Forte #605

ISSUE #605 ball ar at | bell arine | Bendigo | ca stlemaine | geelong | surf coa st | warrnambool |

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painters A N D d ockers

“...it’s like being part of a Viking raiding party!”

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LABOUR DAY

WEEKEND!

ONG GEELROU NDS SHOWG

march 6-8

also at motor city... ac/dshe

doug bruce

phil para

geoff achison

chris wilson

jimi hocking

cass eager & the velvet rope

vika & linda mick thomas

THE WORKERS CLUB GEELONG pg.37

soundgarden

pg.24

ruth moody

pg.42

legally blonde

pg.48

bart willoughby

pg.50

ALSO FEATURING: Jordan Riddle, Nick Kingswell, Lake Street Vibe, Depredo, Needtobreathe and heaps more!

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

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

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SATURDAY 21 & SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS forte 7

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T O S O F R R ’ I N D I A K Y C O R

ACD/SHE

We kick off with a huge night of Rock & Roots artists. While you’re rocking out,

BRODERICK SMITH

don’t forget to grab yourself a bite to

CHRIS WILSON BND

eat from one of our famous food trucks

CLAUDE HAY

and while your at it don’t forget to grab

DEFRYME

a frothy or crispy in our craft beer &

ELECTRIC MARY

cider hall between all of your favourite bands!

FAMOUS WILL

$39

PAINTERS & DOCKERS PHIL PARA PUGSLEY BUZZARD REVOLUTION SAFARI MOTEL TEX MILLER THE BLACK SORROWS

12861MCMF-RR-300115

TICKETS

GWYN ASHTON

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in this issue:

forte issue #605 t h u r s d a y 5 FEBUARY 2 0 1 5

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

enquiries@fortemag.com.au Publisher

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painters & dockers pg.23

amanda@fortemag.com.au advertising

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abbey@fortemag.com.au Art director

James Dulce

artwork@fortemag.com.au Scene photographer

Marianne Valitutti contributors

soundgarden pg.24

legaly BLONDE pg.48

RUTH moody pg.42

BART WILLOUGHBY pg.50

Win 2 Dinner and Show tickets to see Tony Joe White at the Barwon Club on Good Friday Eve, Thursday the 2nd of April!

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Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Cameron Brogden, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Daniel Lock, Jessica Alves, Dr John Lamp, Madelin Baldwin, Montana Agustin, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Sue Rawkins, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, Xavier Fenell, Tony Montana printed by

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W I T H S T UDI O H O S T S P HIL J A MIE S ON , Z A N RO W E & T HE DA N C IN G A C C O UN TA N T

SATURDAY

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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

Live Earth

That Ruddy Xavier With a new album in Nanna on the way, Xavier Rudd is taking his United Nations on a nice little tour next month. From his website: “Last year, Xavier Rudd put out to the Universe that it was time to record his dream project and ancestors from around the world answered his call, delivering a collective of amazing musicians by way of his brand new band – The United Nations.” Nanna is the follow-up to 2012’s Spirit Bird. The Forum – March 19. (photo by Madison Dubé)

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

Sexercise – The Musical

The Melbourne Zoo Twilight Series is off and running, with a whole host of treats coming your way into early March. The next one is tomorrow night, February 6, with Sarah Blasko and special guest, Luluc. Paul Kelly’s Merri Soul (also featuring Clairy Browne, Kira Puru and Vika & Linda) concludes a stellar Zoo Twilights weekend on February 7. Other shows include Dan Sultan (February 13) and Spiderbait (February 21).

Meet Joe and Sam (married, but not connecting), Tania (heartbroken), Andy (married the wrong girl), Rhonda (looking for Mr Right online) and Shane (36, still dating 23-year-olds), the cast of colourful characters in the new musical comedy Sexercise – The Musical. Aleksander Vass and Malcolm C. Cooke are behind this new stage production about relationships which marks the Alex Theatre’s first show. Beginning February 24.

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Australia will join Paris, New York, China, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Antarctica in hosting the giant global music event, Live Earth. As reported by the ABC, Al Gore told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland: “The purpose is to have a billion voices with one message: to demand climate change now.” Pharrell Williams with serve as Live Earth’s musical director. June 18 is the date to reserve.

I’m Gonna Start a Fight Pennsylvanian rockers Title Fight will return to Australia mid-year armed with their new release, Hyperview. Judging by reports, the new album is a big leap forward for the band, with bassist Ned Russin telling Music Feeds: “We weren’t trying to settle for anything, we were trying to outdo ourselves.” The band takes in The Corner on June 26, followed by an all-ages show at the Phoenix Youth Centre on June 27.

The Right Crüe Mötley Crüe recently announced that they will be hitting our country this year as part of their farewell tour. At the time of writing dates had not been announced, though it is expected the band will be here sometime between

March and June. The band also recently invaded The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, performing their new – and last – single, ‘All Bad Things’. Start saving your dollars now, as tickets may be pricey.

Nothing Can Stop It Who’s ready for another remake? This time it is The Blob, the 1958 horror sci-fi starring Steve McQueen. Simon West will direct, who recently told Deadline: “With modern CGI we can now fully realize the potential of The Blob. The world I create will be totally believable, immersive and emotionally satisfying.

It’s a thrill to introduce an enduring icon to a wider audience and a whole new era of fans.”

Ian McShane Joins Ray Ian McShane, who starred as Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides but is arguably best known as Al Swearengen in Deadwood, is joining the third season of popular HBO series Ray Donovan. McShane will play Malcolm Finney, a movie producer and billionaire who is required to call on the services of Ray. For those unfamiliar with the show, Liev Schreiber plays Ray, L.A.’s best professional “fixer”.

Garage Rockin’ All Over the World Pioneering garage band the Sonics will release their first album of new material in March – their first since 1967. Called This Is the Sonics, the album features three original members of the group – Gerry Roslie on vocals and keys, Larry Parypa on vocals and guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Rob Lind. Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen and The Fall have all cited the Sonics as inspiration. ‘Bad Betty’ is your first taste.

Weird Al is The Dollmaker “Weird Al” Yankovic will provide the voice of The Dollmaker in a new animated Batman movie, Batman vs. Robin. The new film is inspired by Scott Snyder’s 2012 comic storyline Batman: The Court of Owls and will revolve around a secret society that has been kidnapping Gotham’s children and training them as assassins. The Dollmaker debuted as a Batman villain in 2011.

“Weird Al” released his fourteenth album, Mandatory Fun, last year.

On the Railroad Stevie Wonder has signed on as the executive producer of a new miniseries based on Betty

DeRamus’ book Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad.

Tentatively titled Freedom Run, the eight-hour miniseries will tell the story of three real-life couples that endured the hardships of slavery and the network that helped fugitive slaves in the 19th century flee to the Northern states or Canada.

The Dark Side of Marlon Williams Described as “the impossible love child of Elvis, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt”, Marlon Williams is a rising star of the country scene. He recently released a video for his song ‘Dark Child’, the lead single from his upcoming debut.

To help spread the word, Williams has announced a small number of dates. The Gasometer Hotel – April 9.

Williams is also on the lineup of The Hills Are Alive.

An Ace in the Pack Former KISS axeman Ace Frehley has announced a tour of Australia. A founding member of the band, Frehley enjoyed a couple of stints with the rock giant. He has also released six solo albums, his latest being 2014’s Space Invader. Fans can expect a mix of KISS favourites as well as solo material. He will be joined

by Richie Scarlet, Chris Wyse and Scot Coogan.

The Forum – May 2.

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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

Strike While the Iron’s Hot The might of Virginiabred Iron Reagan is coming to Australia. The band was supposed to tour with Toxic Holocaust last year, but we can’t always get what we want. Things now, however, are looking pretty peachy. Comprised of members of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse and Darkest Hour, Iron Reagan released their second album, the 24song, 32-minute The Tyranny of Will, last year.

The Tote – April 11.

Hannibal Draws True Blood Only the Best Clients Put it on the company card. Too much is never enough. Think nothing. Feel everything. Pleasure is good. Fantasy is truth. Experience Client Liaison. We’re talking the turn-of-the-nineties synth-pop Melbourne duo of Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan, who is creating havoc on dance floors. And they look seriously cool when doing it. They’ve just dropped a clip for ‘Pretty Lovers’, so they’re in good form. 170 Russell – March 20.

Bonobo DJ Tour British musician, producer and DJ Simon Green is better known in music circles as Bonobo, making his first release under this moniker, ‘Terrapin’, in 1999. Since the release of his fifth studio album in the first half of 2013, The North Borders, Bonobo has clocked up over 175 shows around the world, including performances at Coachella, Sonar Festival and Glastonbury. Prince of Wales – March 19. (Photo by Claudia Jaime)

More details are emerging about season three of Hannibal, including that True Blood’s Rutina Wesley will play a pivotal role. Rutina played Tara in True Blood, which finished up last year. In Hannibal, she’ll play Reba McClane, a blind woman who begins a relationship with psychotic Francis Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage), aka “The Tooth Fairy”. A teaser trailer for the new season is doing the rounds.

22 Positions with Chvrches As Chvrches pound away at their as-yet-untitled new album, the band has revealed a couple of names

that are helping with its inspiration. Martin Doherty: “I think we’ll use fewer instruments but ultimately try and do more with them …

When you listen to a Michael Jackson song or a Prince song, you realise there’s absolutely nothing in it but an amazing bassline, drums and singing. We want to channel some of that.”

I’m Going to Place an Order New Order will release a new album in 2015.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, the band said they already have a couple of completed songs. One of these, ‘Restless’, features Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers. The other, ‘Plastic’, was debuted live by the band last year. The album will be released on long-standing independent label Mute Records, who the band signed with last year.

Summer of Hellions In support of their new album Indian Summer, Sydney’s Hellions have their eyes on the road.

Drummer Anthony Caruso: “Indian Summer represents everything we stand for as individuals. There are parts on the record that are incredibly personal

and parts that are relatable to not only the members of the band, but our fans, friends, families and, well, anyone really.”

The Reverence – March 21 & Phoenix Youth Centre – March 22.

Meet George Jetson As reported by Deadline, Warner Bros is looking to turn The Jetsons into an animated feature. Matt Lieberman has been hired to write the script. The Hanna-Barbera classic originally ran from 1962 to 1963. Set in 2062, the show revolved around the Jetsons, a family living in Orbit City. Over its three-season run, 75 original episodes were aired. Lieberman got his start in the Disney Writers Program.

Running from Alison Wonderland Run, the eagerly-awaited debut full-length from Sydney DJ, producer and singer Alison Wonderland, is due for release in March. She released her debut EP, Calm Down, last year.

As for her longplayer, it would seem that she is winning some pretty handy fans, with Wayne Coyne, he of The Flaming Lips, appearing on track ‘U Don’t Know’.

Fans are able to pre-order Run through iTunes.

Home Street Home If you’re going to own just one punk rock musical concept album make it Home Street Home. Telling the story of survival and love among runaway teens, the album features music written by Fat Mike, Soma Snakeoil and Jeff Marx. The cast of vocalists is a ripper and includes Frank Turner, Matt Skiba, Tony Award-winner Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and the late Tony Sly. The album hits the streets February 13.

Raiders in the Sky

Hitchcock Lives

After forming out of the Gold Coast in 2011, prog-rockers Mass Sky Raid released their debut EP, Courage Under Fire, in 2013. Blunt Magazine was a fan, giving the album 4.5 stars out of five, while Triple M, 4ZZZ, 2FBi and 3RRR were among those flogging Mass Sky Raid’s songs. The band is still travelling nicely and is thrilled to welcome new single, ‘Enemy’. The Workers Club – March 26.

A 1945 documentary about the Holocaust directed by Alfred Hitchcock will be screened for the first time this year.

Restored by the Imperial War Museum, the doco is comprised of footage shot by a British army film unit cameraman of the liberation of the BergenBelsen concentration camp in 1945. The film is due to be broadcast to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Europe.

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THE THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Ballarat Sounds BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Levi Anderson BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with local resident DJ’S GOLDEN VINE HOTEL (Bendigo): Joel Havea with Dave Havea GPAC: Miss Saigon, Silvie Paladino 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

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): House of Light (TBC) BARWON CLUB: Audemia, Crowbait, My Piranha, Noisey Whispers 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 BLACK HATT: House Wreckers BUANGOR COBB & CO STABLES (Ararat): Joel Havea with Dave Havea CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. With live

fortnig h tl y calen d ar entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday GEELONG NIGHT MARKET: Jordan Riddle, Four Rules Charlie, Andrea Robertson & Friends, Spyndrift, The Larson Effect GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): The Dead Salesmen LAMBYS: Live Band THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Lepers and Crooks THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETES: Alex Burns SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music

SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Jessey Jackson BARWON CLUB: Glittergang BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BELMONT HOTEL: Peter Chapman BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: Live DJS GPAC: Miss Saigon THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Thom HOMEHOUSE: Tenzin, Deejay AK LAMBYS: Live Band

THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Chase City MARTIANS CAFE: Matt Katsis MINYA WINERY (Connewarre): Stenson Family ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Gabe Atkinson PISTOL PETES: Chris Wilson with Fenn Wilson ROYAL GEELONG YACHT CLUB: Captain Jack The Official Final Show SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THORNBURY THEATRE (Melbourne): Guy Pearce & Darren Middleton, Krista Polvere

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY BARWON CLUB: Nick Kingswell, Imogen Brough BEAVS BAR: Live Music BELMONT HOTEL: Zane Carroll BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 5-6pm CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Jazz from 3-6pm and Parmi Night GEELONG RSL: $13 Carvery lunch GROVEDALE HOTEL: McRobin LAMBYS: Live Band LORD NELSON: Sunday Funday Live Music ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live music Torquay HOTEL: The American Classics, Michael Stangel

SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17

MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night CHERRY BAR: The Aimee Volkofsky & The Molotovs GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 PISTOL PETES: Open Mic Night

WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Nick Kingswell, Imogen Brough 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 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 THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Cleveland Blues PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY

CHERRY BAR: The Rumjacks, Jay Wars & Special Guests

KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Kanye Fest

CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ

THE LOFT (Warrnambool): The Mellows, Say Please, Silver City

THE EASTERN: Live Music EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ

BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): LAFIDKI (TBC)

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday

BALLARAT BEAT ROCKABILLY FESTIVAL

EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs GPAC: Macbeth

BEAVS BAR: Andy Forster

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy

BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night

HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs

EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ

LAMBYS: Live band

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA: Thirsty Thursday with local resident DJ’S THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Nick Kingswell LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: 6pm Jazz n’ Blues PISTOL PETES: Georgia Rodgers THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13

FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Phia BALLARAT BEAT ROCKABILLY FESTIVAL BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw

THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Twilight Makers Market PISTOL PETES: Wayne Jury 3 SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music UNWINED CELLAR BAR: Live Music

SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Bob Dylan Tribute BALLARAT BEAT ROCKABILLY FESTIVAL BEAVS BAR: Jack Harman BELMONT HOTEL: Cam Bryce BENDED: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm THE EASTERN: Live Music

LAMBYS: Live band

MARTIANS CAFE: Gathering Tide ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Michelle Parsons PISTOL PETES: Screamin’ Honkies SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music YAH YAHS: The Rumjacks, The Cherry Dolls, The Ninjas YARRAVILLE CLUB: Black Sabbath Tribute

SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY BALLARAT BEAT ROCKABILLY FESTIVAL BEAVS BAR: Lanie Lane BELMONT HOTEL: Dave Johns BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Kids Eat Free 3:30-6:30, Steak and Parma Night, Happy Hour 5-6pm CITY QUARTER: Perfect Sunday Sesh Live music and DJ from 4pm EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: Live Jazz from 3-6pm and Parmi Night GEELONG RSL: $13 Carvery lunch GROVEDALE HOTEL: McRobin LAMBYS: Live band THE LOFT (Warrnambool): The Kava Kings ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live music

BEAVS BAR: Luke Biscan

EDGE: Live Music and DJ

BELMONT HOTEL: James Carrigg

EUREKA: Live DJS GPAC: Macbeth

BENDED: Live music

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Abe Anderson

SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music

HOMEHOUSE: Samual James, Brendan Walker

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17

BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Ann Vriend

MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY BENDED: Parmi night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 PISTOL PETES: Mardi Gras Spiderjazz New Orleans Food, Music and fun

WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Fusionite, Jeronimo Joe, Stella Savvy Trio 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 BRIDGE HOTEL (Castlemaine): The Smith Street Band, Pup, Great Cynics, Apart from This ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Night from 8pm. Have fun win prizes book a table GEELONG (52 Garden St): No Lights No Lycra GEELONG RSL: Pot and Parmi Night $13 GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: Spinning Wheel and a lot of Parmi’s from $14.50 PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues

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Painters and Dockers

FEATURE STORY

Written By Natalie Rogers, photo by Jay Hynes

“Being in the Painters and Dockers is not like being in an ordinary rock band – it’s like being part of a Viking raiding party! You sign on and you go into battle; you go to war. We’ve had members come and go, but it’s an ongoing battle and it’s a beautiful thing!” laughed Paulie Stewart, home-grown punk legend, trumpet player and lead singer of the Painters and Dockers.

With that, Paulie issues a call to arms: Geetroit! Are you ready to rock?! Well, you’re in luck, because the annual Motor City Music Festival kicks off at the Geelong Showgrounds this March long weekend.

Event organisers Hugo T Armstrong and the team Blues Train Ltd promise this year will not disappoint. “I love Big Hugo. He’s the man of music in your neck of the woods and I’ve been on his Blues Train at Queenscliff – so if his name is attached, I’ll be involved. No worries.

“Geelong has always been a strong place for us to play. We recently came down and did a gig at the Barwon Club for Mental Health Week. It was packed out and the club went off its nana!”

Paulie grinned. “We’ve also played with some great bands from Geelong,” he continued. “The community really supports local acts. Actually, these days we are locals – our drummer lives in Geelong now and our other trumpet player lives in Torquay!”

For more than 30 years Paulie and his rag-tag band of misfits have pushed the boundaries both musically and politically, earning them the respect and notoriety that comes along with making politicallyminded punk music.

“Growing up I loved punk rock because it was revolutionary, it brought about a change of opinion and ideas.

Listening to punk songs in the 1970s was where I first heard about Women’s Liberation and Gay Rights,” Paulie says.

“It really had a profound effect on me and I thought, ‘WOW! music is such a great vehicle to get a

message across’ … Though you don’t want to get up there and preach to a crowd with loads of political slogans or social messages because people get bored shitless and we all just wanna have fun basically,” he smiled.

A good time comes as a guarantee at a Dockers’ gig – that is if it’s not shut down by the police, a usual occurrence back in the day, as Paulie recalls.

Bedlam, bar fights, and the occasional spot of nudity were all part and parcel of the band’s early years. “I love the risqué nature of playing a punk gig. I like the guy who rocks up to the show in a wedding dress, not the one who shows up with a mohawk and leather jacket.”

Paulie has always loved the punk aesthetic, even going back to his days as the pink-haired rookie reporter at The Sun in the 1980s. Blessed with the gift of the gab and a desire to uncover the truth, he followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Tony Stewart, one of the five journalists killed by Indonesian troops in Balibo, East Timor, in October 1975.

In light of this tragedy, Paulie went on to form the Dili Allstars with Dockers’ bandmate Colin Buckler.

Soon he called on the help of East Timorese musician Gil Santos and together they recorded a song to protest the capture of the East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmão by Indonesian armed forces in the early nineties.

