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SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS
T U E 2 2 J U L F E ST I VA L H A L L
BEN HOWARD WITH SPECIAL GUEST
WED 30 JUL PALAIS THEATRE ALL AGES DEBUT ALBUM IF YOU WAIT OUT NOW
SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU | BENHOWARDMUSIC.CO.UK
SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU LONDONGRAMMAR.COM
Secret Sounds and Handsome Tours present
WITH SPECIAL GUESTT MIKHAEL PASKALEV
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
U T HI-FI SUN 27 7 JUL THE OLD O S AGES M (ALL ALL MATINEE)
U T HI-FI MON 28 8S O JUL L D OTHE SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU | THE1975.COM
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
MON 28 JUL PALAIS THEATRE
FRI 25 JUL 170 RUSSELL
ALL AGES
FOSTERTHEPEOPLE.com
New Album Supermodel
the HEAD and the HEART
Available Now
GROUPLOVEMUSIC.COM | SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU | MIKHAELPASKALEV.COM
SKY FERREIRA WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
w iitt h SSPE wit SPPE P E CCI CIA IA I A L G UUES UEEESS TS TS
Mon 28 Jul Howler WITH SPECIAL GUEST
MAS YSA WED 23 JUL // PRINCE BANDROOM the theh th tthehe hheh hehe ehe eeh eadand e ada aadan adand da dand dan annndd thehe aand the th ttheh hehe h eehhhee aart.c he art. art ar rtt.c rt.c rrt. t..cccom oom m Seeecr Secr SSecre Sec ecre ecc rreeettt-sou t-s t-so -sou -ssou -so ssooouu nds.c n ds.c nd nds ddss.c s c om om.au oom.a m.aau m au
PRINCE BANDROOM
SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU // SKYFERREIRA.COM NIGHT TIME, MY TIME OUT NOW
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 4
Fri 25 July
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NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU
SUPPORTED BY
V VOIC VO VOICES OICES OICE ICES CES ES Out O t Now No N w PHANTO HANTO NTOGRAM GRAM C OM GRAM.COM GRAM.C PHANTOGRAM.COM
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
SATURDAY 26 JULY CORNER HOTEL
FRI 25 JULY FORUM THEATRE
Tue 22 July PRINCE BANDROOM
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LOVE LETTERS OUT NOW
NEW ALBUM FOOD
nicheproductions.com.au secret-sounds.com.au
OUT NOW
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DEBUT ALBUM MANHATTAN OUT NOW
Secret Sounds and Laneway Presents
RY X
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
TUE 29 JUL THE CORNER WITH
SPECIAL
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
GUESTS
WED 30 JUL HOWLER
THU 24 JUL NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB Debut album LIMINAL out
July
_____________________________
4
secret-sounds.com wearetheacid.com
ry-x.com secret-sounds.com.au
secret-sounds.com.au | lanewaypresents.com | www.junglejunglejungle.com
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
with Special Guests
Saturday 26 July NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
TUE 22 JUL NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU
secret-sounds.com.au
darlia.co.uk
THE WILD FEATHERS OUT NOW
FRI 25 JUL NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
CANDYMAN EP out mow through Dew Process
THESTRYPES.COM
FOR TICKETING INFO VISIT SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU
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Wednesday 14th May
Simply Acoustic 7:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $free
Thursday 15th May
Brooke Russell 6:00pm Free in the front bar
Wednesday 14/05 Thursday 15th May
Jennifer Kingwell + The Garland Thugs
Mrs Smith’s Trivia 8pm
With: Mechanical Pterodactyl and The Kill Love 8:00pm $15 on the door
Thursday 15/05
Friday 16th May
Wings & Jug Special $20
The Boys 6:00pm Free in the front bar
Friday 16/05
Friday 16th May
kath haling Craig Johnston
19th Century Strongmen 6pm;
8:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $10
DJ Steely Ann 8pm
Saturday 17th May
Thomas Hugh
Sunday 18/05
Bill Jackson and Shannon Bourne. 2:00pm Wesley Anne band room $7
DJs in the Beergarden
Saturday 17th May
Broni
Monday 19/05
6:00pm Free in the front bar
Mash Brewing Tap Takeover (WA)
Saturday 17th May
The Guilts
Meet the Brewer plus Roo & Beer Special from 6pm
Cabbages & Kings and Zoe Fox 8:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $10 new folk
Lunch specials
Sunday 18th May
Refraction
$10 Burgers 12-4pm Monday - Thursday eat in or take away
5:00pm Free in the front bar
/LAJ mon - thu
Sunday 18th May
3pm till late
DUTCHOUND EP LAUNCH
Fri-sat noon till late
MATT HARRISON & Bloom 7:30pm Wesley Anne Band Room $5
$10 Jugs of midstrength Monday - Friday before 6pm
Tuesday 20th May
sunday noon till 11pm
NMIT Showcase 7:00pm Wesley Anne Band Room $free
E 6PM
Thursday 15th May
Richie1250
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THE SP RTING CLUB
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2 FO ON- FRI AND R 1 MAIN OF B $14 JUG S OAG S GYPSS AND Y BEFO R
t ED IN
$14 jugs. And 2 for 1 selected mains, weekdays before 6pm and All day Monday. wesleyanne.com.au
ONGEST STA
Presents
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from 7:30-10:30pm
by
Friday 16th May TUES
DJ DR Ludwig
URGE
from 8:30pm-10:30pm
$
B
10 RS
OR (BEEF MI) U O L HA
Saturday 17th May
The Tipplers Two sets From 8:30pm
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The Big Small WED
14 OAGS FB O JUGS IDER ALL C D N A NIGHT $
Continue their May residency from 7pm onwards
27 WESTON ST, BRUNSWICK Tues - Fri 4pm till Late Sat & Sun 12pm till Late
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 6
Featuring
ASK US AB DISC OUT OUR OUNT COMP S LIME FOR NTS!
Beginning Mon 19 May facebook.com/edcastlebrunswick
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IMAGINE A CAREER WITHOUT LIMITS
INFODAY MELBOURNE CAMPUS 235 Normanby Road, South Melbourne
S AT U R DAY M AY 2 4 | 1 1 A M -3 p m Come along to our Info Day to learn how SAE Creative Media Institute can give you the skills you need to succeed locally and internationally. DEGREES, DIPLOMAS AND CERTIFICATES IN:
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1925
FRIDAY THE 16TH OF MAY 9PM
VICTORIA HOTEL BAND ROOM
THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL’S OPEN MIC WITH YOUR HOST BRODIE WHETHER YOU PLAY A COMEDIAN, POET, MUSICIAN OR DANCER, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE AT THE BRUNNY EVERY WEDNESDAY! REGISTER FROM 6PM ONWARDS. TIMESLOT RAFFLE IS DRAWN OUT AT 6:30PM. GET IN EARLY TO ENSURE YOU GET A SPOT!
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$3 SCHOONERS OF BOAGS DRAUGHT–$5 BASIC SPIRITS
AND HIS BAND! 3 ROCKING SETS FROM A AUSTRALIAN BLUES LEGEND! SUNDAY THE 18TH OF MAY 8PM
THE JUICE
LIEUTENANT JAM TINA AND THE BOYS ALOUD EEO THREE QUARTER BEAST VISION ST DAMN THAT RIVER
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HOSTED BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS OPEN STAGE READINGS AND SPOKEN WORD WELCOME. $10 JUGS OF BOAGS DRAUGHT
GIVING CHANCES TO UP AND COMING LOCAL TALENT! THIS WEEK:
DEVIL MONKEY SIREN SUN TYTO
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SABRINA & THE RED VANS 9:30PM
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DJ’S: 7-9PM – MATT RAD 9-11PM – B-TWO 11-1AM – DJ HIJACK
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TUESDAY 20TH MAY FREE MOVIE NIGHT
ANCHORMAN
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Free Pool
$12 Brunswick Bitter Jugs
FOX SPORTS FOX FOOTY
Wed 14 th
Mon - Wed 3 - 11pm Thu - Sat 12pm - 1Am Sunday 12 - 11pm
7+( 35$<(5%$%,(6 &+(&. 287 7+,6 +,*+/< (17(57$,1,1* 0$6+ 83 $6 7+(< 6($0/(66/< %/(1' *263(/ %/8(6 &28175< $1' 6 3$57< &/$66,&6
DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S: 7-9PM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;FRO 9-11PM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RAFF KORMAN 11-1AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; TOM SHOWTIME
SPECIALS: $4 PIZZAS MON & TUE ALL DAY, WED - FRI 12PM TO 5PM WEDNESDAY: $12 STEAKS FROM 5PM THURSDAY: $12 BURGERS FROM 5PM
Queen & Convict 4pm PUBLIC BAR
30
SUNDAY 18TH MAY
ROYAL BEER GARDEN: 3PM
THE ELECTRIQUE BIRDS
7+(6( *,*6 $7 <285 2:1 5,6.
www.brunswickhotel.net
ROYAL BEER GARDEN: 4PM
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SATURDAY 17TH MAY
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',9$w %< 21( 6<'1(< 0251,1* +(5$/'
MONDAY THE 19TH OF MAY 8PM
Brunswick Hotel
THURSDAY 15TH MAY
%$1' %,//(' $6 v$8675$/,$u6 2:1 %/8(6
LASERCATZ THE HYPNOTIC
THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT
WITH GUESTS
.(55, 6,03621 7+( %(/0$5 3/$<%2<6 *876< 628/)8/ %/8(6 %< 6,03621 $1'
WITH GUESTS
TUESDAY THE 20TH OF MAY 8PM
8PM
6$7 0$< 30 5(6,'(1&<
9pm 5pm (all welcome, bring your instrument join the jam) Sebastianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rock nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roll Swing Dancing Learn To Dance 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & 50â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Style 6:30pm OLD TIMEY JAM SESSION
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(SINGLE LAUNCH)
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Thursd ay
5PM
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Sunday
(;3(&7 $ 62/,' 5(3(572,5( 2) &$7&+< 6.$ 381. $17+(06 $1' 121 6723 (1(5*<
Tuesda y
7+( .8-2 .,1*6
SINCE WE KISSED TERRIBLE LIZARD DONNIE DUREAU
6:30pm
7:30pm Fri 16t h
WITH GUESTS
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Sat 17 th
GUESTS
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Sun 18t h
SATURDAY THE 17TH OF MAY 9PM
Thu 15 th
BRUNSWICK
BROOZER ORDER OF CHAOS HEADLESS
Monday
ZLF
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WITH GUESTS:
Monda y
X
QV
RW
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$15 Parma & Pot
Mon - Thurs 5 - 9pm Fri - Sat 1 - 9:30pm Sunday 1 - 8:30pm Kids Eat Free With Every Main Meal
Monday To Friday Before 7pm
FUNCTION ROOM AVAILABLE Undercover Beer Garden Bar & BBQ Area BACKPACKER ACCOMODATION $25 per night dorm $30 per night twin share
380 VICTORIA ST PHONE 9388 0830 vichotelbrunswick.com.au band bookings: bands@vichotelbrunswick.com.au
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 9
Less travel time...
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Fly with Jetstar, Virgin Australia or Tigerair direct to Gold Coast Airport.
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.COM.AU LBOURNE EVERY THING ME E ONLINE & MOBIL
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IN THIS ISSUE
16
HOT TALK
20
TOURING
22
JANELLE MONAE & KIMBRA
24
WHAT’S ON, JEFF DUNHAM
26
ART OF THE CITY, THE COMIC STRIP
30
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
34
FLAP!, MARTIN MARTINI, SEX ON TOAST
35
ST. VINCENT
36
BRODY DALLE, JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
37
JANELLE MONAE & KIMBRA page 22
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW page 36
KONE EXPRESS, RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION
38
BOHICAS, POISON IDEA, BASEBALL
39
CORE/CRUNCH!
40
MUSIC NEWS
45
SLIM JIM PHANTOM, THE CAIROS
46
ALBUM OF THE WEEK, SINGLES, CHARTS
FLAP! page 34 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
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BOHICAS page 38 PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Cara Williams ARTS EDITOR / ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR: Tyson Wray DAN WATT’S PERSONAL MASSEUSE: Nick Taras INTERNS: Julian Douglas, Keats Mulligan, James Nicoli, Edgar Ivan, Rachel Mclaren MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Patrick O’Brien GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Patrick O’Brien, Ruby Furst, Nick Bebbington COVER ART: Nick Bebbington ADVERTISING: Cara Williams (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) cara@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: Tyson Wray: tyson@beat.com.au
ST. VINCENT page 35 ACCOUNTANT: accountant@furstmedia.com.au OFFICE MANAGER: Lizzie Dynon: reception@furstmedia.com.au ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au RECEPTION: reception@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION: distribution@beat.com.au Free Every Wednesday to over 2000 places including convenience stores, newsagents, ticket outlets, shopping centres, community youth & welfare outlets, clubs, hotels, venues, record, music and video shops, boutiques, retailers, bars, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, hairdressers, recording studios, cinemas, theatres, galleries, universities and colleges. Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@beat.com.au DEADLINES Editorial Copy accepted no later than 5pm Thursday before publication for Club listings, Arts, Gig Guide etc. Advertising Copy accepted no later than 12pm Monday before publication. Print ready art by 2pm Monday. Deadlines are strictly adhered to. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mary Boukouvalas, Ben Clement, Ben Gunzburg, Rebecca Houlden, Nick Irving, Anna Kanci, Cassandra Kiely, Charles Newbury, Richard Sharman, Tony Proudfoot.
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ALBUMS
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GIG GUIDE
52
BACKSTAGE, THE LOCAL
54
LIVE
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, Meg Crawford, 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, Rhys McRae, Miki McLay, Chris McClain, 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. © 2014 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.
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HOT TALK
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THE USED & TAKING BACK SUNDAY
TINY RUINS To celebrate the release of Brightly Painted One, Tiny Ruins have announced they will be returning to Australia and embarking on a national tour. Tiny Ruins, normally just the moniker of New Zealand’s Hollie Fullbrook, will be touring as a three-piece, joined by bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer. They last graced Australian stages in September after recording their new album, and now they will be returning on a seven-stop run. Tiny Ruins will play Northcote Social Club with support from Shining Bird on Tuesday July 8. Tickets are available through the venue.
RON POPE Ron Pope has announced that he will return to Australia for a string of shows in support of his forthcoming album, Calling Off the Dogs, this June. The tour announcement comes following the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter’s buzz-worthy performance at South by South-West. Fans can expect to hear Pope perform songs from his decadelong career, including breakthrough single, A Drop in the Ocean, in addition to his latest works, on the upcoming tour. Catch Ron Pope at the Workers Club on Sunday June 8. He will play both an all-ages daytime show and an evening 18+ show.
MELBOURNE FOLK CLUB Fresh from another sold out show last Wednesday, the Melbourne Folk Club has announced its June program including Lucie Thorne, Jack Carty, Matt Walters, All Our Exes Live In Texas, Raised By Eagles, Steve Smyth, Anika Moa (NZ), Jackson McLaren & Grizzly Jim Lawrie. Next weeks May 21 show features acclaimed singer/songwriter Grand Salvo and an “in the round” set with Sal Kimber and Brendan Welch. www. themelbournefolkclub.com
The Used and Taking Back Sunday are joining forces for an Australian tour. The Used will return to Australia having just released their sixth studio album, Imaginary Enemy. Taking Back Sunday are embarking on the tour having also just released their sixth studio album, Happiness Is. Catch them on Monday August 25 at 170 Russell. Tickets on sale from 9am on Friday May 16 through Oztix.
TEETH & TONGUE Teeth & Tongue will be heading off around the country this June and July to celebrate the release of her new album GRIDS. Also known as local musician Jess Cornelius, the tour will see her bringing her full band along for the ride, performing GRIDS in all its multi-layered glory. Catch Teeth & Tongue when they takes over Howler on Saturday June 28.
I, A MAN I, a Man have unveiled a national tour to celebrate the release of their debut album Gravity Wins Again. The four-piece enjoyed success with their first two singles Less Travelled and In Time in both Australia and abroad. Catch I, a Man on Saturday May 31 at the Shadow Electric. Tickets are available from the venue’s website.
