Beat Magazine #1343 by Furst Media

PRESENTA

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Secret Sounds Presents

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TERRASPHERE

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Secret Sounds presents

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IN THIS ISSUE...

HOT TALK

TOURING

MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK: LABELS SERIES

GIVEAWAYS

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 PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Taryn Stenvei ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Nick Taras SUB-EDITOR: Michelle Aquilina INTERNS: Alexandra Duguid, Dylan McCarthy, Scarlett Trewavis, Kelly Snyders, Daniel Bell, Zoe Radas GENERAL MANAGER: Patrick Carr SENIOR ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL CO-ORDINATOR: Ronnit Sternfein PRODUCTION MANAGER: Baly Gaudin GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Pat O’Neill, Rebecca Houlden, Mike Cusack, Baly Gaudin, Gill Tucker COVER ART: Baly Gaudin 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 Jessica Riley (Indie Bands/Special Features) jessica@furstmedia. com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classiﬁeds@beat.com.au

ARTS GUIDE, WE’RE GONNA DIE,

ART OF THE CITY, COMIC STRIP

LOVE LETTERS

BIG KIDS’ SCARY NIGHT OUT

THE WAR ON DRUGS

EASY STAR ALL-STARS, AWME, TARA SIMMONS

PAUL KELLY P.54

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

ROCKABILLY SPECIAL

CLARE BOWDITCH

PAUL KELLY, THURSTON MOORE, FRASER A. GORMAN

THURSTON MOORE P.54

GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat.com.au ELECTRONIC EDITOR - BEAT ONLINE: Tyson Wray: tyson@beat.com.au ACCOUNTANT: accountant@furstmedia.com.au ADMINISTRATION CO-ORDINATOR: Jessica Riley: jessica@furstmedia.com.au ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forester: admin@furstmedia.com.au RECEPTION: reception@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION: distribution@beat.com.au Free Every Wednesday to over 1,850 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,

ROCK FOR RECOGNITION

John O’Rourke, Chris Parkinson, Naomi Rahim, Richard Sharman, Leon Struk, Michelle Tomadin, Peter Tsipas, Amy Wallace, Woodrow Wilson SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Christie Eliezer SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS: Simone Ubaldi, Patrick Emery COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgson. CONTRIBUTORS: Mitch Alexander, Siobhan Argent, Bella Arnott-Hoare, Thomas Bailey, Graham Blackley, Chris Bright, Joanne Brookfield, Tegan Butler, Avrille BylockCollard, Rose Callaghan, Kim Croxford, Dave Dawson, John Donaldson, Alexandra Duguid, Alasdair Duncan, Cam Ewart, Callum Fitzpatrick, Jack Franklin, Chris Girdler, Megan Hanson, Chris Harms, Andrew Hickey, Nick Hilton, Peter Hodgson, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Cassandra Kiely, Joshua Kloke, Nick Mason, Krystal Maynard, Miki McLay, Jeremy Millar, James Nicoli, Oliver Pelling, Matt Panag, Jack Parsons, Sasha Petrova, Liam Pieper, Steve Phillips, Zoe Radas, Adam Robertshaw, Joanna Robin, Leigh Salter, Side Man, Jeremy Sheaffe, Sisqo Taras, Kelly Theobald, Tamara Vogl, Dan Watt, Katie Weiss, Krissi Weiss, Rod Whitfield, Jen Wilson, Tyson Wray, Simone Ziada, Bronius Zumeris.

JIMMY CUPPLES, STONEFIELD,

ALBUMS

GIG GUIDE

LIVE

THE SNOWDROPPERS 58

JANE DUST & THE GIANT HOOPOES, THE TIGER & ME, THE BROWN HORN ORCHESTRA

CORE, CRUNCH

WEDNESDAY 13, HOLLIAVA

MUSIC NEWS

ALBUM OF THE WEEK, SINGLES, CHARTS

Sarah Blasko I Awake New Album / 26 October 2012 ‘...a deﬁning, unsettling masterpiece’ – Rolling Stone ‘A moody and delicately beautiful album’ – Yen Magazine Touring Nationally With Orchestra, February 2013 Tickets On Sale Now

sarahblasko.com | dew-process.com

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HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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FREE SHIT ALL HALLOWS EVE All Hallows Eve – a magical and macabre mesh of party mayhem and dancing goodness not to be missed! Join The Woohoo Revue, The Black Jesus Experience, Lo-Tek, Ghost Orkid, Kill Ya Darlins, El Moth, Porcelain Punch, Lil Kim’s Rocket Express, The Bad Brigade, Mortisville and more in your finest costume at one of Melbourne’s finest venues. Celebrate our city’s diversity in sumptuous surrounds and be entertained by a party showcase of soaring heights, Vaudevillian madness and undeniable, infectious musical masters. It’s held on Saturday October 27 at The Thornbury Theatre and we have a few double passes to giveaway. ROLLING STONE Crossfire Hurricane, which takes its title from the opening lines of Jumping Jack Flash, provides a remarkable new perspective on The Rolling Stones’ unparalleled journey from bluesobsessed teenagers in the early 60s to rock royalty for almost five decades. The film combines extensive historical footage, much of it widely unseen, with contemporary commentaries by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and former Stones, Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. Period interviews, extensive live performance material and news archive give the production a truly kinetic aura and no-holds-barred approach. Crossfire Hurricane will screen in select cinemas nationally on Sunday October 28 with encore screenings at some cinemas. We have a few double passes to giveaway. FACE THE MUSIC Over 100 artists will be fronting up and talking up a storm at this year’s Face The Music, including chats with Kimbra and AJ Maddah. After months of international touring, it will be Kimbra’s first public appearance back in Australia. It will also be the first one-on-one conference appearance by AJ Maddah, mastermind behind festival phenomenons such as Soundwave and Harvest Festival. The annual not-forprofit music conference will also be getting conversational with the likes of Chet Faker, Jess Cornelius, David Bridie, Mark Seymour, Weddings Parties Anything, Van Walker, Angie Hart, Charles Jenkins and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard. Get involved at Arts Centre Melbourne over two big days on Friday November 16 and Saturday November 17. We have two double passes to give away. BEAT MERCHANDISE Many thanks to ethically comfortable Dewalio Clothing for fitting us out with the first ever batch of Beat merchandise. Be one of the first ever to get around in a Beat branded 3/4 sleeve length tee, we’ve got six to giveaway. Clickety-clack on beat.com.au/freeshit to win.

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MXPX After a massive 2012, which saw the band release their first album in five years, MxPx have announced their return to Australia in 2013. Leading the charge of the pop punk explosion, MxPx have developed a formidable legacy all over the globe, with a particularly fervent following in Australia. Catch frontman Mike Herrera and co. when they touch down early next year. MxPx perform at The Corner Hotel on Sunday March 10. Tickets from the box office.

George Clinton

GOLDEN PLAINS And here we are, basking in its golden glow yet again. The 2013 Golden Plains lineup has arrived, spiking our excitement to new highs. Adding to the already announced Cat Power and legendary George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic is the second coming of Dinosaur Jr, Swedish troubadour Tallest Man On Earth, future-popsters Purity Ring, the uncompromising The Mark Of Cain, swamp rock deperados Six Ft Hick, jangly pop locals Dick Diver and California’s feelgood rock’n’roll combo Redd Kross. Rounding out the killer lineup is The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Flume, Moodymann, Toro Y Moi, Wild Nothing, Psartonis, Naysayer and Gilsun, Mulatu Astatke, Julio Bashmore, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Client Liaison, Keb Darge, Bushwalking, Opossom, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Barry Dickins, No Zu, Zanzibar Channel and Post Percy. It all takes place at Meredith’s Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 9 to Monday March 11. Enter the second round of the ballot at goldenplains. com.au.

ROGER HODGSON Supertramp singer-songwriter Roger Hodgson has announced a Melbourne show alongside his Bluesfest 2013 appearance. Hodgson played in Australia with only one other accompanist three years ago and managed to sell out his tour. This time the writer and singer of Supertramp’s anthems brings his full band to Australia for the very ﬁrst time. It’ll be an exceptional night expect to hear Logical Song, It’s Raining Again, Give A Little Bit and all the indelible Supertramp anthems. Roger Hodgson performs at The Palais on Thursday March 28, 2013. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

JOE PUG Some foreign visitors to Australian shores strike up an immediate affinity with the country. Take emerging young Chicagoan troubadour Joe Pug, for instance. Since his inaugural visit Down Under in November 2010 the singer-songwriter has already come back twice for more – hitting the road with such names as Justin Townes Earle and Wagons, and playing the prestigious Port Fairy Folk Festival – and now, almost precisely two years since he first wowed Aussie audiences with his heartfelt muse, he’s announced a fourth Australian trip which will find him headlining shows up the east coast and finishing his run at the burgeoning Mullumbimby Music Festival. So if you like your music both intimate and interesting and are open to the possibility of learning something about yourself in the process, then catch Joe Pug when he hits Australian stages this November – you never know when he’ll next be back. Melbourne dates are Wednesday November 21 and Thursday November 22 at The Workers Club. Tickets on sale at lovepolice.com.au/tours.

DJANGO DJANGO Following a rapturous response to their maiden trip Down Under, Django Django are back to see in the new year at Falls and Southbound Festivals, also treating Australian fans to a very special headline show in Melbourne. After the release of their debut, self-titled LP earlier this year, Australians followed in the footsteps of the rest of the world, coining their admiration for the four Scotsmen. Whilst on their ﬁrst visit to Australia, punters rushed to buy tickets, selling out not one, but two Oxford Art Factories in Sydney and The Corner Hotel in Melbourne. triple j favourites Default and Wor, prove that Django Django’s sound can’t be pigeonholed, crossing plains between exotic/ psychedelic/electronic/pop rock, created by their DIY approach to playing instruments and making music. Everyone agrees, when it comes to their live show; it’s nothing short of impressive. Tickets for their Saturday January 12 Melbourne Hi-Fi show are on sale this Thursday October 25 from Moshtix.

AWME More local and international music industry heavyweights have been added to the ﬁfth installment of the Australasian Worldwide Music Expo (AWME) taking place in Melbourne this November. Notable industry heavyweights added to the list of speakers are Matt McDonald, Showcase Director for CMJ Music Marathon, New York; Rhoda Roberts, Artistic Director of the highly anticipated Boomerang Festival and Head Of Indigenous Programming for Sydney Opera House, as well as Erika Elliott, Artistic Director of New York’s celebrated SummerStage. AWME 2012 will take place from Thursday November 15 - Sunday November 18 at the Arts Centre Melbourne, The HiFi, Ding Dong Lounge, The Toﬀ In Town and Lounge Bar. Info at awme.com.au.

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HOT CHIP UK dance-pop sweethearts Hot Chip will be hitting the country over New Year’s for the massive Falls Festival, and now Melbourne can expect some headline action. This year saw the band release In Our Heads, what many have called the best album of their career. Expect to hear choice cuts from that record as well as their impressive back catalogue of modern classics. Hot Chip perform at The Palace on Wednesday January 9. Tickets on sale 9am Monday October 29 from Ticketek.

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SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS After announcing their welcome return to Australia as part of Peats Ridge, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings have locked in a Melbourne show. Establishing themselves at the forefront of the nascent soul revival, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings have deservedly earned a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts on the planet right now. Don’t miss your chance to catch this soul sensation in the live setting. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings perform at The Corner Hotel on Tuesday January 8. Tickets from the box oﬃce.

PORT FAIRY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL ELVIS COSTELLO Australia will continue its lengthy love aﬀair with Elvis Costello as the acclaimed singer-songwriter returns in January. In keeping with the exuberant musicality that has deﬁned his three-decade plus career, Costello has some tasty treats in store for both A Day On The Green show and a special theatre performance. For the winery concerts, the unabashed showman backed by the trusty Imposters – keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher – will take audiences through the Costello musical encyclopaedia refresher course with a selection of classic hits. While for his theatre performance, Costello will showcase his gigantic vaudevillian game show wheel as the centrepiece of a show called The Spectacular Spinning Songbook. At each show, concert fans are invited on stage to spin the wheel, thereby creating the night’s set list from 40 selections including hits, rarities and a few surprises. Due to production and stage requirements, The Spectacular Spinning Songbook can make only a very special appearance at the Palais Theatre. Catch him at A Day On The Green on Saturday January 26 in the Yarra Valley or his Melbourne theatre performance on Friday January 25 at The Palais. All tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Known as one of the great folk festivals of the world and boasting a solid lineup year in, year out, the 37th Port Fairy Folk Music Festival has added to the rich tapestry of the Australian summer music season by revealing a snapshot of their 2013 lineup. This ﬁrst artist lineup announce, which adds to the already promised Arlo Guthrie and much loved troubadour Eric Bogle, includes Gurrumul, Kate Miller-Heidke, Christine Anu, Glen Hansard, The Popes, The Little Stevies, Suzannah Espie, and heaps more. The ﬁrst allocation of tickets sold out in record time a few weeks ago and festival fans shouldn’t wait to secure their tickets. Tickets are available through portfairyfolkfestival.com and it all takes place at Port Fairy from Friday March 8 to Monday March 11.

SARAH BLASKO After an orchestral approach to her upcoming album I Awake, Sarah Blasko has announced an ambitious, and similarly orchestral, national tour for February 2013. Blasko will perform in Adelaide, Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia with each show being accompanied by the respective state’s orchestra. The Melbourne stop will see Blasko perform in the grand surrounds of Hamer Hall with Orchestra Victoria. Sarah Blasko performs at Hamer Hall on Thursday February 14. Tickets on sale Friday October 26.

SUN RISING After wooing crowds across Victoria with their musical edutainment which pays homage to the creators of rock’n’roll, Melbourne band Sun Rising are seeing out their debut year and the year that marks 60 years for Sun Records with a bang, with two special end of year shows. Following rave reviews and leaving fans screaming for more, Sun Rising will be ending this fantastic year with two exclusive performances on Friday December 14 at the beautiful Palais in Hepburn Springs and Saturday December 15 at Melbourne’s home of rock’n’roll, Cherry Bar. Tickets are on sale now for both shows.

KNIEVEL Sydney rock and pop purveyors Knievel are travelling to Melbourne in November to celebrate the release of their new album, Emerald City. The record recently received a four-star review in the Sydney Morning Herald. The album is available now on CD and iTunes and the band is also pressing a very limited edition vinyl release due before Christmas and available for pre-order through Redeye Records in Sydney. The band will play Yah Yah's on Saturday November 3.

WILCO As well as placing themselves alongside the many legends on the Bluesfest 2013 lineup, mighty purveyors of alt-country Wilco have locked in a Melbourne appearance. Ever-prolific, the band last year released the stellar LP The Whole Love, consolidating their nine-studio-album deep back catalogue. As well as possessing a pristine canon, the band have earned a reputation as one of the finest live rock’n’roll outfits on the circuit. The Melbourne show will take place in the suitably grand surrounds of Hamer Hall on Wednesday March 27. Tickets on sale now from the Arts Centre website.

ICEHOUSE To say that the last 12 months has been an incredible ride for Icehouse is an understatement. The iconic Australian band that has sold millions of albums domestically and internationally has reignited passion amongst existing fans and in the process has collected a new audience of younger followers along the way. Celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the Primitive Man album and the 25-year anniversary of the Man Of Colours album, the band created a once-in-a-lifetime performance experience with the 2012 Primitive Colours Tour. The demand for these shows has been amazing with the Hamer Hall, Enmore Theatre, Astor Theatre, Eatons Hill and Canberra Theatre shows all selling out well before their performance dates. Due to popular demand, Icehouse have been invited to create intimate Encore Performances of the Primitive Colours celebration at Geelong Performing Arts Centre on Sunday January 13 and The Palms at Crown in Melbourne on Tuesday January 15 and Wednesday January 16. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 21

HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS

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

PURE POP Behold an entire summer of gigs all sorted for you by Pure Pop. Artists you love, singing artists they love at a price your wallet can love. Whether it’s Julia Stone performing David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Readable Graﬃti covering the tunes of Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain, or Billy Miller paying tribute to the vast array of Beatles tunes, there is certainly something for every music fan. Only $10 entry per show or six classic album shows for $50. For more information on the enormous collection of albums, artists and lineups visit purepop.com.au.

BASTARDFEST Taking over two stages with 13 bands, Bastardfest is set to be a hearty serving of brutal hard rock. The day will feature Psycroptic, Blood Duster, Fuck... I’m Dead, Astriaal, Extortion, Captain Cleanoﬀ, I Exist, The Kill, Frankenbok, Disentbomb, Internal Nightmare, Broozer and King Parrot. Bastardfest hits The Espy on Saturday November 3. Tickets on sale now via oztix.com.au.

SOUNDSCAPE

PEARLS Melbourne three-piece Pearls launch their debut self-titled EP on Friday November 2 at The Liberty Social. Recorded at Head Gap Studios with Jack Farley (Twerps, Beaches, Peak Twins) and mastered by Casey Rice (Dirty Three, The Ancients), the songs journey through lush guitar drones and ethereal vocals which dreamily ﬂoat above organ and drums. Support on the night from the amazing Peak Twins, Eastlink and The Stevens with Lost Animal and New War DJs. Get amidst the sweet languor before Pearls head back to the studio to record their ﬁrst full length. $12 entry on the night, doors from 9pm.

BEST COAST SUPPORTS

CHERRYFEST

Best Coast are revisiting our shores and bringing with them some good company. Warming the stage in Melbourne will be none other than Gold Coast-born, fun-lovin’ pop-punk duo Bleeding Knees Club. Up ﬁrst will be the washed out ‘90s reverberations produced by the enigmatic Melbourne-based Bored Nothing. Best Coast will play on Wednesday January 2 at TheHi-Fi. Tickets are available from the venue website.

CherryFest have added psych-rock heavy hitters Tumbleweed to their already impressive CheryFest lineup, which also boasts Eyehategod, the Omar Rodriguez - Lopez Group and Henry Wagons, among others. Boston ska boys Big D & The Kids Table have had to drop out, cancelling their entire trip Down Under. The inaugural CherryFest takes place at Cherry Bar on Sunday November 25. And hey, the ﬁrst 500 ticket buyers get a rad shirt, so hurry up.

HENRY WAGONS SUPPORTS Melbourne troubadour Henry Wagons has announced his support acts for his November tour. Joining his band The Unwelcome Company will be the much loved Wagons rhythm section, augmented by members of the soaring female vocal group The Nymphs, as he premieres this brand new round of songs where it takes two to tango. Joined by a cavalcade of surprise guests, and ﬂanked by extra fat-Elvis inspired musicians, this show of grand-scale duets is bound to be a high-sensation ticket. Be the ﬁrst to see twisted male baritone and tender female soprano collide, when Henry Wagons and The Unwelcome Company hit The National Hotel, Geelong on Saturday November 3, Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on Sunday November 4 and The Thornbury Theatre on Monday November 5.

THE SMITH STREET BAND Melbourne’s much-loved punk-rock party starters The Smith Street Band are heading home next month, after making a million new friends on maiden tours to China and the USA. They’ve missed you, so they’re cooking up a one-night homecoming show at the John Curtin Hotel on Saturday November 17, presenting a carefully cultivated bill that’ll ensure maximum fun and multiple memories. Adelaide’s whirlwind idiot circus, God God Dammit Dammit will be destroying stuff. Brisbane’s Arrows will make a much anticipated Melbourne appearance. Poison City Records stable mates 90’s slackers White Walls will also be lining up. And finally debuting at this show are the new outfit from Atom Simpson titled Regrets. Five rad bands equals five times the fun. Tickets are on sale now via The John Curtin Hotel website.

BIG DAY OUT CHOW TOWN In the name of an expanding experiential lifestyle experience (say that ﬁve times quickly), the Big Day Out has announced they are embracing the art of creating great festival food for their 2013 instalment. Proving that really good food should be egalitarian and everywhere, the concept is called ‘Chow Town’ and is named after the tasty town from its sister festival, Lollapalooza in Chicago. With renegade Porteno/Bodega boys Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz as the ‘Culinary Outlaw’ ambassadors for Chow Town, we can expect food that is music to your mouth. Ben and Elvis are shouting out to the food fraternity across the country to ensure that Chow Town will showcase some of Australia’s headlining and award winning chefs with their signature, hand held dishes. A rock’n’roll version of the Good Food and Wine Festival. Don’t mind if we do. The Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out takes place on Saturday January 26 at Flemington Racecourse.

Soundscape Festival 2012 is nearly here – along with a wicked opportunity to get away for a superlong weekend before the end of the year holidaymakers clog up your plans. Nestled between Hobart’s twinkling waterfront and the world famous Salamanca Place, Soundscape Festival’s new boutique location, PW1, is ﬁve minutes from the CBD: the hub of where Hobartians go to play. A perfect venue for the ﬁfth installment of the festival, featuring another stellar lineup – The Temper Trap, Missy Higgins, Bluejuice, Yacht Club DJs, Big Scary, Strange Talk, Scryptcha, Mitzi, The Cairos, The Mornings and Asta. Hit thesoundscapefestival.com for details.

MERRI CREEK PICKERS Country-folk-rock outfit the Merri Creek Pickers have announced a show at the Evelyn rooftop on Saturday November 10 from 2pm. With the influences of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, George Jones and Dickey Betts buried deep within their souls, this charming, southern six-piece are sure to satisfy, replete with dancing bass riffs, double drum kits, three-way vocal harmonies, and blazing lead lines. Supports acts include The Perch Creek Family Jug Band and The Jackals, plus a host of special guests including Jen Cloher, Courtney Barnett, Immigrant Union and more. Head on down for a great afternoon of twanging, country tunes. Tickets are $10 and are available on the door.

COSMIC PSYCHOS After selling out their ﬁrst two shows faster than David Boon can down a slab, the Cosmic Psychos have announced a third and ﬁnal show on Sunday November 4 at The Tote in Collingwood. This will be an early show (6pm ‘til 11pm), with free a barbeque and support by none other than The Spazzys. Tickets are on sale now from The Tote website.

THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH Enigmatic energetic yacht rockers The Vaudeville Smash, who have earnt their reputation as one of our city’s ﬁnest live bands, will be playing a free show at The Espy front bar on Saturday November 10. This could be your last chance to catch them for a while as they return to the studio over the warmer months to ﬁnish recording their debut album and the tour the bejesus out of their next single.

JORDIE LANE SUPPORTS Jordie Lane is excited to announce that Liz Stringer will be the main support for his Fool For Love headline tour in November/December. Liz has just released her critically acclaimed fourth album Warm In The Darkness and has been nominated for Best Album and Best Female for the EG Awards. Lane will also be joined by a festival worth of Australian talent at various shows around the country including Ryan Nico and Rubby Boots. Lane is currently on a solo theatre tour with UK icon Billy Bragg, before kicking oﬀ a 15date headline tour including The Northcote Social Club on Thursday November 29, Friday November 30 and a matinee show on Sunday December 2. Tickets from the venue website. Beat Magazine Page 22

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Blind Boys Of Alabama, one of the most respected soul groups in America, have announced a Melbourne show alongside their Bluesfest 2013 appearance. Winning over a global fanbase with a stunning mix of gospel, soul and blues, Blind Boys Of Alabama have been in demand from some of the world’s biggest names. Blind Boys Of Alabama perform at Hamer Hall on Wednesday April 3. Tickets are available through the Arts Centre website.

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MELODIE NELSON

THE ESPY NYE Following on from the awesome announcement that Spiderbait and Something For Kate will be headlining The Espy New Years Eve show on Monday December 31, a second round of bands have been added to the bill including Gold Fields, Dune Rats, Hunting Grounds, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Murlocs, Regular John and Kingswood. Plus there is still more to be added. What the hey. The furtherest you have to travel this New Years Eve is south side. Tickets are $60+bf from The Espy website and all Oztix outlets.

TULLY ON TULLY After a brief hiatus writing and recording their debut album, Tully On Tully return to launch their ﬁrst single Naked this Friday October 26 at the John Curtin Hotel. Already receiving airplay on triple j, the song is set to the jolting heartbeats of a prog rockinspired drumbeat, chiming, droning piano and dark, Nick Cave-style guitar punctuations. Add the crystal clear, passionate tunes of Natalie and you’ve got a fascinating piece of music. The band will also be premiering the accompanying video clip. Catch them from 8pm with THNKR and Sunk Junk for only $8.

Melodie Nelson, the solo moniker of Sydney musician Lia Tsamoglou, will release her sophomore album To The Dollhouse on Friday November 2 via Broken Stone Records/Inertia. Following the ethereal and dream-like songs on her 2011 debut album Meditations On The Sun, she has created something a little darker and synth-driven on To The Dollhouse, without compromising the pop hooks and playfulness that marked her debut. A careful balance is typical of To The Dollhouse, a record that proudly evokes the grainy projections of ‘60s and ‘70s cinema, the soundtracks of Dario Argento, and memories of the seedier side of suburbia. Grander and more colourful than its predecessor, To The Dollhouse sees Melodie Nelson cast herself bravely into her own sonic world. She launches the album at The Grace Darling Hotel on Friday November 23.

ARGENTINA TO TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN I’m a large fan of your live show. Your set-up is reasonably technical and there is a lot of gear up on stage with you. Has anything ever gone wrong with

60 SECONDS WITH…

Two of the all-time great soul and blues icons are teaming up for what is set to be a very special 2013 Bluesfest sideshow. Nine-time Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt will return to Australia after far too long a wait, showcasing why she is renowned as one of the greatest guitarists in history. Mavis Staples shaped the course of musical history with The Staple Singers, with her empowering live shows living up to the shining legacy. Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples perform at the State Theatre on Wednesday March 27. Tickets through the Arts Centre website.

the set-up? One of our most memorable gigs (probably for the wrong reasons) was our debut combined gig and DJ set. Our last song cut out mid-track and when we thought we could recover with a well-planned DJ set, Amy ended up accidentally pulling out the power cord. Would you wear ill-fitting roller-skates and constantly, loudly narrate your own life in a South African accent for one whole year for 450-grand? Also, Tom would only have one roller-skate and Amy would have a moustache. Amy’s pretty wicked at a South African accent (or so she thinks). As for the rest of the deal, it sounds like something someone with little-to-no-dignity like Tom would do. So sure! Congrats on your EP, it sounds amazing! It really feels like a finished product that covers more ground than I think most people expect from the genre. How did you know that you were finished and that it was ready to put out? Thanks man! To be honest if it were solely up to us

CHARLES BABY

Define your genre in five words or less: Republican/Conservative-influenced folk-rock. When’s the gig and with who? Single launch is Saturday October 27 at John Curtin Hotel with Great Earthquake and Matt Glass. What do you love about making music? Making music is like unlocking lots of little puzzles. It’s as if the whole song already exists in the back of your mind and you have to work out what it looks like. Because you’re working with looser concepts you can explore things that are difficult to think about and unravel your own thoughts. If you could assassinate one person or band from

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BONNIT RAITT

TRIPLE TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN VS TREAT… THEM SWOOPS VS ARGENTINA TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN TO THEM SWOOPS What’s the story behind the band name? I’d be riding my bike past a super angry magpie each day near my house and sometimes I’d forget to take a detour until it was too late, and in my head I’d be like “uh-oh, here come them swoops again!” If you could open for any artist/band (dead or alive, together or broken up) who would it be and why? The Plastic Ono Band at Live Peace in Toronto 1969, so I could get John Lennon a bucket to throw up in backstage. Since we’re about to be tour besties, tell us something not many people know about you? Sometimes if I’m in the mood and am wearing the right shirt, I like to bust the shirt open just using my chest (no hands) like Superman. Usually without warning and mid-conversation.

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popular music, who would it and why? I think I’ll save my rare instances of assassination for political purposes. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuﬀ, who would it be and why? Hmm, I think I’d stay in this era and play with Jay-Z. I’m not sure that he would be interested in my rhyming couplets-inspired emo-folk, but I could show him how well I can rap to his songs. I think we would have fun. Do you have any record releases to date? What are they? Where can I get them? Two EPs; The Universe Is An Opponent and Charles Baby Has Quiet Choruses. You can get them on iTunes.

MAYDAY PARADE Florida punk pop band Mayday Parade have announced they will be heading to Australia this December for a brief East Coast tour, including a show in Melbourne. The band last toured Australia in February last year for Soundwave Festival, before releasing their third studio album in October. Touring along side Mayday Parade will be New York pop-rock outﬁt We Are the In Crowd and Sydney’s own Heroes For Hire. Before settling down to begin working on their fourth album, Mayday Parade will be playing Melbourne at Billboard the Venue on Saturday December 8, for both an under 18s matinee and an over 18s show in the evening. Tickets are on sale from Oztix now.

Tokyo Denmark Sweden

Them Swoops

we’d probably still be mixing the ﬁrst track. Luckily our management gave us a gentle shove in the right direction. We’re just hopeful that it gets a good run and people enjoy it! THEM SWOOPS TO ARGENTINA If you were a Super Nintendo game, would we need to read the manual before playing you or can we just blow on the cartridge and ﬁre you up? Yeah just go for it. There’s even a cheeky Easter egg bonus level where my 8-bit avatar gives you the forks from the back of a unicorn.

Name an interview question you wish someone would ask you, and answer it. In what way does your new record parallel the re-imagination of the television series Battlestar Galactica? Wow. Good question. I think that Battlestar, aside from the exciting, well-scripted battles, is about determining what it is to be human. And to be able to do that you need to create parallels to compare and contrast what humanity does. It creates a morally ambiguous framework where there are no rights or wrongs, only lesser evils. Similarly the record has no songs about myself or real life events. Choosing a framework separate from myself has allows a clearer analysis. A comparison has allowed a greater insight into my own humanity. Both these songs and those episodes and are inﬂuenced by the constant looming

Argentina

Do you have a criminal record? Up here in Queensland we call it a ‘jacket’ and mines thick, narrr mean? But seriously, no I don’t, and sorry if I’ve oﬀended anybody or got that reference wrong. What if the hokey-pokey really IS what it’s all about? In light of the recent ﬁnancial crisis, I would like to urge children out there to be careful, and to remember that when you put your left leg in, there is no guarantee you will get your left leg back out. The Triple Treat Tour reaches The Workers Club on Friday October 26

spectre of death. Whether mentioned and witnessed directly or by being conspicuous in its absence, the fact that we will one day not exist is a factor that is so incomprehensible that we go to extreme lengths to try and deﬁne who and what we are, while we are here.

ses

rdcour a w a / u a . aftrs.edu

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TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

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INTERNATIONAL MELBOURNE FESTIVAL Various Venues October 24 October 27 WILLY MASON Toff In Town October 24 MUMFORD & SONS Rod Laver Arena October 25 WEDNESDAY 13 The Espy October 27 THE BLACK KEYS Sidney Myer Music Bowl October 31, November 1 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Prince Bandroom November 2 GREGORY PORTER The Toff In Town November 3, Wangaratta Jazz Festival November 4 THE CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES Corner Hotel November 5 TOUCHE AMORE The Reverence Hotel November 9, Phoenix Youth Centre November 10. EMMYLOU HARRIS Palais Theatre November 10 BEN HARPER The Plenary November 10 HARVEST FESTIVAL Werribee Mansion November 10, 11 CHELSEA WOLFE Northcote Social Club November 12 GRIZZLY BEAR Billboard November 12 MIKE PATTON’S MONDO CANE Regent Theatre November 12 THE WAR ON DRUGS Northcote Social Club November 13 COLDPLAY Etihad Stadium November 13 REFUSED The Palace November 15, 16 AUSTRALASIAN WORLDWIDE MUSIC EXPO Various Venues November 15 - 18 RON POPE Chapel Off Chapel November 15 RADIOHEAD Rod Laver Arena November 16, 17 ELTON JOHN November 18 Rod Laver Arena GEORGE MICHAEL Rod Laver Arena November 21 VILLAGE PEOPLE The Palais November 24 EYEHATEGOD Billboard The Venue November 24 CHERRYFEST Cherry Bar November 25 NICKELBACK Rod Laver Arena November 27, 28 SIMPLE MINDS, DEVO Palais Theatre November 29, A Day On The Green - Rochford Wines December 1 THE KNOCKS Toff In Town December 1 RICK ASTLEY The Palace November 30, Chelsea Heights Hotel December 1 THE SELECTER Corner Hotel November 30 OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ Corner Hotel December 2 REEL BIG FISH, GODLFINGER, ZEBRAHEAD The Palace December 2 BLONDIE Sidney Myer Music Bowl December 3 THE PRETTY THINGS Corner Hotel December 4, Caravan

Club December 13, 14 NICKI MINAJ, TYGA Rod Laver Arena December 5 GRIMES Corner Hotel December 5, 6 SPIRITUALIZED The Hi-Fi December 6 HOT SNAKES Corner Hotel December 7 MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre December 7 - 9 PRIMAL SCREAM The Palace December 7 TURBONEGRO The Hi-Fi December 7 MAYDAY PARADE Billboard The Venue December 8 LAGWAGON Bended Elbow December 8, Corner Hotel December 9 JLO Rod Laver Arena December 11, 12 ALEXISONFIRE Festival Hall December 12 REGINA SPEKTOR The Plenary December 14 JB SMOOVE The Thornbury Theatre December 15 EARTHLESS Northcote Social Club December 15, 16 EVAN DANDO AND JULIANA HATFIELD Corner Hotel December 18, 19 MORRISSEY Festival Hall December 19 FALLS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL Lorne December 28, Marion Bay December 29 PYRAMID ROCK FESTIVAL Phillip Island December 29 January 1 PEATS RIDGE Glenworth Valley December 28 - January 1 TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB Festival Hall December 29 SHARON VAN ETTEN Corner Hotel December 30 SUMMADAYZE Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 1 MAXIMO PARK Corner Hotel January 2 FIRST AID KIT Forum Theatre January 2 BEST COAST The Hi-Fi January 2 WILLIS EARL BEAL Northcote Social Club January 2 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Festival Hall January 2 BLOOD RED SHOES The Hi-Fi January 3 COSMO JARVIS Corner Hotel January 3 65DAYDOFSTATIC Corner Hotel January 4 THE HIVES The Forum January 6 SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS The Corner Hotel January 8 BEACH HOUSE The Forum January 9 HOT CHIP The Palace January 9 GARY JULES Corner Hotel January 12 DJANGO DJANGO The Hi-Fi January 12 NIGHTWISH The Palace January 14 DAVID BYRNE & ST VINCENT Hamer Hall January 14, 15 WEEZER Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 16 SUGAR MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL The Forum January 19

Django Django The Hi-Fi January 12 SO FRENCHY SO CHIC Werribee Park January 20 THE KILLERS The Palace January 22 GARY CLARK JR Corner Hotel January 22 CRYSTAL CASTLES Billboard January 22 OFF! Corner Hotel January 23 SLEIGH BELLS Billboard January 23 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE The Palace January 23 BAND OF HORSES The Palais January 23 JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD Corner Hotel January 24 THE BLOODY BEETROOTS The Palace January 24 ALABAMA SHAKES The Forum January 24 ELVIS COSTELLO The Palais January 25 A DAY ON THE GREEN Yarra Valley January 26 BIG DAY OUT Flemington Racecourse January 26 THEE OH SEES The Hi-Fi January 31 AMANDA PALMER AND THE GRAND THEFT ORCHESTRA The Forum February 1 ST. JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL Footscray Community Arts Centre February 3 GIN BLOSSOMS The Hi-Fi February 7 DIRTY BEACHES February 10 DAVID HASSELHOFF Corner Hotel February 14 SARAH BLASKO Hamer Hall February 14 SWANS Corner Hotel February 15 ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES Westgate Entertainment Centre February 16, 17 EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN The Palace February 19 DR. FEELGOOD Corner Hotel February 21 ((())) NORAH JONES The Plenary February 21 MY BLOODY VALENTINE The Palace February 22 BLINK-182 Sidney Myer Music Bowl February 26 LINKIN PARK, STONE SOUR Rod Laver Area February 26 SOUNDWAVE Flemington Racecourse March 1 ED SHEERAN Festival Hall March 5, 6 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Port Fairy March 8 – 11 GOLDEN PLAINS Meredith’s Supernatural Amphitheatre March 9 - 11 MXPX The Corner Hotel March 10 WILCO Hamer Hall March 27 BONNIE RAITT, MAVIS STAPLES State Theatre March 27 ROGER HODGSON The Palais March 28 BYRON BAY BLUESFEST Byron Bay March 28 – April 1 BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Hamer Hall April 3 THE SCRIPT Rod Laver Arena April 6 P!NK Rod Laver Arena July 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

NATIONAL DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST Various venues September JOSH PYKE The Palais Hepburn Spring October 24, Karova Lounge October 25, The Bended Elbow October 26 OH MERCY The Hi-Fi October 25 LAST DINOSAURS Corner Hotel October 25, 26 CLAIRE BOWDITCH The Regal Ballroom October 26 GYPSY & THE CAT The Palace October 26 ROBERT FORSTER Thornbury Theatre October 26, Castlemaine Theatre Royale October 27, Caravan Music Club October 28

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Blood Red Shoes The Hi-Fi January 3 Beat Magazine Page 24

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DEAD END Corner Hotel October 28 KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON The Regent Theatre October 27 LIOR Northcote Social Club October 31 LISA MITCHELL Athenaeum Theatre Wednesday October 31 MOJO JUJU Northcote Social Club November 2 COSMIC PSYCHOS The Tote November 2 MALDON FOLK FESTIVAL Maldon November 2-5 THE BEARDS The Hi-Fi November 3 HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY Northcote Social Club November 4, 5 HENRY WAGONS Thornbury Theatre November 5 TZU The Hi-Fi November 5 DONNY BENET The Toﬀ In Town November 8 DEEP SEA ARCADE Corner Hotel November 9 REDCOATS Ding Dong Lounge November 10 YUNG WARRIORS First Floor November 16 FACE THE MUSIC Arts Centre Melbourne November 16, 17 MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK Various Venues November 16 – 24 BLEEDING KNEES CLUB Corner Hotel November 17, Ding Dong Lounge November 18 ANGUS STONE The Palace November 21 BALLPARK MUSIC The Palace November 23 QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL Queenscliﬀ November 23-25 JORDIE LANE Northcote Social Club November 29, 30, December 2 SAN CISCO Corner Hotel December 1, 2 MISSY HIGGINS Palais Theatre December 4 BIRDS OF TOKYO Ormond Hall December 5 TAME IMPALA The Forum December 6 JEFF MARTIN Cherry Bar December 7, The Northcote Social Club December 8 GOTYE Sidney Myer Music Bowl December 8 SUNNYBOYS Corner Hotel December 8 THE LIVING END Corner Hotel December 11 - 22 HARD-ONS Northcote Social Club December 14 POISON CITY XMAS The Reverence Hotel December 21 PARKWAY DRIVE Festival Hall December 22 CHILDREN COLLIDE The Espy December 28 SPIDERBAIT, SOMETHING FOR KATE The Espy December 31 TREVOR. A MUSIC FESTIVAL Churchill Island Nature Park January 12 DEAD CAN DANCE Palais Theatre February 6 RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL Echuca-Moama February 15 - 17

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Two Bright Lakes: Blake Byron-Smith, Simon Huggins, Hazel Brown Cutters: Dan Whitford, Francis McSweeney

Chapter Music: Guy Blackman and Ben O’Connor

Labels Live curators and bands

Cover and story photos by Ben Clement

MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK:

LABELS SERIES BY LACHLAN KANONIUK

Slowly but surely, a formidable contingent of Australia’s most influential musical figures gathered in the sun-drenched Arts Centre courtyard. I first spot Gill and Antonia from Beaches kicking back by the moat outside NGV, before running into Alex and Tom from Forces. We all make our way indoors to join some well-known faces – Dan from Cut Copy, Vince from Midnight Juggernauts, Geoffrey from Crayon Fields – as well as the brains behind some of our country’s most revered independent labels. All are involved, whether as a performer, curator, or both, with Melbourne Music Week’s Labels Series – a disparate triptych of musical showcases featuring a remarkable array of talent in unconventional scenarios. As the palpable excitement in NGV today indicates, there is something more than a little bit special in store. Chapter Music, the longest-standing label out of the four imprints involved in the Labels Series performances, is well-represented here today with members from Beaches, Crayon Fields, Bum Creek, Pikelet and Primitive Calculators, as well as label founder Guy Blackman and manager Ben O’Connor. In between being shuffled around shooting locations around the gallery, Guy and Ben recount the storied 20-year history of Chapter Music. “It was around the time that a lot of people were putting out cassettes,” Guy states, looking back on the label’s humble Perth origins. “They seemed like a really DIY, easy, fun format. As soon as we put out the first cassette we knew it was something that we wanted to keep on doing, not just with the fanzine.” As Ben and Guy pose for the shoot, they hold what they jokingly refer to as the Chapter babies – Alison from Beaches’ newborn twins. It’s a fine explication of the sense of ‘family’ which defines the macro Chapter community, a sense which also applies to each label here today. “Having a personal connection with the artists on our label is really important to us,” Ben explains. “We have really close relationships with everyone we work with. I can’t think of any releases that we’ve done where we haven’t known the people beforehand, apart from the reissues. Are there any?” He gestures to Guy. “No, even if we haven’t known some of the people from overseas we’ve gone and spent time with them before the record came out,” Guy ponders. “Plus we do email and Facebook messages.” The day before the shoot, one of Chapter’s foremost acts had again made the voyage to the US. It’s the second time Twerps have toured the country this year after a barnstorming run with Real Estate earlier in 2012. It’s a strategy that’s paying off both abroad and at home, as Ben explains before flying over to join the band a few days after our chat. “We’ve always looked at the bands we work with as part of the international music community rather than just part of the Australian music community. Being Australian is really important to us and supporting good Australian music is really important, but most of the work that we do I see as fitting into what’s happening internationally rather than just what’s happening in Australia,” Ben muses. “We’ve always worked hard to combat Australian cultural cringe – the idea that things from overseas are inherently better than stuff that’s made here in Australia,” Guy adds. “We’re trying to reverse that.” We’re escorted up the elevator and into the mezzanine of NGV’s Great Hall. The breathtaking room will play host to a Tim Sweeney-headlined party presented by Cutters Beat Magazine Page 26

Records and Two Bright Lakes. Colourfully illuminated by the kaleidoscopic ceiling, Cut Copy frontman and Cutters founder Dan Whitford explains the philosophy behind the label. “I guess it was something we set up after starting our band as a means of putting out music made by other people that we were really passionate about,” he relays. “Also I guess because of our profile both here and internationally we felt like we could use that to push people into places where they might not otherwise explore. We started this label five years ago, since then we’ve worked with artists like Kim [Moyes] from The Presets, some of the early Midnight Juggernauts stuff came out through our label, we worked with Knightlife, plus a bunch of other artists we’ve signed both locally and internationally. But we’ve put out no actual Cut Copy [through Cutters] material at this stage.

“THEY’RE JUST FRIENDS – THAT’S HOW WE’VE MANAGED TO BUILD A NICE COMMUNITY AROUND IT, IT’S MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN SOMETHING THAT’S NOT AS ORGANIC OR COMMUNITY FOCUSED” Looking out over the Great Hall, it’s exciting to envision the scenes that will take place the night of the Labels Series show. “It’s a really exciting opportunity because it’s a space that I know pretty well – even just as a kid just being dragged here by my parents,” Dan laughs. “Just looking up at the ceiling and thinking, ‘Wow, this is a crazy space.’ Just turning it into a party with some of our artists plus some international artists coming to play, just letting music fans see the building in a different light to what we usually do. So it’s exciting to have this space for our Labels show.” After a hectic touring schedule following on from the 2011 release of Zonoscope, Dan reveals that the Labels party comes at an opportune time in the Cut Copy writingrecording cycle. “We probably rested for about a week, then went back to writing for the next record. We’re just getting towards the end of that now, so it’s a great time to have a party and blow off the cobwebs a little bit,” he grins. Sharing presenting duties with Cutters at the NGV Labels party will be Two Bright Lakes, one of the finest harbingers of

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good times and rising local talent – including Collarbones, a band which has produced one of the records of 2012. Label founder Simon Huggins echoes the sentiment of community expressed by many today. “TBL started about five years ago, we started up because we had a whole bunch of friends who had records to put out. They’re just friends – that’s how we’ve managed to build a nice community around it, it’s much more sustainable than something that’s not as organic or community focused,” he explains. “That’s why we can put on parties and everyone sticks around and has a dance rather than leaving straight after a show.” Absent from today’s shoot, Daniel Stricker of Siberia Records and Midnight Juggernauts calls the week later from New York, where he is travelling with Kirin J Callinan as part of the CMJ series of events. As he explains, while Midnight Juggernauts’ formation of Siberia Records is comparable to Cut Copy’s Cutters Records, the two imprints started out with differing intents. “We started it to put out our own music, first and foremost. When Midnight Juggernauts started we had a look at the major labels, and none of them felt right. We had been doing stuff own our own up until that point, then we ended up putting out our first record. That was back in 2007. Then we thought it would be a good idea to put out other people’s stuff, which is something we always wanted to do. So we did that when we had the time, because we were so busy touring. When we came back at the end of 2010 to write our third record we made the decision to put out some records during that writing process,” he recalls. “Our first releases, which came out on the same day, were a seven-inch for Jonti, who was going under Danimals back then, and Kirin J Callinan’s She EP. That was November 2010, and we’ve just been doing stuff since then. It’ been great, just doing stuff with friends and doing these releases exactly how we want to do them. Going all out with stuff like coloured vinyl, and we did a postcard that you could send to someone and it played Forces and Kirin if you put it on a record player. Just doing fun stuff. It’s a labour of love,” he beams. With impending releases from Forces and Kirin in the next 12 months, there’s a sense that Siberia Records is a rumbling geyser on the point of eruption. “All these records that are coming together, it feels like everything is coming to a head. The fact that Kirin’s here in New York and getting really good press and people are getting into it, plus it’s building back home, it feels like the last two years are culminating to this point – especially this Melbourne Music Week show, and some events in Sydney, plus Kirin’s album tour next year. It’s a lot of work, but it feels good that it’s coming together. I think it’s really indicative of what’s happening in Australia. There’s heaps of good stuff happening with labels like Chapter and Two Bright Lakes, all these people doing great stuff. And I think you can do that these days because of the way the internet has come together, you can get vinyl made easy. It feels like a lot of walls have been broken down. I do feel like in one section of Australian music, there’s this mix of electronic music and the old Australian sound, especially with Kirin, it feels like this new frontier. I’m just happy we get to take that to the rest of the world,” he states with pride. “It’s a good thing.” Melbourne Music Week’s LABELS SERIES is three unique events with four of Melbourne’s independent labels showcasing our brightest talent: Chapter Music’s 20th Birthday, with Crayon Fields, Twerps, Pikelet and more at North Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday November 17, Cutters Records and Two Bright Lakes presenting Tim Sweeney, Teengirl Fantasy, Collarbones and more at The National Gallery Of Victoria on Friday November 23 and Siberian Nights, with Kirin J Callinan, Forces and more at the Melbourne University Underground Carpark on Saturday November 24. For all information, head to melbourne.vic.gov.au/mmw.

