PULL-OUT POSTER! ISSUE #598 ball ar at | bell arine | Bendigo | ca stlemaine | geelong | surf coa st | warrnambool |
30/10/2014
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tri v ium “Australian food is some of the best on the entire planet!� pg.24
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tkay maidza
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the preatures
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thelma plum
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in this issue:
forte issue #598 t h u r s d a y 3 0 OCTOBER 2 0 1 4
F R E E BI E S!
Ph: 03 5229 7969 PO Box 978 Geelong VIC 3220 fortemag.com.au
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Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Cameron Brogden, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Daniel Lock, Daniel Waight, Jessica Alves, Dr John Lamp, Madelin Baldwin, Montana Agustin, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Sue Rawkins, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, Xavier Fenell, Zach Broadhurst, Tony Montana printed by
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Aaron Wales • Alanna & Alicia • Alawishus Jones & the Outright Lies • Alister Turrill • Andy Garlick • Bag ‘o’ Nails • Andy Phillips & the Cadillac Walk Archer & the Long Gone Daddies • Bellwethers • Bendigo Bank All-Star Blues Band • Benjamin James Caldwell • Benny Walker • Bert (aka Skip) Bill Barber • Birdhouse • Blue Eyes Cry • Blues Avenue • Blues Mountain • Brody Young • Carus Thompson • CASS • Checkerboard Chris Wilson Band • Claude Hay • Dale Lindrea • The Continental Blues Party • A Tribute to Cream • Damien Neil • Dave ‘Deltahead’ McDonald Dave Diprose • DIGG • Dirtbusters • DOROTHY-JANE Trio • Doc White & Si Compadre • Dreamboogie • Dukesy & the Hazzards • Emilee South Erica Hawkey • Eva McGowan • Genevieve Chadwick • Geoff Achison • Gorgeous Voices Choir • Hailey Calvert • Greg Dodd & The Hoodoo Men Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson • Hilary Blackshaw & the Afternoon Philosophers • Jamie Roberts • Jarrod Shaw • Jesse Morris • Jimmy Williams John Lingard • Jojo Smith • John-Luke Shelley & High Speed Steel • Jon & Bel • Josh Cashman • Josh Rawiri • Justin Yap Band • King Maxwell Lachy Doley Group • Lazy Eye • Lily & King • Louise Adams • Luke Watt • Magic 8 Balls • Marc Leon • Marisa Quigley Duo • Marta Pacek Messin’ ‘round • Mike Elrington • Milan Martin • The Mockbells • The Mixed Nuts • Mojo Corner • Monique Shelford • Noah Grosz • Oh Pep! Old Buzzard Medicine Show • One Up, Two Down & Dan Parsons • Oozin’ Blues • Owen Campbell • Pat Ward • Pete Cornelius Pete Gavin • Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood • Rhythm Kings • The Roosters • Salvador • Sarah Wilkinson • Sattwa Arising • Sherri Parry The Simon Wright Band • Siskin River • Sleepy West • Smoke Stack Rhino • Sons of May • Sons of the Blues • Soul Safari • The Sounds of Silent The Squeezebox Trio • Steve Angoorly • Stringybark McDowell • Sweet Baby James & Rob Eyers • Talisa Jobe • Taylor Project This Way North • Taylor Sheridan Band • Tim ‘Tonic’ Hulsman • Tony J King • T’Ree • Trevor Green • Tuena • Tully Sumner • Tyto Tyto Uke Joint Jumpers • uncle Bob & the Hoochie Couch Men • UPtown Groove • Urban Creatures • We The Radio • AND MORE
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Even More Potter Spin-Offs
The Plains, The Plains Aldous Harding, Banoffee, Black Vanilla, Bombino, Conor Oberst, Courtney Barnett, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, Felice Brothers, First Aid Kit, Graveyard, HITS, LA Pocock, Milwaukee Banks, Neneh Cherry With RocketNumberNine, Nick Waterhouse, Oblivians, Parquet Courts, Radio Birdman, Sharon Van Etten, Sleep D, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, Something for Kate, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Bennies, The Meanies, Theo Parrish, Total Giovanni, Twerps and Village People – that’s your line-up for Golden Plains 2015. Need I say more?
Time for a Rebel Yell ‘Rebel Yell’, ‘Dancing with Myself ’, ‘White Wedding’, ‘Cradle of Love’, ‘Mony Mony’ – you’ll have a chance to sing along to all these and more when Billy Idol brings his bag of big hits to Australia for the first time in 10 years. Sweetening the deal is
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Cheap Trick, whose bag of hits is arguably bigger than Billy’s. It’s not good, it’s great. Margaret Court Arena – March 24. * In a somewhat controversial move, Billy has joined the A Day on the Green series.
I Feel a Tremor In 1990, the “western horror” movie Tremors landed in cinemas. Three
It looks as though we’ll be getting three wizard-based movies from the hand of JK Rowling. The first, as you more than likely know, is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. More recently it was announced that Warner Bros. has signed on for two further movies, due for release in 2018 and 2020. Hopefully one involves having to travel through time with the assistance of a mad-hatter inventor in a DeLorean.
direct-to-video sequels would follow, the latest, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, in 2004. Well, a fifth instalment has been announced by the Tremors Facebook fan page. Michael Gross once again fronts up, this time sharing the co-lead with Jamie Kennedy. Shooting is underway in South Africa under the eye of Don Michael Paul.
Not So Little Doolittle In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Pixies are reissuing their 1989 triumph Doolittle. The three-disc release will feature b-sides, unreleased rarities and John Peel live session tracks. Doolittle is the second album from the band and contains some of their biggest songs, including ‘Monkey Gone to Heaven’, ‘Here Comes Your Man’ and ‘Debaser’. Sleeve designer Vaughan Oliver has also reinterpreted his original artwork for the buff release.
Pop Group’s First Time Having been announced as part of the Adelaide Festival, influential postpunk outfit The Pop Group has decided while they’re here they may as well play a few more shows. The band formed in 1978, managing just three years until they disbanded. They then reformed in 2010, recently releasing two compilations. Nick Cave has cited the band as an inspiration to his work. The Corner – March 7.
Sean Paul Returns Grammy-winning dancehall artist Sean Paul will bring his Full Frequency Tour to Australia next month.
A major presence in the ’00s, Sean Paul shows he can still command attention, securing the talents of 2 Chainz and Iggy Azalea for his latest album, Full Frequency. Joining him will be Mýa, a fellow Grammywinner and star of the ’00s. For both of them to still be going strong says something. Festival Hall – November 14.
What’s the Internet? In news that may make some readers want to jam a pencil in their eye, the much-loved gang of The IT Crowd is having a second crack in the US. An American adaptation of the British version almost aired back in 2007. This time around Bill Lawrence is set to work on the project with Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan. Hopefully with this calibre of personnel the fresh take on the beloved British comedy finds a good (and better) balance.
What’s On the Tele? Movies, it would seem. Movies being adapted for television seems to be the new thing – all the cool kids are doing it. We have mentioned a few, but there are plenty of others. Over twenty! They include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Devil’s Advocate, Ghost, The Illusionist,
In Good Company, Resident Evil, School of Rock, Scream, The Truman Show, Shooter, Twelve Monkeys, Uncle Buck and Real Genius. Oh yeah, Real Genius.
Boogie with Tonstartssbandht How do you like the sound of psychedelic boogie rock? That is what brothers Edwin and Andy White create. The thing about these brothers is that for much of their lifespan they have lived apart – Andy in Montreal, Ed in New York. Where there is a will, there is a way, so a minor obstacle such as their respective location was never going to get in the way of music. This is their first time here, so make them feel welcome. The Tote – December 26.
Beechworth Music Festival Australia Day Long Weekend at Madman’s Gully Amphitheatre on the farmlands of the former Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum (now decommissioned) in the heart of Beechworth, the second Beechworth Music Festival will take place. The line up includes the best of local, regional and national artists including Beaches, Jen Cloher and Band, The Bennies, Ron S. Peno and the Superstitions, My Left Boot, LuLuc, The Hounds, Homebound, Rubber Band, The Sugarcanes, Pearls,Benny Williams, Liv Cartledge, DJ Mermaid, Wangaratta Ukulele Band, Geoff Jackson, MC Cat McGauran 3PBS FM. BMF- Saturday 24 January 2015, Beechworth. Tickets on sale now!
Good Times for Tkay Maidza While some of us may sarcastically say we’re Living the Dream, eighteen-year-old Tkay Maidza is well and truly living the dream. At the time of writing the young Adelaide MC was in the US taking in Culture Collide and CMJ. She has also been signed to The Agency Group, home to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and A$AP Rocky. Make sure you give her debut EP Switch Tape a listen. Can’t Say – November 21.
A Highway to Foo Those lovely chaps that happen to be very good at making rock and roll recently released their new single. Who am I talking about? That would be Foo Fighters, of course. The band (and fans) also recently enjoyed a week-long residency on David Letterman, but the news of their new album, Sonic Highways, takes the cake. That one gets its worldwide release November 10. The band teased of a tour a little while back, so keep those fingers crossed.
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Welcome to Biophilia Live Björk’s concert film Biophilia Live is set for release on DVD next month. Directed by Peter Strickland and filmed at London’s Alexandra Palace on September 3, 2013, the film features Björk performing material from her 2011 release, Biophilia. Bonus footage includes material shot at Japan’s Miraikan Museum during the songbird’s residency. Biophilia made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In the Blink-182 of an Eye
Drop it, Freddy New Zealand’s dub, soul and jazz maestros Fat Freddy’s Drop once again have the urge to return to Australia. The band we seem to dig as much as they do us recently released a new single titled ‘Slings and Arrows’. The bigger news to this is it marks the first taste from their forthcoming new album. There is no further word on that other than it will, ahem, drop, at some stage in 2015. The Palais – January 23.
Swinging the Axe Axe Girl is pop punk at its best. Even better, they’re home-grown talent. Featuring Jebediah bassist Vanessa Thornton and drummer Brett Mitchell along with Perth local Addison Axe, Axe Girl is three times the attitude. Thanks to a successful Pozible campaign the band was able to put together their self-titled debut album. Hound your local on November 8 for that one. The Reverence – November 15 & The Exchange Bar – November 16.
Blink-182 is at it again, working on a new album with hopes to release it next year. There is not much to report on at the moment other than that. Meanwhile, the band is currently enjoying the 15th anniversary of Enema of the State. Frontman Tom DeLonge told Wondering Sound: “I just knew it was our best record. We [came] out with this record and out of nowhere, the label goes, ‘Holy fuck, there’s something here’.”
In the Bloods Work It Out is the result of what happens when three music-lovin’ kids who grew up on the sunny shores of Sydney decide they want to make music. Work It Out is the result;
the creator, Bloods. The album was recorded with Straight Arrows frontman Owen Penglis and comes bursting at the seams with garage-pop-punk goodness. Want to get to know Bloods a little better? Make a date at The Curtin on November 29.
A Peek at Peaks The Twin Peaks news keeps on coming. Following the announcement of the show’s nine-episode, limited series return in 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that co-creator and executive producer Mark Frost plans on publishing a book late 2015. The Secret Lives of Twin Peaks will give an insight into what its characters have been up to since it went off air in 1991, as well as delving into the show’s history to resolve plot holes.
Bollywood Needs a Hero Chakra: The Invincible is an animated superhero movie that was created by Stan Lee for the Indian market. Now it looks as though it is going to get the live-action treatment. For those unfamiliar, Chakra: The Invincible revolves around Raju Rai, a young tech genius whose mentor develops a special technology suit that weaponises the charkas
in the body. The liveaction film will reportedly feature a grown-up Raju.
Woodford Folk Festival There are some festivals worth travelling for, and the Woodford Folk Festival is one of them. Taking place from December 27 through January 1 at Woodfordia, the massive first artist announcement has been made. Lovelies include Violent Femmes, Bertie Blackman, Kate Miller-Heidke, Jeff Lang, Lior, Sticky Fingers, The Cat Empire, Tiny Ruins, Archie Roach and Mia Dyson. Over 400 acts in all are set to perform.
McDougall is leaving the station following a glorious run which began in 2005. In his years since hosting the Drive show, McDougall has interviewed over 3000 artists – and he remembers every single one of them … Maybe, what do I know? The triple j team is planning a deserving send-off for the man on December 11. The new Drive host will also be announced early December.
A Wee Bit of BJM Earlier in the year Brian Jonestown Massacre released their Revelation EP to critical acclaim. It would seem that there may have been a few ideas left hanging from recording sessions as the band is set to release the EP + - EP next month. The threetrack release features brand new tracks recorded by Anton Newcombe in his studio in August 2014 following the band’s successful European tour.
Aren’t They Grand? Following a show at Brisbane’s BIGSOUND, Simon Berkfinger, Dan W Sweat and MC Bad Genius, they of Philadelphia Grand Jury, discovered there is still a little petrol in the PGJ tank. Perhaps a touch more than a little, even. The band is currently working on a new album, which at the time of writing had the title of Ulterior Motif. You know what these rock stars are like, however. Ding Dong Lounge – November 8.
I Need a New Doc As you probably know already, triple j favourite Lindsay “The Doc”
Hooper Speaking in Tongues With Ella Hooper’s debut solo album In Tongues nearing its release (November 21, if you must know), it’s time to announce its official launch – and that would be December 6 at Ding Dong Lounge. Ella: “Making In Tongues has been an incredible journey for me, and a massive learning curve I needed to go through as an artist. It’s been at times difficult and terrifying but also incredibly fun and freeing.”
OPENING NIGHT 31st OCTOBER:
be the first to experience the new Juke Garden Bar at The Grovedale Hotel. Join us in the open air bar to enjoy a night out with live entertainment by Luke Hindson as we wet the head of one of Geelong’s most exciting new bars. VENUE. TIME.
The Juke Garden Bar, 236 Surf Coast Highway, Grovedale 5.30pm onwards
AND IF YOU CAN T GET ENOUGH ON FRIDAY...�
Saturday 1st November: Live music by Good Faces 4 Radio
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TH E THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Jack Carty, Playwrite 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 GPAC: Em Rusciano & Joel Creasey 8pm KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Davey Lane LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard 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
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Halloween Party, DJ Kiss Me Deadly BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Hayden Scott BENDED: Live music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Cor Ten THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Liz Stringer, Freya Hollick CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND
fo r t n i g h t l y c alen d a r CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday GPAC: Recreating Beatlemania 8pm GOMERS PAD: $5 Halloween, Matt Watkins, Zac Waters THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: The Juke Garden Bar Opening Night HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): The Yard Apes LAMBYS: Live Music THE LOFT (Warrnambool): The Exploders THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm MAIN BAR (Ballarat): Geoff Achison MARTIANS CAFE: Trevor Green THE MAX: Trojan MILDURA JAZZ FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PALAIS THEATRE: Celtic Legends PISTOL PETES: Collard Greens and Gravy SHAMROCK HOTEL (Bendigo): Halloween Ball UNWINED CELLAR BAR: The Bite WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL WOOL EXCHANGE: Raveolution The 3rd Annual Masquerade Ball
SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER AIREY’S PUB (Aireys Inlet): Live Music BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Halloween Party, DJ Kiss Me Deadly BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BELLARINE ESTATE: Where’s Joss BELMONT HOTEL: Peter Chapman BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Legends Show THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Jack Carty, Playwrite CAPITAL THEATRE (Bendigo): Recreating
Beatlemania THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: Live DJS GATEWAY HOTEL: Ross Wilson GPAC: Lawrence Mooney 7.30pm GOMERS PAD: Keesh THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Live Bands HOMEHOUSE: Johnny Canik, Burgs, DJ Philly KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Couchella LAMBYS: Live Music LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (Warrnambool): Vintage Diamond 8pm THE MAX: Trojan MILDURA JAZZ FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Dj Desperately Seeking PALAIS THEATRE: Celtic Legends PIPING HOT CHICKEN SHOP: Carus Thompson PISTOL PETES: Mick Dog’s Bone Yard TOAST TO THE COAST UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Bands WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL 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 WOOL EXCHANGE: Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows
SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER BARWON CLUB: Sinister BELLARINE ESTATE: Where’s Joss 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 THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Jack Carty, Playwrite MARTIANS CAFE: Slim Dime, The Prairie Kings MILDURA JAZZ FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17 TOAST TO THE COAST WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL YAH YAHS: Nirvana Tribute Show
and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke 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
MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER
BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Scott Bassham BARWON CLUB: DEAD, Ithaqua BEAVS BAR: Andy Forster BENDIGO BLUES & ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night DIVE BAR: Sete Star Sept ( JAP) EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Twinsy 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
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 MILDURA JAZZ FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11 WANGARATTA JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL YAH YAHS: Rolling Stones Tribute Show
TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night
WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness
THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER
FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Steve Tyson BEAVS BAR: Luke Biscan
BELMONT HOTEL: Zane Carroll BENDED: Live Music BENDIGO BLUES & ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Husky, Ali Barter CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ COURTHOUSE ARTS: FREEZA Push Start Regional Finals 6-9pm EASTERN STATION (Ballarat): DEAD, Ithaqua EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs GEELONG WATERFRONT: Salsa by the Bay, Carlito’s Way THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Live Bands HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs, Steve Camp, Simon One, Keith Evans & DJC KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Thelma Plum LAMBYS: Live Music THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm THE MAX: 3 On the Tree ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETES: Dream Boogie CD Launch UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Sam Fletcher
SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): ALEK, Melody Moon, Munro Melano BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BELMONT HOTEL: Matty Orchard BENDED: Live Music BENDIGO BLUES & ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music, Happy Hour 5-7pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTELMAINE):
DEAD, Ithaqua CORNER HOTEL: Thelma Plum EDGE: Live Music and DJ GOMERS PAD: Live DJ GPAC: Celtic Legends 7.30pm THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Live Bands HOME HOUSE: Nick Coleman, TWhite, DJ Jvp KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Husky LAMBYS: Live Music MARTIANS CAFE: Stephen Ward THE MAX: Frequency ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Michelle Parsons PISTOL PETES: Andy Phillips and Cadillac Walk UNWINED: Open Mic Dave Dorman 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 9 NOVEMBER BARWON CLUB: Katchafire BEAVS BAR: Thelma Plum BELLARINE ESTATE: James Carrigg BENDED: Sunday Sessions Live music from 3pm 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 LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (Warrnambool):
Celtic Legends 7.30pm ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Jack Howard THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17
MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER 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 11 NOVEMBER BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night
WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke 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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ON SALE TOMORROW
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Trivium FEATURE STORY Written by Natalie Rogers
“Honestly, Trivium wouldn’t exist without In Flames,” Trivium frontman Matt Heafy told Forte unequivocally. “They were one of the bands that showed me the extreme pairing of melodicism and brutality. The fact that they mix death metal, new wave and British heavy metal with traditional Swedish folk music, all into one amazing package, is simply mind-blowing!” No prizes for guessing why Trivium chose the Swedish forefathers of death metal, In Flames, to join them on their first co-headline tour of Australia in years. “We’ve done tours with them already, so I’d say that they’re probably our closest friends of any band we know. It’ll be great to be back out on the road with them again – their album The Jester Race is one of my favourites of all time!” Both bands, poised to play a full set at their upcoming November shows, will be a rare treat for fans, particularly those who love 2013’s Vengeance Falls, Trivium’s sixth release, never before heard live in Oz. “We’ve only toured the US on the back of Vengeance Falls so far, but the track Strife has definitely been getting the biggest reaction from the crowd. There’s something about that song that really connects.” “However, my favourite song off the record is probably Wake – and trust me, you will not be disappointed. You can definitely expect to hear all your favourites live,” Matt promised, adding: “It’s been way too long since we’ve headlined down there. We only seem to keep doing festivals, so it’s time for our fans to be able to see us a little
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longer than the thirty or forty minutes we’d normally play.” Matt is referring to Trivium playing Soundwave three times in the last four years – 2010, 2012 and 2014. “Soundwave Festival is absolutely incredible! Man, we have so many good memories,” Matt begun to reminisce. “Every time we’re out there with AJ [Maddah – famed festival founder and promoter] we always have such a good time. I love that guy. He was the first one to bring us to Australia. “It’s cool that the bands chosen to play the festival span so many different genres. The first time we did Soundwave we met A Day to Remember. It was so funny because they’re pretty much my next door neighbours,” he laughed. “They live five minutes away from me in Florida, so it was crazy that we had to go to Australia for me to meet them! “We’ve got to meet some of our favourite bands in the world thanks to Soundwave. Last time we were there with Avenged [Sevenfold], and a couple of years ago we were playing with Reel Big Fish, one of my first favourite bands ever! I was so excited
that I finally got to meet them,” Matt grinned. While swapping stories of the bands we’d grown up listening to, Matt is friendly, open and remarkably down to earth. We chat about when he first picked up a guitar at age 10 and how after being rejected by a pop punk band for a woeful rendition of Blink-182’s Dammit he found solace in Metallica’s Black album. In fact, many Trivium fans will know that Matt’s cover of Metallica’s No Leaf Clover at his high school talent show would subsequently lead to him being asked to join Trivium as the lead guitarist at the tender age of 12. Matt has always maintained that he became Trivium’s frontman by accident after singer Brad Lewter quit the band. I wondered how he felt about the ‘F’ word: “Good question – I’ve never been asked about that at all before,” he smiled, then paused to find the right words. “When it comes to believing in fate, I guess some days I do, some days I don’t … there certainly is a factor of luck and timing in some of the things that have happened for us, but we’re always busting our arses to make those things happen.” In a career-defining year, Trivium took out Kerrang! awards for Best International Newcomers and Album of the Year for 2005’s Ascendancy – and Matt tells me he’s well-aware that album is the yardstick by which all their releases thereafter have been judged. “We’ve always been criticised heavily, both positively and negatively, as a band. Ever since Ascendancy that’s been the story of our career.
“I think my Grandfather said it best,” he starts to chuckle at the memory, “but he speaks Japanese, so I’ll translate it the best way I can. He always said that a third of the world is going to love you, a third of the world is going to hate you, and the other third are not going to give a shit! And I think that theory works well for everything in life. So it’s really all about making the kind of music we wanna hear as fans of metal and that we’re making the type of music that we believe represents who we are – music that our band can stand behind. I feel like Australians in particular really respect that. “In fact, after we play the Australian shows we’re going to get to work on a new Trivium album. We plan on going into the studio in January or February and having something out by the third quarter of next year. So we’re treating our time away as a little holiday – and my favourite thing to do in Australia, as all of our fans know, is eat and drink. Australian food is some of the best on the entire planet. Australian reds [wine] are my favourite reds in the world, and Chin Chin in Melbourne is probably one of my favourite restaurants ever!” Let us eat, drink and play metal. When&Where: 170 Russell, Melbourne – November 23 & November 24
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A SOLID TOUR 25TH OCT - THEATRE ROYAL [CASTLEMAINE] SUPPORTING PERCH CREEK 31ST OCT - 3RD NOV MALDON FOLK FESTIVAL 8TH NOV - DJERRIWARRH FESTIVAL 22ND NOV - FORESTERS BEER & MUSIC HALL [COLLINGWOOD] 12TH DEC - MY ROCKING FESTIVAL CIVIC HALL [PORTLAND] 19TH DEC - BAHA TACOS [RYE]
20TH DEC - SOOKI LOUNGE WITH MO PHILLIPS [BELGRAVE] 24TH DEC - THE CALLY [HAMILTON] 26TH DEC - TORQUAY HOTEL [TORQUAY] 28TH DEC - THE SPOTTED MALLARD [BRUNSWICK] 31ST DEC & 1ST JAN - ROBE HOTEL [ROBE, SA] WITH HARRISON STORM 2ND & 3RD JAN - STAR OF THE WEST [PORT FAIRY] WITH CENTRE AND THE SOUTH
f a c e b o o k . c o m / b u d d h a i n a c h o c o l a t e b o x - t w i t t e r. c o m / b i a c b m u s i c - i n s t a g r a m . c o m / b u d d h a i n a c h o c o l a t e b o x
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Lauren Phillips and Campbell Brown agree there is no better venue to enjoy all the live action this Cup Day!
