Forte #558

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m forte

san cisco

the rubens

bob evans

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

daneil champagne

aiden rolfe

issue 557 // 2 MAY 2013 // next issue: 16 may

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A WORD FROM THE TEAM

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

PUBLISHER...........................Anton Ballard

The Forte Magazine sponsored City Quarter Summer 2013 Unplugged has been run and won in front of an appreciative full house crowd last Thursday night at the City Quarter Bar. The outrageously talented Tane Emia Moore took out the judges’ $1000 City Quarter Bar first prize as well as recording time from Oxygen Music and well know local boys The Andy and Jenko Show triumphed with the $500 City Quarter Bar Peoples’ Choice Award. The other finalists included Oliver Friend, Rachel Brennan, Lyndal Barry, Ellen Porter and duo Bec and Georgia.

This final night performance was a showcase of some the region’s most talented young performers. There has been much discussion recently about the state of Geelong’s music scene. All who were at his showcase were left in in no doubt one thing: there is an exciting mix of young performers coming on who can write great music, entertain and pull a crowd.

More announcements expected soon about upcoming unplugged events so look out for that as well as a feature interview in a coming issue of Forte with Tane Emia Moore.

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

luke@fortemag.com.au COVER DESIGN.....................James Dulce PRODUCTION........................James Dulce

David Di Cristoforo SCENE PHOTOGRAPHER.......April Grenfell

Stefan Young ADVERTISING ......................Anton Ballard

aballard@fortemag.com.au

Marc Wilkins marc@thegeelongtimes.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS...................

Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Ben Schultz, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Cyclone, Daniel Meagher, Lucas Skinner, Natalie Rogers, Nekita Roberts, Nina Bertok, Ophelia Symons, Paul S Taylor, Phil Hickey, Renee Abbott, Sam Eckhardt, Sam Fell, Stephanie Zevenbergen, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, and Tony Montana PRINTED BY.........................

RURAL PRESS PRINTING (VIC) BALLARAT 30-32 Grandlee Drive, Wendouree

GEELONG’S HOTTEST COMPETITION FOR EMERGING ARTISTS!

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the HIGHLIGHTS

THE LATEST ON international & national news & tours Splendour In The Grass 2013

The City Lights: We’re just a small town girl livin’ in a lonely world. Coming up you have… .........................................................................

Performance Enhancers Held on the second Saturday of each month, ‘Performance Enhancers’ is a unique and fascinating series of talks (and performance) at The Arts Centre in Melbourne. Hosts Lisa Palermo and Kate Welsman (Triple R’s Systa BB) get inside heads and hearts, to discover what inspires some of Australia’s most remarkable musicians. Artists explore the way that cinema, fine art, literature, mythology and other art forms shape their ideas and how music sits within these art forms. It’s about connections and influences. Guests so far have included Archie Roach, Robert Forster and Vika & Linda Bull. Next up is ARIA award winner and songbird Kavisha Mazzella who brings humour, poetry, social justice and spirituality to her music. Singing in English and Italian, her songs translate echoes of Celtic, Fado and Gypsy influences. Mazzella will perform and discuss the impact that Frida Kahlo’s depictions of the inner life of women, Goya’s illustration of the human condition and the philosophy of Tai Chi has had on her music. Mazzella has been described as “A power and presence that’s beyond words”. The June event will feature singersongwriter Washington. (Kavisha Mazzella - 5pm, 18 May 2013, Hamer Hall Stalls Foyer, $20) .........................................................................

Girl Power frank ocean

It’s one of Australia’s biggest festivals. It’s certainly my favourite.

So, here’s the breakdown…

FRIDAY Headliner: Mumford and Sons – worth the price of a single day ticket on their lonesome! However, there’s also...

The Shock: Babyshambles. We haven’t heard a thing from them in six years – which is strange for Pete Doherty – but there are whispers of a 2013 album.

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The Big Names: TV On The Radio, The Klaxons, Architecture in Helsinki, Matt Corby, Boy & Bear, Flight Facilities, Haim and You Am I. Best of the Rest: Cub Scouts are always worth seeing.

SATURDAY Headliner: The National, in their only Australian show.

The Shock: Polyphonic Spree, playing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Should be fun!

The Big Names: Empire of the Sun,

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Bernard Fanning, Flume, Birds of Tokyo, Drapht, Cold War Kids, Sarah Blasko, Flight Facilities, Something for Kate and Chet Faker.

Best of the Rest: Whitley’s back! Don’t know who he is? Look up ‘Lost in Time’. (It was in a Telstra ad.)

SUNDAY Headliner: Frank Ocean. The ‘Sweet Life’ and ‘Swim Good’ singer will be on our shores for his first ever headlining gig.

The Shock: ‘Mystery Band’. People are

already starting rumours for Daft Punk and alt-J. The Big Names: Of Monsters and Men, The Presets, Passion Pit, James Blake, Laura Marling, The Rubens, Hermitude, Gurrumul, Everything Everything and The Jungle Giants.

Best of the Rest: Alpine. Hardly an unknown factor, these guys put on a great show.

By Cameron Brogden July 26, 27 & 28 – splendourinthegrass. com.

The ultra groovy and gorgeous all-girl 80s tribute band The Party Girls will be Go Go-ing back to Hardimans Hotel in Kensington on Friday 3rd May. They promise to deliver a trash-tastic combo of songs, costumes, wigs and wildness. Would they lie to you? Expect to meet Cyndi, Madonna and Cher under the mirror ball. Dance along to hits channeling Blondie, ABBA, Kim Wilde, Pat Benetar and a maybe even a couple of Chrissies. The Girls emerge from the green room for each set in all manner of scary 80s couture and frothy accessories. The brainchild of Melbourne musos Diana Wolfe and Fiona Wilde, the group has partied widely across the state over recent years. You’ll dance, you’ll laugh, you’ll party like it’s 1989. Hardimans Hotel, 521 Macaulay Rd, Kensington, Friday May 3rd, 7.30pm - 11.00pm, No cover charge.

Table / meal bookings recommended Phone 9372 1340 .........................................................................

Millions of Beaches Hailing from Melbourne, psych-rock quintet Beaches could warm up even the harshest of Melbourne’s winter days.

Featuring five fabulous females, the band performed their first show in 2007, and has since performed at festivals including the Big Day Out, All Tomorrows Parties and the Melbourne International Film Festival. This month sees the release of their debut long player, She Beats. NSC – June 1.

The Right Place for Olly Murs Oliver Stanley “Olly” Murs, better known simply as Olly Murs, made a name for himself through the UK version of The X Factor. He finished runner-up in the 2009 series and has since racked up numerous UK number ones. He has also released three albums including his latest, 2012’s Right Place Right Time. He not too long ago performed at The Logies and he returns late in the year. Convention & Exhibition Centre – November 14. .........................................................................

Don McLean’s Slice of Pie They don’t come much more American than Don McLean. The folk singer-songwriter is, of course, best-known for his song ‘American Pie’ from his 1971 album of the same name. The song was listed #5 on the RIAA project Songs of the Century. The travelled songman has a healthy history with Australia; among other things, he was the first American to perform at the Sydney Opera House. Hamer Hall – August 17. .........................................................................

Japandroids Invade These aren’t the Japandroids you’re looking for. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Who are the Japandroids? They are Brian King and David Prowse. Formed in 2006, the Canadian rock duo first made waves with their 2009 debut, Post-Nothing. Inspired by Fugazi’s DIYapproach, the lads built a profile through a whateverit-takes work ethic. In 2012 they released their second effort, Celebration Rock. The Corner – August 30. .........................................................................

Totally Unicorn vs Robotosaurus Wollongong and Adelaide will unite in perfect music harmony when representees Totally Unicorn and Robotosaurus hit the road for a small number of shows.

And why would this be? Because the bands have a split 7” single titled ‘Together Alone’ to show off. The tour promises “debauchery, drinking and nudity in excess” – and that is just the crowds. Sounds like fun for the whole family. The Reverence – June 22. .........................................................................

PBS Radio Festival Take note of these dates readers: May 13 through May 26. What’s so important about these dates you ask?

That is when 2013’s PBS Radio Festival will take place under the radio friendly banner, ‘Romance Your Radio’. We’re talking about love on the airways. We’re talking about love of music. We’re talking about lovin’ your radio. Music makes the world go round and few make it go round as sweetly as PBS. But it’s not just about romancing your radio with sweet sounds; the PBS Radio Festival also serves as the broadcaster’s major annual fundraiser. That’s right; if you’re not yet

a member it’s time to pick up the phone and give ‘em a call. This is one number you won’t mind seeing on your phone bill. Don’t be afraid, readers. They’re a good, gentle bunch and you can even score yourself a ripping prize, including a Red Vespa PX-150 scooter thanks to Peter Stevens Motorcycles. Or maybe you can get cosy in a special edition PBS t-shirt, or pick up a fantastic CD featuring material from PBS Live Studio 5. Come on folks, help them help you. It’s all about keeping great music on the airwaves. Check in on pbsfm.org.au for more.

Chrissy Amphlett 1959-2013

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A Round of Matt Corby It has been 12 months since Matt Corby toured Australia but the dry spell is over. Arguably Australia’s new favourite songman, Corby has been busy in L.A. recording his debut full-length album. The album, as fine readers would know, will be the follow up to his 2011 EP, Into the Flame. Into the Flame, which features that little ol’ single ‘Brother’, is now 5x Platinum in Australia.

The Palace – May 31. .........................................................................

Guffaws Galore for RAW Winner

Ten Years of Parkway Drive Hold on to your metal hats because Parkway Drive has announced a handful of shows later in the year which will celebrate a decade in the game. Yep, the Byron Bay beauties have been kicking it since the end of 2002 and thought it was about time they celebrated the milestone.

And so they should celebrate! After all, they have Gold-certified albums, Platinum-certified DVDs and world tours under their belt. The Palace – September 20.

Last month saw Demi Lardner become the 2013 RAW Comedy Grand Final winner. Lardner, along with 11 other hopefuls, took to the main stage of the Melbourne Town Hall for a night of laughs – and probably more than a few nerves. For his efforts, South Aussie Lardner won a trip to Edinburgh Fringe to compete in the prestigious ‘So You Think You’re Funny?’ competition.

Congratulations and all the best for Edinburgh. .........................................................................

NIMA Open for Voting Australia boasts some outstanding indigenous musical talent and the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) are at the forefront of recognising this talent.

Nominations are now open with further details available through the address below. Once again, NIMA will also partner with triple j unearthed to undertake the only national Indigenous unearthed competition.

Nominations close June 15 while the awards ceremony takes place on August 10 at the Darwin Amphitheatre.

Hit nima.musicnt.com.au for more. .........................................................................

Movement Festival Stalls Despite their best efforts, producers behind the Australia-wide Movement Festival were forced to cancel the festival after a couple of things put a spanner in the works. Hopefully all those who purchased tickets have been refunded. Credit card purchases would have been refunded automatically while those who purchased tickets through an outlet need to return to point of purchase with proper ID.

The Unorthodox Bruno Mars As was announced last month, Bruno Mars is heading our way in 2014. Born Peter Gene Hernandez, Mars was raised in Hawaii by a family of musicians and he is without a doubt one of the hottest names in the game at the moment. He has sold over six million albums and a staggering forty million plus singles. With figures like those don’t expect tickets to stick around too long. Rod Laver Arena – March 4.

Australia lost one of its icons last month: Chrissy Amphlett.

Geelong’s favourite daughter; Australian rock’s favourite school girl; a woman like no other, Chrissy Amphlett rocketed to fame as frontwoman of The Divinyls in the eighties and nineties, with hits such as ‘Boys In Town’, ‘Science Fiction’ and of course, ‘I Touch Myself’. Shy and reserved at heart, it was only when she took to the stage that the raunchy, boisterous and commanding Chrissy Amphlett we

knew took over.

Amphlett wasn’t just a singer; she was the triple threat, acting in several films including Monkey Grip (1982) and Blood Brothers (1988), and playing Judy Garland in the original run of The Boy from Oz. She was also a dancer. Chrissy was never short of recognition from the Australian music community. ‘Science Fiction’ was included into APRA’s Top 30 Australian Songs in 2001, as part of The Divinyls, Chrissy was

inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006, and just weeks before her death, Chrissy was ranked as the 9th Greatest Australian Singer by her peers in a News Limited poll.

Along with the announcement of her passing away as a result of her battle with both breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, Twitter and Facebook were filled with tributes from other musicians, actors and television presenters from Australia and abroad.

“I don’t think I’ve been

as deeply affected by the death of a rock star before in my life,” Superjesus frontwoman Sarah McLeod said of Amphlett in an interview the day after her passing. “When I heard that she went, I was just numb. I still feel a bit weird. I’ve been really upset about it all night. It’s still a bit raw. She was very special.”

Chrissy Amphlett will be missed by all. It seems that the song was wrong: She touched everybody.

By Cameron Brogden

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THE

FORT-NIGHTLY CALENDAR & GIG GUIDE (USA) + Zoolanda

Live bands & DJs open from 9pm

THE BRIDGE HOTEL

BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Test Pilot Molly

(CASTLEMAINE) The Soulenikoes THE KOROVA LOUNGE: The Bennies TORQUAY HOTEL: Live Music in the Sports Bar from 9.30pm THE BLUES TRAIN: Lloyd Spiegal, Wayne Jury, Blue Eyes Cry, Spoonful.

THE BARWON CLUB: Glittergang HOME HOUSE: Third Party (UK) MARTIANS CAFE: Twyce Daily GIFTS FOR THE GEEK:

pez thursday may 2 at the Sporting globe, geelong

Thursday May 2nd

GPAC: Australian Children’s Choir

THE MAX HOTEL: #Hashtag

The Regular Boys

Thursdays with DJ Sammy

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL:

Monday May 6th BARWON CLUB HOTEL: $10 Parmis ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11 LORD NELSON HOTEL: Steak/Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D

Free Comic Book day

Tuesday May 7th

THE LOFT: Witchgrinder

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20

THE MAX: Trojan

Steak & Drink night

EUREKA: The Pulp, FREE before 11am

THE SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals

ODYSSEY TAVERN & BREWERY:

for $11, Poker Night (free)

CITY QUARTER BAR: Live Music

THE CARLTON HOTEL: 2 for 1

BEAVS BAR: Abe Anderson

Tuesday, buy one main meal, get

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music

one free! (conditions apply)

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT:

GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13

Live bands & DJs open from 9pm CLUB TITANIUM: Party Time with guest and local DJs

Wednesday May 8th KAROVA LOUNGE: Vanna BEAVS BAR: Karoke, Open

THE NEWMARKET (BENDIGO):

Sunday May 5th

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Drink promos

Benny Walker

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Jazz

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE

CLUB TITANIUM: Uni Night

THE KOROVA LOUNGE: Barbarion

Shandelle Cooke Quartet

(WARRNAMBOOL): Guy Sebastian

THE SPORTING GLOBE: Pez

THE BARKING DOG: 80’s Fridays

BRIDGE HOTEL: Itchy Scabs

DIGGERS ARMS HOTEL:

SPHINX: Trojan

BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto

GPAC: The Kranskey Sisters

Wednesday Night Wheel from 7pm,

THE LOFT: Tarryn Hawker

BARWON CLUB HOTEL: The Grunes,

MARTIANS CAFE: 2 Rivers Blue

cash & prizes up for grabs!

GPAC: Boxman

Alexander & The Supertramps, Grim House

THE OLD HEPBURN HOTEL:

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Trivia

BEAVS BAR: Daniel Champagne

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Thank

GEELONG RSL: Jazz with Royal garden

Night from 8.30pm till 10.30pm

(Band Room) Andy Forster

Guinness It’s Friday

CITY QUARTER BAR: Live Music

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Steak Night

BLACK HATT: Tradies Night in the Bar

BLACK HATT: Blue Jam free entry from 9.30pm

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music

from $16, Poker Night ($10 buy in)

from 5pm till 7pm, Open Mic from 8pm with acoustic, bands, solos & duets

BAR PIZZA: DJ Merv & Drink Promos

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT:

GEELONG RSL: Parma & Pot Night $13

THE SPHINX HOTEL:

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT:

Schnitzel Night from $13

Live bands & DJs open from 5pm

EUREKA HOTEL: Kolors Super Hero

IRISH MURPHY’S: Live music

Dress Up Party - Resident DJs TVB,

every Friday & Saturday night

Simon-One MCK, Shorty J, Dawson,

AT THE HEADS: Live music from

Some Deckheads, Vickers, Steve Toppa

5pm till 7pm (Barwon Heads)

THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi Night $12,

CLUB TITANIUM: FREE FRIDAY

InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm

- RnB Relaunch - free entry!

till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot

Saturday May 4th

Friday May 3rd

WOOL EXCHANGE ENTERTAINMENT

CITY QUARTER BAR: Tom & Tayla

Featuring Marcus Jackson.

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL:

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Bands

Good Faces 4 Radio

9:30- Midnight - with Fig Jam live

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL:

TORQUAY HOTEL: Money for Rope,

Good Faces For Radio

Macondo Blowout, Underhanded 9pm $15

THE BLUES TRAIN: Lloyd & Marty Spiegel,

witchgrinder

THE MAX: 3 On A Tree

Wayne Jury, Blue Eyes Cry and Spponful

saturday may 4 at the loft

THE LOFT: Kayla Dwyer

CHINESE WHISPERS: Baauer

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COMPLEX: SPHINX: Elvis Show,

Mic Andy Forster

Thursday May 9th YARRA HOTEL GEELONG: EUREKA: Slice n Dice Mask Party + Resident DJs TVB, Simon-One MCK, Shorty J, Dawson, Some Deckheads, Vickers, Steve Toppa THE BARWON CLUB: Vanna (USA), Storm

BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto

Saturday May 11th

Sunday May 12th

Sports Bar from 9.30pm

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: James Carrigg

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Des Cam band

SPHINX: 2 Fat 2 Skate

EUREKA: The Pulp, FREE before 11aM

THE WOOL EXCHANGE

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Trojan

THE BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Where’s

TORQUAY HOTEL: DJ in the

THE BARKING DOG: 80’s Fridays THE MAX: Adventure Playground

the Sky, Sierra, Exposures, Empire Fall

GPAC: Guy Sebastian

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Drink Promos

ARARAT HOTEL: Ararat Live

THE KOROVA LOUNGE: The

- The Swamp Dandies

Ponymen + The Soulenikoes

THE KOROVA LOUNGE: Like Royalty

BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE)

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music

Laura Imbruglia

BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Rory Ellis

THE SPORTING GLOBE: Emma Louise

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Thank

BEAVS BAR: Dave Anderson

Guinness It’s Friday

CLUB TITANIUM: Uni Night

BLACK HATT: Drink promos from

BLACK HATT: Tradies Night in the Bar

5pm till 7pm (free entry) Audemia

from 5pm till 7pm, Open Mic from 8pm

performing live free entry from 9.30pm

with acoustic, bands, solos & duets

BAR PIZZA: DJ Merv & Drink Promos

THE SPHINX HOTEL:

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT:

Joss, The Underhanded, Seedy Jeezus CHINESE WHISPERS: Will Sparks, Lesware & Matt Black HOME HOUSE: Upstairs - Samual James vs JDG & Tigerlily. Downstairs - Crunk THE KOROVA LOUNGE: Emma Louise THE BLUES TRAIN: Marisa Quigley, Geoff Achison, Blues Mountain Trio and Wayne Jury Three THE LOFT: Working Horse PIPING HOT CHICKEN SHOP: Carino Son BEAVS BAR: Butters Live ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live music with The Regular Boys - 9.30 till midnight TORQUAY HOTEL: Live Music in

ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX: The Rubens CITY QUARTER BAR: Live Music THE COURTHOUSE ARTS: A Conversation In The Key with Guy Piecrce GEELONG RSL: Jazz with The Mooney valley Jazz Band EDGE GEELONG: Live Music BARWON CLUB HOTEL: Good Faces For Radio

Monday May 13th BARWON CLUB HOTEL: $10 Parmis ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals for $11 LORD NELSON HOTEL: Steak/Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D

the Sports Bar from 9.30pm

Schnitzel Night from $13

Live bands & DJs open from 5pm

THE MAX HOTEL: Parmi Night $12,

IRISH MURPHY’S: Live music

THE MAX: Hey Charger

InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm

every Friday & Saturday night

CITY QUARTER BAR: Live Music

till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call

AT THE HEADS: Live music from

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music

5pm till 7pm (Barwon Heads)

LAMBY’S BAR & RESTAURANT:

free event (Castlemaine)

CLUB TITANIUM: FREE FRIDAY

Live bands & DJs open from 9pm

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20

- RnB Relaunch - free entry.

