Beat Magazine #1304 by Furst Media

EEEE FFRR

ISSUE 1304

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE: MAGAZINE. ONLINE. MOBILE. VIDEO. 25 JAN 2012 online www.beat.com.au email info@beat.com.au telephone (03) 9428 3600 facsimile (03) 9428 3611 print for post publication # 34274800004 cab audited

MELBOURNE’S HIGHEST CIRCULATING STREETPRESS

2012 NEW YEAR SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION INSIDE SUPPLEMENT

NEON INDIAN

CHAIRLIFT

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

TORO Y MOI

100%: PLUMP DJS

THIS WEEK: SAVES THE DAY, BRAT FARRAR, SHARE THE SPIRIT FESTIVAL, SHADOWQUEEN, INDIGO AND THE BEAR, EL PANGA, I, A MAN, ROBERT RICH, WEEKEND Thursday 26 January

Friday 27 January

Saturday 28 January

GUEST DJ:

Resident DJ’s DEAN T, PHIL ROSS & CHRIS MAC every Friday punch out the best of House. Plus JOHNNY M & DJ JAY-J playing sexy RnB tunes in the Mezzanine.

Resident DJ’s TATE STRAUSS & PHIL ROSS play the best House tunes. Plus JOHNNY M & DJ NOVA playing sexy RnB tunes in the Mezzanine.

Doors open at 9.30pm // Outdoor smoking terrace open on Level 3 from 11.00pm – 6.00am // For functions and guest list enquiries contact 03 9292 5750 or email fusion@crownmelbourne.com.au // To enhance the safety and welfare of all patrons, we kindly request that all customers submit their drivers licence or other photo identiﬁcation to be scanned upon entry // Personal information collected by Crown will be handled in accordance with Crown’s privacy policy // Management reserves all rights // Photo ID required + 18 years // Dress standards apply // Crown practises responsible service of alcohol.

FNC12626

Resident DJ’s DAMION DE SILVA, FMR, A STYLE, K DEE & SIMON SEZ. RnB, House, Old Skool and Commercial Anthems. For guestlist 9426 0800 or guestlist@restless.com.au

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WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

THE BRONX

, WED 1 FEB, SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL TICKETS: WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100, THEARTSCENTRE.COM.AU, 1300 182 183 & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

LICENSED & ALL AGES

supported by Triple M

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

RÖYKSOPP

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

THU 2 FEB: THE PA CE

TICKETS: WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100, WWW.PALACE.COM.AU & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

AUSTRALIA 2012

WED 1 FEB THE HI FI TICKETS: WWW.THEHIFI.COM.AU, 1300 843 443 & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

LIC. & ALL AGES TICKETS: WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100 & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM proudly supported by

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TUESDAY 31 JANUARY FESTIVAL HALL

TICKETS: WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM.AU, 136 100 & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

LIVE!

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW

TUE 31 JAN NORTHCOTE S.C. WITH SPECIAL GUESTS LOON LAKE TICKETS: 9486 1677, WWW.CORNERHOTEL.COM, 9427 9198 & WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

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MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

GETTING HOME FROM MELBOURNE BIG DAY OUT:

TRAINS: EXIT AT GATE #6 - RAILWAY ENTRANCE FOR BIG DAY OUT TRAINS AT FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE STATION. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU TRAVEL HOME BY TRAIN. TRAINS FROM RACECOURSE STATION LEAVE EVERY 4 MINUTES UNTIL 11:30PM. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH TRAINS FOR EVERYONE. STAY ON THE PLATFORMS, ANY PERSON ENTERING PROHIBITED AREAS OF RAILWAY PROPERTY WILL BE ARRESTED & PROSECUTED. TRAMS: EXIT AT GATE #1 - MAIN GATE, FOR NEAREST TRAM STOP, (NUMBER 30) ON EPSOM ROAD FOR TRAMS TO CITY, #56 & #57 - TRAM RUNNING EVERY 5 MINS UNTIL 11:30PM. TAXI / PARENT PICK UP: ON RACECOURSE ROAD, NEAR ROUNDABOUT.

ATM

HELLO BEER BAR

SKATE RAMP CIDER BAR

KALEIDOSCOPE BAR

NATIONAL DRUGS CAMPAIGN

MOTOSLIDE CLUB IN A CAN SHOW ’N’ SHINE

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“two of the most talented guitarists on the planet” - The Age “So ear-poppingly dexterous, so ineffably charming and so supremely entertaining” - The Guardian

ALSO AVAILABLE rodgab.com facebook.com/rodgab

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WITH SPECIAL GUESTS A L L B R O O K /AV E R Y

FRIDAY 3 FEBRUARY F O R U M

T H E AT R E ,

M E L B O U R N E

Tickets from Marriner Theatres Ticketmaster Booking L i n e 1 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 a n d w w w . t i c k e t m a s t e r. c o m . a u TO U R I N F O R M AT I O N W W W. B I L L I O N S .CO M . AU A R T I S T I N F O R M AT I O N W W W.T H E H O R R O R S .CO. U K

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The

140 Sydney Rd

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637 NO COVER CHARGE

Cornish Arms

WEDNESDAY THE 25TH OF JANUARY - FROM 8PM

MILLION DOLLAR FREE JAM BAND “THE BOOGIE LAUNCH” FLYYING COLOURS, THE FAMILY OF THE KINGDOM, $10 JUGS THURSDAY THE 26TH OF JANUARY - FROM 4PM

PUNK-TASTIC AUSTRALIA DAY!

STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE, NO ONES HOME, K - MART WARRIORS, LAST CALL, THE MURDERBALLS, THE CRUNT BURGERS, ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE AND LINDSAY BUSH TRIPLE J’S HOTTEST 100 PLAYING OUT IN THE BEER GARDEN! FREE BBQ! FRIDAY THE 27TH OF JANUARY - FROM 9PM

DAMN THE MAPS

RED ROCKETS OF BORNEO, KILLING LIARS, THE QUIXOTICS SATURDAY THE 28TH OF JANUARY - FROM 9PM

HIP HOP AT THE BRUNNY! INCLUDING TOM CAT, LUKA BLISS, JACKY - T, RICK DA SCALE FELIX WEATHERBOURNE MAN CUB AND BK ULTRA FROM 5PM

COCO VELU X 3 SETS

Kitchen Specials

Mon - $12 Burger and $12 Parma +

OPEN MIC NIGHT Tues - Trivia Night Wed - $14 Rump Steak

Wednesday Jan 25th GUN BALLADS

GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING LOCAL TALENT! THIS WEEK:

PRIVATE RADIO HAYFEVER

FRI 27th January

THE BOMBARDIERS DOGSDAY LA BASTARD

9.30 - 10:15 10.30 - 11:15 11.30 - 12:15

SAT 28th January

JULES BOLT & THE REDEEMERS

9.30-11.30

THURSDAY JANUARY 26TH A NIGHT OF ROCKIN BLUES

BGB AND FRIENDS SMOKIN SAM’S SYNERGY BLUES AND MORE..... AUSTRALIA DAY NIGHT

FRIDAY JANUARY 27TH A NIGHT OF ROCK & METAL

KEYS TO PERDITION HELLION, UNHINGED AND FREELOADER STARTS 7.30PM $10.00 ENTRY

BLOOD ORANGE WIDE OF THE MARK, VACANT SMILES

THE FIGHTING

Saturday Jan 28th

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY

SPECIAL SUPPORT GUESTS THE BLASTERS. AUSTRALIA DAY EVE. 7.30PM $10.00 ENTRY

Friday Jan 27th

DIRTY ELVIS MONDAY THE 30TH OF JANUARY - FROM 8PM

HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS OPEN STAGE READINGS AND SPOKEN WORD WELCOME WITH FEATURE PERFORMERS EVERY FORTNIGHT, $10 JUGS TUESDAY THE 31ST OF JANUARY - FROM 8:30PM

WIZARDS OF OZ PLAY SOME GREAT AUSSIE HITS

SATURDAY JANUARY 28TH

RUNNING HOT COTTON SIDEWALK

PASSIONATE TONGUES POETRY

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25TH

HALEY COUPER PONY FACE

SUNDAY THE 29TH OF JANUARY - FROM 9PM TBC! FROM 5PM

STOMP DOG

MUSICLAND

CAIRNS OR BUST: THE SHITBOX RALLY FUNDRAISER, $15 ENTRY Monday nights Open Mic Function Room Available Kitchen Open Every Evening

BATTLE OF THE BANDS WINNER STARTS 7.30PM $10.00 ENTRY

SUNDAY JANUARY 29TH

JAM NIGHT BEST NIGHT IN TOWN, BRING YOUR AXE,

STYX AND VOCALS...BACK LINE PROVIDED FREE ENTRY - 7PM TIL LATE

1359A SYDNEY ROAD FAWKNER 3060 PH: 9359 0006 500M FROM GOWRIE STATION WWW.MUSICLANDONLINE.COM MUSICLAND@LIVE.COM.AU

AUSTRALIA DAY THURSDAY 26TH JAN 4.30PM

CHRIS WILSON AWESOME BLUES HARMONICA, RIPPER GUITAR, AND BANTER PAR EXCELLENCE FOLLOWED BY

THE BAND THAT KNEW TOO MUCH WASHBOARD/ACCORDION DRIVEN ANTHEMS BY THIS LONG-RUNNING BAND

SATURDAY 28TH JAN 9.00PM

SUN 29th Janury

THE RE-CHORDS

OPENING HOURS

SUNDAY 29TH JAN 5.00PM (JAN RESIDENCY)

FOOD SPECIALS

THE BLACKEYED SUSANS

5.00-7.00

DUKES OF DESPAIR

MON-THURS FROM 3PM - LATE FRI-SUN FROM 12PM - LATE NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH ON FRIDAY!! MONDAY $12 PARMA TUESDAY ALL PIZZAS $6 WEDNESDAY $12 STEAK THURSDAY $12 BEEF OR HALLOUMI BURGER SUNDAY $12 ROAST ALL DAY 420 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK, 9380 8667

HOT ROCKIN’ ROOTS & ROCKABILLY

THE SUSANS RETURN FOR A SUMMER RESIDENCY TO PLAY FOUR MAJESTIC GIGS OF COUNTRIFIED ALT-ROCK. MISS THESE SHOWS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

FACEBOOK.COM/THEPENNYBLACK

Beat Magazine Page 14

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WEDNESDAY TRIVIA NIGHT 7:30 THURSDAY AUSTRALIA DAY HOTTEST 100 BBQ FROM MIDDAY

FRIDAY PETER DICKYBIRD + JAMES O’BRIEN (THE BOAT PEOPLE) FREE ENTRY - 9:30PM

SATURDAY THE SCHOLARS + GUESTS FREE ENTRY - 9:30PM

SUNDAY BROOKE DEADWOOD $10 JUGS FREE ENTRY - 4:30PM

MONDAY $12 STEAK NIGHT FREE POOL TUESDAY

$10 VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MEALS

Thursday 1 March Prince Bandroom 18+ MOSHTIX.COM.AU or 1300 438 849 NEW ALBUM VICE VERSES OUT NOW

ON SALE NOW ALSO PL AYING SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

switchfoot.com

chuggentertainment.com Beat Magazine Page 15

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IN THIS ISSUE...

HOT TALK

TOURING

FRIENDLY FIRES

ARTS GUIDE, WEEKEND

ART OF THE CITY

PASSI JO AND WARAKO MUSICA, BEARS, BOOMERANGS, BATHERS & BOOZE, KITSCH AUSTRALIANA

EDUCATION

BIG DAY OUT SPOTLIGHT: KEN WEST, SET TIMES

BRAT FARRAR P. 60

SAVES THE DAY P. 58

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

NEON INDIAN

TORO Y MOI

SAVES THE DAY

CHAIRLIFT

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH BRAT FARRAR

CORE + METALOCAPLYSE

MUSIC NEWS

ALBUM OF THE WEEK, SINGLES, TOP TENS

THIS WEEK IN 100%:

PLUMP DJS

3 NEWTON STREET RICHMOND, VICTORIA 3121 Phone: (03) 9428 3600 Fax: (03) 9428 3611 email: info@beat.com.au www.beat.com.au BEAT MAGAZINE EMAIL ADDRESSES: (no large attachments please): Gig Guide: online at beat.com.au email gigguide@beat.com.au - it’s free! Club Listings: online at beat.com.au email clubguide@beat.com.au - it’s free! Music News Items: music@beat.com.au Artwork: art@beat.com.au Beat Classifieds 33c a word: classiﬁeds@beat.com.au

32,788 copies per week

METALOCALYPSE: LAST RITES P. 61

WEEKEND P. 28

PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Taryn Stenvei ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Nick Taras SUB-EDITORS: Tegan Butler GENERAL MANAGER: Patrick Carr SENIOR ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR: Ronnit Sternfein BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Patrick O’Neill GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Luke Benge, Matt Crute, Patrick O’Neill, Rebecca Houlden, Gill Tucker COVER ART: Patrick O’Neill ADVERTISING: Taryn Stenvei (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) taryn@beat.com.au Ronnit Sternfein (100%/Beat/Arts/Education/Ad Agency) ronnit@beat.com.au Aleksei Plinte (Backstage/ Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Adam Morgan (Hospitality/Bars) adam@beat.com.au Kris Furst (beat.com.au) kris@furstmedia.com.au 0431 243 808 Grace Arena (Indie Bands/Special Features) grace@furstmedia.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classiﬁeds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat.com.au ELECTRONIC EDITOR - BEAT ONLINE: Stephen Forde: webmaster@beat.com.au

ACCOUNTANT: accountant@furstmedia.com.au ADMINISTRATION CO-ORDINATOR: Alice Furst: alice@furstmedia.com.au ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Stephanie Mason: admin@furstmedia.com.au RECEPTION: reception@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION: distribution@beat.com.au Free Every Wednesday to over 1,500 places including Convenience Stores, Newsagents, Ticket Outlets, Shopping Centres, Community Youth & Welfare Outlets, Clubs, Hotels, Venues, Record, Music and Video Shops, Boutiques, Retailers, Bars, Restaurants, Cafes, Bookstores, Hairdressers, Recording Studios, Cinemas, Theatres, Galleries, Universities and Colleges. Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@beat.com.au DEADLINES Editorial Copy accepted no later than 5pm Thursday before publication for Club listings, Arts, Gig Guide etc. Advertising Copy accepted no later than 12pm Monday before publication. Print ready art by 2pm Monday. Deadlines are strictly adhered to. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mary Boukouvalas, Lauren Cass, Ben Clement, Ben Gunzburg, Andrew Gyopar, CC Hug, Tim Hyland, Anna Kanci, Ben Loveridge, Mathew Murphy, Charles Newbury, John O’Rourke, Chris Parkinson, Naomi Rahim, Richard Sharman, Leon Struk, Michelle Tomadin, Peter Tsipas, Amy Wallace, Woodrow Wilson SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Christie Eliezer SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS: Christine Lan, Simone Ubaldi,

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ALBUMS

GIG GUIDE, CLASSIFIEDS

BACKSTAGE

LIVE

Patrick Emery, Jesse Shrock. COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Toby McCasker. CONTRIBUTORS: Tyson Wray, Adam Baidawi, Helen Barradell, Matt Bendall, Cam Binger, Graham Blackley, Mary Boukouvalas, Chris Bright, Rose Callaghan, Adam Camilleri, James Carthew, Paige Cho, Stefan Chrisp, Nick Clarke, Talitha Conway, Dave Dawson, John Donaldson, Justin Donnelly, Georgia Doyle, Cam Ewart, Paul Fischer, Lawson Fletcher, Jack Franklin, Danielle Frazzetto, Chris Girdler, Aleisha Hall, Louise Hardwick, Daniel Hedger, Nick Hilton, Lyndon Horsburgh, Briony Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Greg King, Stuart Lynch, Rhys McCrae, Ruth McIver, Adam McKenzie, Kylie McLaughlin, Nick Mason, Tyler Mathes, Anna Megalogenis, Al Newstead, James Nicoli, John O’Rourke, Matt Panag, Jack Parsons, Liam Pieper, Steve Phillips, David Prescott-Steed, James Ridley, Gav Ross, Leigh Salter, Tim Scott, Denis Semchenko, Side Man, Matt Sutherland, Lin Tan, Steve Tauschke, Rene Schaefer, Melanie Sheridan, Jeremy Sheaﬀe, Kelly Theobald, Andrew Tijs, Alistair Wallis, Etienne Waring, Dan Watt, Rod Whitﬁeld, Katie Weiss, Tom Whitty, Cara Williams, Simon Williamson, Bronius Zumeris, Joshua Kloke, Sean Gleeson, Krystal Maynard. © 2011 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.

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HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

FREE SHIT BEST COAST Lovely and lo-ﬁ, Best Coast is the perfect sound to sip a summer beer to. They are here for Big Day Out, and are playing a sideshow at The Corner Hotel this Saturday January 28. We have a double pass to hand out.

ROCKING ANGEL Riding on their reputation for shaking up the liquor world with standout super smooth products such as VODKA O and Tequila Blu, Australian spirit producer, ASM Liquor, has added another headline act Rocking Angel, a ﬁne Kentucky Bourbon whiskey, to their line up of award winning spirits. It’s heavenly smooth bourbon that rocks. We have ﬁve Rocking Angel prize packs to give away.

ZOO TWILIGHTS Anything that combine live music and mercats is a win by us, and the Zoo Twilights season does exactly that, giving us a summer of music at the Melbourne Zoo. Kate Ceberano and her band are performing this Saturday January 28 and we have three double passes to give away. Keen? Head to beat.com.au/freeshit.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS After releasing All Eternals Deck to critical acclaim last year, The Mountain Goats will be bringing their unique brand of American indie storytelling to Australian audiences once again, playing six dates in May 2012. All Eternals Deck is an eclectic mix of influences ranging from century old painting to ‘70s cult films, with singer songwriter John Darnielle explaining that the tracks “cluster around themes of hidden things and the dread that hidden things inspire.” Recorded across four different studios, each with a different producer, All Eternals Deck demonstrates how different seasons, moods, producers and locations play out into song, and confirms that John Darnielle is one of the most innovative and creative songwriters of this generation. He also once posted a heap on his Twitter about why Ignition (Remix) by R Kelly is one of the greatest songs of all time. We can get behind that. The Mountain Goats play the Corner Hotel on Thursday May 10, tickets available from Moshtix.

CHERRY ROCK 2012 Californian stoner rock giants Fu Manchu have been announced as the headliners of the sixth annual Cherry Rock. Cherry co-owner, booker and onesie-wearing extraordinaire James Young, was understandably ecstatic releasing the announcement. “It has been a decade since Fu Manchu’s California Crossing tour in Australia” he shared, “There’s going to be so much fuzz on the speakers in AC/DC Lane that we may have to shave them. In the past when we’ve had The Datsuns, Rose Tattoo and Died Pretty, to a certain extent we were after the best that was available and presented to us. This year we just sat back and said, who would be the best band in the whole world to play Cherry Rock ‘12? Fu Manchu. Agreed. OK. Let’s go get ‘em!” Also adding to the festivities are Black Cobra, Matt Sonic & the High Times, Bitter Sweet Kicks, Vice Grip Pussies, My Dynamite, The Ramshackle Army and Valentiine with many more soon to be announced. The sixth Cherry Rock takes place at Cherry Bar and in AC/DC Lane on Sunday April 29. Tickets on sale from 9am on Monday.

ANGELS & AIRWAVES

THE RAPTURE

Tom DeLonge needs no introduction. Forming Angels & Airwaves during Blink 182’s hiatus, they have gone on to reach critical success leading an army of die-hard fans. Combining epic melodies and monstrous arena rock choruses Angels & Airwaves debut album We Don’t Need to Whisper had Kerrang! calling it “bold and brilliant…with some stunning moments of perfection…euphoric”. Also joining them will be Madina Lake who have endured more in the past two years than most artists will experience in their entire career. There were moments of terror, trepidation and triumph and all those moments have been captured in the bands entrancing and enthralling ﬁnal part of their immersive album trilogy World War III. Last but not least on the bill are Framing Hanley, who having mastered the art of writing irresistible choruses and powerful rock anthems, and have been turning heads since their inception. Framing Hanley’s meteoric rise is set to continue with the release of their sophomore album A Promise To Burn. You can catch this massive triple bill playing the Forum Theatre on Thursday March 1, tickets available from Tickemaster from January 26.

The stunning stream of Future Music Festival sideshows just keeps on delivering, with giants of dance-punk The Rapture joining forces with Azari & III for a massive club show on their Melbourne leg of the national tour. The Rapture have maintained relevance since emerging at the crest of the dance punk explosion in the mid-2000s, winning continual acclaim with the release of In Grace Of Your Love last year. Canadian dance-disco quartet Azari & III have been electrifying crowds the world over, and are set to back up their Future Music duties with what’s set to be one hell of a dance jam. The Rapture and Azari & III perform at The Forum on Tuesday March 6. Tickets on sale from Ticketmaster on Tuesday January 31. TRIPLE R BREAKFASTERS

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB North London’s Bombay Bicycle Club, who are opening for Elbow on their Australian tour this March have announced their own headline shows in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. BBC have released three albums in as many years, winning a competition to perform at V Festival while still at school. The youthful band released their gold debut album, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, in 2009 and wasting no time, a stripped-down, acoustic, second album Flaws, was released a year later making the UK top 10. A Different Kind of Fix is Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest offering, cited as a their best record yet and a promise of what’s more to come. BBC will play their first Melbourne headline show at The Corner on Tuesday March 20. Tickets are $45 and on sale Wednesday February 1, through the Corner Box Office.

BONOBO

10CC

After swiftly selling out his ﬁrst show at The Corner Hotel, Bonobo aka Simon Green has announced an encore performance. Making his debut voyage to Australian shores as part of the Playground Weekender festival in NSW and WOMADelaide, Green will also be bringing along his full live band and vocalist Andreya Triana, who featured heavily on his critically acclaimed 2010 release, Black Sands. Bonobo plays his second show at The Corner Hotel on Monday March 5. Tickets available from the Corner Box Oﬃce.

The missing link between The Beatles and the Gorillaz, 10cc ruled the pop world at a time – the 1970s – when the charts were dominated by some of the most creative and colourful artists in pop history. It may be 40 years since 10cc evolved from the UK, but the 10cc sound and group members are as solid and strong as ever and heading back to Australian shores for a run of club dates. See 10cc play at Trak Lounge Bar, Wednesday March 14, Hotel Shoppingtown Doncaster, Thursday March 15 and Chelsea Heights Hotel, Saturday March 16. Tickets from the venue.

CNR SPRINGVALE & WELLS RD, CHELSEA HEIGHTS PH 9773 4453 WWW.CHELSEAHEIGHTSHOTEL.COM.AU

GENNY B FUN RAISER Being unwell, as anyone knows, is a pain in the arse. Suﬀering from ongoing illness is truly some next level shit. Melbourne’s Genny B – RRR regular and Livewire co-host, guitarist of Your Wedding Night and The Bites – has been in the trenches for the past year battling with an aggressive cancer, and the experience has left her working overtime just to cover her rent in between her debilitating treatments. Thanks to a mighty Melbourne music task force, a one night only show at The Corner Hotel will bring together a cream-of-the-crop collection of the town’s ﬁnest for a special gig that’s not only fun, but with all proceeds being donated to Genny B, will enable her to continue with her treatments into this year and the next. Join Dan Kelly, Glenn Richards, AIH DJs (Architecture In Helsinki), Alan Brough (Spicks And Specks), Teeth & Tongue, Chapter Music DJs, plus Dan Luscombe, Davey Lane and Jess McGuire (RRR Breakfast) and support a worthwhile cause. Tickets for the bigger than life show are only $25 + booking fee, and all goes down at The Corner Hotel, Thursday February 16.

WED 25TH JANUARY

FRI 3RD FEBRUARY

RUBY ROSE

D12 (USA/EMINEM) TIX $37

HUMP DAY PROJECT TIX – EARLY BIRD $20 OR $25

SAT 11TH FEBRUARY

SAT 25TH FEBRUARY

SAT 10TH MARCH

SAT 17TH MARCH

360

BELINDA CARLISLE

BABY ANIMALS

10CC (UK) TIX $55

WITH BAM BAM & JOELISTICS TIX $27

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FU MANCHU

TIX $63

TIX $37

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HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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HYRO DA HERO

HOODOO GURUS

DIG IT UP! One of the most influential Australian bands have pulled out something more than a little bit special for their 30 year anniversary, with Hoodoo Gurus inviting an incredible roster of international talent for a run of celebratory minifestivals. Garage rock progenitors The Sonics, seminal Australian outfit Died Pretty, US hard-rock outfit Red Kross, Japanese rock and rollers (and Tarantino favourites) The 5.6.7.8’s, US garage icons The Fleshtones, filthy Aussie punk legends The Hard-Ons, local psychedelic rock outfit The Lovetones and more will join in on the bill which will see Hoodoo Gurus celebrate their 30-year recording career by performing Stoneage Romeos in full (plus other hits). It’s a bash that surely supersedes whatever’s happening at the ‘G on Anzac Day. Dig It Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational takes over The Palace on Wednesday April 25.

CLARKEFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT

You can finally feel good about heading to a music festival knowing that the hard-earned cost of your ticket will be going to a worthy cause instead of extravagant artist riders, ballooning logistics costs and pyrotechnics. The Clarkefield Music Festival is a brand new endeavour from the Cambodian Kids Foundation to raise money for the charity, and boy are they putting on one massive day of music for a measly $20 contribution. Taking place in the pleasant outdoor setting of The Clarkefield Hotel, the day will feature sets from Nick Barker, Kim Salmon, Downhills Home, Hope Addicts, James McCann, Jeb Cardwell, Dead River Deeps, Saint Jude and Brother Johnstone. It all happens Sunday March 18, at 50 Station St, Clarkefield from midday. Tickets $20 at the gate, and kids under 12 are free!

Devin Townsend; one of the most admired and lauded figures in the metal world will be bringing his astonishingly deep and varied catalogue of mind-blowing music to Sidewaves in Sydney and Melbourne. Devin Townsend has amazed, beguiled and occasionally baffled all comers in numerous incarnations spanning the extreme noise metal of Strapping Young Lad to the intricate melodies of Ocean Machine; Devin has had his hand in almost every genre of music, from industrial metal to progressive rock to ambient sounds. Joining Townsend will be Meshuggah who were touted by Rolling Stone as “one of the ten most important hard and heavy bands”. These Swedish giants have been leading the metal world with their ground-breaking approach to song writing and their sixth studio album Obzen, a genre classic, sees them at their unrelenting and vicious best. Also along for the ride are Dredge who have been experimenting and pushing the boundaries throughout their 15 year career. With their fifth studio album Chuckles And Mr Squeezy Dredge are firmly cementing their place as one of rock’s most innovative artists breaking new ground in an unexplored realm. It’s all happening at the Forum on Wednesday February 29. Tickets available from Ticketmaster from January 26.

Not one to give a shit about what’s currently cool and hip, or even socially acceptable, controversial Soundwave artist Hyro Da Hero will be bringing his unique brand of explosive, engaging rap with rock ‘n’ roll attitude to a sidewave in Melbourne this March. Raised in Houston, Texas and now kickin’ it around LA, Hyro has become renowned for his enigmatic performances and ﬁery live shows. Drawing comparisons to something like Nas fronting Rage The Machine, Hyro’s debut Birth, School, Work, Death has the blogosphere and music mags alike touting his ﬁrst full-length release as ‘groundbreaking’ and full of ‘generational anthems’. See perhaps the most unusual artist on the Soundwave tour in a solo live show at The Laundry, Thursday March 1. Tickets through Oztix.

FIRST AID KIT VENUE UPGRADE Returning to Australia this March with their warm vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk-inﬂuenced songs is Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit. Due to overwhelming demand, the sold out Northcote Social Club show will now take place at The Corner Hotel to cater to their rapidly expanding fan base, with a second Melbourne show taking place at the Famous Spiegeltent. With the release of their stunning new video Emmylou last week from their highly anticipated sophomore album, Lion’s Roar, tickets to both shows are selling fast thanks to a knack for sweet, nostalgic lyricism and extensive tours with the likes of Lykke Li and Bright Eyes. With local support from Melbourne favourites, The Harpoons, you can catch First Aid Kit at The Famous Spiegeltent on Monday March 12 (last tickets!) and The Corner, Wednesday March 14. Tickets from the venues.

CATHEDRAL GRAVEYARD TRAIN

PBS DRIVE LIVE It’s live, it’s local, and it’s coming out of your radio. PBS’ Drive Live is taking over the airwaves for a full week from Monday February 6 to Friday February 10 during drive time. Here’s the deal; three acts, three studios in one drive time show, for a full week! Featuring blistering live in-studio performances from a bunch of local talent, including Graveyard Train, Howl At The Moon and Stella Angelico, there’s sure to have a lot of something for everyone. There’s a bunch more to be announced, so stay tuned! Literally. PBS members also have the exclusive opportunity to head down to the station to witness the mayhem in person, live and uncut. You can RSVP from January 23 so keep an eye on pbsfm.org.au to get your name on the door, or join the convo on Twitter with #drivelive.

Closing the curtain on a stellar career spanning two decades, doom metal legends Catheral announce their last ever headline shows as part of two exclusive sidewaves in Sydney and Melbourne. In over twenty years on the scene, Cathedral have proved themselves to be a band who not only transcend metal, but all or any genre classifications one might attempt to restrict them within. Yet far beyond all expectations, their ninth album, The Guessing Game has been their boldest outing yet, having been touted as “a collection of timeless tracks that could easily span the decades.” Cathedral’s legacy will well and truly continue, with the band also releasing their final studio album The Last Spire later this year; an expression of gratitude to their cult following. Joining in on the farewell, are the pioneers of gothic metal, Paradise Lost. Having recently released their latest effort Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us to great reviews, they’ll be sharing the stage with one of the most exciting live bands in the world; Finland’s battle metal masters, Turisas. Get ready for battle, when Cathedral, Paradise Lost and Turisas set sail down under to play The Espy, Thursday March 1. Tickets through Oztix.

BODYJAR Melodic punk pioneers Bodyjar are putting aside retirement, re-stringing their axes and getting ready to deliver one of Aussie punk’s great albums live on stage from start to finish with a pretty amazing line up of bands. In a special event to celebrate the release of their landmark album No Touch Red as a limited edition vinyl album, a second show has been announced to ease the demand following the news of a sell-out first show at The Corner. Hitting up The Espy with the same killer line-up, the show will see Bodyjar hit the stage with the highest pedigrees in Australian punk; newly-reformed One Dollar Short, Antiskeptic and Game Over in their first time on stage in over a decade, for two nights of punk nostalgia in a reunion that is bound to send you back to 1998. Bodyjar play The Espy, Friday March 30, and The Corner, Saturday March 31 (sold-out). Head to espy.com.au or Oztix for tickets.

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Beat Magazine Page 21

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

MONEY FOR ROPE VS. THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS

MFR ASK THE TOOTS Is that your rider? May I? No, what? I don’t know what you guys think a rider is... gross!! If you could cover any LMFAO song, what would it be? I had never heard of this band until I just YouTubed them. My ears are bleeding and I’m quite upset that you’ve introduced me to this. Do you believe the sub atomic particles travelled faster than the speed of light in the Hadron Collider? I do....now. If you were putting together an Oz only act festival, who’d make the cut? Heaps!! We just played some shows with Mother And Son and The Maladies. I liked them, they’re on the list. I’m really loving Harmony, Bombay Royale and Adalita at the moment too, so I’ll have them... along with many, many more, there’s a lot of quality music going around at the moment. THE TOOTS ASK MFR So what have you guys been up to lately? We’ve been busy recording an album and trying to sort out all the stuﬀ that goes with it like artwork

and video. Other than that our keys player Rick has been reeling in a few flatheads, singer Jules has been talking about catching fish but not catching any and I caught myself a whopper off a pier recently. Kyle Sandilands – what would you do to him if you could and do you make Jackie O watch? I could do no worse to Kyle Sandilands than what he has already done to himself. And Jackie O’s already seen that. Can I do something to Jackie O instead? Southern Cross tattoos, wearing the flag as a cape, Oi Oi Oi? Discuss. Vomit-in-mouth-can’t-talk. Which local bands are doing it for you at the moment? We’re big fans of the Once Overs and loving King Gizzard at the moment. Also enjoying the folk stylings and stage banter that exits the mouth of one Fraser A Gorman. MONEY FOR ROPE and the TOOT TOOT TOOTS play at the John Curtin Hotel tonight (Wednesday January 25), along with Mesa Cosa, in an Australia Day Eve party band extravaganza.

LAST DINOSUARS Shaping up for a sold-out national tour in support of Californian pop darlings Foster The People and recovering from a massive Summer that saw their addictive single Zoom hit the number two most played spot at triple j and coveted Ripe Clip at Channel [V] among other accolades, Brisbane’s Last Dinosaurs are now getting set for a string of shows to celebrate the release of their eagerly anticipated debut album. Phew! Someone get this band a beer. With the full-length In A Million Years set to drop in only a few weeks, it’s safe to say the boys will be looking to share a few high ﬁves and group hugs with friends and fans when they play The Toﬀ in Melbourne, Tuesday February 28, with support from ThemSwoops. In A Million Years will hit shelves March 2, so make the wait a little easier and head to lastdinosaurspreorder.com to get yourself a piece of the pie. Tickets also from Moshtix.

HOLLY THROSBY After wowing audiences across the country with the sublime Seeker Lover Keeper outﬁt (check our live review), the wonderful Holly Throsby has announced a return to the solo format for a headline tour. The tour marks Holly’s ﬁrst headline tour in over a year, and will see her band The Hello Tigers performing at each date. Before returning home to Australia in March, Holly will be jetting across Europe for a sprawling tour. These shows are set to be Holly’s last before beginning work on new material. Holly Throsby performs at the The Famous Spiegeltent on Sunday March 11.

A NIGHT AT THE EAST The East Brunswick Club has been one of Wireless Records’ favourite venues, which has been the location of numerous launches for the label, as well has being a favourite for many of its artists. Wireless Records is very proud to host a show at this venue for one last time before the venue closes. Ivy St., Slight Of Build and Radiant City have been in a collective hibernation lately, writing material for new releases in 2012 and will come out of their respective caves to pay tribute to the East Brunswick Club one last time. Very special guests for the night are East Brunswick All Girls Choir and Littlestar (who have reformed as their original line up especially for this show). Head down to see this stellar bill on Wednesday February 22, doors open from 7pm and entry is $7.

MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE The band that has barely stopped moving since the launch of their album Fiasco in 2011 are back with a fresh string of festival and club dates throughout March 2012. Like typical 21 year old won’t-stop-party-animals, My Friend the Chocolate Cake take their unique blend of pop noir to The Famous Speigeltent in Melbourne on Friday March 2 and Saturday March 3.

THE GETAWAY PLAN It was a special start to 2012 as The Getaway Plan spent NYE playing their third slot at Pyramid Rock Festival. Now as they prepare for their second stint on the Big Day Out national touring bill, they will also take time out of their already busy schedule with a suburban run in March. Since the release of their long awaited sophomore album Requiem in November last year, The Getaway Plan have done their own capital city headline tour and are now in the middle of an impressive festival run before finally getting a chance to play their new album to fans in both suburban and major regional centres. With first single The Reckoning taking off on commercial radio, and triple j spinning current single Flying Colours on high rotation, it is an eventful time for the four-piece who recently reformed after a two year hiatus. Each show is over 18s with tickets on sale from Thursday January 19 at midday. Good friends and incredible rock band Gatherer will be main support on all shows, with locals chosen by the venues to be added to shows.

Beat Magazine Page 22

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KOOLISM

HOT TALK For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

FED SQUARE LIVE

SOL NATION

Celebrate Australia Day with the best live Aussie music over three special Fed Square Live gigs, presented by The Push. Be privy to some high-energy rhythm and blues, with a touch of doo-wop and ska from Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes from 6pm alongside the smooth soul explosion that is Saskwatch as they light up the night on Wednesday, January 25. On Australia Day, catch the tennis on the big screen and chill to Loon Lake and Melbourne newcomers I, A Man, from 7pm. Then ﬁnish the celebration and the scorching Fed Square Live summer series oﬀ, with a ‘Park Jam’ combined DJ and live set from hip hop duo, Koolism on Friday, January 27 from 6pm. Best of all, it’s all free! Go to one, or go to all.

