Forte #685 by Forte Mag

BALLARAT BELLARINE

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A R T S

C U LT U R E

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S Y N D I C AT E P R E S E N T S

THE LOUDMOUTH SOUP TOUR

THE NEW ALBUM ‘LOUDMOUTH SOUP’ OUT APRIL 6

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I came past a quote the other week PH: 03 5229 7969 2/105 Skene St, VIC 3220 enquiries@fortemag.com.au

which I have fallen in love with:

M U S I C

A R T S

C U LT U R E

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”

Publisher Furst Media Pty. Ltd.

This was written by Victor Kiam who was a past

10–11

The Know

Feature Story

15–19

The Loop

Local Feature News

22-29

Food

30-32

Creatives

33-35

Reviews

36/37/39/41

Columns

Scenepix

The Guide

owner of the New England Patriots as well as a very successful entrepreneur (i.e. one helluva

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Editor Talia Rinaldo

We have 10 complimentary, double in-season passes to THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY - a beautiful 1940s romantic drama based on the internationally best-selling novel by Mary Ann Shaffer.

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motivated human). While I simply came across it on Instagram (#letsdothis), it’s definitely a great

talia@fortemag.com.au

thought and the meaning is quite simple, yet extremely powerful. In short, no matter how many times you may fall, fail or make a mistake, make sure that you get up and keep moving. The moral is to not fall back-

T O EN TE R :

wards and no matter what, keep moving forward. What’s not to love about that? We all have events

For your chance to win, email your name and code word ‘POTATO PEEL’ to talia@fortemag.com.au

in our lives when we are striving for something important or something we want but sometimes it doesn’t work out and we do fall on our faces. I do

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General Manager Glenn Lynch

glenn@fortemag.com.au

Editorial Assistant Helena Metzke Art Director Nathan Mossop

all the time, but onwards and upwards. Moving on from this philosophical moment I’m

artwork@fortemag.com.au

having, this issue we’ve got Cosmic Psychos on

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

our cover; one of the defining bands of the yob rock genre who are celebrating their recently re-

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leased eleventh studio album, ‘Loudmouth Soup’

Tag us

with a massive Aussie tour. Known for their love of

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beer and somewhat vulgar lyrics, this will be one hell of a tour with stops in Geelong, Castlemaine,

Melbourne and Ballarat. Further in this issue, we

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chat to Melbourne powerhouse Press Club, Aussie

to be featured!

record producer What So Not, Swedish metal

@helenachelsea

vikings Amon Amarth, Gold Coast producer Paces along with a chat with American comedian Jim

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.

Gaffigan, we look at the new beginnings of Cocco Café and we get an inside scope of the 2018 Lorne Sculpture Biennale, plus as always, so much more!

Peace, good vibes and HAPPY EASTER.

Talia and the Forté team xx

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NOMINATE A YOUNG PERSON Do you know a young person who has been making a difference in our community? Nominations close 29 April 2018

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SHANNON NOLL IS TOURING AUSTRALIA IN 2018

IRISH ELECTRO SENSATION EDEN HEADS TO AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

The 2003 Australian Idol runner-up (*cough* robbed) has come a long way since his ex-farm boy lifestyle, going from his country roots to a musical career spanning 15+ years, five top 10 albums, certified tripleplatinum sales and a reputation as the only Australian male artist in national chart history to have achieved ten consecutive top ten singles. Now he is hitting the road in support of his new album Unbroken - his first in seven years which peaked at #7 on the ARIA Albums chart following its release last month. Catch the Aussie legend at Max Watt’s, Melbourne on Saturday May 12. Tickets via Oztix.

Dublin-based neo-electronic, newage pop act EDEN has announced the extension of his vertigo world tour to now play Australia and New Zealand this June following sold out dates across the U.S. Audiences can expect the debut of his album “vertigo” and his impressive back catalogue being performed for the first time. With his debut being heartfelt and intimate, it is slated to place the newcomer on the mainstream radar. Check him out at 170 Russell in Melbourne on Sunday June 24. Tickets via Live Nation.

JET REVEAL ‘GET BORN’ 2018 ANNIVERSARY TOUR

MALLRAT ANNOUNCES NEW EP AND JUNE NATIONAL HEADLINE TOUR

They’re one of the greatest Australian rock bands of all time, with over six and a half million records sold worldwide and multiple Gold singles across their career. Now these classic Aussie rockers are taking their well-loved album Get Born out on an anniversary tour, celebrating 15 years since its release. The tour also comes with the announcement of Get Born: Live at the Forum -- recorded live at the Forum Theatre in 2004 and never previously released as an album. Packed with flair and ferocity, Get Born: Live At The Forum is a must have for any good rock fan. Grab your copy and don’t miss the band on their upcoming headline run in May and June 2018! Forum Theatre, Melbourne – June 11. Tickets via Live Nation.

Mallrat

has

announced

her

highly-

anticipated new EP, In The Sky, as well as announcing she’ll be heading on the road for a national tour this June. In The Sky will be released June 1 via Dew Process and follows on from the release of her two already immensely popular singles from it, ‘Better’ and ‘UFO’ (feat. Allday). 2018 is shaping up to be the year of the Mallrat, after ‘Better’ landed her a debut spot in the triple j Hottest 100 (#46), and ‘UFO’ followed up to widespread international acclaim and huge streaming numbers. Forging a reputation as one of the most endearing live performers in the country, this upcoming national tour, supported by triple j, is only destined to cement that further. Catch her at Northcote Social Club on Saturday June 23. Tickets available

SPHINX

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

from lilmallrat.com.

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BLUESFEST ADDS A FINAL SEVEN ACTS TO ITS 2018 LINEUP

AN ALL-INCLUSIVE FESTIVAL IS HEADING TO MELBOURNE

We know we told you the previous announcement was the last, but Bluesfest are committed to going big. And this 2018 edition will be just that. With just over two weeks until the annual festival returns to Byron Bay, organisers have locked in seven more final artists including Citizen Cope, Clayton Doley’s Bayou Billabong, Hussy Hicks, Haley Grace & The Bay Collective, Little Georgia, Miss Renee Simone and Bali Blues Brother joining Bluesfest’s massive 2018 bill. Bluesfest will take place across five days this Easter long weekend, between March 29 and April 2.

Dylan

Alcott

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Untitled

Group & triple j present Ability Fest, an all-inclusive festival that will officially launch the Dylan Alcott Foundation (DAF) by encouraging everyone regardless of age, gender, disability or race - to come together in celebration of live music. Taking place at Melbourne’s Coburg Velodrome on April 7, the 18+ festival will be headlined by a back-to-back DJ set from Flight Facilities and Client Liaison, along with performances from Kingswood, Tkay Maidza, Jack River, Boo Seeka, Japanese Wallpaper and Ninajirachi, and will also a number of AUSLAN translators taking to the stage for all the mainstage acts.

THE ‘WILD NIGHTS TOUR’ WILL BE BRINGING BACK ALL THE ORIGINAL DJS, MUSIC AND MEMORIES

SOMETIME SONNY RELEASES INTOXICATING SLACKER-ROCK SINGLE ‘LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE’

The biggest Australian Club brand and Multi-Platinum selling CD series ‘WILD’ is back for 2018 and going on tour across Australia. Featuring five of the world’s biggest dance superstars live on stage including: CASCADA, DJ SASH!, DJ ALIGATOR, N-TRANCE & LOVE INC. performing all of their hits live on stage. Get taken on a nostalgic journey through the biggest dance anthems to hit the ‘Wild Radio’ air waves and played in clubs around Australia and around the world. Don’t pretend you’re not keen to get down to Cascada’s ‘Evacuate the Dancefloor’! It’s all happening at Trak Lounge, Melbourne on Friday June 22. For more info visit www. arenaent.com.au/wild-nights-tour/

Combining raw, honest lyricism with stunning alt-rock arrangements and soundscapes, multi-instrumentalist Sometime Sonny, moniker of Dave Campbell, is back tugging on heartstrings with his new melancholic anthem ‘Like Everybody Else’. The single is a fizzing dreamscape driven along by a generous coating of overdriven guitars, cascading melodies, and charming backing vocals, and makes comment on realising, unfortunately, you’re not always that special - especially as you journey further into adulthood. Check out the track on Soundcloud and Spotify.

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COSMIC PSYCHOS AUSTRALIA’S MOST LEGIT EXPORT SINCE CROCODILE DUNDEE ARE BACK WITH THEIR ELEVNTH STUDIO ALBUM WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN

“Hey Ross, how would you describe the new Cosmic Psychos album for any first time listeners?” “Nauseated, constipated, masturbated and overrated.” Well, I guess that’s the best way to describe the Cosmic Psychos, old school Australian larrikins that like to drink piss while taking the piss. Their newest effort ‘Loudmouth Soup,’ marks the band’s 11th studio album. “Apparently,” laughs the groups lead singer and bass player Ross Knight, “I’ve lost track myself.” With the album being recorded on Knight’s third generation farm, the three pieces of Cosmic Psychos enjoyed the time to catch up and drink some beers while writing songs as they always do, off the cuff. “I reckon every time we have gone in to do an album it’s been a lot more fun and we laugh a bit more,” says Knight. “I think mainly because the farm is comfortable for me. It also means my kids and wife are around for a lot of it, so we get to relax and drink beers and have nerf gun fights, basically anything to avoid doing any work,” he smiles. “I think it’s a good

atmosphere for us all; there are less distractions as well. When you record in town you will always end up nicking off down the street and then you bump into someone you know and then you end up in a pub and goodness knows what happens. But at the farm we can just have a chuckle and a few beers and do everything on our own time frame.” With the band members all now being ‘mature’ fathers, Knight spoke of how the band only catches up for recording and touring “We don’t see each other as often any more, so if we can all be stuck at the same house for a few days to write and record we just have an absolute blast. I don’t think there is a band in the world that has more fun and has a bigger laugh than we do. I feel I speak for experience there as well after seeing so many bands rise and fall.” And he’s not wrong, with the Psychos career spanning upwards of 30 years they have truly been around for it all and have partied the whole way through. But of all the acts they have toured with, who is the most fun to crack open a few cold ones with? “From the old days I’d say Mudhoney, they were brothers in arms and the same age as us. We had an absolute blast with those guys- actually

most of the bands that came out of the ‘pre-grunge’ explosion was all fun to hang out with, the whole lot of them, Mudhoney, Nirvana, all of them where really good people to dag about with. “None of us knew what we were doing so it was all just about having a good time,” Knight says. “In terms of latter day experiences because we are old and ‘so mature’ nowadays, we certainly had a lot of fun playing with the Dune Rats a few years ago as they reminded me of my cheeky little self from once upon a time.” But the truth is, Knight is selling himself a bit short there. Whilst there may be an age difference between the Psychos and the Dunies, the cheekiness from Knight’s youth hasn’t been lost over time, as shown with their last release ‘Cum the Raw Prawn’. “A few people may have thought that swearing wasn’t as cool at the time, a couple of comments were made before recording that album, I won’t say who it was, but it may be someone who may have lived down Western Way, and they said ‘oh maybe tone it down a little bit’ and I thought, fuck toning it down,” he laughs. “We are just three naughty old boys. If someone tells us to do something, we will

do the opposite. If we have a chance to be popular we make the decision to make us unpopular, that’s just because the three of us can sit down and have a chuckle over it.” In support of Loudmouth Soup, the Cosmic Psychos will be hitting the road on a 27 date Australian tour. “It might even be a few more, they keep chucking more dates on,” he adds. As part of the tour the guys will also be stopping off for a show at Geelong’s own Barwon Club next Friday, which really comes as no surprise considering the

amount of sell out shows they have previously played there. “We haven’t had any bad shows at the Barwon Club,” recollects Knight. “My worst and best experience of Geelong was playing a New Year’s Eve down there. Doddsy had just taken over The Barwon Club. It was ’86-87 pretty early on, and I think there was about nine people and four of them were my friends. But we had a great night as per usual; it was just like playing in a lounge room,” he smirks before continuing. “If you publish that there would all

of a sudden be 50 people that were there... which I know will make Doddsy pissed off because they obviously got in without paying…” When & Where: Barwon Club, Geelong – March 30 Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – April 1 Karova Lounge & Ballarat – April 24 Tickets via www. cosmicpsychos.com.au

IMAGE FROM WHITE CHICKS (2004) 12

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←← THE DROP Surfing and music are pretty good friends. You’ll always find them doing stuff together, and The Drop festival is one such example. The brandspanking new festival will follow the Australian leg of the World Surf League Championship Tour and features SAFIA, Dune Rats, San Cisco, Ruby Fields and Holy Holy. Torquay Common, Torquay – March 31. If we were in 2004, I would be inclined to say ‘drop it like it’s hot’.

CLAUDE HAY IS INSATIABLE If you can’t get no satisfaction, Claude Hay feels your pain. The songman’s new single is ‘Still Want More’, a nice little taste from his forthcoming album. He kicks off an extensive tour today, which will see him perform with a band for the first time in many years. Those that follow him with know he likes to build a new guitar for each new recording. Ocean Grove Hotel, Ocean Grove – March 25. Tex Miller supports.

AND JEN CLOHER MAKES FOUR Album number four is a self-titled one for Jen Cloher, widely regarded as a punk-rock figurehead in Melbourne’s DIY scene. Jen: “It’s a classic rock album, recorded live in one room with minimal overdubs… I’m not too good at going into descriptive language around my own music but I suppose it is intimate without ever feeling too precious.” Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – March 22 & Anglesea Memorial Hall, Anglesea – March 23.

BOW DOWN TO 74 KINGS All of the bands that have ‘king’ in their name, Surf Coast outfit 74 Kings have the highest number in their title. That probably means little, but they also have a passion for fat, fuzz grooves and hard-hitting riffs – and that certainly means a little something. The band’s story begins in mid-2016 and a desire to capture the hard rock of the ’90s. And hey, they are launching their debut EP at Geelong’s Workers Club tomorrow night, March 23.

NAN’S BIRTHDAY

↑↑ AXE GIRL REACH PANIC STATIONS It wasn’t enough for Axe Girl to set out to become a pop-punk 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 sought 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.

Bendigo’s Star Bar welcomes Nan’s Birthday number six on March 29. Melbourne beat-maker Alice Ivy is going to be there. The alter-ego of Annika Schmarsel, Alice is touring her debut album I’m Dreaming. Who else do you have? Angie McMahon, who must be feeling pretty good after landing the #33 spot on triple j’s Hottest 100 for ‘Slow Mover’. KLLO, Jack and the Kids and JVMANJI will also be in attendance.

GIGS AT PISTOL PETES Geelong’s Pistol Pete’s will close out March with some ripper shows. Tomorrow, March 23, welcomes Devil’s Brew. Saturday it’s Greg Dodd & the Hoodoo Men, while Sunday welcomes the Sweethearts. Georgia Rodgers performs on March 27, Jessi-May Parker on March 28 and the Pugsley Buzzard Trio on March 29. The venue will rest up on Good Friday before the Jules Boult Trio brings the month to an end on March 31.

DRESS UP FOR JESUS They’re probably going to hell, and they’ll be taking you with them. The rambunctious Touch Me I’m Sick crew will host Dress Up for Jesus at Geelong’s Barwon Club on March 31. Yacht Club DJs, Finn Whitla, Mutant Dance DJs, A Disco Stole My Baby, Pinky and PCPs will be among those doing dirty deeds dirt cheap. There may even be a special guest appearance from you know who.

EASTER BLUES BENDER 2017 The Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival team has something sweet to whet your appetite for November’s main event. The Bendigo Blues Bender takes place from March 30 to April 1 and features Catfish Voodoo, Nardia Rose Band, Bill Barber, Taylor Sheridan, Erica Hawkey Band, Highway 79, Midweek Blues, Steph Bitter, Sherri Parry, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood, Harlem Band, Funk Junkies and many more.

GROVE IS IN THE HEART CANCELLED Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances Grove is in the Heart has been cancelled. The festival was set for Easter Saturday to feature The Church, Adalita, Sand Pebbles, Freya Josephine Hollick, Machine Translations, Closet Straights, Hollie Joyce and The Senegambian Jazz Band. Ticket holders will be refunded through trybooking.com

YOU TELL ’EM CABLE TIES

↑↑ THE WILSON PICKERS GO LIVE When The Wilson Pickers hit Pozible to spread the word about plans to make their first live album, their fans responded. The recording is of their second of two shows at the Byron Bay Blues Festival and features a collection of old favourites and new tracks, albeit with a slightly different delivery. The band will launch The Wilson Pickers LIVE at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on April 20.

Are you ready for something new from Melbourne three-piece Cable Ties? I mean, are you really ready? We’re talking about a two-track 7” here. ‘Tell Them Where to Go’ / ‘Choking to Choose’ is available for you now, and they’re taking it on the road. The first half, Tell Them Where to Go, was written while the band was volunteering and performing at the Girls Rock! camp. The Loft, Warrnambool – April 6.

I SAW THE LIGHT Easter Sunday is a day of different things for different people. For Geelong’s Barwon Club, it’s about the music with a humdinger lined up on April 1 called I Saw the Light. Deer Tick is going to be there, all the way from Rhode Island. Fellow USofA acts include The Smoking Flowers and Justin and the Cosmics. Local artists include Cash Savage & the Last Drinks, Freya Josephine Hollick, Localles and Nathan Seeckts Band.

360 ALLSTARS AT THE ULUMBARRA THEATRE (FEATURE) HIGHLIGHT IN A BOX!!

What do you get when you combine a two time world champion BMX flatlander, two world champion break dancers, a basketball freestyler, a Roue Cyr artist, a virtuoso percussionist and a live looping beatbox master all together in one awesome show? You get an incredible Urban Circus performed by 360 ALLSTARS. A phenomenal physical performance exploring all forms of rotation, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a radical urban circus. Boasting a stellar international cast, 360 ALLSTARS is a spectacular fusion of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture. Add to this a stunning live soundtrack performed by award winning master musician Gene Peterson and chart topping vocal loop artist Sam Perry, coupled with spectacular AV projections, 360 ALLSTARS is as aurally exciting as it is visually astounding. A magnificent, colourful & astonishing expression of a generation that has reinvented public performance, 360 ALLSTARS is a revolutionary production that will leave you dizzy with excitement! The show will run from Friday March 30 – Sunday April 1. 16

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STAMP OUT AND ABOUT WHO RUNS THE WORLD? … WELL BEYONCÉ, DUH!

GRETTA ZILLER GOES BOOM At the time of writing, three of Gretta Ziller’s tracks from her debut album Queen

Boomtown

were

STAMPSY IS THE MUSIC DIRECTOR AND DRIVE ANNOUNCER AT K ROCK IN GEELONG

sit-

ting pretty as semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition,

In ‘95 Hilary Clinton addressed the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. ‘If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard.’

plus a track co-written with Andrew Swift. However it pans out, that’s a stellar effort. Gretta: “I wanted my album to reflect the soundtrack of my childhood, yet sonically and lyrically sound like who I am now.” The Taproom, Castlemaine – April 20.

HIGHVIEW KEEP IT SIMPLE

On March 8, the 98th #IWD celebrated women’s achievements throughout history and across the world. 98 years on, and we are STILL having the conversation. We want equal pay. Equal standing in business and government. Rights over our bodies and what we do with them. The right to say NO. We have made progress, but there’s a long way to go.

From our nation’s capital comes power-rock quintet HighView. With EP Aftermind on its way, the band is warming up with new single ‘Simple Life’. Frontman Matt Faulkner: “Simple Life is about conflict, confrontation and control. It’s about trying to maintain perspective in heated moments and trying not to let yourself become absorbed in negative situations.” Workers Club, Geelong – April 20 & Music Man, Bendigo – April 28.

Women have come before Hilary with inspiring, thought-provoking words and they will continue to speak with passion and conviction. Leaders in science, philanthropy, education and the arts are speaking up and speaking out. And now with a global audience at our fingers tips, we have the online world driving us to be better and to do more.

A NIGHT WITH LITTLE GEORGIA

This year’s campaign asked us to #PressForProgress. So that is what I’m doing right now; using the voice I have in the press, for progress locally. I’m a woman who gets to speak her mind everyday and for those who don’t have the platform or the support to do so. It is an honour and an opportunity I take seriously. I don’t take it for granted. But I still ask myself “What more can I do?”.

It’s a short and sweet tour for Little Georgia as they hit the road for their ‘Four Nights’ tour. Warrnambool is one of the lucky four, with the band hitting The Loft on April 21. For those unfamiliar, Little Georgia is a folk-grunge duo comprised of Ashleigh Mannix and Justin Carter. They released their debut album, Bootleg, in 2016. Indie-pop meets folk singersongwriter Nancie Schipper will provide some tunes as well.

THE DROP BEARS PERFORMANCE AT AIREY’S INLET MUSIC FESTIVAL WRITTEN BY DEAN LLOYD

When someone like USA Punk Legends Unwritten Law, who have toured Australia many times over the last twenty years, label a band as one of the best Australian bands they’ve ever seen, and back it up by making that band their main support on their 2018 Australian tour, you can bet your hard earned that this particular band will be a sight and sound to behold. And so my ticket to Airey’s Inlet Festival to see Melbourne Punks, The Drop Bears was booked. Getting to the festival a little early I managed to speak to a few people there, one of which had seen The Drop Bears the year before when they played on one of the smaller stages. He told me that they had torn the place to shreds the year before, even getting a bigger reaction than superstar Tash Sultana, who headlined in 2017. Off the strength of that performance, The Drop Bears were invited back as 2018 Friday night Festival headliners, and were all set to make the most of what would be their first festival headline since forming in 2014. From the locals that had seen them the year before, and people who had travelled there especially for them, there was an air of expectation as the stage lights dimmed for the intro tape to The Drop Bears. Subtle sounds of the Aussie Bush permeated through the front-of-house speakers as the faint glow of a drop bear appeared on the bands guitar amps. The intro tape suddenly gave more menacing presence as the sound of a Drop Bear’s growl (yes they exist) and the subsequent scream of its prey permeated through a warbled and

status. Invite them to coffee and list all the remarkable ways they are a positive influence on your life. *Where and when you can, seek out and frequent businesses owned and operated by women, especially small ones who are fulfilling their passions. Follow up the service with a recommendation and a review so other friends and connections can also shop local. *Now’s the time to pay it forward. Donate food items towards a food bank, donate clothes towards a charity who raises funds or dresses women less fortunate in our community. This can open a muchneeded door for someone else and give them the helping start and confidence they need. * Behind every great woman is a whole bunch of other great women who have her back so if you haven’t already, build a tribe… NOW! Jayde (my HeyJayde PR queen), Talia (Forte Magazine editor extraordinaire), Samantha (leader and visionary behind Geelong Woman In Business), Laura (my wellness warrior), Bec (the brains behind Luxe on Chester), Jessica (Geelong Creatives and passionate local), Amanda and Caitlin (my business building inspos) - thank you for leading the way in uniting women and inspiring me to be better every day. Most importantly, it all starts by being kind to yourself. You are your greatest asset and contribution to the world. Be strong, be confident and believe in yourself.