CLUB TITANIUM: Party Time

Steak & Drink night

BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE):

DRYSDALE HOTEL: The Gems

with guest and local DJs

GPAC: Tommy Fleming

Sal Kimba and the Rollin Wheel

performing live from 8pm (Drysdale)

YARRA HOTEL GEELONG: Pop Saturdays

THE SPHINX HOTEL: 11 Meals

to book your team’s spot

Friday May 10th

Tuesday May 14th BRIDGE HOTEL: Trivia Night hosted by Lifon Uranus from 7.30pm,

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emma louise thursday may 9 at the sporting globe, geelong

rory ellis friday may 10 at the barwon club hotel, geelong for $11, Poker Night (free)

VENUEGUIDE!

THE gateway HOTEL

THE CARLTON HOTEL: 2 for 1 Tuesday, buy one main meal, get

THE BARKING DOG

....................................

GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13

bar pizza

236-258 Surfcoast Highway

....................................

GROWLERS

....................................

137 Pakington St. Geelong

Wednesday May 15th

BARWON CLUB

DIGGERS ARMS HOTEL:

BARWON HEADS HOTEL

cash & prizes up for grabs!

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8.30pm till 10.30pm GPAC: Box Man LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): Llyod

509 Moorabool St. South Geelong

....................................

1 Bridge Rd. Barwon Heads

....................................

THE BASEMENT 159 159 Moorabool St. Geelong

....................................

BEAVS BAR

77 Little Malop St. Geelong ....................................

THE BENDED ELBOW GEELONG

69 Yarra St. Geelong

Webber and Friends

....................................

BEAVS BAR: Karoke, Open

54 Little Myers St. Geelong

Mic Dave Anderson

THE BLUESTONE

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Steak Night

....................................

from $16, Poker Night ($10 buy in) GEELONG RSL: Parma & Pot Night $13

Thursday May 16th BRIDGE HOTEL: Delany Davidson GPAC: Boxman THE KOROVA LOUNGE: Sid O’neil (The Vasco Era) COURTHOUSE ARTS: Geelong Queer Film Fesitval LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARRNAMBOOL): Tommy Fleming THE BARWON CLUB: Tape Wolf, Laughing Leaves, Bonniwells, Towelheads MUSICMAN: The Soulenikoes Recovery Tour (Bendigo) FORTEMAG.COM.AU

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL

one free! (conditions apply)

126 Pakington St. Geelong West

Wednesday Night Wheel from 7pm,

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218-230 Princess Hwy. Corio

black hatt

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103 Marr St. Ballarat

Bridge hotel castlemaine

21 Walker St. Castlemain

....................................

chinese whispers Cnr. Shorts Place.

Geelong

....................................

23 The Esplanade.

Torquay

....................................

HOME HOUSE

40-42 Moorabool St. Geelong

....................................

IRISH MURPHY'S

30 Aberdeen St. Geelong

....................................

JACK AND JILL 247 Moorabool St. Geelong

....................................

LAMBYS

Cnr of Moorabool & Brougham St. Geelong

....................................

THE MAX

2 Gheringhap St. Geelong

....................................

MR. HYDE

11 Malop St. Geelong

....................................

THE NATIONAL HOTEL 191 Moorabool St. Geelong

....................................

odyssey

611 Surfcoast Hwy. Mount Duneed

....................................

OPIUM BAR

....................................

15 James St. Geelong

CITY QUARTER

Peter Lalor Hotel

Cunningham Pier, Geelong

....................................

CLOUD 9

96 Pakington St. Geelong West

....................................

Club TITANIUM

99 Ryrie St, Geelong

....................................

eastern station 81 Humffray St Nth. Ballarat

....................................

THE EDGE

1/6-8 Eastern Beach Rd. Geelong

....................................

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE

158 McKillop St. Geelong

....................................

THE EUREKA

98 Little Malop St. Geelong

....................................

331 Mair St. Ballarat

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RUMORS

5 James St. Geelong

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SLATE Pool Lounge

50 Little Ryrie St. Geelong

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THE SPHINX

2 Thompson Rd. North Geelong

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TOAST

114 Moorabool St. Geelong ....................................

the wool exchange entertainment complex 44 Corio St. Geelong

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the yarra hotel 120 Lydiard St (North). Ballarat

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When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – May 17 & Wool Exchange, Geelong – May 18.

British India

By Natalie Rogers

In the eyes of Australian music lovers, it seems the lads from British India can do no wrong, something that’s reflected in the success of their three previous offerings and their fiercely loyal fan base. Their fourth studio album, Controller, sees the four passionate Melbournians back where they belong: on the charts, riding the airwaves and out on the road.

“It’s a case of ‘Come on, let’s get out there and f*cking play!’ We are very hungry and Controller is just fodder for us to lose our shit and party with the audience,” front man Declan Melia told Forte Mag recently. “It’s all about getting our hands dirty in rural areas and places we haven’t been before, and checking out what’s happening. This tour starts and ends in Forte’s stomping ground, and we do love a Geelong audience – that’s certainly true.”

Although clearly in high spirits during this interview, Declan was willing to reveal some home truths about

the making of the album and the distinct possibility that Controller as we now know it may never have come to fruition. “It was a very difficult record to make,” Declan began. “It was really haphazard at the start, and this record very nearly didn’t get made. As glib as it sounds, we had to take control of the situation we were in and rein it in. After the Avalanche tour, we all decided to take a holiday, but it was the worst thing we could have done.

Shock [former independent label] went broke and our studio got flooded. It felt like the perfect storm; and for the first time we had shocking writers’ block which has never happened before, and it coincided with us moving into a new studio. So, it was really hard not to get into a superstitious head-space about how the change in vibe had affected our ability to write, and we got really fearful we wouldn’t get it back. Now looking back, I think we were a just a bit directionless, and once again it was a case of us needing to take control of what we wanted to do.

Once that was done, the songs came very quickly, and everything came together in such a beautiful way; like a jigsaw falling into place. It was a real coup to get this record out and so close to how we wanted it.”

Take control they did, but those experiences didn’t seal the title of the album. “We were going to call the record ‘Another Christmas in the Trenches’ [also track #3 on Controller], because that was our mentality at the time,” Declan revealed. But in fact, it was some pointed advice from close friend Phil Jamieson that swayed them another way. “He said, ‘You guys have got to keep the one-word title thing going’. All of our records have been one-word titles and in hindsight, for me anyway, those titles have kind of summed up the periods of my life in which they were released and Phil convinced us to keep going with that. I think little traditions and quirks in bands are becoming rare and vanilla and flat-lined, and I think it was something worth keeping alive.

“So Controller was a good title for us because there is a Fugazi record called ‘Repeater’ and we love that record very much, and anything we could do in homage to them would be good. Also, all the lyrics on the record are controlled in some way – whether conditions of control we place on ourselves inadvertently or on purpose – and it references the Fat Controller from Thomas the Tank Engine who is a favourite of us all,” he laughed.

Joining their two previous releases (Thieves ’08) and (Avalanche ‘10) when it debuted in the Top Ten on the ARIA Charts, Controller is rapidly garnering as much excitement as their debut, Guillotine in ’07. “It’s a bit more aggressive – we are definitely more certain of ourselves. People have pointed out to me, though I hadn’t thought it myself, that the first few albums were done in such a blur of activity, fun and drunkenness, whereas this one is kind of like the morning after the night before … The hangover,” Declan joked. “When we were making this record, and this is true of all the records we’ve made, we were very excited about it, and very proud. When we were making Controller we thought, ‘This is really good; this is the kind of thing we want to hear’. We always tend to get a little nervous before we release anything, but we’ve done our very best!

“There’s an x-factor with records being released as to whether they connect with people, and it’s really intangible. I hear so many records that I think are really good and they come out and don’t get much attention; or ones that you never expect to get attention go to number one. Somehow, it seems the biggest bands in the world have the worst lyrics, so I tend to think it makes me not want to be successful, or that you have to be stupid to be successful. It’s a difficult catch 22 because we want to be successful and clever, so we just have to make people love us by sticking to our word.

“The response has been beyond anything we expected, especially to ‘Summer Forgive Me’ and ‘I Can Make You Love Me’. They weren’t our first choice of singles, although we certainly like both songs – we thought they were a bit angsty and a bit dark. But we’re very flattered and very surprised that the radio has been so generous with the airplay.

So thank you to everyone, and come to the Wool Exchange because it is going to be an awesome show and we want to party with you.”

Live Music Thursday, Friday & all day Sunday Edge Geelong

@EdgeBarGeelong

Ph: (03) 5222 2666 | edgegeelong.com.au | enquiries@edgegeelong.com.au | 6–8 Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong, Victoria, 3220 18

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tessa reed

By Tex Miller

It’s that time of year! Music is back at the Courthouse in the form of Conversations in the Key Of… and the line-up for this upcoming season is again, sensational. Featuring the likes of Chris Wilson, Ross Hannaford, Rebecca Barnard, Dave Graney, Stephen Cummings and Guy Pearce, this concert series teams up-and-coming musicians with an established artist for a great night of story and song; the first of which sees acclaimed actor Guy Pearce team up with local songstress, Tessa Reed.

Starting off singing throughout high school, one of the key elements in developing her voice has been through performing in theatrical productions throughout the region. “I think that those experiences have given me a much larger vocal range. In most musical theatre songs, you have to be a belter and I have never particularly had a strong voice. Playing different roles has expanded my range and I’m performing in GSODA’s production of Little Shop of Horrors later in the year, which will be good.”

Performing alongside her brother William at the family-owned and operated music venue Harvester Moon just outside Portarlington, Tessa and Will are often called up by the feature artist to perform a song at the end of a great night of music. “One of the weirdest nights was when Bill Chambers – father of Kasey – called me up to play a song in which we ended up playing ‘Pony’. I sang, William played guitar and Dad played harp. Harvester Moon has been great to meet different artists and see how they perform,

Laura Imbruglia

By Tex Miller

Having a famous surname has the power to either nurture or hinder a musical career, but in the case of Laura Imbruglia it has worked both ways for her. “I don’t think it’s done significant hindering. I think it’s just made me have to fight a little bit harder to prove myself to people that might just judge me without knowing me very well; they might just see the surname and come to conclusions without checking me out,” Laura stated. With her third album entitled What a Treat to be released in June, as well as some regional shows and a big national tour planned for July, 2013 is shaping up to be a busy time.

Drawing influence from the likes of Warren Zevon, Cheap Trick and T-Rex, and the decision to selfmanage her music, has allowed for the album to be released a lot quicker than it would have been otherwise. “I tend to be really lazy when I am writing.

I’m currently studying graphic design and knew that I would have a bit of free time at the start of this year, so the songs had to be ready to be recorded at that time. This was the first time that I really buckled down and wrote, which has worked out really well for me. I think having a deadline forced me to get everything ready, which was good,” Laura said.

One of the main features to Laura’s songwriting and music has been the wide array of genres that the music transcends, which is due mainly to her love of Steely Dan and Ween’s back catalogue. This can be seen most prominently on her 2006 self-titled album,

The Rubens

By Natalie Rogers

Menangle’s favourite sons The Rubens have had a dream run since those humble days of recording rough demos on a laptop in the Margin family home. The three brothers (Sam, Zaac and Elliot), alongside best mate Scott Baldwin, have done what many find impossible – crack the U.S. Less than a year since the release of their debut album, the hardworking quartet managed to catch the eye of some big wigs at Warner Bros USA, and have signed a deal which will see their self-titled album released worldwide later this year.

So to celebrate and thank all their home-grown fans, the guys are planning a monumental bon voyage party in the form of The Rubens ‘Never Be The Same’ tour. Forte Mag was one of the lucky few to have the chance to sit down with youngest brother – and keyboard player – Elliot during the lead up to these very special shows.

“We never thought anything like this would ever happen,” Elliot said when asked about the events of the past year. “It’s been a lot to get used to, but hearing that news [of the deal] was one of the best feelings I’ve had being in the band besides playing a live show; and this tour is our biggest to date so we’re really pumped, especially because we’ve been playing overseas for a while. It’s going to be refreshing to be back and play to a home crowd and people who know us.”

Having recently returned home from an extremely warm welcome at the musician’s mecca, the South

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and the musical contacts as a result is also great.”

Influenced by some of the country’s greatest singersongwriters including Missy Higgins, Kate MillerHeidke and Paul Kelly, Tessa believes that the key to a good song is within the lyrical content, rather than the melodies. “For me, it all about being able to tell a story within a song; if you can do that properly people will be able to connect with it. I have written a lot of poetry however, because I don’t play an instrument – not many have made it into song format. We have written a few songs together as a family, and having that musical grounding has been fantastic. Although, mum asks for particular requests at different concerts, I love being able to play music and sing as often as possible. I hope to be able to get out into the open mic scene around Geelong and perform a bit more.”

That said, with the opportunity of performing alongside Guy Pearce, Tessa is feeling bittersweet.

With a love for his acting career, and having never heard his music, the excitement is building as the performance date draws nearer. “My mum loves all the movies he has done; I still have to pinch myself to believe that I am opening for him. Sharing the stage with both Guy and Tim Neal will be a great chance to showcase what I do, and Guy has an interesting story, so everyone should come along for a great afternoon.”

For this young performer, the future is bright and possibilities are endless. If you’re a regular to the live music scene, you will definitely hear the name and voice of this songstress in the years to come.

When&Where: A Conversation in the Key of… Guy Pearce. Courthouse Arts – May 12.

which features the punk-esque single ‘Looking for a Rabbit’.

“The main thing that I love about Steely Dan and Ween is the diverse range of instrumentation and experimentation which they adapt to their music.

One song will be country and then the next song on the album will be a polar opposite. It’s good to keep it fresh and interesting for the listener, and there is something for everyone in What a Treat.”

Many bands have cited their parent’s record collection as an important part of their musical upbringing, yet Laura’s love of music was created through singing with her sisters and a love of The Carpenters. “My parent’s didn’t really listen to much music apart from the radio. I think they had a maximum of fifteen vinyl records (and I inherited them), but mum and dad just don’t listen to music.

They really liked the Carpenters and The Seekers but didn’t play or talk about it much. I learnt guitar off friends during High School; grunge was big, Nirvana was the band on everyone’s lips and Kurt Cobain had just passed away. There was also a boy that lived around the corner from me that I had a significant crush on, and I always used to find ways that I could hang out with him.”

Now playing with a five-piece band – which combines tremendous vocal harmonies – if the album title is anything to go by, this set of shows will be nothing but a treat.

When&Where: The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 9.

by South West festival (where they reportedly blew audiences away), Elliot believes they have only just seen the tip of the iceberg. “Playing in the U.S. was amazing – we got to meet a lot of cool people.

We were able to get a taste of what the American industry is like, and spread our name a little bit in the States before the album comes out.”

Although the bright lights of international success can be dizzying to a young band of hopefuls, Elliot has his feet planted firmly on the ground. “Zaac and I are still at home together, Sam is down in Melbourne and Scotty is still at home as well. We can’t really afford to go anywhere else at the moment, because we’re almost never home anyway; and it’s nice to come home and see mum and dad and have a pantry full of food,” Elliot laughed.

The guys are well-known for their down-to-earth and unpretentious attitude, and Elliot is quick to assure me that this tour was planned with the punter in mind. “With these shows, we’re really thinking about the whole production and how to make it more entertaining than any shows we’ve done before. We realise people may have seen us one or two times before, and that uni students and the like may not be able to afford these tickets, but they’ve bought them anyway, so we need to make it worth their money.

“We were blown away when we received an email saying we’d sold out the Enmore in Sydney and the Forum in Melbourne! We’re so thankful that people want to see our live shows and are willing to come along, and that there are new fans as well as old ones. We’re really excited and I hope you guys are too!”

When&Where: The Forum – May 10 & 11 & The WOOL EXCHANGE, Geelong – May 12.

TALK OF THE

TOWN!

Keepin' it Regional!

bob evans

BY POPULAR DEMAND

geelong queer film night

daneil champage

gifts for the geek

“ Feels great to be nominated by Forte readers as a band ‘By Popular Demand’! We have worked very hard at what we do for many years and appreciate the curiosity of your readers.” - the greeting method

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TALK OF THE TOWN! Talk of the Town: We will kiss you in four places. Coming up you have… .........................................................................

The Livingstone Daisies Livingstone Daisies are a band are already well known for overdosing on harmony, jangle and fuzz and who made a grand and ambitious statement by recording two albums before even playing their first gig. The band members - Van Walker (Vox, Guitar, Scotch & Coke) Liz Stringer, (Vox, Guitar, Scotch & Dry) Michael Barlcay (Vox, Drums, Cheap Red) Cal Walker (Vox, Bass, Expensive Port) will be no strangers to fans of discerning Australian Rock’n’roll and have teamed up as the Livingstone Daisies , one of Australia’s most formidable and exciting pop/ rock bands. Catch Them Sunday the 19th of May at The Torquay Bowls Club with special guests Murdena from 2pm. .........................................................................

Ararat Live Ararat Live is a fantastic gig which shines the spotlight on emerging artists, and coming up shortly is a ripper of a show starring The Swamp Dandies.

The Swamp Dandies features a couple of fine names including one Mr. Greg Arnold, previously of Things of Stone and Wood, and John Bedggood, from Bernard Fanning and The Wilson Pickers. Helping sweeten the sounds of the band are Monique Zucco and Ian Kitney. When The Swamp Dandies saddle up to the Ararat Hotel, they will be showing off their debut album, Fall. The song features the track ‘Olivia’, written as an ode to Olivia NewtonJohn. The song found its way to the lady herself who couldn’t help but be flattered. Described as somewhere between southern acoustic and ‘pure pop’, The Swamp Dandies hit the stage of the Ararat Hotel on May 10. .........................................................................

Come Plunder with Barbariön There are men and then there are MEN. And I am not talking about those men on VB ads. I am talking about the mighty men that make up Barbariön. The band, nay the beast, began in 2007 when MylesHarald Tauchert set out to combine his loves of 80s metal and hazardous camp theatrics. Oh, and to take it to the extreme. The result? Historically inaccurate, sexually ambiguous and highly flammable costumes with hastily assembled pyrotechnics in confined spaces; along with ‘carefully’ choreographed guitar moves and plenty of exposed flesh. Or, at least that is the word on the street. Since that hallowed day the band has performed at a string of festivals and even appeared on Spicks and Specks. A European tour beckons but before that the mayhem will ensue at The Karova, Ballarat on May 3. .........................................................................

Sun Rising – The Songs That Made Memphis In 1952 Sam Phillips, an American businessman, record executive, producer and DJ, founded Sun Records. The label would become a giant; discovering and first-recording artists including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. Towards the end of 2012, five supremely talented musicians came together to pay tribute to the Memphis label: Carl Coad, David Cosma, Trent McKenzie, Damon Smith and Adrian Whyte. Many, many years may have passed but the music these guys play lives on as perfectly today.

Their setlist includes Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Moaning at Midnight’, Carl Perkins’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, Elvis’ ‘Baby Let’s Play House’ and Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison’. Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – May 18 & The Karova, Ballarat – May 19.

Benny Walker: Sinner or Saint?