AUSTRALIA DAY EVE AT QUEEN VIC NIGHT MARKET Ease your way into the Australia Day public holiday this week with some good music, food and drink at the Queen Vic Night Market this Australia Day Eve. Providing some top quality musical oﬀerings for free all summer, tonight will see the laid-back funk stylings of Sol Nation, Sunshine Sisters and James Henry sway crowds, plus some Indigenous hip hop will have you bouncing while you peruse the impressive artisan fares from over 200 stalls. The Suzuki Night Market takes place at the Queen Vic Market from 5.30pm ‘til 10pm every Wednesday night during summer, until February 29.

THE EAST FINAL SHOW

Feel, Max, Time Out & SPA Present

Following on from the announcement late last year that the relatively young East Brunswick Club would be closing its doors forever, a solid line up of much-loved local talent will be saying sayonara to the much-loved venue. Uberhot Melbourne duo Oscar + Martin will headline the last ever show at the East, bringing with them an arsenal of sugary sweet hits from their breakthrough LP of last year, For You. Support on the night comes from Parking Lot Experiments and indie-rock stalwarts Milk Teddy. Oscar + Martin, Parking Lot Experiments and Milk Teddy farewell East Brunswick Club on Wednesday February 29.

DJ KRUSH Japanese producer and turntablist DJ Krush will return to Australia this March with his hypnotising blend of jazzinflected hip hop and avant-garde beats in a celebration to mark 20 years behind the decks as a solo artist. From his Ronnie Jordan remixes to his wild collaborations with DJ Shadow, Krush is one of the most prolific identities in instrumental hip hop today. His mind blowing live shows are the stuff of legend as he builds layer upon layer of drum samples captivating, enthralling and immersing his audience in his wonderful, dark, and downright genius world of smoked out soundscapes. DJ Krush swoops into wow The Espy, Saturday March 3. Tickets on sale now from www.espy.com.au and all Oztix outlets.

RAISE THE ROOF 3 Hip hop heads take note. The Espy is pleased to announce that it is once again opening its doors up to a night of all Australian hip hop. Raise The Roof picks up from where it left oﬀ, a colossal lineup showcasing the ﬁnest in established and emerging Aussie hip hop. Raise The Roof 1 and 2 were a raging success, volume 3 is shaping up to be just as huge. Headlining festivities is Melbourne’s own Pez along with Mantra, Thundamentals (Syd), AJ (UK), Acumen, Sky HIgh (Syd), M-Phazes, Slap 618 plus super special guest direct from the UK, the one and only Shortee Blitz. Hosting again is Espy regular MC Reason and DJ Flagrant will be bringing back his Aussie Hip Hop video show. More acts are soon to be announced but prepare yourself for an al nighter over three rooms, under one roof.

iNViTATiONAL starring...

The

THE SONiCS (USA) • DiED PRETTY • REDD KROSS (USA) THE 5.6.7.8’S (JAPAN) • THE FLESHTONES (USA) • HARD-ONS BEACHES • THE LOVETONES • THE FROWNiNG CLOUDS with more to be announced! And your guest hosts...

performing STONEAGE ROMEOS in its entirety (plus other smash hits)

ON SALE MONDAY 30TH JAN THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT The stratospheric rise of The Cambodian Space Project has caught those witnessing the spectacle of this cosmic cross-culture rock band as it blasts across the dusty highways of Cambodia by surprise. In 2012, CSP are heading south to our shores for the 20th anniversary of Womadelaide, as well as to create a special ‘Cambodia A Go Go’ show for The Famous Spiegeltent in collaboration with The Melbourne Arts Centre. The CSP often plays a two-hour live set (as expected by rural audiences in Cambodia) mixing a cocktail of 60’s Cambodian Rock with Khmer Surin dance grooves, hints of the blues, French gypsy accordion music, acid rock with reggae. They play a special show at The Grace Darling, Saturday January 28. Tickets $12 pre-sale or $15 at the door.

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Beat Magazine Page 23

TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

PROUDLY PRESENTS:

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

For all the latest touring news check out beat.com.au

INTERNATIONAL ITAL Phoenix Public House January 27 KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS Corner Hotel January 27, The Espy January 28 BEST COAST Corner Hotel January 28 BATTLES The Forum January 28 KASABIAN Festival Hall January 28 BIG DAY OUT Flemington Racecourse January 29 MARIACHI EL BRONX Billboard January 30 DAS RACIST Corner Hotel January 31 VINTAGE TROUBLE East Brunswick Club January 31 CAGE THE ELEPHANT Corner Hotel January 31 GIRL TALK Palace Theatre January 31 KANYE WEST Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 31 MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Festival Hall January 31 NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Palais Theatre January 31 FEIST Palais Theatre February 1 OFWGKTA The Palace Wednesday February 1 SOUNDGARDEN Sidney Myer Music Bowl February 1 LAURA MARLING The Forum February 2 ROYKSOPP The Palace February 2 AUSTRA Northcote Social Club February 2 HALL & OATES Plenery February 2, Rochford Winery February 12 M83 Prince Bandroom February 3 THE DRUMS, CULTS Palace Theatre February 3 YUCK East Brunswick Club February 3 PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Hi-Fi Bar February 3 LANEWAY FESTIVAL Footscray Community Arts Centre February 4 EMA The Tote February 4 SEETHER The Hi-Fi February 4 CHAIRLIFT The East Brunswick Club February 7 ROGER WATERS Rod Laver Arena February 7, 8, 10, 11 INCUBUS Festival Hall February 8 TORO Y MOI, WASHED OUT The Hi-Fi February 9 GIVERS, PORTUGAL THE MAN Corner Hotel February 9 AA Workers Club February 13 CORNERSHOP Prince Bandroom February 16 ROD STEWART Rod Laver Arena February 17, Hanging Rock February 18

LA DISPUTE Corner Hotel February 18, 19 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE The Palace January 21 JASON LYTLE The Toﬀ In Town February 22 GAME Festival Hall February 22 ROXETTE Rod Laver Arena February 22 ERYKAH BADU Palais Theatre February 22 DAN MANGAN Northcote Social Club February 22 MURDER BY DEATH Hi-Fi Bar February 23 MASTODON Billboard February 27 BAD RELIGION The Palace February 27 THE SISTERS OF MERCY Corner Hotel February 28 BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HELL YEAH, BLACK TIDE AND HOLY GRAIL The Forum February 28 ENTER SHIKARI Billboard February 28 MACHINE HEAD Palace Theatre February 28 FOUR YEAR STRONG, I AM THE AVALANCHE, FIREWORKS AND CONDITIONS Hi-Fi Bar February 28 HATEBREED Hi-Fi Bar February 29 DEVIN TOWNSEND, MESHUGGAH DREDGE The Forum February 29 MAYER HAWTHORNE Corner Hotel February 29 THURSDAY, SAVES THE DAY Billboard February 29 SYSTEM OF A DOWN Rod Laver Arena February 29 STEEL PANTHER, ALTER BRIDGE The Palace February 29 UNWRITTEN LAW, ZEBRAHEAD AND ROYAL REPUBLIC The Espy February 29 MEN Phoenix Public House March 1 SLIPKNOT Rod Laver Arena March 1 NEW ORDER Festival Hall March 1 CATHEDRAL, PARADISE LOST, TURISAS The Espy March 1 HYRO DA HERO Laundry Bar March 1 LOSTPROPHETS Billboard March 1 BUSH/STAIND The Palace March 1 ANGELS & AIRWAVES The Forum March 1 SOUNDWAVE Melbourne Showgrounds March 2 PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER Wisemen’s Ferry March 2 - March 4 LANA DEL REY The Toﬀ In Town March 3 RYAN ADAMS Regent Theatre March 3 ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Corner Hotel March 4 BEN KWELLER The Hi-Fi March 5 URGE OVERKILL The Espy March 6 THE RAPTURE, AZARI & III The Forum March 6 BLACK LIPS Corner Hotel March 7 MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA The Hi-Fi March 7

ROCK THE BAY The Espy Saturday February 18 CHIC Billboard March 7 BON IVER Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 8 URGE OVERKILL The Espy March 8 BONOBO Corner Hotel March 5, 8 ADAM COHEN Regal Ballroom March 9 WILD FLAG Corner Hotel March 9 BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY The National Theatre March 9 ROOTS MANUVA Prince Bandroom March 10 ENDLESS BOOGIE The Tote March 10 GOLDEN PLAINS Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre March 10-12 FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL Flemington Racecourse March 11 REAL ESTATE Corner Hotel March 12 FIRST AID KIT Famous Spiegeltent March 12, The Corner March 14 ROKY ERICKSON Corner Hotel March 13 TAYLOR SWIFT Rod Laver Arena March 13 ST. VINCENT Hi-Fi Bar March 14 AQUA The Palace March 13, March 15 LENNY KRAVITZ, THE CRANBERRIES Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 17, 18 A DAY ON THE GREEN All Saint’s Estate Rutherglen March 17 CHARLES BRADLEY Corner Hotel March 18 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Corner Hotel March 20 TIM MCGRAW, FAITH HILL Rod Laver Arena March 20 ELBOW Festival Hall March 21 DURAN DURAN March 21 NICK LOWE The Forum March 22 ELECTRELANE Corner Hotel March 23 BORIS Corner Hotel March 24 WOODEN SHJIPS Corner Hotel March 28 CROSBY, STILLS & NASH Palais Theatre March 29 STEVE EARLE Corner Hotel March 30 G3 Palais Theatre March 31 DEAD MEADOW Corner Hotel April 1 LUCINDA WILLIAMS Palais Theatre April 2 THE POGUES Festival Hall April 4 MY MORNING JACKET The Palace April 4 YANN TIERSEN Recital Centre April 4 BYRON BAY BLUESFEST Byron Bay April 5-9 TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE The Corner April 7 NEW FOUND GLORY AND TAKING BACK SUNDAY Festival Hall April 8 SUBLIME Palace Theatre April 9 SEASICK STEVE Corner Hotel April 10 JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Prince Bandroom April 12 PETER HOOK The Palace April 12 LOU BARLOW Northcote Social Club April 17, April 18 HENRY ROLLINS The National Theatre April 18, 19 SUPAFEST TBA April 21 DIG IT UP The Palace April 25 THE EXPLOITED Corner Hotel April 28

CHERRY ROCK Cherry Bar April 29 THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Corner Hotel May 10 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 19 FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Rod Laver Arena May 20 MELISSA ETHERIDGE The Plenary July 15

NATIONAL BARONS OF TANG Corner Hotel January 25 THE TOTE AUSTRALIA DAY The Tote January 26 KATE CEBERANO Melbourne Zoo January 28 KASEY CHAMBERS Melbourne Zoo February 4 ST KILDA FESTIVAL St Kilda February 5 – 13 PHIL JAMIESON Northcote Social Club February 10 JORDIE LANE East Brunswick Club February 10 SLEEPMAKESWAVES The Espy February 10, The Evelyn February 11 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS Melbourne Zoo February 11 GRAVEYARD TRAIN Phoenix Public House February 11 ANTISKEPTIC The Northcote Social Club February 11 MARCIA HINES Melbourne Zoo February 12 THE NECKS Corner Hotel February 13, 14, 15 GENNY B FUNDRAISER Corner Hotel February 16 RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL Echuca-Moama February 17-10 ROCK THE BAY The Espy February 18 LAST DINOSAURS The Toﬀ February 28 LIOR Melbourne Zoo March 3 CHILDREN COLLIDE Ferntree Gully Hotel March 9, Pelly Bar March 10, Karova Lounge March 12 and Corner Hotel April 13 360 Corner Hotel March 10 HOLLY THROSBY Famous Spiegeltent March 11 PUSH OVER Abbotsford Convent March 12 DIRTY THREE The Palace March 16 THE BEARDS Corner Hotel March 16 SNAKADAKTAL Northcote Social Club March 16, 17 CLARKEFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL Clarkeﬁeld March 18 BODYJAR, ANTISKEPTIC, ONE DOLLAR SHORT Corner Hotel March 31

RUMOURS Kiss, Beck, Matchbox 20, Tracey Chapman, Madonna, Kris Furst & The Gimme Gimmes = New Announcements = Beat Proudly Presents

PROUDLY PRESENTS:

OFWGKTA The Palace Wednesday February 1 Beat Magazine Page 24

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bombay bicycle club With Special Guests

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Beat Magazine Page 25

FRIENDLY FIRES BY SIMONE ZIADA

They’re one of those ‘We have to go and see them!’ bands. Why? Because the fact of the matter is, Friendly Fires understand what it means to entertain their audience. With everything from their catchy tunes to Ed MacFarlane’s ‘80s-inspired dance moves and quirky Hawaiian shirts, the Hertfordshire threesome are getting ready to play our very own Future Music Festival in just over a month’s time for what will be their first live performances of 2012. Over a very delayed and cut-out conversation, I got the opportunity to speak to the band’s guitarist, Edd Gibson, about all things Friendly Fires, the health risks associated with being in such a sought after band, and pre-stage rituals. “It’s an absolute pure joy to be headed back down there for the first gigs that we’ve done this year. We’re trying to write [more songs] at the moment, but it’s sort of nice to be in that space, and to have that quick trip to the other side of the world to look forward to as well – just to, you know, have some sort of excitement on the horizon. “We’ve been going for ages now. I think I’ve been going in the band longer in my life than I have outside of the band. We all met at school and not long after we were in the band. I actually think that I was in the band before I could even play the guitar,” he laughs. “We started off playing happy pop-punk covers at people’s birthday parties, trying to organise gigs...The music has just sort of kept us together. I think it helped us form our identity and kept us going for hours on end, but then we ended up at different colleges and, by that point, we’d been doing this for around eight years. We really just saw how far we could go with it ‘cause I suppose it was one of those things where only time would tell.” “We’d [be in the band] while still having crappy day jobs on the side, but then we got the offer from XL Records and we wanted to be part of their label, so we just went, ‘Yeah, let’s have it.’” In May of 2008, numerous songs from the band were featured on various programmes, and radio shows throughout the UK, but that wasn’t where they stopped. The band’s music even ventured as far as appearing on popular American drama Gossip Girl with their song White Diamonds. You must be doing something right when all of this has happened and you haven’t even released your debut LP yet. That came a little bit after, in September of the same year, when the band released their self-titled album Friendly Fires; an album which Gibson himself admits the band toured extensively. Fast forward three years, and May of 2011 saw the band release their sophomore record, Pala – an album which many, especially Fires fans, can identify as quite different to their first record. “Here’s the thing, because we toured the first record for so long, we put [the first album] out, and then did the tour, and then we wrote Kiss Of Life. That song was just sort of meant to be a bridging single, and that was sort of a new thing for us without us writing an entirely new album. “The label really liked [the song] and it really caught on; I actually think that it was the first single to chart in the UK, so we sort of toured the album all over again for ages before we were actually given a chance to Beat Magazine Page 26

“WE’RE DESPERATELY TRYING TO WRITE AT THE MOMENT. WE’VE ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS OFF, REALLY, BECAUSE WE ONLY FINISHED OUR UK TOUR AT THE START OF DECEMBER. INSTEAD OF GETTING UP, CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE STUDIO TO WRITE SOME NEW STUFF.” properly get in the headspace of writing in the studio again. I think it was only towards the end of the first record that we actually found something unique to us. “I mean, we were influenced by the New York disco scene that was going on at the time. You know, like DFA Records, LCD Soundsystem – we’re really into that sound. I think more towards the end of [touring the first record], we really started to find our own sound. “With writing, [we’re not the type of band] that could just take an acoustic guitar on the road with us and sort of strum out the guidelines or blueprints for future songs. [We’re the sort of band] that has to not be distracted or have anything that would get in the way of us writing. It takes quite a while for us to really hammer through a song. We’ll probably be writing for a solid ten hours and just get totally immersed within it all. [With our songs] I think sometimes we always end up with the goods, I’m very pleased. I mean, every song that we

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start, we tend to finish, so I’m really proud of that fact.” But, in the words of Uncle Ben from Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. Despite the utter joy that the threesome get from writing, recording and performing their music, as well as the undying appreciation they have for their fans, they find that the job can be quite taxing on them. “When we finish touring, normally everyone gets ill from about a fortnight to a month – I think it just all catches up with us. It can be quite a mind-fuck. When you’re on the road, you kind of have to switch off in many ways because you are always surrounded by people for about 80 percent of the day, or you’re waiting for cars, or planes, or waiting to go on stage.” Is that enough to deter them from doing what they love doing, though? Not in the slightest. “Being on stage is definitely the best part of the day. That hour that we’re up there is the best because you get to see other people besides your crew or your band, and we just have fun performing. You just get to throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. “We’re not too bothered about replicating the record [on stage] at all – live is something totally different for us. And even though we’re up there sweating our arses off like Barry White on a regular day, we just get into throwing ourselves all over the place and just having fun with the crowd. That’s why I like listening back to live recordings, because things just get really chaotic. Sometimes I just get so into it that I’ll forget what I’m playing,” he laughs. For anyone that has ever seen Friendly Fires live, you’ll know that there has to be some sort of pre-show stretches involved. Ed MacFarlane could easily take on Ian Curtis for the title of Most Eccentric Dancing Frontman. “I think everyone does have their own little ritual to get hyped up. Ed sort of just paces back and forth, doing stretches and stuff like that. We also play some pretty loud music to just get into it and get the heartbeat up. I prefer to think about what I have to do on stage so I make sure that I don’t mess up.” Having released their latest LP, Pala, in the earlier stages of last year, I felt compelled to ask the guitarist if we could expect any new material when they head down here in March. “I don’t know. We’re desperately trying to write at the moment. We’ve only had a couple of weeks off, really, because we only finished our UK tour at the start of December. Instead of getting up, Christmas shopping, we actually just got straight back into the studio to write some new stuff. But I think it will be a while before we properly are able to perform the new stuff live. So, there’s potential, but I don’t want to get any hopes up.” It’s hard for you not to notice these guys. With tunes that will undoubtedly make your bums wiggle, your hands clap and your boots dance, the sound of Friendly Fires is unlike any other sound. And if you need, for whatever reason, some dancing inspiration, surely frontman Ed MacFarlane will lead by example. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch FRIENDLY FIRES play alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim, Swedish House Mafia, Chase & Status, The Rapture and many more at Future Music Festival on Sunday March 11 at Flemington Racecourse. Pala is out through XL Recordings/Remote Control.

THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN

In his review of Woody Allen’s universally acclaimed romantic comedy Midnight In Paris, iconic film critic Roger Ebert labelled Allen a “treasure of the cinema”. With an oeuvre like Allen’s, this statement is hard to argue. Midnight In Paris, considered Allen’s best film in years, centres on a family travelling to Paris for business and the realisations that a successful screenwriter, played by Owen Wilson, confronts following his magical experiences in the city beginning each night at midnight. The film screens at Moonlight Cinema on Friday January 27.

ON STAGE

WEEKEND BY DEE JEFFERSON

“That it’s really cool to be a bogan” – an intriguing and appropriate debate topic for this year’s Australia Day Eve Comedy Debate. The debate will feature two teams – led respectively by comedians Des Dowling and Hannah Gadsby – composed of comedians Heath Franklin, Hung Le, Aleisha McCormack and Terri Psiakis. What makes a bogan? Is it cool to be one? It’s on at BMW Edge at Federation Square on Wednesday January 25 from 9pm, totally free!

ON DISPLAY Basilica, a new work of performance art both beautiful and reticently kitsch, examines how new ideas of what is ‘sacred’ are communicated. Three bright young artists will, for three days straight, perform in one of Melbourne’s iconic experimental spaces. Artists Marita Fox, Kail Rose and Kieran Swann will perform over a series of days, growing and changing visual installations within the space. The performance will take place 24 hours a day and the public are encouraged to visit outside of gallery hours, from 6pm on Friday January 27 – Sunday January 29. The event, held at Schoolhouse Studios in Abbotsford which is due for demolition this year, will pay tribute to the treasured venue.

BEAT’S PICK OF THE WEEK:

Since the ‘90s we’ve seen a blossoming of queer cinema that has gradually made headway into the mainstream via directors like Gus Van Sant (Milk), Todd Haynes (I’m Not There) and, more recently, Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All Right) – but more often from indie directors like John Cameron Mitchell and Gregg Araki, hardcore arthouse doyens like Derek Jarman or B-movie mavens like John Waters and Bruce La Bruce. Proportionally, there aren’t many films that deal with the quotidian aspects of gay experience – where characters are incidentally gay, rather than ciphers for queer subcultures, or victims of abuse or persecution. Which is perhaps why films like The Kids Are Alright feel so refreshing – and directors like Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats) are so exciting. 38-year-old British writer-director Andrew Haigh is part of the new wave – and the success of his sophomore feature, Weekend, is suggestive of a cinematic vista relatively unexplored as yet. Simply and elegantly executed, it’s the story of two young men in Nottingham who cross paths in a one-night stand, and end up having a weekend of sex, conversation and substance-abuse that profoundly affects them both. In its lo-fi sensibilities, its ‘talkiness’ and its exposition of pre-mid-life-crisis, it’s been compared to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise. Haigh is as much interested in the awkward and bittersweet dynamics of budding relationships as presenting a specifically ‘gay perspective’. “Part of me making this film was being frustrated that there wasn’t anything similar,” says Haigh. “There’s a lot of filmmakers who are interested in [telling these stories], but they don’t make the films. It think it’s probably down to the fact that it’s hard to get films like this funded…Or it’s just about a fear of doing something different, especially in relation to gay-themed material.” Weekend isn’t just a different treatment of gay experience, it’s adopting a different approach to finding its audience;

FREE SHIT A CHORUS LINE

The Home Cooked Comics Festival is a free celebration for those who love comic books, graphic novels and cool shit in general. There will be live music by Animaux and Squid Squad, ﬁght choreography and comic making workshops, Kamishibai (Japanese ‘paper drama’), the Allen & Unwin Comics Quiz Show and once again just cool shit in general. It’s on at Batman Park, Northcote, this Saturday January 28 from 3pm onwards.

Beat Magazine Page 28

Based on true stories told by a clan of New York dancers on tape in one long session, A Chorus Line revolutionised Broadway for 15 years as it became the longest running musical in Broadway history. The show won nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, auditions for a new Broadway musical are almost ﬁnished. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed – to have the chance to dance. This brilliant Broadway Production comes to Her Majesty’s Theatre, and we have a few giveaways up for grabs.

rather than targeting queer film festivals, Haigh set his sights on Texan festival South By Southwest. “Because a lot of the films I’ve liked have come out of South By Southwest, it felt like a good place to show it – and also I wanted the film to be viewed, I suppose, within that indie sensibility.” Whatever Haigh’s doing, it’s working: following its SXSW Official Competition screening, the film was awarded the Emerging Visions accolade, picked up for US distribution, and has since scored rave reviews and editorials in the New York Times, Film Comment, Time – and did quite respectable box office business for a film of its size, expanding from one cinema to 26 across its ten-week run, and raking in just under half a million – and all this before it even opens in the UK. “Our world premiere was the opening night of SXSW – but not the big opening film, which was Duncan Moon’s Source Code. So everyone went to that, and we had about 40 people in the audience for our screening,” Haigh laughs. “But luckily in that audience was someone from [US distribution company] Sundance Selects and some other distributors – and then by day two of the

GUILTY PLEASURES As part of its First Look program, ACMI presents Guilty Pleasures, a ﬁlm that looks closely at the world of love and romance. The ﬁlm dives into the highly successful world of the Harlequin Mills & Boon publishing empire, as director Julie Moggan travels around the globe to interview her subjects, for whom the Mills & Boon franchise plays a pivotal role in their lives – for better or worse. We have a couple of passes to Guilty Pleasures at ACMI to give away.

AUTOLUMINESCENT Autoluminescent documents the life of Australian guitar legend Rowland S. Howard, who passed away in 2009. Howard was the guitarist of iconic bands such as postpunks The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party,

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

festival, people were bidding for the film. It was crazy, so weird – we went to bed thinking, ‘Oh my god everyone hates the film’ and woke up and everyone wanted to buy it!” Part of Weekend’s success is the balance it strikes between universal themes and a frank rejection of heterosexual gender norms. Besides the sex and intimacy, Haigh gives his characters fiery blasts of dialogue railing against the hetero-normative media and society they feel alienated by. “While I wanted a bigger audience than just a traditional ‘gay dvd’ audience, I also only want to get that audience if I can still be honest with the kind of film I want to make,” says Haigh. “So very early on I decided not to water anything down or make it more palatable…I just thought people would respond to it if it tried to be truthful.” A former editor with a slate of work that includes blockbusters like Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, Haigh resisted the temptation to manipulate the narrative of Weekend, choosing instead to shoot scenes in single long takes, filmed chronologically. The result feels like being a fly on the wall as the relationship gradually unfolds. “It’s really scary,” he admits, “because obviously you rely so much on everybody – [especially] the actors to make long scenes work…” With this in mind, he cast established theatre actors Tom Cullen and Chris New in the lead roles. “They understand the need to stay in character for the whole time.” Named as one of Screen International’s ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ in 2008, and recently touted by industry bible Variety as one of ten screenwriters to watch, Haigh says, “When you leave university you need to earn a living, and so I just started working [as an editor], knowing that I wanted to direct but not having the money or confidence to go, ‘Oh I’ll just make a film now’. And then you get a bit trapped – you end up working and the pay’s alright… But then I got to that stage where I thought, ‘I have to draw a line and just focus on my own projects’. I kinda wish I’d done it earlier,” he laughs. Weekend opens nationally on Thursday January 26.

teaming up in his teens with the iconic Nick Cave. The film chronicles Howard’s life journey and musicians such as Mick Harvey, Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Nick Cave and Henry Rollins to name a few discuss their experiences with Howard and his musical influence on them. However, the most interesting interviews come from the women whom Howard loved, as they offered less of a musical insight into Howard but rather explored him as a person: tormented by the seduction of drugs and combating the firm strangle of depression. The film screens at the stunning St Kilda Open Air Cinema on Monday February 6. We have a few double passes to give away. Clickety-clack on beat.com.au/freeshit to win.

City of Kingston’s

Saturday 28 January 12noon – 10pm Sunday 29 January 12noon – 6pm Namatjira Park, Springs Road, Clayton South

MUSIC FOOD DANCE RIDES FIREWORKS

www.kingston.vic.gov.au

World Music Stage Program Saturday 28 January

Sunday 29 January

12 noon 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm

12 noon 1pm

Tatu Rei - Brazilian/ Jazz The Moon Project - Reggae funk / Jazz Alwan - Acoustic Sergi Golouko - Russian folk classical Beth George - Folk / Ult pop Viva La Difference - Latin / Jazz / French Carino Son - Latin Ajak Kwai - African Ska Vendors - Ska blue beat Passi Jo + Warako Musica - African

2pm 3pm 4pm

The Humanites - Indie La Fiesta Flamenco Group with Matthew Fagan - Spanish ﬂamenco Klezmania - Eastern European / Gypsy FutureRoots Soundsystem - Afro Reggae Sol Nation - Afro Latin / Reggae

5pm

Musiki Manjaro - Pan African dance

GLOBE to GLOBE proudly sponsored by

NEW 2012 SEASON

Arts Centre Melbourne presents

E I G E CARN

s tre serie a e h t ic s new mu

s? ative proces e r c e th t u o ic Curious ab e e new mus r th e e s to t Be the firs ment. ts in develop c je o r p e tr a the

THE NEW BLACK

DREAMSONG

CAUTIONARY TALES FOR CHILDREN

A musical journey of identity and winking ambition.

An irreverent musical satire of faith, fortune and the mega-church

A lyrical satirical cabaret based on the verse by Hilaire Belloc

1 – 4 February

4 – 7 February

1–7 FEBRUARY 2012

Stay back for a Q&A with the artists after each performance

Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio TICKETS ONLY $10

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

Book online or call 1300 182 183 artscentremelbourne.com.au

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Beat Magazine Page 29

THE COMIC STRIP CHECKPOINT CHARLIE COMEDY With Tyson Wray. Got news, gossip, reviews, thoughts, tip-oﬀs, complaints, hate mail? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by ESP before Friday.

CLIFF HOWARD

11 DEC - 9 FEB

A signiﬁed artist and poet, Cliﬀ Howard’s latest exhibition is one which delves deep into the contrasting world of modern day, studying the diversity of colour across a variety of subjects including musicians, dancers and our animal environment. With everything from a soccer ball resting on a zebra to an almost Kardashian-esque angel, experience Howard’s Variety Is The Spice Of Life exhibition at the Long Gallery from Wednesday February 1 – Sunday February 26.

LIVE MUSIC AT SUNSET &

FILMS UNDER THE STARS THE ROOFTOP OF THE ICONIC ST KILDA SEA BATHS OVERLOOKING THE BAY FULLY LICENSED BAR WITH FESTIVAL FOOD NO BYO ALCOHOL

BOOK ONLINE

stkildaopenair.com.au

THE YEAR OF MAGICAL WANKING TWO BY TWO A play inspired by Noah’s Ark, Little Ones Theatre presents TWO BY TWO, a gusty and evocative play at fortyfivedownstairs this February. Set in a future Melbourne of mass flooding, TWO BY TWO follows a couple and a sick woman who have been denied access to the ark. Following their final hours, a baby is found floating in the water by the trio. Weaving political and the personal, domestic and apocalyptic concepts, the play explores seclusion on its highest scale. Winner of the 2011 Malcolm Robertson Prize, TWO BY TWO is written by NIDA graduate Dan Giovannoni and features rising talents Zahra Newman, Gary Abrahams and Paul Blenheim. Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo the play runs through Thursday February 9 – Sunday February 19.

SCHISM When science and technology wage war against ethics, the soul and psyche are left in chaos – what is there left to do? This is the question pondered within Schism, a theatrical piece illuminating the impacts of environmental crises, through the eyes of a pair of disconnected twins. The piece is a collaborative work created by two sisters. Melanie and Pippa Bainbridge’s tale places the twins, separated at an early age as a result of a disorder which leaves one twin with a conscience and the other without, causing the twins to experience schism. The psychological thriller explores a degree of disconnection and perverse reaction as a result of a damaged environment. It’s on at La Mama Courthouse on Thursday February 9.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY This January at Palace Cinemas, Palace Opera & Ballet present the classic fairy tale ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Screening nationally in 5.1 digital surround sound, the piece is the peak of classical ballet. The performance, captured from London’s Royal Opera House, showcases the amazing marriage between Petipa’s choreography and Tchaikovsky’s music. The high deﬁnition ballet screening is directed by Boris Gruzin and tells the classical story of Princess Aurora, whom is cursed from birth by a jealous fairy for 100 years. The Sleeping Beauty screens from Friday January 27 through to Wednesday February 1, visit palaceoperaandballet.com.au for more details.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA With the new year comes new seasons, and the ACO is no exception. Its 2012 season is sure to bring a smile to the faces of many orchestra lovers. Amongst the plethora of performances to be held will be Chopin specialist, Wunderkind Leschenko, a three-way violin battle, Mendelssohn’s Octet and some incredible work by Morricone. All beginning in a week’s time, the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s 2012 opening season will be held at Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday February 19, 2.30pm & Monday February 20, 8pm. For tickets or more information, head to artscentremelbourne.com.au

WED 25TH JAN MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4 GHOST PROTOCOL (M) THUR 26TH JAN AUSTRALIA DAY SPECIAL MON 30TH JAN THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE (MA 15+) TUES 31ST JAN TOP GUN (PG) WED 1ST FEB MELANCHOLIA (M) THUR 2ND FEB SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS (M) FRI 3RD FEB TOWER HEIST (M) MON 6TH FEB AUTOLUMINESCENT (M) TUES 7TH FEB SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS (M) WED 8TH FEB MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4 GHOST PROTOCOL (M) THUR 9TH FEB WE BOUGHT A ZOO (PG)

Beat Magazine Page 30

A SHOEBOX FULL OF DRESSES Christmas, for most of us, normally equates to a combination of diﬀerent gifts each year, but for Ilona Nelson’s mother, it was a shoebox full of handmade dolls dresses. These dresses have been photographed to be part of an exhibition and collated for a book of their own. Passed onto Nelson and her sister for their own dolls, the dresses have become a nostalgic series, documenting her rediscovery of a family memory and touching on comparisons between culture and society, handmade and mass-production, the representation of women then and now as well as the question of materialism. The photographs depict the dresses complete with their wrinkles, stains and scribbles and tell their own story of women, family and childhood. The series, consisting of 26 photographs printed onto thin stone and framed with timber, will be displayed at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy from Thursday February 4 until Thursday February 16. Before the exhibition, a book launch for the full colour book created from the photographs will be held on Friday February 3, from 6-8pm.

Mind out of the gutter, people. This isn’t what you think it is, but then it kind of is. Confused yet? Written and performed by Neil Watkins, and directed by Phillip McMahon, The Year Of Magical Wanking will make its Australian premiere at this year’s Midsumma Festival. A brave and heartbreaking exploration of porn addiction, destructive sexual behaviour, Catholic guilt and family heartbreak, it is both a profound personal journey and a furious state of the nation address. Sure to thoughtprovoke, The Year Of Magical Wanking is currently on at Gasworks Theatre until Sunday January 29.

PHOTO FOR FREEDOM We can sometimes get too engrossed in our own lives to remember that there are other people outside of our little bubble. But Photo For Freedom is here to remind us just what else is out there. A unique, not-for-profit photographic exhibition, Photo For Freedom is an imagebased study of daily life and work around the Lake Volta region in Ghana. Conducted by award-winning Melbourne photographer Tom Goldner, the projects aim is to raise public awareness of child slavery, as well as raise funds to contribute to anti-trafficking work, with all proceeds going directly to affected communities. Let’s all lend a helping hand – experience Photo For Freedom at YGAP from February 3 – February 16.

MOTHERHOOD In a post-feminism world, Australian women have been given complete freedom to choose how to raise their children, yet societal expectation still weigh heavily on their shoulders. Motherhood is a series that addresses these topics and aims to explore how women from diﬀerent backgrounds react to these expectations. It’s time to put those engrained judgements aside and take a look at things from other points of view. fortyﬁvedownstairs will host Motherhood from Tuesday February 7.

MSO FREE CONCERTS This February, the MSO is inviting all Victorians to join them on a musical journey ranging from romantic Russian to indigenous Australia. The best part about it all? It’s free. There’s nothing more rewarding than a free cultural experience, I say. And what better venue for it to take place in than Sidney Myer Music Bowl. With a four-part concert series, audience members will get the opportunity to witness the likes of Russian Rhapsody, the indigenous Kalkadungu, Rising Star, as well as a celebration of Latin American music with Four American Seasons. It’s ﬁrst in, best dressed, people, so be sure to arrive with sparing time. For more information, head to mso.com.au.

THE INTIMATE LANDSCAPES OF FRED KRUGER Ever wondered what our favourite summer holiday locations looked like over 130 years ago? The You Yangs, The Esplanade at Queenscliﬀ and Point Lonsdale are amongst many other iconic locations on display at the National Gallery of Victoria this February for the Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscapes exhibition. Kruger, one of the leading photographers of the 19th century, worked extensively throughout Victoria after migrating from Germany in 1860. Only a few years after his arrival, Kruger had opened a photographic studio in Carlton shortly followed by his practice in Geelong. Photographing the political and social life of Victoria in the ‘80s, the photographs bear witness to how European settlers adjusted to the new landscape while also developing an appreciation for the bush. Fred Kruger: Intimate Landscapes featuring over 100 works drawn from The NGV Collection, Museum Victoria, the State Library of Victoria as well as private collections will be on display at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from Saturday February 4 – Sunday May 27.

Cheap piss and piss cheap entry at Checkpoint Charlie Comedy, the city’s premier above-ground underground comedy room. Tonight, we’re celebrating Australia Day with a wild night of comedy. So come ﬁll yourself with $6 drinks, salute king and country, and put your continence to the ultimate test with Celia Pacquola, Tommy Dassalo, Emily O’Loughlin, Luke McGregor and a host of surprise special guests spitting funnies into the business end of a loud stick. Check in 8pm tonight at Eurotrash Bar - 18 Corrs Lane, Melbourne. $5 entry.

DEATHSTAR COMEDY Deathstar Comedy is back this week with the fantastic Michael Chamberlin as MC! With a great lineup including Sean Bedlam, Khaled Khalafalla, Xander Allan, Ben Buckley, Charles Barrington, Brendan Maloney, Aiden Pyne, Russell Wigginton, Dean Eizenberg and Craig Mcleod! Starts at 8.45pm, $5 entry at Caz Reitop’s Dirty Secrets, Collingwood.