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Beat Magazine Page 27

THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN Directed by talented actor and Jennifer Lopez’s 14th husband, Ben Affleck, Argo is based on the declassified true life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis: the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. In 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies. Argo is set for a general release this Thursday October 25.

WITH TYSON WRAY. GOT THOUGHTS, NEWS, GOSSIP, COMPLAINTS OR CAT PHOTOS? EMAIL TYSON@BEAT.COM.AU OR SEND BY CARRIER PIGEON BEFORE FRIDAY 12PM.

ON STAGE Chunky Move present the world premiere of An Act Of Now. This is the highly anticipated debut work from Chunky Move under new Artistic Director Anouk Van Dijk. Casting a fresh eye over her new hometown, Van Dijk presents this new work at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl, reimagined in an audacious new light. Exploring proximity, isolation and humankind’s ability to coexist, An Act Of Now is presented in a smoke-ﬁlled glasshouse on the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage. In a moment of precise, dynamic movement, the veil of smoke is broken and eight dancers ﬁll the space. Seated outside, the audience watch and listen intimately on personalised headphones, cocooned in their own experience as the footfalls and reactions of dancers meld with a quietly pulsing score. This is happening until Saturday October 27, so head to chunkymove.com for ticketing.

ON DISPLAY Irrespective of belief, background or current circumstance we can be sure that we were all children once. Kirstin Finlayson explores liminal phase of life in her latest exhibition Childhood And Other Disasters. By taking casts from found objects, Finlayson transforms and recontextualises them, allowing the derelict and discarded to reenter the world anew. This process of rebirth through reconfiguration transforms negative memories into positive expressions of survival. Bumps and crashes, blows and smashes are all necessary misadventures in Finlayson’s creative process. Her works generate a sense of playful whimsy whilst maintaining a slight undertone of unease, suspended somewhere between reality and nostalgia. Childhood And Other Disasters is at fortyfivedownstairs until Saturday November 17 and is a free event. Head to fortyfivedownstairs. com for gallery hours.

BEAT’S PICK OF THE WEEK: A cocktail of jaw-dropping acrobats, mind-bending contortionists and thrilling chanteuses spiced with a pinch of the exotic and well seasoned with humour, La Soirée is a beguiling concoction that has left audiences around the world spellbound, titillated and amazed. The ever-changing repertoire of artists includes the return of pliable Nordic wunderkind Captain Frodo, the delightfully acrobatic English Gents, the inimitable Ursula Martinez and her disappearing hanky, Adonis in denim David O’Mer and irrepressible spandex showstopper Le Gateau Chocolat, not to mention a few exciting new additions to the dysfunctional La Soirée family. This rogue gallery of artists previously performed together under the name La Clique, a show that smashed box oﬃce records throughout Europe, the US and Australia, collecting a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment during its extended run on London’s West End. Returning under their new guise, they’ll be performing at the Forum Theatre until Sunday November 18. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

Beat Magazine Page 28

WE’RE GONNA DIE BY BELLA ARNOTT-HOARE

One of life’s chilling verities gives Young Jean Lee Theater Company’s show its title: We’re Gonna Die. But it’s in this truth that Jean hopes to provide solace. “It’s an incredibly underwhelming message, and that’s actually what makes it comforting,” she says. Life may be miserable and fated to end but at least you’re not alone. In a combination of pop concert, cabaret and darkly humorous autobiographical lament, playwright (not performer) Young Jean Lee conceived the show when confronted with her own experience of tenuous mortality. “My father died a few years ago, and he died in a pretty terrible way. It’s a story that I tell in the show,” she says. “Going through that experience I was so struck by how alone I felt. Because when something really terrible happens to you, no matter who you have around it’s really an incredibly lonely experience. I remember at the time really wishing that I could – wishing for some sort of comfort when I was in that state. And so I decided to make a show that was geared speciﬁcally towards comforting people who were feeling alone in their pain.” Young Jean Lee tells stories about loneliness and

FREE SHIT KISSED For one night only at ACMI Philip Brophy will perform Kissed (2008), his live quadrophonic score to Andy Warhol’s silent film Kiss (1964). His pulsating acoustic drum recordings create a rhythmic dialogue with the film’s passionate kissing couple in a not to be missed event presented by Experimenta. Running for 50 minutes, as Warhol intended, the evening will be opened by Experimenta’s Program Manager Jared Davis. Showing on Tuesday October 30, tickets are available on acmi.net. au, or take us up on our offer of a double pass. That way it’s free free free.

aging, sickness and death and all of the things people are most afraid of, accompanied by a “really cute” indie rock band Future Wife. “They play music, indie rock songs, and then I sing songs that are a continuation of the stories. And the whole show is basically geared towards comforting people who are in pain,” she says. She’s been responsible for challenging herself with intensely personal works in previous creations The Shipment and The Church, but with that in mind she is a playwright. Creating a piece of musical theatre that she was the star in is certainly a deviation from her normal practice. “I’m not a performer at all,” she says, “I’m a writer and a director.” “The way that I start shows is I ask myself what’s the last thing in the world that I would ever want to do,

and then I force myself to do that thing. So for me I hated performing, so I forced myself to do a oneperson cabaret show with music and dancing.” And going from behind the scenes to centrestage, she says, was not an easy transition. “Oh my god it was terrible, it was so terrible. It was about as terrible for me as it would probably be for you, to suddenly have to get up on stage and sing and dance and talk in front of people, so it was pretty rough. But I’m starting to really enjoy it, over the course of the last few years we’ve been working on it.” Lighthearted arrangement is central to her theatrical creations while she confronts prudent issues deftly and playfully. She’s currently touring a nude feminist show filled with uncomfortable subject matter. “People are uncomfortable with seeing breasts and vaginas in a non-pornographic or idealised context. So when confronted with real bodies people tend to freak out a little bit,” she says. But typically, she’s added her peppy touches to its arrangement. “I knew the audience would be uncomfortable with it so I just made the show incredibly entertaining. It’s just a really funny, entertaining fun show and there’s lots of pop music, so that’s a real kind of fun show.” Music, it seems, is central to her ability to enliven even the darkest of subject matter. “I just love pop music. I feel like it’s so part of my sensibility. I really like rap, and pop and indie-rock, it’s this wide range of styles and I have a very pop sensibility I think, in general. I definitely don’t include like, Lady Gaga or something, most of it tends to be more independent, more obscure things. [But] pop music is universal.” With a universal platitude at the heart of it, the message may be humorous, tongue-in-cheek or plain miserable but it’s nonetheless there. “Usually I’m not into shows with a message and this show kind of does have a message, but it’s such a basic message that it almost doesn’t count as a message. It’s more like the style of presentation that is comforting than actually what is said. If you try to comfort somebody when something terrible has happened it’s really hard to do because there’s not a lot of comfort you can give. Like if something really awful happens to somebody, what can you say? So I think what makes this show comforting is it offers very small comfort.” The comfort, she says, is that “all of the things that we’re afraid of ultimately come down, boil down at the core to the fact that we’re all gonna die. So that seems to be the heart of the matter.” And in confronting these issues within the piece she’s come to terms with her own mortality and has been able to accept and grieve the loss of her father. ”Doing the show helped a lot, it really helped a lot. I mean, it was something that I was going through anyway, so the show was more kind of a reflection of what I was going through at the time. Because it’s like, when your parent dies, it makes you confront your own mortality in a totally new way.” We’re Gonna Die is running as part of the Melbourne Festival from Wednesday October 24 – Saturday October 27 at The Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

THE STAIRS ARE MOVING

HUNTER: FOR THE RECORD

In celebration of Melbourne Writers’ Theatre’s 30th anniversary, the Carlton Courthouse host an innovative, evocative play called The Stairs Are Moving. Written by award-winning ﬁlmmaker Neil Triﬀett, the play tells the tale of two siblings who return home for their aunt’s funeral to discover she’s not dead and refuses to be buried. Somehow, to their surprise, the stairs are moving too. Acted by budding star Charlotte Nicdao (The Slap), Carolyn Masson, Sarah Plummer and Maurice Mammoliti. Carlton Courthouse host The Stairs Are Moving from Wednesday October 24 – Saturday November 3. We have a double pass to give away.

Perth musician Robert Hunter was the pioneer of a musical genre, a young father, an avid digital enthusiast, ex drug and alcohol abuser and a terminal cancer patient. Hunter: For The Record, showing at ACMI, follows Hunter as he comes to terms with his diagnosis at age 35, using cancer as a lens through which the important things in his life come sharply into focus. Using video diaries to document the world around him, the screening on Saturday October 27 will feature a live performance by DJ Defyre followed by a Q&A. For info and tickets head to acmi.net.au. We’ve got three double passes for you people.

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Beat Magazine Page 29

FOR MORE ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS VISIT BEAT.COM.AU ‘IT’ GIRLS LIVE IN THE STUDIO

POLARIZED

Continuing its popular Live In The Studio program, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image will be casting an eye on HBO’s hit show Girls. The show’s writer and director Lena Dunham is quickly becoming “a voice of a generation”, with an award winning ﬁlm Tiny Furniture and a $3.5 million book deal for her collection of essays Not That Kind Of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned. Jess McGuire will host a panel of guests including the ever articulate Clementine Ford, Sam Cooney, Women Of Letter’s Michaela McGuire and Byron Bache. Let the conversation and the oestrogen ﬂow! The live event will take place at ACMI’s Studio 1 on Thursday November 29 from 7pm. Further information and tickets through acmi.net.au

Queensland Centre For Photography will host their ﬁrst Melbourne exhibition at the Colour Factory Gallery this November. Entitled Polarized, the QCP exhibition will feature an array of evocative, absurd, and sometimes disturbing works. Some of the photographers listed include Paul Adair, Kate Bernauer and Priscilla Bracks, who has previously hosted various exhibitions including her psychedelic Stained Glass exhibition at [MARS] Gallery. Ray Cook, who is known for his narrative style photomedia, will be talking at the Colour Factory Gallery as well. Scheduled for Saturday November 3 at 2pm, Cook will discuss the history of his works, the environmental inﬂuences that shaped him, and his maverick approach to photomedia. Polarized will be hosted at the Colour Factory Gallery from Friday November 2 – Saturday December 1 with an opening night on Thursday November 1 from 6 – 8pm. Admission is free.

EXPLORATIONS 2012 SEASON EXPLORATIONS is known for its series of thoughtprovoking and unique shows that showcase Melbourne’s ﬁnest talent. With a full program of 28 acts EXPLORATIONS looks better than ever. Katherine Connolly’s newest production The Great Game will be a collusion of Charlies Darwin and the Pussycat Dolls transposed within Wüthering Heights. Michelle France and Robert Gaetano explore the complexities of reality and memory through My Pet, My Love, while Showko Shoufukutei’s Le Petit Prince?? is a sweet fairytale-like addition to the list. Charlie Laidlaw and Glynis Angell’s newest creation Disturbing The Piece will be a production of “seven monologues, a minister, a basketball hoop and a shot of pethidine”. EXPLORATIONS will be hosted at La Mama from Tuesday October 16 – Wednesday December 19. Tickets and a full program can be found at lamama.com.au

CROSSING BOUNDARIES It is an expectation that many Visual Art teachers are active artists themselves, and Crossing Boundaries: The Journey from Teacher to Teaching Artist hosted at George Paton Gallery will explore this delicate relationship. As part of the Teacher As Art-Maker Project (TAP), over 60 works have been commissioned for the Crossing Boundaries exhibition. All the pieces were created by 27 recent graduates of Melbourne University’s Master of Teaching (Secondary Art). Each artist will be exposed to the criticisms that they will inevitably impose upon their own students, blending the line between teacher and artist. Hosted at the George Paton Gallery, Crossing Boundaries will run from Tuesday November 6 – Friday November 16. Admission is free.

INTERNATIONAL SCREEN ACADEMY AUDITIONS Are you an aspiring actor? Are you looking for the best institution to help you flourish as an artist? Then maybe The International Screen Academy (ISA) is the go-to for you. They boast an array of industry experts including dialogue coach Bill Pepper (Moulin Rouge, Queen Of The Damned), Kevin Jackson, an acting trainer from The American Conservatory Nicholas Hope, and acclaimed choreographer Julia Cotton. Built around an ethos of “creative minds flourish in creative environments,” ISA focus on producing well rounded actors capable of getting creative projects off the ground. A large portion of the syllabus is invested in educating students about the commercialism, legalities, and marketing of the acting industry. Located at a beautiful Waterloo campus, auditions for the school will take place late November. Applications for auditions and more information can be found at isasydney.com.au.

Beat Magazine Page 30

AN EVENING WITH ROBIN HUNICKE Game Masters left you wanting more? The ACMI has announced acclaimed game designer Robin Hunicke will be heading into the studio for a live game playing event this October. An inﬂuential feminine ﬁgure on the US gaming scene, Hunicke will be playing and discussing the critically acclaimed Journey, one of the most anticipated video games to come out of thatgamingcompany. She will also be answering questions from the audience at the intimate event designed for fans and industry alike. Hunicke will be appearing at ACMI’s Studio 1 from 6.15pm on Thursday October 24. Tickets and information can be found through acmi.net.au.

GASWORKS ARTS PARK OPEN STUDIO In what could only be a dream for art enthusiasts, history buffs, and culture lovers, Gasworks Arts Park will be opening their doors for one exclusive night to the general public. From 5.45pm onwards, visitors will be privy to the backstage studios of Gasworks, exploring the scenes and experiences hosted there, while fifteen resident professional artists plod merrily around. Guides will provide factual history to the place, while ceramic artists, sculpture artists and visual artists will chat about their creative processes. Considered a night for Gasworks to further immerse culture lovers, free wine and cheese will be offered. Priscilla Jones, the resident cafe, will be open from 5.30-9pm, allowing the famished to be fed. This exclusive insight into Gasworks’ Arts Studios will occur on Thursday November 15 between 6 – 8pm at Gasworks Arts Park. Admission is free.

TOUGH LOVE AT THE OLD BAR Hola Holga’s latest art show Tough Love aims to capture and celebrate some of Melbourne’s iconic music venues before they disappear forever. The exhibition, to run at Fitzroy’s Old Bar, showcases the unfortunate lifecycles of these lovable lost spaces. Several pieces feature Melbourne bands with their favourite venues, while the opening night party, on Tuesday December 11, will see Ali E, Rich Davies and Mightiest of Guns rockin’ the Old Bar. The show will run at The Old bar from Tuesday December 11 until Monday December 17.

CHERRY 2000 A tribute to the movie of the same name, Cherry 2000 will be one of Red Bennies’ biggest shows this year. With a run time of 90 mins and a cast of over 15 incredible performers, it will have highlights from the film as well as a range of vaudevillian acts to tease and tantalise. It has all the essentials: guns, burlesque, pyrotechnics, ‘80s music, and an entire venue performance experience. It will be shown in three acts, with the final act dispersed into snippets that draw the crowd further into the drama. The plot of the film is followed without it being a stage rendition, allowing fans to enjoy key moments and be inspired by new takes on the film’s themes and action sequences. Yes, that means action involving guns and pyrotechnics in all its ‘80s cinematic glory. Cherry 2000 will be the launch event for Scarlett Productions, the means by which to bring to fruition Scarlett’s (Sheree Matthews) background in design, production and performance. Written, directed and designed by Scarlett in collaboration with Red Bennies, this will be a taste for what’s to come next year. It’s on at Red Bennies on Monday November 5. Check out redbennies.com for more information.

COLOUR BOX STUDIO POP UP SHOP Pop-up shops are popping up all over town! This November, Colour Box Studio will launch its ﬁrst initiative, a month long Pop-up shop. Colour Box Studio is a new artist run initiative in Melbourne’s North that prides itself on supporting and promoting independent artists. The shop will be launched on Wednesday November 2, running a series of workshops as well as showcasing and selling the creations of talented artists, designers and craft makers. Stephanie Kabayana, adornment designer and maker from AK ADORNMENTS will be on site, as artist in residence, Mondays and Tuesdays from 10am to 6pm. The shop will be open for business until Friday December 5 at Colour Box Studios, 236 Nicholson St, Footscray. More details through facebook.com/colourboxstudio

FRIDAY ON MY MIND Friday On My Mind is known for collecting and hosting some the creative industry’s best minds to speak at ACMI every Friday night. This Friday, Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger appear in the program, creators of the glamourised ABC TV series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Known for its penchant for period locations that help create the 1920s detective show, the series is based on the Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher novels. At Friday On My Mind, Cox and Eagger will talk about how they constructed the ﬂawless appeal of the series, emulated Greenwood’s compelling characters and just generally how awesome the show is. Hosted by ACMI every Friday night, Friday On My Mind with Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger will happen on Friday October 26 at 5pm. Admission is free, but it’s always handy to book some free tickets, particularly for this event.

SLIPS INSIDE Belgian clowning duo Okidok will be bringing their madness to Melbourne for this year’s Melbourne Festival. Slips Inside will see performing pals, Xavier and Benoît compete to out ridiculous one another with acrobatics, outlandishness and feats of fabulous physical comedy. Sounds A-OK to me! Performances will take place at the Foxtel Festival Hub on Wednesday October 24 and Friday October 26 at 8pm and on Thursday 25 at 2pm. Tickets are $35, check out melbournefestival.com.au for more information.

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

THE COMIC STRIP COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays at Spleen are always a full house and a great night! This Monday, they’ve got Justin Hamilton hosting! Plus Rhys Nicholson, Matthew Klein, Paco Erhard (Germany), Anne Edmonds, Bo Steadman and heaps more! It’s this Monday October 29, 41 Bourke St, in the city, at 8.30pm. It may be free, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door!

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE COMEDY Tonight, Charlie has a rare treat with UK comedy legend Jeff Green headlining! Jeff is the man The Sun named the funniest comedian in Britain and he’s won a prestigious Perrier Award nomination at the Edinburgh Festival. Don’t miss this. Plus Joel Creasey, David Quirk and more! For just $5. You’re welcome. So come fill yourself with cheap piss and put your continence to the ultimate test as Britain’s finest comedian spits funnies into the business end of a loud stick. Check in 8pm tonight at Eurotrash Bar, CBD. Get down early for a seat.

FIVE BOROUGHS COMEDY Corinne Grant headlines Five Boroughs Comedy (previously Softbelly Comedy) this Thursday! You’ve heard her on Airways and seen her on Rove and heaps more! Plus they’ve got Brad Oakes, Nick Cody, Michael Connell, Pete Sharkey and Tom Ward! They’re at a new venue, above Pop Restaurant CBD, this Thursday October 25 at 8.30pm, for only $13!

COMMEDIA DELL PARTE Randy is headlining Commedia Dell Parte this Thursday October 25 at The George Lane Bar with, Mike Nayna, Jay Morrissey, Cam Marshall, Milky T, Gabe Hogan and Dave Warneke. Get down early for $5 Happy Hour drinks, 7pm till 9pm. 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. Commedia Dell Parte runs every Thursday 8.30pm at George Lane Bar, St Kilda.

WHITE COAT COMEDY White Coat Comedy once again prepares to take comedy into uncharted waters. Comedians are invited down to do something new to them. It might be new material or it might be something really out there. We’ve seen some really fun and whack shit over the last few months, so you never know what’s going to happen. Simon Taylor will be bravely MCing proceedings, and the lineup includes Jonathan Schuster, Trav Nash, John Conway, Mike Nanya, Dave Warneke, Erin Melville and more. All that for the price of this magazine, that’s right it’s free! Sunday October 28 at 7pm at Club Voltaire, North Melbourne.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR Acclaimed ventriloquist David Strassman returns with Careful What You Wish For, a dark, twisted comedy of puppetry. Hailed as “dark, dirty and twisted, rolled into a sandwich of hilarious cuteness,” Careful What You Wish For jumps into a rabbit hole of comedy ﬁlled with alternate realities and parallel universes. Ted E Bare and Chuck Wood lend their voices and their sarcastic, caustic wit to the production, giving voice to puppeted versions of themselves trapped in an alternate puppet universe. Careful What You Wish For will be performed at the Athenaeum Theatre from Wednesday November 7 – Saturday December 1. Tickets and more information can be found at athenaeumtheatre.com.au.

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Beat Magazine Page 31

LOVE LETTERS BY JOSH FERGEUS

Boasting alumni such as Jane Turner, Gina Riley and Julia Zemiro, St Martins Youth Arts Centre has firmly been established as a leading light in youth theatre. St Martins’ latest venture is Love Letters, a collaboration with the Arts Centre Melbourne. The subject, love, is of course intensely personal. How does one go about making it accessible to others? “As a writer it's pretty hard not to draw on your own experience, because that's all you've got. You understand yourself from a psychological point of view so I guess I drew on the feelings I remember about the theme of love – love for friends and family, romantic love,” says playwright Kylie Trounson. Trounson was brought on board by St Martins as writer and dramaturge for Love Letters, the concept for which had been established prior to her engagement. “I came on board and the cast were there, chosen from the youth ensemble, so I had the actors to start with,” says Trounson. “I guess I just trusted them to be able to do it. I didn't sit there thinking, 'Oh will this be too difficult?' I wrote each scene with certain actors from the ensemble in mind so quite a few of the scenes are crafted for different actors and play to their strengths.” Initially, she spent time in the rehearsal space with the young actors. “I spent an intensive week with them getting to know them and producing bits of script to see if they liked it, to see if they connected with it or not. I then went to write the whole script but tried to include their language and their input as much as possible while still keeping the sense that it was a cohesive play,” remembers Trounson. “I was working out what they're interested in, what they’re good at, what ideas they get excited by and also to kind of get into their lexicon and their mode of thinking. It's been a while since I was their age, so I wanted to spend some time with them to get to understand

their language and their way of dealing with things. Technology and stuff is quite different for those guys whereas when I was that age I don't think...well, there might have been the internet. But there were no mobile phones. I spent a lot of time rewinding cassette tapes.” Working with younger actors could potentially present some challenges, but Trounson proceeded with confidence. “I didn't really think about whether they'd be able to do it, I just presumed that they would. Teenagers are pretty surprising really. These guys are anyway. I haven’t hung around teenagers for a while, but if you just pitch it to them at the level that you’re interested in and the level of complexity and interest that an adult would like then they rise to it. When I watched the first run I was really impressed. They were really good! They understood what I was doing as a writer and the subtext. There is quite a bit of surrealism, a particular style of mine which has come out in this script, but they can go with it. “My particular writing style has always encompassed lightness and darkness. I like to look at things which are deep and dark and difficult but do it through a frame of laughter. I think it is a way that you can draw people in and make them feel comfortable. They’re enjoying the experience and then you just start to twist the knife a little bit and see what happens. That's what I enjoy watching, that's just my style naturally. That's come

“I THOUGHT WE COULD CRACK IT OPEN AND BRING IN OTHER SORTS OF PASSION YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE FOR THINGS LIKE A LOVE FOR MUSIC, THE IDEALISED LOVE YOU HAVE FOR AN ACTOR OR A MUSICIAN, THE DEEP LOVE THEY HAVE FOR THEIR PETS, OR THAT INTENSE BEST FRIEND KIND OF LOVE. ”

through in the script that there are moments of light and moments of dark – I'm pretty conscious of trying to juxtapose the two together so that the pendulum doesn’t swing too far one way at any given time.” The original concept, using the love letters of Melburnians to build the structure of the play, disappeared along the way, as Trounson found the experiences and voice of young people were inspiration enough. “I know there was an initial call out for love letters and we got a few, but the scope of the project changed. I got involved after they had discussed what the show might be and what it might be about. They decided they would build in these real love letters so I came on board after that call had gone out and I guess once I started talking to the director and I learned a little bit more about these particular actors, I guess I wanted to open up the scene a little

bit more broadly,” reflects Trounson. “Romantic love wasn’t the only love in these young people’s lives, in fact for some romantic love wasn’t a big part of it at all. I thought we could crack it open and bring in other sorts of passion young people have for things like a love for music, the idealised love you have for an actor or a musician, the deep love they have for their pets, or that intense best friend kind of love. That cracked open the scope a bit and made the love letters that we got not quite so important in crafting the script. When you consider all the passions and love that young people have in their lives, it seems a bit limiting.” Love Letters will run from Wednesday October 31 - Saturday November 3 at The Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

OKIDOK (BELGIUM) PRESENTS SLIPS INSIDE LANIE LANE (AUS)

Ridiculous feats of acrobatics and outlandishness, presenting a riotous evening of ludicrous physical comedy.

Channelling a bygone era, Lane brews a smoky mix of rock’n’roll, blues and jazz, in an intimate performance.

Wed 24 & Fri 26 Oct at 8pm, $35 Thu 25 Oct at 8pm, $35

THE BEATING HEART OF MELBOURNE’S FESTIVAL LIFE FOR 17 DELIRIOUS DAYS & NIGHTS Under Princes Bridge, on the banks of the Yarra River Thu 11 – Sat 27 Oct, 7am til late

PROJECT JENNY, PROJECT JAN (USA) This laptop rock band from NY delivers infectious electro pop with chunky basslines and dance ready beats. Sat 27 Oct at 8pm, $35

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – TICKETMASTER 136 100 melbournefestival.com.au/hub Beat Magazine Page 32

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

BIG KIDS’ SCARY NIGHT OUT BY PATRICK EMERY

That a human being can be so disturbed by the appearance of a creature less than one thousandth of a human’s size is one of human behaviour’s more paradoxical aspects. People will willingly jump in a car and drive down a crowded intersection without giving the slightest thought to the immediate – and statistically likely – peril with which they’re immediately faced. But when a spider appears unannounced inside a dusty shed, or a cockroach scurries out from behind the stove the reaction can be deafening – not to mention irrational. Add to that B-grade Hollywood films depicting giant spiders and insects tormenting the human population, and it’s not surprising we really don’t appreciate the creepy crawly critters of the world. On Saturday October 27, Scienceworks will celebrate the scientific, disconcerting and occasionally horrific world of the creepy crawly creature. The third installment in Melbourne Museum’s popular adults-only Big Kids' Scary Night Out, the event will feature live exhibitions, films, a lightning show, a meet-and-greet of the museum’s spider community and a range of education and informational exhibits. Patrick Honan, Melbourne Museum’s manager of live exhibits, says Big Kids' Scary Night Out is both an exploration and celebration of particular subject matter – in this case, spiders, cockroaches and the like – and an opportunity for adults to experience the wonders of the museum environment. “This is the third in the series of these events,” Honan says. “It’s a way of allowing people who don’t necessarily feel a strong affinity with the museum to come in and experience what the museum has to offer.” Scienceworks, like other elements of the Melbourne Museum, prides itself on having a family-friendly aesthetic. But for Big Kids' Scary Night Out, the focus is definitely adults-only. “That helps to encourage adults to come along,” Honan says. “This event is about entertainment, but it’s also about information.” Honan is well placed to draw the connection between scientific understanding of spiders and insects, and the extreme psychological reaction to these creatures. “One the night I’ll be talking about arachnophobia, and entomophobia, which is something I’ve talked to people, and helped them with, in the past,” Honan says. Honan says just about everyone – himself included – will be surprised by the unexpected sighting of a spider or insect. However, it’s the instant reaction to that sighting that defines arachnophobia or entomophobia. “Everyone gets surprised, but the difference is how you deal with it,” Honan says. “You can react calmly, or you can completely freak out. I get surprised if I see a spider, but for me it’s not something that worries me.” Honan cites stories of people jumping out of moving cars, hastily escaping through windows of buildings or obsessively taping up doors and windows of houses in an effort to keep spiders and insects out of the domestic residence. “When people seek treatment about their arachnophobia, it’s usually because it’s started to rule their life,” Honan says. Honan divides his approach to treating arachnophobia into two streams. Firstly, there’s the educational aspect. Typically, your average arachnophobic doesn’t have a well-developed understanding of the spider – or in the case of an entonomophobic, the broader insect church – an ignorance that feeds initial fears. “People tend to be scared of what they don’t know, so the first step is purely educational,” Honan says. “A lot of people incorrectly assume that spiders are unpredictable, but that’s not the case.” After education comes relaxation. “The other part of the treatment is managing reaction, so I do things like teaching breathing techniques.” And then there are the popular misconceptions about spiders and insects. Honan points to the erroneous assessment of daddy long leg spiders as being a particularly venomous spider as one of his favourite spider myths. “A lot of people think the daddy long legs spider is extremely venomous, or indeed being venomous,” Honan says. “But that’s not the case. I’m not sure where that came from – maybe because daddy long legs eat redbacks and white spiders, both of which are venomous, and therefore it’s assumed it must be even more venomous because it’s eating harmful spiders,” he says. “Spider stories sell newspapers, and the stories are spread on the internet – there are whole websites dedicated to perpetuating some of these stories.” But while scientists know a lot more about a spider’s life and social activities than is generally understood, we’re still yet to reproduce that most valuable of commodities – spider silk. “There are scientists all over the world trying to replicate spider silk,” Honan says. “Efforts to replicate it have really stepped up over the last few decades. No silk is as strong as spider silk; if we could replicate spider silk, it would revolutionise our world.” Big Kids' Scary Night Out, however, is more than just a trumped-up Curiosity Show. “There will be boiling cauldrons, scientists with fright wigs [think Beaker in The Muppet Show, perhaps] and shows in the Lightning Room, and the Planetarium has a selection of films,” Honan says. Visitors are encouraged to get into the spirit of the evening and dress up as a “ghoulish geek, zombie scientist or scary science experiment”, with a prize for the best dressed on the evening. Even the humble household cockroach – a creature whose hardiness is celebrated in Kim Salmon’s freakish Cockroach track from 1991 – will make an appearance. “A lot of people don’t realise that most of the cockroaches they see around are introduced into Australia,” Honan says. “There’s three or four hundred species of cockroach in the bush, and they’re all an important part of the ecosystem.”

Big Kids' Scary Night Out is on at Scienceworks this Saturday October 27 from 6pm til 10pm. ARTS NEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS ONLINE – BEAT.COM.AU/ARTS

Beat Magazine Page 33

THE WAR ON DRUGS

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Adam Granduciel is riding a high. The night before our interview, Granduciel, the mastermind behind The War On Drugs, caught Bruce Springsteen live at Citizens Bank Park in his native Philadelphia. He relates the night’s events in child-like exuberance; it quickly becomes clear that The Boss left a powerful impression on him. “I’d never seen him before,” he says, enthusiastically. “He approaches things like James Brown, he wants people to leave satisfied and exhausted. He even does that thing towards the end where he pretends to faint and people come over and squeeze a sponge on his face, and he gets back up like he’s a boxer. It was incredibly inspiring.” One spin of Granduciel’s latest full-length, 2011’s near sublime Slave Ambient, would shed some light on the high he’s currently riding. Vibrant, textured and rolling, Slave Ambient takes long drives into the dark with no hope of being found. The album echoes much of Springsteen’s lifelong aesthetic, and Granduciel is quick to count The Boss as a huge influence. He mentions that he’s giving the interview while sitting in his van outside his home; coincidentally enough, Springsteen has often stated that this is his favourite place to listen to records, particularly demos of his own material. Granduciel quickly agrees, and elaborates as to how simply being in automobiles influenced the rolling vibe of Slave Ambient. “I’d agree with Bruce, I’d say the best place to hear music is in the van, with my band. Though when I was working on Slave Ambient, in West Philadelphia, I had a bunch of odd jobs. I’d be driving around a bunch of these old, beat-up cars as part of a job. But they still had great stereos, and that’s where I’d listen to everything I was working on after 2008. “I could put on 15 different mixes of the same song,” he continues. “And no one’s going to tell me which one they favoured or anything like that. I can sing along to the parts I want to, find the right notes. When I work at home, which I do a lot, I would go out in the car for a long drive after and try to get focus. Or when it came to lyrics, I could improvise over demos, maybe 50 or 60 times and really figure it out.” Slave Ambient was a massive undertaking for Granduciel, a record which stayed with his conscience for the three years after his debut, Wagonwheel Blues. As our conversation continues,

it becomes clear that his Granduciel prides himself on his work ethic. The results speak for themselves; Slave Ambient grows with each listen from simple, gradual hooks into a layered wall of sound that’s as engulfing as his landscape-sized poetry. And while Slave Ambient topped many a year-end “Best Of” list, Granduciel admits the whole process was a bit exhausting at times. “It was exhausting but incredibly enjoyable at the same time. I probably felt exhausted most of the time then, but never too overwhelmed. I’d never go too far into a song that I couldn’t get back out. I’d try to take a step back and let the song come to me. There was a lot of recording, so it was a very busy time, but I didn’t actually finish a lot of stuff. I’d get some ideas down, then there’d be a tour for a month. And it’d go like that for a few years: touring, writing, touring, writing.” Money troubles soon mounted for Granduciel and his output began to slow. Ever the perfectionist, he wasn’t about to turn in a sub-par product. It took the insistence of a friend to push Granduciel to allow Slave Ambient to finally see the light of day. “Jeff Zeigler, a very good friend of mine, he just said, ‘Let’s just finish this record.’ It wouldn’t have happened without Jeff, because I got so worried about re-recording and getting them perfect.” The humble Granduciel is quick to note that he might not harness the most efficient method of songwriting. Yet Slave Ambient also ended up revealing much about his own process. “I’ve never been the kind of guy who can just sit down and write a song on a guitar in five minutes,” he admits. “I had to discover my own process.” While his casual demeanour may fool at first, make no mistake: with Adam Granduciel and The War On Drugs, everything is calculated. He notes there’s an element of spontaneity to their live set, but like Springsteen utilising a hungry crowd to bring him back to life with every performance, Granduciel is always one step ahead.

Constantly manipulating the world around him into his dense sonic output, Granduciel takes cues from The Boss and the legends of Americana before him, including Bob Dylan. The War On Drugs may have drawn comparisons to these two giants, but Granduciel isn’t about to just take the compliments in stride. “Like anything you love, you have an intense relationship with it, that probably only you understand. Those songs and records, Dylan for one, he was always looking for combination of things. Harmonica, organ, guitar, that sort of thing. He was thinking about how it was going to be presented.” For Adam Granduciel, being critical is all part of the process. “It’s about figuring out the different combinations

Together in story

of instrumentation. What’re the different ways I can combine the different feelings, and that’s what I take away the most from those guys. I think about them when I’m choosing what to write about.”

THE WAR ON DRUGS play Harvest Festival alongside Sigur Rós, Grizzly Bear, Santigold and more at Werribee Park on Saturday November 10 (on sale now) and Sunday November 11 (sold out). Their sideshow takes place at Northcote Social Club on Tuesday November 13 (sold out) with support from Terrible Truths.

Together through music

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THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

DJ Profile: Thorpy FOR MORE UP TO DATE NEWS GO TO BEAT.COM.AU

UPCOMING

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

ONTOUR STEVE RACHMAD [NED] Friday October 26, Brown Alley CHRISTOPHER RAU [GER] Friday October 26, The Liberty Social MARSHALL JEFFERSON [USA] Saturday October 27, New Guernica MADLIB [USA] Sunday October 28, Prince Bandroom LIKNUTS [USA] Thursday November 1, Prince Bandroom ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT [USA] Friday November 2, Prince Bandroom JAMIE JONES [UK], DJ W!LD [FRA], MARGARET DYGAS [UK] Sunday November 4, Brown Alley NICK CURLY [GER] Sunday November 4, Revolver Upstairs DELANO SMITH [USA] Monday November 5, New Guernica LONDON ELEKTRICITY [UK] Monday November 5 at The Espy GARETH EMERY [UK] Monday November 5, The Palace YOUSEF [UK] Friday November 9, Brown Alley. ROBERT HOOD [USA] Friday November 9, TBA OLIVER LIEB [GER] Friday November 9, Royal Melbourne Hotel MOULLINEX [POR] Saturday November 10, New Guernica ECLIPSE: PERFECT STRANGER [ISR], OLIVER LIEB [GER], ADAM FREELAND [UK] + MORE Saturday November 12 – Friday November 16, TBA SCNTST [GER] Thursday 15 November, Royal Melbourne Hotel D-NOX [GER], KING UNIQUE [UK], LUIS JUNIOR [ESP], PSYCATRON [IRE] Friday November 16, New Guernica HOUSSE DE RACKET [FRA], PILLOWTALK [USA] + MORE Friday November 16, Where?House BATHS [USA], PREFUSE 73 [USA], SYNKRO [UK] + MORE Friday November 16, Brown Alley SMOKE DZA [USA] Saturday November 17, Laundry Bar MIKE HUCKABY [USA], BEN SIMS [UK] + MORE Sunday November 18, Where?House SUBB-AN [UK], MIGUEL CAMPBELL [UK] Sunday November 18, Revolver BOYZ II MEN [USA] Sunday November 18, Billboard TYCHO [USA] Wednesday November 21, The Hi-Fi RICHARD DEVINE [USA], VLADISLAV DELAY [FIN] Wednesday November 21, Where?House ESMKO [USA], TIPPER [UK] + MORE Thursday November 22, Where?House GERD JANSON [GER] Friday November 23, Mercat Basement HOPSIN [USA] Friday November 23, Prince Bandroom TEENGIRL FANTASY [USA], TIM SWEENEY [UK] Friday November 23, National Gallery Of Victoria TROY PIERCE [USA], RADIO SLAVE [UK] Friday November 23, Where?House FREQ NASTY [USA], CULTURE SHOCK [UK] Friday November 23, Brown Alley STRAWBERRY FIELDS: JAMES HOLDEN [UK], TYCHO [USA], PREFUSE 73 [USA] + MORE Friday November 23 – Sunday November 25, TBA FLOATING POINTS [UK], ALEXANDER NUT [UK], TEEBS [USA], PREFUSE 73 [USA] Saturday November 24, Where?House MATIAS AGUAYO [CHI] Sunday November 25, Where?House MICHAEL MAYER [GER] Friday November 30, Prince Bandroom BORIS BREJCHA [GER], ANNA [GER], KHAINZ [SWI] Friday November 30, Brown Alley STEREOSONIC: TIESTO [NED], AVICII [SWE], CALVIN HARRIS [UK] + MORE Saturday December 1, Melbourne Showgrounds 2MANYDJS [BEL] Sunday December 2, Red Bennies FOUR TET [UK] Thursday December 6, Prince Bandroom NICK WARREN [UK] Friday December 7, Billboard TODD TERJE [NOR] Friday December 7, The Liberty Social MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL: FOUR TET [UK], DJ YAMANTAKA EYE [JAP] + MORE Friday December 7 - Sunday December 9, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre KENDRICK LAMAR [USA] Thursday December 13, Prince Bandroom TERRENCE PARKER [USA] Friday December 21, TBA FALLS FESTIVAL: SBTRKT [UK], COOLIO [USA] + MORE Saturday December 28 – Tuesday January 1, Lorne TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS [UK] Saturday December 29, Corner Hotel LET THEM EAT CAKE: KERRI CHANDLER [USA], THE GASLAMP KILLER [USA] + MORE Tuesday January 1, Werribee Park SUMMERDAYZE: THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS [UK], M.I.A [UK], MARK RONSON [UK] + MORE Tuesday January 1, Sidney Myer Music Bowl MARCELLUS PITTMAN [USA], PSYCHEMAGIK [UK] Tuesday January 1, The Bridge SBTRKT [UK] Wednesday January 2, Billboard HOT CHIP [UK] Wednesday January 9, The Palace CRYSTAL CASTLES [CAN] Tuesday January 22, Billboard THE BLOODY BEETROOTS [ITA] Thursday January 24, The Palace RAINBOW SERPENT: GUY J [ISR], CHRISTIAN SMITH [SWE], PETER VAN HOESEN [BEL] Friday January 25 - Monday January 28, Lexton BIG DAY OUT: THE BLOODY BEETROOTS [ITA], KASKADE [USA], CRYSTAL CASTLES [CAN] + MORE Saturday January 26, Flemington Racecourse ABOVE & BEYOND [UK] Saturday February 2, Hisense Arena MACKLEMORE [USA], RYAN LEWIS [USA] Saturday February 16, The Corner Hotel GOLDEN PLAINS: MOODYMANN [USA], JULIO BASHMORE [UK] + MORE Saturday March 9 - Monday March 11, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: THE PRODIGY [UK], DIZZEE RASCAL [UK], BOYS NOIZE [GER] + MORE Sunday March 10, Flemington Racecourse

REAL TALK

Moodymann. Golden Plains. There are no words. This will be the end of me. Tyson Wray

Golden Plains: Supernatural Sounds

Animals Dancing: Marcellus Pittmann and Psychemagik

Animals Dancing have announced some deets for their annual New Year’s Day party, bringing in 2013 at The Bridge South Wharf. This year they’ll be presenting Detroit legend Marcellus Pittman and London’s balearic wunderkinds Psychemagik. Having left a serious impression on Melbourne after 2011’s enlightening marathon set, Marcellus Pittman returns to Melbourne for his second stint following the release of his first album Pieces on his own Unirhythm label. London’s Psychemagik released nine EPs on their own label in the last few years, and have been on remix duties for Metronomy, Time & Space Machine, Azari & III and Crystal Fighters. Also joining the party will be the Animals Dancing DJs: Andee Frost, Otologic & Tornado Wallace, and Bamboo Musik’s Roman Wafers. Earlybirds are on sale now at Moshtix. It’s all goin’ down at The Bridge South Wharf on Tuesday January 1.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: Stealing The Sonicsphere

Seattle hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have announced their debut Australian tour. Macklemore released his debut record, The Heist, in early October to critical and commercial acclaim, with an excellent review in popular rap publication XXL complemented by the record reaching number 1 on iTunes in the US and number 1 on the Australian iTunes Hip Hop/ Rap Charts. Macklemore will be accompanied by producer Ryan Lewis, who in October 2010 teamed up with DJ Ryan Lewis to create the VS. Redux EP. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis play The Corner Hotel on Saturday February 16.

Hnnnnnnnng. You all know how magical the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre gets after dark, yeah? Well next year’s edition of Golden Plains is no exception, with ol’ Aunty Meredith curating one of her finest lineups of acts to take over the Meredoof. Leading the charge is Detroit’s finest, Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann. He’s joined by bass prodigy Julio Bashmore, the legendary Keb Darge and local heroes Flume and Post Percy plus a few more still to come. Unf. Golden Plains takes place on Saturday March 9 - Monday March 11 at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre.

DJ Profile: Katie Drover Kendrick Lamar: The Man From Mad City

One of the hottest rising US rap talents has announced his Australian debut, with Kendrick Lamar announcing a run of shows this December. Kendrick Lamar has been in-demand in 2012, gracing the Coachella stage for the gamechanging Snoop and Dre set as well as being joined by Lady Gaga for a set at this year’s Pitchfork Festival. Make sure you check out Kendrick’s verse on the just-dropped A$AP Rocky jam Fuckin’ Problem, also featuring Drizzy and 2Chainz. Kendrick Lamar appears at Prince Bandroom on Thursday December 13.

Hot Chip: In Your Head

UK dance-pop sweethearts Hot Chip will be hitting the country over New Year’s for the massive Falls Festival, and now Melbourne can expect some headline action. This year saw the band release In Our Heads what many have called the best album of their career. Expect to hear choice cuts from that record as well as their impressive back catalogue of modern classics. Hot Chip perform at The Palace on Wednesday January 9.

Michael Mayer: Mantastical Christopher Rau: Cloud Nine

First coming to light through his co-owned label Dérive Schallplatten with his track Ne Travaillez Jamais, Christopher Rau wowed audiences with his sound filled with subtle intricacies and overtly soulful melodies. Since this release, Rau has refined his aesthetic as a producer and also as a DJ, culminating in his debut LP on Smallville Records, Asper Clouds. Christopher Rau plays The Liberty Social on Friday October 26.

Legendary German DJ and co-owner of the iconic Kompakt Record Label, Michael Mayer, will embark on his most ambitious world tour yet in support of his sophomore full length Mantasy out now. As a DJ, label owner, producer and remixer, Michael Mayer remains one of Germany’s core celebrities in dance music, spending his weekends travelling around the globe and his weekdays overseeing Kompakt’s output as well as its distribution wing – the home to over 50 independent record labels. Mayer has been readying the long-awaited release of his sophomore album Mantasy, an indispensable update of his production sound and an essential release for Kompakt. Michael Mayer plays Prince Bandroom on Friday November 30.

