army and cavalry called in. Individuals aren’t ignored here, but Mike Leigh’s latest film focuses largely on the wider social currents that led to the massacre (over 60,000 people attended the rally; at least 15 civilians were killed and 700 wounded).

Many of the scenes are based around speeches, which illustrate the various factions and moods at the time, creating a vivid picture of the currents running through society. There’s individual elements too – Hunt is a bit of a blowhard; spies are everywhere, and the local police are brutal thugs barely controlled by the foppish town council – but this is an engaging, thoughtful film about the sweep of history, and how that tide all too often runs hard and brutally against the will of the people.

In a parallel world where humans and Pokemon have lived in harmony (well, apart from the fighting) for centuries, Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) doesn’t care one bit about the adorable pocket monsters. Then he gets a call from Ryme City (a futuristic utopia where Pokemon and humans live side by side rather than the more traditional master-monster relationship) - his father Harry, a Ryme City detective, is missing presumed extremely dead.

Tim’s lack of a Pokemon partner makes him unusual in Ryme City, but fortunately a solution is at hand when he finds his father’s partner - a Pikachu wearing an adorable Sherlock Holmes hat - in his office. Even more surprisingly, Tim can understand him (he’s voiced by Ryan Reynolds) and vice versa. Which means they can team up and try to solve what’s going on with Tim’s dead dad, which turns out to be a lot more complicated than it first seemed. Surprisingly, this isn’t “for the fans”; instead it’s a solid mystery story where everything you need know about Pokemon is explained in-film.

Renyolds does his usual snappy patter and Smith is a solid puzzle-solving partner, while the special effects across the board are always totally convincing (and the Pokemon are a lot of fun). It’s a good time for all ages.

Diane Keaton is a retired teacher who decides to move into a gated old folks community because she’s got no kids or friends so what better place to die? Unfortunately her hard-partying neighbour (Jacki Weaver) wants to be friends. Worse, it’s a community rule that you have to belong to a club, so - remembering a teenage dream that never quite came true - she starts a cheerleading club. Hijinks never quite manage to ensue. Poms actually isn’t a “band of cheerleaders gets back together for one last hurrah” film - most of the cheerleaders at the old-folks home are first-timers, so this is closer to one of those films where a bunch of lost middle aged types take up a group activity to give their lives meaning (ie The Full Monty).

Trouble is, once your characters are over 70 and living in a retirement community you’re really telling the story of a bunch of old people taking up a hobby to pass the time before they die, and that’s just sad. There are plenty of other reasons why this is a bad night out too; it’s not very funny, the supporting performances are not great, visually it’s extremely bland, and so on. A movie about people wasting time shouldn’t feel like one.

REVIEWS BY ANTHONY MORRIS

STAFF PICKS

RECORD WATCH

My Chemical Romance

TALIA

The Black Parade Is Dead!

Originally released as a DVD, The Back Parade Is Dead features My Chemical Romance’s final performance as ‘’The Black Parade’’ from the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico on October 7, 2007.

The album features three bonus tracks on side D that were not included in the initial release. This is the first time that this project has been released on vinyl.

First time on vinyl, 3 bonus tracks, limited to 3000, indie exclusive.

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES - END OF SUFFERING NATHAN THRICE - PALMS GLENN KRISIUN - APOCALYPTIC REVELATIONS

Secure the future of Her Majesty’s Ballarat at

JOSH

Available from Gifts For The Geek.

