Beat Magazine #1312 by Furst Media

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

Beat Magazine Page 3

ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS

STAR OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE AND THE MOVIE “HALF BAKED” WITH DAVE CHAPPELLE

ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS

FROM CHAPPELLE’S SHOW

“JIM BREUER IS AMONG THE BEST”

– HOWARD STERN

“BREUER IS THE REAL DEAL”

– ROSIE O’DONNELL

CAPITOL PALAIS THEATRE THEATRE

PRINCESS THEATRE

20 & 22 APRIL

MON 2 APRIL

19 & 20 APRIL

BOOK AT TICKETMASTER 136 100 TICKETMASTER.COM.AU

BOOK AT TICKETMASTER 1300 660 013 COMEDYFESTIVAL.COM.AU

ABPRESENTS.COM.AU LUCINDAWILLIAMS.COM

ABPRESENTS.COM.AU CHARLIEMURPHYCOMEDY.COM

BOOK AT TICKETMASTER 1300 660 013 COMEDYFESTIVAL.COM.AU

ABPRESENTS.COM.AU JIMBREUER.COM Beat Magazine Page 4

ONE SHOLWY ON

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

Beat Magazine Page 5

Beat Magazine Page 6

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

PRESENTED BY CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT, XIIITOURING, DRUM MEDIA & BEAT MAGAZINE

BLITZEN TRAPPER

WED MAY 9TH THE HI-FI, BRISBANE thehifi.com.au

THU MAY 10TH METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY ticketek.com.au

WED MAY 16TH THE HI FI, MELBOURNE

TUESDAY 3RD APRIL PRINCE BANDROOM, MELBOURNE THURSDAY 5TH APRIL OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY

thehifi.com.au

FRI MAY 18TH CAPITOL, PERTH moshtix.com.au

NEW ALBUM GIVEN TO THE WILD OUT NOW

C H U G G E N T E R T A I N M E N T. C O M XIIITOURING.COM THEMACCABEES.CO.UK

WWW.MOSHTIX.COM.AU

PRESENTED BY CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT, XIII TOURING, TRIPLE J, DRUM MEDIA, BEAT MAGAZINE & TIME OFF

C H U G G E N T E R T A I N M E N T. C O M XIIITOURING.COM BLITZENTRAPPER.COM

NEW ALBUM AMERICAN GOLDWING OUT NOW!

IN YOUR ARMS | AUSTRALIAN TOUR SPECIAL GUEST

0+ 90,000,00 VIEWS ON

OLLIE BROWN

2ND & FINAL SHOW

“THERE IS PERHAPS NO OTHER MUSICIAN ON YOUTUBE QUITE AS POLISHED AS THE QUIRKY SONGBIRD KINA GRANN NNIS IS” – EN ENT NTERTAI RTAINM NMENT NM T WEE EK KLY LY

7+856'$< 0$5&+ Ô 25021' +$// $// $*(6

TICKETMASTER.COM.AU

1(;7 :((. Ê '21Í7 0,66 287 FRONTIERTOURING.COM

KINAGRANNIS.COM

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

STAIRWELLS OUT NOW Beat Magazine Page 7

7KH

140 Sydney Rd

9387 6637

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

NO COVER CHARGE

&RUQLVK $UPV

:('1(6'$< 7+( 67 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

23(1 0,& :,7+ <285 +267 %52',(

5(*,67(5 21 7+( 1,*+7 )520 30 21:$5'6 -8*6 7+856'$< 7+( 1' 2) 0$5&+ )520 30 7,// 0,'1,*+7

3276 2) '5$8*+7 %$6,&6 )520 30 /(9,7$7,1* &+85&+(6 )2575(66 2) 1$5=2' 3521281

)5,'$< 7+( 5' 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

$*21+<01 5(' %(( 6<'

%522=(5 6(:(5&,'(

.LWFKHQ 6SHFLDOV

Mon - $12 Burger and $12 Parma +

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

)ULGD\ 0DU UG AUTUMN GREY

6$785'$< 7+( 7+ 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

;(12*5$)7 81*86 81*86 81*86 16:

9,1&(17 %($5 7+( 0$0027+

681'$< 7+( 7+ 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

)25026$ 0,'1,*+7 &$//(5 )520 30

*5$9(< 7+,57< 21( ),)7<

12%2'< /,.(6 0,/+286( 021'$< 7+( 7+ 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

0,//,21 '2//$5 )5(( -$06 :,7+ <285 +267 67,9( -8*6

78(6'$< 7+( 7+ 2) 0$5&+ )520 30

%5816:,&. ',6&29(5< 1,*+7 *,9,1* &+$1&(6 72 83 $1' &20,1* /2&$/ 7$/(17 7+,6 :((.

)/$&&,' 3$/06

THE WINTER MIGRATION SECONDHAND HEART

6DWXUGD\ 0DU WK DJ GEOFF LEPPARD

6XQGD\ 0DU WK LLOYD SPIEGEL $10 3PM

Monday nights Open Mic Function Room Available Kitchen Open Every Evening

8&%/&4%": 53*7*" /*()5

)5, UG 0DUFK

%$77(5< .,'6 ),)7+ )5,(1' 6&$5$028&+

6$7 WK 0DUFK

/221(( 781(6

6$785'$< 0$5 30 7+

7+(

5( &+25'6 52&.$%,//< 75,2 3/$<,1* +,//%,//<

%/8(*5$66 $1' ($5/< 5+<7+0 t1u %/8(6

)520 7+( t 6 72( 7+( t 6 :,7+ $ '$6+ 2) '22 :23

5)634%": "//"k4 (0 (0 "$"%&.: 1.

'3*%": 5)& 48&&54

"(*-*5:

'3&& &/53: 1.

4"563%": "$*% 8&45&3/

508&34 '3&& &/53: 1.

681 WK 0DUFK

(67(( %,* %$1'

23(1,1* +2856

021 7+856 )520 30 /$7( )5, 681 )520 30 /$7( 12: 23(1 )25 /81&+ 21 )5,'$<

)22' 63(&,$/6

021'$< 3$50$ 78(6'$< $// 3,==$6 :('1(6'$< 67($. 7+856'$< %(() 25 +$//280, %85*(5 681'$< 52$67 $// '$<

681'$< 0$5 30

&+8&. -(1.,16 7+

75,2

21( 2) 7+( *5($7 /<5,&,676 6,5 &+8&. 5(78516 72 7+( 81,21 )25 $ 63(&,$/ 6+2:

6<'1(< 5' %5816:,&.

)$&(%22. &20 7+(3(11<%/$&.

Beat Magazine Page 8

'3&& &/53: 1.

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

46/%": -*/$0-/ ."$,*//0/ '3&& &/53: 1.

.0/%": 45&", /*()5 '3&& 100 56&4%":

7&("/ "/% 7&(&5"3*"/ .&"-4

THE ESPLANADE HOTEL PRESENTS

(0-%&/ &3" 3&$03%4 .*95"1& -"6/$) 1"35: 'SFF (PMEFO &SB .JYUBQF XJUI FWFSZ BEWBODF UJDLFU TPME

FUNKOARS MPXSJEFS WFOUT %&' 8*4) $"45 #3*((4 REASON +MORE! HOSTED BY

PLUS! %+ '-"(3"/5 "644*& )*1 )01 7*%&0 4)08

ANZAC DAY EVE

$23+BF TUE APR 24 TIX ESPY.COM.AU

ESPLANADE HOTEL

P[UJY t UIF FTQZ CPUUMFTIPQ

UIF FTQMBOBEF TU LJMEB FWFOU XXX FTQZ DPN BV A-*,& 64 "5 XXX GBDFCPPL DPN UIFFTQZTULJMEB 50 45": 61 50 %"5& 0/ "-- 063 -"5&45 "//06/$&.&/54

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

Beat Magazine Page 9

IN THIS ISSUE...

HOT TALK

TOURING

THE SHINS

AD NAUSEAM; A NIGHT OF INFIDELITY, WHAT’S ON

ART OF THE CITY

ROCK N ROLL WRESTLING

COMEDY

TAKING BACK SUNDAY, ADAM ANT

BLITZEN TRAPPER

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

FALLOE, ALEKS & THE RAMPS, EILEN JEWELL

ADAM ANT P. 28

MY MORNING JACKET P. 49

MY MORNING JACKET

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS, ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA, SUB ATARI KNIVES

THIS WEEK IN 100%:

FUNKOARS

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

FALLOE P. 48

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA P.50

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

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

CORE/CRUNCH

MUSIC NEWS

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

ALBUMS

GIG GUIDE

LIVE

SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS: Christine Lan, Simone Ubaldi, Patrick Emery, Jesse Shrock. COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgson. CONTRIBUTORS: Tyson Wray, Adam Baidawi, Helen Barradell, Matt Bendall, Cam Binger, Graham Blackley, Chris Bright, Rose Callaghan, Adam Camilleri, Paige Cho, Stefan Chrisp, Nick Clarke, Talitha Conway, Dave Dawson, John Donaldson, Justin Donnelly, Georgia Doyle, Cam Ewart, Paul Fischer, Lawson Fletcher, Jack Franklin, 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 Prescott-Steed, James Ridley, Gav Ross, Leigh Salter, Tim Scott, Denis Semchenko, Side Man, Matt Sutherland, Lin Tan, Steve Tauschke, Brigitte Trobbiani, 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.

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

Beat Magazine Page 11

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

LEADER CHEETAH

TEMPER TRAP Following on from their announcement on the incredible Vivid LIVE lineup, The Temper Trap haven’t forgot about giving their Melbourne fans a sample of their long-awaited new record. One of the biggest international breakthroughs of the past few years, Temper Trap have taken over the world – thanks in part to the massive smash hit that is Sweet Disposition. Currently performing at SXSW, The Temper Trap will tour extensively throughout the US and the UK in the lead up to the Australian tour dates. Already renowned for their incredible live shows, these will be no exception as the boys mark their return home. Temper Trap will hit The Forum on Tuesday May 29 and Wednesday May 30.

ZOLA JESUS Hot on the heels of being announced for Vivid Live, a Melbourne sideshow for Zola Jesus has been conﬁrmed. Performing from their expansive back catalogue of ethereally dark sounds, Nika Rosa Danilova and her band will be making their maiden visit Down Under since the 2009 release of their debut album The Spoils. Zola Jesus plays The Toﬀ In Town on Sunday June 3.

TIN SPARROW

MUTEMATH

SOUNDS LOUD

Sydney quartet Tin Sparrow have started oﬀ 2012 with a bang. Following up from their tour with Matt Corby the band have sold out their ﬁrst Melbourne show on their April EP tour, and have announced a second date in response. Their latest single Azzuro, produced by Liam Judson (Belles Will Ring, Cloud Control), is one full of killer hooks and harmonies and will be available this Friday March 23 via iTunes. The band described working with Judson as “quick and easy,” recording the EP in as little as four days. The Sydney indie-folk quartet are certainly one to watch over the coming months. Catch Tin Sparrow’s second show at the Grace Darling Hotel on Sunday April 22, tickets on sale through moshtix.com.au.

Due to overwhelming demand, electro-alt rock collaboration Mutemath have added a second show to their first ever Australian tour this May. Since 2004, the genre bending New Orleans trio have taken it upon themselves to deliver music that is unequivocally and defiantly their own. On their latest album Odd Soul, Mutemath locked themselves down at vocalist Paul Meany’s home studio in New Orleans without emerging until they believed themselves to be ready to play it for others. Go and find out why Alternative Press calls them “The #1 band you need to see live before you die”. The second show will be held on Tuesday May 15 at The Corner Hotel.

Some of Australia’s hottest rising talents will take to Queens Park this April for the very awesome, very free, and very all-ages Sounds Loud Festival. Some of the big-name acts to take to the stage will be Stoneﬁeld, Bleeding Knees Club, Dream On Dreamer, Hand of Mercy, For our Hero, The Sweet Apes, Amber Lamps and 8 Bit Love. Pretty tidy, eh? Included in the lineup is local band and Moonee Valley Push Start Battle of the Bands heat winners Blood Orange (not to be confused with Dev Hynes’ solo project) and Western Metro Regional Final winners Granston Display. More local acts to be announced soon. Sounds Loud Festival hits Queens Park, Moonee Ponds on Sunday April 15.

Leader Cheetah are gearing up to hit the stage for the last time in 2012 – announcing an intimate full-band shows in Melbourne this May. With Dan Crannitch and Dan Pash fresh from touring as a duo alongside Canada’s Dan Mangan, the Adelaide four-piece are looking forward to one last tour before undertaking work on their third long-player – the follow-up to 2011’s Lotus Skies. The band will be accompanied by a violinist, and performing some songs in exciting new arrangements. Leader Cheetah play the Northcote Social Club on Saturday May 19 with tickets available from northcotesocialclub.com.

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND My Brightest Diamond (Shara Worden) has just announced she will tour Australia this May. Since her last visit in 2010, My Brightest Diamond will play as part of the Vivid Festival as well as a headline appearance at the Northcote Social Club on Monday May 28. As impressive as her list of recent collaborators, Shara Worden’s voice and arresting live performances have left audiences thunderstruck from the Sydney Opera House to Lincoln Center to the House of Blues. Having recently moved to urban Detroit, planted a garden and given birth to a son, Worden’s latest oﬀering, All Things Will Unwind, draws inspiration from the motor city itself. More folk inspired than much of her recent work the new album addresses the juxtaposition of life and death, class and race, pantries and politics—as heard through the mesmerising lullaby of a new mother. A reissue of All Things Will Unwind will be available in lieu with the tour this May.

STEVE KILBEY

LIGHT ASYLUM Putting the cart slightly before the horse, New York duo Light Asylum have announced a Melbourne sideshow for their appearance at Sydney’s Vivid Festival. Throwing a midnight shadow that’s impossible to ignore, Shannon Funchess & Bruno Coviello use industrial electronica, driving ‘80s synthesisers and pitchblack imagery to powerful eﬀect. Having guested with TV On The Radio and Ford & Lopatin, front woman Funchess is undoubtedly the real deal described by The Guardian as a cyborg soul girl in the manner of Grace Jones. Light Asylum hit Phoenix Public House on Friday June 1. Tickets through Moshtix.

Steve Kilbey is a man of many talents, he’s lead singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for band The Church, a producer, a poet, an actor and a painter. Known best for his work with The Church, Kilbey has also released six solo albums, worked with Stephen Cummings, Kev Carmody and the late Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens) and even wrote his own book, Earthed. The man of many talents will be sharing his wisdom at An Afternoon With Steve Kilbey from The Church, at Chapel oﬀ Chapel, on Tuesday March 27, hosted by Robert Chuter. Tickets available from chapeloﬀchapel.com.au.

CNR SPRINGVALE & WELLS RD, CHELSEA HEIGHTS PH 9773 4453 WWW.CHELSEAHEIGHTSHOTEL.COM.AU THU 10TH MAY

STEVENS, BRAITHWAITE & BARKER TIX $37 Beat Magazine Page 12

THE MISSION IN MOTION Fresh oﬀ the success of current single Control and their huge Soundwave appearance The Mission In Motion are prepping the release of their sophmore album, due out in late August. To coincide with the album’s release the band are set to tour the country this May on the All Work No Pay Tour. Joining them will be Melbourne’s Jonesez who have been turning heads since the release of their debut album Betty’s Soup. Catch the two bands as they join forces at The Tote on Saturday June 2, tickets available through Oztix.

SAT 21ST APRIL

SAT 28TH APRIL

CHOCOLATE STARFISH TIX $30

PEZ TIX $27

SAT 2ND JUNE

THU 14TH JUNE

SAT 23RD JUNE

ABSOLUTELY 80’S

WENDY MATTHEWS

CADD & MORRIS

MANNIX/CARNE/RYDER TIX $25

DINNER & SHOW $62 SHOW - $32

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

60 SECONDS WITH…

MEET ME IN COGNITO Florence & The Machine

VIVID LIVE Consistently presenting one of the strongest festival lineups over the past few years, Vivid LIVE have probably pulled out their best yet for their 2012 installment. Hitting the Sydney Opera House and surrounding venues will be Karen O In Stop The Virgens, Florence & The Machine, The Temper Trap, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, Janelle Monae & The Archandroid Orchestra, Amon Tobin Live Beyond 3d ‘Isam’, Efterklang & Sydney Symphony, PVT, Shut Up And Play The Hits, My Brightest Diamond, Seekae, Danny Brown, Med, Ellesquire, Halfway Crooks DJs, Zola Jesus, Light Asylum, Urbanscreen, Forces plus parties from Modular, Future Classic and Goodgod. Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House runs from Friday May 25 until Sunday June 3.

THE GETAWAY PLAN

THE NEARLY BROTHERS

The Getaway Plan have released a new video for the track Move Along from their new album Requiem which was released late last year. The boys have been killing it on their recent shows, with performances at Big Day Out, Pyramid Rock and Breath Of Life. On top of their appearance at the upcoming Groovin’ The Moo show the Getaway plan have now announced three intimate club shows, with the Melbourne date being at the Corner Hotel on Thursday May 3. Tickets are on sale now and available from cornerhotel.com.

Following the demise of The Jackson Code, Mark Snarski decided it was time for change and began working on a project. Joining forces with TB Allen, the two started the process of arranging the material Snarski had been recording, but there was one missing piece to the puzzle and that man was Mick Harvey. Known for working with some of music’s biggest acts (PJ Harvey, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), Snarski eventually got his man, securing Harvey’s services for the 2009 debut album of The Nearly Brothers, You Can’t Hide From Your Yesterdays. Featuring Martin Casey on bass and Mark Dawon on drums, the album oozes a class that could only come from such a great cast of musicians. Fast forward three years, and the first live shows for this stunning collaboration have been confirmed. The band are set to play a stripped back performance on Saturday April 7 at Pure Pop, St Kilda, following up with shows at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday April 8 and a final show at Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh on Friday April 13. You Can’t Hide From Your Yesterdays is out now through Shock Records.

LADY GAGA Can’t stop, won’t stop. Promoters announced this week that following four immediately sold out shows, The Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball has confirmed a fifth show in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday July 3. Tickets for the fifth show go on sale Thursday March 22 at 9am at livenation. com.au. Tickets to all Australian shows are available through ticketek.com.au.

Bugdust

ROCK N' LOAD Prepare to cop a faceful of rock at the inaugural Rock N’ Load festival at The Espy on Saturday May 26. With over 30 acts across the entire venue, it’s gonna be madness in St Kilda! Headline act announced mid-April, but until then, we can announce that the following bands are conﬁrmed to tear up The Espy’s three stages: Bugdust, The Stiﬀys, King Of The North, Ten Thousand, Heaven The Axe, I Am Duckeye, The Charge, Anna Salen, Hailmary (WA), Shadowqueen, The Morrisons, Beggars Orchestra (NSW), Bottle Of Smoke, System Of Venus, Arcane Saints, Apache Medicine Man, The Vendettas, Riot In Toytown, Hotel On Mayfair and many more. Check out rocknloadfestival.com for full lineup and ticketing info.

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We’re called Meet Me In Cognito, sometimes affectionately known as Mince Meat in Burrito. I’m Toto Valentine and I play bass in the band and never sing, not even backup vocals. What do you think people say you sound like? Lots of people say we’ve got a Blink-182 vibe, I guess that’s because our songs usually have a fast tempo with fun pop punk-esque drum beats and fills. Some say we sound a bit like Motion City Soundtrack, and our vocal melodies have a Stealing O’Neal feel, which we think is a pretty big compliment. What do you love about making music? Personally I love the sense of accomplishment we all feel when it all comes together after weeks and months of writing the perfect riff or the perfect melody for a song. Playing it to other people is just a bonus I think, it’s a luxury. What do you hate about the music industry? Autotune abuse and people referring to themselves in songs. Yeah I’m talking to you, Jason Derulo. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? From watching shows like Fringe I’ve concluded that time travel is pretty dangerous. If we believe that time is linear and that going back in time doesn’t change the future because it has already happened (whoa) then I think that going back in time to see Beethoven (before deafness) or Mozart would be awesome. What can a punter expect from your live show? We reckon that if we’re having fun on stage, that energy can be felt in the audience. We love playing our songs so hopefully the punters can join in and enjoy themselves too! Bugdust What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We released our debut EP Baby last year (which is now on iTunes by the way) and in a few weeks we’ll be releasing a split EP with our friends Broadway. It’s going to be awesome and all the money raised from the sales of the split will go to the Nick Foundation, a charity set up to help fight depression in young people. When’s the gig and with who? The gig is on Saturday March 24 at Noise Bar in Brunswick. We’ve played there a few times and it’s always been an amazing night! Our friends Have You Seen This Boy and Onslow are coming along to rock your faces off, and we are lucky enough to have Paper Wolves coming all the way from NSW just to play some new tracks off their EP.

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

Beat Magazine Page 13

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

HOLGATE BREWHOUSE Larua Jean

THE LAST GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH Buried Horses

SHIT BOX RALLY In April 2012, McGregor Rose and Gary Coyle (aka Team You’n McGregor) are participating in a large-scale charity fundraiser for the Cancer Council known as the Shitbox Rally. This is exactly what it sounds like – a car rally, consisting of some 180+ vehicles, all under the value of $1,000 each, racing 3,800km from Melbourne to Cairns over seven days. In terms of motor racing, the tongue is planted ﬁrmly in cheek (the chosen vehicle is a 1969 Kombi van), but the fundraising angle of the rally is entirely serious. On Sunday March 25, The Retreat Hotel and the fellas are putting together a host of local artists, bands and DJs throughout the day, beginning at 3pm and going throughout the night. Acts include Laura Imbruglia, Wild Turkey, Blackchords, Swamplands, Dan Lethbridge & Damon Smith, Ben Salter, Jack On Fire and Buried Horses. $10 entry (donation).

BASS DRUM OF DEATH Bass Drum of Death is a band from Mississippi. John plays guitar and sings and Colin plays the drums. Together they make blown-out, blazing songs and we’re now happy to announce that they will be venturing to Australia for the ﬁrst time ever and playing an exclusive club show at The Liberty Social on Friday April 6 with Drunk Mums and Sures. RSVP at party.vice.com.

ALTITUDE – PUSH START Geelong band Altitude won the Push Start 2011/12 battle of the bands, with the band beating eight other bands across the state to take out the prize. The prize consists of a day of engineering, producing, recording and mixing from Hothouse Studios, as well as band publicity. The band were presented the prize by Minister for Youth Aﬀairs, Ryan Smith, past participants at Push Over include Killing Heidi, Neon Love and The Vasco Era.

Q&A

This Sunday March 25, the Thornbury Theatre will host The Last Greatest Show on Earth. The venue will be transformed into a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas show room and will feature a host of performances from the likes of Larua Jean, Clem Bastow, Harmony and many, many more. It’ll be weird, wacky and most of all fun, with all proceeds being used to buy musical instruments, a jukebox and a music therapist for the John Cade psychiatric unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Tickets available through Polyester Records, Thornbury Records, Basement Discs and via webtickets.com.au. Get involved. Doors open 6.30pm but best to pre-buy as this will probably sell out.

BIG SCARY After selling out their ﬁrst Melbourne show at The Corner, local favourites Big Scary have announced a second show at the same venue. It’s all happening as part of their Vacation national tour, and the genre-blending indie popsters are receiving critical accolades all over the place, so no doubt this will be one hot ticket. Catch one of Australia’s most exciting new bands at The Corner on Tuesday April 24 (sold out) and Wednesday April 25 (tickets on sale now).

Since 1999, Woodend’s Holgate Brewhouse has been producing award winning beers in their trusty old microbrewery tanks. Due to popular demand (and to cater for expanding interstate and Melbourne sales), the family owned brewery has undergone a transformation. They have increased their capacity with eight shiny new unitanks, which are capable of holding 40,000 litres of beer. New hot water and refrigeration services, as well as a new forklift, were also included in the upgrade. The brewery is behind large glass windows so stop by, have a look, and most importantly have a taste.

OSCAR + MARTIN Melbourne boys Oscar + Martin are headlining the launch party for new creative agency Hand Games, with support from City Calm Down, Sydney sider Nakgin and local beat maker Wooshie. Head on down to The Liberty Social on Friday April 20 for all the festivities, tickets available through Moshtix.

60 SECONDS WITH…

EMPRA

MODS MAYDAY For the ﬁrst time ever British rockers The Chords are set to headline Mods Mayday events across the country. With hits like Maybe Tomorrow and the iconic The British Way of Life, the four-piece are set to rock our southern shores this winter. With support from Fremantle’s uber cool Hurricane Fighter Plane, Sydney’s Division 4 and The Mayday Dreamers and Melbourne’s Little Murders and The Messengers as well as special DJs spinning the best in '60s vinyl, it’s set to be one heck of an event. Luwow Bar will hold a meet and greet event on Friday May 11 with tickets available at the door, while Melbourne Mods Mayday 2012 proceedings will kick oﬀ at The Hi-Fi Bar on Saturday May 12, tickets available through The HiFi Bar website.

VITRUVIAN MAN

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? We are EMPRA. I front the band as the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter. I’m currently the band’s manager, I.T nerd, social media and PR guy and help the other guys with booking shows. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? People say we sound like a mash-up of Foo Fighters, Green Day, and Weezer. We’ve also heard references to Led Zeppelin, and Queens of the Stone Age. They’re all compliments to us because we love those bands! What do you love about making music? I love how making music can lift your spirits, supercharge your heart, inspire passion, and introduce you to great people.

Name/Band: Vitruvian Man. Define your genre in five words or less: Progressive hard rock. 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? “Besides being ludicrously handsome, these guys really go for it live! I think I just shit my pants, and I like it!”. How long have you been gigging and writing? Gigging for three years, writing for a whole lot longer. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? Probably DV8. It’s an experience to say the least, and it is the only venue that has let us play every song we have. That was the greatest nine hours of our lives. Which band would you most like to have a battle/ showdown with? Well, instead of a battle, it would be cool to perform Opeth covers, and then Opeth cover our stuff. What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Collective musical experience is the biggest influence. Within the group three of us teach the instrument we play. Which equates to years of study and performance. This makes our writing process an absolute treat because if we ever hit a road block, someone always has a suggestion to overcome it. Beat Magazine Page 14

What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Stay fresh, and keep the life in the music. We watched a documentary a few months ago about the combination of notes and chords used to date, and that these combinations are running out! So in other words, maybe everything has been done or close to it, but we think that as long as there are people around there will be music in some fashion to be listened to. Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? Our debut album The Stranger Within, is available on iTunes, Amazon MP3, JB-Hi Fi and any good outlet. You can order it from our website as well, www.vitruvianmanband.com Why should everyone come and see your band? We like to give it to an audience, and play for as long as our muscles will allow it. Our music deﬁnitely draws people in, so if that sounds like your kind of show, see you soon! When are you playing live/releasing your album/EP/ single/etc? We have an album launch on Friday March 23 at The Pony Bar in Melbourne, supported by Bugdust and The Contortionist’s Handbook. It’s set to be a rocking night.

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

What do you hate about the music industry? I don’t hate the music industry, and I do aspire to be a full time musician. But we need a fairer and more accurate representation of the different genres of Australian music in the media. There are so many amazing bands and artists out there who are not getting the credit they deserve. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? It would definitely be Kurt Cobain. He showed me the power in being simple and sincere, and in screaming your lungs out. He would give great song writing feedback and vocal lessons! If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? The remaining members of INXS. Because they’ve lost all their street cred, and they need some help to salvage the last remaining remnants of it. What can a punter expect from your live show? Expect to get your arse kicked and your spirits lifted by EMPRA’s high energy and intense rock show. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We’ve got a two-track single that’s available at our shows for free if you sign up to our mailing list. When’s the gig and with who? Thursday March 29, at the Espy Front Bar with Bottle of Smoke, Pretty Villain and Overdrive, which will be an awesome night of hard rock.

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

BIG DAY NOT OUT Q&A THE SCARLETS

THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS Outlaws is a spaghetti western rock opera and is Melbourne band The Toot Toot Toots’ debut album. Set in the gold rush town of Gomorrah Fields, Outlaws follows the story of emigré Eli Rayne and the vengeance and bloodshed that shadows his arrival. Spurned on by the like-minded doom-country comrades Graveyard Train and Puta Madre Brothers, The Toot Toot Toots turn the screw several notches further, ﬂeshing out characters as compelling as they are grotesque. Expansive sounds of twanging guitars, mariachi horns and thundering drums provide a sonic backdrop for tales of depravity and sin in an unforgiving land. The voices are parched, visceral and desperate, the hooks are irresistibly sharp and high drama is never far away. This album is a reward for anyone who has witnessed the The Toot Toot Toot’s awe-inspiring live show and a glorious introduction for anyone who hasn’t. On Friday May 4 The Toot Toot Toots will take Outlaws on the road for a huge show at Melbourne’s Hi-Fi Bar.

BALL PARK MUSIC Due to increasing demand Ball Park Music have added a second show to their stellar upcoming 180 Degree Tour. The Corner Hotel will play host to the band with an under 18s show on Sunday April 15, followed up by an over 18s show on Monday April 16. Tickets available through The Corner Hotel website.

AINSLIE WILLS Melbourne-based melodist and pop chanteuse Ainslie Wills is set to release a new single, Fighting Kind on April 10. The single is the ﬁrst from the debut You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine, set for release later this year. Wills is set to launch the ﬁrst single at The Workers Club on Saturday May 12.

SISTER SLEDGE Still need your ‘70s disco kick following Nile Rodgers visit this month? Well, you’re in luck! One of the world’s most successful all-girl disco groups, Sister Sledge, are heading to Melbourne. Expect to hear some of the greatest hits from Studio 54 including We Are Family, He’s The Greatest Dancer, Lost In Music, Got To Love Somebody and more. Sister Sledge play The Hi-Fi on Thursday June 7.

KRISTINA MILTIADOU She’s pop’s newest sensation and she’s making her way to Melbourne. After already selling out a string of East Coast shows, Miltiadou has built a contingency of loyal fans. The vibrant songstress will be launching her new single Carousel at The Northcote Social Club on Wednesday March 28. Tickets available through The Northcote Social Club website.

Tell us a bit about the history of Pub Cricket and The Yarra Pub Cricket Association? No one is entirely sure about the origins of Pub Cricket in Fitzroy (lost in the fog of time and beer), but social games have been part of the community history for decades. During the ‘80s, local pubs such as The Lord Newry, The Old Homestead, The Dan O’Connell and the Marquis of Lorne played each other throughout the summer. Since that time the number of pubs playing cricket has grown to include venues such as the Brandon, Bar Open, a renewed Dan O’Connell, Rose, Standard, Rainbow, Napier, John Curtin, Marquis of Lorne, Tramways, Royal Oak, Pinnacle, Tote, Union, Recreation, Pinnacle, Lord Newry, Labour in Vain, The Derby and the Commercial. Since 2001 we have held an annual Knock-Out Competition – Community Carnival Day in March named The Big Day Not Out (BDNO). This event has been well supported and has become a popular fixture on the Fitzroy social calendar. The first of the ‘Cricket on Tap – Big Day Not Out’ events was born in 2001, aptly named ‘2001 – A Cricketing Oddity’. We haven’t looked back since. Which charity is reaping the benefits of this year’s event? Why? Money raised is donated to the East West Childcare. The BDNO is all about local community and as such the money is donated to a local charity. Last year we also had cans on the bars for people to donate a coin or two to the Victorian Flood Relief. This was not part of the benefits of the day, just something else we could help out with. Are any pub notoriously rough’n’tumble in their playing techniques? There are a lot of pubs that are famous for being a bit of a tumble but this is usual more of a case for the play’s fielding ability (more so after a few drinks), and the inability of trying to run between wickets. Some pubs do also tend to have a bit of inter-pub rivalry as well, with pub v pub trophy matches conducted during the regular season. And which team do you think actually has the best chance to take out the title?

