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G O L D E N GI NLCOL UBD EI N速G N O M I N A T I O N S MUU S IC M I C A L OR O R C OOM M E DY
Frequent coarse language and mature themes
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THE TEELLEEG TH GR RAP A H
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SATURDAY THE 11TH OF JANUARY 9PM
X
QV
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%U
HO
R BBLE ROUSER RA
ZLFN +
WEDNESDAY THE 8TH OF JANUARY 8PM
THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL’S OPEN MIC WITH YOUR HOST BRODIE REGISTER R FROM 7PM ONWARDS TIMESLOT RAFFLE IS DRAWN R OUT AT 7:30PM! GET IN EARLY TO ENSURE YOU GET A SPOT!
$10 JUGS OF BOAGS DRAUGHT ALL NIGHT (FOR THOSE NEEDING LIQUID COURAGE...) THURSDAY THE 9TH OF JANUARY 8PM TILL 1AM $3 SCHOONERS OF BOAGS DRAUG R HT $5 BASIC B SPIRITS
THE GROVES TEN CENT PISTOLS THE BLACK ALLEYS KINLOCK TROONS FRIDAY THE 10TH OF JANUARY 9PM
W FPACK (BIRTHDAY WOL R BASH) CABIN FEVER C COLD GROUND HOME INVADERS
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MONDAY THE 13TH OF JANUARY 8PM
30
SUNDAY THE 12TH OF JANUARY 8PM
FUTURE ZOOS PAINT ME A PHOENIX P PIONEERS OF GOOD SCIENCE 3PM - OUTSIDE
BILLY LIAR (S ( COTLAND)
PASSIONA P ATE TONGUES POETRY HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS OPEN STAGE S READINGS AND SPOKEN WORD WELCOME WITH FEATURE PERFORMERS EVERY R FORTNIG R HT
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THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING LOCAL TALENT! THIS WEEK: TBC!
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THE PENNY BLACK
NOW OPEN FOR
LUNCH
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IN THIS ISSUE
12
HOT TALK
16
TOURING
18
FÉFÉ
20
WHAT’S ON, RAW COMEDY
21
ART OF THE CITY,
22
LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE,
THE COMIC STRIP
FUNERAL STRIPPERS, PULLED APART BY HORSES 27
SUN RA ARKESTRA, JOHN MURRY, EDWYN COLLINS
28
KARNIVOOL, SO FRENCHY SO CHIC TIMETABLE
LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE page 22
PULLED APART BY HORSES page 22
29
SHARON JONES AND THE
\
DAP-KINGS
30
MISFITS, DZ DEATHRAYS,
31
TAME IMPALA, THE 1975
32
THE A-Z OF 2014
33
CORE/CRUNCH!
34
MUSIC NEWS
40
LIVE
42
ALBUM OF THE WEEK,
GHOST
SINGLES, CHARTS
MISFITS page 30
EDWYN COLLINS page 27
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
ALBUMS
44
GIG GUIDE
48
BACKSTAGE, THE LOCAL
50
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
KARNIVOOL page 28
PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Ali Hawken ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray INTERNS: Dina Amin, Mimi Velevska, Megan Furhoff, James Nicoli. MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Gill Tucker GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Gill Tucker, Patrick O’Brien, Ruby Furst, Hannah Powell COVER ART: Gill Tucker ADVERTISING: Ali Hawken (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) ali@beat.com.au Ash Bartlett (Beats/Beat/Arts/Education/Ad Agency) ash@beat.com.au Aleksei Plinte (Backstage/ Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Thom Parry (Hospitality/Bars) thom@beat.com.au Kris Furst (beat.com.au) kris@furstmedia.com.au Dan Watt (Indie Bands/Special Features) dan@beat.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classifieds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat.com.au ELECTRONIC EDITOR - BEAT ONLINE:
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SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Christie Eliezer SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS: Patrick Emery COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgson, Lachlan Kanoniuk CONTRIBUTORS: Mitch Alexander, Siobhan Argent, Bella ArnottHoare, Thomas Bailey, Graham Blackley, Chris Bright, Joanne Brookfield, Avrille Bylock-Collard, 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. © 2013 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.
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Hiatus Kaiyote
ST KILDA FESTIVAL
Australia’s largest annual music festival, the 34th St Kilda Festival has unveiled a jam-packed nine-day program where more than 150 artists will perform in more than 50 venues next month. Some of the many highlights from the 2014 program include Art Vs Science, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Bob Evans all playing sunset slots on the iconic Sunday of the festival. Other performers include The Bamboos, Mat McHugh, Busby Marou, Renee Geyer, Kingswood, Shaun Kirk and Alison Wonderland plus many more. St Kilda Festival 2014 takes place between Saturday February 1 and Sunday February 9 around St Kilda. More information and the full lineup can be found at stkildafestival.com.au.
FRIDAY NIGHTS AT MELBOURNE NOW
Four of Melbourne’s hottest musical acts will take to the stage in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Great Hall for the Friday nights at Melbourne Now. World’s End Press, Brighter Later, Hiatus Kaiyote and Big Scary will all perform a series of free gigs at the NGV. Visitors can also enjoy after-hours access to Melbourne Now along with a range of food and drink offerings. Melbourne Now celebrates the latest art, architecture, design, performance and cultural practice to reflect the complex cultural landscape of creative Melbourne. The gigs will take place from Friday February 28 until Friday March 21.
60 SECONDS with
MODESTY
WWW.THEPUBLICBAR.COM.AU
238 VICTORIA ST, NORTH MELBOURNE OPEN TIL 7AM FRI/SAT
WEDNESDAY 15TH JANUARY
PUBLIC BAR COMEDY 8PM $6
THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY
TBC 8:30PM $7
FRIDAY 17TH JANUARY
GENRE CULT PRESENTS: CTRIX, PACKAGE HOLIDAY NIGHTWORKS, FRIENDSHIPS BOOMA, SURVEY GENRE CULT LIVE 8:30PM $10 SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY
REIGN OF PARANTHROPUS ZOND, RATSAK COMPLETE 8:30PM $10
THE KITE STRING TANGLE
Off the back of a stellar 2013, producer on the rise The Kite String Tangle (aka Danny Harley) is darting around the country once more this February. Gorgeous breakout single Given The Chance gained massive traction online (almost 750k Soundcloud plays to date) and on radio. That single helped secure TKST a place in triple j’s 2014 Next Crop and win the triple j unearthed spot at the inaugural Falls Festival in Byron Bay as well as a completely sold-out national tour last November. These will be TKST’s last shows before leaving to the U.S. (where he has just picked up booking representation by The Windish Agency) to play several showcases at SXSW this March. He’ll be hitting the Northcote Social Club on Saturday February 15. Ticket info at northcotesocialclub.com.
SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY
COOPERS PRESENTS: SUNDAY SCHOOL EAST BRUNSWICK ALL GIRLS CHOIR SLEEP DECADE, MORE... 4PM FREE MONDAY 20TH JANUARY
CLOSED
TUESDAY 21ST JANUARY
FACT HUNT TRIVIA 7:30PM FREE
KITCHEN OPEN:
TUES - FRI 5PM - 9PM SAT - SUN 12PM - 9PM
WWW.MISSKATIESCRABSHACK.COM
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 12
THE VILLAGE GREEN
The Village Green, located in Mulgrave is rich in big band tradition. High flying Australian acts such as INXS, AC/DC, Skyhooks, Australian Crawl and Cold Chisel have played at this iconic venue in the past. Now, new traditions must be built. With a dire need for live music venues in the South East, The Village Green is proud to present Original Revival. This new night kicks off on Thursday January 16 with The Getaway Plan and a host of new breed Australian bands, including Jackson Firebird and Tracer. The venue is also looking for support bands to be part of this new and certain to be epic night. Contact the venue on 9560 8400 or check out the website at thevillagegreen.com.au for more information.
Define your genre in five words or less: Power pop with a country twist. What do you love about making music? The people, the power and the ability to express yourself. Plus guitars are pretty sexy. What do you hate about the music industry? Lack of money! If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Dolly Parton! She would totes get our sense of humour and she’s a hopeless romantic too. What can a punter expect from your live show? Good tunes, inspirational chick vibes courtesy of KBS, a good boogie and a one night boyfriend. When are you playing live/releasing your album/EP/single/etc? EP launch Saturday February 8 at The Tote, with a killer lineup. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Our EP with four killer tracks. Treat yourself to a great t-shirt too! When’s the gig and with who? Next gig is at The Cornish Arms Saturday January 11 with legends The Lovebombs and Hot Andy.
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Meg Mac
MELBOURNE ACTS DOMINATE TRIPLE J’S NEXT CROP LIST
Six of the 20 acts selected by triple j for its Next Crop list came from Melbourne – the most amount of acts from one city. The Next Crop predicts whom triple j thinks will be big in 2014 and, obviously, will be supporting through airplay and other promotional activities. The six Melbourne/Victorian acts to watch out for are stoners The Bennies, dusty blues singer songwriter D.D Dumbo (aka Oliver Perry) from Castlemaine, soulful singer Meg Mac aka Megan McInerney, harmonica-laden roots rock band The Murlocs who are fronted by Broderick Smith’s son Ambrose, hip hop act Remi who made waves with his F.Y.G Act: 1 mixtape this year and tribal electronica duo Willow Beats who are made up of beat maker Narayana Johnson and his singer niece Kalyani Ellis. The six acts join five from NSW (Born Lion, Cosmo’s Midnight, Dustin Tebbutt, Gang Of Youths, Wave Racer) three from Queensland (The Creases, Eves, The Kite String Tangle) and Western Australia (The Love Junkies, Mathas, Statues), two from South Australia (Bad//Dreems, MC Tkay Maidza) and one from the ACT (SAFIA). In past years, among those on the Next Crop list were the then-unknown Flume, Chet Faker, Courtney Barnett, Jackie Onassis, Boy & Bear, Washington, The Temper Trap, Ball Park Music, The Rubens and Angus & Julia Stone.
DALLAS CRANE
After forging a reputation as one of the country’s finest rock acts, the much-loved Dallas Crane are back in full force, boasting a swag of new songs including the brand new single I’m Sorry Darling which is currently streaming live on their website. To celebrate, they will be launching the single at The Corner Hotel on Sunday January 26, which will be the boy’s first headline show in nearly five years. Tickets available now from cornerhotel.com.
ROCK IN THE VINES FESTIVAL Five Mile Town
THE SUNSET SERIES
The Sunset Series is back this January with four evenings of free live music, dance workshops, entertainment, food truck goodness and fun times for all ages. Presented by the City of Melbourne, The Sunset Series is a celebration of summer in the city, held in one of Melbourne’s most iconic outdoor settings, the Fitzroy Gardens. This year’s event features the likes of Five Mile Town, Jakübi, Abbie Cardwell & The Chicano Rockers, Lilith Lane, The Hello Morning, The Little Stevies, Loco Mojo Dance Salsa Workshop as well as the Rhythm & Spice Bollywood Dance Workshop. It takes place over two huge weekends, Saturday January 11 to Sunday January 12 and Saturday January 18 to Sunday January 19. For more info visit melbourne.vic.gov/whatson.
Rock in the Vines Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 2014 edition. The not-for-profit grass roots festival will feature 27 acts over three stages. Performers include Jackson Firebird, Lachy Doley Group, King of the North, Davey Lane, The Ska Vendors with Pat Powell, The Spazzys, Grim Fawkner, John Lingard, My Left Boot, Aimee Francis, Jordan Allen, Talisa Job, The Electric Sunkins, Rabid Zulu, Nat Edith, Virtue, Berlin Postmark, Jack Kennedy, Min Miles, Veludo, Liam Thorpe, The Brodie Glen Show, Low Point, Bel and Jon Marland, Ryan Gay, Mez Whittle, DJ Larrabee and a mystery headliner. Rock In The Vines goes down on Sunday March 9 at Big Hill Vineyard. Tickets are available from ticketbooth.com.au.
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BEAT’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2013
As always, 2013 was a great year for music on a local, national and global front. Some French robots turned a rural Australian town upsidedown, a 16-year-old New Zealander took the world by storm and my god was there a lot of twerking. This is obviously barely scratching the surface of what happened in the music world in 2013. Of course, each and every end-of-year list will always be subjective, but the collective minds here at Beat have ruffled through their record collections to find just which albums left the greatest mark on us in 2013.
1. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Float Along–Fill Your Lungs We said: “Why have King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard blasted our ears with over 40 songs over four releases in just over two years? I don’t know, it doesn’t make sense and neither does the stylistic shift on this album. Whatever, Float Along – Fill Your Lungs is a great listen that will manifest beautifully in a live setting.” Key track: Head On/Pill
2. Kanye West – Yeezus
We said: “At its core, Yeezus is a hyper-intense, masterful angry wank for the ages. His Beautiful Dark Twisted masterpiece has been followed up with something darker and more twisted. It’s no longer a question if Kanye is one of the all-time greats (pejorative or otherwise, I choose otherwise), it’s now just a matter of where to from here.” Key track: Bound 2
3. Beaches – She Beats We said: “In remaining aloof from yet another one of this city’s coagulations of style and sound, and refusing once again to pander to expectations, Beaches have returned more audacious and entrancing than ever.” Key track: Weather
4. Dick Diver – Calendar Days We said: “The genius of Dick Diver – and, accusations of hyperbole aside, it is genius – is to capture the banal reality of life in a suburban share house, and turn it into a seamless set of pop songs that take you to a place we all know, and sometimes love.” Key track: Alice
5. Cut Copy – Free Your Mind
They said: “The idea was to never second-guess anything. The process started out with a song a day or an idea a day, and once the day finished [we’d] start with something completely new and not overthink it. And then when we went into the studio to start really shaping these ideas into songs.” Key track: Let Me Show You Love
6. James Blake – Overgrown
We said: “Designing the song around subtle R&B influences, he moulds layers of eerie piano notes and cascading reverberating synths to create a magnetic climax.” Key track: Retrograde
7. Deerhunter – Monomania
We said: “Cox’s obsessive qualities, his very own monomania, result in his band continuing to defy expectations and deliver great albums, and this is no exception.” Key track: Sleepwalking
8. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
We said: “It’s a broad, worthy love-letter to the power of music, paying homage to the greats who have come before. More importantly, it opens a bold path as to what is still to come.” Key track: Contact
9. Big Scary – Not Art
We said: “The songs on Not Art have an interlocution quality that allows listeners to not only become acquainted with the record’s search through ideas of identity and the locus of love, but to engage with the thematic curiosity on a personal level.” Key track: Invest
10. Danny Brown – Old
We said: “His triumphant 19-track third release is full of fresh hip hop, trill and grime cementing him firmly as a new classic, and one which sees him as a nu-skool force to be reckoned with.” Key track: Smokin & Drinkin
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 14
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Wednesday 8th January
Simply Acoustic 7:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $free Thursday 9th January
Moments Notice 6:00pm Free in the Front Bar Jazz Thursday 9th January
Andy White & Sebastikat and Steve Lucas
Friday
8:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $15/10 folk / singersongwriter
DJ Jumbo
Friday 10th January
8pm
The Boys 6:00pm Jazz Friday 10th January
Charlotte Nicdao & The Sloth Orchestra 8:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $10/8
Riflebirds Rio Grande 9.30pm
Saturday 11th January
Willie Wagtails 6:00pm Blue Grass Saturday 11th January
Chambers & the velvet lips Police & Thieves 8:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $5 psychedelic pop
Saturday
DJ Ferg 8pm
Sunday 12th January
The Boy Who Spoke Clouds & special guests
Sunday
3:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $donation Expermintal folk
Barney
Sunday 12th January
5pm
Shaka Baka 7:30pm Wesley Anne Band Room $10/8 gypsy folk
$14 jugs. And 2 for 1 selected mains, weekdays before 6pm. wesleyanne.com.au CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 15
TOURING
WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN
PROUDLY PRESENTS
For all the latest tour dates check out beat.com.au
INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO Corner Hotel January 9 CHAD MASON The Retreat January 9, Old Bar January 14, The Spotted Mallard January 18 LONDON GRAMMAR Prince Bandroom January 9, 10 PARAMORE Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 12 SO FRENCHY SO CHIC Werribee Park January 12 CHAKA KHAN Plenary January 12 THE JULIE RUIN Corner Hotel January 15 MONA FOMA FESTIVAL TBA January 15-19 EDWYN COLLINS The Kelvin Club January 17 JOHN GRANT Corner Hotel January 18 JOHN MURRY Meeniyan Town Hall January 18, Northcote Social Club January 21 MATMOS Howler January 19 HALF MOON RUN Corner Hotel January 19 MAJOR LAZER AND FLOSSTRADAMUS The Palace January 21 THE 1975 Northcote Social Club January 22 MUDHONEY Corner Hotel January 22 SNOOP DOGG The Palace January 22 ARCADE FIRE Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 22 TORO Y MOI/PORTUGAL. THE MAN The Hi-Fi January 23 THE LUMINEERS The Palace Thursday January 23 GROUPLOVE AND CSS The Hi-Fi January 23 BIG DAY OUT Flemington Racecourse January 24 MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS Melbourne Zoo January 24 - March 8 WE ARE SCIENTISTS Corner Hotel January 25 KING KRULE Corner Hotel January 28 PARQUET COURTS Corner Hotel January 29 CHVRCHES The Forum January 29 MOUNT KIMBIE Corner Hotel January 30 CASS MCCOMBS Northcote Social Club January 30 SAVAGES The Hi-Fi January 30 CAT POWER Thornbury Theatre January 31, February 1 ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL Footscray Community Arts Centre February 1 PERIPHERY, ANIMALS AS LEADERS Billboard
February 2 AUTRE NE VEUT Northcote Social Club February 4 DRENGE The Tote February 5 FRIGHTENED RABBIT The Palace February 5 YOUTH LAGOON Prince Bandroom February 5 KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS Corner Hotel, February 5, 6 THE NATIONAL Sidney Myer Music Bowl February 9 DAUGHTER St Michael’s Uniting Church February 10 LYNYRD SKYNYRD The Plenary February 11 DOLLY PARTON Rod Laver Arena February 11, 12 JULIA HOLTER Northcote Social Club February 14 AUSTRA Corner Hotel February 15 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AAMI Park February 15 EDDIE VEDDER Palais Theatre February 16, 18, 19 EMINEM, KENDRICK LAMAR, J. COLE Etihad Stadium February 19 OKKERVIL RIVER Corner Hotel February 22 MANGO GROOVE Forum Theatre February 23 CLUTCH Prince Bandroom February 27 SOUNDWAVE Flemington Racecourse February 28 SIX60 The Hi-Fi March 1 NEKO CASE Corner Hotel March 2 PUBLIC ENEMY Corner Hotel March 4 BRIAN MCKNIGHT Palais Theatre March 5 CHARLES BRADLEY Corner Hotel March 6 JON CLEARY AND THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN Northcote Social Club March 6 PHOENIX Festival Hall March 6 MIKHAEL PASKALEV Howler March 7 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Port Fairy March 7 – 10 FAT FREDDY’S DROP Melbourne Zoo Twilights March 8 PANAMA FESTIVAL March 8, 9 FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL Flemington Racecourse March 9 YO LA TENGO Corner Hotel March 9 POKEY LAFARGE Corner Hotel March 12 NEIL FINN Hamer Hall March 12 BILLY BRAGG Palais Theatre March 13 BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL Various Venues March 13 - 24 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, NINE INCH NAILS Rod Laver Arena March 14, 15 BILL MEDLEY Palais Theatre March 15 LIONEL RICHIE AND JOHN FARNHAM Rod Laver Arena March 16 JURASSIC 5 Palace Theatre March 20 SEBADOH Corner Hotel March 21 THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS Hisense Arena March 28 THE ROLLING STONES Rod Laver Arena March 28, Hanging Rock March 30 ALLEN STONE Corner Hotel April 12 ERYKAH BADU Palais April 15 EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Palace Theatre April 15 JASON ISBEL Northcote Social Club April 16, 17 BLUESFEST Byron Bay April 17 – 21 JIMMIE VAUGHAN Corner Hotel April 17 DEVENDRA BANHART Prince Bandroom April 17 JAKE BUGG Palace Theatre April 17 KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND Palace Theatre April 18 IRON AND WINE Forum Theatre April 22 GREGG ALLMAN, GOV’T MULE Forum Theatre April 23 STEVE EARLE Forum Theatre April 24 SKID ROW, UGLY KID JOE Palace Theatre April 25 ARCTIC MONKEYS Rod Laver Arena May 9 ELLIE GOULDING Festival Hall May 31 JAMES BLUNT The Plenary June 8 BASTILLE Festival Hall June 15
RIVERBOATS FESTIVAL Echuca February 14 - 16 IMMY BARNES Rochford Winery Yarra Valley February 15 MAJOR LEAGUES The Workers Club February 15 THE KITE STRING TANGLE Northcote Social Club February 15 FEEDTIME The Tote February 15, 16 NGAIIRE Northcote Social Club February 27 WORLDS END PRESS NGV February 28 JOSH PYKE Melbourne Zoo February 28 THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS Northcote Social Club February 28, March 1 DAN SULTAN Corner Hotel March 1 ILLY The Hi-Fi March 7 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL March 7 -10 PANAMA FESTIVAL March 8, 9 ROCK IN THE VINES FESTIVAL Big Hill Vineyard March 9 PUSH OVER Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 10 NEIL FINN Hamer Hall March 12, 13 PETE MURRAY Forum Theatre March 15 SUNNYBOYS Forum Theatre March 21, 22 JOHN BUTLER TRIO Palais Theatre April 1 HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS Palais Theatre April 11 MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD Prince Bandroom April 16 KEITH URBAN Rod Laver Arena June 25
LED ZEPPELIN 1972 KOOYONG CELEBRATION CONCERT JAN
31
Corner Hotel FEB
09 MAR
06 APR
RUMOURS KANYE WEST, TOKYO POLICE CLUB, DRAKE, BLOOD ORANGE
01
SEPT
06
THE NATIONAL Sidney Myer Music Bowl
PHOENIX Festival Hall
JOHN BUTLER TRIO Palais Theatre
MICHAEL FRANTI Prince Bandroom
= NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROUDLY PRESENTS
Lou Doillon JAN
12
SO FRENCHY SO CHIC Werribee Park, Werribee.
PROUDLY PRESENTS
NATIONAL NAI PALM Workers Club, January 14 KARNIVOOL Palace Theatre January 8, 9 DAVEY LANE Worker’s Club January 10 SUPER BEST FRIENDS The Old Bar January 10 JAGWAR MA The Hi-Fi January 16 LITTLE BASTARDS The Workers Club January 17 SUN CITY The Espy January 18 SARAH BLASKO St. Michael Uniting Church January 22 PETE MURRAY Trak Live Lounge January 22 SNAKADAKTAL Howler January 25 COLORWHEEL Workers Club January 26 DALLAS CRANE Corner Hotel January 26 JEFF MARTIN AND SARAH MCLEOD Northcote Social Club January 29 LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE Corner Hotel January 31 KIM CHURCHILL Workers Club January 31 NINA FERRO Caravan Club February 1 ST KILDA FESTIVAL St Kilda February 1 – 9 THE BENNIES Reverence Hotel February 7 MIAMI HORROR Corner Hotel February 14 BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16
Bastille JAN
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SO FRENCHY SO CHIC Werribee Park, Werribee.
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FÉFÉ By Krissi Weiss
As a founding member of Saian Supa Crew, Samuël Adebiyi (better known as Féfé) has always been a rapper with a collision of rhythmic influences. His former collective was best known for their Afro-Cuban, Bossa beats and would prove to be a formidable hothouse in which Adebiyi’s talents slowly grew. Fast forward over a decade and many incarnations and Adebiyi is celebrating the successful release of his second solo album, but it’s the journey that has been just as important for him as the end goal. Born in France to formerly enslaved Nigerian Yoruba parents, Adebiyi’s cultural heritage and social influences were about as diverse as you can get – but that didn’t mean he wasn’t raised on a healthy (and obligatory) dose of Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding; standard fare really. Although his Saian Supa Crew received a humble dose of commercial acclaim, Adebiyi felt the need to shake off the shackles of hip hop and embrace raps roots, as well as begin his own musical journey. There was an acoustic guitar and much emotional support given to him from acclaimed Sierra Leonean-German singer-songwriter, Patrice, and a meeting with Gorillaz’s Dan The Automator which saw the pair working together for Adebiyi’s debut solo album, Jeune à la Retraite, and last year’s awesome Le Charme des Premiers Jours. His latest album opens with a riff that tricks you into thinking you’ve put on Portugal. The Man, then eases in and out of ragged rhythms, high energy indie rock, reggae and straight-up hip hop – all with the smooth delivery of Adebiyi’s rhymes – in a way that makes you feel like this collision of sounds makes sense. He’s found sonic harmony, cultural harmony, a harmony of his influences and really, it’s what he’s always wanted. Recorded between his home in France and San Francisco, his latest album took some time but the result can’t be denied. “It was all up about one year, one year and a half,” Adebiyi says. “I had many ideas but I also had many other things I was working on.” Travel also influences the time it takes to get a project done, particularly when you’re spreading it between two continents, and from a practical perspective, Adebiyi is also a family man. Still it’s the ever-present studio time-paradox – where the best laid plans can fall apart and the most time-poor projects can come together with ease – that ends up being the indefinable reason as to why a project took the time it did. “I was really ready when I began this,” he says. “Sometimes some things go really fast and sometimes they just really don’t. So what I do now is I just try and be patient and wait for those moments. That’s when it’s the most natural and the best results happen ya know? But it involves a lot of waiting.” Every diverse element on this sounds as though it comes from a completely natural place but given Adebiyi’s time in the industry – and having already BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18
come from a project that experienced a decade during which they rose to the heights of success before their light slowly faded – you can’t help but wonder how much of Adebiyi’s musical choices are strategic. Does he deliberately cram as many influences as he can into an album now he’s free to do so in his solo career? Are decisions ever based on the audience or on sales or is everything a purely creative expression? “When I started I always had so many influences and I have always been more than just a rapper in the way some outside people view rap – but to me this is the heart of rap,” he says. “That’s why I always say I just have to do what I gotta do, I got to music through the music that felt natural. I was listening to
“WHEN I STARTED I ALWAYS HAD SO MANY INFLUENCES AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN JUST A RAPPER IN THE WAY SOME OUTSIDE PEOPLE VIEW RAP – BUT TO ME THIS IS THE HEART OF RAP.” rap music, French music, Afro-beat, reggae and it all came through into my music. I always knew I’d have to wait about ten years until every influence could start coming into my music though you know? And now it can.” If the diverse range of sounds and genres were never consciously chosen to widen his audience, was there ever a concern that he might isolate them? “What I’m doing is so logical I don’t ever think that people will struggle to understand it; this is what’s so beautiful about rap music, you take all of this other music from outside and you put it all together – from classical to rock to reggae – and you make a rap song,” he says. “I’m making my own samples now and after I listen to a sample like actual music then I get to have fun. I don’t really think about being diverse, this music is just as close to me as I can be.” Apart from the Hendrix-style blues riffs, the
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tumbling drums and electro melodies, the most outstanding part of Adebiyi’s overall sound is his ability to create such a cohesive energy. When he last came to Australia his collision of electronic and organic instrumentation was a highlight and it’s something that is slowly becoming a signature Féfé sound. From his debut album, and probably from the moment he began re-inventing himself with that gifted acoustic guitar, organic melodies free from click tracks brought Adebiyi’s storytelling to life. “It’s an amazing energy,” he says of playing with a band. “When I did the first album I really didn’t know anything about playing with a band, I learned everything on the album. Somehow, it worked and I liked that energy, it was like a rock energy and to me rock and rap are really close. The energy just had to stay alive in the live environment. It’s hip hop because I’m doing what we shouldn’t be doing and that’s hip hop – it doesn’t have to be labelled, it doesn’t have to be boxed in and somehow that’s always been my struggle. I was wondering for so long how I could be inside my work, how could I be comfortable with what I’m doing and I’ve really found that with this album and with this sound.” The most unique thing about the Féfé storytelling is that, for the most part, it is in French and yet the energy he creates translates a mood that goes beyond words. While that might seem utterly absurd when talking about a rapper – a genre so dependent on word play and innuendo – Adebiyi proves that storytelling within music really is a complex endeavour. While each rhyming couplet may not be absorbed, the message is clear at every point – the music and the words are one. Still, English saturation is a large part of the McDonalisation of society and I asked Adebiyi if anyone has every pushed him to record an entire album in English. “No I’ve never been pushed to do anything in English,” he says. “I’m Nigerian and Nigeria is an English-speaking country, so I do wonder if I should release an album in English for my people – but no, not just to sell more records. But my problem is French is the language I know, it’s the language I can play with and the language I can reinvent but English, I can try and I’ve tried a little in this album, but it’s a question of confidence and I’m not confident in English.” Having performed around the world his confidence lies now within the energy of his music also, and its ability to translate what may get lost in the langue. “The energy is universal and that’s the thing I can play with among everyone,” he says. “They don’t know what I’m talking about, they don’t hear my wordplay, but I think they always feel it with good music. I think it really helps with a good energy too and not an angry energy which is what my energy is.”
FÉFÉ will be at So Frenchy So Chic In The Park at Werribee Park Mansion on Sunday January 12 with Lou Doillon, Lilly Wood & the Prick, food, wine and much more. He’ll also be appearing live in store at Readings on Acland St. St Kilda on Tuesday January 14.
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THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN On Tuesday January 14, the much-loved annual event Doggie Night will be taking place at Maltesers Moonlight Cinema. Attendees are invited to pack a picnic and bring along their four-legged friends for the ultimate night of film, food and fur under the stars. On the bill for the special event is the comedy drama starring Vince Vaughn, Delivery Man. An affable underachiever finds out he’s fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years ago. Now he must decide whether or not to come forward when 142 of them file a lawsuit to reveal his identity.
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 Big Bad Wolf, Windmill Theatre’s table-turning tale for ages five and up opens this week. Written by Matthew Whittet and directed by Rosemary Myers, Big Bad Wolf turns the tables on a classic story, presenting the Big Bad Wolf as one of the most misunderstood characters in fairytale history. The play aims to explore what it’s like to be different and challenge the presumptions we all make. Windmill regular Patrick Graham stars as Wolfy, with former Circus Oz performer Emma J Hawkins starring as Heidi Hood and taking on a myriad of roles is Kate Cheel. Big Bad Wolf opens on Saturday January 11 at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler.
ON DISPLAY Need a way to entertain your kids, nieces or nephews these holidays? Why not head over to the National Gallery of Victoria for Drop-by Drawing, a drawing session for little kids and their families. Hosted by an array of artists, including Minna Gilligan, Moya McKenna, Jess Johnson and Tim Fleming, the sessions will enjoy children to grab a sketch pad and pencil as they are enraptured by the artwork of the NGV. Sessions will be held in the 18th Century Galleries, where parents and children will be privy to surreal works such as Giamattista Tiepolo’s Banquet of Cleopatra (1743 – 1744) and Nicholas Poussin’s The Crossing of the Red Sea (1633 – 1634). Drop-by Drawing will be held at the National Gallery of Victoria each in January from 2 – 4pm. Materials are provided and it’s free entry to the 18th Century Galleries. More information can be found through ngv.vic.gov.au.