Blues, roots and acoustic music is blended together perfectly by songman Benny Walker. A soulful voice that fills the air doesn’t hurt either. Hailing from regional Victoria, Benny released his debut EP No Cares in 2007. He then spent the better part of a year taking the release across Eastern and Central Australia. His full-length self-titled debut followed in 2008. After another EP, Walker released his second album, Sinners and Saints. Recorded with ARIAwinning producer Shane O’Mara (Tim Rogers, Lisa Miller), the fourteen-track album was met with some very kind words. He is the recipient of the Victorian Indigenous Performing Arts Award for Best New Talent 2012, and has performed extensively throughout the country. The Newmarket, Bendigo – May 3. .........................................................................

Frankenstein is Alive Nick Dear is the man behind a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Frankenstein. Forced to live in the real world, a man-made creation, ‘the Creature’, becomes an adult plagued with bitterness, lust, vengeance and deadly reasoning. Cast out by his creator – the young Dr Frankenstein – ‘the Creature’ is shunned by society before being taken in by a blind man. The man educates ‘the Creature’, and as time goes on the monstrous creation begins to question his existence and long for a life without loneliness.

His search for a partner brings him back to face his maker. Nick’s re-telling premiered at the Royal National Theatre in 2011 in a production directed by Danny Boyle. Nick is a writer for stage, screen and radio who won a BAFTA for his first screenwriting credit, a TV adaption of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. GPAC – May 16 through May 18. .........................................................................

On the Road with British India British India is underway on their Controller tour, named after their new album of the same name. Led by singles ‘I Can Make You Love Me’ and ‘Summer Forgive Me’, the album, their fourth effort, debuted at #10 on the ARIA Album Chart. In other BI news, the band was selected to perform for Spotify as part of Spotify sessions so make sure you keep an eye out for that one. As for the tour, the band has teamed up with TAC, taking part in their Roadsmarts program in Victoria.

No stranger to the road, British India will be endorsing responsible attitudes towards driving. Meanwhile, on a national level the band is involved with Live Solution, a program focusing on the disadvantages of binge drinking. The Karova, Ballarat – May 17 & The Wool Exchange, Geelong – May 18.

A Conversation with Guy Pearce

Delaney Davidson and His Ghost Orchestra

The fantastic Sunday arvo session A Conversation in the Key Of… gets familiar with the one and only Guy Pearce this month.

Hosted and accompanied by pianist Tim Neal, the concert series is a wonderful combination of music, stories and improvisation. We’re pretty familiar with Guy Pearce the actor. The English-born, Aussie nice guy served time in Neighbours before heading for the brighter lights of L.A; The King’s Speech, Prometheus, L.A. Confidential, Memento and Iron Man 3 now adorn his resume. But what do we know about Guy Pearce the muso? Well, in 2004 he teamed up with Joe Henry for A SlippingDown Life, the accompanying soundtrack to the feature film of the same name. Performed

by Pearce, the release features songs written

by Ron Sexsmith and Robyn Hitchcock among others. Music has long been a love of Pearce’s, and his upcoming Conversation gig is the perfect opportunity to get a little more familiar with this side. Guy: “I’m very pleased to be invited to chat with my old friend Tim Neal at Courthouse ARTS next month. I think ‘In the Key of…’ is a great idea and I’m looking forward to a fun night.” Courthouse ARTS – May 12.

“Part man part wheel, Delaney Davidson is part wandering minstrel, part travelling salesman.

One hand holds a small brown suitcase; his trade, his ghost orchestra, the other holds his guitar. One foot firmly in the Blues Trash corner of the ring, the other on the road, you could say Delaney sees music as he sees geography, and that although he has certain preferences, in fact all territories are up for grabs.” And so we’re introduced to the world of Delaney Davidson who has spent ten years wandering the world.

Earlier this year, the ‘dark grump master’ released a second clip for his collaborative album with Marlon Williams titled Sad But True – The Secret History of Country Music Songwriting Volume 1. The black and white single is titled ‘How Lucky You Are’ and is online now. The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 16.

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A Touch of Footy Last month saw the inaugural Surf Coast Touch Football Competition get underway at Torquay’s Banyul-Warri Fields but if you missed out, there remain plenty of chances to catch a game. The competition has been organised by a fantastic team including members of the Surf Coast Shire recreation facilities team and committed community members and will run every Thursday night over the next 11 weeks. For those unfamiliar, Touch Football started in Australia in 1923, and is a high-aerobic, non-contact sport initially used as a training drill for rugby. In its inaugural season, 90 people will participate across nine teams with ages ranging from 15 to 60-plus. Games will be played over two twenty-minute periods with a five-minute break in between. Further information is available through surfcoastsrc@surfcoast.vic.gov.au. .........................................................................

The Soulful Side of The Murlocs Garage blues boogie is how The Murlocs describe their sound. The Melbourne five-piece were brought up on a healthy diet of live music including Hierophants, Frowning Clouds, Dreamin’ Wild, Living Eyes,

The Super Duper Superjesus

Emma Louise is all Heart Earlier in the year songbird Emma Louise announced a wee number of shows which would shine a light on her then forthcoming debut album. The album, Vs Head Vs Heart, has since been released. Now, a whole string of dates have been announced which means that every boy and girl should be able to attend a show if they so wish. A keen eye has been kept on the Brisbane songbird since she released her debut EP, 2011’s Full Hearts and Empty Rooms, so the thought of a full-player was met while high expectation. Going by some of the reviews floating around, the album has lived up to the hype. Gemma Bastiani over at The [AU] Review gave the album a tidy 7.5/10, saying: “This album is for immersion. Lose yourself in it and really get inside the head of this young woman with a huge career ahead of her.” There has also been an appearance at SXSW and a feature on Pitchfork, so life is pretty sweet for the singer-songwriter at the moment. Get in on the love fest at The Yarra, Geelong on May 9 & The Karova, Ballarat on May 11. Lending cheerful support will be Thelma Plum and Patrick James.

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When we think about great resurrections, who do we think about? Superjesus, of course; anything else would be blasphemous. As all you wonderful readers would know, the band announced a handful of dates across May and June and Geelong is now on the agenda. The Adelaide outfit came together in 1994 when Sarah McLeod, Chris Tennent, Paul Berryman and Stuart Rudd started making sweet music together. Originally they called themselves Hell’s Kitchen, before changing it to Superjesus in a move Berryman said was a pisstake on the popularity of using ‘Jesus’ in band names at the time. The band released their debut EP Eight Step Rail in 1996 which would help score the band 1997 ARIAs for ‘Best New Band’ and ‘Best Debut Single’ for ‘Shut My Eyes’. Sumo, their debut full-length album, was released in 1998. A couple more albums would follow (Jet Age in 2000 and Rock Music in 2003) before the band decided to take a breather and pursue other projects. Roll on 2012 and late in the year McLeod announced the band would perform a one-off reunion show. The Resurrection Tour was announced in March. They recently performed at the Stone Music Festival and the good times now continue at The Wool Exchange, Geelong on June 9. The band is Sarah McLeod, Stuart Rudd, Tim Henwood and Paul Berryman.

ballarat / bendigo / geelong / surfcoast / warrnambool / werribee Turtlenecjk and Kremlings. They performed their first gig at the Piping Hot Chicken Shop, although back then things were a little different – namely being they rocked out covers of those including Dale Hawkins, Suzie Q, Bo Diddley, Pretty Thing, Bob Dylan, Dirt Road Blues and Count Five. Nowadays, the band is delighting crowds on both the small and big stage. Their Tee Pee EP scored heavy rotation while festivals including Harvest and Meredith have played host to their sounds. Their new single is the soulful RnB number, ‘Rattle and Chain’. An album is on the way. The Barwon Club, Geelong – June 7. .........................................................................

Goin’ Country with Luke O’Shea In country circles Luke O’Shea is a named held in high esteem. Last year he took out the gong for Independent Country Music Artist of the Year and this year was nominated for three CMAA awards, ultimately taking out the prestigious Golden Guitar. His three CMAA nominations came on the back of his latest album, The Drover’s Wife. The 12-song album was produced with the aim of making each track’s soul and story shine through. As well as the awards and songs, Luke also writes for Country Update magazine, hosts the regular ‘Songwriters in the Round’ showcases and was recently appointed the Councillor for Country Music on the Music Council of Australia. Take a trip to country town with Luke O’Shea at Gateway Hotel, Corio on May 24.

single marks a new shift in the band’s sound, and has a rich, rockier edge from electric guitars – yes – Justin gets his Les Paul and it’s also the first single to be written and sung by our drummer Cat Canteri!” As for the album, it will be the follow-up to Earnest which earned the band six ‘Album of the Week’ honours on its release. You can check out a blog about the album’s recording through thestillsons.com. The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 18. .........................................................................

Artefact Pop-Up Market The next Artefact Pop-Up Market takes place this weekend ­(that is May 4 for those with no sense of dates) at Geelong’s Beav’s Bar. If you haven’t yet jumped on the Artefact bandwagon, it’s time to saddle up. The market is Geelong’s art and design collective, selling local and handmade wares. Maybe you will find the perfect little trinket for your mantelpiece. Maybe you will be inspired to start up your own stall. Maybe you will meet some nice people. The market will run from 10am to 4pm and is a great way to spend your morning/afternoon.

Hitting the Right Nerve Quick bite: Okay good readers, this is a head’s up about The Nerve’s upcoming tour. Based out of Prague, Bondi and Melbourne, the band features the all-too-cool lineup of Ezekiel Ox (ex-Mammal), Lucius Borich (ex-COG), Davarj Thomas (ex-Pre-Shrunk) and Glenn Proudfoot.

Last year the band spent two months busting a gut to come up with 24 tracks, and next month the band will show us the fruits of their labour. The tour is called ‘Down There’, named after their brand-spanking new single of the same name. The tour will also be their first headlining effort. The Sporting Globe, Geelong – June 27.

Gay Paris Know How to Party

Quick bite: Real music for real people is how Two Rivers Blues roll. From the banks of the Bega River comes this acoustic blues outfit dripping with harp, guitar and drums. You want to know the players? Of course you do. Meet Matt Elliot, Matt Southon and Declan Kenrick.

There is nothing fancy here, just the basics. It is blues music that gets the heart pumpin’. It is blues music that gets the soul shakin’. It is blues music that gets the crowd dancin’. Martians Café, Deans Marsh – May 10. .........................................................................

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The Stillsons Catch a Break

The Naysayers Go Like This

May 10 is going to be a great day if you’re a fan of The Stillsons with the Melbourne alt-country band set to release their new single, ‘Break and Keel’. The new single was recorded by Sean Cook at Queensland’s Applewood Lane Studios towards the end of last year and is a taste of the band’s forthcoming third album, Never Go Your Way. According to their website: “This

Quick bite: The Naysayers are Nathaniel Parbery, Gordon Holland and Simon Gemmill and according to their Facebook page, they love you. A cynic may say that is the band’s way of buttering up to their musicloving public but to be fair, there are many who would love the band regardless. There is their highly melodic vocals and harmonies to love. There are their pop hooks

Drifting Down Two Rivers Blues

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The mooghty Groovin’ the Moo festival hits Bendigo this weekend folks; are we as excited as a contestant on Deal or No Deal? You had better be. The lineup is rockin’. The weather is (touch wood) still fine and nothing brings people together like music. I don’t doubt that those heading Bendigo’s way are well organised, but just in case here are a few things to keep in mind. Gates open at 10.30am with the first act hitting stage around 11am. The earlier you get the, the closer you are to the front of the line. The curtain then closes around 10.30pm.

There are no pass-outs. Still cameras are allowed but no professional recording gear – that includes SLR cameras. If you have a doubt about bringing something, the chances are you can’t bring it. There is no BYO and bags will be checked. Oh, and if you want a drink, you had better make sure you have the proper ID. Unopened water battles are okay. Most important: be cool to each other. Hit gtm.net.au if you have any further queries.

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When was the last good party you went to? I mean, the last great party where you wake up to have the night played back to you in snippets told by a dozen friends?

If you have felt your life is lacking the party spirit, then perhaps you will want to check out The Last Good Party, the new album from Gay Paris. The Sydney rockers teamed up with California’s Sam Pura to record the album which was funded through Pozible. Although at home in the blues/swamp/rock genres, the band is known to throw a little extra in the mix. The result is rock and roll excess – and we all love a little of that from time to time. We have known about the band’s excess for a little while now; hell, we got a taste last year when the band released ‘The Demarcation of Joseph Hollybone’ and stormed the country. You want to party people?

Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – May 30.

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to love. And there is the down ‘n’ dirty rhythm section to love. It Goes Like This is their lovin’ EP. Ah, so much love. The Newmarket, Bendigo – May 11. With Rabid Zulu and The Dark Fair.

Groovin’ the Moo

National Celtic Festival The National Celtic Festival rolls around next month and the way the year is travelling, the festival is going to come around faster than a leprechaun after your gold. For those new to the festival, the event is a celebration of the cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Galicia & Asturias. There will be music (both local and international). There will be dance. There will be workshops. There will be markets. There will be high spirits. The festival takes place in the gorgeous township of Portarlington on Victoria’s Peninsula Bay. All the festival’s venues are within walking distance of each other so you can enjoy the views of the You Yangs and the Melbourne skyline as you take in the finest in Celtic music. The festival takes place June 7 through June 10. Keep updated through nationalcelticfestival.com.

ATTENTION! URGENT NEWS from Spinning Half!!

Effective immediately the following have a NEW venue: Thurs May 2 - Pez to The Sporting Globe - Geelong Thurs May 9 - Emma Louise to The Sporting Globe - Geelong Sun May 12 - The Rubens to The Wool Ex...change Entertainment Complex Unfortunately the following show will be cancelled: Thurs May 16 - Bob Evans (which was to be held at the Yarra Hotel).

All tickets purchased will remain valid to these shows and refunds made available for tickets purchased to Bob Evans.

You can still purchase tickets to these events from www.spinninghalf.oztix.com.au. More news to follow.See more— at Spinning Half

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TALK OF THE TOWN! Giddy-Up for The Workinghorse Irons

Fast as Lightning Tape Wolf

Quite bite: As a music lover, there are few things better than when you discover a new band; for a band, there are few things greater than being discovered. Towards the end of 2011 Melbourne outfit The Workinghorse Irons was discovered at The Cherry Bar and soon their blues-punkpsychobilly sound was everywhere. A three-week tour of Brazil which took in the Psycho Carnival Festival is a good start, hey? Sideshows with Nekromantix, Mad Sin and Griswalds ain’t too shabby either, right? Their debut EP is One Way Ticket to Hell. The Loft, Warrnambool – May 11.

Quick bite: A great man once said (probably ... somewhere), ‘If you can’t think of a way to write something, use someone else’s words’. That seems like a good idea here. “Half tape, Half Man, Half Werewolf! Tape Wolf is the living incarnation of man, beast and electromagnetic tape born of the same black abyss that his former-self The Mysterious Tape Man was sent to destroy all of mankind.

150% Haunted Surf Trash! Instrumental fuzzed-up guitar over home-recorded voodoo drums and fuzz bass tracks.”

Make sense? The Barwon Club, Geelong – May 16. .........................................................................

The Loft Compilation Quick bite: The fine people at The Loft, Warrnambool have been busy lately listening to last year’s live recording of their June festival. The good news for you is that thanks to Brenton Smiths Recording, one and all are coming together to give you a compilation album which hopefully will be made available this month. Red Eagle, The 80 Aces and Blackwood Jack will be among those on the recording. Sa-weet! The Loft’s Big Day returns again on June 9. Keep updated through theloftbar.com.au. .........................................................................

Mark your Calendar for Dick Diver Quick bite: On April 19, Melbourne’s indie stars Dick Diver sold out their hometown album launch at The Tote; now they have a few more shows lined up this July. So, what’s this album that is causing a stir? It’s called Calendar Days. The band’s newie is the follow-up to New Start Again, and was recorded with Mikey Young at a Phillip Island beach house. They’re the little band that gets so much love and they play The Bridge, Castlemaine on July 6 and The Barwon Club, Geelong on July 12. .........................................................................

Surfers Their Story Exhibition Quick bite: Surfing great Simon Anderson recently swung by Torquay’s Surf World Museum to check out the museum’s latest exhibition, Surfers Their Story. For those who don’t know, the exhibition is a multi-generational and cross-cultural exploration of the importance surfing plays in 12 lives, including Simon whose 1981 ‘Thruster’ surfboard is on display. Sporting the then relatively unknown three-fin design, the board was ridden by Warren Powell during the historic 1981 Bells Beach Surfing Contest. The exhibition runs until July. .........................................................................

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Fourteen Nights at Sea North Bound The name ‘Fourteen Nights at Sea’ may not have been on too many people’s radar but their recently release Great North may well change that; it probably already has. The album – the instrumental post-rock outfit’s sophomore effort – was recorded with Neil Thomason whose credits include My Disco and Augie March. KillYourStereo.com wrote: “With ‘Great North’, Fourteen Nights at Sea prove themselves more than capable of constructing vivid sonic landscapes that capture a range of moods and environments.

Evocative, strong and focused, the thematic images of solitude found in freezing desolation make the album’s release date apt – prime listening as we head into colder months of the year.” The band takes in The Bridge, Castlemaine on May 31.

The Bennies Like to Party

Calling Witchgrinder

Melbourne. It is a city that loves art. It is a city that loves sport. It is a city that loves music. Boy does it love music. And how could it not when little ol’ bands like The Bennies do such a great job of making it. They’re a little punk. They’re a little ska.

They’re a little reggae. They’re a whole lotta party.

The four-piece has racked up hundreds of shows from Australia to Japan, along the way lining up alongside bands including The Aggrolites, Guttermouth, Streetlight Manifesto and Pour Habit. Actually, the Japanese have a lot of love for the band; so much so, in fact, that the lads released a Japan-only release titled Jah-Pan. But what would a show be without sharing it with some mates and heading to The Karova, Ballarat on May 4 to help out The Bennies will be Rick Moranis Overdrive and The Tearaways.

Even those who love metal feel love. It’s true.

And there is a lot to love about Melbourne industrial metal outfit Witchgrinder. This month is particularly sweet with the band set to drop their new album, The Demon Calling. They will also be taking the newie around the country, kicking things off with a Warrnambool gig. The band takes their cues from the industrial metal era of the 1980s and 1990s. They then turn those cues into a Frankenstein-like musical being of classic sci-fi and horror stories which will make your skin crawl. The album – which is released May 3 – also features a track titled ‘The Demon Calling’. If you have a few spare minutes you can YouTube a recent performance of the track from when the guys played The Espy. It’s a real metal show. The Loft, Warrnambool – May 4.

Not the Same Ol’ Rubens The Rubens are up and running on their ‘Never Be the Same’ tour which comes after a period that has been pretty good for the band. And they have deserved every bit of goodness that has come their way. This year they made their way around Australia as part of the Laneway Festival before packing their bags for a series of shows abroad in Europe, the UK and the US. A signing with Warner Music will also see their much-loved self-titled debut get a worldwide release in June. The album was recorded in New York with producer David Kahne whose credits including Paul McCartney, The Strokes and Regina Spektor; so, they were in pretty good hands. The Yarra Hotel, Geelong – May 12.

With Cincinnati-based indie rock crew Walk the Moon and Melbourne-based singersongwriter Ali Barter.

food:

Perrettis

By April Grenfell

The wait is over for Grovedale residents with the opening of an exciting new pizza and pasta restaurant, Perrettis. Locals no longer have to travel into the cbd to experience a quality restaurant dining experience with an array of delicious food and drinks now within easy reach.

Perrettis is a stylish, family-friendly restaurant in Torquay Road, which is set to become a popular venue among locals and visitors thanks to its friendly atmosphere, terrific service and extensive menu including meals for the kids. Owner Simon Parrott, who also owns Sandstone Café next door to the restaurant, said it was a huge relief to see it up and running. After taking over the building, formerly Grovedale Fruit and Vegetables, in June last year, Simon and his team have worked hard to complete the renovations. “People will be surprised when they see what we’ve done,” he said. “There has been a lot of expectation and people have been waiting for the restaurant to happen. This area is growing all the time

arts: but there are no restaurants in Grovedale that are a dining venue.”

