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t h e l a t e s t n a t i o n a l & INTERNATIONAL music & enterta inment ne w s
To the Future To cap off their massive week of announcements, Future Music Festival was thrilled to announce that Ibiza legend Sven Väth will be returning to headline the Cocoon Stage in 2015. It will mark Sven’s seventh appearance at the festival. Sven: “Future has become an annual highlight ... There is nothing quite like being on the road in Australia. The crowds, the colleagues, the fantastic locations...”
The Sound of Rock The Mystery of Soundwave Okay you meddling kids, Soundwave’s mystery band has been revealed … drum roll please … Terror Universal. Billed as a horror metal band, Terror Universal features current and ex-members of Machine Head, Soul Fly and Ill Niño. That’s about all the information you’re going to get, as the members hide their identities with masks … though if you’re crafty enough you can probably figure out who is who.
I Don’t Want to Rush You, But…
We Don’t Need No Education
Something Wicked Comes This Way
The Baby Animals and The Superjesus have been around for long enough that you would be forgiven for thinking they have shared the same stage many times. But the fact of the matter is they haven’t. That, boys and girls, is all changing. The She Who Rocks tour is coming at you with more sweat than AC/DC, more danger than The Who and more swagger than Mick Jagger. The Hi-Fi – May 29.
Jake Whitehall is taking his popular BBC Three series Bad Education to the big screen. For those unfamiliar with the show, Whitehall plays Alfie Wickers, billed as “the worst teacher ever to grace the British education system”. The news came from his father, Michael Whitehall, in a spot with Radio Times. Whether this is just rumour or fact we’ll see, but in the meantime you can catch up on the show’s three seasons.
Film Divider recently spoke with Marc Platt (Into the Woods, Wanted) about the screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked, and the news isn’t altogether great. While 2016 is earmarked, Platt says: “Yes. But it’s not set in stone. The process of developing that movie has begun, we’re working on it, and whether it makes 2016 or not, I’m not so sure.” But, hey, a loose goal is better than no goal at all.
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There are some ripping Sidewaves being announced. First up is the one and only Slash, who will be performing a double-header with Steel Panther. That one is going down at Festival Hall on February 26. You also have the Smashing Pumpkins at Festival Hall on February 23. Not your thing? Then maybe you’ll dig Incubus, Antemasque and Le Butcherettes, who are playing a triple-header at The Forum on February 25.
Steve, Steve, He’s Our Man The mighty Steve Lucas has been busy rounding up talent for a couple of different bands. Band number one is Californian Winos, featuring Ashley Davies, Bruce Haymes and Stephen Hadley. Band number two is The
Strawberry Teardrop, featuring Anthony Wilko and Luke Meyers. You can see both bands in action at Cherry Bar on January 31. Even sweeter, both have limited edition 7-inch releases for you.
Port Fairy Folk Festival The Port Fairy Folk Festival has added to its already bumper line-up, welcoming Luluc, Mike Brady, Frank Yamma, The Bearded Gypsy Band, Fiona Ross and Skipping Girl Vinegar. This happy little sextet joins the likes
of Sinéad O’Connor, The Gloaming, Buffy SaintMarie, Richard Thompson, John Butler Trio, Charlie Musselwhite, Christine Anu, The Heartstring Quartet, Jeff Lang and many, many more. March 6 through March 9.
his way to Australia next month for what will be his debut Australian tour. Boogie Blind, from DJ collective X-Ecutioners (and who recently toured with Pharoahe Monch), supports. Laundry Bar – February 22.
It’s Down to O.C.
Who Let the Dogg Out?
If you know your hip hop then the chances are you know of Diggin’ in the Crates (D.I.T.C.), the New York collective that played home to the likes of O.C., Big L, Lord Finesse, Diamond D and Fat Joe. O.C. is on
St Kilda Festival 2015 2015’s St Kilda Festival has announced its line-up, with Private Life, Shaun Kirk, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, The Basics, San Cisco (pictured), Russel Morris, The Church, Thundamentals and Hot Dub Time Machine making up the Main Stage. The Live N’ Local stage, meanwhile, hosts Since We Kissed, Snake Eyed Rollers, O’Ziriguidum, Centre & The South, Belle Roscoe, Halcyon Drive, Straylove, PASSERINE and The Fabric.
During a recent media panel in Las Vegas, Snoop Dogg revealed his plans for his new album, due for release mid-March. Pharrell Williams is in charge of production duties, while Stevie Wonder
and Charlie Wilson, who collaborated with Kanye West on Yeezus, will make contributions. The newie, titled Bush, will be the rapper’s 13th album. ‘Peaches N Cream’ is the album’s lead single.
Ready, Set, Go! Team Due for release in March, The Scene Between is the new album from The Go! Team. You can thank Ian Parton for the one, with the frontman being responsible for writing, performing and producing the entire album. Speaking about the album, he says: “I wanted
Blackwood Jack Attack Hey there, have you heard about Blackwood Jack? They’re a Warrnambool band that strikes the perfect balance of abrasive and tender tones. Their new EP is called The Pessimist, which strikes as a little odd as they have no reason to be a glass half-empty band. They released their EP at their stomping ground recently, and now they move to the big city. The Workers Club – January 30. They’ll be supported by King Evil.
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to make an album driven by melody and songwriting because catchiness is the hardest thing you can do. Brill Building hooks but permeated with a kind of wobbly VHS feel.”
When Travolta Met O.J.
I Need More Bass The bright, bubbly and colourful sounds of Meghan Trainor are coming to Australia. If you don’t know the name, you know the song – ‘All About That Bass’. The smash hit single, lifted from her debut album Title, spent four weeks atop the ARIA Singles Chart and has reached five-times Platinum sales. According to figures, the single was the second highest-selling track in Australia in 2014. The Forum – April 30.
John Travolta has joined the cast for the companion series to American Horror Story, American Crime Story … and so the big name stars joining the small screen keep on coming. Each season of American Crime Story is set to revolve around a real-life crime, and first up is the O.J. Simpson murder case of 1994/95. Travolta will star as Robert Shapiro, while Cuba Gooding, Jr. will portray Simpson.
Jesse Leach Needs a Word Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach is currently in Australia for a DJ tour. The tour also included a spoken word spot which took place last night; hopefully some of you made it to that. If not, you can catch him flexing his DJ muscles at The Gasometer this Saturday night, January 24. In related news, there has been enough information floating around for a little while now to suggest that Killswitch Engage will release a new album in 2015.
t h e l a t e s t n a t i o n a l & INTERNATIONAL music & enterta inment ne w s
Three Strikes for Tame Impala Tame Impala will release their third album this year, and there are some others to keep an eye on as well. Spinning Top Music had this to say: “Now, 2015 is going to be one helluva year. And I know this because I’m privy to some information about some truly amazing things happening that I think you’ll all love as much as we will. There will be new albums from POND, Tame Impala, The Growl, Gunns, and Fascinator…” Are ya happy? Good!
The Day Belongs to The Prodigy There are several artists dropping new albums in March, including electronic heavyweights The Prodigy. Album number six for the band is titled The Day is My Enemy, the follow-up to 2009’s Invaders Must Die. In an interview with the London Evening Standard in December, founding member Liam Howlett called the album “violentsounding”. He also said it would “wipe the floor” with the current DJ scene.
Great Scott Weiland! Yep, another March release, this time former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland,
who is putting finishing touches on his debut album with backing band the Wildabouts. Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) is behind the release. The album, however, is not his first solo album – that was 1998’s 12 Bar Blues. He has also released an album of covers and an album of Christmas tunes. Yep, Christmas tunes. Blaster is the title of his newie.
At War with Kingswood And they’re off… Following a 2014 bursting with rock, Kingswood’s 2015 has kicked off on a similar note. Out of all the highlights of ’14, the release of their debut, Microscopic Wars, was numero uno. The band will be making the most of the summer sun by playing a bunch of shows, and if you reckon you can match it with their rock’n’roll swagger then they’re just the shows for you. The Forum – March 13.
All is Wells It’s no secret that artists are often inspired by where they grew up. It’s part of what makes Ed Wells so interesting, having spent time growing up in London, Hong Kong and Australia. While he is a Sydneysider, the talented alternative folk/soul/pop singer-songwriter spent the better part of 2014 in the UK performing a number of showcase gigs. ‘Sparrow and Seed’ is his new single. Wesley Anne – January 24 & Boney – January 25.
Give Me a Burger, Please Animated series, make that Emmy-winning animated series, Bob’s Burgers has been renewed for a sixth season. Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group: “We can’t help but love the Belcher family. This gem of a series is a rare feel-
Things Get a Little Crazy With their debut due for a mid-2015 release, Art of Sleeping have been warming up with the release of ‘Crazy’. The band released their debut EP, Colourblind, in 2010; however, it was ‘Empty Hands’, the first single off their second EP, which made people sit up and take note. What they have cooking for their debut fulllength you’ll be able to find out for yourself when the band hits the road. NSC – January 23. good blend of sharp wit and genuine heart that fans and critics alike have continued to love throughout its five seasons on FOX.”
The Band Formerly Known as Deers So, it would seem some Canadian lawyer contacted Madrid four-piece Deers and said something along the lines of, ‘You’ve got to change your name, eh. Hockey’. Apparently some Canadian band, whose name is not even Deers, didn’t like the confusion. Anyway, Deers will now be known as Hinds. But the bigger news is they’re
bringing their raw garagepop to town. John Curtin Hotel – February 22.
2016 … And Purge 4: The New Class is sure to follow.
Mr. Show Returns
Purge 3: I’m Too Old for This In news that has little shock, Purge 3 is happening. With a storyline revolving around what happens when crime is legalised for one night of the year, it is the kind of film where umpteen sequels could be made. While the first flick sounded promising, it fell a little flat with audiences. The Purge: Anarchy, however, delivered a more. At this point it looks like the third instalment will drop mid-
Mr. Show is coming back. Following a tease from Paul F. Tompkins, co-creator David Cross made it official. Also starring Bob Odenkirk (that would be he who played Saul in Breaking Bad; now playing the character in Better Call Saul), the sketch comedy series originally ran from 1995 to 1998. Cast members and writers for the show included Sarah Silverman, Tompkins, Jack Black, Scott Aukerman and Brian Posehn.
Hey, Nice Shoes Are you sick of tying up your shoelaces? Some estimates have you spending one month of your life tying shoes. No thanks! Luckily Nike is here, and they’re hoping to release real versions of self-lacing shoes in 2015. It’s a Back to the Future dream come true. Sure, it’s not the Hoverboard, but it’s still something goddamn it. It is still something. Anyway, it’s time to make like a tree and get out of here.
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THE THU 22 JAN BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Peter & Kristine Allan BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Andy Forster BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Beaten Bodies CHERRY BAR: The Deans EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with local resident DJ’S THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Frenzal Rhomb LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: 6pm Jazz n’ Blues THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 YAH YAH’S: The Hunted Crows
FRI 23 JAN BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Josh Durno, Joel Stibbard & Acoustic Foxx BARWON CLUB: King of The North BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Luke Biscan BELMONT HOTEL: James Carrigg BENDED: Live music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Public Nuisance CHERRY BAR: Truckfighters (SWE) CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. With live entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank
fortnig h tl y c alen d ar Guinness It’s Friday GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Luke Hindson HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Frenzal Rhomb LAMBYS: Live Band THE LOFT(Warrnambool): Cosmic Psychos THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETES: Mr Black & Blues SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music TORQUAY HOTEL: Bangstrum Lads UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music YAH YAH’S: The Weekend People
SAT 24 JAN BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Alex Formosa Baudo BARWON CLUB: Pivot City Jerkfest BEAVS BAR: Steve Pianto BEECHWORTH MUSIC FESTIVAL: Beaches, Jen cloher, The Bennies + more BELMONT HOTEL: Cal Young BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (Castlemaine): GUI GUI SUI SUI (China) CHERRY BAR: The Gatwick Highlife, Sherrif, Kids In Cults THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: Live DJS GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Abe Anderson HOMEHOUSE: TWhite, Travlos, Horizon KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Harts & Magic Bones LAMBYS: Live Band THE LOFT (Warrnambool): King of The North MINYA BY MOONLIGHT:
Pippa Wilson MARTIANS CAFE: Tim ‘Tonic’ Hulsman & Stewart Kohinga ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Cam Kettle PISTOL PETES: Mick Dog’s Bone Yard SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music SHPINX HOTEL: Frequency SUGAR MOUNTAIN: NAS, Body/ Head, Odesza, Swans, Ariel Pink +more TORQUAY HOTEL: Caravana Sun YAH YAH’S: Truckfighters
SUN 25 JAN BARWON CLUB: The Australia Day Heave BEAVS BAR: Butters (Main Room) Black Market Tune (Band Room) BELMONT HOTEL: Live music from 5pm BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 5-6pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (Castlemaine): The Resignators 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 CHERRY BAR: Truckfighters (SWE) Matt Dwyer GEELONG RSL: $13 Carvery lunch GROVEDALE HOTEL: Ben Dew KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Cosmic Pshchos LAMBYS: Live Band THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Gramps LORD NELSON: Sunday Funday Live Music HOMEHOUSE: Tai Hara (Home & Away) ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live music PISTOL PETES: Mojo Corner
SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17 TORQUAY HOTEL: Absolutely 80’s YAH YAH’S: The Passouts
MON 26 JANAUSTRALIA DAY!! BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BELMONT HOTEL: Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown Party BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won! THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown Party w/ Bareback Titty Squad LORD NELSON HOTEL: Parmi & Pot for $15 on presentation of student I.D THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11 TORQUAY HOTEL: Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown Party
TUE 27 JAN BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night CHERRY BAR: The Aimee Volkofsky & The Molotovs COSTA HALL: Billy Connolly (UK) GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 THE LOFT (Warrnambool): The Getaway Plan PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night
WE 28 JAN THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke w/ Dave Anderson BENDED: Second chance & pub quiz BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Shit Trivia
Mexican Night CHERRY BAR: Spacejunk ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. 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
THU 29 JAN BARWON HEADS HOTEL: The Smith Street Band BEAVS BAR: Levi Anderson BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Shiralee Hood, Dan Fox, Tom Lynch CHERRY BAR: Sex On Toast EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with local resident DJ’S GPAC: Miss Saigon LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: 6pm Jazz n’ Blues PISTOL PETES: Jakobi Kai EP Launch THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 YAH YAH’S: The Hunted Crows
FRI 30 JAN BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): David Grimson & Joe Guiton & Brodie Glen BARWON CLUB: Child + Dreamtime BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Luke Biscan BELMONT HOTEL: Zane Carroll BENDED: Live music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy
Hour 5-7pm CHERRY BAR: Straylove 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 CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Luke Hindson HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs LAMBYS: Live band THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Bearded Gypsie Band THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): The Smith Street Band MARTIANS CAFE: Lazy Eye ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETES: Pugsley Buzzard SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music TORQUAY HOTEL: The Getaway Plan UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music YAH YAH’S: Bagster
SAT 31 JAN BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Luke Biscan BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BELMONT HOTEL: Peter Chapman BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm THE BRIDGE HOTEL (CASTLEMAINE): Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss) CHERRY BAR: Steve Lucas THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: Live DJS GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy HOMEHOUSE: Zac Waters, Miss K LAMBYS: Live band
THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Sherrif ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Gabe Atkinson PISTOL PETES: Andy Phillips & The Cadillac Walk SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music SHPINX HOTEL: Wooshka
SUN 1 FEB BEAVS BAR: Live music BELMONT HOTEL: Live music from 5pm BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 5-6pm CHERRY BAR: Mo Louie 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 GROVEDALE HOTEL: McRobin LAMBYS: Live band LORNE HOTEL: Super Sunday Sessions w/ Kingswood & Brother James ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live music SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17 YAH YAH’S: Grindhouse
MON 2 FEB 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
TUE 3 FEB BENDED: Parmi night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night
WED 4 FEB BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): 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 CHERRY BAR: Kashmere Club 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
THU 5 FEB BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Live Music 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: Miss Saigon LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: 6pm Jazz n’ Blues THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13
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MORE INFO: thinkrecycle.com.au
Think Recycle Written by Alexander Lightfoot
Despite the best of intentions, we don’t always make the grade when it comes to recycling. And when it comes to recycling, the smallest of extra effort can combine for huge results. Enter the ‘Think Recycle Campaign’, a fantastic local initiative you’re likely to hear a lot more about in coming months. To find out more, we got in touch with Darby Munro, a Waste Education Officer, Waste Services: “The Think Recycle Campaign was developed as a result of research that revealed that around 20 per cent of recyclable items were being placed in the garbage bin,” he begins. “As a consequence, this meant that valuable recycling material was being buried rather than being reused.” 20 forte
Australia has a long history with recycling. The first Australian paper mill to use recycled material was built 200 years ago in 1815. BHP first started recycling scrap metal in 1915. In the 1920s, Henry Ford recycled his Model T Fords in order to save costs and resources. Skip ahead to 1977, and South Australia introduced container deposit legislation in an attempt to encourage the return of containers for recycling. The early 1980s and ’90s saw Sydney introduce kerbside recycling schemes, a move which soon spread. However, while Australia may be internationally recognised for its recycling services, we are also guilty of being one of the biggest per capita producers of waste. The research showed that items most likely to be disposed of as garbage included pet food, soup and tuna cans. Aerosol cans, too, are high on the offender list. These include deodorants, hairsprays, oils, insect sprays and deodorisers. All these products are 100 per cent recyclable. Perhaps surprisingly, wine and beer bottles are also often dispensed as garage rather than as recyclables. As glass can add significant weight to the garbage bin, the cost of disposal will increase as councils are charged by weight for the disposal of garbage at landfills. Another thing to bear in mind is the disposal of plastic bags. These need to be kept out of recycling bins. “This is sometimes confusing for residents as plastic bags are recyclable, but not through the yellow lid recycling,” Darby informs us. “To recycle plastic bags, they need to be dropped off at specially marked bins at Coles or Woolworths supermarkets.” In order to bring focus to the environmental benefits of recycling, Planet Ark, the Australian
not-for-profit environmental organisation founded in 1992, founded National Recycling Week in November of ’96. Research commissioned by Planet Ark last year found that over half of Australians believe aerosols cannot be placed in the recycling bin. When you consider more than 240 million aerosol cans are purchased in Australia each year, the number of aerosol cans potentially being disposed of incorrectly is staggering. Further reading can be found through planetark.org. It’s not all doom and gloom. In the past year, recycling from Barwon region households saved over 100,000 cubic metres of landfill space, enough to fill over 40 Olympic pools and reduce gas emissions by over 23,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to removing 5547 cars from the road. Still, there’s always room for improvement. And as is often the case, education is the key. Taking action, the Think Recycle Campaign is a joint recycling initiative whose partners include the City of Greater Geelong, the Borough of Queenscliffe, the Surf Coast Shire Council, the Colac Otway Shire Council and the Golden Plains Shire Council. “The key messages will be presented through a variety of channels, allowing the campaign to reach its target market, says Darby. “These include press and magazine advertisements, back of bus signage and a comprehensive online component. The campaign is expected to run over the next 18 months.” “Think Recycle is about reclaiming recycling from the garbage bin. The other side of the recycling challenge is improving the quality that gets collected each week. This is another project
where surrounding councils again work together. This ensures that the message is consistent from Queenscliff to Colac.” Further information on the initiative can be found through thinkrecycle.com.au. There you will find plenty of tips, as well as a beaut little game that will boost your knowledge in no time.
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TicMkCMETFSFOORN 50SA%LEOFFNOTIWCK! ETS!
