Beat Magazine #1309 by Furst Media

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Enrol Draw Animate Experiment Render Direct Bring your characters to life Final call 27 Feb intake

Apply Now! Billions Australia Presents

Degrees and Diplomas in 3D Animation. Your creative future starts today. Launch your creative journey through collaboration, education and training at JMC Academy. Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR MARCH 2012

WED 14 THE HIFI Tix from www.thehifi.com.au

www.billions.com.au www.ilovestvincent

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Strange Mercy Out Now

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The

140 Sydney Rd

9387 6637

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

NO COVER CHARGE

Cornish Arms

WEDNESDAY THE 29TH OF FEBRUARY - FROM 8PM

OPEN MIC NIGHT WITH YOUR HOST BRODIE

$2 POTS OF DRAUGHT - $5 BASICS FROM 9PM CHARM DEAR STALKER SPEARMINT FUR THE INSTINCTS FRIDAY THE 2ND OF MARCH - FROM 9PM

THE IVORY ELEPHANT THE RAFAELLAS GRAND PERCEPTOR THE UPSTANDING MEMBERS SATURDAY THE 3RD OF MARCH - FROM 9PM

SEPTEMBER FALLS WE DISSAPEAR COOPER STREET IN YOUR HANDS FROM 5PM

LOT 56 WAYLON JOES

SUNDAY THE 4TH OF MARCH - FROM 11AM

BRUNSWICK HOTEL’S SYDNEY RD STREET “SEXY TIME” PARTY BBQ LIVE ACTS OVER TWO STAGES FEATURING:

THE OVALS FALL OF THE UNION, SHERIFF,

EARL, BURN IN HELL, SID AIR, DIXON CIDER, FLYYING COLOURS, DAMN THE MAPS, LIQUOR SNATCH, VIMM, ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE, BLACK AND BLUE, KEGGIN’, VAN MYER, KILL TWO BIRDS, BONES BLACKWOOD, STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE, K-MART WARRIORS, CAVE OF THE SWALLOWS, THE HIDDEN VENTURE

Kitchen Specials

Mon - $12 Burger and $12 Parma +

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

Friday Mar 2nd PETER DICKYBIRD W/GUESTS

Saturday Mar 4th SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY

THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS LAURA IMBRUGLIA THE BLUEBOTTLES MONEY FOR ROPE LUKE LEGS AND THE MIDNIGHT SPECIALS THE HARLOTS WILD DOG CREEK Monday nights Open Mic Function Room Available Kitchen Open Every Evening

WEDNESDAY TRIVIA NIGHT

FREE ENTRY - 7:30PM

SATURDAY 3RD MAR 9.00PM

THE

PRAYERBABIES

BID FAREWELL TO THE MIGHTY PRAYERBABIES BEFORE FRONTMAN IAN BIRDWHEEL-FRIGHTS CHOOFS OFF FOR A WHOLE YEAR. GOSPEL, BLUES, COUNTRY, HARMONIES, HILARITY AND MORE.

THURSDAY ANNA’S GO GO ACADEMY $10 - 6:30PM

FRIDAY THE VELVETS + RYAN STERLING FREE ENTRY - 9:30PM

SATURDAY WALLY CORKER’S DRUNK ARSED BAND + THE D-GRADES FREE ENTRY - 9:30PM

SUNDAY SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY: HEEL TOE EXPRESS + NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH + LUNARS + MORE, $10 JUGS FREE ENTRY - 4:30PM

SUNDAY 4TH MAR 5.00PM

CHRIS WILSON

LEGENDARY HARMONICA, ROCKIN’ GUITAR AND BANTER EXTRAORDINAIRE .

Beat Magazine Page 8

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MONDAY $12 STEAK NIGHT FREE POOL TUESDAY

$10 VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MEALS

~ Rearranged - March 2012 ~ ~ Thursday 1st ~ THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT @ THE ARTS CENTRE

TICKETS FROM WWW.SPIEGEL.ARTSCENTREMELBOURNE.COM.AU OR PH: 1300 182 183

ANNOUNCED... NEW SHOW JUST

MELBOURNE CH R A M H T 8 Y A D S R THU REGAL BALLROOM

~ Friday 2nd ~ THE CARAVAN CLUB, OAKLEIGH

TICKETS FROM WWW.CARAVANMUSIC.COM.AU OR PH: 0411 569 180

SPECIAL GUEST

MICK TURNER

KETS.COM.AU, OM WWW.WEBTIC ON SALE NOW FR TER & THORNBURY RECORDS POLYES OR IN PERSON AT

.. ALSO APPEARING.

EATRE THE NATIONAL THMARCH FRIDAY 9TH

The

INVITATIONAL starring...

THE SONiCS • DiED PRETTY • REDD KROSS THE 5.6.7.8’S • THE FLESHTONES • HARD-ONS BEACHES • THE FROWNiNG CLOUDS • THE LOVETONES ROYAL HEADACHE + more to be announced! And your guest hosts...

WEDNESDAY 18TH SOLD OUT!! 19TH THURSDAY

FRIDAY 20TH APRIL ST. KILDA THE NATIONAL THEATRE WWW.TICKETEK.COM.AU, PH: 9525 4611 OR IN PERSON AT THE VENUE BOX OFFICE AND ALL TICKETEK OUTLETS

1.00pm til 11.00pm ALL DAY PASS OUTS

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

WEDNESDAY 25TH APRiL (ANZAC DAY) PALACE THEATRE, BOURKE ST. CiTy

TiX ON SALE NOW • TiCKETEK.COM, DigiTUP.NET.AU & ALL TiCKETEK OUTLETS ‘Gold Watch’ - Hoodoo Gurus Greatest Hits out March 16th

Feel Presents

Fo r all l atest tour info r matio n and news proceed to. . .

W W W.F E E L P R E S E NTS .C O M

•

w w w.facebook .com/F eel P r esents

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with special guests

with special guest

megastick fanfare due to overwhelming demand now at the forum*

tuesday march 20* *all tickets purchased for the corner are valid for the forum with no need to exchange

rod laver arena

saturday march 24

Out now!

2ND & FINAL SHOW

PALAIS THEATRE >> SUNDAY APRIL 1* Platinum and Gold Meet and Greet packages now available at www.coppel.com.au

In store now

2nd & final show the palace

tuesday april 3

ON SALE NOW! 132 849 or ticketek.com.au *136 100 or ticketmaster.com.au Presented by Michael Coppel I bombaybicycleclubmusic.com I evanescence.com I briansetzer.com I g3tour.com I satriani.com I vai.com I stevelukather.net I coppel.com.au CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

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THE

POOR w/ SUPPORTS – Destroy She Said and Harmonic Generators(direct from France)

FRI 16 MARCH WHEELERS HILL HOTEL CNR JELLS & FERNTREE GULLY RDS WHEELERS HILL P:9560 8922 WWW.WHEELERSHILLHOTEL.COM.AU

Presale - $20, Door - $25. Doors Open at 8pm Photo ID must be presented at door

Tickets available on Ticketmaster and at Venue

Beat Magazine Page 14

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IN THIS ISSUE...

HOT TALK

TOURING

ST VINCENT

MARILYN MANSON

ARTS GUIDE, AND THE BIRDS FELL FROM THE SKY

ART OF THE CITY

GOODBYE SUMMER MTC LAWLER

COMEDY LISTINGS

NEW ORDER, BLACK LIPS

DIRTY THREE

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH FEST LA FROG

EAGLE AND THE WORM P. 66

LAST DINOSAURS P. 69

BAD RELIGION

FIREWORKS

THE SMOKING HEARTS

MESHUGGAH

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY

THUNDER ROAD, HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE, ENDLESS BOOGIE

EAGLE AND THE WORM, LIOR, BEN KWELLER

BEN SOLLEE

CORE/CRUNCH!, SYBREED

LAST DINOSAURS, TÉTÉ

MUSIC NEWS

ALBUM OF THE WEEK, SINGLES, CHARTS

THIS WEEK IN 100%:

GRANDMASTER FLASH 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

BEN SOLLEE P. 67

PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Taryn Stenvei ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Nick Taras SUB-EDITORS: Krystal Maynard, Penny Evangelou, Tash Anderson 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: Paddington Wray: tyson@beat.com.au

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ALBUMS

GIG GUIDE

LIVE

Patrick Emery, Jesse Shrock. COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgdon. 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, Sean Gleeson, Aleisha Hall, Louise Hardwick, Daniel Hedger, Nick Hilton, Lyndon Horsburgh, Briony Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Cassandra Kiely, Greg King, Joshua Kloke, Stuart Lynch, Rhys McCrae, Ruth McIver, Adam McKenzie, Kylie McLaughlin, Nick Mason, Tyler Mathes, Krystal Maynard, Anna Megalogenis, Al Newstead, James Nicoli, John O’Rourke, Matt Panag, Jack Parsons, Liam Pieper, Steve Phillips, David PrescottSteed, 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. © 2012 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.

~ Wednesday, Feb 29th ~

~ Thursday, Mar 1st ~

~ Saturday, Mar 3rd ~

~ Thursday, Mar 8th ~

THE PRETTY RECKLESS

BLACK VEIL BRIDES

SWEET ‘N’ HOT JAZZ JOUST

THE PIGS

**ALL AGES SHOW**

SOLD OUT

A SWING DANCING SPECTACULAR

~ Friday, Mar 9th ~

~Saturday Mar 10th ~

~ Wednesday Mar 14th ~

~ Friday March 16th ~

THE TERRACES

(FINLAND/NORWAY)

FRIGG

LUCY WISE & THE B’GOLLIES’

(USA)

The Thornbury Theatre

TÉTÉ P.69

(USA)

$25+BF

859 High Street, Thornbury. Ph 9484 8787

w/ THE BEEZ

(GERMANY) & MUSTERED COURAGE $15+BF

www.thornburytheatre.com.au

~ Front Lounge ~ Now open Thurs-Sun Happy Hour 5-6.30pm $3 beers and wines Live Music 7-10pm

THORNBURY SOUL SESSIONS

GIG, EVENTS AND FUNCTION BOOKINGS:

w/ MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE, STAX ON SOUL REVUE, PROJECT PUZZLES DJ CHRIS GILL $12 AT THE DOOR ONLY

julian@thethornburytheatre.com

w/ VERY HANDSOME MEN

W/ THE TWOKS & OH PEP!

$15+BF

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

$14+BF

w/ JOHN FLANAGAN & THE BEGIN AGAINS $18.00 FULL / $13.00 CONCESSION. $25.00 FULL / $20.00 CONCESSION.

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

60 SECONDS WITH…

ADAM EATON 11 THE ESPLANADE ST KILDA 3182

RADIOHEAD

WED FEB 29

* FRONT BAR *

UNWRITTEN LAW Zebrahead, Royal Republic. Tickets $40+bf from theespy.oztix.com.au. From 8pm

THURS MAR 1

* FRONT BAR *

PLAYWRITE

Neighbourhood Youth, Albert Salt. From 9pm * GERSHWIN ROOM *

CATHEDRAL

Paradise Lost, Turisas. Tickets $38.50+bf, ESPY.COM.AU

FRIDAY MAR 2 * FRONT BAR *

SALMONELLA DJ SOUND SYSTEM

Ms Butt, DJ Manchild, Rusty From Electric Mary. FREE ENTRY! From 6pm * GERSHWIN ROOM *

LIVE@SUBS

Monkey’s Pirate, Blackwater Riff. FREE! 8pm * BASEMENT *

ATOMIC BLISS

The Wells, The Collectables, The Atlantic Fall.

SATURDAY MAR 3 * FRONT BAR *

DJ KRUSH (JAP)

DJ Ransom, Cumbia Cosmonauts, DJ Manchild. Tickets $28+bf from ESPY.COM.AU. From 8pm * GERSHWIN ROOM *

ABSOLUTELY LIVE THE AUSTRALIAN DOORS SHOW Shed Zeppelin, Pearl (Janis Joplin Tribute). Tickets $20+bf from ESPY.COM.AU From 8pm * BASEMENT *

PHIL PARA Undercolours. FREE ENTRY! From 6pm SUNDAY MAR 4

GUNN MUSIC ESPY ARTIST SHOWDOWN FINAL! FEAT. SPECIAL GUESTS BELLUSIRA. 12pm

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? As a solo project, Adam Eaton. But I am often joined by my Norwegian band mates. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? People have said that the sound of the debut EP has a modern folk/alternative country feel to it. What do you love about making music? I love a creative lifestyle. I guess there are lots of reasons why I write songs, self expression and the simple fact that I enjoy it. What do you hate about the music industry? How there are not enough radio stations in Australia that support Australian music. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? Townes Van Zandt, because he's my favourite songwriter and of course it would be great to show him some songs. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? Assassination sound a little harsh, but I guess it would be nice to hear a little less of factory made pop music on our radio stations. What can a punter expect from your live show? My band and I have a lot of fun and have a lot of good energy on stage. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? At the moment I have my debut EP You And I And Us About to be released. When’s the gig and with who? On Sunday March 4 at the Toﬀ In Town. I will be releasing my debut EP You And I And Us With my amazing Norwegian band mates, a Tassie bass player and Garrett Costigan on pedal steel guitar. Emily Ullman and Kids With Kake will be playing on the night also. The doors open at 7.30 PM. Anything else to add? You can listen to some of the EP on adameatonmusic.com and you can get your tickets for the EP launch from Moshtix.

SNAKADAKTAL After selling out their ﬁrst two shows in a snap, the lads (and lass) from Snakadaktal have added a third show to their itinerary. It'd be an understatement to say 2011 had been kind to the Melbourne locals. Snakadaktal climbed to national focus after clinching triple j's Unearthed High, which understandably precipitated an escalating tide of good fortune. Amassing ridiculous stats across YouTube, Facebook, triple j's new digital radio station and the ARIA charts, they then went on to sell out a club tour across the east coast. Not bad for half a year's work, eh? The 'daktals third show takes place at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday March 18.

You better believe it! The biggest band in the world are ﬁnally returning to Australia. It's been eight rumour fuelled years since Radiohead were last on our shores – a tour which saw the second Melbourne show cancelled at the eleventh hour, devastating many fans. The 2012 tour promises to be a “an aural and visual celebration”, and is undoubtedly the most anticipated tour of the year. Radiohead play Rod Laver Arena on Friday November 16 and Saturday November 17. No shows will be added to this tour, so don't miss out. Seriously. Tickets are on sale from Ticketek on Thursday March 1 at 9am.

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

CANYONS

It's oﬃcial people, British boys the Bombay Bicycle Club have rode their musical bikes all the way into the hearts of Aussie music lovers. As a result the band's sold out Corner Hotel show has been relocated to The Forum in order to accommodate the insatiable demand for tickets to their ﬁrst Melbourne performance. Final tickets for their debut Melbourne show will go on sale this Friday at 9am sharp, but there is no change of date, and the boys will now rock the Forum on Tuesday March 20. Fans who have already got on the Corner Hotel Bombay Bicycle bandwagon don't despair, for your tickets will be valid for The Forum show without the need for exchange.

Fresh from releasing their debut LP Keep Your Dreams at the end of last year, Canyons will be taking to the road this March for their first ever national live tour. The forthcoming tour will see Canyons play a series of intimate shows in addition to festival Golden Plains Sixxx and Playground Weekender. Keep Your Dreams aligns a fine balance between the electronic and the organic. Rich in sounds from the animal kingdom and filled with good ol’ fashioned proper songs such as And We Dance and the next single When I See You Again – or the cocktail cool of Tonight; Canyons’ debut album has been well worth the wait and now it’s yours to see in all its glory. You can catch Canyons in Melbourne at Golden Plains Sixxx on Sunday March 11 or on Thursday March 22 at The Toff In Town.

dEUS A huge welcome to Belgium's finest export. Hailing from Antwerp, Belgium, dEUS is spearheaded by original members Tom Barman on vocals and guitars and Klaas Janzoons on keyboards and violin, who are joined by drummer Stéphane Misseghers, bassist Alan Gevaert and guitarist/backing vocalist Mauro Pawlowski. dEUS have enjoyed a remarkable 20 year career thus far, with their star growing bigger by the day. Their previous five albums have earned them a place on the hit-lists of numerous tastemakers including Drowned In Sound and Pitchfork whilst their latest offering Keep You Close (out in Australia on March 30, through Liberator) has been described as a glorious climax of their musical talents. They play the Corner Hotel on Saturday May 12. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek or the Corner website/ box office.

KINA GRANNIS Following overwhelming demand from fans to see the gifted singer-songwriter Kina Grannis on her first Australian tour, a final date was announced for fans who missed out on tickets to the sold out Melbourne show. The show has been added at Ormond Hall on Thursday March 29. Since Grannis began performing via her YouTube channel in 2007, she has captured the attention and love of a worldwide audience. Subscriptions to her channel have steadily grown over the past few years to reach over half a million this year and her videos have accumulated more than 90 million views. With three of the shows on the tour already sold out, tickets for these final shows will surely be in high demand. Don’t miss your chance to see Kina Grannis with special guest Ollie Brown on her debut Australian tour.

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

MY DISCO After a relatively brief respite (one which included guitarist Ben Andrews evolving into a forest-borne demigod at New Zealand's Camp A Low Hum), Melbourne's premier three-piece My Disco have announced their return to the live setting. The band kicked off the year by belatedly releasing their first ever video for Turn, taken from their stellar LP of 2010 Little Joy. The band suffered a setback in early 2011, and were forced to cancel shows due to a traffic accident involving bassist Liam. The band then soldiered on to tour the globe. My Disco perform at The Toff In Town on Saturday April 14 and Sunday April 15.

SAT 10TH MARCH

FRI 16TH MARCH

BABY ANIMALS

BLACK SORROWS & IAN MOSS TIX $38

TIX $37

SAT 17TH MARCH

SAT 21ST APRIL

SAT 28TH APRIL

SAT 10TH MAY

SAT 23RD JUNE

10CC (UK) TIX $55

CHOCOLATE STARFISHTIX $30

PEZ TIX $27

STEVENS, BRAITHWAITE & BARKER TIX $37

CADD & MORRIS

Beat Magazine Page 18

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

TIX $32

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

ED KUEPPER Ed Kuepper and Mark Dawson continue their highly successful reunion with shows this week at Melbourne's Famous Spiegeltent and The Oakleigh Caravan Club and the Festival Garden at Adelaide Fringe. The Melbourne and Adelaide Spiegel appearances follow a whole swag of sold-out Spiegeltent performances by Kuepper and Dawson in 2011 including two in Darwin, two in Melbourne and one in Brisbane plus a further two in Sydney already this year. Kuepper and Dawson will play The Famous Spiegeltent at the Arts Centre on Thursday March 1 and at the Caravan Club Oakleigh on Friday March 2.

THE COUNT WITH:

THE AUDREYS Name/Band: Tristan Goodall from The Audreys

Summer is coming to an end and if you haven't been already then you should probably get yourself down to the last Suzuki Night Market of the season at the Queen Victoria Market tonight. Performing on the Queen Street stage will be Busta Mento. This tropical shaking quartet pays homage to the upbeat rhythms of the Carribean with four part harmonies, double bass, island guitars, trumpets, bongos and congas for days. On the Peel Steet Stage will be the acclaimed crooner Mikelangelo joining with smoky voiced songbird Saint Clare. It's a match made in love song heaven. With over 200 stall holders and some of Melbourne's ﬁnest artisans and cultural goods on display this ﬁnal Suzuki Night Market is not to be missed.

Nine food items that you need to make a kickarse dinner party: Friends x seven (note: not actually a food item), wine (note: not actually a food item), food. Eight possessions that deﬁne you: 1974 Kombi, 1974 Fender Tele, 1974 Birth Certiﬁcate, my banjo, my suit collection, my ancient record player, my learjet (note: I don't actually have a learjet), my books.

Six bad habits you can’t escape: Writing silly answers to Q&As, driving on the wrong side of the road, hanging my hat in inappropriate places, falling up stairs (seriously I do it all the time), leaving bottle tops in my pockets for so long they wear holes in my jeans, drinking. Five people who inspire you: Neil Young, Taasha from the Audreys, All Master Brewers, John Fogerty, Ned Kelly. Four things that turn you on: Writing answers to Q&A's, White Russians (note: the beverage), records played loud in the morning, a cool breeze.

One of the country's most-loved folk darlings has announced a very special run of theatre dates, with ol' mate Josh Pyke rounding oﬀ his current touring cycle in style. Though releasing the critically acclaimed Only Sparrows midway through last year, these will be the ﬁnal shows for 2012 as Josh will once again hit the studio to produce new material. Yay! Josh has hinted that their may be a bit of tomfoolery afoot at these shows, with fans being treated to slightly reworked lyrics and arrangements from the pristine canon of songs. Josh Pyke hits The Forum on Friday May 11.

FINAL SUZUKI NIGHT MARKET

Ten bands everyone should know about: The Velocettes, The Yearlings, Dirty York, Graveyard Train, Pants Down Uptown (note: not a real band), Rich Davies and The Devil's Union, The Wilson Pickers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Brothers Grimm, The Be Good Tanyas.

Seven favourite movies/TV shows that go on your mix-tape: You can have movies on a mix-tape these days? Crikey, what will the kids think of next... Californication, The Thick Of It, Withnail And I, Basquiat, The Walking Dead, Evil Dead, Plight of the Pantless (note: not actually a movie or a TV show).

JOSH PYKE

JACK LADDER

Three goals for your music: Get covered by Gaga, get adapted for the lively stage musical version of Requiem For A Dream, get used in the soundtrack to the new super-hero movie Melancholy Man. Two live gigs you’ll never forget and why: Midnight Oil in 1990 outdoors in Adelaide – Peter Garrett swinging from the scaﬀolding in the middle of a thunder storm! Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Gardens in New York. One day left before the apocalypse and you… Finish this Q&A. When’s the gig / release? Carnival of Suburbia, Oakleigh, on Sunday March 11.

Jack Ladder will perform a series of intimate one-man shows this March – the ﬁrst solo headline tour of his AMP nominated third album, Hurtsville. Described as an ‘Australian-classic-in-the-making’ by Rolling Stone, Hurtsville received heaps of critical acclaim last year, along with its striking ﬁrst single Cold Feet. Since its Australian release in June, Ladder has toured nationally with his band The Dreamlanders, appeared as special guest for Warpaint and The Horrors and released Hurtsville throughout Europe and the UK. If this all-talent lineup sounds appealing then get yourself down to The Grace Darling to see Jack Ladder on Thursday March 29. Tickets via Oztix.

CALLING ALL CARS 2011 was a massive year for Calling All Cars as they released their second album, the ARIA charting Dancing With A Dead Man, and landed a support spot with rock royalty the Foo Fighters. With the starters ﬂag unfurled, Calling All Cars are set to roll out The Delirium Tour, and in their continuing eﬀorts in the war against the jive have invited coconspirators Strangers and Arts Martial along for the fun. They play Melbourne's the Hi-Fi Bar on Friday May 11, so come along and get delirious.

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 19

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

GOLDEN PLAINS Now less than a mere fortnight away, Aunty Meredith has announced the ﬁnal tweaks to the lineup for Golden Plains Sixxx and revealed the almighty timetable. Local lads and lady Saskwatch are the ﬁnal band to be added to the gargantuan lineup, however unfortunately DJ /Rupture has had to postpone his Australian tour and thus pull of Golden Plains. You can also now view the playing times on their website. 90 minutes of Chic at midnight? Hell yeah! Golden Plains takes place at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre on Saturday March 10 ‘til Monday March 12. It’s sold out.

This Week

HATEBREED Wed 29 February w/Raised Fist, Cro-Mags, Biohazard

A ROCKET TO THE MOON Thu 1 March

ZIGGY MARLEY

w/The Ready Set, The Summer Set, Dangerous Summer

It’s roots, it’s rock, it’s reggae. It’s Ziggy Marley. The five-time Grammy Award-winning musician, actor, artist, activist and humanitarian, Ziggy Marley returns to Australia after a five year absence. Ziggy Marley, the son of the legendary Bob Marley is, to many, the embodiment of his father. It is almost eerie to see the similarity, and with his Roots-Rock-Reggae style, Ziggy is the keeper of the flame. As well as playing the massive Bluesfest, he also plays a sideshow at The Corner Hotel on Monday April 9.

REBEL SOULJAHZ Fri 2 March

EDDIE PALMIERI Sat 3 March w/ Brian Lynch, Jose Claussell

SAM SPARRO

BEN KWELLER Mon 5 March

Just Announced

XAVIER RUDD Tue 20 March

BLUEJUICE Sat 28 April U18 2PM, 18+ 8PM

CATCALL Catcall will hit the road this May in support of her current summery single Satellites and to preview songs from her forthcoming debut album The Warmest Place (out May 4 through Ivy League). Satellites has been praised by blogs the world over and added to rotation on triple j – the national tour is yet another milestone in what has been a tremendous year so far for Catcall. She plays the Toﬀ In Town on Saturday May 12, with tickets available from Moshtix.

Where has Sam Sparro been for the last couple of years? Although it seems like he’s become a veritable Where’s Wally of the glittering post-disco world, we’re here to tell you that’s not true. Instead, he’s just been crafting some seriously good music. Along with front row love at Paris Fashion Week and Galliano wanting to be his bestie, Sam Sparro is back – he’s signed to EMI Australia for the world, and he’s bringing us along with him for his latest vision: a Return To Paradise. As well as closing the massive Sydney Mardi Gras party, he will perform an intimate sideshow at The Toﬀ In Town on Thursday March 8. Tickets from Moshtix.

w/ Loon Lake, The Cairos, Local

ANTI FLAG & STRIKE ANYWHERE Sun 27 May Coming Soon

Manchester Orchestra(USA) Wed 7 March Charles Bradley(USA) Sat 10 March Moshphere Fest ft. Sybreed(SUI) Sun 11 March Groundation(USA) Tue 13 March St.Vincent(USA) Wed 14 March Opiuo – Live Fri 16 March Amy Meredith Fri 23 March U18 4pm, 18+ 8pm

Che Fu & The Kratez Sat 24 March The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Thu 29 March–Sun 22 April John Butler Wed 25 April 2nd Show Added! Tue 24 April Sold out Six60(NZ) Fri 27 April Fu Manchu(USA) Sun 6 May Sick Of It All(USA) Wed 9 May The Maccabees(UK) Wed 16 May Tim Ripper Owens(USA) Thu 17 May Dead Letter Circus Fri 18 May Boy & Bear Sun 20 May – U18

TIX + INFO 1300 THE HIFI

THEHIFI.COM.AU Beat Magazine Page 20

125 SWANSTON STREET, MELBOURNE

THE CRYSTAL BOWLROOM From ‘79 to the early ‘80s the most exciting place in the world for music was St Kilda’s Crystal Ballroom. Punk evolved into post punk/new wave and bands like The Birthday Party developed a sound that blew the cobwebs out of the International scene. Thirty years later many of the bands from those days have reformed, some have never stopped, and gig around Melbourne to the delight of the ‘oldies’ who used to go to the Ballroom, and the ‘kids’ who have only know the legend. This Saturday March 3, members of a huge bunch of bands from this time, including The Birthday Party, Crime & The City Solution, Little Murders, The Ears, International Exiles, Models and more, are putting on a huge show at the St Kilda Bowing Club for a mere $20. We chatted to one of the organisers, Rob Wellington. Tell us a little bit about the Ballroom era: Mid ‘78 regular gigs began at the Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda. All the young freaks (we loved Bowie) from the suburbs found a home away from art school. Anything was allowed except violence and intolerance. The bands were diverse. From out and out punk rock to prog rock, from funk to analog synth boogie. The rule was no rules. People made music with whatever was at hand and we always had an audience. Sometimes they were fascinated, sometimes they were horrified, once they threw dog shit! But they were never bored. And the parties we’re something else. Remember this was pre-AIDS. Unfortunately it was also when Nixon blocked the heroin from coming into the States so tons of cheap powder were dumped on Melbourne. Fuck that shit! Interferon sucks! We made our own posters, covers by hand, albums made on twotracks. Missing Link and Augogo Records started up. We had the world’s first totally independent music scene. But we loved it when one of our bands was on Countdown! We all thought we were in the best band until the Birthday Party returned from the UK and reset the benchmark. Psychobilly took over the joint but most of us had moved to Europe or taken over mainstream music. What have been the long-term products of this era for the Melbourne music scene: Nick Cave, The Birthday Party, Models, Hunters And Collectors, Dave Graney, Lisa Gerrard, etc. Bands like The Reels, The Go-Betweens and The Triffids found a home away from home at the Ballroom. Bands like the Primitive Calculators have reformed to an excited new young audience. The ‘80s are back in and we’re all having fun reforming and gigging again. The bands playing at this gig

BLACK LIPS Having sold out their show at the Corner Hotel, hell-raising rock’n’rollers Black Lips have just announced a second Melbourne gig, taking place on Tuesday March 6 at The Tote in Collingwood. Just like the good ol’ days. This tour marks the third trip to Australia by the Atlanta four-piece, following their raucous inaugural dates way back in 2007. They have continued to tear apart stages all over the world and March 2012 shall be no diﬀerent. Also, Arabia Mountain rules. Tickets are available from The Tote.

PUSH OVER Placing a tidy cherry on top of the already massive Push Over 2012 lineup, the winner of triple j’s Unearthed slot has been announced. Joining the likes of Parkway Drive and 360 will be Melbourne rock outﬁt Money For Rope. The well-deserved win compounds what many local punters have been realising, with Money For Rope tearing up many a local stage and harnessing an ever-increasing loyal following. Money For Rope follow in the tradition of quality Australian artists such as Husky and Big Scary in scoring the coveted slot. Push Over 2012 takes place at Abbotsford Convent on Monday March 12.

ALABAMA 3 Alabama 3 will be performing an exclusive sideshow in Melbourne following their performance at Byron Bay Bluesfest. Alabama 3 are a British congregation of musicians mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, the group achieved international fame when the producers of hit TV series The Sopranos chose their track Woke Up This Morning for the show’s opening credits. Yeah. Those guys. They play the Prince Bandroom on Sunday April 8, with tickets available from the venue website.

STREAMS OF WHISKEY

Mick Harvey represent about a third of the great acts that are still playing from the scene. Bronwyn Adams is the violinist in the legendary Crime & The City Solution (see Wings Of Desire if you don’t know who they are). Crime have reformed and about to start work on a new album! Bronwyn epitomises what is unique and great about the scene. Mick Harvey (Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Birthday Party, Crime & The City Solution, etc) has enlisted Phill Calvert (Boys Next Door, Birthday Party, Psychedelic Furs) and the irrepressible Ron Rude to render Rowland S Howard songs from circa ‘78. These are songs that were never recorded from the Young Charlatans and the Boys Next Door when RSH joined them. This is probably going to be a once oﬀ performance, includes a special guest artist, and is deﬁnitely not to be missed. There are too many to list, really. How did you track down the six acts that are playing: They’re all still mates. Though I could throttle of a few of them now after organising the event. If one was to ignore their ears, what will the event smell, feel, look and taste like: The Crystal Ballroom with grey hair, an extra stone or two and wrinkles. Imagine old socks dipped in a mix of op shop moth balls, stale beer, bong water, a Strasburg and sandwich and Chanel Number 5. But seriously, if you never went there, this will get you a little closer. What other attractions will be available on the day: Sausage sizzle and an iPod full of Proto-Punk classics like Television, John Cale, the VU and The Modern Lovers. If you’re interested in the scene, if you’ve read the books, this is a chance to meet the people who were there when it happened.

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

Melbourne’s Streams of Whiskey will now be out of Oz on St Patrick’s day as they set oﬀ to paradise for a short tour. So to make up for it they are imploring you to join them in a week’s early celebration at the Bendigo Hotel. Doing Pogues and Irish classics this will be their last show for a long time. But they are going out with a bang on Saturday March 10 with support from ex-Ground Components Joe Mcguigan. Be there to say bon voyage at the Bendigo Hotel.

LOST ANIMAL We make no secret of our fondness for these guys, so we were pretty happy to hear that they scored two upcoming support slots for Dirty Three. Massive. Lost Animal perform with Dirty Three, Friday March 16 at The Palace in Melbourne (along with Laura Jean), and Sunday March 18 at Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal. Before then, you can see them at the sold out Golden Plains from Saturday March 10 - 12 and also supporting Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graﬃti at The Corner on Sunday March 4.

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

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

60 SECONDS WITH… SET SAIL Following a month-long tussle with the Department Of Immigration And Citizenship, Sydney trio Set Sail are pleased to announce the return of their lead singer Brandon Hoogenboom. Brandon, who had been deported to the United States after mistakenly playing shows on the wrong visa in January, has now been allowed to re-enter Australia. He has been granted a new visa sponsored by Sydney entertainment company The Harbour Agency that allows him to record and tour with the band once again. To celebrate the good news and welcome him back, Set Sail are shipping oﬀ on another set of shows, beaching at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday March 11.

GROOVIN’ THE MOO

SUPAFEST

Sad news for Groovin’ the Moo goers, Chiddy Bang will no longer be a part of the GTM 2012 national tour. The band have chosen to cancel their Australian commitments deciding to focus on their new TV and radio promotional opportunities for their upcoming album in the USA. GTM are oﬀering refunds for those who especially purchased tickets to see Chiddy Bang. Refunds will be available until 5pm on Friday March 2. On a happier note GTM have annouced that J Award Unearthed Artist Of The Year winners Ball Park Music will be joining the tour. Bendigo was announced as sold out last week, but perhaps with some refunds, your luck might change.

Supafest have announced more heavyweight acts to join one of the best urban lineups ever assembled to tour Australia. Joining gamechanger/namechanger P. Diddy, Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland and rappers Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross, Ice Cube and Trey Songz will be contraversial R&B supastar Chris Brown, hip hop legend Missy Elliott, old school favourites Naughty By Nature as well as rapper Big Sean. Supafest visits Melbourne on Saturday April 21. Tickets available from Ticketek.

RADIO MONASH With an illustrious history behind the station that extends all the way back to 1965, entirely studentoperated community radio station Radio Monash has developed a fearsome reputation for inspiring and cultivating a passion for the music industry among the generation’s brightest young minds, and trust us, they breed ‘em right. Join Melbourne’s most dedicated team of new-generation party animals and connoisseurs of fresh new music as the crew behind Radio Monash kick oﬀ their 2012 in inimitable style, with a bevy of the city’s ﬁnest up-and-coming bands including Animaux, The Good China, Young Maverick and Hot English. The Radio Monash Launch Party lands on the Northcote Social Club on Thursday March 15. Tickets are a mere $12+bf or $15 on the door.

THE BOMBAY ROYALE The magic and mayhem of vintage Bollywood collide in spectacular fashion whenever Melbourne’s own uncanny crew of masked marauders, The Bombay Royale, hit the stage. The Bombay Royale’s dizzying blend of haunting Hindi vocals, Tarantinoesque surf guitars, wild disco rhythms, shimmering sitars, ﬂamboyant theatrics, kaleidoscopic colour, outrageous costumes and irresistible dance moves that sweep entire crowds oﬀ their feet. The Bombay Royale’s debut album, You Me Bullets Love (due out on April 6 on HopeStreet Recordings through Fuse Music Group) is a revelation of a rare new sound that instantly bewitches your senses: exotic, teasing, cinematic and utterly exhilarating. The Bombay Royale launch You Me Bullets Love at The Hi-Fi on Saturday May 19 with a bevy of special guests to be announced. Tickets are on sale now from the Hi-Fi website, and you can check out the dazzling title track from the album at thebombayroyale.com.

DALLAS FRASCA So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? Dallas Frasca .... I sing, I howl at the moon, I play guitar, I save fish, I drive a tour van around the world and I paint sound. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? A grannie's fart with her ring gear busted (that was my guitarist’s first answer) I would say: “Slabs of guitar riffage, mammoth drums and soul screaming vocals.” Rock’n’roll to leave you with permanent ear damage. What do you love about making music? The possibilities are endless with what you can create. It’s challenging and rewarding at the same time. I am addicted to the feeling I get when I make music with my mates, then sharing it with people I have never met and seeing what it can do. It’s totally fascinating to me how powerful music can be and such a beautiful force. Music is the healer. What do you hate about the music industry? The doorless dunny at the Great Northern in Byron Bay. The lack of support for Australian bands getting airplay on commercial radio in their own home country. The strict licensing laws on venues. The dick heads who move next door to a venue without doing their research and then spend the rest of their time complaining about the noise. Airlines who discriminate against musicians with excess baggage (Virgin, you are now an exception, thank you guys!). If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why?

CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Etta James..… I’d love to show her what she encouraged. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Our brand new single All My Love. Not For Love Or Money (2009) and Learn Your Routes (2006). When’s the gig and with who? Friday March 9 at the Northcote Social Club with King Of The North and Rick Steward. Anything else to add? Man who walks through airport door sideways is going to Bangkok.