BAR WWW.THEPUBLICBAR.COM.AU
238 VICTORIA ST, NORTH MELBOURNE OPEN TIL 7AM FRI/SAT
WEDNESDAY 14TH MAY PUBLIC BAR COMEDY: JUSTIN HAMILTON, GERALDINE HICKEY, ROB HUNTER, MICK NEVEN, TOBY HALLIGAN, LAURA DUNEMANN 8:30PM $5 THURSDAY 15TH MAY CLAUDE HAY & THE GENTLE ENEMIES, THE GROVES, THE IVORY ELEPHANT 8:30PM $10 FRIDAY 16TH MAY SUN GOD REPLICA, DON FERNANDO, THE KREMLINGS 8:30PM $10 DJ DAD 2AM SLOT: LEVITATING CHURCHES - FREE ENTRY SATURDAY 17TH MAY MAX GOES TO HOLLYWOOD–LAUNCH, THE SHADOW LEAGUE, FOLEY!, ANGRY SEAS, GEORGIA MAQ 8PM $10 DJ DAN LEWIS 2AM SLOT: STRATHMORE - FREE ENTRY SUNDAY 18TH MAY COOPERS & SAILOR JERRY PRESENT SUNDAY SCHOOL: SALAD BOYS (NZ), ZONE OUT, BODY CORPORATE, THE BAUDELAIRES 4PM FREE MONDAY 19TH MAY KITCHEN OPEN TIL LATE TUESDAY 20TH MAY FACT HUNT TRIVIA 7:30PM FREE
KITCHEN OPEN:
MON - THU 5PM - 9PM FRI - SAT 12PM - 9PM SUN - 12PM - 8PM
WWW.MISSKATIESCRABSHACK.COM
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16
UPCOMING BANDS WEDNESDAY 14TH
ASTRONOMY CL ASS Fresh from the release of their acclaimed new album Mekong Delta Sunrise, Astronomy Class will hit up venues in Sydney and Melbourne. Astronomy Class’ journey to the heart of golden age Cambodian music has captured the attention of many. The hip hop storytellers drew on Khmer pop music from the 1950s to the mid ‘70s, teaming up with vocalist Srey Channthy (The Cambodian Space Project) to pay tribute to a lost Cambodian generation. Fresh from hitting the road with Thundamentals on their soldout So We Can Remember tour, Astronomy Class embark on their own headline launch dates in Sydney and Melbourne next month. The shows will see Ozi Batla, Chasm & Sir Robbo take their unique project to the stage. It all goes down at the Northcote Social Club on Friday June 27.
60 SECONDS with JP KLIPSPRINGER
OPEN MIC FROM 7.30 Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got! THURSDAY 15TH from 7.00
RAY (RUSTY STRINGS) SMITH Mitch Bullen Mark Gardner SATURDAY 17TH from 7.30
MEDUSA Chain Gun Avirus SUNDAY 18TH from 5.30
WINTER SUN Moth Body
Available for private functions
After Work Happy Hour from 4PM, $5 drinks, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 160 HODDLE ST ABBOTSFORD
Why should everyone come and see your band? The musos in my band are awesome. The songs are sweet. You’ll see a set full of lush and diverse tracks. We play loud versions of the softer songs. And the banter will always be sufficiently terrible. How do you stop your pre-gig jitters? At big shows, I need to take a really cold beer on stage with me. Like, super cold. It’s not always possible. Often the beers provided with riders aren’t cold enough to calm my nerves, so going to the bar and buying the coldest beer they’ve got is what I need to do to get on top of my game. It’s probably a bad ritual to have. Which band would you most like to have a battle/showdown with? The Mighty Boys. They’re so smug. I wanna kiss them.
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What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Punch on or make out with The Mighty Boys. That should do it. When are you playing live/releasing your EP? My debut EP, Drip Dry, is out now on Bandcamp and iTunes. I’ll also be selling physical copies at my EP Launch on Saturday May 17 at the Toff. Come along! It will be sweet. Who’s supporting you at the launch? I’ve got some ripper supports playing with us on the night. Slow Dancer (Simon Oakley from Oh Mercy), SirJoseph (Chris Mulhall from Vance Joy) and Nearly Oratorio (Simon Lam from I’lls and Klo) are all gonna do their thing, and it will be great. Super value.
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THE PRICE IS RIGHT
$$ DRUNK MUMS BUSBY MAROU Folk-pop duo Busby Marou have revealed that they will hit the road this winter to celebrate the release of their new single My Second Mistake. The pair released their second album, Farewell Fitzroy last October to a #5 spot on the ARIA album chart. Since then, the pair have been playing their music around the country and just came off of a summer, which saw them tour the coastal road, followed by performances at Bluesfest, Woodford and Queenscliff. Prior to their upcoming tour, Busby Marou will travel Australia and New Zealand as the main support for James Blunt. Catch ‘em at the Corner Hotel on Saturday August 23. Tickets are available through the venue’s website.
BOY AND BEAR Having recently toured the world to sold-out venues across Europe, the UK, US and Canada, and currently mid-way through an extensive 29-date regional tour of Australia, in-demand Sydney five-piece Boy & Bear have announced their final tour for 2014, their Get Up & Dance theatre tour is set to take place throughout September. This will also be their final tour in support of their number one ARIA album, Harlequin Dream. Boy & Bear will kick start the tour at the Palais (Melbourne) on September 5, and will move through to some of the country’s biggest and most respected theatres. With two full-length albums under their belt, the Sydney five-piece are armed with plenty of material for a setlist that will both satisfy and electrify audiences. Joining Boy & Bear on stage across the country will be triple j darlings, Melbourne/Brisbane duo, Holy Holy. Tickets on sale Friday May 16 from www.boyandbear.com
I AM GIANT London-based New Zealand rock band I Am Giant have announced they will be touring Australia this August. The tour, which sees the band heading to Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, will celebrate the release of their sophomore album Science & Survival. The album features pieces of the globe with recording split between France and London, mixing completed in Melbourne and mastering in New York. With their recent tour of Germany and the UK complete, as well as upcoming spots on the Red Bull Track Tour in Berlin and the Orange Warsaw Festival in Poland, the band will be well prepared for their Aussie run. I Am Giant are taking over Cherry Bar on Friday August 8. Tickets go on sale Friday May 9.
Without doubt one of the best band names in the world, local lads Drunk Mums are a garage rock band that also boast the best hair the in the business. Those who have seen them live will tell ya their tambourine player is one of the craziest mofos to ever grace a stage. If you miss them, you suck. They’re playing The Tote on Saturday May 17 and we have a coupla double passes to give away.
KINGSWOOD Rumour is Melbourne four-piece Kingswood DESTROYED Groovin’ The Moo in Bendigo the other week. These maddogs have toured with Grinspoon and Aerosmith, so they’re probably better than your band. They play The Hi-Fi on Saturday May 24 as part of the Funk In The Trunk tour, alongside The Bennies and Them Bruins. We have some double passes to give away.
JANELLE MONÁE AND KIMBRA Kimbra says she’s from New Zealand but like, c’mon, she’s successful so time for us to claim her. She is only the third Grammy Award winner from New Zealand (I’m not sure the other two – Wiki doesn’t say) for her role in one of the biggest songs ever, Somebody That I Used To Know.
Janelle Monáe is a singer whose name requires more effort to type than usual because you have to find that ‘a’ with an accent. She’s also an incredibly talented, Grammy Award-nominated psychedelic soul/R&B artist. Janelle Monáe and Kimbra will be playing a 45 minute set each when they join together to rock the Plenary on Monday May 26, and we have a double pass to give away.
STONNINGTON JAZZ FEST – THE NEW SHEIKS Come and sheik it up baby (sorry) when The New Sheiks take over the Malvern Town Hall on Sunday May 18 at 1pm. It’ll be an afternoon filled with upbeat vintage and original jazz in the classic style. Also featuring on the day will be The Melbourne Rhythm Project – a collaboration between the Sheiks and a group of tapping, Lindy Hop dancers led by choreographer Ramona Staffield. We have a handful of double passes to give away.
Head to beat.com.au/freeshit to win.
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 17
HOT TALK
THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS
For all the latest news check out beat.com.au
JUST ANNOUNCED Fri 23 May
Strawberry Fist Cake Fri 6 Jun
Potato
FAIM Fri 13 Jun
Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling
Fri 11 Jul
Jimi Hendrix Experience 2nd Show Wed 30 Jul
ANBERLIN Anberlin will bid farewell to Australia when they hit our shores on their final world tour this September. After a career spanning twelve years and six albums, the Florida pop-rockers are calling it quits, but not before releasing a final album and touring the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to fade out; we want to end with hugs and celebrate the life that was Anberlin, and not be bummed about us ending,â&#x20AC;? remarked drummer Nathan Young. Catch Anberlin one last time on Sunday September 7 at the Forum. Tickets go on sale Tuesday May 13 at 9am from Ticketmaster.
First Aid Kit
INGRID MICHAELSON
Sun 10 Aug
With the release of her new album Lights Out still warm from the printing press, NYC songstress Ingrid Michaelson is excited to announce her Australian tour this September. After selling out her previous two tours, Michaelson returns for a string of endearingly quirky live shows in major cities. Michaelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aptitude for contagiously crafted performances and her panache for the unexpected sees it as no surprise that she has graced the screens of the likes of Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, to name a few. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the captivating chanteuse as she takes on the Corner on September 20, armed with her trademark unconventional gusto, wielding her indie charm and intelligently crafted music. Tickets on sale Thursday May 15 from Metropolis Touring.
Hanson Sun 24 Aug
Kid Ink THIS WEEK Wed 14 May
Sat 17 May
Hits & Pits 3 feat. Strung Out
Hits & Pits 3 feat. Unwritten Law
Fri 16 May
Sun 18 May
Fleshgod Apocalypse &
The Awesome Three
COMING SOON Sat 24 May
Kingswood
KNAPSACK Following the news that Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knapsack are headed to Australia for the first time to headline Poison Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weekender Fest, the band have now announced three additional dates while in the country. Knapsack features members of Samiam and The Jealous Sound. After forming in 1993, they released their debut Silver Sweepstakes in 1995, followed by tours with the likes of Pavement, Jawbox and Rocket From The Crypt. Before calling it quits in 2000, the band released Day Three of My New Life (1997) and This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now (1998). They recently reunited in 2013. Knapsack will be hitting the Reverence Hotel on Thursday August 21. Tickets are available through Poison City.
Perthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electric, theatric and hugely anthemic punk rockers FAIM have plotted to continue their dream run in 2014, unveiling a new single and announcing their next national tour. These butt-kicking Perth boys and girl, nabbed a coveted WAM Award nomination for Punk Act of the Year in 2013, and capped off their excellent year by scoring juicy support slots with Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, Die! Die! Die!, And The David Leibe Hart Band. FAIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique and enticing mish-mash of punk rock is punchy, dynamic and jam-packed with positive energy. They invoke the classic fast, riffy punk sound, while infusing it with a crisp drum sounds and spot-on, theatric vocal melodies. Catch FAIM when they hit up the Bendigo Hotel on Wednesday May 28.
FRANKENBOK Frankenbok will treat Melbourne to their raucous brand of heavy metal when they play a special show next month. The metal veterans will be joined by Moustache Ant, Enter Reality and Bury the Fallen. Get your Frankenbok fill on Friday June 27 at the Reverence Hotel.
60 SECONDS with HANNAH AND DAN from THE ACFIELDS
Fri 30 May
Gary Numan
SOLD OUT
Sat 31 May Sun 1 June U18s
Northlane + Thy Art is Murder
DUNE RATS
Thu 5 Jun
Coroner
Sat 7 Jun
Sat 18 Jul
Wagons
Violent Soho SOLD OUT
Sat 14 Jun
Psycroptic & Aborted
Sat 19 Jul
Tue 17 Jun
Fri 25 Jul
Band of Skulls
Pelican
Sat 21 Jun
Earth
Sun 27 Jul U18s Sat 28 Jul 18+
Thu 26 Jun
The 1975
Crimson ProjeKCt (UK)
Thu 31 Jul
Thu 3 Jul
First Aid Kit
Bell X1
SOLD OUT
Sat 5 Jul
Fri 26 Sep
Violent Soho SOLD OUT
Rebel Souljahz
Sat 6 Jul
Sun 23 Nov
Violent Soho SOLD OUT
High on Fire
SOLD OUT
Toxic Holocaust & Iron Reagan
Sat 12 Jul
Tankard
What makes you happiest about what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing? Hannah: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always loved harmonies and being in a duo allows me to sing lead for some songs and harmonies for others. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best of both worlds. Because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re siblings, there are these moments when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re singing together where our voices completely click. I love those moments. Describe the worst gig you have ever played. Hannah: I played bass in a cover band when I was about 18 in the regional town we grew up in. The gig was in a pub in the same room as a bunch of topless waitresses. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realise until we got to the gig and set up. That was an eye-opening experience. When and why did you start writing music? Hannah: Coming from a musical family I think writing just came intuitively. The first song I wrote was pretty bad (although I can still remember it so maybe that counts for something?) at about the age of 16. Dan started writing at some ridiculous age â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like eight or ten. Tell us about the last song you wrote. Dan: Shamefully, I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even written a complete song this year! I just looked back and realised this â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been so flat out with recording, touring etc. that it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happened. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d better get cracking with the songwriting
now! The last song that I wrote was No Ups or Downs, which was written at the end of last year and managed to make it onto our album, which will be out in September. No Ups or Downs is about feeling emotionally numb, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s written in an upbeat and slightly comical way which creates an intentional juxtaposition between the songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meaning and delivery. This way, I think that it highlights the difference between whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening emotionally for a person and what is actually represented to the world or even consciously understood. At the time, a few family members had passed away and my default reaction to events like this is often to switch off my emotions. This is a song in which I recognise that tendency in myself, perhaps in a pledge to try to change it. Do you have any record releases to date? What are they? Where can I get them? Dan: Hannah and I released an EP together in 2012 and have just put out a single Grabbed Me By the Heart, out on Friday May 16. Since we were also solo artists for a number of years, we have three solo EPs between us as well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all online through usual digital outlets like iTunes. THE ACFIELDS play the Toff In Town on Thursday May 15. Check online for their regional dates.
TIX + INFO THEHIFI.COM.AU 125 SWANSTON ST, MELBOURNE
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18
WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV
The mighty Dune Rats have announced a phenomenal list of supports for their run of Melbourne shows. Joining them at the Grace Darling on Sunday June 15 for their underage gig is Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; punk-skapsychedelic-doom-metal party starters The Bennies. Then shitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get real on Friday June 20 at the Corner when The Bennies, Drunk Mums and WOD join the Dunies onstage at their overage gig for a night of wild debauchery and rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tunes. Oh, and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in high school, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a band and you want to open for the Dune Rats at one of their all-ages shows, send a link or mp3 that showcases three of your tracks to stuff@ ratbagrecords.com before May 21. Make sure you include a short bio that includes details of the high school you attend and reason why you reckon your band would sit pretty on a Dune Rats bill. Fuck yeah.
CHROME SPARKS Along with his appearance at Splendour in the Grass, Chrome Sparks has announced he will also be playing a headline show in Melbourne. The sideshow will be Sparksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first ever performance in Melbourne. Real name Jeremy Malvin, the Brooklyn local's music is inspired by his background in classical percussion and an obsession with synthesizers. Before finding electronic music, Malvin toured as the drummer for Stepdad, Miniature Tigers, and Rich Aucoin. Although he works on his recording alone, the Chrome Sparks live show has seen many different incarnations, ranging from solo performances to an eight-piece accompaniment. Currently Chrome Sparks is a threepiece live act. Chrome Sparks and Rat & Co will play Howler on Saturday July 26.