QUOTE FRIDAY AC/DSHE
Broderck smith Chris Wilson
Claude Hay Defrhyme
Electric mary
Gwyn Ashton
painters & dockers Phil Para
Pugsley Buzzard Safari Motel
The Black Sorrows TRIBUTE FEST Appetite for Destruction Credence Clearwater Recycled INXSIVE Rhiannon - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac Shed Zeppelin To hell & back! Meatloaf Tribute Walkin’ the Line - The Cash & Carter story
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SATURDAY Cass Eager & the Velvet Rope Chubby Rae & the Elevators GEOFF ACHISON Blues Mountain Jimi Hocking John McNamara Lloyd Spiegel Sammy Owen Blues Band Spoonful Sweet Felicia & The Honeytones The Detonators
SUNDAY
Amber Lawrence Canyon Christie Lamb Doug Bruce Eurogliders Glitter Gang James Blundell Jason Singh JR Reyne Kaylens Rain McAlister Kemp Michael Stangel Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission TRavis Collins Vika & Linda Wayne Jury & Brian Fraser
Nick y Bomba FEATURE STORY Written by Tex Miller
2014 for Nicky Bomba was a massive year. Between the release of John Butler’s new album Flesh and Blood, of which he still played on (although not being an official member of the trio), to releasing an album with his own band Bustamento, looking back at the year that was as we chat on Christmas Eve, it seems 2014 will go down in the book as an active year. “Between some really big gigs, ARIA nominations, and releasing new albums, there really hasn’t been any time to stop … I just hope that 2015 is twice as busy.” If you watched the 2014 ARIA awards in November last year, you will have seen the Melbourne Ska Orchestra back Sheppard as they played through their #1 hit song ‘Geronimo’. Bomba is still excited that the Orchestra were able to jump up on stage and join in the party. “It was a big honour for the band because we only released an album in 2013 and with everything that has happened since has just been fantastic. It’s testimony to the energy that the band puts out. In a matter of speaking, it feels that we are doing something right.” A couple of weeks before I am on the phone chatting to Bomba, the Ska Orchestra had been added to the phenomenal line-up of Bluesfest 2015 over the Easter weekend. With such big name acts such as The Black Keys, Ben Harper, Paolo Nutini, John Mayall and Counting Crows amongst others, Bomba puts out the feelers for what would be the most amazing set of music experienced at the festival. “If Lenny Kravitz and The Black Keys want to jump up on stage with us, they would be most welcome. We’ve done Bluesfest three years in a row, and it is the reason why we are such a big band now. We are now in that international limelight and that is because of the experience that we can give to an audience on that level. “To be asked to return there is simply an honour. We will have some new material out by then and we have had two years solid touring all around the world. We are able to mix it with the best of them and I think what makes our show so memorable is that we have the opportunity to go anywhere with it. We have some amazing players in the band and we are able to go off on a musical tangent at the drop of a hat.” When a band releases a highly successful debut album, there is a certain pressure that might sometimes come into
play with producing the follow-up. The self-titled ARIA-nominated album featured some great tracks, including renditions of the Get Smart theme and ‘The Best Things in Life Are Free’, which was featured on an advertisement for free to air TV. Talking about the second release from the band, Bomba feels there is no pressure and it is going to be an extremely fun process heading into the studio to work. “I think that this time around we have a lot more things to say as a band. The thing about the ska music that we play is that there is an unlimited number of combinations that you can make. We try to mix up all our different influences and styles to create something new. “We are writing at the moment for the new album and can’t wait to share what we have created with everyone. If your intention straight-up is to just make
really good music, then the stresses of making a follow-up album don’t exist.” Being a busy man with so many bands and different projects on the go, the idea to leave the John Butler Trio allowed Bomba to concentrate fully on the Ska Orchestra and Bustamento. Talking about the decision, Bomba feels that it was the right move at the time due to all of the big offers that the Ska Orchestra were receiving. “There were a few conflicts when I was in the John Butler Trio because I would be overseas playing and we would be getting all these offers to play festivals and I physically wasn’t in Australia and there wasn’t the possibility of quick travel all around the world to make it work. “When you have your own songs and music and record label to push, that obviously takes its own priority, and we
are all still friends and I have worked on Flesh and Blood with John and will probably be guesting on albums and different bits and pieces into the future.” One of the biggest shows the John Butler Trio played whilst Bomba was with the band was the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. “That was an amazing place. I remember doing my drum solo and saying I feel like I’m in a slingshot about to be catapulted into space. With the rocks on either side of me, I felt invincible. It was a perfect time for me because I wanted to tour the world playing drums to lots of people. It was a well-oiled machine, and that is John’s thing.” As part of the entertainment for the Great Australian Beer Festival, Nicky Bomba and friends are set to perform a high energy set that will definitely bring the party to the
annual event that is set to be held on the 21st of February at the Geelong Racecourse. “It’s going to be a really fun set playing down there I think. The thing about playing in Bustamento and the Melbourne Ska Orchestra is that there is the possibility for anything to happen. I don’t write a setlist and I think for those that are coming along to the Beer Festival, they should bring their dancing shoes, because what we have planned is a high energy, no holds barred, dance set. Get ready Geelong, we’re coming!”
When&Where: Great Australian Beer Festival, Geelong Racecourse – February 21
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michael franTI Q&A
Yoga and Music, the dream combination, but not always something that has necessarily gone hand-in-hand. One man making this happen is Michael Franti, with his Soulshine shows. Michael is a regular visitor to Oz with his band The Spearheads and will be out again for Byron Bay Bluesfest and a heap of sideshows. We had a chat to him about what he’s been up to and how he plans on joining these two concepts.
Hi Michael, thanks for taking the time out to chat with Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment? Just got back to San Francisco after being Bali, for the past month. I’ve been up all night from jetlag. Today, I’m getting back into the studio to work on a new record! So it’s been a little while since you’ve been back to Australia, are you looking forward to getting back here? Yes, Australia is one of my favorite places to travel to as a world citizen and as a musician. I love the country and the blend of cultures and I LOVE the ocean. I imagine your music would go down pretty well with us Aussie’s, do we make a good audience? As a musician, Australian audiences are the most open to music that is heart based - more so than I’ve experience anywhere else in the world. You’ll be playing Bluesfest when you come down too, are you looking forward to that festival? Yes, Bluesfest is my favorite festival in the world. This will be I think our nineth time performing at it. Through
When & Where: Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – April 1 & Soulshine Festival - Festival Hall, Melbourne – April 2 (w/ Soja & Trevor Hall)
and interacting with them in your live performances, how important is it for you to have that connection? We strive to create three-dimensional performances. We try to break down the barrier between the audience and the stage. I love bringing fans and other musicians to join us during our shows. We are constantly trying to find new ways to involve the audience. Your shows are also unique in the sense that you do a bit of yoga as
the many years we have created many friendships through Bluesfest. We have become close friends with promoter, Peter Noble, as well as created friendships with other artists and fans. We always look forward to coming back You’re known for using music as a vehicle for positive change, what’s been the best moment for you in how your music has influenced/ changed something? It’s hard to pick just one moment but at almost
every show I meet someone who tells me how the music has affected their life in some way. I have had many moments in my life where music has done that for my life. Songs have been there for me during the happiest, most painful, and most significant moments of my life. I know that feeling so well so when someone tells me that my music has affected their lives it means alot to me. You also change a lot of people’s lives by simply inviting them up on stage
“It’s been really interesting doing that. I ask fans what they think before I play it, but I’ve also been asking whether I’m performing a cover or a tribute. It was always the five of us on those tracks at the end of the day, so I’m still wondering what to classify it as.” After Powderfinger disbanded in 2010, Middleton went on a journey of self-discovery and after a period of 18 months began work on Translations. “I was going through a bit of an emotional wasteland. I was depressed and starting things and not finishing them. When I finally turned the corner emotionally, I realised that there was a reason for a record there and began work. I had to fall in love with music all over again, but I am so glad I did.”
Over the course of the next month, Darren Middleton is teaming with Guy Pearce to do a lap of the country in support of their respective solo albums. Through ten dates in both regional and major city centres, complete with a full six-piece band, these shows are going to be unmissable – and Middleton can’t wait for the opportunity to play his songs with such a big line-up. “I like Guy’s record and he can really sing live and we were just chatting about what we would like to do. We are on stage together the whole time and taking this out on the road will be very fun. It’s a small tour but I think that every show will be spectacular. It’s a theatre show more than rock and roll and I think it will be intimate and a warming experience for all.” With a new record to be released later in the year, we are sure to see a lot more of Darren Middleton in 2015. Get along to these double headline shows whilst you can.
off, everyone went on to play a fantastic show and it became just one more unforgettable memory of life on the road. Others include the time they were stuck in the middle of a five feet snowstorm in Michigan, or more recently getting stuck in Boston for 24hrs on his way home to L.A. because of a dodgy door on the plane. “The door wasn’t staying open as we were all coming aboard, so the theory was it might not close properly during the flight. People were getting a little nervous and there’s no way we were staying on that plane – we’d likely be sucked out over Kansas or something!” Lane joked. Home safe on solid ground, 2015 is shaping up to be another stellar year in the career of an amazing homegrown
talent. In addition to returning to the Port Fairy Folk Festival in March, Lane is seeing out the summer on a 31-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, appearing at major festivals and regional venues including Beav’s Bar in Geelong on April 23. “I always have so much fun playing Geelong – it’s a place I’ll always come back to. “At all the shows, I’ll be performing as a duo with Clare Reynolds; she’s also Australian but lives in America now, too. This will be our first time on a full tour as a duo,” Lane explained. “She sings amazing harmonies and plays percussion on my guitar case. I’m really looking forward to performing with her at Port Fairy. “The line-up is pretty awesome! Sinead O’Connor and Buffy Sainte-Marie – I’ve never seen either of them live so I can’t wait. And Tracy McNeil & the GoodLife are playing … I used to be in a bluegrass duo with Tracy a while back. Oh, and of course John Butler is playing – such a cool guy. I run into him a bunch and always love catching up with him. “You know, Port Fairy was one of the first major folk festivals that ever gave me a shot on their stage and that helped me get out there as a proper touring artist. I really love the fact that I’ll be back to play for the fourth time.”
well, where did the idea originate for this? I started practicing yoga on tour in 2001 as a way to take care of my body and mind. I have kept a regular practice since that time. I started inviting our fans to practice yoga with me before our shows. At first it was just a handful of people before every show but it has grown bigger and bigger. We played the Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado and 1,800 people showed up to practice yoga with me while I played acoustic music. I believe that yoga has extended my longevity as an artist. It has kept me physically and emotionally connected. The best part is that yoga gives you a chance to look at your strengths and weaknesses. In order to write good songs you need to have that emotion and vulnerability. And you actually get on stage and do that yourself, have there ever been any accidents while doing the yoga? Yes, but not on stage.
I’m 6’6” I was in a crowded yoga class in New York. I toppled over while doing a handstand and took out 3 rows of people. Given that your live shows are so high energy, do you come off stage feeling utterly exhausted or does it give you a buzz? I always come off feeling buzzed. There are times I am tired before a show on tour because we’ve been on the road for months but my enthusiasm never wanes. When I come off stage, I am full of the energy from the music and audience. It’s always an uplifting experience – sometimes it’s hard for me to sleep because the vibe is so high. It seems you put 110 per cent into everything you do given you released your eight studio album not too long ago and you’re already working on the next one, do you ever get to take time out and relax? I take moments out to relax but I’m a creative person and I enjoy coming up with new ideas and creating when I relax.
In Bali this winter at my Soulshine Bali Yoga Hotel (soulshinebali. com) I met with film writer, Tony Briggs, every day by the beach and we relaxed by talking about new ideas for films. I imagine it’s still pretty hush hush, but what can listeners expect from the new album? Right now it’s a challenging time in the world and people are wanting to find ways that we can all make a difference. Sometimes the challenge is to not feel so frustrated by all the pain we see in the world. On this record that acknowledge that pain but try to find hope and optimism about where we can all go in the future. I’ve also just wrapped up a new documentary titled, “11:59”, about 4 people that have inspired my life. When I feel really down about the state of the world I meet people, like these four, that make me feel that is it possible to keep going and make a difference in the world.
Darren Middleton Written by Tex Miller, Photo by Iska Photography
His distinctive guitar playing led the way for a generation in the ’90s Australian music scene. From the likes of ‘My Happiness’ to ‘These Days’ and ‘Baby I’ve Got You On My Mind’, Darren Middleton is a legend of the Australian music scene. Having released his debut album Translations in November 2013, Middleton is about to head out on the road with Guy Pearce. Ahead of a big 2015, we begin our conversation with a chat about the infamous Woodford Folk Festival. Playing two spots over the festival, as Middleton relates it was good to get back to the festival, as it is a surreal experience to head along as a punter as well as performer. “Woodford is quite a sprawling yet contained experience. It’s really nice and the gigs that I played were absolutely awesome, I have to tell you mate. I played in one of the big tops and it was filled with seats, so there must have been at least 1000 people watching me. As a songwriter, that’s all you can really ask for, to have a captive audience throughout your performance.” As a member of Powderfinger for 20 years and with so many classic hits, there must be a ’Finger tune thrown in a setlist here or there, right? “There could very well be. I started to do a track last year and I played it at Woodford as well. I did a stripped-back version of The Metre and another obscure track called Drifting Further Away.
Darren Middleton (right) with Guy Pearce When & Where: The Capital, Bendigo – January 31; Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne – February 7; and GPAC, Geelong – February 28
Jordie Lane Written by Natalie Rogers
“The Port Fairy Folk Festival is like a big reunion,” grinned singer-songwriter and storyteller Jordie Lane. “There’s a whole bunch of my friends on the bill – a lot of my buddies from Melbourne who I haven’t seen in a while – and my parents [his mother, lovable Aussie comedian Denise Scott] are coming to see me there from Melbourne. It will be the first time I’ve caught up with them in almost a year.”
Lane spent years cutting his teeth in pubs and clubs across the country before deciding to pull up stumps and head to the US. “Right now, home is Los Angeles, California,” he says in an impressive Beverly Hillbillyesque accent. “I recently completed a tour of the East Coast with an amazing band called The Stray Birds, from Pennsylvania. They were such a pleasure to tour with.” Lane goes on to tell a hilarious account of The Stray Birds coming to his defence when a clueless venue promoter wanted to leave him off the bill. After a little cajoling from the band (“he’s an international artist” and “we love him, and the audience will too”) Lane was allowed to soundcheck, and in turn was allowed to play his allotted 30 minutes opening slot. Here’s the kicker – upon introducing Lane to the eager crowd, the venue promoter jumps on stage claiming he’s found the next big thing, an undiscovered Australian talent, and that in fact it was HE who had to persuade the band to let him play! He assures me that once the initial shock wore 24 forte
When & Where: Ararat Live, Ararat – April 22 & Beav’s Bar, Geelong – April 23. Also, Port Fairy Folk Festival
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The Smith Street Band pg.35
Great Australian Beer Festival
C.W. Stoneking Gon’ Regional
Next month Geelong will raise a glass to the Great Australian Beer Festival. Entering its third year, the festival is bigger than ever, with some 200 craft beers and ciders on offer. As well as being spoilt for choice when it comes to beer, the festival is putting the finishing touches on their Tastes of the Region foodie menu. There will also be plenty of entertainment, with the festival thrilled to welcome a comedy stage in 2015. There is even enough there for the little ones to enjoy. The team is still working on a few things, so make sure you keep an eye on gabfgeelong.com.au for further details. The Geelong Racecourse is your host. February 21 is the date to keep free.
Following a successful national jaunt, C.W. Stoneking is heading out for a regional adventure. His early years saw him raised by his father in the Aboriginal community of Papunya, before relocating to Sydney when he was nine. Stoneking had a guitar in his hands by the time he was 11, and by 13 he was playing with local bands. While a student at Sydney’s Balmain High School, Stoneking stumbled upon some of his old man’s blues tapes. He became hooked. These days he lives in rural Victoria, around three hours out of Melbourne. His new tour supports 2014’s Gon’ Boogaloo, his first album since 2008’s Jungle Blues. The album, sans horns, was recorded in just two days in a studio in Castlemaine owned by his mate Alex Bennett. It’s a little different, too, with Stoneking plugging in for the first time. The Brag: “It’s taken six years and a shiny gold Fender Jazzmaster, but C.W. Stoneking has gone electric, and I’ll be damned if he doesn’t carry it out with aplomb … Stoneking is a master of the blues and Gon’ Boogaloo is a step forward in both sound and story. The legend of C.W. Stoneking continues to entertain and delight.” Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – February 28.
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Newstead Live Music Festival
Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock
Let’s have one last look at one of 2015’s early treats – the Newstead Live Music Festival. Held from January 23 through to January 26, the festival welcomes a fine selection of international and local artists – not bad for a historic little country town. Lining up will be Vin Garbutt, Tim Edey Trio, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Black Market Tune, The East Pointers, Scott Cook, Greg Champion, Martin Pearson, Liz Stringer, The Little Stevies, Enda Kenny & Dave O’Neill, The Mae Trio, The Company, Cat Canteri Band, Rowena Wise, Ange Takats and more. For further information and ticket sales, please visit newsteadlive.com. Newstead is a stone’s throw from Castlemaine.
Cosmic Psychos and The Go Set are teaming up for the greatest punk rock show on earth. Is that an exaggeration? Maybe, but you wouldn’t want to bet against it. Taking more hits than Rocky, Cosmic Psychos have soldiered on no matter what they have come up against. They have been at it since 1982, releasing their debut album, Down on the Farm, in 1985. And they’ve made friends with the best in the business along the way. The Go Set has released six albums since forming in 2002. Fusing the might of punk rock with folk punk and Celtic punk, the band has been compared to The Clash, The Pogues and Dropkick Murphys. The Loft, Warrnambool – January 23.
Bendigo’s Music Man has found a great new way to help promote local talent, and it’s taking place on the final day of summer. As well as tunes, the family-friendly day will feature jumping castles, an online auction and raffles. The all-ages part of the event kicks off at midday with Detention. Stacy - V, Necron 99, Path of Destruction and Sisters Doll will follow. An 18+ event will follow that, beginning with Neurotik Trendz at 5 p.m. RAWdemia, Audemia, Necron 99, Morth, Path of Destruction, Slydekrieg and Sisters Doll will follow. It all takes place on February 28. If you’re looking for a little more information, check in on livemusicscene.com. au. Is there a better combo than jumping castles and music?
Getting High on Smith Street
Amp it Up for Gramps
Joel Havea is Pulling Strings
The Smith Street Band is celebrating the beginning of a new year the only way they know how – by getting high and seeing everyone. The tour is another chance for the band to show off their latest release, Throw Me in the River. Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald, frontman Wil Wagner said: “We’re a live band more than a recorded band, maybe, so I guess it was just more time to try and capture that. But I’m very happy with how it sounds. I hope that it’s the best thing that we’ve done.” Music Man, Bendigo – January 28; The Barwon, Geelong – January 29; and The Karova, Ballarat – January 30. Canada’s PUP, the UK’s Great Cynic and Melbourne’s Apart From This join are in on the fun.
Like all classic stories, the life of Gramps began in a shed in Port Fairy. Back then they were just teenage punks belting out tunes inspired by the weirdness and boredom that surrounded them. They recorded and released a self-funded album they probably thought would go nowhere. However, track ‘Glitter Eyed Girl’ was submitted to triple j Unearthed. It won the local comp and the band headed into the studio to re-record the track. In 1999 the band disbanded to pursue other things. Then in 2010, during drummer Jordan Lockett’s 30th birthday bash, plans for a second coming took shape. What was there to do but reunite in Port Fairy for another album? The Loft, Warrnambool – January 25.
Born on the island of Tonga and raised in Melbourne, songman Joel Havea has called Germany home for the past five years. Musically, however, his journey began with his brother Dave in the Havea Brothers, a project which allowed him to hone his reggae-infused pop songwriting. 2012 saw the release of his debut solo album, You Make Me Believe, and in 2013 he returned to the studio to begin work on the EP Strings & Wood. If you would like to know a little more about Joel and his new EP, search Strings & Wood | Preview on YouTube. Growlers, Torquay – January 23; The Vine, Bendigo – February 5; and Buangor Cobb & Co Stables, Ararat – February 6.
In the Wilderness with Jamie Hutchings In 1995, Sydney guitar-based indie-rock outfit Bluebottle Kiss released their debut album, Higher Up the Firetrails. Recording for the release began in late 1994 on the day frontman Jamie Hutchings turned 23. You may have heard Jamie has been up to other things, mainly new project Infinity Broke. Following a successful Pozible campaign, the band will release their second album, Before Before, in April. So, as we keep one eye on the future, the other one is looking back on the years in-between. Jamie is set to look back on his many years in the music game through his Careering through the Wilderness tour. The Bridge, Castlemaine – January 31. There’s two decades to catch up on. 28 forte
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Don’t be Alarmed by Marta Pacek From growing up on the outskirts of Canberra to touring the world, it has been a big, wonderful trip for Marta Pacek. It started off pretty darn well also. Marta began her career writing and recording with Mark Seymour. She would then go on to open for Seymour on his North American tour. 2011 was a bright year, with the songbird winning Best AlternativeCountry Song for ‘A Girl Gets By’ at the Canberra Music Awards. She would also receive international acclaim, winning Best International Artist for her single ‘Loving is Easy’ at the New Music Festival in Ontario, Canada. Voodoo Dolls & False Alarms is her latest release. The Old Church on the Hill, Bendigo – February 7.
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Kings for a Lifetime Having smashed it as support for The Mark of Cain late last year, the sounds of King of the North will continue to rumble speaker systems through until March. If you haven’t heard of these guys, you may want to start paying attention. John Garcia (Kyuss), Jimmy Barnes, Lucius Borich (COG), John Scott (The Mark of Cain) and Dave Wyndorf (Monster Magnet) are among the fans of the band. Andrew Higgs (guitar, vocals) and Danny Leo (drums, back-up vocals) are the souls behind this duo, with Higgs’s “3 from 1 guitar technique” earning him a spot on Australian Guitar Magazine’s Top 25 Future Legends of Guitar. Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads – January 23 & The Loft, Warrnambool – January 24.
Made in China GUIGUISUISUI may well become your favourite music-maker out of China. Combing elements of blues, punk, rock, hip hop, noise and 8-bit music, GUIGUISUISUI is the talents of zombie bluesman GUIGUISUISUI, his master and tormenter, King Necro, and his alter-ego, the self-absorbed rap-rock demigod, Lord Kamemameha. So as not to confuse matters, GUIGUISUISUI is just one man in three parts – DIY superstar Dann Gaymer. Originally from the UK, the GUIGUISUISUI show has been on the road since 2012, popping up in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. If a house was built to home the hardest-working DIY musicians, GUIGUISUISUI would have a room all to himself. In 2014 alone he performed over 100 shows across five tours in six countries. He also released a very impressive two albums and four EPs. When it comes to live shows, backing beats composed on a circuit-bent Gameboy or else sampled from vintage video games and use of ‘The Diddly Board’, King Necro’s one-stringed skateboard guitar, are familiar themes. If you want to get a little more familiar with the man behind the curtain, hit up genjingrecords.com/archives/6702. The Bridge, Castlemaine – January 24. Joining the chaos will be Ghost Notes and Xiao Zhong (Pairs).
A Barrel of Rumjacks Next month, Celtic-flavoured punks The Rumjacks will take to the road with a bunch of new songs in their swag. One of the new tracks is ‘Blows & Unkind Words’, which has been steadily clocking up the views on YouTube. One song is great, an album’s worth is even better. On February 6 the band will release Sober & Godless, their second full-length album. Frontman Frankie McLaughlin: “The making of this album saw us wondering at this whole folk/punk thing as a wider genre, and what it means to us. The sickeningly rich tradition of people telling their story to song has continued unbroken by time, distance or malevolence. We see no good reason why it should stop with us. Call it Celtic punk, folk, rock or whatever, we have to keep telling each other our story, that’s the only thing that keeps us human … Since we started we NEVER wanted to do anything half-arsed. That has never changed and never will. Seeing the results from working our arses off for Sober & Godless has only made us want to work harder than we ever had.” The Barwon, Geelong – March 27 & The Bridge, Castlemaine – March 28. Sober & Godless was produced by Steve James (Thin Lizzy, The Jam).