Beat Magazine Page 21

TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

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

INTERNATIONAL 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 BLACK VEIL BRIDES Thornbury Theatre 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 LADI6 Prince Bandroom March 2 SOUNDWAVE Melbourne Showgrounds March 2 JASON ISBELL Northcote Social Club 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 The Tote March 6, Corner Hotel March 7 MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA The Hi-Fi March 7 CHIC Billboard March 7 BON IVER Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 8 URGE OVERKILL The Espy March 8 BONOBO Corner Hotel March 5, 8 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Port Fairy March 9 - 12 ADAM COHEN Regal Ballroom March 9 WILD FLAG Corner Hotel March 9 BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY Regal Ballroom March 8, National Theatre March 9 ROOTS MANUVA Prince Bandroom March 10

Beat Magazine Page 22

PROUDLY PRESENTS:

JOSH PYKE The Forum May 11 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 PIETA BROWN Bella Union March 13 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 ONE PERFECT DAY South Gippsland March 17 CHARLES BRADLEY Corner Hotel March 18 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB The Forum 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, 33 ELECTRELANE Corner Hotel March 23 JAMES WALSH, SARAH MCLEOD The Espy March 23 BORIS Corner Hotel March 24 EVANESCENCE Rod Laver Arena March 24 JOHN FOGERTY Rod Laver Arena March 27 WOODEN SHJIPS Corner Hotel March 28 CROSBY, STILLS & NASH Palais Theatre March 29 KINA GRANNIS Ormond Hall March 29 STEVE EARLE Corner Hotel March 29, 30 THE ROYAL BATHS The Tote March 31 G3 Palais Theatre March 31, April 1 DEAD MEADOW Corner Hotel April 1 LUCINDA WILLIAMS Palais Theatre April 2 BRIAN SETZER’S ROCKABILLY RIOT The Palace April 3 BLITZEN TRAPPER Prince Bandroom April 3 THE POGUES Festival Hall April 4 MY MORNING JACKET The Palace April 4 YANN TIERSEN Recital Centre April 4 CANNED HEAT Corner Hotel April 4 BYRON BAY BLUESFEST Byron Bay April 5-9 TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE The Corner April 7 ALABAMA 3 Prince Bandroom April 8 NEW FOUND GLORY, TAKING BACK SUNDAY Festival Hall April 8 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS Corner Hotel April 8 SUBLIME Palace Theatre April 9 ZIGGY MARLEY Corner Hotel April 9 SEASICK STEVE Corner Hotel April 10 CANDI STATON Toﬀ In Town 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! HOODOO GURUS INVITATIONAL The Palace April 25 MARK LANEGAN BAND Forum Theatre April 26 AN HORSE Corner Hotel April 27 THE EXPLOITED Corner Hotel April 28 CHERRY ROCK Cherry Bar April 29 FU MANCHU The Tote April 30 CITY & COLOUR Palais Theatre May 2 ANDREW W.K. Corner Hotel May 4 WAVVES Corner Hotel May 9

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THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Corner Hotel May 10 dEUS Corner Hotel May 12 KAISER CHIEFS Palace Theatre May 16 THE MACCABEES The Hi-Fi May 16 MUTEMATH Corner Hotel May 17 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 18, 19 FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Rod Laver Arena May 20 LADY GAGA Rod Laver Arena June 27, 28, 30 MELISSA ETHERIDGE The Plenary July 15 RADIOHEAD Rod Laver Arena November 16, 17

NATIONAL ED KUEPPER Famous Spiegeltent March 1, Caravan Club March 2 FLAP! Ruby’s Lounge March 1, Regal Ball room March 2 LIOR Melbourne Zoo March 3 SAM SPARRO Toff In Town March 8 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 SET SAIL Northcote Social Club 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, 18 FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS Toff In Town March 17 CLARKEFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL Clarkefield March 18 XAVIER RUDD The Hi-Fi March 20, The Forum March 21 CANYONS The Toff In Town March 22 JACK LADDER Grace Darling March 29 BODYJAR, ANTISKEPTIC, ONE DOLLAR SHORT Corner Hotel March 31 YACHT CLUB DJS Prince Bandroom April 5, Bended Elbow April 6, Karova Lounge April 7, 8 THE MEDICS Northcote Social Club April 13 MY DISCO The Toff In Town April 15 BALL PARK MUSIC The Corner April 14, 15, 16 HUSKY Corner Hotel April 19, Barwon Club April 20 BLEEDING KNEES CLUB Northcote Social Club April 21 TIN SPARROW Grace Darling April 21 BIG SCARY The Corner Hotel April 24 JOHN BUTLER The Hi-Fi April 24, 25 BLUEJUICE The Hi-Fi April 28 SAN CISCO Corner Hotel May 2 GOSSLING Thornbury Theatre May 5 CALLING ALL CARS The Hi-Fi May 11 JOSH PYKE The Forum May 11 CATCALL Toff In Town May 12 BOY & BEAR The Hi-Fi May 20 LANIE LANE Corner Hotel May 26

RUMOURS Xiu Xiu, The Shins, Arcade Fire, The Roots, Sleigh Bells, Bruce Sprinsteen, No Doubt etc = New Announcements = Beat Proudly Presents

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Beat Magazine Page 23

MARILYN MANSON BY JOSHUA KLOKE

For many who are aware of him, the name Marilyn Manson is synonymous with a brand of insidious, anger-fuelled glam metal. Manson’s musical output also acted as a means to incite the deconstruction of such pillars of modern American society as Christianity, conformity and an obsession with violence. His tours in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s were explosive affairs, continually picketed and resisted by conservative political and religious groups, culminating in the blame he was served for his supposed role in the Columbine tragedy of 1999. Manson’s dedication to blatantly shocking and essentially pissing off his detractors essentially contributed to his success in terms of record sales. Yet the age in which Manson possessed the ability to shock based on live performances, stage costumes and lyrical content has long passed. The internet soon rose to widespread popularity after the Columbine shootings and eventually, Manson’s outlandish approach was replaced by millions of citizens willing to say or do anything for 15 minutes of fame. The society that once vilified Manson has become desensitised. And a decade after his peak in popularity, bringing up his name in conversation might have you hearing cries of, “Who?” Now with Born Villain, his implicitly-titled eighth fulllength on the way (and first not on major label imprint Interscope) Manson finds himself at a crossroads: is his shock-filled approach still relevant in this day in age? And if not, what’s to become of Marilyn Manson? “A lot of times, a large portion of people, especially in America, aren’t interested in finding something deeper. Sure, sometimes I like the jingle on the commercial. But at the end of the day, when you go to sleep, you’re locked in a moment when you remember certain images, songs, smells and sounds that stay with you forever,” says the remarkably chatty Manson reached on the phone for an in-depth conversation from his Los Angeles home, which doubles as a studio where he laid much of the groundwork for Born Villain. “And that’s what allows me to have an attitude where I can objectify the fact that people treat what I made as a product, but not get mad and take it personally. I can treat it not as a product, but as something that comes from me. I can still be happy about making it. And I also know how to adapt to what I believe is a great new environment. A lot of people have never heard my music; I would never walk into a room or a situation and have the arrogance or actually, ignorance to assume that they know what I’ve done before. I want to play them (Born Villain) just as they would my first record, and have them like it for the same reason.” As the oft-reclusive Manson continues, he begins to shed the thick exterior he presented in the past. He soon speaks openly regarding not only his fears about his place in the world, but how he would soon overcome them. “I was struggling very hard to figure out where I would fit in this changing world. For someone that’s against everything and then suddenly, they’re a part of everything. And in that Warhol, Salvador Dali sense, I was just trying to make it out alive.” What Manson chose to do was get back to basics, in a way only he could. “For me, I can’t say it was simple but it was important Beat Magazine Page 24

to go back and give myself no other options,” continues the 43-year old, born Brian Hugh Warner. “Limitations are a very strong thing for artists to have. I moved into a place and started painting, and only gave myself one colour: black, with white paper. We started making this record, and made it with the limitations of immediacy and urgency. It wasn’t so much improvisation as it was figuring out that when you only have a pencil and a guitar or a drumstick it’s almost reinventing the wheel. And I like limitations. They work for me. It worked for me back when I didn’t even have any songs, and I could only draw.” The self-imposed limitations may have provided Manson with the inspiration necessary to begin work on Born Villain, but they soon led to a greater opportunity: Manson became able to truly articulate himself as the artist he’s always wanted to be. Believe it or not, Manson has now become an even more dangerous provocateur. “[Born Villain] represents my personality and it represents what the band intended to be when we started. It’s given me a desire to fuck things up in the way that I wanted to in the past. I’ve stopped making myself the enemy. I’ve stopped making the world the enemy. I just started making blank spots, and said, ‘Would you like to be the enemy?’ Insert your name here.” Manson’s records have always been rather easy to compartmentalise; but to actually question the man behind the madness, he slowly reveals himself as deceitfully self-aware. In 2012, Manson sees himself less as crusader of a cause and more of an artist who has finally gotten back in touch with what pushed him to start creating music under the Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids moniker over 20 years ago. “[Bassist and founding member Twiggy Ramire] and I made an agreement from the first record we made,” he says, thoughtfully reflecting on the early days of the band. “From the day that first album came to life, we made a pact: we never wanted any more than what we had. We wanted to play rock’n’roll as long as we could until we didn’t want to do it anymore. Going way up and having all sorts of riches then destroying yourself and having nothing; everyone has to go through that at some point.” “I wanted to make it something that, over the past few albums, it didn’t start to become less passionate, but less fun for me. And art was always the thing that brought some fulfillment to me. And it had started to slip away.” With Born Villain, Manson has regained control of what he lost. He took his time, refused to rush the process and allowed his newfound creativity to take him wherever it could. Simply considering the title of the album itself, it’s

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clear Born Villain is ripe with suggestions. Ten years ago Manson was vilified because of the music he made. Then in a 2009 interview, he alluded that he was “fucked up” simply because he was from America. Born Villain could very well be Manson’s crowning achievement, in that he’s finally making the kind of statement many long hoped he would. Manson welcomes the hate, as it exposes a larger and more pertinent truth; Manson was hated because there is an overwhelming hate which exists all around us. Hate is something of a currency. “It could be a question or nature or nurture,” he says, when this statement is posed to him. “Can someone be born a villain, or when you recreate yourself or when I became Marilyn Manson, that was a reinvention or my former self, Brian Warner. I can remember the exact day I was sitting in a restaurant and I said to the person I was with, ‘I really want to be the vilified pariah.’ I felt like it was what I needed. I’d been beat up by skinheads because they thought I was Jewish. Being beat up by straight edge kids because they thought I did drugs. Being beat up for no reason; and I’m not jaded. Everyone gets beat up. I just notice the utter senselessness and stupidity.” The making of Born Villain, jointly released on Manson’s own Hell, etc. Records and Cooking Vinyl Records, was also an opportunity for him to look back on his on another part of his life which was plagued by senselessness: his time spent as a puppet for a major label. Amidst the changes to his career, it’s still refreshing to know that he never lost the ability to paint a vivid picture of the situation with trademark Manson wit. “Here’s a profane reference, or metaphor: If you are having oral sex with a woman and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘Wow, this is wonderful!’ and you just want to keep doing it. But then you think to yourself, ‘Wait, people have also told me that mustard is great,’ so you put mustard on it just to change it, and keep going. These labels, they love something but then they want to try something different because everyone’s telling them something else to do. They get afraid of just loving something just because. It’s not the artist, they think, it’s the formula. But people identify with stuff that really hits them.” It’s Manson’s hope that Born Villain will indeed hit fans, without the mustard. While he’s open to acknowledging his past, he’s more content to move forward. Shocking those around him is not a concern for him, and he doubts it ever was. Turns out Manson, in his continued fight to be honest, may be more relevant now than ever. “Whatever I’ve done, it’s certainly led us to this conversation. I’ve always said that I can’t possibly be shocking. And believe it or not, I said that when I started out. What you can be is confusing, and interesting. It’s a form of communication. And all that added to the determination of making this record. I think this will be considered the best Marilyn Manson record. It’s the most true to how I wanted it to be.” MARILYN MANSON is part of the massive Soundwave lineup appearing at Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday March 2. Born Villain is slated for release later in the year via Shock.

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Beat Magazine Page 25

THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN

The Shadow Electric, located in the enthralling surroundings of the Abbotsford Convent, has been one of the highlights of summer this year. Continuing their excellent mixture of new release films and old school movies, the crew have programmed an enticing and diverse lineup this week. This Thursday March 1 features legendary New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, who has been chronicling fashion trends in his “On The Street” column for years. Bill Cunningham New York is a funny and often poignant portrait of the artist. Friday March 2 premieres Cinema Paradiso. Set in post-war Italy and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, this Oscar-winning film centres on a famous film director who reminisces about his childhood at the local cinema, where Alfredo the projectionist introduced him to the magical world of cinema. Saturday March 3 showcases Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Based on the novel by Stephen King, The Shining is everything you want from a horror story: creepy premonitions, horrifying visions and a very scary Jack Nicholson. To round off the week, Martin Scorcese’s brilliant Goodfellas documents life in the mob. Starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci, it’s one of the best gangsta films ever made.

ON STAGE Wrapping up this week, The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910–37, features artwork from Germany in the early 20th century where the country was situated in turmoil. Following the First World War, the monarchy was abolished and replaced with the Weimar Republic. This was a era of political unrest, but it was also an era of optimism deﬁned by industrial development, innovation, and unprecedented freedom of expression. The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910–37 shows the diversity of the art created in this period. Featuring work from renowned international and Australian collections, this is the most comprehensive exhibition of German modernism to be seen in Australia. The exhibition closes this Sunday March 4.

ON DISPLAY DH Lawrence’s controversial erotic tale of a physical relationship between a working class man and an aristocratic woman drew much criticism for its explicit descriptions of sex and its employment of words that were at the time of print considered unprintable. Adapted and directed by Glenn Elston, Lady Chatterley’s Lover will be put on stage in the beautiful foreground of the grand mansion at Rippoonlea House and Gardens in Elsternwick, until Thursday March 8.

BEAT’S PICK OF THE WEEK: The Melbourne Museum staﬀ know that if you’re a 20 or 30-something without kids, you probably don’t go to the museum much. It’s open during the day while you’re at work, or sleeping whilst you’re on the dole, and on the weekends it’s full of children and families. So the programmers have come up with an idea to entice you back there: the SmartBar: an adults-only evening at the museum where you can grab a drink, listen to chilled-out tunes and wander around the exhibits. The Melbourne Museum SmartBar is on Thursday March 1. Tickets and more information available from museumvictoria.com.au

Beat Magazine Page 26

AND THE BIRDS FELL FROM THE SKY BY ELIZABETH REDMAN

You can watch films in a lot of places now: on aeroplanes, on your laptop, on tiny mobile phones and in cavernous cinemas. The creators of And The Birds Fell From The Sky are showing a short film inside video goggles, which is fairly creative in itself. But this production is much more than a film; it’s an interactive, immersive film and theatrical experience, and it’s best understood by going along to a performance. Director Silvia Mercuriali is keen to avoid giving too much away about the plot. “The real thing about the show is the way that we use technology,” she says. She and filmmaker Simon Wilkinson have brought their different interests together. “I’ve been working a lot with the idea of instructing people to create an experience where they would feel involved as the central character. And Simon, in his own research, has been looking into the way to make film that is somehow interactive.” The result is a show that’s unlike a traditional play or a film and is known as an ‘autoteatro’ style production. The show lasts 20 minutes and there are only two audience members present for most of that time. It’s performed repeatedly for around six hours a day. But because of its interactive nature, the audience members actually do some of the performing. Participants are given a set of video goggles that play the film right in front of their eyes. They also receive a set of headphones that provide audio instructions for simple actions at different points. The actions are synchronised with the film, which is shot in first person. For example, you might be directed to stretch out your arm. As you do so, you can’t see your arm because the video goggles are in the way, but, you can see an actor in the film stretching out their arm right where yours would be. “Your brain is automatically drawing a parallel between the two and telling you the hand on the screen is your hand,” Wilkinson explains. “It’s been explored by psychologists with an experiment called the ‘rubber hand illusion’. Its effect is where your brain starts telling you this fake hand, in this case the video hand, is your own hand. And so you become immersed. It’s a process called ‘body transfer’. So you get the sense that your body is transferred to the video image.” Participants are immersed in the fictional world in

other ways. They are moved through the space, losing their sense of location. Odours are also released at appropriate moments in the ﬁlm. Mercuriali tries not to give anything away but uses the example of the smell of alcohol, which could appear in reality when a bottle is opened in the ﬁlm.

“WHEN FILM WAS FIRST INVENTED IN THE 1890S IT WAS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MAGIC LANTERNS. THE MOVING WAS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY AND HELD THEIR ATTENTION VERY STRONGLY. BUT THESE DAYS IT’S BECOME QUITE A TIRED MEDIUM.” “It’s about real people becoming characters which are completely fictional,” she says. “And it gives the audience an opportunity to become immersed in a world that doesn’t exist, that you can only create with film, especially for the extreme journey we take them on. What I’m interested in is not just watching somebody else performing, it’s about creating an experience for an audience member.” Part of the immersive, fictional world is the Faruk clowns. “They are a tribe of people that used to live alongside humans about 10,000 years ago before the discovery of

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agriculture,” Mercuriali explains in all seriousness. “They remained much more in touch with the instinct part of our nature. So they don’t know rules. They don’t know right and wrong.” The Faruk clowns appear on film to accompany the participants on their journey, but other elements of the experience need real-life ushers. “There are some people looking after the participants who are literally running the show for them,” Mercuriali says. “Simon and I will be in Melbourne for the first two days and then we’re leaving it. It’s like creating this creature that gains some sort of freedom to live a life of its own.” It’s no accident that she talks about the production living its own life. Wilkinson is interested in linking film with something live. “When film was first invented in the 1890s it was following in the footsteps of magic lanterns,” he says. “The moving was quite extraordinary and held their attention very strongly. But these days it’s become quite a tired medium.” “So I wanted to do something that linked something live, that was there with you in the room, with something that was pre-recorded and explore what potential that had.” It sounds like shooting the film would have been a challenge as movies are usually filmed from a third person perspective, rather than in first person. Wilkinson explains that he’s in the process of making a new film where the camera is attached to the front of his helmet, which makes the process easier. Mercuriali says audiences are loving the show. “In general people are just really happy to be given the opportunity of being part of something that is extremely wild, where the fictional world is really wild. It’s a world that you wouldn’t want to be part of in real life. “It’s just a surprising feeling of being part of something that, even though they know it’s absolutely fictional, feels really real. Mostly they really love it.” And The Birds Fell From The Sky is on at the Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall from Wednesday February 29 – Sunday March 18. For more information and bookings visit artshouse.com.au

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Beat Magazine Page 27

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

BEYOND THE NECK

ODYSSEY You’ve got to have skills in order to carry an entire show on your own. And for Andreas Litras, that doesn’t seem to be an issue. Following a decade of standing ovations and critical accolades around the globe, his remarkable one-man show, Odyssey, in which he parallels his family history with that of Homer’s Ancient Greek hero Odysseus, is heading back Down Under. Stunning in its irreverence, passion and intense joy, Andreas Litras’ Odyssey will be performed at The Open Stage from March 13-31. For bookings, head to antipodefestival.com.au and for more information, dial 1300 099 660.

FIVE THEMES Oh, ACMI. Always coming up with the goods. After having travelled to some of the most exciting and lucrative hot spots around the world, William Kentridge’s Five Themes will be making its way down to Melbourne as of next month – and we couldn’t be more stoked. Well known for his stop motion ﬁlms of charcoal drawings, Kentridge’s multi-disciplinary approach will be showcased through over 60 works ranging from animations, drawings and prints to theatre models, sculptures and books. He’s a very talented man, that one. To experience such talent, head to ACMI from March 8 – May 27.

NEW12 Sometimes we all just need a little kick or push to get where we want to go. And, with the help of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, this makes it pretty easy for some. Every year, 6-10 rising Australian contemporary artists are oﬀered the rare opportunity to make a bold, brave new work and have it shown in one of the country’s ﬁnest exhibition spaces. Now in its tenth year, the exhibition will feature new works from upcoming artists such as Bennett Miller and Charlie Sofo. Expect great things – and head along to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art to experience them from March 17 – May 20.

MELBOURNE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL Easily known as one of the largest queer film festivals in the world, the MQFF is getting set to screen another year of challenging and entertaining queerthemed films at various Melbourne locations next month. But what sort of festival would it be without a few special guests? Producer of the documentary Kink Crusaders, Wayne Mack, will be amongst a plethora of other creative sorts gracing their presence on the festival. Spanning over 11 days, the festival holds numerous events and a whole bunch of entertainment. MQFF will be held from March 15-25. To find out all the details as well as locations where the event will be held, head to mqff.com.au.

Beat Magazine Page 28

It’s been a long time coming but, ﬁnally, Tasmanian playwright Tom Holloway’s production Beyond The Neck is on its way to make its Victorian premiere. A harrowing play dealing with the power of community, recovery and coming to terms with life changing experiences, Beyond The Neck – set in the aftermath of the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre – focuses its attention on four individuals, each one dealing with personal and very separate tragedy. Having already received rave reviews, experience Tom Holloway’s Beyond The Neck at Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre on March 14-15. Tickets available from redstitch.net or on 9533 8083.

NEBULA Arts Access Victoria is pleased to announce the launch of its latest project, the revolutionary Nebula arts space – and so are we. Nebula is Australia’s ﬁrst portable arts space created with the needs of artists with a disability at the centre of its design. Nebula adapts to the art and the artists by placing the needs and intentions of the artists at the centre of its function, transforming into a gallery, workshop/ seminar space or performing arts venue. Launching in conjunction with ACMI’s William Kentridge: Five Themes exhibition, Nebula will also showcase animations made by Art Day South artists, as inspired by Kentridge’s proliﬁc work. Feel like getting in amongst it? Join the crew at Federation Square Amphitheatre on Monday March 5, 6pm.

GASWORKS Our friends at Gasworks are the givers that just keep on giving. Bringing the magic of children’s stories to life, Gasworks Arts Park will play host to two acclaimed children’s performances as part of the Gasworks Kids School Holiday Program. Ready to be gently caressed with a little bit of nostalgia? How does Roald Dahl’s James & The Giant Peach as well as the much loved classic, Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit sound? Good? Yeah, we thought so. See James & The Giant Peach performed live on Thursday April 5 and Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit on Saturday May 12. For more information and bookings, head to gasworks.org.au.

FORD + CHU Much like The Spice Girls sang about two becoming one, Melbourne photographer, Charlie Ford, and artist, Mark Chu, have joined forces with the latest exhibition, FORD + CHU. The exhibition will portray mixed media works in support of their upcoming short film, Kylo & Quentin Emerge from the Opera. Drawing on themes from the film, the exhibition will be a celebration of multiple art forms, and the cinematic endeavour of filmmakers. FORD & CHU’s works will be on display for the weekend of Saturday March 3 – Sunday March 4 at 48 River Street, South Yarra. Get down there while you can!

Everyone has their “thing”. For some, it might be basketball. For others, it might be stamp collecting. But for concertmaster, Dale Barltrop, it’s the violin. As Dale says, ‘If there’s such a thing as destiny, mine was to play the violin. From the moment I entered the world, I was fascinated by the beauty of musical sounds.’ And now, that musical beauty that Dale speaks of will be directed and handcrafted for your listening pleasure. Dale will play the role as director, embracing all that is beautiful and portraying it through the power of string, brasswind, woodwind – you name it. Witness and listen as Dale Barltrop directs on Friday March 30 at 7pm. Head to anam. com.au for more information.

What can be better than the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra? Well, when they have a special guest added, of course. Five-time Grammy nominee, Chris Botti, will join the MSO for two special performances. Since the release of his 2004 CD, When I Fall In Love, Botti has become the largest-selling American Jazz instrumental artist – and with four No. 1 albums, three gold records and an unprecedented double-platinum DVD, he’s obviously doing something right. Chris Botti will bring that extra bit of spice to the MSO at the State Theatre on Saturday March 10 and Sunday March 11, 2pm. For tickets, head to theartscentre.com. au or mso.com.au.

WILLIAM RICKETTS EXHIBITION

SHADOW ELECTRIC We all love a good outdoor cinema, don’t we? Yes, we do. And, lucky us – The Shadow Electric is excited to announce its March program, with 15 new ﬁlms added to the calendar. Without sounding too much like a warehouse outlet clearance, rush and get in while you can, people. With just a little over a month left, our friends at Shadow Electric HQ have a star-studded of guests lineup that will be gracing their screen for the month of March, including the likes of Jack Nicholson in The Shining and Chevy Chase in Caddyshack. For the full program, head to shadowelectric.com.au.

BON APPETIT! We all like to eat, so this one’s deﬁnitely for everyone. ACCA is thrilled to announce their latest restaurant partnership with the hugely talented Andrew McConnell and his Elysian wonderplace, Golden Fields, as he brings impeccable knowledge together with superb craft to reinvent and innovate. With dumplings to die for, luscious lamb and a marvellous meringue, Andrew and his passionate team are taking casual dining to a new level of sophistication. So get an experience like none other and head down to ACCA. Best part of it all? Admission is free!

DALE BARLTROP

CHRIS BOTTI

Imagine heaven on Earth. Imagine roaming through excessive greenery. Imagine looking at sculptures and sculptures of hand-crafted genius. Now imagine all of this in an exhibition of photographic images. There’s no need to travel too far or wide for an unbelievable encounter. Experience the magic of William Ricketts Sanctuary as the sculptures are brought to life through a series of photographic images. But this isn’t merely just a face-value exhibition. It will also serve as a tribute and fundraiser, with all funds raised going straight to the Sanctuary. Head to The Hut Gallery from Saturday April 14 to witness the magic of the William Ricketts sculptures.

TERRAIN We may have to wait until mid-year, but as of June this year, we will get the opportunity to experience the timeless wonder and spiritual resonance of Lake Eyre. Internationally acclaimed Bangarra Dance Theatre will bring their raw energy and talent to Melbourne with their new work, Terrain, by celebrated Aboriginal choreographer, Frances Rings. Beyond the ancient vastness, be prepared to be transported through drought and deluge, witnessing the ephemeral transformation of place where nature delivers in abundance, promises all, but guarantees nothing. View our land like never before as Terrain comes to the Arts Centre from June 29 – July 7. Tickets available from artscentremelbourne.com.au.

VAN PARK Proving a huge success at the inaugural Sydney Fringe festival, Van Park is on its way to Melbourne to deliver its brilliance. Starring the likes of Australian rock legend, John Paul Young, Steve Kilbey and many more, this musical farce tells the tale of a group of washed up rockers who wind up in a Caravan Park, and the story of a sensitive young boy coming of age amongst these battle-hardened creatures. Just as his 1975 chart-topping song Yesterday’s Hero lamented a star’s fall into obscurity, Mr Young’s character in Van Park faces much a similar fate. Watch the washed-up rockers in action at Chapel Oﬀ Chapel from March 21 – April 1. For bookings, call Chapel Oﬀ Chapel on 8290 7000.

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

COCKROACH Remember those overly intense and informative chats in the classroom? Well, here’s the perfect opportunity to relive those times. Sam Holcroft’s award-winning Cockroach is on its way, and it’s sure to get an entire audience of brains ticking. Dark, uplifting and confronting, Cockroach tells of a teacher that strikes Darwin’s theory of evolution straight into the heart of a group of students, trapped in a Biology detention class – a microcosm of the war happening outside the school gates. Become swept up in the tale as Canberra Youth Theatre presents Cockroach at St Martins Youth Arts Centre from March 8-10. Tickets available from stmartinsyouth. com.au/book-tickets

“SEX IS KICKING DEATH IN THE ASS WHILE SINGING” THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STRAP-ON SEX - KARLYN LOTNEY ($29.95) Dildos and harnesses are purchased and used worldwide by a wide range of people - women and men; singles and couples; gay, straight, and bi. The Ultimate Guide to Strap-on Sex explains how to choose and use these sex aids and includes ways to enhance sexual experiences. The author weaves quotes from her workshop students throughout the informal, humorous text.

THE ETHICAL SLUT - DOSSIE EASTON, JANET W HARDY ($26.95) For anyone who has ever dreamed of love, sex, and companionship beyond the limits of traditional monogamy, this groundbreaking guide navigates the inﬁnite possibilities that open relationships can offer. Experienced ethical sluts Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy dispel myths and cover all the skills necessary to maintain a successful and responsible polyamorous lifestyle from self-reﬂection and honest communication to practicing safe sex and raising a family.

LEATHERSEX - JOSEPH W. BEAN ($22) THREEWAYS - DIANA CAGE ($24.95) Learn how to get caught in the center - or the side, or top, or whichever position you prefer - of the action. No matter the combination you savor - two men, two women, or something in between - Diana Cage dispenses advice to guarantee a hot time was had by all. Here are the dos and don’ts, ins and outs, and pros and cons to satisfying your curiosity and satiating your lover(s). So stop sitting on the sidelines, jump into the center, and start having the time of your life!

HEROTICA 7 - MARCY SHEINER ($24.95) The exotic and the erotic meet in journeys of desire as diverse as the cultural backgrounds of the characters. Each short story is an example of the heated passion and the politics of arousal that erupt when people of different cultures come together. The authors explore their fantasies, their prejudices, and the ways in which cultural differences can be at once an attracting force and a seemingly impenetrable barrier. Twenty-six tales of complex relationships draw a multi-hued picture of race, religion, and culture’s impact on passion and desire.

FETISH SEX - VIOLET BLUE ($29.95) Fetish Sex: An Erotic Guide for Couples demystiﬁes and breaks down the deﬁnition of a fetish, takes the time to explain why the fetish is alluring and what to do when one is curious about how to play with that fetish. Violet Blue’s frank and friendly introduction to the world of fetish includes practical advice, sensual perspectives, and erotic short stories by Thomas Roche to tantalize and inspire.

Everyone wants a more interesting and fulﬁlling erotic life. With that in mind, this book was written to give guidance to one popular style of erotic play which the author calls “leathersex”-sexuality that may include S/M, bondage, dominance, submission, fantasy, role playing, sensual physical stimulation, and fetish, to name just a few. If you are simply curious about leathersex, or if you already enjoy its pleasures but want to learn more, this book is for you!

COMPLETE SHIBARI VOLUME 2: SKY - DOUGLAS KENT ($39.95) Complete Shibari Volume 2 builds on the material from Volume 1: Land and explores the spectacular techniques of erotic rope suspensions. With short, clear explanations and over 340 lavish, step-by-step illustrations and photographs, Douglas Kent takes the intimidating world of shibari suspensions and makes it practical and straightforward. This guide covers everything from scene safety, through establishing anchor points and selecting suspension hardware, to the physics and skills needed to suspend a human body safely and beautifully.

URBAN TANTRA - BARBARA CARRELLAS ($26.95) If you think sexual and spiritual bliss can’t be found in today’s fast-paced world, you haven’t experienced Urban Tantra. With a juicy mix of erotic how-to and pleasure-centered spiritual wisdom, acclaimed sex educator Barbara Carrellas radically updates the ancient practice of Tantra for modern sexual explorers desiring to push past their edge in search of the great cosmic orgasm.

MELBOURNE LIVE SCENE GROWS 3.2% IN VOLUME

“beat most popular music print media” NMIT State of Play Survey 2012 The Melbourne live scene grew 3.2% in volume in the 12 months between Sept 2010 to August 2011. According to the NMIT’s annual State Of Play report, there were 81, 113 listed/advertised gigs by solo artists, duos, groups and djs in 570 venues. Of this, 40, 066 were listed performances by musicians (a rise of 4.1%) and 41,047 by djs (a 2% rise). According to the study, Beat proved the most popular of the music print media among those surveyed, getting a 38% thumbs up, and soundly beating In-Press (27%) and J Mag (8%).

For further information visit www.stateofplay.net.au CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 29

THE MAD SQUARE BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE

Pre-Nazi Weimar Germany was a time of unprecedented hedonism, hyperinflation and general sexual and intellectual badassery. Though their political governance despaired the overpopulation and economic shitstorm they’d wound up in following WWI, Berlin was a centre of booming cultural efficacy, hosting saucy strip shows and birthing a movement in modernist, avant-garde art. And in the largest Australian survey show of this artistic movement to date, its greats have been celebrated as the NGV’s centerpiece this summer, The Mad Square: Modernity In German Art 1910–37, tracing its origins until its untimely end with Nazi occupation. With time running out to get an eyeful of this evocative and salacious selection, assistant curator Maggie Finch gushes formidably about some of the incredible works and their historical context. “This is the broadest show that looks at the real diversity of practice that was occurring in Germany at that time,” she said. “One of the main emphases behind the show is to look at this idea of edginess, and artists that were really pushing the formal, intellectual and moral boundaries. Artists who were really responding to the time – that’s one of the key ideas behind the show.” With many a keen, debaucherous artistic eye fixed on what unfolded in Germanic cities, the modernists, Dadaists, surrealists and constructivists created some of the most profoundly subversive, and historically accurate art to represent a carefree, morallyunbridled time in the country’s history. One of the best representations of this ‘diarist’ art, as Finch calls it, is Rudolf Schlichter’s Tingel Tangel, a depiction of the interior of a cabaret, which looks suspiciously like a Berlin transvestite bar. Here, an androgynous cast of performers entertain civilians. “They’re quite grotesque in their features, the way they’ve been depicted. They’re wearing really incredible, really modern, quite wild outfits, but then in front of them the people depicted as watching them performing are all military men, or officers, bureaucrats – so this mixture of all the different classes attending the cabaret. But none

of them actually look at each other. It’s a very strange depiction where they all seem very psychologically isolated. It’s a sense of the vice-ridden view of Berlin.“ And though these vices spawned a prolific period of artistic creativity, it proved a gateway-drug to greater evil. In 1933 when Hitler and the National Socialists gained power, one of their first targets was what they saw as the morally bankrupt movement of avant-garde art. The final room of the exhibition traces some of the art being created and disparaged around this period. “A lot of the artists that you see in previous areas of the exhibition are suddenly banned from exhibiting. A lot of their work gets confiscated, or destroyed, or sold on the international market, and a lot of those artists then leave Germany and go into what they call a state of inner-exile. So they stayed in Germany but they just switched off.” The Nazi party coined the term ‘Degenerate Art’, said Maggie, to denigrate the excesses of the avant-garde artists. But in a bizarre move, instead of getting rid of the art, they exhibited the works countrywide in 1937, in The Degenerate Art Exhibition, which toured Germany for several years. It brought together hundreds of works that they had labelled ‘degenerate’ and was visited by millions of German people. However, being labelled ‘degenerate’ was particularly distressing for some of the artists, said Maggie. “Ludwig Kirchner, for example, after learning that he had gone into the show, left Germany and went into a state of exile and ended up committing suicide. Other artists like Max Beckmann again left the minute they were classified in this way, and it was a terrible moment but a very interesting one to reflect on at the end on the exhibition.”

“ONE OF THE UNDERLYING THINGS WITH A LOT OF THE ARTISTS IN THIS EXHIBITION IS THEY WERE TRYING TO FIND A NEW TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES”

But Maggie notes that while the National Socialists put a very severe and abrupt end to the art movements occurring in Germany, one of the most wonderful things the exhibition bares is the survival of the artistic period’s legacy. Works and artists continued the movement outside of Germany, emigrating and smuggling works and skills to the US and even to Australia. Looking at these works retrospectively helps to reflect on the time period with perhaps a bit of a message. “One of the underlying things with a lot of the artists in this exhibition is they were trying to find a new truth for themselves because Germany was in such a crazy state. And you get this sense of Germany trying to respond to what happened, and trying to look forward. Art helps us to

reflect on good and bad situations, and it’s a bit of a morality lesson when you do get to the end of the exhibition…see what can happen.” But these German masterpieces must return from whence they came, and to say sayonara the NGV are holding their annual Goodbye Summer picnic in the sculpture garden on St. Kilda Rd. Sunday March 4 will be the last time you can tour the Weimar excesses, and coincidentally the day of the picnic.

United only by their contemporariness, these five new works are set to be some of the highlights of MTC’s program overall.

The Melbourne Theatre Company’s Lawler Studio Season will kick off on Tuesday April 17 with Boy Girl Wall. For bookings and further information, visit mtc.com.au.

Don’t miss out – The Mad Square: Modernity In German Art 1910–37 finishes up at the National Gallery of Victoria this Sunday March 4.

MTC LAWLER STUDIO SEASON 2012 BY REBECCA HARKINS-CROSS As Australia’s oldest professional theatre company, the Melbourne Theatre Company has in recent years gained a reputation for traditionalism. They may be one of the most popular companies in the country, taking a record 20,000 subscriptions in 2010, but they are not renowned for taking programming risks. MTC set out to challenge this perception with the launch of their Lawler Studio in 2009, an intimate 150-seat venue that provides a space to showcase new plays and playwrights. The Lawler Studio’s 2012 season continues with this goal, injecting some much needed fresh blood with five exciting new works announced this week. The 2012 season will begin on Tuesday April 17 with Boy Girl Wall, a new work by Brisbane outfit The Escapists that has already enjoyed three sell-out seasons in Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre. A one-man show starring Lucas Stibbard, it is the story of Thom, an IT professional-cum-amateurastronomer, and Althea, a children’s book author with writer’s block, both lonely singles eking out their existences in neighbouring apartments. That is, until the adjoining wall steps in, who wants them to find love so badly that it will destroy itself in the process. Tinged with magic realism, Boy Girl Wall brings to life inanimate objects, all of which are acted out by Stibbard using minimal props such as chalkboards, an overhead projector and sock puppets. While this may sound more whimsical than one can bear, reviewers in The Escapists’ home state have assured that this simple love story is saved by Lucas Stibbard’s powerful performance (which earned him a Helpmann Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play in 2011). Next up is On The Production Of Monsters, a world premiere from Melbourne playwright Robert Reid that will be staged from May 23–June 9. Known for tackling contemporary subject matters as the Artistic Director of independent company Theatre In Decay — 2003’s All Of Which Are American Dreams examined the invasion and occupation of Iraq whilst 2004’s Empire dealt with racism, terrorism and ideas of “mateship”. Reid made his MTC debut last year with The Joy Of Text, which took on the topic of the student/teacher sex scandal with acerbic wit. Here Reid turns his satirical eye towards the furore that enveloped photographer Bill Henson in 2008 when a series of images were seized by police under allegations of child pornography. Taking the perspective of parents Ben (James Saunders) and Shari (Virginia Gay), your stereotypical inner-city Melburnians, this two hander examines the media mania that ensued with humour and horror in equal measure. This will also be director Clare Watson’s MTC debut. German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig is one of the most prolific and widely produced playwrights in contemporary Europe, yet has only recently been

Beat Magazine Page 30

recognised internationally. MTC will be bringing his 2009 work The Golden Dragon to the Australian stage for the first time, running from June 20–July 7, which has already been produced in Europe, the US and Canada to much applause. Set in a bustling Chinese Restaurant, The Golden Dragon begins with a young illegal immigrant who works there suffering from a severe tooth infection. Unable to seek medical assistance, the tooth is wrenched from his mouth, literally, in an act of amateur emergency dentistry. When the rotten fang unwittingly lands in the bottom of a bowl of Thai soup with chicken, this causes a string of events from which the episodic narrative ensues. This bold play transcends boundaries of race, gender and age, with women playing men, Caucasians playing Asians and the old playing the young. It will be directed by Daniel Clarke, the CEO and Creative Director of Theatre Works, who first worked with MTC last year as Assistant Director to Simon Phillips in The Importance Of Being Earnest. Another collaboration with a Brisbane theatre company, Helicopter is a new play written by Angela Betzien and directed by Leticia Caceres of Real TV, which will have its premiere season from August 2–17. Their most recent production for Belvoir The Dark Room, a thriller set in a motel in the Northern Territory, won the 2011 Sydney Theatre Award for best new Australian work. Jacob has been mollycoddled by his overbearing mother (the “helicopter” of the play’s title) since birth, while his neighbour Thomas has fled war-torn South Sudan. By placing these two youths of varying privileges side-by-side, Helicopter investigates the polarity between the first and third world, and what happens with these realms collide. The season will conclude with Happy Ending (September 5–22), a world premiere and MTC debut for local playwright Melissa Reeves, which was commissioned after being read as part of MTC’s Cybec Readings series last year. Susie Dee will direct this piece about a middle-aged woman who becomes infatuated with a handsome young Chinese masseur in the local shopping centre. This comical portrait looks at the nature of female desire, exploring the fantasy life of an ageing woman who refuses to abandon her sexuality. Reeves most recently received critical acclaim for Furious Mattress, while Susie Dee directed Taxi for last year’s Big West Festival, Patricia Cornelius’ site-specific work that allowed viewers to squeeze into the back of a cab and experience what a night is like for a Melbourne cabbie.

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

JAN - JUN 2012

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LITTLE DUM DUM CLUB LIVE PODCASTS! DEATHSTAR COMEDY Deathstar Comedy is back this Wednesday with another great line up with MC Steele Saunders and including Matt Keneally, Simon Taylor, Cam Marshall, Cambo, Angus Brown, Trav Nash, Andy Mathews, Sonia Di Orio, Joshua Fisher and Brendan Maloney . Starts at 8.45pm, $5 entry down stairs at CR Dirty Secrets, Collingwood!

BREW HAHA COMEDY Come down to Brew HaHa Comedy Night tomorrow, where you can see the fantastic Jacques Barrett all the way from Adelaide! It will be our second last show ever, as Brew HaHa will be ending after the comedy festival. But we’re gonna make sure we go out on a high, so we’ll have a great ensemble lineup as well. Don Tran, Michael Connell, Adam Knox, Jonathan Schuster and Khaled Khalafalla can all be seen for a measly $8. Come down to Gertrude’s Brown Couch, 30 Gertrude St Fitzroy from 8pm.

SOFTBELLY COMEDY SUNDAYS Every Sunday, Softbelly Comedy has an early evening special show where Adam Hills drops in to muck around and try out stuﬀ for his show on the ABC, In Gordon Street Tonight! Plus we’ve always got heaps more awesome names, with the list this week including Dave O’Neil, Jacques Barrett and some special surprise guests! It’s the hottest ticket in town, so get down early, because it will sell out again! All at the early time of 6.30pm! It all happens at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke St, in the city, this Sunday, March 4, at 6.30pm. It’s only $12!

FELIX BAR COMEDY This Wednesday, Felix Bar Comedy is in for another big one down in St Kilda with comedy legend Mick Molloy! You know him from The Late Show, Martin/ Molloy, Before The Game and heaps more, and here’s a rare chance to see him live! Plus we have an excellent lineup including Brad Oakes, Mat Kenneally, Mick Neven and more! In summer, Felix Bar is the place to be on a Wednesday night in St Kilda! It’s all happening Wednesday, February 29 at 8.30pm for only $12, at 11 Fitzroy St, St Kilda.

