Forte #686

BALLARAT BELLARINE

M U S I C

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A R T S

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C U LT U R E

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E S T

BENDIGO CASTLEMAINE

GEELONG & SURF COAST WARRNAMBOOL

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DAN SULTAN

THE KILLER TOUR

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M U S I C

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The Know Feature Story The Loop Local Feature

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C U LT U R E

10 -11 12 15–19 20

News

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Food

30-32

Creatives

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Reviews

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Columns

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Scenepix

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The Guide

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Ah Autumn, what a bloody brilliant time of year! April is one of my favourite months (partly because it’s birthday month and that means wine) but mostly because the town is fuelled with fiery autumn colours, there’s a ton of public holidays and the days begin getting colder and shorter in the lead up to winter. That means flannelette pyjamas, Ugg boots, snuggles with the cat and multiple cups of hot coffee, but as the days are generally still warm and sunny, it also means you can sit outside and enjoy the view while snug in your beanie! What’s not to love about that?!

PH: 03 5229 7969 2/105 Skene St, VIC 3220 enquiries@fortemag.com.au

FREEBIES Thanks to our good friends over at the Comedy Festival, we’ve got a few freebies to giveaway! We’re giving away three double passes to acclaimed Sydney comedian James Smith with his new stand-up show, Pleasure Enthusiast at Trades Hall on April 16 at 9:30pm, and French comedian Marcel Lucont’s Whine List on April 10 at 9.40pm at Coopers Malthouse Beckett Theatre.

This issue we have ARIA award winning Dan Sultan on our cover; the Melbourne musician who is stripping things back to basics on his upcoming Killer Solo Tour. Stopping by Forté land in Castlemaine and Geelong, each intimate and acoustic performance will see just Dan Sultan, his piano and his guitar as the musician reimagines all of his most recent release, the stirring ARIA #5 debuting, critically acclaimed Killer. Check out the chat he had with our brilliant writer Hannah on page 12.

T O EN TE R : To enter email your name, the name of the show you want to see (MARCEL or JAMES SMITH) and your number to talia@fortemag.com.au

Editor Talia Rinaldo

talia@fortemag.com.au

Advertising Josh Dowling

josh@fortemag.com.au

General Manager Glenn Lynch

glenn@fortemag.com.au

Editorial Assistant Helena Metzke Art Director Nathan Mossop

artwork@fortemag.com.au

Interns Hannah Kenny, Daniel Jubb, Chloe Cicero, Aleesha Coots, Lauren McKinnon.

FORTÉGRAM

Further in this issue, we chat to Geelong rock n rollers Dangerous Curves, Melbourne fourpiece City Calm Down, Swedish future-pop sensation Tove Styrke, the original rock ‘n roll outlaws Rose Tattoo, the fabulous singersongwriter and guitarist Alison Ferrier, along with chats to the Geelong flight attendant and brains behind BEKKA MAY, and French comedian Marcel Lucont… plus of course heaps more!

Tag us @Forte_mag or #Fortemag to be featured!

@courthouseyoutharts

Peace, good vibes and flannelettes.

Talia and the Forté team xx

@luke_biscan

LICENSED UNTIL 1AM EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY THE BEST VARIETY OF LIVE COVER BANDS IN GEELONG THURS 5TH - GOOD FACES 4 RADIO 7:00 PM FRI 6TH - NEIL DIAMOND DEDICATION WITH TONY VEE 9:00 PM SAT 7TH -COUNTDOWN 80’S 9:30PM SUN 8TH - STANDING ROOM ONLY 5:00 PM THURS 12TH - GOOD FACES 4 RADIO 7:00 PM FRI 13TH - BLACK FRIDAY WITH RIVERSNAKE 9:00 PM SAT 14TH - FLUID LIVE 9:30PM SUN 15TH - LUKE BISCAN 1:00PM

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Publisher Furst Media Pty. Ltd.

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@prehistoricsounds

Contributors Anthony Morris, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Chris Lambie, Dr John Lamp, Natalie Rogers, Paul S Taylor, Tex Miller, Wylie Caird.

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. Forté accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions. Forté reserves the right to edit all articles and letters.

BOOK YOUR 2018 FUNCTION WITH US!

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G FLIP ANNOUNCES DEBUT SHOWS IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE

DOWNLOAD WILL RETURN TO

After taking SXSW by storm and winning fans every step of the way, G Flip has announced her debut live shows in Australia with two intimate headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne this May. If you’re unaware, G Flip is 24-year-old Melbourne based Georgia Flipo who last month released her debut single ‘About You’ - an instant classic which has put the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist-producer on everyone’s radar, and rightly so. G Flip is the real thing: unfiltered, driven and bursting out of her bedroom with ideas to burn. Check her out at The Workers Club, Melbourne on Saturday 12 May. Tickets available from gflipmusic.com - Photo credit: Reuben Moore

Nearly 30,000 heavy music fans descended on Melbourne on Saturday for Australia’s first Download Festival. After a smattering of rain to kick off, the rock gods smiled, the clouds parted, and pure rock fury ripped through Flemington with international superstars Korn, Prophets of Rage, Limp Bizkit, Mastodon, Gojira, Amon Amarth, and Sabaton delivering stand out sets.

Download programmer Nigel Melder praised patrons and confirmed the festival will return to Melbourne, and in news that will put a smile on NSW heavy rock fans faces...

Will debut in Sydney in 2019.

ABOVE & BEYOND TO TOUR AUSTRALIA THIS JUNE

PAGAN ANNOUNCE THE ‘HOLY COMMUNION’ PARTY

The much loved, chart-topping trio return

You may not have heard them, but Melbourne-based blackened rock’n’roll band PAGAN deserve your attention. To celebrate the release of their new track (and first single in 12 months) ‘Death Before Disco’, PAGAN are doing what they do best – putting on a party. They’ll be taking over the Northcote Social Club on Saturday April 20 for The Holy Communion with their friends Ferla, LOOBS, Lost Talk, Bad Batch, and Hayley Mary from The Jezebels. This will be Pagan’s first ever headline show in their hometown of Melbourne and to celebrate the occasion, they’re asking all guests of this Holy Communion to please wear white.

to Melbourne and Sydney for two massive headlining shows over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend! With them, they’ll be bringing Common Ground, the fourth studio album from Above & Beyond, was released earlier this year on the band’s own ‘Anjunabeats’ imprint and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The album includes the 2017 festival anthems: ‘My Own Hymn,’ ‘Northern Soul,’ ‘Alright Now,’ ‘Tightrope’ and new songs with longtime collaborators Justine Suissa (‘Naked’ and ‘Cold Feet’), Zoë Johnston (‘Sahara

Love’

and

‘Always’)

and

Richard Bedford (‘Happiness Amplified’ and ‘Bittersweet & Blue’). Catch them

MELBOURNE... AND SYDNEY IN 2019

at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena on Friday 8th June. Tickets via aboveandbeyond. nu/australia

CREATE IT. LOVE IT. DO IT. / / / / / / / / / / /

FASHION MARKETING CONTENT CREATION ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALISM ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT AUDIO PRODUCTION MUSIC PERFORMANCE MUSIC PRODUCTION HANDS-ON INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE ACCESS TO FEE-HELP 2 YEAR BACHELOR DEGREES WORLD CLASS FACILITIES

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MELBOURNE BITTER PROUDLY PRESENTS ‘ESKYBITION’

HEY BABY! ANNOUNCE TOUR FOR NEW SINGLE

This collaboration features some of Melbourne’s finest illustrative artists who produce a series of hand-painted, classic, Aussie Eskys. The ‘Eskybition’ group show adopts the concept of upcycling; the process of transforming waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new products of better quality or for better environmental value. A bunch of humble, much-loved eskys that have seen better days (sourced from Gumtree, eBay, vintage and charity stores) have been gifted a literal and aesthetic rebirth. Make your way to RVCA Gallery, enjoy an icy cold Melbourne Bitter and perhaps pick up one of these beauties for yourself at the silent auction. Opening Friday, April 13.

Born from the bedroom demos of a

DARK MOFO ANNOUNCE FIRST ACT FOR 2018

KLLO ANNOUNCE SPECIAL MELBOURNE PERFORMANCE

Mona’s winter festival, Dark Mofo, has

After releasing their debut album

announced the first artist for its June

Backwater and a subsequent expan-

2018 festival – the exclusive Australian

sive world tour last year, Kllo are making

performance of ‘legendary Acid Kings’,

their way back down south for a special

ELECTRIC WIZARD (UK), at the Odeon

performance

Theatre in Hobart, Tasmania, on Thursday

Centre – their first headline show for

21 June. England’s Electric Wizard are the

the year. The duo will be joined by a full

heavy metal innovators of downturned,

band for the performance for the first

grinding,

doom,

time, giving a new take on their much-

consistently redefining the preconceived

loved tracks. In addition to performing

thresholds of detuned guitar chords for

a slew of tracks from their catalogue,

the past quarter of a century. Haven’t

the duo will also treat fans to some new

heard of Dark Mofo? Well for one, where

tracks that they’re yet to debut. Known

have you been!? Dark Mofo is a project

for their diverse live performances and

of Mona, a winter solstice festival based

mesmerising electro-pop sound, tickets

in Tasmania, the southernmost state of

are bound to get snapped up quickly

Australia. Pre-sale ticket rego info is also

for this special performance. Catch Kllo

now open. Visit www.darkmofo.net.au/

at Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday

subscribe. Program announced April 6.

June 8. Grab your tickets here.

monolithic

esoteric

Blue Mountains teenager, Brisbane quartet Hey Baby! are back with a fresh feel-good and mosh-ready guitar jam about embracing the best parts of imminent adulthood with their raucous sophomore single “Kids”. Almost Dunies/Skegss style, “Kids” explodes out of the gates and just keeps on running with a boisterous mix of crashing drums, overdriven guitars, and a cheeky “YEEEEAAAH” from frontman Kacper Majchrowski’s charmingly raspy vocal pipes. It’s a track that sees Hey Baby! yet again deliver a catchy, guitar-driven anthem about what it means to be young and growing up in the ‘burbs.

Check it out on Soundcloud or Spotify.

at

Melbourne

FRI 6 APRIL:

SAT 7 APRIL:

SUN 8 APRIL:

SOLO ACOUSTIC SET

SOLO ACOUSTIC SET

SOLO ACOUSTIC SET

DEAN COCKERELL Organise the troops and get down to taste the soulful acoustic flavours of Dean Cockerell dreadlocked singer, guitarist and one half of Enquire Within.

BEN DEW

Ben provides all the beats – from smooth vocals, clean acoustic rhythms, slide guitar, stomp box and tambourine, prepare for a night of berserk feet tapping.

Recital

CRAIG SAYER

Craig has a diverse repertoire and an uncanny knack for playing the perfect song choices for any crowd. Come on down and experience this great local artist.

* FRIDAYS

7PM-8PM *

ESPRESSO MARTINIS

— $10 —

GROVEDALEHOTEL FRI 13 APRIL:

TRENT JANSZ

SOLO ACOUSTIC SET Trent really knows how to read a crowd and entertain. You can be sure to hear not only current songs but also sounds from the 50s-60s and everything from rock to rap.

SAT 14 APRIL:

MADZ GOT RICH DUO ACOUSTIC SET

With Madeliene on vocals and Richard on guitar a great night is guaranteed. Their repertoire covers a range of top 40 hits as well as classics from over the decades.

SUN 15 APRIL:

DEAN COCKERELL SOLO ACOUSTIC SET

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

WEB. PHONE.

Organise the troops and get down to taste the soulful acoustic flavours of Dean Cockerell dreadlocked singer, guitarist and one half of Enquire Within.

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DAN SULTAN ONE MAN, ONE STAGE, ONE MIC, ONE GUITAR & ONE PIANO.

Elevating meaningful lyrics through vocal poise and power, Dan Sultan is hitting the road on an intimate, stripped back tour to showcase his soul fuelled album, Killer.

WRITTEN BY HANNAH KENNY

In 2006, he made his mark on the Aussie music scene with his debut album Homemade Biscuits. Since then, our nation has absolutely adored watching him grow as a musician and as an activist for the Indigenous people, with a couple of ARIA awards in his poolroom to certify his remarkable successes.

Having always wanted to perform for fans in remote parts of the country, Dan was inspired to tour Killer in an intimate setting. “It’s something that I’ve done a few times with a few different records. It’s a good way to get out to some more regional places and places that are a bit hard to take everybody to. As I travel with a few people when I’ve got the full band, it’s just not realistic for me to get to as many places as I’d like to; it’s sort of more central places and capital cities that I tend to perform in. With a solo tour, it’s just my production manager and I so we are able to get in a lot more shows. It’s also a good way to get the record ticking over, plus I get to travel and see the country,” he says excitedly.

Lovers of his craft were fortunate enough to have Dan publish a series of three videos in which he sings a few favourites from the album using a stripped back style, leaving listeners hungry to get their hands on tickets to the tour. Authentically performing

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in a raw and vulnerable way is a little daunting for Dan, however he remains excited to approach his scheduled shows in this manner. “It’s definitely more exposing but I feel the same amount of uncomfortably as I do anywhere. It’s scary stuff getting on stage but it’s exciting. It’s definitely different when it’s just you, there’s nowhere to hide but I have a really good time with it. It’s all positive,” he laughs.

The tour has already seen extraordinary sales, with shows in Upwey, Meeniyan and Milton reaching sell out point. With demands so high in Melbourne, a third and final St Kilda gig has been added to the tour. Dan couldn’t contain his eagerness about the travel element of his tour, reiterating that it’s important to him to get his music heard by fans from all over Australia. “There’s so many places I haven’t been to yet that I’m visiting on this tour. There are places that I’m really looking forward to seeing that haven’t actually been announced yet so I have to be careful with that one. The central cost of NSW is really beautiful as well as regional Victoria, so I’m excited for that. I’ll tell you which was my favourite after the tour,” he says.

In his gospel infused record, Dan enriches his listeners through sentimental storytelling, incorporating earthy blues sounds with rock

and neo-soul. An emotive exploration of the political struggles that still exist within the Indigenous community, Killer is an incredibly layered record that highlights Dan’s strong ability to communicate n a r r a t i ve s t h r o u g h h i s songwriting. The leader of the record, Drover, is a historically significant track to Dan. “It’s a prequel song from Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly which is about The Wave Hill Walk-Off, a big moment in civil rights history in this country and in the world. My grandfather’s country is where that song is written about, so it speaks to me both as an Aboriginal person and as an Australian. It’s important to me as someone who believes in civil rights and fighting a good fight. From a more personal level, it’s about my family as well; it’s a nice one,” he explains.

The record has received phenomenal praise, scoring a place in Rolling Stone Australia’s Top 50 Albums of 2017. “It felt good, it was affirming. We felt like we made a really good album and I was very proud of that - it’s the best album that I’ve made. It was nice to get that recognition,” he says.

Though some time has passed since Dan first entered the spotlight, his talent remains to radiate beyond the Australian music industry.

Having recently signed a deal

with American record label AntiFragile, Dan is gearing up to discover new things about his musical talents in a supportive learning environment. “I’ve wanted to work in as many places as possible for as long as I can remember. I think with Blackbird we had a lot of meetings with labels and I think I sort of took for granted the fact that we’d get a deal and but nothing came of it and that was a bit of a hit for me. You just have to get over it and get on with it. When I wrote Killer, it just sort of happened. It’s exciting, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens and

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where we can go with it. I just want to work and play in as many places as I can and perform to as many people as I can,” he says.

successful as Killer has been, you always want it to go further, so this has been a really nice way to be able to do that,” he says.

D a n ’s wo r k e t h i c i s admirable, collaborating with friends Camp Cope, A.B. Original, Meg Mac and Dave Le’aupepe (Gang Of Youths) to rework a handful of songs from Killer. “We were just sitting around and we realised we had the opportunity to do something cool like this. It’s awesome to be giving these songs a new perspective. In some ways I’ve felt like as

With a tour, EP and record deal on the go, it’s no wonder Aussie’s can’t get enough of Dan Sultan.

When & Where: Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – April 12 GPAC Drama Theatre, Geelong – May 11 To get your tickets, head to dansultan.com/

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Regional Rampage 2018 POSTER_Blank.pdf

1

6/03/2018

10:03 pm

NEW WORLD ARTISTS & EVP RECORDINGS PRESENT

REGIONAL RAMPAGE 2018 TUES 24 APRIL - MUSICMAN MEGASTORE – BENDIGO, VIC WED 25 APRIL - KAROVA LOUNGE - BALLARAT (EARLY ARVO SHOW), VIC THUR 26 APRIL - BARWON CLUB – GEELONG, VIC FRI 27 APRIL - THE EVELYN – MELBOURNE, VIC SAT 28 APRIL – PELLY BAR – FRANKSTON, VIC

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

K

(U.S.A) ‘UGLY PRODUCE’ OUT NOW - NERVEGAS.COM.AU

TICKETS: KINGPARROT.OZTIX.COM.AU

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LOOP

B A L L A R AT BELLARINE

FRI 6TH APRIL GARETH LEACH MICHAEL CROWE HAYDEN BUTCHER

BENDIGO CASTLEMAINE

GEELONG & SURF COAST WA R R N A M BOO L

FRI 13TH APRIL

JEFFREY JORDAN

SAT 7TH & 14TH APRIL

LIVE MUSIC TBC FORTE 686

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A DOZEN FOR KASEY CHAMBERS Album number twelve from Kasey Chambers deserves a big tour. Campfire is available toward the end of the month and features her band The Fireside Disciples, as well as Emmylou Harris. Kasey: “I grew up in the remote outback of Australia living a unique lifestyle isolated from civilisation … My brother and I did our schooling via correspondence around the campfire.”

GPAC – July 14 & Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool – August 5.

GUY SEBASTIAN IS HITTING THE REGIONAL ROAD This winter, for the first time in two and a half years, Guy Sebastian will be taking his band on the road with a hit-laden Then & Now regional tour. One of Australia’s most popular and successful male artists, Guy will bring a blockbuster set to some of his favourite regional cities throughout June and July, including Frankston, Geelong, Shepparton and Dandenong. Tickets for the Then & Now regional tour are on sale now via www.guysebastian.com

REGRETS, THEY’VE HAD A FEW The ‘Mistakes and Regrets’ tour features Americana/ outlaw country singer-songwriter Gareth Leach and Michael Crowe and Hayden Butcher of The Drunken Poachers in a night of songs, stories and possibly a drink or two. Murphy’s, Geelong – April 6; Billyroy’s Blues Bar, Bendigo – April 7; Ceres, Echuca – April 8; Hot Temple, Ballarat – May 19; and Shedshaker, Castlemaine – May 20.

THE SEQUELS CHECK IN

The Sequels are just a few small town lads looking to keep the spirit of indie rock alive. And in terms of sequels they’re up there with The Empire Strikes Back rather than Speed 2: Cruise Control.

