Forte #595

ISSUE #595 ball ar at | bell arine | Bendigo | ca stlemaine | geelong | surf coa st | warrnambool |

18/09/2014

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judas priest “ We wanted to show the world the Priest is still very much alive... We’re forging forward, as strong as ever!” pg.23

xavier rudd

bluejuice pg.37

pg.24

leon hendrix

pg.32

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pg.42

banoffee

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ALSO FEATURING: Batpiss, Bonjah, Da Vinci Code, Morning Glory, Peking Duk, Jesus Christ Superstar and heaps more!

10 0 % l o c a l ly o w n e d & o p e r at e d

Plus all the latest local entertainment news, music and movie reviews and all your favourite Forte columns!

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IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

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DAMIEN POWER DANIEL TOWNES HARLEY BREEN LUKE MCGREGOR TOMMY DASSALO URZILA CARLSON

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in this issue:

forte issue #595 t h u r s d ay 18 S e p t e m b e r 2 014

Ph: 03 5229 7969 PO Box 978 Geelong VIC 3220 fortemag.com.au

enquiries@fortemag.com.au Publisher

McNamara Publishing

xavier rudd pg.24

leon hendrix pg.32

judas priest pg.23

editor / DIRECTOR

Luke McNamara

luke@fortemag.com.au DEPUTY editor

Amanda Sherring

amanda@fortemag.com.au advertising

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Marianne Valitutti contributors

bluejuice pg.37

W I N! Win a double pass to see The Beautiful Girls at the Barwon Heads Hotel on October 24th! dune rats pg.42

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To enter just email your name, and mobile number to luke@fortemag.com.au

Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Cameron Brogden, Cameron Urqhuart, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Daniel Lock, Daniel Waight, Darlene Taylor, Dr John Lamp, Madelin Baldwin, Natalie Rogers, Oliver Friend, Paul S Taylor, Sue Rawkins, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, Xavier Fenell, Zach Broadhurst, Tony Montana printed by

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in the

t h e l a t e s t n a t i o n a l & INTERNATIONAL music & enterta inment ne w s

Bertie Blackman Wages War

In the Mood for Broods Brother and sister Caleb and Georgia Nott, who you probably know better as Broods, have performed together since childhood – unsurprising given they were raised in a musical family. The duo signed with Capitol Records worldwide and Polydor in the UK and Europe late last year before releasing their self-titled debut EP at the beginning of the year. They were here in May, and again for Splendour. The Forum – November 26.

It’s Been Rigged The Delta Riggs will be finishing 2015 with a bang by playing a string of shows in support of their new album, Dipz Zebazios. Described as “a huge progression dynamically and musically from the band’s Australian Music Prize-nominated debut Hex.Lover.Killer”, the album, a self-produced effort, was tracked live over just three days. Ding Dong Lounge – November 29. * The band also has a date with QMF.

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‘War of One’ is the new single from alternativepop songbird Bertie Blackman, the latest taste of her forthcoming fifth album, The Dash.

Speaking with The Beat and Pulse earlier in the year, Bertie said: “I’m really excited about the new album. Creating this one was refreshing … I wrote the music over the summer and it all just flowed.” The album is due for release next month.

The Corner – October 9.

Hacking George Clooney George Clooney will direct a film based on the book Hack Attack, the Nick Davies account of his investigation into Rupert Murdoch’s empire media’s phone-hacking scandal. In a statement, George said: “This has all the elements – lying, corruption, blackmail – at the highest levels of government by the biggest newspaper in London … Nick is a brave and stubborn reporter and we consider it an honor to put his book to film.”

Not Quite Frozen Apparently you would have to have a cold, dead heart not to love Frozen.

The movie was HUGE,

and so it is that in 2015 we’re getting a bite size sequel. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf are all set to return in Frozen Fever, though at the time of writing there was no word whether Kristen Bell and co. would return. The film will feature a new song by Oscar-winners Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Stoneking Returns The wait is almost over, people. C.W. Stoneking will release his new album, Gon’ Boogaloo, next month – his first since 2008’s Jungle Blues. The blues and roots muso recorded the album in just two days, with little overdubs or edits. You may have already stumbled across its first single, ‘Get on the Floor’. As with any good album news, a tour will inevitably follow. The Forum – November 15.

God Save the Autobiography Next month fans of John Lydon will be able to step inside the mind of the voice of the Sex Pistols and PiL through the autobiography Anger is Energy – My Life Uncensored. According to press: “The book will be a fresh and mature look back on a life full of incident from his beginnings as a sickly

child of immigrant Irish parents who grew up in post-war London, to his present status as a vibrant, alternative national hero.”

More Dead than Alive

Time for TV Indie art rockers TV on the Radio have shared ‘Happy Idiot’, the first taste of their forthcoming new album, Seeds. Slate Magazine has called the new single their best in years, praising its sharp sound and comparing it to a mix of Joy Division and The Police. Its lyrics lament a failed relationship.

Seeds will hits shelves in November and will be the band’s first album since the passing of their bassist, Gerard Smith.

Jump on the Bandwagon If you haven’t caught wind of the fantastic Pozible crowdfunding project Support Act, here are the basics. Support Act is a unique charity that provides financial relief to music professionals facing illness, injury or some other life crisis. It receives no money from the government and must therefore fundraise every dollar it raises. The full story can be read through Pozible Support Act Bandwagon – pozible. com/project/185629.

Mortal Kombat X Tuesday, April 14, 2015 is the North American release date for the eagerly awaited Mortal Kombat X. What that means for Australia, I am not sure. Fans can expect the return of old favourites such as Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Raiden, while newcomers include Cassie Cage (the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade) and D’Vorah, an insect-like woman.

Players will be able to choose between three variations of each character.

Where is My Guitar, Dude?

Guitarists take note: Devin Townsend is heading this way for a series of guitar clinics. Townsend was the founder of Strapping Young Lad and led the band from 1994 to 2007.

Steadily releasing solo

Earlier this month, Entertainment Weekly broke the news about a companion series to the hugely popular series, The Walking Dead. The pilot is set to go into production later this year and will feature both a new set of characters and a different location. It is not being billed as a spinoff; rather, the as-yetuntitled series will take viewers into the heart of the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world.

material since, Devin will release Z² (short for Ziltoid 2) in October. The double-album will consist of a Devin Townsend Project album and a concept album. Guitarists know that this guy knows his stuff. St Kilda Town Hall – October 22.

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t h e l a t e s t n a t i o n a l & INTERNATIONAL music & enterta inment ne w s

Are You Hardcore?

The Stage of Tim Rogers The man who can do almost anything, Tim Rogers, will discover a little more about stage life next year when a new play featuring his music joins the Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2015 season. Tim’s debut solo album, What Rhymes with Cars and Girls, is being transformed into the story of love across the class divide in modern Australia.

Aidan Fennessy is behind the transformation, with Rogers set to oversee the music.

Formed in 1998 out of Buffalo, New York, Every Time I Die released their seventh album, From Parts Unknown, earlier this year. Hailing from Burbank, California, Touché Amoré released their third album, Is Survived By, last year.

Both have a pretty healthy following in Australia, so a joint tour is just the right kind of hardcore magic. The Corner – January 16, 2015. Snap up your tickets now, kids.

Pardon Me, Clerk In celebration of its 20th anniversary (yep, 20 years!), the soundtrack to Kevin’s Smith’s Clerks is getting a vinyl release.

The soundtrack, which will play out across three sides of two EPs (the final side contains an etching), features Alice in Chains, Girls Against Boys, The Jesus Lizard, Bad Religion, Soul Asylum, Corrosion of Conformity and Stabbing Westward.

I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today!

Maggot Fest V

Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson There is something special about the relationship of husband and wife country-blues pair Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson. Special enough to not only keep producing quality music, including next month’s newie Do Tell, but also special enough to have won the Memphis Blues Challenge which will see the duo head to the 2015 International Blues Challenge to represent Australia.

Thornbury Theatre – November 23.

Across the Halloween weekend, Maggot Fest will once again welcome some of the finest in Australian punk, hardcore and “weirdo” bands. And when I say some, I mean

a crapload. The event takes place at Bendigo Hotel on Thursday, October 30, The Tote on October 31 and The Tote on November 1.

Headlining the event will be Sydney outfit Royal Headache, who earlier in the year announced things are over… just not quite yet, it seems.

Heading Down Smith Street “With a portable recording set up and plenty of time, we recorded instruments and parts in bedrooms, bathrooms, stairwells, on balconies and in a disused train carriage.” And so began the journey of Throw Me in the River, the forthcoming new album from The Smith Street Band. With the album due for release at October’s end, the band is primed to bring new tunes to their fans. The Corner – November 28.

Take a Nap with Springsteen What does Bruce Springsteen do when he is not performing marathon shows? He writes children’s books.

November will see the release of Outlaw Pete, the new book from Springsteen and Frank Caruso. The book, based on the Springsteen

song of the same name, is described by the publisher as a story “about a bank-robbing baby whose exploits become a meditation on sin, fate, and free will”.

revolve around fraternal twins Connor and Murphy McManus.

Hansel & Gretel … and Spielberg

I Wanna Be Sedated Keep an eye out, fans of the Ramones, for a possible new documentary, a theatrical play and a Martin Scorsese film. Jeff Jampol, co-manager of the band’s estate: “The 40th anniversary of the Ramones is coming up in 2016, that’s when the first album came out. So we have a lot of projects leading up to that. We’re looking at a documentary on the Ramones. We just secured a ton of footage, much of which has never been seen before.”

Variety has reported that Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake will team up with celebrated writer Neil Gaiman for a new Hansel & Gretel movie. It is not the first time Spielberg, Winfrey and Blake have worked together: they worked together in producing The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Based on Gaiman’s graphic novel, the film will follow previous

Gaiman adaptations, Stardust and Coraline.

Two Black Cadillacs In 2012, Carrie Underwood released ‘Two Black Cadillacs’, a song about two women attending the funeral of a cheating man they presumably killed. It’s just got ‘Hollywood’ written all over it, doesn’t it?

Well, it would seem that Underwood is teaming up with Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Ildy Modrovich for a six-hour television series based on the song.

Underwood will serve as an executive producer.

The Boondock Saints 3 Details are starting to emerge about the third instalment of The Boondock Saints. The new film will run with the title The Boondock Saints 3: Legion and will explore the McManus brothers’ newfound status as folk heroes. Though it has been five years since the release of the second film, the man behind it, Troy Duffy, doesn’t seem to be rushing the third chapter. The films

Enter the Agent of Change In a massive win for the Melbourne music scene, the State Government looks as though it will be implementing the Agent of Change policy. State Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, has approved amendments to the Victorian Planning Provisions, saying: “This means beloved pubs and clubs that are home to live music in Victoria will not be forced to close due to noise complaints from those in new apartment buildings or new houses next door.”

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THE THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Levi Anderson BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with local resident DJ’S GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Kids Eat Free GPAC: Charmain Wilson 7.30pm, Reece Mastin Wolf in the Woods tour 8pm KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Apes, Gangz, Tsugnarly LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard PISTOL PETE: Screamin’ Honkies MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink THE MAX HOTEL: $14 Parmi night, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: 6pm Jazz n’ Blues THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 YAH YAHS: Dead City Ruins, Palace of the King, Cold Red Mute

FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER ARARAT LIVE: Cat Canteri, Justin Bernasconi BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): The Captains of industry, Rohan Souter & Pat McCabe THE BARWON CLUB: Exposures, Athenas Wake, The Sentinel, The Despot THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Hayden Scott BENDED: Trojan

fortnig h tly c alen d ar BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Sacred Cows THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTELMAINE): Barbarion, Pterodactyl CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ COURTHOUSE ARTS: School Days 7pm THE EASTERN: Impossible No Goods, Fraud Band EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday GPAC: Marina Prior 8pm THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Fully Loaded HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs LAMBYS: Live Music THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Nigel Wearne, Luke Watt THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm MAIN BAR (Ballarat): Lily & King THE MAX: Train Wreck Trio ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Cal Young OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Performance Night PISTOL PETES: Brian Fraser UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music

SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER AIREY’S PUB (Aireys Inlet): Live Music BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Oliver’s Army, Ben Whiting, Whitaker THE BARWON CLUB: Sonic Carnage, Iconic Vivisect, The Arbiter, Gorlapse, Brutonomy and more.

BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: DJ Max ‘70s and ‘80s music THE BRIDGE HOTEL

(CASTELMAINE): Jarrod Quarrell’s Greatest Hits, The Steve Miller Band EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: Live DJS GPAC: Jason Byrne 7.30pm, James Reyne 8pm THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Thom HOMEHOUSE: JDG, DJ Philly, WYWAD vs Cashmere KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Bel Air, Bnash LAMBYS: Live Music THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Born n’ Bread MARTIANS CAFE: Gretta Ziller, Paul Reid THE MAX: Hey Charger THE NEWMARKET (Bendigo): Live Bands ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Big in Sweden, Jim Jamz OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Cam Kettle PISTOL PETES: Cargo Blues Band ft Smokin Sam TORQUAY HOTEL: Where's Joss?

UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music WHISPERS: Coming up: DJ’s including Aston shuffle, Andy Murohy, Ruby Rose, John Dahlback, Slice n Dice, Jam Xpress, New World Sound, Jack n Jill, Mic Newman, Apocalypto, John Course, Zoolanda, Jebu, Jane Daffy, Butters, Generik, Tigerlily, Hey Sam, Katt Niall

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER THE BARWON CLUB: King of the North, The Soulenikoes, Destrends, Macondo Blowout BENDED: Sundae Social Club with DJ Adam Metwally BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 5-6pm CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT &

CASTLE: Live Jazz from 3-6pm and Parmi Night GEELONG RSL: $13 Carvery lunch LAMBYS: Live Music ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Guy Perkins, Matt Thomas, Johnny Hawken OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Cyndi Boste, Pete Fidler THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17

MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

LORD NELSON HOTEL: Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Kids Eat Free PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night

WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER THE BARWON CLUB: Morning Glory (USA), The Bennies, Phat Meegz, Nathan Seeckts & The Dead City Lights THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke and Dave Anderson BENDED: Second chance & pub quiz BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Shit Trivia Mexican Night BLACK HATT: Cuban Salsa Dance Classes

CHERRY BAR: Smoke Stack Rhino, The Ugly Kings, A Lesser Ego ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. Have fun win prizes book a table GEELONG (52 Garden St): No Lights No Lycra GEELONG RSL: Pot and Parmi Night $13 GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Spinning Wheel and a lot of Parmi’s from $14.50 KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): I Killed the Prom Queen, The Ghost Inside, In Hearts Wake, Bury Tomorrow KEITH HUMBE CENTRE (GEELONG COLLEGE): Where's Joss?

PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues

THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER BEAVS BAR: Woodlock, Andy Forster BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night CHERRY BAR: James Brown Tribute EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Kids Eat Free KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): The Bennies, Morning Glory, Phat Meegz, The Savages LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard THE MAX HOTEL: $14 Parmi night, InnQUIZitive Trivia from 7.30pm till 10.30pm, amazing prizes, call to book your team’s spot MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEY TAVERN AND BREWERY: Jazz n’ Blues PISTOL PETES: Blues n Soul Night YAH YAHS: Dead City Ruins, The Lazys, Black Aces

FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Woodlock

THE BARWON CLUB: Dune Rats BEAVS BAR: Luke Biscan BENDED: Moon Patrol BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Junk Yard June and the Blue Dogs THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTELMAINE): Lloyd Spiegel CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: The Infants, MangelWurzel EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Figjam HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs, Steve Camp, Simon One, Keith Evans & DJC KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): The Griswolds LAMBYS: Live Music LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (WARNAMBOOL): Charmain Wilson Spirit Medium THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm MAIN BAR (Ballarat): Phil Manning THE MAX: Trojan ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Eric Stribley OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): DJ Desperately Seeking PISTOL PETES: James Southwell UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music

SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER AIREY’S PUB (Aireys Inlet): Live Music THE BARWON CLUB: Veeped GF Party BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music, Happy Hour 5-7pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTELMAINE): The

Infants, MangelWurzel THE EASTERN: Animal Hands, Tsugnarly EDGE: Live Music and DJ THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy HOME HOUSE: Grand Final Night Party, Tommie Sunshine KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Safia, Grimm LAMBYS: Live Music THE MAX: Entourage THE NEWMARKET (Bendigo): Live Bands ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Jim Jamz OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Michelle Parsons PISTOL PETES: Mick Dogs Bone Yard UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music WHISPERS: Coming up: DJ’s including Aston shuffle, Andy Murohy, Ruby Rose, John Dahlback, Slice n Dice, Jam Xpress, New World Sound, Jack n Jill, Mic Newman, Apocalypto, John Course, Zoolanda, Jebu, Jane Daffy, Butters, Generik, Tigerlily, Hey Sam, Katt Niall

SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER BENDED: Sundae Social Club with DJ Adam Metwally BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 3:30-5:30 CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Jazz from 3-6pm and Parmi Night GEELONG RSL: $13 Carvery lunch LAMBYS: Live Music ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Rach Brennan, Craig Sayer OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): The Resignators THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17

MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER THE BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

LORD NELSON HOTEL: Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Kids Eat Free PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night

WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke with Luke Biscan BENDED: Second chance & pub quiz BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Shit Trivia Mexican Night BLACK HATT: Cuban Salsa Dance Classes ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. Have fun win prizes book a table GEELONG (52 Garden St): No Lights No Lycra GEELONG RSL: Pot and Parmi Night $13 GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Spinning Wheel and a lot of Parmi’s from $14.50 PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues

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For details on the application process and the full terms and conditions please visit bankofmelbourne.com.au/melbmusicbank Š 2014 Bank of Melbourne – A Division of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.

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BOM76_345x490_FORTE_DPS_FA.indd 1

You’ve entered. We’ve chosen. Here are your finalists in the Melbourne Music Bank. Now it’s time to vote for the winner and help one local act get their big break!

VISIT THE SITE. LISTEN TO FINALISTS. CAST YOUR VOTE. Go to bankofmelbourne.com.au/melbmusicbank and vote by Oct 12.

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15/09/2014 5:25 pm

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Ju d as Priest FEATURE STORY Written by Natalie Rogers

Us Aussies love a little metal – even our native animals take no prisoners. “The first time I came to Australia was with Lauren Harris’ band, she’s the daughter of Steve Harris from Iron Maiden,” explained axeman Richie Faulkner. “On a day off we went to the Brisbane Koala Sanctuary. While we were all posing for photos I remember looking at this one koala. He had a huge claw right on the jugular vein in my neck and he was looking at me straight in the eye as if to say ‘one false move boy and I’ll rip this vein out!’ Please don’t tell too many I was scared of the fuzzy koala!

“Just kidding,” Richie said grinning, “I love Australia.

Your country has such a wealth of history, character, identity … and koalas are part of that uniqueness.

We couldn’t be more excited! I don’t think the Priest machine has been down there since 2009 or ’10. On the Epitaph Tour, we made it down as far as Singapore, but we didn’t quite make it to Australia, so it’s my first time with Judas Priest and I can’t wait to get in front of the metalheads at Soundwave.”

The mighty juggernaut that is Soundwave Festival has pulled out all the stops this time booking the godfathers of metal, and what better time than now, as 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of their debut album Rocka Rolla.

“Everything the Priest was about then is just as relevant today. Stand up for what you believe, even though you might be frowned upon. Forge new paths and do the best you can do. Before I was asked to join them I was a fan, and I know how important their music is to people.”

Since joining the fold in 2011 after the retirement

of one of the band’s founding members K.K. Downing, Richie has earned the respect of his bandmates – and more importantly, the acceptance of the discerning metal community. “K.K. is a guitar hero of mine and I’m not here to replace him, I’m just trying to do the best I can for the band and the fans.”

After K.K. left, Richie’s first assignment saw him hit the ground running as part of the Epitaph World Tour [2011/12]. “We spent a lot of that time building relationships, gaining trust and valuing opinions.

They’re three of the most important elements of any band,” Richie says. “We wanted to show the world the Priest is still very much alive … We’re forging forward, as strong as ever.”

That strength and resolve can be heard in the 18 tracks on the deluxe edition of 2014’s Redeemer of Souls. Widely regarded as their best release in over twenty years, it’s proof the band who pioneered the genre almost half a century ago is still a force to be

reckoned with. Refreshingly, the significance of process was not lost on Richie.

“It’s the first time the band has recorded without one of its founding members and it was the first time I was in the recording studio with the band. So from both sides there was a sense we had to make the album good and get it right,” Richie admitted.

“You can imagine after forty years some bands might rest on their laurels and see no need to try as hard because they haven’t got as much of a point to prove as they did when they were 18 or 19 and angry at the world. But there’s a genuine love and passion for what we all do in this band, and I think that comes through.”

Richie’s voice fills with excitement when the subject turns to his favourite songs on the record. “I’ve got favourites, we’ve all got favourites, but the interesting thing is they’re all special to us. There’s thirteen tracks on the standard edition – it’s like having thirteen babies.

“If I have to choose, I like Halls of Valhalla and Sword of Damocles. They both have the sort of sentiment that takes you to another place. For me the great thing about metal is there’s a healthy balance of reality and fantasy depending on which you want to take from … For me it’s always been about the fantasy element.

“Another interesting titbit is that we haven’t played any of the songs all together yet. Rob [Halford, legendary frontman] and Glenn [Tipton, dual guitarist]

and I wrote the lyrics and we played little bits and pieces together. Then Scott [Travis, drums] and Ian [Hill, bass] did their parts separately. So we haven’t played these songs as a unit before and that’s really exciting in itself because some songs take on a different energy when you play them live as a band.”

With a two-month tour of the States set to kick off next month, the Priest machine will be well-oiled by the time it rolls into town early next year for Soundwave – and from all accounts Richie is itching to hit the road again.

“On tour Rob will come in with a bootleg of Queen from 1979 or something that no one has heard before – a rare 7-inch is like a piece of gold, you know? He’s the guy who’s always turned on to new things, he’s always digging for old treasures, playing new stuff on the tour bus. He turns us on to music that we haven’t heard before which is an amazing feat for a 63-year-old!