155 Ryrie Street, Geelong.

RAMMSTEIN - SELF TITLED SESSION TIMES

savehermaj.com

May 23rd - 29th pivotcinema.com.au

ALL IS TRUE

NE W U K 1 0 4 m i n s C o m e d y / D r a m a M

Januuy - 30th May 23rd 11th - June 7th THE 4TH ANNUAL

E X T R A O R D I N A RY JOURNEY OF FAKIR

T hu 2 3 r d 1 1 a m & 7. 1 5 p m F R A N C E / U K / I N D I A 9 7 m i n s C o m e d y P G T hu 2 3 rd 3 . 4 0 p m Fri 24th 1pm & 8.30pm Sat 25th 11am & 6.40pm F r i 2 4 t h 1 1 a m Sun 26th 3.40pm & 7.20pm S a t 2 5 t h 1 p m Mon 27th 1.40pm & 6pm S u n 2 6 t h 1 1 a m T u e 2 8 t h 1 1 a m & 7. 1 5 p m M o n 2 7 t h 4 p m Wed 29th 2.30pm & 8.15pm T u e 2 8 t h 5 . 2 0 p m Wed 29th 12.40pm & 6.15pm T hu 3 0 t h 1 1 a m Sat 1st June 1pm Fri 31st 5.40pm T ue 4th 7pm Sat 1st June 7pm Thu 6th 1.15pm Mon 3rd 11am Tue 4th 3.15pm T OP END WEDDIN G We d 5 t h 1 p m NE W A U S T R A L I A C o m e d y 1 1 4 m i n s M T hu 3 0 t h 1 p m & 6 p m BURNIN G F r i 3 1 s t 3.30pm & 7.40pm SOUTH KOREA 147mins Thriller M S at 1st J une 3 p m & 9 p m T hu 2 3 rd 1 p m Sun 2nd 3.40pm Fri 24th 3pm Mon 3rd 3pm & 7pm Sun 26th 1pm Tue 4th 1pm & 9pm Mo n 2 7 t h 11am & 8pm W e d 5 t h 3pm & 8.45pm Tue 28th 2.40pm T hu 3 0 t h 3 .1 5 p m YELLOW IS FORBIDDEN Fri 31st 11am NE W N Z / F R A N C E F a s h i o n 8 4 m i n s P G Sun 2nd June 1pm T hu 3 0 t h 8 .1 5 p m Fri 7th 11am Fri 31st 1.40pm Sat 1st June 5.10pm Mon 3rd 11am We d 5 t h 7 p m JUNE 28 - JULY 6 2019 T h u 6 t h 5 . 1 5 p m

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NE W A U S T R A L I A 9 4 m i n s M u s i c M

Thu 23rd 5.30pm Sat 25th 5pm Sun 26th 5.40pm T u e 2 8 t h 1 p m & 9. 1 0 p m W ed 29th 11am & 4.30pm Sun 2nd June 6pm Mon 3rd 5.20pm We d 5 t h 5 . 2 0 p m Fri 7th 1.40pm

NIGHT EATS THE WORLD

NEW F R A N C E H o r r o r 8 4 m i n s M A

F r i 3 1 s t 9. 4 5 p m S u n 2 n d J u n e 7. 4 0 p m Mon 3rd 9pm Tue 4th 5.20pm F r i 7 t h 7. 1 5 p m

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• WE HAVE MOVED TO 99 KEPLER STREET, WARRNAMBOOL •

FORTÉ PICK

especially Trym on the kit. I could barely see him, but he hits those drums hard and with precision, and it wasn’t until the outro that I heard a mistake, proving they are at least human.

To see this album from start to finish in a live environment showed they were a step ahead of nearly all extreme metal bands in delivery. Though showmanship and crowd participation may not be their strong point, it is fair to say this is not party music.

An encore set followed, commencing with ‘Curse You All Men’ before they played four songs from In the Nightside Eclipse, which was a great way to finish off a great night. Witnessing my favourite song of theirs, ‘I Am The Black Wizards’, towards the end of the show was one of the ultimate live music highlights for me.

Thanks to Soundworks and Direct Touring for doing what those before them couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) ever do! Get em back for an In the Nightside Eclipse gig!

EMPEROR LIVE AT 170 RUSSEL REVIEWED BY GLENN LYNCH PHOTOS BY WILLIAM ADAM RUSS

I have a couple of friends who to Europe to see Emperor play to the Welkin at Dusk (1997), thinking it would never happen in

travelled Anthems probably Australia.