The Union Club, which has played in the last three ﬁnals (for only one win thanks to the Rainbow beating them in the other two) will again be the team to beat. Apart from the Union looks like one of the most open days in years. And the live music? The bands this year are the Aintree Sweet on at Brunswick Oval at 1.30pm. Later in the afternoon is The Miserable Little Bastards from 3.30pm ‘til 8pm or later. On Alfred Crescent, a professional DJ, who by chance understand the greatness of pub cricket and shows his own skills in that area with the Brandon Hotel, will be playing. Where is it happening and when? The games kick oﬀ from 10am, music from 11am, bands from 1.30pm. The festivities are on the Brunswick Street Oval (WT Peterson Community Oval) and at Alfred Crescent (just a minutes’ walk from the main oval). Anything else to add? Come down and support your local. There’s also a jumping castle, face painting, speed of bowling, food, drinks and of course, good/interesting cricket. The BIG DAY NOT OUT takes place at Edinburgh Garden this Sunday March 25.

f r o n t s p a c e 212a Whitehall St

Ya r ra v i l l e

9687 0233 www.kindredstudios.com.au S a t u r d a y $10

3 1 s t

M a r c h

Doors Open 8pm

DEEP CUTS DIRTY TECHNO H A U L

M U S I C

C H R I S T I A N VA N C E CRAIG MCWHINNEY M I K E C A L L A N D E R L O S T F E W + V J J F r i d a y

3 0 t h

(LIVE) (LIVE) (LIVE) U N I O R

M a r c h

OPEN FROM 7PM RIPON AND KINDRED STUDIOS PRESENT

RIPON OPEN STUDIO COME DOWN AND PERFORM! ALL ACTS WELCOME ALL PERFORMACES RECORDED AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE $20 PER CD S u n d a y

1 s t

e r n e s t .

s t u d i o

A p r i l p r e s e n t s

TABLE TENNIS T O U R N A M E N T SIGN UP 1PM - 3PM GAME ON 3PM - 6PM

F U L L $ 5

E n t r y

B A R $ 5

S e c o n d

C h a n c e

S A U S A G E S I Z Z L E A N D T H E ULTIMATE LIVE PING PONG BANDS

P O S T P O N E D Doors Open 7pm V U S U A N D K I N D R E D

S T U D I O S

P R E S E N T

WORLD MUSIC NIGHT B OMBAY 8PM

ROYALE

BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE 9.45PM

www.facebook.com/kindredstudios

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

Beat Magazine Page 15

TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

PROUDLY PRESENTS:

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

INTERNATIONAL 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, Northcote Social Club March 25 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 SIXFTHICK Phoenix Public House March 31 G3 Palais Theatre March 31, April 1 DEAD MEADOW Corner Hotel April 1 LUCINDA WILLIAMS Palais Theatre April 2 PINK MOUNTAINTOPS The Tote 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 LOS CHICOS The Tote April 4, Yah Yah’s April 5, The Old Bar April 6 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 SETH LAKEMAN & CARUS THOMPSON Bennetts Lane April 8, 9 SUBLIME Palace Theatre April 9 ZIGGY MARLEY Corner Hotel April 9 SEASICK STEVE Corner Hotel April 10 CANDI STATON Toﬀ In Town April 10 DAWES Toﬀ In Town April 12 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 THE 5.6.7.8’S The Tote April 24 DIG IT UP! HOODOO GURUS INVITATIONAL The

Palace April 25 MARK LANEGAN BAND Forum Theatre April 26 AN HORSE Corner Hotel April 27 THE SONICS Caravan Music Club 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 ORBITAL Palace Theatre May 4 DEVILDRIVER Billboard The Venue May 6 WAVVES Corner Hotel May 9 FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS The Espy May 10 THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Corner Hotel May 10 dEUS Corner Hotel May 12 PUBLIC ENEMY The Palace March 15 KAISER CHIEFS Palace Theatre May 16 THE MACABEES The Hi-Fi May 16 ***MUTEMATH Corner Hotel May 15, 17 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 18, 19 BRIAN JONESTOWN MASACRE, THE RAVEONETTES The Forum Theatre May 19 FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE Rod Laver Arena May 20 S CLUB 7 The Palace May 23 VIVID LIVE Sydney May 25 - June 3 MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND Northcote Social Club May 28 YOUNG GUNS The Hi-Fi May 30 LIGHT ASYLUM Phoenix Public House June 1 SIMPLE PLAN Festival Hall June 2 ZOLA JESUS The Toﬀ In Town June 3 SISTER SLEDGE The Hi-Fi June 7 MARK KOZELEK The Toﬀ In Town June 9, Phoenix Public House June 11 LADY GAGA Rod Laver Arena June 27, 28, 30, July 1, 3 MELISSA ETHERIDGE The Plenary July 15 RADIOHEAD Rod Laver Arena November 16, 17

NATIONAL XAVIER RUDD The Forum March 21 CANYONS The Toﬀ In Town March 22 KRISTINA MILTIADOU Northcote Social Club March 28 JACK LADDER Grace Darling March 29

THE BLEEDING KNEES CLUB Sounds Loud Festival Queens Park April 15 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 SOUNDS LOUD Queens Park 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, 22 CHET FAKER Toﬀ In Town April 21 POND Northcote Social Club April 22 BIG SCARY The Corner Hotel April 24 STONEFIELD Northcote Social Club April 24, 25 JOHN BUTLER The Hi-Fi April 24, 25 EMMY BRYCE, KATE VIGO Thornbury Theatre April 26 DZ DEATHRAYS The Tote April 27 BLUEJUICE The Hi-Fi April 28 SAN CISCO Corner Hotel May 1, 2 THE GETAWAY PLAN Corner Hotel May 3 GOSSLING Thornbury Theatre May 5

KIMBRA Palais Theatre May 9 CALLING ALL CARS The Hi-Fi May 11 JOSH PYKE The Forum May 11 MICK THOMAS The Regal Ballroom May 11 CATCALL Toﬀ In Town May 12 LEADER CHEETAH Northcote Social Club May 19 BOY & BEAR The Hi-Fi May 20 TUMBLEWEED The Tote May 25, 26 LANIE LANE Corner Hotel May 26, 27 TEMPER TRAP The Forum May 29, 30 THE JEZABELS Festival Hall June 1 THE MISSION IN MOTION The Tote June 2 MATT CORBY The Forum June 6 BONJAH Corner Hotel June 8 360 The Hi-Fi June 15

RUMOURS Counting Crows, Jack White, Everclear, Lana Del Rey, Kate Bush.

WANT TO WORK IN AN INDUSTRY YOU LOVE?

WANT TO FIND THE PERFECT EMPLOYEE FOR YOUR COMPANY?

WELL, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE! We've just launched Beat Jobs - a new music/arts/creative industry jobs section that is strictly for Melbourne, strictly paid work and strictly awesome. We've already got some killer ones up and we'll be populating and keeping it up to date every day. It's your key into your dream job or dream employee. If you want to place a listing or be notified of jobs email tyson@beat.com.au Check out beat.com.au and head to the jobs section to get yourself started. = New Announcements

= Beat Proudly Presents

Beat Magazine Page 16

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

#1 SELLING SOUL, FUNK & ROCK BAND OF ALL TIME

EARTH, WIND & FIRE

LET’S GROOVE • FANTASY • SEPTEMBER • BOOGIE WONDERLAND

WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL PALAIS THEATRE PROUDLY PRESENTED BY:

TICKETMASTER.COM.AU

EARTHWINDANDFIRE.COM • BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU • CHUGGENTERTAINMENT.COM

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

LIME CORDIALE

THURSDAY 5 APRIL • PALACE THEATRE

DON’T MISS OUT - TICKE TS SELLING FAST! • BOOK AT: TICKE TEK .COM. AU bluesfest.com.au chuggentertainment.com CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 17

THE SHINS BY SIMONE UBALDI

When I interviewed him ahead of his forthcoming album release, James Mercer and I barely talked about The Shins. We didn’t discuss the new album and barely touched on the end of their deal with Sub Pop. What we talked about, for the most part, was the gap between Wincing The Night Away (2007) and Port Of Morrow (2012) and James’ personal journey in between one record and the other. Two things happened in the intervening years – Heath Ledger died and Mercer founded Broken Bells with Brian Burton, aka Dangermouse. As Mercer explains it, one thing is inextricably linked to the other. And those things together took him away from his acclaimed indie rock group and eventually back to it. But the story starts a bit earlier, in high school. “I am somebody who is a fucking late bloomer. Like, fucking late,” Mercer laughs, “I was very shy in high school. Then in my 20s, I really locked down with a bunch, with a few very close friends. I held on tight to that small social group, which was my original band Flake and the few people around us that I was able to relate to. In my 30s, I got signed and suddenly I had to do things like this, have interviews like this, and it was terrifying. It’s social anxiety – I don’t know why some people have it and some don’t.” Mercer got used to his crippling fear of interviews, but he never got over it. At first he says he couldn’t feel his fingers but after Oh, Inverted World (2001) was released and he was forced to stare down music journalists in every corner of the globe, the numb terror subsided to an intense discomfort. He figured he was doing fine. Then, in 2008, Heath Ledger overdosed on pain medication and left a sea of bewildered friends to mourn him. Mercer was one of them. “I was asked to go and sing at his memorial service in LA,” he explains. “I went down and they had me sing a Neil Young song. Sitting in the audience and watching these people who were very close to Heath, what was revealed to me was that this person had lived so full-on and really emotionally engaged a lot of people around him. He was very present, and they were very affected by his passing. I realised at that moment that my memorial service, if I was to have one, would not have felt that way because I was so closed off. It was really disturbing. I was upset being there.” “When I started playing in the band and we were signed, I became challenged by new social engagements and that was good for me. I was contemplating these things, you know, but it was Heath’s memorial service and seeing people that were so touched by him and the stories they told about him, you know, that really made me realise I was shut off from life. Some people look at life and they kind of see it as a wonderful, fascinating thing to explore, almost as if they were in a video game or something, ‘This is your avatar, this is the world we’ve created for you, go, explore, and enjoy yourself.’ I Beat Magazine Page 18

realised it was much more than a game to me – way too much. I realised I really needed to figure this thing out and learn to open up.” His revelation was not a trite one. Mercer knew he would have to make changes if he wanted to break out of his habits, and maybe try some new things. When he got home from LA, a friend called and invited him to go to Chile, hike through the wilderness in Patagonia and maybe make some music. He would have said no before Heath died, but he decided to say yes, and that made all the difference.

“SAYING YES TO THINGS AND GOING AND DOING THINGS, YOU JUST GET BETTER AT IT. IT’S UNCOMFORTABLE AT FIRST BUT YOU JUST GET BETTER.” “It was almost like setting a match to a bunch of dry grass where each blade sets light to the next. It was like a prod to me – don’t live your life filled with fear and inside of yourself that you forget to actually experience life, you’ve got to break out of that. I knew that I really desired connection. I wanted to connect with people and you see people around you that do, they do it, they’re comfortable with other people and they have a charismatic way about them, like Heath, and you want that but for whatever reason it doesn’t come naturally to you and you have to practice. Honestly, it’s something that I wish someone had told me in my past. You feel that fear, you feel that push to introvert, but the thing you need to understand is that that is unhealthy. It is unhealthy to close yourself off

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

from other human beings. You are a social creature and that’s in your genetics, and you need to engage and interact with other human beings. Saying yes to things and going and doing things, you just get better at it. It’s uncomfortable at first but you just get better.” When he got back from Chile, Brian Burton asked Mercer to start a band, and he said yes again. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to make another Shins record, and Brian was offering him the opportunity to step outside of that world and see how he would cope. Touring the world with Broken Bells, off the back of their self-titled 2010 album, he found he did just fine. More than that, he realised that the world is filled with kind, talented people that are worth getting to know. He still loved his old friends, but he was no longer terrified of making new ones. “I feel like there was a dependence that I had on the social side of my band mates, you know, and it wasn’t healthy, not on my side. They were fine, but I relied on them too much. Once I realised that I could engage other people in this pursuit, it really was a strong draw. I explained this to them, and they’ve been supportive, which I really appreciate,” he says. The Shins was always a James Mercer project, from the minute he holed up in his bedroom and committed the first demos to four-track tape. He writes the songs, he sets the creative direction. The cast of players that record and tour with him has shifted over the years, so there wasn’t much of a demand to go back to the band and start working again. If Mercer wasn’t interested in making a new Shins record, there was no new Shins record to be made. In the end, Port Of Morrow came about because Mercer had drifted far enough away to feel like The Shins was less of a prison and more of a home – something he could change to reflect a newfound openness and a sense of opportunity he had found in the wider music community. “It’s always been about me trying to realise these songs with the people around me, but now the circle of people around me had grown. I have a lot of people around me now who are friendly and talented and I want to engage all of them as a collective to work on and contribute to The Shins’ music,” he explains. Port of Morrow is still a James Mercer project, but one that was born from a much “happier and healthier” time of his life. He has a wife, two young daughters and a network of friends around the world that he respects and appreciates. He is still undergoing transformation, but it is a transformation that has gained its own momentum. “I’m guessing that me writing all the songs alone is going to change in future,” he says. “With all the people that I know now and the skill level and taste level that a lot of them have, I could see myself writing songs with a lot of these people – including the guys from The Shins. I’m in a more comfortable world now and I don’t want to hold it all to my chest anymore.” THE SHINS’ new album Port Of Morrow is out now through Aural Apothcary/Sony Music.

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

Beat Magazine Page 19

THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is currently taking place at cherished cinemas around Melbourne’s CBD until Sunday March 25. The MQFF aims to support and stimulate queer culture and provide diverse and alternate forms of entertainment for audiences. Features include an array of excellent films and documentaries followed by panel discussions by industry professionals exploring queer issues within the community and film. Keep up to date with playing times and additional information with the MQFF iPhone app or online at mqff.com.au

ON STAGE

Production team Attic Erratic are back with their latest piece – Ad Nauseam: A Night of Infidelity – fresh from a critically-acclaimed run at the 2012 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Written and composed by Tom Pitts (winner of the Victorian Writers Centre award for Best Emerging Playwright), the play is a mesmerising monologue that follows a man’s journey through a night of impulse, as he visits the streets and bars of a hostile city. Ad Nauseam is a fractured celebration of excess, egoism and regret. It’s on at La Mama Courthouse Theatre until Sunday April 1.

ON DISPLAY

ACMI succeeds once again with the Australian exclusive William Kentridge Five Themes exhibition. Over 60 charcoal and stop-motion works of art are included within the exhibition demonstrating the ﬁve key themes within Kentridge’s career including reconciliation, the shared experience and colonial oppression. Five Themes runs daily from Thursday March 8 - Sunday May 27, 10am- 6pm.

BEAT’S PICK OF THE WEEK:

AD NAUSEAM: A NIGHT OF INFIDELITY BY KATE MCCARTEN

A relative newcomer to Melbourne’s theatre scene, Attic Erratic has quickly established itself among Australia’s growing ranks of promising, young independent theatre companies. Their latest show, Ad Nauseam: A Night of Infidelity has just finished an extremely successful season at Adelaide’s Fringe Festival, succeeding in achieving that golden balance of critical acclaim and happy audiences. Tom Pitts, the brain child behind this production, is excited to be back in Melbourne to show his hometown what all the fuss is about. Like all young theatre heads, Tom Pitts headed oﬀ to Monash University with dreams of becoming the greatest actor Australia has ever produced. But like many young theatre heads, he quickly discovered his passion lay more in writing and production than dominating centre stage. “Everyone wants to be an actor originally, then goes in and realises it’s probably not going to happen,” Tom jokes. Pitts is just being modest though, because he is an actor. And a writer, and a composer, a director, a choreographer, a musician. In Ad Nauseam, he also acts as the shows sound engineer. With skills like that, what else can one do but start up a theatre company with fellow theatrical prodigies? So in 2009, that’s exactly what he did. Getting together with best friend and fellow writer Giuliano Ferla, and artistic directors Celeste Cody and Danny Delahunty, Attic Erratic was born. The company was established with a clear goal of creating fresh, original work. “I mean it’s grown over the years,” Pitts reﬂects, “as we worked out what we wanted to do, and what we were capable of doing. But it really focuses on developing new work, and there’s obviously a heavy text aspect there.” That heavy text aspect is apparent in works like Ad Nauseam and Christina (a previous show which has recently been nominated for a Green Room Award) which

FREE SHIT Join the Bluth family and grab a frozen banana with industry critics and professionals as ACMI welcomes never nudes, the Bluths, and family corruption and dysfunction to its latest Live in the Studio event. Come get a stew on and celebrate the success of Arrested Development just in time for the television show’s ﬁrst feature ﬁlm. The event is coming up at ACMI on Thursday March 29.

Beat Magazine Page 20

RED STATE Released in cinemas last year, Red State focuses on a group of teens who receive an online invitation for sex, yet soon confront fundamentalists with a much more disturbing agenda. The ﬁlm is directed by Kevin Smith, famous for his comedies such as Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma, and whose exploration in the horror genre is a testament to his ﬁlmmaking talent.

were both written as monologues. However Pitts has been a musician for a lot longer than he’s been a writer, and he soon developed an interest in music in theatre. Not musical theatre, he wants to make that clear, but the music in theatre. He’s particularly intrigued with the idea that music has the ability to tell the audience how they should be feeling based on pacing and instrument variation. Pitts explains, “[With music in performance] a lot of people feel that their reactions to the performance are governed by the music. They might want to see it a certain way, but they’ve got this cadence going forwards and back, so they can’t relate to it how they would perhaps want to. But I guess that’s the point, trying to create an atmosphere, and make an audience feel a certain way with the sound.” Of course, there’s more to Ad Nauseam than just the music. For example, the script. Ad Nauseam has been a work in progress for as long as Attic Erratic has existed. In the ﬁnal year of his studies, Tom decided to put his writing talent together with his interest in music; developing the text and accompanying music of Ad Nauseam for his honours project. A somewhat true account of a typical alcohol-fuelled night out in Melbourne – a night lacking in inhibitions and ﬁdelity – the script was originally written as a 30-minute monologue excerpt. Over the years, Ad

THE RAID With a tagline of “20 elite cops. 1 ruthless crime lord. 30 ﬂoors of mayhem”, The Raid has to be awesome. Set in the heart of Jakarta’s slums, an elite S.W.A.T. team are assigned the mission of penetrating the safe house of one of the world’s most dangerous criminals. However, shit turns cray cray when the crime lord in the buildings hears of their presence, leaving the team stranded to ﬁght their way out…The Raid opens this Thursday March 22, and we have a couple of double passes to give away.

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

Nauseam has slowly developed and grown into what it is today. In fact, Pitts says, the show still changes slightly from night to night. Ad Nauseum is set in an environment that every person over 16 (and that’s being generous) is familiar with: an inebriated night out “on the prowl” as it were, with a few friends who will invariably lead you astray in every possible way. As our protagonist – brought to life by up-and-coming actor Nick Bendall – soon finds out, when you’re in a committed relationship, that misbehaviour too commonly ends in infidelity. Tom thinks the story of Ad Nauseam may be uncomfortably relatable to a lot of people. ”I think that everyone’s familiar with it. I guess the piece sort of tries to pose the argument that while at times he’s an arrogant prick, [the protagonist is] just really like anybody else. He says that to the audience, ‘this could happen to anyone because you are like me.’” Pitts acknowledges that the storyline is a simple one, but the way the character is written and so endearingly portrayed is one of the shows biggest successes. “I mean the storyline is a guy that goes out and cheats on his girlfriend and regrets it. There’s not much to it. But I think people enjoy it because [the character is] so scathing. He’s a bit of a smart ass, he’s arrogant, and he offends a whole lot of minority groups and doesn’t give a shit because he’s too cool. And I think people like that, they can relate to that.” Ad Nauseam attempts to appeal to the darkest aspects of our personalities, and with the successes the show has had to date, those attempts appear to be working. Solely writing the show’s entire script and accompanying music in itself speaks volume about Pitts’ talent and drive. And in a rapidly growing theatre scene that seems to be sprouting new talents and new independent companies every day, Pitts and Attic Erratic are undoubtedly set to be one of the big success stories. Watch this space. Ad Nauseam: A Night of Infidelity is showing from March 21 until April 1 at La Mama Courthouse Theatre. Visit atticerratic.com for more information.

AD NAUSEAM Ad Nauseam: A Night of Infidelity is a deeply mesmerising monologue following one man’s journey through the streets and bars of a hostile city and into the dark recesses of his desire. Written/composed by Tom Pitts, the play is produced by critically-acclaimed production company Attic Erratic, and was recently praised for its run at the 2012 Adelaide Fringe Festival. We have a few double passes to give away for their shows, running from March 21-April 1 at La Mama Courthouse Theatre in Carlton. It’s all up for grabs at beat.com.au/freeshit

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

Beat Magazine Page 21

With Tyson Wray. Got news, gossip, reviews, thoughts, tip-offs, complaints, hate mail? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by ESP before Friday. way. A definite treat for the eyes, become transfixed in Kawita’s work by heading to Seventh Gallery from Wednesday March 28 - Saturday April 14.

STOCKROOM

RITES OF PASSAGE FESTIVAL Rites of Passage Tattoo Convention and Arts Festival is a three day event, held from Friday April 27 to Sunday April 29, at the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens. The festival aims to take you on a journey to lands forgotten and cultures undiscovered to re-explore the real reason people get tattooed in both the modern and ancient world. Appearing at the festival will be over 200 tattoo artists from around the world, including Shige, Jeﬀ Gogue, Nick Baxter, and Victor Portugal plus a bevvy of local Australian artists. You can also catch the Australian Tattoo Industry Awards, seminars, a tattoo history museum, tattoo competitions, roving circus performers, fashion shows, burlesque, face of Tiki Town 2012, Dr Lars Krutak’s Vanishing World Photographic Exhibition, Dr Sketchy Anti Art School, cultural performances from Polynesia, Australian Indigenous performers, Bunjil art exhibition, plus many more to be announced. Tickets start at $22 and are available through the website ritesofpassagefestival.com

AUSTRALIAN SURF MOVIE FESTIVAL Have you ever thought how and where monsters are made and where they end up? Have you ever seen surfers in the barrel or the tube and wonder how it looks from the inside looking out? These questions and more can be answered for you. All you need to do is attend the upcoming Australian Surf Movie Festival, Tim Bonython’s Immersion Tour. Think stories and footage of mindblowing waves, the biggest swells and the world’s best surfers all on the big screen in 2012. Tim Bonython will bring his twopart live theatrical show, Immersion, looking at all aspects of surﬁng plus more, to The Espy, Rosebud Cinema and ACMI from Thursday May 3 – Saturday May 5. For more details, head to asmf.net.au.

KAWITA VATANAJYANKUR Kawita Vatanajyankur is just a whole bundle of talent. The Melbourne-based video artist is getting ready to present his new show, Body And Elements – a series of video and performance work focused on the relationship between the female body, fabrics and household objects within darken, unknown spaces and environments. Under uncomfortable circumstances, the body is pressured to merge, transform and eventually become a part of the objects and environments reﬂecting violence, endurance, gender and communication in a cultural

They have a distinct focus for presenting art that matches skillful material construction with intellectual weight, and next is no exception to this. The next ensemble of artists that will be taking over the Stockroom Gallery space for April include the likes of Martin Hodge, Bryan Spier and Rhett D’Costa, amongst others. But the highlight of the exhibition? Well, that could quite possibly go to Stockroom’s founder and established Australian sculptor, Jason Waterhouse. Packing a visual punch, head to Stockroom Gallery during April. You won’t be disappointed.

NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL Across 38 projects, nine days and many unusual Melbourne locations, Next Wave Festival challenges emerging artists to create ambitious, fun and essential art – and prompts audiences to reconsider their understandings of what contemporary art can be. This year, the festival invites audiences to take part in whole day journeys into the next culture of new ideas. As Artistic Director of New Wave, Emily Sexton, states, “This is an invitation to relish art made from cherished pleasures – breakfasts, dinners, parties, weddings...Here is bleeding edge contemporary art and bold attempts at searing, soaring exchange.” With numerous activities for all, this is one festival that you probably shouldn’t miss. 2012’s Next Wave Festival will be held from Saturday May 19 - Sunday May 27.

VCA STREET PARTY Ain’t no party like a college party...or something like that. Moving right along, the VCA is getting ready to celebrate 40 years of nurturing Australia’s creative talent. And what better way than to have a street party! The event will feature dynamic live performances from bands including Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes, Saskwatch, ScotDrakula and DJ Manchild. And with a whole bunch of other street party fun, you better get your bums down to Southbank from 4pm on Friday March 23. Oh yeah, and it’s free.

NAPOLEAN: REVOLUTION TO EMPIRE To some, the name might ring a few bells. To others, he might just be some short French dude. But to many, Napoleon Bonaparte was the man who emerged from the chaos of the French Revolution to become one of the world’s most powerful and visionary rulers. Not only did he change the politics of Europe forever, but he also had a profound inﬂuence on taste and style. And now, all of that is going to be celebrated as the NGV presents Napoleon: Revolution To Empire, bringing to life the true legend underneath that hat. Featuring almost 300 varying works, head to NGV from Saturday June 2 - Sunday October 7 to get your history ﬁx. For more details, head to ngv.vic.gov.au.

PLATFORM SEVEN OKAY

HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS & FILM FESTIVAL Now in its fifth year, the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival is designed to celebrate awareness, participation and inspiration. Spanning over 11 days, HRAFF will showcase a selection of contemporary cinema, fine art and music at a variety of city and surrounding locations. Amongst many of the features at the festival, feature-length doco Buffalo Girls will be shows. The documentary tells the story of two Thai girls embroiled in the world of child boxing. Also featuring in the 19-film program will be Jon Shenk’s The Island President about President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, amongst many others. But this is just a taste of what’s to come. HRAFF’s full program will be announced on Monday April 16. In the meantime, head to hraff.org.au for more information. HRAFF will be held from Tuesday May 15 - Sunday May 27.

INDEPENDENT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL Consider yourself a bit of a photographer? Just love a good photo? Well, this might deﬁnitely be up your alley. The Independent Photography Festival 2012 is the inaugural celebration of independent photography, its application and practice. An initiative of Hard Workers Club, IPF 2012 will be comprised of a series of exhibition openings featuring Australian photographers, a two-day book and zine fair, and an internationally open photo prize, utilising the best of what Melbourne has to oﬀer as host for these events. Head along and look at things prettier than Facebook photos as the IPF makes its way to numerous locations throughout Melbourne from Monday April 2 - Sunday April 8. For more information, head to independentphotographyfestival.com

SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH He’s the man with quite possibly the greatest voice in existence, and now the legend that is Sir David Attenborough is bringing that beautiful voice of his and more Down Under for a series of public events, Sir David Attenborough – A Life Of Earth. Arguably the world’s best-known natural history ﬁlmmaker, as well as the most unlikely sex symbol (or does that still remain to be George Calombaris?), Sir David will take audiences on an incredible journey through his extraordinary life, his untold stories, the evolution of ﬁlming techniques and his passion for bringing us closer to nature. See and hear David Attenborough as he bestows his natural wisdom upon us all at the Regent Theatre on Friday August 17 and Saturday August 18.

GAME MASTERS Calling all video gaming nerds! This one’s right up your alley. Our pals at ACMI are preparing to present Game Masters, a highly interactive videogame exhibition, as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces. The exhibition will showcase the work of leading local and international videogame designers with over 125 playable games from the arcade era through to the latest console and mobile game technology. But like anything worth checking out, the exhibition has a bunch of incredible information about some of the most proliﬁc gaming designers from both of Australia and overseas. Get your mass nerd on and head to ACMI for the Game Masters exhibition from Thursday June 28. Head to acmi.net.au for more details.

BEST OF THE INDEPENDENT GAMES FESTIVAL 2012 This one is truly for those that consider themselves “gaming nerds.” Hot on the heels of the 2011 exhibition, ACMI is getting ready to present a fresh batch of the world’s ﬁnest independent games in Best of the Independent Games Festival 2012. The sixth installment of this ACMI-curated exhibition presents an inventive selection of award-winning games from San Francisco’s 2012 Independent Games Festival, which recognises the best in game development across categories including design, technical excellence, audio, visual art and innovation. Best Of The Independent Games Festival 2012 will be exhibited at ACMI’s Gallery 2 from Tuesday March 27 - Sunday July 8. For more information, head to acmi. net.au.

MARC PASCAL Interested in the arts, design, music, ﬁlm, writing, marketing, media and so forth? Well, listen up. The Vault is a monthly salon for all of you creatively inclined folk to witness, share and discuss all things creative. Held at Loop Bar, The Vault will present internationally-acclaimed industrial designer, Marc Pascal, as this month’s special guest. Talking of his background and design methods, his inspiration, and displaying a selection of his works, you’d be a creative outcast to miss out on this. Marc Pascal heads to Loop Bar’s The Vault on Monday March 26, 6pm. Best of all, entry is free.

LONG PLAY: SING YOUR SONG It’s one of those success stories that you love to hear. As part of their Long Play program, ACMI will present Sing Your Song – a documentary tracing Harry Belafonte’s rise from humbling beginnings in Harlem to his success as a political activist, and Emmy, Grammy and Tony award-winning performer. Spurred by his mother’s advice to “never awaken where there isn’t something in your agenda to help set the course for undermining injustice,” Belafonte stood tall against racism alongside Dr Martin Luther King. Be inspired as The Long Play season of Sing Your Song screens at ACMI from Saturday April 14 - Sunday April 29. Visit acmi.net.au for more information.

Being a PSO stands for a lot. It gives you a special standing in your community. As a Protective Services Ofﬁcer, you help keep our train stations safe. And in helping others, you might even discover something more satisfying than a 9 to 5 job for yourself. Apply to become a PSO today. P.S. Your community needs you.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES OFFICERS Help keep our train stations safe. Become a PSO. Visit policecareer.vic.gov.au or SMS “proud” to 132 001. POL0096

Beat Magazine Page 22

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

2012 METROPOLIS NEW MUSIC F E S T I VA L &

PRESENTED BY

FROM THE STARK BEAUTY OF THE ALASKAN WILDERNESS TO THE PULSATING ENERGY OF NEW YORK CITY, JOIN US FOR AN EXHILARATING MUSICAL ROAD-TRIP ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

FEATURING:

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Grammy Award-winning sextet eighth blackbird (USA) One of America’s greatest living composers, and pioneer of minimalist music, Steve Reich Exceptional local talent including Syzygy Ensemble and Circuit Duo

SINGLE TICKETS TO MUSIC BY STEVE REICH ON SALE 24 MARCH

27 APRIL – 5 MAY Festival Creative by ALPHA60

ENERGETIC CONCERTS | INTIMATE SALON EVENTS

| PARTIES

| AUSTRALIAN PREMIERES

FESTIVAL PASSES FROM $129, SINGLE TICKETS FROM $35 Transaction fees may apply to ticket bookings

BOOK NOW AT MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU, MSO.COM.AU OR CALL 03 9699 3333 Melbourne Recital Centre

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Principal Partner

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

Beat Magazine Page 23

ROCK N ROLL WRESTLING BY KELLY THEOBALD

In a huge, darkened room, two nearly-naked men are illuminated by bright stage lights. They’re eyeing each other off and tensing their muscles as they wait for a third man, the adjudicator, to give them the all-clear. Then, they’ll lunge at each other, scraping at each other’s necks and pulling at limbs to throw the other off balance. The crowd will cheer while they snarl. This is the world of WWE wrestling where fighters like the Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior influenced impressionable kids. Carlo ‘Cash Money’ Cannon and ‘King’ Huss were impressed so much that wrestling is exactly what they did. When the entertaining Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling comes to the House of Rock next week, these two will be facing off against some tough opponents. ‘King’ Huss will be taking on Krackerjak but isn’t intimidated. “Everyone, including that peasant Krackerjak, must bow down to King Huss,” he says. “Kracker is nothing more than a little piece of trash redneck hick, who I will crush and humiliate – just like any other opponent who stands in my way.” Huss is glad that Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling is returning to the House of Rock. He says it’s great for Melbourne wrestling because there’ll be a new crowd to impress with his skills. Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling originated in the early-‘90s, at St Kilda’s Prince of Wales Hotel as the brain child of Mr Damage, a prominent second-generation wrestler. Back then, ring-side was the place to be on Saturday night in Melbourne because shit got wild. Wrestlers like Bully the Brawler, George ‘the Hitman’ Julio, Mr Damage and The Ox mauled each other until blood was spilled and the winner became legendary. Later, it was the Greyhound Hotel that hosted the brawls. Veteran wrestler Mike Burr puts it best when explaining Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling. He’s been fighting for 12 years, both in Australia and Japan, so he ought to know what he’s talking about. “It brings the two best things in life together,” he says. “Music and fighting.” However, it’s been six years since a Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling match was held in Melbourne. The House of Rock put its hand up to host the event and wrestlers and spectators alike are chomping at the bit to reignite the fire that burned in those early matches. Wrestlers who were up-and-coming in 2007 have matured, refined their technique and have a reason to fight. Carlo ‘the Cash Money’ Cannon has been wrestling for seven years. “When I was five, I was bullied,” he says. “When I saw [WWE wrestler] Big Boss Man handcuffing Hulk Hogan to the ropes, I knew I could handle my bullies. I was drawn to those that knew how to handle their business swiftly and brutally.” Someone who definitely handles their business brutally is Cannon’s opponent, Krackerjak. He’s been wrestling for 12 years, aims to be “as violent as possible” when fighting and has toured the US, Japan and the UK. He says he’s wrestled everyone in Australia, but learns a lot from each opponent, whether good or bad. For someone who’s been set on fire, dragged through thumbtacks and wrapped in barbed wire, he’s still pretty keen on the whole wrestling thing. “I can’t imagine a better job than getting paid to kick people in the balls, gauge their eyes and set them on fire,” he says. “It’s so great to endorse a show that’s aimed at an 18-plus crowd because we can be as spectacularly violent as possible!” Dowie Jones seems similarly dangerous. Although he hasn’t been wrestling as long as Kracker, only nine years in fact, he’s recently refocused his approach to wrestling. “It’s incredible timing that Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling is relaunching now,” he says. “I have refocused my attitude and training so they have no idea what they are in for!” It’s not only the boys that are getting fired up about wrestling’s return to the forefront of Melbourne’s nightlife. The Rockettes, KC Cassidy and Nakita Naridan, are just as fit, just as dangerous and just as brutal as the blokes. Naridan has been wrestling for four years and trained with numerous Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling greats. She says that her style of wrestling is unusual for a woman. But, as she’s the reigning NAW Women’s champion, it’s obviously working for her. “I’m thrilled to be part of a women’s match that will help make history,” she says of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling reinvention. “KC – be warned. I’m going to smash your pretty little face into oblivion.” Opponent KC Cassidy is doubtful. She may have only been wrestling for two years but with a mother who was really into the Australian wrestling scene as well as the advantage of being a new competitor, she reckons she’s in it to win it. “I think she might be underestimating me,” she says of Naridan. “I’m a fresh, new face on the scene so she hasn’t had a chance to fully take in the technical skill I bring to the ring. She might tap out or I might take her down from the top rope. Either way, I will win.” With so many competitive participants who will do anything they can to win, Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling is bound to be brutal, chaotic and probably even bloody. As Krackerjak says, “anything can happen”. Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling is on at the House of Rock at the Palace Theatre on Saturday March 31.