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Queens of Noize
At the time of writing, tickets remained for the double-headlining show of Guy Pearce and Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton at Bendigo’s Capital Theatre on January 31. While he may well be known more for his time on the silver screen, music has long been a part of Pearce’s life. Last year saw the release of Broken Bones, his debut album. After having his time in the sun with one of the Australia’s favourite bands, Middleton discovered he had so much more to give. 2013 saw the release of his debut solo album, Translations. With a full backing band in tow, this show should be an absolute ripper. If you’re lucky, you may just hear the odd story or two as well. [Photo: Iska Photography]
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What’s On In The Rat Written by Daniel Lock
Welcome to 2015 to those of you hard partiers who’re just getting over your New Year’s Eve hangover. Here I’ve got the right stuff advertised to make your 2015 that much more organised, keeping the beer cold and the scene hot. Thu 22 January The Babushka Bar has local duo Peter and Kristine Allan playing. No strangers to a live audience, Peter and Kristine have been playing their country/folk/ rock songs for years and can hypnotise an audience with their tunes. Entry TBC. Suttons House of Music (S.H.O.M.) has some country soul hitting their venue in the form of the Ballarat trio The Virginia Slims. Entry $5. Fri 23 January Babushka Bar has Tasmania-based singer-songwriter Josh Durno (of The Sketches), Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Joel Stibbard (of The Gallant Trees) and also Melbourne based singer-songwriter Acoustic Foxx playing. Entry TBC. The Eastern has a line-up consisting of The Ocean Party, Totally Mild and Crepes. The Ocean Party is a five- piece band that hails from Wagga
Wagga that has multiple submissions noted in triple j’s Hottest 100. Totally Mild is a quaint little quartet led by female vocals with twangy acoustic punctuation. Crepes is a Ballaratraised and now Melbourne-based fivepiece band. Entry $10. Karova Lounge put their mark on the board in a big way with Australian punk rockers Frenzal Rhomb playing this night. Supporting them will be Agent 37 and Acid Vain. Tickets $27.50. S.H.O.M. has renowned rockers Month of Sundays playing for FREE this night. Sat 24 January Babushka Bar host rock soul and R&B singer-songwriter and musician Alex Formosa. Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge has one-man band Harts playing. Supporting him is garage/grunge rockers Magic Bones. Entry $10. S.H.O.M. has solo acoustic singersongwriter Minnie Marks playing her country/roots/blues rock. FREE entry. Sun 25 January The Karova Lounge has snuck a cheeky one in on us – the Cosmic Psychos are back to rock the place. Tickets $20 Thu 29 January S.H.O.M. have
got in early this week with Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Scott Cook playing his folk, roots and reggae tunes for those able enough to start the weekend fun early. Entry $7. Fri 30 January Babushka Bar has Joe Guiton, Brodie Glen and David Grimson playing. Joe Guiton is an acoustic rocker from Melbourne with catchy tunes about the best punishments from life. Brodie Glen (of The Shorts) is a talented singer-songwriter and musician who has been in multiple musical shenanigans over the years. David Grimson is a Ballarat songwriter-musician who has been in multiple bands over the years. The Eastern has Sheriff, Spacejunk, Nutsack and Horris Green playing in an epic night of music. Sheriff are Melbournebased and note their genre as “Southernps ychedelichorrorbluesr ock”, and giving them a listen you can hear why! Spacejunk are back inside another awesome line-up, and there’s a reason these guys keep such good company: they funking rock the fuzz out! Nutsack are the closest thing to original Australian pub rock we have to offer at the moment; it’s dirty, it’s catchy and they’ve got the riffs! Horris Green are Ballarat’s own contribution to this awesome line-
up. Taking out the Battle of the Bands, they rock and thrash the two-piece blues. Dirty, fuzzy, bluesy, punky rocking the whole night through. Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge has The Smith Street Band, PUP, Great Cynics and Apart From This playing. More details at karovalounge.com. S.H.O.M. has local act the Paige Duggan Trio. Paige Duggan is a singer-songwriter and musician and veteran of the Ballarat music scene. The Paige Duggan Trio incorporates her songs with the skills of Wayne Parker (guitar) and Ian Riethoff (bass). FREE entry. Sat 31 January Babushka Bar has Geelong singersongwriter and musician Luke Biscan playing his acoustic/ soft rock. Entry TBC The Karova Lounge has local acts TWINSY and Bel Air. Entry $10. S.H.O.M. has Motor City Sounds. FREE entry.
Havaianas Thong Day Challenge It’s time to dig out the budgie smugglers as the Havaianas Thong Day Challenge rolls around for another Australia Day full of fun, sun and tunes. For those who may not be too familiar, the event has become an Australia Day classic where, basically, thousands of people come together to have fun and celebrate being Australian across five of Australia’s favourite beaches (Bondi, Cottesloe, Glenelg, Torquay and Mooloolaba). Although there is plenty that happens on the day, by far the most popular is the Havaianas Thong Day Challenge itself. The deal is this: participants grab themselves a lilo and head into the water. Lilos must be joined together by means of participants grabbing hold of the lilo in front of them. The lilo line must then be intact for 30 seconds for the Guinness World Record to count. Yep, that’s right – this is a World Record Attempt! WA’s Cottesloe is the current champ, and have held the title for three years, so it’s time to knock them off their perch. Money raised across the day goes to the Nippers, with over $300,000 having been raised so far. For the full rundown of the event and registration details, hit up havaianasthongchallenge. com.au. Have a great day and make sure you stay protected out in the sun.
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Some Guy & Darren Middleton
Boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails; girls are made of ROCK. Queens of Noize is a female-fuelled rock extravaganza that originated out of Bendigo. It made its Melbourne debut in 2014 and in 2015 will make stops in Sydney and Newcastle, with plans to swing by Adelaide and Brisbane at some point as well. Here we focus on Bendigo. Such is the amount of rock involved the event has to take place over two nights. Sub Rosa, Mercury White, The Mantelopes, Schikain, Stacy - V and Neurotik Trendz line up on January 30, while Virtue, Erin Shay, The Beautiful Monument, Calling Utopia, Agnoskere, Bad Uncle and Stacy - V line up on January 31. Mercury White lends from bands including Muse, Bloc Party and Arcade Fire to create their indie-pop wall of sound. Formed in 2010, the band has shared stage time with the Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels, Getaway Plan, Red Ink, Amy Meredith, Evermore, British India and Art vs. Science to name just a few. In August the band placed fourth at Germany’s Taurbertal Festival World Final. Your venue is Music Man, one of Bendigo’s finest exponents of live music. For those about to rock, we salute you.
Sun 1 February The Eastern has Morgan King in for an afternoon weekend wind-down. Well, that’s it for the next fortnight. I’d just like to quickly note that Heart of the Rat Records has secured Captives for a vinyl release under HOTR’s label. You can pre-order a copy at their website heartoftheratrecords. com
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In a Nick of Time Hendrix, Clapton and Dylan – three names that have inspired countless people to pick up the guitar and play, play, play. It’s the case for Nick Kingswell, who picked up the guitar at the age of seven. His bio has him claiming he was too skinny to play footy, so music it was. Fresh out of high school, Nick headed for Newcastle; he had a job lined up in a band. The only problem was he played too loud and was fired after one gig. Not to worry, he kept strumming away. He later landed a job playing guitar for the McClymonts, but after a while the little rocker inside became too loud to ignore. And so he welcomes his debut album, Over Easy. Babushka Bar, Ballarat – February 11.
Tales of Ales When singer-songwriter (and one-time lead guitarist for queen of Aussie pop-rock Monique Brumby) Matt Ellis and drummer Dave McDonald got together, The Dark Ales was formed. What to call their music, however, is a little more difficult, so I will steal from their website: “Equally referencing vintage rock, post-grunge and the psychedelic era, they blend blues, soul, rock and prog into sinister but beguiling melodies.” The independent Melbourne four-piece (the other members are Sam Ellis on electric organ and Richard Grace on bass) released their debut EP, Edges of the Day, in 2012. ‘Everything (And Nothing)’ is their latest single. Wolseley Wines, Geelong – February 8.
The Right Tonic
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For the last few months of 2014, Tim “Tonic” Hulsman shared the goings-on about the filming of his track, ‘Road Trip’, on his website. Here is a snippet: “It was such a fun day, with a beautiful red Hotrod owned by local enthusiast John Paul Noble showing up and a whole bunch of the loveliest people, some who I knew and others who I was to meet for the first time, who danced and cheered and waited around for me to do my parts properly.” A screening of the clip took place at Colac’s Carolyn Theatre, so you may well be able to track down a copy online. The song is lifted from his 2014 album Dead Man’s Garden. Tim continues his latest run with a date at Martians Café, Deans Marsh on January 24.
All in the Family Digging deep into the roots of bluegrass, folk and alt-country, The Stetson Family is a Melbourne band of
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knockabouts dedicated to putting their own twist on the bluegrass sound. The band delivered their first album in 2008; however, it was their second album, The Devil in His Sunday Best, that found attention, including from Rhythms Magazine who called the album “a landmark Australian roots album for 2011”. You will also find the band on the festival circuit, popping up at festivals including Brisbane Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Harrietville Bluegrass Convention and National Music Muster. Minya Vineyard and Winery, Connewarre – February 7 as part of the Moonlight Concert series.
plenty to love about it. Rounding up a bunch of classic Aussie acts, the travelling event welcomes Hoodoo Gurus, James Reyne (playing Australian Crawl), Daryl Braithwaite and Boom Crash Opera. Special guests will also feature at all shows, with The Angels and Diesel filling the shoes in Ballarat. Promoter Duane McDonald regarding the special guests: “This gives us a chance to make each concert an individual experience for music fans. We’re lucky to have this incredible line-up on the tour and some amazing special guests to make each concert special.” North Gardens, Ballarat – March 14.
Rainbow Serpent Festival
360 Goes Regional
With the Rainbow Serpent Festival taking place this weekend, here is what you need to know. Gates generally open at 12 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the festival. Music kicks off on the Friday afternoon. The festival will be running charter buses from Melbourne, while shuttle buses will run between Beaufort and the festival site. Make sure you bring everything you need to make it as comfortable as possible, including clothing for all weather types. Or don’t, if that is your thing. Rainbow Serpent is a BYO event, but please leave glass items at home. There is a total fireban operating throughout the festival. There is no ATM. You know the deal, but hit rainbowserpent.net if you’re still a little unsure.
There’s Nothing Wrong with Being Lazy Adelaide has the blues, and it’s called Lazy Eye. Formed in 2011, the band is what would happen if B.B. King shared a scotch with Booker T at the crossroads after midnight. They have performed at festivals including the Australian Blues Festival, Queensland Festival of Blues and Blues in the Barossa, while releasing a couple of albums along the way. Their debut, 2013’s Move On, was voted Album of the Year at the South Australian Roots & Blues Awards. Their new release is House of Trouble. The album reached an impressive #3 on the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Charts. Martians Café, Deans Marsh – January 30. So, what does B.B. King sharing a scotch with Booker T at the crossroads sound like?
Another Red Hot Summer The regional Red Hot Summer tour is back for another year, and let me tell you there is
Earlier this month Matthew Colwell, the man known better as 360, kicked off a healthy regional tour which shines the light on his latest album, Utopia. 2014 was a massive year for 360, both musically and personally. Dreams turned to reality when he shared the stage with his childhood hero Eminem; it was also the first tour where 360 would perform sober. It is a strength that has carried to Utopia. From his website: “Utopia shows us what 360 is really made of; it’s an album about growing up and moving on, while pushing every musical boundary that previously kept him boxed in.” Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads – January 25 & Whalers, Warrnambool – January 26.
The Opposite of Jaron Freeman-Fox To introduce Jaron Freeman-Fox, I am going to go with the words of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival: “The hyperkinetic Jaron FreemanFox is the Jimi Hendrix of the violin. With the chops of a classical virtuoso and the soul of a wild-eyed punk, he plays world music in the truest sense of the word, leaping from gypsy to klezmer to Celtic to country without skipping a beat.” Are you intrigued? I should think so. Jaron’s early musical life was spent moving from festival to festival, in-between home schooling. At the age of fourteen he began a close apprenticeship with fiddler/composer, the late Oliver Schroer. He has produced or played on more than 40 albums. Ararat Hotel Red Room, Ararat – January 28.
We’re Going Bareback Bareback Titty Squad – now there is a band name the whole family can get behind. If this isn’t a name that rings a bell, think about that triple j Hottest 100 mash-up. Yep, that was
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Pako Festa 2015 One of Geelong’s brightest celebrations takes place next month. Presented by Diversitat, Pako Festa is a day full of fantastic fun, music, dance and food. Expanding on that a little, Pako Festa is a street party combining cultural food, folk dancing, the famous Pako parade, workshops, art exhibitions, multicultural craft displays and entertainment on three world music stages in a 1-kilometre stretch. It also happens to be the largest free celebration of cultural diversity in Australia. Last year’s event attracted over 100,000 people, which is a familiar figure for this event, so you can expect numbers of that measure once again in ’15. At the time of writing 2015’s was yet to be unveiled, but if you keep an eye on pakofesta.com.au it should be up there soon enough. A highlight of the event, however, is the Pako Festa parade where dozens of community groups come together in their national dress. The Channel 7 Stage is another favourite; a meeting place for some of your favourite Channel 7 TV stars. Despite being in its 33rd year, Pako Festival continues to grow brighter each year. February 28 is the date to keep reserved. Again, keep an eye on the website above for details. 2015’s theme is ‘Different Therefore Equal’.
Live on the Lawn Werribee Park will host a fine selection of the country’s finest country music artists as part of February’s Live on the Lawn. Lining up you have Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers, Adam Brand, Morgan Evans and Deep Creek Road. Wyndham City’s Mayor, Bob Fairclough: “Live on the Lawn is all about experiencing a wonderful live music event at one of Victoria’s most loved historic venues for a great picnic day with family and friends … The strong line-up of iconic Australian artists is sure to strike a chord with all age groups. Set in the picturesque surrounds of Werribee Park, Live on the Lawn is so much more than the usual stadium show.” Werribee Park – February 22. them. Within 48 hours the band was on the front page of reddit and YouTube among others. The band so dirty they’ll try anything twice, they then did a mash-up of DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs. Beatport, NME and DJ Mag were among the 50+ publications gushing over the lads. The band so dirty they’ll try anything thrice, they then turned their attention to Disney with ‘The Bareback World of Disney’. The band so dirty… The Loft, Warrnambool – January 26. Nudity is mildly encouraged, but not really recommended.
National Celtic Festival Widely recognised as the premier Celtic festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the National Celtic Festival is a step inside seven unique Celtic lands. While it’s a little early to be able to give you too much news (seriously, we would if we could), we do know the festival takes place from June 5 through June 8. Our own Tex Miller spent time there last year: “There is a well-kept secret on the Bellarine Peninsula: on a wintery long weekend in June, the ‘clans’ gather in the seaside town of Portarlington … If you are prepared to be entertained with a
variety of music, dance, workshops and song, this unique festival should definitely be on your calendar.” Throw nationalcelticfestival. com in your bookmarks.
Not Quite Dead There is a hot new relationship that has started up, and it’s a hell of a lot more interesting than any relationship out of Hollywood – that of Heart of the Rat and Dead Salesmen. Heart of the Rat is a brand new independent record label based out of Ballarat that is committed to the art of making a true record. There is no bowing to trends here. There is no influence merely to serve the popular vote. They’re all about musical purity. Who better, then, to start up a relationship with then the Dead Salesmen, a band with their heart in Ballarat? The team is set to record 1998’s much-loved and cherished ‘Amen’ on limited edition, deluxe 180g 12˝ vinyl. The Karova, Ballarat – February 6. Mark with the Sea supports.
Blow Your Trumpets Australia Day Eve at Geelong’s Eureka Hotel is an absolute corker, with Timmy Trumpet, Airwolf and Brynny
among those set to perform. You would be doing well to find a busier DJ in the business than Timmy Trumpet. Juggling some 200 shows per year, including major festivals and international dates, Timmy barely finds the time to put up his feet. What’s more impressive, and quite interesting as well, is that at the age of 13 Timmy won Young Musician of the Year. He was then granted a full scholarship by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Within a couple of years of that, he was the solo lead trumpeter for the Australian AllStar Stage Band. * Note: Timmy also has a date at Bendigo’s Universal on February 24.
Josh Dance Needs You It would seem that some major chode has stolen some gear from local muso Josh Dance. The gear stolen includes a Martinez acoustic guitar, small black hand-held voice recorder, a diary containing lyrics and a small Roland busking amp. As you can imagine, this equipment holds far greater value than just monetary. If you have any information, please contact Josh through 0430 971 319 or email joshdance23@hotmail. com. A reward is offered.
JAM at the dam
Q&A
Jam at the Dam runs by a simple philosophy: the celebration of great music. We love the sound of that, so we spent a little time getting more familiar with this ripping little home-grown event. Can you introduce yourself and give us a background regarding your involvement with the festival? My name’s SJ (also known as Jack!). My brother Bart, my dad, Steph, and I throw a party once a year called Jam at the Dam to celebrate all the great music made in Ballarat! This will be the third year for Jam… It all started a few weeks before Xmas in 2012. My parents have seven acres of property just outside of Ballarat [and] my Dad was complaining that the land doesn’t get used enough and that he fantasised about having a big Australia Day garden party out by the dam – a ‘jam at the dam’. I told him that we should just make it happen. So we got in touch with 11 local Ballarat bands [and] everyone was really keen and happy to play for beers and tacos (we ran a taco van in Ballarat at the time). Regional areas can be a challenge, but people can also embrace these sorts of
events in wild ways. How have you found putting on a festival in regional Victoria? The theme is ‘Homegrown in Ballarat’. We want to celebrate music made in Ballarat – there is definitely something special in the water! Every band that plays has to have some sort of connection to the town, whether it be growing up here, or more loosely, by writing a song about the Eureka Rebellion! So far all bands have had at least one Ballarat member so far and the same with the line-up for this year! It is a ‘not-for-profit’ festival. A lot of festivals claim that title these days, but I am led to believe that all profits from Jam at the Dam are going straight back into charity. What charity is this year’s event supporting and how do you work in with those for whom you are raising money? We raised $1000 for the local CFA to help in their bush-fighting efforts. Over the years I have seen a few little fires our way – and
When&Where: 12 Taylor Court, Invermay – Feb 14
it also looks great when the CFA rock up with a fire truck for the day! We are pretty laid-back organisers. All money comes out of our own pockets – we get paid back and everything left over goes to the local CFA. The line-up is simply amazing; the likes of Tully on Tully, Gold Fields and The Yard Apes, and being it’s in Ballarat it wouldn’t be complete without a bit of ‘Gaz’. How did this lineup come to be so strong? It seems as if you have garnered a lot of support from some great artists. Everyone knows everyone in Ballarat, so I suppose we have called up a few favours this year for the line-up. But yes, we are very honoured that bands like Tully on Tully will be making the road trip (free of charge!) as well as La
Bastard, Gold Fields and Gaz, who’ll probably be catching the bus up the road (think his car got stolen the other day!) – might give him a lift! What would you say you have tried to achieve with the line-up? For me, it looks like a little mosh, a little sing-along and a little dance – something for everyone. Over the last two years the Dam has been graced by a large host of Ballarat legends including the Dead Salesmen, The Rye Catchers, Mick Dog’s Bone Yard, The Yard Apes, Matt Doll of The Mavis’s, Juan Alban of Epicure; [also] Melbournebased bands like La Bastard, who has a guitarist who grew up in Ballarat, more modern Ballarat rockers like Them 9’s, Apes, The Staffords and The Electric SunKings. This year, we have tried to incorporate
a little bit of everything. We want everyone to come along and we want everyone to dance, to mosh and especially strip down and waterslide. What about the festival workings – food, toilets, parking etc. How many people do you hope to have through the gates this year? There are sufficient toilets [and] parking has been fine over the years. However, we encourage people to get dropped off or jump in a taxi if they can. It’s only an 8-minute drive to the Ballarat CBD where we encourage jammers to visit Karova Lounge afterwards – Ballarat’s no.1 venue for checking out home-grown live music. That’s where I’ll be going at 11 o’clock for kick-ons. The last two years we have had just over 400 go through the gate. This year we’d love 600, so big thanks Forte for spreading the word! With so many festivals on at the moment, how have you tried to make Jam at the Dam a bit different? We aim to create a mini Meredith. A few Ballarat music elders have come along over the years and chat to me about how it reminds them of Waterstock, a little festival that was put on by the edge of Mt Buninyong in the early ’90s. Apparently, so the story goes, was that it was the precursor to the Meredith music festival. One of the guys that started Meredith was there and was inspired by the festival – apparently they had a big waterslide, too. Last of all, give us all the info you think we need and anything else you would like to mention. There are a lot of festivals, but there is nothing like this in Ballarat. It is BYO tinnies, it is super relaxed, so far there have been no dickheads, it is not-for-profit and we’re just asking for $20 to come watch 11 super talented B’town acts for the day – a parma can cost you more these days!