Well fortunately for me, and many others, that was not the case, and the announcement of their Australian tour got many of us very excited. You see, Emperor are a very special band to many of us black metallers, and were a pillar of our Black Metal worship back in the ’90s.

Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, which while it’s not my favourite Emperor recording, it is without doubt a landmark album that pushed Black Metal as far as it could without becoming something else.

Within the confines of Melbourne’s 170 Russel on Friday April 5, Ruins kicked things off with a solid performance to an appreciative crowd, before Ihsahn and co. hit the stage and launched into the epic intro to Anthems.

Straight off the bat, I was surprised to see Emperor actually playing the intro, and not relying 100 percent on an intro tape. I managed to get basically front and centre, which worked out well as the keyboards were less dominant from my standpoint allowing the guitars to shine through a little more than what they do on the recording of Anthems.

LASH 78 Who Independent Reviewed by Naseem Radmehr

Get excited for another high-quality EP treasure.

This time, it’s Lash 78 blessing us with their debut EP. The talented sister duo dropped ‘Who’ earlier this month, and it is captivating all ears. Reminiscent of Swedish First Aid Kit, we have our own sibling duo born right near us in Melbourne.

Once word to describe this EP: energy. It is jampacked with energy, fire, twang. Each song with its own bang.

Their rock-pop style is super catchy, and the EP has a cool edge about it that makes each song so much more powerful. The voices of the sisters are empowering and motivating, stirring many emotions: strength, anger, sadness, passion and more.

What I especially love about the EP is the genuineness. You can physically hear the passion in their voices. The electric guitar, drums and rock vibes only enhance this.

‘Superhuman’ topped the EP personally. For me, the song touches on the fact that many women glorify men that may in fact be abusive and manipulative.

The empowering female vocals coupled with the rock melodies spark a sense of power and dignity in the listener.

I’m all for strong women following their dreams: and that’s what Lash 78 are all about.

From the demo, followed with a split release with Enslaved and finally a full length with In The Nightside Eclipse (1994), the peak of their powers came with

Ihsahn is clearly the front man, playing the more intricate guitar parts including leads, on top of the clean and harsh vocals. He is a very talented man but takes nothing away from the other three members,

CROOKED COLOURS

ANDREA ROBERTSON

GOOCH PALMS

NICK MURPHY

Langata

Live at New Hall

III

Run Fast Sleep Naked

Warner Music Australasia

Independent

Ratbag Records/BMG

Future Classic

Reviewed by Darby-Perrin Larner

Reviewed by John “Dr John” Lamp

Reviewed by Darby-Perrin Larner

Reviewed by Darby-Perrin Larner

If The OC were to still be on air today (RIP), Crooked Colours would’ve played the Bait Shop. I’m sure of it. From the opening strings of ‘Do it Like You’, showrunner Josh Schwartz’s ears would prick.

Crooked Colours’ new album, Langata, picks up where other soundtrack alumni left off. The ten tracks could’ve easily slotted next to Aqualung, Imogen Heap, and fellow Aussies Jet. Melancholy, anxiety, and euphoria—the whole crew is here.

“Tell me that it’s alright, tell me that I seem just fine, sipping on a sunrise”, moans Phil Slabber on ‘Hold On’.

Last time we spoke with Leon de Baughn he told us the new record would move the band in a ‘dancier direction’. That they have. ‘I C Light’ takes us into the closing hours of the night, empty space answered only with hard 808 kicks and harder vocal punches.

Title track ‘Lanagata’ is a product of the boy’s bricolage method, working from different corners of the country over Dropbox. It’s mashed together with cream a-la Jamie XX on ‘All Under One Roof Raving’.

The duet between Ladyhawke (Pip Brown) and Slabber on ‘Never Dance Alone’ takes the band in an exciting direction. The call-and-answer begs another XX parallel.

Closing song ‘Lose Someone’, a love child of Kings of Leon and Band of Horses, will sound out festivals the country, and world, wide. It wouldn’t do a bad job orchestrating a scene between Ryan and Marissa either.