Two decades on the Dili Allstars are still going strong. “I still do gigs with the Allstars and I’d love to go back there to do some shows,” Paulie says. “We

were Australia’s official ambassadors at Timor’s independence celebrations.

In fact, next year is the 20th anniversary of the Allstars and I just got a call from the Timorese Embassy to say they’re considering giving us a medal for our work over there. They said, ‘What would you guys think about that?’ and I went, ‘Fuck!’ I wouldn’t accept a knighthood from the Queen, but I’d accept a medal from the President of East Timor!”

Undoubtedly irreverent, at times controversial, there’s no denying Paulie Stewart has lived a full life – and one day soon you may be able to read all about it. “After I had my liver transplant I was in Austin Hospital for 18 months. While I was there I met a woman who was also having a liver transplant, [Geelongborn] Inga Clendinnen.

She’s one of Australia’s foremost historians and writers,” he explained.

“She encouraged me to write down my thoughts and I ended up penning about 80,000 words.

“Yeah, I’d love to write a book if only I could find the time!” One thing’s for sure, it’d be a helluva read.

Paulie isn’t kidding about finding time – he’s one busy man. On top of everything else, he works with disadvantaged youth at the Artful Dodgers Studios in Collingwood and manages hip hop duo FlyBz, two former child soldiers from the African nations of Burundi and Tanzania who’ve made Melbourne their home.

“We go into schools … and you see the kids literally change just listening to these guys talk. I just dig it, you know?”

When&Where: Motor City Music Festival, Geelong Geelong Showgrounds - March 6 to 8

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Soundgarden Written by Natalie Rogers

It’s no secret Soundgarden is one of the bands that defined a generation. The spark that set off the explosion of the Seattle music scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s alongside Washington State alumni Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney.

Soundgarden revolutionised a tired sound with the creation of a new genre – behold the golden age of grunge! However, Soundgarden are unique, they process a certain je ne sais quoi.

Is it their superior song writing skills, unusual time signature or Chris Cornell’s soaring vocal range? To celebrate their return to our shores for Soundwave we sat with lead guitarist and co-founder Kim Thayil to uncover the truth.

“Fortunately we have very few imitators because it’s more difficult to sound like Chris than it is to sound like Kurt,” Thayil says with all the confident conviction you’d expect. “A band like Nirvana had so many imitators because they were easy to copy. They used a tuning that we helped popularise– the drop-D. Don’t get me wrong, I like Nirvana, they’re one of my favourite bands ever but, there are dozens of bands that sound like them, and I can’t stand listening to them, it’s annoying,” he laughed. “We’re a difficult band to copy because we frequently use odd time signatures and odd tunings for our guitars, and Chris has such an incredible range that it’s difficult for a singer

to simply sound like us.”

Nirvana knock-offs aside, Thayil admits he’s a fan of music above all else.

“Bands that do something innovative are the ones that I really love. The Dillinger Escape Plan is an amazing progressive hardcore metal band. They’re incredibly technical in the way they write songs and the way they play – much more so than we are. But they definitely cite us as influence and I’m very proud of that recognition because they’re an original band.

“Oh man, there are some amazing bands out there that I feel haven’t got the recognition they deserve,” Thayil continued.

“The Melvins have been a fantastic influence on us. Over the years we’ve met the guys from Sleep, they’re a fantastic band.

When they broke up they

formed a band called High on Fire and another band called Om. Om is an incredibly creative band, and bands like Sunn O))). They’re an amazing doom-drone band that took inspiration from us and we met those guys a number of times and we’ve become good friends.”

Thayil says they’re calling on friends and fans to help them in compiling rare interviews, memorabilia, personal photos and bootleg audio or video for an up-coming Soundgarden documentary. “We’re really excited about working with Banger Films, they’ve a great body of work. They did ‘Beyond the Lighted Stage’ for Rush, ‘Super Duper Alice Cooper’ and the Iron Maiden story. Banger Films also worked on 12-part series for VH1, a 12-hour history of hard rock and heavy metal, so they’ve got a pretty strong background in documentary film-making and rumour is they’re going to do a Black Sabbath doco as well!

“Maybe you guys will get some good stuff when we come to Australia next month for Soundwave next month?” Thayil challenged. “It’s going to be so much fun! There’s a lot of amazing bands on the bill.

There’s definitely a lot of old friends. We go back to the mid-’80s with Faith No More and they’ve been friends and supporters of ours for quite a long time.

Of course Slash, we’ve with played with Guns and Roses a number of times and we’ve got in touch with him over the years and Chris played on his solo record. We’ve been fans of the Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson forever. Be part of Soundgarden history, go to info@bangerfilms.com to contribute.

When & Where: Soundwave, Melbourne Showgrounds – February 21 & 22

Jordan Riddle Written by Tex Miller

Over the past couple of years, Jordan Riddle has become a household name in the Geelong region. Whether it’s the swagger of his silky vocals or his reverb-crisp guitar work, he is definitely one to watch over the next few years as he continues to develop into one of Geelong’s finest exports. Talking in the lead up to Australia Day in the midst of the Festival of Sails on the Geelong Waterfront, it’s a very busy time, as Riddle relates.

“It’s all happening at the moment mate. I’ve got three gigs on this weekend and I am preparing to play at the NightJar markets in February. It’s a bit weird because in December things were starting to ramp down and there weren’t many gigs and I have so many now in quick succession. It’s good, though, to be busy and perfecting my set and sound. I like playing the family-friendly events because I can play some things that I don’t usually do,” Riddle said.

In terms of a sneaky setlist, Riddle relates that an Ed Sheeran cover and ‘You’re the One That I Want’ from Grease are what you are likely to hear in the upcoming days. Together with Sam Burtt from Residual fame, he is quick to state that 2015 will see the duo spark up some tunes and a possible EP to be released later in the year.

“We have been working on something for a little

bit and it is slowly taking shape, but at the moment it is in a ‘watch this space’ kinda thing, as we continue to write and form ideas for the project. We probably won’t play the instruments that we usually play and it will be something that you don’t expect. It might be ‘Burtt and Riddle play all your hits’ and a bluegrass album. But seriously, it will be exciting when it’s all ready to be shown to the world.”

Beyond the Pines is Riddle’s debut EP release and a set of songs that were written on the road, as Riddle travelled around America. “Definitely the single California was the catalyst for where I wanted my music to go. I was confused and I had all

“ ...I can’t wait to showcase some new stuff!” these people telling me what to do. I needed an escape and think I found it there. It’s a little ‘grass is greener on the other side’ kinda thing.

“I think that in America there is a lot more opportunity than in Australia, but given the bigger population it is harder to make a go of music.”

One of the upcoming gigs is Riddle’s performance at the NightJar Market in Geelong’s Johnstone Park. Kicking off at 4:30, you are likely to hear a whole range of stuff from Riddle’s back catalogue and some new tunes that will take the shape of the new EP to be released later this year. “I am excited to be on the bill at the NightJar. It seems to be a really cool family-friendly environment and I can’t wait to showcase some new stuff.

“I started to demo for the new EP two days ago in my studio and I’ve started playing a track called Faux.

Be sure to come out and hear it live and see where my music is going to develop into the next little while.”

When & Where: Geelong NightJar

The Dead Salesmen Q&A

Ballarat legends, The Dead Salesmen, are re-releasing their 1998 album Amen to vinyl through Heart of the Rat Records. Hap, Ryda, Lenny, Pat and Julitha will be getting back together to run through your favourite songs for three shows only – one at Karova on Friday, February 6 and another Castlemaine and Melbourne show to be announced. We spoke with Hap (Justin) about these exciting times!

Hi Justin, thanks so much for chatting with Forte. What are you up to at the moment?

I’m a secondary school English teacher so I’m gearing up for a return to the day job. I love what I do but I’m very happy to balance it out with the odd gig with my old mates.

Amen was originally recorded back in 1998.

How excited are you to now release it on vinyl?

We released quite a few albums and EPs back in the day. Our first album was actually a tape. To have something we are proud of finally out on an actual ‘record’ is pretty cool. … Okay, I cried a bit when I got a copy recently and put it on my crappy old turntable.

The band will be getting together for the launch at Karova Lounge on Friday, February 6. How long has it been since your last gig?

We are a special occasion band these days. We rereleased our album Jealousy (on CD) a few years back. We played the Brunswick Club and our fans drank the place 24 forte

completely dry – setting a bar takings record! So yes, every now and then...

What selection of songs will the band be playing? Anything new?

We will play most of the record and then a selection from all the other stuff we recorded over the years.

We have nothing new, but our gigs are always a bit unpredictable in terms of what we will play and how we choose to play it.

Are there any plans for more shows or recording at all?

We hope to record some of these launches because we are pretty fired up and want to capture the live stuff. We may record a new album when we are REALLY old I reckon, just to be silly old trippers.

You played the very first Meredith Festival.

Are you amazed to see how the event has grown?

When & Where: The Karova, Ballarat – February 6

Yes, I played the first one with Justin Ryda as The Dead Salesmen when we were just an acoustic duo.

We played in a barn to less than a hundred people I’m sure. On the Sunday when all my mates went home I kicked on and Chris Nolan put me in the spare room.

After a lovely brekky, Mrs Nolan drove me back to Ballarat! One of my most treasured memories.

I still get there every couple of years and make sure I say hello to the Nolan family. And I am amazed by the festival these days – it is a welloiled machine but it still has a big heart!

The launch will also be for Mark with the Sea’s When the Blood Runs Dry. What other Ballarat

musicians are you a fan of at the moment?

I love my singer-songwriters – Paige Duggan and Freya Hollick are personal faves. An old friend called Mick Dog is playing some amazing stuff lately. I also like Josh Haire, The Electric SunKings and The Yard Apes.

The vinyl has been brought out by the new Heart of the Rat Records. How important do you think they will become for the region?

I can’t tell! All my favourite bands and movies and works of art were important to me but not necessarily big in the places they were made. All I know is those guys running that label are great thinkers and artists in their own right. I certainly hope they make a huge impact

on our community.

Any more news for us?

I’ve written my first-ever screenplay! Now I can put it in the drawer and get ready to make some music with my old friends. I just reckon you need to always have something going on artistically – if not I get very low. The Dead Salesmen are all pretty like-minded in that respect, I think.

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the workers club IS coming to geelong!

“It’s time we got another live music hall in our fair city!” pg.37

Together Again At the time of writing, tickets still remain for Angus & Julia Stone’s show at Deakin’s Costa Hall on February 26. Their current tour supports their self-titled album, released last year after the pair reunited following a little prompting by producer Rick Rubin.

The album, their highest-charting to date, reached Top 10 in France, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Rubin: “This album is extraordinary; Angus and Julia are truly unique musicians. They are authentic and pure people who do things from the heart. I’ve never worked with anyone like them before.” Joining them on the night will be some terrific special guests, so head on down for some fine tunes and good company.

Dan the Man For a decent chunk of February and March, Dan Sultan will be touring his Dirty Ground show from the Northern Territory to Victoria. The tour takes its name from his new EP, Dirty Ground, and has Sultan ditching his band for the time being to play solo. Sultan: “I enjoy playing with my band and I also enjoy playing solo … I’m looking forward to getting back on the road with more space on the tour bus.” While he may be performing solo, the country soul rock’n’roller has enlisted the help of the Pierce Brothers to warm things up. Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – March 7. Dirty Ground was recorded in just one day under the watchful eye of Jan Skubizewski.

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The Devilish Kayla Dwyer Songbird Kayla Dwyer has had her eye on the prize for many years now.

Taking a job in Year 7 to help fund vocal lessons, her first musical steps were with an opera singer. In Year 9 she began piano lessons and the following year she bought a guitar to accompany her singing. In Year 11 and 12 it was Music Performance studies. Today she is one of the bright young talents making her mark, having supported the likes of Evermore, Kirsty Akers, Alan Caswell, Shane Howard and The BordererS. Her debut album is Devil Within, featuring ten original compositions written by Dwyer and her music partners, John Maroniti and Russell Moody.

Hotel Warrnambool – February 15.

Just Clowning Around This month, fine readers, Melbourne scuzz punks Clowns will release their new album. It’s called Bad Blood and it was written in the band’s hometown of Cheltenham in a complex that houses a bakery, a cattery and a morgue.

Lyrically inspired by their native suburbs, the album was intentionally kept close to home as they wanted it to beat the heart of Melbourne. It is their follow-up to 2013’s I’m Not Right. In other news, the band not too long ago got back from China, and if you check in on their Facebook page you’ll be able to see what kind of adventures they got up to. The Karova, Ballarat – March 8. They will be joined by US stoner-punk outfit American Sharks.

Imogen Brough & Nick Kingswell

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We got to know her through The Voice, and now Imogen Brough is one of the most familiar names in local music. The Geelong gal is a born storyteller, combining ethereal melodies with Celtic and pop influences. 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. After finishing school in 2004, Nick packed up his bags and headed out on his musical voyage. His debut album is Over Easy.

The Barwon, Geelong – February 8; Babushka Bar, Ballarat – February 11; and The Loft, Warrnambool – February 12.

Honey, I Don’t Mean to Badger You Honey Badgers are a real band with even realer feelings, if they’re to be believed. And if you believe that, you may well believe that their combination of sickly sweet hooks and belligerent drum and guitar squalls makes for a band of equal parts rock and

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roll vigour, unapologetic emotion and infantile playfulness. The Melbourne band dropped their selftitled EP last year which they’re set to give a run in Castlemaine this Valentine’s Day. Forget about giving your special someone 24 rolls of toilet paper this Valentine’s Day and instead treat them to a night of infantile playfulness. If you play your cards right, you may be the one receiving a little playfulness later in the night. The Bridge, Castlemaine – February 14.

You Can Busk If You Want To Held as part of the Crackerjack Family Fair on March 8, the Bellarine 2015 Busking Competition presents an opportunity to amateur musicians and groups to showcase their musical talents to a large and supportive audience. Major cash prizes are up for grabs, with the judging panel comprised of professional stage artists. If you’re a little green when it comes to performing, this is as good an opportunity as you’re likely to find. The best thing you can do is hit pointlonsdalebowlsclub. com.au for an application form. Applications close February 21. Busking terms and conditions will be sent upon nomination. The event is proudly sponsored

by Riley Family Builders.

In the Right Kind of Moody There are probably not a whole lot of Australianborn singer-songwriters who have a couple of Juno Awards on their shelf, but Ruth Moody has. Largely known for her work with The Wailin’ Jennys, Ruth released her debut solo album, The Garden, in 2010. In 2013, she released These Wilder Things, featuring guest spots by Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Mike McGoldrick and John McCusker. She has also been recognised by the USA Songwriting Competition and the International Songwriting Competition.

The album features a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’.

The Red Room, Ararat – February 25. * Ruth will also be appearing at the Port Fairy Folk Festival.

Four Fried Chickens and a Coke You’ve gotta be pretty brave to take on the Blues Brothers. To be sanctioned

by Dan Aykroyd and Judith Belushi, well, you have to have some serious chops. There have been many imitators, but Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty are the real deal. Backed by their powerhouse eightpiece intercontinental rhythm and blues revue band, the performers deliver a show packed with classic hits including ‘Soul Man’, ‘Rubber Biscuit’, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’, ‘Rawhide’ and ‘Sweet Home Chicago’. The Official Blues Brothers

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Revue promises a night of laughter, dancing and footstompin’ fun as they tap into Chicago’s rich musical history of blues, gospel and soul music. Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – May 3.

Motor City Music Festival What’s that? You want to hear about the Motor City Music Festival again? Well, okay then. The Geelong Showgrounds will play host to this ripping event next month. While Friday and Saturday is reserved for the 18+ crowd, the Sunday of the event is all about family.

As well as music, there will be plenty of other goodies to keep you buzzing all day long. Plus, you will even get a fireworks display. So, you’ve got a wide range of music, one open-air and four undercover stages, gourmet food vans, lots of well-stocked bars, carnival rides, market stalls and ample free parking – what’s not to love? March 6 through March 8. Hit motorcitymusicfestival. com.au for all the answers to your Motor City questions.

Dancing to the Ballarat Beat Can I get a hallelujah? My rockin’ and rollin’ brothers and sisters, Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival is set to shine its glory upon us once again. Seriously folks, if you have been snoozin’, you have been losin’. The Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival is your one-stop destination for all things rockabilly – the music, the fashion, the cars, the beer and, yes, the vibe. Performers in 2015 include The Detonators, Atomic Hi-Tones, Benny & The Flybyniters, The Lincolns, The Satellites, TJ and the Twinspinners, Ezra Lee & The Havoc Band, The Pacific Belles (pictured), West Texas Crude and The Sky Rockats. Other highlights include the Miss Ballarat Beat Pin-Up which returns for another run. Who has the looks that kill? From the team: “Ballarat Beat offers punters a unique opportunity to see music acts from across Australia, classic cars and hot rods, fashion and market stalls celebrating all things from the rockabilly era. Come and play at Rockabilly for one day or all 4 days! Die-hard rockabilly fans will be in heaven, and those new to the genre will find plenty of colour, life, movement and music to entertain them for hours. The rockabilly crowd at Ballarat Beat is one of the most joyous crowds you’ll find anywhere.” Ballarat – February 12-15.

On the Lost Ragas Highway Originally starting out as Matt Walker’s touring band, Lost Ragas soon turned into a more collaborative affair. With members having played with some of the best in the country, the band will release their second album, Trans Atlantic Highway, in May. Dashvilled: “Hard sound to pin down – broken-hearted alt-country, then it flies off into this amazing duel slide guitar meets lapsteel – almost Television Tom Verlaine meets Ry Cooder moments all centred around Matt Walkers beautifully dark voice, understated super tight bass and that crazy horse style minimal drumming.”

The Eastern, Ballarat – February 20 & The Bridge, Castlemaine – February 21.

Grow a Beard and Be Awesome The manly bearded men of The Beards are once again about to set off on another massive mission.

You see, they are all about the beard and the awesomeness of them.

Beards make you more attractive. Beards make you live longer. Beards make lovin’ even sweeter.

Beards will make you able to win a fight with a bear, should that ever be a problem. Beards don’t make your drinking a problem. Beards enable you to do so many things, and The Beards mission is to impart their wisdom on you.

Wisdom which comes from, yes, beards. Their new single is ‘Strokin’ My Beard’, which all bearded folk will know from 2014’s The Beard Album. The Karova, Ballarat – March 18 & The Barwon, Geelong – March 20.

Working in Geelong Have you heard the word? An exciting new face is heading to Geelong in March, with Melbourne’s renowned venue The Workers Club teaming with Spinning Half for The Workers Club Geelong. Located at 90-92 Little Malop Street, the venue is promising “top-notch” live music experiences. The venue has made the first of its announcements, with none other than Jake Clemons set to christen the venue. Who is Jake Clemons? That would be the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band. A singer-songwriter in his own right, Jake will hit the venue on March 29 in support of his forthcoming album Bittersweet. Talk about a cool way to kick things off ! Keep an eye on theworkersclubgeelong.com.au.

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Records, Comics & Toys The dates have been announced for 2015’s Bendigo Record, Comic and Toy Fair, and they are March 22 and September 20. Both events will be held at the Bendigo Expo Centre, Bendigo Showgrounds. The event made its debut last year and was a huge success, with specialist pop culture traders heading to Bendigo stocked with vinyl, CDs, cassettes, collectables, comic backissues, merchandising, figurines, retro-games and loads more. Whether you are on the hunt to find something in particular or just browsing, the Record, Comic & Toy Fair has plenty to offer.

