Forte #614

ISSUE #614 ball ar at | bell arine | Bendigo | ca stlemaine | geelong | surf coa st | warrnambool |

11/ 0 6 / 2 0 15

FREE!

Seth Sentry pg.21

“...it’s just going to be awesome. I really can’t wait!”

lloyd spiegel

ALPINE pg.31

pg.22

pretty city

pg.36

arj barker

pg.41

methyl ethel

pg.44

ALSO FEATURING: Todd Cook, Ali Penney, Veronica & Lewis, Oskar Offermann, Frenchy, Nice7 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!

available from 850+ outlets every fortnight

forte 1

EXPER IENCE COLLARTS S

T

MUSIC PERFORMANCE U

D

ARTIST MANAGEMENT Y

AUDIO PRODUCTION

W W W.C O L L A R T S . E D U . A U 1300 8 18 777

2 forte

forte 3

4 forte

forte 5

6 forte

4"563%":4 GIRLS FREE BEFORE 12 1054 ] 4063 .0/,&: #"4*$4 ] 8&5 1644: %3*/,4 41&$*"-4 7"-*% #&'03& .*%/*()5

ST JAMES BAR & CLUB

%+4 07&3 -&7&-4 1-":*/( )*1 )01 3/# )064& 53"1 '6/, "/% 5)& 0%% #"/(&3

%0034 1. ] +".&4 45 (&&-0/( 888 45+".&4#"3 $0. "6 forte 7

8 forte

forte 9

ed's note So it’s officially winter and things are getting chilly. But before you use this Forte as some form of kindling to spark your fire – I wouldn’t blame you, any and all burnable objects will be victims to keep me warm – make sure you give the magazine a read as we’re all a bit proud of this issue.

First off, obviously having Seth Sentry as our cover star is pretty exciting stuff. Just when you’re feeling tired from working heaps, think for poor Seth who is about to embark on a 48-date tour. Wow. Further in we had a chat with

forte issue #614 thursday 11 JUNE 2015

Veronica & Lewis of triple j fame about their thoughts on Geelong (page 27), cartoon superstar Michael Cusack (creator of Damo & Darren, page 34), funny man Arj Barker (page 41), the talented actress and singer Tottie Goldsmith (page 42) and the next big band (we’ll wager a couple bucks on that one) Methyl Ethel (page 44).

For those who attended British India a few weekends ago, I’m sorry for my actions in getting to the front row and keeping my place. It’s a bit of a dog eat dog world out there in the gigging game, so for all those

tag us on instagram!

who gained some bruises, broken bones or deafened ears, thanks for making the gig what it was. And to you British India, thanks for rocking everyone’s world.

FREEBIES!

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

enquiries@fortemag.com.au

Last but not least, let me impart some wisdom in keeping warm from the Forte team. Find yourself a snuggle buddy (platonic or romantic), get yourself a warm beverage, a subscription to Netflix and remain inside for the next three months. Winter is well and truly here.

Publisher

McNamara Publishing DIRECTOR

Luke McNamara

luke@fortemag.com.au editor

Amanda Sherring

Amanda & the Forte team

amanda@fortemag.com.au @amanda_sherring advertising

tag us @fortemag_ or #fortemag to be featured!

Abbey King

abbey@fortemag.com.au @abb_king _ Art director

James Dulce

artwork@fortemag.com.au @yo_ jimbo contributors

@shelleysegal

Win a double pass to attend the EchucaMoama Winter Blues Festival (July 24-26).

To enter email your name, number and code word ‘WINTER’ to amanda@fortemag.com.au.

@kellie_up @seanpmcd

Advertisers and agents are advised that all advertising copy is their responsibility under the trade practices act. Advertisements are published in good faith and on the understanding that the content is legitimate and lawful. Advertisers and or agents submit advertisements at their own risk. The editor and creators hold no responsibility whatsoever for the content of the magazine in the case that it may offend. Forte accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions. Forte reserves the right to edit all articles and letters.

10 forte

Anthony Morris, Adem Ali, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Andrew Pretorius, Cameron Brogden, Chris Cruz, Chris Lambie, Daniel Lock, Emily Hurst, Jessica Alves, Dr John Lamp, Kara Ready, Montana Agustin, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird, Xavier Fenell, Tony Montana printed by

Fairfax Media Printing, Ballarat bookkeeping by

forte 11

12 forte

forte 13

14 forte

forte 15

know!

in the

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

Kurt at Home There have been few to gain as much access to Kurt Cobain’s life as Oscarnominated filmmaker Brett Morgan. As a result his documentary Cobain: Montage of Heck was the most intimate look at the singer we’ve ever seen and after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January received a phenomenal response. If you’re a fan, or maybe you’re just curious, the time is now to pick up your copy of the DVD and gain an insight into the life of Kurt Cobain.

Listen Out Returns

Earthcore Gets Worldly The announcement of Infected Mushroom as the headliner was reason enough to head down to the music, lifestyle, culture and arts experience that is Earthcore. Now with the international line up completed, we’re surprised you haven’t got tickets yet! The list was rounded up with; Aes Dana, Ajja, Alan Fitzpatrick, Alex Stein, Animato, Anklepants, Audiomatic, Captain Hook, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Chris Liebing, Coming Soon!!!, D.A.V.E the Drummer, Electric Universe, Grouch, Interactive Noise, Kukan dub Lagan, Liquid Soul, Major 7, Mandragora, Morten Granau, Oskar Offermann, OTT, Outside the Universe, Outsiders, Oxia, Perc & Truss, Phaxe, Pig & Dan, Ranji, Rodhad, Sam Paginini, Solar Fields, Sonic Species, Symphonix, Talamasca, Tsuyoshi Suzuki, U-Reckon, Vertical Mode, Victor Ruiz, Vini Vici, X-Noize, Zyce and many more to come.

16 forte

Kick starting summer, and a new look for touring festivals, will be Listen Out festival, officially making their comeback later this year. Bringing some of the best hip hop, dance, electronic and urban artists to a city near you, this time around the festival has opted for a change in venues. This year the Melbourne festival will run at the Catani Gardens in St Kilda – offering more space for punters. Mark September 26 in your diary, as this one’s set to be a biggie.

Fans First In the Josh Pyke world it’s clear that fans come first. And with his new album, But For All These Shrinking Hearts, he’s giving his followers a special

pre-order opportunity before the album is released on July 31. Available now through his website (www. joshpyke.com) the packs feature a signed copy of the album, a collectors lyric magnet set and a ticket to a fans-first show in Melbourne (or their city of choice).

With the Giants For those who were lucky enough to get tickets to the Dead Letter Circus gig in Melbourne on July 17, they’ve just announced the bands you’ll also be getting to hear on the night.

Supporting Dead Letter Circus in Melbourne will be HeadtorcH and I AM GIANT. Lucky you!

Amy Amy Winehouse had a life of ups and downs, ultimately ending in the most heartbreaking way possible. She was a woman of many talents and with her own unique style. There are many who have tried to explain her way of life, but often the best way to try and understand is from observing her yourself.

The Amy documentary will be hitting the Sydney Film Festival, but until it comes a bit closer to home you can take a look at the haunting documentary with the extended trailer just released.

Breathe in the Flume Let’s not pretend you weren’t waiting around for a new Flume song, because how could you not be? Good news came last week when the days of waiting came to an end when Flume’s new track ‘Some Minds’ debuted on triple j. The track features Andrew Wyatt on vocals and is a slower number than past tracks with an electro beat really coming to the forefront as the song comes to a close. Be sure to check out the clip which takes a floaty tour through the Sydney Opera House.

A Fair Jenner It seems to be in the Jenner/Kardashian’s blood to break the internet with magazine covers, though for this Jenner it couldn’t have been for a better reason.

It’s been long known that Bruce Jenner was making the transition to fully becoming a woman and she’s now reintroduced herself into the world as Caitlyn Jenner with a gorgeous Vanity Fair cover. Put simply, with one simple cover story Caitlyn is changing her life and the lives of many others. Power to you!

know!

in the

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

Cause I’m a Muppet

Darwin Deez Hooks In Darwin Deez has just released a new track, ‘Kill Your Attitude’, and it’s just the quintessential pop perfection you’ve come to know and love from the musician. The track is a sneak peak from Darwin’s upcoming album due out later this year.

“Kill Your Attitude is a song about interpersonal squabbling” says DarwinDeez of the new track.

“I love to fight. To argue. I fought a lot with my mother growing up. Consequentially, it doesn’t feel like love to me if there isn’t fighting. But fighting itself is the opposite of love”.

Sniff Off It’s been long argued whether we actually need sniffer dogs at festivals or not. Do they do what they’re supposed to?

Are they really stopping the big-hitters of the drug supply industry? Supporting the debate is the Greens and as part of the party’s Sniff Off campaign the group have given notice of a bill that essentially aims to end the use of drug detection dogs on public transport, at festivals or various venues without a warrant. According to the Greens, the statistics point towards the sniffer dogs being ineffective, with two thirds to three quarters of positive responses from the dogs being false. As a by product the bill will remove the embarrassing process of being searched in a public space.

There are few things better in this world than a “live” band clip made possible with puppets, and Tame Impala have proven it to be true. ‘Cause I’m A Man’ sees all band members getting a puppet makeover and fully rocking out.

Seriously, even if this wasn’t the great song that it is, we’d be watching it on repeat.

Lana’s Off Her Honeymoon While it’s not the romantic sort, Lana Del Ray has taken a little break from our airwaves since releasing her album Ultraviolence in June last year. It’s a short break, but with such a following behind her it’s important to keep everyone happy. There have been rumours Lana has announced her next album, titled Honeymoon, to be released in September.

We don’t know about you but spring seems like the perfect time to be listening to Lana’s sultry vocals.

An Australian Blues Explosion When you’ve been making music for close to a quarter of a decade, you’re certainly doing something right in our books. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion is such a band, and they’re bringing their musical expertise to Australian shores in a

national tour. The band are set to hit Melbourne on August 8 as part of the Supersense Festival.

Tickets are available now.

SOAK’s Living the Dream Out now SOAK’s debut release, Before We Forgot How to Dream, takes a look at her earlier years growing up in Ireland. She sings of isolation, family and what to do with your future, all in her delicate and raw vocals which have been compared to the likes of Laura Marling. It’s well worth your time so make sure you grab yourself a copy.

Quite Literally a Full House For a series that seemed to be happening one moment, then not, then happening again, we’re just glad it’s all come to fruition. Making its screening even more sweeter is the addition of Bob Saget to the team, joining fellow original actors John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron-Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber. This really is the reunion of all reunions.

Clip For the Bros One of the many bands set to play Splendour later this year, Wolf Alice have just released the film clip to their hit single ‘Bros’.

Filmed in Holloway, North London where lead singer Ellie Rowsell grew up, the clip takes a look at the elation of true friendship.

“It’s an ode to childhood imagination and friendship and all the charm that comes with that”, says Rowsell.

Grimes Tweets Her Secrets We all know Grimes as the singer giving it all to her fans, and in a few tweets back and forth, the singer revealed that there’ll be a new “surprise” album coming our way in October.

Let’s hope there’ll be a surprise tour to follow...

Montaigne Lives Through Video She may be a new name to you, but Montaigne is truly making waves in the industry. Following on from her acclaimed debut EP and sold out national tour in April, the musician has just released a live clip for her track ‘A Cinematic Plea For An End’. “Cinematic the song basically expresses several issues with idealism, both in platonic and romantic relationships,” explains Montaigne. “It is pretty much a letter to myself which is me trying to ensure that I don’t create unreasonable and idealistic expectations of situations and relationships, so that I don’t hurt myself nor others.”

Rose is the New Black It’s probably a good thing Forte came out today and not tomorrow, as with the new season of Orange is the New Black airing tomorrow ( June 12) we know there’ll be nothing to take your attention away from it. With the new season also comes a familiar face, as Australia’s own Ruby Rose will be one of the new characters donning the stylish get-ups.

Dates Worth Regurgitating Regurgitator is a band that have undeniably done some incredible things for the Australian rock scene, and giving us a good name internationally is just the beginning. There’s no better way to show your thanks then by attending one of the shows for their national tour. Regurgitator will stop off at The Prince Bandroom in Melbourne on September 4.

LIVE MUSIC EVERY FRI / SAT / SUN

AT GEELONG'S NEWEST GARDEN BAR FRI 12 JUNE:

SAT 13 JUNE:

SUN 14 JUNE:

COVERS DUO

SOLO SET

SUNDAY SESSION

LUKE HINDSON

ABE ANDERSON

BEN DEW

FRI 19 JUNE:

SAT 20 JUNE:

SUN 21 JUNE:

COVERS DUO

ACOUSTIC TRIO

SUNDAY SESSION

LUKE HINDSON

DEAR IVY

BEN DEW

GROVEDALEHOTEL.COM.AU 1300GROVEDALE (1300 476 833)

WEB. PHONE.

GROVEDALEHOTEL forte 17

18 forte

T H E THURSDAY 11TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Helen Townsend BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Trivia Night from 7:30pm BEAVS BAR: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc) - Live and Local, $13 Pizza night EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA HOTEL: Eureka Thursdays with local DJs LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink PISTOL PETES: Nigel Wearne THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 ST JAMES: Live DJs

FRIDAY 12TH JUNE BARWON CLUB: Bound by Hound, Bond Street Vandals, Chuck Tom Stevenson Band BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Live Music BELMONT HOTEL: Abe Anderson BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: The Gems CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: Kit Convict & Three Terrible Two, Lanewaves, Lime Lagoons EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs GOLDMINES HOTEL (Bendigo): Lloyd Spiegel

fortnig h tl y

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Luke Hindson HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with live DJs KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Marlbrah THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm MAX HOTEL: Trojan ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Bill Chambers, The Weeping Willows PISTOL PETES: Tim Hulsman SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music ST JAMES: Live DJs SUTTONS HOUSE OF MUSIC (Ballarat): Al Quartet

SATURDAY 13TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): DJ BARWON CLUB: Glittergang BEAVS BAR: Live Music BELMONT HOTEL: Peter Chapman BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Cor Ten THE EASTERN: The Dead Salesmen, The Yard Apes, 23rd of Elvis, Tsugnarly, Horris Green, CRAK, The Rye Catchers, The Blowouts and more.

EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: $5 Night, Live DJS GPAC: Dave Hughes THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Abe Anderson HOMEHOUSE: Prosd, Steve Camp, Marcus Pearsons, Keith Evans, James Rogers KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Clowns THE LOFT (Warrnambool): Bec & Elwood Winters, The Alamo MAIN BAR (Ballarat): Lloyd Spiegel MARTIANS CAFE: Shaun Kirk MAX HOTEL:

Hey Charger ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETE’S: Andy Phillips & the Cadillac Walk SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music ST JAMES: Live DJs: House, Hip Hop, RnB SUTTONS HOUSE OF MUSIC (Ballarat): Ballarat Ska Union

SUNDAY 14TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): DJ BARWON CLUB: Test Pilot Molly, DJ Helmer BEAVS BAR: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Steak and Parmi 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 GOLDMINES HOTEL (Bendigo): John McNamara GROVEDALE HOTEL: Ben Dew ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Lloyd Spiegel SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music ST JAMES: Live Music & DJs THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17 SUTTONS HOUSE OF MUSIC (Ballarat): Ari & Rhi

MONDAY 15TH JUNE BENDED: Steak night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Parmi night THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 16TH JUNE BENDED: Parmi night BLACK HATT: Bachata Dance Classes ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Parmi night

WEDNESDAY 17TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Karaoke THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke BENDED: Second chance & pub quiz 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 HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (Ballarat): Sex With Strangers MAX HOTEL: Lukey’s Open Mic Night OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Roast night PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues WERRIBEE PLAZA TAVERN (Werribee): Kevin Bloody Wilson

THURSDAY 18TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Girls Night Out BEAVS BAR: Live Music BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live and Local, $13 Pizza night EDGE GEELONG:

Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Asahi Seafood & Chips Night EUREKA HOTEL: Eureka Thursdays with local DJs HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (Ballarat): Sex With Strangers KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Feast of Crows LORD OF THE ISLES: Trivia in the courtyard MARTIANS CAFE: $25 International Night including drink ODYSSEY TAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Roast night PISTOL PETE’S: LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS: Tex Miller THE SPHINX HOTEL: Schnitzel Night from $13 ST JAMES: Live DJs ULUMBARRA THEATRE (Bendigo): Comedy Festival Roadshow

FRIDAY 19TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Simon Carroll BALLARAT DISTRICT & TROTTING CLUB (BALLARAT): Kevin Bloody Wilson BARWON CLUB: Revolution, The Run, Jordan Riddle BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Happy Hour 5-7pm, Meat Raffle & Members Draw BEAVS BAR: Live Music BELMONT HOTEL: Matt Baird BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Happy Hour 5-7pm BLACK HATT: Acoustic Avenue THE CAPITAL (Bendigo): Reece Mastin, Seaforth CITY QUARTER BAR: Friday Unwind from 5pm. Live with live entertainment and DJ THE EASTERN: Spray Paint, The Living Eyes, Cuntz, Lime Lagoons

c alen d ar EDGE GEELONG: Live Music and DJ ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday EUREKA HOTEL: Live DJs THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Luke Hindson HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (Ballarat): Sex With Strangers HOME HOUSE: Homehouse Fridays Party with DJs LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE (Warrnambool): Kitty Flanagan THE LOFT (Warrnambool): MASSIVE THE LORD NELSON: Happy Hour 5pm-7pm MAX HOTEL: This Is For Abbey ODYSSEY TAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETES: Montgomery Bros SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music YAH YAHS: Crown of Thorns, Kerri Simpson, Shannon Bourne

Grasshopper (free) GPAC: Pirates of Penzance THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: Dear Ivy HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE (Ballarat): Kitty Flanagan KAROVA LOUNGE (Ballarat): Bad News Toilet HOMEHOUSE: Travlos, Steve Camp, Marcus Pearsons, Keith Evans, James Rogers MAX HOTEL: Adventure Playground ODYSSEYTAVERN AND BREWERY: Live Music PISTOL PETE’S: Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood PRINCE BANDROOM (Melbourne): Reece Mastin, Seaforth SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Kevin Bloody Wilson ST JAMES: Live DJs: House, Hip Hop, RnB SUTTONS HOUSE OF MUSIC (Ballarat): Anna Bilbrough

SATURDAY 20TH JUNE

SUNDAY 21ST JUNE

BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Josh Dance BARWON CLUB: Mexican Showdown, Rust Proof, Crowned Kings, Vicious Circle, Soutpaw, Ganbaru, Wilful Damage BEAVS BAR: Live Music BELMONT HOTEL: Lachy Cartledge BIRD ROCK CAFE (Jan Juc): Live Music and Happy Hour 5-7pm CHERRY BAR: Miss Ink Melbourne plus The Hunted Crows Live COPACC (Colac): Comedy Festival Roadshow THE EASTERN: Esvee, Midnight Green, Angus Younga and DJ Bogues & Elev8 EDGE: Live Music and DJ EUREKA: $5 Night, Live DJS GEELONG RSL:

BARWON CLUB: Good Face For Radio, DJ Merv BIRD ROCK CAFÉ (Jan Juc): Steak and Parmi 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: Ben Dew LORD NELSON: Sunday Funday Live Music OLD HEPBURN HOTEL: Dog Gone South SAINTS & SAILORS (Portarlington): Live Music THE SPHINX HOTEL: Carvery from $17

MONDAY 22ND JUNE BARWON CLUB: $10 Parmis BENDED: Steak night CHERRY BAR: Cherry Jam Monday’s ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Members Draw, over $3000 in prizes to be won!

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Parmi night THE SPHINX HOTEL: Meals for $11

TUESDAY 23RD JUNE BENDED: Parmi night ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $20 Steak & Drink night GEELONG RSL: Steak Night $13 OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Parmi night

WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE BABUSHKA BAR (Ballarat): Karaoke THE BARWON HEADS HOTEL: Master of Dartness and Poker from 7pm BEAVS BAR: Open Mic, Karaoke BENDED: Second chance & pub quiz 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 MAX HOTEL: Lukey’s Open Mic Night ODYSSEY TAVERN AND BREWERY: Paddle and Platter Night OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (Hepburn Springs): Roast night PISTOL PETES: Food and Blues

forte 19

20 forte

Seth Sentry FEATURE STORY Written by Abbey King

I caught up with Melbourne based Aussie hip hop artist Seth Sentry the day before his sophomore album, Strange New Past, was due to drop. The first two singles ‘Run’ and ‘Hellboy’ have been generating lots of excitement amongst fans who have been heavily anticipating its release, I asked him how he planned on spending the day.

“I’m going to be laying low. I’ve built an underground bomb shelter and I’m just going to sit in that so I can’t hear anyone or read any reviews or anything like that. Nah, it’s all good man, I’m just really excited to get it out, you know ?” Seth answers.

“The feedback’s been really good so far actually, the first two songs have gone well. The first song we just did on iTunes, we didn’t do a big launch or anything. That was kind of fun getting feedback from that – it’s all been really good!”

Seth’s first album was an incredible success, released in 2012, This Was Tomorrow, debuted at number six on the charts and even led him to become Channel V’s Oz Artist of The Year. Seth and producer Styalz Fuego have spent the best part of the last two years penning and producing this second recording ; with fans rejoicing all around the country when it was finally let out into the world on June 5.