“We’ve a lot of fun backstage, and playing live with these guys is always incredible … I’m really living a dream right now. Soundwave is going to be epic – see you there!”

When&Where: Soundwave, Flemington Racecourse - February 21, 2015

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Peking Duk Written by Zach Broadhurst

Off the back of their smash single ‘High’, the infectious boys of Peking Duk have announced a new single will be coming our way very shortly – and they’ve revealed a little of what we can expect from the track.

“It’s a semi-emotional song about being bored of what you’re stuck in, whether that’s your job or a relationship, anything that’s sort of holding you down and you want to go outside and experience some new things.

That’s what the lyrics are about,” explains Adam Hyde, one half of the exciting duo.

Collaborating on the song is SAFIA vocalist and friend Ben Woolner, who slotted in well with the guys, both musically and socially.

“It was incredible. He completely gets how we work and where we want to take it,” says Hyde. “Even now we have lots of demos we are working on and I’ll play him some of the beats and he will just sit there and start humming these crazy beautiful melodies … He’s a great dude, and he knows how to party.”

The single, titled ‘Take Me Over’, may not be released yet, but it is already a crowd pleaser if their recent run of sold-out shows at Melbourne’s own Corner Hotel is anything to go by.

“We sold out four shows at the Corner

Hotel. By the fourth show there must have been quite a few people who had been to the other shows,” explains Hyde, “because during the chorus of the songs there was people singing back the words to a song that hasn’t even been released yet, which was just incredible.

It’s been a crazy 12 months for the boys, thanks in large to the massive success of their single ‘High’, a song that they originally thought would never really make it on commercial radio stations.

“We didn’t think it would cross over to commercial radio or even triple j for that matter,” says Hyde.

“Commercial radio must have caught wind of the song and they picked it up and then it just went all over Australia. It was crazy. Once commercial radio picked it up it was all over TV, like on the Today show and The Block just playing in the background, which was pretty cool.”

Their music may have caught people’s attention, but it is their contagious attitudes and willingness to poke fun at themselves that has really seen them gain fans across the country.

“So many people, especially in the dance and electronic world, take themselves so seriously,” explains Hyde. “Even in their press shots and interviews and the way they talk and dress – it’s fucking stupid … We don’t give a fuck. We do stupid things all the time …

You’ve just got to have fun with it and don’t think of music and playing shows as some sort of super serious job, because it’s all about having fun and giving these kids fun. We try and make it as loose and fun and wild as possible.”

Things don’t look like slowing down anytime soon for Peking Duk, with a tour of India coming up, plus a recent deal they signed with RCA Records in New York and Sony Australia which will see their music released in America. But first, Aussie audiences will get their chance to join in the fun with the boys going on a tour of the country.

“You can expect a sweaty fun time with lots of clothing off and lots of vodka being poured in the air,” declares Hyde.

When&Where: Beyond the Valley - December 30 - January 1

Xavier Rudd Written by Amanda Sherring

While many of us are indoors staring blankly into our computer screens or watching TV, chances are Xavier Rudd is outside spending time with his red heeler and taking in the inspiration the outback offers. “I like to be in the scrub and listening to the silence and the sounds and, I guess, that’s always been a huge part of the music and always will be. Ever since I was young I was always writing about that. I draw a huge inspiration from the land and spirits in the land,” Xavier says.

Listening to Xavier’s music instantly conjures up images of pristine Australian beaches and the deep red dirt from the country’s heart. As much as he respects the land, he admires those who first came to call Australia home and often sings about Indigenous issues as a result.

“It’s a crying shame and is definitely one of the most important issues in our country by far because it all relates to respecting the environment, respecting cultures and respecting the traditional ways,” he says.

Xavier’s wisdom far surpasses just his music, and in life he lives quite ethically as well. He is a longtime vegetarian and was even recognised by PETA and nominated as the ‘World’s Sexiest Vegetarian’.

“It’s kind of bizarre, I don’t know if they

got it right to be honest but it was a little bit flattering and embarrassing at times,” he says.

It seems with all the fame Xavier has gained he’s still remained the same country beach-loving kid from Torquay that we first came to love.

While it’s easy for us to admire all he’s done, Xavier was a little bit slower in realising everything he’s achieved.

“I’m always so in it that it’s a bit hard to stand outside it,” Xavier says.

“It is a bit of a trip, there’s definitely not a day that goes by where I don’t give thanks. There’s a lot of great music and artists in the world and I’ve had some great opportunities and great support of the people, so it’s been a blessing.”

After already releasing seven albums, Xavier is set to release his eighth next year, adding to the great music he’s already produced. This time around Xavier has worked with United Nations and produced a very different sound.

“It’s really different but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m finally doing it so it’s exciting,” Xavier says.

While his new release is set to be a much more organic sound for Xavier, he will still be pulling out all the stops

When&Where: Queenscliff Music Festival - November 28-30

when he comes down to play Queenscliff Music Festival this November.

“I’ve played Queenscliff Music Festival once in my life and in my career and that was easily 10 years ago. It’ll be groovy. We’ll smash it, and

we’re going to light that place up,” he says.

Despite being in the industry for around 10 years, Xavier still has an intense passion and appreciation for every moment he gets to spend on stage. While he’s looking forward to his performance this November, he’s also

excited to see those early fans from when he played the festival years ago.

“I’m looking forward to getting back down to that country and seeing all the smiling people who were there for me in the beginning,” Xavier says.

Da Vinci Code Q&A

While everyone’s counting down the days to summer, here at Forte we’re counting down to Earthcore Music Festival. Who needs sunshine when you’re sweating it up under the tents and pumping beats?

We had a chat with Stas from progressive psychedelic duo Da Vinci Code ahead of their performance at Earthcore.

Hey Stas (Vibe Tribe & DaVinci Code), thanks for taking some time out to have a chat to Forte Magazine. For those who aren’t familiar with who you are, briefly describe your style and what it is you do?

I’m Stas more known for my project Vibe Tribe and also the new psy-progressive project together with my friend Elmar Spade in DaVinci Code. I would describe Vibe Tribe as energetic and uplifting melodic psychedelic music and DaVinci Code is lower bpm, not more than 138, but psychedelic with progressive approach.

What have you been up to lately and where are you right now?

Touring around the globe and producing new music and managing Mainstage Records label with my friend Didy Bizzare Contact. Otherwise living life in the little spare time I have left and writing to you before taking off for a tour in India.

Where do you get inspiration from?

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Wow that’s a big question, basically anything from music obviously, but also from stuff I see and travels around the world. I can get it from basically anything I guess.

You’ve both come from quite successful solo projects, what made you decide to partner up and how have things been going since then?

We just have great chemistry when we are in the studio together. We do lots of music together as Vibe Tribe Vs. Spade and we wanted to do something else. The music we make as DaVinci Code wouldn’t fit to our solo projects.

I guess that’s not what the fans of our solo projects would except from us to make for them, so that’s how DaVinci Code came to the world basically.

In your long history of touring you’ve been to some pretty amazing corners of the world, where has been your favourite place to play?

Australia is in the top five obviously.

Other favourites of mine would be Brazil, Japan and South Africa. There are many others that I enjoy travelling to. It’s too hard to choose one from so many great and beautiful places.

What do you think of the Australian

When&Where: Earthcore, Pyalong - November 27 - December 1

crowd? Do we know how to party?

Aussies are wild, they rock the dance floor like no other. They are such a warm and good feedback giving crowd, it’s a pleasure play for Australians.

Are you excited to be playing at Earthcore?

I am!! It should be a crazy experience and I am sure I will have a blast there. I am preparing lots of new stuff for both of my sets there as Vibe Tribe and DaVinci Code.

What can the audience expect from your set there?

New tracks, special edits of known tracks, lots

of good beats and tonnes of surprises.

Before we finish up, is there anything you’d like to add?

Thanks for having this interview with me, it was a pleasure, Stay tuned for both of my sets at Earthcore and keep spreading the good vibes.

W W W. PA R A D I S E M U S I C . C O M . A U

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"I kind of just jam out until I find something that I like. I usually head in with a predisposed idea of what I want to do. But I kind of just make it up.” pg.30

"... we are not coming down there to copy what Jimi did. We are coming down to play and express the Hendrix songs, through us as musicians." pg.32

"There’s something about folk-country that just has the ability to rip your heart out of your chest. I’m lucky to have a lot of musical influences in my family and they are probably what keep me inspired the most." pg.33

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“ Killer songs and an untouchable live reputation, fuck yeah! That’s how I want us to be remembered.” pg.37

Next of Kin

A Couple of Pierced Brothers Melbourne folk duo the Pierce Brothers are doing alright. Having returned from a triumphant showing abroad, the lads are keeping the good times going with a handful of local dates. Comprised of twin brothers Jack and Pat, the pair paved their way busking on the streets. Next thing you know they’re performing a record-breaking five sold-out shows at Melbourne’s Shebeen, selling out shows in London and performing to a monster crowd of

10,000+ at the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands. While in the Netherlands, the brotherly duo was invited to perform on 3FM Radio,

which has an audience of 1.5 million. The Vine, Bendigo – October 10 & Torquay Hotel, Torquay – December 4. * Tickets at door only. [photo by Snappatronik]

It would be hard to imagine too many people who haven’t heard of The Kin. If you haven’t, well, you’re about to go on a two-minute date with them. The band is the talents of Australian-raised brothers Isaac (vocals, keys) and Thorald Koren (vocals, guitar, keys) along with the powerhouse USborn drummer known as ‘Shakerleg’. Their musical adventure began when the trio took to the stage of Katz’s Delicatessen, a mainstay of New York City’s Lower East Side.

Since that little night, the

“danger-pop” sound of the band has won favour with those including Pink, who snapped up the lads for tours of Australia and the US. They are also known for their “musical robberies”, in which they choose a random spot to kick out their jams.

These musical robberies have taken place at the Sundance Film Festival,

SXSW, Soho House and Seven Grand Whiskey Bar in Los Angeles. Also, a French airport – because, why not? US reviews include nice little nuggets like this: “Besides their flash mob-style impromptu concerts, the band has a drummer, known only as Shakerleg, who plays the drums with his bare hands. The band has a unique vibe, and they have an incredibly tight sound on stage.” Beav’s Bar, Geelong – October 24.

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The Remix Readings Headed by resident artist Mitch Cunningham, The Remix Readings puts the spotlight on Geelong’s young, talented writing community, teaming them with musicians, actors and choreographers to bring their voices to life in unexpected ways.

Mitch: “Readings usually take place in a weird space between scripting and full-fledged production … We want to amplify that space, that weirdness, and create a unique kind of performance within those parameters.” The Remix Readings made its debut at the end of July.

Shows coming up include October 2, November 13 and December 18. Mitch is currently completing a PhD in narrative theory and contemporary American literature at Deakin University.

Good Karma Coming Atcha!

Love a good laugh?

How about supporting a needy cause? Good thing you do, because so do we! Join Dave O’Neil, Hannah Gadsby, Sammy J & Randy and others in their Comedy4Karma show raising funds for the Daylesford Dharma School. So if you’re up for a night of laughs with some big names in the comedy industry make your way to Daylesford on October 4. Who knows, maybe you’ll win the tattslotto afterwards for supporting a good cause?

Daylesford Town Hall - October 4. For more information and tickets visit dharmaschool.com.au

A Peek at Peep Tempel In support of album number two, Tales, Melbourne band The Peep Tempel has lined up a few dates. The now-trio formed as a two-piece in 2009 and released a couple of 7” singles before recording their debut as a three-piece.

The new album, which was recorded above a bar in West Melbourne (kudos for the rock ’n’ roll way), is due for release at the beginning of next month. From the band: “We wanted the record to have an element of ick, to make you smile, but not without leaving a film across your teeth. It’s misogynistic, voyeuristic, racist, bigoted, overfinanced, drunk in Bali, pissing in its own mouth, boat-stopping mayhem.” The Bridge, Castlemaine – October 10 & The Eastern, Ballarat – October 11.

Maldon Folk Festival It never hurts to take a look at what is happening a little later in the year, especially when it involves the Maldon Folk Festival.

Held annually for more than four decades, the 28 forte

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festival is a weekend of music, dance and theatre.

International performers include Beth Patterson, Kristina Olsen, Fiona Ross, Colin O’Brien and The Stage Hogs, while local performers include The Woohoo Review, The BordererS, Damien Howard, Janette Geri, Alanna & Alicia, The Capitalist Pigs and The Go Set. The fun doesn’t start and end with music, so make sure you hit their website for a full rundown of events. This year the festival takes place from October 31 to November 3. Early bird specials available ’til September 30.

Luluc Passing You By As you read this, the lush indie-folk sounds of Luluc (pronounced Loo-Luke, should it ever come up) are being played out to crowds in Canada and the US. And it is being done so in support of J Mascis, no less. But don’t worry, your time is coming. Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett are the souls behind this quiet folk duo. Passerby is the name of their second album, and their first for Sub Pop. It comes six years after their debut.

Double J summed up their review of the album with: “With a record like Passerby, the virtue of patience is invaluable.

Listen to it now, but take some time to savour it.”

The Bridge, Castlemaine – November 27 & Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – November 30.

The Chase Is On The UK and Australia don’t always agree on things, but British frontman Adam Gresty and Australian drummer Emily Shaw have found a bond through music. You see, on a tequila-fuelled Elvis tribute night, the pair met. They decided they liked each other and that music should be something they do. And so they do so under Slow Chase. They released their debut EP, The Blind Spot, in 2012 with assistance from Jonathan Burnside (Dan Sultan, The Living End), a working relationship that has continued with their new single ‘Exorcism’ (October 13). Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – October 17; The Loft, Warrnambool – October 18; and The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 14.

Inlet Battle of the Bands Cement Events and Dale Cleves Music have joined forces for the Inlet Battle of the Bands, set to take place in Warrnambool in November. Five local bands will battle it out for a nice little price package which includes a paid slot at the inaugural Outlet Music Festival in Adelaide. Each band on the night will perform a 40-minute set, with

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the winner decided by way of audience vote.

The four runner-up acts will receive a $125 Dale Cleves gift voucher. As for Outlet, this little gem of a festival will take place at Beachport Hotel on Boxing Day. Performers include Allday, Ezekiel Ox and Tequila Mockingbyrd.

At the time of writing Warrnambool battlers had not been announced.

One Cool Cat If Dave Grohl can swap a pair of sticks for a guitar,

By Jove anyone can. Born and raised in Melbourne, Cat Canteri found a music life as the singersongwriter and drummer for The Stillsons. The Stillsons formed in 2006 to find a warm place within the contemporary roots scene. Their third album, Never Go Your Way, was voted ‘Country Album of 2013’ in the Rhythms reader’s poll.

2014, however, became a year of change when Cat swapped the drums for a guitar. Throwing out a few invites, Cat was able to persuade a handful of Melbourne’s finest to help her, including Megan Bernard, Scott Zimmer, Daniel Hobson and Justin Bernasconi.

Ararat Live – September 19 & Wolseley Wines, Torquay – October 19.

Doing a Plum Job Quick bite: Brisbane’s Thelma Plum recently kicked off a tour which will keep her busy until November’s end. A winner of the National Indigenous Music Awards competition, the young indie-roots singer-songwriter will be showcasing her Monsters EP throughout the run.

The EP was created with hip hop producer M-Phazes and features the single ‘How Much Does Your Love Cost?’

The Karova, Ballarat – November 7 & Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 9.

Goodnight, Sweet DJs Well, as you know the dynamic Ballarat tag-team of Guy Chappell and Gaz Harrison, better known as the Yacht Club DJs, announced earlier in the year that 2014 would be their last year of weird and excessive nudity, stage invasions and boundless energy.

Not exactly in those words, but we certainly came to love ’em for their high jinks as much as their mash-ups. The announcement was made in July, leaving fans of their mash-ups and party-style ways a little misty-eyed. “We’ve been talking about this for a while and we’ve decided that 2014 is going to be the last year of the Yacht Club DJs,” they wrote to their loyal 15,000 Facebook followers. “It’s been an unbelievable ride, but we both feel like it’s time to put our focus on to other endeavours.” What these other endeavours will be is sure to be of great interest. Fortunately the lads have kind hearts and have announced a nice little farewell fling. The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 21 and The Karova, Ballarat – December 19 & 20. From the pair: “Cheers heaps for the massive response to our last tour! We’ve been getting messages and emails from venues saying it looks like tickets are going to disappear really quick, absolutely pumped! This tour is going to be insane!”

The Impressive Griswolds When you come across a band who describes themself as “tequilainspired party pop”, you just have to give them a listen. Then have a drink … then another drink. Sydney outfit The Griswolds is that band in question.

The band is on a tequila-soaked high on the back of the release of Be Impressive, their debut album. And impressive is just what they’ve been. With an evergrowing fan base, the little band that could packed their bags and headed for L.A. at the beginning of the year where they hooked up with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, Foster the People, M83). Not bad for a band that was started when vocalist and guitarist Christopher Whitehall challenged “sometime drinking buddy” Daniel Duque-Perez (guitar, synth) to write a riff on the spot while at a house party. The full story about the band’s road to glory can be found through their Facebook page. As for their intentions, Chris says: “We’re pretty chilled, relaxed guys, but we take making music seriously. Because the more people we get to play to around the world, the more we want to keep touring … and keep partying with people who like our music.” The Karova, Ballarat – September 26.

Feeling a Little Husky

Lorne Film Festival 2014 Let’s take a dip in the waters of the 2014 Lorne Film Festival. Hoping to build on the success of last year’s event – in which over 1000 submissions were received, with 29 films screened across five days – 2014’s outing will once again take in a range of intimate venues against the backdrop of Lorne’s coastal beauty.

Four screens across three venues will be used for the event. A wonderful inclusion to the 2014 Lorne Film Festival is ‘Lorne Shorts’, an international short film competition. Another exciting new inclusion is the ‘Lorne Film 2014 Screenwriter Award’. The official launch takes place at Frangos & Frangos this coming Saturday, September 20. For your full Lorne Film Festival fill hit lornefilm.com.au.

Giggin’ with Briggs With a name that continues to be spread, Sheppartonbased MC Briggs, sometimes known as the “Unofficial Mayor of Shepparton”, has announced a nice little tour in support of his new album ShepLife. The album landed in the top 20 of the ARIA Albums Chart and top three in the Carlton Dry Independent Charts, proving to be his most successful effort yet. Yahoo Bar, Shepparton – October 16.

A nod to George Orwell is what greets us in the bio of Melbourne folk-inspired outfit Husky. “George Orwell said that writing should be transparent – like a clear window pane,” says frontman Husky Gawenda. It is something he feels about music.

“You shouldn’t notice the music or the art of it; you’re just transported to another place.” It’s a nice little way of looking at things indeed. The band has been in strong form since the release of their triple j Unearthed debut, Forever So. There were nominated for an ARIA Award and an AIR Award, while Gawenda was awarded the national APRA PDA Award for his songwriting in 2013. Ruckers Hill is the name of their forthcoming newie. The album was recorded in a small, moonlit room at the back of Gawenda’s house. It has been a long and thoughtful process, taking in an 18-month period, and will be available for your hot little hands October 17. Available now, however, is single ‘I’m not Coming Back’. Speaking with USA Today, Gawenda said: “I’m not Coming Back is a song about leaving things behind, but as with all defiant songs, I think, there’s a sense of irony, a sense that leaving is easier said than done, or easier to sing about than actually do.” The Bridge, Castlemaine – November 7 & The Karova, Ballarat – November 8.

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Rock the River REMINDER: Attention rock n roll fans and aficionados, the time is nigh. River Rocks tickets are quickly flying out the door and with a lineup featuring Tumbleweed, Kim Salmon & The Surrealists and many more it’s one event you better not miss! Barwon Club - November 15

GABF Returns Quick bite: Making it the best return since Return of the Jedi, the Great Australian Beer Festival returns to Geelong early next year for another round of beer and good cheer. Other than it takes place on February 21 at the Geelong Racecourse, there is no other information we can give you at this stage. Sorry about that.

However, early bird specials are currently available. Make sure you hit up gabfgeelong.com. au or their Facebook page for what’s to come.

It’s gonna be good.

Bell Street Fiesta Life is all about the little pleasures, little pleasures like good food, good wine, good coffee and good music. Surely out of

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those there is at least one thing you love? Torquay’s Bell Street Fiesta is about all these things … and a little bit more. Taking place on Sunday, October 12 (11 a.m. through 5 p.m.), the day will also include art exhibitions, skateboarding demonstrations, Harley rides and tours and a stack of entertainment for the little ones.

Performers include The Kite Machine, Test Pilot Molly, Mad House and The Bite. Entry is only $2 for adults and adolescents, while primary-aged kids are free. The event is the main feature of Drink Art Food Torquay. A full rundown is available through daftorquay.com.

The Glory of it All REMINDER: Morning Glory has some business to do in Australia. The business of rocking out like it is 2014.

Morning Glory has been around the traps since the dissolution of Chocking Victim back in the late nineties and was originally formed as a solo project by Ezra Kire. The Barwon Club, Geelong – September 24 & The Karova, Ballarat – September 25.

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The Curse of the Audio Technician Written by Daniel Lock

Greetings live music listeners, practitioners, prima donnas and roadies, Dan here with an issue that I would like to discuss just to change things up for a week.

I’ve been trained as an audio technician and I work The Eastern week to week in which I get to mix many awesome bands and see a great variety of live music.

Does this make me a successful audio technician? I’m not exactly sure, though I’m happy in what I do and who I meet through the involvement I have with the whole scene.

I get to chat with different musicians week to week and hopefully make them sound good on stage. I’ve reached the stage where I am confident in the way I know the venue I mix, the way I make people sound on stage, and the onboard effects unit my desk has. But now and then I get thrown a curveball, as is bound to happen in any career – and the weekend just gone was one that did it to me.

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Tip Your Hat to Nigel Wearne Are you in need of a good dose of country/ folk, western swing and hillbilly rock ’n’ roll?

That is the question that awaits you on the official page of songman Nigel Wearne. Equipped with an arsenal of personally handcrafted guitars, Nigel’s storytelling tunes play out over fingerstyle guitar, country twang and honky-tonk.