FELIX BAR COMEDY Wednesdays in St Kilda are awesome, with great weather, and great comedy! Tonight we’ve got Dave Callan as our headliner! The popular Irishman has been seen on Rove and Spicks and Specks, and heard on triple j! Plus some properly special surprise guests, we promise! It’s gonna be a good one! It’s all happening at Felix Bar Comedy, Wednesday, January 25 at 8.30pm, and it’s only $12!

SOFTBELLY COMEDY There’s a big night of comedy this Thursday on Australia Day at Softbelly Comedy! We’ve got Jeﬀ Stilson (as seen on The Panel, and about ten times on Letterman!) Plus heaps more including Bart Freebairn, Karl Woodberry and a very special guest! Don’t miss this one! It’s going to be another awesome night at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke Street, in the city, this Thursday January 26 at 8.30pm, all for only $12! Get in early for a good seat!

THE SUNDAY SHOWDOWN

Week Three of Australia’s newest comedy competition features headliner Dave Thorton as well as resident judge the Fabulous Adam Richard and contestants: Beau Stegman, Bobby Macumber, Mark Conway, Tim Clark and Dean Eizenberg. Week’s one and two were damn ﬁne, with standout headline sets from Adam Richard and Felicity Ward that had ‘em laughing so hard several required medical attention (well, nearly) along with genuine insight and great advice from the judges. Xavier Toby and Micah Higbed will be doing the topical thing again, and again dwelling too long on their romantic misadventures. So come join your hosts Dil, Xavier and Micah for the awesomeness (that’s so a word). Week Three of the Sunday Showdown takes place from 2pm to 5pm, Sunday January 29 at The Portland Hotel. It’s Sunday afternoon. Really, what else have you got to do?

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays are getting huger and huger at Comedy at Spleen! Full houses, amazing lineups and good times! This Monday, we’ve got another pearler, with the likes of Hannah Gadsby, Justin Hamilton, Xavier Michelides, Bart Freebairn, Karl Chandler, Steele Saunders and more! That’s why we’re packed full every week, so get in early to guarantee a seat. It’s this Monday, January 30, 41 Bourke St, in the city, at 8.30pm.

BJENNY MONTERO Developing a unique artistic style with his tour poster design (including work for Wooden Shjips, Kurt Vile, Daedelus, Black Dice Bachelorette and more) as well as his video and comic art, lead singer of Melbourne soft rock/romantic band Montero – Bjenny Montero – is now working in watercolour. Pencils, pens, watercolours, textas and crayons have all fell victim to the self-taught amateur inspirations stems from Crumb comics, ‘60s psych posters and ‘70s sci-ﬁ book cover art. Bjenny has described himself as “a self aware outsider artist struggling with form and colour and in love with music and pop culture”. With art upstairs from 6-8pm and partying downstairs with pals Milk Teddy, Jon Michell, Geoﬀrey O’Connor and Beaches from 9pm, make sure you head to The Gasometer Hotel on Thursday January 26.

CAUTIONARY TALES FOR CHILDREN An absurd and amusing way to teach children about good behaviour? Sounds interesting. Well, The Arts Centre Melbourne is presenting Arena Theatre Company’s Cautionary Tales For Children, based on the verse by Hilaire Belloc. Belloc’s early 20th century satirical poems, exploring the poking of tongues and mockery, is told by a dysfunctional family. Her verse is brought to life through the wild imagination of comic writer Claudia O’Doherty and director Chris Kohn with help from the music genius of Mark Jones, prodigious design talent from Jonathon Oxlade and a fantastic cast including Bert LaBonte, Christen O’Leary and Claudia Laser. The work, aimed to audiences eight to ﬁfteen years old and their families, will be held from Saturday February 4 to Tuesday February 7 at Fairfax Studio at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets are $10 and can be booked at artscentremelbourne.com.au.

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

RAJ KAPOOR This February through March ACMI presents Focus On: Raj Kapoor, highlighting the late actor, director and producer who revolutionised Indian cinema. The extensive career retrospective will feature several new 35mm prints, alongside the reveal of an onscreen persona inspired by the smirk and swagger of Clark Gable. Helping to set the template for Bollywood ﬁlms of today, Kapoor’s debut as a producer started back in 1948 with Fire (Aag). Following on only a year later was Kapoor’s megahit Monsoon (Barsaat). Focus On: Raj Kapoor will screen from Friday February 17 Wednesday March 14 at ACMI.

S E V E N T E E N D A N C E R S. E I G H T S P OT S. O N E D R E A M .

OPENS

FEB 3 WIN

9 NER O AWTONYF AR PULAND A DS I PRI TZER ZE

THEE C L A SS TH SSIC IC C BRO B RO O AD ADW W AY M US USIC IC C A L F OR O A NE NEW W GE G NE NERA RATI RA TION TI O ON

35 PERFORMANCES ONLY! HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE | ACHORUSLINE.COM.AU

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Beat Magazine Page 31

PASSI JO AND WARAKO MUSICA KITSCH AUSTRALIANA BY BIRDIE

BY ALEXANDRA DUGUID

In a world where joy and good vibes are so scarce, Passi Jo and his feel-good band Warako Musica are the perfect remedy. Performing at this year’s Globe To Globe World Music Festival, the Congolese music legend says a world full of insecurity and poverty should be holding dancing and singing competitions, not wars fought with guns and ammo.

Walking down Swanston St, lined up along the pavement are a plethora of garish souvenir stores, each one offering goods of green and gold. Beach towels emblazoned with the Southern Cross, tote bags decorated with the Sydney Harbour Bridge (despite the landmark being more than 700 kilometres away) and little creatures made by some poor soul gluing ‘googly’ eyes onto seashells and gumnuts.

“I like to put on a show that expresses the traditional moves of my Congolese heritage, as well as adding my own contemporary improvisational moves,” says Passi Jo. “With my band front-line and also in my dance classes, I like to add some humour and cheekiness as well. All this makes the spirit feel good in the dancing body. Spiritual fulfilment and bodily enjoyment are very important to me. We have some new band members – keyboardist Chris Lesser has joined us, along with two female backing vocalists and a saxophone player. This extends and embellishes the overall sound of the band. With some new songs, we will once again be delivering a powerful afro-salsa punch, along with our tried and true Congolese rumba standards.” In addition to the live performance aspect of Passi Jo’s involvement in the Globe To Globe World Music Festival, he reveals he will also be teaching a special Congolese rumba/ soukous dance workshop later in the afternoon. “That will be at 5pm,” he states. “Soukous comes from the more traditional slower rumba dance style, which is very sensuous. I will show the participants how to do the classic circular rhythm of the ‘matako’ region, the ‘backside’, which is so characteristic of Congolese dance, ‘tiya tiya’ in Kikongo, my traditional language, which means, ‘Fire! You will be hot!’” Those wondering what the precise meaning of ‘soukous’ is, Passi Jo explains the word comes from the French version ‘secouer’, meaning ‘to shake’, of course... “It’s a contemporary version of the traditional slower Congolese rumba,” he explains. “The term ‘rumba’ comes from the Congolese word ‘nkumba’, meaning ‘naval’ or ‘umbilical chord’ – translating to ‘waist’ in Kikongo, my traditional language. It also refers to a form of sensual social dancing that joins couples from the waist. With the slave trade, the word, the dance and the music travelled from the coast of Central Africa to the Caribbean island of Cuba. ‘Nkumba’ was later graced with the Spanish rolling ‘r’ sound and became known as ‘rumba’. These rhythms and songs have survived many generations and the Congo is the ‘heart of dance-ness’ as well as the ‘heart of darkness’. I grew up with this rhythm and it evolved into ‘soukous’ with mine, and subsequent generations.” As far as his band Warako Musica is concerned, Passi Jo and his colleague Tchico Tchicaya started the project in 1998

when they played their first packed-out performance at the Prince Hotel in Collingwood. Ever since then, Warako Musica have played nearly every music festival in Australia, having also been awarded the Best Live World Music Act at the Australian Music Foundation Awards at The Forum Theatre. “We received our award from Molly Meldrum!” enthuses Passi Jo. “We’d only been going for two years then, and we were the first African band to receive this award. We were very happy! The journey has been up and down but we continue to perform music that embodies love, joy and hope, and inspires togetherness on the dancefloor. Tchico Tchicaya and I came to Australia in 1990 for a one-month tour to Melbourne and Sydney. I was living in Paris at the time. I met people here and came and went many times before deciding to move here permanently. I love Australia. People were very happy to hear African music. There weren’t so many African cultures living here then. Paris was full-on, with music everywhere and lots of studios to record in. Here was different...I didn’t know a lot of people, but slowly, and with the new band Warako Musica, I have been so privileged to be able to play music here and work with very talented Australian and international musicians all around the country.” At the moment, Passi Jo reveals he has a multi-art form performance project in the works which involves music, dance and photography with a number of Latin and African performers. With the project due to start in July and continue through to December, Passi Jo plans to bring over some old friends from Paris at some point, too. “It’s an exciting collaborative multi-art form project in the Docklands area. I would also like to bring some of my music colleagues from Paris, people like Nyboma, Syran Mbenza, Wuta Mayi, Bopal, Miguel Yamba, members of the supergroup Kekele, artists I worked with extensively in Europe and Africa before moving here. They are all very keen to come here and could contribute fantastic things to the Melbourne music scene.” Passi Jo and Warako Musica play the Globe To Globe World Music Festival at Namatjira Park in Clayton South on Saturday January 28.

These mass-produced artefacts are cringed at in a mix of disgust and disbelief that anyone, from anywhere, would pay money to own such ‘rubbish’. It is difficult enough imagining novelty spoons and plush marsupials as legitimate keep-sakes. However, Lord Coconut and curator Mark Boldiston has overseen such trashy treasure being turned into something special. What could once be found collecting dust in the grandparents’ holiday shack has been reimagined into thoughtful pieces of art. In celebration of Australia Day 2012, Bears, Boomerangs, Bathers And Booze – Kitsch Australiana, is not just an exhibition but a celebration of Australia, its heritage and its slightly tacky side. The idea for ‘Kitsch Australiana’ came to form after trips to the markets, where Boldiston would go hunting for pieces for his store. Continually coming across second-hand gems that reminded him of his childhood family holidays, he toyed with the idea of souvenirs being displayed in the modern home. “What better way to have my question answered than by challenging the artists involved with my store to come up with their own, modern take on Australiana,” Boldiston explained. “Many of the exhibition pieces have been repurposed or recycled from existing souvenirs. As Australians, we have the ability to poke fun at ourselves. Like any culture, we have aspects to be proud of, aspects we should be ashamed.” “Kitsch Australiana is an extension of this ability [to make fun]. We know [the pieces] may be tacky in their Australian-ness, but there is something appealing or comforting that they are uniquely ours to love and enjoy, despite their appearance.” Boldiston enjoyed curating the exhibition and seeing how the subject allowed his team of artists and jewellers to explore and express their nationality, creating works that “were a bit more fun, rather than creating serious pieces for the store.” Used to making ornamental boomerangs, ashtrays and cheeseboards, Tim Murray turned “the unloved or underappreciated” mulga wood into two tall salt and pepper mills. Mulga wood was in prominent use in the ‘50s, however, Murray has created a contemporary homage to the household items. In a great display of brute strength, a footballer goes for

the ‘speckie’, launching himself off of an opponent’s back. However, in Beth Croce’s hand-inked image The Mark, she shows the delicate nature of the human skeleton, displaying bodies in motion from the inside rather than out, as well as demonstrating the fight against physics – anything to reach that Sherrin. Rescued from various kitchen renovations is Liz Jones’ I Still Call Australia Home; built state-by-state from patterned linoleum is a wearable map of Australia. Nothing signifies an Australian summer like peeling sweaty feet from a lino floor with every step, and so Jones’ brooch (which does include Tasmania) was created as a memento to the Australian home. Giving gumnuts a “stylish makeover” is Lauren Pitt and Bush Fairy Tale; a pastel-coloured resin gumnut necklace. Growing up with May Gibbs’ stories of Gumnut babies and secret bush communities, Pitt’s gumnut necklace is a display of her appreciation of the bush and Australia’s native flora, a respect she learnt from Gibbs’ tales. Jo Grant ransacked the op shops of Victoria’s Western Districts to collect as many souvenir tea towels she could find. With these, she pulled them apart and put them back together again to create a series of contemporary Tea Towel Landscapes. Rather than purchasing new souvenir towels, it was important to Grant to find ones that had a history to make an emphasis on Australia’s rich heritage and how Australia has evolved over time. The exhibition also showcases work by Justine Austen, Natasha DeSilva, Dianne Erdmanis, a.l.i.Alexander and Andrew V Weatherill. Though Boldiston feels uncomfortable with serious celebrations of Australianism (“it seems to border on fanaticism to the detriment of others, not ‘Australian’ enough”) it is the kitsch side to Australia that “allows a bit of a laugh about what it means to be Australian. It also allows me to put something in the pool room! “I hope people walk away with a new appreciation of what Australiana can be,” Boldiston says. “We should be looking forward, respecting the past and surrounding ourselves with our own locally made pieces of Kitsch Australiana.” Bears, Boomerangs, Bathers And Booze – Kitsch Australiana is showing until Saturday February 11 at Lord Coconut, on Level 4, Carlow House 289 Flinders Lane. Check out lordcoconut.com for more information.

GOT A COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOW? WANT TO GET BUMS ON SEATS? NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT? TELL EVERYONE THROUGH BEAT’S MICF LIFTOUT – THE PROUD PUBLISHER OF THE WEEKLY COMICS IN THE DOGHOUSE COMEDY SECTION.

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ronnit@beat.com.au or call 03 8414 9700.

Beat Magazine Page 32

ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

NORTHERN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY MUSIC INDUSTRY TRAINING CERTIFICATE II & III IN TECHNOLOGY & MUSIC 62 MURRAY RD PRESTON TEL 03 9478 1333 COOGAN.MARTIN.J@EDUMAIL.VIC.GOV.AU WWW.NCAT.VIC.EDU.AU

As Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet”. Whilst this has some truth to it, Aristotle was taught by Plato who let’s face it – was a major dick in the classroom. Aristotle never got to study music production, or the thrill of commercial radio, or went to a school with Batman in the title. If you study an area of vast interest and intrigue to you, or at an institution that offers the privileged opportunity to gain experience at work placements, there is no reason why the roots can’t be sweet as well. We hope Beat’s education feature will encourage you to take that first step and commence the wondrous journey along the path of curiosity and knowledge towards a job that fascinates and stimulates you. Wise people before us have warned of the transitory nature of life and their regret from wasting their years in an unfulfilling job. They wince in disgust when they reflect on the juvenile and naïve excuses they conjured for not working in a field they wanted and reaching their potential for happiness in their daily lives. If you have no direction, or you’re headed towards the depressing pits of boredom and dissatisfaction from trying to succeed in an unsuitable and banal career, heed this advice and learn the professional skills required to place yourself in a stimulating environment, or at the very least discover more about the courses on offer. Take control and learn about the wonders of education. – Nick Taras

The Northern College of the Arts & Technology Music Industry Training programs take you all the way from compiling original material, rehearsing, performing different ensembles, producing, setting up sound & lighting equipment, through to compiling a finished CD which will be launched live at a Melbourne venue. The college music department offers fully equipped recording studios, soundproof rehearsal rooms & brand new Mac MIDI labs. At The Northern College of

the Arts & Technology you can develop the skills you need to work in the music industry from instrumental knowledge, to using technology to promote music events and so much more. You will also get a chance to work with ARIA nominated professionals & get a real feel for the industry. Live music, play music & find your rhythm at The Northern College of the Arts & Technology.

NORTHERN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY 62 MURRAY RD EAST PRESTON VICTORIA 3072 PHONE 03 9478 1333 NCAT@EDUMAIL.VIC.GOV.AU WWW.NCAT.VIC.EDU.AU

Formerly Northland Secondary College, the Northern College of the Arts and Technology caters for year 10-13 students seeking a specialised education in the visual arts, performing arts or technologies. Year 10 art and technology streams provide a solid foundation for VCE or VCAL qualifications. Their Year 11 and 12 students benefit from tailored, individualised programs that integrate VET art or technology certificates within a VCE or VCAL syllabus. As a Registered Training Organisation, the College also welcomes part-time students from other state and private schools seeking to integrate VET certificates within a VCE or VCAL program. Graduate studies, short courses and close connections with industry, TAFE and tertiary providers open pathways

for students who wish to pursue further study, apprenticeships or employment. In 2010 the college ceased education for year 7, 8 and 9 students to focus on the heart of their service offering. The change in the name from Northland Secondary College to the Northern College of the Arts and Technology better reflects their ongoing extension of VET specialisations and complementary graduate studies in the arts and technologies. With one of the broadest VET offerings in Victoria, a 17 million dollar technologies facility and a highly successful visual and performing arts record; Northern College Of The Arts & Technology look forward to servicing the vocational learning needs of Victorian students in 2012 and beyond.

Yamaha Music Courses for Adults

ENROL NOW Start February 2012 yamahamusicschool.com.au

OPEN YOUR MIND! BEAT’S NEW YEAR EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 2012

Beat Magazine Page 49

SAE INSTITUTE AND QANTM COLLEGE 235 NORMANBY ROAD SOUTH MELBOURNE 03 8632 3400 MELBOURNE@SAE.EDU WWW.SAE.EDU & WWW.QANTM.COM.AU

MELBOURNE RADIO SCHOOL LEVEL 5, 20-22 ALBERT ROAD, SOUTH MELBOURNE 03 9929 7000 HEIDI@MELBOURNERADIOSCHOOL.COM WWW.MELBOURNERADIOSCHOOL.COM

The Melbourne Radio School was established in 1984. Since then many, many students have gained employment and still are at regional and metropolitan radio stations throughout Australia and other parts of the world as Announcers, Voice Over Artists, News Readers, Sales Consultants, Promotions and Marketing personnel, Receptionists, Journalists , Music and Program Directors and Station Managers. The Melbourne Radio School is the only radio training facility in Australia owned and operated by an active commercial radio network. They are much more than just a teaching facility; they are also a hub for radio

broadcasting across the country. This ensures that students are taught the most up to date content, using the most current technology and by people who are part of the radio industry. The Melbourne Radio School has courses to suit everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests including Announcing, Voice Overs, Writing and Presenting Radio News and Creative Writing. They run a variety of part time schedules including weekdays, weekends and out of hours. Melbourne Radio School is all you will ever need to start your career in a commercial radio station.

SAE Institute aims to inspire creativity and at the end of completing one of their exceptional industryfocused courses in audio, film and electronic music production, be a step a head of the rest when it comes to prospective employment. SAE Institute is Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitive creative media college providing specialist training that is designed to advance your knowledge and technical skills, inspire artistic independence and encourage your creative confidence. A key part of SAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree and diploma courses are setting you up with the newest technology, a hands on approach to learning and a foundation, knowledge and network of like minded creatives so that your education is put into practice once you graduate.

QANTM College is the other arm of SAE and is at the forefront of digital media education in Australia. One of the fastest growing sectors in the country, QANTM College offers specialised industry-focused courses in 2D and 3D animation, games design, games programming, interactive digital media, and graphic design â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all aligned with emerging industry trends and technologies. Students are taught by passionate, industry-experienced professionals who are dedicated to providing high quality practical learning and inspiring creative confidence to ensure graduates acquire immediate entry into the workforce. For more information on both SAE and QANTM visit www.sae. edu.au and www.qantm.com.au.

Northern College of the Arts & Technology.

Looking For A Career In Guitar Making?

Make music. Live Music. Find your rhythm.

Secure hands on experience through work placements at Maton Guitars Australia. 2012 VCE and VCAL students

Graduate Studies in 2012

Integrate the art of guitar making into your VCE or VCAL qualification by enrolling in the LMF31408 Certificate III in Musical Instrument Making & Repair. Work alongside professional guitar makers and designers to create solid and hollow body guitars. This course can also be done on a part time basis.

Looking to establish a career in guitar making? The College is currently accepting full time and part time applications for the Making & Repair program. Develop workready skills from seasoned professionals in the manufacture and repair of guitars. Work placements available at Maton Guitars Australia.

Call _ 9478 1333 Beat Magazine Page 50

Visit _ ncat.vic.edu.au

Looking to find your rhythm? College is currently accepting full-time and part-time enrolments in the in Music or in Sound Production programs. This is an intensive year of study in all aspects of music, including production and promotions. Develop a folio of work for tertiary studies or employment.

Call _ 9478 1333

OPEN YOUR MIND! BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW YEAR EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 2012

CUS30109 Certificate III in Music CUS20109 Certificate II in Music CUS40109 Certificate IV in Music CUS40209 Certificate IV in Sound Production CUS30209 Certificate III in Technical Production

Visit _ ncat.vic.edu.au

KANGAN INSTITUTE

CAMPUSES IN BROADMEADOWS, MELBOURNE CBD, DOCKLANDS, ESSENDON, MOONEE PONDS, RICHMOND. 13 TAFE (138233) ENQUIRIES@KANGAN.EDU.AU WWW.KANGAN.EDU.AU A well-designed career starts at Kangan Institute. A creative career in retail was what Melissa Bourne visualised when she enrolled in the Diploma of Visual Merchandising at Kangan Institute’s Centre of Fashion in Richmond. Her dream became a reality soon after she graduated in 2010. From starting out as a visual merchandiser at MYER Chadstone, she recently moved on to a new position at Factorie as a field visual merchandiser for Victoria. “The amount of time dedicated to work experience in Kangan Institute’s diploma course really appealed to me as I knew that it’d help me get a job at the end of the course.” As part of Kangan Institute’s partnership with MYER, Melissa completed work placements across numerous MYER stores and worked with six other students on a window display project at the Southland branch. She was also awarded the MYER Visual Merchandising Award for Excellence. Kangan Institute offers a range of over 300 nationally-accredited courses across six campuses in Melbourne, with a focus on practical training and industry partnerships to help students secure real skills with real career outcomes. The Diploma of Visual Merchandising combines a creative mix of classroom and practical learning through partnerships with major retail partners including MYER and Dimmeys.

YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND VICTORIA 1300 139 506 CONTACT EMAIL VIA WEBSITE WWW.YAMAHAMUSICSCHOOL.COM.AU

Could 2012 be the beginning of your

RADIO CAREER? Forget years of uni, save time, save money and reach your goals through the renowned The Yamaha Music School is all about learning how to play and master your instrument. Yamaha education offers a range of intermediate and advanced courses for teenagers and adults across a variety of instruments including guitar, drums, violin and keyboard. Experience the benefits from learning in a supportive group environment with qualified Yamaha teachers. Guitar - The emphasis is on learning chords, melody lines, picking, strum styles and riffs. Drums - Techniques taught include stick control, footwork, rhythm and drum notation. Violin - The emphasis is on musical sound and the development of musical sensitivity. Students are introduced to the beauty of sound, intonation and music notation. Keyboard - The keyboard courses are an easy introduction into basic keyboard technique. Skills are transferable if you would like to learn piano. The next range of Yamaha music education courses commence in February 2012. The best way to understand Yamaha’s approach towards Music Education is to join a Free Information Session held throughout the year. To find out more visit the website or call and speak with one of their friendly customer service team members.

MELBOURNE RADIO SCHOOL

Now taking enrolments for courses in news, voiceover, announcing & more!

www.melbourneradioschool.com Ph: 03 9929 7000 OPEN YOUR MIND! BEAT’S NEW YEAR EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 2012

Beat Magazine Page 51

COLLARTS

SHILLINGTON COLLEGE

55 BRADY STREET, SOUTH MELBOURNE, 3205. 03 9281 8898. INFO@COLLARTS.EDU.AU WWW.COLLARTS.EDU.AU

Everyone knows the music industry is a competitive place, but with a qualification from Collarts you’ll feel rest assured, with the educational advantage of Collarts stemming from the illustrious Australian College Of The Arts institution. With such a rich history in the performing arts, music and entertainment industries, Collarts guarantees all graduates will learn the hands-on skills needed, have access to the latest technologies and create the industry contacts necessary to gain invaluable knowledge, experience and employment upon course completion. Their highly regarded industry based courses, from VCE vocational education and training (VET) courses to their new two-year degree programs ensure there

LEVEL 9 / 55 SWANSTON ST MELBOURNE 03 9663 8444 MELBOURNE@SHILLINGTONCOLLEGE.COM.AU WWW.SHILLINGTONCOLLEGE.COM.AU

are plenty of opportunities to become part of the fastest growing creative music business college in the country. Entering a new era in 2012, Collarts have just introduced three new degree courses with several new appointments of highly experienced staff members. The three new degree programs open for enrolment now are a Bachelor Of Arts (Music) Contemporary Music Performance, Bachelor Of Arts (Audio Production) and a Bachelor of Arts (Creative Industries Management) Music Business. For more information, in-depth testimonials and important links visit www.collarts.edu.au or call (03) 9281 8898.

It should be well planned, continually adapted to the times and presented by passionate professionals. That’s what happens at Shillington College and they have the record to prove it. Their students are taught by outstanding designers and are getting top design jobs. Starting with no prior experience they graduate with a professional portfolio and an indepth knowledge of design theory and the Adobe Creative Suite. Shillington’s objective is to create a positive and inspirational learning environment in which students are taught relevant industry skills, ensuring they have the best possible chance of employment as a graphic designer. Shillington Graphics, the Sydney-based design studio that preceded Shillington College, was founded in 1989 by Andrew Shillington. As an employer, Andrew sought to hire talented young graphic design graduates but found it increasingly difficult to find those with highend computer skills, a practical knowledge of design theory and could meet challenging deadlines. It soon became apparent that students leaving colleges and universities were not adequately trained in the world of computers and design software. And so Shillington College was born. Since then Shillington has expanded into a national institute & it is a huge success, evident by the high number of graduates that find high quality employment in the graphic design industry. Shillington runs computer based graphic design courses in Australia, the UK and now in the USA. The emphasis is on training employable graphic designers who can confidently take a brief, efficiently use industry standard software and produce quality print and web design solutions to a tight deadline.

JMC ACADEMY

169-171 BANK STREET, SOUTH MELBOURNE, 3205. 1300 410 311 EMAIL VIA WEBSITE WWW.JMCACADEMY.EDU.AU

JMC Academy, is Australia’s first leading professional Higher Education College dedicated solely to the development and training of students who are passionate about pursing a career in the Music, Film and Television Digital Media fields. Big news at the Academy is that they recently took over The Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT), which is a fantastic acquisition opening up amazing opportunities for integration between film students and the ACTT acting students. The Academy also now offers Higher Education approved degrees and diplomas in Game Design and 3D Animation. These new courses having a strong emphasis on visualisation, design, story

and performance as well as advanced animation expressive and technical software, visual effects and motion capture skills. Enrolments have also begun for 2012 in the Music, Audio Engineering and Sound Production, Entertainment Business Management, Film and Television Production courses. So, with state of the art facilities, the best teachers in the country and industry linked opportunities, plus the courses moving from a semester to a trimester, essentially shaving a year off their Bachelor Degrees, there is no reason not to register for more information or sign up for a course.

For information re Beat’s OPEN DAY education feature, please email Ronnie on ronnit@beat.com.au or call 03 8414 9710 Beat Magazine Page 52

OPEN YOUR MIND! BEAT’S NEW YEAR EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 2012

Beat Magazine Page 53

BY TYSON WRAY Pacing fervently around the Flemington Racecourse, soon to be home to this year’s Big Day Out with founder Ken West, it’s near impossible not to be swept up within the whirlwind of the festival’s astonishingly rich history. Since its inception as a Sydney-only festival in 1992 the self-professed ‘travelling circus’ rapidly evolved into a nationwide extravaganza, underpinned by its devoted and fanatical followers. Over the past two decades the iconic festival has hosted the likes of Nirvana, The Ramones, Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Muse, Blink 182, The Strokes, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool, just to name a few. It’s been touted as one of the most integral parts of Australian culture, it’s eternally shaped the landscape of our vibrant live music scene, and time after time, it’s defined itself as the sovereign celebration of our festival circuit. Yep. The Big Day Out holds an undeniable legacy. Cherished by punters and performers alike, it’s difficult to elucidate the perpetual effect it has had on our nation. “At the first show [in 1992] just after Nirvana had finished, I actually said that ‘I could die today and still feel as if I had achieved something amazing in my life’,” West reminisces with a zealous passion. “Luckily I didn’t,” he laughs. “That’s the proudest moment I’ve ever had. Where I’ve sat back and gone, ‘Wow, I’ve just done something that’s never been done before’. It was scary just how amazing that show was.” That’s not to say the festival has progressed without its share of difficulties, none moreso than those which have been over-scrutinised within the media over the past six months. But, semantics aside, who really cares? In a contemporary world possessing a dire economic climate, an oversaturated festival market

and a constantly revolutionising music industry at the mercy of technology, its all too easy to overlook the outstanding achievements of the Big Day Out, and in essence, it’s true ethos – to be a celebration. And that’s exactly what the 2012 Big Day Out – and every past Big Day Out – aspires to be. “I’m just seeing this as a very expensive degree course in updating my doctrine of music,” jokes West amicably, “even though it’s self taught.” Fast forward to 2012, and West explains that the Big Day Out is about to embark on its third chapter. The first taking place from 1992 until 1997, culminated by the year off the festival took in 1998, and the second taking place from 1999 until 2012. As the page turns to a new chapter in the festival’s life, the recent partnership with C3 (promoters of Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and thousands of other yearly concerts and tours) is promised to breathe new life into the Big Day Out. “I took it to a point in 1997 [the year proceeding the Big Day Out’s year off] where I said, ‘This is too hard’. I feel like the tall poppy syndrome is going to kick in within Australia. I’m struggling with this’,” divulges West, “The newspaper headlines after that tour read ‘Can’t Keep Up The Standard, Not Prepared To Lower It’. That’s where the Big Day Out position is always going to be, if we can’t keep up the standard, if we can’t deliver what we believe in, if we can’t make the art versus commerce link properly, then there’s no point in doing it.

“AT THE FIRST SHOW [IN 1992] JUST AFTER NIRVANA HAD FINISHED, I ACTUALLY SAID THAT ‘I COULD DIE TODAY AND STILL FEEL AS IF I HAD ACHIEVED SOMETHING AMAZING IN MY LIFE’”

Beat Magazine Page 54

KEN WEST

“Therefore the recharging process with the partnership with C3 post this year is really exciting. I’m dealing with people in similar situations day-in-day-out on a global level. I’m not feeling alone anymore. This new partnership, this new world and new beginning is one of the most exciting moments of the past 20 years. “The C3 partnership is a very collective and creative partnership,” West outlines carefully. “There’s no more games anymore. We don’t want to know about other things, other festivals, all we want to know about is the Big Day Out. We want to make sure that the Big Day Out is as unique as possible, and in a way that all of the changes on the structural, musical and technological sides of things are interlinked and embraced, so that it clearly remains a very important, relevant and needed event for the entirety of the music industry.” But, before speculating on future developments, there’s an unbridled celebration to attend to. With the 2012 Big Day Out welcoming a lineup which boasts the world’s

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

KANYE WEST

most revered hip hop producer Kanye West, the reformed and undisputed gods of grunge Soundgarden and one of the world’s most gifted songwriters Noel Gallagher, just to scrape the surface, it’s truly a multi-dimensional lineup worthy to soundtrack the 20th anniversary. “There needs to be treasures within the Big Day Out that you didn’t know anything about but they end up being just amazing,” smiles West affably. “It’s an incredible collection of acts,” he notes of the 2012 lineup. “Cherish what it is. I love this show, I love what it’s done and I love its rich legacy.” The BIG DAY OUT celebrates its 20th Anniversary on Sunday January 29 at the Flemington Racecourse. Featuring the likes of KANYE WEST, SOUNDGARDEN, NOEL GALLAGHER, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, RÖYKSOPP and a hell of a lot more, it’s going be a party to remember. Set times below and maps on page 5. See you in the D.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Ixtapa is a comfortable, timeless Mexican beach town on the Pacific coast. It’s some five kilometres northwest of Zihuatanejo, the town that Andy Dufresne fought tooth and nail to escape when he broke out of Shawshank Prison. It’s something of a paradise, and it’s where Rodrigo Sanchez calls home. As half of the hybrid Latin rock duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Sanchez considers Ixtapa to be a perfect place to base himself. “It’s a beach town, so it’s pretty calm. When we come back from work and touring, we feel like we’re on vacation.” If there’s a group that deserves the odd vacation or two, it’s Rodrigo Y Gabriela. From humble beginnings as buskers on the streets of Dublin, the pair have grown into an acclaimed act worldwide. Their innate ability to fuse colourful Latin rhythms into their brand of acoustic rock is superseded only by the fact that they don’t seem to take their fame lightly; their career has been marked by steadfast determination. It’s no surprise then that when the duo originally conceived Area 52, their fifth and latest full-length, they didn’t go half-arsed into the project. Originally just a simple idea to re-work some of the band’s older material, it was quickly transformed into a full-blown commitment with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra. Rodrigo Y Gabriela, adhering to authenticity as they are known to do, recorded Area 52 in Havana. But as Sanchez details over the phone from Ixtapa, the album took on a snowball effect. “Knowing that we still had another year to go on the 11:11 tour, management was still asking us when we’d be back in the studio. So we had to come up with a project that was going to help us buy some time. My original idea was much simpler; I would pass some songs over to be arranged and they can record an orchestra in the back. But they loved the idea. And once I got into the whole process of producing these albums, I became consumed by it.” With his trademark work ethic in tow, Rodrigo Y Gabriela took to breathing life into some of their old material. Elements of jazz are noted throughout the record; there is a palpable groove throughout Area 52 that will soon take to the road. “We didn’t just rearrange the songs; we reinvented nine songs from past albums. It became a very serious project, changing solos, changing parts. We obviously wanted to go to Cuba to record it as well. It was a long process from start to finish, but now we’re very happy with the results. And we hadn’t even planned on touring; now we think we’ll tour for six months or so, even though it was only conceived as just a project.” The manner in which Area 52 came to life draws striking parallels to the path of the duo as well. Far from the sultry Latin fusion act that they are now, the pair originally met while playing in a thrash metal outfit in Mexico City. It might be a tad perplexing to try and form the musical lineage between Area 52 and thrash metal. But for Sanchez, it’s all about keeping an open mind and lending yourself to the world and its many musical influences. “We come from a heavy metal background. But we were still surrounded by Latin rhythms, coming from Cuba and South America as well. We didn’t want to play that; we wanted to play heavy metal and we thought we’d become rock stars. Yet when we left Mexico for Europe, we realised we had a Latin side to us. We started to discover all these different cultures, and they found their way into the music. All the music we didn’t know about as kids Indian music, Middle Eastern music now inspires us a lot. We grew up, somehow.” A large part of the growing process occurred on the streets of Dublin. After feeling cramped by their opportunities in Mexico, the pair took off for Europe. It’s there where the band honed their craft and it still holds a special place in their hearts. “When we first came to Ireland, we spent a year busking on the streets. That’s where we started to play the music we play now. We used to play Santana and Eric Clapton covers; we thought we could play this music in restaurants or hotels and get paid. We started writing our own music, and thought it would be cool to play with those covers when we did get actual gigs. Things began to get a little bit more comfortable; hints of Latin music with rock. Then, we started playing only our own music. We lived in Dublin for eight years; it’s like a second home for us.” Sure, Area 52 is probably as far from their original visions of musical success when playing thrash metal in Mexico. But the record solidifies what so many already know about the duo; they are born performers. “Lately, we’ve been trying to focus on the fact that it’s not just us that people are coming to see. It’s a whole event, and the music is the star. So we have to hone our music, we have to respect it. We do physical warm-ups and everything but mentally, we have to accept that it’s not about us. It’s about the people that can come and enjoy the music for a couple of hours in their lives.” Audiences can then return to their homes and the rest of their lives. But while the band is onstage, Sanchez likes to leave a little bit of Ixtapa with their fans. “We feel grateful, and the only thing we can give back to them is a complete show with all the energy we have. We want to make the audience feel happy, feel comfortable.” RODRIGO Y GABRIELA’S new album Area 52 is out now through Rubyworks/ Warner. DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Beat Magazine Page 55

NEON INDIAN BY EMMA BERGMEIER

2011 was a busy year for Alan Polomo of Neon Indian fame, and if his recent New Year’s Eve celebrations are anything to go by, 2012 looks to be just as jam packed. “I played on New Year’s Eve in Dallas,” Polomo begins when asked how he rang in the beginning of 2012. “It was a crazy rave in downtown Dallas with Diplo and Girl Talk and some others. It was a lot of fun. I ended up having an early night though because I played with The Flaming Lips and Yoko Ono on New Year’s Day. That show was incredible!” he chirps enthusiastically.