“We probably spent about 18 months on the recording process, then probably another six months on top of that for writing – so 24 months all up,” he says.

“I didn’t over think the concept of the album or the topic choices for each individual song, I just went with whatever my

first instinct was.”

Seth has booked in a whopping 48 date tour which all kicks off this week following his performance at the hip hop heavy Come Together festival at Luna Park in Sydney on the weekend. Seth got the chance to perform some of the new material on a line up that also included Thundamentals, Horrorshow, Remi and Ivan Ooze.

“Festival line ups like that – when there’s just heaps of rappers and that – it’s just like a whole bunch of friends hanging out, it’s just going to be awesome.

I really can’t wait!” he smiles.

The Victorian native is very impressed by our current live music scene and is looking forward to getting back out and amongst the crowds, not just in the major cities but also the smaller regional gigs. Having grown up in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, Seth understands the importance of looking after his fans in all corners of the country.

“Victoria have it pretty good though I reckon, Melbourne is very lucky when it comes to it’s music scene and the hip hop scene in general,” he says.

“I know what it’s like to have one of your favourite artists to come to your town, so in that sense I wanted to reach out to as many of my

When&Where: The Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – July 15, Black Swan Hotel, Bendigo – July 16, Barwon Club, Geelong – July 17, Karova Lounge, Ballarat – July 21 & Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool – August 2.

fans as possible. We’re going to New Zealand this time too, which I am pretty excited about – it should be really good.”

The Strange New Past Tour will take Seth to mid-September, crazy to think about considering we just hit June. He admits that such an extensive touring schedule takes its toll on life’s luxuries, including much required down time and sleep for that matter.

“Once you get about a quarter of the way in you get to that stage where you can do it, without

even really thinking about it,” he says.

“We kinda have to switch it up, we get bored, we’ve got short attention spans so we like to try and switch it up almost every night where possible. You’re constantly fine tuning everything, especially when on the road. Plus every show I kind of have a little section where I freestyle and kind of improvise a song just to keep it fresh as well.”

Joining him this tour is Dylan Joel and Ivan Ooze, Seth is a huge fan of both and isn’t ruling out the possibility of an

R O F G

H S CA

N I K O LO

UR O Y R FO

UNITY

COMM

AND ARTSTIVALS FES S

S T R A JECT? PRRFOESTIVAL O

T

GRAN

on-stage collaboration, “Sometimes we like to get everyone up on stage and have a bit of fun! It’s just going to be such a fun tour.”

So what are his plans post-tour?

“After the tour, I’m going to sleep for a little while and then we’ll be coming into festival season, so we’ll go do a couple of festivals I think. I’ve got Sizzle here, my DJ, ‘What are you gonna do Sizzle?’

Sizzle says, ‘Ecstasy and d-floor’. So I’ll do weed and video games, then we’ve got all bases covered!”

Fast 5 with SETH SENTRY! Weed and video games or ecstasy and d-floor?

“Weed and video games, that’s a no brainer.

What’s the worst thing about touring?

The coffee, actually no, it would be the NO weed and video games I think!

Well actually, this tour there is going to be an Xbox with us, we’ve got a sweet TV set up in the tour van, so we’ll be alright!

Favourite fast-food?

That would have to be the margarita pizza from my local pizza place, it’s actually just been named the best margarita pizza in the world! Pretty amazing.

Iggy Azalea yay or nay?

Mmm, yeah...nah.

Do you want to elaborate?

Not really.

What’s your favourite thing about Geelong and regional touring?

I just love regional touring. I just love the fact that everyone gets so loose and just has fun and are so appreciative when you head out there. I grew up in a regional town myself so I know how much it means to have live acts come through your town. No one else is stupid enough to do a 48-date tour!

AM 016 MMUNITY TS PROGR 2 5 1 O N 0 S C THE 2 D OF THE IVALS GRA Y 2015 R ORGANISATION L O T N S U S ROU AND FE DAY 1 J UNITY GROUDPFESTIVALS ARTS S WEDNEMSOFFERS CTOSMPMROJECTS AN A OPEN ING PROGR ,000 FOR AR

NTS OMMUNITY EACRTT)S A R G C TS PROJ TS BLE

O $6 EXCIT THIS S OF UP T T N A GR

A ALS AVAIMLMUNITY FESTIV

(AR UNITY AR OMM C IENNIAL) (B

O S C E OFF) TIVAL (ON UNITY FES NT) OMM C VELOPME ESTIVALS (DE UNITY F TS OMM TY/AR C IENNIAL) MUNI M O R T C ( .AU/ .COM RALIA T S U ONGA .GEEL WWW ESS. PROC 15 LY 20 HE ONLINE U J 1 T 3 IDAY E FOR M FR ILABL 5.00P NCE IS AVA

TIMES N O I S S FO SE N I D AN INES L E D I GU DUE

IONS T A C I PPL

A

TA

ASSIS

forte 21

Lloyd Spiegel Written by Kara Ready

Celebrating 25 years as a blues artist, Lloyd Spiegel’s upcoming national tour is sure to be unlike any other. After taking last year off to plan for the next phase of his career, Spiegel is gearing up for an extensive list of gigs that will showcase his journey as a musician from where it began to where it’s headed with the unveiling of new music.

“It’s kind of a timeline of the last 25 years for me and it’s exciting going into some old material I haven’t played for a long time – even songs I’ve never played live,” he says of the set list.

Despite an impressive history of shows behind him – including a coast-to-coast tour of the U.S that he’s clocked six times over – Spiegel still enjoys making his way down to the regional towns and venues that he credits with keeping the local music culture alive.

“It’s sort of how I grew up, playing intimate venues in Victoria. And as a kid, that was a tour – to go Bendigo, Ballarat and then Hepburn Springs,” he says referring to the towns he’ll be visiting in the coming months, “I really like the intimacy of a smaller room.”

In many ways, these small shows are a chance for him to go back to his roots. Considered somewhat of a child prodigy, at an age when most kids would be dancing to whatever was on the radio, Spiegel was spending his time at blues jam sessions. By the age of 10 he was playing shows with people he then considered idols but now, over the course of the past 25 years, those idols have

Todd Cook

turned into his peers.

“My influences were Melbourne blues players; those people were like rockstars to me,” he says reflecting on the time he spent on the local music scene. “You can’t go and see blues bands as a four or five-year-old kid and not want to play guitar.

It’s just something that happens to you.”

25 years on, Spiegel is one of Australia’s most successful blues artists and guitarists, having shared the stage with a slew of industry legends such as Etta James, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. However, when asked to pinpoint a few highlights of his career thus far, he points to the opportunities that his music has given him rather than the personalities he’s met.

“The highlights of the

“ All I did was learn the guitar and all of a sudden you’re in all these situations that you never thought you’ d be in in your wildest dreams...”

hear the didge being played traditionally and with purpose. I got taken under the wing of some great didge players. It went from there I guess.

What made you decide to include it in your music?

Whenever I play, regional Victoria, Darwin, outback NT or overseas, people really connect with it. They’re instantly listening and I always receive such positive feedback. It’s always just felt natural to include it in some of my music.

What kind of stories do your ‘dark, turbulent songs’ from your album tell?

My last release had a song about the Black Saturday fires on it called ‘Brilliant Green’. It was a collaboration with local artists from the West Gippsland area. It was about the regrowth after the fires had been though. The first sign of things getting better was these bright, green tree ferns amongst

the blackness. I thought it was a great sign of hope after so much devastation.

While you’ve spent considerable time in NT you did grow up in Gippsland, do you think that has influenced your sound?

Definitely. I grew up in a small farming community called Athlone in West Gippsland. After living in N.T and touring and living in Scotland/Ireland it feels like halfway, a meeting place. There is also an Athlone in Central Ireland and the countryside is really similar; lush, green paddocks, rolling hills. The Athlone in Australia doesn’t have any castles or churches though. It has wombats, wallabies and Wedgetails. Which I think are a lot cooler.

I also picked up a lot from my time living in Scotland and touring consistently through Ireland. I almost predominantly play in DADGAD tuning now which has a lot of connections with Celtic Music. It can be quite sparse and haunting which I think reflects the wide open space of N.T as well.

What’s your ideal response from the audience?

Tough one... Not sure. If people can find a connection with your music or you can move them in any way that’s pretty amazing. If people get it, I’m happy. Some people like to move, dance or sing and some people just like to kick back and take it all in. All crowds are different. I love meeting people from all walks of life. Every gig you play can be everything or nothing. You never know who you are going to meet.

Thanks again for the chat, is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up?

Thanks for having me. Anyone who wants to come say hi and check out my music go to www.toddcook.com.au

last 20 years aren’t so much about music... There’s been a lot of great festivals and a lot of great gigs in a lot of great countries, but the truth is that music is just that passport I’ve used to get places,” he says.

“All I did was learn the guitar and all of a sudden you’re in all these situations that you never thought you’d be in in your wildest dreams, so I’m very thankful for that.”

Describing the upcoming tour as “my way of saying goodbye to that era and introducing the next,” it’s safe to say that Spiegel has no plans to stop making music anytime soon. For someone with over two decades of success behind him well before the age of 40, it’s clear that this is just the first of many anniversary tours that fans and Spiegel himself can look forward to in the years to come.

When&Where: The Goldmines Hotel, Bendigo – June 12, Main Bar, Ballarat – June 13 & The Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – June 14

Q&A

If you’re after music with heart and that tells a story, look no further than folk/roots singer Todd Cook. We took a look into Todd’s life, his love of the land and how he came to playing the didgeridoo ahead of his Ballarat show later this month.

Hey Todd, thanks for chatting to Forte Mag! How are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Hi Forte, no problem at all. I’m well thanks. I’m currently doing a number of shows throughout regional Victoria and Tasmania. I normally head north to N.T or to U.K during our winter. But I thought I would embrace the season, put on a beanie and get out and do some shows. Hopefully some punters want to get away from their fireplace and embrace some live music as well. I think I have chosen some of the coldest places for this tour. West Gippsland, Tassie and Ballarat – bring it on!

I love that your music includes the didgeridoo, which is a tricky instrument to master, did it take you a while to pick up?

Honestly, I’ve been at it since I was kid. I got my first didge when I was about 10. We were on a family holiday in Kakudu and we bought it off a local bloke who we gave a lift to. We were staying with the head Ranger, who was a family friend, for about two weeks. I remember visiting a number of communities and kicking the footy with the local kids. When it got too hot we’d have a play of the didge – it’s something that just clicked for me.

I moved back up to N.T when I was about 21 to play AFL in the off season. The club I played for had an amazing local connection with indigenous communities. I got to

When&Where: Old Drouin Butterfactory, Drouin - June 20 & Main Bar, Ballarat – June 27

Ali Penney Written by Natalie Rogers

With that chill in the air there’s no denying that the Echuca Moama Winter Blues Festival will soon be upon us. So picture this: a warm venue, a glass of red wine and Australia’s queen of the blues Ali Penney with her hot band the Money Makers.

Sounds like the perfect antidote.

Ali Penney can be summed up in just five words: a breath of fresh air. But to list all of her accomplishments you’d need a lot more. Together with her band she has won six Chain Awards (including Best Female Vocal), she is a music teacher, a university student, a mother (soon to be a grandmother), but most of all she’s a music fan who can hold her own on and off stage. “In a couple of weeks I’ll be finished university, so I’ll be kicking up my heels!” smiles the vivacious Penney.

“I’ve got a great bunch of musos together to join me at the blues fest. My brilliant new guitarist, Matt Ross, has got a new [self-titled] CD out that’s zipping up the blues charts at the moment – and he’s a great guitarist and singer. We’ve been doing a lot of duets and he’s put a new colour into my music – he’s also helping me write my songs. We did four new songs up at Broadbeach [Blues On Broadbeach Music Festival], so hopefully we’ll be able to do an EP before we play at Echuca.”

Along with Matt Ross, Ali’s ‘Money Makers’ include Mike Rix and Rossco Clarke. “Mike’s an incredible bass player and Rossco’s a great blues drummer. They’re such great guys and so supportive,” Penney says. “Rossco plays 22 forte

with Don Hillman, Tex Miller, Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Ray Beadle and Clayton Doley and lots of different blues bands.

“The blues community around Australia is so phenomenal – we’re like family. I love the guys I play with. When we’re away I cook breakfast for them every morning. I think they expect it now! One morning my guitarist said to me, ‘Everyone’s hovering around the kitchen. I think they’re waiting for breakfast.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding me! Well I’d better get it on then!’” she laughs.

“That’s our tradition now – a good cook up.”

Penney has a natural instinct to protect and nurture those around her.

It may come from raising sons or from giving music lessons to hundreds of primary school children over the years. She knows

When&Where: Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival – July 24-26

the importance of being inspired and can still remember the night she fell in love with the blues.

“I was a bar maid at the Bridge Hotel back in the late eighties and early nineties. The Hippos were playing there and Bridie King was playing the piano. She’s the first woman I saw playing blues, and I was like, ‘Wow! What is this music?’ She’s my blues godmother, and I was so excited when I got to play with her last year at the Narooma Jazz Festival – we had a ball!”

Penney is now leading a strong league of women in blues music. “I recently did a showcase with Lil’ Fi, Cara [of Hat Fitz and Cara] and Sweet Felicia. I love hanging out with my blues girlfriends. We have such a good time and I always get inspired to write new music after seeing them. I always get song ideas from people – if you wander around long enough someone’s bound to say funny shit to you. That’s what Lil’ Fi says: ‘Don’t tell a song writer your story, cause you’ll end up in a song’.”

For your chance to see Ali and her blues crew, plus a handful of others, head to www. winterblues.com.au and get your tickets to the Winter Blues Festival on in the last weekend of July.

loop!

in the

the best source for local music & entertainment news | ba ll a r at | bell a rine | Bendigo | ca stlem a ine | geelong | surf coa st | wa rrn a mbool

ALPINE pg.31

Bloody Hell, Kevin

In the Garden of Eden

Hopefully you caught our recent interview with Kevin Bloody Wilson. It was a ripper. If not, check it out online now I tell ya. Born in NSW, Wilson spent time in Kalgoorlie working as an electrician in the gold mines before finding his comedic voice. After more than 30 years in the game, he still has the ability to make you laugh, kinda feel uncomfortable about laughing, and then laugh some more – all while selling albums in numbers that would make any band envious. Werribee Plaza Tavern, Werribee – June 17; Ballarat & District Trotting Club, Ballarat – June 19; The Sphinx Hotel, Geelong – June 20; and Paramount Theatre, Echuca – June 24. This family affair features his daughter, Jenny Talia, as support.

It’s only a touch over a week before songbird Karise Eden kicks off her ‘Things I’ve Done’ tour, named after her album of the same name. Chances are you will know Karise as the winner of The Voice in 2012. Then the age of 19, Karise was breaking records for the most number of singles in the national sales chart – four songs in the Top 5 ARIA singles chart, no less. She would also have the biggest selling album for a local artist for the year. Things I’ve Done is her first original album, following on from 2012’s everywhere album My Journey. For those who missed it, her Australian Story feature can be found through abc.net.au. Regent Cinemas, Ballarat – June 18 & The Capital, Bendigo – June 20.

forte 23

loop!

in the

b a l l a r at

|

b e l l a r i n e

I’m Terrible at Names Minimalist garage-punk trio Kit Convict & Thee Terrible Two will celebrate the release of their LP Watch Your Skull with noisy little bashes at The Eastern, Ballarat on June 12 and The Bridge, Castlemaine on June 13. Kit Atkinson is the man behind it all. You may know him from London-based outfit The Kits, or you may not. The thing you should know is that he is one of Melbourne’s garage mainstays. Watch Your Skull is 17 songs, recorded live to tape. The majority of the album’s tracks (fifteen, if you’re one that likes specifics) fail to break the twominute mark, and that is just the kind of straight to the point music kids seem to dig these days.

Get there early for some super fun happy guests.

That Batpiss Smell There are few record labels that could so effortlessly home Batpiss the way Poison City Records do. Clowns, Luca Brasi and The Bennies are among the company Batpiss will keep thanks to the release of their newie, Biomass. The album, which was recorded over a five-day stretch at Melbourne’s Cellar Sessions studios and produced by Max Ducker, is the followup to 2013’s Nuclear Winter. From the band: “Biomass is disinterested in dying a quick, cool death or playing to any perceived standard; it simply captures a band willing to explore the parameters of heaviness, emotion, storytelling, and power within its three-sided pain-cage.”

The Barwon, Geelong – July 31 & The Eastern, Ballarat – August 1.

In an Irish Pub Following on from successful outings at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and previews in Sydney and Melbourne, Damien Leith is taking his new show, The Parting Glass – An Irish Journey, on the road. Damien plays the roles of a father and a son in the production, catching up on lost time over a few drinks.

In putting together the show, the charming songman wanted to make the experience as authentic as possible as to what one may find in a pub in Ireland on a Sunday afternoon. With a band in tow (including tin whistle, fiddle and bodhran), a selection of well-known Irish songs also feature, including ‘Danny Boy’, ‘Raglan Road’, ‘Toss the Feathers’ and ‘Rocky Road to Dublin’. GPAC, Geelong – July 31.

24 forte

|

the best source for local music & enterta inment ne w s

B e n d i g o

|

c a s t l e m a i n e

|

g e e l o n g

Do You Believe in Magic?

Yo, you heard Magic Bones’ ‘Anytime Anywhere’ yet? It would be surprising if you haven’t, considering it’s being getting a lot of love.

Drawing influences from ’70s rock and ’80s new wave garage-punk, the track was not too long ago featured in a playlist by Deviate Magazine. If I am not mistaken, the band has been busy putting the finishing touches on a new single, so be sure you keep tabs on that one. Now, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but you may, you just may, get to hear this new track when the band hits Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on June 20. Joining them on what is sure to be a night of perfection is Bad News Toilet. If you believe in magic, come along with me.

s u r f

c o a s t

|

w a r r n a m b o o l

A Day with Adalita The undeniably cool Adalita has lined up a very special show at The Bridge in Castlemaine on July 10. While there was many a heavy heart when the songbird said goodbye to former band Magic Dirt, a new phase began with the release of her self-titled debut album. It was a difficult path, but one inspired greatly by the late Dean Turner. Old Magic Dirt fans loved it, and new fans were found. A period of self-examination and personal growth followed, strengthening not just her character but arguably her music. The result was her second album, All Day Venus. Adalita: “It is a very personal record to me, but I know that people will get different things out of it. The songs represent what I’ve been going through over the last couple of years. It’s a journey of psychological exploration, trying to understand by own behaviours and emotions. I wanted to document these new awakenings and transformation … I’ve never felt strange about the personal nature of my songs. There are quite a few volatile emotions involved. But even with the passing of time, these are moments that deserve to be honoured.” If you’re in the area, Adalita will also be performing at this year’s Reclink Community Cup on June 21. [Photo by Warwick Baker]

Tobias Hengeveld

Tobias Hengeveld & James Kenyon

james kenyon

Two of Melbourne’s finest will finish up their little adventure together will full band performances at The Bridge, Castlemaine on June 19. First we welcome Tobias Hengeveld. Tobias has been a part of the Melbourne indie-folk scene for a good decade or more.

You may know him as one half of Scout Hall or perhaps as the principal songsmith for The Night Bell. He is also a pretty handy solo performer. His new solo album, The Daylight Express, was written throughout the winter of 2012. Its name is owed to the rail service that ran from Melbourne to Sydney and is described as a “dynamic ride of moody rock tunes, down to dark ballads that draw you in a bit closer”. Next we welcome James Kenyon. The third of five Irish Catholic kids, James was born in Gawler, SA, but these days calls Melbourne home. He grew up on a community farm before taking odd jobs to pay his way. Later, he studied fine art at the VCA, taking advantage of the college’s studio to write and record. Describing his songwriting as a “view from a car or a busted metal bridge or a window in a hall”, he released his debut album, The North Pole, in 2012. [ James Kenyon photographed by David Harris]

Suttons House of Music With a rich musical history, Ballarat’s Suttons House of Music has become a wonderful new addition to Ballarat’s music scene since reopening its doors.

And they have plenty coming your way. Instrumental music performance concept ALQuartet will perform on June 12. Featuring seasoned professionals, ALQ combine live performance with loops and effects in a chill-out jazz style.

The following night, June 13, welcomes Ballarat Ska Union.

With their movin’ and groovin’ big dance sound, the Union features the outlandish talents of Stella Savy on vocals and guitar, Bryn Hills on trombone, Wayne Parker on guitar and Mick Timcke, John “JD” Davey and Pat Emery on horns. Barry Deenick, Geoff Hassall and Andrew “Vinnie” Vincent form the backbone of a supertight rhythm section.

On June 27 you have Australia’s Got Talent finalist Dan Conway taking the lead of Sun on the Moon, a James Taylor tribute show.

Backed by a nine-piece all-star band, two sets of James Taylor classics will be performed.

Finally, a heads up that Wes Carr will present his George Harrison tribute Here Comes the Sun on July 31.

As well as the music, Wes will share intimate tales and anecdotes about the late, great songman. Keep up to date through suttonshouseofmusic. com.au.

|

Cold Chisel’s One Night Stand There was a time when the thought of Hanging Rock hosting bands would have been met with quizzical looks.