How can we make a real difference right now? How about we start with this… *Show kindness to the women in your inner circle. Pay a compliment on a friend’s Facebook

Unless you can be Beyoncé… then be Beyoncé (She’s changed her name but she’s still the same Stampsy… check out lee_stamps on Instagram)

distorted version of Teddy Bears’ Picnic. Suddenly the stage exploded with four members of the band smashing the double kick and building up with a sound that made the whole venue shake, they built to a crescendo, and out came their lead singer and frontman, exclaiming ‘Hello Airey’s! Let’s get this party starteeeed!’, the punters who had by now moved forward and were pushed up against the stage, responded with roars, the rhythm kicked in and the whole place erupted. Right from the start you could see that this band, knew better than most, how to work a large crowd. The band looked spectacular in all black with shirts and checkered ties, skinny leg chinos and chucks, and for the first few minutes with the energy that they gave off I didn’t know where to look. The first three songs reminded me of a cross between early Australian ‘60s rock and modern English punk, but somehow nothing like it at the same time, this was a band, that somehow, just when you think that everything had been done, had a very distinct sound of their own and it worked, the girls in the audience could dance, the boys could rock, and somehow I don’t think that this was by accident. The first song, from their latest EP, titled NPD was as good as any song on radio. The next two songs, showed us that these boys can not only rock, but also that somehow, they’ve managed to weave in three and four part harmonies to fast paced punk songs, and the formula was well rehearsed. Then, just when I thought they were going to just continue to sprint to the finish, lead singer Pete addressed the audience and told the story of friend and founding member of the band Johnny Healy, who had tragically passed away in November of a brain tumour. Pointing at the sky, he asked people to leave a legacy of kindness and beauty as Johnny had done, reminding them that what they were witnessing was a bit of Johnny, and dedicated their next song ‘Never Held On To Anything’ to their fallen friend and bass player. The song finished with Pete pointing to the sky and the crowd doing it with him. And an enormous cheer.

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The boys then returned to their trademark energy, with their song ‘Yeah Nah’ a crowd favourite, and very cleverly written to involve the Audience, and the audience responded with aplomb. Lead guitarist Mark, is one of the most competent shredders you’ll ever see. His licks alone were worth the journey. They boys finished with their first three singles, from their newly released EP and, acknowledging the fact that some people there were uninitiated, pleased them by ending with a cover of ‘More than you Are’ from Grinspoon. The Drop Bears deliver high energy groove based chord riffs and rhythms, that definitely have you stomping your feet, rocking or dancing, the choice is yours, with shredding melodic guitar, something very rare in punk. The lyrics, vocal melodies and harmonies are so infectious

that you usually find yourself singing along somewhere in the first chorus of any song, and their stage presence, production and Audience involvement were amazing and comes from the obvious experience of the band having toured with the likes of Everclear and Unwritten Law. After the show, I got to meet the band, and they tell me that they have recently been contacted by some big name festivals and promoters, so go see them in the smaller venues whilst you get the chance. It’s so great to see an Australian Rock band being so proud to be an Australian rock band and doing it so well and with their very own unique sound and style, something I hope they can take to the world. Check them out soon wherever and whenever you get the chance, you will not be disappointed.

DANIEL CHAMPAGNE GOES FORTH

Great holiday fun when Theatre 3222 present the classic tale of Cinderella! We’ve got eight shows from Tuesday the 10th to Friday the 13th at 10.30am and 1.30pm – great costumes, colour music and audience participation all at a very affordable cost! Morning Showtime continues with local musician Adam Parsons and Historian Colin Mockett play tribute to The Beatles with a special show on Tuesday the 17th at 10.30am, with a great morning tea from Drysdale Bakers Delight. Art and the Environment feature in a very special event in April, Bio Diversity in Your Backyard, featuring a range of arts and arts practice in an environmental situation. This is a free event but tickets are limited so get in fast – that’s 7pm on Thursday April 19th. We are happy to welcome back the feisty, feminist, fierce - multi-award winning internationally acclaimed cabaret femme fatale Anya Anastasia. Her new show ‘Rogue Romantic’ made its European premiere late last year and now visits us here in Drysdale on Friday April 20th. Channelling Yma Sumac and Shirley Bassey, Anya’s vocals range from We welcome back HIT productions with husky cabaret to operatic soprano, to the delight of cabaret, live music and theatre lovers. ‘Rogue Glorious. Staring Dianne McLean, Glorious! tells the hilarious true story of the world’s worst Romantic’ follows hot on the heels of her smash hit opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins. This heart- critically acclaimed 2017 Edinburgh Fringe hit of warming comedy moves from Florence’s charity ‘Torte e Mort: Songs of Cake and Death’ which sold recitals and lavish balls, through to her very odd out at the Potato Shed last year. recording sessions and her ultimate performance triumph at New York’s Carnegie Hall Two shows More information call 5251 1998 or visit only – on April 7th at 2:00pm and 8:00pm. geelongaustralia.com.au/potatoshed.

Singer-songwriter Daniel Champagne had a guitar in his hands as a five year old. By 12, he was writing songs. At 18, he became a road warrior and spent the new few years touring the US, UK, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. They liked him, he liked them, and so these places have become familiar stomping ground. Another tour is upon us, so get ready for some acoustic goodness. Martians Cafe, Deans Marsh – May 27.

AUGIE MARCH SHAKE THEIR BOOTIKINS

A busy month ahead at the Potato Shed in April

It has been a while, but the glowing faces of Augie March will be on display once more as the band takes to the road in support of new album, Bootikins. From the band: “The moments are ours and we will cherish them, it only suffices to say he got us feeling like, and playing like a real band again after a long interim, and we made some very good music together.” Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – May 4 & Workers Club, Geelong – May 5

BY THE MEADOW ADDS TO 2018 LINEUP

THE ANGELIC MIRUSIA

Set to take place on April 6-8, it returns to the lush farmland hamlet of Bambra (Victoria’s enchanting Otway Surf Coast region), By The Meadow has expanded its lineup. Joining an all-ready star studded bill, Melbourne’s own perfectly quirky pop stars, Totally Mild, return, along with local minimalist post-rock group Sleep Decade, genre evading prodigies Tram Cops, DJs Big Rig and Danny Hotep to round out the weekend of musical talent. Get your shit together soon if you’re keen to go. For more information go to www.bythemeadow.com.

ECHOES OF CALLUM WATSON Callum Watson has been playing piano for around 15 years, during which time he has composed music for several theatrical productions and participated in the exclusive New York Jazz Symposium. New CD Echoes of Earth is a collaborative effort with flautist Jessica Zuk and clarinet player Joel Hands-Otte. Black Hatt, Geelong – April 8; Martians Cafe, Deans Marsh – May 6; and Barwon Heads Anglican Church, Barwon Heads – May 13.

CORIN RAYMOND & SCOTT COOK A couple of Canadian singer-songwriters hitch a ride to Australia... No joke here, but the good news that Corin Raymond (Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams) and Scott Cook (Further down the Line) have a date with Ararat Live on April 18. Cook will no doubt give Raymond a few pointers as this with be his ninth Aussie visit. This is Corin’s first, so be sure to welcome him with that wellknown Australian charm.

NO RULES FRANKENBOK In July 2017, Frankenbok released Vicious, Lawless. It was

Brisbane-born Mirusia Louwerse, who performs as Mirusia, graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium in 2006, obtaining a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice. That same year, she became the youngest winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award. Since 2007, she has been touring with André Rieu as his star soprano. From the Heart is her new album. The Capital, Bendigo – May 4.

CONGRATULATIONS, DANIEL AARON

BENDIGO QUEER FILM FESTIVAL The Bendigo Queer Film Festival will take place from April 27-29, while Queer Country will take place from April 20-29. The film festival was founded in 2004 by Chris Walters in collaboration with the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. The program has been announced. Films to screen include The Feels, A Moment in the Reeds and The Gospel According to Andre. Full information is available through bendigoqueerfilmfestival. com.au.

MICK THOMAS AND THE ROVING COMMISSION The response to last year’s tour was so loud that Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission just had to hit the road again. They are also hitting the studio in June, so you just may get to hear what they have been cooking. From the band: “We’ve got a band that wants to play, and a bunch of songs that need to be played.” Saints & Sailors, Portarlington – April 27 & 28; The Bridge, Castlemaine – May 4; and The Cabaret Club, Ballarat – May 5.

an album four years in the making from a band who have

TOP TAPPIN’ RHYTHM X REVIVAL

been serving up the heavy stuff since 1997. The good news

John-Luke Shelley would be a familiar name to many in

for the band is that the album was wonderfully received.

Geelong. He has supported the likes of Chris Wilson, James

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as their original bassist soon

Reyne, Geoff Achison and Daryl Braithwaite and performed

departed from the fold, but with a new bass player in the mix

at a bunch of local festivals. Rhythm X Revival is his new

they continue to go strong. Music Man, Bendigo – April 20.

LIVE MUSIC AT DAYLESFORD CIDER

beast, a pumped-up country blues band he shares with Johnny Tesoriero, Chris Win and Jeremy Neumann. Workers

Big and warm congratulations to Bendigo’s one-man, loop pedal machine Daniel Aaron, who has won a spot at the Bendigo leg of Groovin the Moo. Describing himself as a “colourful contrast of country boy and city beats”, Daniel joins Duke Dumont, Lady Leshurr, Portugal. The Man, Royal Blood, Public Broadcasting Service, Aminé, Alex Lahey, Paul Kelly, Mallrat, The Amity Affliction and many more.

It’s hard to deny how beautiful the setting is at Daylesford Cider and how well suited it is for functions, events and live music. Coming up, they’ve got Embers Band on Saturday March 31 and Brent Shirley on Sunday April 8 – both gigs worth checking out. Hauntingly beautiful, the emotion in the Embers Band music pours from the very core of their souls. Singing as one, the harmonies of Chris and Em drift in and drift out bringing their spine tingling melodies back to light; combined with Pete’s chilling Gretsch tones and striking riffs, Embers, will take you to another place. Brent Shirley on the other hand has been entertaining audiences for over a decade with his soulful voice and effortless combination of folk, rock and country genres. His extensive stage experience and lively performances have seen him open for the likes of You Am I, Mia Dyson and Bob Evans. What’s not to love?!

BLACK HATT GOOD FRIDAY FUNDRAISER When Good Friday rolls around on March 30, the Black Hatt’s annual Good Friday Hot Rod Show is one to get to. Live music will take place all day from 1p.m. through to 11p.m, including performances from Public Nuisance, Aya Aya, Om & The Pea, Rusty Red, among others, while their hot rod and bike show will provide an opportunity for a little harmless daydreaming. There’s also raffle prizes to be won. All proceeds are going towards The Royal Children’s Hospital.

↑↑ HARDCORE SUPERSTAR ROCK IT It has been ten years since Sweden’s thrash metal meets sleaze rockers (or ‘street metal’, as self-coined by the band) Hardcore Superstar toured Australia. But it is happening. It is really happening. The band is coming back to town in all their sleazy glory where they will perform all their favourites including ‘Wild Boys’, ‘Beg for It’, ‘Above the Law’ and ‘We Don’t Celebrate Sundays’. Prince Bandroom – June 15.

Club, Geelong – April 28 & The Loft, Warrnambool – May 4.

Seeking Position with Band

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

Band looking for Keys

Male looking for players to form a band

Drummer Wanted

Great keyboard player wanted

On the lookout for more projects, styles

Ocean Grove based originals band

Looking for a drummer to play

Keyboard player with ability to improvise,

such as indie rock/alternative rock or

Zeffa is looking for a keyboard player.

Rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, drums

blues rock. Gigs are waiting

playing original Prog rock, Jazz Fusion,

metalcore anything hard and indie folk.

We’re not after a virtuoso, rather

and bass required. Blues and blues/

Contact Josh 0430 971 319

Hit me up I play guitar and drums. I

someone who has a good feel for and

rock genre with a bit of grunge.

want to play electric guitar in an indie

liking of our music. We are looking

Influences include The Black Crowes,

nationally (Canada,UK) Must be GOOD,

band or drums in metal, rock or indie

for a team player who can commit to

Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Stone

experienced, any age ok, auditions will

rock. If anything you see catches your

regular rehearsals and gigs. Vocal ability

Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Pearl

begin in January for Band performances

eye text me or call Joel on 0414628813.

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

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

BALL ARAT BLOG

WHO WILL BE YOUR SAVIOUR? Post-hardcore outfit Saviour recently completed a handful of dates with In Hearts Wake which only served to motivate the band to keep on playing. The band’s latest release is ‘Empty Skies’, which scored Depth Magazine’s ‘Track of the Day’ late last year. The Karova, Ballarat – April 12. They will be joined at the show by the twin Melbourne attack of Earth Caller and Aburden.

WRITTEN BY GLEN ANDERSON

Rock The Block will be on from 3-7pm on March 25 at Fed Uni. Led by young people, the Culture Fest will feature four hours of stage performances including headline acts Indigenous Hip Hop Projects and Bortier Okoe. Local artists Rhiannon Simpson, Butterfunked and EMBE have also managed to get a guernsey at this unique event. Food trucks, market stalls, creative workshops will be there as well as a rock climbing wall and giant zumo arena will be part of this ‘first of its kind’ event at Federation University Australia’s SMB Campus. Don’t miss out on the Ballarat Busking Championships to be held in the CBD on March 24. Last year’s event was a real success, so if you fancy yourself as a talent, get on down and get your entry in. Down at Karova Lounge, Thundamentals play back to back gigs over the weekend of Saturday 24/25 March. The Saturday gig is a sell-out, but tickets are still available for the Sunday show. $33 is the entry fee. Saviour will bring their melodic hardcore metal sound to town on Thursday 12 April. Support acts will be Aburden and Earth Caller. It is only $9 to get

AMYL & THE SNIFFERS ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR Amyl & The Sniffers have unleashed their brand new single ‘Cup of Glory’, heralding their forthcoming debut album. The single is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Amyl & The Sniffers, clocking in at two minutes of tangled pub rock. Capping off the news, they’ve announced a signing with Flightless Records with a national tour to celebrate. Founded in their sharehouse in early 2016, Amyl & The Sniffers have gone from strength to

in, so a real bargain to bang your noggin’ along to some hardcore tunes. The Cosmic Psychos are pencilled in to play at Karova Lounge on Tuesday 24 April. Bit of a bummer that it is so early in the week and on a school night, but nice that the lads have decided to stop off in Ballarat as they cover the country on their Loudmouth Soup Tour. The band have been around since the early 80’s and their punk rock sound has stood the test of time and they still have something to offer. ‘Don’t Come the Raw Prawn’ is a classic song. High quality rockers who could teach some of us how to really rock out. Well worth getting along to this one. The Munster Arms is having music on the odd night and they also have a really interesting and tasty menu on the go at the moment. Some really tasty beers on tap also and it’s one of the more central pubs in Ballarat. Keep an eye out for The Pyrenees Unearthed Wine and Food Festival which will be on 21 April. Showcasing award-winning wines, food and music, the event will be held between 11am and 5pm at Avoca Riverflats, Dundas Street, Ballarat. Tickets are only $21.

Adios amigos!

strength ever since - garnering raised boots at Meredith and widespread acclaim for their EPs Giddy Up and Big Attraction. Catch them on Friday April 13 at the The Eastern, Ballarat.

THE MAVIS’S RETURN Ballarat creatures The Mavis’s have announced a 20-year anniversary tour of Pink Pills, and of course there is a stop-off at local venue The Karova on May 12. Released in 1998, Pink Pills, their second album, received an ARIA nomination for ‘Best Pop Release’ and spawned well-known tracks ‘Cry’ and ‘Naughty Boy’. Original members Matt Doll, Beki Thomas and Nik Daniel will tour together for the first time in 15 years.

introduced in this year’s drive, appealing to all those involved in making Victorian music successful. The success from 2017s drive, in which 1500 members signed up, welcomed numerous achievements for Music Victoria including publishing the Victorian Live Music 10 Point Plan, the running of 26 professional development workshop for 1,000 attendees, $240,100 in grants to 23 venues as part of the Good Music Neighbours and Acoustic Assessment programs, 37 managers, agents and media taken through regional Victoria on Victorian Music Crawl, plus many more. Signing up for a membership in 2018 means all fees assist Music Victoria in continuing their vital work for Victorian musicians.

NEW MEMBER BENEFITS

Music Victoria have an important announcement to make!

for contemporary music in the community, Music Victoria’s independent voice signifies their vehement passion for ensuring Victorian music remains at the forefront of the highly competitive industry that dominates the nation. Working around the clock on behalf of musicians, venues, businesses, industry professionals and fans, Music Victoria thrives on the development and securement of creative careers for Victorian musicians worthy of a helping hand.

THE 2018 ‘LIVE and Breathe’ Membership Drive (19-29 MARCH) includes new member benefits, prizes and a whole heap more

This year’s membership focus is as meaningful as it is powerful, stemming from the current issue of mental health that prevails within the complexities of the music industry. According to The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), one in five Australians experience a mental health condition in a given year and almost one in 2 will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime.

WRITTEN BY HANNAH KENNY

With new incentives included in their 2018 membership drive, Music Victoria are urging personnel of the music scene to sign up and receive the longlist of practical benefits the organisation has to offer. Contemporary Music Victoria Inc. (Music Victoria) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that represents contemporary music within the state. Existing as strong advocates

Such purposeful emphasis has inspired collaborations with The School of Life, Melbourne Meditation Centre, The Mind Room and Genesis Fitness, offering discounts on workshops, as well as a discounted Gold Membership at Genesis Gyms across Victoria. All who sign up during the annual membership drive, which is running between March 19-29, will automatically be entered in the running to win one of over $8,500 worth of prizes. Prizes in categories for Small Business Members, Band Members, Regional and Outer Suburban Members, Venue Partners and Individual Members have also been

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MEEUM - 20% discount on workshops (coding, computer programming, etc) The School of Life – concession rates on self-care workshops. Melbourne Meditation Centre – concession rates on courses or workshops. Rhea Caldwell Photography – 10% discount on photo shoots Blues Train, Queenscliff – 10% discount on tickets Sam Orchard – 10% discount on music videos The Alamo, Brighton East: 10% discount on studio hire Nuraphone: 20% off the full price of Nuraphone headphones (1 use per person) Genesis Fitness: Discounted Gold Membership at Genesis Gyms Victoria Factory Sound: Discounts on selected stock + testing & tagging The Bridge Hotel Castlemaine: 10% off meals The Mind Room – 20% off all workshops El Perro Productions – 10% off Producer services For more information, visit musicvictoria.com.au.

OFF YA TREE HAS OPENED IN GEELONG Now you can get an impromptu piercing in your lunch break

IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO SHAKE THINGS UP WHEN IT COMES TO HOW YOU P R E S E N T YO U R P E R S O N A L I T Y VISUALLY TO THE WORLD. While some do this by investing in new outfits, getting a new hairstyle, or experimenting with make-up, others might look for something a little more permanent. Enter, piercings. If you’re obsessed with ear piercings, or any piercings for that matter, we don’t blame you. For something so small, they can make a big impact and are an easy way to reveal your personal style. Long gone are the days of people only having two standard ear piercings. These days, people can have upwards of five in one ear.

to begin rocking some cool on-trend earrings or nose hoops through their offshoot in-house studio Punktured Body Piercing. Located in store, you’ll find a hospital-grade piercing room where you can indulge in pretty much all types of piercings from a highly trained and experienced piercer - in a totally profesh and hygienic matter, i.e. no piercing guns which are prone to creating infection. And when we say all types of piercings, we mean it.

If you’re contemplating more— like we always are— or maybe you’re just finally ready to brave your first, then look no further because your favourite body mod salon has arrived in Geelong with the new store, Off Ya Tree.

With standard facial piercings at an easy $15, you can pierce your eyebrow, bridge, nose, septum, tongue, lip and cheeks, as well as tongue frennulum, spider bite and beauty spot. If you’re wanting to stick to the ears, they can do anything from your tragus, rook, lobe, auricle, to your pinna and helix (we suggest you look these up before you head in), while body piercings include navel and nipple piercings (both men and women).

A brand and store who pride themselves on being one of the forerunners in the alternative lifestyle and body modification industry, you can now simply head to Ryrie Street in Geelong

However, if you’re feeling game and ready to up the ante, they can also offer more advanced piercings such as Industrial, Dermal and Surface Piercings ($20) to even a range of genital

piercings ($50) which could include the Labia, Clithood, Clitoral, scrotal, among others. You’ll definitely want to look those ones up ahead of walking in. With an endless list of body modification options, you’re sure to find a piercing that look playful, sexy and cool – dependent on your own personal preferences of course. Just chat to your Punktured professional piercer if you’re after something in particular and they’ll do their very best to accommodate. So that’s all good and well, but I hear you asking ‘but how do we get our piercings?!’ Off Ya Tree make it simple by having a trained piercer in store, all you need to do is call ahead to make sure the piercer is in store on the day and then just walk on in.

certain stores or nationwide. Keep your eye on their socials for these announcements. What’s even better is that Off Ya Tree really is a one-stop-shop for those living an edgy lifestyle. Alongside access to a piercing studio, you’ll find a collection of rad tees, hoodies, jackets, dresses, swimwear as well as bags, jewellery, homewares, hair colour and beauty products in store. Piercings are cool yes, but you can further accentuate your look with all these goodies! If you’re also partial to a smoke, their site will redirect you to a host of cute, novelty and practical smoking paraphernalia, which will surely keep you set for life (or maybe just the weekend). With access to three of the 30+ stores, Off Ya Tree ensures that those in Forté land are at the forefront of living on the fringe.

Consent wise, you need to be 16 and over for standard piercings while any genital piercings require you to be 18 and over. If you’re under the age of 16, you will need parental consent ahead of your piercing.

The new store is located at 89A Ryrie Street, Geelong. Pop in and say hey to the team and welcome Off Ya Tree to Geelong!

And that’s not all! Because Off Ya Tree are absolute legends, they occasionally run a $5 piercing sale, which can be either specific to

Off Ya Tree is also located at 77 Bridge St Mall in Ballarat and 13 Mitchell St, Bendigo. You can also check out the website at offyatree.com.au.