Referring to his website once again, Nigel is a festival favourite, having played at Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival and the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival among many others.

His most recent release is 2012’s Black Crow, which scored itself a four-star review in Rolling Stone Magazine.

The Loft, Warrnambool – September 19.

Some Joy for 2015 James Keogh, the singersongwriter you would know better as Vance Joy, needs little introduction.

I mean, the dude is seriously going great guns at the moment.

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At the beginning of the month, Joy embarked on a massive tour of the UK, Europe and US which will keep him busy until the end of November. The tour, of course, celebrates the release of his debut full-length album, Dream Your Life Away. Aussie fans have got their own shows coming up … they just have to wait a little longer – unless you’re a ticketholder to Falls.

Regent Theatre, Ballarat – March 14, 2015.

Joining Vance will be #1 Dads, the side project of Big Scary’s Tom Iansek, along with Brisbane’s rising star, Airling.

Ezekiel Ox Rox Your Sox Quick bite: The man behind Mammal, The Nerve and Over-Reactor, Ezekiel Ox, has spent 2014 doing what he does best: rockin’ the stage with the likes of Boots Riley, Sietta and Kings of the North. But that’s not all. He has also signed with Sydney’s Bird’s Robe Records and released his debut EP, Raw Styles.

The Bridge, Castlemaine – November 15; Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 20; and Major Tom’s, Kyneton – November 21.

I was called in on the Friday to mix solo acts A Miner and Ben Salter, and everything went great with both those guys. Then the Saturday, which is my regular day, an issue with a foldback was resolved without me being made aware. This issue was a simple replacement and chaining to the other foldback. Now, this usually shouldn’t present a problem, only the guy who did it came in an hour before I was due there and an hour and a half before the first band was due to start. Being confident in the venue and having mixed last night, I thought all my settings would be unchanged, which they were to some degree, only in the patching of the new foldback somehow the AUX channels had been changed.

Ern Malley were up first on the bill and they had a lot to set up on a stage with limited floor space. So I stayed out of their way until they were ready. Keeping near the desk I adjusted all the settings to the standard preferences most bands enjoy. The band maybe stopped once during their set to mention they needed more foldback, which was polite of them, unknown to me that “more” actually meant “more than none”. Because we hadn’t really had time for a soundcheck, I didn’t test the foldback – and why would a straight chaining need a re-patch at the desk anyway? So these poor guys went the whole set without any foldback as I was adjusting the wrong channel to give

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Here We Go Jericco As we await their second album Machine Made the Animals, Melbourne outfit Jericco has released its first single ‘Colour Outside the Lines’ to keep you busy. According to the man on the street, the single was written at a time of confusion and uncertainty in the band’s life. In a statement, frontman Brent McCormick said: “In a world that sets us free... Colour Outside the Lines is about an energy that travels through us ... We can’t wait for this national single tour and to let the fans to experience it with us…” Machine Made the Animals, meanwhile, is expected for release early next year. Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – November 21. With Guards of May, Ergasia and Eater of the Sky.

I Killed the Prom Queen Adelaide’s metalcore heavyweights I Killed the Prom Queen has announced a beefy run of shows with American outfit The Ghost Inside.

Formed in 2000, the band performed their

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first gig at Reynella Youth Enterprise Centre in late 2001. A couple of albums followed before the band called time-out for a spell. Reformed in 2011, the band soon enough turned their focus to a new album. That came with this year’s Beloved.

Kill Your Stereo: “For a band so often imitated to varying quality, there’s something incredibly satisfying about hearing the real thing, new and confident, for the first time in years. Longtime fans can put worries aside – they nailed it.”

The Karova, Ballarat – September 24.

Where Metal Lives Quick bite: The formidable sounds of Denmark’s Undergang will be among those set to test the foundations of Geelong’s Barwon Club on October 9. The death metal band formed with the intention of “spewing forth morbid, rotten and filth-ridden death metal” to the masses.

‘Primitive Deatheavy’ metallers Black Cauldron Ram, Destruktor, Altare and local extreme metal outfit Nemesium will also perform.

them more. It wasn’t until after when I asked them and they said they had none that I realised the folds had been re-patched. So if any of you readers are friends of Ern Malley, tell them that Dan the Sound Man apologises profusely and I that really hate to put on a bad mix for the band (they still sounded great through front of house).

Next up, The Junipers played, and despite having not much bass through the amp they’d borrowed from one of the other bands (it was quickly fixed with a DI; the venue is small with large windows that reverberate the sound all around the small space, so rarely do I worry about micing the amps), they did really well and didn’t make me squirm with the justified discomfort I could read in Ern Malley.

This is all part of the large ongoing journey of becoming a confident sound guy, I understand, and despite having two years of practice under my belt (four years if you include the study), even in a venue mostly mixed by yourself you can still be turned on your head.

Anyway, I’d just like to thank The Eastern for putting up with me, as well as all bands I get to mix there. Every week usually has a great crowd attending for the music and the weekend celebration. I encourage anyone who reads this in the Ballarat area to check the place out one week to see whether it’s your kinda place, because you will not be disappointed.

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To Hell with Gretta Ziller

No T-Pain, No Gain Bendigo is probably one of the last places you would expect to find Grammy-winner, producer and writer for a stack of chart-topping and platinum-selling singles, BMI Urban Award ‘Songwriter of the Year’ and ‘Producer of the Year’ and BET Award-winner T-Pain, but it is happening. Born Faheem Rasheed Najm, T-Pain released his debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, in 2005. Around the same time he established record label Nappy Boy Entertainment. The tour shines the light on his forthcoming release Stoicville: The Phoenix, which T-Pain describes as “a city in my mind that I created. It’s basically like my happy place”. He created it after discovering his son is autistic. Star Bar, Bendigo – October 2.

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Surrealistic Tuna Written by Daniel Waight

The music industry has changed greatly over the past twenty years or so. Gone are the days when you needed a record label to release your stuff. There are now so many different online channels musicians can use to publish their material and broaden their fanbase. Lorne lad Achyuta Ellis is currently using social media to release his music into the world under the stage name Surrealistic Tuna.

“It helps a lot,” he says of the effect the internet has had for young musicians. “I feel bad for the kids in the ’90s struggling to get their names out in local pubs and that kind of thing.

But in the digital age you’ve got musicians at the click of a button and in terms of promotion it’s just so easy to get your name out there. Over the past couple of years I’ve developed a small little following.”

Achyuta, who’s just released his first album, The City, says his music is hard to describe, calling it “kind of ambient, soundtrack, psychedelic, soundscapey”. He gets his inspiration from a variety of different artists, including Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Country Joe & The Fish but says, “Really, I kind of just jam out until I find something that I like. I usually head in with a predisposed idea of what I want to do. But I kind of just make it up.”

He’s currently studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT University, majoring in sound.

Once the degree is completed he’s hoping to start performing his material in public, a stage he says he’s not quite up to yet.

“I just want to pursue as many avenues that interest me as possible,” he says. “I really just want to get to gigging, that’s the main thing.

I’ve started my own band – I’m just waiting for a friend to get back from the states. So over the next couple of years I’ve got my table full, so to speak. It’s not about fame or income or anything like that. It’s about having fun for me.”

His interest in music began on the Surf Coast, with his family and the culture in Lorne fostering his initial interest in playing, specifically, surf music. “Growing up on the ocean has certainly, no pun intended, amplified my love of surf music. Actually, what got me playing guitar [in the first place] was surf music, so there’s a subconscious link there somewhere.

But mainly it would be my dad always having musical instruments around the house, forcing me to listen to hillbilly music.”

And why Surrealistic Tuna? “I really don’t know. It’s one of those names that just comes to you and you think ‘that’ll do’. Tuna’s my nickname. A good friend of mine from Geelong, a long time ago, she actually misheard my name and thought it was Tuna.”

Over the next year or so Achyuta is hoping to expand his online presence and engage more with his audience, even incorporating their ideas and suggestions into his music.

You can look up Surrealistic Tuna on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify and Facebook where you can purchase The City and his other compositions. And there’s lots more stuff on the way. “There’s plenty more projects in the pipeline,” he says.

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A rave performance at the 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival’s Telstra Road to Discovery Grand Finals and a 2013 TSA/ APRA ‘New Songwriter of the Year’ award are just a couple of accolades country-roots singersongwriter Gretta Ziller has picked up in her time.

Raised on the muddy banks of the Murray River, Ziller’s appetite for music was catered for in what would be a familiar fashion to many of us – through rage and Video Hits. It was this time in front of the tele that helped fuel her passion for her alt-country stylings. Instruments came next, with Ziller taking to a variety of instruments including violin, double bass and cello. It was her dexterity with the bagpipes, however, which led to her performing alongside John Farnham at the 2009 AFL Grand Final. By the time university rolled around, Gretta had set her sights on a Bachelor Degree in Voice. Skip forwards a little and we’re met with EP Hell’s Half Acre, a release afforded in part through a successful Pozible campaign. After three years of scrimping, saving, planning and dreaming, the EP has seen the light of day. It features the title track, a song about a “getting out of the mess you made” situation.

Martians Café, Deans Marsh – September 20.

It’s a Witchgrinder Halloween There is a bit happening in the camp of Melbourne’s industrial metal heavyweights Witchgrinder. At the beginning of the month the band brushed up on their Japanese pleasantries as they headed abroad for a tour alongside Entombed A.D. (Stockholm), Unrest Fatalist (France), Tyrant of Mary (Japan) and Zuul FX (Japan). They are also at work on their second full-length album which they hope to have ready early 2015. Despite this, they have left a little room for their Halloween tour.

And although they may not be performing on the exact date, all the horror-themed gore will still be present.

And what more could you ask for around Halloween?

Your Break, Warrnambool – October 24.

Idle Hands of Mia Dyson Mia Dyson couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year than she had with the release of Idyllwild.

The album scored a Double J feature run, a premiere on US industry bible Billboard and multiple four star reviews. There is a pretty cool backstory to the album’s title track over at Dyson’s official site.

Like many good things, it begins in a sweaty bar and ends around a campfire.

Mia released her debut album in 2003 and has

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since supported names including Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Chris Isaak, Joe Cocker and Stevie Nicks. Harvester Moon, Bellarine – October 9; Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – October 12; and Beav’s Bar, Geelong - October 19. * Mia will also take in Meredith.

Nothing to Quarrell About Melbourne musical survivor Jarrod Quarrell has popped up in several projects over the better part of the last decade. There has been The New Season.

There has been St Helens.

And there is his current project, Lost Animal. Jarrod is currently working on the second album of his current baby, the followup to Ex Tropical. Last year, meanwhile, saw the reissue of The New Season’s six-track EP, while next year will see the reissue of Heavy Profession, St Helens’ only release. Set to perform songs from all three projects, Jarrod takes on The Bridge, Castlemaine on September 20. Joining him will be ‘Handsome Steve Miller’ leading the Steve Miller Band.

Reece and the Wolf Ah, these young rock and roll heartthrobs. Reece Mastin won fans and stole hearts through his 2011 X-Factor journey, a journey which would see him take out top honours before releasing a double Platinum album. With a new album due later in the year, Reece is hitting the road for his first extensive run of shows since late 2012. Reece: “If you’ve never come to a show before, this is the one you’ve been waiting for. And if you thought the last show was good, we have the next level for you! We’re travelling to places we haven’t been in a while and I can’t wait to see everyone again. If you love your music live and loud, then the Wolf in the Woods shows will definitely have you rocking!” GPAC – September 18.

Time to Commit Fraud Fraudband has been rocking stages since the second half of last year, taking to venues including The Tote, The Old Bar and Yah Yah’s. The band celebrated their first year of existence with the release of debut, First Songs. And god bless their little socks, they released it on both cassette and CD, complete with hand-painted covers for first editions.

References have been made to Fugazi, while the band has admitted to admiring Sonic Youth’s approach to writing music. The Eastern, Ballarat – September 19.

They will be joined by fellow Melbourne outfit, The Impossible No Goods, who come with this intro: “The human arse is a mysterious thing; we all have one; we all need it; yet it’s hidden behind us.”

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In Rod We Trust You know the news by now: Rod Stewart is set to tour Australia in 2015.

With five decades in the game and over 100 million in album sales, Rod the Mod is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Before music bloomed, Stewart’s dream was to become a professional footballer. In his 2012 autobiography, Stewart states: “Well, a musician’s life is a lot easier and I can also get drunk and make music, and I can’t do that and play football. I plumped for music ... They’re the only two things I can do actually: play football and sing.” It’s time to wake up, Maggie, I think I got something to say to you.

And that would be this: Hanging Rock, Macedon – March 28, 2015.

Kira Puru Goes Regional Kira Puru is where Angelo Badalamenti meets Shellac via Sugar Pie DeSanto.

Or at least that is what the internet tells me. And seeing as how the internet has no reason to lie, I trust they’re not leading me astray here. After dabbling a little in Scandinavian synth-pop, deep soul and lounge jazz, Kira Puru found a home as the frontwoman for doom-pop outfit The Bruise. She can also count The Preatures, Caitlin Park, Paul Mac, Illy, M-Phazes, Post Paint, Antony Partos, Dave McCormack, Mark Opitz and Paul Kelly among her collaborators. Other than all that, you may have caught her performance on RocKwiz earlier in the year.

It’s always a treat when Kira comes to town. The Bridge, Castlemaine – October 3.

So Frenchy So Chic There are few better ways to start the year than by taking in the lush sounds and good eats of So Frenchy So Chic. For those unfamiliar, So Frenchy So Chic brings a touch of French magic and the manner of Paris to a summer’s day.

Entertainment in 2015 will be provided by Émilie Simon, who will be making her third trip to our shores, along with The Dø, La Femme and François & the Atlas Mountains. Émilie is an electronic artist who found acclaim with her self-titled debut. Mue is her latest. And just wait until you get a load of the food on offer – Mmm-mmm. A variety of hampers are on offer, but to do them justice you should really take a look at SFSC’s website.

Werribee Park Mansion – January 11, 2015.

Hey Lady’s Are All Heart Quick bite: Can you go wrong with “beautiful yet edgy female vocal hooks, innovative guitar work and massive drums” that are gracefully woven together?

That would be a big, fat no.

No, you can’t. Hailing from Newcastle, two-piece Hey

Attention All Music Lovers in Geelong!

The Music Box, upstairs at Beneded, is inviting all local Bands, Performers, DJ’s and anyone interested in playing at, or putting on a special event or function. Get in touch with Justin the Bended events manager, call 0408 892 287 or email secretagent@ bended.com.au Lady! (Jess Moxey and Stef Threadgate) is just that.

Keep an eye out for their second EP, Jungle Studios.

Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – November 14.

SAFIA is the One REMINDER: SAFIA is a good thing that comes in threes. The Canberra trio has been playing music together since primary school. I don’t know what it sounded like back then, but these days their electroindie has been striking a chord with people left, right and centre. Star Bar, Bendigo – September 26 & The Karova, Ballarat – September 27.

Approaching Ground Zero Around four months ago, Jordan Thulborn and Jamie Taylor put their noggins together to come up with a way of showcasing hip hop, RnB and trap to Geelong crowds. They settled on the name Ground Zero and went about scouring the local music scene for young artists who wanted to share the ride. A lot of hard work has gone into the venture, with the young team approaching local businesses to help in the support and promotion.

Jamie’s mate Cameron Boyd joined the team, as did Ben Reyment and Mitchell Slaven. Just as the Ground Zero team has a passionate love for hip hop, so it would seem does Geelong. Since starting the project, two shows have taken place at Basement 159, with further shows to take place on October 3, November 13 and December 18.

The Ground Zero team has also found an ally in internationally recognised label Trap and Bass, while Jamie has not only started working with producer Joel, but has signed with the Caps Lock Crew, a collective of international producers, emcees and deejays. Working alongside Trap and Bass to present Lowdown, the October 3 show at Basement 159 will welcome Kustøm, Leva, Jamie Taylor and more. Come get behind this awesome venture.

Eastern the

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Bands Bar Beer Garden THURS - OPEN MIC FRI-SAT-SUN - LIVE MUSIC

The Chapel on lITtLE ryrie The Chapel is the oldest Baptist church of its kind in Victoria, opening its doors on the first of November 1857.

Upon walking inside Chapel, the first thing you will notice is the integrity to the heritage structure and the abundance of natural light. The venue’s designers have complemented the original building with a cutaway transparent floor that showcases the original baptismal bath.

Chapel is perfect for an intimate wedding or reception, with seamless indoor to outdoor aesthetic. They have been open now for a little over two years. Since owner Ben De Rosso has taken over they have added a lot more warmth to the inside and out, making it perfect to sit down and enjoy breakfast, lunch or even dinner on a Friday night.

After work Fridays are a must at the Chapel. With some live music playing in the background it will be great in the sun with a beverage from a bar that is stocked with local wines and beers. Chapel on Little Ryrie is open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. and Friday 7:30 ’til late. They also offer takeaway platters and catering which is perfect for that corporate lunch.

THURS - FRI 5PM - MIDNIGHT SAT - SUN 3PM - MIDNIGHT

81 Humffray St Nth, Ballarat

facebook.com/easternballarat

INFO: The Chapel on Little Ryrie – 10 Little Ryrie Street, Geelong, 3220. Ph: 03 5222 6905

Don Mayne Trio Written by Zach Broadhurst

Mildura jazz group, the Don Mayne Trio, formed when they were all studying at Uni, but it’s the boys who are the teaches now, bringing their love of jazz to the classroom. “The original trio started together at Uni. We went our separate ways for a few years doing musical projects, but then all ended up in Mildura teaching, so we decided to get the band back together and have been playing for the past three or four years as a trio,” says brassiest Don Mayne.

“I integrate jazz into the curriculum … Luke (drummer) and myself are both classroom teachers, so we incorporate it into our educational settings and talk about the context of jazz in pop music and jazz in classical, as well and how different things come together.”

Mayne has a very unique perspective of how you should see jazz, and it’s one of the reasons that his classrooms embraces the genre that would normally seem outdated to most kids.

“With any students, or anyone really, jazz is a language and when you first learn the language it’s hard to understand what’s going on when you only know a limited number of words, so to speak,” explains Mayne.

“Part of that is teaching them how to listen to the language and how to understand the context that what’s being played in jazz is very much what’s being played in pop and in rock.

“Some of them really take it on board and take it on as their own love of music, and occasionally you find in a class that kids or adults really switch on to jazz and really want to listen to it, and that’s exciting to us.”

However, Mayne isn’t interested in turning his

students into jazz nuts but just getting them to embrace music as a whole.

“I think kids learning to express themselves in any form of music is great,” says Mayne. “In my class I have students who are into heavy metal. There are some kids who like classical, and some who like folk music.

I think the bigger question is how do we get students excited about being expressive?”

The upcoming Mildura Jazz Festival is one such outlet for Mayne’s students to express themselves, with both teaches and students alike performing.

“We get to bring our students along to watch us play and we get to play on stage in our school production,” says Mayne. “The students are able to plug into the festivals and they are able to see their teachers perform and that gives some students a rare opportunity, given the nature of when we perform and where, so they are able to see us perform and that what we preach in class is what we do on stage.”

Mayne will also be hosting Red Hot Jazz, an annual school concert that will this year be joining the Mildura Jazz Festival.

“A few years ago we decided to put something on for Redcliff that they hadn’t had for quite a number of years, so the school decided to put on a concert and we are now doing our third one now,” says Mayne. “It’s nearly a whole year’s discussion now on how to make the festival bigger and better now we have jumped on board with the jazz festival.”

WHEN&WHERE: Mildura Jazz Festival, Mildura - November 1-5

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LOCAL FEATURE Written by Tex Miller

2014 has been a massive year for concerts in Australia. From the likes of Bob Dylan, Queen, alt-J and Glass Animals, we have been blessed with all of the major artists coming out to our shores. To cap off a great year, however, Jimi Hendrix’s younger brother, Leon, is coming to town with an all-star cast of musicians backing him. Paying tribute to the legacy and the legend of Jimi, Leon is set to play a couple of massive shows in Geelong and Melbourne. Chatting all the way from L.A., Hendrix is excited about the opportunity to come and play shows over here, having toured to all the other major parts of the world. Alongside Leon for the ride is Micki Free, and I recently had the honour of sitting down to chat with them.

With a documentary released about Jimi’s life last year, it’s fair to say that his legacy and legend isn’t too far away from the music scene at any given time. Reflecting on the documentary’s release, Leon feels that this is the most in-depth look at his life and career thus far. “I recently released a book entitled Jimi Hendrix: A Brother’s Story in which I relate a lot of great stories from the years of our childhood. Over the years there have been many stories about Jimi, yet all the good ones have been mine.”

The impact that Jimi has had on modern music and the electric guitar was both incredible and revolutionary.

In a time that was dominated by guitarists such as Jimmy Page in the Yardbirds and Eric Clapton in the Bluesbreakers and later Cream, Hendrix began to make his mark with his trio. As Leon relates, though, Jimi’s love of music began with the ukulele. Last year in an interview with the website Subba-Cultcha, Leon had this to say about his humble beginnings: “Jimi started out playing ukulele, yet he was an artist even before that time. He would hear Little Richard or Chuck Berry on the radio and he would get up and start playing the broom. In those days, you would rarely ever see these older acts on TV and so when they did come on Jimi would copy them. He got the opportunity to play with Little Richard, and I know that Richard had 32 forte

developed quite a fondness for Jimi,” Leon said.

From the early days of playing in bands in Seattle, Hendrix was building his skills as a guitarist and as a result had the opportunity to back Ray Charles as his first real gig .

“When he first started playing in bands, everybody would continue to fire him because he couldn’t really practise with people. He would start to experiment with the song. His fancy guitar work wasn’t really appreciated and it was obvious at that stage that he was above them as musicians. I think it was beyond their imagination what he was doing,” Leon said to Subba-Cultcha.

One of the most powerful lyrics to all of Hendrix’s work is 1967’s ‘Castles Made of Sand’. The song in part relates about the last time that Jimi and Leon saw their mother, Lucille. “That was a very tough time, and the last time that we saw mum was in a wheelchair in a dark hospital. She was wearing a white gown and Jimi took that as inspiration and he penned Castles Made of Sand.