These days it just seems to make sense. Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, the Eagles and Rod Stewart have all played there, with ‘Rod the Mod’ having performed twice. There was also a time when the thought of Cold Chisel reforming for lengthy tours would have been met with quizzical looks. These days, it too seems to make sense. By now, then, you would have heard that the band will be performing at Hanging Rock as part of their ‘One Night Stand’ tour, becoming the first Australian band to headline. Most readers would be well aware of where Cold Chisel sits within Australian music ranks. In 2009, the band reformed for a one-off performance at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium where some 50,000 turned out, the biggest crowd of their career. Further shows and tours followed, with the band finding new audiences while reconnecting with those who grew up with them.

When they announced they wished to construct a show that referenced their 1983 Last Stand tour, they sold 20,000 tickets within minutes. There was little they could do other than announce a full tour. Hanging Rock, Macedon Ranges – November 21. With The Living End, Mark Seymour & the Undertow and Stonefield.

b a l l a r at

|

b e l l a r i n e

|

the best source for local music & enterta inment ne w s

B e n d i g o

|

c a s t l e m a i n e

|

g e e l o n g

Aboard her 1966 Bedford bus, Irish­born songwoman Áine Tyrrell headed for the Australian outback with a head full of songs and a heart full of questions.

She returned with her debut album Queen of Swords, an album written in abandoned mines and underneath the stars. The album’s first single is ‘Where Were You’. From the press: “It asks, how does the private devastation of a lost pregnancy compare to the public graveside despair of a newly faithless grandmother? Who are we to compare, and offer comfort to, grief ? And what part of us leaves when a loved one is gone?” At the time of writing a Geelong launch was to be announced, so make sure you check in on ainetyrrell.com.

Rug Up for Winter It’s not the easiest of things facing the winter mornings, but the Rug Up Ballarat Winter Festival is doing its little bit to give you a big warm hug. Think of it is a Snuggie.

Encouraging people to rug up and step out, the event includes a winter delights market featuring local designers and makers, Sara Kittelty’s Pop-Up Café with homemade treats, a local artist sculpture garden and interactive art. There is plenty for the little ones as well, including BallaRatCat for Kids where the team is thrilled to present The Listies.

The main event takes place at the Mining Exchange across June 20 & 21. For all the answers to all your questions, hit facebook.com/RugUpWinterFestival.

s u r f

c o a s t

|

w a r r n a m b o o l

Everything Lucie Thorne

The Cannanes Soldier On

Girls Do It Better

The beginning of the month welcomed Everything Sings Tonight, the new album from soulful songbird Lucie Thorne. So what’s a gal to do but tour?

Kicking off a touch later this month, Thorne will spend most of her time on the road until the end of August. Sweet jebus, even Tasmania gets a look-in. Thorne, along with her long-time partner and drummer extraordinaire Hamish Stuart, recorded the majority of Everything Sings Tonight in Berlin while on a European tour last year. Chris Abrahams, Bo Ramsey, Dave Symes, Greg Brown, Tim Thorne, Chris Parkinson and Pieta Brown all feature on the recent release. The Bridge, Castlemaine – August 22.

Let me take you back to a warm evening in February 1985. It’s Sydney, and a bunch of loveable misfits take two guitars, a drum and some cider and set up shop outside Hellenic Hall in Abercrombie Street with a sign that reads “the Cannanes play 40 of their greatest hits”, or something along those lines. Sure, back then that may have been a stretch, but 30 years later and The Cannanes are still around. They have toured all over and back again, becoming known as “the world’s most indie band” along the way. They also have over 10 full-length albums under their belt, plus a stack of other releases. Get to know them and love them, if you don’t already. The Bridge, Castlemaine – June 27.

Boys are made of puppy dog tails. Girls are made of rock and roll. This coming Saturday night, June 13, Bendigo’s Music Man Megastore opens its doors to some of the most bad-ass female-fuelled talent you’re ever going to come across. Divine Ascension, The Creptter Children, Acolyte, Tequila Mockingbyrd and TJ & Sons will all be there. But there is more. Z Fit Studios will provide a group burlesque performance, while Saari FrochotRyan will perform solo. Saari has studied Music Theatre through Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance and internationally at The Forum in Malmö, Sweden. Last year she performed in four musicals. Doors open at 8 p.m. Ladies get in for free.

These Three Kings

The Inquisitive Áine Tyrrell

|

Make no mistake about it: the combination of Ian Collard (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Benny Peters (vocals and guitar) and Jason Liu Soon (drums) is a recipe for good music and good times.

Collard and Peters have toured the US and Europe with their outfits Collard Greens and Gravy and Benny and the Fly By Niters, while Liu Soon has supplied the beats for Chris Wilson and The Detonators. They have been described as a Melbourne blues supergroup, forming in 2011 with a hardhitting, greasy blues style. Their self-titled debut was a winner, winning ‘Best Blues CD’ in The Age Music Victoria Awards within a fortnight of its release. The Piping Hot Chicken Shop, Ocean Grove – June 20.

Shaun Kirk’s Got the Blues Here’s hoping Shaun Kirk loves himself a good pub meal because he is going to spend a lot of time on the road in coming months. Not that that is anything new, as over the last four years he has played some 400 shows. He has also released four albums over that time, the latest of which is Steer the Wheel, his most experimental and electrified album to date. It also marks his first recording with a band, with Danny McKenna (drums) and Grant Cummerford (bass) at the core of the tracks. Saints and Sailors, Portarlington – June 12; Martians Café, Deans Marsh – June 13; Gold Dust Lounge, Bendigo – June 27; Piping Hot Chicken Shop, Ocean Grove – July 3; and Apollo Bay Hotel, Apollo Bay – July 4.

Hot Dub, Hot Damn!

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego Tom Lowndes, otherwise known as the multigenerational party machine Hot Dub Time Machine? Not too long ago it was Coachella; a little later in the year it will be Edinburgh.

Fortunately, there are a few shows for us local fans before he takes flight once again. Since making his debut in 2011, Tom, as Hot Dub Time Machine, has taken his wild ride of a show to festivals, theatres, rooftops and venues all over the world. For those unfamiliar, HDTM begins its journey in the 1950s and ends in the present, powering though the decades in a floor-filling party where everyone is a VIP. It’s time to kick some past. The Karova, Ballarat – July 4.

Geelong Laser Tattoo Removal free consultation tattoo removal and fading

18 James St, Geelong 5221 4174 0478 616 905

geelonglasertattooremovalcom.au

loop!

in the

forte 25

loop!

in the

b a l l a r at

|

b e l l a r i n e

|

the best source for local music & enterta inment ne w s

B e n d i g o

|

c a s t l e m a i n e

|

g e e l o n g

|

s u r f

c o a s t

|

w a r r n a m b o o l

the road with their hot, slick licks. The Bridge, Castlemaine – June 12.

They’ll be joined by Luna Deville.

A Dog of a Day Dave Gorman (vocals, guitar and double stomps) and Chris Canning (harmonica) are behind Dog Gone South, a little blues duo that manages to rack up some 120 gigs annually. Dave has been listening to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall, Eric Clapton and Muddy Waters for as long as he can remember. In 1976, his brother took him to see B.B. King (with Dutch Tilders as support), a gig that made a huge impression on the then sixteen-year-old. Chris taught himself to play the harmonica while driving tractors in Central Queensland.

He picked up work as a roadie, where the band would get him up to play the occasional song.

Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs – June 21.

I Love Your Von Stache The Gibson Flying V guitar – oh yeah! This majestical instrument forged in the pits of awesomeness has been played by the likes of Lonnie Mack, K.K Downing, Albert King and Grace Potter. Few can handle its greatness, and few even dare try. Geelong’s guitar slingin’ party girl Von Stache knows no fear. Born by the name of Sarah Armstrong but forged by the name of Von Stache, she holds the kind of power one needs to play the Flying V. Recently ditching her synth and her electronica sound for the guitar lifestyle, things have been travelling along pretty well. She has been very busy writing new material, the latest taste of which is ‘If I Stop Too Long’. Check her out at facebook.com/VonStacheMusic.

Words & Music by Tully On Tully The lovely indie-pop quintet that makes music by the name of Tully On Tully released their new track, ‘All These Words’, earlier in the year.

Teaming up with Tony Buchen, the song is, according to the band, “an exploration of nostalgia; of days past that leave a distinct impression on us. It’s about those times when inhibitions fade and sexuality knows no boundaries, and the realisation that feelings of emptiness will come to shape who you are”. The track is a taste of a new release the band is currently plotting, which unfortunately I have no further information about at this stage. However, if you head down to The Loft in Warrnambool on July 3 you can pester them about it there.

The Blues Train The Blues Train will take June and July off to escape the weather but will return in August with another month of amazing shows. And it’s probably best to get in now as tickets don’t tend to hang around for too long. The experience is a beauty. You have four different themed carriages with different seating configurations. On every show you are treated to a solo act, a duo, a trio and then a full band, each offering an intimate concert for just 50 people at a time. Each event includes three intervals for rest and refreshment, plus a meal at the historic Queenscliff Railway Station. Tickets can also be purchased for October and November, with December presales available from July 1. [Photo by Lachlan Manley]

The Village Festival Come celebrate the winter solstice in Castlemaine this June 20 as Victory Park plays host to The Village, a warm and cosy celebration featuring music, physical theatre, circus, storytelling and visual art – and perhaps even the odd thing or two that defies categorisation. From midday, good times will abound with highlights including the ‘So You Think You Can Interpretive Dance’, the ‘Famous Village Dog Show’ (dogs only – none of those shifty cats) and the sideshow carnival with old-style games and lolly shop re-invented for 2015. Roll on dusk and a fire lighting ritual will coincide with ‘Stories of Castlemaine’, a wonderful imagining of town elder stories interpreted by local community members under the guidance of experienced artists. Steampunk theatre, music, circus and pyrotechnics will help bring these stories to life. From the team: “The Village is a beautiful, beguiling festival that exists to provide an intimate environment in which professional and non professional artists and audiences can meet each other in bliss. The programming aesthetic is populist, accessible, quirky, and littered with the familiar and the exotic. Folks you know personally and things you never knew existed.” Once again, that is June 20 at Castlemaine’s Victory Park. Hit up thevillagefestival.com.au for further information.

26 forte

Howqua & the Naked The word about Ben Campain is spreading far and wide. Under the moniker Howqua, this Melbourne songman recently enjoyed his international debut shows at Canadian Music Week. It proved to be a winning trip, with the songwriter signing with US label The Agency Group after rep Adam Kreeft approached him following a show. He also found a fan in six-time Grammywinning producer Steve Lillywhite. Describing his music as raw, honest and emotive, Naked is the name of his debut EP. Funded by a successful Pozible campaign and an Arts Victoria Grant, the release, produced by Hayden Calnin, was met with a stack of glowing press. The Loft, Warrnambool – June 27.

Three Shots of Tequila There has been a fair bit of Tequila Mockingbyrd action of late, and there is plenty yet to come. The rockin’ trio has been playing the support role here and there throughout the year, but a little later in the year the band will be headlining shows as a way to showcase their blistering EP T-Byrds Are Go, as well as giving fans a little taste of their forthcoming release.

No doubt you’ll hear

‘Everyone Down’, a track from T-Byrds Are Go, which the gals recently recorded a clip for at Lighthill Sound Studios.

If all goes according to plan, Tequila Mockingbyrd’s debut album should be out in October. Music Man, Bendigo – October 4 & The Loft, Warrnambool – October 17.

Fun4Kids Festival Tickets for 2015’s Fun4Kids Festival are on sale now. Widely regarded as Australia’s best festival for children, the festival is made up of several fun zones aimed to both entertain and educate. Activities, games and workshops all feature. Taking a look at last year’s event and we saw a 2.5-acre village host 16 different zones ranging from cooking to creating, baby animals to woodwork. In order to keep things fresh, some of the zones will change in 2015; however, if you have a look at the website listed below you’ll get a better feel of what is in store. The Fun4Kids Festival takes place in Warrnambool from June 28 to July 4. Take a closer look at things by hitting up fun4kids. com.au.

A BellRays of Sunshine It seemed like a cruel joke when US soulpunks The BellRays announced an

Australian tour and then cancelled it within the space of months. But bless their cotton socks, they’re making up for it – and you’re hearing it here, well, not first, but that’s the way this crazy fast-paced rock and roll world works.

All that really matters is they’ll be bringing the goods to Geelong’s Barwon Club on August 12 and Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on August 13.

Since their formation in 1990, the band has released over a dozen albums. Living by the ethos ‘Punk is the preacher, blues is the teacher’, the band’s visit will be their third in recent times. Get down and dirty with their heart-breakin’, soulshakin’ rock and roll.

The Eastern There is more magic coming your way at The Eastern in Ballarat this month. First up you have Dec McKinnon & the Knockabouts on June 18. Recently performing as a trio in Melbourne, Dec and his pals are now warming themselves to crowds in our territory. So please make welcome Dec McKinnon on vocals and guitar, Ryan Trickey on drums and Tom Stevenson on bass. Good pals of Dec and co. are genre slicers and dicers Elasticalpaca, and they hit the venue on June 25. Theirs is a hybrid of punk, hardcore and trash. Towards the end of the month you have

Into Ruin, Stoning, A Greed Science and Feast of Crows teaming up for a whopper show on June 27. You’re spoilt for choice.

He’s a Champion Greg Champion, the voice of the ‘Coodabeen Champions’, was born in Victoria and raised in South Australia. He has written hundreds of songs across his time, with 1996’s Aussie Christmas with Bucko & Champs, an album recorded with country music star Colin Buchanan, his highest-selling. Like John Williamson, Eric Bogle and Ted Egan, the songman is known for capturing the Australian way of life, perhaps most notably through his songs of AFL and cricket. Way back in 1983, Champion drifted into radio as part of the Coodabeen ‘You’re only young once, but anyone can be immature’ Champions, who continue to enjoy a home on the ABC today. Lonsdale Golf Club, Geelong – June 14.

Tim, Have You Met The Bamboos?

Don’t forget that Tim Rogers and The Bamboos have added a show at Torquay Hotel on June 26, and it’s all got to do with their collaborative album The

Rules of Attraction.

The album is available for your sticky hands now, so give it a spin so you can have a singalong at the show. Tim and The Bamboos have had a relationship for a few years (they first stepped out together with 2012’s ‘I Got Burned’), but they finally took things to take it to the next level with The Rules of Attraction, their first full-length album.

The man on the street says that it is “a heady brew of down-home grit, driving rhythm and larger-than-life technicolour swagger” – and the man on the street has never let me down yet.

Simply Smokin’ Featuring dual vocalists, blues harp, twangy resonator guitars, Hammond organ and five-string slap bass, blues outfit Smoke Stack Rhino perform the kind of music that will make you weak at the knees. They formed in 2013, quickly gaining a following through supports with the likes of Dallas Frasca, The Love Junkies, Tumbleweed, Geoff Achison and Phil Manning. They parted ways with their original vocalist, Ben LL, in mid2014, but it sure didn’t slow them down as they welcomed Dave Sirianni to the fold. Showing off their new line-up, and with a bag of new party tricks, the band is on

Put Your Holidays on Ice Musical partnerships don’t come much sweeter than that of Angie Hart (Frente!) and Dean Manning (Leonardo’s Bride). The two souls comprise the wonder that is Holidays on Ice, who last year released their third album The Luxury of Wasted Space, “a tongue in cheek reference to the modern aversion to emptiness”. The crowdfunded album was recorded and produced

by Dean in his living room to an eight-track reel-to-reel. One of the tracks on the album is ‘Dog with Wings’, and it is this song that has them playing a small number of shows, including Old Church on the Hill, Bendigo this Saturday, June 13.

Local singer-songwriter Pat Ward supports.

Check out his EP, Moonlight.

If You Want My Gigs, You Got It Thanks, Cheap Trick.

Here we go with a little more. Marlbruh will be at Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on June 12.

The Black Aces will do their thing at The Bridge, Castlemaine on June 26. The second annual Light of the Day concert will take place at the Piping Hot Chicken Shop towards the end of July. The event raises funds and awareness of Parkinson’s. Jon Stevens hits the Torquay Hotel on June 13. Reece Mastin has a date with Bendigo’s Capital Theatre on June 19. The Old Hepburn Hotel hosts Bill Chambers on June 12 and Lloyd Spiegel on June 14.

Fast Five: DAVE HUGHES Dave Hughes may be a man who makes us laugh, but what does he think about the tampon tax and Tony Abbott? We put it to Dave to answer in our Fast Five.

Fast Five: Veronica & Lewis, triple j Drive presenters They may be the kooky hosts keeping you company on your drive home, but their bond with Geelong is much more than just as voices through your car speaker. We took five with the past Geelong locals on their thoughts of the city, best interview ever and more.

First thing you do when you get back to Geelong?

Best person you’ve ever interviewed?

Check for new bollards on the waterfront, then see which ex-blue light disco venues have been turned into apartments so we can look at them and know that people got handjobs in what is now someone’s tastefully renovated kitchen.

interviews occasionally so we weren’t sure if this would happen. When it did I barely kept it together but he was so charmingly enthusiastic that we had a ball and now I love him even more.

If you were forced to do one thing for the rest of your life what would you pick?

Wink. But only if you could alternate between eyes.

Describe Geelong in three words?

Seriously? Darryn Lyons?!

L: RZA from the Wu Tang Clan. Rappers cancel

V: Kings of Leon. They had a touring hairdresser with

them in the studio and they let us smell their hair up close.

It’s aroma was a floral explosion.

What are each others’ worst habits?

L: [Veronica] accidentally dressing like me most days. It

makes her feel like a scrawny teenage boy and me feel like a confused older woman.

V: [Lewis] using a lettuce keeper as his preferred

container to store lunch meals. He has no respect for the well established rules surrounding appropriateness of Tupperware.

Thoughts on tampon tax?

Well ridiculous. It’s obviously not a luxury.

Spirit animal: A pelican, I just love pelicans!

There’s just something about them; the way they fly and how calm they look, their big mouths, I dunno I just love pelicans.

Aside from yourself who do you think has had the best comedy career?

I love Mick Molloy. I’m good friends with Mick and love listening and watching his work.

Early riser or night owl?

I’m a night owl, I love hanging out at night but my children are early risers so we’re really incompatible.

How would you describe Tony Abbott in 3 words?

Bewildering, fit and a survivor.

When&Where: GPAC, Geelong – June 13

You can catch Veronica and Lewis on triple j (107.5) from 3-5.30pm.

forte 27

Café Culture

C h ap e l o n L i tt l e R y r i e It takes a while to build character in a café, and not everyone can achieve it. Though for Chapel on Little Ryrie, originally functioning as a Baptist church since it opened in 1857, the building simply oozes charm.

The buildings past lingers with the baptismal font exposed below through a clear section in the flooring, the high arched ceiling and the aged wood throughout, though it’s the quirky additions like the quote ‘Thou God Seest Me’ on the far wall as you enter that make the Chapel the popular eatery that it is.

Part of the colourful and modern additions to the venue are thanks to owner Ben De Rosso, who took over the building two and a half years ago with his partner Natasha – who works as head chef.

“I just came in and brought a bit more colour and liveliness to it: all the art stuff, the colour, the vines, tables and chairs. Just to bring in a bit more homeliness and friendliness to it,” he says.

Adding an even homelier touch to the café are the homemade treats that sit in the front counter teasing each customer that approaches. Wanting to keep it simple, Ben made sure that each slice was a family favourite and one that evoked memories of the past.

“I was a little scared at the start because we were making slices that everyone knew, and we thought maybe that was a bit too much, there wasn’t that ‘wow factor’,” he says.

“But to be honest our biggest sellers are the comfort ones, the ones that everyone knows. I love that fact that people can have something and let us know that they used to make that or their grandma did – it’s good to have something like that. To be able to bring back a memory for them means we’re doing something right.”

Beyond creating memories through their treats at the counter, the Chapel is also a venue for hire. Catering for functions ranging from engagement parties to corporate events.

“It’s pretty amazing because there’s not many venues in Geelong where you can have it purely as a functions venue without having something else like a pub downstairs interfering. When they hire it, it’s completely theirs and they have it the whole time,” Ben says.

While Ben has put much thought into creating the atmosphere of the café, he looks forward to seeing how each person reinterprets the space with their personal additions.

All in all, Chapel on Little Ryrie is about making memories, whether it’s as a church in the 19th Century, while having lunch with friends or as the sun sets during an engagement party.

Where: 10 Little Ryrie St, Geelong When: Mon-Fri 7.30am-3pm

Website: chapelonlittleryrie.com Phone: 5222 6905

Written by Amanda Sherring / Photographed by Thoughtbox Photography

ADVER YOUR HER

CALL ABBEY O

28 forte

Functions cater for 120-150 standing or 100 for a formal sit down.

The space also features outdoor decking which can be opened to through bi-fold doors.

RTISE CAFE RE!

ON 0431 898 745

forte 29

TWISTED ECHIDNA BOOKING AGENCY PRESENTS

S T E K C E I L T A S ON W! NO

$XVWUDOLD·V 3UHPLHU Pink Floyd FRQFHSW EDQG

The Capital, Bendigo thecapital.com.au | 5434 6100

Friday, 3 July

Her Majesty’s, Ballarat Saturday, 4 July hermaj.com | 5333 5888

ZZZ H[SHULHQFHÁR\G FRP 30 forte

ALPINE LOCAL FEATURE STORY Written by Amanda Sherring

In a black one-piece Lou James croons at the camera, twists and turns and seductively looks back to onlookers as she sings of vanity. It may be commonplace for such sultry behaviour to occur in video clips (‘Foolish’), but in reality the pressures to perform are quite different from what we see on screen.