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Press Club An album of blood, sweat and tears WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

If you don’t know Press Club, now is the time to start paying attention. They are frenetic, they are raw and ultimately, they are the musical embodiment of the attitude of a generation experiencing impermanence in every way – you just have to listen to one of their tracks to know. Following a busy year nabbing support spots with the likes of Ceres, Ali Barter, Polish Club, Alex Lahey, WAAX, City Calm Down, Japandroids, Joyce Manor, Tired Lion and playing a bunch of festivals, including

Bigsound, Falls Marion Bay, NYE On The Hill, Fairgrounds and Festival continues. “We’ve always had the energy though. For me, performing of the Sun, Melbourne’s Press Club have launched into 2018 with a sold on stage is just a very natural thing, I just like to fucking go hard. Why out headline show and the release of their long-awaited debut album. be there if you’re not going to be there with everything?” Now with the 11-track album out in the world, Press Club are From conception in a garage in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, nowhere near slowing down just yet, with an epic 30 plus date run the album, Late Teens was recorded over six weeks when bassist Iain MacRae’s Brunswick East house was converted into a temporary song- around Australia supporting The Smith Street Band for the next seven weeks. writing sweatshop where the band wrote 40 songs that were distilled “When they [The Smith Street Band] got in touch with this, we were into the dozen that make up the track list on Late Teens. like ‘Holy Shit, can we take seven weeks off of everything?” she laughs, Relying upon the experiences of their friends and people they know as subject matter, Late Teens thematically approaches displacement, admitting to being both excited and nervous for the band’s first bout of relationships, internal turmoil, gentrification and inequality. Now the extensive touring. “This is a really new thing for us. I’m a bit anxious, I album is finally released, more than a year since being recorded. don’t think I’m going to lose my voice but I don’t want to get sick. If I Understandably, vocalist and absolute powerhouse Natalie Foster get sick I will lose my voice!” couldn’t be more excited to finally have the album out to the world, Armed with a collection of energetic rock and emotional hooks, Press explaining the reasoning behind the waiting game. Club’s debut album is one to get around now, with the band already “We got together around June in 2016, and we spent three or so working on a second album. months just writing heaps of tunes. We had come up with about 40 “We’ve already got a new goal to get to 50 new songs so we can narrow songs and then we narrowed it down and we actually recorded it in that down to an album that’s full of songs that we love,” Foster smiles. January last year,” Foster reveals. “We’re about 30 into that so far, so hopefully we’ll be able to finish that “It’s hard, you can’t really release an album when you don’t have off and potentially record a new album mid-year... who knows when it anyone to release it to,” she smirks. “That’s what last year was all about, would come out though…” just getting someone to care about us releasing an album.” Release: Late Teens is out now And they’ve done just that. If you are yet to hear the album, there’s no doubt you would have When & Where: already heard their debut single ‘Headwreck’; the fast, straight to the Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool – April 5 point and up in your face punk track that hurled Press Club into the airwaves in May last year. Karova Lounge, Ballarat – May 9 “‘Headwreck’ for us was the obvious first single because we wanted Theatre Royale, Castlemaine – May 13 to really just put out something that really encapsulated what we were about and what we were doing,” Foster explains. “A lot of the tracks on the album are really fast and really in your face, but I think there’s a lot more dynamic when you get into the entire album. “One of my favourites is ‘Golden State’, which is a bit more emotional,” she continues of the track touching on both love and violence, “But then again, it still goes into a thrash chorus.” While the tracks are great, it’s the band’s live performance that truly demands your attention, with the four-piece taking claim on stage with their brash energy, led mostly by Foster herself who throws herself around the stage and takes every opportunity to get in the faces of punters in the front row. With a whole lot of head thrashing and hard rocking spirit, their live performance is just one of the reasons they are on everyone’s much watch list right now. “I think we all get a lot off the crowd, and if we don’t really have that, you have to really turn towards each other,” Foster explains. “Sometimes we just throw each other around a bit, just a little ‘c’mon, let’s do this, we’re here for a reason so let’s make it happen’. But 90% of the time I vibe a shitload off the crowd; the crowd and the guys around me,” she

Live Music Professionals Program 2018 – Applications Open! WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB Music Victoria is excited to announce that applicaions are now open for Live Music Professionals 2018 – a free professional and business development program for independent promoters, venue owners, venue managers and band bookers. Although applications have been open for a short time, they have been arriving hard and fast according to Sarah Deborre, the project manager of the Live Music Professionals Program. “They have already been coming in quite quickly which is really exciting and the more the merrier,” she remarks. “We have a limited number of spots in the program but if we end up with more than we can fit in the program then obviously we are running the program again over the next few years so would to look to accommodate those people in future programs.”

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Successful applicants will be matched with some of Victoria’s most skilled and experienced music industry professionals for one-on-one coaching sessions in key business-based areas. In 2017 the coaches included the likes of publicist and manager Carolyn Logan, owner of The Tote and Bar Open Jon Perring, Groovin The Moo festival booker Richard Moffat, manager and co-producer of the Hills Are Alive Festival Aidan McLaren and Alex Zaccaria of digital marketing agency Bolster. The program is free and applications are open until April 3rd with Victorians of all backgrounds who meet the eligibility requirements encouraged to apply. Designed to strengthen Victoria’s live music sector by fostering successful music businesses, participants will also attend specialised workshops, masterclasses and conferences while also having access to invaluable networking opportunities. The positive and changing effects of the workshop demonstrations are worth applying for alone according to Sarah. “They are all different, last year we had workshops on social media for instance. It’s about having demonstrations and presenting the knowledge for anyone who’s working in the sector,” she said. “It’s about finding the gaps in their knowledge and finding a professional that can fill the gaps for them.” The future of the program is a point to which Sarah hopes will foster a community aspect in rural Victoria. “I would love to see this program bring people together and create a solid community for people in the live music sector,” she says. “People in regional centres lack that community so putting them in touch with a live music connection would make things better throughout the state of Victoria.”

For more information and to apply head to musicvictoria.com.au/LMP

STAND UP FOR SATTWA ARISING WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB

Bendigo-born David Turpie, better known as Sattwa Arising, is a one-man band with new EP Paradise County hitting our soundwaves with beautifully mastered instrumentals and a clear eclectic sound that is a pleasure for the eardrums.

Turpie started his musical career on the pub scene at the ripe age of thirteen, and he cut his teeth in the newly formed grunge scene supplying the drums and vocals for various cover bands and underground altrock groups in his late teens. This period in David’s musical formation fostered an opportunity to form

a love for song writing that continues to this day, as evidenced with the new EP. Incredibly, Sattwa Arising’s first two albums were entirely solo efforts, with David supplying every instrument featured on the records. The resulting efforts were understandably less polished as this new effort, but they are strongly typical of a hard-working and multi-talented artist of rare quality. For David, mixing instruments for a live show is an exciting process but integral to the performance. “When it comes to performing live I use backing tracks as some of the songs like ‘Jesus Gonna Make My Dying Bed’ and ‘Red Velvet Sin’ really need that extra drive in a live environment and it’s always exciting to hear drums, bass, guitar and piano behind you,” he states. “But some of the songs work well with acoustic interpretations. I don’t mind the blend of both because it also means you can play around with the dynamics of the show. Start off very strong and then bring it down slightly in the middle and then raise it to a climax at the end. Either way it’s great fun and performing new songs is extremely exciting.” His new EP Paradise County is a clear progression in sound as Sattwa Arising deploys a heavier and more pointed sound to great success. Performing every instrument for David meant doing basic guide tracks followed by a day of drumming, then guitar, bass, vocals, keys and overdubs for every track on the EP himself. Although the work was intensive, with the help of Four4ty Studios in Melbourne, the various sounds were brought together in amazing unison. The more professional setting is an opportunity that David relished. “It certainly makes a difference having a producer in the room as they can bounce ideas off you and record while you concentrate on the performance so that makes musical life a lot easier when you go from your 16-track studio machine to a larger desk where you don’t have to record and playback by yourself.” Sattwa Arising will be promoting the Paradise County very soon with dates to be announced at various venues and towns shortly. David Turpie will also be performing at Kangaroo Flat Hotel on April 20.

Breabach showcase Astar Scottish folk outfit Breabach will perform an afternoon show at Martians Cafe this Sunday as part of their current tour. Formed in 2005, the band has won several Scots Trad Music Awards, including the 2016 ‘Album of the Year’ gong. That album is Astar, their fifth album overall. As well as a bunch of touring in 2018, the band will return to the studio to work on album number six. We chat to band leader James Lindsay ahead of the shows. Hey James thanks for chatting to Forte! You’re on a massive Aussie tour, which is a big one. What keeps bringing you guys back to Australia? Well it’s been maybe a year or two since our last trip to Australia and since then we’ve brought out a new album, and all the things came together nicely so we managed to get a wee tour together. Your fifth release Astar is cool and includes some Aussie musicians (such as Yidaki (didgeridoo) player Mark Atkins, extraordinary Aboriginal artist Yirrmal Marika), how was that whole process of getting them on board and including them? Well, the album is kind of a dedication to the travels that we’ve been having over the past few years and we’ve actually had quite a big influence from Australia and some of the people we’ve met from there. We were involved with a project called

TAKE ME BACK TO THE SWEET TIMES Thirsty Merc are heading to The Barwon Club and Karova Lounge to play music for fans COMPILED BY HANNAH KENNY

They’ve been on our radar since 2002 and just to our luck, the Australian pop rock band Thirsty Merc are still jamming and jamming damn well. Known for so many great ballads that we have all blasted through the speakers of our cars, we’ve made a shortlist of our favourite Thirsty Merc songs that we hope they’ll be playing at their shows.

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Boomerang which we performed in Australia and New Zealand and in Glasgow as well, and that was set up for the Commonwealth Games back in 2014, I think, and through that we got to work with some indigenous artists from Australia and New Zealand as well so we definitely wanted to bring some of that influence onto the album. It was really quite important for us to get them involved and pay homage to that. We actually did all the recording online, so we would just send tracks back and forth so it made it work out amazingly well. Is that something you will continue to do, include artists from difference countries on your tracks, or is that something that is just for this album? I mean it is quite specific to this album, but something that we love doing is collaborating. We’ve done it a lot over the years. Whenever we travel, we like to meet other musicians, jam, hang out and it’s something we always like to do and we try to incorporate it into our lives show if we can as well. As far as recording, it is quite specific to this album. While travelling are you consciously inspired by sights and sounds, or is that more of an in-the-moment, natural thing that happens? I don’t know if we are always directly looking for inspiration; we keep our minds and ears open, but quite often collaborations and things will happen in the spur of the moment. It could be in a jam session late at night, or we could meet someone at a festival and just have some fun. In saying that, you seem to have a lot of fun and have been together for a few years now. What are some of the things that keep you guys together and doing what you’re doing? We all love playing and we’re good friends as well so that always helps. We all live in Glasgow so we like to socialise together and we just try to keep music fun. We do tour a lot, but we enjoy each others company and we enjoy the music more. When & Where: Northcote Social Club, Northcote – March 24

Martians Bar and Cafe, Dean’s Marsh – March 25

IN THE SUMMERTIME – embracing all things Aussie’s love about the heat Take me back to the sweet times, the hot nights, everything is gonna be alright in the summertime, baby in the summertime. And even if I have to wait til next year, I don’t care, all I know is that I’ll meet you there in the summertime, baby in the summertime, that is where I’ll be. 20 GOOD REASONS – ultimate break up song They said love hurts, I wrote that book, I climbed that wall, I had one look, but you just came around, to say hello. The streets were filled with guilty hearts and here was I right from the start, and I lost everything, when I lost you. SOMEDAY SOMEDAY – excuses, excuses; holding on to an unrequited love I know you gotta go to university and I’m just trying to make some cash to follow my dreams. But please don’t say we’re too busy to give each other the time and support we need. I know we gotta work our jobs and make some money to get by in this expensive world. Don’t let that overtake the fact that before all that, you were still my girl. When & Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 4 Karova Lounge, Ballarat – April 5

Tickets now available via Oztix.

Ainslie Wills & Jordie Lane headed to Anglesea for The Sound Doctor After their hugely successful start in 2017, The Sound Doctor Presents crew are bringing music to the ears of Surf Coast residents. The focus is again on exceptional vocal talent An Evening with Ainslie Wills with special guest Jordie Lane coming to Anglesea Memorial Hall on Saturday 24 March. Hey Jordie, thanks so much for chatting to Forte. How are you and what have you been up to? I am doing very well thank you. Although running on empty at times, between time zones, unfinished breakfasts and the general wear and tear of being addicted to the road. You’ve spent a lot of time touring North America – what were the highlights and how does that compare to Aussie shows? A tour I did with The Stray Birds, an amazing three piece bluegrass/folk band from Pennsylvania back in 2014. It was my first big US tour, and to be in the Van with these guys gave me a whole new appreciation for the joys and challenges of touring. Some shows feel very similar in terms of the feel of venue and the audience, but then others are completely foreign and alien-like. I guess that’s why US Immigration calls us ‘Aliens’ on our visas.

Where did you get your inspiration for ‘In Dreams of War’? From a multitude of reoccurring dreams I have. It’s always full of energy. Atom Bombs, Alien invasions, Tidal Waves. Strangely, these don’t feel like nightmares to me, but more just my body clock, saying wake the fuck up Jordie and get out of bed you lazy bastard. The dreams are a realisation that I only seem to save myself within the dreams and I feel a sense of guilt for the innate selfish qualities of human beings. Have you got any pre-show rituals to get you pumped? I stick my tongue out real far and try say my name and address over and over. That warms the throat and muscles. I have an espresso shot, and sometimes vodka if that’s available. And Clare Reynolds and I often do a schoolyard style hand clapping pattern shouting ‘Get pumped, get pumped’. You have had a career spanning just 9 years, and 8 album releases, what is your all-time favourite thing about being a musician? What keeps you going? The never-ending new challenges that arise every single day, it never gets boring, you can never master your craft, you can never actually conquer the world, but you keep trying. What can we expect to be next for you? We are playing a farewell to Oz show in Melbourne on April 12 at Spotted Mallard to say bye bye as we head over to Nashville, Tennessee. But we’ll then be touring the States and recording another album while we are there. I don’t know what it will sound like, but you can expect some new music by the end of the year!! Tickets are onsale now for this very special night of exquisite song writing and stunning vocals – coming to the coast for your listening pleasure.

The Good Lovelies return to Australia in March/ April 2018, launching their new album Shapeshifters at Blue Mountains Music Festival, Yackandandah and The National Folk Festivals and a special series of concerts across NSW and Victoria. Kerri Ough, Sue Passmore and Caroline Brooks are each immensely talented vocalists and songwriters in their own right, but together, their interwoven voices create such a powerful and pure, organic and inspiring harmony that the ensemble is elevated from impressive

When: Saturday 24 March at 8pm (Doors open 7.30pm) Where: Anglesea Memorial Hall, 1 McMillan St, Anglesea Tickets: $35 GIVEAWAY: We’ve got a double pass to giveaway! For your chance to win, email code word ‘JORDIE’ to talia@fortemag.com.au.

This Way North join Courthouse Youth Arts Music is alive and well at Courthouse Youth Arts. With the previous 12 months filled with performances from emerging local acts as part of CHYA’s Fresh Music Nights, this year’s program kicks off as Melbourne duo This Way North take to the CHYA stage for an intimate sit down show on April 13.

Canadian folkpop trio, Good Lovelies bring their powerful harmonies to our shores

to peerless. They represent the essence of a creation which is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. In concert, their impeccable vocals, winsome songwriting and comedic banter have won them acclaim across Canada, USA, UK, Australia and Europe. Over the course of more than a decade they have covered plenty of stylistic ground, including “folk-pop”, with country folk as their core and first love. The trio

The duo have just released EP Vol. 2, a six-song collection that was recorded over two stints in Toronto, Canada. The EP follows on from the 2016 ‘rootsy’ rock release EP Vol. 1, becoming a vibrant and must-have soundtrack for weekend road-trips and weeknight lounge-room dance parties. This is a good indication of the band’s steady evolution from rootsy rock to the new vibe of groovy, alt-pop synth rock that exudes from this new offering. Within the EP, track ‘Head Above Water’ is an allencompassing song that boasts an unparalleled guitar riff that speaks to Leisha Jungawalla’s immense skill with the axe while ‘Make It Work’ is a fan friendly sing along with a funk undertone. Second single ‘Pressure’ can be described as grungy pop while lead single ‘Nothing to Say’ is an ethereal and melodic piece that highlights the need to be still and live in the moment.

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The sound this band emits make you forget this is a two-piece, such is their raw energy and talent, and a sound which you can enjoy at next month’s performance, when This Way North are joined by local acts Joni Gardner and Rach Brennan, supporting the venue’s ethos of nurturing talented young acts in the region. The recent boost in music programming at CHYA has been thanks to musician Izzy Losi, who has been working at the venue for just over a year. She’s passionate about fostering a supportive local scene for both emerging and established musicians in the region. “For me I think it’s nice for them to have a connection with Courthouse and see it as a

first united in 2006 for a one-off performance: they have since recorded eight albums, and won a JUNO plus four Canadian Folk Music Awards for their unmistakable sound of their extraordinary intertwined voices. “We’ve been a band for eleven years since our mid20s, so we’ve lived a lot of life! Two of us are mothers to young children and one member lost her mum a few years ago, all experiences we explore and work through on Shapeshifters,” says Caroline Brooks, vocalist and lead guitarist. “This album is an exciting new beginning for us.” Joined by The Waif’s David Ross MacDonald on drums and celebrated Canadian MJ Dandeneau (Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray) on double bass, The Good Lovelies have five special appearances in Victoria. Don’t miss this terrific act. Shapeshifters is available on all digital outlets now.

When & Where: Yackandandah Folk Festival, Yackandandah – March 24-25 The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne – April 6 The Ararat Hotel, Ararat – April 7 Valencia Creek Hall, Valencia Creek – April 8 Victorian Folk Club, Ringwood – April 10 Caravan Club, Yarra Yarra Golf Course, South Oakleigh – April 11

positive place. I’d like to see more scope too, so events for emerging and established artists as well. I still think it’s really important we stay under the 26 bracket as much as we can – to assist those emerging artists,” Izzy says Tickets to the event are $10 for Courthouse Youth Arts members, $15 for non-members and $20 on the door. Head to the website (courthouse.org.au) or the venue to pre-purchase your ticket. When & Where: Courthouse Youth Arts, Geelong – Friday, April 13 Image by Nat Ord

bunch of new music between shows. You’ve already kicked off the year with performances at St Kilda Festival, Mountain Sound Fest, The Island and Secret Garden Festival. What are the most important things for you when on stage at these types of festivals, how do you pump up for a show? The most important thing for me is to bring something different to the stage. That’s why I play live sets and bring along guest vocalists, dancers, visuals, my big inflatable animals, heaps of crowd interaction etc. I just want to make sure everyone has so much fun that they forget their troubles for an hour and just all party together. You also launched into 2018 with ‘Going Mad’ featuring rising Australian talent CLYPSO and US rapper Raven Felix which was cool!! Hinting at the direction your second album is heading, does the album follow the same vibe? When can we expect to hear it? Yeah absolutely! My first album was quite mellow but the new stuff I’ve been writing is a bit harder and more geared toward the dancefloor. You can expect to hear it later this year for sure! This solo project really kicked off for you in 2014 with the release of tracks, ‘Julian’ and ‘Can’t Touch Me’, which took you to the main stage of Splendour In The Grass the same year. How has your music and process changed since Torquay’s largest weekend of the year is now them? getting a party of similar magnitude. After hosting That was such a fun experience and really set the likes of Late Nite Tuff Guy, Maribou State, the framework of how I wanted my shows to be. Touch Sensitive, CC:DISCO!, Benson and John Since then I’ve spent a million hours writing music, Course, the Coastal Bunny (AKA Coastal Jam) studying music, I did a Berklee College course in is bringing Paces (DJ Set), Benson (Falls Festival songwriting… so much has happened since then. 2018), Mimi (Triple J) along with local legends this Basically I’ve just poured my heart and soul into Good Friday to the Torquay Hotel. it. Back then I was doing music around a day job, Partying with a purpose, a percentage of Coastal but now I’m doing music full time. That’s been so Jam ticket sales will go towards the Good Friday awesome because I get so much more done. Appeal. We chat to Paces (aka Mikey Perry) ahead Do you consider the live show whilst of the party. recording your tracks? Are any elements changed during the live set that is different to Hey thanks for chatting to Forte Magazine. the studio recording? How are you and what have you been up to No, when I’m writing tracks I’m just trying to recently? make the best possible song. When it’s finished I Thanks for having me! I’ve been touring my go through and pick out which parts I’d like to play ‘Going Mad’ single and working hard to finish a live. It always ends up sounding a bit different to

Coastal Jam and UNO presents A

VERY Good Friday with Gold Coast producer Paces

CULLULLERAINE MUSIC FESTIVAL Three days of live music, camping and community spirit WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO

The fabulous Cullulleraine Music Festival is back again in 2018, and is just weeks away. This year’s festival will have its first year held at Lake Cullulleraine Holiday Park. The foreshore of beautiful freshwater Lake Cullulleraine will set the scene for a magical weekend of music, fun, food and sun during next month’s festival. 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, the family-friendly, community event will feature the best acoustic acts from across the country. 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). That’s three days of festivities that should not be missed. This year’s festival features an action-packed program, which will help showcase the popular lake setting and many talented Australian artists. You can look forward to participating in vocal dobro, song writing, musical workshops and more, with children’s activities also including sketching, music and percussion workshops and Vicki the van... this weekend is guaranteed to be a fun one for all members of the family. Speaking of music, with over 20 hours of live music broadcasted over the three-days and two main stages, this year’s line-up is fuelled with diverse and renowned musicians. This includes the likes of Broderick Smith,

the studio recording but I think that’s a positive. Yeah I could be playing a DJ set and it would all sound perfect, but I like the live element. The little imperfections and improvisations add character in my opinion. And when I see a show I like to know there’s a bit of risk involved in what the artist is doing, ya know? You’ve collaborated with Tkay Maidza, CLYPSO, among others, what do you enjoy about collaborating? Is this something you will continue to do with future projects? Absolutely, it’s one of my favourite parts of the job. I love taking an instrumental to a vocalist and hearing what they come up with. It’s always something that I never would’ve thought of. It’s so much fun to then go back and rework the track to emphasise their performance. You’ll be spending Good Friday in Torquay for Coastal Jam this year, performing a DJ set for the good people! What are you looking forward to about that? What’s involved in the DJ set, still high energy? I can’t wait for this!! I don’t often get a chance to play DJ sets, so when I do it’s so much fun. I’ll be bringing a bunch of my favourite party tunes. Lots of hip hop, lots of bangers. What else can we expect to see from you this year, we’ve heard rumours of a debut US tour? I’m heading over there in May to play Lightning In A Bottle Festival and do a bunch of writing sessions. Then planning to head back over later in the year when I’m touring the album. I’ll definitely do an album tour in Australia too with a new live show. Thanks for taking the time to chat. How should people prepare for the party set to go down on Good Friday? No worries, thank you! And to prepare for the set, people should follow my Pacey Picks playlist on Spotify. That’ll give you a good idea of the tunes that I’m into at the moment. See you there! When & Where: Torquay Hotel, Torquay – March 30 from 2pm Tickets by Eventbrite, final release tickets on sale now.