To this day that is one of my favourites because it talks about the Hendrix family name.”

Having listened to Jimi’s music for many years and going back through the records after talking with Leon, I am in agreement that Castles… is among one of Hendrix’s masterpieces. At one with the electric guitar, Leon

remembers the first time that Jimi played one.

“Jimi saw a guitar at one of our neighbours houses and begged her to give to him. She said she’d sell it to him for five dollars … Eventually my aunt bought it for him – and it was really raggedy. Jimi looked in a magazine and saw that they sold pickups and electronics. He got the pickups mounted on the guitar and drilled a hole into it. He put the jack into, yet it didn’t hold together so, well, he stuck it together with duct tape. It was a bit of a scratchy job, but it was awesome and it was the beginning of the next phase for him,” as said to Subba-Cultcha.

Part of the all-star band that is joining Leon Hendrix for this trip is the legendary Micki Free, who was discovered by Gene Simmons in the ’80s whilst supporting REO Speedwagon, Rush and Ted Nugent.

In addition to playing with some of the biggest names around, Free has also won a Grammy for scoring the music for Beverley Hills Cop. Talking about his early musical beginnings, Free relates about how seeing Jimi Hendrix at an early age changed his life.

“It couldn’t be any more apropos. My father was in the service in Germany and his friend’s daughter couldn’t go to a concert, he took me, now dig that! I saw Jimi and that was it, I wanted to be a rock star. Having played alongside Billy Gibbons and Carlos Santana, then

meeting Leon Hendrix, I was like, ‘Forget it, holy sh*t.

This was meant to be’. This show is going to be called the Hendrix Free Experience and Australia is the first stop.

So it’s a very exciting time to be out on the road with this show.”

With such an extensive career and all the awards and accolades you could poke a stick at, Free feels fortunate and blessed at having the opportunity to play with some great musicians. “The water runs deep and I have had some great opportunities throughout my career. I think it was meant to be that I was to meet Leon Hendrix. He is his own man and he has his own style. I dig that about the man. We want to let everyone know though, through every interview that we do, we are not coming down there to copy what Jimi did. We are coming down to play and express the Hendrix songs, through us as musicians,” Free said.

With a new record out by the end of the year, make sure you catch the living legend of Leon Hendrix and band whilst they are in town.

When&Where: The Corner, Melbourne – October 8 & Gateway Hotel, Corio – October 10

Battle of the Bands Written by Tex Miller Photo by Half Shots

One of the most exciting musical events on the local gig calendar is indeed the annual Battle of the Bands. Recently held at the Courthouse ARTS in Gheringhap Street, it is a platform for young local bands on the rise to get up and showcase their talent. If you were sceptical about the lack of talent in Geelong, this article will shoot down your theory. This year saw Bound

by Hound, Flawed Peace, Dayzed and The Ampersands take to the stage to fight it out for the crown, which was won by Jye Cannon.

With the running order pulled out of a hat 10 minutes before stagetime, there was no real time for nerves to take their place because you could be on stage within a couple of minutes of your name being read out. On stage first was Bound By Hound, who were making their return to the battle for the second year in a row. On the eve of the release of their debut single, ‘Jaimee’s Song’, at the Barwon Club, it was inspiring to see how far they had come within twelve months. From just playing at small parties to local venues around the area, excuse the pun, they are bound for big things in the future after the release of their demo, which should be out sometime in 2015.

One of the acts that totally surprised me was Flawed Peace.

Based in Torquay, the youngest group collectively to take the

When&Where: Courthouse ARTS, Geelong - November 7

stage that night proved that they are a talent to watch. Influenced by the likes of The Doors, The Beatles, The Stones, Santana and Bob Dylan to name just a few, it was a trip in the time machine back to England in the ’60s. Complete with vintage gear, the band was led by the infectious organ playing of Callum Watson.

In many respects, it was like seeing the late Ray Manzarek of The Doors playing in Geelong. With awesome bluesy grooves, the band is set to play at many local events around the Surf Coast over the next few months.

Armed with just two guitars and a bass guitar, as well as a drum machine and two Space Echo effect pedals, Dayzed led us on a very psychedelic journey with elements of their performance emulating Tame Impala. Although the concept of having just three guitars playing together sounded a little messy, the reality, however, proved to be quite

a spectacle on the night. Having played many shows recently with one of the Bellarine Peninsula’s favourite acts, The Tiny Giants, with a few little jokes about the pre-recorded drum loop, it will be intriguing to see whether Dayzed can become the Tame Impala of the Geelong region.

Already receiving some triple j Unearthed play, The Ampersands, led by the vocal growl of Chris Rugge, wrapped up the night for the contestants and showed why the Geelong scene is alive and kicking with fresh talent. Having already read up on the winner of the Geelong heat in the last issue, be sure to come down to the regional final on the 7th of November. Showcasing the best bands and musicians throughout Victoria, the winner will go on to play at Push Over on Labour Day weekend next year. Come on Geelong! Get behind Jye Cannon and discover some new local bands whilst you’re at it.

Rough River Q&A

If you are unfamiliar with the sounds of singer-songwriter Kate Skinner, hop in as we take a short car ride with the songwoman making a name for herself under the moniker Rough River. We’re off to alternative folk-country land.

Hi Kate, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte.

How are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Hi Amanda, I’m good. I brought out my debut album earlier this year with help from some very gifted people. My brother (Lucas Skinner, Atolls) and I recorded it over 2013, some at his place and some at my folks’ in Geelong, and was lucky enough to have Pascale Babare (Pascal Babare and Teeth/Aleks and the Ramps) mix and master it. Since then I’ve been rehearsing with the band for live shows.

You’ve got some really beautiful folk/country-infused tracks. Where do you get your inspiration from?

For some reason it’s just the most natural genre for me. I grew up playing violin and had a really influential teacher who always got me playing lots of Irish folk music. I think subconsciously that plays a part in it. All of my biggest influences have been female solo artists that had such a huge impression on me growing up – Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Ani DiFranco, and as I’ve gotten older they’ve become more alt-country influences like Gillian Welch, Sharon Van Etten, Neko Case, Nina Nastasia [and] Angel Olsen.

There’s something about folk-country that just has the ability to rip your heart

When&Where: Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill - Sep 24, Pinnacle, Fitzroy - Oct 8 and Kennedys Creek Music Festival - Oct 25 & 26

out of your chest. I’m lucky to have a lot of musical influences in my family and they are probably what keep me inspired the most.

What’s generally the response to your music? Have you ever had people come up to you having been touched by your music?

I’m still taken back when people I don’t know come up and say they’ve enjoyed a set. I sometimes forget that music enables you to make a connection with people.

It’s still hard for me to believe that I can do that for other people.

Is there a story behind the name Rough River?

It’s about a time my older brother and I were walking his dog along the Yarra (after a massive rainfall) and she slipped in at Dights Falls and almost drowned. She was struggling to swim so he had to jump in and save her. To me it symbolises a lot of what my music represents – family, a yearning for the natural world, unconditional love and loss. I like playing under a moniker, I feel it can represent so much more than my name – and I can hide behind it.

You just launched your debut self-titled album. How did that go?

Really well. The Grace Darling is such a homely, warm venue to play. We had a good turn out and it was nice to see so many supportive faces in the crowd. It’s been a totally different dynamic for me to play with a band, but it’s nice to let the songs grow after playing solo for so long.

It’s got quite a simple yet beautiful

cover. Who did the artwork for it?

The artwork is actually from old 1800s natural history dictionaries. I’m a bit of a nature nerd and originally wanted to use a botanical drawing, but after looking around I found heaps of beautiful speckled eggs and feathers. A close friend, Sarah Hopfer, did the graphic design.

How do you feel knowing that you’ve now got an album to call you own?

I’ve been playing for such a long time in my comfort zone – violin for friends’ projects and solo shows in little bars – that I decided it was finally time to make it happen. I can be pretty critical of myself though so I have to stop and remind myself that it’s an accomplishment. It’s already got me planning what I want to improve for the next album.

You’ve just been announced as one of the musicians playing Kennedys Creek Music Festival.

Have you played there before?

No, this is the first time, which is pretty exciting. There are so many talented musicians in Victoria, and I’m pretty happy to be playing alongside some old friends. And I love being deep in the Otways.

It seems like you’ve been ticking off quite a few music career boxes. What’s next for you?

I want to record another album over summer – I just need to get some funds together to make it happen! I just want to keep writing, playing gigs and recording. Ultimately I’d love for my music to be self-sustaining. forte 33

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chopped Q&A

Three days of dirt drags, hot rods, customs, bobbers, 25+ bands, tiki, cocktail and craft beer bars, choppers, vintage speedway and more. There is a whole lot packed into next month’s Chopped Rod and Custom, so we revved our engines and took a ride down the Chopped highway with Kyle Ford.

Hey Kyle, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte Magazine about such a wonderful and unique event. First of all, can you take us back to the start and tell us about how Chopped came to be?

Well, actually the first Chopped came about in 2007 as an A5 magazine. Three of us got together, myself, my brother Ryan Ford and our great mate Paul Williams, and decided to try and fill what we found to be a void in the market and put out a hot rod magazine that concentrated on purely what we were into – the traditional hot rod and custom scene, based mainly on Australian content.

There was a great reception to this so we kept at the mag for a while and in 2008 decided that we would put on a car show. We ended up with two days, five bands that had nothing to do with our scene, about 400 people through and 130 cars and two motorbikes from NSW, SA & VIC – and everyone had a ball. We were pretty happy with that.

In 2009 it doubled in size, we got bands that suited and filled up and outgrew the local football oval. So

then it was on! We moved location to the old horse track on the outskirts of town, set up the dirt drags, vintage speedway and upped the ante on the music side and set up the massive ‘Tiki Palace’ bar.

Chopped is now known all across the globe and I have heard it referred to as “something like no other”. Has the rapid rise surprised you? Why do you think the idea is so appealing and how do you maintain the rage?

Yeah, we have people coming from all over the world to attend which is pretty amazing, it blows us away really. The rise at the start did take us by surprise but from what we can tell it’s simply someone who has had the best time going away telling their mates and bringing one of them along next year to enjoy the fun.

It’s a good natural growth and from our end we put everything into it. We keep adding and improving to make sure that no one can walk away saying it was just like last year … That will never happen.

Take us through the format briefly.

Chopped is obviously primarily to celebrate custom cars and bikes from the ’50-’60s, but how is the festival set out across the three days?

The format is everything and is happening at once all day long, you just choose where and what you want to be doing when – watching the drags, having a cocktail, chilling at your tent, checking out a band. There is no real format, just something to do in every direction.

Tell us about the location.

Newstead Racecourse – last race on

in the early ’60s. Australia’s first and longest racetrack, I believe.

The festival includes a whole variety of events including craft beer and music, bobbers and vintage cars.

Is there a particular ideology behind the things the festival chooses to celebrate?

We celebrate a lot of the good things in life. To us all of these things are great fun and close to our hearts.

The whole idea of Chopped is to put on the show that the three of us want to go to ourselves, and going by the response to that there are plenty of folk out there that have similar thoughts.

What is something totally unique to 2014?

How about a dare-devil jumping a motorcycle through a hoop of fire?

That’s pretty unique these days.

Obviously the famous dirt speedway is a very popular feature.

How does this element of the festival work? Can anyone join in the fun or are there certain hurdles that need to be jumped in order to participate?

We have strict rules on what is and isn’t allowed into the event arena. This goes back to the original inception of Chopped and reflects the concept of celebrating traditional style hot rods, custom cars and traditional style chopper and bobber motorcycles.

Only vehicles that pass this are allowed on the tracks.

Take us through the music. The line-up this year would be the envy of

a lot of music festivals – you guys have done well.

Headlining on the ‘Levis Stage’ this year are Aussie rock legends Cosmic Psychos, alongside Intoxica, King Salami & The Cumberland 3, Papa Pilko and the Binrats, Mesa Cosa and more. We have 25 acts, predominantly Australian as usual, playing rock, garage, country, blues, rockabilly, psychobilly, bluegrass and more.

The music is half of the festival now. Between all of the acts on the Levis Stage, the Levis Rambling Truck rolling music throughout the entire venue and the Chopped DJs on the vinyl in the Tiki Palace, the only thing you will hear that isn’t music is a car going down the drag strip.

What about people that don’t really dig the whole custom car culture? Is this festival still something unique they should try out?

70 per cent of the people at Chopped don’t have cars or motorcycles. It’s definitely a hybrid festival. Then there are the people that come because it’s something different and alive and wild in ways that they have never seen before.

When&Where: Newstead – October 3, 4 & 5

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Blue j ui c e

LOCAL FEATURE Written by Natalie Rogers

“Killer songs and an untouchable live reputation, fuck yeah! That’s how I want us to be remembered,” replied an impassioned Jake Stone when we asked about his band’s legacy. “I want people to look back and say, ‘Wow, they were heaps better than we give them credit for.’ Like all of those incredible Australian bands of the ’70s and ’80s that played pubs and clubs but never quite made it, over the next thirty years I want people to say, ‘Bluejuice? Yeah, they were an important band and always original,’ you know?’’

Since the announcement of the much-loved band’s decision to call it quits, it seems like everyone wants a piece of them. “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Jake continued in his self-deprecating manner, “but I hope they do. I want people to hear this stuff.

“I guess we’ve a bit of small man complex,” he said jokingly before his tone becomes serious. “No matter how well we’d done, we always felt like – and to some degree justifiably – like we never really got the attention that we deserved. Sure we were played on the radio and everybody knew us, but we’ve often felt dismissed in certain circles – lots of musicians I know would never admit to liking us.

“There’s a culture in this country of not being openly supportive of things that are successful. We were the ugly duckling of the industry for such a long time. For me, [Jake pauses to find the right words], it really does feel like the things that made us different are also the reasons we’ve lacked support. That thought has really stuck in my head, but I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider anyway so I don’t know if we brought that attitude on ourselves.”

As I take a minute to gather my thoughts, Jake breaks the silence with a laugh, adding, “We’re just a bunch of arseholes! We’re like that little guy who’s really psycho: if you pick a fight with the little guy, he cowers and then stabs you!”

Jake’s jocularity reminds me of what we will miss when Bluejuice call last drinks at their up-and-coming Retrospectable: The Farewell Tour. We all know they’re going out on a high, but I wanted to dig a little deeper into why they chose to hang up their yellow jumpsuits and yeti costumes sooner rather than later.

“It wasn’t a sudden thing. We didn’t have a massive fight and say ‘fuck it! we’re breaking up!’”

Jake explained, in a way only he could. “If that was the case we wouldn’t be doing the tour. We knew that it was happening because Stav [Yiannoukas, vox] had decided that he didn’t really want to do it [Bluejuice] anymore about ten months ago.

“He’s just had another kid so he just doesn’t want to tour … I have to be okay with it at this point. Ahh… [ Jake seems saddened by the circumstances]

I mean, I’m not thrilled about it or anything. I’m not super-excited by the possibility of this occurring, but it is what it is – what can you do? So I’m just going to roll with it as much as possible.”

Suddenly the line goes quiet and a little time passes before I hear “My phone just died, that’s my fucking bad. I’m sorry about that.” With a quick reminder of my question, Jake is back to form.

“I think it’s just one of those things; there’s not much you can do if someone decides to leave. When Jerry [Craib – keys, bass, guitar and drums] left us we were like, ‘Oh shit!’ That was a big deal for us because he was such a big part of the band. However, we thought we could probably do what we needed to do anyway. It was at least possible to be a touring band if someone could play his parts – actually, we needed two people to do Jerry’s one job – and I was fairly confident that I could continue to write, but without Stav it’s just not feasible.

He’s the singer, you know? The real voice of the band.

“I’m not really what you’d call a singer. I’m a songwriter – you wouldn’t want me to front the band, it just wouldn’t sound as good. We need him to get to that extra 30 per cent of good quality singing and if he’s not there it won’t happen so…

“I think what I’m most happy about is that we’re finishing in a good way. I love ‘I’ll Go Crazy’, and the other couple of songs that we’re putting out on Retrospectable [essentially a greatest hits

album] is as good as anything we’ve ever done.”

Jake persisted to make light of the situation when I asked what we could expect to see and hear at their final shows. “A wheezier, fatter and older variety of our old shows! Just kidding, we’re rehearsing a lot and everybody’s in a good place. We’re playing so many places by the time you come to see a show, we should be alright,” he grinned.

So what’s next for the man who could consider a career in stand-up now that he’ll have some free time? Not surprisingly, he’s already got a few new projects under his belt.

“I’m going to be putting out some new music, but it might not be under my name … it’ll be a bit of a surprise. I’m not really sure if what I’m doing is relevant or not, I’m enjoying doing it so that’s all that matters.

Also, I did a video for Kingswood on the weekend, and another one that features Phil Jamieson in a cameo.

“Right now I’m just enjoying being in a community of creative people, but I don’t know what I’ll do next. It’s quite possible people won’t find what I’m doing interesting and I’ll have to find another career path. I’ve had a child-like career for a long time and I’m not a kid anymore.”

When&Where: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne – October 2, 9, 10 & 11 and The Barwon Club, Geelong – October 12

forte 37

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forte 39

T H E NIG H T V IBE

FROC K IT

Written by Tex Miller / thenightvibe.com.au

Transitioning Outfits from Winter to Spring Written by Jessica Alves

Say it with me … “sprinter”. It’s that weird in between time when crossing over from winter into spring: not quite warm enough to crack out your thin flirty sun dresses, but not quite cold enough to warrant donning your chunkiest knit. It’s a very confusing time for fashion, what with there being no real rules or guidelines for what to do about this strange in between weather we experience in this transition time. Not to worry though, here are a few tips and tricks to get you through this battle of the seasons.

First things first, I’m the realest. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, always keep in mind that you’re trying to channel the season we’re heading into. Swap heavy black boots for tan or brown boots, dark hosiery for bare legs and bulky coats for lighter jackets, in favour for the trends we’re starting to see coming through for spring and summer.

It’s time to start thinking about layers, because they’re about to become your best friend. Layers are great because they can keep you super warm when you need it, and when you don’t, you just loose a few. The key to successfully pulling off layers is making them as thin as possible. I like to layer with

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a long sleeve tee that is somewhat fitted, then a looser-fitting long sleeve tee. The key here is to have all your layers showing so that it looks fashionably intentional, rather than it appearing as if you’re trying to preserve body heat, which we are, but we’re looking good doing it.

I also happen to be a selfprofessed lover of the trusty old flannel shirt, or ‘flanno’ for all my true blues out there. If it’s extra chilly, I like layering a flannel over top of the tanks we started off with. If it’s the right colour and print flannel, it can look effortlessly cool topped with a leather jacket for a sleek but casual look.

Now is the time to bring out your ripped-up boyfriend jeans.

For starters, they’re basically sweat pants that you can wear outside.

As if that weren’t reason enough to love them, boyfriend jeans are usually cropped or full-length, which makes them suitable to wear in cooler weather when team up with ankle boots and a cosy knitted jumper. However, the loose-fitting nature of the jeans, paired with the ripped aesthetic, serves as a sort of in-built air ducting system, so that when it does warm up, you’re not risking over-heating as you would wearing other types of full-length denim. In warmer weather, team them up with a pair of footbed sandals and a white t-shirt for ultimate comfort, without having to sacrifice fashionability.

Being just over halfway through the month of September, I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but smile at the thought of the weather warming up. But for

me, styling myself isn’t the hardest part of the transition, it’s dealing with the undoubtedly and unavoidably whiteness of my legs. Bring on the sun!

Instagram @jessicazalves youtube.com/msbonvivants

If you are a regular reader of The Night Vibe column, you will remember that last fortnight I talked about how much of a struggle it is to make it in the Australian music scene and one of the most interesting things I discovered was that James Tidwell from Violent Soho had to apply for a job at McDonald’s because the band wasn’t turning over enough of a regular income. I then went on to discuss as a band or a local musician where the best place is to make a start in the scene and get noticed.

You’ve gone to your local open mic night and met a few likeminded people and decided to start to have a jam and you have some really good original material. Where to now ?

The illusive demo or EP is calling, and it’s the next step in the musical journey. So how do you go about recording one? If you’re just starting out and getting to know your way around the scene, chances are you are probably not going to have thousands to splash at a big producer and a good recording sound.

However, there are many great local studios around wanting to give local lads a go.

In a recent interview with Ella Hooper from Killing Heidi fame, we chatted about starting out in the music industry and how important it is to get your voice heard from a young age. Discovered by a talent scout at an open mic, Ella cut a quick demo in the studio with her brother Jesse,

and that was the kick-start to their career. “There is always something that helps young artists break through, whether that’s lending them some gear or giving them free recording time. For me it was local recording time in a studio that allowed us to lay down some tracks. I think it’s incredibly important as a local artist to get a demo together as quick as possible, to broaden your performance opportunities as well as gain valuable experience in the studio.”

Having just recorded my first disc, I cannot recommend highly enough how good local recording studios are.

Despite not having a budget to record in Sing Sing or get Robin Mai in to produce, the backyard studio sound quality, after being mixed and properly produced, gave a raw and original vibe to the CD. One of the other facets to a home recording is that you don’t have the feeling of your money burning away each second you’re not utilising your time. The personnel involved in your session will go above and beyond the call of duty to make you feel at home and comfortable in the environment.

So you’ve recorded the CD and the mix has come up great, now you’ve got to broadcast it to the world.

There are a couple of different avenues you can go down to upload your work to the web.

One of the main ones is triple j Unearthed which gives you the opportunity to have your

song picked up by triple j and played on many of their different platforms. An easy interface to use, you are also ranked with bands around your area by the amount of plays that you have racked up. For festival promoters and band bookers, Unearthed is one of the avenues for discovering acts for their ‘Live and Local’ stages, therefore it is definitely a worthwhile opportunity to move your career to the next level.

The other main two outlets you could try are ReverbNation and Facebook.

In a similar service to Unearthed, it is all about taking the plunge into the unknown as there are many benefits to being heard online – so what have you actually got to lose? If you are also signed up to the mailing list of ReverbNation, there are countless opportunities to get played on mixtapes and featured on blogs and in magazine articles, many of these also being free.