“You do have the pressures of having to look a certain way, but at the same time, I do love dressing up. I’ve always found glam does have a bit of an influence on me and I love the whole theatrics of it,” Lou says.

“I think when you’re able to express yourself how you want to visually express yourself then it’s fine, but I think when you’re having to do it and it’s not a reflection of your personality that’s when it’s uncomfortable.

“Sometimes you have to be really open minded with it as well. Which is quite funny because sometimes you’ll be like, ‘What do I look like?’ and then see the photo and be like, ‘Oh okay I get it’. After everything; the context of the photo, the makeup, the hairstyle, the clothes, all the elements come together and it looks amazing. But if you take them separately from each other it looks really odd.”

While there may have been times Lou has felt the pressure of society’s gaze, her moments of expression have outweighed each and every one of them – some times were a bit more regrettable than others.

“If you’re comfortable you can just express yourself more freely.

There were definitely times when we first started where I used to go really crazy with liquid eyeliner. I’d make all these crazy shaped designs and we looked like these crazy glam goths. At the time we thought it was really cool but now I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so bad,” she says laughing.

With a strong background in theatre, fellow singer Phoebe Baker included, the two have made the conscious decision to let their inner most creations come to fruition. As a result on stage the singers can be spotted wearing blue with pink, sequins, frills in any place and the same experimentation can be said of their makeup.

“When we both first started making music we decided that we really wanted this to be a visual show,” she says.

“You can easily download music or buy a vinyl or a CD and you can listen to it anywhere, but we really wanted to make the show an experience and that’s where you get to release your alter egos and have 45 minutes to an hour just to let loose.”

What’s refreshing is that with their talent individually as singers and the eye-catching stage costumes their often wearing, there’s no competition between the two for the spotlight.

“It surprised me one day because someone said, ‘You guys must really compete for the attention?’ I just found that so bizarre, because not to mention that Pheebs is my best friend, but I wouldn’t be in a band if I was competing; I’d want to be the sole female vocalist if that was the case,” she says.

If anything, the time the two have spent together has given them an unimaginable connection. You’d almost think they were the same person if it weren’t for the fact they couldn’t be more different.

“We look so different and we perform so

different but it’s really one voice conveying the song in different ways,” she says.

“We know each other so well and we lived with each other for a year and we’ve toured with each other so we’re always very in tune with what we’re trying to communicate.”

And as they’re different people they often experience varying emotions. As Lou tells me, performing can be a tricky thing to face when you’re not feeling your best.

“It all depends on how I’m feeling.

That’s the thing when you’re performing on stage, it can be really overwhelming. You can be having a really shit day or you can be angry or sad or you could be really ecstatic but you still have to perform,” Lou says.

“Someone watching the show might not ever think about that but the performer always has to be in the best mood and having an amazing time, so I think the way I perform definitely

depends on the way I’m feeling.

“Sometimes I mightn’t feel like I’m putting in as much as Phoebe or vice versa but because there’s two of us it balances, works really well and that’s how we compliment each other.

At times I’m having a crappy day and I feel like it’s all on me. Then I turn around and see that there’s five other people around me and I’m like, ‘Oh no we’re all here doing it together’.”

But as the stage lights come on and Phoebe

and Lou step onto the stage with the rest of the band, there’s never a moment when they don’t perform. Perhaps it’s because two heads are better than one, but more likely it’s because Alpine is an incredibly talented band and one of Australia’s best.

When&Where: Barwon Club, Geelong – June 25, Karova Lounge, Ballarat – June 26 & Forum Theatre, Melbourne – June 27.

Fast 5 with ALPINE! Guilty pleasure:

Oh my gosh my guilty pleasure… probably watching Louis Theroux.

Fashion faux pas: When I was a kid I had

these baggy jeans and I always tucked in my turtle neck but had the pants really high. There’s loads of photos of me and I just looked real bad.

Even though now it’s quite fashionable because the ‘90s are back.

Last thing bought: A raspberry white

chocolate muffin. Isn’t it the best, so good!

What’s your spirit animal? Easy, a flamingo.

Biggest pet peeve: People who don’t make

eye contact when they’re having a conversation.

I hate that very much!

forte 31

FROC K IT Three Things You’ll Need This Winter

Written by Katherine Reynolds www.katthewanderer.com | facebook/katthewanderer | @katthewanderer

Written by Jessica Alves | @jessicazalves

To me, winter has always been the most promising time of year for clean and stylish fashion trends. There’s something about the bite of the crisp air, paired with a deep coloured lip and a huge cosy jacket that just really gets my heart racing. That or the excuse to break open the piggy bank for those new boots – but enough about that. Here are three of what will be my most coveted items over the next few coming months.

Having a coat during the winter months is definitely a no-brainer. If you don’t have one already, you might want to think about investing. A massive colour trend in coats at the moment is camel. I don’t doubt you’ve seen it around, but I thought I’d mention it anyway, as camel can be harder to get right than you might first think. The trick to find the right camel for you is to work against the undertone of your skin. I know it sounds strange but beiges work best when they don’t blend with your skin tone – which is why warm skin tones go with cool beiges and cool skin tones go with warm camels.

I was born with naturally brittle nails. It had nothing to do with me not having enough calcium in my diet, because I’m convinced that I was completely addicted to milk and cheese as a child.

I mean lets be real, I still

am. But having naturally rubbish nails means that I’ve accumulated quite the nail polish collection over the years, making me a bit of a polish connoisseur. There is one particular nail colour trend that I’ve seen revamped time and time again, which is a deep wine red, reminiscent of the glass of red I’ll be having in front of my fireplace tonight. Deep ox-blood reds are a tried and true winter nail trend that will be here this winter – and the next – so keep a bottle handy, pun definitely intended.

Some people like bags, some people like socks, I’ve always thought of myself to be a bit of a knitwear junkie.

I absolutely die over a knitted jumper, but this winter brings a different kind of knitwear style to the shops, one that I’ve been gravitating toward greatly. It’s essentially your stock standard turtleneck jumper with the arms lopped off. I know it seems like a peculiar shape, but it’s such an amazing piece to layer with, as you simply won’t have to worry about having to squish bulky sleeves into your coat or jacket. I also love pairing one of these with a dress underneath, for added warmth and a modern but effortless silhouette. I’m also no stranger to a bit of a hair tuck when it comes to

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE HOLIDAY BLUES KICK IN.

to wash itself either! It’s better to get the two done as soon as you can – to avoid tripping over half emptied suitcases and rummaging through piles of dirty clothes once you’re back to your full time hours.

This will allow you more space and maybe a sense of organisation, helping to avoid you feeling too stressed out.

Eat healthily.

sporting a turtleneck. After all, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!

So there you have it, my current winter must-haves.

There’s even a little bit of colour in there! Now that it’s well and truly winter, if you need me, you can find me under the doona in bed hibernating, or in a heated shopping centre near you.

You all know the feeling.

You’ve just had an amazing time travelling – whether it was for one week, one month, or maybe even a year – and you come home and feel like you could run straight back to the airport if you had to, just to experience the holiday you had all over again.

You’re feeling a bit stressed and disorientated, with the thought of reality and work coming back into the mix after you’ve had the time of your life on the other side of the world.

I feel you. I’ve been there many times. And yes, it sucks.

So what should we do when the holiday blues strike? Here

are a few things I’d recommend.

It takes a bit of determination to get through this feeling, but we can do it! I have faith!

Accept that the feelings are there.

Of course you’re going to feel down. One minute you’re cruising through the glamorous streets of Paris, and the next minute you’re home alone with an empty heart – it’s totally fine to feel this way. So I’d encourage you to acknowledge it, and then try your best to deal with it with a positive mind.

Unpack straight away, and do the washing.

Sadly that suitcase isn’t going to unpack itself and that messy pile of washing won’t volunteer

I’m sure I’m not the only one that splurges on my holidays and treats myself to a macaron (or 10), and a few too many scoops of gelato. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of just eating what’s easy when you’re away, and most of the time that doesn’t mean healthy. So get back into your greens and treat yourself to nourishing food. If you eat healthily when you’re away, good on you! Keep up the good work when you get home. Your body will thank you for it!

Fight the jet lag.

Jet lag is something you don’t want to deal with when you’re feeling a bit down and lost. So go for a walk, empty your mind, get some fresh air and get familiar with your surroundings again.

This will help with the jet lag and also reignite your love for home.

I know the feeling is really awful, and it’s way too easy to get caught up in it. But we need to ease ourselves back into reality ever so slowly by also providing a happy medium, with parts of our trip still with us, at home, and of course, in our hearts!

With 13 stores in the Geelong, Bellarine, Ballarat and Surf Coast areas we really are the.

EXPERTS IN EVERYWHERE

SAY HELLO TO THE TRAVEL EXPERTS

Our locally owned and operated stores have well-travelled consultants that will cater to your individual requirements no matter what type of holiday you are after.

Come and see us soon for fantastic deals and our latest specials.

32 forte

Ballarat

(03) 5332 8088

Newtown

(03) 5221 9888

Drysdale

(03) 5251 1125

Highton

(03) 5243 9311

Leopold

(03) 5250 1210

Torquay

(03) 5261 9333

Ocean Grove

(03) 5256 1888

Geelong Market Square

(03) 5221 1722

Ocean Grove the Terrace

(03) 5255 5252

Geelong Central

(03) 5223 2788

Geelong West

(03) 5221 3611

Waurn Ponds

(03) 5244 3600

Corio

(03) 5274 2511

Top 5 earthcore Moments with main man Spiro Boursine

MINI CLASSIFIEDS Send your info to editorial@fortemag.com.au Individual use only, not for commercial purposes Local Bendigo Band Looking for Female singer, cover music, gigs waiting, phone Chris 0403258151 DRUMMER WANTED! Any age is ok, as long as you can play. Call 0430971319 Bass Player Wanted for dynamic (gigging) blues rock three-piece. Contact 0430971319 for more info.

Bass Player Wanted Experienced Bass player required for established working covers band: think Blondie, Free, Cream, SRV, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, Garry Moore and popular ‘60s/on wood bands.Own gear and transport a must. rehearsals at Ocean Grove.Call Ray on 0418512975 for more info.

Singer wanted for original band doing a mix of retro styles - soul, funk, latin rock, gospel, R&B, groove based stuff.

Over an album's worth of material already written, studio recordings, gigs etc.

Looking for the right voice so drop us a line and we'll take it from there! ben@ bellemusique.com.au Experienced 22 y/o singer, songwriter, guitarist looking for a drummer, bassist and lead guitarist to start up an original rock band based in Geelong. Inf luences: QOTSA, Sublime & Dave Grohl. Contact Tom at: 0487067083

Earthcore have long been pioneering the way for the dance music, lifestyle, culture, arts, festival experience in Australia.

Celebrating 21 years last year, the festival is back for another round and doesn’t appear to be slowing down by any means. With five stages across 1500 acres, attendees will be greeted with boutique camping, a Worlds Beyond Speakers Forum, Fractured Reality art zone, the Muffplex cinema, Kinky Karnival Freak Show and many other activities.

Over the years there’s been a countless number of once in a lifetime moments, for both punters and festival organisers, so we thought we’d take a look at main man Spiro Boursine’s top five moments over the past 21 years.

1. Infected Mushroom vs The Lightning (2004) Infected Mushroom have given us many magical earthcore moments over the years, but the one stand out moment was in 2004 during their set at dawn. There was a sudden break in the music, and this massive lightning bolt came down from the sky striking just behind the main stage, delivering one of the most impressive and mental images anyone can ever ask for. It was as if Zeus himself was paying tribute to an amazing set and act. Awe inspiring moment!

2. Tsuyoshi Suzuki’s epic set (1999) Tsuyoshi Suzuki is a gentleman and a legend on the global circuit, and we are very lucky to have had him play many sets for earthcore over the years.

The one set that always come to mind though is a truly amazing 4-hour NYD set back in 1999. He literally tore a hole in the time space continuum that day. And we are expecting him to be a stand out again at this year’s earthcore.

3. DJ Hell and the ciggies (NYE 2000) We knew that DJ Hell had quite the reputation as a man who loves to party. One thing we weren’t too aware of was his love for cigarettes. We booked him to play the very prestigious slot of seeing in the new millennium, and just one hour before dawn of the new century he ran out of his favourite brand of cigarettes. He refused to play until we bought him the correct pack. Luckily this was sorted just in time and DJ Hell played a stomping techno set!

4. Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction) plays deep house (2005)

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE!

Anyone that had a mild interest in the late-’80s – mid-’90s indie-rock music revolution would have heard of Jane’s Addiction. So imagine everyone’s surprise when we booked front man Perry Farrell for a DJ set. Yep, Perry joined us for an exclusive ‘deep house’ set – and there were at least 12 train wreck mixes to add to his portfolio.

5. Aphex Twin takes the piss (1996)

CALL LUKE ON 0422 809 042 When&Where: Pyalong, Victoria – November 26-30 Be sure to be a part of this year’s lot of memories, get your tickets at www.earthcore.com.au.

We hosted Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin at, technically not earthcore, but our sister event Technofest, a 3-day bush doof bender. He decided to play with a blender that had a microphone attached to it alongside just one turntable – with the records playing backwards. Yes, it was quite the experience.

Damo and Darren Creator, Michael Cusack There’s many moments of wisdom to gain from Aussie bogans Damo and Darren, and we could all learn a thing or two from the duo: ‘’Don’t take life for granted, ya never know, one day you can be there and the next your fuckin’ gone mate.’ While we can all relate in some way to the ciggie-smoking, dole bludging duo, it’s all thanks to fellow Aussie Michael Cusack who has created the clips from his imagination and daily observations and the local supermarket.

Hey Michael, thanks for taking time out to chat to Forte Magazine, seen any ‘bogan’ antics today?

I Haven’t! But that might have something to do with my scumbag lifestyle right now where I’m barely leaving my house.

What was the idea behind creating Damo and Darren?

There wasn’t a direct idea that sparked Damo and Darren, It was just growing up in a suburb of Australia where there were a lot of people like that. I’ve always wanted to do something on those kinds of people because I hadn’t seen it done before.

Did you think it would take off as much as it has?

No way! Like everything I ever do, I never expect people to like it (and sometimes they don’t lol). In fact, I only made Damo and Darren because I wanted to have a break from making another cartoon called ‘Yolo 2’ which I was half way through animating.

So it was just a bit of fun, and it turns out it got more views than Yolo 2!

How much of it is real life and how much is made up?

That’s hard to say, I could probably pin point certain things, but I think a lot of it is just made up.

Bogans: love them or hate them?

Both! A lot of people think that because I made Damo and Darren I must hate bogans/derros, but it’s really not like that. In fact, when you look at some people like that it really is tragic. Essentially what I’m doing is making fun of poor/under privileged people, which is kind of depressing when you think about it. But there are those times, when you’re waiting in line at the supermarket or something, or you’re at the RTA, and you’ll witness an aggressive 40-year-old bogan screaming at the poor woman behind the desk because of something super trivial, and those experiences just seep their way into Damo and Darren for some reason. I guess the short answer is it’s a love/hate relationship.

What can we expect Damo and Darren to be getting up to next?

I’ve got a few ideas for future episodes. There are plenty of things for them to get up to in their world of ciggies and dole bludging.

You actually do a few other cartoons, is creating them a great outlet for you?

Yes, it’s the greatest outlet ever. I used to want to make live action films, but I slowly realised I couldn’t achieve the things I wanted to do in that medium.

When I discovered animation

I realised I could do anything!

You’ve just got to draw it a thousand times haha.

What’s your go-to cartoon to watch for a laugh?

‘Sick Animation - The Snake’

by Marc M, I could watch it on loop all day.

Damo and Darren seems a bit like weed humour, have you ever had a puff ?

I have, but it just makes me have panic attacks and freak out.

If Damo and Darren were to share some wisdom with our Forte readers, what do you think they’d say?

Darren: I know you kids are musos ‘n’ shit, but do me a favour, just try to bring it back to the old days of Metallica and Guns n Roses, when music had some hair on its balls! Not this techno shit that they play on the radio, I can’t fucking understand that shit. Nah, just do what you love though ay.

Damo:....yeah...what he said...I dunno..

Thanks again for the chat, got anything to add?

Free Nelson Mandela(‘s Ghost)!

You can keep up to date with Damo and Darren antics via their Facebook (www.facebook.com/ damoanddarrenofficial/) or watch some clips on Michael’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/ MichaelCusackCartoons). forte 33

regional victoria's #1 music & entertainment magazine and online service!

34 forte

forte 35

Ceres Written by Jessica Alves

I was always into that kind of emo-punk music growing up. While most kids would be listening to Britney Spears, I’d have my headphones blaring Blink-182. It was in my blood, the kind of music I am – and have always been – drawn to. The first time I saw Ceres live I was in love instantly. They were opening for Violent Soho at The Barwon Club back in November circa ‘14. Initially, I had no idea who they were at all. I remember turning to my friend and saying something along the lines of, ‘This band is pretty alright’. A few months later and they’ve quickly become one of my favourite artists of the moment.

I was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to vocalist and guitarist Tom Lanyon about the origins of the band and their future plans together.

“I don’t think I ever decided that I was going to be this frontman figure,” Tom says.

“I don’t think I’ve ever consciously gone, ‘Sick, lets be a frontman Tom. You can do it’.” We both laugh at the thought and reminisce about the genesis of the band.

Starting back in 2012, the band formed quite quickly and in a flurry of decisions, they became Ceres.

The band has been notably M.I.A. since the end of their supporting act with Violent Soho, bringing out only one single in that time titled ‘Ceres Is For Lovers’.

The song was released as a free track for St. Valentines

Day in February 2015, and is still available for free download on the band’s site.

“It was such a big risk for Soho to take us out on tour. We hadn’t done a whole lot of huge things, so not a lot of people would have known us – so we were so grateful for that,” Tom says.

“We’re not very good at being a band,” Tom laughs in response to a question about their lack of shows following the Violent Soho tour. But is quick to add, “We’re just kind of writing for the next record and it’s super fun.” Which I for one can not wait for.

Ceres return to performing comes with their highly anticipated Winter Tour, which runs for about a month, from June 27 to July 25.

“It’s going to be more

Pretty City

When&Where: The Tote, Melbourne – June 27

of a party than a PR exercise,” he muses.

“We’ve got one new song that we can’t wait to play, so that’s come out of all of that M.I.A. time,” Tom jokes, poking fun.

“We’re tightening the screws on that to make sure that it’s the best that it can be, and you can probably bet that we’ll have a few of our older songs going as well.”

The exciting promise of a new record from the band

also looms on the horizon.

“We’re half way through writing [the record] right now. The dream would be to record it at the end of the year, and then release it early next year, which sucks,” Tom says.

“I’m impatient with this stuff. We just want to make sure we get it right and not rush it, so that it can just be the best that it can be.

When&Where: St James, Geelong - June 19 & Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne - June 20

Q&A

Aside from living in Melbourne and band member John-Luis Moretti’s moustache, there’s not much that’s ‘pretty’ about the band. Instead they unleash a unique blend of shoe-gaze, fuzz and straight out rock onto their listeners, that’s pretty incredible. We had a chat to the band ahead of their Triple A Single tour and their love of ‘riding the wave’.

Hey thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte Magazine, how are you?

Well thanks, shows, coffee, vintage gear on ebay..it’s the circle of life..

You guys have just finished off your residency at The Workers Club, was it nice to have a ‘home’ of sorts to perform at?

We enjoyed how it built up, and each show had a new energy and you just went with it. It was like home, I came to rely on it as a tranquil moment each week. I don’t quite know how I’ll go on without it now. Our friend Ken is the same, he’s gutted but I’m like, ‘It’s alright Ken’.

And how did the shows go?

We got a lot of exercise, and discovered some new places inside the songs. People are pretty legit with their party legs, we must say thanks as they made it super enjoyable.

You’ve also just announced a tour in support of your new music, are you looking forward to being able to share it with fans?

We mixed these songs with reference to how it sounds to be in the middle of the stage, surrounded by all the flavours of the band. I know that sounds obvious, but a lot of music really doesn’t sound anything like that at the moment. We love the energy of a show and bringing people onto that wave is the greatest feeling.

Let’s do this right people!

We saw that you had a bit of trouble deciding on what single to release, in the end going with all three, has it been a hard process deciding what to include on your upcoming album?

It’s an ongoing conversation, everyone in a band sees a different picture. Johnny has strong ideas, I have mellow fuzzy ideas and Drew is a clear thinker. This album has been quite measured

and calm by our standards, we went to the hills outside Melbourne to chill and record it.

Is there a voting process of sorts? What’s your system of making decisions in the band?

It’s more of a rolling passive-aggressive txt conversation - subtle mind games are important.

Given that your music is a really awesome blend of shoe-gaze, fuzz and straight out rock, were these the kind of bands you would go to see before you were on the stage yourself ?

Thanks for the kind words! We like the place we have

just feel like part of the job?