PICK OF THE WEEK
This Thursday January 9 The Shadow Electric will be screening Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, a documentary about feminist punk rock protest group and the actions of the Russian government towards members of the group, who were arrested and jailed after performing guerrilla style in a Moscow church. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer follows the court case of jailed members Pussy Riot punk group whose guerrilla performance protests on arrange of issues including gender equality and gay rights.
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RAW COMEDY By Nick Taras
Eight years ago, Celia Pacquola was nervously waiting for her turn backstage at The Evelyn in Fitzroy. She was about to perform stand-up comedy, in front of a full room, for the first time ever. She had only two weeks to prepare for Australia’s largest, preeminent open mic comp – RAW Comedy – a rite of passage for Australian comedians run by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival which provides a platform that allowed talents such as Chris Lilley, Hannah Gadsby, Josh Thomas, Peter Helliar, Claire Hooper, Ronny Chieng, and Tim Minchin to launch their comedic careers. With so little time to prepare, what gave her the courage to enter? “I was dating a comedian who entered me without telling me, so nothing gave me the courage,” she laughs. “It was not my decision. At uni I’d done some sketch comedy but that’s where my stand-up started. This was eight years ago; I did it the year Hannah Gadsby won, and that’s where we met, and Tom Ballard I think was also in our year. I loved it – it really helped me to no end in terms of getting runs on the board and to have the opportunity to perform to a crowd as well. When you’re new, often you’re playing open mic kind of rooms, it’s not a real crowd, so to have the opportunity to play a gig that’s well run, and it’s got a big crowd, and it’s got a professional MC – well,” she chuckles, “which is why I’ve put a lot of pressure of MCing it myself because I know how important it is that you want to give the new comics a level playing field and a kind audience to come out to. It’s their first time onstage, you don’t want them to have a bad time and thinking, ‘I’m never doing it again’.” RAW Comedy kicks off this weekend with the first of many qualifying heats in Melbourne, and anyone over 17 who has earned less than $500 from performing comedy is eligible to enter. All you need is five minutes of original comedy and the cojones to give it a go. Pacquola herself is not only a graduate of RAW but also has returned to MC in previous years. Her familiarity with the format grants her insight knowledge as to what the judges desire in RAW comedians. “I think originality is important, and potential. They’re
not looking for people who are completely polished. Sometimes there’s people up there and the jokes are not quite right but you see what they were trying to do and it’s interesting. That’s what I feel. It’s partly performance and confidence onstage but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a combination of things, but I think originality and something interesting. You just gotta do whatever you wanna do. I like seeing stuff I’ve never heard before, something new and interesting.” The audiences at RAW, as Paquola points out, are “incredible” and generally very receptive and warm. She fondly remembers receiving her first ever laugh during RAW but refuses to tell me the gag despite my pleading and subsequent threats. She does, however, recall how helpful her MC was. “Rachel Berger was my MC. She helped me, she was really supporting and told me, ‘They want to love you. They don’t want you to fail. They want you to go well’ which was really good advice. As advice, be prepared as you can be. Know your stuff and that’ll just take the nerves away if you know it. Time it, because you get a certain time and the light goes on and if you go over time, the judges will mark you down if you disregard the rules. Don’t panic, just wrap up. It’s totally fine. I remember I got the light and I wasn’t prepared. “This is something I do before gigs now: try wanna go out there. It’s scary but once you’re up there it’s happening. Your mind goes, ‘I could run away right now’ but as soon as you go, ‘No this is happening, we’re do-
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2013 RAW Comedy winner Demi Lardner ing this’ and think, ‘I can’t wait to go out there’. Hold the mic near your face. You’d be surprised how often that doesn’t happen.” When her boyfriend signed her up for RAW, Pacquola had two weeks to write and prepare. For her upcoming show, Pacquola wrote it over two years, and returning to MC at the venue that somewhat changed the trajectory of her life brings upon strange feelings. “It was my first gig ever. I got to the national final and I won Best First Time Entrance, which was called the Raw Recruit, and that was the first time they did that award. They did it for two more years and then they stopped doing it – which wasn’t my fault,” she laughs. “It was actually at The Evelyn as well, where I’ll be MCing next week, is where my first ever stand-up gig was. I’ve MC’ed there a couple of times. It’s always a bit surreal.”
The first RAW Comedy Melbourne qualifying heat is on at The Evelyn this Saturday January 11 from 1pm and will continue throughout January, February and March in venues across the city. Check out comedyfestival.com.au/raw for full dates and to register.
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ARTPLAY
NEXT WAVE
Next Wave Festival 2014: New Grand Narrative will be taking place around Melbourne, beginning next April. Marking its 30th anniversary in 2014, Next Wave will be hosting a city-wide, month long celebration of cuttingedge arts and culture from around Australia and abroad. The festival will feature the work of 239 artists across mediums including performance, dance, visual art, sound art and ideas impossible to categorise. Next Wave’s full program will be announced Thursday March 27 and will feature multi-disciplinary art projects staged in theatres, galleries, laneways, private homes and other unexpected spaces around Melbourne. Next Wave will run from Wednesday April 16 to Sunday May 11.
ArtPlay, an annual program of events aimed towards Melbourne’s creative kids, is turning ten, and to celebrate, it’s organised many exciting events this summer. Inspired by legendary art master, Arthur Boyd (Dreaming Bridegroom, Frightened Bridegroom, Dry Creek Bed, Alice Springs), Sangkuriang: a legend from West Java will educate children about the master sculpture artist, painter and visual artist through Boyd’s acclaimed book, Indra Deigan. For little girls and boys fascinated by entomology, the study of butterflies, ArtPlay has Entomological Society, a workshop for naturelovers, while ArtPlay’s Massive Family Hip Hop Choir will get you in the mood before White Night Melbourne February, which ArtPlay are participating in. Sangkuriang will be presented by ArtPlay on Thursday January 9 from 2pm – 4pm. Entomological Society will be held on Wednesday January 15 from 2pm – 4pm, and Massive Hip Hop Choir will be held on Sunday January 19 from 2.30pm – 3.30pm.
After a blistering introduction into the Melbourne comedy scene last year, Public Bar Comedy is back for 2014 to ensure your Wednesday nights are packed with Melbourne’s finest comedians letting loose in the intimate Public Bar back room to one of the most appreciative audiences in Australia. Tonight they’ve got Justin Hamilton; truly one of the country’s best along with the red hot Luke McGregor, the insanely funny Anne Edmonds, the inner city hilarity of Brendan Maloney and more for just $5. Get in for Melbourne’s new fast paced cracking night of stand up. It all kicks off at 8.30pm sharp, the new air conditioning is pumping and they won’t keep you out late.
FIVE BOROUGHS COMEDY Lehmo headlines Five Boroughs Comedy this Thursday. You’ve seen him on Before The Game and The Project, and heard him on Gold FM, now see him live on stage. Plus a great, great lineup including Justin Hamilton, RAW Comedy winner Demi Lardner, Michael Williams, Yianni Agisilaou and more. It’s all happening this Thursday January 9 at 8.30pm, at Five Boroughs Comedy, 68 Hardware Lane (upstairs), CBD, all for only $12.
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PACIFIC OVERTURES
THE GREAT GAME
Written by award winning playwright Katherine Connolly, The Great Game has announced that it will begin a three week season this month at La Mama. The play, set in rural Victoria in 1886, follows two sisters in a tussle with the most contemporary of delusions – that life is elsewhere. As the sisters step into their recently deceased father’s library for the very first time they discover thousands of old books, and in desperate attempts to connect they make themselves into dodo birds, Mohammedans, grizzly bears, shrieking Kirgiz brides and even the Pussy Cat Dolls. The Great Game opens at La Mama on Wednesday January 29.
Theatreworks is known for commissioning some of the best plays and musicals in Melbourne, Pacific Overtures will be no different. Created by Stephen Sonheim and John Weidman (Assassins, and directed by Alister Smith (Petite Soirée), Pacific Overtures illustrates the story of Commodore Perry’s incursion onto Japanese soil in 1853. It’s a musical that is full of humble fisherman, tea, shotguns, catchy tunes and a detailed evaluation of the Western invasion of Japan. Pacific Overtures will be performed at Theatreworks from Wednesday February 19 – Sunday March 9.
Mondays at Spleen are well and truly back. After another full house last week, it’s yet another cracking lineup this Monday. Perth’s Mike Goldstein hosts, plus there’s some special guests, plus Harley Breen, Tommy Dassalo, Ryan Coffey, Simon Keck and heaps more. It’s on this Monday January 13, 41 Bourke St, CBD, at 8.30pm. It may be free, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.
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THE ULTIMATE COMEDY CLIFF FACE! SATURDAY 11 JANUARY, 1PM (DOORS 12.30PM) with MCs NICK CODY & CELIA PACQUOLA THE EVELYN HOTEL, 351 BRUNSWICK ST FITZROY TIX $10 ON THE DOOR
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LED ZEPPELIN TRIBUTE SHOW By Patrick Emery
In 1972, Led Zeppelin was arguably at the peak of its rock’n’roll power. The brain child of former Yardbirds guitarist (and hotshot session player) Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin took the spirit of the original Delta bluesmen and infused it with the power, attitude and swagger of heavy rock. The band’s lyrics drew inspiration from the dark shadows of the English folk tradition; more than arguably the band before it, Led Zeppelin epitomised the sex, drugs and decadence of the rock’n’roll lifestyle. Less than two years after releasing the band’s seminal fourth album, Led Zeppelin III (which featured the classic tracks Black Dog, Rock’n’Roll and the epic Stairway to Heaven), Led Zeppelin made its way to Australia for its one and only Australian tour. On February 20, 1972, Led Zeppelin took to the stage at the Kooyong Tennis Centre, tearing through a typically incendiary set in front of a crowd of excited, and possibly libidinous fans. Ash Naylor, guitarist and songwriter with Even and self-confessed Led Zeppelin tragic, was barely out of nappies when Led Zeppelin hit Australian shores. “I did speak to a guy called Mick who I met at the Rainbow in about 2000, who saw Zeppelin on that tour,” Naylor says, “and he had fond memories of John Bonham drinking the long necks that were stored next
to his drum kit while he was playing.” Naylor had been introduced to Led Zeppelin originally in the early ‘80s via commercial radio. “I was really into Kiss as a little kid, and hearing Led Zeppelin was a bit like coming out of a cartoon world into the real world,” Naylor laughs. “At the time I didn’t know a lot about the mythology of the band – I learnt that retrospectively. I think I identified with the weight of the music – it was an escape from the boredom of suburbia,” Naylor says. Indeed, the story of Led Zeppelin is inextricably intertwined with mythology: from tales of groupies (exemplified by the notorious Seattle shark story), excessive drug and alcohol consumption and Jimmy Page’s fascination with the occult. “Led Zeppelin is the archetype of that era when
stories were based on word of mouth,” Naylor says. “Everything that happened on the road became part of the story. There was no internet, no Instagram, so the stories were really important. And a lot of the myths will never be repeated – and a lot of them probably shouldn’t be,” he laughs. On Friday January 31, Naylor will channel his inner Jimmy Page as part of a Led Zeppelin tribute show, conceived especially to celebrate Zeppelin’s 1972 Kooyong show. Joined by King North’s Danny Leo on drums, Stephen Hadley (Tex Perkins) on bass and Bruce Haymes on keyboard and a rotating cast of vocalists including Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane), Pat Carmody (My Dynamite) and Talei and Eliza Wolfgramm, the ensemble will play the original setlist from the Kooyong show plus a few well-chosen additional Led Zeppelin tracks. Naylor, who admits to going through a period in the mid-‘80s when Led Zeppelin played second fiddle to guitar pop bands like The Smiths and REM, says the Led Zeppelin repertoire has a lot more musical
complexity to it than most people would realise. “Some of the songs we’ll be playing at the end of the set are quite challenging,” Naylor says. “We’re still going to have a crack at some of the more epic tracks. But none of them are simple – there are no jams, and there’s no cruising. You really have to have your wits about you when you’re playing the tracks.” Naylor also hopes that fortune will shine his way and he’ll be given the chance to play a double-necked guitar, in the indulgent style of Jimmy Page himself. “There’s a massive chance I’ll do that,” Naylor promises. “I’m open to any offers from the public if anyone’s got one I can borrow for the night. When you play one of those guitars, you get a new width to you – but you’re also only one switch away from disaster. It’s a hard beast to tame!” he laughs.
fans. “I don’t think there’s been much nervousness,” says Adrian. “A lot of people have been waiting in anticipation, and it’s all really kicking off now.” Dan agrees, noting that the creative process was fluid and enjoyable. “We were in a really good head space, working together really well.” “I think the inspiration came from late night bottles of grog,” he says. “The way that we work – which was really good I guess – being a duo, if someone didn’t like something then it didn’t happen. If Adrian liked something and I came into the studio and said it didn’t work for me, he’d be a bit disappointed but we just let it go and let the egos get out of the way. That’s probably the first time I ever worked like that. In bands before there have been egos pulling this way and that and getting in the way.” In the end, Dan and Adrian both agree that the key to
their music is to write music which they love. “That’s the only honest thing,” asserts Dan. “We’ve both been in the music industry for awhile, about 20 years, and the one thing you learn is that you can’t write music that you think people want to hear. If you try you’ll just be behind the eight ball, it will have already been done. You’ve got to write for yourself, you’ve got to be happy with the music and if people like it then so be it. Some people might say you’re taking a bit of a risky approach with that because you might confuse people, but we didn’t care, we just wanted to do what sounded good to us, and whatever made the cut went on the album.”
all over again. However, instead of doing tiny pubs and clubs and smaller, boutique festivals, this time they are on the bill of the behemoth known as Soundwave, playing in front of audiences around the 30-40,000 mark. It promises to be an entirely different experience for the band altogether, and Rob feels there are definite pros and cons of playing smaller clubs and massive festivals. “It’s weird, we actually get more nervous playing the smaller ones,” he reveals. “It’s more intense, the people are right there in front of you, whereas with the bigger shows it’s almost not real. They’re far away from you, when there’s a huge sea of people, you kinda zone out. But at the same time, there’s nothing like when you win them over, 30,000 people, and they’re all into what you’re doing, that’s just mindblowing when that happens. “It’s great because the crowd are in it as much as you are,” he continues, “it’s like they’re responsible for what’s happening as much as we are. To be able to get that
amount of people enjoying and getting tuned in to what’s going on at that moment, it’s a pretty good feeling!” Rob agrees that they have come a long way as a band since that first Aussie tour, from playing small venues in front of a couple of hundred people to playing a huge festival with tens of thousands in attendance. “Yeah, definitely, we’re all just older and uglier now!” he chuckles. “Having the opportunity to do something like that, to play in Australia, or wherever, it’s like a real honour. It’s a gift that you get given. Once you’ve done that, it’s like, ‘Well we need to do this really seriously now, it’s not a game any more’. Once you’ve had the opportunity to do something like that, you’ve got to put the effort in.”
A CELEBRATION OF LED ZEPPELIN’S 1972 KOOYONG CONCERT AND MORE is on at the Corner Hotel on Friday January 31.
FUNERAL STRIPPERS By Josh Fergeus
“We just kind of let it flow. We weren’t sure if we were going to write a rocky album or a dance album and it ended up kind of half and half. In the end we decided, you know, let’s just chuck them all on there.” I’m speaking to Adrian and Dan from Melbournebased duo, Funeral Strippers, as their new album There’s A Time And A Place For Dancing is being released to tickle ears around the world. “We’re pretty excited about it and kinda relieved to have finished the album,” says Dan. “To be honest we started this album not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. We just started working away and we didn’t really have an album in mind. One song turned into another and so we just kinda worked on it over eight months, and it’s really nice to finish it up and get it out there. We’re excited to see what people’s response will be. So far it’s been pretty good. We’re happy with it. “Initially we were worried a bit,” he says of the multigenre feel of the album. “There was a bit of a variety
there and traditionally you’d stick to one type of music or whatever, but we thought we’d stick with it and hoped that the variety would appeal to more people out there.” Adrian chimes in, adding, “We won’t write anything we don’t want to listen to ourselves. We’re not going, ‘Let’s write a pop album that’s going to make a million dollars’. “I guess the one thing that we did try to tie the whole album together with was the slight dance feel that we even did on the rockier tracks,” muses Dan. “Even those have that touch of dance, and we did that to try and make them sit alright together. Some tracks started out with more guitar and singer-songwriter stuff, but in the end we blended those a bit.” Together, they’re confident that the album will find
FUNERAL STRIPPERS’ There’s A Time And A Place For Dancing is out now on Funstrip Records.
PULLED APART BY HORSES By Rod Whitfield
This rough, raw and ready rock band from Leeds in England visited Australia for the first time for a tour a few years back. They played a small pub show at a Melbourne venue that’s just as raw, abrasive and unkempt as the band itself. A very wild time was had by all, as bass player Rob Lee, speaking from his home in that (you guessed it) tough Northern England city, struggles a little to remember. “We’ve been out there (to Australia) once before,” he recalls, “a couple of years ago. We played The Tote in Melbourne…it was a really good show man, probably too good!” he laughs. “We’ve got some definite memories of that, but the end of it is a bit sketchy. I remember some old dudes giving us some – God knows what it was – kind of shots at the bar, and me and Tom (vocalist and guitarist Tom Hudson) got into the future a bit that night! But yeah, it was awesome, really good.” Aside from that, in some of the more lucid moments during their trip, Rob has some other very fond memories of their first trip Down Under, especially a BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22
trip to the beach in Sydney. “Yeah, we got loads of great memories,” he enthuses. “It was really, really ace; it was just a good time. I remember we went swimming at Bondi Beach, but we were like the typical English tourists. We turned up, and we’d forgotten to bring any swimming trunks or anything. I had these brand new black jeans, black tight skinny jeans, so I got in the sea with them. When we got back to the apartment we were staying in, I took my jeans off, and I was just black from the waist down! We were like amateur Englishmen in Australia!” he laughs again. In a couple of months, the band are returning to do it
DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION
PULLED APART BY HORSES play Soundwave at Flemington Racecourse on Friday February 28.
UPCOMING
FEBRUARY
JANUARY
on tour SOUL CLAP [USA], WOLF + LAMB [USA] Friday January 10, The Liberty Social SWINDLE [UK], MARIBOU STATE [UK] Saturday January 11, Globe Alley CAMO & KROOKED [UK] Saturday January 11, Brown Alley DJ KOZE [GER] Saturday January 11, Brown Alley CAKES DA KILLA [USA] Sunday January 12, Palace Theatre BEN UFO [UK], PEARSON SOUND [UK] Friday January 17, Brown Alley MARCUS WORGULL [GER] Friday January 17, The Liberty Social DANNY HOWELLS Friday January 17, Victoria Star JUAN ATKINS [USA] Saturday January 18, The Liberty Social MEDLAR [UK] Saturday January 18, New Guernica KOLOMBO [BEL] Sunday January 19, Revolver Upstairs MATMOS [USA] Sunday January 19, Howler MAJOR LAZER [USA], FLOSSTRADAMUS [USA] Tuesday January 21, The Palace SNOOP DOGG [USA], MAC MILLER [USA] Wednesday January 22, The Palace BIG DAY OUT: SNOOP DOGG [USA], MAJOR LAZER [USA] + MORE Friday January 24, Flemington Racecourse RAINBOW SERPENT: DONATO DOZZY [ITA], MICHAEL MAYER [GER] + MORE Friday January 24–Monday January 27, Lexton HENRIK SCHWARZ [GER], DANNY DAZE [USA] Friday January 24, Brown Alley ANDREW WEATHERALL [UK] Friday January 24, New Guernica AVICII [SWE] Sunday January 26, Melbourne Showgrounds MOUNT KIMBIE [UK] Thursday January 30, Corner Hotel JACQUES RENAULT [USA] Friday January 31, Mercat Basement ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL: XXYYXX [USA], MOUNT KIMBIE [UK] + MORE Saturday February 1, Footscray Community Arts Centre XXYYXX [USA] Tuesday February 4, Corner Hotel. YOUTH LAGOON [USA] Wednesday February 5, Prince Bandroom EARL SWEATSHIRT [USA], DANNY BROWN [USA] Thursday February 6, The Palace DVS1 [USA] Friday February 7, The Liberty Social BEN PEARCE [UK] Friday February 7, New Guernica MK [USA] Sunday February 9, Revolver Upstairs DJ SHADOW [UK] Thursday February 13, Prince Bandroom EMINEM [USA], KENDRICK LAMAR [USA] + MORE Wednesday February 19, Etihad Stadium MARCELL DETTMANN [GER] Friday February 21, Brown Alley MARIO BASANOV [LIT], CASSY [UK] Sunday February 23, TBA FLYING LOTUS [USA] Friday February 28, The Forum BRUNO MARS [USA], MIGUEL [USA] Tuesday March 4 & Wednesday March 5, Rod Laver Arena GOLD PANDA [UK] Friday March 7, Corner Hotel GOOD LIFE: DEADMAU5 [UK], KNIFE PARTY [UK] + MORE Friday March 7, Flemington Racecourse MAITREYA: DICK TREVOR [UK], YAHEL [ISR] Friday March 7–Monday March 10, Sealake GOLDEN PLAINS: PUBLIC ENEMY [USA], FLYING LOTUS [USA] + MORE Saturday March 8–Monday March 10, Meredith Supernatural Ampitheatre FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: DEADMAU5 [UK], KNIFE PARTY [UK] + MORE Sunday March 9, Flemington Racecourse BATHS [USA] Saturday March 22, Corner Hotel DARKSIDE [USA] Friday April 4, The Palace
tour rumours Lexx, San Soda, Len Faki, Legowelt, Redshape, Kito, Reija Lee, Roman Flügel
contact Editor: Tyson Wray / tyson@beat.com.au Production/Cover Design: Gill Tucker / art@beat.com.au Typesetting: Rebecca Houlden Advertising: Ash Bartlett - (03) 8414 9710 / ash@beat.com.au Thom Parry - (03) 8414 8719 / thom@beat.com.au Ali Hawken - (03) 8414 9711 / ali@beat.com.au Kris Furst - (03) 8414 9703 / kris@furstmedia.com.au Patrick Carr - (03) 8414 9751 / patrick@furstmedia.com.au Dan Watt - (03) 8414 9712 / dan@furstmedia.com.au Photographer: Callum Linsell Contributors: Alasdair Duncan, Andrew Hickey, Annabel Maclean, Chloe Papas, Dan Watt, Jo Campbell, Kish Lal, Lachlan Kanonuik, Leigh Salter, Miki McLay, Morgan Richards, Nick Taras, Nina Bertok, Richie Meldrum, RK, Rose Callaghan, Ryan Butler,
the presets word s / to m k i t s o n
As pioneers of Australian dance music, The Presets have achieved countless accolades through a career spanning ten years. This year has seen long time friends Julian Hamilton and drummer and keyboardist Kim Moyes tour Mexico, Japan and China before they end up at the Hotel Rottnest for a pre-Christmas Sunday Session. They’ve been making new music as well, keen to remain at the top of their game and continue the successful pursuit of a dream that brought them together in the early ’90s. “The band has been going for ten years this month and we knew each other for some time before as well, so we’ve been making music together for about 20 years now,” Hamilton says. “We’re almost like brothers in a lot of ways, we know each other very well and the music we both like – it’s an instinctual musical relationship. “Most of the inspiration for what we do kind of came from when we started,” he explains. “At university we’d go out to nightclubs and listen to The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy or Daft Punk – bands
that have been touchstones for us along with ’80s and ’90s Detroit techno and Chicago house.” This enduring relationship has seen The Presets release three albums over seven years, take home ARIA Awards and earn a reputation in club culture as well as gain mainstream popularity; leading the way for today’s young producers. “In the last 20 years dance music has come so far, with so many different genres and things happening,” he says. “None of today’s stuff really influences us though because we still really like the music we were into when we started. Part of growing and maturing as a musician is hopefully forming your own sound and style.” Utilising a simple home studio set up for writing, Hamilton says just a piano and his own voice are all he needs to come up with a tune. “In my little room I’ve got a computer, speakers, a whole bunch of pre-amps, outboard equipment, computer programs, a bunch of keyboards and an old piano that I do most of my writing on,” he says. “The most important thing for me in here though is the piano,
because that’s where I come up with a lot of the chord progressions and melodies. We try to make every song we write work on a piano and then add beats and synths and things. At its core, it’s always nice if it sounds okay just singing it and playing it on the piano.” Looking forward to their show at the Palace, Hamilton is excited to delve back through the extensive Presets catalogue and pick out some old gems. “We’ve got a few favourite songs we like to drag out; it’s almost like looking through an old photo album…rediscovering all these older songs and being reminded of the time when we wrote them.” The Presets play alongside Cakes Da Killa, World’s End Press and more at Confetti–the official Midsumma Carnival After Party at the Palace Theatre on Sunday January 12. facebook.com/thepresets
off the record w i t h
t yson
w ray
Reminder to self: Ken Park is not an acceptable date night film.
baths cassy
mario basanov and cassy
Baths is the intricate electronic pop project of Los Angeles-area producer Will Wiesenfeld, also of [Post-Foetus] and Geotic. Growing up in California’s San Fernando Valley, Wiesenfeld began making music at an early age, with his parents enrolling him in music lessons at age four (at his insistence). He began recording his own music in his early teens, but found his true inspiration after discovering Björk’s music. Baths signed to Anticon Records in 2009, and the debut album Cerulean followed in 2010. Illness and Wiesenfeld’s wish to perform with a full band informed his second album, 2013’s Obsidian, a set of songs that was darker and more direct than his earlier music. Catch him on Saturday March 22 at the Corner Hotel.
With a residency at Berghain secured under her belt, as well as her production credits including collaborations with Steve Bug, Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, DJ Elin, Dave The Hustler, Mathew Jonson and Swayzak. Cassy’s style is impossible to describe with genres as she refrains from being confined by styles and rather glides between house and techno. However Mario Basanov sticks to his winning formula and with this released his successful, debut LP Journey which set his production to new heights. His inimitable, elegant and enigmatic sound makes Basanov a definite key player in electronic music. Make sure to check out all the fun at Albert Park on Friday February 23.
yemaya festival
Yemaya Festival have locked in an electronic banquet for their 2014 event. Over three days and two nights, a host of electronic artists will perform over two stages alongside the Goulburn River, featuring the likes of Talpa, Grouch, Dust, Terrafractyl, Ryanosaurus, Pspiralife, Chromatone and many, many more. Yemaya Festival runs from Friday March 21– Sunday March 23.
pleasurekraft and doorly
Pleasurekraft could arguably call 2013 their year with so many chart topping tracks and a massive year touring. Turntablist Doorly has emerged as one to watch in 2013 with some insanely funky releases. Put them together and this could quite possibly be the party of 2014. Catch ‘em at Brown Alley on Friday January 17.
jacques renault and medlar
While in the country for the Future Classic x Sydney Festival Show, Jacques Renault and Medlar will also be heading to Melbourne for their own headlining sideshows. NYC DJ and producer, Jacques Renault has already played numerous sold-out sets in Australia. With his edits, original tracks and collaborative project Runaway, he has released music on a variety of internationally acclaimed labels. Now on his own label imprints, Let’s Play House, On The Prowl and OTP Party Breaks he has released original and remix works from artists including Andy Ash, Brennan Green and TBD. Up-and-coming UK house DJ, Medlar is one of three Wolf Music resident producers, releasing his debut LP Sleep earlier this year. At festivals and parties across Europe and the UK he spins nothing but vinyl, and now he is bringing his show to Australia. Medlar will play New Guernica on Saturday January 18. Jacques Renault will play Mercat in Melbourne on Friday January 31.
electronic - urban - club life
camo & krooked
To celebrate their third album released on Hospital Records, Camo & Krooked are heading off on an album tour, joined by fellow label mate, Metrik. Zeitgeist is full of disco, French house and minimal influences merged together with the signature Camo & Krooked sound set to send fans into overdrive. The Viennese pair have created numerous dance floor anthems since they emerged onto the scene a few years back, with Turn Up The Music and Climax. This will set the stage for a night of genre-hopping excitement with London’s own Metrik joining the lineup with his own euphoric, rave-inspired productions. Local support will come from Soulflex, JFK, Monkee, Lickweed, Switchstate, Asteria and Selby. It’s all happening at Brown Alley on Saturday January 11.
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party profile: confetti: official midsumma carnival after party Cakes Da Killa
World’s End Press
matmos words / dan i el pr ior
There are very few bands around now who dare to dream and explore the unknown quite as much as Matmos. The Baltimore-based electronic duo is one of the few trailblazing acts still searching and experimenting, seeking a new sound in contemporary music. Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1997, Matmos have cemented their reputation amongst the avant-garde, thanks largely to their use of highly unusual sound sources in their recordings. “When things first started, we were just using things that were laying around our house,” says M.C. [Martin] Schmidt. “We try to always choose inspirational items, but the music on the first album came from the crap lying around, like the door to our room and a tie. “Our reputation is to be outrageous, but we’re doing it for an aesthetic sense. These weird objects just fall into our laps now, and we think, ‘Oh yeah! We can use this!’ I mean, what other band have bovine insemination equipment lying around?” Despite their nuanced approach to work, Matmos have been praised for the accessibility of their music. It seems quite contradictory that a band which creates music with amplified crayfish nerve tissue, liposuction surgical tools and bovine insemination equipment could apply pop sensibilities at the same time. The truth is that the band is split about which direction in which to take the music –
Schmidt driving into the experimental and the unknown, while Drew Daniel fights for the pop approach. “We’re in constant conflict about this. Drew loves pop music, but I couldn’t care less; I have a much slower metabolism for that kind of music. I’ve got nothing against it, but I would rather we head in a stranger direction, and Drew pushes in a more pop direction. It’s that conflict which drives what we do.” The creative and experimental nature of Matmos has even seem them transcend the world of music, collaborating with visual artists, playwrights and choreographers, from Daria Martin to Young Jean Lee. “We’ve been lucky and have had such amazing people approach us and ask to help out with what they’re doing. They’ve always been very different from us, which allows us to be ourselves. It’s sometimes a stretch and a challenge to work with us, but they’ve been forgiving with our approach. They come to us and it’s been great fun. “On the other side, when we ask people to work with us, it’s like we’re asking a neighbour to help with some home repairs. A lot of the people we’ve worked with are people we know, people I met at a bar.” Schmidt reflects on a time working with an orchestra in Europe, when the conductor was shocked to discover that neither he nor Daniel can read sheet music. “We make it up as we go along. We
were never trained in music composition and never learnt to read sheet music, so people have been surprised by us and our approach, but we somehow manage to find a way to make it all work and some amazing stuff has come out of these collaborations. It always comes together with relative ease and just feels natural.” Ahead of their upcoming performances in Australia, the creative juices are flowing – and Matmos are dreaming up something special. “The big difference between live and recorded music is that it’s much easier to be original and acceptable live,” says Schmidt. “We prefer that the audience doesn’t know the process of creation. With an album, they can study it and work out how we made our music, but performing live requires a more immediate digestion of the music. We like our audience to be smart enough to roll with the punches and not need an explanation for what we’re doing – immediate satisfaction rather than a subject of study.” Matmos play at Howler on Sunday January 19. They also play at MONA FOMA which takes place over Wednesday January 15–Sunday January 19. facebook.com/matmosband
When is it? This Sunday January 12. Where is it? The Palace Theatre Who’s playing? The Presets, Cakes Da Killa, World’s End Press, Raf Daddy of The 2 Bears, Stereogamous, DJ SVETA, Gavin Campbell, YO! M.A.F.I.A.,DJ Kiti, The Sweats, Fletch and DJ People. What sort of shit will they be playing? All bases are covered from rap and R&B, to house, disco, dance-punk and primo party music.. What’s the crowd going to be like? A totally inclusive spectrum of colourful queers representing every ingredient of the LGBTIQ sandwich. What will we remember in the AM? You’ll have blurry memories, but once you look in the mirror and see the confetti in your hair, it’ll all come flooding back. What’s the wallet damage? $86 early bird presales are nearly gone, with more tickets to be released. Get em quick at: midsumma.org.au. Give us one final reason why we should party here. Confetti’s only once a year, so you don’t want to have to wait 364 days if you miss it.