Obviously, Battle of the Bands are also a great starting point in addition to having an online presence. A very worthwhile endeavour to broaden your performance opportunities from the local open mic scene, so get out and amongst it today!

Over the next month, I am headed over to the US for the Americanarama Music Conference and a few other festivals, so stay tuned for The Night Vibe USA over the next few weeks.

Paradise Music Festival

FREE CLASSIFIEDS Send your info to editorial@fortemag.com.au Individual use only, not for commercial purposes

Q&A with Andre Hillas

Singer wanted for original band doing a

Chances are your head is spinning with the endless list of festivals, both new and old, to spend your cash on this summer. But there’s one that might have slipped past your radar and it’s paramount that you check it out. We had a talk to Andre from Paradise Music Festival, on their beautiful location, how they survive and their knack for picking the next best thing in Australian music.

Hi Andre, thanks for taking the time out to chat to Forte magazine. How are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Hey! I’m great thanks, have just spent the last four nights up in Brisbane for BigSound – this amazing music conference. My stomach is feeling the effects of it all though...

For those not familiar with the ins and outs of festival organisation, can you give us a brief run-down of what your role involves?

I direct and oversee all the operations, band bookings and planning of the festival. Because we’re a tiny team of less than 10, it means it’s a pretty involved role. I get caught up in the nitty gritty details as well as the larger-picture stuff.

The Lake Mountain Alpine Resort is a really interesting spot for a music festival, what made you decide on that location?

Lake Mountain is ridiculously cool! The decision kind of made itself when we went up there to have a look at the place – there’s no festival location like it in Australia. The striking trees and sloping hills have an aura that is so dissimilar to the hot, unforgiving paddocks that are at most other festivals.

It seems there are a heap of festivals popping up around the place, what makes Paradise stand out?

The location and the lineup. If you have a look at a photo of our stage in the amphitheatre, I think you’ll get what I mean. The lineup is the thing we’re most proud of though – it’s a selection of the strongest performers and musicians we’ve seen in this country. Each one of them has been booked because they have absolutely inspired us at a gig and we’ve been like, ‘Yep,

When & Where: Paradise Music Festival, Lake Mountain Alpine Resort – November 28-30

we’ve gotta book THEM!’ While there have been a lot of new festivals starting, there’s been quite a few ending as well.

Does the state of the live music industry worry you at all?

Not too much to be honest. I really believe that we are putting on a festival that represents our ethics, and for that reason I think we’ll be OK. We really care about having quality acts that are booked on merit, not hype. We also believe that you don’t need to be ripped off on every little thing to do with a festival. We care so much about your experience that we do cool things like run an indoor club till 8am because we want to.

You seem to feature a lot of anticipated and emerging musical acts, is it quite a process to find the artists to feature on your lineup?

Yep – it’s just about being in band rooms a few nights every week and keeping an eye and ear on what’s new. It’s a dedicated job, but fun, so it’s not too hard!

What does a band have to encompass to make the cut?

They’ve got to have a unique quality to their sound and show.

We don’t want to see bands that look and sound the same as each other, so why would you?

A few bands from your lineup last year, in particular Millions and Glass Towers, have gone on to really successful careers in the industry. Is it rewarding seeing the bands grow?

100%! It makes you feel pretty good when you see their hard work paying off and getting the attention they deserve.

Who are you looking forward to seeing play this year?

Friendships and LUCIANBLOKAMP. Those guys provided me my best two hours at Paradise last year and we HAD to have them back again for a full encore.

Paradise is an experience unto its own, what can punters expect from the festival?

Relaxed vibe, fun acts in the sun by day, hectic club experience at night.

Do you have any advice for first time attendees?

Have an open mind to the music and I promise you you’re gonna like it.

Thanks again for taking the time out to talk to us, is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up?

Bring a few beers, bring a few mates, bring your tent and have a sick one!

mix of retro styles - soul, funk, latin rock, gospel, R&B, groove based stuff. Over an album's worth of material already written, studio recordings, gigs etc.

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We are coming close to completion of the

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

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forte 41

Dune Rats Written by Xavier Fennell

It’s no secret that Dune Rats know how to party. I’m not talking about some desertdwelling rodent here; the Dune Rats I’m referring to are simply a trio of chilled-out Brisbane boys who you wouldn’t be surprised to see stepping out of a beat-up wagon filled with strange smelling smoke and guitars.

The Dunies, as they are often lovingly called, are going on tour, with hopes of filling rural venues with their surf-infused pop-rock and crowd surfing their way into the abyss as is ecstatically depicted in the video for their new single, ‘Superman’. After a bit of chasing, I managed to get in contact with Danny Beusa, lead guitar rat and all-round chiller. Danny’s voice was filled with hype as he explained the ins and outs of recording the Dunies album, spreading the Dunies vibe across the world, and the upcoming Dunies tour.

It comes as no surprise that the debut album from these boys is a home-job. Inspired through a letter written by Steve Albini to Nirvana in the lead up to the recording of In Utero, the Dunies decided to hole up at bass player Brett Jansch’s mum’s house and try and knock out an album in a few weeks.

Bonjah Written by Natalie Rogers

They’re the Kiwi sweethearts who call Melbourne home and boy, are we happy to have them. For the past couple of months, Bonjah have been selling out venues wherever they go – from Darwin’s Railway Club to Hotel New York in Launceston and BIGSOUND in Brisbane. “We like to keep ourselves busy,” smiled David Morgan, their softly-spoken bassist. “But we do have a few favourite places to play. We’re pumped to play the Torquay Hotel again, we love that venue, there’s always a great vibe there. Then the next day we’re back up in Melbourne to play a show at The Hi-Fi. We couldn’t be happier … we’re having a great run of shows.”

Bonjah give weight to the proverb ‘You reap what you sow’. Since arriving in Melbourne eight years ago on a one-way ticket with nothing but their guitars and backpacks, they’ve gone from not being able to book a single gig to appearing on the bill at every major Australian festival. In 2009, the hardworking quartet was handpicked to support The Who on their national tour, as well as opening for Australian music royalty Paul Kelly, among others.

Determined not to take their newfound success for granted, Bonjah donated all of the proceeds

“We wrote the album at Brett’s mum’s place in Berowra and we ended up doin’ other stuff too, cos you can’t just sit there and write a song. So one day BC was diggin’ in the ground, “buildin’ a garden”, and we thought, ‘Well, you can’t eat what we usually grow’, so we started planting tomatoes and stuff and goin’ to Bunnings and dropping heaps of money on that.

People were confused a bit by that and we were just like, ‘Shut-up, we’re makin’ an album!’ After a while of just rollin’ around surfing and stuff we had about 14 songs, haha!”

The upcoming tour for the Dunies comes through as a bit of love for the more isolated rural towns around Australia. “We’re a bit of a mess when we’re not touring, we’re so used to having somewhere to go and we love doin’ it so much. It’s cool doing these regional dates.

I dunno if people just get really bored outside of cities, or I actually reckon they’d have more fun to be honest, but they just party way harder. Rock up to the show smellin’ like a brewery and just go crazy – and it’s hard not to have a sick time with them afterwards.”

With a notable enthusiasm for giving themselves and everyone around them

When & Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – September 26

the best night out possible, the single ‘Superman’ and accompanying video stands proudly as a tribute to those wild mates with an interest in crowd surfing, shenanigans and leading the party.

“Usually we’re pretty silly, lyrically.

from their 2010 single ‘Bring Back the Fire’ to the Leukemia Foundation. They’ve also partnered with the Make a Wish Foundation, raising hundreds of dollars for the cause while playing a showcase at The Corner Hotel in 2012.

“We’ve been so fortunate, really welcomed here. We just wanted to give something back,” David explained, before admitting they were surprised by the overwhelming support they’ve received on the back of their third studio album, Beautiful Wild. “We’ve had a great reaction from all of the songs. They seem to be translating really well. It’s so much fun to play live, and we love to see the crowd boogieing away.

“The title track, Beautiful Wild, is a bit of a showstopper. It’s a standout as far as crowd reaction and everyone gets right into it.

But I really enjoy playing the opening track Bullet in the Barrel. It’s a great song, a really cruisy way to start a set.

“I feel like all of the songs have their place. Putting this album together we felt more comfortable with the direction we were headed. Beautiful Wild has a cohesive feeling,” David explained.

“All the songs work well together. We’re enjoying every gig – we really get around!”

The Beautiful Wild Tour wraps up at the end of October with a show at the Byron Bay Surf Fest. “We can’t wait! Byron Bay is arguably one of the best beaches in Australia,” David says excitedly.

But they won’t have too much time to soak up the sun: Bonjah has been added to the program at Melbourne’s AWME (Australasian Worldwide Music Expo) in November.

“This year is going to be great – Hiatus Kaiyote are playing. I’ve been keen to see them for a while but I’ve never been able to make it work, so I’ll definitely catch them. Oh, and Ash Grunwald always brings a good vibe … He’s a very lovable man,” David grinned.

After the AWME you may think Bonjah would be ready to put down their guitars and take a well-deserved break – not so, says David. “We’re all in quite a creative space. We have a few ideas for new songs and we’re all keen to get back into the studio. We’re hoping to get back in there at the start of December and keep pushing ourselves.”

We don’t take it seriously at all, but with this one we kept tryin’ to write lyrics about our rad mates who come to shows and basically launch themselves off the stage superman style.

Other than that they’ve always got our backs … coming on tour to America with us as our crew

and making sure nothing goes to our heads. But it’s not just our mates, it’s also for dudes who come to the show and get wild … the kinda people that we reckon we’d be mates with if we knew them.”

When&Where: Torquay Hotel, Torquay – October 3 & The Hi-Fi, Melbourne – October 4

Dragonforce Written by Tex Miller

As a fifteen-year-old, I remember hearing the rumours in the schoolyard about all my mates playing Guitar Hero and how far they had gotten in the game. ‘Through the Fire and Flames’ is considered the masterpiece to the game, and the last song that you play before completing it. Herman Li, lead guitarist for DragonForce, the band who made it famous, only achieved two per cent when he played the track on the game. With their seventh studio record Maximum Overload about to be released, I caught up with Herman Li to have a chat about the band and when they would be returning to our shores.

It’s taken two-and-a-half years to write this record and the band is very pleased to finally release it.

‘Defenders’ is the first taste that we have heard of this record and that is due to it being the first song completed for the new album. “That song is a mix of old DragonForce big choruses and some new elements to it. It’s pretty aggressive until you get to the chorus. I think we have really tried to mix up the dynamics that we use with this album.”

As one of the most technical guitar players today, Li started out playing real rock music and progressively integrated metal techniques into his 42 forte

playing through hearing Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. “I got into Bon Jovi at a young age and thought that was really great. From there, I broadened my tastes and discovered Dream Theater and heavier acts. I don’t think that there is one particular influence to my playing because I think that if you do, you end up sounding like them. I get inspired by everybody that I like and build something else on that to create my own style.”

Having received so many awards for being able to play the guitar the fastest, Li believes the secret behind nailing all the notes up and down the fretboard is through improvisation and playing with others. “If you are able to improvise you are able to make the guitar speak and do things that you could normally not really do. If you are an up-and-coming player, I would recommend practising whatever is challenging you the most.”

If you have looked at the DragonForce website lately, you will no doubt see that the band is touring all through Europe and the UK to the middle of February next year. With some time off, could this possibly lead to the band being another inclusion to the already massive

release: Maximum Overload out now

Soundwave Festival? “I would love to get back Down Under to play Soundwave.

We have a gap on tour around that time, so hopefully we can make it happen.

What I like about Soundwave is that it is such a diverse festival. There are many

different styles on display and you are able to discover some new bands. Even in the scorching heat, I am surprised by the amount of energy the Aussies had.”

With a tour to Oz imminent, I would highly recommend getting your chops around this new

album. With big climatic moments and sweeping melodies, there are many different elements to entice any guitar player. As one of the most energetic live bands around, make sure you catch them when they next touch down.

KENNEDYS CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL

DRUNK MUMS

DYSON STRINGER CLOHER

THE EXPLODERS SAINT JUDE

PRETTY LITTLES

THE ROYAL ARTILLERY KASHMERE CLUB RED EAGLE THE WEAPON IS SOUND THE LAUGHING LEAVES THE INFANTS BROKEN HILLS BAND SID O'NEIL ROUGH RIVER KINLOCH TROONS KING EVIL KUNG FU IN TECHNICOLOUR MALEE SONGS Ticket includes entry and free camping. Once booked, tickets cannot be returned or exchanged. This is an all age family event. Strictly NO GLASS inside the festival.

BYO BY O al alco coh hol,chairs and camping accessories. h

forte 43

Forte Columns

PULP Written by Alastair McGibbon

pop culture!

Written by Anthony Morris

So Doctor Who has been back for a few weeks now and depending on your circle of friends either this new season has been a triumph or just more of the same … which makes it pretty much the same as every other season, or part-season, or Christmas Special of the last few years. The reason why this is at least moderately newsworthy is that this is the first season with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, and while pretty much everyone with taste celebrated at the news that he would be replacing the muchloved Matt Smith, it was also seen that the casting of an older man in a role that had, for the last two Doctors at least, seemed to be at least in part designed to keep young women watching, meant that changes were coming.

What those changes were going to be was yet another mystery: would Capaldi’s Doctor be a darker, scarier figure? Would Doctor Who shrug off the emotion-heavy tales of the previous years and return to a more science-fiction format?

And so on and so forth, as pretty much every fan dissatisfied with the series’ current direction put their hand up to announce that this new Doctor obviously meant the series would become exactly what they had always hoped it could be.

Obviously even with a new direction Doctor Who could never become all things to all people: the big disappointment to those hoping for change is that so far it seems as if pretty much nothing at all has changed. Normally this wouldn’t be a surprise: Doctor Who is still a relatively successful show. But it’s also a show that pays at least lip-service to its fan base (fans being what brought it back in 2005 after its cancellation in the early ’90s), and in recent years a growing number of fans have been grumbling about the show’s focus on stories based more on stringing “big” moments together than telling an actual story, companions that are massively central to the plot yet don’t actually seem to have any character beyond “feisty” and “good with a one-liner”, seasonlength plots that promise much but collapse in a puddle of muddled self-referential twaddle, and so on.

They’re subjective complaints, but they’ve been consistent ones, and prior to this season a few heavy hints were dropped that the production team had paid attention to the grumbles. And yet, as previously stated, to date we’ve pretty much had more of the same. It’s still a fun more of the same mind you, and with a new Doctor to bed down it’s hardly surprising that we’ve had a run of traditional Who stories (Victorian-era adventure, Dalek story, light-hearted historical romp, creepy horror tale). But unlike a lot of children’s entertainment, Who fans tend to stay Who fans as they get older, which means the show itself has to evolve; simply changing the lead actor every few years isn’t going to cut it forever.

While it might be too early to judge, the fact that we’re almost a third of the way into the new season without any real changes suggests that whatever changes there are will be minor ones. And if they can’t make big changes with a new Doctor, when can they?

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blues news Written by John (Dr John) Lamp Proudly pesented by The Sleepy Hollow Blues Club

Regular readers may have detected a note of concern in these columns at the general winding down of the live music scene in Geelong. The outer areas, the Bellarine, Otways and Great Ocean Road districts, are not doing too badly. Wineries are good venues, Martians Café, Harvester Moon, the Chook Shop and Saints and Sailors and a number of others.

I’m happy to say that the Geelong situation is being addressed by a number of groups, especially in the folk and blues areas, and with the establishment of new venues such as Pistol Pete’s. We see quite a few national level acts, but a good international act is very rare, and that’s precisely what we have coming up this month.

John McNamara, no minor artist in himself, is taking the Johnny Rieger Band, from Germany, on tour around Australia. Sleepy Hollow has stumped up and booked them to play in beautiful downtown Geelong this month.

Johnny will be playing the Blues Train in October, so this time we have stolen a march on Comrade Hugo and have him right here for September! This also means that unless you booked about six months ago to go on the Blues Train next month, the Sleepy Hollow gig will be your only chance to see them locally.

As it says on their website: “Johnny Rieger steht wie kein anderer Künstler in Deutschland” … However, my great-grandfather was the last one in our family to speak German, so here it is in a bit more mainstream lingo: “Johnny Rieger is like no other artist in Germany for his electrifying ‘newGeneration Blues’, distinctive voice and enthusiasm.”

Together with Matthias Scherer (bass) and Michael Jochum (drums), Johnny Rieger has played more than 300 concerts at festivals and clubs in the US, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France and Poland.

Inspired by classic and modern blues artists, the band has created their own remarkable style, sometimes frightening in its intensity with Johnny’s spinetingling, soulful vocals. They won the German ‘Blues Challenge’ in 2012 and are widely respected across the world and are seen as trailblazers for the young blues players around the globe. It’s their first time in Australia, and they will be playing the Great Southern Blues Festival at Narooma.

This is the sort of act we need in Geelong to revitalise the live music scene, not because they are massively beyond the standard we have here, but to demonstrate that our artists can hold their own in any company.

Come and see this band, but also come at 3 p.m. and see the jam, our local players, and you’ll get a surprise at the standard we have locally. After this, keep your eye on the gig guide, scope out the local venues, get a few people together and get out and enjoy yourselves.

John McNamara and the Johnny Rieger Band will be playing from 6 p.m. at the Geelong Trades Hall Dance Hall on the 28th of September.

If you can’t make it to Sleepy Hollow, they have another gig relatively close by at Way Out West in Williamstown on the 12th of October.

So, unless you’ve been living under a very large rock, chances are you’ve noticed that Marvel has put out a new movie: Guardians of the Galaxy. What’s unique about GotG is that chances are that when you first read the name, your first reaction was probably something along the lines of “Who?” The fact is, you probably wouldn’t have heard of them unless you’re a hardcore Marvel fan.

Originally conceived in 1969, the original Guardians line up featured characters like Major Vance Astro and a blue gent with a stunning red mohawk called Yondu Udonta – a character that pops up in the movie (sans mohawk) as Star-Lord’s foster father. The original Guardians spent most of their time fighting the villainous Badoon race, and after popping up sporadically over the years had their own 69-issue series in the 90s. The team was later rebooted by prolific authors Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning in 2008, and features the characters that will no doubt be household names from now on: Peter Quill (Star-Lord), Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon and, of course, Groot.

Apart from the occasional crossover arc with the Avengers, the Guardians have never been as popular as the main Avengers team or the X-men, and have kind of fallen by the wayside as time has gone on. Sure, they’ve still been around, but they’ve hardly been high-profile. Of course, that’s all changed now; after the success of the new movie – and it has been a rousing success, just check out the box office figures – the Guardians might just be one of the hottest

Punk!

Written by Christopher Cruz

Well, The Shadow League, Bricks, Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge, Nurnberger, I Am Duckeye, Liquor Snatch, Bombs Are Falling and The Fckups have all just been added to the line-up for the Vic leg of the Up the Punx! festival.

They’ll be joining Cult Killers (NSW), Strawberry Fist Cake, Hopes Abandoned, Glen and the Peanut Butter Men, Citywide Wildcats, the Murderballs and the Revengers (Bendigo) at The Tote in Collingwood on the 11th of October. Yowza!

Also happening is the second annual Nevermind the Warp’d Tour show at the Brunswick Hotel on December 6. Sooo many bands (over 30!) taking part, including Forte-territory flag flyers (phew!)

Agent 37, Hopes Abandoned and metallers Vendetta. Full line-up next issue – I promise.

Melbourne female-fronted hardcore outfit Outright have dropped their new record, Avalanche, via Reason and Rage Records. It’s an intense listen, and will definitely float your boat if you like this sort of stuff.

KILL TV has unleashed their brand-spanking new EP, Soulcatcher – and it’s a corker!

While the band will probably always draw comparisons to the likes of Magic Dirt and The Breeders, there are some extremely welcome bursts of

properties in the Marvel universe right now.

The whole shebang has been really well timed, too – not long before the movie started to get some serious press, a new series was launched as part of the Marvel NOW! initiative, featuring a team that just happened to exactly match the lineup of the movie team. Not only is the whole movie (and the inevitable stream of memorabilia) an exercise in excellent marketing techniques, it’s actually a fantastic movie.

I was curious to see how Marvel would change the story for to fit the MCU’s ongoing story arcs, so I made a point of picking up volume 1 of the new series, Cosmic Avengers, before going to see the movie. Written by Marvel powerhouse Brian Michael Bendis, the series is definitely in good hands. While the stories of the movie and the comic book don’t overlap at all – Cosmic Avengers is about the Guardians defending Earth from cosmic threats with the help of Tony Stark, while the movie is set entirely in space – it’s clear that the Guardians are definitely in the spotlight now, and they’re going to stay there. The book is a perfect jumping-on point for new fans, and I have no doubts that sales of the first volume will be off the charts.

Despite all my waffle, the Guardians make for a really interesting team – the movie is done particularly well; it hits you with some feels straight away, but goes on to be not only the funniest but the most engaging Marvel movie to date.

The comic is more on the happy-golucky side, but reads rather like a Marvel version of Star Wars – definitely a good thing. If you’ve seen the movie and want to know more about the team, definitely pick up Cosmic Avengers – after all, the Marvel Universe is a big place, and someone’s gotta look after Earth! energy here that brings to mind bands like Spiderbait, too. Seek them out. Now!!!

The Circle Jerks are all set to release a live album via KungFu Records. It was recorded a decade ago, incidentally!

Emo pioneers Say Anything and Saves the Day are heading out on tour with special guests Reggie and the Full Effect.

Sooo many bands these days seem to be dominating the “scene” without actually being punk. Once upon a time I thought punk rock was about attitude and passion, with an associated sound that resonated with people, but I guess I was wrong. One of the biggest bands in the country, who have a pretty long name, is far from punk.

If anything, they’re nothing more than a hipster trend, beards and ratty hair to boot. Another Melbourne band snapping up just about every major support slot plays Regurgitator-style alternative pop with splashes of ska. While these bands have every right to be out there killing it, they certainly are not punk. Actual punk bands are struggling to stay afloat in a scene that is smaller than most people actually know. Sooner or later actual punk rock will make a resurgence – and the public won’t know what’s hit it.