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“I got to get up and perform a song with the Lips off that EP we did a little while back. It was a crazy and eventful New Year’s. If there’s anyway to start the year with a supposed celestial shift that’s going to bring on the end of the Mayan calendar and some sort of strange dramatic change you might as well do it on stage performing with The Flaming Lips.” Since releasing the debut Neon Indian record, Psychic Chasms, in 2009, life has been hectic for Polomo – touring, collaborating and writing in some rather unusual places. For the act’s sophomore outing, Era Extraña, which hit shelves last September, Polomo hid himself away in an apartment in Helsinki; an experience he isn’t keen to repeat. “When I got to Helsinki and remembered what it really felt like to be by yourself for an extended period of time I think I had this sobering reminder that, ‘Oh yeah, this totally sucks’. As interesting an experience as it was, I don’t think I’ll do something nearly as capricious next time. When I went to Helsinki it was to give myself some time to digest everything that had happened. Since Pyschic Chasms came out I’ve really been non-stop wrestling with the narrative of this project in particular.” In the time since escaping his self-imposed Helsinki hideout, Polomo has played shows here, there and everywhere, and will continue doing so until mid this year. “I’m touring pretty relentlessly until the end of May but after that I’m kinda shutting everything down and being a hermit for a while. I’m trying to finish a VEGA record [Palomo’s side project] and write another Neon Indian record and I’ve been trying to finally set up some releases for my imprint with some weird electronic acts from Austin. I see myself putting out two records this year and after that I’ll focus on some filmmaking for a while, or just change my creative output altogether.” One person who is sure to lament Palomo’s temporary departure from the music scene is the musician’s father, who was a Mexican pop star in the ‘70s and ‘80s. “I didn’t really know that I wanted to do music until the beginning of college. I experimented with it in high school and did some really terrible songs. Indirectly I absorbed influences from my dad as far as musical sensibilities and I definitely grew up watching my brother and my dad dedicate themselves to their instruments. By the time I got around to writing music there was a strange ease in terms of it being a relaxing thing because it was always going on around my house on any given afternoon. My dad was always trying to put together some kind of crazy family band. Everyday my dad would have a different idea, none of which ever came to fruition.”

“I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW THAT I WANTED TO DO MUSIC UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF COLLEGE. I EXPERIMENTED WITH IT IN HIGH SCHOOL AND DID SOME REALLY TERRIBLE SONGS. ”

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Though music occupies much of his time these days, film has always been one of Palomo’s passions and as such Neon Indian live shows are never just about sounds – he’s often utilising tripped out visuals created by Palomo in partnership with visual artist Lars Larson to set the scene. “I just gave myself a Christmas present which is a modified Atari Video Music which was released in the ’70s. One side connects to your eight track player and the other goes to your TV and does these goofy Atari graphics that respond to the volume and frequency of the music you’re playing. My friend Lars modified it to do all sorts of glitched out stuff and it doubles as a distortion peddle too. So I’ve been running a guitar through it and any other instrument whose sound I just want to destroy. That’s been pretty entertaining. “We have been trying to figure out some new and interesting things that we can incorporate into the live show. At the very least the fun thing about having this Atari Video Music, and we tried this during the Lips show, is plugging it in and feeding it a signal from a couple of our synthesisers and watching it go.” NEON INDIAN rides the chillwave to the Prince Bandroom on Friday February 24. Era Extraña is out now on Popfenzy Records.

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TORO Y MOI BY ANDREW ‘HAZARD’ HICKEY

Better known as Toro Y Moi, Chaz Bundick is the mastermind behind what could be described as danceable music with a personal twist. Think classic soul meets ‘80s synth-pop, along with indie rock touches, and you’re still hard-pressed to put a finger on his style. He’s been cited as one of the artists at the forefront of the ‘chillwave’ movement, the industry’s favourite new buzz word, along with Neon Indian, Washed Out and the like. Talking from his home studio in California, the low-key and thoughtful Bundick is the all the bit the focused prodigy you would expect. “I’m just trying to create an inspiring environment but other than that it’s about the same,” he says of the difference between Cali and his native South Carolina. The creative environment seems very much an important factor for Bundick and his recording process. The physical location isn’t important to the process but getting to travel to different places sparks ideas, he explains. “I get really inspired when I come back from somewhere, I get excited. When I’m out on tour I’m always looking for inspiration, experiencing as much as I can and comparing when I come home.” Evolution is very much key, as Bundick looks for new ways to express himself. “It’s more about trying to figure out what’s next for me, like where would I go next in my career. I think about that a lot of the time, I try not to be too serious but it’s a business now unfortunately. You have to be aware of what you’re gonna do next.” Having the freedom to explore without record label constraints is a plus for a project like Toro Y Moi. “[Politics] don’t affect me at all creatively. We’re with Carpark, which is basically one guy. Every once in a while he’ll be like, ‘Maybe this song should be the single’. I’m always open to input but I have full creative freedom.” For many of the most acclaimed acts independent is the way to go, as a reliance on the major system decreases. “It’s not really necessary to have a major label contract. You can do a lot on your own with [live] shows and the internet. It’s not necessary to have that major label advance to get by.” Always a DIY artist, Bundick got his start by recording from home. “I still create at home, I did the last record [Underneath The Pine] at home. The only difference is I have people to mix it.” In the early days he amassed a large collection of POPFRENZY PRESENTS tracks, however things have changed for him musically and creatively. “The recordings don’t sound like what I’m doing now. A lot of that has to do with wanting to evolve and get away from I’ve already been doing.” In the span of one year, from 2010’s Causers Of This and 2011’s Underneath The Pine, Toro Y Moi has seen his popularity grow while creatively he transitioned from a more loungy electronic style to more up-tempo, soul and funk-infused efforts. Bundick sees his latest effort as the continuation and evolution of his songwriting. “After Causers Of This I started exploring more hip hop elements and now I’ve found myself going more to where hip hop evolved from, like funk and R&B. So now I find my music going back in time. I find my music fitting in more with the R&B genre because I really have a strong connection to that style of music and that era of music. I think if you look back to music from the ‘70s that’s where it’s all evolved from now.”

“ I FIND MY MUSIC FITTING IN MORE WITH THE R&B GENRE BECAUSE I REALLY HAVE A STRONG CONNECTION TO THAT STYLE OF MUSIC AND THAT ERA OF MUSIC.” While it may sound like a deliberate effort, for Bundick, it was a natural process. “It was more subconscious. When you look at what I was sampling on Causers Of This – that really influenced my approach now.” Much like the pioneering DJs of hip hop it was the groovebased music of the past that greatly inspired him. “I found a way to connect everything and I felt like I was experiencing it first-hand. It’s like the opposite direction, going from electronic to live instruments. It’s been cool to have everything evolve to what it is now.” Ever the prolific artist, he’s now looking towards his next project. While he couldn’t impart many details, fans can expect further exploration of his influences. “I don’t know when it’s gonna come out and when I’m gonna be finished with it but I’ve got a couple of ideas I’ve been working with. I do a little something and see where it goes then I come back to it the next day. I want to make the album different from the first two. I want it to come naturally as opposed to knowing when it needs to be done by.” Bundick will be bringing the Toro Y Moi live experience back to our shores this January and February as part of the stacked Laneway Festival lineup and on his own sideshows with the aforementioned Washed Out. “It’s definitely one of my favourite places to go,” he says of Australia. Accompanied by his live band they will be putting a live touch on his catalogue. “We’re pretty faithful to the recordings on Underneath The Pine, but as far as Causers Of This it’s hard to replicate that sound so when we’re playing that it brings out the songwriting more than the production.” TORO Y MOI will play St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival at Footscray Community Arts Centre on Saturday February 4, along with a co-headline show (shared with Washed Out) on Thursday February 9 at The Hi-Fi Bar. Underneath The Pine is out through Mistletone/Inertia.

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Beat Magazine Page 57

SAVES THE DAY BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Interviews are often a necessary evil that musicians must endure ‘til no end. Tired and weary of answering questions that sound no different from the last batch, it’s not always the most enriching process for the creative mind. Yet there are times when the process helps musicians better understand the music they’re being quizzed about. It can be a therapeutic event, one where the musician lets his guard down and speaks openly and honestly to someone they’ve never met. Chris Conley, the man behind pop-punk outfit Saves The Day is one of those people. There’s good news; after serious bouts of depression, Conley is in a good place. You can hear it in his voice, his timely sense of reflection and most of all, in Daybreak, the latest release from Saves The Day. Daybreak is the culmination of a trilogy which catalogues his bout with depression. From the anger, to the acceptance, this is the record which finally defines who Chris Conley is. It’s been a tumultuous 17 odd years in the music business for Conley. Speaking in a tone that combines equal parts serenity and resolve, he’s quick to detail some of the truths he’s learnt as of late. “The first one is that we all die,” says Conley, reached on the phone on a ten hour drive between Pittsburgh and Providence, no less. “We all fight against it and we’re afraid of it. Very rarely do we get to touch the root of that fear because we’re dealing with the anxiety of the modern world. Trying to pay the bills and trying to belong. And another harsh truth I’ve learnt to face is learning that I am what I am, based on my history. It’s not as if there’s something wrong with me when I feel difficult emotions like depression and misery. That was the first step of the trilogy, realising that, “Wow, I really feel this way.” For my whole life, I was told to “buck up!” and be positive and the like. Nobody thought I had anything to be sad about. Finally, under the weight of all that, I realised that I do still feel sadness, confusion, anger and paranoia. No matter how many times someone is going to tell me otherwise. The truth I had to accept there is the truth of my emotions.” Conley continues speaking openly about his depression; so much so that you get the sense he’s only grazing the surface in this interview. It’s the depth and complexity of his depression (and understanding afterwards) that gives Daybreak such emotional heft. “The nice part about all of that was when I got to the bottom of those feelings, I could actually feel myself changing. Because I had begun to give into those changes, instead of trying to hide them as I had in the past. And it feels better to let go and feel whatever it is you’re feeling. You breathe, you stay with it and sure enough it’s temporary. But the harder you’re fighting, the louder the distractions get. I think about it a lot. Being thrown into a pool and trying to stay afloat while trying to fight the gravity in the water. You run out of energy. But if you let go, you float to the top.” Conley is, without a doubt, now back on top. There was a time when it looked as if the future of Saves The Day was in serious doubt. Four years separated the release of Under The Boards and Daybreak. But Conley maintains he wasn’t just sitting idly by.

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“I’VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO PROVE. I’M JUST A MUSICIAN WHO REALLY LOVES TO WRITE SONGS.” “We did a lot of touring. It’s definitely not as if we just disappeared. Unfortunately we were sidetracked with a number of different lineup changes. Our guitar player decided he didn’t want to tour any more, just as we were about to lay down the demos for Daybreak. So by that point it’s 2009 and we had another tour we had to go on, and that took a couple more months out of the schedule. When we were finally ready to start recording the album, our rhythm section left the band. At that point, I realised that the album would have to wait even longer, until we actually have a real rhythm section,” he jokes. “And then it’s 2010, and there’s another tour we had to go on for two months. After that, we were finally ready to record. Two days after our tour ended we were in the studio. It was more a case of logistics than anything else. We just didn’t have the personnel and we had to wait. And there were obligations on the road. But fortunately we were able to pull it together and get it done.” When you understand how hard Conley had to fight to get Daybreak released, you understand how important a record it is for him. Ambition certainly played a factor, and can be heard in Daylight, the winding 11-minute opening track. Fortunately, ambition is something Conley has in spades. “It certainly is ambitious. The entire trilogy is ambitious in and of itself. Thirty-seven songs tell a story from darkness to light. But I’ve never had anything to prove. I’m just a musician who really loves to write songs. When I wrote [Daylight] I was just having a blast with my guitar. I don’t think I could live without writing music.” And for the time being, he won’t have to. Conley has accepted who he is, and he’s accepted what he has to do to survive. “I definitely have no notions of fame; we certainly don’t make a lot of money and it’s not like we’re a fresh, young, hot band or anything. My only goal is to keep the band going and to keep writing songs, keeping putting out albums and keep playing shows.” SAVES THE DAY joins the massive sold out Soundwave lineup, taking place at Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday March 2. They also play a Sidewave with Thursday and Circa Survive at Billboard The Venue on Wednesday February 29. Daybreak is out on 3Wise/Sony.

CHAIRLIFT BY NICK MASON

Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly shifts restlessly, preoccupied with a very important milestone: the impending release of the band’s sophomore album, Something. He inadvertently reflects the anticipation of fans both here and abroad. “It’s really exciting. It makes me nervous, actually, really nervous,” he admits. “We’ve been sheltered for the last two years. We spent a lot of time working on this record and when we first started the record we felt a little bit of pressure.” Fortunately, working alongside frontwoman Caroline Polachek, Wimberly eventually found a groove. “About six or seven months into it, we were very much in the flow with a good rhythm and the pressure had kind of disappeared,” he recalls of their creative process. “Now I feel a bit of anxiety just wondering what Something is going to mean in the long run!” The Brooklyn-based electro-pop duo’s brand new album marks a departure from their successful debut, Does You Inspire You. According to Wimberly, Something illustrates a greater personal investment from the pair this time around. “We wrote more songs that meant more to us personally, rather than the last record...this is more of a reflection of what was going on.” There’s a sense that Wimberly, albeit guardedly, refers to the recent exit of Aaron Pfenning from the group. A hot topic for the music media, Pfenning rendered Polachek’s ex-boyfriend, then ex-bandmate, it’s reasonable to suggest the split had a role to play in shaping Chairlift’s sophomore release. Irrespective of the issues at play, however, the duo encountered a conundrum familiar to most songwriters in bringing Something to life. “It’s hard to find a really nice balance of something that’s both cryptic and also really meaningful. I think we pushed ourselves with this record to be a bit more transparent. We wanted it to be obvious what we were talking about.” Predictably, downsizing to a duo shook things up in terms of Chairlift’s creative approach. “Caroline and I started writing all of our songs together, whereas before, as a three-piece, everyone was writing songs separately and bringing them into the band,” Wimberly reveals. “We spent a lot of time just ironing through the songs on this record – just the two of us sitting in a room, figuring out every idea that we had, some good ones, some bad ones. It was a different process to the three of us.” Wimberly goes on to dissect the science behind the album’s content. “In putting together this record, it was balancing that with what the songs meant to each other. We had about 40 songs we had written over the course of the time we spent in the studio. Our favourite ones became obvious to us, not in a concrete way, through more of a feeling.”

“WE WROTE MORE SONGS THAT MEANT MORE TO US PERSONALLY, RATHER THAN THE LAST RECORD.” Chairlift’s Australian fans can expect a special treat in store when the band touch down this month, poised to become among the first to witness Something in a live context. “This is going to be one of the first tastes,” Wimberly confirms, referring to the band’s upcoming Laneway appearances. “We’ve done a little bit of touring, not much. On January 24 – that’s the day the record comes out – we’re flying to Australia. Our last tour for Does You Inspire You actually ended in Australia. We’re super excited that it actually starts in Australia this time. We couldn’t be happier to start it anywhere else.” Natually, Chairlift’s stay in Australia precedes a hectic round-the-world touring schedule in promotion of their new record, with dates that see Wimberly arrive full circle. “This trip, when we leave New York, we head out west to go to LA and then to Australia. Then we go to Singapore, then we go to Sweden, we tour Europe, we go to the UK, then we go back to New York. This is the first time that Chairlift will have gone around the entire globe. For me, it’s something I can’t quite wrap my head around,” he confesses. “I’m definitely afraid of flying and I know that when I leave this Tuesday that I’m leaving for the west and when I come back home, I’ll have been around the entire world and have come back to the east.” Chairlift last embarked on an extensive tour to promote Does You Inspire You. According to Wimbley, the experience coincided with a learning curve for the young band. “We learned a lot while we were touring that record. We spent about a year and a half on the road after we had written Does You Inspire You and when we wrote and recorded the album, we didn’t have much of a sense of an audience. We didn’t know that it was going to be distributed all over the world, we didn’t know that we would be travelling the world when we wrote it. This time, we did. We had a better sense of our audience and we knew what it felt like to play in front of an audience every night for a year and a half. We figured out things that worked well and things that didn’t work so well.” On the subject of touring, Wimberly has a few words of wisdom to sum up the lifestyle. “Extreme highs and extreme lows, honestly!” he laughs. “Every night, it’s fun, and every morning, it’s not so fun!” CHAIRLIFT play alongside Toro Y Moi, Feist, Girls and more at St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival at Footscray Community Arts Centre on Saturday February 4, plus the East Brunswick Club on Tuesday February 7. Their album Something is out now through Kanine Records DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Beat Magazine Page 59

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

with Christie Eliezer * Stuﬀ for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm HARVEY TO KEYNOTE AT ‘I MANAGE MY MUSIC’ Songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey) will head keynote speakers at I Manage My Music sessions next month. See imanagemymusic.com. Last year, I Manage My Music drew 100 self-managed musicians to hear 30 industry people. Contact: book@imanagemymusic.com. Organizer Jen Cloher plans to take it national over the next two years, facilitating a panel discussion at this year’s Song Summit in Sydney and a Management Master class at Adelaide’s Fuse in February. In the meantime, Cloher is previewing her third album Bloody Memory at Northcote Social Club with guests Sweet Jean on Sunday March 25.

SO FRENCHY SO CHIC RETURNING The inaugural So Frenchy So Chic In The Park, at Werribee Mansion on January 15, will return next year, declares Cartell Music’s Jean-Francois Ponthieux. “There was such a great vibe,” he says, “and we had 3,500.” The place was turned into a Frenchathon with French acts (Asa, Moriarty, Fefe, Nouvelle Vague), French food and wine. Ponthieux’s first attempt at a large event had grumbles there were not enough female toilets. “We had 48, which was plenty, but one cheeky kid decided to switch the gender to male on all of them but six! We fixed the situation immediately.”

BLACK ARM BAND, LIQUID ARCHITECTURE, WIN GRANTS The Black Arm Band and Liquid Architecture Sound Inc were among the recipients of $675,500 worth of Arts Development grants from the state government to support 54 projects. The Black Arm Band got $15,000 to take indigenous music through the state, while Liquid Architecture Sound got $17,000 to bring the festival back for its 17th year. Others included three shows by Flinders Quartet ($10,000), Andrea Keller $5,000 to develop a contemporary jazz work, and Castlemaine’s Punctum Inc $15,000 to present a live arts program that encourages innovation in regional areas. Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu said, “Victorians have an extraordinary appetite for new ideas, and our arts sector is known for innovation.”

THINGS WE HEAR * More problems for the Heatwave festival: Perth was cancelled at the last minute, the Melbourne show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl was alcohol-free after a liquor license was not obtained in time, and D12 not appearing at three of the six shows has led to complaints to consumer authorities. * Kiss manager Doc McGhee told The Music Network they’ll tour here in 2013. * Last Friday was Big Day Out’s last show in New Zealand after 18 years, promoter Ken West announced it was no longer financially viable. The Gold Coast show on the weekend pulled 38,000 compared to last year’s 55,000. Rain delayed Kanye West (by 45-minutes) and skateboarder Tony Hawk’s showcase, Soundgarden had the juice, Noel Gallagher had a small crowd, and Odd Future’s Tyler The Creator who was banned from the NZ show for homophobic

lyrics wore a T-shirt with two cats fucking and the message “Big Gay Out”. Speaking of which, Kasabian’s Tom Meighan wants to go shark spotting when he’s in Australia. * Jimmy Barnes has broken into the US dance charts featuring on Cuban performer DJ Yaleidys’s remix of Dragon’s old hit April Sun In Cuba, through INXS manager Chris Murphy’s Petrol Electric label. Meantime Aussie radio stations are having a ball putting Barnes’ rock tracks as Working Class Man to dance beats! * US drug stores are celebrating the arrival of Beyonce and Jay-Z’s new kid Blue Ivy… by naming a new line of marijuana after her. * After US hip hoppers Death Grip nixed their Oz tour, and their set at the Mona Foma festival in Tasmania, its curator Brian Ritchie (also bassist with Violent Femmes) assembled Dresden Dolls Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, former Bad Seed guitarist Mick Harvey and PJ Harvey’s producer John Parish for a set of Femmes toe-tappers last Friday. * Matt Corby announced a fifth show at the Corner Hotel on February 19. If it sells out, he will equal Washington’s record at the venue.

DEADLINE FOR ST KILDA FILMFEST

The Holding Pattern (holdingpattern.com) is a new service where indie musicians can host, share and sell their work (keeping 80% of the sale), while retaining control of their copyright. It also serves as a place where production companies and creative can find and buy tracks. For consumers, the site has a 3D geographical engine called the Holding Pattern Visualiser which allows them to find new music of all styles.

LAUNCHING PAD #3: SOUNDBOOKA Soundbooka (soundbooka.com) is Australia’s first online integrated booking platform for musicians, DJs and audio professionals. Essentially it acts as a personal online booking agent. Artists are invited to register for free, and receive exposure in front of venue and event bookers with visual, video and audio cues, a bio, and a full calendar of availability.

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FAN OF THE WEEK

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Kate Bush tragic, Frank Tufaro, 32, flew to London with a $4,500 ring, and then took a $350 taxi ride to Exeter to propose to Kate Bush. He smashed a window at her remote mansion, then fled on discovering she was not home. Cops found him dragging his suitcase along a country lane and deported him.

STRIKE HARD BOOKINGS CLOSING Strike Hard Bookings closes its doors on January 30. Founder Daniel Misztal is joining Staple Group’s Destroy All Lines agency as national booking agent for alternative nightclubs and international tours (daniel@destroyalllines.com). “From booking shows at makeshift venues in Wollongong (from 2007),” he says, SHB began touring international alt acts as Unearth, Shai Hulud, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cruel Hand Emmure and All Shall Perish. Of the other staffers, Oliver Cation has launched Broken Hive Records, and continues his work in hardcore music by booking international and local tours (the first being Trapped Under Ice and Relentless in March) and managing/booking local bands. Jesse King is leaving the music biz.

LAUNCHING PAD #1: RDIO US music streaming service Rdio (rdio.com) has launched in Australia. Subscribers pay between $8.90 - $12.90 for 24/7 access to Rdio’s library of 12 million songs from all the

BY PATRICK EMERY

Sam Agostino’s previous projects have tended to celebrate a particular genre in which he, and his band mates, have an interest – Digger And The Pussycats celebrated the dirty garage sounds of Europe and the United States, while Kamikaze Trio was a homage to the grunge sounds of his high school years. Agostino’s current projects, Brat Farrar and Russian Roulettes, explore notionally remote points on the rock‘n’roll spectrum. “The Brat Farrar record is my take on all the things I like about punk rock – the energy and immediacy of punk rock,” Agostino says. “As for the Roulettes, I describe the Roulettes as ‘grade one rock‘n’roll’ – wannabe Hendrix, wannabe Cream. It’s homage to classic rock.”

Beat Magazine Page 60

LAUNCHING PAD #2: THE HOLDING PATTERN

The deadline for the 29th St Kilda Film Festival’s Top 100 short films and SoundKILDA Music Video competitions is January 27. The City of Port Phillip will screen entries with a prize pool of $40,000. Categories in the Top 100 include director, screenplay, animation, cinematography and indigenous film. SoundKILDA has three categories: best music video, best independent music video and best music video animation.

BRAT FARRAR

In March, Agostino will leave Australian shores for what he hopes will be at least a year living and playing in Europe. Agostino will be joined by his live Brat Farrar colleagues, Simon and Andre Fazio, for a frenetic 40-date tour of Europe to promote the new Brat Farrar record; if the stars line up, Agostino’s Russian Roulettes band mates will join him later in the year for a few shows. In the intervening period before Agostino gets on the plane, he’ll find time to launch both the new Brat Farrar and Russian Roulettes records as well as playing a farewell show that will include a rare performance from arguably Agostino’s most well known band, Digger And The Pussycats. While Agostino is well known in Europe from his shows with Digger And The Pussycats, he’s been careful not to obviously link himself with Digger. “I remember when I was trying to pitch the Kamikaze Trio – a lot of people showed up for it, but in my opinion a lot of people didn’t like it because it wasn’t Digger And The Pussycats,” Agostino says. “So I’ve had to be cautious to not brand it mentioning Digger. I have made reference to it, but I’ve tried to work

major labels and tracks from Aussie indies such as Inertia, Liberation Music, Modular and Shock. They can create and share playlists, then listen to them on any platform (iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac etc) without downloading or using Wi-Fi.

with people who are interested in Brat Farrar,” he says. Initially, Agostino tried to pitch the tour as a one-man ‘hardcore’ show; his European booking agents were less than enthusiastic. “I had one guy reply and say, ‘I’m really looking forward to you coming over, but I’m going to get you a band’,” Agostino laughs. Agostino created Brat Farrar originally as a moniker to serve his interest in making a dirty punk rock record. When Agostino came to make the debut Brat Farrar record, he worked toward the punk rock concept that had originally formed in his mind. “I knew what I wanted right at the beginning,” Agostino says. “I just tried to make the songs like they sounded in my head when I wrote them. I don’t think I tried to make a punk rock sound. I didn’t use my guitar amp for the entire record. It’s my most technology-heavy record, but it doesn’t sound like it. But I never thought, ‘I have to make this sound like a punk rock from 1977’.” In contrast to his one-man effort on Brat Farrar, Agostino describes the process of recording and producing the

Rara.com, an unlimited music streaming service with ten million tracks has an introductory price of 99 cents per month before leaping to $7.99 per month. It says it’s targeting music lovers who do not currently pay for digital tracks by simplifying the process: its global research suggested that 60% of consumers had never used a digital music service.

Last week, Hilltop Hoods single I Love It (featuring Sia) went platinum in Australia — just as it was released in the US through Fontana.

ANDYS KELLY, CASSELL, KEYNOTE AT FUSE Andy Cassell and Andy Kelly of Winterman & Goldstein Management and Ivy League Records have been added as keynote speakers for Adelaide’s Fuse showcase and conference (February 22 to 24). APRA’s head Brett Cottle is also keynoting. New international speakers are Chris Wareing of UK’s The Great Escape, Alicen Catron Schneider who is head of TV and music at NBC Universal Television, Franz Schuller of Canada’s Indica Records and US digital music pioneer Corey Denis. See Fuse website for Aussie speakers.

LIFELINES Born: Twin sons, Bowie and John Paul, to Paul Weller and wife Hannah. Weller now has seven children to four different women. Engaged: Katie Melua and former World Superbike champion James Toseland. They met when he attended one of her shows. Marrying: Reports suggest Mumford And Sons’ Marcus Mumford will tie the knot with actress Carey Mulligan in the northern spring. Married: Roger Waters and Laurie Durning in front of just six guests at their home in New York after seven years together. It’s his fourth time. Split: Supermodel Heidi Klum, 38, is filing for divorce from singer Seal, 48 after six years and three kids. He proposed in an igloo in a Canadian glacier. In Court: 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $600 after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana. He took the stuff at a party the night before driving ten hours to Taree. In Court: Bruno Mars, who pleaded guilty to coke possession last February at a Las Vegas show, has been cleared after keeping out of trouble for a year. In Court: Polish singer Doda fined 5000 zlotys (US$1757) for saying in an interview she doubted The Bible “because it’s hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs.” Died: Johnny Otis (John Veliotes), 90, US white “godfather of rhythm and blues”, dedicated to taking black music to white audiences. He wrote Willie & The Hand Jive, produced Big Mama Thornton’s original Hound Dog and whose big band showcased Etta James, Hank Ballard, Thornton and The Robins (later The Coasters). Died: Triple Grammy winning R&B diva Etta Ja mes, 73 (At Last, I’d Rather Go Blind) after battling dementia and leukemia.

BROADBENT ARTS ADVISER TO PREMIER Emily Broadbent, a media adviser to the Premier and Arts Minister for five years, will expand her duties to include Arts media adviser to the Premier.

OLIVIA LAUDS ‘OLIVIA’ SONG

PBS 106.7FM’s new weekday breakfast team is Crispi (who’s done the shift for a year) & Maddy (aka) Maddy Mac ex Homebrew. They return on January 30.

Olivia Newton-John has posted a warm thank you on her site to Melbourne band The Swamp Dandies, who’ve released an ode to her called Olivia. The band’s Greg Arnold tells us it was inspired his visit to a Nashville café where the Livvy-obsessed owner had pictures of her all over, and gave him a warm welcome because he had an Aussie accent! Rachael Lucas’ video, featuring Livvy lookalikes in all her phases, is becoming an internet hit. Olivia posted: “Your video is so sweet. Hilarious! And catchy too! Thank you!”

HOME BREW CHANGES HOSTS

WANNA PLAY SCORCHERFEST?

Aussie music show Home Brew Radio, syndicated through 80 community stations and hosted by Phil Bromley and Jason Velleley, has a new host. Matt McCaughey comes from community radio, having honed his skills on Coast FM 96.3 (Gosford).

SCoRCHeR FeST plays four shows March 18 to April 15, with the Victoria show at Musicland on March 24 and 25. They’re looking at up to 50 acts nationally with online tickets at $20. If you want your play, apply on scorcherfest.com.au.

NEW PBS BREKKIE TEAM

new Russian Roulettes album as “a bit of a weird story”. The album was tracked in bass player Tim Wold’s lounge room, before Agostino took the songs away to mix. The other members of the band pondered the mixed record before presenting Agostino with their response. “The guys sat on it for about a month and then they said, ‘We don’t like it’,” Agostino laughs. “Ago [drummer Agostino Soldati] especially was unhappy with the drum sound – he wanted more of his trademark big drum sound. We’d tracked the record in Tim’s lounge room, and I’d mixed it really rough,” he says. From there “the whole record was basically pulled apart and put back together,” Agostino says. “So it was really strange – in the beginning I had a lot of involvement, but at the end I was hardly involved. It was a really different way to make a record – and I kind of liked it. I had my bit, and then everyone else had their go”. Agostino confesses to being an occasional control freak, but is content with the re-mixed record. “Maybe if the guys had gone with my original mix I’d be a bit happier, but I’m happy with the way it turned out, but it’s not the record I originally had in mind.” Agostino is looking to his time in Europe as an opportunity that’s unlikely to be repeated again. “I really want to play a lot – I reckon it’s one of the last times in my life I’ll get a chance to play music and not worry about anything else,” Agostino says. “I reckon in my absolute wildest dreams I could sustain this for four or five years. But I think the truth is that someone like me would have to play 320 nights a year, and I don’t know whether I’ve got that in me. But now with Brat Farrar what I want to do is instead of being in a band and working in that middle ground, I could do other things I like under that name.” And Agostino’s next project – should it find a sympathetic ear – is way beyond where he’s been in the past. “I’ve been pitching a record that is my homage to acoustic, four-track psychopathic crazy music, influenced by Daniel Johnston,

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Charles Manson,” Agostino says. “I love this record called The Manson Family Do The Songs of Charles Manson, and it’s 40 people singing over this out-of-tune guitar. I find it really captivating! Outside folk, psychopath, mental breakdown sort of stuff”, he laughs. RUSSIAN ROULETTES will launch their new album, Physical Education, at The Old Bar on Saturday February 11. BRAT FARRAR will launch his self-titled debut album at Yah Yah’s on Saturday February 18. Brat Farrar and Physical Education are out know through Off The Hip Records.

CORE

PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS AND GOSSIP BY EMILY KELLY: EK1984@GMAIL.COM

Melbourne felt especially, nay spectacularly, summery this weekend and dozens of slightly hungover carcasses dragged themselves to Edinburgh Gardens to enjoy some acoustic diddling of the Poison City variety. Fitzroy’s finest green patch was swarming with cider, puppies, a couple of youngins, and even some oldies. Now I’m presently not of the age where too many of my friends are procreating so the presence of kids doesn’t necessarily make my ovaries ache, but the presence of parents I am ALLLL for. I’m pretty sure I’ve started to see more and more ‘older’ people at shows these days. Perhaps that says more about the type of shows I’m going to than it suggest some momentous change in social norms, but I’d like to think more and more people are seeing the benefits in sharing music with their elders. Don’t roll your eyes at me just yet, but speaking from personal experience, there are few things in life more special than sharing some musical taste in common with your folks and inviting them to experience it in a live setting. Escorting my mum to the Arty to see Chuck Ragan last year was one Disney patent away from being the most rewarding experience of my twenties. And just the other week at Fucked Up I spotted an old mate, ear buds firmly in ear and a thoroughly grey head of hair enjoying a Tuesday night gig at the East. His son appeared to be keeping a close eye on proceedings by stepping in and redirecting feisty crowd surfing folk should they ever come in the vicinity of his dad’s noggin, and it was just so painfully darling I just about cried.

Swedish hardcore band Anchor, not to be confused with Melbourne’s Anchors, are extending their hectic touring schedule to Australia this year. They’ll play a string of all ages shows across the country (brave Swedes, enduring an Australian summer), which will roll by the Break The Ice Festival on February 10 (AA) and The Nash in Geelong on February 11 (18+).

Poison City Records announced last week that a string of PCR acts have banded together to record a tribute to Blueline Medic, to be released on limited edition vinyl on April 21. The Nation Blue, A Death In The Family, Arrows, The GIfthorse, Jamie Hay & The Smith Street Band, Harmony, Jen Buxton, Paper Arms, Darren Gibson and Grim Fandago all lent their talents to the cause.

The Blood Sweat And Beers crew have announced that Bomb The Music Industry are headed our way for a tour with The Smith Street Band, but the press release seems to suggest BTMI will appear in the form of their songwriter and producer Jeff Rosenstock. Not sure whether the rest of their rotating lineup will be in tow, but you can lock in a rollicking good time at The Tote on March 9 and Brunswick’s Disgraceland on March 10 (AA).

In case your calendar wasn’t completely choccas, we’ve got some more sidewave announcements for you. Angels & Airwaves, Madina Lake and Framing Hanley will play on Thursday March 1 at The Forum. The Devin Townsend Project, Mushuggah and Dredg will hit The Forum the night prior on Wednesday February 29. Finally, it was revealed last week that Dragonforce will not be participating in Soundwave 2012 as scheduled due to recording conflicts (they’ve said they can “100% assure our Aussie fans that we will be touring there at some point in 2012”), but fear not Dragonforce fans, Switchfoot will replace them with their sweet Christian rock. Quality Melbourne prog acts Twelve Foot Ninja, Jericco and Circles will tour together this March, stopping by The Evelyn on March 24, Mac’s Hotel in Melton on March 29, Ferntree Gully Hotel on March 30 and Frankston’s Pelly Bar on March 31. Tickets are available now.

If you needed further incentive to purchase tickets to the Hatebreed/Biohazard/Cro-Mags sidewave, you might be interested to know that Swedes Raised Fist have joined the bill. That’s a fuckload of tough guys in one room. Lock in Wednesday February 29 at The Hi-Fi. Tickets on sale now. The Getaway Plan have announced a run of regional dates with Gatherer and local supports. The Reckoning Tour will touch down at The Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave on March 15, Ferntree Gully Hotel on March 16 and Pier Live in Frankston on March 17. Tickets are available now.

METALOCALYPSE: LAST RITES Botch – We Are The Romans (1999, Hydra Head) Vocalist Dave Verellen is in Narrows now and bassist Brian Cook smashes da bass for Russian Circles, but Botch was where it was at for everyone formerly involved. This is a cautionary tale about the societal swine we are becoming (again), which isn’t half-obvious when you think about the title but somehow less obvious when you actually listen to it (cryptic lyrics are cryptic).