RESPONSIBLE: Managing Editor: Ronnit Sternfein ronnit@beat.com.au Editor: Tyson Wray tyson@beat.com.au Listings: club/promoter submissions clubguide@beat.com.au - now online at beat.com.au - it’s free! Production: Pat O’Neill art@beat.com.au Typesetting: Rebecca Houlden Cover Design: Pat O’Neill Advertising Senior Sales: ronnit@beat.com.au (03) 8414 9710 Taryn Stenvei taryn@beat.com.au Fashion and Beverages: Tamara Perenic tamara@furstmedia.com.au Ph: 03 8414 9732 Deadlines: Editorial Friday 2PM – absolutely NO exceptions. Club photos Monday 9AM (email only clubpics@beat.com.au). Advertising artwork Monday 12PM. Photographers: Callum Linsell Contributors: Rezo Kezerashvili, Miki McLay, Shane Scott, Simon Traspier, Brian Rotide, The Knowledge, Ellen Devenney, Dan Watt, Aaron Ralston, Birdie, Liam Pieper, Simon Hampson, Chad-Michael Michaelson, Mikolai, Reuben Adams, David Edgley. Publisher: Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond 3121 Ph 03 9428 3600 www.beat.com.au

EDITORIALDEADLINE - 2PM FRIDAYS NO EXCEPTIONS UP TO DATE

Where’s the strangest place you’ve woken up? Someone’s front yard about 1km away from my house. Describe yourself using the title of a song. Mint Royale - Sexiest Man In Jamaica What was the weirdest thing you believed as a child? If I didn’t eat my beans my feet would fall off. The most awkward moment you’ve had as a DJ? None at the moment. What would be the worst dance track in the world to be tortured with on repeat? Any remix of Call Me Maybe. What’s the most played record in your bag? Son Monkey Safari What question would you like to ask an omniscient, allknowing being before you die? What the answer is to relativity and quantum mechanics working together. If you hadn’t made it as a DJ, what job would you choose to work in instead? A tasting judge at the Ice Cream Alliance When and where is your next gig? Thursday October 25 at Hoo Haa. 9.30pm ‘til late.

Where’s the strangest place you’ve woken up? Hobart. Describe yourself using the title of a song. Nina Kraviz - Pain In The Ass What was the weirdest thing you believed as a child? I was absolutely convinced my stuffed toys came to life at night time – even to this day I still make sure the ones I own are put away so they are comfortable – just in case. The most awkward moment you’ve had as a DJ? A guy who worked at a record store put a pretty well known track on the shop’s loud speakers and asked my opinion. I was a total smartarse and bagged it (at length), and yep, the producer happened to be standing right behind me. Oopsy. What would be the worst dance track in the world to be tortured with on repeat? It’s actually a pretty sick track, but Up by Fractal and Perc would definitely melt your brain after a couple of repeats. What’s the most played record in your bag? I’ve been giving Rabbits In A Hurry - Superpitcher a bit of a workout for a while now. What question would you like to ask an omniscient, allknowing being before you die? Is the Hokey Pokey really what it’s all about? If you hadn’t made it as a DJ, what job would you choose to work in instead? The person who rubs baby oil on male swimsuit models before photo shoots. When and where is your next gig? Revolver Fridays, TFU and Tramp Saturdays, Big Doof at The Bottom End, Cup Eve at Revolver and Derby Day at The Leveson.

Party Profile: Pardon My French

It sounds like: A grand opening. DJs/live acts playing: Mark John, Henrique Santos, Baz Emara, Jesus Loyola, Bongo, David Dekdrum Kirsner, Chloe Maggs and Steve Richard Three records that’ll rock the floor: Usher – DJ, Chris Brown – Turn Up The Music, Rhianna – Only Girl In The World And one that you’d rather die than play: Shit music. Sell it to us: Don’t like going to a place where you feel that you are too dressed up? Don’t worry, now there is a place where you can: welcome to Pardon My French with the best of Melbourne’s crowd with fashion edge. A night not to be missed! The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Music, vibe, crowd with fashion edge, concept cocktails, etc. Crowd specs: The best of Melbourne’s crowd with fashion edge. So dress to impress! Wallet damage: $15/$20. Like the Facebook fan page to get on the guestlist. Where and when: Circus Bar. Grand opening this Saturday October 27.

T IVAL S E F STYLE E F I L D TS AN RY 25-28 R A , A C MUSI IA -- JANU L A N R NAT IO RT, VICTO R E T N I FO 4 DAY BEAU

MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL LINEUP INCLUDING:

AES DANA HARDFLOOR HALTYA FM RADIO GODS LISH TIM HEALEY YOTOPIA DEEDRAH SHIFT NERUOPLASM THE COMMERCIAL HIPPIES TRANSWAVE ECLIPTIC GUY J PETER VAN HOESEN CHRISTIAN SMITH EELKE KLEIJN OLIVER KOLETZKI MATTHEW DEKAY LOVE AND LIGHT KALDEN BESS QUANTA TRIPSWITCH AKASHA STEREO TALK LUNAR SOUND RULS & NAVARRO DAYAN & JOHN CHRISTOF ABSOLUM D-SENS BAKKE HYPNOTECH

(HARDFLOOR, GERMANY)

(ULTIMAE, FRANCE)

(IBOGA, ISRAEL)

(SURFER ROSA, UK)

(PLANETARIA, FINLAND)

(IBOGA, ISRAEL)

(HOMMEGA, FRANCE)

(NANO, SOUTH AFRICA)

(ALL DAY I DREAM, INNERVSIONS, NETHERLANDS)

(GROUND FACTORY RECORDS BOSS, CANADA)

(ENIGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MATIK RECORDS, UK)

(24/7, UK)

(LOST & FOUND / BEDROCK, ISRAEL) (OUTSIDE THE BOX MUSIC)

(SIMPLIFY, MUTI, FRESH BAKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, US)

(SECTION RECORDS, DRAGONFLY, IBOGA, UK)

(UNDERGROOVE MUSIC, MEXICO)

(3D VISION RECORDINGS, SPAIN)

(UNDERGROOVE MUSIC, MEXICO)

(TRONIC MUSIC, MOBILEE, SPAIN)

(STILL VOR TALENT, GERMANY)

(IBOGA, ISRAEL)

(RSA, NEXUS MEDIA, SA)

(3D VISION, FRANCE)

(TIME TO EXPRESS, GERMANY)

(BAROQUE, CANADA)

(FREE SPIRIT RECORDS, UK)

(UNDERGROOVE MUSIC, MEXICO)

(BUS RECORDS / AQUA-VEDA, FRANCE)

(ECHOES RECORDS/ SPIRAL TRAX, SWEDEN)

(IBOGA, ISRAEL)

(ADDICTECH, US)

TICKETS ON SALE NOW www.rainbowserpent.net TH HE B BIG BI IG M MAG AG A G FOR FO CL FO C CLUB LU UB BC CU CULTURE ULTU TU TUR UR RE 5.. 5 MUSIC / ART / LIFESTYLE / TTHE PERFORMANCE / RELAXAT ION / HEALING / CAMPING

TZU

“If coming together and jamming and making music didn’t feel good, we wouldn’t have made another album. But those initial sessions were really fun, and it made it worth pursuing!”

MOMENTOUS: MILLIONS OF RHYMES It’s impossible to accurately pin down exactly when the Chinese philosopher and thinker Lao Tzu, author of the famed Tao Te Ching, was active. Chinese legend puts him at the 6th Century BCE, but other plausible sources claim the 5th-4th Centuries. Needless to say, he was a central figure in the lyrical and paradoxical ideologies of early Taoist philosophy – by putting across his lessons in a method of repetition, lyrical waxing, rhyme and symmetry, he was, in a way, a precursor to the hip hop movement of the 20th Century AD. Which – of course – brings us to 21st Century Melbourne, Australia and the forward-thinking, genre-defying hip hop band who bears his name, TZU. Back from a

somewhat lengthy hiatus after the release of their terrific third LP Computer Love in 2008, they’ve returned at last with their new album, the mind-bending and epic concept album Millions Of Moments. Sitting in the Mushroom Music offices with MCs Joel Ma (AKA “Joelistics”) and Phillip Norman (AKA “Seed MC” or “Countbounce”), our conversation is a fluid and strange thing that moves from one topic, say, Alan Moore graphic novels, to the effects of bath-salts, and how it may have caused some lunatic in Miami, Florida to chew off 70 per cent of a homeless man’s face before being killed in a hail of cops’ bullets. According to Ma, the reason for getting back together

COVER STORY

stemmed from a pretty simple need – the need to make music. He’d been travelling quite a bit; living in China, roaming through Mongolia and spending some time in Paris and Berlin, whereas Norman had been up in Darwin, “smelling the roses and making babies”. “Making music, that’s the bottom line,” Ma explains matter-of-factly. “And we came back. We didn’t really know what the nature of TZU was going to be, but we decided to [try and] make some music. The first sessions we had were very much without an outcome in mind; the idea was just to come together and play! And although this album is really different to those first sessions, it was the feeling in that session that, ‘Ah, this is cool, we can still make music together and we can be creative’. Then it was, ‘Let’s do an album’.” Norman nods his head and concurs vigorously. “That’s what makes us tick,” he adds. “But seriously, if coming together and jamming and making music didn’t feel good, we wouldn’t have made another album. But those initial sessions were really fun, and it made it worth pursuing!” TZU has always been a band that doesn’t do what it says on the tin – because more often than not, that tin read, “hip hop”. And TZU, while engaging in music that embraces hip hop sensibilities, are so much more than that. Take their new record, Millions Of Moments, for instance. It’s an utterly crazy and demented concept album, a bit like collecting the works of science fiction masters Neil Stephenson, Iain M. Banks and William Gibson and then hurling them into a Cuisinart, blending those themes of alternate realities, out-of-body experiences and perceived consciousness with a steadily pulsing soundtrack of new wave, synth-pop, trance, driving metal and – yes – hip hop. It’s an exceptional piece of work, that breaches the boundaries of what “hip hop” really means. Essentially, the album takes place in the indeterminate future, where the protagonist, a young woman by the name of Persephone, test-trials a consciousness-altering drug called Chronos, which propels her through the time-space continuum into the minds and bodies of an odd assortment of folk. For instance: a ghost in a pub, the last man on Earth, an 18th Century stalker with an obsession for opera and an escaped cannibal convict in Tasmania. You get the picture. It’s weird, and it’s fun, and it’s completely mental. When I ask where the idea for the drug Chronos came from, Ma tells me it came from his travels in Asia. “I was constantly in front of screens,” he tells me. “Laptops and phones and being outside the environment I was in. Like being in Mongolia on a train and still being in front of my laptop! Chronos became this idea of being addicted to experiences that aren’t yours – the idea of Chronos is that you’re inside the consciousness of someone else in a different time period, so you’re not actually an active participant of that person’s experience … you’re just a passenger to what’s happening to them.” A bit like Being John Malkovich, then? “Exactly!” Ma exclaims. “Watching things happen, and understanding the conscious – the way their minds are working and as to why they’re making those decisions; and that gave us liberty to write [Millions Of Moments] in the first-person … it was really fun to get into those minds and to write in that [first-person] perspective. “So how do you do that, with a thought-pattern or some sort of narrative for the whole record; that was the whole idea. But Chronos is administered through the eye – it’s a drug, but not a drug. It’s taken like a drug, but isn’t it also just acting on the brain patterns that are already there? Is it ambient consciousness or is it … I’ll let you figure out all that stuff!” he finishes with a laugh. When I tell the lads that their new album reminds me of the darker synth-wave tracks from the mid to late ‘80s, they’re very pleased, and explain to me that they’re intensely willing to explore any new territories they may come across in their music. Norman laughs when he tells me that TZU don’t even have discussions about what

genre they are. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want to make a hip hop record,” he explains, “as much as it was that we just followed our noses into the sound of the record. It wasn’t like trying to alienate ourselves from our past or anything like that – it was simply…” he pauses for a moment, trying to find the right word. “I reckon the reason this album particularly is very un-hip hop, at the heart of it,” he continues, “is that there’s always been this side of the band where we get together and do all the out-takes from our old albums in these slow, sort of instrumental jams. And in every album, there’s probably three or four slow, psychedelic songs that never got released; unfinished, quite electronic and a bit nerdy! “When we came together for those first few weeks [of recording], that was the side that – you know, if there wasn’t going to be any outcome from this, let’s do what we’ve always wanted to do. ‘Set up at your station with your synths and your samplers and let’s jam!’ “That was the spirit of it, and that’s what led us to not do a hip hop record; we’ve really got to indulge that side of us.” Ma looks at his mate and giggles. “Yeah,” he smiles. “There’s always been a brooding krautrock band inside of us!” He turns serious. “I suppose every group gets told what they are by lots of people,” Ma explains, “and sometimes you feel like you are that, and sometimes you really feel like it’s missed the mark. But to circle back to one of the reasons why we got [back] together and wrote the record and wrote music again – was because the chemistry of the four individuals over ten years…there’s a real propulsion to challenge each other, and introduce each other to new music and we never were a group that just found a formula and stuck to that. It was all about what was next, and what was exciting!” So now that Millions Of Moments has been released, and they’re gearing up for their album launch, I have to ask if the live show is going to measure up to the epic-ness of the music. Are we in for some bells and whistles, fellas? Ma assures me that that’s the case. “We’re working on making the live show as ambitious as the record! We’ve been working with a visual artist, a lighting guy – it’s going to try to incorporate some of the abstract ideas from the story and the album into a live show!” Somehow we end up talking about the futuristic consciousness-hurtling drug called Chronos. I’m curious to know – is it an illegal drug? To which Ma replies, “I suppose it’s similar to bath-salts … or, what’s the other one?” “Meow-meow?” offers Norman. “Yeah. People can’t really get a grasp on whether it’s illegal or not, because no one can actually prove what it’s doing!” Like that guy in Florida who chewed off that homeless guy’s face, I mention. Ma breaks off into a story he has about the future, and how latent chemicals in mobile phones and other pieces of commonly used electronics could possibly have the effects of bath-salts – but the effects wouldn’t be known until years later! Then it would be a zombie apocalypse of epic proportions! Norman’s more curious about the Florida cannibal – “What happened again?” he asks. Ma tells him how this dude was naked on top of another homeless guy, chewing off his face. “The cops found him on a bridge, and they tasered him – and he just turned and growled at them!” Ma tells him. “He rushed them, and they shot him.” “Did he die?” asks Norman. Yep. “Fascinating shit,” says Norman. We all laugh. Fascinating shit, indeed. Thomas Bailey TZU [AUS] launch their epic album Millions Of Moments at The Hi-Fi on Monday November 5. They also play the Queenscliff Music Festival which takes place from Friday November 23 - Sunday November 25. Millions Of Moments is out now through Liberator Music.

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WEDNESDAY24TH SOUL ARMY With more flavour than a chocolate pizza, the Wednesday Soul Army throws down raw, uncut funk next to smooth soul grooves and rare blue jams. Bring that special lady because when the boys lay down the love it could be the difference between ‘we’re just friends’ to ‘let’s get it on’. PBS stalwarts Vince Peach and Miss Goldie accompany Prequel and Black Diamond Kicks weekly. Free. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

LAUNDRY WEDNESDAYS Deep, dark, minimal dubstep and drum and bass. Laundry Bar, 50 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

THURSDAY25TH

We’re all about the late night boogie. Expect all things funk, hip-hop, soul, reggae, disco, boogie and house. Lounge, 243 Swanston Street, Melbourne

FORBIDDEN Forbidden’s venue is going to wow all those that attend through its state of the art sound and lighting system, an amazing balcony overlooking Russell and Bourke Streets and is located in the heart of the city. Forbidden will feature some of the hottest DJs in Melbourne including Anyo, Rufio, Stefan C, Alex Da Kid, Galo, Timmy Edgell and Azza-M. Forbidden is the hottest place to be on a Friday night – the location has just changed. Free entry applies to everyone between 8pm – 9pm and happy hour will run for 3 hours! Eden, 163 Russell St, Melbourne

FREEDOM PASS

Tigerfunk brings with him his full band of travelling gypsies, hipsters and middle class executives, all of whom are prepared to deliver the most excitement you can have this side of the weekend. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

Fridays at Freedom with 2 premier clubs, 5 huge rooms, 10+ local and international DJs blending their unique sets across countless styles of tunes – vocal house, smooth R&B, electro and commercial top 40. Throw in a few sexy podium dancers, a world-class lights show and drink specials, the Freedom Pass is your personal ticket to a night you won’t soon forget! Fusion, Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

FREE RANGE FUNK

PANORAMA

BIMBO THURSDAYS

Funk up your Thursday nights with Free Range Funk at the Windsor favourite Lucky Coq. Grab a couch early and enjoy one (or more) of their famous $4 pizzas from 7-11pm. Meanwhile DJs Who, Agent 86, Lewis CanCut and special guests tempt you into the night with their eclectic bag of treats. Setting the mood early is delightful jazz, deep soul, and funk. Later it’s fruity disco, choice house, and hipster dance drops. Free entry every Thursday. Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

FUN HOUSE Celebrate Thursday night at Co. with club classics and dance floor anthems. Co., Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

FRIDAY26TH BUHLOONE MINDSTATE “It might blow up but it won’t go pop” is the philosophy at Buhloone Mindstate and features Melbourne’s finest bands and DJs playing every Friday night, late. That’s just how we roll.

Start your weekend on a good note with Panorama Fridays at Lucky Coq. DJs Matt Rad, Mr George, Tom Meagher and Phato A Mano transform the upstairs area into one hell of a house party with Hip Hop, Funk, R&B, Disco and House. Meanwhile, downstairs gives you a secluded wind down atmosphere with cult films as background visuals and quality cocktails to sip on. Let the new coqtail list wash away a crappy week! Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

SATURDAY27TH EDEN SATURDAYS Smashing it every week at Melbourne’s hottest looking venue! Top 40 dance, house and R&B 9-3am, then electro from 3am - 5am. DJ Ontime, DJ Ryza, Scotty Erdos and Azza M. $15/$20, free entry after 4am. Eden, 163 Russell St, Melbourne

HOMEMADE Australia’s biggest club night – Homemade Saturdays (the weekly club night at the world famous Home nightclub in Sydney) – has launched in Melbourne. Chasers was chosen as the

venue due to its ability to mimic Sydney’s version, ie the best multiple rooms and a large capacity that enables Homemade to provide its mansion of music styles that built the club night up in the first place. Initially, Melbourne will be exposed to all the big gun DJs from Sydney’s Homemade and over time, a blend of DJs from Melbourne and Sydney will belt out the tunes in both cities. Down the track there are plans to have one room in each city broadcasting live music from the opposite main rooms, giving clubbers the opportunity to dance to the tunes from another city in full digital quality. For guestlists this weekend, email party@promotersinc.com Chasers, 386 Chapel Street, South Yarra

WAH WAH SATURDAYS

HOT STEP

The perfect Sunday soundtrack with DJs Askew, Peter Baker, Booshank, Paz, Miss Butt, Junji, Disco Harry and guests. They will be laying down disco, afro beat and deep house til 3am. For lovers of good music - South Side Hustle. Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

Google Hot Step and you’ll get a bunch of Vietnamese game reviews and Balkanese dances on YouTube. But that’s nothing like what you can expect to find within the confines of Bimbo on a Saturday night. Developing thick and heavy but altogether groovy, enjoy an eclectic mix of fairy floss funk, doom disco and monk movement minimal every week. Free. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

PARDON MY FRENCH Supporting the local Fashion Australian designer, Pardon My French is a new, innovative concept ready to hit the streets of Melbourne. Incorporating the latest fashion edge, stylish females and local socialites, PMF will create a desirable atmosphere and trendy appeal through weekly events and gatherings. However, it is more than just a gathering, more than just an event…it is an experience. Every female dresses up and puts a lot of effort before they go out, but more often than not they leave un-rewarded. Circus Bar, 199 Commercial Road, South Yarra

SOUND EMPIRE Co. At Crown’s Saturday night party Sound Empire this week features mega sounds from resident DJs Tate Strauss, Miss Sarah, Nova, Johnny M, Matty G, Dean T, Joe Sofo, Marcus Knight, Dinesh, Chris Ostrom, B-Boogie and Sarah Roberts. Co., Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

TEMPERANCE SATURDAYS DJ Marcus Knight & DJ Xander James drop sexy house, dance and drum and bass all night from 8pm. Free entry. Temperance Hotel, 426 Chapel St, South Yarra

TEXTILE Saturdays at Lucky Coq tick all the boxes so start your night early and stay til close! Famous $4 pizzas from 7-9pm (that’s dinner sorted) then from 9pm spread over two levels with DJs playing hip hop, funk, disco, house and electro. Rotating guests on both levels keep the tunes fresh. Free entry. Lucky Coq, 179 Chapel St, Windsor

Just when you thought Wah Saturdays couldn’t get any better, this week Rob Pix (Beng) kicks off a new rotating residency down Waratah place. Get down early to avoid the queue or alternatively you could come down very late for the infamous recovery kicking off at 4AM! Wah Wah Lounge, 185 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

SUNDAY28TH SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE

SUNDAE SHAKE Our Signature serve. Each and every Sunday we play host to a self professed vinyl junkie caught between the golden years and boogie wonderland. A mouthful? Perhaps. Phato Amano perfectly sets the mood for an audio-adventure that redefines the dance floor weekly. Our Sunday aficionados Agent 86 and Tigerfunk stir up a full cream shake to the flavour of your liking. Forget everything you thought you knew about losing yourself to the grooves. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

MONDAY29TH IBIMBO Have you always wanted to be a DJ but been cruelly cursed with tone deafness and a general inability to version excursion? Well Bimbo Deluxe saves the day once again.. All you need is an iPhone and you’re set. Just download the free ‘remote’ application from the app store, log into the Bimbo DJ wireless network and you choose which song plays next. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

TUESDAY30TH BIMBO TUESDAYS Bimbo Tuesdays have long been the discerning DJs midweek breath of fresh air. An opportunity to indulge in, and to each parade their individual takes on music. A night where the weird and wonderful is not frowned upon but rather celebrated. Resident selectors Matt Radovich, Andras Fox and Henry Who draw from a colourful array of sounds that warm your midweek blues. From 8pm, free. Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick St (Cnr Rose St), Fitzroy

AEROPLANE AERODYNAMIC EXCELLENCE: BEAT PILOT Despite having amicably parted with partner-in-crime Stephen Fasano, Vito Deluca is still a pilot-in-command. He is comfortable with the choices he now has, describing with eagerness the freedom he has to work independently when called for. Likewise, he enjoys the willingess to work with particular artists when the need arises. Doubtless, his essential disco sound continues to be as lush and fluid as it is blissful and it’s nice to know that the good sound is around to be enjoyed despite the split. Letting bygones be bygones, Deluca gives some insight into what he has been up to more recently. “I’m home. In fact I’ve just been on a tour of the USA. I got a little sick – which is a bit boring, but I’m still working, so things are all good.” In fact, Deluca has been getting his act together on his own imprint – Aeropop. “I’ve just received the test pressings and it feels great. I’m taking it easy though because tomorrow I’m going to Romania for more shows. But it’s great – these are things that I want to be doing.” In between, he adds he wishes he could give up on the coughing and sneezing – other than that things are still on the up and up. So in 2012, Deluca is still enjoying the lifestyle in his native Brussels – a place he describes as a ‘neutral city’. “It’s awesome for travelling and you can find everything if you know what you want and need; if you compare it to London or New York where everything is constantly in your face, it is a lot more relaxed.

The music scene is great there and a lot of people are making good music.” Today, the Aeroplane name continues to be associated with feel good music that is more about quality than quantity. His discography is extensive but has been built carefully over the last half-dozen or so years. And his studio is getting a fair bit of his attention for various reasons: “I’ve got a lot of great gear in the studio, but it is a slightly interesting space – the acoustics in the room are weird in the lower spectrum, which can give me a hard time, but apart from that, it’s cool.” Indeed, the We Can’t Fly LP was the first album from Aeroplane and firmly placed the name in the hearts and minds of punters everywhere, and more recently, We Can’t Fly – The Remixes was released as a means of encouraging people to rediscover that album. “I did it because I thought the remix cast for the album was really amazing,” explains Deluca. “We added some awesome exclusives for the remix album too – songs like Joakim’s remix of Caramellas and Cassius’s remix of We Can’t Fly. Also, the long awaited Oliver’s remix of We Can’t Fly will be out on a compilation for the ten years of Eskimo Records that will be released soon too. “In terms of production, I’ve been making some music for my label Aeropop and working with many people. I prefer to keep the specifics of that a surprise because it could change at any moment, but that’s the advantage of having your own label!

It’s all good stuff; I can say though that it’s different and not really something people would expect. In terms of remixes, I just did a remix for Kimbra and there is another coming on Owsla, Skrillex’s label. I also remixed a Giorgio Moroder classic and did one for Boyz Noize Records. They’re all different though. The next step for me is another album. I’m just getting the label started first and then I’ll jump straight into it. I have a more precise view of the way it’s going now but it will definitely be more focused and electronic.” And with that, Aeroplane has received some pretty big props from some pretty big names in the business, yet despite all the attention, the lad remains grounded and focused. “I obviously didn’t expect any of this to happen. I was in New York playing for 800 people and I remembered when I was younger, I would have never even thought I would go somewhere like that. It was inaccessible. I only hope that I can keep making music and making a living out of it for as long as possible – that for me is the real dream.”

To celebrate, the distinct Aeroplane brand is heading back Down Under for a series of dates around the country, and as always, expect a performance straight from left field. “I play the records I like and do it without any real boundaries. Sometimes there are songs that you can mix together and other times there are some that you can’t – but it’s ok. I feel I’ve evolved as a DJ but I’m still pretty old school. There are no pyrotechnics yet and I have to step up my skills as an MC but who knows what I’ll come up with between now and then?” Not surprisingly, the fans are standing by – and the anticipation is building.

isolated, just up on a pedestal.” His earlier involvement in music was initially entrenched in African traditions, particularly percussion. From there he became involved in his church’s music team where he was drumming and singing before he began writing music. At 16 he made the decision to pursue music professionally. We came to know him through reality contestant based shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Australia’s Got Talent. When asked whether these types of shows limit artists, Timomatic says, “Nah, the opposite. Australia’s Got Talent helps to form a very creative packaged kind of artist. Given the free nature of the show, I was up against magicians and other unusual types of performers. This show embraces what you are and exactly what you want to do unlike other shows like [Australian Idol] where you’re told what to do. I performed original songs and developed my own choreography. I was involved in every kind of creative level, which was great.” His debut single Set It Off was certified triple platinum by the Australian Industry Recording Association, which was a response most were happy, but surprised about. “I was expecting a good response,” he explains, “But I did not know how it would go. It was my debut single with a label so I didn’t know

what to expect. Considering the climate of Australian music, I was one of the first R&B artists to come out, which hasn’t worked in the past. It was a big step for everyone and a big deal for Sony to trust us.” Commenting further on the Australian music industry he says, “I think it’s in the best state it’s been in, in a long while. We are learning and we are adapting to where the global scene of music is. The world is embracing global music, and artists who are from different parts of the world. Most of the biggest DJs in the world are not from the states. [There is definitely a] globalisation of the music industry. Gotye has been shining light in the past year.” Honing in on elements of performative singing and dancing, he looks to none other than Michael Jackson, “I watched the Spike Lee Bad documentary and Quincy Jones made the perfect comment, ‘Michael created the perfect balance between science and soul.’ For me, Michael is the blueprint of all enter-

tainment.” Padding his resume with an impressive collection of openings for major artists including Pitbull, Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida during the Australian leg of their world tours, Timomatic has been mastering the arena performance. He is also seeing the dark side of the moon when it comes to being an entertainer, specifically that of scandal. “When I was on the tour with Flo Rida one of his dudes was arrested for having a taser gun along with some weed,” he explains. “There were cops running up and down all the corridors of the hotel. It was crazy.”

RK Aeroplane [BEL] plays alongside M.I.A. [UK], The Chemical Brothers [UK] and heaps more at Summadayze at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Tuesday January 1.

TIMOMATIC SETTING OFF: THE SCENE To be the new face of the Australian urban scene is risky business. In the past, channeling the R&B vibe within Australia has never proved too successful. Signed to Sony and proving the industry wrong with his debut single Set It Off going triple platinum, reality contest star Timomatic is soaring through the charts aiming for global success. He speaks with 100% about his migrant experience in Australia, his insight into the globalisation of the music industry and that time one of Flo Rida’s entourage members got arrested on the road. The Nigerian-born Australian moved here with his parents when he was ten months old. “It was interesting, being in Australia at the time,” Timomatic says. “I was the only black kid at school, apart from my siblings. Sometimes it was tough, but all in all it was a good experience. My dad was studying at the time and Mum was working too. They had four kids so we were on Struggle Street for a while.” Describing how he settled into Australian culture, Timomatic laughs. “Being kind and funny,” he explains, “I was always funny as a kid… Kids don’t really get taught that well how to deal with people who are different, it’s something people mature with. So it was tough for a while, but as I grew up and pop culture began to influence school kids, black became cool. Suddenly I was the cool kid, but I was still

ESSENTIALS

Tamara Vogl Timomatic [AUS] plays Sound Empire at Crown this Saturday October 27 and The Palms at Crown on Saturday November 10. His self-titled album is out now through Sony.

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THURSDAY25TH MOTOWN THURSDAYS Kick start your weekend with Melbourne’s newest Thursday night! Motown Thursdays caters to all true music lovers. Join us on an eclectic musical journey of soul, funk and disco through to early R&B. A live Soul Band features some of Melbourne’s most talented musicians; Carmen Hendricks, Laurent Soupe, Duncan Kinell and Aaron Mendoza just to name a few. DJs keep the records spinning into the early hours; residents are Reg-e, Lee Davies, Kalepe, Dinesh, Suga, Rubz and Alwin Rafferty. Join us around a big, shiny disco ball or two, for free entry, soulful tunes, drink specials all night and a dance floor full of friends! Fashion Lounge, 121 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

RHYTHM-AL-ISM Start the weekend early with Fusion’s Resident DJs. Music for your funkin’ soul. Special guests every week! Fusion, Crown Entertainment Complex, Lvl 3, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank

FRIDAY26TH FAKTORY This is it. Faktory Fridays are open for business at Melbourne’s home of R&B, Khokolat Bar. Where else? Damion De Silva, Ken Walker, Durmy, K Dee, Simon Sez, Yaths and Jacqui Dusk spinning all night long. Khokolat Bar, Basement, 43 Hardware La, Melbourne

LIKE FRIDAYS Like Fridays at La Di Da serves up R&B and electro house across two rooms giving you a fun filled end to your week. DJs Dinesh, Dir-X, Sef, NYD, Shaun D, Shaggz,

Broz and more. La Di Da, 577 Little Bourke St, Melbourne

LIGHT We celebrate everything that has made Light at Red Love, kicking off with our after work drinks session from 4pm. Our DJ lineup includes each and every one of the Daddy Mack’s who have helped lead Light into our 5th running year of old school R&B. Harvey Yeah, Ripz, TMC and Stel Kar locking down that Old School Flava with guest appearances by G.A.K. & The Seminar of Funk and Nick K. It’s all happening this Friday as we celebrate 5 years of doing our do and bringing that Red Love! Red Love, Level 1, 401 Swanston Street, Melbourne

THE LOOSE GOOSE The Loose Goose is focused on providing a wonderful array of cocktails and offers a great CBD location to lounge and relax in while overlooking busy Flinders Lane. A small plates menu is available to graze on whilst trying our delicious cocktails from the classics to contemporary, beer on tap and a wide range of beers, wines and spirits. Every Friday evening DJ Jumps of The Cat Empire will take to the decks at the bar spinning his rare afro Latin funk vinyl collected from around the world from 6.30pm until late. Papa Goose Cocktail Bar, 91-93 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

SWEET NOTHING FRIDAYS DJ Marcus Knight and DJ Xander James spin hip hop, R&B and house tunes all night from 8pm. Free entry and early drink specials. Temperance Hotel, 426 Chapel St, South Yarra

THE NICE UP

SATURDAY27TH KHOKOLAT KOATED All new experience, same great location with a fresh koat of Khokolat. Restless Entertainment reloads your favourite Saturday night party. Damion De Silva, K Dee, Jay Sin and weekly guests playing R&B & ol’ skool sounds strictly for the urban elite. Khokolat Bar, Basement, 43 Hardware La, Melbourne

REDLOVE SATURDAYS RedLove Saturdays is all about solid classics from the ‘80s, ‘90s and into the ‘00s! Dropping beats of retro pop, disco classics, old school funk, and certainly some of that old school R&B and house to kick! RedLove Resident DJs Phil, HB Bear and Da Gato bringing down the house every Saturday night. If you’re looking for quality service, music to rock, sumptuous drinks and just a cold hard good time; look no further! Red Love, Level 1, 401 Swanston Street, Melbourne

SHAKA SATURDAY The newest R&B Superclub Shaka Saturdays grand opening is set to hit Melbourne over two massive weeks. The northern suburbs newest, freshest club playing all of your favourite R&B, hip hop, old skool and reggae. Shaka Saturdays is showcasing Australia’s newest and favourite R&B DJs, including DJ C-RAM bringing video mixing to Melbourne and special guest hip hop band Yellow Cake. Set at one of the most amazing venues Melbourne has to offer with two levels, good music, great ‘Shaka’ atmosphere and cheap drinks, we are hoping to pack it out and create a night for people to remember. Level 2 The Club, 2 Arthurton Rd, Northcote

Tom Showtime presents The Nice Up. All flavours of hip hop, ghetto funk and reggae niceness provided. Sailor Jerry nice up the cocktails, Dos Blockos nice up the $5 beers. Fridays done proper. George Lane Bar, 1 George Lane, St Kilda

Where’s the strangest place you’ve woken up? I once woke up in the boot of a car parked on the side of a highway outside Canberra. We then had to go bail our mate out of a police holding cell – true story. This was our first experience touring. We’ve never looked back. Describe yourself using the title of a song. The theme song to Maverick. What was the weirdest thing you believed as a child? No weird beliefs but I was convinced that my year six teacher was the witch in Roald Dahl’s The Witches. I know that shit for sure. The most awkward moment you’ve had as a performer? We played a show with Illy in Melbourne a few years back, it was sold out and the vibe was crazy…and then our laptop exploded two songs into our set. It turned into an acoustic set pretty quickly. What question would you like to ask an omniscient, all-knowing being before you die? How do my earphones manage to get tangled beyond belief after being in my pocket for no longer than three seconds? If you hadn’t made it as a musician, what job would you choose to work in instead? I feel like we have achieved some great things in music but I definitely don’t feel as if we’ve ‘made it’ as of yet. I enjoy taking photos so I’d have to say photography would be my plan b. When and where is your next gig? Saturday October 27 at Laundry Bar as part of our Beauty In The Bricks National Tour. Looking forward to it!

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT TWENTY YEARS: IN THE LIFE OF... In an era of paper cutter music, safe choices and mundane aesthetics, it is important to backtrack and reminisce on times when artists were making the shift between almost famous to Grammy Award winners through their ability to not only draw from their roots, but to do so with purpose, substance and an unwavering devotion to their craft and message. Arrested Development is testament to this since the inception of their hip hop outfit in 1991. Having championed consciousness, culture, beats and melody through their critically-acclaimed releases and boisterous live shows, Arrested Development have proudly produced music with a sole purpose of addressing themes of equality, love and spirituality. Discussing Arrested Development’s influence, lead emcee Speech speaks with me about his parents’ involvement within the Civil Rights Movement, the twentieth anniversary tour in Australia and finding your voice. “We tried gangsta rap,” Speech begins. “We didn’t know what we wanted to rap about. We were imitating others and it wasn’t our true voice…We started drawing upon our own upbringings. My parents were Civil Rights activists and I decided I wanted to bring about change through music.” Seeing his parents fight against denied civil rights including the right to vote, the access to equal opportunities, to schooling and to jobs, affected Speech in a very real way. Recalling on his earlier childhood memories, he says, “Growing up in Milwaukee I saw our neighbours destroying our property. They also physically beat me and my brother up.” These events transpired to his music, and now his biggest advice for unsigned artists is to connect with your own voice and to find something that you’re supposed to be doing, which is totally unique. He explains, “It is easier to gain an audience, to get a record deal and maintain a career in the long haul when you bring something to the table

that is very rare.” Speech’s introduction to music was through his father’s R&B and disco nightclub in the late ‘70s. Not knowing how to play an instrument, he began dabbling with the art of DJing which he soon fell in love with. Pursuing music at a professional level became his focus, saying that nothing else gravitated towards him in the same way music did. He was passionate about teaching too, but music was more special. “I loved to express myself and I saw music as a real outlet to do that,” he says. Arrested Development’s Grammy winning debut album 3 Years, 5 Months, 2 Days In The Life Of… was astutely named after the amount of time it took to land a record deal. Speech says of the experience, “There were definitely times we thought we were going to quit. I promised my parents if nothing happened with Arrested Development within two years I would go back to school and study education. Two years passed and there was no record deal. Then within that third year and fifth month it so happened we did get a record deal when I was already back at school.” Their first studio album received a glowing response, garnering Arrested Development with a bevy of accolades – a Grammy included. “We saw ourselves as a trend setting group,” he explains, “We knew we would get respect but we were not sure people would gravitate towards it…MTV changed the game when they picked up the video. Our lyrics had maturity, but we were a young hip hop group. MTV gave us the audience we were looking for.” When they were awarded with the Grammy for Best New Artist, Speech says they were beyond shocked as they were the first hip hop group to have ever received the award. “It was something we needed. A lot of black radio stations weren’t very supportive at first, despite our lyrics concerning the community. Many were wary of…our

style. The Grammy was a confirmation and we were grateful because it helped us to do better in the black community ironically.” Despite the awards, his most significant musical achievement was when he wrote Tennessee. “I lost my brother to an asthma attack when he was 29 and I had lost my grandma to a heart attack the week before. It was such a traumatic week. Tennessee was the first single and the first hit so it means the world to me. I’ll never forget that moment in time.” Keen to arrive in Australia for the Twentieth Anniversary tour, Speech says, “I really love Australia, so does the whole group. The people are what interest us most...There is a laidback feel in Australia, sort of relaxed. They are very open and accepting and we like that.” Commenting on their twentieth anniversary he says, “As a hip hop group it’s rare that we get to celebrate 20 years. Music and artists are so disposable in hip hop so the 20 year landmark is amazing…We are excited to celebrate the

experience with our fans in a spiritual union; people coming together and jamming to the music. We are celebrating a time period when music was so bold and innovative. It’s really just a special tour, especially because the hip hop scene has changed so much towards a celebration of ignorance and of degradation of women.” Connecting music back to politics, Speech is still adamant it can help to reduce apathy within younger generations. “Music has united people too, in a way that has never been done before. Hip hop particularly united whites or blacks more than any other tool can and has helped race relations.”

they were crate-digging and ran into Afrika Bambaataa, who introduced them to the Native Tongues crew including De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers. Apparently Mike Gee and Afrika Baby Bam of Jungle Brothers declared that Beat Kings weren’t in fact kings, but rather “nuts” for their comical nature and the way they carried so many records to their gigs, and the name stuck. The first track from their combined effort is the grumbling Grumpy Crocodile that ruminates on the youthful bravado and inexperience that characterises much of hip hop today, while still managing plenty of egotistical references to sex, drugs, and violence. It’s an exercise in restraint beat-wise, with sparse production allowing the often-outlandish lyrics to take the spotlight. The next drop is Bang, a hazy, hedonistic ode to partying with an earworm hook. As far as the productionversus-lyrics debate, JuJu says, “They both play an important role. There’s a lot of n****s around that spit so nice on a track and the production lets them down, or it can be the other way around, you hear a track and think ‘Damn, if only that n****s spat a little nicer that would have been a hit’. You really need both ingredients to bake the perfect cake.” Liknuts are about to embark on their first Australian tour, and

along for the ride are hardcore-Queens-dudes Onyx, who’ll unleash their ruthless rhymes on Australian audiences. Onyx’s Sticky Fingaz is pretty modest about how it all came about for his crew: “Jam Master Jay got our demo and out of like 15 songs he picked one song and said, ‘Give me ten more like this.’ He brought in Russell Simmons and they gave us a single deal, which turned into an EP deal, which turned into a album deal, which turned into legends… and the rest is history.”

These guys are old school, nasty and they obviously know how to rock a gathering. With all of these hip hop legends under one roof, I think it’s safe to say things are going to get crazy.

Tamara Vogl Arrested Development [USA] play the Prince Bandroom on Friday November 2.

LIKNUTS LEGENDS: REBORN With their powers combined, two legendary hip hop crews have created a new supergroup. Tash, J-Ro and DJ E-Swift of West Coast party marshals Tha Alkaholiks, together with JuJu and Psycho Les of the East Coast sample lords The Beatnuts, have teamed up to bring the world killer jams (as well as an amusing band name) in Liknuts. Tha Alkaholiks were born in LA during the ‘90s when the Likwit Crew – with members like Xzibit, Defari, King Tee and Lootpack – were pretty major players in the scene. It’s an experience that DJ E Swift says stays with you for life. “There is nothing like being around the golden days of hop hop in LA in the ‘90s. Not saying today ain’t all good, but to understand and appreciate it you really had to be there and experience it for yourself. Despite a few ups and downs along the way we’re still all family and it’s Likwit till the end.” They still get the gang together to relive the magic once in a while, too. “Everyone’s still cool: me, J-Ro, Tash, King Tee, Xzibit, everyone. We was just all together at Rock The Bells performing, and shit was crazy! I mean everyone’s got their own thing going on here and there, but in the end it’s still all good.” Legend has it that the other half of Liknuts, The Beatnuts (then playing under the moniker Beat Kings), got their start when

URBAN

Natalie Amat Liknuts [USA] play Prince Bandroom on Thursday November 1.

11.

Y P A S

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T U R I

T. 1 9 8 9

Call 1300 304 614 (landline only)

or 03 9614 3441 Application forms available at Police Stations

www.keypass.com.au

12.

THE BIG MAG FOR CLUB CULTURE

EASY STAR ALL-STARS BY CALLUM FITZPATRICK

Covering a song is never easy – often an artist is criticised if they merely create a carbon copy of the original; equally, if they put a fresh spin on an old classic, they can come under fire for being unfaithful to the intention of the initial artist. Easy Star All-Stars have formed a career based around this challenge, putting a reggae spin on some of music history’s most seminal albums. What’s more, they recently upped the ante and decided to reggae-fy the biggest selling album of all time – Michael Jackson’s Thriller. “There are a lot of people that think what we do is sacrilegious and that we shouldn’t be covering these classic albums,” says renowned reggae producer and Easy Star All Stars co-founding member Michael Goldwasser. “A lot of purists say, ‘You can’t re-interpret Pink Floyd, man’, but they’re probably not musicians – they’re just self-righteous fans. We find that most musicians are open-minded and like to experiment with music. We believe that nothing is sacred.” Since Easy Star All-Stars’ previous efforts have included Dub Side Of The Moon, Radiodread (Radiohead’s OK Computer) and Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, it might not come as a huge surprise that the outfit opted to attempt MJ’s 1982 classic. However, take a closer look and you’ll see that Thrillah is the first time the group has taken a step outside the rock genre. Michael says this was a big motive for choosing the project. “We wanted to go down the R&B path because American R&B was instrumental in the development of Jamaican music even before reggae, with ska in the ‘60s all the way through to today. It seems that whatever has been going on

in Black American music has very much informed reggae and Jamaican music. This sometimes seems to get lost on people, especially the American reggae bands who are inﬂuenced by roots artists like Bob Marley and include aspects of rock in their music. “It’s not like we’re trying to teach people a lesson; we’re hoping that people will hear what we’ve done and will see the link. It might get people to think more about the tradition and make the connection between Jamaica and the US.” Michael also looked to Africa for inspiration, something which is especially notable in the eight minute afrobeat version of album-opener Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’. “I chose an afrobeat arrangement for the ﬁrst song because I feel that Africa is the heart of a lot of Black American and Jamaican music. For me it was about drawing those connections and hoping that the listener would understand,” Michael says. If you take a glimpse through the group’s back catalogue, it is easy to assume that Easy Star All-Stars have merely chosen bulletproof classic albums to cover, however Michael

AUSTRALASIAN WORLDWIDE

MUSIC EXPO BY KRISSI WEISS

Music conferences (essentially trade fairs with a lot more alcohol) seem to be an integral way for musicians from this far away land of Australia to be noticed. Sure, the internet has helped things along from the bygone era of our insular industry during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s but even then, the internet can only do so much. Often, those YouTube clips that go “viral” have had a solid and concerted marketing campaign behind them and things aren’t as organic as they may seem. AWME not only opens this country up to the international stage, they also showcase the niche genres of the region – indigenous music from Australia, New Zealand and the Paciﬁc, roots music, funk and blues. Program director Simon Raynor is more excited than ever to introduce the 500 delegates and artists to each this November. “Everything was locked in a few months ago, thankfully, so now it’s just keeping up with the marketing and advertising,” Raynor says, sounding awfully calm given how close the event is to launch. “The sample CD has just been ﬁnished and everything else is fairly organised.” Every festival, music conference and musician claims that their latest product is their greatest thus far but with AWME still so young, their claims are valid for the 2012 program. “This year we have our strongest line-up of international delegates that we’ve ever had,” he says. “This year has been the strongest response from the industry both here and overseas, that’s been great. The best element this year

really is the mix of delegates we’ve got coming including festival directors and booking agents. We’ve got CMJ from New York, we’ve got Glastonbury, Womad UK, The Great Escape, Fuji Rock and great booking agents from Asia, the States and UK – there’s a really big cross section. These delegates will be able to buy – or represent and book – artists from here in their regions.” Despite the fact music festivals seem to appear and disappear with great speed, Raynor is conﬁdent that the music conferences of Australia and the greater region are managing to complement each other rather than create conﬂict. “We focus on indigenous, roots and world music

explains that just deciding which album to approach is a painstaking process in itself. “We take a very long time deciding which album to do. We try to choose an album where we feel every single song is great or is interesting in some way. Seven of the nine songs on Thriller were phenomenally successful singles, so that has to say something about the quality of the album. “I’ll often wind up doing some preliminary work before we’ve 100 percent decided on an album, just to see if it can work or not. Sometimes what you’ll hear on the record is the third arrangement of the song I’ve made. Every time we do one of these tribute albums I spend at least a year and a half in the studio. I spend months just listening to the original arrangements and scrutinising the details before I come up with the reggae arrangements. It’s a very long and involved process, but I feel like I’d be doing a disservice to the original artist and our listeners if I rushed it.” These listeners are inevitably going to be a tricky bunch to impress – a large contingent will be dedicated admirers of – blues, funk and soul – so we program different artists to most, actually I think nearly all, conferences and trade fairs,” he explains. “That’s our niche and we try and match up the delegates that will be interested in a product to aim to get the best outcome for the artists that we can. I think that we’re different and unique to other trade fairs in Australia and the region. Our market is unique so the networks we work with have a different objective. We feel the event’s growing each year and our support networks have increased, specifically in our genre, we feel we’ll go from strength to strength.” Australasia can often be reduced to simply Australia and New Zealand, with all of the smaller nations that surround us seemingly forgotten. AWME have made a conscientious effort to support the greater Pacific region. “We have artists this year showcasing from New Caledonia and smaller Pacific islands – we really try and program artists from those regions as well as covering this area. There needs to be a cross-section of artists representing the diversity of this region,” he says. Not only does the conference focus on the broader cultural influences surrounding us, they have also taken the time to realise that while regional touring from bigger name bands has fallen away of late, so has support for the emerging artists in regional Australia. This year, AWME and Arts Victoria have established a scholarship program to assist regional artists attend the conference as well as sourcing performers from those areas. “We link up with several regional organisations across Australia and we encourage applications from various parts of Australia,” he says. The showcase component of the event is diverse and is sure to be a lure for the general public to get exposure to new artists as well as industry professionals. “We try to have a combination of well-known artists and emerging artists

the original album hoping that their beloved has been done justice, and another proportion will be hardcore reggae fans who expect authenticity from the end product. “I think that most traditional reggae fans hear our stuﬀ and they get it. With Thrillah I tried to envision what it would sound like if Michael Jackson recorded it in Jamaica in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. With fans of these classic albums, only the purists are hard to please because many of them have already decided they’re not going to like it before they hear it. For the rest, because of publishing concerns we really can’t change the songs too much in terms of lyrics and melody, so everything is still recognisable. Many of them say that when they go back and listen to the original recording it sounds more fresh and new.” EASY STAR ALL-STARS will be bringing their Thrillah tour to The Hi-Fi on Friday October 26. The album is available now through Easy Star Records.

but there still were artists who want to perform at trade events despite their current standing in the industry here,” he explains. “They might want to get export opportunities, they might want to get tours into Europe, North America, and Asia, so their agents and managers are pushing their act. We’re definitely here to support more emerging artists who want to break into the national market and the international market if they have the ability. So many artists in Australia have incredible potential.” The fifth AUSTRALASIAN WORLDWIDE MUSIC EXPO with take place from Thursday November 15 to Sunday November 18. A small film program and extensive live music program will spread across town with events held at Arts Centre Melbourne, The HiFi, Toff In Town and The Ding Dong Lounge. Info at awme.com.au.