NightJar Markets Written by Tex Miller
The NightJar Market in Torquay, and most recently in Geelong, is probably one of the biggest success stories around the region. Since starting in 2010, the market now draws in excess of 10,000 punters a night and is an experience not to be missed. Talking about this year’s programming, I recently got the opportunity to sit down with Lyndelle Flintoft, one of the organisers, to find out about how it has developed into one of the biggest attractions on both the Surf Coast and Geelong summer calendar. Having a chat to Lyndelle on quite possibly the wettest ‘summer’ day of the year, she speaks with enthusiasm as we chat about the 2015 program. “In the moment as we begin to chat, I am standing in a supermarket shopping centre and the rain is teeming down. The weather is going to clear up and so I think that this Thursday’s event (the 15th) should go off without a hitch. It’s predicted for 22 degrees and fine. Despite the crappy weather today though, this year’s program has been the best ever, I think. “We are developing the market every year and getting around 10,000 people through the gates every week and that is because we offer an experience that nobody else can anywhere in Australia. It’s both unique and
a little bit quirky at the same time.” With a background of running markets such as the Queen Victoria and various projects around Australia, Flintoft’s experience, combined with the work of Kyla Vinton, the other organiser, the NightJar was always born for big success. “I was a jeweller and have worked around Australia at markets for the last thirteen years. Kyla runs the Cowrie Market in Torquay and I was one of her stallholders and I pitched this idea to her and since then we have never really looked back.” From the sounds of how Flintoft was speaking, it seemed that the festival has gone through a natural progression to where it is today with attracting large crowds; however, it has been quite the opposite, as Lyndelle
relates. “It’s come together and I think that most of the time we have been learning on the job. I had been doing designer markets all over Australia and do a lot of music festivals as well. My idea was to create a big festival combining everything that I had done before. I think that’s what has made this so successful. “The music element is definitely one of the drawcards. We had a little girl and her father tell us that going into the festival was like stepping into another world. That is what we are trying to create whilst still adhering to our community and family environment mindsets.” In addition, the other reason to the NightJar’s success is that the organisers are so committed to the cause. From knowing each of the stallholders individually to helping
pack up the site sometimes ’til 3 a.m., the emotional involvement is another aspect as to why it works. “With a team of 15 guys starting at 7 a.m. and then 25 staff members on-site for the duration of the festival, and the setup crew and Kyla and I packing up ’til 3 a.m., it’s a lot of work, but
definitely worth every minute and it’s like we have never been there.” Taking on one of the biggest local issues around the Surf Coast, the NightJar in its last few weeks for this season is joining Geelong’s fight against the Ice epidemic. “We felt that we are big enough now to do something positive with such a big issue in our
community. We want to educate and make people aware of what is happening in their local community. “Right now we have the voice and will continue to battle the big issues in years to come.” Please visit nightjarfestival. com.au for further information. forte 31
Schnitz restaurant feature Written by Alexander Lightfoot
Are things better crumbed? It is a question that has plagued humankind for centuries. Is it not a question that has brought kings and queens to their knees? Have cities not burned? Have wars not been fought? In To Have and Have Not, did Lauren Bacall’s Slim not say, “You don’t have to say anything and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just schnitzel. You know how to schnitzel, don’t you, Steve?” Okay, probably not, but show me a man, woman or child that doesn’t enjoy a good schnitzel and I’ll show ’em the door.
Locally, we have Polish immigrant Roman Dyduk to thank for the humble crumbed creation we call a schnitzel – at least when it comes to arguably the best in town. “It all started with Polish migrant Roman Dyduk and his passion for authentic, humble, home-style cooking and hospitality,” Joseph Ceraso, Marketing Manager for Schnitz told us. “Roman’s owned many restaurants in and around Melbourne since 1975, most of which feature his three-generationold signature schnitzel dish. In 2007, Roman opened a café in Melbourne again, with the staple hero product being the schnitzel. “In 2009, Roman teamed up with his sons, Andrew and Tom, to take his vision for food and hospitality to the next level. It was from this moment that the Schnitz we know and love today was born. Five years on, we’re crumbing in 31 locations in Victoria and one in NSW, with many more stores scheduled for 2015.” Good simple home cooking deserves a good simple philosophy. After all, there is a comfort in home cooking that is hard to beat. Call it the feeling of family. Oh, and a handy little catchword doesn’t hurt either. “We’ve always strived to provide schnitzaholics with the greatest tasting schnitzels in the world. Staying true to the home-style schnitzel is extremely important to us. The process for preparing and cooking our food is not dissimilar from what we’re used to enjoying in our own homes.” Schnitz recently made the move to Geelong, with two stores now open – Waurn Ponds and Westfield Geelong. And with over 30 joints in Victoria, the team has developed a keen eye for location, location, location. “We love the relaxed, community atmosphere in Geelong and had an overwhelming number of schnitzaholics requesting stores in the area. A couple of locations came to our attention so we jumped at the opportunity.” While chicken is the one many of us know and love, Schnitz will crumb just about anything. Beef, fish and vegetarian schnitzels are all available, all crumbed in Schnitz’s signature blended crumbs and pan-cooked to golden perfection. “Our aim has always been to give schnitzaholics a wide variety of flavours to pair with our signature schnitzels,” explains Joseph. “We offer 18 unique roll and wrap flavours, Moroccan spice or lemon pepper seasoning for crumb-free fillets, homestyle gourmet salads, parmigiana, kids’ packs and much more. Our beer-battered, diamond cut chips are seasoned with Tom’s secret seasoning and are quickly gaining a reputation for being the best chips in town.” If you’re not a crumby kind of person, you’ll still find enough on the menu. “We have four salads on offer – a refreshing Garden salad, a zesty Mediterranean salad and deliciously traditional Caesar salad, all of which can be ordered plain or with schnitzel strips or crumb-free fillets, as well as Homestyle coleslaw. You will also find a healthy selection of extras to go with your schnitzel – all made from the very best of ingredients, of course. “In his 39 years in the hospitality game, Roman has only ever wanted to offer the freshest quality ingredients in his restaurants and cafés. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure we’re using nothing but the best ingredients. As our brand expands, we’re able to maintain prices by improving our buying power.” Just as they strive to offer the best food they can, all Schnitz stores attempt to create an atmosphere where you never feel rushed to finish your food and leave. “Our store design is as important as the way our food tastes. We want schnitzaholics to feel at home when they visit us, just as they might when visiting family or a good friend’s. Both our stores in Geelong offer ample seating and can cater for larger groups.” And with that, there is one more question that needs to be asked: what would you recommend? Joseph: “The Plain & Simple or Basic Instinct in either a wrap or a roll is a great way to introduce friends and family to our menu. If they’re feeling more adventurous, the Parmageddon roll is a personal favourite – Napoli sauce and melted mozzarella cheese over a chicken, beef, fish or vegetarian schnitzel, topped with capsicum, mushrooms, fresh basil and a blend of Italian herbs, with the choice of Kalamata olives for those inclined. Ask for a slice of pineapple for even more flavour!” 32 forte
WHERE: Schnitz – Shop 219, Westfield Geelong & Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre
SCHNITZ GEELONG + WAURN PONDS NOW CRUMBING SCHNITZ.COM.AU
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The Smith Street Band LOCAL FEATURE STORY Written by Natalie Rogers
While it’s safe to say their new 7˝ ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’ has propelled the down-to-earth Melbourne four-piece into the national spotlight of late, frontman Wil Wagner says it’s business as usual in the Smithies camp in the lead up to their all-encompassing Get High, See Everyone tour that kicks off in Darwin in a few days’ time.
“I love doing it [touring] man. I love playing guitar; I’ve got guitars in every room of my house, so if I’m sitting watching telly I can just pick up an acoustic guitar. Yes, I’m the annoying guy that always has a guitar in his hands,” Wil laughed. “But I love the band. It’s fucking awesome, it’s my entire life. But also it’s my ENTIRE fucking life. I don’t really think about anything else.” Wil’s devotion can be heard in his lyrics to ‘Something I Can Hold in My Hands’ [Throw Me in the River, 2014]. He sings lines like “Every inch of me is always itching unless I’m on a stage” with such conviction it’s hardly surprising he says his passion has caused some awkward social situations. “Lately I’ve been talking to people who don’t really know or care about music and I don’t know what to say!” he admitted. “The other day I was chatting with my auntie and I realised I’d forgotten how to have a normal conversation. So this year I wanna do a course by correspondence. I wanna get my brain going again in a different way – you can’t just focus on one thing your entire life … My New Year’s resolutions are always
kind of vague and easy not to follow through on – at least that’s what they should be!” Wil joked. “Although quitting smoking is one I have every year,” he conceded. For years Wil kept a packet of cigarettes in his back pocket while playing a gig as a kind of lucky charm. Is that still the case? “Don’t have the pocket of cigarettes in my pocket anymore,” he paused, “… am currently smoking a cigarette!” Another unwritten law the congenial lead singer is said to abide by is no booze before a show. “Yes, that true. Expect I played a solo show in Newcastle recently and broke that rule – let’s just say it was not a great idea. I try to take as good care of myself as I can, though I usually like partying harder at home than when I’m overseas surrounded by free alcohol which is probably stupid. But touring in Europe we do 36 shows in a row, you see. So if you get drunk after the fifth one, you’re sort of fucked ’til the end of the tour!” he chuckled. With that in mind, TSSB band are planning to cement their reputation as Australia’s hardest working band with 20+ dates across the country in January and February – no mean feat by any standard, but
they’ll get by with a little help from their friends. “We’re bringing over PUP from Canada for the tour and they‘re fucking unreal! They’re on SideOneDummy Records, the same label we’re on in the States. We met them at a festival in Europe, got talking and they were nice dudes. Their record [self-titled, 2014] is fucking amazing! They’re one of those bands that I have no idea how to describe, just like The Bennies. Whenever I try to describe The Bennies to someone I can’t do it without making them sound shit!”Wil grinned. “PUP is one of those bands. Bombastic sounding, just incredible.” “Also coming with us are the Great Cynics, a band from the UK. We did our first-ever run there with them years ago and I’ve fallen in love with them. The guy who takes for us on tour is dating Iona, who plays bass in the band. We talk to them all the time and see them every summer overseas. We can’t wait to play shows with them. They’re an awesome band similar to Lemonheads; a three-piece, poppy but cool. “Oh, and Apart From This,” he added. How can I forget there our buddies from Melbourne? They’re a young four-piece playing stoner grungy
stuff. They’ve put out a 7˝ recently – the single is called Spinning and it’s awesome. I couldn’t recommend Apart From This more – and I wouldn’t want to fuck up my good reputation!” The Smith Street Band will also be playing a couple of special shows at The Reverence Hotel in Footscray and Corner Hotel Melbourne over the Australia Day weekend. Billed as ‘A Benefit for the Wider Community’, the guys will be joined by good buddies The Bennies, Joelistics, Curse Ov Dialect, Stockades and Fear Like Us in support of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Oxfam. TSSB also plans to donate proceeds from their latest release to the important cause. Buy it here: thesmithstreetband.bandcamp.com. When&Where: The Corner, Melbourne – January 26; Music Man, Bendigo – January 28; The Barwon, Geelong – January 29; The Karova, Ballarat – January 30; The Hi-Fi, Melbourne – January 31; NSC – February 1 (U18)
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Roll’d Have you seen what has Roll’d into town? Yes, the nationwide Vietnamese street-food phenomenon, Roll’d, has set up shop in Westfield Geelong. Opening up just before Christmas, the store has had no shortage of customers. But for those of you yet to visit, what is Roll’d and what exactly does it offer? I spoke with Store Manager, Tin Ly, about this fastgrowing and delicious chain.
“It’s been really good; really, really busy. We opened up in what some people say was a really good time and others say, not so good time,” he laughs. “A good time in that there was such great exposure for us from Christmas shoppers; a difficult time in that most of our staff were trainees, but they have been really good and because they have been able to deal with really busy, now that it’s gone back to normality it feels quiet to them.” Roll’d was the resulting creation of three friends who, with the help from their mothers’ recipes, endeavoured to bring genuine, good quality and healthy Vietnamese street-food style cuisine to the Where: Roll’d – Shop 1193-1194, Ground Level, Westfield, Geelong.
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Aussie people. Considering this little project began less than three years ago, its popularity has quickly spread through the land, with 17 stores throughout Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs, as well as stores regularly popping up in other states. Geelong is the first regional Victorian store to launch, and Tin tells me so far so good. “In terms of Geelong itself, we’ve had a really positive response. I’ve been really overwhelmed with the support we’ve had from Geelong and Westfield Shopping Centre,” he says. “It’s very different to opening a store in Melbourne because there isn’t just another one a stone’s throw away. It’s very exclusive here, we’re excited about everyone’s excitement!” On their opening day, Roll’d gave out ‘Free B. Salads’ all day, with options including BBQ chicken, lemongrass beef, homemade pork spring rolls, roast pork and crackling and rofu and vegetarian spring rolls. “We did the Free B. Day, which is a dish that not many people know what it is and probably wouldn’t try on their own accord, so when we gave them away and it gave everyone the chance to try it, now it has become quite popular. It’s a pretty well-rounded meal, there’s noodles, there’s salad, there’s meat. It fills you up without giving you that bloated feeling, because it isn’t a high carbohydrate meal.” What is their most popular
dish, you may ask? The famous Uncle Pho (Pho soup) and Bun Mee (bread rolls) are a big hit with customers, both of which have large selections of meat and vegetarian options to choose from. “The Bun Mee has been really popular, even though there has been a Vietnamese bakery up the road. The Pho soup is another big hit in all our stores,” he smiles. “We cater for vegetarians and a lot of the gluten-free stuff now as well. This is something we have really been working on over the last couple of months with our product development to really cater for that. There is a traditional Pho noodle soup which is traditionally beef – we’ve actually been able to create a vegetarian Pho. A lot of other places have tried it but they haven’t been able to master the flavour, so it’s just like a veggie soup, but we’ve added all the elements so that it tastes like Pho, but it’s actually vegan.” It does not stop there. There are loads of other options too, including Roll’d soldiers or rice paper rolls, Banh Xeos, which is a Vietnamese savoury crêpe, as well as Classique salads, yummy rice combinations and delicious sides. The layout of the restaurant is modern and relaxed, with the option to sit in the privacy of the enclosed restaurant tables or out on the exterior seating amongst the bustling shopping centre so you can sit back and people watch. What many fail to realise is that Roll’d is open for both lunch and dinner service; while the centre closes early during the week, the eastern entrance, under the Yarra Street walkway, remains open. “We’ve been really pushing into the evening time. While most of the shops here close at 5.30 p.m., we are open 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. - 9p.m Friday, 10a.m. - 8p.m. Saturday and 10a.m. - 6p.m. Sunday. The only other drawcard at that time is the Coles next door, so hopefully people can become more aware we are open for dinner!”
Australia Day at Homestead Q&A
Celebrating their 175th anniversary, Tarndwarncoort Homestead offers something a little different when Australia Day rolls around. So we pulled up a hay bale and had a good yak in order to find out just what they have in store.
Hi Tom, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? Summer is a busy time on the farm with harvest and shearing. We upped the ante this year to include preparations for a fun event on Jan 26. For those who aren’t familiar with what you do, could you please give us a rundown of your role at Homestead? My family set up Tarndwarncoort Homestead in 1840, and I manage it now as the 6th generation here. We are a working sheep farm where the Otways meet the Plains, with a wool shop, guest accommodation, small café and event space at the heritage-listed Homestead. I’m organising this event as a way to share our place and 175-year-old story with the wider world. What does Australia Day mean to you? Australia Day is about having a fun, relaxing day with your friends as you spin a few yarns. It’s backyards, BBQs, pools, Hottest 100 on the wireless, eskies. But it’s also the day when we consciously think about where we are as a nation. The fact that Australia Day can mean so many different things to so many people is a reflection on our maturing society, where we can have sensible discussions about Australian culture. On Australia Day, I think every Australian should take a minute to pay respect to all the people that have come before us, and then take another minute to reflect on what we want to see in Australia’s future. With all the history around the Homestead, it’s a great place to trigger some of those thoughts. The event is to celebrate 175 years of the Tarndwarncoort Homestead. What kind of things has the Homestead been known for in the past? We have a number of events planned in 2015 to mark the 175th year – and Australia Day is dedicated to fun and community. Hundreds of people have lived and worked at Tarndwarncoort. They were shepherds on the
When&Where: Tarndwarncoort Homestead – January 26
plains, families of orchardists, governesses, shearing teams, cooks, swaggies and gardeners. There is a huge amount of people who have a connection to this place. In the colonial days, it was a meeting place for the Gulidjan people. A bushranger was treated for gunshot wounds on the kitchen table. Wool prices rose and fell – and when the times were good, more rooms were added to the Homestead. The mainstay of the farm has been sheep and wool. Richard Dennis, second generation Australian, developed a type of sheep called Polwarth in the 1870s which was the first time a sheep had been bred to match Australian conditions. They are now found all around the world in similar countries. We have always adapted our farming business to meet the market conditions of the day in order to survive. Now our sheep are white, black and green! What made you decide to celebrate it the way you have? I wanted to create an event at the Homestead to bring some life to the old farm to make sure it’s still as purposeful and modern as it was back in 1840. This event is all about storytelling. Not just stories about wool prices and bluestone houses, but about all the little things that have happened over the years. We’re lucky to have a great music scene in Australia. When I was younger and lived overseas, the one thing I missed most was listening to triple j. Now you can stream it, but music is such a feature of our Australian life, I thought we have to put it on the pedestal and let them tell their stories. Also, the Otways are becoming known for the outstanding food and drinks that are grown and made here. Music and
food are two pleasures in life that everyone can relate to. Will there be a little bit of a tour or history available of the property on the day? The Ciderhouse Gallery will have an exhibition of 175 years of farming life at Tarndwarncoort, and tours of the Homestead will be running during the day. The hay rides around the farm on the back of the 1963 truck are a big hit too. Cider fans will discover how apple cider was made at the Homestead during the 1800s during one of the master-classes. We saw there’s also going to be some poetry reading. Will they be related to Australia Day? What can punters expect? Bush poems. So in-between bands, Michelago Mick from Buninyong will present snapshots of Australian bush life. Bush poetry was made famous by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, and they tell classic stories of how rural Australians lived. Michelago Mick will share some of Tarndwarncoort’s trials and tribulations, with a few nuggets of
wisdom to take away. You’ve also got five local bands performing. How did you go about selecting just five? We were looking for young original artists who can tell a story. With this line-up, we’ve got a bit of alt-country, pop, blues and folk – a great variety that will be just what you need on the last afternoon of a long weekend. Andy Forssman of Roseneath Recording in Birregurra has been a great support in pulling together this part of the day. What kind of vibe are you hoping to create with your event? Relax and reconnect. It will be picnic rugs and hay bales spread out amongst clumps of friends and family enjoying the surrounds of garden, Homestead, sheep and paddocks with some good local food and drinks. Why should people boycott other Australia Day events and come down to the Homestead? I’m aiming to create an event that doesn’t overdo the nationalistic stuff we’re starting to see. Australia Day at the Homestead is simply a day out on
an old farm with talented musicians, great drinks and food where the focus is on sharing stories. Ideally, guests will be able to support their local government event in the morning, and come later to the Homestead. Do you think you’ll get the chance to enjoy the day’s festivities? Who are you most looking forward to seeing perform? I’ve got a Jackson McLaren and the Triple Threat song buzzing around in my head – It’s a Whole Day Nearer. I’m looking forward to seeing them, but also, I’m keen to see city and country people sharing a few of their own stories. Thanks again for having a chat with us. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? It’s BYO for food, but not drinks – they’re available for purchase at the bar. We’re supplying BBQs, and you can pre-order an Otways Produce Picnic Pack online. Our café will also be open with light food and coffee. Transfers to and from Birregurra train station are also available.
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FROC K IT Things I’ll Always Carry in My Handbag Written by Jessica Alves
There’s nothing that feeds my organisation fixation more than organising my handbag. In the same way, there’s nothing that sends my OCD (obsessive cleanliness disorder) into overdrive quite like when a girl opens her bag, unleashing a plethora of six-monthold receipts, dirty napkins, leaking lip gloss tubes and a broken wallet, complete with loose coins jingling around the bottom. When I’m out of the house, my handbag is my home away from home, and as you may have realised, I like to be prepared for any situation. So, apart from the absolute essentials that you literally cannot leave the house without (phone, wallet, house key), I decided to put together a list of things that I always carry in my handbag. There is something about having a sticky lip gloss on whilst walking around and having my hair sticking to my lips that makes me angrier than The Hulk stuck in traffic. That’s why I always have a little packet of bobby pins and a few hair ties in my bag at all times. You just never know when you’re going to be in a hair jam and need your hair pulled back. I’ve been known to have chronically dry skin, so
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hand lotion is one of those nonoptional things in my handbag. It’s probably one of life’s grossest things when the skin on your knuckles and around your nails starts peeling off and you start bleeding from your hands in public. Definitely not cute. Any brand will do, but I prefer one that’s specifically targeted towards nail strengthening and intense hydration. Sticking with the ‘dry skin’ trend, lip balm is another one of those crucial items I have to have with me. The only thing grosser than my hands cracking apart and bleeding in public is my face cracking apart and bleeding in public. My body is also really annoying and has allergic reactions to pretty much everything, including petroleum-based lip balms, so I try to stay away from them and stick with ‘organic’ lip balms, which is obviously also way better for the environment as well. If I had to pass on a piece of valuable life advice from my mother, it would be to always carry a little packet of moistened hand wipes. In case I’ve not mentioned it before, I am a clumsy human. I spill everything, especially on days when I’m wearing white. My handy-dandy hand wipes have come to my aid many times, as well as often making me the slightly-tooprepared hero amongst my friends. Lastly, always carry painkillers – for days when it’s somehow gotten to 2.30 p.m. and you’ve still
not had any coffee, your boss is driving you up the wall, your cat has thrown up all over the carpet and your car door has a dent in it from some jerk slamming his car door into yours. Organisation makes everything so much better. Instagram @jessicazalves youtube.com/msbonvivants
Minya by Moonlight
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The Minya by Moonlight concert series is about to begin its 16th season at the Minya Winery in Connewarre, just outside of Torquay, and owner Jeff Dans tells me it will be one of their biggest yet. “The feedback that I’ve had so far for all of the artists has been great. People are very much looking forward to them and they’ve said this is one of the best series we’ve had in a long time as far as performers go,” Jeff smiles. The series involves a total of five concerts, running on selected weekends from the end of January through to March. Kicking it all off on January 24 will be Melbourne jazz legend Pippa Wilson, who originally played at one of the first-ever series 15 years ago. “We’ve had Pippa back about three times. We had her out close to the start of things. She’s a very professional performer and has a great rapport with the audience,” assures Jeff. The other artists that will be performing include internationally recognised bluegrass/ folk band The Stetson Family on Saturday, February 7; vocal wonders Coco’s Lunch will be playing on February 21; and UKbased Ken Nichol will bring along his Dixie Chooks to play a host of blues, rock and jazz on March 7 – and there has already been plenty of buzz around that show. “The chap, Ken Nichol, we’ve had several calls saying how disappointed they are that they can’t commit to that evening. It’s interesting that people would call so far out. I had a guy call all the way from South Australia and he was most annoyed that he couldn’t make the concert,” Jeff laughs. The UK’s London Klezmer Quartet will finish off the series on March 15 with their infamous folk melodies. The Minya Winery is one of the most beautiful of the region, with the winery and vineyard located on a picturesque billabong – and the amphitheatre is no exception. “It holds 200-250 people, fronting the billabong. It’s a very sheltered area, especially
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When&Where: Starts Jan 24 until March 15, see gpac.org.au for more detilas
from the prevailing winds. It’s a very comfortable spot, terraced so that everyone has a good view of the stage,” Jeff says. “We have wine and beer available at very reasonable prices, and for the food, we have hampers that need to be ordered in advance. People are more than welcome to bring their own hamper or picnic basket, but no BYO drinks.” If you’re worried about any lingering nasty weather, the Minya is 100 per cent prepared and have a
very structured backup plan. “The show goes on regardless. On very few occasions we’ve had to move everything inside, but if push comes to shove, it only takes us a little while to move everyone inside and continue the evening,” Jeff says. In terms of wine, there really is something for everyone. The winery has been in operation now for just over 40 years after being established in 1974 by Jeff and his wife Sue. They grow a number of different grapes on five acres of
their property and produce some of the best drops in the country. “There’s quite a variety for such a small area. We have blends, varietals, both red and white,” he says. “Our Cabernet and Grenache would be the most popular, and in the white, the Gewurztraminer.” The Minya by Moonlight series begins on January 24 on selected weekends until March 15. For tickets visit the GPAC website at gpac.org.au or call them on 5225 1200
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360 Written by Natalie Rogers
Last week the Australian hip hop community at large was shocked by the last minute cancellation of all scheduled shows on 360’s Utopia tour, due to unexpected and unspecified illness. His management issued a statement containing a sincere apology, citing the fact that he had never cancelled a single gig before, backed up with a promise to make it up to all ticket holders as soon as possible. In a fortunate twist of fate, Forte Mag had the chance to sit down with the in-demand artist just days before the untimely announcement. During the interview, an upbeat 360 spoke positively about the lucky few he’d personally chosen to support him on the impending tour, his chances in the highly contested triple j Hottest 100, a new project with Seth Sentry, and the moment he realised his childhood
Joel Havea Q&A
Tongan-born, Melbourneraised songman Joel Havea started gigging his way around the world in 2008. In 2009, he landed in Germany, a place where he found a deep, inspiring connection. Home again to escape their harsh winter, we catch up on six years well spent.