NO MAWR RAWR! It’s been real, but this is Toby McCasker, last survivor of the Metalocalypse, signing off. Yeah, you read that right: no mawr rawr from me. At least, not in Beat. So this week, things are gonna be a bit diff. Over the course of my four-odd years doing the Metaloc thang, I’ve often received missives from you guys and gals thanking me for the corruption of your cochlea via new sounds. It’s something I love doing, so with that in mind I leave you with the best parting gift I can offer: the albums that made me the atypical metal cad I am today. All is not shred and done; you can still catch me on the abrasive trail for Blunt, Hysteria and triple j – and there just might be a brand spanking new column from me online at Tone Deaf, too. Stay in touch at twitter.com/jane_tobes, stinky children. ~tobes Sikth – Death Of A Dead Day (2006, Bieler Bros.) The sheer scope of the Hertfordshire six’s turgid technicality not withstanding, it was the bizarro doubleact of vocalists Mikee Goodman and Justin Hill that made Sikth the sound that bands like The Arusha Accord insist on ripping off ad nauseam. Don’t even. An isolated incident of intersecting genius, there can be only one – and this record was always gonna be too weird to live, and too rare to die. Opeth – Blackwater Park (2001, Music For Nations) Bleak is my fave Opeth track of all time. Still Life might’ve been my first introduction to Mikael and co., but Blackwater Park changed my perception of just what metal was capable of being in the hands of auteurs rather than purist dullards. If you don’t understand why Heritage is the way it is, you’ve been hearing without listening. Isis – Oceanic (2002, Ipecac) I maintain to this day that Oceanic is a concept album about a guy whose girl cheats on him/leaves him so he wanders down to the beach and puts himself out to sea sans boat. I listened to it in the bath once and felt like I was drowning, so don’t do that. Do listen to it, though. Especially that bit at 4:58 on The Beginning And The End. Absolute power. It’s the best thing Isis ever did. Later I saw them in 2004 at The Espy for the Panopticon tour and was inspired for months.

Dillinger Escape Plan – Irony is A Dead Scene (2002, Epitaph) Calculating made mathcore a thing, but Irony Is A Dead Scene made a dream you didn’t even know you had come true: Mike Patton fronting the Dillinger Escape Plan. At only four tracks it’s a slim listen, but ten years on I’m still listening to it and still discovering deeper reservoirs of wtf. It will turn your mind into a car battery.

CORE GIG GUIDE Wednesday January 25: Jamie Hay, Lincoln Le Fevre, Wil Wagner, Lucy Wilson, Luke Thomas, Luke Smith Acoustic Australia Day House Show at The Tiger Den (Bell St, Coburg) Thy Art It Murder, Thieves, Boris The Blade, Belle Haven at Next New Empire, WE The Innocent, The Playbook, Oh Pacific at Bang Victorian Roller Derby League Fundraiser feat The ReChords, The Death Rattles, Cherrywood at The East Brunswick Club Thursday January 26: AUSTRALIA DAY AT THE TOTE featuring Arrows, Anchors, The Smith Street Band, Fear Like Us and many many more. Summerset Avenue, Celadore, My Favourite Accident, Far From Nowhere at Next. Friday January 27: Kitty Daisy and Lewis, Kira Puru, The Bruise at The Corner Hotel The Workinghorse Irons, DoubleBlack, Between The Wards, Road Ratz at The Gasometer Apart From This, Masketta Falls, Strickland, Traditions, Our Best Laid Plans at The Bendigo Hotel Quiet Steps, Nuclear Summer, Waiting Room, Old Skin, Stockades at The Gasometer Saturday January 28: Kitty, Daisy And Lewis at The Gershwin Room The Go Set at Apollo Bay Hotel Best Coast, Dune Rats, Pop Singles at The Corner Hotel Built On Secrets, A Sleepless Melody, We Rob Banks at Bang Monday January 30: Mariachi El Bronx, Vasco Era at Billboards Tuesday January 31: My Chemical Romance, Closure In Moscow at Festival Hall

NEW HEAVY COLUMN KICKING OFF NEXT WEEK

Death – The Sound of Perseverance (1998, Nuclear Blast) Death’s swansong is ironically what gave life to my love for le heavy. Chuck Schuldiner was tampering with the genre’s constraints waaay before anyone else had gotten pissed off enough with them to attempt the same, and the eccentric lineup he assembled for this record makes it eternally one of a kind. Compulsory for everyone.

Cave In – Until Your Heart Stops (1998, Hydra Head) Post-hardcore’s inception was one of the most creative times for emergent heaviness, and Cave In best exemplified the movement with this monstrous and troubled album produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. True to the spirit of grunge it’s largely about the destructive pathos of heroin, but still sounds nothing like anything that’s come before or after it. Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos (2002, Nuclear Blast) A thing of perfect pounding clarity thanks to Devin Townsend’s typically ridiculous production work (and possible songwriting advice). Soilwork have never been better, proving that the cues Scandinavian metal was beginning to take from their American counterparts could eventuate in something more rather than In Flames’ something less. The Flameout is a personal fave. Whenever I hear it I knock over a lamp or stand on my cat or something. Converge – Jane Doe (2001, Equal Vision) I would be dead without this record. Whatever emotive badness has you in its clutches, this is the ultimate catharsis. You will feel better, no matter what. Whether or not your angst is familiar with Jacob Bannon’s banshee recounting of The Worst Relationship Known To Anyone matters not a lot. Stand close to this fire and embrace the burn.

Tool – Lateralus (2001, Volcano) My mate and I were so into this album for a significant portion of our high schooling. About the only thing I can remember from that unsatisfying period in both our young lives is getting stoned as clusterfuck and listening to Lateralus in a dark room with our eyes closed. I visited alien civilisations and I’m pretty sure he turned into a horned beast and made trouble for the Cimmerians. Those bodies holding you? Take Maynard’s polemic to the right kinda level.

Ephel Duath – The Painter’s Palette (2003, Earache) For me, jazz and abrasive music have a lot in common. Jazz is often renegade in sentiment, metal is often defined by being overtly annoyed. They’d go well together, I always thought. Evidently Davide Tiso thought so too, because he nixed the electro-black metal warpath Ephel Duath were on prior to this and constructed jazzcore as not many people know it today. Don’t be one of the unenlightened. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 61

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CHILDREN COLLIDE

SURVIVAL DAY AT THE RETREAT Put on the fav flannie, comb the mullet back, grab a tinne at the bar, it's Survival Day at The Retreat. First up they've got Fraser A. Gorman trio from 4pm in the beer garden. Fraser has the guitar, writing book and the lungs. Coops does most of the tricky stuff with the better lungs and better pickin'. Sophia slings her fiddle like a wand casting lighting with her bow. The rest will unfold before your very eyes. Next up Ben Wright Smith band from 9pm performing his brand of surreal folk blues. Then it's time for the final Howlin' Steam Train residency show. It's been quite the month with the boys putting on a cracker gig every Thursday for the past month. Alas all good things must come to an end but holy crap Batman what a send of it's gonna be. And as if that wasn't enough King Of The North are also winding up their late night residency from 11.30pm. Free.

HELM After a successful release at the back end of 2011, Helm's single Home received national airplay and exposure, and has been added to radio playlists and music TV around the country. The band had a fantastic response on The Butterﬂy Eﬀect's Ten Years Tour, and are ready to hit it again in 2012. The band will be taking the infamous Evelyn stage in Melbourne for Australia Day (Thursday January 26) with some very special guests. 9pm.

HARVEST N' GRAZE Set in the picturesque front lawns and surrounding grounds of the Caulﬁeld Racecourse, The Harvest N’ Graze Festival is a food and music extravaganza perfectly located within Melbourne’s expanding inner-city foodie and cafe culture precinct. The Harvest N’ Graze Festival has something for all tastes - with over 100 stalls you’ll be able to sample and purchase an exceptional variety of Victorian gourmet food, wine and seasonal produce, celebrity chefs, wine matching and other interactive cooking demonstrations, and musical entertainment including performances from Mark Seymour (Hunters & Collectors), Deborah Conway, Angie Hart (Frente) and Michael Spiby (The Badloves). It takes place on Sunday February 5.

VOLTAIRE Following his highly acclaimed 2010 tour, aﬀable raconteur and darkly comedic songster Voltaire makes his triumphant return to gallop across the expanses of Australia on his Black Unicorn tour this February. Performing tracks from his brand new album Riding A Black Unicorn Down The Side Of An Erupting Volcano While Drinking From A Chalice Filled With The Laughter Of Small Children! as well as old favourites from his extensive back catalogue, Voltaire is a must for fans of Amanda Palmer and The Dresden Dolls. Catch Voltaire in his only Melbourne show on Saturday February 2 at Bar 303 with special guest Rouge Fonce.

TEXTURE LIKE SUN Bottle, the first single from Melbourne's Texture Like Sun, has undeniably struck a chord with listeners. Garnering a slew of positive press both locally and overseas, the intricately woven and densely layered track has left an indelible first impression. Giving local audiences a taste of what his upcoming album has to offer, Texture Like Sun will be playing a very special afternoon show this Sunday January 29 at The Empress. Kicking off 3.30 pm, Texture Like Sun will be providing the perfect summer soundtrack alongside AXOLOTL and Jess Harlen. Tickets are $10 at the door.

KEYS TO PERDITION Keys to Perdition are one of Australia's newest metal bands. If your tastes run to European inﬂuenced melodic, power metal with a touch of trash thrown in here and there, then this band is deﬁnitely worth a listen! Band members consist of musicians who have had varied experiences in the Melbourne metal scene including ex-members from Remorse, Sanity's Cage/ Uncaged and HMAS Vendetta. Keys to Perdition can hold their own in most company and together produce a tight, powerful sound of memorable melodies, guitar solos from both sides of the stage, and a huge pounding rhythm section. Keys to Perdition are a 'must see' for fans of melodic power metal. See them this Friday January 27 at Musicland in Fawkner. Beat Magazine Page 62

With the Beat oﬃce's collective ears still ringing from their appearance at our Christmas party bash last month, giants of modern Australian rock Children Collide have announced a national tour. To celebrate the news, the lads have released a new single in Sword To A Gunfight – the ﬁrst taste of their much-anticipated third album Monument – due later in the year. The band will be hitting the road throughout March and April, hitting up more than a few regional locations in the process. Children Collide perform at The Ferntree Gully Hotel on Friday March 9, Pelly Bar in Frankston on Saturday March 10, Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Thursday March 12 and The Corner Hotel on Friday April 13.

THE BEARDS "If your dad doesn't have a beard, you've got two mums." Fact – according to Aussie four-piece The Beards. Forming as a joke to play a single show in Adelaide, the entirely beard-based band have gone on to become underground legends of the Australian music scene. Anyone who thought this band would be struggling to write more songs about beards will be proven utterly wrong as the Aussie four-piece unleash eleven new songs on their third album Having A Beard Is The New Not Having A Beard – each of which is primarily focused on the importance of having a large amount of facial hair. Catch them at their Melbourne leg of the tour on Friday March 16 at The Corner. The Beards. They'll grow on you.

VAN MYER Van Myer has been promoted to the delicious night of Friday at the Evelyn. Come along this Friday January 27 to enjoy the same great blend of rock, soul and electro that's made you dance and groove so many times before. Joining them are the pop electro Acid Western and the epic alternative Pour Parlour. Show starts at 9pm.

SHARE THE SPIRIT 2012

Twelve Foot Ninja

The 2012 Share The Spirit Festival will turn the Treasury Gardens into a hub of Indigenous music, dance and culture on Thursday January 26 as part of Melbourne’s oﬃcial Survival Day celebrations. Share The Spirit is the state’s largest and longest running Indigenous music festival which draws on the collective talent, support and passion of the local Indigenous arts community in the delivery of a jampacked program of music, dance and cultural activities. This year's stellar line-up includes progressive hip hop trio, Last Kinection; the soulful, acoustic-roots sensation, Benny Walker; iridescent power-pop group, The Sunshine Sisters with King Kadu; hip hop’s lady luck, Meriki Hood; iconic blues-folk collective, The Charcoal Club; the larger than life Ian ‘Bear’ Johnson; a special traditional dance performance by Koorioboree, and Melbourne’s own rap master-blasters, Yung Warriors. Get along Thursday, January 26 in the Treasury Gardens, corner of Spring Street and Wellington Parade in the city. Free entry from 1pm. This is a no alcohol event!

ROCK THE BAY

SUMMER MUSIC SERIES The City of Boroondara have once again made some pretty big plans for the now annual community event, Summer Music Series. Held over three consecutive Sundays in February, the ﬁrst concert of the series will see the classic music of Billie, Ella and Nina as well as some modern favourites come alive in Jazz in Canterbury Gardens, kicking oﬀ Sunday February 5. Entry is free and gets started from 4pm. Head to boroondara.vic.gov.au/summer-music for more details

ROBERT RICH Ambient music pioneer Robert Rich is touring Australia to support his new album, Medicine Box. Direct from opening the main stage at the Rainbow Serpent Festival, Robert Rich is playing a special gig in Melbourne on Saturday February 11 at Northcote Uniting Church. Drawing from decades of recorded work, his concerts blend composition and improvisation in a ﬂuid continuum, creating a hypnotic atmosphere. Rich's performance will include live electronics with keyboards and computer, along with his signature hand-made ﬂutes and steel guitar.

SUMMER SOUNDS

MELBOURNE CITY WRESTLING

Come along and enjoy Summer Sounds, a series of free music events at the Rotunda at the Commonwealth Reserve, Williamstown. Sunday January 29 features Vika and Linda with special guests Into The Woods. Sunday February 5 features Wagons with special guests Tracy McNeil and The Cliﬀords. Bring a picnic, rug, some deckchairs and enjoy.

Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW) has continued to go from strength to strength featuring the best pro-wrestlers from across Australia in a list that includes such established names as KrackerJak, Carlo 'Cash Money' Cannon, Dowie James, Matt Silva and current MCW Champion Slex. 2012 is shaping up to be even bigger for MCW, with the ﬁrst show of the year, “Vendetta”, raising much needed funds for the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria. Thornbury Theatre will play host to the hottest grudge match of the summer on Saturday January 28 when MCW champ “Slex” puts the championship title on the line against the number one contender Matt 'The Juggernaut' Silva. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for children or $5 for a family (two adults, two children) via the venue or online at melbournecitywrestling.com.

THE BARONS OF TANG The musical gypsy deathcore juggernaut known as The Barons Of Tang will join with New Zealand’s Delaney Davidson for their album launch this coming Australia Day eve. The Barons Of Tang cut their musical performance teeth with performances for local underground theatre and circus troupes, going on to release a debut EP Knots And Tangles in late 2010. Lashing tango, rockabilly, metal and gypsy sounds together, The Barons Of Tang serve up a genre all of their own and dancing is inevitable. Joined onstage by local kids Mojo Juju and Hiatus Kaiyote, Barons Of Tang play at The Corner tonight. Tickets available from the venue.

CLOWNS At the brink of leaving our Australian shores to embark on a tour through South East Asia, those dirty Melbourne punks Clowns are playing one ﬁnal show before they set sail to undoubtedly give the shits to the authorities of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo. The gig is on tonight (Australia Day Eve) at Pony from 2am. Free entry. Get messy.

SALTAR HYPE'S FIFTH BIRTHDAY BASH On February 23, 2007, event management company Saltar Hype (Rock The Bay, Creepshow Halloween Festival, Showdown At The Corner) launched itself onto the scene with a ﬁve band lineup at the Hi-Fi Bar - including a then little known band called Dead Letter Circus who were being managed and booked by Saltar Hype. Five years later, it's time to do it all again. Get down to the Hi-Fi Bar on Saturday February 25 for Saltar Hype's Fifth Birthday Bash - featuring some of Melbourne's best live acts in Engine Three Seven, Sleep Parade, Black & White, The Evening Son and Anna Salen. Tickets on sale now at thehiﬁ.com.au.

RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL'S UNION

St Kilda is set to explode when the fourth annual Rock The Bay Festival hits The Espy on Saturday February 18 across the entire venue. Brisbane heavyweights Dead Letter Circus will headline the event and join a stellar lineup of Aussie rock acts including triple j favourites Floating Me, along with Twelve Foot Ninja, Bellusira, Tim McMillan Band, Ten Thousand, Bugdust, New Skinn, Moroccan Kings and heaps more. Tickets on sale now via saltar.oztix.com.au, The Espy, Polyester (City & Fitzroy), Greville Records, Fist 2 Face, The Nash (Geelong) and Karova Lounge (Ballarat). Check out rockthebayfestival.com for full lineup and info.

FANGS Fangs have spent the last year developing their own sound, recording, playing shows and establishing a reputation within the local scene as a solid rock outﬁt that knows how to party and make your ears bleed. Driving beats and rockin bass that draws you in. Frantic and fast Fugazi-style strumming to ﬁnger picked solos and even some wah thrown in for good ol' warm and fuzzy measure. Fangs along with Damn Terran play The Retreat Friday January 27. Damn Terran onstage from 9.30pm. Free.

SECRETIVE GEORGE A residency should be more than just a group of shows. With an amazing residency, one is able to witness a scream to the world, "Here I am!" Secretive George tried that in July, but band instabilities made it somewhat more diﬃcult. A new lineup, new songs and a debut EP under their belts since then, they are ready for attempt number two. Intent on launching a busy January and February, they present you with a ﬁve week residency of the best Melbourne bands. Free entry, $10 jugs and cheap vodka shots, so you know it's going to be hectic. See Secretive George this Monday January 30 at the Evelyn Hotel from 8pm.

GARY SOLOMAN In the later part of the '90s Gary Soloman went solo with his ﬁrst release Tide Of Emotion. Shake That Voodoo followed, then Marilyn in late 2009. The red dust Gypsy blues is embodied in his latest oﬀering, the soaring guitars and evocative lyrical imagery against a backdrop of rock/ soul grooves. Gary and his band are ready set to rock out at the East Brunswick Club on Friday January 27 to launch Albatross.

Summer at The Old Bar? Sounds like a darn fine idea, I reckon! Having just released their debut album to critical acclaim in late 2011, those black eyed sinners, Rich Davies KRISTY COX & The Devil’s Union will take up residence at their spiritual Kristy Cox launches her second Nashville recorded home, The Old Bar every Wednesday night in January. bluegrass album Miles & Timezones at The East Brunswick Each week they will be joined by a finely curated list of Club on Wednesday February 1 along with a spectacular bands which includes Ben Salter, Master Gunfighters, lineup of acoustic artists, Jerry Salley and the Davidson Cherrywood, Plastic Palace Alice, Ali E & Sly Grog. This is Brothers. Originally from South Australia, Kristy recently going to be a residency to remember. Help the band kick showcased her new songs at the Americana Music festival off the new year in some triumphant dirty Melbourne rock in the USA after gaining three Top 10 radio hits in the style. So get your massive post festive season arse down to Australian country scene in 2010. the Old Bar tonight. You could use the exercise, son. WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

60 SECONDS WITH…

INDIGO AND THE BEAR

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We are Indigo And The Bear. Between the four of us, we play bass guitar, acoustic guitar, keys, vocals and violin. We're answering these questions in a stunning display of collaborative penmanship. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? And a terribly clichéd answer. Hopefully like Indigo And The Bear! We are definitely influenced by artists like Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, and Fleet Foxes, but we have a unique sound. We like to think of it as gentle but big. What do you love about making music? Just that - the making bit. Building parts onto an idea and turning it into something amazing, the moment when we can look at each other and know we've nailed it. Then we get to share it, and that's a real privilege. What do you hate about the music industry? Like any industry there is always competitiveness to contend with, but we find Melbourne a pretty friendly place to do what we do. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Barb, our violinist, would like it to be Johnny Cash. Not because he'd necessarily dig the music, just because he's Johnny Cash. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Assassination could be a bit harsh, but let's say Justin Bieber just quietly disappeared... What can a punter expect from your live show? Stunning vocals, intricate instrumentation, and at least one beard. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Our debut EP, Sorrow Down, available at our shows, or on our website. When’s the gig and with who? Three genres are joining forces this Australia Day eve - Indigo And The Bear, The Animators and a special stripped back set from Sietta at The Empress. $10 at the door, from 8pm. Anything else to add? Check out our website at indigoandthebear.com.au for demos, videos, gig details and unflattering photos.

ST KILDA FESTIVAL

THE MORRISONS The Morrisons are a four-piece punk explosion armed with short songs and rude words. Bringing their ﬁrst show of 2012 to Pony tonight, they’re going to make you dance, gyrate, scream, and with any luck you may just triple yourself. Lord knows they’re going to do the same thing. Joining them for pre public holiday shenanigans will be the amazing Udays Tiger, and King Of The North. So get on down to Pony tonight.

ITAL Palmer & Pocock are thrilled to announce Ital’s (aka Daniel Martin-McCormick) Australian debut with two Melbourne dates in January 2012. Although the New York City-based producer ﬁrst came to attention of many through his work in Mi-Ami (Thrill Jockey) and Sex Worker (Not Not Fun) it’s the left-of-centre house excursions under his Ital moniker that have got the dance world talking. Early 2011 saw the release of Ital's Theme his debut as Ital and also the very ﬁrst release out on Amanda Brown's (LA Vampires / Pocahaunted) dance label 100% Silk. Catch Ital playing his only live show at The Phoenix Public House on Friday January 27, sharing the stage with Kangaroo Skull (My Disco side project) as well as NO ZU, Forces and Plastic Champagne. Doors 8.30pm.

DANE CERTIFICATE Dane Certificate makes home studio recordings and magic tricks, bringing his innovative and forward thinking to the stage to entertain, stimulate and engage the audience. Dane Certificate Magic is Dane Williams (AKA Dane Certificate) from Melbourne – a solo act utilising magic/ illusion and music, bringing to the world a new genre of music and redefining "live performance". Dane Certificate has another album mastered and is currently being shipped Down Under. It's called Miss Imagination and it is weird. The 20-song fourth release has a bonus album Fadeou64 and single Lion. To launch the release Pop Singles, Popolice and Pronoun will join Dane Certificate in the Grace Darling Hotel Basement for a night of noisy pop and magic tricks on Saturday February 11. $8 on the door.

THE FUNKY BREW The Funky Brew are Melbourne's hottest funk rock groove infused act. Combining a vast array of inﬂuences, they have gigged solidly over the last four years, providing a dynamic and exciting live show. Always up for a good time, they want you to join them in a funk-infused explosion of awesomeness. Be a part of the crew! Kick it with the brew at Noise Bar this Saturday January 28.

AUSTRALIA DAY AT THE TOTE Entering its second year as a non-proﬁt fundraiser for The Refugee Council of Australia, over 20 bands from all over the country will come together at Melbourne’s live music hub, The Tote for another year of heat, noise, friends and good times this Australia Day. Running from midday to midnight on Thursday January 26, the event returns in triumphant fashion after last year’s inaugural event raised more than $3000 for the Refugee Council of Australia. This year welcomes headliners Arrows for the second year on the now historic Tote stage, while Melbourne’s folk rock legends Fear Like Us have also been conﬁrmed to top the bill. Joining the festivities are two of Melbourne’s most beloved up and comers, invigorating rock quintet The Smith's Street Band and hardcore heroes, Anchors. All this plus a further sixteen local and interstate bands are donating their talents to this fantastic cause. So get yourself down to The Tote on Thursday January 26 for a beer, some tunes and a good cause.

The busy peeps behind the annual St Kilda Festival are at it again with the announcement of the full lineup for the ever-growing and always jam-packed Festival Sunday music bill. Happening again in 2012 from February 4 to February 12, the Sunday roster will once again showcase the cream of the Aussie music crop, with the addition of Miami Horror DJs, Stoneﬁeld, Big Scary, Archie Roach, Vaudeville Smash, Owl Eyes, Mantra and local up and comers I, A Man to the host of already announced artists on the seaside stages, such as Sneaky Sound System, British India, Blue King Brown and Alpine, plus plenty more. There's also an impressive list of local independent bands set to perform on the day, including recent Meredith performers The ReChords, as well as Hayley Couper, Drawn From Bees, Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, The Pretty Littles and Closure In Moscow. Bask in the sun and the music at the St Kilda Festival ﬁnale, Sunday March 12. Check out stkildafestival. com.au for the full festival program

MAJOR TOM & THE ATOMS With a unique sonic blend of funky-tonk blues, spychedelic shootout tunes and howlin’ growlin’ jungle grooves, new sensations Major Tom & The Atoms are causing outbreaks of dancing and damaging ear-trumpets all across Melbourne ! Under the illustrious baton of Little Red’s resident baritone ‘Major’ Tom Hartney, and boasting a stellar cast of Melbourne ’s most decorated musicians, The Atoms are fresh from supporting Aussie legends The Black Sorrows over summer. Now they bring their foot-stompin’, jaw-droppin’ live show, complete with their famous detective theme-song medley to The Retreat on Saturday January 28, with party rockers Jimmy Hawk And The Endless Party. Entry is free!

STAFFAN Staffan Guinane, front man of Melbourne’s Twee-indiepop outfit Francolin is in residency at The Grace Darling this month, performing solo alongside special guests on Wednesdays. Each week he will pull a fresh batch of songs from a catalogue of over 100 nostalgic gems penned from his teenage years in Sweden through to the recent 5th year anniversary of his moving to our fair land. His songs sound deceptively cheerful whilst they discuss heartache, love, death and fantasising about the end of greed through natural disasters… or perhaps all the kind hearted people can come together and build a new, trouble-free world in some far off place. That'd be nice, huh? It is this deliberate exploration into wide-eyed naivety which creates such a delightful escape from the every day. Catch Staffan tonight at The Grace.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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NEON COLLECTIVE PRESENTS Neon Collective is venturing just slightly outside of the CBD to take over much esteemed band venue the Grace Darling for a night of pure eargasms. They will be providing to you four of their favourite rising bands in the form of The Universal, Midsummer Tribe, Quince and Exile And The Sea. Doors at 9pm this Friday January 27, $10 on the door.

THE VOLATILES

THE HARPOONS

Fresh from band camp, The Volatiles are back to show Pony how to play some straight up, red raw punk rock. Carefully pacing themselves for the 2am slot on Friday January 27, these ﬁve are going to be running on pure rock delirium.

The Harpoons and Two Bright Lakes would like to invite you all to The Toff in Town tonight to go and celebrate the release of their magnificent second single Walk Away. They're also excited about bangin' DJ sets from DJ-O and Oscar Key Sung (Oscar and Martin) and a D floor with No Lights No Lycra and supports from Dreaming and Delicious (Hazel and Martha from Otouto) and triple j unearthed favs Neighbourhood Youth. Get your tickets through Moshtix. It's going to be dope.

CARNIVAL OF SUBURBIA Carnival Of Suburbia features ten days of live music at the Caravan Music Club at Oakleigh RSL. Emerging out of the so-called cultural 'wastelands' of the south back in March 2010, Carnival Of Suburbia has risen like a flower in the desert to firmly establish itself as an iconic annual event in celebration of Melbourne’s suburban soul and culture. The world class program of events includes the UK’s harmonious alt-country five-piece, Ahab on Wednesday March 14; legend of the New York folk scene, Judy Collins on Thursday March 15, and on Saturday March 17 founding member of both The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and widely recognised originator of American country rock, Chris Hillman, performing alongside Californian banjo player and guitarist Herb Pedersen. With many more acts yet to be announced, Carnival Of Suburbia cements Oakleigh’s place as a hub of live music performance. Carnival Of Suburbia will take place from Thursday March 8 until Sunday March 18 at the Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh.

DRUNKEN POET AUSTRALIA DAY Australia Day, a bit of an odd one really. It’s a day for shirtless men with patriotic tattoos to make all around them feel a shade uncomfortable. A day to celebrate the ﬁnest in the previous years “alternative anthems”. A day for celebrating something, but most of us aren’t quite sure what. If the above becomes a little too much for you, Cherrywood will be celebrating at the Drunken Poet with a few hours of rockabilly, country goodness. This proud Australian tradition kicks oﬀ at 6:30pm, leaving plenty of time to “get your Aussie on” during the day and return to civilization in the evening. This Thursday January 26.

eat arepas, drink mojitos listen to

liveusic latin m

RY FREE ENT

wednesday 7:30

jonathan cohen thursday 7:30

los locos latin jazz friday 9:00

afrobiotics saturday 9:00

santiago son panga

+ solo percussion performance by

sunday 6:00

jose nieto monday 7:30

ricky & la bandida tuesday 7:30

sam mcclelland

bookings recommended

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Beat Magazine Page 63

MUSIC NEWS

CHERRY OX FAN BENEFIT GIG YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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Q&A EL PANGA

The Cherry Bar in ACDC Lane is proud to announce a special benefit gig for The Ox That Rocks, Adriano Tiatto, Gut lead singer, former Australian Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and St Kilda music scene icon. Ox is recovering from a heart attack and triple by-pass surgery. Cherry appreciates that at this time Ox needs the support of his friends and will need some financial assistance to help address his hospital expenses on the long road to recovery. The Ox must rock! So, on Saturday 28 January (on the eve of the Big Day Out) Cherry is doing something for the biggest little guy in the Melbourne music scene. Cherry will host an Ox Fan Benefit Gig featuring Black Diamond Heavies’ James Leg (USA), Bitter Sweet Kicks, Burn In Hell and some very very special guests. Tix $15 minimum donation (proceeds to the Ox!), only from the door from 8pm, Saturday 28 January. Rock up to help the Ox rock back!

TRIPLE J HOTTEST 100 PARTY AT THE ESPY No plans for Australia Day yet? What better way to spend it than by the beach with a couple of coldies, listening to your favourite tunes of 2011? Voting has closed for triple j's Hottest 100 and are currently being tallied. Staying with tradition, The Espy will broadcast triple j's Hottest 100 for 2011, carrying through until 7.30pm when with much anticipation, the listener vote for number one will be revealed. The Espy is hosting a free gig to see you through to the aftermath to the wee hours. Catch British India and Espy regular DJ Yoda, with more acts to be announced very soon. Live music kicks off straight after the number one track is announced. Doors open at 12pm and entry is free. Who are you and what do you do? My name is Rodolfo Hechavarría “El Panga”, I play congas with Afro-Cuban influences and many different styles that have been passed down from my ancestors.

If you could share the stage with one musician dead or alive, who would you share it with? Michael Jackson. I would have liked to perform with him and be part of his band.

What inspires you to play music? My great grandfather, my grandfather, my father and all my brothers and sisters are musicians as well. I chose congas because I think I’m born with that inside me. That’s why I started playing when I was six-years-old.

Do you have any recorded music? At the moment I have a project to go to Cuba with ﬁve musicians to record a new album. Seven years ago I recorded with Lady Salsa Show, Buena Vista Social Club and Son A La Calle. The last time was with Orulas, a salsa band from Melbourne.

How do people react when you play? I love it when people start to dance. Australia is starting to discover this kind of music, and they realise it’s very sensual and happy as well.

When and where do you play next? I will play a solo percussion set of traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms on Saturday January 28 at Cruzao Arepa Bar.

JORDIE LANE Jordie Lane will be playing a very special farewell show at the East Brunswick Club in February before heading oﬀ to the US to tour and record album number three. Since releasing his second album Blood Thinner in July this year to wide acclaim, (including a nomination for Best Blues and Roots Album at the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards), Jordie Lane has not stopped his relentless touring. Jordie is currently releasing his album in New Zealand and busy on a 13 date tour but you can catch him this February for one show only accompanied by his band and some very special surprise guests at the East on Friday February 10.

DIRTY DEEDS Australia's original and premier AC/DC cover band Dirty Deeds are bringing their eletrifying live performance to new bar and eatery Baba in Brunswick this Australia Day, Thursday January 26. There's free entry before 9pm.

THE McQUEENS McQueens’ music has been described as deep and epic, dark and brooding, an electro-pop mine field and a mix of Foster The People and Coldplay (before they were shit). Recently they were triple j Unearthed High finalists. They'll be playing at The Toff In Town this Australia Day (Thursday January 26) with special guests Albert Salt and Passport. Tickets are available through Moshtix. Doors 8pm.

60 SECONDS WITH…

I, A MAN

PUTA MADRE BROTHERS The most spectacular act you have never seen, the threeheaded one-man-band-band, the gringo lunatics of garage soul cacophony, Puta Madre Brothers will make a big style party to celebrate their new album It’s A Long Long Way To Meximotown before setting oﬀ overseas again to teach the world Spanglish dance technique. As part of the ﬁnal days of The East Brunswick Club they will paint the club like the bathroom of a Mexican gaucho on Saturday February 25 with very special genuine Mexican rock'n'roll guests Mesa Cosa.

SIDETRACKED Sidetracked is bringing another stellar line up of sizzling live acts and DJs to this year’s Grand Prix on Saturday March 17 and Sunday March 18. Headlining this year’s trackside festival is the pioneer of rap, hip hop, and a Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Grandmaster Flash. Flash joins some of Australia’s biggest bands and DJs including Art vs Science, The Potbelleez, The Staﬀord Brothers, Grant Smillie, Ruby Rose and many more to be announced. Sidetracked tickets include full general admission access at the 2012 Formula 1™ Australian Grand Prix. Ticket prices start from $90. For details visit grandprix.com.au or futureentertainment.com.au.

AUSTIN FLOYD Five years. 500 shows. Lots of albums sold. Austin Floyd formed in the usual way ﬁve years ago. Made friends (mostly), music (regularly), and good times and drinking (more than regularly). Four guys, stretched across four decades of life, playing music because they love to. Others seem to like it too – that’s a bonus. If you’ve seen a show over the last six months, they're playing better than ever – more love, more fun, and great songs. See them tonight at the Standard Hotel.

MYSTIC FIELDS After a long day of BBQs, drinking and the Hottest 100, head on over to the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood for Genre Mayhem. Dance, hip hop, rock, electro and everything in between. Mystic Fields will be there: a synth driven four-piece, indie electronic band, with no laptops. They pride themselves on their live shows, and they will take you to another world, full of lasers, smoke machines and vocoders with catchy synthesiser riﬀs, electric guitar hooks, heavy bass lines and thumping drums. So check them out this Thursday January 26 at the Bendigo Hotel.

PLAGIARISM BEGINS AT HOME It is with a heavy heart that Plagiarism Begins At Home are announcing the end of their ﬁne two year journey of reviving the glory of The Smiths live experience. They're having one last show before Mauro (their Mike Joyce) relocates to Vietnam. This Saturday January 28 at the Bendigo hotel. Free entry. Beat Magazine Page 64

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? The band name is ‘Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’ and I don’t ‘do’ anything in the band, but I do play guitar in I, a Man. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? Like the fog settling on a dirt road in the middle of the country, on a brisk spring morning. What do you love about making music? I love the way that the music I make loves me back, it feels nice to be loved. What do you hate about the music industry? I hate the way the industry refuses to pay penalty rates, can you imagine playing a gig on Australia Day and not getting time and a half? If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? Michael Jackson, hopefully he’d be keen to lay down some dance moves on our debut video clip. Surely MTV would love that…? If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? If I could? I’m pretty sure I could if I wanted to. Luckily for all of you out there in popular music, I don’t want to assassinate anyone… What can a punter expect from your live show? Six drums, four cymbals, four voices, two guitars and one bass guitar, often being played simultaneously. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We currently have our Debut EP Fifteen Thirty Three for sale, but are releasing our follow up EP You’re Boring Us All in early February. When’s the gig and with who? Australia Day (Thursday January 26) with Loon Lake at Fed Square for a free gig as part of Fed Square Live. We also play the St Kilda festival on Sunday February 12, plus we are launching You're Boring Us All at the Northcote Social Club on Friday February 24.

REQUIEM

MUSIC NEWS

Requiem is Melbourne's newest monthly gothic night, presenting a fusion of trad-goth, gothic-rock, post punk, (cold/dark/new/grave) wave, ebm, industrial, electro, ambient, new romantic, synth pop, modern/neo-gothic and other associated alternative music, all at one underground venue. Join them at their amazing new home, The Liberty Social; a spacious and unique venue hidden in Melbourne's CBD. Formerly De Biers (now under new management), this grungy Victorian cellar oďŹ&#x20AC; Degraves is the perfect setting for a night of new and vintage gothic music alike. The next event is taking place on Friday February 3.

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BASTARD CHILDREN

NAXALITES The Naxalites play a massive blend of psychedelic garage rock that is just perfect for an intimate setting. Thursday Janurary 26 will see them blow the doors oďŹ&#x20AC; the Great Britain Hotel in Richmond. Support on the night comes from The Weekend People who are well adept in writing indie rock gems. The stage is set to witness two very unique and varied acts. Show kicks oďŹ&#x20AC; at 8pm. Free entry.