Andrea’s new release is a live recording, which is a Acceptable Australiana has been creeping back into There is no need to tag this review with Nick change for her and she knew what that means, “there the cultural conscious. Amyl and the Sniffers, the Chats, Murphy’s former act. Run Fast Sleep Naked is more is no covering up mistakes – you need to be incredibly and now with the arrival of III by Gooch Palms, pub- Ed Sheeran on a sojourn than a Bubble-O-Bill-hat organised yet able to roll with the punches.” rock and garage punk is spilling out of sticky-floored adorned rooftop Boiler Room set.

But a live recording is more than the risks of Northcote band rooms and onto international flights.

This is Nick Murphy now. It is commercially mistakes, it is the potential to capture an amazing At times, Kat Friend’s vocals can grate like the soothing, radio-friendly, only “edgy” when he adopts sound produced by that performance, which is the transmission of a Kingswood stuck in neutral. On a cool-uncle presence on ‘Harry Takes Drugs on the result of the venue, the musicians, the mood and is a “III”, she’s often twisting your arm into a sing-a-long.

Weekend’ and when he revisits the industrial sounds one-off, and will never be heard again.

The record is a return to the sunburnt country, an of his collabs with Flume.

Live at New Hall is a double CD with excellently ode perhaps—their first album since setting up shop Rick Rubin’s touch, unfortunately, might not have recorded tracks. As well as a challenge to the musicians, in L.A. ‘Yeh Nah’ could be a contemporary cut of ‘Still extended much further here than the suggestion to it’s a challenge to the sound engineer who has to mix Call Australia Home’, made for BIC-lit choirs. ‘I Get switch stage-name. The eleven tracks oscillate between for the venue, and also for the recording. Not always Out’ then, to continue the motor maxims, is speeding Murphy’s new persona and something, someone, easy, but right on the money for this performance. off into the sunset. less inhibited—like an office worker on weekends.

At the performances, Andrea was joined by David Friend and Leroy McQueen probably don’t like The Murphy we were familiar with peeks his head Robertson (husband/drummer), Heath Robertson (lead what they see in Australia, though. ‘Hi-Rise Lo-Times’ through the veneer on ‘Some People’ and ‘Sunlight’, guitar) and Tim Waters (double bass) forming a core takes shots at politician’s treatment of the live music like a house plant you bought for responsibility might four-piece band, along with musicians Matiss Schubert industry. It’s the sounds of a youth in revolt. On one do, looking for the light to grow. Perhaps the dirty-30 (mandolin/fiddle), Jack Meredith (harmonica) and hand they love Australia, but on the other hand they is Murphy’s turning point— Run Fast Sleep Naked is Carolyn Davis (piano) who feature on select songs. Her don’t think Australia loves them. his proverbial “grown up” job. daughter also joined Andrea for a song she’d written If “III” is anything to go by, Gooch Palms probably There’s substance in ‘Novocaine and Coco Cola’— especially for them to be sung together. still miss the place sorely. an otherwise vapid title—that’s something promising Andrea plays alt-country, moving away from the to expand on. over polished Nashville sound and accepting the Murphy doesn’t owe us edge though, no. He influences of other styles. Her music draws on country, doesn’t have to fit a role we want for him. It’s folk and blues and the songs are personal and heartfelt. ‘different’ to see him like this, sure. Like Will Ferrell in She has released “I’d Like to Think” as a sampler on “Everything Must Go”, it will take some getting used to. the usual digital sites, but I prefer “Slow Things Down.”

I’m just contrary.

Forté 715 FORTÉ

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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

WRITTEN BY PAUL S. TAYLOR

BY JOHN FOSS

When people say “you had to be there” about a funny situation, they’re talking about both a place and a time.

Which seems kind of obvious, except that it’s perfectly possible to go back to the same place; unless someone’s built a working time machine in the last week, once a joke is past its use-by date there’s no going back.

It tends to make comedy an art form that rarely ages well (Shakespeare’s dramas are still going strong, but his comedies?) – once you go back more than a few decades the number of comedies that are still truly funny starts to drop off even if you’re willing to look past a range of values society no longer holds. But it happens over a much shorter time frame too; comedy is constantly swept by fads, and while the stand out examples usually hold up (for a while at least), the shoddier ones come out looking dated before the first round of laughter stops.