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE COMEDY Cheap piss and piss-cheap entry at Checkpoint Charlie Comedy, the city’s premier above-ground underground comedy room. Tonight, Lehmo (Before the Game) headlines a great line-up including Tommy Dassalo, Daniel Moore, Karl Woodberry and more! So come ﬁll yourself with $6 drinks (or 5 for $10 with the BarBait app!) and put your continence to the ultimate test from 7.30 tonight at Eurotrash Bar - 18 Corrs Lane, Melbourne. $5 entry.

COMMEDIA DELL PARTE Commedia Dell Parte keep cranking out the laughs this week with the amazing Daniel Connell as MC. He will be bringing the laughs to the George Lane bar with help from Josh Earl, Pete Sharkey, Tony Besselink, Sonia Di Iorio, Matt Burton, Liam Ryan, Emily O’Loughlin and more. Get in early to secure yourself a comfy couch and go into the draw for some great prizes. The room runs on a ‘pay as you like’ basis, so come along and have a great laugh, then pay what you believe the show is worth on the way out. All proﬁts will be shared with the comedians who performed on the night so if you enjoy the show chuck in a few sheckles and show your appreciation. Commedia Dell Parte runs every Thursday 8.30pm George Lane Bar, St Kilda.

SOFTBELLY COMEDY THURSDAYS A massive Softbelly Comedy this Thursday with Fiona O’Loughlin as our wonderful headliner! This is the ﬁrst time the divine Miss O has graced us with a headline set, so we’re super excited.. she’s truly one of the best in the business! Plus a great support crew in the shape of Karl Chandler, the Nelson Twins, Jonathan Schuster, Steele Saunders and a special guest or two! It’s going to be another awesome night at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke Street, in the city, this Thursday March 1 at 8.30pm, all for only $12! Get in early for a good seat!

One of Australia’s most popular comedy podcasts is going live every Monday in April and tickets are now on sale! Tommy Dassalo and Karl Chandler will be hosting three big names every show as they interview, muck around and generally dickhead it up in their charming and stupid manner. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (you won’t cry) and you’ll make two new lil’ buddies. It’s happening on Mondays, Aprils 2, 9, 16 at 8.30pm in the Melbourne Town Hall. Hit up comedyfestival.com.au for tickets.

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays have been amazing at Comedy At Spleen.. huge crowds, big guests.. in the last couple of weeks, we’ve had Pete Helliar, Glenn Robbins and more! And apart from that, we’ve always got the best in up-andcoming local Melbourne comedy! It’s the hottest room in town, and seriously, you need to get down super early just to get in the front door! So get in quick to guarantee a seat. It’s this Monday, March 5, 41 Bourke St, in the city, at 8.30pm.

RAW COMEDY Get ready to cheer Australias next top comic star, as discovered through this nation’s most prestigious open mic comedy competition, RAW Comedy. Hundreds of funny folk across the nation have signed up and are working their best ﬁve minutes in the spotlight as part of a rolling rotisserie of heats. Some got a roasting from the hungry crowd; others show they have something to laugh at. Tuesday March 6, 9pm at the Evelyn Hotel.

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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Beat Magazine Page 32

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Beat Magazine Page 33

NEW ORDER BY LEIGH SALTER

I find Gillian Gilbert relaxing at the Macclesfield country home she shares with husband/New Order drummer, Steven Morris, in a chatty mood today. The 32nd inconsistent year of New Order’s existence is upon us, and Gillian, as with each member at some point or other, is a little surprised to be back. “You just never know with this band what to expect, really,” she understates. However, New Order’s latest reunion is a very different story to previous times. The silence that followed the band’s last album – 2005’s Waiting For The Siren’s Call – was broken by a statement in 2007, apparently from within the group’s ranks, that New Order were “no more, and never likely to be again”. That announcement made by (now ex) bassist Peter Hook was, it turned out, a false indicator as he was the only one at that particular meeting. Hook’s subsequent plundering of Joy Division’s back catalogue and threats of legal action against the remainder of New Order (for using the name without his involvement) are now matters for the public to cast opinion on, but New Order’s surprise return in late 2011 implies a solidarity within the group still exists and is willed to power in the roughest of times. Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert and Steven Morris re-united as New Order last year with new bassist Tom Chapman and second guitarist Phil Cunningham. On the eve of their first Australian visit with the new lineup – and with no new album to promote – Gillian surely speaks for the whole band when she says that this reunion was a more “tentative one” than previous times. “We didn’t really know how [touring a new lineup] was going be received by the New Order fans, or if the interest would even still be there. But we have come to think of this time as like a new beginning, really.” The first New Order show without Hook was intended as a one-off benefit gig for long-time friend of New Order’s, Michael Shamberg – a film producer responsible for the bulk of New Order’s stylish and surreal music videos – who became terminally ill. It was also the first show to feature Gillian back behind the keyboard following

her indefinite departure in 2000 to look after her sick daughter. “I missed just being with everybody,” she recalls. “It took me a long time to get used to not being in New Order.” The lineup was completed by members of Sumner’s other band, Bad Lieutenant, but the obvious Hookshaped hole in the band raised potential problems for the long term. “We were quite scared about doing a fully fledged tour with new band members, because we had to of course work out if Tom could cope with such a big part to play,” Gillian offers. “So instead of barging back into the spotlight as it were, and announcing some big ‘comeback’ tour, we took small steps.” Tom Chapman will inevitably be compared to Hook at every show on the tour but, Gillian notes, it’s wrong to assume he’s merely imitating. “Tom isn’t copying Hooky, he has his own style of playing. Tom wasn’t there when we recorded those songs, and so it stands to reason that he hears them differently to Hooky and has his own take on them.” Financially, the band have in the past found themselves in deep amounts of trouble, especially as a result of involvements such as those with Tony Wilson’s Factory label. The band tried to recoup lost earnings when they reconvened in 1990, “for what we thought would be one last time”, to record the official World Cup anthem – World In Motion. In a bittersweet twist, the song hit number one at the same time New Order were broke, disbanded and had little hope of a future. “It was encouraging having a number one single, yeah, but really we did that record as a commercial venture because we were in trouble financially,” Gillian confirms. “Steven [Morris] had the idea to do it, and just because we knew

it would be used by all the TV stations broadcasting the World Cup, we all agreed. It was one of the few financially smart things we did as a band.” It’s romantic to think the band keep New Order going for ‘love not money’, and although Hooky is the current bug in the band’s ointment, their instability had begun long ago as a result of bad business. It’s often downplayed for the sake of a good mud-slinging story, but Factory crashed during the making of New Order’s then come-back album, 1993’s Republic which finally ended the band’s tolerance for the industry. “In spite of things like that, we have always sort of battled through,” Gillian laughs. “Some things way out of our control have slowed us down, but… I think in a way

the band is bigger than us as individuals, which makes it easier to carry on in the face of… whatever the universe can throw at us.” Gillian stops short of mentioning Hook, even though she’s – perhaps personally – made her peace with him. “I think with this group getting back together, we knew [Hook’s objection] would be just another battle in a long line to get through,” she smiles, adding, “but in New Order, that’s just how we play.”

process and what you actually did, but now we know more about the equipment we wanna use, and what’s gonna sound like what,” Swilley muses. The Black Lips may have refined their song writing over their 13 year career but the same cannot be said for their lyrical content, which has stayed deliciously kooky and juvenile, just the way we like it. There’s a certain art to penning quirky songs and maintaining your integrity, and Black Lips have nailed it. Their boisterous stage demeanour, uninhibited aesthetic, and lo-fi sound making for a hot-bed from which crazy lyrics are ripe to burst forth. Also, it’s a safe bet they’re not too fussed with the whole integrity thing. And there may be more truth to those seemingly frivolous songs than you realise. “Most of it is actual stuff taken from our lives, like we have a song about Spider-Man being molested as a child,” says Swilley of the song Spidey’s Curse off their latest album. “See we grew up in Georgia and Georgia’s a pretty conservative state and they don’t like talking about sex and stuff very much, so when we learned about sex in school, instead of just telling us the facts, they made a comic book about it and in it, Spider-Man gets molested”. Swilley is quick to add that molestation is not something that the Black Lips find humorous: “It’s supposed to be bittersweet, there’s nothing funny about child molestation, we don’t want to have like, full child molestation songs. I just thought it was ridiculous they had to use super heroes to teach us about sex.” Sonically speaking, Arabia Mountain dips into the past for inspiration, so it’s no surprise that what is currently influencing Swilley was recorded decades

ago. “There‘s such a rich history and catalogue of rock‘n’roll, blues and gospel, pretty much all the stuff that really influences me was recorded a long time ago. I still like musicians today obviously because they are keeping it fresh and everything but I really like to dig into the past for a lot of my influences, like Link Ray, the guitar player form the ‘50s who is probably one of my biggest inspirations, as far as guitar tones and song structure.” Swilley talks as though he has barely scratched the surface of this wealth of rock‘n’roll history and remarks, “I just don’t listen to too much modern music, there’s just so much old stuff that I haven’t heard and I’ll never be able to hear all of it in my life time.” Notorious for their onstage antics and loose live shows, Swilley assures Australian crowds their shows will be “a world of good vibes and fun”, commenting that, “every time we’ve been there, it’s just been so much fun, it’s just been a really good party.” As the

ever-accommodating hosts, Aussie crowds will no doubt be happy to join in said party and indulge the Black Lips on this Australian tour, which Swilley believes, “will feel kinda like a fun vacation.” No vacation would be complete without visiting a few tourists attractions and if you aren’t seeing Black Lips at one of their Melbourne shows you may just spot them at the Koala Ranch (it’s actually a sanctuary but Swilley calling it a ranch sounds far more cool) just outside of Melbourne or chasing some surf at one of our famous beaches.

it’s great to perform in front of a crowd. It’s also nice when you get told about how your music makes other people feel. What do you hate about the music industry? I absolutely hate the mainstream music industry. It’s filled with contrived bullshit just chasing the almighty dollar (refer to my assassination answer!). What ever happened to doing it for the love? Where’s The Love!? If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? I’d travel back in time and visit George Harrison. I probably wouldn’t show him anything, I would just learn about his guitar sounds, and song structures. You should never stop learning. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why?

I would assassinate Nicki Minaj. People should never mistake lack of talent for genius. What can a punter expect from your live show? Expect a tight, high energy show. Lots of sweat. Big sound. An awesome drummer on a fluffy red drum kit, and a solid bass player with funny looking shoes. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We have two demo albums, which we’ve recently rolled into one little love bundle. We’ll have a boatload to sell on the night. When’s the gig and with who? Gig is Saturday March 3 at The Evelyn, with Tantalum (featuring Sally Chatfield) and Glitch. Anything else to add? Yeah, check out our new website themillionaires3.com.... And can you validate my parking?

NEW ORDER play Future Music Festival alongside The Rapture, Fatboy Slim, Skrillex and more at Flemington Racecourse on Sunday March 11. They play a sideshow at Festival Hall on Thursday March 1.

BLACK LIPS BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD

It might seem like a funny pairing to some, but award-winning producer Mark Ronson “swooped in at the last minute and saved the day” according to vocalist/bassist Jared Swilley from lo-fi garage kings Black Lips. Ronson may be known for polishing songs to a shimmering and slick finish but in the case of Black Lips, he hasn’t messed too much with a good thing. Thrown a suit jacket on them perhaps, but the jeans are still torn and the hair still tousled. The resulting musical love child is 2011’ s Arabia Mountain. After spending most of last year recording in various locations, when Ronson got in touch and said he was interested in producing the new album, the Black Lips jumped at the opportunity and flew to New York. When asked whether it was fun to work with Ronson, Swilley is quick to say with complete enthusiasm: “Absolutely, absolutely. We connected and it was magical”. If you’ve heard the album you’ll be sure to agree that the result is sensational; Arabia Mountain is an album full of rockin’, relentlessly catchy tunes with some extra flourishes added to their normally stripped back garage sound. Horn parts give some raw rhythm‘n’blues touches to opener Family Tree and are integral to the sleazy creeper, Mad Dog. “It’s my favorite part really, I love getting down the back bone of the song, but I love messing with it and adding parts,” Swilley says. “In my younger days I hated horns but I love saxophone now, not in everything of course, it’s got to be tasteful.” Horns aren’t the only extra instrumentation on Arabia Mountain either. On Modern Art, the band employed a professional saw player to add some interesting sounds, which this interviewer mistook for a Theremin. “It’s a saw actually, we were trying to use Theremin but Theremin is really hard to hit notes on so we got this professional saw player to come in – it was kinda the same sound but more organic.” Arabia Mountain marks the band’s sixth full length to date, making the band no stranger to the recording process. “We’ve gotten a little better at knowing how to write songs and definitely for the most part, we’ve now spent so much time in studios. When we first started we were pretty naïve about the recording

60 SECONDS WITH… THE MILLIONAIRES So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? The name of the band is The Millionaires, and I, Jordan Cade, sing and play the gitfiddle. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? We usually get compared to mainstream bands like Eve 6, Greenday, and Lit. What do you love about making music? I love making music because it’s fun, and Beat Magazine Page 34

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

BLACK LIPS play alongside Roots Manuva, Roky Erickson, Bon Iver and more at Golden Plains Sixxx, taking place from Saturday March 10 to Monday March 12. They also play The Corner Hotel on Wednesday March 7 with a second show just announced at The Tote on Tuesday March 6.

DIRTY THREE BY PATRICK EMERY

Warren Ellis is a man with a lot to say, and barely enough time to say it. Our conversation has started out discussing the new Dirty Three album, Toward The Low Sun, before migrating across to the merits of the French public school system and segueing into the younger generation’s reluctance to wait in a world where everything is immediate. The conference centre operator has just cut into our conversation to signal the oneminute warning. “Is the last interview?” Ellis enquires. Told that it is indeed his last interview commitment, Ellis is the willing interview subject. “Give him a bit longer, mate,” Ellis requests. “We’re having a good chat.” My first question had been the obvious starting point: having describing Toward The Low Sun as the “definitive” Dirty Three record, I ask Ellis why he feels this is the case. Ellis politely notes that he’s been asked this question previously, and he’s already explained it was a throwaway line to include in the band’s promotional material. “I probably said in a moment of pride and jubilation that we’d finally recorded a record,” he says. “I suppose I felt like it was one of our most far-reaching and all encompassing records. There are aspects of all our albums in there – there’s the essence of each in them in the new album. I don’t really listen to our albums, but thinking about the albums we’ve recorded before, I thought we’d gone beyond what we’d done before,” Ellis says. The challenge of making something different – even for a band such as the Dirty Three that has constructed its own unique sound – remains a difficult hurdle to get over. “As anyone who’s been in a band with a small number of members will attest, there’s a challenge in evolving,” Ellis says. “A song is just a piece with chords and melodies, and you put ‘em all together. When you have a small number of members, then the bar is higher. Horse Stories was made up in the studio – it felt like it had fallen from the sky, it was genuinely miraculous. But from then we realised we could write songs like that, and we realised that people knew we could write sad songs. And then you start to recognise after doing different projects where things are going, and you try and

avoid that,” he says. “But then again AC/DC keep doing the same thing, and who cares?” Ellis laughs. As well as the artistic challenge, the Dirty Three are hampered by logistical difficulties in getting together. With each member living in a different part of the globe, and involved in various projects, it’s problematic finding time and space to write and record together. “When we do get together, it makes those times very precious and volatile,” Ellis says. “There’s a real sense of urgency. I like the idea of going into the studio for five or six days. When it’s open-ended then you never get to the point when you’re satisfied. I like when the time’s defined. You only learn in that way. If you’re able to make decisions before it goes out, then you shouldn’t put it out,” Ellis muses. Toward The Low Sun opens up with Furnace Skies, an instrumental blaze that provides a sharp contrast to the ensuing tracks; the song also provided a metaphor for the band’s approach to the recording process. “When we started we had this sense of ‘where’s this music going’,” Ellis says. “That track helped consolidate some ideas. It kicked it off in a chaotic and cathartic way, and helped us kick through the problem of actually making the record. That was a real breakthrough for us – there was so much freedom in there.” It’s possible to see the titles of previous Dirty Three records as metaphorical observations on both the band’s music, and the band members’ states of mind. Ocean Songs, for example, was written and

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH CHILDREN HAVING CHOCOLATE, IF THEY HAVE IT IN MODERATION?”

recorded at a time when the Dirty Three was touring extensively and Ellis in particular was pushing the envelope of rock’n’roll excess to close to the edge. Ellis doesn’t give any deﬁnitive insight into the meaning of Toward The Low Sun, but it’s clearly not an accidental title. “I’ve always felt like the music is indicative of the time in the Dirty Three’s life – that’s what demarcated the narrative,” Ellis says. “After we’ve recorded, we sit down and see if there are any titles lying around. Mick will usually have a painting that will indicate a theme, and we’ll often ﬁnd that a title will come about from that.” Ellis continues to live in the outer suburbs of Paris with his wife and two children. As a former school teacher in Ballarat, Ellis has a particular perspective on the French school system. “France is one of the few places where there is still faith in the state system,” Ellis says. “There’s still a real emphasis on writing, and the kids have to learn poems from age seven. There’s a reluctance to embrace new ways of teaching – the schools tend to focus on reading, writing and arithmetic.” While Ellis makes it clear that he’s not a quest to stem the tide of progress, Ellis is concerned about

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

the eﬀect of society’s expectation of ubiquitous communication. “Nothing around these days teaches children to take their time – we’re not encouraging people to make decisions early and stick to them. Everything is about doing something now,” Ellis says. The discussion segues into discourses of control, with Ellis lamenting the contemporary sociological obsession with instruction and ‘correct practice’. “What’s wrong with children having chocolate, if they have it in moderation?” Ellis muses. When I tell Ellis I have to conclude the interview to say goodnight to my own children, Ellis bids me farewell. “Go and say goodnight – and give them a bar of chocolate. Tell ‘em it’s from Warren,” he laughs. DIRTY THREE play WOMADelaide on Friday March 9 - Monday March 12, The Palace on Friday March 16, One Perfect Day festival at Mossvale Park, Gippsland on Saturday March 17 and the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on Sunday March 18. Toward The Low Sun is available now from Remote Control Records.

Beat Magazine Page 55

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

with Christie Eliezer * Stuﬀ for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm ADELE HITS 29 WEEKS AT #1, EQUALS DELTA, HOT AUGUST NIGHT

WARNER STILL CHASING EMI

THINGS WE HEAR

Billboard magazine reported that Warner Music Group’s new owner Len Blavatnik is still keen on buying EMI Group, the recorded music unit of EMI. This comes at a time when US and European regulators are scrutinising its sale to Universal Music. Various sectors, including indie labels, are lobbying to stop the US$1.9 billion sale from being approved. If regulators insist that Universal sell parts of EMI to agree to the sale, Warner is keen to step in.

CANADA’S INDICA SETS UP OZ BASE

SPUNK SWITCHES TO COOPERATIVE MUSIC

* Last Thursday’s National SLAM Day had up to 130 venues signed up. * 5.4 million viewers watched Whitney Houston’s two-hour funeral on CNN. * Sleigh Bells told triple j they’ll be here twice this year. The Shins let slip they will be appearing at Splendour In The Grass. * Rather than write and rehearse new songs in a studio, Potbelleez booked out a floor in a hotel for a week, complete with room service. * Roadrunner signed Perth deathcore black metal hybrid Make Them Suffer while Brisbane’s Last Dinosaurs inked with UK label Fiction. * Paul Kelly flew to Darwin to join the wake for former Sydney music journalist-turned-author Andrew McMillan. He performed his song Nukkanya (rough translation: goodbye) accompanied by NT musicians Shellie Morris and Leah Flanagan. * On their current tour, Limp Bizkit’s giant backdrop features the name Jessica Michalik – the 15-year-old who died in the moshpit at their Sydney BDO show in 2001 – with Fred Durst telling the 40,000 at Soundwave Brisbane, “Everything we do in Australia is a tribute to you baby.” * Shannon Noll is leaving NSW and looking for a country place in Victoria. His place in Sydney was sold over a bit over $1.25 million. * Someone hacked into England’s Jazz FM’s live feed and fed a gay porn music soundtrack into it! * Clare Bowditch, recording with Mick Harvey in her Melbourne home got a sound effect she didn’t want: a woman lost control of her car and crashed through her front fence. * Peter Andre rushed back to Australia after hearing his elder brother Andrew has been diagnosed with aggressive stomach cancer.

Adele’s 21 album this week notched up its 29th week at the top of the ARIA chart – equaling Delta Goodrem’s feat with Innocent Eyes in March 2003. Chart historian Gavin Ryan points out only one other album has done the same – Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night from May 1973. If Adele stays one more week, she’ll tie with The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers from August 1967.

Canadian label Indica has set up Australian operations – the ﬁrst one outside Canada. Its president and head of A&R Franz Schuller, also member of punk band GrimSkunk, told this column, “Australia and Canada have many similarities, culturally and spiritually.” Indica has already released John Butler Trio and The Cat’s Empire in Canada. The ﬁrst two releases by Indica Australia will be NSW singer songwriter Kim Churchill (Detail Of Distance album out on April 6) and Canadian trio Half Moon Run who drop their debut album in May and tour here in September. MGM will distribute the label.

VENUES #1: BRODERICK, FRANCISCO LAUNCH 2 THE MAX Michael Broderick, owner of Prahran bar Prince Maximillian (30-32 Commercial Rd) and Jono Francisco of Blag PR have teamed up to turn the venue into a live showcase. 2 The Max (2themax.com.au) will feature jazz and soul on Fridays and Saturdays. It kicks oﬀ this weekend, with Angela Librandi on Friday and Rebecca Mendoza on Saturday.

GOTYE’S VIDEO DIRECTOR FINDS GLOBAL FAME The international success of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know (80 million views on YouTube by late last week) has also opened the doors for its video director. Melbourne-based director, award-winning playwright and screenwriter Natasha Pincus came up with the idea for the video, also directing and producing it. Pincus has been invited to screen the video at next month’s SXSW Film Festival, which she hopes will open more global opportunities. Pincus had previously shot music videos for Paul Kelly, Powderﬁnger, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, End Of Fashion, Lior, Pete Murray and Sarah Blasko. She is developing movies with Oz directors as John Maynard, Bridget Ikin and Kasimir Burgess.

ANOTHER AUSSIE PLAGIARISM ROW Just weeks after the row that a new US yoghurt ad sounded suspiciously like John Butler Trio’s Zebra, another row involving an Australian song has ﬂared up. This one involves Yolanda Be Cool’s hit single We No Speak Americano. Fans online have accused Bollywood music directors Sajid-Wajid of copying it for their track Papa Toh Band Bajaye from the movie Housefull 2. Wajid insists that their song is “100 % original”. He added, “We admit that the rhythm structure of our song is similar to the other one. But rhythms, as you might know, are not copyrighted. Anyone can use any rhythm from any part of the world without being accused of copying.

Aaron Curnow’s Sydney based Spunk Records has signed a licensing deal with Tim Janes and Neil Robertson’s Cooperative Music Australia. Spunk, started 12 years ago, has roster that includes My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Spoon, Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens. The attraction of the deal is that it gives Spunk the chance to use Cooperative’s international labels network. First releases via the deal include Andrew Bird and Lambchop.

STOP START ADDS YOUNG MAGIC Stop Start’s latest addition to its roster is Young Magic, a New York based act made up of two Aussies, Isaac Emmanuel and Michael Italia, and Indonesian-born singer Melati Malay. The two Aussies separately traveled the world making recordings when they met in Mexico. Their debut album Melt is due for release in Oz on March 30.

SECRET SERVICE EXPANDS, PROMOTES Secret Service Public Relations – set up by Paul Piticco and Dew Process publicity and promotions manager Megan Reeder Hope – is expanding due to the arrival of new clients and the addition of new label Create/ Control. Reeder Hope is now head of publicity and promotions across Dew Process, Secret Service PR and Create/Control. Kathleen Hore steps up as publicity and promotions manager of Dew Process. Natalie Dodds joins on March 5 and will be based in SSPR’s Sydney oﬃce from mid-April as will Bre Doyle.

CLICKS ON THE BRITS Last week’s Brit awards might have got the publicity when Adele had to shut up 49 seconds into her thank you speech when she won Best British album for 21. Mind you, this was in comparison to Blur’s 11 minute return to live action (they got Outstanding Achievement) and singer Jarvis Cocker’s rambling speech ran on for 3.05 minutes. But the other ‘what were they thinking?’ moment came when One Direction got up to accept Best British Single for What Makes You Beautiful and said a “massive thank you to Radio 1”. Which was a slight problem as it was broadcast by Capital FM. A furious Capital FM dropped an interview with the band, and their music wasn’t played since. The Brits pulled an average of 6.2 million viewers on ITV, its best viewing figures for seven years. Viewing highlights included Coldplay, who got Best British Group, opening the night with Charlie Brown and then performing with Rihanna on Princess Of China. Rih then did a saucy performance of We Found Love with her dancers which ended up in an onstage paint fight – a great effort since she’d been up for the 24 hours before celebrating her 24th birthday.

BOUNCERS IN COURT Two security guards from Ballarat’s Bluestone nightclub appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court, facing charges of leaving a patron with a bruised face and a fractured eye socket. Police told court that on February 26 last year, the complainant stood on a bench. One of the guards, Sean Patrick Duffy, 21, asked him to get down, then pulled him down. He escorted him out of the building. At a stairwell, Duffy allegedly put him in a headlock and after the second guard, Daryl John Wain, 25, held the man’s arm, punched and kicked him. Wain told police Duffy was bitten. They return to court July 18.

ARTSTART GRANT FOR ARTS GRADUATES The ArtStart program was created to give ﬁnancial assistance to recent arts graduates, helping them launch a professional career in the arts. It is eligible to anyone who completed an accredited Certiﬁcate IV arts course or higher in the past three years – or are about to complete one. You could get up to $10,000 for such uses as creating a portfolio of work, marketing yourself, setting up a studio, paying for business advice, disability awareness training, and tools of trade. More info, artstartgrant.com.au. Deadline application for Round 1 is Friday March 2.

LIFELINES Expecting: Take That’s Gary Barlow and wife Dawn, their fourth child. Split: a statement from Delta Goodrem said she and Nick Jonas “have decided mutually to end their relationship” after nine months. Hospitalised: Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap, 60, suffered a stroke after falling and hitting his head. Hospitalised: Vanessa Amorosi fell from a horse on her property outside Melbourne, forcing her to cancel her twilight concert at Melbourne Zoo, her last show before she returns to Los Angeles. Hospitalised: a 23-year-old punter at Soundwave Brisbane ended with massive head injuries, after apparently trying to slide down a metal railing when entering the venue. He slipped, fell five metres onto a mobile cold room and landed headfirst on the concrete floor. Investigated: Supafest bound Chris Brown, by Miami police, of stealing an iPhone from a fan who took a pic of him and rapper Tyga coming out of a nightclub. The fan alleges he grabbed the item from inside his Bentley, shouted “Bitch, you ain’t going to put that on no website” and drove away. Jailed: Roy Estrada (Little Feat, Mothers Of Invention), for 25 years, for molesting a child under 14, a female family member. Died: Robert Hendrix, cousin of guitar hero Jimi, and senior vice president and COO of the Experience Hendrix foundation. It was put together by Jimi’s father Al and sister Janie to stop the release of shoddy compilations released by other labels and to ensure quality control of the guitarist’s output. Died: Chris Reimer, guitarist for Canadian band Women, 26, in his sleep, probably from a heart ailment. Died: US songwriter and guitarist Billy Strange, 81. He co-wrote A Little Less Conversation for Elvis Presley, and played on or arranged records including Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walking, You Only Live Twice and Something Stupid and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Died: Grateful Dead manager Jon McIntire, complications from lung cancer. He was instrumental in creating the band’s loyal following The Deadheads, the first example of social networking in the music industry.

TWO MICHAEL JACKSON LAWSUITS LAND IN COURT Michael Jackson’s estate is suing his former manager Tohme R. Tohme. It alleges mismanagement and outright theft of Jackson’s money through “self-serving and unconscionable agreements” that he got the singer to sign during January 2008 until March 2009 when he looked after his affairs. The estate alleges he paid himself $100,000 a month as “producer” of the comeback This Is It concerts which of course never happened, $2.4 million “finder’s fee” for putting his client in touch with the suits who refinanced his Neverland Ranch, and got the singer to agree to pay him 15% of all catalogue sales – which sold $300 million’s worth since the singer’s death three years ago. Meantime, another judge found that concert promoter AEG Live should not be included in a lawsuit filed by Michael’s father’s Joe. AEG argued that Joe was not mentioned in his son’s will, and that the two were not on talking terms when he died. That means only the singer’s doctor Conrad Murray (who’s now broke) and a Las Vegas pharmacy are left in Jackson Sr’s suit.

Barons Of Tang

FEST LA FROG BY JOSHUA KLOKE

When it comes to planning a festival, giving credit where credit is due is of the utmost importance. And when it comes to planning an environmentally sustainable festival which seeks to build the foundation of a responsible community, it’s paramount. Just ask Dean O’ Callaghan, festival director of Fest La Frog. Now in its second year, Fest La Frog is a sustainable and organic music and arts festival. Featuring a lineup of local talent, vegetarian and vegan food served on edible/compostable plates, Fest La Frog promises not just to be a memorable event, but one that actually challenges attendees to consider the impact they’re creating. And O’Callaghan quickly concedes who’s made an impact on him, just days before the festival kicks oﬀ. “None of this would have been possible without Alexis Marsh,” says O’Callaghan, reached on the phone from his oﬃce on a busy Friday afternoon. “She’s been an incredible event organiser and manager. She’s got attention to detail and great respect for everyone she works with. But there’ve been so many other partnerships. The Good Brew Company supplies all the beer. There are incredible artists who’ve taken the ball and run with it, like Hugo & Treats who’re running an entire DJ stage all by

Beat Magazine Page 56

themselves.” Hugo & Treats are just part of an eclectic group of local talent. From That Gold Street Sound, to Pony Face and headliners Barons Of Tang, Fest La Frog has succeeded in compiling a lineup that caters to many tastes. “We really wanted a wide range of artists. But ﬁrst things ﬁrst, you had to be good,” laughs O’Callaghan, after being asked about how the lineup was compiled. “And we’d like to use artists that we haven’t used before. We’d like to have a diverse range of artists every year that can just ‘wow’ people. We also wanted to choose local bands for environmental reasons. We also thought it would be a good step to build a community. Hopefully all these local bands will build bigger followings. It’s not just environmental sustainability, but it’s about social sustainability as well.” Though a festival like this is certainly rich with good intentions, there are always hurdles that stand in

the way of turning a dream like the one O’Callaghan has into a reality. What’s more, contrary to powerful festivals such as Big Day Out, Fest La Frog has to work hard to ensure that every element of the festival is self-suﬃcient. But O’Callaghan remains determined to turn these hurdles into opportunities. And so far, he’s succeeding. “There are issues with health legislations, as far as the reusable cups and plates we want to serve our food on. That’s been a bit of an issue, but it’s just something we have to overcome. Councils are becoming more aware that health and safety can be married with reusability.” “But really, there haven’t been hurdles as much as there have been opportunities,” he continues with an obvious sense of passion towards this project. When the festival wraps on Saturday evening, O’Callaghan will likely begin work on the next installment soon afterwards. Festivals like Fest La Frog are a rarity in that they serve as an investment

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in the future. While the 2011 version treated a crowd of over 700 to a memorable day, he’s convinced this year’s fest will draw even larger numbers. What those attendees take away from the festival is out of O’Callaghan’s control. Yet he’s got a good idea of what it’s going to be. “A real sense that we can do it. A sense that it’s all worthwhile. Anything’s possible. It’s possible to do the most fun and decadent of things, which is partying, without any negative environmental eﬀects. That’d be a wonderful lesson for people to learn, that even when you’re partying, it can be sustainable. It’s going to work; I think we’re going to be able to do this.” FEST LA FROG happens on Saturday March 3, from 1.30pm ‘til 10pm at The Village Green, CERES Environment Park. Tickets are $25 online or $30 at the gate. The ﬁrst 100 people to arrive will also be treated to a free beer/cider or soft drink.

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BrUNSwICK

muSIC feStIvaL #24

14 –25 maRCH 2012 For the very best in folk, roots and world music

IN THE PHOENIX PUBLIC HOUSE

IN THE BRUNSWICK

ABIGAIL WASHBURN WITH KAI WELCH (US), CAT MOSER & CLINT DYLAN O’GRADEY

HAT FITZ & CARA ROBINSON GEORGE KAMIKAWA & NORIKO TADANO

NANO STERN & THE SINDICATO (CHILE)

TINPAN ORANGE THE STILLSONS

SHOOGLENIFTY (SCO) THE STRING CONTINGENT

PETER ROWAN BLUEGRASS BAND (US), BIG BUG TRIO

Wednesday 14 March, 9.30 pm

Thursday 15 March, 9.30 pm

Thursday 22 March, 9.30 pm

Friday 23 March, 9.30 pm

THE BAND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH FRANCOLIN, YEO Saturday 24 March, 9.30 pm THE BEARDED GYPSY BAND Friday 16 March, 9.30 pm TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON (US) PERCH CREEK FAMILY JEFF LANG, SPOONFUL Saturday 17 March, 9.30 pm JUG BAND Sunday 25 March, 8 pm THE LITTLE STEVIES IMMIGRANT UNION Sunday 18 March, 8 pm

Kai Welch and Abigail Washburn

Online bookings & early discounts brunswickmusicfestival.com.au Phone bookings 03 9388 1460 Box office opens 1 February 12 – 6pm

TOWN HALL

Thursday 15 March, 8 pm

Friday 16 March, 8 pm

ARCHIE ROACH, LOU BENNETT Saturday 17 March, 8 pm

KRISTINA OLSEN, SARA TINDLEY Sunday 18 March, 8 pm

KRYSTLE WARREN, MARTA PACEK Sunday 25 March, 8 pm

BEN SOLLEE (US), BEN SALTER

Friday 16 March, 8.30 pm (in the Brunswick Mechanics Institute)

Ben Sollee

Jeff Lang

Truckstop Honeymoon

The Little Stevies

Archie Roach

Krystle Warren

Presented by

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Principal Public Partner

Beat Magazine Page 57

BAD RELIGION BY KIM CROXFORD

Often credited for injecting social and political awareness into the veins of punk rock, and influencing a generation of bands to use punk’s intrinsic rebellious ethos to instigate change, Bad Religion maintain inspired just as they were 30 years ago by their fascination – and disillusionment – with human kind.

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Beat Magazine Page 58

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THE CAB I AM THE AVALANCHE THE PRETTY RECKLESS CIRCA SURVIVE KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES THE DANGEROUS SUMMER FIREWORKS ATTACK! ATTACK! CHERRI BOMB

MADINA LAKE JACK’S MANNEQUIN FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS A ROCKET TO THE MOON THESE KIDS WEAR CROWNS RIVER CITY EXTENSION HYRO DA HERO KILL HANNAH ROYAL REPUBLIC

“You can really break it down to one of the first songs that we ever wrote, which was actually quite funny. It was a song about when man first hit man,” laughs bassist Jay Bentley. “Why? What was going on there? Was it like, ‘I’m not sharing my toys with you, that’s my food, [so] I’m going to hit you on the head with a stick? We’re not really so far removed from that same ideology of like... ‘What’s going on in peoples’ mind that allows them to behave the way they behave?’” Despite frontman Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz handling the lyrical content, Bentley says the band usually see eye to eye when it comes to the subject matter they preach. “If there’s anything super far outside the bubble of what we would consider ourselves able to stand behind [individually]... it just needs to change. But out of our 220-something songs, that’s only happened once.” Bentley says the band will persevere in a similar lyrical direction on their sixteenth studio album due later this year – the only details the band can presently disclose about the forthcoming release. “We’re going to do an operatic album, and it’s going to be all soprano,” quips Bentley, dissolving into laughter. “No, I think what I’ve found, historically, is that any time we’ve every talked about ‘hey we’re going to do this’, it ends up not being that – things can change... [The album is] so embryonic right now, Brett [Gurewitz] has a couple of songs that he’s happy about, and Greg [Graffin] is digging his acoustic guitar out of storage, it’s kind of how we work.” Rumours have been circulating, originally derived from comments made by the members themselves, that Bad Religion’s upcoming record would be their last – an untruth Bentley quashes quickly when asked if the band are approaching the end of the road. “No. It’s just funny to say stuff like that,” he laughs, always the comedian. “Before that we were carrying on with this aneurism joke for about two years, like ‘one of us is going to have an aneurism on stage, and that’s going the end of the band’... that didn’t happen.” All pranks aside, Bentley admits that when Bad Religion do call it quits, they’ll go quietly. “I don’t think we’re going to announce it, I think it will just happen. You’ll say ‘Whatever happened to those guys?’ Then you’ll google it and be like, ‘Oh, I see. Okay.’” Despite being well accustomed to life on the road, Bentley foresees himself able to assimilate into a regular routine once the band do throw in the towel. “I’m one of those people who has this bizarre pride in my craft – no matter what it is. If I’m waxing a car, or digging a ditch I want it to be perfect.” But Bentley says as long as the band continues touring, a permanent occupation is rendered impossible to maintain. “I couldn’t go on the road for 18 months and maintain some sort of a job where I had any kind of responsibility because that would be just completely unfair to the people I was responsible to. My last job at Epitaph, I actually fired myself, it was amazing. I wrote a nice long letter, and I handed it to myself and I said, ‘You’re fired!’” While adjusting to a regular lifestyle doesn’t faze Bentley, he is more concerned about who will take the throne in today’s music industry when the stalwarts wrap it up. “The problem with the ‘punk rock crown’ is that when alternative music became mainstream, the question arose: alternative to what? Punk rock bands used to do it out of pure hatred – and there was never the idea that you were ever going to be popular, or make a dime, because everybody hated you and you hated them right back – [but] that has been replaced with management, and record labels and money. To me, that ‘punk rock mantle’ will be owned by the person who’s driving around in a Volkswagen, busting an acoustic guitar, playing in coffee shops, and saying ‘I just don’t fucking care.’” STAGE 6AA STA STAGE 6B STA Bentley asserts that it’s not as much labels or 9:200 - 10:00 0 pm RAISED FIST commerciality that poses the problem, but the 8:40 - 99:20 :20 BLACK VEIL BRIDES approach of artists’ themselves. 8:10 - 88:40 :440 CRO-MAGS 7:40 - 8:10 8:10 “One of the most important bands in the world, The YOUR DEMISE 7:10 - 7:400 LETLIVE Clash, has the CBN logo on the bottom left hand 6:30 :30 - 7:10 7 10 HATEBREED corner of all their albums. That didn’t make the albums 6:000 - 66:30 6:00 KVELERTAK any less important. It’s only when you start letting that 5:30 - 6:00 5:30 ENTER SHIKARI company have a say in what you do, and you start 5:00 - 5:30 5: KITTIE compromising because they say, ‘Hey, you’d sell more 4 - 5:000 4:30 IN THIS MOMENT records if you dress this way, hey that song isn’t poppy 4:00 - 4:30 4: BIOHAZARD enough, you say “fuck” too much’ – when those things 3:30 :30 - 4:00 4:00 STREET DOGS start to happen, then you have a problem.” 3:00 - 3:30 3:0 UNDEROATH Bentley affirms that acts with integrity, committed to 2:30 30 - 33:0 :00 00 TURISAS the music and not fashion or fame, are what today’s 2:000 - 2:30 2:0 DREAM ON DREAMER music industry is left wanting. “Because punk rock has 1:3 1:30 : 0 - 2:00 2 HEAVEN SHALL BURN 1:00 - 1:30 1 been around for long enough now, there are different THE MENZINGERS 12:30 - 1:00 CKY genres and time frames of fashion,” he scoffs. 12:0 :00 - 12:3 12:300 THE SMOKING HEARTS “I watch bands and I see their boots and their jeans 11:30am 11:3 0 - 12:00 BREAK EVEN tucked up and they’re wearing their braces, so they’re obviously ‘Oi!’... I just want to see guys who are STAGE ST GE 7 standing like ‘I’m wearing a shirt that my mum made 9:20 - 10:00pm THE SISTERS OF MERCY for me, awesome!’” 8:20 - 9:00 DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT Luckily the veterans don’t plan on going anywhere soon, 7:20 :2 - 8:00 STAIND and will grace us with their presence at Soundwave 6:20 - 7:000 THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Festival this Friday March 2, where Bentley says Aussie 5:20 :20 - 6:00 6 CATHEDRAL audiences will be affronted by “angry, screaming, loud 4:20 - 5:00 PARADISE LOST guitars, with some political rhetoric thrown in between.” 3:20 - 44:00 :00 WEDNESDAY 13 2:20 - 3:00 00 Can’t wait. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE 1:30 - 2:00 12:400 - 1:100 11:50 - 12:2 2:200 11:10am - 11:40 40

SWITCHFOOT DREDG BLACK TIDE HOLY GRAIL

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BAD RELIGION with appear along with a plethora of fantastic acts at Soundwave Festival at Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday March 2.