Satyricon delay tour A few setbacks have forced Norwegian black metallers Satyricon to delay their tour until September. From the band: “We had on and offstage personnel dropping out on us at the last minute for this tour. We would have had to really compromise on the quality of our shows, which is something that we wouldn’t want to do when we go to Australia and Japan.” The new date is Max Watts on September 6. Purchased tickets remain valid.

Boo Seeka are heading back to Geelong; performing at Bloom Your home of all things world-class electronic music on a Saturday night and public holiday eve is proud to be opening the doors to deliver a plethora of talented live entertainment on Friday nights throughout the year. First off the bat, BOO SEEKA – the Sydney electronic duo/legends. With a stellar run of sold out shows across Australia, Boo Seeka have gone from strength to strength last year with their debut album Never Too Soon stormed in at #1 on the Australian iTunes charts and scored a #8 spot in the Aria charts. The duo’s infectious live performance have seen sold-out headline tours and festivals in Australia and abroad, including appearances at Groovin The Moo, Splendour In The Grass, Southbound Festival, Party In The Paddock and appearing at Gum Ball and The Big Pineapple Festival last year. They’ll perform on Friday 6th April 2018. Don’t miss it. Bloom is at 114 Moorabool St, Geelong

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. “This year has been lucky to secure some of Australia’s best acoustic artists, ranging in age from their 20s to seasoned performers who work all over the country,” explains organiser Ross Elliott. “The beautiful lake venue with its birdlife, water views, shade trees and lush green grass is a great place to be at the best of times, so it will be a magical experience to have great music, stalls and food to add to the vibe.” The beautiful Lake Cullulleraine is the perfect setting for 2018, and the local Millewa community has pulled out all stops to bring the event together. If you’re heading from our humble area, your best bet is to lock in a three day weekend ticket, because why not!? It’s also more budget-friendly to do it this way anyway! And now that you’ve decided to go, you’ll need to sort of the accommodation situation. Lucky for you, this is a popular holiday destination and is just a short drive from Mildura with plenty of accommodation including campsites. There are two camping options for those heading over from Forté land: Firstly, Lake Cullulleraine Holiday Park, which is adjacent to Festival precinct. Here, sites can be purchased with tickets via website. The other is Bushman’s Rest Caravan Park, which is approximately 1.5 km and sites have to be purchased directly with park, with the link provided on their website. There will be a free courtesy bus running between the festival site and the campsites – so no worries about the desi driver. Tickets must be purchased for EACH day you plan to attend, with children under 16 gaining free entry. So book your tickets and accommodation sooner rather than later at the festival website at www. cullullerainemusicfestival.com.au/ to avoid missing out.

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Set Mo Bringing the enthralling dance hit ‘Unity’ to a live setting Having

24-date AUS/NZ tour last week, including a stop in Geelong last weekend, Sydney’s dynamic production duo Set Mo (Nick Drabble and Stu Turner) stop in to chat to Forte about all that’s happening right now. kicked off their

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to chat! How are you and what have you been up to?? Hey Forte, our pleasure! We’ve been busier than ever but we’re not complaining at all! Plenty of gigs on the weekends and when we were back in Sydney it was heads down in the studio. You guys recently played For The Love in Melbourne (alongside Hayden James, Thomas Jack, Touch Sensitive, Dom Dolla, Airling + more under the palms as the sun sets) which people have been raving about since! How was that whole experience? We love playing FTL, it’s become a bit of a tradition for us now as we’ve played the last three years in a row and even got to play the Bali edition last year. We absolutely love it and can’t wait for next year! The crowd and setting make this such an amazing event that you just don’t want it to end. Is this the first time you guys have gone on an

extensive tour like so, how do you find being on the road together? Good times all round? We’ve been lucky enough to do a few tours around Australia and New Zealand but this one is by far the biggest with 24 shows. We love travelling together, we’ve got some DJ friends who sometimes get lonely on the road as there’s so much time spent on your own in transit and the hotel room so we’re extremely grateful to have each other’s company to help push through the hangovers. Recently you released your second track for this year “Unity” – a euphoric new dance track that is a nod to the club scene of the 90s and Y2K-era house. Tell us about the idea behind the track, how do you guys create your singles, and this one in particular? It’s funny, we hadn’t even planned to write a track the day ‘Unity’ came about. It was Unity Day in Germany, a public holiday, so everything was closed and we found ourselves stuck in the hotel room as it was pouring rain outside. We set up a makeshift studio on the table and the idea was born out of nothing more than mucking around with some weird sounds and a drum break. We’d been listening to a lot of our earliest electronic influences such as Moby, The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers and this has definitely come through in the music without us even thinking about it. Your new music schedule features a new song to be released on the first Friday of every month in 2018 – what’s the idea behind doing that? Are all these song completely ready and set to go? We’ve written so many songs over the past 18 months and we were trying to figure out the best way to share them with everyone. We settled on a track a month as we wanted to share the experience of the journey we’ve been on ourselves through our music. We’ve been lucky enough to bounce around the world to write and perform in some really special places so hopefully this comes through in all the tracks we have in store for you this year.

Sanguine Estate Music Festival goes stronger and bolder Becoming

a popular feature of the region’s

cultural year, The Sanguine Estate Music Festival is back, and continues to build as one of the country’s leading Classical Music Festivals with five concerts in

Bendigo over the April weekend. Kicking off with the sold out Heathcote weekend, the

team continue to bring in International stars including one of the world’s top pianists Yu Kosuge from Japan. As always, they have matched repertoire favourites – although some will be examined more closely in this year’s Inside the Music, challenging some “traditions” of interpretation – with lesser known gems. While Heathcote is sold out, the Bendigo weekend is now on sale and has quickly become a popular feature of the region’s cultural year, and now with the 2018 edition they’ve expanded its scope by extending the program to include a Sunday morning concert too! The artist lineup is once again top-flight and unique,

When & Where: Night Cat, Melbourne – April 6

featuring such dazzling and loved Australia-based artists as Andrew Haveron, Ian Munro, Tobias Breider and Caroline Almonte. They are joined by international

Release: ‘Unity’ and ‘Nightmares’ is out now on Set Mo Records.

guest, Stephen Stirling, one of Europe’s finest horn

soloists and chamber musicians, and principal horn with the legendary Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Committed to promoting outstanding young talent as well, Zoe Freisberg has been invited to join the festivities this year. She has already established an enviable reputation as soloist with leading Australian orchestras, an ACO Emerging Artist, and as a soughtafter chamber musician, and now she will be featured in the new Sunday morning recital, as well as performing alongside established artists on Friday and Saturday. The program includes sensational works by Suk and Saint-Saens, as well as Arensky’s gorgeously lyrical and dramatic quartet for the unusual combination of violin, viola and two cellos. Stephen will shine in Haydn’s sparkling Concerto, and the Dunhill Cornucopia, a group of gorgeous romantic salon pieces. Ian and Caroline will provide a luxury afternoon of piano four-hand gems, and of course the festival continues with the traditional cushion concert, coffee concert and master class. It will be a weekend of finest classical music and accompanied by complimentary glasses of Sanguine Estate Wine. The festival will run in Bendigo from April 20-22 and in Heathcote from April 26-29 (sold out). Tickets on sale now. Visit www.semf.net.au

GIVEAWAY: We’ve got a couple of weekend passes to giveaway for the Sanguine Estate Music Festival in Bendigo from April 20-22. To enter, email talia@fortemag.com.au with your name and code word ‘BENDIGO’

THE RADICAL URBAN CIRCUS WHERE STREET MEETS ELITE Good Friday 30 March, 7pm Easter Saturday 31 March, 3pm and 6pm Easter Sunday 1 April, 4pm

Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo Adults $20 • Children $15 • Groups 4+ $15 each

Book now | www.gotix.com.au 26

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Nocturnal Spins A Block Party Featuring Wax’o Paradiso, Harvey Sutherland (DJ) & DJ JNETT Melbourne Museum’s commitment to presenting the best live performances continues with the next instalment of Nocturnal, which sees the transformation of the museum into an adult playground that sees the latest bands and DJs performing live in the museum, with open bars, great food, roving entertainment, discussions with museum experts and learning experiences across collections, cultures and time. This month, Nocturnal joins Waving at Trains to present a triple-treat of Wax’o Paradiso, Harvey Sutherland (DJ set) and DJ JNETT. We chat to the legends, Wax’o Paradiso (AKA Andy Hart, Simon TK and Edd Fisher) ahead of their performance at the museum. Hey, thanks so much for chatting to Forte.

ILUKA Changing the world, one pop song at a time. WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

Sydney wayfarer ILUKA is where retro pop meets gospel soul, and is a name creating change the most powerful way she knows how. The past year has seen the release of her 2017 EP Blue My Soul, which saw the artist delve into cathartic and ethereal collection of deeply personal exploration of femininity and a notion of emancipation through escape through her music, alongside playing shows with the likes of Alex Lahey, Dan Sultan, Mama Kin, Trevor Hall, and supporting Killing Heidi on a national tour. Now, the motown revivalist launches into 2018 with a soon to be released EP, written to uplift and motivate; to create change the most powerful way she knows how: with a guitar in her hand and spitfire lyrics designed to shake awake the apathetic. “I’m so excited to get this out,” she smiles. “It felt like this time around, it’s happened quickly but it’s been a really flowing process. We recorded the songs mid last year and I’ve already got two out, usually it’s more of a long-winded process and you’re waiting around for ages, but this time all the songs still feel fresh, instead of music that I’ve written a long time ago.” Reclaiming power and marching back onto the

How are you and what are you up to at the moment? We’re great thanks, we’ve just finished another whirlwind summer and now preparing for our last few parties before we head overseas for some shows in Asia and Europe over winter. For those in our regional areas who may not have had the chance to experience what you guys do, can you give us a brief rundown of your sets, what type of vibe and music do you guys create? The brief is pretty simple, our parties generally feature our residents playing records all day and night (for those playing at home that’s Andy Hart, Edd Fisher, Simon TK, Millú and Pjenné) on a fantastic mixer and sound system. Location always plays a big role in what we do, so we’re always popping up in new and interesting landscapes. Our most recent party was a nice sunny day at the Fairfield Amphitheatre. Musically we’re pretty firmly rooted in soul, disco and their derivatives, though music from all corners of the genre map gets played. Looking back, you guys are all distinguished record selectors in their own right, and you came together to curate a record party for Sydney’s Cake Wines in Melbourne. What’s kept you guys together, and what are the most important things for you in doing what you do? We’re all best mates first and foremost so that just about explains it! Wax’o Paradiso has always been a family affair, that’s pretty core to why we do what we do. With three minds behind the party, you guys provide a pretty unique and versatile style of music. What are the benefits and perhaps challenges you have found DJing as a trio? How does it work with all three of you behind the decks? It’s a different sound to when any of us play solo. We all play very different styles to one another, but when we come together we still each have our own styles but we overlap nicely. Playing in a group of three (or more) people gives you time to roam around the party, see what the space may be wanting for musically, not to mention send someone to the bar on a Campari mission.

airwaves, Iluka released her single ‘Sympathy’ off forthcoming EP last December, before heading into this month with the single and title track ‘Ritual’. Both part of the four track collection of songs that bares homage to her great loves and burning visions of an old soul desperately present, Iluka explains the EP comes from a deeply personal place. “They’re all about my own experiences [the EP tracks],” she says. “With ‘Ritual’, I had just come back from overseas and I was in this place of loneliness and feeling a little bit lost, questioning where I was going to go now and a relationship had just ended so this title track was actually written from quite a heartbreaking, lonely place. “Once we started jamming with the band, all the songs became quite self-empowering, coming after a bit of a dark time which is quite interesting; it was like the more we played them, they started to reflect me going on my own road and finding myself again, and just feeling really comfortable with who I am as an artist, standing on my own two feet,” she says. Recorded with her long-term touring band who have become more intrinsic both on-stage and in the studio, the EP is a powerful, upbeat collection destined to empower and elevate, to transcend and liberate. “I worked quite closely with the band in bringing the songs to life, writing the songs and then work-shopping them a lot together before taking them into the studio,” she continues. “I feel like there was a really solid foundation with them all, whereas in the past I have often worked exclusively with producers. It just seems to have gone a little bit smoother and felt really right to be releasing what I am releasing.” Following her true north toward feminism and individualism, the forthcoming four track EP finds Iluka at her most authentic; all the while using her platform to inspire change and nurture a culture of equality. Release: Iluka’s Ritual EP is out independently Friday April 6 When & Where: Tickets are on sale now for The Ritual Tour

You have performed on floating rooftop gardens, luscious convents, shipping containers, train yards, supernatural amphitheatres and smack bang under the Sydney Harbour bridge. Next month you’ll be performing as part of Nocturnal’s Block Party in the museum. What do you enjoy about performing in these types of exciting spaces? We’ve always tried to reflect our Antipodean location in what we do. We aren’t in Europe and running parties in nightclubs, we’re out in the open under native flora on hot sunny days. Our artwork is always influenced by famous Australian artists. Wax’o parties aren’t married to any venue, they’re free-roaming and very evocative of local context. You guys clearly love what you do, being an integral part of the wider Melbourne music community outside your parties as well (with PBS 106.7FM’s Tomorrow Land, Club d’Errangé and Voyage Recordings). Where do you see Melbourne’s dance scene at the moment, and for the regional music lovers, why should they come down and experience it? There are more people than ever putting time and energy into activating beautiful and unusual spaces for parties, Melbourne is quite rightly proud of where it’s scene is at right now. A few key dance venues have closed recently or are closing imminently, and the dance community is responding by getting really creative with how we express the need to have these spaces. Be a shame not to get amongst it! Thanks for the chat guys! To finish off, what’s planned for the rest of 2018? We have two more appearances as Wax’o Dystopio (our darker, winter disguise), a month of touring in Asia, then when it gets really cold we’ll be spending the European Summer playing some shows and chasing the sunshine. Thanks for having us x

Geelong’s resident muso Luke Biscan releases new single ‘Wish It Away’ Luke Biscan is a name to take note of; he’s the UK born singer-songwriter with a voice that easily spans genres of alternative, acoustic rock, folk and soft rock. A regular on the touring and festival circuit in coastal Victoria, Luke’s incredible live energy and virtuoso guitar skills have built him a solid hometown fanbase (us included). After biding time, Luke has bought the emotion back to music with his single ‘Wish It Away’, released late last month – and we love it! A lot! ‘Wish It Away’ shows a more tender side to the songwriter, with the lyrics providing a backdrop and perfect introduction to his upcoming debut album, Revivalist, set for release in late 2018. ‘Wish It Away’ is a perfect introduction to the album, as it gives the listener a take a new take on hope. His guitar drives the sound, Biscan takes his audience on the journey with him. Regularly performing in the town of Geelong, he opts to play in pubs, wanting to have a close relationship with his fans. Biscan leaves his heart on the stage and believes in interacting with his audience after shows. While the track is beautiful in itself, Biscan has also released a music video that only draws you in further, taking us on a voyage through the woods, close to Geelong.

‘Wish It Away’ is available on VEVO and every major streaming platform

When & Where: Nocturnal @ Melbourne Museum, Melbourne – April 6, 7pm to midnight Tickets via museumsvictoria.com.au/ melbournemuseum/whats-on/nocturnal/

Energetic folksters Perch Creek are back Family band Perch Creek are back with a mischievous new single ‘Gold Shop’, a thrilling carchase of a track which signals the second taste of Perch Creek’s new self-titled album, which is an eclectic and innovative collection of harmony-driven folk, evocative pop and offbeat soul, set for release on April 13. We chat to guitarist and vocalist Eileen Hodgkins ahead of the band’s massive run of shows to celebrate the upcoming release. Hey Eileen, thanks for chatting to Forte! How are you and what have you been up recently? I’m good thanks. I’ve been up to a million things lately! Recording an album and now prepping for its release, being a first-time stunt woman in our film clip, booking a tour, running a creative warehouse in Coburg, and working some day jobs in between to hold it all together! For those who don’t know, give us a quick rundown of what it was like growing up in the Perch Creek area, and the non-traditional upbringing you guys had, how did you then go on to form a band? It seemed like a normal childhood to us until our friends told us otherwise! We had real hippie parents and grew up with eight kids and no TV on a property in northern NSW. Our dad started the jugband project for us to busk at the local markets as well as giving him a creative outlet. We used to pile into the family bus and head off to play at the markets, late night malls to rowdy street crowds and festivals all over, which helped out with the family income. As we got older, we got sick of him telling

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us what to do so we kicked him out of the band. Since then, it’s grown into our own thing, which has taken us to a lot of cool places and has evolved to something completely different. Just about to drop the new self-titled album in April, which is an eclectic and innovative collection of harmony-driven folk, evocative pop and offbeat soul. Tell us about that process, how long has it been in the works? This one has been a long time coming! We started writing this album way back in 2014 – we were on a European tour and took a week off in Wales, hired a beautiful countryside cottage and went to town jamming and writing together. Following that, we took our time finishing the songs – when you are working in a five-way collaboration, there are a lot of steps, a lot of opinions and a lot of arguments. This album has been a long time coming for you guys, and marks a distinct change in direction. What direction are you hoping to portray from this album? What spurred the shift in sound? When it came to writing for this album, we knew that we had taken the jugband sound to it’s natural conclusion and wanted to start a new sound. We didn’t know what that sound was, so we just jammed and whatever felt right we ran with. The result was more of a 60s/70s rock sound than our previous stuff but we feel it still captures our essence as a band. The shift was a natural evolution for us to just write the kind of music that we felt excited to play live. Thanks for taking the time to chat. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Geelong. To finish up, what are the goals for 2018, what else can we expect to see from you guys? Thanks, this will be our first show in Geelong. We’re looking forward to releasing this album, going on tour again, playing festivals later on in the year and making more film clips. ‘Gold Shop’ is set for release on March 23, and Perch Creek album will available through MGM distribution on April 13. When & Where: The Workers Club, Geelong – June 21

Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – June 22

THE HILLS ARE

One of the McLaren brothers, Aidan, says he is thrilled with the outcome of this year’s line-up. “We were really lucky. A lot of acts naturally said yes because so many bands have played here before and have had a good time. This influenced a lot of artists as they actually want to come and play here which makes things a lot easier for us. Boo Seeka played New Year’s Eve on The Hill which is our sister festival that we run on the same site. They played back in 2015 and had a great response from the crowd so it was kind of a no-brainer to welcome those guys back. Alex The

ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC… LITERALLY

Astronaut is just an act that we think is really, really

WRITTEN BY HANNAH KENNY

of the celebration will be the great talent we’ve got

to her to be a part of it and she really liked everyone else on the line up and the whole idea of it, so it’ll be her Hill debut,” Aidan says.

10th anniversary on the weekend of March 23-25 in picturesque South Gippsland, and the line-up is the icing on their scrumptious birthday cake. What started off as a simple gathering of great friends and family to commemorate local talent suddenly fast tracked into an annual three day festival extravaganza that the McLaren brothers did not see coming. Rounding up cattle on the dairy farm transitioned into landing artists to perform on their home turf at what is now known as The Hills Are Alive. Having used music as an outlet to escape the sometimes boringness of their quaint town, the brothers decided to host a “big party” to showcase some of their muso mates who had been trying to make it in the industry. A simple idea blossomed into an amazing local festival, with some of Australia’s biggest names in music and comedy making their way to the famous

hats. “There could be some birthday cake flowing around to give to the crowd at some point I’m sure. A

I ask Aidan what it means to him and his family to bring everyone together in their humble town. “It’s a real honour to be honest. When we grew up there wasn’t much for music in the area, particularly live/ original music so it’s quite an amazing feeling when the festival is at full capacity and some of the best acts in the country are performing such amazing sets and thinking, ‘wow, this is where we used to round the cows up.’ It’s an amazing experience and we definitely don’t take it for granted. There’s a lot of amazing people from the local community who help make it happen and also the acts who choose to come and be part of it, they could be anywhere else over that weekend so for them to come down, we’re forever grateful for that,” he answers. For more information about The Hills Are Alive and to purchase your tickets, head on over to www. thehillsarealive.com.au. Forte will see you there!

and Kim Churchill, it’s a priority to get your hands on one of the 2,500 tickets up for grabs.

Friday 23 March to Sunday 25 March

What So Not On the album imprinting an iconic individualised mark on the electronic dance scene WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

One of Australia’s biggest exports and highly respected EDM producer What So Not (AKA Emoh / Chris Emerson), formerly known for his collaborations with Flume, has taken a solo direction in his music career, imprinting an iconic individualised mark on the electronic dance scene with the release of his long-awaited and greatly anticipated debut album, Not All The Beautiful Things.

WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN

few little surprises throughout the weekend but a lot

When & Where: The Farm – 10 mins from Loch Village | 20 mins from Wonthaggi | 95 mins from Melbourne

Victorian hill. With appearances from Alex The Astronaut, Boo Seeka, Heaps Good Friends, Luca Brasi

Heading to Australia for the very first time

Celebrating 10 years of festival greatness this March, Aidan and his team are pulling a few tricks out of their

coming down to enjoy. It’s just a big party,” he giggles. The Hills Are Alive festival is due to celebrate its

EUROPE

exciting and quite unique and we sent the invitation

It’s the final countdown… to Europe’s first ever Australian tour. That’s right, Europe have never toured Australia in their whole career as a band, which has now spanned for over three decades. So why haven’t they? Well, we got the group’s charismatic lead vocalist Joey Tempest to explain. “Something was booked back in the ‘80s but there was a management decision that steered us away to other touring. We talked about it within the band and we can’t remember why the management did that,” Tempest explains. “Over the years we have always wanted to make it over and the reason why we are now is also because of our new management; Adam and Ace. We have been with them for about three or four years and as soon as we started working with them, we mentioned that we would love to go to Australia and they have been very instrumental in putting this together,” he continues. “The band and our crew are all very excited about this tour. We have started talking about our set lists and all kinds of stuff, with it being the first time we have made it over, it’s very special for us... it’s finally happening!”