It’s also troubling to see 5 Seconds of Summer being referred to overseas as pop-punk (a label that was once used to describe the likes of Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182 and MxPx). Seriously, what is going on? Please, I’m begging you all: no more boy bands, no more hipsters, and no more acoustic guitars in punk rock – coz it’s not punk rock!

Bicker and Breathe is the name of RVIVR’s new EP. Check it out on their Bandcamp page now!

So, not only do we get to see Faith No More at Soundwave, it turns out we’re getting a brand new studio album! Hells yeah!

Stay tuned for more next time, kids!

too heavy to hug

le monde entier

Written by Paul S Taylor

By Madelin Baldwin lemondeentier.net

As a part of Metal Hammer’s Discs Of Doom page, Philip Anselmo has answered the question of which album should have never seen the light of day with Metallica’s Load, and he’s been quoted as saying “It’s a terrible record”.

Fans of Anselmo will probably agree with him, and almost most of the garbage that spills from his mouth, but it’s had to take someone seriously when their last solo album, Walk Through Exits Only, was one of the shittest albums of this century so far … And the title? What does that even mean, to walk through exits only? Is it a metaphor for being a total trend-kill like Anselmo and going against the grain, or direction with absolutely everything? No, it’s just plain stupid.

For an ‘Only in America’ case, a 31-year-old metal fan was arrested for “terroristic threatening” after posting lyrics to Exodus’ song ‘Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)’ on his Facebook wall. Specifically the bit where it talks about student bodies in the hall is what got everyone all super-duper paranoid because of school shootings and whatnot.

In other news…

Dream Deceivers, the 1992 documentary about the Judas Priest suicide trail, has finally been released on DVD and digital download.

Veruca Salt will play The Corner on Friday, September 26 and Tuesday, September 30 to sold-out audiences.

Another show has been added at The Corner Hotel on Wednesday, October 1.

Flying Colors, consisting of Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse and Mike Portnoy on drums amongst others, will release their new album, Second Nature, on Friday, October 3.

Sepultura will be at 170 Russell on Friday, October 3.

Lamb of God will release their documentary about Randy’s Czech court case, As the Palaces Burn, on Tuesday, October 7.

Skate punks Comeback Kid will play Central Club in Richmond on Saturday, October 18 and an AA gig at Phoenix Youth Centre in Footscray on Sunday, October 19.

Slipknot will release their new album, .5: The Gray Chapter, on Tuesday, October 21.

Devin Townsend’s Melbourne guitar clinic takes place at St Kilda Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. Tickets via thumpmusic.com.au Aussie hardcore rats Confession will play Central Club in Richmond on Saturday, October 25 and an AA gig at Phoenix Youth Centre in Footscray on Sunday, October 26.

Ne Obliviscaris will release their new album, Citadel, on Friday, November 7. They also kick off their national Citadel tour in Melbourne at 170 Russell on Friday, November 21.

Machine Head will release their new album, Bloodstone & Diamonds, on Friday, November 7.

Gorguts will play the Northcote Social Club on Friday, November 14.

Toxic Holocaust and Iron Reagan will be at The Reverence in Footscray on Sunday, November 16.

Prong will play The Hi-Fi on Friday, November 21.

Primordial are slated to release their new album, Where Greater Men Have Fallen, on Friday, November 21.

The 2015 Melbourne Soundwave festival will be held on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22.

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

Last week I had the very unjoyous occasion of moving house. Between having to disconnect gas and electricity at one house and reconnect at another, pack your whole life into boxes and clean everything as you go … well, it’s exhausting – and I guess I’ll just have to live in this house forever because I certainly never want to move ever again! It did get me thinking about moving house though, especially overseas. Moving 800m down the road is one thing, but moving to the other side of the world (when you can’t duck back and pick up something you forgot!) is a completely different kettle of fish.

I was living in the UK when I met my partner. I had been there for around seven months and lived in three different main places while moving around. I was on a working holiday visa and started off living up the north of England in Blackpool.

I had one big suitcase with me, with everything I thought I needed to live for a year or so. It’s very hard to condense your life into a 23kg bag, let me tell you! I moved once to France, and then back to the south of England in Bournemouth. As you move you collect more and more things and ‘moving day’ becomes one hundred per cent the worst day ever to a traveller in my opinion!

You have to lug all of your stuff onto numerous modes of public transport, shuttling quickly between buses, waiting for taxis and always seeming to be at the one station that only has stairs and no working elevators.

Here are a few tips I have for making moving to a new country as seamless as possible: Start organising your working holiday visa eight weeks prior to travel.

It seems logical, but lots of people leave it too late and have to change their pre-organised flights – a last minute expense you don’t need. And MAKE sure your passport has plenty of time left on it! Most countries require six months from date of exit.

Try using a visa company that also offers bank accounts, national insurance numbers and information sessions in your new city, and anything helpful. Moving to the UK, for instance, banks require you to have a permanent address with utility bills to start an account – which can be a catch-22 if you can’t sign for the house because you have no way to access you money!

Pack very lightly. Pack absolute necessities – anything else you need you can buy, but make sure you have some outfits that go together (i.e. not 10 t-shirts that you love, with only one pair of shorts and no pants). Always carry spare underwear in your smaller carry-on.

Commit 100 per cent. Don’t go if you are unsure, and not the normal moving anxiety, but the complete indecision if you’re leaving someone behind. You need to give everything you have into the move because otherwise the homesickness will drive you mad and make you completely miserable.

Homesickness will happen regardless, but it’s easier to overcome if you’re definite that the move is for you!

Take a travel sim for use as soon as you arrive, but explore the different companies for the best international calling prices.

Be open to new people, new foods and mostly the new experiences that you will find yourself having … It’s once in a lifetime!

forte 45

Refining the Palette

GUYS & DOLLS Jnr

2014 BIRREGURRA FESTIVAL AND ART SHOW There’s sure to be something to appeal at the 2014 Birregurra Festival and Art Show –whether it’s chilling to the music, embracing artwork, browsing street stalls or tucking into the gourmet food and wine.

Main street transforms into a vibrant market place selling all sorts of goodies from handcrafts to organic produce and loads of garden plants and displays. Be tempted by the local produce in the gourmet food and wine section, which includes delicious cheeses, ice-cream and locally grown olives.

The ever popular dog jump is on again but we are also showcasing dog obedience and will have lots more action to tempt your fourlegged doggy friends.

There is plenty to entertain the children.

Face painting is always a hit. Look out for the

animal nursery, ride a camel or enjoy the carnival rides. A must for all youngsters will be a performance by Little Feet Music, this energetic children’s act will get your little one up dancing on Sunday morning.

By popular demand the garden hub will be back again, but with more plants on show, workshops and hands-on activities.

Check out the classic cars and admire the work of clever district wood turners.

The Birregurra Art Show offers $6000 in prize money and an additional Irrewarra Sourdough Prize of $1000. Run in conjunction with the town’s vibrant community festival, the show, held in the Main Street Hall, attracts over 300 entries from artists throughout Victoria. This year’s judge will be a prominent Melbourne artist.

WHERE: Various venues

in Birregurra - check website for details

WHEN: 11-12 October INFO: birregurra.com

2nd ANNUAL SCULPTURE EXHIBITION art@wintergarden will draw on outstanding artists from around regional and city centres through Victoria and interstate. This year’s exhibition features artists David and Lyn Dickson, Donal Molloy Drum, Cas Duff, Jia Xin Nong, Victoria Edgar, Brian Keyte, Jacinta Leitch, Philip Stokes, Mark Cowie, Deb Talor, Stefan Nechwatal, Phillip Doggett-Williams, Gregor Wallace, Nadia Mercuri, Melinda Solly, Ana Hernandez Y Jensen, Cinnamon & Rowan

46 forte

Stephens and Steve Drew. These artists have employed varied mediums such as timber, steel, glass, stone and porcelain.

WHERE: Gallery

Upstairs. 51 Mckillop Street, Geelong WHEN: Until 29

September

INFO: artwintergarden.

com.au

The multi-award winning CenterStage Geelong proudly presents the Geelong premiere of Guys and Dolls Jr. Perfect for all ages and a great school holiday activity.

Set in 1940s New York City, Guys and Dolls Jr. is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler Nathan Detroit tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the police breathe down his neck. Meanwhile his girlfriend, nightclub performer Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. The show takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

A fantastically talented and vibrant cast bring the story to life, with dance and songs such as Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat, and Luck Be A Lady. Tix are available now. Don’t miss it!

WHERE: GPAC. 50 Little Malop Street, Geelong INFO: gpac.org.au

LUDMILLA MEILERTS RETROSPECTIVE Latvian-born Meilerts migrated to Australia in 1948, quickly making her mark in the local art world. From 1950 to 1954 she was a Dunlop Prize finalist, sharing fifth place in 1950 with Fred Williams.

Early in her Australian career, Meilerts’ work was collected by major institutions including, the National Gallery of Victoria. Despite her early successes, Meilerts’ position in the story of Australian art has been sadly downplayed in many art historical accounts.

Ludmilla Meilerts Retrospective seeks to reinvigorate interest in Meilerts’ singular work and to bring to the attention of the public her unique perspective on life in Australia – Victoria in particular. She has long been lauded for her luminous flowers; bright and optimistic, they radiate with a brilliant white light and are undeniably identifiable as her work.

This exhibition explores her vision of the modern world, her unique insights into the landscape and urban life. From the

Bright Futures: A n A rt Colle c tion ‘Wannik’ is a Gunai/ Kurnai word meaning learning together. This is exactly what occurs when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students come together at Newcomb Secondary College for their Wannik group. Whilst they do the usual school work, improving their literacy

WHEN: 2-4 October

hustle of Spring Street, Melbourne and the Docklands, to the scenery of Williamstown and the Western District, Meilerts captured the vivacity of life in vibrant colour, and explored the city in urban scenes that made the familiar seem extraordinary.

The Ludmilla Meilerts Retrospective is comprised of works held in various private and public collections across Victoria, and New South Wales. The Castlemaine Art Gallery has located works in public and private collections – many not seen for four decades by the public to present the first public gallery survey of this important artist.

WHERE: Castlemaine Art

Gallery and Historical Museum. 14 Lyttelton Street, Castlemaine

WHEN: Until 26 October.

INFO: castlemainegallery.

com

pictured: Ludmilla

Meilerts - Yellow Boat, 1970s, Oil on board, 50x60cm

theme of Serving Country, ‘Centenary and Beyond’.

This piece involved the group researching Indigenous men and women’s service, both on the world war stage and during the frontier wars. The research resulted in a poem about the students’ feelings about what they learned.

This was then translated into Wathaurong language and features in the triptych.

Many of the artworks that are exhibited have previously been proudly displayed in Geelong Gallery, Whittington Flamefest, Geelong Library and the Regional Department of Education Office.

The Wannik group is currently looking for sponsorship to continue into 2015. Without funding they will be unable to continue their current literacy and numeracy program which is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for and numeracy, they also to totem poles, glass young Indigenous people. discuss their culture and mosaics and a handThe artwork has played an identity and create works woven fibre sculpture, integral part in this program, of art which reflect these the pieces embody the often engaging students at connections to their culture. identity of each group risk of disengaging from ‘Bright Futures’ is an member. Researching exhibition of these works school. Having a creative and creating the artwork which spans many mediums enhances their broader outlet has been a fantastic as well as meanings. From way of promoting Indigenous cultural understanding. acrylic dot-painting, Many themes are explored culture, pride and identity. handprints and footprints, through the artwork, The Bright Futures artworks are currently such as reconciliation showing in the Potato Shed, and what it is to be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Drysdale until September 30. The exhibition will Island teenager in 2014. continue at Courthouse A major piece ARTS in Geelong from commissioned this year the 2nd of October commemorates the the Women of Empire through to the 11th of Australian Red Cross’ exhibition 2015 at the October, with a launch centenary year and the NWM. Go to our website 2014 NAIDOC Week on Saturday, October 4. for more information and activities.

1914 + POPPIES Join Us! Make a Poppy! The National Wool Museum in partnership with 5000 Poppies have developed a poppy campaign to make 1914+ Poppies by Remembrance Day on Tuesday 11 November 2014. Details are as follows: Anyone can make a poppy. Poppies can be made of any material. Poppies must be red in colour. Poppies must be less than 15cm diameter. Poppies will be displayed as part of

WHERE: National Wool

Museum. 26 Moorabool Street, Geelong WHEN: Until 11

November

INFO: geelongaustralia.

com.au/nwm/calendar/ item/8d17a101201df7b. aspx

WRITTEN ON THE BODY Blink Dance Theatre Inspired by the life of iconic writer Anais Nin, this visceral new dance theatre work explores notions of female identity and the power of literature to both shape and be shaped by our lives. With creative stagecraft, innovative video projection and beautiful physicality, Written on the Body is an immersive celebration; a love affair with the written word.

WHERE: Shenton Theatre. Cnr Garden

& Ryrie Streets, East Geelong WHEN: 19-27 September.

INFO: blinkdancetheatre.com.au

JULIA GILLARD Julia Gillard was Australia’s first female prime minister. Much has been said and written (already) about her three years at the top, but now she’s telling her side of the story –without shying away from her mistakes or misjudgements.

Her leadership was tumultuous, actionpacked, and controversial.

But as notable as the controversy was her management of a hung

parliament and the record amount of legislation passed during her term.

In conversation with Andrew Scott this is your chance to hear the former prime minister open up about her experience with the distance that makes for insightful reflection – and candour.

WHERE: Deakin’s Costa

Hall. 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong WHEN: Monday

6 October

INFO: gpac.org.au

Refining the Palette

Seeing Colours

Joel Creasey

Written by Amanda Sherring

Q&A / Photo by Ed Purnomo

So often in life we opt for the easy way out. We choose to drive instead of walk, eat takeaway instead of a home-cooked meal and pick black over colours. Young creatives Lauren Green and Joshua Maxwell de Hoog certainly aren’t afraid of a challenge and have used every colour at their disposal to create a vibrant dual exhibition at Courthouse ARTS. It may be a tricky feat to create an artwork of varying and complementing colours, but the two artists have done it all in their stride.

Their ability to take what may seem like random colours and make them work is a testament to their ability and the strength behind their visions.

“I am addicted to colours, every single colour in the world. My works are always vibrant with bold abstract colours.

Nowadays I have been exploring separating colour with line and texture rather than blending it as a whole,” Lauren says.

For Lauren, she’s been a longtime lover of colour, but it was a trip through Central America that inspired her circular coloured discs in the exhibition. “The wild and messy colours that seem to blur together

Jesus Christ Superstar Written by Amanda Sherring

Many of us will remember when Jesus Christ Superstar toured Australia, sharing the tale of Judas and Jesus via celebrities Tim Minchin, Mel Chisolm and numerous others. This time around the show will be recreated and performed closer to home with a mostly Geelong based cast, aside from a few talented dancers who have braved the long drive from Colac.

Playing Judas in the Geelong show is Grant Whiteside, and aside from working in software development, playing

when you’re on the move, endless time to think and enabling me create ideas in my head,” she says.

With a more abstract and emotive style, Joshua’s inspiration is a bit harder to pinpoint – although he looks to a few artists to get the creative juices flowing.

“I’m massively inspired

by Wes Lang, I like when artists are okay with being sporadic, or scattered when it comes to subject matter.

I think I like to paint about certain times in my life rather than events, and that comes from looking and learning from Lang’s work,” Joshua says.

“I can’t talk about inspiration without mentioning Basquiat. For similar reasons, he has such a good body of work for such a short time painting.

I didn’t think I was really

inspired by work ethic, but maybe that’s it.”

Normally combining two such vastly different painting styles would be a curating sin, but the strong focus of colour ties the two artists works together to create an exhibition that feels complete.

Courthouse ARTS curator Courtney Ward can be thanked for the end result, as she used her artistic eye to pair the two emerging artists together – before the exhibition, Joshua and Lauren didn’t know each other.

WHEN&WHERE: Courthouse ARTS Gallery - Until Sep 26

cricket and being one of the band members of the Glitter Gang, Grant makes time for a few shows on the side.

On top of all that Grant is also the treasurer of the Geelong Lyric Theatre Society, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary with the Jesus Christ Superstar show.

“We’ve had a good year so far and it was a really successful show, so I thought now we’ve got a chance to get on board. It’s for the 40th anniversary, at one stage we didn’t really know what we were going to do this year so Jesus Christ Superstar seemed like a good fit,” Grant says.

“Being an October show it’s before cricket and it seemed like a good time for me to get back on stage.

It’s pretty exciting actually to be involved in such a

landmark production.”

Much like the British arena production, Geelong’s version of the show will put a modern twist to the classic, whilst maintaining the original music and script.

“The whole show there’s references back to biblical times. But it’s a more modern take of the time,” he says.

For those unfamiliar with the story it follows the tale of when Judas persecuted and betrayed Jesus, though in the show Judas gets a bit of a break and is seen to believe that his betrayal of Jesus was all part of the “master plan”.

One of the greatest additions that the Geelong show brings is the 11-piece orchestra that will perform live on the night and the unique

Depending on where you stumble upon his name on the ‘net, Joel Creasey is either a Rock God or an Acid Tongue Prince. He’s certainly a funny fella.

We were lucky enough to share a few laughs with the funnyman as he worked his magic abroad. Good news for locals, however, is that he has a show coming up next month.

Hi Joel, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte.

How are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Hey Forte! I’m swell.

Currently in L.A. doing gigs.

I’ve actually been overseas for a few months. I started with a tour of Asia and then to Canada and New York, and now I’m in L.A.

lighting design on stage.

These aspects of the show are enhanced by the stellar cast that have all well and truly earned their roles on stage. The company has tried to keep local, and in honour of their anniversary have even tried to get past members to perform.

“For the 40th anniversary we really tried to incite past lyric members who had been involved before. We’ve got Derek Hindles who’s the past president and did invite a lot of other people that weren’t involved in lyric shows in the past few years. So it really became a big 40th anniversary celebration,” Grant says.

If it weren’t for Grant’s wife some years ago who first got him into theatre shows, she landed him an audition in the show

What first made you pursue comedy?

Sitting in bed at 15-yearsold I stumbled across the late, great Joan Rivers. Ever since I was hooked and wanted to do exactly what she did.

Have you ever questioned the career choice? What would you be doing if you weren’t a comedian?

When I’m playing an RSL in Dubbo, yes, I question my career choice!

Otherwise no. I love it so much. Weirdly though, if I wasn’t a comedian I’d be a pilot. I had my heart set on it all my life until I started stand-up … Probably for the best I didn’t follow that path because I actually hate flying.

You seem to have come out of nowhere and risen to fame quite quickly. How do you plan on making that last and staying in the business for a long time?

By killing off the competition! I do genuinely love stand-up though, so I hope my passion always shines through and keeps me on top of the game.

You’ve become known for having an “acerbic style”. Are friends and family a bit wary of what they say around you?

I’ve lost friends from things I’ve said on stage. But the really good friends know it all comes from a place of love. My parents and family, however, are used to it. I think they secretly love it.

I imagine people would expect you to be funny and maintain your quick wit all the time. Do you ever get to switch it off and relax?

Oh, I can be incredibly unfunny when I’m just at home on the couch. My

boyfriend is a comedian too and I think people just assume we sit at home doing material for each other all day, and we really don’t. We spend a remarkable amount of time whingeing, in fact.

Having said that, we do laugh a lot but our jokes when we are alone are pretty childish.

What do you think of your nickname, ‘The Acid Tongue Prince’?

Oh I love it. I mean, come on, I’m basically Kate Middleton.

How do you know where to draw the line on some of your more controversial jokes?

According to some people I don’t know where to draw the line.

But I like to think I’m experienced enough to know where to get to and where is appropriate (which is probably further than most people are comfortable with!).

Where do you get most of your material?

I get material from whatever happens around me every day. Everything is up for grabs.

I read that you’re a bit of a fan of Xena: Warrior Princess.

What is it that you love about the arsekicking warrior?

This is my favourite interview question I’ve ever been asked! I love Xena because when I was growing up I never really identified with

the typical male heroes and TV stars. Xena represented something different and sort’ve stood up for the “odd one out”. Also, she was bad-ass and wore leather, so what’s not to love?!

Have you performed in Geelong before? Are you looking forward to it?

I have. I love Geelong!

I find the drive to Geelong from my place in Melbourne the perfect time to warm up and warm down for a gig. And Geelong audiences always seem to be super laidback and up for a laugh.

What kind of dynamic can we expect between Em Rusciano and yourself ?

A lot of sass … and the same haircut. We’re actually best friends so we love

working together and make each other laugh a lot.

In past shows you’ve made jokes about regional towns.

Will you be pulling any out for your Geelong performance?

Oh, Geelong is far too metropolitan for me to ever tease. Plus I’ve got a whole bunch of towns in America I need to pull apart first.

What else can we look forward to seeing in the show?

A lot of naughty stories, tight jeans, big hair ... and we both have a few surprises up our sleeve.

Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up?

Come along! Em and I both put out!

WHEN&WHERE: Playhouse Theatre @ GPAC – October 30

Brigadoon, then he wouldn’t be playing his biggest role to date, Judas Iscariot.

After years of experience Grant is excited to be doing the part and while he mightn’t have been an actor/performer from day one, is confident in delivering the story to the audience.

“It’s all about making people believe that you’re that character and you’re in that time and place. You can overdo it and you can underdo it, and you’ve really got to find that right space,” Grant says.

“The direction has been really good, and I’m really looking forward to it. There’s a great bunch of people in the show. It’s a very happy coercive cast.”

WHEN&WHERE: Playhouse Theatre, GPAC - October 3-11

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Refining the Palette

Jason Byrne Written by Amanda Sherring

It’s commonplace in a show for audience members not to know what to expect as they watch the onstage antics. What joke will come next? Will I be involved? Where’s this story going? These thoughts are natural

and occur at any point of the show. What’s not normal though is when the comedian himself has no clue what’s going to come next, and that’s exactly how Jason Byrne’s new show will play out.

Not one to follow the crowd, Jason has thought

up an elaborate setup where a wheel is spun and dictates exactly how the show will run. Even the name of the show is up to the audiences’ whim.

“Every show is totally different, sometimes there’s loads of stand-up and not many stunts and then there’s loads of stunts and not much stand-up. But it’s just me on my toes, so it’s good for me – and the audience love it,” Jason says.