FIREWORKS BY ROD WHITFIELD

The upcoming Soundwave jaunt will only be the second time American pop punk band Fireworks have graced our shores in their six years together as a band. Bassist Kyle O’Neill, calling in from a less than sunny and warm Chicago, has very high expectations of our country, its weather in February and March and its hard rock-loving crowds. “I’m expecting it to be awesome,” he predicts, “when we were there we had a really great response, people seemed to be excited that we were there, and it was a really warm welcome. And we’ve had a very positive response coming off the internet from Australia, so I’m expecting good things. “It’s pretty cold here now,” he informs us. “I can see snow here now, so I can’t wait to get down there!” In return, the band plan to give Aussie Soundwave crowds a rollicking good time during their sets, so you can expect, you guessed it, some serious fireworks during their show. “It’s a good live energetic show,” he describes, “that’s what we hope to offer, and not to disappoint anyone. I’m not too worried about it, I think it’s gonna go pretty well, and we have some surprises. No hints though!” he laughs. Listening to their recorded works, it’s easy to picture these guys putting on a ridiculously high energy affair. Their music is very ‘up’, vibey and vibrant, and according to Kyle it’s as much fun to write and to play as it sounds. “It’s a lot of fun to play,” he agrees, “there’s a lot of energy, and you get to feel that energy onstage and you go off. So it’s a lot of fun for us and the crowd.” It’s actually a little difficult to pin down some of the sounds and influences inherent in their music. It’s pretty obvious that these guys listen to a broad range of sounds and bands and channel it into their own unique style of high energy pop punk with a difference. “Oh, it’s all across the board,” he states. “I couldn’t nail it down to one person, or even a few. But we all grew up listening to punk rock and hardcore and we try to transfer that into who we are today. It’s everything from mainstream rock bands to real indie rock bands to punk bands and all across the board. We try to draw influence from everything. Anything we can, because music in general is our influence.” It’s been almost a year since their last album, Gospel, and the band recently began work writing their third full-length album, and hope to have something brand new out by the end of the year. “Yeah, we’ve been back into our little cosy practise space in the last couple of weeks, working on some new tunes,” he says, “so they’re all in the very early stages, but they’re coming along great and we’re all really stoked on them. So we’re excited to develop them some more. So hopefully we’ll have some kind of new music out in 2012.”

“WE TRY TO DRAW INFLUENCE FROM EVERYTHING. ANYTHING WE CAN, BECAUSE MUSIC IN GENERAL IS OUR INFLUENCE.” Aside from working on new material on their return from the Soundwave tour, the band also have a pretty heavy US touring schedule to go home to, and in the greater scheme of things, Kyle feels the band are really just getting started on their long journey as a recording and touring act. “We have a few tours conﬁrmed for after Soundwave,” he informs us, “but none of them have been announced yet, so I don’t know if I can say anything. I don’t want to get in trouble!” he jokes. “We’re doing a festival called South By So What in Texas, and we’ll be touring out from that. It’s all US touring, when we get back from Australia. So we’re glad to kind of have a break from our country! “We’ve been around for six years,” he says, “and I don’t feel that we’ve peaked, or even at a steady pace yet. We’re still making a name for ourselves, and we’re on the upswing. So I think we’ll continue that until we’re in a state that it’s not worth it to go on, or we wanted to explore other options in our lives. Right now, and for as long as we can we just want to do this and make a good go of it.” And so do you have any parting words for your Aussie fans in the lead up to the Soundwave tour? “We just can’t wait to get over,” he gushes, “ever since we’ve been over there, it’s my favourite place I’ve ever been. So we’re very excited for Soundwave and Australia.” FIREWORKS play the Soundwave Festival at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Friday March 2, alongside an incredible lineup of heavy bands. However, if you haven’t secured a ticket to the Melbourne show, you’ll need to go interstate, as it is now sold out. Gospel is available now through 3Wise Records/Sony.

“Europe’s answer to Sonic Youth. At times like Queens of the Stone Age chilling with a string section ... then it goes full-on purple-rock raining down from Beck’s mansion.” - Drowned In Sound

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Beat Magazine Page 59

THE SMOKING HEARTS BY JOSHUA KLOKE

As far as rock’n’roll lore goes, the story of how The Smoking Hearts first came together isn’t exactly up with stories of the ‘red snapper’ calibre. Yet it’s a fairly juicy one, nonetheless. Shortly after the release of their debut full-length, Pride Of Nowhere, The Smoking Hearts were left high and dry by their original vocalist, Rodd Lethal, who left the band inexplicably via text message. But even before auditions for the newly-vacated vocalist roll were finished, the band were blown away by Ben Mills, who’d spent time in hardcore act The Takeover. The deal was sealed when the band went out on the town for the first time to get to know each other, and Mills drunkenly found himself on the wrong end of a baby’s push cart. This drunken display eventually led to a solid three days of writing new material, and The Smoking Hearts have never looked back. Even still, Mills feels it necessary to clarify his side of events from that fateful evening. “Well I wasn’t stumbling,” he says reached on the phone from his home. “But I did bump into the drummer from Placebo’s baby’s push cart.” Mills feels fortunate to have met the rest of the band and evidently, it was something of a match made in heaven. “We spent our first few days just sharing all of the craziest, stupidest stories. We just thought back to all the stupid things that we’d done. And after that we just naturally became best friends. I’d missed out on the first few years in the band, so I had to catch up very quickly.” The band quickly took to the studio, formulating their brand of raucous punk rock with their new singer. “There were no words in the original songs,” says Mills. “We were just trying to figure out what kind of melodies we could put together. So we just went into the studio and hashed out as much as we could.” The result speaks for itself. The recently released Victory! not only speaks to the band’s knack for writing relentless hardcore punk, but also to their ear for coming together on classic gang-vocal led choruses. Not a band for the faint of heart, Mills’ throaty growl cements their footing as an up and comer in the hardcore scene to keep an eye on. “It’s quite natural,” says Mills of the balance between their catchy choruses and raging verses. “The catchy choruses always just come out of nowhere. We could be working on something totally different and these choruses will just come up when we’re jamming. I don’t think we’re on our way towards a pop record or anything, but it’s always just what’s on our mind at the time.” How Victory! will ultimately manifest itself is in a live setting. The music of The Smoking Hearts certainly lends itself to losing one’s inhibitions. Yet, Mills insists that their fans don’t necessarily need to tie one on in order to enjoy their live show. “We all have regular jobs that we go to everyday. Drinking and partying and what not do go along with being in a band, but I’d like to think when people hear The Smoking Hearts they’re jacked up by the music. We wouldn’t be doing our job if people weren’t getting excited and having a good time. It’s not often that our crowd starts off standing still. But by the end they’re always going crazy.” “The line between stage and audience definitely becomes blurred by the end of the show,” he continues. We believe in one big party. People on stage and band members in the crowd.” When asked about how his time spent in The Takeover has influenced his work in The Smoking Hearts, Mills is quick to admit that his time working hard to get a crowd on their side has begun to pay dividends. “I spent a lot of time learning how to win a crowd over. We were a pretty good band, but for whatever reasons, when we’d show up somewhere to play a show, people hadn’t often heard a lot about us. And very often you’d get a lot of people just standing there with their arms crosses. I had to get people to stand up and listen. “There’s just this level of cool in the UK,” says Mills. “They’re always trying to stick it to you and be too cool for school. People want to enjoy themselves, but they don’t want to necessarily look like they are. It’s quite hard actually to break those barriers down. But once you get past that, people will get into you. It’s just these barriers of cool.” There are simply no more barriers for The Smoking Hearts. With vocalist Ben Mills in tow and Victory! making waves in the world of punk and hardcore, the band is open to opportunity. There’s no end in sight for a band that continues to evolve. “There’s definitely been an evolution from the metal band that we once were. I think we’re evolving into a band that’s much more talented, musically. The evolution of this band will continue as well. But who knows. Really, who knows what the future holds?” THE SMOKING HEARTS are part of the massive Soundwave Festival to be unleashed at the Melbourne Showgrounds this Friday March 2. Victory! is out through 3 Wise/Sony.

Beat Magazine Page 60

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MESHUGGAH BY TOM HERSEY

Meshuggah have played, and continue to play, a major role in shaping the sound of technical extreme music. Their 1995 record Destroy Erase Improve would go on to serve as the blueprint for modern technical metal. A whole scene of musicians would remain infatuated with that particular record, and it would serve as ground zero for the djent scene. For all the accolades heaped upon records like Destroy Erase Improve, and the album’s undeniable inﬂuence, it was something that Mårten Hagström and the rest of Meshuggah were working on over 17 years ago. In 2012, Meshuggah are trying to distance themselves from the scene they helped create with their seventh studio record, Koloss. Discussing how they’re trying to separate themselves from what they’ve done before, Hagström explains with their latest record, Meshuggah felt the only avenue left for the pioneering technical band to explore was not being technical. “This album is less obvious in the manner that normally when people listen to us their immediate reaction is ‘oh this is really strange and really technical and so forth’ and that technical aspect is something that we haven’t really liked. It’s not why we make music, the expression is supposed to be cool and diﬀerent. It doesn’t really matter if it’s supposed to be weird or hard to play. And this time it’s a bit more subtle.” Though Meshuggah may have distanced themselves from some of their earlier material, Hagström posits that the band still live by the creed set out in the title of their landmark 1995 record. Koloss is another shining example of how the band is so adept in destroying, erasing and improving on what’s it done previously. It’s this doctrine which has led to the Swedish band distancing themselves from blindingly technical music that marked a string of releases throughout the ‘90s. Since their 2008 release ObZen, the djent scene has risen to prominence in the extreme music landscape, and though Meshuggah reign as the undisputed kings of the scene, now playing technical death metal doesn’t seem as unique or interesting when done so amongst a sea of lesser imitators. Instead of writing in the same style of blisteringly technical albums like 2002’s Nothing and 2005’s Catch Thritythree, Messhugah went back to the drawing board. This time around, Meshuggah fundamentally altered their approach to writing music to make a record that stood out from their back catalogue. For the Koloss sessions, the band, who are known for having members write songs separate of one another, came together to ensure that the music was as good as it could be. “This one turned out to be a very collaborative album. We sat down and really worked it in terms of arrangements and what parts to use or to not use. So we’d always have someone who hadn’t written the material to be able to come with extra, outside input.”

“THAT TECHNICAL ASPECT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN’T REALLY LIKED. IT’S NOT WHY WE MAKE MUSIC.” The end result of the five-piece writing music together is something that is liable to be regarded as one of the band’s strongest efforts to date. An album that is more interesting and better utilises some of the subtleties the band hinted at on ObZen. Because for Hagström and his crew, who are all adept at writing technical riffs in bizarre time signatures, writing music that could be both subtle and extreme was the best test of their song writing abilities. “This is maybe a record that you listen to it and you think ‘oh, this is quiet straightforward’, but then you listen to it and you go into detail and you come to realise it’s actually the opposite.” I suggest to Mårten that the subtleties of the Koloss material are going to make the live shows to promote the new record very interesting and he agrees before explaining how Meshuggah have always had an uphill battle when it comes time to introduce their records to fans at the live show. “It will be funny to see how this record is received by fans when we start to play it live. In retrospect since ObZen came out people have been saying how that album did really well and sold really well and people tend to think of it as a really good album and that’s cool. But when it just came out, a lot of fans are disappointed. And now I don’t hear that anywhere. Just a few months after its release there were a lot of disappointed people. And that’s something that’s always happened with our albums. “To an extent I think it’s a good thing, because if you do something that people that have to adjust to instead of giving them something were they can say, ‘Oh that’s exactly what I was expecting and exactly what I wanted’. That’s never what we’ve stood for. We’ve always tried to mess with people a little bit.” MESHUGGAH join the massive soldout Soundwave lineup at Melbourne Showgrounds this Friday March 2. They also play a sideshow tonight with The Devin Townsend Project at The Forum Theatre.

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Beat Magazine Page 61

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SOMETHING NEW ON CHAPEL

Wild About Juice is the first and only fruit juice in Australia to be given the low GI rating. Using locally sourced fruit and a unique juicing technique that retains the high antioxidant value of the fruit, Wild About Juice is the healthiest and yummiest juice option around. Flavours include Apple & Cherry, Cloudy Apple, Apple & Mango, Apple & Blackcurrant, Apple, Pine, Pash and Filtered Apple. Furthermore, Wild Child is made from a base of Wild About Juice apple juice plus the best fruit and veggies, Wild Child superjuices pack a healthy punch and come in four delicious flavours including Green Cleanse, Antioxidant Energy, Mango Passion and Veggie Detox. YUM! Both these products have no added water, sugar or boosts, these juices are all-natural and all-Australian and are currently available in Victoria at select eateries and cafés.

Three Monkeys is a refreshing new addition to the Chapel St cafe scene. Based around great food, great music and local street art, Three Monkeys have focused on creating a social sphere, inspiring people from all walks of life to enjoy themselves and each other. Serving breakfast, lunch, tapas, dinner and drinks (amazing cocktails) till late with an exotic rear courtyard garden, Three Monkeys is located between High and Greville at 210 Chapel St Prahran. Ph: 9521 5694 or check them out on Facebook or threemonkeyschapelst.com.au

CHEF WANTED Great opportunity in a Collingwood pub for up-andcoming chef or kitchen crew to lease kitchen at bare minimum. Creative menus most welcome. Please email expressions of interest to guy@bendigohotel. com.au

THE FED SQUARE MICROBREWERIES SHOWCASE The Fed Square Microbreweries Showcase is on at The Atrium, Federation Square on Wednesday March 14 and Thursday March 15, 4.30pm – 8.30pm. For more information vist fedsquare.com/beer

The South Melbourne Commons will be having a food festival on Sunday March 4 between 10am and 4pm at 217-239 Montague Street (cnr Bank Street) South Melbourne. The festival kicks off with a number of workshops including ‘Sourdough Bread Making’ with farmer Carey, ‘Sauerkraut and Wild Fermentation Explorations’ with Very Edible Gardens, ‘A Raw Foods Demonstration’ with SmoothieGirl and Ace Rosengarten, ‘Making Tomato Passata’ with Mangia Mangia, and ‘Choosing Wholefoods Wisely’ with Sandra Dubs. The Food Festival will have a number of stalls and workshops and “will be an intimate and enlightening real foods event”, says Paul Miragliotta Manager of South Melbourne Commons. The South Melbourne Commons will also host a six jar style jar swap which will take place at 12pm. Registrations are now open for this event which entails bringing six jars filled with yummy food to swap on the day. To register contact smc.coordinators@foe.org.au. You can find out more about the South Melbourne Commons by going to commons.org.au

FED SQUARE CIDER GARDEN BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Melbourne’s cider lovers will descend on Federation Square for a garden of locally-made boutique brews at the Fed Square Microbreweries Showcase on Wednesday March 14 and Thursday March 15. The Cider Garden will feature newcomers Leura Park Estate with their Flying Duck Cider, Rebelllo Wine’s Cheeky Rascal Cider, Beechworth Cider, White Rabbit Brewery and many more. The biannual Fed Square Microbreweries Showcase brings some of Victoria’s finest craft beer to Fed Square where guests can meet the brewers, sample the new tastes and learn more about the brewing process. Showcase favourites Grand Ridge Brewing from Gippsland will return, as well as the Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Bridge Road Brewers and Bright Brewery. Joining them will be metro brewers Cavalier Beer and Hawthorn Brewing Company. A highlight will be new flavours from King Valley Brewing’s Yowie Lager.

Ticket-holders receive 20x60ml tastings as well as treats from participating Fed Square restaurants. Tickets can be purchased online from Ticketmaster for $25+bf. Guests are encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets because only a limited number will be available at the door.

TO TS

N E P O A CH W O N E

PEL

E STR

Healthy, Fresh,Tasty

'Hunky Dory Fish & Burger Bar is now in Chapel Street. This family owned business opened its doors in Port Melbourne 7 years ago and has quickly become famous for combining healthy fresh ﬁsh, salads & rice with old school traditional ﬁsh and chips'

Friday and Saturday nights in the front bar we have a DJ spinning tunes from 8pm and wine, beer and cocktail specials all night. Open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

VEGETARIAN TUESDAY

Join us for a 3 or 4 course vegetarian, vegan and gluten free tasting menu with optional wine matching. Meat options are available for the carnivorous types.

FISH

DOUBLE BARREL THURSDAY Buy one bottle and the second is on us.**

St JUDES 389-391 Brunswick Street Fitzroy VIC (03) 9419 7411 Beat Eats Page 62.....................

BURGER BAR

Shop 17/670 Chapel St South Yarra

www.hunkydory.com.au ** Conditions apply

BEAT’S GUIDE TO EATING OUT IN MELBOURNE

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY BY OLIVER DOWNES

While the abundance of collaborations and side-projects he’s been involved with over the last 20 years may suggest otherwise, there’s a peculiar consistency to the work of Will Oldham. Usually filed under alt-country (though Southern Gothic would be nearer the mark), Oldham’s music – whether recorded as Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Will Oldham or his most enduring moniker, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – tends to induce and reward the kind of quietly intensive listening associated with the wee small hours, when the Moon’s slunk away for the night and options have been winnowed down to sleep or contemplation of the dark. Indeed, Oldham has developed a reputation – not entirely undeserved – for sounding a little down. His first record as Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (and sixth overall) was the appropriately titled I See A Darkness (1999), a searingly bleak meditation on love, death and existential dread. Though it is the album that sporadically (and rightly) finds its way onto Top 100 lists, with subsequent releases such as The Letting Go (2006) or the sublime Lie Down In The Light (2008), Oldham has developed a distinctive musical idiom that seems to blend a modern view with an almost nineteenth-century sensibility – an occasional actor (he was given a leading part in John Sayles’ Matewan (1987) as well as landing bit roles in everything from Junebug (2005), R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet (2007) and Jackass 3D (2010), even appearing in the video for Kanye West’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing), one can’t help but feel that a cameo in Deadwood would have been appropriate... Speaking from his home in Louisville, Kentucky amidst preparations for his upcoming round of touring – “tidying up loose ends and cutting them off so that they don’t get infected,” as he puts it – Oldham is both courteous and eloquent, very much the Dr Jekyll to the Mr Hyde of his persona, though as he elaborates the distinction is at times far from clear. “When I was a kid I always found myself quite compelled by the Beauty And The Beast story,” he says. “I feel like when I’m not fully participatory in my music – that is, when I’m not writing or recording or performing on a regular basis – my spirit gets divided very sharply into the decent and tolerable and tolerant human, and the indecent and intolerable and intolerant and unpredictable and potentionally despicable beastly nature. They vie for time. When I can be in the music, I feel those two opposing forces become one; they become one in the shape of this Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and it’s a great relief. It’s like when you hold two magnets with the same charge against each other and try to push them together and they just won’t go... then you flip one and it’s the opposing charge and they click right together. That’s how it seems to me.” The search for the perfect counterpart is one that seems to have preoccupied Oldham through his career. Though he has frequently collaborated with a range of different artists (including Tortoise, longtime friend Matt Sweeney as well as The Cairo Gang), of note is his propensity to invite female singers to contribute to his own records, artists such as Scout Niblett (Kiss EP), Faun Fables’ Dawn McCarthy (The Letting Go) or Angel Olsen on last year’s Wolfroy Goes To Town providing a counterpoint to Oldham’s own gruffly tremulous quaver. As he sings on the opener No Match of this most recent record, ‘You will be a match for me/I will be a match for you.’ “Music is about collaboration and community,” he explains, “and the greatest manifestation of collaboration and community for a singer is to sing with another person, [whether it be] in a song written as a duet, or harmonically where the voices are bang up against each other. So it’s [about] looking for someone with whom I feel my voice can have an exciting interplay, either on an ideas level or sonically or both. Musically it’s like: that’s what’s missing from my voice. When I sing, it’s incomplete,” he continues, “but when these two voices are there, oh, it’s the complete being that I would like to be musically. If there were a body that was the sound of these two voices singing together, that would be my ideal body.” Perhaps it’s this sense of yearning that creeps into Oldham’s music that has continued to transfix listeners, his voice seeming to carry a frailty made the more consoling by the crackles that colour his precise enunciation. Now 42, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to suppose that Oldham will continue raising a joining of voices against the darkness for another 20 years – though his reasons for continuing to tour are more refreshingly straightforward: “Money.” “We don’t have a very strong government arts support over here,” he chuckles. “We are the people, so we provide our own arts support by soliciting funds from a paying audience, and that’s potentionally as it should be. There are so many great things about playing shows and travelling but emotional stability is not one of them. Ten years ago, six years ago I thought, ‘Some day I’ll stop travelling.’ The way that record sales go, that seems unlikely. It’s frustrating because I don’t know how long my body will hold out, but it’s great playing,” he says. “There’s something really phenomenal about all this shit on the computer, on YouTube and everything – if anything, it seems to strengthen the energy and the needs of the live audience. I don’t know how that equation works, but that’s what I’ve observed. My life is remarkably full of good things.” BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY plays the sold out Golden Plains Festival taking place at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 10 to Monday March 12. He also plays sideshows at The Regal Ballroom (with Mick Harvey) on Thursday March 8, the National Theatre on Friday March 9 and the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on Saturday March 10. Wolfroy Goes To Town is out now via Palace Recordings.

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Beat Magazine Page 63

THUNDER ROAD

THE SONGS OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BY PETER HODGSON It’s a funny thing, the tribute band scene. Do you all dress up as the act and put on your most convincing vocal imitation? Do you just get up there and play the songs in your own style? Or do you take it in an entirely different direction, like Hayseed Dixie’s bluegrass AC/DC covers? Thunder Road seem to have it sorted: in Thunder Road presents The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen, they play the songs of The Boss with an instrumental approach that closely captures what everyone loves about the E Street Band, but without going for a full-on imitation. “I’m a little Aussie guy,” says vocalist/ guitarist Gavin Leadbetter. “Doing Bruce Springsteen, it’s not like I’m ever going to sound like him, but to put the songs across with the same energy and to get the band sound right, it works. The band plays the songs really well, and you give it everything. You leave nothing on stage. You’re all spent when you’re finished.” The Springsteen tribute act grew out of an existing project, a self-confessed ‘fairly popular country-rock band’ which has played around for years, including of course gigs on the Tamworth scene as well as plenty of good old fashioned road work. They always threw a Springsteen song or two into the set and they always went over particularly well. So when the time came to take a bit of a break from the country thing for a while, Leadbetter and crew looked for something else to do, a way to keep the band together while keeping it musically fresh. “No-one seemed to have done the Springsteen thing and we wanted to do something a bit different and just have some fun with it for a little while,”

he says. “We thought we’d give it a crack and the reception has been fantastic.” Leadbetter puts Springsteen’s appeal down to his sheer accessibility – that spark that makes The Boss equally popular with working class crowds, Dylan fans and more snobby types alike. “His songs have always got subject matter that you can relate to, whether the audience understands the concept of Born In The USA or not, for example. It’s not a celebration song! The same as his new song, We Take Care Of Our Own, you could assume one thing from the title but it’d be wrong. It’s more ‘Why don’t we take care of our own?’ That’s what he’s going about. And

there’s always something like that.” Of course, when an act grows as popular as Springsteen, the audience fragments into die-hard fans who know every note of every track ever recorded, as well as a hell of a lot of people who know – and demand – the biggest radio hits. “The very first big show we did, the people that came to it were from all walks of life,” Leadbetter says. “There are people I’ve met around Melbourne who go to the States just to go to Springsteen concerts. And it is intimidating. I don’t look like him, I can’t sound like him, but as long as I can put the energy level across… and the beautiful thing about what we’re doing is that unlike a lot of other tribute shows, to do it properly you don’t have to wear spandex! I don’t have to do that. I have to get up on stage and do what I love to do, which is to sing hard and play hard. And everyone who’s been to our shows has congratulated us on that.” Rather than presenting different eras of Springsteen’s career in chronological order or anything like that, the shows are structured much like how Bruce would do it in concert. “The last show we did at the Corner, we got on

stage at quarter past nine and got off at midnight. It was a big show. People don’t want to hear me talk too much, they want to hear the songs. So that’s how we structure it.” At that show, the band played over 30 tracks. The band returns to the Corner on Saturday March 3, and even more material will be in their back pocket ready to go, to create a unique and special event. All performed by a crack seven-piece band who have honed their E Street sound to a fine point. “We’ve got two electric guitar players, we’ve got a young girl who plays acoustic guitar and sings all the nice harmonies, our sax player also plays Hammond organ, and then we’ve got our full-time piano player who plays accordion on some songs, then our powerhouse of a rhythm section, with our bass player and drummer. We’re putting across the big E Street sound. It’s great fun.”

of solo thing, even back in the ‘80s,” Howard says. “So I decided to make it a project.” Realising he needed a band to help promote his recordings, Howard looked around unsuccessfully for band mates until Dave Graney, who Howard had known through the Australian expatriate community in London, expressed an interest in Howard’s fledgling compositions and offered to play bass. “I thought ‘Yes!’,” Howard says. “And then a couple of hours later Dave emailed me again and said that Clare [Moore] wants to play too. Problem solved!” With Howard’s girlfriend Edwina Preston having already contributed keyboards and stylophone, Howard now had a full band. The presence of a settled lineup contributed to a refinement of Howard’s initial compositions. “The demos were a lot more arranged, and had more overdubs. When the band came along I was so taken aback by hearing the songs played a band, and the energy you get from a band, that I forgot about the early demos,” Howard says. The post-punk style that Howard was hoping to achieve – born of an interest in bands such as The Modern Lovers (“proto-punk”) and The Fall – remained. “I like a lot of that

music, a lot,” Howard says. “There’s a lot of integrity in that music that I like. And I learnt to write songs around that time, and I learnt to write songs by listening to other people’s songs.” Howard concedes that the black title bestowed upon his backing band is a none-too-subtle reference to the health dramas he experienced a few years ago. Suffering complications from an operation to address a serious liver condition, Howard was literally on death’s door. One song in particular, Old Man Blues, captures Howard’s style of health and mind at the nadir of his health problems. “That song is about being sick, and how it turned me into an old man. It was like having a holiday in an old man’s body – not that anyone should want a holiday in an old man’s body,” Howard laughs. “And there’s a bit of my sense of humour in there as well.”

Boogie had attracted enough attention to go into the studio to record its first album, Focus Level. Once in the studio, Endless Boogie was determined not to mix with its proven formula: long jams based on a basic riff, with the members of the band feeding off each other, both artistically and psychically. “We decided that because what we were doing on stage was working, we’d just do the same in the studio,” Major says. “We record albums pretty well the same as we play on stage. We take out some of the riffs we’ve been playing on stage and jam them out. We create our albums with a lot of improvisation, but making sure the songs are the right length to be on an album,” he says. Endless Boogie has been describe as the ‘finest exponent of chooglin’, a term derived from the Creedence Clearwater Revival track Keep On Chooglin’. Major describes ‘chooglin’ as a “groove” upon which a jam can evolve and flourish. “It’s really a groove, rather than a set of chord changes,” Major says. “It’s the groove, it’s letting the colours come along. It’s consistent, and it keeps coming at ya,” he says. While psychedelic-styled bands such as The Grateful Dead constructed a multi-dimensional musical aesthetic based around a free-flowing jam, Major says Endless Boogie is

more limited in its focus. “We’re more one-dimensional than The Grateful Dead,” Major says. “For us, songs are mainly diving boards that we jump off. Most of the time our songs go to a different place – but we try not to just noodle about.” In the context of his impending Australian pilgrimage, Major refers to the special qualities of Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls, and Billy Thorpe and the (Sunbury) Aztecs in creating a special rock’n’roll spirit. “That stuff is different to what was going on in other parts of the world, but I can’t articulate it too well,” Major says. “There’s something going on with bands like the Coloured Balls. At that time there were lots of bands in the world getting into technique, and people like Eric Clapton were losing their way. But those Australian bands had more of the original rock’n’roll spirit in them.”

THUNDER ROAD PRESENTS THE SONGS OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN on Saturday March 3 at The Corner Hotel in Richmond. Tickets are $20. Doors at 8.30pm.

HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE

BY PATRICK EMERY

Harry Howard’s musical career began in the same fertile punk rock music environment that gave birth to The Boys Next Door, The Young Charlatans and the Teenage Radio Stars. Howard is quick to point out, however, his original band’s inherent punk rock limitations. “It never played live, and no-one could really play their instruments,” Howard says. “But Rowland [S. Howard] quite liked us, and at one time almost managed to get Keith Glass to put out a single without ever having heard us,” he says. “But then he did hear us, and he lost interest – I think he listened to the wrong side of the tape,” Howard laughs. A couple of years later Howard followed the same path taken previously by many of his contemporaries, including his elder brother Rowland, when he left Australian shores and headed to London. “I hated Australia at the time – it was so dreary,” Howard recalls. While in London, Howard – who’d already given Rowland a few tunes that eventually found their way onto The Birthday Party’s swansong record, Junkyard – was drafted into The Birthday Party to fill the shoes – “his cowboy boots,” Howard laughs drolly – of bass player Tracey Pew. When The Birthday Party drew a line under their tumultuous career in 1983, Howard teamed up with former Birthday Party member Mick Harvey in a revived lineup Simon Bonney’s Crime And The City Solution. “Mick decided he was going to get Simon over to stop him falling off the face of the earth,” Howard says. A couple of years later Rowland

Howard asked Harry to help him play on Rowland’s solo project, which would be christened subsequently These Immortal Souls. Crime And The City Solution subsequently moved on without Howard – “We didn’t leave technically, [Simon and Mick] got other people, but everyone was happier afterwards” – leaving him to concentrate on These Immortal Souls until that band’s formal demise in 1998. Now back in Australia, Howard played briefly in a theatrical-style outfit by the name of Christian High-Art Boutique (“it was equal parts hilarious and horrific”), before moving on to play guitar in local psychedelic-edged punk outfit Pink Stainless Tail. It was after realising his tenure in Pink Stainless Tail was coming to an end that Howard began to record his own demo material. “I’d always wanted to put out some sort

HARRY HOWARD & THE NDE launch their album Near Death Experience at The Tote this Saturday March 3. The album is out on Spooky Records.

ENDLESS BOOGIE

BY PATRICK EMERY

Paul Major, guitarist and vocalist with New York band Endless Boogie, has never been to Australia. Yet he feels like his upcoming Australian tour with Endless Boogie “will be like coming home”. As a young record collector in St Louis, Major came across classic Australian records released by the likes of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, the Masters’ Apprentices, Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls and X. “That Sunbury ‘73 soundtrack is so much different to Woodstock,” Major observes. “It’s something more wild and heavy. Everyone’s really on the same crazy spaceship – that’s the groove we’re looking for when we play,” he says. When I point out to Major that his journey to Golden Plains will take him in close proximity to the site of the original Sunbury site, he’s genuinely excited. “That’s number one on our list of historical sites to see. There’s also the other history stuff you can do, but I’d just like to go there and take it all in,” he laughs. Back in the ‘70s, Major was growing up in St Louis when he was swept up in the punk craze that emanated from the nearby cities of New York and Cleveland. Major formed his first punk band, The Mouldy Dogs, in the late ‘70s. “That was one of the first punk rock bands in St Louis,” Major says. Dissatisfied with the St Louis punk rock scene, Major headed west to Los Angeles to see what was happening there. “The weather was great out there, but the punk rock scene hadn’t really kicked in, so we went across to New York instead. The weather wasn’t as good there, but the music scene was much better,” Major says. Major’s first band in New York departed from the raw punk rock of The Mouldy Dogs. “I had a band called The Beat Magazine Page 64

Sorcerers, and we played Mötorhead and Hawkwind,” Major recalls. “We’d do these really long jams.” It was a style that would eventually carry over into Endless Boogie. Taking its name from a John Lee Hooker song, Endless Boogie started out as simply a regular Tuesday night gig in a local New York bar. “A friend of ours said we should just play jams together on Tuesday nights,” Major says. “We already had the name worked out, and it was just a bunch of friends jamming out.” Being that little bit older than the average young band meant that Major and his band mates were not beholden to pretensions of career development. “We really had no thought of a career as such,” Major says. “For a long time it was just a case of doing it for fun.” After a while Endless

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

ENDLESS BOOGIE play the soldout Golden Plains Festival, taking place at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 10 - Monday March 12. They also play The Tote (which will be cranking up the barbie) on Saturday March 10.

9.30 - 11:30 9.30 - 10:30

FRIDAY 2nd March

NIGEL WEARNE & THE CAST IRON PROMISES

Aphra’sCat

SATURDAY 3rd March

FEED YOUR MUNKIE 10.30 - 11:30 MADNESS METHOD

SUNDAY 4th March - SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL

- DAN DINNEN - LILY & KING 3.00 - 3.45 - ABBIE CARDWELL & HER LEADING MEN 4.00 - 4.45 - QUARRY MOUNTAIN DEAD RATS 5.00 - 5.45 - LARGE # 12’S 6.00 - 6.45 - LIVINGSTONE DAISIES 7.00 - 8.00 - THE SKA VENDORS 9.00 - 11.00 - GO GO SAPIEN (2 SETS) 1.00 - 1.45 2.00 - 2.45

FOOD SPECIALS

MONDAY $12 PARMA TUESDAY ALL PIZZAS $6 WEDNESDAY $12 STEAK THURSDAY $12 BEEF OR HALLOUMI BURGER SUNDAY $12 ROAST ALL DAY

OPENING HOURS

MON-THURS FROM 3PM - LATE FRI-SUN FROM 12PM - LATE NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH ON FRIDAY!! 420 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK, 9380 8667

FACEBOOK.COM/THEPENNYBLACK

CD Launch

When Princes At My Feet Did Lie

n Sunday 11 March, 8:30PM Yah Yahs, 99 Smith St Fitzroy with The Grenadines & Mr Jimmy

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Beat Magazine Page 65

EAGLE AND THE WORM

BY JAMES W NICOLI

“Push Over ‘98 was one of the first gigs I sort of went to which was a pretty big deal. It was huge, it was at the Sidney Myer Music bowl I think and [had] Rancid, Snout, The Avalanches,” remembers Eagle And The Worm’s front man Jarrad Brown. “Like any kind of event, especially when it’s all ages orientated, it’s kind of special now in Victoria, and I suppose anywhere because there’s just not as many shows.” The all ages scene in Melbourne has certainly had its ups and downs but anyone who can remember the glory days of the mid to late ‘90s would have to admit that it was a great time to be into music and under age. “I don’t know if it’s just that my perspective has changed but when I was growing up playing in bands, playing in ska bands and the punk scene, there was so many venues and events for all ages,” adds Brown. “Like Midian, the Arthouse, the Evelyn used to have heaps of all ages events and community events as well and you could be 16-years-old and be playing in a band and have an audience. It’s more difficult to do that now.” Although the musical landscape may have changed dramatically over the last decade or so, one constant has been Push Over. And once again, just like it does every year, the Push Over festival will host the best in home grown musical talent and more importantly provide an event that is under age friendly. The importance of which is certainly

not lost on Brown. “It’s vital. You know like when you’re 14, 15, 16 – it’s a vital time in establishing who you are and what you listen to and for me, the stuff I was listening to then and the things I was picking up on, there are still sounds in the world that are alien to your ears when you’re 14 and you pick up on stuff you’ve never heard before and it can change your life. And that can still happen to anyone at any time but it’s just vital to be part of arts and music if you want to have that as part of your life. That time is really vital.” For Brown, getting to be a part of an event like Push Over is a way of giving back and supporting a festival which played such a big role when he was underage. “I felt like I wanted to be part of the event – because I’ve been part of it before and recognise that its providing something pretty vital to Australian music.” Eagle And The Worm have spent most of their summer travelling the country side on the festival circuit, playing

to thousands of people at festivals such as Meredith and Woodford. For a band that seems so at home and so well suited to the festival format, the experience they have gained over recent times has been invaluable. “It did take some time to work up a festival set and get the experience to be playing well to a festival crowd,” admits Brown. “I reckon a good band works their show up. I guess it’s a different kind of interaction with an audience when you’re playing in front of 5,000 people or when you’re playing in front of 300 people.” And with a sound that suits the atmosphere and vibe of most festivals down to a tee, it’s a fair bet that the band will

become regulars at such events across the country. “One of the cool things that translates about having a band like Eagle And The Worm with all the people on stage is that before you even start, visually there’s so much to engage in,” says Brown. “And there’s so much opportunity for us to do so many things, there’s so many instruments at our disposal, so it’s something that we’ve enjoyed.”

working on new material.” As far as the new record is concerned, Lior is still piecing together the overall direction. “It’s pretty open actually. I’ve started collaborating with lots of people and I’m just trying to figure out what’s exciting me the most. I’ve just been dabbling in lots of things and I have faith in the fact that over the next few months it’ll fall into place.” In the meantime, Zoo Twilights seems like the perfect outing, especially with a young family such as Lior’s. “I have been to the Melbourne Zoo,” he admits. “I’ve

got two little kids and was there only a few months ago.” So I’m guessing they are looking forward to seeing not only the animals but their father’s set as well? “I’m not sure,” he laughs. “I guess it depends on how well the show goes. You know I might have to go start serenading the animals if things go really bad.” Highly unlikely.

year to help them support their humongous overhead. But it’s exciting for me as an artist because this is the music I make. And to be able to cut out the middle man between me and the audience is really exciting. Especially with the internet; now with the click of a button we can staple flyers across the world. It’s pretty wild.” There may be a certain element of risk involved with Kweller’s decision. But for the time being, he seems ready to take that risk. Kweller is not just playing the hand he’s been dealt; he’s changed the rules of the game altogether. And that’s certainly something worth getting excited about. “I’m very interested in being self-sufficient and truly independent. I’d like to be in control of my own life. In my career, I’ve done that more and more through the years.

I’ve got a small group of people that work with me. The whole business part of what I do is very different from the traditional set-up. I don’t have a manager, instead our team just works together. At the end of the day, I make the decisions. We have an office in South Austin in this old house from the ‘50s. All of our merch is done inhouse. And this was all building before the formation of the label. It was my own little behind-the-scenes world. When I decided to start The Noise Company, all the pieces were already in place. It was the logical next step. And here we are.”

EAGLE AND THE WORM play alongside Parkway Drive, Tonight Alive, 360 and a heap of others at Push Over which is taking place at the Abbotsford Convent on Monday March 12 (Labour Day Holiday).