On SaLe MoNdAy 19 MaY
OuR HoTtEsT HoMe GrOwN GuItArIsTs PaY HoMaGe To ThE LeGeNd
BrEtT gArSeD
sImOn hOsFoRd
jOhN fArNhAm
tOmMy eMmAnUeL
pHiL mAnNiNg
sTuArT fRaSeR
cHaIn
SECRET SOUNDS & HANDSOME TOURS PRESENT
JAMES VINCENT McMORROW WITH SPECIAL GUEST
AIRLING
nOiSeWoRkS
jImI hOcKiNg
tIm hEnWoOd
sCrEaMiNg jEtS
pHiL cEbErAnO jAmEs rEyNe
sUpErJeSuS pAlAcE oF tHe kInG
jAmEs cHrIsToWsKi vOoDoO sOnS
dAnNy sPeNcEr jImMy bArNeS
FriDaY 11 jUlY tHe hI-fI www.thehifi.com.au & all Oztix outlets www.empiretouring.com.au
TUE MAY 27 THE FORUM TICKETS ON SALE NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH ALL USUAL OUTLETS SUPPORTED BY GROUPIE & SPOTIFY
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 19
TOURING
WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN
PROUDLY PRESENTS
For all the latest tour dates check out beat.com.au
INTERNATIONAL THE CASUALITIES Reverence Hotel May 15 JONNY CRAIG Corner Hotel May 17 POISON IDEA The Bendigo Hotel May 17 JANELLE MONÁE & KIMBRA The Forum May 17 2CELLOS The Forum May 16 MS. LAURYN HILL Palais Theatre May 21 ST VINCENT Howler May 22 MS. LAURYN HILL Hamer Hall on Wednesday May 22 KONE EXPRESS Bella Union 23 May MIDLAKE Corner May 24 JANELLE MONÁE & KIMBRA The Plenary 26 May MEAT PUPPETS Ding Dong Lounge May 27-28 JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW The Forum May 27 WE ARE SCIENTISTS Corner Hotel May 28 BRANT BJORK Ding Dong May 29 GARY NUMAN The Hi-Fi May 30 GABRIELLE APLIN The Toff In Town May 31 ELLIE GOULDING Festival Hall May 31 ROYAL BLOOD Corner Hotel 31 May THE WAIFS Corner Hotel June 1 SISQO Trak Lounge Bar June 1 FREE YOUR MIND FESTIVAL The Hi-Fi June 1 KEVIN MARK TRAIL Northcote Social Club June 1 LIARS Corner Hotel June 5 THE RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION The Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio June 6-7 WHITE LUNG The Tote June 7 JAMES BLUNT The Plenary June 8 RON POPE Workers Club June 8 TLC Palais Theatre June 11 SCHOOLBOY Q The Forum June 11 SLIM JIM PHANTOM Ding Dong Lounge June 12 THE BOHICAS Ding Dong Lounge June 13 CHET FAKER The Forum June 13 LA DISPUTE Corner Hotel June 12, 13, 14 BASTILLE Festival Hall June 15 BAND OF SKULLS The Hi-Fi June 17 THE BRONX 170 Russell June 17 THE VIBRATORS The Tote June 21 EARTH The Hi-Fi June 21 THE SUPERSUCKERS Ding Dong June 21
THE CRIMSON PROJEKCT The Hi-Fi June 26 LLOYD COLE Caravan Music Club June 26, Thornbury Theatre June 27 JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN Melbourne Recital Centre June 27 STORY OF THE YEAR 170 Russell June 29 BELL X1 Hi-Fi Bar July 3 ADOLESCENTS The Evelyn July 5 TINY RUINS Northcote Social Club July 8 HIGH ON FIRE The Hi-Fi July 19 THE STRYPES Northcote Social Club July 22 KELIS Prince Bandroom July 22 LONDON GRAMMAR Festival Hall July 22 ÁSGEIR The Forum July 22 SKY FERREIRA Prince Bandroom July 23 TUNE-YARDS Howler July 24 THE ACID Northcote Social Club July 24 PELICAN The Hi-Fi July 25 METRONOMY & CIRCA WAVES The Forum July 25 MIKHAEL PASKALEV 170 Russell July 25 THE WILD FEATHERS Northcote Social Club July 25 PHANTOGRAM Prince Bandroom July 25 GROUPLOVE 170 Russel July 25 MAS YSA Prince Bandroom July 25 DARLIA LOCK Northcote Social Club July 26 SKATERS Corner Hotel July 26 CHROME SPARKS/RAT & CO Howler July 26 THE 1975 The Hi-Fi July 27 FUTURE ISLANDS Corner Hotel July 28 FOSTER THE PEOPLE Palais Theatre July 28 THE HEAD AND THE HEART Howler July 28 WILD BEASTS Prince Bandroom July 29 JUNGLE Corner Hotel July 29 BEN HOWARD Palais Theatre July 30 RY X Howler July 30 FIRST AID KIT The Hi-Fi July 31 ANDREW STRONG DOES THE COMMITMENTS Corner Hotel August 3 I AM GIANT Cherry Bar August 8 KASABIAN Festival Hall August 9 KNAPSACK The Reverence Hotel August 21 LADY GAGA Rod Laver Arena August 23 THE USED & TAKING BACK SUNDAY 170 Russell August 25
THE DANDY WARHOLS Corner Hotel August 26 BIFFY CLYRO Palais Theatre September 7 ROLLING STONES Rod Laver Arena November 5 ROLLING STONES Hanging Rock, Macedon November 8 ANBERLIN The Forum September 7 KANYE WEST Rod Laver Arena September 9, 10 ROBBIE WILLIAMS Rod Laver Arena September 16 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Etihad Stadium September 18 INGRID MICHAELSON Corner Hotel September 20 VERUCA SALT Corner Hotel September 26 KATY PERRY Rod Laver Arena November 14, 15 ACCEPT Corner Hotel November 15
NATIONAL
AUG
MAJOR TOM & THE ATOMS Cherry Bar May 14, 21, 28 HIATUS KAIYOTE Howler May 14, 21, 28 HITS & PITS The Hi-Fi May 14, 17 SHE REX AND LEPERS & CROOKS Ding Dong Lounge May 15 STONNINGTON JAZZ 2014 City of Stonnington May 15 – 25, RÜFÜS Palace Theatre May 15 SUN GOD REPLICA The Public Bar May 16 DUSTIN TEBBUTT Northcote Social Club May 16 BLISS N ESO Flemington Racecourse May 16 ED KUEPPER The Substation May 16 DZ DEATHRAYS Corner Hotel May 16 TEX PERKINS AND CHARLIE OWEN Yarraville Live May 17 DAVE GRANEY Baby Black Cafe, Bacchus Marsh May 17 DRUNK MUMS The Tote May 17 EMERGE FESTIVAL 2014 Various venues May 17 – June 22 TIM MCMILLAN BAND Ding Dong Lounge May 17 MUDLARK Bar 291 May 18 GARETH LIDDIARD Workers Club May 18, 25 SUSY BLUE The Toff In Town May 18 FRENTE The Playhouse May 22, 23 MOVEMENT Shebeen May 22 SUN GOD REPLICA Yah Yah’s May 23 ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI 170 Russell May 23 KIM CHURCHILL Northcote Social Club May 23 VANCE JOY The Forum May 23 DMA’S Shebeen May 23 FRENZAL RHOMB Corner Hotel May 23 KINGSWOOD The Hi-Fi May 24 THINGS OF STONE AND WOOD Northcote Social Club May 24, 25, 26 CHERRY ROCK Cherry Bar May 25 THE WAIFS 170 Russell May 27 FAIM Bendigo Hotel May 28 DEAD LETTER CIRCUS Village Green May 29 BRITISH INDIA The John Curtin Hotel May 29 SUN GOD REPLICA Old Bar May 30 EMMA RUSSACK Boney May 30 TWIN HAUS The Tote May 30 MY ECHO The Espy May 30 EAGLE AND THE WORM Shebeen Bandroom May 30 TWIN HAUS The Tote May 30 VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC Shebeen May 31 I, A MAN The Shadow Electric May 31 ROBIN HITCHCOCK Northcote Social Club May 31 BAD//DREEMS Record Paradise May 31 PRESENTATION NIGHT WITH CAMERON LING & PAUL DEMPSEY Corner Hotel June 4 TWIN BEASTS Corner Hotel June 6 THE BENNIES Ding Dong Lounge June 6 JOSH PYKE Montrose Town Centre June 6 YEO Northcote Social Club June 6 ALLDAY Ding Dong Lounge June 7 JOSH PYKE Healesville June 7 WAGONS The Hi-Fi June 7 QUEENS BIRTHDAY AT HOWLER Howler June 8 DAVE GRANEY The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine June 12 C.W STONEKING St Michael’s Uniting Church June 13 HARD ONS Corner Hotel June 14
23
MAY
17
BUSBY MAROU Corner Hotel
TEX PERKINS AND CHARLIE OWEN
Yarraville Live JULY
30
RY X Howler
JOELISTICS Workers Club June 14 ARCHER Workers Club June 15, 22, 29 DUNE RATS Corner Hotel June 20 ASTRONOMY CLASS Northcote Social Club June 27 TEETH & TONGUE Howler June 28 LEAPS AND BOUNDS 2014- Covers 40 traditional venues from the Corner Hotel to Longplay, Over the City of Yarra July 4, 20 SOMETHING FOR KATE The Forum July 18 NEW EMPIRE Northcote Social Club June 19 GRAVEYARD TRAIN 170 Russell June 20 MORGAN EVANS Revolver June 20 NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE Corner Hotel June 21 2014 RECLINK COMMUNITY CUP Elsternwick Park June 22 DARK MOFO 2014 June 12, 22 KEITH URBAN Rod Laver Arena June 25 MELANIE SAFKA Melbourne Recital Centre June 26 THE PAPER KITES Athenaeum Theatre June 27 FRANKENBOK Reverence Hotel June 27 THE CAIROS Ding Dong Lounge June 28 LITTLE BASTARD Northcote Social Club July 4 VIOLENT SOHO The Hi-Fi July 5 SASKWATCH Corner Hotel July 5 REMI Corner Hotel July 11 BIG SCARY Ormond Hall July 11 DAVE GRANEY Deans Martian Cafe, Lorne July 12 DAN SULTAN The Forum July 17 THE BEARDS 170 Russell July 18 TIM FREEDMAN Arts Centre July 18 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS North Byron Parklands, Byron Bay July 25 - July 27 DAVE GRANEY Toff In Town July 26 BODYJAR Corner Hotel August 9. POISON CITY WEEKENDER 2014 Corner Hotel August 22 POISON CITY WEEKENDER 2014 The John Curtin and The Public Bar Hotel August 23 BUSBY MAROU Corner Hotel August 23 POISON CITY WEEKENDER 2014 The Reverence Hotel August 24 THE ASTON SHUFFLE Corner Hotel September 5 BOY AND BEAR Palais Theatre on September 5 TINA ARENA Palais Theatre September 17 RUMOURS THE BL ACK KEYS, LITTLE DRAGON = NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROUDLY PRESENTS
JUL
27
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20
THE 1975 The Hi-Fi
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21
JANELLE MONÁE & KIMBRA By Tyson Wray Janelle Monáe and Kimbra are two of the most dynamic, innovative and forwardthinking artists in contemporary music. Both are boundary-pushing musicians with an upheld defiance to ever confine their inspired and imaginative endeavours, and in July 2013 a serendipitous meeting of the duo led to the discovery of a mutual-admiration – one that would culminate into an immense friendship and the desire to collaborate and explore the possibilities of one another’s creative curiosities. “We met at the Montreux Jazz Festival when we were on the same bill. We got to talk backstage before the show. I told her how much I loved her music and she was so encouraging,” details Kimbra with valiant admiration. “She looked me in the eye and told me how much she believed in me as an artist. That’s a really amazing thing to be told by someone that you admire. We kept texting and talking and became friends over the course of a year.” “I met Kimbra in an alternate universe,” notes Monáe. “Kimbra’s alternate personality and persona is just so incredible – and that’s what you get when you see her on stage.” “On this journey you really do meet certain artists that you feel that you’ve met before. You get the feeling that you’ve tapped into a similar consciousness for a moment,” adds Kimbra. “I feel really blessed when I get that – when I meet someone and feel that we’re in this for the same reasons and gravitating towards the same ideas. That was always clear to me when I first discovered Janelle’s music. She’s on a trip that I feel that I’m also on.” Since releasing her break-out EP Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) in 2007, the first instalment of a seven-part conceptual series following a fictional tale of android Cindi Mayweather, Monáe’s boisterous blend of future soul and psychedelic R&B has seen her traverse the globe, carving a consistently unpredictable career path. 2013 saw the release of Monáe’s sophomore studio record The Electric Lady, which saw collaborations with childhood heroes Prince and Erykah Badu alongside up-and-coming R&B superstars Solange and Miguel. Having most recently performed alongside Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott and more at the White House as a part of their PBS-broadcast Women of Soul event, making a surprise cameo on stage with Outkast at Coachella and having just been revealed to appear at Skrillex’s Bonnaroo SuperJam, Monáe continues to be one of the most vibrant and forcefully artless names in contemporary music. “It’s just been one amazing ride,” she beams ecstatically. “That’s the exciting thing about life. You never know just what’s going to happen, or how people will perceive the music that you put out. I’m just trying to put out a lot of good vibes and positive energy. I’m humbled by the amount of support that I’ve had and where my songs are taking me. I mean, we’re coming to Australia! I just cannot believe that people all over the world want to hear my songs – I’m always so humbled and grateful. “I grew up in a tiny, tiny town in Kansas, but I’ve always had big dreams. Music is incredible. It can take you to so many places – it really is the universal language. It BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22
has no religion and no sexual orientation. But you have to be mindful of what you say or the message that you send because once you have someone’s attention, you can change their life. I feel that I’ve been able to do that. And I’ve changed, too, from meeting people and hearing their stories.” Similarly, since the release of her debut studio record Vows in 2011, Kimbra’s career trajectory has yet to cease skyrocketing. “I feel like I’ve been in a movie,” laughs Kimbra when reflecting on the past twelve months. “My life became quite a whirlwind when I was on the road with my band and on the ride of the Gotye single (Somebody that I Used to Know). But after the Grammys and the entire trip I really needed to become grounded again.”
“MUSIC IS INCREDIBLE. IT CAN TAKE YOU TO SO MANY PLACES – IT REALLY IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. IT HAS NO RELIGION AND NO SEXUAL ORIENTATION.” It was then that Kimbra settled down to record her sophomore album. “I moved to LA, which doesn’t sound like the most grounded place,” she details. “But I moved into a nice quiet place with a lot of sheep and an outdoor kitchen. I’d wake up every morning to fresh eggs because I had 20 chickens running around my backyard! This is where I wrote my album. I got very connected to nature again and really began to nurture this mindset of wanting to innovate again, to be creative and not put any boundaries on my work. I just jumped straight in with an amazing bunch of people and took the reins on production more than I ever have in the past. I guess this will be the result of all of the craziness and the stillness at the same time.” The album, with its name yet-to-be made public, is set to be released later in 2014. “I feel like I’ve put together this body of work that has so much heart and soul. And I want to treat it like a movie too – in the way that I present it to people. I feel like that’s why I’ve kept quiet until now and just drip-fed little bits of the record in an exciting way – it’s because I’m excited by the work and all of the people that have been a part of it. It’s come from a place of interesting juxtapositions.” “There were so many people that I was hanging out and working with but not all of those collaborations made it to the final record. That’s the hardest part of making an album. You cultivate all of this material – I
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worked for months and months and months – I worked with so many incredible people, and then of course I had to decide what to cut and what the final bunch of songs would be. “What’s super exciting is that there is such an extensive amount of material from over the past year. I plan to continue to release more and more songs after the album. I’ll release the title of the new record soon and I’ll begin playing some new material on the Golden Electric tour. It’ll be a way for people to get a little insight into the record.” Fans were treated to their first glimpse into the record last week with the release of Kimbra’s latest single 90’s Music. “It’s definitely pretty different from anything that I’ve done in the past,” she shares excitedly. “It’s relevant in the sense that it’s all about juxtaposition and contradicting elements – and that’s something that I’ve been excited by for the whole album – just blending worlds. What happens when you get Daniel Johns from Silverchair with Thundercat and try to write a neo-space funk jam? Tapping into new and unknown territory, going to places that I haven’t been before – that’s super exciting for me.” This week will see the duo embark on the Golden Electric tour, a never-before-seen collaboration in which both Monáe and Kimbra perform individual sets before taking to the stage for an intertwined showdown together. “I’ll be performing a lot of songs spanning all of my work,” notes Monáe of her solo set. “It’s another world when I’m on stage. The person you’re talking to right now? I’m going to leave her at home. It’s not just some songs and me performing. It has an arc, it has an intro, it has an ending. It’ll put the exclamation mark in your heart.” “I’m walking in with a whole new body of work and so much new material,” details Kimbra excitedly. “I’ll be bringing out a keyboardist from the States who I worked with a lot on the new record and has also worked with Thundercat. It’s completely fresh and new for me. I’ll be bringing a new bass player and a few vocalists alongside showcasing a lot of amazing visuals. “I think that’s something that both Janelle and myself really enjoy doing – creating an entire show for people – back to the old school days where it was all about entertainment and the spectacle and theatrics. Of course the sound experience is priority number one, but we want it to be an all-encompassing transporting experience.” As for when the duo take to the stage together? “We’re going to bring our alternate universe to the people,” chimes Monáe. “We’re going to do something totally different and fresh. We have so many ideas, which is the great thing about both of us. There’s so much range to work with. Her voice is incredible. She’s such a dynamic woman and we’re able to go to so many places.” “This is going to be a tour where we get to explore that artistic connection together,” tells Kimbra. “We’re going to go into our alternate universes and spit out something crazy for the people. The sky’s our limit. It’s going to be a chance for us to showcase some songs that we love, do some covers and even some of each other’s material.” “It’s going to be unforgettable,” agrees Monáe. “You’ll feel better about your life, you’ll feel better about music and you’ll feel better about the world and the state that it’s in after you see our show. It will be one experience you will never forget. I can guarantee you that or you can have your money back. All you have to do is show up and let us do the rest.” JANELLE MONÁE & KIMBRA will hit the Forum on Saturday May 17 and then the Plenary on Monday May 26.