Beat Magazine Page 24

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

Strong violence, sexual references and frequent coarse language

AVAILABLE ON DVD & BLURAY FROM MARCH 22 | WWW.CURIOUSDISTRIBUTION.COM

“A breathtaking portrait of a great artist, a chef unique in the world."

ANTHONY BOURDAIN

OPENS MARCH 22 EXCLUSIVE TO CINEMA NOVA CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 25

FELIX BAR COMEDY

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE COMEDY Tonight, Charlie celebrates the impending Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his best line-up yet! Hannah Gadsby, Elbowskin, Daniel Connell, The Nelson Twins, Jack Druce and more! All for just $5. Don’t miss this. Come ﬁll yourself with cheap drinks at the city’s premier above-ground underground comedy room and put your continence to the ultimate test from 7.30pm at Eurotrash Bar - 18 Corrs Lane, Melbourne. Get down early for a seat.

MANTHROPOLOGY Being a man is tough. Everybody expects you to comfortably touch spiders, exclusively take out bins, and not cry as you dress up in your sister’s clothes when nobody is home. Local comedian, the very talented Mr Simon Taylor, learned a lot about being a man from Indiana Jones: all you really have to do is risk your life for trivial objects, put attractive women in dangerous situations to make them fall in love with you and most importantly – whip things. He’s started a podcast where he questions his views on manhood, and brings others in to propound their own understanding on the concept of what it means to be a good dude in today’s world. Check out Manthropology on Facebook and iTunes.

DEATHSTAR COMEDY Deathstar Comedy is back this Wednesday with another great line up with MC Jimmy James Eaton! Featuring Paul Burke, Simon Taylor, Jenni Townsend, Hammertime and Biggish Al, Beau Stegmann, Tom Ward, John Potter, Antt, Sonia Di Iorio and Ben Lomas. Starts at 8.30pm, $5 entry down stairs at CR Dirty Secrets, Collingwood.

SOFTBELLY COMEDY THURSDAYS Another huge Thursday night at Softbelly Comedy coming up with heaps of comics dropping in to warm up for the upcoming Melbourne Comedy Festival! Big names will be mixing with the best of the up-andcomers in another big show! It’s going to be another awesome night at Softbelly, 367 Little Bourke Street, in the city, this Thursday March 22 at 8.30pm, all for only $12! Get in early for a good seat!

SOFTBELLY COMEDY SUNDAYS It’s our last Softbelly Sunday this week, and so your last chance to see Adam Hills come down to a tiny venue and muck around, testing out stuﬀ for his show on the ABC, “In Gordon Street Tonight”! And being so close to festival, we’re pulling out all the stops, with heaps of secret, special guests popping in! 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 25, at 6.30pm. It’s only $12!

FREE SHIT

Brilliant comedy from a brilliant team. We have a few double passes to give away.

BONESHAKER

FORMER CHILD STAR

Having been awarded one of the three Moosehead Awards, Boneshaker is the latest sketch comedy show from comedy team This Is Siberian Husky. From the playfully warped minds of comic duo Dan Allemann and Simon Godfrey, Boneshaker leaves the world of linear narrative behind, as it leads you through an unsettling labyrinth of the absurd, the tragic and the twisted.

Recently awarded the Moosehead Award, set up in memory of Brian McCarthy – a Melbourne comedian and promoter who was killed in a car accident at the age of 23 – Former Child Star joins a long list of previous Moosehead Award recipients including Australian comedians such as Judith Lucy, Lano & Woodley, Dave O’Neil, Alan Brough and Corinne Grant. Starring comedians Alison Bice and

Fiona O’Loughlin is our amazing headliner, with another big Felix Bar Comedy coming up this Wednesday! Plus the best of Melbourne coming down to ﬁne-tune material coming up to the Melbourne Comedy Festival in a few weeks including Lawrence Mooney, Anyone for Tennis?, Ryan Coﬀey and more! You really never know what big names will drop in to try out some new.. Felix Bar is the place to be on a Wednesday night in St Kilda! It’s all happening Wednesday, March 21 at 8.30pm for only $12, at 11 Fitzroy St, St Kilda.

COMMEDIA DELL PARTE Come down to Commedia Dell Parte this week as we continue the rocking fun times. Our headliners this week are the incredibly talented Anyone for Tennis? Putting the ﬁnishing touches on their Comedy Festival shows will be Steele Saunders, Khaled Khalafalla, Sean Ryan, Paul Culliver, Hammertime, Max Attwood and Nat Britten with your special guest MC Ben Buckley. Get in early to secure yourself a comfy couch and go into the draw for some great prizes from Punchline. 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 from 8.30pm at the George Lane Bar.

COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays have been amazing at Comedy At Spleen.. huge crowds, big guests.. And in the last one before Comedy Festival starts, there’s certain to be big local and international names dropping in! And apart from that, we’ve always got the best in up-and-coming local Melbourne comedy! This week we have Karl Chandler hosting, plus Danny McGinlay, Anyone For Tennis?, Pete Sharkey, Laura Davis and more! 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 early to guarantee a seat. It’s this Monday, March 26, 41 Bourke St, in the city, at 8.30pm. Jason Marion, Former Child Star centres on character Connie Cruise – who ﬁfteen years ago was well-loved for her role in the nation’s favourite sitcom, Where’s Dad? After it came to an abrupt end, as did the career of the show’s youngest star, the show explores the question: what happened to Connie Cruise? With Barry Award winner Jason Marion behind the show, expect glorious things. We have a couple of double passes to give away for the MICF show. Get yourself to beat.com.au/freeshit to win.

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.

ON THE STREETS – WEDNESDAY MARCH 28 2012 BOOKING DEADLINE – TUESDAY MARCH 13 2012 Packages include free artwork design, editorials, show listings, images, interviews, reviews, giveaways and heavily discounted advertising rates.

HEAPS OF FREE PROMOS

DIRT CHEAP ADS

• As an advertiser in Beat’s MICF liftout, all of your info will appear both in print & online at the same cost. • These discounted rates apply for any MICF bookings into Beat leading up to, during or after the liftout appearance date. • As spots are limited and it’s a 1st booked best placed booking system, it’s advised to get in quick and you’re LOLing. For more info or to book your discounted package please email

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

Beat Magazine Page 26

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

COMEDY CALENDAR Email tyson@beat.com.au to join this list!

WEDNESDAY Checkpoint Charlie Comedy, Eurotrash, CBD Felix Bar Comedy, Felix Bar, St Kilda The Comedy Gallery, Customs House Hotel, Williamstown Coopers Comedy Open Mic, Station 59, Richmond Death Star Canteen, Caz Reitop’s Dirty Secrets, Collingwood Rocket Clock (Second Wednesday of every month), Bella Union Bar, Carlton South

THURSDAY The Big Hoo Haa (Improvised Comedy), Portland Hotel, CBD Softbelly Comedy, Softbelly Bar & Lounge, CBD Laugh Upstairs Live Comedy, Exford Hotel, CBD The Showcase, The Monastery, Richmond Willow Tales (Last Thursday of every month), Willow Bar, Northcote

FRIDAY Last Laugh at The Comedy Club, Athenaeum Theatre, CBD

SATURDAY Last Laugh at The Comedy Club, Athenaeum Theatre, CBD

SUNDAY Political Asylum (Second Sunday of every month), The Brunswick Green, Brunswick Softbelly Comedy, Softbelly Bar & Lounge, CBD Sublime Sunday Comedy, ONtop Bar, Ormond

MONDAY Comedy At Spleen, Spleen Bar, CBD Local Laughs, The Local Taphouse, St Kilda East The Shelf (currently in hibernation), Toff in Town, CBD

TUESDAY Comed-oke (Open Mic), Melbourne International Backpackers, CBD Underground Comedy (First Tuesday of every month), Sotto e Sopra, CBD The Dan Open Mic Night, The Dan O’Connell Hotel, Carlton The Last Tuesday Society (Last Tuesday of Every Month), Various Locations

MARY

TOBIN

PRESENTS

STEPHEN

K AMOS R E T H G U A LIS MY

AGENDA

★★★★★ JIMMY JOHN FOTHERGILL McGHIE ★★★★★

★★★★★

JOE ROWNTREE

29 MAR - 22 APR

★★★★★

TUES,, WED & THURS 7PM HI FI BAR FRI & SAT 7.45PM SUN 7PM CAPITOL THEATRE SWANSTON ST ((OPP MELB TOWN HALL))

29 MAR–22 APR TUES-SAT 7PM, SUN 6PM

ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE, THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT

MELBOURNE TOWN HALL 29 MAR – 22 APR (DATES & TIMES VARY - CHECK PROGRAM) FRANKSTON ARTS CENTRE THUR 12 APR 8PM TEL: 03 9784 1060 WWW.THEFAC.COM.AU

BOOKINGS 1300 660 013 COMEDYFESTIVAL COMEDYFESTIVAL.COM.AU COM AU www.marytobinpresents.com.au

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

Beat Magazine Page 27

TAKING BACK SUNDAY BY KIM CROXFORD

Taking Back Sunday have witnessed a revolving door of band members since their debut Tell All Your Friends, and after doing a full circle and returning to their roots – reinstating the band’s original lineup from that time – vocalist Adam Lazzara admits that this is likely to be the last chance the seminal emo/alt rockers have to make their lineup stick. But with a brand new album and attitude that reflect a group of experienced, assured and innovative musicians, it looks like they now have the ingredients to do just that. “At this point now, [because] we’re back with the original members, I don’t think I could see us continuing on as Taking Back Sunday if anyone left,” confesses Lazzara. Guitarist and backing vocalist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday following their first release and became strangers to long standing original members Lazzara, guitarist Eddie Reyes and drummer Matt O’Connell – only to become reacquainted nine years later. This turn of events that saw the band reunite begs the question as to whether the original lineup would have indeed proven sustainable if Nolan and Cooper had persisted, as Lazzara discloses that conflicts with members Reyes and O’Connell are easily resolved due to their long-term relationships. But Lazzara affirms that Nolan and Cooper’s departures were just as important as their return. “When you just spend so much time around someone, you’re so familiar with one another [so] you know when to back off and give them space or when to move in closer... [But] we all needed that time apart just so each one of us could go through our own personal journeys to get to where we are now.” And while the band’s initial chemistry has been verified by their reunion, it seems it was the timing that wasn’t quite right when the young band burst onto the scene. “Everything happened rather quickly [back then], I think we all just didn’t know how to handle it. We were all kind of growing in different directions. We’re all a little bit older and a little more mature now, which makes all the difference.” Now more secure as individuals and assured of their

status as established musicians, the band takes a more collaborative and adventurous approach to crafting their music. “Now everyone’s a lot more confident both with themselves and with each other so it’s actually made the songwriting process a lot smoother. There’s nothing we won’t try.” Despite the band dynamics mirroring that of the Tell All Your Friends day, by no means did the band simply pick up where they left off; but rather resolved to begin again, a decision evident in 2011’s selftitled full length. Proud of the new release, Lazzara is grateful for the second chance to create with Nolan and Cooper, and still marvels at the fact the fortuitous opportunity presented itself. “I really have no idea [how it came about],” he laughs, “But I’m thankful that it happened.” Lazzara asserts that he’s also appreciative of the time spent writing the band’s previous successful albums with former members Fred Mascherino (Where You Want To Be, 2004 and Louder Now, 2006) Matt Rubano (Where You Want To Be, Louder Now and New Again, 2009) and Matthew Fazzi (New Again) and says his experience with such talented musicians has enabled an advance in the band’s songwriting. “It’s always really awesome to be able to work with different, creative people because everyone has a different approach. It doesn’t so much change [your] style or approach to [songwriting] but you pick up things along the way.” Older fans are ecstatic about the reformation, particularly the reunion of vocal team Lazzara and Nolan. Always approaching composing lyrical content

“WE’RE ALL A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND A LITTLE MORE MATURE NOW, WHICH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.”

collaboratively, working with Fred Mascherino (exguitar) on previous albums, Lazzara worked with his first wordsmith partner, Nolan, on the new record. Taking Back Sunday are renowned for their powerful, emotional lyrical material, and it’s almost difficult to fathom how such personal pieces can be created by multiple members, but Lazzara says this method offers a masked advantage. “There are times where I’ll be writing about one thing and John [Nolan] would be writing about something different – but somehow when we put it together it just works. I just think that’s one of the cool things about any kind of art in general is that it’s just open to everyone’s interpretation.” Preparing for his three-year-old son’s birthday celebrations, Lazzara recognises that while being older has been advantageous in terms of cooperating

as a united band, it also makes touring more challenging when juggling other priorities. “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Lazzara laughs. “It’s a work in progress.” Fortunately for fans, altering his direction seems impossible to Lazzara, and continuing Taking Back Sunday and life as a musician appears to be the only path he’s considered following in the future. “I’ve just been doing this for so long I really can’t picture my life doing anything else. At this point, none of us know how to do anything else. We’ll just keep on keeping on.”

able to go back into the music industry on my own terms, on my own label,” Ant says. The after effects of Ant’s hectic pop lifestyle bubbled to the surface in 2002 when Ant was confined to a psychiatric hospital after a series of incidents culminated with him being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “My mental illness is really because of working like a maniac for so many years and basically being exhausted,” Ant says. “Mental illness is something that’s very difficult for people to understand, but the response I’ve got from people has been really positive.” Thirty years after topping the charts, and Ant is back on stage, and on the eve of an Australian tour. With a fan base eager to hear his hit singles, as well as a

rich catalogue of more recent material, Ant walks the line between the old and new. “I’ve got ten albums of material, so I have to look at it in terms of my own favourites, and also what the fans want to hear,” Ant says. “I like to think I do a show like if I was going to see Roxy Music. It’s a retrospective of my catalogue, with some new tracks thrown in as well.”

TAKING BACK SUNDAY appear alongside NEWFOUND GLORY and This Time Next Year on Sunday April 8 at Festival Hall, with an all-ages and licensed area.

ADAM ANT BY PATRICK EMERY

Before there was ‘80s pop star Adam Ant, there was a young and excited teenager by the name of Stuart Goddard playing bass in a largely forgotten London rock’n’roll band by the name of Bazooka Joe. In November 1975 Bazooka Joe found itself on the same bill as another fledgling outfit by the name of the Sex Pistols. “It was St Martin’s College, and they were supporting us – it was their first ever gig,” Ant recalls. The rest of Bazooka Joe weren’t particularly impressed with the Pistols, but Ant was. “I was really impressed with their energy. So I quit Bazooka Joe that night and formed my own band.” In the early ‘70s Ant visited Long Live Rock, the fashion shop owned by young designer Vivienne Westwood and her flamboyant partner, Malcolm McLaren. Later on, when Westwood and McLaren moved to London to open Sex, Ant joined the crowd of impressionable youths – including the so-called ‘Bromley Contingent’ that featured Siouxsie Sioux, Billy Idol and Ant’s onetime manager Jordan – hanging out in the shop. “I first went to Sex in about ’73 or ’74,” Ant says. “It was a very cool shop, but dangerous.” Later on, when Ant had adopted the Adam Ant persona and formed his own band, Adam And The Ants, McLaren would assume the role of Ant’s manager for a short period. Despite McLaren subsequently poaching Ant’s backing band to form another of McLaren’s contrived pop outfits, Bow Wow Wow, Ant pays tribute to McLaren’s creative nous and intellect. “Malcolm was a really creative force,” Ant says. “I only worked directly with him for about a month, but I listened a lot to him – he was very informed. He knew a lot about rock’n’roll, really obscure bands. He was a very intelligent guy, and I don’t really think that comes across in the work he did with the Sex Pistols,” Ant says. While many of Ant’s contemporaries in the punk scene pursued a more confrontational and occasionally overtly political line, Ant was content to adopt a more theatrical style. While the notion of a pop singer was anathema to many in the punk scene, for Ant it wasn’t an issue. “I always wanted to sell records,” Ant says. “The idea of being a pop singer didn’t worry me. To me, Marc Bolan was a pop singer, and he had great songs,” Ant says.

The success of Antmusic, the lead track from the second Adam And The Ants album, Kings Of The Wild Frontier, catapulted Ant into pop stardom. It was around this time that Ant’s dedication to his musical career began to take its toll on his psychological wellbeing. “I was not good at saying no to anything,” Ant says. “I was working like an absolute maniac, and I was exhausted.” Ant’s third record, Prince Charming, featured the hit singles Stand And Deliver and the title track. Ant subsequently disbanded his backing band, and embarked on a solo career, releasing another hit single, Goody Two Shoes. By 1985 Ant was ready for a change, and traded in his musical career for acting (Ant had first appeared on screen in Derek Jarman’s 1977 punk film, Jubilee). A few years later Ant headed across the Atlantic to California, where he appeared in a series of plays and films over the next ten years. “It was a completely different world,” Ant says of his time in California. “Just because you’re qualified in the music world doesn’t mean you’re qualified to be in films.” By the mid ‘90s Ant had returned to music; his career, however, didn’t return to the heady heights of the early ‘80s. “It’s just a logical thing,” Ant says of the decline in his popularity in the pop music world. “You’re in a weekly, daily chart race. By 1985 I’d had enough of it, and that’s why I got into films. It was a good break to make – it had all got a bit crazy.” Ant eventually moved back to England, and rekindled his musical career. “Music is a passion for me,” Ant says. “Having spent time away from it, by the time I got back into it, things had changed a lot. I had a daughter so my situation was a lot different. And I was

“IT’S A RETROSPECTIVE OF MY CATALOGUE, WITH SOME NEW TRACKS THROWN IN AS WELL.”

Beat Magazine Page 28

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

ADAM ANT & THE GOOD, THE MAD & THE LOVELY POSSE plays the Palace Theatre on Friday March 30 with support from Georgie Girl And Her Pousez Posse. Ticket options are general admission or meet and greet with a photo opportunity. Tickets fom Ticketek and Oztix.

BLITZEN TRAPPER BY JOSHUA KLOKE

The Pacific Northwest has become a hotbed for bands espousing a certain pastoral folky aesthetic. Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists and The Shins are all doing their part to keep this burgeoning tradition thriving, in a most relaxed manner, of course. But Eric Earley, singer and guitarist of Portland’s Blitzen Trapper, isn’t ready to nestle into this bearded, plaid-wearing lovefest. On American Goldwing, the band’s latest full-length, the four-piece come off sounded like unabashed Rolling Stones fans, eschewing the folk in favour of some honest to goodness rock. And Earley isn’t pulling any punches about it. “I like playing rock’n’roll music. I just want to play live, that’s it,” says Earley matter-of-factly from his Portland home. Earley is certainly a man of few words, preferring, in a totally ‘un’ clichéd way of course, to let his music do the talking. He answers most of my questions in little more than a sentence or two; when he does speak, it’s as if he’s pissed off that his music needs any more explanation than it already has provided on record. American Goldwing is a straight-up, countrified rock record. It’s a direct contrast to Wild Mountain Nation, their first record. Nation garnered critical acclaim across the board, even from certain reputably snooty media outlets that would undoubtedly prefer their folky northwestern counterparts. When the shift in sound is mentioned, Earley seems to shrug off the idea of tastemakers to begin with. “Whatever is cool changes all the time. You can’t keep up with it all. I just wanted to make a record that I could listen to while I was driving or something like that.” The bare-bones feel of American Goldwing is certainly the kind of record you’d want to have cranked to 11 with the windows down; for the most part, Earley’s honest desire to create a record he can be proud of is palpable. And when asked if this approach to writing is something he’ll stick with in the future, Earley admits he likes the road he’s on. “Yeah maybe,” he says nonchalantly. “Maybe we used to be ambitious as far as keeping up with what’s going on and trying to figure out the trends. But I’m at a place now where I’m quite free in terms of when I write. I try to write stuff that I think is interesting.” The writing process for Blitzen Trapper is an understandably simple one. As the principle songwriter in the band, Earley chooses not to mess around with an idea for a song once it’s conceived, instead choosing to hammer it out live. No studio trickery for these guys; the band has also recently dealt with a few lineup changes but still manages to make things click with relative ease. “A lot of times I’ll write something, I’ll bring it in and then it’ll be arranged live. We’ve recently changed band members too, so it can change. We try to keep things fresh by always changing.” So will this constant attempt to keep things fresh lead to Blitzen Trapper walking down that folky, beardy road? Don’t count on it. Earley chuckles in a snarky manner when certain other Pacific Northwest acts are mentioned. The band does, however, manage to find influence from their peers, but it mostly comes in the form of touring mates who share a certain vision for how rock’n’roll should sound. “When we were younger and coming up, we were hanging out with other bands a lot. But we’re touring so much now, I think a lot of influence comes from bands that we end up touring with and playing festivals with. In the past, sure,” he says, when asked about Portland’s rich musical history and how much the bands in the city have had an effect on Blitzen Trapper.

“WE TRY TO KEEP THINGS FRESH BY ALWAYS CHANGING.” “We used to play with local bands all the time.” While Portland will likely continue to be recognised as one of the most fruitful cities in North America in terms of artistic output, you likely won’t find Blitzen Trapper’s name being brought up in conversation. They’re a band that, though they’ve stuck to their guns as far as letting their love of ‘70s rock show, aren’t part of any kind of scene. American Goldwing has been described by the band in press releases as their “real record,” in terms of how much they let their influences show. This can often be considered the kiss of death for bands; they run the risk of sounding more derivative than venerating. It’s the sort of thing that critics love to pounce on. Earley, expectedly, can’t be bothered with how Blitzen Trapper is recognised. He’s happy with where the band is at and doesn’t think of the music he makes as something of a science. Turns out that both Blitzen Trapper and Earley operate under a very similar ethos: simple is best. “I’ve never worried too much about how we’re perceived. On this record, we just wrote songs that were very personal. Sometimes it’s easy to make music without thinking too much.” BLITZEN TRAPPER play The Prince Bandroom on Tuesday April 3, as well as Bluesfest, which takes place in Byron Bay between Thursday April 5 and Monday April 9. American Goldwing is out through Sub Pop via Interia.

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

SATURDAY 2 JUNE FESTIVAL HALL ON SALE NOW! frontiertouring.com simpleplan.com DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

THE ALBUM ‘GET YOUR HEART ON!’ OUT NOW Beat Magazine Page 45

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

with Christie Eliezer * Stuﬀ for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm TAYLOR SWIFT TOPS ‘MONEY MAKERS’ LIST

PUSH OVER SOLD OUT, WINNERS NAMED

OH MERCY SIGN TO ROUGH TRADE, EURO BOOKERS

Taylor Swift beat U2, Adele and Lady Gaga to become biggest earner of 2011 in the US., according to Billboard’s Money Makers list. She earned US$35 million, followed by U2 at $32 million (whose 360 tour was seen by over 7 million Americans), Kenny Chesney ($29m) and Lady Gaga ($25.4m). Lil Wayne ($23.2m) rounded out the top five despite being in jail for eight months for gun possession. But he made his moolah from Carter III and success of his record label Young Money with platinum acts Drake and Nicki Minaj. Sade doesn’t have Top 20 hits any more but as her Australian tour proved, she’s still a cracker live act. She earned $16.4m, followed by Bon Jovi ($15.8m), Celine Dion ($14.3m), and US country performer Jason Adlean ($13.4m) at #9. Billboard calculated earnings in America from tours, albums sales and publishing royalties. It didn’t include “sponsorships, merchandise sales or synchronisation deals.” Adele cancelled a US tour because of throat problems but still made it to #10 on the list with US earnings of $13 million because her 21 album has sold five million Stateside in 2011 (and now shifted eight million there). Keith Urban was at #27 with $6.27 million. The Beatles incidentally made it to #26 after their back catalogue made $6.7 million after being made available digitally and sold 4.7 million tracks online last year the most popular download being Here Comes The Sun. Paul McCartney was #25: he only played six concerts in the U.S. last year but $18.6 million worth of ticket sales earned him $6.2 million.

The all-ages live concert Push Over 2012 was a sell out. Fans were lining up around the block from 9am at the Abbotsford Convent to check out sets from the likes of Parkway Drive (whose fans journeyed from as far-flung as Darwin), 360 who was joined by Gossling, Snakadaktal doing their first festival appearance, and Tonight Alive who made it despite being caught up floods. Geelong’s Altitude won the FReeZA Push Start Battle Of The Bands grand final, making it to the final list with eight other acts who were whittled down from 280 bands who applied. Minister for Youth Affairs Ryan Smith, who announced the prize said that over 15 years, the battle had been a “great stepping stone for bands looking to break into the music industry. Past participants include Killing Heidi, Airborne, The Vasco Era, Her Nightmare, The Crimson Flames and Neon Love, all of whom have gone on to find national and international success.” Altitude’s prize included a day of recording at Hothouse Studios, mastering at Jack the Bear’s Deluxe Mastering, coverage in Beat, a CD pressing from DEX Audio, a graphic design workshop session from Apollo Collective, band photo shoot by Corey E Sleap Photography, band supplies from Electric Factory, a $200 Allans + Billy Hydes voucher and a year of digital aggregation to iTunes from Valleyarm. Other winners on the day included All Day (MC battle), Beaver Crew (Breakin’ battle) and Granston Display (APRA Songwriting Award).

Oh Mercy have signed to Rough Trade Benelux, with the Great Barrier Grief album to be released in Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemburg on March 23. “Great Barrier Grief is very well suited for Europe and we all believe in the success of the album,” said Kees van Weijen, MD of Rough Trade B.V. Two singles are on high rotation on national radio 3FM, and a Live to Air set on 3FM confirmed. Currently on a US/Canadian tour, Oh Mercy debut in Europe mid-year having signed with booking agents Mojo Concerts/Live Nation.

MELTING POT NEEDS NEW HOME

INSTRUMENT RETAILER AMG GETS FUNDING

After more than three years and 130 memorable shows, the venue that hosts Melting Pot’s Songwriters in the Round nights, Seraphim (formerly Vibe on Smith) will close its doors at the end of the month. Melting Pot would like your help to find a new home for Songwriters in the Round. They are looking for a central location and a building with a separate function room where food and drink can be sold that is available on weekends. So get your thinking caps on and pretty soon there will be a new venue to continue this amazing night of music. Email info@meltingpotonline.com with all your ideas.

Australian Music Group, which operates the Allans Music + Billy Hyde music instruments retail chain, has received a capital injection from Revere Capital. The figure is not known but AMG managing director Tim Mason told the Australian Financial Review, “This is very good news. This reduces our debt significantly, is welcome news for the industry and for all the suppliers who deal with us.” According to the AFR, the debt was $60 million. Mason said conditions were still tough, with 5% of instrument sales from outside Australia.

COPS TARGET GEELONG DVD PIRATES

The Terang Country Music Festival got a boost when the state government gave it funding of $6,000 from the Victorian Regional Growth Fund’s Putting Locals First program. This year it was expected to draw 1,000 fans, with the move to the racecourse giving the acts shelter from the rain.

Police are targeting DVD pirates who sell illegal stock at Sunday market stalls in the Geelong region. Cops were tipped off by other stall holders alarmed that criminals are creeping into the markets and are calling for all stall holders to be screened. $10,000 worth of illegal material was recently confiscated in a house in Corio after a raid.

COUNTRY FESTIVAL EXTENDED

THINGS WE HEAR * Will Spotify have announced plans for its Australian launch by the time you read this? * Soundwave Revolution promoter AJ Maddah announced it would not return after being cancelled a month before when a headliner pulled out. * The 3,000 punters who paid for the three-day Playground Weekender in NSW — which got cancelled 36 hours before, due to fears of flooding — may not necessarily get their money back. The promoter revealed that he had not insured the event for natural disasters. * Religious fundamentalist group, the Westboro Baptist Church, protested outside Radiohead’s show in Kansas last week. Saying that rock music was unravelling the fabric of American society, they yelped, “Radiohead are freak monkeys with mediocre tunes.” The band called this the highlight of their tour. Last September, the church tried the same picketing routine when the Foo Fighters played Kansas. In that instance, the Foos dressed up as rednecks and turned up on a truck to play them Keep It Clean, of same sex love. * Grizzly Bear reckon they’re touring Australia but not sure exactly when. * Eight of 360’s dates on his Flying tour sold out in 24 hours. * Bono wrote a character reference for Courtney Love so she could get into a condo in New York. Love got thrown out of her last place by the landlady. * DZ Deathrays were kicked off their show at South By Southwest because they played too loud and stall keepers couldn’t hear themselves talk. * Canberra band TONK whose Golden Girl song was used without permission by US sitcom How I Met Your Mother (it had been re-recorded by another band) told triple j’s Hack they were paid more money by Fox Broadcasting to smooth things over than if it had paid to license the original track. * You think Kyle Sandiland got his large posterior kicked by people power! In America, 50 advertisers pulled out from Rush Limbaugh’s right-wing talk show after he had the cheek to call law student Sandra Fluke “a slut” and “a prostitute” after she said contraception should be part of the coverage US health insurance companies provide. Peter Gabriel and Rush demanded that top-rating Limbaugh stop playing their music. So did Rage Against The Machine. When Tom Morello heard the idiot had played their Sleep Now In The Fire, he fired off: “Hey Jackass, stop using our music on your racist, misogynist, right wing clown show. Sincerely, Rage Against The Machine.” * Mortal Sin unveiled its new singer Dave Tinelt, exNekrofeist, at Venom on the weekend, He replaces Mat Maurer who quit last month. * Florence Welch likes to cycle around London – but keeps getting lost and has to be helped home by fans. * Fed up with renting a £7 million, ten-bedroom Sussex mansion which she was convinced was haunted, Adele bought a £2.5million house near the beach in Brighton. Fatboy Slim is a neighbour.

Dating: apparently Jessie J and Tinie Tempah became an item before she came to Australia to tour. Married: Muse’s Matt Bellamy and actress Kate Hudson have secretly tied the knot, Hudson’s mother Goldie Hawn accidentally blabbed in an interview. They had a son, Bing, last July. Injured: a nightclub owner claims he was hit by Lindsay Lohan’s black Porsche while she attempted a threepoint turn, and didn’t stop. She denied hitting him. In Court: James Marks, 26, and James McCormick, 25, have pleaded not guilty to hacking into Sony Music’s computers and stealing music – including some unreleased Michael Jackson tracks. Arrested: a gangster who allegedly called for the execution last year of Colombian folk singer and activist Facundo Cabral. Died: Jindabyne-based musician and surfer Brian “Birdy” Burdett, 52, in a car accident that also took his daughters Sky, 10, and Kayla, 8. Reports said his Ford Falcon wagon veered to the wrong side of the Kings Highway near Braidwood, NSW, and struck another vehicle. Burdett wrote the protest song Let Kirra Be Kirra against the development of Kirra Point as a marina. Died: longtime Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack, 65, cancer.

JAY-Z, KANYE, SETTLE SAMPLE LAWSUIT Jay-Z and Kanye West settled a lawsuit from US blues and soul bluesman Syl Johnson, who claimed that their track The Joy from their Watch The Throne album sampled his Different Strokes without credit or royalties. The rap superstars argued that Johnson’s song was not protected by federal copyright since it was recorded before 1972 (when laws safeguarding song recordings took effect). The two parties settled out of court. Johnson previously hit Cypress Hill with a $28 million lawsuit for copyright infringement but a court dismissed it arguing that the music being sampled was pre-1972 and therefore not protected.

MUSIC INDUSTRY PROTESTS OVER FREE RADIO STREAMING The music industry is taking commercial radio back to the courts. Through the license providing PPCA (which works for radio labels and their artists) it had tried to get more money from radio when it streamed music on the internet. It filed suit when radio stations launched a bunch of digital stations, and set up Pink and Lady Gaga online stations when those artists toured Australia. But last month, the Federal Court ruled that internet broadcasting was the same as free to air, and record labels were not entitled to be paid. The PPCA says that the court erred on a technical reason and taken it back for another try.

JASMINE RAE CROWNED CMC OZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR Jasmine Rae was crowned Country Music Channel (CMC) artist of the year at the CMC Music Awards. These were held at the Great Cask Hall, Hope Estate Winery in The Hunter Valley. Other winners were Keith Urban (international artist of the year, music video of the year for Without You), Peter McWhirter (new artist), while James Blundell was inaugural recipient of the CMC Hall Of Fame award, given to those who have had an impact on Australian country music beyond their own careers. Lee Kernaghan, Catherine Britt and Travis Collins performed his songs. Performers on the night included O’Shea and US singer Craig Campbell.

KIDNAPPING AT PT FAIRY FESTIVAL

Andrew Stockdale unveiled a new lineup of Wolfmother when the band took to the road with Lenny Kravitz and The Cranberries. Last month Wolfmother parted ways with drummer Will Scott and rhythm guitarist Aidan Nemeth. The new lineup includes drummer Hamish Rosser (who left, or was booted out of The Vines after ten years following clashes with singer Craig Nicholls), guitarist Vin Steele of Gold Coast metal band Mourning Tide, and new Melbourne keyboardist Elliott Hammond.

A 21-year-old woman and her 16-year-old brother endured a nightmarish end to their attendance at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. A ride back to Warrnambool failed to materialise. At 2.30 am, while they were seated on the main street, a man stopped his car and told them he was a council security guard ensuring everyone got home. He drove them towards Warrnambool, then stopped the car on the highway and asked the boy to get booze from the boot. When he got out, the man took off with the girl, allegedly telling her “I’m taking you.” She leaped out of the car which was doing 40km, and hid in a paddock with her brother where they called police. A man has faced court. In the meantime, the folk festival’s organisers have asked phone services to give them coverage during the event. With 50,000 people arriving in the area with an extra 15,000 mobile phones on the network, many fans lost coverage.