They have been busy working on their debut EP but have decided to take a spell in order to venture out into the world for the first time in 2018. The band will no doubt have some new tunes with them as well. Workers Club, Geelong – April 7.

BY THE MEADOW

↑↑ JULIETTE SEIZURE AND THE TREMOR DOLLS What do you get if you cross first wave punk with ’60s girls groups? You get Juliette Seizure and the Tremor Dolls. The Adelaide six-piece outfit began to shake and shimmy in 2014 and last year released their second album, Seizure Salad.

Distorted guitars, three-part harmonies, matching outfits and synchronised dance moves are all part of the fun. Black Hatt, Geelong – April 13.

Are you going to By the Meadow?

Sweet, we have some information for you, should you not have done your own research. Make sure you have your ID. No ID means no entry. If you are taking a vehicle, once inside the festival owns your soul until things come to an end on Sunday. A limit of 18 canned beers or twelve canned pre-mix drinks are allowed per person (this drops to twelve and eight for those entering Saturday). No eftpos.

THE BEAN PROJECT BARE ALL After winning new fans at 2017’s Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival, Melbourne brassclad outfit The Bean Project return for some brass-folk tunes. Starting out as a duo, the now quintet released their debut album, Naked Trees, mid-2017. They describe it as being like a good whisky: “strong, woody and rich, makes you think about your life and gives you a bubbling desire to dance”. Old Church on the Hill, Bendigo – April 7.

PETE MURRAY IS ALL HEART

ANDREW SWIFT MAKES A CALL

Pete Murray is in the mood for some touring. His ‘Heartbeats’ tour, a track from 2017’s Camacho, will see the songman tour in three-piece mode, something he has never done in Australia. Pete: “I love acoustic tours as it’s always great to strip songs back to their bare bones and do cool versions of them … I’m excited to try and do things a little differently these days.” Gateway Hotel, Geelong – July 26.

Alt-country singer-songwriter Andrew Swift is planning a whole lotta touring in support of his new album, Call out for the Cavalry. Swift: “Each one is a story that happened some time ago but have affected me greatly over the years. In every song there are truths about me but I like to take creative licensing and twist or exaggerate the truth to make the story a little more interesting for both the listener and myself.” Ceres, Echuca – April 7.

AXE GIRL REACH PANIC STATIONS It wasn’t enough for Axe Girl to set out to become a poppunk band. Their mission was to become the popiest punk band this big, wide world has ever heard and the Perth band has supported the likes of Meat Puppets, Hard-Ons and Spiderbait as they have attempted to carry out their mission. Panic is their new EP. The Loft, Warrnambool – April 12; The Bridge, Castlemaine – April 13; and The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 14.

WAAX ANNOUNCE NATIONAL HEADLINE TOUR

↑↑ JOHN GARCIA’S ACOUSTIC MISSION As a founding member of Kyuss, Slo Burn and Unida, one cannot think ‘desert rock’ without thinking of John Garcia. This should make the news that he is heading our way enough for even the slackest of slacker to get up off the couch. Garcia: “Super stoked to be coming back to Australia, especially with this project. Playing all the classics acoustically proves to be really something special, don’t miss out!” The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 19.

Australia’s most electrifying punk band, WAAX have taken the next huge step in their career by inking a label deal in Australia and New Zealand with Dew Process / Universal Music Australia. Along with this, they will be heading out across the country for a massive, n ot- t o - b e - m i s s e d , n a t i o n a l headline tour. The twelve-show tour including an all ages early show in Sydney, kicks off on the Gold Coast on May 11, with special guests to be announced. They will hit Geelong’s Barwon Club on June 13. Tickets are on sale now.

ELIZA HULL GIVES YOU MORE In 2012, Eliza Hull used an Arts Access Australia Cultivate grant to travel overseas and work with acclaimed international musicians, as well as study at the Berklee College of Music. Performances in Berlin, London, Istanbul and New York were also afforded by the grant. In 2015, she released her debut album, The Bones of Us. A new EP is on the way. The Bridge, Castlemaine – April 21.

LIVE MUSIC IN KANGAROO FLAT The Kangaroo Flat Hotel has been serving the locals good grub and cold drinks for many years, but things have been on the move there for sometime with the addition of the Beer Garden, delivered Meals and a spruce up, but did you know they have been entertaining the people with Karaoke every second Saturday (next one this Saturday the 7th April), and live acts on Fridays? With the lack of live music venues in Bendigo at the moment, why not get down, have a feed and do something different on a Friday night and support the local music scene?

Next up is Leigh Turner this Friday (April 6), Jon and Bel on April 13, one of Fortes favourites David Turpie on the April 20 and Matt Giri on the April 27. As Molly would say, do yourself a favour, (and Bendigo’s music scene!), and head on down to the Kangaroo Flat Hotel and let the music take your night away.

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THIS STATE WE’RE IN INDUSTRY UPDATES FROM MUSIC VICTORI A

LETTERS TO LIONS DELIVER NEWIE From the southern beaches of Sydney comes Letters to Lions, an outfit that

WRITTEN BY LAURA IMBRUGLIA, PROJECT / MARKETING MANAGER AT MUSIC VICTORIA.

has drawn comparisons to bands including WU LYF and Last Dinosaurs.

This is what the band has to say about

Hey groovers!

It’s been high energy in the Music Victoria office for the past two weeks. It’s drive time in MV HQ, which happens once a year. Much like community radio stations, we spend two weeks each year rolling out a Membership Drive – the focus of which is to convince people to sign up to Music Victoria membership.

As part of our drive, we make a campaign video, and this year’s video has gone what the kids might call “viral”, with more than 66,000 views in ten days!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out as the staff of MV show Ecca Vandal how cool we are. A big part of this year’s drive video has been educating people about the value of an MV Membership i.e. explaining what it is that we do and how we can help people and in the video, we give Ecca a quick rundown of our member discounts and services, and as we are Music Victoria, this rundown naturally takes the form of song.

Thanks to all of you who have renewed your membership for the next 12 months or signed up for the first time. We are thrilled that the raft of new discounts and prizes has resonated with you, as well as our 2018 Professional Development Program, which is free for members to ensure your band or business is up-to-date with the latest trends and skills. Like you, we live and breathe music, so come on board and help us help you.

Speaking of helping YOU, Music Victoria has also negotiated regional-specific prizes and discounts.

Regional benefits include discounts at The Bridge Hotel Castlemaine, The Blues Train Queenscliff, L’espresso Ballarat, and Music Workshop Geelong.

All regional venue members who sign up or renew during the Drive will go into the running to win an OpenLIVE live recording unit fully installed (value $600).

Also – whilst we’re talking about venue members… attention all live music venues and

their new single, ‘Skeleton’: “Skeleton is about being human and having flaws, we’re all going to be skeletons, so why not be yourself while you can.”

The Loft, Warrnambool – April 20.

MOMOKO ROSE IN BLOOM

Momoko Rose will take in her first headline show at Geelong’s Workers Club on April 21. The show will also be an opportunity to showcase her debut album When I Blossom, so it’s a big night indeed. Inspired by the likes of Bjork, Florence and the Machine and Joanna Newsom, Momoko fronts her band armed with an electric guitar. In 2017 she won the Surf Coast Youth Arts Award.

TROPICAL FUCK STORM DROP DEBUT The Drones, High Tension and Harmony have combined their mighty, magical music powers for the all-seeing, all-knowing supergroup Tropical Fuck Storm. Gareth Liddiard, Fiona Kitschin, Lauren Hammel and Erica Dunn are behind the madness and will next month release their debut album, A Laughing Death in Meatspace.

Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – May 26. They’ll be joined by HEXDEBT and Bitch Diesel.

rehearsal spaces. As part of the Daniel Andrews Music Works package, venues can apply for up to $25,000 per venue in matched funding to support their sound attenuation needs! Good Music Neighbours funding has now opened (29 March) and closes 5pm, 26 April 2018. For more information head to http://www.musicvictoria.com.au/gmn See you under the disco ball!

Laura & the Music Vic crew Member of the month Ballarat Ska Union Mr Wayne Parker is the guitarist of Ballarat Ska Union and he just joined Music Vic as a Small Business Member so we decided to check out his band - and they’re great! With musicians seasoned by illustrious bands such as Bomba, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Los Locos, Brother Popcorn, Busta Mento, The Boxing Tostados, The Big Fat Skank and Insectgirl, what could go wrong? Their next gig is on Sat April 21 at Miners Tavern Ballarat (Tix $20) Regional gig of the month Music Victoria’s Pitching to radio workshops!

OK, so they’re not technically “gigs”, but they are events you don’t want to miss. We’ve gathered some of the most influential broadcasters, presenters and programmers to teach you what helps get your music heard on radio, including how to package your pitch to give it the best chance of airplay.

We held one of these masterclasses in Melbourne late last year and it sold out, with over 90 attendees.

We’ve only got 30 tix for each of these masterclasses, so don’t snooze on it. Free entry for Music Victoria members, cos that’s how we roll. They go down at Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on Monday April 23 and Geelong’s Barwon Club on Monday April 30. Free for Music Victoria members, otherwise $10 + bf

Bendigo's leading

Classical Music Festival Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd April, 2018 Ulumbarra Theatre and Bendigo Art Gallery

Internationally Acclaimed Artists including: Stephen Stirling

Chris Howlett

Caroline Almonte

Cello

Horn

Cello

Piano

Andrew Haveron

Zoe Freisberg

Tobias Breider

Ian Munro

Violin

Violin

Howard Penny

Viola

Piano

For tickets to the Bendigo weekend please call (03) 5434 6100 or visit www.semf.net.au FORTE 686

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WHADDUP, BRITISH INDIA? Melbourne outfit British India have released ‘Midnight Homie’, a choice cut from their 2017 album, Forgetting the Future. Not content with having one video for the track, the band called upon fans to send in footage and videos of themselves having good times with their mates to turn into a fan video. Will you make the clip? Tap House, Bendigo – May 11; Karova Lounge, Ballarat – June 9; and Workers Club, Geelong – June 16.

POTATO SHED

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE

Potato Shed welcomes back cabaret femme fatale Anya Anastasia – the feisty, feminist, fierce - multiaward winning international start. Armed with a biting wit, fuelled by a lust for revenge and backed up by her new kick-ass full band. Anastasia’s Rogue Romantic is an seductive and exhilarating night of music, theatre and fun. A night filled electrifying twists, hilarious physical comedy, intense audience interaction and non-stop laugh out loud moments.

Audiences will experience the thrill of this extravagant glamorous and off-kilter diva right in their very laps (literally)!

It will take you a few hands to count the releases of The Brian Jonestown Massacre across their 28-year musical life. They just keep on giving. Named on the line-up for Sydney’s Vivid LIVE, the band will drop by a handful of other venues around the country. Don’t Get Lost was released last year, but the band is already planning to release their next album soon. Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – June 13.

HOW TO PARTY WITH LAGERSTEIN

Channelling Yma Sumac and Shirley Bassey, Anastasia’s vocals range from husky cabaret to operatic soprano, to the delight of cabaret, live music and theatre lovers. Rogue Romantic follows hot n the heels of the smash hit 2017 Edinburgh Fringe / Potato Shed season of Anya’s previous show ‘Torte e Mort: Songs of Cake and Death’. Now we can bare witness to this multi-talented Adelaide born artist smash the stage with a star-studded band and all new original songs.

OVER 90 OF THE FRESHEST NAMES ADDED TO GROOVIN THE MOO

There is a party in Lagerstein’s pants and everyone is invited. The Brisbane folk-metal machine is hitting the road for some fun-lovin’ dates that will put hair on your chest and beer in your belly. From the band: “The general vibe of the tour is like a Contiki tour meets music tour.” Yep, it’s all about fun, adventure and sampling the beer-y goodness Australia has to offer. Opulence, Ballarat – June 13 & The Loft, Warrnambool – June 14.

Groovin the Moo (GTM) love all things fresh – fresh food, fresh air, fresh starts. But most importantly, they love fresh tunes and have added over 90 of the newest and most exciting artists from around the country to the GTM shows. This years Bendigo edition will now see Capital B, Daniel Aaron (triple j Unearthed), Darcy Baylis, Didirri, Fluir, Kira Pura, Lewis Cancut, Mimi, Reuben Stone, Samsaruh, Shaad, Shouse and Whiskey Houston hit the stage! Tix are sold out but we recommend you scout some – this will be epic!

A LITTLE WILBUR WILDE

LOCKED & LOADED CHRISTIE LAMB

Another SteamRoller gig comes your way at the end of the month. The Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum will be the host to Wilbur Wilde and his ‘Jazz to Jukebox’ show on April 28. Whether you know him from his work with Ol’ 55 and Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons or his long stint as part of the house band on Hey Hey it’s Saturday, his saxophone skills always run red-hot. Be sure to keep your eye out for further SteamRoller gigs throughout the year.

Born in England, Christie Lamb moved to Australia when she was six years of age. She would later earn her Bachelor of Music at The University of Western Sydney on a full scholarship. It has been a good ride so far, with the country songstress voted CMC New Oz Artist of the Year 2015. She released her second album, Loaded, early 2017. The Cabaret Club, Ballarat – June 15 (with Amber Lawrence) & Music Man, Bendigo July 6.

ALL HAIL KINGS & ASSOCIATES

CROSS CULTURAL BOUNDARIES WITH FRINGE SUNDAYS

Kings & Associates have got the good stuff, winning gongs for ‘Best Band’, ‘Best New Talent’ and ‘Best Producer’ at the 2018 Australian Blues Music Awards.

In 2016, the band pulled up a chair with seven-time Grammy winner Jim Scott to work on the follow-up to their debut album Red Dress. The two-year journey of writing, touring and learning would lead to Tales of a Rich Girl. The Loft, Warrnambool – April 28.

APIA GOOD TIMES TOUR And here we go again with the Apia Good Times Tour. In its sixth consecutive year, the line-up features Brian Young, Marcia Hines, Russell Morris, Leo Sayer and John Paul Young. This means you will be served up songs including ‘Ginger Man’, ‘A Little Ray of Sunshine’, ‘The Real Thing’, ‘Wings of an Eagle’ ‘When I Need You’, ‘Love is in the Air’

Just the one show Friday April 20th at 8pm presented cabaret style where you can kick back and enjoy some nibbles and a drink from the licensed bar. Book now on 5251 1998. See you at the shed!

JOSH DANCE IS BACK The man crowned Geelong’s Best Busker on 2017, Josh Dance, is playing a show at the recently reopened Unwined on High St in Belmont on Thursday April 19 from 9PM. Drummer Brian O’Neil will be joining Josh for the second set.

↑↑ CULLULLERAINE MUSIC FESTIVAL IS BACK FOR 2018 For its fourth consecutive year, this community-based music festival is not to be missed as the popular event continues to grow more each year. Set to go down from April 13 to 15 for the first time at Lake Cullulleraine Holiday Park, the family-friendly, community event will feature the best acoustic acts from across the country. This year’s line-up is fuelled with diverse and renowned musicians. This includes the likes of Broderick Smith, The Maes, Hot Potato Band, Cigany Weaver, Montgomery Church, Tamarisque, Cat and Clint, Tony Smith, and Mildura band The Bluesberries. In the last few years, there has been a range of acts covering acoustic, folk, roots, blue and brass-infused beats. The festival will kick off from 6pm – 11pm on Friday Night (13th) and then again at 10 am – 11 pm on Saturday (14th) and until 3pm on Sunday (15th). Tickets must be purchased for EACH day you plan to attend, with children under 16 gaining free entry. Book your tickets at www.cullullerainemusicfestival.com.au/.

Geelong’s newest independent arts event Fringe Sundays is an initiative that aligns quite strongly with councils aim to make Geelong a hub for artistic expression.

Fringe Sundays will cross cultural boundaries, bringing together musicians from contrasting backgrounds and genres for collaborative musical projects that uncover unique stylistic possibilities for music. The first event kicks off at Geelong’s Black Hatt on Saturday April 8 at 2pm and includes Celtic songs such as Danny Boy, a unique bagpipe arrangement of Hallelujah plus new originals by the ensemble. If you are a Geelong act interested in performing as part of a Fringe Sundays event in the future please get in touch with Callum Watson via his website callumwatson.com.au.

and many more. Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – May 26 & GPAC – May 27.

Guitarist Wanted

CL ASSIFIEDS Send your info to: enquiries@fortemag.com.au For individual use only, not for commercial purposes.

18

Band looking for Keys

Male looking for players to form a band

Drummer Wanted

Great keyboard player wanted

Looking for a guitarist for my

Ocean Grove based originals band

Looking for a drummer to play

Keyboard player with ability to improvise,

acoustic duo band Intrepid Soul.

Zeffa is looking for a keyboard player.

Rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, drums

blues rock. Gigs are waiting

playing original Prog rock, Jazz Fusion,

We do regular open mics at The

We’re not after a virtuoso, rather

and bass required. Blues and blues/

Contact Josh 0430 971 319

Deck and recently performed at

someone who has a good feel for and

rock genre with a bit of grunge.

Aireys Inlet Music Festival, along

liking of our music. We are looking

Influences include The Black Crowes,

nationally (Canada,UK) Must be GOOD,

with some occasional paid gigs.

for a team player who can commit to

Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Stone

experienced, any age ok, auditions will

Contact Marie on 0402315353.

regular rehearsals and gigs. Vocal ability

Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Pearl

begin in January for Band performances

would also be a plus. Please contact

Jam, Rolling Stones, Ben Harper.

around Victoria. Register now for audi-

David on 0419 367 647 if interested.

Would like to write originals also. If

tions (Geelong area) with John Castellain

interested call Craig - 0404 054 045

on 03 53823484 or mobile 0421255053

FORTE 686

Experimental styles. Band has both CD and vinyl releases and have played inter-

BALL ARAT BLOG

WRAPPED UP 2 When last year’s Wrapped Up made its debut, several marriage proposals and three awakenings took place. Now, The Eastern and EGG are rolling out the red carpet for Wrapped Up 2, an all-killer, nofiller show featuring Deaf Wish, Hot Topic, Jess Ribeiro (solo), Lower Plenty, Skivvy, The Stevens, The Stroppies, UBIK, Wild Bloom, Woollen Kits and Odd Jobs DJs. The Eastern, Ballarat – April 7.

WRITTEN BY GLEN ANDERSON

a run on the night. It’s $28 to get in which is pretty damn good for one of Australia’s hardest working bands.

White Night just happened in Ballarat where the city was transformed from it’s sleepy self into a magical transformation. The giant inflatable spaceman of Calling Occupants slowly emerged from the ground on Camp Street, whilst British Redcoats at the Eureka Stockade were on display in the archway behind The Sporting Globe, accompanied by songs from the era. It’s one night where Ballarat really shines and the night was really balmy to aid the thousands of people that flocked to the city to see the magic happen! Local Pubs did a roaring trade with several claiming they had their best night ever. Great for the town, local business and a great way to spend an Autumn evening in the Rat.