GROUSE PARTY, JOHN HOMOSOCIAL & FLAWLESS QUEER SALON PRESENT...
max cooper wo rd s / rk
DJS: STEREOGAMOUS / DJ SVETA / GAVIN CAMPBELL YO! M.A.F.I.A. / DJ KITI / THE SWEATS / FLETCH / DJ PEOPLE
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Speaking while traveling on the train from London to Paris, Max Cooper is a few hundred (maybe a thousand) leagues under the sea. Importantly, he’s hoping there are no earthquakes. “But I digress,” he notes. “I’ve mainly been working on album stuff recently; the first single Adrift is out now and the rest are coming soon before the album Human, which is due sometime around March next year so things have been pretty hectic with that.” So, the somewhat elusive but completely experimental Cooper is almost a decade deep into his career, with a Ph.D in computational biology in tow. Indeed, writing his first releases for Evolved Records and Traum Schallplatten, Cooper’s music remains timeless. It is complex and fluid but somehow humanistic and emotional – and that reconciles rather nicely with his scientific ethos. “Everyone loves music right?” he asks – a truism if I’ve ever heard one. “I just decided to try and make a career out of something I loved. My mum was a piano teacher so that was always going on in the background at home, maybe that had some influence.” No doubt – but it was his post-doc research at University College in London that ultimately led him into production, full-time. And he has done it all without any formal training in music production – he is self-educated, which makes his abstract sound all the more appealing. The album too, as he goes onto explain is ‘mainly digital music with live vocals and some sampled instrument banks’. Which doesn’t give much away, but it does lend itself to a summary of the way he has been working for years. “I’ve decided it’s finally time to go down the analogue synthesis route,” he chimes – and to see where it takes him. “So I’ve been experimenting with a Dave Smith Prophet 08 and Moog Minitaur as a start, it’s been fun, and hopefully worthwhile musically too, we will see.”
electronic - urban - club life
Likewise, his prolific output has also seen him work with some exciting partners including Phil Kieran and Nick Warren – with more to come. “I’ve got some exciting collaborations happening yes–my ongoing work with composer and pianist Tom Hodge, which we had our first release of recently, the Fragmented Self EP on Fields. I’ve also been collaborating with some jazz musicians, Quentin Collins, who is an amazing trumpeter and the vocalist Kathrin deBoer, who I’ve been working with for some time.” Needless to say, diversity in his output is key. “My sets are always a mix of a lot of genres yes, as are my productions,” he says seemingly in agreement. “I love a lot of different music, and I don’t want to pigeonhole myself as being too tightly associated with any one genre, as my tastes always change and I want to be free creatively. But there is a common thread in my sets and production, of melody, feeling, details and glitch, and moments of extreme contrasts.” Otherwise, he adds that he is rather enthused about his pending return to Australia. “I think this will be my fourth time coming out there to play. I did several gigs at each of the previous visits, so I’ve done a fair few events there, which have all been great. It will be my first time at Rainbow Serpent though and I’m looking forward to that a lot. I have no idea what I’ll play, it depends a lot on the vibe there and who is playing before me, what time I’m playing, the weather, how many parsnips I’ve seen that day, things like that. I’ll do my best to make it the best possible party I can though, that’s the only thing I know for sure.” Max Cooper will play at Rainbow Serpent alongside James Zabiela, Donato Dozzy, The Orb and more which takes place in Lexton from Friday January 24 - Monday January 27. soundcloud.com/max-cooper
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electronic - urban - club life
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club guide wednesday jan 8
snaps bimbos
COQ ROQ - FEAT: AGENT 86 + DJS LADY NOIR + JOYBOT + KITI + MR THOM Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:00pm. DJ FLIPSIDE KARL Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 7:30pm. HOODRAPZ - FEAT: WEDNESDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. MIDNIGHT SOUL ENSEMBLE - FEAT: CHING ROCK + CARGO + DJ SPELL + JUMPS + MZRIZK The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. NEW GUERNICA WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. THE DINNER SET - FEAT: MR GEOFFREY Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm.
thursday jan 9
first floor
lucky coq
workshop
3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + JESSE YOUNG + JOHN DOE + MATTHEW BUTTERS + SAM GUDGE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. BILLBOARD THURSDAYS FEAT: MATT DEAN + MATTY GRANT + PHIL ROSS Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $10. CHI BEATS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. CQ SESSIONS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Cq, Melbourne. 9:00pm. DO DROP IN - FEAT: DJ KITI + DJ LADY NOIR The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. FREE RANGE FUNK - FEAT: AGENT 86 + LEWIS CANCUT + WHO Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. FUZZ FACTORY - FEAT: THE ASMATICS + DEAR PLASTIC + JAKE JUDD The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. GOOD EVENING - FEAT: DJ PEOPLE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. GRAD PARTY THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. LE DISCO TECH - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Pretty Please, St Kilda. 9:00pm. LOVE STORY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. MOOD - FEAT: NUBODY Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. NEW GUERNICA THURSDAYS - FEAT: CONDUCTORS + JAMES KANE + NEGATIV MAGICK + NU BALANCE + POST PERCY New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. RADIONICA - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. SUMMER SESSIONS - FEAT: RABBLE ROUSER + BEAUTIFUL BEASTS + INVISIBLE DEALERS + IONWITE First Floor, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE AAMI CLASSIC KOOYONG GARDEN PARTY - FEAT: THE KOLORS Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club & Stadium, Kooyong. 4:00pm. $85.
THE RITZ THURSDAYS FEAT: CAUC-ASIAN DJ’S + JOSHUA GILILAND + KEN WALKER + LUCILLE CROFT + CARRICK DALTON & SAM COHEN + ED WILKS + MAX KRUSE + TIM LIGHT + ZACK ROSE Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $20. TIGER FUNK LIVE - FEAT: DJ MOONSHINE Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. VARSITY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.
friday jan 10
ANYTIME - FEAT: FRIDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 9:30pm. BADABOOM FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm. CANT SAY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Platform One, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $10. CHI FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. DJ JUMBO Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. ESC - FEAT: LAILA + AIR MAX ‘97 + ASPERTAME + RAP SIMONS Boney, Melbourne. 11:45am. $5. FUSION FRIDAY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Fusion, Southbank. 11:00pm. GET LIT - FEAT: D’FRO + MC MOE + THADDEUS DOE The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. GROUSE PARTY - FEAT: DJ SVETA + BANOFEE + LARS VON QUEERDJ SVETA + MELO Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. $10. HAUL MUSIC 5TH BIRTHDAY - FEAT: CHRISTIAN VANCE + CRAIG MCWHINNEY + MIKE CALLENDAR Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 1:00am. LA DANSE MACABRE FEAT: DJ MACHETE BROTHERS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. MEET YOUR MATES FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Libation, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. PANORAMA - FEAT: DJS MATT RAD + MR GEORGE + PHATO A MANO Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. REVOLVER FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ LEWIE DAY + DJ MIKE CALLANDER + DJ KATIE DROVER Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. SHUFFLE FRIDAY NIGHTS Bridie O’reilly’s Brunswick, Brunswick. 11:00pm. THE FOX FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. TUNES BY DAVID GRAY Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. WEEKENDER - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm.
saturday jan 11 BILLBOARD
SATURDAYS
- FEAT: FRAZER ADNAM SCOTT MCMAHON + JAMIE VLAHOS + MR MAGOO + ZIGGY Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15. CLUB FICTION - FEAT: KITTY ROCK & THE BAD LADIES Red Bennies, South Yarra. 11:00pm. DAEDELUS + ANTI-KIRIS + BEE AMPERSAND + ELECTRIC SEA SPIDER Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm. DISCO DELUXE - FEAT: CC DISCO + BRONZE SAVAGE + GOGO GODDESSES The Luwow, Fitzroy. 11:00pm. $5. DJ FERG Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. FIRST FLOOR SATURDAYS - FEAT: BILLY HOYLE + DJS DUCHESZ + MZRIZK + WASABI First Floor, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. GLITCH THIS - FEAT: SATURDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. HOT STEP - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. KAMO & CROOKED + METRIK Brown Alley, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $25. LAB 22 Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. MIDNIGHT RUN - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. MIXED DRINKS SATURDAYS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Libation, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. NEW GUERNICA SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. POISON APPLE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm. RAZZMATAZZ INDIE DISCOTHEQUE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Exford Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $5. SATURDAYS - FEAT: ACTION SAM + DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. SHIFTEE - FEAT: JELLYFISH + AUX-ONE + LOW KEY + PHONEY STARKS + THADDEUS DOE Boney, Melbourne. 10:00pm. $5. SOUND EMPIRE - FEAT: DJ TATE STRAUSS + DJ JOE SOFO + DJ MATTY + DJ MISS SARAH + DJ PHIL ROSS Fusion, Southbank. 10:30pm. $25. STRUT SATURDAYS - FEAT: COLLECTIVE + ANDREAS + DANNY MERX + HENRIQUE + JASON SERINI + MARK PELLEGRINI + MC JUNIOR + NICK VAN WILDER Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $22. SUNDAY NIGHTS - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY J + DJ KEN WALKER + DJ LIGHTING Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. SUPER GRANDE - FEAT: LA POCOCK + KAIA The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. TEMPERANCE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra.
9:00pm. TEXTILE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. THE FOX SATURDAYS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. THE LATE SHOW - FEAT: PALEMAN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.
sunday jan 12
CONFETTI - FEAT: PRESETS + CAKES DA KILLA + RAF DADDY OF THE 2 BEARS + WORLD’S END PRESS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. DANGER - FEAT: GEORGE HYSTERIC & ROHAN BELLTOWERS The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. LUNAR SUNDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. MASHTAG - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: DJ BOOGS + DJ SPACEY SPACE + DJ RADIATOR + DJ SILVERSIX + DJ T-REK Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:30pm. SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:30pm. SUNDAZED - FEAT: GRANT CAMOV + HARVEY SUTHERLAND + M5K + SLEEP D The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. SURRENDER - FEAT: DJ SERGEANT SLICK + DJ ADAM TRACE + DJ ADRIAN CHESSARI + DJ CHRIS OSTROM + DJ SEF Fusion, Southbank. 9:00pm. THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJS ANDYBLACK + HAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm. TOUGH TITTIES - FEAT: KITI + CHAIRA KICKDRUM + VIVA L’AMOUR The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00am.
HIP HOP &AMP; R&AMP;B CREW LOVE - FEAT: DJ TONY SUNSHINE Sub Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $15. FAKTORY - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ DURMY + DJ K DEE + DJ YATHS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne. 9:30pm. HELLBURNIANZ Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. LIKE FRIDAYS - FEAT: BROZ + DIR-X + S DINESH + NYD + SEF
4
tuesday jan 14
COSMIC PIZZA - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. CURIOUS TALES - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. TASTEMAKERS - FEAT: 2FUDDHA + ABLE8 + SAILEX The Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.
sunday jan 12
saturday jan 11
HIP HOP &AMP; R&AMP;B FREEDOM PASS - FEAT: PHIL ROSS + B-BOOGIE + CHRIS MAC + DOZZA Co., Southbank. 10:30pm.
electronic - urban - club life
be. at co.
IBIMBO - FEAT: LADY NOIR & KITI Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. STIFF DRINK - FEAT: DJ MICHAEL KUCYK + DJ MICHAEL OZONE + DJ ROMAN WAFERS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. TWERKERS CLUB - FEAT: DJ FLETCH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
+ SHAGGZ + SHAUN D La Di Da, Melbourne. 8:00pm. SWEET NOTHING FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra. 9:00pm. HIP HOP &AMP; R&AMP;B SATURDAY NIGHTS - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY SIN + DJ K DEE Khokolat Bar, Melbourne. 9:30pm.
khokolat koated
monday jan 13
urban club guide friday jan 10
snaps
HIP HOP &AMP; R&AMP;B OPEN DECKS Thornbury Local, Thornbury. 7:30pm.
monday jan 13
faktory
SUN RA ARKESTRA By Patrick Emery
Sun Ra was one of jazz’s most creative and enigmatic personalities. Born Herman Blount in 1914 in Birmingham, Alabama, Sun Ra was a precocious musical talent, playing piano in a variety of local and touring outfits. In the late ‘30s Blount claimed to have been teleported to Saturn, where he claimed the local inhabitants advised him to use music to ‘speak’ to the population of Earth to counter the increasing political, economic and social chaos. By the early ‘50s, Blount had legally changed his name to Le Sony’r Ra – typically shortened to Sun Ra – and formed the earliest incarnations of the ensemble that would become known as the Sun Ra Arkestra. An elaborate blend of avant-garde jazz, ethereal philosophy and science fiction conceptual imagery, the Arkestra’s influence would bleed into the nascent rock’n’roll scene of the ‘60s, with bands such as the MC5 and The Stooges paying tribute to Sun Ra’s free-form style (decades later, Sonic Youth would invite the Arkestra to open for the New York art-punk-noise group). In subsequent years, the Sun Ra Arkestra would incorporate dancers and performance artists into the outfit’s elaborate live performances. Marshall Allen had joined the United States army after the US joined the war in 1942. Stationed in France for the duration of the war, Allen stayed on in Paris until 1950, when he returned to the United States. Allen had played clarinet and alto saxophone while living in Paris, playing alongside seasoned jazz players such as Art Simmons, James Moody and Don Byas. Some time after returning to the United States, Allen
met Sun Ra. Sufficiently impressed with Allen’s abilities and musical aptitude, Sun Ra invited the young musician to join the nascent Sun Ra Arkestra. “I met Sun Ra in Chicago in 1957,” Allen recalls, “and by the end of the year I’d joined his band – I’d been playing in lots of little bands, and I was looking to join a big band.” Allen was only peripherally aware of Sun Ra’s musical activities; once ensconced in the Arkestra, Allen indulged Sun Ra’s idiosyncratic philosophical approach. “Before I joined the band, I’d been playing mainly straight up and down,” Allen says. “But with Sun Ra, the techniques were all different, different intervals, mixed-up rhythms. I hadn’t experienced that before – I didn’t know what [Sun Ra] wanted. It took some time to work it out. It was simple music in a sense, but you had to play it in a certain way.” And then there was the extra-curricular aspect of Sun Ra’s musical philosophy: the blend of science fiction, religion and libertarian philosophy. “Sun Ra was talking about outer space and the Bible, and I was wondering what that had to do with the music,” Allen laughs. While Allen accepted Sun Ra’s other worldly interests,
his primary preoccupation was to grasp the musical ideas within Sun Ra’s arrangements. “I just wanted to talk about the music, and he’d have these arrangements that I wanted to understand,” Allen says. “It was a challenge, so I was gonna stay there until I got something! There was all this syncopation, rhythm changes, you had to play on your own, play your part. If I couldn’t understand all of, I’d just sit and listen, wait and see, listen to [Sun Ra] talk about it.” With shades of James Brown’s legendary sense of intraband discipline, Sun Ra expected his musicians to be on time, both musically and logistically. “If you came late to a rehearsal, you wouldn’t have a part until [Sun Ra] would write you one,” Allen says. “You couldn’t just play what anyone else was playing. All that freedom wasn’t what he wanted – you had to have discipline to be in the band. I’d tell him I was playing my best, and he’d still tell me that wasn’t what he wanted,” Allen laughs. After Sun Ra died in 1993 – followers prefer the interstellar concept of ‘ascending’ to describe his transition from Earth-bound existence – tenor saxophonist John
Gilmore assumed the role of band leader; when Gilmore died in 1995, Allen took over the mantle, preserving and continuing to spread the spirit of Sun Ra across the world. Now in his 90th year, Allen continues to tour the world with the Sun Ra Arkestra. In January this year, Sun Ra Arkestra will visit Australia as the guest of the Sydney Festival, and will also play at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne. Allen may be notionally in the twilight of his career, but he offers no sense of impending retirement from the avant-garde scene he’s been part of for so many years. “Avant-garde is about what you don’t know,” Allen says. “You can create some music, and then create some more music. I had to give up trying to be smart. Sometimes you can walk out the door, and the building falls down,” Allen laughs.
narcotic history. “You’re trying to re-enter the emotional space when the song was first recorded,” Murry says. “I played the album for the first time in a coffee shop in Tupelo. A friend played with me, and it was raining. I was worried because playing the songs in the way I did – and I still do – I didn’t really know how to play them live. I think I was just glad that I got through it.” Some years after kicking his heroin habit, and eschewing his various other chemical and alcoholic pastimes, Murry is still confronted with heavy emotional baggage each time he plays The Graceless Age live. “It has to be engaging, and it’s harder to do now because of the distance from the time the events happened,” Murry says. “It’s harder to do now just because it hurts more – or it’s easier to play the songs, but it’s harder to choose to do.” The Graceless Age was released in 2012 to an amazing international reaction, garnering lavish reviews in the
English music magazines Mojo and Uncut. Murry is, however, almost bemused at the response the album has generated. “I get why it frustrates my wife why I don’t get any validation from these end of year lists, but if I do find validation from that, I think someone should call the mental institution,” Murry deadpans. “It is humbling when a magazine like Mojo says that because I respect that publication. But this industry is screwed – the 99 per cent of people who’re in it because they think they can make money out of it, and the other one per cent does it because they have to do it – and I’m in that one per cent.”
SUN RA ARKESTRA play The Forum as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival’s Summer Sessions on Sunday January 19.
JOHN MURRY By Patrick Emery John Murry’s life reads like something out of a Southern tragedy scripted by his famous forebear, William Faulkner. Declaring a desire to become a rock’n’roll guitarist in his early teenage years, Murry’s adoptive parents reacted to his occasional use of cannabis and alcohol by sending him to rehab at the age of 15. Indoctrinated into the suffocating discourse of addiction of the rehab centre, Murry “came out convinced” that he must be a drug addict. As if resigned to his fate, Murry spent the succeeding years on a heavy diet of alcohol and hard drugs after a car crash and a heroin overdose, before his wife left him, taking their young child with her. It took a while, but Murry cleaned himself up, reconciled with his wife, and used his colourful experiences as the inspiration for his critically acclaimed album, The Graceless Age. “Overdosing wasn’t the lowest point I reached,” Murry says in his measured Southern drawl from his adopted home in Oakland in California’s Bay Area. “That wasn’t when I quit using. I think I’m more afraid of living than I am dying. I think the lowest point that any addict reaches isn’t something they do to themselves – it’s about what they do to other people. Having your heart broken hurts a lot more than overdosing.”
Murry spent a couple of years writing the songs that would appear on The Graceless Age, including the epic Little Coloured Balloons, the track that narrates Murry’s near-death experience and its repercussions. “Writing The Graceless Age was a cathartic experience, and it still is,” Murry muses. “I didn’t think about it creatively that way, or that it would be necessary. But for me it did exercise demons in a sense,” Murry says. “The record didn’t come out for a while because I was afraid I’d be judged for telling the truth – and I don’t think I have necessarily told the truth, but not that any of us really tells the truth.” Performing the songs live initially was an emotional experience; the passage of time hasn’t diminished the intensity of re-living the events of Murry’s troubled
JOHN MURRY plays Meeniyan Town Hall on Saturday January 18 and Northcote Town Hall on Tuesday January 21.
EDWYN COLLINS By Augustus Welby It’s certainly been a long interval but Scottish post-punk troubadour Edwyn Collins will finally return to Australia this January. Collins’ only previous visit to our shores was way back in 1995, shortly after the release of his seminal record Gorgeous George. That album’s northern soul-invoking single, A Girl Like You, widely permeated the pop music sphere and, speaking on the phone from London, Collins (recovering from serious illness) and his wife Grace Maxwell can recall Australian audiences being immediately attracted to the track. “Australia was right at the beginning, I think it was a hit in Australia first. I remember being completely shocked,” says Maxwell. “I remember being quite amused at how many radio stations you have in Australia. I feel as though Edwyn visited about 25 radio stations in three days. It was crazy.” Collins first gained popular recognition fronting the Glasgow-based post-punk group Orange Juice, who are best remembered for their 1983 chart-tickling track Rip It Up. In the mid-’80s he embarked on a solo career, which reached its apex with 1994’s Gorgeous George. In the ensuing decade he released two more well-received albums, before things took a devastating turn in early 2005. In the midst of recording his sixth solo record, Home Again, Collins suffered two cerebral haemorrhages and was bedridden for the remainder of the year. The haemorrhages seriously threatened the subsistence of his music career, and Collins explains how harshly depleted his prospects became. “Six months in hospital – I couldn’t say a word, [except]
‘yes’ and ‘no’ and ‘the possibilities are endless’, over and over again. Slowly I recovered my speech. No problems with my singing of course. My talking is still a bit dodgy, to say the least.” After an intensive rehabilitation program, Collins returned to the stage in 2007 and managed to complete and release Home Again that same year. Any lingering physical debilitation certainly hasn’t halted his creative drive, and he has issued two further records of new material – Losing Sleep in 2010 and this year’s Understated. The latest record is sure evidence of Collins’ regenerated lyrical abilities, something he is very pleased about. “I’m playing around with the words a bit. For example, Understated the song – ‘The years go by and I’m feeling my age as the story unfolds / I’m a singer of sorts’.” Indeed, the album is characterised by an existential selfawareness. Lines such as “I’ve got music to see me through” from Baby Jean or “I feel alive, I feel reborn” in Forsooth are delivered as defiant realisations, completely free from contrivance. “Edwyn’s confidence as a lyricist is growing each time,” says Maxwell. “At this stage in his life, everything he does is not a question of searching for fame and glory. It’s a sort of personal quest for Edwyn now, for his own...” “Sanity!” Collins exclaims.
“Yeah – and satisfaction,” continues Maxwell. “And also a relationship with people who like his music. It’s not about what people normally expect you to be going after; hitting targets.” Collins’ three Sydney Festival performances will see him backed by regular onstage accomplices James Walbourne and Carwyn Ellis. Maxwell doesn’t hesitate to commend the strength of the trio. “This lineup has had a bit of practice. It’s quite well-oiled, so you’re in for a treat,” she says. Collins agrees that Walbourne and Ellis are an asset, but admits he’s still working to allay the impositions of his illness. “James and Carwyn are fantastic musicians. I’m relaxed about James and Carwyn, but I must practise. It’s called dysphasia – I can’t remember the songs. But I’m getting it for Australia, slowly.” Understated is teeming with striking slices of heartfelt poprock, and thankfully for Australian audiences the album is fresh in Collins’ memory. A number of its songs will feature in the setlist. “I want to do five songs [from the album]. Of course the song Understated; Dilemna. I want to do Too Bad, (That’s Sad) [and] Forsooth – the Velvet Underground rip-off,” he laughs. Forsooth is not the first time Collins has unashamedly dis-
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played his affection for the music of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. Orange Juice were often noted for melding the Velvets’ sound with the likes of Chic, and Collins admits that Reed’s passing in October was deeply emotional. “On Twitter [I was] reminiscing on Lou Reed. [The song] is called Live ’69 – Over You. Amazing, to me anyway.” Collins is referring to a bootleg Velvet Underground recording, and he proceeds to sing the song’s opening line – “Here I go again…” – before adding, “It’s sad. Tragic, actually.” The lines from Reed’s Wagon Wheel – “You’ve got to live your life as though you’re number one … Make a point of having some fun” – fittingly apply to Collins’ renewed life perspective, and much like Reed’s wife Laurie Anderson, Maxwell clearly provides Collins with solidarity and creative confidence. She will again make the trip out to Australia with him in the New Year, and she jokingly summarises their relationship. “Edwyn’s like Prince Charles and I’m like his valet.” “Yes, it’s true,” Collins confesses. EDWYN COLLINS plays at The Kelvin Club on Friday January 17. Understated out now through AED/ BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 27
KARNIVOOL By Bob Gordon
Sometimes, even for hard touring heavy rockin’ bands, there comes a moment to don the gladrags and live it up a little. And so it was for Karnivool, who, after a year back on the road in support of their acclaimed Asymmetry LP, went to the ARIA Awards for the first time last month. The fact that they picked up an award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Release was icing on the cake. “It was never something that was on any of our bucketlists,” says guitarist, Drew Goddard, “but receiving that award felt pretty good, I must admit. It was my first ARIA experience. Once I got through the somewhat unnatural and awkward red carpet affair, I had a super evening. Ran into a whole bunch of mates, drank heaps of free piss, ate yummy battered prawns, had a yarn with Molly Meldrum and watched my wife in her mum’s amazing dress from the ‘70s own the joint. Plus we picked up a shiny, pointy thing to boot. What’s not to enjoy? “Whatever you may think of the ARIAs you gotta admit it’s great to have heavy music recognised in this way in this country, any opportunity to remind people that riffing the fuck out and beating your drums like a primate is incredibly fun and cathartic. Everyone’s welcome to join the party, as players or participants. Us ‘heavy metal folk’ are actually pretty friendly ya know!” he laughs. A few friendly f-bombs peppered Goddard’s acceptance speech on behalf of the band, which may or may not have had you deleted from the broadcast. Not that he’d change it for the world… “No,” Goddard laughs, “apart from missing a few vital thank yous, like the people that come to our shows and support us and our live crew. Oops!” Karnivool spent the Aussie spring touring Europe, working on previous strongholds and establishing new markets. The band are a few tours in now on the continent, but Goddard maintains that it’s still early days. “There are many countries we are still yet to make it to,” he says, “but this is all so exciting and we can’t wait to keep going back and playing festivals and shows to new and familiar faces, not to mention experiencing the vast array of amazing culture that Europe has to offer. You drive for a few hours and you’re in a completely new country with a completely different culture and language. You don’t get to see too much on tour, apart from the few blocks around the venue, but at least you get a taste of each place and know where you want to
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 28
venture back to in your own time to really discover what’s on offer. “I really need to learn some more German/French/ Spanish/Italian though. I’m trying as best I can, but I’ve forgotten most of what I learnt in primary school and I get tongue-tied all too often and come off looking like a silly Aussie douche bag. ‘Howz it garn!? Parlaay vewl Anglaayyz... bro?’” he laughs. 2014 is also looking very busy for Karnivool, with additional Australian touring, a bunch of European festival shows and other overseas plans that are still being inked in. Godard’s also keen to make a real dent in record number 4, “so we can try, let me repeat try, to get it about before 2047.” In the meantime there’s this month’s national tour with good mates, Dead Letter Circus. What’s not to enjoy indeed? “They’re good friends of ours,” Goddard enthuses. “We first heard them back when they released their EP around 2007. I remember getting in touch with the guitarist at the time Rob and told him that I’m a sucker for dotted delays and that we should play together sometime. We took them out for a bunch of shows on the east coast around that time and have been friends ever since. We rarely have a conversation with someone overseas without talking about our ‘Aussie scene’, particularly DLC. So we thought it’s about time we toured together, first in Oz of course but maybe we will play some shows with them OS in the future. Who knows? I think we’re both very different bands but there is an obvious connection between us, musically and personally. “So playing a bunch of shows together and running amok around the country seems like the obvious thing to do right about now. Along with the amazing sleepmakeswaves, of course. Bloody champs, the lot of ‘em.” KARNIVOOL play the Palace Theatre with Dead Letter Circus on Wednesday January 8 and Thursday January 9 (sold-out).
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SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS By Joshua Kloke To say that it’s been a long road Sharon Jones has had to travel to get to the release of Give The People What They Want, her sixth full-length, would be an incredible understatement. It would be one thing to note that the esteemed soul singer did not release her first solo record until the age of 46. That fact would serve as testament enough to the drive Jones has employed throughout her career to not let her dreams perish. Yet when the now 57-year-old singer was diagnosed with bile duct cancer midway through 2013, many believed Jones had sung her last note onstage. Even Jones herself believed she could not be saved after receiving the original diagnosis. “There was no music on my mind,” she says of the time. “I didn’t sing throughout the summer while I was going through treatment.” While Give The People What They Want was nearly complete at the time of the diagnosis, the release was delayed to accommodate Jones and her health. With the record now set to be released, Jones admits that she feels “great” and that it was “upsetting” when the record wasn’t released as it was originally supposed to in August. Still, Jones has a long road ahead of her before she begins touring confidently full-time again and delivers the legendarily energetic live show she’s built a name for herself upon. “It’s going to be a happy new year,” she said in a November interview through a dodgy phone connection after a long day of interviews, “but I think I’ll only be really happy when my hair starts coming back and when my hands, face and nose stop showing the effects of the chemo. But until then it’ll be a struggle. Every time I look at myself I feel a little better though. It is what it is.” Jones sounded tired throughout our conversation and spoke often of the continuing treatment she’ll have to endure to beat the cancer and return to the stage. She spoke softly and answered questions in short bursts, parcelling the little energy she did have. For a woman whose power onstage emerges from a seemingly endless supply of raw soul, it was at times terrifying to hear Jones sound so close to defeat. I asked Jones if the new record and possible touring has afforded her a “new lease on life” though she wasn’t ready to agree with any grand, affirming statements.
“I DIDN’T WANT TO GO BACK ONSTAGE BUT I NEED TO LET MY FANS SEE WHO I AM...THIS IS ME NOW. I WANT TO THINK OF MY FANS, THAT’S BEEN A POSITIVE AND THAT HAS KEPT ME GOING.” “I’m not excited just yet,” she replied. “In January when I’m able to start working out again and get back on the treadmill and start working my arms then I’ll know if I’m ready or not. But right now, honestly, it’s pretty scary. It is what it is. I have to be truthful to myself.” She repeated this phrase often throughout our conversation: “It is what it is,” as if she came to terms with the cancer much long ago. She utilises a sense of realism regarding the process of returning to the stage that only someone who has weathered many other personal storms could. While the cancer may have been one of the worse blows her career has ever been delivered, Jones is still nothing if not incredibly honest. “I didn’t want to go back onstage but I need to let my fans see who I am,” she says. “This is me now. I want to think of my fans, that’s been a positive and that has kept me going.” Coming to terms with the cancer and actually beating it before continuing to sing are two different scenarios altogether. So much so that it became difficult for Jones herself to imagine getting back onstage. “What had to be done to my body, from my lungs to my gall bladder, it made it impossible to sing. It took months for me to even be able to eat right. I felt such pain trying to digest food.” Still, Jones sees hope. “But now I’ve got just three more treatments and then I’ll be done,” she says, and the smile she likely has on the other end of the line is near palpable. Considering how long it took for the world to be turned onto the ferocious power of Sharon Jones, it should then come as no surprise that the drive she used to succeed has also helped her through her difficult struggles with cancer. No part of her wanted Give The People What They Want to be the last Sharon Jones offered the world. “I actually thought this was going to be my last record,” she says frankly. “I thought I was going to die and I thought people would be sad about this record because it would be my last one. People might say, ‘This is her last album, blahblahblah,’ and I didn’t want that.” And so, with a will as strong as the performances she’s become renowned for, Sharon Jones came to terms with the cancer and became determined to defeat it. And Give The People What They Want was waiting in the wings all along. It will serve as a powerful reminder of just how strong that will is. “For me, it’s a reminder that I’m not gone, I’m not dead.”