SONG SUMMIT 2012: MAJOR ARTISTS ADDED, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

NICHOLSON, LIVING END, AMONG ISC FINALISTS

NEW WOLFMOTHER UNVEILED

Adalita, Megan Washington, Abbe May, Kav Temperley of Eskimo Joe, Kate Miller-Heidke, Amandah Wilkinson of Operator Please, US producer Nick Didia and New Zealand’s Don McGlashan are among major names added to Song Summit 2012. It is held at the Sydney Convention Centre May 26 to 28 (songsummit.com.au). Early bird tickets for the event have sold out. Organisers APRA/ AMCOS also announced new opportunities for delegates. Listen To The Music gives them advice and feedback on their music through listening panels. Play The Music Live allows delegates to perform before their peers. The Smoky Dawson Foundation has been created by the family of the country performer to provide two scholarships, consisting of $2000 cash, a ticket to the APRA awards, a three day pass to the Song Summit, and the chance to attend the Smoky Dawson Career Development workshop.

BIG SOUND OPENS SHOWCASE REGISTRATIONS Showcase registrations have opened for Big Sound Live 2012 (September 12, 13). This year it expands to showcase 100 acts from across the country, across ten venues – this year there is a focus on the country music scene. Applications are open until May 4 through bigsound.org.au. Past showcases acts included Boy And Bear, The Jezabels, Children Collide, DZ Deathrays, Ball Park Music, Cloud Control, Emma Louise, The Getaway Plan and Lanie Lane.

Beat Magazine Page 46

LIFELINES

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

Australian artists fared well in the finalists of the International Songwriting Competition, which draws entries from 120 countries. Shane Nicholson and The Living End had three, while Missy Higgins, Emma Louise, Children Collide, Wes Car, Tom Ugly and Caterina Torres had two. Also on list: Eskimo Joe, Jebediah, Dead Letter Circus, Oh Mercy, Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Herd, Dead Leaves, Dallas Frasca, Daniel Lee Kendal and Hunting Grounds.

VIVENDI WILL SHED SOME OF EMI Universal Music Group owner Vivendi, which has guaranteed to buy EMI’s recorded music business for US$1.9 billion, is in talks to sell $666 million worth of EMI Records. This is to soft-soap the European regulators who will decide if the sale will give Universal too much power. Last year UMG’s revenues fell 5.7% to US$5.5 billion but earnings were up 7.6% to $385 million. Vivendi’s telcoms businesses SFR and Maroc lost profit due to discounting in the sector. Even Activision Blizzard, whose World Of Warcraft games helped deliver about one-third ($1.32 billion) of Vivendi’s 2011 profits, will shed 600 jobs in 2012.

MATCH BAR CLOSES After three years in operation, Match Bar in Little Lonsdale Street closed for good last Saturday “following ongoing concerns.”

UÊ 1 9Ê

, / Ê ,/ / Ê Ê Ê 1-

UÊ/ 1 /Ê 9Ê*," 1 ,-Ê ",Ê*," 1 ,-

," Ê "7Ê ",Ê *, ÊÎä/

Ê "Õ , " Ê , " Õ°> ÜÜ°Ã>i°i` 6 - /\ÊÜ

äÊ- Ê

\Ê£nä

MELBOURNE LIVE SCENE GROWS 3.2% IN VOLUME OAL@

/$( 0-)# (

7BB D;M I>EM “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).

(+ C7H9> IKD:7O *fc

J>; 9EHD?I> 7HCI IoZd[o HZ" 8HKDIM?9A

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 Inpress (27%) and J Mag (8%).

'$./ - /0 --$ '' .0 ++*-/$ )"

For further information visit www.stateofplay.net.au

A?:I M;B9EC;

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

D;M 7B8KC

EKJ DEM

D DGQ<KHA=?=D ;GE Beat Magazine Page 47

FALLOE

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

On their website, five-piece rugged blues/folk band Falloe describe their music as such that it takes listeners on a journey into “The hearts and minds of lovers, dreamers, drunkards, demons and everyday no-bodies and no-hopers.” Not exactly the kind of stuff you’d want to spin on a sunny Saturday afternoon, but to dig deeper, listeners have recently discovered an entirely genuine and enticing approach that stretches into the darker corners of one’s psyche. And it’s an approach that Rob Murray, who works the keyboards and guitars for Falloe, is quite familiar with. “Well,” he says, taking a long pause after being asked if the music of Falloe is always born out of personal experience. “Every gig always ends with one of the members in the band having to get driven home,” he laughs. “I think everyone’s been hurt in the past and everyone can relate to the songs in one way or another,” he continues. “There’s all kinds of loneliness that you get lost in. [Vocalist/ guitarist Wade F Piva] has just got a great way of expressing it, even though he’s happily married. He’s got this unique way of looking at things. He’s got his degree in literature and he’s definitely very proud of his art.” And rightfully so. On their self-titled latest and second

full-length, Falloe create a warm and rich sonic landscape that after a few listens quickly becomes indelible. Tracks like Science Of The Heart, the first single from the record build from a simple acoustic melody into a wash of dense of haunting textures. It creates a fairly intense headspace for the listener, but what sort of headspace does Falloe have to get in before penning their tracks? “Wade’s the chief songwriter,” says Murray. “He comes up with the lyrics and the basic song structure. He likes to have a couple beers and let his mind wander and come up with some of the sick stuff that it does, like murder and betrayal. Then he’ll bring it to the rehearsal space and play it four or five times and you know, after a few rearrangements, we seem to have a good grasp on it.” “I think a lot of it has to do with Wade’s voice,” continues Murray. “It’s a very majestic voice, but we all try and fool around with reverb and delays as much as we can to strive

for that haunting feel.” With Falloe, the band has tried to expand on everything they’ve experienced as a band up to now. Six years in, with their debut full-length The Diamond & the Thief and two EPs (The Ballad of Jimmy James and Dead Dogs) to show for their consistent gigging, Falloe seem ready to take their place upon the city’s roots rock elite. For Murray and Falloe, the key has indeed been trying to learn from what they’ve done and never be content to stop searching. “We hadn’t actually recorded anything as the current lineup is now. Until to record a record and listen back to

it, you’re always trying to ﬁgure out what you sound it. And when you do, it always inspires you to play better shows, to play more shows and just emulate what you hear on the record and what you want to be. For this new album, we produced it ourselves and I mixed it myself. Sure, it might have been for budgetary reasons, but we also really wanted to strive for a sound and atmosphere that we were comfortable with.”

appropriate, and superficial. The band’s prevailing pop sensibility is punctuated with syncopated rhythms that are anathema to the simple radio song structure; Bryant’s monotone delivery is closer to punk poet John Cooper Clarke than your average pop singer. “I think we strive to write pop songs,” Connolly muses. “A pop song is short and to the point, with a strong melody.” With Aleks and the Ramps’ iconoclastic blend of melody, rhythm and oddball humour, it’s not hard to engage in hyperanalysis of the band’s artistic style. Such analysis, Connolly suggests, isn’t necessary. “We’re artists, and we make art,” Connolly says. “We’re not expecting deep analysis, though that’s something we’ve had to deal with since we started out.” After releasing both its prior records on independent labels, Aleks and the Ramps chose to manage the entire recording and release process itself, free from any shackles of label oversight. While the recording was, Connolly says, “more liberating” as a DIY project, organising the pressing of the record on vinyl – the only ‘hard’ format it will appear on officially (“it’s a bit solipsistic – I don’t buy CDs, and I buy off iTunes”) – has had its logistical challenges. “We did it all ourselves this time, which was good, but that said, getting vinyl pressed is a bit of a nightmare, and we’re still dealing

with it right now,” Connolly says. “But this time seeing it through from start to finish was really fun, and cheap. That said, it would have been good sometimes to have an assistant engineer to order around,” he laughs. Since the album’s recording, Aleks and the Ramps have undergone some changes in membership, with Jon Thjia and Janita Foley both opting to leave to concentrate on other projects. While it’s too early to make any definitive observation on the effect of the lineup changes to the band’s music, Connolly is feeling positive. “It’s hard to tell at the moment, because most of the songwriting took place before the change in membership,” Connolly says. “We haven’t got around to writing yet with the new members, but I’m really psyched about what we’ll do next.” Not surprisingly, Aleks and the Ramps isn’t a band with a career plan mapped out. “We really want to keep making music together,” Connolly says. “It’d be nice to make money off touring, but we don’t really have any major aspirations about being rich and famous – that’s gone by the wayside now.”

Coast, where she now lives with her husband and drummer, Jason Beek. “I’d been living in rural Massachusetts, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, and then I realised that I wanted to be a musician,” Jewell says. Through her soon-to-be husband Beek, Jewell had become immersed in the Boston music scene. “He was really tapped into the scene, and there’s some really great musicians there,” she says. Jewell’s latest album, Queen Of The Minor Key, reflects both contemporary and historical influences. “At the time of writing the album I was listening to a lot of Fred Eaglesmith – the record he’d just put out,” Jewell says. “And I was also listening to a lot of Creedence Clearwater Revival, as well as lots of ‘60s girl group music.” Jewell says the minimalist ‘60s production sensibility was something she was interested in exploring on the album. “I really like that simple production style,” she says. “I’ve actually been really into that early ‘60s stuff recently, also early ‘60s country music – in fact anything with ‘early’ in front it,” Jewell laughs.

The title of the record was taken originally from a line used to introduce Jewell at one of her shows. “A friend of mine said so many of my songs were written in a minor key, so when he introduced me at a show, he said I was the ‘queen of the minor key’,” Jewell says. Jewell is about to head out to Australia for her second Australian tour; her ﬁrst tour included seeing a koala while on the Great Ocean Road. “We went through this little town on the way to the Port Fairy Folk Festival, and we stopped and looked up in the trees and saw him – it was the cutest thing I’ve seen,” Jewell says.

FALLOE launch their self-titled album on Saturday March 24 at the John Curtin Hotel.

ALEKS AND THE RAMPS

BY PATRICK EMERY

When Simon Connolly, guitarist with idiosyncratic Melbourne indie pop band Aleks and the Ramps, rings mid-way through Tuesday night, there’s a cacaphony of noise as the answering machine cuts in earlier than I’d expected, drowning out both Simon’s opening greeting and my attempt at a reply. “Do you want me to call back later?” Connolly offers politely. Notwithstanding the unprofessional start to the interview, we continue on the conversation. In hindsight, the higgledypiggledy beginning is, in some ways, illustrative of Aleks and the Ramps’ quirky pop sensibility. It’s taken a few years for Aleks and the Ramps to write, record and release the follow-up to 2009’s Midnight Believer. “We started recording the album in about April 2010, and continued through to about August. Then we went to Japan, so we had to put things off then, we didn’t master it until August last year,” Connolly says. Connolly’s description of the band’s writing process suggests ordered chaos, with skeletal concepts brought into the studio and fleshed out during the recording process. “Some of the tracks are Alex’s, and the rest are split,” Connoly says. “The songs on the new album were all written in the studio, based on ideas that we started out with, which could be anything from a verse and a chorus, through to something more, like a bass riff or a melody,” he says. The quirky lyrics, however, are “97%” Bryant’s own creation. “Alex keeps a notebook with fragments that he jots down,” Connolly says. “He really likes word play and playing with imagery. And there’s often a lot of emotional weight in the songs”. Typically, Connolly says, the lyrics are added after the band has filled out the initial music idea into a complete song. “Alex likes to create lyrics a bit like the David Bowie

way, where you write a whole lot of words, chop them up, and see what you can come up with,” Connolly says. Sometimes the other members of the band ask Bryant what’s happening in his lyrics; other times, it’s best not to ask. “Our drummer asked about the opening line of Bummer [“He’s scum and he’s gonna mess you up/Or at least waste your time”], and Alex said ‘it’s about you, buddy’,” Connolly laughs. Like Midnight Believer, there’s a sense that FACTS is more than a collection of songs. Connolly suggests the compilation of tracks into an album is more than linear aggregation, but less than a pre-ordained plan. “It’s a mixture of everything,” Connolly says. “35 to 40 minutes suits us – we don’t want to overstay our welcome. There’s ten tracks on the album, whereas we started out with 13.” While Aleks and the Ramps’ approach to song creation suggests a democracy, Connolly describes it more as a “benevolent dictatorship”, with ideas that lack group consensus being quietly ignored. “It’s fairly anything goes,” Connolly says, “and that’s why things jump all over the place. If there’s something that people are not into, then it just disappears and it’s not talked about anymore.” To categorise Aleks and the Ramps’ music as pop is both

ALEKS AND THE RAMPS launch FACTS at the Northcote Social Club this Friday March 23. They also play the National in Geelong on Thursday March 22.

EILEN JEWELL

BY PATRICK EMERY

Eilen Jewell grew up in Boise, Idaho in the American Midwest. At age 18, Jewell decided to head to the American West Coast to the city of Sante Fe to study music at St John’s College. St John’s has a reputation for progressive teaching methods – prescriptive teaching methods or eschewed in favour of a focus on critical analysis and creativity. “It was a really funky college,” Jewell says. “At the time it seemed the right thing for me to do. It’s a strange curriculum – no textbooks, no grades, no professors.” Jewell pays tribute to the influence of the idiosyncratic teaching style on her approach to writing and performing music. “I learned how to think critically, and I learned how to write songs while I was there. I don’t fake my way through writing, and I learned to question everything I do,” Jewell says. Jewell had started playing piano at primary school, before ‘dabbling’ in violin. Her parents, while not musicians, provided a musical foil to Jewell’s predominantly classical education. “My parents are great lovers of music,” Jewell says, “especially my father, who’s a fan of lots of music. I got my love of Bob Dylan from my father.” While conceding that Boise isn’t the world’s most vibrant artistic scene, Jewell maintains a strong affection for her hometown. “It was pretty great,” Jewell says. “I loved growing up there – it was great being a kid there. But the city didn’t really offer a whole lot in the music scene. The arts scene is certainly not as vibrant there. But I still feel that Boise is a huge part of who I am,” she says. Despite moving to Santa Fe to study music, Jewell says it took a while before she decided to throw her hand into live musical performance. “I guess I didn’t ever really mean to get started as a performer,” Jewell says. “I never really Beat Magazine Page 48

thought of myself as a performer. I was hanging around with some friends who were performing, and I started strumming along. Eventually they asked me to play with them at a farmers’ market. I started to enjoy it, and when my friends – who were a year older than me – moved away, I kept going.” Jewell became enamoured with iconic female country and blues singers, including Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn (whom Jewell paid tribute to a couple of years ago with an album of cover versions), Wanda Jackson and Mavis Staples. In fact, Jewell managed to secure those performers’ autographs on her guitar, that she’s only recently stopped playing – partly due to the increasing value of that signed guitar. “I had to stop performing with it recently because it became too precious,” Jewell laughs. “Plus, I was lucky enough for someone to custom make me a great guitar that I use now.” Jewell threw herself into the touring circuit, regularly traversing the bars and coﬀee houses of continental United States. “I like touring, though I do get worn out on the longer tours,” Jewell says. “But when I’m at home I start to get antsy, and I look forward to getting back on the road. I try to be grateful for all the diﬀerent days that are on my calendar.” Eventually Jewell settled in Boston on the American East

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

EILEN JEWELL plays the Corner Hotel on Thursday March 22, Meeniyan Hall on Saturday March 24, the Caravan Music Club on Sunday March 25, Byron Bay Bluesfest, taking place between Thursday April 5 to Monday April 9 and Boogie Festival in Tallarook on Sunday April 8.

MY MORNING JACKET BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Bo Koster knows a thing or two about pain. Sure, as the keyboardist for My Morning Jacket, he likely endures lengths of physical torture after one of their all-encompassing live sets. But today, he’s encountered pain of a different variety. “I went to the dentist today,” says Koster, reached on the phone from his Louisville home. “The one side of my mouth is just beginning to become un-numb, right as this interview is starting.” The pain in his mouth eventually subsides. Odds are Koster didn’t take to his acoustic guitar to lament for his aching teeth, yet it’s still worth wondering where Koster sees his band in a genre that was born out of pain: the blues. With six full-length studio albums, countless EPs and live albums to their name, My Morning Jacket’s eclectic blend of stoner rock will be put on display at Bluesfest in Byron Bay. And while it might be hard to hear the blues in their rapturous, blissful haze, Koster insists if you dig deep enough, it’s there. And it’s there for all musicians. “Maybe not in the traditional sense of the word,” he says, when asked if the band considers themselves bluesmen at heart. “But if you really think about it, in modern music, the blues has been an influence on almost everything. You can hear the blues in tango, mambo, country, rock’n’roll, soul – it’s really all over the place. The blues is like air and water for a musician as far as I can tell.” Koster is certainly in a place where he can make that assertion. My Morning Jacket is the kind of band that have walked the long road and have always managed to stay focused on the ideals THAT brought them together as a band in the first place. Their continued efforts to maintain their unique position in the world of rock’n’ roll can be heard on Circuital, their latest full-length. It’s their most

cohesive and entertaining record to date; still, My Morning Jacket have always thrived on being a live band first and foremost. From their legendary four hour sets at Bonnaroo to their continued tours throughout the world, My Morning Jacket are a relentless live act. It’s been over six months since the release of Circuital, and Koster is keen to offer insight on how the songs have evolved live. “It’s funny, it seems like the songs always morph the more you play them and get comfortable with them,” he says optimistically. “They tend to just change organically; they never stay the same. In a lot of ways they’re just vehicles. Every song has chords, structures, melodies, words but they’re always open to interpretation as you can tell whenever anybody covers anybody else,” says Koster with a chuckle. “You have to stay in the moment.” Though Koster acknowledges the importance of staying in a moment, he can’t help but look back on a series of moments which certainly shaped My Morning Jacket, especially as a live band. In 2006, the band were asked to open for legendary live act Pearl Jam. If My Morning Jacket are any good at all now, Koster admits that Seattle’s favourite sons certainly deserve some credit. “That was a really great experience for us. To get to play with a band that has such integrity and such soul and such care about what they do, from a business level to an activist level to an artistic level to a personal level. It was an inspiration for us to know we could have something like that. To know that we

“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT AS A BAND TO DO THINGS OUT OF LOVE, INSPIRATION AND PURE JOY RATHER THAN OUT OF FEAR.”

could do what we do, not compromise anything as a band and be successful at it. We got the idea to get involved in a lot of different things after watching them. They were the ones that inspired us to give a dollar of every ticket from every show we play to a local charity. Ed [Vedder] used to come out and sing with us, before the place was full. It’s that kind of care and attention really rubbed off on us. It’s something we’ve tried to do since we started having the chance to take bands out with us.” Bluesmen in the purist sense of the word they might not be, but My Morning Jacket certainly know how to overcome sorrow: by challenging themselves. Every record is a step in the evolution of the band. Just as the blues were first used to comfort those in times of trouble, the music of My Morning Jacket brings not

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

only their fans joy, but the band as well. “I think it’s important as a band to do things out of love, inspiration and pure joy rather than out of fear. And sometimes the fear can thwart you and halt you in your tracks. It’s a fine line. But I don’t know any authors, artists, filmmakers that don’t have works that weren’t challenging. They were always taking chances and not doing things that had already been done. And I hope we’re the same way. We can’t be afraid to fall down and make a mistake.” MY MORNING JACKET will throw it down at Byron Bay Bluesfest taking place between Thursday April 5 and Monday April 9, with a sideshow at the Palace Theatre on Wednesday April 4.

Beat Magazine Page 49

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Stephen McBean sounds bored. After answering my phone call sounding so wearied like he could be stoned, McBean fills me in.“I’m just hanging out, doing nothing in Los Angeles,” says the Vancouverite with a soft chuckle. For McBean, the psych-rock virtuoso who doubles as the founding member of Black Mountain, his time is better spent playing live. “Pink Mountaintops played some shows down here,” he says. It’s only then that his voice begins to perk up. “We’re going to start recording after Australia.” When the band do enter the studio to begin work on their follow-up to 2009’s Outside Love they will have had more than enough time to hone their chops on the road. They’ve been on the road almost constantly since the release of Outside Love, long enough now that on this current leg of the tour they’re playing live just for the sake of it, without an album to promote. “It’s just nice to go out on tour without having to push product, so to speak,” says McBean. “And to go out with Pink Mountaintops as a three-piece, it’s certainly a lot easier to do that. And yet we’ve recently had the opportunity to go places we’ve never gone, like Portugal for example. Even without a new record or whatever, we’re still trying to reach new people. And it’s been a good time.” “We’re doing stuﬀ from all three records,” he continues after being asked about current setlists, and if his approach to touring changes when they’re not “pushing a product.” He hints that it might even be more liberating.

“This lineup’s a little diﬀerent from ones in the past. It’s good to change things up. Once and awhile people might get annoyed, but you can’t please everyone. It’s about being in it for yourself hopefully that’ll translate to people listening.” There’s no doubt that people are listening. Throughout the nine years since their inception, Pink Mountaintops have built a loyal following of fans privy to their lush yet punchy psychedelic vibe. McBean and the Mountaintops build a wall of sound onstage by allowing their songs to bend and shape. The experimentation that McBean has become so adept at creates the perfect headspace to write new music. McBean admits that it’s not uncommon for a great show to inspire him to begin writing new music. “There are so many things that need to happen for a good show,” he says. ‘You can have the band playing great but there might be no one in the audience. On the other hand, you can play in front of 1,000 people and have a bad

show. But sometimes it all lines up nicely and gives you chills. It feels great. And sometimes I’m able to go back to wherever I’m staying, pick up a guitar and fiddle around with something new. I’m still quite alive with the experience of the evening and the idea of traveling, so the ball keeps rolling. We can take these new ideas, work on them rather quickly and figure out how to play them live right away.” The process McBean describes sounds decidedly organic and unrushed. His relaxed demeanour now begins to make a hell of a lot more sense. Still, there are challenges for McBean as a songwriter. As the brains behind Pink Mountaintops and Black Mountain, he must differentiate the ambiance which each act is going for (and often simultaneously) and separate his songs accordingly. McBean’s an old pro, however. For him, it’s all about finding a vibe. “Once and awhile, a song like Stay Free off the second Black Mountain record, that was originally a Pink Mountaintops song. It changed a bit. It suited Black Mountain in a way that didn’t suit the Mountaintops. Other times it’ll happen the other way. A lot of times it’ll be a lyrical thing to, as we’re searching for a certain vibe.” When it comes to playing live, McBean and Pink Mountaintops have certainly mastered the vibe. By the end of our conversation, he sounds considerably more upbeat, especially when asked about a recent string of shows supporting legendary fuzz-rockers Dinosaur Jr. These shows reaffirmed his faith in the places he can take the music of Pink Mountaintops, and his enthusiasm is tangible. “When we were playing with Dinosaur Jr., it was kind of a trip. I grew up on a steady diet of those guys, back when I was watching a lot of skateboard videos and stuff. To tour with them and become friends with them, it certainly makes my life more complete. To see how they function as a band and to see that they’re still vital after all these years, what with their new records still kicking arse and to see that they

still destroy things live is inspiring. Proves that the game goes on a lot longer than people usually think it does.” PINK MOUNTAINTOPS will play a headline show at The Tote on Monday April 2. They will also provide support for Dead Meadow at the Corner Hotel on Sunday April 1, and play Boogie Festival in Tallarook on Sunday April 8, followed by a late night show at Cherry that same evening.

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

BY PETER HODGSON

The late, great Frank Zappa was a notoriously difficult musical force to pin down. He did it all. He pioneered ‘60s psychedelia, concept albums and pop culture parody, he experimented with musique concrete, fusion and disco, he composed incredibly detailed modern classical pieces, and to top it all off he was an incredibly inspirational guitarist. Zappa demanded the best from his musicians such as Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta and George Duke. Frank passed away in 1993 but today his music lives on in the work of Dweezil Zappa’s Zappa Plays Zappa. With an incredible band of Zappa-worthy musicians in tow (including Frank’s longtime bass player Scott Thunes), Dweezil will return to Australia in April to for the Byron Bay Blues Fest and a sideshow in Melbourne. Although it would be impossible to cram a complete overview of Frank’s music into a single night – after all, he released more than 60 albums – Dweezil and co. give it a fairly good shot. “The thing is, there’s so much to choose from,” he says. “I deﬁnitely will be looking at what we played last time to make sure we give everybody a completely diﬀerent show. But what I think my main focus is for this year, and certainly Australia is really early in the year for us so you guys are getting a look at it before anybody, really – is the depth and variety of Frank’s music across multiple decades.” The band’s list of songs on call includes well-known early material from the likes of the ‘60s classic albums Freak Out and We’re Only In It For The Money all the way through to later material from 88’s Broadway The Hard Way, and various key points in between. You might even hear the rarely performed Debra Cadaver from Bongo Fury, and an even rarer track, Wedding Dress/ Handsome Cabin Boy. “Every time we do that song, I’ve asked the audience how many people are familiar with this song,” Dweezil says. “There are literally two to four people

who raise their hand! So the thing about stuff like that is, the good news is you get a chance to hear it in a live situation and have it make an impact – and it is a really cool little song with a sea shanty thrown into the middle of it – but the overall message, what I really want to do, is to give people a very diverse assortment of stuff that texturally changes and represents the decades pretty specifically. So when we play a song from the ‘60s it really sounds like a song from the ‘60s. The production details are as important as the rhythms and notes of the songs themselves, and that’s really the character of the songs. That’s been an interesting challenge.” The band goes to great pains to recreate the sonic textures of the various eras of Zappa. A typical ZPZ gig might require vintage lo-fi ‘60s garage sounds, ‘50s doo wop vocal textures, New York disco, ‘70s progressive rock and ‘80s radio pop. “We do everything we can to try to recreate that stuff. Where I may differ slightly on the timbre of the instruments is when stuff in some of the ‘80s things sounds like a factory preset from like a Yamaha DX7 or something. It

was new at the time, but it has a very dated sound later on. So sometimes when there’s material that has some of those kinds of sounds, I try to gravitate to something that’s a little more traditional or authentic to a piano sound or something else. Because in those kinds of situations it has more of an overall organic feel to it.” The band has even been playing Any Kind Of Pain, perhaps the greatest parody of those beauty pageant tribute songs ever committed to vinyl. When Dweezil ﬁrst embarked upon Zappa Plays Zappa, he was primarily known as a kickass Van Halen-inﬂuenced hard rock guitarist, whose progressive rock band Z released two wildly creative albums called Shampoohorn and Music For Pets in the early 90s, right as grunge tore rock apart. Dweezil always had amazing technique, but playing Frank’s composed parts was a far more demanding challenge even for the technically gifted guitarist. In 2004, two years before ZPZ ever set foot on a stage, Dweezil reconstructed his technique from the ground up so he could play not just Frank’s idiosyncratic lead guitar lines but also ‘impossible guitar parts’ written for the likes of Vai and Keneally, as well as intricate passages written for marimba and even songs

like G Spot Tornado, which was written and performed on the Synclavier, an early digital synthesiser and sampler. Now with almost a decade of intense Zappa under his fingers, Dweezil is looking to incorporate other textures into his style. “One of the things that’s been cool lately is that some of the things I’ve always admired in other players, like Allan Holdsworth, for instance – he has these fluid runs, this kind of tension and release around what he’s doing. And Frank built his own tension and release in a way that was even more angular than Allan Holdsworth. And as I grow as a guitarist some of the influences I’ve always had have a chance to be expressed more specifically. We recently did a couple of shows where Allan Holdsworth sat in, and it was fun to play off of him and to pick up on the idioms he was using, and to say “I can use some of this musical language to have this conversation, but I’ll also say my own thing with it.”

down the track of doing albums and EPs and all that jazz, but as a young band I suppose that in getting the attention of a potential fanbase it’s more powerful for us to record big singles. Really, really banging ﬁlm clips, rather than recording ﬁve songs and still essentially having a single or maybe two. So I think we’ll release it in singles and clips.” “We can do a lot of it at home on the cheap. We’ve all got pretty smart studios at home. Apart from the drums we can lay it all down and then spend a day or two mixing and mastering it with a dude like Forrester Savell, like we did last time and will in the future as well. So I think the vibe is, between now and October or November we’ll come out with huge releases every ten weeks or so, then come the end of the year we’ll release a full big album. That way people actually give a fuck about the album.” Tremayne, incidentally, is full of praise for Savell, who has worked with bands like Cog, Dead Letter Circus, Birds

Of Tokyo and Karnivool. “He deﬁnitely has the ears. He’s awesome. He has ears and ideas. And he’s a lovely guy as well. He brings new things out in the music and he brings it together in a new way which all sounds lush.” For the band’s upcoming headline show at The Evelyn Hotel, they were to be supported by another supergroup of sorts, The Khyber Belt, featuring members of Rook, Bushido and .Hinge. But Khyber Belt had to drop oﬀ the show when they scored the support slot for the Evanescence tour. “They pulled out on Friday, so now we have a band called Artilah, plus I Am Duckeye, which is a couple of boys from Sydonia, who are good mates with us, and a band called Fisker.”

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA hits The Palace Theatre on Fiday April 6 and Bluesfest, taking place from Thursday Aprl 5 to Monday April 9 in Byron Bay.

SUB ATARI KNIVES

BY PETER HODGSON

Australian heavy music seems to be in the midst of a strange new epoch, where established bands are either breaking up or splintering into side projects. Birds of Tokyo. Over-Reactor. F L O A T I N G M E. They have their roots in bands like Karnivool, Cog and Mammal. And now we have Sub Atari Knives. This Melbourne three-piece features drummer Ben Ellingworth from the man-you-guys-broke-up-too-soon MM9, Mammal bass player Nick Adams, and vocalist Hugo Tremayne from K-Oscillate. The music is rhythmic, aggressive, percussive, phat and philthy but with plenty of melody too, if their new track DTX is anything to go by. “It started off with myself and Nick, the bass player,” Tremayne says. “He had some concepts and ideas songwise about two years ago. I started penning some ideas down with him loosely over the summer.” Soon some demos came together and the pair realised it was time to bring in a serious drummer, and a band was born. I suggest to Tremayne that a lot of ‘second bands’ featuring established players seem to be built around a particular vision for a sound, as opposed to their first band which often arises out of mateship and good old fashioned weekend jamming. “Sometimes it’s a natural progression, as with this one, because it was vision based-but the progression of us as far as playing together was natural as well. Yet it was more vision based as well. If that makes any sense.” Being a three-piece but having such a monolithic sound, the band approaches live performance creatively. Rather than add extra live members or play along to a pre-recorded track, they take a more unified, all-in approach. “We play as much as we can physically live,” Tremayne says. You can Beat Magazine Page 50

see much of what the band uses live in the rooftop clip for DTX, and it’s a pretty good indicator of the kind of energy you can expect from a live show too. “As far as the drum stuff in the video, what Benny had was what he uses, but we pulled out a few instruments. Be he plays basically a live drum set-up, obviously, as does Nick but with a few bass effects. But with the drums we have MPCs and DTX and little MIDI pads and stuff like that, so he’s got lots of MIDI instrumentation to hit as much of the synths and the sounds in real time as possible. And he only has two arms and two legs, so anything that can’t be played in real time is on a track. But it’s really minimal. Just the three of us straight up. It’s pretty large for three cats. Just the three, no more, no less. But as much as Nick can play live, he does.” The band is currently recording, but they haven’t yet decided if they’ll release the tracks as an EP, an album or individual tracks with accompanying film clips. “I suppose that in the day and age of the internet being the most powerful tool of communication as far as the audio visual goes, we could go

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

SUB ATARI KNIVES, Artilah, I Am Duckeye and Fisker play The Evelyn Hotel this Friday March 23, presented by Saltar Hype.

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

Beat Magazine Page 51

CORE

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

For the first time in yonkers, I went to JBHiFi on the weekend and purchased an album – at full price– DESCENDENTS marched full speed to the counter to purchase and engage in some encouraging small talk with the sales assistant, then out to my car to careful unwrap the three layers of plastic cling, and insert the disc carefully into my car’s CD player. As the first track kicked in, I delicately unfolded the booklet and ran my hand gently over the fine stock and inhaled. Dudes, it has been years since I’ve engaged in this kind of activity. Don’t worry, I am acquiring my music legally online, but remember how exciting it was when you purchased music physically, and then left the CD in your car to spin endlessly until you knew every word and the singles stopped being the best tracks and the B-sides started taking on tremendous, unappreciated appeal? The internet is the greatest technological development in the history of mankind but it’s taken the joy out of the way we engage with music. I miss the old days. #thatguy

CRUNCH! GIG ALERT: CLASH OF THE TITANS Clash Of The Titans is a huge Aussie metal fest at The Espy on Saturday April 14 featuring Ennui Breathes Malice, Teramaze, Scar the Surface, Bronson, Internal Nightmare, Divine Ascension, Deliverance We Prey, Abreact and Dreams In Monochrome. Doors at 6pm, tickets are $20.

OVER-REACTOR UNLEASH MOUTH OF THE GHETTO VIDEO

Over-Reactor - featuring Ezekiel Ox (Mammal, Full Scale) and Cory Blight, have released Mouth Of The Ghetto, the first track and film clip from their forthcoming album of the same name. It’s a kickass slab of groovy, heavy, almost industrial heavy rock with some cool synth sounds, and the video’s worth checking out if only for Zeke’s dance moves. Cruise on over to overreactor.com to check it out, and catch them at The Tote on Thursday March 22, $15, with special guests.

Beat Magazine Page 52

The Lawrence Arms will release a 10th anniversary concert DVD called An Evening Of Extraordinary Circumstance via Fat Wreck Chords this June. Preorders are available now.