Melbourne Cup @ The Sporting Globe Geelong – The Race that stops the nation! The 2014 Spring Carnival has arrived, and there is no better way to enjoy Melbourne Cup Day than at The Sporting Globe Geelong Watch an exhilarating day of racing live on over 30 screens, enjoy great food, back a winner with our full TAB facilities, join in on the cup sweeps and then kick on with our live entertainment after the races. Our doors will be open from 10am with free entry. Or for the ultimate Cup Day VIP experience like no other, this year The Sporting
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Globe is partnering with the T’Gallant winery to bring you the exclusive T’Gallant Lounge hosted in the Beer Garden. With your T’Gallant Lounge pass at just $25, you will have all the great features of the venue and access to the T’Gallant Lounge but also: Three complimentary beverages of T’Gallant Wines or Peroni Canapés served throughout the day of races Entry to sweeps drawn for every race including some great winery prizes
Plus prime viewing in front of our mega screen in the beer garden. So this Melbourne Cup Day, get the full race day experience and join us in the T’Gallant Lounge. For more information or to purchase your T’Gallant Lounge tickets, see staff at The Sporting Globe Geelong or head online to: SPORTINGGLOBE.COM.AU The Sporting Globe Geelong 175 Ryrie Street Geelong VIC 3220, 03 5224 2600 SPORTINGGLOBE. COM.AU
Fiona Bevan
When&Where: Waterfront Kitchen Café, Deakin University City Campus, Geelong - 7 November
Written by Amanda Sherring Photo by Mike Massaro
Aside from being one talented musician, Fiona Bevan is simply a lovely person to chat to. Despite suffering from jet lag from her recent flight to Australia, Fiona remained bubbly and upbeat, albeit the early morning swim helped wake her up. “I feel like that’s the best thing to try and get over jet lag,” she says. “But it’s just gorgeous to be here, because it’s really really rainy in England and it’s just so warm here … and I saw a parrot, so that was amazing.” Fiona’s excitement can mostly be attributed to this being her first time in Australia, as well as her love for travelling to new places. “For me it’s just brilliant to see all these different places when we’re gigging, it’s just so exciting because every single place looks different and I just love getting to meet people,” Fiona says. “But that’s the fun part for me. I just love doing the occasional tourist thing, but I think I’ve kind of got the best job in the world.” This passion has also presented itself in Fiona’s new album Talk to Strangers, which she says was inspired by hearing people’s stories and secrets – though her quirky form of folk-pop isn’t just attributed to her inspiration received from strangers. Fiona actually grew up in a musical household and was brought up singing along to Fred Astaire films, The Sound of Music and Cole Porter. “We were brought up singing a lot together in the house and the whole family would just burst
When&Where: The Bridge, Castlemaine – November 20 & Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 23
into song every now and then and do harmonies … So I’ve grown up in a house that sounds completely crazy,” Fiona adds with a laugh. Fair to say life growing up for Fiona was a little bit like the musicals that she watched, but thankfully it all led her to the sunny shores of Australia playing alongside Busby Marou on their national tour. Almost by fate, Fiona had fallen in love with the band’s sound well before she was set to play as their supporter and had actually been listening to them for around a year. “When this came up and I was going over and playing with them it just rocked my world because I love their bluesy folky country music, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun,” Fiona says. As for whether she’s nervous
about performing in front of Australian crowds for the first time, Fiona seemed to shrug it off, admitting that all you can really do is be yourself. “Hopefully people would have heard some of my stuff online or maybe it’ll be a total surprise and that will be lovely as well. Either way I hope it works out,” she says. And how could it not work out, with Fiona’s welcoming personality and honest approach to music. “When I’m doing a gig I actually forget about the crowd and it’s just me and about sharing it with everyone,” she says. “It’s not about the ‘everybody look at me’ aspect. It’s not like I want to be a celebrity or anything, I just love making music and sharing it with people and feeling that in the room.”
Salsa by the Bay Melbourne’s leading Cuban band, Carlito’s Way, will bring their eight-piece outfit to Geelong’s waterfront for a salsa spectacular on Friday, November 7. If you loved the music of Buena Vista Social Club, Carlito’s Way will stir your blood as they bring to life the authentic roots of Cuban rhythm. Carlito’s Way are popular performers at numerous cultural festivals across Australia, so tickets are sure to sell fast for Salsa by the Bay at Waterfront Kitchen Café. The event is hosted by Geelong’s own local salsa dance club, La Vida Salsa Geelong Inc., to celebrate their tenth anniversary. The dance floor will be
pumping with Latin rhythms all night, including salsa, son, chacha-cha, rumba and reggaeton, plus legendary Latin DJ artist Mick Williams, direct from the Melbourne salsa club scene, will step in between band sets to play the hottest mix of salsa music. Everyone is invited to join the party and salsa the night away. If you don’t know how to salsa, head to La Vida Salsa Monday night classes now so you can learn a few moves before November 7. Beginners start at 7.30 p.m. and the first class is free, so why not bring a buddy and give it a try. (No partner is required.) Salsa by the Bay is on Friday, November 7 from 7.30 p.m.
’til midnight at Waterfront Kitchen Café at Deakin University’s Waterfront Campus, Western Beach Rd, corner Cunningham St, Geelong. Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar and a light finger food supper is included in the ticket price of $25 prepurchase, or $30 at the door. Dinner reservations are also available at Waterfront Kitchen Café (ph 5227 8641). Purchase tickets online @ trybooking.com/102663 (+ booking fee) or in person at La Vida Salsa classes, Monday nights 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. at Baptist Church Hall, 3 Aberdeen St, Newtown.
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Yacht Club DJs Written by Natalie Rogers
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu; no matter how you say it, parting is such sweet sorrow. So when we heard that Guy and Gaz were putting Yacht Club DJs to bed to go their separate ways, we wanted to say au revoir, wish them well, and reminisce about the good times.
I caught up with Gaz on a Friday afternoon and as always he started our chat with a cracker of an icebreaker. “Sorry if I’m a bit grumbly. We had a big night in Sydney on Wednesday and yesterday was one of the worst travelling days I’ve ever had!” he said dramatically. “I had to sleep in a luggage compartment of the train and I woke up with a fat Canadian bloke sitting on me.” He begins to chuckle at the memory: “So I was just really, really concentrating on not throwing up for most of the train ride home, and I’m still not totally with it today – and I’ve only had ten minutes to make my cat chase a stick around.” Yes, he certainly has a knack for putting people at ease. “It’s a bit draining, the old Yacht Club. From the outside it may not look like it, but it’s really a massive amount of work. I’m pretty excited about not doing it anymore to be honest,” Gaz said frankly. “But I don’t mean I’m just going to sit on the couch and do nothing. I wanna travel, make my way in the world and see what happens. It’s the first time since I left high school that I haven’t had a plan,
and to me that’s very appealing.” Eight years after Guy and Gaz jumped ship from their day jobs to form the Yacht Club DJs Gaz was nostalgic about their wild ride that took him and his buddy around the world and back again. One story that sprang immediately to mind was the time he was left stranded in Ohio after partying all night with Mumford & Sons and The Vaccines. “I just remember my heart sinking, sitting in the middle of a footy field at 10 o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘what have I done!?’ I was in the middle of the countryside in America and I couldn’t get home!” he cried. “Obviously I got out of it somehow but it’s misadventures like that that I’ll miss the most about being in Yacht Club. I’ve amassed an arsenal of those kinds of stories like you wouldn’t believe. Like the weekend I was deputised in Guthrie, Oklahoma … let’s just say I had a pretty big night. And if you’ve ever been to America you’ll know that Australians drink way more than Americans. They think we’re nuts and that we’re all giving ourselves brain damage, and they’re probably right… “Or have I told you about the last tour we brought to Geelong… I got banned from the Bended for
When&Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 21 & The Karova, Ballarat – December 19 & 20
smashing a plate of sandwiches after walking out the front singing, ‘I’m the Geelong sandwich man!’” On that note we got to chatting about the after-party planned for their last show at the sold-out Karova Lounge gig – and Ballarat-bred Gaz
insinuates it’s going to be a blinder! “There’s literally a 99.9 per cent chance it’ll be at my house and I’m terrified. I’m thinking about moving all of my furniture out of the house,” he said jokingly … but I sense he may not be. “When the Karova turned 10, because we’re quite good friends with everyone there,
the recovery session the next day turned into another massive party and everyone ended up back at mine. It was one of the most horrific afterparty clean-ups I’ve ever had to do. My house is probably going to burn down this time!” You bring the matches.
Yellowcard Written by Natalie Rogers / Photo by Katie Hovland
“For those that don’t know, my wife is a professional snowboarder who suffered a terrible injury last April. She broke her back and was paralysed from the waist down.” Ryan Key, frontman of Yellowcard, spoke directly to Forte about the call that changed his life and inspired their ninth studio album, Lift a Sail.
“I was in the vocal booth when I got the phone call. We were in the middle of recording the Ocean Avenue acoustic release. She was away doing what she loved and so was I, and suddenly we were thrown into this overwhelming and incredibly challenging experience.” Ryan went on to tell me about the day he married the love of his life while she was still in hospital, before moving into a tiny apartment halfway across the country, where she continues her recovery. The emotion in Ryan’s voice is raw as he remembers back to the time of the accident, but his tone quickly brightens when he explains how this unthinkable tragedy caused a spark that would explode into the making of Lift a Sail. “We had to relocate to Denver, Colorado. That’s where she underwent her inpatient rehab. The time we shared there together was the catalyst for the first single on the album, ‘One Bedroom’. It’s a pretty clear-cut love song, but it’s definitely
one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written,” he acknowledged. “Working on ‘One Bedroom’ evoked all the emotions I felt during that time – and suddenly, without even really noticing it, I’d started writing a new album.” Lift a Sail signifies a new start for the band that many may’ve written off as just another cookie-cutter pop punk band. “I’ve always felt, and I know this isn’t a word in the dictionary,” Ryan grinned, “but the genre-fixation of music is just super restrictive, and I think it’s fair to say we didn’t make a typical Yellowcard record this time around. “I have to be very careful choosing my words in interviews when I talk about making this record because in no way do I want it to seem like we have an agenda to turn our back on something that has been so important in our development and career. The pop punk community of fans, bands, shows and of course the Warped Tour – these are the things that have carried us to where we are today. “It’s been a wild ride – we shot up so high so fast and then just crashed and burned. Now it feels like the second coming of Yellowcard.”
When&Where: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne – July 11 RELEASE: Lift a Sail out now
Yellowcard is currently in the early stages of a world tour, spanning four continents. After covering the US from NYC to sunny California, the Lift a Sail tour will take them to the Philippines and China, then on to the UK where they’ll meet up with old buddies Less Than Jake, before heading on to Europe. Ryan said that the end of the tour on our friendly shores will
be the grand finale, and well-worth the wait. “We’re coming in July with Mayday Parade – it’ll be insane!” Ryan said excitedly. “It doesn’t seem like anyone, anywhere, loves Yellowcard as much as Australians do. In the past we’ve played to some of the biggest crowds down there – bigger than anywhere else in the world.” It’s obvious Ryan is happy to be back on the road. However, we all know there’s no place like home: “Before I met my wife I was single for a
decade. Everything changes when you find that person, and she’s so amazing busting her arse doing therapy every day to get out of that wheelchair.” He paused, then continued: “At the same time Sean [Mackin, violin/backing vox] just had his first baby, so that’s the first Yellowcard baby and that’s like a whole other level I can’t even imagine … But you never know, right?” he smiled.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra By Amanda Sherring / Photo by Kane Hibberd
Many may recognise Nicky Bomba as the ex-drummer for high energy roots band John Butler Trio, but since then he’s stepped out into a solo career, formed a duo called Bustamento and conducts the Melbourne Ska Orchestra.
“The brilliant thing about the band is it doesn’t matter where you go it’s always an excuse to party, because you know the band rule, whenever there’s more than 25 people in a room it’s going to be a party,” he says. “Everyone really gives with the band on stage, it’s a really positive force, so it’s just beautiful to be associated with that and kind of beautiful that it’s getting the accolades and the awards that it’s receiving because it’s a real indication of when something is directed with a lot of energy and love things really come back, and it’s certainly not a financial endeavour.” One such accolade is the ARIA Best Australian Live Act Award as voted, and nominated, by the public. “It’s fantastic. I think it’s been about three years running now that we’ve been nominated for the ARIAs which is great. We’ve been lucky and obviously we’re doing something right,” Nicky says. With the atmosphere created by over 20 lively musicians on stage it’s of no surprise the band 30 forte
has been nominated for the third time this year. While the award is a no-brainer, transferring this live energy to an album is a much more challenging feat – one that the band succeeds in, and also deserves an award for doing it. “We captured the energy and a lot of people say that about the album, that in a lot instances, you hear a band and you go to see them live and it’s chalk and cheese, but with the orchestra you can really get a feel of the whole room,” Nicky says. “It’s easy to spend a lot of time in the studio and over-approach it and get too pristine with it but there’s a rawness that needs to be captured and that was really the main goal in recording it.” For Nicky it’s so much more than just producing a good album – which he does while juggling numerous other commitments – it is the challenge. With each album that’s completed, he makes sure that the next one is that little bit better. “I just like utilising my time in the best way that I can and I think if you can be organised you can actually get a lot of stuff done without losing quality,” he says. “In perspective, you can always write that better song or do that better performance and I think that keeps the whole thing exciting … you’re doing good work now but you know there’s something more exciting around the corner.” After travelling most of the world there’s no question as to how the band will improve both live and in their albums, and it’s definitely worth seeing at this year’s Australasian World Music Expo.
When&Where: AWME - November 13-16
O V E R 8 0 0 V I N TA G E & C L A S S I C C A R S & M O T O R C Y C L E S R A C I N G & O N D I S P L AY AT G E E L O N G ’ S WAT E R F R O N T A L O N G W I T H E X H I B I T S , S H O W S & T H E S E N E W F E AT U R E S !
Brought to you by the Amazing Mill Markets in association with Vintage Made Magazine and Piccadilly Market, the inaugural National Vintage Fashion Awards is spread out over two action packed days. Hosted by pinup personality Miss Ruby Rabbit, ladies and gents of all ages are encouraged to dress in their era of choice and strut their stuff on the catwalk.
The Geelong Revival Motoring Festival will have live music on the Motor City Music stage in Steampacket Place each day. So put on your dancing shoes and get ready to be entertained by fantastic rockabilly (and blues!) performers. With the stage programmed by the Motor City Music Festival, Geelong will be rocking all weekend long!
This year we are calling all vintage caravan lovers to come along and enjoy a weekend of good old-fashioned fun. You can walk around our dedicated van display area on Geelong’s Picturesque waterfont - the grassy Customs Lawn. This will be where you can marvel at the baby teardrops and pre 70’s era vans and matching cars along with fellow retro revellers.
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S AT U R D AY 2 9 TH
12pm - Classic Era 1960 onwards
1:00 – 3:30pm - F100s 4:00 – 6:00pm - Straight 8s
This display is prouldy presented by Vintage Caravan Magazine, the world’s first magazine solely dedicated to vintage, classic, retro-styled and custom caravans, vintage camper trailers and travel trailers and those who love them. There will be plenty of copies of Vintage Caravan Magazine on sale as well as copies of the new book - Vintage Caravan Style! There will be loads of free giveaways for customers thanks to Splosh Australia.
S U N D AY 3 0
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12pm - Vintage Era - Pre 1960 Places are strictly limited so enter online now so you don’t miss out!
S U N D AY 3 0 TH 10:00 – 11:00am - John McNamara 1:00 – 2:30pm - Hank’s Jalopy Demons 3:00 – 4:30pm - Sky Rockats
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loop!
in the
shannon noll
siskin river
lorne film
"You're always growing as a performer and as a singer and you’re a bit ignorant if you think you can’t!" pg.37
"Tullara was playing a creepy riff on the guitar and we decided that it sounded like somebody coming back from the dead." pg.39
"By exploring a theme or a subject that might divide us in our sexuality it actually reminds us all what about us is the same." pg.42
the best source for local music & entertainment news | ba ll a r at | bell a rine | Bendigo | ca stlem a ine | geelong | surf coa st | wa rrn a mbool
NOF X “We always seem to resonate with Australian crowds and our shows always become a crazy party, people get stranded. And yes, that was probably us trying to give you a lift home. Tell your friend she was right!” pg.45
A Scotsman Walks…
A Metalcore Affliction
One Mr Billy Connolly is set to bring his funny stuff to Australia early next year, and his history with us is a long one. He first toured our shores over 35 years ago, while his World Tour of Australia series is a touch under 20 years old. There is also The Man Who Sued God, the 2001 Australian film where he co-starred with Judy Davis. Connolly recently appeared on the British genealogy documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? where his Indian ancestry was revealed. Beginning his journey in his place of birth, Glasgow, Billy travelled 6000 miles to Southern India, following in the footsteps of his great, great grandfather Daniel Doyle at the time of the Great Rebellion of 1857. Of the experience, he said: “I’m 71, so I’m a lot closer to death than I am to birth, so I’d like to know where I come from. I’d like my children to know where I come from. I know so pitifully little.” Enough of that, however, as this is about his funny business. With the absence of a swear-filter, Connolly has been delighting audiences for years and years. Observational and idiosyncratic, his way of comedy brings warmth to any topic. Think of him as a big hug. Deakin’s Costa Hall, Geelong – January 27.
So, a little something-something has happened since metalcore favourites The Amity Affliction announced an early 2015 tour – lead guitarist Troy Brady has stepped away from the band. A statement from Brady reads: “It’s with deep regret I need to let you all know I will no longer be writing music or performing as part of The Amity Affliction. Myself and Ahren [Stringer] started this band 11 years ago and spent every second of every day thinking about making the next step. I never dreamed I would see the world through music and make the lifelong friends that I have made. But it is time for me to step away.” He also gave a shout-out to his fans: “Although I’m not ready to go into any of the personal details behind this, I want to thank everyone who has supported me during my time in the band, especially my family and girlfriend. This decision has been the hardest thing I have ever done.” The band was due to enjoy their first regional headlining tour since 2011. What this means for the tour remained unknown at the time of writing. Make sure you keep your eyes and ears open for further developments. And keep January 9 free just in case, with the band earmarked to play The Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong.
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Doing a Plum Job Brisbane’s Thelma Plum will be kept 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 AU Review: “Monsters is a stunning follow-up to her debut that demonstrates her maturing as an artist as she stretches herself artistically to create something very different to her previous work.” She’ll be joined by the handpicked talents of Left. and Dalli. The Karova, Ballarat – November 7 & Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 9.
Bring the Noise Japan’s noisegrind duo Sete Star Sept is on their way to town. The noisegrind specialists began life as a Gerogerigegegeinfluenced outfit, a fellow Japanese noisegrind musical ensemble. Their name comes from a term used in pachinko, 7 star 7. It has no meaning, with Sete and Sept meaning ‘seven’ in Portuguese and French respectively. The duo appeared on several compilations, demos and split releases before releasing their debut album, Revision of Noise, in 2009. Sete Star Sept has since performed shows in the US, Germany, the Netherlands and Thailand. They will be joined by Umbilical Tentacle, Diploid, Cynical Fuckwit and Smack Baby. The Dive Bar, Geelong – November 6.
Stringer & Hollick What is better than one gorgeous voice? That’s easy, it’s two. Liz Stringer and Freya Hollick are set to perform a show in Castlemaine this Friday, so hopefully you don’t have plans. Stringer is pretty excited these days. Earlier this month she released a live album and DVD pack with footage recorded at her gig at The Yarra back in May. It marks her first live release. Ballarat songbird Freya Hollick has been writing and performing for years, but it was only recently she blessed us with her debut album. The eight-track release, Beauty and Sorrow, is a blend of blues, folk and country. Two gorgeous voices in one wonderful venue – it doesn’t get much better than that. The Bridge, Castlemaine – October 31.
A Toast to You The 2014 outing of Geelong’s Toast to the Coast takes place this weekend, November 1 & 34 forte
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2. Entering its 13th year, more than 25 wineries will be showcased this year in what is one of the region’s biggest events of the year. The area is one of Australia’s iconic wine regions. Visitors are invited to explore the diversity of the region while sampling drops from some of the state’s finest cellar door experiences. With each subregion and winery displaying unique characteristics, Toast to the Coast is an experience that will have you hooked from your first visit. Making life easier, shuttle bus passes are being made available for $25. Follow the links through winegeelong.com.au for further information.
I’m Heading to Natestock One to clear your calendar for, Natestock is a fantastic night of tunes coming up at The Karova. Better still, it’s for a wonderful reason. Nathan Skewes, a Ballarat man and great friend to many of the region’s bands, passed away in June 2012. 12 months prior, his wife, Belinda, lost her life following a brief battle with metastatic cancer. They left behind two children, Ashleigh, six, and William, four. Both children are in the care of friends. Wormhole, Wildeornes, Swhat and Pan are the first bands to put their hands up to perform at Natestock. All proceeds will go towards the Ashleigh and William Skewes trust fund. The Karova, Ballarat – November 29. Get behind it.
Bendigoat Metal Fest 2014 We gave you a rundown on this a little while back now, and now it has arrived. Bendigoat Metal Fest is back for another year, with some of the best heavy-hitters from Australia and New Zealand getting together for a worthy cause. This year’s charity is Liver Disease. Your line-up is: Convent Guilt, Oath of Damnation, Bulletbelt, Lustration, Adamus Exul, Decrepit Soul, Catacombs, Feralian, Azreal, Order of Chaos, Sarfaust, Abraxxas, Amelus, Wounded Pig, Requiem, Pterodactyl, Path of Destruction, Chase the Ace and Morth. A big win for the festival sees Vahrzaw also performing. Hit up Bendigoat Metal Festival through Facebook for further information. The Newmarket, Bendigo – November 1.
You Twilight Up My Life Lakeside Twilights is set to return for another season of music merriment. The concert series is held annually during the warmer months, setting up shop at lakeside settings around
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regional Victoria. Russell Morris, Daryl Braithwaite, Mental as Anything and Pseudo Echo are first up. Russell put out his first releases all the way back in 1967. His big hit, ‘The Real Thing’, was released only a couple of years later. The song, written by Johnny Young, also found success in the US, hitting #1 in Chicago and New York. His latest release is 2014’s critically acclaimed Van Diemen’s Land. Lake Wendouree Fairyland Reserve – December 6. Snap up your tickets through Ticketmaster.
Hail Cisco Caesar Much has been written about open mic nights and just what can eventuate from them. One such success story is Cisco Caesar. The four-piece is the brainchild of Caesar Slattery and James Cisco, a couple of fellas who met at a Melbourne open mic night hosted by Jed Pickett. A coming together of musical kindred spirits occurred that open mic night. With a mutual love of old soul music and vintage rock ’n’ roll, the two envisioned a soul rock outfit with a whole lotta swagger. Two brains are good, four is better, and so the lads rounded up and branded Jason Torrens and Jacob Cole. It’s the Staple Singers meets the Rolling Stones. The Newmarket, Bendigo – November 15.
Drop It with Stevie Mink DJ/producer Stevie Mink is your quiet achiever. Since the release of his first remix in 2009, ‘Regulate’, his fan base has soared. His touch on T-Rek’s ‘Out My Bitch’ and ‘The Devils Clap’ has proved to be a golden one, while the support of international artists including Phil Kieran, Hatiras, Spektre, Angy Kore and Nadastrom shows it’s not just those that move on the dance floor who have their eyes on Mink. Pete Tong dropping Mink’s track ‘Forever’ on his hugely popular radio show didn’t hurt either. While you won’t have to look too far to see his name on a festival bill, it’s the smaller stage where he often shines the brightest. Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads – November 8 & November 31.
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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. Alex Hingston later joined the team. They released their debut EP, The Blind Spot, in 2012 with assistance from Jonathan Burnside (Melvins, Faith No More, Dan Sultan), a working relationship that has continued with their new single ‘Exorcism’, a release which has received its share of warm press, drawing comparisons to Band of Skulls and Queens of the Stone Age. The stoner-infused, brash rock and rollers recently spent time with Forte’s Natalie Rogers, where among other things they talked about the recruitment of Alex: “There’s a lot of those blues/rock two-pieces out there. It’s kinda been done to death, and I guess we didn’t want to get written off as just another one … Adding the bass made a really big difference to the rhythm section. It definitely feels right.”The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 14.
Courthouse ARTS & You
Bendigo Craft Beer Festival
Quick bite: Like a
We’re a couple of weeks away from the second annual Bendigo Craft Beer Festival, so we figured we should grab a drink and pick up a little slow-cooked BBQ as we take a good look at what to expect. The basics are these: a selection of the best hand-crafted beers and ciders produced in Australia will be on display. The perfect beer is complemented by great food, and you have that also. The perfect beer and great food goes down so much better when good tunes are involved, and sure enough you will have that as well. Brewers include True Brew Bendigo, Brookes Bendigo, Prickly Moses, Hawthorn Brewing, Mildura Brewery, Mountain Goat, 3 Ravens and Arctic Fox. Food includes Smokin’ Barry’s Slow Cooked BBQ, Just Pizza, Dhaba Truck (Indian) and Baby Burgers. Tunes, meanwhile, will be supplied by Jackson Firebird, Jackson McLaren, Matt Katsis, Woodlock and The Kite Machine. There is even a designated Kids Zone, with face painting and magic from Mister Mike. All this takes place at the Tom Flood Sports Centre on November 15. For further information please visit bendigocraftbeerfestival.com.au. * Please note that the BCBF uses a token system as its choice of currency.
certain genetically enhanced laboratory mouse hell-bent on taking over the world, Geelong’s Courthouse ARTS is on a mission to take over the world. With a new look and sights set high, Courthouse ARTS is on the lookout for expressions of interest in the full-time roles of Administration and Finance Coordinator, Venue Coordinator, Creative Coordinator and Youth Engagement Coordinator. Applications close October 31, so get to it – now! Hit courthouse.org.au for details.