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SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS’ Give the People What They Want is out on Friday January 10 through Shock Records / Daptone records. BE PART OF HISTORY. VISIT NAMETHATPOINT.COM TO WIN $5,000
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 29
DZ DEATHRAYS By Rohan Williams
Considering he grew up in Bundaberg, you might not think the Big Day Out played a big part in the life of DZ Deathrays frontman Shane Parsons. You’d be wrong. “It was what I looked forward to every year,” he remembers. “I’ve only missed two since I was 14. I’ve been to, like, 11 or 12 of them. So, yeah, it was a big thing. It was the only live music I really got to see. There weren’t too many all-ages shows in Bundy. I got to see Frenzal, they played there once, and there were some random bands that you’d just go see because you wanted to see live music. I was in a band at school, but we just used to play at house parties. So Big Day Out was… it was a huge thing. “We got on a bus, leaving at four in the morning, and the bus would take us down to the Gold Coast. We’d hang out at Big Day Out all day, moshing and jumping and running around having a great time. Then we’d get back on a bus, all sweaty, and we’d just freeze our arses off because of the air conditioning all the way back to Bundaberg. We’d get back at four or five in the morning. So it was a huge day, but when you were young, you just didn’t care. You were just so excited. “Everyone would have mix CDs of all the bands they wanted to go see, and we’d put it on in the bus, and people would say, ‘Oh, you’ve got to check out this band, I’ve made this mix CD of all their hits!’ It was rad. I just remember standing there watching bands at Big Day Out, just thinking, ‘I don’t even know what I’d do if I
got a chance to stand on that stage’.” These days, of course, Shane and fellow Deathray Simon Ridley know exactly what to do on a Big Day Out stage. It’s the same thing they do to every stage — lay waste to it, mercilessly, until God takes pity on anyone who has to follow them. Debut LP Bloodstreams was a master class in brutality, winning the Brisbane-based duo an unlikely ARIA and earning them rave reviews from international tastemakers Pitchfork and NME, giving them plenty of opportunities to destroy stages in the US and UK, as well. At this year’s Big Day Out, however, audiences will see a new side of DZ Deathrays. New single Northern Lights is the closest the duo have ever come to recording a ballad. “It’s probably the softest song that we’ve ever written,” Shane says, “but we thought it’d be cool to release it to show that we’re not just doing loud stuff all the time.” The pair wrote the track while isolated from the rest of the world and the weight of expectations. “We went and spent two weeks out in country New South Wales; there was this house in Yass that Jack Ladder and PVT recorded at. We just hired it out and did demos there by ourselves, just me and Simon… so we were in this four-story, ten-bedroom, 120-year-old homestead by
ourselves. It was creepy as. We spent two weeks just writing, and that’s when we wrote Northern Lights. It just felt right.” Unsurprisingly, Northern Lights has been another success for Shane and Simon, even going into rotation on BBC Radio 1. It’s the sort of thing that would be unthinkable for most local bands, but is almost inevitable for DZ Deathrays. Not that they’re taking anything for granted. “We don’t expect anything,” Shane stresses. “That’s always been our little motto — don’t expect anything. The only time you’re going to be really dis-
appointed is when you expect that you’re going to be played on the radio; when you expect that you’re going to play at a festival and it’s going to be packed out. If you get those opportunities, don’t expect anything, and you’ll always be surprised. That’s always been the way I’ve felt about it, you know. Don’t expect anything. It’s better to just do things.”
have their records [and] I am very aware of them, they are not as big an influence as people think.” When asked if it is possible that any of the band are or were art students, and if Ghost might be an artistic statement of sorts, he laughs again and keeps his cards held firmly to his chest. “Yes, yes it is [possible],” he says enigmatically, before continuing. “We are very pop culturally oriented, and interested in different medias [including] music and film and art and print and, you know, all sorts of aesthetic expressions, and I think that Ghost is a very good outlet for all of those things.” Despite Ghost’s Satanic lyrics and imagery, Ghoul says they haven’t attracted an abundance of religious fanaticism in America. “We have, but not to the extent that you might expect,” he starts. “I think that the bands [that] historically have the biggest problems are bands like Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn
Manson in the height of their careers. “I think the only time that we sort of noticed [it] is when the whole burger thing came up,” he says, referencing the placing of a ‘The Ghost’ burger featuring goat shoulder, red wine reduction and a communion wafer on the menu of Chicago heavy metal-themed restaurant’s menu. Catholic institutions demanded it be removed, calling it “tasteless”. “As much as we’re here to provoke thought,” he continues, finally shining a crack of light onto Ghost’s motivations, “we’re not here to provoke just to provoke – and I think that a lot of people that see us sort of understand that. That we are not eating shit onstage, we’re not just trying to fuck things up.”
focus that I can use everywhere. I’m discovering my limitations but I’m figuring how to twist things around as well.” That focus comes into play when discussing what is truly important to Only and the Misfits’ legacy. Commercial success has largely eluded the band but he remains unaffected. For Jerry Only, happiness stems from the personal connections he maintains with his fans. And he has no intentions of altering this aspect of the band, regardless of how long he continues with the Misfits. “I’m happy with the band because we’re legendary but we’re still underground. One of the things that makes us legendary is that we’re not a commercial success. We’re not out there playing to 50,000 people, we’re playing to 500 or 1000 people and we have that per-
sonal connection with people.” Through the many decades of the Misfits existence, the ‘Crimson Ghost’ has been the motif that has united Misfits fans and kept the original, anarchistic spirit of punk alive and well. Yet perhaps, for Jerry Only, it has been those fans that have kept the Misfits themselves continuing along every lifeless interstate highway. “We hang out with our fans after the shows, take the photos, find out what they like and don’t like,” he says in a rare, hushed tone. “You can learn a lot from your fans, the people you’re trying to hard to entertain. We try to keep it humble.”
DZ DEATHRAYS play Big Day Out at Flemington Racecourse on Friday January 24 alongside Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, Snoop Dogg, and many more.
GHOST By Shane Pinnegar
Last seen on our shores as part of the 2013 Soundwave Festival, Ghost bring their heavy metal Ritual Down Under for this year’s Big Day Out Festival, at Flemington Racecourse on Friday January 24. On the face of it, most people might imagine Ghost to be proponents of blood curdlingly extreme metal, rather than the Blue Oyster Cult-meetsThe Doors band they actually are. A skeletally face-painted lead singer, five anonymous ‘Nameless Ghouls’ in black robes and masks, and cheerfully sincere satanic lyrics and artwork all serve as red herrings in this puzzle, so the challenge was on to find out what makes this six-piece from Linköping in southern Sweden tick. We kick off discussing their new If You Have Ghost EP, produced by Dave Grohl, an experience “the guitarist Ghoul” says “was very pleasurable, very inspiring, and very cheerful.” Ghoul goes on to explain that the band met the Foo Fighters singer/guitarist when both played on the same festival bill, and got to work together almost immediately. “It was very spontaneous and very quickly executed,” he explains in a calm, quiet voice quite reminiscent of actor Christoph Waltz. “We met, and one month later we were in the studio. We were lucky in the sense that our time schedules, for once, all of a sudden there was a little bit of a gap that coincided, and we had a very clear idea of what we wanted to do.” The anonymity is a key factor of the band, with one Ghoul, speaking with Loudwire magazine in early 2013,
stating “the idea was always to take away personality or individuality in the modern form of being a celebrity, in order to have people focussing on the artwork itself.” Balancing the dichotomy of the extreme metal Satanist image with the ‘70s hard rock vibe, Ghoul says the band members’ influences are wider ranging than most. “It is literally everything from ABBA to Venom,” he explains. “Obviously it is leaning towards rock. Most of it is sort of classical rock to hardcore and metal, but also a lot of, I guess, prog stuff, and alternative, avant garde sort of music, a lot of soundtrack music... everything from the big names like Pink Floyd and The Doors to really weird, eclectic, record-collecting stuff. And that mixture and mesh sort of makes our sound.” Perhaps surprisingly, Ghoul plays down the Blue Oyster Cult influence on Ghost, declaring, “Even though I
GHOST play Big Day Out at Flemington Racecourse alongside Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, and more on Friday January 24.
MISFITS By Joshua Kloke Misfits have become so synonymous with punk music that if one were to nominate an official logo to represent the genre, the band’s infamous ‘Crimson Ghost’ skull face would likely run away with the crown. It is as recognisable as any other motif in the history of punk rock and serves to unify fans of the New Jersey-based band across the world. And while the ‘Crimson Ghost’ made its debut on the cover of the band’s 1979 single Horror Business, the logo isn’t used now in memoriam. Not even close according to bassist/vocalist Jerry Only, the lone surviving member of the original Misfits. “We’re going into our 30th year,” says the 54-year-old, reached on the phone in the band’s touring van on an interstate highway between Pittsburgh and North Carolina. It’s likely the same interstate Only has driven a thousand times throughout his 30-plus years as a touring musician. “We’re going to try and stick around until 50. If I can keep a healthy body and mind I think I can do it,” he says somewhat boastingly. Only remains incredibly bubbly and upbeat throughout our 20-minute conversation considering I’m at the tail-end of two hours of phone interviews he’s logged throughout the evening. He answers questions in great detail and often gets lost in his own long-winded and sometimes pointless tangents. Yet there’s a ceaseless energy in his voice, one that bodes well for the future for Misfits fans. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 30
“If I can keep a healthy body and mind I think I can try and double our catalogue in 13 years. This is my cram time,” he says pointedly. “We’re a punk band so it’s a physical job; once you hit 60 you’re pushing it. But I’ve got all my tools, I want to write some really great stuff and go out with a bang. I’ve got one more decade in me, I’ll tell you that.” There are traces of naïveté in his logic, especially given that Misfits have only released three studio albums in the last 12 years. Of course, this can be forgiven; few musicians his age display the same sky-high levels of enthusiasm towards recording and touring. Only hasn’t settled into a comfortable groove, either. At the turn of the century, the long-time bassist took over vocal duties for Misfits. And as he notes, he hasn’t turned back. “It’s funny, I can’t play without singing now but beforehand I couldn’t sing while I would play,” he laughs. “It was a big transition for me but it helped me grow as a musician. It forced me to pay more attention to my breathing and my concentration. With that comes
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MISFITS return to Melbourne for one night only at the Corner Hotel on Friday January 17 supported by Graveyard Rockstars and The Mercy Kills.
TAME IMPALA By Mimi Velevska
At the tail end of what has been a mammoth year for Tame Impala touring the globe, including appearances at The Rolling Stones-headlined Glastonbury Festival, a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, winning three ARIA awards and the recently announced Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album for their sophomore psychedelia rock dream-pop release Lonerism, I speak to Tame Impala brainchild Kevin Parker whilst he is at his studio/bedroom back home in Perth, and he says “it feels good to be back home.” 2014 is looking to be a very big year for the band, recently receiving the highest of musical nods, a Grammy nomination amongst the likes of Vampire Weekend, Nine Inch Nails and Arctic Monkeys, whom they’ll be touring with in May next year after performing at Big Day Out. But with their welldeserved growing global love, is there anything that they miss about the way of life back in Perth and does their growing success give them more or less creative freedom? “That’s the thing about going through the stages,” Parker explains. “As one door opens, another door closes. (The small pub stages) can’t really happen again.” Does the notion of success and perhaps being a by-product of his own lonerism further alienate him? Parker adds, “In a way, but I don’t like to think my life is a slave to it.” A brilliantly lush and synth laden album delving into the psyche of a self-confessed loner over poppier melodies, Parker admits that thematically Lonerism only took shape halfway into the album’s fruition.
“(Lyrically) from the beginning I didn’t know what I was doing, putting words and phrases and emotion that fit the music – there was no master plan in the start and halfway I realised what was the running theme.” Parker clarifies that it is about that feeling of loneliness amongst a room full of people. Whilst experiencing the album and soaking it all in is one experience, Tame Impala live is another. It feels incredibly personal watching them re-create these incredibly huge multilayered psychedlic grooves and enchanting melodies delving into realms of sonic explosions live, which positively isolates a listener to make them feel as if they’re playing just for you. Having spent over six months mixing the album himself and the overall production being a two-year process, he recalls the moment that makes him happiest about touring the album. “When we’re on tour and there are fans, you can just see it on their face that you’ve really got them attached. You realise that it’s affected them in a deep way. To
see the result your music has is the pinnacle of what it’s about.” When asked what the album has taught him most about himself, over a year since its release, Parker says, “It’s taught me that whilst it’s therapeutic, it won’t fix your problems. It’s like taking Panadol. At the time it seems like it’s fixing a problem.” He also adds, “I’ve become more free and open to expressing my emotions.” Whilst Tame Impala are well known for their many equally brilliant side-projects which fall under the psych-inspired umbrella (Pond, GUM, AllbrookAvery) that really showcase the individual band members’ musical abilities as multi-instrumentalists, Parker has already got a new project in the works. “I’m currently working on another band I’ve started
like a weird super repetitive Kraftwerk, but with disco”. Having previously stated that he is an unashamed lover of sugary pop, could we ever see Kevin Parker taking a leaf out of Sia’s book, and writing hits for some of the world’s biggest pop stars, amongst the plethora of music he creates, performs and produces? “That’s my fantasy. That’s the dream, writing super pop hits after doing the hard yards. You’d just observe them being performed by others and watch the songs grow like they’re your children”.
album, the notion of a full-length was still an important one for The 1975. “The album as a model, we never thought we would do anything different than that. But the idea of us doing an album was so weird. We’d written so many songs, then when we got close to The 1975, we’d revised those songs. Then every one of those songs had two or three songs around it,” he explains. “So it was like our greatest hits from the last four years. Every one of those songs was our favourite song at one point in time.” Matthew emanates a sense of humility as he speaks down the line, not quite what you’d expect from a much-hyped UK rocker. “That’s the only thing that fucking matters, that’s the only thing I’ve got left. I embrace that more than anything. You spend so much time thinking what is going to validate you, whether it’s a number one album, whether it’s this or that, meeting
that pop star. When you actually get there, you realise it doesn’t matter. All that matters is your interaction with other people. When that is amplified at a festival or stadium, those people are unified by what you’ve created,” he muses. “There’s nothing really better than that. All the other stuff is quite brittle and frivolous. We’ve realised that the only reason we’re doing this is the reason people embraced this. We’re not out there, pop-starring about. We don’t have the time. We’ve done so many fucking shows this year, something like 250. We’re booked up all through next year, like a show a day. It’s gonna be heavy.”
TAME IMPALA play the 2014 Big Day Out Festival at Flemington Racecourse on Friday January 24 alongside Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire and Snoop Dogg.
THE 1975 By Lachlan Kanoniuk
Channelling a smorgasbord of musical influences into one of the most unique brands of rock in recent times, UK four-piece The 1975 caught the attention of the world’s ear with the breakthrough tracks such as Chocolate and Ghosts. Their rise was consolidated with the release of the long-gestating self-titled LP in 2013, a year that saw the band engage in a relentless touring schedule across the globe. Speaking from his home in Hammersmith, London, singer Matthew Healy recounts the band’s genesis ahead of their arrival for this year’s Big Day Out. “A fuckin’ mess, that’s what it was,” he says on their early days. “An absolute fuckin’ mess. It sounds a bit pretentious – I suppose I am a bit pretentious – but this band is all that I’ve ever been in. That’s born from me being in a middle-class environment where it’s been endorsed to be a stoner, be in a band, work in shitty little jobs. I didn’t necessarily have the Arctic Monkeys or Oasis environment that I needed to get out of that boredom. I just made music from when I was 13 through ‘til I was 20, that encapsulated going through high school, going to college, moving up to Manchester and working in call centres and stuff like that. “We had a lot of mates in bands, so we just toured with them a lot of the time. We never did a headline show. Then we did the song Ghosts under the name Big Sleep, then we had pretty much every major label coming to our house. The consensus from them was that we didn’t seem to know what our sound was. What we came to realise was no, that’s a generational thing. That ambiguity is bread from the environment
we grew up in and how we consume music. The way you create music is the same as how you consume it. But the major labels weren’t having it. It got to the point where it was a bit upsetting.” The 1975 defy pigeon-holing through embracing a multitude of musical reference points, similar to the success found by acts such as Haim and Lorde. “I think the idea of stylistic ambiguity being embraced is a good thing. The amount of outlets we have now where so many artists are putting out rubbish has made people innately cynical,” Matthew reasons. “A lot of people in the press didn’t really understand our band because they couldn’t do the old trick of putting us into a box. We haven’t done anything apart from being ourselves, and you’ve mentioned records that I love, so there must be some sort of a movement. I’m sure it’s not a coincidence.” Much has been said in recent years about the death of the album in a digital climate. Though they managed a plethora of songs before the release of their debut
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THE 1975 perform alongside Arcade Fire, Grouplove, Portugal. The Man and many more at the 2014 Big Day Out, taking place at Flemington Racecourse on Friday January 24.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31
A = ANTICIPATED RELEASES
We chose ten of ’em, some already scheduled, others still works in progress. Bruce Springsteen (right): most of High Hopes, of covers and reworked unreleased material, was cut during an Australian tour when The Boss and the E-Street Band proved they were still more vital than we could expect them to. Muse: they’ve already started work on the follow up to The Second Law, with Matt Bellamy predicting that they’ll go into the studios in a few months. “I’ve written some good tracks, actually,” he told triple j. “We haven’t had a chance to rehearse them out yet.” First single is due by Christmas. U2: due in April with input from Danger Mouse, will.i.am, David Guetta and RedOne. New track Ordinary Love from the Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom biopic could be from their ‘80s albums. Others offer flashes of Clash, Kraftwerk and Pistols, “stuff we listened to when we grew up,” Bono revealed. Tame Impala: Kevin Parker plans a minimalist and speedier approach for the follow up to Lonerism. “Instead of a supreme pizza, where you just throw everything on, it’s gonna be like a marguerita. I don’t want to over-fill it.” Gotye: it’d be impossible to recreate the success of THAT hit, and Wally De Backer admits he’s hit a “hurdle” pulling ideas into songs for his next album. But then again, he faced a similar issue with Making Mirrors, so let’s see how the sessions in Canada with producer Nick Launay pan out. Metallica: it’s been five years since Death Magnetic, but members promise that 2014 is the year they’ve cleared the diary to work on new music. Daniel Johns: confirmed for a release this year, sessions for Johns’ long awaited debut solo album saw him work with an exciting array of guests including Kimbra, 360 Empire of the Sun and Lorde’s collaborator Joel Little. Foo Fighters: after their hiatus, the Foos this month go into the studio to start work on the next album, which was already written last August. Dave Grohl told XFM he expects 2014 to be “a really big year for the Foo Fighters without question. It’s going to be great, I can’t wait.” Kate Miller-Heidke: the title track of O Vertigo is an intriguing piece, sharpening the elements in her music. In the past year, Miller-Heidke’s live shows took in major cities, regional towns, India, churches and a two-week WA camping trip, so let’s see what emerges from these experiences. Temper Trap: they always said they wouldn’t hit their strides until Album III, and all indications are that it’ll deliver. Bassist Jonathon Aherne revealed, “As we’ve discerned and had feedback from album two, and reviewed our strengths from album one, there’s a pretty clear vision of what we want to do.”
B = BUZZED-OUT WORDS
A University of Michigan survey found the words we want to see disappear in 2014 are selfie, twerk, hashtag, twittersphere, Mr Mom and T-bone.
O = OVERTURNED MANAGERS
Managers who don’t tally with their artists about their new expanded duties and marketing savvy are on their way out. Or they’ll start large companies and serve as consultants to younger managers. In the last few months of 2013, we saw management changes (for various reasons) by U2, Lady Gaga, John Meyer and Nine Inch Nails. Expect more in 2014.
P = PREDICTED DROP
The last ARIA figures showed that the Australian recording market was worth $396.1 million, up 4% from $382.7 million the year before. But unofficial estimates suggest a 5% drop in 2014. Musicians meantime will discover streaming services and realise that despite the whining in 2013 (“they don’t pay enough”) will turn to the realisation that small amounts from many different sources can add up to something significant.
Q = QUOTA
Will 2014 be the year when the industry gets Oz radio to increase its quota of airplay for local acts, and pay proper royalties, instead of hiding behind a 1% cap which their friends in the Liberal Party gave them in 1969?
R = RETAIL
Photo: Jo Lopez
A Z to
of
2014
Now that the NYE hangovers have cleared, it’s time to look into the crystal ball to see what to expect from 2014.
C = CONCERT EXPERIENCE
Expect a huge growth in the streaming of concerts, with additional offers as Australian inventions as Soundhalo (you buy the concert minutes after it finishes) adding to the concert experience. Is this a generational change to enjoy shows in pajamas at home? With computers now weaved into clothes, glasses and rings, expect more amateur concert footage to go online.
D = DATA
As more artists go indie, they’ll need new data on how much traction their music so they can invite more private investment. Is a play on triple j sell more records than being on a booze ad? Are you over-pricing your tickets? Are you as hot, or hotter, than you were last year? Success remains the factor that fans, execs and investors will be drawn to, analyst Bob Lefsetz emphasises. You can even track your music on pirate sites to offer a legit alternative.
E = EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
As more new media sites appear, and more traditional media go online, and video games and edgy TV shows see new edge music as the way to reach audiences, there’s a growing need for “exclusive content” to make them stand-out from competitors. Who wins? Indie acts and their bank managers.
F = FILE FORMAT
Whatever happened to last year’s prediction of the emergence of a new digital music file format to make mp3 and AAC formats obsolete? This year?
G = GRAMMYS
With so many Aussies nominated for the Grammys, will this be a year where more than one local wins? In any case there’s always the thrill of seeing Daft Punk making their first live TV performance since 2008. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32
H = HIP HOP CATEGORY
Will this be the year that ARIA gives Australian hip hop its own category rather than get lumped in the urban category?
I = INDIE ARTISTS
Five predictions by Tunecorp for indie acts in 2014: (1) more use of publishing administrators to collect money from all sources notably YouTube; (2) starting the promotion of a new release with pre-orders; (3) managers have a greater role in picking the artist’s team to increase the value of their brand; (4) iTunes Radio, after a few tweaks in its discovery suggestions and listener experience, “will usher in a fierce challenge to competitive streaming services”; (5) Vine and Instagram video allow acts to send more creative messages to fans, and pp hence with greater opportunities to go viral than Facebook ook posts.
J = JUSTIN FACTOR ACTOR
2014 could well be the year we don’t have to put up with this Canadian pestt any more. Long before Justin Bieber tweeted his “retireretirement”, Australian fans turned their back on him. His latest album sold around 4,000 copies pies first week. Teach him m to keep them waiting for 90 minutes while he was on Facebook backstage. tage. Add Britney to this use-by list.
K = KANYE FACTOR
Involves whining every time you don’t win an award because your massive talent isn’t acknowledged by the heavens. Granted, Kanye has promised to shut up in 2014. But we bet that ego lands again in March with the release of a textbook of 14 academic essays compiled by Julius Bailey called The Cultural Impact Of Kanye West. It is an in-depth analysis of the “moral and social implications of West’s words, images and music in the broader context of Western civilization’s preconceived ideas” and “how West both challenges religious and moral norms and propagates them.”
L = LABELS
Of the many scenarios of the future of major labels, one is they will have just ten superstars on their roster, aand their signings will focus on just pop or urban or hip hop. They’ll hire out their services to indie acts, aka h Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ ground-breaking hiring M tthe radio promo services of Warner Music Group in America for a percentage of the profits. A
M = MUSICACT AWARDS
A After a strong start in showcasing Canberra and ACT ttalent, the MusicACT Annual Music Awards (MAMAs) might be a no-show this year. They missed the M deadline to get their annual $22,500 grant. d
N = NICHE
N Niche is the new black. The day of the super-festival ((same acts! same experience!) will be superseded by niche festivals that offer something different for everyn body. Promoters noticed the cultural shift in 2013 and b p predict it’ll become glaringly obvious this year.
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How many artists will follow Beyoncé’s lead in unexpectedly releasing albums and exclusively on iTunes? (Adele?) This invariably means a ban by outraged retail competitors on stocking their products. If this happens, will fans find the CD and vinyl versions of these albums only in independent retail stores?
S = SYDNEY LIVE MUSIC
The City of Sydney will this year bring in initiatives as allowing young musos to rehearse for free in town halls, piloting a live music series coordinated by its youth services team, establishing a mediation service to resolve complaints about live music, developing a permit system for bands to load and unload in areas outside venues without being ticketed, get the National Live Music Office to develop a data collection program to monitor the health of Sydney’s live music sector and finds ways to fund all-ages and under-age gigs.
J’S TOP 20 T = TRIPLE PREDICTIONS
Triple j’s Next Crop for 2014: Bad // Dreems, Born Lion, Cosmo’s Midnight, DD Dumbo, Dustin Tebbutt, Eves, Gang Of Youths, Mathas, Meg Mac, Remi, SAFIA, Statues, The Bennies, The Creases, The Kite String Tangle, The Love Junkies, The Murlocs, Tkay Maidza, triple j, Wave Racer, and Willow Beats.
U = UKULELE REVIVAL
Expect the growth of this revival to this year expand to more world record bids, specific festivals, awards and showcase albums.
V = VINYL
Vinyl sales in Australia saw albums increase by 70% over the previous year and 50% in singles, says ARIA. These now constitute $2 million of sales. Globally, Amazon reports sales of vinyl records are up 745% since 2008.
W = WOMEN
After women dominated the pop charts last year, will 2014 be the year when we see women in the Australian music biz form together in associations to address inequality of representation in all aspects of the industry?
FACTOR GAINS X = XCREDIBILITY
The amount of X-Factor (and other reality series) contestants who had wins in last year’s ARIA awards show that the industry (or at least the awards’ judges) are acknowledging that such shows are a legitimate source of talent. High ratings for such shows will see TV networks introduce more of ‘em.
Y = YOUTUBE
If record labels discovered YouTube as a revenue source, this year will see musicians and songwriters actively monetize their channels manually or via multichannel networks, and post more videos. A ground-breaking deal saw Australia first YouTube partner network, Boom Video, pact with the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners’ Society (AMCOS) for its content creators to access songs represented by AMCOS. The money generated is shared back with songwriters, composers and music publishers.
Z = ZZZZZ
A new music reality series this year, Platinum Hit, will concentrate on singer-songwriters. Expect an influx of mournful beardies who can’t dance or show off their belly-buttons. Or alternatively, we’ll hear great songs unearthed. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32
CRUNCH
METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD SHIT
With Peter Hodgson: crunchcolumn@gmail.com
By Emily Kelly: ek1984@gmail.com Rotting Christ
BOYS OF SUMMER TOUR LINE-UP CHANGE
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Like Moths To Flames have had to withdraw from the Boys Of Summer tour with Blessthefall and The Color Morale. With the tour starting on Wednesday, January 8, Destroy All Lines have announced that Gold Coast progressive metalcore outfit Prepared Like A Bride will be joining the tour for all shows (other than one in Sydney and two in Perth). Blessthefall are known not only for their staggeringly powerful live performances but also for their incredibly busy work ethic. Through ten years and four albums the band have risen to the top of an endless stream of core bands. Shutting down venues due to rabid fans crashing already sold out shows and often drawing bigger crowds than the bands they were opening for, The Color Morale bring some post hardcore to the line up and their message of positivity during times of struggle with a lyrical focus on religion. Catch the mayhem at Arrow On Swanston (all ages) with Glorified and Storm The Sky on Wednesday January 15, and at The Corner Hotel with Trainwreck on Thursday January 16.
CORE
PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP
GIG ALERT: HEAVY FEST
Heavy Magazine’s second birthday shows in Sydney and Melbourne are almost upon us! Headlined by Greek extreme metal gods Rotting Christ, the lineup features extreme sonic terrorists The Amenta playing their final ever shows, Melbourne’s blackened horde Terra Australis and Sydney’s progressive Doom masters Rise of Avernus, as well as Denouncement Pyre (Melbourne only) and Bane of Isildur (Sydney only - great name by the way). It’s at the Hi Fi Bar on Saturday January 18.
Suicide Girls are bringing their burlesque show to Australia again and the hot question on everyone’s lips is: does anyone really care? Don’t get me wrong, Suicide Girls were important. In 2001 when founder Missy Suicide launched the internationally adored website, it was unlike anything men or women had ever ogled online. Another well-made titty site for the boys and a breath of fresh air for the ladies. Its success reminded us that sex appeal came in so many different forms, and as a young 17-year-old, it assured me personally that I might be safe to explore the concept of looking different without heady public disdain. If this is your jam, then check out the Blackheart Burlesque show at Billboards on Wednesday March 12. Tickets are on sale now. And if you pay $170 you can skip some queues and meet the girls.
Wednesday January 8: Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Sleepmakeswaves at The Palace
The Boys Of Summer Tour has suffered a last minute lineup change after headliners Like Moths To Flames withdrew from the tour due to unforeseen circumstances. They will be replaced on most dates by local legends Prepared Like A Bride. Blessthefall and The Colour Morale are scheduled to appear as usual. Catch them all at The Arrow on Swanston on Wednesday January 15 with Glorified and Storm The Sky OR at the Corner Hotel on Thursday January 16 with Trainwreck (18+).
Friday January 10: Mayhem, Watain, Nocturnal Graves at The HiFi Deafheaven, Whitehorse, Thrall at Corner Hotel Sincerely, Grizzly, Super Best Friends, Tape Off, Darts at The Old Bar The Kujo Kings, The Quarters, The Furrows, Connor Black-Harry at The Tote Tex Napalm, Dimi Dero, Brian Hooper, Penny Ikinger, Dead River at yah Yahs Davey Lane, Sun God Replica, The Owls at The Workers Club
Lemuria supports have been announced for their run of dates in Australia. Reverence Hotel will host national supports Kissing Booth as well as The Leap Year, Freak Wave and Have/Hold. The Vineyard show will see Lucy Wilson join in the festivities. Brian Fallon has created another side project. Are you keen? He’s joined three friends to form Molly and The Zombies. A recent live set recorded late last year suggests they have a far stronger country skew than previous Fallon incarnations. Iron Maiden have proven they’re not as archaic as their age may suggest and have planned a tour according to music pirating statistics. Apparently statistics suggest that people that pirate music (the ones who go to great lengths to source high quality music illegally) are often more likely to attend a show than old mate that browses through the JB Hi-Fi bargain bins. Thus, Maiden researched where all those freeloading bastards lived and ensured their tours were scheduled to pay them a visit.