THE CHATS TAKE A TEA BREAK The story goes that The Chats’ Eamon Sandwith came up viral hit ‘Smoko’ on a walk to his local bakery. A video was posted to online surfwear store Kenoath - Modern Vintage Australia and before they had a chance to butt out their cigarette the song was everywhere.

It’s a track that kicks off the pubpunk band’s 2017 EP Get This in Ya. Let the good times roll at Ballarat’s Karova Lounge on May 5.

On the music side of things, Thirsty Merc is coming back to Ballarat to play at Karova Lounge on Thursday 5 April. As usual, tickets are selling fast, so you had better get on your bike if you want to get along. The band have now been playing for around 15 years and the Take Me Back Tour is a celebration of their career thus far. ‘Someday Someday’, ‘In The Summertime’ and ‘20 Good Reasons’ will no doubt get

King Parrot is heading back our way also and Wednesday 25 April will see them frighten the bejeesus out of those brave enough to enter Karova.

The Melbourne based Aussie metal rippers will be just warming up as they begin their Regional Rampage Tour. Ugly Produce was released in 2017 and has been a great success for the band. Give this record a listen if you want to hear incredible drums and flat stick power driven tempos! Child Bite will be the support act. The amount of acts coming up to Ballarat over the next few months looks really exciting so get along and support live music and local venues!

The Lost Ones Bar is putting on a really cool event with it’s Bar Choir-a drink and a sing. For all ye shower singers and car driving yodellers, come and sing along to recent hits under the expert guidance of your conductors. It’s a free event with a gold coin donation to the Soup Bus. Wednesday 30 May at 7.30pm.

Hot coffee spot at the moment is from the lovely folk at The Lane. Hope you had a Happy Easter!

THE AUDREYS KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ The Lost Ones in Ballarat has plenty on offer, including what is sure to be a delightful evening with multiple ARIA winners The Audreys on May 4. You may know that the band has been on the road giving their 2006 debut, Between Last Night and Us, a spin. It went swimmingly, and so the band has decided to return to their travelling ways, this time adding the rest of their repertoire to their show.

WHAT’S ON

GLORIOUS!

CINDERELLA

ROGUE ROMANTIC

SATURDAY 7 APRIL 2.00PM AND 8.00PM

10 APRIL–13 APRIL 10.30AM AND 1.30PM

CABARET STYLE FRIDAY 20 APRIL 8.00PM

$38, $34 (conc)

$9 or $32 for family of four

$38, $34 (conc)

ALSO THIS MONTH 41 Peninsula Drive, Drysdale VIC 3222 www.geelongaustralia.com.au/potatoshed potatosheddrysdale potatosheddrysdale

MORNING SHOWTIME

THE BEATLES – TUESDAY 17 APRIL 10.30AM

BIO DIVERSITY IN YOUR BACKYARD

THURSDAY 19 APRIL 7.00PM

BOOK NOW WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD ON 5251 1998 OR AT ANY CITY OF GREATER GEELONG CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE. FORTE 686

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Dangerous Curves The Geelong band kicking ass with their debut album So Dirty Rock WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

WHEN YOU THINK OF 80’S ROCK AND ROLL, A FEW GREAT BANDS SPRING TO M I N D; B O N J OV I, VA N H A L E N, KISS AND MOTLEY CRUE. WELL, NOW YOU CAN ADD DANGEROUS CURVES TO THAT LIST.

rockers have created a ten-track album brimming with huge hooks, ballsy guitars and big drums that capture the wild spirit of rock’s glory days while very much looking towards the future.

After coming together in 2015, the local glam rockers took 2016 by the balls playing gigs all over the state, laying down the blue print for the album and winning K-Rock’s ‘The Band’ Inspired by the likes of those exact bands, competition, awarding them the chance to play Dangerous Curves formed in 2015 with one only to the masses at last years leg of Run Geelong. one goal in mind: to bring back the music of They also kicked that year off with the release of the infamous LA scene of the late 80’s... with a their debut self-titled EP which received strong modern twist. These guys are the real deal, and radio play and became hot property among now they are just about to release their long- venue owners and key industry figures.

With busy beginnings and non-stop touring, awaited debut full length album So Dirty Right the guys took 2017 down a notch and focused (out as of tomorrow, April 6). whole-heartedly on the creation of the album.

“We are definitely influenced by 80’s rock and roll... the big hair, big guitars, just the whole pretty boy image as well,” Dangerous Curves’ humble guitarist and backing vocalist Cammy Paul says of the debut album. “It’s just lots of fun, lots of sexy songs… I guess you could take it to a strip club and it would be pretty right there,” he laughs. “We just wanted to bring a lot of fun back to the scene.”

And that is exactly what they have done.

Cammy is joined by lead vocalist Kym Britten, bassist Ziggy Robertson and drummer Luke Chapman, and together these four Geelong 20

“It’s been a big process but we’re pretty happy to finally get it out there. It’s probably been around a year at this point with a lot of trial and error,” he explains. “We’ve gone through a lot of different producers and haven’t really been happy with the end result. We ended up settling on the last guy and we were pretty stoked with how it came out.”

Produced by Chris Themelco (Harlott, Orpheus Omega, Espionage, Skarlet) at Monolith Studios, the album signifies the next stage in the evolution of Dangerous Curves, and according

to Cammy, is an accurate reflection of their wild spirit, hard work and growth since their EP - both musically and personally.

“I think the overall vibe has just gotten better, we’ve all grown together over the last couple of years. We’re kind of like a gang in a way,” he laughs, “we’re not really like a band, we’re like brothers so the songwriting now blends really well and it’s gotten stronger over time as well.

“I usually write a riff at home and then I bring it into the boys and basically they do what they want with it; rearrange it, dissect it, and then we all work on the vocal melodies. We’re all pretty knowledgeable in that department as we’re all pretty hardcore fans of this type of music; we know what it takes to write a good hook,” Cammy explains.

just generally talking about what could be the most ‘80s thing we could think of and that’s pretty much what came out; bowling and half naked women.”

With glam rock 80’s videos, punchy songs, catchy riffs, big drums and even bigger hair, it’s easy to understand what these guys are all about – and they are definitely a band you need to get around.

“Just come out and check us out, we’re lots of fun,” Cammy smirks. “If you enjoy fun rock and roll, we’re definitely worth checking out.”

Dangerous Curves will release their long awaited debut album So Dirty Right on April 6.

When & Where: The Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne – April 6

When people think of ’80s glam metal/rock, generally it’s sing-a-long choruses, screaming Mojo’s Pool Lounge & Bar – April 13 over the top guitar solos, heavy back beats and catchy riffs – with a party hard and live life to The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 20 the fullest attitude. This is the attitude that can be seen in the Curves’ recently released video for Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – April 27 their track ‘Art of the Heart’ which was filmed Tix via moshtix.com.au at Oz Tenpin Geelong Bowling over two days late last year.

“That was just us at band practice,” he laughs on how they came up with the idea. “We were

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Child Bite Joining King Parrot on a regional rampage PHOTO BY RUBY SCHOLLING

After stomping their way through the nation’s capital cities last December in support of their devastating new album ‘Ugly Produce’, King Parrot retain their insatiable work ethic announcing a new edition of their ‘Regional Rampage’ Tour for 2018. Lucky for us, they’re bringing USA’s Child Bite along for the ride on their first ever visit to Australia after releasing ‘Negative Noise’ on Housecore Records in 2017. We chat to Child Bite’s vocalist Shawn Knight.

Hey thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. Welcome to Australia!! How did it come about for you guys to join King Parrot on their regional tour? Have you toured together before?

We’ve actually toured with King Parrot quite a bit in the states, roughly 80 shows together I believe. We always have a great time together. This regional rampage is so extensive ‘cause Youngy and the guys wanted us to get the most out of our trip. We figured this is the best chance we’ll ever get to tour Australia so we dropped everything and bought our flights right away.

This will also be your first ever visit to Australia! What are you most looking forward to seeing/experiencing while on tour? Is

ALISON FERRIER ON WHAT SHE KNOWS WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

Singer-songwriter

and guitarist

Alison Ferrier

is

as humble as she is kind, a trait instantly recognisable as soon as she begins to speak.

Chatting to Forte on her day off, as well as her 15th wedding anniversary [to husband and fellow musician Jeff Lang], Ferrier is elated about her newest release: her third long-play album What She Knows which boasts a crafted collection of atmospheric folk, laidback country and rockin’ blues.

“Oh, it’s going really well, we’ve had some lovely reviews, with the best one so far from you guys,” she laughs. “It’s been really good, and people are really liking the album and that’s what it’s all about. I’m very happy with the response.”

Boosted by Ferrier’s clever electric riffs, What She Knows taps into her early British blues and rock influences, including Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and follows Ferrier’s two previous releases, Sugar Baby (2012) and Be Here Now (2015).

“The first-time round [Sugar Baby], I didn’t have a band or anything, I was just playing solo mostly, while the last one [Be Here Now], I was playing with basically the members from The Stillsons; Cat Canteri, Justin Bernasconi and Ben Franz,” she explains of her previous releases.

“This time round, I just felt like it was time for a change. I never want to make the same album twice and I don’t have a regular band either,” she continues.

“Sometimes I play solo, sometimes as a duo, and

22

there anything that’s really intrigued you about Australia?

None of us know a ton about Australia, so we’re kinda going in blind.

Of course there’s images of koala bears and Mad Maxs dancing in our heads, but I’m really excited to meet folks and see what it’s really like.

We’ll be hitting major cities and small towns, so I think we should walk away with a solid impression of what it’s really like there.

While in Aus, you are also playing Under The Southern Cross, a metal festival dedicated to all styles of metal. What drew you into the festival? Was it just good timing being in Australia at the time?

The timing just worked out! Youngy chose this time frame, and I’m pretty sure UTSC was a determining factor that the route was worked around. But we always have a blast playing festivals. I think we all enjoy the break from tour monotony.

You spent a lot of last year on the road, supporting Unsane and experimental trio BigIBrave, as well as Housecore labelmates Superjoint and DevilDriver. What do you enjoy most about being on the road, is there something in particular you look for in a band to tour alongside?

Our sound is kinda eclectic, so we fit with various styles of bands. We kinda just trust our guts; if it feels like a good time then we’ll do it. But especially if you’re going to be touring in the same vehicle as another band, it definitely helps if they are cool people and everybody gets along.

KP are our Aussie brothers, so this was a no-brainer.

Tell us about Negative Noise. It’s being called a wild, fortyseven-minute assault and won the #33 of Decibel’s Top 40 Albums Of 2016. How was the creative process on this one? Will you be

sometimes in a band, but this time I was thinking I’d really love to have Jeff [Lang] play in the band this time, rather than just produce it.”

Alongside Jeff Lang on guitars, Ferrier also included Ben Franz (The Waifs) on electric bass and pedal steel; Jason Bunn on viola; and Danny McKenna (Mia Dyson, Jeff Lang) and Ash Davies (Lisa Miller, Matt Walker) on drums for her third album.

“It’s the personnel that have made the album very different and now I’m just really finding my stride,” she beams. “I just feel like I’ve got control of things a lot more now and I know what I want and what I don’t want. I guess it’s a confidence thing; after making a few records, you start to get the hang of it a bit more and being in the studio isn’t so daunting.”

With a voice that is unadorned and inviting, this third release has Ferrier singing songs of nostalgia and the human condition, with observations on the universal emotions of everyday life. Despite how together the album sounds, Ferrier admits it has being a long journey for her in becoming comfortable with her sound.

“The first few times you hear your own voice back, it’s not the loveliest thing to hear,” she laughs. “Even if you just hear your voice recorded on a phone message, you cringe. The first records you make, it’s hard to hear yourself because you just pick yourself apart.

“This time around, I’m comfortable with the way I sound, I know if I’m doing the best I can, and I can listen back and go no I think I can do better than that singing wise, or I know whether I’m doing the best I can. I’m used to the sound of my voice now and sometimes I can even enjoy listening to it. The experience of making a few records certainly helps; it was really easy to do this time, it was a really easy process,” she smiles.

“I have got some new songs on the go, but I’ve also got some side projects on the go that I’m really excited about,” she smiles. “I’m in the process of getting together an experimental rock trio. It’s a very different kind of thing and I really feel like I want to think about that for a while, I’m right into that!”

Stay tuned for what’s to come. We can guarantee that anything created by Alison Ferrier will be worth the wait.

Release: What She Knows is out now.

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bringing most of these tunes to your upcoming shows?

I think half of our set is from Negative Noise, maybe more. The process wasn’t too crazy; different band members brought riff or song ideas to the band, and together we feel them out until they become a Child Bite song. The only thing that was weird this time is the fact that we were working with a producer, Phil Anselmo. We’ve always just self-produced, so it was interesting “finishing” these songs prior to hitting the studio, but still being open to any and all changes that might be suggested. It’s also the first time we ever recorded an album completely piece by piece. We’re usually on a tighter budget and crank stuff out live together.

Having released four full-length albums and ten EPs over the past twelve years, all featuring artwork by yourself, what keeps you guys going?

Mental illness.

You guys are also going to release Burnt Offerings this spring via Housecore Records – a two CD compilation of rarities culled from the last eight years of audio bedlam. What’s the idea behind doing this? Is it something you’ve always wanted to do, or is it more about tying up loose ends?

It’s definitely a self-gratifying project. Many of our random songs from various splits and comps are some of our best tunes. There’s something to be said about going into the studio to do two to three songs versus a dozen or so. In that sense, this Burnt Offerings release is a hodgepodge of hidden gems.

We saw on your socials that while in Australia, you’ll be recording a track at Housefox Studios which will also be filmed.

What can we expect from this track? How did this come about?

We learned a Lubricated Goat cover in honour of this tour, and thought it would be really cool to record it while in Australia. Youngy hooked us up with Milla at Housefox and they were on board! Should be a fun side project while travelling up and down the coast.

Thanks for having a chat!! Are you ready for a good time because we hear (and have seen) King Parrot love to get wild?! Any last words?

It’s gonna rule! We’re at the airport now, filled up on burgers and conserving our energy for the upcoming insanity...

When & Where: Music Man Megastore, Bendigo – April 24 Karova Lounge, Ballarat – April 25 The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 26 The Evelyn, Melbourne – April 27 Pelly Bar, Frankston – April 28 Tickets via www.kingparrot.oztix.com.au

71 YARRA ST GEELONG

RECORD STORE DAY

Record Store Day with Prehistoric Sounds

Tumbleweed, Courtney Barnett, Jebediah and Polish Club to name a few, as well as overseas artists include David Bowie, Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park, Mac Demarco, The Cure, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Wolf Alice, The Stooges, Celtic Frost and much more.

They’ll be having their Record Store Day party at With Record Store Day 2018 being on April 21, the Warrnambool store, kicking off at 11am. There Prehistoric Sounds (the formally known humble will be a couple of special musical guests with record store Sweet Little Hi-Fi) owner Shane Godfrey shares some of the goings on at the store. “Fast” Eddy Boyle & Tim Conlan doing their Bluesy Firstly, they have just signed a new lease for duo thing with a harmonica and double bass, plus, their Warrnambool location (Rear 130 Liebig direct from Bluesfest, they are pleased to present Little Georgia who are taking time from their tour Street) and have started some minor renovations to drop in and play a couple of tunes. They will also and improvements to the store including a lick of be playing later that night at The Loft. paint, new wall displays, and treatment to reduce degradation of the sandstone walls. Also, their The Geelong outlet will also be in on the action permanent stall at The Mill Markets in Newcomb at the Mill Market, stocking the special Record Store (Geelong) is going from strength to strength with Day releases too, open from 10am! stock renewed weekly, all alongside the launch of a new website.

Be sure to drop in at Rear 130 Liebig Street (enter from Parkers Car Park) Warrnambool or The Mill Prehistoric Sounds has been involved with Markets, Stall 502, 114 Bellarine Highway, Newcomb.

Record Store Day since 2011, and it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. It’s great to see some Like them on Facebook to keep up with the latest Australian labels getting on board and releasing news, new releases, and pre-loved arrivals.

Australian music. Look out for releases by

Gifts for the Geek celebrate Record Store Day

This worldwide party however reaffirms vinyls importance and celebrates the culture of the indie record store. Stores around the world will open their doors to celebrate with music lovers, the musicians who make the music they love, and the people who sell it.

Purchasing music digitally just doesn’t have the same experience or sense of satisfaction as you get when holding the real deal in your hands.

Fighting for the last copy of something, rather than being amongst thousands of downloaders, is something that you have to experience to understand.

As part of this, Geelong’s own Gift For The Geek are yet again jumping in on the celebrations and are giving you the chance to win a framed and signed KISS poster, hand signed by Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley and Eric Singer. What a prize!

All you have to do is spend $100 or more on records on the day and you will automatically go in the draw to win, with the prize drawn at 5pm that same day.

National Record Store Day is a celebration of just that.

Now in its 11th year, the event (set for Saturday 21 April 2018) reiterates the importance of the traditional music outlet as one of the major avenues for the public to still discover the many genres of music releases each year. In the digital age that we are certainly in, bands are all vying for the top spot on the iTunes chart or Spotify, making it easy to forget about these older mediums and the days gone by; enjoying an album for its entirety on vinyl in your living room.

Recognised as Geelong’s local store for comics, selling everything from graphic novels to t-shirts, Gifts for the Geek are the place to go to find your favourite films soundtracks and scores on vinyl, along with video game vinyl as well!

Pop in, say hello and check out the range of vinyl on offer to support the day and maybe you’ll even end the day with a rad signed KISS poster!

Gifts for the Geek is located at 153155 Ryrie Street, Geelong.

OTHER REGIONAL RECORD STORES - HIGH ON MUSIC - KANGAROO FLAT REDISCOVERY - BALLARAT - RECORD LOW - CASTLEMAINE - REAL MUSIC GEELONG - REVIVAL RECORDS - PORT FAIRY

Rose Tattoo brings Blood Brothers to Geelong Adrenalin fuelled, high octane Aussie rawk at its undiluted best Rock N’ Roll outlaws, Rose Tattoo have been a classic rock institution for nearly forty years, often being described as one of the most revered bands of all time.

Late last year, the Tats’ announced their Blood Brothers 2018 Tour featuring some of the finest rock musicians this country has ever produced.

Mark Evans of AC/DC on bass, Angels & Skyhooks axeman Bob Spencer, Aussie Crawl’s John ‘Watto’ Watson up the back and the Pete Well’s endorsed Dai Pritchard on slide guitar, and of course, Rose Tattoo wouldn’t exist without its quintessential front man, the one and only Angry Anderson.

This tour celebrates Blood Brothers, an album true to the times rock and roll album that mixes traditional and modern styles, that was originally released in early 2007 to pay tribute to the many members of the iconic band that are no longer here; founding members of Australian rock band, guitarist Mick Cocks, Peter Wells and Ian Rilen, who all unfortunately lost their lives.