The Claws Are Out REMINDER: Only good
times can come if your band formed onstage at The Tote. That is just a cold hard fact. Such is the case for drummer Nicholas Hart and guitarist-vocalist David Crowe, two dashing men who formed Claws & Organs. Their new release is I Am Scum and Nobody Should Love Me. The Eastern, Ballarat – November 8. With Flyying Colours.
They Call Him Tex He has ridden the waves with The Cruel Sea. He has knocked them back with the Beasts of
A Day on the Green A show that definitely deserves a reminder is November’s A Day on the Green, if for nothing else than it celebrates the man with the rusted-on voice, Jimmy Barnes. It is as perfect a time to share songs with the man, too. His new album, 30/30 Anniversary, takes a look at 30 years from one of the country’s best. The album features collaborations with artists including Keith Urban, John Farnham, Bernard Fanning, Journey, Steven Van Zandt, Shihad, Tina Arena, Baby Animals and Jon Stevens. The Living End will be there also, who just happen to feature on the album. Baby Animals, Troy Cassar-Daley and Mahalia Barnes & The Soul Mates round it out. Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong – November 15.
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Bourbon. He has kicked around with Don Walker and Charlie Owen. He has shared wine with His Ladyboyz. He has even dipped his hat to Johnny Cash. Hell, you throw him in a room with a bunch of people who have never played an instrument and the chances are he’ll create magic. He is, of course, Tex Perkins. And you can catch him when he brings his Dark Horses to town. In the words of the Herald Sun: “Think of it – six mighty men of rock who like to roll tobacco/ snares/home, each taking a back seat when they need to, practically doing a Victorian-era ‘After you, my good man’.” Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – November 7.
Do I Amuse You? Two very funny people are hoping to tickle your funny bone at GPAC in November. One of ’em is named Anh Do; the other Kitty Flanagan. As well as his comedy, Anh has tried his hand at television, film and the literary world – with happy results all-around.
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However, it is his book The Happiest Refugee that has perhaps won him the most plaudits. Anh takes to GPAC’s Playhouse Theatre on November 27. After a brief recovery time, Kitty Flanagan delivers her new show to the venue on November 29. The show, titled Seriously?, gives the inside scoop on gravediggers, cops, Cubans and more. It also aims to answer one of life’s great mysteries: How much do old people love salt?
Push Start Battle of the Bands I hope you have November 7 free. If you don’t, it may pay to clear your calendar in order to head on down to the Push Start Barwon South West Regional Finals at Courthouse ARTS. Those hoping to progress a step further are School Refuge, Jye Cannon, Revolution, SNG and Say Please. School Refuge still has the new band smell but was good enough to come out on top of the Colac Battle of the Bands. You will find that Jye Cannon
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What’s On In The Rat? Written by Daniel Lock
Yo, what’s popping Samhainophobia sufferers? I hope you’re reading this and looking forward to being relieved of the American holiday Halloween being finished so we can get back to being Australian now. If you’re still fearful I suggest you stop reading now. Here’s the guts of what’s to come in the next few weeks from the live original music scene in Ballarat. Thursday, Oct 30 and first on the agenda is Babushka Bar hosting Jack Carty, an indie/folk musician originally hailing from NSW but now located in Melbourne. If indie/folk music takes your pleasure then get to Babs because Jack Carty is as good as any. Entry
$12. Over at the Karova Lounge on this night, Dave Laney (or Davey Lane) will be playing with support from Sons of Rio and The Grand Rapids. Tix $12. And the most organised venue owner’s website goes to … Babushka Bar, clueing me in well as to what’s coming up for them. Friday, Oct 31, Babushka Bar will have DJ Kiss Me Deadly on stage for Halloween, possibly with House of Light also (yet to be confirmed). They’re having a dress theme of Steampunk Zombie with prizes for best dressed. Entry $10. Halloween at The Eastern has been put together by Matt Malone
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is most at home behind the electric piano. Formed in 2012, Revolution is an exciting alternative rock band. A headliner will also appear. Again, that’s Courthouse ARTS on November 7. * October 26 saw the regional finals for Northern Country take place at The Karova.
Happy Halloween, Rockers The devil went down to Bendigo; He was lookin’ for a soul to steal. He was in a bind ’cause he was way behind; He was willing to make a deal. My ghoulish friends, a hot night of tunes is in store for you at Bendigo’s Music Man Megastore tomorrow night, October 31. It’s Halloween, the night when our fiendish side comes out to play. Lining up you have Sudden State, BlackDiamond, Path of Destruction, COLD RED MUTE and Slydekrieg. In a little hometown favouritism, we’ll throw the spotlight on Slydekrieg here. Playing old-school punk rock, this trio is all about one and has the stage set with The Midnight Scavengers, Matt Malone and Edwood Mckay, plus burlesque dancers, machete jugglers, fire twirlers and “Spektraflash” vintage lighting. Entry TBC. To add to the entertainment on Humffray St Nth, the Halloween party at The Eastern will also be encompassing the afterparty for neighbouring venue Wolveschildren Art Space’s “Creep Show” exhibition. Adorning the walls will be spooky art submissions to be browsed and purchased before bands and sneaky beers. The Karova is also having their own celebrations with locally grown boys The Yard Apes taking the stage to coincide with their fifth anniversary. Supported by Shovels and Grindhouse. Tix $10
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thing: anti-establishment. Okay, maybe a second thing in rocking the hell out. Come on down and make a deal with the devil.
Rapid Zulu Signs Off Quick bite: It’s been a
wild ride over the last couple of years for Rapid Zulu, but we know what they say about good times and all. They have partied hard alone and partied harder with friends, but now Rapid Zulu are calling it a day – but not before one more wild ride. Australian Kingswood Factory, Voodoocain, Guilt Free, Path of Destruction and Michael Yule will join the band at Music Man Megastore, Bendigo on November 7.
Can You Hear the Village Echoes? It didn’t take long for Sydney’s Village Echoes to put an EP together. It actually happened just three months after their formation: clearly the indie rock trio’s energetic style carries over to their writing and recording. The EP, Evolve, was wellThe Main Bar’s single entry for this fortnight takes place on Halloween but isn’t orientated around it. Geoff Achison will be playing some tunes to the audience while Ballarat goes bedlam over Halloween. He’ll be keeping it real on the Gibson at The Main Bar. Entry $20 Saturday, Nov 1 kicks on (if you’ve still got anything left in the tank after Halloween’s large line-ups) with The Eastern hosting Mark with the Sea’s celebration of their upcoming album release. The group will be sharing the stage with Jimmy Tait from Melbourne. So if you’re seedy from the night before it might pay to follow up last night’s sins with a nice tonic and gin!? (I’m sorry for that) and more kick-ass bands! Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge is having a
Ready Your Sea Legs Because they seem to be such a popular bunch, Bateau Bay indie-rockers Sea Legs have extended their east coast tour. But there is only one date we really want to look at … which we will get to at the bottom of the blurb. Or you can go ahead and spoil the surprise now. Anyway, the tour is in support of their shiny new single ‘Christopher Strong’. Now, in case you’re not jiggy with it, the single is an ode of sorts to the late Katharine Hepburn, who starred in a film that shares the single’s title. Frontman for the group, Byron Knight, had an encounter with the great actress while on travels in the US in 1998. At the time he did not realise who he was talking to; she was simply an elderly crippled woman. Yet he listened, intently, to her wild and colourful stories. Byron’s is a pretty amazing story, as well as an important reminder in never to judge someone on their appearance. As for the band, Knight got together a few of his mates back in 2011 when his music shook his soul. They have released one EP, We Do What We Do When We Do What We Do and are eyeing another for early 2015. And the date is … Torquay Hotel, Torquay – January 10.
Couchella/Midlife Covers Night based around a festival theme. Tix $5. Sunday, Nov 2 has The Eastern opening up for a quiet sesh with the humble but elite Pat McCabe playing tunes in the beer garden. Wednesday, Novr 5 has Babushka Bar opening its doors first after a big weekend, possibly with Benjamin James Caldwell playing. TBC. Thursday, Nov 6 has Ill-Starred Captain playing at Babushka Bar. Entry $10 Also, the Karova Lounge has Twinsy and Gold Fields DJ sets rocking the house. Tix $10. Friday, Nov 7 Babushka Bar will have Steve Tyson playing. Entry TBC. Same night sees a gear change with The Eastern hosting the DEAD LP
launch, co-headlined with Ithaqua from Japan and local band supports Shovels and Good Time Aussie Bogalars. They’re set to turn things up to 11! Entry $10/$15. The Karova Lounge will have Thelma Plum singing the night away with supports from Left. and Dalli. Tix $15 Saturday, Nov 8 The Babushka Bar will have resident favourite ALEK playing along with Melody Moon and Munro Melano. Entry $10. The Eastern has yet another huge line-up with Flyying Colours, co-headlining with Claws & Organs who’re touring to celebrate their latest EP. Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge will have Husky playing with support from Ali Barter. Tix $20. Anyway, I’m way over my word count! Catch you soon.
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What’s on in the Surf Coast? Written by Daniel Waight
Winter is finally over and spring is getting into top gear. The footy’s finished for another six months, daylight savings is here and the weather’s getting better. Sounds like a great time to get back out there seeing some live gigs, and for anyone on the Surf Coast there’s heaps going on over the next couple of weeks.
Friday, October 31 Trevor Green: Martians Café, Deans Marsh – 7.30 p.m. The Californian soloist plays a mixture of funk, world, folk and jam rock and his high energy performances will appeal to everyone. Trevor plays everything from guitar, banjo and mandolin to harmonica, the stomp box and even the didgeridoo. A performance veteran of over a decade, his gig at Martians is sure to be great. Cuda Bar Halloween Party: Cuda Bar, Lorne – 9.30 p.m. It’s the third annual Halloween party at Lorne’s Cuda Bar. Come dressed in your best Halloween costumes, have a few drinks and rip it up on the dance floor to the tunes of DJ James Fava.
Saturday, November 1 Aireys Inlet School Fair: Aireys Inlet Primary School, Aireys Inlet The annual Aireys Inlet School fair kicks off again on November 1. There will be food, live music, stalls of all kinds, games, rides and all sorts of family entertainment. It’s a great way to spend a day out, with all proceeds to support the local school kids. Chelsea Drugstore: Aireys Pub, Aireys Inlet – 8.30 p.m. This Melbourne rock group has been playing together for more than twenty years. They play a mixture of their own original material and covers by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, ZZ Top and Ryan Adams. You’ll get to hear some great original rock, but there’s sure to be plenty of songs you know too. Tristan & Tania: Anglesea Hotel, Anglesea – 9.30 p.m. Come and see the duo of Tristan & Tania play at the Anglesea Hotel on Saturday, November 1.
Sunday, November 2 Slim Dime & the Prairie Kings: Martians Café – 3.00 p.m. Slim Dime & the Prairie Kings are a self-confessed hillbilly group who have been described as “hopped up cow folk on a honky tonk bender with a grieving gypsy widow”. These boogie merchants want to play their sound for you at the iconic Martians Café. Lisa Miller Band with Victoriana Gaye: Wolseley Wines, Paraparap – 3.00 p.m. The soulful and emotional tones of Lisa Miller have been gracing the Australian music scene for the best part of two decades. She has been nominated for nine ARIA awards and has toured with artists including Neil Young, Nick Cave, Billy Bragg and Nick Lowe. She and her band will be joined at Wolseley Wines by local Surf Coast husband and wife duo, Victoriana Gaye.
Saturday, November 8
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Stephen Ward: Martians Café – 7.30 p.m. This Melbourne-based singer-songwriter is about to release a new EP, Permanent Dream. His style has been compared to the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Neil Finn and Gotye. Come and check out his show at Martians.
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Kristy & Mark: Anglesea Hotel – 9.30 p.m. Come and see the duo of Kristy & Mark play at the Anglesea Hotel on November 8.
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So there you have it guys, there’s heaps going on down on the Surf Coast for you to enjoy. Make sure you check out as many of these shows as you can. Contact the venues or check their websites for more information.
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received, with a review by The Guardian’s Alex Needham pointing to its “tinges of Nirvana in places”. The rest of the year was made up of shows and more shows. Now we welcome ‘You Are Mine’, their new single and first release since Evolve. The newie was produced at Sydney’s Studios 301 by Simon Todkill, whose credits include The Griswolds and Matt Corby. You can check it out now. Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – November 13.
In Admiration of Tora The five souls of Tobias Tsounis, Jo Loewenthal, Jai Piccone, Thorne Davis and Shaun Johnston are behind Tora, an outfit regarded as one of Australia’s bright young things. The last six months for the band has played out like a dream. They have racked up more than one million plays online, they have performed at Splendour in the Grass, they have toured nationally with Miami Horror and they have found praise from the likes of The Sound You Need, Hilly Dilly, A Crack in the Road and Indie Shuffle. On top of this, the new darlings of the electronic world have been working hard on their sophomore EP, Eat the Sun. The EP features the track ‘Admire’. Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 6.
Two Thieves in our Midst If you aren’t familiar with We Two Thieves, it is time that changed. We Two Thieves is the gorgeous combination of Emily Lubitz of Tinpan Orange and Mama Kin, and theirs is a mix of folk and Americana-blended pop. At Midnight We Ride is their debut. From the presser: “From a place steeped in reverence, tradition and storytelling, with a hint of mischief and playfulness, comes We Two Thieves … From the first moment Mama Kin and Lubitz met and sang together, We Two Thieves became inevitable. As they explore a mutual love of folk-Americana and their very different voices combine, coil together and soar, harmony descends.” Beav’s Bar, Geelong – November 13.
Beer & Cheer @ The Eastern So, the Ballarat Beer Festival takes in drinks early next year. And we love beer. We also love music … Beer + music = genius. The directors of the festival have been on the prowl to find a lucky band or solo artist to join the likes of Way of the Eagle, Ash Grunwald, Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, Buddha in a Chocolate Box, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk and Timberwolf. Five finalists will take to the stage of The Eastern in
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Ballarat on November 15, with the winner scoring a sweet 45-minute set on the main stage of BBF. Entries close November 7, so if you are reading this and reckon you may have the goods, hit up ballaratbeerfestival. com.au for details.
Katchafire if You Can Widely regarded as New Zealand’s hardest working band, Katchafire recently enjoyed a stint in the US spreading their reggae magic. The band kicked off their US tour at the beginning of September, taking in venues including the House of Blues and the B.B. King Blues Club. Having returned to our shores, the band took a few big breaths before heading out for a healthy run of dates. For those unfamiliar with Katchafire, the band originally formed as a Bob Marley tribute band in 2000. They have shared stages with the likes of The Wailers, UB40 and Lauryn Hill. They released a ‘Best Of ’ compilation last year. The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 9.
River Rocks 2014 Hey, come over here. River Rocks is only a couple of weeks away. And this year it’s lucky number seven. Yep, it’s seventh glorious, magical and oh so fantastical year. Surely by now you know the 411, but just in case, lining up you have Tumbleweed (be sure to have a listen or ten to their latest single, ‘Drop in the Ocean’), Kim Salmon & the Surrealists, Hits, Warped, Clowns, Nunchukka Superfly, Powerline Sneakers, Batpiss, Sun God Replica, Blacklist, The Vee Bees, The Ruiner, Bodies, Bruce, The Dukes of Deliciousness, Grindhouse, La Bastard (pictured) and Orb. The Barwon Club, Geelong is your venue. Saturday, November 15 is the date. May the rock be with you.
Such Golden Features At the beginning of the year, THUMP (that would be Vice’s electronic music channel) came across an unsigned fourtrack EP on SoundCloud by a mysterious musical force by the name of Golden Features. Within a matter of days, this masked man had clocked up tens of thousands of plays. The number of plays is impressive enough by anyone’s standards, so THUMP had a little chat and found out the man with the golden touch was Tom Stell, an Aussie lad. With things going along swimmingly, Golden Features has announced his debut headlining tour. Star Bar, Bendigo – November 28. * If you are curious about his one-on-one with THUMP, you can track down the full interview through thump.vice.com.
Waxhead Lyrical Born and bred by the great Mother Ocean, Waxhead is one cool band. Or, as they put it: “long-haired surfer-musician tribesmen impregnating people’s souls with their cosmic vibes!” The self-described surf rats have a great love for music – their triple j Unearthed page lists the band’s love of black music, the epic rock of the late ’60s to early ’70s and the post-punk new wave of the late ’70s to early ’80s. As for their tunes, ‘Home’ is the first single to be lifted from their debut EP. Produced by their mate George Carpenter, the single has the lads aiming to capture their live sound. Next month they’ll be hitting the road, and Torquay, you’re the lucky door prize winner. Torquay Hotel, Torquay – November 14.
Shaun Kirk Takes the Wheel His name sure does get a good workout in Forte, but in our defence he is always up to something. Set for another touring adventure before 2014 comes to a close, Shaun is heading out with ‘Two Hands on the Wheel’, the second single from his latest album, Steer the Wheel. The newie treads country blues and features contributions from Kyle and Dan Lizotte from Halfway to Forth. Two Hands on the Wheel’s accompanying video clip features snippets from live performances, sound checks, spontaneous musical collaborations and highway drives, along with behind-the-scenes, flyon-the-wall footage. Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – December 5.
Queenscliff Music Festival Quick bite: It is getting
closer and closer to the Queenscliff Music Festival. The line-up is an absolute ripper, so hopefully you have been paying attention. I will throw just a few names your way – The Church, The Delta Riggs, Kasey Chambers, Husky, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Stella Angelico, Dyson Stringer & Cloher and The Waifs. Tickets are currently available in a variety of options. Hit qmf. net.au for a closer look.
Farmed & Dangerous Quick bite:The Farmed
and Dangerous Film Festival puts rural Victorian students in the spotlight. It’s a pretty cool competition run in partnership with the St Kilda Film Festival. For a better idea, make sure you check out our interview with event organiser
Blake Freeman in this issue of Forte. He has a cool name. Plus, he speaks about the festival better than I could. Go on, have a read. Mantra Resort, Lorne – November 6.
Aren’t You Forgetting Something? There’s a bit happening at Bendigo’s Music Man Megastore. Whole Lotta Zep will serve up their tribute to the great Led Zeppelin at the venue on November 1, while Monte has a date with the venue on November 8. Pop punk wonders Axe Girl hit the venue on November 14. In other Music Man news, next year the venue will host a Live Music Family Fun Day on February 28. Check out their website for more. Over at Martians Café, Trevor Green has you covered on October 31, Slim Dime & The Prairie Kings lead the way on November 2 and Stephen Ward is all yours on November 8.
Shannon Noll
Eastern the
Written by Zach Broadhurst
. .
Bands Bar Beer Garden
It’s been three years since we’ve last seen a full album from Shannon Noll, and for good reason. The former Idol contestant has had a lot on his plate, including his second appearance on our TV screens during his time on Dancing with the Stars, but a brand new album is finally on the horizon.
“I’ve got it just about written, and I wrote a lot of it towards the end of last year,” says Noll. “We are sort of just umming and ahhing whether or not to finish it off by the end of the year or wait until early next year, but I’m still doing a bit of writing in the studio because you can always come up with something better, hopefully, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got so far.” Shannon has already given us a little taste of what to expect from his upcoming release with single ‘We Only Live Once’, which has shown he’s moving in a slightly new direction from his previous work. “The reception has been terrific,” says Shannon. “With the show we are sort of playing it right at the end of the set and everyone seems to know all the words. It’s just got a real happy vibe to it and everyone sings along and gets right into it. “There is a lot of diversity on there – we sort of experimented a bit with this album with different styles. There is a song on there that features a guy from Sydney who raps, there is another one where there is no guitar in it at all that I wrote with Ilan Kidron from The Potbelleez. It’s a little bit different and we have maybe taken some chances, but I really love the songs.” Shannon is currently halfway through his national We Only Live Once tour and is playing both old and new songs, making for a very varied set. “It’s probably the biggest set I’ve ever had to take on range-wise,” says Noll. “We’ve put a couple of songs back in the set that
I haven’t played in years like ‘Learn to Fly’ and ‘In Pieces’. It’s great to revisit those songs and I’m really enjoying playing them.” Deciding what to play on any given night is quickly becoming harder for Noll, with album seven on the way showing just how well he has transitioned from his former Idol days. But he strongly feels it is his fan base that was first built during the show which has pushed him forward. “It all comes down to the enormous support I’ve had from my fan base,” explains Noll. “They are the ones who make it all happen by buying tickets and albums, so without that I obviously wouldn’t be here, so it’s very humbling to know that you’ve got these people backing you out there.” And despite Shannon’s career now entering its second decade, he still feels there is always room for improvement. “I think I’m singing better than ever, so I just want to keep doing better and better shows and singing better and better,” says Noll. “You’re always growing as a performer and as a singer and you’re a bit ignorant if you think you can’t. “I think over the years you get more mature in how you approach things, so I think there is a lot more I can do and I can keep striving for that.”
THURS - OPEN MIC FRI-SAT-SUN - LIVE MUSIC
THURS - FRI 5PM - MIDNIGHT SAT - SUN 3PM - MIDNIGHT
81 Humffray St Nth, Ballarat
When&Where: Gateway Hotel, Corio – November 15
facebook.com/easternballarat
Barber’s Choice Beard and Moustache Tonic Q&A with Brayden Dorney
Beards are majestical love rugs for your face. You may see it as just unkempt facial hair, but in reality it is awesomeness on your face. One man that knows all about beards is Brayden Dorney of Barber’s Choice Beard and Moustache Tonic, and we cornered him for a little chat. Hi Brayden, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? Hi Forte, thank you very much for the opportunity. I have been focusing most of my time lately on perfecting Barber’s Choice’s newest product which I will be revealing very soon. I am very excited about it. I guess the most obvious question is: What kind of beard are you rocking? It’s hard to say exactly what kind of beard I am rocking as I believe no two beards in this world are the same. Most people tend to call my beard “the Ned Kelly” – well-groomed with particular attention to the moustache. For those who can’t share in the beard growing experience, what are some of the pains felt while growing those luscious chin hairs? It is important to remember with great beards comes great responsibility! Beard itch is no longer a problem after a good oiling. Alas, there are still many day-to-day challenges, such as convincing your partner that growing a beard is a fantastic idea or even something as simple
Where: barberschoice.com.au
as eating a souvlaki in public. We see it’s got quite a few natural ingredients. How long did it take you to get a formula perfected? I made sure the ingredients were all 100 per cent natural. None of us want to subject our beard to anything else. I spent almost two months researching natural oils and working out which ones are the most important to both hair and skin. Have you been contacted by any bearded ladies for the tonic? Hahaha, I can’t say I have. I am still waiting for the Eurovision winner to contact me for a bottle. Although I have sold quite a lot to women, they claim it is for their partners. I don’t question it, but some
of the ladies could be growing beards in places we can’t see... For those who can’t grow a beard, is it any good on your actual hair? Certainly! The ingredients in the tonic are perfect for all hair, not just beards. Oils such as the Moroccan Argan oil have been used in hair for hundreds of years. Thanks again for taking the time to chat. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? No worries, thank you. To all the people out there that keep asking us bearded men whether our beards will make us hot this summer and whether we will shave it off, the answers are NO and NO. Yes, our beards keep us
warm in winter, but they are just as important for keeping us cool in summer. A good beard will shade your face and neck from the heat of the sun. Having said all that, it’s not just about what your beard can do for you, it’s about what you can do for your beard. Barber’s Choice beard and moustache tonic is a must for all beard owners. Give your beard what it deserves! forte 37
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Siskin River
Jack Carty
Written by Tex Miller
Written by Amanda Sherring
Following in the footsteps of The Waifs by packing up the van and trekking around to every music festival in Australia, Siskin River is carving out their own success story and are quickly developing into a must-see act on the acoustic/ folk circuit. Comprising sisters Shalane and Tullara, with the music that Siskin River has been releasing, it’s hard to believe that they are just a duo. With a gig at the Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival coming up in early November, I got the opportunity to sit down with Shalane to chat about their debut album and what it was like having Robin Mai and Nicky Bomba along for the ride. In August this year, the duo released their debut album entitled The Hours They Keep, a feat that both excites and terrifies Shalane. “It’s good to have the record finally out because it’s taken a long time and that is primarily because we are perfectionists. We made a lot of changes along the way, and to a degree there was a hesitation about what the public would think of the official first release.” A mixture of old and new songs, Siskin River has built a reputation on impacting the listener with meaningful
In the past a gig for Jack Carty involved getting shoeless and losing himself so much in the music that he wriggled his toes. While Jack now plays with his feet covered, the passion is still there – and he’s taking it with him in a national tour. Only a few months ago Jack was travelling a much similar path alongside musicians Katie Noonan and Josh Pyke as their supporting number. With so many days away from home you’d think lying in the comfort of your own bed would be something to look forward to and a chance to let your mind relax. For Jack, there is no such thing. “I’m not that good at relaxing. I tend to always be doing something,” Jack says. “When you’re touring, or at least me, I kind of get into a big bubble and start to ignore things. Then you come home and it’s all piled up and you’ve got to sort it out … I’m a halfway functional human being.” It seems that when talking to Jack he doesn’t have a real attachment to his home, but simply his music. As a result, he has moved cities numerous times, already living in Melbourne, Sydney and now Brisbane. The musician also has his eye on living overseas. “I’ve never lived overseas
lyrics, and although it has taken quite a while for the debut album to take shape, there has been considerable praise upon its release. The first single, ‘Up’, showcases the unique talent of the duo and their natural process to songwriting. “Tullara was playing a creepy riff on the guitar and we decided that it sounded like somebody coming back from the dead. We just wrote a song about what it would be like to come back from the grave and see how things have progressed without you. That’s possibly the weirdest song on the record.” Having a production team of Australia’s finest, including Robin Mai and Nicky Bomba, The Hours They Keep from initial sessions was bound for glory. The opportunity arose from a previous relationship with Bomba, as I was quick to find out. “Nicky was my boyfriend for about a year and a half and it just came around through that. We had an album we wanted to make and Nicky had a studio, so it just seemed to make sense really. Although we are not together anymore, we feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to lay this album down.” Influenced by the likes of Queen and to a certain extent The Beach Boys, the Bendigo Blues Festival could include a surprise cover of
the infamous ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Ball Park Music surprised us all by pulling it out at Splendour – and if the crowd are up for it, it might very well happen. “I think that a Queen cover would be good to play in that set. A lot of people have covered Bohemian over the years though. We might do a Queen song, but something you won’t expect! “We WILL be playing My Favourite Things from the Sound of Music which is also on the album, so that’s probably a highlight in itself for people to come down and experience.” With a debut performance at the Bendigo Blues Festival as well as shows in Melbourne and Woodford for New Year’s booked for the rest of the year, be sure to catch the infectious acoustic sounds of Siskin River while you can. As self-managed musicians, the band is looking at touring Canada and North America next year, so head down to their upcoming shows so you can brag you saw them first. When&Where: Wesley Anne, Northcote November 1 & Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival November 6-9
15th & 16th November 2014
When&Where: Babushka Bar, Ballarat – Oct 30; The Bridge, Castlemaine – Nov 1; & The Loft, Warrnambool – Nov 2
but that’s something that’s definitely on the cards I think,” he says. “It was a pretty big buzz playing in New York City just because of all the history musically that’s gone on there and the bands and artists that have come out of there. It’s a pretty cool place. I definitely want to live there one day.” Somehow in between and amidst touring Jack managed to release his new album Esk, a collection of songs that take on a new sound and are clear evidence of his evolution as a musician. “Well, I don’t want to be locked into one category, the sad white guy category. I don’t have any control over that … It might happen anyway,” he says. “For this record I definitely wanted to be a bit more ambitious with the sound. I wanted to sound bigger. This record I wanted to look outside myself a bit more and cover a broader range of moods and topics I guess.”