THE DUKES OF DESPAIR The Dukes of Despair return to the Penny Black in Sydney Road, Brunswick on Sunday January 29 from 5.00pm. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rhythms magazine review of their debut CD Wood, Wire And Skin, described their â&#x20AC;&#x153;honest acoustic rock musicâ&#x20AC;? as â&#x20AC;&#x153;part Australian bush folk, part Travelling Wilburys, part Texan troubadourâ&#x20AC;?. Lyrics communicate, melodies grab attention with catchy hooks, vocal harmonies are a feature â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and performance is energetic. A show not to be missed.

THE BOMBARDIERS First inspired to be a bassist after listening to Jack Bruce and Paul McCartney as well as maturing his technique from his stint in a jazz and blues band, Zach forms half of the rhythm section, laying down bass lines in an attempt to keep Mike and Joe in time as well to serving as the bond that interweaves the pulse with the melody. The bombardiers have since ďŹ nished recording their ďŹ rst album, and are currently mixing it. So come and check them out this Friday January 27 at The Penny Black.

LA BASTARD La Bastard are a Melbourne based surf/'60s/rockabilly band with a shitload of attitude. Audience members have often not known when to duck for cover, dance or give in to the unwavering energy that this band puts out whenever they perform. Forming in late 2010, La Bastard have enjoyed such memorable moments as performing ON the bar at the Tote, pillow ďŹ ghting at the Builders Arms, and breakdancing on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor of the Retreat. After a year of steady gigging, their self titled debut album will be released in January 2012 through OďŹ&#x20AC; the Hip Records. They play the Penny Black this Friday January 27.

PUNK-TASTIC AUSSIE DAY Australia Day is here and the punks are set to play. What better way to spend this Aussie Day than at the Brunswick Hotel for a BBQ and a heap of bands, all for free. Kick starting the day at 4pm is Australian Kingswood Factoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lindsay Bush with his rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; acoustic set, followed by Admiral Ackbarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dishonourable Discharge, The Cruntburgers, The Murderballs, Last Call, K-Mart Warriors, No Ones Home and wrapping the day up those crazy kids Strawberry Fist Cake. Just when you think it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any more amazing, there is a prize being oďŹ&#x20AC;ered for the best and most Aussie outďŹ t. So whip out your ďŹ nest pair of stubby shorts, hose oďŹ&#x20AC; your dressy thongs and whack on your Australian ďŹ&#x201A;ag cape, this is a party you do not want to miss this January Thursday 26.

APART FROM THIS On January 27 at the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood, Fiasco Productions brings you Apart From This, Melbourne pop punk kings. These boys have been on the scene since mid 2009 and have not wasted time in becoming one of Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top pop punk bands. They have shared the stage with the likes of Fireworks and The Wonder Years. Main support is Masketta Fall, a ďŹ vepiece pop rock band from Melbourne. Their high energy show is full of pop hooks and catchy melodies that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t to be missed. Another great addition to the line up is Strickland! After forming in 2010 these guys have landed quite a few great supporting slots with bands such as RuďŹ o, Tonight Alive, Closure In Moscow and more. Opening for this already great line up are Traditions (QLD) and Our Best Laid Plans.

PRETTY SUICIDE After a Massive New Years back in their home of Tasmania, Pretty Suicide, Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident gurus of ultra stoner metal, are returning to their favourite watering hole Pony, on Saturday January 28 to claim some more unwitting souls. This colossal evening also features their best buddies in the whole musical world, Party, and the debut of Armoured Earth, a group of dudes who are sure to get your head banging against whoever happens to be next to you, and deliver some of the most pile driving thrash youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ever likely to hear. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a damn fool to miss this one. A damn fool.

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

MARK SEYMOUR Mark Seymour is best known as the frontman of Hunters and Collectors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the rollicking, eight-piece funk ensemble with industrial percussion, bizarre atonal synthesizer, thundering bass guitar and a brass sectionâ&#x20AC;? he formed with a bunch of Uni friends in 1980. Less like a band and more like a jam session loosely tied to melody and words, Hunters and Collectors 1985 album Human Frailty remains one of the most criticallyacclaimed Australian albums of all time. Recording another ďŹ ve albums together, in was in 1998 that Mark found himself alone on stage with just an acoustic guitar. He plays Harvest 'N' Graze festival on Sunday February 5.

THE RIPE LAUNCH PARTY Tehachapi and Private Life will be supported by some of Melbourne's best emerging live music acts on Saturday February 18 at Phoenix Public House to celebrate the launch of a new Melbourne based music network, The Ripe. Red Leader, Indian Summer DJs and Art Van Delay will also join the bill with other support acts; Blue Jays and Acolyte. Tickets are $5 through MoshTix. You can ďŹ nd more information at theripe.tvÂ The Ripe aims to cut through the clutter to provide a place to discover, listen and share the best new music in and beyond Melbourne.

MOONLIGHTING 1AM Phoenix Public House has just announced a new project titled Moonlighting 1am, a free late night electronica series. The Moonlighting 1am slot features some of Melbourne's ďŹ nest musical artists in electronic dance side project mode. Weekend nights in February, come down for a late night kick-on with live original electronica from the dance crazed alter-egos of Melbourne's underground music scene. Free entry, from 1am 'til 3am. Dance til you drop.

The Great Britain Hotel is about to get, er, greater! Saturday January 28 will see The Bastard Children serve up a twisted feast of grizzled folk in a sordid gravy of junkyard blues and chunky gypsy. With the colonial clout of a nine piece line-up featuring the bastard horns, the band have spanned genreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the globe playing spiegeltents, festivals and speakeasys from Edinburgh to their home town, Melbourne. Wash it down with a dark and heady brew of wheezing accordions, bleeding harmonicas, tearing guitars, scraping mandolins, drums, whistlers, banjos and ďŹ ddles. Sordid, scandalous and superbly attired, part celticAustralian and all about good times. 9pm 'til late and best of all its free, but be warned, The Bastard Children may contain trace elements of nuts.

JOEL PLYMIN & THEM BLUES CATS Joel Plymin & Them Blues Cats play that cool Chicago style tree trunk blues with melodramatic lyrics, that's littered with indiďŹ&#x20AC;erence. Complete with extended saxophone solos and amusing lyrics with sedative motifs ranging from bike stacks to excessive alcohol consumption, this band will make you laugh, cry and... some other third thing. It is recommended that all attend The Great Britain Hotel to see them on Sunday January 29 from 7pm . Free Entry.

DIRTY CANARY Dirty Canary launch their long awaited CD with supports from The Sunsleepers and War In Arcadia on the Friday February 3 at Gertrudes Brown Couch. It will be also Dirty Canary's last show for three months so it will be a cracker of a gig. Get down to Gertrudes Brown Couch from from 8.30PM. Entry $10.

GUN BALLADS Gun Ballads combine the elements of pshchadelia, rock'n'roll and channel the imagery and heartache of the wild west. Drawing inďŹ&#x201A;uences from such acts as The Black Angels, Spaceman 3 and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Gun Ballads spin a web of rich textures, haunting tones and explosive sonic attacks. The spirit and intent of the music is that it can be anywhere or everywhere, conscious or unconscious, and lost as fast as it is was created. So get lost in the music of Gun Ballads at Cornish Arms tonight.

SLEEPMAKESWAVES Sydney based instrumental rockers SLEEPMAKESWAVES have announced an extensive Australian tour, celebrating the recent success of their debut ...and so we destroyed everything. The band's (hello) Australia tour sees them visiting six states in February and March, before heading overseas to showcase at SXSW in Austin, Texas and then embarking on a headlining European tour, including co-headlining Belgiums Dunk! Festival, alongside Pelican, This Will Destroy You and 65daysofstatic. SLEEPMAKESWAVES will play at The Evelyn on Saturday February 11 with support from This Is Your Captain Speaking, Xenograft and Jarek.

COLD HIKER Cold Hiker are a four-piece alternative band from Melbourne who formed early in 2010. After no time at all, they began to ďŹ nd the sound that has made them a growing force in the Melbourne music scene - a mix of odd-time signatures, delectable bass-lines, characteristic chord progressions, and tranquil, dulcet melodies.They draw their unique sound from artists such as Gotye, JeďŹ&#x20AC; Buckley and Radiohead, and recently won MGL's Next Big Thing Competition. Head down and see what they have to oďŹ&#x20AC;er when they stay up late and teach the thirsty heads at Pony how the youngsters do it these days this Saturday January 28 from 2am.

THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH The Vaudeville Smash begin their year with one of their biggest shows to date, The Heineken Live Stage, Grand Slam Oval, at the Australian Open on Australia Day Eve (tonight). After 5pm, Ground Passes are available at the event for $25 or $20 presale, which allows you to check out some of the tennis as well.Â It's an all ages event so the whole gang can come on down for a smashing ( get it?) good time.Â

Âž9Â&#x2021;kÂ&#x161;Ă&#x152;1kĂ&#x;Ă&#x152;,kĂ&#x201A;Â?Â&#x160;Â&#x161;Ă&#x2026;Ă&#x152; Ă&#x201A;@NĂ&#x2026;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17D;Â&#x2021;kĂ&#x152; Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;XĂ&#x201A;Â&#x17E;ÂÂ&#x2021;Â&#x17E;Â&#x161;kĂ&#x152;@Â&#x161;bĂ&#x152; Ă&#x201A;Â&#x17E;Ă&#x17E;Â&#x2018;Ă&#x2026;^ Âž ÂżÂ&#x2022;Ă&#x152; Â&#x17E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x161;Ă Ă&#x152; @Ă&#x2026;Â&#x2021;ÂżĂ&#x152; Ă Â&#x17E;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x152;NkÂ&#x2018;Â&#x160;kĂ?kĂ&#x152;Â&#x2021;Â&#x160;Â&#x2022;Âż 1 Ă&#x152; 3/1. "

THE WEDDING PRESENT Having enjoyed eighteen UK Top 40 singles, (and perennial favourites of legendary radio DJ John Peel) The Wedding Present now visit Australia for the ďŹ rst time ever since their 1985 inception to celebrate the release of their eighth studio album Valentina. Propelled by founding member David Gedgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perpetual broken heart and incisively brazen lyrics, Valentina turns a fresh page on the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noisy guitar pop tradition â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one that has inspired several generations of canny pop fans and indie rock bands alike. As well as showcasing tracks from the new album, The Wedding Present will also be performing their classic 1991 Steve Albini-produced album Seamonsters in its entirety. It's happening Saturday April 14 at The Northcote Social Club.

BITCHFEST Bitchfest is the ďŹ rst female bitch fronted musical showcase featuring the toughest chicks of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock scene. Headlining is Heaven The Axe who have solidly earned the title of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toughest female fronted hard rock band, you take an ex-stripper frontwoman and team her with the toughest metal heads Oz has had to oďŹ&#x20AC;er and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in for a wild ride. Supporting Heaven The Axe are some of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up and coming bitch fronted bands: The General, The Dead River and Dianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bow, Some of these bands feature members of rock darlings Killerbirds and you will just have to come and see what these ladies have in store for you! A night of M-ANARCHY, they will make your dirty rock'n'roll hearts bleed for more. So all you bitches get along to support the girls at The Prague venue on Saturday January 28, 8pm. $12 on the door.

BOMBADIERS This three-piece band rock out with their punk/rockabilly sound. They play it loud and good and never fail to please an audience. Teaming up with Twist To Push, a hard rock band from Melbourne, Road Ratz, with rock'n'roll, punk and rockabilly, and 4tress a punk/rock band, with rockin' guitar licks, solos and harmonies. See one, see all at the Tote this Saturday January 28.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS OUT!!

AN ANGEL ON ONE SHOULDER THE DEVIL ON THE OTHER

THE MAN IN BLACK The JOHNNY CASH Story Starring TEX PERKINS with guests DAN SULTAN & ADALITA and more!

AT MT BULLER SATURDAY 25TH FEBRUARY - 3PM For accommodation, transport and tickets contact High Country Reservations 1800 285 537 www.mansďŹ eldmtbuller.com.au Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100

www.themaninblack.com.au

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Beat Magazine Page 65

MUSIC NEWS

PERSECUTION BLUES: THE BATTLE FOR THE TOTE

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

Punk, passion, politics and public protest collide in Persecution Blues: The Battle for the Tote, an exploration of the rich musical history of Melbourne and the overwhelming public outcry ignited by news of the imminent closure of one of its most renowned and beloved rock and roll venues. In 2010, the iconic Tote Hotel - last bastion of Melbourne’s vibrant music counterculture - was forced to close due to rigorous liquor licensing laws. Filmed over seven years, Persecution Blues: The Battle for the Tote puts the audience on the front line of an epic-scale culture war, depicting the plight of more than 20,000 punters - along with the bands who inspire them - as they strive to preserve their history and protect the future of live music. This documentary will be screened in the Tote Front Bar tonight from 7pm.

For all the latest news check out beat.com.au

Q&A SHADOWQUEEN KARAOKE DICK

Your name: Robbi, Si & Alex Your band’s name: SHADOWQUEEN What’s the deal with the band’s name: We liked the imagery it suggested, and felt it was powerful and subtle at the same time, just like the music. Define your sound in five words or less: Powerful, melodic, dynamic, ROCK! Someone is walking past as you’re playing, they get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? Man, that band rocks! And that singers voice is killer! And how do they dance? On the inside…on the outside they rock out! How long have you been gigging and writing? Gigging for two years, writing for a lifetime. What’s been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? The Butterfly Effect support at Ferntree Gully Hotel the crowd roared after every song like they loved it. Awesome feeling.

Favourite piece of on-stage banter? Anything Robbi says onstage because she’s so unpredictable. Do you have any releases to date? We are about to release our debut single Don’t Tell. It’s a three track single. Why should everyone come and see you? Well if you love rock'n'roll performed with passion blood and sweat, that connects with your inner soul and makes your hair stand up and tingle and your body move like a wild primal beast then you will love SHADOWQUEEN to the core. When and where are you playing next? We are launching Don't Tell on Thursday February 2 at the Espy Front Bar. It’s free entry, and we have a lot of surprises planned, including debuting our ﬁlm clip for Don’t Tell. It’s going to be a huge night for us, so come down, have a look, listen and rock out with us. We are onstage 10pm sharp with some great support bands: Virtue, The Charge and Bottle of Smoke. Famous last words: Rock'n'roll is not dead and never will be. It’s alive in your local scene, so come out and support it! Check out our website at shadowqueen.com.

What inspires or has inﬂuenced your music the most? Life, everything really.

WARREN EARL AND THE ATOMIC ROCKERS Don't ask Warren Earl what type of music his band plays. It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell you; there just isn’t a word to describe the myriad styles Warren Earl And The Atomic Rockers jam in to its live set. The Rockers lineup is still in its infancy, having only played a handful of shows but their unique style is something to be seen. Check these guys rock the stage at the Gem this Sunday January 29 and ﬁnd out for yourself.

PUBLICIST ONE Melbourne rock act, One, have gone from obscurity to a powerful Melbourne headline act. Catch One perform at The Espy Gershwin Room on Friday Februart 3 as part of a massive ﬁve band bill. Supported by Volytion, Zelorage (SA), The Hidden Venture and Vitruvian Man. Doors 8pm.

New Zealands Camp A Low Hum ﬁnds Trans Am's drummer Sebastian Thomson on call as Publicist... and the musical mischievous Hawnay Troof both stopping in on Australian door steps for two frights of street buckling mania. Catch them playing the Northcote Social Club with support from High Tea on Thursday February 9, tickets available from northcotesocialclub.com.

PETER DICKYBIRD

INDIGO AND THE BEAR

Dreamed up on the school bus and planned on the back of a napkin, prepare for some indie pop so unique it is like sighting a rare Red Goshawk through a set of binoculars. Peter Dickybird and guests will play the Victoria Hotel on Friday Friday January 27 from 9.30pm. Free entry.

Three genres have joined forces to bring you an epic night of musical goodness at The Empress, on Wednesday January 25. Indigo And The Bear will be revealing some beautiful new tracks in preparation to hit the studio. The Animators will be turning up the heat by playing songs oﬀ their recent release Dualis, and the incredible duo Sietta is set to play a very special stripped back set. It’s all set to start at 8pm, and tickets are $10 on the door.

THE SCHOLARS The Scholars are more excited than a kid hearing the icecream truck from a kilometre away. That's because they're ﬁnally all set to play the Victoria Hotel. Their intensive two month training regime, which included countless hours of piano scales and drumming rudiments, will all contribute to their exemplary and explosive set this Saturday January 28. Bang. So get down to the Victoria Hotel to see The Scholars and guests play from 9.30pm. Free entry.

BROOKE DEADWOOD Brooke Deadwood sings. As rhythm guitarist and front man for Saint Jude, as double bass and backup voice for Little John, and a drummer for The Once Overs, Brooke sings. With a voice as varied as the wuthering heights, Brooke moves from the gentle tones of acoustic pop to the wailing cry of garage blues. He sings songs of loss and redemption, of humor and joy. Brooke will be found making his way through the world at the Victoria Hotel this Sunday January 29 from 4.30pm. Free entry. Beat Magazine Page 66

EATEN BY DOGS Boys and girls, Bertha is back for 2012 and kick starting the tunes with Eaten By Dogs. This Melbourne blues and folk crew are playing this Thursday January 26 at Bertha Brown, free entry for everyone and great tunes to be heard.

GANGA GIRI Ganga Giri blew the crew at Bertha away on Christmas Eve, so they got 'em back again. This is a show not to be missed. Ganga Giri mixes red natural elements with fat tribal beats and dirty funky bass lines to create a unique tribaltechnological deep earth dance experience. Explosive and pulsating, at times ambient and ﬂowing, the music is a pumping percussive multi-layered experience of complex grooves and raw, deep natural sound. See them at Bertha Brown this Saturday January 21.

Yah Yah’s is thrilled to be hosting a great karaoke night that doesn't suck! It has been a huge hit in New Zealand and now Melbourne is getting in on the singing action. Indie rockers this is the party night for you. Come and sing your fave Amy Winehouse, Smashing Pumpkins and Hole songs as well as the classics by Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi. Karaoke Dick takes this seedy little pasttime and turns up the awesome - featuring cooler songs and radder videos. It's as much fun to participate as it is to marvel at the everyday awesome people singing songs they actually like in front of a dancing crowd. Boasting the world's most eclectic catalogue, Karaoke Dick is visiting from Auckland on Sunday January 29, so don't miss your chance to be (in)famous! Doors from 5pm, Karaoke starts at 8pm. Free entry.

ALEX WATTS & THE FOREIGN TONGUE In their ﬁrst Melbourne show in four months, and the ﬁrst anywhere in 2012, Alex Watts & The Foreign Tongue are throwing a big party at Yah Yah's on Saturday January 28 and want you all to come. They will be bringing their trademark blend of jangly guitars, driving rhythm and a whole lot of attitude, as well as showcasing a bagful of new material and a few old favourites. Joining them will be Crystal Thomas and Thee Wylde Oscars, two diverse yet exceptional mainstays in Melbourne music. This is going to be a big one folks, so make sure to get down early as two of Melbourne's best looking bands go head to head. Or back to back. Or cheek to cheek. Doors open 9pm.

ODIOUSEMBOWEL Originally from New Zealand, Odiusembowel relocated here in 2007, and since have contributed immensely to Melbourne’s brutal metal scene. With a guitarist whose hand blurs whilst he picks, and a drummer who plays with such speed and force, Odiusembowel are not to be missed! The Seaford Monster are well known for their dirty slams, straight out of the swamps of Seaford. Pneumatic Slaughter are an up-and-coming, and exciting, grind, or ‘grindtard’ band from Melbourne, Opening on the night they have Hailgun, a hardcore/punk from Melbourne, who have been gigging and touring regularly, and are worth making it down early door. Get down to the Tote on Friday January 27 from 9pm. Entry $10.

60 SECONDS WITH…

THE JUNGLE GIANTS

SWEET FELICIA AND THE HONEYTONES Sweet Felicia and her band The Honeytones are the current MBAS Blues Performers of the Year for 2010/2011. They travelled to Memphis in February 2011 and made it through two heats of quarter-finals to the semi-finals. A stunning acheivement against 120 bands from all over the world. Sweet Felicia drives her band to swing hard and give the music feel that reminds us of the "hot clubs" of the '40s and '50s along with deep grooving shuffles as she delivers her original songs in a voice that we cannot forget is paramount to her ideology that music must be played with a depth of feel, heart and soul for it to be enjoyed by all. The band play the Labour In Vain this Saturday January

GRAVEYARD TRAIN Six-piece Melbourne-based collective Graveyard Train have had a wild summer, making appearances and rocking crowds at festivals including a fearsome set at Pyramid Rock over the new year. And to cap it all oﬀ comes a homecoming gig at the Phoenix Public House to show oﬀ their eclectic, wonderfully-uncategorisable brand of folk, punk, psychedelic and more. With a new album on the way as well, they’ll be taking the opportunity to give some of their spooky new sounds an airing alongside all of the classics you know and love. With fellow Melbournians Jackals joining them, Graveyard Train hit the Phoenix Public House on Saturday February 11.

COOL SUMMER FESTIVAL Three days of music and indulgence, on two stages in the middle of nowhere, with the luxury of everything. Cool Summer festival prides itself on offering a feast of finely tuned music, giving you a festival that is run the way festivals used to be. Featuring Gareth Liddiard, Gossling, Owl Eyes, Graveyard Train and heaps more, the event organisers have promised they've ordered some amazing weather for the event and are now just patiently waiting for you to get involved. This year, camping is offered and it's still BYO during the day at the main stage. Dreamy. It takes place from Friday February 17 - 19. Tickets and full lineup info is at coolsummerfestival.com.

JEN CLOHER Considered one of Australia’s premier alt-country folk artists, Jen Cloher announces her ﬁrst headline show in over a year. She’ll be playing a matinee at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday March 25 and has recorded a limited edition (50 copies) collectors EP Baby We Were Born To Die which you can only pick up at the show in good ol’ fashioned physical format. Special guests are Sweet Jean.

WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? The Jungle Giants. Sam, lead singer. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? I guess one of our major inﬂuences is Cloud Control, so some people compare us to them. There’s also a little but of Beirut mixed with The Strokes. What do you love about making music? I love that music is something that lasts forever, and you can share it no matter where you are or who you are with. What do you hate about the music industry? I’ve recently realised that a lot of things are implied, so often you have to assume what people are getting at. It’s still a great and exciting industry to be apart of and there’s always lots to learn. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? John Bonham. Would be amazing to pick that guy’s brain, and probably get some mega drum God tips. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Nickelback. Hearing their music makes me sad and angry. What can a punter expect from your live show? A really energetic live show. Lots of dancing and maybe even a cheeky crowd surf. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We sell our debut EP at all shows and on iTunes. It includes our singles Mr Polite and No One Needs To Know. When’s the gig and with who? We are playing a sold out show with San Cisco at The East Brunswick Club, on Thursday February 2. Anything else to add? We are currently doing a co-headline tour with San Cisco. All the capital cities have sold out but there should be a few tickets at the door on the night. Details are on Moshtix or on our Facebook page!

NEWSTEAD FESTIVAL Kicking oﬀ on AUstralia Day (Thursday January 26), 2012 will see the staging of the 6th Newstead Live! and this music festival just goes from strength to strength. Along with The Beez and The Ugly Uncles there’s Tim Edey & Isobel Crowe (UK), Jordie Lane, Rose Bygrave & Marcia Howard (Pearl), Martin Pearson, The String Contingent, Broderick Smith, Rory Ellis, Luke Plumb & Peter Daﬀy, AJ Leonard’s Tropical Lounge, Richard Perso, Mike & Tom Jackson, Roger Montgomery, Lucy Wise & the B’Gollies, Michelle Chandler, Janette Geri, Tracey Roberts, Christina Green, Salvation Jane, Judy Turner & Neil Adam, Bruce Watson, lots of Rigbys and many more. Details of all the performers and the full programme can be found at the festival website newsteadlive.com.

VICTORIAN ROLLER DERBY FUNDRAISER SHADOWQUEEN Shadowqueen is a rock band in the true sense of the word. Their sound is bold sexy and fearless, with an irresistible blend of melodic pop sensibility and thunderous riﬀ rock ‘n’ roll.Shadowqueen launch their independent debut single Don't Tell at the Espy on Thursday February 2, taking the stage at 10pm sharp. Entry is free.

The Victorian Roller Derby League has had an amazing year over 2011, hosting the first two internationally sanctioned games in Australia (Against two of America’s finest teams, Rat City and Texas Roller Girls) as well as being Australia’s number one roller derby league. In conjunction with The East Brunswick Club, The VRDL will be hosting a event on the Australia Day Eve (Wednesday January 25), to assist in funding the VRDL All Stars Travel Team who will be heading to Tucson, Arizona in April 2012 to take part in the invite only Dust Devil Tournament, where they will face off against 12 other WFTDA leagues from around the world. Bands playing include The ReChords, The Death Rattles and Cherrywood.

BROTHERS GRIM Oﬀ the back of their sold-out album launch at The Corner Hotel, months of relentless touring and playing an impressive bill of nationwide festivals, the Brothers Grim boys ﬁnd themselves back in Melbourne knuckling down writing for a new album. Rightly so, considering the release of their debut album A Year To Forget sold out on MGM release across Australia within weeks. With a huge year behind them, 2012 looks set to bring further success with even more licentious performances within a backdrop of hard-hitting blues. Rumour has it they’ll be trying some new songs on for size at an unpublicised gig early March around Fitzroy, but if you just can’t wait that long to get your howl on they’ll be playing all their old favourites at the St Kilda Festival on Sunday February 12.

HIATUS KAIYOTE Hiatus Kaiyote had their ﬁrst ever residency at The Evelyn in October and November, and they were such a hit that they've continued into December and January. Every week a select group of Melbourne's freshest up-and-coming producers will be competing to create the illest remixes as chosen by you, the audience. Also, super sexy DJs every week, dropping boom bap, future hip hop, jilted, jazzy and glitchy beats for your dancing pleasure. Hiatus Kaiyote will also be joined by three incredible backing vocalists to keep everything all moist and buttery. See them this Tuesday January 31 from 8.30pm.

MONIQUE BRUMBY BAND The coming together of Brumby and Burgess not only provides some satisfying alliteration, but it will be sure to blow your socks oﬀ in a wild night of wicked music, kicked oﬀ with the hip and happening Alexis Nicole. A night of great music, Melbourne-style. Get to the Evelyn on Friday February 3 to hear this musical magic.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL Australia's only inner-city festival of folk, roots and world music is fast approaching yet again, with a slew of international and local artists having just been announced for the annual Brunswick Music Festival this March. Once again featuring a strong international component with a focus on traditional origins across a plethora of genres, some of this year's hot ticket acts includes Krystle Warren (US), Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band (US), Paul Brady (Ireland), Abigail Washburn (US), Ben Sollee (US), Beoga (Ire), Pierre Bensusan (France), plus the internatioanlly renowned April Verch Band and the Celtic-inspired Battleﬁeld Band. With the famous Sydney Road street party kicking things oﬀ with six music stages and plenty of good food on Sunday March 4, the Brunswick Music Festival will take place across various venues in the City Of Moreland from Thursday March 14 to Sunday, March 25. Head to brunswickmusicfestival.com.au for more details.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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60 SECONDS WITH…

SECRETIVE GEORGE So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We are named Secretive George and I'm Jack Stavrakis. I sing mostly, but also play a bit of keyboard. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? We have been told we sound like playschool for hipsters. What do you love about making music? The rider and making people dance. What do you hate about the music industry? Inbred scenes who seem intent on never moving from their comfy little niche. There are other bands out there. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? I will show my bandmate Ruby. Errr , may she rest in peace… she is really tired. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? I really have a deep irrational hatred for Muse. Every other band is sweet. Even Nickleback. Just not Muse. What can a punter expect from your live show? Glitter, costumes, dancing and a lot of my own sweat. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We have a brand new EP we just released. Its’ alright. The amount it sells for ﬂuctuates.

January. It’s with ten dollar jugs as well as rad bands like, Scotdrakula, The Hondas, Poco La Pax, Dancing Heals, Project Puzzles, Phantom Agents, These Patterns, Esc and about a billion more. Last chance to get down to see us this Monday January 30.

When’s the gig and with who? We have a residency at the Evelyn Hotel every Monday in

Anything else to add? I don’t like Muse.

SORDID ORDEAL After over a year off the radar Sordid Ordeal are breaking out, back on the stage for the first show of their new life. They're returning as a four-piece thundering punk/rock/ blues outfit, slow and heavy with the same roaring vocals, wrecking-ball rhythm section and off-the-hinges drumming as before, plus a new screaming guitar. They'll be giving new life to their triple j Unearthed hit Citizen along with a full set of their loudest, roughest tracks as well as their signature guitar-abusive stage show. Their new sound will appeal to fans of The Smashing Pumpkins, SRV, and The Melvins. The first step for the new rabble is to run a hot needle through Pony with support from Shari Wyatt, Pinwheel and Push To Twist. A great opportunity to watch four bands tear the roof off Pony on Oz Day, Thursday January 26.

CREATIONS TWELVE FOOT NINJA, JERICCO It's been a long time coming, but two of Melbourne's prized possessions are ﬁnally joining forces for a national co-headline tour this March. Twelve Foot Ninja and Jericco have long decimated Australian audiences with their powerful alt rock, and now the two are hitting the road together for Swarm Tour 2012. They play The Evelyn Hotel Saturday March 24 from 8pm.

ROCK-A-BYE BABY PBS 106.7FM is proud to announce that The Rock-ABye Baby Music Sessions are back for 2012! First up for this year and straight out of high school is The Cactus Channel, bringing their ten-piece funk orchestra to the Fitzroy Town Hall. With an average age of eighteen, these kids are burning down original funk breaks and breaking down funk originals with a musical maturity way beyond their years. Hear that sound? Raw, loose and nasty funk recorded straight to analogue tape. It’s just like the old days, but so new it’s sporting a badass teenage moustache. Thursday February 2 at Fitzroy Town Hall.

UNPAVED SHOWCASE Unpaved, a new website dedicated to country folk music in Melbourne, and the Retreat Hotel in Brunswick have teamed up to showcase some of Melbourne's best unsigned bands in a series of shows throughout 2012.The ﬁrst event on Sunday January 29 features Cherrywood, Big Bug Trio (featuring Kat Mear, Pete Fidler and Daniel Watkins), Sean McMahon's Western Union, Peter Ewing & Ruth Lindsey and Fraser A. Gorman. Proceeds from donations will help to fund Unpaved's work in bringing news, reviews, interviews and videos to Melbourne country folk fans. First act on from 4pm.

Creations are originally from Sydney but are now based in El Centro, California and they're coming back to destroy Australia in support of their new album The Gospel. They are touring Australia with special guests and Brisbane party moshers Ashes Of December in support of their debut album Dying Is For Fools.See them stop into Pony for a night of mayhem on Friday January 27, with local support from Delawarewolves and The RosettaStone.

JEMMA & THE WISE YOUNG AMBITIOUS MEN Every Sunday in January join Jemma & The Wise Young Ambitious Men at the Tote Front Bar for 'sorrow on the rocks', 'tears in their beers' and probably various name changes along the way. Joined by their friends Heel Toe Express, Jimmy Stewart, Wally Corker's Drunk Arse Band and Reigning Men. Free. Front Bar. This Sunday January 29 from 4pm.

Developing musicianly drumming. Using technique as a means to bring out the best in your drumming.

Free half hour introductory lesson. Upstairs at Greville Records (the coolest record shop in town) 0415 118 390 or asho179@optusnet.com.au

www.ashleydaviesmusicanddrums.com REGISTERED TEACHER VIC ED

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Beat Magazine Page 67

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

SYN SWEET 16

AMY WINEHOUSE

1. Paralytic Stalks OF MONTREAL 2. Hello Morning HELLO MORNING 3. Reckless With Your Love AZARI & III 4. Too Insistant (Trentemoller Remix) THE DO 5. Michael Jackson DAS RACIST 6. Sidewalk Safari CHAIRLIFT 7. Burning Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ladder MARK LANAGAN 8. Arguing With Thermometers ENTER SHIKARI 9. Seven Stars AIR 10. Genesis GRIMES

Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Lioness Records)

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too often that you are able to listen to music that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been made for sales, for numbers, for demand and for A&R guys. Rarer, even still, is to be able to listen to the treasured songs that never did make it onto the original records that were intended for commercial success. Perhaps it is artistry in its truest form; however that would be an understatement for the late Amy Winehouse. Despite the surrounding tragedy, a young artist who spiraled downward, out of control, Amy Winehouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extraordinary talent was never questioned during her lifetime. Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures is both a celebration and mourning of her resonating talent. As the name suggests, this album diďŹ&#x20AC;ers from your traditional â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best Ofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compilation, as it draws from songs lost, but nonetheless great. These are 12 tracks most will have never been heard before, whether they are diďŹ&#x20AC;erent versions of classic songs on her previous records or completely original ones, her talent is showcased brilliantly. What is unique about Hidden Treasures can be found within the cover inlet. Mark Ronson and SaLaAM ReMi, two producers that Amy worked with (creating prominent pinnacles in her career) lend their own personal anecdotes and memories of the late singer. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it has to be said that this was, indeed, very sad. However, it paints a real (or realer) dimension to the wild character so often portrayed in the media, and gives us insight into her musical genius. Both producers also write a short paragraph describing each track, highlighting the songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signiďŹ cance, both to Amy and themselves. By the time you arrive at the page detailing her parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words on their daughter, I recommend you have a Kleenex handy. The music itself is at the same high standard of her albums Frank and Back To Black, and some may even prefer the less commercial approach. Each song showcases her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including soul, R&B, jazz and reggae. The original version of Tears Dry, minus the Motown vibe, is a slow and beautiful ballad. OďŹ&#x20AC;ering her signature strong male backing vocals, this version oďŹ&#x20AC;ers more pain and vulnerability to the overarching message than the sassier composition featured on Black To Black. Half Time is a sexier jazz inďŹ&#x201A;uenced track that never

SUNSET BLUSH

Monkeys Taking Over the Zoo (Independent) An odd, minimalist, marching rock tune with a heavy strummed guitar line and vocals that sound isolated and troubled, as the guy known as Sunset Blush sings about rats taking over the kitchen, monkeys taking over the zoo, and other signs of long-repressed mutiny. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weird, but oddly vulnerable.

FEIST

The Bad in Each Other (Universal) The Bad in Each Other features one of Feistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more cloying choruses, a tilting male/female duet that sounds like a bad early eighties folk pop tune. The production is beautiful though, with a rough, minimalist rhythm described by the label as sounding like stones falling down a mountain. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really improve on that.

MICHAEL KIWANAKA

Home Again (Universal) Winner of the BBC â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sound of 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122; accolade, UK singer songwriter Michael Kiwanaka has a bluesy voice not too far from Ben Harper, and a sweet, lamenting debut single that sounds like David Gray with a gospel swing. Easy listening but lovely.

MARK LANEGAN BAND

The Gravediggerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Song (4AD/Remote Control) Next month, the former Screaming Trees front man and occasional vocalist for Queens Of The Stone Age releases his ďŹ rst Mark Lanegan Band album since 2004. The Gravediggerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Song is a steady, creepy opener, wide in scope and full of malice. It evokes the horror rock of Marilyn Manson, without descending into full bore goth hysteria.

OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN

Mickey (Universal) I think ONJ is probably a nice woman, but the disaster of her Toni Basil cover is only paralleled by the disaster that is her plastic surgery. Lifted from the soundtrack to A Few Best Men â&#x20AC;&#x201C;a terrifying return to ďŹ lmmaking by Priscilla director Stephan Elliot â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this queer-as-fuck electro house interpretation of the tongue-in-cheek classic is as tacky as the ďŹ lmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premise. Beat Magazine Page 68

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE

made it onto Frank. With a soulful beat, the melody is laced with soft ďŹ&#x201A;ute and synth timbres, all of which ride gently behind Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smooth(er) vocals. While both these tracks are stand-outs, the highlight track would be a cover of the Donny Hathaway classic A Song For You. Perhaps itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that they both suďŹ&#x20AC;ered a similar fate, Mr. Hathaway (as referenced in Rehab) passed away at a young age after committing suicide, or it was simply Winehouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for the artist. Whatever it was, A Song For You is a musical piece that has been covered time and time again by the crĂ¨me de la crĂ¨me. Yet, none are as gritty or rich as Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s version. With her brassy vocals carefully working heart-wrenching crescendos, she truly gives this song the homage it deserves. The album closes with Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introspective thoughts on Donny Hathaway, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;imself. He had somethinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;im yer know?â&#x20AC;? TAMARA VOGL Best Track: A Song For You If You Like These, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Like This: DONNY HATHAWAY, NINA SIMONE, DUFFY In A Word: Bittersweet

SINGLES BY SIMONE I went to MONA in Hobart last weekend, along with every other prick from Melbourne who fancies themself cultural. Saw some penises and a PJ Harvey show. Sometimes we are all such a bunch of smug hipster cunts, it really makes me giggle.