Simon has more than 20 years experience working in top end kitchens. When the site next door became available, he realised it was a great opportunity to use his skills and passion to create the much-needed restaurant. “We want to invite the “wow” factor to the suburbs,” he said. “The extensive menu, supported by the pillar of pizza and pasta, is very reasonably priced and people will be impressed.”

Whether it’s mussels or calamari for entrée, the Perretti meat ragu, fish of the day, Angus rib eye steak or braised lamb with soft polenta for mains, there is a delicious dish to suit all tastes. 13-inch pizzas, such as Moroccan lamb, margherita and Perrettis special, range from just $14 to $18. “Our pizzas are thin crust traditional pizzas with two to three toppings on each. Too many ingredients masks the flavours,” said Simon. While the entrée, sides and main dishes are bound to satisfy a hungry belly, there’s a mouthwatering dessert menu to top off a great night at Perrettis.

While the restaurant plans to open 7 days for dinner, Simon said Perrettis will initially be open from Wednesday until Sundays from 4pm. Perrettis is located at 286 Torquay Road, 5241 2226.

Torquay Theatre Troupe - ‘Breaker’ Torquay Theatre Troupe is delighted to announce an exciting upcoming event. On ANZAC Day it will present its first night of a ten performance season of ‘Breaker’ Morant by Kenneth G Ross under the direction of Michael Baker.

How much do we Australians know about the Boer War? Around 16,000 Australians volunteered to fight for Britain against the Dutch-Afrikaner, or Boer, settlers in South Africa from 1899 to 1902. It remains Australia’s third-worst conflict in terms of casualties. A total of 606 Australians died in two-and-a-half years in South Africa. Australians at home generally supported the war. However, public enthusiasm began to wane after 1900 as people became aware of civilian casualties.

The conviction and execution of lieutenants ‘Breaker’ Morant and Peter Handcock in 1902 further diminished support.

Their execution by firing squad remains one of the most controversial chapters in Australia’s military history. Together with George Witton they were found guilty of the murder of 12 prisoners of war in South Africa. Despite arguing that they had simply been following orders, Morant and Handcock were executed by firing squad in Pretoria in 1902. Witton was sentenced to life in prison but was freed in 1904.

Commander James Unkles, a military lawyer who has spent four years researching the original case , and Nick Bleszynski, a Scottish-born writer, sent a petition to the Queen, calling for a review of the trials. The petition argued that the convictions were unsafe and that the trial unfair because the men were denied the right to communicate with the Australian government, refused an opportunity to

prepare their cases and blocked from lodging an appeal.

The British government rejected the plea to grant a royal pardon to these Boer War soldiers.

However James Unkles has won the right to a hearing in the British Courts. He was to appear as Kitchener in TTT’s production but has been called to England for a preliminary hearing.

The next stage in the exciting story is that a grant of one and a half million has been obtained for making a documentory based on a retrial in Australia this year. We will all be hearing a lot more about this controversial event in our history so what better time for TTT to present this fascinating play. The troupe has brought together a cast of thirteen men to bring ‘Breaker’ Morant to you.

Performances will be at the Senior Citizens Hall in Price Street on the 25th, 26th, 27th of April and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th and 11th of May at 8pm. There will be a Sunday matinee at 2pm on the 28th of April. Tickets can be purchased at Surf Sight Optical 3/8 Gilbert St, Torquay, or booked by phoning Marie on 5261 9035. Block bookings of 10 or more at $15 per head can be made also.

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BY POPULAR DEMAND you asked for it, we go it!

The Greeting Method

with gold or paved with dog poop? We’ve been developing what we do for nearly six years now, with the current line-up coming in at about 2-3 years collectively. It has certainly been a path that has required a huge amount of passion, persistence, commitment and patience; but we believe in what we do and love doing it, and are extremely happy that some great opportunities are starting to arise.

You guys are fairly specific, yet not, when describing your style. What exactly is your style? Our style is a collection of listening to a wide range of music over the course of our lives and remaining honest in creating the music we perform. We simply want to sound like The Greeting Method – and straight from the soul.

What releases do you guys have out to date and do you have anything in the works?

We first released a single song CD entitled Chances as simply a promo at gigs etc, but our first real release was 2011’s Headspace.

We have an EP planned for release around late July/early August and it will be a big step up from our previous songwriting. We are extremely excited!!!

You seem to boast a pretty solid support base, particularly locally. Do you generally enjoy support from Geelong? We enjoy any support we receive. Geelong is the place we will always call home, and certainly have some of our most supportive, loyal fans. It would certainly be nice if more people realised how many great bands there are in their own home town and got behind them more – it can be very hit and miss in that regards.

How do you find being a band from Geelong?

Does it have pros and cons? Once again, the Geelong crowd need to realise what they have in Geelong, and remember that just because their home-grown bands may not have yet made it mainstream or simply got onto the radio, that there are many just as good, if not better, than what is happening elsewhere. They just need to get out and give it a chance. There is some pure gold lurking in the pubs and not the clubs!

Standing tall in the Geelong music scene is three-piece The Greeting Method. With music that resonates with the soul, the band has become a local favourite and was recently nominated by Forte readers as one they would like to get a little more familiar with.

So, curious readers, it is time to sit back, put

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your feet up and get cosy with The Greeting Method…

How does it feel to be nominated by Forte readers as a band that they want to see interviewed in Forte’s ‘By Popular Demand’ section? Is this an accolade that is up there amongst the most special you have received?

Feels great to be nominated by Forte readers as a band ‘By Popular Demand’! We have worked very hard at what we do for many years and appreciate the curiosity of your readers.

The Greeting Method has been around for five years. Can you tell us about your journey from then until now? Has the road been paved

What’s in store for you guys over the next couple of years? Keep an eye out for our upcoming EP, and we really appreciate anyone who comes along to have a good time when we play our next gig – whether it be here in Geelong or elsewhere.

Say hi to the lads TheGreetingMethod.

via

facebook.com/

Planning a function?

Forte's got you covered!

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The Barwon Club Situated just a stone’s throw from the ambience of the Barwon River stands a venue with a special ambience of its very own. The iconic Barwon Club has the atmosphere, function areas, facilities, flexibility, food and beverage options and attention to detail to make a roaring success of your next birthday party, engagement party, work or club function. Outside The Barwon Club patrons can take advantage of the modern, relaxing ‘Barn’ function area that has become a real highlight for many over the past four years. Featuring an indoor bar of its own and opening onto an alfresco area, the Barn is the ideal place to host a daytime or evening function any time of the week and at any time of the year. From a gourmet barbecue with mates to a deliciously catered finger-food engagement party right through to a fully catered sit-down meal, the Barn is the perfect setting.

The Barn can host 40 to 140 people and food and beverage packages can be discussed with the chef and manager to meet patrons’ every

requirement and budget. Inside a second great function area option is available – with a special twist. The Back Lounge can seat up to 120 people for functions and with a dance floor, stage and its own PA system, the Lounge transforms into a band room, allowing gigs hosting audiences of up to 300 people. Barwon Club owner Greg Dodds said both function areas at the Barwon Club offered something different. “The Barn has a really fantastic party atmosphere because of the way it’s set up, with the indoor/outdoor areas a wonderful advantage,” he said. “And the Back Lounge/Band Room is a unique venue to host all kinds of gigs.” For more information and to discuss your next function call The Barwon Club on 5221 4584.

Location: 509 Moorabool Street, South Geelong Phone: 5221 4584

Two Sugars Cafe Pizza Bar Restaurant Since the completion of renovations in September, Two Sugars Highton is excited to invite patrons to host your next function at Highton’s newest and exciting authentic pizza bar. We offer a rustic Italian café dining experience able to cater for up to 70 guests and families at a time. Available for both seated and standing functions, Two Sugars in Highton is available for private events upon booking.

Offering set menus of three to four courses, or an abundance of canapé options Two Sugars is able to cater to the tastes of a range of guests.

The premises also offers ample room to include

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live music options ranging from bands to DJ’s, or is able to offer the use of an internal sound system to play music fitting of the restaurants ambience. Also offering bookings for up to twenty people for breakfast, lunch or dinner options seven days a week, we can help you to celebrate birthdays, corporate events, engagements and anniversaries in a style and ambience unique to Two Sugars.

Location: 7/65-71 Barrabool Rd, Highton Contact: 03 5244

The Sphinx Planning a function and want all the hard work and organisation taken care of for you? Look no further than The Sphinx Hotel. With specially tailored packages to suit every need and budget and a designated functions co-ordinator to turn your vision into a reality, your wedding, birthday, conference, exhibition, celebration or corporate function will be organised with ease and style, leaving you to simply enjoy a great time. The Sphinx Hotel’s ‘Luxor Lounge’ can be modified to cater for gatherings of 40 people to as many as 300, making it suitable for even the largest of events. It even has its own large dance floor.

Functions co-ordinator Julie Ramia-Siketa said The Sphinx Hotel could organise as little or as much of your function as you desire, with the arrangement of decorations, wedding cakes and entertainment from DJs or bands all part of the service. In addition, The Sphinx Hotel offers everything from finger-food packages through to three, four and five-course meal and

beverage packages. While all menus can be tailored to suit individual budgets, tastes and dietary requirements, the venue’s sample menu selection certainly whets the appetite. Fingerfood options could include everything from salt and pepper calamari to sesame chicken. Main meals include quality fare ranging from Atlantic Salmon, Eye Fillet and Chicken and Vegetables.

So for your next function turn to The Sphinx Hotel’s ‘Luxor Lounge’ at 2 Thompson Road, North Geelong, phone 5278 2911 The Sphinx is open 7 days a week. “From your first enquiry until the last guest leaves, we’ll make it the night of your dreams,” Ms Ramia-Siketa said.

Location: 2 Thompson Road, North Geelong Phone: 5278 2911 www.sphinxhotel.com.au

Cloud 9 If you’re looking for a venue with a laid back vibe and a stylish comfortable interior for an upcoming function, look no further than Cloud 9 Bar and Lounge. The venue is a popular place to hold a special occasion with its relaxed atmosphere, great function deals and specialty cocktails.

Owner Gorge Camorra said there were many reasons why the venue appealed to those planning a function. “We have no room hire fees except for a $500 fee for 18th birthdays, no minimum spending on the bar tab, and our finger food is charged by the platter, not per person,” he said. “Unlike other places, we only charge for the food that is eaten.”

He also said people were welcome to decorate the venue and bring in their own music to play during the function. Whether it’s a birthday, engagement, hen’s party or corporate function, private function or cocktail wedding, Gorge and his team will make sure it’s a special, memorable event. When booking a function, Gorge said cocktail classes, which are held on Saturday afternoon for Hens

Parties or groups of Friends, can add some fun to an occasion. For $60 per head, guests can make and drink their own cocktails. For groups with more than 10 people, the person who booked the function is free, and groups of more than 15 will receive free finger food. “It’s a fantastic place to hold a function and the atmosphere is relaxed with comfortable couches for people to sit back and enjoy,” said Gorge. “All our feedback is positive.

Everyone is happy with their functions.” There is an opportunity to see if Cloud 9 suits your function needs with a 360 degree view of the venue’s interior on its website. Visit www.cloud9bar.com.au or contact George via email at cloud9barandlounge@ gmail.com Location: 96 Pakington Street, Geelong West Phone: 0407 626 474 Opening Hours: Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm til late. Also open for private bookings Thursdays and Sundays

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Cucina 1 12 There is an Italian proverb that reads: A tavola non si invecchia. Translated it is: At the table with good friends and family you do not become old.

Few among us can resist a good Italian feed; the ingredients, the smells, the love. At Cucina 112 you will find a modern Italian-style family-friendly restaurant with a lot of love. As soon as you step inside and you’ll notice two large dining rooms and a modern and spacious feel. And when it comes to functions, the venue comfortably sits between 40-45 people and is available for functions of all kinds. Affordable and flexible to meet your needs, Cucina 112 is big enough to handle your function while still remaining warm and cosy enough to mingle with everyone. Please note that if over a certain amount of people, a set menu will be placed. When it comes to the food on offer, Cucina 112 is all about the flavours of Italy: good for the body and good for the soul.

Not too bad for the belly either. They have a solid range of pizzas, pastas and risottos, but if you’re

Grovedale Hotel Speaking with Joel Taylor from The Grovedale Hotel, it seems there is a lot on offer at this local gem. “At the Grovedale Hotel we have four options for your function needs,” he tells. “The Wisteria room can cater for up to 120 people either informal or formal occasions. If you’re looking for a formal event for up to 220 we can transform our award winning Portofino’s Restaurant into your ideal function room. If you are looking to party the night away, our Tiger Bar can hold up to 160 people and is complete with dance floor, stage, nightclub lighting, private beer garden and lounge area. Our final option is our alfresco dining area which can cater for up to 50 guests for formal occasions or 70 informal. This is the ideal summer location with private terrace and a casual feel.” Given so many fabulous options The Grovedale Hotel really can cater for everything; informal and formal, they’ve got you covered. Aesthetically the venue is a sight to behold with a French provincial them imbuing the Wisteria Function Room and Portofino’s

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Restaurant. Whilst the Tiger Bar has a more relaxed feel for all styles of celebratory events, and the alfresco area has a casual dining feel for the smaller more intimate functions,” Joel beams. With some incredible feedback from patrons and party goers indeed it’s not just Joel that sees how much this local gem has to offer, “Our customers often remark about our large choice of options both for food and also rooms and styles. We offer a high quality of customer service that is well regarded by our customer base. Our function manager Peta Tanis and her team are ready and waiting to handle your function enquiry today.”

Location: 236 Surfcoast Hwy Grovedale Phone: 03 52432814 Opening Hours: Venue 9am – 5am and Functions 7am – 1am

up for something different their ‘Something from Cucina’ menu should do the trick. For those who love a good solid feed, their Char Grilled Scotch Fillet served on a seeded mustard mash should do the trick. There is a menu for the little ones as well. If you have a movie lined up for the night or want to get home and watch the footy, try their take away menu. You will find a generous selection of pizza and pasta favourites as well as Italian classics. You can’t go wrong.

Hours: Lunch – Daily from 11.30am Dinner – Daily from 6pm Breakfast – Saturday & Sunday from 8.30am Contact Details: 5243 0333

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Sebrosso A new twist of the Menu accompanied by a welcoming team of staff makes for a warming dining experience this winter at Sebroso. With classic menu items coming back like their slow cooked beef tortilla “Chimichangas” parcels, as well as chicken wings with special spicy sauce, an absoloute hit!

Sebroso is brining back taste sensations of citrus, special herbs and spices in their Spanish/Mexican influenced menu. The staff are excited to push for the shared dining experience either in a formal or lounge setting. The versatility of the venue creates some fantastic options for functions, whether it be a standup 21st Birthday with extensive tapas working

the room, or and special dinner seating up to 25.

Come in an chat to Tom or Shaun about creating a menu for your special event. Sebroso’s team is excited to design function packages accommodating all budgets and preferences.

Location: 146 Pakington St Geelong West Phone: 03 5224 1888 Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11:30am - Late, Functions available 7 days/ nights a week

At the Heads Even before you step inside At the Heads, you know you’re in for a treat. Situated on the Barwon Heads jetty ­– home of the famous Sea Change series – the venue offers full panoramic views from Barwon Bluff to Port Phillips heads and beyond. It is truly the Bellarine Peninsula’s most picturesque seaside location.

As you step inside and you’re introduced to exposed beams and rustic hardwood floors; complete with glass exterior walls that let you soak in the views, you will be instantly charmed by the picturesque setting.

When it comes to functions, think no further. At the Heads can cater for just about any special occasion. Interested parties can choose from three different function areas, holding anywhere from 20 to 200 people. Best of all, catering is taken care of.

Weddings are their speciality. Their team will

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do whatever it takes to make your special day a memorable one for all the right reasons. The surroundings make for the perfect setting, with breath taking views and a vibe the cant be replicated anywhere else, the beach side setting makes At the Heads a truly unique function venue.

If you have something in mind, the chances are the At the Heads team have thought of it. Give them a bell and see how they can help make your big day picture perfect.

If you are interested in booking a function, contact Laura, she will take the time to offer a personalised service in planning your special event.

Hours: 10am - late (lunch & dinner) Monday Friday, 8am - late (breakfast, lunch & dinner) Saturday & Sunday Contact Details: 5254 1277 and attheheads.com.au.

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Mrs Hyde Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to introduce to you - Mrs Hyde. Does the name sound a little familiar? It should. Mrs Hyde is the better half of what was, Mr Hyde. With a new owner and a makeover that makes her look a million bucks, Mrs Hyde is the talk of the town. April saw its grand opening and oh what an entrance she made.

When you step inside this unique venue it feels like walking into the house of an old friend: there is a warm sense of comfort but you will notice the changes. The main room has been opened up and with 20-foot high ceilings, grand arched windows, wall to wall bookshelves and a fireplace, the heritage venue manages to be both grand and cosy. As far as functions go the venue is available for anything from weddings and engagements to corporate weekday meetings and workshops. If you have a special event, the fantastic team at Mrs Hyde will bend over backwards to accommodate you. They also cater to fit within budgets where possible. Up to 200 people can be accommodated

Getcha Gearon Costume Hire Getcha Gearon is your one-stop shop for all your costume needs. Costumes: check. Wigs: check. Face and body paint: check. Hosiery: check. Weapons: check. Whatever your costume need, the chances are that Getcha Gearon is going to have the answer. What separates Getcha Gearon from other costume hire stores is that fun is their motto. Make that F-U-N! Step inside the store and you’ll feel the positive vibes; the team play old movies, eat lollies and dress up – it’s like going to a party in the store. Their shop is spacious and the costumes are spread out and labelled so you won’t feel overwhelmed. Getcha Gearon has thousands of costumes and accessories – and they are meticulous when it comes to keeping their costumes in top-notch condition. They have styles to suit every age and body type.

On average an adult hire will cost you between $40-50 while kids will cost you between $2030. Please note that a security bond is required

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on each costume hire. Okay, say you’re hosting a fancy dress party. If you get ten or more of your guests to hire from Getcha Gearon, your costume hire is free. How good is that? So if you’re planning a costume party, if you’re attending a party, or if you just feel like dressing up for the weekend, Getcha Gearon is the name to remember. Theme suggestions include: Superheroes and Villains, TV & Movies, First Letter of Your Name, Music, 1920’s Flapper and Gangsters, Burlesque, Cartoons, Hollywood, Jungle Safari and Around the World.

Hours: TUES to THURS 10am-5pm; FRI 10am7pm; SAT 10am-3pm; SUN/MON Closed.

Where: Level 1, 73 Malop Street, Geelong.

Contact: 5298 1579 Email: www.getchagearon.com.au

and two private rooms are available for functions.

You have the ‘dark and inviting’ Black Room and the ‘lighter, more feminine’ Tea Room. The music is up to you. You can hire a DJ, band, put your iPod on shuffle or you can leave it up to the specific catered for genres on the in-house system. A full tapas menu is available and includes a variety of options; from the land, from the sea and lifestyle ranges are all available. What is lifestyle? That caters for vegan, gluten-free etc. Oh, and make sure you ask about their High Tea for the sweeter side of life. *Note: Both bar and table service is now available throughout the night.

Functions: 7 Days a Week Open Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 5pm to late.