Barely a few weeks after releasing Esk, Jack posted to social media that he was already writing new songs that could potentially end up on the next album. “We’ll see what it ends up on. I sort of find writing is something that I do a lot when I want to get my mind out of everything else that’s going on. It can all get pretty full-on at times and writing can be a nice cathartic thing to do,” Jack says. “Lyrics are a big thing for me. They seem to be less and less of a thing in a lot of circles, but for me lyrics are super important to a song.” While it seems there’ll be plenty of chances to see Jack play live due to his love of performing, there’s also a high chance the musician could soon be moving abroad. Either way, his attention to song lyrics and evident passion on stage is worth seeing, whether he’ll soon be back again or not.
DEAD + ITHAQUA (Japan)
39th Prince of Wales Showground Holmes Road, Bendigo
• Show and Shine on Saturday • Gates open to public Sat - 6 am Sun - 7 am • Admission Sat $10, Sun $5, weekend pass $15 • Children under 16 free
Thur. 6th Nov - Geelong, Barwon Club.
• Enquiries 0434 730 822
Fri 7th Nov - Ballarat, Eastern Station.
+ Townhall. 8pm - $10
+ Shovels & Good Time Aussie Bogalars. 8pm - $10/$15
VR1946313
• Over 1600 sites • Auto, motorcycle, engine parts and memorablia • Display of Dodge vehicles from 1914 on wards, celebrating 100 years • More sites in the new 6,000 sq meter pavillion • Model car display and sales - our largest yet
Sat 8th Nov - Castlemaine, The Bridge. + Shovels. 8:30pm - $10/$15
DEAD “Captains Of Industry” LP/CD & Ithaqua “Death Drain” CD out via WeEmptyRooms
Dogs NOT permitted on ground. NO Alcohol.
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Lorne Film Written by Amanda Sherring
Have you ever thought there might be something missing from your experience at the cinemas? You walk in, popcorn in hand, and sit down to watch the movie. You might laugh or cry, but once the credits roll you lift yourself out of the seat and head back home. While this is pretty much the peak of what your movie experience will be, a few times a year we’re graced with the film festival: several days of events, socialisation and, of course, good films. Back for its second year is Lorne Film. Held over a few days, the festival boasts not only good films but a handful of events as well. This year sees a youth filmmaking event, a live rehearsed screenplay reading and an opening night Hawaiian-themed party all gracing the program. “We have all these events and what these events will do is create a true festival community, so people can come to Lorne and become part of this community for the duration of the weekend,” Director Darren Markey says. It takes a lot of work to develop a program this impressive and with just a few weeks out from the event, Darren is still fine-tuning various aspects of the festival. One day he’ll be changing online ticketing, the next he’ll be talking to industry professionals. “As the director I have my finger in every Lorne film pie, so
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to speak,” he says with a laugh. Though Darren wouldn’t have it any other way, as before the program was created last year it had been on his mind for over a decade. “A friend a couple of years ago mentioned, ‘You really love film and you really love Lorne, have you ever thought of a film festival in Lorne?’” Darren says. “She kind of got me going and I ran the idea by a couple of people down there who were also influential locals and I thought if I get it past them it’s got a chance. They jumped on it and said that it’s a great idea, and it’s just snowballed from there really.” With a passion for film, including both writing and watching, and of course a love for Lorne, it was only natural that Darren was the best man for the job. Thanks to him and the team the first year saw 29 films show over five screens and four venues. This year will run much the same, with Darren listing Damnation, Final Hours and Riding Giants amongst the films that you must see. “The official opening night film [Out in the Line-Up] is a fantastic film. It follows the story
'Out in the Line-Up' @ Lorne Film When & Where: Lorne – November 13-16
of two surfers who happen to be gay and that push the cause of surfers being able to come out and speak about their sexuality on the professional pro circuit,” he says. “It’s so well done that it actually transcends its subject matter. By exploring a theme or a subject that might divide us in our sexuality it actually reminds us all what about us is the same.” It’s only natural that a few of the highlight films feature surfing and the ocean, something that Darren loves, though not quite as much as films.
“I don’t actually surf but I love surfing films … I often say that my feet are too far from my brain. I love surfing films and I never tire of the film Riding Giants,” Darren says. “We describe Lorne, and we’re not the only ones, as the jewel in the Surf Coast. We’ll always have content that reflects not just surf but the ocean as well.” Though don’t think for a moment that the program is restricted only to films that encompass either surfing or the ocean. There are so much more great films worth seeing,
and as Darren states, they simply look for good films. “People often ask what kind of films we’re looking for and I say good films and ones that will entertain. We want films that have a respect for storytelling and that will engage with the Lorne Film patronage,” he says. With good films on the program and engaging events tailored to locals, it seems that Lorne Film is destined to be a big thing, and one that everyone should get on board with. “We are going to become
large. It’s going to become an international event. And it’s not often that people can say that they were there from the start in the early days,” Darren says. The most obvious way to do this is simply from attending, though there are foundation memberships that are also available to a limited 300 people. Aside from gaining free access to all events, it will give you the ultimate claim to supporting the event early on. Visit ticketworks. com.au/?festival=LFF2014 to purchase tickets.
Maddee Brown
Farmed & Dangerous Film Fest
Q&A
Q&A with Blake Freeman
Maddee Brown is someone we feel you should get to know. Influenced by artists including Regina Spektor and Paramore, Brown treads happily across pop music with a slight rock edge. It may have taken her a little while to step out from her bathroom, but she is making up for lost time now. Hi Maddee, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? I’m awesome! Just in the middle of a busy last quarter of the year, finishing off assessments, writing new songs and changing setlists. I read that you never really sang outside of your bathroom, even though you have an incredible voice. What sparked the change? Hahaha, well as I got older I would just sing along to whatever was playing in the car at the time and slowly noticed that I got more encouragement to sing in public. So it wasn’t really a sudden change of behaviour, more of a slow realisation that I wasn’t terrible at this thing that I loved to do. It seems since then you’ve gone full steam ahead and you’re even studying a Diploma of Music. How are you finding it? The Diploma of Music is amazing! I’ve met and worked with some really talented people this year both inside and out of the course. The trainers push all of us to the point where we want to strangle them but it’s so worth it. Do you regret not stepping out and pursuing
WEB: facebook.com/maddeebrownmusic
music at a younger age? Sometimes I think I should have started younger, but then some of the events in my life wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t start when I did so I can’t exactly say I regret starting at the age that I did. How are you finding the whole touring process? Was the first show a huge hurdle to overcome? Well, when we say tour it sounds a lot bigger and more glamorous than it actually is. All that happened was that I played seven shows around Geelong/Melbourne/Bendigo in a short amount of time. It really felt more like an extra busy month than anything! But the first show of the seven was a bit nerve-racking. I have this weird thing where if I’m nervous I’ll jump up and down for about a minute and it goes away, so hopefully it didn’t look like I was nervous. You’re currently in the middle of recording your new EP. How far off is it now? Ahh, this EP has been such a long process – so many delays and a lot of rescheduling. We’re almost at the end of it now. My amazingly talented friend Jake Pickering is recording
drums for me, which will take him about an hour, and then we just have to mix it. So I would optimistically say it will be finished mid-November. Can we expect your usual tales of made-up characters and observations? Oh definitely. A lot of the time I find my own life is too boring for me to write about so I observe my friend’s lives and their relationships, and when they get boring I make up stories in my head and write about them. There will be a few of those on the EP so hopefully I don’t get in too much trouble... Given that a lot of your songs feature stories, were you a huge storyteller growing up as a kid? Storyteller is definitely the more euphemistic word for what I was as a kid ... I did like to make up stories and stretch the truth here and there. Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? If anyone is thinking about pursuing music, just do it. It took two-and-a-half years and two course drop-outs for me to get to a place where I’m actually doing what I want to do, so don’t waste time on things that you wouldn’t do for free.
Rural Victorian students are getting the chance to shine through the Farmed & Dangerous Film Festival, run as part of the official amateur film section of the St Kilda Film Festival and open to all Victorian students (VCAL). That’s the business side of things, now let’s get creative. To help us out, meet event manager, Blake Freeman. Hey Blake, thanks for taking the time to chat. How are you and what are you up to right now? I’m doing great – just finished my Uni course! I am currently working with the VCAL class down at Lorne/Aireys P12 with my mentor teacher Cherie Osta towards running our very own VCAL Film Festival: Farmed & Dangerous, in collaboration with St Kilda Film Festival. My involvement began during my teaching rounds, and has since become an ongoing side project. Submissions are officially closed for the competition. How did it all go? We have decided to keep submissions open until the day before screening! (This makes the new closing date 5th November.) We felt that schools may need a little more time to finish their films, especially during term four when work is due. Having a “cow” as the subject is an interesting idea. Why a cow and not a sheep?
We decided that we needed something to make sure the films were made specifically for our festival. Why a cow? Well, to answer this you will need to venture inside the creative young minds of the Lorne VCAL class. I guess we just kind of agreed that cows are naturally funny, and it will be interesting to see how filmmakers go about including an animal of that stature into a five-minute film. It also opened up a world of cow-based humour for slogans… ‘make a mooo-vie’, etc. What’s been your role in the whole competition? As a student teacher, I’ve been given the role of event manager. This role has required me to assist students in planning for the festival, make sure everyone is on task, work collaboratively with local business guru Clayton Thompson to promote the event and help students to make connections with the local community. Getting involved with the St Kilda Film Festival is pretty exciting. How did that all come about? The partnership had been created prior to my involvement with the festival. Cherie Osta, VCAL teacher at the school, has developed numerous award-winning VCAL programs, and I believe this is the
When&Where: Mantra Resort, Lorne – November 6
result of her great networking and just one of her brilliant initiatives. I think that it’s a wonderful idea to mirror what is being done in Melbourne down here on the coast. How important is it for VCAL students to have this opportunity? I think this is a great opportunity for VCAL students to become involved in an exciting handson learning project in which their hard work and creativity will be showcased at the end. The event will aim to provide a platform for this type of learning and will seek to unite all VCAL students in the region. Why should people boycott the A Walk Among the Tombstones movie to come along to the screening? Some of the new up-andcoming talent within our VCAL community could really give Liam Neeson a run for his money. Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? Thanks Forte for your support! I know my VCAL class really appreciate it and they are overwhelmed by how well their hard work has been recognised.
CENTRAL GEELONG .com.au
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NOFX LOCAL FEATURE Written by Natalie Rogers Photo by Katie Hovland
“NOFX fans are a special breed. They have a sense of humour and willingness to accept that nobody’s perfect. They don’t even seem to mind that Fat Mike isn’t the best singer in the world and that things can get a little sloppy at our shows!” laughed NOFX co-founder/guitarist/accordion player Eric Melvin. We caught up with the punk rock legend one fateful Friday ahead of their upcoming Australian tour. If you’ve ever been to a NOFX show you’ll know Melvin isn’t exaggerating. In fact, I know from personal experience he is under-playing the chaos a NOFX show can create. So I take this golden opportunity to tell the tale of one such show that proved unforgettable – I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say things got a little loose. “Oh that’s a funny story! I don’t know how things like that always happen! Melvin replied with a chuckle. “We always seem to resonate with Australian crowds and our shows always become a crazy party, people get stranded. And yes, that was probably us trying to give you a lift home. Tell your friend she was right.” NOFX is the real deal. No hype, no bullshit, just four friends doing what they love. Melvin has always said NOFX never had a recipe for success but over thirty years later they are regarded as one of the foremost bands of the second wave of punk rock – the first of course brought us the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned and The Ramones – and they still sell out venues all over the world. Melvin says the latter is the reason they’ve taken so long to come back Down Under. “I didn’t know you were waiting – you didn’t say!” he joked. (Fair to say it wasn’t just me; at time of print half of their scheduled gigs are completely sold-out.) “The truth is these days we’re married with kids and mortgages and we
only like to tour maybe three months out of the year, and there’s a lot of places to go in the world in such a short time. Also, we were just kind of waiting for the right time I guess, and this is it. “We’ve released new stuff since we were there last [a full-length studio album, Self Entitled, 2012, & the 2014 EP Stoke Extinguisher], and don’t get me wrong, it’s cool playing the new stuff, but we also like to play some of the old stuff too. Our sets are usually a couple of songs from every record. A lot of our fans still listen to Punk in Drublic or So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, and those albums now are pretty old. But we will never stop playing those records.” Along with the chance to hear killer tracks like ‘The Shortest Pier’, ‘My Stepfather’s a Cop and ‘My Stepmom’s a Domme’ and ‘Xmas has been X’ed,’ live for the first time, if you show up early enough and the mood strikes him you may witness the Australian premier of The Melvinator. Yes, that’s right, everyone’s favourite dreadlocked guitarist may be found behind the decks for your pleasure before the live show kicks off. “I’ve been doing it [deejaying] for about a year or so now. I like to play old punk rock music, stuff that was very influential to us as NOFX. An old Dead Kennedys riff with a Misfits melody,” he clarified. “There are plenty of NOFX,
Pennywise, Bad Religion, Lagwagon fans. But I like the older, trashier stuff as well. I also have a weakness for dancey beats, so I’ve been trying to find a way to mix punk rock riffs with a disco beat. I don’t know, I just like to do weird stuff,” Melvin admitted. “I just think ‘why not?’ you know? I haven’t heard anyone else doing it. I might be the only one who likes it,” Melvin added sheepishly. “But I’m willing to go to a bar and play for people for an hour or two and see if anybody likes it or hates it or reacts to it at all. It’s fun. I don’t go out that often when I’m home so when I’m on tour I wanna get a couple of extra hours of fun in here and there. “One of my favourites mixes that I think works really well is Holiday in Cambodia by the Dead Kennedys. I love that song, but then again I love all Dead Kennedys’ stuff. I play the song and at the end I’ll play the beginning riff again like the song is going to start again,” he explained. “Then I’ll just loop it and play it with a Public Enemy riff … oh, I can’t remember what it’s called but I can think of how it goes. Just before Chuck D starts in with his rap. There’s one loop with a beat with Terminator X doing his thing. I loop that together and it suddenly becomes this other thing that sounds really cool, though it’s really just a chance to nerd out!” Melvin finished grinning. “Honestly, I’ve been trying to find the time to do a little more work on my deejaying but we are just so busy! We’ve had some material in the works for a new album that we will probably record in the early summer. Oh, but before I get that far ahead we’ve got the Backstage Passport season 2 [a behind the scenes tour doco of sorts] DVD/download
coming out. As far as I know that’s happening while we are in Australia. Yes that’s gonna be fun, and oh yeah, we’ve been working on an autobiography – a history of NOFX type book,” Melvin said rather nonchalantly. As a fan (and I’m guessing you are too because the Barwon Heads and Melbourne shows sold in record time] this is music to my ears, so I probe a little more: “So we’ve been writing this book and it’s in its second draft right now. I think it’s great, it’s really cool. We each tell our own part. So, for example I got to read what Fat Mike [fellow co-founder/bass/vox] was feeling when we played another show that we didn’t get paid for because there was nobody there back in the ’80s. You’ll read he was actually having doubts about whether this band was going to work out or not,” he scoffed. “At the time he wasn’t telling me any of that! “There’s some gratuitous rock ’n’ roll stupidity – there’s drug problems, divorces and different things happening all along the way that you might expect. But we also get into the emotional side of things and I like that. It shows what we’re thinking and feeling while we were doing all this and that we’re not afraid to talk about it. Who knows what this could spark or who it will connect with … We’re oddballs, but it just seems to work.” The Melvinator says we can expect the ink to be dry on their great American novel by the end of next year. When&Where: Barwon Heads Hotel – Nov 18 & The Corner, Melbourne – November 20 & 21
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The Secret is Out: Oxygen College’s Artist Development Program Written by Phillip Smith
When you have been in any industry for a long time, it’s not often that you stumble upon something new that gets you genuinely excited. It just so happened that I was in Geelong visiting family and a friend said to check out the new Creative Arts Facility that had been established in Geelong West. Now, I am ashamed to say that I may have had some preconceived ideas about what might be on offer down in the ‘Sleepy Hollow’, but what I found was an absolute state of the art, world class facility in Oxygen College. They had young musicians from all over Australia wandering the halls. There were bands
recording in studios, rehearsing and composing new material and setting up or returning from performances. Rather than feel like you were walking through an education facility, it felt more like you were in a contemporary industry hub;where the music and product was the focus, rather than books and classrooms. After having a chat with some of the musicians there, I became very intrigued by their ‘Artist Development Program’. An ‘Artist Develop Program’ is not exactly a new idea. Record companies used to run programs under the title of ‘Artist Development’, and were looking to turn artists’ potential into a
product that would sell records in the immediate market. Those programs dried up when the record industry took a nose dive. Oxygen College has taken the idea of artist development and applied it to the current music environment. Where a lot of young musicians struggle is not with the creativity, but with the necessary knowledge of how to turn that creativity into a product, and that product into a career. Phase one of Oxygen’s program is the exploration and development of original music, whilst networking and bonding with other young artists and industry personnel. Phase two is taking you and your product to market. Oxygen facilitate artists with a production team to work on their EP, marketing material, live shows and the best models to turn passion into a career. The exciting thing is that the program is government funded, so it’s not prohibitive to go through the process of preparing yourself in such a high end facility. To succeed in music it takes so many things to go right. It takes nurturing and development of potential, management and networking opportunities, along with knowledge and an experience of how all facets of the industry operate. Oxygen College offers all of this, is two minutes from Geelong’s central station, five minutes from the beach, and only an hour from Melbourne and Ballarat. The secret is out.
Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows
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Pivotonian Cinema The Pivotonian Cinema is a new independent film exhibitor opening in Geelong West this November, for an initial pop-up summer season, with the view to eventually secure a permanent location late next year. The Ukrainian Community Hall, at 57 Pakington Street, is happily hosting The Pivotonian Cinema’s summer season. A variety of films will be screened including foreign, family,
Bendigo National Swap Meet Q&A
Written by Tex Miller
Over the next six months, Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows will visit Geelong twice in support of their latest album Certified Blue. A couple of weeks ago, the album went to number two on the ARIA Jazz and Blues charts, second only to Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s latest offering. Initially Camilleri doesn’t know whether the album fits on the chart, but is impressed with the accolade none the less. “It’s a Jazz and Blues chart first and foremost and I think that although Certified Blue does have some jazz and blues elements, it’s more of a rock record. There are a variety of different sounds on it and I am gracious at the support and respect that people have given it.” Camilleri said. Many reviews and publicity of the record, that was released earlier in the year, say that Certified Blue is THE best record that the Black Sorrows have done. Camilleri is quick to follow on the belief of every musician releasing a new album, that the latest work is often your greatest. “You’re just trying to do the best you can with what you’ve got at that particular point in time.” The album features 15 new tracks from the band and was recorded over a period of 18 months. Speaking about the process of recording a (nearly)
WEB: pivotcinema.com.au
When&Where: Wool Exchange Entertainment Complex, Geelong - November 1
double album, Camilleri reveals that the follow up isn’t too far away. “In those sessions, we recorded about 23 songs and so there is ten tracks that we can use for the next album. You always have the postproduction process though and I think Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones said it best, ‘I’ve been playing for 50 years and 45 of those were just waiting around.’ When you release a record, you have to wait for the artwork and the pressing and then it’s finally released. This record was a lot of fun to make and we worked collectively to put the album together, even though there were new players that just joined the Sorrows.” Following on from a family of musicians, Camilleri was always destined to be a rock and roll star. One of the most important bands pre Black Sorrows was The Pelaco Brothers, that featured Stephen Cummings on lead vocals. Talking about playing in the late seventies produces some great memories for Camilleri. “That was an art band and had many more concepts to the live show. Music was a vehicle
for it. You could get away with a whole bunch of stuff in the live show and that led to a lot of mischief.” Chatting about the long and illustrious career of Joe Camilleri he believes that Success defines itself. “There’s the obvious stuff like, if you have a hit record you’re successful. When you get down into it though, it’s really about what you want to achieve. If you believe in the albums you’re making, then you already feel that’s the best you can do. Making Certified Blue was a beautiful process and something that I wanted to do.” Kicking off a couple of weeks ago, Camilleri and the Black Sorrows are currently touring around the country until March 2015. Excited about all of the opportunities ahead of them, Joe can’t wait to head to Geelong as well as release the new record, Endlessly. “It’s a double album paying homage to some of my favourite musicians that have passed on. I’m very excited about releasing it and it should be here in early 2014. We do 150 gigs a year and so to be headed out on the road again, is really great. See you out there!”
With over 1600 sites and 39 years in experience, there’s no denying that the Bendigo National Swap Meet know what they’re doing. Always one for a good meet, we had a chat to Mark Godwill about the long running event and the goodies on offer. Hi Mark, Thanks for taking the time to chat to Forte! How long now has the Bendigo National Swap Meet been operating and how was it started? It was started in Melbourne originally and ran there for two years, then in Gisborne for one. The Federation was looking for a more central area and the show grounds in Bendigo were chosen and the Bendigo club then became involved. That was 39 years ago this year. The event appears to attract more and more people each year, how has the event grown over the years? The Swap has grown from humble beginnings some 39 years ago with just a few cars and trailers to over 1600 sites. What is the secret behind keeping it going for such a time? A tireless team of about 20 volunteers from the Bendigo Veteran Vintage Classic Car Club run the swap on behalf of the Federation. The atmosphere and being an annual meeting
documentary and independent shortly after their national releases. A licensed candy bar will be in operation featuring a variety of locally sourced beverages, as well as classic cinema fare with a twist, like gourmet Siketa Meats’ hot dogs, organic ice cream choc-tops and tuckshopstyle lolly bags reminiscent of primary school days. Jessica Litsas and Mark Walker are the personalities behind the start-up company, responding to a noticeable absence in alternative film venues in the Geelong market. Both Jess and Mark have extensive experience in the industry; Jess is knowledgeable in delivering events across the arts, while Mark currently works as the Technical Director for the Lorne
place for friends from all over the country has helped a lot. Keeping our opening time from 6:00am Saturday as a rule means that everyone has equal chance to find that part then. How many stall-holders will you have this year, where have they come from? Over 1600 sites from small back yarders to the full on commercial sites. They come from all over the nation and some international visitors as well. Who would you recommend coming to the event, is it for all ages? There is something for everyone! All ages can come to the event with children under 16 years old free. How many will you be expecting throughout the weekend this year and what can visitors look forward to seeing? The swap usually attracts a crowd in excess of 25,000 and you just never know what may turn up at the swap for sale. On Saturday there is a Show N Shine for 100 vehicles. Sunday there is a display of around 50 vehicles, and in two of the sheds there is the third largest in Australia Models display and sales area. That the ideal place to buy Christmas presents for boys young and old. What does the future hold for the meet? The Swap cannot grow any larger in actual site numbers as we have every square inch of the grounds covered now. We have to concentrate now on those sites being used all weekend and for their stocks to be kept up to a reasonable standard. That then provides to the public items of quality and plenty to see and in some cases even choices. The original parts for the much older vehicles are getting scarce now and some firms have started reproductions which is a new market to follow.