“I get bored just doing what I do so I keep moving the goal post and setting the bar higher when I don’t have to, but I just do. I just feel like with comedy I’ve got to keep pushing myself, and this is a tough gig because there’s no safety net whatsoever.”

Pushing the boundaries is something that Jason is well known for and something he thoroughly enjoys delivering to the crowd. If chosen from the wheel this show will see a couple come up on stage, the lady armed with a boxing glove and a rubber glove and, depending on what she answers to each question, she will either stroke or punch his genitals.

“I actually didn’t think it was pushing the boundaries and it was a bit too normal,” he says. “But people just loved it, and people were laughing, cry-laughing at the lady stroking her husband’s genitals.”

Aside from the inyour-face skits, audience

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members will be asked to mime the show, do tricks with Jason or even go and “rob” something. The show has already done phenomenally well at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and Jason is certain Australians are going to love it just as much.

“The Aussies are going to love this show and they always have a good crack,” Jason says.

This is a quality Jason fully appreciates as he’s always up for something new. Aside from a unique comedy show, Jason has just started a new TV series and even acted as Pat the Gardener in Alice in Wonderland (1999).

“That was one of the first times I ever actually spoke in front of a camera. Never mind first movie, I’d never even seen a studio,” he says.

“Looking back it’s so tiddly potato, and the Irish people would have been looking at it thinking, ‘Geez, what the fuck are you doing? That’s so paddy-wackery you might as well have dressed up as a leprechaun with a pipe’.”

While acting isn’t something Jason does on a regular basis it’s still a part of his career he wants to hold on to.

“Radio is so different from stand-up and stand-up is so different from acting, but I don’t know and I’d hate to give up any of them,” he says.

In future Jason would like to give acting a bit more of a go, just for fun. Until he hits the big screen again you can catch him in his new show and see him perform like never before.

WHEN&WHERE: Deakin’s Costa Hall (GPAC) – September 20

FORTE ILLUSTRATION #6

michael sandford

michaelsandford.com

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THE MOLLY ROOM, FORTE & MARSHALL AMPS PRESENT

LEON HENDRIX IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME This once in a lifetime show is not to be missed.

Leon an established singer-songwriter in his own right, mixes his music with his versions of Jimi’s classics, including stories and insights into the songs only his closest relative could tell you.

The band features special guest and Grammy Award™winning guitarist MICKI FREE

DON’T MISS JIMI HENDRIX BROTHER LIVE!

FRI 10 OCT GATEWAY HOTEL CORIO 1ST TICKETS RELEASED WWW.THEMOLLYROOM.COM.AU OR THE VENUE T

50 forte

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Batpiss Written by Natalie Rogers

The Collingwood trio affectionately known as ‘The Piss’ is currently in a self-imposed hibernation. “We’re working on our new album at the moment,” revealed bassist Thomy Turtle during a Friday evening catch-up.

“Actually, we haven’t started recording yet,” he added, before admitting their reasons for lying low at the moment are a little more homespun.

“Our drummer Marty just had a baby, so we wanted to give him time to learn how to wipe arses and shit like that!” Thomy laughed.

However, there’s no need to despair, pissheads – Thomy, Marty and Paul will be joined by local lads The Kremlings in support of US punkers the Dwarves at The Barwon Club on Thursday, October 16, before backing it up to open for good mates, The Meanies, in Sydney the next day. Batpiss is also booked to play again with The Meanies at their Melbourne gig at The HiFi, alongside Clowns on Friday the 24th.

“We’ve definitely pulled some good supports!

Last year we played with The Bronx, DZ Deathrays, and OFF! – they were sick to open for,” Thomy smiled, but he was quick to point out the key to scoring these sought-after gigs is to be professional and play it cool. “We tend not to play the fanboy card. We just say G’day and mind our own business.”

Right now, Batpiss is doing just that, and Thomy says they’re close to wrapping up the writing phase for a new LP – a follow-up to 2013’s Nuclear Winter.

“We want at least ten songs on this record, we’ve written eight. We need a couple more then we’ll get in the studio and smash it out! We recorded Nuclear Winter in ten hours, so hopefully this one’ll be the same!” he grinned.

“This next album will be a little darker,” Thomy says when I asked how their sound had evolved. “I wouldn’t say we are staying away from it, but there’s less of a punk sound to the new stuff … it’s a lot heavier I think. The challenge is to keep things interesting. I wouldn’t wanna make the same record twice.

“The songs we’re writing have a slightly different vibe to Nuclear Winter.

While we were making it [Nuclear Winter], we were still finding our sound. Now I think we’ve found it, and we’re doing really well. These songs sound like The Piss, so we’re happy.”

In the meantime, you can satisfy your thirst by checking out their single Daredevil (watch the live version here http://youtu.be/0-T1S5incOA). “Our new single is coming out on a split

When&Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – October 16

7-inch with good friends of ours Bits of Shit – who’re also a legendary band around the Collingwood area,” Thomy explained. “They wrote Daredevil for us and we wrote a song for them as well. That release will definitely be out before our album,” Thomy assured me.

You can also catch Batpiss before they go back into hibernation at the 7th annual River Rocks at The Barwon Club on Saturday, November 15. The line-up includes the almighty Tumbleweed, Nunchukka Superfly and HITS, among others. I predict we’re in for a treat, but don’t take my word for it.

“River Rocks is fucking heaps good fun, it’s a sweet day. We played it last year as well – it was our first gig ever in Geelong. It went down really well and now we can’t wait to go back,” Thomy gushed. “There were a lot of wasted people having a good time, which I like to see!”

Banoffee Written by Tex Miller

Martha Brown, or Banoffee as she is better known in musical circles, is about to release her debut EP. With a couple of shows at the BIGSOUND music conference in Brisbane as well as some headline dates in Sydney and Melbourne and a spot at Paradise Music Festival, things are heating up ahead of the tour. There is a mix of emotions in Brown’s voice as we begin to chat.

“The past few weeks have been very busy, as I am trying to really refine my live set. Playing alone on stage, it’s quite a challenge with all of the recorded sounds I have put into these songs, so I have been trying to get my head around all of that.”

On a rest from performing, Brown feels that this has enabled her time to recharge the batteries and hit the stage with a renewed energy. The latest single

by Banoffee, ‘Got It’, has some silky smooth electro vibes to them and will make everybody excited to see how it comes off in the live set.

“I wrote that song a while ago and was listening to a lot of AlunaGeorge and Drake. I wanted to write a song that would empower me whilst I was performing it. Instrumentally, I think the track is influenced by what I was listening to. I really got into playing around with different rhythms and I wanted to have different time signatures in there to further express my emotions.”

Starting out playing country and folk music in her early musical life, Brown has played and experienced many musical genres before landing the right fit with this EP. “Throughout my teens I was listening to a lot of electro and hip hop, and that’s the music that I really wanted to play. In Australia, everything is dominated by guitar bands and I was always embarrassed about liking RnB. Now, though, more people are getting into electronica and it’s a really exciting time to be involved within the scene.”

With a whole lot of ‘machines’ up on stage with Brown, it will be interesting to see how the recorded versions of the tracks relates to the live set, given that there are many layers to each of the songs. Produced by Oscar Key Sung, the songs were created in a very collaborative environment that gives the songs a little extra character.

“I needed someone to record me because I didn’t have the knowledge or the equipment. These songs are very personal to me, so I really needed somebody that I trusted to work with me. Having worked with Oscar for many years, it felt natural to get him into the producer role. We recorded

When&Where: Shebeen – September 19, Paradise Music Festival, Lake Alpine Resort ‑ November 28-30

pretty much in my bedroom and I felt comfortable expressing the meaning of each song to him, without thinking I was showing too much of myself to someone too early.”

The first solo pursuit for Brown, it’s both an exciting and nervous time when we begin to chat about the release of the EP and coinciding shows. “It’s been really good taking baby steps towards this release, showcasing

some singles and stuff. I can’t wait to get out on the road and show the world what I have been working tirelessly on for the past year or so.

See you out somewhere on the road.”

Morning Glory Q&A / Photo by Alyssa Tanchajja

They’re here! New York’s Morning Glory hit our shores last week for a string of ska punk shows with local wonders The Bennies.

Before they took flight, we were lucky enough to share a few words with main man, Ezra Kire. It’s time to start a revolution.

Hi Ezra, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to this morning?

This morning I’m packing up to get on a 32.5-hour plane ride to Australia … I really hope I don’t get the middle seat.

Your music has evolved quite a lot since you first started. What’s it like looking at the changes the band, and you as a person, have made over the years?

It’s funny, as songs get older they either stick or they don’t. We keep the ones that stick and discard the ones that don’t. That is to say some old songs fit perfectly with our current set and others are in some other category. But I feel the good ones are a small window into time. It’s like looking back you can say, ‘Well, at least I did that one right’.

You’ll be touring alongside The Bennies. Are you looking forward to be playing with them?

Well yes, but we’re going in completely blind. It’s like a blind date. Their singer Anty sent me a nice email the other day asking if we need anything, which was very cool of him. But beyond that I have no idea 52 forte

what we’re in for. We’ve never done a coheadliner before. This could be very good ... or very bad. Plus, judging from their songs they like to “take the pot”, which should be fun for us to toy with since we are adamantly against the smoking of the reefer. We think it’s for hippies, hehe.

Part of the tour takes you to Geelong.

Are you excited to be coming down?

One of the cool things about going out with The Bennies is that we get to hit lots of the “in-betweenies” as they have connections in many of these smaller towns. Personally I can’t wait to get outside the big cities.

Typically they’re more enthusiastic, they truly enjoy their music shows, and the market isn’t over-saturated with bands. I hope someone brings a wallaby to one of the shows.

What can the crowd expect from your set?

We’ll be playing all our “hits” and some of the War Psalms record. Not much stuff off the Poets record is in our set this time. We’ll be playing all the tunes that get the crowd surfing and dancing and singing along. Plus we’ve got a piano in the mix to add some excitement to the sing along

When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – September 24 & The Barwon Club, Geelong – September 25

atmosphere. It’s gonna be stellar.

Do you have anything you’d like to do while you’re in Australia?

I can’t wait to see your toilets.

I hear the water goes widdershins.

(Widdershins is a great word for backwards.) I intend to

find out if this is fact or myth.

What does the future hold for Morning Glory?

Well, it’s almost time for another record.

Nowadays you have to put out a record every year to stay current. And I have a ton of songs ready to go. We’ll have some local

shows upon our return as well.

Before we finish up is there anything you’d like to add?

Ya, I’ve been trying to think of a good Australian tune we can turn into a schmaltzy piano or organ sing along for our set. Suggestions are welcome!

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Inside Splinters

Written by Adem Ali

T HE IN SIDE S P L IN T E R S

MI X TA P E [# 59 5 ]

iamamiwhoami New single ‘Blue Blue’ may very well be their best yet.

FLIGHT FACILITIES The brand new album, Down to Earth, hits shelves October 24 via Future Classic Records.

TEN WALLS/ DUSKY AUSSIE NOVEMBER TOUR Our dance floor prayers have been answered.

or

MADONNA FOURTEEN

ONE DIRECTION ANNOUNCE FOUR

We were going to put together a complete ‘What You Need to Know’ guide for Madonna’s upcoming fourteenth studio album release this fortnight, but have decided against it … at least for now. Whilst we are now being told not to expect the album until 2015, some believe Madge is going to ‘Beyoncé’ the record over the next month and surprise us with her latest collection of jams. But are we in line for another round of disappointment at the hands of a Madonna who is more interested in being the ‘Cool Mum’ we saw on Mean Girls rather than the groundbreaking pop star we last saw in 2005?

Talk of a song titled ‘Illuminati’ allegedly has the following lyrics: “It’s not Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Lil’ Wayne, Oprah and Obama, the Pope or Rihanna, Queen Elizabeth or Kanye, Gaga, Prada, triangles or stacks of cash.” Er...

One Direction have barely taken a breather from the release of their most recent long-player, Midnight Memories, to announce the November release of their fourth studio album, aptly titled Four.

Taking to their official website: “We’re so excited to announce our fourth album, FOUR!” said the five-piece. “We’ve worked incredibly hard writing and recording it whilst we’ve been on the road and we couldn’t have done it without your support.”

There’s also the grim-sounding ‘Two Steps Behind’, produced by Avicii, which sees Madge slate Lady Gaga for the upteenth time since they butted heads over two years ago with the release of Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’. Some believe this isn’t going to be on the album, and with lyrics like “You’re a copycat/Where’s my royalty” – a good two years after everybody else has stopped talking about the Madonna/Gaga feud – we’re hoping these sources are correct and this song is given the ultimate in cutting room floor treatment.

THE PASSING OF JOAN RIVERS And anybody who says jokes about her passing are “too soon” were clearly never a Joan Rivers fan at all!

MADONNA’S ‘ILLUMINATI’ Oh dear. Madonnarama. com have confirmed the existence of a song named ‘Illuminati’, and we’re a little unsure what to do with this information.

DEADMAU5 Being sued by Disney for trying to trademark his MausHead ... BYE!

“If a Jonas brother can make it to the front row of Fashion Week, I can make it through this day.”

Pearls of wisdom from @maxdkaplan last week.

The album is due for a worldwide release on November 17, with current, first single to be lifted from it, ‘Fireproof ’, being available online now. The lads have proclaimed this to be their most personal album “to date”, with first single ‘Fireproof ’ written by band members Liam and Louis alongside John Ryan, Jamie Scott and Julian Bunette, who also wrote their massive 2013 hit single, ‘Story of My Life’.

LADY GAGA & TONY BENNETT ARE “CHEEK TO CHEEK” We at Splinters have never been excited for the release of a JAZZ ALBUM before but there really

Adding further insult to injury, there is another song titled ‘Bitch, I’m Madonna’, whilst the ridiculousness of it all slams into third gear with ‘Unapologetic Bitch’, which – begrudgingly – we think is going to be the actual name of this new album.

According to sources, Madge has recorded over fifty songs for this record so there’s still a very strong chance many of these tracks won’t see the light of day. And as painful as the aformentioned song titles and lyrics may look, there seem to be hints of Classic Madonna Genius with other mentioned titles such as ‘Joan of Arc’, ‘Messiah’ and ‘Wash All Over Me’, all tipped to be Next Level Brilliance. We’re still excited, just a little apprehensive at this point.

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is a first time for everything! The unveiling of Gaga and Bents’ Cheek to Cheek tomorrow across the country marks one of THE most anticipated releases of the year for us, and the promise of a second volume has us shaking with anticipation.

The album features such beloved hits as ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’, ‘Anything Goes’, the iconic ‘Nature Boy’ (hearing Gaga sing this will melt your heart ) and even a JazzGa solo via her goosebump-inducing cover of Cher & Sonny Bono’s ‘Bang Bang’.

Tony spoke to French magazine La Presse in July about the project, sparking rumours that Gaga will be ditching the glamour of pop for something a little more oldschool. “I do not understand why Gaga had to make contemporary music!” he said. “When she sings the great standards, she does it with such emotion. It will surprise people, the quality of her voice when making quality songs. We sing duets on the album, but also sing some songs separately. With Cheek to Cheek, I think she will become bigger than Elvis!”

The record is released nationwide tomorrow on CD, vinyl and digital, and you can expect a full comprehensive Splinters trackby-track review of it next issue.

For more music news and reviews follow @AdemWithAnE on Twitter!

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FORTE

scenepix Photos by Marianne Valitutti

Home House

Home House

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Home House

Home House

Geelong RSL

Geelong RSL

FORTE

scenepix Photos by Marianne Valitutti

Edge

Edge

Edge

Eureka

Eureka

Eureka

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FORTE

scenepix Photos by Marianne Valitutti

Bended

Bended

Bended

Beavs Bar

The Barwon Club

The Barwon Club

Pistol Pete's

Pistol Pete's

CQ Lambys

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Grovedale Hotel

CQ

Grovedale Hotel

CQ

Slate Pool Lounge

Lambys

Lambys

Slate Pool Lounge

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Film Reviews

Films reviewed by Anthony Morris

The Giver

The Maze Runner We’re so used to young adult fiction being aimed at young girls, that's what’s initially striking about this story is the way it has boys firmly in its sights. And not just because the lead is a teenage boy thrust into a world full of other teenage boys (though clearly that adds to the testosterone-heavy atmosphere): our story begins with Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) waking up in a lift with no memory of, well, anything. The lift delivers him and a bunch of supplies to a clearing bounded on all sides by huge walls; the boys who live there get him out, settle him down, and explain the score. They live in this glade in an all-boy community (no girls are

sent), each doing their part – but for Maze Runners: their part involves running out into the maze that lies all around their glade, trying to find a way through it then coming back before the gates close automatically at dusk. If anyone is locked inside the maze after dark, mysterious but deadly creatures known as “grievers” kill them: no one’s ever survived a night outside the glade.

This is a lot of information to dump on a character, and it keeps on coming: unlike a lot of YA adaptations, this is much more concerned with piling on the plot than building metaphors for how it feels to be a teenager. It’s also a lot more action-orientated (and gory) than most YA adaptations, which

means that for the first two-thirds or so this rockets along, no sooner solving one mystery than revealing another. Unfortunately it starts to fizzle out towards the end once it really starts to upend the world that’s been created, and the lack of interest in the supporting cast (who might as well be wearing hats that say BAD GUY, QUIRKY SIDEKICK and – when a girl finally does arrive – LOVE INTEREST) means that any big emotional moments not involving the maze tend to fall flat.

But this still gets more right than most films of its kind: for once what lies beyond the cliffhanger “to be continued” ending feels more like something to look forward to than dread.

Step Up: All In Step Up: All In kicks off with a montage showing the various members of dance crew “The Mob” auditioning for commercial work in Los Angeles. Stupid costumes, confusing instructions (“move right, but make it look like you’re moving left”), being openly ogled by the female casting agents, being told the job’s taken before they even get a chance to strut their stuff: it’s a big comedown from the flash mob social justice work The Mob were last seen doing in Step Up: Miami Heat. Guess that’s what happens when your last film ended with everyone celebrating about getting a big contract with Nike.

This is a dance movie so the story doesn’t really matter all that much: basically struggling dancer Sean (Ryan Guzman) is driven by personal demons (and the need to make a living) to enter a televised dance contest called The Vortex. He then gathers together a rag-tag group of skilled dancers from a wide range of backgrounds to form a crack team of underdogs that will enter a massive dance contest where they have no chance whatsoever of winning.

Step Up: All In takes a leaf out of Hollywood’s other brilliant yet under-appreciated franchise – the Fast & Furious films – by bringing back a bunch of characters from the previous films, including Briana

Evigan (the midriff-baring Angie from Step Up 2: The Streets) and series regular Adam Sevani as Moose (he’s been in every Step Up film since the second one). Almost all of them are shown working crummy menial jobs, which they promptly quit for a chance at Vegas stardom – a chance that, the film repeatedly makes clear, is both slim and unlikely to make a long-term difference anyway.

First time director Trish Sie knows to not ruin Step Up: All In’s dance sequences with excessive editing: when someone pulls off an impressive move, you actually see them doing the move from start to finish. Suffice to say that the dance sequences are both plentiful and impressive (if oddly aggressive) while the story lacks the over-the-top nuttiness of previous instalments. Instead, with its focus on dancers trying to make a living, this has a surprisingly harsh edge. Well, a harsh edge for a movie in which a guy who only does “The Robot” falls in love with an equally robotic girl dancer and all their love is expressed robotically.

The Skeleton Twins After a failed suicide attempt, struggling L.A. actor Milo (Bill Hader) reluctantly takes up an offer from his estranged sister Maggie (Kristen Wiig) to head back east and stay with her and her straightforward nice-guy husband (Luke Wilson) in upstate New York. Milo soon reconnects with a former teacher (Ty Burrell) with whom he had a relationship in high school, while Maggie (whose own suicide attempt was only halted by the news of her brother’s attempt) is using a relationship with her scuba instructor (Boyd Holbrook) to distract herself from her own depression. It might not sound like a whole load of laughs, but director Craig Johnson has created a wryly funny film that refuses to boil its 60 forte

characters down to two dimensions.

Hader and Wiig (former Saturday Night Live co-stars) have real chemistry even when they’re shutting each other out, and while the subject matter is serious there’s plenty of laughs and sharp observations – plus a scene where they lip-synch to ‘Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now’ – to keep this from becoming a dirge. If you have a sibling, there’s a lot here that’s going to stay with you after the credits roll.

Night Moves Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) is just a regular guy working on an eco-friendly farm outside Portland on the USA’s west coast. Well, that’s his day job: it turns out his commitment to environmentalism extends far beyond film nights and sustainable crops.

Together with the more overtly righton Dena (Dakota Fanning) they buy a powerboat and deliver it to Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard), who provides both fake IDs and the fertilizer bombs they need for their mission: blowing up a local dam. Much of their scheme – buying the boat, trying to get more fertilizer, making sure no one stumbles across their plans as they set up the bomb – plays out like a low-key ’70s-era thriller. But it’s increasingly clear that the real drama in the latest film from director Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff ) isn’t the destruction they wreak (their efforts are dismissed as “theatre” by one authority figure) but the cost they personally pay for their actions.

Josh is the most self-contained of the trio, but what initially seems like steely determination slowly becomes something more fragile, while Dena’s more open support for the cause becomes a negative in the eyes of the others once the consequences of their actions becomes real.

Reichardt tells the story in a distant, somewhat emotionless fashion, her long static takes suggesting a world where characters have to impose their own meaning on things, and then pay the price for their choices.

Eisenberg’s performance is the heart of this film. He turns his trademark energy inwards to play a man locked down inside himself, his nervousness exposed only by the occasional darting look. Initially hiding his true nature and beliefs from his friends and co-workers seems like a vital part of his mission. Gradually his refusal to connect with others turns toxic, and this thriller becomes a portrait of a man whose beliefs leave him adrift.