“In 2007, we recorded the last album with Mick [Cocks] because we knew Mick wasn’t going to be around for much longer and I wanted to commemorate his life and his imminent passing with an album,” front man Anderson reveals. “Mick and I wrote the bulk of the material and always did for the Tat’s albums,” he continues. “We toured Blood Brothers through Europe in 2008 which was Mick’s last tour because he died a short time after.”

To celebrate the tour, Golden Robot Records re-issued the classic 2007 album featuring live versions of some of the albums finest tracks, including ‘Man About Town’, ‘Black Eyed Bruiser’, ‘Once In A Lifetime’, ‘Sweat Meat’, ‘Standover Man’

and ‘Nothing To Lose’, tracks which Anderson is determined to make the most of with this upcoming tour.

“Even though this [current] band is an amazing band, I’ve never played with better musicians, I don’t think there are better musicians.”

“Because it’s a re-release, you’re giving the album a second chance at establishing itself as a body of work so half of the set [on tour] will be off the Blood Brothers album,” he explains. “There’s some wonderful material on that album and I can’t, and I won’t, put it to rest, particularly in respect of Mick. Pete had played on that album too, of course he died before we could actually get into the studio, but knowing that we were going to lose Mick in the foreseeable futures, it was a statement about both of those.

Rose Tattoo’s iconic, street smart blues rock has captured the heart and soul of rock fans all around the world for over 40 years now and shows no signs of stopping.

“There’s actually a track that I wrote particularly for Pete called ‘Once In A Lifetime’,” Anderson reveals. “I’ve never written a song about someone that was close, pointedly about that person, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity, knowing it was Mick’s last album too, to write something about Pete because we never got to do that last album that we always talked about doing.”

Mixing their trademark riffage with modern rock grooves and lyrical statements of intent, Blood Brothers is a tribute album that demands to be heard.

“It was a way of signing off I suppose, and Blood brothers is exactly that; we had that spiritual and blood bond in those days and that needed to be honoured and signed off on,” Anderson explains.

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“We lost Lobby [Loyde], Ian, Peter and Mick in the space of only a couple of years, and after that, there was a couple of years I never thought I’d walk on the stage as Rose Tattoo again, I just thought well that’s the end of an era for me. But I suppose, in keeping with the great wisdom of never say never, here I am back out working again as Rose Tattoo,” he explains.

“I think my attitude to new material is pretty much the same. Again, another great wisdom is life goes on, regardless,” he continues. “If you don’t go with it, it will leave you behind, so is there a possibility of another Rose Tattoo album? Of course.”

Get down to the show and prepare for a manifestation of Rock n Roll in the strongest form: powerful, unrelenting and wildly uncompromising.

When & Where: Gateway Hotel, Geelong – April 21

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Tove Styrke The Swedish future-pop sensation she makes her debut visit to Australian shores WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN

I began feeling as if I was changing a little bit because I started feeling more and more like the person in the song; as if I’m actually in the situation that I’m writing about and that’s kind of scary.”

Tove Styrke is like no other. First rising to fame at age 17 after coming third in Swedish Idol, Styrke went on to receive critical acclaim with the 2015 release of her debut album, Kiddo. Now, the 25-yearold pop star returns with the upcoming release of her sophomore album Sway.

Chatting with Forte, Styrke spoke of how she has altered her style of writing for the upcoming release.

“The main difference is; with my last album, it was introspective in a way but in another way it was very outrospective (siq)... because it was all about observing what was going on around me, it was very

raw in its way of describing things,” she explains.

“This album is almost not at all about the world happening around you, but instead that connection you feel with another person. I wanted to make songs out of these inner dialogues that we all have, I appreciate songs like that a lot... Songs that I can listen too as if it’s ‘my song’, because I find it so personal and relatable that I feel the song is about me. That’s what I have tried to do more of on this album.

“A lot of my previous songs have been purely fictional, which is something very fun to do,” Styrke adds on. “I recommend it to everybody. It’s like making your own soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist. This time around though I haven’t been inspired by much than other people so I’ve taken a much more realistic approach.”

The introduction to Styrke’s personal side can be seen on the albums first single release, ‘Changed My Mind’, which has also become a personal favourite of the pop-star.

“I think it’s a really fun song. It’s a very simple theme; ‘I thought I had my mind up about you but now that I’m seeing you, I’m not too sure any more.’ I also made it so that it almost is delivered like a night out,” she smiles. “So that the part about changing my mind gets slurrier and slurrier, it’s the tipping over of me deciding it’s definitely what I want... But yeah, I like that one a lot.”

And Styrke is not the only person who has liked it, with the track already sitting on over three million streams and scoring her the support for Lorde’s huge American Tour.

After wrapping things up with Lorde, Tove Styrke will then be making her way across the globe for her first ever Australian tour and at this point, I can’t tell who is more excited, Styrke or the fans.

“Yes! I’m so excited,” she exclaims, “I’ve been wanting to go for years and it’s finally happening and I couldn’t be more excited! All of you guys have been so supportive over the years so I can’t wait to get to perform for all my Australian crowds!”

When & Where: Howler, Melbourne – April 12

DJ gives Forte his top five gigs... so far.

David Guetta 2015 - Sold Out Hisense Arena (Opened for David) First time I drank champagne because Mumm was the sponsor, also happened to follow up with my first ever hang over the next day. Oh and meeting David was cool, he even said my name correctly and expressed how impressed he was that a young guy played such a cool warm up set.

Ministry of Sound Club 2017 - First Headline Show This one was cool, my first headline show in Sydney at arguably one of the most iconic venues in Australia. I also spent a lot of money flying over a videographer only for the after movie to be denied because it featured too much excess drinking. I was almost tempted to upload the behind the scenes and make no mention/footage of the actual gig.

Rojdar’s top five gigs... so far Only in his early 20’s, Rojdar has already done what most dare to dream. Working up from house parties to main stage festival performances and enormous radio residencies, Rojdar is hotly tipped to be one of the next big things in Australian dance music (if he isn’t already). He recently lit up the charts with his re-imagination of R.Kelly hit Ignition, and has shared the stage with international stars such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Deadmau5 and Martin Garrix.

2017 proved to be a breakout year on home turf in particular, for Rojdar. Inking a lucrative record deal with the holy grail of dance music, Ministry of Sound, was just the tip of the iceberg. The industry has come calling for Rojdar and he is now part of the Lucky Entertainment family, welcomed into the Mushroom Group, signing a management deal with one of Australia’s biggest music companies.

With his career already sky-rocketing to this level, the future is extremely bright for Rojdar. For now though, the epic producer and crowd-pleasing

World Famous Rooftop - Performed after Macklemore & Ryan Lewis I performed after Macklemore & Ryan Lewis which opened the door for me eventually getting a show on the Hit Network Australian Open, Birrarung Marr - 25/01/18 This was the first time I performed Ignition live, no practise, no nothing. We just walked out in front a full Australian Open Live Stage and slayed. About five minutes before my show had ended, I realised that my fly was undone the whole show and that’s probably why the stage-guys were laughing. My poor Tour Media guru Liam had to sit there after the show and photoshop my zip closed on all my photos.

Lost City, Brisbane Showgrounds - 03/03/18 A night set at a major festival is always rare.

There was a lot happening in my show and I couldn’t afford any slip ups. But I’m a walking hazard so it wouldn’t be a Roj Show without one. Moments before Jays was meant to come onto stage to sing ‘Ignition’, I accidentally kicked my kickboard sending my laptop, keyboard and sound card flying.

I’ve never seen a bunch of grown man rush to the aid of a keyboard so quick before, inspirational stuff.

Live. The Nitro crew have a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to stunts and this upcoming tour will be no exception.

The Next Level Tour is set to be Nitro Circus’ most bold effort yet, which is no small achievement as since the inaugural tour of Australia a few years ago, the show has travelled the globe, obliterating box office records and cultivating a legion of diehard fans along the way.

Previously the Nitro crew have rolled out massive tours across five continents with sold out shows across Australia, New Zealand, China, the United States, Canada and South Africa.

Their latest effort, The Next Level Tour is an event so huge that it can’t be contained in an indoor arena. Fans and newcomers will be treated to an experience like never before with the introduction of the biggest ramps on the planet which will see the Nitro crew attempting their most ambitious stunts.

The best athletes in BMX, Scooter, and In-line will also raise their game, attempting a complete arsenal of all-new, never-before-seen tricks. Nitro’s daredevils will also brave the 60-foot Giganta ramp on a host of new crazy contraptions that will be unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed.

When & Where: Reid Oval, Warrnambool - Saturday April 14

Tickets available via Ticketmaster.com.au

Nitro Circus brings The Next Level Tour to Warrnambool Are you bored of the 9 - 5 work day grind? Do you need some more excitement in your life? Well you’re in luck because action sports crew Nitro Circus are about to bring one of their most insane shows yet to our shores.

Lead by action sports legend Travis Pastrana, a master of all that is extreme, whose an accomplished pro FMX rider, rally car Driver and former NASCAR driver, Nitro Circus is an action packed, adrenaline

fuelled collective of the worlds most extreme athletes performing stunts and feats that need to be seen to be believed.

From humble beginnings, Jeremy Rawle, Gregg Godfrey and Travis Pastrana started out producing DVD’s of their extreme antics from a garage in Utah in 2003, but it didn’t take long to blow the minds of young people everywhere. Ultimately, this lead to their MTV smash hit TV series, which aired in over 60 countries, becoming one of MTV’s most popular series of all time.

A few years back the hit TV show was transformed by action sports industry veteran Mike Porra in to an energetic live show that features a family atmosphere and a positive message for the fans that anything is possible, which resulted in the global phenomenon that is Nitro Circus

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CITY CALM DOWN Cataloguing the mounting anxieties of our age WRITTEN BY HELENA METZKE

Melbourne-based alternative pop band City Calm Down have returned with their second and most recent offering, Echoes in Blue. The album, consisting of 12 tracks, was written and recorded during a period of time where front man Jack Bourke struggled to juggle the process, while simultaneously working and getting married in between.

“It was inspired by being overworked,” Bourke tells of the album. “And that’s not really an inspiring thought – being overworked – so it was more a matter of it being that I was feeling that way at the time and I guess, when I write songs I’m trying to explore the way I’m feeling, so I used that as a starting point for a lot of the narratives that are in the lyrics of the songs.”

While this theme of what might perhaps be viewed as ‘being spread too thin’ is evident throughout the album’s entirety, it is opening track ‘Joan, I’m Disappearing’ in which this underlying message truly manifests itself. “‘Joan, I’m Disappearing’ is probably the most on point example,” says Bourke. “It’s about the breakdown of a relationship due to essentially the narrator – which it’s not autobiographical – but the narrator just fails to prioritize his personal relationships over work.

“And it’s a very sad story to think that someone might feel so obsessed with their work, that they aren’t able to smell the roses.”

City Calm Down have maintained the unique sound palette and raw emotion they have come to be known and loved for, following 2015’s In a Restless House, yet Echoes in Blue sees the four-piece move leaps and

bounds. With Jack Bourke’s vocal delivery titled as being more grounded and assured than ever before, it would appear a different approach to the recording process has paid dividends.

“When it came to recording Echoes In Blue, we intentionally took quite a different approach,” explains Jack. “In a Restless House was recorded pretty much in two 10 day blocks, which were essentially back to back, whereas Echoes In Blue was split over probably three or four months really.”

“The reason we did this was to allow ourselves time to go back and revisit songs once we’d heard how they were coming up, so we could make changes,” he continues, “And it made it feel like it was taking forever to record, but I think it also greatly enhanced the end result.

“There were a lot of things that we decided we wanted to go and change and we completely re-recorded I think two or three songs, just because we weren’t happy with the initial production of them.”

There is an ever present undercurrent of stress which plays a role within Echoes in Blue – possibly due to Bourke’s own struggles to juggle his outside commitments – but it is this undercurrent which has seemingly consolidated the band’s strengths, as well as stretched their horizons.

As City Calm Down tells and urges listeners to keep in mind, “Echoes in Blue is not concerned with answering questions”, but rather, “It is interested in the reality of being spread too thin, of being unable to shut out the noise…”

Cataloguing the mounting anxieties which are very much a reality of our age, City Calm Down have emerged with what might be their most sweeping and universal material to date.

Release: Echoes in Blue will be available for listening on April 6, 2018 via I Oh You When & Where: The Forum, Melbourne – Friday 15 June

to hold onto the original line up with Chuck Comeau(drums), David Desrosiers (bass, backing vocals), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar, backing vocals) and Jeff Stinco (lead guitar). With five albums, more than 10 awards and countless hits later, they have also managed to stick to their roots and simultaneously stay relevant to their dedicated fans all these years later.

“I think the core of that is because we’re five guys who just really enjoy pop punk style of music,” Bouvier explains. “We are lucky enough that our first two albums seemed to really hit home with a lot of people and not just with one song, but with a lot of them. I’m thinking songs like ‘I’d Do Anything’, ‘Perfect’, ‘Addicted’, ‘Welcome to My Life’, or ‘Shut Up’ - all those songs came out within the span of four or five years and I think that really solidified a bond with people that they cared about more than just one song.

“From there, it was always our desire to try to create material that our fans would love and that we would enjoy, we’re five perfectionists in the band and we really work hard to make songs that we think are good enough,” he continues. “A lot of the time it ends up being a slow process because, if you notice our albums come out at the average of every three or three and a half years which is a little bit long, but we’re really just trying to make it special. I think it works; most of our fans who have been following us from the beginning probably enjoy almost all of our albums, and that’s the key. We try to stick to what we do best and I think our fans appreciate it.”

Simple Plan A triumphant return to Australia as part of their 15th anniversary tour WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

Earlier this year, the angsty teenager inside us all were screaming with joy upon news that Simple Plan were heading to Australia this April.

The multi-platinum pop punk act announced they were binging their No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls 15th anniversary tour Down Under, in what amounted to fantastic news for anyone who ever rocked a side fringe in 2002.

This album is full of SP’s pop-punk classics and we are loving the fact they are bringing it back in its entirety, 15 years later, which vocalist Pierre Bouvier explains the reasoning behind the tour.

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“We definitely thought about it [a tour] when the ten-year anniversary came around of the album, but we thought that it wasn’t quite long enough; we didn’t feel like it was that nostalgic yet,” he explains.

“Our first album was the beginning of it all, it was by far our biggest album, in the state especially. Originally our 15th anniversary tour was really meant to just be in the US for a few weeks and that was going to be it,” he continues. “We didn’t really intend to make it this World Tour, but after doing it in America, we realised how much impact this album and these songs actually have on people, and how many people out there would probably appreciate watching us play the whole thing from top to bottom and have a trip down memory lane and just be a teenager again.”

And with that, Simple Plan expanded their US tour and took the show to Mexico, Canada, Europe for the rest of 2017, and now, they’re on their way to Australia to celebrate the amazing adventure they’ve had as a band and as friends for the past 15 years.

Alongside Bouvier, the Canadian pop punk legends have managed

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Bringing their No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls album to life, the multi-platinum pop punk act will be performing the album in its entirety and in its original order, from ‘I’d Do Anything’, ‘The Worst Day Ever’ all the way through to ‘Addicted’, ‘One Day’ and ‘Perfect’.

“For people who loved this album, they’re going to feel like they’re totally immersed into it once again. Just like the album, the show is all stripped down, it’s very pop punk show with energy and having a laugh,” he says.

“Those songs really stand the test of time and for me, I’m so comfortable singing them now because I’ve sung them so many hundreds and thousands of times,” he smiles. “For me, it’s an album that I think I’ll always enjoying playing.”

Prepare the nostalgia, SP we’re addic, we’re addicted to you.

They’ll be joined by special guests Real Friends and Eat Your Heart Out at Melbourne’s Forum on Monday April 23 & Tuesday April 24 (sold out). Tickets via ticketmaster.com.au.

VERA BLUE Celebrating Lady Powers WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO Harnessing the multifaceted nature of ‘Lady Powers,’ one of Australia’s most exciting breakthrough artists Vera Blue (Celia Pavey) is about to unleash a formidable Lady Powers | Power Ladies Remix EP – out Friday, April 13 Hey Celia, thank you for chatting to Forte.

Your new single ‘Lady Powers’ is all about female empowerment, and personal freedom, can you tell us a bit more about it?

Definitely! When we wrote the song, I was going through a period where I was kinda o figuring out who I was, recognising my surroundings and also recognising how I was being treated in general, and it sparked a feeling in me of wanting to respect myself more, so I started writing the song. It’s a little bit of a self-empowerment song and I’m really glad that women are relating to this song in whatever way they want to, ‘Lady Powers’ is basically your self-respect, your dignity, it’s your body. ‘Lady Powers’ can be your strength that you develop over time, and it’s also for women that surround and empower you, your friends and your family, it can be lots of things, but mainly for me at the time it was self-respect, dignity and just knowing how to be treated, by people all around you.

On that, do you see yourself as a bit of a feminist?

Yeah, in a few ways. I haven’t experienced anything terrible in the industry or anything like that, just more in personal relationships with people has allowed me to realise how I should be treated as a woman.

So, the Lady Powers, Power Ladies Remix EP contains some unique interpretations of ‘Lady Powers’ by four very exceptional international and Australian female producers, what’s it like listening to your work portrayed in so many different ways?

It’s so amazing. The song by itself is already really cool, but the idea of wanting to collaborate and involve loads of other women into the project was really exciting and the way they’ve all interpreted the song in their own ways is really special. I love listening to how they’ve moulded the song and what parts they put where, the way they’ve added beats or vocal samples and put their own touch to the song, they’ve made it their own kind of version and it’s really cool, I can’t wait for that to come out.

Your first show at the Forum in Melbourne has already sold out, with limited tickets still available for the second show, what are you most looking forward to for this performance?

For the tour I’m really excited, were still sussing out what we’re going to do and how we’re going to set the live show up and how to enhance it from the last one, I think it’s going to be a really fun show with lots going on.

The last few years have been pretty big for you, what are your goals for 2018?

I try not to make set goals, sometimes I set unrealistic ones, so I just want to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing, but to be able to have some new music out this year would be a big goal though.

I’m kind of just riding the wave and meeting lots of people along the way, I think that’s something that’s really special, to be able to do what I love and have fun doing it.

When & Where: The Forum, Melbourne – June 2 (sold out) & June 3 Tickets via ticketmaster

THE HARD ACHES Putting focus on mental health in a hopeful and positive light WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB After last year’s release of the standalone single Brain Drain and a sold-out tour, Adelaide’s indie-punk duo, The Hard Aches are releasing their sophomore album, Mess out April 13 via Anchorhead and will be touring nationally to support the album. We chat to vocalist Ben David.

Hey guys! Congrats on the upcoming release of your newest album Mess, and also the release of brand new single also titled, Mess. How have you found the reaction to your latest drop?