Film Festival and as the Technical Coordinator for Melbourne International Film Festival. Jess and Mark will be applying their practice to ensure the best possible entertainment experience for their Geelong audience. The Pivotonian Cinema will launch its program on the 7th of November with a retro, surfer double bill dedicated to the Lorne Film Festival. Tickets include a glass of champagne on arrival. Two weeks later, on Thursday the 27th of November, The Pivotonian Cinema will be rolling out the red carpet for its opening night, giving away free popcorn to all! The Pivotonian Cinema will be screening films every day, fifteen times a week, until March 2015.
When&Where: Bendigo Showgrounds – Nov 14-15
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T H E NIG H T V IBE
FROC K IT
Written by Tex Miller / thenightvibe.com.au
First Date Outfit Jitters
USA EDITION
Written by Jessica Alves
I think most of us would know exactly how nerveracking a first date can be, particularly if there’s preexisting feelings involved. The most stressful part of the whole thing, for me anyway, is deciding how I’m going to present myself on this date with this person that I’ve obviously got the mega-hots for (but we’re trying to keep that under wraps). I also think a lot of you will be able to sympathise with having a mid-outfit freak-out when one half of your outfit is as flawless as Beyoncé when she wakes up in the morning, and the other half looks like you’ve raided nanna’s closet. Well, this is of course where I come in. Let’s assume we’re doing the classic ‘dinner and drinks’ style of date because it’s probably the most common amongst all the classics and you’re bound to go on one of these at least once in your lifetime. I know it’s tempting to go out with all guns blazing, decked out in your Tony Bianco’s and that floor-length dress with the plunging v-neckline that you’ve been waiting to bust out of retirement, but that is most definitely not what you want to be going for on the first date. I know, it sounds crazy, but bear with me – it starts to make sense in a second.
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San Francisco We’re going to use the K.I.S.S. principle with this one, because I think it’s punny and who doesn’t like a good pun? Essentially, this just means that over-thinking is the enemy. We want to channel a ‘girl next door meets classy independent woman’ vibe for this date because we want our date to know that we have a megaton of self-worth, but we’re also really cute. Now, the challenge is doing all of that without looking like we’re trying too hard. If it’s a casual thing, I’d opt for jeans and a nice top over skirts or dresses. You’re more likely to feel more comfortable in jeans and less likely to be worrying about tucking your dress into your knickers on the way out from the bathroom. And yes, I have done that. If the venue is a little more fancy, I’d probably still go pants at the very least, maybe even a high-waisted structured pencil skirt if you’re feeling a little girly; added bonus, it’s almost impossible to tuck it into your underwear … Almost. Pair that with a crop top, but be very careful not to show too much midriff, as it can be a little tacky if not styled appropriately. Above all and as always, dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Everybody’s taste is so different, which is the beauty of personal style. I encourage you to take my advice and tweak it in a way that makes you feel like yourself, like swapping a shoe strap top for a capped sleeved top, or take the styling in a more relaxed, laidback way if it’s more your thing.
Have a bit of fun with it: just remember to always leave them wanting more when the date comes to a close. Instagram @jessicazalves youtube.com/msbonvivants
For as long as I have been interested in playing music, I’ve always dreamt of visiting San Francisco. Up until three months ago, I thought it would definitely be at least three years until I got there. So that said, when I landed in the airport, I was walking around like I was in a dream. From the fresh and organic breeze coming off San Francisco Bay, I must admit I’d been away from the sea for three weeks and it was driving me a little crazy. Rolling around the airport to the baggage carousel, I had to keep pinching myself to ensure that this was in fact real. Driving through the city to our hotel, which was situated on Lombard Street, the home of the crookest street in the world, I was astounded by the vintage architecture and the well-kept garden boxes that complemented the house fronts. Painted in bright and vibrant shades of yellow, blue, orange, purple and nearly every other colour you can imagine, it was like the culture and architecture hadn’t moved a day out of the sixties. When you think of San Francisco, it is steeped with so much music history that it takes a while to get your head around. To start off with, ‘(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay’, a seminal classic ’60s tune, was written by Otis Redding in Sausalito, which is the town across the Bay over the Golden Gate Bridge. Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin all lived
in Haight-Ashbury at one point or another during the ’60s and ’70s, and I wouldn’t mind hedging a bet that Bob Dylan was involved in that folk rock scene as well. Heading down to Fisherman’s Wharf on my first night was an experience; it was like the Waterfront in Geelong, except lots more activity throughout the day. Tarantino’s was the restaurant of choice that night and I would highly recommend the penne pasta with fresh clams and local seafood. An absolutely exquisite dish and well worth getting your chops around. I know I harped on about it before, but having lived by the ocean for 23 years of my life, three weeks without it does bring some heavy withdrawal symptoms along with it. Cruising around San Fran, or ‘Frisco’ as Jack Kerouac affectionately knows it, is quite an experience because it has a different artistic culture to any town in Australia. Ask anyone that’s been there, it’s quite a hard to define experience to other people. One of the coolest methods of transport is the Cable Cars that run from Fisherman’s Wharf to Market Street, the centre of the shopping district in Frisco. Sitting on the outside facing the street is quite a surreal experience as you bump up and down the hills. There are not really many gigs at night throughout the venues across town which was quite a culture shock compared to Nashville and Austin where
it was everywhere you looked and you couldn’t really escape it if you tried. Heading along to The Fillmore on Thursday night to see Robert Earl Keen and trekking to Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass over the weekend definitely made up for the lack of gigs during the week. The Fillmore is one of those venues that you just definitely have to experience for yourself. Opened in the ’60s, literally everybody has played there. Throughout the walls leading into the venue you can see classic images and posters of the day from John Lee Hooker to Santana, The Black Keys to Gomez. My favourite image throughout the venue, however, was The Who and Pete Townshend throwing his guitar up in the air: the shot is taken from the back of the stage and encapsulates the vibe of the evening and just how many people were there for that famous gig. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass should probably have its own Night Vibe Column because it is literally bigger than Ben Hur, with in excess of 500k people attending over the weekend. To be fair, there was so much to check out in San Fran that I only headed along to the festival on the Friday, but seeing Hurray for the Riff Raff and Conor Oberst (formerly of Bright Eyes) was awesome. If you don’t have your tickets to QMF yet, Hurray for the Riff Raff are definitely evidence enough that you should get on that right now!
Face the Music: Marshall Betts Written by Amanda Sherring
Not many in the music industry can say that they started out working with names as big as Yoko Ono, but Marshall Betts can … and it was just the start he needed to increase his passion for the industry. “The biggest surprise I guess is really understanding how to deal with artists,” Marshall adds with a laugh. “I think we all enter the industry as a fan, but once you start to work with some of the artists that you’ve been a fan of on a personal level and you start to get to know them as people and work for them it’s a whole different ball game.” Almost instantly Marshall came to realise that working in the music industry wasn’t about hanging in hotel rooms with your favourite musicians while drinking martinis at all. “Attention to detail is something that is extremely valuable in any profession, but especially in the music industry. I feel like we all have to be very detail-oriented and even when we’re looking over a contract, they’re 10-15 pages long, but the tiniest
thing can really make or break a show or an artist’s career,” he says. Ten years on since he first started and Marshall is now booking and representing artists such as Courtney Barnett, Veruca Salt, White Lung and many more and will be taking his knowledge to the Face the Music industry conference in Melbourne. Face the Music is a twoday event where those involved in the music industry come together in the form of workshops, presentations and discussions to professional and creative development in careers. “There are promoters all over the world that I talk to once a week who I’ve never met and never really chat to on the phone unless something goes wrong. When you go to these events and everybody is there it makes it easier for everybody and your relationship with them grows exponentially,” Marshall says. Given that Marshall is also from America it gives him a chance to share his knowledge of the American music industry while
MINI CLASSIFIEDS Send your info to editorial@fortemag.com.au Individual use only, not for commercial purposes
sussing out many of the talented musicians within Australia. “I’m excited to get down to Australia and come across some of what I think is the best in new music coming out in the whole world,” he says. “If you look at showcase events like SXSW it is increasing with Australian artists and I just think it’s a really exciting time
for Australia and Australian music and I’m really happy to get to know the people down there.” Previously breaking into the American music industry is a challenge for even the best of musicians, the main being that it’s expensive merely to get there. “You guys have got to come a long way, and
you come to a country with not just four or five big markets, there’s 20 of them, and you have to have a team behind you to be able to break into all of them,” Marshall says. “It’s a hard and daunting thing, but if you do it right and you put together the right team then it’s something that can easily be done.”
When&Where: Arts Centre, Melbourne – Nov 14 & 15
Though all of this is easier said than done – and surely is something that Marshall can speak deeper on, amongst other things, when he presents at the conference.
Singer wanted for original band doing a 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. Looking for the right voice so drop us a line and we'll take it from there! ben@ bellemusique.com.au Experienced 22 y/o singer, songwriter, guitarist looking for a drummer, bassist and lead guitarist to start up an original rock band based in Geelong. Influences: QOTSA, Sublime & Dave Grohl. Contact Tom at: 0487067083 Heavy metal/death metal vocalist & lyricist
looking to join a band. Have original material ready to go. 0432959094 Wanted expirenced drummer to start a metal/ death metal band. Must be dedicated, be able to play double bass very well and be able to perform original material. 0415676768 Looking for talented singers, male and female, who would like to collaborate and record on a project for submission to labels. We are coming close to completion of the 31 track demo and are looking for people who can sing (all styles) to contribute to certain tracks, please don’t hesitate to call for more information. Call Matt on 0468632012
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Tkay Maidza Written by Amanda Sherring
Listening to Tkay Maidza’s track ‘Brontosaurus’ it’s hard not to fall in love with our scaly friends of the past, but for Tkay watching dinosaurs in Jurassic Park wasn’t such a pleasant experience for her. “I was actually scared of those movies … They kind of seemed like horror movies when I was younger,” Tkay adds with a laugh.
Luckily the young rapper from Adelaide could put her fears aside to create a track that would catapult her into the industry; though things for Tkay actually started when a friend convinced her to upload ‘Handle My Ego’ to triple j Unearthed, a site she was unfamiliar with at the time. “I didn’t really know what triple j was to be honest,” she says. “I just thought that things would stay the same and that it’d be like a one-off thing I guess.” Things clearly weren’t a one-off for the musician, as ‘Uh-Huh’ and ‘Switch Lanes’ quickly followed on from ‘Brontosaurus’, with an EP also just released Though music was never an issue for Tkay, if she was to face any challenge in the industry it was performing live. With only a few nerves at the beginning of her performance, Tkay quickly became just as comfortable on stage as she is in her songs. “Before [the gig] I’ll be stressing out and hoping everything will be really good and people
will just be like, ‘Oh you’ll be fine’,” Tkay says. “Then when you get on stage you can’t really hide anything anymore, you can’t worry otherwise people will realise that you’re scared.” The biggest test for Tkay was when she performed at Splendour earlier this year, which was pretty much guaranteed a big crowd with around 27,000 punters at the festival this year. “There was a huge turnout and it was so much fun and everyone got really involved, and that’s the most important part, especially when you’re playing new material all the time,” Tkay says. After not really knowing who triple j were to begin with, Tkay ended up doing an Australian tour supporting Nina Las Vegas, the programmer for the Saturday night on the radio station. The pair quickly hit it off and Nina has since become a guardian of sorts for Tkay. “She’s like my older sister. She’s like the best person ever,” Tkay gushes. “I think she’s the best person to know, in terms of the industry, and as a person she’s really helpful too. There aren’t many girls around so it’s good to have someone like her,” she says. Aside from admiring Nina’s
“ I was actually scared of those [Jurassic Park] movies… They kind of seemed like horror movies when I was younger!” work, Tkay takes inspiration from fellow female rappers M.I.A., Azaelia Banks and Santogold. “If you want to get somewhere you obviously have to see what’s happening at the moment and learn from it, and yeah, they’re definitely inspirations for me in everything as a musician,” Tkay says. Keeping in mind that Tkay is only 18 years old, and she’s already sought wisdom from Nina and played at Splendour in the Grass, we’re sure that by the time she plays at Queenscliff Music Festival she’s going to be a pro.
When&Where: Queenscliff Music Festival - November 28-30
Kim Salmon and the Surrealists Written by Natalie Rogers
“When they asked me to play a Surrealists show I was like ‘Oh really!? That’s out of the blue’. It’s been nearly thirty years since we first made a record,” Kim laughed warmly.
To many he’s the godfather of grunge, to his students at JMC Academy in South Melbourne he’s the cool teacher, and he’s Dad to his four kids - Kim Salmon may be a lot of things, but self-righteous is not one of them. “The guys putting on the festival said they’d love to have me, so I’m only too happy to oblige,” Kim said with a smile, when we got th to chatting about the Barwon Club’s up-coming 7 Annual River Rocks Festival. “Maybe it’s got something to do with nostalgia. Perhaps they spent their undergraduate years getting drunk to our albums. Maybe we were obscure and underground enough for us to be cool again! Oh that’s good - we should put that on our drum kit or as a stage backdrop!” He’s not trying to be facetious, however, in his 35 plus years as a touring musician, Kim has worn many hats: “So many,” he jokes, “that sometimes I forget my head!” “Re-inventing myself is the way people like to say it. I do have a lot of projects - a lot of irons in the fire - and to be honest it’s really just been a survival mechanism. All I ever wanted to do was actually make a living out of playing music.”
To his contemporaries he’s an innovator, always at the forefront of the new sound, while aspiring indie musicians cite him as an inspiration. However, the notion of such things leaves him a little uncomfortable. “It’s lovely to hear, but it’s hard to talk about. It’s part of the Australian psyche not to appear to have tickets on oneself it’s not in my nature.” Kim Salmon was born to play music - it’s in his DNA. He eats, sleeps and breathes it. He’s been a key player in numerous outfits over the years. To name just a few: The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Runaways and Darling Downs - and of course, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists. However, lately his focus has been on a two-piece project called Kim and Leanne and, like all good collaborations, there’s an equally entertaining ‘how we started’ story. “Leanne was The Scientists’ tour manager but she took it upon herself to buy Brett’s [Rixon-ex Scientists member] drum kit and started to teach herself to play. “In the meantime we auditioned a whole bunch of people including guys from PIL [Public Image Ltd] and
Motorhead, but none of them worked out. It was my wife who encouraged me to let Leanne have a go. At the time she was rubbish,” he said grinning, before adding, “but then we took her on tour with Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was like a baptism of fire for her and by the end of the tour she was our drummer!” Kim and Leanne’s True West, a collection of originals, is out now. On most nights of the week Kim can be seen playing with any one of his bands around the city - that is, when he’s not in the studio. “I’m trying to do a solo record - I’ve been working on that with a producer. The songs are slightly autobiographical. I just want a chance to reflect privately I suppose, but in public,” he chuckled. “That will be out early next year.” With so much on his plate I wondered when he’d find time to rehearse for River Rocks. “There are a couple of gigs between now and then, so there’s our rehearsal!” he said confidently. “We don’t worry about that stuff. Stu [Thomas bass] and Phil [Collings - drums] have got the chops to do that kind of thing those guys are amazing players. We’re just going to go in and bash it out!”
When&Where: River Rocks, Barwon Club – November 15
Area-7 Written by Montana Agustin
“We’re really looking forward to polishing off 20 years with this summer festival. Can’t wait!” There aren’t too many bands out there that can say they’ve been around and going strong for over two decades, but Area-7 certainly can.
I was lucky enough to have a chat to Dan Morrison from Area-7 about their upcoming show at Soundwave, and general music things. Once I got over my nerves we were on a roll, chatting about not only Soundwave, but what they attribute their success to and the vibe they get from their audiences … and he was even kind enough to divulge a few road trip antics that go on. “We are so excited to be playing at Soundwave, we were actually at rehearsal when we’d found out we’d got the gig. Let’s just say the boys were very excited when the news came through,” Dan says. If you are heading along to Soundwave this year, you can expect big things from these guys – including a larger horn section, Dan reckons: “that’ll be good in terms of sound and stagewise … those crazy horn players of ours throw themselves around on stage like some crazy kids, so that’ll be really great visually, too!” You can expect a bit of everything from the set – it’ll be a perfect mash-up of everything they’ve recorded over the years. Area-7 aren’t all about 52 forte
themselves though, oh no, we also spoke about what they ‘get off on’, so to speak, from the audience. If you’re going, be sure to do some vocal warmups because I’ve been told that there will be a bit of audience participation happening, and they absolutely love it when the audience sing along. “We love seeing everyone raise their hands and getting into it, being conducted by our frontman Stevo … it’s awesome to see,” he says. Dan was so great to talk to that he even made me feel better about being in a big crowd at a festival, assuring me that even though we’re amongst thousands of bodies they can see all the individuals in the mosh and they really vibe off that energy which makes them play better, he says. Mosh pit lovers rejoice! “There’s something a little bit special about doing a festival. We love playing intimate pub shows too, but festivals are just insane … and it sounds a little corny, but all the boys in the band are all really good mates and hang out and play music when we aren’t touring, so at a festival you’re basically up on stage, in a team hanging out with
When&Where: Soundwave - February 21 & 22
your best mates, having an experience like that together,” Dan says. Dan admits that the past twenty years have been a ride, but the band are still great buddies, catching up outside of rehearsals to see a few bands, grab a bite to eat or have a beer together. “We hang out when we’re not away on tour … it’s a bit of a family, so to speak.” You can really tell that when these guys are on tour it would be just like the old days, pretty much a bunch of guys on a road trip. I asked Dan if there were any on-the-road
hijinks that we probably shouldn’t know about, but that he’d like to tell us anyway, and he divulged quite the tour secret. Apparently when on the road, their guitarist likes to muck around in the back seat. “When we are doing a road trip and we’re all in the Tarago, driving from point A to point B, our guitarist has a horrid habit of sitting in the back seat with his pants down, just giggling to himself trying to get everyone’s attention. We turn around and there he is, in the back seat with his pants down.” So if you’re ever driving down the highway and look over into a Tarago
full of boys, one with his pants down laughing, you can probably assume it’s the guys from Area-7. After their success and experience over the years, I didn’t think Dan would mind spilling the beans on who he thinks are the next big thing in ska and punk. He made mention to a couple of bands in the circuit, but seemed pretty impressed by The K-Mart Warriors, Shanty Town and The Ska Vendors. He recommends getting to see as many of them as you can – and you never know, you might even bump into the boys from Area-7, as he tells me they’ve been getting out and seeing a lot of bands lately. My particular favourite part of the interview was when Dan said that if they received a phone call in five years’ time asking them to be part of Soundwave again they wouldn’t be able to refuse. “If there was Soundwave in years to come, we’d be there with bells on … we love it too much to ever retire. “We don’t play shows every week but if we were approached to do Soundwave or a summer festival, it’s just too good to give up. The adrenaline is too great to say no.” It’s funny, after twenty years of roaring success it seems like landing a gig like Soundwave turns a band into mush … I hope they don’t hunt me down for saying that!
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Forte Columns
blues news pop culture! Written by John (Dr John) Lamp Proudly pesented by The Sleepy Hollow Blues Club
Last week we saw the results of The Age Music Victoria Genre Awards. The Age Music Victoria Awards are the largest publicly voted music awards in Australia. There are eleven categories covering a range of music genres, from heavy metal through to the blues. Nominees in each category were chosen by a panel of music industry professionals and media, with eligibility restricted to Victorian releases and performances between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. The award for the Best Blues Album is presented by Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society. This year there was a field of very strong contenders: Dreamboogie – Ain’t Nobody’s Business; Greg Dodd and the Hoodoo Men – 3am Blues Live; Ian Collard – Swamp Stomp and Boogie; Kerri Simpson – 4am; and Shaun Kirk – Steer the Wheel. Dreamboogie was formed early in 2010 and named after vintage American jazz/blues writer Langston Hughes’ famed poem Dream Boogie. The band is a four-piece comprising Rebecca Davey on vocals, Sam Buckley on guitar, Connor O’Neill on bass and Robert B. Dillon on drums. Greg Dodd and the Hoodoo Men are Greg Dodd on guitar, Dan Dinnen on vocals and harmonica, Clint Healy on bass guitar and Rob O’Toole on drums – an electric blues combo with a Chicago-influenced sound. Ian Collard is one of the stalwarts of the blues scene, a virtuoso harmonica player and vocalist who has played with many artists, including the Australian Ballet on their 50th anniversary. Kerri Simpson spent her formative years as a musician playing and writing in the US and Europe. Her blues albums are showcased on Chicago radio and receive regular airplay there. She was dubbed “Australia’s own Blues diva” by Bruce Elder of the Sydney Morning Herald. A very strong contender for the award. Shaun Kirk has come a long way since his debut release in 2010, earning him accolades such as “one of the most explosive solo acts Australia has to offer” and “one of the finest blues voices this country has ever heard”. The journey began with his maiden record Cruisin’ being awarded Best Debut Album at the 2010 VIC/TAS Blues Music Awards, whilst his second album, Thank You for Giving Me the Blues, shot to number 1 on the Australian Blues/Roots Airplay Charts in early 2012. Steer the Wheel is his first recording with a band. As you can see this was a very strong line-up. After the nomination, the voting took place and I am extremely pleased to report that Greg Dodd and the Hoodoo Men won with their CD 3am Blues Live. This is an example of that old saying that nice things happen to nice people. You may remember that Greg was the driving force in Blues for Lost Souls, which raised over $19k for The Big Umbrella. We wish them all the best. The polls are now open for the best male nominees Chet Faker, Dan Sultan, Mikelangelo, Rob Snarski and Vance Joy. The best female nominees are Courtney Barnett, Jess Cornelius, Laura Jean, Jen Cloher and Missy Higgins. Time to vote! facebook.com/ theagemusicvictoriaawards 54 forte
Written by Anthony Morris
If there are two words guaranteed to send a chill down the spine, it’s “internet sensation”. We all love the internet, but that doesn’t mean we love everything on the internet, and with the democracy of social media pushing audiences towards the short and the punchy, the world on online comedy is… well, anyone remember Beached Az? Because one of the guys behind that is also one of the guys behind the new ABC2 comedy series Soul Mates (Thursdays, 9.30 p.m.), and if the two leads look familiar that’s because you’re aware of “internet sensations” The Bondi Hipsters. You’d think that a YouTube send-up of Bondi’s hipster culture wouldn’t exactly be the kind of thing to go big, but it turns out that most of Australia really hates hipsters, so seeing the piss extracted from them via jokes about the titular duo’s pretentious fashion label and kale rapidly became a hit too big for the ABC to ignore. And also they’d worked with the ABC before with Beached Az, which probably didn’t hurt (note to other YouTube comedians wanting a break on television: networking is your friend). The idea behind Soul Mates is that all across history our two leads – Christiaan Van Vuuren and Nick Boshier – keep running into each other, whether as cavemen, Kiwi assassins in 1981, Bondi hipsters circa now, or time-travelling future dudes in, well, the future. So it’s not so much “all across history” as it is “the periods where we can get a bunch of cheap gags” – Blackadder this ain’t. But cheap gags aren’t to be dismissed so lightly either, as getting laughs out of Kiwi accents, bad ’80s fashion and the over-thetop clichés of action movies is still a whole lot better than getting no laughs at all. And the idea of running four storylines across each half-hour episode mean the guys haven’t strayed too far out of their comfort zones – it’s basically a string of YouTube sketches patched together to create a half-hour show, which means they generally keep it short, sharp and to the point. Much of the appeal for longtime fans will be seeing the Bondi Hipster’s long-discussed fashion label finally make an appearance (whether finally seeing it adds to or subtracts from the joke is up to the individual), but all four plots are equally solid comedy-wise – unless you’re a big fan of dodgy special effects, in which case the future time travel-travel agents storyline does feature a lot of things that’ll make you think “wow, cheap special effects are actually not that bad looking these days”. Whatever your opinion of the end result – and it’s hard to judge the series after one episode, because it does feel a little like the kind of show where every episode could just be the same jokes over again – this is exactly the kind of thing ABC2 should be doing more of. There are a lot of Australian comedians making an impact online at the moment, and there’s not like there’s anywhere else at the moment for sketch comedians (as opposed to standups) to get a start in this country. If television networks don’t start looking there for new talent, where else is it going to come from?