The event is the brainchild of Peter Pascoe, who has a collection of around 20,000 comics.

Dude, it’s Donavon

Red Whyte & Cool Red Whyte is a surfer, musician and artist. Red Whyte is a musician, surfer and artist. Red Whyte is an artist, surfer and musician. Red Whyte is a surfer, artist and musician. It’s hard to know what order to put these things in. He has been playing tunes for some 30 years, releasing over 15 albums along the way. He plays guitar,

drums and percussion, bass, harmonic flute, mandolin, didge and sitar. He has surfed and swapped stories with Kelly Slater and Eddie Vedder. He has led bands and he has walked the solo path. One of his bands, Surfusion, plays, unsurprisingly, surf-fuelled rock. It is with this band that Red takes to Torquay Hotel, Torquay on February 6.

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What’s On In The Rat Written by Daniel Lock

Hello postAustralia Day partiers.

Danlo here with the list of what’s on live music-wise in the Rat this next fortnight.

Thursday, February 5 The Babushka Bar has a night of Ballarat sounds with Ari and Rhiannon, Shannon Hunter and Shelby Sherritt all playing.

Entry TBC. Friday, February 6 The Babushka Bar has House of Light tentatively booked.

The Karova Lounge is hosting The Dead Salesmen’s Amen vinyl launch and Mark with the Sea’s When the Blood Runs Dry album launch. Both are being released through local label Heart of the Rat Records. Entry $12.

Suttons House of Music has the Lohs, Burgess, Bennett trio playing, consisting of Sam Lohs, Rosie Burgess and Tim

Bennett. Free entry.

Saturday, February 7 The Babushka Bar has Jessey Jackson playing. $10 entry.

The Karova Lounge has the duo LWKY playing with supports from Gambit, Foynes, and Sleigh Ride DJs. Entry $10. S.H.O.M. has Geoffrey Williams singing and playing on stage. Free entry.

Sunday, February 8 S.H.O.M. has Simon Carroll playing an afternoon set from 2.30 p.m. Free entry.

Wednesday, February 11 The Babushka Bar has Nick Kingswell with Imogen Brough playing.

Entry TBC. Thursday, February 12 The Babushka Bar has LAFIDKI down as a tentative booking.

Friday, February 13 The Babushka Bar has PHIA on stage. Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge has Diminished Reason on stage, with support from Toxicon and Feast of

The Tide Is In You may know Zeptepi as a bunch of jazz musicians who play folk with a punk-rock ethos. Formed

by Phil Dean, the band’s first recordings surfaced in 2002, with their first gig taking place in 2004.

Anyway, as can often be the case in music, songs are written that may not quite fit the mould of the band.

Such is the case for Phil Dean, who wrote a bunch

of songs in late 2013/ early 2014 that didn’t quite have the Zeptepi feel. So, The Gathering Tide was formed, an outfit built on the stripped-back foundation of guitar, fiddle and two voices.

Zeptepi bandmate Claire Johnstone is his main collaborator here. They started performing shows towards the end of last year. Martians Café, Deans Marsh – February 14.

Crows. Entry $10.

Saturday, February 14 The Babushka Bar is holding a Bob Dylan tribute. Entry TBC. The Karova Lounge is holding a (get this) Kanye Fest. I’ll keep my opinion to myself on this one. Supports MistaFixit and Chuck Bass. Entry $5. S.H.O.M. has The Roadhouse Romeos playing for Valentine’s Day, which sounds like the most appropriate booking this day. Free entry.

Sunday, February 15 S.H.O.M. has The Mary Gardens playing an afternoon set from 2:30 p.m. Free entry.

Well, that’s all I’m giving you on the bands playing the next fortnight.

I recommend looking up Geoffrey Williams and PHIA though if you’re planning your night out.

Also, The Main Bar has gone quiet on the internet advertising front but I know they’re still getting acts in (Shaun Kirk being on March 14). So if you’re strolling along Main Road, stop in and see who else they might have playing.

Venue websites: evileye.com.au/ babushkalounge.com,

facebook.com/ easternballarat, karovalounge.com and suttonshouseofmusic. com.au.

Last but not least, Jam at the Dam is happening on the 14th of February.

What started as a (somewhat) low-key event to raise money for the local Country Fire Authority back in 2013 has become anticipated by local music veterans every year as the best bands within the region line up to get on stage and rock the dam. Happening in the hills of Invermay, the event kicks off in the afternoon and continues until 11 p.m. This year’s lineup consists of Brendan Skinner & the Relevant Advice Club, The Reprobettes, Horris Green, The Yard Apes, Ballarat Ska Union, Gangz, Tully On Tully, La Bastard, Goldfields (DJ Set), Tsugnarly and Gareth Harrison (Yacht Club DJs).

More details on this event can be found via Facebook.

Where Does Hanlon Come From?

Where Did You Come From? is the forthcoming new album from Darren Hanlon, and to go with what will be his first solo LP in five years, the songman has announced a generous tour. While the release was conceived in Broken Hill, the album’s recording spans two continents and numerous cities, towns and recording studios. In a mail-out, Darren had this to say: “One ambitious and underprepared Queenslander, one battered old guitar, one Amtrak pass, five recording studios, fifteen or so musical strangers, six bullet holes. I went on an exploratory adventure in the American southlands and the whole thing grew up around me like rogue lantana. I spent 20 or so nights sleeping on the train with my jumper rolled up under my head. When I hopped off I walked the cracked pavements of the great Southern cities and met buskers, thieves, tap-dancers, roadside preachers, drunks and dealers, all of whom had something worth saying to learn about. All that fed into the writing of the songs and onto these recordings … The songs wrote themselves, and often were meant for these characters I met along the way specifically.” The Karova, Ballarat – April 3. Where Did You Come From? hits shelves on March 2.

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While out this way for Bluesfest, Donavon Frankenreiter has decided he may as well put his talents to good use and tag on a few additional dates. Well, that would be over fifteen additional dates actually. We can thank in part Jack Johnson for introducing us to the laid-back surfing rocker (or the laid-back rocking surfer). Supporting Johnson, Donavon first made the trek to Australia in 2003. He also released his self-titled debut on Johnson’s Brushfire Records. His latest album is 2012’s Start Livin’. Donavon: “Start Livin’ is basically a love album. Most of the songs are about my wife and our two boys, and the life that we’ve built together in Hawaii … This album’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever done before, in that we skipped the basics and went for a whole lot of different instruments. We never brought in a drum set; instead, there’s handclapping for percussion, or the two of us banging on pots and pans. We were using everything from bells to singing bowls to Zippo lighters; at one point we put some beans and salts in a can and shook it around.” Summer may be gone by the time he arrives, but the vibes will remain. Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads – April 11.

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You’re Gonna Hear Me RAW Josh Thomas, Hannah Gadsby and Celia Pacquola are three of the names who have braved the RAW Stage. Are you that brave? Perhaps you’re not all that brave but just a little unstable?

It doesn’t matter, so long as you are funny. Yes, as we stitch up our sides in anticipation of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, RAW returns, seeking out the best in emerging funny clackers. Heats have already kicked off, with the Courthouse Theatre hosting the Ballarat heat on February 13 and GPAC hosting the Geelong heat on February 28. It’s no easy thing to get up on stage armed with some nervous material, so it would be awesome if you could head on down and show support.

Aireys Inlet Open Mic Over 5000 people are expected to make their way to the Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival, and with good reason.

Over 150 acts are set to perform at what will be their eighth outing. Acts include Altitude, The Kite Machine, Audemia, Sarah Carnegie, Jessey Jackson, Nicolette Forte & Friends, Trouser Party, Not the Usual Crowd, Flying Bison and Travis Addison. A Special Mystery Guest will close out the festival, with Colin Hay, Dan Sultan and Mark Seymour being some of the past guests. At the time of writing the festival was still seeking performers, so if you’re interested hit up the website below.

The Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival takes place from March 13 through 16. Hit aireysinlet. com.au for more.

Something to Crow About

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Melbourne’s As Crows Fly may not be taking over the world, but they’re doing enough to conquer a city or two.

Founder and frontman of the group, Ralph Mueller, runs his own radio show called Ralphy’s Music of the World.

For those unfamiliar, it is aired by 15 radio stations worldwide and streamed to over 120 Countries. Plus, an additional 100+ stations air the music from the artists involved with his network. As for the band, they came together in early 2013 and are all about delivering straightforward Aussie rock. Mueller: “We are best friends and like every great band, it is like a marriage. You have good days and bad days, but when it counts, we back each other ’til death.” Music Man, Bendigo – February 7.

Time to ChillOut

Blues & Roots Showcase There’s no rest for the wicked. Following another outstanding outing in November 2014, Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival is already looking towards its next event. Putting on a festival is no easy task, so throughout the year organisers run several showcase fundraisers to help with costs. You have an absolute beauty coming up at Bendigo’s Rifle Brigade Hotel on February 22, with Sons of May (pictured), Emilee South, Mojo Corner, Marta Pacek, Funk Junkies, Jamie Roberts and Brodie Young among those set to perform. Comprised of four lads with a tongue in cheek chemistry, a thirst for good times and a mission to spread their love of high energy acoustic music, Sons of May finally got down to the business of recording their debut following a couple of years honing their craft. Mixed and co-Produced by Shane O’Mara, the selftitled album captures their pop-infused grit and folk swagger. 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. with a $15 cover. In related news, applications are currently open for the Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival 2015. Applications close March 31, with further information available through bendigobluesandroots.com.au. It’s as simple as filling out a few boxes! Be sure to keep an eye on the website for events throughout 2015.

How Do You Like This Heatwave?

Australia’s premier street rap battle league, Amped Up, delivers the goods to Warrnambool this month. Founded in mid-2012 by Codix, Amped Up Street Battles (AUSB) is the grassroots of battle rap in Australia.

Events are all-ages, drugs and alcohol free and completely free of charge to attend.

Although based out of Melbourne, the events have been touching down throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Running under the moniker Heatwave, AUSB presents Jack Scarey vs. Zak Schmidt (tattoo battle), Matthew Klein vs Avant Bard, Stannard vs Askel and Sturdy vs DK. There will also be an eightman, freestyle battle tournament. Liebig Street, Warrnambool – February 21. 2 p.m.

Death Delivers Psycroptic You can’t talk about death metal without talking about Psycroptic.

Well, you can, but a bounty is sure to be put on your head if you do.

From the magnificent state of Tasmania, Psycroptic formed in 1999, crediting, at least in part, their isolation for their sound. The band has toured the globe, shredding with the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Suicide Silence, Decapitated, The Faceless, Obituary, Carcass, Nile and The Black Dahlia Murder along the way. They’ve also released five albums, with their sixth, a selftitled release, due to hit shelves in March.

Search ‘The World Discarded’ to keep you satisfied until then. The Karova, Ballarat – March 15 & The Barwon, Geelong – March 18.

The Hoodoo of Tony Joe White Another artist taking advantage of his Bluesfest date is Tony Joe White, with Geelong set to be a beneficiary of his Louisiana-born swamp rock. While he arguably remains best known for a song from over 40 years ago (1969’s ‘Polk Salad Annie’), to define him by that alone would be criminally unfair. Even if that song was also recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones. And even if he was invited to appear on Dave Letterman to perform the track alongside Foo Fighters. Hoodoo is his latest release. Tony: “I never try to sit down and come up with something. But I can be running down the white perch by the river or sitting by a campfire, and suddenly a line will come up, and it stays with me for a week or two … There’s not a push nowhere. Maybe I’ll stop playing shows and making records when the songs quit coming to me. But they still come to me. You see, I don’t work for a song – but once I get a hold of it I don’t let go.

I just keep writing, and when I do, I want to go out and play it for somebody. It’s the songwriting that keeps me going.” The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 2.

The Basic Thundamentals It’s been one year since Thundamentals released So We Can Remember, so the Blue Mountains crew of DJ Morgs, Tuka and Jewson thought they would hit the road. The Elephant in the Room tour promises their biggest production to date and will include the performance of tracks they’ve never played before. They also said there would be “some added surprises along the way”, so you have that as well. Anyway, one year is just enough time to remind people of So We Can Remember.

Single ‘Smiles Don’t Lie’ reached a credible #32 on triple j’s Hottest 100, while its accompanying film clip is bearing down on 900,000 YouTube views. Star Bar, Bendigo – April 23.

BallaRatCat Comedy If you think BallaRatCat Comedy delivered in 2014, you’re in for even bigger and better in

’15. Former window cleaner, customs officer and perfume salesman Lawrence Mooney will take centre stage tomorrow night, February 6, at The Lounge (The George, Ballarat). In what must seem like another life, Lawrence got his big break on Seven’s midday show Denise (Drysdale) in 1999. He has made appearances on Agony Uncles, Spicks and Specks, The Einstein Factor and the Warehouse Comedy Festival, though he is most familiar as the host of Dirty Laundry Live.

Ben Lomas will also perform, who some may know through his hit show The Caffeinator.

Doors open at 7 p.m.

Somewhere, Sometime with Amistat Bourke Street Mall can be a pretty hectic place, but there is always time to spare for brothers Josef and Jan Prasil. Originally from Europe, the brothers,

who perform under the name Amistat, rekindled their relationship in 2013 – and music is to thank for it. Word has certainly spread about these brothers, whose emotional connection to their music is hard to ignore. They have released two EPs; their second, Somewhere, Sometime, was released to a sold-out Kelvin Club in Melbourne.

Forte also spent a little time with them as part of our Nature Sessions last year. We’ve probably got to thank Passenger as well. After seeing him busk in Melbourne, Josef applied for a busking licence. Beav’s Bar, Geelong – February 13.

Riverboats Music Festival Tickets are still available for the Riverboats Music Festival, which is kind of surprising given its line-up. Sarah Blasko, Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses, Dan Sultan, The Whitlams, Diesel, The Bamboos, Mick Harvey, Adalita,

ChillOut has released its 2015 program, so for those who haven’t had a chance to see what is happening, we’re going to have a little look now. Bluehouse will kick off the festival in style on the Friday night of the festival, March 6. With their folkflavoured pop, the duo of Jacqueline Walter and Bernadette Carroll has performed at California WorldFest, Philadelphia Folk Festival, the US National Folk Alliance, New Zealand WOMAD and the Edinburgh Fringe. Saturday delivers a bumper of a day, with a community golf tournament, comedy shows, a bush dance and yoga all lined up.

A highlight of the day is Cream, with music, fun and frivolity set to take place at the Old Hepburn Hotel from 4 p.m. Sunday is a little more relaxed, but there is still plenty taking place. ChillOut is the biggest and longest-running queer country pride festival in regional Australia. Run by a not-for-profit community-based organisation, ChillOut was first staged in 1997.

Mission Statement: “Dedicated to celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer pride, ChillOut is about building community, celebrating diversity and sharing our love for each other and our unique setting in central regional Victoria.” For a full rundown, please hit up chilloutfestival. com.au.

Fraser A. Gorman, Sal Kimber & the Rollin’ Wheel, Matt Walker & the Lost Ragas, Stella Angelico and Raised by Eagles will all perform in a beautiful natural amphitheatre beneath towering red gums and next to Australia’s longest river. Tickets also remain for Sunday’s Official Festival Breakfast, an opportunity for festivalgoers to enjoy a nice bite to eat while they chew the fat. Echuca-Moama – February 13-15. All your questions are addressed at riverboatsmusic.com.au.

When&Where: Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus – February 15

All Ford Day Written by Abbey King

Love cars? Then you must know about the All Ford Day, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Geelong each year at Deakin University Waurn Ponds.

This event is a huge one on the calendar for car enthusiasts, even if you are a Holden supporter, these cars are seriously worth a gander.

I had a chat to Graeme Munro, the Chairman of the All Ford Day Committee, to educate me on the days festivities.

“We started this as a fundraiser 24 years ago

­ a small car show out at – the show grounds which then progressed to the racecourse and about the last 8 years or so its been at Deakin University,” Graeme says.

In what started out as a somewhat small fundraiser it has since grown to become a large scale event. In fact it is the largest ‘All Ford’ car show

event in the country and, as the name suggests, the day is all about Ford cars, so do not go expecting anything else. What they can promise you is the cream of the crop. With 1,100 odd Fords you can expect to see models of all types and from all eras.

“The first year we had about 250 cars on display. It has now grown to around 1,100 cars and about 7,000 people,” he says. “This year we will expect about 6,000 to 7,000 people, depending on the weather.”

The Kiwanis Club have been in Geelong for 42 years and is a service club like Lyons and Rotary, only unlike

the two clubs Kiwanis only have the one club in the representing the area, not four or so. They raise around $40,000 to $50,000 a year for numerous community projects and causes such as The Geelong Hospital Appeal, Heart Kids, Food Relief and Salvation Army efforts and many more.

“There are quite a few special club displays, we’ve got about 32 clubs that take part in the day that account for about 600 of the cars – the rest are all individuals.

There’s some really good car displays, we’ve got the Model A club and the Model T club coming,”

he adds with a smile.

“We’ve also got the ‘49, ‘59 Custom Car Clubs, the F.O.R.D. Club – which is a Ford owners and restorers group, Pre ‘50s which are little four cylinder motors, there’s a guy bringing in an alcohol fuelled Hot Rod and hopefully there will be a guy there with a Dyno, but that’s yet to be confirmed!”

There will be 42 class trophies up for grabs with a winner or runner up for each class, there will also be six overall awards: best car, best club as well as sponsors trophies. Cars will be judged by a panel of between 30 to 40 expert judges.

You would think the day is just about cars, but there will also be great food, children’s entertainment and rides and a number of celebrity guests from both the TV and the track.

“We’ve got some celebrities along for the day, we’ve got Alan Mofitt, John Bowe, Jim Richards and Fletch from Classic Resto’s,” he says.

The All Ford day is held at Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus and is fun for people of all ages and interests and is in support of some wonderful local causes.

Pako Festa After Party Pako Festa is pretty much known as THE street party of Geelong West, perhaps even Geelong.

Last year saw over 100,000 people fill the one kilometre stretch to see dozens of local communities in their national dress. It’s a party combining cultural food, folk dancing, workshops, art exhibitions and more to a massive scale.

While Pako Festa runs predominantly during daylight, the party doesn’t have to stop once the sun goes down or as the last parade goers leave the street as the Bannockburn Football and Netball Club have been lucky enough to secure the rights to host the After Party for Pako Festa at Geelong West Hall, and you’re all invited (at minimal cost).

The club invites all lovers of music to see British India fresh off the support slot from the Rolling Stones Australian Tour. The band have been to Geelong a few times now and they’re always ones to put on a good show. The Pako Festa After Party is a

great chance to come and see one of Australia’s best original bands with supports from local bands Residual and Velvet Bow, and all for only $35.

This is a significant event for the club and by granting Bannockburn Football and Netball Club the opportunity to present this significant event it shows a real willingness from Pako Festa organisers Diversitat in acknowledging the contribution of local sporting clubs in the community.

Festivities will kick off soon after doors open at 7pm, and with such legends as British India performing there’s no better way to celebrate a great day and what the local community can achieve together.

Tickets are available from Music Workshop (39 Fyans St, South Geelong), the Bannockburn Newsagency (12/6 High Street, Bannockburn) or through Oztix.

When&Where: Geelong West Town Hall - Feb 28

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NICKY BOMBA 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 – Feb 21

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Great Australian Beer Festival Stimulate more than just your taste buds!

Step into a beer lover’s paradise, wander through pop-up bars sampling a smorgasbord of 200+ delightful brews, stroll alleyways to discover surprising happenings, music, art and irresistible entertainment around every corner.