TARA SIMMONS BY JOSHUA KLOKE

Change occurs for a variety of reasons: necessity, the desire for growth and progress and often for reasons beyond one’s control. For Tara Simmons, change occurred for a different reason altogether: boredom. The Brisbane-based 28-year-old singer/songwriter was struck one evening by a realisation while performing material from her debut record, Spilt Milk. So profound was this realisation that it spawned an entirely new sonic direction for Simmons on her follow-up, the recently released It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains. “I found myself really bored onstage one night. A lot of my music was really down-tempo. I was already writing pop music in a way, but it wasn’t stuff that I felt would really attract people all that much,” says Simmons, reached on the phone from her Brisbane home. “I really wanted to challenge myself, because I’d gotten a few reviews that labelled me as too ‘Soundscapey’ and they didn’t think I could be a pop writer. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but that’s what I got from a lot of past reviews. It was a challenge to see if I could do it. I’d always thought I could do it, but I’d never tried. That’s what (It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains) became for me.” The “it” Simmons casually refers to is the nearly all-out transformation into a fully-fledged synth-pop chanteuse. While Simmons’ voice still moves with an elegant grace, she’s crafted a bombastic collection of electronicallycharged tracks. While many artists find themselves undergoing changes thanks to an intense relationship with their influences, Simmons carries a different perspective on how the music she was listening to at the time of writing It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains influenced her ability to undergo the change.

She lists Lykke Li and El Perro Del Mar as artists she “got into” as she was writing, though Simmons doesn’t adhere to the belief that imitation is the most sincere form of ﬂattery. “There were a lot of artists that I’d loved for a long time, and you can listen to their records, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to recreate them. I really wanted to make a record that I could listen to.” As Simmons answers questions, she maintains a selfawareness that complements her ability to undergo such a drastic change in aesthetic. Case in point: the tonguein-cheek album title, a thinly veiled reference to Simmons stepping away from the process and remembering that, while a focal point of her life, brandishing a new sound isn’t the end-all-and-be-all of Tara Simmons. “I think the title is a little bit reﬂective of my ability within the process. I actually don’t think I’m that good at not taking the process too seriously. I was having a conversation with my producer after pre-production, and I mentioned those words. And he just said, ‘That’s it, that’s the title of the album.’ Perhaps I just had to remind myself of that. You’re not trying to move mountains,” she says with ease, “You’re just trying to make songs.”

While she can speak playfully about the making of It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains now, there was a time during the recording process when she wondered if the album would ever actually see the light of day. Pre-production began early in 2011 and Simmons was finally able to close the book on the album in February of 2012. Not for her lack of want however, Simmons instead insists that, no matter how demanding the process was, she couldn’t release a sub-par product. “We were doing a lot of writing up until the beginning of 2011,” she says. “I did finish the record mid-2011 but I then realised that I wasn’t that happy with it. At first I kind of freaked out and thought that I’d created a monster. But once I calmed down and thought about it, I realised there were a few albums that I wasn’t that happy with. And it was right up into February this year that I was recording new songs to replace the ones I scrapped.” Staying the course proved as a big a challenge for Simmons as it was keeping the majority of the album under her hat. “When you’ve first written and recorded something, you feel good about it. But the longer you sit with something, the more you start to doubt it. I’m happy with the songs I replaced. I think the root of the frustration was not being

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

able to show anyone the record.” With It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains now ready for consumption, Simmons is happy she had the courage of her conviction and, as far as what the album and the future will bring, admits she would, “Be really appreciative of anything that would happen.” Though the change Simmons underwent on the album may be one her future albums are measured against, what’s most assuring is what Simmons hasn’t changed. She hasn’t sacriﬁced any of her trademark emotionally-laden lyrics, still letting listeners in to a very personal world. Despite recent changes, that world is a place where feeling still matters more than anything else. “I realised that the more open I got, the more people would relate to it,” she says. “I wanted people to connect to whatever I was saying and actually feel something.”

TARA SIMMONS hits up The Workers Club on Thursday November 1 in a co-headline show with Pluto Jonze. It’s Not Like We’re Trying To Move Mountains is out now through Inertia. Beat Magazine Page 47

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

with Christie Eliezer * Stuﬀ for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm THINGS WE HEAR

Lanie Lane

Chet Faker

Paul Kelly

INDIE AWARDS: CHET WINS; ‘INDIE’ ARGUMENT FLARES Frenzal Rhomb started a Twitter battle with DZ Deathrays after losing to them. Presenters dipped into the free Jagermeister shots. Tim Levinson aka Urthboy kicked it off with an eloquent passionate keynote speech of his pride at being part of the Aussie indie sector: “The importance of your music will never be defined by album sales or an award – you’re creating and evolving Australian music culture”. The venue (Revolt in Kensington), tone and format of the awards were just right although Dan Kelly good naturedly complained it was wrong to hold awards on a Tuesday as it was traditionally the musician’s night off. Host Dylan Lewis was funny except for one cringe worthy moment. Presenter Adalita recalled “shitting myself” when she won last year. Tim Rogers with The Bamboos were a high, House Vs Hurricane put in a brutal set. Ex-Powderfinger guitarist Darren Middleton wanted to “fall in love with a new band tonight.” The seventh Jägermeister Independent Music Awards finished off at 3am at Cherry Bar. Channel [V] screens a 30-minute special on Thursday November 1 at 8.30 pm. Rising electro-soulster Chet Faker, who out-bearded everyone in the room, took out breakthrough artist and best single for Thinking In Textures. He also made an unannounced performance with a stripped back I’m Into You. Other winners were The Jezabels (best independent artists), Royal Headache (album), 360 (hip hop/urban album for Falling & Flying), DZ Deathrays (hard rock/punk, for Bloodstreams) Elefant Traks (label), Tom Piper & Daniel Harley (dance/electronica single, for LGFU), Hermitude (dance / electronica album for HyperParadise), Lanie Lane (blues & roots album for To The Horses), Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors (country album for My Little River) and Mike Nock Trio Plus (jazz album, for Hear And Know). As usual, there was the inevitable ‘indier than thou’ vibe which the awards cop each year. 360 admitted it “didn’t feel right” for him to win because of his label’s ties to EMI. Someone yelled “not independent!” when Lanie Lane went on to collect her win. For the record, her label Ivy League, like the others in the Mushroom Group, has its physical stock distributed by Universal. But it’s independently funded and marketed, with total control over digital distribution. Photos by Anna Kanci

THE VOTE THAT I ROW In the run-up to this weekend’s local council elections, Music Victoria conducted an online survey of over 1,500 candidates across 78 electorates. It asked them to outline their awareness of the issues facing the music industry in their electorates and their policies and initiatives to support music. It quizzed them on their knowledge of ‘Agent Of Change’ (don’t complain about a venue if it was there before you), the big live music issues and if they supported using council buildings for underage events. 420 replied, their responses are up on musicvictoria.com.au. “Many Victorian councils have shown great support for contemporary music over the last two years,” said Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan. “City Of Melbourne has a comprehensive Music Strategy; City Of Yarra and City Of Port Phillip have set up Live Music Roundtables; and now Yarra, Melbourne, Moreland and Darebin councils are trialling Music Victoria’s parking permit initiative to allow performing musicians to park in loading bays before and after gigs. But there’s still so much more that can be done. Hopefully this survey will help put contemporary music back on the agenda this election.” On the weekend, lobby group St Kilda Live Music Community held a Q&A session with six City of Port Phillip candidates about their live music policies, as well as a concert with David Moll & Fred Negro, The Mercy Kills, South of the River Choir and Waz E James. The Q&A candidates included two from the music industry, Community Cup founder Jason Evans and photographer Serge Thomann (another candidate, running for Melba, is Simon Huggins of Sugar Mountain Festival and the Two Bright Lakes label).

MELBOURNE VENUES IN POLLSTAR HOT 100 The buoyancy of Melbourne’s live scene was obvious in Pollstar’s Worldwide Ticket Sales Top 100 for the third quarter of the year. Of six Australian arena venues, Rod Laver Arena was ranked #7 globally after shifting 376,918. The Corner Hotel was the only Oz listing in Club Venues, at #9 after selling 95,737 tickets. Sidney Myer Music Bowl was #48 (60.838) in Amphitheatres, and the Palais was in Theatre Venues, at #38 (97,788). Eight Australian promoters made it into the list. Chugg Entertainment was at #26 with 468,502 tickets sold, Michael Coppel Presents at #31 (366,082), Michael Gudinski’s Frontier Touring Company at #43 (243,063), Dainty Group at #47 (207,055), Bluesfest at #65 (154,607), Adrian Bohm Presents at #74 (137, 039), Garry Van Egmond at #95 (99,923) and XIII Touring at #100 (90,155).

Beat Magazine Page 48

VENUES #1: NORTHCOTE OPENS SYDNEY SISTER

S.C.

The people behind the Northcote Social Club posted on Facebook plans to open a new venue in Sydney, called Newtown Social Club, some time in the future. The new place is still to be built and will feature DJs and bands.

VENUES #2: GEELONG’S NASH CLOSING Geelong’s National (The Nash) closes as a live music venue on November 10. The heritage-listed building (from 1856) on Moorabool Street has to be renovated due to structural problems, and booker Al O’Neill pulled the plug early to not inconvenience the schedules of touring acts. A thousand hit Facebook to offer support. Apparently violent incidents at the Nash drew police who alerted City Hall to sections of the flooring. Says O’Neill, “The Nash will cease to operate as a live music venue, the pub itself may be open after this date, but we are not sure of a concrete date of when or if the pub will close indefinitely.”

NOMINATED #1: SYN, PBS, 3CR FOR CBAA AWARDS Melbourne featured well in the Community Broadcasting Association’s finalists for the CBAA Voxies Awards. SYN, PBS, 3CR and 3WBC picked up four each. Joy had three and 3RRR and Mitchell Community Radio two. Getting a mention each were 3ZZZ, 89.9 Light FM, 3RPH and 3WAY. Joy, 3RRR and 3WBC are against each other for Best Digital Media Initiative. PBS and 3RRR vie for Excellence in Music Programming, with Adelaide’s Three D Radio and Sydney’s 2SER. Two PBS shows, Drive Live and Straight To You were nominated for Best New Radio Program – Music alongside 2FBi’s Ears Have Ears and TYGA FM’s Soundscapes. Full national list at cbaa. org.au.

NOMINATED #2: SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS 61 composers and 40 works have been nominated for next month’s Screen Music Awards. They include Antony Partos (who leads the nominations for his music for The Slap and Mabo), Lisa Gerrard, Burkhard Dallwitz, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Michael Yezerski as well as rock names as David Bridie, Roger Mason, Lior, Michael Lira and David McCormack. See the APRA and Australian Guild of Screen Composers websites for full list.

* The rumoured Green Day tour next year might be pushed back as singer Billie Joe Armstrong may be in rehab until after Christmas. Meantime Status Quo blabbed before the official announcement that they’ll do Bluesfest, while Sharon Osbourne, here for the recent radio conference, revealed that hubby Ozzy and Black Sabbath are also plodding their way here in 2013. Blur will be touring Australia next year, their overseas booking agent confirmed. * The phenomenal 25 million global sales of Adele’s 21 album pushed profits of its UK label XL to an astounding £41.7 million (A$65.21 million) in 2011. Its profits the year before were £3 million. * Radio network Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has become an equal partner in Universal Music Australia and Sony Music Entertainment Australia’s joint venture digital music service Digital Music Distribution * The appearance of Psy on The X Factor last week saw it score its highest ratings of 2012, with 1.665 million tuning in. * The inaugural One Great Night On Earth festival is postponed from December to first half of 2013 in Melbourne as more international acts became available. * Tensions arose on the joint USA tour by Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. At one show, Manson told the crowd he was “going to kick [Zombie’s] ass” after his set was cut short. Zombie during his set shouted “Fuck you Marilyn Manson!” and “suck it Marilyn Manson!” during Alice Cooper’s School’s Out. * triple j says lyrics in Ball Park Music’s Surrender (“a nice dream I could see your blouse, it was bright yellow and it made my day...”) refer to a dream singer Sam Cromack had where he fell in love with Megan Washington! * Ozomatli pulled out of Harvest festival. Bob Mould pulled out of his tour through Metropolis last week on the day tickets were to go on sale. * The Australian Financial Review reported that this year’s Deni Ute Muster with Kelly Clarkson (for which she was paid $700,000) drew 15,000 mulletheads. Not quite the 18,000 that Suzi Quatro drew last year (for $400,000) or the 25,000 that Cold Chisel drew in 2010 for a fee of $700,000.

NEW SIGNING #1: MUSHROOM MUSIC GET CITY VS COUNTRY Mushroom Music signed Melbourne alt-country City Vs Country. Following their single Hookers And Philosophy which is in the triple j and ARIA charts, they have an EP Don’t Over Think It is launched at Cherry Bar on Friday October 26. It was recorded at The Studios In The City with producer Ben Ehrenberg.

NEW SIGNING #2: 360 ADDS tyDi, FADERS The 360 dance agency added two new DJs. Heading for a strong 2013 is tyDi whose Glow In The Dark features Island/Def Jam act Kerli, and female duo The Faders who caused a buzz at a Paul Oakenfold event during the London Olympics and now issue a release F.U.N.

NEW SIGNING #3: BLANK TAPE EMBRACES COUNTBOUNCE Blank Tape Music has signed award winning producer, songwriter and MC Countbounce to a record deal, and will also look after Bounce County studios in Melbourne’s inner north. Countbounce (aka Pip Norman), a member of hip hop crew TZU, produces and co-writes with scores of acts. This year alone will see releases from Sietta, TLS, Urthboy and Hoy.

DAVID JONES WORKSHOP Master drummer and Collarts artist-in-residence David Jones presents a free workshop on Saturday on practice methods, song preparation, performance attitudes and ways to relax to focus on rehearsing, performing and recording. It is held 3pm to 5pm at Collarts (Australian College of Arts) in South Melbourne.

TAFE DECISIONS While this year’s $300 million government budget cuts to TAFEs are forcing tough decisions, NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE) staff and students are celebrating opportunities TAFE offers. This week NMIT campuses began celebrations, including concerts by NMIT bands, African drummer workshops, belly dancers, soccer etc. It started at Fairfield (October 23), with Preston (24), Collingwood (25), Epping (29). Greensborough (31) and Heidelberg (November 2).

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

LIFELINES Born: son to Adele and her partner Simon Konecki. Married: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in a secret location in Naples, Italy, after five years together. He sang N*Sync It’s Gonna Be Me at the reception. Marrying: at a Journey concert, guitarist Neal Schon proposed to girlfriend Michaele Salahi while the band did Faithfully. She got divorced in August. Marrying: Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit and modelturned-designer Michelle Leslie tie the knot in New Zealand on October 27. The 50-strong contingent of Aussies heading over there include Silverchair’s Chris Joannou, whose partner Laura Csortan is one of the bridesmaids. Split: singer songwriter Danielle Spencer and Russell Crowe after nine years and two children. Injured: Mama Kin bassist and keyboard player Michael Caruana in a motorcycle accident. He won’t join the band on their national tour. In Court: The Vines’ singer Craig Nicholls faced Sutherland Local Court relating to domestic violence against his parents whom he was living with. Court documents said that in one incident, he held steak knives against his mum’s throat allegedly saying “I could stab you”. He returns to court on November 14. In Court: Gold Coast rapper Fotafy faced Brisbane District Court that he and Schapelle Corby’s halfbrother James Soeli Kisina went to confront Origin player Ben Te’o about whether he was the father of his ex-girlfriend’s child, and assaulted two of Te’o’s brothers. Fotafy was jailed for 18 months wholly suspended, and Kisina for 15 months suspended after three. Died: USA exec Danny Sims, who signed Bob Marley to his JAD label, 75, colon and intestinal problems. He gave his contract to Island Records to turn Marley into a superstar, and later signed Gloria Gaynor, Lloyd Price and Betty Wright. Died: Jamaican dancehall artist Captain Barkey, 50 (Go Go Wine, Bun Fi Bun) shot outside a motel in the Bronx, New York.

LEWIS JOINS UMBRELLA Kim Lewis is the new Theatrical Distribution Manager of Umbrella Entertainment. He comes from a background of theatrical distribution, international marketing and film sales; film development and production assessment and investor representation for The Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia).

KOCH IN INDONESIA R&B singer Alston Koch, whose Don’t Funk With Me reached #2 in Australia and broke through Asia, is this week in Indonesia as a keynote speaker at the three-day Karnival Wisata which will draw 300,000. Koch will speak on the importance of cultural music in tourism, and then headlines a concert with local acts which will be broadcast through the country and raise funds for the under-privileged. In 1986, Koch’s Try Again was #1 for 8 weeks in Indonesia.

PITBULL WINS PROMOTERS

OVER

AUSSIE

The NSW Supreme Court took the side of Pitbull against two Australian promoters. Jaime Fernandez (DJ Suave) and Juan Uribe (DJ Don Juan) sued the USA rapper after he blew out three dates in December 2008. Pitbull was to be paid $60,000 for tour, a $30,000 deposit and the balance on December 2, seven days before he left. When the balance was not sent in time, he decided to stay in America. He got the balance on December 3, 2008, but he felt it was too late to go. He returned the balance but kept the deposit. Justice Robert BeechJones agreed Pitbull was entitled to cancel.

LIVE MUSIC SURVEY How viable in the Melbourne live scene? The past 18 months saw various reports on its economic significance. At the same time changes have affected the viability of venues, notably inner city development. Music Victoria, the City of Melbourne and students from RMIT, NMIT, Victoria University, Box Hill Institute and JMC are undertaking a project. On Saturday October 13, teams of students visited every live music venue in the CBD and innersuburban music precincts to conduct a Live Music Census. They recorded who played, who was working and who was there to see gigs. This info will be important to assess the cultural, social and economic importance of live music in this city. They now want input from musicians and consumers to use to present to planners, administrators and decision makers to preserve and promote the live music scene. The surveys are at melbournecensus. wordpress.com/about. Complete them, and pass them on to colleagues and friends. There’s also Facebook page with survey links – facebook.com/ mlmcensus to ‘like’ and ‘share’ with friends and industry contacts

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

Beat Magazine Page 49

BEAT MAGAZINE’S ROCKABILLY SPECIAL

IT T’S A RETRO O ROCK N’ ROLL HALLOWEEN! Spring – the time for fresh bowler shirts, cherry skirts and higher beehives, but also the time for Halloween! Yes, Wednesday October 31 will bring all the horror and fright to the rock ‘n’ roll scene in celebration of the festive season to come. The warmer weather means the arrival of rockabilly dedicated festivals, retro fashion events and hot rod car shows that will see the likes of legendary rockabilly acts such as The Go Getters from Sweden, The Desperados from the US and Charlie Hightone from Spain grace our shores at some of Melbourne’s premier music venues alongside some of our best local bands such as Sun Rising, The Atomic Hi-Tones and The ReChords. There’s also no better time to dress the part – body art and vintage inspired designs are only one of the ways to immerse yourself in the swinging rockabilly, horror-country, psychobilly and ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll scene that thrives in Melbourne. So have a browse at what our fine city has to offer.

SCOTTY BAKER BY ZOË RADAS

Scotty Baker is an marvellous performer. Where others within the rockabilly fold seem to mimic, Baker encompasses the true spirit of his influences and presents as a bona fide creator, with mega strokes of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley coming together in the body of one very smooth (and sometimes silly) man. His talents have been recognised across the world and soon he’ll be heading to London, but not before playing select countryrockin’ tracks from his debut album Just Like That at the Camperdown Cruise Rockabilly Festival this week. Just Like That serves up an impressive 14 tracks, featuring stories about life’s experiences which easily knock on your heart’s door with their candour. “Well it could have been a lot more, I had to cull a few,” Baker laughs heartily. “It was looking like being a CD full of car-related songs, because old American cars are my passion, but I sort of changed tact a bit and got a bit of inspiration for a few different songs; there’s a few leading to the life of heartbreak.” Having married at just 22, after a decade wed Baker was devastated when his marriage decayed into divorce, in pretty sad circumstances. “Since this breakup I’ve got songs [in which] I speak pretty frankly about my feelings on all that and I’ve had a lot of people contact me, who’ve gone through marriage breakdowns, and they totally relate to the words of those songs. In some ways I guess I wear my heart on my sleeve and people really resonate with it,” he says. I’m amazed that Baker has gone through all this because it’s extremely difficult to tell how old he is. When singing, jauntily strumming his guitar and flipping his knees up in a wild dosi-do with his lead guitarist, he looks like a masterful 40-yearold, performing with all the experience that comes with that age. However when speaking between songs his unaffected enthusiasm and easy humour make him seem much, much younger. “I do agree with you that my singing and speaking voices are two different [things],” he chuckles. “Well, I’m 37,” he confirms before quickly ducking off the phone to “shut the kids up for a tick,” who are loudly frolicking in the background of our call. “Ah, the joys of parenting,” he says wryly when back on the line, and laments that he “peaked too early” by putting Toy Story on for them a good 20 minutes before our conversation. “It’s funny, kids love my CD,” he laughs unabashedly. “Not just my kids, other peoples’ kids. People are always telling me, ‘Oh! My kids love your CD, they just want to hear that in the car every time we go somewhere.’ I feel like I’m the Rockabilly Wiggle or something.” Imitating

VINTAGE BODY ART Vintage Body Art was established in early 2012, and are the first tattoo studio to operate in St Kilda East. Located close to the Balacava shopping precinct, the studio is an open, modern environment, with their artists specialising in all styles and catering to your desired look. With custom artwork being their forte, you will not find recycled flash art in their studio! Consultations are free, so feel free to throw your queries their way. The Vintage Body Art studio also offers a welcoming and hygienic environment, far exceeding

these people, he yells out in this very amusing jabber, and it’s clear what a happy-go-lucky guy this is despite his recent personal difficulties. Baker’s ability to connect with his audience has brought in praise from many different corners. “I often get messaged from people [on Facebook],” he says. “The songs I write, most of [them] tell a story, they don’t just like repeat the word ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ over a million times like some other people do. And so, lots of people relate to the different stories. Like I said before, most of them were car songs before everything went haywire.” The titular track of his album strikes a particularly firm chord with listeners who share Baker’s interest in old cars. “It’s the story of inheriting your dad’s old – in this particular case – Cadillac, and restoring it and taking it driving around. You’ll be stopped in the street be people whose grandfather or uncle or schoolteacher or whatever, had a car and it was ‘just like that.’ And the conversation goes on, and as they’re describing this car that’s just like yours, it turns out it’s not at all just like yours. Nothing! Not even close, like maybe the only connection is it had chrome bumper bars like yours does,” he laughs. In June of next year, Baker has been booked to play an exclusive gig at one of the world’s two biggest rockabilly festivals, the Rockabilly Rave held in East Sussex (UK). The event’s colourful promoter, Jerry Chatabox, scoped Baker during his performance at last year’s Camperdown fest. Chatabox thought Baker to be so perfect for the Rave, which is now in its 17th year, that he is covering all costs associated in return for the promise that Baker will not play any other gigs while over there. “I was told by the guys I did the CD with that he was going to be there and whatever I did, to perform well because if he likes you and you get in with him, then you’ll be set. He travels all around the world looking for acts for his show; he said he’d come over here to watch his wife perform and had no idea he’d meet me, and had never heard of me – of course, because I’m only small-time,” Baker laughs. “If you look at the Rockabilly Rave poster, out of the 25 acts he has performing this year he chose me to be the poster boy! It’s got my big smiling face on it.” Scotty Baker plays the Camperdown Cruise Rockabilly Festival in Camperdown, held over the weekend of October 25 – 27, and the Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival, held February 15 – 17, 2013.

health department standards, plus being super close to public transport (Balaclava Station), with plenty of parking and wheelchair accessibility, there’s no reason to not go down and check them out! Artist’s note: They are looking for an experienced and established artist to join the team, so apply via email. Vintage Body Art operate seven days a week from 11am – 7pm and are located at 286 Inkerman St, St Kilda East. For bookings and enquiries, hit them up at vintagebodyart@hotmail.com, or (03) 9090 7766. Plus find them on Facebook!

BEAT MAGAZINE’S ROCKABILLY SPECIAL

THE GO GETTERS PLAY THE LUWOW ON MELBOURNE CUP EVE The Go Getters are legends of the world rockabilly circuit, with their mix of blues-rockabilly and country generating a positive party atmosphere that never fails to keep the dance floor packed. This is city-fied and country-fried rockabilly! Formed in 1988 amidst the frozen badlands of Sweden, this gang of Vikings have electrified audiences around the world with their own custom blend of ass-kickin’, mega-watt rockabilly boogie. Their debut LP, Real Gone!; considered a milestone in modern Euro rockabilly music has fuelled a demand for the group throughout Europe, where they toured without mercy for the better part of a decade. Having backed many of the ‘50s biggest rockabilly stars including Sleepy La Beef, Ray Sharp, Larry Donn, Johnny Powers and Mr. ‘Rockin’ Bones’ himself, the late Ronnie Dawson, The Go Getters last graced our shores in 1999, leaving the land scorched by their ten-date tour. Now the Swedish trio are voyaging back and set to thrill Australian fans with their classics, along with singles from their latest album – Hot Rod Roadeo.

The Go Getters play The LuWOW on Monday November 5, with support from The Rechords and Roadhouse Romeos. Advanced tickets are now on sale for $25 from the venue, or on the night for $30 at the door. The LuWOW is located at 62-70 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. (03) 9417 5447, or visit theluwow.com

The go-to destination for rockabilly fashion has to be Vivien Of Holloway – a London based label and store that creates vintage inspired reproductions with a ‘40s and ‘50s feel. With pieces for guys and gals, this label celebrates the polka dot, the cinched waist and the pinafore trouser. A perfect blend of costume pieces, everyday wearable items and even bridal wear with a distinctly glamorous aesthetic, you can complete the look with Vivien’s extensive range of accessories – most of which can be blended with either a modern or vintage look. This much-loved label is now available to Australian retro-lovers and rock ‘n’ roll living clientele. Keeping it in the family – Vivien’s sister, Christine stocks Vivien Of Holloway pieces in her Carrum Downs store location. The label can also be found touring the Hot Rod And Rock ‘n’ Roll festival scene throughout the year – the next pop up stalls will be at

Chromefest, Dia De Los Meurtos Festival and AutumnFest in early 2013. To place an order, contact Christine directly on 0417 144 169 or email christine@vivienofholloway.com.

ROCKABILLY EVENT GUIDE Californian Cruisin’ Presents Chromefest – A Tribute To Classic American Autos, Hot Rods And Rock ‘n’ Roll Friday October 26 – Sunday October 28, Memorial Park, The Entrance NSW. Tickets at chromefest.org

ROCKABILLY BLING It’s all in the name – Rockabilly Bling produce retro inspired jewellery pieces using precious metals and gemstones. The artistry of these pieces comes from the combined efforts and know-how of manufacturing jewellers and some incredibly talented tattoo artists. This proudly Australian made range consists of statement earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings but the Rockabilly Bling team also make custom one-off pieces upon customer request. The label takes inspiration from the best parts of the ‘50s – the fashion, the pin-ups and of course, the Hot Rods. We’re loving the very cool Indian Chief Ring and Sugar Skull Ring in sterling silver. The metals used and the shades of gemstones are subtle enough to work for either a day or night look. These pieces definitely rock

VIVIEN OF HOLLOWAY

Camperdown Cruise Rockabilly Weekend Friday October 26 – Sunday October 28, Camperdown, VIC. Tickets and line-up info at camperdowncruise.com.au Bendigo Jailhouse Rockers Festival Friday October 26 – Sunday October 28, Strathsfieldsaye, Bendigo. that labour-of-love look and could work for a range of styles – whether you’re a hardcore rockabilly or just appreciate amazing bling.

Classic & Rod Club Cruise Night Wednesday October 31, Cranbourne. More information at classicandrodclub.com.au.

Check out the full range at rockabillybling.com.au and email info@rockabillybling.com.au for enquiries.

Almon Loos (LA), Charlie Hightone (ESP), The Rechords & Hanks Jalopy Demonds Friday November 2, Lucky 13 Garage, Moorabin. Entry $20.

BEAT MAGAZINE’S ROCKABILLY SPECIAL

The Go-Getters, The Rechords, Roadhouse Romeos Monday November 5, The LoWOW, Fitzroy. Entry $25 (advance), $30 door. Mikelangelo & The Tin Star, The Rechords, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks – Cup Day at The Retreat Tuesday November 6, The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. Firebird, Sonyta & The Incinerators Saturday November 10, Lucky 13 Garage, Moorabin. Entry $10. Vintage, Retro & Contemporary Collectables & Nostalgia Fair Sunday December 9, Sandown Racecourse, Springvale, 9am – 3pm. Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival 2013 Friday February 15 – Sunday February 17, Ballarat VIC. Tickets and line-up info at ballaratbeat.com.au

CLARE BOWDITCH BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Clare Bowditch’s new album, The Winter I Chose Happiness, dismisses the muddledup conception of happiness as an elusive fantasy and advocates an authentically dynamic and attainable happiness. However, happiness can’t be prescribed; it’s not as if you can follow ‘ten easy steps to reach your ultimate happy state’ and Bowditch explains that frustration at this fact was actually the album’s genesis. “I remember seeing a book on a shelf written by Stephanie Dowrick called Choosing Happiness and it made me angry. I thought, ‘Surely if I could choose happiness I would have done it by now’. Once I read the book I actually thought it was quite radical. I think, to pursue happiness in any true sense, happiness encompasses suffering as well, and real life. I think that is challenging work. It felt like the most dangerous album I could write – far more dangerous than the other themes of suffering, and the grief and the addiction and so on.” Bowditch stresses that even though happiness is highly dependent upon chance, individual effort is required to be in a position to experience happiness when the opportunity does come your way. “What I concluded – after doing lots and lots of reading and interviewing people and asserting myself in my life – we can affect our happiness far more than I thought we could. I wanted to make sure the term ‘choice’ was in there because I think we can’t choose our circumstances but we do have some say over the stories we tell ourselves in our heads.” Bowditch’s previous LP, 2010’s Modern Day Addiction, dealt with some pretty tough themes. Artistic expression can transform negative aspects of existence in an instructive manner, but dwelling on negatives can also lead to stagnating there and the work produced will lack any constructive slant. “We often attach to a story that we need to suffer in order to create. That’s something I really wanted to challenge myself on this album: whether you could still create art, or music, and tackle a subject like happiness.” Australian art critic Robert Hughes, who recently passed away, famously said, “The greater the artist, the greater the doubt.” Despite her upbeat state of mind, composing this record was still a discourse with doubt. “The challenge is to continue, to move forward. Even though you’re trickled with doubt, you feel there’s some thing in the world that you have that means something. That’s why you’re compelled to keep pushing through the continuous challenge of being an artist, I think. You feel compelled inside to do it.” The creative disposition won’t settle into static complacency and, by attempting to articulate the factors that influence happiness, Bowditch’s creative pursuits have been a further mode of realising happiness. “Art, for me, has been the vehicle through which I’ve explored what it is to be a human being. It’s also an exploration of how to be the kind of human being that I had hoped I would be. It allows me to pursue that in a really active way.” Included with the album is a written exposition of Bowditch’s “one-year empirical study into happiness”, in which she says that, “I can’t make you happy. I can, however, give you a story or two...” This suggests that the arts can be complicit in directing one’s mental state to discover happiness. “Everyone’s experience is different, but mine’s certainly been, you know, some of the songs I’ve heard, some of the books I’ve read, some of the paintings I’ve studied, show possibilities to achieve happiness; or a different happiness, not the one that we’re sold in the world. That’s what I was exploring in Modern Day Addiction, the world seems to give us messages that we’re not good enough and we choose to believe them. Art challenges that. It shocks us sometimes and it delights us and it allows us a different way in to the possibilities of what it is to be a human being.” The Winter I Chose Happiness is a very personal outpouring, but this doesn’t mean that the material is simply a description of lived experiences. “I think it’s important to be personal. The emotion of this album is absolutely autobiographical. All of the circumstances of it though, that changes. You Make Me Happy was written straight from reading an Offspring script (the channel 10 TV show in which Bowditch played Rosanna, a musician), then I sat down at the piano and the song came out in five seconds. The emotion is true, but I always maintain the right to contradict myself and shuffle around stories; a bit of this and a bit of that. It’s more of a magpie’s pile than a biography.” This said, Clare Bowditch doesn’t exactly draw a line on how personal she makes her music and isn’t afraid of giving too much away. “What’s wrong with giving ourselves away? Isn’t that why we’re here? None of us are not-flawed, so I think the only thing I can do as an artist is give myself away and lay it on the line. I’m not saying that I’m great at doing that but that’s what I do. This was not intended to be a checklist, how-to-be-happy, album. It’s more I wanted something in the world that was from the heart and that wasn’t as critical or as musically complex as other work that I’d done.”

CLARE BOWDITCH will be performing at The Regal Ballroom in Northcote on Thursday October 25 and Friday October 26. She also plays the Playhouse at The Arts Centre on Friday November 16 as part of the Australasian World Music Expo with Christine Salem and Edou. The Winter I Chose Happiness is out now through Island Records/Universal.

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Beat Magazine Page 53

PAUL KELLY

BY KRISSI WEISS

Paul Kelly’s latest album, Spring And Fall, arrives at the same time as the biopic Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me. The timing is one of pure coincidence and there’s no creative connection between the two. He’s the songwriter most often cited as Australia’s greatest; he manages to write humble stories of life in Australia without the clichés that usually cause a collective cultural cringe – he’s no John Williamson. Yet Kelly has managed to escape gossip media and alluded vetting of his private life. Anyone searching for evidence is hard-pressed to find it within his music – he is firm on the position that he is a fiction writer. Luckily for Kelly, his astoundingly simple and yet powerfully affecting music has overshadowed failed relationships, heroin addiction and his past tendency to fall victim to the trappings of a rock star lifestyle. Kelly is warm and personable – a surprise for someone who has dealt with the media for nearly four decades – although talking about himself is not his favourite thing to do. “These days I like to set up so I can talk and play,” Kelly says after discussing some radio interviews he has scheduled. “If I can do the thing that I do, which is play music, then the promo is fine. When I just go around talking all day by the end of the day you feel like a fake, you know?” Anticipation is high for Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me and while Spring And Fall is sure to be received with open arms, it’s the insight into Paul Kelly, the man, that will potentially eclipse his latest album. “The film and album aren’t connected at all apart from coming out at the same time,” he says. “The songs and records for me are fiction; the film is non-fiction. I wrote a book, a memoir, (How To Make Gravy) and the film took a lot of cues from that book looking at my wider family history, the musical times I was in and the different musicians and songwriters who have influenced me. It’s been a long period

in my life, four years or so, with the book and the film, where the focus has been on my life, the non-fiction. I’m pretty keen to get it back to the fiction again – that’s where I work. The doco was meant to come out last year but they’d followed me around for a year and a half and got so much footage as well as archival footage – things I’d forgotten about – so in the end it took them a lot longer to edit than they planned. I was always on track to release an album around the end of this year so we figured if they’re gonna come out around about the same time we may as well make it at the same time.” Surely, I suggest, his music has been heavily influenced by his life? “It’s pretty much fiction but all fiction writers borrow things from what’s around them,” he says. “They borrow little bits from their own lives and little bits from their friend’s lives. I think everyone does that, but you reassemble things and put them back together. I’m not really interested in selfexpression…Most of my family by now know better than to try and search for hidden meanings. But it’s human nature

to try and figure out what has happened in someone’s life to bring about a song – I probably do it to other artists too.” While Kelly values his audience to the point of finding them essential, he’s aware that there’s no way to anticipate their expectations. “I think the audience is really important,” he says. “A song doesn’t exist for me until it’s heard. Until it lands somewhere, it’s not really a song. But I wouldn’t know how to serve an audience, they’re all different people, they’re not just one big ear.” Spring And Fall was recorded in a chilly hall, out the back of Gippsland, with nephew Dan Kelly and Machine Translations’ J. Walker on hand to round out the overall aesthetic of the album. A host of Australian musical stalwarts add to the sonic texture of the album via various musical contributions but it was three men and a quasi-camping trip that really brought this album to life. “It was cold in a hall and we had to mitten up and put the wools on,” he laughs, discussing the recording process. “It was almost like camping. I guess for me, some camping trips can be disasters but this was one of the good camping trips. The company was good, I really love working with Dan, we’ve been working on and off for ten years, we

have a wide shared language and we were both big fans of Machine Translations.” It’s hard to image that Paul Kelly feels the need to bring in outside opinions to his thoroughly familiar sound but it seems Kelly is a collaborative creator in the truest sense. “That’s how I work; I deliberately try and work with people who have strong opinions,” he says. “Everyone in my band is opinionated, Dan’s no different. I don’t come with a finished song; my songs are written on fairly simple chords and, well I’m not Prince,” he continues laughing. “I don’t have the bass lines or the groove in my head. I need other people to help me arrange my songs and I like ideas being thrown around. A good band is a band that knows how to have a fight with each other and how to fight with respect.”

answer wasn’t surprising, in the least. “I’ve been listening to ‘Fado’ music,” he says “An indigenous music of the Portuguese working class; music of love and sorrow and simplicity in the face of an overcomplicated world.” It’s never been easy to chart Moore’s sonic evolution in a linear manner. He subbed in on R.E.M’s rollicking (and admittedly, straight up) 1994 magnum opus, Monster. 2006-2010 saw the crafty veteran release a number of experimental noise and drone records, while last month saw the release of Yokokimthurston, the confusing and distancing vocal-fuelled collaboration with Kim Gordon and Yoko Ono. And the list doesn’t stop there. His work with everyone from Mark Ibold, Elliott Sharp and Kommissar Hjuler only fortifies his reputation as one of the more diverse musicians in recent memory. Yet it his time in Sonic Youth, one of the most fundamental and influential acts of the late 20th Century with which Moore is most often associated with. Consistently writing, he insists his approach to songwriting does not differ with circumstances.

“I write songs the same way, regardless of the forum, be it Sonic Youth, solo or with a new band lineup as the one I have now.” Chelsea Light Moving, the act Moore is currently fronting has been touring sporadically throughout the year, proliferating what Moore calls “The sound of Wild Boys looking to jack hypos of core passion into their veins.” At once driving and deviating, Chelsea Light Moving ﬁnds Moore turning up the dial after Demolished Thoughts. If there were ever any preconceived notions of how a record Thurston Moore is associated with should sound, Chelsea Light Moving makes quick work of said notions. But of course, Moore wouldn’t pay any attention, anyway. “I don’t think of there ever being preconceived notions and I certainly don’t feel the need to go against anything as such,” he says. “I just play how I feel regardless of what’s expected or what’s in fashion.”

PAUL KELLY’S Spring And Fall is out now on EMI/ Capitol. Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me will be showcased in Melbourne at Hamer Hall on Saturday November 3. Check out artscentremelbourne.com.au for more information.

THURSTON MOORE

BY JOSHUA KLOKE

At 54 years of age, over 30 of those spent in the rarely forgiving music industry, Thurston Moore has seen it all. And he’s evolved with a noted precision. Just don’t expect him to elaborate on it. As a member of the famously public-shy noise-rock innovators Sonic Youth, Moore routinely let the band’s music do the talking, as it did for 30 some years. Yet when in 2011 it was announced that Moore and Sonic Youth bandmate Kim Gordon would be separating after 27 years of marriage, the future of the New York pioneers was rightfully put in doubt. The band announced an indeﬁnite hiatus in October of 2011. “No one in Sonic Youth has yet to use the word ‘breakup’,” Moore says, giving little in the way of hope to the band’s legion of fans. “We are taking a breather though.” The announcement of Sonic Youth’s hiatus came just ﬁve months after the release of Demolished Thoughts, Moore’s third full-length solo release. If the timing and title of the record seem premeditated, the solemn and sombre tone of the orchestral arrangements had many believing Demolished Thoughts wasn’t just a coincidence. Sure enough, when pressed about both the timing of the release and his relationship with the album currently, Moore is reluctant to open up. “I don’t play it live hardly at all anymore as it brings up memories of a time of heartbreak and confusion,” notes Moore. He won’t go into detail any further. It’s quickly established that Moore, a man of few words, would still prefer to let his music speak for him. “[Demolished Thoughts] is also about newness and reformation, so I acknowledge it,” he continues.