I am very comfortable with travelling. Some fellow DJ colleagues have trouble with the fact that you travel all by yourself most of the time, but that is totally fine with me. It gives me time to reflect.

On social media you do quite a lot of ‘Sunday Morning Meditation’ posts, do you actually meditate? Does that help you keep a balance?

I try to. I haven’t had any teaching for that, and I only do it in a short routine. But I try to get my mind not to think for a short moment. The music I post there, is just stuff I find inspiring and not so stressful as house music can be sometime. Just ambient tunes to clear your mind and listen to at home.

You’ve been announced as one of the artists performing at Earthcore

in Australia, is this your first time at the festival? Looking forward to it?

Yes, it is my first time. I have been to Australia twice before, but never to the festival. I am looking forward to this!

Given you’ve performed all over the world, how do us Aussies compare? Do we know how to party?

Oh yes my dear. I think the rave culture in Australia is a very good one. For instance in the cities you have all these Sunday day parties. Almost a little bit like Berlin, but just with better weather and beaches.

Out of everywhere you’ve performed, who has been the craziest crowd?

Hard to pick one... party wise. Some are just different. The Japanese are probably the most unusual crowd I’d say. Because they come to listen to your DJ sets. They won’t leave the floor until you’ve finished, even if you play a death metal tune... That is very special, I think, as it gives you the pleasure of playing more experimental stuff.

Have there ever been moments where things have gotten too crazy, or do you thrive off that?

Crazy is good I’d say... with the right people at the right time. And of course only if you manage to keep the balance. But the real madhouse moments are something which I find inspiring for my music.

Thanks again for the chat, any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do either. Respect nature and the environment – especially at a festival. Thank you!

arrived at. Music constantly feels as if it is converging. I had a couple of wow moments at shows that opened my mind to possibilities. The Delta Riggs jumping around in Sydney and Interpol at Falls festival. When we started we hung out and saw My Piranha, Bored Nothing, Sunbeam Sound Machine a lot, and there are bits and pieces of those bands swimming around our sound.

That kind of music is really meant to lose yourself to, are you still able to get lost in the music on stage or is there too much focus in the performance?

Live shows are a heightened experience that is unique.

“The whole reason I love music is because it moves me in this weird way that I can’t explain and if I can be that for someone else then holy shit, that’s the best thing ever.”

It feels like riding a brontosaurus around the ‘Rainbow Road’ level of Mariokart 64. It really feels massive when the sound is right. I’ve never had a ‘going through the motions’ moment, we find something to channel and ride it.

Lastly, we’re really loving the trippy watercolour art that’s on your posters and covers, is there someone in the band responsible for creating the amazing pieces?

The watercolour images are just the beginning, we have some pretty special imagery coming up for the releases. The single artwork was designed by our friend Sophie, who does amazing fluro-psych stuff. We are really happy with the visuals too, I’m glad people share our enthusiasm for them.

Thanks again for the chat, any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?

Thanks for the chat, come to a show and ride the wave.

Oskar Offermann Photo by Georg Roske

There’s a certain air about Oskar Offermann that feels so different to the DJs before him.

Maybe it’s in his Eurropean blood, but he’s managed to crack that fine balance between the crazy nightlife of his day-to-day (or should we say night-to-night) job and his life at home. You’ll get the chance to be in his presence at earthcore festival on later this year.

Hi Oskar, thanks for taking the time to chat to Forte magazine, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Right now I am very busy in the studio. During the week I work pretty much every day there. I have a very German working routine, which is highly unlikely for a DJ I guess... I get up with the daylight, run for an hour, and go into the studio until eight. But I try not to be too strict about my schedule, and enjoy life if I am having a bad day with no ideas.

We saw you did a little insight into the life of a DJ, which unsurprisingly featured a lot of plane trips. Have you worked out a good technique with flying so much and avoiding jetlag?

I am not a big sleeper. I need much less sleep than average people – that helps of course. And the good thing about my job is I am only at different places for a short amount of time, working at night. So in Asia I don’t even worry about the timezone. I just stay in my European one.

Is travelling the world another love of yours? Or does it 36 forte

When&Where: Earthcore, Pyalong – November 26-30

Forte Columns

PULP Written by Alastair McGibbon

2 HUNDRED to hug Written by Paul S Taylor

Welcome to TWO HUNDRED To Hug, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal.

To celebrate this milestone I thought I’d list the worst five metal albums I’ve encountered through the past two hundred columns over the past eight years.

5) Opeth - Heritage Just because it’s Opeth it doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong here. No matter who released this album it would still rank. You know, I get what they’re doing here but what they’re doing isn’t very good. In fact it’s pretty uninspired.

It’s not reminiscent of ‘70s prog and by extension it’s not psychedelic either.

Opeth can do amazing clean albums and Damnation is proof of that and oddly enough, that comes across more ‘70s prog than Heritage even though this album is a lot more textured and has a more analogue feel.

4) TesseracT – Altered State Soft core pretty-boy djent is a thing nowadays, perhaps a gateway band, as they say, or perhaps an artistic foray into how metal can be not metal.

Disjointed and coloured with soaring clean vocals, Altered State is all too the same the whole way through which then makes it predictable. Oddly enough, if you google “djent bands” Meshuggah have been pigeon-holed in with TerreracT and that is a major crime. F*ck you, internet.

3) Deafheaven – Sunbather This album should have remained from where it came; obscurity. Picked up as a number one by a hipster publication in the year it was released, Deafheaven became a name in metal with their brand of “shoe-gaze black metal”. While shoe-gaze black metal has never been a thing and hopefully never will be, this band somehow made it a thing for the two final months of 2013.

2) Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – Walk Through Exits Only This is what we call mid-life crisis metal. By all accounts there should be a lot more of this sort of disjointed, angry man trying to be an angry younger man music. It’s trying to be edgy even with it’s title but it’s not. It’s trying to be anti-media with the song title ‘Music Media Is My Whore’ and current with the song ‘Irrelevant Walls And Computer Screens’. It’s trying to be something it’s not, that something is palatable.

1) King 810 – Self Titled It’s easy to forget that there will always be a predominately teenage market or predominately angry lowsocio market for gang life inspired, super simple, un-catchy rap metal played by down and out, angry white dudes. King 810 are reportedly a crew of up to 50 or so gang members that circle King 810’s main man David Gunn and his three piece band. The gang’s exploits are narrated through the lyrics and those lyrics describe gang killings, murder, effects of murder, what it’s like to have murdered, death, living in the gang life and more murder, even more murder and what it’s like to live life as a gangster. Pure.

Utter. Mindless. Dirty. Shit. That.

Doesn’t. Belong. In. Metal. Take. It. To. The. Rap. Section. Sure, vocalist David Gunn doesn’t rap and on his many ballads he even tries to sing but that doesn’t matter.

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

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

Vic Hunt, one of the founding members of the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club, was well known to musicians and punters alike in the Geelong region, throughout Victoria and interstate.

Vic played in many bands – Blue Mountain String Band, Strait Snakes & The Standards, Grizzly Bros, 4.3 Bandinos, Momma Don’t Allow, Mallee Roots, ‘Ard at Work, Stringybark McDowell Trio, Pot Boilers with Jeff Lang & JP, and Captain Logan as well as playing in jazz, Irish and many other blues bands. No music or instrument seemed a problem for Vic. He could play harp, bass, guitar, jug and didgeridoo – and who could forget his vocals, or two of his famous songs, ‘Red Necked Mothers’ (his Union standard – sung at every Union event) and good old ‘Back to Ballarat’ – if only he had recorded them!!

Music permeated every aspect of his life, and his passion and enjoyment for performing – whether on stage or as part of a campfire jam session with friends and a few drinks – left wonderful memories.

Vic Hunt died tragically in a rafting accident in northern Tasmania on the May 19, 2003.

He was 56 years old.

His love of music was taught to his students and his encouragement and help to young musicians is something he will always be remembered for. The Vic Hunt Music Grant was set up as a memorial to Vic so that his passion for helping others will live on.

The aim of the grant is to provide a boost to a musician or band who needs that bit of help to get to the next level in their musical career.

The grant is not a popularity contest, not a reward for musical expertise, it’s not only for those starting out in a musical career either. What it is about, is making a difference, that is, we have $1,000 — where will it do the most good.

Deciding on the recipient of the Vic Hunt Memorial Grant is never easy. When deciding, musicianship is taken into account, but the criteria we really emphasise are having a purpose, having a clear plan, what alternatives the applicant might have access to, and, the biggest issue, the potential for the grant to make a difference.

This year the committee has decided that Josh Dance has best met these criteria. Josh has been playing for some time. He has a couple of CDs and a basic website operating at www.joshdance. com.au.

Josh presented the committee with a clear plan to leverage his current achievements, involving three aims; upgrading his instruments, upgrading his website and getting some professional demos.

As well as a clear plan, the costings were realistic and the outcome of these plans would be to lift his profile in the industry — all else being well!

Josh has been invited to the next SHBC gig on June 28, to present some of his material and to receive the grant. We wish him well with his future plan.

Oh boy, do I love Nick Spencer’s work. This is the same guy that writes a whole host of excellent titles, including Bedlam (one of my personal favourites, despite its extended hiatus), Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Secret Avengers and plenty of others. While I’ve previously talked about Spencer’s other works, this time around I’ve finally gotten my hands on volume one of his critically acclaimed Image Comics title Morning Glories.

I’ve heard a lot about Morning Glories – overwhelmingly good news, to be honest – and I’m really pleased that I was able to pick it up when I have. If there’s one theme I like to see used in comics, it’s Orwellian oppression – despite being incredibly depressing, George Orwell’s 1984 is one of my favourite books – and Morning Glories uses mystery, violence and Orwellian oppression to incredible effect.

From the very first page, you’re left with this remarkably strong feeling of unease; you can tell from the start that something is very, very wrong, despite the seemingly normal façade. This feeling gets stronger the further in you get; more details are revealed, and you can’t help but feel that something evil is churning away in the background.

Morning Glories follows a group of six promising yet troubled students who have just enrolled at the prestigious Morning Glory Academy. While it sounds rather like Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, it’s anything but; all students arrive at the academy the same way – not to mention mysteriously losing consciousness en route – share the same birthday and are all brilliant, in their own way. Each of the new students fit a typical school character type – Zoe is the popular, mean cheerleader, Ike is the rich, manipulative ladies’ man, Jade the emo from the Midwest and so on. While they all have clashing

PUNK! Written by Christopher Cruz

The mighty SNFU are finally headed our way! Shit a frickin’ brick. Catch them at the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood (not Bendigo!) on Saturday August 15 with special guests Wolfpack.

I am pinching myself right now, making it a little difficult to type.

Fans of modern rock and modern punk (is it just me, or is everything blurring into one big, generic heavy music mess?) will be creaming their jeans over the 2015 AFTERSHOCK Music Festival in Sacramento, California this October. Slipknot, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Bring Me The Horizon, Faith No More, Jane’s Addiction, Stone Temple Pilots, Black Veil Brides, Clutch, Suicidal Tendencies, Coheed & Cambria and Yelawolf (Eminem’s feral, but much less talented protege). Not denying that it’s an epic line up, but none of the bands are straight up anything. Yawn.

Actual PUNK festivals are always waaay more fun. Like RIOT FEST in Chicago. The crazy line up features No Doubt, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, Alkaline Trio, Rancid, L7, the Lawrence Arms, Pennywise, Bayside, CIV, the Damned and countless more incredible bands. There’s a small smattering of hip hop (Ice Cube and Cypress Hill, most notably) and metal (Motorhead, Anthrax) on the bill, but that just adds to the excitement. What a rip snorter!

Melbourne modern punk outfit Clowns have also found their way onto the bill.

personalities and agendas, they’re united by one goal: to find out just what the hell is going on, and escape their new, oppressive home.

While I was already a fan of Nick Spencer’s work – hell, I’m pretty sure I declared Bedlam to be my new favourite comic in Pulp a while back – reading Morning Glories has just solidified my love of his writing. The characters, while essentially adolescent stereotypes, are engaging, relatable and interesting – each of the new students has their own goals, reasoning and plans, and they have to rely on one another to succeed and survive. The overriding sense of mystery is excellent, and sets up a slow-burn story arc; while the first volume ends with something of a shock, you’re still left in the dark about what on earth is going on, and you immediately want to keep reading and unravel the mystery of Morning Glory Academy. Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on – a position that the students share – but the teachers alone are pure evil. Forget every horrible teacher you’ve ever known – Morning Glory Academy takes the cake when it comes to terrible teachers; at least your teachers didn’t try to drown you, strangle you or perform experiments on you! Something really, really weird is happening at the Academy, and I am definitely going to have to read more to figure out just what the hell is going on.

Well played, Spencer. Well played. Here’s my wallet.

Another band on that bill that I’m super excited about is The Movielife. Those guys broke up yeeears ago, and were at the forefront of the whole pop-punk/ emo crossover thing, alongside the equally awesome Saves The Day. I hope they stay together and finally bring their behinds to Australia.

I accidentally saw five minutes of an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians on Foxtel recently. In that brief time, I learnt that Kim has trouble telling the words angel and angle apart.

So now I feel bad for having ripped on a handicapped person all these years.

In a world where bands wearing hideous hipster clothes un-ironically refer to themselves as punk, we’re getting closer and closer to the genre losing its edge altogether. It’s little wonder that fewer and fewer new punk bands are forming, and the shrinking scene in each city is increasingly being dominated by the same three or four bands. Unless an Australian band along the lines of Rancid or the Casualties comes out of left field and breaks from the pack and makes a considerable impact, we’re as good as dead.

The Rabble came really, really close a few years ago, making some serious inroads overseas, particularly Europe. The only problem? They neglected to play enough shows in Australia.

Expect Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Australian tour dates to be announced any time now. ‘90s alt-rock kids must be absolutely PISSING themselves with excitement!

The double A-side single Hopes Abandoned released in 2013 has finally found its way online. Stalk their Facebook profile for more info and a listen!

Def Leppard are touring! They’re manya-punks’ hidden guilty pleasure, so don’t hide your feelings – buy a ticket to see them live before it’s too late!

And on THAT exciting note, I’m outta here for another issue. But don’t despair, I’ll be back NEXT issue, regular as clockwork!

pop culture

THE NIGHT VIBE

Written by Anthony Morris

Written by Tex Miller thenightvibe.com.au

Occasionally along comes a television show where pretty much all you can do is slowly look back and forth between the actual show and what everyone was saying about the show while you try to figure out where it all went wrong. Not that Foxtel’s big return to Australian comedy Open Slather (Comedy Channel, Sunday nights at 7.30pm) does anything all that wrong. It was advertised as featuring the giants of Australia sketch comedy… from 25 years ago (Magda Szubanski, Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Michael Veitch, Glenn Robbins, and Marg Downey, with slightly more modern names like Shane Jacobson and Stephen Curry in the mix), and true to their word, they turned up to do sketches that felt like they were 25 years old. Again, that’s not really a problem: there’s always a place for nostalgia on television, and Full Frontal was such a high water mark (in popularity if not quality) when it comes to sketches that staging a revival isn’t the worst idea anyone’s ever come up with. It was just hard to think of a worse idea for a show meant to signal pay television’s return to live comedy. Sketch comedy on Australian commercial television has almost always meant cheap and cheerful product used to pad out the drama requirements for a commercial television licence (yes, comedy counts as drama).

Occasionally it’s rated well enough to stand on its own, or one of the network chiefs has seen a comedy show as part of a balanced diet (as was the case at Seven for a number of years), but unless Shaun Micallef ’s been involved no one’s ever seen it as remotely cutting edge. So why do it on pay TV? Pay television in this country is something that people only sign up for if they actually want to watch what it’s got to offer (usually sport). The only way it can lure viewers away from the free-to-air networks is by offering something people can’t get anywhere else.

While it’s certainly possible to argue that local sketch comedy circa 1990: Magda Szubanski, Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Michael Veitch, Glenn Robbins, and Marg Downey are people you can’t get anywhere else, that seems more like a result of a general lack of interest from the Australian public rather than a high-stakes bidding war.

Meanwhile, the ABC actually is making the kind of show that we should have on pay TV: The Weekly (Wednesdays, 8.30) is an unapologetic Daily Show knock-off, but who cares – the real problem is that by being on a free-to-air network it can’t duplicate the anger and strident viewpoints that make The Daily Show so essential. For a show like this to work, it needs to be able to take a firm point of view on issues, then relentlessly mock the powerful from that point of view, but being on the ABC means it has to instead try to be “balanced”, resulting in a show that seems more pointless than hard-hitting. Maybe The Comedy Channel and the ABC could consider a swap…

Music is an important part of life and it’s quite funny to think what it would be like without it. From our morning commute to work to just chilling out at home, music is the food of the soul and something that pretty much keeps us all sane. In the last edition of Forte, we had the top five movie soundtracks from Holy Holy with undoubtedly the king of them all in The Blues Brothers. For this week’s Night Vibe Column, I thought I’d take a look at the greatest moments in film and television, in regards to music, and I think the perfect place to start is The Blues Brothers.

From the first scene where Elwood is picking up Jake out of prison and ‘She Caught The Katy’ by Taj Mahal starts playing, you know you’re in for a good time. The film pretty much justifies its own Night Vibe Column because there are so many great moments of music. From the opening lick of ‘Boom Boom’ to Bob’s Country Bunker and ‘Stand By Your Man’, having seen this film an uncountable amount of times during my childhood, I think it is the greatest movie ever. Especially when Ray Charles says, ‘I don’t think there is anything wrong with the action on this piano’ which breaks into ‘Shake Your Tailfeather’. Do I really need to justify to you that this movie has the best music?

Another film that definitely needs to make the list of greatest music in film is Almost Famous. Released in 2000, this film has had significant influence on both my personal and musical life. Yes, alright I admit it, it would be pretty damn fabulous to be asked by Ben Fong Torres to write an article for Rolling Stone and I know that it probably won’t happen and I am incredibly cool with that.

However, the music in this is great. From the moment that Zooey Deschanel gives her brother William all her records, you are transported into a world of amazing tunes and stories. From ‘America’, a classic track by Simon and Garfunkel, to ‘One Way Out’ by The Allman Brothers. The official soundtrack to this film could quite easily become the soundtrack to your next holiday, as you travel in a convertible down the coast with the wind in your hair doing about 95.

The now infamous bus scene is a definite watch and something that you should definitely blast from your stereo. Even if you are just streaming it on YouTube, it is definitely a part of cinema history and something you need to experience if you haven’t already.

Another worthy contender for awesome soundtracks to movies is Pulp Fiction. From the unmistakable guitar lick of Dick Dale with ‘Miserlou’ to Kool and the Gang’s ‘Jungle Boogie’, this movie is a cult classic for a reason. The first few times I watched it I didn’t really understand, but this soundtrack is sublime. Featuring Chuck Berry, Dusty Springfield and The Wallflowers, listening to the official soundtrack on its own is the ultimate experience. Bruce Willis singing ‘Flowers on the Wall’ by The Wallflowers has to be up there with one of greatest tunes in this film. ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘Rumble’ by Link Wray are also notable mentions in this film.

There are many infamous scenes to this film as well, which makes it something that you should definitely revisit to rock out and groove away to if you haven’t already.

Last on the list of great tunes in film is (500) Days of Summer. From the intro to ‘You Make My Dreams’ by Hall and Oates, this movie made its way quite easily onto this list. The Smiths classic track ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’, ‘Sweet Disposition’

by The Temper Trap and Wolfmother with ‘Vagabond’ - what a modern day soundtrack and one to definitely put on when cleaning the house or doing other household duties. A great playlist of songs that will definitely stand the test of time. There are plenty of other movies that haven’t made the list this time around, however if you keep your eyes peeled to this column over the next couple of issues, I’m sure to give you a more definite list. forte 37

JOINED BY!

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

JAMIE T

ROD LAVER ARENA TUE JULY 28 THE MAGIC WHIP – NEW ALBUM OUT NOW - BLUR.CO.UK

38 forte

WEDNESDAY 29 JULY MARGARET COURT ARENA THE ALBUM UPTOWN SPECIAL INC. THE 6X PLATINUM, ARIA CHART TOPPER UPTOWN FUNK OUT NOW ON SONY MUSIC - markronson.co.uk

SIDESHOWS ON SALE NOW PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

SUN 2 AUG 170 RUSSELL

W I T H S P E C I A L G U E STS

C I R C A WAV E S

TUE 28 JUL M A R G A R E T CO U R T A R E N A

W I T H S P E C I A L G U E S T S WAV E R A C E R + C O S M O ’ S M I D N I G H T

THU 23 JUL

G L I T T E R B U G T H E N E W A L B U M O U T N OW www.t h ewo m b at s .co. u k

THE FORUM

T H E A L B U M WO R L DS O U T N OW T H R U E M I R E CO R DS NEW ALBUM KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS THE THIRD OUT NOW

|

|

P O R T E R R O B I N S O N .CO M

KITTYDAISYANDLEWIS.COM

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

SUN 26 JULY

PRINCE BANDROOM

WITH VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

SPECIAL GUESTS GEORGE MAPLE + TIGERTOWN

SAT 25 JUL THE CORNER

WED 22 JUL 170 RUSSELL

“High pitched, frenetic pop genius” THE GUARDIAN | everything-everything.co.uk NEW ALBUM GET TO HEAVEN FEAT. DISTANT PAST OUT JUNE 12 THRU SONY MUSIC

NEW SINGLE PAINTED OUT NOW THRU SONY MUSIC msmrsounds.com

BROKE WITH EXPENSIVE TASTE CD OUT NOW | AZEALIABANKS.COM |

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS With special guest

with special guests

P LU S S P E C I A L G U E S T S

THURSDAY 23 JULY THE CORNER D E B U T A L B U M F R O M WO L F A L I C E , M Y LOV E I S C O O L F E AT. T H E S I N G L E ‘ G I A N T P E AC H ’ w o l f a l i c e.c o. u k

TUE 28.07

THE CORNER momomoyouth.com Elliphant and MØ combine for the outrageous ONE MORE out thru Sony Music

elliphant.com

Harts

Monday 27 July Northcote Social Club A Flourish And A Spoil CD out now thru Inertia Music // thedistrictsband.com

SAT 25 JUL. DING DONG LOUNGE DEBUT ALBUM THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL MARMOZETS OUT NOW THROUGH WARNER MUSIC - marmozets.co.uk

FOR TICKETING INFO VISIT SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU forte 39

Refining the Palette

Frenchy Written by Kara Ready

Bendigo better brace itself, because comedian and self-proclaimed ‘world’s worst adult’ Frenchy is getting ready to take the stage at The Capital later this month.