GABF has earned a reputation for stimulating more than just tastebuds.

Vast offering of both visual and performing arts, 3 stages featuring live entertainment, quirky competitions throughout, something for everyone.

When&Where: Geelong Racecourse – Feb 21

LIVE MUSIC Nicky Bomba – one of Australia’s busiest and most highly respected musicians will be joined by his close friends to perform from his vast repertoire with upbeat rhythms of the Caribbean, covering the Calypso, Early Reggae and Ska styles.

The Pierce Brothers have exploded as one of Australia’s mustsee up-and-coming live acts.

Australia’s hottest bluegrassers, the Davidson Brothers are fast becoming well known on the world stage for their high powered pickin, fine vocal harmonies and classic humour The Go Set, local punk rock band formed in 2002 and built around founding member and main songwriter Justin Keenan will perform as a trio an acoustic set of Celtic folk with a blend of punk attitude.

The Pheasant Pluckers have been treating audiences to their own unique brand of home grown original alt country bluegrass for a while now. Call it what you like, the music is unmistakably Australian and high energy Step into Spyndrift’s carousel of cabaret.

This highly theatrical quirky quartet play an intoxicating range of musical styles from dub-ska to circus-cabaret. Dynamic musical performance complete with eccentric characters in lavish costumery.

COMEDY, CABARET & VAUDEVILLE Doug Chappel and Ethel Chop -

Australia’s Polyester donned dowager and blessed with natural beauty and girlish figure, adding another dimension to the cabaret, vaudeville and outrageous satire and hilarious improvisations from Moulin Beige’s mad-capped characters.

FREE SEMINARS Pairing beer with a variety of foods and cheeses See 2014 Masterchef finalists cooking up a treat using craft beers and ciders.

nicky bomba

The festival is family-friendly with free kid’s activities and runs from 11am through to 7pm.

A direct shuttle bus service will operate every 15 minutes from the South Geelong railway station.

Tickets on sale now. For more information visit: www.gabf.com.au

sweethearts

spyndrift

Geelong’s big band, Sweethearts will perform their fusion of styles based around classic soul. Their all girl power show (25 piece) includes a mixture of originals and re worked classic sounds.

ethel chop

Cat Sanzaro – recent QMF Scholarship award winner with her blend of indie folk

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moulin beige

Learn all about beer.

Kelly Auty has honed her voice and performance style into a passionate, graceful and dynamic experience and her tribute to the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, to name a few, will be a feature.

Ukes D’Jour, a13 piece ukulele, Double Bass, Banjo, Guitar, Sax, washboard and percussion, Kazoo, Harmonica and Jug experience!

davidson brothers

the pierce brothers

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Nick Kingswell Written by Tex Miller

Nick Kingswell has for the past 10 years or so been backing some of the biggest Australian stars around.

From the likes of playing with The McClymonts, Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian, Kingswell is finally stepping out on his own courtesy of his debut album Over Easy. Having just spent an extensive period living in L.A., jetlagged, yet excited about his first solo tour, from his parents’ house in Phillip Island Kingswell chats to me about what life on the road is like and how it is to be front and centre onstage rather than a right-hand man.

“Tex man! It feels great to be back on home soil. I just got in from L.A. last night and so now I am back home preparing for the tour which will take me around the country over the period

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of two months. Los Angeles is a very crazy place to visit because there is so much happening and so many Australian success stories, from the likes of Chet Faker. He is really massive over here at the moment and to be in the thick of it as it’s happening is pretty swell, too.”

The majority of this trip to the US for Kingswell has been about scrounging around for gigs and trying to get airplay on college radio, which has been a massive success with this album. One of the coolest things about being in L.A. or NYC, as Kingswell relates, is the music royalty that you might bump into along the way.

“I was watching this guy called Zane Carney at Café Hotel in Hollywood last week and bumped into James Valentine of Maroon 5 fame. We went and got kebabs and chatted about guitars and various bands as we walked back to our home. It was a pretty cool moment, I must admit.”

Growing up on Phillip Island, although it may seem like a sheltered musical beginning, Kingswell actually thrived in the surfing and football culture that seemed to go with the music scene. “One day when I was about 7, we were asked to bring a guitar to school and my mum had a nylon string guitar. It just happened. I started playing and since then (as clichéd as it is to say) have never looked back,” Kingswell laughs about his musical beginnings.

Together with Alex Gibson, Imogen Brough, Daniel March and Liam Gerner, Kingswell is touring around the country for the first time as a solo artist playing his own songs. Having worked relentlessly to bring a cracking solo show and energetic sound, Kingswell can’t wait to unleash on Geelong next Sunday, the 8th of February.

“Imogen and Alex have been kicking goals ever since The Voice aired and it will be awesome to go on the road with such talent. It will be cool to be playing my own stuff for a change. I don’t want to fit into a particular format and success for me isn’t about a record deal or fame.

“I know that from performing on The Voice people might have some preconceptions about what I am going to be. But come down and hang out, it’ll be a sweet night of honest songwriting and the next wave of great Australian talent.”

If the recorded album is anything to go by, the live show is sure to be electric. Don’t miss this one, Geelong!

When&Where: The Barwon, Geelong – February 8; Babushka Bar, Ballarat – February 11; and The Loft, Warrnambool – Feb 12

Captain Jack Q&A

You may remember them from the pubs and club scene of the ’90s – local band Captain Jack is reuniting for “One Night Only”. The event promises to be a night to remember, raising funds for Sailability, and I spoke with Tony Vee, bass and vocalist from the band.

Hi Tony, thanks so much for taking time to chat with Forte! Where and what are you up to at the moment?

The four of us are doing fine. Busy with life in general.

Keyboard player Mickey Dean (Mickey D) works about 18 hours a day as a chef in Tamworth and boot scoots part time. Guitarist and vocalist Dave Kent (D) is a full-time dad to young Sam. Drummer Karl Inderberg works for a gas company in Geelong and has a million kids. I’m flat out with a couple of businesses in Geelong and solo projects.

How long exactly has it been since your last show, and where was it?

I bumped into Dave just before Christmas; we were both invited for Christmas drinks by a couple of mutual friends.

Someone took a photo of us and posted it on Facebook with the caption “talking about getting the band back together”, jokingly of course, when suddenly lots of people from the old days started commenting saying, yes, we should do it … and so the nightmare began. (LOL) Our last show together was in 1997 at the Geelong Yacht Club and we never officially split up, so the friends of Captain Jack decided we should do a “One Night Only” at our old stomping ground The Royal

Geelong Yacht Club, and in the meantime raise some much needed funds for Sailability, an organisation that teaches young children with disabilities to sail.

Have the band members continued to be actively involved in the scene over the years?

We’re all still dabbling in the music business – Mickey D plays locally in Tamworth when he’s not cooking, “D” sneaks out and does the occasional solo gig (when young Sam is asleep), J Karl is still drumming with lots of local musos and we still work together (he’s my brotherin-law, keep it in the family).

I have the Tony Vee – I am I said show (a dedication to Neil Diamond) and I also have a single out on iTunes at the moment under the name VALENTI. The song’s called ‘Life’ (check out the video on YouTube), and my second single, ‘Everything’, will be released in about six weeks.

What sort of music does the band play? Will you be adding anything new this time around?

February 7 will be a night of nostalgia and fun. We hope all the old crew will come down and make it a night to remember, ’cause after almost 20 years we don’t remember too much (LOL). So come on down and listen to all the old stuff from the Beach Boys to Neil Diamond and everything in-between and help us help Sailability.

Are there any future plans for the band and band members at all?

The future?! Haha, let’s get through the “One Night Only” show first … you can never say never!

When&Where: The Royal Geelong Yacht Club – February 7

the workers club Geelong LOCAL FEATURE STORY Written By Amanda Sherring

As soon as the iconic black and white logo’d poster with the words ‘Coming Soon’ hit the streets of Geelong people were talking. Nobody knew where this mystery venue was to open and the conspiracies on which vacant building it was to be in began like rapid fire. It had been a while since there’d been so much excitement over a new music venue and it was all thanks to the partnership of Spinning Half director/ venue booker Steven Nichols and The Workers Club Melbourne part owner John O’Brien.

Friends since high school it was a chance meeting at Port Fairy Folk Festival – where John was playing in his band – that really spurred on the idea of starting a new music venue in Geelong.

“All the while Spinning Half were trying to find a place for the past year and a half to call our own and

it was funny because it was a conversation of what we would call the place if we finally found somewhere and that’s when we were like, ‘Wow, Workers Club Geelong, let’s see if they’d be interested’,” Steven says.

Working at the Melbourne venue John could easily see the benefits of opening a

venue in Geelong, as punters from the town were regular visitors to the Fitzroy hotspot.

“People love live music in Geelong and that’s evident in all the punters who would come up to the Workers to see a show.

It’s time we got another live music hall in our fair city,” John says.

Now with the

location announced – The Workers Club Geelong will be replacing the old Kitty O’Shea’s on Little Malop St – works are well under way for the opening later this month and things are looking good.

“Because this venue has been so many different things in the past we wanted to

strip it back and have it look like nothing it ever has before – probably ever since it was built,” Steven says.

“We’re going for a really bare bones look, but there’s elements and tributes to Melbourne.

It’s more about the branding and how the philosophies will be the same than how it will look similar.”

As John and Steven both admit, The Workers Club isn’t just about the food or the music, it’s about the whole experience when coming to the venue.

“People feel safe when coming to a gig or eating and drinking at the Workers Melbourne – Geelong will be no exception,” John says.

“We encourage punters to strike up a conversation with the guy or gal next to them at the bar and talk about love, life and all the beautiful things. The Workers Melbourne is about going home at the end of the night a little merry, full of food and on the back of a ripper gig, Geelong will be no different.”

While we may know the location, the owners are still keeping many of the details hush hush. The menu is set to be BBQ inspired, the alcohol will be sourced heavily from local suppliers though the chef remains a “delicious secret” as Steven adds with a chuckle.

“We’re almost there.

We know what we want to do it’s just a matter of finding the right people to make it happen,” Steven says.

Something that’s not a secret is the quality of acts, both local, national and international, that will be gracing the stage.

With Northeast Party House (March 21) and Jake Clemons (March 29) already announced there are already a handful waiting in the rungs to be revealed.

The good thing about the Workers Club is that it’s not just about getting big acts to fill the venue, Steven wants to give just as many locals a go as the big guys.

“It’s got to be a home for them to come and see music and not say, ‘I wish I could play at the Workers Club’, you can play at the Workers Club because it’s your venue as much as it is ours. So that’s the whole feel good part of it I suppose,” Steven says.

“The mantra of us at Spinning Half, I suppose, is to try and get local bands into supporting roles of big acts. And that’ll come through from the acts we choose to the wine we serve – a lot of it’s going to be local.”

With plans to partner with Courthouse Youth ARTS for art installations and talk of utilising the surrounding

laneway space, it seems like Geelong is getting a lot all of a sudden and all you can wonder is if Geelong is ready for it.

“I hope they are,” Steven adds with a nervous smile.

And there’s no reason not to embrace it with the new lease of life that the venue will add to that precinct and to the live music scene in Geelong.

“We’ll have more music and more consistent music and hopefully more punters coming out and from out of town too,” Steven says. “There was a fair bit of that a few years ago so why not try and bring that back and bring people back into the city? There’s all this doom and gloom about the city but that precinct is only getting better now. It’s going to be a good little area I think.”

Tickets are available to purchase for Northeast Party House and Jake Clemons from spinninghalf. oztix.com.au. Stay tuned for the official launch date expected in mid-late March.

Where: 90-92 Little Malop St, Geelong

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FROC K IT

T H E NIG H T V IBE Written by Tex Miller / thenightvibe.com.au

Breaking Free Of A Style Rut Written by Jessica Alves

Every now and then, even the most stylish of us get stuck in what is known in the industry as a “Style Rut”.

You know how it feels. It’s when you’re on the phone complaining to your friend that you’ve “got nothing to wear”, whilst staring blankly into your chock-a-block closet. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there – but never fear, there are some ways to spice up your outfits so they feel brand new again.

Shoes play a big part in how the rest of your outfit drapes on your body and can dress an outfit up or down at a moment’s notice, but sometimes we gets swept up in predictability. For example, you wouldn’t think to pair a little leather skirt with a pair of Converse, but it has the ability to turn your entire look from unsurprising to edgy. In the same way, if you’ve gotten a little too comfortable wearing flats, try a pair of jeans with a cool pair of heels. You’ll find that your clothes will hang differently and you’ll look slightly more streamlined. Alternatively, you can always opt for wedges if you feel nervous about walking in heels.

A lot of people get caught up in separating their wardrobes in to ‘fancy’ and ‘casual’ sections. Whilst

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not everything can be worn casually, you’d be surprised to find that most dressy bottoms can be dressed down. The trick is pairing dressy bottoms with casual tops. If you’ve got some sort of embellished, leather or silky bottoms, pair them with something like a plain grey t-shirt or a well-worn denim shirt.

You’ll not only be given so many more options clothing wise, but you’ll also get more wear out of garments that might otherwise collect dust in the back of your wardrobe until you’re given an event to put them to use.

The last (and my personal favourite) way to change up your outfit isn’t even to do with clothing at all, but rather, your makeup. Wearing the same makeup look every day can have the same frumpy feeling as wearing the same outfit every day, which can really drag your look down. So change it up! One of the easiest ways to change up your makeup is to wear a bold coloured lipstick, like a bright red or flamingo pink. If you’re a bit of a n00b when it comes to lipsticks, matte lipsticks are much easier to apply and will stay for longer on the lips, as well as being less likely to move around your face. You’d be surprised how easily you can transform a whole look with a simple pop of colour.

There you have it, some very simple yet effective ways to change up your look. And if all else fails and you’re still

struggling with putting together an outfit, don’t be afraid to scour through your sister’s, girlfriends’ or even your mum’s wardrobe and borrow some things. Never be afraid to utilise your allies.

Instagram @jessicazalves youtube.com/msbonvivants

So, Australia Day has come and gone and by now we will all know that Mr Chet Faker with his track ‘Talk is Cheap’ has taken out the top gong of the Hottest 100. But Mr Faker, with his flawless debut album Built On Glass, which was the #1 on many Best Of 2014 lists, is not the only artist to have brought out an awesome album in the last twelve months. Just by doing a quick recap of the Top 10, you can see that there are other awesome tracks that we have all come to love.

Funnily enough, the #2 spot on the Hottest 100, ‘High’ by Peking Duk, has statistically been proven as the most spun track of the past twelve months on JJJ. According to Airlink, the official program that monitors music and commercials on more than 50 radio stations across Australia, saw that ‘High’ was played 225 times; Chet Fakers ‘Talk is Cheap’, which ranked at #56 in the report, was played just 141 times over the 12-month period.

Although that might be the case, the biggest music democracy in the world says otherwise. If you read this column religiously you will recall that in December I said that Built On Glass was one of my favourite albums of the year and it is a tremendous listen from start to finish; however, Peking Duk have also been doing the hard yards, playing gigs both here and abroad and they should get an

honourable mention in this Hottest 100 special column.

Right from the moment of hearing this song on the J, I knew that it was destined for greatness. From the electro beat, you are immediately entranced into another world that makes you want to get up and dance regardless of whether you can or not.

In thinking about royalties, the good thing for Peking Duk is that the song has recently been picked up on commercial radio, although to some people (like me) that could be a little bit cringe-worthy, from having a song added to high rotation on the commercial radio network, the song is a) getting greater exposure to a different audience and b) to a certain extent getting a lot of royalties from being played every five minutes.

If nothing else, the top 10 of the 2015 countdown should make you feel good about home-grown music.

Seven out of the 10 tracks were from Australia and that is a feat in itself. Fun fact for all the Forte readers out there: that is the first time that it has happened in the history of the countdown.

Hilltop Hoods, Chet Faker and Sia all made an appearance with all their biggest songs of the past 12 months.

This Hottest 100 special wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the controversy of trying to get T Swizzle into the countdown. In December

last year, she released her latest album 1989 and with a Polaroid photo on the cover sent the photography world into a spin, with increased sales of Polaroid cameras for Christmas. With the hashtag #tayforhottest100, a social media campaign was launched to try and get ‘Shake It Off ’ into the countdown. I will admit right here, right now, that I quite enjoy that track from time to time, but the campaign was started as a way of “teaching music snobs a lesson”.

That said, with everyone on BuzzFeed clicking through to the link, despite T Swiz getting disqualified altogether just before the countdown, with all of the votes that she amassed, the song would have only got to #12 in the countdown, thus failing the mission. KFC was soon to join the campaign, offering to give away a $20 voucher for telling them what your favourite Swift song is. Triple j responded by stating they would prefer for the countdown to be about the love of music and not about cholesterol.

Who knows what the countdown next year will hold, and whether there will be a campaign or not to get Katy Perry into the 100, but we will just have to wait and see. Happy belated Australia Day, Forte. I hope you put some lamb on the barbie and had a few VBs whilst celebrating being Australian.

Castlemaine State Festival

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Q&A

The Castlemaine State Festival is one of the greatest arts festivals seen in Australia and it is about to celebrate its 20th program! The biennial festival has been running over 40 years and has been steadily growing each time. This year looks to be no exception, so we spoke to Director, Martin Paten, about what to expect from this milestone celebration.

Hi Martin, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with Forte. Where and what are you up to?

The official Festival Program has hit the streets across the country this last week and I am relieved to say the feedback is positive, and a sense that there really is something on the artistic spectrum for everyone.

We are producing and premiering over 30 new works – and seven weeks out the town is already abuzz with theatre, dance and music rehearsals, venues undergoing transformation and construction, scripts being edited, budgets finely scrutinised to find that extra bit, flights and accommodation booked, and the hundreds of volunteers scheduled.

How long have you been involved with the festival now and what is it all about?

I arrived in January 2008 to the region planning a “quiet year” not knowing the Festival Director position was advertised, and by March I was in the hot-seat racing to put the first 2009 event together. This will be my fourth as Director.

How many events will you be running throughout the festival?

85 individual performances, exhibitions, workshops, conversations and events; in addition to 90 Associated Artist Open Studios, exhibitions, tours and workshops; 500 participating artists – 190 from regional Victoria and 35 from eight countries across the globe; and 30 Castlemaine-created works including 20 festival commissions and supported new works and an additional 10 performances and exhibitions by central Victorian regional artists and companies What are some of the highlights?

This is by far the most ambitious program of newly produced works involving regional visual and performing artists, filmmakers, image and sound designers, writers, dramatures and many other creative specialists.

I can’t help but feel the highlights are always in the most transformed and non-conventional spaces turned into something ‘other’ by artists for the Castlemaine State Festival.

Works like Going Through and Rain (for babies) set within the Old Castlemaine Gaol, or In Plan and Kekkai at the former Castlemaine Woollen Mill. Tom Thum and Jamie MacDowell

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When&Where: Castlemaine – March 13-22

in a former gold mining tunnel, or Purgatorio in the Red Room of an old miners cottage… I should stop there!

Alongside this, it is always a special experience to see so many international artists performing to welcoming local/regional audiences in such intimate venues. This year there are 42 performers and visual artist from 10 countries (Cuba, Italy, New Zealand, India, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, Austria, Ireland and England).

How have you seen the event grow over the years?

We’ve had massive growth in regional audiences racing to buy tickets before the program goes out across Australia.