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THIS WEEK: ON SCREEN Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi writes, directs and stars in A Castle In Italy, a hypnotic tapestry of family life. Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi plays Louise, an ex-actress struggling to hold her once-wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan (Louis Garrel) whose father Louise may already know too well. The film is a wonderful showcase for an incredible ensemble cast with Vincere star Filippo Tilmi delivering a defiant and scathingly witty performance as Louise’s sickly brother. Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi has created another memorable film following the success of Actrices and Easier for a Camel… and further demonstrates her incredible talent as both actor and director. A visual delight, A Castle in Italy is stunning viewing with gorgeous locations of both Italy and Paris to enjoy. It’s currently playing at Cinema Nova, Village Rivoli, Palace Cinema Como and Palace Brighton Bay.
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 Let’s Get It On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye is a brand new stage show that celebrates the Motown legend. Featuring beloved songs like I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and What’s Going On, the show explores Gaye’s humble beginnings, his troubled relationship with his father, the women in his life, his search for meaning and his generationdefining music. Catch Let’s Get It On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye, currently playing at the Athenaeum Theatre until Sunday May 25.
ON DISPL AY This Thursday May 15, Heide Museum of Modern Art will be hosting an Art By Twilight event to coincide with their current exhibition Emily Floyd: Far Rainbow. The exhibition celebrates the best of contemporary visual artist Emily Floyd, and features some of the artist’s key works from the past ten years, including Far Rainbow, a collection of sculptures inspired by Floyd’s story of the utopian planet, Rainbow. Drop in and listen to Emily Floyd’s micro talk, enjoy a drink with friends and a live set by Triple R’s Breaking and Entering DJs.
PICK OF THE WEEK
New Zealand’s Rhys Darby is heading to Melbourne this week. Darby, also known as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, is coming here to play two special ‘best of ’ shows. He will be joined on the night by Melbourne-based comedian Matthew Hardy. See Rhys Darby with Matthew Hardy when they hit the Yarraville Club with laughs on Friday May 16 at 8.30pm (sold out) and 10.30pm.
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JEFF DUNHAM By Stephanie Yip American Jeff Dunham is one of the biggest comedians and ventriloquists in the world. It’s been a long, hard slog to get to this point in his career, which includes being named one of Forbes’ Top 100 Entertainers in the world. “I’ll be the first to admit, it’s pretty hard to do for a living,” says Dunham, who does his best to discourage budding ventriloquists from the trade to separate the starry-eyed from the dedicated. “When you’re an eightyear-old kid, I think it’s cute,” he says. “But when a 35-year-old guy comes up to me and tells me he wants to be a ventriloquist I ask, ‘Have you looked at every other possibility in comedy?’ It was something that was popular during early TV because it was its own special effect, but it’s not a typical thing for people to do anymore.” So how’d Dunham end up doing it? “I didn’t give myself an escape route,” he says. “I didn’t plan anything else, didn’t want anything else. As a kid I knew this was going to be what I was doing.” Being an only child with “nothing better to do” he learned to throw his voice at the age of eight and a month later, performed his first show. “It was a book report. I did two or three minutes on the report, and the rest of the time I picked on my classmates, the school, the teachers, the food,” he says. “That game has pretty much stayed throughout my career: I do two or three minutes of meaningful things, and make fun of stuff after that.” With no set structure to his performances which adjust according to new material and the city he’s in, even he can’t anticipate the “stuff ” he refers to when on stage. Not least because, once placed on stage, the characters “don’t exactly behave the way I want them to.” It’s as though they’ve a life of their own, and Dunham’s just a bystander. “I don’t think it’s me,” he says when asked the secret to his success. “People love the characters. What makes good comedy is that, unlike regular stand-up, I can create tension and conflict on stage because there are two or three of us on at a time. Plus,” he adds, “developing different, highly identifiable characters.” For example, Walter the Grumpy Veteran, one of Dunham’s earliest and most beloved creations, or Bubba J, the beer-fuelled redneck. “People in Australia love Bubba J,” says Dunham incredulously. “I thought those kinds of people were isolated to (stupid me) a
certain part of the US but no, everybody has a town they make fun of where people live in trailers. He goes really well in Australia, so I’m looking forward to bringing him back.”
“WHEN A 35-YEAR-OLD GUY COMES UP TO ME AND TELLS ME HE WANTS TO BE A VENTRILOQUIST I ASK, ‘HAVE YOU LOOKED AT EVERY OTHER POSSIBILITY IN COMEDY?’” He’s also looking forward to introducing his newest puppet: Coffee Guy. “I felt that the coffee craze had gone ridiculously nuts everywhere – so there’s a new guy who’s addicted to coffee,” reveals Dunham. “I’m interested to see how he goes in other countries, but from what I understand a drug is a drug. He’s nuts and you have to see it. So come on to the show and tell me what you think.”
Catch Jeff Dunham perform Disorderly Conduct on Friday May 16 at Rod Laver Arena.
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A HISTORY OF UNDERGROUND COMICS – MARK JAMES ESTREN ($34.95) This is the first and most comprehensive look at the underground cartoonists and their work–lavishly illustrated, including comments and drawings by the cartoonists themselves and by members of the earlier generation that most influenced them. It includes the full story of the notorious obscenity trial of Zap No. 4 including the panels. In the land that time forgot, 1960s and 1970s America (Amerika to some), there once were some bold, forthright, thoroughly unashamed social commentators who said things that “couldn’t be said” and showed things that “couldn’t be shown.” They were outrageous–hunted, pursued, hounded, arrested, busted, and looked down on by just about everyone in the mass media who deigned to notice them at all. They were cartoonists–underground cartoonists. And they were some of the cleverest, most interesting social commentators of their time, as well as some of the very best artists, whose work has influenced the visual arts right up until today.
MY DADDY’S GOT TATTOOS – ANDY WHITE ($20) My Daddy’s Got Tattoos is the children’s book for the offspring of the inked. The story explores family relationships through a child’s imagination, revealing that everybody looks funny to somebody. It is perfect for anybody who feels different or loves somebody who is. Andy White has been working as a professional writer in various industries for nearly 20 years. ‘My Daddy’s Got Tattoos’ is his debut children’s book. He is currently working on more children’s titles and other literary works.
GREY HAT HACKING – ALLEN HARPER ($69.95) Thwart malicious network intrusion by using cutting-edge techniques for finding and fixing security flaws. Fully updated and expanded with nine new chapters, “Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook,” Third Edition details the most recent vulnerabilities and remedies along with legal disclosure methods. Learn from the experts how hackers target systems, defeat production schemes, write malicious code, and exploit flaws in Windows and Linux systems. Develop and launch exploits using BackTrack and Metasploit Employ physical, social engineering, and insider attack techniques Build Perl, Python, and Ruby scripts that initiate stack buffer overflows Understand and prevent malicious content in Adobe, Office, and multimedia files Detect and block client-side, Web server, VoIP, and SCADA attacks Reverse engineer, fuzz, and decompile Windows and Linux software Develop SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and forgery exploits Trap malware and rootkits using honeypots and SandBoxes.
OVER EASY – MIMI POND ($29.95) After being denied financial aid to cover her last year of art school, Margaret finds salvation from the straight-laced world of college and the earnestness of both hippies and punks in the wisecracking, fasttalking, drug-taking group she encounters at the Imperial Cafe, where she makes the transformation from Margaret to Madge. At first she mimics these new and exotic grown-up friends, trying on the guise of adulthood with some awkward but funny stumbles. Gradually she realizes that the adults she looks up to are a mess of contradictions, misplaced artistic ambitions, sexual confusion, dependencies, and addictions. Over Easy is equal parts time capsule of late 1970s life in California-with its deadheads, punks, disco rollers, casual sex, and drug use-and bildungsroman of a young woman who grows from a naive, sexually inexperienced art-school dropout into a self-aware, self-confident artist. Mimi Pond’s chatty, slyly observant anecdotes create a compelling portrait of a distinct moment in time.
MY FIRST 100 BOGAN WORDS – ALEX MANFRIN ($22) My First 100 Bogan Words celebrates our unique Australian language with words like Flanno, Uggies and Acca Dacca. Words that sadly do not appear in early learning curriculum....but we reckon they should! Guaranteed to generate a lot of laughter, memories and stories. Thanks to this book, parents & carers will rejoice in the rediscovery and celebration of all things Bogan.
PUNK 45: THE SINGLES COVER ART OF PUNK 1975-80 – VARIOUS ($49.95) Punk 45 is a revelatory guide to hundreds and hundreds of original seven-inch record cover sleeve designs–visual artifacts found at the heart of the most radical and anarchistic musical movement of the twentieth century. The politicized do-it-yourself ethic was applied to design as much as it was to music, and these lo-fi record sleeves declared politics ranging from anarchism to socialism, anticonsumerism, feminism and more. It features sleeves from bands such as the Adverts, Cabaret Voltaire, Crass, Dead Kennedys, Electric Eels, The Flamin’ Groovies, The Human League, Joy Division, Pere Ubu, Plastic Bertrand, The Residents, X-Ray Spex and many, many others. As well as original artwork, the book also includes interviews and articles on designers such as Peter Saville, Jamie Reid, Malcolm Garrett and Gee Voucher, and interviews with record label founders such as Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), printing pressers and more.
SUB ROSA – AMBER DAWN ($22.95) Sub Rosa’s reluctant heroine is known as “Little”, a teenaged runaway unable to remember her real name; in her struggle to get by in the world, she stumbles upon an underground society of ghosts and magicians, missing girls and would-be johns: a place called Sub Rosa. Not long after she is initiated into this family of magical prostitutes, Little is called upon to lead Sub Rosa through a maze of feral darkness, both real and imagined a calling burdened with grotesque enemies, strange allies, and memories from a foggy past. Written with a kind of gasping urgency, “Sub Rosa” is a beautiful and gutsy allegory of our times, a fairy-tale-like fantasia imbued with a grave, unapologetic realness.
MO’ META BLUES: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO QUESTLOVE – AHMIR THOMPSON ($32.95) MO’ META BLUES is a punch-drunk-on-culture memoir in which Ahmir tells his own story while tackling the greats, the lates, the fakes, the headliners, and the almost-weres of music, as well as pivotal moments in black art and culture. His book will reveal his own formative experiences, such as growing up in 1970s North Philly with 1950s doo-wop singers as parents, finding his way though music, and ultimately founding and rising up with The Roots, as well as some random musings about his run-ins with celebrities and playing with his idols. MO’ META BLUES further distinguishes itself as utterly unique by constantly questioning its own form and quality, thereby getting deeper and deeper into the truth and heart of Ahmir’s life (hence the ‘Meta’ of the title). Ahmir will also end each chapter with reviews of his favorite records from that chapter’s time period. This book is a psychedelic amalgam of self-examination, music, pop culture, black culture, and is absolutely one-of-a-kind.
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 25
THE COMIC STRIP BOB SAGET
For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au
MELBOURNE ART FAIR
PROFESSOR BRIAN COX
British particle physicist Professor Brian Cox is returning to tour Australia this October in a new stage presentation Making Sense of the Cosmos. Following the sell-out success of Cox’s 2013 Australian tour Brian Cox – A Scientific Phenomena, the all new show Brian Cox – Making Sense of the Cosmos takes audiences on a dazzling journey through space and time, at times delving into ‘high science’ and at others freewheeling on the edges of the known cosmos. Always captivating, continually surprising and forever pushing the boundaries, Professor Brian Cox takes science to a new dimension in this new stage show, which will be hosted by Adam Spencer. Brian Cox OBE is a British particle physicist and a Royal Society University Research fellow. He works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Switzerland, and is a Professor at the University of Manchester. He is best known to the public as the presenter of a number of science programs for the BBC, boosting the popularity of subjects such as astronomy and physics. Brian Cox – Making Sense of the Cosmos takes place at the Plenary, MCEC on Saturday October 18.
The Melbourne Art Fair has announced a selection of 70 galleries confirmed to participate in the 2014 event. The Melbourne Art Fair is Australia’s longest-running and leading art fair presented by the Melbourne Art Foundation, and this year will showcase more than 300 artists from around the world presented by some of the best Australian, New Zealand and international galleries. Galleries at the fair will be split into two sections, with established galleries in the main MAF Galleries section and emerging galleries and artist collectives presented in the MAF Platform section. Highlights of the MAF Galleries section include Pearl Lam Galleries exhibiting works by Zhu Jinshi, Su Xiaobai, Sun Juju, Li Xiaojing, Lan Zhenghui and Wang Dongling. Other international galleries represented include London’s Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and Japan’s COHJU Contemporary Art and Yamaki Art Gallery. Anna Schwartz Gallery will present a solo exhibition of sculptures, photographs and video works by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, ARC ONE Gallery will present a group exhibition of works by respected Australian artists Dani Marti, Nike Savvas, Justine Khamara, Janet Lawrence and Imants Tillers, whilst Tolarno Galleries will present major works by Andrew Brown and Caroline Rothwell. MAF Platform continues the Fair’s commitment to exhibiting the best emerging talent by presenting curate galleries and artist run initiative younger than five years. This year it includes blackartprojects, .M Contemporary, Art Collective WA, Venn Gallery and more. The Melbourne Art Fair will take place from Wednesday August 13 in the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens.
GROUNDED
Red Stitch Actors Theatre have announced they will be presenting US playwright George Brant’s Grounded beginning this June. Last August the show won a Fringe First award at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and went onto a twice-extended run in September at the Gate Theatre in London. Now it’s heading for Melbourne. Directed by Kirsten Von Bibra and starring Kate Cole, Grounded tells the story of a pregnant F16 fighter pilot, removed from the sky and stuck in a trailer in Las Vegas flying remote-controlled drones. The show aims to tackle our assumptions about surveillance, the ambiguities of warfare in the 21st century, duty and the complexities of family life. Grounded opens at Red Stitch Actors Theatre on Friday June 13.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
Want to be a part of the 2014 Melbourne International Film Festival? Each year MIFF engages an exceptional team of volunteers to undertake tasks that directly contribute to the efficient and successful delivery of their events. Primary activities include queue control, ticket scanning and cinema ushering, however they may also require assistance with pre-festival administrative duties and event organisation. Volunteer applications close on Sunday June 22. If you’re interested in volunteering at MIFF 2014 then go via their website.
TOTEM
Cirque du Soleil will return next January with their signature blue-and-yellow big top and an all-new, aweinspiring production. Featuring a cast of 45 acrobats, actors, musicians and singers, TOTEM is an uplifting array of athleticism, comedy, heartfelt emotions and surprising visual effects and has been seen by over three million people across 25 cities since its world premiere in 2012. Cirque du Soleil’s TOTEM will be performed in Melbourne from Wednesday January 21.
MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CRITICS CAMPUS
The Melbourne International Film Festival has announced that they are now accepting applications for their inaugural Critics Campus. The Campus is an intensive week-long lab, giving up to eight emerging Australian film critics the chance to develop their skills in a live festival setting. Participants will take part in mentoring sessions and panels with key Australian industry and media players, as well as produce their own daily coverage. Their AAA access includes festival films, publicity materials, guests and networking opportunities. If you’re in the first few years of your career this might just be the opportunity for you. You’ve got until Monday June 2 to apply. The Critics Campus will run from Monday August 4 until Sunday August 10. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 26
THE LIGHT IN WINTER
Federation Square will once again play host to the annual The Light in Winter program this June. Now entering its eighth year, the nightly event brings together local and international artists for a program of free events, performances and exhibitions, culminating in the Solstice Celebration on Saturday June 21. This year’s program will feature the world premiere of Radiant Lines, an interactive, illuminated, large-scale sculptural shrine from the United Kingdom’s Asif Khan. Federation Square will also host an array of illuminated shrines and will give the public an opportunity to create their own in a custom-built video booth. The program will come to a close with the Solstice Celebration, which falls on the date of the true winter solstice for the first time in The Light in Winter’s history. The Light in Winter will run from Sunday June 1 to Sunday June 22 at Federation Square from dusk.
LOL COMEDY This Wednesday May 14 at the Portland Hotel in the city, and Friday May 16 at the Hawthorn Hotel, LOL Comedy will present the one, the only, and everyone’s favourite English import Jeff Green. Who also never fails. At comedy. Which is very handy. The lackadaisically brilliant Geraldine Hickey will be performing MC duties, while at the Local in Port Melbourne on Tuesday May 20 it’s the sell-out smash hit of the recent Melbourne International Comedy Festival – Joel Creasey. Surely he won’t be playing venues like this much longer. Catch him while you can. All tickets $10. All shows start 8pm sharp. Meal and dinner packages also available. Tickets from lolcomedy.com.au.