Worse, once a fad passes whole stretches of comedy are left devoid of humour no matter how hilarious they seemed at the time – remember when there’d be entire TV shows based around pranks?

But there’s no better – and stranger – example of this at the moment than Channel Ten’s current sitcom Mr Black.

The basic idea is as old as the 70s US sitcom All in the Family (or even the local version, Kingswood Country): a young man with current-day values is forced to deal with his girlfriend’s father, who is a staunch traditionalist and therefore opposed to everything the younger man believes it. It’s a culture clash / generation gap comedy machine, and as such it was firmly suited to the turbulent 70s.

But that’s not to say it couldn’t work today; there are plenty of old folk who’ve aged into cranks, and being woke in 2019 definitely puts you at odds with the worldview of a lot of older folk. Plus comedy in 2019 is kind of broad and lightweight; there’s plenty of scope to make either side into a cartoon and go over the top with things.

Strangely though, Mr Black does none of these things.

Instead, it harks back to the comedy of a decade ago, where being dark and awkward and making the audience cringe was all the rage.

The actual Mr Black (who is well played

by Stephen Curry) is basically a nightmare father-in-law, without even the redeeming features (well, he liked his cat) of Robert DeNiro’s dad character in Meet the Parents.

He’s more threatening than entertaining, and often the clashes result in awkward silences and unsettling vibes rather than laughs.

But the thing is, a decade ago this was pretty much what comedy was; making the audience squirm was as least as important as making them laugh, and having people treat each other with “shocking” cruelty was par for the course. Mr Black has updated a classic comedy format, only it hasn’t quite updated it enough, which… makes the show more interesting even as it also makes it less funny?

It’s still early days so maybe it’ll change course; as it stands, it’s a shiny new window back on what used to make us laugh.

Hey gang, welcome back to another edition of Pulp! This week, despite the trials and tribulations of bad weather and utterly broken public transport, I’ve managed to still make it to my local comic shop (shout out to Gifts for the Geek for continuing to be awesome) and pick up a new bunch of comics to ramble on about. This time around, I’ve picked up a book that somehow matches tone perfectly with the grey, horrible weather while still being pretty freakin’ great – The Witcher volume 2, Fox Children, written by Paul Tobin (Eisner Award winner and author of Bandette) and drawn by Joe Querio (B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth). I’m a big fan of the Witcher game series, and I’ve really started to get into the original novels, so I was keen to see if the comics adaptation was up to standard.

Geralt of Rivia, master Witcher and renowned monster-slayer has a knack for finding trouble. En route to Novigrad, accompanied by the Dwarven musician Addario Bach, Geralt is drawn into a scheme hatched by a group of merchants.

Drawn to a grieving elven woman, the merchants are attempting to recover the woman’s snatched daughter from the clutches of a Vulpess, a type of fox creature that steals elven children and turns them into more of its kind. Geralt is wary of their plans, and warns them that to attract the attention of a Vulpess is to invite doom upon oneself.

Unfortunately for Geralt, the merchants have already attracted a Vulpess’ attention, and it is far from pleased.

I’m always sceptical when comics attempt to continue on from beloved franchises, especially when they’re adapting video games. I’ve found that they’re often hit and miss – while Dark Horse tend to be enthusiastic, the quality varies. The Tomb Raider comics – based on the 2013 rebooted game series – are an example of a well-done adaptation, but I largely credit that to Gail Simone’s work. Given that she is a well-established comics writer, she has the skill to make it work. The Mass Effect comics definitely fell into the hit-and-miss category, as the few that I have read vary wildly in quality. Fortunately, the Witcher comics achieve the tone and overall feelings of the its source material almost immediately. From the very first page, I was transported into the dark Temerian woods, and I felt at home very quickly.