We have also seen the appeal with distinctive regionallyproduced works growing. In fact, they are the first to sell out. It has meant we can more confidently program work that is distinctive, ensuring a rare and unique experience unlike

other festivals in other rural landscapes and city settings.

What are some of your favourite memories?

At the first opening night of my first festival we created a festival band, Heraldo and the Flaming Flamingo Orchestra.

They had completely captivated everyone. The dance floor was a mass of bouncing bodies and from the balcony (of the Theatre Royal), a delightful scene of older festival patrons in their ’80s dancing with young boys with their shirts off – everyone in a state musical ecstasy. I realised it is a town that loves to party; young and old together.

Who should get along to the festival and is it difficult to find accommodation for anyone coming from out of town?

Who shouldn’t get along?!

It truly crosses all ages and musical tastes – works from the avant-garde to the simply entertaining. People who want to experience a festival within

a town where the arts is a core part of its make-up. You can really immerse yourself in the festival for a day or 10, visiting very personal artists’ open studios and exhibitions and connect deeply with artists in their making environments.

We billet all the artists to make room for visiting audiences and so there is a good amount of accommodation between the B&Bs, caravan parks, pubs and hotels, campsites and surrounding nearby towns; then further afield Daylesford and Bendigo if needed. You can train it up and be spontaneous, but it helps to be a bit organised so as not to miss out on anything that may ‘tickle your fancy’. All shows do eventually sell out.

Any other news for us?

We’ve kept ticket prices as low as possible so festival punters can afford. We hope to select a few events and be adventurous with their choices.

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forte 41

Lake Street Dive Q&A by Natalie Rogers, Photo by JarrodMcCabe

With the Port Fairy Folk Festival fast approaching we’ve searched the globe to bring you an all access pass to the hottest new acts on this years bill. Brooklyn based quartet Lake Street Dive is proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

I chatted with double bass player/backing singer Bridget Kearney to get the skinny on what punters can expect.

Hey Bridget, let’s get into it! Please introduce the cool cats of Lake Street Dive.

The other members are Rachael Price, our lead singer, Mike “McDuck” Olson, who plays guitar and trumpet (and sings background vocals) and Mike Calabrese, the drummer (who also sings background vocals).

I believe you all met and formed while studying at the New England Conservatory of Music, what were those initial gigs like? With so many musicians/bands on the scene was it difficult to get noticed at first?

Yes, we started playing together in 2004 at the end of our first year at the New England Conservatory. Our first gigs were at a pan-Asian restaurant and a bubble tea joint. They were low key, to say the least! There are a million bands in Boston and many of them are student bands who will play for nothing, so it did take some time to establish ourselves in any type of professional way. But I think those years were a blessing in the end because it gave us some time to figure out what we really wanted to do musically and the fact that we weren’t making money at it, (probably for the first five

years even) meant that we’ve always been a musicfirst kind of band. You never have to worry about us making music decisions for the sake of money.

The band name is tribute to your humble beginnings playing dive bars around Boston, almost 10 years on no doubt the venues have improved but how has your sound evolved?

The first couple of years that we were a band, our sound was pretty strange!

We were writing songs for the first time and taking any and all influences, including an avant garde jazz sound, that was popular at our school at the time, and throwing them all together without too much restraint. Eventually we started figuring out which of these many stylistic elements really resonated with us and suited the band

When & Where: Port Fairy Folk Music Festival – March 6-9

well. Coming out of this ocean of possibilities we realized we like, for example, playing with a back beat! Making music you can shake your hips to! Leaving a lot of space in the music for Rachael’s incredible voice to really be heard, with all of its nuances. Slathering all of our music with background vocals! Standing where we are now, it feels settling to have some sense of those foundations, and we’re starting to enter another phase of experimentation. We are

starting to cast that net out there again and see what else we can bring in to incorporate as part of our sound. It’s fun to try a lot of things that don’t work and then eventually you hit on some revelation and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we never thought of this before!’

You’re spending a little over three weeks in our fair country, what’s on the top of the ‘to-do’ list on your days off?

People keep telling me Byron Bay is a really special

place, I’d love to get there if possible. Rachael’s family hails from a farm outside of Perth, so we hope to get down to her ancestral home at some point! I wanna see some kangaroos!

Jairo Zavala of Depedro Written by Emily Hirst

Jairo Zavala’s thick Spanish accent crackles through the phone as he paints me a picture of his view: a quiet village just outside Madrid; surrounded by snow-capped mountains, on a misty winter’s morning. As he’s describing this, I can see it clearly: he has a real knack for transporting a listener, and his music is a true testament to that.

The rich and soulful tones of Depedro’s work are intoxicating, from the rhythmic flamenco vibes of Latin America to the pounding beats of Africa, you can immediately feel the mix of foreign lands taking hold.

Zavala explains the foundations of this eclectic sound have been built by extensive travelling and immersion in other cultures’ music: “Travel is always a big inspiration.

The music has connection everywhere even in style, and if you just enjoy making music, you can enjoy making rock or traditional or West African music or whatever.”

Zavala reflects that from these experiences he has gained a valuable perception on the world that translates creatively for him. “Of course travel, it’s about meeting other people, but what I find more amazing is what we have close to us. So, even if we have different languages and different looks, we pretty much have the same problems every day. It’s a really nice point of view; if you travel, you realise that.”

It’s these everyday problems that, the songwriter says, have become his strongest muse. “The ordinary stories

and the ordinary people are what really impress me. Every occasion in the natural world that I have a chance to live every day are probably my biggest influences.”

Depedro’s third album, La increible historia de un hombre bueno, serves as a culmination of both his travels and also this observation of commonplace stories. The album is a collaborative effort of musicians from three continents, with many notable names in world music – from Tony Allen (Fela Kuti’s famed afrobeat drummer), to Joey Burns and John Convertino (from Calexico), to Australia’s own Bernard Fanning.

Come March, Depedro will be bringing this collection of familiar stories and distant sounds

When & Where: WOMADelaide, Botanic Park — Adelaide 6-9 March

to local shores with his appearance at WOMADelaide.

He promises a dynamic, unique show that is bound to deliver the flavours and spice of his homeland.

“We don’t have any sort of regular show, we always improvise and it’s just a matter of being inspired.”

Zavala explains that finding this inspiration is effortless at such festival where there is a veritable smorgasbord of musicians. “You never know what’s going to happen when you cross paths with other musicians. One of

the things that I love is seeing how my music sounds in the hands, in the voices and the spirits of others.”

“That’s why WOMADelaide is a perfect spot to experiment; we can share music with so many other musicians. I’m always open to [collaborating], it’s about trying to connect with other musicians and that happens because we play at things like [WOMADelaide] and we have the chance to meet these people.”

With WOMADelaide heralding his latest journey

Ruth Moody Written by Natalie Rogers

You don’t have to be among the music cognoscenti to know Australian-born Ruth Moody is an exceptional talent. She is a twotime Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter and a founding member of the internationally celebrated folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys and this month she returns to her home away from home for the first time in nearly a decade.

Forte had the chance to catch up with the lovely lady of folk as she wrapped up the European leg of her tour.

“Needless to say, we are pumped!” Ruth says excitedly in regard to her up-coming countrywide tour. “I was born in Queensland and my parents are Australian, but they moved back to Canada (they lived there before) when I was under a year old.”

Winnipeg, Manitoba is where Ruth grew up and spends her downtime – that is, when she’s not touring the world. “We’ve been in Europe playing shows in the UK, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

It’s been a blast, but we’re ready for some sun!” she confesses. “I’m bringing an amazing band with me – Adrian Dolan on fiddle, viola, mandolin and mandola, Adam Dobres on acoustic and electric guitars and Sam Howard on upright bass. They all sing, too.”

As a solo artist Ruth has released two critically 42 forte

acclaimed albums, The Garden (2010) and most recently These Wilder Things in 2013. With both LPs produced by influential Canadian engineer David TraversSmith, Ruth showcases her extraordinary versatility. “He [TraversSmith] is a giant creative force himself – so great to work with. He gets inside the music in ways no one else I know does.

A genius with sound and so dedicated to his craft.

I can’t say enough good things about him.”

These Wilder Things was nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards, and in April 2012 Ruth won first prize in the International Songwriting Competition’s Gospel Category for her song ‘Storm Comin’’, adding to her slew of

When & Where: The Red Room, Ararat – February 25 & Port Fairy Folk Festival

awards. “It’s always nice to receive those honours. It’s something that is seen by people outside of the music community as an accomplishment and it can make people take notice … It’s not everything, though,” Ruth adds.

“The best feeling of success or achievement that I can think of is that which comes from writing a new song or coming up with a new creative idea or collaborating with your bandmates and creating

something that everyone is excited about.”

One collaborative partnership Ruth is looking forward to continuing is with Dire Straits’ seminal lead guitarist and co-founder Mark Knopfler. He guested on These Wilder Things and toured as part of her all-star band in Europe. “I just sang on his new record, which is called Tracker. It’s coming out in March. I’m thrilled about that. It’s such an honour to be a part of his music. We’ll be opening a few

across the world, Zavala speaks of his excitement to escape the Spanish winter, hit the road again, and to be inspired by Australia’s sound and stories, teasing “you never know I might write another album on this trip.”

more shows with him this coming summer in London and Paris.”

Ruth will play an intimate and interactive (she hopes!) show at The Red Room in Ararat on February 25 – and for all of those with Port Fairy Folk Festival tickets in their hot little hands, you’ll see Ruth in all her glory alongside countless national and international acts.

“There are so many Australian acts that I’m not familiar with so I’m excited to make some new discoveries. I’m a big fan of Lake Street Dive so I’m looking forward to seeing them.

Richard Thompson and Sinead O’Connor have been favourites of mine since I was a teenager, so they are right at the top of my list.

“And my friend Steve Poltz is amazing and never fails to make me laugh, cry and feel inspired, so it’s a huge bonus that he will be there too.”

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Forte Columns

PULP Written by Alastair McGibbon

pop culture Written by Anthony Morris

A decade or so ago, Judith Lucy probably wouldn’t have been many people’s first pick when it comes to hosting a show about searching for the meaning of life. She seemed to have that side of things pretty well stitched up: tell jokes, have a few drinks, be generally well-liked and respected as a funny lady in the media. End of story. But since the success of her 2008 memoir The Lucy Family Alphabet, she took a sideways step and started focusing more on the deeper things in life (without turning her back on the booze, mind you).

In recent years, the ABC has been more than keen for comedians to go off on various personal journeys of discovery – see pretty much everything John Safran and Lawrence Leung have done – culminating in the various Agony series, where comedians haven’t even had to leave their houses to have an opinion on important life milestones. The twist with Lucy’s first solo ABC series, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, was that while it was (as the title tends to give away) her journey through various religions and spiritual experiences, she wasn’t afraid to crack some actual jokes (usually at her own expense) during her quest. And now she’s back!

Starting Feb 11, Judith Lucy is All Woman is a six-part series where, as the press release puts it: “Judith is out to explore just where women are at in modern Australia – and what it means for men. From the outback to the city, Judith jumps head-first into sex, showbiz, politics, families, cougars, cosmetic surgery and careers and chats to people from all walks of life, from all over the country, as she tries to work out if the battle of the sexes is still in progress and if so, who is winning?” Which, reading between the lines, sounds just a little like every other loosely themed quasidocumentary comedy series the ABC has run over the last decade or more.

The big problem with these shows is that you can’t go middleof-the-road with them: either you get in a documentary maker who is willing to really dig deep into the subject being covered, or you get in someone who’s actually funny and you let them put the comedy side of things first. Otherwise all you’re really serving up is a lightweight news story reporting on some vague “current affair” issue in a wishywashy way (see: every episode ever of The Project).

Comedy and documentary don’t multiply each other; often they don’t even add up, as bad comedy can detract from interesting subject matter while having to explain your subject before you get to make jokes often kills comedy. Fortunately, if Spiritual Journey is any guide Lucy is more than capable of keeping the focus on getting laughs while showing real interest in her subject. Plus, in her earlier series she managed to avoid going for cheap laughs by making fun of the stranger elements she encountered, which is important with this kind of show.

It might be easy to come off as mean-spirited when you’re doing a comedy about “exploring modern Australia”, but while Lucy’s comedy may have an edge to it, she’s never been cruel about it.

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

That’s it! Australia Day, and at last the silly season is well and truly behind us! We can move back into our regular habits, explore the new developments and get some sane information on the current developments … mind you, “Sir Prince Phillip”? Enough!

First and foremost, programming on 94.7 the Pulse is now pretty much back to normal. Blues Revolution is back at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and ~meanderings~ on 10 p.m. Wednesdays. Blues Revolution has an exclusive focus on blues, while ~meanderings~ has a solid blues component, but, as its name suggests, it wanders around various musical genres, with a focus on local and live. In fact, ~meanderings~ restarts tonight, with Bruce Potgeiter at the mic, and I’ll be back the following week. You can get all the details at 947thepulse.com.

Now, there are some gigs and events coming up which are worth noting. Actually, Martians Café got off to an early start, and you probably missed seeing Lazy Eye, an amazing trio from Adelaide. Keep an eye open (not lazy), they will return.

Pistol Pete’s has also been going solidly this early in the year, and I was at an amazing session with Mr Black & Blues – a good crowd and a jumping room.

Jeff Lang is playing tomorrow (6th Feb) at the Piping Hot Chicken and Burger Grill in Ocean Grove.

Jeff requires no introduction, but you can always Google him!

Sleepy Hollow Blues Club is back on the 22nd of February, with Safari Motel, and I’ll have more on that next issue.

Coming up on the March long weekend is the Geelong Motor City Music Festival. This pulled a fair crowd last year and the word is spreading. It’s definitely worth getting down to. It would probably be easier to list who is not playing at the GMCMF. Chris Wilson? Yes! Sammy Owen? Yes! Jimi Hocking? Yes! Chubby Rae and the Elevators? Yes! Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones? Yes! Jesse Valach? Yes! Lloyd Spiegel?

Yes! Geoff Achison? Yes! I could keep going, but wait! There’s more… (but no steak knives!).

Now, I am very pleased to mention a new venue. Just south of Freshwater Creek on the Anglesea Rd you will find The Farmer’s Place. They are focusing on local and organic food, both selling the produce and making some excellent meals as well. There are fun facilities for the kids, and for the older of us, they are booking live music – yes, including blues.

Travellers Aid Australia is hosting a fundraiser, by travelling with them on the Blues Train on the 30th of May. It’s a while away, but booking ahead is advisable with the Train! – travellersaid.org.au.

Just a final item, Women in Blues and 88.3 Southern FM are producing a disc focusing on the blueswoman, highlighting classic blues covers, best known blues hits and plenty of original, contemporary blues from both local and international acts. Email Kansas Kitty at misskansaskitty@ gmail.com for details.

Well, if that doesn’t get you moving, have a coffee and read it again.

Hold on to your hats, kids – this week we’re delving into the wonderfully fresh world of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel. Yeah, I’m late to the party, but I figure it deserves attention!

If you’re a tad confused as to which Captain Marvel I’m talking about, I don’t blame you; until a few years ago, there were two captains named Marvel flying around the comic book universe – but despite the name, only one of them was actually owned by Marvel. Yup, that’s right. DC had their own Captain Marvel, aka boy superhero Billy Batson, flying around fighting crime and throwing around lightning bolts. He’s essentially the magic version of Superman, and up until the 2011 New 52 relaunch had been going by Captain Marvel since 1939. Despite pre-dating his equivalent, legal issues surrounding DC’s use of the “Marvel” name ended with DC renaming the character “Shazam” in order to clear up any potential misunderstandings and confusion. If you’re keen to check out the character, there’s a trade that collects the Shazam backup stories from the Justice League issues – it’s pretty damn good, and with Geoff Johns at the helm you’re in safe hands.

But enough about the ex-Marvel – it’s on to the good stuff.

For years, USAF pilot Carol Danvers has fought crime as Ms Marvel. Following the death of Mar-Vell, the Kree superhero Captain Marvel, she decides that her predecessor must have a legacy. She decides to honour his memory by adopting his name and carrying on his work. Donning a new jumpsuit and a new look, Carol decides to honour Mar-Vell’s memory the best way she can: by carrying on kicking crime’s ass.

Volume 1 of DeConnick’s Marvel

NOW! run, In Pursuit of Flight, sees Carol mourning the loss of her heroine, legendary pilot Helen Cobb, and when a joy flight in Cobb’s record-breaking plane sends her careening through time, Carol comes face to face with the woman who inspired her military career in her prime. Stranded in time and seemingly randomly jumping through eras, Carol has to find her way home in one piece – without changing the course of history in the process.

Damn, this is a good read. Time travel always makes things a little tricky, but in this case it certainly serves the story well. Not only does it allow Carol to interact with her hero in her prime, but also opens up the opportunity to re-examine her own superhero origin in a way that doesn’t actually change anything, but rather allows for a slightly different perspective. DeConnick proves to be an excellent writer and makes Captain Marvel one of the most engaging superheroes I’ve read in a while. Besides coming up with the best superhero nickname I’ve seen in years – Princess Sparklefists, no less – DeConnick introduces readers to some excellent characters and seems to have a ball writing for different time periods. Artistic duties are handled with aplomb by Dexter Soy and Emma Rios, and while I much prefer Soy’s style, the art is still excellent for the most part.

DeConnick’s take on Captain Marvel has a massive online following (particularly on Tumblr), and the fans are there for a reason: it’s an excellent read and puts Carol Danvers firmly in the spotlight where she belongs. There are two trades of the 2012-13 run out (including In Pursuit of Flight) and one of the relaunched series, so there isn’t a ton to catch up on. Get on it!

PUNK!

Bridesmaids) head up the project and will be joined by current Saturday Night Live cast members Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. To say that this has got me excited would be a complete and utter understatement.

Holy crap! Killer ’90s grunge/punk/ garage/grrrl icons L7 have reformed with the complete original line-up! Once the hottest thing on the Epitaph label and a personal favourite of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, the ladies will be playing a string of festivals this coming northern summer – and releasing a documentary titled L7: Pretend We’re Dead. Woot!

Have you gotten your hot little hands on a copy of Title Fight’s newie, Hyperview, yet? And if not, WHY not? Pretty essential listening if you’re looking for passion, energy and vitality in your modern punk rock. Because, let’s face it, very few bands are putting out decent records anymore.

KISS and Nirvana logo t-shirts at Kmart? Sure, why not. Sooner or later, kids will forget that those labels started off as band names.

They have Star Wars and Space Invaders shirts, too. Jesus Christ.

It took THIS long for Mötley Crüe to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? For shame! Say what you want about these dirty manpigs, but the fact that they’re ending their careers with the exact same line-up they started out with is extremely commendable. Plus, they didn’t pull a Bon Jovi and try to go country. That’s definitely something!

Strawberry Fist Cake guitarist Mik DeFISTar has to have a hole drilled into the side of his head to remove a growth that is slowly eating away at the bones in his ear. This surgery may result in permanent hearing loss in that ear, so send him all the positive vibes you can muster for his surgery and recovery!

Until next time, kids, don’t be dicks to each other. Love ya!

Written by Christopher Cruz

Straya Day certainly brought with it some strange news in the world of punk rock!

BLINK-182, as you and I know it, is no more. In a move even more shocking than when they replaced original drummer Scott Raynor with Travis Barker back in ’98, it seems guitarist/ co-vocalist/songwriter, and most importantly, founder, Tom DeLonge is out of the band, to be indefinitely replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba.