FIVE BOROUGHS
HAND CRAFTED
Cavalier Brewing and Young Bloods Diner are presenting Hand Crafted. Being held in the iconic Rose St Artist Market, ticket holders will enjoy an amazing lunch served by Young Bloods Diner and three awardwinning beers poured by Cavalier Brewing. Ticket holders will also have the opportunity to purchase unique art pieces being created live on the day by some of Melbourne’s best street artists in a silent auction, including Dvate, Askem, Jorz, Kirpy and Striffle. Walk up flash tattoos will be available by the brilliant artists from East Brunswick Tattoo and there will also be creative market stalls, DJs, street performers and interactive art stalls. It takes place on Sunday May 25, visit cavalierbeer.com.au for more information.
Bob Saget will be visiting Melbourne for the first time this week. You may remember Bob Saget as Danny Tanner in ‘90s sitcom Full House or as the original host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. However, Saget also has more than 30 years of stand-up comedy behind him, and when he takes the stage all those years of family TV seem to be forgotten. Now Saget is bringing his act to Australia with a four-stop national tour of Bob Saget Live: The Dirty Daddy Tour. Bob Saget will be playing the Athenaeum Theatre on Friday May 16.
COMEDY Fiona O’Loughlin headlines Five Boroughs Comedy this week. The first lady of Australian comedy will close out another packed lineup, including Bart Freebairn, Karl Chandler, Daniel Connell, Demi Lardner and Simon Keck. It’s all happening this Thursday May 15 at 8.30pm at Five Boroughs Comedy all for only $12.
AN ALTMAN EVENING + M*A*S*H
Michael Altman (eldest son of legendary film director Robert Altman) will be making his way to Melbourne, following his appearance at the Sydney Film Festival, this June. The one-night only event, An Altman Evening + M*A*S*H, will feature Michael Altman as he presents a biographical representation of his father by showcasing a special collection of rare footage from the family archive, including home movies, behindthe-scenes and on location footage, screen tests and even a family BBQ or two. Michael will then introduce a screening of M*A*S*H, Altman’s 1970 hit black comedy, screening in a digitally restored 35mm print. Set in an army medical unit during the Korean War (an allegorical stand-in for Vietnam), Altman’s darkly satirical film flew under the radar of Fox executives during production but went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards. Michael Altman is a director and producer in his own right, having worked on numerous films directed by his father including A Wedding, O.C. and Stiggs and Fool For Love. He was an assistant editor on the pilot episode of David Lynch’s 1990 Twin Peaks TV series and at fourteen years of age wrote the lyrics to Suicide is Painless, the theme song featured in M*A*S*H. An Altman Evening + M*A*S*H will take place on Tuesday June 10 at ACMI Cinemas.
MELBOURNE BODY ART XPO
The Melbourne Body Art Xpo has announced that it will return for its sixth year this August. Themed “Out of the Ashes,” the expo will give competitors six hours to paint their models for either the airbrush, brush and sponge, special effects, novice and flourescent categories. Attendees can watch the artists work their magic for free during the day. This year’s event will feature local live music and will be hosted by the ever glamorous Philmah Bocks. Applications for performers and artists are now by emailing ria.clauss@bigpond.com. The Melbourne Body Art Xpo will go down on Saturday August 16 at Revolt Artspace.
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CRAB L AB Crab Lab brings you ten of Australia’s funniest comics for just $5 each Wednesday. Tonight there’s Bart Freebairn, Tommy Dassalo, Demi Lardner, Neal Portenza, Dilruk Jayasinha, Andy Matthews and more. Show starts at 8.30pm, 16 Corrs Lane, CBD.
COMEDY AT SPLEEN It’s another packed Comedy at Spleen planned for this Monday. They’ve got all sorts of special guests including David Quirk, Demi Lardner, Laura Davis, Rob Hunter, James Masters, Jason Chatfield and heaps more. It’s on this Monday May 19 at 41 Bourke St in the city at 8.30pm. It may be free, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.
HOTHOUSE
ACMI and the Victorian Government have joined forces to create Hothouse, the ultimate training program for emerging talent in the field of animation and they are looking for young people to take part. Hothouse is a week-long intensive program for Victorian students in Years 10 to 12, aimed at nurturing creativity and moving image skills. Ten students will be dropped into a fast-paced production studio, and will have the opportunity to work with professionals and gain exclusive industry experience, knowledge about obtaining access to animation courses at tertiary institutions and making industry contacts. The week is guided by local artist, director and animator, David Pennay. The program allows students to develop vital skills for the film industry including idea development and research, understanding visual and cinematic language, character design, narrative development, creating and presenting a story pitch and verbal presentation, time management and planning skills. HotHouse runs for a week during the July school holidays. Applications will close on Wednesday June 11.
UPCOMING
JUNE
M AY
on tour DJ SOTOFETT [NOR] Friday May 16, Mercat Basement KOLSCH [DEN] Friday May 16, Brown Alley PHACE [GER] Friday May 16, Brown Alley APOLLO BROWN [USA] Friday May 16, The Espy ANDY STOTT [UK] Thursday May 22, Corner Hotel REBEKAH [UK] Friday May 23, Brown Alley THE HACKER [FRA] Friday May 30, The Liberty Social PHUTURE [USA] Saturday May 31, New Guernica THE CHAINSMOKERS [USA] Saturday May 31, Trak Lounge & Fashion Lounge SISQO [USA], DRU HILL [USA] Sunday June 1, Trak Lounge BOK BOK [UK], L-VIS 1990 [UK] Friday June 6, Brown Alley LEE DOUGLAS [USA] Friday June 6, Mercat Basement ANDHIM [GER] Friday June 6, Brown Alley NICKY SIANO [USA] Saturday June 7, The Toff In Town ARMIN VAN BUUREN [NED] Saturday June 7, Hisense Arena HOT CHIP [UK], MATTHEW DEAR [USA], HENRY SAIZ [ESP] + MORE Saturday June 7, Shed 4 EJECA [UK] Sunday June 8, Brown Alley KORELESS [UK] Sunday June 8, Revolt Artspace TLC [USA] Wednesday June 11, Palais Theatre GARETH EMERY [UK] Friday July 11, 170 Russell GIRL UNIT [UK] Saturday July 12, Revolver Upstairs CHROME SPARKS [USA] Saturday July 26, Howler FOURCOLOURS: SUDUAYA [FRA], IRINA MIKHAILOVA [UK], BE SVENDSEN [DEN] + MORE Saturday October 11, Revolt Artspace SOULFEST: D’ANGELO, [USA], MAXWELL [USA], MOS DEF [USA] + MORE Sunday October 19, Yarra Park EARTHCORE: RAJA RAM [UK], JOHN ‘00’ FLEMING [UK] + MORE Thursday November 27 - Monday December 1, Pyalong, Victoria
tour rumours Miguel Campbell, Jeff Mills, Huerco S.
contact Editor: Tyson Wray / tyson@beat.com.au Production: Patrick O’Brien / art@beat.com.au Advertising: Thom Parry - (03) 8414 8719 / thom@beat.com.au Cara Williams - (03) 8414 9711 / cara@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 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, Simon Hampson, Tamara Vogl Deadlines: Editorial: Friday 2pm Advertising: Monday 12pm Publisher: Furst Media - 3 Newton Street, Richmond (03) 9428 3600 | beat.com.au
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news tours club snaps + more
electronic + urban + club life
matthew dear
wo rd s / a ug u st u s we lby
Throughout his 15-year career Matthew Dear’s never been content with just one stylistic undertaking. Dear’s perhaps best known for a series of avant-pop solo records, which pair minimal techno with Brian Eno-like pop substance. But he’s also regularly released and toured under the dark dancefloor pseudonym Audion, as well as the glitchy Jabberjaw alias and his stripped back outlet False. “I love playing different personas, multiple different times,” Dear says. “I love being the guy that wears leather pants on stage one night and I love being just a guy who loves to play groovy dance music the next night when I’m DJing.” It’s the latter pursuit that brings the Detroit-bred musician (currently residing in upstate New York) back to Australia next month. He’ll join Hot Chip DJs, Henry Saiz and plenty more for the inaugural HOLEANDCORNER indoor dance event, taking place at Melbourne’s Shed 14 on June 7. Of course, a Matthew Dear DJ set isn’t going to be an exercise in inert playlist activation. No, with Dear manning the decks it promises to be a shrewdly curated experience. “I’m still playing stuff that’s totally inspired by my upbringing in De-
troit, going to Detroit electronic parties,” he explains. “It’s all about the groove, it’s all about building moods and energies. That’s what I do when I DJ. I don’t play quick transitions, I’m not about crazy party records. It’s just a slow, building groove, it’s just house and techno and I just try to make people dance.” Dear relocated from Texas to Detroit as a teenager and after discovering the city’s buzzing electronic underground, he quickly developed a flair for DJing. Although Detroit’s late-’90s scene remains a chief influence, that doesn’t mean he’s stuck in that era. “I definitely play some classics and try to go back, but I like to play a lot of new stuff. It’s dance music so I like to keep up with what’s going on.” Dear’s diverse career output strongly intimates a seasoned music fan. And it looks like he takes the practice of listening just as seriously as creating. “I usually pick an artist and just latch onto them for a good six months to a year,” he says, “and play as much as I possibly can and dig through the archives and really try to ingest as much as possible. “[There’s] people I can’t kick; Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan I keep
coming back to, just trying to dig deeper into the rarities and the bootlegs. Then I love my Can and I love my Brian Eno. Those are the foundations, people I can’t get away from. You dig on those guys and you start to hear their influences and people they were crediting as inspirations and you can go further and deeper.” Die-hard music fanatics don’t simply cherish the records. Rather, the transcendent nature of the performer is also infinitely fascinating. Details of the ordinary situation surrounding, for example, David Bowie’s Hunky Dory or Nas’ Illmatic won’t overcome the alternate dimension envisaged as the birthplace of totemic pop music. Even though Dear’s been a professional musician for more than a decade, he still feels awe-struck reverence for his idols. “I love feeling that way about certain people. Like Tom Waits – what’s going on in his head? I could sit down across from Tom Waits at a dinner table or at an airport and I want to be scared out of my mind. I want to be impressed by the persona in my head. I think it’s fun to have those types of relationships with some of your favourite artists. You don’t always want them to be sharing all of their thoughts socially. I’m not going to follow Tom Waits on Twitter. I think there’s a healthy distance that we should keep.” Dear’s constant moniker maneuvering constructs a particularly enigmatic portrait of the artist. Despite averaging at least one release per year for the last decade, he faces no dilemma conjuring new ideas. “I’m about to make the new Audion album and I’ve got too much material,” he reveals. “Right now it’s just a matter of shortening everything and picking which stuff really works and which stuff doesn’t.” Having had several outlets concurrently active over a number of years, determining where certain ideas appropriately belong could inevitably become blurry. “I usually turn on the machines and go and whatever comes out comes out,” Dear says. “But when it is album time I really have to focus on all things Audion. Then, my free time I spend just kind of doodling with stuff for my own weird albums.” The rapidity of Dear’s costume changes has been slightly less frenetic in recent years. He seems like an intrinsically amorphous character, but the manifold departments of exploration mightn’t subsist forever. “When I was younger, I had so many different aliases because I just had so much output and different styles of music that I wanted to do. Now that I’ve slowed down a bit I do question whether or not I should maybe pull the plug on all these other monikers and just do one thing and focus on that for the rest of my life. I’m happy, I have a studio, I have a house. I feel like now I could relax and do one thing and be that for the rest of my life.”
Catch Matthew Dear at HOLEANDCORNER at Shed 14 on Saturday June 7. facebook.com/matthewdear
party profile: bunkers 1st birthday – 365 days of techno When is it? Friday May 16, midnight until 7am. Where is it? Boney, 68 Little Collins St, CBD. Who’s playing? Dean Benson (Stable) Bunker Residents b2b (Adrian Bell, ACM, Jake McDonald, D-REX, Jeremy Graham) and guests Shedbug and Devant. What sort of shit will they be playing? Techno. What’s the crowd going to be like? Fun, friendly, up for it crowd who love their techno pounders! What will we remember in the AM? Not a lot! So I’ll fill you in. Our
news
- head to beat.com.au for more
off the record w i t h
birthday will be a celebration of the last 365 days of techno with Bunker so you can expect a friendly, up for it crowd who love to have a good time dancing & getting silly with friends. What’s the wallet damage? $10 on the door. Give us one final reason why we should party here: If you like quality techno, you will like us. Deviating from the chin-stroking crowds of yesteryear be sure to leave your inhibitions at the door. We simply love to slam out techno to likeminded people and given that it’s our birthday it’s bound to be rowdy!
t yson
w ray
How do I know people who like “Krazy Koala Entertainment” on Facebook?
apollo brown Apollo Brown is different from most producers. He grew up on the Seals and Crofts-not the Isley Brothers-version of Summer Breeze. Born into a bi-racial family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his early influences skewed more toward the music of Journey and The Carpenters than the urban genres his peers often cite as inspiration. This is not to say that once hip hop came into play, Apollo wasn’t all in. Just as easily as he can praise the virtues of yacht rock, the 29-year-old beatsmith can name personal heroes-Gang Starr, Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Nas, and Black Moon-from the early ‘90s period in which, for him, beats and rhymes became life. Catch him at the Espy on Friday May 16.
the hacker In the world of music, there are those that follow trends and the latest sounds, hopping opportunistically to the next big thing once a goldmine has been plundered. Then there are those who remain loyal to their aspirations, with periods of doubt followed by moments of momentus acclaim, public unveiling and criticism. Loyalty and integrity are two of the qualities that might best describe Michel Amato, aka The Hacker, often known as Man Of Shadows. For the first time in over a decade The Hacker will return to Melbourne to perform an exclusive show at the Liberty Social on Friday May 30.
astronomy class
chrome sparks
Astronomy Class have announced they will be playing shows in Melbourne and Sydney to celebrate the release of their latest album, Mekong Delta Sunrise. Fresh from hitting the road with Thundamentals, the hip hop storytellers are ready for their own headline shows. Astronomy Class’ sound harks back to classic Cambodian music, drawing on Khmer pop of the 1950s to the mid ‘70s, teaming up with vocalist Srey Channthy (The Cambodian Space Project). Astronomy Class featuring Srey Channthy will be headlining Northcote Social Club with support from 1/6, Danielsan and Presto on Friday June 27.
Along with his appearance at Splendour in the Grass, Chrome Sparks has announced he will also be playing a headline show in Melbourne. The sideshow will be Sparks’ first ever performance in Melbourne. Real name Jeremy Malvin, the Brooklyn local’s music is inspired by his background in classical percussion and an obsession with synthesizers. Before finding electronic music, Malvin toured as the drummer for Stepdad, Miniature Tigers, and Rich Aucoin. Although he works on his recording alone, the Chrome Sparks live show has seen many different incarnations, ranging from solo performances to an eight piece accompaniment. Currently Chrome Sparks is a three-piece live act. Chrome Sparks and Rat & Co will play Howler on Saturday July 26.
phuture Formed by DJ Pierre, synthesizer fan Spanky and Herb J in 1985 as a recording entity to produce records for Pierre to mix into his sets at several crucial Chicago clubs, Phuture’s 1987 Acid Tracks created a dividing point between the Chicago sound before and after it. Over the years to follow, Phuture went through a number of lineup changes releasing several follow-up singles including the acclaimed, Rise From Your Grave with Roy Davis Jr. on deck and a number of other Strictly Rhythm singles along with two LPs under the Phuture 303 moniker with Relief’s L.A Williams. For this exclusive Melbourne show, founding members DJ Pierre and Spanky will be presenting an excursion through the back catalogue of the group that launched acid house and rave culture the world
lee douglas
hipstep Hipstep Massive are the entertainment side of the Universal Zulu Nation, the founders of hip hop, electro and dance. The originators of the movement embodied in Hipstep are T.C Izlam and Africa Bambaata of the Universal Zulu Nation. Hipstep has now come to Australia to uplift the rhythms and provide some assistance to the disenfranchised youth; the nucleus of the movement itself. Hip hop culture started from nothing except the pure desire to create, express oneself and expand. Their sole purpose is to push all elements of urban dance music by utilising the five elements of hip hop: b-boy and b-girl, DJing and graffiti, MCing and knowledge and by also by incorporating the styles of trap music, dancehall/reggae, house, drum and bass and hip hop. They are opening Dirt Rythmz on Friday May 23 at Circus club in Prahran.‘Dirt’, meaning - the embodiment of the roots and ‘Rhythmz’ representing the higher vibrations that take them all to new levels.