We dropped ‘Mess’ about two months ago now and we’re stoked with the response. It’s kind of a different direction in this record in comparison to the last EP that we put out which was footto-the-floor rock and roll. This album is the best representation of us as a band and the production value we wanted for our music. We are 100 per cent stoked with the sound. We are 100 per cent stoked with the songs. We are 100 per cent stoked with everything. All the little things worked out exactly like we wanted them to which is a nice feeling.

You have stated that ‘Mess’ is in-part a

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reflection of the struggles of mental health.

Do you guys have a personal connection to mental illness?

100 per cent. It is something that has been really prominent in my songs and everything we represent forever. This was the first time that I took a step back and consciously went about writing a record that is inclusive of people suffering from mental illness and people close to me and shining a light on the issue. I really wanted to break the stigma of the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude which is so real.

Mental health is seen as a weakness and at the end of the day it isn’t a weakness. It isn’t weak to struggle with day-to-day life and it’s something that we wanted to contribute to instead of getting into the woe is me bullshit that is the one-track of a lot of bands. I mean even I am guilty of writing songs that say ‘this is my life and my life is hard’ songs but with this one I wanted to say that we all go through shit directly or indirectly but it all can get better. I think we managed to pull it off in some way by hopefully inspiring people to be able to talk about their problems.

You’re heading off on a national album launch tour for ‘Mess’. How do you find getting out on the road? Do you enjoy it?

We really love it. We have done it so much that we have got pretty good at it. Its meant to be enjoyable, hence why we book the bands we do and we do the tours we do in the way that we do them because we know that its going to be enjoyable. We did our time of playing a show then driving overnight to play our next show then getting a few hours sleep and driving to another show. First of all, it isn’t safe and second of all it isn’t good for your sanity! Tours are meant to be fun and music is meant to be fun so we try to ensure that as much as we are there to do a job and play these shows and hang out with all of these people, we are actually there for ourselves because we enjoy what we are doing.

Release: Mess out April 13 via Anchorhead When & Where: Corner Hotel, Melbourne – April 13

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WHAT’S ON IN THE VINES BASILS FARM GARDENING WORKSHOP

Get in quick to secure your spot at the Basil’s Farm Autumn Gardening Workshop on Saturday 28th April (from 10am - 12pm). Learn how to grow healthy and fresh organic food throughout the seasons. Utilising sustainable practices, drawing on the skill of our in-house gardening guru Igor (Farm Manager) we will help you turn your garden into one of abundance, health, and beauty. Topics for the day include, irrigation, soil care and nutrition, plant selection, fertilisers and propagation! Book directly by contacting Basils Farm, (03) 5258 4280

CELLAR DOOR AWARDS The 2018 Gourmet Traveller WINE cellar door award winners have been announced and we can easily say the Geelong wine region is one to boast about with seven wineries taking out awards! Australia’s leading independent drink journal, GT Wine Magazine listed the following Geelong wineries as award winners this year: Provenance Wines – Star Cellar Door Scotchmans Hill – Best Large Cellar Door Del Rios – Best Small Cellar Door Jack Rabbit – Cellar Door With The Best Food Shadowfax – Best Tasting Experience Oakdene - Best Additional Experiences Bellbrae Estate - Best Additional Experiences

$5 KIDS MEALS AT MT DUNEED ESTATE Treat the little ones to a day out during the week, with $5 lunch specials for the kids at Mt Duneed Estate. Choose from a mixed kids platter, ham and cheese toastie or chicken schnitzel and chips. Keep the kids busy with an indoor sandpit and chalkboard while you sip on a wine and enjoy a relaxing day out! Perfect for school holidays! Book now 03 5266 1244

STRATEGEM BENDIGO WINEMAKERS FESTIVAL Calling all wine and food lovers WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO

In

a unique celebration of

Bendigo

wines and

gourmet foods, the Strategem Bendigo Winemakers

Festival returns again next month.

This festival is a unique celebration, right in the heart of Bendigo, with local wines, and regional foods, and offers festival-goers the chance to celebrate the end of harvest with local winemakers. It is the perfect opportunity to sample - sample means free - hand crafted vintage and styles of local wines, in the garden setting of the tranquil Rosalind Park – how romantic.

And if you go, it’s all about the love of the drop, with entry tickets including a souvenir festival glass and complimentary wine tastings – you had me at complimentary.

This is your chance to try something new. Think rosé, sweet sparkling, grassy whites and full-bodied reds. There is also a non-tasting ticket available if you’d prefer to soak up the festival atmosphere, or if you wish to splurge a bit, there is a limited number of VIP marquees. Win, win, win.

Bendigo Winegrowers Association President, Wes Vine says, “with almost 20 different wineries, showcasing their very best, this event isn’t just for the passionate wine lovers, it has something for everyone, Bendigo region wine, regional street foodies, offering a range of different cuisines and live music from The Northern Folk and Erica Hawkey.”

For the wine connoisseurs in training, there will be pop-up wine and food masterclasses with Finn Vedelsby – owner of Bendigo restaurant Rocks on Rosalind. What better way to allow yourself the guilty pleasures of eating food and drinking wine than with the knowledge that you are simply learning a new skill?

So bring your picnic rug, find your perfect spot on the grass, and enjoy yourself with a relaxing day, filled with wine, food, and local music.

When & Where: Rosalind Park, Bendigo, Saturday 28th April, 11am – 4pm Tickets are available on https://www. bendigotourism.com/strategembendigo-winemakers-festival

Easter has been and gone, along with the long weekend - endless coffee, beers and chocolate... all the important things yeah?

The weather is starting to cool down heaps and I found myself in the kitchen the other night in a dressing gown and ugg boots making a pot of soup. This has been my go-to soup for winter as it takes 10 mins to prepare and not long to cook, the perfect dinner if you cannot be bothered with cooking a hearty meal.

It is a lentil based spiced soup with middle eastern flavours so I thought I would share the recipe with y’all below just in time for the cold weather.

Allira from She Takes Photos Creating magic for everyone Hey FOODIES!

What you need

Another sweet AF month is upon us... Hello Easter, wasn’t it just Christmas like 10 seconds ago?

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2 Carrots 1 Brown Onion 2 Celery Sticks Half Capsicum

2 tablespoon garlic 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 teaspoon hot or smoky paprika 1 can lentils 500gms diced tomatoes 5 cups of your preferred stock Method Dice the carrots, onion, celery and add to a large pot with the garlic.

Add a splash of olive oil and cook off for a few minutes.

Add the drained lentils and slowly roast off with spices then add the rest of the ingredients until all the vegetables have become slow.

Follow Allira’s food and lifestyle photography on Instagram via @Shetakesphotos__

Haven’t heard of Industry Beans? Well you should check them out, they are one of the best!

Roasting daily for its own café and a family of highquality cafes and restaurants across Australia, each fortnight Industry Beans offers a new selection of single origin coffees roasted for espresso and filter.

The roasting team works tirelessly throughout the seasons to source the best specialty grade green coffee grown across the globe, from the slopes of Mount Kenya to the valleys of the Baru Volcano in Panama.

This means one thing of course, these guys know what they are talking about, and in teaming up with our humble cafe in Newtown, it’s a match made in coffee heaven.

Nibbles will be provided and talk of a few cheeky beers to help with any coffee jitters. Kick off will be from 2pm and estimated to wrap up around 5pm.

RSVP via the event page to allow best catering for the event.

When & Where: Neighbour @ 11 Rutland Street, Newtown - Wednesday April 11, 2pm – 5pm

Industry Beans Cupping Session at Neighbour

CLEAR PAWS FOR GAWS WRITTEN BY LAUREN MCKINNON

Do you find yourself sitting on the couch at home, mid Netflix and chill, wishing you had a furry feline companion to keep you company?

Well GAWS (Geelong Animal Welfare Society) are here to help.

GAWS are launching for the first time a cat and kitten Adoption campaign, Clear PAWS for GAWS which will see reductions in their adoption fee from now until Sunday April 8 2018.

For this time only you can adopt a kitten for just $99 or a cat for just $49. Helen Cocks, acting CEO says “Cats are arriving at GAWS twice as fast as they are being adopted. Our mission is to give them all a second chance at finding their forever homes.”

So if you are serious about finding a new addition to the family visit their website (www. gaws.com.au) to see all available cats for adoption, tips for owning a pet, and find yourself a new best friend!

This particular session with senior roaster Tom Austin will boast Industry Beans’ top notch range of coffees and teaching the methods behind appreciating what goes into a cup. This event is open to all industry professionals, coffee enthusiasts and anyone that just wants to learn more (or just in it for some free coffee). Either way, you’ll leave feeling educated and caffeinated.

WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB

Industry Beans, the specialty coffee roaster and award winning cafe located in Fitzroy, are teaming up with Newtown’s own Neighbour, to host an educational cupping session – and no, we’re not talking about the massage variety here.

ACCOMMODATION & BUS TRANSFERS AVAILABLE ACROSS THE REGION

A WINE, FOOD AND MUSIC GETAWAY.

PARTNER EVENTS

Meet the winemaker, learn from the producer, support the family owner and taste the best artisan wine and food on offer in Western Victoria. There are a number of events to enjoy across

EASTER - MAY 5

WEEKEND FESTIVAL, HALLS GAP

MAY 5 - 6

the region in the month leading up to Grampians Grape Escape.

Full details & tickets at grampiansgrapeescape.com.au

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If you’re not up for the drive, Regional Day Transfers, Christians Bus Co will run a daily bus service from Regional surrounding townships, including: Ararat, Stawell, Moyston, Pomonal, Horsham, St Arnaud, Dunkeld and Warrnambool. You can also catch the V/Line train service as a last resort, however there’s a few stops and changes so you will want to do some pre-planning!

As for when you’re there, You Can Do Coach Tours will run a shuttle bus service around Halls Gap from 4pm on Friday until Sunday evening.

The cost is $5 per person, per trip and bookings can be made by calling 0499 598 638.

Forté’s Guide to Grampians Grape Escape The wine and food festival for the people Founded in 1991, the Grampians Grape Escape festival is attended by around 10,000 people each year who graze their way through some of the region’s finest wines, fine food and produce.

Here you can meet celebrity chefs; discover culinary secrets; enjoy two days of live bands; embrace your inner food floozy with exhibitor tastings and festival food trucks; let the kids make a mess in the Little Foodies Marquee and support the best food, wine, beer and cider artisans in the region…

We came up with a quick guide to prepare you for this regional treasure.

What to see It’s all about the wine and food here; with more than 100 stalls from all parts of the world with delicious gourmet food and authentic Aussie wines, festival goers can relish the very best wines from the Grampians region, taste the way through dozens of craft beer and cider stalls and shop up with local producers and makers.

Grampians Grape Escape will also be brimming with quality festival food trucks. With variety to satisfy all members of your party, devour a croquette burger, demolish Spanish Paella or try a festival favourite, Forge Pizza. Finish up with a delightfully naughty crème brûlée or the deliciousness of a glazed donut matched with a strong coffee to get you through the day…after all, this food frenzy is thirsty work.

The newest highlights of the event include breakfast with the celebrity chefs, a Moulin Rouge festival dinner and this year, they are teaming up with chef and host of the popular TV series River Cottage Australia, Paul West, PLUS one of MasterChef AU’s most loved contestants and friendly face of channel 10’s TV hit, The Cooks Pantry, Matt Sinclair for masterclasses and cooking demonstrations using the finest local and seasonal produce.

The best part? This event is family-friendly with plenty of mess

Enjoy the music The great thing about Grampians Grape Escape is that it’s not just a celebration of wine and food talent, but also national and local music talent. Uncover your new favourite artist or sing with your mates to a well-known cover. These good vibes will make the perfect accompaniment to a chilled festival weekend.

On Saturday May 5, you can enjoy the sweet sounds from Coby Grant, Nick Charles, Stringybark Mcdowell & Mollycoddle, Wanderers, Madhouse and The Settlement, while Sunday on May 6 you can kick back to the sounds of Welcome To Country, Alice Skye, Grim Fawkner, Mitch King, The Kite Machine and Orange Whip.

Where to stay Rediscover your love of the Grampians National Park and home to many award-winning wineries by extending your festival weekend to hike, admire the nature and wildlife, learn about indigenous culture and much more. The entire Grampians region boasts over 5,000 beds available to accommodate the popular tourist destination.

Halls Gap does book out quickly over the festival weekend, however never fear as there are many surrounding towns to discover such as Great Western, Ararat, Buangor, Moyston and Stawell. Once you find a place to stay, all you have to do is simply catch the GGE festival bus. Check out your options at www.visitgrampians.com.au or call the Halls Gap Information Centre on 1800 065 599.

Go on, you know you want to...

In this natural oasis within the Grampians, indulge your senses by trying out some of the many fine food varieties from all over the world. Pair this with some top-quality wine, maybe take a cooking class or two, and make the Grampians Grape Escape one of the best events of the year!

Each ticket to this iconic festival provides access to the festival village with plenty to eat, drink and do. Tasting tickets come with a souvenir glass, enviro bag and free tastings until 4pm each day and start from just $55 per day. General admission is also available. Both are available as a day or weekend ticket and there’s also the option of accommodation and ticket packages available via the website. Check it all out at grampiansgrapeescape.com.au/buy-tickets/

Getting there Well removed from the hustle and bustle of city locations, Grampians Grape Escape takes place at the Halls Gap Recreation Reserve, surrounded by the majestic mountain ranges of the Grampians. With stunning views, nature and wildlife a plenty, getting there is half the fun!

If you’re travelling by car, it’s a stunning 3-hour drive from Melbourne and Geelong, and only 1.5 hours from Ballarat. With an iconic scenic route on offer, getting there will be half the fun!

When & Where: Halls Gap Recreation Reserve, Halls Gap – May 5 & 6

You are invited to hear the message...

‘Faith in God agrees with truth’.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. ( John 8:32)

Sunday 29 April, 2018

5.30 pm VICTORY FAITH CENTRE 313 Bellerine St, South Geelong Free entry and refreshments.

For more information visit the Victory Faith Centre website:

www.victoryfaithcentre.org.au

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and outdoor fun for your little foodies. While mums and dads enjoy the wine and beats, kids can pet native animals, paint a boomerang or become pros at potting herbs. Sunday is funday with extra little foodie kids’ activities including a rock-climbing wall.

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BEKKA MAY The Makeup Bag That Fits It All Bringing style and functionality to the cosmetic bag, BEKKA MAY is your new travel essential designed by Geelong flight attendant, Cat Sceney. A design that is modest and versatile yet also stylish and affordable, we chat to 28 year old Cat following the recent launch of BEKKA MAY. Hi Cat, thanks for chatting to Forte Magazine!

Congrats on the release of Bekka May! Can you tell our readers the idea behind the cosmetic bag and why you created it?

Well, at the time I was quite literally living out of a suitcase! I was doing four-day trips away with work and then when I got home, I would pack a fresh bag and drive back to Geelong to my boyfriend. Between all the makeup, hair products and cosmetics I always had at least three smaller bags on me. That’s when the idea hit me. A large cosmetic bag that had different sections where you could see everything, was functional and easy to use. It seemed like such an easy concept and I honestly couldn’t believe someone else hadn’t already made one!

Who is this product best suited to (young women, business travellers, holiday goers etc.)?

I designed the BEKKA MAY cosmetics bag to really suit anyone. It is very simple and versatile so you can really make it your own. Even I use it so differently depending on what I am doing and where I am going.

For my every day it holds all my makeup, skin and hair products (even my hair straightener). It sits next to a big mirror so when I get up in the morning I sit on the ground, fold it out and get ready - I think my favourite part is it folds and zips up so quick and easy. It also looks like a cute handbag sitting on the ground and really keeps the space clean and tidy.

We know you were scribbling designs somewhere between Melbourne and LAX while all the passengers were peacefully sleeping to come up with this. How long was the whole process?

It moved pretty quick at the start. Within the first 24-hours of landing back into Melbourne I had bought the business name and made the most hysterical prototype from handbags

IF YOU WANT TO BE FUNNY, EAT A BANANA WRITTEN BY SAM YOUNG

The opening line of Daniel Connell’s bio reads: Daniel Connell could easily be described as the ideal Aussie comedian; affable, loveable and hilarious.

He was unable to prove he didn’t write this in the time we spent conversing. He did however laugh as he tried to explain it was a ‘friend’ that indeed scribbled that down after a gig and it stuck.

Unable to ascertain the plausibility of these remarks, Daniel was able to maintain his stance that if it were up to him, it would simply read: Laid back, observational humour. This is pretty much what you will get from Daniel in his new show ‘Bit of Shush’.

Growing up in country NSW, Daniel beats to a pretty slow drum. He doesn’t raise his voice too often, claiming he doesn’t know how to yell - even with an angry anecdote thus creating an

and make up bags I had cut up. I remember there were even parts I had sewn with hot pink thread! There was a part that felt like it was moving so slow, because I had absolutely no experience in anything, I thought everything would be so quick and easy. Boy, was I wrong. From the initial idea, to launch date, it was just under 11months. Everyone in the industry thought that was so quick and amazing and in my mind I seriously though it would take me four months. I have learned a lot since then!

What was the process like in getting the bag made, did you have any previous experience in design or anything of the like? Where was all the production done?

The process was easily the biggest learning experience of my life. I had zero experience in design, sourcing manufacturers, or really anything in the industry. I took to the Internet and would Google and YouTube everything. It was not easy! But with these things, you really need to just do it and learn as you go. I would sit up late most nights reading or watching videos on my laptop just trying to learn anything to help me. The production is overseas and I have a factory in Hong Kong that distributes for me. As I’m addicted to travel, and my boyfriend and I were wanting to move overseas, it was really important for me to have a business that I could run from anywhere in the world - all I need is a laptop and some internet.

Currently available exclusively in Australia at www.bekkaymay.com, are you thinking of expanding distribution from other platforms or stores?

I really wanted to make BEKKA MAY affordable to everyone and selling direct to the customer online keeps the price down. I have definitely thought about distribution, but am not making any plans just yet. I will be expanding overseas very soon though, so that is exciting.

You’ve also relocated overseas. What comes next? Are you still a flight attendant, or are you now following the business dream?

Yes, we moved to London two days before I launched BEKKA MAY. I am still a flight attendant over here, but have a few weeks off before I start back. I am lucky with flying because it is very flexible and I have a lot of down time which allows me to really focus on my business. There will be a lot more coming from BEKKA MAY so make sure you keep an eye out.

The BEKKA MAY cosmetics bag is currently available exclusively in Australia at www.bekkaymay.com

entertaining and harmonious show. Thankfully, he moved to Melbourne to pursue comedy and remain calm.

Early on in his career Daniel was given some sound advice - it is a long process, it may take ten years. He kept this in mind when he questioned if he had made the right decision to pursue comedy about two years in.

Moving forward a decade now, Daniel has continued to work tirelessly on his unique comedic stylings and is looking forward to his eighth straight set at this year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival. So be mindful if you see him on the train.

To the untrained eye it may appear he is simply reading the newspaper to find the funny side of daily events. To the trained eye, he also has his ears open, eyes wandering and mouth agape observing everyday life.