Hey Joel, thanks for taking the time to have a chat with Forte. We understand you have just got back from OS. What was going on for you abroad? Thanks, it’s nice to be here! Well, I’ve been living in Germany for the past six years and am currently based in Hamburg. I’ve released a couple of albums over there and have been touring around Europe non-stop for the past few years. Right now I’ve escaped the miserable winter by doing a tour back home. So you are just catching your breath then and finding your feet? Yes, it’s always strange to come back after an extended period away. I always spend the first few days walking around Melbourne looking at the city through the eyes of a tourist, which is a strange feeling. But it’s definitely very good to be home. Can you give us a brief insight into your background in music? I actually studied engineering at Uni but was writing songs 40 forte
idol Eminem dug his rhymes. “He’s the reason I started rapping, you know? It was a dream come true to open for Eminem last year,” he says smiling. “I couldn’t believe it when I was told I could choose the tracks I wanted to send to him. I was so carefully choosing that I selected a few songs and battles I’d done as well – and to know that the man himself actually listened to them and chose me out of everybody was such a good feeling. Indescribable really.” 360 knows the power that kind of exposure can have on an emerging talent and is often vindicated in his choices. Other acts he has chosen to throw his support behind include hip hop duo Diafrix, English rapper Lunar C and Melbourne’s folk-pop princess Gossling, just to name a few. “I really wanted to hand-pick a bunch of people I could hang out with on tour, but I also want to show my support for people I believe are doing something worth seeing.” Here’s a rundown of the special guests 360 chose to join him at his future regional Victorian shows. “[Melbourne hip hop, electro artist] Leva is just starting out and I can see mad potential in his music. He’s doing something that not a lot of Australians are doing at the moment,” 360 says. “The music he’s making doesn’t sound like typical Aussie hip hop – it sounds like it belongs on the international stage. I’m really keen to help him
and playing gigs throughout my studies. At that time music was just a hobby, but eventually it got to the point where it was all I wanted to do. In 2012 I released my first album in Germany, and it’s been a slow and steady but very rewarding build ever since. How would you describe your style of music for those that haven’t heard you before? I’d describe my music as sunny and soulful acoustic pop with an emphasis on harmony and groove. It’ll get you singing, moving and smiling. You have played gigs all over the world. Where are some of your favourite places to play? I toured France for the first time late last year and the shows there were amazing. I have also had many memorable shows in my “hometown” of Hamburg and all around Germany. But honestly, you can have a good show anywhere as long as the audience is with you. For those keen to check out some of your music, where is the best place to have a listen? Just go to my website joelhavea.com or the usual places – SoundCloud: soundcloud. com/joelhavea and YouTube: youtube.com/joelhavea You have a few gigs coming up in regional Victoria, in many areas Forte covers. Have you been out this way before? Actually, these will be my first shows in regional Victoria and I’m really looking forward to it, especially Bendigo where my Dad has been living for over 20 years. What is life like for you on the
as much as I can to get his name out there and see what he can do. “Coin Banks, who’s from Perth, is another up-and-comer who I think is doing quite well – and for my local support I picked Mistress of Ceremony, or M.O.C. She was a big fan of mine back in the day before she even decided to rap. I hadn’t seen her in a while, then I found out she was rapping and she wasn’t half bad either!” he joked. The light-heartedness continued as talk turned to his tracks up for nomination in triple j’s annual countdown. “I think ‘Live It Up’ [feat. Pez] will make it – I don’t know about ‘Price of Fame’ with Gossling. Triple j only played it about twice, but it’s a fairly successful song so people might still vote it in anyway, and if they do that will be amazing to me! THAT would be a big accomplishment. “But as for ‘Impossible’ [feat. Daniel Johns], I don’t know, I’d love to see it in there. That would be incredible! But I’m not getting my hopes up.” His picks to take out no. 1: “Peking Duk – all the music they make is sick, I really rate those dudes. And Allday will be in there for sure.” To see how 360 fares, listen in to triple j’s ‘Hottest 100 2014’ this Australia Day, January 26. In the meantime, fortemag.com. au will have any and all updates regarding 360’s Utopia tour 2015. Get well soon, Sixty!
road? Nice and quiet, or are you known for getting lured back to a few after-parties? I certainly have been lured back to a few parties, but usually I try to keep my voice in good shape by taking good care of myself and not drinking too much. You are playing Odyssey Tavern. Have you played Odyssey before? Are you looking forward to getting down and seeing Grant and the crew? No, first time at Odyssey. My good mate Nick Deman, who I met while we were both playing music on the Greek island of Ios in 2008, is now living down in Torquay and booked the shows. He’s an Odyssey regular and we’ll be doing a double-header there on Australia Day Eve. Anything else you would like to add? Just that I hope to see you all down at a show! I’ll also be bringing my brother with me, Dave Havea, who plays in a band called My Private Dinosaur. Check: myprivatedinosaur.com For the bargain hunters out there, that’s two Havea’s for the price of one! Don’t miss it When&Where: Growlers, Torquay – January 23; Odyssey Tavern, Mt Duneed – January 24; The Vine, Bendigo – February 5; and Buangor Cobb & Co Stables, Ararat – Feb 6
Odyssey’s Australia Day Countdown The Odyssey has another huge Australia Day planned. Along with celebrating the triple j Hottest 100 countdown, they will be running the hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers countdown. The Beer Garden (one of the better ones in the region!) will be abuzz with groups of people
of all ages enjoying a safe, fun and unique Australian Day celebration. To add to that, they have local artists Ben Dew and Jimmy Graham (following #1 on JJJ) playing live music in the Beer Garden throughout the day and night. They will also have plenty of tasty food available all day, including a lamb spit roast and pizzas. It doesn’t stop there. They will
also have many of the top 10 beers from the countdown on tap or in the fridge to help celebrate, along with best dressed and games including thong toss and vegemite eating. The Hottest 100 Australian Craft Beers poll is back. It is the seventh time the poll has been run since it was launched by The Local Taphouse, with the number of entries doubling in size each year. Once again, the Hottest 100 is being run in conjunction with The Crafty Pint and Australian Brews News, with the countdown being revealed from 100 to 1 on Australia Day. This year, more than 50 other venues will be joining The Local Taphouses in hosting an event. That’s more than 50 of the best craft beer businesses around the country joining together as official venues for the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2014 celebration. Odyssey was selected by The Taphouse as an official venue due to being the original and the best craft beer venue in the region. Craft beer has come a long way since they opened their doors almost three years ago and offered for the first time to Geelong and the Surf Coast a venue that avoided the average chicken parmi and Carlton Draught and instead offered a fresh, unique and quality experience showcasing craft beer and ciders, matched with tasty seasonal fare are local live music. After recently achieving #72 in the Top 100 Beers in Australia in the 2014 edition of Critics’ Choice Top 100 Beers Publication (a great achievement for a venue less than 34-years-old and the first of the local breweries ever to achieve such a feat) and winning Best Beer at last year’s Great Aus Beer Festival, the venue has high hopes they’ll poll in this countdown also. When&Where: Odyssey Taver, Mt Duneed - Jan 26
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The Tiny Giants Written by Tex Miller
Sitting down at the infamous Piping Hot Chicken Shop in Ocean Grove, it is with great joy that I am able to chat with the boys from Tiny Giants. 2014 was a massive year for the band, as they released their debut album You’re Too Excitable, and looking forwards to 2015, there doesn’t seem to be any signs of slowing down yet. Speaking with the whole band, it was great to get an insight into what has been a busy time of late for the trio. “2014 has been really good,” George Wilson, drummer for the band says. “It’s like we have passed a hurdle that we haven’t been able to accomplish yet with our EPs.”
An impressive psychedelic journey, the ten-track release was recorded in frontman Jasper Jolley’s house, a process that Wilson feels was like “bathing in their own musical juices”. Etienne Mantelli, bassist for the band, feels that the main difference between the production of the EPs and the debut record is the recording environment and the process that was taken this time around. “The first EPs we recorded in a professional studio, and I think that is why the album sounds a lot fuller. We couldn’t really get talked down by a sound engineer, which made things easier. As kids, recording those EPs we got afraid to ask for things and came up with a second-rate product to a certain extent,” Mantelli said. In an effort to maintain creative control of their
music and the process, the band decided to record and produce the album off their own backs. A more creative flow was achieved as a result and new ideas for the follow-up were also documented at the time. “Giving ourselves time and space to create the album was very beneficial, I think. The recording took four days to do and we stopped to eat a lot of burgers as well. It was all pretty organic. It was a good experience and a big learning curve, I think. It was loose and we didn’t feel that we needed to impress anybody. That felt good,” Jolley said. Following on the garage philosophies of the band, I was able to get the inside scoop that the band was set to record the follow-up in early January. In 2015, there are
When & Where: Motor City Music Festival, Geelong - March 6 & 7
a lot easier ways to record an album than spending the big bucks heading into the studio and spending all your hard-earned money. You are able to retain a grungier and organic sound by just recording in your bedroom or living room. In an attempt to follow in their heroes, the band is going to try tracking drums in a bathroom to achieve a natural, spring reverb sound.
One of their upcoming gigs for the new year is a spot on the Live and Local Stage at Motor City Music Festival, which hits the Geelong Showgrounds over the March long weekend. Talking about the opportunity to be involved once again, the boys can’t wait to get back there again. “It’s good to be back and asked to play once again. It was fun the first time, and there were fireworks.
Yoga of Bass Q&A / Photo by Aaron Dorr
Of all the things on offer at Rainbow Serpent Festival, Yoga of Bass is something you may want to keep near the top of your to-do list. For those unfamiliar, Yoga of Bass is an ongoing discussion and a series of workshops by Darin McFadyen (aka DJ FreQ Nasty) and Claire Thompson on the intersection of music and spirituality. We spoke with Claire to find out a little more.
I believe it’s not your first time at the festival, is that correct? If so, do you have any fond memories from last time? Also, what sets Rainbow Serpent apart from other festivals around the world? Last year was my first trip to Rainbow Serpent, and it may be my favourite festival in the world. I like how balanced it is between really solid music line-ups of different genres and well-developed, well-attended workshop and movement programs. Plus great art, clothes, and AMAZING food, and last year I really appreciated getting to experience the Aboriginal cultural offerings as well. Plus, Monday daytime is the best – feeling the upswing of energy instead of the sad packing-out energy that usually prevails on Mondays at festivals... Your workshop incorporates music, dance and spirituality with the aim to bring festival bliss into our daily lives. Sounds incredible! Briefly, what will punters experience? We are offering two parts of our Yoga of Bass workshop. The one at the Chill Stage (Saturday at 8:30 a.m.) is a
yoga asana, mediation and movement session with a full tweaky, dubby bass-heavy DJ set from Darin – getting into our bodies and off our heads at the same time, haha. We love offering the yoga at a festival stage with a proper sound system as people feeling the full frequency range of the music is really important to the experience. Then we are doing a talk in the workshop area (Sunday at 1:45 p.m.) about how your creativity and passion can be expressed in both your art and life. And I am leading Sunday morning yoga and a Partner Massage class on Saturday afternoon as well! I understand you’ve been practicing yoga for a number of years. What drew you to this ancient teaching? It started as a way to
When & Where: Rainbow Serpent Festival - January 23 to 26
keep my body healthy while doing long days of massage therapy. Then I learned to incorporate meditation into yoga, and studied Sanskrit and the core texts of the Hindu and Buddhist yoga traditions, and yoga became a mind/ body/breath practice that I could go to for balance no matter what was going on. Combining the more classical aspects of yoga with music and free movement or dance as we do with Yoga of Bass adds a light-heartedness and fun that can be missing in many studio environments. I read you also trained as a classical singer – quite a combo. Have you worked this skill into the program? I feel that the Yoga of Bass project is all about combining movement and meditation with sound. I use my speaking voice in an intentional way during my classes to help people drop into the energy of the moment, whether it is grounding and surrendering, or calling up fire or fun. So I think my classical singing training helped with that. Your partner on this mission is Darin McFadyen, aka
FreQ Nasty. How does he complement the session using his deejaying experience? For this project, of course, he brings his depth of musical knowledge in both the heavy bass and classic dub-reggae genres, but this project has also given him the impetus to explore types of music that he loves but doesn’t play out as FreQ Nasty – well-produced tracks with great low-end that are a bit more mellow, experimental, or world-music influenced. And he is an expert at bringing people along a musical journey, as we do in the asana class. He also has practiced yoga for over 15 years and has a great understanding of meditation and the yoga philosophy texts, so he brings that to the talks that we give together. You are both part of Dub Kirtan All Stars. Does any of the music crossover? Often you will find a Dub Kirtan All Stars track in a Yoga of Bass set – and then often we will do a Dub Kirtan set right after to keep the dancing going, like we did at Rainbow last year and will be doing at Wanderlust
We caught the end of Horses and had a bit of a crowd surf. It’ll be sweet and by then we’ll have a whole stack of new stuff to play. Come down and boogie, Geelong.”
Cockatoo Island this year. The philosophies of the two projects are very much in line! By the way, we’re excited to announce that there is a Dub Kirtan album coming out around March or April! Forte has featured different artists on the festival bill – who are you looking forwards to seeing and why? Thank You City, whose live sets I’ve enjoyed at other festivals, Thugfucker – I’ve been listening to their sets on SoundCloud all year, Opiuo and Spoonbill, who I don’t get to see play much in the States, Beats Antique Live for a great dance around, and this talk by Damion Brown that sounds fascinating called Dancing About Architecture! Is there anything else you’d like to mention? We are doing a Yoga of Bass three-hour workshop at Rubix in Brunswick, Melbourne on Sunday, Feb 15, from 3-6. More info on everything at yogaofbass. com
hollow ground Written by Abbey King
Hollow Ground are a local Geelong band, making waves all over the world. Former members of the pop-punk outfit ‘The Warning’ Dylan James and Nick Tucker wanted to create a new band with a new sound. After returning to Geelong following two years living in the UK where Dylan had been writing lots of music, the pair created the Heavy/Alternative, Hollow Ground, gaining Ryan Birse on Bass and Corey Mole on drums.
Later last year the band released their debut EP, which was launched at a very special Halloween show at the Barwon Club in Geelong, where they also filmed the live music video for the upcoming single ‘This One’s For Harri’ which was released earlier this month on January 6. I had a chat with Dylan about the EP’s success to date and their fast-growing popularity. “We’ve had a incredibly positive response actually, we didn’t realise so many other people would like out music. We’ve been getting really popular reviews, the strangest thing, we’ve been getting heaps of international press as well. We were lucky enough to get played on German radio, we had interviews with a Swedish online blog as well as featured in a online magazine from Ohio.” Dylan admits that Europe is a major goal for the band, with their genre being so popular in countries such as Germany, where their single has already 42 forte
been played on Radio. Wellenflug, their song “My Trendkill” also made it onto an International Compilation CD, DS Enterprises, with 10,000 copies being distributed in 10 international countries. “A lot of our favourite bands are from Europe or have managed to make it big in Europe and we’d love to go over there, we’ve played all over Vic and stuff but we’d love to get it together and get over to Europe soon!” he smiles. Hometown gigs aside the band has recently played a headline slot at the infamous rock venue ‘Cherry Bar’ the sole venue on AC/DC Lane. “We are so keen yeah, we played a gig a couple of months ago up a Yah Yah’s and that was a kind of support slot, but we
When & Where: Yah Yah’s Feb 8 & Musicman Megastore in Bendigo on Feb 7
ended up bringing out a heap of people and it ended up being a really good gig so they’ve offered us the gig down at Cherry now so hopefully we can do the same thing, except this time we’re headlining.” As well as the Cherry gig, the boys have just supported US band The Coathangers and are busy filming their next video, which is for the single ‘Stranger’ and Dyaln tells me it is going to be a big one, “We’ve started preproduction for our second music video, which is going to
be a much more big budget video that will take around 4 months to film, hopefully be out about July before we go back into the studio.” Despite only just having released their debut EP the boys have already booked in studio time at Singing Bird Studios, to record their second release, which they will reuse Andy Simpson to help produce. “This time its going to be a bit different this time, we’re going to do a two-disc 8 track EP, with 4 tracks
on each disk and we’re going to try and do a sort of light and shade, good and bad type feel to it. So you’ll have the lighter shade of songs on one disc, then the energetic, punchyou-in-the-face type songs on the other I guess.”
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Forte Columns
PULP Written by Alastair McGibbon
pop culture Written by Anthony Morris
One of the bigger shifts in Australian television over the last decade or so has been the rise of local drama. History time: it wasn’t all that long ago when “Australian drama” was such a low-rating joke that Channel Nine – the biggest network in the country – was only meeting its required quota of Australian drama [part of the requirement for holding a television licence is a certain number of hours of locally produced drama each year] by running 20 hours or so a year of late night sketch comedy show Comedy Inc. Thanks to a loophole in the regulations, sketch comedy somehow counts as drama, and with local drama being held in such low regard it was easier for Nine – which, unlike Seven or Ten, didn’t have a half-hour weeknight soap like Neighbours or Home & Away to make up the quota – to churn out unwatched comedy than spend the money on actual drama. Newspaper columns regularly lamented the death of Australian television drama; even the ABC, suffering under big budget cuts from the Howard Government, struggled to put much of anything to air. What started to turn things around was the success of Nine’s first series of Underbelly: it turned out that Australians would watch local drama so long as it was a) based on actual events and b) featured a bit of sex and violence (later this was expanded to sport and/or Kerry Packer). But perhaps more importantly in recent years, it’s turned out that local drama is one of the few things Australians can’t see ahead of time via torrents; with the idea of rush-releasing shows from overseas here to try and defeat downloading, having largely been discarded (the ABC and Doctor Who aside), local drama series are some of the few shows Australian networks can reliably expect local audiences to tune into. Which is why it’s a bit of a worry that Ten hasn’t yet been able to announce a single new locally produced Australian drama series for 2015 – even SBS has been able to let people know they’re doing The Principal (a quasi-sequel to The Heartbreak Kid, only now the Kid is all grown up and the head of the school). To be fair to Ten, they do have a couple of shows that will probably be back, in the form of Offspring and Party Games – well, Party Games might very well be back; Offspring has been going so long now that the various government funding benefits and tax breaks for a drama series no longer apply, which is the same problem Underbelly faced (and which is why the final series of Underbelly was renamed Fat Tony & Co, fooling the tax office and no one else). Basically, all Ten’s drama series since Offspring – Mr & Mrs Murder, Wonderland, Puberty Blues, Secrets & Lies – have struggled ratings-wise, so much so that now that Offspring’s almost certainly too costly to continue with, they don’t have anything established to go on with. And while this wouldn’t have been a problem a decade ago when Australian drama was dead and Neighbours was all they needed, today it’s just another black mark for a network that really needs to lift its game. And I’m not talking about Family Feud. 44 forte
blues news Written by John (Dr John) Lamp Proudly pesented by The Sleepy Hollow Blues Club
Well, we’re nearly out of January and the festive season is well and truly past. Did they really start selling hot cross buns on January 2nd? I was told they had a use-by date of January 26th! Well, I don’t know what you got up to around Xmas, but I was waist-deep in relatives. New Year brought Bluestone, and a great session. The blues community here is growing, and yet it’s still small enough to be a friendly bunch – almost an extended family. This year Bluestone went off like a frog in a sock – the artists were tight (musically, not the other way; well, not until after their set!), the venue was great and the atmosphere was good. Brian Fraser opened, followed by Stringybark McDowell. Geoff Achison was a highlight, with an amazingly skilled and polished set. He alone was worth the entry fee. But the surprise of the night was Greg Dodd’s second set, because he was joined by Sammy Owen, who happened to be in the crowd … and to have his Fender… A true example of the old adage that you can plan all you like, but on the night magic happens. And it happened in that set. Local band JJ & the Blue Dogs had the unenviable task of geeing up the crowd on New Year’s Day, and they did it in spades! Kay has an amazing voice, and with the likes of Gary “Quickie” Quick on keys and Ian Wilson on lead guitar, it got better and better. Blue Eyes Cry followed, then Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones, with Chubby Rae and the Elevators to finish the day off. I don’t know about the day being finished off, but I certainly was. A week later in January, the Blues Bootcamp was in full swing at the Potato Shed. This year’s tutors consisted of guitarist Wayne Jury, Hammond organ specialist Tim Neal, Bellarine ukulele artist Sarah Carroll, ‘Mr Black and Blues’ Michael Pollitt, Chris Wilson, Kelly Auty and percussion expert David Robertson. About forty musicians aged between 11 and 25 attended the intensive session of tutoring in music and the music industry – playing, performing, arranging and even using social media. The Bootcamp culminated in a packed performance, with students putting their new skills into practice. These are the musicians of the future – not always blues musicians, but the skills are largely transferrable. I know Wayne gets a buzz when he’s at a gig and one of his students from the past six years of Bootcamps is up there putting it all to use. So, what’s happening around Australia Day? Pistol Pete has Mr Black & Blues on the 23rd and Mick Dog’s Bone Yard on the 24th, with Pugsley Buzzard and Andy Phillips the following weekend. Lazy Eye from South Australia is playing at Martians on the 30th – a sensational trio with a Hammond B3 at the centre. Myself, I’ll hang out to the 6th of Feb: Jeff Lang is at the Chook Shop!