Thursday January 9: Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Sleepmakeswaves at The Palace The Strange, Naked Bodies, Going Swimming at Yah Yahs Stockades, Halt Ever, The World At A Glance, Outposts at The Evelyn Forward, Teargas, Burning Spirits at The Bendigo Enchors, Perspectives, Admit One, Right Mind at Next
Saturday January 11: Lucy Wilson, Georgia Maq at The Old Bar Sike Your Mind 2014 at The Reverence Billy Liar at The Public Bar The Grand Rapids, Initials, Laura Palmer, Disgruntled Buntle, Planet Of The 8s at Old Bar Royal Cut Throat Co, Australian Kingswood Factory, The Workinghorse Irons and more at The Bendigo Electrik Dynamite, Jericco, Scar The Surface, Glass Empire at Bang Sunday January 12: Paramore, You Met At Six, Twentyonepilots at Myer Music Bowl WIl Wagner, Lucy Wilson, Tom Lanyon at The Reverence Hotel
NEW PERIPHERY ON THE WAY
NEW JAMES RYAN ALBUM OUT NOW
Melbourne guitarist James Ryan (Men At Work, Kate Ceberano, Vanessa Amorosi, Jon Stevens and Olivia Newton John) has just released a new solo album called Twelve Tall Tales. It features James’ tastefully scorching shreddage (influenced by the likes of Jeff Beck, Richie Kotzen, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, with rhythm section contributions from Robi Parolin, Anthony Dawkins and Marcus Ryan.)
If you missed it in the pre-Christmas rush, djent overlords Periphery will release Clear on January 24 via Roadrunner Records. It’s a songwriting experiment where each of the band’s six members has contributed a song, all tied together via a common musical thread. Guitarist Jake Bowen says “Clear is an experiment to explore all of the different writing styles in the band. It’s rare when you have a band where every member is capable of writing and producing music. With each member controlling their own track, this recording enabled us to go down any path we chose in terms of style and sound.” Periphery hit Australia next month with special guests Animals As Leaders, and they’re at Billboard on Sunday February 2.
GIG ALER: BE’LAKOR & CLAIM THE THRONE
Melbourne’s Be’lakor and Perth’s Claim The Throne will be joining forces across the Nullarbor for the first time in what will undoubtedly be one of the THE most impressive and world class Australian made tours next year, with quality local supports included! With three acclaimed albums and two European tours, Be’lakor have now established themselves as one of Australia’s most important metal acts. The band is in the midst of writing their fourth album, a follow-up to 2012’s Of Breath and Bone. And Claim The Throne return with their third full-length album, Forged In Flame, a 70-minute epic which sees the band take a darker and heavier approach whilst maintaining all the melody and catchiness the band are renowned for. They’ll be at the Bendigo Hotel on January 26 with Orpheus Omega, Okera and Heisenberg, and Karova Lounge in Ballarat on January 30 with The Hazard Circular, HackxWhore and Order Of Torment.
CRIMSON PROJEKCT TOUR RESCHEDULED
The planned tour by The Crimson ProjeKCt – the King Crimson offshoot featuring Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto – has been postponed due to scheduling difficulties. Originally scheduled for January, the concerts will now take place in June 2014, with the Melbourne show now taking place at The Hi Fi on Thursday June 26. Ticketholders for Melbourne show will be re-ticketed for the new date immediately.
DARIO LORINA JOINS BLS
Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about guitarist Dario Lorina’s awesome debut solo instrumental album via Shrapnel Records? Well on January 1 Dario was named new second guitarist in Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, filling the void left by Nick ‘Evil Twin’ Catanese, who announced his departure about a month ago after a decade and a half of faithful service. Can’t wait to hear BLS with Dario on rhythm guitar and the occasional no-doubt-face-melting solo. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
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WEDNESDAY JAN 8 Kane Hibberd
JAKE NICHOLLS AND JESSICA JADE
In 2014 Colonel Tans Thai Restaurant expands into the Revolver Bandroom to offer you a free weekly acoustic dinner set on every Wednesday, which will feature some of Australia’s top acoustic talent! For the first edition of this brand new offering we have for you Jessica-Jade a south side starlet who is on her way to the top, recently signing on to write and develop new material with Michael Paynter’s MSquared Productions, 2014 is looking to be a massive year for this 23 year old singer-songwriter. On the night she will be sharing the stage with the equally talented Jake Nicholls, who is no stranger to the Revolver venue having played here numerous times either solo or with his band The Mere Poets. So do not hesitate, and give us a call to reserve your table for this brand new offering from the Revolver Bandroom and Colonel Tans. Acts start from 8pm.
CHILD
Psychedelic blues rock band Child have secured a Wednesdays in January residency at Cherry Bar. Catch em hit the stage this Wednesday January 8 with support from Don Fernando and Arctic Dune. Doors at 6pm, bands from 9pm, and DJs till 3am. All that and its free.
KARNIVOOL
On Sunday December 1, Karnivool won their first ever ARIA Award taking out the gong for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album for their current release and third album Asymmetry, which was also their first ever number one debut on the ARIA album charts. As announced in October, Karnivool and good mates Dead Letter Circus will hit the road on their Polymorphism Tour in January 2014. Tickets for the shows at The Palace are moving swiftly. With special guests sleepmakeswaves, they play The Palace Theatre on Wednesday January 8 and Thursday January 9. Tickets on sale now.
PUGSLY BUZZARD & BOB MALONE
Prepare yourselves for the hippeningest, happeningest, piano - mashingest carnival of the keyboard this side of the French Quarter. When the legendary Bob Malone flies in from the U.S. A. to play some double bill shows with the inimitable Pugsley Buzzard, these fine professors of the piano will give you a lesson in what goes down at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Piano nights and much, much more. This Wednesday January 8 at the the Northcote Social Club. Tickets: $ 20 + b/f and $ 25 at door if available. Doors open 7. 30 pm with show time at 8pm.
KOZ TRAIN
Unplugged Love is back for it’s second night of Rock’n’roll covers and originals. This Wednesday January 8 catch headliner Koz Train plus guests. It all goes down at Whole Lotta Love Bar in East Brunswick.
THURSDAY JAN 9 WINTERPLAN
Winterplan finished up 2013 with a debut album in the can and strong stirrings of industry interest. Bringing massive depth in texture and songwriting to a live electronic lineup without a laptop in sight, the band draw upon the classic early electronica of Kraftwerk and New Order, while also displaying a keen understanding of the songwriting nous of Daft Punk and Cut Copy. Live, the three piece are accompanied by projections and have also drawn comparisons to Memory Tapes and Forces. The single Theory of Everything is a taster from their forthcoming debut release and is set to be premiered at a showcase at Ding Dong Lounge this Thursday January 9. Doors open 8pm Tickets $5 on the door only.
LARISSA TANDY Here is a unique voice: Her unrestrained performances and muscular songwriting are fast becoming Larissa Tandy’s hallmarks. While her band, Strine Singers goes from strength to strength, she has been quietly toiling away between shows: writing compulsively, studio engineering, and staking a claim on foreign red carpets as a film composer for hire. She emerges as a solo artist for the first time with a five part residency with a stellar lineup of handpicked supports, including Tracy McNeil, Rich Davies, Saint Jude’s Brooke Penrose, Al Parkinson, Amarillo, Brooke Russell, and more. Every Thursday in January at Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. You can catch her this Thursday January 9 from 8pm. Free entry.
CARAVANA SUN
Gypsy-ska rockers, Caravãna Sun have long been praised for the raw energy and emotion injected into their live shows. Caravãna Sun purposefully went into the studio aiming to capture the essence of a live performance and the result is their second independent album AYA. AYA was recorded in an old water tank come studio nestled in the Gold Coast hinterland by Govinda Doyle in just over a month. The recording process steered well clear of post-production effects instead relying on the natural space and dynamics of the rooms. This theme was continued right through to the mastering by Grammy award winning William Bowen (Gotye). Striving for a live band sound but still allowing for each members idiosyncrasies to prevail, they produced 23 takes on We Lost it All and an unrehearsed brass jam rounding off All That I Know. A combination of the summer heat and built up frustration lead front man Luke Carra to record his guitar solo on the title track, AYA while he was at one with nature, naked. After a stellar album launch show in their hometown, the Sydney quartet venture to Melbourne to showcase their new material in the Espy Gershwin Room on Thursday January 9. Support comes from Kooyeh, Sammy Owen Blues Band and Tom Richardson. Tix are $12+bf via theespy.oztix.com.au.
THE CRIMSON PROJEKCT
Founded in 1968 by Robert Fripp, King Crimson was the archetypical progressive rock band. Fripp disbanded the outfit in 1974 before reforming in 1981 with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford. Following a further hiatus from 1985 to 1993, Fripp created the “double trio” version of King Crimson. The Crimson ProjeKCt is the most recent of the ProjeKCts, featuring three current members of prog rock band King Crimson. The Crimson ProjeKCt arrives on our shores to play an epic three hour show. Kicking off with a Stick Men set, followed by the Adrian Belew Power Trio and wrapping up with a huge hour long Crimson ProjeKCt set delivered by the sextet that is Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Markus Reuter, Julie Slick and Tobias Ralph. Between Adrian Belew and Tony Levin theses guys have worked with some of the biggest names in the biz, including Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks and Alice Cooper. Don’t miss them at the Hi Fi in Melbourne on Thursday January 9. Tickets on sale now at tombowler.com.au.
CHAD MASON
Singer/songwriter Chad Mason is a true urban cowboy with a heart of gold and steel, wielding a hefty gift for song rather than a weather-beaten Winchester. After an extended run with Australian outlaw-country rockers Wagons, including a win for Album of the Year at The Age EG Awards (2011) and the AIR Award for Best Country Album (2011), Chad has settled in Nashville to focus on his songwriting roots. A well respected songwriter, as well as guitarist, Chad returns to the Retreat Hotel this Thursday January 9 with a songbook of new melodies ready to offer up raw, open and reflective truths. Support comes from Rich Davies, show starts at 10pm.
HALCYON DRIVE
Fast becoming stalwarts of the Melbourne live music scene, Halcyon Drive have had a massive year of acclaimed live shows. Most recently playing the Speaker.TV Halloween party at The Hi-Fi with Northeast Party House and Client Liaison, opening a sold out Workers Club for We The People, and supporting the Sons et al. single tour at The Toff, it’s hard to find a weekend when these boys aren’t gracing a stage somewhere in a dingy, dark corner of Melbourne town. After releasing home recorded single ‘The Orchard’ mid-year, Halcyon Drive are heading back into the studio with legendary producer Steven Schram (San Cisco, Loon Lake, The Cat Empire) for a collaboration on their next juicy single. Catch them Thursday, January 9 at The Espy Front Bar. Free Entry.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34
TALIB KWELI
Since his groundbreaking debut as Black Star with Mos Def in 1998, Talib Kweli has kept coming up with the gold. Now, ten albums deep and with another release on its way, Kweli continues to forge a unique career as a respected underground star with appeal in the mainstream. The Brooklyn-based rapper earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in hip hop history. After nearly 20 years of releasing mesmerizing music, Talib Kweli stands as one of the world’s most talented and accomplished rappers who commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of beat. Talib Kweli returns to the Espy in support of new album Prisoner Of Conscious and his forthcoming, first independent release Gravitas. Tix $38+bf via OzTix.
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HAYLEY COUPER
Ding Dong Lounge welcomes Hayley Couper back to the Melbourne stage after some time interstate. Sharing the stage with other electro acts such as Winterplan, Ardeem, and Fortunes, she will be showcasing new material from her forthcoming EP Love Addix. Anon. Its happening this Thursday January 9 from 8:15pm sharp. $5 on the door.
PLUGGED IN THURSDAYS
In 2014 we are looking at re-inventing the Bandroom at Revolver, and to get things started it is with great pleasure that we introduce to you all the first edition of Revolver Drums & Yurbuds Headphones Presents Plugged In Thursdays. The new weekly live music offering from the Revolver Bandroom which will feature 3 of Melbourne and Australia’s top up and coming and established acts hitting the stage with resident DJ Miss Flip keeping you occupied between sets! In week one we have 3 acts which are no strangers to the Bandroom and most definitely favourites in everyone’s favourite buskers Woodlock and Amistat, these two acts have captured the hearts of Melbourne via their lively street performances at the Bourke St Mall. They bought this performance to the stage for a packed out Wednesday night in 2013 and will no doubt do the same for the launch of our new Thursdays. Add to this the high flying Walker, who will be making his dynamic one man show that bit bigger by bringing on stage two of his closest friends to form the Walker trio for this special night. Add to this the always lovely Miss Flip, who will be spinning a mixture of tunes between sets to keep you up and dancing throughout the night so there is never a dull moment. Doors are 8pm, and it’s just $5 entry on the night. Local traders keep in mind it is 50% off at Colonel Tan’s for you all as well, so no excuses really…great music and great food all in one place!
THE STRANGE
Part gypsy caravan and part psychedelic meltdown, The Strange are a collection of garage beat mystics from Melbourne, Australia. After supporting The Preatures on the Melbourne dates of their recent Is This How You Feel tour and a successful tour in support of debut single Sugar Boy/Cherry Pop, The Strange have quickly evolved into a hypnotic fixture of the Melbourne scene.The lo-fi scuzz at the core of their sound threads together a patchwork of influences from The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones to French symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud and English occultist Aleister Crowley. This Thursday January 9, see the Strange take centre stage at Melbourne club Yah Yah’s with a colourful cast of supports including Sooky La La, The Naked Bodies, Darts and the Hondas. Doors 7pm, free entry.
WOODLOCK & AMISTAT
The Revolver Bandroom’s Plugged In Thursdays features three acts this week who are no strangers to the Bandroom and most definitely favourites. Everyone’s favourite buskers Woodlock and Amistat have captured the hearts of Melbourne via their lively street performances at the Bourke St Mall. They bought this performance to the stage for a packed out Wednesday night in 2013 and will no doubt do the same for the launch of our new Thursdays. Add to this the high flying Walker, who will be making his dynamic one man show that bit bigger by bringing on stage two of his closest friends to form the Walker trio for this special night. Add to this the always lovely Miss Flip, who will be spinning a mixture of tunes between sets to keep you up and dancing throughout the night. 8pm, and it’s just $5 entry.
FRIDAY JAN 10 KILLACOMA
LUNAIR & FLYYING COLOURS
This Thursday, Brunswick’s Bar Open will hold host to a very special mini shoegaze festival. Four of Melbourne’s best and brightest shoegaze influenced bands will join together in support and celebration of loud, pretty and gliding music covered by a thick pop haze and dreamboat vocals. Featuring Lunarie, Flyying Colours, Miniatures and Luna Ghost, remember to bring your earplugs, stare at your shoes and check out the modern music your dreams are made of. Doors at 8:30pm and it even wont cost you a penny to get in.
Killacoma are getting ready to kick 2014 off with a massive bang at Cherry Bar this Friday January 10! They’ve put together a huge set list that features songs from Sunset Riot, Van Halen, Velvet Revolver, Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne and many others as well as Del’s brand new single! Along for the ride will be Darcee Fox and Black Aces. Doors from 5pm with tickets $13 on the door from 8pm till 11pm then $10 till 5am.
CYCLO TIMIK Cyclo Timik are back at the The Reverence Hotel on Friday January 10 with a cabaret rock and gypsy punk extravaganza. Come down, we promise you’ll be entertained by these two high energy and outlandish bands: The Great Impostor (cabaret rock) and Cyclo Timik (French gypsy cabaret punk). Dress cabaret or gypsy and join in the fun. $7 on the door from 8.30pm.
SEMPLESIZE FIRST BIRTHDAY
This Friday January 10 come on down to the The Esplanade Hotel Basement in St Kilda and join some of Melbourne’s best up-and-coming bands The Karmens, M.Antonio, Porcelain Pill and Josh Romig - in celebrating music-based pop-culture blog SEMPLESIZE’s first birthday. Free entry + sick music = one hell of a good time. Doors: 9pm, tickets: Free Entry.
THE AMY WINEHOUSE SHOW
Backed by The Little Big Band, we are pleased to announce Atlanta Coogan, formerly of Black Sorrows, will be joining us to recreate the stunning and soulful music of the late Amy Winehouse. Led by musical director Steve Hadley – one of Australia’s finest bassists – the band will perform a series of poignant covers, paying tribute to the lost talent of Winehouse. Tix to the Friday January 10 show start from $20. Doors at 6.30pm. More info and tickets via TryBooking.
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KIM WEMPE
Born and raised in Saskatchewan, a small Canadian farming town, Kim Wempe hit her musical stride after moving to the arts/cultural hub of Nova Scotia in 2008 to complete her Jazz Degree in Voice and record her 2009 award winning debut album Where I Need To Be. Following the much-lauded debut, the sassy Blues/Folk singer/songwriter collaborated with some of Canada’s finest musicians ( Joel Plaskett, Old Man Luedecke, Thom Swift & Geoff Hilhorst of Deep Dark Woods) for her 2nd award nominated album Painting With Tides. After four years of touring consistently, including performances at festivals and the Vancouver Olympics, Kim is set to release her third album Coalition and hit Australia for her first bunch of shows. She plays the Caravan Club on Friday January 10 with Nicholas Roy and Mo Kenney.
TEX NAPALM
HAUL MUSIC 5TH BIRTHDAY
Haul Music celebrates 5 years at Revolver Upstairs! Melbourne’s own Haul Music has enjoyed a loyal following and a surprising international profile since its inception in the summer of 2008/09. The Haul imprint has delivered more than twenty releases across vinyl and digital format, not to mention a limited series of label parties, including some legendary nights in the band room at Revolver. To celebrate 5 years of Haul, and the reunion of its three founders for one special night, they’re presenting the label across the whole venue. In the band room from 1am we welcome Christian Vance, Craig McWhinney, Mike Callander and Haul Music all live for the first time in one room! While out in the back room they’ve invited an all-star cast of past Haul remixers: Lewie Day, Mike Buhl, Jamie Stevens and Steve Ward. Doors at 8.30pm. Tickets at the door are $12.
French dirty rockers Tex Napalm and Dimi Dero return to Australia for some dates in summer 2014. On Friday January 10 they will be joined on stage with the Beasts of Bourbon’s Brian Hooper in their ensemble. Also playing are very special guests Penny Ikinger and local trio Dead River. Doors at 7, free entry, open until 5am.
SIKE YOUR MIND After a five-year hiatus Washed Up Records has teamed up with All In Together Booking to do exactly what previous Sike Your Mind’’s have done. Give you a chance to celebrate your homegrown talent in its native Melbourne. This time around Sike Your Mind is spread over The Reverence Hotel’s two stages on Saturday January 11. Melbourne’s angriest Iron Mind will headline; with their new LP via Resist Records under their belt, this could be your first chance to hear some fresh songs in a live setting by the five piece who have spent the last two years touring hard and writing what could be the most anticipated Australian Hardcore release in the last few years. Bumping up the rest of the bill are Endless Heights, Relentless, Survival, In Trenches, Thorns, Deceiver, Apart From This, Mood Swung, Colossus, Imprisoned, Cruel Intentions, Born Free and Tigers. Old dogs and new tricks who are all more than deserving of the title of ‘Australia’s Finest’.
OH PACIFIC
After the diverse release of the bands three track De/ Construct in June 2013, it has left listeners wondering in what direction Oh Pacific will be going with their next release, containing some of the heaviest music the group has written, alongside a very alternative pop rock sound. During the time of this release, the boys were up in the iconic Sydney studio Electric Sun recording some new tracks. The songs were recorded by heavy weight Dave Petrovic (Tonight Alive, Hands Like Houses, Northlane) and Janurary 10 will see them launch their brand new single Last Year at the Revolver Bandroom in Prahran a place the Bendigo based band has labelled as their Melbourne home, having played there multiple times in 2013. Guests to be announced soon. Doors at 8.30pm, Tickets available at the door for $12.
TIJUANA PEANUT
Tijuana Peanut is a band born out of your parents record collection. Over the past 50 years, millions of fans have cut the rug to Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass and now that music is being revived right here in Melbourne. Tijuana Peanut presents a line-up of some of Australia’s hottest musicians, including members of The Band Who Knew Too Much, FLAP!, and Blue Grassy Knoll. The Peanuts perform at The Spotted Mallard on Friday January 10 from 9pm, free entry.
AARADHNA
DAVEY LANE
After a successful debut tour of the east coast in September and October, hard working dream pop songsmith Davey Lane announces an additional Melbourne show to his tour, with band in tow on Friday January 10. Last September his debut EP The Good Borne Of Bad Tymes was released through his own label, Field Recordings to praise from critics and fans alike and spawned the JJJ hit You’re The Cops I’m The Crime, also now picking up radio airplay across the United States. 2014 is shaping up to be a big one for Lane, as he bunkers down in coming months to prepare a full length album. Come down to The Worker’s Club, Melbourne, Friday January 10.
WOLFPACK
2014 is looking to be another big one for Wolfpack as they kick off the new year with a ripping free show this Friday January 10 at The Brunswick Hotel. Joining them on the night is the very thrashing line-up of Cold Ground, Home Invaders and Cabin Fever. The morning after is gonna hurt though as Wolfpack have to jump straight on a plane to Hobart to co-headline Trading Places Festival with their good buddies Clowns. The action kicks off at 9pm. Woo Woo!
SATURDAY JAN 11
SUPER BEST FRIENDS
Kicking off 2014 with a bang, Super Best Friends have announced a killer run of shows in January including a support slot with British rockers Future Of The Left in Sydney and for the first time shows in Hobart and Batemans Bay. This will be the last chance for audiences to catch them live for a few months before they go on a short hiatus to travel, increase the world’s population and hibernate in the studio to record an album. The tour will see the Bestie Boys road test a swag of new material, as well as playing a selection of tracks from their two EPs along with last year’s Round & Round single, the outrageous video for which made them a house hold name during the election campaign in September and boasted mentions on news outlets internationally. Celebrate the New Year with your besties before they hide away to write! The Old Bar, Friday January 10.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 36
FLAP!
After a long year away from Melbourne, Flap! return to perform a series of free Sunday afternoon shows at The Spotted Mallard. They’ll be debuting new material every week until the end of January. It’s just their way of saying “thanks Melbourne, and sorry for being away so long, we really do love you.” Free entry this Saturday January 11 with tunes starting at 4.30pm.
Aaradhna is a 29 year old Soul singer from Auckland, New Zealand. First signed to a record deal at 16 she has previously had 2 other #1 singles in 2004 and 2005 and is a platinum selling R&B/Soul artist in her home country. Now a winner of the prestigious “Album Of The Year” at the 48th Annual New Zealand Music Awards Aaradhna comes to Australia backed by her live band for her first live performance in Australia for over a year to launch the deluxe edition of the album which is out in stores now. She plays The Espy Front Bar with guests for a free entry show. Good times.
CLAYMORE
It’s bound to be a huge event with demand for this energetic and hugely talented act getting bigger all the time. Having conquered Australia for many years the band have in the last ten years made it their mission to conquer the world one country at a time and they are well on their way. They have toured in Asia, Europe and the USA extensively. If you like high paced Celtic folk Rock then this show is for you. With a huge array of instruments and modern self penned and Traditional songs and tunes and a Traditional Dance troop second to none. For the third time, The Flying Saucer will be moving the chairs away from the dancefloor for this one. Get your tickets fast because they won’t last long. Tix from $20 via TryBooking.
SIKE YOUR MIND
After a five year hiatus Washed Up Records has teamed up with All In Together Booking to do exactly what previous Sike Your Mind’s have done, giving you a chance to celebrate your home grown talent in Melbourne. This time around Sike Your Mind is spread over The Reverence Hotel’s two stages on January 11 for Melbourne’s angriest Iron Mind will headline, with their new LP via Resist Records under their belt, this could be your first chance to hear some fresh songs in a live setting by the five piece who have spent the last two years touring hard and writing what could be the most anticipated Australian Hardcore release in the last few years. Bumping up the rest of the bill are Endless Heights, Relentless, Survival, In Trenches, Thorns, Deceiver, Apart From This, Mood Swung, Colossus, Imprisoned, Cruel Intentions, Born Free and Tigers. Old dogs and new tricks who are all more than deserving of the title of ‘Australia’s Finest’.
VIRTUE
This Saturday January 11 see Virtue return with a full line up for a night of killer rock! Come along to Whole Lotta Love Bar and climb aboard the live rollercoaster ride that is Virtue! Support comes from Borrachero. Show starts at 8pm and entry is free.
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GRRL FEST
GRRL FEST is a showcase of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talented and fierce-some female identifying performers. Music, performance, art, zines and stalls. This mini DIY festival is designed to celebrate, encourage and support female identified artists and performers. Emerging from Melbourne´s underground art and music scene, this event offers an alternative avenue of expression and inspiration. From riot grrl punk to gritty boi-lesque, electro-pop to smutty spoken word, GRRL Fest is for everyone to come play and enjoy. All welcome! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on at TILT Warehouse in Brunswick on Saturday January 11 from 1pmâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1am.
COACH BOMBAY AND NEW GODS
Saturday January 11 at Ding Dong Lounge combines the return of electro-pop triple J favourite Coach Bombay, with eclectic indie super group New Gods in a co-headline show. Coach Bombay began as the bedroom recording project of Terry Mann, after his first song pricked up the ears of radio and industry meerkats in late 2009. His hook-laden bubblegum electro-pop has since been bouncing from rainbow to moonbeam in the form of 2 EPs and an album, with 11 songs earning Triple J rotation thus far. New Gods are an indie super group comprising Dominic Byrne and Adrian Beltrame (Little Red frontman/songwriter and guitarist respectively), along with Richard Bradbeer on bass (Eagle and The Worm), Sam Raines on drums, and Dale Packard on keys (Ground Components). Their independently released debut LP Beloved takes the best of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s indie rock gods like Pavement and the Pixies, filtering it through the studio wizardry of Dave Fridmann and the tape-warp hallmarks of hypnagogic pop. New Gods have firmly cemented themselves as a live band that is both captivating and masterful.
MARLON WILLIAMS
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EVEN
As a special treat for lovers of fine music, something a bit different and of nice cold beer on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, we bring you EVEN as Matinee Idols, fiddling on the roof, as it were. Sunday January 12 sees EVEN perform a concert over two sets on the rooftop of the Evelyn Hotel between 3 and 6pm. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be performing the an entire concert with intermission and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be a barbie on the roof, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to be happy with that. Adults $15 + bf, kids with adults $5 + bf and kids under 12 with an adult, free entry.
38% %((5 *$5'(1 -2+16721 67 ),7=52< 3+ MONDAY
$2 POTS $2 TACOS $5 TEQUILA
NICHOLAS COSTELLO
$10 PARMA & POT DJS TILL LATE FREE ENTRY
The fledgling, dark troubadour, Melbourne singersongwriter Nicholas Costello, is set to unveil his first solo release on Sunday January 12. His signature blend of folk-rock and alternative country has struck a resonant chord with many Melbournian locals. The launch of his brand new EP will be held at The Evelyn Hotel and will mark the start of what is shaping up to be a big year for Nicholas and the pursuit of his musical ambitions. Nicholas will be supported by local artists Matt Glass and MoT with doors at 8.30pm and tickets $8.
Launching his debut live album at The Toff this Saturday January 11 is the adopted son of alt-country music Marlon Williams. Recorded at a sold-out show in Fitzroy in October, Live at La Niche captures Williams soulful and soaring tenor voice, the impossible love child of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt. Shifting to Melbourne in July, he has hit the ground running with 65 shows in 6 months including supports for Wagons, Robert Ellis (US), Renee Geyer, Jordie Lane, Sweet Jean, and David Bridie. Fans can now catch Williams and band at the Toff In Town on January 11 before he takes some time off the road to record his debut solo album. Live at La Niche will be available for physical release only at shows and through his bandcamp: marlonwilliams.bandcamp.com/ Supporting him on the night is special guests James Teague and Kathryn Rollins. Doors at 8.30pm. Tix via tickets.thetoffintown.com/event.
TUESDAY
HAHAHA AT THE ROCHY FREE COMEDY FROM 8PM
WEDNESDAY
ROCHY TRIVIA SHANE Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MARA & DAN LETHBRIDGE
Melbourne singer/songwriter Dan Lethbridge teams up with renowned guitarist Shane Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mara for a duo residency at the Retreat Hotel on Tuesday January 14. Lethbridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second album Oh Hawke (mixed by Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mara) drew resounding praise from the Australian music community with Rhythms Magazine editor Martin Jones describing the album as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;delivering in both style and substanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Dan and Shane will be playing songs from Oh Hawke as well as a selection of their favourite covers. Front bar. 7.30pm. Free!
LOOKING FORWARD JANUARY GRAND WAZOO BEN SALTER
LOVE FOR LOU
A rock n roll wake for Lou Reed will take place on Saturday January 11 at the Spotted Mallard. Mikelangelo and St. Clare will melt hearts with the ballads of the Velvet Underground while hard hitting rock-punk legends Kim Salmon, Stu Thomas and Penny Ikinger and guests will deliver Lou Reed hits and lesser knows greats. This three hour show will present the music of The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed (solo) from the earliest releases through to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;come backâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; album New York plus some of his more experimental work. Words from Patrick Donovan (Music Vic) and Mick Epis (The Age). Tickets are $14 +bf pre-sales / $20 on the door and available from www.spottedmallard.com.
SUNDAY JAN 12 JEMMA & HER WISE YOUNG AMBITIOUS MEN
We had such a good time last month with Jemma & Her Wise Young Ambitious Men that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve invited them back. The beer garden was jam-packed last time and with some nice weather on the way, we reckon you might need to arrive nice and early if you wanna get a seat (plenty of standing room of course). Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be selling copies of their EP on the day too, so hop along kids. This Sunday January 12 at Bar Open. Starts at 3pm and as always its free entry. See you there.
REAGAN LEFAY
Catch Reagan Lefay perform at Whole Lotta Love Bar this Sunday January 12 as part of the Afternoon Acoustic Sessions. $12 Sunday Bloody Sunday Marys will be sure to make it a memorable (or not), one.
Best known as a founding member of The Gin Club, Giants of Science and The Wilson Pickers, Brisbanebased singer-songwriter Ben Salter has also been a solo performer in his own right for over ten years. He has played throughout Australia and Europe, where his striking vocal range and captivating lyricism have drawn comparisons to Neil Finn, Elliot Smith and Nick Drake. After releasing his hugely critically acclaimed solo album, The Cat, in 2011, Ben Salter has just put out The European Vacation EP, a collection of songs he wrote on a five month trip across Europe in 2012. His as-yet-untitled second solo album will be released in early 2014 through ABC Music Australia. Catch Ben at the Retreat Hotel this Sunday January 12, kicking off at 2:30pm.
MONDAY JAN 13 DEAR MONDAY
In this great music town, there is an endless flow of new talent arriving on the scene. On Mondays, The Retreat presents four acts that represent some of the most exciting new and emerging talent weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen. This is no open mic; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a love letter to the heart of musicality that is Melbourne, and this love letter begins with Dear Monday. This Monday January 13 catch Derek Harrison, James Dobson, Nick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mara and Tim Guy. Kicks off at 7pm.