So for those aspiring comedians out there, Daniel’s advice would be exactly the same. Not having your mouth agape. Understanding it may take a good ten years. He still feels he has a lot of work to do. Daniel did not once suggest his advice was gospel.

Heckling often comes up in discussion with comedians. It really only occurs in the movies and on TV. Daniel did have one gig early on in his career

where he joked about putting his virginity up for auction on eBay and he was offered two dollars and eighty cents. One avid fan yelled ‘take it’. He did not ‘take it’.

Each year Daniel works on a new show. Writing new material for about half a year. After hitting the local comedy clubs, he travels around the country to test out his observations. From small comedy clubs to capital cities.

Capturing the audiences imagination is hard enough for an average sized person. Fortunately, for Daniel Connell, his height is what he believes is the key to bringing in the horde of comedy fans.

He understands that leads to walking around with a sore neck for several days after his performance from looking directly up at him for an hour, but his ability to draw people in with a satisfying story is surely worth compressing a nerve root in your spine, causing neck pain and neurological problems. Because of his height.

Whilst the fans minds oscillate in comedic anticipation, Daniel will be backstage eating a banana. This is the real key to being funny. He does this before every gig. Think about that as you wait for him to stroll on stage.

This years show will be appreciated by anybody who has been pestered about marriage, kids and what to do with life. Although he is calm, he is getting grumpier with age. So don’t bring that up.

Daniel understands that Netflix offering Ricky Gervais and Jerry Seinfeld their own specials was thoroughly deserved. If they wanted to slide some of their earnings his way, he’d happily take it. So long as it is more than two dollars and eighty cents.

For those unable to make the effort to see this comedian, you’ll most likely find him at the Nando’s on Bourke Street eating a chicken wrap.

Alternatively, you’ll find him eating at home. After the show, he catches the train and heads straight to sleep. The rock and roll comedian lives on.

Circa’s Peepshow set to delight the senses Escape into the world of Circa’s Peepshow, a thrilling new creation that infuses world-class contemporary circus with the nostalgia of bygone eras.

Internationally renowned Australian company Circa has performed in 39 countries to over one million people with standing ovations, rave reviews and soldout houses across six continents, and Geelong is among the first stops for this brand new show before it takes on the world.

Circa’s Peepshow is the new circus cabaret created

by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble, and offers a glimpse into the world beyond the ordinary, turning cabaret on its head (literally). Explosive and lyrical, its dynamic group acrobatics, astonishing solo acts and tantalising duets lurch from the thrillingly acrobatic to the comically playful. Here you can expect teetering towers of balanced bodies, extreme bending and devilishly precarious aerials.

From the company that brought you Wunderkammer and Beyond, Circa’s Peepshow sets the stage for a jawdropping night at the theatre.

Part of Geelong Performing Arts Centre’s 2018 Deakin University Theatre Season, Circa’s Peepshow runs from April 11-14.

For details and bookings go to gpac.org.au/2018

When & Where: Daniel Connell: Bit of Shush - Melbourne Town Hall - Backstage Room from March 29 – April 22 as part of the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

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Vikings: Beyond the Legend WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INSPIRATION AND LEGEND BEHIND RAGNAR LOTHBROK *DROOLS* ?

NOW HERE IS YOUR CHANCE! F RO M N O W U N T I L A U G U S T 26, T H E MELBOURNE MUSEUM HAS AN EXHIBIT, ALL ABOUT VIKINGS, AND THE LEGEND THAT IS BEHIND THEM. Vikings are often being depicted in popular culture as a bunch of bearded, dirty, horn-helmeted barbarians. But recent discoveries have revealed that they were a more civilised culture. Archaeologists have uncovered everyday tools, such as tweezers, razors and combs, and much to our disbelief, there has been no evidence to suggest that their neatly brushed hair was ever covered by horned helmets.

Combining the latest archaeological findings and more than 450 original artefacts from the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm, Vikings: Beyond the Legend removes the stereotypes and reveals Vikings and their rich, often-misunderstood culture in a fascinating, new light.

Katherine Hauptman, Museum Director, Swedish History Museum says, “During the last decades the Vikings have become international celebrities within popular culture, and the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm has one of the world’s largest collections of objects from the Viking era. Therefore, we are excited to show some of the highlights from the real Vikings to an Australian audience.”

The exhibition will provide an insight into Viking people and their everyday life, religion, death rituals, craftsmanship, and raiding and trading culture. Here, Vikings are more accurately portrayed as farmers, merchants, artisans, and explorers.

Throughout this exhibit there will be interactive displays, hands-on challenges, maps and images as well as filmic elements that will be displayed alongside

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more than 450 Viking objects. These objects include actual weapons, jewellery, clothing, household tools, ceramics, game pieces, bones, musical instruments, and rune stones.

Among the rare treasures displayed, some of which have never left Scandinavia, until now, will be one of the finest Thor hammer pendants ever found, swords dating from 700-1100 AD, rune stones that were used to mark death and important events, a 1000-year-old piece of bread, and even coprolites (fossilised poo!) that can been used to determine ancient Viking diets.

Also on display will be the Krampmacken, a replica of a nine-meter Viking merchant boat that was found in Gotland Island in Sweden in the 1920’s along with the powerful skeletal remains of a Viking ship – where the original hand forged Viking nails remain, creating an effect of a beautiful “ghost ship”.

Interactive elements will allow visitors to learn and play the Viking board game Hnefatafl and excavate layers of a boat burial, uncovering a skeleton of the buried and artefacts such as weapons, gaming pieces and household tools that would have accompanied the burial more than 1000 years ago.

As the months grow colder, Old Norse to Contemporary Scandi Culture: A Workshop Series will explore ways of bringing about hygge - the Scandinavian concept of cosiness, warmth and togetherness, you can also learn how to make bread, brew beer and design Scandi jewellery, and then stay for fika – the all day cake and coffee ritual - mmm we like the sound of this one!

Check it out at The Melbourne Museum. Tickets are on sale now, so purchase them online via the museums website; https://museumsvictoria.com. au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/vikings/

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MARCEL LUCONT BRINGS WHINE LIST TO MELBOURNE An Intimate Evening with France’s Premier Misanthrope & Lover WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

Stand-up comedy is subjective. We know this, it’s each to their own. However, currently being well into the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, all the evidence is suggesting that Marcel Lucont will be the one guaranteed to make you laugh.

Self-described as ‘flâneur, raconteur, bonviveur’, and ‘easily the greatest UK-based French comedian around’, Marcel (as seen on ABC1’s Set List and Comedy Central at The Comedy Store) is giving you the chance to witness great French humour when he returns to the Melbourne Comedy Festival for a limited run of his acclaimed improvised show, Whine List.

“It’s perfect for Australia, a country that claims to have no worries… I wish to remind them that they should have worries,” Marcel reveals. “The world is not a good place. It’s important to air your whines and grapes about it. ”Coming off a successful tour of the UK last year, the deadpan Frenchman will bring louche musings, dry wit and Gallic superiority in this show where he creates a unique Whine List every night. At each show, attendees are given a questionnaire at the beginning from which the finest ‘whines’ are chosen for that nights’

performance.

“There will be no solution from me, they can sort that shit out themselves,” he smirks. “We can at least laugh at their problems in front of a room full of strangers. It’s like a group therapy experience where most people probably will leave more depressed.”

Essentially, Marcel has created a hilarious show that cashes’ in on humanity’s obsessions with narcissistic self-help, as he offers his audiences the opportunity to air their gripes, moan and whine in front of a man who has plenty of his own. It’s comic genius.

Originally influenced by the television show Set List (Sky Atlantic), which sees comedians get a never-before seen “set list” of bizarre, outrageous, and ridiculous topics as the audience follows along on the screen behind the performer, this type of comedy is all about improvisation and brings with it a completely new experience of comics.

“For that [Set List] there was a lot of improvising and I thought I could do this for an entire show, and I was right,” he laughs. “It’s just something I realised I could do very well, it’s easy because for me it’s [Whine List] their own input, and I throw my genius which creates super comedy… never have I failed yet.”

A nominee for the Best International Guest 2016 New Zealand Comedy Guild, winner of the Best Comedy 2013 Fringe World Awards, shortlisted for Best Comedy 2016 Fringe World Awards and winner of the 2015 Chortle Award (UK), Marcel has the qualifications of a good comedian, and with rave reviews from all over the world, this particular show is proving to be a ‘must-see’.

The only thing left to do being buying tickets and finding out what Marcel is all about, he leaves us on one final note about his comedy show: “How you take the show, it’s up to you. If you are the one laughing at the misdemeanours perhaps it will be less depressing for you.”

The only way to know is go and find out! Catch his performance at The Coopers Malthouse, Beckett Theatre (113 Sturt St, Southbank) from 10-14 April & 17-22 April @ 9:40pm; 15 & 22 April @ 8:40pm.

Booking via micf.tickets.red61.com

“Signature Move” (18+) Saturday April 14, 7:30pm A quirky lesbian romance film that sees Zaynab, a 30-something Pakistani-Muslim lesbian, is struggling with her mother’s expectation that she find a husband when she falls in love with Alma, a bold Mexican woman, who shares Zaynab’s love for Mexican Lucha-style wrestling.

“The Feels” (18+) Sunday April 15, 11:00am A racy, hilarious ensemble comedy where a group of friends gather for a weekend away to celebrate the impending wedding of Andy and Lu. Of course, things go awry!

The Must-See Guide to the Geelong Queer Film Festival WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB

The Pivotonian Cinema will play host to the Geelong Queer Film Festival from April 13 to April 15. The festival showcases contemporary, classic, diverse and inclusive LGBTIQA+ films to a Geelong audience whilst offering a film making commission and opportunities for volunteers to participate in the queer community.

These films are guaranteed to not only entertain, but to provoke discussion, engender compassion and confront the many aspects of queer culture with honesty and insight.

Here’s what you need to see at the GQFF:

“A Moment in the Reeds” (18+) Friday April 13, 7:30pm (OPENING NIGHT) The film sensitively and sensuously explores the developing connection between Tareq, a Syrian refugee, and Leevi, who has returned to his native Finland to help his father restore the family lake house. A ticket to this includes a free glass of your choosing.

“Australian Shorts” (18+) Saturday April 14, 12:00pm This diverse showcase of nine queer stories made by local filmmakers will take you inside the Australian sharpie scene, the Australian Women’s Football League, the inner life of a Melbourne bear, a transgender kid’s first day at school, the alien abduction of a drag queen and girlfriends doing crime.

“Out in the Line-Up” (15+) Saturday April 14 3:00pm A documentary that follows the stories of gay and lesbian surfers around the world. The screening will be followed by a Q and A with the producer, Thomas Castets as well as local media presenter Joel Carnegie. This session is proudly sponsored by WorkSafe.

“The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” (18+) Sunday April 15, 1:30pm This documentary details the life and career of Armistead Maupin, celebrated author of the popular book and TV series ‘Tales of the City’, with interviews and archival footage.

Prepare for a journey to self-discovery and understanding through an increasingly diverse range of stories redolent with themes of love, hope, tolerance, inspiration, perseverance and pride.

The first film festival will be 13 to 15 April 2018 with with some additional one-off screenings also held during late 2017 and early 2018 at The Pivotonian Cinema, in South Geelong.

Tickets are available via www.trybooking.com/ eventlist/gqff or contact them at geelongqueerfilm@ gmail.com.

Hearing of youths being graced with a platform to showcase their remarkable talent puts a stupendous smile on our dial. Founded in early 2016, not for profit dance group Spark Youth Dance Company is entirely operated by individuals under 25 – and they’re bringing their 90-minute contemporary dance production Shatter to the Geelong Performing Arts Centre this April. On the 14th, the cast and their full orchestra will be showcasing their wildly popular theatre show to the Geelong community.

Youths dominating the Mornington Peninsula’s dance scene are bringing their show ‘Shatter’ to G-town WRITTEN BY HANNAH KENNY

The story centres around the British Suffragettes and draws attention to women’s rights and gender equality, stimulating important, worldly discussion.

The tale is manifested through a young woman named Rosie who is living through the Suffrage movement, a movement that fought for women’s right to vote. The Suffragettes were a group of women who resorted to “deeds” or violent tactics to express their anger towards the limited societal progression that was hindering their ability to live

equally to men. This was done through extreme protest measures including smashing windows and going on hunger strikes in prisons – anything to assert their extreme frustrations. Whilst women’s rights remain compromised in countries around the globe, the production is of significant relevance, educating young artists and audience members on history’s longstanding struggle with gender equality.

Bendigo Queer Film Festival returns for its 15th year This month marks the 15th annual Bendigo Queer Film Festival (BQFF), set to be a weekend of the best queer films delivered in an inclusive, safe and supportive environment for all.

The BQFF committee are brimming with excitement to showcase the diversity that exists within Central Victoria, and after securing tri annual funding from the City of Greater Bendigo last year, they’ve come into the 15th year with a brilliant list of films, including the French feature ‘BPM’ and the opening night film from America ‘The Feels’.

The films screen at the LaTrobe Art Institute in the heart of Bendigo’s beautiful arts precinct on View Street. Another highlight of the film festival is the Queer Country Art Exhibition at Dudley House, also in the arts precinct, from April 20 – April 29.

With something for everyone in this year’s program, festival/film goers can enjoy everything from short films from Australian filmmakers, the best of foreign features; gripping and fun docos; youth oriented content to serious drama and comedy.

Presenting a great program of events that celebrate, educate and inform LGBTI Victorians and the wider Goldfields community, everyone is encourage to enjoy the fun of the BQFF. The BQFF runs from Friday 27 Apr at 7:00pm to Sunday 29 Apr at 4:45pm.

The full program, ticket pricing and a comprehensive list + map of the venues are all available online: www.bendigoqueerfilmfestival. com.au.

the production has been described as “groundbreaking in its execution” and “everything you could wish for in a youth dance company.”

Tickets are on sale now for the Geelong show.

Purchase yours through SYDC’s website www. sparkyouthdance.com.au.

Forte will see you there!

This calendar event marks the first of its kind for a youth dance company to be touring such a sizeable production. Both the creation and direction of Shatter has been curated by an all-youth creative team under 25, featuring a cast of 28 kids aged between 7 to 20 against a 35-piece professional orchestra. 20-year old choreographer and director Alex Dellaportas has been lent a helping hand by industry professionals Joseph Lallo (conductor) and Melbourne costume designer Tamara Keane to deliver this must see show.

With stellar reviews from Dance Writer’s Jessica Poulter and Victorian Dance Festival’s Kate Meade,

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REVIEWS

FILMS REVIEWED BY ANTHONY MORRIS

↑↑ LADY BIRD

↑↑ A QUIET PLACE

↑↑ LOVE, SIMON

Nostalgia is strong with this one: not only does Lady Bird hark back to American independent cinema’s turn-of-the-century glory days, it’s set in 2002, where Californian Christine “Lady Bird” (it’s her given name, as in it’s the name she gave herself) McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is struggling with school, boys, her parents – especially her mother (Laurie Metcalf) – and a strong sense of self-possession that butts up hard against a world busy with other things. Writer-director Greta Gerwig nails every emotional detail – there hasn’t been a film this spot-on about mother-daughter relationships in ages – and constantly finds laugh-out-loud moments in her unerringly accurate depiction of teen life’s mundanity.

Ronan (who’s great in everything) outdoes herself in making an offbeat teen feel achingly real, while Metcalf (also reliably excellent) matches her with ease. Lady Bird has a vividness few films of any stripe can match; for once the hype is well deserved.

High concept horror movies don’t get much more high-concept: what if there were supremely lethal monsters everywhere and the only thing that attracted them to you was sound? It’s day 89 of this very unpleasant situation, society has crumbled, almost everyone is dead and for the Abbott family a trip into town for medicine has a very dramatic ending when their youngest takes a shine to a battery-powered toy spaceship. Cut to a year and a half later and life on the Abbott’s farm remains on a knife-edge: Lee (John Krasinski) is working on building a working hearing aid for deaf daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), who blames herself for what happened to her youngest brother.

That makes her other brother Marcus (Noah Jupe) sad, while mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is very pregnant. But mostly they remain very, very quiet (and talk with sign language), which means that any loud noise is jarring to hear (for the audience) and potentially fatal (for the family). Krasinski also directs, and he takes full advantage of this scenario to crank the tension up to nearunbearable levels while making sure this is a rare high-concept horror film that sticks the landing. Great performances are the icing on a very scary, extremely tense, hard-to-forget cake.

Seventeen year-old Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) has loving parents, a tightknit group of friends, a settled school life, and a solid middle-class existence.

He also has a secret: he’s gay. So when he finds out about another closeted teen at his school via an online message board, he gets in touch to anonymously tell him he’s not alone.

Their relationship soon blossoms, but Simon has no idea who he’s actually talking to – and when another student finds his emails and blackmails Simon into setting him up with one of Simon’s female friends, things get real messy real fast. If you’re after big drama with high stakes, move on. This is a sweetly low-key story (based on a novel by Becky Albertalli) where (just about) everyone is well meaning and Simon’s coming out is only a big deal because he’s the one who’s made it so. The occasional sharp joke gives this film what little edge it has; the romance side of things is mostly Simon wondering if random cute guys in his life are his mystery pen-pal, and everyone around him is so decent and understanding the tension is minimal.

It’s charmingly pleasant comfort food cinema, a film that does everything right in a satisfyingly bland way.

↑↑ BLOCKERS The plot for Blockers seems relatively straight-forward – three parents hit the streets to try and stop their three teenage daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. But it’s not John Cena accidentally chewing on his daughter’s underwear and buttchugging beer that’s the star of this film – though admittedly that side of things has its appeal; rather, this is a very smart and funny film where oldfashioned ideas about sex are the ones being made fun of. The trio of teens are sensible young women who for a range of completely justifiable decide they want to lose their virginity on prom night while the parents are either comic idiots (John Cena, Leslie Mann) whose angst is always totally out of line, or a dirtbag (Ike Barinholtz) who knows his daughter is gay (because he’s really a smart, attentive father) and wants to stop her from making a mistake just to be “one of the girls”. Their increasingly frantic flailing about gets funnier as the night goes on (intruding on another married couple’s blindfolded naked sex game is a highlight) but it’s this film’s intelligence that makes it really funny – so much so that a traditional “oh no, they’re having sex while I’m hiding under the bed” scene towards the end almost feels unworthy.

RECORD WATCH

LAUREN

JOSH

Blade Runner 2049

KLLO - Backwater - Discovered this Melbourne based electronic duo recently.

Their cruisy 2017 album ‘Backwater’ is my pick for long drives in the car or drinks at home with your pals. Deliciously smokey vocals and deep rhythms. One of those albums you can listen to from start to finish where the songs melt into each other and you enjoy every track.

My fav on the album is ‘Dissolve.’ Give them a listen if your a fan of Jamie XX, Crooked Colours, Vallis Alps etc.