(Licensed until 1am.) Spring/Summer – Sunday afternoons Contact Details: 5223 1228, mrshyde.com.au

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Sandstone Café Welcome to Sandstone Café, a fresh and exciting slice of heaven. Step inside and you will notice a relaxed and bright café. The atmosphere hums along nicely while still being relaxed; you’ll feel right at home. If you prefer eating outdoors, their gorgeous courtyard is just as inviting. Nestled between sandstone columns are tables made from recycled red gum sleepers from South Geelong Railway Station. If you have a function in mind, you will want to keep Sandstone Café in mind. The venue works with you in order to put the best possible function together – your needs are put first. A function in summer is going to be different to one in winter, and the team at Sandstone realise this. So don’t let the chills put you off because Sandstone will do what they can to make your event warm and cosy. Let’s take a little look at their menu. The venue has both a Café Menu and Dinner Menu, serving up treats so tasty you’ll have trouble deciding what to order. Start your day off on the right note with

one of their delicious brekkie favourites. Their Friday and Saturday two-course and threecourse specials are a real winner too.Catering is also a specialty. For those special occasions, Sandstone Café can arrange a menu to suit all tastes and budgets. Simply check in on their website at sandstonecafe.com.au and shoot them an email. It’s all too easy. Finally, the venue has a fantastic selection of wines from the local region and beyond. And if you enjoy a good coffee to finish off your meal, or simply need an early morning pick-me-up, their Dimattina Coffee should hit the spot perfectly.

Where: 1/284 Torquay Road, Grovedale, 3216.

Hours: SUN-THUR 9am-4pm; FRI-SAT 9amlate.

Contact: 5244 2343.

Perettis The proprietor and chef of Sandstone Café also helms Perrettis, so you know you’re in good hands. The neighbouring venue may be the new kid on the block, but it is certainly the cool kid everyone is going to want to know. With its bright colours and extensive fit out, the venue is perfect for a night out with the better half or for catching up with family or friends. It has a modern contemporary design which catches the eye right away, while its use of timber and stone adds a very cool touch. Functions are set to become a Perrettis speciality. Accommodating up to 60 people, the venue can cater for standup or sit-down events. From wedding parties to birthdays, finger food to cocktails, the venue has you covered. The team is flexible and will do what they can to make things run as smoothly as possible. The only thing you will

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need to do is make a good toast. But, they could probably do that too. As you may have guessed from their name, Perrettis has an Italian touch.

Housemade pastas and pizzas is the name of the game and it is a game they play very well indeed. Good food is one thing but we all love a bargain, and at Perrettis you’re going to get just that. Eat up! So, if you have a special occasion coming up and you’re stressing about what to do, why not give Perrettis a bell. The friendly team is waiting for your call.

Where: 2/286 Torquay Road, Grovedale, 3216.

Hours: WED-SUN 4pm-late. *Will move to 7 Days.

Contact: 5241 2226.

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Slate Pool Lounge Are you looking for a function with a twist; a sense of something different and a sense of something truly cool? Then welcome to Slate Pool Lounge.

A stylish pool club boasting the finest tables and sleekest furnishings Slate is certainly a location that will have people talking. With tables given the stamp of approval by owner and renowned local snooker champ Johl Younger, a game of pool is always a great way to break the game and break the ice with your guests. Much more than your average pool lounge though, Slate offers a relaxing atmosphere that invites patrons to chill out with a beverage and be blown away by their latest state-of-the-art sound system, stylishly furnished three levels, mezzanine level and their popular outdoor room. With thirteen large plasma screens showing film clips as well as AFL matches, come September you can have a fun night out without missing a moment of the footy action. Featuring free function room hire the team at Slate are dedicated to bringing their highest level of satisfaction to you and your partygoers. Their motto;

Elephant and Castle Boasting over 130 years of history, The Elephant and Castle feels like a home away from home. After one visit to this iconic Geelong venue, you will have discovered your new ‘local’. The warm and inviting atmosphere provides the perfect venue for groups of any size to come in, relax and have a good time on their next special occasion. Welcoming sit down dinners to cocktail or canape events, the Elephant and Castle is renowned for providing patrons with a variety of choices to cater to their every whim, taking all the stress out of the often chaotic planning process. With a large open bar, velvet-cushioned chairs and couches situated by beautiful red gum tables, this truly is the local pub experience at its most decadent.

If you are looking for a venue that guarantees

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good food and the same high quality service then the Elephant and Castle is the place to be.

Functions Manager, Mari-Carmen, says; “We are consistent in our service of food, being a local pub it is of the greatest of importance that we continue to be consistent in delivering great affordable food”. To host your next function at the Elephant and Castle, or to find out more about the function packages available, contact the team on 5221 3707, email enquiries@enc. net.au, or visit the website at www.enc.net.au.

Location: 158 McKillop St, East Geelong 3219 Contact: 5221 3707 Opening Hours: 11am-12am 7 days

it’s all about the fun, laughter and entertainment.

During the week Slate plays host to a number of pool leagues. Mondays are set aside for the Hustler Pool league; a great social pool league for players of any standard from professionals to beginners with fantastic prizes available. Tuesdays are for the women with Slate Ladies Eightball competition another great pace to socialise and improve your game. Whilst Thursdays are for the true hustlers where players are invited to come in and try their luck in Slate’s weekly pool competition. Great prizes available, $5.00 entry fee (No division 1 or 2 players). So if you want to evoke your inner hustler, show off your skills to a room full of family, friends or coworkers and of course have a whole lot of fun then contact Slate today about booking your next function.

Location: 50 Little Ryrie Street, Geelong Phone: 03 52 232 911

San Cisco

By Tex Miller

They burst onto our radios with the song ‘Awkward’, and last year released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album.

Having just finished a U.S. and European tour which saw San Cisco play at SXSW for the first time – as well as support The Vaccines and Darwin Deez – they are back to tour Australia with their most ambitious tour to date, with support from fellow indie rockers Millions and US sister duo, Chaos Chaos. I recently caught up with Scarlett Stevens – the band’s drummer – to chat about the logistics of touring on the road, their upcoming ‘Beach’ tour, and breaking into the international music scene.

“We’ve been on the road for the last eleven weeks, and playing at SXSW was definitely a highlight of that. It didn’t really seem to be that much of a buzz or vibe to the festival, but to be fair there is so many bands playing and being talked about, so it’s hard to gauge the response of the crowd and media to your music. Our album hasn’t been released in America yet; they have all of our EP’s and on radio in Minneapolis – ‘Awkward’ is getting absolutely thrashed. The college radio scene over there is another aspect that allows for your music to get heard in a large and hard market to break into.”

Starting off as friends who played folk music together in Western Australia, the buzz and success that has followed San Cisco ever since the release of their debut EP has been somewhat surprising. Added to the Falls Festival bill last year, and most recently Lollapalooza in the U.S. which takes place in August, Scarlett never thought that the band would have the opportunity to tour internationally and support the bands that they have over their career thus far.

“When we started out, we recorded some music and sent it out; playing overseas was never really on the agenda. I think that as a band from Perth, coming over to play the East Coast and tour was an expensive affair, but necessary for the band’s growth.”

Influenced by the likes of Meg White, Dave Grohl and Cindy Blackman to name just a few, after a chance meeting with Jack Johnson’s drummer at a barbeque, Scarlett was inspired to pick up the sticks. Road-tripping with her parents to the soundtrack of Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age, the drumming and rhythm section of San Cisco that has developed as a result is incredibly infectious.

The album is a great listen, and through many of the catchy indie tunes such as ‘Wild Things’, ‘Fred Astaire’, ‘No Friends’ and latest single ‘Beach’, is

an accurate account of their growing popularity.

Yet, despite the commercial success of these songs in Australia, how well the song will do in the charts is something that isn’t in the forefront of their minds.

“We are always trying to write catchy pop songs; whether they are a hit or not is secondary to the matter. I think that the reason ‘Awkward’ has been received so positively overseas is because of the chorus. Everyone seems to remember gibberish choruses rather than those of real words (laughs).”

plenty of shenanigans, sing-alongs and beach balls, be sure to bring your hat and sunscreen along for a great night of fun. “We have played the same set for the last eleven weeks throughout the UK and U.S., so for this tour we’re going to shake it up a bit. Darwin Deez breaks out into a choreographed dance within his set, and Jordie has developed his own unique spin on that. Every tour that we have been on the support bands have been fantastic, and this time around it’s no different. Having other girls on tour is great and we are very excited to get out and see some familiar faces.”

The upcoming Beach tour – which kicks off on the Sunshine Coast in mid-May – will make its way around the country with a show in Ballarat at Karova Lounge on Thursday, May 23 rd. Featuring

Given the state of the global financial market, overseas touring has increasingly become harder and harder. That’s not to say that it’s impossible, however the logistics and planning of trips

definitely need to be considered when planning a tour. “Nowadays, it’s really expensive to tour; you have to hire a car in every city. Luckily, we have a tour manager, which makes things a lot easier.

But organising backline and your transfers to the next city can become increasingly frustrating as the tour continues on. It’s all great fun but a lot of planning too.”

So grab your beach towels and mates because San Cisco are headed to town, and they are certain to show why are they one of the most talked about acts around town!

When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – May 23.

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down to business: Bish & Paulies New Home at……

The Bishop and The Little Prince Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery

by April Grenfell

Forget dark, grungy tattoo parlors with an eerie atmosphere, The Bishop and The Little Prince Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery is a breath of fresh air for tattoo lovers. In a contemporary premise in Shannon Avenue, the new shop owned and operated by long time friends, Simon Bishop and Paul Blackhall, offers a vibrant, welcoming interior similar to that of a hair and beauty salon. Customers aren’t bombarded with gloomy dark images, photos and drawings synonymous with tattoo shops but rather colorful local artwork hung on brightly painted walls and a display of Lego and toy hot rods. The creative staff are proud and happy with the results.

“We wanted to create a non-intimidating atmosphere that was filled with light,” said Simon.

“We are easy going people and enjoy having a laugh, so we wanted the studio to reflect that. For us it’s like working from home and we want our customers to enjoy the new studio as much as we do.”

Simon and Paul entered the industry as teenagers after they got their first tattoo. Simon, originally from the UK, eventually ditched his job as a chef to work in tattoo studios all over the world. Paul has worked as a tattoo artist in Victoria and New South Wales. The new business venture had been a topic of discussion between the pair for the past 10 years but it wasn’t until September last year that the artistic tattooists – who have more than 40 years’ industry experience between them – decided it was time to make their dream a reality. “It’s been a positive experience and a lot of people have been impressed with what we have done so far. Customers know we are passionate about what we do,” said Simon. “We take a lot of pride in sterilization, everything is thrown out as soon as it is used.”

Another talented tattooist, Marty Roessler, will join Paul, Simon, apprentice Mellita Salmon and receptionist Olivia, in May. With 12 years experience behind him and specialising in tribal and grey wash tattoos, his work will certainly complement the talents of Paul and Simon. Paul admits he enjoys humorous tattoos and specialises in small tattoos and tattoos inspired by Lego. Simon on the other hand has an eye for Japanese and universal tattoos.

Around 70 per cent of the jobs undertaken by the studio are small tattoos. “Like fashion, there are trends,” said Paul. “But the cancer ribbon is very popular, so is lettering. People often want to tell a story and express something that has happened in their life.”

Paul also said tattoos were now a lot more accessible and no longer had the stigma they once had. “The industry has changed a lot over the past 15 years. People believed that tattoos were for criminals, sailors or bikies but now people of all ages and backgrounds are getting tattoos, from police officers to bankers and lawyers. It’s a lot more acceptable, it’s grown as an art form,” he said.

The team is planning to increase services in the future by opening a second level and introducing tattoo laser removal and a gallery for local artists to showcase their work. The Bishop and The Little Prince Tattoo Studio at 199 Shannon Ave (opposite McDonalds) is open Monday until Saturday 10am-6pm and for late night appointments. Phone 5221 6299.

Geelong Queer Film Night On May 16, Courthouse ARTS will host the Geelong Queer Film Night. Screening films direct from Melbourne in celebration of Idaho, the night will feature two outstanding productions. Forte had the pleasure of chewing the fat with Lee Galea, writer and director of one of the night’s features, Monster Pies.

How long have you been making films for? Can you tell us how the passion for filmmaking came about? I’ve been making films since I was 16. I’ve been a big film buff all my life and I was a very creative kid when I was growing up, so the two went hand in hand.

Can you tell us a bit about some of your other works? I had two successful shorts in my early twenties which made it into festivals like the St Kilda Film Festival and Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

Then in my late twenties, I decided to move away from shorts and direct and produce my first feature, Less Adolescent. After a small run in Melbourne and no luck with a distributor, I moved onto Monster Pies.

Can you tell us about your latest movie? Monster Pies is a teen romance about two boys discovering feelings for each other while putting together a school project on ‘Romeo and Juliet’. It’s a film that I wrote when I was fifteen, and I thought that now was a really good time to tell this story.

The Movie deals with themes around teenage romance, and also issues facing young Gay and Lesbian people. Was there a message intended to be portrayed in the film or is it simply a story?

Yes, there is a message in the film and it’s simply that love between two males is no different than love between a male and a female.

The trailer is very gripping; it looks like the movie is dramatic. How would you describe the movie in terms of its style? Some of the film’s strengths are its dramatic moments. However, it has a good balance of comedy and romance.

Is the movie designed to be confronting in terms of young people dealing with issues of their sexuality? Yes, parts of the film do have confronting moments but our main focus is on telling a love story.

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Forte has covered the Bendigo Queer Film Festival and now the Geelong Queer Film Night in consecutive issues.

How important are such nights or festivals in your opinion?

These smaller screenings are important in reaching audiences in outer city areas who may not have the opportunity to travel into the city. I went to the Bendigo Queer Film Festival and got some great feedback from the locals who really appreciated the film and its message, and were happy to see it in their local town.

What can people expect on the night? Is there usually a discussion forum following the movie? Yes, I’ll be attending on the night and I’ll be doing a Q&A afterwards; then hopefully getting to meet and greet some of the audience members.

Courthouse ARTS – May 16. Monster Pies – 5.30pm & Mosquita y Mari – 7.30pm. $5 one screening / $7 both. For further information please visit courthouse.org.au.

What’s On In The Rat May 2 – 16

By Daniel Lock.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS SEND YOUR INFO TO: editorial@fortemag.com.au or p.o. box 1388, geelong 3220 or fax 5229 0318 FOR INDIVIDUAL USE ONLY, NOT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

On Friday, 3rd of May, the staff at Karova have Barbariön, the Melbourne ‘Barbarian’-themed band (duh!) playing some classic, original heavy metal while putting on a show not seen often in this little rat town. $10 Entry.

Meanwhile, Babushka will have Melbourne roots rockers The Groves playing their tunes for an audience that might be looking for a quieter, less conquering show. $5 Entry.

The 4th of May sees Melbourne punk rockers The Bennies playing Karova with support from other punk bands: their fellow Melbournians The Tearaways and Karova resident regulars, Rick Moranis Overdrive. $10 Entry.

The 8th of May has Karova hosting U.S. band Vanna alongside Storm The Sky, Sierra, A Call To Anguish and Eyes Wide Open. $20 Entry. Over at Babushka, they have Matt’s Vinyl Sessions every Wednesday. So, if you feel the need to chillax and enjoy some vinyl music in a comfortable atmosphere, then Babushka is the place to spend Wednesday hump-days. Free entry.

Thursday, 9th of May has The Pony Men back at the Karova, playing with Werribee rockers The Soulenikoes and Ballarat thrash metalists Saprotroph. $8 Entry.

At Babushka, the talented guitarist, blues/folk singer Daniel Champagne will be playing to the ears of patrons. $15 Entry.

Friday, 10th of May has Like Royalty playing Karova with Oh Pacific, Outlines and Chris Appleton. Entry $8.

Saturday, 11th of May, Karova is hosting Emma Louise’s album Vs Head Vs Heart release tour. She’ll be playing with her band and touring supports, Thelma Plum and

Patrick James. $20 Entry.

Thursday, 16th of May has Babushka Cafe/Lounge hosting duo Two Rivers. The 16th of May also sees the first show of Live on Lydiard 40 kick off. Live on Lydiard is the name of the collective shows put on by the first and second year Sound and Lighting students at TAFE SMB campus. They take place at the Courthouse Theatre on Lydiard Street South (or, set back a bit from the corner of Grant Street and Armstrong Street South, in my opinion), and play host to a range of musicians volunteering to help the students in their training. The first show of Live on Lydiard will see Scott Fraser, Lowdown & Dirty, Dan Rolls and Old World Sparrow playing the Thursday night.

Friday, 17th of May, Live on Lydiard will be hosting Vinegar Hill, Alek (Hurdy Gurdy!) and the Jailbird Jokers. *Friday, 17th of May also sees ARIA Top Ten regulars British India playing at Karova. $25 Entry.

Saturday, 18th of May, and the last night of Live on Lydiard for this round will see Matheson, Mark with the Sea and Matt Malone rocking the outro for the first Live on Lydiard season this year. $5 entry each night.

If the above is not enough to fill your entertainment quota, other venues that often host entertainment are The Unicorn Cafe/Restaurant/Gallery at 127 Sturt Street, Ballarat. They host live music and entertainment throughout the week. Also Portico, now located at 81 Humffray Street North, often accommodate a range of entertainment.

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Looking for a rock singer between the age 17-19. Main Influences are Green Day, Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin. Band with Management and Label. Email and info at melodicmusic.com Looking for a drummer, not afraid to experiment.

Male/female. Age 35++ ono. All original. English/ Australian influences without the radio play. Original to the extent of punk/pop sensibility 1978 to the not-so-now style. Think of yourself as a patron of The Saints, Stiff Little Fingers, Radio Birdman, Buzzcocks, The Smiths, Psychedelic

Furs, Iggy & The Stooges, Wedding Present, Happy Mondays etc etc, then forget you have to be. The usual... car, equipment, attitude, mental state (in an OK kind of...) punctual, earplugs accepted. Be prepared to apply yourself. Let us know on 0409 567 043. Please leave your details and we will hear you - Confirmation code: AKA 1963 Geelong rock band looking for lead vocalist. We are a Geelong based original band looking for a lead vocalist, have a lot of experience and heaps of great original music waiting to be sung.

Influences: pearl jam, chili peppers, foo fighters, nirvana, led zep, sound garden. Contact Ben 0432049231.

Experienced Lead Guitarist Wanted. Top 40 Coverband. 70s 80s 90s and current. Based in Geelong. Must have commitment. Please Call Mark on 0438836469 or email at pudge_ gypsy33@hotmail.com Singer wanted for acoustic covers duo.

Must like 90’s British bands and not into songs your “normal” covers bands play. Think Oasis, Morrissey & The Smiths, Libertines, Pulp, Blur, Verve, and similar Aussie & American groups.

Nothing serious to start with but possible gigging if we sound great! Age no barrier and male / female encouraged to contact. Contact Liam: britpopcovers@gmail. com or 0430904407 Band Members Wanted: Looking for band members between the ages of 16-19 years of age for pop group.

Looking for bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals and synth player. If interested, please contact 0417575237.

Hard Rock Covers Band with experienced, solid, bass player and drummer team requires guitarist with skill, awesome sound, and decent equipment. We have full rehearsal live room, pro gear, and all recording equipment.

Project will involve gigging, recording, and working on original material as well as edgy covers. Age no barrier, but must be directable team player and have own transport.

Carlos: 0409493521 Wanted: Male Vocalist,

Two Guitarists Lead/ Rythm,Keyboard,Drummer to form an Original Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band,Kevin Phone 0352757689, Email linnums@ optusnet.com.au Vocalist Wanted: Rock/alternative band, currently consisting of guitar, bass, drums.

In search of a clean vocalist preferably with experience. Influences: Tool, A Perfect Circle, Karnivool, 12 stones, Godsmack, etc. Contact Dean 0431067758 Singer For Rock Covers Band Needed.

New project that will incorporate some originals. We have large acoustically enhanced rehearsal room inc.

P.A and all recording equipment. Project will involve live gigs/shows, recording, and working on orginal material. Age no barrier, but must be team player with own equip and transport. Covering rock/ pop/grunge/hair-band/ glam. You will be working with experienced team.

Carlos: 0409 493521 Photographer Wanted for band photos. Semniprofessional ok. Call Josh 0430971319 Wanted, 40+ y.o.

Muso’s to form a fun Rock Band.

Bass, Drummer, Lead Guitar, Keyboards or other welcome. To play Classic Rock from the 70’s onwards. Call or Text Nick on 0408359821.