TUESDAY JAN 14 JR REYNE
Alt-country rocker Jaime Robbie Reyne bares his soul at Cherry Bar on Tuesday January 14 as part of his Tuesdays in January residency. JR Reyne will play two sets from 9pm armed with his guitar, harmonica and memorizing voice. 6pm with free entry all night.
After a short break, Grand WaZoo will resume public gigs in 2014, kicking off at The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick on Saturday January 18 at 8.30pm. Bookings are online and dining is available from 6.30pm, prior to the show. Catch up with our stellar singers, Wylie Miller, May Johnston and Samantha Morley with this fantastic band of 6 horns and 4 rhythm - for another outstanding Soul Spectacular.
COCOA JACKSON LANE
Cocoa Jackson Lane bring their Psychedelic Soul to Melbourne for summer. Trippy yet tropical, this new roots meets Rnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;B project is directed by Camilla -BassKilla- Charlesworth fresh from Berklee, Boston, and fronted by Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Jess Harlen. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be cranking the Bendigo Hotel on Sunday January 19 supported by rock duo Dark Fair and loyal local Pina Tuteri (Monster Pies). $12 on door, 5pm.
THE IN THE OUT
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Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s psyche/pop quartet The In The Out are embarking on a new direction for 2014 so Wednesday January 15 at Boney will be their last show as you have known/seen/heard them before! Having only recorded a self-titled EP back in 2011 the band are currently working on a full length album to be delivered to the world in mid 2014. Think Sega Megadrive meets Death, and it may give you a clue! So come to Boney and hear your fav songs and get your ass â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;whippedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with supports by The New Pollution and Tender Bones. $6 entry, doors at 8pm.
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Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest dream-pop purveyors Sunbeam Sound Machine released their debut double EP One/ Sunbeam Sound Machine worldwide digitally on Friday. After completing a month long residency at The Tote in Melbourne throughout November the five-piece live outfit has well and truly cut their teeth within the Melbourne live music scene. The crew are excited to announce that they will support Castlemaine folk-fusion wiz kid D.D Dumbo at The Workers Club on Saturday January 25.
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CAT POWER
Cat Power has just announced two shows at The Thornbury Theatre on Friday January 31 and Saturday February 31. The enigmatic Chan Marshall aka Cat Power returns to Australia this January to perform in solo, intimate and up close. Tickets on sale now!
DIE! DIE! DIE!
BONJAH
MATMOS
Performing with joy and humour, Matmos bring their live sonic experimentation to Howler on Sunday January 19 for an evening of boundary-pushing sonic invention on their first ever Australian tour. Avantgarde electronic duo Matmos experiment with noise to push the boundaries of pop music. Mining nonconventional sound sources and exploring bold ideas, Baltimore-based Drew Daniel and MC Schmidt have been producing music together since the mid-90s, delivering nine albums to date. Their latest release The Marriage of True Minds, based on experiments in telepathy, is an art object, a scientific report, a practical joke and a daring pop record.
PAPA PILKO AND THE BINRATS
Their sound has been described as “wild blues and slick swingin’ country rock n’ roll… with horns” and that’s exactly what this Sydney-based, band-of-seven Papa Pilko and The Binrats deliver on their third EP release, Third Time Lucky. To celebrate, they’ll take their notoriously raucous live show to The Workers Club on Friday January 24 for a stint of launch parties like no other. The opening track and first single Poor Boy conjures up the energy of their stage show, most notably, in the ‘caged-animal’ vocal outro, a result of keeping the band’s frontman, Cyrus Pilko holed up in a windowless studio for three days! Visit their Facebook page for more info.
After your BBQs and the Triple J Hottest 100 are over, head on down to Ding Dong Lounge to keep your Aussie Day celebrations rolling with Bonjah! Like all good things out of New Zealand, we try to claim them as our own and it seems fitting to have them headline for an Australia Day party. Earlier this year they covered Lordes Royals for Like A Version broadening their fan base with over 400k YouTube views. Support comes from Tanya Batt and Sweets. Tix are $20+bf via OzTix or $25 at the door. Extra Bonus: all attendees will receive an exclusive free recording of the full show emailed to them after the event – good one Bonjah!
BUILT ON SECRETS
After five years, hundreds of shows, multiple tours on the back of two successful releases and many adventures along the way, Melbourne’s Built On Secrets are calling it a day. This will be the final performance for the band, highlighting a large back catalog of songs from their humble beginnings to their stunning debut album The Disconnect at the iconic Ding Dong Lounge. Joining them on their final show will be Brisbane favourites Young Lions, Adelaide’s Just Like Clockwork and Melbourne’s best new pop punk outfit Sidelines. Head to the Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday January 18 for one last special show.
BEACHES HALF MOON RUN
Canada’s Half Moon Run are returning to Australia, 12 months after appearances at Woodford and Peats Ridge last summer which gained them an instant and solid following. Turning into a successful national tour as news of their stunning show ignited social media, the spreading reputation ultimately led to the play listing of their debut single Full Circle on triple j. Fast forward nine months and they’ve set the globe alight, supporting Mumford & Songs and Of Monsters and Men. They hit the Corner Hotel on Sunday January 19. Tickets on sale now via Corner Box Office.
Sprawling psych-rock quintet Beaches will be headlining at Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday 25th January, Australia Day Eve, with support from Unity Floors, Terrible Truths and Pearls. The all-girl Melbourne band Beaches formed in 2007, comprising of members from Panel of Judges, Love of Diagrams and Spider Vomit. Beaches have toured extensively around Australia and the US and have played festivals such as All Tomorrows Parties, Big Day Out, Flip Out, Melbourne International Arts Festival, and the Laneway and Meredith music festivals. The band has done support slots for the likes of Mogwai, Deerhunter and The Black Angels, and toured the US twice performing at SXSW and the Austin Psych Fest.
After spending half of 2013 playing around the world, Die! Die! Die! are returning to Melbourne in the New Year to perform new songs off their forthcoming album at Ding Dong Lounge on January 17th. Reminiscent of the spirit and sounds of Black Flag, Pixies, the Wipers, Wire, and Bailterspace, Die! Die Die!’s unfiltered and powerful stage show has earned them a reputation as one of the most energetic and hardest-working bands around. Cathartic, direct, indispensable.. You will know them as Die! Die! Die! Supporting is Melbourne based 3 piece rock band Love of Diagrams. Doors open at 8pm, and tickets are $15+BF online/$18 door.
THE JULIE RUIN
Feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna, Riot Grrrl ringleader, founder of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and star of recent hit documentary, The Punk Singer, has made a triumphant return to the stage this year with her new band, The Julie Ruin. She’s bringing her hand-picked, dream-come-true band (including former Bikini Kill bandmate Kathi Wilcox and Kenny Mellman of Kiki and Herb fame) to Melbourne for a night of dance-punk fun at The Corner on Tuesday January 15, with special guests New War and Grouse DJs. Tickets on sale now.
CARAVAN BURLESQUE
Moira Finucane and her wild artistes fly in from Buenos Aires, Paris and London to unleash seductive spectacle, swinging circus, disco and dirty dancing, as part of The Substation’s Sizzling Summer Program! Globally acclaimed in 12 languages, winner of 8 awards including Scotland on Sunday’s Hottest Temptation of the Festival, this promises to be the wildest night in the West this summer. So get ready for a balloonpopping, show-stopping, jaw dropping, disco fever! For 2 weekends only - 24 & 25 Jan, and 31 Jan & 1 Feb - Finucane & Smith’s legendary, genre-busting, globally-acclaimed seductive and subversive cult-hit Salon storms into Newport, with suitcases bulging with awards & five star reviews, sequined gowns & sparkling hoops, six inch heels and two-foot nails, light sabres (and not much else), milk bottles, cutaway wetsuits, mirror balls and a single trapeze. Drinks at the bar, cabaret tables & catwalk seats (the hottest seats in town), all grand, intriguing and velvet draped at The Substation.
LED ZEPPELIN 1972 KOOYONG CELEBRATION CONCERT
The Corner Hotel is playing host to a unique celebration of Led Zeppelin on Friday January 31 celebrating the great Led Zeppelin with an exclusive show from an all-star one-off local band re-living the 1972 Kooyong show track-for-track. 20 February 1972 and Led Zeppelin from London, just four years into their fabled existence are the global epicentre of hard rock, fusing metal, blues and folk to Hammer of the Gods. And for the first and only time, they play live in Melbourne at the Kooyong Tennis Centre. Need more convincing? Here’s the set list: Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Stairway To Heaven, Going to California, That’s The Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, Rock and Roll, and the finale Whole Lotta Love. You’d be crazy to miss this. Tickets via Corner Box Office from $30.
THE AUSTRALIA DAY WEEKEND FUNDRAISER
Hosted for the second time at Melbourne’s mighty Reverence Hotel, the 2014 instalment boasts the event’s most diverse line up yet and will completely take over the much loved Footscray pub for the weekend. Two mega stages will be rammed with the best of Australian live music on Saturday January 25 and Sunday January 26 with all proceeds donated to Oxfam and The Refugee Council Of Australia. With every band making the trek on their own time and money, these shows are a concoction of the most seasoned road warriors and promising new talent. From the exuberant, melodic punk of Luca Brasi on Saturday to the intelligent, dynamic song writing of Lincoln Le Fevre on Sunday, wedge in local garage legends Batpiss, scuzzy punkers Damn Terran, the posi-hardcore tunes of Outright and Anchors, emorock from Ceres, alt-country courtesy of Ribbons Patterns, and moving guitar-driven punk rock from prized acts like The Sinking Teeth, Grenadiers, Initials and The Union Pacific. There’ll be Mexican food all night and a raffle of rad prizes donated by kind folks of Poison City Records, Blunt Magazine, Apollo Collective, Deathproof PR, The Reverence Hotel and heaps more. Tickets on sale the Thursday December 19. Get your pass, book your flight, pick up a raffle ticket. Come do something good and have a ripper time amongst good humans while you’re doing it.
SWEET JEAN
Sweet Jean will be kicking off an exciting year in 2014 with a hometown show at the Northcote Social Club on Sunday January 19 with special guest Hello Satellites (solo). Sweet Jean will be playing songs from their acclaimed debut album Dear Departure, and previewing music from their forthcoming acoustic EP. Co-produced by John Castle (Washington, The Bamboos), Dear Departure has been included in several end of year ‘best of ’ lists, and continues to receive glowing reviews in Australia and overseas. Their matinee show is from 1.30pm. Tickets $15 via northcotesocialclub.com.
THE TIMBERS
After recently taking out the Emily Burrows Award, The Timbers have announced the release of their second single Things To Come as well as an East Coast Tour. This tour will see the Adelaide four piece dive into the new year with all guns blazing in what is sure to be a stella 2014. See them play the Penny Black on Sunday January 26.
NorthcoteTownHall
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BE’LAKOR & CLAIM THE THRONE Melbourne’s Be’lakor and Perth’s Claim The Throne will be joining forces across the Nullarbor for the first time in what will undoubtedly be one of the the most impressive and world class Australian made tours of the year. They stop in at The Bendigo Hotel on Australia Day, Sunday January 26 with local supports Orpheus Omega, Okera, Heisenberg.
LEMURIA Hailing from Buffalo, NY, indie-pop trio Lemuria will be hitting our shores this coming January / February for their first Australian tour, It wouldn’t be wrong to believe that melodic, sugary, indie-pop anthems would be out of place at a punk rock show. In fact, they would obviously stand out like a sore thumb. However, having seamlessly managed to blur the lines between the soft and melodic and the fast and tough by mixing all the right ingredients, catchy hooks, sweetheart vocals, odd time signatures and discordant notes; are all cleverly beated together leaving the listener asking politely for more. Along for the ride will be Melbourne’s own Kissing Booth. They hit the Reverence Hotel on Saturday February. Tickets on sale now through Oztix.
ALBARE ABC Music jazz recording artist, Albare has just announced his first two concerts for 2014, performing for the first time in Hobart at MONA, as part of the Jazz at MONA series of free afternoon concerts ( JAM) on Sunday February 2, and in his home town at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday February 9. Tickets to the Melbourne Recital Centre concert are $55 each, available now through www. melbournerecital.com.au and Ticketmaster.
PEACE TRAIN THE CAT STEVENS STORY
4TRESS 4tress are very excited to announce that they will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary show at The Evelyn. Being such a monumental occasion they would really love everyone to come along and help celebrate this milestone. If you have been wanting to see them, now is the time! 4tress are a four piece rock band fronted by two sisters and they perform high energy songs which include three part vocal harmonies and catchy guitar and bass hooks. Gig starts at 2 pm with supports Texas Jedi, Triumph Over Logic, and Little House Godz. Sunday January 19 at the Evelyn Hotel.
Continuing on from his successful tour in 2013, Peace Train – The Cat Stevens Story is back and touring Australia in 2014. Since its debut performance at the Wagga Civic Theatre back in 2009, Darren Coggan’s Peace Train has gone on to inspire many others, playing to standing ovations in the most prestigious venues in Australia including The Sydney Opera House. This tour sees Darren recreating Cat’s timeless, intimate songs as they were originally written: on an acoustic guitar and piano, seeking out the man in the music and telling the story behind the songs. The magic unfolds at Wyndham Cultural Centre Werribee on Friday February 28, 2014. Hit up wyncc.com.au for more information.
MARCH ORPHANEDLAND Oriental metal pioneers are landing at The Espy in March with the All Is One World Tour. Israel’s breakthrough heavy metal band Orphaned Land has become renowned internationally for fusing elements of traditional Middle Eastern music with the fundamentals of progressive heavy metal. Remarkably, Orphaned Land are quite possibly the most popular Israelis in the Middle East, with their music attracting a huge Arab following. Orphaned Land reaches out to their Muslim fans and uses heavy metal, of all things, as a vehicle to unite enemies. Orphaned Land’s career contains many highlights. These include supporting Metallica, Amoprhis and Dio, collaborating with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Opeth) and playing major festivals such as Sonisphere, Hellfest and Wacken Open Air. They will be hitting Australia following a mammoth 50-show headlining run through Europe. The tour will be in support of the recently released All Is One, the album that front man Kobi Farhi has deemed as “the greatest album we’ve made to date.” Joining in on this holy temple of metal worship will be special guests Voyager and Orsome Welles. If their European debut of the All Is One World Tour is any indication of how it’ll go over in Australia, tickets are going to go quick. Saturday March 22, at The Espy in the Gershwin Room. Tickets $50+bf, on sale Friday September 27 via theespy.oztix.com.au.
Féfé AUSTRALIA’S OWN SINCE 1969
presents
GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW & DUDLEY PERKINS G&D is formed by Las Vegas-based Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins a.k.a. Declaime. Not just singer, songwriter and rapper but producers and owners of independent label SomeOthaShip Connect, Perkin’s releases include Conversations With Dudley, A Lil Light, Expressions, and Holy Smokes and has worked with The Lootpack, Madlib, Oh No, The Alkaholiks, Flying Lotus and Hudson Mohawke while Muldrow’s catalogue includes Worthnothings, Umsindo, and Kings Ballad and has worked with Erykah Badu, Robert Glasper, Mos Def, Bilal, Wajeed, Sa-Ra. Sophomore album The Lighthouse will be released on May 21st with the pair playing the Prince Bandroom on Friday January 24. Tickets available through Oztix.
Live in-store
Tuesday 14 January 6.30pm
FEBRUARY
Fresh from So Frenchy So Chic in the Park, soulful troubadour Féfé joins us for a night of wicked French hip hop, blues, reggae and RnB stylin’, playing songs from the new album Le charme des premiers jours.
Free event. YOUTH LAGOON Heartfelt, spiritual, and with a cherubic, limitless sound, Youth Lagoon is truly one of a kind. Better known to his family and friends as Trevor Powers, the Idaho - raised native burst onto the scene back in 2010 with his wondrous, forward-thinking sound – think sweet, hazy numbers like July or Cannons. Get ready for a magical night when he returns to Oz and plays the Prince Bandroom on Wednesday February 5.
LE CHARME DES PREMIERS JOURS AVAILABLE NOW
Please book on 9525 3852. Readings St Kilda 112 Acland Street
ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.READINGS.COM.AU AND RECEIVE FREE DELIVERY TO ANYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA.
AUSTRALIA’S OWN SINCE 1969
Tickets available through Oztix. Don’t miss out! CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 39
LIVE
REPORTS FROM THE FRONT ROW
For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL Lorne, Saturday December 28 – Wednesday January 1 London Grammar
Neil Finn
Boogie Nights – Saturday December 28 Melbourne-based DJ Legs Akimbo set the mood with chilled sets in between Tom Thum and The Correspondents. Things got moving when ‘time-travelling DJ’ Hot Dub Time Machine treated us to musical gems from the past 60 years, having the swinging/crumping/twerking audience yelling ‘aw shit yeah!’ to every song. Fatboy Slim’s Eat Sleep Rave Repeat ended the set that was the hands down highlight of Boogie Nights, as the pre-Falls party night is known. Japan’s dapper soul-funk legends Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro followed suite and Late Night Tuff Guy kept the blood pumping in the cold until midnight when the crowd dispersed back to their freezing tents faster than you could say ‘motherhuggerit’scold’. Official Day One – Sunday December 29 Typical of a Lorne summer, we woke up in our sauna-tent in the sweaty morning sun, stripping the fleecey layers that we so desperately needed the night before and rolling out to a dry, stale breakfast of Milo cereal: the best and worst festival food, ever. We were treated to an impressive Welcome to Country performance, then welcomed the country twangs of raucous Sydney seven-piece Little Bastard, whose energy and talent caught unsuspecting punters by surprise and really deserved a more prominent set time. Their friendly “cheers for dancing with us, ya mad dogs” went down a bit better than The Murlocs frontman Ambrose Kenny-Smith’s faint-hearted “cheers cunts”, but then again he did well to last an entire set sounding like Janis Joplin (I mean that as a compliment). Owl Eyes and Bombino provided an ideal festival soundtrack as the remaining punters flooded in to set up their campsites and get to the valley in time for Solange, Queen Bey’s sister, who rocked the stage in a hot pink jumpsuit, her thigh-length hair-whipping putting Willow Smith to shame. 2013 was a busy year for British trip hop trio London Grammar, who seemed genuinely stoked by the huge crowd they pulled for their first Australian appearance. Their excitement came through in an energetic set which warmed us up for Flight Facilities, who proved to be one of the best live acts of the festival. Bringing Owl Eyes frontwoman Brooke Addamo back onstage for her stunning vocals was perfect, as was the epic version of Clair de Lune that ended the set. The hype plateaued when MGMT played to a divided crowd, having a few wins with crowd-pleasers from Oracular Spectacular between an otherwise “meh” set. The creepy animated king prawn waddling along behind them kept things interesting though so thumbs up there. The night was headlined by one of the biggest and most diversely talented hip hop band of our time, The
Roots, who jumped through genres and covers from Kool and the Gang to Guns N’ Roses. The already long set went a bit over time but most people didn’t seem to mind too much, except perhaps Cyril Hahn who had to play to a steadily declining crowd. Day Two – Monday December 30 I could tell from others around me that it was a slow start for many as the nights before caught up, but we were eased into the day by the hypnotic vocal loops of Oliver Tank and the catchy electro-pop of impressive Tasmanian teenager Asta who is clearly going places. Up in the Grand Theatre, the Perch Creek Family Jugband and Gossling helped draw in an early crowd who stuck around for some midday comic relief. Back in the valley Chet Faker drew a huge crowd with his stunning vocals and rhythmic synths, melting hearts and getting us dancing in the afternoon sun to hits like I’m Into You, a few new tracks and his sexy cover of No Diggity. Up in the Grand Theatre, Sydney’s RUFUS had the big top packed like sweaty sardines and the valley outside just about empty. The trio have had a great run since releasing their debut album in August and it was awesome to see them getting a crowd that excited so early. New Year’s Eve Eve was vibing, a sure sign that the real deal the following night was set to be epic. Falls regular Neil Finn had everyone singing along to the classics, playing with guitarist son Liam and followed by the crazily clad Crystal Fighters whose costumes and energy had to be up there with the best over the entire festival. If you’re not sure how you feel about them see them live, it’s big. Things got a bit mental around midnight. “You guys are pretty crazy,” The Wombats’ Matthew Murphy managed as a rogue flare almost started a mini fire on stage and word spread that the wooden sound tent thing had collapsed with people in it. We figured everyone was fine judging by the munted punters who kept on dancing up there. M4sonic in the Grand Theatre battled Chk Chk Chk in the Valley Stage for the post-midnight crowd and the tent soon turned to rave cave as cosmic warriors fist pumped until the wee hours. Chet Faker
Day Three – Tuesday December 31 – New Year’s Eve If Hip Hop Yoga didn’t get dusty punters out of their tents bright and early on New Year’s Eve, The Preatures certainly did. The Sydney band not only pulled a more than healthy crowd for the 12pm slot, but had everyone fresh and moving like it was day 1, especially to that awesome song Is This How You Feel. With catchy tunes, a tight set and powerful frontwoman Isabella Manfredi, no one can doubt they’re destined for huge things in 2014. James Vincent McMorrow was an arvo highlight in the Grand Theatre, even lulling some into a restful sleep with his floating vocals. Winning lineups alternating between the Grand Theatre and Valley Stage including Dustin Tebutt, Twinsy, Big Scary and Johnny Marr made it easy for those who were super keen (or those making the most of the final day of Falls) to hop or roll between the two. Bonobo was a hands down crowd favourite for the afternoon, pulling the biggest crowd of daylight hours that could almost have been mistaken for the headlining act. Opening with Cirrus, the classic first single of his most recent album The North Borders, he had hearts and bodies won instantly. Falls veterans Violent Femme Femmes kicked things further into gear, opening their set with Blister in the Sun which had a thousand hhan ha a ds clapping but also ensure hands ensured that just the hardcore Femmes fans and early buzzers stuck around. Cat Empire followed, aalways alw lway lw aays yyss a gr ggre r at live festival act, aand had everyone dancing with strangers to an impressively tight set. great New Ye Yeaar Year’ ar’rr’’s Eve Eve v was headlined by Vampire Weekend, who packed in hits across their three albums like Cousins, Oxford Comma Year’s and Diane Young. Yoouuung. You Yo ng. nng g. Af g. A ter a histor After history of mishaps over the years (the last Falls I attended Arctic Monkeys threw us unexpectedly into 2012 15 minutes minute tteeess late) la late) t the New Yorkers got it pretty spot on and as a lone firework exploded from someone’s camp behind the m ash she hed all arou he stage and faces ma mashed around us it was hard to deny the feeling that with a start like this, 2014 was going to be gold. Sydney hip hop group Horrorshow Horrror rorrshow were we a top choice for the co-countdowners up in the Grand Theatre after the huge year they’ve had. Whether it was thee weather, we weather, the th intoxication or the group love going around it felt fuzzily warm and a sizeable crowd stayed out at the Valley forr mussive muussive sets se by Hermitude and Ego. For those of us refusing to let the festivities end, the Grand Theatre filled up fast and fissts t ppumped umped to the techno beats of Late Night Tuff Guy and Generik, who ended the loved up night on a pash-encouraging Love is in the Air. perfectly corny high higgghh with wit w wi i h a pas recovery, and the countdown to December 28 2014 when we can do it all again. So began the reco oovver ver ery rryy, the withdrawals with JESSICA HAMILTON BY JESSIC IIC CA HAM H AMI A AM M LTON
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40
Solange
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LOVED: Seeing in the New Year. HATED: Having to say goodbye to it all. DRANK: A lot of water on New Year’s Day.
LIVE
REPORTS FROM THE FRONT ROW
For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews LET THEM EAT CAKE Werribee Park, Wednesday January 1 For those who decided to kick off 2014 at the second incarnation of the sold out Let Them Eat Cake, which doubled in size after last year’s massive success, they were treated to what could quite possibly be the ultimate kick-on at Werribee Mansion Park. Even as the temperamental skies refused to cooperate throughout the day, the rain fuelled the sea of poncho donning festivalgoers as they cut their best moves loose to the tunes of some of the most exciting international and local DJs. The boutique festival spared no expense on aesthetics, creating a visual experience that was somewhere in between Alice in Wonderland and Strawberry Fields with its countless odes to the top hat and bamboo main stage. Even more, the festival’s layout was more than ideal, with its five stages somehow positioned close enough to one another that you could duck over and catch a few minutes of another set, but yet far away enough that there was zero of the dreaded sound bleed. With the rain christening the grounds of Werribee Park, Brooklyn duo Wolf & Lamb not so subtly acknowledged the rapidly declining conditions by dropping Soul Clap’s edit of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, consequently sending the dampened crowd into a blissful rain dance. Next up was LTJ Bukem, who served up his innovative brand of drum and bass over at the Palace of Versailles stage. Bukem cemented his position on the drum and bass throne as he flirted with soul, jazz and reggae over the course of his hour-and-a-half set, incorporating classics such as Atlantis and Horizons as well as an assortment of tracks from his Good Looking Records labelmates. While at most day festivals you would be more than lucky to catch anything over an hour from a main stage artist, Cake set itself apart by giving its three headliners generous two hour slots and boy, did the extra time make a difference. Irish duo Bicep spun everything from Italo-disco to Chicago house as they successfully dug deep into their vinyl collection to get the main stage moving. Even as Bicep enraptured me with their boisterous beats, I couldn’t help but drift over to check out part time neuroscientist/part time producer Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points and his eclectic sounds. Drawing on influences from jazz to house, Shepherd delivered pure groove music that was a dream at this point in the day. Back at the main stage, Brit James Holden made the most of his two hours, putting on an exhibition in deep, dark experimental techno. Easily one of the most talked about headliners ahead of the festival, Holden delivered the most entrancing musical journey of the day. However, for those looking to let loose to a few old favourites, Cyril Hahn’s remix-heavy set provided an outlet for punters to unleash their inner weakness for R&B classics like Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body and Destiny’s Child’s Say My Name. As the sun finally set on the festival, the day’s main attraction DJ Koze proved his mastery on the decks as he meticulously built upon melodic house, all the while lighting up the steadily clearing sky. While Koze largely shied away from 2013’s Amagdala stylings, he had no problem keeping the crowd on their toes as he closed out the night. As festivalgoers made their way back into the real world of 2014, it was apparent that with its stellar lineup, postcard worthy location and carefree atmosphere, it wouldn’t be surprising if LOVED: People using trash bags as Let Them Eat Cake is a New Year’s Day staple for years to come. ponchos. HATED: Sporadic weather. BY LAUREN GILL DRANK: G&T.
JOHNNY MARR Corner Hotel, Saturday January 4 Even if you’re not a fan of The Smiths, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The The, Electronic or any of the other countless bands Marr has splashed his guitar work across for the last 30 years, you have to admire his ability to adapt seamlessly into another artist’s vision without diluting any of his style or originality. Out for the Falls Festivals and a few sideshows to focus on first ‘proper’ solo album, The Messenger, it’s finally time that his vision comes to the fore. For those amongst us who don’t mind The Smiths but can’t hack the histrionic vocals, tonight’s show was a godsend. Call it heresy, but to me the worst thing about The Smiths has always been Morrissey’s poncey warble. With six Smiths songs performed, it decisively set in stone that the best thing about The Smiths was invariably the bursts of liquid sunshine that dripped off the neck of Marr’s Rickenbacker or in tonight’s case, Fender Jaguar. As a tee-totalling vegan, he’s living proof you don’t need booze or hamburgers to ooze confidence onstage. He frequently sashays to the edge of stage, holds his guitar up to cast a majestic shadow, waves his hands outwardly to draw attention to certain strums, and peacocks around like a elegant version of a dude from Steel Panther, except that Marr’s earned the right to strut. He never really does a solo in the classical sense, running up a scale to bend a note here or there. He chimes notes like they’re distant medieval bells and leaves ample space to allow the sound to lovingly caress your inner ear. During Words Start Attack he accidentally unplugged a lead from the effect pedals so had to DI it into his amp, and it lost little in quality. His playing is visually evocative, often invokes LOVED: The girls were fellas and the wide-eyed dopamine release and is always impeccably tasteful. Put guys darlings, ‘cos “I’m from England”. simply, the man is a goddamn God-like genius. HATED: The exclusion of European Me from the setlist. BY NICK HILTON DRANK: Jumbo sized Bulmers.