Tobin has done a great job of keeping Geralt’s character consistent, too; he can be a bit hard to predict (especially given that the games give you a lot of say over how he behaves – they’re RPGs, after all) so it’s great to see that his middle-of-the-line, almost hostile attitude towards regular humans is carried over into this adaptation.

I think Tobin has done a great job in setting the right – i.e. dark and spooky – tone and ensuring that it feels like a Witcher story.

Querio’s artwork is, well, OK – it’s not fantastic, but it’s not completely rubbish. I can see some stylistic similarities to what I’ve seen from B.P.R.D, and that has its advantages and disadvantages. Shading and monsters look visually striking, but some of the character designs look twisted and a little ridiculous. That being said, it’s not enough to overshadow the story, and ultimately that’s what I prioritize.

At the end of the day, if you’re a Witcher fan, you’re going to enjoy this book. If you’ve never heard of the Witcher series before, I highly recommend checking it out – even though this is Volume 2, I think it’s fairly accessible and worth a read.

On June 9 in 1902, Skip James was born near Bentonia, Mississippi.

He’s one of the real blues legends, noted as a singer-songwriter, pianist, and especially guitar. His guitar playing is noted for its dark, minor-key sound, played in an open D-minor tuning with an intricate finger-picking technique.

He worked on road construction and levee-building crews in Mississippi in the early 1920s and wrote what is perhaps his earliest song, “Illinois Blues”, about his experiences as a labourer.

The Great Depression struck just as James’s recordings were hitting the market.

Sales were poor as a result, and he gave up performing the blues to become the choir director in his father’s church. James was later an ordained minister in Baptist and Methodist churches, but the extent of his involvement in religious activities is unknown.

For the next thirty years, James recorded nothing and performed sporadically. He was virtually unknown to listeners until about 1960 when some blues enthusiasts found him in a Mississippi hospital. After that James recorded for Takoma Records, Melodeon Records, and Vanguard Records and performed at various engagements until his death in 1969. You can find his recordings on YouTube and on Vanguard and Yazoo.

Ballarat has finally joined the festival circuit with their first Ballarat Blues Festival on June 1st and 2nd with free music and ticketed shows.

They’re putting on an exceptional show featuring some the country’s most celebrated blues performers: Lloyd Spiegel Duo, Geoff Achison and the Soul Diggers (25th anniversary tour), The McNaMarr Project Band and an All-Star Jam featuring Geoff Achison, Lloyd Spiegel, Andrea Marr, John McNamara, Jesse Vallach, Bill Barber and more.

As part of the Ballarat Blues Festival’s free entertainment, there will be Songwriters in the Round featuring awardwinning songwriters, Lloyd Spiegel, Geoff Achison, John McNamara and Bill Barber.

This will feature some exciting acoustic jamming! Not one to miss.

The free entertainment will conclude at 6pm in time for people enjoy some food before making their way to the ticketed shows. The Saturday ticketed show at George Hotel Lounge from 7pm is the “Big Blues Party” featuring the Lloyd Spiegel Duo, Geoff Achison and the Soul Diggers, The McNaMarr Project Band and a huge all-star Jam. Here’s a gig you should go to if you’re up Melbourne way. Sarah Carroll and Shannon Bourne are performing together at St Kilda’s Ember Lounge on June 14.

Sarah is, of course, from the Bellarine and well-known for her songwriting, as well as performing, especially with the ukulele. She has performed solo and with many groups – The Junes, Cartridge Family – and is regular at Tamworth and other festivals.

The tale of Shannon Bourne is an interesting and evolving story. Freethinking guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, session musician, tutor, and mentor. For quite a few years he was Chris Wilson’s personal guitarist and was one of the Spidermen on that 2000 CD of the same name.

Together they perform and bring to the stage a true understanding of great songs and virtuosic musicianship. Should be a great gig!