LIOR

BY JAMES W NICOLI

For most of us, the zoo is one of those places you get taken to when you’re a youngster, either with your family or through school and then as you start to get older you just kind of forget about the place. It’s not until you return as an adult that you realise just how amazing the zoo is and how much fun it is, especially the excellent Melbourne Zoo. The Zoo Twilights series further adds to the fun; bringing you live music by some of the country’s top performers. There’s also a bar, which let’s face it always goes down well and fine food as well, all in the lovely natural setting of the zoo. One of the performers for this year’s series is Lior, and it may be the last chance to see him in action for quite some time. “It’s the last show I’m going to do before heading overseas and also working on new material so it’s a bit of a farewell show if you like,” the singer-songwriter says. “And I’m playing with a full band and a string quartet as well so it’s a chance to select highlights from the last three albums.” The best thing about concert series such as Zoo Twilights is that not only do you get to see a live show in a unique setting but quite often the performers look to do something a little different with their show. “I thought it was a chance to incorporate elements that I’ve been touring with over the last few years,” adds Lior. “I’ve been doing tours with a string quartet and solo tours and that sort of thing, so I just thought I’d take the last four of five years of touring and select the ‘best of’ moments and try and work them

into one show.” It’s a philosophy that Lior tries to adhere to with all of his shows; to try and keep it fresh and exciting, not only for the audience but for himself as well. “I do try and aim to do something a little different, whether it’s in a different format, doing the Shadows And Light tour which was a collaboration with visual artists, or the tour I did last year. I just try and do something really different because I’m also aware that a lot of people are coming back and seeing multiple shows; you’ve got to keep it fresh for them.” Once the Zoo Twilights show is complete, Lior will then be focusing his attention overseas, namely Europe, as well as working on album number four, the follow up to his last record, 2010’s Tumbling Into The Dawn. “I’m balancing out some overseas touring,” he admits. “I’ve just last year started doing stuff over in Europe and we mix touring in Europe and also

LIOR performs at Zoo Twilights on Saturday March 3 at the Melbourne Zoo.

BEN KWELLER

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

It may have been a day of rest, but when Ben Kweller answers the phone there’s a palpable sense of contentment and enthusiasm in his voice. “What’s up dude? Good to talk to you!” he says, as if we were long lost friends.“I’m just relaxing on a Sunday afternoon,” he continues. “Relaxing before the week ahead; we’re shooting a video on Tuesday then I fly to Japan on Wednesday and then we’re off to Australia right afterwards.” It was exhausting just listening to Kweller detail his plans for the week ahead. Yet it was hard to ignore the fact that his smile could practically be heard over the phone. Kweller is in a great place right now, and he seems intent on sharing that positivity with everyone he crosses paths with. After ten years signed to the reputable ATO Records, Kweller has released Go Fly A Kite, his latest full-length on his own label, The Noise Company. And while Kweller hasn’t strayed from his honest fusion of rock and country with his own label, he admits that he’s undertaken some massive changes in his professional life. In a sense, the switch from ATO to The Noise Company has allowed Kweller to re-discover his roots. “It really didn’t change anything as far as the creative process goes. What it changed however is that I’m now happy to do phone interviews on Sunday,” he says with a hearty chuckle. “It’s changed the interest in the marketing side of things. I’m actually working hard and giving a shit about the business stuff now. I’ve always cared about that, Beat Magazine Page 66

but it’s always been in the hands of someone else. And now I’m handling things first hand as a record label and it gives me a lot of respect for the good record companies out there. It’s an honour for me to be able to put my music out on my own. It’s a big deal. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’ve come full circle. I started as a kid dubbing cassettes for my friends, Xeroxing black and white labels and taking flyers downtown, stapling them to telephone poles to promote your band’s show that weekend. All that DIY stuff I grew up doing, I feel like I’m doing it again. Just on a bigger level. It’s really fun actually.” With Go Fly A Kite, Kweller has taken cues from acts like Wilco and Cake and added weight to an alarmingly truthful argument: web-savvy bands do not necessarily need record labels to release their own music. When asked if he believes this trend will truly shake up the music industry, Kweller concedes it may be an uphill climb. But it’s one worth taking. “I don’t know if it will shake up the industry so much as it’ll have the major labels counting on a few more Adele’s each

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BEN KWELLER hits up The Hi-Fi on Monday March 5. Go Fly A Kite is available on The Noise Company at fine record stores.

BEN SOLLEE BY PATRICK EMERY

Ben Sollee grew up in the state of Kentucky. Technically considered part of the American south, Kentucky is a state without a significant profile outside of the United States. To some, it’s known as the original hometown of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who spent his formative years in Louisville, Kentucky; for those with an interest in country and folk music, Kentucky is the birthplace of bluegrass music, a term derived from the species of grass found in the state, and used to describe the folk-inspired musical style championed by the legendary Bill Monroe. Sollee is calling from his home in Kentucky, having just returned from a few days in Los Angeles to attend to some of his music business affairs. True to his southern roots, Sollee is profusely apologetic for missing our previous two interview appointments, and is keen to make amends, notwithstanding his recent travel. “I think the best aspect of Kentucky is how open it is to all the different cultures in the United States,” Sollee says, when I ask him to describe the best and worst aspects of his home state. “They call it one of the great cross-road states – there’s a lot of industry that crosses through Kentucky, and that means there’s a lot of mixing between different cultures,” he says. The state’s propensity for cross-pollination has had its musical benefits, too. “You look at bluegrass music – that mixes a whole lot of styles, like country, folk and blues. A band like My Morning Jacket, who also come from Kentucky, have those influences. But I think that can also be the state’s weakness, because it’s not always clearly defined,” Sollee says. As a young child in public school, Sollee was drawn to the cello, and instrument not traditionally associated with the folk and soul genres to which Sollee eventually gravitated. “I started playing cello when I was about seven,” Sollee says. “I like the cello because I could make all these different rackets – scratching sounds, or low sounds. As a third grader I really liked those sounds, and even as a 28-year-old, I still like those sounds,” he laughs. Sollee was fortunate to come from a musical family, with his grandfather a seasoned fiddle player, and his father a guitarist with particular interest in rhythm and blues. While there was the logistical opportunity for the family to come together to play music, Sollee says it wasn’t always easy to identify the appropriate musical context. “We had a good social time playing music together, but the main dilemma I had was how to play music together,” Sollee says. “I was trained as a classical musician, so I had to work out to play in a different way.” Sollee contemplated, but ultimately eschewed the temptation to become a full-time classical musician. While life as a professional musician is notoriously difficult in all genres of music, Sollee sees particular problems for the support for classical orchestras in the United States. “I have considered it,” he says. “I suppose I don’t miss the social world in classical music. And unfortunately in the United States a lot of orchestras are really struggling.” After playing cello in The Sparrow Quartet, Sollee stepped out as a solo performer in 2008. Sollee continued to play cello, while also singing, exhibiting a vocal approach closer to soul than the bluegrass style of Kentucky. “I’m still learning to be a singer,” Sollee says modestly. “I love the singing of Nina Simone, and I love the songwriting of Paul Simon. And I love the way Pete Seeger captures a sense of community, and I love how M.Ward can bring together all these different sounds and textures into his songs,” he says. Sollee concedes that many of his compositions have a distinctly personal aspect. One such song is Bible Belt from his most recent album Insights. “Yeah, that’s definitely written from a personal perspective,” Sollee laughs. “My wife, Caitlin, and I met and married and made a child pretty quickly, and I don’t think we exactly met the expectations of our friends and family. We learnt pretty early that we were setting up our own expectations, and that’s what that song is about,” he says. Sollee has also become well-known in Kentucky for his opposition to the practice of moutain top removal, a contemporary mining practice that has generated similar levels of community concern to coal seam gas mining in Australia. “Mountain top removal is basically open-pit mining on the top of a mountain,” Sollee explains. “The process is to lift the top of the mountain off to expose the coal inside. It causes so much devastation to the environment – it leaves this grey and brown residual space, and nothing grows there. And it makes things really hard for the community who’ve had to move away. Those areas are really important to United States culture – it’s those communities that are the heart and soul of country music,” Sollee says. Community is a big issue for Sollee, and underpins his embracing of bicycle travel, even when travelling across the United States to play gigs. “I carry my cello with me, and my drummer carries his drums as well,” Sollee says. “I have this thing called an extra-cycle that connects to my bike, and I can attach my cello to it. I don’t do it to be green or environmental – I just do it so I can slow down and meet the cultures that we’re travelling through. You expose yourself to everything from distracted drivers to interested pedestrians. We’ve had some great moments riding around!” Sollee laughs.

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BEN SOLLEE plays the Port Fairy Folk Festival taking place from Sunday March 10 to Monday March 12, an intimate solo show at The Toff In Town on Wednesday March 14, the Mechanic Institute P.A.C. at the Brunswick Music Festival on Friday March 16 and the Mossvale Music Festival on Saturday March 17. For all ticketing and information head to bensollee.com.

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CORE

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

Anti-Flag will celebrate the release of their new album The General Strike (out in March) with an Australian tour this May. Most importantly though, Anti Flag will be bringing two very decent internationals along for the ride. Strike Anywhere and Canada’s The Flatliners will be on board when the tour hits Melbourne’s HiFi Bar on Sunday May 27. Tickets are available now.

Hello all! Good week? Pretty sure if you’re not getting out to see one of the many excellent international and local gigs being made available to us this week, you’re DESCENDENTS without a pulse. I am currently soaking my ears in goat’s milk and stroking them fondly, whispering sweet nothings into their brutalised canals so that they may forgive me for the torture I’m about to put them through. I fear for their safety but I must persevere! Quick shout out to four of the best, who slugged out excellent sets at The Gasometer last Saturday night in muggy, brutish conditions. Cavalcade, Hoodlum Shouts, Luca Brasi and The Smith Street Band were each utterly brilliant in their own right. Sometimes I’m so proud of Australian music it hurts my ovaries.

Perth’s Break Even have added their name to the list of bands breaking up this year (though no one really breaks up anymore do they? Eh? Shall we pencil in a reunion for 2014?). The band have announced that they will part ways after Soundwave Festival because “The commitments in our lives other than the band have become more important.” Melbournites will get one last chance to catch the band when they play at Next! this week.

Resist Records are delivering the hardcore goods these days. Their most recent tour announce revealed that San Antonio’s Bitter End will be making the trip out for an extensive Australian tour with Perth’s finest Blkout. Suss this double bill out when it arrives at The Bendigo on Wednesday May 23. An all ages show will take place on Thursday May 24 at The Phoenix Youth Center.

After more than a decade of waiting for their return, Fu Manchu will finally make their way to Australia for a run of headlining dates with Black Cobra. They’ll headline Cherry Rock Fest in Melbourne, as well as banging out a show at The Hi-Fi on May 6. Tickets are available now.

CRUNCH! BERSERKER LIKE A FOX

Aussie metallers BerserkerfoX release a new EP, New World Murder (love the title) on March 11. A single called Digging Your Own Grave is available now and it’s kickass – screamed vocals, low-ass guitars, huge Iron Maiden-type guitar harmonies, and more tempo shifts than an Iggor Cavalera fever dream before kicking into an atmospheric, creepy, partly-acoustic breakdown that almost reminds me of Alice In Chains at their most wrist-slashingest. Check them out at facebook.com/ BerserkerfoX where you can get in in a special preorder offer: the limited edition CD along with a copy of their first album History.Altar.Ashes and a t-shirt.

GIG ALERT: @MOSHPHERE FESTIVAL

Speaking of BerserkerfoX, they’re playing at the @moshphere festival at the Hi-Fi on Sunday March 11 (hey, that’s the same day the EP is released) along with Sybreed, Anno Domini, Eye of The Enemy, Elysian, Circles, , Synthetic Breed, Hatchet Dawn, Aeon of Horus, Internal Nightmare, House of Thumbs, Naberus, Deliverance We Prey, Decimatus, Mastiff and DJ Lady London. Tickets from the venue, Moshtix, Polyester and a whole bunch of other places. Check the Facebook event page for the full list of ticket retailers.

ETERNAL REST FINISH DEBUT ALBUM

Aussie death metal band Eternal Rest (who are happen to be playing the Brisbane date of @moshphere) will release their debut album, Prophetic, later this year. It was recorded and engineered by Joe Haley (Psychroptic), and features new additions Josh

SYBREED BY ROD WHITFIELD

In the mighty wake of Soundwave, another heavy music festival assaults Melbourne’s senses on Saturday March 11 at the Hi-Fi – @mosphere –featuring a blistering lineup of local and international bands. On the bill from a local point of view is Synthetic Breed, Circles, Hatchet Dawn, House of Thumbs and many more. The whole shindig is headlined by Swiss cyber/groove metal warriors Sybreed, and they are also touring the rest of the country. We recently chatted with singer Ben Nominet about the upcoming tour. You have a pretty extensive tour of Australia coming up, looking forward to that? Definitely. It’s our first tour as a headliner far from

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CORE GIG GUIDE

PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE

Streetlight Manifesto have added their voice to the dozens of damning condemnations of Victory Records. So many bands have slagged this label it really is quite shocking to see more and more young bands continue to sign on with them. Streetlight recently said, “Victory Records is an artist-hostile, morally corrupt and generally dishonest company.” They have asked fans to boycott all Streetlight related items by not purchasing records or merch from Victory’s website, traditional CD stores, or digital distribution services (ie, anywhere) as “Victory has a long-time reputation of pocketing all of the proceeds from a band’s music and merch with shady accounting and generally bully-ish behavior.” Adelaide’s Dangerous are well known for being the first Aussie band to release their album internationally via Epitaph, now it’s time for them to earn their live chops. See what the fuss is about when they take on Melbourne’s Revolver on Wednesday March 7, The John Curtain on Thursday March 8, The Espy’s Basement on Friday March 9, The Nash on Saturday March 10 and then Next on Thursday March 15. That’s ample opportunity to get on board.

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Robinson on vocals and Jannico Kelk on bass. Guitarist Jake Kaiser says “It has been a long journey since the start of our album recording, finding/auditioning new members, recording in many different locations and rehearsing constantly, but we’re pleased to say that our debut album Prophetic is finally finished. The material on this album is a big step up from anything we have previously recorded, with the addition of new members adding their skills and working with an amazing engineer we could not be any more excited to get this album out for you all to hear.” A teaser track called Preaching The Decimation Of Spheres is out now.

GET YERSELF ON A BAG O’ NAILS RECORDING

Blues-rock power trio Bag O’ Nails are playing at the St Andrews Hotel, Main St St Andrews this Saturday March 3. They’re going to record the show for an upcoming CD release, and they’ll put the names of everyone who attends in the liner notes. They kick off at 9pm. Go to bagonails.com for more info.

THE POOR RE-RELEASE OLD EPS

Aussie hard rockers The Poor have released a double EP combining their Rude, Crude And Tattooed and Underfed releases from 1992 and 1993, respectively – back when they were known as The Poor Boys. In 2012 The Poor are working on new music as well as getting their entire back catalogue onto iTunes. Catch them at the Wheelers Hill Hotel on Friday March 16 and at House of Rock at the Palace on March 17. European territories so we really see it as an important step for Sybreed. We are really excited about it and can’t wait to have fun on stage there and see what the Australian audience is made of. Will this be your first trip to Australia as a band? The very first one. We have never been there before as musicians … and even as tourists actually. It’s the further we would have been from home so far as a touring band. What do Aussie punters get at a Sybreed show? Just a straightforward metal show with lot of dynamic and energy, something really aggressive. We don’t rely on a big stage and light set up or costumes and so on, for we prefer keeping it “raw”. Ah yes, I might as well crack a couple of bad jokes here and there, if I am in the right mood. You have a new album coming shortly, tell us about that. I can’t say much for now, since we really want to keep it “hush-hush” until its release, and also because we have just finished recording the whole thing. You never really know how it will sound before it comes back from the mastering process. In any cas,e it will be a pure Sybreed album, yet a bit more metal” than our previous release: in short – pretty dark, pretty heavy and yet quite melodic. Your influences are pretty plain, but extremely varied, from Fear Factory and Meshuggah to Depeche Mode and maybe Ultravox, dark’ 80s synthpop/new wave. This gives

AXES AND AXES ACCESSED ON ‘AXIS’

Sydney guitarist Chris Brooks recently released The Axis Of Things, an utterly world-class instrumental hard rock album with flashes of fusiony goodness. Fans of Guthrie Govan, John Petrucci and Steve Morse will definitely dig what Chris is doing, but he’s one of those players who’s pretty hard to pin down in terms of “Oh that dude sounds like this dude.” The Axis Of All Things is available on iTunes now or you can buy it from Chris. Check out his website at chrisbrooks.com

VAI TO BEGIN NEW ALBUM MIX

Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather are hitting down soon for a few G3 dates and a set at Bluesfest in Byron Bay, and just the other day Steve returned to his old Mothership Studio in Hollywood (he now records at his home studio instead) to install a new mixing desk so he can begin mixing his new CD. The Mothership is a pretty historic place for the hard rock and metal world: not only did Vai record a whole bunch of stuff there back in the day, but Devin Townsend recorded Strapping Young Lad’s City there. It’ll be his first release of all-new material since 2004’s Real Illusions: Reflections. Catch G3 at the Palais on March 31 and April 1.

KILLING JOKE CELEBRATE THE END DAYS

The original line up of Killing Joke – Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul – release MMXII on April 6. That’s 2012 if you can’t be fucked figuring out the Roman numerals, and judging by the press release it seems the album sees the band exploring that whole ‘apocalypse’ you a unique approach and sound, is this a fair comment? I couldn’t say it better. We really enjoy the big, heavy riffing and relentless groove approach of those bands we started listening in the ‘90s when we were teenagers, such as Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, and some others. At the same time Drop and I have always been fond of all the ‘80s synthpop music and its somewhat classy sound and melodies, as well as its songwriting aspect. I think our goal is to achieve being both dirty and groovy when it comes to metal and classy-but-not-cheesy when it comes to the melodic side of our music: not the easiest thing to do however, for you have to be good in both genres. Next year marks your 10 year anniversary as a band: does it seem like almost a decade you guys have been around? Honestly, it really doesn’t feel like it has been ten years since we are around: it still feels like we are a young band. I guess all we have done with Sybreed made time fly pretty fast, especially with the tours and recordings. At the same time, we are now better musicians than we are in the past on many aspects and we can feel that all the failures and experiences we had in those past years improved us. The only thing is that after ten years, we clearly still suck at business. Do you think you have another 10 years or more in you? Personally, I feel like I have a lifetime in me left regarding

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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 29: Hatebreed, Raised Fist, Cro-Mags, Biohazard at The HiFi System Of A Down, The Dillinger Escape Plan at Rod Laver Thursday, Saves The Day, Circa Survive at Billboard Unwritten Law, Zebrahead, Royal Republic at The Espy Devin Townsend Project, Meshuggah, Dredg at The Forum Dashboard Confessional, Jack’s Mannequin, Relient K at The Prince Of Wales River OF Snakes, Mass Cult at Cherry Bar The Pretty Reckless, Heroes For Hire at Thornbury Theatre Alter Bridge, Steel Panther at The Palace THURSDAY MARCH 1: Angels and Airwaves, Madina Lake, Framing Hanley at The Forum Slipknot, Trivium at Rod Laver Lostprophets, Kids In Glass Houses, VersaEmerge at Billboard Bush, Staind, Cherri Bomb at The Palace Hyro Da Hero at The Laundry Cathedral, Paradise Lost, Turisas at The Espy Sister Of Mercy at The Corner Hotel A Rocket To The Moon, The Ready Set, The Summer Set, The Dangerous Summer at The Hi-Fi Let Me Down Jungleman at The Old Bar Black Veil Brides at Thornbury Theatre Break Even, Vultures, Viking Frontier, Summerset Avenue at Next FRIDAY MARCH 2: Jonesez, Shiny Brights at Revolver Giants Of Science, Damn Terran at The Retreat Ouch My Face, Midnight Woolf, Bits Of Shit, Bad Aches at The Tote Skyscraper Stan, Eddie James and The Prowl, Spermaids, Tourettes at The Bendigo SATURDAY MARCH 3: Between The Devil and The Deep, These Hands Could Separate The Sky, Palisades, Party Vibes at Bendigo Hotel Giants Of Science, Dollar Bar, The Peep Temple, Mass Cult at The Old Bar Old Music For Old People, Apart From This, Strickland at Bang SUNDAY MARCH 4: Rogue Elephant, Putkah, Headless Death, Soma Coma, Diploid, Desppcon at The Gasometer thing: “2012 is an end-of-time album that somehow finds moments of optimism in the downward swirl of the planet,” it says. Lyrically, the band says the album’s themes are political, anti-capitalist and forward-looking. “If we can concentrate on what it can be, the dream of clean streams, of re-forestation, of permaculture, of disengaging all the banks – identifying all the majority shareholders of the top 100 corporations and dismantling them. If we start dreaming of a fairer system and defining what an elite should be – an intellectual powerhouse and not international bankers.”

FEEDBACK If you’d like your band featured in Crunch, or if you have anything you’d like to rant about, email me at crunchcolumn@gmail.com

Sybreed. I play music because I need it and crave for it, no matter how frustrating and exhausting it can be sometime. I think about music when I get up until I go to bed, and I am not doing this because I wanted to become some rockstar and stuff, for the odds to achieve such things are pretty low. In fact, Sybreed has become a lifestyle, and somewhat of a creed. I suppose my band mates would agree with me on that one. SYBREED play the @mosphere Festival taking place at the Hi-Fi on Sunday March 11.

LAST DINOSAURS BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Releasing your first record as a band has always been a thrilling and nerve-wracking procedure. Yet in comparison to 20 or 30 years ago, releasing a record in 2012 can be even more of a drawn out procedure. With the internet now involved, a buzz must be created online before the actual record is released. And it’s that divide between the virtual and the physical which is getting to Sean Caskey, just weeks before Last Dinosaurs release In A Million Years, their debut. “We’re just trying to go along with things as they come, take them one day at a time,” says the vocalist/ guitarist. “All this stuff that’s happening, it’s still in the virtual world. Talking to people online, getting songs out on the internet. And we’re still just sitting in our rooms on our laptops, doing shit all. But we’re still just extremely excited to get things going, play some shows and see what could happen. For the last little bit, it’s been too virtual; people knowing people and what not. Now we’re finally going to go and play these shows. Do things physically.” For a young act like Last Dinosaurs, they still employ something of an old-school attitude. In A Million Years is a strong, cohesive release that, while amply produced by Jean-Paul Fung, still favours compact, hooky songs over studio trickery. What’s more, Last Dinosaurs didn’t rush into In A Million Years. Showing a patience and maturity beyond their years, Caskey reveals how the album could’ve been released much sooner, though the band wouldn’t have been nearly as proud of their output. “We’d been writing for awhile; we had a chance to write and record an entire record’s worth of stuff awhile back,” he says. “The songs were good, but we

decided to wait a little longer. We waited another six months or so and see what else we could come up with. I’m grateful we were patient; the album was written just three months before recording. We feel much better about this new record.” For all their maturity, the collective age of this eﬀusive four piece still adds up to only 83 years. But Caskey isn’t deterred. You can certainly hear a youthful exuberance on each of their pop-punk punch-outs, and he believes their age is more of a help than a hindrance. “We were always told to not even talk about our age,” he says, with clear deﬁance. “But you know, I don’t really give a shit. We are young, sure. But what the fuck does that mean? We’re just having fun. We’re happy to be doing what we’re doing at this stage. People try and judge us, sure. But I think our audiences always connect with us because they’re the same age. We party in a similar way, I guess.” “We’ve been a band for ages,” he continues. “We’re young, but we’re not kids. I’m not going to try and hide our age though. I think that’s silly.” It’s been a long time coming for the gang in Last Dinosaurs. The band got together in 2007, brought to-

gether by the idea that a great live show should be more about musical talent than a lack of such scoring points with the hipster faithful. Their dedication to their craft can be heard on In A Million Years. Full of tracks that are catchy enough to be hit singles yet articulate enough to not simply be ﬂashes in the pan, one gets the sense that Last Dinosaurs are just getting started. “I do realise that as a songwriter, I’m still very far away from my peak,” says Caskey. “There’s still just so much more to do. I’m very optimistic about the future. We did a good job on this one though. Maybe I’m not

supposed to say it like that. We think about a band like Phoenix. You listen to their ﬁrst record and every record afterwards; there’s an amazing progression. I really hope we can do something like that. I’d like to have every record be a step up. Of course, I’d like this one to be recognised as a good album though.”

“It was always about the songs. And you know, everyone I’ve ever worked with in the industry has had a lot of respect for those songs. No one has ever tried to change my music all that much. It was more about just letting it out. I was also able to focus on diﬀerent things. As a result of starting to work with a label, I was able to play 10 or 15 shows a month and not have to concern myself with things like, changing guitar strings. I tried to surround myself with the right people.” Even with his exhaustive touring schedule, Tété continues to maintain a positive outlook not only on life, but his career. 1,000 gigs is the recipe for death by repetition for many artists. Tété understands that spontaneity is the spice of life for a touring musician.

“There’s form in the blues, sure. And when I fuse genres, I don’t have to follow the same four chords over and over again when playing. I follow groove, and things can indeed change from night to night. I also combat boredom by writing constantly. I try to write every night. It’s very exciting to try new stuﬀ out onstage, whether you remember the lyrics or not,” he chuckles.

LAST DINOSAURS’ debut album In A Million Years is released through Dew Process/Universal on Friday March 2.

TÉTÉ BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Tété, the Senegalese-born French troubadour answers his phone from his house in Paris at a time when he really shouldn’t be focused on speaking to journalists from the other side of the world: He’s at his Paris home with his girlfriend, on the evening of Valentine’s Day. Given that the day was already a distant memory when the call was made from Melbourne, this interviewer can be forgiven. Yet still, for the man who’s been described as the “French Jeff Buckley” to agree to take the interview at this time speaks to a passion he has for his craft. And it’s a passion that is largely unmatched. With five studio full-lengths to his name, Tété has been one of the most inimitable performers to emerge from France in the last ten years. Fusing elements of honest and intellectual folk, Delta blues and groove-infused pop with incredible ease, Tété doesn’t only harbour a passion for music, but an appreciation for a well-crafted, emotionally intense track. It’s no surprise then, when asked how he manages to fuse genres so effortlessly, he lists the seminal songwriters as an influence. “Well I would say the inspiration comes from the music I usually listen to,” says the polite and well-spoken 36-year-old. “Blues, classical music, some rock. I was always really inspired by the music my mom listened to. The Beatles, stuff like that. I grew up with a soft spot for melodies. I also grew up in a small town, so I was hanging out with everyone, listening to all kinds of genres. It’s not like in a big city where people gather in tribes and listen to specific music.” From his small-town roots, Tété took to Paris at a young age to seek his fame. He primarily busked on the street for a number of years, honing his craft

and getting by with a few gigs at cafes. Anyone who doubts Tété’s dedication need only hear him speak about his time spent busking on the streets of Paris. He looks back on it not with regret, but with a sense of pride. “It was a blessing actually. Just before that I was playing in a band, in University. But it wasn’t anything serious. I had to work up the guts to decide to do this full-time. I took a chance. And I deﬁnitely began to wonder if I’d made a mistake in the ﬁrst place. But at the same time, I knew this was part of the process. I was living my dream and playing music every single day.” After three years, Tété was noticed by Epic/Sony and quickly signed. His 10 year career has seen him play over 1,000 shows and sell more than half a million copies of his records. It’s a remarkable achievement for Tété, and he shows nothing but gratitude for the industry. “I have to be honest. I never felt that trapped,” he says, when asked if moving from the street and maintaining pure artistic control to the record industry has left his jaded or cynical.

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TÉTÉ plays WOMADelaide which takes place at the Botanic Park, Adelaide from Friday March 9 – Monday March 12.

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BRAT FARRAR This Sunday March 4 at The Tote is Sam Agostino's last Australian gig before he goes off to live in Europe, possibly forever, so this is your last chance to see Brat Farrar or Digger on home turf for a long, long time. Andre and Simon Fazio are heading over with him to play 40 shows in 40 days across five different countries (and then Andre is hanging around to play until August, unless he gets conscripted by the Italian military), so this is also the last YIS performance for many, many months. This is their going away party, so head down for a drink and a chat with the occasional band wedged in the middle. Also playing will be Kids Of Zoo, who will be playing the hits from their self titled debut album and Bidet Mate, who make their Tote debut. They both rule. $12 to get in to help them out on the trip. Starting up around 5pm, all over before 10.

ALEKS AND THE RAMPS

Kim Salmon

CLARKFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL The first annual Clarkefield Music Festival will see some of Australia’s finest musicians join forces for a common cause, as they raise money to help assist children and their families living in poverty in Cambodia. All money raised on the day will go directly to building a new school for over one thousand children in the Kampong Thom province of Cambodia. The Festival will feature renowned musicians Kim Salmon, Nick Barker, Hope Addicts, Dead River Deeps, James McCann, Brother Johnstone, Saint Jude and Jeb Cardwell. Set on a vast grassy green lawn, surrounded by paddocks, trees, old wagons and the beautiful old bluestone buildings of The Clarkefield Hotel (Coach and Horses Inn, 1857), it’s the most surreal and ideal place to lay down a rug, sip a cold beer and enjoy some of the finest music the country has to offer. The Clarkefield Festival is happening on Sunday March 18 with tickets just $20 and available on the door. For more information head to clarkefieldmusicfestival.com.

To celebrate the release of their monumental third album Facts, Aleks And The Ramps will be hitting the road in March to play twelve dates around the country. Armed with their slanted pop treasures, Aleks And The Ramps will be zigzagging their way through the country on the band’s biggest tour yet. Get down to the Northcote Social Club on Friday March 23, tickets are on sale now and are just $12+bf from the venue website or on the door if available.

It’s Weekender’s birthday! Head down and get your indie on as Weekender plays all the hits that have come and gone over the Weekender years from Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The Strokes, Interpol, Belle And Sebastian, Modest Mouse, M.I.A, The Hives, CSS, Kasabian, The Libertines, Le Tigre, LCD Sound System, Hot Chip, Postal Service etc. Live check out the band handpicked by Belinda Carlisle to support her on her Australian tour The Elliotts (she obviously wanted to regain some cred) plus The Fakes, a brilliant moody shoegaze collective who do a great cover of Ride’s Dreams Burn Down. DJ’s Steve and Dave playing Brit pop, new indie, electro and ‘80s. It’s going to be mega, this Saturday March 3 at Yah Yah’s.

THE ANTOINETTES The Divine Fluxus, The Antoinettes, Marble Orchard and Paul Pomphrey are all teaming up for an amazing night of music at Yah Yah’s on Thursday March 1. The Divine Fluxus are one of the latest new talent breaking into the Melbourne music scene. After working on separate projects in the past including Quadbox, Vespertine and Ruby Who, the trio have joined forces bringing you old school and new school rock/ alternative and fusion. Paul Pomphrey has a wide range of style from rock to slow melodic ballads. After entering the triple j unearthed comp, he soon found one of his songs The Truth getting radio airplay on triple j. Marble Orchard are a great new Melbourne band from the suburbs. Playing last will be the Antoinettes, a new punk pop ‘60s garage group. So get along to Yah Yah’s on Thursday, grab a drink at the bar and get it ready to spill it all over everybody ripping crazy dance moves.

THUNDER ROAD Back by popular demand, Thunder Road are bringing their amazing three hour Springsteen show to the Corner Hotel once again. For any Springsteen fan in town make sure you pencil in Saturday March 3, as a night like this doesn't come around very often for lovers of the Boss. Thunder Road are without doubt Australia's number one Bruce Springsteen show. Formed in 2010, featuring a lineup of seasoned and professional musicians and a repertoire of over 35 songs, Thunder Road is dedicated to enjoying and sharing Bruce's music in a live setting. Featuring a full seven-piece 'E-street' style backing band, including saxaphone, piano, hammond, guitars, bass and drums – Thunder Road deliver the full Springsteen show like no one else. Come witness it for yourself on Saturday March 3 at the Corner Hotel from 8.30pm, tickets are $20 and available on the door.

ROLLER ONE Roller One and Lindsay Phillips play Yah Yah’s this Sunday March 4. Melbourne’s Roller One spent 2011 touring Europe and Australia culminating in playing at The Forum for The Melbourne Festival. The songs contain Fergus’s acutely perceptive conviction and roam into a stark, yet stunning musical landscape. Adam’s bass playing bends and strains like a man short of emotional breath, each note welcome and vital. Preparing to release their second full length album the folk duo are joined by Lindsay Phillips for the free entry show at Yah Yah’s. After fronting bands for well over a decade, Lindsay Phillips changed direction. Armed only with a guitar and a handful of arresting songs he stepped back onto the stage as a solo artist.

TROPICAL SPACE LAB Tropical Space Lab returns to Bar Open in 2012 with the unique take on dance ﬂoor vibes versus cosmic experimentation and technological innovation vs. raw roots rhythms. This week’s guests Congo Tardis #1, Australia’s premier tropical / tribal sound-system represented by Melbourne’s Ms Butt, Paz and Lewis CanCut. All highly sought after producers /DJs in their own rights, together they present a wild and ready six deck set of carnival sounds – guarachero, 3ball, cumbia, UK funky, kuduro, dancehall, bashment, kwaito, baile funk, Afrobeat, dub, dubstep, house, Latin funk and disco, soca, swamp funk, krewe beat, tropical bass. Phew. This Saturday March 3 at Bar Open.

THNKR Exploding their lush blend of jangly indie rock and dark, tribal synth based energies into Melbourne’s live scene, THNKR (said Thinker) have started to expand their sounds across Melbourne’s night sky. Born and raised at different ends of the country, the five-piece tightened their expansive tastes into a unique sound in Melbourne last year. March will bring three exciting shows from THNKR at the Toff In Town, bringing with them a range of other Melbourne acts. The first show is this Monday March 5 with Quince and The Pretty Littles. Tickets are $5+bf from Moshtix.

WILL & THE PEOPLE Will And The People is a collective of people who have decided to play and make music together forever. They are perfect for main stages at festivals, living rooms, sweaty packed pubs and clubs at 3am, in tents, fast cars, slow cars, on boats, and in the morning sun with a Bloody Mary. They all write songs and then play reggae, pop, grunge, ska and house, four to the ﬂoor, and mix them all together. They launch their album Morning Sun at The Toﬀ In Town this Saturday March 3 with support from Jimmy Hawk & The Endless Party and Rhys Crimmin. Tickets are $10+bf from Moxhtix or availble on the door from 7.30pm.

WORD UP WEDNESDAYS Affectionately named Word Up Wednesdays by the punters, hump day has fast become one of the biggest nights of the week for Brunswick socialisers. Tonight and every Wednesday at Noise Bar, there's $8 jugs of Carlton, $10 jugs of champagne cocktail and huge $5 plates of nachos. The beer garden is where it's at, so get in early to score yourself a seat. Special guest DJs spin fresh beats each week in the beer garden while you catch up with mates, or make some new ones. It's a ridiculously affordable, chill night out. The night kicks off at 5pm and doors close at 3am, free entry. Word up. Beat Magazine Page 70

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PEARLS Pearls invite you to join them as they lay bare their smoke-ﬁlled love drones at Bar Open. This will be your last chance to catch the bawl-room howls of Pearls before they go into hibernation for some months, not returning until they have one of the year's most anticipated debut albums in hand. For the occasion they’ve called on the darlings of psych-pop Milk Teddy to come along. Also, in a ﬁrst for the year, The Ancients will greet audiences with a refurbished line up and a swathe of new material. Its free to boot. Doors at 9pm on Thursday March 8.

THE PIGS The Pigs sold out all three of their concerts at the Tamworth Country Music Festival 2012. On Thursday March 8, en route to Port Fairy Folk Festival, they play Melbourne's Thornbury Theatre, headlining a mouth-watering triple bill with The Beez (Germany) and Mustered Courage (Melbourne). Tickets are $15+bf presale, $20 on the door, or $55 for dinner and a show.

THE RAY MANN THREE In September 2011, Australian soul singer-songwriter Ray Mann relocated to Berlin and began recording and releasing his new album Sketches, online, one track at a time. Instead of disappearing for 12 months and then resurfacing with a ﬁnished album, Ray is completing each song – and its accompanying video – online, month-tomonth, with audience participation. 12 songs, 12 months. Thus Thursday March 1 you can catch up on his progress as he presents his Sketches So Far show at The Toﬀ In Town.

CHERRYWOOD Cherrywood. What is it? Who is it? You could even say, is it? Playing around the traps since oily 2008, Cherrywood have waltzed club-footed into the 'not quite country, not quite rockabilly, where's the rest of the drum kit?' scene with with minimum fuss yet maximum aplomb. They are playing at The Gem this Friday March 2.

COLLINS CLASS From the sun burnt shores of Oz, across the seas to the land of the long white cloud, Jeff Palmer, Gazz Mason and Chad Brown make up a the raw rock sound of Collins Class. Embarking on a nation wide Girt By Sea tour to promote their EP Venus Alley and their brand new single Death Of Me, they have enlisted the company of the finest local Melbourne bands – Rock Monster, Prison Screws, Millington and Bill And The Jerks. It will be impossible to ignore the amount of energy, passion and originality that will transpire off stage infiltrating your senses. Doors open at 7pm and it's free entry.

JAMES WALSH In what guarantees to be a series of incredible shows Sarah McLeod will now join James Walsh, frontman of critically acclaimed UK Band Starsailor on his upcoming March tour of Australia. Sarah has been one busy woman over the last few years, and is currently focusing on her rock band Screaming Bikini. After touring extensively with The Superjesus for so long she decided she wanted to try some different projects. She has been all round the world five times over writing songs for lots of different artists and in the process gaining international chart success. Both Sarah McLeod and James Walsh play The Espy on Friday March 23. Tickets are only $30+bf, available from Oztix.

THE VELVETS The Velvets have been a long time coming. But then again, maybe not. With the release of their debut EP, The Whiskey Sessions, this three-piece blues/rock outﬁt is ready to reacquaint you with some good old-fashioned, heart-pleasing live music at the Victoria Hotel on Friday March 2. Ryan Sterling will be along to get the night rolling with more cracking tunes. Keep your ears pricked for these guys, they won’t disappoint. Doors 10pm. Free.

WALLY CORKER’S DRUNK ARSED BAND Who is Wally Corker? And who is his swaggering collective of musicians? I am told it is comprised of Wallace, Sullivan and whoever else is willing to be paid in sips of beer. You should head down and investigate the mystery for yourself this Saturday March 3 at The Vic Hotel in Brunswick. You will also be treated to some suspect punk by Melbourne crazies The D-Grades. Doors 10pm. Free.

SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY – SUNDAY MARCH 4 THE RETREAT Let the wild rumpus begin. That's right it's that time of year again – Sydney Rd Street Party is just around the corner and this year the Retreat Hotel has pulled all the stops. It's the day to celebrate all things Brunswick and revel in how awesome the main drag is. Sunday March 4 The Retreat has free entry with bands on their brand spanking new beer garden stage from 1pm. Helping them celebrate this year are Coral Lee & The Silver Scream, Ben Salter, The Toot Toot Toots, Dan Brodie & The Grieving Widows, Pony Face, and Sun God Replica followed by DJ Phil Gionfriddo (The Bowers) on the wheels of steel.

THE PENNY BLACK Go-Go Sapien synthesise their distinctive pop tunes from a wide range of influences including post punk, psych-rock, surf music and sci-fi film scores. Their live performances are visually dynamic, energetic and theatrical – characteristically featuring outlandish, matching uniforms and live film projections. Go-Go Sapien will play the Sydney Rd Street Party at the Penny Black Sunday March 4.

VICTORIA HOTEL When the sun, crowds and lousy second hand vinyl all gets too much duck down to the Victoria Hotel to hear some local live music usually reserved for the dark of night. Heel Toe Express, Neighbourhood Youth, Lunars, BMX Beach and Flowers will all treat you to sweet sounds as you enjoy the best party in Brunswick. $10 jugs all day too. Sunday March 4, From midday, free.

THE CORNISH ARMS Enticing Melbourne rock fans to unfold their arms and move toward the stage is a challenge few bands meet. The average rock’n’roll outﬁt rarely evokes a punter’s desire to really move. Dancing one’s arse oﬀ, what’s more, is a rockeratti myth – rumours of rock-induced gyrations waft out of closed-door venues and after-parties but it’s seldom seen in the public bar. Experience the legend with Money For Rope at the Sydney Rd Street Party this Sunday March 4 at the Cornish Arms.