WAR ON DRUGS Northcote Social Club, Saturday December 28 As the birthplace of Neal Cassady – the inspiration for the boozing and drugging Dean Moriaty in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and the acid-crazed driver of Ken Kesey’s psychedelic bus of Merry Pranksters – Colorado can lay claim to a significant part in the United States’ battle with narcotic recreation. It was fitting therefore, that the first retail cannabis outlet was opened on January 1, 2014 in the American state of Colorado, a direct consequence of the state’s recent decision to substantially relax the legal controls on cannabis. Notwithstanding the contrary views of narcotic ideological warriors, the development also marked a critical step in the United States’ emotive, costly and intensely political War on Drugs. That Pennsylvania band War on Drugs chose to play its first shows for 2013 just a few days before Colorado’s cannabis retail experiment began was largely ignored on local shores. The irony, however, was suitable. Hollow Everdaze – a band whose musical aesthetic owes substantially to the psychedelic experiments of yore – had already finished its set by the time we escaped the lingering culinary fumes of Christmas bonhomie, allowing Jarrod Quarrel, auteur of the industrial-electronic-pop outfit New War, to commence the elaborate preparation for his band’s set. While New War’s set improved with each musical event – to call them ‘songs’ would be to undersell Quarrel’s creative process – Quarrel remained critical of the sound production, though such subtleties were largely lost on the appreciative crowd. War on Drugs isn’t a drug band in the style of Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre or Dead Meadow. Yet the influence of psychedelics, amphetamines and the humble weed can be heard, felt and tacitly sensed throughout the War on Drugs repertoire. Adam Granduciel is the kid who was always into weird stuff at school, and playing music that his classmates didn’t understand. The songs build, expand, stretch, concertina and revert to structure with perfect aplomb. You can hear the indie-geek delivery of The Feelies, the psychedelic nerd wanderings of Yo La Tengo and the prototypical punk exploration of the Velvet Underground, and a thousand and one lesser-known relations. There’s the occasional new track thrown in from the band’s forthcoming new album, with ne’er an introductory comment thrown in. The announcement of the final song for the evening morphs into a three – or was it four – song finale, before the band meanders off stage, only to return for a concluding encore. The War on Drugs is over: long live War on Drugs. BY PATRICK EMERY
THE ROOTS Festival Hall, Saturday December 28 Twenty-six years after their formation and 13 records later, the legendary Roots crew managed to not only validate their prowess, but reinvent the concept of “performance.” Performing as a flawless collective, Black Thought and his crew took their audience on a delicious journey through the evolution of hip hop, jazz and rock, blurring the line between the three and reminding their fans of their various styles and virtuosity. The only original members, veterans Black Thought and Questlove unleashed a virility that young pups could only dream of, proving that age don’t mean shit in this game. They may as well have thrown water in our faces, hurled us into the ring or pushed us out of a soaring airplane. We were simultaneously invigorated and exhausted, never wanting this paradoxical performance to end. Black Thought spat and snarled, while his instrumentalists fucked us good and proper with their weapons of choice. Questlove and Knuckles went head to head on percussion, competing and harmonising with one another like doubles. While Quest coolly initiated a light rhythm, Knuckles would copy it furiously. It was like the scene in School of Rock when young prodigy Zack imitates Schneebly’s chords. After a while though, they stopped playing follow the leader and intensified their rhythm, playing over the top of one another in an aggressive and primitive melodic style. The solos continued with bassist Mark Kelley, sousaphone playing Tuba Gooding Jr and “string assassin” Captain Kirk, who also contributed the vocals on many of the solo and collaborative tracks. But it was the mad scientist on keys, Kamal Grey, who delivered something different from everyone else. Even with Gooding’s intimidating horn all up in his grill battling out another square off, he was cool and collected, throwing Gooding’s bass lines back in his face. Halfway through, the jazz rap-turned Flylo-turned gangsta rap set did a complete 180 and exploded into a rock and pop medley. There was a little bit of Guns ‘N Roses, Led Zepp, Donna Summer, Outkast and Gotye in there, the crew playing only snippets and intros. Consistent with the entire show, the crew transitioned seamlessly from one track to the next, never allowing for those awkward pauses between tracks that seem to populate most rock concerts. Playing all their commercial and non-commercial favourites, The Roots showcased a catalogue of 20 years of recorded material. Proceed, Step Into The Realm, Break You Off, The Seed and The Next Movement were all highlights, but it was the cover of Kool & The Gang’s Jungle Boogie that really got the crowd going. Man, that shit was funky. You Got Me, a personal favourite, was another highlight. Kirk substituted for Badu, contributing sincere vocals that made it almost as good as the original. Concluding with what felt like an hour-long encore, the legendary Roots left their audience wanting more. A true “performance” that transcended the crew’s original jazz-rap flavour in every way, this was definitely a LOVED: Just when you thought it was about to end, it didn’t. live favourite of 2013. HATED: When it really did end. DRANK: Pipsqueak cider. BY DINA AMIN
A$AP ROCKY/WIZ KHALIFA Festival Hall, Saturday January 4 First up, I wasn’t gonna say anything but I couldn’t stand this tonight: all you homeboys out there gotta stop wearing Raiders gear unless you root for the team. Wear your fucking Chicago Bulls and Mighty Ducks snapbacks, but stay away from the Raiders. I watch them play every Monday at 5am, I haven’t missed a game in eight years, I love them, but because you hipster malakas love the pirate logo so much you wear all this Raiders gear which makes me also look like a hipster malaka. I’m sick of it. You haven’t watched us lose every week and miss the playoffs 11 years running to deserve to wear that proud badge. Alright, sorry ’bout dat, here’s your review fucken. Defying his name, A$AP Rocky started much later than his scheduled time but holy shit what an entrance. A raw, ebullient tone was set right when A$AP tore through favourites such as Angels and Purple Swag. Supported by the A$AP Mob, Rocky utilised the entire wide Festival Hall stage, bouncing east and west within seconds. It was a lot of fun, which was unfortunately interrupted by his high-as-fuck banter. Firstly, he spoke about how he loves Australia and how he can’t wait to “return here”, despite actually being here. Following Roll One Up, A$AP meretriciously ranted hippy nonsense about how we are the future generation and how the world needs love, and to share love by kissing total strangers near you in the crowd. Sounds nice, but it got a bit awkward. One thing that needs to stop at hip hop gigs is the cliché motivational preaching from rappers. Both A$AP and Wiz separately tried to rouse us by informing us that we can be whatever we want to be. ‘I was gonna become a doctor until this rapper with a dollar sign in his name told me to love myself.’ While Coke And White Bitches and Fuckin’ Problem were standouts of A$AP’s set, by far the highlight was Wild For The Night, where he implored the crowd to crowdsurf, mosh and everything else security was hired to stop. I could just hear the security guards’ hearts break just like Ralph Wiggum after being dumped by Lisa. It was a riot. I’ve rarely felt that sort of energy in a room before, particularly somewhere as large as Festival Hall. The song acted as a challenge to Wiz to match the ridiculous, sweaty energy and pace of A$AP’s set – one he gladly accepted. “I got so much money I should start a bank,” began Wiz Khalifa during Work Hard, Play Hard. The lanky rap icon, sporting a Shaquille O’Neal Orlando jersey, came out to a raucous reception. After a wild beginning, he would eventually counter A$AP’s incessant style by singing coolly into the mic rather than jumping around everywhere during singalongs such as The Thrill, 23, and Young Wild & Free. Then, just as the dynamism started to get boring, Wiz took his shirt off, ripped into “BOOTY SHAKIN’ CONTEST, BOOTY SHAKIN’ CONTEST” from Miley and the epic last third of his set began. Following a call and response from Taylor Gang, Wiz told the crowd about a song he loves from Australia, and began singing ‘tits out for the boys’ – a request that was granted and appreciated. “I wish you could see what I see,” he joked. There was certainly a difference in the professionalism of the performances between A$AP and Wiz. For example, Wiz’s band were actually playing their instruments. The drummer was outstanding and performed several excellent solos. Same with the bassist. I felt like Wiz’s show could easily translate as a festival headliner or arena tour, but A$AP’s lacked that veteran polish. Closing with a brilliant belting of Black & Yellow, Wiz then bizarrely led the audience into a chant for “one more song”, seemingly forcing his own encore with Roll Up, concluding one of the best nights of hip hop I’ve seen. Probably the highlight of the entire evening, though, was my friend who wouldn’t shut up in the lead up to the gig about how much she loved Wiz Khalifa until five minutes in when she turned to me, embarrassed, and said, “I just realised something. I LOVED: Both artists didn’t make this got mixed up between Wiz Khalifa and Lil Wayne.” feel like another gig; clearly a lotta love. HATED: Idiots wearing Raiders hats. DRANK: Head shot (drank), sit down BY NICK TARAS (drank), stand up (drank).
LOVED: Everything. HATED: Nothing. DRANK: Three Ravens.
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 41
ALBUM OF THE WEEK MICK TURNER
Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Tell The Driver (King Crab/Remote Control Records)
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SINGLES
BARNETT 2. King For A Day 2*LP FAITH NO MORE 3. Live At Third Man Records 12â&#x20AC;? MELVINS 4. AM CD/LP ARCTIC MONKEYS 5. ReďŹ&#x201A;ector 2*LP ARCADE FIRE 6. Back To Land CD/LP WOODEN SHJIPS 7. From The Ages CD/2*LP EARTHLESS 8. From Darkness CD/LP I EXIST 9. Every Day I Get Closer To The Light From Whether or not the claim that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x153;post-rock operaâ&#x20AC;? is true or just a nice marketing tool is hard to say, and in the end irrelevant. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best just to spend time with this lovely album and make sense of it yourself. LEONARDO SILVESTRINI BEST TRACK: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Tell The Driver IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL LIKE THIS: THE DIRTY THREE, JIM Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ROURKE, TORTOISE IN A WORD: Narcoleptic
LADY GAGA FEAT. CHRISTINA AGUILERA
Do What U Want (Universal) It looked like Gaga was counting on Do What U Want to save Artpop, her overwhelmingly middling new album, from being dismissed entirely as a certified flop. The album version featured R Kelly, here replaced by Christina Aguilera. It could merely be an innocuous ploy at doubledipping, re-recording the track to piggyback off a recent US talent quest finale appearance. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance something else might be at play. When Artpop dropped in early November, R Kelly was cool. He headlined Pitchfork Festival. Cool. He joined Phoenix onstage at Coachella. Cool. Twenty-somethings had fond nostalgia for Ignition (Remix). Cool. Cool equals dollar signs in the music industry. Getting R Kelly on Artpop seemed like a safe bet. Then in mid-December the world was reminded that R Kelly was not cool. Far from it. The internetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gaze was captured by Jess Hopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview with Jim DeRogatis, who has been reporting on R Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predatory behaviour in regards to young girls. It was confronting. Is the substitution with Xtina on Do What U Want damage control from camp Gaga? Or just a stopgap while the revived R Kelly controversy subsides? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an R Kelly-featuring, Terry Richardsondirected video in the can, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m guessing it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be laid to waste. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money to be made, after all. Social responsibilities be damned. Same goes for the cashed up new gatekeepers. Just as they championed R Kelly in 2013, Pitchfork made a push for Mystikalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return in late 2012 without mention of sexual battery convictions. Hey, we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even spoke about the song itself yet. But therein lies the problem with Artpop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the majority of discourse pertaining to its failures and the repercussions of such.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Happy (Sony) I dig Pharrell, but he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have the vocal chops for a soulful track like this. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great when harnessing bedroom vibes or N.E.R.D. at their most aggressive, but he sounds a little weak in the gospel-backed Happy. Still, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty darn listenable pop ditty, maybe just lacking an extra hook. Pharrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently in the studio with Chad Hugo for a Neptunes reunion, producing Pusha Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sophomore LP King Push. Looking set to back up a stellar 2013. Who knows, we might get a NERD comeback.
10. Human Detritus 7â&#x20AC;? MANHUNT
RECORD PARADISE 1. A Sea Of Split Peas 2*12â&#x20AC;? COURTNEY BARNETT
3. Man Made Stars THE STICKMEN
BY LACHLAN
4. Minus One THE KVB 5. Live at KCRW Â NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
BEYONCE
XO (Sony) Just before the break, Queen Bey took us all by surprise when she dropped her best album yet (too early to call? Nah) replete with a video for each track. Pretty much any song on the record could pass as a single, but XO is the one that ended up in my inbox. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the hugest track on the album, and could pass as a concert closer should Halo ever be retired from that duty. It invokes an air of ceremony, personable within a sea of fireworks. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND FEAT. DANNY BROWN, HEEMS, DESPOT
6. Worms,Year 5772 12â&#x20AC;? COLD BEAT 7. 1984 P.K.14 8. The Zingers THE ZINGERS 9. How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident FUTURE OF THE LEFT 10. No Love Deep Web DEATH GRIPS
ARIA ALBUM CHARTS 1. Beyonce BEYONCE 2. Prism KATY PERRY
Step (Remix) (XL/Remote Control) Romance is in the air for this wintertime remix of Vampy Weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already frosty Step, with disparately styled rappers Danny Brown, Heems (formerly of Das Racist) and Despot proving to be a complementary triumvirate. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as silly as it sounds on paper, coming together for something undeniably sweet. A posse cut for the Wes Anderson crowd.
3. Pure Heroine LORDE
HUDSON MOHAWKE
9. Willy Nilly - The 12th Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biggest Hits THE
Structure (LuckyMe) A little throwaway as part of LuckyMeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song-aday lead up to Chrissy, HudMo overworks a nearporno vocal sample to the point of novelty. The drop is tasty, everything else is pretty forgettable. Hopefully it acts as a subdued little teaser for a full-length HudMo LP in 2013, following on from the 2011 EP Satin Panthers.
4. Midnight Memories ONE DIRECTION 5. The Marshall Mathers LP2 EMINEM 6. Taylor Henderson TAYLOR HENDERSON 7. Night Visions IMAGINE DRAGONS 8. True AVICII
12TH MAN 10. Moon Landing JAMES BLUNT
BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP TEN FRENCH SONGS If I Ever Feel Better PHOENIX Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles FRANCOISE HARDY
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
HOME TRAVEL
My Shadow (M Division) Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a cover of the Jay Reatard classic, but Home Travelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s My Shadow features a similar strain of vitriol, albeit a more sedate one. Dubby bassline grooves needle through abrasive lo-fi organ hums, vocalist Johann Rashid spitting in pulsating synchronicity. The tonal uneasiness is more than offset by the danceable snap of the looping synth drum. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a killer live act too, with moves that will BLOW YOUR MIND.
ZZZ HYHO\QKRWHO FRP DX
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42
Which I Came CD/LP JESU
2. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Tell The Driver MICK TURNER
For all the latest singles check out beat.com.au Ceci nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;est pas une thinkpiece.
COLLECTORS CORNER MISSING LINK 1. A Sea Of Split Peas 2*12â&#x20AC;? COURTNEY
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Proclaiming itself to be the first ever â&#x20AC;&#x153;post-rock operaâ&#x20AC;?, Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Tell The Driver is like a dream; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whether it holds all the secrets of the universe or is complete gobbledegook, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s captivating all the same. Also like dreams, the album doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play out in a logical fashion. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not made up of individual songs as much as one sustained mood, and opener All Gone gets things off to a shaky start. Luckily, the soothing organ in track two Sometimes puts the listener at ease, and from there the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty is revealed and sustained until the end. Anytime thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a horn section (as on Long Way Home), or vocals (like the sudden harmony in the title track), the results are marvellous. The horns are understated and mournful, while the vocals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; absent for the majority of time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; give the listener something to cling to. In particular, the title track is where all of Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeming jumble of ideas coalesce. Sudden, reversed spasms of sound jostle up against sparse guitar and piano. A brilliant piece of work. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no musical turns out of left field throughout the album (unlike Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in The Dirty Three, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no release in any of these songs), so if you like the sound of the album youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll like it all. And because it has Turnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature guitar style all over it, presumably any Turner fans will enjoy this.
TOP TENS:
WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV
Moi Je Joue BRIGITTE BARDOT Get Lucky DAFT PUNK La Vie En Rose EDITH PIAF La Conga Blicoti JOSEPHINE BAKER La Belle Et Le bad boy MC SOLAAR Ta Douleur CAMILLE Ballad of Melody Nelson SERGE GAINSBOURG D.A.N.C.E JUSTICE
ALBUMS
NEW MUSIC IN REVIEW THIS WEEK
For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews
MUSE
CRASH AND BURN
Live At Rome Olympico (Warner Bros)
Redesign (Independent)
Always an ambitious undertaking, concept albums can be very difficult to pull off. Throughout rock history, there have been many attempts at the artform, many have been magnificent, more have been consigned to the forgettable pile. This forward thinking four piece from Melbourne have made a pretty damn good fist of it. Especially on what would have been a reasonably restrictive budget. Redesign details the story of a man’s descent into, and ultimately redemption from, depression. Not exactly the most wildly original idea for a storyline, but often it’s more about the execution rather than the originality of the idea. The delivery here is very solid. The treatment of the storyline is quite effective, and it entertains as it informs, with strong hooks, grooves and musicianship. The music ebbs and flows as the story unfolds. Of course, one of the true tests of a concept album is whether the songs stand alone as pieces of art, as well as forming part of the theme. Happily, they definitely do here: you drop in on virtually any of the tracks and enjoy it as a separate entity, without having to hear it as part of the whole. BEST TRACK: Redesign IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS IN A WORD: Bold ROD WHITFIELD
Having just recently seen Muse for the first time on their The 2nd Law Tour at Rod Laver and experiencing their sheer musical force live, this album will not disappoint those who have witnessed their greatness, and it will also please those who are yet to see them. Recorded live in Rome at Stadium Olympico in a one-take, all-or-nothing style is really a testament to their musicality to perform their incredibly well crafted and difficult tunes. Opening with the goosebump-inducing Supremacy, behind an epic backdrop of fire explosions and enormous LED backdrop, the fact they can so brilliantly recreate their cinematic songs live so well and only as a four-piece is really remarkable. A CD/DVD release, it’s wonderfully well recorded capturing both a great overall brilliant sound of the band live and also capturing the vibe of the 60,000+ crowd, with the DVD taking you through a shortened 90-minute set. It really is a showcase of Matt Bellamy’s musical virtuosity, both as singer and guitarist, and later playing keys, which really solidifies Muse as one of the best live and musical acts of our generation.
CUT COPY
GHOST
Free Your Mind (Modular)
If You Have Ghost (Spinefarm/Republic) On the front of dinosaur metal act Ghost’s first covers EP, If You Have Ghost, stands Papa Emeritus. His eyes are fierce and bulging. It looks like he’s awaiting his cue in a Pythonesque Gilliam-toon. A gigantic pink foot could crush him any second. You can almost hear murmurs centring from a huddle of Nameless Ghouls: “And now, for something completely different.” Ghost blow out the candles on an already spooky Roky Erickson number, Papa Emeritus hinting at the lingering traces of humanity in his croon. If you didn’t know I’m A Marionette was a spit-and-polish ABBA track, Ghost’s guitar crunch and doom would never betray it. Imagine Benny and Bjorn not only selling their souls to the dark lord but getting a plum job in his entertainment department. Army of Lovers’ Euro-goth Crucified trades the MDMA for LSD transforming it into a psychedelic ‘70s jam. Fuzz stomps through a funeral for Hammond organ on Depeche Mode’s Waiting for the Night, which hears Ghost deftly boil down all the paranoia and fear of the original into pure, unbridled apocalypse. Secular Haze played live rounds the disc out, a reminder of just how tightly this dark unit operates. Taking a peek at the liner notes reveals that producer Dave Grohl did more than producing; If You Have Ghost is Dave’s evil metal fantasy camp. He drums, he plays guitar, he grins like a madman all the while. Grohl or not, it’s indisputable: Ghost cover impeccably. If You Have Ghost assuredly elevates BEST TRACK: Waiting For The Night these anonymous rockers from dime store spooksters to IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: champagne guzzling connoisseurs of evil. CANDLEMASS, CATHEDRAL or KING DIAMOND IN A WORD: Crushing TOM VALCANIS
Cut Copy have always been a band who embraced both the old and the new. They stitch futuristic electronica with retro dance music. When they released their innovative debut and sophomore records in 2004 and 2008, they pioneered the indie dance movement, blending lo-fi indie with ‘80s pop and disco to create a sound that had both feet planted in different musical paradigms. Despite being voted #5 by my peers in Beat’s top ten albums of 2013, I believe Free Your Mind, however, is a step back. Almost ten years after the release of their debut Bright Like Neon Love, Cut Copy have gone 20 years back, delivering both an idea and a sound that is just way too retro, way too old school and much too antiquated. Everything about this album is corny. The album and the title track tell you to “free your mind,” the tracks have titles like We Are Explorers, Into The Desert, Meet Me In A House Of Love, Take Me Higher and Walking In The Sky. The lyrics are all wishy washy and cheesy: “In these arms you’re always welcome/if you are a sinner or you are a saint”, “You gotta reach the sky if you want your life to shine” (Free Your Mind) and “You gotta live your life today, tomorrow is a world away” (Walking In The Sky). Seriously though, I was really disappointed with this one. I miss the days when Cut Copy were independent and progressive. This whole pseudo-psychadelic narration meets ‘90s house BEST TRACK: Free Your Mind thing is stagnant, outdated and just plain weird. Instead of IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: Idea Of freeing my mind, it just pissed it off. Bring back the old Happiness VAN SHE, The Rhythm Of The Night Cut Copy. CORONA, The Best Of DEPECHE MODE IN A WORD: Cheesy DINA AMIN
THE NERVE
THE AVETT BROTHERS
Audiodacity (Bird’s Robe Records)
Magpie And The Dandelion (American/Universal)
If a rock music fan from overseas came to Australia, with no knowledge of Aussie music, and was given this album to listen to, that fan would probably think it was sensational, one of the rock albums of the year. Sometimes an intimate knowledge of a scene is actually a disadvantage. I know the Australian alternative and progressive rock scene inside out, and know the backgrounds, output and skills of these four players extremely well. I don’t really have the space here to go right into that (but there is a hint below). What they have come up with here is absolutely amazing, a raw, gutsy, ballsy, aggressive, grooving, catchy rock record, a record that takes a chunk of influence from Rage Against the Machine, a little classic Aussie pub rock and some modern Australian alternative rock and combines them all with great skill. But it’s still not quite up to what these illustrious talents are capable of. It’s understandable though, since all four members are scattered to the four winds across the globe, and made the bulk of the record via Skype! Get them in a room together for a few months and the world is their oyster. These guys aren’t just capable of creating one of the rock albums of the year. With the skill and talent inherent in this band, they absolutely have it in them to unleash one of the greatest rock albums of all time. By anyone, anywhere. They haven’t quite nailed it with this one, but if these guys can keep it together, it’s coming. (No pressure guys!) That said, while we’re waiting we can still enjoy Audiodacity, BEST TRACK: 14 Again for it’s still a killer rock album. IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: MAMMAL, COG, PRE-SHRUNK IN A WORD: Potential ROD WHITFIELD
North Carolina’s pop/punk/country hybrid The Avett Brothers may have fewer siblings than Kings Of Leon but they are a far more cohesive sounding unit. After releasing a creative high point in The Carpenter, the band has quickly followed up with another album with recordings arising from that same Rick Rubin-led session. Where The Carpenter found The Avett Brothers embracing their pop smarts, Magpie And The Dandelion is a more sombre and controlled affair. Man can’t live on bread and water alone and The Avett Brothers are clearly aware of this, as their partnership with Rubin has seen them move from ramshackle folk curios to the crisp product they are today. Open Ended Life has all the type of harmonies that are sung from your soul – it’s the most barnstorming track on the album, complete with harmonica stomp and bar room shuffle. Melodic gem Another Is Waiting is the obvious radio appeaser, but it is the heartfelt downtempo numbers like Part From Me and Souls Like The Wheels that are the most delicious. The Avett Brothers are yet to really put a foot wrong, whether pushing low-budget folk recordings or the glossier Rubin-produced albums of the past few years. Magpie And The Dandelion plays a bit like a poorer relation of The Carpenter, but it is still bordering on royalty by BEST TRACK: Morning Song anyone’s standards. IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: DAWES, THE DUKE & THE KIND IN A WORD: Heartfelt CHRIS HAVERCROFT
THIS WEEK
WEEK AFTER
GUNSLINGERS EP LAUNCH
ARTHUR PEN & THE FUNKY TEN
SAT 11TH
CHERRYWOOD
FRI 10TH
W MAGIC AMERICA, VISION STREET + BASTION
THURS 16TH + GUESTS FRI 17TH
THE ROYALE JELLIES
W SAINT JUDE, SUICIDE SWANS + SARA RETLLICK (JIMMY TAIT)
SUN 12TH
THE LET YOUR HAIR DOWN GIRLS
W ENSEMBLE FORMIDABLE (WA) + DARLING JAMES DUO
KITCHEN HOURS
MIMI VELEVSKA
BEST TRACK: Knights of Sydonia IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: Live At Wembley Stadium ‘86 QUEEN IN A WORD: Spectacular
THE LET YOUR HAIR DOWN GIRLS FREE IN THE FRONT BAR - 4:30PM
SUN 19TH
FREE IN THE FRONT BAR - 4:30PM
COMING SOON
24/1 PEAK TWINS LP LAUNCH W LAKES + SCHOOL OF RADIANT LIVING **AUST DAY** TWIN BEASTS (FORMALLY THE TOOT TOOT TOOT’S) W PONY FACE 31/1 WARMTH CRASHES IN W EUPHORIACS, BAD FAMILY + A STRANGE DAY ALL TIX FROM WWW.JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM
FRONT BAR FREE EVERY MONDAY
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? POP CULTURE TRIVIA
CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 43
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au
WEDNESDAY JAN 8 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
child + arctic dune + don fernando Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. colombia + return to youth + richy mckay Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. karnivool + dead letter circus + sleepmakeswaves Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. the sand dollars + elephant ego + i’ll be an indian Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10. the taylor projec - feat: the taylor project + ryan sterling + wiley red fox Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. unplugged love - feat: koz train Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick . 8:00pm. vowel movement + empat lima + great earthquake + howard Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC bohjass + edel plastik + experimental trio 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. dizzy’s big band Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $14. ensemble formidable Open Studio, Northcote. 9:00pm. hammond jazz club + mr andrew swann Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 10:00pm. vive la difference Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 8:30pm.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK backwood creatures Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. grrl fest sideshow - feat: smasheddy bash + liquorsnatch + the sufferjets + white knuckle fever Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. lee fields & the expressions + zillanova Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $45. open mic Ontop In Ormond, Ormond. 8:30pm. pugsley buzzard & bob malone + bob malone Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $20. simply acoustic Wesley Anne, Northcote. 9:00pm. the acoustic sessions - feat: jake nicholls + jessica jade Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm. van walker + duncan graham & rex watts Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. wine whiskey women - feat: jemma nichole + ree nay Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm.
THURSDAY 9 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
ben laguda & nat allison Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick . 8:00pm. blood red bird Post Office Hotel, Coburg.
DEAFHEAVEN
9:30pm. caravana sun + kooyeh + sammy owen blues band + tom richardson Espy, St Kilda. 9:30pm. $12. chad mason + rich davies Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. chuck dockray + grim fawkner + the weeping willows Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. conor farrell + hoodlum shouts + single twin Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10. forward + burning spirits + teargas Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. halcyon drive + i know the chief + i’ll be an indian + the zanes Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. karnivool + dead letter circus + sleepmakeswaves Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. kylie auldist & the glenroy all-stars + dj pierre baroni + dj vince peach Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. london grammar Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 9:00pm. lunaire + flyying colours + luna ghost + miniatures Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. lyall maloney + bootleg rascal + jack river Workers Club, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. mountain mocha kilimanjaro + cactus channel + dj chris gill Corner Hotel, Richmond. 9:00pm. $33. nevermind + warbirds 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $10. next - feat: anchors + admit one + perspectives + right mind Colonial Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. organ donor + iscariot + the wrecks Espy, St Kilda. 10:00pm. overdoze + charm + littlefoot + roservelt Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. peatbog faeries Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 9:00pm. $20. plugged in thursdays - feat: woodlock + amistat + walker Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm. stockades + halt ever + outposts + the world at a glance Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $6. the groves + kinlock troons + ten cent pistols + the black alleys Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. the strange + going swimming + naked bodies Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. white knuckle fever + sugar fed leopards + tanzer Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $8. winterplan + ardeem + fortunes + hayley couper Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $5.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
alwan Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 10:00pm. blue note record nights - feat: ben charnley Open Studio, Northcote. 9:00pm. moments notice Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. sukaro gypsy jazz band Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $20. the overeasys Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 7:30pm.
Having produced one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year in Sunbather, Deafheaven’s relentless touring sees the band traveling to Australia for the first time ever to play shows across the country. Don’t miss out on this exhilarating rock trip when they hit the Corner hotel this Friday January 10. Tickets available via oztix and the venue website.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 44
GIG OF THE WEEK!
Féfé
SO FRENCHY SO CHIC
So Frenchy So Chic In The Park returns to Werribee Park Mansion for its third year this Sunday January 12 and the sun looks set to shine. Bring a picnic rug, pick up a gourmet hamper, stretch out with something sparkling or kick off your shoes for some barefoot dancing on the grass. With a lineup boasting Lou Doillon, Fefe, Edward Deer, Lilly Wood & The Prick and Babylon Circus, this year’s installment will no doubt prove an appropriate kick off for 2014. Tickets available via ticketmaster and the venue website.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK afenginn + the woohoo revue Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 9:30pm. $22. alastair burns + al parkinson Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm. andy white & sebastikat + steve lucas Wesley Anne, Northcote. 9:00pm. open mic Balaclava Hotel, St Kilda East. 7:00pm. open mic Balaclava Hotel, St Kilda East. 8:00pm. patch brown Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. run rabbit run + shadows at pley Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:30pm. $8. the hoodangers Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 9:00pm.
FRIDAY 10 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
8 bit love + michelle xen + solaires + the neon wild Boney, Melbourne. 8:00pm. ally oop & the hoopsters + wam & daz Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. asian envy The 86, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. cyclo timik + the great impostor Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 9:30pm. $7. davey lane + sun god replica + the owls Workers Club, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. deafheaven Corner Hotel, Richmond. 9:30pm. $39. funkoars + mr hill & rahjconkas Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. gunslingers + bastion + magic america + vision street John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 9:00pm. joe robinson Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 9:30pm. $20. killacoma + black aces + darcee fox + dj lucy arundel Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. king’s cup + all we need + max goes to hollywood + parma sutra 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. kujo kings + connor + the furrows + the quarters Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. london grammar Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 9:00pm. lowtide Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. mayhen + nocturnal grave + watain The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 9:00pm. $72. melbourne cans + full ugly + velcro &
cool drinks Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. $10. oh pacific Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:30pm. ships piano + cool sounds + howard + straw king eye Espy, St Kilda. 10:00pm. sincerely grizzly + darts + dj slugger fontaine + super best friends + tape off Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. the angel & baby chain + the sufferjets & kt spit Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. $6. the hoodangers Bar Open, Fitzroy. 11:00pm. the karmens + josh romig + m. antonio + porcelain pill Espy, St Kilda. 10:00pm. the rolling blackouts Public Bar, North Melbourne. 2:00am. $10. the solicitors + tooth & tusk Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. the yard apes + dj kezbot + the night party Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 11:00pm. toots & the maytals tribute - feat: shanty town + ballarat ska orchestra + gogo goddesses The Luwow, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10. wolfpack + cabin fever + cold ground + home invaders Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
8 foot felix + paul carey & julian scheffer Open Studio, Northcote. 7:00pm. cannonball Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:30pm. charlotte nicdao & the sloth orchestra Wesley Anne, Northcote. 9:00pm. $10. craig schneider Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. dean’s martini & shakers Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 8:30pm. elly hoyt band Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm. mandy meadows & the joe ruberto trio Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $15. margie lou’s piano hour + alyce platt Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 10:00pm. the amy whinehouse show - feat: atlanta coogan & the all star little big band + matt dwyer Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 9:30pm. the boys Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. tracy mcneil Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 10:30pm.
Name that point in the night when jokes turn into joker impersonations. Visit namethatpoint.com to win $5,000
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK jeb cardwell Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:30pm. merri creek pickers Elsternwick Hotel, Elwood. 9:00pm. miss lizzy & the night owls Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:30pm. ozcan showcase - feat: mo kenney + kim wempe + liam gerner + nicholas roy Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 9:00pm. riflebirds + rio grande Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 10:30pm. spencer p jones Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. tex napalm + brian hooper + dead river + dimi dero + penny ikenger Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. tijuana peanut Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 9:00pm. traditional irish music sessions - feat: dan bourke Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 7:00pm.