Melbourne’s Smith Street Band have announced a residency at Old Bar to road test some new material on their adoring fanbase. Every Wednesday in April they’ll be live and local with supports like Hoodlum Shouts, Palisade and Grim Fandango. The Mission In Motion have announced a big ol’ Australian tour to take their triple j championed single Control on the road. The Tote will host them and local supports, Jonesez in Melbourne on Saturday June 2. Two fifths of excellent metal band Protest The Hero are working on a country side-project. The band’s vocalist and bassist have teamed up to form Refugees. The songs have banjo in them. Banjo and harmonica. Amazing. Canberra’s Super Best Friends will release their new EP Handshake tomorrow (Thursday) and they’ll hit the road to celebrate. The ten-show tour will stroll through Melbourne in April, arriving at The Brunswick Hotel on Friday April 13 and Pony on Saturday April 14.

French ska/punk band Skarface will arrive in Melbourne next week to play at The Bendigo with Slick 46 and Menage-a-ska. Dudes have released 14 albums and toured US, China, Japan, Russia. Now they bring their posi vibes to Australia. Pencil it in. After announcing East Coast tour dates that cruelly neglected his home town of Melbourne, Jamie Hay (Fear Like Us, A Death In The Family) has announced one impressive hometown show for Saturday April 28. Gertrude’s Brown Couch will host Jamie Hay (& band), Arrows, Grim Fandango, The Union Pacific and Milhouse. The Bullet Treatment (the band with revolving vocalist, best known for contributions from Matt of The Bronx), will release a new album in May that will feature members of Comeback Kid, Vultures United, Outbreak, The Bronx, Cancer Bats and A Wilhelm Scream. Out via Think Fast! Records on May 15.

CORE GIG GUIDE Thursday March 22: Kretch, The Volatiles, Batpiss, The Interceptors at Bendigo Hotel Boris The Blade, Hallower, Aversions Crown, The Construct at Next Friday March 23: In Trenches CD Launch, Hopeless, Safe Hands, Urns at Bendigo Hotel Aitches, The Swedish Magazines, Cavalcade, Chambers, Headless Death at Gasometer Taco Leg, Constant Mongrel, Mad Nanna, Interzone, Nun at Gaso Upstairs Saturday March 24: Boris, Sleepmakeswaves, Laura, These Hands Could Separate The Sky at Corner Hotel Twelve Foot Ninja, Jericco, Circles at Evelyn Hotel Safe Hands, Ocean Grove, Bateman, Emerson, Gold at Irene’s Warehouse Mindset, Safe Hands, Declaration, Bateman, Term Four at Yah Yahs Ignicomus, Embodied, Inverloch, Sarfaust at Bendigo Hotel Intentions, Infinite Void, Little Killing, Carbs at Gasometer Sienna Skies at Bang Sunday March 25: Boris, Bonnie Mercer at Northcote Social Club

METAL, HEAVY ROCK, CLASSIC ROCK

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD SHIT WITH PETER HODGSON: CRUNCHCOLUMN@GMAIL.COM

MORTAL SIN NAME NEW SINGER

Aussie metal legends Mortal Sin have named Dave Tinelt of Nekrofeist as their new vocalist, after original singer Mat Maurer announced in February that he’d be leaving the band, not too long after releasing the thrashtastic Psychology Of Death album. “We are so happy to welcome Dave into our family,” the band said. “He’s a killer vocalist and an all round top guy. Dave will re-light the fires and inject new adrenalin in us all. The next record will pick up from where POD left off – It will be harder, faster and all the other clichéd adjectives we can think of haha – Seriously, we can’t wait to record with him.” Dave made his debut with the band on the weekend and more dates will be announced shortly.

GIG ALERT: EASTER WEEKEND AT THE PRAGUE

Kick off Easter Weekend with Apache Medicine Man, Sons Of Abraham, Uncle Chunk and Mondegreen at The Prague in Thornbury. Doors at 8pm, pre-sale tickets available via the bands. Oh and check out Uncle Chunk’s eclectically excellent album Social Studies, released last year.

BUMBLEFOOT REOPENS THE BUMBLESTORE

One of the nicest dudes in rock, Bumblefoot (Guns ‘N’ Roses) has reopened the Bumblestore at corerevolt. com/bumblefoot.html where you can get CDs, DVDs, TAB books, shirts, hats, patches, photos, stickers, buttons, guitar straps, picks, and Bumble’s custom guitar-shaped keychains with strings and moving parts. Autographed CDs, DVDs and photos are also available, with $5 from each item sold donated to Multiple Sclerosis research.

VOYAGER SCORE RHAPSODY OF FIRE US SUPPORT Congratulations to Australian prog heavyweights Voyager, who have just scored the main support slot for the US tour of Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. The band recently released The Meaning Of I, and played a killer set at Prog Power Fest USA 2011, so while I’m holding back from making some kind of ‘voyage’ pun, it’s certainly true that the band is going places. Sorry. I tried to resist. Really I did.

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

DARKEST HOUR SCORE DEVILDRIVER SUPPORT

Darkest Hour have picked up the support slot for the forthcoming DevilDriver tour, which hits Melbourne on Sunday May 6 at Billboard. Speaking of DevilDriver, frontman Dez Fafara has just revealed he’s working with Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton in a ‘just-for-’fun’ side project called Born of the Storm. The lads released two demos online last week, Nowhere Fast and Dust, with Kevin Talley on drums. The material is maybe a little more heavy rock than DD or LoG, but the real surprise is Dez’s singing (as opposed to his well-known screaming) voice, which doesn’t get much of an airing in DD and only popped up occasionally in his previous band Coal Chamber. FEEDBACK Got news? Want to rant about something? Tell everyone about your favourite band? Bitch about how you never got over the discontinuation of Honey Smacks? Email crunchcolumn@gmail.com

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

Beat Magazine Page 53

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

PURPLE EMERALD

SWEETALKERS

Northcote punters have inherited a precious gem. After 16 years of trade on Flinders Lane, Melbourne, The Purple Emerald Lounge Bar has relocated, opening its doors to the wonders of High Street, Northcote – and it hasn’t changed a bit. This iconic gem was a long time favourite for Melbourne’s CBD 20-somethings. Renowned for its live funk and soulfuelled entertainment and quirky vintage decor, Purple Emerald has stuck to its roots, keeping to the rustic charm that earned this little treasure it’s iconic status as Melbourne’s hidden gem. Closed only on Wednesdays, Purple Emerald trades every other afternoon as a cafe bar before it makes a transition into the funky nightspot it is renowned for. Live soulful beats and an all day BBQ make the sun-deck Sessions on Sundays a breath of fresh air. Live acid jazz and funk/soul inspired entertainment is on every Thursday night, as well as on Friday and Saturday nights til the wee hours of the morning in support of all the local musos in the neighbourhood. It’s located at 349 High St, Northcote.

Sweetalkers is storming the stage at Bar Open with an amazing lineup of international spoken word and local poetry all stars to light up your night this Thursday March 22. Back from Glasgow we have the Edinburgh fringe fest-award winning writer/ performer Skye Loneragan, bringing her passion for poetry into the third dimension, down from Sydney to tell us a thing or two. Sage storyteller Sista Zai, blends humour, intellect and grace in talking about the experience of African-descended women living in Australia. And over from the USA on their Australian tour, a pair of Poetry slam champions: Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay, giants in the US poetry scene for years, having performed for thousands of audience members in venues from sold out theatres to maximum security prisons. They’re kind of a big deal, as is your host and MC for the evening will be Steve Smart, cult-personality around Melbourne. This is going to be the best thing since the wheel was reinvented to be better than sex-stacked metaphors on top of sliced bread, ever. Or at least a damn ﬁne night of stage-poetry. Free entry.

EASTER SLAUGHTER DAY GRIND THE EASTERN Newmarket Music is excited to announce that the hardest working folks in showbiz, The Eastern (NZ) will be returning to our shores for a phenomenal round of shows that will also coincide with the Australian launch of their new release Hope & Wire. Thursday March 22 will see The Eastern kick oﬀ their Aussie tour at the beloved Retreat Hotel in Brunswick. Support from Cherrywood. 9pm start, free.

ROCK N ROLL WRESTLING Rock N Roll Wrestling was born in the early ‘90s and was the brain child of second generation wrestler Mr. Damage. Some of the wildest matches were held under the roof of The Prince of Wales in St. Kilda. Such wrestlers Bully The Brawler, ‘The Hitman’ George Julio, The Ox & Mr Damage put Rock N Roll Wrestling on the map and ringside was the place to be on a Saturday night. Saturday March 31 marks the triumphant return of Rock N Roll Wrestling to its new home The House of Rock. It returns in a big way with ﬁve huge matches featuring wrestlers that were up and coming wrestlers in the Greyhound days and now have returned to The House of Rock to become legends. It’s been six years in the making and promises to be a night that brings the romance of rock and wrestling together. The live music guest for the night is Destroy She Said and all the rockin’ HoR DJs.

HANNAH CROFTS WIGHTON

KATIE

In the last few years alone, Hannah has supported such acts as Gossling, The Rescue Ships (Elana Stone, Brian Campeau) and Tinpan Orange all over the country. Inspired by beautiful musicians such as Feist, Laura Marling and The Tallest Man On Earth, her mainly autobiographical songs have a wonderful sense of depth and character. Hannah recently released her third EP in Perth to a crowd of delighted fans as part of a series of back-yard gigs she began. Since then, she has played alongside seasoned Australian musicians such as Elana Stone, Brian Campeau, Leroy Lee, Danny Widdicombe and Andrew Morris to name a few. In September 2011, she packed her small-city-self up and leapt on the ﬁrst plane to Sydney where she is beginning to make her mark. Witness them in Melbourne on Thursday April 12, at Open Studios, with special guests.

It's Easter again and the only way to celebrate should be by a bludgeoned deafening from blistering grind-core at breakneck speeds. Oh, and a BBQ of course. Last year it was the thrashin’ of the Christ but this year, it’s a heavier, faster and nastier Easter Slaughter Day Grind. Bands on the bill are grinding thrash attack Xenos, d-beat grinders Goon Soaked Rag, cvltnation.com’s top 6 grinders of 2011 Wölfe, European tour lords Nowyourfucked and the ever brutal Odiusembowel. Saturday April 7 at The Tote, $12, 8pm and a free BBQ.

JAMES WALSH

KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE Having spent 2011 touring solidly, Newcastle/Sydney outﬁt Kira Puru & The Bruise are hitting the road once more for their When All Your Love Is Not Enough 7” single tour. Their sullen, sweaty and spine-tingling brand of rock has earned them a throng of dedicated fans Australia-wide as well as industry accolades. Don’t miss Kira Puru & The Bruise as they unfurl their ode to modern sadness in Melbourne on Friday March 30 at The Tote Hotel with supports from Black Water Fever. Doors open 8.30pm, Entry is $10.

HOODOO MAYHEM

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 Hoodoo Mayhem Brass Band is ﬁnally returning to Bar Open. The New Orleans style band is powered by lungs and sticks. As pedal power can move, wind power can groove, so get ready to shake your hooty when the Hoodoo’s roll into town. Six horns, drums and the all mighty funkin’ sousaphone bring the joy and culture of New Orleans direct to your ears. Featuring horn players from acts including: Gotye, Bombay Royale, Labjacd and Public Opinion Afro Orchestra...oh shit. Blow your lid at that Bar Open place this Friday March 23 from 10pm. As the homeless man once scrawled on countless Melbourne walls, “IT’S FREE”.

UNCOMFORTABLE BEATS

Kretex (Indonesia/Australia) Jogjakarta’s Wok the Rock is the convenor of Kretex (named after the indonesian clove cigarette; Kretek). Described as a cross between Discharge and Can or a punk Chrome, Kretex features Nathan Gray (The French, Snawklor) on synth, Tym Krasevac (Zond) on drums and Indonesia’s Wok the Rock on guitar and vocals. Don’t miss their only Australian show at Bar Open this Sunday March 25 – free entry.

Uncomfortable Beats return to Bar Open with a strong lineup of locals and internationals. This time around UK rapper Motley will welcome the stage showcasing his cheeky brand of British hip hop. Class A and Aoi’s new super-group The Baroness will perform new tracks for their recently released self titled album. One of London’s most recent imports to Melbourne, newcomer Melody will be showing her skills both as a talented beatmaker and vocalist. Able8 & Ghostsoul, fresh from their Sydney tour will be pushing some new unheard sounds in an exclusive joint mini-set. Gavin Campbell from PBS will DJ the ﬁnest selections of glitch-hop and futurebeats to get you moving. Entry is free as always, tonight at Bar Open.

JOHNNY GIBSON Johnny Gibson, drummer with The Swedish Magazines, Raised By Eagles, The Currency and Streams Of Whiskey has deﬁed expectations by putting together a knockout debut album, titled Endless Search For Gold. Aided and abetted by his Dirty Dozen (Liz Stringer, Van Walker, Steve Milligan and more), and with supports Bell St Delays and Tim Scanlan & Friends, he will launch the album at Old Bar on Thursday April 5.

KRETEX

GOODBYEMOTEL Goodbyemotel return from living in New York for the past six months, writing and recording their new album with producer Kevin Killen (U2, Peter Gabriel). While based in NYC they played a residency at the amazing Rockwood Music Hall and toured their latest EP Wish Your Way around the US, picking up college radio play and showcasing at US industry events such as CMJ and MMC. To celebrate their return to Melbourne, they’re throwing a home coming show on Friday March 23 at Yah Yah’s. Be amongst the ﬁrst to hear songs from their new album. Joining the lineup will be rockers Innerspace, plus other special guests including Ash Naylor (Even) DJing.

CHERRY ROCK 2012 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.

Beat Magazine Page 54

THE BLUEBOTTLES

TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON

In the autumn of 2011 Michael Hubbard (lead guitar) enlisted the help of friends Richard Bradbeer (bass), Jim Laurie (drums) and his little brother Joe Hubbard (rhythm guitar/keys) to bring to life a vision he’d had for a long time, a rockin’ guitar based, instrumental group inspired by the Pre-Beatles rock music of the ‘60s. No strangers to the Melbourne music scene, The Bluebottles is comprised of members of Eagle And The Worm, Downhills Home and The Greasers to name but a few. Get yourself to The Old Bar every Wednesday in March to catch the Bluebottles show and see what all the fuss is about. 8pm, free entry.

Hollering with all their heart over a ﬁve string banjo and a doghouse bass, Truckstop Honeymoon live the life they sing about. Touring across three continents with four kids and a truckload of songs, Katie Euliss and Mike West tell stories about the strangeness of everyday life. Their music combines elements of Midwestern bluegrass and old New Orleans jazz, spiked with vaudeville wit and showmanship. They join the likes of The Perch Creek Family Jug Band onstage at Phoenix Public House on Sunday March 25. Tickets $26, concession $21.

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

RED BENNIES LIVE Melbourne music scene has a new home at Melbourne’s temple to the fringe arts, Red Bennies. Live music has always had a presence there since the venue opened in South Yarra two years ago. Showcasing names like Fitz & The Tantrums, Lanie Lane, Pete Murray, Cookin’ On 3 Burners and the Harry James Angus Band, Red Bennies now has a dedicated program of back to back bands on Thursdays for RB’s Live, encouraging a whole new generation of talent with proﬁle and employment opportunities. Thursday March 22 will feature live music, paint and video with Tehachpi, Planet Love Sound and Ben Wright Smith.

SERI VIDA & ANGUS SAVAGE After a successful single launch at Yah Yah’s Seri Vida will be performing an intimate solo set to support Angus Savage at the Thornbury Local on Thursday March 29. Angus Savage representing his band Liberty PDE, will perform stripped down versions of the band’s much loved material and Seri Vida will explore new sounds and soulful melodies with her trusty telecaster in tow. 9pm. Free entry.

JUDGE PINO & THE RULING MOTIONS Judge Pino & The Ruling Motions are a living tribute to the greats of ‘70s Jamaican reggae. Whilst versioning and covering classic ‘70s lovers' rock, early dancehall and rockers reggae tunes in their own genuine style, they create a retro-phonic space ﬁlled with rhythm and sound that will move everybody into a dance. The Bar Open favourites return once again to ﬁll your soul with the warm sounds of the motions. As per usual, it is free.

THE PHILISTINES Party with The Philistines and get involved in some mid-week debauchery every Wednesday in March at The Tote, with supports from all over the Melbourne scene. Catch them tonight at The Tote Hotel. Doors at 7pm, $4 on the door, and BBQ in the beer garden for gold coin donation. Support from Pom Fritz and Jackals.

FALLOE Fresh from their explosive performance at the St. Kilda Festival, Falloe have just announced their longawaited 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.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

HOWL AT THE MOON Continuing to bring their visceral strum and drang to Melbourne’s live venues, Howl At The Moon take to the Northcote Social Club stage on Saturday March 24 to launch their highly anticipated debut album Squalls. Showcasing the breadth of the band’s musical largesse, at times the album is a turbulent journey over emotional high seas. From the sonic violence of first single Let The Mainsheet Down My Love to the more reflective tone of second offering Just A Kid like its name suggests, Squalls is unrelenting and enveloping. Tickets available now from the Northcote Social Club website.

FORAMEN Foramen (Jon Chappel) has a Tuesday night residency every week this March. The guy who used to be in Mclusky is gonna be playing his guitar for the amusement of onlookers. Support is Palm Springs this Tuesday March 27. Located in the front bar of The Tote with free entry, doors open from 8pm.

PUGSLEY BUZZARD Prepare to be booglarised by one of Australia`s ﬁnest consummate artists. Pugsley Buzzard has performed all over the world from the smoky jazz cellars of Berlin to downtown New Orleans the womb of the blues. Pugsley has dazzled and delighted audiences far and wide with his unique blend of dark hoodoo blues, good time rollicking boogie and blazing stride style piano playing in conjunction with his huge mesmerizing voice that can make the ladies sigh and grown men cry. A recipe for loads of fun. Appearing at The Retreat Hotel, on Thursday March 29. Entry is free, folks.

DAYDREAM ARCADE

RIVER OF SNAKES After smashing out a month of killer shows at Cherry Bar in February, River Of Snakes return to The Retreat Hotel this Saturday March 24 for another night of chaos, noise and heavy riffage. River of Snakes will be playing with a fill in special guest drummer, Luis Sanchez from Intoxica and Midnight Woolf while they find a permanent member to take the drum stool. The awesome Suzie Stapleton band will play support. Bands start at 9pm, free entry.

WAZ E JAMES From the seminal sonic grunge pop of Brokenhead to his current new country sounds, Waz has been recording and releasing music, both independently and through established record labels, for over ten years. He has consistently toured Australia playing major cities as well as the renowned country festival at Tamworth. Waz E James is playing two sets in the front bar at The Retreat Hotel from 7.30pm till 9.30pm. Following this is Suzie Stapleton at 10pm, River Of Snakes at 11pm and DJ Shaky Memorial at 12am.

BEN SALTER It has been a big 12 months for Ben Salter. After releasing his debut album; the singer-songwriter from The Gin Club, Giants Of Science and The Wilson Pickers (as well as numerous other acts), toured the country with Paul Dempsey and Busby Marou, appeared on Rockwiz ﬁlming a stunning duet with girl of the moment, Kimbra and won Most Popular Male in the Queensland Music Awards. Into 2012, things just keep getting better and better for Salter, with a solo co-headline tour with a notable Australian frontman yet to be announced as well as touring to the UK and Europe. Salter will be playing every Sunday in March on The Retreat Hotel’s brand new beer garden stage. Two sets from 4pm. Free.

With inﬂuences from Two Door Cinema Club, Cut Copy and Jackson Jackson, Daydream Arcade’s super catchy riﬀs, lyrics and beats are the ultimate sounds to get crazy with. They play a Wednesday night residency throughout March. Tonight, support comes from The Kilniks and Poco La Pax. The Evelyn from 8.30pm. Tickets $7+bf, available through Moshtix.

FRANCOLIN Suddenly Painlessly is the ﬁrst single from Francolin’s debut album Won’t Let You Down recorded and produced by Nick Huggins (Oscar + Martin, Kid Sam, The Harpoons). In 2011, Francolin built a reputation for joyous live shows, a disarming dose of charm and quality lyricism. After a sold out farewell during examseason and the invigorating reception at their return for the recent St Kilda Festival, Francolin are now ready to bring the manifold magic of their music from Melbourne and out into the world. Born by wide-eyed ‘80s guitar pop, slow motion Mardi Gras and the M*A*S*H-theme Suddenly Painlessly tumbles out the gate like a grinning locomotive. The words are an ode to the myriad ills of self-doubt but also a rallying cry to the escape trick which cures them all.

LA LUCHA GLAMOUROSA Big Bennies (a Red Bennies spin oﬀ) and Dolores Daiquiri (co-producer of The Australian Burlesque Festival) present a night of world class Mexican Wrestling Burlesque Action. Following a series of sell out shows at Red Bennies, La Lucha Glamourosa returns to The Prince Bandroom where it all began for a no holds barred battle royal, where tassels collide, tequila gets slammed and tail feathers get well and truly shook, featuring ten-piece band Abbie Cardwell and The Chicano Rockers. Obsessed with this music and her opshop Mexicali Brass records Cardwell, better known for her rootsy-rockabilly music with her band The Leading Men, decided to bring this magical music to life. She began Spanish lessons and formed a new band, complete with a brass horn section and Latin percussionist, and let her inner ‘chica’ shine! DJing is the Mexicali Mammas and the wrestlers are drawn from Melbourne’s burlesque elite. It happens on Saturday March 31 from 8.30pm and tickets are $30+bf from the Prince website. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 55

CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

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 sounds 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.

LAST LEAVES SUB ATARI KNIVES After their killer set at this year’s Rock The Bay festival, Sub Atari Knives (featuring members of Mammal, MM9 and K-Oscillate) have burst onto the live scene and are already one of the most talked about bands in Melbourne. Combining electronics with hard hitting punk rock tracks – think The Prodigy, Sex Pistols, NIN, Pendulum – this three-piece will no doubt impress your socks oﬀ. Supported by Artilah, I Am Duckeye and Fisker. Presales $10+bf or $12 at the door at The Evelyn this Friday March 23.

BIG DAY NOT OUT

BONJAH

Knocking back a few cheap frothies, enjoying a couple of BBQ’d snags and witnessing rank amateurs attempt to play sport... few things are as idyllic, or as fun. Or, as in the case of Pub Cricket, few things in the world are attempted with as much gusto by people so ill-suited to a pursuit. That’s right – the unfit, beerloving denizens of a dozen local pubs are back on the field for the annual Big Day Not Out at Edinburgh Gardens, Brunswick Street, on Sunday March 25. After a long season of trying to figure out how many beers there are in an over, 12 pubs (who form part of the Yarra Pub Cricket Association) from around the inner northern suburbs duke it out in a day-long battle royale in one of Fitzroy’s most celebrated annual community days. With a strong community focus (proceeds go to local charity) the Big Day Not Out continues its inner-urban focus (that means you can bring the kids), and offers a day more full than Boonie after a flight to ol’ Blighty of cheap beers, a huge BBQ, live music, DJs, and dubiously-talented cricket. All in the perfect surrounds of Melbourne’s historic Edinburgh Gardens, the Big Day Not Out is a day out you’ll savour more than anyone ever did Brett Lee’s terrible band.

Bonjah have started the year oﬀ in a big way. The band have played at Pyramid Rock Festival, the East Coast leg of the Big Day Out and sold out their national summer tour. Bonjah have just announced their Fall Together East Coast single tour, which will be their last Australian headline shows for 2012. The brand new single from the Melbourne based four piece encompasses driving rhythms, gorgeous melodies and fantastic production from Steven Schram (Little Red, San Cisco, Tinpan Orange). The multi award nominated band have made a name for themselves from their powerful live performances, relentless touring and masterful song writing. Be sure to see it for yourself when the Fall Together tour reaches The Corner on Friday June 8. Tickets are on sale on now from The Corner website.

DIRTY DEEDS Melbourne’s original AC/DC tribute band Dirty Deeds take to the stage again this weekend. Friday March 23 sees them play the Westend Market Hotel in Sunshine. AC/DC fans would be mad to miss it.

Introducing Last Leaves: a new band consisting of three Lucksmiths members – Marty Donald, Mark Monnone and Louis Richter – and Noah Symons of Great Earthquake fame. Writing and rehearsing in the Dandenong Ranges, the group has found their sound coming together eﬀortlessly and unhurriedly: at once warm and dynamic, the at times complex rhythms are woven together by intriguing guitar and bass melodies. And after a two year hiatus, Marty Donald’s songwriting pen hasn’t run dry of vibrant imagery and despondent wit. Come celebrate the debut performances of Last Leaves this Thursday March 22 at the Workers Club with Laura Imbruglia, and Saturday March 24 at the Empress with The Zebras.

CHERRY WEENED Ween’s Chocolate and Cheese fourth LP was originally released on September 27, 1994. Freedom of ‘76, I Can’t Put My Finger On It, Baby Bitch, Voodoo Lady, Buenas Tardes Amigo, What Deaner Was Talkin’ About, Don’t Shit Where You Eat, the list goes on from this 16-track masterpiece from Dean and Gene Ween. So, to honour its apocryphal 16.5 year anniversary the Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane Melbourne is hosting a one-oﬀ celebration of Ween on Saturday March 24. Incredible Ween Tribute act Weened will play two sets. Firstly, Chocolate and Cheese track-for-track in its entirety, secondly, all your Ween favourites. Patron Saints will support. You should be there. Doors 8pm, bands 9pm. Tickets are $13, only from the Cherry door.

TIMOTHY NELSON & THE INFIDELS Perth based five-piece Timothy Nelson & The Infidels have officially announced their first ever national tour. Solo, Nelson has made the pilgrimage east fairly consistently over the last 12 months but this will be the first time that east coast Australia will get to see the full force of his Infidels in full flight. With a reputation as one of Perth’s must-see live acts, Melbournites will have three chances to catch them when they play Pure Pop records on Saturday March 31 (special acoustic show at 3pm), The Wesley Anne on Saturday March 31 at 4.30pm and The Tote on Sunday April 1 with Hudson, Celadore and Tiaryn Griggs (tickets are $12 on the door).

SHERIFF There’s a rumbling coming from deep beneath the bowels of this city. It started a while back with a steady kick drum, a muffled bass line and a guitar riff that just would not quit. Today, this rumbling is ready to spew forth three men onto these mean streets, to fend for themselves and prepare our town for a show not soon-to-be forgotten. Dust off your cowboy boots, find your dancing and drinking partner, and get on down to Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane on Saturday April 7 to see Sheriff. With support from Jackals and Sun God Replica, tickets are $13 and available on the door. Sheriff will take their sound and shove it in your ear holes if they need to. Make it easy for them – they’d do the same for you.

TAX Get set for a great night at The Old Bar, with the apocalyptic sounds of TAX. Featuring members of Lakes, Zond, Collapsed Toilet Vietnam, and Whitehorse. Doors open from 8.30pm with support from Eastlink and Ice Claw. This Thursday March 22, $8 entry.

THE MESSENGERS We Can’t Get Along, the latest single from Melbourne’s The Messengers, is a quick shot of contagious hooks and virulent tones. Destined to get into your ear holes and take up permanent residence, We Can’t Get Along is resplendent with jangling guitar, and singalong lyrics. It is succinct and swaggering pop flavoured rock at its most primal and therefore, finest. The debut single Something Old Something New from Brave Face delivers ‘50s nostalgia with luscious reverb drenched guitars and melodies. With special guests Brave Face (single launch), Private Life and DJ Pierre Baroni (PBS). Get to The Toff this Sunday March 24, doors open from 8pm. Tickets are $12 on the door.

SETH LAKEMAN THOMPSON

AND

CARUS

For folkies, rockers and folk rockers alike, it’s one of the tours of the year – a double-headline featuring English multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso ﬁddler Seth Lakeman, and Australia’s own international troubadour Carus Thompson. Seth Lakeman has sold over a quarter of a million records and his music has broken down perceptions and barriers of folk music in the mainstream, which has earned him the ‘Poster Boy of Folk’ tag. Carus Thompson is one of the few fully independent Australian troubadours to be able to carve out a full-time living from his craft. Years of touring at home and overseas has assured that he possesses the enviable ability to draw hundreds of people wherever he goes. They play two special shows at Bennetts Lane on Sunday April 8 and Monday April 9.

CANYONS Fresh from releasing their debut LP Keep Your Dreams at the end of last year, Canyons will be taking to the road next month for their first ever National Live Tour – debuting in Melbourne at The Toff, this Thursday March 22. Keep Your Dreams aligns a fine balance between the electronic and the organic. Rich in sounds from the animal kingdom through to the vintage acid house jackin’ songs- this debut album has been well worth the wait, and now it’s yours to see in all its glory. Bamboo Muzik DJs provide the musical support. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $10 in advance from Moshtix, $15 on the night.

BRYCE WASTNEY New Zealand singer/ songwriters are world famous for their innovation and creativity and Bryce Wastney is no exception. His style is smooth, soulful and authentic. Think a mix between catchy melodies of Neil Finn, melodic builds of Coldplay and the storytelling imagery of Bob Dylan. The Toﬀ on Sunday March 24 marks the anticipated release of his second album titled Hope Mountain. Special guest and top Melbourne singer/ songwriter Jesse Mitchell will be kicking oﬀ the show. Doors open from 7.30pm, tickets $10+bf available from Moshtix, or $15 on the door.

VICTORIANA GAYE It’s primal. Boy meets girl, girl gets pregnant, boy now man in band who tours a lot, girl now woman who stays home bringing up kids, woman starts playing guitar and writing songs while waiting for man to return. Together man and woman become Victoriana Gaye. Vicki is a consummate fringe performer with loads of love and gusto to share. Check out their two sets in the front bar at The Retreat Hotel from 8.30pm. Tuesday March 27, free entry.

SCARAMOUCHE Named after the roguish stage character, Scaramouche are an exciting, upcoming Melbourne based rock band. Scaramouche have crafted a fresh and dynamic sound that balances musical depth and originality with a classic rock attitude. Scaramouche formed in Canberra in 2008, and quickly became prominent on the live scene before relocating to Melbourne in late 2010. They play this Friday March 23 at The Penny Black.

Beat Magazine Page 56

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

RON S. PENO & THE SUPERSTITIONS Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions are proud to announce the imminent release of the critically acclaimed, award winning Future Universe on heavy vinyl, pressed by the legendary MPO in France. The album has been described as Ron’s best work since Doughboy Hollow and it will be released in a strictly limited batch of 300 on Friday April 13, distributed by Fuse. The second half of 2011 was particularly busy for Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions. After the successful launch of Future Universe in July came shows with Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, The Drones and many more. The album received critical acclaim, and the public have followed suit, with the CD version of Future Universe almost sold out of its fourth pressing. To celebrate the release, a theatre show has been announced. Good Friday April 6 sees Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions play the gorgeous, newly renovated Regal Ballroom in Northcote. Tickets on sale now from webtickets.com.au.

THE STU THOMAS PARADOX Red-hot space-surfster enigma The Stu Thomas Paradox return to Tago Mago on Friday March 23. For two sets, they will paint the air with shimmering sounds, like the love-child of Iggy, Ziggy, Lynch and Tarantino. They’ve shaken derrieres from Melbourne to Berlin to Mars. Get caught in their orbit now, and you can say you were one of the ﬁrst to see them before they went Supernova.

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN Howlin’ Steam Train are gearing up for a massive month in March. The lads have been sharpening up their live show and they’ll be unleashing an onslaught of rocking boogie music every Sunday night in March at The Old Bar. With great supports each week this residency is shaping up to be a cracker. Catch them this Sunday March 25, from 8.30pm. $5 entry. Supports include music from the Harlots, Jimmy Saint & The Sinners and DJ Shitshake.

MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES Matt Sonic & The High Times kick oﬀ a huge run of shows with a return to The Retreat on Friday March 23. Support comes from incredible Rich Davies & The Devil’s Union from 9.30pm. Free entry.

SYSTEM OF VENUS System Of Venus take their low-end tunes to highend grooves to Pony on Thursday March 22, for an unforgettable night of beers and bands. With a new addition to the skins, System Of Venus will be busting out their highly energetic in-ya-face antics, and infectious riffage. Joining them on the night will be Melbourne lads The People, whose combination of old school funk and contemporary rock will be sure to please. In addition, new comers Art Of Later will kick off the night with their low end riffs and funky style. Do yourself a favour, start your weekend a day earlier with a rockin’ Thursday. $5 entry, doors open 9pm.

SWARM TOUR Melbourne’s progressive heavy music scene is in ﬁne form in 2012, and how better to celebrate than to combine the force of three of its ﬁnest on an impressive triple bill. This March, longstanding genre leaders Twelve Foot Ninja and Jericco will be joined by newcomers, Circles on the national Swarm Tour. With local supports, Saturday March 24 at The Evelyn Hotel, is set to be a thrill. Tickets available from The Ev’s website or via Moshtix. The Swarm Tour also reaches Macs Hotel on Thursday March 29, Ferntree Gully Hotel on Friday March 30 and Pier Live on Saturday March 31.

SARAH CARNEGIE Get along for a real treat at The Retreat Hotel tonight to witness the amazing Sarah Carnegie from 8.30pm. The night will continue to not disappoint you with Marisa Quigley providing the entertainment from 9.30pm. Next Wednesday March 28, hear sounds from The Get Go Duo and Ten Gallon Head. Both will be located within the front bar, don’t miss out.

HELLHOUNDS This month saw the release of retro-blues trio Hellhounds debut LP. The full length album, produced by Hugo Race, crosses American blues with psychedelic rock and is now available for purchase. On the tail of the recent release, Hellhounds continue the celebrations with a show this Saturday March 24, at St. Kilda’s Bar 362. Doors open 9pm, entry is free.