Lee Douglas - known as Douglas Lee to his passport - is a Berlin based New Yorker who has a refreshingly unique (and awesome) take on electronic music, releasing on labels such as L.I.E.S., Cititrax, DFA, Rong Music and Crue-L under various project names including An-i, TBD with Justin Vandervolgen, The Stallions with Lovefingers and Bad News with Ron Morelli. He’s playing at the Mercat Basement on Friday June
electronic - urban - club life
1
d-nox & beckers word s / r k
It started for Christian Wedekind, aka D-Nox, in the old days. The chap was organising school disco parties at 12; of course he had the chance to spin a few records as well by then – and he had begun collecting music too. Some years later he claims to have gotten in touch with electronic music at his first club gigs around 1992. His first big break came in 1994 at Poison Club where he became a resident DJ and for the first time felt he really harnessed what he terms “the magic and power of electronic music.” And nothing has changed – for he claims he doesn’t want to be doing anything else. “I’m sitting in Buenos Aires and am just about to dig into some breakfast – it’s been a long flight from Germany all the way down here. I’m here for two weekends – all DJs think in weekends by the way – and so I will be playing five gigs in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil. This is a pretty good example of how my life is or has been lately. But after over 20 years of music, I am still on the road and not stopping – my love of the music is still huge.” Not to be outdone however, the lad recounts how things have changed since we spoke some years ago. “Lots of things have happened,” he proclaims. “I became a father, I built a house and I planted trees. All are things a man should do in his life. Country-wise, I haven’t been in Europe much lately and the reason for this is my daughter. She was born in Argentina and her mum and me try to escape from the ugly European winter so I spend from November to April in South America.” He also recounts how he headed back to Europe three weeks ago to check on the company books, play a gig or two and do some work in the studio. “Europe hasn’t changed much,” he professes. “It’s all about Berlin, Barcelona and maybe London. The same artists – the big names - are ruling the scene and it’s all about hipster fashion, beardy men and black cloth. For now, I am still based in Berlin but I can’t deny that I love being in South America every time more and more.” Otherwise, Wedekind is still spending time in the studio with his long time partner in crime Frank Beckers. “We are still working together in the studio all the time,” he explains. “Even with the distance between us, we have still done a couple of EPs. Our plan was to collect enough
tracks so we could release a bunch of them. And now that we are celebrating ten years of D-Nox and Beckers, you will find an EP coming out from us out every month now and on different labels like Great Stuff, Heinz Music, Tronic and also my label Sprout.” His label too is a project he describes as being born of a desire to share good music amongst friends. “I never made it to run as a proper label,” he says. “It was never meant to grow and grow and control the market. I release the music of my friends and I try to give them an opportunity for exposure. We release around six to ten EPs every year to see if we can support the artist and give them a chance to be recognised. And with my own music, the label is like an inspiration. It helps that I like to play a lot of different styles of music much like I always have; I still like twisted tech-house with many progressive and psychedelic influences. Not too fast, not too heavy and not too noisy. I like it groovy, sexy and trippy.” Finally, Wedekind recounts his first trip to Australia in 2004, which he correctly suggests was ten years ago. In that time, he has visited no less than 15 times. And this trip should be no different. “This time around at Earthcore we are going to present you a live DJ and video show. We will be celebrating ten years of D-Nox & Beckers.” Onwards and upwards, Australia.
D-Nox & Beckers and a whole lot more will be playing at Earthcore which will go down from Thursday November 27 to Monday December 1 in Pyalong, Victoria. Visit earthcore.com. au for more information. facebook.com/dnoxandbeckers
snaps anyway
rubix funhouse
2
electronic - urban - club life
club guide wednesday may 14
snaps khokolat koated
BLOW OUT - FEAT: GET BUSY + MAT CANT + SAMMY THE BULLET Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $0.00. THE DINNER SET - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $0.00.
thursday may 15
GOOD EVENING Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $0.00. LOVE STORY Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $0.00. NOISEY PRESENTS - FEAT: REPTILES + CONSTANT MONGRELS + REPAIRS Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $0.00. SONIC THEATRE - FEAT: BAD BONES OF FALLOPIAN TUNES + SLOW ACTION + MARCEL FEILLAFE + ANISSEED Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. SPARE GROOVE - FEAT: LA POCOCK + DANNY HOTEP + SALMON BARREL Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. THE RITZ - FEAT: KEN WALKER + ANDO + JOSHUA GILLILAND + LUCILLE CROFT + HARRY ROWSTHORN + EDDY D + JAMES ROSS + JESSE PERKINS + MATT HANNA + ALEX YASKI + JACK HOWELL + TIM LIGHT + JARREN RYAN + TOM BEDFORD Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 8:00pm. $20.00. VARSITY - FEAT: KITI + FOOFARAW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. $0.00.
friday may 16
#MASHTAG - FEAT: MALPRACTICE + AGENT 86 + BENZO + ANDRE LE VOGUE + SILVERFOX + AHAB + OLLIE Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $0.00. 365 DAYS OF TECHNO - FEAT: BUNKER + DEAN BENSON Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 11:45pm. $10.00. BEAT THE BUSH - FEAT: COOCHIE HUGGINS Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. CONDENSED MILK - FEAT: NAM & BEE AMPERSAND + AMIN PAYNE + JACKSON MILES Loop, Melbourne Cbd.
9:00pm. $0.00. EAT DRINK PLAY The Emerson, South Yarra. 9:00pm. $15.00. FAKE TITS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + SUNSHINE + MIKE METRO + HEY SAM + AZMAC Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. FRENCH KISS FRIDAYS FEAT: ZOK LE ROK + DJ JORJ + JOLYON PETCH + TONY CREA + LUKE MCD + TIM EGAN + MATT REID La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $20.00. FREQUENCY FRIDAYS Fusion, Southbank. 10:00pm. $20.00. FUNHOUSE FRIDAYS Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $0.00. GET LIT - FEAT: D’FRO + YO! MAFIA + THADDEUS DOE + TWERKSHOP MELBOURNE Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $0.00. KOLSCH Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $30.00. LA DANSE MACABRE Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $0.00. LUCK TRUCK FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: CONGO TARDIS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. $0.00. PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: MATT RAD + MR GEORGE + ASH-LEE + PHATO A MANO Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. $0.00. POPROCKS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. REVOLVER FRIDAYS - FEAT: RICKSTAR + MIKE CALLANDER + SAFARI + ALEX THOMAS & WHO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $0.00. THE ANCIENTS, TWERPS AND KRAKATAU + THE ANCIENTS + TWERPS + KRAKATAU Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.00. THE DISCO Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $25.00. THE OUTLOOK LAUNCH PARTY - FEAT: PHACE + XTRAH + SAFIRE + NOCTURNAL + FINNA + KODIAK KID + MITCH INCOG + KEEFVES Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $30.00. TOM SHOWTIME + RAFF KORMAN + D’FRO Penny Black, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $0.00.
saturday may 17
ALTERED STATES Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 1:00am. $0.00. ANYWAY + ZAC WATERS
Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $25.00. AUDIOPORN SATURDAYS - FEAT: DR. ZOK + JAMES WARE + CHINA + HOOPS + ROWIE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $15.00. BOOM - FEAT: DEER + NULL + BOOMA + DAVID Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $0.00. DEER + NULL + BOOMA + DAVID Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $0.00. DJ HIJACK + B-TWO + MATT RAD Penny Black, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $0.00. FAMILIAR STRANGERS The Emerson, South Yarra. 9:00pm. $15.00. FOUR DOOR, LACE CURTAIN, LUCY CLICHE + FREE JACK + FOUR DOOR + LACE CURTAIN + LUCY CLICHE + FREE JACK Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00. GIRL POWER SALUTE NIGHT Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $5.00. HOT STEP - FEAT: ADAM ASKEW + GRAYSKULL + KELTEC + MYLES MAC + PETER BAKER + REV. THORN + SAM MCEWIN + SHANE COPAL + TOM EVANS Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. $0.00. JIM’S DISCO - FEAT: ANDREW BERESFORD + DAVID FARNSWORTH Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00. MIDNIGHT RUN Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:30pm. $7.00. PINEAPPLE - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + KATIE DROVER + KUYA + RADIATOR + BRENDAN RUYS + GALAMBO New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. RESPECT Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $20.00. SATURDAY MORNING - FEAT: DJ SUNSHINE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am. $0.00. SPACEY SPACE - FEAT: ANYO + TOMNTYS + RIMMY + JAMES OMERTA + MADELEINE + TRAVLOS + PETE LASKIS + HANDSDOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + JOHNNY CANIK + HEATH RENATA + T-WHITE + NUNNY Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00. SUPER GRANDE - FEAT: MOONSHINE + CC DISCO Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00. TEXTILE SATURDAYS - FEAT: D’FRO + FLAGRANT + MZ
RIZK + DJEAN PAUL + CHIEF + PAKMAN Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. $0.00. THE HOUSE DEFROST FEAT: ANDEE FROST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $0.00. THERAPY SATURDAYS FEAT: BOMBS AWAY + TATE STRAUSS + ED COLMAN + MATTY G Fusion, Southbank. 10:00pm. $20.00. TRENDY FRIENDS - FEAT: TRANTER + FRESH HEX + MARQUEE MOON + J.D. MAR Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 11:50pm. $10.00.
snaps faktory
sunday may 18
CARIBBEAN COOKOUT #5 - FEAT: LOTEK + JESSE I + SISTA ITATIONS + MUMA DOESA + SISTA SARA + SAB C REGGAETON + AL GOOD + RAS C + APRRENTICE + EEDA + BAHDOESA Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 12:00pm. $0.00. DJS IN THE BEER GARDEN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $0.00. EYES WIDE SHUT + HAROLD & FRIENDS Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $0.00. JUNGLE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. PLEASURE PLANET - FEAT: LUKE COLEMAN + TOBY MACKISACK + HAROLD + BEENAK Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00am. $10.00. SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE SUNDAYS - FEAT: DJ PROTAL Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. $0.00. SPITROAST SUNDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 3:25pm. $0.00. STARBAR SUNDAYS - FEAT: JASON SINGH + MORGAN + KEN WALKER + JONO EARLE Star Bar, South Melbourne. 9:00pm. $10.00. STRIPPED BACK SUNDAYS FEAT: MITCH KURZ + MATTY D The Emerson, South Yarra. 12:00pm. $15.00.
monday may 19
be. at co.
MONDAY STRUGGLE - FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm. $0.00. STIFF DRINK Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $0.00.
tuesday may 20
TASTEMAKERS - FEAT: ABLE 8 + BEVIN CAMPBELL + SHIKUNG Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $0.00.
urban club guide wednesday may 14
MELLOW-DIAS THUMP - FEAT: CAZEAUX O.S.L.O + GEEZY Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $0.00. WHOLE LOTTA RHYMES - FEAT: DJ DAILY Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. $0.00.
thursday may 15
DJ KAVINDA Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $0.00. THE REBIRTH OF COOL - FEAT: MR LOB Penny Black, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $0.00.
friday may 16
BUMP FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ KAHLUA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne
Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. CITIZEN KAY + TKAY MAIDZA + BARO Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.00. FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $0.00. IYAZ + HORIZON + KRIS KOLZAN + KEVIN WATTS + CARGO + SHAGGZ + MARC THYSSEN + STYLZ Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. $25.00. PARTY X BULLSHIT - FEAT: ANGEL JAY + JUZZY B + KAYZ Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $0.00. TUNES BY DAVE GRAY Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $0.00.
electronic - urban - club life
saturday may 17
KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $0.00. RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ BIG SAAD + DJ KAHLUA & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. TUNES BY SABO Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $0.00.
sunday may 18
BE. SUNDAYS Co., Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.00.
3
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
With Christie Eliezer * Stuff for this column to be emailed to <celiezer@netspace.net.au> by Friday 5pm
CITY OF MELBOURNE UNVEILS MUSIC STRATEGY DRAFT The City of Melbourne released a draft of The Melbourne Music Strategy 2014-17 on how it can support and help grow the Melbourne music scene over the next three years. The 18 ideas come under vision, promotion and positioning, spaces and collaboration, funding and support, policy reform and research and information. Full info at melbourne.vic.gov.au/music. It is open for community feedback until Friday May 30. More details at Industrial Strength Online at beat.com.au.
UNIVERSAL PUBLISHING TEAMS WITH NITE HIGH Universal Music Publishing has gone into a joint venture with Nite High Publishing. It is run by Lee Danilewitz and Tom Huggett, who set up Astral People and run the OutsideIn festival. The JV means global publishing deals for Wave Racer (the 21-yearold records with Future Classic), twin brothers Cosmo’s Midnight (whose The Doffin was the most played track on alternative radio last year) and triple j faves Collarbones. As part of the deal, future works with UMPG signing Jonti will come under Nite High Publishing.
$50,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR INDIE MUSICIAN Pacific International Music, JMusic Australia and SoGuru Media Applications are offering a one-year music scholarship for independent acts worth $50,000. The Music Career Development Scholarship is set up to cover the cost of making an album, a music video and a business plan. Pacific International Music is a label, production and publishing firm with offices in Hervey Bay, Qld and Nashville, run by producers Rob Mackay and Michael Flanders. Deadline is July 31, see pacificinternationalmusic.com.
GOSSLING SIGNS WITH NETTWERK Gossling, who’s been touring the US and UK, has signed a deal with USA’s Nettwerk Music Group (Boy & Bear, Passenger, William Fitzsimmons) for the North American release in September of debut album Harvest of Gold. A sampler EP is out in July. Gossling signed with Polydor for the UK. In Australia she is releasing a free multi-touch book on iBooks called Exploring Harvest of Gold providing details on each track of the album.
APPLE BUYING BEATS INTERNATIONAL Taking on streaming sites Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube, Apple is reportedly buying Dr. Dre’s audio headphone and music streaming business Beats International for a reported US$3.2 billion. It would be the first time Apple has bought an established brand. Beats has a deal with Telstra to launch in Australia but no date is set and it’s not sure how the Apple deal will affect it.
RAT & CO PARTNER WITH CAROLINE Melbourne’s Rat & Co partnered with Caroline Australia for the Friday May 30 release of their second album Binary, with Vocal Insanity as lead-off single. They’re touring nationally with Chet Faker. Their debut album One Uno Ein was a triple j and community radio fave.
JAZZ AWARDS FOCUS ON GUITARISTS This year’s National Jazz Awards focus on young guitarists aged up to 35. First prize is $12,000, runnerup $6,000 and third place $3,000. Entries open until Sunday June 1. Winner also records in ABC studios for Jazztrack with Mal Stanley and plays next year’s Stonnington Jazz Festival. The runner up gets a session at Pughouse Studios in Melbourne. The Top 10 entrants will perform at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival from Friday October 31 to Monday November 3. Main judges are pianist Mike Nock with guitarists James Muller and Stephen Magnusson, co-winners of the NJA in 2000. See wangarattajazz.com/national-jazzawards.
ONE DIRECTION STIFFED OVER ONE ERECTION CONDOMS One Direction management are pondering legal action against US condom company over its new brand One Erection. The packaging uses the style of the album Up All Night. Its promo for the $2.95 items goes “Stay ‘UP ALL NIGHT’ with these FDA approved ONE ERECTION condoms. There is only one direction to go with these babies and that is UP!”
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THINGS WE HEAR * Nine’s The Voice returned with a strong viewing response, drawing 2.155 million metro on its first night (304,000 including regionals) which was more than its 2013 return. On its second night, it won again with 1.987 million. * The Black Keys plan to return early 2015. * Aussies Chart talk: Justice Crew got their second chart-topping single on the ARIA chart with Que Sera which went gold in its first week … Five Seconds of Summer’s She Looks So Perfect picked up its second platinum … Taylor Henderson is now platinum with When You Were Mine … Hip hoppers Thundamentals’ third album So We Can Remember was the highest new entry of the week at #3, becoming their first Top 10 placing, while In Hearts Wake came in at #5 with Earthwalker. * Bob Sillerman, who runs SFX, doubled his pay package to $30 million. * The Hilltop Hoods were among diners evacuated from the Kingdom Chinese eatery in Adelaide when it burst into flames on Saturday afternoon. * Pierre Sutcliffe, aka bassist Pierre Voltaire of the early Models, won $500,000 on Million Dollar Minute. Now 55, he runs a company which encourages kids to play sports. * Bob Dylan’s draft of the lyrics to 1965 track Like a Rolling Stone are expected to sell for more than $1m at auction. Scribbled on Roger Smith Hotel notepaper it includes verses that didn’t make it on the recorded version. * Noise 11 noted Dave Faulkner’s Facebook post that as part of the Hoodoo Gurus’ set at Splendour in the Grass, the 1984 Stoneage Romeos lineup with Clyde Bramley and James Baker will play for the first time in 30 years. * The widow of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray claimed his bandmates refused her pleas to help him just days before he died. Gray’s body was found in a hotel room in 2010 after he lost his battle against drug addiction. She claimed: “One was playing golf two minutes away from our house but couldn’t come. Nobody else cared, nobody was involved. They told me it was my problem.” * The Australian Music Association relaunched its 18-year-old Australian Musician as an online-only under editor Greg Phillips. * Xavier Rudd was the latest to entertain protesters at the anti-gas Bentley blockade, and may write a song about the movement on his next album. * Four of the six Groovin’ The Moo shows have sold out, with Bunbury on May 10 the latest. Only Canberra and Townsville have not reached capacity. * Ariana Grande claims the title of the biggest selling debut single of the year in the US, with Problem shifting 435,000 copies in its first week. At 20, she is the youngest woman to debut with more than 400,000 downloads. * John Legend’s model wife Chrissy Teigen reveals they had sex in the First Class cabin on a flight to Thailand to meet her parents. * When Hunter Valley 2NM radio presenter Stolzy tried to buy premium tickets for The Rolling Stones’ local winery show to give away to listeners, he raised money by dressing up as a Stone and rolling a skateboard with a stone attached through Muswellbrook to Scone 25 kms away. * Rick Springfield, who’s touring here in October, was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the weekend.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR MELBOURNE MUSIC WEEK Melbourne Music Week (November 14 to 23) is calling on promoters, venues, labels, businesses and music fans to take part in the Self-Made Series, Live Music Safari, The Hub and Umbrella programming. Full info at melbourne.vic.gov.au/mmw. More details at Industrial Strength Online at beat.com.au.