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL Welcome to the world of The Ovals. If getting lost in between the beats of vast rolling groove was like floating through the orbits of the planets then The Ovals would be your space vessel. You may even find that upon listening to this glorious band flowers will begin to sprout from your ears and your eyes will melt in to kaleidoscopes. But don't worry, you'll most likely enjoy this. Be transported on Sunday March 4 at the Brunswick Hotel as The Ovals play the Sydney Road Street Party.

NOISE BAR Sore Thumb at the Sydney Road Festival is going to be a Notting Hill Carnival inspired free Sunday party like Brunswick has never seen before. To get your booties shaking from afternoon-night, Celebrities Anonymous will be spinning reggae, ska, soul, old skool hip hop, funky house, reggaeton, 2-step, grime and dubstep from the beer garden balcony. Keeping your bellies full of Jamaican BBQ, Sassy’s Jamaican Kitchen will be serving up jerk chicken, rice ‘n’ peas, veggie stew and other Caribbean cuisine. To wash that down there will be $14 jugs of Cooper’s all day. Doors open at 1pm and close late so head to Noise Bar, to feel the riddim and bass booming from the beer garden balcony, get some soul food into you and feel the love this Sunday March 4.

PHOENIX PUBLIC HOUSE Phoenix Public House celebrates Sydney Road Street Party with a local lineup and bands all day long from 2pm. Butcher Blades, Love Connection, Lowtide and MORE!? The friendliest party in town. Nothing compares to the atmosphere and good vibe of the Sydney Rd Street Party and now you can enjoy the festivities of the streets AND catch some great local bands inside at Phoenix Public House DJs in the front bar and food all day.

CHRIS RUSSELL'S CHICKEN WALK For two and a half years, Chicken Walk was just Chris, playing solo and electric. Doing this meant he could travel light and cheap, making a bigger name for himself in Mississippi than he did in Melbourne. Chris was joined by Dean Muller on drums in December 2011 to create a two piece that sound like a full band. With Dean, the Chicken Walk sound fills the room with hypnotic boogie that aims to bypass the mind and head straight for your ass. Endless, droning, head nodding blues, North Mississippi Hill Country style. Before he heads off for his annual pilgrimage to Mississippi, Chris plays four special Saturday afternoons in the front bar of The Tote Hotel for free in March. Some shows will be solo, some will be duo, some will have special guests. You'll have to come each week to find out.

CHINATOWN ANGELS Chinatown Angels return to the Cherry stage on Friday March 2 to launch their highly anticipated new single You Really Ain’t That Young. It’s another slab of down and dirty rock'n’ roll which should keep punters satisfied until the band unleash a full length release later this year. The single will be available via iTunes and as a limited edition digipak on the night. With an awesome line up including The Rock City Riff Raff and Uptown Ace it’s sure to be one hell of a rock'n'roll party! Set times have been pulled back so people coming from Soundwave can catch the show! Doors open at 8pm. $13 cover charge.

THE BITTER SWEETHEARTS Tonight is your last chance to witness The Bitter Sweethearts at The Old Bar. Their residency has dragged the hearts of many a punter through pillage, desolation, ecstasy and many of the milder emotions in between. It’s been real. Now they bring it home with one ﬁnal country shebang with help from The Stillsons and Rich Davies & The Devils Trio. Get along and see why people are comparing them to Don Walker and The Drive-By Truckers. Free entry.

GIANTS OF SCIENCE Yes indeedy, Brisbane's original spazz intelligent hard rock riﬀ jerks Giants Of Science will be performing at The Retreat Hotel, joined by Melbourne maniacs Damn Terran, get aboard, ahoy, steady as she goes. Friday March 2, 9.30pm start, free.

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CASH SAVAGE AND THE LAST DRINKS Steamrolling into 2012 on the back of regional tours, capital city showstoppers and the pick of the summer festivals, the Cash Savage bandwagon rolls back into Melbourne to play their ﬁrst headlining show of the new year at the Famous Spiegeltent. Says Savage: “It's pretty fucking awesome to be involved in such an internationally revered institution as the Spiegeltent, especially one that so heartily supports performance, creativity and live music in so many diﬀerent places." Word. Cash Savage And The Last Drinks will perform live at the famous Spiegeltent on Monday March 19 from 7pm. Tickets are $25 and are available from spiegel.artscentremelbourne.com.au.

DALLAS FRASCA Dallas Frasca have announced a national tour to celebrate the release of the ﬁrst single, All My Love, from the forthcoming album Sound Painter. Dallas Frasca is a hard working independent juggernaut who, with her band and this yet to be released album, is carving her own path, both here in Australia and internationally. She has stormed the stages at countless major festivals (Big Day Out, Falls, Bluesfest, Pyramid Rock, Festival of the Sun, Queenscliﬀ, Southbound, and major French festival – Blues Passion Cognac). So don't miss out when the extremely talented Dallas and her band play her hometown at the Northcote Social Club on Friday March 9. Doors open 8pm with special guests King of the North & Rick Steward.

MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS

MJ Halloran & The Sinners are performing a March residency at Grumpy’s Green on Smith St with a killer favourite band each week. The Sinners recently released the LP Me Soufler on French label Beast records and return for a second European Tour in September. The Sinners Grumpy's Green shows will be supported by The Call Up (Sunday March 4) with their nervy postpunk and all-out rock, Poison Oak (Sunday March 11) who traverse the murky swamplands of blues rock'n' roll, Suzie Stapleton (Sunday March 18) in one of her last solo performances before relocating to London, and Wedgetail (Sunday march 25) in a swirling mix of slicing melodies and driving beats. Free entry with ﬁne food and great music from 6.30pm each Sunday in March.

THE BAREBONES The Barebones are celebrating the launch of their longawaited self-titled EP. Showcasing the band's stylistic diversity, the EP is a seamless blend of country, '60s pop and driving rock. Explosive keys, tasty guitar riﬀs, poignant lyrics and signature sibling harmonies all combine to create a very impressive debut. Delighting audiences with their live shows throughout 2011, shifting from paired-back acoustic to stomping rock’n’roll, these lads will make you want to shout, dance and cry. Join them for the launch of their self-titled EP on Saturday March 3 at The Phoenix Public House in Brunswick, along with a stellar line-up of Melbourne's ﬁnest, Leena And The Bones, Wilding, Fraser A Gorman and DJ Sean M Whelan.

PIGTAILS This Thursday March 1 sees Melbourne three-piece Pigtails returning to The Prague for a night that will be loud, fast and probably hard to remember in the morning. First up will be The Instincts with the addition of a new bass player to their lineup, followed up by Dirty Chapters. To close out the night Pigtails will deliver a set of their punk /rock/ grunge tunes. Entry is $6 and doors open at 8pm so get down early to get messy and catch all the bands.

FALLOE Fresh from their explosive performance at the St. Kilda Festival, Falloe have just announced their long-awaited album launch at the John Curtin Hotel on Saturday March 24. The self-titled album includes their stunning single Science Of The Heart, which features an accompanying ﬁlm clip that was directed by Natasha Pincus, the creator of the much lauded clip for Gotye’s song Somebody That I Used To Know.

Humans As Animals climb into Bar Open and out of the depths of the ocean for their ﬁrst show of the new year; pushing new boundaries forward in the progress of their unique brand of prog pop. Supported by great guests Van Myer and Windsor Thieves. Go and join them as they strive forward from the primordial soup, tonight, 8pm, free at Bar Open.

THE NOMAD The Nomad returns to Melbourne for one show this Friday March 2. The Nomad show is an immersive aural journey that begins from spacey dub sounds and ends with drum and bass with loads of peaks and valleys. He uses a Mac, Serrato, Logic pro and an AKAI MPD24 Sampler to create a mash up of beats, bootlegs, remixes, originals and tracks that inspire him. Not one to stare at a screen on stage, his energy builds along the journey and brings the crowd with him, such as when he played to 30,000 people at the opening for the Sydney Arts Festival. Catch The Nomad with Apex and Krafty Pixel on Friday at Bar Open.

HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE Howard, Preston, Graney and Moore are Harry Howard And The NDE, and they invite you to the launch of their new album Near Death Experience (out on Spooky Records). Catch them at The Tote this Saturday March 3 with special guests Buried Horses and The Morlocs. Tickets at the door so be early.

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Only four weeks to go 'til the picturesque ﬁshing village of Port Fairy comes alive with one of the world’s great folk festivals! From Friday March 9 - Monday 12, the 2012 Port Fairy Folk Music Festival hosts over 120 artists from all corners of the globe from countries as diverse as Finland, Sweden, Canada, UK, USA, French-Algeria... and of course within Australia. Head to portfairyfolkfestival.com for full lineup and ticketing information.

MEN Men is a Brooklyn-based band and art/performance collective led by Le Tigre’s JD Samson, cult icon and leader in the LGBT community, and are currently in the studio recording their second full length record. They will play Melbourne's Phoenix Public House on Thursday March 1 and will be joined by Romy Hoﬀman's new project A Gender and Plast Her Ov Paris – featuring past members of Bracode (Sydney), Remake Remodel, The Blush Foundation (Sydney) and Origami (USA), with supports slots including The Dresden Dolls, Sleater Kinney and Electrelane. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

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Rosie Burgess Trio

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It's shaping up to be a massive Soundwave week at Cherry Bar. Kicking off tonight is a leap year special free show starring grunge punk rock outfit River of Snakes (featuring Raul from Magic Dirt). Support from Mass Cult and Motherslug, and DJ 'Bitter Sweet Kicks' Davies on the decks 'til 3am. Thursday March 1 sees Melbourne finest soul band Sol Haus & The Spokesmen take the Cherry stage. Doors open 5pm, $10 entry from 8pm 'til 5am. A massive Soundwave afterparty will be held on Friday March 2 with Chinatown Angel's single launch for You Really Ain't That Young with support from Rock City Riff Raff, Uptown Aces, and DJ Lucy. Doors 5pm, $13 entry. Swidgen will headline Saturday March 3 at Cherry Bar with support from System Of Venus, The Charge and DJ Billy Walsh. Doors 5pm, $13 entry. A mega music week concludes on Sunday March 4 with the final Cherry Blues of Summer from 2pm 'til 6.30pm, featuring blues/roots rockers Mr Black & Blues. Entry is free, so no excuses.

The Rosie Burgess Trio and Jungal join forces for a double celebration night at the Northcote Social Club on Thursday March 1. Settle in for a night of roots, rock, blues, booze, laughs and dancing as the Rosie Burgess Trio launch their brand new album, Before I Set Sail and Jungal say farewell before heading overseas for the rest of the year. Get your party on and get your tickets early from northcotesocialclub.com.

EVELYN MARKETS The Evelyn is hosting markets on the ﬁrst Saturday of every month, including this Saturday March 3. Clothes, handmade pleasantries, random things for you to buy and beer or Bloody Marys, depending on what you did the night before. Unlike other markets, they're sheltered from the upcoming winter weather. Email evelynmarkets@gmail.com for information regarding (cheap!) stalls and general inquiries.

XENOGRAFT It is going to be a night of excess and incest at the Pony on Saturday March 3 as Xenograft headlines with support by the frolicking semi-rockers Fritzwicky (featuring Xenograftkeyboard player Tom Martin), grizzled young instrumentalists Bear The Mammoth and the sumptuous sonic fabrics of Coco Velu fronted by ex-Xenograft keyboard player Ziah Ziam. It's a cherry ripe start to what is gonna be a big, big, big, big big show from 9pm. And the family fun doesn’t end there, with Xenograft unleashing a second completely diﬀerent set featuring special guests, nestled vests, and vessel tests for any drinkers after danceable goodness at 2am. Their late set will be supported by Xenograft drummer James Carmen in the wunder-full duo of Chico Flash. Huge night, no excuses. See you there for both the early and late shows on Saturday March 3.

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THE WEEKEND PEOPLE The Weekend People bring their violently percussive, alt-country-tinged sounds to The Great Britain for four free headline shows, Thursdays in March. They’ll be unveiling some never before played material from their forthcoming EP, currently being recorded. Joining them will be folk-pop quintet, Into The Woods, longtime friends and tour-buddies Matt Collyer and the Company, the ever-popular Melbourne troubadour Tim Reid (with Emma Heeney) and restless soul James Hazelden with some of his Gentlemen Callers making an appearance. See one, see all Thursday March 1 from 8pm. Free entry.

Name/Band: Will And The People Deﬁne your genre in ﬁve words or less: heavy chilled pop grunge reggae. So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? “I just heard a great band on a street corner, bought their CD... Let’s change these beers for a bottle of wine and go dance at yours.” How long have you been gigging and writing? Quite a few hours. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? Paradiso in Amsterdam is a very cool venue, or maybe on a yacht in Monaco at “Le” Grand Prix. Which band would you most like to have a battle/ showdown with? We let our music be the challenger. Words come second really.

What inspires or has inﬂuenced your music the most? Bob Marley, and people listening. What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Everything. Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? We have two on iTunes in the UK and one that just came out in Australia on February 17 via The Groove Merchants (MGM)... Whoop whoop! Why should everyone come and see your band? Because we are a people’s band, and we all become one sometimes at our shows. When are you playing live/releasing your album/ EP/single/etc? We’ll see you on Friday March 2 at the Barwon Heads Hotel, Geelong and on Saturday March 3 at The Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne.

THE CORSAIRS A four-piece garage/surf/rock band that have just burst onto the scene, The Corsairs have begun jumping around stages all over Melbourne. Forming at the start of 2011, they have quickly started to fill dance floors with their captivating songs and energetic live performances. Balancing raw garage rock with layered surf harmonies, The Corsairs compel you to dance around in the front row, yet are melodic and soulful enough to be the soundtrack to that perfect summer night. Coming fresh off their gig at St Kilda Fest 2012 the boys are ready to rock The Vineyard this Thursday March 1.

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THE SCATTER SCATTER TROPICAL DISCOTHEQUE

60 SECONDS WITH…

The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra present The Scatter Scatter Tropical Discotheque. DJ Manchild and The Public Opinion Sound System are back to bring you another dose of heavy African funk, deep island disco, ﬁery Colombian salsa and psychedelic Cumbia records. Featuring live percussion, vocals and dance they get the danceﬂoor heaving, no doubt. Joining them will be DJs Saca La Mois DJ! (Cumbia Cosmonauts), Mel (Uruguay) and Manchild. Tickets $10 only on the door. See one, see all on Friday March 9 in the Grace Darling Cellar.

BEN WRIGHT SMITH

TIM HART Although he spent the majority of 2011 touring with Boy & Bear, Sydney singer-songwriter Tim Hart managed to write an album’s worth of material on the road, and now plans to introduce his folk tales to audiences throughout the month of March. The Architects Tour will see Tim stepping away from the drum kit and grabbing a guitar as he travels along the East Coast with friends Patrick James and Luke Thompson (NZ). See Tim Hart play the Grace Darling on Friday March 9. Tickets are $12 pre-sale via Moshtix or $15 on the door.

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? My names Ben Wright Smith and I play the guitar, the blues harp, and I sing. My band consists of Daniel Spiers on the upright bass, Jesse Williams on the electric guitar, Even Lineham on the drums, and Esther Holt plays keyboard and sings too. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, who are your influences? We love all sorts of stuff. We are influenced by bands who like to keep the sound simple. The music that influences our playing seems to change all the time. I find myself writing lots of different songs in different styles, because it’s so easy to get exposed to new stuff.

MOLE HOUSE Mole House are a band formed to feature the song-writing of Carla Dal Forno, Pat Breen and Michael Zulicki. This is Carla's ﬁrst time in a group, while Pat is from White Woods, and Michael is from Mad Nanna. Their ﬁrst release, a 7" out on New York label Quemada Records, will surprise listeners with it's textures. Also featuring a cover painting by Carla. Support on the night from Full Ugly, Bum Creek, The Clits, and DJ Downpat from 3RRR. Thursday March 1 at the Bendigo Hotel, 8pm. Going to be a cracker.

What do you love about making music? I think that there is something rewarding about creating anything. Music is a very expressive art so it immediately rewards to the player, yet the process itself is still very mysterious to me. I like just jamming out a tune with the band and seeing where it goes. We tend to be fairly loose with our parts, which means it’s always diﬀerent when we play. Sometimes mistakes can be the coolest part of a song.

SKYSCRAPER STAN Wring out your drinking shoes, iron your dancing shirt, comb back your heckling hair and head down to the Bendigo Hotel on Friday March 2. Skyscraper Stan returns to the stage supported by a whole gang of musically inclined folks. Tourettes will leave you slack jawed. Spermaids will tear your jaw clean oﬀ. Eddie James and the Prowl will set the baby makin' mood. Skyscraper Stan will bellow and mince about while his band (aﬀectionately known as the tallest band in Melbourne) thump and wail. See Skyscraper Stan and friends at the Bendigo Hotel on Friday March 2. $10 on the door.

If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? As far as I know, the assassination business is pretty risky and surprisingly competitive. I don’t know if I’d make a very good assassin so I guess I’ll leave that to the professionals. What can a punter expect from your live show? Twangy Stratocasters, honkey tonk piano, and weird stories. Just some good old-fashioned rock‘n’roll. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We released our ﬁrst album Autumn Safari at the end of 2011. It’s all over the Internet, in some record shops, and you can get it on iTunes too. I’ve also made an EP called Benny ‘The Kid’ & Other Moonlight Ballads, which you can get for free from my website.

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP After three years in a wilderness of song writing, lineup changes and birthing children, Sydney’s Between The Devil And The Deep are now ready to let you hear what all of these things sound like in musical form. Produced by the more than able Lachlan Mitchell (Jezabels, I Exist, Lungs) Paper Spine ,as a whole, equals caustic vocals, guitars darting between heavy riﬀs and angular intertwining melodies and a cathartic, driven sound. Taking to the road to launch Paper Spine in March, BTDATD will be nestling in to the comforting arms of The Bendigo Hotel on Saturday March 3 with hugs from These Hands, Palisades and Party Vibez.

When’s the gig and with who? We’re going to be playing a show on Tuesday March 6, at the Old Bar with Junior Bowles and Cisco Rose. We’re also playing Red Bennies on Thursday March 22, with Planet Love Sound, and Tehachapi, which is going to be really sweet.

FRIGG

J.O.Y. 4.1.W.D JOY 94.9 and Rude Bookings proudly present J.O.Y. 4 I.W.D. at the Evelyn on Sunday March 4, celebrating International Women's Day and Melbourne's very own lesbian and gay radio station, JOY 94.9. Hosted by many of your favourite females from JOY and featuring a showcase of local female performers including Pina Tuteri, the Emma Wall Band and more, all in support of JOY and IWD. Doors open at 4pm, tickets only $10 for members and $15 general admission with all funds raised going to JOY 94.9.

TI C K E

Prepare yourself for a feast of fiddles.The band Frigg is at the crest of this new wave, full of fresh ideas and taking the next leap forward for Finnish fiddle music. Frigg are regarded as one of Scandinavia's leading folk acts are bringing their brand of Nordic flavoured roots to Thornbury Theatre on Wednesday March 14. Get set for an onslaught of five fiddles, double bass, bagpipes and mandolin and some of the best music from the darker side of the globe. Supported by two of Melbourne most respected and loved violin based acts The Twoks and Oh Pep, this is set to be one of the most fantastic nights of fiddling Melbourne has ever witnessed. Tickets are $14+bf presale, $20 on the door if available and $54 for dinner and a show.

MUSIC NEWS

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KING OF THE NORTH

VALETIINE

The two-piece rock extravaganza that is King Of The North will be lifting the roof oﬀ the Great Britain Hotel on Saturday March 3. Fresh from their February Espy residency and the Cool Summer Festival on Mt. Hotham, this duo will be primed and ready to return delivering two smoking sets at the G.B. KOTN’s high energy two hours of no bullshit rock'n'roll will leave you drunk, sore and smiling. Doors from 9pm, free.

If you missed the lovely ladies from Valentiine supporting National SLAM Day at the Espy last week you have a chance to catch them on the north side of the river doing a special show at the Workers Club tonight with Young Revelry. The girls are hard at work on their next album and have just been announced on the Cherry Rock 2012 lineup. Get along to the Workers Club tonight, Wednesday February 29, to see what all the fuss is about.

SARAH CARNEGIE Richmond’s Great Britain Hotel sees singer/songwriter Sarah Carnegie present a unique musical oﬀering that has constructed a world where her voice powerfully conveys the emotions of her lyrics, from subtle sweetness to heartfelt passion. With the dominant element of storytelling, her lyrics and vocal melodies are accessible to a wide audience through a folk/pop style. Catch her on Sunday March 4 from 7pm. Free entry.

BACKWOOD CREATURES Backwood Creatures is a Melbourne-based swamp blues trio, featuring Jeb Cardwell (lead guitar, vocals), Grant Cummerford (bass, vocals) and Tim Burnham (drums). Spawned from the deepest, darkest depths of St Kilda's Espy public bar in 2004, Backwood Creatures was an accident waiting to happen. Drummer Tim Burnham and bassist Grant Cummerford were the house band in a tragic open mic night, full of butchered blues renditions and train wrecks. One sordid evening, Adelaide escapee Jeb Cardwell appeared out of the smoggy cesspit and introduced the boys to his brand of guitar driven swamp blues and soulful vocals. The trio locked in from the word go and the jam night is now a distant memory. But Backwood Creatures lives on. See them play at the Labour In Vain on Sunday March 4.

BEWARE! BLACK HOLES Beware! Black Holes are a surf instrumental rock combo with a galaxy of inﬂuences. From classic surf, to organ infused Chantays and Booker T and the MGs soul to atmospheric '60s John Barry ﬁlm themes. Raw, late '50s garage/rockerbilly intros channeling Link Wray to surf rock in the way The Surf Coasters. If this sounds like your bag catch the Black Holes on Sunday March 4 at the Town Hall Hotel.

IAN COLLARD HARMONICA WORKSHOP The Blue Tongue Harmonica School are proud to announce that Melbourne’s own harmonica expert will be presenting a beginners harmonica workshop at the Lomond Hotel on Sunday March 4. Head along and blow your heart out with Ian Collard, an experienced harmonica educator and member of the critically acclaimed Collard Greens & Gravy. Spots are limited and booking is essential. Email info@bluetongueharmonica.com.au.

COB FOLLY Returning to Oz brieﬂy after his move to Germany, Master of Goblincore Tim McMillan performs a gig at Cob Folly tonight with Karen Heath (Ennis Tola) also banging out a solo set. This week’s showcase also sees the much awaited return Melbourne performance from Roni Shewan on Thursday March 1. Just back from Berlin and ready to show oﬀ some new tunes, this is a must see for all. Nic Tate graces the stage on Friday night to give the after work crowd some beautiful music to drink to. Cob Folly showcases original live shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights with acts starting from 7pm. Where? The R2, 60 Market St Melbourne CBD.

RIVER OF SNAKES And so all good things must come to pass, this week is the last of the River of Snakes Residency shows at Cherry Bar. But let the last be the best, and so to celebrate this and the departure of their drummer extraordinaire and all-round good guy Dante Gabriele. River of Snakes and Cherry have put together a special night that only happens every four years on Wednesday February 29, with a three band bill that kicks off at 9pm with doom-stoner-sludgers Motherslug, then cranks into the garage/blues swamp of Mass-Cult, to culminate in the destructive drive of River of Snakes' noise-scuzzgrunge. This is your last chance to catch this lineup in full swing, so come down, it's free and there will be ample drinks and mayhem for everyone.

ATOMIC BLISS Melbournes own alt psychedelic rockers Atomic Bliss continue their summer series of shows at the iconic Esplanade hotel St.Kilda with the second show in a series of three.The Bliss are in the process of finishing shooting a video clip for their third single and have been busy finalising the mastering for their debut album release, due April 2012. The second Espy show is this Friday March 2 during the Soundwave weekend where the Bliss will be joined on stage by three other great local Melbourne acts. Entry is free and there will be CD giveaways to the first ten people through the door.

RED SKY BURIAL After coming together in late 2010 from various well known Melbourne bands, Red Sky Burial have cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The lads are taking time off from preparing their debut album for a gig at the Prague this Friday March 2. Joining them on the night are Master Beta, The Brooklyn Hookers and Suzicoil. Forget about Soundwave, this is one gig not to be missed.

HUGO RACE & TRUE SPIRIT Hugo Race’s True Spirit were launched in Berlin in 1989 with the album Rue Morgue Blues. Their most recent release was a live album recorded in the Wolow maximum security jail in Poland in 2009. During the intervening twenty years, Hugo and his band released 14 albums of blues, electronics and general musical mayhem, continually defying audience expectations. This most uncompromising experimental rock band has been very quiet over recent years as key members relocated to farﬂung cities from LA to Melbourne. It's been ﬁve years since the recording of the band’s last studio album 53rd State, released in Australia by Spooky Records, and in the meantime Hugo has pursued his solo project Fatalists. Now in 2012 the True Spirit are regrouping to record a new album and preparing for a European tour at the end of the year. They play a special show at Yah Yah's this Friday march 2 with guests MJ Halloran & The Sinners and Matt Bailey.

AL S N O TS

GURRUMUL SATURDAY 10 MARCH 2012 ZOO TWILIGHTS – a Summer of music at Melbourne Zoo BOOK NOW! Part of

ONLINE: zoo.org.au/twilights or ticketmaster.com.au PHONE: 1300 ZOOSVIC or 136 100

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Beat Magazine Page 73

MUSIC NEWS

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SYSTEM OF VENUS VS. SWIDGEN Swidgen

System Of Venus

TWERPS

MILDLIFE Mildlife are a four-piece from Melbourne with a sound most can't put a ﬁnger on – It's something like what your dad may have dreamed the future of music to sound like in 1974. They're a live electronic outﬁt, but with as much string-plucking as there is dial-tweaking ensuring they’re not lost amongst any electro contemporaries. Arriving Soon, the latest single explores a retrospective future utopia with a haunting twist. Mildlife launch their single Arriving Soon at The Grace Darling, Saturday March 3.

Melbourne's favourite lo-ﬁ pop dweebs, Twerps are heading to the US in March for SXSW, and then a ﬁve week US tour supporting Real Estate. To say goodbye, and to raise a few much-needed funds for their trip, Twerps are playing an awesome show on Friday March 2 at the Phoenix Public House with besties Lost Animal and Super Wild Horses. The band will have their muchloved debut album available on the night on CD and vinyl. Tickets available on the door only, so get there early.

3/4 BEAST 3/4 Beast are four wild animals, stolen from the jungle by scientists, and put through experiments with musical instruments strapped to them. Amazingly they have actually evolved into a highly explosive rock band that is infamous for their onstage antics. On Thursday March 1 they will be released into Pony for a set that will blow your head oﬀ. Be there to experience the furious rocking energy and awesome sounds of 3/4 Beast from 1am. Free entry.

BEN WRIGHT SMITH

CHERRY ROCK 2012

Local songman Ben Wright Smith is an Australian singersongwriter and musician, whose music combines styles such as folk, blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. Ben, and his band will be gracing The Old Bar on Tuesday March 6, playing tunes from his recent release Autumn Safari. Joining him on the night will be Junior Bowles and Cisco Rose.

Californian stoner rock giants Fu Manchu have been announced as the headliners of the sixth annual Cherry Rock. 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 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 now.

NIGEL WEARNE & THE CAST IRON PROMISES After a successful six months touring Australia, Nigel Wearne is capturing audiences across the country. In the lead up to his debut performance at the 2012 Port Fairy Folk Festival, he launches his new band Nigel Wearne & The Cast Iron Promises at The Penny Black on Friday March 2. Melding country twang, honky-tonk and honest storytelling, the band features Nigel playing finger-style guitar, Kat Mear on fiddle, Daniel Watkins on mandolin and Andy Scott on double-bass. Music kicks off at 9.30pm, free entry. Be the first to hear Nigel Wearne & The Cast Iron Promises live in action.

GIANTS OF SCIENCE Brisbane’s self-proclaimed kings of riff based intelligent hard rock (IHR) music, Giants Of Science, are returning for some shows and a little recording. Giants have been peddling their particular brand of rock’n’roll for much longer than is healthy, but like all good vices they are hard to kick, except when passed out on your floor. Their music is a blend of frenetic rock, monstrous riffs and shoegazer atmospherics, all tied together by vocals that can swing from a demented croon to a gut busting scream in the space of a verse. They play The Old Bar on Saturday March 3 with Dollar Bar, Peep Tempel and Mass Cult.

SYSTEM OF VENUS QUESTION SWIDGEN 1. Which super power would you like to have and why? The power of Magnetism!!!! To control all things Metal. 2. If you had to create a ‘80s or ‘90s (choose your decade) compilation tape, what would the top five tracks be? Plastic Bomb POISON IDEA, Little Debbie SURGERY, Fuck ‘Em All DWARVES, Another Night in Hell POWDER MONKEYS, Zombie THE FALLOUTS. Oh, and anything from Prisonshake’s The Roaring Third album. Winner. 3. How did the band name Swidgen come to be? Swidgen, is an ethnic variant of the name of a character on Deadwood. 4. Are there any concerns within the band regarding the risk of “exposure” when if comes to the length and bagginess of Richie’s drumming shorts? We realise that the main reason any of the fairer sex attend our gigs whatsoever, is for the ‘will it fall out tonight?’ factor regarding Richie’s wardrobe choice. It’s been a definite strategy, which the ladies have obviously taken note of. So, no concern from us, we’re happy to be drawing a larger female audience. 5. After a gig when the trashy tunes come on, do you stand at the bar or cut some rug on the dance floor? We’re probably more of a ‘at the bar’ type band post-show. But every so often I’ve witnessed a little rug to be cut from camp Swidgen. 6. If Swidgen was a woman in a pub drinking an alcoholic beverage, how would you describe

yourselves and the beverage you would be drinking? She’d be tough, rockin’ quirky and a little bit groovy. You can buy her a Jameson, neat, anytime. SWIDGEN QUESTION SYSTEM OF VENUS What’s been your favorite show you’ve played so far? Our December 16 show at The Brunswick Hotel in 2011 was pretty crazy. The venue reached capacity and cops were in and out all night. Most tour shows would also be on the favourite list. If you were stuck on a deserted island, what album, book and tv series would you take? (yes, the island has CD and DVD capabilities) Album: Blood Mountain by Mastodon. Book: Lords Of Chaos. TV Series: The Big Bang Theory. Which band would you most like to support in the future? Kyuss!! What’s your idea of a ‘healthy’ band rider? Gourmet beer – better quality ingredients…better for the insides. What’s in store for System Of Venus in 2012? Lots! More tours to regional VIC and interstate as well as ﬁnish our album. We’ve also got a few gigs coming up over the next few months including Saturday March 3 at Cherry Bar, Thursday March 22 at Pony, Saturday March 31 in studio at 3RRR Radio Station and Saturday April 7 at The Evelyn. SYSTEM OF VENUS and SWIDGEN play Cherry Bar this Saturday March 3 with THE CHARGE. Bands kick oﬀ at 9pm.

THE MADNESS METHOD Established in 2009, Mandy Meadows & The Madness Method (the world's most notorious Spock band) have ripped up Melbourne and regional Victoria with upbeat riffs and laidback offbeats. After the release of their new album in December, Dirty Money, they are back to tear up the dance floor tonight at the Evelyn Hotel with the support of Menage A Ska and Feed Ya Munkie. Ska, pop snd Spock rock from 9pm.

CANOS

SONG WRITERS IN THE ROUND

There is a saying that too many cooks spoil the broth, but that is certainly not the case with Melbourne's folk troupe Canos. With eight diﬀerent musicians adding their own creativity to the mix, the end result is a gorgeous combination of traditional folk instruments with dreamy vocals, layered harmonies and pop sensibilities. See Canos take the stage at the Evelyn Hotel on Thursday March 1 with support from Language Of The Birds and special guests. 9pm.

FRI 2 MARCH

BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER

ROUND 1 @ 7PM

TASH SULTANA SAMMYQ LAURA K CLARKE ROUND 2 @ 9PM

$5.00 ENTRY

JAMES HART CAITLIN HARNETT (NSW) KATE WALKER 123 SMITH ST, FITZROY

FOR MORE INFO OR TO GET INVOLVED EMAIL: INFO@MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM

OPEN MIC MONDAYS @

BERTHA BROWN FROM 8 – 11PM

MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM INFO@MELTINGPOTONLINE.COM Beat Magazine Page 74

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Come to support Australians with eating disorders at a music benefit on Friday March 2 at The Evelyn. There will be four bands on the day including Atlas Murphy, The Second Love, Matt Glass Band and Annie, Are You OK? A huge raffle will be drawn and some lucky punters will take home a $150 hamper from The Body Shop, dinner for two at Eat Drink Man Woman and much more. All funds will go to The Butterfly Foundation.

ADAM EATON Hailing from Melbourne, Adam Eaton is a singer/ songwriter troubadour most recently based in Norway, who is now back in Australia with an armful of beautiful songs just bursting for release. In July 2011 Adam and his Norwegian band mates piled into a van for a road trip to a little island oﬀ the west coast of Norway to record his Debut EP in over just three days. Adam and his band recorded live in the stunning surrounds, the recordings have now best been described as blending alternative country with modern folk and pop. From being busy in late 2011 with concerts in Oslo and Copenhagen, Adam Eaton is now back in Australia and joined by his Norwegian band mates and pedal steel legend Garrett Costigan to launch his debut EP You And I And Us on Sunday March 4 at The Toﬀ in Town with special guest Emily Ulman and Kids With Cake. Tickets are $8+bf from Moshtix or $10 on the door.

PALLET TOWN

SAINT JUDE Saint Jude have been quietly cutting their teeth in other outﬁts (Little John, Downhills Home, Dynamo) over the last few years, and now emerge, fully functioning and with a smashing debut full-length record in tow. I Don’t Know Why is the second single lifted from said forthcoming record. I Don’t Know Why is a group of voices, a mess of guitars and a bar-room piano. It’s pop and passion and all your favourite records, and it’s being launched at The Old Bar on Friday March 2, with support from Heel Toe Express, The Harlots and Gypsy’s Curse. Entry is $10.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL – MUSIC VICTORIA WORKSHOPS As part of their ongoing commitment to providing information and skills development for musicians and music businesses in Victoria, Music Victoria will host two free workshops as part of the 2012 Brunswick Music Festival. Covering popular topics such as social media, online marketing, tour budgeting and bookkeeping, musicians and music industry workers will receive invaluable advice from industry professionals including Carlo Santone (Blue King Brown), Kat Cazanis (Nitty Gritty Digital), Tom Harris (White Sky Music), Ben Strong (GI & Sanicki Lawyers), musician Matt Kulezsa (Rat Vs Possum), and Serge Bolzonello (Director, Banks Group). Both sessions will be held at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre on Sydney Rd Brunswick. These workshops are free but bookings are essential to secure your spot.

GERRY HALE'S BLUEGRASS SESSIONS That's right folks! The first Monday night in every month (so this Monday March 5), bring your banjo, mandolin, washboard, fiddle or flatmate and join in the oldtime bluegrass jam session. Or just come down and watch as the Oldie gets transformed to a scene from an Appalachian mountainside. 8pm start and it's always free.

Summer may be over, but the party goes on. After great reception at some of Melbourne’s most prestigious venues in 2011, and a summer spent writing and recording, Pallet Town are back – refreshed and ready to dazzle again at their ﬁrst show of 2012. On the Thursday March 1, these youngsters from the Mornington peninsula will set the Pony alight with their uniquely accessible crossovers between electro, rock'n’roll and indie pop. Opening the night will be fresh indie band Field Trip, whose dreamy guitars and charming vocals will warm the heart. Also supporting are established Indie act Her? These guys deliver stunning melodies and their energy is simply infectious. 8pm.

THE FAKES After an extensive recording and production process that included collaborating with several international vocalists, The Fakes are ﬁnally bringing their Sudden Radiance And Fantastic Collapse album to Melbourne stages. With special guests Eden Mulholland and Trouble Man, this promises to be an unforgettable night of soaring sonic dispatches from the road less travelled. Tickets $7 pre-sale, $10 on the door, tonight at The Toﬀ In Town.

PRETTY SUICIDE Pony 2am favourites Pretty Suicide will be getting hot and sweaty all day at Soundwave and then sobering up enough to get their gear to Pony so they can get hot and sweaty all over again in their very own Soundwave afterparty in the 2am late slot. Combining elements of metal, hard rock and grunge with a bluesy underbelly, and a ﬁercely intense live show, Pretty Suicide take no prisoners in getting their point across. These blokes are the greatest thing to come out of Tasmania since trout ﬁshing and Legends Of Motorsport. See them Friday March 2 from 2am. Free entry.

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

THE MILLIONAIRES The Millionaires are a rock/pop three-piece just back from a triumphant US tour where they rocked the legendary Whisky-A-Go-Go in Hollywood. Set to stun, The Millionaires return to The Evelyn this Saturday March 3 to bring you the catchiest most rocking songs this side of Texas. Allgirl support bands include Tantalum – now featuring the amazing voice of Sally Chatﬁeld (X-Factor) who will rock the night away with some incredible musicianship on guitars, bass and drums, while the evening starts with Glitch, a dynamic indie lT rock band heavily inﬂuenced by '90s sounds and modern beats. Doors 9pm.

PUSH BUTTON AUTO Push Button Auto are back at Pony on Friday March 2. Regularly compared to bands like Pixies, Swervedriver and Pavement, Push Button Auto returns to Melbourne from overseas tours to rip out songs from their fourth and most anticipated album to date. Push Button Auto will be joined by three of Melbourne’s ﬁnest bands doing the rounds – Rayon Moon, Kinch Kinski & the Strangers and Pop Singles. See them all at Pony on Friday March 2. Doors from 9pm.

ALEX HALLAHAN Fuelled by folk, country, soul and blues – singer songwriter Alex Hallahan’s new album Human Veins entwines the human condition into a melodic treat – an intoxicating soundtrack of life capturing the attention of both critics and audience alike. Backed by his band The Woodland Hunters, who brilliantly create a textured landscape alongside Alex’s songwriting prowess, together they ignite in restless roots and rock'n'roll. You know the name, now hear the music live at the Retreat Hotel on Thursday March 1 with Andy 'Sugarcane' Collins from 9pm.

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FALCONIO Rising from the ashen grave (Amsterdam mostly) like a zombie phoenix, Falconio return to the Tote thanks to the glorious homecoming of the unstoppable sticks man Pugs Lyngcoln, ﬁnally returned from a debauched invasion of the central European states. Such a successful mission in fact, they even put an extra day in the month to celebrate it. That’s right folks, Wednesday February 29, an opportunity like this come along only once every four years. What better way to spend your extra day of the year than getting drunk to some awesome tunes. get down early to see the rumbling birth of new doom quartet, Of the Rising, who’ll be being taught a swift lesson in riﬀs soon after by the fantastic Dead River, featuring members from The Grey Daturas, and The Killer Birds. I’ll say it again folks, tonight at the Tote, the one and only, Pugs Lyngcoln. Chances are, If you know him, you owe him, and if he owes you, well now you know where he’ll be if you want to collect. 8pm, $5.

LINK MCLELLAN ALI E Ali E is pleased to announce the launch of her debut album, Landless, to be held at The Workers Club for a matinee show on Saturday March 3. Ali E will be joined at the launch with her full band. Special guests are Ben Salter and Elephant Eyes. There will be a free BBQ and other exciting things happening. Doors at 2pm, ﬁrst band on at 3pm. $10 on door plus a free download card of latest single.

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Perhaps you know Link McLennan from such bands as The Meanies, The Bakelite Age, Sun God Replica or The Breadmakers. Well he's decided to strap on the guitar, put the pedal on his hatbox and play some of his fave songs by people such as The Who, Sergio Mendez, Echo and the Bunnymen, Wreckless Eric, John Lee Hooker and The Cramps. There'll also be some originals in there skulking between the classics. Link will be performing with Jacky Winter at the Retreat Hotel tonight from 8.30pm. Free.