Geelong Vocalist Looking for guitarist, bass and drummer to form contemporary blues/ rock band. Experienced players required.Ph: Craig 0404054045 or email transform_pt@ yahoo.com.au Singer/songwriter looking for musicians

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Frankenstein Ensemble Theatre [live review]

By Shannon Stevenson

Long before contemporary culture gave us True Blood and The Walking Dead, audiences have enjoyed the thrill of a good horror story.

In this era, blood and gore no longer have the capacity to shock, so it was refreshing to watch a classic story unfold in all its brutal, confronting and yet wonderfully human glory on the stage.

Since Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was first published in 1818, the story and its many movie adaptations have continued to capture the imagination.

This stage version, written by English playwright Nick Dear and performed by Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, is a deliciously frightening adaptation that is so much more than just a gothic horror story.

It’s also a story of morality and responsibility, returning to Shelley’s original ideas regarding the moral responsibility of the scientist to his creation.

The theme is startlingly relevant in today’s world, as we continue to grapple with issues of morality and ethics in the quest to create, prolong and even control the end of human life.

The play begins with the very physical process of The Creature’s birth, as he jolts, contorts and groans into existence.

Lee Jones clearly revels in this highly charged, physically demanding role. His wonder and joy at the discovery of his own body and the world around him, as well as the pain of rejection, are all very convincing.

As The Creature, Jones owns the stage.

Cast out by his creator, the brilliant but emotionally devoid young scientist Victor Frankenstein (Andrew Henry), The Creature gradually becomes an intelligent being discovering his world, learning to speak, think and feel. It’s like watching a toddler in a fully grown man’s body, all awkward and incredulous, but quickly learning by mimicking those around him.

After discovering both trust and then brutal betrayal, The Creature embarks on a murderous path and we gain an insight into how this monster was created not by the scientist Frankenstein, but by an intolerant and prejudicial society. As an audience we abhor his crimes, yet we have some understanding of what has led him down this dark path. We feel his loneliness and isolation.

Meanwhile his creator, increasingly obsessed with his quest to create life, becomes less than human as the play progresses. We feel deeply for his long-suffering fiancé Elizabeth (Katie Fitchett), desperate for his attention, and his poor father (Brian Meegan) who

wrenchingly wonders where he went wrong.

The play’s set is simple and yet wonderfully atmospheric as we move across locations through snow and fire. The haunting live music score written

by Elena Kats-Chernin and played live by cellist Heather Stratfold in cascading tulle and black gloves, is a highlight.

Frankenstein is a remarkable production from the Ensemble Theatre, director Mark Kilmurry and cast.

A highlight of the 2013 theatre calendar.

Frankenstein premiered at the Sydney Opera House, where this reviewer was fortunate to see it performed. The show will soon head south to Geelong Performing Arts Centre from May 16-18, Bendigo’s Capital Theatre on May 24 & 25 and Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre on June 20.

Gifts for the Geek

By Anthony MorriS

It’s hard to deny that these days comic books are at the centre of the pop culture universe: They’re made into blockbuster films, they’re turned into successful television series, they’re the engine behind massive corporations and common ground for people all over the world. Yet, it still all comes down to the humble comic book store; and for several years that store in Geelong has been Gifts for the Geek. It opened seven years ago as a way for a pair of eBay stores to sell off excess stock over Christmas, and as store owner-operator Darren puts it, “we just never closed.”

Okay, there was slightly more to it than that. “We timed it well. We actually became a fully-fledged comic book shop around three years ago, just as DC comic did their massive ‘New 52’ relaunch and as the Marvel movies like The Hulk and The Avengers finally became good. So there was fair bit of good luck timing as well.”

Even with all the hype around comic characters at the moment, comic books remain something that people sometimes need some guidance with. “If you come in here and ask what’s a good Batman comic to read, we’ll recommend twenty to you and tell you why. We get a lot of people coming in saying, ‘I’ve always wanted to read comics but I don’t know where to start’. It’s actually not a simple question because there’s a lot of different angles to take; and the whole thing of comics being for kids a lot of people struggle with – parents come in to buy comics for their kids and 80 per cent of the comics are not for children.

We have a special area down the back with comics for kids and that are aimed at kids. But one of our biggest sellers is a comic called Crossed, which is one of the most vile, gory, evil things I’ve ever read in my life.” He laughs, “And I love it!”

Coming up is May the 4th, which is a big day for Star Wars fans (for obvious reasons if you say it out loud), but May 4th is also Free Comic Book Day, when comic shops worldwide put on a range of activities based around – and you might have guessed this one – free comic books.

“This is its eleventh year; it’s a worldwide thing.

It was started by a comic store owner who simply wanted to try and get people interested in comics

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When&Where: May 4th free comic book day - 155 Ryrie St Geelong and get them into the shop once a year, and all the comic companies ran with it and it became this massive thing. The big one this year is going to be The Walking Dead. They’re putting out a new story that you won’t be able to get anywhere else – the free comics are always new material, and in this case with The Walking Dead, it’s a one-shot that won’t be appearing in the graphic novels.”

There’s more to Free Comic Book day than just opening the door and throwing comics at passersby, of course. “Every comic book store does it a little differently. With us, it’s five free comic books per person who comes in – whether you buy something or not. There’s no catch; you come in, you can grab

five free comics. If you’ve been thinking of getting into a comic, like Batman or Spiderman, it’s a great chance to give it a shot. Also on the day we run massive sales. We’ve got people in costume coming down, we’ve got two comic book artists in store doing sketches – Paul Mason, who does a comic called The Soldier Legacy, and Paul Abstruse, he’s a freelance artist who’s done The Witch King and drawn for companies like Zenescope. Both guys are regulars on the convention circuit; we’re flying them both down for the weekend.”

A lot of factors have gone into Gifts for the Geek’s success over the last seven years, but for Darren the one that stands out over the others is simple:

they love what they do. “Until we opened up a comic book shop, Geelong hadn’t had one for fifteen years. We’ve been lucky with the last two or three years with the Australian dollar staying strong. Ten years ago it would have been unheard of to pick up a graphic novel for twenty dollars – now that’s the average price, whereas ten years ago it would have been forty dollars or more. Around three years ago a lot of small businesses died, including the shop we used to share with, and in my area there’s nine or ten empty shops. Sometimes we survive through stupid male logic, by refusing to close when business logic tells you to. But we enjoy what we do.

We love comics.”

Bob Evans

By Tex Miller

Familiar Stranger, the fourth release from Bob Evans, aka Kevin Mitchell, once again hits the nail on the head. Following on from the critical acclaim he has received through his past three releases – Suburban Songbook, Goodnight Bull Creek! and Suburban Kid – this record develops on the classic sixties sounds of his previous songs and puts a modern twist on them.

“I think that the production for this record is a little more diverse than what we have done previously.

With the past couple of albums, I really wanted to develop the sixties vibe we had going on, but for Familiar Stranger it was time to make a record that would sound like it was made in 2013, rather than forty years ago. I’ve got the best band I have put together yet and the tour is going great thus far,” Bob said.

With the ever-energetic Davey Lane from You Am I on lead guitar, there is certainly going to be plenty of shenanigans and Pete Townshend windmills on display when the Familiar Stranger tour hits the Yarra Hotel. With four albums under his belt, the decision to choose a setlist must be hard. But there is no cause for concern as Bob assures me your favourites such as ‘Nowhere Without You’ and ‘Don’t You Think It’s Time?’ will be included.

“The setlist will be a combination of everything. I like to play songs that people will want to hear because I don’t have any fun being too self-indulgent. The great thing about doing Bob Evans shows is I can

Aidan Rolfe xxx

The music world is full of hit songs that have been written within a short time frame; R.E.M.’s Grammy-winning ‘Losing My Religion’, for example, was penned in 10 minutes.

Aidan Rolfe, a Year 12 student at Kardinia International College, tells his own tale about how sometimes things just fall into place.

“Well, I’ve known about the program [Music: Count Us In] for a few years, and I saw the callout for student songwriters and thought I’d give it a go.

I actually only submitted the song 40 minutes before the submission closed, and the song I submitted didn’t exist an hour earlier; but it was a really rewarding experience working to a pitch and working under the pump.”

Music: Count Us In is Australia’s biggest music gig, and the country’s biggest school initiative. Run since 2007, the event involves more than 600,000 students, teachers and (often) parents from across Australia who sign up, rehearse and perform the same song, on the same day, at the same time.

Last year over 1,900 schools took part. Aidan is one of the lucky chosen four who will help write the song under the mentorship of songbird Katie Noonan; and he is feeling pretty chuffed. “Along with Sia and Florence Welch, Katie Noonan is one of my god-ladies! I screamed when I found out I’d be working with her.”

play songs both solo and with the band; therefore attempt to play requests that are heckled at me from the front of the crowd,” Bob says Playing music for the best part of a decade in Jebediah as well as under the Bob Evans name, the influences on his songwriting and musicianship have changed; from The Sleepy Jackson to Goldfrapp and Spoon. However, despite this the commercial success of a song is something that never comes to mind.

“I don’t think about whether it’s going to climb the ARIA charts or be played on commercial radio, because that builds pressure that you don’t particularly want when you’re writing a song. I write songs for myself, that I would want to hear. I’ve discovered that if I write something that appeals to me, there is a fair chance that a small amount of people will too. I’ve been making records for fifteen years now and people still want to hear them, so I must be doing something right.”

As Bob has grown musically, playing more gigs in the pub and club scene as the front man for Jebediah, the idea of success – which should not come as a surprise – has changed. Beginning out dreaming of playing in his favourite venue or supporting a musical hero, this ideal has changed quite significantly. “When Jebediah started to pick up and play more shows, I used to think about how many albums were being sold and how many faces were coming through the door at gigs. Playing on the radio and commercial success, that stuff comes and goes – quite quickly sometimes, I might add.

I’ve seen a lot of bands come and go in my time, and if I can still be staying productive and producing records in another fifteen, then that’ll be fantastic!” year, Aidan is rolling with the punches. “Well, it’s certainly no picnic. I try to spend about two hours every day just songwriting, and to add to that, I gig a bit with Square 1 and by myself – so I’m busy a lot.”

Aidan is a vocalist and songwriter for the schoolbased band Square 1. With the band, he has supported acts including The Woohoo Revue and The Sweethearts, and recently performed on the main stage at Minus18’s Same Sex Formal to over 400 people. Last year the band released the psychedelic folk song ‘The Lost Weekend’, and this year they’ve recorded ‘Maybe You’re the Problem’, a funk-Latin-pop fusion number according to the singer-songwriter. “I’m keen to try most things really,” he says about his diverse love of musical styles. “I like music with syncopation, or music that has a sort of tribal feel. But songs that really build, or that have big full sounds, excite me.”

Back to Music: Count Us In. Aidan is joined by fellow Victorian Abbey Slattery, South Australia’s Holly Winter and Western Australia’s Ritchell Lim for the prestigious honour. As well as writing the song that over half-a-million students will sing, the four will be behind a recorded version of the track which will be produced by the program’s Ambassador, John Foreman. Like a true muso, he is taking it all in his stride. “I’m excited for every gig that I do, which sounds really daggy, but I think most performers will relate to that sentiment. If you love performing, you look forward to every gig.”

Music: Count Us In takes place on October 31. For further information check out musiccountusin.org. au. For further information on Square 1 check out facebook.com/kicsquare1.

It will come as no surprise that the young songman is studying music, and in what is a demanding

Daniel Champagne

By Tex Miller

At just twenty-three years old, Daniel Champagne has most likely seen more of the world than anyone else his age. Armed with his guitar and skilful finger-tapping techniques, Daniel has spent the past five years touring heavily on the road both here and in the U.S., Canada and Europe to rave reviews. With his second album entitled The Gypsy Moon (Volume 1), he is back in the country once again. I recently caught up with Daniel ahead of his appearance at the Beav’s Bar on May 2.

“We’ve just completed a week of the tour since its release and the reception has been really good; everyone is loving the new material. I’ve just played a couple of shows with ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro which was an incredible experience because he is such an amazing player of the instrument. It was a blast to play with him if it was only for three shows,” Daniel said. Over the past few weeks, the latest single, ‘Heart Like This’, has been receiving extensive airplay on triple j as well as racking up a few thousand YouTube hits. Talking about the writing process of the song, Champagne feels that, once again, he needed to get into a certain headspace for the particular inspiration to come.

“I think that within songwriting, you always need to find a particular frame of mind to write. It might take twenty minutes to find, it might take three months, but I really need it to be able to write something meaningful.”

Being a travelling musician on the road all the time can sometimes take its toll, yet it’s through the constant energy and buzz of the crowd that Daniel feels he has been able to tour non-stop for so long.

“The energy and the vibe of a room of people are like nothing else; it’s fantastic. You tend to get a lot of cool energy from the crowd, and I also love the opportunity to be able to see new places around the world and meet new people. That is the main reason, aside from the music, that I’ve kept doing it all this time.

On the days off, there is a lot of guitar playing and just checking emails and catching up on the business side of things – and relaxing, which heaps charge the batteries,” Champagne relates about his hectic touring schedule.

Having travelled all over the world looking for the right place to record the latest album, Champagne finally went back to Pirate Studios in northern NSW – the studio in which he has recorded the rest of his releases in. Taking his time to record the album, and refining the sound through several takes with producer Dave Sparkes, the process was similar to his debut, Pint Of Mystery. “I sat in a recording booth looking at Dave playing the song over and over again, and then we got a few friends to help colour it in and fill the gaps in some cases.”

To see one of the rising stars in the Australian blues and roots scene, make sure you catch Daniel Champagne at his Beav’s Bar gig. It will be a night full of intimate storytelling and some ace guitar playing. “I can’t wait to get back and play in Geelong. It’s a great music scene and there is always support for what I do”.

When&Where: Beav’s Bar, Geelong – May 2

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forte funny facts !

• A ll British Army tanks come equipped with team making facilities • A n Ant can survive falling from a sky scraper • A pple has more money than the US Government • It would take you 1000 years to watch every video on You Tube • When people say ‘bless you’ it's because back in the day people believed a sneeze was a demon escaping.

• A droplet of blood travels the equivalent of twice around the world when travelling through every vein in the body.

• A sneeze travels at over 150km’s an an hour (bless you!)

• If you sneeze with your eyes open, which is impossible, your eyes would pop out.

WHAT THE??

Talented Train Beat Box Rapper This talented Guy brings life to a train journey.

He uses his seat, the wall of the train and his feet to make a perfect sounding drum kit. Mixing both lyrics and beat boxing in perfectly this video is well worth a watch.

I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate - Spoken Word This is Suli Breaks and this is Spoken word.

Suli breaks down his take on education and young people with a very powerful piece. I highly recommend you watch this one, it might justify your next late assignment or make you feel better about the next time you fail a Uni subject.

SCORE: 7/10 JUST SEARCH: Talented Train Beat Box Rapper

Score 9/10 Just search: I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate - Spoken Word

The Daily Show: John Oliver Investigates Gun Control in Australia This video is truly amazing. John Oliver investigates Gun control in America. He speaks to a gun Looney and makes some very good points, in a funny funny manner. The Interviewee provides the viewer with several ‘face palm’ moments, however John manages to get his point across very well, he even interviews our very own John Howard. WOOP DEE DOOO! Score: 9/10 Just Search: The Daily Show: John Oliver Investigates Gun Control in Australia, pt 1,2,3

With the recent Boston Bombing’s comes the conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories, once saved only for a small few, have now become very mainstream. Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook all had several articles, videos and meme’s that made a variety of out-there sugestions. Some believe the attack was a ‘False Flag’ operation where America attack themselves, some think the two Russian Brothers were actually FBI agents, some believe that the attack was actually carried out by other suspicious looking US NAVY men with backpacks on. Some are claiming that moments before the bombs went off at the marathon an announcement came across the loud speaker telling people to ‘stay calm’ and that there was a bomb drill going on. Some people believe... wait for it, the whole thing was FAKE and the injured where actually actors from a Hollywood Movie set!!. What ever you choose to believe is fine - Forte just suggests you approach these conspiracy sites with caution though, oh and the main stream media too, approach hat shit with caution also.

TOO HEAVY TO HUG PAUL S TAYLOR chris cruz

Brushy One String Chicken in The Corn

2 year old drummer

In keeping with my musical theme this week I thought I would show you some one string guitar action. This Guy does not need 6 strings, he only needs one. Good ol’ Brushy one string has a truck load of talent and character to match. He has received over 1 million views which is amazing when you think about it.

Score: 7/10

Kids say the funniest things - they also do the funniest things. This kid at only 2 years of age is capable of putting together a drum solo with a reasonable rhythm. Incredible when you consider his age. He actually sounds better than most drummers in bands do these days!

Score: 6/10 Just search: 2 Year old drummer

Just search: Brushy One String - Chicken in The Corn

Blank Thankless Air

By David Lynchmob

L’Voice “Old News #5” – Jim O’Rourke, Editions Mego, 2011.

“Old News #6” – Jim O’Rourke, Editions Mego, 2011.

“Old News #7” – Jim O’Rourke, Editions Mego, 2012.

“Old News #8” – Jim O’Rourke, Editions Mego, 2012.

“Hannibal Rising” – Peter Webber, MGM, 2007.

I’m watching The Voice, except I’m imagining there’s Jim O’Rourke in his Chuck Taylor’s, frumpy green cardigan and un-ironed shirt sitting there in place of any of the rostered judges.¹ He’s sitting there, chain-smoking and making wisecracks like, ‘Maybe I’m amazed at how much that sucked’ or … I guess ogling Delta because that’s exactly what I’d do. I like to think he knows a good-looking woman when he sees one, even if she doesn’t have a soul. This thought makes my head fuzzy for reasons including how highly I think of Jim O’Rourke, and ultimately this fantasy makes The Voice seem like a great idea after all. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is much more like the predicament yr. correspondent is unable to gauge, where the powers that be have allotted him the space and editorial freedom to write a column much like this one, in a publication much like this one.² While we’re at it, Albert Marcoeur is on the judges’ panel there with Jim. He’s talking to the contestants through an interpreter, and the subtitles on the bottom of the screen contain quite a lot of question marks, because the French he goes out of his way to speak is a particular esoteric dialect that the translating stenographer³ is not familiar with. His way of coaching the contestants on his team is to teach them a specific set of clarinet mouthpiece

exercises designed to free them from their search for an “inner voice”; and ultimately it is revealed that his cooperation with the network is a humourous element of his latest concept album, L’Voice, in which the contestants are the orchestration particular to the compositions, alongside his brother Gerard Marcoeur on drums/percussion and Albert himself on additional drums/percussion. I bet Jim would be thrilled.

Watching someone I know in real life perform on The Voice brought a lot of things I assumed were some sick concoction of the media designed to burn me (personally) out/make me more cynical, and grounded them in the everyday. When you’re as dissociative as I am, this is a surreal experience to say the least. What’s even more bizarre, is watching him coolly stare down the barrel at these, for lack of a better word, judges, when I know he is more talented than all of them combined. What’s strangest is that his excellent performance had caused me to reconsider the catalogue of Cold Chisel for a moment. Okay, I need to lie down; it’s been too much. ¹It doesn’t faze me which one he replaces because they’re all unremarkable for various reasons. We can get into if you want to track me down and think to ask about it. ²Note to the editor: we both knew deep down in our loins what was going to occur when it was requested something “different” be contained herein. ³For lack of a better term for the person who types subtitles on the screen in real-time. Subtitlist?

Subtitleer? I can’t imagine this occupation exists in reality because the stress of the situation would be too immense. Imagine this: you’re free-typing your perception of where the sentence is going directly onto the screens of millions of viewers and you make a spelling error. Yr. correspondent finds there is not enough antiperspirant or anti-anxiety medication to make the thought of this occupation a rational one to consider.

AFI, love ‘em or hate ‘em, will drop a brand new studio album – their first since Crash Love in 2009 – in September. For some reason, I’m expecting THIS album to sound like Bruno Mars or Ke$ha!