Frenchy, who comes from the “ghettos of Wollongong”, has been in the comedy game for eight years, but it wasn’t until he created a YouTube channel in 2013 that things really started to take off for him. After initially using the channel to upload recordings of his stand up shows, he began creating skits in which

40 forte

he would unleash his wild and undeniably dirty humour – the inspiration sourced from his everyday life.

“Every video is just a conversation I’ve had or a situation I’ve been in, so it’s very relatable. I really like writing videos about relationships and things like that – you definitely want someone else to relate to the

video too,” he says.

“It’s not the cleanest of humour but I like it because it’s what actual 20-something year old males talk about.”

With his channel garnering over 150,000 subscribers and 22 million total views, Frenchy has been able to turn that online success into a sell-out stand up comedy tour.

Live & Lanky takes the same kind of humour out of your computer screen and into real life, a process that he says he really enjoys.

“You make a YouTube video and you get a few likes and people write ‘ha ha ha’ and it doesn’t really mean anything to you because it’s just words. But when you do it live

and you see people actually laugh and enjoying your stuff, it’s so satisfying,” he says.

Now that his channel has grown to the point where he’s uploading a video a week, you would be forgiven for thinking that perhaps it’s hard for Frenchy to come up with material that the audience hasn’t already seen in one of his popular videos.

However, he assures us that he’s not yet encountered a shortage of comedic ideas.

“My life is just so odd that enough funny stuff happens to me that I can just tell stories and sort of be myself for an hour,” he says of how he comes up with the routine for live shows.

But don’t let the relaxed nature of his humour fool you; even after years of performing stand up comedy and delivering the same Live & Lanky routine every night, Frenchy says he still gets a case of the pre-show nerves.

“You’d think I’d have moved past it now that I’ve done my live show at least 40 times, but I still get nervous and have to do a nervous piss before I go on stage.

Sometimes I think ‘if my crowd could see me right now…’,” he says laughing.

That type of crude and yet loveable humour is what characterises Frenchy’s style. It’s easy to see that what makes him so likeable is that you probably know someone like him already; your brother, your boyfriend, hell, it might even be yourself. For those of us navigating the world (and often, the horrors) of Tinder, dating, sex and relationships, Frenchy provides a humorous take on familiar territory. Not too bad for a guy who says his “weird, preyingmantis” look made him pursue comedy as survival mechanism throughout high school.

When&Where: The Capital, Bendigo – June 26

Use Your Voice

The Pivotonian Closing Night Party This year has been a big one for the folk behind The Pivotonian Cinema. Not only did they brave the odds and open an independent cinema, they’ve helped revitalise what going to the movies is all about and amongst that managed to take on Village Cinemas. In one last hurrah (for now) the Pivotonian will host their closing night party on June 16 at 6pm. For $25 you’ll help support the Pozible campaign, watch a mystery retro film and be one of the first to find out the new location for the cinema.

This party be happening!

We’re often told that actions speak louder than words, but in the new Voicebox initiative by Courthouse Youth Arts you’ll be able to use both.

Courthouse are seeking young storytellers of all mediums to help create something Geelong has never seen before. If this has peaked your interest, applications officially open on June 15 and will remain so until July 12. Contact collective@courthouse. org.au to find out more.

Soft Landing There’s something so beautiful about the human form, and watching it twist and turn in an exhibit of physical strength and control is even more wonderful. Soft Landing is a series of short dance and performance works – presented by Blink Dance Theatre and guest artists – that does just that. Over a number of short performances, artists will each respond to the concept of ‘falling’. The performances will run at Boom Gallery (11 Rutland Street, Newtown) on June 19 & 20.

A Feast Worthy of Kings All puns intended, King of the Castle are one of the leading cafes on Pakington Street.

And on May 25, with the opening of the kitchen, the café just got a whole lot more popular. We’ve heard there’s cronuts and delicious bagel sandwiches, what more do you need in life?

Refining the Palette

Arj Barker Written by Abbey King / Photo by James Penlidis

“I just got back from the gym, I’m in my millionth attempt to get in shape. I mean, I am in shape, but unfortunately it’s the shape of a pear,” Arj Barker jokes.

Californian native and all-round charmer Arj Barker, is currently residing in Melbourne and I think I can speak for all the ladies when I say, a pear is still a tasty fruit.

“I’m living in Melbourne currently, then on tour on the weekends, so I’m using it as a base – I don’t really live anywhere permanently,” Arj says.

Having just launched his new show, Get In My Head, with stints at the Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Arj is excited to be hitting the road and getting out of the major cities.

“The shows went superbly! Is that a word?

They were superbable!

It’s such a good way to start off a new tour; you really get it hammered in when you’re doing it six nights a week,” he says.

So what is in his head exactly? “Well there’s

a lot of room in there still – unfortunately.

The show is just really fun. It’s on a variety of subjects – like all my shows have been – just pretty hilarious. Can I say that?” he chuckles.

Arj considers himself a big fan of regional Victoria and will put on shows in Warrnambool and Ballarat this time and has hinted to me that he would also like to return to Geelong at some point.

“I’m looking forward to getting out of the city, I know it’s a great crowd out there,” he says.

“I have such a nice time in those towns. One of my favourite things to do in Warrnambool is to go to Tower Hill Reserve – we like to go see the emus and koalas in the woods [he means bush] there. In Ballarat I stayed in the Mark Twain suite last time, it was pretty cool. I slept in the same suite as Mark

Twain, well not at the same time, that would be awkward!”

If you were lucky enough to see Arj at Falls those couple of times a few festivals ago, you would agree in saying the Grand Theatre Stage has never been so jam-packed, well, especially while the sun was still up. He is keen to do another soon and urges the festival to get in contact.

“Falls is one of those really good festivals to do, it’s really well run and there’s this intimacy to it – unlike those big giant corporate festivals.

I really like it, I hope to do it again! If the Falls guys are readers, yeah make an offer please!”

With his performance as Dave in Flight Of The Concords as well as his animated series Arj and Poopy, the world has been awaiting his return to the silver screen and rest assured that day is coming.

“I’m writing a new TV program at the moment, with a good friend and hilarious comedian. We’re still working on it and not ready to announce much about it publicly just yet.

It’s going to be a sitcom of sorts, similar to the style of Curb Your Enthusiasm I guess, but of course very different, because everyone has got to do something different these days,” Arj says.

Watch this space!

FAST FIVE WITH Dr Cornel West!

Dr Cornel West is a man of many things, and while most will identify him as one of America’s most provocative public intellectuals and prominent champions for racial justice, he’s also a bluesman, a son and an actor in the Matrix.

We got deep with Dr West in our Fast Five.

What are your thoughts on racial equality and racism in Australia?

Like the United States, Australia is a settler colonial experiment in democracy with a legacy of white supremacy and an attempt to sustain a fragile social experiment.

Think Inc founder, Desh Amila, said that your visit to Australia couldn’t be more timely and relevant, what kind of change/insight are you hoping to bring to the country?

When&Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat – July 3 & Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – July 4

A Kaleidoscope of Coastal Art Celebrating its fifth year, the Lorne Arts Festival have just announced its lineup. Running across August 28-30 the coastal town will be overrun (in the best possible way) with arts and music events. In short the festival will feature performances from; Yana Alana, Peter & Bambi Heaven, The Bombay Royal, The Catridge Family, Leah Flanagan, Tommy Castles, transFIGUREd and many more. Tickets are now on sale, visit www. lorneartsfestival.com.au to get yours.

Farewell the Globe Late last month Geelong was lucky enough to host London-based Shakespeare’s Globe as part of a two-year world tour. Deakin Costa Hall held the production of Globe to Globe: Hamlet for three shows. It’s not very often that these opportunities come by and for Geelong to be included in such a tour is a tribute to our arts scene. It’s time we gave Geelong’s scene a bit more credit, just look at the things we can achieve. Applauds all round.

Winter Cheer With the coldness of winter reaching its peak, it’s the perfect excuse to get together, keep each other warm and celebrate the shortest days of the year with the Winter Solstice Parade. It’s not all doom and gloom during winter and this festivity is a fine example of why not. Head to West Park on Autumn St, Geelong West on June 21 at 6pm to join in on the fun. A warm jumper is recommended!

I come to learn and listen, and I come to reflect on my own country’s settler colonial experiment in democracy.

You’ve penned and contributed to over 20 books, spoken across the world and received countless accolades, but I have to ask, what drew you to acting in the Matrix? and would you revisit your acting career?

The genius of the Wachowskis.

You’ve been labelled as a lot of things, a philosopher, an academic, a social theorist, an author, an educator and a poet, but what do you personally identify with the most?

I am my momma’s child, my daddy’s kid, and I aspire to be a jazzman in the life of the mind and a bluesman in the world of ideas.

Do you think there will ever be a point in your life where you can sit back, relax and be proud of where the world is at?

No! We live in catastrophic times.

WINTER PROGRAM JUNE–AUGUST 2015

OUT NOW

VISUAL ARTS NEW MEDIA WRITING THEATRE DANCE MUSIC WORKSHOPS

For a look at all the goodies and going’s-on at CHYA this season, visit:

WWW.COURTHOUSE.ORG.AU

MCEC, Melbourne – June 12

forte 41

Refining the Palette

Sex With Strangers: Tottie Goldsmith Written by Amanda Sherring Photo by Edan Chapman

There comes a time in all our lives when we have to make a change.

We’re faced with a fork in the road, two drastically different paths. For Tottie Goldsmith that moment came when her daughter left home.

“Four years ago my daughter turned 18 and left home, not that they ever really leave, and I lay in bed that night and thought about what

I really wanted to be,” Tottie says.

“I’m not proud to say, but I often took work just to look after my child and keep a roof

over our head. A lot of the choices I made career wise were based around being able to provide, and so I really wanted to step it up as an actor and

take on some great roles in theatre.”

Tottie soon pursued the skills needed to achieve her dreams. She started attending classes

at 16th Street to learn about script analysis, character voice and as Tottie says, “just really upskilling so I can trust myself on the stage and honour the craft”.

Her thirst for knowledge and improving her abilities are what lead her to the role of Olivia in Sex With Strangers. Her skills for the character proven during a masterclass with Samuel Johnson held by Larry Moss “With any job you sometimes go, ‘This is huge, and can I actually cut it?’ I remind myself it wouldn’t be in front of me if I couldn’t do it,” she says.

With the amazing opportunity also came a new role for Tottie, one that she may resonate with at heart but that hasn’t been recognised in her from onlookers.

“It’s probably something to do with my features but on TV I often get cast as the ‘Older Woman’ or the ‘Sexy Mum’. I’ve been cast as the professor and I’m so relieved,” Tottie says.

“Someone has seen whatever my big cheeks and my big eyes are, and they’ve seen past that stuff and into my ability and not your boring obvious clichéd characters.”

Much like Tottie, Olivia is a woman with

determination. After a relatively unsuccessful first novel, Olivia visits a rural writers’ retreat to begin her second novel and what she hopes will be her comeback.

Olivia soon finds herself trapped in the retreat with successful Gen-Y blogger Ethan (played by Samuel Johnson) who is seeking literary legitimacy. Olivia succumbs to his charm and so a love story for the 21st Century begins.

Written by awardwinning American playwright Laura Eason and directed by the talented Lucy Freeman, the tale is something everyone can relate to and that Tottie couldn’t be more thrilled at telling.

“I’m really honoured and every time I read the script I’m still honoured that it’s in my hands,” she says.

“I just want to honour Laura and honour women, because it is a woman who is in her late 40s. She’s lost her courage somewhere along the line as a writer because of a set of circumstances and then she comes back and fights back for it and what she believes in.

“She is a bit of a feminist, an academic and she’s a great chick.

She does some things that you question, but that’s great because if people – especially in

script – are perfect, they’re dull.”

Tottie understands all too well about not having a perfect life.

After growing up as the daughter of Melbourne nightclub king Brian Goldsmith and the chaotic childhood that followed, Tottie threw herself into her career.

While playing Janet in the Rocky Horror Picture Show she was diagnosed with glandular fever and giardia, which then triggered a bout of chronic fatigue.

“I was ringing the [chronic fatigue] call centres when I was really freaked out and they would tell me, ‘Oh I’ve had this for 17 years’ and they were making me more depressed,” she says.

“So I stopped calling them and took it upon myself to start visualising how I wanted to be: to be happy, robust, have friends around me and dreams about what I wanted, and I healed my body. I know I did.”

Sitting with Tottie at a café in St Kilda, it’s clear to anyone around her that she’s perfectly happy with where she is.

Upon asking if she’s all in the clear and happy with where she is, Tottie responds with a smile.

“I feel really solid and safe. I think all of us have to get over stuff in our lives – all of us. You’re not granted peace; you have to earn peace and

peace of mind,” she says.

“You’ve got to work with your body: the mind and the body are a team. And I tell my body to heal. I refuse to get sick again, I will not get sick. I refuse to be a victim so I look after myself. It’s that old saying of the oxygen mask, where if you look after yourself first you can take care of the rest of the world.”

While Sex With Strangers mightn’t be taking on the world, it’s certain to thrill Australian crowds. With her zest for life, healthy routine and equally apt mindset, Tottie is just the woman to make it happen.

“I’m really excited and I feel like this is going to be a real game changer for me,” she says.

partnership between the two of you work in creating a poster, is it a pretty even playing field in terms of input?

Mark: We usually brainstorm and discuss ideas together, sometimes I’ll take the lead on the idea layout and sometimes Annie will, it really depends on the band we’re working for.

Quite often I’ll take on more of an art directors role and Annie grabs the illustrator reigns.

We can both handle each aspect quite well, which allows us to work with the other person’s skill set in mind. The hardest part is living between Melbourne and Sydney, so we usually have to email the design

back and forth during the process (around 10-12 times) and provide each other with constant feedback and suggestions throughout.

Each poster does have immense detail to it, and I understand you both have a love for screenprinted art, is it difficult transferring the detail in each image with screenprinting?

Mark: Like you would not believe! (laughs) We’re in constant considering of the end result when we design these posters, as there are just some things that can’t be done with a limited colour palette.

Luckily after a few ‘wellthere’s-no-possibleway-to-screenprintthat’ moments, we seem to have a solid understanding of what will and won’t work.

Setting up a poster to be screen-print ready

is a whole other beast.

But in short, even if you know what you’re doing, it can still take a good six to eight hours, four coffees and some broken desk items before it’s complete!

If you were to create a poster for yourself, what do you think is the best thing to represent you?

Annie: That’s easy - a cat!

Mark: An old vintage toy robot. That’d be cool.

Thanks again for the chat, any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?

Mark: Thank you for the opportunity! Make friends with a framer.

If your wall needs filling or you need a gift for a friend, visit www.keepsakedesign. com.au or search ‘keepsakedesign’ on Facebook and Instagram.

When&Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat – June 17-19, Wyndham Cultural Centre, Werribee – June 20, Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine – June 23, Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – June 25, Hamilton Performing Arts Centre, Hamilton – June 26, Portland Arts Centre, Portland – June 27 & Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale – August 3

Keepsake Design Q&A

We’ve all been to a gig that’s stayed in our mind forever, perhaps it’s even changed our life. While it’s great to get T-shirts to commemorate such a memory, sometimes you want something a little bit more special and unique. That’s where Keepsake Design comes in. Created by Sydney illustrator Annie Walter and Melbourne art director Mark Van De Beek, the two are helping people relive gig memories and honour their favourite bands in the form of limited edition gig posters.

Hi guys, thanks for taking the time out to chat with Forte Magazine, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Mark: No worries!

Thanks for having us.

We’re both fantastic, this Tame Impala job has just finished up and we’re still on a high from that!

Annie: Right now, I’m over in NY enjoying a well-deserved holiday.

Mark: And I’m wishing I was in Annie’s shoes! We’ve got a handful of great jobs on the go, including designing and branding an outdoor festival in Lithuania (of all places!) so we’re definitely keeping busy.

First things first, what got you into creating limited edition gig posters?

Mark: Our love for the music scene and for quality, collectable artwork. I remember buying one of my first 42 forte

screen printed posters – which was a Ken Taylor ‘Afghan Whigs’ poster.

I didn’t even know who the band were, I just loved the illustration! (laughs) Attending gigs must be a pretty important aspect of your life to step into making posters. Have you had a favourite gig over the years?

Mark: Yes! I’ve been going to shows since I snuck into an over-age Slipknot gig at The Palace 10 or 12 years ago. There’s been a handful of memorable ones, but the one that stands out the most was Graveyard (Swe) performing to a sold out 200-capacity room.

There were people standing all over the bar and hanging from the roof – it was manic! The set was incredible too and I ended up drinking beers with the band until around 5am.

Do you have much of

a gig-poster collection at home?

Annie: At this stage, it’s probably more of a library (laughs). We try to collect pieces from our favourite artists and also bands that we really love.

Between us we’ve got a Rhys Cooper QOTSA print, and a really cool Chris Hopewell Eagles Of Death Metal print, a personally-signed Mariachi El Bronx print and a few other cool ones too.

You’ve created some posters for some pretty big name bands, what’s the process like of creating the idea?

Are the band heavily involved in the creative process?

Mark: Surprisingly

the bigger name bands usually aren’t that involved. They might provide rough guidelines and a strict, ‘We don’t want any of these..’ list, but quite often they’re open to our artistic interpretation and trust our judgement. Our method differs from a lot of other designers in that we like getting our artwork to the 2/3 completion point before we show the client. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone (laughs) but we’re quietly confident in our ability to visually interpret a band, so it seems to work well for us!

The Tame Impala poster in particular is incredible (again, they all are), do you feel a lot

of pressure to capture the essence of the band in one image?

Mark: Why thank you! When working with someone as popular as Tame Impala (especially within the poster scene) the pressure is definitely present. Luckily with the psychedelic genre, you can pretty much draw anything colourful and it’s going to do well (laughs).

Funnily enough, the original image we put forward to the band was rejected, due to a miscommunication with the brief, and we had to rework the idea. Luckily for us the response we got from the final poster was incredible!

And how does the

forte 43

The Rat Pack from Vegas Q&A

It’s natural for us to hold onto the past, after all, as human beings we’re sentimental creatures.

But it’s not often the past gets recreated in the future and that’s exactly what the trio behind the Rat Pack From Vegas are doing.

Hi thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?

I’m doing great and feeling very blessed and excited to he coming back to Australia. At the moment I’m just enjoying some quality time with my beautiful wife of 21 years Linda and my two cocker spaniels Dino and Cosmo.

First things first, what first got you into the tribute show the Rat Pack?

First and foremost I’d have to say it was my love and admiration for Dean Martin. Watching his variety show as a kid with my family I remember being so taken by a grown up dressed in a tuxedo acting like a big kid himself and having fun doing it. I remember when Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis would guest star on his show and they were no different in the way they acted when they were together, as my friends and I did when we got into mischief. Dean’s charisma and charm were legendary. He could sing, dance and be funny and had the sophistication about him that was so endearing. He was the kind of guy all the guys wanted to be like and all the women just wanted to be with. Another thing that drew me to the tribute show was the music. This music in timeless and is just as popular today as it was when it

first hit the scene.

Obviously the original line up featured such legends in the music scene for that time, do you feel a lot of pressure trying to recreate what they did?

Not so much pressure but more a responsibility.

It’s almost as if we are presenting history in the form of a show. Our audiences vary in age, from the older patrons – who were fans of the original Rat Pack – to the younger fans – who are just now discovering the music and the whole concept of the Rat Pack. For the older fans it’s a nostalgic journey, and for the newer fans it’s a chance to see and experience what all the hype was about back when the Rat Pack ruled Las Vegas.

They sort of paved the way for diversity in groups

When & Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat – June 28

too, do you think that’s something we see much of today?

If we do see it today it’s done for profit and popularity. Singers today I think are concerned with being on top as solo artists and when there is a pairing of two performers it’s to sell tickets and their music.

The Rat Pack were all individuals from very different backgrounds who became friends during their early struggles to make it in the business. There was no YouTube or social media to help propel them into stardom – it was simply their talents and determination.

You have to remember the members of the Rat Pack were all very successful entertainers individually and became a team because they loved working with their buddies.