SATURDAY 11 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
a gazillion angry mexicans + lioness eye Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $13. ace bricklaying + chillean children + lot 56 Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. babylon circus Corner Hotel, Richmond. 9:30pm. $35. bang - feat: electik dynamite + glass empire + jericco + scar the surface Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. billy liar + del lago + jay stevens + jaynes fighting ships + the shadow league Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10. black night crash - feat: the good morrows + the new pollution Rochester Castle Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. blak roots + ras jahknow Bar Open, Fitzroy. 11:00pm. catfish voodoo Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. chambers & the velvet lips Wesley Anne, Northcote. 9:00pm. $5. coach bombay + new gods Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. crooks & queens Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. cuntz + ausmuteants Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. dv8 - feat: ire + hollow world + the hazard circular Cbd Club, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $15. exiles from clowntown + justin fuller Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. $8. frida + blackwood jack + dear plastic + duoux 303, Northcote. 8:30pm. $5. gang of youths + cold hiker + i know the chief Workers Club, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. love for lou - feat: mikelangelo & st clare + kim salmon + patrick donovan + penny ikinger + stu thomas Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 9:00pm. lucy wilson + georgia maq Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3:00pm. mick harvey + the spoils The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 9:00pm. royal cut throat co + australian kingswood factory + murder rats + speed demons + the working horse irons Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10. sex noises + mornings + zone out Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. sike your mind - feat: iron mind + apart from this + born free + colossus + cruel intentions + deceiver + endless heights + imprisoned + in trenches + mood swung + relentless + survival + thorns + tigers Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 9:00pm. $25. squarehead + colourwaves + halcyon drive + homes Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $7. tank dilemma Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 10:30pm. the getaway plan + darcee fox + oh pacific + wendy icon Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. $18. the grand rapids + disgruntled buntle + dj presto + initials + laura palmer + planet of the 8’s Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. the mightiest of guns Public Bar, North Melbourne. 2:00am. the moops + dear stalker + sierra leone + storyhorse Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 10:00pm. the royale jellies + darling james duo + ensemble formidable John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 9:00pm. tim mcmillan band + grand cru Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 9:00pm. $12. tux + orsome welles + slack hands Espy,
St Kilda. 10:00pm. virtue + borrachero Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick . 8:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
aaradhna + cocoa jackson lane + the hellhounds & phil para band Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. babylon circus Corner Hotel, Richmond. 9:30pm. $35. brunswick street to bourbon street feat: bob sedergreen + adam rudegeair Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $20. classical piano Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 3:00pm. claymore + fiona ross Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 9:00pm. $18. funkalleros + lucas pohling Open Studio, Northcote. 6:30pm. goyim + elvis in the house Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 4:30pm. rebecca mendoza & the joe ruberto trio Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. swing train - feat: gianni marinucci Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:30pm. $25. swing train + gianni marinucci + hetty kate Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10:30pm. $25. the meltdown! Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm.
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK cisco ceasar Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm. john-luke shelley + high speed steel Elsternwick Hotel, Elwood. 9:00pm. johnny gibson & the hangovers Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. marlon williams + james teague + katheryn rollins Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $10. paulie bignell & the thornbury two + dj xander + krista polvere Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. rabble rouser + adam smith + captain corduroy & the rainbow butterscotch brigade + riders of sin Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. renee geyer (swing album tour) Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 9:30pm. $38. saturday knightz + alex3burns Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 5:00pm. saturday night fish fry Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. the b-benders Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 10:00pm. the blackeyed susans trio Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. travis addison The Hidden Garden Cafe & Bar, Ascot Vale. 7:00pm. willie wagtails Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm.
SUNDAY 12 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS 80’s on the edge Sloaney Pony, Port Melbourne. 9:30pm. billy liar + eli cash + jim duggan + troubled medium + ziggy britten Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. bombino Corner Hotel, Richmond. 9:00pm. $30. buck jr + demi louise Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. even Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. flap! Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm. future zoos + paint me a phoenix + pioneers of good science Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. mountain goat beersoaked sundays feat: hugo race + dimi + ron s. peno & the superstitions + tex & brian Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $10. nicholas costello + matt glass + mot Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $12. paramore Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. 8:00pm. stonefox + seb mont & thee + the legend of barcelos Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. sunday school Public Bar, North Melbourne. 4:00pm. $10. the davidson brothers + nice boy tom Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. the let your hair down girls John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 5:30pm. the rrrrrockets! Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 3:00pm. $10. vreagan lefay Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick . 4:00pm. wehrmacht + depression + desecrator & metal storm + join the amish + party vibez + sewercide Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm.
LONDON GRAMMAR
London Grammar’s live show is already recognised across the northern hemisphere as a soaring and haunting display of musicianship. It comes as little surprise, with their #2 debut album ‘If You Wait’ being one of the most critically acclaimed releases of 2013, that both their Melbourne shows this month are sold out. Joining the trip-hop wunderkinds are Vancouver Sleep Clinic. They play the Prince Bandroom this Thursday January 9 and Friday January 10, both sold out. wil wagner + lucy wilson + tom lanyon Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 4:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
aron ottignon trio Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm. black jesus experience The Horn African Music Lounge, Collingwood. 7:00pm. chaka khan Plenary Hall, South Wharf. 8:00pm. elvis in the house + duo severini Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 2:00pm. pharaoh + elephant gumbo 303, Northcote. 10:00pm. $5. the zaporozhets Open Studio, Northcote. 9:30pm.
74 JOHNSTON ST FITZROY 9417 4155
www.theoldbar.com.au OPEN EVERY DAY 2Pm - 3Am FREE WI FI
Wednesday 15th January
ICM LabeL nIght:
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK
Joe taLIa adaM sherry (a dead Forest Index) angus tarnaWsky (nyC)
and he sang + tiana v + whtsqr Workers
thursday 16th January
8:30pM $8
tbC
FrIday 17th January
Luke brennan & the stICky VaLentInes - LaunCh ben Mason eMMa russaCk neW arCher
8:30pM $10
saturday 18th January
ross de Chene hurrICanes LaunCh guests
8:30pM $10
arVo gIg: LuCy WILson ForCe FIeLdz
2pM Free
sunday 19th January
Mt goat beersoaked sundays:
PARAMORE
With millions of album sales and a slew of sold out signs gracing stadiums across the globe, it’s safe to say that Paramore will be more than warmly received when they return to Melbourne this week. Bringing brit-rock icons You Me At Six and up and coming duo Twenty One Pilots with them, Paramore will rock the Sidney Myer Music Bowl this Sunday January 12. Grab your tickets via ticketmaster.
harry hoWard & the nde ron s. peno & the superstItIons MIdnIght sCaVengers
8:30pM $10
Monday 20th January
unpaVed sessIons
8pM $5
tuesday 21st January
JoeL MorrIson exhIbItIon openIng: ‘Last MInute IdIoCy’ Mystery bands
7pM $5
band bookings: bandbookings@theoldbar.com.au
Name that point in the night when dinner plans turn into food vans. Visit namethatpoint.com to win $5,000
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 45
MONDAY 13 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au
saskwatch Australian Open Heineken Live Stage, 6:00pm. cherry jam Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. dear monday - feat: tim guy + derek harrison + james dobson + nick o’mara Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. monday’s covered - feat: secret tsunami Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC allan browne sextet Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm. international cabaret contest Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 8:00pm. ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK port phillip gilgamesh readings Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 8:30pm. songwriters collective 303, Northcote. 8:30pm. unpaved sessions Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $5.
TUESDAY 14 JAN INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO
Combining the rawest, deepest soulful grooves, the fast and furious energy of rock and roll, and laying it all down in the classiest of funk manners, these six super-dapper gentlemen have been creating a storm around the world with their irresistible new take on how to make people dance. After selling out all previous Australian shows, Mountain return to our shores for a Falls Festival sideshow this Thursday January 9 at the Corner Hotel. Get your tickets via the Corner website.
world’s end press Australian Open Heineken Live Stage, 6:00pm. chad mason + hellhound brown Old Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. melbourne fresh industry showcases Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $15. wehrmacht + eternal rest + grace + kromosom + primate The Hi-fi, Melbourne. 8:30pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC blue note record nights - feat: ben charnley Open Studio, Northcote. 9:00pm. hi-fi lounge lizards Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 10:00pm. peter baylor’s ultrafox Claypots Evening Star, Melbourne. 8:30pm. sam zerna Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm. standing tall Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK
KARNIVOOL
Some pairings just make sense: Summer and Beer. Chocolate and Banana. Hall and Oates. Rock and Roll. This Jan, it’s the pairing of Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus that is making everyone widdle with excitement. Acknowledging that a one-off show isn’t enough, these Australian rock heavyweights are performing two back to back shows on Wednesday January 8 and Thursday January 9 (sold out) at the Palace Theatre. Quick, get your hands on the final handful of tickets for tonight’s show! Tickets available via the venue website.
MUSICIANS WANTED SOLO MUSICIANS, DUO’S, BANDS WANTED to play at Acoustics Anonymous Thursday Nights at The 86. Starting with open mic from 7pm and live band sets from 9pm. Open Mic - just rock up from 6pm, gig spots email drink@the86.com.au with bio, pics and sound demo. BATTLE OF THE BANDS. Registration now, starts Wednesday the 28th Dec and every Wednesday after for 8 week. First prize: recording time in a studio. Call Jesse 0411 803 579 GUITARIST WANTED. For pop/rock originals band. Contact Phil: 0421 901 530. zeffamusic.com SERVICES FREE VENUE HIRE - Fully stocked bar - Huge capacity, whole venue or partial. Call Jesse 0411 803 579 EMPLOYMENT FLAUNT IT. Internationally acclaimed producer of pro-feminist erotica looking for confident, adult women to smash the stereotypes and earn good money ($400 and up). Don’t overlook this til you’ve found out more about it. Jessica 9495 6555 or www. feck.com. WE WANT EVERYONE Promoters, Bands, DJs - Revitalised bar, The Barley Corn, has reopened its doors 7 days a week and we want YOU. Call Jesse 0411 803 579 BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46
Club, Fitzroy. 3:00pm. barney Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6:00pm. ben salter Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 3:30pm. cold heart Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. dale ryder band + gary eastwood express Espy, St Kilda. 6:30pm. dave graney Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 5:00pm. fingerbone bill Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. jemma & her wise young ambitious men Bar Open, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. jimmy tait Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 5:30pm. rod paine & the fulltime lovers + andrea marr band + ebc allstars with shannon bourne + jules boult & the redeemers + sweet felicia & the honeytones + twin ages Gh Hotel, St Kilda. 4:30pm. sambrose + the scouts Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. shaka baka Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10. so frenchy so chic - feat: lou doillon + babylon circus + edward deer + féfé + lilly wood & the prick Werribee Park Mansion, Werribee. 12:00pm. the boy who spoke clouds Wesley Anne, Northcote. 4:00pm. $5. the drunken poets Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. the four scoops Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 5:00pm. the margie lou trio + gil askey Claypots Tavern & Fair, St Kilda. 4:30pm. the moonee valley drifters Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm.
brightside live music showcase Espy, St Kilda. 8:30pm. enda kenny Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 5:30pm. international musician’s challenge feat: mama blue & son + howkwa + lain archibald + lauren g + marta pacek + mat katsis + trev dwyer 303, Northcote. 9:00pm. $10. jaime robbie reyne Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. open mic Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. shane o’mara & dan letherbridge Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. the brunswick hotel discovery night Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.
THE PUSH
+ BEAT PRESENT... whatson@thepush.com.au
ACCESS ALL AGES Wednesday January 8, 2014 With Claire Barley
Things are a bit sparse this week on the all ages gig front as most FReeZA teams take some time off over the holidays. Hopefully some people were lucky enough to catch Vampire Weekend at Festival Hall on Monday. No doubt they were incredible as always, and Ezra’s hair was as perfectly coiffed as ever. Cue love-struck sigh. For any young people in the Maroondah area, there are a series of Pool Party events taking place over January. Details of the first event are listed below. Check out Maroondah Youth Services on the interwebs (maroondahyouthservices.com) for more information. In a couple of weeks’ time, indie songstress Sarah Blasko will be gracing St Michael’s Church with her ethereal music. Following in the foosteps of Laura Marling, Blasko will be playing a special and intimate gig in the beautiful Church. This all ages event will take place Wednesday January 22 and tickets are already running out. Head to ticketek.com.au to nab some for yourself. The countdown to Pushover 2014 has officially begun. Just in case you forgot how crazy good the lineup is, allow me to refresh your memory: All Day, Chance Waters, Cub Sport, Dream On Dreamer, In Heart’s Wake, Pez, The Smith Street Band and many more. Not to mention the sweet vibes, catering, artist signing opportunities and hot attendees that Pushover will also have to offer. Tickets are a measly $45 and are available at ticketmaster.com.au. When will this one-day of pure happiness be taking place, you ask? On the Labour Day Public Holiday, Monday March 10. To check out the full lineup, head to thepush.com. au. Werd. Applications still open for the next round of Push Songs, a songwriting/mentoring program run by the Push’s very own Charles Jenkins. Mentors for this round include Mark Seymour, Adalita, Liz Stringer and Darren Middleton (ex lead guitar dude for Powderfinger), along with Charles himself. Program participants will be given the chance to take part in three one-on-one song writing workshops with Charles and the mentors. A song club will also take place on Tuesday nights, where participants will share ideas and live performance opportunities with fellow young songwriters. There is no age limit, and people from all over Victoria are invited to apply. The workshops will take place in at the Push HQ (Brunswick Town Hall) on Sydney Road. Just head to thepush.com.au and complete the application before January 30. Pop punkers Paramore will be hitting up Sidney Myer Music Bowl this Sunday, joined by guests You Me At Six and Twenty One Pilots. It will be the first time the three-piece has played here since Soundwave last year. Tickets available via Ticketmaster.
ALL AGES TIMETABLE Thursday December 9 Pool Party w/ games, Croydon Memorial Pool, Springfield Avenue, Croydon, 1pm, $3, 9294 5705, ages 12-18. Sunday December 12 Paramore w/ You Me At Six, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne, 6pm, $85.95+booking fee, ticketmaster.com.au, AA.
BABYLON CIRCUS
Singing in French and English, and mixing some raucous punk and swing into their epic sound, this energetic and theatrical group never fails to get people up and dancing – sometimes even on the stage. They play the Corner Hotel this Saturday January 11, with tickets available via the venue website. They also play So Frenchy So Chic on Sunday January 12.
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BACKSTAGE
THE PLACE FOR MUSICIANS
For more information or ad bookings call Aleksei on 9428 3600
EDUCATION PROFILE
THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC (AIM)
Having begun as the Sydney Guitar School in 1968, founded by Dr Peter Calvo, AIM now offers the most diverse range of music diplomas, music degrees, and graduate music studies available anywhere in Australia. With a reputation as a leading independent education provider AIM also offer High Senior Secondary (HSC) studies and individual music lessons through its Open AIM courses. The Composition and Music course is one that provides a creative environment for composers, songwriters, electronic musicians and music producers to gain their own unique blend of technical, musical and professional skills, as a pathway to create original music in tomorrow’s music industry. We catch up with AIM and learn more about this very progressive course and their new methods of teaching. Firstly, tell us about your new Melbourne campus? We’re extremely excited to open up our doors to prospective students on Saturday the 18th of January between 10am and 3pm. Located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD on the corner of Little Collins Street and King Street, students will be blown away by our state of the art facilities, calibre of teachers and live performance rooms and our concert hall. What kind of positions will graduates be qualified to work in once graduating the Composition and Music course? Graduates will have the necessary skills to be a professional songwriter, composer, electronic performer or producer, recording producer, and engineer for their own creative projects and for other artists. A creative career in Film and Screen is an example of a pathway students can take, which includes composing, sound design, foley artist, mixing engineer, and programming sounds to film. Graduates can also explore Electronic Music, in a performance or production based environment. Graduates are equipped with skills to excel in the Electronic Music Industry. How is the course structured? The course is a two year full time course, split into four main parts, Major study, Academic studies, Ensemble and Associated study. In a student led environment, Major study provides the creative output as students engage and interact with the content, through creative portfolios, critical listening and analysis, use of integrated digital environments, studio and recording projects, mixing and mastering. Academic studies provides a solid foundation of musical concepts and ideas. Ensemble is an collaborative
and professional environment, where students actively contribute to a group project, based on the students style, sound or interests. The Associated study component consists of electives, where students choose subjects focusing on specific content, such as Copyright and Management electives, instrumental studies and performance studies. Who are the teachers for this course and are there any guest lecturers involved? The Composition and Music Production Course provides an array of experienced and prolific teaching staff. Some faces you see walking our halls include Electronic artists Eric Chapus (aka Endorphin), Music Producer Daniel Denholm (Washington), Orchestrators and Arrangers Anton Koch and Miroslav Bukovsky, Engineers and Producers Greg Simmons and Luke Gordon, Composer/ Producers Ken Francis, Clive Harrison and Drew Crawford, and Film Composers and Performers Caitlin Yeo, Amanda Brown and Phillip Johnston. Any specific projects or productions students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the duration of the course? Composition and Music Production students are constantly working on creative projects as part of their study. From the conceptual ideas of the project, to a finished product as recording, or a live performance. Students can also participate in collaborative projects outside of their study, such as our collaboration with The Sydney Film School, students can undertake the composer, producer, sound designer, and mixing engineering roles of a high quality
film production. Composition and Music Production students also have the opportunity to design, organise and run their own live showcase, where CMP students have the opportunity to perform their material live. The CMP department also supports internships with professionals, most recently a number of CMP students are contributing to Luke Gordon’s and Mark Havryliv’s Music Production Software ‘Score Addiction’. Facilities available for AIM students? Students have access to a state of the art recording studio, music production suites, concert halls, electronic music hubs, on campus library with a great online resources, cafes, common areas, ensemble spaces, rehearsal rooms and also access to portable production gear. Studio gear and mentoring available for learning and production? The production facilities, are an interconnected hub
of recording studios and music production suites. The recording studios offer the best in analogue and digital recording, with a diverse collection of recording spaces. The music production suites are the most recent addition to the production facilities. They are creative spaces for students to compose, write, record, produce, mix, and master. With all the necessary tools to explore such mediums as film, electronic music, songwriting, programming, synthesis, and instrumental music. Payment options: FEEHELP is available.
OPEN DAY: Saturday January 18. PHONE: 1300 301 983 WEBSITE: www.aim.edu.au ENQUIRIES: enquiries@aim.edu.au
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INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
With Christie Eliezer * Stuff for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm
GLOBAL CONCERTS WORTH $2.43B
THINGS WE HEAR
The global concert industry had a record year in 2013 with the top 20 tours combining for US$2.43 billion in primary ticket sales. This marked a huge $470.6 million or 24% increase over the $1.96 billion generated in 2012. Pollstar magazine reported Bon Jovi grossed the most with $259.5 million and shifting 2.6 million tickets. Then came Beyonce ($188.6m), Pink ($70.6m), Justin Bieber ($169m) and Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band ($145.4m).
• Falls Festival drew 15,000 in Byron Bay in its first year, 16,000 in Lorne, Vic, while Marion Bay, Tas was 12,000 (down by 3,000). Co-director Paul Pittico told the Launceston Examiner that Falls could eventually spread out to Qld and even WA. “I think there is room for a Falls in a few locations because of its community nature, the fact that it is not too big, because the crowd size is sustainable and aspects of the local market can support it long-term,’’ he said. • A Las Vegas police captain who helped Guns N’ Roses guitarist Daren Jay “DJ” Ashba pull off an elaborate wedding proposal has opted to retire rather than get demoted. Capt. David O’Leary arranged for a police helicopter to give DJ and Colombian actress Nathalia Henao a flight over Vegas, after which he proposed with roses and champagne. The guitarist couldn’t resist posting pix of the ride online, which got the captain in trouble. The helicopter pilot was transferred out of the department and cannot fly for the police again. • Even celebrate their 20th year with two sets and a BBQ on the Evelyn rooftop in Fitzroy on Sunday January 12. After a quiet year in 2013 (not even their annual Christmas show) Even are back this year with a new album. • Bluesman supremo Chris Wilson launches his Live At Cherry album appropriately at Cherry Bar in the city on Sunday January 19 from 2pm. • When Melbourne hip hopper Illy was in Cairns for a NYE gig, he celebrated his first visit to the Great Barrier Reef by going off on a yacht for a day of snorkelling and underwater exploring. Alas, he wasn’t able to go scuba diving as he had to fly to Mexico the next day for a holiday. • The Boy Who Spoke Clouds aka Adam Casey struck gold with his Pozible campaign, gaining 169% of the $1500 target. It allowed him to press his third album Salvation (out this week) as well as a Netherlands tour in January/February. • The Warrnambool music community has raised $22,000 for Philippines typhoon victims with two fundraisers last month. The Stand Together As One concert on December 21 raised over $19,000 and Second Wave with ten bands on Boxing Day made over $2500. The monies go to five Rotary clubs in Tacloban, one of the cities most affected by the typhoon. • Steve Lucas is putting together a huge bill for Childwise, to be held at the Thornbury Theatre on Sunday March 23. The Thornbury is also hosting the Victorian launch on Friday February 21 of Save The Tarkine, a beautiful wilderness region in NW Tasmania. See tarkine.org • Grand WaZoo are rejoined by drummer Roby Corelli as a guest on shows this month, the Flying Saucer Club ( January 18) and Royal Hotel, Mornington ( January 26). • Magic 1278’s digital station The Buckle is shut down. The contemporary country music station launched in Melbourne on December 22, 2009 and was programmed by Magic’s Gary Hoffman. • A petition has begun for the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets in Manhattan, depicted on the cover of The Beastie Boys’ 1989 album Paul’s Boutique, to be renamed Beastie Boys Square. • Rumours that George Michael is about to retire are denied.
NYE RAVES STILL AROUSE ANGER Two raves have had authorities spitting about the behaviour of attendees and the volume of rubbish they left behind. As already covered in the mainstream media, Yarra Council is chasing up promoters of a rave held on NYE at Fitzroy’s Edinburgh Gardens. 15,000 turned up after it was promoted on social media, defying council rules banning amplified music, capping gatherings at 40 people, and no alcohol after 9pm. Twenty were injured, 14 were arrested, and the Council was left with a $30,000 clean-up bill. Nightclub promoter Jon Perring, who runs The Tote, Bar Open and Yah Yah’s, fired off a letter to the Council saying its refusal to allow bars to operate past 1am on NYE (because it was a Tuesday, not a weekend) had led to punters looking elsewhere, and that the Council needed to “partner with experienced licensed venues to provide the necessary cultural infrastructure.” In the meantime, 800 attended an illegal rave on the Murray River in Torrumbarry, in country Victoria. Campers complained that music boomed for three days, while ravers walked around in the nude and left syringes behind. Parks Victoria ranger Brooke Ryan told the Bendigo Advertiser, “I have never seen environmental vandalism like it. The lack of respect for other campers is very disappointing.” This was denied by festival organiser Christian Schumann who said none of these happened, and they left the site clean, and that ravers were made to feel unwelcome by other drunken campers. In Sydney, 8700 people to attend a rave at Wet and Wild water theme park were told six hours before its scheduled start time that it had to be moved to a club due to technical difficulties, according to promoter One Cube Entertainment. Turned out local council was concerned about security and traffic management. One Cube, which runs small club nights, is refunding $1 million.
HIATUS KAIYOTE NAMED AMONG BEST CONCERTS IN USA Melbourne’s Grammy nominated Hiatus Kaiyote had another honor bestowed upon them in America. The Wall Street Journal reckons that their Sunday August 11 show in New York’s Central Park (opening for José James and Shuggie Otis) was one of the ten best concerts in that country in 2013. It marvelled at how their set spanned neo-soul, electric jazz, flamenco and electronica (opera singer Ashley Grier joined them for a tune) and gave “a startling performance”. The Melbourne outfit was in good company: also in the list of great concerts were those by Paul McCartney, John Cale, Salif Keita, Neutral Milk Hotel, Darwin Deez, John Fullbright and Casual Sex.
WAGONS TO HOST COOKING SHOW Singer songwriter Henry Wagons and Melbourne TV chef Colin Magee of Everyday Gourmet fame are jointly hosting a new Ten Network cooking show. Keepers Of The Flame – The Ultimate BBQ will screen this month. “It could not have been more fun!” Wagons said of the taping. “I got to hang around BBQs, eat and talk about food, all the while being able to swan around in front of multiple cameras!”
BRUNO, RIHANNA, MOST PIRATED IN 2013 Bruno Mars and Rihanna were 2013’s most-pirated artists according to a new study. Their music was illegally downloaded five million times over 12 months. They beat Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake who were downloaded illegally four million times. The figures are from industry analysts Musicmetric who used data from pirating method Bit Torrent. The survey found that the 20 most-pirated artists were downloaded 64.5m times via BitTorrent throughout 2013. Beyonce made a landmark decision when she unexpectedly released an album without any fanfare and sold 900,000 in its first week. But she lost almost US$4 million worth of sales when 240,000 copies of the album were pirated in the first ten days. Other albums have been pirated faster. Last year Taylor Swift’s Red got downloaded 270,000 times in its first ten days, while Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 was pirated 336,000 times.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50
REDFOO SUED OVER “SHUFFLIN’” PHRASE Redfoo and his LMFAO colleague Sky Blu are being sued by hip hop superstar Rick Ross and Jermaine Jackson. Ross reckons that the line “Everyday I’m shufflin’” from their 2010 hit Party Rock Anthem was nicked from his own “Everyday I’m hustlin’” from his 2006 hit Hustlin’. He contends the phrase was performed to sound like Ross, and cashing in on his success. Party Rock Anthem sold 7.5 million copies, and was used in films, TV, games and airline ads and the phrase was used to market their clothing line of that name.
NEW SIGNINGS #1: BIRD’S ROBE PACT WITH A LONELY CROWD Mike Solo's Sydney-based label Bird’s Robe Records signed Melbourne progressive rock band A Lonely Crowd. Its second album Transients, two-and-a-half years in the making, is out early 2014. Bird’s Robe roster includes sleepmakeswaves, The Red Paintings, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Toehider, Pirate, Dumbsaint, Solkyri, Anubis, Unitopia, The Nerve, 65daysofstatic (UK), Rosetta (US), Atlantis (NED) and Vampillia ( JPN)
NEW SIGNINGS #2: SCNDL GETS O/S RELEASE Leading purveyors of the Melbourne sound, SCNDL, aka Tom Grant & Adam Amuso, are to release their single 40 Thieves in America. The track, which drops in Australia this month, gets its US release through Miami-based Juicy Music. Set up by Robbie Rivera and Monica Olabarrieta, it focuses on Latin-influenced electro and progressive house music. Its roster includes David Guetta, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Stonebridge and Superchumbo. SCNDL’s earlier single Gypsy is dominating the Beatport chart and earning support from the likes of Porter Robinson and Dada Life.
NEW SIGNINGS #3: MY ECHO JOIN 123 Melbourne four-piece My Echo have joined 123 Agency. The act, which formed in 2011, joined Kingswood and Calling All Cars for some of their Life’s A Beach tour, and will release new music this year. Meantime, fellow 123 newbie, Stella Angelico sold out a four-week residency at The Toff In Town.
PETE TONG AWARDED MBE Club DJ and radio presenter Pete Tong was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in the UK’s 2014 New Year’s Honours. He was the first DJ to be lauded, and the only contemporary name on this year’s list. Said Tong: “I’m proud that it acknowledges a profession that I care about a great deal, and one that’s made a huge impact around the world.” Last June, Adele, Mike Batt, Janie Orr and PJ Harvey made the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
NEW SYDNEY VENUE The Roller Den opens on Friday March 7 as Sydney’s inner west’s latest music venue. With a 550-capacity and licensed till 8am it will showcase original live music and the alternative club scene. It includes a hip hop club Knowledge and indie night Common People. Booking agent for the venue is Laurie Mahon at laurie@kingdomsounds.com.au See therollerden.com.au.
PEARL JAM ACCOUNTANT STOLE $380,000 A former exec with Pearl Jam’s company, 55-year old Rickey Charles Goodrich, admitted he stole $380,000 from the band over four years. He was employed in 2005 as their accountant, and the following year became part of the management team, which gave him access to their tour and fan club funds. He’ll be sentenced on February 21. He faces six months in jail, having paid back $125,000. But the sentence could be extended to 14 months if he doesn’t pay back the rest of his ill-gotten gains.
CONSUME, NGV, CURATE FRIDAY NIGHTS Consume and Melbourne’s NGV are curating Friday Nights at Melbourne Now, beginning February 28. The free series sees sets by World’s End Press, Big Scary, Brighter Later and Hiatus Kaiyote. See ngv.vic.gov.au for full details. NVG director Tony Ellwood said, “Following 2013’s sell-out Friday Night sessions, the series will return to the NGV with a home-grown focus to celebrate Melbourne Now.” The exhibition, which celebrates the latest art, architecture and design will also be complemented with pop-up’ talks.
BANKRUPT PUB OWNER INVESTIGATED Bankrupt pub owner and accountant Michael Reardon is being investigated by the Fraud Squad over allegations he stole $3.5 million from his clients to prop up his hotel portfolio, The Sunday Age reported. His business collapsed owing $11.2 million. At his peak, Reardon owned live music venues as the Rising Sun in South Melbourne, Swallows in Port Melbourne, All Nations in Richmond and Carringbush Hotel in Abbotsford.
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LIFELINES LIFELINES Engaged: James Blunt, 36, and long-term galpal Sofia Wellesley, 29, granddaughter of the Duke of Wellington. Married: two revelers at Falls Lorne, Gig Mobianis and Styx Brathwate, were so excited at meeting that they held a mock wedding onsite a day later. Married: Editors singer Tom Smith and radio presenter and film critic Edith Bowman, in a secret ceremony, after an eight year courtship and two kids. Split: Ricky Martin and boyfriend of five years, Carlos Gonzalez, after drifting apart. Martin has five-year-old surrogate twins, Matteo and Valentino. Injured: a man at Origin Festival in Perth sneaked past security during A$AP Rocky’s set and climbed up the lighting rig and dangled off it before falling off. He had “serious but not life threatening” injuries. Injured: months after a knee transplant, Queen guitarist Brian May learned two torn discs were pressing on a nerve in his back, causing huge pain. Died: Northern Territory rock, country and gospel multi-instrumentalist and singer Kwementyaye Johnson, 50s, was killed by a road train near Tennant Creek. He was walking 30km back to town after his car hit a cow late at night. Died: Benjamin Curtis, 35, guitarist for US band School of Seven Bells, after a battle with Lymphoblastic Lymphona, a cancer of the blood. Died: Ricky “Lord Infamous” Dunigan, 40, founder of Three 6 Mafia, was found dead in his mother’s home in Memphis, of a heart attack. They were the first rap band to win an Oscar in 2006 for It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp. Died: Phil Everly of The Every Brothers (Wake Up Little Susie, All I Have To Do Is Dream, Bye Bye Love), 74, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to heavy smoking. Their blend of country, rock and folk forged a new sound which hit worldwide. Such was their influence that The Beatles called themselves “the English Everlys”, and Bob Dylan said, “We owe these guys everything. They started it all.” Died: Brit producer David Richards, 57. He ran Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland, and worked with Queen, Bowie, Iggy and The Cribs. Died: US drummer Ricky Lawson, from a brain aneurysm suffered after a nightclub gig. A founding member of The Yellowjackets and co-writer of their Grammy Award-winning And You Know That, he also worked with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton and Lionel Richie. Died: Mazaradi Fox (born Jamal Green), 42, one time member of 50 Cent’s G-Unit, shot in the chest by masked gunman on streets of Queens, New York, who opened fire on his SUV. Three others in the vehicle also wounded. Died: Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber, 27, a member of Canberra’s punk music fraternity, was found dead at his home with multiple stabbing wounds. He contributed news reports to triple j’s punk show short. fast.loud, appeared in a video by Canberra band Revellers and turned up to every punk gig.
AIM OPEN DAY The Australian Institute of Music’s new campus in Melbourne (120 King St) opens its doors to the public for the first time, with its inaugural Melbourne Open Day on Saturday January 18. Potential students find out about the courses and degrees on offer, which are broken intro three departments: Composition & Music Production (Diploma and Bachelor), Entertainment Management (Bachelor) and Contemporary Performance (Diploma and Bachelor). Sydney AIM alumni as guitarist Sam Westphalen are among performers while Josh Kyle is the coordinator for Contemporary Performance. Darren Percival will lead a vocal workshop. Free workshops and masterclasses provide insights in A Day in the Life of a music producer and how to become a tour manager. Full details, aim.edu.au/events/2014/melbourne-open-day-2014. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50