PULP Written by Alastair McGibbon
I’m going to go a little offtopic today and talk about movies. But they’re comic book movies, so it’s okay! Unless you’ve been living under a pretty large pop-culture/ internet-blocking rock, you’ve probably noticed that DC has made some serious moves into the entertainment world. They’ve announced a whopping 10 movies currently in development, with a release timetable stretching as far as 2020. One we already knew about – the horribly titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – but the others had just been rumours until now. In an interesting move, DC has chosen to release Justice League Part One in 2017, a few years before they’ve even put out solo movies for half of the Justice League’s core members – The Flash and Aquaman don’t get movies until 2018, and smaller players won’t get movies until even later. Green Lantern, whose reputation is still tarnished by that monstrosity featuring Ryan Reynolds, won’t be getting a reboot until 2020. With that in mind, I’m somewhat concerned about the upcoming Batman/Superman mash-up. Zack Snyder has proven that he can make good adaptations of comic books in the past – Watchmen and 300 spring to mind – but DC seem intent on rushing things. I can understand not wanting to do another standalone Batman movie after the powerhouse that was the Nolan series, but Dawn of Justice seems to be shoving
too many characters and too much story development into one movie. On top of the two big guns – played by Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, in case you missed it – we’ll also be seeing appearances from Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and, if the rumour proves to be true, Aquaman ( Jason Momoa). I hope that DC restricts them to cameos because otherwise they might run into the same kind of problems as The Amazing SpiderMan 2: Rise of Electro – too many characters fighting for prominence and detracting from the story. Like their rivals at Marvel, DC has clearly got a long-term strategy, but I have to question whether or not they’ve done the right thing. DC is doing really well in their ventures into television – Arrow has finally found its feet and is consistently great, The Flash has had an excellent debut, Gotham has been an engaging (if slightly controversial) new take on Batman’s home turf and Constantine looks promising, especially with the excellent Matt Ryan playing the titular con man. Even though they’ve made significant progress on the small screen, DC seems intent on taking on Marvel at the box office, despite their already well-established – and consistently popular – film franchises. Perhaps I’m being too sceptical, but DC seem to have sat on their hands for too long. In the time it’s taken for DC to just release their plans for movies, Marvel have pumped out movie after movie, have expanded into one TV series, and have more on the way. I don’t think it’s a terribly good marketing move – it looks like they’re just trying to copy Marvel’s success – but they might surprise me yet.
PUNK!
their presence. Yikes! I used to think Henry Rollins was KIDDING (or at the very least exaggerating) whenever he talked about Greg’s interesting personality and work ethic... No Doubt front-hottie Gwen Stefani is gearing up to release a new solo record. I love when she indulges her pop/RnB side … don’t hate! At least she’s not Meth Face, erm, I mean, Fergie from Black Eyed Peas! Oh no’s! World’s Scariest Police Chases have broken up. I want to insert a sad face emoticon right about here, but I can’t bring myself to be so lame. I will, however, say that they were awesome, and should have come out to Australia to play some shows. Their album, NOFX and Out Come the Wolves Dookie, will go down in history as a classic. Don’t forget, Saturday, December 6 is the second annual Nevermind the Warp’d Tour mini-festival at the Brunswick Hotel! Queensland heroes The Dreamkillers are headlining – and it’s FREE ENTRY! Two stages, skate ramps, BBQ, shitloads of bands – be there! Will it be a hipster-free zone? You betcha! Melbourne modern-rock/punk combo Laura Palmer has just played a run of US shows, including a slot at Fest in Gainesville, Florida. They even scored the first track on the Fest souvenir compilation CD. Not the punk rocking-est of topics, but what is with this weather? Spring rolled over and played dead just one week into her job. And now it’s winter again. By the time this goes to press we’ll be experiencing a heatwave. Bleurgh. And just like that, we’re done for another issue!
Written by Christopher Cruz
So many awesome bands releasing new records in the lead up to Soundwave, and one that I’m particularly looking forward to is Hang, the newie from Lagwagon. Judas Priest and New Found Glory have also just dropped killer new records, so there’s going to be a LOT of happy punters that weekend! The NOFX show at the Barwon Heads Hotel next month is officially sold out, so you KNOW it’s gonna get intense up in there! The Bennies are supporting, but we do NOT get Bodyjar or Frenzal Rhomb like other towns. Boo-urns! Well, after ten years, and just as many drummers, Hopes Abandoned has decided to call it a day. No farewell shows have been announced. There’s a band in the US calling itself Prince. I wonder how Prince, the GUY, feels about it! Is anybody else surprised that Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn is being accused of abusive behaviour towards his teenage daughters? It’s alleged by his ex-wife that he denies them food, whistles at them and tells them that they’re “hot” and indulges in substance abuse in
le monde entier
too heavy to hug
By Madelin Baldwin lemondeentier.net
Written by Paul S Taylor
Packing, I’ve written about it numerous times. For me, I like to think I generally have it down pat. Between that and being generally prepared when I venture off on a new adventure, with all of my vouchers printed out and my passport in a special travel wallet, I imagine I’ll be walking into the airport, hours early, with a fresh blow wave with not a care in the world. Okay, so it doesn’t happen exactly like that (and I more often than not have to get a 4 a.m. ‘nobody loves me bus’ to the airport alone, but that’s beside the point! You see, as I’ve become older and a more experienced traveller, I’ve probably gone the opposite to most and I put more time into planning now than I ever did. It’s because I know more what I like, what will benefit me, and what makes my life generally easier when heading away. But one new campaign brought to my attention is the Pack Some Peace of Mind initiative collaboration with Australian Consumer Law. Since July 2014, travel agencies no longer need to be licensed, and with so many different avenues of booking a trip these days, it can not only be daunting and confusing, but you can often end up in a bit of strife – whether it’s being wrongly advised about travel insurance or visas, to flat out losing your money because you either booked through an unsecured website or your travel agent didn’t listen properly and you’ve booked the wrong thing. Luckily this new initiative is full to the brim of tips for every traveller, from booking online, to booking with a travel agent – and there is even a cool Facebook game to play! Some of the tips they have listed for booking online are: Ensure the business has a good reputation. Read reviews and comments on travel websites and blogs. A good business should also display clear processes for solving problems and giving replacements and refunds on their website. Check that the browser bar on the payments page includes basic security features, such as a padlock symbol or address starting with https://. If you book and don’t get what you paid for, you may be able to seek a chargeback from your bank if you pay with a credit card or by selecting ‘credit’ on a MasterCard or Visa debit card. You may also be able to seek a chargeback if using PayPal (note that PayPal has its own dispute resolution processes). And for booking with an agent: Look for an agent who is accredited (for example, through the Australian Federation of Travel Accreditation ATAS scheme) or has received another stamp of approval. These companies are required to meet certain professional standards and criteria and should have dispute resolution options in place. Search for an ATAS-accredited agent. Look for an agent who advertises their services and any deals clearly. Choose an agent who listens closely to what you want, answers your questions, makes appropriate suggestions and explains any terms and conditions. It also lists all of your rights, tips for booking stuff overseas, has a super handy FAQ, and contact details for each States Consumer Protection and Fair Trading Agencies! As a travel agent, and a ‘seasoned’ traveller, I highly recommend jumping on board and keeping up to date with the latest. The travel world is everchanging after all, and the last thing you want is a ruined holiday.
No more dicking around, here’s THTH’s ultimate review of Slipknot’s .5: The Gray Chapter. Five albums in, there’s honestly nothing much to say about Slipknot’s latest effort. As a follow-up to 2008’s All Hope is Gone, .5: The Gray Chapter sits quite nicely, but in the whole scheme of things, since after Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), the band has toned down their maniacal, frenzied and hectic sound, tightened up their scattered and sporadic arrangements and wrapped their tracks up in nice neat little accessible packages. Where Corey’s screams and growls would have been in the past been replaced with, like, proper singing, song structures of old have been replaced with friendlier softer/heavier alternating verses and choruses and what may have sounded overwhelmingly heavy and like an impenetrable assault on older albums now sounds like easy listening. There are a couple of pretty heavy tracks on .5: The Gray Chapter but there are also a lot of tracks that just aren’t terribly heavy by Slipknot’s own standards they set with their first three albums, all of which were pretty varied. .5: The Gray Chapter and All Hope is Gone are pretty similar and could easily have been a double album except for the six- year gap between them. Where Slipknot’s songwriting is strongest on the album is their moodier, slower and somewhat haunting closer ‘If Rain is What You Want’. Once upon a time the band would never have left so much space in a song but here the restraint and building of mood works: if the focus is on creating a more progressive and moodier set of tracks then the maturation of the band will be complete. As it sounds now, it’s almost as if they’re too old, lacking the necessary fight and anger to create their trademark sound. They need to move forth and evolve or else we’re going to be stuck with a bunch of rich guys acting poorly like pissy-pants teenagers when in fact they’ve got the chops to evolve into their next iteration. In other news… Dream Deceivers, the 1992 documentary about the Judas Priest suicide trial, has finally been released on DVD and digital download. 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 plus special guests Portal will play the Northcote Social Club on Friday, November 14. Hand of Mercy, Hellions and Void of Vision will play The Evelyn Hotel on Thursday, November 13. An all-ages show takes place at the Phoenix Youth Centre 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. Trivium and In Flames will be at 170 Russell on Sunday, November 23 and Monday, November 24. Thy Art is Murder and Psycroptic will play The Hi-Fi on Saturday, December 13 and Ringwood OLP on Sunday, December 14. Marduk with special guests Inquisition will tear the Northcote Social Club to shreds on Wednesday, January 14. The 2015 Melbourne Soundwave festival will be held on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22.
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Refining the Palette
CLUNES BOOKTOWN FOR KIDS – Family Fun Day …come back to a world before Vegemite!
The Colour Spectrum: Joshua Maxwell de Hoog Written by Amanda Sherring / Photo by Genevieve Walshe
Joshua Maxwell de Hoog’s artworks instantly catch your eye. Shades of red sit comfortably on top of splotches of green and it’s as if Joshua has reinterpreted the colour spectrum into the characters in his paintings. When I met with Joshua late one afternoon, I imagined his fashion would reflect the objects he paints. But to my surprise he was dressed head-to-toe in black, though by mere coincidence rather than choice. Despite his colourful artworks there was an undeniable calmness that Joshua evoked. His most recent collection of paintings were based around autism and schizophrenia and were exhibited at Courthouse ARTS. “This series is based on autism and schizophrenia, they’re childish paintings and really scattered and thematically scattered,” Joshua says. While this isn’t something Joshua has personally experienced, it’s still something he finds fascinating and has often come across in his work as a photographer. “I photograph a lot of people on the spectrum and my mind thinks spectrum, that’s the colour spectrum, it just made me think of paintings and from there I wanted to paint about it,” he says. “It’s really interesting, and the name of my exhibition is Hands Over Ears Won’t Stop the Voices because lots of autistic kids put their hands over their ears as if someone is talking to them, even when it’s dead silent.” As Joshua has mentioned, each painting is drawn in a “childish” way, yet they manage to encompass everything he set out for. Even the process of painting itself was an opportunity for Joshua to let his mind wander and experience just a glimpse of what his subject matter was about. “When I’m painting it definitely heightens my awareness of myself,” Joshua says. “I’m really trying to tune into what my mind is telling me to paint, because it’s all imagination based. It’s just allowing your mind to take over your body and not be worried to make mistakes.” It takes a special artist to let themselves go like Joshua does, and his talent is evident, especially for someone who hasn’t pursued tertiary studies in the arts. It seems those around him can see his talent, and a past teacher at Covenant College could also see his future. “My old art teacher was great, she’s awesome and she just links me on to contacts and galleries and things like that,” he says. When you factor in that Joshua is also a skilled analogue photographer and sings in a band, it’s no wonder his teacher is still giving him guidance. Though when faced with the question of his talent, Joshua is more than modest in his reply. “I don’t know about that,” he laughs looking down at the table, “I try, I just dabble in a bit of everything I guess.” Still so early in his career it’s hard to say where Joshua will go, for now he hopes to one day be exhibited at Boom Gallery, though we’re sure he’ll get much farther than that. MORE INFO: joshuamaxwelldehoog.tumblr.com or www.joshuamaxwelldehoog.com
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Did you know that the early 1900s saw the invention of teddy bears, crayons, cellophane, cornflakes and radio. Australia became a nation, women got the vote and the Great War forged the ANZAC tradition? • Featuring 13 awardwinning children’s authors and illustrators.
The festival entry pass gives you access to all talks, readings, exhibitions, lost trades village, workshops and more. A full day of fun for just $20 a single, $70 a group of four, toddlers free! around Clunes.
WHEN: Sat 1 Nov.
• Explore the Children’s Village of Lost Trades.
clunesbooktown.com.au/ festivals/family
10.30am – 5pm. INFO: www.
Great company, great social event and of course it’s just at the right time to provide people with a wonderful piece of art for Xmas. This is a three week “Off the Wall” show (i.e. when an art work is sold it may be taken by the purchaser). There will be a maximum size set on each work: 50cm x 40cm (including frame). One
SHALLOWS Sydney artist Adrian Lockhart’s minimalist, lyrical works come from a lifetime’s observation of people interacting with the ocean, where waves break into the shallow water that surfers call the ‘impact zone’. Lockhart says it’s the ‘wave dance’ in and around the shoreline that has inspired his forthcoming exhibition. Adrian was born in Queenstown, on the west coast of Tasmania. He moved to Launceston
PATHWAYS IN PAPER, PEN & INK – Jenny Jaidlaw A new exhibition of works by artist Jenny Laidlaw will be shown at the Eagles Nest Gallery in Aireys Inlet.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Join in and celebrate ETCH Gallery and Studios first birthday. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase what you’ve been up to and to display your work on some gallery walls.
Join 10 String Spanish classical guitarist, Matthew Fagan, for an evening of classical guitar at its emotive and technical best.
WHERE: Various venues
• Story telling, workshops, reading, ideas and fun.
Pre Christmas Off The Wall Exhibition FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EXHIBITION
VIRTUOSO – A Homage to my Ancestors!
WHERE: Aireys Inlet Fine Art Gallery. 50 Great Ocean
Road, Aireys Inlet, VIC.
WHEN: Champagne Opening: Sat 1 November at 3pm.
Exhibition dates: 1-28 Nov.
INFO: www.eaglesnestgallery.com.au
work may be larger at the discretion of the selection panel. 3D works to be no more than 50cm h x 30cm w x 30cm d. If a work is sold you may submit another at no additional cost. Please contact Robyn 0425815004 or email etchgallery@outlook.com for a submission form. Exhibition starts Wed 3 Dec and opening night is Fri 5 of Dec 2014. WHERE: Etch Gallery and
Studios, 215 Moorabool Street, Geelong. WHEN: Deadline for
submissions: 15 Nov. INFO: www.
etchgalleryandstudios. com
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) Directed by: Geoff Gaskill. Who’s afraid of William Shakespeare? We aren’t. We are going to make Big Willy memorable as short and funny. This is a romp through all thirty-seven of Will Shakespeare’s plays and aims to outPython Monty. A small number of brave actors will brazenly blend the best of Shakespeare with the bottom of the
with his family in 1952 and in 1962 joined “The Examiner” as a junior artist where deadlines meant thinking and working at great speed. In 1970 he moved to Sydney and while working as a successful art director he continued to paint. By the early 1980s he decided to concentrate on painting full-time.
second exhibition with Metropolis Gallery. His paintings are represented in major national and international collections.
Adrian Lockhart has exhibited in solo exhibitions throughout Australia for the past 30 years and this is Adrian’s
Gallery, Geelong.
WHEN: 7-22 Nov. INFO: metropolisgallery.
com.au
Featuring a stunning repertoire including Flight of the BumblebeeRimsky-Korsakov, Caprice No. 24-Niccolò Paganini, Rondo `A La Turca`-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Czardas Hungarian Dance-Vittorio Monti, Traditional Summer and Winter First Movements from “The Four Seasons” - Antonio Vivaldi, Flamenco Dance
This will be a truly special night of classical music performed with renewed vigour, passion and technicality. Matthew Fagan has toured with an extraordinary array of the world’s greats, including: Natalie Cole; The Original Buena Vista Social Club; Shirley Bassey; Michael Crawford and Billy Connolly. Billy quoted that “Matthew is the best Guest Artist that I have ever toured with”. WHERE: Qdos Arts and
Sculpture Park, Allenvale Road, Lorne. WHEN: Sat 8 Nov.
8.15pm.
INFO: www.qdosarts.com
absurdity barrel. WHERE: Woodbin
Theatre. 15 Coronation Street, Geelong West, WHEN: 21 Nov-26 Dec. INFO: tix from GPAC:
5225 1200. www.gpac. org.au
If you can’t make it to opening night and you’d like to have a chat with the artist, Adrian will be at Metropolis Gallery from 2pm Saturday 8 November. WHERE: Metropolis
Matthew Fagan presents a spectacular musical journey celebrating the Parkes family, Matthew’s internationally renowned Virtuoso Ancestors.
“Solearas” and Spanish Dances, “El Vito” & “La Partida” and Carolan’s Harp Music and Lute Music arranged especially for 10 String.
PICTURED: Adrian
Lockhart Three Bathers and Striped Towel 2014 Mixed media on paper 150 x 100 cm
DAYLESFORD ART SHOW Daylesford Art Show is a major annual event celebrating visual art in Daylesford and across Victoria. Held over the Melbourne Cup Weekend each year to celebrate, participate and honour local artists. This year Gordon Morrison (Director, Ballarat Art Gallery) has agreed to judge the event once again. The Daylesford Art Show is an opportunity for the public to purchase art from select local and national artists and for artists to sell direct to the public, to make contacts
and to build a relationship with buyers and potential buyers. The Daylesford Art Show is now seen as a contemporary, friendly, high quality exhibition, firmly established as a must-visit event in many art buyers’ calendars. Last year brought together 114 of the most talented local and national artists, exhibiting almost 400 of their paintings. WHERE: Daylesford Town
Hall. 76 Vincent Street, Daylesford, VIC.
WHEN: 31 Oct – 3 Nov. INFO: daylesfordartshow.
com.au
Refining the Palette
Clementine Ford Written by Amanda Sherring
Emma Watson’s UN speech might have sparked conversations about equality, and while this was a one-off for the actress, advocating change is something Clementine Ford does on a daily basis. While Emma’s speech was created for a specific event, everything Clementine does originated from a much more organic process. Once she was aware of the inequality in Australia, she began calling herself a feminist and advocating for social change. “I kind of realised after I started studying it that the reason I was afraid to call myself a name, which basically just meant that I was interested in women’s equality and how society had made that into a dirty thing, was more reason than ever to claim the title for myself,” Clementine says. The wariness of labelling yourself as a feminist seems to be something that many supporters face, and since Clementine has come to terms with the title herself, she’s advocated to try and reduce the stigma connected to it, amongst other things. “People talk about rebranding it and changing it and how that will somehow solve feminists’ image problem,” she says. “There will always
be a backlash against it. You could call it Sparkle Motion Glitterhand and people would be like, ‘Ooooh those Sparkle Motion Glitterhander’s, they’re just really angry all the time!’ So it’s not about the word but what the movement is trying to do. You can’t create social change without a lot of people becoming very uncomfortable.” Changing people’s opinions enforced into them by society is a hard task, yet it’s something that Clementine is achieving one mind at a time via her posts on social media, columns and public appearances. It certainly helps that throughout it all Clementine has maintained her personal connection to the issue, even going as far as sharing her own stories when many in the public eye would shy away from such an act. Recently Clementine spoke out about abortion rights and her personal experience. “Just being able to control our bodies is key. If you actually know anything about abortion figures, unsafe abortion is one of the top five killers of pregnant women worldwide, and it’s 95 per cent preventable,” Clementine says. “It’s also been demonstrated by health organisations that when
you provide women around the world, they are safer, they are healthier and they create better communities because they are empowered to have families that are the size they want to have.” Sharing such personal stories and voicing them so strongly does open you up to a lot of criticism, though with every negative comment Clementine receives, there’s a handful fighting alongside her. “This sounds really silly but I feel like the whole Jedi thing where they basically put their hands up and when rubbish gets sent to me I’m like (imitates force field sound). It’s ridiculous, but I feel like I’m dealing with children,” she says. Despite the personal attacks, Clementine will continue to educate men and women on the misjudgement of feminists and the lack of understanding when it comes to equality between the sexes. “We can be beautiful women and participate in every element of the patriarchy and we can still be feminists, and that’ll hopefully encourage all women to join in on the feminist movement,” Clementine says. WHEN&WHERE:
Deakin University - November 9 & Geelong West Town Hall - November 13
St. Goliath Written by Jessica Alves
It isn’t every day that you get three Aussie blokes so passionate about menswear that they decide to start a mens clothing line out of their garage, which is essentially what the founders of St. Goliath did way back in 2003. Today, the designs you see on St. Goliath clothing are all due to a very lovely man named Paul Cooper, the head designer for two years at St. Goliath. It took me less than five minutes in between walking in to St. Goliath HQ and being seated at a desk with Paul to conducting the interview. The office is a flurry of organised mayhem, with people running around all over the place, basically kicking arse and taking names. In saying that, you get the feeling that everybody there is really genuine and lovely, which was my experience with all of the people I got to
speak to, including Paul Cooper himself. “Music is a big source of inspiration for me personally, as well as travelling. I play music myself, I listen to a lot of music and I get really inspired by the culture you find in it,” Paul answered when I asked him to describe what kinds of things inspire the design of St. Goliath clothing. Having been a part of a band and seeing his personal style first hand, it is not at all difficult to see it reflected in the clothing St. Goliath offers. The graphics and the easy-to-wear colour palette of St. Goliath’s most recent collections are spot on, making any outfit really easy to style. You could wear St. Goliath head-to-toe and it wouldn’t look like a single branded outfit in the slightest, which is all thanks to its clever, subtle graphics and minimalism that makes it so accessible
and easy to chuck on and walk out the door. In my opinion, they’ve got down the perfect formula for a no fuss, but still very put together, outfit. “Another inspiration would be people. I’m a big ‘people watcher’. It can simply be people who come to gigs my band play [The Evening Cast], people hanging out at the beach to people sitting at airports. And just observing how the average person dresses and how people make certain trends work in everyday life.” It’s clear that St. Goliath have a ‘real-life’ human being in mind when putting together their collections, rather than the very strongly trend driven personalities we see plastered on fashion blogging sites. I managed to get a little sneak peak at some of the new collections coming out over summer, and I must say that it’s so nice to see a brand who aim to bring quality to their customers without any sort of ridiculous price tags attached. There’s nothing worse than buying a top, wearing and washing it, only to have it unravel in your hands. Having studied fabrics in the past, I’m confident in saying that St. Goliath have definitely proven that they value good materials that will wash and wear beautifully. It’s unexpectedly refreshing to talk to someone who is able to travel for work and still have time to play in a band, as well as do office hours. It seems like the dream, and Paul agrees.“I wake up every morning and I don’t feel like it’s a struggle to get out of bed,” Paul laughs. “I’ve honestly never woken up and felt like I didn’t want to go to work that day. For me, that feels pretty good.” WEBSITE:
stgoliath.com
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Refining the Palette
Courthouse ARTS: The Collective Written by Amanda Sherring / Photo by Daniel Longo
“We can’t change the past but we can certainly change the environment now to one that people will want to be involved in,” Courthouse ARTS general manger Jamie Smith says. After joining the team about six months ago, Jamie saw the opportunity in restructuring the organisation to achieve the best in its ability. As a result big things are about to change for the youth arts centre. The venue itself isn’t changing, but the roles within it are. Partially working from a quote by Sir Ken Robinson, English author, international advisor and TED speaker, Jamie managed to create a variety of new roles to form ‘The Collective’. “The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas, it’s to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they’re valued,” Sir Ken says. Following on from the successful creator program run at the Courthouse, the role will be split into six positions with a strong focus on creating unique content for the venue. “Having a collective of young people, the creative concepts will come from them. So we’re
really placing the creative power and decision making back with young people,” Jamie says. The six roles will cover programming around the topics of theatre, dance, visual arts, new media, Indigenous culture and writing, with each role running for 12 months and as a paid internship position. “It’s a cookie-cutter version of our current curator program internship, so it’s a $5,000 a year gig. The idea will be for each of the programmers to produce content, and that will vary,” he says. While each of these positions is new, something Courthouse ARTS hasn’t really focused on in the past is Indigenous culture. The ‘Bright Futures’ exhibition that ran a few weeks ago is a glimpse into what the new Indigenous culture role will create. “Geelong is a really culturally diverse city and I think we need to represent all of Geelong. I think any cultural organisation in Australia has a responsibility to embrace and celebrate our Indigenous culture and our heritage. That’s been evident to me that
it’s been missing from the organisation,” Jamie says. Several days before the announcement of these positions, Courthouse ARTS had applications open for four new fulltime positions within the organisation. These included the venue coordinator, creative program coordinator, youth engagement
coordinator and administration and finance coordinator. Each role plays a part in the venue’s restructure and in supporting The Collective. “The new staffing restructure is based around creating new framework, so our young collective will be almost like our community pulse of what’s happening in Geelong
and what’s happening in the town within the creative sector,” Jamie says. “There’ll be a constant dialogue and we’ll be able to stay on trend and stay current. And I think the risk for any organisation in any industry is to stay current, and that takes a lot of time, resource, energy and focus, but we will have the creative
collective and that will be a day to day focus for us.” As these positions are open for those aged 18 to 26 years old the venue isn’t expecting applicants to have a wealth of experience. They simply want the best fit for The Collective and the venue. “It comes down to personality, motivation, dreams, vision and
the ability to do the work,” he says. “The age range is there to mentor and to progress young creative in the arts industry, so they’re not going to have fully-fleshed CV’s, but they need to have shown an interest through their school career or their personal career that that’s what they are there for.”