You’re returning to Australian shores with this show, how did you find Australia the first time around?

This will be our fourth tour to Australia since 2010 and I have to say we have been welcomed with open arms from the very beginning. We have enjoyed every moment, especially since we do go back to a lot of the same venues. We have people who have come to see us every time we’ve come hack. One of the most amazing things we’ve experienced is when people – who have gone to see the show in Las Vegas – let us know they’re from Australia. Then we get into a conversation about our tour, then months later after one of our shows in Australia, those very people we met in Las Vegas walk up to us wearing the T-shirt from our show in Las Vegas accompanied by the photos they took with us after that very show. It happens often and is very humbling.

Do you really appreciate the originals and the talents of past?

I think the continuing success of this show is a true testament to the appreciation toward the original Rat Pack.

With so many big name performers today all trying their hand at recording the classic standards that were made famous by the Rat Pack, as well as other recording artists of that time, really shows an appreciation and respect for those talents. It also shows that everything old is new again and stands the true test of time.

Thanks again for having the chat with us, are there any last words of wisdom you’d to share with our readers?

It was my pleasure chatting with you. I’d like to tell the readers to always be good to one another and listen to your heart because it will guide you to your dreams. Oh and one other thing, come see The Rat Pack From Vegas at a theatre near you!

Methyl Ethel Written by Tex Miller

Jake Webb, lead singer for Perth indie rockers Methyl Ethel is sitting in the back of a taxi as he answers his phone to talk about the band and their debut album just released, Oh Inhumane Spectacle. The destination for the taxi ride is 170 Russell, which is the venue in which Methyl Ethel is supporting San Cisco tonight. Having shared the stage all around Australia with San Cisco through May, Webb is full of bravado as he chats about his fellow West Australian mates.

“It’s been so fun to be able to jump up on stage and play with these guys. There has been no shortage of laughs along the way that’s for sure. What I like about being on tour with a band is that the true characters tend to come out when you’re confined into a room together.

It’s been really fun to hang out and play music with San Cisco and hopefully we can do it all again soon,” Webb says as he is transported across town to the venue.

Oh Inhumane Spectacle is the impressive and jangly debut from the Perth outfit that, like psych rockers Tame Impala, started out as a bedroom project for Webb and developed into a trio soon after. The majority of the tracks off this album were written when Webb took a trip down south.

“I really needed some time out and so I headed down south and began writing and I think that after that trip the initial spark for the record was ignited,” he says.

“One of the main tracks off the album ‘Rogues’ was written in a shop front in Fremantle.

It was a ridiculously hot summer and we began recording all these ideas with no prospect of what they would develop into, we were living in separate rooms but there were no doors so it was an organic and open environment.”

Recording the majority of the album by himself at the post-production stage of the project, Webb called upon Chris Wright (drummer for the group) to help mix the record.

Living across the road from each other, Webb relates that the majority of the process was completed in garages and bedrooms across Perth.

As you would expect, the comparisons to Tame Impala have been many and I was quick to ask

RELEASE: Oh Inhumane Spectacle is out now at all good retailers.

what influence they had on Methyl Ethel.

“Now they are an international super band with record deals and playing massive festivals, their influence on us is a lot less than it used to be. It was only a couple of years ago, that they were just playing at the pub down the road. The sound scapes and textures to the music is one thing that is similar between our music,” Webb says.

Having played on the Southbound bill at the end of last year and sharing the stage with Alt-J, Jamie XX, Glass Animals and DMA’s, Methyl Ethel are bound for big things. Since forming in 2013, the band has played many support slots including one for Courtney Barnett. Oh Inhumane Spectacle is a glorious debut effort that you should definitely check out. For fans of

NiCE7 Q&A

They may be known for helping to shape the tech/house genre, but the Italian duo of Nicola Daniele and Cesare Marocco are actually quite partial to Australian crowds and a sip of good quality wine as well. We had a chat to the renowned DJs ahead of their performance in Geelong.

Hey guys, thanks for taking some time out to chat to Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?

Hello Forte Magazine, it’s our pleasure to chat with you... :) We’re just back from Moscow doing some studio work and getting ready to have our last gig in Italy tomorrow before we fly to Indonesia.

I understand that you both started spinning as teens together early on, was your friendship based on your passion for the genre or did that come after?

When we met for the first time we both had already started our DJ careers, so it was great to meet someone who shared the same passion as we did. That lead to us growing together as artists which helped to develop the NiCE7 sound.

Do you remember the first gig you had together, how was it?

It was in a local club in our small city and we were 17 and 18 years old respectively. We actually spent one whole season as resident DJs there – it seems like a long time ago now but we definitely have good memories of being residents there!

You actually make a lot of your own original music too, was that an important thing for you both to do?

44 forte

Yeah definitely, and I would even say that producing your own music is an absolute must for every artist. We think in dance music it is also important to make good remixes. In some cases you can fix, or update, an idea/track that another producer made and make it sound better. That can be very satisfying.

Given you work in the club/party scene, do you ever get sick of the constant activity or is it something you thrive off ?

I would be lying if I said anything else other than that DJ life is very cool.

You can travel and take your music all around the world which is absolutely amazing. But at times you can miss the everyday life, so it’s good to take some weeks off from travelling to work in the studio and enjoy your family and friends.

When&Where: Uno @ Bended, Geelong – June 13 & Revolver, Melbourne – June 14

As your job is a lot about reading people’s moods, do you find that you’re good at reading people outside of the club scene?

Your job as a DJ is all about reading people’s moods, but we’re not sure that we are good at playing psychologist outside of the DJ booth!

So you’ll be heading to Australia soon, and we’re keen to have you, do you think we’ll be able to live up to the Italians partying lifestyle?

To be honest we have found that there are not much

separating scenes in different countries if you play in the right places and work with the right people. We honestly think that there are three important things that make a party good: a good sound system, cool and passionate promoters, and a lovely and respectful crowd. We found these three things in every Australian party we’ve played at so far. To date we have had two Australian tours in the last two years, and we can honestly say that we had some of our most unforgettable nights Down Under. The Australian partying lifestyle is quite amazing. No doubt thanks should go to

moody pop songs and jangly guitar, be sure to get this disc around your chops before the follow up (which is 30% done) hits the shelves.

Mike and Thick as Thieves (our Australian tour agent) who provides us with all these cool gigs!

Are there any rumours out there about Australian clubgoers?

Yes, everybody on the global scene knows that Australians “party hard” and they love Aussies for it!

Will you be doing any sightseeing while you’re down here, anything in particular on your list?

We’re Italians and by default we are wine lovers, and of late Australian wines have been gaining prominence among the world’s most notable wines.

It only makes sense then that this time around we might have a wine-themed day trip to Yarra Valley in Melbourne!! :-) Thanks again for that, any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?

We just want to say thank you to Forte Magazine, and all those people who have taken 10 minutes of their time to read this interview.

See you on the dancefloor!

forte 45

HOW SUPERGIRL PROVES THE REAL PROBLEM WITH EQUALITY

THE TOP 10 TV VILLAINS OF ALL TIME

5 USELESS FACTS ABOUT

Each week, Michael and Dando choose their Top 5 of a particular topic and combine them to make the the Torrent This Top 10 list:

PAUL RUDD

DANDO 5. Stringer Bell (The Wire) 4. Christopher Pelant (Bones) 3. Walter White (Breaking Bad) 2. Mr Burns (The Simpsons) 1. Gemma Morrow (Sons Of Anarchy)

MICHAEL 5. Stringer Bell (The Wire) 4. Baal (Stargate SG-1) 3. Vernon Schillinger (Oz) 2. Rita Repulsa (Power Rangers) 1. Crowley (Supernatural)

Do you agree? WATCH new episodes of ‘The Torrent This Top 10’ every Wednesday night!

1. H is original family name was

Rudnitzky

2. H e was once a DJ for bar

mitzvahs

3. H e wears size 10 shoes 4. H is first movie role was ‘Tommy’

in Halloween 6 5. H e was in the Sigma Nu fraternity at university

NEW SIMPSONS PODCAST

THE TOP 10 TREEHOUSE OF HORROR SEGMENTS

Mitch & Dando host our NEW podcast dedicated to all things The Simpsons, ‘Four Finger Discount’. Available now in the iTunes store or through any android podcast app.

10. Hungry Are The Damned

5. Homer3

9. Dial ‘Z’ For Zombie

4. The Homega Man

8. The Thing And I

3. Terror At 5 1/2 Feet

7. Clown Without Pity

2. The Shinning

6. Time And Punishment

1. Nightmare Cafeteria

SHOWS YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED:

THE WIRE Welcome to ‘Shows You Should Have Watched’, in which I’ll be taking you on a journey through the ghosts of television’s past and imploring you to track them down and watch them. This series of articles will be dedicated to the shows that were too early for the current mindset and availability of TV on demand, binge-watching and social media commenting. You know how you have that one friend that insists you watch some show that you might have vaguely heard of, but have no interest in? I’m that guy. I’m here to tell you why you should be interested in them.

So, without further ado, I kick

Youtube:

/torrentthistv

Facebook: Twitter:

/torrentthis

/torrentthis

Instagram:

/torrentthis

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL:

46 forte

off the series with the grand-daddy of them all. Hailed by many as the greatest show of all time, scoring a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and with an average rating of 9.9/10, it’s a show that on the surface is good guys VS bad guys. It has led to this conversation millions of times: “You’ve gotta watch this show, it’s about police in Baltimore.”

“Oh…a cop show, huh? Haven’t

seen those before. Yawn.”

I am speaking, of course, of HBO’s The Wire.

If The Sopranos redefined what cable networks were capable of producing, The Wire epitomised what they were capable of perfecting.

The show has a hyper-naturalistic style that probably turned some off when it first came out. It moved slowly at a time when cop shows

The idea for this article has been in my head for a while now, but there didn’t seem to be a an appropriate catalyst inside the ‘Torrent This’ scope for me to tackle it.

And then along came Supergirl.

As always, whenever I hear about a new comic-inspired anything, I am filled with equal parts glee and trepidation.

However when I turned my attention to the internet to see what everyone else thought, I was bombarded with a neverending sea of comments about how this was a huge step forward for women. No one seemed to care if it was going to be a good show or not, it was just a nice little engine they could hook their agenda wagon on to.

That’s how we come to the crux of this article’s argument.

The point has been made, not even the most ignorant can deny the fact that men and women are equal and should be treated as such. You get it, I get it, we all get it… but you’re screwing it up.

By continuing to make a huge deal about anything that involves a woman succeeding, you are treating it like it’s unexpected and isn’t common place. The very thing that everyone is so against is the same thing that’s being subliminally spread by the loudest members of the equality argument (using argument here isn’t really accurate, as an argument requires two sides, which there no longer are on this point.)

There needs to be a severe shift in how we tackle this nonissue, and I (as always) have the answer. Now before I tell you what it is, let me explain what it isn’t. It isn’t changing recruitment methodology to ensure that the percentage of female workforce increases, regardless of merit (See Victoria Police circa 2000’s and the 30% Club). Actually it’s the opposite of that. It turns out that the correct and only way to ensure real equality is through apathy.

Let’s indulge in a scenario.

I’m Michael, I have three people that handle recruitment for my company. One believes I should employ a male applicant because he will be better fit for the team, since women tend to gossip. One wants me to employ a female applicant because it will be great PR for the company, and we have recently come under fire for not having enough female employees. The

third has actually sat down and compared both people’s resume, and wants me to hire the person best qualified for the role.

I don’t know about you guys, but as an active member of the workforce I know which one I would prefer. Oh and please don’t get caught up with the work scenario. That scenario could have been for anything, TV shows, musicians, politics etc etc.

So in the future if you really want to be a champion for equality, do the right thing and stop caring about the little unimportant factors like race, gender and sexual orientation.

Start caring about the big things, like making sure the right people are in the right roles, if anything it’ll at least make sure we get the best comic book inspired TV shows we can.

Written by Michael Loverdos.

were supposed to move quickly. Its heroes are all flawed. The language of its street is hard to get around at first. It doesn’t hold the hand of the viewer, and it expects you to be paying attention. In one early episode, for three and a half minutes, two detectives investigate and solve a murder scene using only the word “fuck” and its derivatives. In a time of Law and Order: Special Exposition Unit and CSI: Explanation, perhaps that was too much to ask of the viewer, but if this show had debuted today, I guarantee it would knock Game of Thrones off its perch as the most popular show on television.

The Wire begins slow, and takes its damn time for the five-series run, but by doing this it allows you to be drawn into its world. And it’s a meticulously crafted world. The Wire creates (or recreates) a living, breathing city more alive than any other I’ve ever seen in a television

show. Characters come and go and come back again, but are never in stasis while off-screen. The sounds of the street flesh out the city – there are no perfectly quiet background environments while main characters share expository dialogue. The dialogue here is real, and comes through a filter of young dopeslingers trying to attract attention of passers-by. Watching the show is like having a magic mirror that will let you into people’s lives.

Thematically, this feeling of watching real lives is hugely important, for a major aspect of the show is the use of surveillance. Set in a very recently post 9/11 world, it could have easily stood up just on the strength of being a time-capsule of a panicked society’s fear of Big Brother.

The fact that 13 years after it debuted it still feels current speaks volumes to the quality of the writing, and how accurately the show taps into our

collective psyche.

More obviously, the show is about institutions and classes.

How individuals conform to and clash with the groups they are a part of. Renegade police clash with department bosses only interested in their stats, meanwhile street level drug dealers are checked for their cashcounts by higher up members of a cartel. This is television that is prepared to show us that those on the other side of the line aren’t all that different to us. It will make you care about a criminal. It will humanise a police officer. And it will make you cry for both when one is killed in their respective duty.

The Wire is complex. It is incredibly rewarding. It is undoubtedly a show that you should have watched.

Written by Mitch Grinter.

forte 47

captain

grovedale hotel

homehouse

grovedale hotel

the max hotel

beav's bar

barwon club

beav's bar

beav's bar

homehouse

Music Reviews

British India The Wool Exchange Entertainment complex, Geelong - May 30 Supports: Tired Lion and Grenadiers Attending a British India gig almost seems to be a requirement for all Geelong locals, and while I haven’t attended all of their stops in Geelong, I feel this was the most important one to witness.

With the tour in support of their new album, Nothing Touches Me, said to be their best to date, the real test comes with seeing them play the songs live.

But a bigger test came with Tired Lion, who have recently been caught onto by big media names and claimed as the next best thing. Luckily I got a spot front and centre to see these guys – a spot that I didn’t leave for the rest of the night – and they didn’t disappoint.

Lead singer Sophie Hopes was a ball of energy on stage, and while playing first up it’s never to the full crowd, the band still acted as if it was. Kudos to you guys!

Grenadiers is a trickier 48 forte

act to comment on as their whole set was a fuzzy blur of instruments – yes I was front row which at times can be a sacrifice to good quality sound, those who were further back in the venue said they felt much the same. The band even made a comment on performing in Geelong, the meaning we’re not too sure of but when your

music is coming out as fuzz – and not the good kind – it would be frustrating.

Nonetheless the general beats could be heard and at least the band weren’t playing to a confused, motionless crowd.

Lastly, the band everyone came to see.

By the time they took to the stage the crowd was feeling rowdy, maybe it

was the fuzzy tunes of Grenadiers that messed with our minds but there was a definite tension in the air. Starting off with ‘Black and White Radio’ as one of their first tracks was a sign of bigger things to come, why else would they play one of the biggest and crowd favourite live tracks at the start? Put simply,

playing such a track early on the mosh was awoken and punches, pushes and frantic running were all fair game. Good thing I had a cosy spot at the barricade. They continued to play through with some of their newer tracks, ‘Suddenly’, ‘Nothing Touches Me’ and ‘Wrong Direction’ with a few of the favourites thrown

in for good measure, ‘Vanilla’, ‘Run the Red Light’ and ‘Safari’. The new tracks easily stood up to the live test, and we’d all had plenty of time between radio play and the album release to familiarise ourselves with the tracks. Now, I did mention that ‘Black and White Radio’ came early on, and that was to

save the final song for a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’. I’m not gonna lie, this is my favourite go-to party track, and as soon as the first few chords came in you could feel the rest of the crowd felt the same.

I like to think Geelong got the special treatment as Melbourne received a cover of Blink 182’s

‘Dammit’. While I can’t say how that went, I know for certain that there was barely a dry, un-bruised, perfectly maintained body leaving the mosh that night. Cheers for the good times British India, you’re always welcome in Geelong.

Reviewed and photographed by Amanda Sherring

slate pool lounge

slate pool lounge

captain

odyssey tavern

odyssey tavern

eureka

eureka

eureka

forte 49

homehouse

pistole pete's

the max hotel

pistole pete's

the max hotel

50 forte

homehouse

homehouse

homehouse

the max hotel

st james

forte 51

Film Reviews

Films reviewed by Anthony Morris

t h e wrap

San Andreas

Entourage If you’re one of the people who wondered how they could possibly stretch an episode of legendarily lightweight TV series Entourage into a movie – and that’s a group that includes every single person who heard they were making an Entourage movie – bad news; you really should have been wondering why they were even bothering to make an Entourage movie.

It turns out that it’s perfectly possible to make something featurelength that still retains the aimless feel of an Entourage episode – you just have a lot of driving around, a few extra subplots that in at least

one case literally end with characters saying, “Nothing we just said was real”, and a whole lot of celebrity cameos that often don’t even require the celebrities to get out of their cars – but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

That’s not to say this is actively bad or anything: despite basically treating women as background objects, the men in the foreground don’t really fare much better, and the somewhat vile “moral” of the story – movie stars get to sleep with the women regular guys want to, and regular guys are idiots for thinking they ever had a shot – is somewhat undercut by having the guy who spells out this moral be

sacked from his job ten seconds later.

Like the original series, this lacks any real drama or substantial comedy, instead coming off as a fictionalised version of an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” starring no-one you’ve ever heard of. Though to be fair, the film’s central conceit – that actor turned first-time director Vinnie Chase (Adrian Greiner) has somehow turned a movie called Hyde (about a drug-dispensing super-powered DJ) into a brilliant work of art bound to score big both at the box office and awards nights – is pretty hilarious once they actually show a subMatrix looking clip from it.

It’s earthquake time and only The Rock – aka Dwayne Johnson – can save us. Only he doesn’t actually want to save all of us. In a surprisingly traditional move at a time when blockbusters are all about saving the world, this disaster movie keeps his goal as something actually achievable – rescuing his family. But first California Tech seismologist Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti) comes up with a way to predict earthquakes just in time to a): see the Hoover Dam be torn apart by one and b): realise that now the whole west coast of the United States is under threat.

Meanwhile rescue chopper pilot Raymond “Ray” Gaines ( Johnson) is struggling through the kind of no-fault divorce that you know just means they’ll be getting back together once the going gets rough and new stepdad Daniel Riddick (Ioan Gruffudd) turns out to be a coward.

On the up side, this film moves quickly and efficiently through

all this set-up, and once the earthquakes start tossing skyscrapers around, this largely delivers what it promises: devastation and plenty of it. Unfortunately, as is all too often the case these days much of that devastation doesn’t really have much weight or impact – it looks good in theory but there’s never much sense that you’re watching actual real buildings being hurled to the ground.

Johnson isn’t really given all that much to work with apart from determination, and while he’s convincing as the only human who can stand up to the destruction it feels like a waste of his charm and self-depreciating humour. As an efficient method of delivering numerous scenes of big screen catastrophe this can’t really be faulted, and there’s just enough moments of wit to keep it from lowering your IQ too drastically.

But you’re still mostly just watching CGI toys being thrown around, and with Mad Max: Fury Road still in cinemas that’s not really good enough.

litigious nature – a big part of this documentary details the campaign of harassment they waged in the courts against the IRS until they were given tax-free status – this weaves the failings of various

celebrity Scientologists ( John Travolta seems like a decent man trapped by what the organisation has over him; Tom Cruise does not come off as well) with the abuse suffered by the rank and file whether financially (the dues can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars) or physical (members of the inner church, or “Sea Org” are often used as slave labour) to create a damming picture of an organisation that seems rotten to the core. No doubt the extensive use of ex-members of Scientology could open this documentary to claims of bias, but the evidence provided across the board is so firmly backed up that it’s difficult to leave this pointed and vital film and not feel both horror and disgust.

Going Clear

Aloha These days Cameron Crowe feels like someone out of synch with the times. As the writer-director of films like Say Anything and Jerry Maguire, he made enough of a cultural mark to make his work a touchstone for a generation of movie-goers. As the guy behind notorious flop Elizabethtown, he also basically created the “manic pixie dreamgirl” cliché that haunted Hollywood for a decade.

After eventually escaping movie jail with the feel-good hit We Bought a Zoo, Aloha sees him making the first Cameron Crowe movie that feels like a Cameron Crowe movie in a decade – and that’s not automatically a good thing. Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) is… well, it’s hard to figure out what he is really. He was once some kind of high-flying almostastronaut, then he quit to make money in the private sector, which seemed to involve selling arms in Afghanistan until he was blown up, only now they’ve put him back together and he’s in Hawaii to

negotiate a deal with the locals to expand a military base. And also he’s a computer hacker.