TOP TENS

SOL NATION

Every Reason (Independent) Sol Nation is a Melbourne reggae collective with roots in East Timorese folk and Afro-Beat. They have a self-titled EP behind them and this new single ahead, to be launched at the NSC on February 3. It starts out pleasantly enough â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a loping, electric guitar laced reggae tune with buttery vocals, but things get really interesting three minutes in. The tempo ramps up to a heart-starting Cuban salsa beat at the female backing vocalist does a quick tongue tribalďŹ&#x201A;avoured rap. Simple but eďŹ&#x20AC;ective.

CAT & SPOON

In My Pocket (To the Hills & Back) That isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the voice I expected. The gentle ripples of acoustic guitar that launch In My Pocket are overly familiar - the light, lilting gestures that usually precede a kittenish female folk singer. Not in this case though. The voice that breathes over these romantic guitar notes is rough and masculine, closer to Tom Waits than Julia Stone. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasing kind of dissonance, softened in the chorus by multi-tracked vocals but still odd and raw and interesting.

GRIMES

Genesis (4AD/Remote Control) Canadian song smith Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) is set to release the album Visions on March 9 and Genesis is the sweet, upbeat slice of art pop candy that serves as an entrĂŠe. Opening with a skittering synth line reminiscent of Close Encounters, the track pulls dreamy electro layer over dreamy electro layer, then adds a slapping dance beat to make it all jump. Meanwhile, Grimesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voice chases itself around the tune in airy girlish layers. Cute and atmospheric but forgettable.

1. The Lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roar FIRST AID KIT 2. Mu.zz.le GONJASUFI 3. Sounds Of Our City EMMA RUSSACK 4. International Rudeboy Dubs LOTEK 5. Tramp SHARON VAN ETTEN 6. Physical Education RUSSIAN ROULETTES 7. Steve Smyth STEVE SMYTH 8. Eat Your Own CAGED ANIMALS 9. The Peep Tempel THE PEEP TEMPEL 10. Something CHAIRLIFT

THORNBURY RECORDS 1. Royal Headache ROYAL HEADACHE 2. Bad As Me TOM WAITS 3. So Many Things EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING 4. Siamese Dream (reissue) SMASHING PUMPKINS 5. Woollen Kits WOOLLEN KITS 6. Singles 2007-2010 TY SEGALL 7. Glorius Barsteds COSMIC PSYCHOS 8. This Love Electric MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES 9. Ashes & Fire RYAN ADAMS 10. Step Panther STEP PANTHER

MISSING LINK 1. Woollen Kits CD/LP WOOLLEN KITS 2. Sessions 1981-83 CD/LP VOID 3. Kvelertak 2CD KVELERTAK 4. Kromosom LP KROMOSOM 5. At Budokan 2LP (reissue) CHEAP TRICK 6. Iron Soul Of Nothing LP SUNNO)))/NURSE WITH WOUND 7. Royal Headache LP ROYAL HEADACHE 8. Tapes Vol.1 4LP ste DAPHNE ORAM 9. In The Wake Of Poseidon 200gm LP KING CRIMSON 10. Demo CD KREMLINGS

OFF THE HIP RECORDS 1. Boom LP THE SONICS 2. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Go Eat The Factory LP GUIDED BY VOICES 3. Teenage Hate 2xLP REATARDS 4. Curry Up! LP TANDOORI KNIGHTS 5. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;65 LP SHANGRI-LAS 6. Gaye Blades LP GAYE BLADES 7. Fabulous Sounds CD LA BASTARD 8. Outta Here LP THE GORIES 9. Back From The Grave LPs VARIOUS 10. So Many Things 2xLP EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING

WOOLY BULLY RECORDS 1. Woollen Kits LP WOOLLEN KITS 2. Royal Headache LP ROYAL HEADACHE 3. Cereal 7â&#x20AC;? LOOSE GRIP 4. Newave: The Underground Comix of the 1980s Book 5. We Are Not Who We Are 7â&#x20AC;? COBWEBBS 6. Prison Pit #3 Book JOHNNY RYAN 7. All Night Long 7â&#x20AC;? FROWNING CLOUDS 8. Under Neon Lights LP DRUNK ELK 9 Tricked Book ALEX ROBINSON 10 Hammering The Cramps LP Hammering THE CRAMPS

BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT FIRE SINGLE OF THE WEEK

DRAKE FEAT RHIANNA Take Care (Universal) A low key R&B track in the Usher mould, with booming bass and a watery, submerged synth line and not much else. This is a nice change of pace from the epic scale du jour of the Kanye-led commercial hip hop scene, and it features a really interesting break down â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more minimalist drums and clever layers of vocal samples from an old blues singer. Rhiannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance is also muted and surprising.

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1. Light My Fire THE DOORS 2. Touch The Fire ICEHOUSE 3. Fire In The Head TEA PARTY 4. Firestarter THE PRODIGY 5. Dig For Fire PIXIES 6. Light Up Bright Fires PVT 7. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Fire PORTISHEAD 8. Fire It Up MODEST MOUSE 9. Ring Of Fire JOHNNY CASH 10. The Roof Is on Fire ROCK MASTER SCOTT & THE DYNAMIC THREE

ALBUMS

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH American Capitalist (Prospect Park) FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO

BEAT.COM.AU/REVIEWS

DELANEY DAVIDSON

Bad Luck Man (Voodoo Rhythm) Delaney Davidson lives the proverbial peripatetic lifestyle. Born in New Zealand, Davidson travels the world playing his guitar, imbibing the local culture and transposing his idiosyncratic observations into country garage tunes. If Davidson was American, he’d be prone to jingoistic hubris; as a New Zealander, Davidson’s narratives are dripping with pathos, irony and the odd splash of comic relief. Bad Luck Man is Davidson’s latest album, released again on the Reverend Beat Man’s Voodoo Rhythm Records, and charting Davidson’s idiosyncratic journey through complex emotional pastures. The title track is a dark country noir journey from pessimism to optimism; I’m So Depressed finds Merle Haggard producing the local barn dance with heart-wrenching results. Time Has Gone is a haunting meander to the darkest recess of the flawed human condition, Another Man’s Eyes is adultery seen through the piercing eyes of Leadbelly and You’re A Loser is melancholia in its most endearing country form. The Reverend Beat Man’s I Got The Devil Inside is delivered with pummelling jungle beat intensity; So Long grabs you by the hand and ushers you into a religious institution where only rock’n’roll can save your weathered soul. River of Misery is a gospel of emotional pain, I Told A Secret has murder in its country blues veins and I Had A Dream channels the psychotic beauty of The Beasts of Bourbon’s definitive take on Psycho. Windy City is a rollicking one-man band ride through love in Chicago where, for once, all seems good in the world; Something Of Your Own slumps down the other end of the romantic spectrum, staring indulgently through the bottom of an empty glass of bourbon. Best Track: Windy City It takes a rare artist to wade through the marshlands If You Like These, You’ll Like This: BO DIDDLEY, of human misery and emerge with a set of classic REVEREND BEAT MAN, MERLE HAGGARD tracks. Delaney Davidson is one such artist. In A Word: Despondent PATRICK EMERY

FIRST AID KIT

The Lion’s Roar (Wichita) First Aid Kit often get compared to Fleet Foxes, perhaps due to them getting their big break via their YouTube cover of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. Aside from I Found A Way having the same romantic urgency and wavering ﬂutes of Your Protector, Johanna and Klara Soderber’s assured second album cements their sound as something quite diﬀerent - younger, subtler and leaning a lot closer to traditional country music. The Lion’s Roar may start with its strongest song, but there are plenty of highlights throughout. The Swedish sisters’ delicate harmonising adds to the earthy romanticism of the music and lyrics, though it’s often anchored by a melancholy and weariness. Blue observes the sadness of another with a detached manner and plucky backing music, though it’s harder to escape the introverted desolation of the following tracks, This Old Routine and To A Poet. Things wind down in tempo as the album reaches its end, at which point Conor Oberst steps in to join them on the joyful, upbeat closer, King Of The World. Just like the rest of the album – well, Best Track: The Lion’s Roar apart from the sappy Emmylou and its cloying rollIf You Like These, You’ll Like This: Blacklisted NEKO call of musical heroes – it’s beautifully judged and CASE, The Greatest CAT POWER expertly executed. In A Word: Healing CHRIS GIRDLER

Another album, another lineup change. Surprisingly shedding Matt Snell, aka ‘that dude with the beard’, 5FDP continued recording the follow up to 2009’s War Is The Answer with producer Kevin Churko taking over bass duties. Fortunately, this has not altered the band’s drive or focus and their new effort, American Capitalist, lives up to the standards they have previously set. Their first album, The Way Of The Fist, presented a new take on the ‘aggressive metal band with heartfelt songs’. Having found their sound on the first album, the band didn’t alter the formula for their second…and it’s a similar story on this new release. Much like Lamb of God or AC/DC, 5FDP have found their tone and seem to have no intentions on changing. Sonically, the album is brilliant. Low tuned – drop b – guitars start chugging along, followed by some of the best sounding drums I have heard on a metal album. Once the vocals kick in it becomes apparent the mix on this album was a priority. Not that the mixes on their last album sucked, but American Capitalist sounds thick and chunky while retaining an organic and un-clipped sound. Ivan Moody’s vocals are clear and defined, whether he is screaming his throat out or singing cleanly. His voice has always been solid, but like everything else on this album, it it sounds better than before. The songs are exactly what you would expect from this band. There are hook laden tracks like Back For More and Under And Over It, which will surely get stuck in your head. American Capitalist, If I Fall and Menace are unrelenting, but Moody still gets to shows his versatility on the softer tracks Coming Down and Remember Everything. Best Track: Back For More Whilst I dig this album, 5FDP are like Vegemite. If you If You Like These, You’ll Like This: DISTURBED, like it, you will stack it on. If not, you should probably KILLSWITCH ENGAGE steer clear. In A Word: Fisted OSCAR SCHIESSER

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Great Australian Songbook (Universal Music Australia) The Great Australian Songbook is a double-CD compilation of what is billed to be “40 of Australia’s finest recording artists performing 40 of the best Australian songs from ‘Last Century’ and ‘This Century’”. As you can imagine, any collection with such noble and lofty ambitions is likely to generate heated debate amongst music fans as many listeners will have strong feelings about who should have been included and who definitely should have been barred from inclusion. Such lively controversy is of course part of the pleasure of listening to CDs like this whilst imbibing ales with good friends and breaking into regular sing-alongs. CD 1 covers ‘Last Century’ by encompassing classic pub rock pioneers such as Hunters & Collectors (Throw Your Arms Around Me) and Cold Chisel (Khe Sanh), seminal moments in alternative rock such as The Church’s Under The Milky Way, the genius of Paul Kelly (Dumb Things) and even a frightening syrup-laden dose of Olivia NewtonJohn (I Honestly Love You). The gaping absence of so many fine indie bands from the twentieth century is galling at times but for the lover of mainstream fare CD1 will provide much feel-good nostalgia and a couple of welcome glimpses of the musical landscape that exists beyond the confines of commercial radio. CD2 takes the listener on a 20-track tour of ‘This Century’ which manages to be cheerfully eclectic by including pop (The Veronicas’ 4Ever) roots (John Butler Trio’s Zebra), punk-tinged rock (The Living End’s Wake Up) and old school metal (Wolfmother’s Woman). So, if you are hosting a party and want to Best Track: Friday On My Mind THE EASYBEATS, inspire heated debates about who belongs in the great Australian songbook, you may wish to pop this Woman WOLFMOTHER If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Triple J Hottest 100 album on, sit back with an innocent expression on your face and relish the forthright sharing of opinion Australian Albums Of All Time VARIOUS ARTISTS and spirited sing-alongs. In A Word: Variety GRAHAM BLACKLEY

PATRICK WOLF

THE UNTHANKS

Brumalia EP (Inertia)

The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons: Diversions Vol. 1 (Rough Trade) How do you finish a banner year after releasing a critically-acclaimed sophomore record? Well, if you’re contemporary folk act The Unthanks, by releasing a live album of covers, of course. An eclectic one at that. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Diversions is an unedited audio document of a one-off performance at the Union Chapel in London, in which the baroque five-piece lend their considerable voices and delicate playing to tributing two maverick singer-songwriters. It’s a warts-and-all account, even including their affable between-song banter, thick with the group’s Northumberland accents. Split across two halves, it begins with a dedication to Antony Hegarty’s breakthrough LP, I Am A Bird Now. Faithful renditions of You Are My Sister and Spiralling demonstrate the band’s knack for arranging, but while the Unthank sisters’ (Becky and Rachel) dulcet tones are pleasing, the lack of Hegarty’s distinctive croon is gaping. Relying heavily on lilting piano and string arrangements, it contributes to the feeling that these are interpretations best appreciated by hardcore fans. The Robert Wyatt material, however, is more varied. The string section put to stinging use on Out of the Blue, while Dondestan features both bouncy trumpet and the group’s trademark ‘clog stomping.’ As a whole, it’s a set whose renditions contain subtleties that only fans of the originals will appreciate. It says much for Best Track: Cuckoo Madame If You Like These, You’ll Like This: I Am A Bird Now The Unthanks’ influences, but more to the power of ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS, Comicopera ROBERT the originals. For the rest, it’s merely a slightly vague introduction to a greater musical world. WYATT, Last THE UNTHANKS AL NEWSTEAD In A Word: Obscure

Patrick Wolf slides back into the limelight with this, his brand new eight-track EP. Brumalia is an extension of his most recent album, Lupercalia. Here, Wolf branches out with new sounds, sidesteps and detours merging comfortably with those hallmarks that helped make Lupercalia brilliant. Brumalia indulges in grandiose melodrama, embracing wild gestures and unabashed flamboyancy. The expert articulation of Wolf’s string ensemble continually prevails to gift the EP an enchanting flare. Notably, Wolf’s endeavours adopt a different stance this time around. The release draws inspiration from the “bleakness and melancholy of England in the Winter months”, according to the singer-songwriter. It shows: Brumalia excels in overthrowing much of the blatant optimism of Lupercalia, less infatuated with pop and more preoccupied with an intriguing tension. Jerusalem offers a unique interlude, the age-old hymn stripped to its tender core. Meanwhile, the spaced-out Nemoralia emerges an oddity for its mechanical haze, parts and pieces clicking into place with industrial precision. The leading track, however - Together - stakes its claim as the standout, its shimmering electronica laid beneath lush orchestration to form an epic apologetic gesture. Brumalia, as with Lupercalia, serves to Best Track: Together If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Oh You’re So Silent illustrate an artist at the peak of his career. The EP Jens JENS LEKMAN, Into The Murky Water THE emerges an engrossing companion to Wolf’s finest work yet, strong in its own right. LEISURE SOCIETY NICK MASON In A Word: Enchanting

TY SEGALL

Singles 2007-2010 (Goner Records/Fuse)

PENGUIN CAFÉ

A Matter Of Life… (Independent, 2011) Embracing the torch passed down from his father Simon, Arthur Jeffes carries on the musical legacy laid out by his dad’s own musical collective Penguin Café Orchestra. Though he drops the ‘orchestra’ label, Jeffes Jr.’s own instrumental compositions are no less lush or collaborative. Even without a background in the typically high brow realm of modern classical, A Matter of Life’s minimalist styling is completely accessible, and is its greatest strength. Album opener That, Not That picks up 18 years after where the last album, Union Café, left off. A simple, rhythmic piano urges a soothing cello with its two-note calypso-lite melody that’s one-part New Age relaxation and one-part Philip Glass-styled cyclical composition. It’s a stylistic furrow rarely deviated from for the remainder of the album, albeit enhanced by bubbling percussion (Sundog), sunny Spanish guitar (The Fox And The Leopard, Pale Peach Jukebox) or revelling in pre-Vampire Weekend afro-pop (Ghost In The Pond). It’s that opening pairing of piano and cello that the album tends to return to though, and while it may lack some of the eccentric daring of his father’s café; this new incarnation commits more rights than wrongs. Not least in resuscitating one of the more beloved if vastly Best Track: Ghost In The Pond underrated ensembles of modern music. Here’s If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Anything by PENGUIN looking forward to future material. CAFE ORCHESTRA (duh!) AL NEWSTEAD In A Word: Breezy

The late Jay Reatard openly admitted rock’n’roll was the only pursuit available to him other than a life of drugs, alcohol and criminal behaviour. That Reatard was ultimately unable to secure his grip on the safe side of the illicit pharmacological precipice suggests that rock’n’roll can only go so far in saving a troubled soul. Ty Segall is cut from a cloth similar to Reatard’s, though without so many ragged edges. Segall plays music that confirms the average brown suburban middle class parent’s perception of the rock’n’roll genre: loud, grating and snottier than a room of full of two-year-olds in day care. Consistent with the preference of the (above) average garage rock protagonist, Segall has embraced the humble 7” as his chosen release format. As an objective observation, there’s really no other format that would suit distortion-stained garage punk tracks like the nihilistic Cents, the Count Five-simplistic wonder of Sweets or the freaked-out psychedelic mutiny of Skin. Add into the mix the fucked-up Doors instrumental angst of ... And When Judy Walked In, the riff-perfect dirty garage elegance of No No, the endearing faux English juvenile banality of Fuzzy Cat and you’ve got yourself a garage collection to die for. Segall’s influences are all over his arms like the de rigueur tattoos of the modern youth demographic; to ram the point home down the collective throats of his adoring audience, there’s a bunch of covers, including Thee Oh Sees’ Maria Stacks and The Gories’ I Think I’ve Best Track: All of them. Had It. A selection of demos rounds out the record, If You Like This, You’ll Like This: The recent each of which are incongruously, just as buffed (sic) announcement of The Sonics’ impending visit to as the rest of the ‘proper’ records. Ty Segall isn’t for Australia. everyone, but everyone who likes Ty Segall can’t get In A Word: Punk enough. PATRICK EMERY

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Beat Magazine Page 69

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 25 JAN ROCK/POP 28 DAYS Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 7:30pm. $27. 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: CLOWNS Pony, Melbourne. 2am. AUSTRALIA DAY EVE PARTY - FEAT: DICE + SOUTHEAST + KELLY BRUCE DUO + RORY DWYER Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. $10. BAT PISS + BEAT DISEASE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. DIGGER & THE PUSSY CATS + BUNNY MONROE + DJ MAGREGORDETH Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10pm. DOUBLEBLACK + AUSTRALIAN KINGSWOOD FACTORY Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $8. GUN BALLADS + HALEY COUPER + PONY FACE Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 8pm. INDIGO & THE BEAR + THE ANIMATORS + SIETTA Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. KISSCHASY Pier Live, Frankston. 8pm. $30. KORA + DIAFRIX + FUNKOMMUNITY + TIJUANA CARTEL Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. $33. LE DISKO Westernport Hotel, San Remo. 8pm. LOADED WEDNESDAYS PRESENT: BURGWORTH (EP LAUNCH) + THE VOLATILES + TWO PENCE + EMPIRE OF DIRT + DJ ESQUIRE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $15. MILLION DOLLAR FREE JAM BAND (THE BOOGIE LAUNCH) + FLYYING COLOURS + THE FAMILY OF THE KINGDOM Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm. ROB JONES & THE MELANCHOLICS ANONYMOUS (ALBUM LAUNCH) + COLD HARBOUR + THE JIMMY DEADMAN COMMUNION + DIANA’S BOW Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8pm. $12. SHREDDER + CELEBRITIES ANONYMOUS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8pm. STAFFAN SONGS + NATASHA ROSE + AARON SILVER Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 6pm. $5. THE ANOMALIES + RARE CHILD Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. THE BARONS OF TANG & DELANEY DAVIDSON (ALBUM LAUNCH) + MOJO JUJU + HIATUS KAYOTI Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8pm. $18. THE HARPOONS (WALK AWAY LAUNCH) + THE NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH + DREAMING DELICIOUS + DJ-O + DJ OSCAR KEY SUNG Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $12.

Beat Magazine Page 70

Battles

THE MORRISONS + UDAYS TIGER + KING OF THE NORTH Pony, Melbourne. 8pm. THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS + MONEY FOR ROPE John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. UNCLE CHUCK + CARACTACUS + STRATHMORE + THE FEEL GOODS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. VANESSA AMOROSI Mac’s Hotel, Melton. 8pm. WIZARDS OF OZ + THE BLASTERS Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK AUSTIN FLOYD Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. FREAK TECHNIQUE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8pm. GREG WALSH Laika Cocktail Lounge, St Kilda. 8:30pm. KANE MUIR & THE RAGTIME KIDS + ARIELA JACOBS + LAUREN BOOMGARDT Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:30pm. $7. LLOYD SPIEGAL Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm. OPEN MIC Dancing Dog, Footscray. 7pm. OPEN MIC Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 8pm. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT Grind N Groove, Healesville. 8pm. RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL’S UNION + MASTER GUNFIGHTERS + BEN SALTER Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. SEAN MCMAHON + WAYWARD BREED Kent St, Fitzroy. 9pm. SKINNY LEATHER TIES Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7pm. VICTORIAN ROLLER DERBY LEAGUE FUNDRAISER - FEAT: THE RE-CHORDS + THE DEATH RATTLES + CHERRYWOOD East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:30pm. $16. WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: TASH SULTANA + MANDY CONNELL Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC ANDREA KELLER QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. BOHJASS + KEWTI + MARY DOUMANI + BELINDA WOODS 303, Northcote. 8pm. BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8pm. DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8pm. $14. MAGRO Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. PAPA CHANGO Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. THE GIANNI MARANUCCI NONET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $15. YVETTE JOHANSSON Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8pm. $20.

THE BIG DAY OUT The Big Day Out has been providing 20 years of handcrafted festivals for all of us music lovers, and we love them for it. A hugely eclectic assortment of leading acts on the bill in 2012 means there will be something for everyone, so go wish ‘em a happy two decades at Melbourne Flemington Racecourse this Sunday January 29.

THURSDAY 26 JAN ROCK/POP AUSTRALIA DAY - FEAT: FEAR LIKE US + ARROWS + ANCHORS + THE SMITH STREET BAND + DARREN GIBSON + LINCOLN LE FEVRE & THE INSIDERS + QUIET STEPS + FOXTROT + DAYBREAK + PALISADES + THE UNION PACIFIC + TOY BOATS + MILESTONES + NUCLEAR SUMMER + MAKE MORE + MR DNA + CAVALCADE + WAITING ROOM + LUKE SMITH + URNS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 12pm. $15. GRIEVE PDE + SETH REES + WINTERNATIONALE + GWYN EDWARDS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8pm. $8. HELM (UNDER THE SUN TOUR) + QUIET CHILD + STOMPBOX Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $15. HOTTEST 100 PARTY - FEAT: WHITE SUMMER + FRIENDLY NIGHTMARES + THE PRINCETONS + HARVEY JACK Noise Bar, Brunswick. 12pm. $5. KING OF THE NORTH + BEN WRIGHT SMITH + HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. NEIL MURRAY + LUKE WATT Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $20.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

RAZORS OF OCKHAM + THE QUIXOTICS + BLACKWOOD Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. SORDID ORDEAL + PUSH TO TWIST + PINWHEEL + SHARI WYATT Pony, Melbourne. 8pm. STRAW KING EYE + BOARDERS + REDS UNDER BEDS + JUMPIN JACK WILLIAMS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + NO ONES HOME + K-MART WARRIORS + LAST CALL + THE MURDERBALLS + THE CRUNTBURGERS + ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE + LINDSAY BUSH Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm. THE MCQUEENS + ALBERT SALT + PASSPORT Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $7. TRIPLE J HOTTEST 100 COUNTDOWN - FEAT: BRITISH INDIA + DEMON PARADE + ROYSTON VASIE + GOOD VS EVIL + MU-GEN Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. WILKS & HEATH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. WIZARD SLEEVE + RIP RIDES The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BGB + SMOKIN’ SAM’S SYNERGY BLUES Musicland, Fawkner. 8pm. BOWLED OVER - FEAT: KINGSWOOD + CROOKED SAINT +

DIRT FARMER + JULY DAYS St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda. 12pm. CHERRYWOOD Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:30pm. DAN WATERS DUO Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. FRASER A GORMAN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm. ITALIAN TAN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 3pm. MAJOR TOM & THE ATOMS + CAPTAIN GROOVE Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7pm. MON KERR Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7pm. NAXALITES + THE WEEKEND PEOPLE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8pm. OPEN MIC Acoustic Cafe, Collingwood. 7:30pm. REFLEJOS + JESS WITNEY Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. SASKWATCH Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $10. THE BAND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH + CHRIS WILSON Union Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm. THE BOYS Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

The Smith Street Band

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC BELGRAVE SURVIVAL DAY - FEAT: LOU BENNETT + YUNG WARRIORS Borthwick Park, Belgrave. 12pm. BIG FELA Luwow, Fitzroy. 8pm. $12. BOPSTRETCH Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. DARRIN ARCHER 303, Northcote. 8pm. $10. FUNK BUDDIES + THE CACTUS CHANNEL Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8pm. KOOII Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10. REMCO KEIJZER QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $15. THE CACTUS CHANNEL Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm.

FRIDAY 27 JAN ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: THE VOLATILES Pony, Melbourne. 2am. AMBER LAMPS (EP LAUNCH) + NUMBER STATION John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. AUDEMIA + TOM TEUNA + DAMN THAT RIVER + SCREAMING JESUS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. BILL & THE JERKS (SINGLE LAUNCH) + CAPTAIN PSYCHEDELIC + DEATH VALLEY MUSTANGS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8pm. $8. CREATIONS + ASHES OF DECEMBER + DELAWARE WOLVES + THE ROSETTA STONE Pony, Melbourne. 9pm. DAMN THE MAPS + RED ROCKETS OF BORNEO + KILLING LIARS + THE QUIXOTICS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. DEAD + STAR TEN HASH + LAURA MACFARLANE + BOB SLAYER + DJ DEL AMP Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. DEAD LOVERS LANE + MINDSET + BREAK-IN + SEWERCIDE Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. FANGS + DAMN TERRAN + DJ DAVE THE SCOT Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. FIASCO PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS: APART FROM THIS + MASKETTE FALL + STRICKLAND + TRADITIONS + OUR BEST LAID PLANS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $12. FRANK FALVO Casablanca Tavern, Mitcham. 9:30pm. GARY SOLOMON (ALBATROSS LAUNCH) + MOONS POET + THE SWEET SOMETHINGS + K NIKO East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:30pm. $27. GONESVILLE Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8pm. HUGO RACE & THE TRUE SPIRIT + CRYSTAL THOMAS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. ITAL + KANGAROO SKULL + NO ZU + FORCES + PLASTIC CHAMPAGNE DJS Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $18. JERRY & THE SPRINGERS Prahran RSL, Prahran. 3pm. $10. KEYS TO PERDITION + HELLION + UNHINGED + FREELOADER Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10. LA BASTARD + BOMBARDIERS + DOGSDAY Penny Black, Brunswick. 8:30pm. LEGENDS OF MOTORSPORT (BIG BAND EXTRAVAGANZA) + THE BOWERS + SUN GOD REPLICA Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. LLOYD (KING OF HEARTS TOUR) Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 8pm.

AUSTRALIA DAY AT THE TOTE Australia Day is pretty much here and you know what that means (apart from a goddamn well-deserved day off work). The Tote is putting on their annual non-profit fundraiser for The Refugee Council of Australia. Running from midday, Arrows will be headlining the event as well as Fear Like Us and The Smith Street Band. There will be bands, there will be snags and there will be beer, glorious beer! It’s all for a good cause so take care of your karma and get to The Tote on Thursday January 26. MY SECRET CIRCUS + TANTALUM + THE FEEL GOODS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. NEON COLLECTIVE PRESENTS: THE UNIVERSAL + MIDSUMMER TRIBE + QUINCE + EXILE & THE SEA Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $10. ODIOUSEMBOWEL + SEAFORD + PNEUMATIC SLAUGHTER + HAIL GUN Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $10. PETER DICKYBIRD Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. POTBELLEEZ Westernport Hotel, San Remo. 8pm. RED LEADER + THE COCOA JACKSONS + THE PISTOLEIROS Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $13. SHOOTING STARS LIVE - FEAT: MZ WOOD + BACK BACK FORWARD PUNCH + JADE ANGELA + D&D + REBECCA CARDAMONE + DESTINY + SAMIRAH Number Five, Melbourne. 8pm. $15. THE ELLIOTS + PROJECT PUZZLES + BILLY HOYLE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9pm. THE FIGHTING + RUNNING HOT + COTTON SIDEWALK Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 8pm. THE GEAR + BEWARE! BLACK HOLES + CHEV RISE Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. THE ROCK SHOW - FEAT: JON ENGLISH The Palms, Southbank. 8pm. THE WORKINGHORSE IRONS + DOUBLEBLACK + BETWEEN THE WARS + ROAD RATZ Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $12. VAN MYER + POUR PARLOUR + ACID WESTERN + DJ JAM JAR Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. $8. VANESSA AMOROSI York On Lilydale, Mt Evelyn. 8pm. YOURI BLOW Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $15. ZUZU ANGELS + RIFF FIST + THE FIRE ALIVE + THE LAUGHING LEAVES The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm.

TROY BARRETT & JOHNNY LIVEWIRE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6pm. VAN WALKER (UNDERNEATH THE RADAR LAUNCH) Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8pm. $20.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC CABERNET JAZZ Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. ENSEMBLE PACIFICA + ALEX BURNS Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. $5. GIL ASKEY & THE ROGER CLARK QUARTET + MATT KIRSCH Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 7pm. $20. JULIA MESSENGER BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $25. NICHAUD FITZGIBBON QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9:30pm. $20.

SATURDAY 28 JAN ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: COLD HIKER Pony, Melbourne. 2am. BANG - FEAT: BUILT ON SECRETS + A SLEEPLESS MELODY + WE ROB BANKS Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne CBD. 9pm. $25.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALEXIS NICOLE & THE MISSING PIECES Wesley Anne, Northcote. 5:30pm. BENNIE & THE FLY-BY-NIGHTERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. DOM TURNER & IAN COLLARD Way Out West Roots Music Club, Williamstown. 8pm. $15. HONKYTONK PIANO MAN Wantirna Club, Wantirna South. 8:30pm. JOY’S MIDSUMMA WOW PARTY- FEAT: WOMEN ON WAVES & THE TRANSLYVANIAN GYPSY KINGS Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7pm. KITTY DAISY & LEWIS + KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE + STEVE SMYTH Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $44. LITTLE FLAME Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9pm. THE JED ROWE BAND + LUKE WATT Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. THE QUIXOTICS Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSIONS - FEAT: DAN BOURKE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6pm.

74 JOHNSTON ST FITZROY 9417 4155

www.theoldbar.com.au OPEN EVERY NIGHT 12PM - 3AM FREE WI FI

wednesday 25th january

(AUSTRALIA DAY EVE)

RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL’S UNION MASTER GUNFIGHTERS BEN SALTER

8:30PM $8

thursday 26th january CLOSED

friday 27th january

DEAD

STAR TEN HASH, LAURA MACFARLANE, BOB SLAYER (UK) 8:30PM $10 DJ DEL AMP

1AM FREE

EXHIBITION OPENING: ‘RETROSPECTIVE IN THE KEY OF PINK’ LAILA COSTA 6PM FREE

saturday 28th january

THE SCALE MODELS (LAUNCH) NEW ESTATE ACTORSLASHMODEL TRADE DJ DRAW 4

8:30PM $8 1AM FREE

sunday 29th january

CLINKERFIELD / PALENECKS (DUAL RESIDENCY)

JEMMA & THE AMBITIOUS YOUNG MEN JOHNNY DRIVER 8PM $7 DJ

11PM FREE

monday 30th january

SEAN SIMMONS & BRONWYN HENDERSON’S EXPLODING WHEEL LINK MCLENNAN (THE MEANIES) ALEX HAMILTON

8PM FREE

THE STEPKIDS

tuesday 31st january

The fusion of awesome that is The Stepkids are making their way down to Australia for the very first time. They are part punk, part jazz with some West African, 1960s folk and a sprinkle of classic soul and funk. Pretty much the banana split double-fudge sundae of bands. They are playing the East Brunswick Club on Saturday January 28. Delicious.

BARRY HILLS & THE PRAIRIE KINGS MATTHEW MACKENZIE 8PM FREE

STOMPDOG

band bookings: bandbookings@theoldbar.com.au

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 71

CAGE THE ELEPHANT

SOUNDGARDEN Big Day Out headliners, Soundgarden are loitering around Melbourne for a side show to be remembered. The kings of grunge will play the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Wednesday February 1. Joining them will be super special guests The Bronx. This is their first trip down under in 15 years. Also, Chris Cornell is really handsome and deserves a good lookin’ at.

The best thing to come out of Kentucky since that delightful Colonel Sanders and his chicken, Cage The Elephant are playing a headline sideshow at The Northcote Social Club on Tuesday January 31. With Loon Lake supporting, it’s going to be all things awesome.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BANJO & THE HORIZONS + IDLE DREAMS Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. $10. BATTLES Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $62.45. BIG BLACK HOLES + RATTLIN’ CANE + BUG + LOWRIDERS Barleycorn Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10. BITCHFEST - FEAT: HEAVEN THE AXE + THE GENERAL + DEAD RIVER + DIANA’S BOW The Prague, Thornbury. 8pm. BLOOD ORANGE + WIDE OF THE MARK + VACANT SMILES Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10. BOMBADIERS + PUSH TO TWIST + ROAD RATZ + 4TRESS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. CLAMPDOWN Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. CLIP CLOP CLUB George Basement, St Kilda. 5pm. DAN KELLY & HIS DREAM BAND + TEETH & TONGUE + THE BOWERS + OCEAN PARTY Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. EMPRESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (A TRIBUTE TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN) - FEAT: LAURA IMBRUGLIA + BEN P SALTER + MATT SONIC + RICH DAVIES + LADIE DEE + THE NICHOLSON STREET BAND Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15. FUNKY BREWS + STRINGFELLOW HAWKE + THE KIETHS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 7pm. $5. HOLLIAVA + CELADORE + MERVURY WHITE + JULY DAYS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. HOUSE OF ROCK Palace Theatre, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. KASABIAN Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8pm. $75.90. KITTY DAISY & LEWIS + BECKY LEE & DRUNKFOOT + STEVE SMYTH Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. $44. OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN & THE POPS ORCHESTRA +

DARYL BRAITHWAITE Regent Theatre, Melbourne. 8pm. OX FAN BENEFIT GIG - FEAT: JAMES LEGG + BITTER SWEET KICKS + BURN IN HELL Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $15. PLAGIARISM BEGINS AT HOME Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. POPFRENZY & 3RRR PRESENT - FEAT: BEST COAST + DUNE RATS + POP SINGLES Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $45. PRETTY SUICIDE + PARTY + ARMOURED EARTH Pony, Melbourne. 9:30pm. SCARECROW BLONDE + HUSK + SAVE THE CLOCKTOWER + AMBERAIN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $10. SUN GOD REPLICA + BAT PISS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5pm. THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $15. THE QUIXOTICS The Vineyard, St Kilda. 8pm. THE SCALE MODELS (CD LAUNCH) + NEW ESTATE + ACTORSLASHMODEL + TRADE + DJ DRAW 4 Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. THE STEPKIDS + LOST ANIMAL + DJ CHRIS GILL East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:30pm. $35. THEE WYLDE OSCARS + ALEX WATTS & THE FOREIGN TONGUE + CRYSTAL THOMAS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9pm. TREVOR LUDLOW & THE HELL RAISERS + MIDSTATE ORANGE Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm. $7. VANESSA AMOROSI Commercial Hotel, South Morang. 8pm. VICIOUS CIRCLE + 12FU Lyrebird Lounge, Ripponlea. 9pm.