For anyone wanting a career in the arts these positions are a great start, and are also a great chance of being involved in a major restructure for one of the biggest players in the arts scene for Geelong. To apply or find out more, visit courthouse. org.au and follow the links. Applications close November 21.
my eye on a fascinator from Hats by Leighanne Michelle for a while and there’s $50 off on Sidewalk Sales day!” Ms Brough went on to say. The Event Hub in Lt Malop St Central is a mini-festival in itself and will include: • Live music performances from Imogen Brough and Claudia Brough • A ‘Garden Party’ area with street food by Pistol Pete’s and The Cocoa Tree Cafe • A pamper marquee offering complimentary mini massages, facials and manicures • Complimentary finger food samples by Pivot Stove and Heating The Park and Ride Service has been extended
for the day to assist shoppers from 10.00am to 4pm. This FREE service will operate on a continuous loop approximately every 30 minutes between Upper Hearne Parade and Central Geelong. Last year, over 30,000 people flocked to Central Geelong for Melbourne Cup Day to enjoy a fun day out. This year, event organisers are hoping for even more. Event attendees will also have a chance to win a shopping spree – stay tuned to the Love Central Geelong Instagram page for more info. If you love a bargain and a great day out, be sure to grab a copy of the Central Geelong Sidewalk Sales Form Guide available on www. centralgeelong.com.au.
Geelong Sidewalk Sales This year’s Central Geelong Sidewalk Sales on Tuesday 4 November is set to be the biggest yet with over 220 participating businesses. This is Central Geelong’s largest annual sale day; it’s the day of the year people flock to Central Geelong for a fantastic day out, to snap up a bargain, to enjoy a long lunch and to be entertained. Businesses will be trading on the street and offering a huge range of special offers and sale items. The event’s ‘Form Guide’ will be available at centralgeelong.com.au and will feature over 200 special offers on fashion, home wares, services, electrical goods, food and more from street traders as well as Market Square and Westfield traders. It’s the day to enjoy a long lunch with over 30 special lunch offers on offer. Once lunch is done and dusted, there will plenty of spots to view all of the live action from Flemington and The Melbourne Cup Race at 3pm. A list of venues 60 forte
screening The Cup will be included in the ‘Form Guide’ and at www. centralgeelong.com.au It’s also a great day to get items ticked off your to do list: make a hair appointment, take out private health insurance and book that holiday with special offers from Central Geelong’s huge range of professional service businesses. “I’ve been attending the Central Geelong Sidewalk Sales for years with my sisters, mum and friends. For us, it’s always been a perfect girls day out. Central Geelong is buzzing with people, spring is here and there’s a festival like atmosphere in the air,” said Central Geelong Sidewalk Sales Ambassador, Imogen Brough. “I’m thrilled to be performing again this year and to have my youngest sister Claudia performing as a lead singer in Sweethearts of Swing. As much as we’re looking forward to performing, we’re also looking forward to snapping up a bargain. I’ve had
Looking for a head start in the ARTS ?
Courthouse ARTS is seeking expressions of interest from emerging artists and arts professionals (aged 18-26) to join the curatorial team for 2015. 6 paid internships available, including -
VISUAL ARTS
NEW MEDIA
DANCE
THEATRE
WRITING
INDIGENOUS CULTURE
For more information, email to: gm@courthouse.org.au or phone: 5224 2815
www.courthouse.org.au
The Creative Collective is a new programming initiative that will drive the artistic vision of Courthouse ARTS. The Creative Collective will collaborate, produce, network and profile the emerging arts scene in Geelong. This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on professional arts experience in the operations of an important youth arts organisation. Positions commence in January 2015 and run through to December 2015
Applications open from 27th Oct - 21st Nov
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Lauren Glezer
When&Where: The Breslin Gallery – November 9
Q&A
It wasn’t all that long ago that Lauren Grazer found herself trekking through India. As travel can often do, her heart and soul was opened to a calling. For Lauren, that was music. Come with us now and share in her journey.
Hi Lauren, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? Thanks for chatting to me! I just returned from filming Balcony TV in Sydney yesterday and currently I’m in sunny Canberra for a few days, which is really lovely. I have been very busy with the launch of my EP Searching for Tall. I’ve had lots on with all of it. It was really sweet of you to dedicate the track ‘This Living’ to your dad. Has he been a big supporter in what you do? Oh thank you. He has been an incredible support as well as being an all-round amazing man. I can really count on him for everything – hugs, love and of course money (when it’s been a tough month). I think it is a greater dream of his than mine that I become a famous musician. He supports me all the way, in every way. My mum is amazing, too. My dad seems to get the spotlight though because I wrote the song about him. The clip focuses on businessmen in suits.
Do you think you could ever work in a corporate job? Hahaha! Not if my life depended on it. I tried to work in an office a year or so ago – I think I lasted one week. I am really learning that some people are built for offices and others are born to run free in fields. What would you be doing if you weren’t a musician? Writing poems or working with people in some capacity. I’m considering becoming a teacher so I can have a desk with a red apple on it and write songs about the fact that I have a desk with a red apple on it. You’ve said that your EP is about self-discovery. Since creating the release, do you now feel comfortable in who you are? Wow, great but scary question. Yes and no. I think the more we search, the more we find. So for those that are brave enough to search, things can get more difficult before they get comfortable. However, I will say I’ve developed a mean tool belt to help me through the tough times … and I really think that’s how we become more comfortable within ourselves.
There’s quite a lot of emotive content in your songs. Do you ever get emotional playing them live? You noticed my songs are emotional? I was sure I kept that way under wraps – haha, kidding! For sure, I get emotional playing them. Usually when they are newer songs or the person I have written the song about is sitting in the audience. Now that can be confronting!
The Preatures
harmonious (including the one we share with ourselves). Thanks again for taking the time to chat. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? Thank you! I love a good interview. I guess I would just like to express my gratitude to anyone that is listening to my music and supporting us musicians in general. You rock!
When&Where: Barwon Club - November 20 & The Forum - November 22
Written by Jessica Alves / Photo by Cybele Malinowski
The first time I ever saw The Preatures play was way back in 2013 when they opened for Hungry Kids of Hungary on their You’re a Shadow tour. Admittedly, I had absolutely no clue who they were as a band, but I instantaneously knew that I was picking up what they were putting down and I’ve been following them ever since – waiting, and praying, for an album. My prayers were finally answered when it was announced that The Preatures were bringing out their very first album, Blue Planet Eyes. The album dropped on the 26th of September and not long after they announced a tour. It’s as if the big guy upstairs heard me, opened up the heavens and somehow out fell everything I’d been waiting to hear from the band. It was total bliss. The band is currently on tour in the US, but not to worry, they’re bringing it to Australian shores soon enough. Gideon Bensen, guitarist and vocalist for the band, was kind enough to join me on the phone so that we could have a little chat about their adventures so far. “I guess we’ve done quite a lot in the time that we’ve been a band. We’ve done a lot of touring and a lot of recording and it’s kind of moulded us into what you’re seeing on stage today,” says Gideon after telling him about the first time I saw them live. Although they have developed and changed as a band, their stage presence has maintained the same high energy the whole way through their journey together, which translates well on their album. Blue Planet Eyes features songs such as ‘It Gets Better’,
You are known for being an honest performer. Will we see this side of you at the Breslin Gallery gig? If I turn up to a gig that side of me will too. She follows me everywhere I go – both a blessing and a curse. I believe music is a tool for us to share our experiences honestly and create more joy in the world. By being ourselves and connecting honestly, all relationships become more
‘Somebody’s Talking’ and of course ‘Is This How You Feel?’ – all very high energy songs that perfectly encompass the same energy that you would see if they were on stage right in front of you. “We had sort of a big picture idea of what we wanted to create but, at heart, we were still playing around with a lot of things and a lot of ideas,” says Gideon on the creation of the album. “It was really after all the travelling around and experimenting that the album really began to take shape, because that’s when it began to develop its own personality.” Through chatting to Gideon the topic of the album cover was brought up, which features a stunning shot of Isabella, the lead vocalist of the band. “It was just a great shot. Tom (the bass guitarist of the band) and Isabella were at his place. Tom had a bath there and it just kind of happened. It was just a strong photo. You want something strong and striking on the album that, you know, says something about what the album is about, you know? And I think it did that.” The band has a very different sound compared to a lot of music that has been on the radio lately, particularly on the album. I asked Gideon if they had been
inspired by any kind of music they’d been listening to when they were writing, to which his answer made the influence very clear. “We were listening to a lot of different stuff whilst making the album, but there was a lot of Prince, a lot of Talking Heads. Here We Go Magic was another band that influenced us. But inherently it’s just always been about songs and writing songs because it’s just what we love to do.” The Blue Planet Eyes tour is only making two stops in Victoria: November 20th at the Barwon Club in Geelong and on November 22nd at The Forum in Melbourne. Admittedly, I haven’t seen them play since their opening days, but I sure as hell won’t be missing out on them when they come down to Geelong. If they’re as good as they were the last time I saw them, it’ll be a show that you don’t want to miss.
Elodie Adams Q&A
When you hear the words “neo-gothic rock queen” strung together, it gets you curious enough to track down the person in question. The person we found was Elodie Adams. Hopefully reading those words has you curious enough to spend a little time with her also. You won’t regret it. Hi Elodie, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? Hey Amanda! I just arrived home from the gym. It’s 9.p.m. and I’m listening to Muse, drinking English Breakfast Tea and mentally preparing myself to answer these questions... How are you feeling having your debut release inSUBORDINATE out and available for the world to hear? I feel relieved, actually! There was a period of time, around the middle of production, where I thought I wouldn’t be able to emotionally cross that line and say, ‘That’s it, we’ve finished’. I kept on wanting to make changes. The process had been going on for so many months I had lost perspective and couldn’t hear what I hear now so clearly. If it wasn’t for my producer who listened to me, encouraged me and enabled me to pull myself together, I don’t know if the EP would be on iTunes right now.
You’ve already got one of the tracks on a new best-selling PlayStation game Oddworld: New ’n’ Tasty. Is that a pretty surreal thing? It is such a surreal thing, I don’t know if it has really hit me properly yet. The day the game was released back in July, I woke up, turned on my phone and it wouldn’t stop buzzing for about 20 minutes due to all the notifications from Oddworld fans on social media. It was a very, very strange feeling. Are you much of a gamer? To be honest, my life has become so much of a frenzied blur over the past few years, these days I really only have time to work and sleep. All other aspects of my life have to be put on hold to make room for how busy I am becoming with my music career. However, I am definitely a nerd. I love anime, manga and video games. I love going to arcades. I love to cosplay. I love attending conventions. Some of the fondest memories from my childhood are from attending cons … Actually, my first professional gig was at a pop culture con. In ‘Born to Love You’ the song
ReLEASE: inSUBORDINATE out now
explores the idea of having two sides – the real you and the fantasy you. Is this something you’ve experienced now you’re in the public eye? Yes, it has become much more difficult to separate the two now. In saying that, I think every great artist has an internal muse they use to creatively express themselves, but I also think that prohibits them from really investing in others, so as to avoid breaking the illusion.
You’ve grown up playing classical music from an early age. What is it you love about it? Everything! I connect to classical music in a way I can’t connect to anything else. When I hear classical music I feel vulnerable, fragile ... able to give love, able to accept to love. I feel compassionate. Empathetic ... I yearn to experience the entire range of my emotional capacity as a human being. Classical music makes the world shine with beauty through the lens of rose-coloured glasses.
What does music mean to you? Without music, my life would be inconsequential. Thanks again for chatting with us. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one’s mistakes – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. forte 63
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Bag Raiders Written by Jessica Alves
Electro-pop, for lack of a better term, has become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades and as a result there has been a massive influx of musicians who decide to pursue that genre of music. However it’s very rare that you find artists who do it quite as well as Bag Raiders.
Originally Bag Raiders duo, Jack Glass and Chris Stracey, were most renowned for their remixes, of which they’ve done a lot of and have continued to do through the years. However, everything changed for them when they brought out their very first album in 2010. The album was self-titled and contained some very chilled out, easy listening summer tunes. You would probably recognise songs like ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Shooting Starts’, arguably being the most popular on the album. “The thought of doing an album seemed like a cool challenge at the time,” said Chris on the self-titled album. “It was a good opportunity for us to explore that different side of music making that wasn’t just straight-up club stuff. The club stuff is fun, but it’s also really fun to be able to experiment with different genres as well.” Excitingly enough, Bag Raiders were announced on the line-up for the Beyond the Valley festival that runs from the 30th of December this year
to the 1st of January 2015, right through New Year’s. Chris Stracey, one half of the duo, had some very exciting news to share about their set. “We definitely have some new stuff, super top secret stuff that nobody has really heard before which we’re keen to try out on stage,” Chris excitedly announced. “We don’t have any set dates yet for album releases or anything like that, but there’ll definitely be some new stuff planned for the people at Beyond the Valley.” But not to worry, Beyond the Valley goers, he also confirmed that they will be playing the classics as well. On the topic of album number two, Chris ever so kindly let me in on another few little secrets about release dates. Chris explains, in a not so vague manner, that “It’s looking like there might be something coming out later in the year, like a track. I think it’s likely to see a single out in January, then the full album maybe a couple of months after that.” This is super exciting news for Bag Raider fans out there. I for one may or may not have internally squealed when Chris gave the news that a new Bag
Raiders album was well on the way. However, on the topic of album names he absolutely refused to spill the beans, confirming that the running title so far is to be “album number two” until further notice. Laughing off the subject, he went on to reassure
“Dalli is really good, he’s one of my best friends in the whole world and he’s a great guy.” His single ‘Down This Road’ is out now. “I’d been friends with the guys from Left. for a while before I knew they made such awesome music. They released an amazing single ‘When My Body Sleeps’ about a month or so ago and it’s so good. So so good.” Thelma’s voice softens in awe, then continues: “They’re a little more electronic sounding so it’s a good segue into my new set.” As the triple j Unearthed winner back in 2012 (followed closely by wins at the NIMAS and the Deadly Awards), Thelma went on to bewitch us all with her debut EP (Rosie, 2013) of perfectly-penned acoustic ditties. Tracks like ‘Father Said’, ‘Dollar’ and the lead single ‘Around Here,’ though sounding deceptively simple, showcase Thelma’s exceptional talent for storytelling through her warm, melodic tones. Now in 2014, after a sold-out tour across the country, Thelma has emerged stronger and bolder, ditching her constant companion,
her acoustic guitar, in favour of a full band complete with electronic beats. ‘Monsters’ is an honest, insightful, more mature sounding offering from an artist not afraid to push her boundaries and lay her soul bare. “Oh there’s been so many highlights in the last couple of years, but the biggest I suppose was making the Monsters EP. The process was amazing, something I will never forget and always be really grateful for. Having the finished product now is pretty incredible and very exciting. I am so proud of how it turned out.” Thelma Plum is living her dream, and that’s enough for now. “I do get asked a lot about making an LP but I have no plans for that ’til at least next year. I’ve got a lot of growing to do, both as a person and a songwriter, before I’m ready to record an album,” Thelma replied candidly. “I’m just enjoying taking everything as it comes. I’m looking forward to summer. “I’m playing Falls Festival and have a couple other things coming up that I’ll keep you posted about, but in the meantime come and party with us!”
When&Where: Beyond the Valley, Phillip Island - 30 Dec to 1 Jan
that, “We do have a name that we’re testing out, but we haven’t made it official yet.” With a few things to look forward to in terms of Bag Raider related events, it’s clear to say that they both love what they do and want to be doing it for some time to come. “I think we’ve always approached music
with that same genuine love, you know?” Chris says. “We just really love doing what we’re doing. Even when we’ve been working hard on album tracks, if we’re kind of close to finishing an album, or just starting a new song, it’s what we love to do.”
Thelma Plum Written by Natalie Rogers
Unlike her namesake, a sweet slice of Thelma Plum can be enjoyed all year round, so to celebrate the release of her second EP Monsters, Thelma is hitting the road with a few friends in tow. Destined to be all treat no trick, Thelma says she’s planning to get into the spirit and show us her spooky side.
“The cover of my new EP is me with the imaginary monster that lived in my cupboard growing up,” Thelma admits with a grin. “And we will be playing a show on Halloween. We’re all going to get dressed up, I can’t wait! It should be a really fun, everyone should definitely come down. It’s going to be one big party!” Thelma and her party posse are heading to our (eerie?) neck of the woods early next month. Handpicked for her Victorian shows is Melbourne’s new gentleman of lyrical bass and beats, Dalli, and Sydney’s electronic duo Left., featuring vocalist Sarah Corry and guitarist Jono Graham (also of Made In Japan). “All three of them are beautiful friends of mine so I’m really happy that we can all experience this together,” Thelma said happily. “I love the fact that I’m going to have my mates on the road with me. I also love their music – they’re incredible musicians.
When&Where: The Karova, Ballarat – November 7; The Corner, Melbourne – Nov 8; & Beav’s Bar, Geelong – Nov 9
DEAD Written by Tex Miller
DEAD is about to converge on yet another lap of the country with their punkinfused rock and roll show, and to celebrate they are about to release yet another album. Talking about their 2013 (and most recent) release, Idiots, at the start of the interview, it is quite a surprise to learn that Captains of Industry is going to be released at the upcoming Geelong show at the Barwon Club. Speaking with Gem, the drummer for the group, I am quick to learn that DEAD is a lot more commercially successful abroad than in Australia.
“I think the main reason behind that is that Australia is quite conservative with its art and music. What we do pushes the boundaries a little bit and although I don’t think of our music as that weird, we are a lot bigger overseas. It’s a little sad but that’s the fact of the matter; you have to go to where the audiences are, and for the most part that is abroad.” Recorded in just three days, the new album retains a lot of the magic that made Idiots so successful. Although the band used a different studio and producer for Captains of Industry, the same philosophy and principle of simplistic recording methods was once again followed. “We finished the last tour and headed straight 66 forte
into the studio with all of these tracks and laid them down very quickly. We would like the opportunity to go over the songs a lot more, but that costs a lot of money and time, of which we don’t have. “It’d be nice to make an album as produced as Dark Side of the Moon but you make the most of the resources at your disposal. Although there is no particular influence to this record, there are snippets here and there of different bands that we have played with over the years,” Gem said. Having played in bands together for years, Gem and Jace always wanted to create music – and a lack of enthusiasm by other members allowed for DEAD to start up. From looking at a few YouTube clips of their live performances, it is a very sweaty and high energy affair. “We wanted to tour more and record more and it felt really natural to just do this duo thing. I literally booked a national tour for us before we had even written a song. Jace writes really fast and so we always have a whole heap of new material lying around. Although 90 per
When&Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – November 6; The Eastern, Ballarat – November 7; and The Bridge, Castlemaine – November 8
cent of the DEAD stage show is written, there is a lot of room for improvisation when we sit down to write new material. Stuff gets down when you set yourself a deadline, and that’s our work ethic in DEAD.” Over the next month, DEAD
will play a whole heap of regional shows in support of the new album. Tearing up stages in Geelong, Ballarat and Castlemaine, the upcoming tour is going to be nothing short of a sweaty, headbanging, dance affair. With Japanese friends Ithaqua along for the ride, be sure to head out and see one of Australia’s
hardest working rock bands in action. “I can’t tell you how excited we are to head out and play some regional areas. There is going to be a lot of shenanigans and great music on this trip, so if that’s your thing, come down!”
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Inside Splinters
Written by Adem Ali. For more music news and reviews follow @AdemWithAnE on Twitter!
I N S I D E S P L I N T E R S g ets I nti m ate & L i v e w it h
L A ' S P u r pl e C r u s h , Ra j a G e m i n i a n d J o s h P e ac e .
THE NEW GWEN STEFANI SINGLE Holy Mother of God! ‘Baby Don’t Lie’ is MASSIVE! Welcome back, Gwen! PURPLE CRUSH, RAJA & JOSH PEACE
I hope you enjoy my interview with these four totally cool-cats. MILEY CYRUS IN CONCERT
The BANGERZ tour was a complete hot mess. A total blast, but a hot mess nonetheless. JESSICA LANGE SINGING LANA DEL REY ON AMERICAN HORROR STORY
The second song (that we know of ) to come from J-Lange’s run of the current season; make all of our Christmas dreams come true and give us a full album please.
Los Angeles is brimming with freedom and creativity, so much so that it was inevitable for these four artistic souls to have teamed up on a collaborative affair. Purple Crush (wife and hubby duo Isla and Jared), legendary producer Josh Peace and world renowned drag queen Raja Gemini (who you may remember as the winner of Season 3’s RuPaul’s Drag Race) worked for six months, on-and-off, on the production of ‘Shock and Awe’, a truly hypnotic and Yoko Ono-inspired slab of dance music that has already shoehorned itself as one of the best releases of the year. I was lucky enough to sit down with all four parties via the wonderful world of Skype to talk creative inspiration, California, and... well, the power of Weed. What was the inspiration behind this beautiful musical alliance? RAJA: Marijuana! (Laughter) ISLA: Well...
or
RAJA: MARIJUANA. ISLA: End scene! (More laughter) RAJA: Let’s keep it real! I mean,
THE NEW FERGIE SINGLE
Come ON Fergie-Ferg, we all expect better from you!
X-FACTOR At least it’s finally OVER.
we do live in California where it is virtually legal for us to have it here, but ultimately we’re just a great group of artists that live in a really beautiful place. There’s a lot of freedom as an artist to live in Los Angeles. In New York you’re constantly influenced by other people whereas in L.A., we have so much room and space. It’s like living in Australia. But like, sicker (Laughter). ISLA: It’s the Hollywood
version of Australia!
“Our biggest threat is the shame and selfloathing we inflict upon ourselves. The calls are coming from inside the house.” Supermodel of the World @RuPaul is right on the money.
Speaking of all things Australian, Raja, who visited our fair shores back in March for a tour of the nation, is returning with Drag Race alumni Delta Work, Manila Luzon and Carmen Carrera in December for another nation-wide tour she is seemingly excited for. RAJA: Yeah, I fucking love Australia,
I can’t wait for December! But yes, L.A. is definitely the Hollywood version of Australia. There’s a luxury in the way we live and the fact that we just get to do things freely. JOSH: After we finished work
on Raja’s first single ‘Diamond Crowned Queen’, I was trying to really think of a way to showcase Raja as a recording artist, but in a different light. Something that I think is different from the avalanche of (RuPaul’s Drag Race) Queens singles that are out there. RAJA: You know, the Drag-Cunt
track. (Laughter.) There’s always lines like “I’m so fierce. Shoes!” and, you know, I’m not really that person. In May of this year, Raja unleashed the absolute artistic peak of her solo music career to date with the release of a video to her infectious single ‘Zubi Zubi Zubi’. The single remains the absolute best Drag Race Queen release to date, with one of the most visually arresting videos of the year. JOSH: After Raja released ‘Zubi Zubi
Zubi’ and I heard the style of it, I thought that it was a really great fit for her. And these guys... Jared’s a great musician, guitarist and rocker at heart. RAJA: That’s what I’m attracted to,
coz I love music and I love people who have the ability to play an instrument rather than just doing it all via digital or autotune. I love rock, and there’s a great balance in our friendship that really works. You know, just before we sat down to do this interview with you we were actually talking about starting a band. Hit us up in a few months because I think it’s a great idea. We’d sort of be like a 2014 B52’s! Husband and wife duo Purple Crush suffered through a turbulent few years, in particular when I initially met them back in 2011/2012. But in 2014, things are a lot more positive and, creatively,
they are in a better place than they’ve ever been. At the beginning of 2014 they released their first full-length feature album, Iconoclassic, which is handsdown one of the year’s finest releases. How majestic was it to finally get Iconoclassic out there? ISLA: Well, it’s funny you say
that because this last weekend I choreographed a show at the Museum of Contemporary Art and I brought a lot of Voguers together. And because we’ve been doing so much with the Voguing community we decided we’re ready to start another project, and it made me a little sad because we did a full album and there’s a lot of songs we still want to visualise. But here I am ready to start another project! Well my favourite on the album is “So B It”... JARED: Oh really?! ISLA: That’s one of the ones I wanted
to put a visual too! Okay, so I’m gonna have to do something for
that this Fall. A real witchy video. Yes! That’s what I had hoped. ISLA: But yeah, back to the album, it’s
FREE DOWNLOAD: ‘Shock & Awe (Shyboy Remix)’ - bit.ly/1nytggc
really good to have it out there and to have some momentum again. For a time there things were pretty rough weren’t they?
more collaborations down the line?