Whether or not the band can still legally use the Blink moniker is yet to be determined, but Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker seem intent to keep things going as a band – and going so far as to call DeLonge selfish, embarrassing and ungrateful in a subsequent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. No doubt the situation is going to get a whole lot messier and stickier – and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of egotistical, self-aggrandising douchebags that really should have just stayed broken up in the first place. Yuck.

Also, it seems Guttermouth will be back here for another tour in April!

The dirty liars told us that the LAST tour would be their last tour here!

Soundwave is creeping ever closer, and if you haven’t got your tickets yet, I’d suggest you do so NOW. Lagwagon, New Found Glory, Judas Priest, Bayside, Faith No More, Exodus and Slash are about all the reason you need.

Believe it or not, there’s a brand new Ghostbusters movie on the way, featuring a killer all-girl cast! Kristin Wiig and Melissa McCarthy (both best remembered for their stellar turns in the 2011 comedy smash

too heavy to hug

le monde entier

Written by Paul S Taylor

Written by Madelin Baldwin lemondeentier.net

Every year the post triple j fallout is exactly the same: there’s not enough female artists in the count down. To this annual whinge-fest perpetuated by mainstream media and women I stand up and say, who gives a f*ck?

When did gender become such a big issue in the music industry?

And who gives a shit what happens on triple j when every single commercial radio plays heaps of pop music by female artists? From the perspective of someone who has been entrenched in the heavily male-dominated metal culture for a majority of his life, looking into the “youth orientated” triple j culture and voter population two things come to mind. One: sorry, ladies, your music is just not pulling in the votes and two: there just aren’t as many female musos as male musos out there. To expand on point one, with the internet and all, it’s oh so easy to build up a fan base and get your tunes out there no matter what gender you are so if your stuff is good it will rise to the top of the music heap.

To expand on point two, a quote in an Age article by triple j manager Chris Scaddan sums it up with him pointing out triple j plays female lead vocal tracks 29 per cent of the time each week, while APRA figures show their female songwriting membership is 21.6 per cent. Triple j is playing more female lead tracks than serious female muso members.

Extrapolate the percentage of females played on triple j weekly, the female APRA membership rate and that the Hottest 100 this year featured 21 acts with females in prominent roles, and you’ve pretty much got a large percentage of the available female lead tracks in the countdown.

Oddly enough, 48 per cent of the Hottest 100 voters were female, which when taken into account shows that the ladies are voting for more male lead tracks than female lead tracks. To put it bluntly, that means females, and males, prefer songs by males. I know I do, but I also know I can’t wait for Tracy Chapman to tour.

An awesome new product has hit the market for anybody under 30 who is looking to travel and stay protected on a budget. It’s the Student Flights Black Market Travel Insurance, and damn it looks fine! It’s exclusive to the brand, and is a world first in terms of inclusions and discounts.

Ever been living and working in England or France or Cambodia and got so sick you couldn’t work? Did your rent fall behind? CoverMore heard you crying and have sent help, so if you’re deemed unfit to work for five or more days you’ll be eligible to claim the amount you have to pay in rent until you get better. Jump back into bed, and sleep it off my friend.

And my fellow USA travellers will hear me here – tried buying a policy for America only to be given a quote you could buy a small car with? In all fairness, America has a terrible medical system and without travel insurance a trip to the ICU will set you back $5000 USD per night, so the pricing for the insurance is understandable. But when you’re a poor Uni student (or just a poor 25year-old, I feel you), it can seem quite stiff.

There’s always been excess options of $0 (the best but most expensive), $100 and $250, but this new policy has a $1000 option. It means the price you pay for your insurance now is much lower than your smaller excess options, which is grand (Vegas money!); however, make sure you fully understand that if you need to make a claim, you’ll pay the first $1000 before CoverMore steps in and takes care of the rest. This means you really eliminate a lot of claims you might make – for example, stolen luggage, phones etc. as they’ll all generally be claims under a thousand dollars. But for the medical emergencies, even a simple X-ray, this one will be a lifesaver.

Has your Ryanair, those trusty ontime specialists, flight been delayed? Are you going to miss the first day of your pre-paid Oktoberfest package because of this? Black Market cover will swoop in and help get you there on time with another, on-time provider with cover of up to $2000! This also covers 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries, weddings, funerals and pre-paid conferences. They’ve also added in bundles of extra covered activities, like quad biking, jet skiing, abseiling and scuba diving which are not covered on the other policies and is a great bonus for the adventurous. It still covers all of the normal things like unlimited medical and dental (which is a huge plus that CoverMore offer, many insurers will at least cap your dental at $500), $5000 of luggage cover (now including GoPros) and $3000 for travel documents.

Some pricing examples are as follows: 24-year-old Mary has booked a 20 day USA road trip and has selected a $100 excess: Options policy = $173, Travelsure policy = $144, New Student Flights Travel Insurance = $130 26-year-old Jason has booked a six month working holiday in France and has selected a $100 excess: Options policy = $646, Travelsure policy = $539, New Student Flights Travel Insurance = $496 29-year-old Sarah is volunteering in Cambodia for 10 days and has selected a $100 excess: Options policy = $87, Travelsure policy = $73, New Student Flights Travel Insurance = $67 18-year-old Peter is travelling around the USA for 12 months and has selected a $100 excess: Options policy = $1653, Travelsure policy = $1379, New Student Flights Travel Insurance = $1129 (or $799 with $1000 excess) CoverMore has 24/7 emergency assist, will give you a free global SIM card when you purchase the policy and you can make all claims online. The new best cover for under 30’s has arrived, and is here to stay!

In other news…

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

Lamb of God and Killer Be Killed will be at 170 Russell on Tuesday, February 24.

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.

forte 45

Refining the Palette

LET’S GET PINK!

Legally Blonde – The Musical Written by Sue Rawkins

Based on the extremely successful movie (starring Reese Witherspoon) this musical comedy tells the story of Elle Woods, the ravishing and oh-so-pink sorority president and calendar girl, who is a big hit on the campus of her sun-drenched Los Angeles college. She’s also got the perfect boyfriend in Warner Huntington III, a wealthy East Coast blue blood.

But Warner dumps her before heading off to graduate law school at Harvard University because he fears that his snooty friends and family will never accept the bubble-headed Elle.

Determined to win back

46 forte

her man, Elle enrols in the same imposing institution, quickly becoming an object of scorn and ridicule, especially to Warner’s old prep school flame.

Despite her penchant for malls, makeup, and

tanning, Elle is no dummy and is soon showing the elite Ivy League snobs a thing or two about class, self-confidence, and courtroom victory.

Legally Blonde – The Musical, is based on the novel of the same name

by Amanda Brown.

With music and lyrics

by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and the book by Heather Hach, the musical has been staged all around the world. Legally Blonde – The Musical has won many awards including several Laurence Olivier Awards and was voted Best New Musical in 2011.

The Australian production opened at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney, on October 4, 2012.

Joining Lucy Durack as Elle, were her fellow Wicked co-stars Rob Mills (as Warner) and David Harris (as Emmett). Supermodel Erika Heynatz made her musical theatre debut as Brooke Wyndham,

and Cameron Daddo returned to the Australian stage to play Professor Callahan. The production concluded its run at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre on July 14, 2013, winning five Helpmann Awards including Best Musical.

This enegetic and colourful production by Ballarat Lyric welcomes to the stage many talented actors, some of whom come straight from recent award-winning shows: The Phantom of the Opera and Hairspray.

Among the quirky characters are Elle Woods [ Jess Barlow], Emmett Forrest [ Josh Vucicevic], Warren Huntington III [Eddie Orton], Professor Callahan [David Postill],

Brooke Wyndham [ Jess Oliver], Paulette Buonofuonte [Carla White], Enid Hoopes [Abigail Grace], and Vivienne Kensington [Candice Sweetman].

Carla White received the 2014 Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Award for Excellence as Lead Female and Jess Barlow was nominated for Supporting Female role twice [for two different shows in the same year!]

Carla says, “The role of Paulette was one that I had my eye on for the last couple of years. It’s a role that sits close to my heart given there is such similarity between the character and me as a person. Oh, and her songs are a whole

heap of fun too!

“Given the number of productions that were set to take place in Melbourne during 2015, I followed my love for Ballarat and decided to audition for Ballarat Lyric’s production. It was an opportunity to meet new people and work with a new company.”

The show’s strong creative team is lead

by David Harford, the award-winning director and choreographer of Cats (2007) and Hairspray (2012), with Hugh McKelvey making a welcome return as Music Director. Rodney Green has once again designed fabulous outfits following his outstanding creations for Lyric’s last

show, The Phantom of the Opera, which received the Theatre Guild Award for Technical Excellence last year. Set design is

by Nathan Weyers.

During the past six months the cast have rehearsed up to three times a week and sung a combined total of over a million notes, driven a combined distance equal to halfway around the world and rehearsed a combined total of more than 4000 hours!

Pink’ll do that to you!

WHERE: Her Majesty’s

Theatre. 17 Lydiard Street South, Ballarat.

WHEN: 20 Feb – 8 March.

TIX: 5333 5888.

ONLINE BOOKING:

hermaj.com

Refining the Palette

LOST IN YONKERS

By Neil Simon. Directed by Judy Ellis.

After the death of their mother, teenage brothers Jay and Arty are left by their father to fend for themselves in a dysfunctional household, which includes their formidable German refugee grandmother, a childlike aunt and small time gangster uncle who is hiding from the mob.

Set in the summer of 1942 in Yonkers, New York, laughter and tears come together in this coming-of-age memory play by Neil Simon. Don’t miss it!

WHERE: Woodbin Theatre. 15 Coronation Street,

Geelong West.

WHEN: 6-21 February.

TIX: gpac.org.au

WOT? NO FISH!!

COLLIDESCOPE - Art Meets Fashion

Written and performed by Danny Braverman. Directed

by Nick Philippou

A group of local Ballarat artists and designers are working in collaborative pairs to create individual garments that will debut on the catwalk at a big event on February 21st 2015. The event will include the Virgin Australia Fashion Festival film series, a short film by Yum Studio, our collection and new designs by a local independent designer.

Wot? No Fish!! is a funny and moving true story of love, art, family and fish balls.

In 1926, London shoemaker, Ab Solomons, first drew a picture on the wage packet he gave to his new wife Celie.

Then throughout their long marriage, Ab continued to draw or paint on his wage packet every week. These illustrations depict, with remarkable honesty, the ups and downs of their life together.

Years later Danny Braverman discovered shoeboxes containing the lost art of his great uncle Ab on more than 2000 wage packets and these gems became the inspiration for Wot? No Fish!!

These little pictures are the most incredible family heirloom: intricate and exceptionally personal. From falling in love, to quarrels about fish balls; audiences are taken on a journey of one Jewish family set against the backdrop of a dramatically changing city.

WHERE: GPAC. 50 Little Malop Street, Geelong.

WHEN: 17-21 February.

METROPOLIS GALLERY SUMMER SALON

Imbued with a Romantic conception of the awesome and spiritually restorative force of the sea, Arcadia—Sound of the Sea, expresses the free-spirited, revolutionary character of a group of young and perfectly-formed Australian surfers in the early 1970s.

Amongst the artists and designers is a cross section of styles, mediums and demographics, creating an interesting and diverse team. Many of the artists and designers are highly acclaimed in their fields and are multiple award winners. This collection will also grace the catwalk at one of regional Victoria’s biggest festivals, the Ballarat Begonia Festival in March 2015.

WHERE: Ballarat Mechanics Institute. 117 Sturt St, Ballarat.

WHEN: Sat 21 Feb. INFO: collidescopeartmeetsfashion.com.au

WHERE: Geelong Gallery. 55 Little Malop Street,

Geelong.

WHEN: Until 22 February.

INFO: geelonggallery.org.au

Metropolis Gallery kicks off every New Year with a bumper Summer Salon!

Artists’ edition prints by Dean Bowen, Jazmina Cininas, Robert Clinch, Graham Fransella, David Frazer, Anita Iacovella, Deborah Klein, Marco and Debra Luccio, Vida Pearson, Deborah Williams and Joel Wolter.

An exhibition of lyrical, richly-textured photographs

by John Witzig, co-founder of Tracks magazine and founder of SeaNotes, with large-scale ink drawings by Nicholas Harding and psychedelic film footage by Albert Falzon.

Geelong Gallery is the sole Victorian venue for this touring exhibition that includes images of local surf culture through photographs from the 1970s of iconic Bells Beach and Torquay.

TIX: gpac.org.au

This year you’ll find works by many artists represented at the gallery, including paintings by Mark Cairns, Amber Daly, Peter Ferguson, Victoria Howlett, Adrian Lockhart, Richard Morrison, Robin Rankin, Steve Salo, Judi Singleton, Sisca Verwoert and Gail Willoughby.

ARCADIA — SOUND OF THE SEA

The Collidescope Collaboration comprises 24 regional artists and designers from the Ballarat Regional area and in a cross region collaboration, one artist from regional N.S.W., Augustus Firestone.

2015 FESTIVAL OF GLASS Indigenous paintings and linocuts from Papunya Tula Artists, Hermannsburg Watercolour Artists, Tjala Arts and artists from Utopia and the Torres Strait Islands are also available.

WHERE: Metropolis

Gallery. 64 Ryrie Street, Geelong.

WHEN: Until 28 February.

INFO: metropolisgallery.

com.au

In mid-February 2015, the fifth annual Festival of Glass will attract thousands of visitors to Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria.

At the heart of the 2015 Festival of Glass is a glass Expo that features stalls by more than 50 local and interstate exhibitors; demonstrations of glassworking techniques; winners of the annual Drysdale Art Glass Awards (including the art of recycled glass); a silent auction of items

Ngak Ngak Announces the Exhibition 1996.

hand-made by expo exhibitors; ‘Glass on Film’ - short films about glass art, craft and industry; and each hour there will be a chance to win glass collectibles.

WHERE: Christian

College. 40 Collins Street, Drysdale.

WHEN: 15 February.

INFO: festivalofglass.

net.au

GINGER RILEY: THE BOSS OF COLOUR Castlemaine Art Gallery presents the exhibition, Ginger Riley: The Boss of Colour. This will be the first major exhibition of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala’s work since the retrospective, Mother Country in Mind: The Art of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala held at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1997, and the first survey exhibition in a public gallery since the artist passed away in 2002.

WHERE: Castlemaine Art Gallery. 14 Lyttleton Street,

Castlemaine, VIC.

WHEN: Until 19 April.

INFO: castlemainegallery.com

forte 47

The Color Run Q&A

We’ve all been envious of the Instagram and Facebook snaps, but for those who have not competed before, ‘What is The Color Run?’ Forte spoke with Tim Wiche, the event’s National Marketing Manager, about what the event involves and who can get involved.

Hi Tim, thanks so much for chatting with Forte. Where and what are you up to?

I’m currently sitting in transit between Sydney and Melbourne, getting ready for about seven meetings across two days … We are always on the go here at The Color Run. How long now has The Color Run been running and how did it originally come about?

The Color Run has come out of the United States. It started in Arizona in January 2012 and has now expanded to over 45 countries (amazing right), with Australia being the biggest behind the US. The Color Run was started by Travis Snyder and it quickly grew across the entire world with Travis still at the helm and making the day-to-day decisions within the global offices.

Here in Australia, The Color Run started in November 2012 with a young Sydney-based event entrepreneur by the name of Luke

Hannan obtaining the licence on behalf of X-Tri Australia. Our first event took place at the world famous Flemington Racecourse with a sellout crowd of 12,000 participants finishing on the Melbourne Cup Winning Post. Since then, we have been around the country twice and are embarking on a third tour. So far we have done 20 epic events with over 300,000 Australians experiencing the magic that is The Color Run. Since its inception in January 2012 The Color Run has held over 500 events and over fourmillion runners globally, making it arguably the biggest running series in the world.

What exactly does the run entail?

What are participants required to do?

The Color Run is all about health and happiness, having a great morning out with friends and family, young and old alike standing side by side on the start line ready to simply have a great time.

When & Where: Albert Park – March 1

They party at the start with our MCs, then every km they hit a Color Zone where they are showered with bright coloured corn starch (completely safe), leaving them looking like a rainbow at the finish line … but that is only the start of it.

Color Runners are then given a packet of Color to come and join in with the Color Throws

that happen from the stage. Then they can dance with friends and family in our epically cool finish festival which has to be experienced, young and old!

What sort of fitness level do runners need to be in to participate?

One of the most fantastic things about The Color Run is absolutely anyone can compete The

Color Run; small or big, fast or slow, everyone is out there not to do their personal best times, rather they are there to just have a lot of fun in a healthy way. Our Color runners are very inspirational people!

What is the ‘Color’ made from and are there any tips you would give regarding its use?

The Color is

completely safe. It is food-grade corn starch with food colouring to give it the fantastic colour. It is safe to eat, however we would not recommend it as it does not taste the best!

Who would you recommend getting involved?

The Color Run is aimed at everyone. We love seeing groups of

young friends, old friends and families, from the kids in the prams to the grandparents running (or walking) next to them.

What are some of the other activities and facilities present at the event?

At each of the events are cool sponsors with activations to keep Color runners entertained.

There is also a village

area where you can get something to eat or drink and chill out after dancing so much at the stage.

Any other news for us?

We have some huge news coming up! One of them will ‘involve the sun going down’ … The other, well, I need to stay tight-lipped about that one. However, I can say it will leave you ‘sparkling for days’…

10am onwards on the Apollo Bay Foreshore

ÀșșÁƨƨkœƏIJșÙðƈƨǻșșÀșșlœɱðșƈɂǻœÁșșÀșșƈ ǯűðȢșǻȢ ŷŷǻșș ÀșșŷƨÁ ŷșǐǯƨÙɂÁðșșÀșșɳœƏðș¡ș±ððǯșșÀșșǻð fƨƨÙșș ÀșșĜ ƈœlɿșðƏȢðǯȢ œƏƈðƏȢșșÀșșĜǯððșðƏȢǯɿ

r t c

r

r

ɳɳɳǘ ǐƨŷŷƨ± ɿǻð ĜƨƨÙĜðǻȢœɱ ŷǘÁƨƈșșșșșșșșșșșșșșșșȘ ǐƨŷŷƨ ɿcð ĜƨƨÙ*ðǻȢœɱ ŷ 48 forte

Sustainable Hook & Vine Festival Photos by barnabyandwilson.com

The upcoming Sustainable Hook & Vine Festival in Torquay will be the first ever sustainable seafood festival in Australia and looks to become a permanent fixture on our summer time calendars.

Hook & Vine will showcase a number of local restaurants with pop up kitchens focusing on sustainably caught seafood.

It is presented by Coastal Event Management and proudly supported by Whitford Torquay. I spoke with director Vicki Penrice, about how the festival came about.

“The idea was a discussion late one night and was just said initially as a pipe dream. The idea of the festival was to host a seafood and wine festival on the surf coast as there is nothing like it in our region,” Vicki said.

Torquay has a strong emphasis on sustainability and supporting local businesses. The event will prove to be the biggest gastronomical gathering of seafood, wine and music ever held on the Surf Coast. Patrons are encouraged to bring along picnic blankets

and camping chairs for a big day of food, wine and entertainment.

This event will benefit and stimulate the local community and highlight that the Surf Coast region has gastronomical and surf appeal.

“Almost two years has gone into the planning and building of the event.

We hope for the festival to become an iconic event for the region,” she said.

Melbourne based Chef Guy Grossi will be the ambassador for the festival and a big highlight of the event. Also making an appearance is local celebrity and reality personality Dale Vine (The Block, Getaway, Postcards & Man Space) who is bound to keep the crowds entertained.