ADELE - 25

GLENN

NATHAN

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack highlights the

STAFF PICKS

entrancing, ethereal, and enigmatic original score composed by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer [Inception, The Dark Knight, Gladiator, The Lion King] and Golden Globe & Emmy nominee Benjamin Wallfisch [It, Hidden Figures, Annabelle: Creation]. Original and classic compositions round out this sci-fi noir masterpiece,

KISS - Self Titled - This is where it started.

I can’t lie and say every song is a cracker, but with Cold Gin, 100,000 Years, Deuce, Strutter and Black Diamond all on the same album, it is an all time classic!! KISS are the gods, and this

and over a backdrop of cyber-infused soul production, it delivers a hypnotic and haunting performance.

Available from Gifts For The Geek.

155 Ryrie Street, Geelong.

BREAKER MORANT 1980 | DRAMA/HISTORY | 1H 47M APR SUN 8: 3.00PM; MON 9: 6.00PM; TUE 10: 5.15PM; WED 11: 4.00PM

COCKTAIL 1988 | DRAMA/ROMANCE | 1H 43M APR SAT 7: 7.30PM; SUN 8: 9.00PM; TUE 10: 9.30PM

GEELONG QUEER FILM FESTIVAL APR FRI 13: 7.30PM; SAT 14: 12.00PM, 3.00PM, 7.30PM; SUN 15: 11.00AM, 1.30PM

album started the journey to greatness!!

GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT & BAMI 2017 | DOCUMENTARY | 1H 56M APR SAT 7: 1.15PM

LADY BIRD 2017 | DRAMA/COMEDY | 1H 35M APR THU 5: 11.00AM, 6.00PM; FRI 6: 1.15PM; SAT 7: 3.30PM; SUN 8: 11.00AM; MON 9: 4.00PM; THU 12: 1.15PM, 8.15PM (FUNDRAISER); FRI 13: 1.30PM; SUN 15: 6.30PM; MON 16: 11.00AM; 3.30PM; TUE 17: 11.00AM, 6.00PM; WED 18: 1.30PM, 8.30PM

NT LIVE 2017-2018 SEASON: JULIUS CAESAR

PHANTOM THREAD

SWEET COUNTRY

2017 | DRAMA/CRIME | 2H 10M

2017 | THRILLER | 1H 53M

APR THU 5: 3.30PM, 8.00PM; FRI 6: 3.00PM; SAT 7: 11.00AM; MON 9: 11.00AM; TUE 10: 1.00PM; THU 12: 3.15PM; FRI 13: 11.00AM; MON 16: 1.00PM; 5.30PM; TUE 17: 3.30PM; WED 18: 11.00AM, 3.30PM

MAR SAT 31: 10.00AM; TUE 3: 10.00AM

STIR

2017 | COMEDY | 1H 27M

1980 | DRAMA/THRILLER | 1H 41M

APR SUN 8: 1.00PM

APR FRI 6: 7.30PM; SAT 7: 5.30PM; SUN 8: 7.00PM; TUE 10: 7.15PM (DIRECTOR Q&A); WED 11: 2.00PM

APR TUE 17: 8.00PM

CNR. MOORABOOL & VERNER ST. SOUTH GEELONG | WWW.PIVOTCINEMA.COM.AU 36

↑↑ READY PLAYER ONE There’s two things you probably know about Steven Spielberg’s movie of Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One: it’s a salute to gaming, and it’s a salute to the 80s. Strangely, only one of those is correct: while the film most definitely is all about the joys of a certain kind of online gaming (think World of Warcraft), just about all the pop culture here is nothing more than a surface skin over the game mechanics, a collection of references that mean nothing beyond “hey, I remember that”. The story is basically a do-over of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – in the future everyone hangs out in one massive online environment built by a dead guy who promised total control over his game to whoever could solve three puzzles – but while the three online puzzles are kind of fun, everything outside is a trash heap where an evil corporation (led by Ben Mendelsohn) is after Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) to stop him before his online avatar and his team of buddies win the internet. The fun bits are definitely fun but at over two hours there’s just too much dead space between those bits, and the fact this film isn’t really about much of anything past “doesn’t this look cool” eventually becomes fatal.

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APR FRI 6: 5.15PM; TUE 10: 3.15PM; WED 11: 6.00PM; THU 12: 11.00AM; SUN 15: 4.00PM

THE BBQ

THE SQUARE 2017 | DRAMA/COMEDY | 2H 31M APR MON 9: 1.15PM; WED 11: 11.00AM; THU 12: 5.30PM; FRI 13: 3.30PM; TUE 17: 12.45PM; THU 19: 3.40PM

Gojira - Magma - The Sixth Studio album by the French metal outfit is widely considered a modern metal triumph and for good reason.

Magma achieves an absolutely fearsome blend of both groove and tightly focused aggression that results in an accessible record for new comers and a satisfying entry for long time fans. Definitely a must listen for modern metal fans.

THE VOIDZ - Virtue - This album is so strange that it’s just addictive, every song on the album is so different which makes this an extremely fun album to listen to the whole way through. Julian Casablancas delivers some amazing vocals on this release and the lyrical content is amazing. My favorite track so far would have to be AlienNation, check it out.

Timberwolf: Íkaros “Best first gig in Geelong you can ask for”

cruisy tunes, easing the small crowd gathered into his performance. He utilised the saxophone in some of his earlier tracks, which injected a bit of jazziness to the performance.

The third song of the set, one of his more popular rock anthems of his new album was a welcome change of pace to the slower tunes played.

After easing into a few songs, Timberwolf took the opportunity to thank the crowd for their attentiveness and expressed his appreciation for the intimate last show. He explained that when you write songs that mean so much to you, you don’t write them to be listened to by thousands of people in a crowd sinking beers. After thanking the listeners at the Workers Club, he noted, ‘you don’t forget these kinds of gigs’.

After expressing his gratitude, Timberwolf returned to the stage with yet another emotive song about love and break ups. The delivery on stage was actually quite astounding, as he explored the true grit and messiness of break ups.

For the second last song, the title track, ‘Icarus’, Timberwolf took some time to talk about his Greek heritage and the meaning behind the song. Timberwolf explained that he would rather make himself unguarded and undergo the euphoria versus the battles of being in love, than protecting himself by closing himself off and not allowing himself to be vulnerable.

It was a rare and special occasion to have been able to be in such an intimate crowd that the artist can connect with the audience. This was the last show of Timberwolf tour and his first time in Geelong, and he thanked the crowd for celebrating his new album release with him.

Finishing off with his hit song ‘Washed Out’, Timberwolf commented it was a memorable end to the tour, and was the ‘best first gig in Geelong you can ask for’.

CODA CHROMA ‘Circles’ Reviewed by Chloe Cicero Coda Chroma’s newest release ‘Circles’ combines ultra-minimal 808 beats, handclaps, and warped junkyard organs with one-take vocal performances. It’s the first song off the hypnotic indie pop project forthcoming second album which was released last Friday (March 23).

Vocalist Kate Lucas takes you to another place with her calm and mesmerising voice that creates almost a haunted vibe. Kate and producer Damien Charles take inspiration from their surroundings, which have helped them write two albums full of songs with oblique yet moving lyrics and dissident harmony.

Coming to the end of the single, you’re left in awe of its deeply moving sentiment combined with its expert simplicity.

This moody track and the new album is a follow up to their debut self-titled album that was put out independently in April last year and added to rotation and featured on Double J, Spotify’s Gentle Acoustic playlist, and earned them an Age Music Victoria Award nomination.

Reviewed by Mia Turnley

One thing you can’t deny about Timberwolf is the honesty in both his song writing and performing. An intimate crowd at the Worker’s Club allowed Timberwolf to talk the audience through some of the songs in his debut album, Ikaros, and what he was feeling at the time he wrote them.

All songs were written and performed with an almost confronting vulnerability, as though they happened yesterday. The meaningfulness of the lyrics was earnestly conveyed with the listeners.

Timberwolf has written about exactly what he felt at different times in the past, and he will tell you about it in the present moment without any shame of the rawness of the feeling.

Timberwolf started the set with some relaxed,

↑↑ COSMIC PSYCHOS

↑↑ HEAPS GOOD FRIENDS

↑↑ RHYTHM X REVIVAL

↑↑ RUBY BOOTS

Loudmouth Soup

Hug Me

Self-Titled

Don’t Talk About It

GO THE HACK Records

KOBLAT/AWL

Independent

Island Records Australia/Universal

Reviewed by Alex Callan

Reviewed by Hannah Kenny

Reviewed by Hannah Kenny

Reviewed by Chris Lambie

Comparing any modern-day music act to The Beatles is a brave, daring and incredibly flattering move. To even string such a comparison in a sentence feels somewhat wrong, but there are some things in life that you simply cannot deny. If John Lennon rose like a phoenix from the ashes (and let’s be honest, that genius would), I think he would approve of Heaps Good Friends and their innovative twist on contemporary music.

The sound of Across The Universe can be recognised in a room full of crying infants, and it could be said that Heaps Good Friends’ track ‘Thou Shall Be Free’ takes the listener on a similar journey. Arguably different, the Adelaide three-piece blend harmonies with melodic hooks, creating a 50s/60s inspired infusion in their music.

The tight-knit friendship between the trio is evident in their sound as each band member unknowingly compliments the other, perhaps signalling why the trio won Best New Artist at the South Australia Music Awards last year. Heaps Good Friends are authentically earthy, with their music leaving you smiling and wanting more. Their track ‘Moonlover’ emits a mirroring sound to Dope Lemon, another courageously flattering analysis for an EP review.

Hug Me is a truly magnificent record, demonstrating the creative maturity of the artists at play. With an EP tour coming up, Heaps Good Friends are hoping their fans will “learn all the words and sing with us [them].”

Not a bad idea.

A dynamic blend of soul, country and blues, Rhythm X Revival’s sophomore album packs a punch for lovers of classic country music with a modern twist. Fresh out of Melbourne, the record details the friendship and song-writing between Victorian boys John-Luke Shelley (out-front) and Johnny Tesoriero (drums).

Their knowledge of sound is evident in the quality of the music production, an important factor in delivering a country infused tone that is original and authentic. With influences deriving from Memphis and Nashville, the debut album is drenched in electric blues, allowing the listener to literally feel the music.

Recorded by Melbourne legend Sam Teskey (Teskey Brothers) in the Teskey Brothers’ studio, the boys have stayed true to their local roots, an indicator reflective of the crux of the album. The self titled record explores a range of depths, from stripped back soul in track #6 The Beast to fun and playful in track #1 Hit The Road Running. Rhythm X Revival are certainly set to wow the Australian country music scene on their tour around Victoria, an exciting addition to our diverse music culture. Even if you’re not a fan of country music, this record is worth listening to.

When a 14 year old Bex Chilcott (aka Ruby Boots) felt compelled to leave her Perth home, she packed a survival kit of talent, imagination and grit. A couple of fruitful decades later, she took up a Nashville residency via the 2016 Australia Council Songwriting Award.

It sounds like she’s found her spiritual home on Don’t Talk About It, produced by Beau Bedford in Dallas, Texas. On debut Solitude, Boots kicked in a rock’n’roll declaration amongst sultry ballads and country blues. This collection expands the palette even further. The opening track prowls and struts with retro choral and instrumental ‘wall of sound’ backing.

The swaying title track (co-written with Nikki Lane) frames a journey from woe to wisdom with 60s pop diva charm. Gun session players The Texas Gentlemen anchor the alt-country backdrop to Boots’ versatile vocals and expressive guitar playing. Just as Amy Winehouse re-coloured soul, Boots takes a new brush to country roots.

When: March 17 2018 Where: Workers Club, Geelong

Picking up where they left off, the Cosmic Psychos’ 11th studio album shows us yet again how bloody good Aussie punk rock is. Kicking off with the hard-hitting ‘100 Cans Of Beer,’ listeners are quickly introduced to what ‘Loudmouth Soup’ has in store for them; 11 tracks of fast paced punk rock tunes.

Songs such as ‘Dogshit’ deliver shredding oldschool punk vibes, whilst tracks such as ‘Feelin’ Average’ show a slightly more refined and melodic approach; with it’s catchy chorus making it the perfect ‘hair of the dog’ drinking song. With ‘Better In The Shed’ highlighting quite a grimy side to Knights vocals, and ‘Too Dumb To Die’ having the potential to become an instant punk-rock classic, ‘Loudmouth Soup’ really highlights just how much the Psychos have mastered their craft over the passed 30 years.

In a way, each new Cosmic Psychos album is like drinking your ‘go-too’ beer of choice every weekend.

It’s all so familiar the next time it comes around, but you better believe it tastes just as good as you remembered.

When & Where: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine – April 20 The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne – May 5

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POP

WRITTEN BY ANTHONY MORRIS

There’s two ways to have a long career in film: be really good at one thing, or be slightly less really good at a whole range of things. Case in point: the career of James Franco. If he’d stuck at simply being an actor, he’d have had a perfectly decent career (as his recent work playing twins in the HBO series about 70s porn in New York The Deuce shows). But he’s also been plugging away honing his skills at pretty much everything else (writing fiction, performance art, directing movies), so when he gets a chance to put it all together – as he does in the out-now-on-DVD The Disaster Artist – what he creates is greater than the sum of its parts.

PULP

WRITTEN BY ALASTAIR MCGIBBON

Another week, another Forte, another Pulp – and yet another excellent comic to talk about! I’ve decided to take a quick break from my discussion of Robert Kirkman’s horror-centric titles (I realised I’d picked up two of his works in one batch, and didn’t want to talk about him two columns in a row) to talk about one of the single most iconic moments in DC Comics’ long and storied history. That’s right, gang, this week we’re talking about one of the most famous comic stories of all time: The Death of Superman.

The Death of Superman is a story almost as old as I am – it first debuted in 1992, and the death of the Man of Steel sent shockwaves throughout the comics world – hell, even news outlets picked up the story (and in

This comedy about the making of the legendary and legendarily awful film The Room deliberately goes out of its way to solve none of the mysteries that made The Room so compelling. Instead, it’s a buddy comedy between a blandly handsome nice guy, Greg Sestero (Dave Franco, James’ brother) – who wrote the memoir this is based on – and utterly bizarre being and creator of The Room, Tommy Wiseau (director James Franco).

After meeting in a San Francisco acting class in the late 90s, Wiseau – who has a bizarre accent, even more bizarre face, endless amounts of money and a weird charm that almost excuses his obsessive secrecy – the pair became friends and eventually moved to LA, where after a string of setbacks Wiseau decided to write and direct his own film.

Clearly having as much idea about how to direct as he did how to act like a human being, the set was a disaster, which is where much of the comedy in this very funny film comes from. The rest comes from Wiseau; James Franco’s performance is consistently, surprisingly hilarious, yet the friendship between Wiseau and Greg has real heart.

It’s hard to think of anyone but jack-of-alltrades Franco who could pull this off; part buddy movie, part historical re-enactment, part freak show, it’s all classic.

At the more focused end of the scale, the also out-on-DVD Blade of the Immortal is being promoted as Japanese director Takashi Miike’s 100th film; while there may be some dodgy maths involved there, there’s no denying that Miike’s been an extremely busy man over the last twenty five years. Just his samurai films alone (13 Assassins, Hari Kiri, Zatoichi, maybe even Sukiyaki Western Django) could be a regular director’s career; based on the manga series, Blade of the Immortal is the tale of a samurai who becomes immortal after being infested with “sacred blood worms”, only to realise that too much fighting will leave him a monster made of scar tissue.

Reluctantly taking on a job as a bodyguard, the stage is set for plenty of battles involving excessive (but manga-appropriate) giant weapons and a whole lot of bloodshed. It’s definitely not as serious as 13 Assassins or Hara Kiri, but while Miike’s days of extreme cinema (anyone who saw Ichi the Killer will never forget it) are behind him he’s definitely not afraid to go big when the story demands it – and this highly entertaining story demands it a lot.

the pre-MCU world, that was a big frickin’ deal). It wasn’t like it was designed from the outset to be a big event – when an existing storyline featuring the wedding of Lois Lane and Clark Kent was set aside for a TV story, a writer jokingly said “let’s kill him” when short on ideas – but boy, did it have an impact.

A team of writers – Dan Jurgens (creator of Booster Gold), Roger Stern (co-creator of Hobgoblin), Louise Simonson (creator of Apocalypse), Jerry Ordway (The Power of Shazam!) and Karl Kesel (creator of Superboy), lead by editor Mike Carlin – combined their considerable comic book clout put together a story that was a disaster movie, a horrific tragedy and an epic battle all in one.

As Superman fights the Underworlders – a subterranean team of monsters set on destroying the surface world – a terrifying monster gains its freedom. Punching through solid metal, with crystalline spikes protruding from its knuckles, the creature bursts from the earth, and begins its rampage across the United States. The creature is soon intercepted by the Justice League International – Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Maxima, Fire, Ice and Bloodwynd – and while they put up resistance, the creature utterly steamrolls them. Superman, cutting short a television interview, races to help his allies, but even the combined might of Superman and the Justice League can’t take him down. Punched into the stratosphere, Booster Gold declares “it’s like Doomsday is here”, naming the monster.

As Doomsday continues his rampage, heading towards Metropolis, only Superman can stand against him... but it’s going to take everything he’s got. As the fight drags on, Superman can only hope that he’ll be able to stop the creature before it destroys him.

Much like Snakes on a Plane, The Death of Superman more or less gives away the story in its title. It’s a very 90s affair – the dialogue is cheesy and the characters are obscure and cliched by modern standards (separate characters called Fire and Ice, the super-edgy Bloodwynd) but man, is the battle between Superman and Doomsday epic. Their conflict ends with blows that shatter windows, and the comic really showcases the sheer power of Superman when he’s pushed to his limits.

It’s one hell of a way to take out DC’s most iconic character (sorry, Batman), and while the comic is basically one big fight, its impact stretched on for quite a while – even being adapted for the silver screen (albeit poorly) in Batman vs Superman a few years back. While it doesn’t showcase his societal impact like

BLUES NEWS

TOO HEAVY TO HUG

SURFBEAT

WRITTEN BY PAUL S. TAYLOR

BY JOHN FOSS

Daylight savings is over, the days are slipping into the low 20 degrees area or worse, and I’ve had the annual bout of sneezing following the heating system blowing out summer’s accumulated dust and fluff. Time to look at something a bit further north.

How about Outback Rock and Blues?

Outback Rock and Blues is an amazing weekend of music and mates in one of North Queensland’s most unique locations – Undara Experience. Outback Rock and Blues attracts a wide variety of visitors who return each year as well as being highly rated among performers.

The 2018 line-up of performers set to rock the crowd include: High energy blues trio 19 Twenty, Cairns’ favourite party band Dr Elephant, soulful blues singer Genevieve Chadwick, crooner Ben FordDavies from Adelaide and musical masters The Montgomery Brothers featuring Ollie McGill from The Cat Empire!