ALL THE COLOURS Tonight, All The Colours play songs from their yet-to-be-tilted debut album currently being recorded. These shows are in support of their debut single Love Like This. All The Colours is the new project for Miami Horror frontman Josh Moriarty. The sound is a mix of The Beatles, The Black Keys, Todd Rundgren, The Doors and Tarantino soundtracks. Lots of vocal harmonies, tight grooves, tasteful solos and vintage tones, with reﬁned and sophisticated classic tunes. Special guests include Rohypnotise and Evelyn Ida Morris. The Toﬀ opens doors from 7.30pm. Tickets are $10 on the door.

VITRUVIAN MAN

EMPRA

THE SWEETS

Vitruvian Man are back to launch their long awaited debut album, The Stranger Within. The four-piece progressive outﬁt has been impressing audiences both locally and interstate for the last two years with their epic song structure and dynamic live performances. The group is sure to dazzle punters as they unleash their sonic assault at Pony on Friday March 23. Oﬀering main support are the mighty Bugdust with their unique brand of heavy, fast paced, nasty, venom-tinged rock. Opening proceedings are the whacky and unpredictable antics of The Contortionist’s Handbook. The Stranger Within will be available on the door for a special discount of $20 including cover charge.

Hard rock/alternative band EMPRA will kick your arse, and lift your spirits at their headline show at the Espy Front Bar on Thursday March 29. Having just released a two track single, the band are continuing to build momentum and generate buzz right across the country as they prepare to kick oﬀ a three month national album launch tour in May. Sharing the stage with EMPRA are guests Bottle of Smoke, Pretty Villain and Overdrive.

Eastsiders The Sweets have just announced that they will soon be releasing their debut EP. And it’s right on time for these dudes, who play satisfying rock inﬂuenced by The Rolling Stones and Black Keys. Along for the night are friends Agility, who will be sure to deliver a suitably entertaining set for everyone. The Victoria Hotel, Friday March 23, 10pm.

THE PRETTY LITTLES

When Jack and Ben realised that something had to be done about the severe lack of caramel in contemporary music, they decided to insert their own cheeky layer. Calling on the services of the talented young Riley and a Clark Kent lookalike they formed a band. The result? The strange but beautiful thing that occurs when too much indie-cred collides with ‘80s Chinese pop tunes. Acid Western play The Victoria Hotel this Saturday March 24, 10pm.

BEATS FROM THE HEART On Thursday March 29, Beats From The Heart, a charity fundraiser for Sacred Heart Mission, launches at Revolver Upstairs. To support Sacred Heart Mission’s hard work within the community, an experimental night with psychedelic visions from guest VJs, jams from some of Melbourne’s ﬁnest explorative bands and funky grooves from DJs come together to raise some fast cash. Yolke headlines the night with their bittersweet sonic sounds, followed by the epic tribalism of These Patterns. Trjaeu explore their electronic genius, while THNKR starts of the night with some falsetto indie beats. Ross De Chene Hurricanes spin some classic tracks with DEADV visuals lighting up the stage with Fear and Loathingesc visuals. $5 entry, all proceeds going to the mission. 8pm start.

The Pretty Littles take to Richmond’s Great Britain Hotel on Saturday March 24. With a bombastic garage rock sound reminiscent of Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club, things are bound to get loud and sweaty. Joe Neptune will provide support on the night and more than likely blow them oﬀ the stage. Entry is free, doors 9pm.

ACID WESTERN

60 SECONDS WITH… SHANE WALTERS musicians from across the globe, and they have little chance of pursuing their gift on a full-time basis. But this is changing! With global social media platforms evolving rapidly, we can become connected with people across the world and grow the awareness of our music. Record labels will be as useful as a printed-copy of this magazine in 10 years. What can a punter expect from your live show? Me playing my lapslide guitar, ukulele, an array of other guitars, and singing raspy melodies, whilst being accompanied by extremely talented musicians.

So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? My name is Shane Walters, and I’m a self-managed 100% independent singer/songwriter. I write the music, record it, produce it, promote it, tour it, write more of it, sing it, live it and breathe it.

What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? I’ve got a couple of EPs that I sell at shows, but I’m about to give birth to a full-length album called Box Of Birds. It will be available online for download in a few months purely based on donation. I believe the ability to listen and enjoy music should not be determined by whether or not you can aﬀord to. Once you’ve downloaded it, if you feel you connect with it and it’s worth supporting, there will be options available to you to do so. Instead of “gimme 20 bucks and I hope you like it all”.

What do you love about making music? Music is like a fractal in many ways, because of its structured formula there’s always new ways to hear the music and arrangements. Learning more and more patterns of music and how they relate to emotions is something that interests me greatly.

One day left before the apocalypse and you… Realise that I should’ve made up better answers to this Q&A. Probably sing, listen and dance to my favourite music with good folks somewhere away from any city, while having a little bitch that should’ve paid more attention to Dr David Suzuki!

What do you hate about the music industry? The fact that my mind has been blown away and my heart melted numerous times by extremely talented

Anything else to add? I am the host of Melting Pot’s Open Mic Mondays every week for the month of March at Bertha Brown. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 57

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

VASHTI SIVELL On a short visit to her hometown, directly from New York City, one of Australia’s ﬁnest Latin pianists, Vashti Sivell, will ignite Brunswick Street in a oncein-a-lifetime reunion with some of Melbourne’s top musicians (and friends!). It’s a real life salsa reunion. Prior to moving to NYC she established a reputation as being one of Australia’s ﬁnest pianists in the Latin genre. See the magic for yourself this Friday March 23 at Cruzao Arepa Bar.

SHAPE OF SOUND VOL 2

LE FOX Le Fox are a three-piece from the Mornington Peninsula, pioneering their own brand of precocious noisy rock which combines elements of post-punk, new wave and indie from inﬂuences as varied as At The Drive In to Gerling, Sonic Youth and Wu-Tang Clan. Check them out this Thursday March 22 at Noise Bar where they headline a Spooks themed party with Pallet Town, Spellhouse and Field Trip. Secret Burlesque acts will also be performing. $8 entry, doors at 7pm.

DON FERNANDO

MOROCCAN KINGS

Melbourne’s one and only full force stoner rock band, Don Fernando, bring their unique blend of stoner and metal to the stage over two ripping lineups. Firstly you can catch them at Cherry on Friday March 23 with My Left Boot, Dead City Ruins and Stomp Box, then they will be following this up with a huge night at the Espy Front Bar with Heaven The Axe, The Deep End and King Of the North on Saturday March 31.

Moroccan Kings are releasing a new single from their forthcoming EP; the track is called Grizzly Bear. The band is putting together a very special and detailed show to release the song at Revolver Upstairs on Saturday April 28. The launch has two awesome support bands, two of Melbourne’s favourites, Sheriﬀ and A Lonely Crowd. Tickets are $10+bf pre-sale, $12 on the door. Pre-sale tickets are available from Moshtix or the band themselves. Doors open 9pm.

JACK LADDER Jack Ladder will perform a series of intimate oneman 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 magazine, Hurtsville received 5 stars from Time Out Sydney and Song of The Year from Mess & Noise for its striking first single, Cold Feet. The March dates offer a chance to see Ladder in rare solo format – incorporating guitar, drum machines and his compelling baritone for this one-off run of theatre style performances. Jack Ladder plays The Grace Darling Hotel Thursday March 29, tickets $15.

ON SIERRA On Sierra are back in action with a brand new set of songs – bending the direction of their song writing and leaning more towards a kind of acid space funk. Washed out vocals, intricate and intelligent guitar work and hypnotic thumping rhythms make sure your attention is well and truly grabbed and assaulted. Joining them will be Solaires, a laptop-less solo act of blissful electronica and PCP featuring Miles Brown of the Night Terrors doing their collaborative new wave sounds. The Grace Darling, Friday March 23, tickets $8.

Iceage Productions are proud to present Launch Pt.2 for The Shape Of Sound Vol.2. After the success of Launch Pt.1 at the Grace Darling in December, The Shape Of Sound Launch Pt.2, this time down in the cellar, brings you more of Melbourne’s ﬁnest experimental artists. Unlike any other, Mad Nanna bring their own brand of wild, stripped back and unbridled avant rock. Bonnie Mercer (Grey Dayturas/ Breathing Shrine) generate walls of guitar feedback destruction. Admin Bldg (Donkeys Tail/Inﬁnite Decimals) create free jazz mayhem. Galactagogue dominate the airwaves with harsh low frequency waves of noise and Monolith take you on a journey into the industrial wastelands of another dimension. The show takes place at The Grace Darling on Thursday March 22, tickets $10.

SUNSET BLUSH The Godfather of Purpledomination, Sunset Blush has stopped bouncing around the country for now playing and spreading the purple incrimination. He plays at Bar 303 in Northcote on Sunday April 8 from 2pm with Lola (Rogue Fonce), Sarah Eida, Eva McGowan and Sleeplever.

ESCARGO-GO’S

BRAZILLIONAIRES

Ever wondered what a bunch of French pop songs from the last 40 years would sound like being pounded out in true, sweaty, pub rock style? Does this sound like a post-gig drunken muso conversation? Well, believe it. With the help of Frenchman, the one and only Charly Cheese, The Escargo-go’s have been born, backed by various members of some of your favourite Melbourne bands. They’ll dish up everything from the classics (Piaf, Brel, Gainsbourg) to some obscure ‘80s and ‘90s oddness (Indochine, Noir Desir, Trust). And it’s happening again in a one oﬀ Pony 2am debauchery session. It’s free to get in and messy boozy dancing is mandatory. Oui Oui!

BROOZER

IN MOTIONS This Saturday 24 March is set to be a night of hardcore and melodic hardcore like Pony has never seen before. Featuring In Motions, a melodic hardcore band from Melbourne’s North Eastern suburbs, the boys are sure to deliver a tight live set. Their determination and passion for their music has given them the edge over many local bands. Hardcore pals Of Stolen Moments join them onstage hot on the heels of their EP Launch, as well as metalcore bandits Event Horizon. Should be a big one, folks. Doors 9.30pm.

KRETCH Kretch are a genetic mutation, a Tourrete’s syndrome of rock’n’roll. They are a band that exercise total emotion and reason, but have complete disregard for occupational health and safety. The quartet’s blistering punkn’roll has a certain Australian dissonance and after a year of moose hunting, breast-feeding and choir singing, Kretch are back from Barbie-land. This Thursday March 22 at The Bendigo Hotel will be the last gig of their Reunion Tour and their good friends The Volatiles, Batpiss and newcomers The Interceptors will join them. Bring your body armour.

Brazillionaires, featuring Helen Cattanach (Los Dominados/Spencer P. Jones), and Leah Lombardo, along with their live band, play the ﬁrst Goddess show on Sunday April 1, at The Lyre Bird Lounge, Ripponlea, starting at 6 pm, with Queenie Battaglene, Lisa Wood, Brazillionaires and Shot Sekter. They are also launching their debut album on Saturday April 21 between 4-7 pm, with support from Sean Simmon’s (The Spoils) new musical project, HUMANS, at The Empress Hotel.

This Friday March 23 sees Broozer bring their monstrous clouds of impenetrable riﬀs as they punish the Brunswick Hotel with their teched-up sludge speed stoner rock. If that ain’t enough, it also features the Blue Mountains most insane progressive metalers Red Bee, playing tunes from their about to be released album, also Melbourne’s doom jazz extrordiaires Agonhymn will have you wishing for a change of jocks. Kicking all this oﬀ is Sewercide, local thrash at its best. Free entry so no excuses. Doors 8pm.

GEORGE KAMIKAWA, NORIKO TADANO George Kamikawa and Noriko Tadano met by chance in Melbourne and after uncovering the similarities between traditional Japanese music and blues began to explore the uncharted musical possibilities. The two styles crossed over amazingly. Both musicians promote and retain their Japanese customs, but embrace and welcome the music and arts of many other cultures. Mixing well-known blues songs with ancient Japanese music enables people to, not only through sound but also sight, experience ﬁrsthand the coming together of traditional and contemporary. Catch their show at Phoenix Public House this Thursday March 22. Tickets $22, concession $17 available through Moshtix.

60 SECONDS WITH… QUIET CHILD

Name/Band: Quiet Child.

Our plan is to move to Europe and explore the Nordic countries.

Define your genre in five words or less: Vaguely progish.

Do you have a pre-gig ritual? If so, what is it? Some of us squeeze out a Bristol type six.

Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? Long and tedious.

Name an interview question you wish someone would ask you, and answer it. What is your favourite computer game? Paul says Starcraft 2, and Peter says Skyrim. Brent and Ash’s opinions are uninteresting.

Describe the best gig you have ever played. Opeth support at Palace Theatre in Melbourne. Tell us about the last song you wrote. A tribute song to Christopher Hitchens called Oh, Christopher. Where would you like to be in five years? Beat Magazine Page 58

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

If your music was a chocolate bar, which one would it be, and why? Jumbo Toblerone, because it’s long and segmented. QUIET CHILD (ADEL) play The Central Club with Branch Arterial, One and Alex Anonymous this Friday March 23.

Q&A

ABBIE CARDWELL AND THE CHICANO ROCKERS

MUSIC NEWS

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE

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

Define your genre in five words or less: Vintage, Mexican, loco, roc’an’rol. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? Herp Albert & The Tijuana Brass, with balls and a belly full of tequila, circa 1959. Tell us about your part in the upcoming La Lucha Glamourosa event: I shall be singing Espanol with my nine other Chicano Rockers and leading the masses into reckless abandon on the dance floor. If you had to choose another band to have a Mexican Wrestling match against, who would you choose and why: Herp Albert & The Tijuana Brass would be fun

SHOOGLENIFTY When Shooglenifty hit the Scottish folk scene with their ﬁrst album Venus In Tweeds, they literally tore the place apart. Shoogles cranked it up in a major way; the resulting sound marries original traditionally based tunes – primarily Scottish in style, but featuring a wealth of other world-music ﬂavours – with rhythmic energy, inventiveness and sophistication. Their music has been called ‘hypno-folkedelic ambient trance’ and ‘acid croft’. The band return to Australia this year with latest double album Murmichan and will play Phoenix Public House Friday March 23. Tickets $32, Concession $26.

THE WEEKEND PEOPLE The Weekend People bring their violently percussive, alt-country-tinged sounds to The Great Britain for four free headline shows on Thursdays in March. They’ll be unveiling some never before played material from their forthcoming EP and joining them will be restless soul James Hazelden with some of his Gentlemen Callers making an appearance. The Great Britain Hotel, Thursday March 22, doors 8pm.

MAL DE MER Mal De Mer play their ﬁrst ever show at the Great Britain Hotel on Sunday March 25. Fronted by explosive songwriter Smoky Marigold, the band will ﬁnally showcase their exciting new sound for all ears to hear. Supports come from loser rock specialist Roxy Lavish, Rusty Douglas and Your Humble Narrator. It’s free entry all night and starts at 8pm.

MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS MJ Halloran & The Sinners complete their March residency at Grumpy’s Green this Sunday March 25. This week, they are supported by Wedgetail featuring membes of Guttersnipes, Beanﬂipper, The Family and Kill Whitey in a swirling mix of slicing melodies and driving beats. Free entry with ﬁne food and great music from 6.30pm.

JODY GALVIN & THE TENDERHEARTS Jody Galvin has an incredible passion for live performance and a great ability to energise any crowd, big or small. She believes in giving her audiences all round entertainment and creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that leaves audiences wanting more. Jody began belting out Blondie songs into her hairbrush at ﬁve years old and has never looked back. She oﬃcially began her live music career in 1996 and since then, she has been taking her live performance through Melbourne, across Australia and overseas. She will be playing with her band The Tenderhearts this Saturday March 24 at The Drunken Poet

but that wouldn’t be fair since they are probably pushing their 70s. Otherwise I would choose my other band Twin Tones from Mexico City just to see how they would hold up against us Aussies. Do you have a pre-gig ritual? If so, what is it? All ten of us like to dance backstage and for some odd reason and karate ﬁght to get those jumping Mexi beans inside of us ready for the stage. Wally likes to listen to techno on his headphones. The mariachi pants and techno make him excitable! Each to their own. A shot or two of tequila mixes well too. When’s the gig and with who? La Lucha Glamourosa, a Mexican wrestling burlesque action night at the Prince Bandroom on Saturday March 31 from 8.30pm ‘til late. Tickets from princebandroom.com.au.

SWEET FELICIA AND THE HONEYTONES After travelling to Memphis and competing against 120 bands from across the world, Sweet Felicia and her band The Honeytones have been named the Melbourne Blues Association Society Blues Performers of the Year for 2010/2011. Sweet Felicia drives her band to swing hard and give the music feel that reminds us of the hot clubs of the ‘40s and ‘50s. With deep grooving shuﬄes she delivers her original songs in a voice that we cannot forget is paramount to her ideology that music must be played with a depth of feel, heart and soul. Sweet Felicia And The Honeytones play at The Standard Hotel this Sunday 25 March.

HAT FITZ, CARA ROBINSON Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson, with their full on foot-stomping blend of hill country and delta blues, are a wonderful addition to the Australian blues scene. The combination of originals and classic blues tunes is given a startling and exciting new direction with Cara’s Irish roots. As well as showcasing songs from their critically acclaimed album Beauty And The Beast, the charismatic duo will be performing a wealth of new material enhancing their reputation as one of the best live blues acts around. The duo play with George Kamikawa and Noriko Tadano at Phoenix Public House this Thursday March 22. Tickets $22, concession $17 available through Moshtix.

PAPER WOLVES Pop rock trio Paper Wolves (NSW) are making their maiden trip to Victoria in March in support of their new single Favourite Place, from their debut EP Earlybird. On Friday March 23 they will be bringing their energetic live set to Noise Bar in Brunswick. Joining them for the pop/punk powerhouse party are local legends Meet Me In Cognito, Have You Seen This Boy and Onslow. The show is an 18+ event and doors open at 8pm. Entry is $10.

THE MERCURIALS The Mercurials are a well established Melbourne musical group, made up of Mark Ferrie on acoustic guitar, Andrew Pendlebury on semi-acoustic guitar and Adi Sappir on the cello and vocals. Each member brings a diverse range of experience and inﬂuences to create the Mercurials unique sound. The band’s new album Silver And Gold is now available. The Mercurials play The Town Hall Hotel this Sunday March 25 at 6pm.

DAVID KNIGHT David Knight is a freelance musician from the Outer Eastern suburbs of Melbourne who plays solo acoustic and electric guitar across a range of styles and genres. He oﬀers a complete performance on his instrument, drawing inﬂuences from a wide range of music and musicians. Performing a range of covers and original material, David is sure to impress as a soloist. Check him out this Sunday at Noise Bar’s Sunday Session this Sunday March 25 in the beer garden from 1pm with Mana, Cisco Rose, Kayla Moon and Jack Dariol. Free entry.

LINCOLN MACKINNON The Dead River Deeps frontman returns to the Victoria Hotel beer garden while the weather is still warm and the nights still long. Lincoln MacKinnon will perform his collection of country rock numbers acoustically for your pleasure. $10 jugs too. Match made in heaven. This Sunday March 25, 5pm. IN TRENCHES On their sophomore release the Melbourne conglomerate that is In Trenches returns a reworked, more advanced and specifically intensified beast. Without diverting from their overall dissonance and rhythmically complex approach, Sol Obscura sees the band having ventured deeper into heavy dirges and progressive compositions with stunning results. Giant walls of guitar noise reach into the human psyche, with output flowing over 27 minutes across five unique tracks. Creations beyond any typical metal and hardcore structures flourish in gritty beauty, the five piece channeling rage through a moving and ultimately forward-thinking release that bites back at the frustrations of modern existence. In Trenches will be launching Sol Obscura at the Bendigo Hotel this Friday March 23, joined by Hopeless, Safe Hands (NSW) and Urns.

INVERLOCH MATT DWYER Originally from Sydney, guitarist, singer and award winning songwriter Matt Dwyer is an established and respected veteran of the roots music scene. During his time in seminal blues outﬁt, The Bondi Cigars, Matt cemented his reputation as one of the best guitarists in the country, picking up a RYTHYMS magazine award for best live Australian blues band in 1996. Matt has also played with The Louisville Sluggers and the Matt Dwyer Quartet. Matt Dwyer plays this Friday March 23 at The Gem.

Inverloch are a new band, born from the success and worldwide interest generated by the d.USK (disembowelment) project. Having now signed to Relapse Records (U.S), Inverloch have a new Mini LP due for imminent release entitled Dusk | Subside. The band’s inaugural live show at the Bendigo Hotel on Saturday March 24 will echo their old school ambient/death/doom inﬂuences, and also showcase new songs featured on their upcoming release. They will be joined by Ignivomous, Embodied and Sarfauct. This will be the last chance to witness Inverloch’s devastating brand of death metal before they hit European shores. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 59

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE

ANDREW BIRD

Break It Yourself (Spunk)

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH RESIDENCY

DAYDREAM ARCADE THE KILNIKS POCA LA PAX

ENTRY $7, 8.30PM

THURSDAY 22 MARCH ALBUM LAUNCH

THE CALL UP CHEV RISE THE PHANTOM AGENTS THE PHILISTINES ENTRY $7, 8PM $2.50 POTS, $5 VODKAS!

FRIDAY 23 MARCH

SUB ATARI KNIVES ARTILAH I AM DUCKEYE FISKER

ENTRY $12 DOOR, $10 PRESALE THRU MOSHTIX, 9PM

SATURDAY 24 MARCH SWARM TOUR

TWELVE FOOT NINJA JERICCO CIRCLES SOUNDS OF SIRUS

ENTRY $20 DOOR, $15 PRESALE THRU MOSHTIX, 8:30PM

SUNDAY 25 MARCH

NATHAN KEARNEY ALKAN ZEYBECK & HIS LESSERMEN THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS ENTRY $7, 8.30PM

MONDAY 26 MARCH RESIDENCY

SCOTDRAKULA KEITH! PARTY SPECIAL GUESTS DJ ITCHI BUM FREE ENTRY, 8PM $10 JUGS!

TUESDAY 27 MARCH RESIDENCY

EL MOTH & THE TURBO RADS GHOST ORCHID ENTRY BY DONATION, 9PM $10 JUGS!

COMING UP:

TIX AVAILABLE THRU MOSHTIX

EL MOTH & THE TURBO RADS (TUES IN MAR) DAYDREAM ARCADE (WED IN MAR) SIGNALS IN SILENCE (29 MAR) VOLTERA (30 MAR) THE CACTUS CHANNEL – 7” LAUNCH (31 MAR) SCOTDRAKULA (MON IN APR) JOHN PATRICK & THE KEEPERS - EP LAUNCH (5 APR) SONS OF THE IONIAN SEA (7 APR) BELLUSIRA - SINGLE + FILM CLIP LAUNCH (13 APR) BUTTIFEST (14 APR) KIM BOEKBINDER (11, 18, 25 APR) MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENTS: ONE POLITICALLY INCORRECT EVENING (29, 30, 31 MAR, 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 APR) MURDER BY DEATH (USA) (17 MAY) SELLING FAST

There are those who appear different and those who are different. Chicago-based singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird is undoubtedly peculiar, genuinely and endearingly so. And these days, Bird is a level above most of his experimental/ indie contemporaries. Being a violin virtuoso hasn’t confined his reach, but illuminated his aspiration of creating strangely harmonious music that seeps into each human sensibility. Bird is attracted to doing things the difficult way because of the danger and precariousness that leads to greater alertness, but he also espouses a deep fondness for minimalist music, which – for such a technically-attuned maestro – is a liberating trait. With influences spanning classical music, country, blues, jazz, gypsy, bluegrass, experimental rock, chamber pop and traditional folk music, Bird incorporates violin, guitar, glockenspiel, mandolin, electronic music and whistling into his repertoire like no one else. Bird’s literate and verbose lyrics affirm his appreciation for the written word, but as much as he adores poetry and archaic language, his unique wordplay sprouts more from a longing to use words that haven’t been overused, corrupted and devalued. However, on his sixth solo album – Break It Yourself – it’s some of Bird’s more direct lyrics that prove most resonant. In Eyeoneye, Bird sings: “You’ve done the impossible now / Took yourself apart / Made yourself invulnerable / No one can break your heart, so you break it yourself.” Desperation Breeds is a mesmerising, slow-burning beauty in which already piercing words implode with stunningly vivid imagery and graceful string arrangements flirt with tempo shifts that leave one in a perpetual quiver. Danse Caribe is an uplifting, cathartic gem that narrates the transformation of “a shameless child bandied by stiff cross currents” to one who “exiled your close advisors” and is “through with pasifizers (sic)”. Bird unleashes his grooveladen charm in Give It Away while Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) turns tender ballad Lusitania into an affectingly memorable duet. Despite Bird’s accomplished move from a classical background into experimental alt-folk/indie terrain, each new release poses the question of whether he’ll release something close to ‘accessible’. The answer, once again, is “not really”. There are moments in

TANLINES

All Of Me (Matador/Remote Control Records) All Of Me sounds like it should be interesting. Avey Tare-esque vocals dance riotously over mischievous Chromatic-like synths which culminates into a chaotic frenzy of dejected sounds. But, for whatever reason, it falls short. It’s not bland by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s far from interesting. Does that make sense? No, probably not. Either way, expect to see this one in the bargain bin at JB Hi-Fi in three months.

THE BLACK SEEDS

Pippy Pip (Remote Control Records) I’ll be honest – for the most part I fucking hate reggae. So, quite obviously, I was ﬁlled with the apprehension I might attempt to rearrange my eardrums with ice pick when Pippy Pip landed on my desk. Surprisingly, however, the New Zealand heavyweights have created a tropical number with light-hearted horns, delicate Caribbean rhythms and soothing vocals. Shit son, someone get me a joint and a hacky sack. Consider me converted.

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

Sheena Is A T-Shirt Salesman (Remote Control Records) Sheena Is A T-Shirt Salesman is exactly the same as every other Future Of The Left track. Obnoxious, irritated, earsplitting, callous and for the most part – pretty fucking good. But every fan knows that it won’t ever hold a candle to mclusky. But hey, bless ‘em for trying.

GARY CLARK JR

Bright Lights (Warner) Nope.

Beat Magazine Page 60

1. Quakers QUAKERS 2. awE naturalE THEESATISFACTION 3. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 4. Happy To You MIIKE SNOW 5. Port Of Morrow THE SHINS 6. The Keychain Collection GANG COLOURS 7. The Straits Original Soundtrack Recording VARIOUS ARTISTS 8. Mixed Emotions TANLINES 9. A Church That Fits Our Needs LOST IN THE TREES 10. Everything Is Dancing FAIR OHS

COLLECTORS CORNER & MISSING LINK which a pop sensibility rises to the surface, but Bird is far too rebellious and forward-thinking to worry about his pieces being accessible or even likeable. What becomes evident is that each new album allows the listener to feel closer to uncovering Bird’s progressive vision and humanity’s existential mysteries. Bird writes romantic songs without being romantic and writes aching songs without professing ache. Only an artist with Bird’s ﬁnesse could soundtrack the frightening proposition of a crashing airplane to a tango, as he does in Near Death Experience Experience. Bird has written some of his most beautiful string arrangements for Break It Yourself – an album that proves why Bird is a rare genius, vital artist and heart-wrenching songwriter. There are few artists deeper or wiser than Bird; in fact, he’ll make this 60-minute listening session feel more enlightening than your three-year Philosophy Degree. CHRISTINE LAN

Best Track: Hole In The Ocean Floor If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Have One On Me JOANNA NEWSOM, Noble Beast ANDREW BIRD, The Rip Tide BEIRUT, I Am A Bird Now ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, Metals FEIST. In A Word: Meditative

SINGLES BY TYSON Disclaimer: With Simone still over in America, Tyson is still running amok at her desk and reviewing every one of the singles that he doesn’t throw at Taryn. So around 10% of them.

TOP TENS

PHILOSOPHY OF SOUND

Freedom, What For? (Disco Texas) If you’re not clever enough to skip this one based on the title alone then you probably deserve what’s coming next – although you’ll get a bit of a surprise. What I pre-empted to be a bluesy, hippie number about taking down Joseph Kony turned out to be a trashy throwback nu-disco number. Too bad Juan Maclean left town a fortnight ago or he could have sued these guys for stealing the sound that no one was interested in three years ago.

DR. JOHN

Revolution (Nonesuch Records) Nashville garage done to fucking perfection. Ol’ mate John’s ﬁrst single from his upcoming album Locked Down has blistering baritone sax, a devastating Farﬁsa solo and all round voodoo swamp vibe that’d melt the heart of any scurvy-toting wildebeest from below. Shut it down.

THE FLOORS

You Got To Move (Independent) A sluggish, generic and clichéd rock number that’s only purpose will be served if god forbid they make an updated Dukes of Hazzard sequel and a backing track is needed for Jessica Simpson to strut around the new tit-job that she so viciously hoped would save her career.

SINGLE OF THE WEEK THE INDIAN SKIES

In The Sun (Independent) The Ballarat trio have taken the clichéd concept of penning an album in a woodland cabin and morphed it into taking mushrooms in a dilapidated 3350 bedroom and losing themselves in hallucinatory bliss while the four-track runs wild. In The Sun is a muddled lo-ﬁ jam that teleports you to Kata Tjuta and injects a double dose of mescaline along the way. Visceral, dreamy and eﬀortlessly ethereal.

FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO BEATTV.COM.AU/REVIEWS

1. Split LP TOTAL CONTROL / THEE OH SEES 2. Toward the Low Sun LP/CD THE DIRTY THREE 3. II LP BLACK PYRAMID 4. Twerps LP TWERPS 5. Autoluminescent DVD ROWLAND S. HOWARD 6. All Tomorrow’s Funerals CD. AUTOPSY 7. Out From the Void 7” ANTISECT 8. Henge Beat LP/CD TOTAL CONTROL 9. Deathhammer CD ASPHYX 10. Black Session Paris 10/5/11 CD WIRE

OFF THE HIP 1. Brat Farrar LP/CD/CASS BRAT FARRAR 2. Infernal Cakewalk 10” MESA COSA 3. All Night Long 7” FROWNING CLOUDS 4. In The Graveyard LP DEAD MOON 5. Livin’ 7” THE LIVING EYES 6. Pop Up Yours LP/CD THE MONSTERS 7. Debut 7” THE COBWEBS 8. Meat Is Murder LP THE SMITHS 9. We Are The Ocean 7” KING KHAN AND BBQ SHOW 10. Yes Dave 12” & 7” CLEAR BAGS

AIRIT NOW 1. Nothing To Do BLEEDING KNEES CLUB 2. I Think I’m Fine WOE & FLUTTER 3. Little Deaths EMILY BARKER AND THE RED CLAY HALO 4. Wild Love GOSSLING 5. Let’s Just SKY’HIGH 6. The Shining JOELISTICS 7. Move That Thing DREAMBOOGIE 8. Trycolour THE JEZABELS 9. Feeding Line BOY & BEAR 10. Design Desire ABBE MAY

SYN SWEET 16 1.Bright Lights GARY CLARK JR 2.Perpetual Happening THEE EXCITERS 3. Revolution DR JOHN 4. Vondt I Hjertet RAZIKA 5. Strangers LOTUS PLAZA 6. Well They’re Gone THE DANDY WARHOLS 7. Sheena is A T-shirt Salesman FUTURE OF THE LEFT 8. This World SELAH SUE 9. Thinking In Textures CHET FAKER 10. A Church That Fits Our Needs LOST IN THE TREES

PBS TIPSHEET 1. Psychedelic Africa VARIOUS ARTISTS 2. Young Man, Old Man HOODLUM SHOUTS 3. Hoods and Shades ANDRE WILLIAMS 4. Aint Aint Aint TIME FITE 5. The Black Gladiator BO DIDDLEY 6. State Of The World Osaka Monaurail 7. Thinking in Textures Chet Faker 8. The Bright Lights Gary Clark Jr. 9. The Aberrant Years FEEDTIME 10. Harmony: Melody and Style VARIOUS ARTISTS

BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT BODY PARTS 1. Footloose KENNY LOGGINS 2. Crick In My Neck CASS McCOMBS 3. Open Arms ELBOW 4. About Face GRIZZLY BEAR 5. Sea Legs THE SHINS 6. Where’s Your Head At BASEMENT JAXX 7. My Neck My Back KHIA 8. Cherry Lips GARBAGE 9. Bad Mouth FUGAZI 10. Be A Body GRIMES

ALBUMS

PAJAMA CLUB

Pajama Club (Lester Records) FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO

BEAT.COM.AU/REVIEWS

ALEX WINSTON King Con (V2 Records)

A few years ago, in a piece featured in Mojo Magazine, MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer opined that the spirit of Detroit lived on in hip hop artist Eminem. Eminem, Kramer asserted, captured the sense of rebellion that epitomised working class Detroit, an attitude that lies latent in the classic Motown sounds of the early ‘60s, and roars as loud as a V8 Ford in the MC5 and Psychedelic Stooges. Like Kramer and Marshall Mathers, Alex Winston grew up in Detroit. At the first aural glance of her debut album, King Con, Winston is a pop artist performing pop tracks that are better suited to a suburban dance floor than the pages of critical politicomusicological analysis. At closer inspect, King Con is the pop music equivalent of a compendium of amusing short stories that satirise the whims and confounding paradoxes of contemporary emotional and social existence. On Fire Ant, an apparently emotional perfect world is razed to the ground to the sound of a sprightly pop beat; Velvet Elvis provides another chapter to Greil Marcus’s intriguing observations on the modern day exploration and exploitation of the Elvis myth. Host stomps and struts in its first person attack on romantic inadequacy, while the eerie backdrop to Sister Wife is the ideal soundtrack for an analysis of polygamy. The whimsy of Choice Notes disguises the fascination of the music industry for a catchy pop track; the minimalist Benny takes aim at the parasitic spiritual rhetoric of televangelist Benny Hinn. But it’s on Run Rumspringa – Rumspringa being the term given to adolescent rebellion in Amish communities – that Winston truly hits her Motown pop straps. A flourishing beat complimented by a ‘60s garage pop keyboard riff, backed by baritone lounge harmonies, this is a track worthy of celebration Best Track: Run Rumspringa through the ages. The spirit of Detroit lives on. If You Like These, You’ll Like This: SHONEN KNIFE, THE SUPREMES PATRICK EMERY In A Word: Sub-cultural

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG Stage Whisper (Because/WEA)

At age 15, Charlotte Gainsbourg was the unwitting subject of controversy when she song with her notorious father Serge on the typically scandalous Gainsbourg production Lemon Incest. Twenty-five years later, and Charlotte Gainsbourg has largely eschewed her father’s fascination for scandal, carving out a cinematic and musical career of considerable quality. While it’s relatively rare for Australian, English and American actors and actresses to cross over successfully into music, and vice versa, the French seem to do it without taking breath. Stage Whisper confirms that Charlotte Gainsbourg is no lesser a quality musician than a compelling actress. Gainsbourg’s musical style imbues dance-floor pop with a slick Parisian sensibility (witness the down and dirty electronic pop of Terrible Angels), her lilting vocals in All The Rain as arresting as her recent performance in Melancholia was deeply confronting. White Telephone is noir in its most stylish form, Anna a journey into more linear romantic territory and Got To Let Go the proverbial cuddle by the warm fire. If Out of Touch lacks the bite of the preceding tracks, Memoir rights the ship with its arm-grasping narrative. The album comes with a selection of live tracks taken from Gainsbourg’s shows in July 2010. The atmosphere is excited (wolf whistles abound), the music tight, yet Gainsbourg’s vocals lack the depth of her recorded output. It’s a timely reminder that sometimes you have to either be there to appreciate a performer’s natural charisma and talent, or that some music is best heard in studio form only. Best Track: All The Rain If You Like These, You’ll Like This: GOLDFRAPP, JANE BIRKIN PATRICK EMERY In A Word: Elegant

Sharon and Neil Finn have teamed up for an exciting new venture, their self-titled release a curious and ultimately satisfying affair. The pair have done well to push the parameters of the Finn family legacy, combining traditional pop sensibilities with an unprecedented groove-laden stratagem. The change of pace is owed in part to an apparent electronic imposition. It would appear that Neil has found a few new tricks up his sleeve of late and, here, he’s only too happy to toy and tinker liberally to ensure a foreign context for his expertise. An exercise in experimentation, the LP doesn’t necessarily yield pure gold on a consistent basis. It is, however, pleasantly intriguing. The sultry swagger of Tell Me What You Want shines a light on the vulnerability of lust, while These Are Conditions offers up a shot of smooth introspection. The sharp melodic gem Daylight emerges the key highlight, however. Neil has been optimistic, if a little coy, concerning the future of the project. For the Pajama Club to emerge a flash-in-thepan, a mere dalliance, would be a shame: there’s an abundance promise strewn throughout this self-title release, after all. It might appear patchy and challenging in the context of a career built on more efficient means of pop brilliance, but persistence with the record certainly pays off. Best Track: Daylight If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Barb BARB, Day By Day DEE NICK MASON In A Word: Curious

PERFUME GENIUS

Put Your Back N 2 It (Matador/Remote Control) The album artwork for Perfume Genius’ debut album Learning was a self-portrait with the face blotted out. The cover shot for new album Put Your Back N 2 It has a similar masking effect, an act that both highlights and censors, but it’s a group portrait and the smear is a shared one. It retains the alienation and uneasiness, but the paint covering two male faces suggests a connection, perhaps a sexual union. This subtle shift in the cover art echoes the progression in the content and sound of the two albums. While the follow-up to Learning is no less intimate and haunting, the subject matter is (slightly) less harrowing and isolated. It feels more expansive, as if the subjects go a little more outside of the singer’s immediate experience. It’s also more consistent - sure, Learning had Mr Peterson, but it fell away a little in the second half. These 12 new tracks sound more assured and benefit from a shift to a cleaner, less lo-fi production. The genius of Perfume Genius is the way the vulnerable vocal is pushed to the forefront and is accompanied by spare piano backing, so when some flesh is added onto the skeletal sound, it’s done with care. White noise surges in to threaten the gentle introductory song Awol Marine. No Tear has a soulful vocal turn that recalls Antony, while some pitch-shifting harmonies in the style of The Knife add to the uneasy atmosphere. All Waters has a glacial ambience in the vein of Sigur Rós. These shifts in the weather create some exhilarating peaks late in the album. There’s an almost complete lack of backing percussion throughout, so when bass and drums finally crash in to join the piano in Hood for a mere thirty seconds, it’s a beautifully timed change of pace. Best of all is the wave-crashing drum machine and falsetto wails in Floating Spit, a heartbreaking song about drug addiction. While there are a few shafts of light spilling into the dark world of Perfume Genius, you figure that there will never be a light and fluffy album from him until homosexuality stops being demonised. This is a very honest album from a gay artist and he plays it like he sees it. We like to think we live in a progressive modern world, but for every rational thinker, there’s a Bob Katter waiting in the wings. Even the YouTube promo for this album was subject to censorship due to not being ‘family safe’, which says so much more about censorship and lack of representation for minority groups than a blotted-out Best Track: Floating Spit If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Seven Swans SUFJAN face ever could. On the plus side, amazing album. STEVENS, The Crying Light ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS In A Word: Heaven-scent

CHRIS GIRDLER

MEMORYHOUSE

The Slideshow Effect (Inertia) Memoryhouse began life as a photography/film and music collaboration between Evan Abelle and Denise Nouvion. In 2011, their first recorded work came to fruition with The Years EP, wherein Nouvion put aside her camera to lay down some vocals, while Abelle experimented with various genres. Their first full-length album is a lightweight listen that’s pleasant enough, though it’s unusual that such adventurous beginnings have yielded such pedestrian results. The Slideshow Effect recalls the slow, dreamy guitar pop of the early ‘90s but lacks atmosphere of its 4AD counterparts. Little Expressionless Animals is a promising introductory song, then things really kick into gear with the heady power-pop of The Kids Were Wrong. From here, it all glides along as inoffensive background music, with only Heirloom standing out; the second half of the album could really do with an extra uptempo track or two to give it a shot in the arm. By securing ‘dream pop’ as their genre of choice, applying a minimalist template and bringing Nouvion’s vocals to the forefront, Memoryhouse have finally established their sound, but the final cut makes you wonder whether Best Track: The Kids Were Wrong If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Four Calendar Cafe they’re really playing to their strengths. COCTEAU TWINS, Blind THE SUNDAYS CHRIS GIRDLER In A Word: Unmemorable

OF MONTREAL

Paralytic Stalks (Polyvinyl Record Co.) Of Montreal aren’t an easy band to categorise. The group that started as a psychedelic vaudeville pop experiment 16 years ago has evolved into something quite different, a musical hybrid written, composed and performed entirely by Kevin Barnes, with the help of ring-ins and session musicians. This has been a double-edged sword that hurts the music as often as it helps it – for every brilliant record such as the breakthrough Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer, Of Montreal can produce records that sound like they were made with more regard for Barne’s vision than the audience who will listen to it. This album, made in the wake of a terrible relationship breakdown, is firmly in the latter camp. Often described as the musical brain child of Barnes, Of Montreal is increasingly becoming the child he keeps in his basement and has his nasty way with. It’s a habit of bad music writing for a critic to describe anything they don’t understand as music ‘on acid’, but it’s a fairly apt way to look at this record. Listening to it is an intense experience, disjointed and alienating, unremittingly dark at times but punctuated by moments of dreamy psychedelic pop and honky-tonk shuffles. It’s a mess, but a beautiful one, a playfully psychotic exploration of religion, the duality of the human race and one man’s descent into depression and musical onanism. The rapid zig-zagging that the songs take are held together by the always cerebral and often brilliant lyrics that Barnes throws casually at the listener: ‘Dose yourself into a coma over the bestiality of our race/Into some ancient reptilian form like an agnostic transubstantian/Don’t know what that is, use your imagination.’ Depending on your tastes, you may find this album – which draws inspiration from difficult classical composers as freely as it does nihilistic existentialism – to be an embarrassment of riches that grows with each new listen, or a pretentious piece of shit. In exploring the duality of human nature, Best Track: We Will Commit Wolf Murder Barnes has captured that bit of it, at least. If You Like These, You’ll Like This: LSD, other recreational drugs In A Word: Complicated LIAM PIEPER

FOR MORE ALBUM NEWS AND REVIEWS GO TO WWW.BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 61

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 21 MAR ROCK/POP

ALL THE COLOURS + EVELYN IDA MORRIS + ROHYPNOTISE Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10. AQUA Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $60. BUNNY MONROE + CHK CHK BOOM. SHOOT THE SUN. TIM MCMILLAN BAND Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. BUNNY MONROE + FUCKFACE + THE STROPPERS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. BUTTERFLY BOUCHER + PRIVATE LIFE + YEO Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $15. DAYDREAM ARCADE + POCO LA PAX + THE KILNIKS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7. ELBOW Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. $90. HOLLIAVA + BY THE NIGHT + KILLS COLAPSE + THE WELLS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. MICHAEL PAYNTER + SELENA CROSS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $15. PETER LILLIE’S CAR & CARAVAN Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. THE BLUEBOTTLES + ALI E + BRASHS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. THE PHILISTINES + TYSON SLITHERS & THE PHAT CHICKS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. THE VIETNAM WAR + THE SCHOOL OF RADIANT LIVING + THE UV RACE Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. UNCOMFORTABLE BEATS - FEAT: MOTLEY + ABLE8 & GHOSTSOUL + BEVIN CAMPBELL + MELODY + THE BARONESS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. WILK & HEATH Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALLISON FERRIER Kent St Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. CHRIS HILLMAN & HERB PEDERSEN + BRENT PARLANE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $45. HARRY HOOKEY BAND Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm.

Buried Horses

HELEN CAT Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. JOE MCKEE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6. JOHNNY CRONIN & ANDY UMBERS Clifton Hill Hotel, Clifton Hill. 9:30pm. MARISA QUIGLEY + SARAH CARNEGIE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. MICHAEL PLATER + MARSDEN WILLIAMS & 245T + THE TATTERED SAILS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5. NIGEL B SWIFTE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7:00pm. OPEN MIC Ontop In Ormond, Ormond. 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. RICK PRICE 8:00pm. $65. RYAN STERLING + DAS MUSIK MANN Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. THE JANE AUSTEN ARGUMENT + OH DEANNA Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. $8. WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: TERESA DIXON + PHOEBE JACOBS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ALEX & NILUSHA (CD LAUNCH) Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. GERMAN SILVA & JOSE ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. JULIEN WILSON QUARTET + HETTY KATE 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. PUGSLEY BUZZARD Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. THE ALBARE DADON BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. XAVIER RUDD Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $62.

SHITBOX RALLY If the words Shitbox rally conjure images of drunken 16-year-old boys drag racing down a dirt road in hotwired cardboard boxes, think again. Shitbox Rally is a fundraiser for the Cancer Council wherein 180+ vehicles valued at under $1,000 each race from Melbourne to Cairns over seven days. This Sunday March 25, The Retreat is hosting a fundraiser show for the event featuring Laura Imbruglia, Jack On Fire, Wild Turkey, Swamplands, Buried Horses and many more. $10 donation on the door.

THURSDAY 22 MAR ROCK/POP BITTER SWEET KICKS + COLD HARBOUR + MERRI CREEK PICKERS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. BLUE SUN + ADAM EATON Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8. CANYONS (KEEP YOUR DREAMS TOUR) Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $15. FRIENDLY YEN Bertha Brown, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. GO GENRE EVERYTHING + FATTI FRANCES + JONNY TELAFONE + RITES WILD + THE GREAT OUTDOORS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. KRETCH (REUNION TOUR) + BATPISS + INTERCEPTORS + THE VOLATILES Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $8. LE FOX + FIELD TRIP + PALLET TOWN + SPELLHOUSE Noise Bar, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $8. LEVITATING CHURCHES + FORTRESS OF NARZOD + PRONOUN Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. LIVE MUSIC AT THE MERSH - FEAT: BEWARE THE BANDIT + SLEEPY DREAMERS AND FROM NEXT DOOR Commercial Hotel, Yarraville. 9:30pm. MICK HART + ASAMI + JANTINA GARDNER & THE JAGUARS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. OF STOLEN MOMENTS (EP LAUNCH) + AM FARROWS + CITY OF SIRENS + EMERSON + IN MOTIONS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $10. OVER-REACTOR Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. PENNIES - FEAT: FLOUNDER + LIVE: THE NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH + NUMBER STATION(SINGLE LAUNCH + THE RUN RUN + MORE + WE THE PEOPLE + DJS: OSCAR & MARTIN DJ SET + GLASS MIRRORS + SMOKING TODDLERS + WEDNESDAY THE RAT Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5. RB’S LIVE - FEAT: TEHACHAPI + BEN WRIGHT SMITH + PLANET LOVE SOUND Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7:00pm. $20. SPY KITE + CITIZEN + GUESTS OF GHOSTS + THE FOG The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. SYSTEM OF VENUS + THE ART OF LATER + THE PEOPLE Pony, Melbourne. 8:30pm. TAX + EASTLINK + ICE CLAW Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. THE CALL UP (BADLANDS LAUNCH) + CHEV RISE + SCOTDRAKULAM + THE PHANTOM AGENTS + THE PHILISTINES Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7. THE SHAPE OF SOUND VOL 2 - FEAT: MAD NANNA + ADMIN BLDG + BONNIE MERCER + GALACTAGOGUE + MONOLITH Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $8. TINY RUINS + J WALKER + VIETNAM WAR Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $16.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BEN SALTER Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. BLUES REVIEW - FEAT: RIDGE BACK Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. DAVE COSMA + LISA MARMUR + SNOWY BUSKINS + THE HAZELMAN BROTHERS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. EILEN JEWELL + COLD HEART + SWEET JEAN Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $45. GARY SOLOMON + EVAN SILLENCE Bar Betty, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. HAT FITZ & CARA ROBINSON + GEORGE KAMIKAWA & NORIKO TADANO Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. $22. JESSE & HIS HUCKLEBUCKERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm. LYALL MOLONEY Baha Tacos & Tapas Bar, Rye. 3:07pm. NICE BOY TOM Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

Beat Magazine Page 62

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

NICK LOWE (THE OLD MAGIC TOUR) Forum Theatre, Melbourne. 6:45pm. $90. NIGEL WEARNE + SUZIE STAPLETON Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. NORIANA KENNEDY Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $30. OPEN MIC Acoustic Cafe, Collingwood. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC Arcadia Hotel, South Yarra. 8:00pm. RICK PRICE Wellers’ Hotel, Kangaroo Ground. 8:00pm. $29. RUBY’S SHOWCASE Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 7:00pm. THE ALEX FORMOSA BAND Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. THE EASTERN + CHERRYWOOD Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. THE PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUG BAND Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. THE WEEKEND PEOPLE + JAMES HAXELDEN Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC CAM SCOTT HAMMOND GROUP 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. CLAUDIA OSEGUEDA & OSCAR PONCELL Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. ECHODRAMA + E! MOTH + THE TURBORADS Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:00pm. JOE CHINDAMO TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. PRINCE ALBERT & MIRKO GUERRINI Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. SALT LAKE CITY Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. SOUL SAFARI Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10. THE SCOTT TINKLER QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY 23 MAR ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: ESCARGO-GO’S Pony, Melbourne. 2:00am. ACID WESTERN + TOWERS Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE + DIXON CIDER + K-MART WARRIORS + LAST CALL + MYRTLE PLACE + SPEW’N’ GUTS Kindred Street Front Space, Yarraville. 7:00pm. AGONHUMN + BROOZER + RED BEE + SEWERCIDE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. AITCHES (ALBUM LAUNCH) + CALVACADE + CHAMBERS + HEADLESS DEATH + THE SWEDISH MAGAZINES Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. ALEKS & THE RAMPS (ALBUM LAUNCH) + LOWTIDE + THE OCEAN PARTY Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. AMY MEREDITH + NEW EMPIRE The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $20. AMY MEREDITH (U18) + NEW EMPIRE The Hi-ﬁ, Melbourne. 4:00pm. $20. AUTUMN GREY + SECONDHAND HEART + THE WINTER MIGRATION Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 8:00pm. BROOK CHIVELL BAND (ALBUM LAUNCH) Spenserslive, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. CHELSEA DRUGSTORE Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 10:00pm. CREATURES OF KARMA (EP LAUNCH) + NO LOVE FOR LEXI: SINGLE LAUNCH + YOKEY John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. DIRTY DEEDS Westend Market Hotel, Sunshine. 9:00pm. DON FERNANDO + DEAD CITY RUINS + MY LEFT BOOT + STOMP BOX Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13.

DUNGEON BAR + ROCK DUNGEON Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 7:00pm. ELECTRELANE + NEW WAR + SONGS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $42. GARETH LIDDIARD + LOST ANIMAL The Regal Ballroom, Northcote. 8:15pm. GOODBYE MOTEL Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. HIGH FANGS + CHARM + DEAR STALKER + THE DIE CASTS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. IN TRENCHES + HOPELESS + SAFE HANDS + URNS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. IN YOUR HAND + COOPER STREET + OUR BEST LAID PLANS The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. JAMES WALSH + JACKSON MCLAREN + SARAH MCLEOD Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $30. LOCAL BAND NITE - FEAT: WHITE SUMMER Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $10. LOOK WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOXIC + BATPISS + PEEP TEMPEL + SUN GOD REPLICA Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES + DJ XANDER + RICH DAVIES & THE DEVILS UNION Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm. MEET ME IN COGNITO + HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY + ONSLOW + PAPER WOLVES Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $10. ON SIERRA + SOLAIRES Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $8. THE KHYBER BELT & SUB ATARI KNIVES + SUB ATARI KNIVES + THE KHYBER BELT + FISKER + I AM DUCKEYE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10. THE REBELLES Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE RED EYES + CARISSA + DIKTIONONE + ELSEWHERE + SALUBRIOUS Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 7:00pm. $20. THE STU THOMAS PARADOX Tago Mago, Thornbury. 8:00pm. THE SWEETS + AGILITY Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. THEE KNOCKOUTS + BARRY SAVAGE & THE LITTLE SEIZURES Lyrebird Lounge, Ripponlea. 8:30pm. VITRUVIAN MAN (ALBUM LAUNCH) + BUGDUST + THE CONTORTIONISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HANDBOOK Pony, Melbourne. 9:30pm. WITCHGRINDER + ABREACT + BRONSON + DECIMATUS + SUBJEKTIVE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. WOLF & CUB + MACHINE + ROYSTON VASIE + THE VERLINS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. YOSHITORO + 4TRESS + MURDER RATS + THE BOMBADIERS Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ANNA PADDICK Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6:00pm. BEN SMITH BAND Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. CAROLYN BRYERS + GARY Bar Betty, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. DAN LETHBRIDGE & THE CAMPAIGNERS + CARDWELL + THE MATT GREEN BAND Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. EILEN JEWELL Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. JACK HOWARD Pure Pop Courtyard, St Kilda. 6:00pm. JIMI HOCKINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BLUES MACHINE Micawber Tavern, Belgrave. 9:00pm. LOUIS KINGSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LIARS CLUB (ALBUM LAUNCH) Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. LYALL MOLONEY Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. NICK TATE BAND + VICUNA COAT Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. PETER ROWAN BLUEGRASS BAND Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $38. SCARAMOUCH + BATTERY KIDS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. SEVEN HEARTS (EP LAUCNH) Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $15. SHOOGLENIFTY & THE STRING CONTINGENT Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. $32. THE LEE FORSTER BAND (CD LAUNCH) Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8:00pm. $8. THE MATT DWYER BAND Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSIONS - FEAT: DAN BOURKE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:00pm.

BIG DAY NOT OUT Like cans? Like sitting down and watching people do things? Of course you do. That also means Pub Cricketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Day Not Out is for you.Â The unfit, beer-loving denizens of a dozen local pubs are back on the field for the annual Big Day Not Out at Edinburgh Gardens, Brunswick Street, on Sunday March 25. After a long season of trying to figure out how many beers there are in an over, 12 pubs (who form part of the Yarra Pub Cricket Association) from around the inner northern suburbs duke it out in a day-long battle royale in one of Fitzroyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most celebrated annual community days (proceeds go to local charity). With live music, DJs and loads of fun for everyone, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a day not to be missed.

SATURDAY 24 MAR ROCK/POP 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: UNAUSTALIANS Pony, Melbourne. 2:00am. A BURIAL IN AUTUMN + EMBODIED + IGNIVOMOUS + INVERLOCH + SARFAUST Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. ACID WESTERN + TOWERS Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. BAND SCENE PRESENTS - FEAT: MAMMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REJECTS Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $12. BANG - FEAT: SIENNA SKIES + CULPRITS + ENNUI BREATHES MALICE + SLEEP YOU DANCE Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. BIRD BRAIN + JULITHA RYAN + TRAPPIST AFTERLAND Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:32pm. $5. BORIS + LAURA + SLEEPMAKESWAVES + THESE HANDS COULD SEPARATE THE SKY Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $42. BRITISH STEEL + AS THE PALACE BURNS + MANIAXE The Prague, Thornbury. 8:00pm. CHRIS RUSSELLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHICKEN WALK Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. CLAMPDOWN Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. FALLOE & THE DIAMONDS (ALBUM LAUNCH) + NORIKO TADANO + THE PROMISES John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. FRANCOLIN + SCOTDRAKULA Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. GREASY HAWAIIANS Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 10:00pm. HOUSE OF ROCK - FEAT: HOWLING DOLLHOUSE: ALBUM LAUNCH Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. HOUSE OF ROCK Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $15. HOWL AT THE MOON (ALBUM LAUNCH) + ON SIERRA + PONY FACE Northcote Social Club, Northcote.

-2+16721 67 ),7=52<

ZZZ WKHROGEDU FRP DX 23(1 (9(5< 1,*+7 30 $0 )5(( :, ),

ZHGQHVGD\ VW PDUFK

7+( %/8(%277/(6

%5$6+6 $/, ( '- '$1 /86&20%( 7+( '521(6 30 )5((

WKXUVGD\ QG PDUFK

7$;

($67/,1. ,&( &/$:

IULGD\ UG PDUFK

/22. :+2Âˇ6 72;,& /$81&+

681 *2' 5(3/,&$ 3((3 7(03(/ %$73,66 '- '5$:

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC BOOM! BAP! POW! Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:30pm. CARMEN HENDRIKS Prince Maximillian, Prahran. 8:30pm. FRANKIE WANTS OUT Red Bennies, South Yarra. 10:00pm. HOODOO MAYHEM Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. JEREMY WOOLHOUSE 8:00pm. KIEREN REY & ANDREW MCMURRAY 6:30pm. LA NOUVELLE 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. STEVE MAGNUSSON TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE BEC LAUGHTON QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20. THE MATT KIRSCH TRIO Dizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20. THE TEK TEK ENSEMBLE Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. THE VINCE JONES QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $38. VASHTI SIVELL Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

8:30pm. $12. IN MOTIONS + EVENT HORIZON + OF STOLEN MOMENTS Pony, Melbourne. 9:30pm. INTENTIONS (7â&#x20AC;? LAUNCH) + CARBS + INFINITE VOID + LITTLE KILLING Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. JUDGE PINO & THE RULING MOTIONS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. LATE ARVO SONS + BAD ACHES + BITS OF SHIT + SOMA COMA Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. LIKE IT LOUD - FEAT: OCEAN GROVE + EVER REST Club Shoop, Dandenong. 8:30pm. $10. MASA Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. MIDI WIDOW (SINGLE LAUNCH) + ADMIRAL ACKBARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE + KIDS REPUTATION First Floor, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10. MINDSET + BACKLASH + DECLARATION + LANDSHARK Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10. MINDSET + BATEMAN + DECLARATION + SAFE HANDS + TERM FOUR Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. MYRTLE PLACE + FISTY CUFFS + STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + THE HALF PINTS + WHEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GROVER?

VDWXUGD\ WK PDUFK

/$7( $592 6216 620$ &20$ %,76 2) 6+,7 %$' $&+(6 '- /29(38))

VXQGD\ WK PDUFK

+2:/,1Âˇ 67($0 75$,1

I AM DUCKEYE If you like your live music short, fast, loud with plenty of chuckles, then I Am Duckeye are definitely the dudes for you. Not exactly taking themselves too seriously, this â&#x20AC;&#x153;train wreck rockâ&#x20AC;? act have songs entitled Punchinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dicks and Stinklines, sure to please your senses. See them at The Evelyn this Friday March 23 as they support the awesome new electro/punk trio Sub Atari Knives (feat. members of Mammal, MM9 and K-Oscillate). Also playing are Artilah and Fisker. Tickets $10+bf from Moshtix or $12 at the door.

+$5/276 -,00< 6$,17 7+( 6,11(56 '- 6+,76+$.(

'$1,(/ %857 &20('<

30 )5((

PRQGD\ WK PDUFK

0867(5(' &285$*( 2+ 3(3

30 )5((

WXHVGD\ WK PDUFK

'$1 :$7(56

/8&< -($1 52/()) *8< .$%/(

30 )5((

EDQG ERRNLQJV EDQGERRNLQJV#WKHROGEDU FRP DX

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 63

FRANCOLIN In 2011 Francolin built a reputation for joyous live shows, a disarming dose of charm and quality lyricism. I’m invigorated just writing about it. They launch their single Suddenly Painlessly from their debut album Won’t Let You Down at the Phoenix Public House this Saturday March 24, bringing the manifold magic of their music to Melbourne. Get along, now. Barleycorn Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $6. MYRTLE PLACE + NO ONE’S HOME + STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + WHERE’S GROVER? Blue Tile Lounge, Fitzroy. 3:30pm. REPTILES + CUNTZ + PASSION FRUIT Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $8. RIVER OF SNAKES + DJ SHAKY MEMORIAL + SUZIE STAPLETON BAND Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. SAFE HANDS + BATEMAN + EMERSON + GOLD + OCEAN GROVE Irene Community Arts Warehouse, Brunswick. 1:00pm. $10. SCORCHERFEST - FEAT: AIL + ARTIST PROOF + BLACK FUEL + BLACK HAND + BOGAN NATION + CONVICTS + CROSSING RED LINES + DEATH BY SIX + MELPOMENI + ELEMENTAL BURN + EMILY GROVE + FATES CHAOS + FROZEN COMPASS + GUS MCKAY + ICE ON MERCURY Musicland, Fawkner. 12:00pm. $20. STRAYLOVE (ALBUM LAUNCH) + ELECTIC OPERA Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm. $10. SWARM - FEAT: TWELVE FOOT NINJA + CIRCLES + JERICCO + SOUNDS OF SIRUS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $15. TACO LEG (7” LAUNCH) + CONSTANT MONGREK + INTERZONE + MAD NANNA + NUN Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. TEN THOUSAND + BLIND MUNKEE + PHIL PARA + THE FIGHTING + THE MERCY KILLS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. THE DEATH RATTLES + HIGH WATER BALLROOM BAND + MATT BAILEY Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

THE MESSENGERS (WE CAN’T GET ALONG LAUNCH) + BRAVE FACE: SINGLE LAUNCH + PRIVATE LIFE Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13. THE PRETTY LITTLES + JOE NEPTUNE Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 9:00pm. THE RUN RUN + FIELD TRIP + THE CORSAIRS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10. WEENED + THE MINI-BIKES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13. XENOGRAFT + BEAR THE MAMMOTH + UNGUS UNGUS UNGUS + VINCENT Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ACOUSTIC REVIEW - FEAT: JENNY BIDDLE + SARAH EIDA + STEWART KOHINGA Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. $10. ANDRE CAMILLERI & THE NORTHERNAIRES Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm. AUDREY AULD + JASON LOWE + MICHELLE HINES + PAPER WOLVES Pure Pop Courtyard, St Kilda. 6:00pm. BACKWOOD CREATURES Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. DANCEHALL RACKETEERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. JACKET OFF Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. JODY GALVIN & THE TENDERHEARTS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm. LAST LEAVES + THE ZEBRAS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.

ALL THE COLOURS Did you know bees can see colours that we can’t see? Their range of color vision extends into the ultraviolet which means they perceive the world in colours entirely different from ours and see a whole bunch that are invisible to us. They see, perhaps quite literally, All The Colours. Now you can too, as the band with that name play the Toff In Town tonight in support of their debut single Love Like This. The band features Miami Horror frontman Josh Moriarty. Also, ladies cover your drinks, ad Fitzroy pool favourites Rohypnotise are along for the ride, plus Evelyn Ida Morris. Probably the best place to be tonight. LOUISE Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. NATHAN KEARNEY + LIEUTENANT JAM + THE VOCAL LOTION Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. RICK PRICE 8:00pm. $65. ROCKABILLY BLUES - FEAT: THE RE-CHORDS The Famous Spiegel Tent, Melbourne. 2:00pm. SCARLETT COOK Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:30pm. THE RE-CHORDS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. TRUCK STOP HONEYMOON + PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUG BAND Phoenix Public House, Brunswick. 9:00pm. WARRANDYTE FESTIVAL - FEAT: CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES + BUCK CREEK + KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD + THE TESKEY BROTHERS + THE THOD 5:00pm. WAZ E JAMES Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ACHE LA BANDA Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. ANDREW DE SILVA Prince Maximillian, Prahran. 8:30pm.

BEN HAUPTMANN (ALBUM LAUNCH) Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DOUG DE VRIES TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20. HEATHER STEWART SINGS BILLIE HOLIDAY Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20. JULIE O’HARA QUINTET Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20. MICK HART + JANTINA GARDNER & THE JAGUARS + PINA TUTERI 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. PHOEBE AND THE NIGHT CREATURES Tony Starr’s Kitten Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $5. PRESSURE DROP + BART WILOUGHBY + ROSS HANNAFORD Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $25. TATU REI Palais, Hepburn Springs. 8:30pm. $20. THAT GOLD STREET SOUND Tony Starr’s Kitten Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $5. THE F100S 7:30pm. THE SIMPSON THREE (CD LAUNCH) + THE HOT WALLOPS Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. THE VINCE JONES QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $38.

TWELVE FOOT NINJA VS. JERICCO

Twelve Foot Ninja Roy (Jericco - Bass) asks Russ (Twelve Foot Ninja Drums) Which show on this tour are you looking forward to the most? All of them! But since we’re all from Melbourne, I reckon our hometown show at The Evelyn is going to be particularly cranking! Who is your favourite drummer and why? Matty Bray. Because he’s your drummer and I would really appreciate it if he liked me more! Biggest princess ninja in the band? That would have to be Stevic (guitarist). His demands are just out-bloody-rageous. Especially the whole “taking only the blue m&m’s out of the pack” from our rider! What is your weapon of choice? Yamaha R1. What’s your favourite Jericco song live and why? That’d have to be Safe To Say from their live album. I pretty much dislocate my shoulder from all the uncontrollable pop’n! Russ (Twelve Foot Ninja - Drums) To Roy (Jericco - Bass) Your Facebook information says, ‘Works at: Importing unicorns to the moon.’ Sounds Rad! How the hell do you acquire such a job? Does it pay well? And is it easy to get time off work for shows/tours? I don’t get any time off when the unicorns are in their mating season, cause it is the effing craziest time of the year. I got the job by being a unicorn myself and have a Certificate 3 in Astro Horniness. Beat Magazine Page 64

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Jericco You are currently recording an album with the legend that is Forrester Savell. What’s it like working with him? Foz is an awesome individual – quick and pro with some crazy wicked ideas. Love the dude. The album is gonna be insane. What has been your biggest highlight thus far in Jericco’s career? Having the opportunity to tour with amazing Australian bands, and being able to experience on-the-road shenanigans. In terms of a particular show, personally, playing with Karnivool at the Metro in Perth was out-ofspace for me. You are a hummus and Oreo ﬁend. Do these items ever make it onto the Jericco rider? Abso-fucking-lutely! These items are a staple in my tool kit. I invite anyone to smell it ‘cause I’m a man. What’s your favourite Twelve Foot Ninja song live and why? Well, well, well it would have to be Manufacture Of Consent from their Smoke Bomb EP. Every time I listen to this track live or in the tour van, especially when I’m driving, the dub element reminds me of the beach, sun, beer, dancing pineapples – my ultimate weird serenity. And the heavier part of the song just kicks arse. TWELVE FOOT NINJA and JERICCO play the SWARM TOUR with shows at The Evelyn on Saturday March 24, Mac’s Hotel in Melton on Thursday March 29, Ferntree Gully Hotel on Friday March 30 and Pier Live in Frankston on Saturday March 31.

Q&A HOWL AT THE MOON What’s your name then? Oh. And the name of your band… Katie. Howl at the Moon. And what do you do? Play guitar, sing, write songs

JAMES WALSH It’s been almost ten years since Starsailor frontman James Walsh was in Australia, which is about the same amount of time since Starsailor were called “the new Coldplay” after their second ever gig. If you like Starsailor and you think Four To The Floor is about a thousand times catchier than Yellow, come check out James’ solo show at The Espy on Friday March 23 with support from Sarah McLeod (ex-The Superjesus).

SUNDAY 25 MAR ROCK/POP BORIS + BONNIE MERCER Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm. BRYCE WASTNEY (HOPE MOUNTAIN LAUNCH) + JESSE MITCHELL Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10. FIERSE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. $8. FORMOSA + MIDNIGHT CALLER Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. GRAVEY + NOBODY LIKES MILHOUSE + THIRTY ONE FIFTY Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. GRIFFON GREEN (EP LAUNCH) + BRIGHTLY + SANDCASTLE + VELCRO Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN + HARLOTS + JIMMY SAINT & THE SINNERS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5. JEN CLOHER (MATINEE SHOW) + SWEET JEAN Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 1:30pm. $15. KRETEX + MOFFARFARRAH Bar Open, Fitzroy.