Performing artists include former Voice contestants and local musicians Imogen Brough and Michael Stangel,

Geelong up-and-comers, Where’s Joss, acoustic duo, OXYGUM, Aria Award winner and teenage superstar, Frank Dixon, Rockstar will play all your favourite ‘80s tunes while Madhouse will bring the big band to top off the day.

Local restaurants will have pop up kitchens with a selection of “grab” food on offer focusing on sustainable seafood and produce. Brew houses and wineries will also join in the fun with themed and interactive stalls surrounding the perimeter of the arena.

This Festival won’t just be another market, the point of difference will be exceptional quality food and experiences. It’s a family oriented event with unlimited access to the Kid’s Zone and live music all day, all of which is enclosed in a secure gated arena.

The event will take

When & Where: Torquay Common – February 28

place on Saturday February 28 at the start of the Great Ocean Road on the Torquay Common with an arena picnic style atmosphere.

Tickets include a wine tasting pass, festival wine glass, bottle of water, festival passport coupon booklet for local retailers, entertainment all day and access to the kids zone.

SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR FORTE readers!!

25%

off!

(Valid until February 27) Gate price adult tickets are $35 • Limited entry • Avoid queues on the day • Pre-buy tickets and take advantage of this special offer.

• Buy tickets online hookandvine.com.au and enter the code word “Forte2015” when booking through TRYBOOKING for tickets.

Imogen Brough & Band (4pce)

11:15am - 12pm

Where’s Joss? (Trio)

12:15pm - 1pm

OXYGUM (Duo)

1:15pm - 2pm

Frank Dixon (Aria Award Winner '14)

2:15pm - 3pm

Michael Stangel & 3pce band

3:15pm – 4pm

ROCKSTAR ('80s covers)

4:15pm – 5pm

Madhouse (8pce)

5:15pm - 6pm

forte 49

Ganga Giri Written by Tex Miller

Having just played at Rainbow Serpent Festival at Beaufort over the Australia Day weekend, Ganga Giri is definitely full of colourful stories about the event after playing a highly energetic set.

Standing in the international departure lounge en route to New Zealand to play at Luminate Festival in Nelson, NZ, G remembers what a great festival Rainbow Serpent 2015 was. “It was such a thrill to get back to Rainbow Serpent to play. I’ve taken two years off from playing there because there are so many other gigs going on. There was a really good vibe, and old Bunna Lawrie from Coloured Stone joined us on stage. We invited all our friends and it was a very colourful experience.”

Hailing from Port Fairy in Western Victoria, it was an introduction to playing drums at age eight that whet the appetite for G to begin playing music. From that very fateful day, he then turned his skills to playing the didgeridoo. “I was probably only in Port Fairy until the age of eight, but I loved growing up there. It was a beautiful lifestyle – fishing and getting around on a bicycle.

“Port Fairy Folk Festival must have had some influence on me because that is where I learnt to play the spoons! That’s one of my earliest music memories, but something that I will hold on to forever.”

If you haven’t heard the music of Ganga Giri, it is a

combination of electro rootsy grooves that are certain to get you up on the dance floor. Describing your own music can at times be a pretty hard task to master, however G thinks he has got it down.

“You know dub step? Well my music is like didge step. I figured out that if I could make something that I could dance to, I am on to a winner. It’s electronic music, but not as you know it. It’s uniquely Australian, and that is the point of difference between me and other electro acts around at the moment.”

Having released seven studio albums already, in the last week Ganga Giri released a new EP entitled Earthwise Volume 1.

“This EP has a heavier bass tone to it and is a new genre crossover once again. It’s a little

bit slower, but still all about the infectious grooves. It’s silvery, deep and shamanic.

“I have a few EPs that I am releasing digitally throughout the year and a full LP later in 2015. I don’t want to talk about it much yet, but something big is coming and you better be ready for it Australia!”

Throughout all of his busy touring commitments through New Zealand and Tasmania, Ganga Giri

Kevin Gilbert, guitars, horns and choir led

by Jane Thompson and James Rigby.

“My beautiful fellow musicians, soul mates.”

Since the ’70s, the Pitjantjatjara man has featured in bands including No Fixed Address, Coloured Stone, Mixed Relations, Yothu Yindi and the Black Arm Band. He also fronts current ensemble The Bart Willoughby Band. The No Fixed Address reggae rock hit, ‘We Have Survived’, remains an Australian Indigenous anthem.

Melbourne Town Hall’s grand organ was new ground for the multiinstrumentalist. “I call it a spaceship, because you take people somewhere.

The organ is powerful at capturing characters of particular song, but

you still have to let it breathe when you play it. So I’m learning a lot, relating to it as a living entity … My fans love it when I surprise them,” he adds with delight.

Willoughby was taken away from his family as a child, going on to spend his formative years in boys’ homes and institutions. Beside the common daily challenges of every Aboriginal citizen, he endured years bedridden in hospital as a kid and survived a heart attack three years ago.

“I’ve been given a second chance. That gave me something else to think about.” He credits music as his driving force – his love – to carry on and follow a fulfilling path.

“Locked up at a young age, all I had was my music. It was a love. I’d never felt love before.

When & Where: Come Together Music and Arts Festival, Eltham – March 14

is getting set to play at the Come Together festival which is set to take place in Eltham over the second weekend in March. Talking about the upcoming gig, G can’t wait to take the stage, as he relates.

“It’s an honour to be asked to play there because it is for a good cause. I live locally and the opportunity to support such an amazing cause, there isn’t a better festival that I would like to be involved with. It’s only a

short trip up the road, Geelong, so come out and party with us.

There will be some new tunes for us to play and we can’t wait to see what the rest of 2015 has in store for us.”

Bart Willoughby Written by Chris Lambie

Bart Willoughby was looking for “a big sound” while rehearsing a song with singer Deline Briscoe. “I’d have to be playing the Melbourne Town Hall!” his missus overheard him say. “So, she jumped on it,” Willoughby says. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the venue’s giant organ pipes. “I’m staring at this, what I call ‘spaceship’, and going ‘Shit!

Can I do this?’” he recalls. The innovative 2014 show that followed was acclaimed as a captivating musical and cultural experience. The composer/musician became the first Indigenous artist to play the historic instrument.

From the project, Willoughby’s album, We Still Live On, interweaves story and song with an all-star cast. Willoughby will re-create the concert in Bendigo and Launceston. Bendigo’s Catholic Cathedral promises to be an inspiring setting for the performance. “It’s a sacred ground sort of thing to the whitefellas,” he says, “and so I’m sort of presenting my songs at the pearly gates,” he laughs.

“It might be their instrument, but it’s my wood!”

It’s a mighty production, blending original songs, spoken word, archival material, dance and choir.

The ensemble cast includes vocalists Deline Briscoe, Rose Bygrave and Marcia Howard (Goanna), dancer Albert David, Robert Thorpe, words of the late poet

How can an instrument give you love? That’s what my magic is.”

He has gone on to play New York’s Madison Square Garden, London’s Albert Hall and almost every stage in this land.

He toured with Ian Dury (“a great musician and beautiful human being”), Jackson Browne and Peter Tosh. His first full solo album, Proud, was released in 2013. Awards include the Australia Council Fellowship, enabling the development of the organ project.

There are stirring messages and moments of soaring reverence across We Still Live On. But in-between comes the trademark rhythms of Willoughby’s songwriting where laid-back grooves and feisty beats dance beside the voices of honour and pride.

When & Where: Catholic Cathedral, Bendigo – February 28

NEEDTOBREATHE Written by Abbey King, Photo by Sully Sullivan

Charleston based American rockers, NEEDTOBREATHE, are about to make it out for their first ever trip to Australia for the World Vision Australia’s Make A Difference Tour with Third Day and Levi McGrath. I spoke with bass player Seth Bolt about their tour preparation.

“We’re home right now in Charleston working hard on finishing up our live album and gearing up for our first Grammys attendance before we jet over to the other side of the world. A lot of exciting things!” Seth says.

NEEDTOBREATHE aren’t your typical Southern band, they incorporate a number of styles into their sound and work very hard to deliver the best possible live performance.

“We always say we’re a rock and roll band with some Southern soul and grit thrown in there – everyone is welcome! We really put a lot of work into delivering a live show that is loud and memorable. We hope people come out and take something home with them,” he says Having just released their fifth studio album, Rivers in Wasteland, earlier last year, the band could not have been happier with its popularity and success and plan to release a live album later this year.

“It’s incredible and humbling. We always felt like we had to deliver something new and exciting to keep the attention of our fans and, in some ways, we did 50 forte

something different here.

But this album was very autobiographical so it’s great to see that fans can connect to that as well,” Seth says.

The Make a Difference Tour concert series is in support of World Vision Australia, who are a hard working children’s charity that opperate all over the world, and a charity that the band are passionate about and happy to throw their support behind.

“We definitely are a band that stands behind the idea of giving back and any charities that are doing positive things to make an impact or change things for the better deserve recognition.

Although our band personally works closely with another charity, we think that World Vision is doing some amazing things and hope that we

When & Where: Festival Hall, Melbourne – February 13

can contribute to their victories in any way possible.”

As it will be the boys first trip out to Australia they are very much looking forward to absorbing the sights of the country in addition to these eight big shows. “We can’t wait for the sightseeing. We’re big on travelling and grateful that we have the chance to finally make it to Australia,” he smiles.

Also on the bill is the Atlanta-based, multiple Grammy winning, Third Day and social justice

musician, Levi McGrath, both acts the band is exciting to be playing with. “We are huge fans. We have performed with them in different capacities before but, of course, never a tour in Australia. We are so honoured to be invited and we think it’s going to be something special,” he says.

The tour will kick off at the Hordern Pavilion on February 11, playing Festival Hall in Melbourne on February 13 and finishing at the Newcastle

Entertainment Centre on February 21. For further tour and ticket information visit the World Vision website at www. makeadifferencetour. com.au

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Inside Splinters

Written by Adem Ali

inside splinters presents An indtroduction into

MADGE

M A D O N N A' S

New album, Rebel Heart, is shaping up to be her best in a decade.

REBEL HEART

G.R.L. Their latest single, ‘Lighthouse’, is a proper revelation.

MCBUSTED Who are touring Australia as support for One Direction this year!

or

Madonna’s new album, Rebel Heart, is released on March the 6th here in Australia; however, just before Christmas last year, Madge surprised us by throwing six of the nineteen (!!!) tracks from Rebel onto iTunes – ‘Living for Love’, ‘Devil Pray’, ‘Ghosttown’, ‘Unapologetic Bitch’, ‘Illuminati’ and the Nicki Minaj feature, ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’. Let’s take a closer look at these six releases as we anticipate the remains of Rebel Heart.

PEREZ HILTON Who is single-handedly ruining the current UK season of Celebrity Big Brother.

PEREZ HILTON What a total douchecanoe.

LIVING FOR LOVE Madonna began her impressive onslaught of December 2014 with ‘Living for Love’, a song that managed to gift us with a classic pop song structure all whilst ensuring we were enjoying it on the dance floor. That “lord lift me Up! Up! Up! Up!” middle-8 is a proper revelation and magically throws itself back – ever so slightly – to the glory of ‘Like a Prayer’. A return to form, with some seriously sleek production courtesy of Diplo. Watch this become one of the single biggest tracks of 2015.

DEVIL PRAY I saw quite a few people having a go at Madge for “ripping off” ‘House of the Rising Sun’ on ‘Devil Pray’, lambasting her for daring to touch such a classic.

I’d understand that argument if she’d covered the whole fucking song, but all she actually does

with ‘…Sun’ on ‘Devil Pray’ is make a few musical references to it. Y’all need to sit down!

The song itself features some of the more interesting production elements to it, whilst the lyrics have Madge warning us of the loneliness that comes with drugs and addiction. “Yeah, we could do drugs and we could smoke weed and we can drink whiskey, yeah we can get high and we can get stoned.

And we could sniff glue and we could do E and we could drop acid; forever be lost with no way home.”

GHOSTTOWN Although a total latecomer, the minute I heard ‘Ghosttown’ for the very first time I knew it was my final, 100 per cent selection for Song of the Year. ‘Ghosttown’ represented everything many of us old-school Madonna fans had been waiting for her to deliver since 2005: a giant, monolithic,

mid-tempo ballad that saw the true return of Madonna the Storyteller.

Set in the after-effects of Armageddon, vocally Madonna delivers an admirable level of vulnerability, the type she usually only reserves for when she’s singing about her favourite topic – herself. On ‘Ghosttown’, though, it’s a little more neutral. Sure, she’s one of the last remaining people on earth after Armageddon hits, but that isn’t the song’s central message, nor is it what you take away from it once it’s finished.

There’s a true sense of maturity to be heard on ‘Ghosttown’, something that Madonna’s perhaps spent most of the past 10 years trying to steer clear from.

‘Ghosttown’ benefits from the fact that it’s just an incredibly executed pop song. It doesn’t chase any trends or attempt to convince the listener that the artist is still relevant. It just presents itself as a fine pop song, with an enormous chorus and a heaving middle-8 that would make even the biggest of Madge-detractors well up.

With the arrival of ‘Ghosttown’, Madonna has gifted us with her greatest song since ‘Hung Up’.

Everything from the subtle crackling of vinyl as the song begins, to the way her voice

deliberately wobbles with the auto-tune, every microsecond of ‘Ghosttown’ exemplified pop perfection. There is a very strong lesson to be learned from the fan reaction and general public consensus surrounding the track; in just over four minutes, without even trying, ‘Ghosttown’ proved once and for all that Madonna is as relevant now as she was during her imperial phase. A feat she has been trying to drill into us for over a decade was, amazingly, drilled into us without her even trying.

BITCH I’M MADONNA (feat. Nicki Minaj)

This is the Madonna we all fell in love with. This is the Madonna who we call The Queen of Pop. Her triumphant return was always going to be the Biggest Moment of 2014, no matter how late in the year it happened.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

UNAPOLOGETIC BITCH This shouldn’t work at all, but boy, does it ever. A trap-reggae affair produced by Diplo, the best part of ‘Unapologetic Bitch’ is the way, during the middle-8, that Madonna does a more convincing job of being Gwen Stefani than Gwen Stefani did in all of 2014.

‘Ghosttown’, ‘Living for Love’ and ‘Devil Pray’ are a serious return to form for the Queen of Pop, whereas stuff like ‘Unapologetic Bitch’ and ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ – although highly enjoyable – chase those trends, something Madge used to so brilliantly create rather than follow.

Still, Rebel Heart is shaping up to be her most enjoyable and classic album since 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor.

ILLUMINATI

Rebel Heart is released in full on Friday, March the 6th through Interscope Records.

Produced by Kanye West, this is an absolute turkey and the first official ‘filler’ of Rebel Heart.

Written by Adem Ali. For more music news and reviews, follow @AdemWithAnE on Twitter!

subscribe to the forte neWSletter!

Get all the latest local entertainment news, interviews & heaps more delivered right to your inbox! Sign up at fortemag.com.au

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Another Madonna-goes-trap effort, this time with feature creature Nicki Minaj spitting a guest verse. Whilst it’s a pretty fantastic moment, it does chase pre-existing trends and puts Madge in a weird position musically. Still, it – somehow – manages to work, but the production on the vocals lets the final product of this down severely.

PEREZ HILTON Just the worst.

“I’m just gonna say it – I don’t really GET Uptown Funk. It’s *okay* but it’s nothing too special. (whispers) I prefer ‘Shake It Off ’.”

We couldn’t agree more with @jessmcguire; ‘Uptown Funk’ joins Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ as being one of the most overrated songs of 2014.

T O S O F R R ’ I N D I A S! IE K B EE FR Y C O R

Win a double pass to Geelong’s own music festival, Motor City Music Festival for the Friday event!! (March 6 2015) To enter email your name and mobile number with ‘MOTOR CITY’ as the

email subject, to amanda@ fortemag.com.au.

ACD/SHE

We kick off with a huge night of Rock & Roots artists. While you’re rocking out,

BRODERICK SMITH

don’t forget to grab yourself a bite to

CHRIS WILSON BND

eat from one of our famous food trucks

CLAUDE HAY

and while your at it don’t forget to grab

DEFRYME

a frothy or crispy in our craft beer &

ELECTRIC MARY

cider hall between all of your favourite bands!

FAMOUS WILL

$39

PAINTERS & DOCKERS PHIL PARA PUGSLEY BUZZARD REVOLUTION SAFARI MOTEL TEX MILLER THE BLACK SORROWS

12861MCMF-RR-300115

TICKETS

GWYN ASHTON

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forte 55

presented by

Photos by Marianne Valitut ti

beav's bar

lord nelson

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lord nelson

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CQ

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forte 59

Film Reviews

Films reviewed by Anthony Morris

Foxcatcher

Kingsman: The Secret Service The James Bond franchise has been so strong for so long that it’s hardly surprising that a large chunk of Hollywood’s output over the decades has involved trying to figure out new ways to do the exact same thing. Usually the more successful riffs (the Bourne movies) have had their own take on the world of international spying; the closer you get to actual Bond, the worse the result – remember the opening of the original XXX where they basically killed off Bond for not being cool enough for its late-’90s world of extreme sports and raves?

Ugh. But parodies of Bond often work fine (the Austin Powers movies), and to a large extent that’s the territory being mined here in the latest effort from comic book author

Mark Millar (Wanted, Kick-Ass).

Millar specialises in high concepts – some of his recent nonmovie deals getting comics have included “What if Batman was evil?”, “What if Flash Gordon got old?” and “What if Ocean’s Eleven were supervillains?” – so it’s no real surprise that here we get “What if James Bond was a chav?” Though Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) is more of a high-spirited guy than a real bad egg: brought up by his mum after his dad died on a covert mission, his life is just about to go totally off the rails when he calls in a favour from his dad’s old comrade, Harry Hart (Colin Firth). It proves timely in more ways than one: as a member of a secret spy organisation known as the Kingsman (led by Michael Caine), they’ve recently lost an agent while investigating cheerful computer mogul Valentine (Samuel

L. Jackson), so now they’re on the hunt for a replacement and Eggsy (plus a bunch of toffs) are about to be put through their paces to see who gets the gig.

The plot is basically Bond-bynumbers (right down to jokes about this “not being that kind of movie”), but the tone is lighter than the last few Bond films.

Not all the jokes land – spurting blood and anal sex jokes in a Bond pastiche feel a little too try-hard, like someone’s grandfather trying to be hip – but the cast is strong (and includes Mark Strong), with Firth’s avuncular toff as a high point.

Director Matthew Vaughn keeps the pace fast and the action entertaining, and if there are no real surprises here … well, mashing up a Bond film with a coming-of-age story is probably radical enough for a blockbuster these days.

The Theory of Everything If you’re a guy smart enough to have a movie made about how smart you are, you’d better have a pretty big personal flaw in there otherwise that movie isn’t going to get made. Smart guys only make it onto the big screen if they’re relatable, which means there’s got to be something there to bring them down to earth (see everything from A Beautiful Mind to The Imitation Game); with that in mind, it’s a wonder it’s taken so long to get around to making a big screen biopic about Stephen Hawking.