SELL-OUTS FOR CHET
he has sold out four Forums in hometown Melbourne and three Enmores in Sydney, as well as multiple dates in Perth and Brisbane. His current tour of the UK and Europe is sold out, while in America, he’s had to add shows in New York and LA.
GOVT. INVESTS IN ARTS In the Victorian budget, the state Government invested $44.9 million in new funding for the arts. $16.4 million goes to building upgrades and maintenance for Arts Centre Melbourne and National Gallery of Victoria. There’s $1.1 million for events programs in the Melbourne arts precinct for audiences of all ages. The Victorian College of the Arts gets $8.5 million, the VicArts Grants program $850,000. Minister for the Arts, Heidi Victoria, said the Government “continues to create opportunities for artists to deliver new work and bring the arts to more people. The budget provides a strong foundation for continued capacity building and cultural entrepreneurship within the sector.”
VAUDEVILLE SMASH RELEASE SOCCER ANTHEM In the countdown to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Vaudeville Smash have released an unofficial fan anthem called Zinedine Zidane about the champion French player. It features the voice of commentator Les Murray. They launch it at the Evelyn on Saturday May 31.
RAISING THE REVERENCE BATTLES FOR SUICIDE Melbourne bands are teaming up with mental health initiative Beyond Blue for Raising the Reverence, a not-for-profit festival designed to raise funding for the fight against suicide. It is at the Reverence Hotel on Saturday May 31, with New Gods, Kashmere Club, Alice, Ships Piano and Will Bracks so far.
WANNA PLAY PORT FAIRY FOLK? The acts application for the 39th Port Fairy Folk Music Festival (March 6 – 9) is open until July 31 at portfairyfolkfestival.com. Festival Director Jamie McKew said, “I am always amazed at how the festival transforms from a paper-based plan to a truly magical musical experience and we all give thanks to the artists, punters and volunteers for working that magic.”
MTV GETS NEW HOST MTV Australia signed on Kristian “Krit” Schmidt as a VJ. A lecturer at University of Auckland, he moves to Sydney to join Kate Peck. Schmidt is a cousin of The Rock, who tweeted, “Proud of my cuz @KRiT84! MTV is gettin’ a great host. Helluva sense of humor, hard worker & drinks from a pimp cup.”
NEW COMM. MANAGER FOR APRA Adrian Digiacomo is the new Communications Manager for ARIA, PPCA and Music Rights Australia. He was senior publicist for four years at a consumer PR agency UMM..Communications and did freelance PR work for Astral People Touring and Artist Management and boutique music festival OutsideIn.
ST. MARTIN’S NEW DIRECTOR St. Martin’s Youth Arts Centre in South Melbourne appointed as its new director Clare Watson, currently director-in-residence at Malthouse Theatre.
IHEART RADIO AUSTRALIA RELEASES FIGURES The Australian Radio Network’s digital music platform iHeartRadio released its first audience figures for Australia. Since launching here in August 2013, its app has been downloaded 300,000 times and it has over 260,000 registered users to its web and mobile sites. It now streams 2.2 million hours of content on mobiles and 1.5 million hours of streaming with 45.5 million tracks heard. Its recent live concerts by Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran raised registrations by 11%. Bruno Mars is the most popular ‘artist station’ followed by Pink and Rihanna.
WINNER OF ‘THE BE PROJECT’ ANNOUNCED Queensland’s Liam Park won The Be Project competition with his song Be the Influence. One hundred song and video entries were submitted for the quest, which is part of the Australian Government’s National Binge Drinking Strategy. He’ll record it with Melbourne talent including ambassador MC Pez.
With Chet Faker’s Built on Glass spending two weeks at #1 on the ARIA album chart, it’s no surprise that WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV
LIFELINES Split: Gold Coast singer Cody Simpson and US heiress model girlfriend Gigi Hadid after a year because their busy careers kept them apart. Ill: US guitarist Harvey Mandel had five surgeries for nose cancer. The helpharveymandel.com site has been set up to raise $50,000 for medical bills. In Court: The Dream’s ex-girlfriend Lydia Nam, 29, claimed he beat her two years ago when she was eight months pregnant. He denies the charges. In Court: 2 Chainz must attend an 18-month drug diversion program after he pleaded guilty to possessing drugs at Los Angeles International Airport. Jailed: Adelaide scamster Matthew John Francis Verrall, 24, for two years after making $10,000 from those who advertised on Gumtree seeking tickets to concerts and matches. The junior footballer had no tickets. He also stole his housemate’s keycard and stole from her account on five occasions. Suing: Glenn Danzig takes action against former Misfits bandmate Jerry over skull logo ownership. He claimed he did merchandising deals for The Misfits’ infamous skull logo without permission from the others. In Court: Liam Gallagher is thrashing out financial support for his love child Gemma, born in New York to US writer Liza Ghorbani. She wants $3.3m. In Court: producer Harry Balk, who signed Rodriguez to a five-year deal in 1966, claims the singer was diddled out of royalties for his first two albums Cold Fact and Coming from Reality in the early ‘70s. He says producer Clarence Avant got around the deal by attributing songs written by the folk singer (Searching for Sugar Man) to other writers. In Court: Adelaide muso Jacob Francis Brookes, 40, who was reportedly so drunk at his wedding that the ceremony was stopped, faced Port Adelaide Magistrates Court for disorderly behaviour and resisting police. Outside the court, he did a rap tune over the incident for the media pack and said it’d launch his career. Died: Sydney producer Martin Erdman, 77. He set up Du Monde Records in 1968. In the ‘70s as house producer for Festival Records, two international hits were Sister Janet Mead’s rocked-up The Lord’s Prayer and Peter Allen’s I Still Call Australia Home. Died: US born one-time Sydney-based A&R head of Telmark and exec for ATV Northern, Don Lee Bruner, of a heart attack at his Gold Coast home.
MOSHTIX HACKER TRIED TO DAMAGE BRAND? Ticketing agency Moshtix founder CEO Harley Evans confirmed an internal inquiry showed a hacker got into the front end of its site “between 9.10am and 9.37am” on the first day of sales for Splendour In The Grass. He entered a legitimate single account username and password which was established for Splendour, said Moshtix. Thirteen customers purchased the false 50% off tickets and 422 were hit incorrectly with credit card surcharges. “Our view is that it appears from the actions that the intention was to create confusion and concern and damage the Moshtix brand.” Moshtix’s response to the crisis was admirable. It quickly put out a statement, assured customers their personal details were safe, conducted an inquiry, was open about its findings, apologised sincerely, and assured users it wouldn’t happen again.
A guide to eating out in Melbourne
Beat Eats: A belated introduction WITH FAT PRESTON Welcome to another edition of the monthly special Beat Eats. My name is Fat Preston (known by some as Dan Watt) and I love food. Over the past 12 months I have been lucky enough to go to some of Melbourne’s most exciting restaurants through Beat Eats such as Miss Katie’s Crab Shack at North Melbourne’s The Public Bar, Fitzroy’s fine dining made affordable Hammer & Tong just to name a few. Last month Beat Eats was invited to the 20th anniversary of Elwood beachside fine dining mecca Sails On The Bay (You remember the ad: “Relax, unwind, Sales On The Bay.”). Funnily enough, this was where your correspondent’s passion for fine food began a decade and a half ago as a kitchen-hand. The 20th anniversary celebrations was an amazing night hosted by owners Monica and Derek Fuller with food that included cold canapés of cured salmon with pickle cucumber, the intensely refreshing sesame seared tuna with compressed watermelon and hot canapés like the hearty crispy polenta and slow cooked oxcheek or the sweet/savoury pork belly, chilli coriander caramel. In attendance was a slew of ‘older’ Melbourne celebrities in Naomi Robson, Mark Mitchell and Elliot Goblet, however, also keen to check out the origin of the classic advert jingle was Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller AO who are better known as Client Liaison.
Thunder Road BY FAT PRESTON WITH THOMMY TEABAG
Thunder Road Brewery is an independent local Brewery located in Brunswick with a commitment to fresh exciting brews that contain only the best ingredients and possess a truly unique flavour. In 2014 Thunder Road Brewery has been committed to botanicals, they’re trailing over 100 rare botanicals to create rich and floral flavours. Beat Eats headed down to Thunder Road Brewery’s brewery to chat to head brewer Colin Paige about the brewery’s new recipe for Collingwood Draught. “Internally, as a brewing team we thought it was only a three or four pinter but as brewers we love our seasonable beers so we really wanted something that would pass the, as we describe it here in the brewery, ‘the gallon test’. It was about tweaking the drinkability,” begins Paige. Essentially what Paige is describing is taking a beer heavy set flavour that fills your belly quicker than concrete in a wombat hole to the beer that you can sit on for an entire test match of cricket. “The ingredients are exactly same in that we have used the same yeast, we’ve used the same malt, and we have used the same hops. The core difference is that we have tweaked back the character of that malt. We knew the beer was a little bit sweet and that really effected drinkability for us so what we have tried to do is create a beer that has a lot of same malt characters but also has great drinkability,” concludes Paige on mastering the malt of Collingwood Draught.
Sails On The Bay has just launched their Winter menu that includes dishes that embrace the venue’s bayside location like the spice seared yellow fin tuna (rare), with smoked potatoes, cherry tomato, egg yolk confit and bean & olive salsa ($23.5), but also winter warmers like the ham hock terrine, pear relish, tomato vingerette, baby leaves and grilled bread ($21.5).
Sails OnThe Bay is located at 15 Beach Ave, Elwood VIC. Call (03) 9525 6933 or visit sailsonthebay.com.au for more information. If you would your restaurant or cafe to be a part of the next Beat Eats please contact Dan Watt on 0400 835 422 or email Dan@beat.com.au
“WITH PULLING BACK THE MALT CHARACTER IT IS A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER THAN IT WAS BUT IT STILL HAS THAT AUTUMNAL LIGHT COPPER HUE.” For all those backyard brewers out there now is the time to start taking notes because Paige now delves into the technicality of softening a malt beer for the sake of drinkability. “So we have tweaked back what we call the final gravity which is essentially the malt weight of the beer so we’ve tweaked that back and to maintain the balance we have had to pull back the bitterness a little bit but we are using the sap hop varieties to create the balance in flavour and the balance in the aroma. Poured into a pint glass Collingwood Bitter is a fine looking beverage with a all richness associated with a malt draft. Paige explains that the brewery had to work harder than usual to maintain the appearance but increase the drinkability of the brew. “With pulling back the malt character it is a little bit lighter than it was but it still has that autumnal light copper hue.” Thunder Road Brewery are currently open for membership. To sign up for the VIP Growler Club is $25.
Thunder Road Brewery is located at 130 Barkly street Brunswick. Winter Hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Call 1800 831 817, visit thunderroadbrewing.com or email theperfectbeer@thunderroadbrewing.com for more info.
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Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks BY FAT PRESTON
A Philly Cheesesteak is the ultimate comfort food. You have thinly-sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese in a long roll combined with cheese, onion and any number of tasty food stuffs. Over the past 24- months Melbourne has experienced an influx of eateries selling Philly cheesesteaks with mixed levels of success. It would seem from sampling both the good and the bad that Beat Eats has deduced that the key to a good cheesesteak is freshly cooked steak, rich cheese, fresh ingredients and chilli sauce. Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteak that operates out of Catfish Bar at 30-32 Gertrude st. Collingwood gets the cheesesteak right and also enhances the basic concept with a range of flavour innovations. All cheesesteaks are $12 and come with your choice of American or Provolone cheese, and grilled onions. The menu consists of seven flavour enhanced cheesesteaks that begins with the basic Cheese Steak; Mushroom Steak; Pizza Steak (pizza sauce, black olives, mushrooms); Sweet Pepper Steak (Italian sweet peppers); Hot Pepper Steak (Jalapeno peppers); Hoagie Steak (lettuce & tomatoes); and the Nearly
Philly Vegetarian Chilli Cheesesteak. The reality is that cheesesteak’s are not the best looking meals but as soon as you sinks their teeth into the white hot dog bun and the first rush of melted cheese and thinly slice strips of steak enter your mouth it is heaven. The olives and sauce of the Pizza Steak coalesce with the hot cheese and steak to offset the richness with a profound saltiness that numbs the mouth from the heat of the main fillings. The Sweet Pepper on the other hand is like rich and delicious steak and cheese flavoured desert – yes, that sounds mental but the pickled Italian peppers are amazing. There are two sides that can be ordered with the cheesesteaks and that is either a basket of fries ($7) or at basket of onion rings ($8). The simplicity and the deep fried nature of the sides ring true to the origin
of the cheesesteak – hot dog vendors in Philadelphia. Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks are all ordered from the kitchen window at the back of Catfish from 5pm til late Monday to Thursday then for lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most days you will see the smiling face of chef Sammy Lynch who happily retells the story of how Philly Cheesesteaks came were created. “These brothers owned a hot dog stand, and on one occasion, decided to make a new sandwich using chopped beef and grilled onions. While one of the brothers was eating the sandwich, a cab driver stopped by and was interested in it, so they made him a hotdog with all regular fillings, just chopped steak instead of the dog. After eating it, the cab driver suggested that they quit making hot dogs and instead focus on the new sandwich,” smiles the bearded cook!
Catfish Bar is the perfect home for Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks because the bar is renowned for its boutique beer selection. A tasty beer that is the perfect compliment for the spicy Hot Pepper Steak is the Epic Pale Ale from New Zealand that comes on tap or in the bottles. Sparrow’s Philly Cheesesteaks is located at Catfish Bar at 30-32 Gertrude st. Collingwood. Open 5pm til late Monday to Thursday from 12pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit thebeaufort.com.au or call 03 9347 8171 for more info.
Zambero BY FAT PRESTON
Zambrero Brunswick is a fresh modern mexican restaurant, its focus is to provide a fresh and healthy product whilst supporting the local community and communities in need and of course they have fun while doing it. All of our product is cooked fresh every day from the corn to the Guacamole to the slow cooked meats. They have a large following of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free customers who keep coming back for the amazing food. A huge achievement for this holistic eatery is the Plate for Place initiative where every burrito or bowl you purchase, we pay it forward by helping provide a plate of food to someone less fortunate by working with Stop Hunger Now to help provide high protein, high vitamin meals that help strengthen people suffering malnutrition. Zombero Brunswick is open 11:00am-9:30pm located at Cafe Lane, Barkly Square Shopping Centre, phone 03 9388 1510 or email brunswick@zambrero.com
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Ike’s Rack Shack
BY FAT PRESTON
Carlton’s The Beaufort is a homely venue. Its intimate digs and wild west aesthetic in the dining area, now known as Ike’s Rack Shack, makes it a place you want to spend time and drink and eat and drink and eat and... The Beaufort’s rough cut aesthetic is ironically belied by founder Dave Kerr’s, formerly a high-end cocktail bar man, commitment to high quality food and drink. This week the venue launched Ike’s Rack Shack which is located in The Beaufort’s long room to the left of the bar. The fit out includes all the finishes one would expect in a saloon from a scene in The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and the menu matches this aesthetic perfectly. The centre piece of Ike’s Rack Shack’s menu is the Ribs & Bibs section that includes Pork Ribs (half pound $20, full pound $38), Beef Ribs (Full pound salt & pepper rub $28), Lamb Ribs (half rack $15, full rack $28), Ike’s Tripple Rack Back Stack (All three racks back to back $65), then there is even a delicious offering for those who don’t eat meat in the Vegan Ribs that is a melange of quinoa, corn, jalapeno, vegan cheese and paprika (half rack $15, full rack $28). All
the ribs are smoked overnight in Ike’s deluxe Texan competition smoker from Cookshack and glazed with Bulliet and bourbon maple syrup and finished with a stint on the chargrill to crisp it up. Don’t think for a minute that all the Texan design is a bluster you into thinking the food is legit Texan cuisine. It actually is legit with chef Chris Terlikar having worked in Texas at some of the best BBQ houses in the world. Kerr discloses that securing a highly skilled BBQ chef was paramount to the formation of Ike’s Rack Shack, “It’s a really back to the man cave roots with the experience of eating such beautifully smoked ribs so off the back of that belief we knew we had to get in someone who would do it properly and that’s why we got Chris in.” Pull Quote Other belly filling specials on Ike’s menu include burgers like The Out N Out Burger ($15) that has a rare beef patty, ketchup, tomato, and onion on a
damper roll served with pickles and fries. The sides dishes on the menu perfectly straddle the gap between comfort food and gourmet food with dishes like the deliciously moist and relatively healthy green beans with Bulgarian and almonds ($8) or the artery coating jalapeño poppers on a bed of French beans and fried seaweed ($10). But what is the perfect meal without the perfect beverage? The Rack Shack at The Beaufort has some very special bourbon cocktails including the simply titled Old Fashioned that consists of rye whisky, sugar, bitters and orange peel served on hand-cut ice.