No wonder that the fighter pilot assigned to be his liaison – is that a job fighter pilots are usually given? Allison Ng (Emma Stone) promptly falls in love with him, though at least her manic nuttiness gradually fades as the film goes on. And this film does go on, though at a weird pace that feels like the scenes meant to actually make this a film and not a list of points to be ticked off were lost somewhere – plus this kind of material is now much more suited to television, making this feel a little like a pilot for a television series until things are suddenly wrapped up.

But the real issue here is that this is a story about a guy who, despite a few work issues and a bad relationship or two in the past, basically still has it all – c’mon, he’s Bradley Cooper – and then he gets a whole lot more simply because he somehow deserves it. Everyone in this movie has a more interesting story going on that our hero; once you realise that, this becomes a lot less interesting.

If you like brilliant car chases and non-stop action, then this is easily the movie of the year. If you don’t, you should probably stay away as this film knows exactly what it wants to be and isn’t interested in doing anything else. Romance?

Comedy? Anything that doesn’t involve a howling pack of nutters racing around the desert? You’ve come to the wrong film.

Spy Melissa McCarthy’s latest comedy is her strongest and funniest outing yet, as she plays a back office support staffer sent out on a mission to prevent an arms dealer (Rose Byrne) from peddling a nuke to the bad guys. An all star cast provides valuable back-up, but Jason Statham is hilarious as a parody of his usual tough guy roles.

Tomorrowland Even director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) can’t save Disney’s latest theme park movie from preachiness. But there are just enough moments of brilliance in this tale of an other-dimensional city, that once held the hope of all mankind, to make this muddled film at least a memorable mess.

Pitch Perfect 2

Strangerland When the Parkers move into a distant and dusty outback town, it seems pretty clear that they’re on the run from something. Matthew ( Joseph Fiennes) is a man with a lot bottled up; his wife Catherine (Nicole Kidman) is fragile to the point of breaking. Their son Tommy (Nicholas Hamilton) can’t sleep and wanders the neighbourhood at night; their daughter Lily (Maddison Brown) wanders around with a more personal kind of exploration in mind.

One night Matthew sees his two children sneak out of the house. He lets them go: they don’t come back. Catherine calls in the police – specifically Detective David Rae (Hugo Weaving), a man with problems of his own – and slowly the

LOVE IS STRANGE June 13 – 2.30pm

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA June 14 – 3pm

LEVIATHAN June 13 – 7pm

IT FOLLOWS June 14 – 7.30pm

SHAUN THE SHEEP June 14 – 1pm

KUMIKO June 11 – 7.30pm June 13 – 4.30pm

DIOR & I June 14 – 5.30pm

52 forte

Scientology is not an organisation with a sparkling clear reputation, and Going Clear does an extremely good job of pointing out why that’s so. From an opening outlining the history of the organisation – it’s difficult given what the documentary reveals to call it a religion – L Ron Hubbard founded as a tax dodge in the 1950s to a seemingly endless litany of abuses and harassment meted out by a hierarchy largely obsessed with their own power, this is gripping stuff.

Based largely on a book (also titled Going Clear) that can’t be published outside the United States due to Scientology’s extremely

Mad Max: Fury Road

BANKSY DOES NEW YORK June 13 – 9.45pm

search for the missing kids ramps up.

Too slowly for Catherine, and as for Matthew, the more the investigation turns up, the more violent he gets.

Was he responsible? Could the locals know more than they’re telling?

Could whatever it is they’re running from have finally caught up with them? Or could this be one of those Australian films more about tone and mood than spelling out concrete

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL June 12 – 6.30pm, intro by producer Chris Kamen (All Tix $15) June 13 – 12.30pm June 15 – 7.30pm Screens with JUNKED: THE END OF FILM

CLOSING NIGHT Tuesday June 16 Mystery Film + Live Band ‘Orb’

plot points, the kind of film where an ominous mood is meant to be an end in itself ?

To be fair this does do a decent job of building and maintaining that mood, but this is also a film where a slutty 15-year-old is having sex with half the film’s male characters in a shipping container named ‘The Box’, so it kind of evens out. Strong performances manage to at least keep things watchable: Kidman is excellent as a woman barely holding together, Fiennes does well as a man holding it together a little too well, and Weaving brings some nice touches to the kind of gruff but good-hearted character he’s played a bunch of times before. A bit more story wouldn’t have gone astray here, but as a mystery set in an empty land maybe we’re meant to be grateful we got any story at all.

Tickets: $10 concession $12 adult Licensed Candy Bar More movie times and info available online pivotcinema.com.au The Ukranian Community Hall, 57 Pakington St, Geelong West

Everyone’s back, only this time there isn’t really all that much point to their somewhat aimless and meandering adventures, making this a lot less engaging than the first film – unless you just want to hang out with the characters for 100 minutes doing not much.

Poltergeist This remake of the horror classic is, like pretty much all horror remakes, shorter and less subtle. Though there’s the occasionally mildly creepy moment to remind you why the first film is still considered worth a look.

Woman in Gold In the days before World War 2, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) and her husband fled Austria, leaving behind almost everything – including a painting of her aunt

by Klimt. Now living in L.A., she wants it back, and when she teams up with a young lawyer (Ryan Reynolds) the result is… well, at least the actors seems to be having fun.

Music Reviews

Soak

Oh Mercy

Paper Arms

Slaves

BEFORE WE FORGOT HOW TO DREAM

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOVE

GREAT MISTAKES

ARE YOU SATISFIED?

EMI

Poison City Records

Virgin EMI Records

Rough Trade Records

Listen to Soak (aka Bridie Monds-Watson) for a few seconds and it will instantly become apparent how emotive, flawless and just damn beautiful her voice is.

The fragility of her vocals are matched perfectly with light piano work and a steady beat.

It’s a slow moving, sombre kind of album; so don’t be expecting any pop-ballad, Mariah Carey-esque tracks. Instead this is the kind of album that you listen to while walking to the shops, sitting outside on a sunny day or spending some time with someone you care for. It’s cheesy, but you can’t help but feel them feels while listening to these tracks.

‘Blud’ and ‘Sea Creatures’ are highlights in the first half of album and have that whimsical yet heartbreaking quality to them. Everything is light and airy but the content couldn’t be more different.

As a point of difference for other releases, and a sign that the order and content has really been thought out, it’s separated by instrumental pieces that seem to act as a buffer between styles of different tracks. ‘My Brain’ welcomes the album in and ‘A Dream to Fly’ marks a darker and more guitar heavy section of the album.

For the last half, make sure you give ’24 Windowed House’, ‘Reckless Behaviour’ and ‘Oh Brother’ a listen.

For anyone who’s a fan of Laura Marling, this is an album you need to pick up.

Reviewed by Amanda Sherring

Given the premise of the album, singer Alex Gow recently split from a long-term relationship, you may expect it to be a soppy album of love dedications and angry outbursts – you couldn’t be more wrong. Let’s not forgot the love Gow mentions is about much more than just the romantic kind.

Opening track ‘Without You’ sings of losing his lover, but it couldn’t appear more upbeat. There’s an underpinning of coming to better things now that his significant other is gone. It’s the kind of track you tap your foot to uncontrollably, broken only by a head bob here or there.

Alex Gow is easily one of Australia’s best – and most acclaimed – singer/songwriters. With this album being his most personal to date, it’s also quite possibly his best. With such a heavy topic – or at least what usually is – you come away from the album feeling uplifted. When the content may be too much alone, Gow has cleverly paired it with energetic and fast paced music, making it almost impossible to come away feeling upset.

The lyrics themselves are poetic in a sense, and tell a story of longing, of truly missing someone, but also realising at times you don’t need them. It’s a look into Gow’s life and a side of things where it didn’t work out. That makes it an impressive release in itself.

Make sure you listen to this album, as it echoes the sentiment that life isn’t simply black and white.

Reviewed by Amanda Sherring

One thing I’ve always liked about punk as a genre is that while on the surface there’s usually a whole heap of yelling and – more often than not – overly loud guitar, there’s some really admirable ideals and meaningful lyrics.

While Paper Arms have gone for a more subdued sound this time around, the punk rock ‘tude is alive and well.

With grungy guitars, a gruff-yet-kinda-plaintive vocal style and plenty of heart, Great Mistakes strikes me as the kind of album you could sing your heart out to. Its songs are energetic, entertaining and fantastically anthemic. track six, ‘Wake and Run’ crashes into you like a wave; after its more subdued predecessor, the high-energy, almost screamed track is a heavy wake-up call (pardon the pun) and shows the breadth of the Adelaide-based band’s skills. There’s a spacey, etheric quality to some of their tracks, too; Paper Arms seem determined to show just how many different styles they can cover. Great Mistakes has your traditional punk rock influences, some hardcore sounds, and even a Karnivool-esque spacey alt rock feel scattered throughout its 13 tracks. While each track has its own individual style, the album remains coherent and well-balanced. track eight, ‘Volumes’, is my personal favourite – high energy drums, powerful bass and melodic guitars combine to provide the perfect background to a passionate vocal track from singer Josh Mann. While Great Mistakes starts a tad subdued, Paper Arms finish up the album with a bang; everything builds up and finishes strong.

Reviewed by Alastair McGibbon

If there’s a style that British musicians do well, it’s angry, brooding punk that feels like an assault to the senses. Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent, of Slaves, are helping to make you feel guilty for, well, God knows what.

Opening track ‘The Hunter’ is a slow burner that builds as the track gets angrier and angrier, in typical punk style it brings up numerous political issues. It’s a strong start to the album, and that’s exactly what you’d expect from such a release.

Next off the rank is ‘Cheer Up London’ and following on from such a strong track it kind of slips into nothingland. Though hold on for the highlights in ‘Despair and Traffic’, ‘Wow!!!

7AM’ and ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’. My personal favourite is the acoustic raw track, ‘Are You Satisfied?’. It’s an unexpected break from the intensity in past tracks, and while it mightn’t be traditional to the style, it’s a pleasant change.

In a time where songs are totalling five minutes and beyond, it’s nice to listen to an album with short and sweet tracks. Almost as suddenly as it started it’s over, and you want to listen again and again. One of the main appeals of Slaves new album is their ability to feel like they’re talking directly to you – something that’s hard to achieve.

Reviewed by Alexander Lightfoot

Wolf Alice

Lachlan Bryce

Palace of the King

Jamie xx

MY LOVE IS COOL

RISING SONS

WHITE BIRD/BURN THE SKY

IN COLOUR

RCA Records (Sony Music Australia)

Independent

Devil’s Music Records

Young Turks

There are no real words to describe the first track, ‘Turn to Dust’ of Wolf Alice’s debut LP My Love Is Cool. Lead singer Ellie Rowsell croons at wavering levels, reaching notes you’ve almost forgotten were possible. There’s a simple steady beat from both the drums and guitar that set her vocals off perfectly. Expect goosebumps on this one.

‘Bros’ continues on with the happy feel-good vibes, but considerably amps up the instrumental arrangement.

It’s a track we’ve heard – and loved – played on the radio multiple times, so I’m not going to waste too much time talking on this one.

Part of the Wolf Alice charm is their ability to create so much diversity in each of their releases, and My Love is Cool has been no exception to this rule. Ellie has stated that it’s due to the band’s forever changing emotions, with each genre reflecting their moods to a tee. Throughout the album there’s elation, sadness, frustration, sentimentality and so many more.

‘You’re a Germ’ is an angrier track on the release, the guitar riffs are plenty and the drum beats are heavy – making it a highlight on the album. ‘Lisbon’ is mesmerising and overpowering in its layering and how the instruments seem to “consume” the song and Ellie’s sweet vocals. It’s hard to single any tracks out, so I’m simply going to say listen to it all – though maybe pay particular attention to those already mentioned and ‘Silk’, ‘Swallowtail’ and ‘Fluffy’.

This is the kind of album you’re going to want to keep to yourself – though you’ll soon find that impossible – playing only when no one is around on the loudest possible setting for your speakers. Put this one and lose yourself, it’d be a challenge not to. We don’t normally do ratings here at Forte, but this album has gained a 5/5, so that’s worth putting in.

Reviewed by Amanda Sherring

It’s a bold move to put out an album commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ANZACs landing in Gallipoli given the historical significance to this country, however it has paid off and is the latest release for Lachlan Bryce.

Opening with a distorted guitar playing the unmistakable riff of ‘The Last Post’, the album transitions into ‘We Were Young’, a song about being a digger and going off to war, the jangle of electric guitar and full band gives the song an added kick as it rolls along quite steadily. The transition between ‘We Were Young’ and ‘You Pommy Bastards’ is a little hard to gauge on the first listen due to going from quiet electric rock that is quite melodic to the pounding drums of a full band and up-tempo melodies is quite hard to get into on the first listen. By the third however, my mind has acclimatised to what Bryce is trying to achieve.

In ‘For Our Lads’, Bryce tries to achieve the sound of a band of men travelling through the trenches, which he achieves with percussion, and a quaint (and quite unexpected) train whistle. The centrepiece to this album is ‘Burning’ a piano ballad in which Bryce sings ‘Mother Rescue Me’ which finishes the song on broken chords and the lyric of ‘I’m not coming back’, which relates the harshness of war and the grim realities of battle.

From a few listens through, it is easy to hear that this CD is a home production and you should definitely head out and support Lachlan Bryce, a great local artist. My favourite track of this album has to be, ‘Going Home’, which at times sounds like a mixture of Evermore and Youth Group which makes the indie kid in me smile. A tough subject to write an album about and although the song transitions are a little hard to comprehend the first time around, give it at least three spins to experience what Lachlan Bryce has achieved in Rising Sons quite successfully.

Reviewed by Tex Miller

With enough rock and roll swagger to make your face melt, Melbourne-based outfit Palace of the King have unleashed a torrent of their retro, bluesy rock magic with the release of their debut album, White Bird/Burn the Sky. There’s a whole heap of fantastic influences woven throughout the album – I’ve caught snatches of Aerosmith, Slash, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and a whole lot more – and my God, does it make for a fantastic listening experience. If it wasn’t already obvious, this kind of music is right up my alley.

While Palace of the King have clearly taken inspiration from a wide range of artists, they’ve been able to blend it all together to produce their own brand of music that stands out from the crowd. The bluesy hard rock vibe is backed up by a very ‘70s funk rock sound – the bass starts thumping, the guitars become psychedelic and everything blends together beautifully. Palace of the King have filled a gap that you didn’t even realise was there – it’s music that you can just sit down and absolutely rock out to.

From the opening riff to the last chord, White Bird/ Burn The Sky exudes confidence, style and rock ‘n’ roll in a way that you just don’t see much anymore.

It’s not very often that I say this, but I can guarantee that Palace of the King have put out an album that is absolutely going to blow you out of the water.

Reviewed by Alastair McGibbon

I’m not sure if it was the intention with ‘Gosh’ but I couldn’t help but have a laugh the first few times “Oh My Gosh” came through. But aside from laughing at the choice in vocals/lyrics, the beat is well and truly there. About halfway in it morphs into something completely different with an ‘80s-esque synth taking over the track.

That seems to be the trend throughout the album, as each one ends completely different from how it started. If you don’t like the beginning, give it a few more seconds and chances are it’ll evolve into something you didn’t think possible.

Jamie xx clearly has a talent as a music producer as he can create a track and base a beat around the most unusual of sounds. Refer back to the first track if you need any evidence on that one.

While this style of music isn’t normally something I listen to, I’ll definitely be reserving a place for ‘Sleep Sound’, ‘I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)’ and ‘Girl’ – if not the whole album – on my iPod. There’s been a lot of hype about In Colour, and that can often kill the actual product before it’s even released. Luckily for Jamie xx he’s managed to hold his own and created an album that can be taken as a whole or listened to in fragments.

Reviewed by Amanda Sherring

forte 53

Last Words

grog watch Tony “buried alive under a pile of old comics” Montana

So the big news in the world of insanely violent comic books has been that a copy of the ultra-rare October 23, 1976 issue of Action (the UK one, not the one Superman’s in) turned up on eBay, and I… did not purchase it, because it sold for two and a half thousand pounds. That crazy price came about because there’s only a handful of copies in existence after the entire print run was pulped for being too insanely violent, thus ending the brief reign of a comic so mental it remains one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever read and I’ve read that biography of Austen Tayshus.

I know what you’re thinking: even in the ultra-violent pop culture world of the UK in the 1970s – a decade where Richard Allen could not only

write but get published a series of books where the “hero” was a skinhead who went around bashing people just for the hell of it – just how violent could Action have been? Sorry to break it to you but your brain’s about to break in two because here’s how violent Action was: their number one story (for like all UK comics, Action was an anthology with six or seven stories in each weekly issue) was the insanely brilliant Hook Jaw, AKA a rip-off of Jaws… only told from the sharks point of view. Oh, and the shark had a hook sticking out of his chin so he could impale people and tear their diving gear off before eating them alive. Because that was all Hook Jaw did – week after week Hook Jaw would rear up out of nowhere and eat a good half-dozen or so people over the course of three pages.

Let’s check out the story that ran in the issue dated April 3, 1976.

A passenger jet is flying over the Caribbean when it’s hit by lightning

and forced to ditch in Hook Jaw’s turf.

So far so blah – until the stewardess opens the cockpit cabin door to check on the pilot and sees Hook Jaw has shoved his head through the windshield to eat the pilot while he’s still strapped in his chair. As she put it: “Aaaaaaaaaaah!”, quickly followed by “Sharks everywhere!” as Hook Jaw’s buddies start to eat everyone in sight.

Sadly for Hook Jaw, he’s too big to swim inside the wreck. So what does he do? He hits the wreck with the side of his tail and cracks it open, causing it to sink. As a passenger aboard the now submerged plane puts it: “Look - out the windows! The sharks are just waiting for us!” Sadly Mason, the human lead in Hook Jaw (don’t worry, even he gets eaten eventually) figures out a way for the women and kids to escape. Don’t think this was a regular occurrence in Hook Jaw, however – a cover planned for an issue never printed (it was banned, remember?) showed a screaming child on a UK

beach falling into Hook Jaw’s gaping mouth under the caption “Not even YOU are safe from... HOOK JAW”.

Anyway, it’s the men versus the sharks inside the sinking plane, and with the no doubt accurate advice of “Don’t panic - they smell fear!” (underwater?)

Mason leads them on a death swim to the surface. a panel or two it looks like Mason’s plan to wedge Hook Jaw’s mouth open with an axe from the plane has worked, until one particularly annoying passenger finds himself swept inside the shark’s mouth and tries to pull himself free... using the axe. It almost works - as the shark’s jaws snap shut there’s a nice close up of his severed hand flying from Hook Jaw’s teeth. And though it might look like Hook Jaw’s plans to eat everyone have been thwarted, don’t worry, the oil rig the crash survivors are stuck on falls apart in a storm at the start of next week’s episode, and every single survivor of the crash gets eaten

by sharks. In fact, everybody who ever appears in Hook Jaw gets eaten eventually, from the diver blinded by an oil slick who swims into his mouth while thinking, “Hope this is the way to the surface”, to the evil oil rig owner who gets bitten so hard by Hook Jaw he literally explodes (seriously – his arms and legs fly off ).

And Hook Jaw was one of the more socially responsible stories in Action: who could forget Death Game 1999, where US convicts were forced to battle each other to the death inside a giant pinball machine? What about Kids Rule O.K., which presented a grim future where all the adults had died, leaving only insanely violent gangs of street kids whose sole desire was to find out where the dying adults had hidden all the guns? To give you an idea of how wrong – and yet, how so very right – Action was in the 36-odd issues that came out before it was banned (it was eventually revived, only now it sucked), the cover of the

issue up for sale on eBay featured an image of the Death Game lead character riding a motorbike and grabbing a ball under the caption “Witness a suicide scoop in Death Game 1999” while across the top said “It’s Suicide to Miss Action” and the bottom of the cover had the handy guide “Ways to commit suicide: Swim in the sea with HOOK JAW! Try to double-cross DREDGER! Drive a truck in HELL’S HIGHWAY!” That sounds like two and a half thousand pounds worth of quality reading right there…

THE SOPRANOS QUIZ! Think you know The Sopranos?

Challenge your friends, see who is the bigger fan! Check your answers below and share your score with us on Facebook or Instagram!! #fortemag

01. H ow many seasons of The Sopranos were produced?

07. W hat was the name of the horse Tony owned?

02. T ony meets a young exchange student named Isabella in his neighbour’s backyard, what surprising fact do we discover about her?

08. W hat is the name of Tony’s boat?

03. C armella has a long crush on one of Tony’s workers, what was his name?

04. H ow long has Richie Aprile been in prison before his release and return to the streets of New Jersey?

05. H ow does Livia find out that Tony is in therapy?

06. S ometimes retentively unknown, what is the official tagline for the Soprano’s?

09. W hat was the title of the Mafia-slasher film that Christopher and Carmine executive-produced?

10. W hich song plays in the final scene of The Sopranos?

11. W hat is the name of the shoreside home Tony buys at the end of the fourth season?

12. W hat’s the name of Tony’s psychiatrist?

Answers: 1. 6 / 2. She is part of his imagination / 3. Furio / 4. 10 Years / 5. Anthony Junior tells her on a visit to the nursing home / 6. “If one family doesn’t kill him, the other one will” / 7. Pie O’ My / 8.”Stugotts’ / 9. Cleaver / 10. Don’t Stop Belivin’- Journey / 11. White Caps / 12. Dr Melfi

54 forte

forte 55

56 forte