Like fellow inﬂuential ‘90s rocker Stephen Malkmus, Moore looked to Beck to produce his latest record. And according to him, Beck’s understanding of the record’s vibe helped bring the tracks to life. “The songs were very minimal with 12 string acoustic, which tends to be orchestral, and violin and harp,” says Moore. “Beck mixed the record in a way that accentuated the orchestral vibe, which I was fully into. The emotion was one of loss and love and was already inherent in the songwriting.” As noted however, Australian fans shouldn’t expect to hear much of the album. Instead, Moore is ready to move on and let the world in on his latest musical path. “Lately I’ve been touring with all new songs on electric guitar with a band called Chelsea Light Moving, which I’ll be playing at the Australian shows,” he says, elaborating, if only slightly, on his upcoming touring plans. It would, of course, be slightly short-sighted to assume that Moore would do anything but continue upon the evolution which has seen him be a part of 90 releases, from textural dark metal to harshly experimental noise to the delicate and the sublime. One might believe that, perhaps with his age, Moore would be interested in slowing down and focusing his efforts. Not so, however. I asked Moore, somebody who’s never been one to limit himself sonically, what he’s been listening to as of late. His

FRASER A GORMAN BY PATRICK EMERY

Fraser A Gorman grew up in Torquay, on Melbourne’s southern coast. Famed for its surf beaches, Torquay is also home to a thriving surf community, characterised by surfing fashions, sun-stained hair, bronze skin and a peculiar subcultural dialectic. It wasn’t, however, a sub-culture in which Gorman felt comfortable. “The surfing culture isn’t the chilled out thing you might think it is,” Gorman says. “It’s more a jock head culture – or at least it is in my humble opinion,” Gorman laughs. Gorman had first encountered music when he was about 12-years-old when his mother suggested singing lessons might assist Gorman with countering the stutter with which he was afflicted. “My mum put me in singing lessons because I stutter,” Gorman says. “It didn’t help, but I found that I really liked singing.” Gorman’s mother subsequently bought him a microphone to further his interest in singing. “I thought I’d look dumb singing without a guitar, so I bought a guitar and learnt how to play,” Gorman says. At the ripe old age of 15, Gorman was playing in a band in local venues, including Geelong’s National Hotel. Gorman’s first band survived for two and a half years before succumbing to the age-old “artistic differences”. While the break-up of the band left Gorman disappointed, it also provided the catalyst for Gorman’s solo career. “It was actually quite easy to go from being in a band to playing solo, because my old band broke up due to artistic differences, but when I’m playing solo, I can do what I want,” Gorman laughs. It was around this time that Gorman saw Justin Townes Earle Beat Magazine Page 54

perform during one of the former’s recent Australian tours. “I fell in love with the music of Justin Townes Earle,” Gorman says. “I was feeling a bit shit at the time because of the band breaking up, but when I saw him play, it was amazing. He managed to play with just a fiddle player, and he just blew the place apart. I wanted to replicate that.” Gorman considered what to title his solo outfit, wavering between using his own name, and a pseudonymous moniker. In the end, Gorman settled on a variation of his birth name, adopting the ‘A’ (for Gorman’s middle name, Alexander). “When I started up I wasn’t sure what to call myself, whether I’d use my name or a moniker,” Gorman admits. “Eventually I settled on my name, but I needed something different to my Facebook page,” Gorman chuckles. Like Justin Townes Earle, Gorman embraced the story-telling approach typically associated with the country-blues-folk genre. The notion of using a story as the basis for a song was an approach with which Gorman was already familiar. “Yeah, for sure,” Gorman says, when I ask him whether he’s a

storyteller. “When I was about 12 I was talking to my singing teacher, and I asked her how to write a song. And she said all you really needed to do is to tell stories, and that really stuck with me, and that’s what I still do. If a song is sticking, then I have to look at what story I’m trying to tell,” Gorman says. At the age of 18 Gorman moved to Melbourne, quickly forming part of an expatriate surf coast community that includes King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Murlocs and Sleep Decade. “We all grew up together and we used to play gigs at The Nash,” Gorman says. “There’s a real sense of natural competitiveness, but in a healthy way. We all strive to play good music and good gigs – it’s really good to be part of something.” Most of Gorman’s stories tend toward real life events, though he does endeavour to protect the innocent. “Most of my songs are autobiographical because, to a degree, you can only write about what you know,” Gorman says. “So I often write stories about my family.” The familial subject isn’t, however, always obvious. “Sometimes they might know what it’s about, but it’ll come down to how cryptic the song is. Some of them are really bare, but I never say anything bad about them,” Gorman laughs. While in theory Gorman’s surf coast background might provide useful narrative fodder, Gorman isn’t inclined to draw upon his past for his contemporary tunes. “I look back on my upbringing fondly, but I don’t feel the need to write about it,” Gorman says. “I was quite detached from the surfing community, so there’s not necessarily anything to write about.” Sometimes, but not always, a song will offer the opportunity to make sense of a real-life event. “Songs have purpose, and you write a song about death or a hardcore issue like that, they can definitely help with closure on those topics,” Gorman says. “I suppose to what degree it can help

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THURSTON MOORE plays Hamer Hall on Thursday October 25 as part of the Melbourne Festival.

depends on the song and the issue.” Having released his debut EP earlier this year, Gorman says he’s halfway through recording his first full-length record. “The Northcote Social Club show this week is the launch of the first single from the album, which should be out early next year,” Gorman says. While Gorman says he’s enthusiastic about pursuing his musical career, he’s pragmatic about the financial reality of life as a professional musician. “I suppose I do have career aspirations, but at the same time a career in music is difficult at the best of times,” Gorman says. “I’m definitely motivated, but I’m also realistic about this kind of thing. These days music is more of a glorified hobby than a career!” FRASER A GORMAN & BIG HARVEST play Northcote Social Club this Saturday October 27 with guests The Harpoons and The Bluebottles. He also plays the sold out Meredith Music Festival, taking place from Friday December 7 - Sunday December 8, and Pony on Thursday November 22 as part of Melbourne Music Week’s Live Music Safari.

ROCK FOR RECOGNITION BY PATRICK EMERY

In the shameful history of treatment of Indigenous people since the arrival of European people in Australia, a few shining lights of symbolism stand out: the 1967 constitutional referendum, which amended the Australian Constitution to allow the Commonwealth to make laws in relation to Aboriginal people (thereby putting an end to draconian State government policies that underpinned the Stolen Generation), Paul Keating’s Redfern speech in 1992 and Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generation in early 2008. Such acts have not necessarily improved the living conditions of Indigenous Australians – health, education, social and economic statistics remain a matter of national embarrassment – yet symbolism remains significant. “It’s very important,” comments Melbourne singer-songwriter Dan Sultan. “We’ve got a long way to go, and I think there’s a big road ahead of us. These things that some people might think are just symbolic are very important to me and my family – I don’t want to speak for every Aboriginal person, but symbolism is the basics, and there’s a lot more work to be done,” Sultan says. A Gurindji man, Sultan doesn’t claim to be a political activist, but he’s acutely aware of the issues facing Indigenous people and the importance of his role in championing efforts to improve the position of Indigenous Australians. Sultan’s mother is a member of the Stolen Generation – a topic addressed in his song Roslyn – and Sultan is, de facto, a role model for young Indigenous people. In early November, Sultan will headline the Rock For Recognition shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Fremantle. Supported in each state by fellow Indigenous musician Leah Flanagan, and with special guests in each state, the aim of Rock For Recognition is to build community support for a change to the Australian Constitution to formally recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sultan says that, while ‘real’ improvement to the conditions of Indigenous people remains a critical focus, the mere recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a significant first step. “We have to start with the basics, like acknowledgement in the Constitution, and being paid the respect of an apology for the wrongs that have been committed,” Sultan says. “We’re at a point where if non-Indigenous Australia was ready to do something about it, that’d be good, but if they’re only ready to do symbolic things, then that’s nothing to turn your nose up at. It’s a good start – it’s a start, which is more than nothing.” In that context, Sultan says he was moved by Kevin Rudd’s apology 2008. “When Kevin Rudd apologised, I accepted the apology – my mother was taken away, and that decimated my family, as it did a lot of Aboriginal families,” Sultan says. “It was a form of genocide. I think the day of the apology was a beautiful day in Australian history, and I think it’s something a lot of nations around the world really admire that that happened, and it’s something to be proud of.” There is, however, a risk in events such as Rock For Recognition that the political message will be preached to the converted. How far can this type of event

“IT WAS A FORM OF GENOCIDE. I THINK THE DAY OF THE APOLOGY WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY” genuinely convert previously sceptical or agnostic members of the community? Sultan admits the risk is there, but even if only a few people come around, progress is being made. “There’s something in that, but as long as we’re out there doing what we can, then you’ll always get a few people on board who haven’t been exposed to the issues,” Sultan says. “There’s a bit of a risk of [preaching to the converted], so it’s important to get a few bands in the future whose fans who might not be too aware of what’s going on.” Despite his starring role in the upcoming shows, Sultan doesn’t see himself taking on an overtly political role – he’s a musician with an interest, not a political activist brandishing a placard. “I’m not a politician, and there’s a lot more people out there who know a lot more about this issue than I do, who’re doing a lot of work,” Sultan says. “But obviously I support what’s being proposed, but as a musician I’m just looking to put on some shows and hopefully get some people clued up. There might be a lot of people who’re sympathetic, but they might not know all the ins and outs of everything.” Sultan, a former drummer in sadly departed Melbourne band The Roys (“Drumming was always a bit of a hobby. I was never really much of a drummer, and I’m still not much of a drummer [laughs]”), says he doesn’t see himself in a formal mentoring role to young Indigenous musicians, though he’s always happy to convey the beneﬁts of his experience to up and budding musicians. “I’m happy to, though I haven’t done anything in an oﬃcial sense. I’m happy to sit down with anyone, and I have spoken to a few people,” Sultan says. “Leah Flanagan is a great musician, and we both started out around the same time, playing shows. I’m not sure I see myself in a role model sense. If someone’s a role model or mentor, then it requires other people to see them in that way, and I don’t see myself like that. But at the same time I’m not going to turn anyone away. I’ve been shown a lot of support by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous musicians. And if I can pay some of that back, that’s great.”

DAN SULTAN will headline ROCK FOR RECOGNITION at The Corner Hotel alongside Leah Flanagan and DJ Ken Eavel on Thursday November 8. DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

Beat Magazine Page 55

JIMMY CUPPLES

BY ZOË RADAS

Of all the industry bodies and associations which are set up to aid those members of a particular trade in need, never had I heard of one which supported musicians. I don’t know why the existence of such should be an amazing thing: musicians’ skills are performative, that is, if you can’t get up and do your work at the moment that it needs to be done, then it simply doesn’t get done. There’s no ‘I’m a bit crook but I’ll be in tomorrow’ sort of deal. Until recently, veteran Melbourne rock singer Jimmy Cupples also hadn’t heard of Support Act, the fantastic hardship fund for career musicians and those that support them behind the scenes, who have no other means of assistance when illness or injury affects them. It’s coincidental that Cupples is feeling slightly shady himself when we speak over the phone the night after one of his shows. “Oh my goodness, I’m a bit raspy and coughy,” he says good naturedly. “I do have a ridiculously loud voice, and I really try to look after my voice.” Cupples’ voice is certainly loud, but also totally soaring in a way that makes you immediately think of Robert Plant. But more epic, if that’s possible. Fresh off of the hit freeto-air show The Voice, 46-year-old Cupples says that the fundraiser he will be singing at to help Support Act wasn’t something he sought out to do, but when he heard about it he knew it was an important cause. “The way that this one came about was a bit different,” he explains. “When I came off doing The Voice, there were companies getting me some work, and I couldn’t believe the way they were telling me to price myself. So I spent all this time saying, ‘no, no, no’ to everybody [for various shows]. And then Steve [Iorio, of The Vagrants] contacted me on Facebook, and I liked the sound of what he was saying. I thought, ‘I’ll just do it. It’s a good thing’.” The fundraiser

is being held on Halloween at The Hi-Fi, and features a number of other acts including The Vagrants, Nat Allison and Neon & Venom. Also, it’s a costume party. “I will dress up, but I [haven’t decided] what to wear,” Cupples laughs. “My mum and dad were singers and would get me up on stage when I was a kid,” he says of his background. “I was 15 or something and I met this guy, and he loved Led Zeppelin. I come from classical training: Mum and Dad were really into getting me to sing properly. Not that they sang particularly correctly but they wanted me to be better than them. And then I turned up with this screaming music, and they didn’t like it very much.” Still, the salient connection it made with Cupples’ own style meant it wasn’t long before he was ripping venues a new one with his amazing range and technique. “I had to pay to get in to my ﬁrst gig. We turned up, I had my mic and a guitar, and they still charged me to get in. It was at the Sunshine Army Base,” he laughs. “We walked in, got up on stage and played Stairway To Heaven. The crowd went crazy, and I said, ‘Thanks very much. I can’t believe we had to pay to get in to our own gig, it’s not a good

STONEFIELD FEDERATION SQUARE TENTH BIRTHDAY BY KRISSI WEISS Sometimes mocked as one of the world’s ugliest tourist attractions but always loved for its role as a cultural and civic facilitator, Fed Square has developed a personality all of its own. A cultural precinct, a civic centre, a monstrous architectural adventure, Fed Square turns ten this year and to celebrate it will host of a diverse program of free entertainment from familyfriendly activities to gaming and a concert headlines by Melbourne’s adopted little stoner-rock sisters, Stonefield (that is not to imply they’re in any way stoned – they’re good lasses). With two EPs blitzing the ‘70s rock kids into the spotlight, it seems about time that the Findlay sisters release their debut album. With two out of the four still in school (despite their blistering talent), Stonefield are doing their best to keep up the momentum they’ve created. “We’re recording demos for our album all this week,” singer and drummer Amy Findlay says. “During the school holidays we spent that time finishing off the writing of all the songs – we’ve got about 14 or 15 – and once we’ve got these ones demoed we’ll probably keep writing up until recording time.” Their age is no barrier as far as skilled musicianship goes but there is still the logistics of ensuring the girls receive an adequate education. “It’s been really interesting because Sarah who plays keys is doing year 12 at the moment so she’s got her head full of school,” she says. “Hannah and I have tried to get the majority of songs together while the girls are at school. When they have time off we’re able

to get the rest of the songs together and [start] sounding like a band. We deﬁnitely work better when we’re all in a room jamming; it’s so much quicker to try things out and get things sounding how we want.” Bassist Holly is only 14 and given that she’s been on this wild ride since she was 12, if anyone was going to lose their head to all of this you would think it could be her, but according to Amy the girls keep each other in line and Holly is handling it all quite well. “Holly, being the youngest, she’s quite diﬀerent to the rest of us,” she says. “Things like Facebook weren’t quite as big when we were younger and I think it’s a lot easier for young people to get sucked into their social life and their social status. Being the youngest child – I think it happens in every family – parents kind of let loose a lot more and she gets away with a lot more than us three did. She’s outgoing and bold and developed her personality at a very young age but she’s a really good girl

start to a music career.’ Mind you it was only like two dollars each, but [it’s the principle].” From there, Cupples has enjoyed a long livelihood in the industry and speaks passionately about the method of evolution for a singer. “It’s like art I suppose. An artist paints a painting and has their own particular style but then it’ll change through the years. And that’s what Robert Plant did. When you hear Plant’s voice on the first [Zeppelin] album, it was really raunchy, husky and this screaming, screaming sound. Then later on [Led Zeppelin’s 1975 album] Physical Graffiti it was very clean and pure, it almost sounded like a little kid at times, it was so high and pure. Really interesting. He was one singer who I thought always changed and evolved; an exciting singer. That’s what I wanted to be. A guy who is almost ready to fall off the edge and stuff it all up. “When you [sing like Plant], you do feel like some crazy,

and the band is a big focus for her. Being in the band and travelling will probably make up for her missing the social aspect of school.” The social aspects of school that she’ll be missing will be the result of the planned distance education she’ll be embarking on next year so Stonefield can focus on what they do best. Their parents must be the coolest parents in Australia. “Mum and Dad are really supportive in whatever we do,” she says. “At this point, the band is really important and it’s important to keep going with that momentum. Holly’s quite young, so it’s really important she learns the basic skills of how to read and write properly and all of those things but we are thinking about doing distance ed for her next year. Sarah’s so close to finishing school it’s like she may as well get through with year 12 and then she’s done with it. You can‘t get that close and then drop it all. She’s actually doing it over two years so next year she’ll be finishing the last two subjects via distance ed and that way she’ll be able to focus on the band.” Organising time has done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm the band have for their debut album but like all artists, there have been times of frustration. Accusations of the band being some sort of manufactured rock act is always met with laughter by Findlay, although over time the laughter has morphed from genuine humour and into frustration. Despite their angelic look and sweeterthan-honey demeanour, the Findlays are very much in control of every part of this journey. “At the moment our label and management have been really supportive and given us lots of space – they know we don’t need any extra pressure,” she says. “They’re just staying back while we do the demos but once they’re finished I don’t know what will happen then. Obviously, they like to have a say but it’s our band, it’s our songs so we’ll have the last

crazy woman who’s just escaped from an asylum,” he laughs. Cupples recognises that his genre is one which is often judged strongly, despite the correspondingly enormous amount of effort which goes in to its execution. “Rock is the most exhausting stuff to perform, but it [can also be] the hardest to sell,” he says. “I’m lucky that I was on stage since I was a little kid. I just feel comfortable there. I’m an extremely shy person actually, but from when I [was a teenager] the only place that I wasn’t shy was on stage. It’s still this place that I need to be.” JIMMY CUPPLES performs at The Hi-Fi’s Halloween Costume Party on Wednesday October 31 as part of a fundraiser for the not-for-profit Support Act. Tickets are $20 pre-sale, or $25 on the door.

say as to what goes on the album. We learned from our last EP how important it is to stick to your guns and to go with what makes you happy. We’ve had some really low moments writing this album; I think that happens to every band. You write these songs you feel really good about and then you listen back and you think, ‘Oh god this is really crap’. Then you have these moments where everything is sounding awesome and you’re feeling really happy so yeah, it’s been an adventure so far.” STONEFIELD will play Fed Square’s Birthday Concert on Saturday October 27 from 10am – 10pm with free family activities during the day, a big screen gaming competition and live music from 3pm including Stoneﬁeld, Animaux, City Sessions and Royal Jelly Dixieland Band.

THE SNOWDROPPERS

BY ROD WHITFIELD

Jeremy from The Snowdroppers is a quirky character, but in a good-natured sort of way. He joined us recently from his home in Sydney, apparently sitting “on [his] own, drinking a cuppa tea in his ‘Reg Grundies’,” to chat about his band’s new single and multiple upcoming Melbourne appearances. “Err, yeah, it’s a song. A single,” he stumbles, laughing, when asked about the new single. “It’s called White Dress. I don’t know what else to say!” he laughs again. “Yeah, you know, it’s a...song.” It’s kind of raw and bluesy and stripped back, yeah? “Nah, I wouldn’t have described it as ‘raw and bluesy and stripped back’,” he contradicts, but again in a good-natured manner. “Well, it’s just a rock’n’roll song man, I think, at the end of the day. There’s some elements of bluesiness to it; I don’t think we’ll be able to escape that any time soon. It’s a little bit of a departure for us, it’s kind of indicative of the headspace we were in when we were writing the new album.” And apparently the new single and this attitude gives a hint as to the direction of their next album, which will be their second, on top of three other EP releases. “I think it definitely does,” he agrees emphatically. “I think it makes a statement, I think we’ve settled into our own skin on this one, you know what I mean? The first album was like any first album. I think a lot of bands record [their first] album and just throw shit at a wall and see what sticks!” Beat Magazine Page 56

he says. “You’re just playing your set that you play live, whereas this time it was just fun to record an album, in inverted commas we ‘made an album’. I think it’s a lot more ‘us’, if that makes any sense! “I guess we realised that we’re just another rock band, at the end of the day,” he continues. “We kind of turned from an ‘act’ into a ‘band’. We realised that [while] we like the blues and we like country and all that kind of stuﬀ, we weren’t a blues or a country band, we’re just a rock band. Maybe wearing a country band or a blues band’s skin, but I think this time we just went, ‘Let’s just play some music, let’s play some rock’n’roll’.” Unfortunately fans have a while to wait before the full album is released, but the band have quite a few things in store in the meantime, a video, another single and an extensive tour in support of White Dress. “We’ve got a few more months to wait [for the album], unfortunately,” he informs us. “It’s not out ‘til March next year. But we’ve got a video for White Dress coming out real soon, and then hopefully we’ll have another single before

the ‘album drops’, as they say.” And as for the tour? “We’ve been off the road for a while so we’re getting back into the swing of things now. That’s what it’s all about, that’s the reason we started. It’s just what we like doing the most. I think we’re pretty much booked up ‘til the end of the year,” he says. As part of their tour, The Snowdroppers play the Zombie Shuffle this weekend. For the uninitiated, the Zombie Shuffle is a large gathering of people who dress as the living dead and march through urban streets to raise awareness for causes such as world hunger. It happens in cities across the world, and this year, Melbourne’s event culminates in a big show at The Corner Hotel. “You know what, I don’t really know!” he laughs when asked how their upcoming appearance at Zombie

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Shuﬄe came to fruition. “We got asked to do the show and we said, ‘Yes’!” he says. “Well, it’s actually a subject that’s really close to our hearts,” he jests, “our bass player’s younger son is actually a zombie, and we wanted to do something that gave back to the zombie community, like some kind of ‘Live Aid’ thing!” he jokes. THE SNOWDROPPERS play the Melbourne Zombie Shuﬄe Aftermath on Sunday October 28 at The Corner Hotel alongside Drunk Mums, Burn In Hell, Double Black and Cherrywood. They also play Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Thursday November 22, The Espy on Friday November 23 and Ruby’s Lounge in Belgrave on Saturday November 24.

$10 door donation

Sunday, 4th November 2012 doors open 2pm

Arts & Music benefit in support of the peter mac cancer centre

Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Fa {1200 techniques} . Lotek {live} The DC3{ex TISM} . Kuya . Dan beck

Pinky Beecroft and the Wrecktangle The Vibraphonic Orkestra lamine sonko and ONE AFRICA . The Advocates The Tiger and Me . Benezra and Gareth Skinner Leopard Slugg . Ms. Butt . Mr Fish Plus Food & Drink Specials, Door Prizes Art Auction and entertainment til late full details and donation info go to www.facebook.com/cancerpaloozafestival www.theb-east.com/cancerpalooza

80 LYGON ST BRUNSWICK EAST

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Beat Magazine Page 57

JANE DUST AND THE GIANT HOOPOES

BY PATRICK EMERY

Jane Dust has no shame in admitting her affection for all things spacious and spacelike. “I like space, and I like Star Wars, Ridley Scott films,” Dust says. “And I like space with stories, and narratives with other potentials, other worlds.” The fact that space’s once romantic allure has been diluted somewhat hasn’t diminished Dust’s own affection for unexplored galactic regions. “They’ve found water on Mars, microcosms and the potential for life,” Dust says. “It’s still very expansive, and that reminds us just how small we really are – which personally I find very comforting,” Dust laughs. So when Dust decided she wanted her next record to be bound together by a narrative theme, space was the natural inspirational place to go. “I’ve also recently got into British television composer Barry Gray, who did Space 1999 and The Thunderbirds,” Dust says. “I wanted to write a theme for the album, and I wanted to have a narrative.” The result of Dust’s fertile imagination is Space Odyssey Part 1, the new album from Jane Dust And The Giant Hoopoes. Made up of three separate, but interlinked suites, Space Odyssey Part 1 tells the story of an explorer visiting the planets of Venus, Earth and Mars in search of ‘The Creature’, a particularly nasty and threatening ‘space menace’. Dust’s quest was to create a record that would entice the listener to sit down and listen to the record in a single session – an experience often ignored in these days of ephemeral entertainment events. “This is the first instalment of a double vinyl record that I’ll be putting out eventually,” Dust says. “I wanted people to sit down and listen to the record, and the next instalment will cover four more planets.” For the record Dust enlisted the same basic lineup from her

self-titled record from 2010: bass player Stu Thomas (Kim Salmon And The Surrealists, Dave Graney And The Lurid Yellow Mist, Stu Thomas Paradox), drummer Clare Moore (Moodists, Dave Graney, SALMON) and Will Hindmarsh (Go Go Sapien) on keyboards. Casey Rice (Dirty Three) provided the production touches to bring Dust’s vision to realisation. “Casey is able to take the raw ingredients and makes it sound like a finished product,” Dust says. The major addition to the previous lineup came with Louisa Trewartha on trumpet, augmented by strings and horns. “She’s a musician who really levels minds,” Dust laughs. The use of strings and horns to fill out the sound was something Dust did last time around, and was keen to pursue again. “I really enjoy writing the string and horn lines,” Dust says. “I liked the interaction between them last time around, so I wanted to do that again.” The concept of Space Odyssey: Part I was already planned out and conveyed to the members of the band before recording took place. Like concept records of yore, Dust visualised each song in sequential order, matching the tracks to the narrative

forming in her mind. “A lot of it is spontaneous,” Dust says. “I wrote every song in order in order, and I visualised the song as I was writing it. It was pretty much a case of ‘this song has to be about this’,” Dust says. Dust admits she was the controlling influence in the studio, though tempers any suggestion of dictatorial control. “Yes, yes, yes, I was a dictator!” she laughs. “Everybody has a hard time with me! Actually, I’m pretty good, most of the time.” While Thomas, Moore and Hindmarsh were able to come in and put down their tracks in standard rock’n’roll style, additional attention was required for the classical musicians. “Classical musicians need their music written out, so I’d have to do all of that, and then given them their parts to play,” Dust says. For her upcoming launch at the Northcote Social Club, Dust and the Giant Hoopoes will play Space Odyssey: Part 1 as it’s presented on the record. “It’s definitely going to be performed in the same order as the record,” Dust says. And Dust doesn’t have any qualms about having the

album tagged as a ‘concept album’ – even the comparison with Emerson, Lake and Palmer doesn’t worry her. “I like those references, even bands like Renaissance. I really like the idea of being taken on a journey,” she says. After the launch, Dust will put her mind to Part 2 of her Space Odyssey (though she’s likely to stay clear of involving Pluto, the distant planet sadly deprived of its planetary status a few years ago by the international astronomical community). And there’s always the prospect of finding a truly bombastic setting for the record, and its successors. “If the London Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra wanted to do something, that’d be great,” Dust says. “And we’re talking – their people are talking to my people,” Dust laughs.

“We try not to over think it, we just try to write good music and the through-line kind of takes care of itself. Occasionally we've brought a song in that just sounds like a different band and we'll choose not to use that one. But as a general rule we just write and the sound kind of takes care of itself.” The Tiger & Me sought out to capture their spirited live sound on The Drifter's Dawn. The band elected to record the album with renowned Australian producer Steven Shram because his past work recommended him as someone who could assist them in realising this goal. “When we looked at doing this record I drew up a list of producers and Steven was at the top of the list. The albums that he's made have got this energy and they just sound alive. The Vasco Era, The Cat Empire and Eagle & The Worm albums that he did, those three in particular.” Seizing the energy of a live show on record can be a frustratingly elusive exercise, but Shram advised the band not

to strive for perfection, nor be over-analytical of what was put down to tape, but to have faith in who they are as a live entity. “Previously I've been obsessed with getting everything perfectly in tune and perfectly in time. Shramy's approach was a bit more warts ‘n’ all. If the vibe is right, if the energy of the take is right, then we use it and we go from there. As a result, a lot of the tunes on the album are live takes, a couple of live guide vocals with the live mix and everything.” THE TIGER & ME launch The Drifter's Dawn at

from this paradoxical superposition. “It’s a fun juxtaposition. It transforms experiences for you. If you have some sad moment in your life that you need to write about, you put it behind happy music, then that experience that you had evolves into people dancing and having fun to that song.” This cadence, however, is lost within the band’s sonics, but that doesn’t bother Owen as he sees views The Brow Horn Orchestra more sonically, embracing the lighthearted sound the quintet produces. “My mum and my aunty are both really musical. My aunty lives in America now and she has a Doctorate in Jazz Vocals,” gushed Owen, then added that his aunt tutored Norah Jones during her years at university. The vocalist’s family provided a musical foundation for the artist, one that led him through many paths including movie soundtracks, which he would do outside of the band if the opportunity arose. “When I was still in high school we had a music body called WAMI – WA Music Industry. They have an annual song competition and I was 15 or 16 [at the time]; I was shortlisted in one of the categories and a few people heard the stuff I was doing back then,” he says, displaying his musical inclination from a young age. “It was very different to what it is now, but a lot of people said it sounded like

movie soundtracks and mopey, minimalistic electronica.” Despite Owen’s evolution as an artist to what it is today, the songwriter is still hesitant to release an album, still holding onto the dwindling hope of forever producing EPs. “I know you need to put out an album, but there’s a part of me that’s really scared to do that,” said Owen carefully. “It’s a very special thing to do your debut, but at the same time I’ve got to stop being precious. The industry and the people prefer albums, so we’ve just got to go ahead and do that.” The Brow Horn Orchestra, regardless, have time on their side; with a full set of dates over the summer it will be a while before quintet can settle down to record.

JANE DUST AND THE GIANT HOOPOES launch Space Odyssey Part 1 at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday October 28 at 2pm, with The Paul Kidney Experience in support.

THE TIGER & ME

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Melbourne folk-rock expeditioners, The Tiger & Me, recently wrote a song with Afghani migrant Murtaza Jafari for inclusion on The Key Of Sea Volume 2 – a compilation pairing Aussie artists with refugee musicians living in Australia. The Tiger & Me's sonic palate has never been limited but Ade Vincent, one of the band's three lead vocalists, explains that adapting to Jafari's way of working required additional versatility. “There was a slight language barrier and we just conceived music so differently, so changing things was very difficult for both of us. There was lots of compromises we made and he made. It was a pretty challenging project but we ended up with a song that he was happy with and we got there.” The song, Az Eshq Tho, evolved from an Afghan folk song that appealed to The Tiger & Me as something to expand upon. “He played us a couple of folk songs and we really liked them. We thought, ‘Let's use that as a starting point and then change it to the extent that it's original'.” The Tiger & Me are well experienced in collaborative songwriting and sharing ideas and responsibilities was central to the sextet's creative approach on their new LP, The Drifter's Dawn. “There's songs on the record that were 100 per cent written by one person and then there's songs on the record that all six of us contributed to evenly. A lot of the time there'll be more than one lead singer on a track and whoever's singing that particular bit of the song has probably written their lyrics and maybe even their melody.” One of the record's standout moments, the dynamically structured Waltz #3, is an impressive coordination of

individual members' parts. “That's definitely an example of the most collaborative end of the scale. Because we're all singing separately, we all wrote our own bit to that. The music that sits under Jane (Hendry, vocals/violin), that was all very intricately figured out by each player.” The Drifter's Dawn is the concluding chapter in a threepart exploration of insanity, preceded by the EPs The Howling Fire and The Silent City. The series has a marked conceptual agenda, focusing on mental unrest, resistance and manifest madness, however the idea to embark upon the trilogy was arrived at through serendipitous chance. “We had a bunch of songs written before we did the first EP and we put them all together and looked at what we had. We noticed that it lined up into those three categories. We thought we'd group like-with-like for the first couple of EPs; we put a bunch of manic ones on the first EP and a bunch of down ones on the second EP. Then obviously the third one's an album, so we can explore more highs and lows there.” Another aspect of the band's unforced approach is upholding relaxed creative liberty with their songwriting, rather than moving in a consciously mapped direction.

Revolt Artspace in Kensington on Saturday October 27. They also play Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Thursday November 1, The Barwon Club Hotel in Geelong on Friday November 2, The Rainbow Hotel on Saturday December 8 and The Fitzroy Pinnacle every Saturday in January. The Drifter’s Dawn is out now via Four|Four/Universal.

THE BROW HORN ORCHESTRA

BY AVRILLE BYLOK-COLLARD

A famous satirist and critic once popularised the saying, “Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music”. The critic was George Carlin, albeit deceased, his quote adequately captures Perth five-piece, The Brow Horn Orchestra, who are reigniting Australian dance floors with their vibrant, funky tunes. “For me, music shouldn’t be taken too seriously,” confessed Nicholas Owens, vocalist, keyboardist and resident songwriter of The Brow Horn Orchestra. “You should be able to have a laugh at yourself and have a good time.” It’s this notion of ebullience that pervades the quintet’s blend of grooved-based rhythms and afro beats that are drizzled with the right amount of electronica and hip hop. It makes The Brow Horn Orchestra one of those bands that are hard to ignore and difficult to dislike. Their current single Fade, from their EP Two Fires, has received medium rotation on triple j, while the band have been added to Peats Ridge Festival, Pyramid Rock Festival and Trevor Music Festival lineups later this year. On top of this hectic schedule, the Perth artists will be performing frequents sets at St Kilda’s Prince Of Wales this December. Things are really heating up for the band. “It’s really exciting for us because over the past couple of years we’ve worked really hard in our hometown Perth to build up a big following,” explained Owen, elucidating the band’s recent stops along the East Coast, including the notorious BIGSOUND earlier this year. “It’s really nice to have this as the kind of thing to look forward to, ‘cause it feels like [we’re] moving forward. It’s like a stepping stone and it makes you feel like we’re doing this for a reason.” This gratification is what enamored Owen towards the end of his degree – he studied a Bachelor Of Film And Television – causing him to reevaluate his career path. “Music has that immediate gratification,” said Owen. “You play a single note Beat Magazine Page 58

and you’re already achieving some response from yourself and other people’s as well. I guess it’s a bit more immediate, and if you’re impatient, like me, it’s probably a better career path.” Consequentially, this led to Owen’s collaboration with trombonist and synth virtuoso Karri Harper Meredith. The pair started busking together in Perth for two years before acquiring more members in 2009, eventually becoming a band of epic proportions. “We used to be a much larger sized band, at one point we were a 12 member [band],” explained Owen, giving story to the ‘Orchestra’ of the band’s name, however, this number dwindled to the five-piece it is today as the group garnered more attention. “[As] our reputation got bigger people fizzled away, or found it wasn’t for them. Through having other people leave [we’ve] come to a five-member strong band.” This rearrangement followed after The Brow Horn Orchestra’s first EP Can’t Afford This Way Of Life, altering the outfit’s layered reggae/funk tracks to the electronic collusion it is today. Two Fires consists of a backbone of Afro beats powered by rhythmic horns and layers of sporadically erratic electronica. This musical backdrop provides a platform to launch the quintet’s punchy rap lyrics provided by Owen’s affinity for didactic lyricisms. “I put a lot of effort into the lyrics. We’re a really upbeat, happy [kind of] music. The lyrics are not a focus, but I really enjoy the irony of having dark, full-on lyrics over happy music,” explained Owen, extrapolating upon the joy he gets

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THE BROW HORN ORCHESTRA play Pyramid Rock Festival alongside Gossling, Tame Impala, 360 and more at Phillip Island from Saturday December 29 – Tuesday January 1 and also head north for Peats Ridge Festival in Glenworth Valley from Saturday December 29 – Tuesday January 1. The also play Trevor: A Music Festival alongside Icehouse, Ash Grunwald and more at Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Phillip Island, on Saturday January 12, 2013. Check out whoistrevor.com. au for more information.

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Beat Magazine Page 59

CORE

CORE GIG GUIDE

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

House Vs Hurricane have emerged victorious in the race to nab the much sought after support slot for the upcoming Melbourne Alexisonfire show at Festival Hall. They’ll join the Canadians when they say goodbye to their adoring fanbase on Wednesday December 12. A couple of tickets are still available .

Californian pop-punkers The Story So Far will tour Australia for the ﬁrst time this summer with Anchors. They’re currently in the studio with New Found Glory’s Steve Klein (apparently the go-to-guy for pop punk albums now) but they’ll be at the Corner Hotel on Tuesday January 15. Trusty Chords and Bombshell will combine the talents of Austin Lucas, PJ Bond and Jamie Hay on the upcoming Young Troubours Tour. They’ll be at The Reverence on Friday January 4 before heading to Bacchus Marsh to play at the Baby Black Espresso Bar. Melbourne band Blacklevel Embassy have just dropped their new album New Veteran, and having already supported Shellac in Melbourne, they’ll now launch the album on their own at a headlining show at The Gasometer on Saturday November 10.

CRUNCH!

MxPx will return to Australia next March on the back of new album Plans Within Plans. Be warned though, it appears Mike will be the only member of MxPx to actually be arriving on our shores, with original members Tom and Yuri to be replaced with diﬀerent touring members. See them at the Corner Hotel on Labour Day Long Weekend, Sunday March 10. Earth Crisis will return to Australia early next year in support of their newie, Neutralize The Threat. They’ll play Saturday February 2 at The Corner Hotel. Tickets are available this Friday. Central Coast band After The Fall will make somewhat of a comeback this year with the release of their fourth studio album Bittersweet on Friday November 23. They’ll play a couple shows to support the independent release, including a gig at The Worker’s Club in Melbourne on Friday December 7.

Mad Caddies Promoter Collateral Manage will bring an impressive array of punk-rock gems to our shores in March next year. The ‘festival’ titled Hits and Pits will feature Mad Caddies, Good Riddance, A Wilhelm Scream, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Diesel Boy (acoustic…yep) and The Flatliners. Local bands include One Dollar Short (acoustic…..yep), Jamie Hay, Totally Unicorn and Paper Arms. This mammoth lineup will appear at The Palace on Friday March 29 (Good Friday). Get your tickets from this Friday. Poison City Records have revealed some more acts for their upcoming Christmas show on Friday December 21. Fear Like Us, Donnie Dureau (Blueline Medic) and Wil Wagner (Smith Street Band) will now join Luca Brasi, Lincoln LeFevre, Infinite Void and Hoodlum Shouts. Tickets are moving quickly so buy up at the Poison City store. Ska-Fari has announced its lineup for a string of ska shows at the end of the year. This year on Thursday December 20 you can catch The Bennies, Kujo Kings, Phat Meegz, Loonee Tunes and Kings Cup at Melbourne’s Revolver Upstairs. Presales are available at ChopDog’s big cartel page.

Wednesday October 24: Public Bar Opening Night: The Brothers Grim, The Blue Murders, The Death Rattles, Rattlin Bones Blackwood at The Public Bar Thursday October 25: The Hawaiian Islands, Skyways Are Highways, Ceres at The Evelyn Hotel For Our Hero, Summerset Avenue, We Saved The Party at Next Little Shadow, Stockades, On Siera, Foxtrot at The Bendigo Friday October 26: Coerce, Little Shadow, Milhouse, Union Paciﬁc at The Reverence City Vs Country, Them Bruins, Ghost Towns Of The Mid West at Cherry Bar Cash Savage + The Last Drinks, 100 Acre Woods, Guy Kable at The Public Bar Rogue Elephant, Disparo, Patriarchal Death machine, Hailgun, Last Measure, Extinct Exist at The Black Goat Quiet Child, Riot In Toytown, Before Days End, Get To The Chopper at The Bendigo Saturday October 27: Blkout, Negative Reinforcement, Starvation, Sumeru, Reincarnation at Gasometer Wednesday 13, Darkc3ll at The Espy Empire, Driven TO The Verge, Seconds Before Sunrise, Change Atlantic, In A Memory at Brunswick Hotel Patriarchal Death Machine, Disparo, Counterattack, Degenerates, Aids at The Rev Kisstroyer, Lord, Electrik Dynamite, Hybrid Nightmares at Bang Sunday October 28: Blkout, Negative Reinforcement, Starvation, Sumeru, Right Mind, Free World at Collingwood Masonic Center Aversions Crown, Thorns, Brooklyn, Kontact, Hard Reign, Atticus Told Me at Phoenix Youth Center Maricopa Wells, Initials, Secondhand Squad, Tim Hampshire, Nathan Seeckts at The Reverence

METAL, HEAVY ROCK, CLASSIC ROCK

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

JOE SATRIANI CLINIC TOUR

The one and only Joe Satriani is coming to Australia for a masterclass tour in April 2013 – the first time he’s done an extensive tour of this nature here. Joe will be talking technique and theory as well as sharing anecdotes about how various musical situations require different approaches to guitar. There’ll also be a meet-and-greet, and a contest where a few lucky players will get the chance to jam with Satch. The Melbourne date is Saturday April 13, 12pm to 3pm, at the George Wood Performing Arts Centre, Yarra Valley Grammar, Kalinda Road, Ringwood. Tickets are $80 per person, and there will be a range of giveaways on the night including pedals, strings and instruments. Joe will answer questions in each state, which must be emailed to organisers Thump Music at questions@thumpmusic.com.au to keep things flowing on the night. More info at bookings.thumpmusic.com.au

KORPIKLAANI GO BILINGUAL

Korpiklaani’s latest folk/pagan metal epic Manala is out now, complete with a bonus CD containing the album in English in addition to the regular Finnish version.

4ARM HEADLINE BRUTAL MOVEMBER PARAMORE HEADLINER ANNOUNCED

Paramore have announced their only Australian headline show while they’re out here for Soundwave. It’s in Sydney, so if you’re a Paramore die-hard you know what that means: ROAD TRIP! The show is at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday February 21. Tickets are on sale Friday October 26 at 9am.

The mighty 4ARM will headline Melbourne’s Brutal Movember festival in November at Ruby’s Lounge on Saturday November 17. 4ARM will be joined by Hands Of Hope, Am Farrows, Nosferatu’s Rest, The Grace Of Graves, Driven To The Verge, Able Tasman, A Sleepless Winter and The Empire.

GRUNTBUCKET SCORES EG AWARD NOMINATION

Congratulations to Gruntbucket, who have been nominated for an EG Award for Best Album 2012 for their release Songs From An Empty Room. The Age newspaper holds The EG awards annually, singling out the best in Victorian music as voted by the public. To win the band needs as many votes from the public as possible, so go to egawards.questionpro.com and in the Best Album category, vote for Gruntbucket - Songs From An Empty Room.

GIG ALERT: AFTER THE FALL

NSW Central Coast’s After The Fall are at The Workers Club on Friday December 7 in support of their hard-won fourth album Bittersweet. Mostly recorded in houses that guitarist Mark Warner was house-sitting (booya, free electricity!), at their own pace, the band says “an image of four blokes recording long hours, sweating in our in their undies isn’t too far from reality.”

GIG ALERT: THE BENDIGO Short and to the point: Quiet Child/Riot In Toytown/Before Days End/Get To The Chopper, Friday October 26, 8pm. Intense Hammer Rage[Tas]/Whoretopsy/Beligerent Intent/ Iconic Vivisect, Saturday October 27.

AUSSIE METAL DOCUMENTARY IN DEVELOPMENT

Animus Industries is producing Metal Down Under, a feature length documentary about the history of metal music in Australia. The film will trace the origins of metal in Australia and explore this ever-evolving genre of extreme music, including grind-core, thrash, death metal, black metal, hardcore, doom, melodic metal, sludge, power metal and various sub genres. The film will be accompanied by an interactive website that will document the production of the film as well as profile and publicise many of the bands and identities involved. Released in conjunction with the documentary DVD will be a bonus DVD of music videos, interviews and extended material as well as a compilation CD. Want to help? Animus has launched a Pozible campaign to assist in funding the film. Go to pozible.com/metal for more info including incentives including DVDs, CDs, shirts, gift packs, music vouchers and more. Beat Magazine Page 60

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BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME SELLS OUT Did you drag your feet in buying a ticket for Between The Buried And Me and Animals As Leaders? Well you probably feel like a bit of a dick right about now. The show at The Corner Hotel on Friday November 16 has sold out, more than four weeks in advance. Your closest shows are either Fowler’s in Adelaide on Wednesday November 14 or The Metro in Sydney on Saturday November 17. Between The Buried And Me’s Parallax II: Future Sequence is out now.

THE PRAGUE CLOSES ITS DOORS

This is from The Prague’s Facebook: “It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, that we have to make the following announcement. As of today, Monday the 22nd of October, we have been left with no other option but to close our doors, and regrettably cancel all bookings and events from this point onwards. We were faced with a difficult economic climate, and did all we could to stay open for as long as possible. Sadly, our plan to see out the year didn’t work out, and those that know us, know just how hard we worked to try and achieve this, as well as the hard work offered to us by the various crew and techs making these last six months an enjoyable, however difficult, experience. We are very sorry for any and all inconvenience this is sure to cause, and will do our best to help out in any way possible. To all of you who supported us, drank with us, and worked with us, we appreciate you all whole heartedly, and thank you for the good times we were able to share, but for now, it is good bye.”

WEDNESDAY 13 BY ADAM ROBERTSHAW

There’s no denying the fact that the respective worlds of horror movies and heavy metal music have so much in common with each other. At their core, both graphically reflect the darker side of humanity. The films and songs are written to shock and scare you. Both can be explicitly gory and even slightly camp. One thing for sure is that they’re both bloody entertaining. Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13, is a man who has made quite a fruitful career out of combining the disciplines of horror movies and heavy metal. He formed his ﬁrst band Maniac Spider Trash in 1992 and since then he has released album after album of songs about zombies, vampires, werewolves and various other ghastly ghouls under various guises (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13, Murderdolls, and his own solo moniker to name a few). “For me the whole thing started from watching TV and movies as a kid,” Wednesday 13 explains. “I loved the theme songs. I loved things like Rocky and Rambo and I loved like the action themes but as I got older I started watching movies and I’d be like, ‘Oh it would be really cool if Ramones had done a song here or if Mötley Crüe did a song about Nightmare On Elm Street.’ “I started seeing a couple of bands that would do that and I just went, ‘Alright, we’ll just do a whole band that does nothing but songs that sounded like they’d be in movies.’ It something I started in my teens and carried on till now. It’s kinda always made sense in my brain as I always had that diet between rock’n’roll and Dracula.” This aesthetic approach along with his superhuman work ethic has seen him gather a dedicated fan base around the globe, and his Australian fans have

the lucky treat of being able to see him put on his own horror show as he returns for the second time this year. “Yeah I’m excited!” he explains in his American drawl. “We played Soundwave earlier this year and it’s really cool to be able to come back for the second time in a year and do our own headline shows.” Last time we were there we had to do a 45 minute set for Soundwave so it will be a really cool return in which we can do our full hour and a half set.” He and his crew will be over in the end of October in support of their latest EP Spook And Destroy, with Australian shock rockers Dark Cell in tow. Although by the sounds of it, the release is just a kind of warm up for a full length record which we can expect in 2013, and basically an excuse to get out on the road, to the point where he has come to refer to Spook And Destroy as “The Tour EP”. “This EP is just to tide people over till the end of the year, to whet their appetite. If you look at my history of releases, I’ve pretty much put out a full-length record once a year since 1996. It was coming to the end of this year and I knew I wasn’t gonna put a full length out, I didn’t wanna put it out by the end of the year and I wanted to save it for 2013. I didn’t want 2012 to go by

without any recorded output so it made sense for this tour to have an EP out.” Spook And Destroy is a collection of re-recorded live favourites plus a couple of brand new songs which he says are much heavier than anything he’s recorded before and give an indication of where he will be going with the new record. “We really kinda took on more of an early ‘80s John Carpenter kind of vibe in the intro and some of the sounds and things like that. The whole album is pretty much like a horror movie itself.” While he is certainly excited for his upcoming EP and supporting tour at the end of 2013, it certainly seems that he has big plans for 2013, as not only is he releasing a full length album which he refers to as his “horror master piece”, he will also be starting work on his ﬁrst horror movie. “I’m looking at 2013 as my year that people are either gonna know who I am and be happy with it or they’ll know who I am and be like, ‘Oh I wish that guy would

go away’. I’m making myself heard.” It seems like the obvious move for someone so obsessed with horror culture, and it’s actually surprising it’s taken until now for Wednesday 13 to get involved with a movie. “I guess in the last few years with Rob Zombie putting out ﬁlms it’s deﬁnitely opened the doors for someone like me to be able to do something and get it out there,” Wednesday explains. “It’s something I’ve been asked for years and I’ve been like, ‘Well maybe one day I’ll do it’ and now I’m really focused on the idea of doing it. I wanna make a Wednesday 13 movie in the fashion of how people think I would make one. It’ll be funny, and violent. It’ll be perfect.”

and [so on]. We saw Unwritten Law another time. This is back when moshing was allowed. It’s just a great venue. Since then I’ve seen so many acts. I saw Mutemath a few months ago,” he says and we have a shared spouting of admiration for the New Orleans rockers. “In my opinion, Mutemath’s Odd Soul is the best album of 2011, hands down. So eclectic, those guys. They put in 100 per cent, you’ve got to respect that.” While discussing The Corner it occurs to me that there is a bar very close to the venue on Swan Street, named Holliava. “Yeah,” Soltys laughs. “One night I caught a train from the Caulﬁeld Cup and I was going to meet my brother at The Corner Hotel, [he] was seeing Gyroscope. And I thought, ‘I’m just going to wing it, I’m going to go to Richmond and buy a ticket’.” Unfortunately the gig was sold-out and the villainous doormen wouldn’t let young Soltys in. “So I said, ‘Alright, I’m going to go and kill time at Holliava down the road’. So I kind of sat there in my suit, in a booth, drinking pint after pint. And I felt the need to

write a bunch of lyrics, or kind of document what I was seeing at the time. I used those exact lyrics for a song called Holliava.” After this the group decided to lift their collective title from the song, and the band was born. Soltys thought it might be strange for listeners, knowing that the band comes from Melbourne, to understand that the bar does have a place in their story. But eventually he came to terms with it, just by looking around and taking notes from the big guns. “Greenday got their name from a pub in their hometown,” laughs Soltys, “so that’s me justifying it.”