So, if you’ve been reading this column since the beginning – unlikely, I know, but hear me out – you might remember me talking about Scott Snyder’s New 52 Batman run way back in the first issue of Pulp and gushing over it as only a DC fanboy can. The series was one of the first comics I’d picked up since getting into comics, and I have to admit, it was a damn good first comic. I remember thinking at the time “Jeez, Snyder is awesome. I don’t think he could beat this arc.” The Court of Owls was an excellent starting point – it had mystery, plenty of action and added some seriously cool characters to the Batman mythos. Hell, there was even a spinoff series featuring a Talon! While it might not have lasted all that long, it was still really cool to see it develop the Court of Owls storyline some more. I’d heard good things about Snyder before picking up his work – and I quickly became a fan after reading the excellent American Vampire series – so seeing him do such a great job with one of my favourite characters was really rewarding. I kinda forgot about his work on Batman after that point – I still read the monthlies, but the Zero Year arc dragged on and on without much relief and DC’s constant need for crossovers meant that I got a bit bored. I was in Melbourne a few weeks ago and stumbled across a copy of The Black Mirror, a Detective Comics trade I’d heard a lot about – particularly considering it was the arc that ensured Snyder’s position as the Batman scribe of the moment – but never actually bothered to read until now. Boy, how I wish I had. The Black Mirror centres on
the return of James Gordon, Jr. – son of Commissioner Jim Gordon and brother to Barbara, aka Batgirl. James was always considered a strange and rather unnerving person – despite his high intelligence, James always showed a distinct lack of emotion, and was connected – though nothing was ever proven – to the disappearance of neighbourhood pets and even linked to the disappearance of one of Barbara’s friends. James claims that he is a changed man, but a string of murders coincides with his return to Gotham and Dick Grayson – functioning as Gotham’s Batman – and Commissioner Gordon make a point of investigating them to definitely prove whether or not James really has changed. I gotta say, The Black Mirror is more of a thriller than a superhero story. There are a few elements to the story that hint at the direction Snyder took for his New 52 run, and there is a really intense level of tension throughout the story. The combined artistic efforts of Jock (The Losers) and Francesco Francavilla (Swamp Thing) are just exquisite – they make a point of showing off just how dark, gloomy and spooky Gotham by night can be. The atmosphere is just intense, and combined with Snyder’s excellent writing makes for a truly unnerving story. This story cemented James Gordon, Jr. as one of the scariest villains in the DC universe – his intellect, combined with his total sociopathy makes for some seriously scary situations. This is one of the darkest Batman stories I’ve read, and isn’t one for the light-hearted, but damn is it a good read. Check it out if you can!
PUNK!
you who haven’t figured it out, it’s a dig at those steroid-crazed muscle Mary’s that go to Stereosonic every year. It’s a dance music festival. Learn about it. Or not. Murder by Death drops their newie, Big Dark Love, on February 3rd via the Bloodshot Record’s label. Filmage, the story of the Descendents, is finally available on DVD after wowing them at film festivals throughout the world last year! That’s all you need to know – go get your copy now! There’s nothing punk rock about acoustic guitars. There, I said it. This hipster poser trend of beards and bands that sound like Missy Higgins cranked up to 11 can kindly GTFO. I love Bruce Springsteen as much as the next guy, but he certainly isn’t punk rock. Huge congrats to New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert on his engagement to Paramore frontlady Hayley Williams. Mazel! It’s hard to believe that it took 38 (count ’em, thirty eight!) years for the Ramones’ self-titled debut album to go Gold in the United States. You’d think a band as legendary and influential as the mother-loving Ramones would have a string of platinum records a mile long. The Adolescents and Russian band The Svetlanas have a split 7" EP on the way, featuring two songs from each of them. The Adolescents offer up ‘Fukushima Lemon Twist’ and ‘Forever Summer’, while the Svetlanas give us ‘Tales from the Alpha Brigade’ and ‘Step Back’. More next issue, kids. In the meantime, stop being jerks and be cool to each other!
Written by Christopher Cruz
There’s a humongous festival happening at Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Florida, on the 4th of April. Why do I keep plugging these huge overseas events? Because some of the line-ups are just too incredible to not at least mention, and are totally worth contemplating, especially if you like to travel. The line-up for this particular shindig needs to be seen to be believed: Rancid, NOFX, The Offspring, The Vandals, For Today, The Used, A Day to Remember, Chiodos and many, many more. Yowsa! So, where do punk rockers meet their significant others these days? With gig attendances dwindling, we’re interacting less and less with each other now. I myself am relatively newly single and ready to mingle, and while checking out dating and hook-up apps, I’m surprised at just how normal-slashplastic everybody looks. Have I ever stumbled across a profile pic of somebody with a mohawk or buzz cut? Nope. Sure, there’s the occasional silly emo kid with a lip piercing, smudged black eyeliner and silly hair, but ew. No thanks. I could never date somebody whose idea of good music is Asking Alexandria or somesuch nonsense. Frenzal Rhomb are heading our way! Saturday, January 24 sees them demolish the Barwon Heads Hotel as part of their Victorian Steroidosonic tour. For those of
too heavy to hug
le monde entier
Written by Paul S Taylor
Written by Madelin Baldwin lemondeentier.net
Somehow, it seems, the mainstream metal press is suddenly obsessed with Papa Roach. The latest thing I read was that vocalist Jacoby Shaddix is going to launch a clothing line called Lovers Are Lunatics. He has been quoted as saying the style will be “real basic” – and if you read about fashion, you’ll know that the term “basic” pretty much means “shit”. Yep, much like Papa Roach’s music, the associated fashion is going to be “real shit”. Also, it seems, when there’s no Metallica, Iron Maiden beer yarns, Scott Ian farting, Dave Lombardo farting, Mike Portnoy crying, Slayer saving kittens yarns or Queensrÿche legal action schoolyard whingeing yarns to report on, Papa Roach have become the next go-to, along with Megadeth’s constantly changing lineup. But that’s just it really, isn’t it? We love reading about the same old bands doing the same old stuff, saying the same old stuff because that’s all that’s reported on. I know I’m sick of reading about the same old shit and if I had the time and energy I’d be doing what real journalists do and going out and actively hunting down news, not just looking at Twitter to say who said what to whom first. Having said all of that, you take away all of the above mentioned mainstays and what do you have? A list of articles about bands no one has heard of, no one cares about, no one wants to read and no one can relate to because new music sucks and only when new bands become old bands everyone knows do we get to know more about them. Yep, it’s pretty much the same old media loop all sorts of celeb mags and gossip mags use to sell copies and as much as we like to think everything about metal is totally different to everything else to do with every other thing else, it’s really not. But that’s not to say things can’t change. New bands need publicists, they need clothing lines and controversy, drug and alcohol stories, hotel room trashing stories like old to bring them to the forefront, but no, they’re too busy been clean-cut and wholesome. In other news… Feed Her To The Sharks will release their new album, Fortitude, on Tuesday, February 10. The 2015 Melbourne Soundwave Festival will be held at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22. Soundgarden will play Festival Hall on Tuesday, February 24. All That Remains will release their new album, The Order of Things, on Friday, February 27. Psycroptic will release their sixth album, Echoes to Come, in March. Cancer Bats will release their fifth studio album, Zero, on Friday, March 13. Psycroptic with special guests Goatwhore will play The Hi-Fi on Friday, March 13, Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Sunday, March 15, The Barwon Club on Friday, March 20 and Melbourne’s Wrangler Studios on Saturday, March 21. Mastodon will play Festival Hall on Friday, March 27. Gallows will release Desolation Sounds on Friday, April 10. The Ocean will play The Evelyn Hotel on Saturday, April 18. If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to tooheavytohug@ hotmail.com or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug
I’m fairly conflicted about where I want to spend my honeymoon. And may I preface this with no, I am not engaged. However, as a travel agent (and in a long-term relationship) who regularly plans holidays and honeymoons, I of course think about my own. It’s a complicated decision between beach haven, flop and drop, to the action/ adventure accomplished kind of getaway. Our honeymoon really shouldn’t be any different from any other holiday we’ve taken together – apart from those lovely perks like champagne and chocolates on arrival and maybe a free transfer! – but there always seems to be a lot of pressure to make it so. Here are my top three honeymoon destinations for myself at the moment. Hopefully it will give some of you some inspiration as well! Borneo Borneo has always been at the top of my list for its one main attraction – the orangutans. It’s actually the third largest island in the world, the largest island in Asia and has one of the oldest rainforests. It is also made up of three countries – Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, with 76 per cent of it being classed Indonesian territory. The rainforest is over 140 million years old, and this is where you can find the orangutan in one of its only natural habitats left. There are also heaps of other amazing animals like the rhinoceros and Sumatran elephant, and a ridiculous amount of fish species. You can take tours to see the orangutans and places like Camp Leakey allow you to see them come in and eat every day. One of the coolest things I found though was the stingless jelly fish lake, an incredible lake where millions of jelly fish who have lost their stingers migrate and move across eating algae every day – and you can buy passes to go swimming. Alaska/Canada I cannot wait to go and do the Rocky Mountaineer across Canada, but I would love to do it in the Gold Leaf class cabin, so waiting until the honeymoon is probably the only time I’ll be able to justify spending that kind of money! The Rocky Mountaineer is a stunning train ride you can take through Canada, with many different routes and pricing levels. You get 360 views in glass-domed cabins, stay some nights on board and some nights in hotel accommodation across the road, and have chefs of board to cook you all of your 5* meals (think eggs scrambled with smoked salmon, topped with kelp caviar and lemon chive crème fraîche for breakfast). We’d then be able to go on and explore Alaska some more, which has always interested me with their natives, customs and cultures. World touring My third option would be a bit of a ‘Jennifer Hawkins’-style honeymoon, with a little bit of everything included. She started with the actual wedding in Bali (which I would skip), but went on to do Paris and the Maldives on the way home. I would love to go and explore a new European country I’d never been to (maybe some sailing around Greece, or take a trip to Finland) and then come home by some beautiful exotic ‘overwater cabins’ kind of island for some relaxation and treating. The Maldives are incredibly stunning, as is Bora Bora. Three very different honeymoon destinations, all of which I think I’ll eventually get to do – but with a baby on the way, I have a feeling child friendly is going to be a key element to every holiday, so being able to do something on our honeymoon that we wouldn’t be able to with baby in tow will be high on the priority list!
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Refining the Palette
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR A watchful cheetah, an eerie bat and migrating cranes are among the 100 award-winning images in the 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Now in its 50th year,
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the diversity and wonder of the natural world. Launching in 1965 and attracting just 361 entries, today the competition receives almost 42,000 entries from
The Atomic Bombshells Hailing all the way from Seattle, USA, The Atomic Bombshells bring their internationallyrenowned burlesque show to Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal for one night only! We had a chat with founder and artistic director, the one and only Kitten LaRue! Hi Kitten, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with Forte. Where and what are you up to at the moment? Currently I’m freezing my (bleep) off in NYC! Just rehearsing for some upcoming shows and looking forward to getting down there where the sun is shining! What was the burlesque scene like before The Atomic Bombshells? AN EMPTY MEANINGLESS VOID. Ha, just kidding! There was actually really great stuff happening, but it was mostly underground and not happening very regularly. Not to toot our own horn, but the Bombshells definitely played a major role in making the burlesque scene explode in Seattle and in creating a show that had enough wide
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appeal to attract regular large sold-out houses. How did the Bombshells originally come about and how have you seen the industry change? We were founded on a hope, a prayer and a lie. I marched into Seattle’s largest venue, sold them on a show that I didn’t actually have yet and one month later we opened for Dita Von Teese! Again, the industry has changed dramatically in that burlesque has gone from being a fringe, niche art form to a commercially viable form of entertainment. Burlesque has sort of become Seattle’s version of Broadway; you get dressed up and go out for a fancy night of fabulous cheeky entertainment that’s just the right amount of risqué. Having travelled the world with your show, what have been some of your favourite places to perform and some of your career highlights to date? Performing in Shanghai, China, was a real favourite. What a culture shock, on both sides! Most recently I had the opportunity to perform with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on
PBS television with my wife (Lou Henry Hoover of the Bombshells) and burlesque star Angie Pontani. That was obviously a major highlight and one I will never forget! How would you describe burlesque for those who are unfamiliar? Our particular brand of burlesque is highcamp glamour, classic with a twist, sensuality served with a wink and a smile! The joy of the tease… sequins, feathers and fringe! Tassels twirling! Nostalgic yet subversive … Burlesque is all of these things. You are about to head out for an Australian summer. What are you most looking forward to? BEACH… More beach! Even more beach! Did I mention beach? (Seattle is the opposite of beach right now.) And TIM TAMS! How many performers will be making the trip out and what can audiences expect to see? We will be touring with our original core of 4-5 Bombshells, plus our incredible guest host, The Astonishing Johnny Domino, who is actually from Perth – and winner of the WA King of Boylesque title!
What else does 2015 hold for the Bombshells? After Oz, we will return to Seattle for our annual Valentine’s extravaganza, then will be heading to the gay beach town of Provincetown, MA, to do shows with RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 star BenDeLaCreme, also an original member of the troupe! What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting into performing? Do your research! Take a class! Learn about the rich history of burlesque, watch videos, read books and discover how you can have a unique perspective in an art form that is very saturated. If you want burlesque to be your job, you must act like burlesque is your job. Any other news you would like to share with us? After our dates in Melbourne and Castlemaine, we are heading to World Fringe in Perth for a week of shows. So tell all you mates on the west coast to come see our magic! When&Where:
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – January 25 & The Toff, Melbourne – February 1
This year, the prize of Wildlife Photographer of the Year was awarded to American photographer, Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols for his serene black-andwhite image of lions resting with their cubs in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
ARTS ATLAS
TACTILE PLEASURE EXHIBITION This exhibition will showcase the work of twenty-five artists exhibiting an eclectic mix of mixed media, papier-maché, painting, photography, sculpture, textiles and woodwork. There will be a representation of local, regional, Melbourne and interstate artists, as well as higher profiled artists from across Australia. One of the objectives of the exhibition is to include divers media to encourage those members of the public who don’t usually attend an art exhibition, to comfortably enter this creative
96 countries highlighting its enduring appeal.
space. This exhibition will professionally and respectfully display the talents of both experienced and budding artists. WHERE: The Anglican
Church Hall, Apollo Bay, VIC. WHEN: Until 31 January. INFO: facebook.com/
tactileapollobay
ArtsAtlas has arrived! You have the creativity and vision. We have a place where you can explore, share and celebrate. Whether you’re a potter or a poet, looking for space or got some to rent, interested in funding opportunities or a good night out, ArtsAtlas is your essential reference and guide to great artistic happenings across our region. The Geelong Region ArtsAtlas will be formally launched in mid-February 2015. We want to offer you the opportunity to be among the first to benefit from this exciting resource. Get listed
WHERE: National
wool Museum. 26-32 Moorabool Street, Geelong. WHEN: Until 1 March.
now – it is so easy!! To join the ArtsAtlas community simply visit artsatlasgeelong. com.au and follow the prompts to set up your own page. It’s free to list and free to subscribe! If you would like some tips on how to get the most out of your ArtsAtlas experience, call now to book into one of our January information sessions. WHERE: Online,
right now.
WHEN: 22 January
- 5 February.
PHONE: Justyn Rowe
or Penny GoughHarper 5272 4703
INFO: artsatlasgeelong.
com.au
MIDSUMMA COMES TO GEELONG! – Courthouse ARTS
RAINBOW LOVE & MAKING CONNECTIONS A part of Midsumma Festival 2015, CHYA’s gallery will host an exhibition of works by local artist, which celebrate Geelong’s LGBTIQ community. Rainbow Love & Making Connections is a showcase of artworks that reflect the community’s Queer Pride and aims to encourage & support identity in Geelong’s LGBTIQ youth. An exciting addition to Melbourne’s culturally rich and innovative festival committed to diversity and equality. WHERE: Courthouse ARTS. 60 Little Malop Street,
Geelong.
BOOKS, FAIRYBREAD AND FLICKS In a partnership between City of Greater Geelong Youth Services and Geelong Regional Libraries Cooperation, COURTHOUSE YOUTH ARTS are excited to be hosting this afternoon of Gay-friendly fun! Beginning with story time with a difference: storybooks told by our storytellers, addressing the issues that face all rainbow families. Children of all ages are encouraged to listen and enjoy some fairy bread treats!From later in the afternoon into the evening CHYA will be showcasing a series of iconic queer films. So put on your most fabulous tracksuit ready for some beanbag movie marathon action!
WHEN: Opening night: 23 January, 6pm.
WHERE: Courthouse ARTS. 60 Little Malop St, Geelong.
On until 8 February.
WHEN: 31 January.
INFO: courthouse.org.au
INFO: courthouse.org.au
Refining the Palette
METROPOLIS SUMMER SALON – Paintings and works on paper Metropolis Gallery kicks off every year with a bumper Summer Salon show by many artists represented at the gallery - it’s an opportunity to get an overview of what’s happening at the Gallery and it whets the appetite for what will be an exciting 2015 exhibition calendar!
Apollo Bay Seafood Festival The Apollo Bay Seafood Festival will move into its fourth official year of operation next month as the event looks to grow more and more each year. I spoke with Merri Hagan about the growing popularity of the event. “The Apollo Bay Seafood Festival was launched in 2011 with the aim of establishing Apollo Bay as a seafood destination and showcasing the wide range of quality Otway produce available,” she says. “Since then, it has become a favourite on the summer events calendar, promising a great day out for the whole family. In 2014 the Festival attracted over 4500 attendees, and this year we are hoping to exceed that number.” The coastal town will come to life with all things seafood. There will also be other local produce to try, and the Otway region is also well known for its beers and
wines, which will also be available for trial and purchase. “The Apollo Bay Seafood Festival promises a fun-filled day of cooking demonstrations from local and celebrity chefs, live entertainment, market stalls, wine, beer and, of course, seafood in abundance! On the menu you can expect fresh crayfish, abalone, calamari, mussels, flake, scallops, snapper, blueberries, raspberries, shitake mushrooms, olives, wines, beers, truffles, cheeses, vegetables meats – all locally sourced.” The festival has now become an important event on the Great Ocean Road annual calendar and is a refreshing reminder of just how lucky we are to have such fantastic quality produce at our doorstep. “I think that the Apollo Bay Seafood Festival reinforces and celebrates the importance
of understanding where your food comes from and seeing first-hand the bounty that this beautiful coast provides. [Also] experiencing a range of ways it can be prepared by a selection of talented chefs and then savouring the delicious, fresh flavours!” she says. Seafood remains an important industry to the region around Apollo Bay and this festival is the opportunity to put its riches on display. I also spoke with Trish Goodlet, who discussed how vital the fisheries trade is to the region. “Although only a small fleet of shark and crayfish fishermen remain, its history dates back to 1847 when the Henty Brothers first established a Whaling Station. The local fishing industry has continued to operate over the years with catches of southern rock lobster, barracouta, shark and squid and today is one of only two working harbours remaining
on the Great Ocean Road. These boats, with ‘wet wells’ to allow live export, catch up to 100 tonnes per annum, worth approximately AU$13 million. “The Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Co-operative, one of five established in the 1950s, is the only one still active and acts as an integral part of the Victorian fishing industry,” she explains. “The working harbour remains very much the central focus of the Apollo Bay township and visitor experience, creating a scenic backdrop for the vibrant coastal town. Although it has only a small population of approximately 1500 permanent residents, there are 22 restaurants and cafés in the centre of the town, many of which serve local seafood as a signature dish.” The Apollo Bay Seafood Festival is held at Apollo Bay Foreshore on Saturday, February 21.
The Festival of Glass
annual Festival of Glass will attract thousands of visitors to the area.
Awards (including the art of recycled glass) and silent auction of items handmade by exhibition exhibitors. There will also be ‘Glass on Film’, featuring short films about glass art, craft and industry, and each hour you have the opportunity to win glass collectables.
become glassworkers themselves by attending exhibitors’ workshops. Topics include kilnforming glass, glass flamework, handdecorating glass and glass bead-weaving.