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

When it comes to big, actual confirmed news, a lot of people are losing their collective shit because the new Tool album has totally been confirmed and will be released on Friday August 30, 2019. I say this year because as you all know, this kinda detail is important considering it’ll be roughly 13 years since their last album, 10,000 Days. Also, there’s a new Slipknot album due on Friday August 9 which is pretty big news for Slipknot fans and tantrum throwing tweens alike. The problem with the new Slipknot album dropping prior to them supporting Metallica in October is that if you’re off to the show you’re also going to have to skip them supporting to miss their new material. I don’t mind going to check out Slipknot if they’re playing stuff I kinda know, but I feel like their new shit is going to be forced down my throat one way or another this year.

Yeah, so back to Tool. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, 13 years is a long time between albums. Let’s be honest now, Guns N’ Roses took 15 years to release Chinese Democracy after their covers album The Spaghetti Incident? but they were once one of the biggest bands in the world and Tool definitely are not. The world went nuts when Chinese Democracy was released and the charts at the time prove it, so will be very interesting to see if more than a decade later and if a new generation of metal fans will accept a new Tool album.

ALOHA DEATH… SOUNDS LIKE A FUNERAL PARLOR IN DOWNTOWN HONOLULU BUT ‘NO’, IT’S THE TITLE OF A SURF FILM AND THIS IS NO ORDINARY SURF FILM. Surf films have been around for over 80 years. They started out as basically home movies until the mid-fifties when surfers worked out by filming their mates riding waves and showing the result in a local hall they could make quick coin and an industry was born.

Surf films are still primarily made for surfers although Hollywood has dipped its toe in the surf on a few occasions with mixed results. Big Wednesday (a classic), North Shore (terrible but funny) and Surf Nazi’s Must Die…. (one of the worst films ever made).

Today surf films have sophisticated storylines with groundbreaking cinematography to match. PROBOI was shown at this years Bells Beach Surf Film Festival. The first full-length surf film from Russia with an incredible story to tell accompanied by rich visuals and an amazing soundtrack.

ALOHA DEATH is the title of one of the most thought-provoking surf films to be made in years. The film is a journey of the souls of men who devoted their lives to the sea.

It tells of oneness with nature, life and death, and love, and what is revealed at the end of the passage to the core of human existence.

The film features 23 of the world’s top surfers, shapers and surf filmmakers talking about death (and life). Where do we go in the end, how should we act in the here and now… what is life, do we have a soul?

It is an incredible study commissioned by the Japanese Government after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011. We have all seen the footage… tsunami’s ripping along the Japanese coast devouring fields and coastal communities.

The local youth of Japan were unsettled by these events.

They were angry and disappointed that technology and the Japanese government had failed to ‘protest them’ from this natural disaster. So the Japanese Government stumped up the cash and filmmaker Mamoru Kimora travelled around the world interviewing the world’s best surfers about life and death.

One of the highlights of the film is the start which features an extended sequence as Dick Hoole brings the ashes of legendary Australian surfer Michael Peterson down to Bells Beach so that they could be scattered at the Rip Curl Pro. MP was one of our greatest surfers winning three Bells events in a row during the seventies with his power surfing and ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude. Photo by Dick Hoole.

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In other news ++ Darkthrone will release their new album Old Star on Friday May 31. ++ 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. ++ Hate will release their new album Auric Gates of Veles on Friday June 14. ++ 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. ++ Damnations Day, Nemesium and Requiem will be at Geelong’s Workers Club on Friday July 5. ++ Disentomb will be at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Friday July 12. ++ Thy Art Is Murder will be at The Corner Hotel on Saturday July 13, the band will also release their new album Human Target on Friday July 26. ++ Tool cover band Third Eye will play Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Saturday July 20. ++ Diabolic Rites will launch their new album at Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Friday August 9 and with them will be Whoretopsy, Christ Dismembered plus more. Get on down and check out a show before it closes for good! ++ DevilDriver and All That Remains will be at 170 Russell on Sunday August 25. ++ Metallica, with Slipknot as support, will be at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday October 22, which is now sold out. A second show has been announced for Thursday October 24. ++ Mayhem will release their new album on Friday October 25. ++ Opeth will play the Palais Theatre on Friday December 13. ++ 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

The Seven Ups,

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

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