WEDNESDAY 13 plays The Espy on Saturday October 27. Spook And Destroy is out now .

HOLLIAVA BY ZOË RADAS

Most bands speak about their record producer’s skills with a very respectful veneration. But for Mike Soltys, vocalist and guitarist in Melbourne melodic-rock outfit Holliava, producer Matt D’Arcy was interested in the band’s evolution and success more so than your average sound man and became a fast friend. “Matt did say to us, ‘I really like working with you guys’ and sure, he probably says that to all of his clients,” Soltys laughs. “But we get along really well and we always have and we always will.” D’Arcy’s involvement extended to advice on how to manage things outside of the studio, and Soltys’ affectionate admiration flows easily. “We prepped really hard. Matt said, ‘You guys are here, but you could be here. Do your practise, do your rehearsals, get all the right gear, and let’s make something special.’ He was definitely proactive in the way we went about it; he came to our rehearsals. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done. We’re rapt with it.” Soltys is speaking about the four-piece’s second release entitled Antihero, which follows their 2010 debut Stay Where We Lay. The first record did well, but didn’t make as large an impact as the boys would have liked. “It didn’t really launch us,” Soltys explains. “There was always this kind of underlying disappointment, which we never really speak of, but I know we were all disheartened by it. It was this massive 12 track album and we did three weeks of work. But it’s the best way to get your confidence up.” The decision to get together and record again came nimbly. “A few months after doing [recently released single] Circles I was just lying in bed and was feeling really impulsive, and we had all these songs piling up. So I texted all the guys and said, ‘Let’s do a four track EP.’ It wasn’t really a question or a request,” he laughs.

“It’s 2012 in the music industry: you’ve got to keep rolling, you can’t [become] stagnant for two seconds or else you’re going to get left behind I think.” Circles came about when D’Arcy contacted the band after Stay Where We Lay was released. “All this time later we went and did Circles with Matt because he was kind enough to ask us back. He said, ‘Guys, come and do a session free of charge, I’m getting some really good sounds and he wanted to [share them] with us.” The track will not be on Antihero, as it was a discrete undertaking. “It was almost like a precursor to the EP,” says Soltys thoughtfully. “We’re going to release it soon, we’re leaning towards a free download. We didn’t put it on the EP because they were two diﬀerent sessions. They both sounded great, but [Circles] just didn’t ﬁt on the Antihero sessions. But we like it as its own little thing.” The band are kind of jazzed to launch the album at The Corner, as the venue has been something of a backdrop for their formative years investigating the music landscape. “This is such a big deal,” Soltys says warmly. “When I was 16, me and [bassist] Scott used to go with a bunch of mates. We saw a big lineup one day there at an underage gig, like One Dollar Short

HOLLIAVA launch their second record, Antihero, at The Corner Hotel in Richmond on Saturday October 27. The lineup also features SkyLion, Sounds Of Sirius, The Elliotts and Strathmore. Tickets are $10+bf from cornerhotel.com, or can be purchased on the door for $15.

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BAD ANIMAL The four lads of Bad Animal have rediscovered what brought them together one significant and crepuscular tide in 2005, and have begun a reincarnation of style and dedication this year. Join Jackson, Tyler, Alfi and Jacob for the launch of new single Over Again. Incorporating diving melodies, bold lead breaks, thumping tom-heavy drums and a relentlessly rolling bass riff, Over Again is concurrently fiery-raw and totally smooth, and demonstrates both the individual skill and undeniable unity of these four young musicians. The band will launch their single at The Grace Darling Hotel on Thursday November 8, supported by Hounds Hounds Hounds and The Pretty Littles. Tickets are $8 on the door.

ALL HALLOWS EVE THORNBURY THEATRE

THE

All Hallows Eve – a magical and macabre mesh of party mayhem and dancing goodness not to be missed! Join The Woohoo Revue, The Black Jesus Experience, LoTek, Ghost Orkid, Kill Ya Darlins, El Moth, Porcelain Punch, Lil Kim’s Rocket Express, The Bad Brigade, Mortisville and more in your ﬁnest costume at one of Melbourne’s ﬁnest venues. Celebrate our city’s diversity in sumptuous surrounds and be entertained by a party showcase of soaring heights, Vaudevillian madness and undeniable, infectious musical masters. Held on Saturday October 27, tickets are $26.80 and can be purchased through Oztix.

THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY

SLEEPY DREAMERS

First The Ramshackle Army buggered oﬀ overseas to support Dropkick Murphys, then it was CherryRock12, numerous jaunts to Sydney, Punkfest and Drunken Moon in Brisbane, and – horrors! – shows on the south side. “Really,” you probably wonder to yourself, “I can’t believe this band haven’t played The Old Bar yet, since they are always drunk and incoherent there.” Incomprehensible. They know. Luckily, the legends at The Old Bar are letting The Ramshackle Army, Handsome Young Strangers, Sons Of Lee Marvin and Jimmy ‘Wonderful Life’ Stewart onstage this Friday October 26. $10, doors at 8.30pm.

EXILE IN YARRAVILLE Cherry Rock P/L and James Young are proud to announce the launch of a new and exciting 600-capacity live music venue in Melbourne’s West at the historic Yarraville Club, 135 Stephen Street, Yarraville. To help break in the Yarraville Club’s new dance floor, the venue will be holding a night dedicated to the Rolling Stones, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Rolling Stones famous album Exile On Main Street. Playing this giant party and being some of the first bands to play the Yarraville Club stage will be The Exile band, featuring Jack Howard (Hunters & Collectors), Ben Marsland, Carl Treasure, Bruce Haymes (Renee Geyer), Ryan Brown, Ben Curnow and Simon Aarons with vocalists The Wolfgramm Sisters, Ash Naylor (Even, Paul Kelly), Spencer P Jones, Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane), Matt Sonic, Pat Carmody (My Dynamite), and Nick Barker, all taking turns to perform their little piece of the album. Be amongst the first to party to some Rolling Stones tunes at The Yarraville Club on Saturday November 3. Tickets are $25 (or $45 if you’re after a dinner and show) and are available through the Cherry Rock website.

Join Sleepy Dreamers and their friends for a lovely afternoon full of folky tunes and fun. Enjoy the amazing voice of Dani Leever and her guitar when she opens the afternoon with her brilliant vocal style, followed by the unmistakable and vividly-written songs of Sean M. Watson. Watson has come out of his musical hibernation of the past few months to remind fellow musicians and audiences he still well and truly commands the attention of any listening ear he can ﬁnd. After, let the melodious guitars and vocals of upand-coming band The Peeks play their mellow tunes and relax you with their sweet vocals and unique style. Finally, Sleepy Dreamers will impart their four part harmonies, unrivalled drum sound and energetic stage presence as an afternoon of brilliant music and entertainment comes to a close. You’d be silly not to come down to The Evelyn on Sunday October 28, especially as tickets are only $6+bf.

JANE DUST AND THE GIANT HOOPOES Melbourne symphonic popsters Jane Dust And The Giant Hoopoes proudly launch into the galaxy Space Odyssey: Part I on Sunday October 28 at 2pm at the Northcote Social Club supported by The Paul Kidney Experience. Accompanied by a soaring string quartet and howling horns, JD and the GHs will take you on a ride to the deepest, darkest most dastardly part of the galaxy. A show not to be missed unless you’re an astronaut in which case you’ve already seen the whole thing and you’d rather high tail it down a black hole.

PHILLIP MICHAEL VASILIADES AND SUBURBAN COCOON Singer/songwriter Phillip Michael Vasiliades cuts loose his creative juices on this new album Crashed Dreamed Boomed. With his band Suburban Cocoon they explore classic rock, blues, electro funk and jazz. Suburban Cocoon provide Phillip, a long established Melbourne performer, with a dream canvas to create, explore and galvanise his latest original piece of work. This release of rocking, melodic original songs follows up his 2009 album Cat O’Lane. Catch Phillip as he launches his new album at the Retreat this Thursday October 25, with help from Bolte’s Blunder. Music starts at 9pm, free entry.

STONEY JOE On their ﬁrst trip to Melbourne, Western Australia’s Stoney Joe bring their unique take on all things folk and country. Fingerpicking guitars, ukulele and mandolin sit unexpectedly well with sub-bass textures, beat loops and a vintage SH-101 synthesizer in their foot stompin’, wobble boardin’, spoon slappin’ stage show. A Stoney Joe performance is a wild and at times cinematic journey through their extensive repertoire. Catch Stoney Joe playing The Retreat front bar this Saturday October 27 at 4pm. Free entry.

WILD TURKEY These mean looking daddios from Melbourne play a hot mixture of surf, Ausrock and rockabilly. Wild Turkey is a three-piece Melbourne band that is the true embodiment of original rock’n’roll. What can you say about a band that drives a hearse for a tour bus? They rock the dead. The album titled Love That Kills says it all. This isn’t about sweet and gushy love, it’s an insatiable burning desire that moves the bones. Tequila-drenched and inspired lyrics, a thumping rhythm, rockabilly twangin’ guitar, and bumpin’ double bass takes you back to the roots of rock’n’roll. So fry up the chicken, slam some shots down, it’s hodown time. Catch Wild Turkey as they tear up The Retreat on Saturday October 27 at 10pm, followed by Doubleback. Open ‘til 3am, free entry.

THE FLOORS In a world where music is an intangible thing we can listen to and move on from in the click of a mouse, The Floors are more akin to thumbing through dusty LPs on the shelves of an old record store; a tactile and visceral experience that, if not entirely traditional, keeps alive some of the more magical aspects of music. Brothers Luke and Ryan Dux – troubadours not only with The Floors but also Kill Devil Hills, Timothy Nelson And The Inﬁdels and Will Stoker And The Embers – took home West Australian Music Industry Awards for Best Guitarist and Best Bassist respectively, in both 2009 and 2010. Sincere and eﬀectively simple; The Floors’ raw and primitive live sound summons a similarly raw and primitive reaction... people dance. They sing along. Catch The Floors as they bring their brand new album to Melbourne and play The Retreat this Sunday October 28 at 8.30pm.

Q&A COOPER STREET

Define your genre in five words or less: Alternative pop/rock. Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? Well, we have heard a few things but I guess the cliché answer would be that people really need to head out to a show and decide for themselves: everyone has a diﬀerent interpretation.

Beat Magazine Page 62

What part of making music excites you the most? Recording and watching your hard work come to life is always amazing but playing live wins for sure. We all really look forward to playing regular shows and meeting other bands, it’s just a great vibe and everyone is supportive so that makes for a good time. Do you have a pre-gig ritual? If so, what is it? Mad Mex and sing-alongs in the van on the way!

How long have you been gigging and writing? Pretty much one year this month actually. It hasn’t been very long I guess, but we have been having a great time and have played some cool venues, we’re ready to step it up through summer and have some fun!

If your music was a chocolate bar, which one would it be, and why? Marvellous Creations’ pop rocks because it is a mix of everything. It’s not what you expect from your typical chocolate bar and you’re not sure when you go to try it but the pop rocks are an exciting experience!

When are you playing live/releasing your album/EP/ single/etc? Our EP launch is next Friday November 2 at The Evelyn. We have planned quite the party with a few extra touches so it should have a bit more character than just a regular show. We like to celebrate big so we’re pretty excited.

If you could go on tour with any musician or band, who would it be? A whole heap of bands, too many to choose. A festival would be awesome, there would be so much to learn and they look like fun.

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BRIDGEWATER

CHERRYWOOD

With roots in Melbourne, Philip Island, Tasmania and New Zealand, and a combined love of the ocean, Bridgewater brings together an interesting group of musicians with a setlist to match. The band calls upon the inﬂuence of bands like The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and The Black Crowes, which ensures that those who like a bit of rock guitar complemented with female backing vocals will surely be happy. Catch them at The Retreat this Friday October 26 supported by White Summer. 10pm. Free entry.

After destroying The Old Bar for their single launch last month, Cherrywood have decided to do it all again every Sunday in October. Your head’s going to hurt and your boss is going to be pissed off, but it’ll definitely be worth it because this month’s Sundays are gonna be bitchin’. Cherrywood’s music features tales of lightning strikes, broken hearts, bar stools and prisons; all brought to life through an array of old timey acoustic instruments and a bunch of rowdy vocals. They’re supported by some of the finest local and interstate bands from every genre. There’s a BBQ (including veggie options), DJs and a helluva lot of booze. Don’t miss out on these, you won’t have anything to talk about at work on Tuesday.

BLACK RIVER REBELLION Black River Rebellion is the brain child of Elizabeth Black, a Canadian born musician and song-writer currently based in Sydney. Bassist Scott Piper was brought into the mix during studio sessions to record the upcoming debut EP Join The Rebellion, and has since become an instrumental and irreplaceable member of the band. Catch Black River Rebellion at The Retreat Hotel, this Sunday October 28 at 7pm.

COOPER STREET All the years of singing into a hairbrush and playing air guitar have finally started to pay off for Melbourne band Cooper Street. Fast becoming known for their energetic live shows and tastefully heavy blend of pop-rock, they’ve now just starred in their first video clip. With their debut EP launch at the Evelyn on Friday November 2, the band stepped in front of the cameras with director Pete Seamons of EPIK films (Simple Plan, New Empire) to shoot a music video for their first single Wasted Patience. With more twists than a Christopher Nolan film, the hospital-themed clip is sure to intrigue and excite. The band hopes it will be successful enough for someone to one day make a cat parody.

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA NIGHT The B.East hosts a spookier and more beastly edition of its weekly Rock Pop Music Trivia night this Halloween Eve, Tuesday October 30. Presented by the terrifying Jess McGuire (Triple R) and notoriously horrid George H, The B.East will be oﬀering ghoulish burger and pot specials with free scary face painting. Come dressed up in your most ghastly prosthetics for prizes, and bring your best Thriller dance moves to accompany DJ Jack ‘Spooky’ Burton. The undead eat for free.

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GARETH EUNSON & THE BIG SMALL The Big Small is a three-piece roots band combining guitars, drums, banjo, bass, percussion, harp and three-part harmonies. Their style of music ranges from story based folk songs to pulsating African blues instrumentals to ‘60s psychedelic pastiche, and everything in between. With an ever changing of roster of guests musicians, dancers and theatrical stage sets, each performance of the Big Small is unique and not to be missed. Catch Gareth and his Big Small when they play The Retreat front bar on Tuesday October 30. Free entry.

THE GRAND RAPIDS Psych-rockers The Grand Rapids have been blending ‘60s melodies with monstrous fuzz guitars for over ﬁve years now. Their debut recording out of the infamous Sing Sing studios is mixed and mastered, and the Blow Up 7” single will be the ﬁrst release, launched on Saturday October 27 at Yah Yah’s in Collingwood. Support on the night will come from the haunting atmospherics of Fire Behaving As Air, the bliss tinged melancholia of Lunaire, and the psychfolk spirit music of Trappist Afterland Band. Starting at 9pm, limited copies of the Blow Up 7” will be available for $10 on the night, with CD single included. Free entry, and late tunes by Richie 1250.

ALYSIA MANCEAU Alysia Manceau, The Ten In One, Hoy and Cold Hands Warm Heart join forces for a night of strange, beautiful and mysterious folk music, set to original ﬁlm projections. If this sounds like your cup o’ tea, them skip on down to the Grace Darling Hotel this Friday October 26. Doors are at 8pm.

MARY OF THE MOON On their ﬁrst foray into the Melbourne music scene – supporting King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard in 2011 – Mary of the Moon left behind them a trail of destruction. Now, the psychedelic-western-stoner-rock outﬁt are back. This time it’s in honour of a mission. A mission to console broken hearts, mend egos and penetrate the loins of the Aussie music scene just a little deeper with their debut studio release. Recorded at Melbourne’s Birdland studios, their double a-side is primed with tunes to get you wet, with the downpour happening at Melbourne’s Ding Dong Lounge on Friday October 26 with supports from Guests Of Ghosts and The Quivers.

ANDREW MORRIS

THE CUDGELS

Inspired by Tom Hodgkinson’s counter-consumer culture manifesto How To Be Free, Morris summoned as many of the members of The Gin Club as he could muster and put on the beers at his newly-set up Northern Rivers home studio. The Situationist is what ensued, a collection of warm and spontaneous gems. Reﬂecting his current solo shows, The Situationist includes live favourites such as Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, Gillian Welch’s Look At Miss Ohio and Tim Rogers’ (You Am I) Heavy Heart. It is completed by an acoustic reworking of Lover from Morris Needs & Wants album and a handful of new originals, including The Uplift, featuring some of Banjo Patterson’s writing set to music. Known for his work with The Wilson Pickers and Bernard Fanning, Morris will release The Situationist on his own new label, Soul Arch Recordings, and he also has a few other exciting upcoming releases in the works too. He launches it at The Grace Darling Hotel, Saturday October 27, 9pm, $12 entry. That simple.

The Cudgels are hitting the Great Britain Hotel for an evening of ﬁlthy frivolity and swampy sing-along. Fronted by the infectious Billy Abbot, these rambling men are a breath of fresh air – never taking things seriously and being exceptional musicians. With a lineup of double bass, guitar, violin, accordion and clarinet, these gents are sure to get asses shaking. Catch them on Sunday October 28 at a respectable 7pm and don’t pay a dime.

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PLAGUE DOCTOR Plague Doctor are back and they have some brand new material. Joined by their country rock friends Dead River Deeps and garage soul group Children Overboard, Plague Doctor will be killing a tyrannosaurus onstage on Friday October 26 at Yah Yah’s. They promise! Come and down and get messy, Free entry, bands begin at 9pm, and there’ll be late tunes from Fanta Pants.

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CAM EWART Having lent his voice to Dave Larkin and The Gem Hotel’s Townes Van Zandt tribute night, Cam Ewart rounds up his Ghost Towns of the Midwest mates to share some original tunes at Cherry Bar this Friday October 26. Opening for City vs Country’s EP launch, the night kicks oﬀ at 8pm.

HAMFEST THE TIGER & ME Melbourne sextet The Tiger & Me launch their second album The Drifter’s Dawn this Friday October 26 at Revolt in Kensington. In 2012 they signed to ABC Music’s imprint label Four|Four, before collaborating with ARIA-nominated producer Steven Schram (Little Birdy, The Cat Empire, Little Red) to create their second fulllength album, The Drifter’s Dawn.

AGENCY DUB COLLECTIVE Agency Dub Collective are on the cusp of releasing their seventh album, Beggars’ Belief, next month. They are hosting a warm-up show this weekend so bring your dancing shoes for a night of heavyweight dub, one-drop reggae, dancehall and steppers, and pick up an Inch Nor Mile EP or a vinyl at the show. Agency Dub Collective are joined by special interstate guests Sub Detonator, Australia’s freshest instrumental dub/steppers trio. Sub Detonator play classic modern dub featuring mind-boggling bass-heavy riddims, strange and humorous samples, sonic explorations and also use weird stage props like talking puppets. They somehow manage to sound ridiculously heavy and overwhelmingly spacious all at the same time. A very special night of dub and roots music with two extraordinary live bands, and entry is free. Saturday October 27 at, Bar Open in Fitzroy, 9pm.

Friday October 26 sees Hamfest 2012 hit up Footscray’s Reverence Hotel. This year’s Halloween party extravaganza is headlined by the mighty post rock band Coerce. Joining them will be Brisbane’s Little Shadow, Sydney power-pop sensation Milhouse and local punks The Union Paciﬁc. All this for only $10. Get your costumes ready!

ZOUNDS Following on from a gig with his bandmates the evening before, Dave from nerdy Sydney pop group Milhouse will be participating in a free acoustic beer garden show on Saturday October 27, at the Reverence Hotel in Footscray. Also featuring the sounds of Jess Locke and Alexander Thom, the grooves will begin at 3pm.

PATRIARCHAL DEATH MACHINE AND DISPARO Adelaide’s Patriarchal Death Machine and Sydney wrecking crew Disparo are teaming up after almost a year since they played Sydney together. Come witness this punk/hardcore bromance, get loose and fuck shit up for what will be one for the books. Supports come from Counterattack, Degenerates and Aids. All at the Reverence Hotel this Saturday October 27, tickets are $10 and doors are at 8pm.

MARICOPA WELLS

URNS

This Sunday October 28 the Reverence Hotel has yet another amazing lineup for free. Maricopa Wells, Initials, Secondhand Squad, Tim Hampshire and Nathan Seeckts are going to rock the Footscray venue so come down for a few lazy beers and a pizza, from 3pm until 6pm.

Doomy and gloomy sad sack hardcore-punk from URNS. Frenetic/hectic vox/guitar/bang thrash/ punk from Internal Rot. Internal bleeding from Shit Weather. Who said punk rock wasn’t fun? This Saturday October 27 at the Gasometer upstairs.

SINKING TEETH Have your Wednesday’s been weighing you down? Do you feel like you’re drowning in a vast ocean of mid-week blues? Then paddle your sinking ship over to teeth island (aka The Old Bar) tonight and be handed a shrimp cocktail of fuzzy bad-arse party tunes to wash your sorrows away. It’s been a pretty eventful year so far for Sinking Teeth. They have moved in together, written a bunch of songs, recorded an EP, written another EP, shelved their ﬁrst EP, been evicted, moved in together again, been robbed and played some shows. And now they have a residency at The Old Bar every Wednesday in October. Their good friends Aitches and The Union Paciﬁc will be helping them celebrate tonight. Bring your party hat, Leave your emotional baggage on the boat. Wednesdays at The Old Bar, 8.30pm, $6.

CATHERINE TRAICOS Catherine Traicos returns to Melbourne this Sunday to launch her latest LP with an intimate matinee show at the Workers Club. Based around an old book of her own poetry which Catherine stumbled upon, In Another Life is an album that deals with the past, present and possible future and delves into what was, is, and could have been. Produced by Nick Huggins (Whitley, Kid Sam), In Another Life sees Catherine return to solo mode to deliver a complete, organic and truly personal album – an album of subtlety and depth that grows on you with every listen. With special guests Anna Smyrk & The Appetites and the Tracy McNeil Band. The Workers Club, Sunday October 28. Doors 1.30pm, tickets $10.

WOMEN ON WAVES Deb and Anita join forces once again to bring you Melbourne’s newest sophisticated club for women (and their male guests) commencing with a premiere night on Friday November 2. Bask in the sumptuous surroundings of the Thornbury Theatre’s Velvet Room from 7.30pm and treat yourself to a night of great music, mixed by local DJs and fabulous entertainment provided by Julia Rose and Sam Lohs. Tickets are a snap at $10 through rudebookings. com.

ZOOPHYTE It’s been a stellar year for Melbourne band Zoophyte, as they blazed back into the spotlight with the March release of hugely successful single Let You Go. With its soaring vocals, catchy melody and uplifting guitar dynamics, the track saw the band emerge as media darlings, and garnered them huge support from fans. To celebrate the release of album Somewhere Elsewhere and second single Early Mourning, Zoophyte have announced a massive hometown launch show at Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday December 8. Further details to be announced soon.

AN EVENING BOWDITCH

WITH

CLARE

Clare Bowditch is a musician, writer, coach, social commentator and sometimes actor who stars as Rosanna on Channel 10’s Offspring. Clare has just released her fifth studio album, The Winter I Chose Happiness. Join Clare Bowditch as she discusses her work. This will be a memorable evening with a significant Australian musician and personality, taking place at The International Of Brighton on Wednesday November 14, $35 per head or $30 for concession. Booking details at bayside.vic.gov.au/artistseries.

LITTLE SHADOW Five fellas have been having a bit of fun, taking some time to relax and writing some good songs for ya’ll. The six tracks on Queensland’s Little Shadows debut release, Possessions, evoke memories of later Hopesfall, Cursive, and at their more discordant and punishing, a more melodic Nation Blue. All of this is coupled with vocalist Cam Gillard’s stories being told with a balance of layered analogies, and brutal honesty, whilst delivered in a more angelic and balanced tone than his previous work. It’s a ﬁne moment for a relatively fresh band when they can set the benchmark for their peers in such a seemingly eﬀortless manner. Thursday October 25 at The Bendigo.

HOUNDSTEETH Go get a dose of indie-rock on your Sunday night at The Bendigo. Houndsteeth have just returned from the recording studio and are polishing off their debut EP, due for release early next year. With influences ranging from early Smashing Pumpkins to City And Colour, Houndsteeth weave together classic acoustic and electric guitar work, earnest lyrics and passionate dynamic to create their unique sound. They will be releasing their debut single, Apparently I Do, later this year. Joined this Sunday October 28 by local bands Elliot Friend and Steph Hill & The Missing Fundamental, you’ll be set to have your socks rocked – or at least gently pried off – by their sweet tunes.

LOBSTER’S ROCK KARAOKE Lobster’s Rock Karaoke at The Gasometer is the new midweek joint to drink, dance and belt out your favourite rock, pop, indie and punk hits. Singing rock karaoke makes you feel like the lead singer in an awesome band, but without the need to have any actual talent. Or maybe you’ll discover a talent for impersonating Jarvis Cocker, that’d be cool too. It’s every Wednesday from here on in and there’s $4 cans of beer, $4 wines and $4 vodka shots. Free entry.

THE NUGS The Nugs haven’t been to Melbourne since they ﬁrst started, like, forever ago. So they are cruisin’ back down with the bubble one word gum prince himself, Bacon Cakes. So cruise out and party with them and some super sick local yokles Ross De Chene Huricanes. Plus a couple of snotty Kiwi punk chicks have come along for the ride – Autumn Splendour! It’s Thursday October 25, upstairs at the Gasometer and it’s only $5 so go get involved, ya hear?

Q&A TRANSCIENCE

Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? A mixture of progressive rock with the hooks of pop music. So sing-alongs in 17/16 realistically. What do you love about making music? The idea of creating a piece of work from scratch and being proud of the ﬁnal outcome. Also performing and seeing people reactions to the art we have created. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? One Direction. Why? Pretty self explanatory. What can a punter expect from your live show? Self indulgent prog wankery ... with hooks of course. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We have some upcoming singles that we are releasing Beat Magazine Page 64

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for free on the internet and an album is in the works for early next year. When’s the gig and with who? Our next upcoming gig is on the Saturday October 27 at DV8 for their Halloween Party. Devoid of All and the Horrorwood Mannequins. Should be a fun gig all round. Cheaper entry if you dress like a zombie! 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? Why do they need three guitarists? What makes you happiest about what you’re doing? The fact that musically and technically we are pushing ourselves songwriting wise. We are not trying to show oﬀ.. there is a little bit of that. But mainly writing amazing songs that we are proud of!

MARTIN ATKINS

WILLOW DARLING

In-Tense is proud to present the return of the most inﬂuential names in underground music, UK’s Martin Atkins, last here in 1984 with Public Image Limited. Martin Has also spent time in Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails as well as running Invisible Records. Martin has been invited to be the key-note speaker at Melbourne Music Week and is going to use the opportunity for some exclusive solo shows. Martin will spin some of his exclusive mash-ups (Ministry vs Killing Joke and more) some unreleased tracks, stripped down glitchy dub and generally anything he feels like from the last 60 years. Also a oratory/visual presentation on the socio-economic backdrop to the punk-rock revolution in the UK growing up in the Northeast of the UK - power cuts, strikes, Margaret Thatcher, the I.R.A. and, punk, then moving to London to be in the thick of post-punk energy and join PiL with Johnny Lydon. Thursday November 22 at The Northcote Social Club.

Exploring the musical pastures from all over the countryside, Willow Darling come together to share their unique and eclectic song-writing styles and sounds. A blend of all things folk and blues, don’t miss out on the action. Thursday October 25 at The B.East, from 9pm. Entry is free.

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT, STARVATION The ﬁnal show of the Negative Reinforcement and Starvation split 7” launch weekend is at the Reverence Hotel this Sunday October 28. Helping them celebrate is Extortion, as well as Rort, Internal Rot and Trench Sisters. This show will be huge, so head on over for a 6pm start. Tickets are $10.

STRAYLOVE Straylove’s full-length, debut album entitled 21st Century Ballroom was written at the Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert USA, amidst a postapocalyptic landscape and a primal sideshow of truth and calamity. The 46-and-a-half minute banquet, collars this unearthly gathering with conviction and captures the Mad Max in all who were there. Straylove have crafted a new-wave sound where vintage ampliﬁers and instruments, lead with cutting edge eﬀects and synthesizers. Modern, industrial music bursts from inside a rock’n’roll framework with thrilling electro-dance sessions, stinging improvised jams and heart wrenching ballads. 21st Century Ballroom will be launched independently in 2013 and exclusive unplugged versions and remixes of all singles will be released as consequent b-sides. Straylove plays DC Tunes at Grumpy’s Green this Saturday October 27, entry is free.

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LITTLE DESERT Little Desert are Roman Tucker (Rocket Science), Mick Beard (Sons of Lee Marvin) and vocalist par excellence Esther Rivers; together they foray upon their own brand of swirling blue psych-rock. Bayou are best described as lush and beautiful like a ﬁre in the middle of a snowﬁeld, with chiming fuzz charms and sweetly sung stories. They say that Nathan Hollywood can turn water into wine with the power of his voice alone. At this gig, he will be playing songs old and new from what may be his last ever solo set. Come down to witness the hypnotic other-worldliness of his song, before he embarks on his goth-pop adventure with his new band. It’s all happening this Thursday October 25 at The Tote.

DARCEE FOX Having released their debut EP in early September, Darcee Fox are embarking on a series of shows throughout October to promote Snakebite, the Melbourne rock outfit’s first release. They’ll be playing at Revolver Upstairs on Saturday October 27. Be sure to catch one of Darcee Fox’s high-energy shows around Melbourne to see some of the tracks off Snakebite live in the flesh.

YUNG WARRIORS Oﬀ the back of their smash single Standing Strong, Australian emcees and Deadly Award Nominees, Tjimba & D Boy aka Yung Warriors are back on the road for their Hip Hop Corroboree national tour. The tour reaches First Floor in Fitzroy on Friday November 16. Tickets are $12 pre-sale from Oztix or $15 on the door.

OL’ TIMEY BLUEGRASS JIM Craig Westwood (ex-Headbelly Buzzard among other bands) is bringing his weekly ol’ timey music jam session to The Vic Hotel in Brunswick across from The Lomond Hotel, it’s home for the past ﬁve years. BYO instrument, or you just hang out and enjoy the music in the beer garden. Every Saturday afternoon from 4.30pm.

TENDER BONES Following Tender Bones’ very own Ryan Humphreys’ foray into folk territory, the man has returned from acoustic hinterlands ready to swagger raggedly with the rest of the Tender Boneheads at their westside debut. The band have just mixed their debut four track EP with engineer and Emma Russack’s bass ﬁend Jake Phillips, so come and experience their evocative tone-bending moods descend upon the Reverence Hotel with special guests Lopaka and Cancer Eyes this Sunday October 28.

HOLLIAVA

THE SHAMBELLES

Antihero is the long-awaited EP from Melbourne rock quartet Holliava. Recorded at The Basin with Matt D’Arcy, the ﬁve-track EP boasts the best tracks and sound from Holliava to date. See them launch Antihero at The Corner Hotel on Saturday October 27 headlining a massive ﬁveband lineup also featuring SkyLion, Sounds Of Sirus, The Elliotts and Strathmore. Tickets are just $10+bf and are available from cornerhotel.com or at the door for $15.

The Shambelles are an all girl rockin’ ‘60s super group, busting out a variety of obscure covers, some well know hits (The Easy Beats, Kinks, etc) and the odd original tune. They’ve been causing havoc around Victorian pubs and parties for three years now and in their trail of destruction, the local rock twits have left no one free from a grin on their face and a swing in their hips. They play The Union Hotel this Saturday October 27 at 9pm.

ESC ESC stands for Eden Synthetic Corps, and they are a noisy quartet with a shattering wall of clanging guitar and driven dissonance over a hammering rhythm section. This bright young band take inﬂuence from grunge and shoegaze luminaries, and will be fronted by Max Impact at Yah Yah’s on Sunday October 28. Mature in their sound, they cannot be compared to anything in particular. Supported by Primary frontman Jules Sheldon and dark country Bairnsdale duo Knifeshop, the the show starts at 7.30pm and entry is free.

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THE BRAVES Like a post-apocalyptic, jukebox-banging, out a Benzadrine beat into where your soul would have been if you hadn’t seen The Braves, those raving young sons and their racketeering machines bring you the bedlam that operates under the pipelined rock’n’oll stylings of The Braves. Featuring the lock stocked blues-damnation of The Groves, the debauched poly-rhythmic orchestra know as Disconcerto Vetigo and the sly doggin’ funk sounds of Milk. Tonight from 8pm at The Tote.

Beat Magazine Page 65

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KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE It has been a massive year for Kira Puru & The Bruise having collaborated with Paul Mac, Blackfella Films, touring with Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes and winning triple j Unearthed’s APRA/AMCOS Song Summit Competition, just to name a few, and they’re on the road again to release their new single Step Into The Light. Their genre-defying shows have earned them a throng of dedicated fans Australiawide, as well as many industry accolades. Catch Kira Puru & The Bruise at The Toﬀ on Thursday October 25 with Money For Rope and The Pretty Littles.

FAIR PLAY

MAN CUB Man Cub will be launching an EP alongside an eclectic group of emcees and poets boasting names like Jacky T (Slamalama Ding Dong), Tomcat, Emptiness and Simplistic, Luca Bliss, 3 Mile Field, BK Ultra (1outs Street Battles), Ivan Ooze, Rick Da Scale and Codix. With Tomcat to release his second album this December this won’t be the last time you will hear these names. So head along and have a drink to your choice of style of linguistic manipulation on Sunday October 28 from 4pm at The Brunswick Hotel.

ELEPHANT

SONS ET AL

Elephant is the music of James Locke, a film-school graduate with an interest in collecting records and making lo-fi pop music. In the two years of the project’s existence, he has released two homemade offerings; Sleeping Inside A Live Bear was an album of delicate bedroom-pop made with little knowledge or equipment, Home-Bodies further explores his style of homespun pop with lo-fi and experimental sounds. He will be playing his unique blend of pulsing atmospheric folk at the Great Britain Hotel this Thursday October 26. Elephant will be supported the psychedelic storm of sound brewed up by The Indian Skies. Doors from 8pm, free entry.

There is no better time in Melbourne than October. You have everything ahead and everything to look forward to. Daylight savings has begun, you feel happier, lighter, more inclined to walk whimsically to the nearest train station and head into the city. Everything is more fun, especially when Sons Et Al are playing at The Toﬀ in Town. It’s a proper launch this time – everything’s organised. Joining them in the launch of their single, See Me Run, will be Kolors: the savvy girl duo who’ve been touring Australia all year, making new friends and converting all sorts into followers along the way. They’re smart and funny and beautiful, and their blend of nu-disco, hip hop and ghetto house will coax you out of your chair and onto the danceﬂoor. Joining them will be Atla. It’s about time trip-hop came into fashion. With some serious triple j attention, and skillful bedroom production, Alta are the moody, smoky pre-cursor to Kolors’ all out party. Tickets are $12 from Moshtix or from 8pm, $15 on the door. Don’t miss it, this Saturday October 27.

THE STAFFORDS It’s been a busy few months for The Staﬀords. Between recording and mixing new tracks for an upcoming single release, they have been gigging with a stubborn determination at rooms all around Melbourne, impressing new and disparate crowds with each and every show. It is with much joy and pride that they announce their return to their new favorite venue The Great Britain Hotel on Saturday October 27. Joining them on the night is Invisible City (featuring ex-members of GB darlings The Box Rockets) who are also very happy to be back at The Great Britain, for what will be their ﬁrst gig under their new guise. Join them for a night of sweat, tears, beers and above all, good old-fashioned honest rock’n’roll, just like mum used to make. Doors 9pm, free entry.

ROCK FOR RECOGNITION A new series of concerts called Rock For Recognition have been initiated in order to raise awareness and promote the need for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. The inaugural Rock For Recognition headlined by Dan Sultan will tour to Melbourne in November and features a varied bill of artists including the highly awarded Yabu Band, sultry songstress Leah Flanagan and the genre-jumping PBS DJ Ken Eavel. It reaches The Corner Hotel on Thursday November 8. Tickets from the venue.

HUMANS AS ANIMALS This coming Tuesday October 30, The Bilack Monster Opera comes of age at The Toff in October. Humans As Animals have a courageous style that takes you to and from places you never expect. An underhanded, popinfluenced funk derby with a narrative that unfolds over a month in October. The impressive array of supports such as Hiatus Kaiyote, The Putbacks, The McQueens and others, shows Melbournian’s embracing the hardworking and undefeatable five-piece that is Humans As Animals. The live show includes a new fit out for The Toff and incorporates shadow puppetry and motioncontrolled lighting to name just a couple of perks. Find everything you ever wanted including hours of live video, full album and a monstermentary film of their live double gig night at The Evelyn and Pony in September. Tickets $10 on the door.

The tenth Fair Play competition is set to kick-off on Saturday October 27 at Victoria Park. Starting at midday, the teams compete for the illustrious Jinta Trophy, medals and other prizes including tickets to catch a Melbourne Victory game, a stadium tour and meet and greet with the players at a training session. Come down and cheer the teams on – enjoy a cheap bar, food and coffee, and music all day from DJs pitchside including Lance Ferguson from The Bamboos, PBSFM’s Vince Peach, RRR’s Chris Gill and Ennio Styles, Paz, and many more as well as live music on the Community Stage. Bring the kids down as Melbourne Victory will be running a skills session, and there will be plenty of other chances to support the causes and win in the Monster Raffle, Silent Auction or Foosball Table comp. Entry is free. The event kicks off around 11.30am with the final at approximately 6pm. If you would like to enter a team in to the competition please contact pgrogan@hfcaustralia. org or head down on the day.

WE’LL STAND BY YOU We’ll Stand By You is a community benefit for Berry Street, organised by Maria Crystal-Paige; a survivor of family violence as a little girl and young woman. Friday October 19 to Friday 26 is a ‘Week Without Violence’, and she has taken this opportunity to raise awareness in an engaging and uplifting community party atmosphere with fabulous music, entertainment and food. Last year, Berry Street provided support to 6,000 Victoria Police referrals for family violence. In Australia, 69 females and 30 children were murdered by a male either known or related to them. Most of us have been affected or touched in one way or another by the toxic ripple effect of family violence in our community, but there’s still so much fear and denial surrounding it. However there is also a deeply compassionate and enthusiastic response by all the artists and volunteers, willing to support the benefit, which indicates a courageous shift within individuals and the community in taking positive action to address this prevalent problem. Performers at the event include The Shambelles, The Charles, Brunswick Blues Shooters, Rachael Byrnes and Fadil Suna & Bart Willoughby. Get along and show your support on Sunday October 28 from 2pm ‘til 8pm at The Lomond Hotel. Entry is $15 or $10 for concession.

CITADEL Formed in 1982 with the express intention of facilitating the release of music created by alternative and unsigned local Sydney bands, Citadel Records is proud to announce it has now reached its 30th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone Citadel will present a special gig at the Caravan Music Club on Friday October 26. The evening will feature DomNicks, Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) and Penny Ikinger.

Q&A

Incubated in the seedy underbelly of a festering suburban sprawl The Horrorwood Mannequins crawled out of the darkness to carve their name into the foreheads of the dark lords of the music industry. With a stage show that borderlines on psychotic and a sound that can only be described as a beast that tears your head oﬀ and leaves you wanting more. This Halloween witness this Sydney juggernaut with special guests Devoid Of All and Transience at Melbourne’s very own home of metal, DV8 Nightclub. Come dressed in your favourite Halloween attire and drink the bar dry in honour of the dead. Saturday October 27, DV8 Nightclub.

MUTINY Mutiny are celebrating their 21st year of playing folkpunk for punk folk. The mandolins and accordion will come out of the road cases and whip up a polka pogo at The Bendigo Hotel on Saturday November 3 and joining the shindig will be Canberra’s The Bigots and local rockers Rise Of The Rat. Tickets are $12 at the door or from the Mutiny website.

DIRTY F Melbourne’s corrosive rock four-piece Dirty F will be throwing life and limb into yet another glorious 2am show at Pony on Friday October 26. They’ll be purging new songs yet to be released on their debut album due early next year. If your taste is urgent and relentless musical outpourings that lead to crashing bodies and instruments, then this show will do more than justice for your appetite. It’s your ﬁnal chance to see Dirty F in the late show slot at Pony, so stay up late and join the queue.

COLLARTS WORKSHOP Award-winning master drummer David Jones, Collarts artist-in-residence, will present a free workshop for secondary school students and musicians of all instruments and all levels on Saturday October 27, from 3 to 5pm, at Collarts in South Melbourne. David will inform and inspire students on how to achieve the best out of performance. David will demonstrate tips and techniques for practice methods, song preparation, high-level performance attitudes, ways of achieving relaxation and focus while rehearsing, performing and recording, and much much more.

AGENCY DUB COLLECTIVE

Define your genre in five words or less: Live dub, reggae, roots. What can a punter expect from your live show? Great grooves made for dancing – in a dub, reggae, steppers and dancehall style. On the mic, you’ll hear a mix of tasty toasting, sweet harmonies and rowdy ragga. Nice sounds for your ears and good vibes for your soul. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? We are releasing our seventh album Beggars’ Belief next month. In the meantime, we have some copies of our EP Inch Nor Mile available for the Bar Open show, and we have some vinyl available too. When’s the gig and with who? This weekend we’re playing on Saturday October 27 at Bar Open. It’s free entry and we’ve invited some special guests from interstate for this show – an interesting instrumental dub trio from Canberra called Sub Detonator. Beat Magazine Page 66

THE HORRORWOOD MANNEQUINS

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How long have you been gigging and writing? Agency Dub Collective has been gigging, touring and producing albums for just over a decade. It’s somewhat amazing to think we’ve produced seven albums now. It’s interesting to hear how the band has changed over that time. You deﬁnitely get better as songwriters and producers over time, and it’s nice to hear the production quality of each album improve. This album, Beggars’ Belief, has taken the longest time to produce, about two years, but it sounds amazing and has been worth the wait. When are you releasing your album? The big album launch show for Beggars’ Belief is on Saturday November 24 at The Espy in St. Kilda. We’ve organised a great lineup for the launch, with Lotek, Pataphysics and Chant Down Sound on the bill.

HOWARD

THE BROKEN SWEETHEARTS

Howard are excited to bring you a month of music, mystery and mayhem. They are a ﬁve-piece whose music combines the likes of folk, psychedelia and gypsy. Every Tuesday in October, The Evelyn will host them with a wide range of special guests and special friends. Expect rumbling drums matched with heavy bass lines, guitars that play anything from the cleanest tone to the most eerie delay, powerful accordion melodies topped oﬀ with mandolin and harmonybased vocals. Soon to release their debut EP, make sure your Tuesday nights are free. Bands from 8pm including Esc, The Alleys and Inerva.

After ﬂying solo for a while, local singer-songwriter Mark Gardner has combined The Mark Gardner Band into The Broken Sweethearts, featuring the lead guitar player and songsmith Stephen Ryan Gladhill, Simon Chatﬁeld on rhodes and keyboards, Adam Edwards with the full heartbeat on drums, Max Coleman on bass and Matt Smith on rhythm guitars. While the momentum of live acoustic shows had been a great adventure for a few years, Mark felt that having the band together on live stage was a far bigger and better time, adding more punch and twists to the songs and arrangements. Catch The Broken Sweethearts at The Espy Front Bar on Wednesday October 17 and at The St Kilda Community Gardens on Sunday October 28, which also features three acoustic solo acts and support from The Pythons, from 1pm ‘til 5pm.