The Festival of Glass is an initiative of the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. and is unique in Australia in that it joins a handful of similar events worldwide. In midFebruary 2015, the fifth
The heart of the 2015 Festival of Glass is a glass exhibition that features stalls by more than 50 local and interstate exhibitors, demonstrations of glassworking techniques, winners of the Drysdale Art Glass
Festival visitors can
‘Masterclasses’ is now in its fifth year at the festival. Renowned Sydney-based glass artist, Mark Eliott,
This year you’ll find paintings by Philip Adams, Mark Cairns, Amber Daly, Ben Davis, Peter Ferguson, Victoria Howlett, Adrian Lockhart, Judi Singleton, Peter Smales, Sisca Verwoert and Gail Willoughby. There’s also a wonderful selection of artists’ edition prints by Dean Bowen, Jazmina Cininas, Robert Clinch, Graham Fransella, Anita Iacovella,
Deborah Klein, Marco Luccio, Vida Pearson, Deborah Williams and Joel Wolter. Paintings and linocuts by indigenous artists are also available, in association with major art centres including: Papunya Tula Artists, Hermannsburg Watercolour Artists, Tjala Arts and artists from the Torres Strait Islands. Complementing this eclectic show of paintings and works on paper is beautiful Art Glass by Denizen, Brian Hirst, Amanda Louden, James McMurtrie, Keith Rowe and Phil Stokes. WHERE: Metropolis
Gallery. 64 Ryrie Street, Geelong. WHEN: Until 28 February. INFO: metropolisgallery.
com.au
GEELONG MUSEUM OF MOTORING + INDUSTRY This is the home of an impressive collection of motor vehicles and pays tribute to the industry and manufacturing heritage of Geelong. It is run by enthusiasts for everyone to enjoy and is located in the Industrial Precinct in North Geelong. The location for this magnificent repository is the Federal Mills, originally built to manufacture uniforms for the ANZACs in WW1. Starting with the Ford Discovery Centre collection, the Geelong Museum of Motoring has amassed an impressive collection of vehicles and artifacts for display. The display is regularly updated and changed. WHERE: Federal Mills, Mackey Street, North Geelong. WHEN: Open every day in January, 10-4pm. From
February: Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun, 10-4pm. INFO: gmom.com.au
will run a one-day class on flamework on the16th of February as well as a three-day class on glass sculpting from the 17th to 19th of February. Bookings for these classes are essential and can be done so by emailing Mark at markeliottglass@ gmail.com
from Sunday, February 15, from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., at Christian College, Drysdale. Admission is free. For more information please go to festivalofglass.net.au.
The festival will take place
February 15
WHERE: Christian
College, Drysdale WHEN: Sunday,
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Pivotonian Cinema Q&A
Late last year we welcomed the Pivotonian Cinema, an independent film exhibitor that is proudly Geelong. Because we’re a sucker for a good flick, we got some snacks, dimmed the lights, and got comfy with Jessica Litsas as we talked about how things have been travelling. Hey Jess, thanks for taking the time to have a chat with Forte – we were incredibly excited to see the Pivotonian Cinema be launched a few months back. How is it all going for you so far? It’s been better than we could have hoped! We’ve screened some great films, received copious support from our regulars and our Candy Bar products have proven to be really popular. Take us through how the idea came to be. Obviously you guys have some ties in the film industry and a passion for cinema? Since we first met we’ve been working on projects together, from video art exhibitions to cinema jobs and festivals. Mark [Walker] has far more industry experience than myself, though; he was a film projectionist for 15 years, which resulted in his technical work for MIFF and Lorne Film Festival. When we first started toying with the idea, we realised Mark’s experience paired with my front of house experience meant that we had all bases covered for starting a cinema. And I suppose we’ve managed the workload by thinking in small steps, in an attempt to avoid becoming overwhelmed. What really drove the idea for you? Is it something you always wanted to do? Having your own cinema is, of course, a fantastic idea! But in reality, it probably came down to me cracking it with not being able to get a job in the arts. It becomes really frustrating leaving Uni and going into a field where there are virtually no jobs unless you make them for yourself. So yeah, I cracked it and when I asked Mark he was immediately keen on the idea. And it kind of grew organically over about a year from that point. How was the set up process? Well yeah, from the onset it was pretty intense. We did spend roughly a year getting the concept
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right – right location, researching similar businesses in Australia, trying to see if we could make it viable and a lot of networking. Also, we did a short business course in an attempt to understand the bookkeeping and the more formal side of running a business. I could keep going on for hours about the work we put into this project but at least because it is something we love, half the time it doesn’t feel like work, we just get carried away with it. Can you tell us about the venue? Well, it’s a cavernous old hall but we’ve kept the seating fairly small in number so that there’s something of an intimate feeling for the patrons. Our branding is very retro – burnt orange and white, so we’ve attempted to bring that into the hall. All of our chairs are retro-looking and orange, even down to the bean bags. We’re lucky; the hall already had existing red velvet curtains which add to the ‘magic of the movies’ feel. The Uki Hall has an incredible history and we’ve been told that the gigs here were phenomenal. I think the fact we’re screening the Cosmic Psychos’ doco here next week pays homage to that. What sort of movies are you guys playing? We try to cover a variety of genres. We always have a doco, a family movie – at the moment that’s Paddington, but usually it’s something more obscure like Ernest & Celestine. Our next action film is The Salvation, with the fabulous Mads Mikkelsen. It’s about a Dutch man who has immigrated to the Wild West and starts kicking ass. We’re pretty excited about this film because we have an exclusive theatrical release. In terms of the experience, how would you describe it? Oooh, that’s a hard question... I suppose it’s casual and a bit edgy. You can have a quality beer or wine and sit on a bean bag, but it’s also cinematic. Our ninemetre screen doesn’t mess around – we have top of the
more info: pivotcinema.com.au
line image quality with 2k digital cinema equipment! But really, if people are curious they should come down and check it out for themselves. We keep our prices low so that it’s accessible to everyone! Is the venue licensed and is there food available? Yes, we are licensed and we stock a range of beers and wines from regional Victoria. We have hot dogs from Siketa Meats, popcorn, homemade choc-tops, even cheese and crackers for the wine drinkers. How is your cinema experience different to the mainstream cinemas? All of our products are top of the line. We don’t have anything nasty. If you order a drink at The Pivotonian it comes in a glass and the hot dogs come in real bread, with real sauerkraut. I like to think that our films are like this too, with real characters and quality storylines. Geelong can be a tough market at times. How has the idea been received so far? We kept hearing this from people in the early stages of planning! It hasn’t been true for us at all. We must be doing something right because everyone’s been really supportive and very excited. It really makes us want to try as hard as possible to stay. When you have patrons coming up and saying that The Pivotonian has to work because they wouldn’t be able to go back to
the way it was, that’s pretty flattering! Is the Pivotonian good for large groups? Should we pre-book? Large groups are fine. We actually have a couple of private sessions coming up, which is always an option as well. If you just have a group of mates though, booking online is a good idea, so we get an idea that lots of people are coming. If it’s for a work event or something similar, people can shoot us an email at info@pivotcinema.com.au and we can go through the options together. While a lot of the older generation would be aware of the ‘movie in a hall’ idea, most of the younger generation wouldn’t be. Why should they get down and try it out? Easy! Beers and bean bags make for good times! Plus all of our films are top quality! Anything you would like to add? Well, yes actually. We have some exciting news. We’ll be staying on for another three months from the last week of March until June. We’ll just have a short break in early March. But before the break, we will try to get our March/May program out to everyone so they know what’s coming and don’t drive all the way to Melbourne before we screen it! Pay a visit to pivotcinema.com.au to discover more about their movie magic.
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Catfish and the Bottlemen Written by Tex Miller
Without a doubt, one of the biggest buzz bands around the Australian scene at the moment is Welsh group Catfish and the Bottlemen. Touring around with The Kooks at the moment, it was such a surreal moment to sit down with Van McCann, lead singer and guitarist for the band, to have a chat. Having seen these guys support The Wombats in Liverpool whilst I was living in England in 2011, these guys are saving rock music from all the Top 40 hype. Having just played on David Letterman in the US a few days before we chat, McCann is still buzzing as we chat.
“Oh MATE! I used to stay up late before school to watch that and at school the next day we would gather ’round with our friends and talk about it. I was like, ‘You’re the Strokes man, you’re Oasis, you are everybody that you used to grow up watching on that program. I was like a little boy. I was in there going aye’ Letterman. I was loving it.” The chances are that as Catfish haven’t done any regional Australia shows, you probably won’t have heard of them. Take the music of Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Oasis and Stereophonics and put it in a blender and that is what Catfish and the Bottlemen are all about. Indie rock at its finest. The main track ‘Cocoon’, off their debut album The Balcony which was released in September
last year, was written whilst in New York. “I was flown out there because we were doing some promo and writing songs and I remember thinking what am I doing over here? I’m only 21 years old and up until this point I could only dream about writing songs in New York. For it to actually happen is a real pinch yourself moment. “The song came about very naturally and is about following your dreams and being who you want to be. You’re in a dead-end job, you work all week, this is the kind of song you put on driving home to release all the tension.” On the back of their EPs, Catfish and the Bottlemen were supporting some of the biggest names in music. At the tender age of 17, they supported The
Wombats and from then, their mainstream success grew. “It’s funny how big we have grown to be now. Back then, we wanted to be the biggest band in the world. Now, we are good, instead of just telling people that.” Last summer the band played over 30 festivals throughout the UK and Europe including Reading and Leeds, Latitude, T in the Park and Governors Ball in New York. “They are all hot and they’re all
could say, ‘Yeah, last year we did just all band stuff ’, but really you just squeeze it in when you’ve got the time,” she says. “Sometimes we can’t even get it together to have a rehearsal because everyone is so busy. Doing band stuff is like a cool, awesome, fun thing we get to do once a week, whether it’s a rehearsal or a show or a day of recording. It was a fun year, but I just wish there was more of that … If we could just do band stuff, that would be the dream.” Jules has almost completed a Fine Art degree at RMIT. Being a New Zealand national, she doesn’t have the luxury of fee help, so like the rest of the band, she works hard to keep on top of bills. It isn’t all work and no play for the band though,
who have had plenty of fun times too. “We did a couple of sold out shows and it feels like those moments of hard work we squeeze into short periods of time are paying off.” The band will release their second full-length album, Range Anxiety, domestically tomorrow with Chapter Music. Iconic US label Merge, who signed the band last year, will take it to the rest of the world on Saturday. Range Anxiety was recorded in 2013 by the band with Jack Farley, who has recorded much of their past material. After many months passed, the band is itching for it to get out there. “Oh my God we’re totally excited. I guess it’s quite normal for a lot of bands to have that wait for an album to come out; we’re just not used to having that bigger label time frame. We were so happy to wait for them – when Merge were happy to put it out. We made that Underlay EP in the meantime, which worked out so well because we felt like we had to stay super productive,” she says. The day after it is released in Australia, the band plays Sugar Mountain Festival in Melbourne. “I hope by that stage people have had a listen to it. We have been playing songs from that album at shows for the past year or so … Hopefully people will even be used to seeing them live. “It will be fun playing them on that stage though, to a big audience and just before Kim Gordon.” There are some seriously big names on the Sugar Mountain line-up and Jules relishes in being able to see former Sonic Youth bassist, Kim Gordon, who will be playing as Body/ Head with Bill Nace. Other international acts include Nas, ODESZA, SWANS, Soul Clap, Iceage and Ariel Pink. “Ariel Pink will be very fun. I’ve always missed his shows when he comes to Melbourne, so super excited about that!” The band will kick off another tour of the US in March and April, and after so much success there in the past are sure to do well.
When & Where: Sidney Myer Music Bowl – January 24 & The Hi-Fi – January 25
good. I was in New York having a smoke next to Julian Casablancas from The Strokes. I ain’t no rockstar. The little kid in me said, ‘Go lick his face man!’ You grew up listening to this guy. He’s a legend. “Eating buckets of chicken with the Arctic Monkeys at T in the Park was also a moment that I will remember forever. These bands were so influential to us and they’ve had the same journey as us.
“I think that over the next ten years, we are going to develop into one of the biggest acts around. If we have our way, we’ll be touring Australia every 12 months.”
Twerps To have “made it” as a band can mean so many different things these days. We are constantly hearing stories of well-known bands who are struggling to make ends meet through their music, despite how hard-working they are. For Melbourne band Twerps, this is all too familiar; whilst we all hear them on the radio, see them at their shows and festivals, we really have no idea at just how much work they have to put in to be there. Their newest release, Range Anxiety, due this week, explores these themes somewhat. I spoke with guitarist and vocalist, Julia McFarlane, about its long-awaited release. “Last year was pretty hectic, but when you read it on paper it always looks more than what it was. We made the album the year before and recorded Underlay really quickly,” she tells me as her dog is barking madly in the background. Jules tells me that she and her partner, fellow Twerps bandmate (guitarist/vocalist) Marty Frawley, are in the midst of moving house in Melbourne and the poor pup is just settling in and a little bit confused by the new place. “Last year was hectic, but for different reasons. I was finishing my degree, Rick has got a very busy design career, Alex works in a really busy law firm doing mailroom stuff and plays in a million other bands and Marty works two jobs. It would be so luxurious if we
When & Where: Sugar Mountain, Victorian College of the Arts – Melbourne January 24
Joe Camilleri Q&A
Joe Camilleri has been around for a long time. A long, long time. But that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a trick or two up his sleeve. Proving that like a fine wine musicians can grow greater with age, we were more than happy to have another chinwag with this old pro.
Hi Joe, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment? I’m getting ready to fly to Bali for a week’s break – just me and four of my five kids … Looking forwards to just hanging out with them. Firstly, Happy New Year! Did you get up to much over the holidays? The Sorrows worked right up until Christmas with just a couple of days off before kicking off the new year with shows in northern NSW and then the south west coast of Victoria. Do you have big plans for 2015? 2015 is shaping up to be as busy as last year. I’ll be doing another APIA tour, a short Here Comes the Night run and, of course, The Sorrows shows in-between ... We’ll be off to Europe and UK again in August. Last time we talked you’d just released Certified Blue, but you had a bunch of songs you’d be able to release for another album. Have you decided what to do with those extra songs yet? Yes. I just finished mastering the songs; it’ll be another vinyl release called Endless Sleep. Release date 50 forte
to be confirmed. It’s pretty insane to think that you’ve released 45 albums over your career. Do you have a figure you’d love to reach or are you just happy making music? 50 would be a nice achievement... but who’s counting? Over those 45 albums you’d have to have a favourite. Do any spring to mind? I guess the milestone records like Screaming Targets for the Falcons and Hold On To Me for The Sorrows ... I am humbled by the fact that Certified Blue has struck a chord with media and fans. You’ll be performing later in January at the Music to a Tee event. Is it nice being able to perform at gigs for a good cause (Karingal)? Yes, it’s always
When & Where: 13th Beach Golf Links – January 23
uplifting. It’s human nature to be charitable … If I can help in some way I will. You just roll up your sleeves... That gig’s at Geelong. Do you have any fond (or interesting) memories of the town? Geelong was a kicking off point for The Falcons back in the day. I’ve played there many times since. It’s always been a great town for live music whether you are at the top of your game or just starting out After all these years you’re still playing to huge crowds,
releasing music and receiving rave reviews. Basically, things are looking pretty good for you. Was there ever a moment in your career where you questioned being a musician? Many times. In your 20’s you’re still moving around. When The Falcons finished I wasn’t sure what was next. Then the next musical opportunity presented and from humble beginnings The Black Sorrows took flight. Now in my sixties, it’s my station in life. What’s your piece of advice for anyone who is
struggling with that question? Believe in your destiny. The music industry has changed over the decades. It’s not the same model, but you can work around it and still achieve some level of success.
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Inside Splinters
Written by Adem Ali
Splinters mixtape
the first
F O R 2 0 15
In all of the excitement that came with counting down the Splinters favourite albums and songs of 2014, there were a couple of effortless long-players we forgot to make mention of. Although they weren’t the very best, they were some of 2014’s most magnificent records and in true delayed, Splinters fashion, I thought we could pay the year that was one final visit before we move on to – surprise, surprise – discussion of the new Madonna album in the next issue.
NICOLE SCHERZINGER Big Fat Lie
Poor Nicole. Big Fat Lie was nothing short of an artistic triumph; her sophomore solo studio effort managed to outdo her 2011 debut Killer Love, marking it as her best release – PCD included – by far. Big Fat Lie may have been given a fairly questionable title (although the song of the same name is a career highpoint), but that didn’t stop it from being a truly focused record that’s packed full of next-level production and undeniable hooks. Making slight references to oldschool Prince was very in-vogue in 2014, with a few notable Prince-esque moments to be heard within Big Fat Lie, especially on the aptly titled ‘Electric Blue’, a big moment where Nicole gives us her very best Sheila E, and the gender-bending ‘Just a Girl’, which takes theme slivers from Prince’s ‘If I Was Your Girlfriend’. The problem here, however, bar a few of us Gays, was that nobody (still) seemed very interested in an album from Nicole Scherzinger, which is a crying shame when you realise the quality of music within Big Fat Lie. ‘Your Love’ is the type of infectious jam you’d want to hear on a loop all summer long, whilst the heart-tugging, emotional rollercoaster that was mammoth single ‘Run’ (which charted at #63 in Ireland and #46 in the UK) deserved to be a lot bigger than it actually was. ‘On the Rocks’ was a misguided choice for single release from this record, but it was honestly the only misguided choice on an album full of classics.
ONE DIRECTION Four
Of the sixteen songs found across the deluxe edition of this, One Direction’s creatively titled fourth studio album, it’s fourteen of them which make the biggest impact. Previous One Direction longplayers have suffered from the same fate of most albums in our current climate, in that they are just way too overstuffed with filler, leaving little room for the killer to flourish. Four changes all of that for the boys though, with the fivepiece delivering the most cohesive and close-to-perfection album in their repertoire. ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ and ‘Girl Almighty’ are potential big hits, singles ‘Steal My Girl’ and the gorgeous ‘Night Changes’ are already classics, and ‘Fireproof ’ is easily the greatest song from the boys thus far. Four is a vast improvement on the absolute snoozefest that was last year’s Midnight Memories – the group has clearly learnt quite a lot from that debacle and in turn has given us a truly refined record of excellent pop. If this is indeed the speculated final album from the group before they disband then they can at least take some pride in knowing it was the only record they’ve released that was very nearly perfect from start to finish.
in Wales, a love that intensified once I’d realised they were from Australia. Since then, the boys have really done us proud by becoming the predicted pop cultural phenomenon many of us hoped they would, having firmly cemented themselves as one of the brightest young acts to emerge from this oftenfickle music landscape.
KELLY CLARKSON Bringing us the second truly great pop single of 2015.
‘Amnesia’ – a torturous ballad whose themes deal with wishing the history of a broken relationship away – is dynamite, as is the absolute earworm of a first single ‘She Looks So Perfect’, a song that made American Apparel underwear sound a lot sexier than it actually was.
KELLY CLARKSON How good is it to have KELLY BLOODY CLARKSON back?!
MARIAH CAREY
Me. I Am Mariah. The Elusive Chanteuse Her. She is Mariah. And in 2014, Mariah gave us what was unquestionably her best album since 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi. Taking all of the musical influences that we’ve loved hearing from her over the years, The Elusive Chanteuse gave us a record with enough urban, pop, disco and funk leanings to keep fans of almost every Mariah era happy.
5 Seconds of Summer
‘Meteorite’ is the enormous hit single that never was, ‘The Art of Letting Go’ is still as major now as it was in 2013, and the South Korean #2 smash ‘You Don’t Know What To Do’ with feature-creature Wale hits all of the right spots.
I fell head-over-heels in love with these boys in 2013 when I saw them open for One Direction
Written by Adem Ali. For more music news and reviews, follow @AdemWithAnE on Twitter!
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
ITALOVE Bringing us the first truly great pop single of 2015.
or
NICOLE SCHERZINGER
2014
“I feel for those artists who kinda sit on the divide between ‘indie’ and ‘mainstream’ pop and receive fuck all support from radio because of it. LOL @ bands who desperately attempt to shy away from mainstream pop yet make bland as fuck music in the process.” Geelong local and passionate music-man @Jake96Matthews absolutely NAILS it this week.
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I know, I know; we’re almost done with it completely … I swear.
APRIL TELEVISION Angry we have to wait until April for the return of VEEP; why it gotta be April, HBO?
ONE DIRECTION SPLIT RUMOURS We don’t want to hear about it.
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Film Reviews
Films reviewed by Anthony Morris
Birdman
Wild
There are times when it feels like the most interesting things about Birdman are the things it’s not doing. For one, it’s not really an exploration of how superhero movies have distorted and overwhelmed pop culture: sure, the trailers play up the “Birdman” angle a lot, but once you get past the basics – Michael Keaton is Riggan Thomas, a now washedup actor who once was a mega-star based on his work in a string of Birdman movies and is now looking to revive his career by putting on a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story – Birdman itself doesn’t really have much to say about any of that. It’s a cool hook that ties in well with the public perception of Keaton’s career, but if they’d ended up casting, say, Timothy Dalton, the whole movie would play out basically the same way only the lead would now be haunted by his past stardom playing a British super-spy. Likewise, aside from one sharp speech from Emma Stone (who plays Riggan’s dried-out junkie daughter Sam), this isn’t really about the way that our culture has shifted away from ideas of fame and celebrity based on achievement towards a model based more on exposure – you know, the whole “social media is dragging us down” thing. Sure, Riggan finds
Hollywood loves a story of redemption, especially if it involves someone putting themselves through something that’s interesting to look at – say, hiking across a whole lot of beautiful wilderness. The trouble with these stories is that redemption through suffering is a pretty Old Testament idea; these days most of us tend to think that all suffering does is make you suffer. Wild gets around the problem of having a lead – in this case reallife author Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) – go on a journey that really doesn’t do much to solve any of her personal problems and instead focuses on the journey itself. Cheryl was very close to her mother (played by Laura Dern in flashback) and after she died Cheryl took to sleeping around and doing drugs, which totalled her marriage. In order to pull herself together, she decided to hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, which goes from Mexico up to Canada along the west side of the USA, because… a lot of walking would clear her head? But you don’t have to believe in the idea of penance just so long as you believe she does, because the spine of this film isn’t her emotional journey, it’s her physical one. She starts out with the wrong gear, she gets tired, she gets blisters,
himself locked out of his own theatre and has to walk through Times Square in his underwear, which promptly makes him way more famous that he’s been in a long time, but that never really goes anywhere. And the list goes on and on: this is a film that’s so dismissive of pretty much every idea that crosses its mind – critics are bad, there’s a war between movie stardom and the legitimate theatre, method actors are a nightmare to be around, and so on – that after a while you come to expect that just about everything here is never going to be developed beyond that initial “hey, what do you think of this?” Which is a good thing, because this
film also adopts that approach to its characters, with just about everyone in this first-rate cast – including Zach Galifianakis as Riggan’s manager, Jake, Naomi Watts as Riggan’s eager co-star, Lesley, Edward Norton as the method actor who steps in at the last moment, Mike – powering into the film, making a big impression, and then practically vanishing as the film loses interest in their story. Its virtues are more obvious: it’s smart, the performances are great, it’s very funny in parts, and Keaton’s performance is charming and likable even as Riggan is falling apart. Which is a good thing, as he’s on-camera for close to the entire film.