Although the wait for Australian Europe fans has been incredibly long, they are now lucky enough to be in a position where the band has over 30 years worth of songs, all being played here for the first time. “We are going to mix it up; we will play some new songs and some old songs,” Tempest reveals. “Because we haven’t been there before, it would be great to show crowds a wider span of the bands music. We are also very excited to play about three or four new songs. We have been getting a lot of positive attention about Walk The Earth [2017] and we actually recently got a Grammy. The 11th album in our career has been received quite well, it’s being fantastic.” Recorded in Tempest’s now hometown of London, Europe’s 11th studio album Walk The Earth highlights their return to huge and heavy stadium rock anthems. “We actually recorded in London in 1988 for Out Of This World. I’ve been trying to get the guys over ever since then because I’ve lived here for so many years, but finally there was an opening at Abbey Road Studios, which isn’t easy to get as it’s a very busy studio. Everybody was really excited to be there and was feeling the vibe.” With band members being friends since they where teenagers, it’s no surprise that Europe still loves to write and perform together, keeping things “intentionally unintentional”, the band still aims to push themselves with each release. “We are always open to experiment and share the load in terms of writing, which makes the finished product more varied as different songs have come from different people. It helps to make each album its own entity,” he says. “Walk The Earth is a miracle album; I don’t know how we managed to do it. The trick is not to shy away from trying things and we really tried to push it a bit with this album. This album is really out there for us, but we absolutely love it.” When & Where: Palais Theatre, Melbourne – May 19 2018

Tickets via ticketmaster

After wowing fans with his EP Divide & Conquer in 2016 and “It was awesome, I had a chance meeting with Daniel and he invited establishing himself as one of the world’s most revered electronic acts, me up to his house to work on some things and see if we had a vibe and it’s hard to believe that What So Not hasn’t yet released an album sure enough we did and this song in particular ‘Be Okay’,” he explains. until now. “It was something I had produced and written and I actually sung on this track which I’ve never done before. It wasn’t meant to be something I “I feel like the first album you work on all your life until you release it you know,” he smiles. “Some of the songs on there I started three and released, it was just meant to be a reference to work on with a vocalist. a half years ago and at those points in my career, I felt that my abilities “To my surprise, Daniel actually really loved it and not only was he weren’t at the level that the songs really deserved.” happy to re-sing part of it, but encourage me to keep my voice on there. Over three years in the making, Not All the Beautiful Things is about He added some really amazing parts towards the end of the record as transformation and metamorphosis, a culmination of everything the well; it really hyped up that psychotic, sort of fast-paced outro.” While including your own vocals isn’t uncommon among music Sydney-born artist has been working towards, creating an album that encompasses many emotions with finesse and poise, a credit to the producers, Emerson admits it wasn’t something that he ever wanted development of What So Not’s thought fuelled and anomalous vibe. to try. “A lot of these songs came from personal experiences and they have one cohesive concept across the whole body of work,” Emerson explains. “No, to put it simply, I didn’t really want to try it, it just kind of “The title itself, Not All The Beautiful Things, is meant to represent happened,” he laughs. “This idea came to me when I made that song dramatic ends to relationships and what effect that has on us, and and I sort of developed it from a really personal experience and it just I paralleled this to a post-apocalyptic setting where everything you sort of came out. It was never meant to be what it is, but it is and I’m thought was life, everything you thought was your world, has fallen kind of glad that it happened like that. I think diving head first into apart and you’re salvaging whatever is left to get by and hopefully the deep end on things like this usually produces quite a strong result.” rebuild. More than an album, this product is a fully realised artistic statement “I found that by creating this alternate world, I could accentuate ideas in which Emerson is in full control of every aspect, from the stage design and over dramatise things and I could combine attributes from different and visuals to the music videos and merchandise. In creating the album, people together to create more interesting stories than perhaps the Emerson bestowed strong commitment to his craft. extent to what my own reality was restricted,” he continues. “The album “I spent pretty much an entire year without socialising,” he reveals. title ties into that because Not All Beautiful Things is as though we strive for these things, we try to achieve these things that we think “I allowed like one or two days every fortnight to go and do something are important; often we forget what is happening right now, often we with friends, and the rest of the time was anywhere between 11 and forget the people that are around us. We might go five or ten years down 23 hours in the studio. the track and suddenly we’re older and we didn’t quite get what we wanted but what we thought was important and we missed everything “I totally changed all my diet, I got on an exercise regime,” he along the way… this is kind of paying respects to things along the way.” continues, “The rest was just doing shows on the weekend somewhere in the world and then just locked in a basement in Los Angeles finishing With such a deep underlying message, it’s Emerson’s craftsmanship off this album three or four days a week. It drove me insane, but it that is undeniable in this album, steering away from the generic was worth it. conventions of electronic music and bringing something incredibly different to the table, enlisting a slew of collaborators such as “It’s something I’ve been very passionate about and worked very legendary rock lords Toto (on We Keep On Running), San Holo, Rome hard on for quite a long time now.” Fortune, Skrillex, Slumberjack and BUOY to create an immersive and Release: Not All The Beautiful Things is out now varicoloured piece of work. With all 12 collaborative tracks now out in the world, it was the single ‘Be Ok Again’ released last November that truly gained the music world’s attention. This deeply personal song not only features legendary rockstar and Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, but also sees Emerson writing and performing vocals for the first time as well.

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When & Where: The Forum, Melbourne – June 23 Tickets from beautifulthingstour.com

Hug Me is a real nice, cute selection of songs to hold and give to my mum or my friends or a stranger who ordered it online, and with that comes many proud vibes. It’s nice to have more than just the singles out because we know the fans have been asking for it, and we’ve been dying to share it too. You receive some rave reviews about your live performance with comments on the energy and fun you guys present on stage. What are the most important things for you when on stage? My favourite live shows I’ve seen have been where the band are super comfortable on stage. Not necessarily having a large presence with body language, but just doing their thing. We try to wiggle our bums as much as we can to get comfortable on the stages we play on, often that means jumping around and getting our boogie on. Last year was massive for you guys, with killer singles, the tour with Jungle Giants, winning Adelaide’s bestest HEAPS GOOD FRIENDS are ‘Best New Artist’ at the South Australian Music hitting the road for their first ever national Awards, among other achievements. What are tour in support of their debut EP Hug Me which the goals for this year? Looking to top 2017 in features the widely loved singles ‘I Could Eat a any particular way? Full Packet of Yo Yo’s’, ‘Let’s Hug Longer’ and Releasing this EP has been a huge milestone for ‘Olympic Sneakers’. We chat to vocalist and gui- us for sure, but more than that we wanna put our money where our mouth is and give this tour all tarist Emma Fradd ahead of their shows. we’ve got. We have been getting really excited, the Hey guys, thanks for chatting to Forte again! shows are selling well, and we can’t wait to just meet What have you been up to since we spoke last more people, not just fans but the other bands on year? the bill. We also want to block out some more time When we ended our tour with the Jungle Giants, for songwriting. we knew it was time to release something into the We’ll assume, but is there any new music world! We have been working hard on our debut EP currently in the works? If so, will it continue ‘Hug Me’ and we’ve also planned a cheeky National along the same sound as this current EP? tour to support these fresh tunes we’ve birthed! Yes there is new music in the works! Some of our Last time we spoke was just before Grampians more recent stuff has been a little different to Hug Music Festival. How was that whole experience, Me. Nick’s going down a music theory rabbit hole and how was performing in an intimate festival right now and it’s having him create some mean setting like GMF? chord progressions that I just wouldn’t think of. So, GMF was very special. A long drive but a bonding different flavours, but same pie. one. the mountains were just beautiful. Kangaroo central. The vibes of the festival were very friendly, When & Where: it was hot as anything, but the crew and crowd were Workers Club, Melbourne – Saturday March 24 very lovely. We’d love to play there again. You’ve just dropped your debut EP Hug Me! Tickets on sale now via heapsgoodfriends.com How has that been and what’s it like finally getting that out to the world?

HEAPS GOOD FRIENDS

AMON AMARTH Bringing a new sense of drama and destruction to the world of heavy music WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN For the last two decades Amon Amarth have stood true as being one of metal’s most known and renowned acts. Forming in 1992 and unintentionally starting a genre of ‘Viking Metal’ (although, the band doesn’t necessarily agree with that term,) the Swedish juggernauts have now gone on to release 10 studio albums of their unique and technical brand of heavy metal. Most recently, the bands first ever concept album, Jomsviking. As the bands founding member and guitarist Olavi Mikkonen explains, the writing process of Jomsviking was “a little bit different.” “I think the recording itself was pretty similar to what we have always done; the writing was a little bit different. Because it was a themed album, we knew the story and we kind of knew all the lyrics so we had to write the music to match the lyrics, which was really fun to do,” Mikkonen says. “We were not always together when we were writing, but we do have these writing sessions where

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we all get together and write for a week or so and then we separate for a point,” he continues. “During the time of separation when we were all working individually, we are all still sharing ideas. We have always worked together, it doesn’t matter which album it is. That’s the best way to make albums.” Although writing a concept album was something Amon Amarth enjoyed doing, Mikkonen expanded on their material that is currently in the works and how it doesn’t follow a specific theme. “If we come across the right idea we would love to do it again. You don’t make a concept album for no reason; you need to have the idea first,” he says. “The next album that we are working on now won’t be a concept album, mainly because I don’t think we had an idea that we wanted to do. It was a really fun approach and I would love to do it again but just not this time around. “During the festivals last summer, I was writing behind the scenes, I was jamming all these ideas I had. When we stopped touring in early September, I wrote two song ideas and then had a couple of months off and now we have started to write some more stuff... But that [new music] might take a while, the fans won’t hear any of that until at least mid 2019.” Now Amon Amarth will be taking their revered live show to the stage at this year’s inaugural Download Festival. “It will actually be the first time we have played any of Jomsviking in Australia, but it will be the last few shows of that tour cycle so we will be playing a bunch of songs off that album,” he says. “It will be awesome to get back on the road and we can’t wait to get back to Australia because we haven’t been there since Soundwave a few years ago. It’s exciting; it’s always exciting to be part of something that is new. It’s going to be fun and we will see you there!” When & Where: Download Festival @ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne – March 24 2018

Visit www.downloadfestival.com.au/ for more info

Entries Close: 22 APRIL 2018 Exhibition: 8 JUNE - 26 AUGUST 2018

#C E LEBRATETHESCA RF

NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM 26 MOORABOOL ST GEELONG 03 5272 4701 NWM.VIC.GOV.AU FORTE 685

WHAT’S ON IN THE VINES EASTER WEEKEND AT MT DUNEED ESTATE

Head to Mt Duneed estate this long weekend for an Easter extravaganza for the whole family. Activities are FREE for those dining with us in The Barrel Hall cafe on the day. If you’re lucky you might even spot the Easter Bunny visiting! Bookings essential via online or phone 5266 1244 - Friday March 30 - Face painting, seafood specials, kids mini egg hunt. Saturday March 31 - Kids Colouring competition, kids biscuit decorating, kids mini hunt. Saturday April 1 - Live music, kids colouring competition.

Allira from She Takes Photos Creating magic for everyone this place is that they cater for everyone and have dedicated menus telling you ‘hey this is Gluten free’, ‘hey this is vegan’ etc - which is amazing. My favourite dish on the menu is the Thai style yellow curry with chickpeas and pumpkin... YUM!

Hey FOODIES! CLYDE PARK’S BIG EASTER EGG HUNT Easter is a very magical time at Clyde Park! Bring out the family on Easter Sunday, the 1st of April and let the kids enjoy face painting, arts and craft workshops, the huge egg raffle, meeting our roaming Easter Bunny and especially the Big Easter Egg Hunt from 10:30am. There will be delicious brunch and lunch options, live acoustic music and Highland Piping at Clyde Park to enjoy for everyone, along with Single Block Wine Tastings and a Vintage Winery Tour for the grown ups. $5 donation ticket for the Big Easter Egg Hunt with ticket funds donated to The Change Angels charity! Limited tickets, book via www.eventbrite.com.au

Another great month is upon us. Summer is over and autumn is here, I have been working my way around the café scene again and I must admit, I am excited for the amount of new flavours around Geelong at the moment. Since going Plant-based, I have not struggled to find some amazing places around Geelong and the surf coast that host the most delicious plant based meals. So, I wanted to list my five fave places around Geelong/ Surf coast that have the most bomb-digity Vegan food on their menu, showcasing a mixture of day/ night venues! Wah Wah Gee Asian fusion food is my weakness at the moment. Mixing all Asian flavours together with a modern twist, Wah Wah Gee has been my go to for epic dinners. The thing the makes me most excited about

AUTUMN VINTAGE Wineries around the Surf Coast, Bellarine Peninsula and Moorabool Valley have been busy harvesting their 2018 Vintage. With many wineries starting on their Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Chardonnay, we have seen the wineries open their vineyards and invite the locals in to help with the harvest. The process truly reflects the passion and appreciation of the Geelong wine region! We look forward to tasting many of these fine drops at the Pinot Affair, May 27 and at the Winter Shiraz and Toast to the Coast festivals later this year.

King of the Castle My go to brunch fave! You will honestly find me here most weekends sipping coffee, soaking in the good vibes and chowing down the EPIC Vegan breakfast. The vegan breakfast is made up of all the faves on a big breakfast including a flavoursome chickpea Dahl! King has a range of vegan options including a delicious smoothie bowl. I would definitely recommend this place for your next weekend brunch spot. Warralily Cockatoo The first time I headed out to cockatoo was over the labour day weekend, and this place was buzzing. A huge open space, with a small kids area I was impressed. The menu is simple and clean and the coffee was exceptional. On the menu for a plantbased option there is a the flaming galah which can

BurgerInc are donating 100% of their takings to the Good Friday Appeal BurgerInc are back again this year for a good cause, donating 100% of the days taking on Thursday, March 29 to the Good Friday Appeal. Last year saw the burger joint raise $5700, thanks to the many locals who stopped by and picked up some food. The store will be open and offer a variety of meat and vegetarian burgers as well as fries and drinks. If you’re in Geelong and are hungry, you can’t go past the finest burger joint in town, and better yet, you’re helping out a worthy cause while you’re at it. You can find them at Shop 1/328 Pakington Street in Newtown or on Facebook.

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be made vegan. It is the ultimate breakfast - my plater was overfilled with tofu, hash browns, maple roasted beans, greens, the list goes on. It is definitely one of my fave meals going around Geelong at the moment! Pholklore I wrote about these guys a few issues back but it’s one of my go-to’s in Torquay at the moment with an array of Vietnamese food for everyone including some banger vegan meals (insert drooling face). If you do happen to get down here, I highly recommend the fried Tofu! FacePlant café When a whole café is dedicated to being 110% plant based – screams on the inside! Everything inside this amazing space is full of plant based goodness, I cannot fault any item on the menu as everything sounds as good as it looks. Smoked tofu dishes, a hearty bircher,smoothies the list goes on with this place. Follow Allira’s food and lifestyle photography on Instagram via @Shetakesphotos_

With industry-renowned coffee, delectable ready-to-go snacks and a varied breakfast and lunch menu, this café has really started to hit its straps in providing a warm and inviting experience to even the pickiest brunchers. But for Juliette, this is just the beginning. “We have some really exciting plans for the future,” she remarks. “We will be revamping the menu shortly to offer your café classics, but we also want to provide some healthier options including salad bowls and some dishes with an Asian twist.”

COCCO CAFÉ A New Beginning on Ryrie Street

own establishment her whole life. With the calm and inviting nature of the venue, it is easy to see why its popularity is starting to rise in the Geelong region. Offering delivery to businesses in the Geelong CBD, Cocco is re-establishing itself as an integral part of Geelong’s café landscape... and what a welcome sight it is. Cocco is located at 210 Ryrie Street, Geelong and is open Sunday - Thursday 7:30am to 5:00pm, and Friday – Saturday 7:30am to 10:00pm.

Looking to eat in? Check out Australia’s top gluten-free takeaway meals Did you know 1 in 70 Australian’s have Coeliac disease, and 1 in 4 remain undiagnosed - it’s a disease

But with a generous liquor license for the business, the re-imagining doesn’t stop at the delicious food on offer. “We also will be incorporating a wine list that boasts some of the best local and international wines currently in season,” she says. “As well as an assortment of craft beers and a list of cocktail favourites. We want people to be able to come along after work, have a glass of pinot and enjoy a charcuterie platter with your friends to wind down.” Acquiring Cocco Café has been a dream come true for Juliette, who has dreamed of owning her

with many faces, and for some, the consequences can be deadly. In line with Coeliac Awareness Week (13 20 March), Australia’s largest food delivery service, Menulog, has put in the hard yards and narrowed down the favourite meals for those that are gluten free. Of Menulog’s 9,300+ restaurants in Australia, there are more than 1,000 across the platform explicitly offering gluten free options, with an average of eight options from each restaurant. Among the thousands of restaurant partners, there are a variety of favoured dishes and restaurants with Australia’s top ten favourite include three Victorian restaurants. The Victorian contenders include Luck Thai - South

WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB

Yarra - A rich panang curry paste lightly pan fried in luscious coconut cream with Thai basil, vegetables and

For years, Cocco Café has been a culinary staple on Geelong’s famed Ryrie Street. In recent times however, with the café boom currently in force in the Geelong area, Cocco had succumbed to rising competition… until now.

your choice of meat, Knoxfield Thai Restaurant’s Tom Sabb which is a Thai eastern style spicy &amp; sour soup with sweet basil, dried chilli and ground roasted rice and Northcote’s Loving Hut with their classic Sweet & Sour with the option of Battered Pork or Eggplant & Tofu, with a hint of spice.

With new owner Juliette Taafe taking the reigns in the understated eatery, she brings with it a wealth of knowledge in the food and beverage industry. Having worked in the hospitality for over fifteen years, Juliette is under no illusions as to what she wants to bring to the area. “I want Cocco to be a place for everyone,” she says. “We want to be known for good coffee, great food and even better service.”

toast, a BIIG breakfast, and an early bird breakfast burger. As well as a large range of

MULE COFFEE SHED Bringing a new, minimalistic look to town WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO

If you’re a lover of all day brekky, and KICK-ASS burgers, Mule Coffee Shed’s for you. With its recently renovated venue and a brand-new menu, the new and improved Mule definitely needs to be high on your list of places to try. Once known for its ‘Megashakes’ and colourful interior, owner Dave has taken a different, more industrial look for the recent revamp. With polished concrete, light-coloured walls and stunning contemporary dining benches, this really is a brand new Mule, bringing a whole new experience to the cafe.

beverages, including the always loved shakes and smoothies. The newest addition to the menu is the kick ass burgers, which features five NEW burgers, that are mouth-watering and packed with flavour and packed up pretty high too– who wouldn’t want to give it a go? Proving they still maintain the same experimental and fun vision, they’ve also brought back the delicious Bunny Shakes just in time for Easter – picture an actual Easter bunny filled with scrumptious shake goodness... mmm! If you’re looking for a large space for your next function or event, definitely go check out Mule, with its large shed venue, it would be a perfect space for any type of celebration. Located at 64 Separation Street, in North Geelong, in the middle of an industrial area, it’s no wonder Dave decided to take a different approach to the same venue. Plenty of more exciting news to come, so keep up to date via their Facebook page www. facebook.com/mulecoffeeshed.

The new menu features an all-day brekky, that includes Nutella pancakes – yuuuum, French

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With no prior experience in farming or truffles, Andres and Lynette’s produce has been steadily growing in popularity as their annual harvest gets greater and greater. With the help of their gorgeous truffle dogs Ella, Narla and charmer Harry - they are able to produce and harvest a range of truffles each season, as well as produce a plethora of vegetables and fruits. Then, whatever extras are leftover are donated to the Food Is Free Laneway in Ballarat. “It’s feast or famine in regards to produce, so we love sharing as much of it as possible,” Lynette proudly exclaims. For a former IT consultant and aged-care worker, they are doing great things in the produce industry - producing and selling their own truffle butter, truffle honey, truffle mustard, truffle oil, truffled and herbed salts - and it doesn’t stop there. Black Cat Cottage and Truffles offer quaint country accommodation on their farm, where the kids can run, pet the dogs, explore the farm, pick some produce and eggs from the chickens, as well as go for their very own truffle hunt. They also offer several truffle hunts throughout their season, and can provide private hunts for groups. “A lot of people have heard of us now and people recognise Black Cat Cottage and Truffles. A lot of accommodation stays come from word of mouth too,” Lynette says.

Black Cat Cottage and Truffles

of the 2018 truffle season and new-look café-style truffle tasting house, which will be supplying their own products, as well as showcasing a range of local produce such as Basilio Sourdough and Goldfield Farmhouse Cheeses. With Plate Up Ballarat around the corner, Lynette says it’s an exciting time for the food and wine scene in Ballarat, one which hasn’t gone unnoticed. “Ballarat is growing hand-over-fist as a culinary destination. It’s growing fast. The quality of chefs that are coming to Ballarat and the slow food movement, all these things are just building nicely here”. And as Lynette mentions, “we’re not just a sleepy country town, we’re a town where things are happening, and Plate Up is just the start of it”. Black Cat Cottage and Truffles is located at 150 Howards Rd, Wattle Flat. Plate Up Ballarat will feature 38 events over 31 days, each heroing local produce throughout the month of May. A timetable of events and tickets are now available for purchase, so secure your spot today by visiting plateupballarat.com.au

WRITTEN BY SELMA KAJAN

There’s something quite special about truffles; their rarity, uniqueness of flavours and history, and whether you like them or not, the process of harvesting and preparing is a real art something which Andres and Lynette Haas from Black Cat Cottage and Truffles have managed to successfully do over the last ten years. Their gorgeously transformed sheep paddock in Wattle Flat, just outside of Ballarat, is a true testament to their hard work and their love of truffles. It was something that was always on their wish list, but never really came into fruition until some many years later. “We call ourselves long-term impulsive, as we’d been looking and researching truffles for three to four years and then after a trip to Europe and a visit to a trufferie in Tasmania, we started the venture within the space of three months,” Andres says. It’s easy to see what makes this place so special and why it has quietly been gaining attention. The gorgeous 20 acre property has been adorned by the ultimate veggie gardens and fruit trees, as well as their truffle orchard, which includes 1000 truffle trees. The peace and serenity of the property makes it appealing for both guests and visitors alike and it’s no wonder Andres and Lynette have called this home for over a decade.