It’s the future, and after a great war humanity has decided the only way to survive is by eliminating all the things that divide us. Passions and love are drugged out of the population; emotions of any kind are banned; lying is forbidden. Even the memory of such things is locked away, with only the mysterious “Giver” (Jeff Bridges) still allowed to recall a more extreme time. When Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) comes of age, he watches as his friends are assigned traditional jobs, then the Chief Elder (Meryl Streep) drops a bombshell: Jonas has been chosen to be the next Giver, with all the privileges (and burdens) that it entails. But the more he learns about the lost world of emotion, the more he wonders whether it’s right that these things are denied to the rest of the public – and the more of a threat to the regime he becomes.

It’s a great idea for a story, and the original YA novel (written in the early ’90s) that this is based on is

t h e wra p Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a classic of the genre. But once this film (directed by Phillip Noyce, who at least makes the wilderness scenes look sharp) moves past the initial step-up it flounders quickly. There are a few feeble attempts to spice up a story that by its very nature is largely built around how teenagers feel: the regime is stocked with cartoon baddies and the smooth running of the society seems to involve killing babies, which no one sees as wrong because they (the adults, not the babies) lack emotions. But these additions to the story seem to miss the point: this is a great way to explore the wave of emotions that overwhelm pretty much all teens, and by turning this into a generic YA dystopia, The Giver ends up having a whole lot less to give.

The Little Death Josh Lawson’s first feature as a writer/director is the kind of ensemble relationship comedy familiar on the indie film circuit, with one difference: this is a collection of stories about people with particular erotic fetishes. Maeve (Bojana Novakovic) has a rape fantasy that her partner Paul (Lawson) attempts to fulfil; Rowena (Kate Box) is turned on by seeing her partner Richard (Patrick Brammall) cry; Dan and Evie (Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany) try roleplaying only to discover Dan is getting a little too much into it; Phil (Alan Dukes) discovers his wife (Lisa McCune) is a lot more fun when she’s asleep.

They’re all great starting points for stories; unfortunately the stories themselves rarely, if ever, go anywhere past “hey, this is kind of weird”.

It’s not that the film judges its characters for their sexual kinks: if anything, this is refreshing in its acceptance of everyone’s quirks. But it never really explores them past the obvious: each story starts out well then stalls before a resolution

The Turtles are back! And with Michael Bay involved, you know it’s going to be full of loud action, big explosions and Megan Fox. Nostalgiaplagued adults might be tempted, but no: this one’s firmly for (easily amused) kids.

Boyhood Filmed over twelve years, like the title says – it’s about a boy growing up. Surprisingly powerful and moving in its depiction of the rhythms of life and the way that time builds us up through childhood while tearing our parents (here played by Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette) down.

If I Stay A teenage girl is torn between dying (she’s in a coma after a car accident) or staying alive to be with her hunky boyfriend.

Guess it’s a tough choice if they built a whole movie around it.

Into the Storm

that doesn’t really resolve anything (though maybe all relationships really do end in either marriage, pregnancy or separation). It never really digs into what it would be like to have your sexual pleasure depend on making your partner cry, or what it would mean if your partner developed a passion that took them away from you; presumably Lawson didn’t feel he could make that stuff as funny as having Kym Gyngell be a sex offender going door-to-door reporting his criminal record while distracting people from what he’s saying by giving then gingerbread “golliwogs”.

The result isn’t funny enough to cover the lack of insight, or insightful enough to make up for the lack of laughs; it’s a bunch of drawn-out sketches just a little too racy for Australian television.

It’s a found footage movie about tornadoes. So there’s a lot of tornadoes. There’s also a firenado at one point. Yep, sure are a lot of tornadoes in this movie. Tornadoes.

What We Do In The Shadows If it was an Australian film, this tale of sharehouse vampires not quite fitting into the modern world would almost certainly be painful (and painfully unfunny). But it’s from New Zealand, so it’s actually well worth your time.

Magic in the Moonlight Woody Allen movies are increasingly hit-and-miss these days, and while there’s nothing massively wrong with this low-key rom-com between a “psychic” (Emma Stone) and the magician (Colin Firth) out to debunk her, it’s so lightweight you’ll have forgotten it before … what was I saying?

The Inbetweeners 2 If the first Inbetweeners film felt like they were trying to move the four teens story on from their successful TV series, this is more about returning them to their prattish, bungling status quo. Only now they’re doing it (heh heh) in Australia!

Guardians of the Galaxy

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For It’s not quite “the sequel no one demanded”, but coming nine years after the original Sin City it does seem fair enough to ask why they bothered.

Especially as much of what made the original Sin City work was a thenunique style: a decade on and comic book movies that look like comic books aren’t exactly hard to come by.

Using the same anthology format as the first film, this is a prequel to the first – largely so Marv (Mickey Rourke) can still be around, though his role in two separate stories is simply to be the muscle that kills a bunch of hired goons while the real hero goes after the bad guy. And that’s hardly the only part where this feels like it’s repeating itself: the titular tale is the only story (aside from Marv’s opening murder spree) taken from Frank

Miller’s original Sin City comics, and it’s an uninspired tale of a femme fatale enlivened only by Josh Brolin and Eva Green in the main roles. The rest of the stories revolve around evil Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe), either facing down supernaturally lucky poker player (Joseph GordonLevitt) or being threatened by stripper Nancy (Jessica Alba), who herself is being haunted by the ghost of the cop (Bruce Willis) who died to protect her in the first film.

In the comics these simplistic, overblown stories worked (when they did work) thanks to the strength of Miller’s artwork; while there’s the occasional striking composition here, generally this just looks cheap and slapdash, the over-stylised visuals taking away from what little emotional content the stories themselves may have had. The first Sin City had novelty on its side; this hard-boiled saga’s now well off the boil.

Underneath the fun wrapping this is just another movie made to the Marvel formula: a band of misfits team up (and become “a family”) to battle a fairly generic badguy in a chase for a super-powered MacGuffin (here it’s another magic rock). They even have the big final battle in a huge base falling from the sky (again).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Music Reviews

The Black Sorrows

clutch of songs, making Certified Blue one of the finest albums in the band’s catalogue. The usual blend of rhythm & blues, soul, gospel and rock ’n’ roll is instantly likeable.

Camilleri’s vocals are as strong and soulful as they were in the pub rock days of yore. And it ain’t down to digital tweaking – he sounded as good at an intimate in-store gig a few weeks ago. On opening song

‘Roarin’ Town’ (title of a previous album), those distinctive pipes allow a shade of Bob Dylan in. The track also features John McAll’s piano and a quirky carnivale interlude.

Fifties soul comes out to step and sway on ‘Call Me a Fool’ and the title track. A classic Sorrows a cappella intro launches ‘Save Me’.

‘Wake Me Up in Paradise’ is likewise countrified, while Mr Costello might already be considering a cover of ‘Lovers Waltz’. ‘Return of the Voodoo Sheiks’ is a rockabilly shuffle, while reminiscent of ‘Daughters of Glory’.

Glorious layers of horns, rhythms, strings, keys and backing vocals abound. A splash of flute and pedal steel don’t go astray either.

Croutons on the salad. White walls on the Caddy. It’s like old mates dropping in to show off a new set of wheels: always welcome.

Chris Lambie

The Gretsch White Falcon needs no introduction. Seen and known by the music community worldwide, the White Falcon stands above the rest being the ultimate in high-end desirability.

If you’ve never seen one up close, then you’re in for a treat. The gold hardware and bling may not be for everyone, but these guitars are works of art, not just instruments.

The Gretsch White Falcon is a high-end electric hollowbody guitar introduced in 1954 by Gretsch. Created as a “showpiece” exhibiting the craftsmanship

of Gretsch’s luthiers, it was specifically designed for the 1954 NAMM Show. The guitar proved such a hit that it was taken into production, went on sale the following year, and has been an icon ever since.

Whilst they may have their origins in country music, the modern guitars are incredibly versatile and can be seen anywhere from Brian Setzer (Stray Cats), to Chris Cheney (Living End), to Korel Tunador (Katy Perry’s band).

This is a guitar that is on everyone’s bucket list, but don’t wait until you have retired to afford it. If you are wanting a guitar that can do it all and will give your band some attention, come in and see the boys at Music Workshop today and play the guitar that you’ll never want to put down again.

Daniel Lee Kendall

The Dead Love

The Mastersons

Banoffee

Mosman Alder

Vance Joy

Transitions

Good Luck Charm

Self-Titled

Humdrum Star

Dream Your Life Away

Daniel Lee Kendall is Dead

Indepdendent

New West Records

Two Bright Lakes

Dew Process

Liberation Music

Having shared a stage with some seriously big acts – we’re talking Aerosmith and Van Halen here, people – it’s no surprise that the lads from The Dead Love can crank out an awesome rock album. The three-piece from Sydney definitely fall in the altrock category, but there’s some punky undertones here and there that make vocalist/guitarist Stevie Knight’s riffs really stand out. Ably supported by the rhythm section – bassist Clint Ossington and drummer Chris Blancato – Knight does a stellar job, covering both harder tracks (like the Karnivool-esque opening track ‘This is a War’) and softer ballads with ease.

Track 7, ‘Western Hooker’, is a real standout: Ossington’s opening riff is catchy as all hell, Blancato’s thunderous drumming just plain kicks arse and Knight pulls off a vocal style that would put Scott Weiland to shame. It’s the kind of track that would be an absolute blast to see the band perform live; the studio version makes one hell of an impact, and the band’s vaunted live presence would take it to the next level. The other tracks on the album tend to be along the same lines – high energy, in-your-face rock that would be at home in a packed stadium.

The band makes use of synth here and there, and while it supports their sound well, it tends to be a bit overpowering in places and seems a little out of place. However, it’s far from a major issue, and Transitions is most definitely a debut album to be proud of.

Alastair McGibbon

Good Luck Charm, the second album from the Texas-based acoustic duo The Mastersons, is full of high moments, with some beautifully written songs that come courtesy from their touring life on the road in both this project and Steve Earle’s band The Dukes. This second release from the band sees a lot more collaborative effort than 2012’s Birds Fly South, where the songs were written by Chris and Eleanor individually and then brought to the table.

Recorded with Jim Scott whose producing credits include Tom Petty, Wilco and the Dixie Chicks, these tracks radiate a happy and positive feel to them and are sure to lighten your mood whenever you listen to this album. Having played music all of their lives, Eleanor quickly got the opportunity to back Regina Spektor and Diana Ross, while Chris began to play with Wayne Hancock and Jack Ingram.

You are able to hear the experience of the road on this record throughout the eleven tracks. ‘If I Wanted To’, ‘Closer to You’ and the title track ‘Good Luck Charm’ are all highlights on this album.

An album rich in acoustic country-folk melodies, this is a disc that is bound to make you smile at some point through its duration.

Tex Miller

One look at Banoffee’s (aka Martha Brown) face and you’d think all she’d be capable of is sickly sweet pop melodies. But you couldn’t be more wrong.

Banoffee is the answer to all your new wave RnB dreams. Synth glides over syncopated beats and deeply contemplative lyrics.

Her vocals are dark, yet at times surprisingly sweet, and they strike such a perfect balance you simply can’t decide what side to turn to.

Dark and moody vocals ooze in over the top of pops of synth in opener number ‘Got It’. All puns aside, Banoffee has listeners in the palm of her hands barely 10 seconds into the start of her EP. In ‘Ohhhh Owwww’ she questions her feelings regarding a relationship, and there’s a pretty obvious feeling of resentment as she utters the words “F*ck everything, F*ck it all to hell”.

While the overall composition and cosmic beats that Banoffee delivers are mesmerising in themselves, her lyrical talent is where your praise should really be directed.

‘Reign’ manages to capture emotions in rhythmically beautiful lines like no one I’ve heard in a long time.

It seems with musicians like FKA Twigs and Banks gaining major talk in the industry, RnB has rebranded itself and made a comeback few would have seen coming. With such talent, and all at 24 years old, Banoffee is bound to be a major player in this new exciting sound.

Amanda Sherring

With so many albums released nowadays that feature groaning guitar riffs begging for attention, it’s nice to come across an album that’s just an easy listen.

Humdrum Star doesn’t show off or claw for your attention; it simply gains it through merit.

The 11-track release features intricate string plays, harmonising vocals and awe-inspiring soundscapes. Opener ‘Golden Archers’ uses building string layers and soothing vocals to create a feeling of euphoria; which, mind you, was by no means accidental.

‘Colours’ is vocally beautiful, but with a surprising edge that the previous songs lacked. And ‘Try Your Luck’ uses funk synths reminiscent of something you’d hear in an ’80s pop song. Halfway into Humdrum Star, it’s already clear how widespread their inspiration has been this time around.

At times when a song starts you get the feeling of déjà vu while listening to Humdrum Star.

While some intros may sound similar, it’s just a matter of the band’s perfected style – and when they get it so right, is there really anything wrong with mimicking something that’s successful?

While there are still a few aural kinks to iron out – at times the vocals can coerce you into a hypnotic state – Humdrum Star is still a great representation of the extreme talent that Mosman Alder possess.

Amanda Sherring

A ukulele-playing and acoustic music lover myself, this Vance Joy album review was always bound to be a little biased. It’s no secret that he is one of the biggest musicians in the world scene today and is about to converge on a US tour before playing Falls and Southbound, as well as touring in March next year.

Dream Your Life Away has been the feature album on many websites over the past week or so since it’s release – and has been on repeat in my car and iTunes for the last week.

Opening with ‘Winds Of Change’, the song that confirmed that Vance Joy could do this for a living, DYLA is an impressive collection of songs. Many tracks feature a diverse range of instrumentation, while the recording process took in many studios throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. ‘Mess is Mine’ and ‘Riptide’ are present on this release, and although they have previously racked up huge support around the world, it doesn’t seem to bring the album down at all. It’s, to put it simply, a great list of tunes.

Chances are, you’ve already got the CD and have tickets to Falls or a Vance Joy headline show next year. If you don’t, I’d get this disc. It is a strong contender for album of the year. If you missed the interview with Joy, grab a copy of the last issue with Illy on the front cover.

An international superstar in the making with a great debut. Haters gonna hate, but this disc is grand.

Check out it, whilst it’s still hip to!

Tex Miller

Certified Blue Head Records

There are music legends who keep touring, churning out slightly ragged ‘hits and memories’, pushing sonic limits to reach the high notes of yesteryear … and then there’s an exclusive club that’s home to the real deal. Joe Camilleri is a paid-up member of the latter.

Loved him with the Falcons, both back in the day and gloriously resurrected on a more recent bill with Elvis Costello. Costello’s a major longtime fan. Me too.

Among the bands the sax man has fronted, The Black Sorrows are similarly iconic after three decades.

Camilleri’s enduring songwriting partnership with Nick Smith has produced another extraordinary

Create Control Ltd

I think that Lost in the Moment, the first EP from Daniel Lee Kendall, is one of the most played albums on my iTunes.

It’s very exciting that his debut record, entitled Daniel Lee Kendall is Dead, was released last week. Opening with ‘Under a Spell’, this album is perfectly crafted with pop gems that are both mystically-sounding and able to be digested in one listen.

Clocking in at forty minutes, it feels that ‘Under a Spell’ ends on a disjointed chord that leads into the second track, ‘Angelique’.

Its summertime vibes that will complement a strong position on your road trip soundtrack collection. With many different quirky sounds on this album from a diverse range of instruments, I think that my favourite definitely has to be the panpipes in the chorus of ‘Angelique’. ‘Lost in the Moment’ is also a feature of this record that is incredibly impressive as a debut.

Entitled The Funeral Tour, DLK is set to play a few select shows around Australia.

Playing his first gig in two and a half years last week, this album has definitely been worth the wait. Coming into summer time, check this sunny release from DLK today.

Tex Miller

Boy & Bear Support: Holy Holy

Palais Theatre, Melbourne Friday 5 September 2014

Step foot inside the Palais Theatre and the first thing people will do is look up. In life it’s often said to surround yourself with beautiful things, and Boy & Bear has certainly kept this is mind when they added the iconic venue to their tour.

As far as beautiful things go, the music from supporting

band Holy Holy is pretty close.

The professionalism that the boys exhibited makes you really wonder why they aren’t doing their own tour. While the band still has a few teething issues in their live performance, mainly their stage presence, these are easily things that come with time. ‘A Heroin’ was a standout that would have had everyone dancing, if only the venue allowed it. Though we all came to see one band: Boy & Bear.

Lights out, the silhouettes enter the stage and the crowd goes wild – exactly the entrance we should expect from a band

this big. Without a moment to waste, the band kicks into action and seamlessly flow from hit to hit. There’s this strange atmosphere when the boys get on stage and all I can pin it to is their extreme comfort on stage. Banter of girlfriends and jungle animals come from the bandmates with ease and you get a rare insight into who they are as people, not just musicians.

The band also stayed true to their promise of no encore performances, though with a solid near one-and-a-half hour set it’s simply not needed.

Amanda Sherring

PRODUCT REVIEW

G6136T White Falcon Review provided by Music Workshop

Celia Pavey Support: Lester the Fierce

Torquay Hotel, Torquay Sunday 14 September 2014

Engaging a crowd sitting at tables can be a hard feat for even the most experienced of musicians, and for a young performer it can almost be impossible. After carefully sneaking on stage with her acoustic guitar slung over her shoulder, Celia began to play, and though not everyone was listening straight away, as soon as

she opened her mouth there wasn’t an eye in the crowd that wasn’t firmly fixed on the songstress.

‘Scarborough Fair’ served as the opener for her set, and she made it her own with her flawless transitions between the high and low notes. For a musician that hasn’t had too much experience with live gigs, Celia certainly has it down pat.

Variety was given to her set with her band accompanying her on stage, a duet with her sister and multiple solo songs.

Celia covered a few more well-known tracks, the highlight her engaging version of Joni

Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’ and Gorillaz’s ‘Feel Good Inc.’, as well as a few of her original tracks from her debut EP Bodies. While many have heard the beautiful airy voice of Celia from The Voice, her effortlessly captivating vocals is something you have to see to truly appreciate.

Opening act, Lester the Fierce, was equally talented. Standing alone on stage with guitar in hand, her performance was reminiscent of solo musician Adalita: both are powerful musicians with emotive performances and chord-driven guitar.

Amanda Sherring

forte 61

Music Reviews

PHOTO REVIEW

Residual

sold out EP Launch

w/ Yorke, Olly Friend & Swim Season beav's bar / THURSDAY 28 august 2014 Photos by half shots

Last Words

grog watch Written by Tony Montana

For the past fortnight or so I’ve been house sitting in Melbourne for my sister, aka the ‘Hardest Working Librarian in Showbusiness’, while she wanders around Europe with a string of toyboys and dubious greek shipping millionaires. Nice work if you can get it. While her expansive inner-city palace is pretty much all I could ask for, by which I mean rentfree, there is one problem I didn’t forsee when I agreed to move in for the month: it’s next to a road.

Okay, I already knew there was a road out the front (and another along the side: it’s right next to a roundabout), but as far as I knew her part of town – it’s the Newport/ Williamstown/Altona part of town – was a fairly quiet part of town by stint of having nothing there anyone

62 forte

would actually want to go and visit.

Those who know that part of town are already laughing, which makes a nice change from the usual annoyed stares this column generates: it turns out that not only is my sister’s place situated on the main road into this part of town, it’s also on the main road out of this part of town – seriously, it’s like living on a corner where the road to your left brings in all the people from one half of town and the road on your right brings in all the people from the other half of town. And they’re all driving trucks: you wouldn’t actually think where I am would need people driving trucks – everyone I’ve mentioned this to in Geelong has gone “But where are they driving to?” – and yet it’s trucks all day and all of the night every night, right outside my window. Hopefully you’re starting to see the extent of my problem here.

So the first night I was kind of surprised by the way the trucks started up at around 5 a.m. and did not stop,

especially as I thought I’d already made it clear that 5 a.m. was still sleepy time at Casa Del Montana. But you know, it was my first night in a new house, not sleeping well was only to be expected. And then the second night I actually slept OK – I made sure all the blinds and windows and door and everything were closed to keep the sound out and so I was feeling pretty good about myself: challenge faced and overcome everybody, next stop The White House. But then came Night Three, in which I slept like crap and woke up starting to realise that hey, maybe I’d said yes to this house sitting gig a little too quickly.

Sure, I know there are a lot of people out there for whom sleep is something of an optional extra in their life, people for whom claiming to have only had a few hours sleep is a sign of their manliness or devotion to their work.

Those people are idiots. Life is hard and long and generally unpleasant and sleep is pretty much the best way there

is to avoid all those things, so if you’re not sleeping as much as possible as often as possible you’re basically Doing Life Wrong. And by living in a flat where a good night’s sleep was rapidly proving to be basically impossible – at least until I learnt to drown out the sound of truck convoys passing less then ten metres from my head – my life was about as wrong as it could get.

Like all normal people, I’ve always been terrified by the idea of sleeping with earplugs. What if you roll over in your sleep and drive them into your brain? But with the truck noise making it impossible to sleep without them I figured I didn’t really have any other option past pushing the mattress up against the window and sleeping on the floor which, come to think of it, probably was the smarter choice to make. Instead, I went to the chemist and bought a bunch of those expanding foam earplugs then went home to try them out. At first they just seemed like a

hilarious way to enable you to hear your own breathing a whole lot better, but after a while I figured out that they really did seem to be blocking out a bunch of outside noise.

So, a good night’s sleep as assured, right? Nope: first night with them in I must’ve woken up around 4 a.m., thought, “Hey, I don’t need these things”, and took them out. Number of times woken up by trucks after that?

Let’s say six. But at least that night I remembered taking them out: the night after that I just woke up and they were gone, so obviously I assumed they’d somehow been absorbed into my head and pretty much leapt out of bed screaming until I spotted them on the floor. How they got onto the floor was the real mystery – had I torn them out in my sleep or simply spun around so fast in my bed that they’d been expelled by centrifugal force? Either way, they clearly weren’t working, but what else could I do?

If my unconscious self kept taking

them out I could hardly tie myself up before going to sleep … or could I? So last night I went to sleep with earplugs in my ears and oven mitts tied on my hands: suffice to say my sleeping self is surprisingly good at escape artistry … and making sure I’m awake in time to hear a bunch of trucks hurtle around the corner by my bed. Guess it’s back to drinking myself unconscious every night…

Tony “Sobering up in your sleep is the problem there” Montana

forte 63

64 forte