Beat Magazine Page 75

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE

BLEEDING KNEES CLUB

1. Mr. M LAMBCHOP 2. The Boom Shelter Sessions VINTAGE TROUBLE 3. Near Death Experience HARRY HOWARD AND THE NDE 4. The Singles GOLDFRAPP 5. The Slideshow EďŹ&#x20AC;ect MEMORYHOUSE 6. Nothing To Do BLEEDING KNEES CLUB 7. BONOBO Black Sands Remixed BONOBO 8. Almanac EMILY BARKER AND THE RED CLAY HALP 9. Young And Old TENNIS 10. Having a Beard Is The New Not Having A Beard THE BEARDS

Nothing To Do (I Oh You/Illusive)

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In the debut jaunt from Gold Coast indie kids Bleeding Knees Club, the highly anticipated full-length release from the denim cut-oďŹ&#x20AC;s, bomber jacket toting duo has you ready to revisit an endless summer of teen girls and surf with its 12 tracks of chiming garage pop anthems. The latest chapter in the adventure of drummer and vocalist Alex Wall and guitarist Jordan Malene since the surprise success of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EP Virginity, their debut album Nothing To Do is a ďŹ tting and welcome follow-on from a year of serious touring, radio hit singles, swooning fans and world domination. Hitting a New York studio in between back to back live gigs, the duo have managed to produce a cleaner and more reďŹ ned oďŹ&#x20AC;ering of their current bag of tricks, including a newer version of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EP favourite Teenage Girls. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perhaps no wonder when you have the production capabilities of Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion/Blood Orange), as well as mixing credit from Dan Grech (The Vaccines) on board to help create a debut that can hold its own amongst a blizzard of hype for a band that has been receiving attention from the likes of NME and Rolling Stone for the better part of a year. What has resulted is somewhere between â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;doowopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pastiche and a homage to girl bands of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s, by which Wall and Malene are so heavily inďŹ&#x201A;uenced. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an impressive ode to a bygone era, and the Bleeding Knees boys have done well to recreate a forgotten sound for a new generation of skater punks and teen slackers. From its kicker opening track Teenage Girls, to the honeyed female vocal harmonies in Girls Can Do Anything, and spoken introduction to Lipstick (about hanging out with a girl called Betty by the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bleachers), the concept behind the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach is simple, yet eďŹ&#x20AC;ective in capturing the essence of what was once pioneering rock and roll. Throw this together with tracks like Problem Child, Hate Me and Brain Waves and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all three-chord punk riďŹ&#x20AC;s from here, which charge the album through to the last and best three tracks; Who Are We, Same Game and title track Nothing To Do. With the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s punk inďŹ&#x201A;uence rife throughout these numbers, and the delightful addition of some bells to the mix, the more frantic skater-punk sensibilities on the album add texture and a modern twist to the album that saves it

DEVOTIONAL Mercy (Independent) This washed out drift of indie rock recalls American Analogue Set, with its scrawling guitars and wispy, Mazzy Starr-like vocal performance. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a gentle and atmospheric eďŹ&#x20AC;ort from Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devotional (formerly called A Casual End Mile), but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t improve on its predecessors. Â

MATYR PRIVATES Bless (Bon Voyage) Bless is proper lo-ďŹ noise, with a driving rhythm and clattering drum beat. Brisbane three-piece Matyr Privates have channeled The Jesus And Mary Chain into their own homespun brand of stealth alt-rock, complete with drawling, belligerent vocals and a swollen guitar sound. Nice. Â

PAJAMA CLUB

from becoming a clichĂŠd and shallow eďŹ&#x20AC;ort that borders on the thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been doneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. At times, the lyrical content and overarching themes of Nothing To Do fall short of engaging and hinder on predictable; stories of kissing girls, holding hands, getting high and bumming around are fun for a few tracks, but then just gets stale. There are also points throughout the length of the album when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diďŹ&#x192;cult not to think you may have heard the riďŹ&#x20AC; before, perhaps just a key higher. In another vein, it is somewhat refreshing for a band to embody such a simplistic and not-tooserious attitude to their music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they just want to have fun after all. The Bleeding Knees Club boys are simply making the soundtrack to their youth, which letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it, does involve girls, summer romance, experimenting with mind-altering substances, and a desire to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stick it to the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Nothing To Do is just a party, not goddamn rocket science. TEGAN BUTLER Best Track: Same Game If You Like This, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Like This: King Of The Beach WAVVES In A Word: Braindead

BELLE AND THE BONE PEOPLE The Light (The A&R Dept) Seems ďŹ&#x201A;edgling label The A&R Department like their music soft and intricately detailed, a kind of folk rock-infused needlepoint. I think their taste is a bit weird, to be honest. The Belle And The Bone People single, for example, is layered but almost oďŹ&#x20AC;ensively smooth, verging on adult contemporary. It is indie pop with a jazzy, theatrical edge, but the lyrics seem ďŹ&#x201A;amboyantly and awkwardly rebellious: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why did you have to fuck me over? I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean to fuck you over.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit embarrassing to hear that nice lady singer swear.

PETE MURRAY Let You Go (Sony) Pete â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Moistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Murray, mayor of Blah Town, brings us another single from his mildly successful new album Blue Sky Blue. Repetition and awkward phrasing seem rife on this record. Not only is the album title twee and graceless, but this single includes the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I have to let you go just like I want you to stay.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Beware. It is dangerous because it almost makes sense, especially when he bleats it in that quasibogan, Honest John surf folk tenor. But actually it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean anything, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just some stupid, cloying thing Pete Murray wrote in his endless crusade to woo women. Ignore the gently undulating melody, he is the devil.

TNT for 2 (Lester Records) The family Finn brings us another strange and evocative tune, carrying Neilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple but plaintive song writing in fresh new directions. The vocal echo is heavy as hell, warping the beautiful, sailing melody into something dark and uncertain. TNT for 2 has incredible texture, but a strong chorus too, scribbling organ runs and some very odd â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gregorian-tinged harmoniesâ&#x20AC;? at the end. Really interesting, really lovely. Â

IOWA Panic Attack (Aereal Mines) Melbourne three-piece Iowa follow Complete Control with an ode to the fuzzier side of grunge rock, a heavy but melodic churn of guitars that follows in the shoe-gazing footsteps of Dinosaur Jr. Panic Attack is a dynamic and thoughtful revision of the genre, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not terriďŹ cally memorable. Could make for a killer live show, mind you. Â

BATTHESHIPS In Retrospect (The A&R Dept) Battheships are a new Sydney band, In Retrospect is their debut single. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a curious beast, straddling straight indie, dream pop and grander baroque rock noodling. The vocal sound is naĂŻve and slightly nerdy, but the music has a trembling sort of ambition. Not a terriďŹ cally strong sound, but not bad for a ďŹ rst eďŹ&#x20AC;ort. Beat Magazine Page 76

THORNBURY RECORDS

SINGLES BY SIMONE Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be honest with you, I bought a whole bunch of Radiohead tickets and then I got drunk to celebrate. No kidding, I am four sheets to the wind right now. So this should be fun. Meanwhile, have you ever noticed that the lyrics to Chain Reaction by Diana Ross include a fairly clear reference to digital penetration? A diďŹ&#x192;cult thing to learn mid-karaoke.

TOP TENS

SINGLE OF THE WEEK GRAHAM COXON Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll It Take (EMI) I like Graham Coxon. When I was eighteen, he told me I my life was full of possibility. It was 1997, and we were having a drink in the bar of a shitty hotel in Adelaide and I was complaining about having a small life in a small town, my fear of being trapped in a small town forever, and he told me I shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t assume anything about the future. He also said be careful what you wish for. And even though I was 18 and sort of morbidly selfobsessed, I took a moment to appreciate that he was trying to be nice to me. I also noticed that he seemed both irritated and deeply uncomfortable with the world, an observation that has coloured my experience of his music ever since. This tune, taken from his soonto-be-released new solo album, is ďŹ&#x201A;ickering electro of a Krautrock persuasion. The sound is new, but all I really hear is Coxon shouting, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong with me?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; over and over. Fifteen years on, he still seems irritated and uncomfortable. I like it. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old, but still honest. A dependable miserablist with a punk rock heart.

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1. Blues Funeral Mark LANEGAN 2. Remixes WOODEN SHJIPS 3. Love Interruption 7â&#x20AC;? JACK WHITE 4. El Camino BLACK KEYS 5. Royal Headache ROYAL HEADACHE 6. Willoughbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beach EP KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 7. America Give Up HOWLER 8. Bad As Me TOM WAITS 9. Woollen Kits WOOLLEN KITS 10. New Album BORIS

PBS TIPSHEET 1. Blues, Ballads and Work Songs ERIC BIBB 2. Leaving Eden CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS 3. 2011 A Space Odyssey CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT 4. Black Sands Remixed BONOBO 5. Almanac EMILY BARKER AND THE RED CLAY HALO 6. Freedom of Speech SPEECH DEBELLE 7. Black Sands Remixed BONOBO 8. Inclusions BEN SOLLEE 9. Jedermann Remixed The Soundtrack HANS THEESSINK 10. Hellhounds HELLHOUNDS

OFF THE HIP 1. Dirty, Dirty JIM KEAYS 2. Outta Here THE GORIES 3. X-Spurts CD X 4. Kids Of Zoo KIDS OF ZOO 5. New Start Again DICK DIVER 6. Chinese Rocks VARIOUS ARTISTS 7. Cass Brat Farrar CASS BRAT FARRAR 8. Quadrophenia THE WHO 9. Star Time JAMES BROWN 10. Clear Bags CLEAR BAGS

WOOLY BULLY 1. Woollen Kits WOOLLEN KITS 2. Split Personalities AUSMUTEANTS 3. Printed Gold TACO LEG 4. Rad Times Xpress IV BLACK BANANAS 5. Athos in America JASON 6. Bless MARTYR PRIVATES 7. Twerps TWERPS 8. Free Again: The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sessions ALEX CHILTON 9. Is That All There Is? JOOST SWARTE 10. Ghostwalking NEW WAR

COLLECTORS CORNER & MISSING LINK 1. Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE 2. Henge Beat TOTAL CONTROL 3. Autoluminescent ROWLAND S. HOWARD 4. Corrosion Of Conformity CORROSION OF CONFORMITY 5. 00 Void SUNN0))) 6. The Wilderness Years STEVE KILBEY & RICKY MAYMI 7. Tally Ho! Flying Nunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greatest Bits VARIOUS ARTISTS 8. West WOODEN SHJIPS 9. Singles Vol. 1 & 2 THEE OH SEES 10. Live In Germany 1996 NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT VILLAINS 1. Hero NICKELBACK 2. Supervillainz DOOM 3. Strange Ways MADVILLAIN 4. Jack The Ripper LL COOL J 5. Bad Boys INNER CIRCLE 6. Outlaw Pete BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 7. Hank Scorpio Theme Song THE SIMPSONS 8. The Mercy Seat NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS 9. Outlaw Man THE EAGLES 10. Bank Robber THE CLASH

ALBUMS

SCARAMOUCHE

Access Denied (Independent) FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO

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LEONARD COHEN Old Ideas (Sony Records)

If you listen to Leonard Cohen too young you can seriously fuck up your life. I spent much of my adolescence listening to his records with an intensity that bordered on reverence, scouring his lyrics for the wisdom swathed in metaphor and symbolism for clues on how to deal with my raging heart. It gave me a lifelong appreciation for wordsmiths and lyricists, and must have made me very boring at parties. Leonard Cohen’s early records laid the groundwork for not only his own career but for thousands of musicians who share his shadow. His music has inspired generations – half the music we listen to references him, whether the people who produce it know it or not. His impact is unquestionable, his influence everywhere. Every so often his music filters through pop culture for new waves of kids to discover, a generational occurrence, like an eclipse. If you missed out on Jeff Buckley’s transcendent cover of Hallelujah in the ‘90s, then Ryan from The OC brought it into your lounge room. If you missed the coke-addled paranoia of The Future, then Trent Reznor and Oliver Stone dropped you into it with the soundtrack to Natural Born Killers. Calling this record Old Ideas, is a bit of a wink to the listener. Yes, the subject matter on this record – regret, longing, the idea of lust as a form of prayer – has been well covered by Cohen before. At the same time, there’s a fresh approach to this record, a touch of the optimism on show during his recent tour of Australia. Lyrically still on point as he weaves his words around the melodies, there’s a touch of conclusion to the eponymous old ideas here. Over the years the bitterness of the younger Cohen soured into anger, elided into world weariness, and now, at 77, there are traces of acceptance, of peace with the world in his writing. Cohen’s singing hasn’t fared as well as his outlook. His voice is still the distinctive, emotive baritone that’s been at play since 1988’s I’m Your Man, but now it has been hollowed out by time into a whispering bass grunt. At times it fades, almost disappears into the low-key blues and gospel arrangements of the record, sparse as they are. He can’t sing like he used to, but for a songwriter who has made angst his bread and butter, it’s perfect – with this record, Cohen’s voice has grown into his music. Is it as good as his older work? No. Does it matter? Probably not. This record is unlikely to convert a new generation to Cohen’s music the way that some of his albums have, but for fans of his work this record will be like a visit from a long-lost, much-adored, slightly seedy uncle. For all its flaws I’m still going to love the shit Best Track: Anyhow If You Like This, You’ll Like: The back catalogue. Start in out of this record. 1967 and work your way from there. LIAM PIEPER In A Word: Cohenal

SLEIGH BELLS

Reign Of Terror (Liberation) I wasn’t the only one that was blown away when the demo for Crown On The Ground leaked back in two-thousand-and-whatever. The sheer overblown bombast was undeniably infectious – and for the first time in a while, music seemed exciting. Since then, Sleigh Bells have set sail on a course of unabashed mediocrity. The edginess of Crown On The Ground was smoothed out for their middling debut album, the Sleigh Bells live show was an affront to the medium, and now the band crash land into the pile of shit that is Reign Of Terror. More on that live show: early in two-thousand-and-something the Prince Bandroom merch stand was decked out with tees emblazoned with “SLAY BELLS”. It’s a homonym, geddit? Fucking genius! Then, after all support acts cancelled for some reason, the band walked onstage to Slayer’s Raining Blood. Sleigh, slay, Slayer – genius! The slow-build intro of the song dissipated disappointingly into whichever track from Treats while half of the Sleigh Bells binary mugged in front of a wall of Marshalls (pretending the backing track wasn’t at the forefront of the mix), and the other half peddled her cheerleader schtick to the packed bandroom. Little more than 20 minutes later, it was all over. The crowd weren’t begging for more, they were just begging for something. “We’ll get the DJ to play some Slayer!” declared Alexis Krauss to the then-sated masses. The DJ didn’t comply. But that affinity, not to be mistaken for influence, of Slayer has manifested into Reign Of Terror (Reign In Blood, Reign Of Terror – geddit?). The hip hop party beat which defined Crown On The Ground has made way for an elongated double-kick sample, which is placed arbitrarily throughout the record. The album opens with True Shred Guitar – which, despite its title, sounds like some 14-year-old dicking around at Billy Hyde because his mum is forcing him to learn an instrument. The rest of the record doesn’t really differ – Derek produces shitty tones without resembling artistry, Alexis delivers her raspy-rap vocals without sounding interested, and funnily enough, nothing artistic or interesting happens. While I’m not vehemently opposed to singers that can’t sing and guitarists that can’t play guitar, it’s just that Sleigh Bells don’t have anything else to offer on Reign Of Terror. There aren’t really any songs on the record, just the musical bi-product of the Human Centipede being Best Track: Never Say Die fed Rain In Blood foie gras style over and over again. If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Sex On Fire (Shreds Edition) KINGS OF LEON LACHLAN KANONIUK In A Word: Sheight

From their name reminding you of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, to kicking off their EP with a classic rock countdown – you’d figure Scaramouche were a ‘classic’ rock band. However, the former Canberra, now Melbourne-based five-piece quickly unstack those preconceptions, and start throwing musical curveballs. Set Sail begins with punky vigour, its dashing rock tempo soon establishing vocalist Pat Little as a whooping ringmaster in the vein of David Lee Roth or Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, while wailing guitars shower the groove with electrified licks. It eventually barrels towards a breakdown that features that rarest of frills in today’s rock scene: the bass solo; and bassist Grey Milton gives a rather tasty, technically impressive one for the song’s end section. The title track follows, and it’s where things get really interesting. With a groovy riff you’d call bouncy if it wasn’t so ballsy, it leans into a buzz that’d fit neatly on a stoner-rock compilation. Next is Fitful, its chromatic shifts and upward Ozzy-wailing chorus recalling Black Sabbath, before breaking into a chugging mid-section of further soloing before exiting with a finger-shredding grunge guitar. Despite those reference points, there’s no fawning recreation of any one particular band or era here, but a strong through-line of rock’s history from the long-haired grooves of Zeppelin and The Doors to the contemporary swagger of Queens Of The Stone Age. There’s even a dash of the the flexibility of Faith No More and the dissonant rhythms of Tool in there also. What ties it all together is the progressive edge to their writing, they’re never content on any singular bronzed riff – not when six of seven will do. On the evidence of Access Denied, you suspect Scaramouche are itching to stretch their wings beyond the EP format. The longest cut here (Midnight Itch) is a doable five minutes, but you presume they’d happily double that length. With Best Track: Access Denied their spiralling energy and high-wire rock theatrics, If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Baldessin Sessions II where they go next will be worth watching. THE HIDDEN VENTURE, Album of the Year FAITH NO MORE, Era Vulgaris QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE AL NEWSTEAD In A Word: Devil’s Horns Aloft!

BLACKENED

The Sense In Violence (Rosetin Records) Blackened may be a new force in the Melbourne metal scene, but the long haired thrashers have already earned their stripes in bands like Stiff Meat, Attack and Maniaxe. The benefits of this experience are instantly obvious. Their music is tight, to the point and free of any wishy-washy filler which can plague a first release. The Sense In Violence is pure thrash. It comes out kicking with a barrage of triplets and galloping kicks and over the next 13 minutes hellish solos will rise and fall, observations of dismay and death will be growled and paces are slowed to allow for grand displays of windmilling. Apparently this is a precursor to a full length album slated for release later this year. If this is the case, I feel sorry for the necks of everyone who ends up buying it. There is very little surprise in this three track demo, and neither should there be. The artwork and band name on the cover are much like the yellow and black stripes on a wasp – you know what’s coming before it hits you. And make no mistakes, this will hit you with the force of a Best Track: Burning Of Time sledgehammer. Or possible a claymore. If You Like These, You’ll Like This: EVILE,SLAYER, MUNICIPAL WASTE OSCAR SCHIESSER In A Word: Beastial

PASSENGER

All The Little Lights (Inertia) British singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg is an accomplished busker who has spent a great deal of time living, touring and recording in Australia. He is joined on this twelve-track album by musicians such as Boy and Bear skinsman Tim Hart, bassist Cameron Undy and keyboardist Stu Hunter from Katie Noonan & The Captains. Rosenberg has created a wonderfully rich modern folk sound that is highly seductive and punctuated with deft and wise lyrics. Rosenberg is an incredibly thoughtful and incisive lyricist who inspires listeners to think deeply as they ride the melodic wave that he conjures in his quiet and gentle way. On Things That Stop You Dreaming he articulates the sobering challenge we face when our ideal world seems to shimmer like an elusive mirage that slips repeatedly from our grasping reach: “If you can’t get what you love/You learn to love the things you’ve got/If you can’t be what you want/You learn to be the things you’re not/ If you can’t get what you need/You learn to need the things that stop you dreaming.” For the perfect combination of vitriol and humour, check out I Hate recorded live at The Borderline in London. On Staring At The Stars his cheeky wordplay is on par with the witty verbal gymnastics that Alex Turner brings to Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets: “Hearts are sad and eyes are tired and all this Red Bull keeps us wired/Gives us wings/It gives us rings around our eyes.” Rosenberg’s poetic way with words and his knack for generating swelling, soaring melodies ensure that All The Little Lights is an engrossing and pleasurable Best Track: Staring At The Stars If You Like THis, You’ll Like These: Sign No More listening experience from start to ﬁnish. MUMFORD & SONS GRAHAM BLACKLEY In A Word: Intelligent

VARIOUS ARTISTS

RUSSIAN ROULETTES

Straight To You: Triple J’s Tribute To Nick Cave (ABC/Universal)

Physical Education (Oﬀ The Hip)

There seems to be some serious confusion about what constitutes ‘garage’ rock these days. Let’s take a step back and try not to associate the term ‘garage’ with the idea that a band is confined to a place we store cars because that’s the only venue which will suit their lack of talent. Instead, why not think about ‘garage’ bands for what they really are: bands with charisma, punchy tracks but the knowledge that the garage is a healthy place to be. It’s one that lacks pretension. It’s a place that, while physically limiting, allows band members to look hard at each other and begin to understand what kind of chops they really have. On Physical Education, the second full-length from Melbourne’s Russian Roulettes, there’s certainly an understanding as to the identity of this band: loud, tough-as-nails rock’n’roll that lacks any and all posturing. Another quality release from Off The Hip, Melbourne’s purveyors of honest to goodness rock’n’roll, Physical Education should be played at nothing lower than 11. Opening with the relentless groove of Never Had Nothing, Russian Roulettes weave together fist-in-the-air punk and snarling stoner-ready rhythm in a seamless manner. It’s easy to hear traces of the Foo Fighters debut throughout Physical Education, not just because lead singer Sam Agostino boasts a similar sounding wail. On punishing tracks such as And That’s All and Wait And See, one can hear a band that subscribes to a similar approach that Grohl did over 15 years ago: image be damned, it’s about time that the music speaks for itself. No one should be surprised to learn that Russian Roulettes contain members of some of Melbourne’s more pungent rock acts: Legends Of Motorsport, Kamikaze Trio and Kids Of Zoo. There’s enough grit and muscle within the 11 tracks here to overpower a group of liquored-up rugby fans. But what should be surprising is how, even while stepping away from the bands they usually call home, they manage to make turn their songs into efficient and tight balls of sonic fury. Lock yourself in your garage, find yourself a slab of cheap, cold lager and turn this one up. You won’t want to leave anytime soon. Best Track: Never Had Nothing If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Foo Fighters FOO JOSHUA KLOKE FIGHTERS, Anything on In The Red Records In A Word: Gnarly

Tackling a tribute CD should be approached with some trepidation, with the potential for sacrilege hovering above the collective heads of all involved. To pay homage to an iconic Australian institution such as Nick Cave is no easy feat and triple j have delivered Straight To You, an ambitious project that serves up some tasty morsels right alongside some catch you’d rather throw back. Opening the double disc album is Kram’s version of Cave’s dark and foreboding Red Right Hand. The instrumentation is accurate in representing the original, creating a sinister and atmospheric backdrop, however, Kram’s vocals lack the insistent menace that Cave emanates. Electronic artist Muscles’ take on Do You Love Me is, surprisingly, appropriate - ragged and raspy as required and Bertie Blackman injects a desperate passion into the duet, complementing the track nicely. Abbe May’s version of Lie Down Here (And Be My Girl) is assured and captivating while Sparkadia’s front man Alex Burnett produces an understated pop version of The Birthday Party’s track Shivers. Burnett also provides a fittingly warm and rich baritone on Where The Wild Roses Grow, contrasted against the pretty vintage vocals of Lanie Lane. Children Collide’s front man gives the classic Nick The Stripper the razor-edged abrasiveness it deserves and Lisa Mitchell makes The Ship Song into the sweetest of deranged lullabies. Towards the end of the first CD, the more daring of artists’ choices start to appear with Bluejuice front man Jake Stone ‘dubbing’ up The Weeping Song – a crime if ever there was one. The brutal lyrical content of O’Children may be suitably placed in the context of a hip hop song, but fans of Nick Cave’s will find Urthboy’s version hard to swallow. The old hats exhibit their expertise; Tim Rogers with a more chaotic and angrier rendition of From Her To Eternity, Adalita with her heart sinking version of Straight To You and Paul Kelly’s pleasingly pensive, Nobody’s Baby Now. This is a bold tribute album by one of the dominant musical forces in the country. Some inventive takes on a broad selection of Cave’s songs; Straight To You certainly encompasses a wide array of artists and Best Track: From Her To Eternity If You Like This, You’ll Like These: Nick Caves’ actual genres. Whether it is palatable to the die-hard fans is another question. releases In A Word: Audacious KRYSTAL MAYNARD

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Beat Magazine Page 77

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 29 FEB ROCK/POP ALTER BRIDGE & STEEL PANTHER + ALTER BRIDGE + STEEL PANTHER Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. AMANDA PALMER & THE GRAND THEFT ORCHESTRA + DJ DAMEZA Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:00pm. BITTERSWEET HEARTS + RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL’S TRIO + THE STILSONS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. BLEEDING ROSE + AUTO CITIZEN + FULL CODE + KINGS OF THE NORTH Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. COB FOLLY - FEAT: KAREN HEATH + TIM MCMILLAN The R2, Melbourne. 7:00pm. DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL + JACK’S MANNEQUIN + RELIENT K Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $51. DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT & MESHUGGAH Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $55. FALCONIO + DEAD RIVER + OF THE RISING Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. HATEBREED + BIOHAZARD + CRO-MAGS + RAISED FIST The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $39. LINK MCLENNAN + JACKY WINTER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. MAYER HAWTHORNE + ELECTRIC EMPIRE + FANTINE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $45. MISTRESS MONDAYS & SHERIFF + JACK STIRLING Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $10. OSCAR & MARTIN + MILK TEDDY + THE PARKING LOT EXPERIMENTS East Brunswick Club Hotel, East Brunswick. 8:00pm. $10. RIVER OF SNAKES + MASS CULT + MOTHERSLUG Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. RIVER OF SNAKES + SILENCE DEAD SILENCE Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. THE FAKES + EDEN MULHOLLAND + TROUBLE MAN Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $7. THE MADNESS METHOD + FEED YA MUNKIE + MENAGE A SKA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. THE PRETTY RECKLESS + HEROES FOR HIRE Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:30pm. $25. THURSDAY + CIRCA SURVIVE + SAVES THE DAY Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. UNWRITTEN LAW + ROYAL REPUBLIC + ZEBRAHEAD Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $46. YOUNG REVELRY + VALENTIINE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BEATRICE + TULLY SUMNER + WASABI Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5. DAVID SHEA Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. LIZ STRINGER Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. MATT GLASS BAND Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. MIKEY MADDEN Willow Bar, Northcote. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Dancing Dog, Footscray. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT Grind N Groove, Healesville. 9:00pm. SHANNON BOURNE Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. STEVE EARLE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $58. THE POPES ASSASSINS + POM POM POM + WILL LOPEZ Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7:00pm. WHILE THE MOUNTAIN WAITS Kent St, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. BUSTA MENTO + MIKELANGELO + SAINT CLARE + SOUNDS OF POLYNESIA Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne. 5:30pm. DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. ELLY HOYT & THE JULIUS SCHWING QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. THE MARC HANNAFORD TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. THE PUTBACKS 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5.

THURSDAY 1 MAR ROCK/POP 1AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: 3/4 BEAST + DJ GEEK PIE Pony, Melbourne. 1:00am. A ROCKET TO THE MOON + DANGEROUS SUMMER + THE READY SET + THE SUMMER SET The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 7:00pm. $34. ANGELS & AIRWAVES Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $64. BLACK VEIL BRIDES Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8:00pm.

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL Do you guys remember way back when this lineup broke? Do you remember your friends Facebook pages (way back before we’d even heard of timelines) exploding with delight and near outrage at this mammoth lineup? And even now, people are still begging and pleading for spare tickets because they know this lineup won’t ever grace our shores again? Yeah. Us too. Have fun guys, this Friday March 2 at Melbourne Showgrounds. Sold out ages ago.

BUSH + CHERRI BOMB + STAIND Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $62. CATHEDRAL + PARADISE LOST + TURISAS Espy, St Kilda. 10:00am. CHARM + DEAR STALKER + SPEARMINT FUR + THE INSTINCTS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. DICE + CAL THOMS + TWSS Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8:00pm. $22. LET ME DOWN GENTLY JUNGLEMAN + ALKAN ZEYBAK & THE LESSERMEN + INFINATE VOID Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. LIVE MUSIC AT THE MERSH - FEAT: BEWARE THE BANDIT + FROM NEXT DOOR + SLEEPY DREAMERS Commercial Hotel, Yarraville. 9:30pm. LOSTPROPHETS + KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES + VERSAEMERGE Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $44. MEN Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 8:00pm. MOLE HOUSE + BUM CREEK + FULL UGLY + THE CLITS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $8. NEW ORDER Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. PALLET TOWN + FIELD TRIP + HER? Pony, Melbourne. 8:30pm. PIGTAILS + DIRTY CHAPTERS + THE INSTINCTS The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. $6. PLAYWRITE + ALBERT SALT + NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. POM FRITZ + CUNTZ Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. RB’S LIVE - FEAT: SINGLE MEN’S DRINKING CLUB + BLACK FOX + THE WELLS Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7:00pm. $10. SKYSCRAPER STAN + EDDIE JAMES & THE PROWL + SPERMAIDS + TOURETTES Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. SWITCHFOOT Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $55. THE ANTOINETTES + MARBLE ORCHARD + PAUL POMPHREY + THE DIVINE FLUXUS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE HIDING + COPIA + NUSSY Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $10. THE JACKALS + PHAT CHICKS + TYSON SLITHERS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. THE RAY MANN THREE (SKETCHES SO FAR) + DJ-O + SUGARCRAFT Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. THE ROSIE BURGESS TRIO (ALBUM LAUNCH) + JUNGAL Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. THE SISTERS OF MERCY + KIM SALMON Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $55. THE SKAMPZ 9:30pm. WILK & HEATH Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALEX HALLAHAN & THE WOODLAND HUNTERS + ANDY SUGARCANE COLLINS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. BEC SANDRIDGE + BEC SANDRIDGE + CAITLIN HARNETT + ILUKA + KARL-CHRISTOPH + KIERAN STEVENSON Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. BLUES REVIEW - FEAT: COLLARD GREENS & GRAVY Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. CANOS + LANGUAGE OD THE BIRDS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. CHEAP THRILLS LAUNCH - FEAT: OWL EYES + ALPINE + CITY CALM DOWN + JORDIE LANE The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. COB FOLLY - FEAT: RONI SHEWAN The R2, Melbourne. 7:00pm. CONTINENTAL ROBERTS’ BLUES PARTY Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm. HOWLING STEAM TRAIN Bertha Brown, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. KIMBE & RYAN Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. MADISON VIOLET Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $17. MATTY WHITNEY Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. MICHELLE HOSKINGS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. NICE BOY TOM Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7:00pm. OPEN MIC St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Acoustic Cafe, Collingwood. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC Arcadia Hotel, South Yarra. 8:00pm. RIDGEBACK BLUES BAND + BGB Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10. SEAN MCMAHON’S WESTERN UNION Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. THE WEEKEND PEOPLE + INTO THE WOODS Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. Beat Magazine Page 78

ALTER BRIDGE

SLIPKNOT

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC CLAUDIA OSEGUEDA & OSCAR PONCELL Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. FLAP + BELLYACHE BEN & THE STEAMGRASS BOYS + THE BAND WHO KNEW TOO MUCH Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $10. JAMES OSBORNE COLLECTIVE Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. JOE CHINDAMO TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. MANNY FOX HANGMAN’S CLUB + ROYAL JELLY DIXIELAND BAND Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6. MATT KIRSCH TRIO 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. SOL HAUS & THE SPOKESMEN Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10. THE LEECH KING Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $14. THE PAUL KIDNEY EXPERIENCE + SNAWKLOR Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. WILBUR WILDE QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY 2 MAR ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: PRETTY SUICIDE + DJ WHITE RABBIT Pony, Melbourne. 2:00am. ACOUSTIC BEATLES Beaumaris Rsl, Beaumaris. 8:00pm. ATOMIC BLISS + THE ATLANTIC FALL + THE COLLECTABLES + THE WELLS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. CHINATOWN ANGELS + ROCK CITY RIFF RAFF + UPTOWN ACES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13. DEAR PLASTIC + BORN THIEF + REVERSE FOX 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. GIANTS OF SCIENCE + DAMN TERRAN + DJ TRAFFIC JAM Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. JASON ISBELL + FRASER A GORMAN Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $33. JERRY & THE SPRINGERS 7:30pm. JONESEZ (GRUFFALO TOUR) + HEY GERONIMO + THE SHINY BRIGHTS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $12. MAJOR NAPIER + FLASH FOREST + SUPER MAGIC HATS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. MONKEYS PIRATE + BLACKWATER RIFF Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE 8:00pm. OUCH MY FACE + BAD ACHES + BITS OF SHIT + MIDNIGHT WOOLF Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. PUSH BUTTON AUTO + KINCH KINSKY & THE STRANGERS + POP SINGLES + RAYON MOON Pony, Melbourne. 9:00pm. RED SKY BURIAL + BROOKLYN HOOKERS + MASTER BETA + SUIZCOIL The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. SAINT JUDE (SINGLE LAUNCH) + DJ HILLBILLY FILLY + HEEL TOE EXPRESS + THE GYPSY’S CURSE + THE HARLOTS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. SERI VIDA + ALYSIA MANCEUA Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. SHOWCASE STANDOUTS - FEAT: WAKING EDEN + RORY DWYER + SHADED GREY Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $10. SKA VENDORS Way Out West Roots Music Club, Williamstown. 8:00pm. $15. SKYSCRAPER STAN + EDDIE JAMES & THE PROWL + SPERMAIDS + TOURETTES Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE TALLEST BAND IN THE WORLD - FEAT: EDDIE JAMES AND THE PROWL + SPERMAIDS + TOURETTES Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. SLOW CLUB Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $25. THE BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER - FEAT: ANNIE ARE YOU OKAY? + ATLAS MURPHY + THE MATT GLASS BAND + THE SECOND LOVE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. THE GALAXY FOLK (EP LAUNCH) + EMILY SHOBBROOK + TEHACHAPI + THE CLITS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $8. THE IVORY ELEPHANT + S GRAND PERCEPTOR + THE RAFAELLA + THE UPSTANDING MEMBERS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. THE NOMAD + APEX + KRAFTY PIXEL Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

THE TEALEAVES John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. THE TWERPS + LOST ANIMAL + SUPER WILD HORSES Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $15. TRIAL KENNEDY + ASHLEIGH RAE + THE DIECASTS + WELCOME TO THE NUMB Pier Live, Frankston. 8:00pm. $15. VASOLINE St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 9:30pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK 2SWAI Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. ANN VRIEND + MICK HAZELMAN Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. ANNA PADDICK Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6:00pm. CHERRYWOOD Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. COB FOLLY - FEAT: NIC TATE The R2, Melbourne. 7:00pm. HUGO RACE & THE TRUE SPIRIT + MATT BAILEY + MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10. JEAN CLAUDE SAM DAN Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. KERRYN TOLHURST Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. LEBLANC BROS CAJUN ACES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. NICKY DEL REY & THE SLOWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB Lyrebird Lounge, Ripponlea. 8:30pm. NIGEL WEARNE & THE CAST IRON PROMISES Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. PEAR & THE AWKWARD ORCHESTRA Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. THE VELVETS + RYAN STERLING Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. TROY BARRETT & JOHNNY LIVEWIRE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6:00pm. WE THE PEOPLE + BRAVO JULIET + SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING BAND Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ANGELIA LIBRANDI + JONO FRANCISCO Prince Maximillian, Prahran. 8:30pm. DNI PROJECT Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. ED KUEPPER & MARK DAWSON Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $30. ELANA STONE BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $28. FRANKIE WANTS OUT Red Bennies, South Yarra. 10:00pm. NICHAUD FITZGIBBON QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20. REBEL SOULJAHZ The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $50. SHOTGUN FUNK + UNHINGED Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. THE LEECH KING Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $14. TRIO ALVORADA Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. WOMEN OF SOUL (ETTA JAMES TRIBUTE) Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.

SATURDAY 3 MAR

CHINATOWN ANGELS MEN So, JD Samson is pretty much the best, eh? A social justice activist and awesome music maker to boot, the ex-frontwoman of Le Tigre collaborates with her old bandmate Johanna Fatemen and performs as disco-punk outfit Men at the Phoenix Public House this Thursday March 1. MADNESS METHOD + FEED YOUR MUNKIE Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. MILDLIFE (SINGLE LAUNCH) + BABA-X + CIRCULAR KEYS Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10. MY FRIEND THE CHOCOLATE CAKE 8:00pm. PAINTERS & DOCKERS TRIO Tago Mago, Thornbury. 9:00pm. $5. PLUTO JONEZ & CUB SCOUTS + THEM SWOOPS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $12. ROCK MONSTER + BILL & THE JERKS + COLLINS CLASS + MILLINGTON + THE PRISON SCREWS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 7:00pm. SEPTEMBER FALLS + COOPER STREET + IN YOUR HANDS + WE DISSAPEAR Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. SWIDGEN + SYSTEM OF VENUS + THE CHARGE Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13. THE ABSOLUTELY LIVE DOORS SHOW (20TH ANNIVERSAY) + PEARL + SHED ZEPPLIN Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $20. THE BAREBONES (EP LAUNCH) + FRASER A GORMAN + LEENA + WILDING Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. $15. THE MILLIONAIRES + GLITCH + TANTALUM Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $12. THE PENNYS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. THUNDER ROAD (THE SONGS OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN) Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $20. TRIAL KENNEDY + BOMBS ARE FALLING + LOCAL SUPPORTS TEAK + SCALAR FIELDS Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 8:00pm. $15. WALLY CORKER’S DRUNK ARSED BAND + THE DGRADES Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. WEEKENDER - FEAT: THE ELLIOTS + THE SHADES Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. WILL & THE PEOPLE + JIMMY HAWK & THE ENDLESS PARTY + RHYS CRIMMIN Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10. XENOGRAFT + BEAT THE MAMMOTH + COCO VELU + FRITZWICKY Pony, Melbourne. 9:00pm.

ROCK/POP

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

1.30AM DOUBLE LATE SHOW - FEAT: CHICO FLASH + XENOGRAFT + DJ MR SHARP Pony, Melbourne. 1:30am. AGENCY DUB COLLECTIVE + ALOTTA PRESSURE 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. ALI E (ALBUM LAUNCH) + BEN SALTER + ELEPHANT EYES Workers Club, Fitzroy. 2:00pm. $10. ANGRY MULES + LIFE ON MARS + WACO SOCIAL CLUB The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. BANG - FEAT: OLD MUSIC FOR OLD PEOPLE + APART FROM THIS + STRICKLAND Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $20. BETWEEN THE DEVIL & THE DEEP (ALBUM LAUNCH) + PALISADES + PARTY VIBEZ + THESE HANDS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP[SYD] - FEAT: THESE HANDS + PALISADES + PARTY VIBEZ Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. BLOOD ORANGE + DEAD SEPTEMBER + EATER OF THE SKY Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. BRISTOL BIENNAL BENEFIT - FEAT: PAGEANTS + BAD THOUGHTS + KONO + YUKO Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. CLAMPDOWN Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. CLIP CLOP CLUB George Basement, St Kilda. 5:00pm. CRASS HAPPENING - FEAT: BYRON ST JOHN + A GENDER Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DICE + CAL THOMS + TWSS Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $10. DOLLAR BAR, GIANTS OF SCIENCE, PEEP TEMPEL, MASS CULT, DJ ON MUSTARD + DJ ON MUSTARD + DOLLAR BAR + GIANTS OF SCIENCE + MASS CULT + PEEP TEMPEL Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $12. HARRY HOWARD & THE NDE (ALBUM LAUNCH) + BURIED HORSES + THE MURLOCS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. HOUSE OF ROCK - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. HOUSE OF ROCK - FEAT: DROPBUNNY Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $15. INTERNATIONAL EXILES + BRONWYN ADAMS + LITTLE MURDERS + MICK HARVEY + PHILL CALVERT + RON RUDE + THE EARS St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda. 3:30pm. $20. KING OF THE NORTH Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 9:00pm. KINGSWOOD (SINGLE LAUNCH) + THE GIVE + THE PRETTY LITTLES Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. LIOR Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 6:00pm.