With a passion for supporting local producers themselves, they are regular suppliers to locals Red Duck Brewery, Craig’s Royal Hotel, Eclectic Tastes and many more across the region. They will also be a part of the upcoming Plate Up Ballarat event, which will celebrate Ballarat’s wonderful food offerings, craft beers, boutique wines and more across the month of May. Black Cat will be having a truffle hunt and will also produce a one-off, delectable truffle Burger for the event. Their event ‘Burger For a Cause’ will feature on the Plate Up Ballarat calendar on the 31st of May, with 20 per cent of proceeds raised going towards the Ballarat Soup Bus. The event will coincide with the opening

beyond. Where there’s alcohol, there’s music – live bands and vino, what more could you want? Now that Little Malop Street is booming with insanely good grub destinations, it’s no surprise that the Geelong version of Lygon Street is host to an event of this calibre. With a pass-in pass-out ticket that allows ticketholders to enter and exit throughout the day, it’d be silly not to enjoy what some of Geelong’s finest wineries have to offer. Head on down to Pinot Affair and taste the 2017 James Haillday Wine Companion Australian Pinot Noir of the Year, Yes Said The Seal.

ATTENTION ALL WINE CONNOISSEURS AS THIS ONE’S FOR YOU

Adult tickets - $35, Early bird tickets $30** offer ends March 26 @ 5pm For more info, visit www.pinotaffair.com.au

Forte will see you wine-heads there xx

Mon - Fri 8 - 4 // Sat 9 - 4 // Sun 9 - 3 11 Rutland st. Newtown ph: 0438 897 450

Wine Geelong has announced a new event for lovers of Pinot Noir WRITTEN BY HANNAH KENNY

The juicy goodness of grapes extracted from the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and Moorabool Valley have never tasted so good. Smooth but full in flavour, the humble Pinot Noir will be celebrated at a ‘Pinot Affair’ on May 27 at Geelong’s recently renovated West End precinct in Little Malop Street.

@neighbour_geelong

neighbourgeelong.com

Showcasing 20 of the best Pinot Noir drops in the region, the event is set to welcome wine appreciators from the local community and

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THE LITTLE L PROJECT Encounter Australia’s polar dinosaur for the first time Have you ever wanted to encounter a Virtual Reality 3D Experience of Australia’s own polar dinosaur? Well now you can at the National Wool Museum. This exhibit showcases a polar dinosaur, who was the size of a wallaby, and some 106 million years ago, roamed the Victorian Otway Ranges, as well as the vast river valley that spread from Australia to Antarctica. Brought together by the National Wool Museum, Deakin University, PrimeSci, and Museums Victoria, the Little L project aims to help blend the physical and digital world for the first time and create a ‘mixed reality’. Within the exhibition, people will be able to interact with ‘Little L’ in virtual reality and will also be able to touch a 3D printed Leaellynasaura amicagraphica (Little L). This experience will be able to track peoples hand gestures, which will allow people to use their imagination and change the colour and texture of Little L’s skin. Curated by Learning and Programs Officer of The National Wool Museum Marie Allaman, she explains the thinking behind bringing this technology to the museum. “We want to try and find new ways to engage

people within the museum and renew their experience,” she says. “As this is a little polar dinosaur from the area, it’s presenting a local heritage and a lot of people have no idea that we are very close to dig sights where a lot of fossils are found. It’s interesting to really see what people imagine from dinosaurs,” she continues. “We are very far away from Jurassic Park and T-rex, and even though it’s really small, this was one of the dinosaurs that was roaming the area and with virtual reality, you are going to be discovering this little dinosaur from your area.” In line with International Women’s Day earlier this month, and the premise of women playing such a crucial role in the community, Allaman highlights how this particular project is lead majority by females in the field, explaining its significance in elevating the profiles of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). “In museums, there’s generally a lot of female leaders in curatorships, but with this particular project, the science side has involved a lot of intelligent women,” Allaman explains. “In this engineering world, women are generally less represented, but in this project we’ve got two Deakin project leaders, the main palaeontologist, and even the dinosaur leading us all around is one of the few dinosaur named after female in the world, Leaellynasaura, named after the daughter of the palaeontologist.” This exhibition has been dubbed a ‘must see’ and has been running since mid-February and will continue to do so until Sunday the 15th of April and is your chance to participate in an exciting technology experience. “The feedback has been exceptional and is from a full range of people, from kids to seniors to families to couples. Everyone visiting is really enjoying it so we are keen to imagine future possibilities. I think this has really shown that VR has its place in museums and that there’s a sense for it. It’s not just bringing technology for technologists; this is bringing new sense, new meanings and new experiences to people for the first time.” It runs daily, from 9:30am – 5pm on weekdays, and 10am - 5pm on weekends. Prices start at just $5 for kids, $7 for concession, $9 for adults, and $30 for families.

READY, STEADY, KNIT! Entries now open for Scarf Festival 2018 E N T R I E S A R E N OW O P E N F O R T H E NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM’S ANNUAL SCARF FESTIVAL! TAKING INSPIRATION F RO M T H I S Y E A R’S T H E M E – L I V I N G O N T H E L A N D – S CA R F M A K E R S A R E BEING ENCOURAGED TO INCORPORATE NATURAL AND/OR BUILT LANDSCAPES AND THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY, INTO THEIR DESIGNS. National Wool Museum Director Padraic Fisher said the competition, now in its 15th year, celebrates textile artists from across Australia and from around the world. “Anyone can enter the Scarf Festival – from school children to beginner crafters to accomplished

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artisans from Australia and abroad.” City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Bruce Harwood said the Scarf Festival will attract a huge crowd to the National Wool Museum for this eclectic annual showcase of scarves, designed by well-known crafters and artists. “This is such a unique festival and the only one of its kind in Australia. The festival will bring visitors from across Australia to see this incredible collection of scarves, which use a range of textiles.” Scarves can be entered into any of 11 categories, which include 100% wool, colour, knitted, woven, crocheted, felted, menswear, sustainability, extreme, and special categories for primary and secondary students. Scarf makers can submit entries up until the closing date of Sunday 22 April. Winners will be announced on Friday 8 June, with the exhibition running until Sunday 26 August. To find out more about the competition and how to enter, visit geelongaustralia. com.au/scarffestival.

JIM GAFFIGAN Returns for his biggest Australian stand-up tour to date WRITTEN BY ALEX CALLAN

IN TERMS OF MODERN DAY COMEDY, JIM GAFFIGAN IS IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN. BEING ONE OF FIVE COMEDIANS TO S E L L O U T M A D I S O N S Q U A R E G A R D E N, GAFFIGAN, KNOWN FOR THE JIM GAFFIGAN S H OW, F L I G H T O F T H E C O N C H O R D S, P O RT L A N D I A, U N B R E A K A B L E K I M M Y S C H M I DT A N D B O R E D TO D E AT H, H A S EXTENDED HIS UNIQUE BRAND OF O B S E RVAT I O N A L H U M O U R T O A L S O BECOME A BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND A GRAMMY AWARD -WINNING COMEDIAN. Now branching out yet again, Gaffigan has found himself acting in in his first ever in a drama film, ‘Chappaquiddick’. “I love acting,” he reveals, “it’s more so a matter of getting the acting jobs than it is me not wanting to do them.” Performing alongside actors such as Jason Clarke and Ed Helms, Gaffigan elaborates on the process of ‘Chappaquiddick,’ which marks the first of many acting roles he has been working on recently. “I don’t think dramatic acting is something unusual for me to pursue, but I do understand if people usually see comedians doing comedy, it is a bit different,” he says, “But it was something that has been a great time for me and I’ve done a couple more [films] and I’ve been loving it.” With sold out live shows at some of the biggest venues on the planet and iconic film and TV roles including his critically acclaimed sitcom The Jim

Gaffigan Show, Gaffigan is one of the most familiar faces in comedy in the world today. Now Gaffigan is about to embark on his second ever tour of Australia (and first run of shows in New Zealand) since his last visit in 2014. “It’s all new material,” he says. “I hate to specify what the material is because I feel like it sounds relatively boring when you just discuss it.” Also offering up a warning to Australian audiences, the father of five smiles, “I will warn the Australian and New Zealand audiences that I will probably be more tired than I was last time because my kids are coming with me.” Being known for having primarily clean comedy, Gaffigan also touched on the fact that he doesn’t feel Australia’s love of cursing impacts his comedy style. “I live in New York City and it’s not as if I don’t curse in every day life. In my stand-up I might not curse as much as when I’m at a bar at night, but it’s just my style of comedy,” he explains. “I don’t feel as if it necessitates me cursing. A lot of the topics I’m discussing I feel it would be almost dishonest to curse while talking about. I mean no one curses when they are talking about having a nap. “I’ve performed in Australia before, and that’s not to say that I know or understand everything about the cultures down here, but that is a lot of the fun of it, you figure it out as you go,” he continues. “People that are coming to my shows usually have seen my Netflix specials so people at my shows tend to know my sensibilities.” With a European tour and a film shoot planned after his tour of Australia, it seems like he will have a busy 2018 ahead of him. Catch him while you can at the Melbourne Town Hall this April.

When & Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne (as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival) – April 4, 5 & 6 Tickets via comedyfestival.com.au

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Roll up, roll up The Silver Circus is back in town WRITTEN BY ALEESHA COOTS

Prepare to ooohhh and ahhhhh, laugh, cheer, clap and be ‘wowed’ when the Silver Circus heads to Geelong at the end of the month to bring magic and fun right outside our doorstep. Established in 1976, Silver Circus has become a household name. After almost 40 years of providing jaw dropping entertainment for the whole family, Silver Circus has become one of the top 10 circuses of the world while maintaining all the sparkle, glamour and death defying acts we’ve come to expect of the premier circus. This action packed two hour show is held in big top with both cooling and heating with the star of the show the Ringmaster and Master of Illusion, Simon Tait. If you’re thinking about attending the show you can expect to see the following line up of acts:

already excited about this one! The Globe of Death: World-famous PhoenixRiders speed around on motor bikes inside a 3-1/2 meter diameter metal globe, only just missing each other by millimetres. This one truly tests the laws of physics and the outer limits of bikes and bodies, and will be one to hold your breath for. Hoola Hoops: Here we are blessed with the talented stylings of Gypsy; who brings her childhood skills of hoola hoops all the way from Argentina. She will leave your head spinning as she manipulates up to 80 hoola hoops whilst balancing on a giant mirror ball. Having numerous hoops thrown in her direction all at once is just one of her many talents. Clowns: A guaranteed at the circus but expect the unexpected with these clowns. These acts are guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. The Roman Rings: Sixth generation Swiss circus artist, Rosita Gasser performs a unique and very modern display on the Roman Rings with elegance, poise and style. Her strength and control during performance has stemmed from being a solo, double and flying trapeze aerialist from the tender age of eight and a lifetime in the circus. This one is super mesmerising so prepare to be amazed. Juggling Monchito: Ariel Barralle, otherwise known as the Juggling Monchito, is a second generation circus performer from South America. He has performed juggling acts in several disciplines including trampoline juggling and aerial straps. He also performs the traditional Argentina dance of Gauchos with his family. Definitely a kid friendly act guaranteed to wow. Unicycle: Yonas Showcases his agility speed and precision as he manoeuvres high above the audience on unicycles. Wheels are Yonas’ things as he surprises you over and over again. Cloud Swing: Madeline Bisby is a highly skilled Australian Aerial artist. In her act she combines stunning artistry with compelling elegance as she pushes the limits and heights on her cloud swing.

These acts and many more class acts will be performed through out the night. Silver circus is guaranteed to have an act for everyone and to tap into the nostalgia we hold for an authentic and unique circus experience. It’s true when they say there is no other circus like Silvers Circus. Wheel Of Steel: Dominik Gasser and Merwyn Garcia run, jump, skip and flip through their routine of sheer physical ordacity, The wheel they challenge defies description, as its wheels obsolete and revolve from group level to dizzying heights, creating a spectacle that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. We are

When & Where: Geelong Showgrounds, Geelong - Wednesday March 28 to Sunday April 15 For all show details visit www.silverscircus.com. au.

Celebrating the hits of the 60s music sensations Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, New Jersey Nights is guaranteed to take you on an uplifting night of nostalgia this year. Calling in from his home in London, New Jersey Nights cast member Ricky Rojas is excited to be bringing this exciting musical journey of one of the biggest-selling groups of all-time to Australia and regional Victoria in April. “You can’t go wrong with that type of music, it’s ageless and everyone loves it,” Rojas smiles. “I was actually a fan of the staples like ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Walk Like A Man’ and ‘Sherry’, but there were also some songs that I had no idea were originally recorded by The Four Seasons, and some that I thought were originally recorded by The Temptations or The Drifters, or other Motown groups,” he laughs. With a sensational cast of award winning West End singers and dancers, complete with a live band on stage, New Jersey Nights has been receiving rave reviews since its first show in 2013, and has since smashed box office records right across the USA and UK, proving to be one of the most successful touring shows of all time. “We first did it in 2013 which was in the UK for a year and it sold out everywhere,” Rojas exclaims. “It was nuts, just ridiculous! Since then, it’s been on and off and it’s kind of one of those shows that keeps coming back. If it continues going after Australia, I’ll definitely jump on board.” In this spectacular celebration of the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Rojas explains that while they cover the most famous Four Seasons tunes, fans can also expect to experience more than just the favourites.

New Jersey Nights Celebrating The Music Of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons WRITTEN BY TALIA RINALDO

towards the end of it you start giving everything you can and then by the end of the week, you are just tired,” he laughs. “It’s having to pace yourself, especially with that type of music. It’s just a really fun show to do and it’s fun to sing with your friends because we all get along really well.” With a passion for performing since his first professional production “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” and going on to play various parts in productions in the West End (Fame, Buddy, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat) and Broadway NY ( Burn The Floor), Rojas admits to being most at home with his guitar. “I kind of fell into musical theatre way back when but that’s where my passion really lies, songwriting and working on my own stuff,” he smiles. “I’m still creating, I’m still writing now when I’ve got a chance.” This passion is mirrored through Rojas’ solo performance of ‘Earth Angel’ within the New Jersey Nights production. “My favourite moment; there’s a version of ‘Earth Angel’ which Frankie Valli did a cover of and it’s really stripped back,” he explains. “It’s usually done with just a piano and saxophone, and that’s a nice moment, it’s nice to just sing a song by yourself on stage.” Join Rojas in a fast-paced, joyous tribute to one of the most celebrated and influential pop acts of the sixties, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. This one is not to be missed. When & Where: Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – April 20 Costa Hall @ Deakin University, Geelong – April 21.

“We also cover a lot of the back catalogue, some of the ones that aren’t that popular, but for the connoisseurs of music, they will appreciate it,” he laughs. “We also cover some of his solo hits as well that he did from his later career, like in the 1990’s he did a ‘60s album of his favourite songs with different renditions of his favourite tunes. I actually sing ‘Grease Is The Word’ which he recorded originally for the movie.” Covering 30 hits from a group whose harmonies were legendary, Rojas, alongside fellow singers Jon Hawkins, Damion Scarcella and Simon Schofield, work hard to replicate the music of Valli and fully relish at the chance to create some stunning pop nostalgia. “The other three boys get this as well; it’s such a fun show but vocally it’s pretty heavy. Because it’s such good music, you get into it a lot, and

and endangerment. Astonishing sculptures and installations which explore the intersection of nature, humanity and art, created by acclaimed artists from around the world, are situated across the dramatic sweep of Lorne’s world-famous foreshore. With this event being the largest and most prominent yet, applications from highlyacclaimed international artists have rolled in. “I was really heartened when one of our major project artists Shirin Abedinirad from Iran, she found us of her own volition. We didn’t approach her, she discovered us through the internet and applied along with a number of artists internationally,” Nicholls states. “This is a really special event in a special part of the world. This Biennale shows a different way for people to present their work and this particular event in the open air and free to the public provides that.”

festival experiences, which Nicholls acknowledges the impact it has already had on the area. “Many of the projects involve community engagement throughout the Biennale including a major project which is called the ‘Living Stage Project’ which has involved numerous members of the Lorne community and the Lorne schools as well,” she says. “But so many things involved with the Biennale are involving members of the Lorne community. It has a great impact socially but also economically by the amount of people it brings to the area.” A big theme of the Biennale is environmental conservation with Nicholls hoping the event may help people stop and consider the effect on nature.

Biennale

“We are hoping that the works will make people stop and think and to think in really constructive ways. Art tends to conjure up a deeper and much richer engagement in topics because you become more invested in the piece and therefore you start to learn about the effects of degradation on the environment,” she explains.

Victoria’s largest public outdoor sculpture event

“It’s just another way of getting these messages through, but art can often engage you on another level.”

Lorne Sculpture

WRITTEN BY DANIEL JUBB

This March, the 2018 Lorne Sculpture Biennale (LSB) celebrates the best in contemporary Australian and international sculpture in a free, vibrant festival that enriches and transforms the stunning Lorne foreshore and surrounds on the Great Ocean Road. Over three weekends, Victoria’s most prestigious sculpture festival, now in its sixth iteration, will be an unmissable destination for art lovers everywhere. Under the creative direction of curator Lara Nicholls in her incoming Biennale, the 2018 event explores the theme ‘Landfall’, presenting major works and new commissions from 41 artists devoted to pressing global issues of nature

The Lorne Sculpture Biennale runs from now until April 2 on Lorne’s iconic foreshore. For more information, head to www.lornesculpture.com.

Geelong’s first Queer Film Festival is finally here WRITTEN BY CHLOE CICERO This film festival aims to bring contemporary and classic, diverse and inclusive, Queer and LGTBI themed films to the Geelong community for an all-inclusive film festival for everyone, with opportunities to volunteers to participate in the queer community. Opening night will kick off on Friday 13th April, at 7:30 with the film ‘A Moment in the Reeds’ (18+), a film about a young Finnish man Leevi, returning home for the summer to help renovate his father’s lake house. He meets and befriends Tareq, a recent asylum seeker from Syria, and the two spend the summer bonding. On Saturday 14th April at 12pm ‘Australian Shorts’ (18+) will be screening ahead of ‘Out in the Line-Up’ which will screen at 3pm. ‘Australian Shorts’ is a locally made showcase tells nine queer stories through the inside of 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. On Sunday 15th April, at 11am, the festival screens ‘The Feels’ (18+), a racy yet hilarious ensemble comedy, about a group of friends who go away for the weekend to celebrate the impending wedding of Andy and Lu. Of course, things go awry, with the festival concludes with the screening of an award-winning documentary ‘The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin’ (18+) at 1:30pm, a

Born in Lorne, Nicholls, who is the Curator of 19th century Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia, brings her expertise and passion for art, a desire to achieve gender parity for artists and a need to explore environmental issues to her role. Founded in 2005, the LSB is uniquely located where the Great Otway National Park meets the ocean, a site that naturally lends itself to art that engages with environment and encourages crosscultural dialogue. The seaside town becomes the glorious venue for an enlivening program of

documentary outlines the life and career of Armistead Maupin, who is the celebrated author of the popular book and TV series ‘Tales of the City’.

This festival goes from 13th– 15th of April, with films being screened at The Pivotonian Cinema, in South Geelong. Tickets are available via www. trybooking.com/eventlist/gqff

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REVIEWS

FILMS REVIEWED BY ANTHONY MORRIS

↑↑ THE BBQ

↑↑ MARY MAGDALENE

↑↑ DEATH WISH

Shane Jacobson seems to have conquered perhaps the smallest niche in Australian film: the comedy barbeque movie. Last week his celebrity joke-fest set at a backyard barbie That’s Not My Dog! had an (intentionally) brief run in cinemas, and now this slightly more traditional tale of Australia’s love of flame-cooked meat hits Geelong. The story of Dazza (Jacobson), a firmly average backyard cook (and supposed descendant of Captain Cook) who enters a big time BBQ contest to save his reputation after he accidentally poisons the neighbourhood, it’s about as Australian as Australian film gets – it even stars Magda Szubanski as “The Butcher”, a Scottish chef who helps Dazz get his groove back. For a writer (he co-wrote the script) and actor whose big break was in Kenny, a film that seemed to nail down a lot about the Australian character, this feels a lot fuzzier around the edges; it’s a comedy based on a comedy version of Australia rather than the real thing.

There’s been a bit of a resurgence in overtly religious films since The Passion of the Christ proved there was gold in them thar hills, but this retelling of the story of Jesus from Mary’s pointof-view – from director Garth Davis (Lion) – is less interested in the direct divinity of Christ and more about reclaiming Mary’s position at the centre of his church. As is often the case with religious films, the most interesting stuff is early on; here it’s Mary (Rooney Mara) struggling against the constraints of 1st Century life, where her reluctance to get married and her skill at helping and healing those around her set her apart. When a mysterious but charismatic teacher (Jaoquin Phoenix) passes by, she’s swept up by his teaching and leaves her family behind to join his followers – though some feel a woman will bring disrepute upon them. Phoenix’s Jesus is caring and distracted (and possible just a mentally unbalanced man), separate from his followers who are actively hoping he will bring the literal Kingdom of Heaven any day now. It’s Mary who’s more humane approach has her closer to Him, and this conflict between her and the men all around her underlies the film’s earthy, historically plausible retelling of the last days of Christ.

The 1974 Charles Bronson Death Wish isn’t a great film – it’s barely a good one – but it is a classic. This version keeps the bare bones of Bronson’s film (and the Brian Garfield novel it was based on), but messes with the character; this Kersey lives in Chicago, is an ER surgeon who used to be a brawler but has mellowed, and rather than holding liberal values he can be shocked out of he’s played by Bruce Willis, so he just smirks a lot. Director Eli Roth is best known for various trashy horror films (Hostel, Knock Knock), and he really takes his time on the home invasion that ends with Kersey’s wife dead and his daughter in a coma. It’s a suspenseful sequence – Roth knows his stuff – but it’s pointless; we know Kersey’s family is doomed because that’s how vigilante films work, just as we know despite all his hand-wring Kersey is going to be killing dirtbags first chance he gets. At least the various executions are excitingly handled, while the politics are at best muddled; while the original occasionally suggested Kersey was a troubled man, here he’s just trying to defend his family… by killing random strangers on the street.

↑↑ TOMB RAIDER Forget everything you know about Lara Croft… unless what you know comes from the 2013 game that rebooted the franchise, in which case you’ve already got a good idea of where this is heading. Here Croft (Alicia Vikander) is 21, a London bike courier, and actively avoiding taking on the mantle (and vast wealth) left to her by her father, Lord Croft (Dominic West). He vanished seven years ago on a vague and mysterious quest, and when Croft decides to finally sign the papers that’ll officially mark her father as dead she stumbles upon a clue that inspires her to go looking for him one final time. After a brief stop-over in Hong Kong for a quick chase scene, she’s off with drunken sailor Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) to find a mysterious island where Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) is running the kind of archaeological dig where sloppy workers get shot. The story is pretty basic, but Norwegian director Roar Uthaug strings together an entertainingly varied range of action sequences to keep the excitement levels up before they get into the tomb. Better still, Vikander delivers a performance that gives just the right amount of emotional heft to all the running, jumping, crawling, diving, more jumping, arrow-shooting, bike racing, kick-boxing, swimming, and falling out of the sky.