There’s been a minor outcry that the role of Hawking is played by an able-bodied actor, but as much of the film focuses on the early stages of his illness – it’s based on a memoir by his first wife, Jane – the decision to cast the ablebodied (and Oscar-nominated) Eddie Redmayne in the lead seems reasonable. And Redmayne’s slow collapse as illness claims Hawking’s body is pretty much the only thing that gives this otherwise utterly predictable and traditional biopic any semblance of life, because

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Socially adrift and financially struggling in a bleak mid-’80s Midwest, Olympic gold medalwinning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is stunned when creepy billionaire wrestling enthusiast John du Pont (Steve Carell) approaches him with an offer to become part of his private wrestling team. For him it’s a dream come true, but his brother and fellow gold medal-winning wrestler Dave (Mark Ruffalo) isn’t as impressed with du Pont’s odd manner. Mark joins up on his own and soon the lavishly funded Team Foxcatcher is winning big – but at a cost, as Dave and Mark (who’d previously been as close as, well, two grown men wrestling) drift apart. But when it becomes clear that du Pont isn’t going to let Dave escape and will do anything to make him part of the team, the increasingly depressed and erratic Mark starts to wonder where he fits in. Did this man who he looked up to as a father really just use him to get to his brother? And if so, what does that say about him?

Director Bennett Miller has made an airless, foreboding film

end with the not-exactly-surprisetwist that Hawking is still perfectly capable of first cheating on his wife then leaving her, but again, that’s barely an anecdote, let alone the basis for a film. Maybe if this actually explained how Hawking survived despite being told upon diagnosis that he only had two years to live; like anything else of interest in this story, it seems to have slipped everyone’s mind.

American Sniper

where the sky is always grey and the rooms (whether they’re in tiny apartments or an excessively furnished mansion) seem underheated, yet while this is undeniably atmospheric, the script doesn’t delve all that deeply into the true crime story this is based on. None of the characters change or develop all that much across the film’s two-hour run time, avoiding even the most basic psychological insight for a “what you see is what you get” approach.

Carell seems like a creepy manipulative, needy nerd behind his fake nose, and so he proves to be; Tatum plays Mark as a walking child-like slab of beef, and there’s not much more going on there either. This is enthralling but ultimately shallow: the less you know going in about what really happened, the better.

Still Alice When putting together an illness-of-the-week film designed to wring tears from an audience – while also providing your lead with the kind of role that’ll propel them into Oscar contention – a fine line has to be walked. On the one hand, the illness is the real star of the show, and so the story has to revolve around it (and the lead’s struggle with it); on the other, you do kind of want there to be more to the film than just “someone gets sick and doesn’t get better”. Unless you’re making Still Alice, that is.

Alice Howland ( Julianne Moore) is a renowned linguistics professor with a high-powered teaching job, a high-powered husband (Alec Baldwin) and three equally high-powered adult children. And then one day she starts to forget words and her doctor tells her she has early onset Alzheimer’s and there’s nothing to be done – in fact, things are worse for her than for a regular non-smart person, because she’s been able to cover up the disease’s progress for longer – and the rest of the film is just one big unstoppable downhill slide.

For a film about what is basically

Mortdecai

otherwise this is just the typical collection of “great man” clichés and limp attempts to illustrate how scientific breakthroughs come about.

It’s all competently done (Felicity Jones more than holds up her end as Jane), but when you’re approvingly noting that the art direction during the scenes in the ’70s and ’80s is authentically drab, that’s a sign that the story isn’t exactly doing its job.

Things do pick up towards the

t h e w ra p

Lord Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) is a foppish British art dealer who’s both generally clueless and blessed with a healthy sense of his own worth. Which is actually a pretty solid basis for a comedy; problem is, over more than a decade of hamming it up shamelessly Depp has largely worn out his welcome as far as this kind of thing goes (yet, ironically, it’s also the only kind of thing he seems capable of making: when was the last time anyone cast Depp as just a regular guy?), so even when the jokes work his presence tends to dull their impact. And there are a lot of jokes here: massively in debt to the tax office, Mortdecai is persuaded by an MI5 chum (Ewan McGregor) to help track down a

Bradley Cooper is a good ol’ boy who just wants to defend his country by shooting Iraqis in a biopic from director Clint Eastwood that delivers war movie thrills with a bit of nuance… if you look closely enough.

Wild Reese Witherspoon walks a lot in this gritty adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of her trek across America from south to north trying to find herself (and not fall off a mountain).

Birdman Despite what the trailers would have you believe, this isn’t a superhero movie. Rather, Michael Keaton is an actor (who rose to fame playing a superhero) trying to revive his career via a Broadway play. Much backstage hijinks (some funny, some thoughtful) result.

Taken 3 Better than two, not as good as the first. It does pretty much everything you want it to do, but not a whole lot more. If they ever do a fourth, finger’s crossed they go a lot sillier. a terminal illness it’s all very restrained and straightforward, with Moore’s performance the clear highlight of a fairly bloodless film.

In part the characters’ wealth helps the film to focus entirely on the illness – they literally have nothing else to worry about – but it does make it all just a little colourless: everyone is able to cope with her diminishment every way but emotionally, with them eventually just tidily packing her away.

It’s the attention to smaller details that gives this what little life it has: Baldwin makes clear his character’s growing desire to simply shrug off his decaying wife and get on with his still-vital life, while the briefly mentioned horror of Alice’s daughter being doomed to the same fate provides a hint of the subject’s real darkness. missing Goya painting. Most of the real investigating is done by either his burly manservant Jock (Paul Bettany) or his much sharper wife (Gwyneth Paltrow), leaving Mortdecai free to swan around the place as comic relief in his own film.

It’s not exactly a misfire – with a cast this good (Jeff Goldblum and Olivia Munn turn up relatively late in proceedings) there’s always going to be something worth looking at, and when Depp has someone else to play with his eye-rolling antics can be amusing. But in the end this just isn’t anywhere near as funny as it needs to be to work as a comedy romp, and as anything else – if you’re thinking that this might possibly serve up a semi-decent mystery with a few thrills mixed in, think again – this just isn’t worth your time.

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER Feb 6 – 7.30pm, Feb 7 – 1pm, Feb 10 – 7pm, Feb 13 – 7.30pm, Feb 14 – 3.45pm A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT Feb 6 – 9.15pm, Feb 8 – 4.30pm, Feb 15 – 7.30pm, Feb 19 – 7pm CHARLIE’S COUNTRY Feb 10 – 8.45pm / PADDINGTON Feb 5 – 6.30pm, Feb 7 – 3pm, Feb 8 – 12pm GARDENING WITH SOUL Feb 8 – 2pm, Feb 0 – 7.30pm, Feb 12 – 6.45pm, Feb 14 – 12pm, Feb 18 – 7.30pm THE SALVATION Feb 5 – 8.30pm, Feb 0 – 7pm, Feb 8 – 8.30pm, Feb 11 – 7.30pm, Feb 14 – 1.45pm AIM HIGH IN CREATION Feb 12 – 8.45pm, Feb 16 – 7.30pm, Feb 19 – 9pm, Feb 21 – 7pm THE BABADOOK Feb 20 – 9 pm, Feb 21 - 3pm, Feb 22 – 8.45pm, Feb 24 – 9pm, Mar 01 – 5.15pm THE DARK HORSE Feb 21 – 9pm, Feb 22 – 6pm, Feb 25 – 7.30pm, Fri 27 – 7.30pm, Mar 01 – 2.30pm

Tickets: $10 concession $12 adult

ENCORE SCREENINGS! LIVING IS EASY (WITH EYES CLOSED) Feb 3 – 8pm / FOLIES BERGERE Feb 2 – 7.30pm, Feb 7 – 5pm, Feb 14 – 7.30pm / WHIPLASH Jan 31 – 6.30pm, Feb 7 – 9pm, Feb 15 – 5.00pm / TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT Feb 4 – 7.30pm, Feb 8 – 6.30pm, Feb 21 – 5.15pm / WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Feb 13 – 10.15pm, Feb 28 – 8.30pm

The Ukranian Community Hall, 57 Pakington St, Geelong West

Licensed Candy Bar More movie times and info available online pivotcinema.com.au

The Wedding Ringer This comedy about a best man for hire isn’t so much “funny ha-ha” as it is “I guess I can see how they might have expected people to laugh somewhere along the line here”.

Dumb & Dumber To If you’re going to make us wait 20 years for a sequel, you’re going to have to do a better job than this.

Still, any chance to see Jim Carrey on the big screen is worth a look these days.

Unbroken A bleak biopic based on an Olympic athlete’s suffering at the hands of the Japanese during World War II, this extensive catalogue of ordeals is admirable for it’s commitment to his story while never really becoming more than the sum of its parts.

The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies The Hobbit series trudges to a halt with this relatively short yet still endless series of CGI battles that manage 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 2 no less), but while this look at the life and code-breaking work of protocomputer scientist Alan Turning has it’s moments, the overall impression is one of an interesting life forced into the usual pattern.

Music Reviews

Ann Vriend FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE MEAN TIME Independent

Sugar Mountain Victorian College of Arts, Melbourne Saturday 24 January 2015

Sugar Mountain, the summit of music and art, took my eye for a number of reasons: an interesting new venue, limited ticket sales, quality food and drink and, of course, Nas. How times have changed for this weary washed-up festival hack.

Arriving later in the day we had a bit of a look around the venue. Multiple stages set amongst the buildings, the VCA with both indoor and outdoor stages, each themed and interestingly decorated. Bars were easy to find and lines weren’t an issue, with a good selection of drinks thanks to the Mountain Goat brewery, a refreshing change from the normal run-of-the-mill festival.

After a couple of beers at the boiler room stage which resembled somewhat of a scene out of Jumanji, we made our way to the main stage in time for Dexter.

Party-goers were clearly lapping up the good weather with sunglasses shielding excited eyes even long after the sun had set. The Dodds Street Stage was wedged between two larger brick buildings that could be easily mistaken for Queensbridge housing projects, with a stage place at the end. Walking in from the side to what appeared like a Brooklyn block party it was becoming clear this would be the perfect setting for the main event.

With the legendry Since I Left You album being in the can for years and its illusive follow-up looking more likely to never eventuate, it’s within these rare DJ Dexter sets that the Avalanches sprit lives on. Dexter, one of the true masters of the four-deck set, played a mixture of mainly hip hop laced with incredible cuts and turntable trickery which provided the perfect warming prelude for the climax to come.

Nas, an artist still relevant after 20 years, when most of his peers are dead or faded into oblivion, has not only remained at the top of his game but he’s never compromised his credibility.

Wedged somewhere between Enter the Wu-Tangs (36 Chambers) and Big L’s Lifestyles of the Poor and the Dangerous falls Nas’ Illmatic, its roots deep within the golden era of hip hop. Jones was just 21 when the album was released, bringing a classic New York style that went on to define a whole generation.

Taking to the stage the crowd erupted as ‘Genesis’ moved into ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ – a clear highlight.

The only problem when performing an album cover to cover is there are tracks that just aren’t going to be good live, and I feel like Illmatic has a couple of those. And for the audience who weren’t fanatical fans, attention started to stray about four tracks in.

As ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’ signalled the end of the album, there was a short pause, then the distinctive sounds of the theme to the classic gangster film Belly rang out over the crowd that had bolstered with the closing of the surrounding stages.

This quickly morphed into a medley of classics with ‘The Message’, ‘One Mic’, ‘Nas is Like’ and ‘I Can’, finishing with the It was Written epic ‘Made you Look’.

After humbly thanking everyone for the support over the last 20 years, Nas left the stage. His f lows and voice never waned throughout the performance, and it was a pleasure to watch a man who has truly mastered his craft.

By D.P Ceratz

If Aretha Franklin, Lulu and Amy Winehouse had ever run a music school, you’d expect Ann Vriend to be top of the class. Her fun take on nu-soul combines pop effervescence with retro sophistication.

Funky opening song, ‘Long Road’, is so immediately catchy I could barely get past it to appreciate the strength of the next ten tracks. A contrasting reprise of ‘Long Road’ closes the album, but it’s the starter that bursts out as a natural hit single – a paisley and polka dot-flavoured call-to-shimmy.

Canadian Vriend is no newcomer to the industry, boasting an impressive collection of rave reviews and industry awards. Vocally she’s a natural across soul, gospel and blues. ‘The Greatest Killer’ (co-written with Dan Hill) could’ve been written by Dolly Parton, a fine power ballad with Vriend delivering a Dolly-esque warble for the occasion. She shines, too, on keyboards, with producer Tino Zolfo providing key accompaniment along with some tasty bass and beats from the band.

Vriend’s lyrics reflect on her time living among the grit and struggles of a shady Edmonton neighbourhood.

Her view is tempered with empathy, realism and humour. Hand claps, loops and samples add to the urban décor.

Word has it Vriend is dynamite on stage so her upcoming Australian shows are bound to be a blast. An album to kick-start any beach party, road trip or spring cleaning session.

By Chris Lambie

President Roots Late Night Radio Somersault Music

It’s a happy day in this household when a new President Roots disc arrives in the mail. There’s guaranteed country/folk rootsy goodness in every release from this band based in Mornington on the Victorian coast.

Their third long player is another hoot, full of catchy tunes, subtle depth, wry humour and kicking rhythms.

Despite singer/songwriter Simon Dodd’s relocation back to the UK, they managed to capture another 11 memorable tracks via long-distance technology. ‘Drunken Man’ describes a character we’ve all encountered, (‘Everybody gets a handshake from a drunken man’). The title track incorporates the golden era of radio with a vocoder refrain. ‘Double Denim’, accompanied by keys and guest horns conjures an Elvis Costello feel, lamenting a deal-breaking fashion faux pas. ‘Red Underwear’ is a rocking celebration of more appealing apparel.

For reality-checker ‘First World

Problem’, Dodd visits John Lennon vocal territory.

Latin jazz-style piano and sax lends smoky cool to ‘The Real You’. ‘C’mon Precious’ unashamedly channels The Stones ‘Brown Sugar’. Without former guitarist Bill Politis on deck, Dodd’s guitar ably fills the void in a range of styles while Chris Stockley guests on ‘backward solo’ for ‘Lady Luck’. Romantic lines deliver no hearts and flowers but loving conversations capturing the ordinary here and now.

Drummer Greg Coles and bassist Pete ‘Smokey’ Dawson provide backing vocals along with new addition Tony Byrne on keys. The success of the band’s crowd funding campaign would’ve enabled two albums worth of recording, rest assured, that many fans can’t be wrong.

By Chris Lambie

Jenn Grant COMPOSTELA Outside Music

If you’re headed along to Port Fairy Folk Festival in a month, you’re in for an absolute treat that’s for sure. Having been nominated for two Juno awards (Canada’s equivalent to album of the year at the ARIAs) Compostela from Canada’s Jenn Grant is a thrilling listen. On her eighth album, she has refined an acoustic folk pop sound that still leaves people wanting more after the album has finished.

Recorded by Grant and her husband at their home Nova Scotia studio, labelled as psychedelic folk by some album reviews, this record is glittered with many different instruments throughout its 13 tracks. With many different collaborations to this album including former band mates as well as Rose Cousins, Ron Sexsmith and Doug Paisley, if you haven’t heard of Jenn Grant

it sounds a lot like Feist - that lady that did ‘1,2,3,4’ and was featured on the iPod ad back in the day.

It’s blissful pop music at it’s finest and something that you should check out.

She is touring here in about a month or so and if you have tickets to Port Fairy or any sideshows, you are really lucky. Having released an EP AND an album last year, Grant is sure to have new music for us soon.

In the meantime, this stunning release glittered with happiness and joy is worth listening to.

By Tex Miller forte 61

Last Words

grog watch Written by Tony Montana

Okay, so I saw Taken 3 last weekend and I have a question: why hasn’t it been universally hailed as the best movie of the year? Yeah, that might seem like a pretty lame title, what with the year barely one-twelfth over, but this is the time of year when all the big gun Oscar movies come out, and yet I’m still confident in saying that Taken 3 outguns them all (geddit?).

Because IT’S JUST THAT GOOD. Sure, so-called “professional reviewers” pretty much all seem to think it’s lame and far be it for me to say every single reviewer in the English-speaking world is wrong, but every single reviewer in the English-speaking world is wrong, and here’s why: A) The film has a legitimately good reason why all this is happening a third time. Usually by the third film in a

high-concept series, pretty much no one believes the same stuff could be happening to the same guy for a third time. Cue much mockery of the idea of there even being a Taken 3. And yet the film comes up with a surprisingly reasonable explanation as to why all this would be happening yet again (basically, you probably shouldn’t advertise that you’re basically a loaded gun when it comes to your daughter). Does the film get any points for overcoming this hurdle? Not amongst the haters.

B) At one stage our hero Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) reverses his car into a parking garage, backs into an elevator at high speed, crashes into the elevator shaft, and then proceeds to reverse drive down the elevator shaft while everything explodes.

Have we become so jaded that this kind of thing means nothing?

C) The big car chase scene is so badly edited it looks like garbage. Trust me, this is a good point. The Taken movies have never been about the big action

sequences (no one remembers the car chase from the first film) – the whole point of these films is Neeson using his bulk to scare the crap out of then beat to death various horrible, horrible people.

And when this film gets around to those kinds of scenes, they’re generally handled well. So having the big car chase seem like it was edited with a whipper snipper, while regrettable (it’s always nice to be able to follow what’s happening on the screen), also means it’s over with quicker so we can get to the real point of the film: Neeson glowering at everyone else then punching them.

D) The film never bothers to explain how Mills escapes from various deathtraps. Again, what seems like a weakness is actually a strength. It’s no news that there are basically two kinds of action movies – ones where a regular guy is in way over his or her head, and ones where unstoppable killing machines do what they do best. In the first type of film, the whole point is to show how they survive everything that’s thrown

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at them: we want to see the working out. In the second type we know they’re not going to be killed by an explosion, so every second spent showing how they escape is a second wasted. The whole point of scenes where there’s a massive explosion and the bad guys go “well, he couldn’t have escaped that” IS THAT THEY’RE WRONG. Taken 3 contains two such scenes, and if you’re complaining that there’s no way Mills could have escaped from either one you are not the target audience for this film.

E) Torture is back. The first Taken was popular in (large) part because of its America-fuck-yeah attitude.

It’s about an American – an ex-CIA agent, no less – who goes overseas to torture and kill a bunch of French people and swarthy foreigners FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. But that’s all kind of been whitewashed out of the picture these days, with those critics hating on the third one at pains to stress the good points of the first, such as the action and the surprise

of seeing Liam Neeson kick ass and not the racism. In this instalment, Mills waterboards an arms dealer for information. A white American arms dealer! It’s torture without the racism: clearly we can all enjoy that.

F) Mills is still a creepy stalker dad.

When we first see him here he’s trying to give his grown up daughter a teddy bear that’s bigger than she is. She, on the other hand, has found something else to play with and is secretly pregnant.

Nice observational skills, spy dad.

G) The ending doesn’t totally suck.

The Taken films have traditionally had fairly average endings – even rescuing his daughter in the first one isn’t really a high point of the film, and the second one’s ending (beats up bad guy, says “I’m not going to kill you”, turns away, bad guy pulls gun, bad guy gets it) is totally generic. But this time – MILD SPOILERS AHEAD – it’s slightly different: having defeated the bad guy and rescued his daughter – yes, the bad guy took Mills’ daughter hostage and

one of the film’s legitimate weak points is that no one points out that taking Mills’ daughter is literally the stupidest thing you could possibly do – Mills realises he probably shouldn’t murder him in front of his daughter. So he says: “I’ll let the cops handle this, and I know you’re the kind of scumbag who’ll get out after a few years, so FYI, when you do get out, I’ll be waiting and I’m going to murder you then.” Cue bad guy looking horrified.

VENGEANCE: ACHIEVED. Tony “Also, The Equalizer is out now on DVD and it’s even better!” Montana

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