Those Americans sure know how to put a decent festival lineup together. This year’s Scion Rock Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, is gonna be a pearler. Amongst the acts confirmed so far: Municipal Waste, The Casualties, Negative Approach, Rotting Out, Corrosion of Conformity, Testament and The Melvins. The day Australia gets a half decent large-scale festival, I’ll eat my shorts. It takes place on Saturday, June 1st – if you’re inclined to fly on over.

But if you’re holding out for something even bigger and better than THAT before booking your flights, The FEST could be for you. This year it kicks off on October 31st, and will run for SIX WHOLE DAYS in Gainesville, Florida. Ready to hear the lineup so far?

The Bouncing Souls, Teenage Bottlerocket, Mustard Plug, The Menzingers, Braid, The Flatliners, Off With Their Heads, The Dopamines, No Trigger, A Wilhelm Scream, Boy Sets Fire, Masked Intruder and many, many more.

Ska punk party starters Less Than Jake have re-signed to legendary San Francisco punk label, Fat Wreck Chords.

80’s hardcore/ punk legends MDC (Millions of Dead Cops) are finally heading our way!

They’ll be playing the Corner Hotel in Richmond on Thursday, August

15th. Hell yeah!

Rumour has it that additional shows may be announced, so fingers crossed Geelong gets a look in. And remember, you didn’t hear it from me!

Stevo, founding member and drummer of Canadian pop punk/rock heroes Sum 41, has left the band.

The band is set to issue their new album, Screaming Bloody Murder, in coming weeks before heading back out on tour.

The stream of info on the forthcoming Australian Vans Warped Tour seems to have dried up – I hope we’re still getting it … so long as there are actual punk bands on the bill. If I wanted to see a bunch of nostalgia, metalcore and emo bands, I’d save my pennies for Soundwave...

Modern hardcore losers, racists and all-round dickheads Your Demise have broken up. How they managed to hold on to a handful of fans for this long I’ll never know. It has, however, thrown their tour with Rotting Out and Expire right out the window.

Brisbane grunge/ punk rock powerhouse The Unprettier and Melbourne hardcore punks Hopes Abandoned will release a split 7” and CD before the year is out.

Chicago rock/ emo band Spitalfield has reformed and will soon head out on tour. Their breakthrough album, Remember Right Now, celebrates its 10-year anniversary this summer. If that’s your sort of thing, hooray!

Until next time, kids – stay cool!

It was recently brought to my attention that people are a lot more fascinated with black metal than I originally thought. How fascinated? Fascinated to the point of writing long-winded essays about it that are completely impossible to read and enjoy at the same time. No.Shit.

My first thought was of the pioneering lo-fi Mayhem, Bathory and Darkthrone albums, so my reaction was simple: the guitars sound like wasps, the drums sound like the sound it makes when I pat my cat that I don’t even have, and the vocals sound like an old man rasping and groaning through some hospital equipment about his time in the war.

It’s not just essays that have been written about black metal.

There are also films floating around, such as 2009’s Until The Light Takes Us, a documentary which mainly focuses on the Norwegian roots of the genre; but then there are the comedy films such as 2007’s Legalize Murder and its 2012 sequel Legalize Murder 2: Requiem Reloaded which are kinda like Spinal Tap films for black metal.

Still confused by this fascination with a genre of metal basically designed to have ZERO fans, I realised that it has come quite a long way. Destroyer 666’s Unchain The Wolves is a pretty old but awesome album, Satyricon’s Now, Diabolical mixes pop ideals with black metal and features so many catchy tunes it’s not funny, and Primordial are, well, considered black metal but their later stuff isn’t as black as their earlier stuff.

Without getting all academic on your arse, it kinda struck me that what appears to be

happening is people who like black metal want it to become more popular; to lift its profile and drag it from the frostbitten moors from whence it was conjured – for some strange reason.

Are black metal fans really that different from alternative music fans?

You know, the types of alt-folk Mumford & Sons fans who bleat and blather about how good that ‘Thrift Shop’ shit was, or whoever sung that. It would seem on the surface, no. But dig a little deeper and again the very one thing that separates us heavy metal fans from other fans seems to be intelligence. Black metal fans write almost wanky intellectual essays (now), while alt-folk fans talk at whoever is there about how great alt-folk is, or whatever shit triple j tells them is cool.

The book of essays which I’m referring to here in this column is Helvete, Issue 1.

Helvete claims to be a journal of black metal theory. You can buy or download Issue 1 from their website, and donate and stuff.

Writing essays is cool again, and when an actual place wants to take submissions for words about black metal, then the path black metal is going down is the one paved with padded leather elbow pads on tweed jackets – and I couldn’t be happier. If you submit your own idea for your own essay and it gets published, you could literally become a black metal theoretical journalist – or whatever kick-ass title you wanna give yourself.

If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to tooheavytohug@ hotmail.com or get in touch via Twitter at @ TooHeavyToHug

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tweet of the week

hard mandy

“ I’m tired of being considered vapid for liking pop music or caring about fashion, as if these things inherently lack substance or as if the things I enjoy somehow make me a lesser person.”

turns FIVE Things were much simpler back in April of 2008. The impact of Lady Gaga was, at that point, only just beginning to bubble over with the release of ‘Just Dance’, and Madonna was celebrating a new publishing deal with Live Nation – which would see her release MDNA through Interscope in 2012 – and the end of a very lucrative era with Warner Music. Hard Candy – or Hard Mandy as many of us like to call it – came at a time when its album producers Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams were saturating the market with their sounds.

Many viewed Hard Candy to be a disturbing sign of the times; a record which, for the first time, saw Madonna following a trend rather than creating it.

But that’s not to say it isn’t a good album.

It certainly has its moments, like the dire

‘Dance 2nite’ which causes so much distress with each listen, it’s surprising to make it through the entire song without ripping your own ear drums out of your head; but there are also complete goldmines like the Chic-referencing disco throwdown of ‘She’s Not Me’ or ‘Candy Shop’, the confectionery-as-an-analogy-forMadonna’s-vagine anthem which genuinely plays like a Madonna classic. There’s even ‘Voices’, this completely theatrical, orchestral hip-hop dream sequence of a song that sees The Queen tackling intensely dark subject matter. Say what you will about Hard Candy, but it is an album that is – five years on – almost without flaw.

One of the songs people may consider to be trash still to this day, however, is perhaps the song from the album to have received the most flack. It rarely ever gets discussed, and that is incredibly disappointing. The often ignored ‘Spanish Lesson’ remains a somewhat acquired

Indie darling Grimes lashes out at the music industry via Tumblr earlier last week.

HIT OR SHIT! taste in the Madonna history books, an opinion which always left me somewhat surprised because the whole thing was so OTT and borderline-crazy that I found it hard to find any fault. Don’t get me wrong, I love Madonna when she’s at her absolute best, but sometimes she can be at her best because she has that tongue firmly placed in cheek and is completely in on the joke.

So, what we have here is Madonna, who isn’t exactly bad at singing in Spanish, singing into a microphone and translating all of these Spanish words and phrases into English … but not really “English”, because maybe about 50-60% of it, tops, actually translates? Sign. Me. Up.

‘Spanish Lesson’ may not be as exciting as ‘I’m Going Bananas’ (not a lot is though), but it joins it as one of a small handful of songs in The Queen of Pop’s repertoire that really puts her campy humour on full display.

I think the real disheartening thing about this song and people’s reaction to it is the inability to pick up on that humour and sense of tomfoolery from Madonna’s delivery. It’s sad that everybody thought she was being completely serious when what she was doing was so much less complicated than that.

Hard Candy five years on is magical stuff and ‘Spanish Lesson’ is truly well worth the five bux alone the record will cost you ... which you can find inside most record store bargain bins.

By Adem with an E.

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Geelong’s very own rock ‘n roll icon; we’ve lost the very best we had. Rest in Peace Chrissy.

DIVINYLS Watch the Best Of collections hit the charts over the next weeks.

HARD CANDY Happy 5th Birthday to one of the most slated Madonna albums of all time!

THE PASSING OF CHRISSY AMPHLETT After a long battle with MS and breast cancer, Chrissy passed away on the 22nd of April, leaving behind a legacy to be truly proud of. If you can get a hold of her autobiography, do it. One of the greatest biogs ever.

THE RADIO Please explain how after three days of exposure to commercial radio I now know the complete ins and outs of certain radio stations playlists? Oh, the Pitbull/Xtina duet? Gee, it must be 9:10AM.

OUR GOVERNMENT For allowing New Zealand to beat us to marriage equality first. Well done to all involved.

SHIT!

This isn’t the first time Madonna’s unleashed her legendary comic-timing through her music. In 1990, hot on the trail of a much hyped up role as Breathless Mahoney in the Dick Tracy remake, Madonna released I’m Breathless, a record that did exactly what Xtina tried to do on Back to Basics – only with an actual sense of humour and 16 years earlier. Recording I’m Breathless gave M a chance to ham up the somewhat serious character of Mahoney and, in turn, produced some actual comedic gold: the show-stopping riot ‘I’m Going Bananas’ – which, if you’ve seen The Girlie Show DVD, you’ll be very familiar with – and the equally as bonkers ‘Cry Baby’, a song in which Madonna moans in dismay at her lover who seems to have some serious sensitivity issues. Vaudevillian perfection.

CHRISSY AMPHLETT

HIT

With really bloody good production from The Neptunes – who would later go on to help Gloria Estefan make her album Wepa – (or as I tend to lovingly refer to it as: “Hard Candy 2”), ‘Spanish Lesson’ is an overlooked, legacy-building piece of hilarity and genius. It’s a song that comes into play on Hard Candy just in the nick of time; the crucial moment where you’re left wondering how exactly it was humanly possible for Madonna to have faxed her entire vocal for ‘Dance 2night’ on the disc only minutes earlier. It’s some seriously well-earned comic relief that has Madonna camping it up and having a bit of fun. God love her, but we’re all aware that’s something of a rarity these days – particularly on record.

WHAT'S NEW!?

Kid Cudi Teams Up With ... Michael Bolton?

.........................................................................

It’s Not Easy Being Green … Unless you’re REM’s classic album Green, in which case, Happy 25th Anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, Warner Music is re-releasing the album with a bonus disc containing live tracks from the band’s 1989 World Tour. It’s available on May 17th in both physical and digital formats. .........................................................................

Do It For The Kids Sony Music has put together a compilation of feelgood anthems from all across the last thirty to forty years in this double-disc effort. Proceeds will go to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. It contains songs from Guy Sebastian, Pete Murray, Billy Joel, Katrina and The Waves, John Farnham and many more. .........................................................................

Gurrumul: His Life and Music Gurrumul is one of Australia’s premier Indigenous artists; having performed for Queen Elizabeth II, President Barack Obama and Prince Frederick and Princess Mary of Denmark among others. This illustrated biography tells the story of his roots; about the person behind the music. It is available from May 1st from ABC Books.

PSY’s ‘Gentlemen’ Do you remember thinking that nobody would remember PSY by around this time of year? Well, apparently you, and the rest of the world, were wrong. PSY’s latest single, ‘Gentlemen’, has hit YouTube and has already broken the Guinness World Record for most views in a day. On the bright side, at least it’s not Rebecca Black.

also touring the country to promote it. .........................................................................

P-Money’s Gratitude His album Gratitude is just a couple of weeks away (released on May 17th through Dirty Records), and even P-Money is getting excited – so excited that he’s released the cover art and track list early. He’s also been releasing tracks early on his website (www. pmoneymusic.com), so you should probably check that out. .........................................................................

.........................................................................

Owl Eyes

How Much Would You Pay For A Heartful?

The mesmerising Brooke Addamo, better known as Owl Eyes, has been busy lately. She’s released her new album, Nightswim, through Warner’s Wunderkind label, as well as a video for her single, ‘Closure’. The video’s a bit odd (it’s from the same director that brought us Alpine’s ‘Hands’), but the album is good … so it’s a bit of give-and-take.

… Because Wintercoats released his new EP Heartful this month through Yes Please Records – and he’s telling you to name your price. This is the one-man band from Melbourne’s third EP, and he’s

The Artist Formerly Known as Snoop Dogg

Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi released his latest album, Indicud, and it contains collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Haim and Father John Misty. The only real surprise is soft-rock “legend” Michael Bolton. This one is available through Republic Records.

Reincarnated is the latest album from Snoop Lion. This is his first release since 2011’s Doggumentary, from back when his name made some kind of sense. Since then, he’s declared his allegiance to Rastafarianism, and been rechristened ‘Snoop Lion’. This album is heavily influenced by reggae, and features guest appearances by the likes of Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus – so take from that what you will. Reincarnated was released on April 26 by RCA.

.........................................................................

Phoenix Goes Bankrupt … And I become the ten-thousandth writer to use that headline. Do I get a prize? As you’ve no doubt heard, French indie outfit Phoenix are releasing their followup to 2009’s huge Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix which took the world by storm. The new album is called Bankrupt, and is available everywhere thanks to V2. .........................................................................

Kingswood’s Change Of Heart It seems one of Australia’s best up-and-coming rock acts has had a change of heart on their debut EP, Change Of Heart, and are now releasing a deluxe edition with three new tracks, including the new single, ‘Ohio’. It’s in stores now.

The Rest of Oasis Liam Gallagher, and the other three, are releasing their second album, Be, on June 14th through Columbia. The band recorded in London with producer Dave Sitek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio). Gallagher claims that there is “None of that crap from the 90s”, which is a shame, since that’s what he’s known for.

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chinese whispers

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edge

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DRIVER WANTED! *warrnambool AREA* Are you a uni student wanting a regular income?

Interested in delivering Forte Mag around the Warrnambool area?

Must be fit, reliable and have own car.

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FILM REVIEWS

written by anthony morris

Antiviral

Iron Man 3 When we last saw Iron Man / Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), he’d just saved the world from alien invasion in The Avengers. Showing Marvel’s commitment to tying all their current movies together, this turns out to be a fairly major plot point in this film as Stark struggles to put his life together after the trauma of actually having to act like a superhero for once. Meanwhile, a shadowy figure from his hard-partying past (Guy Pearce) has shown up with some new biological breakthrough that couldn’t possibly be linked to a string of mysterious explosions across America, could it? And what’s going on with master terrorist and interrupter of television programming, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley)? Director Shane Black – the scriptwriter behind 80s classics like Predator, Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout, as well as the more recent Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – has put together a solid superhero film that moves forward fast enough and keeps enough balls in the air at once to prevent the many, many plot holes and puzzling moments from becoming obvious until you’re well on your way home. It fits in perfectly with Tony Stark’s slick, wise-cracking, fun-loving style – or it would if Stark was actually like that for much of this film, as he’s acting a lot more like a haunted war veteran than a smooth billionaire here, complete with a scene where his dreams become a real-life threat to his partner Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) thanks to a new suit that responds to his thoughts even when he’s not inside it.

But if all the pieces here don’t really fit together, most of them work just fine on their own; the action scenes are spectacular, if often a little samey, while Black keeps the wisecracks coming at a pace familiar to fans of his early work. It’s hard to complain about all the Marvel movies feeling the same when they’re this much fun, but they can’t keep churning out identical product forever. Iron Man 3 is a fun ride and a worthy instalment in the franchise, but they really don’t need to rush the next one out any time soon.

When we meet Syd (Caleb Landry Jones), he’s not looking too well. Which isn’t all that uncommon in his world: he works for the Lucas Clinic as one of their slightly creepy salespeople whose job it is to match customers up with the disease of their choice. Not just any disease, mind you – these diseases are ones taken from celebrities, giving regular folk the chance to bond just that little bit closer with their object of obsession. Some choose the flu; others might go for a cold sore – picking which side of the mouth to have it is very important if you want to suggest you may have contracted it directly via a kiss. So, no prizes for guessing his earlier illness was from him smuggling diseases out of his workplace; which he then sells to Arvid (Joe Pingue), a black market dealer in diseases. Syd’s real problems begin when he gets the chance to take a sample from Lucas’ biggest name client Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon) and promptly infects himself with what’s laid her low. When her situation takes a turn for the worst, suddenly he finds himself infected with something that’s both extremely rare and extremely valuable, and for a small-scale player like himself that’s not a combination he’s well-equipped to deal with. Despite a solid performance from Jones, Syd is pretty much a cipher – and not exactly someone you’d trust to infect you with anything – with everyone else here used as little more than devices in a hustler-in-over-his-head plot that only occasionally threatens to turn weird. At one stage Syd’s told he’s going to experience hallucinations, but the expected freak-out never really happens; there’s one brief moment of biomechanical imagery, but this particular Cronenberg (yes, he’s the son of David) is going for a chilly tone similar to some of his father’s later works, not the body horror freak-outs that characterise David’s earlier films. It’s a strong debut, if not an essential one; as always, Cronenberg is a name to watch out for.

Olympus Has Fallen There’s a certain kind of dumb action movie that’s so dumb it’s hard to tell if it’s actually kind of smart.

Does Olympus Has Fallen show every single level of the US government and military as completely incompetent in every way just so our hero Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) looks good? Or is there some deeper message there about the state of US governance? Wait, who cares, something just exploded. After failing to save the life of the wife of the President (Aaron Eckhart) during a car crash, Banning gets demoted from Secret Service bodyguard to hanging around the Treasury building looking cool and remembering the good old days when he used to box with his bro’, the Prez. Then a Hercules transport plane flying towards Washington turns out to have all these guns on board and it flies around shooting up the place for ages (good work Air Force), forcing the President – who’s in a meeting with the South Korean Prime Minister – to hide out in the White House bunker. Problem is that’s only the first stage of what turns out to be a full-on attack on the White House by people the film really, really wants to say are North Koreans but has to settle for being terrorists – who just happen to commit all their acts of terror on behalf of the North Koreans. Secret Service? Useless. Chain of Command? Useless (seriously, what’s the point of even having a Vice President if he’s going to be in the same place as the President?). Even when Morgan Freeman steps in to take over he’s pretty wimpy. Rest of the military? Extremely potty-mouthed in the case of their top general (Robert Forster), but otherwise useless. Looks like it’s up to Mike Banning to sneak into the White House, rescue the President’s adorable son, kill loads of terrorists, take a deep breath, then kill even more terrorists. It’s Die Hard in the White House – only without any of the things that made the first Die Hard memorable – but taken on a dumb macho-level this is about as fun as those dodgy men’s action paperbacks they had in the 70s where they knew to tick off a bunch of action beats (like traitors and ticking bomb clocks and clumsy fake-outs) without any solid reason why. If you’re someone who thinks the US Seventh Fleet spends all its time just sailing around Korea so it can be recalled at a moment’s notice, you’ll enjoy this extremely silly movie just fine.

No

Drift It’s the early 1970s, and for brothers Jimmy (Xavier Samuel) and Andy Kelly (Myles Pollard), surf is where it’s at. Unfortunately, ever since they arrived with their mum (Robyn Malcolm) at the small town on the Western Australia coast, they’ve been up against it. As kids they were outsiders; then Andy broke his ankle surfing and his dreams of going pro died, and now he’s toiling away at the local sawmill while Jimmy’s caught up with the local bikie gang doing petty crime. Then, professional surf photographer and hippy van owner JB (Sam Worthington) drifts into town with a mate’s daughter (Leslie-Ann Brandt) in tow, and suddenly a whole new world opens up for them – a world of making wet suits and surfboards for a living. But with rival surf companies not exactly keen on competition, evil bikies (led by Steve Bastoni) seeing surfboards as a great way to smuggle drugs, and the local bank manager looking to shut them down – not to mention the brother’s own troubled relationship – do they have any real hope of making it? As yet another in a long list of Australian dramas that are well shot but based on a script that could have done with a few more drafts, this at least makes good use of some striking West Australian scenery. Story-wise at least things keep happening, so it’s never exactly boring, though many of those things that happen aren’t exactly high drama – let’s not forget, this is a film that features an evil bank manager and an ending based around needing someone to win the big surf competition so they can collect the prize money. The bad guy bikies are pretty laughable and the 70’s setting would be a good excuse for a lot of 70’s music; except the soundtrack wanders off towards the present day fairly early on. With that taken into account, having two brothers three or four years apart in age played by actors born a decade apart is the least of its worries. At least the surf scenes look good.