RECORD WATCH

GLENN

JOSH

Paul Kelly Vinyl Reissues

DANGEROUS TOYS - Self Titled - Sleazy Texan hard rock from the late 80’s. A bit ballsier than some of the more popular Glam/ Hard Rock that was coming out of Los Angeles at the time. Tracks like Sporting a Woody have a humorous angle, others like Feels like a Hammer have a bit more mood. Well played, well crafted album that had a short time in the sun. Check out Scared, Teas’n Pleas’n, or Feels Like a Hammer if trying before you buy!!

ADELE - 25

TALIA

NATHAN

ALISON WONDERLAND – Church - While this is a single, Sydney-born, now LA-based Alison Wonderland makes her mark with this ripping track, and is a damn fine indication of what’s to come of her sophomore album Awake (out April 6). This epic self-esteem anthem is spinning on repeat on my morning playlist – the ultimate pick me up.

THE STROKES - COMEDOWN MACHINE One of my all time favourite albums, it has some seriously funk riffs in there and the choruses on every song are massive, especially in Slow Animals and Welcome To Japan which are probably my two favourites on the album.

(Gawd Aggie/Universal)

STAFF PICKS

Paul Kelly is as everyone knows an Australian treasure. The Songwriter’s Songwriter. He has been providing the soundtrack to our lives since the late 70s. He has a vast back catalogue with his own albums, his groups and a plethora of collaborations! The first four LPs in his reissue program are now available “Post”, “Gossip”, Under The Sun” and “So Much Water So Close To Home” with “Comedy” & “Hidden Things” in the pipeline over the next few months. For fans of Archie Roach, R.E.M. & Elvis Costello

Available from Prehistoric Sounds Warrnambool & The Amazing Mill Markets Newcomb

GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT & BAMI 2017 | DOCUMENTARY | 1H 56M MAR THU 22: 1.00PM; SAT 24: 9.30PM; MON 26: 3.00PM; WED 28: 8.15PM; SAT 31: 9.15PM; TUE 3: 9.15PM

THE BBQ

THE SQUARE 2017 | DRAMA/COMEDY | 2H 31M MAR THU 22: 3.15PM; FRI 23: 11.00AM; SUN 25: 3.30PM; WED 28: 11.00AM; THU 29: 1.15PM; FRI 30: 3.30PM; MON 2: 3.15PM; WED 4: 1.15PM

2017 | COMEDY | 1H 27M

HAPPY END

MAR THU 22: 11.00AM; FRI 23: 8:30PM; SAT 24: 11.00AM, 5.30PM; SUN 25: 6.15PM; MON 26: 1.00PM; TUE 27: 6.00PM; WED 28: 3.45PM; SAT 31: 5.45PM; SUN 1: 5.00PM; TUE 3: 5.45PM

2017 | DRAMA | 1H 50M MAR SAT 24: 7.30PM; MON 26: 11.00AM; WED 28: 1.45PM; THU 29: 4.00PM; SUN 1: 3.00PM

SWEET COUNTRY 2017 | THRILLER | 1H 53M MAR THU 22: 8.15PM; FRI 23:

4.00PM; SAT 24: 3.15PM; SUN 25: 1.15PM; TUE 27: 11.00AM; FRI 30: 1.15PM; MON 2: 8.00PM; WED 4: 11.00AM

8.30PM; SAT 31: 3.30PM; APR SUN 1: 11.00AM; MON 2: 12.45PM; TUE 3: 3.30PM; WED 4: 6.00PM

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

LADY BIRD

MAR SUN 25: 8.00PM; TUE 27: 3.30PM; FRI 30: 11.00AM; SUN 1: 6.45PM

PHANTOM THREAD 2017 | DRAMA/CRIME | 2H 10M MAR THU 22: 6.00PM; FRI 23: 1.45PM, 6:15PM; SUN 25: 11.00AM; MON 26: 5.15PM; TUE 27: 1.15PM, 8.00PM; THU 29: 11.00AM, 6.00PM (FUNDRAISER); FRI 30:

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

↑↑ PETER RABBIT This ain’t your grandparent’s Peter Rabbit. In fact, there’s barely the bare bones of Beatrix Potter’s tales in this revisionist take; even Farmer McGregor (Sam Neill) is killed off in the opening minutes. Peter (voiced by James Corden) and his triplet sisters Flopsy (Margot Robbie), Mopsy (Elizabeth Debicki) and Cottontail (Daisy Ridley) now have a tragic backstory; Farmer McGregor ate their father in a pie, and with their mother also dead they’ve been adopted by local artist Bea (Rose Byrne). With Farmer McGregor dead, the local wildlife reclaim his garden and house, so when distant cousin Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson) finally arrives to claim his inheritance, the place is totally trashed. But as he cleans it up prior to selling it (so he can open his own toy store and stick it to his former employers, Harrods) he bonds with Bea over a shared love of rabbits – only he secretly hates rabbits, and spends most of the film trying to kill them in various wacky ways. While the film strives for an anarchic, anything-goes feel (there’s even a sappy opening that’s rapidly undercut with a “this isn’t that kind of film” comment), in many ways it’s firmly traditional. It’s just that this noisy, frantic, distractingly entertaining film’s tradition is Hollywood’s, not Potter’s.

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2017 | DRAMA/COMEDY | 1H 35M MAR THU 29: 8.15PM; FRI 30: 6.30PM; SAT 31: 1.40PM, 7.30PM; SUN 1: 1.15PM, 9.00PM; MON 2: 11.00AM, 6.00PM; TUE 3: 1.40PM; 7.30PM; WED 4: 4.00PM, 8.15PM

MET OPERA 2017-18 SEASON: LA BOHEME MAR SAT 31: 10.00AM; TUE 3: 10.00AM

Enough said.

Overkill: ‘The Grinding Wheel’ tour When: Friday March 2 Where: 170 Russell, Melbourne, Australia Supports: Harlott, Direblaze Reviewed by Nathan Mossop New Jersey’s very own Overkill is on their second ever tour in Australia and I think it’s safe to say they were welcomed with arms wide open at 170 Russell on Friday night. Overkill have been a highly influential band for the metal scene since 1980 and Australia got to be reminded exactly why that is for the first time in eight years after their debut tour here in 2010. Direblaze and Harlott were the perfect supports for the high energy Melbourne show with their classic thrashy sound and their own original flavours to bring to the genre. As a Direblaze fan, I can confidently say that they put on an extremely powerful start to the gig and were to sure to get the crowd drinking beers and going crazy right away. Shortly after, thrash metal giants Harlott brought an extreme new feel to the show with their dark, melodic riffs tied in with that signature thrash metal sound which got both the younger crowd and the amazing Overkill oldies moshing and having a great time together. In my opinion, Harlott were the best warm up act for the fast, heavy and disrespectful Overkill.

Overkill came on stage with the most insane energy I’ve ever seen come from a thrash metal band. Opening with ‘Mean, Green, Killing Machine’, they instantly had everyone in the venue banging their heads and slamming into each other whilst shouting the lyrics. The setlist was pure gold, ranging from classics to newer tracks that had people of different age groups shouting the words together. My favourite tracks from the set to see live was a mixture of both earlier and later material such as ‘Coma’ and ‘Hammerhead’ from back in the day all the way to ‘Goddamn Trouble’ and ‘Electric Rattlesnake’, there was a couple of songs that I was bummed to miss out on but with a discography such as theirs, that’s a given. Oh, they even covered Motorhead’s ‘Overkill’ and The Submans ‘Fuck You’, which featured everyone in the venue flipping each other off and banging their heads. To wrap things up, Overkill were the best thrash metal band I’ve ever seen in my life, drummer Jason Bittner was the tightest drummer in the genre I’ve seen to date, Dave Linsk had absolutely crushing solos and probably the best tone I’ve heard come from a peavey head, D.D Verni killed it on the bass with precise speed and accuracy, that classic Overkill clicky yet heavy bass tone and the energy of 58 year old vocalist Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth was incredible. Whilst stating that he feels 55 again he was completely dominating the show with his on point, evil vocals and attitude that got every fan in the venue having the best time of their lives. If you missed Overkill this tour, don’t make the same mistake again.

↑↑ GEORGIA NOTT (BROODS)

↑↑ FLETCHER GULL

↑↑ ISAAC GRACIE

↑↑ STEVE BOYD’S RUM REVERIE

The Venus Project: Vol 1

Remember That You’re Gone

Isaac Gracie

Hoodoo Hipshake

Dryden St/Universal Music Australia

Independent

Dew Process / EMI

Independent

Reviewed by Hannah Kenny

Reviewed by Chloe Cicero

Reviewed by John “Dr John” Lamp

Up and coming Wollongong artist Fletcher Gull is sure to pleasantly surprise listeners with his sophomore EP, Remember That You’re Gone. To describe the EP as diverse is an incredible understatement, a credit to Gull in his first attempt to jam-pack variety in only five tracks. Gull’s musical finesse is emitted through his range and tone in his unique voice, swinging side to side from vibrancy to melancholy to depict the chaos of ones often convoluted emotions. With each new verse in ‘Light Up’, Gull leaves his listener in bewilderment, proving his pronounced adept as a lyricist. The song begins “Death came into my room and sang me a song when I was younger, and when it turned around to you, you clipped its wings and took it in a while longer;” suggesting darkness can succumb and manipulate the soul if we surrender the power for it to do so. Describing his sound as unintentional “happy-sad music,” the rhythm that is carried through Fletcher Gull’s EP isolates him from others in the music community in a positive way, demonstrating that singing what you know is the best way to approach musical craft. This EP is deep yet soft, showcasing Gull’s ability to modify and gently tweak pop, otherwise known as (especially in Gull’s case), alt-pop. Gull communicates a clear message through his personalised narratives, forcing the listener to engage and relate. Fletcher Gull is definitely an artist to watch. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

British born artist, Isaac Gracie, has nothing short of a heavy heart and soul, which is showcased through his new self-titled debut album, which is set to be released Australia-wide on April 13. Gracie is poetic in his placement of words and accomplished in their delivery. Isaac says his first work captures the “darkest, the roughest and most uncertain time in my life.” His raw, emotive tones are starkly reminiscent of those forlorn and pain-tinged moments when love just dies. Gracie perfectly uses vulnerability to produce mood music. Terrified, Reverie, and the Death of You & I are just some tastes of what thrilling works you can expect to see on this album. At only 22 years old, the Ealing raised singer-songwriter is already dipping into a well of emotions that belies his life experience. Isaac speaks of battling anxiety openly, and aims to help others cope and not feel equally alone. This album is enticingly beautiful, with soft vocal tones, and calm musical background, that it’s no wonder crowds are completely silence when he performs, and that he is selling our European tours, moments of tickets going on sale. Self-titled debut album Is set for release in Australia on April 13.

Given its release being on International Women’s Day, it’s quite an unsubtle message in which BROODS’ Georgia Nott is trying to communicate in her solo project. The other half to her brother in NZ duo BROODS, Georgia has gone out on her own to deliver something she has felt she’s never been able to express… until now. This record is so emotively rich, screaming vulnerability with such an understated, natural approach. The Venus Project: Vol 1 is as honest as it is captivating, channelling the listener to take in every whimsical pace of Georgia’s velvety voice. With each diverse pull of the guitar string, Georgia’s voice pulls on the strings of the heart simultaneously, leaving you in awe of how one woman’s voice can be so fluidly beautiful. The lyrics to ‘Won’t Hurt’ explore the loneliness one can feel despite being in a room full of people – “I could be lonely when the party is mine to host”, “I could be screaming and you wouldn’t hear a word”, highlighting the depth of her maturity in a lyrical sense. ‘Moon to Moon’ is the darkest and moodiest track on the record, demonstrating that Georgia is capable of alternating and changing the listeners individualised experience when tuning into the album. Georgia is absolutely killing it on this record, and everyone should be open to having a listen to The Venus Project on a rainy day.

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One piece on this band said, “Imagine Tom Waits meeting Hound Dog Taylor in Bourbon St, New Orleans and you’re getting close,” but this needs some unpacking. Don’t expect Tom Waits vocals, but you can expect lyrics in that style. Hound Dog Taylor was a Chicago man, so Bourbon St seems to be at cross purposes. This band was described as “perhaps not schooled, and certainly not slick” but I think that is old news. This a piece of very well-honed musicianship. Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie is the brainchild of lifelong friends and former Steve Boyd & The Preachers bandmates, Paul Fiddes on drums, and Steve Boyd on lead vocals and guitar – augmented by upright bass, brass, and Hammond organ. That mixture really comes together on Hoodoo Hipshake, with some excellent tracks. Some growl at you, and others are at the other end of the spectrum – can you have “smooth blues?” Hoodoo Hipshake is their first full-length album and will officially be launched 28th April 2018 at The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne, following performances at Blues at The Briars Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Docklands Blues Festival, and a monthly residency at Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar, not to mention headlining Sleepy Hollow on the 25th March.

POP

WRITTEN BY ANTHONY MORRIS

One of the stranger developments over the last few years of television has been the way many of the many many revivals of old series have actually been… kind of good? Obviously not all have been winners, but when you consider that for a very long time reviving old shows basically gave us the likes of the new Hawaii Five-O and the new 90210 – which, let’s be honest, are shows that haven’t really developed a passionate fanbase – the fact that we’re currently in a position where the new series of Roseanne just might be worth watching is pretty impressive.

PULP

WRITTEN BY ALASTAIR MCGIBBON

Here we are once again, folks! Like all of the best slasher villains, Pulp is back once again, for yet another episode of comics-induced delirium! This week, I’ve picked up a crime story written by Walking Dead and Invincible maestro Robert Kirkman and Nick Spencer of Bedlam and Morning Glories fame: Thief of Thieves volume 1, I Quit. While my reaction to Kirkman’s work has been a bit mixed in the past, I’m finding that the more I read his material, the more I can appreciate his appeal. Invincible was an excellent read (the little I’ve read of it, at least), and Thief of Thieves is another great story, albeit more rooted in reality.

The obvious shining star of all this was Twin Peaks: The Return, where David Lynch just went ahead and made an eighteen episode series of stuff David Lynch was interested in – fortunately, the contents of his head have always been utterly compelling, so even when the series didn’t quite operate by any of the rules of conventional television (anyone expecting anything close to traditional drama was definitely stumbling away confused), there was still a heck of a lot to take in. But for mine, the biggest return of last year – and out now on DVD if you somehow missed it due to the zero promotion of it in this country – was Samurai Jack. The turn-of-the-century action cartoon was notable for its stylised visuals and stripped back story-telling – if your favourite part of spaghetti westerns was the posturing before the gun fights then this was definitely the series for you – with a strong streak of sly humour running throughout. The story – the titular Samurai, on the verge of winning a battle in medieval Japan against the evil shape shifting sorcerer Aku, was magically flung into the future, where Aku has conquered the world and turning it into a domain overrun with killer robots and violent aliens – was opened-ended enough to never really need a definite ending. But creator Genndy Tartakovsky often said he had one in mind, and when a revival was announced 12 years after the last episode went to air, Tartakovsky had his chance to wrap things up. Where the previous series had been built around stand alone episodes with the occasional two- or three-part story, the fifth and final season is one long tale; it’s been fifty years since we last saw Jack and while he hasn’t aged (it seems time travel has its benefits), he’s lost his magic sword, and with it any hope of defeating Aku. An aimless, violent drifter, Aku still fears him, and sends a team of girl assassins trained since birth to finally finish him off. The series was known for its quiet, contemplative moments as much as it’s stylised action, and these ten episodes contain plenty of both; there’s also a romance for Jack and a new-found moral depth, though both feel more like logical extensions of the series than a new direction. And the fight scenes remain awesome; Tartakovsky’ action has always been first rate (as anyone who saw his original Star Wars: the Clone Wars cartoons knows), and with his career now largely occupied making Hotel Transylvania movies with Adam Sandler, he clearly has muscles he wanted to flex. Whether you’re a fan of the original or not, this is the best action movie of the year.

Conrad Paulson, a.k.a. Redmond, is the greatest thief alive. There’s nothing in the world that he can’t obtain; with the right team and enough time to plan, he can pilfer just about anything. He’s at the top of his game - but he wants out. With his family life non-existent - his ex-wife wants nothing to do with him, and his talentless adult son rotting in prison after bungling a heist - Conrad wants to settle down into a comfortable retirement. Unfortunately, the nature of the industry has made that dream impossible - the feds are circling, and his son is facing life in prison. Desperate to piece his family back together, Conrad has two options: start thieving again, or turn on his fellow thieves and sell them out. He’s trapped, and lacking in options - and he’s considering the easy way out. Thief of Thieves is definitely a bit of a slow build, and I can see why there’s been talks about turning it into a TV show; all the pieces are there, and I could see it being adapted really, really well. The series is six years old at this point, however, so I’m not sure how much of a reality that will be. Given the nature of the story, there’s a fair bit of setup, so Kirkman takes his time getting to the meat of the tale. While I could appreciate the pacing after finishing the volume, I found myself a bit frustrated at the slow pace of the title; it seemed like it didn’t really pick up until about three or four issues in to the seven issues included in the trade. In terms of actual plot, I found myself initially struggling to associate who everyone was (the cast is quite large when the heist crew is introduced) and what they did, but the core plot kept chugging along in the background, with enough deviations to allow for backstories and side-plots as the plot progressed. Props have to be given to artist Shawn Martinbrough, too; his character designs for each member of the heist crew are fantastic, and the dark, blocky shading gives of strong hints of the noir style he does so well. His work is consistently high quality throughout the book, and it does a lot to tie the story together. While it took me a while to really get in

BLUES NEWS

TOO HEAVY TO HUG

SURFBEAT

WRITTEN BY PAUL S. TAYLOR

BY JOHN FOSS

This time round I have a couple of events to mention, first up Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie, and secondly, the Large Number 12s. Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie is the brainchild of life-long friends and former Steve Boyd and The Preachers bandmates Paul Fiddes (drums), and Steve Boyd (lead vocals and guitar), augmented by upright bass, brass, and Hammond organ. Without anything else, this is already flipping my switches. Don’t get me wrong, a wailing blues guitar will always do it for me, but brass and Hammond are irresistible. Hardly surprising that, as this line-up was put together over many nights of shared musings, quaffing of wine, and listening to old vinyl. Their debut EP Healers and Howlers was a finalist in The Age Music Victoria Music Awards ‘Best Blues Album’ category, and they are pulling gigs at Blues at The Briars Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Docklands Blues Festival, and a monthly residency at Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar. There’s a punk brain, a gospel soul, a blues heart, and hints of jazz coursing through its veins, but Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie comes through with a sound you are guaranteed to like. Their first full-length album Hoodoo Hipshake will officially be launched 28th April 2018 at The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne, but you have a chance to hear that material first at Sleepy Hollow on the 25th. Also on this fortnight are the Large Number 12s. There are a few stories about the name of this band. There’s one on their website about hassling a pizza joint to have a large number 12 on their board, but I’ve also heard that a large number 12 was the order after they finished their rehearsals. What I do know is the Large Number 12s are Chris Harrington (vocals, guitar), Wes Harrington (vocals, guitar), Mick Robbins (bass) and Kingy (drums) and they started back in Bendigo. The first I heard them was their 2008 CD Long Train Ride, with all but one originals written by Chris and Wes. I assume the title of the CD was referring to getting to and from Bendigo at the tender mercies of PTV. The tracks show sophistication for a first CD. There are vocal harmonies and well-developed interplay between the two guitarists. I’ve never had the chance to hear them live, and it looks like this will be the opportunity down at Wolesley’s. It’s good to see the live blues music scene coming back to life down here. Watching The Railway, the original Geelong Hotel, The Basement and the rest close was depressing. We now have several venues offering blues – Sleepy Hollow Blues Club, of course, Pistol Pete’s Food and Blues as a mainstay of the genre in Geelong, Wolesley Wines with regular bookings over the summer and the Elephant & Castle and The Barking Dog now having regular Sunday sessions. Unwined Bar is back again too. You have no excuse – get out there.

WELCOME TO THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal. Good news this week, Cradle Of Filth will release a 20th anniversary edition of their third and arguably best album, Cruelty And The Beast later this year. The album will be remixed and remastered and will feature their cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’. More news from 1998, the Dynamo Open Air metal festival will begin releasing sets from the festival under the Dynamo Concerts name. First up will be the 1998 sets from Pantera and Soulfly. Word is there are over 300 sets that have been recorded by Dynamo and it sounds like they’ll all be released in one way or another either via digital, physical (CD and vinyl) or DVD. The Pantera and Soulfly sets will be released on Friday June 22. It’s being reported all over the place that Tool have officially taken to the studio and will commence recording their new album. I simply can’t wait for music’s biggest anti-climax ever and for the resultant tsunami of Tool fan’s tears when it turns out the album is complete shite. Once a release date is set I’ll update you all about how long my self imposed Tool album cooling-off/spitefully-andstubbornly-ignoring-its-existence period will be.

2018 RIP CURL PRO… MICK’S LAST DANCE Next week the Rip Curl Pro returns to Bells Beach for the 57th time continuing a tradition going back to the early sixties.

This fortnight my picks are Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie at Sleepy Hollow on the 25th of March or Large Number 12s at Wolesley Wines on April 1st.

++ Sepultura with special guests Death Angel will play 170 Russell on Tuesday May 15.

WRITTEN BY JOHN (DR JOHN) LAMP

the Thief of Thieves, once I got used to the pacing and acclimatised to the world Kirkman and Spencer have crafted, I found myself really enjoying the story, and was really invested in the outcome of the first story arc. If you’re a fan of heist movies a la The Italian

++ Primordial will release their new album Exile Amongst The Ruins on Friday March 30. ++ Behemoth will release their new live DVD/ Blu-ray Messe Noire on Friday April 13. ++ 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. ++ 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 Aus so get in quick. ++ Ihsahn 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.

++ Pain will be at Melbourne’s Max Watts on Friday May 25. ++ 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

Job and the Ocean’s series, Thief of Thieves is definitely going to be up your alley.