American Sniper
Taken 3
Everyone knows that “based on a true story” in no way means that everything in a film is true. But American Sniper, which is based on the memoir of real-life US SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, is in the difficult position of being faithful to a book that, by at least some accounts, is not 100 per cent accurate about Kyle’s war service. Not that anyone doubts Kyle (played here by a beefed-up Bradley Cooper) wasn’t America’s deadliest sniper, with director Clint Eastwood doing an excellent job of wringing out the tension from Kyle’s rooftop job watching for threats to the men at street-level. His background, sketched in via flashback, is fairly straightforward, too: with a tough dad and a religious upbringing, Kyle grew up to be a bit of a drifter, working as a cowboy across Texas until 9/11 inspired him to join up and put his hunting skills to good use. And looked at one way, much of the Iraq war material here – Kyle facing off against a mysterious enemy sniper known only as ‘Mustapha’, Kyle leading door-to-door searches because his expertise can save lives, Kyle forming a unit that drove around wearing
The guys behind the Taken series have never quite been able to figure out why the first film worked. You can’t really blame them; Luc Besson’s production company had been churning out fun but formulaic thrillers for years before Taken took off, and while it was easy enough to repeat the superficial elements – Liam Neeson as a psychotically protective dad using his murder skills to protect his daughter – the precise circumstances that made the first film such a success (here’s a clue: with the War on Terror still in full swing, a gruff American going to France to torture and kill swarthy foreigners threatening a blonde all-American teenage girl with sex slavery) were never likely to happen again. So Taken 3 has to operate in a new world, and surprise, it mostly succeeds. The set-up is simple but logical: after being framed for the murder of his wife, Mills (Neeson) is on the run in L.A., trying to solve the mystery while avoiding the clutches of Forest Whitaker’s homicide detective. Well, for “trying to solve the mystery” read “getting involved in action sequences that are really badly edited” – but fortunately the Taken films have never
Dumb and Dumber To The best that can be said about Dumb and Dumber To is that if it ain’t broke, they sure ain’t trying to fix it. Lloyd (Carrey) has spent the last twenty years in a coma, only don’t worry – it was all a prank played on his equally dim-witted buddy Harry (Daniels). It turns out Harry needs a kidney and his only surviving blood relative is a long-lost daughter. Road trip! Just like the first film. Also, Lloyd falls in love with Harry’s daughter the second he sees her picture – which is basically the same plot twist as the relationship in the first film. Plus, there are a couple of evil schemers,
the logo of comic book character The Punisher, Kyle killing dozens of enemy troops in pitched battle, Kyle hunting a drill-wielding enemy enforcer – can be taken as fairly straightforward Hollywood war movie stuff. But there’s just enough doubt around the edges (when Kyle claims a round of killings has to be the work of one of his arch enemies, his superior officer merely says “he’s whoever you like, as long as it gets the job done”) to allow a different reading: that Kyle had to see his war as an action movie to cope with the
daily grind of (perhaps) having to gun down women and children to save lives. Highlighting this is the contrast with his home life, where his wife (played by Sienna Miller) has to deal with an increasingly twitchy and erratic partner. As a war movie it’s less gripping than many, and as a psychological portrait it still feels like a lot of the rough edges are filed off. But in the spaces between the two, this has something interesting to say about how some men see war, and how they may not see it clearly.
one of which tags along on the dimwitted duo’s road trip so he can get increasingly annoyed at their idiocy. You can probably guess which movie that comes from. It’s tempting to say that it’s not the duo (and returning writer – directors, the Farrelly brothers) that have changed in 20 years, it’s the world around them – and it’s true that the original wasn’t exactly a smoothly polished all-class comedy machine. But while both Daniels and Carrey throw their all into their performances (and there is the occasional acknowledgement that while they haven’t grown up, they have at least aged), this is a cruder, blunter
film, made by people less excited by what they can get away with and more interested in taking home a pay cheque. It’s simplistic to think that the first film was made for love while this one is made for money, but that’s as good a way to explain the difference in tone between the two as any. The occasional joke lands, and you kind of have to admire the relentless drive to offend and insult, but the fun seems to have gone out of Harry and Lloyd’s antics, and without that there just isn’t that much left to enjoy.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Coming up with an interesting vampire is no easy task this days, so A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night deserves a round of applause for that achievement alone: set in an Iranian oil town named Bad City (it was actually filmed in the US) where the ditches are clogged with the dead, a teen girl vampire (Sheila Vand) roams the streets on a skateboard, wearing eyeliner and a ’60s style striped top under the chādor that billows out behind her like a cape. Cute boy Arash (Arash Marandi) has
CHARLIE'S COUNTRY (M) Jan 24: 12pm / Jan 26: 6pm / Jan 28: 8.15pm COSMIC PSYCHOS (CTC) Jan 22: 9pm / Jan 23: 7.15pm / Jan 24: 2.15pm / Jan 26: 8.15pm
The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies
she gets bored, she gets lost and she has to ask for help and pretty much every man she sees is a potential threat because after all, she is a woman by herself in the middle of nowhere. By focusing in on these smaller details (broken up by numerous flashbacks that fill in her past while making sure not to make the sleeping around and drug-taking seem too irredeemable), this sketches out the idea that by losing yourself in the tiny details of life you can let yourself heal in a way that wouldn’t be possible if you were trying to force it. It’s still rough in parts and the few stabs at a wider meaning generally don’t work (Strayed’s habit of writing down quotes from famous thinkers in visitor books, then adding “and Cheryl Strayed” after them like she’s their co-author is hilarious), but unlike a lot of camping movies, Wild is a trip worth taking.
really relied on straight-up action (they’re much more about the thrill of seeing Neeson take down bad guys with his bare hands) so the choppy car chases, while sub-par, are also inessential. It skimps in other ways too, but if you wanted lengthy explanations as to how Mills escapes certain death by explosions you’re watching the wrong film, and while the plot meanders when it should be getting to the point, that’s been a problem with this series since day one. What does work is seeing Neeson pound bad guys who are shown as truly horrible people, plus the occasional moment of torture (only now he’s torturing a white American arms dealer) and his demented love for the daughter he refuses to see has grown up. It’s not as good as the first Taken, but it’s better than the disappointing second: for all the talk of this being the last one, the door to Taken 4 is left wide open.
his own problems – his father’s drug habit, the local drug dealer taking his much-loved car to pay off his father’s debts – and when their paths cross one set of problems might be solved but another is on the horizon. With long takes and lingering stares, this black and white film owes a lot to the leisurely pacing of the ’80s work of film directors Jim Jarmusch and David Lynch, but director Ana Lily Amirpour is telling her own story here and the result is one part creepy horror, one part soaring love story, and altogether awesome. It’s currently only screening at ACMI in Melbourne (until Feb 10); it’s definitely worth the trip. Tickets: $10 concession $12 adult Licensed Candy Bar
LIVING IS EASY (WITH EYES CLOSED) (M) Jan 24: 7pm / Jan 27: 8.15pm
More movie times and info available online pivotcinema.com.au
THE MULE (MA) Jan 23: 9pm / Jan 26: 3.45pm (final session) SPOTLIGHT ON AUSTRALIAN FILM: SHORTS NIGHT Sunday Jan 25 / Special Event All Tix $15 / Local short films from the Surf Coast, Bellarine, Geelong & Victoria
The Hobbit series trudges to a halt with this relatively short yet still endless series of CGI battles that manages to sideline and dismiss everything that was likeable and interesting in this series of films.
Into the Woods Disney doesn’t quite neuter the classic Sondheim musical, but they change just enough (while leaving the song in place) to leave you wondering why they bothered un-revising this revisionist take on fairy tales.
The Imitation Game It’s British biopic time (and in World War II no less), but while this look at the life and code-breaking work of proto-computer scientist Alan Turing has its moments, the overall impression is one of an interesting life forced into the usual pattern.
Penguins of Madagascar The penguins have often been the funniest part of the Madagascar movies, and their first solo outing (a spy-heavy tale involving an evil octopus and a lot of pop culture jokes) shows they’re even more hilarious on their own.
Big Hero 6
FOLIES BERGERE (M) Jan 22: 7pm / Jan 24: 9.15pm / Jan 25: 1.45pm PADDINGTON (G) Jan 24: 4pm / Jan 25: 12pm & 3.45pm / Jan 27: 6.30pm
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t h e w rap
The Ukranian Community Hall, 57 Pakington St, Geelong West
This animated Disney tale of a boy and his inflatable robot eventually resolves itself into a moderately interesting superhero tale – but the stuff before that when they’re just palling around is the stuff that really stands out.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb The third of the Night at the Museum films is less of a mess than the second, with the action shifting to the British Museum as Ben Stiller and company try to find a way to repair the magic tablet keeping the exhibits alive. Like the previous two instalments, it’s not all that funny or all that exciting, but the living exhibits and artworks are interesting and a Hugh Jackman cameo (as himself ) is a lot of fun.
Paddington The much-loved children’s tale gets an upgrade here, and while the bear’s CGI can be a little iffy and the subplot about an evil taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) is a bit generic, there are enough laughs and charm here to make this a winning experience.
St Vincent What initially seems like a return to caustic form for Bill Murray ends up taking a sadly predictable turn for the sappy as the cutesy small child his drunken gambler is babysitting slowly brings out the goodness (ugh) in his soul.
The Water Diviner Russell Crowe directs and stars in this telemovie-level look at a father’s determination to retrieve his dead sons from the beaches of Gallipoli. The plot twists are predictable, though the film’s focus on Turkey and its post WWI upheaval isn’t.
Annie It was probably time to remake this classic musical ... Might have been nice if they’d waited until they had an idea how to make it interesting, though.
LIVE REVIEW
Music Reviews
Paul Kelly Blues Boot Camp The Potato Shed, Geelong January 6, 7 & 8, 2015
LIVE REVIEW
If you’re a local musician around Geelong looking at starting to play and getting into the industry, but are unsure about how to go about it, then Blues Boot Camp is the ideal place for you. Starting out a few years ago, the idea of the camp is to give kids between the ages of 12-25 a taste of what a career in music is like. From the very beginning, this idea was always destined to work because there was nothing in Australia like it. The most recent Boot Camp was held at the Potato Shed over the 6th and 7th of January, with a sold-out performance on Thursday the 8th. Run by local blues legend Wayne Jury, the camp allows performers to meet other like-minded people and play music together with the possibility of starting a band or playing some gigs outside the program. This year was the biggest for the Bellarine leg, with 40 participants taking part. Alongside Wayne Jury, there are some other mentors comprising some of the best musicians in the Bellarine and Geelong
Hollow Ground Cherry Bar, Melbourne Sunday, January 11
Opening the night was young Melbourne duo The New Savages, who put on a very impressive performance and produced a big sound. Next for the night was fellow Geelong band Altitude, who did a fantastic job of warming up the crowd with their energetic setlist and crowd banter. There was no easing into their set for headliners Hollow Ground, who really brought their A-game and came out hard, bringing the crowd from their seats and into a headthrashing trance front of stage, opening with ‘This is Revolution’. Despite citing a technical difficulty up front early, a first-time listener would be none the wiser. Nothing held these boys back, with lead singer Dylan James often getting in amongst the crowd and moshing away. Crowd favorites would have included ‘Stranger’ and ‘My Trendkill’, whereby Dylan urged the crowd to head up to the bar and grab their “drink of choice” to get a little crazy. They cleverly changed a few lyrics in
region. I’d be registering yourself or your kids for the upcoming Geelong camp in July or the Bellarine one in January. This year, Tim Neal, Sarah Carroll, Chris Wilson, Kelly Auty, Dave Robertson and Michael Pollitt, or ‘Mr Black and Blues’ as he is better known, all came together to share their combined knowledge of how to put on a stage show. With many different instruments at your disposal, having taken part myself on numerous occasions, it is pretty easy to put together a terrific song because all the players are of a high standard and anything you pretty much need is right there in the room with you. Although a section of the camp is focused on blues music and how it relates to modern day pop and rock and roll, there are no exclusions to what can be performed. If you are able to pull it together with a group of musos inside two days, then you can perform it at the concert. If you haven’t got involved yet, make sure you check this one out. It’s an incredibly fun and creative learning experience in a safe and comfortable environment. waynejury.com.au/ bluesbootcamp By Tex Miller
‘Take You Down’ to proclaim, “We are playing at the Cherry Bar”. The crowd went crazy for the band’s latest single ‘This One’s For Harri’, whereby lead singer Dylan again leapt into the crowd. The whole band sang along on their finishing track, a cover of ‘Amego’ by Pagoda – was it really over? With a Sunday night slot in the city, it was never going to be a late night for punters, but there was definitely a want for more. Each member played with a sense of confidence and love of the stage, the sound was full and spirited, and with a like for the genre or not, one wouldn’t be able to help at the very least nodding along to these guys. I was lucky enough to ride back to Geelong with the band in their bus. They humbly spoke about recent successes overseas, including airtime on German radio as well as featured on a Swedish blog and US online magazine. Upon finishing, all I have to say is that this band is one to watch. Following this gig, the band was announced to be supports for American band The Coathangers at Barwon Club Hotel on January 15. Their next gig is at Music Man Megastore in Bendigo on Feb 7.
THE MERRI SOUL SESSIONS Paul Kelly, late last year, released his latest project entitled The Merri Soul Sessions. To celebrate, he is taking the show on the road all around the country in support, finishing up with shows at Bluesfest in April. Kelly’s idea for this album was a simple concept: get a whole bunch of great Australian singers together and record a soul and RnB album. The result is another brilliant Paul Kelly release. Featuring a different take on ‘Sweet Guy’, the new tunes from Kelly are up there with ‘Bradman’, ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ and ‘How to Make Gravy’. Recorded in Melbourne in a short space of time, you are able to hear the live and warm organic feeling to the record. Special guests include Dan Sultan and Vika and Linda. If you haven’t picked this release up yet, well you should. Paul Kelly tragics should add it to their collection and if you’re just coming around to Kelly’s back catalogue, this is something a little different to keep you interested and intrigued with what he is going to offer up next. Favourite tracks of this release include ‘Don’t Let a Good Thing Go’, ‘Down on the Jetty’ and ‘I Don’t Know What I’d Do’. Impressive and worth getting this ’round ya chops! By Tex Miller
House of Laurence AWAKE Opening with some soothing psych rock beats on ‘Devil’s Walk’, this album is a sonic journey through many musical landscapes. House of Laurence, with their debut LP, Awake, present a killer debut disc. Having supported the likes of DeWolff, Something for Kate and Eagle and the Worm, these guys definitely know how to rock the stage. Taking inspiration from their heroes of the ’60s and ’70s such as The Byrds and The Animals, you are transported into another world. Fans of Tame Impala would definitely dig these groovy tunes. Recorded in just four days, you are able to hear such lyrical depth and honesty in each of the seven tracks. Although the majority of the tracks go for six minutes in length, that shouldn’t deter you from listening to the album from start to finish. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I think this album would do very well on a long road trip
down the coast. It’s January 2015 and therefore it is probably a little early to be calling this one of the best this year; that said though, it is incredibly impressive. Its psychedelic gravel Tom Waits-esque vocals with a rock and roll edge and if you can get the chance to see these guys live you should definitely do it. There are some face-melting guitar solos on this disc, so I guess the last thing to say about this is dust off that air guitar and rock out to House of Laurence. By Tex Miller
Lapsley UNDERSTUDY Listening through the speakers of my laptop, I can see easily that the sound resonating from them doesn’t do Lapsley’s vocals justice. In ‘Falling Short’ one moment she’s hitting the deeper notes and then soaring to a seamless falsetto. The track flows on like this weaving between the two, with some altered vocals in there as well, and it doesn’t get old at all. Once ‘Brownlow’ kicks in, it instantly becomes clear that Lapsley is all about the vocals and minimal synth, electronic backing. With the temptation of technology to create all manner of sounds, it’s refreshing to see an artist rely solely, or pretty much, on their vocals. But if I had a voice as pretty and as varied as Lapsley’s I would be doing exactly the same thing. Despite a title filled with numbers, ‘8896’ is an emotive track letting Lapsley express her feelings in a very raw way. As her style has a very simple beat, you get a chance
to hone in on what she sings of. Who she’s singing about is unknown, but she croons of someone flying too high and at a level nobody else can reach – a feeling that many can relate to. Closing the EP is a simple sweet track, ‘Dancing’. The song sees Lapsley hits the higher notes, that if in all honesty she should do a lot more of. If you’re after an easy listen, layered with emotions but one that you won’t exhaust you, then pick up Lapsley’s EP Understudy for a twist on the electronic music of today. By Amanda Sherring forte 61
Last Words
grog watch Written by Tony Montana
There are a lot of things that I can’t quite get my head around when it comes to enjoying a quiet drink. And for once, I don’t just mean the fact that people seem to actively enjoy drinking both wine and beer; actually, it’s probably easier for me to just mention the things I do understand about drinking and then we can go on from there. For me, booze has to do two things and two things only: it has to taste like something you want to drink, and it has to get you drunk. Hence my blanket dismissal of both wine and beer, because – and c’mon guys, we all know it’s true – they both taste like crap. Sure, if you try hard enough you can persuade yourself they don’t, and I even kind of believe it when it comes to that whole “having a nice wine with
your meal” scam, but seriously? If you were just going by taste alone, beer and wine would be nobody’s choice for first cab sav off the boozing rank. And if you’re drinking to get drunk – and again, what other reason to drink booze is there – we’ve established enough options by now to make it perfectly possible to find something to drink that you’ll actually like the taste of. And I’m not talking about fruity cocktails either, because those things are a death trap; you think you’re drinking some sugary mess and next thing you know your liver’s burst out of your body and is running for the door. No, all you have to do is find yourself a decent (that is to say, not so cheap you could fuel your lawn mower with it) bottle of spirits, find a mixer of some kind, tip them both into a glass, take a drink, then repeat until you’re set for the evening. So when someone gave me a $180 bottle of scotch for Christmas, I was faced with something of a dilemma.
Okay, first some backstory that I really have to keep kind of vague otherwise at least one family member will try to kill me. Let’s just say that a family member has somewhat recently started going out with someone who works at a large financial outfit, and as benefits someone of their standing at this outfit, they’re not short of a quid. So come Christmas, they gave me a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which is, as you might remember from the previous paragraph, not cheap. It’s actually a bit of an odd choice, really, as it is super-pricey, but it’s a blend (that is, they take a bunch of quality scotches and mix them together) and all the status in scotch these days is in the single malts. So from what I can tell, it’s kind of like buying the world’s most expensive and fancy Volvo. But hey, it’s still an amazing gift – the question was: what to do with a bottle of quality hooch when your first instinct is to tip a bunch of coke in with it?
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Actually, that’s not really true: my first instinct was to siphon all the quality booze out of the bottle, fill it with some cheap stuff, then head down to the nearest shopping mall and stand around swigging from the bottle while scratching my nads. But then I realised that wouldn’t work, because no one down the mall would know the price of a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and so my hilarious joke would be wasted on them. Then I considered siphoning off the good stuff, replacing it with cheap hooch, and going out to stand outside some fancy wine store swigging from it in the hope that at least their customers might get the joke, but I hate those guys so the idea of wasting perfectly good booze-related comedy on them just made me want a drink. Fortunately, I had one handy... Or did I? Well sure, obviously I did. But this kind of scotch was clearly the kind of thing best kept for special occasions. One problem: when you drink on a
daily basis, drinking isn’t really the kind of thing you do on “special occasions”. In fact, it’s something you try not to do on special occasions because those are the occasions where you don’t want to throw up on someone then pass out in the washing machine. And then there was the weird math of the situation: this scotch was so pricey four shots of it were worth the same as one whole bottle of the reasonably priced vodka I usually get stuck into, only four shots of it wouldn’t get you as drunk as a whole bottle of vodka – you wouldn’t even get close. So then I started thinking, maybe I could sell the gift and use the cash to buy more of the kind of booze I’d feel comfortable drinking. But where? There are not exactly a lot of second-hand booze stores around, and mailing it to a buyer from eBay seemed like a good way to pay someone to smash the bottle. Plus, you know, it would be kind of ungrateful, considering how this was easily the
priciest gift I’d seen in a long time. No, I’d just have to treat it with respect and drink it slowly, one shot at a time, preferably while wearing a silk robe and sitting in a big old comfy chair by a roaring fire. Though the silk robe is more like an old dressing gown, and the roaring fire is in an old oil drum on a vacant lot. But I’m pretty sure when you drink it straight from the bottle one mouthful equals one shot, right? Tony “It came in a presentation box and everything” Montana
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