ANNA’S GO-GO DANCE ACADEMY Head down and attend Anna’s Go-Go Dance Academy every Thursday at The Victoria Hotel for a measly $12, or $10 each if you bring a friend at 6.30pm for a night of fat-burnin’ fun. Anna’s go-go classes are great fun, an excellent cardio workout, and have been described as inspiring, a retro hit parade: everything from Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock to AC/DC’s Jailbreak, and a high-energy dance party with the hostess with the mostest. Just do it.

NEVERMIND THE ‘90S Leave the Rugrats home alone this Friday night coz NMIT and Tonedeaf are inviting you to take a moonwalk down memory lane with the ﬁrst date of their nostalgic norties tour Nevermind The ‘90s. With bands The Kilniks, Bad Taste, and Copse re-colouring ‘90s classics, and DJ Mynott spinning old-school dance hits, the D-Floor will transform into a battleground of phat shapes and jiggy moves for dope prizes. It’s gonna be fresher than the Prince Of Bel Air. What is love? Find out at The Noise Bar on Friday October 26. Doors 8.30pm, $10 entry.

FRANCOLIN Coming oﬀ the launch of their critically acclaimed debut Won’t Let You Down, pop crusaders Francolin bring old and new tunes, band members and friends to the stage of The Evelyn every Monday in October. Loved for creating more-than-three-chord pop stories that are easy to dance to, Francolin have been watching the weather report while counting down the days to their favourite time of year and now spring is in swing. Symbolic $2 entry fee, $10 jugs, unmissable support bands. Doors at 8.30pm.

LAMINE SONKO & THE AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE After a sensational smash last time around, Lamine and his band are hitting The B.East back for round two. Lamine Sonko was born in Senegal West Africa into a family of Griots known as culture keepers. Griots are the custodians of ancient lineages, functioning as the eyes and ears of the community. The Griot’s responsibility is to practice and teach the stories of their culture through the embodied oral traditions of song, music and dance. An oral culture is one alive only in practice, and so it is the Griot that must animate the spirit of the past into the present and towards future through remembering, sharing, performing and teaching of song, drum and dance. Experience the purity of this oral tradition this Saturday October 27 from 9pm. Entry is free.

CHERRY BAR With Rocktober coming to an end very soon, Cherry Bar will, as usual, be serving up another chocka week to ease the transition into November. Tonight marks the last night of Strangers’ month-long residency as they pass the ﬂame onto highly anticipated The Vagrants. Sweetening the deal are The Pass Outs who will be playing Pearl Jam covers until the hour of the DJ beckons. Nasty funksters The Cactus Channel with be dirtying your Cherry Thursdays if you’re after a hit of rawness for only a $10 fee. Seven-piece alternative-country outﬁt City Vs Country take over the frivolities on Friday October 26 launching their EP Don’t Overthink It, and for a $13 door charge you also get DJ Lucy Arundel ‘til 5am. If you’re looking for some no-frills, hard-line Aussie pub rock then Cherry Bar is the place to wind up on Saturday October 27 as Nick Barker And The Reptiles will be launching their single Bend Not Break, doors 5pm, entry $22. Wind down on Sunday with weekend warriors Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk and Dean Muller from 3pm, only to ramp it up again in the evening with alternative-funk punks Tub O Vas. Finally, blast away any Saturday night cobwebs and hit up Cherry on Tuesday for the bigger, better version of the great Joe Kings, Red X who will be playing two sets from 9pm and entry is free.

BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE This Friday October 26 see the Black Jesus Experience fuse an irresistible blend of traditional Ethiopian song and 21st century groove. The rhymes and chimes of Black Jesus Experience deliver the musical strength and beauty of Africa through the vocal prism of hip hop and freedom of jazz. The B.East from 9pm and it’s free.

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ALI E Wednesdays in October sees the return of fuzz songstress Ali E to The Retreat’s front bar for a residency of informal proportions. Described as bringing her own unique twist to the best of shoegaze, soul and altrock, Ali E will be joined by her band made up of a veritable super-group of Melbourne musos including Damn Terran, St Jude, The Once Overs and Howl At The Moon. Piecing together an amazing lineup of supports, Ali’s thrilled to be joined on consecutive weeks by Alysia Manceau (The Velocettes), Andre Hooke (Khancoban), Phil and Liam (The Bowers), Ryan Nico (Tinsmoke) and Amaya Laucirica. Free entry, music from 8.30pm.

THE PUBLIC BAR Alright. It’s back. The legends at The Old Bar have gone and bought The Public Bar and are putting bands on again. Hoofuckityrah! Over the next few weeks there will be more stuﬀ in line but hoo-boy, have they got an opening weekend party for you! They’ve cashed in favours, asked for some new ones and all round begged, pleaded and blackmailed some of their favourite bands to help them relaunch everyone’s favourite shitty bar, proudly bringing you The Public Bar’s ﬁrst week of bands, featuring Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders tonight (with The Death Rattles and Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood), Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats on Thursday October 25, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks on Friday October 26 and The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats on Saturday October 27. It’s going to be massive. Open Wednesday to Saturday every week with bands every damn night from now ‘til death. Check this space and gig guide for news on forthcoming weeks.

THE VELVETS

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Thursday October 25 brings an emotional evening as the last We’ve Been Expecting You awaits you due to the closure of live iconic music venue, Pony. Going out with a bang, the night will be headlined by whiskey-soaked blues-rats The Velvets. Supports will be from psych-bending outﬁt The Mind Flowers and local up-and-comer Luna Ghost. This will be one of your last chances to get involved in supporting one of the very few remaining live venues in the inner CBD. Tickets on the door and drink specials all night.

Having kicked off at 8pm on Thursday October 18, Hotel Barkly is running an Open Mic Night competition every Thursday night for eight weeks with $50 weekly cash prizes for winners and the grand final winner taking home $500 cash on Thursday December 6. The competition is open to solo and duo acoustic/electric performers and artists. Performers get two free drinks and 20% off further drinks all night, and $14 steaks all night for everybody.

KITTY ROCK BUMP N GRIND BURLESQUE Since 2012 began, the bad ladies have been busy growing their troupe to encompass every ﬂavor you could possibly imagine. Addicted to entertaining crowds across Melbourne, and doing what they enjoy, the most kitty rock decided to execute a weekly show Bump N Grind, allowing our oﬃcial girls and audience to indulge in the crazy cattastic ways of The Bad Ladies. After six months of being whipped into shape, Kitty decided it was time to move the show and change it to a monthly dose and to a venue with a story of its own. So in August, Bump N Grind debuted to upstairs at The Tote and it was a sellout show. It’s happening again this Friday October 26. Pre-sale tickets are available from The Bad Ladies Boutique opposite The Tote.

QUIET CHILD Channeling the best progressive sounds of the last two decades and infusing it with their own individual twist, Quiet Child have demonstrated a hard-working longevity in a fickle market. Steadily building up a reputation as one of the best live rock acts on the local scene, their distinct sound has garnered them a devoted and steadily increasing following. Having spent the last few years sharing the stage with some of Australia’s finest acts, 2012 sees the band come into their own after they hit the road to unleash their second album Thumper as a follow up to 2009’s Evening Bell. The diverse and intricate song-writing of their latest album is weaved to eerie perfection with the voice of, arguably, one of the best upcoming vocalists, demonstrating the musically dynamic range of a talented and sonically unified group. Thumper is a lyrically hard-biting yet beautiful record, delivering both ends of epic from the tongue lashing of Darwin, to the sweet melancholy of Walking Ghost. They make the journey from Adelaide to play The Bendigo this Friday October 26 with an awesome array of local prog talent including Riot In Toytown, Before Days End and Get To The Chopper. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 67

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

TOP TENS AIRIT NOW

SARAH BLASKO

1. Unwelcome Company HENRY WAGONS FEAT.

I Awake (Dew Process)

ALISON MOSSHART

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Sarah Blasko has one of those incredible voices that surprises you every time you hear it, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already familiar to you. I last saw her singing in a church with Holly Throsby and Sally Seltmann where, understandably, she had been given the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of leading vocals. There was a lightness to Seeker Lover Keeper that was evident on stage even in between the songs, with lighthearted asides adding to the fun of the swapping of compositions, vocals and instruments. I Awake is the ďŹ rst work from one of the three singers from Seeker Lover Keeper since their albums release, and Blaskoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth solo album has a completely diďŹ&#x20AC;erent feel to that collaboration. It was written early last year from a solitary cottage in Brighton, England, and the result is an insular, soul-searching piece that gets its balance from Blaskoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gorgeous vocal guiding us through the trials and tribulations, as well as a sympathetic symphonic instrumentation. Despite the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s darker shade, the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening and title track has a rousing, assured kick to it, forging a direct path of ďŹ erce independence in the face of all the odds. Pounding toms and jabbing horns add to the urgency, pushing the hunter and gatherer as she repeatedly insists â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going outâ&#x20AC;?. Toward the end of the song, a surge of strings gives her one last heave into the great unknown. The strings, courtesy of the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra and arranged by Nicholas Wales are in it for the long haul. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an integral part of the whole albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bonus that Blasko is retaining the orchestral backing for the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming promotional tour. They add a grandeur and simmering drama to a collection that otherwise retains the minimal, spacious production that Lasse MĂĽrtĂŠn also applied to Blaskoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous album, As Day Followâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Night. I Awake isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a huge departure from Blaskoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equally

2. I Defy You CHILDREN OF THE WAVE 3. Easy Come, Easy Go DIAFRIX 4. Lily TEXAS TEA 5. A Man Like That THE TRANSATLANTICS 6. Skinny Girl CHRIS RUSSELL'S CHICKEN WALK 7. Wild Things SAN CISCO 8. Waking Up Your House Again CATHERINE TRAICOS 9. King CARL FOX 10. Armour Weight TIM GUY

WOOLY BULLY enchanting eďŹ&#x20AC;ort from 2009, though it clearly plunges us back into the night. Death is a constant shadow in the sidelines, but by the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death-defying closer, Not Yet, an impenetrable shield is put up against the grim reaper. Blasko describes the recording of this album as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;behemothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, though its weightiness doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it a diďŹ&#x192;cult or laboured listen. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a digging up of old and new fears, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a determined facing up to these fears, and Blasko comes out of the dark void stronger than ever.

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BAND OF SKULLS

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Pretty But You Got It Going (PIAS/Liberator) Confession: this is the ďŹ rst time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard a Band Of Skulls song. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, gnashing its teeth with a brooding switchblade menace, climaxing with a big fuck-oďŹ&#x20AC; guitar solo. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit like QOTSA-lite, but does more than enough to pull oďŹ&#x20AC; the goofy mouthful of a track title.

GYPSY & THE CAT

Bloom (Alsatian/Universal) The second single from Gypsy & The Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just-released album The Late Blue is a glistening moustachioed hunk in denim cutoďŹ&#x20AC;s pumping weights while simultaneously surďŹ ng some mean waves. The physicality of the vocal groans and hisses that permeate the beat is attentiongrabbing, providing a near-sexual garnish to the dreamy lead vocal. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot going on, and the mixing job by Flaming Lips and Tame Impala aural wizard Dave Fridmann does wonders for the Melbourne duoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-produced aďŹ&#x20AC;air.

THE OYSTER MURDERS

The Water In Your Blood (Footstomp) You can smell the rhyming couplets in The Water In Your Blood from a mile oďŹ&#x20AC;. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be so bad if the perpetually harmonised hushed one-two between spousal lead duo Grant and Wendy Regden didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make me want to clean my ears out with an icepick. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like if the lead singer from Silversun Pickups never lifted his voice above a whine. The warbled synth-like tones are a little bit Fabulous Diamonds, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much else worthwhile here.

9. Love & Rockets: New Stories No. 5 (Book) HERNANDEZ BROTHERS 10. The Eviction (7") SATANIC ROCKERS

COLLECTORS CORNER MISSING LINK

5. All We Love We Leave Behind CONVERGE 6. Dominion Or Darkness HELBRINGER 7. Son Of A Bitches Brew ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE

TZU

Nowhere Home (Liberation) Revered hip hop collective TZU delve into some brazen ďŹ&#x201A;ourishes of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s pop smarts throughout Nowhere Home, with a Peter Gabriel-biting vocal inďŹ&#x201A;ection through to an early â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;80s Prince-recalling synth solo as a tasty cherry on the cake. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a club banger that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really bang, but it is still pretty bloody danceable. The ďŹ&#x201A;urry of ďŹ&#x201A;oor-toms and funk-accents on the bass come together in a way that hints at a show-stopper of a live jam.

Naked (Independent) Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a weird mix of frenetic machine gun drums and intoxicatingly restrained piano on Naked. It works. Projecting some lofty stadium-sized ambitions, Tully On Tully gracefully soar to the near-heights set by local success stories Howling Bells and The Jezabels. Striking that elusive balance of retaining the Australian accent while showcasing some mighty impressive vocal chops.

9. Cut Sleeves BITS OF SHIT 10. Silver Age BOB MOULD

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE 1. Meat And Bone THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION 2. Taboo FOX + SUI 3. Landing On A Hundred CODY CHESTNUTT 4. Chris Russellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken Walk CHRIS RUSSELLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

BOB EVANS

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Wanna Grow Up Anymore (EMI) It was funny when a 42-year-old Tom Waits growled that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wanna grow up. It was probably even funnier when The Ramones covered the song with a sincere brattiness. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing funny about Kevin Mitchell as Bob Evans crying about not wanting to grow up anymore, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deďŹ nitely nothing funny about ripping Blurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CoďŹ&#x20AC;ee And TV rhythm guitar line wholesale.

SONS OF RICO

You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Know What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Missinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Independent) Whoa, the lead singer of Sons Of Rico sounds a lot like Peaches. Which is weird, considering theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sons and all. You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Know What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Missinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a slab of dumb, ballsout, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus bullshit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like Jet never happened, which is a ďŹ ne notion in theory, but there are lessons to be learnt here, people. The opening minute features the ďŹ rst of many guitar solos and the big dickhead choral sing-along. Shitty, neutered cock-rock.

CHICKEN WALK 5. Tender New Signs TAMARYN 6. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not Over PANAMA 7. Shaking Hands THE PREATURES 8. Blak & Blu KUTCHA EDWARDS 9. Fortune Favoured Me KERRI SIMPSON 10. Is Your Love Big Enough? LIANNE LA HAVAS

PBS TIPSHEET 1. Key Of Sea VARIOUS ARTISTS 2. Drunk Mums DRUNK MUMS 3. Chris Russellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken Walk CHRIS RUSSELLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHICKEN WALK 4. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 5. Pour Une Ă&#x201A;me Souveraine: A Dedication To Nina Simone MESHELL Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;DEGEOCELLO 6. Occapella JON CLEARY

AC NEWMAN

TULLY ON TULLY

Beat Magazine Page 68

7. Practicing For The Gangbang (7") LIVE FAST DIE

8. Strobosphere BAILTERSPACE

THE GRAND RAPIDS

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8. Eastlink (Tape) EASTLINK Best Track: God-Fearing If You Like These, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Like This: Metals FEIST, The Sensual World KATE BUSH, The Winter I Chose Happiness CLARE BOWDITCH In A Word: Reawakening

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1. Split (7") UV RACE / NATIVE CATS

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not Talking (Matador/Remote Control) Miles away from his work with The New Pornographers, AC Newman delves into a playful dreamscape of folk-pop. Sounding a bit like James Mercer, Newman guides us down a lush path to the golden age of melodic folk. Gingerly pays reverence to the greats of that era without striving for emulation.

SINGLE OF THE WEEK GUERRE

Rashad (Loose Place) (Yes Please) Sydney producer Guerre isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so much of a musician as he is a goddamn hypnotist. Impossibly calming, aďŹ&#x20AC;ectingly sensual, Rashad (Loose Place) is a wonderfully lucid dream. There are shades of James Blake in the restrained blend of tones, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a more realised sense of intimacy present. Promising stuďŹ&#x20AC; from an all-too enigmatic rising ďŹ gure in Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nascent electronica-R&B scene.

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

7. Taboo FOX + SUI 8. Sagittarian Domain OREN AMBARCHI 9. Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 10. Smokeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Haunt URTHBOY

BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT LABELS 1. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman BRITNEY SPEARS 2. Call It What You Want FOSTER THE PEOPLE 3. Teenage Dirtbag WHEATUS 4. You Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Understand Me THE SABOTEURS 5. The Way I Am EMINEM 6. That's Not My Name THE TING TINGS 7. Say What You Want To AKRON/FAMILY 8. Beautiful CHRISTINA AGUILERA 9. Say What You Want TEXAS 10. You're So Vain CARLY SIMON

ALBUMS

PAGEANTS

Dark Before Blonde Dawn (Sensory Projects)

FOR MORE REVIEWS GO TO

BEAT.COM.AU/REVIEWS

BALL PARK MUSIC Museum (Stop Start)

Museum is definitely a departure for Ball Park Music. While there’s certainly some of their youthful exuberance on offer – frenzied opener Fence Sitter and the euphoric Great Display Of Patience flying the flag – Museum presents a more mature incarnation of the band. They allude to their new focus from the outset, the album’s saccharine single Surrender carried by an infectious chorus, padded out with serviceable-at-best verses. While affecting, it seems a far cry from any of the six singles plucked from Happiness And Other Suburbs. It’s the second track on the album and suggests the band’s disinterest in replicating the instantaneous, quick-fix charm of their debut. Coming Down and Cry With One Eye are indicative of the band’s subtle redirection, each tender piano-pop gems. Meanwhile, their jagged two-part oddysee Bad Taste Blues makes for a thrilling mid-album adventure, the band in electrifying form. Sam Cromack’s writing continues to burst with real personality, each song imbued distinct voice. He grants Ball Park Music the kind of charisma most indie-rock bands would die for. With each replay, it seems to matter less and less that their sugary-pop expertise appears to reside almost exclusively in the past. While Museum may not be as explosive or as irresistible as its predecessor, it’s interesting and enjoyable in its own right, effectively demonstrating the breadth of Ball Park Music’s abilities. This is no Best Track: Great Display Of Patience If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Aim And Ignite FUN., backwards step: ultimately, Ball Park Music remain as exciting a prospect as ever. Hey Geronimo HEY GERONIMO In A Word: Calculated

Many bands that strive for the unique and original end up sounding cliché or contrived. Pageants effortlessly contradict this rule – their debut fulllength album explores fresh musical territory without breaking a sweat. Dark Before Blonde Dawn conjures dreams of oversized fruity cocktails and sandy shores, appropriately blurred through drunken goggles. Catchy guitar licks slide lazily over crisp rhythms (primarily held by a damn smooth sounding ride cymbal), and are complimented by subtle layers of bongo drums, keyboard pads and vocal harmonies. It’s a thick and surprisingly complex sound, but never overbearingly so, and is uplifting while balanced by dark undertones. In terms of genre, the album could be loosely described as tropical-indie-pop, but such clumsy categories don’t accurately capture the essence or variety of Pageant’s sound. While some tracks have a fairly direct pop angle and others pull toward a driven garage-rock vibe, everything fits within a well-scoped audio aesthetic. The recording has a lo-fi feel, but has been mixed and mastered to feel smooth and flowing. The lyrical content of Dark Before Blonde Dawn takes the form of detached storytelling, filled with such perfectly understated phrases as “an air-conditioned nightmare at home”, and “I thought you’d understand but I misunderstood.” Lyricist Ben Pell’s words hold their own distinct sense of prose and shift smoothly from line to line. His vocal delivery is rhythmic and his melodies appropriately casual, drifting to various crescendos before coolly fading out. Pageants have created something unique and are comfortable in their sound. This is definitely a summer album that offers more than simple pop tunes – it’s Best Track: Relaxation happy in pastel-scale, driven, raw and memorable If You Like These, You’ll Like This: PEDRO THE in both lyric and melody. LION, THE WEAKERTHANS In A Word: Serene JEREMY MILLAR

NICK MASON

HOLLIAVA

Antihero EP (Independent)

NO DOUBT

Push And Shove (Interscope) Push And Shove is No Doubt’s comeback after nearly a decade away, but it doesn’t make any concessions to current pop music trends. There are no Nicki Minaj guest spots to be found here, and there’s no talk of party rock anthems or being on the ﬂoor – this is a No Doubt album through and through. A collection of shiny dancehall and new wave-inspired pop songs, Push And Shove bounces along on bright, catchy hooks and Gwen Stefani’s brash delivery. Stefani is not the world’s strongest vocalist, but there are two types of songs she does very well – the upbeat ones where she struts and preens, boasting about how cool and untouchable she is, and the slower ballads, where she pines for the simpler things like true lurve – and wisely, the album sticks to these two. The more bombastic tendencies come out on the opening run of tracks – there’s Settle Down, with its loping beat and weirdly irresistible melody, and Looking Hot, which grabs you, hits you full in the face with its blasting horn section, then veers into dub interludes. The ballad-ier tracks draw on the same kind of ‘80s melodrama that Stefani explored on her solo albums, and One More Summer and Dreaming The Same Dream sound like direct descendants of songs Best Track: One More Summer like The Real Thing. It’s not as energetic as Tragic If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Rock Steady NO Kingdom or as eﬀortlessly cool and catchy as Rock DOUBT, Love Angel Music Baby GWEN STEFANI, Steady, but on Push And Shove, No Doubt’s party Bring Ya To The Brink CYNDI LAUPER spirit remains intact. In A Word: Glossy ALASDAIR DUNCAN

Within the space of just four songs, this Melbourne-based four-piece outfit displays immense appeal. They have the songwriting guile to appeal to fans of the Aussie progressive alternative rock scene (Karnivool, The Butterfly Effect), the indie rock thing (Arctic Monkeys, The Killers) and lovers of a more mainstream rock sound (Foo Fighters, Incubus). And what’s more, on the fifth track of this, their debut EP, they reveal their mastery of a softer, more acoustic style, which could inspire the indie-folk/ pop set. These guys have seriously got it going on. On top of all of that, the songs are dynamic and compelling, the musicianship is exemplary and their production values rival that of just about any rock band doing the rounds at the moment. With the release of this EP, this band have just announced themselves as potential heroes of the local independent rock scene, however they are unlikely to remain ‘local’ or ‘independent’ for very long. Antihero is punchy, crunchy, varied, loud, soft, grandiose Best Track: Circadia and reflective, all at once. Get it now. If You Like These, You’ll Like This: BIRDS OF TOKYO, GYROSCOPE, TRIAL KENNEDY, JIMMY ROD WHITFIELD EAT WORLD In A Word: Inviting

SOMETHING FOR KATE Leave Your Soul To Science (EMI)

GYPSY & THE CAT

The Late Blue (Alsatian Music/Universal Music Australia) Gypsy & The Cat’s debut, Gilgamesh, hit a very particular musical sweet spot when it came out two years ago. Songs like Jona Vark and Time To Wander had just enough dreamy, washed-out indie cred that they caught on with the triple j crowd, but their bouncy hooks and infectious choruses made them big crossover hits on commercial radio. The prospect of mainstream success, however, seemed to spook the pair – check out the video of them looking miserable while playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with a selection of competition winners at Future Music Festival. The Late Blue is the follow-up to that successful debut, and comes across as something of a rejoinder to it – “we’re not here to pump out more synth pop”, it says, “we’re here to make art”. The album seems almost deliberately designed to confront casual fans who might have nodded their heads along to Time To Wander on the radio – it’s a dense and strange listen, swapping the synths out for live instrumentation, messing with the song structures, and turning its nose up at anything as mundane as radio play. When writing these songs, Lionel and Xavier immersed themselves in the psychedelic rock of bands like The Zombies and Spacemen 3, and it shows through in the shifting time signature and trippy instrumental passages. It was a risky move to take, but the pair are skilled enough musical craftsmen that it pays oﬀ. Tracks like Only In December and Broken Kites are light on instant gratiﬁcation, but maintain the hazy, dreamy pop feel that made Gligamesh so appealing. It’s anyone’s guess how well this new direction will be received, but The Best Track: Sorry Late Blue has a real appeal. If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Congratulations MGMT ALASDAIR DUNCAN In A Word: Trippy

EVERY MONDAY

Something For Kate always seemed to exist in their own little bubble. They were never quite a part of the alternative crowd, they were certainly not part of the pub rock scene, and they had enough crossover potential to comfortably support the likes of David Bowie in front of audiences way outside their expected demographic. But they’ve been away for a while – it’s been six years since Desert Lights – and Leave Your Soul To Science could have gone one of two ways: a comfortable walk through previously established moods, or an exploratory journey through new musical terrain. Happily it’s the latter. There’s a kind of energy apparent throughout much of Leave Your Soul To Science which is surprisingly youthful and uptempo, given that this is the same band who pretty much own the copyright on low-key Australian introspection. That energy is filtered through a more rhythmically focused drive which is almost the inverse of the textural feel of previous albums like the brilliant The Official Fiction. And Paul Dempsey’s guitar work is more direct and focused, rather than atmospheric and jangly like it has been in the past. There are more definite links to the band’s established sound too: there’s a certain ‘in focus but distant’ quality whenever Dempsey double-tracks his vocal parts, and it keeps the album sounding like Something For Kate no matter how sonically dry (Survival Expert) or electronically experimental (The Fireball At The End Of Everything). The overall impression is of an album that takes Something For Kate further forward and further into upbeat musical expression rather than spending too much time looking back and down. Best Track: Private Rain If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Heathen DAVID BOWIE, Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2) XTC In A Word: Summery

FRI OCT 26TH

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN POP CULTURE TRIVIA

TULLY ONW THNKR TULLY SINGLE LAUNCH AND SUNK JUNK

WED OCT 24TH

PETER HODGSON

THURS NOV 1ST

CANTERVILLE GHOST

W THE HONEY BADGERS, THE NAYSAYERS AND THE VELVETS FRI NOV 2ND

THE WINTERS

SAT OCT 27TH

W. FOUNDER AND YOSHITORO

CHARLES BABY SINGLE LAUNCH W ELIZA HULL AND THE GROVES

RHYSWCRIMMIN & THE TOMS BENNY WILLIAMS + SPECIAL GUESTS

THURS OCT 25TH

SUN OCT 28TH

SUN NOV 4TH

THE SAND DOLLARS

W THE MEN THEY CALL JAYNE AND JORDAN WALKER

/ MANDEK PENHA SPARKSPITTER (ADL) SINGLE LAUNCH MULDER (WA) DOUBLE HEADLINE SHOW W HOT PALMS, SAN GRAS AND SWIMMING

$13 JUGS ALL DAY!! (COOPERS, DRAUGHT, CIDER AND MEAD) RUSTY@JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM FOR MORE ALBUM NEWS AND REVIEWS GO TO WWW.BEAT.COM.AU

W JUSTINE WALSH AND BRUDAJA

- COMING SOON 8/11 MONNONE ALONE W BIG TOBACCO + BORED NOTHING 9/11 MONSTER FILM FESTIVAL CLOSING PARTY 10/11 B*TCH PREFECT W BEACHES AND EXHAUSTION 16/11 BOOMGATES ‘DOUBLE NATURAL’ RECORD LAUNCH 17/11 THE SMITH STREET BAND - HOMECOMING SHOW - W ARROWS, GOD GOD DAMMIT DAMMIT, WHITE WALLS AND REGRETS

Beat Magazine Page 69

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 24 OCT ROCK/POP

COLLAGE - FEAT: CLEVELAND BLUES + DARK FAIR + THE ADVOCATES + WACO SOCIAL CLUB Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. CRAVEN SOULS + COTANGENT + HONEYBONE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:30pm. $5. DAN CONWAY Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:00pm. HARRY HOOKEY BAND Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 10:00pm. LEE RANALDO + THE LAURELS The Hi-ďŹ , Melbourne. 8:00pm. $45. MILK + DISCONCERTO VERTIGO + THE BRAVES + THE GROVES Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. MUSHROOM HORSE + THE MASTER GUNFIGHTERS + THE VELOCETTES Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. MY SONS + QUEEN ANNE + THE JEALOUS MUCH IdgaďŹ&#x20AC; Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. PARKING LOT EXPERIMENTS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. STRANGERS + THE PASS OUTS + THE VAGRANTS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. THE BASICS + MARISSA & JONATHAN SKOVRON + MUSTERED COURAGE Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $12. THE SINKING TEETH + A GAZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS + GOING SWIMMING Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $6. THE SUNSLEEPERS + RED LEADER + RETURN TO YOUTH Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. WILLOW BEATS + DJ YOSEMITE + FLASH FOREST + SUB DAPPER Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $5. WILLY MASON ToďŹ&#x20AC; In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $33.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ALI E + RYAN NICO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. BROTHERS GRIM & THE BLUE MURDERS + RATTLINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BONES BLACKWOOD + THE DEATH RATTLES Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. HANDS OFF THE KIMBERLEY Espy, St Kilda. 7:30pm. $10. JOSH PYKE Palais, Hepburn Springs. 8:30pm.

LAVENDER VS ROSE Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Dancing Dog, Footscray. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:00pm. OPEN MIC Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 10:00pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. OPEN MIC Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT Grind N Groove, Healesville. 9:00pm. THE GYPSY CURSE Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. THE WINTERS + FOUNDER + YOSHITORO John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. UNFURLING - FEAT: JESSICA ISGRO Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: MANDY CONNELL + BETH CLEARY Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

WEDNESDAY 13 Get out your eyeliner and don your best black threads guys, because Wednesday 13 is back in town. Described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rob Zombie in party modeâ&#x20AC;?, the Murderdolls frontman well and truly holds the throne of glam-goth horror-punk king, and proved to us at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soundwave Festival that his live show is one to behold. With The Espyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creepshow Halloween Festival done and dusted, what better way to keep the spirit going than with a night of debauchery from these guys? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all happening at The Espy this Saturday (not Wednesday) October 27 (not 13). Tickets from Oztix or The Espy.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC DIZZYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIG BAND Dizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $14. ELAINE PAGE Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:30pm. SHAPESHIFTER Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $20. THE LUKE HOWARD TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. THE MAGNUSSON & WILSON QUARTET 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. THE NEW MELB SHOW BAND + OLIVIA CHINDAMO Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. THE TIM WILSON QUARTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15.

THURSDAY 25 OCT ROCK/POP

ALANA PORTER (EP LAUNCH) + CARLY SCERRI + JAMES GOWANS + THE WINTER SUNS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $10. ATOLLS + SLEEP DECADE + STU MACKENZIE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8. CLUB CRAIN + LOCK STOCKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;N GYPSIES + MISS NICHOLLS + RED LEADER Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. FED SQUARE TURNS 10 - FEAT: ANIMAUX + STONEFIELD Federation Square, Melbourne. 10:00am. HAYDEN CALNIN + I A MAN + VANCE JOY Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm. $12. LAST DINOSAURS + THE JUNGLE GIANTS + TWINSY Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $20. LITTLE DESERT + BAYOU + NATHAN HOLLYWOOD + RIVER OF HEAVEN Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. LITTLE SHADOW - FEAT: STOCKADES/ON SIERA/ FOXTROT + FOXTROT + ON SIERA + STOCKADES Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. LIZ BRADLEY Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 9:00pm. LOPAKA + CANCER EYES + TENDER BONES Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $5. MICHAEL PLATER & THE EXIT KEYS + TEX & DL DUO Tago Mago, Thornbury. 9:00pm. MUMFORD & SONS + EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS + WILLY MASON Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $89. NOT TODAY + KAILE JEWELL + PAUL WILLIAM + RAY IdgaďŹ&#x20AC; Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. $10. OH MERCY (DEEP HEAT TOUR) The Hi-ďŹ , Melbourne. 8:00pm. $20. RBS LIVE - FEAT: JAKUBI Red Bennies, South Yarra. 7:00pm. $10. ROSS DE CHENE HURRICANES + AUTUMN SPLENDOUR + BACON CAKES + THE NUGS Gasometer

Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $5. SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS + LONESOME Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. SPIKE THE ARTIST Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. SUNLARK Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 9:00pm. TANTALUM + COOPER STREET + THE ANDROGYNY + WE DISAPPEAR Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. TESSA & THE TYPECAST + THE FOX PARTY + THE NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $8. THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS + CERES + SKYWAYS ARE HIGHWAYS: EP LAUNCH Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. THE INDIAN SKIES + ELEPHANT Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. THE LAST NIGHT ON JUPITER + AIRCRAFTE + ALYCE & DARCY GUMLEY + LIEUTENANT JAM + MARMOSET + TRIALS OF RESONANCE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ACOUSTIC NIGHT 29th Apartment, St Kilda. 9:30pm. ACOUSTIC NIGHT 29th Apartment, St Kilda. 8:30pm. CLARE BOWDITCH The Regal Ballroom, Northcote. 7:30pm. $45. GUY KABLE Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. IAIN ARCHIBALD BAND + KINGS OF KARMA Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10. JAMES COLLINS + TIM GUY SOLO Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. JIM GREEN + ANDY + MAREE DAFFY + SAM LEMANN + SCOTT Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $8. JUDE PEARL + AL PARKINSON + LAUREN GLEZER Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. $5. MATT GREEN Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Acoustic Cafe, Collingwood. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC Arcadia Hotel, South Yarra. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm. PHILLIP MICHAEL VASILIADES & SUBURBAN COCOON (ALBUM LAUNCH) + BOLTEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BLUNDER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. SIMON PHILLIPS Two Brothers Brewery, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. STRINGS N THINGS ACOUSTIC JAM NIGHT Kinglake Pub, Kinglake. 8:00pm. THE PUTBACKS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm. THE RAPALAS + CALLUM SHAW + LEAH SENIOR

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Beat Magazine Page 70

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5. WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU - FEAT: THE VELVETS + LUNA GHOST + THE MIND FLOWERS Pony, Melbourne. 8:00pm. WILLOW DARLING The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ALWAN Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 9:30pm. KIRA PURU & THE BUISE + MONEY FOR ROPE + THE PRETTY LITTLES ToďŹ&#x20AC; In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12. MOTOWN THURSDAYS Fashion Lounge, Melbourne. 5:00pm. OVEREASIES Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 8:00pm. PRINCE ALBERT Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. QUINCE JAM + BRAE GRIMES + TIM WILLIS Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. REFLEJOS MUSIQUE Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $15. SALSA EXPLOSION - FEAT: DEL BARRIO First Floor, Fitzroy. 11:00pm. SAVING CLEOPATRA Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. SIMON BURKE TRIO 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. STEPHANIE MONK 7 Dizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. SUPERJUICE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. SYZYGY Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. THE CACTUS CHANNEL - FEAT: THE CACTUS CHANEL Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10. THE JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET + RUBY PAGE The Commune, East Melbourne. 6:00pm. THE RE-THINK PROJECT Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY 26 OCT ROCK/POP

23 ANGLES OF ATTACK + ABLAZE + MOSE & THE FMLY + THE SMOKING ACES Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:30pm. 2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: DIRTY F + DJ THROBULATOR Pony, Melbourne. 2:00am. ACOUSTIC SESSIONS - FEAT: TONY KOPA Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 5:30pm. ALYSIA MANCEAU + COLD HANDS WARM HEART + HOY + THE TEN IN ONE Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $8. BAD TASTE + COPSE & DJ MYNOTT + THE KILNIKS Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $10. CAVERN CLUB - FEAT: PHIL SMITH Mount Dandenong Hotel, Olinda. 8:00pm. CHOP SQUAD + PORCH MONKEYS + ROSENCRANTS + UNICYCLE INVENTORS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. CITADEL RECORDS - FEAT: DOM MARIANI + DENIZ TEK + NICK SHEPHERD + PENNY IKINGER Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $25. CITY VS COUNTRY (EP LAUNCH) - FEAT: CITY V COUNTRY + THEM BRUINS + WE WOULD SLEEP Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13. COERCE + LITTLE SHADOW + MILHOUSE + THE UNION PACIFIC Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $10. EASY STAR ALL STARS The Hi-ďŹ , Melbourne. 7:30pm. $44. EINSTEINS TOYBOYS Musicland, Fawkner. 9:00pm. $10. FAMMES FATALE - FEAT: HETTY KATE & THE TWENTY 20S + BARBARA BLAZE & THE KAHUNA DADDIES + STELLA ANGELICO & THE SWITCH The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5. GOOD HEAVENS + LOW TIDE + SARAH MARIE CHADWICK + SUMMERLAKE Tote Hotel, Colling-

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC CANNONBALL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20. JAMES SHERLOCK TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. KUNJANI Dizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20. THE F100S Highway 31, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE RITA SATCH BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm.

When triple j listeners voted for their Hottest 100 Australian albums of all time last year, Gypsy & The Catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gilgamesh made it to number 91. Whether this fact holds any value is irrelevant, because at the very least, it serves to prove that this dream-pop duo made some serious waves with that ďŹ rst release. They came, they conquered, and then they disappeared into 2012. Now theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve resurfaced with a fresh new album full of pretty sounds just itching to be swayed and sung along to by you. Yep, you. Catch the boys in all their hazy glory this Friday October 26 at The Palace Theatre. VIKINGO DE JEREZ Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

SATURDAY 27 OCT ROCK/POP

RE-

OPE

NIN

G!!!

2AM LATE SHOW - FEAT: DIRTY HARRIET & THE HANGMEN + DJ MR SHARP Pony, Melbourne. 2:00am. A SLEEPLESS WINTER + EVACUATE THE FALLEN + EXPOSERES + LITTLE LEAGUE + THIS FIASCO IdgaďŹ&#x20AC; Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. $5. ALL HALLOWS EVE - FEAT: THE WOOHOO REVUE + EL MOTH + GHOST ORKID + KILL YA DARLINGS + LOTEK + MORTISVILLE + THE BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:30pm. $29. ANDREW MORRIS + SWEET JEAN + ZAC GUNTHORPE Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $12. ARTIST PROOF Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 4:00pm. ATOLLS + SLEEP DECADE National Hotel, Geelong. 8:00pm. $8. BANG - FEAT: LORD + ELECTIK DYNAMITE + HYBRID

NIGHTMARES Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $20. BITTER SWEET KICKS + ADAM HYNES + CITIZEN + MAMMOTH MAMMOTH + VICE GRIP PUSSIES Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. BJ WINTERS + LES GARCONS + SHABON + THE GROVES Pony, Melbourne. 9:00pm. BURIED FEATHER + BAPTISM OF UZI + DJ MATT STABS + THE SUN BLINDNESS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $12. C*NTS + BACKWARDS ZOMBIE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:05pm. CLAMPDOWN Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. CROSSROADS + ACOUSTICA + ALISTAIR KING Edwards Place, Reservoir. 8:00pm. DESERTERS + CAL WALKER + MESSRS VAN + MR ASHLEY NAYLOR Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DOUBLEBACK + WILD TURKEY Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. DV8 - FEAT: HORROR MANNEQUINS + DEVOID

BRIDGEWATER + DJ SHAKY MEMORIAL + WHITE SUMMER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. BROOKE TAYLOR Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 9:00pm. BUCK JR Glenlyon General Store, Glenlyon. 8:00pm. CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS + 100 ACRE WOODS + GUY KABLE Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. CLARE BOWDITCH The Regal Ballroom, Northcote. 7:30pm. DAN BOURKE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:00pm. DIVINA PROVIDENCIA + AMY GANTER + THE LOVE & THE SQALORS 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. FLY SAUCER SPEAKEASY - FEAT: PUGSLEY BUZZARD The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $20. FLYING ENGINE STRINGBAND Railway Hotel, Fitzroy North. 9:30pm. GARETH EUNSON & THE BIG SMALL Post OďŹ&#x192;ce Hotel, Coburg. 10:30pm. IAN BLAND Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. JAME FORBES Two Brothers Brewery, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. JAMES REYNE LIVE The Hawthorn, Hawthorn. 8:30pm. $25. JIMI HOCKINGS BLUES MACHINE Brycees Tavern, Mooroolbark. 9:30pm. JOSH MOORE + BELLA JABARA Balaclava Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm. MERRI CREEK PICKERS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. OPEN MIC & JAMM NIGHT + OPEN MIC St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 8:00pm. ROBERT FORSTER Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8:00pm. $35. SCOTTISH KISS Bar Betty, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. SYREN + JSHWA & MATTRICKS + PHEOBE JACOBS Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. THE BOYS + SARAH HUMPHRIES + TIM HUMPHRIES Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10. THE LESLIE AVRIL BAND + ANDY BAYLOR + PAUL GADSBY + RON MAHONY + SAM LEMANN Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8:00pm. TRIO AGOGO 303, Northcote. 6:00pm. TULLY ON TULLY (SINGLE LAUNCH) + SUNK JUNK + THNKR John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. VANGUARDS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

GYPSY & THE CAT

Alex Gow and his bandmates spent the beginning of 2012 in America touring and recording, the latter of which was completed in the artsy little universe of Portland in this big stone house/studio next to a pine forest. The resulting album has put a little umbrella in a coconut, blown up the pool lounge and is currently ďŹ&#x201A;oating serenely in the praise of salivating reviewers all over. Does that sound like the saliva ďŹ lled the pool? Well, maybe it did. Deep Heat isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a splash but is going to become a beloved and longevous record for Oh Mercy fans, and will likely win them some new devotees as well. You can see the Melbourne four-piece play their forward-thinking pop at The Hi-Fi on Thursday October 25. Tickets are only $20 so go(w) for it.

DRO

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

OH MERCY

BAN

wood. 8:00pm. GYPSY & THE CAT + NEW GODS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. HOT CHELLE RAE + CHER LLOYD Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 7:00pm. $90. ILDIKO Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 10:00pm. KIRA PURU & THE BRUISE + MONEY FOR ROPE Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $12. LAST DINOSAURS + THE JUNGLE GIANTS + TWINSY Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $20. MARY OF THE MOON Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10. PIONEERS OF GOOD SCIENCE + THE HONEY BADGERS + THE SUMMERVILLES Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:00pm. PLAGUE DOCTOR + CHILDREN OVERBOARD + DEAD RIVER DEEPS Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. PLASTIC SPACEMAN + CLEVELAND BLUES + RED X + SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS Pony, Melbourne. 9:00pm. QUIET CHILD + BEFORE DAYS END + GET TO THE CHOPPER + RIOT IN TOYTOWN Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10. RAMSHACKLE ARMY + DJ WHORE-ALL-SUMMER + HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS + JIMMY STEWART + SONS OF LEE MARVIN Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10. ROOTS OF REDEMPTION Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:45pm. THE BELLASTRADES & MERCIANS (SPLIT LAUNCH PARTY) + AIRCRAFTE + LES GARCONS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:45pm. $10. THE DETONATORS Tago Mago, Thornbury. 9:00pm. THE KILNIKS + BAD TASTE + DJ MYNOTT + PONS & CORPSE Noise Bar, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE SMART + INC3DO + PLUDO Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $15. THE TRANSATLANTICS (ALBUM LAUNCH) + DJ CHRIS GILL + THE CACTUS CHANNEL + THE PUTBACKS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12. THE VENUS GIRLS The South Melbourne Trader, South Melbourne. 7:00pm. THEM SWOOPS + ARGENTINA + TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $12. VALIE JEAN + DISASTERS + THE SEAFORD MONSTER IdgaďŹ&#x20AC; Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. $5. WOOSHIE + AMIN PAYNE + CARMEX + FLASH FOREST + MELLOW MAN + SILENT JAY Mercat Cross, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

THE PUBLIC BAR 238 VICTORIA ST, NORTH MELBOURNE

WEDNESDAY 24TH OCT

BROTHERS GRIM & THE BLUE MURDERS THE DEATH RATTLES RATTLINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BONES BLACKWOOD 8:30PM $10

SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS LONESOME SPECIAL GUEST 8:30PM $10

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SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Beat Magazine Page 71

OF ALL + TRANSIENCE Cbd Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. EMPIRE + CHANGE ATLANTIC + DRIVEN TO THE VERGE + IN A MEMORY + SECONDS BEFORE SUNRISE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. FRASER A GORMAN & BIG HARVEST (SINGLE LAUNCH) + THE BLUEBOTTLES + THE HARPOONS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10. GRAND RAPIDS (SINGLE LAUNCH) + FIRE BEHAVING AS AIR + LUNAIRE + TRAPPIST AFTERLAND Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. GREASY HAWAIIANS Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 9:00pm. HALLOWEEN PARTY - FEAT: I VALIANCE + CONSCIOUS CONTROL + DREAMS IN MONOCHROME + RED SKY MOURNING Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $12. HEAVY MAG LAUNCH - FEAT: NOTHING SCRED + A MILLION DEAD BIRDS LAUGHING + INVOLUNTARY CONVULSION + NABERUS + ORPHEUS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. HOLLIAVA (EP LAUNCH) + SKYLION + SOUNDS OF SIRUS + STRATHMORE + THE ELLIOTTS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10. INTENSE HAMMER RAGE + BELLIGERENT INTENT + ICONIC VIVISECT + WHORETOPSY Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $12. KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON + HARRY HOOKEY Regent Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. LEB I SOL + MIMI VELEVSKA The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $55. NICK BARKER & THE REPTILES + DAVE LARKIN Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $22. OSKERBICK Idgaff Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 2:20pm. PATRIARCHAL DEATH MACHINE + AIDS + COUNTERATTACK + DEGENERATES + DISPARO Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $10. PLUDO (SINGLE LAUNCH) + BRECIK + MIDI WIDOW + MILANDRA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15. PUGSLEY BUZZARD Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $10. ROCK HORROR - FEAT: VOODOOCAIN + DARCEE FOX SMOKING ACES + EASY PLEASE + TEMPLE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $15. SONS ET AL (SEE ME RUN LAUNCH) + ALTA + KOLORS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12. SORDID ORDEAL + DELUSIONS OF GRANDUER + DIAMONDS OF NEPTUNE + HEX 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $5. SUNN O))) + PELICAN Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $55. THE BREADMAKERS + DJ BRUCE MILNE The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10. THE FREE NUNS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm. THE SHAMBELLES Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. TIARYN Wesley Anne, Northcote. 5:30pm. TIN SPARROW + DIRT FARMER + HAYLEY COOPER Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15. WEDNESDAY 13 Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $44. ZOUNDS + ALEXANDER THOM + JESS LOCKE Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ANDY WHITE & KAVISHA MAZZELLA The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. BURN IN HELL + MONTY & THE DEAD HORSES Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. CHARLES BABY + ELIZA HULL + THE GROVES John

Q&A

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC COLAB Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm. EL-DE Tago Mago, Thornbury. 9:00pm. KRISTINA MILTIADOU Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:00pm. LA MAUVAISE REPUTATION Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. LAMINE SONKO & THE AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm. MELBOURNE JAZZ CO TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE EMMA GILMARTIN QUARTET + RAJ JAYAWEERA Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $25. THE HIGH SOCIETY Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. THE JOHN MONTESANTE QUARTET Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.