When did you start doing that? I started writing songs and playing guitar when I was pretty young still. Singing I’ve done since before I could walk. The band has been together for about five years. Why did you start doing that? Somewhat out of necessity – it keeps me sane to keep making music. It’s also the most fun thing I think you could ever possibly do… be in a band and / or play music. Do you think you’re good at doing that? I reckon I’m pretty ok at it.

7:30pm. NATHAN KEARNEY + ALKAN ZEYBECK & THE LESSERMEN + THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. SCORCHERFEST - FEAT: BASTIAN KILLJOY + BIG DIP + BLOOD LINE + DEFYING THE NORM + FUBEX + NEVERVIEW + ONE GIRL ARMY + ORANGE + SAVING CLEOPATRA + STUTTER + THANATOSIS + THE ABSINTHE HEARTS + THE MIMES Musicland, Fawkner. 12:00pm. $20. SHIT BOX RALLY - FEAT: BEN SALTER + BURIED HORSES + DAN LETHBRIDGE & DAMON SMITH + JACK ON FIRE + BLACKCHORDS + LAURA IMBRUGLIA + SWAMPLANDS + WILD TURKEY Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $10. STEVE PARKIN + THE FOX PARTY Pure Pop Courtyard, St Kilda. 5:00pm. THE DARRIN ARCHER TRIO (CD LAUNCH) Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. THE HIRED GUNS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ARCHER Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. CHUCK JENKINS TRIO Union Hotel, Brunswick.

If you weren’t doing that, what would you be doing? I have a day job like most people, pushin’ books around a library, which is a pretty good way to kill a little time and make rent money. This job paid in part for the record we’re about to release, so for that I’m pretty thankful to have held it down. What makes you happiest about what you’re doing? I get to spend an inordinate amount of time with amazing people being creative. And what makes you unhappiest about what you’re doing? That even when you do it cheap, if you’re doing it on your own it’s pretty pricey. Completely and absolutely worth every penny though.

And your least proud? Je ne regrette rien.

What’s you proudest moment of doing what you do? Wrapping up recording our album which we’re releasing this weekend.

When are you doing your thing next? Saturday March 25 – Northcote Social Club – launching our album Squalls with some awesome bands in two – Pony Face and On Sierra.

5:00pm. EILEN JEWELL Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $50. HEATHER STEWART & ANDY BAYLOR + LIZ STRINGER Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm. JAM NIGHT Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. JARRAH THOMPSON The Bay, Mordialloc. 4:00pm. JULES BOULT Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. KYLE TAYLOR 303, Northcote. 3:30pm. LES THOMAS Bar Nancy, Northcote. 6:30pm. LINCOLN MCKINNON Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. LLOYD SPIEGEL Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 3:00pm. LYALL MOLONEY Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 8:00pm. MAL DE MER + ROXY LAVISH + RUSTY DOUGLAS + YOUR HUMBLE NARRATOR Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. MANA + CISCO ROSE + DAVID KNIGHT + JACK DARIOL + KAYLA MOON Noise Bar, Brunswick. 1:00pm. MIKEY MADDEN + LES THOMAS Bar Nancy, Northcote. 6:00pm. MJ HALLORAN & THE SINNERS + WEDGETAIL Grumpy’s Green, Fitzroy. 6:30pm. MONIQUE DIMATTINA BAND + MARTY KELLY & AUBURY MAHER Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

5:30pm. OPEN MIC Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 5:30pm. OPEN MIC Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 5:30pm. RAISED BY EAGLES Carringbush Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm. RICK PRICE 1:52pm. $65. SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 3:00pm. SINGER SONGWRITER SESSIONS - FEAT: SALLYANNE WHITTEN + BROOKE TAYLOR Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4:00pm. STEVE PURCELL’S PEARLY SHELLS Mentone Hotel, Mentone. 3:00pm. SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. THE BITTER SWEETHEARTS + BRENDAN WELCH + SEAN MCMAHON’S WESTERN UNION Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm. $5. THE LIGHT RAIL Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. THE MERCURIALS Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 6:00pm. THE RECHORDS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. TOM BINNS Palais, Hepburn Springs. 8:00pm. $30. TULLY SUMNER Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 4:00pm.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 65

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

ACCESS ALL AGES With Ruth Mihelcic

WEENED Fun alert. To honour the very special 16.5 year anniversary of Chocolate And Cheese, brought to the world courtesy of Dean and Gene Ween, the absolutely effing radical Cherry Bar in AC/DC Lane is hosting a one-off celebration of Ween on Saturday March 24. Tribute act Weened will play two sets, and Patron Saint will support. Doors 8pm, bands 9pm, tickets $13 on the door.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

ESTEE BIG BAND Penny Black, Brunswick. 5:00pm. JOSE NIETO Cruzao Arepa Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. LANEWAY FUNK BROTHERS + BAD BOYS BATUCADA + THE MARABOU PROJECT Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. MILANO EXPRESS Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 7:30pm. MOU QUARRTET Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. STRINE SINGERS Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm. THE KEEVERS/BARKER/FREDES/HALE QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. TIM GUY BAND + MONNONE ALONE 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $12.

GARY BUTLER 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $8. SIMON SULLIVAN + TRISTAN MCCOPPIN Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. THE MONDAY DRIFT Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

MONDAY 26 MAR ROCK/POP BROTHERS HAND MIRROR Workers Club, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: THE ZINGERS + HYPER SPACE VISION + TAX Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 6:00pm. SCOTDRAKULA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ALLAN BROWNE’S NIHILIST QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. PAUL WILLIAMSON’S HAMMOND COMBO Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

TUESDAY 27 MAR ROCK/POP BRUNSWICK DISCOVERY - FEAT: FLACCID PALMS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. CHAD MASON Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. EL MOTH & THE TURBO RADS + GHOST ORCHID Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. JAMIE MACDOWELL + JIMMY PHOENIX + LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS + NICOLETTE FORTE Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. JOHN FOGARTY (LOOKING OUT MY BACKDOOR) + THE SHEEPDOGS Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

MATT SONIC AND THE HIGH TIMES Matt Sonic’s in-between song banter is second to none. Seriously. It’s worth going to his shows just to hear him talk. He and his High Times are playing at The Retreat on Friday March 23. Entry is free, and by the end of the show Matt will have shed enough pearls of wisdom in his one liners that you will leave a better person and most likely with a pretty little something on your arm – he’s that good.

MOSH BEN ARI Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 7:00pm. $55. PATRON SAINTS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BRIONY MACKENZIE (EP LAUNCH) + COCO VELU + HUGH MIDDLETON + TIM ISCHIA Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $12. DAN WATERS + GUY KABLE + LUCY JEAN ROLEFF Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. JIMMY STEWART John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:30pm. SARAH ETINGER Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. STEVE KILBEY Chapel Oﬀ Chapel, Prahran. 2:00pm. $5. VICTORIANA GAYE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC STEPHANIE MONK 7 Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. THE REMCO KEIJZER QUINTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm.

Q&A HELLHOUNDS showdown with? Spinal Tap, or Bad News.

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? Check out that drummer! He’s a cross between John Bonham and Animal from the Muppets!

What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Howlin’ Wolf, and UFOs.

What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? The Espy basement before they turned it into a kitchen. The carpet was sticky, people pressed against the walls, and the room full of smoke. Good old days! Which band would you most like to have a battle/

Why should everyone come and see your band? Because you get to throw pocket bibles at the stage, and witness skirt flicking females dancing to hypnotic

• 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.

EXPERIENCED DRUMMER with a commitment to practice and regular rehearsals required for alternative rock band. Inﬂuences QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Nirvana etc… www.myspace.com/ mollydredd ph: 0411 372 469 ROCK GUITARIST WANTED inﬂuenced by the stones guitarists, Richards, Jones, Taylor, Wood. Txt to 0433 726 449 VOCALIST WANTED for Hallam/Rowville based metal band. Contact Brad 0402 786 369. www.myspace.com/tokenofruin

MUSICIANS WANTED

TUITION

ACOUSTIC ACTS WANTED for Bar Betty in Smith Street, Fitzroy. Paid Gig. Please phone Sandra or Michelle on 9417 3937. Bar Betty - 129 Smith Street, Fitzroy.

ASHLEY DAVIES DRUM LESSONS. Developing musicianly drumming. Using technique as a means to bring out the best in your drumming. Free half hour introductory lesson. Upstairs at Greville Records. 0415 118 390 or asho179@optusnet.com.au www. ashleydaviesmusicanddrums.com

Beat Magazine Page 66

Tickets for Moonee Valley Youth Services’ Step Oﬀ! Dance Crew Competition have just gone on sale, but you’d better be fast because previous years have sold out. With last year’s competition featuring more than 400 dancers, this is sure to be an epic day. It’s taking place on Saturday 14 April at the Dallas Brooks Centre in East Melbourne, and you can get tickets from the Clocktower Centre in Moonee Ponds, or by calling Youth Services 9243 9191. Let your hair down this Saturday at the Tropical Underage Fluro Paint Party in Altona. It’s going to go oﬀ, so wear something bright and get your dance on! If you have any news about the all ages music scene, send it to whatson@thepush.com.au and we’ll print it here.

Alpine Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? We have a brand new self-titled debut CD out now, which is available on iTunes, at JB HiFi, Greville Records, and Pure Pop Records, to name a few.

EXPERIENCED BASS GUITARIST WANTED for a newly formed original/covers band ‘Generation Gap’. Phn: Paul 8786 3421 or John 9772 9397

DRUMMER WANTED for indie electro band. Looking to launch our EP and start playing shows in a couple of months. Listen at www.soundcloud.com/conﬁder Contact: weareconﬁder@gmail. com

Here’s one for the songwriters amongst us: Cardinia Shire Youth Services are holding a writing competition as part of National Youth Week 2012. You could submit some of your song lyrics, poems, short stories, or comics. The theme this year is “Imagine. Create. Inspire.” Send your entries to youth@cardinia.vic.gov.au by this Friday, and the winners will be announced at the Poetry Slam event on Thursday April 9.

Friday March 23 FReeZA @ Lunch w/ Captain Custard, The Unknown, and DJ Alex, Boucher Hall, Bairnsdale, 12:30pm – 2:20pm, Free, Chris Taylor on (03) 5150 4861, U18 Youth Week Preliminary Art Workshops, Somerville Secondary College, 12:30pm – 2pm, Free, Jody Blythe on 5450 1666, U18 Amy Meredith w/ New Empire, The Hi-Fi, 125 Swanston St, Melbourne, 4pm, $20 +bf, moshtix.com.au or 1300 438 849, U18

What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Move out from your Mum’s house, sell your soul at the crossroads, and be a prolific social networker.

CLASSIFIEDS 33c PER WORD PER WEEK (INC GST)

BANDS & PROMOTERS WANTED. Any style for Collingwood venue. First gigs welcome, live CD recording available. Contact Jane after 12pm on 0425 796 828.

Young bands listen up, it’s that time of the year when the Push Start Battle of the Bands is starting up again. Some FReeZA committees, like Wyndham’s Inﬁnite Entertainment, are already taking entries. You can ﬁnd out when your local FReeZA committee is holding its heats by heading to freeza.vic.gov.au, which has all the contact details you’ll need. While you’re there, consider joining your local FReeZA group if just listening to music is not enough to satisfy your aural cravings and you want to physically be a part of the action.

All Ages Timetable

Define your genre in five words or less. Retro-blues, rock, hairy men.

How long have you been gigging and writing? Collectively, about 56 years.

Well here at Push HQ we’ve ﬁnally recovered from Push Over 2012, what an amazing day that was for everyone who was lucky enough to attend! A HUGE thanks to all the legendary volunteers that helped out on the day!

psychedelic blues. What more could you ask for? When are you playing live/releasing your album/EP/ single/etc? Our next gig is at Bar 362 in St Klida, this Saturday March 24. Visit facebook.com/hellhounds.music for more information on the band.

SERVICES MAN WITH A VAN. Best value movers in Melbourne. Now with trucks!!!! Equip with 1 or 2 experienced men, trolleys and removal blankets. Available 7 days. Check out www.manwithavan.com.au or call us on 9417 3443. SOUNDPARK RECORDING/REHEARSALS. Large 5 room recording studio, loads of vintage gear/instruments. Hire without engineer $450 day, or with $650. Rehearsals from $50. Phone Andrew 0425 706 382. THINK MOVING SUCKS? Call Little Red Trucks! Moving Melbourne everyday. Call 9380 6444 or head to www.littleredtrucks. com.au

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

DRUM LESSONS with Crutey from Full Scale/Tim McMillan Band. All ages and styles welcome. Email matt@saltarhype.com.au

LOOKING FOR AMATEUR COMEDIANS to perform at Bar Betty - 129 Smith Street, Fitzroy Ph: 9417 3937

DRUM TUITION. Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop (and more). Beginners welcome! All ages. Brunswick West. Contact John on 0437 873 488/john.milton@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE. Country music collection, 1970 through 2010. CDs, LPs Casettes, Videos, books & large laminated artist pictures. Excellent condition. Tel : 9568 4548. Carnegie, VIC 3163

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Saturday March 24 The Hills Are Alive w/ Alpine, Joelistics, The Bedroom Philosopher, Diafrix, Jackson Firebird, Saskwatch, Polo Club, 8 Bit Love, Playwrite, and more, South Gippsland, 11:30am, thehillsarealive.com.au or thefarmer@ thehillsarealive.com.au, AA Spud Fest w/ Northlane,The Bride, Boris The Blade, For Our Hero, and Apart From This, The Potato Shed, 41 Peninsula Dr, Drysdale, 11:45am, $17.35, oztix.com.au or 1300 762 545, AA Tropical Underage Fluro Paint Party w/ DJs No Eﬀect, Brad E, Joshy, Jake Roxas, Double Deckers, Deckheads, and more, Altona Youth Hall, Cnr Civic Pde & Sugargum Dve, Altona, 7pm – 11pm, $20, mikepromotions@ optusnet.com.au or call 0401 409 103, U18 Sunday March 25 Australian Hip Hop Dance Championship Qualiﬁer, Collingwood Town Hall, Hoddle St, Collingwood, 3pm – 8pm, groovetv.com.au or email hhiaustralia@gmail.com, AA Czarina, Chandelier Room, Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, 7:30pm, $15, (03) 9532 2288, AA Tuesday March 27 Youth Week Preliminary Art Workshops, Somerville Secondary College, 12:30pm – 2pm, Free, Jody Blythe on 5450 1666, U18

Alpin

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

FRIDAY MAR 23RD

Wed. Mar. 21st: (Wine, Whiskey, Women)

8pm: Phoebe Jacobs 9pm: Teresa Dixon

THU 22ND MAR

Fri. Mar. 23rd:

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

SUNDAY MAR 25TH

8pm: Suzie Stapleton 9pm: Nigel Warne

Sat. Mar. 24th:

9pm: Jody Galvin & The Tenderhearts Sun. Mar. 25th:

THE WEEKEND PEOPLE + JAMES HAZELDEN

SATURDAY MAR 24TH

TUNES BY STICKMAN

Thurs. Mar. 22nd:

GREAT BRITAIN HOTEL

MATT DWYER BAND

FROM 8PM

FRI 23RD MAR DUNGEON BAR (LAUNCH) 7PM ROCK DUNGEON 10PM SAT 24TH MAR PRETTY LITTLES + JOE NEPTUNE FROM 9PM

SUN 25TH MAR MAL DE MER, ROXY LAVISH, RUSTY DOUGLAS + YOUR HUMBLE NARRATOR FROM 8PM

THE RECHORDS

MON 26TH MAR BOOZER SOUL (DJ’S) 8PM

4pm: Liz Stringer 6.30pm: Heather Stewart & Andy Baylor

WEEKLY ASSORTMENTS MonDAYS

Tues. Mar. 27th:

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 • • • • •

COMEDY TRIVIA QUIZ MEISTER FRIDAY 23/3, 10PM

CHELSEA DRUGSTORE

7+856'$< 0$5 1'

BEN SALTER (GIN CLUB)

SATURDAY 24/3, 10PM

GREASY HAWAIIANS

SUNDAY 25/3, 6PM

THE MERCURIALS SATURDAY 31/3, 10PM THE TERRY MCCARTHY SPECIAL SUNDAY 1/4, 6PM

SEAN SIMMONS SUNDAY 8/4, 6PM

PAT ROBERTSON & FRIENDS

FREE ENTRY ALWAYS!

FROM 8PM. GREAT PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS.

MARCH ACOUSTIC RESIDENCY FROM 8.30PM

6$785'$< 0$5 7+

“LOUISE”

• • • • • THURSDAY • • • • •

UNI NIGHT

DERBY THURSDYS

CHECK OUT DERBY THURSDAYS ON FACEBOOK.

- ROCKIN’ COUNTRY SATURDAY RESIDENCY 5 TIL 7 PM 7+

681'$< 0$5 THE HIRED GUNS 2 SETS FROM 5PM

• • • • • SATURDAY • • • • •

SHE BAR

EVERY 2ND SATURDAY PRESENTS SHEBAR AN ALL GIRL NIGHT 9PM

78(6'$< 0$5 7+

CHAD MASON ACOUSTIC

FROM 8.30 PM

• • • • • SUNDAY • • • • •

BBQ

STARTS 5PM TILL LATE

TOWN HALL HOTEL 33 ERROL STREET, NORTH MELBOURNE (03) 9328 1983 FOR BAND BOOKINGS PLEASE CONTACT MILES: TOWNIEBANDS@GMAIL.COM SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 67

BACKSTAGE

DO YOU WANT YOUR STORE, STUDIO OR MUSIC SERVICE FEATURED IN BACKSTAGE?

THE PLACE FOR MUSICIANS

CONTACT ALEKSEI ON 9428 3600 OR MIXDOWN@BEAT.COM.AU TO FIND OUT HOW.

for more information or ad bookings call Aleksei on 9428 3600

STUDIO PROFILE s

B A N D

FULLY

F R O M RATES

ALL

$ 4 0 ROOMS

AVAILABLE

AMENITIES LICENSED

100%

TOYLAND RECORDING STUDIO

AVAILABLE

EQUIPPED

STORAGE DRIVE-IN

R E H E A R S A L

R O O M S DAYTIME

GREEN

AND

PARKING

PROVIDED VENUE ENERGY

w w w . k i n d r e d s t u d i o s . c o m . a u

BOOKINGS

PH:

(03)

9687

0233

212A WHITEHALL ST, YARRAVILLE 3013

whiteroom M E L B O U R N E ’ S

G R E E N

P O W E R E D

PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO STUDIO Pro & Conc. Rates Available For Photographic, Music Video & Band Shoots Starting From $150 Multi-Purpose Change & Makeup Room Grip & Lighting gear available Communal Lounge & Wireless Internet Excellent on-site parking CONTACT: CY -ARTISTIC DIRECTOR- 0401 379 973 9687 0233 w w w . t h e w h i t e r o o m . n e t . a u

18 Duffy street Burwood 3125 30m rooms s Air-con and ventilation in s 10everylargeroomand identical s PA/foldback combos at 1000w s Storage and amp/kit hire s Acoustic Engineer-designed soundproofing

PHOTO BY MELL TIPPING @ SHADOWZONE PHOTOGRAPHY Location: Northcote 3070 Digital or analogue capabilities of Studio: Both, 2” Analog Tape and Digital DAW. Recording gear available: Neve 1084’s, Neve Prisim, Focusrite ISA 110’s, Telefunken V72’s, Mics from Neumann, AKG, Beyer, Sennheiser, AEA, LOMO Tube Mics, Lexicon 224X, Eventides’s, Urei 1176’s, LA3’s, Tube Tech CL1B, Pultec EQP1A3.

Artists you have worked with: Peter Hook and the Light, Bloodduster, Falloe, The McQueens, IKON, Pseudo Echo, Mick Pealing, Mushroom Giant, Sydonia, ROOT, The DC3, Wendy Rule, Jack Pantazis, Logic. In-house engineers: Adam Calaitzis Extras: Recording, Mixing, Mastering, Production, Drum Programming/Samples, DVD Authoring.

PH: (03) 903 88101 M: 0417 000 397 Email: hydrastudios@bigpond.com

Instruments available to use or hire: Ludwig Drums including Black Beauty Snares.

Phone: 0412 060 664 or 94822111 Website: www.toyland.com.au E-mail: adamcal@ozemail.com.au

Toyland Recording Studio

zLive Bands, Demos, Albums zDigital or 2” Analog Tape zLive room for a big natural sound z5 DAY special deal $1600

www.toyland.com.au

Become a part of our Musical Community

6 hour rehearsal from $35 Rehearsal Studios - Licensed Bar Emporium - Cafe - Venue www.soundrehearsalstudios.com.au 91 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin Vic 3189 Tel 9532 2288

Beat Magazine Page 68

BACKSTAGE: BEAT’S ONE STOP SHOP FOR MUSICIANS

REVOLVER REHEARSAL STUDIOS & MUSIC TUITION *Under New Ownership & Management* Brand New World Class PA Systems Clean studios with storage available Drum Practice Room On Site - Guitar, Amp & Drum Tech.

SESSION TIMES: Mon - Fri Day Session: 11am-5.30pm Night Session: 6pm - 11.30pm Saturday: 11am- 5.30pm LATE NIGHT ACCESSORIES STICKS, STRINGS, SKINS.

MUSIC TUITION: All teachers are professional performing musicians with qualifications. Lessons available in Drums, Piano/Keys, Guitar, Vocals, Bass and Ensemble.

Ph: 9529 1123 24 Maquarie St Prahran www.r2revolverrehearsals.com

PA HIRE Vintage, New & Second Hand Amps, Effects Pedals & Rigs

Huge Selection – All major Brands

Comprehensive PA systems delivered, set up and operated with crew. Compact, easy, sound systems you can pickup and assemble yourself.Components such as microphones, speakers and effects are also available separately. Lights also available. For details phone Mark Barry on 03 9889 1999 or 0419 993 966

www.bssound.com.au bssound@bigpond.com

571 High Street Preston VIC 3072 Tel (03) 9471 1023 Fax (03) 9471 1919 Internet: www.jamhutstudios.com

Guitars and Amps wanted Top CA$H Paid

Clean and fully ventilated rooms with professional equipment. Complimentary tea & coffee.

REHEARSAL

Expert Guitar & Amp Repairs Mods & Restoration Fast Turnaround Affordable Rates Technicians on site

3 hr sessions from $40 6 hr sessions from $65 RECORDING

$60 per hour, ProTools HD with engineer

313 – 315 Whitehorse Rd BALWYN 3103 Phone: 03 9888 6899 www.eastgatemusic.com

EQUIPMENT HIRE Vocal PA’s from $80, ampliﬁers and drumkits available.

IMPLANTMEDIA CD with 2 PAGE INSERT

SPECIAL! 100 A3

colour posters for

in PVC (sleeve)

100 - from $2.35 each 500 - $1.40 each 1000 - $1.08 each

CD with 4 PAGE INSERT + INLAY Jewel case (black tray)

100 - from $3.15 each 500 - $1.80 each 1000 - $1.45 each

CD in CARD SLEEVE 100 - from $2.95 each 500 - from $1.80 each 1000 - from $1.30 each

CD with GATEFOLD

4 panel gatefold, single or double pocket

100 - from $3.95 each 500 - from $2.40 each 1000 - from $1.60 each

CD with DIGICASE 100 - from $4.45 each 500 - from $2.70 each 1000 - from $1.70 each

$70

With any disc order of 50 or more.

12” Vinyl in PRINTED SLEEVE

1300 79 78 78 UNIT 1, 11-13 LYGON ST BRUNSWICK

500 - from $7.50 each 1000 - from $5.45 each 7” and 10” also available

DVD with CASE & SLICK Black DVD case

100 - from $3.25 each 500 - $2.19 each 1000 - $1.85 each

BACKSTAGE: BEAT’S MUSICIANS DIRECTORY

HUNDREDS OF OTHER PACKAGING OPTIONS AVAILABLE! FOR A PRICE ON ANY PACKAGE AT ANY TIME VISIT: WWW.IMPLANT.COM.AU/QUOTES Beat Magazine Page 69

LIVE Photos: Callum Linsell

360

Red Coats

Mantra

Parkway Drive

Die Antwoord

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL Sunday March 11, Flemington Racecourse There’s a reason Future Music is considered one of Melbourne’s biggest festivals – dance music’s grasp on Melbourne’s consciousness is undeniable and Future Entertainment have consistently delivered lineups that compete with those internationally. Future is a curiosity in that while it’s undoubtedly one of Melbourne’s biggest festivals in terms of numbers, it never felt like it – coordinating an event of this scale is no mean feat and that the festival was easy to navigate and never too crowded was a testament to the effort that went into organising the festival. The sunny early afternoon was spent swinging between stages. I arrived at Flemington Racecourse in time to catch some of Chase and Status’ heavy-hitting set, sending the crowd into a frenzy with their stellar mix-up of drum and bass, dubstep and electro. Excellent, if a little unsuitable for such an early timeslot, so off to see Azari and III kicking out disco-tinged house jams at the Likes of You for a laidback hour. The perfect way to ease into the festival, and DFA’s stage was another festival highlight – located outside in the sunshine, it was the perfect place to kick back and become acquainted with some of the record label’s premier acts. Holy Ghost were an oddity on the Future lineup – as the two joked mid-set, the full band they’d brought along with them made them feel out of place amongst an overwhelming majority of DJs and producers with controllers, but their set was a welcome breath of fresh air. Euphoric electro-pop with lush live instrumentation – the duo from New York managed to pull off one of the festival’s highlight sets. A short walk over to the Knife Party stage and the contrast in sounds couldn’t be more apparent. Flux Pavilion and Zane Lowe’s electro and dubstep aural

assault had punters dancing in a frenzy. Heading over to check out Dubﬁre and Sven Vath revealed similar results – dark and dirty techno with just as much punch, with the crowd steadily building over the next few hours. And with a lineup packing as much punch as this year’s, it was inevitable that there’d be some heartbreaking clashes when it came to the end of the evening – and after much internal struggle, I made my way into the gathering crowd eagerly anticipating the beginning of Aphex Twin, a decision I don’t regret at all. I’d been particularly curious as to how the Future crowd would take to the enigmatic techno and IDM producer’s live set, and Richard D James’ warped sounds combined with the bordering on absurd visuals. Flashing from the strangest of pop-culture references to cameras feeding images from the crowd onto the stage with James’ face superimposed over them. It might have been years since we last saw the inscrutable producer on our shores, but the veritable mindfuck that the crowd were presented with was more than enough to make up for it. The massive crowds that Future Music Festival pulls each year is understandable – such a well-organised and diverse music festival is the perfect way to farewell the summer season with one last chance to let loose. MIKI McLAY

LOVED: DFA’s stage setup, replete with glittering disco balls, ﬂuoro and much shininess. HATED: The crowded train home. DRANK: Expensive pre-mixes.

KRYSTLE WARREN Tuesday March 13, The Toff In Town With zero exposure to any of Krystle Warren’s music, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at The Toff Tuesday evening. After taking a seat, my friend and I both noticed how diverse the crowd was, which interested us. With a colourful mix bag audience, I began creating high expectations about the universality of her music. Up first, however, was supporting act Piers Twomey. I know the saying “never judge a book by its cover” always rings true, yet I am victim to presuming the opening act will indicate, on some level, the musical prowess (so to speak) of the main performance. In this case, like many others, I was very wrong. While he similarly dabbled with folk, he stood in stark contrast to Krystle. With song after song blending into the last, topped with limited vocal range and skewed pitch, it was an overall monotonous performance. At this stage I felt bad for dragging my friend away from her home, after spending much time convincing her about this Parisian-based soul singer. I realised I had made a mistake for not checking out her music before signing up to the review. Wrong. She was insanely phenomenal. It isn’t too often that you find an artist who can simply sit on stage with a guitar and keep the audience enthralled minus flashy stage/performance elements. With no introduction, Krystle leapt straight into the first song moments after the curtains had parted. Later she admitted to not being skilled with banter, which was neither here nor there, after hearing her voice. With a deep and husky timbre, I can see why Krystle has been likened to Nina Simone. Her rich and potent notes

Beat Magazine Page 70

were strong, creeping into every corner of the venue. With superb pitch and a huge vocal range, she was able to control her crescendos, working in some astounding goosebump moments. At the end of one song, the audience literally “ahh’d” before applause. While she claimed to not be talented at talking in between songs, her slightly awkward presence was refreshing. At one stage she began a song only to pull back three seconds later saying, “Wait. They’re deﬁnitely the wrong lyrics.” Toward the end of the show she embarked on something that my friend eloquently phrased as “that rare kind of audience participation that isn’t bullshit”. Coordinating a three part harmony between the audience, we sung the lyrics “forgot me not” to support her melody. In this particular case, having no expectations was the best thing I could have asked for. Not only was I surprised, but I am now a fan. Better yet, my friend (who is extremely conservative with her praise) described Krystle as “amazing”. Win-Win. I recommend you catch her at the Brunswick Town Hall as part of the Brunswick Music Festival this Sunday March 25. TAMARA VOGL LOVED: Her voice. HATED: People in the audience shouting across the room once a song was sung in an attempt to have a conversation with Krystle. DRANK: Water.

PUSHOVER FESTIVAL 2012 Monday March 12, Abbotsford Convent It’s summer and it’s Melbourne, one of the greatest cities on earth for live music so it goes without saying that there are tons of gigs and festivals to go to if you’re a music fan. But with more gigs being 18+ these days, what are you going to do if you ‘re a music loving youngster? Pushover 2012, Melbourne’s greatest all ages event, that’s what. Held this year on labour day at the fantastic Abbostford Convent, it’s a no smoking, no drinking all-ages event put on solely so that underagers can have an awesome day of live music without having to worry about being hassled by bouncers or being trodden on by drunken adults. With a ton of local and established acts, plus MC and breakdance competitions across four stages, it’s worth saving your pocket money for. Unfortunately with so many great acts and just one reviewer, I’m unable to cover everything so I’ll highlight some of the stuﬀ I did catch. Yacht Club DJs got the party warmed up in the afternoon, playing a mash-up mix that would have 2 Many DJ’s getting worried, throwing all your favourite party anthems from just about every conceivable genre into the mix . Guns N’Roses mixed into Run DMC into Nirvana into LMFO. Sounds mad but it works perfectly. Over at the green stage, local bruisers Brooklyn destroyed the place with a set of destructive metal-core full of monstrous breakdowns and high octane thrashing, while back at the main stage Dangerous got kicked out a rocking set of dirty punk’n’roll.

Sydney’s Tonight Alive played drew in an impressive crowd straight after, getting the crowd singing along to their anthemic pop-punk, and inciting the first circle pit of the day with their beefed up version of Mumford and Sons’ Little Lion Man. I was really looking forward to seeing what all the fuss was about with 360, however I was disappointed. I was expecting some intelligent yet rousing hip hop but instead I got 20 minutes of cheesy, commercial electropop with a bit of rapping. It’s a good job he was wearing shades as you could have seen the dollar signs in his eyes. The crowd seemed to like it though. Judging by the number of T-shirts, in the crowd there was no doubt who most people came to see. And my, did Parkway Drive deliver. The “No Moshing or Crowdsurfing” signs were thoroughly ignored throughout their crushing set of brutal metal-core. Circle-pits erupted and arms flailed throughout their entire set, with Sleepwalker and set-closer Carrion sounding especially devastating. A stunning end to an altogether fun day out for underagers. ADAM ROBERTSHAW LOVED: Parkway Drive. HATED: The fact that 360 has unashamedly sold out. DRANK: Water.

BETWEEN THE BAYS Saturday February 25, Penbank, Moorooduc Between The Bays is a true family festival, with a focus on entertaining and distracting under-18s so their folks can stretch out, exhale and enjoy a delicious chocolatey Red Hill Scotch Ale. It would also mark the first time I’ve taken along my crotch fruit to a rock show. However, I underestimated how hard it can be to chase a kid around all afternoon in the heat, take proper notes and always have a beer in hand, so I’ve relied partly on the recollections of others. Prepared to hate Jordie Lane for the perception as a rootsy wanna-be troubadour who probably supports John Butler, he presented some tasty Americana and easy going sunshine country licks, making him a hit with the masses in the shade tents halfway back. Mark Seymour is treated like a god in some circles and I’ve never understood it. Maybe it’s because I’ve got no time for footy and never saw me team hold up the Premiership trophy to the strains of Holy Grail. I do remember thinking in the first song ‘I’m bored already’, but when he left aside the gravel-voiced blues rockers and focused on the reworked versions of the hits, it was a cheery surprise. Curiously, the toddlers responded to the hits with sweet little dance moves and then became distracted and ran off to eat grass during the duds. Custard are still astonishing. Matthew Robert

FOR MORE LIVE REVIEWS & PHOTOS GO TO BEAT.COM.AU

Strong may resemble Keith Richards more than ever but McCormack can effortlessly engage a crowd like no other, inciting dancing and bodacious partying despite his songs not having being flogged to death on commercial radio and football shows over the last 20 years. He spoke of hard working Australians doing it hard, dancing for the Anzac spirit, dedicated a song to giggling and then proceeded to giggle during flubs. The perfect festival act, Custard overflow with sunny optimism and boyish good naturedness. Beginning their set before sunset, their festival suitability escalated as dark descended and things got more rowdy in Camp Hilton. A rare treat these days, a live Custard show is something to be really savoured, swished around the mouth, and then slurped down without impunity. NICK HILTON LOVED: Custard. HATED: My buddy told me that he gets sex 5 times a week from his wife, and I hate that my wife doesn’t read my reviews or take subtle hints. DRANK: All varieties from the Red Hill Brewery.