ISLA: We were sort of at a low point,
a great experiment, and again, that’s the luxury of living here in Los Angeles. We can do these experimentations and we don’t feel guilty about it because the weather is so fucking great... and the pot is free-flowing! (Uproar of laughter.)
yeah. Right now though, globally, something is happening. Things are coming full circle and 2007 is coming back and people are rediscovering the internet, as Facebook and the internet are sort of dying. I feel really blessed right now. We are surrounded by so many incredible artists. And to have been doing it for over ten years and to still feel inspired, we’re making the best music we’ve ever made at this point in our careers. I couldn’t ask for more. So clearly, with all of these plans to start a band together and the undeniable chemsitry that oozes from one simple play of ‘Shock and Awe’, there’s definitely going to be
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FORTE EXCLUSIVE!!
RAJA: Oh absolutely. This was
At the end of the interview, Purple Crush’s Isla announced she wanted to share a remix MP3 with the readers of Forte – the incredible DJ ShyBoy Remix of ‘Shock and Awe’ (see above box for link). Purple Crush’s debut album Iconoclassic, Raja’s latest single ‘Zubi Zubi Zubi’ and the Crush x Raja x Josh Peace remix EP for ‘Shock and Awe’ are all available now via iTunes.
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Film Reviews
Films reviewed by Anthony Morris
Kill the Messenger In 1996 Gary Webb ( Jeremy Renner) was a reporter covering the drug trade for mid-level US newspaper the San-Jose Mercury News when he was approached by a drug dealer’s wife with some explosive information: the government had mistakenly released to her (as part of her husband’s trial) documents proving that a major drug importer had been working with the CIA. Lifting the lid on a conspiracy that involved CIA-backed Central American rebels raising money to fight their war by smuggling drugs into the US – helping to create the crack epidemic in L.A .in the ’80s and ’90s – made Webb a star. It also made him a target, with the CIA threatening him directly and rival (and much bigger) newspapers taking apart his story piece by piece. As conspiracy thrillers go, this one (based on a true story) has an odd structure: uncovering the story (complete with a trip into a Central American hell prison to confer with a cartel boss,
Fury It’s World War II time yet again – it seems like only yesterday that Hitler was defeated, and yet WWII actually ended 69 years ago. Hollywood just can’t seem to let go, so it must be time to follow yet another unsung group of brave warriors as they face down the Nazis. Does anyone know who the “sung” heroes of WWII were? Fury is about a US tank crew – you’d have to say a tank would be pretty hard to ignore. But this is no ordinary tank crew: hard-bitten by years of conflict (though when cited their military record goes from North Africa directly to France – without any service in Italy they must have spent a year or so resting up), the crew of Sherman tank Fury, led by Don “Wardaddy” Collier
(Brad Pitt) is tough as nails. So tough, in fact, that when military clerk Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) is assigned to them in April 1945 to replace the tank’s assistant driver, his first job is to clean the dead guy’s blood – and half his face – off his new seat. His second job? To shoot an unarmed prisoner to prove he’s got what it takes to kill Nazis. This is the kind of war movie that thinks by making the leads brutal thugs it’s telling it like it is, resulting in a lot of laughable moments where we’re asked to believe the US Military – you know, the guys about to win the war – are wearing rags and are at the end of their tether while the Nazis are able to send hundreds of well-trained men marching across the countryside at will. Director David Ayers’
(writer of Training Day, writer/ director of End of Watch) action sequences are competent enough, so long as you ignore the way the Germans a): always shoot first then b): miss, giving the Allies plenty of opportunity to win the fight (and then shoot all the prisoners). A mid-movie tank battle where (briefly) the odds really do seem against our heroes is a high point; an ending that wants to be the climax of The Wild Bunch but ends up so unlikely (why would trained soldiers repeatedly run into machine gun fire) it’s laughable is not. The level or realism in the visuals, at least, is impressive; it’s good to know that if someone wanted to make a truly accurate look at World War II, it’s never been easier to do so.
the wr ap Gone Girl played by Andy Garcia) is clearly the first act, the blowback from that (cue lots of furrowed brows in board meetings and sinister figures in car parks) is act two, and then… there’s no act three. Webb did the right thing and his career (and more) was crippled by it; it’s a real-life story, but that doesn’t make it all that satisfying a conclusion. The big plus here is Renner, who seems to have loosened up a lot since his Bourne Legacy days. He plays Webb as a confident charmer who’s not quite as worried as he should be about the impact of his actions. The crusading journalist is a bit of a cliché, but here at least Renner makes him into someone we can believe in – and someone we can believe may just have cut a corner or two somewhere along the way.
Pride The year is 1984, and in the north and west of England the Miners’ Strike is starting to cause real hardship in many small communities as workers – going without income to protest Margaret Thatcher’s plan to close dozens of coal mines and put thousands out of work – struggle to make do. In London, gay activist Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) sees that the gay and lesbian community has a lot in common with the miners – they’re both oppressed groups, for starters – and together with a group of like-minded activists (including George Mackay as a shy 20-yearold new to the scene and Dominic West as a flamboyant stage actor) puts together the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners group to raise funds. Unfortunately the National Union of Mineworkers didn’t want to be associated with an openly gay organisation, so LGSM decided to go direct to one of the mining communities: Onllwyn, a small mining village in Wales. On a trip to London community organiser Dai
The best-selling novel is now a hit thriller – well, it’s a thriller unless you figure out the story’s many twists and turns (which aren’t all that hard to figure out), in which case the first section is a bit of a plod. But once the various mysteries are all out in the open this becomes a fun, if jet-black, satire on relationships and the way those outside of them are always quick to judge.
The Judge Robert Downey, Jr. plays his usual smart-mouthed smart guy – but twist!, his mother dies and he has to put his high-paid sleazy lawyer life on hold to go back to the small town where his Judge father (Robert Duvall) still hates him. Then the Judge is charged with murder. If you can’t guess who’s going to defend him, you might actually enjoy this by-the-numbers story.
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Donovan (Paddy Considine) soon bonds with them and invites them back to his village where some of the locals (including Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton) are welcoming and others are, well, less so. This is a feel-good tale with a pair of clouds hanging over it – it’s no spoiler to say that the miners lost the strike and AIDS decimated the gay community in the mid’80s – and this helps ground what could easily have been a featherlight tale of people learning that they’re not so different after all. It’s a compassionate film that manages to stir up real feeling around the on-screen struggles, turning a fairly predictable feel-good film into something with a real impact. And not just from seeing a lot of burly miner types learning to disco dance.
Liam Neeson is an ex-cop and ex-drunk unlicensed private eye hired to find the guys who kidnapped then chopped up the wife of a drug dealer. Things do not go smoothly
Annabelle Remember the evil doll from the start of The Conjuring? Hollywood sure does: this is the origin story of how that doll got to be so evil (here’s a hint: it involves a satanic cult). For a film with such a shoddy premise there are actually a few decent scares to be found here.
Dracula Untold If there’s one supernatural menace that didn’t need an origin story it’s Dracula – he’s the guy that makes vampires, not some guy who was turned into one. And yet this story of how Prince Vlad (Luke Evans) took on the powers of darkness to defend his kingdom from invading Turks is actually a decent, if fairly straightforward, origin story that treats the character with respect.
Tammy
Before I Go to Sleep
This is Where I Leave You Getting a bunch of white middle-class folks together to mourn a departed loved one must seem like sure-fire comedy gold to someone somewhere in Hollywood going by the amount of times it gets used as a comedy plot, but if this is any guide perhaps it’s time to let this set-up rest in peace for a while. After the sudden but not exactly surprising death of their father, the Altman family are called upon to sit shiva, a Jewish custom whereby they spend seven days sitting in the home of the departed while friends and family come visit. For Judd (Jason 76 forte
Bateman) this is both an escape and a chore: he’s been unemployed since he caught his shock jock boss sleeping with his wife. For his sister Wendy (Tina Fey) it’s a chance to reconnect with her old boyfriend and one true love Horry (Timothy Olyphant), who still lives across the road since a brain injury made him unable to fend for himself (or keep a relationship going with her). For their older brother Paul (Corey Stoll) it’s a chance to get angry at youngest brother Phillip (Adam Driver), the perpetual baby of the group. And for their mother (Jane Fonda), it’s a chance to talk about her new book while displaying a newly improved chest. Somehow despite all these goings-on this film has about as
much life in it as the corpse; jokes rarely fire, the performances are lifeless (Driver excluded – he seems to occasionally be having fun just messing around) and the story trudges along to a conclusion that means nothing and has no impact. It’s the kind of film that expects to be able to cruise for an hour on “family – what’re you gonna do, right?”, not realising that a bunch of people whose biggest problem is that there’s a small child in the house who likes to go potty on the front doorstep is hardly a compelling bunch to hang out with. … But at least there’s a scene where a bunch of bro dudes flip a car, so it’s not a complete loss.
Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman) wakes up with no idea of where she is – or who the man in bed with her is. Fortunately, the man (Colin Firth) knows what to do: his name is Mike, he’s her husband, and she has a special kind of amnesia that means every night when she goes to sleep she forgets everything she learnt during the day. In her head she’s still in her early twenties; in the mirror, she’s clearly pushing forty. It turns out she’s also undergoing treatment from a Dr. Nasch (Mark Strong), who’s given her a camera and asked her to record a video diary of her day-to-day life to help build up her memory. He’s also asked her to keep it hidden from her husband – but does he have a more sinister motive? Or is it Mike that’s keeping things from her? And if there are secrets in her past, are they hiding them from her because they’d be too much for her
to handle – what, with only having a day to come to terms with them – or is there something hidden in her past that holds the key to her future? This mystery-heavy story is hard to pull off, so it’s no real surprise that things start to get a bit wobbly towards the end. But the numerous twists and turns before that pile on the tension nicely, as the men around Christine manage to keep their various schemes and deceptions plausible even as the sense of menace grows. Kidman’s performance goes a long way towards holding it all together, as she makes Christine convincing both as a damaged and fragile woman and someone determined to uncover the truth despite the formidable odds against her. A tightly wound and claustrophobic thriller, this proves a little can go a very long way when it comes to building suspense.
Melissa McCarthy hams it up as a train wreck of a woman who, after her life falls apart, decides to go on a road trip with her cash-up grandmother (Susan Sarandon). Grandma ends up getting laid (a lot), Tammy robs a donut store, and this manages to be just a little bit more warm-hearted than you might expect for a film that opens with someone running over a deer.
The Maze Runner Our hero wakes up trapped in the middle of a maze that’s death to anyone trapped in it after dark. He has no memory of his past, and if he (and the rest of the boys) can’t find a way out soon, they won’t have a future.
Ben Affleck, Gone Girl
Music Reviews
BANKS
Cat Canteri
Goddess
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG
For a while all we knew of BANKS was her musician name, that she had her mobile number on Facebook and some seriously lush vocals over synthetic R&B beats. Not much has changed since then, though we now know her first name is Jillian and that her album Goddess is the best damn thing I’ve heard all month. Strong claim I know, but bear with me on this one. Every good album needs an emotive, f-bombing number laced with spine-tingling harmonies and ‘Goddess’ is it. Aside from being the title track it’s a damn good listen. The album is essentially an audial diary entry for the young musician, and capping off at around an hour you get an insight into BANKS like no other. ‘Waiting Game’ is emotive in all the right places as is ‘Brain’. In fact, it’s really hard to single any one song out for harnessing the musicians emotion, take away the synth and other elements and BANKS is completely stripped back.
‘Fuck Em Only We Know’ takes away a little bit of the wonder of BANKS and seems dull and lacking the right balance to make it work. This is a minor lapse and when surrounded be edgier, darker tracks ‘Stick’ and ‘Drowning’ it’s a forgettable lapse.
We’ve all heard ‘Beggin’ For Thread’ and ‘Warm Water’ on the radio and there’s fair reason why we have. Living up to a hype is hard work, but it seems BANKS has done just that with her debut release. Amanda Sherring
Cold War Kids
The Infants
that is still the case on some tracks on the album, it’s refreshing to hear a bit more synth – see track 9, ‘Flower Drum Song’ – and some Jet-like modern rock influences – a la track numero uno ‘All This Could Be Yours’ – in this sort of music.
All things considered, Hold My Home is an excellent album to just chill out to; it’s not too intense or demanding and has just the right tempo to get your toes tapping. It’s one of those albums that I found to be really easy to get into – a significant achievement, considering how hard it can be to grab the attention of new fans! Hold My Home is a really solid album, too; there isn’t a single track that brings down the quality. Part rock, part indie and all quality, this album is definitely worth a listen – if you get the chance, pick up a copy and try it out. Alastair McGibbon
Zola Jesus
pub-rock band, but mixed in is a very punky guitar tone and vocal style – think Sex Pistols, except refined and sporting a thick Aussie accent. It’s an excellent mix; every track grabs you and takes you along for the ride. It’s high energy, a little bit rough around the edges in places and typically Aussie – nothing says
“Australian music” like using “shitstorm” as a prominent lyric. The band pulls it all off perfectly. Their appeal lies in their high energy, slightly cheeky attitude, and if you have an inclination towards punk, you’ll find yourself having an absolute ball listening to the album. Wagner’s vocals are the heart of the album, and he absolutely dominates every track – a significant achievement, considering the sheer volume of Lee Hartney’s guitar tracks. All things considered, Throw Me in the River’s 11 tracks will either punch you in the face or calm you down with a soothing croon. Or, like the titular track, it’ll do both. Either way, you’re in for one hell of a ride. Alastair McGibbon
be quite up to Mumford & Sons status, but they’ve created their own unique sound that is worthy of a listen. ‘Above the Clouds of Pompeii’ is an anthemic number with lyrics that make you feel things that so many songs often
fail at achieving. The band still manage to mix things up and step away from their traditional folk pop sound with an edgier beat driven track in ‘Think of England’. ‘When You Break’ is a surprise on the album and has a darkness in the warbling guitar and synth, the lyrics aren’t overdone and as a result the track is a highlight on the album. All in all, the debut is a great release and is worthy of a listen, even just to put a smile on your face. You definitely haven’t heard the last of Bear’s Den and might I just say I’m pretty glad about that. Amanda Sherring
HOLD MY HOME In this day and age indie bands have an unfortunate tendency to fade into obscurity as time goes on. Considering that Cold War Kids have just released their fifth studio album and are celebrating ten years of producing indie rock goodness, I think they’ve done a damn good job getting this far. To make things even better, their latest album, Hold My Home, is pretty damn good. In my experience, indie rock generally tends to lean more towards a light, poppy sound, with emphasis on a jangly, high-tone guitar sound. While
The Smith Street Band THROW ME IN THE RIVER Do you like your music loud, emotional and a little bit in-your-face? Because that’s exactly what The Smith Street Band specialise in, and their latest effort, Throw Me in the River, is no exception. The opening track, ‘Something I Can Hold in My Hands’, is something of an emotional rollercoaster – vocalist Wil Wagner effortlessly alternates between a soft croon and full-on shouting. It sounds excellent. The Smith Street Band come across as a very Aussie
Bear’s Den ISLANDS There’s something so instantly sweet about the Bear’s Den album Islands. It’s one of those releases that make you wish it was playing from a boom box outside your window held up by your high school crush. ‘The Love We Stole’ is the perfect track for that; the others aren’t so bad either. Track after track you begin to appreciate the beauty in the bands ability to create soaring and introspective folk pop tunes. They mightn’t
Never a solo artist, always the drummer is generally how it goes, but not for Cat Canteri. The talented drummer, originally from the band The Stillsons, has just released her solo album When We Were Young, and it’s sublime. With an ever so slight country sound throughout, the album is full of poetic brooding and moody lyrics about love, relationships and general life things that are ordinary enough to relate to, which is kind of nice I think. The honesty and sincerity of the lyrics in ‘St Patrick’s Day Night’ coupled with mellow instrumentals make the track an album winner. The entire album takes a really comfortable laid-back approach, which means it’s easy to listen to, but the acoustics and nature of the lyrics mean it won’t send you to sleep. It’s the type of album to listen to over a few glasses of wine in the sun, with your favourite people. ‘Here for Now, In Your
Head’ finishes off on an amazing acoustic odyssey that has to be heard to be truly appreciated. The title track ‘When We Were Young’ didn’t quite stand out as much as some of the others for me, but that’s no discredit to the song itself. It’s a little
more upbeat than the rest of the album, but the lyrics still ring true. Cat Canteri might be a great drummer but has proven with this album that she is one amazing solo artist and songwriter too. Montana Agustin
alt-rock and trance. Yeah, it’s that hard to place. Low Rumble is dark, moody and, at times, a little weird. Despite all of the above, it still works – it might be a little off-putting at first, but once you take the plunge you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Blaise Adamson’s ethereal vocals are front-and-centre and set the mood for each track – more often than not drawing listeners in with her soft croon. Accompanying Adamson’s vocals is a solid rhythm section – bassist Chris Morse stands out with his steady, thudding basslines, providing the perfect background to frenetic guitar and steady drums. This sort of music may not immediately appeal to a casual listener – it took a few run-throughs for me to really ‘get’ The Infants’ style – but if you put in the effort, you can discover a really interesting sound. If you like your music moody and a little avant-garde, this is an EP you’re sure to enjoy. Alastair McGibbon
sounds forced and Nika’s usual awe-inspiring vocals sound rushed and jar against the rest of the album. Luckily this is a momentary lapse for the singer and ‘Go’ smooths over any wrongdoings with her powerful, yet angelic vocals. ‘Ego’ takes the album in the same direction with not much else in the track aside from Nika’s vocals, which
could only ever be a good thing. While the album is a bit darker than your usual pop album, there are also hints at R&B, giving the album a unique mix to make it stand out from other pop releases of today. These darker tones are best heard in ‘Dust’ and ‘Go’, and due to their uniqueness they stick in your mind. The reason it’s so easy to fall in love or pick on Nika’s vocals is that throughout the whole album her vocals are strippedback, raw and holding each and every song. It’s a brave thing to do given that she’s still relatively new to the game. ‘It’s Not Over’ leaves you excited for Zola Jesus’s next release: finishing on a high the song echoes ‘It’s not over tonight’, and we’re sure it isn’t. Amanda Sherring
Esvee lacks in lyrical complexity, he makes up for with honesty and content, which is clearly the element of his music he prides himself on. ‘Shadows’ jumps straight into it, with Esvee mixing punches and references related to his other passion, martial arts. The title track ‘Best Kept
Secret’ is a heartfelt number and sits nicely over a deep piano sample. It’s an ode to his passion for writing, and is delivered with remarkable sincerity in the form of a letter addressed to his sister. The stand out beat and track on the album is ‘My pen’, the beat is a gem, the track is stirring and well constructed. The album features Angus Younga, R.S, Big Sid, A.I, Class A and Murphs One with outstanding cuts provided by long time best mate and associate, DJ Bogues. All in all, this is not the pinnacle of high complexity cutting edge hip hop and lyricism, but it is an honest and endearing LP, minus the bravado and bullshit you may have come to expect. Patrick Johnson
LOW RUMBLE You’d be forgiven for thinking that a band is either eccentric or attempting to cover up poor musical ability when they use “off kilter is on point” as a guiding mantra, right? When it comes to The Infants, it’s definitely the former. Their music is most definitely off-kilter – but that doesn’t mean that it’s sub-par. I found their music to be really hard to place; I couldn’t decide on a genre after my first listen, and even after my third run-through I was still a bit iffy on what I’d class it as. My best guess? Somewhere between
TAIGA As soon as Taiga starts and Zola Jesus’s soaring vocals enter the track, it’s easy to see where the main drawcard to the album lies. Zola, aka Nika Roza Danilova, is well aware of this as each track in the album takes her vocals to new highs, and lows, and shows just how strong they are. ‘Dangerous Days’ is easily a highlight on the album: again with flawless vocals, Zola sings over a catchy synthetic beat that could almost earn its place on the dance floor. ‘Hunger’ is another track that tiptoes on the line of becoming a kingpin in the dance music scene, but sadly just misses out. The track
Esvee The Best Kept Secret Ballarat hiphop artist Esvee is back and has just dropped his third solo release in June of 2014, titled The Best kept Secret. The title is very applicable, in that a lot of you reading this may not have heard of Esvee, however, he is a veteran and much loved figure of the Australian hip hop landscape. This is, as with all his other releases, a very personal journey littered with sparks of ‘brag rap’ throughout. Esvee is not one for tongue flips and incredibly complex rhyme schemes. However, what
forte 77
Last Words
grog watch Written by Tony Montana
Okay, so last week I went to a party, but not just any party. It was what you might call a “modern drugs party”. Well, you’re probably not going to call it that unless you’re a big fan of the brilliantly funny ’90s UK comedy series Brass Eye – seriously, stop reading this column right now, go and track down a copy (you’ll have to order it in – it was too funny to ever get a release in this country), it’s the best advice you’ll ever get from me – but the fact remains, it was a party where drugs were at. And not just the usual stuff you smoke either; you know when you watch a movie about largescale drug smuggling into the US? This was the drug that those guys are trying to smuggle … which was kind of fitting really, considering some of the outfits being worn at this party.
Obviously I knew none of this going in, otherwise I would have gotten a lot drunker a lot earlier; all I knew was that I’d been invited to a friend of a friend’s party, and it was a bit of a big deal for him so they wanted as many people there as they could get, which was why I’d been invited. And also there was going to be free booze, though as usual it was of the “wine and beer” variety which doesn’t even count as far as I’m concerned so I had two hip flasks on me plus a cask wine bladder I’d emptied then half re-filled with vodka, which taken together I figured would keep me going until around twelve, which was when the last train out of this dodgy Melbourne suburb left. I expected to stand around, look at my phone a lot, tell people to piss off if they asked me to dance, and probably get bashed on my way home. Nobody told me anything about drugs. Actually, nobody told me anything about drugs even while I was actually at the party, and it wasn’t until the next
day that someone said they wanted to apologise for their behaviour the night before because they were, and I quote, “on drugs”, that I realised drugs were available at the party – which goes some way towards explaining why no one seemed to be drinking the crappy booze on offer. It did put a bit of a dent in all that anti-drugs propaganda we’re constantly hearing though, because it turned out that when it comes to being messed up these guys were barely colouring outside the lines, though in hindsight a few people there did seem a bit twitchier and fast-talking than usual. But who was I to judge? I was wedged into a corner shouting “look over there” any time anyone came close then when they looked away I tried to take a quick swig from my various hip flasks, which is not something you should try to do in the dark in a hurry judging by how badly my clothes reeked of booze the next morning. No, my real problem with being
at a modern drugs party is that I knew that all these guys weren’t even casual drug users – or boozers, which is the same thing only slightly more legal – and that I’d basically wandered into a gathering of drug tourists. You know what it’s like on New Year’s Eve when suddenly all these people who never have a drink all year suddenly start acting like they’re professional party-goers? It was exactly like that … Only without the drinking. Years back I fell in with a crowd whose drug of choice was – shudder – LSD. I never tried the stuff myself, as I a): like booze, and b): have enough mentally ill people in my immediate family that I didn’t want to bend my brain too far in any direction. And these guys were exactly the kind of part-time hippy wankers you’d expect to make a big deal about LSD, which really does make me wonder why they wanted me around considering the massive amounts of booze I was drinking.
See, they all had “good jobs” (mostly in advertising) and for them LSD was way more about being able to say they spent their weekend taking LSD than actually having an off-your-nut experience (though it may also have been a way to excuse the fact they all seemed to be sleeping with each other’s partners). I’d actually much rather spend time with sober people than people who think getting messed up is a way to seem cool, because at least sober people are usually messed up in more interesting ways and the only people I interact with these days are bus drivers and being sober is a big plus in their line of work. So the big surprise of the modern drugs party was how boring and – yes – sober the whole experience was. I mean, if I’d known going in what was going to be going on in the bathrooms I would have expected this massively decadent evening packed with debauchery and excess and automatic gunfire while I cowered in the corner
being the squarest dude there with my street-legal booze. Instead, I was pretty much the nuttiest one there and all I was doing was swearing at people trying to talk to me and trying to swat imaginary moths. I hate to say it, but the guys doing the illegal stuff were the upright, responsible ones: when the guy getting stuck into the legal drugs is the most messed-up guy at the party, you know something somewhere ain’t right. Tony “Screw leaving the house” Montana
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