FILM WRAP Oblivion: Aliens blew up the moon, there was a war, humanity won but the planet is now a wreck and only Tom Cruise gets to fly around repairing the giant machines left behind. But are things what they seem? Hopefully not, because they don’t seem that interesting.

Nice visuals though.

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Scary Movie V: Two weeks ago in my review I asked, “Why does this film exist?” Still waiting for Hollywood to get back to me on that one…

Warm Bodies: When a zombie falls in love with a human, expect a lot of jokes about how he only loves her for her brains. Still a good movie though

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and surprisingly faithful to zombie movie conventions … except for the “falling in love” bit.

purseful of fake credit cards and proceeds to spend like crazy down in Miami. Hilarity does not follow.

Identity Thief: Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) is living on the straight and narrow with his wife and two kids in Denver; con artist Diana (Melissa McCarthy) steals his identity, creates a

The Company You Keep: Crimes from the past reach out to the present in Robert Redford’s tale of a 70’s radical captured by today’s FBI and the ripple effect that it has across a community of big-name actors.

The year is 1988, and Chilean dictator Pinochet, who seized power in a military coup in 1973, has decided to legitimise his rule by putting it to a vote: yes if you want him to stay in power, no if you want there to be free elections. The ‘No’ camp is made up of a wide group of opposition parties, some of whom think even participating is propping up Pinochet, while others believe they should run a campaign based on reminding people of the horrors of his regime. Gun advertising creative René Saavedra (Gael García Bernal) is offered the job of running their campaign and accepts, despite his conservative boss first siding with then taking on the pro-government campaign. Saavedra’s approach is to go positive and make voting ‘No’ a positive step towards bringing Chile into the 80s. It’s a tough sell to his side, but the combination of upbeat messages and news reports telling the uncensored story of what is happening in Chile soon prove popular; which may not be the best thing when you’re running against a government not above murdering its opponents. Director Pablo Larraín used vintage 80s cameras and film to re-create the look of the time – and to make it easier to integrate footage from the period, such as commercials and news footage – and while the look of a shoddy VHS tape takes a little getting used to, it’s a very effective means of setting the scene. It’s a gripping tale of people struggling to make a difference in a climate where it’d be easier to just accept the status quo; but it’s also an interesting look at the power of advertising, as the same techniques used to sell soft drink or soap stars – techniques that look laughably out-of-touch to us today – are the same as the ones used to sell freedom. Smart and gripping, No is a film it’s easy to say yes to.

Song for Marion Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) is a bubbly, fun woman who, as so often is the way in these films, also happens to be a terminally ill cancer patient. Her husband Arthur (Terence Stamp) is just terminally grumpy – which again should come as no surprise.

Despite her illness, Marion still sings with the local old folk’s choir, dubbed ‘The OAPZ’ by conductor and high school music teacher (Gemma Arterton) – OAP stands for Old Age Pensioner, the “Z” is to give them street cred. Will Marion live out the film?

Will Arthur’s grumpiness crack under the power of pensioners clumsily singing ‘The Ace of Spades’ and ‘Let’s Talk about Sex’? Will he reconcile with his estranged son (Christopher Eccleston) and his moppet granddaughter? Will the OAPZ shake up the dour choir establishment? Will you be in the slightest bit surprised by the answers to any of these questions? Do you even need to go into the cinema to feel like you’ve already seen this film? Director Paul Andrew Williams pulls out all the stops in this by-the-numbers tear-jerker, which is moderately effective almost entirely thanks to a combination of shamelessness and quality performances. Having Marion say “Givvus a kiss, I may not wake up in the morning” isn’t exactly subtle; then again, neither is anything else on offer here.

MUSIC REVIEWS

POrPe!

Alister Turrill Reverence and Resonance Independent Release

cultu

By An th on

y M or ri s

Television moves in cycles, and while it’s easy to mock networks for throwing out a bunch of extremely similar shows at the same time, it’s hard to deny that this process usually works in the audience’s favour. When 30 Rock and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip debuted in the same year, everyone expected the latter – a serious look behind the scenes at an uberimportant sketch comedy show that shaped the cultural debate – to win out over the former.

After all, 30 Rock was just a behind-the-scenesat-a-comedy-show sitcom made by and starring no-one special; Studio 60 had Aaron “The West Wing” Sorkin penning the scripts and Friends star Matthew Perry as one of the stars. Then Studio 60 turned out to be a preachy boor while 30 Rock went on to be one of the funniest sitcoms of the 21st century.

Jump forward to today, and on U.S. television the hottest new thing seems to be serial dramas about serial killers. Out here Nine has already rushed out The Following, in which Kevin Bacon wanders around trying to take down a cult-like wave of serial killers inspired by a super serial killer; while coming up we have Hannibal, in which Hugh Dancy wanders around trying to take down serial killers who may be inspired by a super serial-killer; and Bates Motel, in which a young Norman Bates tries to avoid his destiny of becoming a superserial killer – but we can probably all guess how that’s going to work out for him.

long-running serial killer series Dexter is going to wrap up next year – while Dangerous Minds keeps on serving up deranged killers week in week out; so this sudden wave of activity seems a little out of nowhere – though it’s been suggested that the success (in the U.S. at least) of American Horror Story may have inspired the current crop. And there’s no real reason why all three shows can’t make a go of it, even if reviews of later episodes of The Following seem to suggest the show fairly quickly becomes one giant mess; how many years did we have a string of basically identical Law & Order and CSI series on the air?

But if forced to pick one series to watch – which usually means it’ll be the first axed – the smart money is on Hannibal. For one thing, it’s set pre-unmasking of Hannibal Lecter ­– who’s played by the extremely creepy Mads Mikkelsen – which gives them a lot more scope with his character, while still making the show about mildly off-kilter FBI Profiler Will Graham Dancy. Basically, they can make a show that’s your usual killer-of-the-week team series, only one of the members of the team is the biggest killer of them all. Sounds like a winner over here.

Serial killers, of course, are nothing new on television – it’s just been announced that the

PULP.

Alastair: Since I began reading and collecting comics in earnest, I’ve been particularly interested in authors and stories that mess with the minds of their characters. As a result, I’ve ended up being attracted to dark and gritty stories (e.g.

Preacher and Hellblazer), and I’m always on the lookout for more.

Four Four Melbourne indie-rock trio Blackchords are back with their sophomore album, A Thin Line. This album was brought to us thanks to crowdfunding website Pozible, wherein one fan pledged $1000, for ... far less than $1000 worth of stuff; which goes to show just how dedicated Blackchords’ fans are (three fans also pledged $500). It’s almost understandable: they’re quite talented, their self-titled debut album did rather well and it would be cool to be on the door to every gig for a year – and who knows how valuable their signatures will be in the future. The current single, ‘Oh No’, is a good starting point (even if it is the second track). It has a distinct triple j vibe, which is probably this band’s best bet at success. The beat is good, the vocals are melodic and there’s a synth in there somewhere; a triple j Hottest 100 berth would be guaranteed if this was released in November instead of April. ‘Dance Dance Dance’, their previous single, has a Noah and the Whale-meetsThe Wombats vibe (if anyone could make that actually happen, I’d drop $1000 on Pozible for it). It has been on rotation at triple j for months, so you’ve probably heard it and not realised. Worth buying, but for $10-$20 … not $1000 like that one guy. By Cameron Brogden

Inertia

Friday the 13th Part 3 was meant to be the final film in the franchise. Instead, it gave the films its most iconic image, leading to seven more sequels – including two more that were labelled “final”.

You will have noticed that I have not yet said anything about the story. Teens go to place, Jason kills teens, one teen kills Jason. There we go. That gets Part 3’s plot out of the way … and the plot of pretty much every Friday the 13th out of the way. Except for that one in space, but that’s a whole other column.

A Thin Line

Hex.Lover.Killer

Cameron:

Harry Manfredini continues to score the series.

Having added valuable “ki ki ki, ha ha ha’s” to the previous instalments, he surpasses himself with an energetic synthesised score. The main theme deserves special attention, because Jesus Christ it is the funkiest horror theme ever.

Blackchords

The Delta Riggs

>>>>>> By Cameron Urquhart & Alastair McGibbon

Unfortunately, the man who played Jason Voorhees in this instalment, Richard Brooker, passed away recently. Brooker was probably the finest Jason, a character portrayed by ten actors across the series, and the first to give Jason the terrifying presence that allowed him to carry a ludicrous amount of films. In Part 1, we only see Jason as a child, and in Part 2, he’s a weedy hillbilly with a hessian sack for a mask. What Part 3 gives us is a bald, hulking, faster-than-run walking, hockey-mask-wearing (for the first time!) purveyor of knife deaths.

Basically, it gives us the Jason that everyone knows ­– even those who haven’t seen the films.

Over the past few years, Alister Turrill has been busy refining his blues sound, which can now be heard on his debut album entitled Reverence and Resonance.

As a local musician heralding from Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula, and having supported the likes of Ash Grunwald, The Black Sorrows and Shane Howard over the last year, as well as taking out the coveted MBAS ‘Youth in Blues’ project, this album showcases the passion and energy of both his live performance and sometimes intimate songwriting. Opening with ‘Deepest River’, the infectious grooves and melodies are the first things that stand out in this recording. ‘The Dust’ tells the story of a friendship that’s gone sour, but the hollering and stompin’ and instrumentation are what demand your attention within the song. In a polar opposite, ‘Warm November’ tells the story of a summer romance, which draws experience from his coastal upbringing. Paying homage to Ray Charles with his cover of ‘I Got a Woman’, Reverence and Resonance is a great debut. Produced by legendary Australian blues guitarist Lloyd Spiegel, if you’re a blues fan, make sure you pick up a copy whilst they last! By Tex Miller

Through a friend from Uni – and a bit of DeviantArt stalking – I happened upon the works of Jarrod Elvin, a comic book writer and artist based in Melbourne. Jarrod is the ‘king’ of MickMacks – a multi-platform collection of his own nutty creations covering animation, comics and digital art. I was particularly taken by his comics. Jarrod is an exceptional digital artist, with a style that blends Saturday morning cartoons with a dark and twisted world, a la Edvard Munch’s The Scream.

My personal favourite is the Checkers series: the first book, Checkers’ Asylum, was released in 2008, and its sequel Checkers’ Abyss saw the light of day a few weeks ago. The books follow the adventures of Checkers, an undeniably insane superhero who lives in the sewers.

He fights crime with the help of Thumbo, a miniature (and neon pink) flying elephant, attempting to foil the plots of the dastardly serial killer Mutino. The series blends utterly mad humour with gory action sequences, and is well worth checking out – it’s one of the few comics that I would say is truly unique. You can buy Jarrod’s books online at www.mick-macks.com.

Could this be the album that saves Aussie rock? I hope so. This five-piece is from the Gold Coast, via Melbourne, and every track on their debut album is pure rock. This is music I could listen to. This is music your cool older cousin could listen to. This is music your parents could listen to. Here’s hoping they get some commercial radio play! Their unique blend of blues, rock and punk means there’s something for everyone.

Ever since they won the unearthed spot at 2011/2012’s Pyramid Rock, they’ve been on a slow burn – and finally they’ve released Hex.Lover.Killer. And it’s about time. Throughout the album there is this rock energy, from dirty ZZ Top-esque blues-rock riffs in tracks like ‘America’ and ‘Fiend’, to the punk-rock feel of ‘Rah Rah Radio’. Even the slower tracks like, ‘I Was Profound Tomorrow’ and ‘Naked’ have the prominent guitars and drumming that make a great rock song. The Delta Riggs have taken everything that is good about rock and roll and blended it into this fantastic album. Buy it.

See them live. Buy the t-shirt – before they’re famous, playing stadiums and charging $50 for those t-shirts. By Cameron Brogden

Shaun Kirk The Wick Sessions Independent How many times do I have to tell you people? Buy blues music. It is literally all quality, all the time; great guitar work, great lyrics, great vocals and a great beat. No, you can’t really dance to it, but that doesn’t matter. Take this for instance. Shaun Kirk is a celebrated blues musician, is currently touring nationally and is just generally an all-around nice guy. But you won’t hear a single track from this album on the radio outside of community radio, where he’s kind of a superstar. It’s a damn shame too, because I’m not the only one giving it rave reviews.

From the first track, ‘Every Dog Will Have Its Day’, to the last, ‘Steam Train’, this album will force you to listen.

It’s not like rock or pop; you won’t be singing along, you won’t be dancing. But you’ll be listening. Blues (along with jazz) is where rock, and therefore the majority of modern music, came from. It needs to be respected. It needs to be appreciated. It needs to be bought. Go out and buy this – it’s on his website in physical form, it’s on iTunes. Go out to a show. Keep the blues alive. By Cameron Brogden

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grogwatch Is it possible to like nerd stuff if we hate nerds? Well, in my case it’s easy because I hate pretty much everyone so the answer is obviously “Get the hell of my lawn”, but for the rest of society it’s becoming an increasingly pressing problem. Wait, how can liking stuff but hating the fans of stuff be a pressing problem? Surely these days you can just watch / listen to / eat whatever you like in the comfort of your own home while “the fans” are safely off somewhere else doing whatever it is they do that annoys you? I mean, it’s crazy to think that you can’t enjoy, say, Game of Thrones, without having horrible costume-obsessed fans breaking into your house to annoyingly point out, “Ooh, check out the hand-tooled leather on that suit of armour” every time you’re trying to not look at the armour because a topless woman just walked into shot. That stuff simply doesn’t happen, right? This problem I’m talking about simply doesn’t exist, right? This entire column is about to vanish up its own fundament in a puff of particular foul-smelling smoke to be replaced by a half-page photo spread for some vaguely seedy band whose gimmick is that they play dubstep version of negro spirituals with loads of whip-crack sound effects right before the drop and they call themselves SLAVEDRIVER, right? Yeah, I would have thought so too, but of late I’ve been reading up on the slightly intertwined phenomena that is “TV recaps” and “SPOILER ALERTS”, and the more I read the more I read people saying that they’re trapped in this oppressive, nerd-driven world where they have no time to actually enjoy the shows they watch because … well, let me explain…

Once upon a time, everyone watched movies and television at roughly the same time. That is, they watched television shows at the time they were shown on television (I mean, you could record them on your VCR, but that was a pain in the arse) and they watched movies at the time they were in cinemas in Australia.

More importantly – and yes, this was pretty

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much the case until the early years of the 21st century – it was pretty hard to come by timely information on these television shows and movies from outside Australia as magazines took months to get here and even on the internet you really needed to find places full of insanely devoted fans (and there weren’t that many shows fans were insanely devoted to – there was Buffy, and that was pretty much it) if you wanted to find out anything more than a TV Week summary of what happened this week. Same went for movies. Of course, there were reviews of movies that hadn’t made it to Australia yet, but you really had to search them out so if you didn’t want to know what happened in a film hey, no-one was forcing you to find out. Then a bunch of things happened pretty much all at once. First television started getting better, and by “better” I mean “more nerd friendly”, and by “nerd” I mean “obsessive fan”. The late 90s and early 2000s saw television start to fragment from the days of a few big networks making shows that kind of appealed to everyone but no-one was all that passionate about, to a bunch of smaller networks trying to lock in audiences by making shows people were really passionate about. Combined with the drift away from sitcoms – yeah, people weren’t really desperate to find out the latest plot developments in Friends or Seinfeld – and suddenly you had shows people were interested in talking about in a “Can you believe what just happened?” way.

Still, so what? It wasn’t like you could see these shows out here yet, so why would you want to read about what was happening in them? Hello, internet piracy. If you were a hardcore fan you could download shoddy pixelated copies of your favourite television shows – or more likely, find someone who was downloading them and get them to make you copies – and suddenly you were kinda sorta up to date with what was happening overseas. Now, that was pretty fringe behaviour, he writes, dimly remembering a buddy who used to have episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer six months before they aired out here, and there wasn’t a lot of shows people were desperate to download; but as television became more and more fan-based and downloading became

easier and easier, the two gradually become more widespread, especially as television here pretty much gave up on broadcasting the kinds of shows that had committed fan bases. Channel Nine used to show The Sopranos at 10pm on a Monday night, and they showed all five seasons of The Wire in late night timeslots. Oh, that was something else we used to have but not any more: commercial networks would show strange and obscure programs from overseas in the early hours of the morning, so if you kept your eye out you could watch shows like, well, The Wire, that these days don’t show on free-to-air television for years – due to being snapped up by Pay TV first – if at all.

Anyway, with television audiences fragmenting – the mainstream stuff became talent shows and reality television, while drama and comedy became stuff that appealed to a few fans really deeply rather than a lot of people kinda, sorta – there was suddenly more room for people to write about the shows they were obsessed with; because the people watching them were often just as obsessed. Which, if you think about it, works against the other big trend of downloading, because downloading or just watching it on the internet through the networks own online services means you can watch a show whenever you like – it’s constantly available. But if you want to talk about it with other fans, you have to watch it as soon as possible otherwise they’ll ruin the show for you by talking about stuff you haven’t seen. Again, no big deal when you had to go out of your way online to find where people were talking about your fave shows. Hey look, what’s that dark cloud on the horizon? The one with SOCIAL MEDIA written on the side? Eh, it’ll blow over soon enough.

Suddenly if you’re on social media – and if you’re the kind of person who watches a fair amount of television you probably are as social media is only really good for talking about television (unless you have a small child, then it’s about posting pictures of your small child and boring everyone else you know to death; or you go to a lot of parties, then it’s about posting pictures of you at parties and boring everyone else you know to death … at least with television you’re not posting pictures of your television) – then suddenly you can’t avoid people talking about the latest episode of whatever cool new television program there is out there because like I said, the only thing to do on social media is talk about television. And thanks to downloading, that new television show is available everywhere at the same time so it doesn’t matter if it’s a bad time for you to watch it – you’ve GOT to watch it

RIGHT NOW or a whole bunch of dillweeds online are going to ruin it for you. Plus, you want to read all the massive “recaps” that have sprung up all over the ‘net covering pretty much all the big shows because television fans love to read about their fave shows, and finding people who love to read about television is pretty much the mission statement of the internet while it tries to figure out a way to turn into television.

And now we’re right back where we started, only there’s a million times more pressure: it used to be you had to watch a television show at a certain time because otherwise you’d miss it and couldn’t see it again. Now you have to watch a television show at a certain time because otherwise you’ll miss out on the conversation and be let out of what the cool kids are talking about – which I think we can all agree is loads more stressful only… WAIT, NO, WE CAN’T. THOSE COOL KIDS ARE DICKS. And finally, I return to my original point: I like nerdy stuff – that is to say, these kind of TV shows – but I’m kinda getting sick of the nerds that come with them. I’m not all that worried about spoilers so much – because any halfway decent show has more going for it than a bunch of plot twists – but when I watch a television show, I don’t feel the need to run around telling everyone what I thought about it without, you know, actually taking some time to think about it. There’s a reason why it used to be that television shows would be on at night and then you’d talk about them at school the next day: that way you could have something better to say than just ‘AWESOME’. Combine that with the way that social media tends to turn pretty much everyone into annoying jerks in the first place, and suddenly it seems that the shows I loved are watched entirely by people I hate.

Oh wait, I hate everyone already. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Tony “The guy on the tram whose ringtone was the theme to Justified was okay though” Montana.

QUESTION:

Since the 1950’s, which decade do you believe has given us the BEST decade of music?

Tessa Reed

Scarlett Stevens

Tex Miller

Fatty Phew

(Local singer)

(Drummer from San Cisco)

(Writer)

(Rapper)

The 90’s

The 90’s because of sentimental value

The 60’s because of longevity

The 90’s because of Hip Hop’s golden era

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