Proudly presented by the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club 38

In other news ++ I’m pretty sure tickets are still available for DOWLOAD 2018, which will be held on Saturday March 24 at Flemington Racecourse. The one day festival will be held across four stages and feature 29 bands. Line up includes Amon Amarth, Limp Bizkit, Gojira, Arch Enemy, Psycroptic, King Parrot, Ocean Grove, Mastodon, and many others.

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Once again the best male and female surfers in the world will descend on Torquay for two weeks in the hope of a/ scoring epic waves and b/ winning the Rip Curl Pro and that rare privilege of ringing the famed ‘Bell’ in front of thousands of screaming surf fans. If the 57th running of the event isn’t exciting enough for you this years event will also be the last time three time World Surfing Champ Mick Fanning pulls on a professional contest singlet. Fanning has been part of the woodwork at Bells for two decades winning the event four times and coming second a bunch of other times. Mick loves surfing at Bells and Bells loves Mick. His fast rail to rail surfing style is perfectly suited to Bells which is a mystery to many pro surfers who struggle to adjust to its long walls and wave face. Fanning’s decision two weeks ago to retire at the end of the Rip Curl Pro after 17 years on the professional tour will give the event special significance as thousands of Fanning fans descend on Bells for his last professional contest (and if your down that way look out for the ‘Go Mick’ signs in town…. Torquay loves Mick Fanning!) The rest of the event offers much intrigue. While Fanning will retire after 17 years for 11 times world champ Kelly Slater the competitive fire continues to burn (this will be Slater’s 27th year on the professional world tour). Slater has spent most of summer recovering from ankle surgery which has kept him out of the water but fingers crossed he will be surf fit for Mick’s last Rip Curl Pro. Current world champ John John Florence from Hawaii will be keen to win his first Bell this year. Like Fanning and Slater Florence (a natural footer) is perfectly suited to carving up those big long Bells walls but so far he is yet to ring the Bell. The women’s event will also see a galaxy of surf stars with Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore, Coco Ho, Sally Fitzgibbon and a bunch of younger female surfers all keen to win at Bells. This year the event starts on Thursday 28th March so an early Easter means a strong chance of good waves on the first weekend of the contest. Get down to Bells Beach early and cheer on Mick Fanning for the last time. One of Australia’s truly great surfers. For more information about the 2018 Rip Curl Pro go to https://www.ripcurl. com.au/events/international/rip-curl-probells-beach.html

of a frenzy to dance along too, then, it plateaued into a video-game-esque ambience of smooth grooves and hard-hitting percussion which was an impressive change up. Bringing out fellow Jazz act Kamasi Washington for some impressive sax soloing the pair collaborated on stage for songs such as ‘Tron Song’ and ‘Them Changes’ before finishing off with the funky ‘Friend Zone.’

Golden Plains 2018 Inhale deeply, it smells like home Reviewed by Alex Callan Photos by Nathan Ashworth 2018 marked my first ever Golden Plains and let me tell you, it was an absolute treat to find myself back in ‘The Sup’ so few months after attending Meredith. When Tropical Fuckstorm is in charge of kicking off the weekend, you know you are in for a wild ride. Opening with the groovy ‘Chameleon Paint’, TFS showed audiences early on exactly why they are the most experienced up and comers around at the moment. Fronted by Garreth Liddiard and consisting of previous members of The Drones and High Tension, TFS smashed out hit after hit of their unique psych rock and the crowd was vibing it hard, with tracks like ‘You Let Me Tyres Down’ showing just how capable a Plains crowd is of unison sing-alongs, something that was mirrored by the band which incorporated three different members on vocals. By the time TFS walked off stage to the deserving sound of a system overload, the bar was set. Thundercat was the first of many jazz orientated acts of the weekend, which I must say is a welcomed change. Opening with ‘Captain Stupido’, it seemed like Thundercat’s set would be impressive, but too much

King Krule showed us that you don’t need to be jazz to rock the sax. Performing hits off his most recent effort ‘The OOZ’, his blunt English voice helped to ease in the afternoon with a full band arrangement to back him. Whilst it seemed the crowd was unfamiliar with his newer material, there was no doubt that people loved it. And then came the bangers off ‘6 Feet Beneath The Moon.’ Songs such as ‘A Lizard State’ and ‘Baby Blue’ being the first act of the weekend too see the golden boot being raised whilst legions of fans drank in the afternoon sun. After showing off what he can do during Thundercat’s set, the hype was immense when Kamasi Washington entered the stage. Performing alongside a band, which included his father, Ricky Washington on clarinet who “taught [Kamasi] everything [he] knows,” Washington commandeered the stage. His technical saxophone abilities delivering everything the crowd wanted for the sunset act of the first night.

slightly too simple and predictable to be deserving of such a prime time slot. But that being said, from a performance stand-point they were unfaultable, with lead singer Isabella Manfriedi swooning across the stage she delivered each song exactly as you have heard on recordings whilst maintaining such an energetic stage presence. After growing up on the Avalanches debut album ‘Since I Left You’ I was rather disappointed when I finally got the chance too see their live show at Falls two years ago, so, I was a little bit nervous as to how their Plains set would pan out. Opening with ‘Because I’m Me’ off 2016’s ‘Wildflower’ The Avalanches got the whole amphitheatre bouncing. Kicking into ‘Frankie Sinatra’ early on and featuring a stacked stage of musicians including intermediate appearances from Rapper Spank Rock it was evident that a lot of rehearsal had gone into their set, leaving minimal room for error. Proving to be a handy way to get crowd going, they again mixing out into another old school classic of ‘The Who’s My Generation,’ which was extremely valid considering The Avalanches had just proved that they won’t “f.f.f.fadde away.” Starting his set at 1:45 am, Floating Points gave the inebriated punters exactly what they needed. Whilst at times intentionally off beat his dancey grooves ushered in the perfect introduction to what’s in store post midnight the rest of the weekend.

Performing a cover of Ryan Porters ‘The Sums’ crowds where left in awe, with one girl describing the set as leaving her ‘flabbergasted.’ Being the first act to play in the twilight of Saturday night the Scottish based Mogwai delivered an incredibly impressive set. Playing songs that primarily didn’t feature vocals Mogwai let their music speak for themselves, performing each song with finesse. It was clear that we weren’t just watching another set but a complete performance. Contrasting from spacey ambient melodies to visceral build up’s Mogwai left crowds speechless with many simply standing there watching in amazement. The Preatures proved to be my least favourite act of the weekend. It’s not that they did anything to deserve that title, in fact, they did they opposite and played an awesome set, I just found their music to be

Day two gave punters a taste of something different. With Waterfall Person being one of the first acts of the day it was hard not to be swept away by her endearing nature. Although it seemed she was more of an entertainer than a performer, it was a fun start to the day. Rocket Science where the most surprising act of the weekend. Admittedly, I went to see them because I knew my dad would be pissed off if I didn’t and boy, was I glad I did. Performing their punk rock numbers Rocket Science proved that they weren’t just a good reminder or the early 2000’s but instead that they were still a seriously good live band. Performing hit tracks such as ‘Being Followed’ they smashed through their set with ease being a particular favourite of the older punters. Lee Fields alongside with his band The Expressions proved to be my highlight of the weekend, which was

really no surprise considering he’s been recording music since 1969. Performing with finesse Fields’ voice was soulful and mesmerising with The Expressions giving the funk/soul vibe to back it. Dedicating his hit song’ Wish You Were Here’ to the late Charles Bradley and his “baby sister” Sharon Jones it was hard to not be lost in the emotion of his voice. Performing during the sunset at a Meredith or Plains is never an easy feat, unless of course you are The Black Angels. Whilst the crowd size wasn’t the biggest at the beginning of their set by the end it was hard to find a punter who wasn’t there too enjoy their groovy offerings of fuzzy psych tunes. From the moment the riff of “Dead Men Walking” kicked in it was clear that The Black Angels had won the crowd to become on of the favourites of the weekend. Big Boi proved that he doesn’t need André to rock the house. Freshly arriving off the plane, his solo works such as ‘Shutterbug’ and ‘Kryptonite’ where already winning over the crowd but when he went into old school bangers such as ‘So Fresh and So Clean’ it was hard to find a person standing still. After hearing ‘Ms Jackson’ played as intermission music at so many Meredith’s it was truly an incredible moment to see it performed in the ‘sup, delivering the loudest crowd sing-along I have ever heard at a MMF. Dj’s such as Dj Manchild and Merve brought in the early hours of Monday morning for all the people still kicking on before it was all come to a close by Objekt who delivered the perfect sunrise set. Thankyou so much for having me back Aunty Meredith, I’ll be sure to catch you again this December!

the building you are greeted with a lengthy majestic hallway lined with a red carpeted floor, what really adds to the experience is all the cells you walk past that once held inmates, even with one of those cells open for inspection for visitors. It’s truly a unique vibe to that of a typical theatre that everyone should experience. The theatre itself is in pristine condition, seating around one thousand people, it would seem to be a perfect venue for someone such as Kate Miller-Heidke. The theatre was packed and buzzing with energy, a very good and expected turn out for Kate. As Kate walked out on stage with her string quartet and her guitarist Keir Nuttal, they brought with them a booster of additional energy to get the show started.

Kate MillerHeidke Chills and cells at Ulumbarra Where: Ulumbarra Theatre Bendigo When: Fri 23 Feb Reviewed by Alex Lynch Kate Miller-Heidke, an artist known for bringing her classically trained voice to the alternative pop scene serenaded Bendigo with her voice late this February, performing at the Ulumbarra theatre, the atmosphere was there for a high-quality night of music. One wouldn’t think that an old gaol would be an ideal place for Bendigo’s highest quality theatre, Ulumbarra theatre, but it certainly is. As you enter

Within just moments, Kate had the crowd mesmerised by her vocals, with amazing range and power her vocals almost seem inhuman. There were several moments throughout the night where Kate would explode with vocal power that would send chills down my spine. Some of the audience may have felt the sting quartet was under utilised slightly, I would think that they were utilised perfectly, enough to enhance the experience while not interfering with the main attraction, which was of course Kate. I should also mention Keir Nuttal was an absolute beast on the guitar, adding an element to Kate’s music that should be appreciated at very least. As Kate finished up the show, she was of course treated with a tremendous applause, Bendigo was not letting her go without a encore, the audiences wishes were granted and back she came along with Keir Nuttal and Kates backup vocalist. The encore song of choice? It had to be ‘The Last Day On Earth’ to finish the night off. If you haven’t experienced Kate Miller-Heidke live yet, her vocals alone will be well worth the price of admission. The entire night was a pleasure to my ears, with a vastly positive reception I have no doubt Kate will return to once again serenade us with her voice in the future.

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#fortescenepix

WORKERS

B E A VS

MURPHYS

WORKERS

PISTOL PETE

B E AVS

BEAVS

B E A VS

BEAVS

MURPHYS

ADAM EKERSLY & BROOKE MCCLYMONT

SAT 14TH APRIL

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Photo Review: Robbie Williams: The Heavy Entertainment Show Supports: Chris Watts & The Bamboos Where: Mt Duneed Estate When: Saturday March 3 2018 Photographed by Opus Imagery

Photo Review: Almighty Monster Rock The Living End, Spiderbait, Veruca Salt, The Lemonheads, Tumbleweed, The Fauves Where: Mt Duneed Estate When: Sunday March 11 2018 Photographed by Opus Imagery Reviewed by Helena Metzke A Day On The Green has been making its rounds over the recent months with yet another impressive bill of acts, but boy oh boy did it deliver us an absolute doozy with its instalment at Mt Duneed Estate on Sunday 11 March.

Coined the ‘Almighty Monster Line-up’, A Day On The Green presented to us a concoction of iconic indie rock anthems straight out of the ‘90s, with acts The Fauves, Tumbleweed, The Lemonheads, Veruca Salt, Spiderbait and – drum roll, please – The Living End. As a ‘90s baby myself, I perhaps wasn’t at my prime to fully enjoy and appreciate these acts in their heyday. Although, I will argue that I have even a greater appreciation for them now, having grown up listening to them. I mean, who doesn’t hold the track list of songs played on family road trips as a young child close to their heart? As I recalled fond memories growing up, with many of the tracks I was about to experience live acting as the soundtrack of my childhood and adolescence, I took a moment to thank whatever higher-being there may be, for blessing me with parents who had (and still have) such rockin’ taste in music. After all, where else would I have sourced the wise message of ‘I’m a brat and I know everything and I talk back,’ other than from The Living End’s Prisoner Of Society (kindly introduced to me by my parents)? That one sure came in handy when applied in every act of defiance growing up… Cheers guys! And there I was, transported back to the booster seat in the back of our family car in 1998, on yet another road trip – except this one was a lot louder, involved booze and it was last weekend. With The Fauves kicking the afternoon off, the tone for what was to come was set with their witty lyrics and melodic pop-rock. The crowd now steadily rolling in, they were followed by Tumbleweed. You remember when they won the prestigious support slot on Nirvana’s only Australian tour, right? Having personified stoner rock in the ‘90s, they took to the stage with their signature thundering riffs.

Up next was ‘90s rock royalty, The Lemonheads, who brought with them their melodic masterpieces. With the crowd left basking in their energy, Veruca Salt would follow only to up the ante. After breaking up in 1998, the original line-up (comprising of Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Jim Shapiro and Steve Lack) who re-formed in 2013, were warmly welcomed to the stage and brought with them not only signature hits, but new content also, from their fifth and most recent studio album. As Spiderbait hit the stage (and I simultaneously began to try and secure my place front and centre), I swear you could almost smell the nostalgia in the air. What can only be described as Kram’s, Janet’s and Whitt’s musical alchemy, is truly an awe-inspiring thing. And hearing Black Betty, especially performed live, will never get old. Having made it front and center to see one of my top three bucket list bands to see live, boy, did the crowd roar and heave when The Living End graced us with their presence. The crowd’s energy had now reached its peak and I’d like to take a moment to apologise to the girl in front of me who I went on to unintentionally grind against for the remainder of the night… The Living End have well and truly earnt their standing as one of the most captivating bands in Australian rock history and it was an absolute privilege to experience singalong anthems such as the likes of All Torn Down, West End Riot and Pictures In The Mirror – just to name a few – performed live. Unfortunately the night came to an end and I had to return from my mid-‘90s daze, but it will surely go down as one of the best line-ups I’ve experienced to date. You can’t go past a good hit right in the nostalgia.

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GUIDE THURS 22ND BEAVS BAR: CORY HARGRAVES EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ HOME HOUSE: UNI NIGHT WITH ZAC DEPETRO PISTOL PETES: RATTLIN’ BONES BLACKWOOD THEATRE ROYAL: JEN CLOHER ULUMBARRA ARTS CENTRE: JOHN BUTLER TRIO WORKERS CLUB: SWEETHEARTS (2 SETS) FRI 23RD AMPED: COUNTDOWN 80’S BARWON CLUB: FREE ENTRY BEER GARDEN FEAT. EDDIE EXAMPLE 80’S/90’S/DISCO BEAVS BAR: LUKE BISCAN CITY QUARTER BAR: LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND DJ

THE CORNER: HUURAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ GROVEDALE HOTEL: RACH AND LIAM THE HILLS ARE ALIVE HOME HOUSE: SAMMY LA MARCA KAROVA LOUNGE: THUNDAMENTALS PISTOL PETES: GREG DODD & THE HOODOO MEN THE LOFT: BUSHFIRE RELIEF CONCERT THEATRE ROYAL: FIESTA DE SALSA THE BRIDGE HOTEL: MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE CELLAR DOOR EXPERIENCE THE SPHINX: WOOSHKA SUN 25TH

EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJS

170 RUSSELL: THE NEW POWER GENERATION

GROVEDALE HOTEL: CRAIG SAYER

AMPED: STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE LOFT: NICK ALEXANDER

BARWON CLUB: ABE ANDERSON

MURPHYS: BETTS & BOON THE ROYAL MEREDITH: NAT & CROMMY THE HILLS ARE ALIVE HOME HOUSE: HOMEHOUSE FRIDAYS PARTY WITH DJS KAROVA LOUNGE: LOWTIDE THE PENNY BLACK: MOZA PISTOL PETES: DEVIL’S BREW WORKERS CLUB GEELONG: 74 KINGS SAT 24TH AIREYS PUB: TOM MILLINGTON AMPED: EINSTEINS TOYBOYS BARWON CLUB: ALL HOPE REMAINS BEAVS BAR: COREY HARGRAVES BLOOM: 011 FT. MIGUEL CAMPBELL (UK)

BLOOM: THE 2018 ANNUAL TOGA PARTY CITY QUARTER: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ FROM 4PM GROVEDALE HOTEL: LEVI ANDERSON THE HILLS ARE ALIVE THE LOFT (WARRNAMBOOL): GREMEIN + COOPER LOWER THE ROYAL MEREDITH: COREY HARGREAVES PISTOL PETES: SWEETHEARTS SOUL TUES 27TH THE DECK: LUKEYS OPEN MIC NIGHT PISTOL PETE’S: GEORGIA RODGERS WED 28TH BEAVS BAR: OPEN MIC, KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN

EATING OUT MONDAY

ELEPHANT & CASTLE:

POTATO SHED: JUST ONE DROP - FILM

GROVEDALE HOTEL: UN-LIMITED DUO

$10 Lunch Specials

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

HOMEHOUSE: TRAVLOS + RNB DOWNSTAIRS

SILVER CIRCUS

THE LOFT: GRASSHOLE “FUZZ OF FLAVOUR” ALBUM LAUNCH

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

PISTOL PETE’S: JOULS BOULT TRIO

GEELONG RSL:

AMPED: JOHNNY DANGEROUSLY BEAVS BAR: ANDY FORSTER THE CORNER: WALTER TROUT

SILVER CIRCUS SUN APRIL 1ST

HOMEHOUSE: UNI NIGHT FT. THE ASTON SHUFFLE

170 RUSSELL: GOMEZ

PISTOL PETE’S: PUGSLEY BUZZARD TRIO

BARWON CLUB: I SAW THE LIGHT FEAT. CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS + MORE

THE GROVEDALE HOTEL: LUKE LEGS DUO SILVER CIRCUS WORKERS CLUB: SOUTHERN RIVER BAND FRI 30TH 170 RUSSELL: MORCHEEBA BARWON CLUB: COSTMIC PSYCHOS + BIRDCLOUD (USA) + THE CHATS BEAVS BAR: DAVE ANDERSON CITY QUARTER BAR: FRIDAY UNWIND FROM 5PM. LIVE WITH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND DJ EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ THEATRE ROYAL: MICHAEL HURLEY (USA) HOME HOUSE: HOMEHOUSE FRIDAYS PARTY WITH DJS SILVER CIRCUS ULUMBARRA THEATRE: 360 ALLSTARS SAT 31ST BARWON CLUB: DRESS UP FOR JESUS FEAT. YACHT CLUB DJS BEAVS BAR: DAVE ANDERSON

BEAVS: LUKE BISCAN

CITY QUARTER: PERFECT SUNDAY SESH LIVE MUSIC AND DJ FROM 4PM EDGE GEELONG: LIVE MUSIC GROVEDALE HOTEL: STEFFII PALAIS THEATRE: ROBERT PLANT

THE DROP FESTIVAL EDGE: LIVE MUSIC AND DJ

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$23 Steak & Drink night Steak Night $13

GOLD DIGGERS:

$15 Burger or Parmi

IRISH MURPHY’S:

$15 Parmi Night

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

$15.90 Angus Rump or $19.90 Porterhouse

WEDNESDAY

GEELONG RSL:

Pot and Parmi Night $13

GOLD DIGGERS:

$25 Express Lunch

IRISH MURPHY’S:

$15 Burger Night

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

$14.90 MVP Parmas & $8.90 Pints + Jam Jars

THURSDAY

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

Parmi Night

ELEPHANT & CASTLE: $22 Seafood & Chips Night GOLD DIGGERS:

Happy hour 5-6

IRISH MURPHY’S:

$20 Steak Night

SILVER CIRCUS

THE SPORTING GLOBE: $14.90 burgers, &15.90 Jugs

170 RUSSELL: GOMEZ

Pizza Night

ELEPHANT & CASTLE:

OLD HEPBURN HOTEL (HEPBURN SPRINGS):

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

FRIDAY

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

PALAIS THEATRE: ROBERT PLANT

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

SILVER CIRCUS

GOLD DIGGERS:

Happy hour 5 - 6

IRISH MURPHY’S:

Happy Hour 5 - 7

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

Double Desserts Buy 1, Get 1 Free

TUES 3RD PISTOL PETE’S: GEORGIA RODGERS SILVER CIRCUS WED 4TH BEAVS BAR: OPEN MIC, KARAOKE, LUKE BISCAN THE CORNER: NEWTON FAULKNER PISTOL PETE’S: JESSIMAE PARKER SILVER CIRCUS

BLOOM: 012 FT. SUPER FLU THE CORNER: BENJAMIN BOOKER

TUESDAY

THEATRE ROYAL: COSMIC PSHYCOS

MON 2ND

Frugal Foodies $20 menu

THE SPORTING GLOBE: Half Price Wings, Ribs & Pints

PISTOL PETE’S: JESSIMAE PARKER

THURS 29TH

$23 Steak & Drink night

GOLD DIGGERS:

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE FORTE TEAM XXX

Steak Night

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE: Thank Guinness It’s Friday!

SATURDAY

BAR 61 TORQUAY:

Burger & Beer Happy Hour 5-7

THE SPORTING GLOBE:

SUNDAY

GEELONG RSL:

$20 Bud, Heineken 3 & Sparkling Buckets

$13 Carvery lunch

IRISH MURPHY’S:

$15 Fish & Chips

TRIVIA

BARWON HEADS HOTEL:

Trivia Thursday Night from 7:30pm

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

Trivia Wednesday Night Trivia Thursday Night in the Courtyard

Themed Trivia Wednesday Night

#THELITTLEL PROJECT

INTERACT WITH AUSTRALIA’S LITTLE POLAR DINOSAUR FROM THE OTWAYS. NATIONAL WOOL MUSEUM 26 MOORABOOL STREET, GEELONG (03) 5272 4701 NWM.VIC.GOV.AU | NWMINFO@GEELONGCITY.VIC.GOV.AU

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

FORTE 685

OFF YA TREE IS OFFICIALLY OPEN on RYRIE STREET, GEELONG!

CLOTHING - ACCESSORIES - PIERCINGS JEWELLERY - SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA & MUCH MORE! 89A Ryrie st. geelong!

body piercings & BODY jewellery available in-store walk-ins welcome! OR VISIT WWW.OFFYATREE.COM.AU TO SHOP ONLINE & STORE LOCATOR

OYT BALLARAT: 77 BRIDGE MALL, BALLARAT

OYT BENDIGO: 13 MITCHELL ST. BENDIGO