ALEX BURNS & JEN HAWLEY BAND Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm. CHRIS WILSON Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9pm. CLAYMORE Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8pm. $20. HANNAH ACFIELD + SARAH EIDA + RHYS CRIMMIN Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8pm. $10. JASON LOWE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 5pm. JULES BOLT & THE REDEEMERS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. MAJOR TOM & THE ATOMS + JIMMY HAWK & THE ENDLESS PARTY + DJ TREVOR TRAVIS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10pm. MANNY FOX HANGMAN’S CLUB Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. MARTIN MYLES (ALBUM LAUNCH) Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8pm. RUST Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. RYAN STERLING & THE SISTER CITY + THE TAYLOR PROJEC + RUTH LINDSEY Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9pm. SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5pm. THE BASTARD CHILDREN Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 9pm. THE PUBLICAN BAND Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. THE RE-CHORDS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. THE SCHOLARS Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. VAN WALKER (UNDERNEATH THE RADAR LAUNCH) + LIZ STRINGER + ROESY John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. WINSTON Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC BOHJASS + THE RED BRIGADE + OPA + OSKAR & BEBRA + EDEL PLASTIK + GLORY B + PAUL MACGYVER + GYPSY JAZZ 303, Northcote. 8pm. CACTUS CHANNEL Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. GOYIM Bebida, Fitzroy. 8pm. JARRAH THOMPSON Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET + ALISTAIR CAMPBELL Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 7pm. KATE CEBERANO + JADE MACRAE Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 6pm. NATASHA ROSE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm. NORIA LETTS QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne CBD. 9:30pm. $20. THE RITA SATCH BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $25.

SUNDAY 29 JAN ROCK/POP AUSTRALIA DAY WEEKEND PARTY - FEAT: THE DANIELA CORSO BAND + SLIGHTLY LEFT OF CENTRE + MZ WOOD + LEAH MUSCAT Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy. 6pm.

BABBA Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 6pm. BIG DAY OUT - FEAT: KANYE WEST + SOUNDGARDEN + KASABIAN + MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE + THE LIVING END + NOEL GALLAGHER + HILLTOP HOODS + NERO + CAVALERA CONSPIRACY + PARKWAY DRIVE + GIRL TALK + BLUEJUICE + ROYKSOPP + BATTLES + THE JEZABELS + ART VS SCIENCE + BASSNECTAR + ODD FUTURE + KIMBRA + ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI + REGURGITATOR + THE VACCINES + TONITE ONLY + MARIACHI EL BRONX + CAGE THE ELEPHANT + DRAPHT + FOSTER THE PEOPLE + FRENZAL RHOMB + THE GETAWAY PLAN + PAPA VS PRETTY + BOY & BEAR + BEST COAST + CALLING ALL CARS + ABBE MAY + SHOCKONE + MISS KITTIN Flemington Racecourse, Flemington. 12pm. $165. BROOKE DEADWOOD Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 4:30pm. CITRUS JAM + SARAH EIDA + THE QUIXOTICS + GABRIEL LYNCH + CLARE REYNOLDS The Prague, Thornbury. 5pm. CLINKERFIELD & PALENECKS (DOUBLE RESIDENCY) + JEMMA & THE WISE YOUNG AMBITIOUS MEN + JOHNNY CASINO + BBQ Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm. $7. JEMMA & THE WISE YOUNG AMBITIOUS MEN + REIGNING MEN Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 4pm. JOHNNY ROCK & THE LIMITS + RICH DAVIES & THE DEVILS UNION Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7pm. $5. LUKE SINCLAIR & THE CORE PILOTS Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7pm. NICK BARKER Way Out West Roots Music Club, Williamstown. 2pm. $20. PAST TO PRESENT + DALE RYDER BAND + BAD BOYS BATUCADA Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. STOMP DOG + DIRTY ELVIS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm. THE BLACKEYED SUSANS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm. THE BLOW UP 303, Northcote. 3:30pm. THE NIGHT BEFORE TOMORROW + SANCTUM THEATRE + MADE FOR CHICKENS BY ROBOTS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $7. VAN WALKER Westernport Hotel, San Remo. 8pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ANDRE CAMILLERI & THE NORTHERNAIRES Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 3pm. BEN SALTER Wesley Anne, Northcote. 4pm. CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK + DJ MAXWELL VON CRAWDADDY Cherry Bar, Melbourne CBD. 2pm. CHRIS WILSON The Bay, Mordialloc. 4pm. CUSTOM KINGS + TOM MILEK Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $10. FOX’S WEDDING + NICK O’MARA Bar Nancy, Northcote. 6pm. HONKYTONK’S BOOGIE BAND Mitcham RSL, Mitcham. 8pm. JAM NIGHT Musicland, Fawkner. 7pm. JOEL PLYMIN & THEM BLUES CATS Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 7pm. LEIGH SLOGGETT + THE FRY BROTHERS Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4pm. MARKET NOISE - FEAT: JOE FORRESTER + KIERAN

The Last Kinection

SHARE THE SPIRIT FESTIVAL This Australia Day Share the Spirit Festival will be celebrating its 10th birthday this Australia Day. Held at the Treasury Gardens, there will be a melting pot of Indigenous dance, music and culture as part of Melbourne’s official Survival Day Celebrations. The Last Kinection, Benny Walker and The Sunshine Sisters are all going to be there, so join them in support of reconciliation. It’s on Thursday January 26 and it’s free entry running from 1pm ‘til 7pm. It’s a booze-free event. Beat Magazine Page 72

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

YOU’LL FIND US AT 99 SMITH STREET FITZROY PH: 9419 4920 YAHYAHS.COM.AU BOOKINGS: MARY@BAROPEN.COM.AU

FRI 27 JAN

SAT 28 JAN

THE GEAR

THEE WYLDE OSCARS

BEWARE! BLACK HOLES CHEV RISE

ALEX WATTS & THE FOREIGN TONGUE CRYSTAL THOMAS

9.00PM

WED 25 JAN AUST DAY EVE

UNCLE CHUCK CARACTACUS STRATHMORE THE FEEL GOODS

DOORS 5.00PM / FREE ENTRY / BANDS START 9.00PM

THU 26 JAN

RAZORS OF OCKHAM THE QUIXOTICS BLACKWOOD

OPEN THU, FRI, SAT, SUN, 5:00PM TO LATE WITH DJs SPINNING YOUR FAVOURITE SOUL, 60s, ROCK’N’ROLL, SURF & GARAGE ALL NIGHT

ANDY YOUNG

TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY AFTER MIDNIGHT

9.00PM

ANTO MANTOOTH

THU FEB 2:

THE SECRET WHISPER WE DISAPPEAR ADALAI, THNKR FRI FEB 3:

TEN CENT PISTOLS (SINGLE LAUNCH)

THE GROVES COAL, THE DARTS SAT 4 FEB:

TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY AFTER MIDNIGHT

OPEN TIL 5am

COMING UP

OPEN TIL 5am

IMMIGRANT UNION MINI BIKES SHERRY RICH & THE NEW FOLK HEROES SUN FEB 5:

SUN 29 JAN

LEEK, WAR WICK TRAGEDY

HOSTED BY

THE IVORY ELEPHANT DIRTY ELVIS

KARAOKE DICK

THU FEB 9:

MATT BRENNAN

SAT FEB 11:

WEEKENDER

DOORS 5.O0PM / FREE ENTRY / KARAOKE STARTS AT 8.00PM

9.00PM

OPEN TIL 3am

THU FEB 16:

THE GRAVELTONES

WED 25 JAN AUSTRALIA DAY EVE / FREE

PERSECUTION BLUES: THE BATTLE FOR THE TOTE + AUTOLUMINESCENT: ROWLAND S HOWARD WILL BE SCREENED IN THE TOTE FRONT BAR FROM 8.30PM FOLLOWED BY A FREE GIG (+ FREE BBQ FROM 7.00PM)

BAT PISS BEAT DISEASE

THU 26 JAN AUSTRALIA DAY FROM MIDDAY

BAR

OPEN 317 BRUNSWICK STREET FITZROY WWW.BAROPEN.COM.AU 03 9415 9601

WED 25 JAN

SAT 28 JAN

MON 30 JAN

PAPA CHANGO

CACTUS CHANNEL

SCREEN SECT FILM CLUB

10PM / FREE

8PM / FREE

“NIGHT MOVES” (ARTHUR PENN, 1975)

THU 26 JAN

STRAW KING EYE

BOARDERS REDS UNDER BEDS JUMPIN JACK WILLIAMS

SUN 29 JAN

7PM

SAINT JUDE

TUE 31 JAN

MAX SAVAGE & HIS FALSE IDOLS (SA) JESS RIBIERO & THE BONE COLLECTORS 7.30PM / FREE

MAKE IT UP CLUB 7PM

COMING UP

10PM / FREE

FRI 27 JAN

SEAFORD, PNEUMATIC SLAUGHTER HAIL GUN

WED 1 FEB: JON ASHLEY / ILDIKO THURSDAYS IN FEB: PHANTOM AGENTS FRI 3: UNIFIED GECKO SAT 4: TROPICAL SPACE LAB SUN 5: GRIEVE PDE / SETH REES

HIATUS KAIYOTE

ALL PROCEEDS TO THE REFUGEE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

ODIUSEMBOWEL

9PM / FREE

FRI 27 JAN

FEAR LIKE US, ARROWS, ANCHORS THE SMITH STREET BAND DARREN GIBSON LINCOLN LE FEVRE& THE INSIDERS QUIET STEPS, FOXTROT, DAYBREAK PALISADES, THE UNION PACIFIC TOY BOATS, MILESTONES NUCLEAR SUMMER, MAKE MORE MR DNA, CAVALCADE WAITING ROOM, LUKE SMITH, URNS

SAT 28 JAN FRONT BAR RESIDENCY 5-7PM

SUN GOD REPLICA W/ GUESTS BOOKINGS: LUKE@BAROPEN.COM.AU

“Shout ‘til you’re a little horse” 68-70 LIL’ COLLINS ST. MELBOURNE WWW.PONY.NET.AU 03 9662 1026

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THU 26 JAN

SORDID ORDEAL PUSH TO TWIST PINWHEEL SHARI WYATT

8.00PM

THU 27 JAN

CREATIONS ASHES OF DECEMBER DELAWAREWOLVES THE ROSETTA STONE USA

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Rockin ‘til 7:00am! BOOKINGS: ANDY FANTAPANTS@BAROPEN.COM.AU PH: 9417 2326

COMING SOON THURS 2 FEB: LET THERE BE NOIZE FEATURING DUMBSHIT, UMBILICAL TENTACLE, WHITE VEINS, MATT BLEAK, ORRYELLE, LOUSY WITH MINES FRI 3 FEB: BAD TASTE, OUCH MY FACE!, OLD SKIN FRI 3 FEB (LATE SHOW): BUCK CREEK FREE ENTRY SAT 4 FEB: KING PARROT, FRANKENBOK, COCKFIGHT SHOOTOUT, SWIDGEN, ODIUSEMBOWEL, MOTH SAT 4 FEB (LATE SHOW): USURPER OF MODERN MEDICINE (WA), FREE ENTRY THURS 9 FEB: SON OF SET, BRAVO JULIET, ACETONE FRI 10 FEB: IDLE MINDS (DEMO LAUNCH), SOMA COMA, HEADLESS DEATH, CUNTZ SAT 11 FEB: THE D.Y.E., PRIMARY SOURCE, NOTHING SUSS, OWAIS AND FAZ

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TIX ON SALE NOW FROM TOTE FRONT BAR & OZTIX.COM.AU: EMA (USA) SAT 4 FEB ENDLESS BOOGIE (USA) SAT 10 MARCH COMING SOON: TUESDAYS IN FEB: THE BOWERS & FRIENDS WED 1 FEB: HARMONY THU 2 FEB: THE KUJO KINGS, BETTER THAN THE WIZARDS, THE TABASCO JUNKIES, CHAOS KIDS FRI 3 FEB: LADY DREAMS, THE JACKALS, STRAW KING EYE SAT 11 FEB: AU GO GO RECORDS REUNION PARTY

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TOTE OPEN: WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY 4.00pm ‘TIL LATE

Beat Magazine Page 73

FARRELL & CHRISTINA LOMAGNO + SOPHIE ROSE + SEAMUS ANTHONY + BARRY SPINDICKLE + TASH MPANTELLIS & DANIEL COCO Noise Bar, Brunswick. 12pm. NIGEL WEARNE + ROSIE BURGESS TRIO Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4pm. OPEN MIC Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 5:30pm. PETER JOSEPH HEAD & SUPER XX MAN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm. PHEASANT PLUCKERS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4pm. RON S PENO & THE SUPERSTITIONS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5pm. ROSS IRWIN + KATE RAE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:30pm. $5. STEVE PURCELL’S PEARLY SHELLS Mentone Hotel, Mentone. 3pm. SUNDAY ARVO SESSION - FEAT: FUNKY TRUNKS Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. TEXTURE LIKE SUN + AXOLOTL + JESS HARLEN Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm. $10. THE DUKES OF DESPAIR Penny Black, Brunswick. 5pm. THE GREENHATCH EFFECT Dan O’Connell Hotel, Carlton. 5:30pm. TRIO BEM BRASIL + KEN MAHER & TONY HARGREAVES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. UNPAVED SHOWCASE - FEAT: CHERRYWOOD + PETER EWING & RUTH LINDSEY + FRASER A GORMAN + SEAN MCMAHON’S WESTERN UNION + BIG BUG TRIO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. WARREN EARL & THE ATOMIC ROCKERS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC ADE ISHS TRIO Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. SAINT JUDE + MAX SAVAGE & HIS FALSE IDOLS + JESS RIBEIRO & THE BONE COLLECTORS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10pm. SAM MCAULIFFE JAZZ 4 + BROTHER POPCORN + MATT KATSIS Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 3pm. THE JAMES MULLER TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $20. YURODIVYE Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

MONDAY 30 JAN ROCK/POP DAS RACIST + POLO CLUB + AOI + TIGERMOTH Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $35. FOSTER THE PEOPLE + LAST DINOSAURS Palace Theatre, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. $58.15. MARIACHI EL BRONX Billboard, Melbourne CBD. 8:30pm. $44. SEAN SIMMONS & BRONWYN HENDERSON’S EXPLODING WHEEL + LINK MCLENNAN + ALEX HAMILTON Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm.

+ BEAT PRESENT... whatson@thepush.com.au

ACCESS ALL AGES With Ruth Mihelcic

BEST COAST This Australia Day Share the Spirit Festival will be celebrating its 10th birthday this Australia Day. Held at the Treasury Gardens, there will be a melting pot of Indigenous dance, music and culture as part of Melbourne’s official Survival Day Celebrations. The Last Kinection, Benny Walker and The Sunshine Sisters are all going to be there, so join them in support of reconciliation. It’s on Thursday January 26 and it’s free entry running from 1pm ‘til 7pm. It’s a booze-free event. SECRETIVE GEORGE + AMANITA + SCOTDRAKULA + THESE PATTERNS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. SEX ON TOAST Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 7:30pm. $10.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALISTAIR VICK Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN Espy, St Kilda. 8pm.

JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC ALLAN BROWNE QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. LEBOWSKIS PRESENT: SAM MCAULIFFE TRIO + SANS SERIF 303, Northcote. 9pm. $8.

TUESDAY 31 JAN ROCK/POP BRUNSWICK DISCOVERY - FEAT: PRIVATE RADIO + HAYFEVER Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. CAGE THE ELEPHANT Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8pm. $49.50. DAVE O’CONNOR + BRIGHTLY + JAMES PASINIS Toff In Town, Melbourne CBD. 7:30pm. $10. GIRL TALK + KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD Palace Theatre, Melbourne CBD. 8pm. HIATUS KAIYOTE + TIGERMOTH Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. KANYE WEST + SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. 8pm.

MICHAEL WAUGH + THE FOX PARTY + TIM WOODS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8pm. $58.15. NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:30pm. PAILING BLACK + FAYE BLAIS + ADAM EATON Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:30pm. $7. STOMPDOG + BARRY HILLS & THE PRAIRIE KINGS + MATTHEW MACKENZIE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8pm. SUNSET BLUSH + SARAH EIDA + BRONI 303, Northcote. 8pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK DAS MUSIK MANN Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:30pm. SISSY LANEGAN + WATER MUSIC Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. STEPH HANNAH Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. THE WEATHERMEN + ROWAN BLACKMORE Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8pm. Jazz/World Music GEOFF Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8pm. $14. STEVE MAGNUSSON & THE JAMES MULLER TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $20.

CLASSIFIEDS

33c PER WORD PER WEEK (INC GST) • Send your classified listing information to Beat Magazine at 3 Newton St, Richmond 3121 with a cheque, money order or credit card number (including expiry date and name on card, NOT AMEX or DINERS) (1.5% surcharge on Visa and MasterCard) OR deliver it yourself with cash OR you can email your classifieds to us - classifieds@beat.com.au with credit card details • DEADLINE IS THURSDAY 5pm, prior to Wednesdays publication • Minimum $5 charge per week. We do NOT accept classifieds over the phone - sorry.

MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS & PROMOTERS WANTED. Any style for Collingwood venue. First gigs welcome, live CD recording available. Contact Jane after 12pm on 0425 796 828. BANDS WANTED for artist showcase in the Espy Gershwin room. A great step towards bigger shows. Contact mark@gunnmusic. com.au EXPERIENCED DRUMMER with a commitment to practice and regular rehearsals required for alternative rock band. Inﬂuences QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Nirvana etc… www.myspace.com/mollydredd 0411 372 469. LOOKING FOR ACOUSTIC ACTS to perform in COCO’s monthly competition in Smith Street, Fitzroy. $100 Cash PRIZE. Phone Sandra or Michelle 9417 3937 or drop in at COCO - 129 Smith Street, Fitzroy. VOCALIST WANTED for Hallam/Rowville based metal band. Contact Brad 0402 786 369. www.myspace.com/tokenofruin

TUITION DRUM LESSONS with Crutey from Full Scale/Tim McMillan Band. Rock, funk, hip-hop or metal styles. Or learn how to play your favourite songs! All areas. All ages welcome. Email matt@saltar.com.au. DRUM TUITION. Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop (and more). Beginners welcome! All ages. Brunswick West. Contact John on 0437 873 488 or john.milton@gmail.com

SERVICES EXPERIENCED DRUMMER LOOKING FOR WORK with an original or covers band. For enquiries phone Paul 8786 3421. MAN WITH A VAN. Best value movers in Melbourne. Now with trucks!!!! Equip with 1 or 2 experienced men, trolleys and removal blankets. Available 7 days. Check out www.manwithavan.com.au or call us on 9417 3443. THINK MOVING SUCKS? Think Little Red Trucks! Moving Melbourne everyday. Call 9380 6444 or head to www.littleredtrucks.com.au.

EMPLOYMENT FLAUNT IT. Internationally acclaimed producer of pro-feminist erotica looking for conﬁdent, adult women to smash the stereotypes and earn good money ($500 and up). Don’t overlook this til you’ve found out more about it. Rebecca 9495 6555 or www.feck.com.

Beat Magazine Page 74

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Big Day Out is on this Sunday! Check out the full timetable at www.bigdayout.com where you can also create your own custom timetable for the day. There will be limited car parking available around Flemington Racecourse, so the best way to get to Big Day Out is by public transport. Extra trains and trams have been scheduled around the normal Sunday timetables, which can be found at www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au or by calling Metlink on 131 638. Make sure you plan your journey ahead of time and don’t forget you’ll need a valid Metcard or myki to travel. Keep sending us your all ages news and gig listings to whatson@thepush.com.au by 10am Thursdays.

All Ages Timetable WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25 Fed Square Live w/ Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes, and Saskwatch, Federation Square, Melbourne, 6pm – 7:30pm, Free, fedsquare.com/events or thepush.com.au, AA

THURSDAY JANUARY 26 Fed Square Live w/ Loon Lake and I, a Man, Federation Square, Melbourne, 7pm – 9pm, Free, fedsquare.com/ events or thepush.com.au, AA Australia Day Pool Party w/ DJ, Coleraine Swimming Pool, Cnr Pilleau & Gage Street, Coleraine, 1pm – 5pm, Free, Briana Picken on 55518450, AA Triple J Hottest 100 Australia Day Pool Party w/ Hottest 100 Radio Broadcast, Bendigo Aquatic Centre, Barnard St, Bendigo, 2pm – 5pm, Free, Rory White on 5434 6092, AA The Celtic Ceilidh w/ Damien Leith, Claymore, and Kinja, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, King Domain Gardens, Melbourne, 1:30pm – 4pm, Free, www.australiaday.vic. gov.au, AA

FRIDAY JANUARY 27 Fed Square Live w/ Koolism (75 Minute Park Jam), Federation Square, Melbourne, 6pm – 7:30pm, Free, fedsquare.com/events or thepush.com.au AA

SATURDAY JANUARY 28 Kasabian, Festival Hall, 300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, $75.90, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA Battles w/ special guests, The Forum, Corner Russell & Flinders Streets, Melbourne, $62.45, ticketmaster.com. au or 136 100, AA Beneath The Rising Tide w/ Wolves, Aversion Crown, Ennui Breaths Malice, A Dead Silence, and Delawarewolves, OLP Ringwood, 2 Wilana Street, 2pm – 5pm, $15, AA The Piers Festival: A Celebration of Migration, Port Melbourne piers precinct, 12pm – 10pm, Free, AA Home Cooked Comics Festival, Batman Park, Northcote, Australia, 3pm – 7pm, Free, AA

SUNDAY JANUARY 29 Big Day Out w/ Kanye West, Soundgarden, Kasabian, My Chemical Romance, Hilltop Hoods, Battles, Parkway Drive, The Living End, Odd Future, Architecture In Helsinki, Girl Talk + more, Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, $165 +bf, bigdayout.com, AA Market Noise! Acoustic Music & Arts Festival w/ Tash Mpantellis & Daniel Coco, Barry Spindickle, Seamus Anthony, Sophie Rose, Kieran Farrell & Christina Lomagno + more, The Noise Bar, 291 Albert St, Melbourne, 12pm – 5pm, gold coin donation, bluegoosemanagement.com, AA Club Life, Wah Wah Lounge, 185 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, 5pm – 10pm, $20 - $25, juicy.ent@hotmail. com or call 0422 391 533, U18

TUESDAY JANUARY 31 Kanye West w/ Sneaky Sound System, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, King Domain Gardens, Melbourne, 6pm, $107.20 - $161.35, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA My Chemical Romance w/ Closure In Moscow, Festival Hall, 300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, $58.15, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, 7:30pm, $93.50, ticketmaster. com.au or 136 100, AA Back 2 School Pool Party w/ games, free BBQ, giveaways, music tent, and competitions, Croydon Memorial Pool, Croydon, 1pm – 6pm, AA

GS T GI TS A L AL VEN GB ! E E & THE FRE E AR

FRIDAY JAN 27TH

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Beat Magazine Page 75

BACKSTAGE

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Location: 188 Faraday St Carlton. Digital or analogue capabilities of Studio: Pro Tools HD3 Recording, Waves, McDSP, + many other plug-ins and Virtual instruments. Recording gear available: Rode, SE, Shure Mics, Avalon, Universal Audio, Mackie Onyx Pre’s, 2 x Distressors. Instruments available to use or hire: Moog Voyager, TR808, MC202, MPC2000XL NI Maschine, Korg M3, Fantom XR Rack, Fender US Strat, Fender US Jazz Bass. Artists you have worked with: Karton, Koolism, Axe Aklins, D’Opus & Roshambo, Hancock Basement, Raw City Ruckus, The Curve, Kodak, Slowburn, short film and post audio production. In-house engineers: Ross Garrett aka D’Opus. Extras: One on one training available from a Certified Pro Tools 201 Level Instructor. Specializing in Mixdown and Production for electronic music, hip-hop, Indy and more. Phone: 0413321244 Website: www.facebook.com/mercuryswitchlab E-mail: info@mercuryswitch.org

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LIVE SUGAR MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL, The Forum, Saturday January 14 Peering out from side of stage, there was a sea of faces gazed upon John Maus as he took to The Forum main stage – some bemused, some perplexed, few nodding along. Opposed to the intimate enclosure of The Corner on the night previous, it felt as though we were witnessing King Kong tear through a run of retrotinted pop numbers. Soaking himself with water and sweat, Maus revelled in his torment in front of a striking cinematic projection. I only managed to catch an all-too fleeting taste of Boredoms leader DJ Yamantaka Eye as transformed the mezzanine into an all-out dance floor with some dirty house. Sun Araw shared half the upstairs stage with Perth visual artist Ben Barretto, who was crafting a piece with a Mouse Trap-like set-up. The contraption’s graceful fluidity stuttered towards the end of the set, initiating a snowball of chagrin that eventually deemed the music unbearably loud. The well-packed and narrow mezzanine stage diminished sonic clarity of Lost Animal somewhat, and it was a little difficult to see what exactly was going on from where I was standing. Though primarily backingtrack based, flourishes of live guitar complemented the work of bassist Shags. Thee Oh Sees were nothing short of impossibly great. Eddy Current frontman Brendan Huntey could be spotted around the venue sporting a tee emblazoned with “Who the fuck is John Dwyer?”. To answer the question, he was the dude holding up his guitar with nothing but his teeth – during the first song of the set,

no less. Having ruled pretty much every small bar in town over the past few years, Thee Oh Sees proved they’re just as capable of slaying it in the setting of a grand theatre. I think it’s about time we started to consider Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier as an alternative energy source. Armed with a skeletal drumkit setup, Greg ripped apart Deerhoof’s stunning back catalogue with a tenacity and precision which commanded as much attention, if not more, than lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s cheerleader dance moves. Hip hop duo Shabazz Palaces rounded out the evening in ﬁne fashion. Leaving just before the end of the set, I took a moment to bask in the muddy low-end mix by standing immediately in front of the stack. It was intense. Though the maiden Sugar Mountain was a success in itself, the sophomore eﬀort’s format tweaks marked a decided improvement – blending the art elements in a more seamless manner, as well as harnessing the most impressive of lineups. LACHLAN KANONIUK

LOVED: The art components being more attuned to the festival than that of the maiden Sugar Mountain. HATED: Not being able to sweat it out for Eye’s entire set. DRANK: Some nasty lager I’ve never heard of before.

FALLS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL December 28-31, Marion Bay (Tas) The word ‘invigorating’ is often used by many diehard Tasmanians as an apparent ﬂattering synonym for ‘fucking cold and windy’. I used to live there, so I can tell you right now that the latter description is far more apt. Either way, I’d been hearing stories about the previous years’ glorious weather each day of the Falls Festival and was hoping for more of the same, because, die-hard ‘invigorators’ aside, the weather makes or breaks the entire event.

provides some unadulterated rock’n’roll energy. Back at the Main Stage, Regurgitator’s entire rendition of their album Unit is slightly ﬂat by their previously high standards, while the Artic Monkey’s midnight set leaves me somewhat frosty. Closing act Crystal Castles try their hardest to blow the speakers (which unfortunately sound close to doing just that), but overall the day has been one of solid musical performance bathed in blissful sunshine and rugged coastal surroundings.

December 29 Having pitched my tent, I again re-discover that the night of December 29 is reserved solely for performances under the blue big-top next to the Field Stage and watch in shivering horror as shirtless teens bop and groove energetically and uncritically to the DJs’ incessant funkadelic battle sounds. OK. I exaggerate. It’s not that cold (I’m wrapped in three layers plus a dressing gown), but it’s far too cold for shirtless exploits. The night is cruisy and Anna Lumb spinning Billy Stewart’s highly distinctive version of Summertime encapsulate the groovy, relaxed vibe (if not the mercury) perfectly. Though the music stops at 10pm, it’s still a bloody good idea to stuﬀ your ears with some form of blue tack or chewing gum if you want to get some sleep – Tasmanian youths seem so deprived of music festival outlet that they spend the entire year building pent-up enthusiasm, all of which seems to explode on the ﬁrst night with plenty of 3am yahooing and general debauchery. Anyway, the gum did the trick for me and I emerge from the tent on December 30 to a beautiful, clear-skied 25-degree day. Hurrah!

December 31 To my delight, New Year’s Eve day is again sunny and warm. I join thousands of blinking, squinting festivalgoers and trek to the beach to brave the icy water. I buy a lukewarm coffee off one of the golf-buggy-turnedcoffee-carts that roam the camping areas, before heading to the Main Stage for Beirut and the indie-pop sounds of global music – a high quality performance. Josh Thomas provides some light-hearted comedy at the Field Stage and impressively shuts down some redneck hecklers in the crowd. Missy Higgins at the Main Stage provides what ends up (surprisingly) being the performance of the festival, matched only by Young Mc’s performance of smash hit Bust A Move. Next, the beautiful harmonies of the Fleet Foxes are a treat, while headline act Tim Finn disappoints somewhat despite his occasional Crowded House tune warming the crowd. The John Butler Trio put almost everyone to sleep through no fault of their own because the 9.45pm set time is definitely to blame. At midnight, The Kooks and the 15,000 strong audience count in the new year with a chorus of cheers, whistles, and hugs. Their performance encompasses all that a rock band should be: powerful, irreverent, and wild. Happy New Year! Pnau are next and provide some innocent dance fun and Scratch Perverts round out the festival with some quality hip hop and battle DJ’ing.

December 30 After lunch, the main stage starts to host some quality acts – The Scientists Of Modern Music play their belligerent electronic pop in front of an already pulsating audience; Kimbra’s comparatively fragile and delicate sound are next; followed by Josh Pyke’s ﬁne brand of Australian songwriting. Aloe Blacc’s classic old soul and R&B has the crowd heaving with hit track I Need A Dollar and the performance is the day’s highlight thus far. Over at the Field Stage, J Mascis’s distinct raspy vocals complement his bluesy performance (as usual), and The Jim Jones Revue

GROUPLOVE

LOVED: Good weather, good scenery, good music HATED: The spots of frost DRANK: Lukewarm coﬀee and beers.

ARCTIC MONKEYS, Monday January 2, The Palace Theatre It was the hottest January 2 on the books since the year 1900. Sure as hell felt like it; the heat was awe-inspiring, driving Melbournians into a midsummer hibernation of sorts. It wasn’t until the sun began to wane that fans of British rock four-piece Arctic Monkeys crawled out from their shelter and made their way to the Palace Theatre to watch them promote their fourth and most recent album Suck It And See. I sadly missed opener Miles Kane’s set. The Rascals’ former front man’s performance had apparently gone over quite well – I’d arrived halfway through his closing number Inhaler, and the loudly floral psychedelic-tinged indie rock he delivered sounded simply divine! As Kane’s band’s final notes washed over the crowd, the punters went ballistic. But the crowd went batshit when Turner and company took the stage and launched immediately into Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair. Not even the stifling summer heat could stop the audience from jumping about like mad, waving their hands and bellowing the lyrics alongside the Monkeys’ particular brand of Brit-pop. New tracks The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, Evil Twin and the album’s title track provided the perfect fodder for the fans to celebrate, alongside classic stalwarts Crying Lightning, This House Is A Circus and of course I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Everything seemed to be in order: the band’s playing (especially drummer Matt Helder, who was on fire) was efficient, the crowd was super-enthusiastic and the drinks

were cold. But why, by the middle of their 90-minute set, did the proceedings seem rather anaemic and boring? Something seemed a bit oﬀ; there didn’t seem to be much passion on display. It was almost as if they were on autopilot. Sorry, but during the course of the evening, each song began to sound progressively more and more similar to the song that came before and the one that would come after. By the time the three-song encore came about I was bored out of my mind. The Arctic Monkeys are certainly entertaining, and I can’t say anything bad about their playing – but I can say that they certainly seem to have lost their mojo. However, try telling that to the hordes of fans in that hot theatre who knew all the lyrics by heart, who were dancing like it was the end of the world and who wore ridiculously happy smiles on their faces; I think the complaint would fall on deaf ears. THOMAS BAILEY

LOVED: Matt Helder’s intense drumming – at one point he broke a drumstick, which narrowly missed Alex Turner’s face, hitting his guitar neck instead. HATED: How thoroughly anaemic and boring the show became. I think it should have been much more exciting. DRANK: Alternated between Heinekens and glasses of ice-cold water.

A DAY BY THE GREEN #6 Saturday January 14, St Kilda Bowling Club It’s early Saturday evening on Fitzroy Street, and cashed up bogans are fighting with backpackers for cultural supremacy on St Kilda’s once decadent and depraved entertainment strip. Across the road from the once magisterial Seaview Ballroom, and the St Kilda Bowling Club is playing host to the sixth Day By the Green festival of south-side bands. The front bar is the weekend Crackerjack lawn bowls crowd, punctuated with crusty long-term St Kilda patrons trading fading memories of punk gigs of yore. Festivities kicked off mid-afternoon; by early evening the atmosphere is thick with mature punk rock attitude. Vice Grip Pussies take the stage around 9pm, offering up a diet of pummelling Sabbath riffs through the filter of the Roxy in the early 1980s. Former Johnny and current Patron Saint Billy Pommer – whose latest outfit, the Guilty Plea, made its debut a couple of hours earlier – watches with paternal admiration as his two sons progress their rock’n’roll apprenticeship. Cold Harbour don’t play very often, but every sighting is memorable. The licks are as tight as a nun’s proverbial, and we’re led on a journey through lush swampland territories traversed by Ennio Morricone, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Spencer Jones. It’s typically cinematic, with sunsets, cacti and the tragic detritus of humanity. “Fuck, these guys are good,” remarks a friend as Cold Harbour hit the first dirty spaghetti western chords of their set. Damn straight. A one-legged punter spirits across in front of the stage; minutes later, a second amputee is seen waving his artificial leg in the air in excitement. Surreal.

The last track of the set is always going to be a killer. There’s a mumbling introduction and we hear a lick that seems familiar. We exchange furtive glances, almost scared to utter our suspicions lest the moment not materialise. And then it happens – God’s My Pal, and we’re swept into a cognitive state beyond mortal understanding. It’s almost too much to comprehend, a spiritual event that can only be truly appreciated with the passage of time. Tears are almost shed, and the set concludes. Does rock’n’roll ever get better than this? Bitter Sweet Kicks are on stage 15 minutes later, and the love continues. By this time there’s more love in the air than a mass Moonie wedding, and the metaphorical tears of joy have saturated the air. “I’ve seen a lot of bands in my time,” an old school punter told me recently, “but these guys are fucking sensational!” It’s a recommendation that’s been shared by many others since, and it’s on the money. Tommy Hafey would have us all believe football is a simple game, and so it is with rock’n’roll, but only in the hands of the truly empathetic. Riﬀs rain down with the ferocity of a tropical storm, and we’re converted to the cause. The night ends, somewhere, sometime, and the details of the evening seem almost too fantastic to believe. Was it really that good? Fuck, yes. PATRICK EMERY LOVED: The opening chords of My Pal. Ouch. HATED: The realisation that the night was over. DRANK: Cooper’s Pale, with excellent service.

Wednesday January 4, The Corner Hotel

Undercolours staged a flaccid, unadventurous set, effectively typifying the fate of your average support act that is to say, while there was nothing truly objectionable about the band, that may have been the problem precisely. Undercolours’ complacent Triple M rock repertoire failed to pack much of a punch, any lasting impressions eluding the Corner crowd. Their set, while accomplished, was light, fluffy and unimposing. There was one surprise packet of the night in the following support band, Seattle’s The Head And The Heart. The plucky, super-saccharine folk-pop affair enchanted Beat Magazine Page 78

TIM RETROT

Photos: Diane Wong

the venue. Despite displaying rich single potential, the band frequently subverted the form of their songs, their jagged tangents and detours a gleeful indulgence for not only the band themselves, but for an audience eager to follow. Grouplove’s impassioned indie-rock would instantly electrify the evening, the venue united in voice, awash with a unique euphoria. Their immense stock of melodic gems ensured a venue-wide participation the night long, an all-in party ensuing. The juvenile holiday anthem Naked Kids delighted fans, the folly an infectious treat.

Spun would soon kick the evening into another gear, Grouplove cutting loose. The Californians’ boundless intensity showed the Corner how to get down, the band exuding an abundance of frenzied energy in showcasing their summery stylings. The encore concealed the evening’s zenith, the likes of Tongue Tied and Colours met with rapturous adoration. Airbourne ecstasy quickly defined the bandroom, punters’ feet leaving the floor, fans gleefully possessed by the finale of an impeccable performance. All in all, Grouplove’s return to Melbourne proved basically flawless. The Corner Hotel had been

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treated to a fun-ﬁlled slice of indie-rock perfection. Where club shows are concerned, it rarely gets better than this. NICK MASON LOVED: Grouplove and The Head And The Heart, the latter an especially pleasant surprise. HATED: I regret not talking to Hannah Hooper before doors, when I had the chance. Such a babe. DRANK: Cider.

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