8 BALL AITKEN + 8 BALL AITKEN Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00am. 8 BALL AITKEN Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. ACOUSTIC REVIEW - FEAT: HIDING WITH BEARS + AL PARKINSON + JUNIOR BOWLES Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. $10. ANDRE CAMILLERI & THE NORTHERNAIRES Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm. ANDY SUGARCANE COLLINS Westernport Hotel, San Remo. 5:30pm. BAG O NAILS St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 9:30pm. BERNADETTE CARROLL + RUBY SOHO + WILK & HEATH Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. BEWARE! BLACK HOLES Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 8:00pm.

Ah, Chinatown. Home to a myriad of restaurants with delicious dumplings and dubious health standards, stores that stock way too many adorable little jewelled iPhone stickers and Hello Kitty stock, and bubble tea. Not to mention the namesake of Chinatown Angels, who are set to launch their latest single You Ain’t That Young very soon. They hit Cherry on Friday March 2. CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. JEREMY EDWARDS & DUST RADIO Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. LOT 56 + WAYLONG JOES Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. MONNONE ALONE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $5. OPEN JAM Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. RYAN ADAMS Regent Theatre, Melbourne. 8:00pm. SIMON HUDSON BAND Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. STEVE LANE & THE AUTOCRATS Palais, Hepburn Springs. 8:30pm. TESKEY BROTHERS St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 1:00pm. THE PRAYERBABIES Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. THE SWEET SOMETHINGS Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. WAZ E JAMES BAND Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. WILD TURKEY Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC EDDIE PALMIERI & THE LATIN JAZZ SEXTET The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $68. ELANA STONE BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $28. ELLY HOYT BAND Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. JAZZALICIOUS - FEAT: MIMI ZAETTA-THOMAS The Famous Spiegel Tent, Melbourne. 2:00pm. $15. JULIE O’HARA QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20.

74 JOHNSTON ST FITZROY 9417 4155

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

wednesday 29th february

BITTERSWEET HEARTS

THE STILSONS RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL’S TRIO 8:30PM FREE

thursday 1st march

LET ME DOWN GENTLY, JUNGLEMAN ALKAN ZEYBAK & THE LESSER MEN SHIPS PIANO

8:30PM $8

friday 2nd march

SAINT JUDE HARLOTS THE GYPSY’S CURSE HEEL TOE EXPRESS DJ BROADBENT

8:30PM $10

saturday 3rd march

DOLLAR BAR GIANTS OF SCIENCE PEEP TEMPEL MASS CULT DJ ON MUSTARD

8:30PM $12

sunday 4th march

HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN

RIVER OF SNAKES Ever had one of those moments when clueless foreigners try to describe what their impressions of our fair country to you are? Apparently we’re a vast and dangerous country where we commute to work on kangaroos and leaving the house exposes you to all sorts of murderous killers – snakes, spiders and drop bears, oh my! River of Snakes aren’t helping too much with that fearsome rep – but they do a mean take on noisy, fuzz-riddled grunge. They play the last of their shows at their Cherry residency tonight.

THE PENNYS JAIL BIRD JOKERS DJ TREBLE KICKER CRYBABY SESSIONS:

8PM $5 1-4PM $5

monday 5th march

GERRY HALE’S BLUEGRASS SESSIONS tuesday 6th march

8PM FREE

BEN WRIGHT SMITH

JUNIOR BOWLES (WA), CISCO ROSE ART EXHIBITION OPENING:

8PM FREE

‘HI ART’

LIZ CAFFIN, JO GARDEN, MATT TETSTALL, MEG BUTLER

band bookings: bandbookings@theoldbar.com.au

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 79

60 SECONDS WITH…

SEAN KERSHAW & THE NEW JACK RAMBLERS SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY Fucking finally. That blessed time of year has rolled around where they take Sydney Rd, shut that shit down, and decorate it with delicious food stalls and a bunch of other cool things. Heaps of our favourite venues are throwing their own parties to celebrate including Phoenix Public House, The Retreat, The Penny Black, Noise Bar, The Brunswick Hotel, The Cornish Arms and The Victoria Hotel, plus more. It’s going to be the pub crawl of a lifetime. See you on the streets this Sunday March 4. KUNATAKI Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. SWEET & HOT JAZZ JOUST - FEAT: DUCK MUSIQUE & THE BIG BAND Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. $30. THE CRAIG SCHNEIDER TRIO Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20. UNCLE BILL Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $20.

SUNDAY 4 MAR ROCK/POP ADAM EATON + EMILY ULMAN Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $8. ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI + GENEVA JACUZZI + LOST ANIMAL + MONTERO Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $45. BABBA Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 6:00pm. BRAT FARRAR + BIDET MATE + DIGGER & THE PUSSYCATS + KIDS OF ZOO + YIS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. CELEBRITIES ANONYMOUS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 1:00pm. CHRIS WILSON Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. J.O.Y. 4 I.W.D - FEAT: EMMA BRYCE + JENNY BIDDLE + PINA TUTERI + RUTH KATERELOS + THE EMMA WALL BAND + THE GRACEMAKERS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. $10.

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers. I write songs, play guitar and sing ‘em. What do you think people will say you sound like? A choir of cowboy angels with bat wings, ridin’ down the main street of Heaven hollerin’ and shootin’ in the air. What do you love about making music? The adrenaline, the feeling of flying. Especially when you’re connecting with folks, whether it’s one or 1,000,000 people LANEWAY FUNK BROTHERS + BAD BOYS BATUCADA + THE MARABOU PROJECT Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. POPSYCHLE - FEAT: CAT CAT + DRAWING ARCS + FASPEEDELAY + IOWA + WHITE WOODS + WINTERNATIONALE + DARK MONOLITH + GRAND PRISMATIC + POPOLICE + SUPERSTAR + WUNDERLUST Workers Club, Fitzroy. 3:30pm. $12. ROGUE ELEPHANT + DESPPOCON + DIPOLID + HEADLESS DEATH + PUTKAH + SOMA COMA Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. ROLLER ONE + LINDSAY PHILLIPS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. SEXY TIME PARTY - FEAT: BURN IN HELL + DAMN THE MAPS + DIXON CIDER + EARL + FALL OF THE UNION + FLYYING COLOURS + LIQUOR SNATCH + SHERIFF + SID AIR + THE OVALS + ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE + BLACK & BLUE + BONES BLACKWOOD + CAVE OF THE SWALLOWS + K-MART WARRIORS + KEGGIN’ + KILL TWO BIRDS + STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + THE HIDDEN VENTURE + VAN MYER + VIMM Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 11:00am. SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY - FEAT: BUTCHER BLADES + LOVE CONNECTION + LOWTIDE Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE KILLJOYS Carringbush Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm. THE ZINGERS + HAVITTAJAT + SOM COMA Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. THE RECTIFIERS Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. VENGABOYS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $45.

What do you hate about the music industry? The retirement plan sucks. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? First I’d ask them to show me their stuff. I mean, who the hell goes up to Willie Nelson and says, “Hey man, lemme show you something”!? What can a punter expect from your live show? A honkytonkin’ good time! What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? My debut CD Coney Island Cowboy and a compilation called This Is Brooklyn Country Vol. . When’s the gig and with who? Friday March 9 at The Gem, Saturday March 10 at The Retreat, Sunday March 11 at The Standard, Tuesday March 13 and Sundat March 18 at the Labour In Vain, Thursday March 15 at the Lomond Hotel.

Anything else to add? Really lookin’ forward to hangin’ w my Aussie mates Down Under! Everybody I’ve met Stateside has been so cool, I can’t wait to meet a whole mess a’y’all!

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK 8 BALL AITKEN Way Out West Roots Music Club, Williamstown. 2:00pm. $15. ANDY COWAN St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 3:00pm. AUSTIN FLOYD Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. BACKWOOD CREATURES Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN + DJ TREBLE KICKER + JAILBIRD JOKERS + THE PENNYS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5. JAM NIGHT Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm. JEREMY EDWARDS & THE DUST RADIO BAND Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. JIMI HOCKING The Bay, Mordialloc. 4:00pm. LA BANDE DI SANDRO DONATI + MARTY KELLY & AUBURY MAHER Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. LIVE & LOCAL SESSIONS Sorrento-portsea Rsl, Sorrento. 5:00pm. MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS + THE CALL UP Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. MR BLACK & BLUES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 3:00pm. MR BLACK & BLUES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. OPA! 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. OPEN DECKS Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 6:00pm. OPEN MIC Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 5:30pm. PAM HALL Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 4:00pm. PHIL PARA DUO Mentone Hotel, Mentone. 3:00pm. RUN CABAILTIO + JEREMY WOOLHOUSE’S SILVERBEAT TRIO 303, Northcote. 3:00pm. $10. RUSTED Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. SARAH CARNEGIE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 7:00pm. SINGER SONGWRITER SESSIONS - FEAT: TOM FRANCIS + KERRYN FIELDS Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4:00pm. STRINE SINGERS Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm. SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY - FEAT: HEEL TOE EXPRESS + LUNARS + NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 12:00pm. SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY - FEAT: GO GO SAPIEN + ABBIE CARDWELL & HER LEADING MEN + DAN DINNEN + LARGE NUMBER TWELVES + LILY & KING + LIVINGSTONE DAISIES + QUARRY MOUNTAIN DEAD RATS + THE SKA VENDORS Penny Black, Brunswick. 1:00pm. TERESA DIXON Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 6:00pm. THE BLACK SWANS OF TRESPASS + AMAREVOIS Bar Nancy, Northcote. 6:00pm. THE RECHORDS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. THE ROSIE BURGESS TRIO + ALEXIS NICOLE + LITTLE WISE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 3:00pm. $10.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC DJ MAX BAY Bebida, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. JOSE NIETO Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 6:30pm. LEIGH BARKER & THE NEW SHEIKS TRIO Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. MOU QUARRTET Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. THE LEECH KING Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $14. ZULYA & THE CHILDREN OF THE UNDERGROUND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $20. SAM MCAULIFFE JAZZ 4 + KATTIMONI + MERCI TRIO Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 3:00pm.

MONDAY 5 MAR ROCK/POP BEN KWELLER The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $40. BONOBO + AXOLOTYL + DJ TOM SHOWTIME Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $44. MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: FULL UGLY + DROOLING MYSTICS + HYPERBOREA + VELCRO Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 6:00pm. ST. ANDREWS OPEN MIC & JAMM NIGHT + OPEN MIC St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 7:00pm. THE MONDAY DRIFT Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THNKR + QUINCE + THE PRETTY LITTLES Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $5. SEX ON TOAST + MR LANEOUS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK GERRY HALE’S BLUEGRASS SESSIONS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. LEBOWSKIS 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $8.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC BENNETTS LANE BIG BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. THE LEECH KING Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $14. ZACHARIA/NOONAN QUARTET + JAMES MACAULAY’S ROMANIAN REBOP 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $8.

TUESDAY 6 MAR ROCK/POP BEN WRIGHT SMITH + CISCO ROSE + JUNIOR BOWLES Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. SPENCER P JONES + TRISTEN BIRD Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. STEFAN GROSSMAN Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $45. THE RAPTURE & AZARI III Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $62. PAILING BLACK + HAMISH ANDERSON + IAN RICKARD Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $7. SPENCER P JONES + TRISTEN BIRD Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. THE MURLOCS + THE HIEROPHANTS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. THEE OH SEES + TOTAL CONTROL Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $25.

Crystal Ballroom 1981

CRYSTAL BOWLROOM From 1979 to the early ‘80s, The Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda was like some kind of post punk/new wave production factory that pumped out band after band, including The Birthday Party, Crime & The City Solution and The Ears, the likes of who basically guide Melbourne’s music scene onto the international stage and totally usurping a bunch of other uninspiring stuff being produced. Goddamn it I wish I was alive then. But I wasn’t. Luckily, some good folk are putting on a huge show at the St Kilda Bowling Club this Saturday March 3 featuring members of The Birthday Party, Crime & The City Solution, Little Murders, The Ears, International Exiles, Models and heaps more, for only a mere $20. Head along to the Crystal Bowlroom for a night of punk frivolity. It’s the second best thing if you weren’t around the first time. Beat Magazine Page 80

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 2 MAR

HUGO RACE & THE TRUE SPIRIT THU 1 MAR

THE ANTOINETTES

PAUL POMPHREY MARBLE ORCHARD THE DIVINE FLUXUS 9.00PM

MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS MATT BAILEY

BIRTHDAY OVER TWO FLOORS

BITTER SWEET KICKS THE COUNCIL KILLS COLLAPSE

WEEKENDER WITH LIVE MUSIC FROM:

ELLIOTTS THE FAKES 9.00PM

SHAKY MEMORIAL OPEN TIL 5am

APPLEJACK

TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY AFTER 2AM

SUN 4 MAR

THURSDAYS IN MARCH

ROLLER ONE 5.00PM / BANDS FROM 8.O0PM / FREE ENTRY

OPEN TIL 5am

OPEN TIL 3am

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

COMING UP

STEVE WIDE & DAVE SHAW

LINDSAY PHILLIPS

BAR

SAT 3 MAR

AND TUNES BY:

9.00PM

TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY AFTER MIDNIGHT

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

THE BITTER SWEET KICKS PLUS DIFFERENT GUESTS EACH WEEK 8, 15, 22 & 29 MARCH

LOS CHICOS (SPAIN) MIDNIGHT WOOLF

WED 29 FEB

FALCONIO DEAD RIVER OF THE RISING THU 1 MAR

THE JACKALS

HUMANS AS ANIMALS

VAN MYER THE WINDSOR THEIVES 8PM / FREE

10PM / FREE

THU 1 MAR

SUN 4 MAR

PAUL KIDNEY EXPERIENCE

THE ZINGERS

(ALBUM LAUNCH)

7.30PM / FREE

HÄVITTÄJÄT SOMA COMA

NEUMEIER

7PM

TUE 6 MAR

MAKE IT UP CLUB 7PM

FRI 2 MAR

PUSH BUTTON AUTO RAYON MOON KINCH KINSKY & THE STRANGERS POP SINGLES PRETTY SUICIDE

SAT 3 MAR

XENOGRAFT FRITZWICKY BEAR THE MAMMOTH COCO VELU

9.00PM

XENOGRAFT CHICO FLASH

2.00AM FREE TUNES:

1.30AM FREE TUNES:

3.00AM FREE

MR SHARP

FRI 2 MAR

OUCH MY FACE MIDNIGHT WOOLF BITS OF SHIT BAD ACHES

SAT 3 MAR FRONT BAR RESIDENCY 5-7PM

CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK SAT 3 MAR

HARRY HOWARD & THE NDE BURIED HORSES THE MURLOCS

ALBUM LAUNCH

SUN 4 MAR

BRAT FARRAR, YIS BOOKINGS: LUKE@BAROPEN.COM.AU

68-70 LIL’ COLLINS ST. MELBOURNE WWW.PONY.NET.AU 03 9662 1026

WHITE RABBIT

(JOSEPH L. MANKEIWICZ)

WED 7: ASH WEDNESDAY / HINTERLANDT (NSW) / OPEN BACKS THU 8: PEARLS / THE ANCIENTS / MILK TEDDY FRI 9: CHEAP FAKES (QLD) / ULTRAVIBRLUX SAT 10: SIMMER SUN 11 LABOUR DAY EVE: MADRE MONTE

“Shout ‘til you’re a little horse”

9.00PM

“ALL ABOUT EVE”

COMING UP

10PM / FREE

2.00AM FREE

THU APR 5:

SCREEN SECT FILM CLUB

APEX KRAFTY PIXEL

GEEK PIE

SUN MAR 25:

ARCHER

TROPICAL SPACE LAB: CONGOTARDIS #1

THE NOMAD

3/4 BEAST

FRI MAR 23:

GOODBYE MOTEL

MON 5 MAR

FRI 2 MAR

1.00AM FREE TUNES:

SUN MAR 11:

APHRA’S CAT (CD LAUNCH) MR JIMMY THE GRENADINES

SAT 3 MAR

9PM / FREE

8.30PM

SAT MAR 10:

GRUNTBUCKET THE D GRADES TEX & DALZIELL

WED 29 FEB

SNAWKLOR

PALLET TOWN HER? FIELD TRIP

FRI MAR 9:

THE LIVINGSTONE DAISIES VAN WALKER LIZ STRINGER

PHAT CHICKS TYSON SLITHERS

WITH MANI

THU 1 MAR

THU MAR 8:

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

COMING SOON THURS 8 MAR: STREET FANGS GRAFT VS HOST, MASTER_BETA THURS 8 MAR (LATE SHOW): HINTERLANDT (SYD) FREE ENTRY FRI 9 MAR: RORT, INTERNAL ROT, TRENCH SISTERS, URNS FRI 9 MARCH (LATE SHOW): BLACKENED FREE ENTRY SAT 10 MARCH: ODIUSEMBOWEL MALIGNUS, ICONIC VIVISECT SEAFORD MONSTER, HALIGUN SAT 10 MARCH (LATE SHOW): KRETCH (REUNION SHOW!!!) FREE ENTRY SUN 11 MARCH (LABOUR DAY EVE): WORKINGHORSE IRONS, 4TRESS THE BOMBARDIERS PUSH TO TWIST, ROAD RATZ SUN 11 MARCH (LATE SHOW): BURN IN HELL FREE ENTRY THURS 15 MARCH: CALADONIA HOME MADE, RED RHINO

THE LEGENDARY PONY LATE SHOW / THE LATEST GIG IN TOWN / FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS / 2:00AM / FREE ENTRY SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

DIGGER & THE PUSSYCATS KIDS OF ZOO BIDET MATE TUE 6 MAR ON SALE NOW

BLACK LIPS

USA

TIX ON SALE NOW FROM TOTE FRONT BAR & OZTIX.COM.AU: ENDLESS BOOGIE (USA) SAT 10 MARCH

VELOCIRAPTOR SAT 17 MARCH THE ROYAL BATHS (USA) SAT 31 MARCH GRONG GRONG SUN 8 APRIL DZ DEATHRAYS FRI 27 APRIL TUMBLEWEED FRI 25 & SAT 26 17 MAY

COMING SOON: FRI 9 MAR: BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY (USA), SMITH ST BAND, THE BENNIES, CAVALCADE SAT 10: ENDLESS BOOGIE (USA), PATRON SAINTS SUN 11: THE TEARAWAYS, THE JACKS, AUSTRALIAN KINGSWOOD FACTORY TUESDAYS IN MARCH: FORAMEN WEDNESDAYS IN MARCH: THE PHILISTINES + FRIENDS TOTE MERCH ON SALE NOW / AVAILABLE FROM FRONT BAR: 2012 CALENDARS / T-SHIRTS / STUBBY HOLDERS / STICKERS 71 JOHNSTON STREET (CNR WELLINGTON ST) COLLINGWOOD PH: 9419 5320 BAND BOOKINGS: AMANDA@BAROPEN.COM.AU WWW.THETOTEHOTEL.COM

TOTE OPEN: TUESDAY - SUNDAY 4.00pm ‘TIL LATE

Beat Magazine Page 81

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC

KLUB MUK 303, Northcote. 7:30pm. LINCOLN MCKINNON + BRAD MARTIN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:30pm. MAX IMPACT + A ROARA + JULES SHELDON Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. THE CULT OF MARCUS AURELIUS + JOSH PARISH + MIYAZAKI Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

MORRIS WARD COMBO Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. THE LEECH KING Club Voltaire, North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $14. THE MERRY BRONHILL Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park. 11:00am.

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 WANTED. Any style for Collingwood venue. First gigs welcome, live CD recording available. Contact Jane after 12pm on 0425 796 828 or 9417 1777. BANDS WANTED for artist showcase in the Espy Gershwin room. A great step towards bigger shows. Contact mark@gunnmusic. com.au BANDS WANTED for city venue. Audio Circus wants you! A variety of genres considered. Please send band info, mp3s, links etc. to audiocircusinfo@gmail.com DRUMMER & KEYBOARDIST. Melbourne-based prog metal band CIRCADIAN PULSE are looking for a drummer and a keyboardist. Phone: 0401 826 787, Email: band@circadianpulse.com, Web: http://circadianpulse.com. DRUMMER WANTED for original band: 18-25, committed. Likes Beatles, Oasis, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys. facebook.com/ TheMurcies. 0411 817 756. hello@themurcies.com. DRUMMER WANTED… ALIEN... FEMALE... MALE. We’re Melbourne based and play cool alternative psychedelic tinged pop/rock. We are an established band with gigs lined up and an album ﬁnished and ready to release. We love The Pixies, The Beatles, QOTSA, Hendrix etc. We need a drummer with some ﬁre and cool chops. Vocal ability would be handy! Good gear and transport essential! Contact Stav to organise a potential jam time. Stav ATOMIC BLISS mobile 0405 204 293. www.myspace.com/ atomicblissband.

Beat Magazine Page 82

GUITARIST/SONGWRITER WANTED. New blues & roots/ rock/folk/funk project requires experienced guitarist/songwriter myspace.com/roarsugar. Send weblinks/samples & experience to roarsugar@hotanddeliciousrecords.com. Dan - Hot & Delicious Records. SINGERS WITH LOOKS AND PERSONALITY WANTED. If you have the looks, voice and attitude we want to hear from you. Come be a part of something new and exciting. http://on.fb.me/poplive or call 0424 587 255 WORKING SOUL/ELECTRO-FUNK/GROOVE BAND looking for creative KEYS/SYNTH player. Do you love mashing old and new school sounds? Want to push the funk boundary? Are you always looking to do it better, play it tighter? Us too! We’re experienced musos in our 20s-30s looking for someone on the same wavelength. BVs ability a bonus, but passion, reliability and positive vibes a must. Mostly covers and grow originals over time. www.thedeepzoo.com Call Mel on 0408 542 281

TUITION DRUM LESSONS with Crutey from Full Scale/Tim McMillan Band. All ages and styles welcome. Email matt@saltarhype.com.au DRUMMER WHO HAS PERFORMED WITH LIONEL RICHIE, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Nelly Furtado and Rhianna taking limited number of students. Call 0417 164 063.

SERVICES AUDIO ENGINEER. Live mixing $50 per band or set, any venue in the Melbourne area. Contact Frank Shaw 0407 324 203. * DRUMMER AVAILABLE for a working covers or original band. Phone Paul for enquiries (03) 87863421. DUBPLATES & VINYL CUTTING SERVICE. We cut into real PVC in good sound quality & durability. 1 or 10 copies not a problem. Sizes are 12”,10” & 7”. Visit www.vinyl-recordings.com PRODUCERS, DANCERS & SONGWRITERS if you’re into POP music then come be a part of Pop:Live, The night club for You! http://on.fb.me/poplive or call 0424 587 255 THINK MOVING SUCKS? Think Little Red Trucks! Moving Melbourne everyday. Call 9380 6444 or head to www.littleredtrucks.com.au

+ BEAT PRESENT...

ACCESS ALL AGES With Ruth Mihelcic

whatson@thepush.com.au Soundwave this Friday! By now you already know the mouth-watering, drool-inducing line up and have your tickets, so now all you need to do is prepare yourself for an epic day of bands, sun, and moshing. We’d like to throw out a congrats to young Melbourne rockers Aitches for getting a spot on the line up thanks to triple j Unearthed. Another great opportunity coming out of triple j Unearthed is the competition to remix the Hilltop Hoods’ upcoming track Now That You’re Gone (produced by Trials) before its release on their album out March 9. If you’re an aspiring producer or MC, head to triplejunearthed.com and enter before this Sunday. F.I.A.B FReeZA are holding their annual Youth Festival on Sunday April 1, and if you’d like to play onstage then apply by next Monday by calling Ashlea Michau on (03) 9459 9022. The deadline for the newly launched Unsigned Only Music Competition is also closing on Monday, so if you’re an unsigned artist and would fancy winning $5,000 in cash and mentoring by record company executives, check out unsignedonly.com to enter. Keep sending your news to whatson@thepush.com.au!!

All Ages Timetable Wednesday February 29 System Of A Down, Rod Laver Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, 7pm, $84.90, ticketek.com.au or 132 849, AA Devin Townsend w/ Meshuggah, The Forum, Corner Russell & Flinders Streets, Melbourne, 7:30pm – 10:30pm, $54.75, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA

Angels & Airwaves, The Forum, Corner Russell & Flinders Streets, Melbourne, 7:30pm, $63.55, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA Black Veil Brides, The Thornbury Theatre, 859 High St, Thornbury, 8pm, $22 +bf, Thornbury Theatre (03) 94848787, AA New Order, Festival Hall, 300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, 8pm, $89.40, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA

Friday March 2 Soundwave w/ System Of A Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, A Day To Remember + more, Melbourne Showgrounds, 11am, $164.50, soundwavefestival.com, AA Loutitt Live Pool Party w/ Kid’s Table and Miss Rush, location TBC, 7pm – 10pm, $2, Jarrod Zdrzalka 5261 0600, AA

Saturday March 3 Controversy w/ The Mix, Wilson Botanic Park, 668 Princes Hwy, Berwick, 5:30pm, $15, Wilson Botanic Park (03) 97075818, AA Disability Friendly Dance Party w/ DJ, Macleod YMCA, 157 Wungan St, Macleod, 7pm – 9:30pm, $8.50, macleod.ymca. org.au or Eric Naylor on 9459 9022, AA Ryan Adams w/ Jason Isbell, Regent Theatre, Melbourne, 191 Collins St, Melbourne, 8pm, $89.95, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA Steve Lane & the Autocrats, The Palais, 111 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs, 8:30pm, Free, The Palais (03) 5348 4849, AA

Sunday March 4

The Pretty Reckless w/ Heroes For Hire, The Thornbury Theatre, 859 High St, Thornbury, 7:30pm, $32.45, oztix.com. au or 1300 762 545, AA

Back to the Festival w/ Eagle and the Worm, Welcome Wednesday, My Favourite Accident + more, Central Reserve, Glen Waverley, 11am, Free, Brett 9518 3900 or myfs.org.au, AA

Swim Sports Spectacular w/ DJ Alex and DJ Pat, Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool, 49 Turnbull Street, Bairnsdale, 9am – 3:30pm, Free, Chris Taylor (03) 5150 4861, U18

W Factor Final w/ Granston Display + more, Weerama Festival Main Stage, Watton Street, Werribee, 1pm – 5pm, Free, Nunzio Giunta 9742 8155, AA

Thursday March 1

Tuesday March 6

Slipknot, Rod Laver Arena, Olympic Boulevard (Formerly Swan Street), Melbourne, 7pm, $87.10, ticketek.com.au or 132 849, AA

MAN WITH A VAN. Best value movers in Melbourne. Now with trucks!!!! Equip with 1

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

The Rapture w/ Azari & III, The Forum, Corner Russell & Flinders Streets, Melbourne, 7:30pm, $62.45, ticketmaster. com.au or 136 100, AA

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

FRIDAY MAR 2ND

GREAT BRITAIN HOTEL

SATURDAY MAR 3RD

THE WEEKEND PEOPLE + INTO THE WOODS

CHERRYWOOD Wed. Feb. 29th: (Wine, Whiskey, Women)

8pm: Gen Flora 9pm: Nicolette Forte Thurs. Mar. 1st:

8pm: Monthly Open Mic All poets/musicians/storytellers welcome

THU 1ST MAR

TUNES BY DAVE GRAY

FROM 8PM

FRI 3ND MAR

MR SPEAKER (DJ) FROM 9PM

Fri. Mar. 2nd:

SAT 3RD MAR

6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session With Dan Bourke & Friends

KING OF THE NORTH (2 SETS)

Sat. Mar. 3rd:

9pm: Coralea and the Silver Scream Sun. Mar. 4th:

4pm: Pugsley Buzzard 6.30pm: Nick Charles

FROM 9PM

SUN 4TH MAR

SUNDAY MAR 4TH

SARAH CARNEGIE

THE RECHORDS

FROM 7PM

MON 5TH MAR

BOOZER SOUL (DJ’S) FROM 8PM

WEEKLY ASSORTMENTS MonDAYS

Tues. Mar. 6th:

8pm: Weekly Trivia

“All Shows Always Free” The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.myspace.com/drunkenpoets

FREE POOL ALL NIGHT

289 WELLINGTON ST COLLINGWOOD 94195170 WWW.THEGEMBAR.COM.AU

$10 PIZZA & POT

TueSDAYS

MRS SMITH’S TRIVIA $10 PIZZA & POT 9PM

WEDNESDAYS

OPEN MIC NIGHT FROM 9PM

KITCHEN OPEN 6 NIGHTS

447 CHURCH ST RICHMOND 9429 5066 www.greatbritainhotel.com.au

• • • • • WEDNESDAY • • • • •

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LIVE

PHOTOS BY ANNA KANCI

LAURA MARLING Thursday February 2, The Forum PHOTOS BY CHARLES NEWBURY

ROGER WATERS: THE WALL Tuesday February 7, Rod Laver Area So many of rock’s great records are a time capsule of sort – while they remain great records, the world has moved on, and divorced from their social and political context, they seem a bit silly. Now a god-fearing Republican, Alice Cooper was a charlatan. The righteous anger of the Sex Pistols burnt out like a jiffy firelighter. Lennon et al and their entreaty that All You Need Is Love seems hopelessly naive now. Not so the sulky paranoia of Roger Waters’ The Wall, which is perfectly updated for our age. From the second the wizened Waters strides out on stage amidst opening pyrotechnics that make a Kanye West show look like Bon Iver, the tone takes you right back to the dark delusion of Thatcherist England. The grand but impersonal nature of Rod Laver, normally a detriment to touring bands proved a perfect background for this tale of isolation. Waters’ incredible vision and incomparable weirdness in writing this rock-opera seems to make as much – if not more – sense today, using both modern technology and the global mood of fear and paranoia. For over two hours the audience is bombarded with unrelenting special effects – crashing airplanes, quadraphonic sounds, explosions, fascist soldiers, gigantic inflatable puppets based on the classic Gerald

Scarfe imagery, the latest in projection technology, video mapping and a 100 by 10 metre brick wall built across the stage brick by brick during the show. It would be a lie to say that Waters had aged as well as his creation. He can’t hit the high notes that he used to, and at times he stops singing altogether to let his 12-piece band prop him up while he strides across the stage, holding poses and gesticulating in a pantomime, not dissimilar to the giant marionettes that drop from the ceiling periodically. That doesn’t really take away from the show. You go to see The Wall to see a gigantic, bloated, grotesque, amazing, spectacle – a once in a lifetime celebration of excess and introversion. It is all these things and all, and worth every penny. LIAM PIEPER LOVED: The grandeur. HATED: The gentleman in the next seat who yelled out and outraged “No!” every time Waters asked if Mother thinks they’ll drop the bomb. DRANK: One 15 minute line up $10 beer.

Having just turned 22 a day prior, British songstress Laura Marling had certainly pulled an impressive crowd to sell-out the majestic Forum Theatre leading up to her appearance at Laneway. Not bad for the seemingly meek young starlet, who has managed to release three acclaimed records and achieved overwhelming recognition for her craft, all by the tender age of 21. With all of Marling’s praises in mind as one of modern folk’s most prolific songwriters, expectations for her live show were difficult to surpass. Now well accustomed to the live setting, Marling had an undeniable presence on stage. While small in size in comparison to the towering setting of The Forum’s ethereal backdrop, Marling shone as the front-woman to a sprawled out five-piece band consisting of percussion, electric guitar, double bass and cello. Plus, throw in a trumpet and Marling was all set-up for the more ‘jazzy’ numbers, as she cautiously but confidently delved into tracks from her most recent full-length, A Creature I Don’t Know. Leading with her latest single, I Was Just A Card, and following with surprise hit Ghosts just three songs in, Marling’s tracks were effortlessly brought to life thanks to her band, adding a richness and depth to each track as the notes echoed around the venue’s grand surrounds. However, left to her own devices as the band exited the stage for a purely acoustic session of tracks including the stunning Goodbye England and a wowing rendition of Ryan Adam’s, My Winding Wheel, the crowd was dead silent as Marling used only her voice and guitar to tell her renowned tales of wayward love with a kind

of sensibility that made it feel like a privilege to watch. Marling’s musical capabilities were unquestionable and her lyricism nothing short of poetic as she treated fans to a brand new track that had even yet to be titled. And boy was the crowd appreciative; to them Marling could do no wrong. She is literally folk music’s darling, and as her painfully awkward but cute on-stage banter proved, she will be loved despite a lack of grunt or in-your-face attitude demanded by most. The band was back on stage, and a few loved tracks from previous albums, Alas I Cannot Swim, Rambling Man and I Speak Because I Can round out the intimate set to enthused reception from punters, while All My Rage gets fans singing along to close the night without an encore; Marling just thinks they’re silly. Whether you believe the angst or yearning behind Marling’s music or not, she is deﬁnitely a live force to be reckoned with. An undeniable master of her instrument; a musician who can hold a packed out Forum with just herself is pretty damn impressive to me. TEGAN BUTLER LOVED: Marling’s attempts to improve her ‘awkward’ stage presence with equally ‘awkward’ but hilarious banter. HATED: The girl behind me who sang every line – I didn’t come here to listen to you sing! DRANK: Water. Marling’s lyrics are sobering stuﬀ.

TEX PERKINS AND THE BAND OF GOLD Friday February 17, Regal Ballroom

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Tuesday February 2, Palais Theatre

A friend of mine told me recently that she was married 20 years ago in the Regal Ballroom on High Street, Northcote. Back then the establishment was known as Fani’s, and specialised in Greek weddings. The venue survived well beyond the tenure of my friend’s marriage, eventually being re-named the Regal Ballroom and still boasting a good line in lavish wedding receptions. Recently the Regal Ballroom has spread its entertainment wings and started hosting the occasional live music event. The interior set-up is, like the neighbouring Thornbury Theatre, unlike your average inner-urban venue: high ceilings, Mediterranean-style ornaments and a host of round tables at which punters can sit comfortably. The audio engineering is satisfactory, if a long way from perfect; the speakers are all located close to the stage, a set-up better suited to a tedious speech from the proverbial bride’s father than a live show. None of this mattered to Tex Perkins, however, as he slunk on stage to front his Band of Gold. Perkins is the perennial showman, interacting with the audience like a seasoned Hollywood professional. He oozes the brand of natural sexuality that ﬁlm directors are forever searching for. At one point in the evening Perkins refers to lessons in loving, and makes a passing reference to his fellow vocalist Rachel Tidd’s pregnant form as indicating that she requires no such lessons. In the hands of the average stage performer, it would have been between sexist

He’s renown for his songwriting and sibling-rivalry; some believe his arrogance outweighs his artistry, yet, for the Fred Perry-clad legion of fans who cram Melbourne’s Palais Theatre, Noel Gallagher receives nothing but adoration. He takes the stage with four band mates in tow, a rousing jeer from every geezer in the house and it is straight into (It’s Good) To Be Free. Subtle! An electric bombardment follows with Mucky Fingers’ thumping drums and keys lifting the intensity and putting Noel’s vocal to the test immediately. It gives every indication that tonight’s show will span the old and the new; it’s promising. Everybody’s On The Run, Dream On and If I Had A Gun are the ﬁrst High Flying Birds’ numbers to be presented. Crisp, clean and well-received. The latter prompting a wide spread singalong, though the most hearty of anthemic responses were still yet to come. The Good Rebel and The Death of You And Me add more of the new content to the set. It’s easy listening and performed perfectly, but it’s safe. In fact none of it can be considered adventurous as Gallagher rarely shifts thematically from sunshine, storm clouds or soul and often rhymes like a novice children’s author. Structurally the pattern continues: steady drums, a softly-sung intro and a wailing chorus. Just like the Colonel though, Noel has the recipe, and if it sells chicken then I guess why change it? When his acoustic emerges and Whatever presents, he’s

swiftly exonerated. Drumsticks are swapped for handsleigh bells and the keys come to life. Released almost twenty years ago, it’s lost none of its ‘be-free’ sentiment. Supersonic immediately follows and it releases the innerManchurian in all of us. The entire theatre sings of a girl called Elsa, who’s in to Alka Seltzer and it’s magic. The mood is positive; Gallagher is engaging, jovial and cheeky. He’s no prat. The sound and lighting have enhanced the quality of proceedings. The band does what’s required. What A Life, Record Machine and Talk Tonight allow for further insight into the direction of High Flying Birds but they’re no match for the uptempo version of Half The World Away that comes as a ‘right Royle’ surprise. We have little time to come down from the clouds and adjust our iPhone cameras when ‘the’ encore ensues; Little By Little and The Importance of Being Idle, reminders of the vocal capabilities Noel harnesses. Finally, Noel Gallagher’s wax seal on the rock and roll envelope, Don’t Look Back In Anger. Say no more.

that we would enjoy it, but whatever concerns about people not recognizing such material were entirely unwarranted – the resulting mix of heavy-hitting techno-inspired beats and moody, shadowy melodies sending feet into a frenzy. My one criticism of the recontextualisation of his tracks for a live setting is that I suspect he forgets that the power of his music on record has much to do with its simplicity – his music is so appealing because he understands the power of restraint and minimalism, letting the deep basslines of tunes such as set-closer Right Thing To Do bubble ominously beneath the surface of pared-back rhythms and sparse synth melodies, but there were moments during his set where things could have used some paring-back. All in

all, however – an outstanding display of technical precision and artistic vision from one of bass music’s most exciting innovators, and an excellent reminder that this man is one to watch over the next few years.

and manifestly unfunny; in Perkins’ warm embrace, it’s endearing and the crowd laughter is genuine. The set walks through tracks taken from Perkins’ recent album of country rock covers with the Band of Gold: tunes from troubled geniuses such as Townes Van Zandt and Gene Clark are mixed with rugged country stars of the calibre of Kris Kristofferson and George Jones. The Band of Gold (Steve Hadley on bass, Shane Reilly on guitar and Dave Folley on drums) has the added benefit of the services of the very talented Matt Walker; Rachel Tidd’s voice is immaculate and blends hand in glove with Perkins’ charismatic growl. Perkins and his band return to the stage for a rendition of Psycho, the track made famous by the Beasts Of Bourbon almost 30 years ago. A couple more tracks follow, and Perkins leads Tidd off with the aplomb of a southern gentleman. Two weeks earlier Root! had celebrated the Regal Ballroom’s new life with its pisstake on Perkins’ public sexuality, I Wish I Was Tex Perkins. Irony aside, you couldn’t help but feeling it was sentiment shared throughout tonight’s crowd. BOB COWPER LOVED: Hearing Psycho for the first time in eons. HATED: The prohibitively expensive drink prices. DRANK: Enough not to burn a hole in my pocket.

JOHN DONALDSON LOVED: Reminiscing with The Baker. HATED: Hecklers requesting songs, I can’t imagine a Gallagher ever being told what to do. DRANK: Zilch. Was looking for a car park instead.

SBTRKT Thursday February 9, The Prince Bandroom Managing to sell out the Prince Bandroom is no mean feat for a solo producer whose discography barely extends beyond one full-length album, but given the strength and mainstream appeal of SBTRKT’s take on the post-dubstep scene, it was of little surprise. The producer’s self-titled debut was one of the breakout releases of 2011, providing a breath of fresh air Given the limited back catalogue that SBTRKT has under his belt, it was no surprise that his set was a reasonably brief one – but one that was expansive and consistently engaging. Spending most of his time alternating between his drum-kit and the occasional knob-twiddling session behind his trademark mask, his set ran the full gamut of his Beat Magazine Page 86

eponymous debut album with one of the album’s singers Sampha adeptly providing vocal support. Opening with Heatwave, an indescribable feeling of electricity immediately began to build throughout the crowd – the sound of wailing sirens over singer Sampha’s heavily-processed vocals climaxing in a wild breakdown, before segueing into the quieter, but equally as powerful Hold On with its spectacularly-improvised introduction. Sampha’s vocal range is just as stunning in a live setting as it is on record, adeptly supplemented by the live drums that SBTRKT himself spent much of his set hammering on. Mid-set, SBTRKT self-deprecatingly told us that the duo were about to head into non-album territory and hoped

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MIKI MCLAY LOVED: The dude ﬂipping his shit with every new track and singing along the entire gig. Big ups, dude. HATED: Being able to see jackshit. DRANK: Sips of beer stolen from the boyfriend.