“During the day there is still plenty to do with self-guided walking and Mountain biking trails, lava tube tours, swimming pool and licensed bar.” Well, the bar bit sounds like a plan anyhow.

Bram Collins, Managing Director of Undara Experience, says that “the best thing about the Outback Rock and Blues weekend is the size of the event. This is not an event where there are thousands of people, this is a small event, only a couple of hundred, so you get to meet up with old mates and make a heap of new ones”.

Check it on www.undara.com.au Many readers will remember Brian O’Donnell, Bod to most of us. Bod and Alby ran a blues show, Blues Revolution, on 94.7 the Pulse for many years, just another string to Bod’s bow of playing, organising and broadcasting. The show went into recess shortly after Bod passing several years ago, and Geelong was left without a local blues program.

The good news is that Mark O’Neill has begun a program on 94.7 the Pulse called Blue Sunday which will continue that heritage. Mark bills Blue Sunday as “Every sort of Blues from the wealth of local Geelong area artists, throughout Australia and worldwide. Classic, New and obscure.”

He’s a Geelong resident, but hails from Stamford, Connecticut, north east of New York on Long Island Sound. Even though the show has been going for a relatively short time, it’s been getting very good listener reviews, which is always good to see. Blue Sunday goes to air from 10pm to midnight on Sundays, on 94.7 the Pulse.

Geelong blues stalwart Kenny Terrington (aka Stringybark McDowell) has recently been in touch. Stringy is currently living on a diet of dust in rural South Australia and despite the effect on his vocal chords has released a new CD. I’ve received an advance copy, and first impression are very good. I’ll be doing a full review for Forte in the coming weeks, but for now, put May 10 in your calendars, he’s coming back for a session at Pistol Pete’s.

On Sunday April 8, get your gumbo both ways. It’s on the menu at Pistol Pete’s and Catfish Gumbo will be playing there. (yes, that’s a pretty lame joke…)

WELCOME TO THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal.

Quite possibly, the freshest shit going around now is Alien Weaponry, a band consisting of three teenagers from New Zealand who have melded elements of mid to late 90’s heavy metal with Maori tribalism, complete with lyrics sung in New Zealand’s native language, Te Reo Moari.

Whilst long time readers will know I rarely plug anything here in this space, Alien Weaponry deliver some pretty cool shit that’s not complex, but isn’t too boring, yet still delivers some serious weight to it.

Their palm muted riffs are straight out of the 80’s, their production is straight out of the 90’s and even though the lyrics aren’t in English, that has never stopped the metal community supporting a band and it just adds to the tribal elements of their tracks. And look, they’re a whole lot of fun.

2018 A U S T R A L I A N S U R F I N G AWARDS The Australian Surfing Awards are handed out each year in recognition of the contribution that surfers, groups and people have made to surfing.

Ran by Surfing Australia, the awards also include the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame which each year inducts a new member. The Hall Of Fame is located in Torquay at the Australian National Surfing Museum. Every Hall Of Fame member gets a shaped surfboard added to the museum collection with their name and list of achievements listed on the deck. Notable inclusions into the Hall Of Fame have been Mark Richards, ‘Midget’ Farrelly, Layne Beachley, Tom Carroll, Stephanie Gilmore, local surfing legends Wayne Lynch and Gail Couper and many more.

This year I was lucky enough to head up to the awards. The Bells Beach Surf Film Festival was a finalist in the Surf Culture Award category so it seemed like a good excuse to head north. This years event was held on the Gold Coast and for one night only all roads led to a very cool and damp Surfers Paradise.

There was plenty of drinks and finger food on supply as Australia’s top surfers, photographers, artists and filmmakers mingled for pre-award drinks. I was lucky enough to catch up with surf film maker Dick Hoole to talk surf films while drinking beers and eating fish tacos. I was then stoked to meet surf artists Garry Birdsall who came second at the Bells Contest in 1963 and featured on the cover of The Atlantics single cover for Bombora.

Pretty soon we were being ushered into the ballroom at QT for the main awards ceremony. It was amazing to see so many surf legends wandering around.

The big awards of the night went to Tyler Wright (current Women’s World Champ) who picked up the Female Surfer of the Year Award while her older brother Owen Wright took out the Male Surfer of the Year Award. Trent Mitchell took out the Surf Photo of the Year, Dave Rastovich picked up the Peter Troy Lifestyle award and the winner of the Surf Culture Award (not us) went to Phil Jarratt for his book “The Life of Brine”.

1993 Women’s World Champion Pauline Menczer was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame and gave a very entertaining and engaging acceptance speech sharing her memories of sleeping in board bags and battling sever arthritis en route to winning the world title. She was a deserving inductee in 2018.

Attention now shifts to the Rip Curl Pro and the other surfing events on the Australian calendar. Will Mick Fanning win at Bells? Will Kelly Slater get back in the water for the Margaret River Pro and will Sally Fitzgibbon finally win a well deserved world title?

It’s going to be another great year of surfing.

WRITTEN BY JOHN (DR JOHN) LAMP

other classic titles like All Star Superman or Superman: Red Son, it’s still one hell of a yarn that any DC fan should add to their collection.

Proudly presented by the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club 38

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In other news ++ Behemoth will release their new live DVD/Blu-ray Messe Noire on Friday April 13. You can check out a live rendition of ‘The Satanist’, taken from this DVD, online on YouTube. ++ Under The Southern Cross 10, the mini fist, featuring King Parrot, Child Bite, Earth, Annihilist, Neckgrip, Decimated King, Fenrir and Afterburner will be held at the Evelyn Hotel on Friday April 20. ++ John Garcia, the founder and voice of Kyuss, will perform an acoustic set Melbourne’s Cherry Bar on Friday April 20. ++ A Perfect Circle will release their new album Eat The Elephant on Friday April 20. ++ Wiegedood will release the closing episode of their trilogy; De Doden Hebben Het Goed III on Friday April 20. ++ Tesseract will release their new album Sonder on Friday April 20. ++ The Contortionist with special guests Sikth will play Max Watts on Thursday May 3. ++ Dimmu Borgir will release their new album Eonian on Friday May 4. ++ Diocletian will play Melbourne’s Max Watts on Sunday May 6. ++ The Direct Underground Fest will feature Ihsahn, Belphegor, Dioletian, Wiegedood, Encircling Sea and Revocation will be held at Max Watts on Sunday May 6. This is your last chance to see Ihsahn live in Oz so get in quick. ++ Ihsahn, with special guests YLVA, will play to a sold out crowd at Max Watts on Monday May 7. Hopefully a second show will be announced. ++ Cradle Of Filth will be at 170 Russell on Friday May 11. ++ Sevendust will release their new album All I See Is War on Friday May 11. ++ Sepultura with special guests Death Angel will play 170 Russell on Tuesday May 15. ++ Pain will be at Melbourne’s Max Watts on Friday May 25. ++ Jonathan Davis will release his solo album Black Labyrinth on Friday May 25. ++ Alien Weaponry’s debut album Tu will be released on Friday June 1. ++ The Pantera set and Soulfly set from Dynamo 1998 will be released on Friday June 22. ++ Satyricon’s Australian tour has been postponed and the band will now tear Max Watts to shreds on Thursday September 6. ++ The Ocean will release their new album Phanerozoic in two parts, the first part to be released in October, and the second part to be released next year. Phanerozoic will pick up off where Precambrian left off some ten years ago. ++ 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

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#fortescenepix

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B E A VS

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WORKERS

ELEPHANT CASTLE

PISTOL PETE

B E A VS

BEAVS

M U R P HYS

BEAVS

MURPHYS

ADAM EKERSLY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT

SAT 14TH APRIL

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WORKERS

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ROSE TATTOO

ADAM HARVEY & BECCY COLE

SAT 21ST APRIL

SAT 14TH APRIL

Photo Review: Download Melbourne 2018 Saturday March 24 Flemington Racecourse Photographed by Dave Chambers

NOFX

FALLING IN REVERSE

NECK DEEP

CLOWNS

PROPHETS OF RAGE

NORTHLANE

KORN

BAD COP BAD COP

MASTODON

FORTE 686

41

GUIDE THURS 5TH

EATING OUT MONDAY

ELEPHANT & CASTLE:

SAT 7TH

THURS 12TH

SAT 14TH

BARWON CLUB: THE JUNGLE

AIREYS PUB: KIERAN TOBIN

BEAVS BAR: ANDY FORSTER

GIANTS, ALICE IVY

AMPED: COUNTDOWN 80S

GPAC: CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW

ARARAT HOTEL: GOOD LOVELIES

KAROVA LOUNGE: SAVIOUR

BARWON CLUB: GLITTER GANG,

THE LOFT: AXE GIRL,

BEAVS BAR: ANDY FORSTER EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ

KAROVA LOUNGE:

THIRSTY MERC

KYNETON TOWN HALL: THE

UMBILICAL BROTHERS PISTOL PETES: PISTOL PETE’S JAM NIGHT SILVER CIRCUS

WHALERS HOTEL: PRESS CLUB FRI 6TH

A DISCO STOLE MY BABY

BEAVS BAR: DAVE ANDERSON

BY THE MEADOW EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ GROVEDALE HOTEL: BEN DEW HOME HOUSE: LUCILLE CROFT PISTOL PETES: SWEET FELICIA & THE TRADIES PIPING HOT CHICKEN

BEAVS BAR: JEFF JORDAN CULLULLERAINE

PISTOL PETE’S: SLATS &

PROJECT: HEY GRINGO

OPEN MIC NIGHT

LEURA PARK ESTATE:

POTATO SHED: CINDERELLA

EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ

SILVER CIRCUS

GATEWAY HOTEL: ADAM

BARWON CLUB: FREE ENTRY

BEAVS BAR: LUKE BISCAN

THE SPHINX: HOLLOW MAJORS

BLOOM: DISCO 2000

BLOOM: BOO SEEKA

CITY QUARTER: LIVE MUSIC

BY THE MEADOW CITY QUARTER BAR: LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND DJ EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJS GPAC: THE UMBILICAL BROTHERS GROVEDALE HOTEL:

MUSIC FESTIVAL

GROVEDALE HOTEL:

COURTHOUSE: THIS WAY NORTH

CRAIG SAYER PISTOL PETES: CATFISH GUMBO SILVER CIRCUS

GEELONG QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

MON 9TH

THE LOFT: CABLE TIES,

PISTOL PETE’S: ETHAN FARMER BAND

MURPHYS: GARETH

POTATO SHED: CINDERELLA

NOCTURNAL @ MELBOURNE MUSEUM HOME HOUSE: HOMEHOUSE FRIDAYS PARTY WITH DJS PISTOL PETES: JUMP DEVILS SILVER CIRCUS SPOTTED MALLARD: GOOD LOVELIES

NEIGHBOUR CAFE: INDUSTRY BEANS CUPPING SESSION

AIREY’S PUB: SALSA

BY LOS LOCOS

BAR 61 TORQUAY: Burger & Beer Happy Hour 5 - 7

DANCE PARTY FOLLOWED

CITY QUARTER: PERFECT SUNDAY SESH LIVE MUSIC

EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC

TRENT JANSZ

GEELONG QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

KAROVA LOUNGE: LETHAL

GROVEDALE HOTEL:

HOME HOUSE: HOMEHOUSE

PISTOL PETE’S: BLUE SUNDAY

DEAN COCKERELL SILVER CIRCUS

BEAVS BAR: OPEN MIC, KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN RHIANNON SIMPSON

f r i dAY A P r i l 27 sT q u e e r

7pm fi

8pm

lm

n T h e wo r si l

27-29

d

T

SUNDAY

APRIL

9.30pm

$13 Carvery lunch $15 Fish & Chips

TRIVIA

Trivia Thursday Night from 7:30pm

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Trivia Wednesday from 8pm GOLD DIGGERS ARMS: LORD OF THE ISLES: WORKERS CLUB:

SILVER CIRCUS

be

$20 Bud, Heineken 3 & Sparkling Buckets

GEELONG RSL:

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

WED 18TH

POTATO SHED: CINDERELLA

Burger & Beer Happy Hour 5-7

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

TUES 17TH PETERSON

JUSTIN YAP BAND

SATURDAY

BAR 61 TORQUAY:

IRISH MURPHY’S:

PISTOL PETE’S: SUZANNE

POTATO SHED: CINDERELLA

e

Steak Night

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday!

Double Desserts Buy 1, Get 1 Free

PISTOL PETE’S:

h

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

ROBERTSON BAND

th 15 annual

FRIDAY

MUSIC FESTIVAL

SILVER CIRCUS

PISTOL PETE’S: HEATH

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

THE SPORTING GLOBE: $14.90 burgers, &15.90 Jugs

CULLULLERAINE

PISTOL PETE’S:

GPAC: ROSS NOBLE

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

GPAC: CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW

MURPHYS: JEFF JORDAN

GPAC: CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW

$20 Steak Night

Happy hour 5 - 6

DANGEROUS CURVES

KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN

Happy hour 5-6

IRISH MURPHY’S:

Happy Hour 5 - 7

MOJO’S POOL LOUNGE BAR:

BEAVS BAR: OPEN MIC,

GOLD DIGGERS:

IRISH MURPHY’S:

FRIDAYS PARTY WITH DJS

WED 11TH

Parmi Night

GOLD DIGGERS:

SOUND DIVISION

SILVER CIRCUS

THURSDAY

GPAC: PUPPETRY OF

GROVEDALE HOTEL:

HEXEDBT & THE 2NDS

$14.90 MVP Parmas & $8.90 Pints + Jam Jars

AND DJ FROM 4PM

THE PENIS

SILVER CIRCUS TUES 10TH

HAYDEN BUTCHER

MUSIC AND DJ

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

PISTOL PETE’S: CREEK

BARWON CLUB: ABE ANDERSON

EDGE GEELONG: LIVE

$15 Burger Night

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $22 Seafood & Chips Night

SUN 15TH

CULLULLERAINE

$25 Express Lunch

IRISH MURPHY’S:

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

SPHINX: WOOSHKA

UNWIND FROM 5PM. LIVE WITH

Pot and Parmi Night $13

NITRO CIRCUS (WARRNAMBOOL) SILVER CIRCUS

CITY QUARTER BAR: FRIDAY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND DJ

AND DJ FROM 4PM

DEAN COCKERELL

LEACH, MICHAEL CROWE,

UMBILICAL BROTHERS

THE BRIDGE: AXE GIRL

BY THE MEADOW

GOLD DIGGERS:

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE: THE

BALLS, BLACKWAVE

DANGEROUS CURVES

$15 Parmi Night $15.90 Angus Rump or $19.90 Porterhouse

WEDNESDAY

GPAC: CIRCA’S PEEPSHOW

HOMEHOUSE: ZAC DEPETRO

KAHUNA, NEVER, THE

AMPED: STANDING ROOM ONLY

Steak Night $13 $15 Burger or Parmi

IRISH MURPHY’S:

GEELONG RSL:

MADZ GOT RICH

SILVER CIRCUS

THE BENDIGO HOTEL:

$23 Steak & Drink night

GOLD DIGGERS:

GEELONG QUEER FILM FESTIVAL GROVEDALE HOTEL:

SHOW FOR NEIL DIAMOND

BEAVS BAR: JEFF JORDAN

Pizza Night

ELEPHANT & CASTLE:

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

MCCLYMONT

LOWERCASE POETRY

BARWON CLUB: COSMIC

SUN 8TH

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

ECKERSLEY & BROOKE

WORKERS CLUB:

WITH RIVERSNAKE

JOHN BUTLER TRIO

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

THE SPORTING GLOBE: Half Price Wings, Ribs & Pints

GEELONG RSL:

MUSIC FESTIVAL

THE THUNDERDOGS

$10 Lunch Specials

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

TUESDAY

STACHE, PALEO DISCO

AMPED: BLACK FRIDAY

POTATO SHED: GLORIOUS!

BEER GARDEN FEAT. DJ FUZZY

BARWON CLUB: AXE GIRL,

ANTY!, HANNY J, VON

FRI 13TH

AIREY’S PUB: FIRST FRIDAYS AMPED: TONY VEE DEDICATION

AIREY’S PUB: PAT LOWRY

ANTY! AND HANNY J

$23 Steak & Drink night

GOLD DIGGERS:

sAT u r dAY A P r i l 2 8

drinks The feels

10.30am

A moment in The reeds

Sponsored by: VACOUNTRY

1.30pm

The Gospel According to Andre

bqff opening night after party

3.30pm

Hosted by FAB CV at The Bridge Hotel, upstairs function room from 9.30pm / $5 entry Drag show and DJ!

Australian shorts Sponsored by: Shaun Miller Lawyers

5.00pm

signature move Sponsored by: VAC

Trivia Wednesday Night Trivia Thursday Night in the Courtyard

Themed Trivia Wednesday Night

s u n dAY A P r i l 2 9 10am

Patron’s breakfast with Commissioner Ro Allen

12.30pm

bPm

3.15pm

The fabulous Allan Carr Sponsored by: Lisa Chesters MP

2018

For full program and tickets see www.bendigoqueerfilmfestival.com.au mAjor sPonsors

42

queer CounTrY

film fesTiVAl

April 20 – 29, 2017

April 27 - 29, 2017

Art Exhibition Open 10am to 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday Dudley House, 60 View Street, Bendigo

La Trobe Art Institute 121 View Street, Bendigo

This project is funded through the City of Greater Bendigo Community Grants Program

film sPonsors

FORTE 686

PMS 1807 RED PMS 432 GREY PMS 142 GOLD

BQFF proudly auspiced

by Women’s Health Loddon Mallee

Sexually explicit entertainment Waitress service Lounge seating Large outdoor smoking area

GEELONG’S ONLY LATE NIGHT BAR Featuring continuous sexually explicit entertainment

Stage & pole dancing shows all night Comfortable booths for private lap dances Controlled touching experience Couples & ladies welcome Bucks parties Credit card facilities Bar tab available On site ATM

SPHINX

THE SHOWROOM WED 23RD MAY

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

MEALS AT $12-$18

CHARLIE LANDSBOROUGH SAT 14TH APRIL

SPECIALS NIGHTS MONDAY & TUESDAY NIGHTS

THE CAZBAR SAT 7TH APRIL

PHARAOHS BISTRO

SAT 23RD JUNE

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

STEAK NIGHT From $18

THURSDAY NIGHT

SCHNITZEL NIGHT From $14

HOLLOW MAJORS

WOOSHKA

SAT 21ST APRIL

SAT 28TH APRIL

SUNDAY

INXSIVE

FRI 17TH AUGUST

3 COURSE CARVERY

Available for lunch and dinner for $20.00

LUNCH TIME SPECIAL From Monday to Friday

THE ROCKER

MR. MEANER

*SPECIALS NOT AVAILABLE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

BEE GEES REVIVAL PH: 5278 2911

SPHINXHOTEL.COM.AU FORTE 686

2 THOMPSON RD NORTH GEELONG 43