SUNDAY 28 OCT ROCK/POP AVERSIONS CROWN + ATTICUS TOLD ME + BROOKLYN + HARD REIGN + KONTACT + THORNS Phoenix Youth Centre, Footscray. 2:00pm. $10. BABERHAM LINCOLN Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St

Kilda. 7:00pm. BEC FITZGIBBON + JENNA DE BONO Gertrudes Brown Couch, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. BIG WORDS Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:00pm. CATHERINE TRAICOS + ANNA SMYRK & THE APPETITES + TRACY MCNEIL BAND Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1:30pm. $10. CLINKERFIELD Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DEAD END - FEAT: BURN IN HELL + DRUNK MUMS + THE SNOWDROPPERS + CHERRYWOOD + DOUBLE BLACK Corner Hotel, Richmond. 6:00pm. $18. ESC + JULES SHELDON + KNIFESHOP Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. EXTORTION + INTERNAL ROT + NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT + RORT + STARVATION + TRENCH SISTERS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 6:00pm. $10. FEED YR MUNKIE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:00pm. HOUNDSTEETH + ELLIOT FRIEND + STEPH HILL & THE MISSING FUNDAMENTAL Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. $5. JACK CARTY + JACKSON MCLAREN + PINKY BEECROFT Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $15. JANE DUST (ALBUM LAUNCH) + THE PAUL KIDNEY EXPERIENCE Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 1:06pm. $10. JULITHA RYAN Pure Pop Courtyard, St Kilda. 5:30pm. LORD + ELECTRIK DYNAMITE National Hotel, Geelong. 8:00pm. MAN CUB + 3 MILE FIELD + BK ULTRA & CODIX + EMPTYNESS + IVAN OOZE + JACKY T + LUCA BLISS + SIMPLISTIC + TOMCAT Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. MARICOPA WELLS + INITIALS + NATHAN SEECKTS + SECONDHAND SQUAD + TIM HAMPSHIRE Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm. OPA 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5. PURO INSTINCT + ABSOLUTE BOYS + NO PANTS DJS + SUPER WILD HORSES Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $17. ROBERT FORSTER + TOBY MARTIN + YOUTH GROUP Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $30. SKILL OF REMISSION + AVALERION + OUTSKIRTS OF MAYHEM Idgaff Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. SPARKSPITTER + HOT PALMS + SAN GRAS + SWIMMING John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. SWANEE + A FEMME + FOREVER YOUNG + JOHN DALLIMORE + MC KEN MURDOCH St Kilda Memo, St Kilda. 3:00pm. THE BREAST GIG IN TOWN - FEAT: THE LATONAS + SHIPS PIANO + SHOOT THE SUN + THE CORSAIRS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. $12. THE GIRLS WHO SOLD THE WORLD Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:30pm. $10. TIM RICHMOND (ALBUM LAUNCH) + PINTO + THE ICYPOLES Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $10. TUB O VAS + THE MINUTE TAKERS + THE RIDING HOOD Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. WHIPLASH FESTIVAL - FEAT: MINEMIC + DAWN HEIST + LYNCHMADA + UNEARTHLY The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 12:00pm. $45. WILLIE COLON + FONSECA + NEW GODS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

My old buddy Craig Pilkington did it onto his 2” tape machine at his rippin’ studio Audrey. I don’t like recording that much, it makes me tense, so it was important to have someone I trusted. I toured a lot with Craig, with Mick Thomas, so we’ve been at the coal face together. The Reptiles are truly the sum of their parts, as in none of us, with the exception of Adrian, are truly great musos, so recording isn’t a walk in the park, but that’s what’s great about a band and something I’ve missed. It is what it is and there’s a strange freedom in that. It’s not a complicated message. So, Nick Barker, you’ve been bent over the years, but you will not break? Financially perhaps! Bending is what this industry is all about, being able to adapt. Pick your battles? Like Guerilla warfare! I’ve gone from the six-ﬁgure recording budgets of the late ‘80s to making records for the price of a VC commodore. Sometimes we all feel like that bloody cat on that card (hangin’ on by a claw), but fuck it, what else would I do? You hand picked Dave Larkin to open for you? He’s brings in all the hip young girls. The Bend Not Break single launch takes place on Saturday October 27 at Cherry Bar. Have you played there before and was there a reason you chose AC/ DC Lane Nick? I’m thinking of your lead role in the Bon Scott stage production Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be. Cherry is the true home of rock’n’roll in Melbourne, there’s a lot of venues in our town, but few take the responsibility of putting on original local acts as seriously as Cherry Bar and that’s important for bands. I’m sick of turning up at venues to see a chalk board out the front with tonight Nick Parker (true story) on it!

LAMINE This is certainly a guy to watch. Lamine Sonko’s last gig at The B.East near tore the roof oﬀ the joint, which would have been sad for all burger and fancy beer lovers of Lygon Street. But they invited him back to try again. Nuts. It’s this Saturday October 27 and it costs nada. Go get your lid ﬂipped.

THURSTON MOORE If you like music, you probably like Sonic Youth. And if you like Sonic Youth, you know about Thurston Moore. If you don’t, all you need to know is that his aural adventures with the band became the blueprint for the rise of indie-rock and his restless collaborative spirit has also seen him fashion a place for himself in the worlds of noise rock, post-punk, hardcore and no wave. He is like, that guy of the alternative music scene. He will be performing at the Hamer Hall this Thursday October 25 as part of Melbourne Festival at 8pm, get your tickets through Ticketmaster.

60 SECONDS WITH… THE GRAND RAPIDS

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB Standard Hotel, Fitzroy.

NICK BARKER & THE REPTILES

Nick Barker and the Reptiles are back. What was the pivotal moment when you decided it could happen? The boys came to a Wreckery reunion show and that was the first time we’d been in the same room all together in a long time and it was good to see ‘em, so we floated the idea. After a fair bit of frustration with trying to organize a local pub show (they shall remain nameless), Jason Evans was at us to do The Community Cup, and that seemed perfect, not to mention more dignified than squabbling over cash. After 20 years apart, can a band find that ‘magic’ that made you a great rock n roll band? Reptiles members kept playing over the 20 years since the band split, so there is half the battle won. It took a few rehearsals but when you did the amount of gigs we did from ‘89-‘92 there’s a fair bit of muscle memory. So all the Reptiles have remained musos the whole time? Yep. Is there a chance you might actually be better than you were in your 20s? Be honest. It’s different, we used to play everything too fast, probably something to do with the schooners of vodka and staminade (don’t ask). I would say we have a better backbeat groove now. The youthful exuberance and running around has been replaced by a more Stonesy feel and better guitar tones. With wisdom comes...what? Hard to answer that without sounding like Gandalf. I dunno, regret? Your new single Bend Not Break is a stomping pub-rock anthem. Where did you record it and with whom?

Beat Magazine Page 72

Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. $12. CHELSEA DRUGSTORE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. COLD HEART Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. DARYL ROBERTS St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 1:00pm. MICHAEL WAUGH Bebida, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. MUSIKUNST PRESENTS - FEAT: MITCHELL BRENNAN + NICK SENGER + TIM COSTER Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 4:00pm. PHEASANT PLUCKERS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. ROD PAINE& THE FULLTIME LOVERS Elsternwick Hotel, Elwood. 9:30pm. SAINT JUDE Post Oﬃce Hotel, Coburg. 10:30pm. SARAH HUMPHREYS Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 9:00pm. SATURDAY ACOUSTIC REVUE - FEAT: LITTLE MAY + ANTHONY YOUNG + KURTIS GENTLE Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. $10. SATURDAY ACOUSTIC REVUE FEAT. RICHARD PERSO + JUNIOR BOWLES + THE FRY BROTHERS + JUNIOR BOWLES + THE FRY BROTHERS Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 8:00pm. $10. SKYSCRAPPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. STONEY JOE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. THE BOOGALOOS & HIGHWAY 41 HORNS St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 9:00pm. THE NUDGELS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm. THE QUARRY MOUNTAIN DEAD RATS + LITTLE WING + STONEY JOE Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. THE STAFFORDS + INVISIBLE CITY Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 9:00pm. TINSLEY WATERHOUSE BAND Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. TRACY MCNEIL BAND Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

What can we expect from Nick Barker And The Reptiles at this launch? Probably not Lady fuckin’ Gaga! NICK BARKER AND THE REPTILES play Cherry on Saturday 27 October with support from Dave Larkin. Tickets are $22 (includes booking fee) available at cherrybar.com.au or on the door.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Define your genre in five words or less: No wave psych invasion. What do you love about making music? The wildly varying nature of songwriting going from the most complex, drawn out, mind bendingly intricate to the “here’s two chords and the job is done.” Also the whole recording process and one chord wig outs. Oh, and the giant hole in the ground we keep pouring the money into. What do you hate about the music industry? What’s happening to the riders? What can a punter expect from your live show? Massive square waves of fuzz guitar, taxman bass lines, caveman drums, sonic sounds, pedals galore, smoke machines, drone machines, projectors, big hair and good reverberations. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Limited 7” single of Blow Up at the show this Saturday or you can download it from iTunes. When’s the gig and with who? The Blow Up single launch is at Yah Yahs this Saturday October 27 with the more than wonderful Fire Behaving As Air, Lunaire and Trappist Afterland Band. You will jump on the magic bus with a one way ticket to oblivion and you won’t care as we take you on a trip across the psychedelic spectrum! It’s free as. Describe the worst gig you have ever played. Went down to Tassie to do a couple of shows with the Whiskey Go Go’s a few years back and half of the band missed their flight to Launceston for the first show. Being the last flight of the day they had to fly to Hobart and hire a car to get there just in time for the show. Got very drunk waiting around chewing fingernails. Truly horrible playing when you can’t even see your guitar. Lots of clown shoes being worn that day. What makes a good musician? Knowing when not to play. Where would you like to be in five years? The future.

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

SAT 27 OCT

FRI 26 OCT

PLAGUE DOCTOR

GRAND RAPIDS

DEAD RIVER DEEPS CHILDREN OVERBOARD

THU 25 OCT

MISS NICHOLLS LOCK STOCK’N GYPSIES RED LEADER

FANTA PANTS

LATE TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY

FREE ENTRY

TUNES: LATE / FREE ENTRY

FREE ENTRY

MAX IMPACT (THE PRIMARY) FREE ENTRY

KNIFESHOP

FRI NOV 2 / FREE ENTRY: SUN NOV 4 / FREE ENTRY:

HELLO WEEN

DRESS: HALLOWEEN

MON NOV 5 / CUP EVE / FREE ENTRY: FRI NOV 9 / FREE ENTRY:

INTOXICA, THE WARDENS SAT NOV 10 / 12-5PM:

FREE ENTRY

SAT NOV 10 / 8PM:

(EP LAUNCH)

SUNDAYS NOV 11 & 18 / FREE ENTRY:

JULITHA RYAN & HER 7 PIECE BAND SAT NOV 17:

TALL BUILDINGS, CABINS

(DUO)

HELLO SAILOR VINTAGE & CRATE DIGGER RECORD FAIR PLASTIC SPACEMEN

(SYD / ALBUM LAUNCH)

DOORS 5.00PM / BANDS 7.30PM / FREE ENTRY

(WEEN TRIBUTE BAND)

SPOONFUL

KNIEVEL

JULES SHELDON

DOORS 5.00PM / BANDS 9.00PM / FREE ENTRY

THU NOV 1 / FREE ENTRY:

WICKED CITY SPERMAIDS, CUT

SAT 3 NOV

(ESC)

COMING UP THE CITRADELS THE QUIVERS

DOORS 5.00PM / BANDS 9.00PM / FREE ENTRY

RICHIE 1250

SUN 28 OCT

OPEN TIL 5AM

FIRE BEHAVING AS AIR LUNAIRE TRAPPIST AFTERLAND

DOORS 5.00PM / BANDS 9.00PM / FREE ENTRY

CLUB CRAIN

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

TIX ON SALE NOW FROM OZTIX

DRAWN FROM BEES

(ALBUM LAUNCH)

SAT NOV 24:

HIGH FANGS

(ALBUM LAUNCH)

WED 24 OCT

MILK

DISCONCERTO VERTIGO THE GROVES, THE BRAVES THU 25 OCT (7.00PM) COBRA:

‘MASSACRED BY MOTHER NATURE’ BY LEE GAMBIN BOOK LAUNCH

BAR

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

LATER (8.30PM): WED 24 OCT

SAT 27 OCT

MON 29 OCT

TRASH FAIRYS

AGENCY DUB COLLECTIVE

SCREEN SECT FILM CLUB

10PM / FREE

(CORRADO FARINA, 1973)

HIGH TIDE

SUB DETONATOR

8PM / FREE

THU 25 OCT

CITRUS JAM

SALT LAKE CITY SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND PURPLE TUSKS 9PM / FREE

FRI 26 OCT

DUB THE MAGIC DRAGON

“BABA YAGA”

EM VÉCUE AQUIEU ZAC KEILLER X IN O

MAKE IT UP CLUB

7.30PM

7PM

GOOD HEAVENS

AUTOMATING

COMING UP

W/ GUESTS

8.30PM

GEEK PIE

1.00AM FREE

(QLD)

9.00PM

DIRTY F

CUP EVE

MON 5 NOV

SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL GUEST

2.00AM FREE TUNES:

THROBULATOR

BACKWARDS ZOMBIE

LATER (8.30PM) ‘HEAVY’ MAG LAUNCH:

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

FEATURING

LOW TIDE, SARAH MARIE CHADWICK SUMMERFLAKE

CUNTZ

BOOKINGS: ANDY FANTAPANTS@BAROPEN.COM.AU

PLASTIC SPACEMAN CLEVELAND BLUES SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS REDX

LATER (8.30PM) - ON SALE NOW:

SAT 27 OCT RESIDENCY / 5 - 7PM:

WED 31 OCT: HALLOWEEN PARTY WITH CABIN FEVER, WHITE VEINS IDLE MINDS, DOT THE EYES THURS 1 NOV: GRAVEL SAMWIDGE MIDNIGHT CALLER, DEAD RIVER

“Shout ‘til you’re a little horse”

“WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU” THE VELVETS THE MIND FLOWERS LUNA GHOST

FRI 26 OCT (8.00PM) COBRA:

TUE 30 OCT

SUN 28 OCT

10PM / FREE

FRI 26 OCT

BAYOU, NATHAN HOLLYWOOD RIVER OF HEAVEN KITTY ROCK BUMP N GRIND BURLESQUE

7PM

LIQUID FUNK ORCHESTRA

THU 25 OCT

LITTLE DESERT

SAT 27 OCT

BJ WINTERS THE GROVES SHABON LES GARCONS

9.00PM

DIRTY HARRIET & THE HANGMEN

2.00AM FREE TUNES:

MR SHARP

3.00AM FREE

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

COMING SOON THURS 1 NOV: HONEY SMACK, THE GROVES, IVORY ELEPHANT THURS 1 NOV (LATE SHOW): HUMBUG, FREE ENTRY FRI 2 NOV (LATE SHOW): RATTLIN’ BONES BLACKWOOD FREE ENTRY SAT 3 NOV: EMERSON, LEFT FOR WOLVES, THE EMPIRE, OF STOLEN MOMENTS SAT 3 NOV (LATE SHOW): THE CHEATS, FREE ENTRY MON 5 NOV / CUP EVE: WOLFPACK, GLENN & THE PEANUT BUTTERMEN, THE TURPS (NSW), FOXTROT, BENNY MAYHEM, KODIAK THROAT, SON OF SET MON 5 NOV / CUP EVE (LATE SHOW): SECRET INTERNATIONAL BAND, FREE ENTRY THURS 8 NOV (LATE SHOW): CALADONIA, FREE ENTRY

NOTHING SACRED

A MILLION DEAD BIRDS LAUGHING ORPHEUS, NABERUS SUN 28 OCT (5.00PM) ‘THE BREAST GIG IN TOWN’ FUNDRAISER

THE LATONAS

THE CORSAIRS, SHOOT THE SUN SHIPS PIANO TIX ON SALE NOW FROM OZTIX.COM.AU: COSMIC PSYCHOS SUN 4 NOV - 3RD & FINAL SHOW ON SALE! USELESS EATERS (USA) FRI 16 NOV VIOLENT SOHO SAT 17 NOV POP BOOMERANG 10TH BDAY SUN 18 NOV GAY PARIS FRI 30 NOV POUR HABIT (USA) SAT 2 DEC DEVIL’S KITCHEN SAT 5 JAN 2013 CBT (GER) FRI 11 JAN 2013 MARK PATTON (“COME BACK TO THE 5 AND DIME JIMMY DEAN JIMMY DEAN” - Q&A) TUE 22 JAN 2013 DIRTY BEACHES SUN 10 FEB

3.00AM FREE

(LATE SHOW)

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

71 JOHNSTON STREET (CNR WELLINGTON ST) COLLINGWOOD PH: 9419 5320 BAND BOOKINGS: AMANDA@BAROPEN.COM.AU WWW.THETOTEHOTEL.COM

TOTE OPEN: TUESDAY - SUNDAY 4.00pm ‘TIL LATE

Beat Magazine Page 73

60 SECONDS WITH…

SLEEPY DREAMERS

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

ACCESS ALL AGES Wednesday October 24, 2012 With Ruth Mihelcic

LEE RANALDO This dude took a 30 year tour of duty with Sonic Youth, a band that came to define alternative music (see: Thurston Moore gig bit on these very pages). Lee Ranaldo is a guitarist without measure. Performing solo with his new group in Australia for the first time, Ranaldo brings to bear his three decades of experience to craft a live show that is powerful and ever-changing, oscillating between bracing indie rock, quiet introspection and, of course, the spontaneous guitar-fuzz overloads he’s famous for. See Lee Renaldo and guests as part of Melbourne Festival at The Hi-Fi from 8.30pm tonight. Tickets are $45 through Moshtix, get on it. 7:30pm. BENEFIT FOR BERRY STREET - FEAT: THE CHARLIES + RED BELLY BLACK + SHAMBELLES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 2:00pm. CHAISE LOUNGE - FEAT: JANE MCARTHUR + ASHLEY CARMODY + BENJAMIN CARTER + RUSTY DOUGLAS Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 4:00pm. CHERRYWOOD + RICH DAVIES & THE DEVIL’S UNION + STONEY JOE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6. CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN - FEAT: CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK + DJ MAX CRAWDADDY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. DOC WHITE & BRODERICK SMITH St Andrews Hotel, St Andrews. 3:00pm. EATEN BY DOGS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. ESTEE BIG BAND Penny Black, Brunswick. 5:00pm. GILES FIELD + GRIZZLY JIM LAWRIE + KATE WALKER + MATT & ADAM 303, Northcote. 3:00pm. $5. JAMS Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. JIMI HOCKING Wheelers Hill Hotel, Wheelers Hill. 8:00pm. JOHN FLEMING + LAURA K CLARKE + TIM WOODZ Tonik Bar, Kensington. 6:00pm. LINDSAY FIELD SAM & SEE & GLYN MASON - FEAT: LINDSAY FIELD & SAM SEE & GLYN MASON Carringbush Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm. MALCURA Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 3:00pm. PRINCESS PLANET Town Hall Hotel, North Melbourne. 5:00pm. QUEEN & CONVICT Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm. RAMSHACKLE BAND + SMOKIN’ SAM & THE BLUES CARGO Tago Mago, Thornbury. 4:30pm. ROESY + ALEX BURNS TRIO Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm. ROSS WILSON & THE PEACENIKS Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 3:00pm. $30. SHANAKEE Bay Hotel, Mornington. 3:00pm. SHIVERING TIMBERS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND Wesley Anne, Northcote. 2:00pm. $8. SUNDAY SINGER-SONGWRITER SESSIONS - FEAT: TARA SPACKMAN + DRU CHEN Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4:00pm. SWAMPLANDS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. TERRY HART Elwood Lounge, Elwood. 6:30pm. THE CUDGELS Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 7:00pm. THE FLOORS + BLACK RIVER REBELLION Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm. THE SLEEPY DREAMERS + DANI LEEVER + SEAN M WATSON + THE PEEKS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 1:30pm. $6.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE The Horn African Music Lounge, Collingwood. 7:00pm. CLASSICAL REVOLUTION Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. ERAN JAMES Palais, Hepburn Springs. 3:00pm. QUARTER STREET ORCHESTRA The Night Cat, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. ROB BURKE’S 50TH CELEBRATION Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. STATES OF PLAY Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. SUNDAY SINGER-SONGWRITER SESSIONS FEAT.

CLASSIFIEDS

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MUSICIANS WANTED 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. Beat Magazine Page 74

HOLLIAVA Fans have been sitting on their hands and twiddling their thumbs but finally, it’s time. Holliava launch their long-awaited debut Antihero at The Corner Hotel this Saturday October 27, headlining a five band massive bill that also features SkyLion, Sounds Of Sirus, The Elliotts and Strathmore. Tickets are just $10 (c’mon guys, that’s $2 a band! Amazing!) from the venue website or box office. TARA SPACKMAN + DRU CHEN + DRU CHEN Chandelier Room, Moorabbin. 4:00am.

MONDAY 29 OCT ROCK/POP ACOUSTIC SESSIONS - FEAT: LORENZO Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. CHERRY JAM - FEAT: HUGH KIRNE + LAKE MONSTERS + SON OF SET + THE LASALLES + VICTIMS OF SIN Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. CHERRY JAM - FEAT: SOOKY LA LA + 15 SECONDS + BRAVO JULIET + PHANTOM 309 + POSEIDON Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:02pm. FRANCOLIN + OFFICER PARROT + SCOTDRAKULA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $2. HEADSPACE + BAD BOYS BATACUDA + MS BUTT + THE DALE RYDER BAND Espy, St Kilda. 5:30pm. MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: LAKES + LIQUID HANDCUFFS + POP SINGLES Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 6:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK THE WEEPING WILLOWS + ALICIA ADKINS + FLYING SOUTH Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC ALLAN BROWNE’S THREE TURKS & A WASP Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15. HENRY MANNETTA & THE TRIP + ADAM RUDEGEAIR TRIO 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $8. MONASH UNIVERSITY RECITALS Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $12. NMIT RECITALS 303, Northcote. 6:00pm. $8.

TUESDAY 30 OCT ROCK/POP BILLY BRAGG (AIN’T NOBODY THAT CAN SING LIKE ME TOUR) + JORDIE LANE Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:15pm. $72. DAN KROCHMAL + FONTAINE + SOL + SPEAKEASY 303, Northcote. 7:30pm. $10. HOWARD + AMANITA + KIRKIS + SHIPS PIANO Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $2. HUMANS AS ANIMALS + POURPARLOUR + THE MCQUEENS Toﬀ In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10. MELBOURNE FRESH INDUSTRY SHOWCASE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $15. MICHELLE MEEHAN Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. MINING BOOM + HOT PALMS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $5. NMIT RECITALS - FEAT: JASON ROBERTS + KARI ROBINSON Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm. RED X Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. ZOOPHYTE Espy, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

Define your genre in five words or less: Happy fun times with harmonies! What do you love about making music? The collaborative input and hearing the songs take shape for the first time. We still love trying to find a four-part harmony in the songs we write. How long have you been gigging and writing? We've been together since the end of 2010, but have only been frequently gigging through this year. Hopefully something that we can keep up. We've been writing individually since goodness knows when! What inspires or has influenced your music the most? I think we have a pretty shared music taste, and it tends to be the bands we make a mental note of copying that inspire us the most. But we're also lucky to have very talented friends in band that inspire us as equally as any band out there. What makes you happiest about what you’re doing? Just doing it together! We're a very close group of friends and to be able to go and play shows together and share what we're doing with people is a huge plus. I can't speak for everyone in the band but that takes the cake for me. What can a punter expect from your live show? To see a bunch of happy boys on stage singing harmonies and dancing. We love playing live and hopefully our happiness is reflected by anyone lovely enough to come and see us. SLEEPY DREAMERS play The Evelyn this Sunday October 28.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BILLY BRAGG + JORDIE LANE Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 7:00pm. $72. GARETH EUNSON & THE BIG SMALL Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN + THE PRETTY LITTLES Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $12. LES THOMAS + ALISON FERRIER + RICH DAVIES Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. NEDDWELLYN Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Empress Hotel, North Fitzroy. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm.

JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/WORLD MUSIC AGOSTINA BRUNO Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. ALL BASES COVERED - FEAT: JOEL STORK & TOM FRASER Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. MAKE IT UP CLUB Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. MONASH UNIVERSITY RECITALS Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 7:30pm. $12. MORDIALLOC JAZZ ORCHESTRA Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14. THE HOWARD CAIRNS QUINTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:30pm. $15.

EXPERIENCED BAND BOOKER WANTED. If you’re experienced in booking bands and want to work with an experienced well known venue booker at a great venue in Melbourne’s music heartland then send us an email. Let us know a bit about yourself, what type of bands you’ve booked, where, contacts you have and how long you have been in the game and importantly what you may be able to bring. Be quick. Send email to: shimgapi@gmail.com

MUSICIANS WANTED. Inﬂuences: The Who, The Jam, Specials, Kinks, Yardbirds, Moons (UK), Creation, Oasis. Call 0433 726 449 *

FLAUNT IT. Internationally acclaimed producer of profeminist 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.

EMPLOYMENT

Also happening in November is the Spring Music Festival, presented by the Gasworks Arts Park. Held over three consecutive Sundays across November, the free all ages concert series will feature Jen Cloher with support from Courtney Barnett, experimental-pop duo The Twoks and legendary Australian performer Jenny Morris. For performance dates and more info check out gasworks.org.au. Next year promises to be full of high achievements across all of Melbourne Youth Music’s 8 orchestral, string, band and jazz ensembles. They’re currently inviting young musicians to explore the program and audition for 2013. There’s more info at mym. org.au and applications close this Friday. Funding of up to $15,000 is available to individual artists and groups to support Victorian regional, interstate and international touring projects. If you’re an original contemporary music act with a history of live performances and plans to tour, you’re eligible to apply. Applications close on Friday, head to arts.vic.gov.au for the details. In other news, the search is on for Victoria’s National Youth Week Young Member for 2013! The role requires undertaking media interviews, blogging on Youth Central, speaking at events, travelling across the state and to Canberra and participating in the planning of Victoria’s event calendar. It’s open to 16 – 25 year olds, for more info contact Kate Duncan on (03) 9096 1372 or email youthweek@dhs.vic.gov.au. And lastly, Youth Central is in the process of redesigning their website and want to find out what you think of what they’ve come up with. If you wanna have your say and get a $150 Visa card voucher (it’s like cash in your pocket) for your thoughts, head to youthcentral.vic.gov.au to register your interest.

ALL AGES TIMETABLE

Friday October 26 Hot Chelle Rae, Festival Hall, 300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, 6pm – 10:30pm, $89.90, ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, AA Eastern Regional Final - FReeZA Battle of the Bands, Brentwood Secondary College, Cnr Heath St & Watsons Rd, Glen Waverley, 6:30pm – 11pm, Samantha King on 9518 3900, AA Masquerade Ball – Parody Prom 4 w/ free prom photos, hors d’oeuvres, punch, and prizes, St David’s Hall, corner Mont Albert and Burke Roads, Camberwell, 7pm – 11pm, $20 door or $15 presale through Boroondara Youth Services or Alley Tunes (660A Glenferrie Rd), verity.wignall@boroondara. vic.gov.au or call 9835 7824, U18 Check In III - Ultra Violet Dance Party w/ DJ’s, prizes and a $500 home theatre system to giveaway, The Cube, 118 Hovell Street, Wodonga, 7:30pm – 11:30pm, $10, facebook.com/freeza. wodonga, U18

MALE,FEMALE,ALIEN BASS PLAYER WANTED! We`re a Melbourne based pro unit about to release our debut album. We love Q.O.T.S.A, Radiohead, The Kinks, Red Kross, The Beatles, Hendrix. The Pixies etc. We need a pro player with great gear/attitude/transport. Vocal ability would be great. We aim to take this thing as far as we possibly can. To rock with us contact Stav: 0405 204 293 atomicblissband@gmail.com www.atomicbliss.com.au *

VENUE IN FITZROY IS SEEKING BANDS in style of acoustic, funk, soul, rock-a-billy. Please send demo to drink@the86.com.au

Another column chock full of all ages news this week! We’re pleased to announce the addition of Kimbra and Soundwave’s AJ Maddah to the lineup of music industry speakers at Face The Music on November 16 and 17. Marking the first time either has spoken at a conference level, the In Conversation sessions will be a must see. They’ll be joining an extensive list of artists and professionals from all areas of the industry, which you can view at facethemusic.org.au. Register early to receive access emails to all the masterclasses, speed meetings and exclusive small group opportunities available throughout the event.

PAID PROMOTERS wanted for new Rock Club. Contact mark@gunnmusic.com.au for more details.

SUBMIT YOUR GIGS TO GIGGUIDE@BEAT.COM.AU

Saturday October 27 Skate & BMX North Western League Competition, Yea Skate Park, 11am – 5pm, skatepark.ymca.org.au Stuart on 5772 0712, AA Sunday October 28 Blkout w/ Negative Reinforcement, Starvation, Sumeru, Right Mind and Free World, Collingwood Masonic Centre, 141 Gipps Street, Abbotsford, $15, resistrecords.com, AA Hardcore Halloween w/ Atticus Told Me, Hard Reign, Kontact, Brooklyn, Thorns, and Aversions Crown, Phoenix Youth Centre, 72 Buckley Street, Footscray, 2pm – 6pm, $10 or $8 in Halloween costume, facebook.com/freeza.maribyrnong or Dejah Grull on 9091 4700, AA

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Established: Cranbourne Music is a family owned and operated business originally established in 1989. The Cranbourne Store located at 130 High St Cranbourne is as the name suggest where it all began before opening new stores in Melbourne CBD in 2002 and Blackburn in 2011.

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Main Brands and Products: The Cranbourne Store being the largest of the three stores stocks everything from pianos, keyboards, brass and wind, hi-tech, PA, guitars, amps, print music and all the accessories you could possibly need. We stock the top names in musical instruments including Yamaha, Fender, Gibson, Maton, Taylor, Behringer, Vox, Marshall, just to name a few.

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Point of Diﬀerence: Cranbourne Music Cranbourne is the largest store in the South East region. We have more than 20 years of experience and dedicated staﬀ who care about making sure you get not only the best product and the best price, but also the best experience with us and your new musical instrument. Upcoming Sales: Currently running our Spring Catalogue Sale (check www.cranbournemusic. com.au). Also keep an eye out in Beat every week till Christmas for more new products and advertised specials.

Phone: (03) 5995 5933 Website: www.cranbournemusic.com.au,

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Beat Magazine Page 76

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Photos by Peter Hodgson

LIVE Photos by Russell Murchie

REGURGITATOR The Hi-Fi , Friday October 12 Yup, if this gig was a person, I would be hugging it so tight right now it's eyes would be comically bulging out of it’s head. Particularly Atom, the fiery dynamo drummer from opening band Hedgehog, but no one will be spared from some overzealous hugging. Hedgehog, hailing from Beijing, condense the best parts of ‘90s college rock sounds into a rambunctious package of thudding drums, jangly guitars and wirey bass lines. Atom and guitarist ZO share vocal duties and their counterbalancing of song styles – languid stoner guitars one second, clattering punk noise the next – keep things very interesting. Bands like this reward you for showing up early. Where Hedgehog did not expect much from the audience, experimental noiseniks Senyawa existed to test the crowd, which was dominated by 30-something Gen Xers there to relive the glory days of local music – whatever that means. Rully Shabara’s vocal contortions conjured up Mike Patton’s adventures in microphone destruction – no, not Jonathon Davis from Korn, as some small-minded degenerate in my vicinity offered – while the curious instrument that Wukir Suryadi wielded kept the collective head-scratching going. Was it experimental world jazz or Indonesian thrash metal? It was better not to ask and simply take it all in. Much like Regurgitator’s eventual entrance to the stage, donning ‘80s hair-metal double denim while a pelvisthrusting John Travolta from 1983’s Staying Alive was projected on screen. The statement was clear: we will play our first two albums, Tu Plang and Unit, in their

entirety tonight, but we’re not going to take it particularly seriously. Hearing the genre mash and culture clash of both albums tonight, it’s hard to think of such records being so well received by the homogenised alt-radio of today – if it’s not Aussie hip hop or comfortable twindie folk, piss off! – but just as equally in the mid-'90s. Rapping one minute, jangly pop with gross-out humour the next, survived purely because they stood out like a welt. On the night, Unit is slightly better received but Tu Plang is performed better. Quan and Ben seem to force themselves through tracks like Polyester Girl and Black Bugs, yet F.S.O. and Social Disaster are still brimming with life. The crowd aren’t here for vast song reworkings; they’re tapping into a mainline of nostalgia surrounding Australian music, which explains the sea of people engulfing the merchandise stand after the show. This works for Senyawa, who were actually robbed earlier on the tour. A collection bucket at the merch desk slowly fills with coins, the odd note and hopefully some good karma. MITCHELL ALEXANDER LOVED: World Of Sleaze and remembering my parent’s horror when I played that song in the car as a ten-year-old. HATED: Dreadlocks. At a concert. It’s 2012 people. DRANK: Whatever Atom was drinking, although it may prove toxic for mortal beings.

DAPPLED CITIES The Corner Hotel, Friday October 12 On the back of another pearler of an album, Dappled Cities have built up a solid base of fans who want to hear new songs and old favourites with equal enthusiasm. Tonight, they delivered a reliably good performance, though were in danger of being overshadowed by their support band. Jape is not a band I was previously familiar with, but a quick listen to the Irish act’s latest album Ocean Of Frequency confirmed that this was a good match for Dappled Cities. For tonight’s incarnation of Jape, Richie Egan is joined by Glenn Keating, and they emphasis the ‘electro’ side of their sound with a set that sounds a lot like Hot Chip. An initially tentative crowd start to shuffle slightly, and then there’s a mid-set rush to fill the floor in front of the stage, as Egan enthuses “Yes, yes, come to the front!” Suddenly there’s rave stomping, wolf whistling and hands being waved in the air like nobody cares. Dappled Cities’ Tim and Dave are watching from the sidelines – either this is an easy crowd up for a wild Friday night, or a show-stealing support meaning that they have their work cut out for them. They scamper off as the DJ spins some extremely loud Daft Punk to maintain the party vibe. Considering the progression of the night so far and the strong electronic vibe of new album Lake Air, I had

expected to get a bit more of that sound come through on tonight’s Dappled Cities set. Instead, the band bypass some of the best uptempo electro-pop numbers like Real Love and Icecubes, while some of the anticipated new songs are weakened from losing some of their production sheen, notably Work In The Mould and Born At The Right Time. Unexpectedly, after such an amped-up support, it’s the more reﬂective songs that really shine in this set, notably the wonderful run of The Weekend, Waves and Wooden Ships. We get three songs each from the band’s previous two albums, all wonderful choices, though the one new song that really rises above them all as a live performance is the towering Run With The Wind. The encore is Cream, a ragged, jangly guitar track that stands as the one pre-Granddance number. It captures a simpler, less layered sound from the past and is a ﬁtting close to an entertaining night out of contrasting sets. CHRIS GIRDLER LOVED: A support well on par with the headliners. HATED: Not getting there in time to see Lowlakes. DRANK: Beer.

HUSKY The Corner Hotel, Thursday October 11 Husky Gawenda, the man at the centre of Melbourne four-piece Husky, is a sophisticated songwriter. Their sound includes remnants of Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson and some Bad Seeds-like arrangements. When the band were on target tonight at The Corner Hotel it was a momentous triumph. During Set opener Tidal Wave, and singles History’s Door and The Woods, the band sat comfortably alongside contemporaries The Decemberists, Midlake, and slotted somewhere between Boy & Bear and Angus Stone (if we’re to look closer to home). Husky’s tunes deal with individual drama and contain thought-provoking imagery. Without being exclusive, Husky relates impressions and interpretations of some of existence’s more challenging elements. Gawenda’s pitchcontrol was exact and his confident restrained ‘husking’ voice, with the occasional impassioned extension, was lovely honey to the ears. Despite this, there was an undercurrent of reticence in Husky’s show tonight. Formally speaking the sentiments are there, but for the most part they failed to strongly connect. The band played exceptionally well, in fact, in a technical sense Husky did not put a foot wrong. Similar to his vocals, Gawenda’s guitar playing had a sweet fibrous quality as he competently picked his way through curiously structured chord progressions. The backing vocals are one of the band’s most impressive features; tonight the three-part harmonies boosted the songs’ rustic allusions. The electric piano, especially the wurlitzer sounds, intensified the drama, leading them into ‘prog-folk’ territory, and the drums and bass were sturdily unwavering. However, there was not much danger in the execution of each member’s parts and the imperturbable playing impeded upon the heart-beat of the songs. The quasi-virtuosity displayed by the band was a little too Beat Magazine Page 78

studied and precise. For example, the piano playing was incredibly dexterous, and the pianist behaved as if he was getting lost in what he was playing (the only animation to be seen anywhere on stage), however he seemed very aware of what he was hearing, rather than overcome by the forces driving him. Additionally, while Husky are all great players, charisma sure isn’t their strong suit. Admittedly they were fresh off the plane after a lengthy period of overseas touring and it took them a while to ease into proceedings. Not everyone is an engrossing public speaker, but the band’s body language also conveyed distance, particularly in the first part of the show. Although it was presumably out of respect and anticipation, the crowd too kept very quiet, making it somewhat awkward. A highlight of the setlist was a new tune performed solo by Gawenda. He explained that the song, tentatively titled Wolfman, is written about things that “should be controlled but can’t be” (i.e. animal impulses, possibly a nod towards Herman Hesse’s Steppenwolf). Performing on his own and playing something that hadn’t been rehearsed and perfected, Husky’s most alluring aspects came to the fore. His honest vocals and understated song-craft (he does traipse around the fretboard but it’s not to show-off) have the ability to encourage a unifying embrace. AUGUSTUS WELBY LOVED: Support act Elana Stone's infectious tunes and hilarious banter. HATED: The cold weather making The Corner's rooftop a no-go. DRANK: Coopers Pale Ale from the bottle it was brewed in.

STEEL PANTHER Festival Hall, Sunday October 7 My Steel Panther experience was probably a bit different to most concertgoers. A contingent of media folk were collected in a stretch Hummer and driven around Melbourne while Steel Panther’s brilliant new live DVD The British Invasion played on the multiple screens throughout the behemoth vehicle. We were supplied with wine, beer and – oh sweet decadence – Barbecue Shapes before making a brief pitstop at Massive Wieners on Greville Street before being deposited at the band’s hotel to party with them in a penthouse suite. Guitarist Satchel held court with a discussion about the various uses for hair conditioner while pornstar Angela White choked vocalist Michael Starr with a leash. Jager was necked. Pink marshmallows were soaked in champagne and awkwardly gummed. Starr and drummer Stix Zadinia took turns slapping a stripper’s ass to see who could make it the reddest. Y’know, a typical evening with Steel Panther. We then piled into the Hummer again to head to Festival Hall where the real party began. I’ve seen Steel Panther on their home turf – the House of Blues in West Hollywood – several times over the years. Those sets are usually punctuated by covers and special guests (and one time a drunk Lindsay Lohan vagueing out in the audience). There’s always a healthy dose of irony and theatre at a Steel Panther show, but seeing them playing a full set of their own material pushes everything up to – well, I’m not going to say ‘eleven’ because I hate when people compare Steel Panther to Spinal Tap – but it pushes everything up to stratospheric levels. The stage gestures are bigger. The gags filthier. The guitar solos …bombasticer. Satchel is one of the finest modern-day exponents of '80s-style shred guitar and his unaccompanied spot never disappoints, as he

runs through a checklist of great metal riffs from Sabbath to Priest. Sometimes he even throws a little Yngwie Malmsteen in there, and jumps behind the drumkit to provide his own accompaniment. It’s all total extravagant showmanship, in the best possible way. Speaking of showmanship, this was a Steel Panther show so of course there were boobs aplenty (both amateur and professional) and probably a few furious boyfriends during a few tense car rides on the way home. The signs out the front read “Some language and parts of tonight’s performance may confront some people. Strong language and sexual references used.” The setlist was split pretty evenly between cuts from Feel The Steel and Balls Out, including Fat Girl (Thar She Blows), Asian Hooker, The Shocker and Party All Day (Fuck All Night) from the former and Tomorrow Night, Just Like Tiger Woods, If You Really, Really Love Me and 17 Girls In A Row from the latter. And of course Death To All But Metal, one of their oldest originals. But what was played is almost secondary to the attitude and fun with which it was played. For all the filth and flesh, this was still a balls-out rock show dedicated to the glory of the cranked amp, spandex, melody, flash, neon, lights, smoke, chicks and the Hollywood dream. PETER HODGSON LOVED: That’s What Girls Are For, the best Def Leppard song Def Leppard never wrote. HATED: The absence of covers (apart from a bit of ZZ Top’s La Grange). DRANK: Marshmallows drenched in champagne.

SOMETHING FOR KATE The Corner Hotel, Monday October 8 As I waded through the endless couples in their late 30s and dare I say early-to-late 40s, I worried I was at the wrong gig. I wasn’t – Something For Kate were on stage playing – but still, I was a little suspicious. Perhaps it was a Go-Betweens tribute night and Something For Kate were doing their two songs. Nah it wasn’t, Something For Kate have been around for ages and Dempsey’s Adult Contemporary smash-hit solo album would have no doubt recruited some nine-to-five couples eager for Saturday night plans. On the topic of Dempsey’s solo album, whether or not the success of the album would influence future SFK releases was an interesting point. It was certainly different and its beauty and honesty was undeniable. The third night of their sold-out Corner Hotel shows was a Monday treat. Live, they are pros. There may well have been a CD playing over the speakers as it was note perfect and Dempsey’s trademark husky harrowing vocals sat perfectly over the mix with every dark joke and cynical jest easy to distinguish amongst the noise. First single Survival Expert was well received and that was followed with old favorites Anchorman and Jerry, Stand Up which were played with as much urgency

and intensity as ever. First track from the new album Star Crossed Citizen was banging and third track (and arguably their best song as a trio to date) Private Rain was delivered with the conviction of a band playing their ﬁrst show. Dempsey’s vulnerable, Springsteen-esque delivery on this tune should be the starting point of every song they do from here on in. Says me. And that’s gotta be worth something, right? Paul? Steph? Clint? On the topic of Steph: gosh darn-it she has the nonchalant bass babe thing down pat. And now she’s a mum…which only makes it more jaw-dropping. The fella playing the extra guitar and keys nailed every single harmony, at times even stealing the spotlight from Dempsey, which was as surprising as it was perfect. Geez these stalwarts have still got some tasty treats in their hampers. JACK PARSONS LOVED: SFK back in action! HATED: Feeling like I was in Row Z seat Z at Rod Laver Arena, loitering by the merch desk. DRANK: It was Monday. Prune juice.

AINSLIE WILLS The Toﬀ In Town, Thursday October 18 Ainslie Wills kind of sounds like what you’d imagine Judy Davis in Barton Fink to sound like if that character sang. She even looks a little like Davis too, although a more youthful version. Her voice is masculine in its delivery but not its tone and it’s quite incredible. Wills began the set solo with her Epiphone Les Paul, quietly and slowly tchocking muted chords out across the bandroom. It was almost more percussive than melodic but provided the perfect backing to her voice, the strength of which is not thick so much as rich, and carving. Wills followed this intro with deep, beautiful washes of guitar that sounded like you were two leagues under the sea and the chords we coming to you through the hull of a boat sitting on the surface. Her four-piece band then joined the stage including fellow VCA graduate and guitarist Lawrence Folvig. Wilis’ unique microphone manner became apparent pretty quickly and it’s diﬃcult to think of anyone I’ve seen lately who’s more comfortable in front of the thing; it’s like she didn’t learn to be comfortable with performance, it is just a natural focus and connection. She displayed that very Kate Bush or Tori Amos-like ability to hold a note to nearly a whisper or a cry, but with the pitch still perfectly held, and the timbre was complemented by Willis’ female back-up singer (who was also dexterously playing a Nord synth). The set featured a duet with Timmy Spendour, a fellow alumnus of The Seed (“It sounds a bit salubrious”, said Spendour) music workshop, held in the Blue Mountains.

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Performing the Terence Trent D’Arby classic Sign Your Name, the effect was marred slightly by Spendour reading the lyrics from a card, but Willis’ more than made up for this by delivering the lines as if she was having a spontaneous conversation with a lover. The wonderful sounds of Fighting Kind, leading single from Wills’ debut LP You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine tumbled forth towards the end of the show and here the drums showed how creepingly integral they are to Wills’ tracks, despite never being the star instrument. Great falling, half clanging harmonies and waterfalls of guitar and keys rolled over the dedicated audience, and the slightly syncopated beats made the fans up front who had a moment before been dancing like gently swaying dandelions, turn into hopped-up jellyfish. It was a fabulous show and I can’t wait to see more from this lady. ZOË RADAS LOVED: Wills kicking her shoes off half-way in, even though the wedge was only as big as a piece of Laughing Cow. HATED: The annoying depth versus width ratio of the Toff stage, which hides performers from view unless you’re bang in the middle of the floor. DRANK: Voddy soda.