Ike’s Rack Shack is located at The Beaufort on 421 Rathdowne Street Carlton. It is open Monday to Thursday 5pm – 1am, Friday to Saturday 1pm – 1am, Sunday 1pm to 11pm. Call 03-9347-8171 or email tugboat@thebeaufort.com.au for more information.
Choukette BY NIGELLA LAWSUIT
Choukette on Bruswick’s Sydney road is home to the finest selection of french pastries and savouries we’ve sampled outside of a Parisian boulangerie. Big call we know, but chef Nans Wojtczak tells us that even his native French customers say his croissants are the best they’ve ever tasted. So what makes a good croissant? Choukette’s croissants (the house specialty) are crafted using the finest quality butter and ingredients. Glossy, flaky, pillows of goodness, we could eat ten of these for breakfast every day of the week. The selection of macarons is extensive, we recommend you try the chai mint macaron which was the winner in the Melbourne Macaron Competition in 2010. The subtle flavour of chai mixed with a burst of mint makes for a winning combination. New macaron flavours are introduced weekly - when we popped in the flavour of the day was Pomegranate. Nans enjoys mixing local seasonal flavours with traditional pastry techniques to create a truly French and Melbourne fusion. And the cakes...where to begin. Let’s just say we were in heaven sampling the beautiful selection of cakes. Our favourite was the Chocolate Royal chocolate mousse with flourless chocolate sponge and a crunchy layer of praline. A close second was the Millefeuille - layers of delicate puff pastry and rich vanilla custard (basically the fancy version of the Aussie ‘snot block’). If you’re more of a fan of the savoury persuasion, Choukette has a range of lunch options that are sure to please. Hot pies, artisan quiches and baguettes overflowing with ham and french cheeses are all reasonably priced and are the perfect accompaniment to a Melbourne winter. Everything at Choukette is baked daily on site. If you love a good bakery and a healthy serve of gluten, add this Sydney road gem to your must-visit list. Choukette is located at 318 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Contact them on 9380 8680 or visit choukette.com. au for more information.
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FLAP!
By Graham Blackley
“My highlight of the toga party was in fact a Viking. He did some breakdancing!” exclaims Jess Guille reminiscing fondly about her band Flap!’s recent toga party at the Spotted Mallard. “I’m not sure how we got a Viking,” she explains. “We have done a few gigs that have been pretty silly because we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We take our music seriously but we are just honest, daggy people. Our audience are of a similar ilk and so we like to encourage them to be sillier than normal.” Flap!, a lively quintet that features the talents of Jess (vocals, banjo), Eamon McNelis (trumpet, vocals), Nick Pietsch (trombone), Mark Elton (bass) and Ben Hendry (drums), are skilled purveyors of lyrical roots music. Their enthusiastically eclectic approach sees them embracing everything from calypso and jazz to folk and pop while their clever lyrics whisk the listener on colourful journeys rich in metaphor and symbolism. The band’s clever songs traverse a diverse array of subjects that include escaped convicts, funeral plans, the crazy line-racking joys of Tetris, the possibility of renewing lost love at the end of time and the shiver-inducing curvature of the Earth. When explaining the band’s approach to writing lyrics, Guille says, “I guess it’s just quite honest really. I write the songs that I sing and Eamon writes the songs that he sings. Personally I struggle if it’s not honest to me. My parents are big musos [so] I grew up listening to a lot of really lyrical songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Paul Kelly and Talking Heads… [These songwriters] are really beautiful at painting pictures and [have] dif-
ferent ways of interpreting stories.” Flap!’s gleeful diversity of sound is characterised by a refreshing playfulness that perfectly complements their evocative lyrics. Explaining the origins of the band’s approach, Guille references some powerful influences. “Eamon and I grew up listening to the same Melbourne bands,” she says. “It was The Hoodangers and The Band Who Knew Too Much. They have just got a particular brand of Fitzroy something. Well, it used to be Fitzroy in the day but now Fitzroy is not what it used to be. I guess it’s that honesty. They were both bands that were using their own [Aussie] accents which wasn’t that common a few years ago… [both bands] resonated with Eamon and I.” In 2013 Flap! supported The Cat Empire on their UK and European tour. According to Guille, “It was monstrous. Walking on stage at the Brixton Academy was pretty massive. One of my favourite albums growing up was Faith No More at the Brixton Academy…[the audiences] were there to see The Cat Empire so they were really excited. They were awesome. They were
ready to go! Spain – absolutely mental. We couldn’t be heard because they were screaming… [They were] just so alive. German audiences were crazy and fun! The French audiences were really quiet and really listening but they were loving it. I wasn’t sure for a while [but] they were going nuts inside…every country had a different flavour of audience which was interesting.” The positive reaction from international and local audiences is hardly surprising as the band prides itself on delivering a vibrant musical experience that is mutually uplifting. “[Playing music] makes me happy and it makes punters happy,” Guille explains. “A lot of people dance at our gigs. I used to go out dancing a lot to live bands and it’s that feeling of being just along for the ride with a band – it’s a wonderful feeling. I get to give that to people. People are sweaty and smiling and happy. It’s satisfying on so many different levels… it’s just exciting every time. We get feedback after gigs about how much fun we are having on stage…it seems [to the audience that] we actually really like each other
and the thing is we do.” If you are hungry for brand spankin’ new recorded output from Flap! stay tuned as the band is busily beavering away on their new album. “It’s ticking along. Our lovely drummer… has just left us to join Circus Oz so he is knee-deep in circus. [This] has extended the process a little. We’re ticking along and hoping to have something out by the end of the year.” If you can’t wait for the album, it might be a good idea to check out the band live and loud at Stonnington Jazz 2014. To whet your appetite, here’s what Guille has to say about the live show: “It’s full of energy and it’s full of fun. Every gig is different as the guys are such incredible improvisers…It’s a good time.” Who knows, you may even get to rub shoulders with a breakdancing Viking.
Songs Make Me Happy and Archer’s upcoming release. “I don’t think it hurts to chase perfection but I don’t think it’s wrong to let things flow where they flow,” Martini ponders. “Let things end up where they’re going to end up. Like with Archer, when we were recording his record he would never do a take more than once and I would be like, ‘No you nearly nailed it! Let’s do it again.’ He’d say, ‘Nah fuck off ’! He’d only play it once and we’d still be setting up trying to get the mics to sound right and he wouldn’t do it again. I think that’s a beautiful way to approach music as far as communicating with song. He just wants to sing you the song. He doesn’t believe you should sing it again and again. The words become pointless.” The idea of a tight community and slowing down our lives is something that pervades Martini’s conversation and his music. The advancement of technology seems the main culprit with the new ability to pack so much into a day making our real world relationships suffer. Martini sums this thought up perfectly at the end of
his song, The Car, finishing on the lyric, “If the car was never invented, we’d all have better sex lives.” “The idea behind that song is that everything used to be really local,” Martini explains. “If you were a butcher, if you were a carpenter or if you dug holes for a living, you wouldn’t have to dig it more than a couple-hundred metres from your house because you’d only work for everybody in that community, whereas now you’ve got people driving from Rowville all the way to Point Cook. An hour-and-a-half in traffic even though you could find someone in Point Cook to do the same job. It’s just shit. Technology has enabled us to work harder than we should.”
mid-‘80s but the feud began when a hot chocolate was spilled. Well Al*n spilt a hot chocolate on Ph*l*p’s leg and he didn’t want to say sorry. “Then we have Bovril, who is a trumpet player and singer, then James Bowers who is a terrific keyboard player [right keys] and talk-boxer, Zak Pidd kind of a studly backing singer. There’s Louis King, the guitar virtuoso from Fairfield. Jeez there’s a lot of them, I hope I remember them. Then there’s Johnny Bassoon who is a pretty unique individual – he’s a classical bassoon player who is quite a wild improviser – he plays bassoon for the ladies. And then there’s Gary T but he sells PCP so I shouldn’t really talk about him. Gary T plays the drums but I’d prefer not to talk about him.” Due to the intensely hallucinogenic effect of PCP, Leslie now grapples with the possibility that Gary T is not even aware he is performing half the time. “I think the PCP confuses him and he doesn’t know if he’s on
stage or off stage,” states Leslie matter-of-factly. It is this juxtaposition of ridiculous propositions – Gary T does not do PCP and the Starr brother did not have a feud in the ‘80s – and serious musicianship that sees Sex On Toast as headline artists for Stonnington Jazz Festival and Equinox Records at Revolver on Saturday May 24. “I can’t wait to play it, I just hope I remember to thank all the members when I’m on stage or there could be a few awkward silences backstage after the show.”
FLAP! Play the Stonnington Jazz Festival on Friday May 23 at Malvern Town Hall. You can also catch them at 170 Russell on Friday May 30 for the Melbourne Electro Swing Club launch.
MARTIN MARTINI
By Rhys McRae
Last year, Martin Martini launched his own record label, Pound Records, which operates out of an old rundown house in Malvern affectionately known as The Pound. In a past life, the house, precariously located within the city of Stonnington, was a 19th century dairy shed and coffin factory but in recent years has served as a rehearsal space, home or place to crash for the likes of The Cat Empire, Husky, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, Hiatus Kaiyote and artists on the Pound label, Hue Blanes and Archer. That traffic of minds meeting, sharing and playing music together is what first attracted Martini to the estate, where making music was as natural as the cracks in the ceiling. “The beautiful thing about that place is what happened at night time,” Martini recounts. “We’d have people come over for meals and there was a piano and a guitar and we’d start playing music. I was more interested in that, which used to happen in every house 100 years ago. Everyone played music and the way people talked and had conversations. There was no TV so to tell stories, you’d pick up a guitar and tell each other stories. I saw that happening at the Pound a bit. It’s a great idea to build from. I’m trying to make the music really conversational.” In the art gallery halls of the State Library, Martini
stands in his dirty work boots, having just finished a day earning the cash needed to run Pound by digging holes as a labourer. The second title he released was his own album, Vienna 1913, which he’ll be presenting at this year’s Stonnington Jazz Festival. An excursion into stripping back all production values to reveal the music’s raw humanity, the vinyl-only release is accompanied by a 46-page graphic novel of intriguing ball point pen illustrations by Michael Camilleri. It’s not uncommon to hear the squeak of a chair or footstep on the record as Martini chases the perfectly imperfect, with a similar stripped back production going into Hue Blanes’ Sad
MARTIN MARTINI plays the Malvern Town Hall on Friday May 23 for the Stonnington Jazz Festival. More info and tickets can be found at stonningtonjazz. com.au. Info on upcoming releases from Pound Records can be found at poundrecords.com
SEX ON TOAST
By Dan Watt
A dark horse, a diamond in the rough, a hidden gem – choose whatever analogous framing for ‘underrated’ that you want and apply it to Sex On Toast. This Melbourne band is an inexplicably talented nine-headed soul machine that is about to burst out from the unknown. The Melbourne band, headed by enigmatic frontman Angus Leslie, has been doing music for music’s sake for so long that their recent sold-out album launches came as a complete surprise. “It was great! We’ve really just done what we’ve always enjoyed doing and it’s great that people are enjoying and coming to our shows. The Northcote Social Club show reached capacity so early that half our door list couldn’t get in!” What Sex On Toast have always done, however, is play instrumentally diverse experimental music, as evidenced on their debut self-titled album that came out last month. Leslie and co. have gone in a Quincy Jones and Prince-inspired neo-soul direction. This has resulted in the band being seen right in the mix of a Melbourne soul scene that is currently going gangbusters with other local acts including Hiatus Kaiyote, Cactus Channel and Saskwatch. Leslie discusses being a part of this ‘scene’. “We kind of are and we kind of aren’t. There’s definitely some stylistic things that we’re doing that has absolutely BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34
nothing to do with that – the kind of Mr. Bungle-y absurd Frank Zappa stuff we have been doing for years. But there is bit more of soul and funk in our sound that I guess sees us grouped in with those groups, however it is very specific.” The second single from Sex On Toast’s debut album is called Hold My Love, and it is a sultry, smooth soul track that is dressed perfectly with Leslie’s baritone pleading with an unseen lover to accept his affections. So drenched in romance is this tune it drips with humorous irony. “I would never want to get rid of that, I think that it is important to overtly have a sense of humour about what you’re doing. I don’t really like going to see stuff that is completely serious all the time. It’s great to see something that is fun and funny,” explains Leslie. Despite this humorous overlay, Sex On Toast are comprised of nine very serious musicians, says Leslie. “Well currently we have the Star brothers Al*n [Alan on keys left] and Ph*l*p [Philip on bass]. They reunited after a ten-year feud – they did a lot of sessions in the
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SEX ON TOAST are playing Revolver on Saturday May 24 with The Putbacks, DJ Mike Gurreiri and DJ John Bailey. Visit revolverupstairs.com. au to buy tickets and more info. Catch them also at Stonnington Jazz Festival at Malvern Town Hall on Friday May 23.
ST. VINCENT By Jody Macgregor The four women chosen to join the remaining members of Nirvana (Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear) when they performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction each had a different way of seeing the band. To Joan Jett they were descendants, to Kim Gordon they were contemporaries, to Lorde they were history. But to Annie Clark, better known under her stage name St. Vincent, they were idols. When they released the song she covered, the quiet/loud anthem Lithium, Clark was ten-yearsold. Nirvana’s the music she grew up with. “It was just so poignant and special to me to be able to play the song that means so much to me – and means so much to so many people – with the creators of the song,” she says of the event. “Those guys, Krist and Dave and Pat, had not played Lithium in 20 years, since Kurt passed. So to be a part of them revisiting that material and honouring that material was – I hate to say ‘a dream come true’ because ultimately, like everyone, I wish Kurt was still around – but I was certainly honoured that they asked.” Clark may have been a fan, but her own music sounds very different. Her unusual guitar style – experimental, percussive, sometimes reminiscent of King Crimson’s Adrian Belew – is expansive, and grows even further when filling the space of her own shows. She has a reputation for sounding even better live than on her album. “That’s a great reputation,” she says, “especially in this day and age, when it’s very easy to manipulate a record and idealise the record. But then it’s a whole other skill set to be able to perform and actually play the parts on the record and give them even more life. I think for me the songs on the record, that’s just the starting point, and then live they get to take on a whole new life and dimension.” Recent shows, like her performance at the UNSTAGED fashion event, have taken her set even further into that dimension. Clark bounced across the stage with jittery steps, bowed gracefully like a ballerina, and thrust her palms out like a kung fu master. Her highly choreographed stage movements had an unearthly, herky-jerky quality that returned a sense of the unexpected to what is still just a rock show, where we’re used to seeing studied poses of guitar god-dom passed off as spontaneous expression. “It’s all a particular bastardisation of high art like [modern dance performer] Pina Bausch,” Clark explains. “I’m ripping off her, but obviously it looks a lot different on my body. I appreciate that method of working where you’re referencing things from all over the place but making them your own, and I did that with the movement.”
“I FEEL LUCKY TO GET TO PLAY MUSIC. IT’S NEVER LOST ON ME THAT IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO GET TO LIVE YOUR DREAM. AND I GOT TO PLAY WITH NIRVANA.” The members of her live band, including bass player Toko Yasuda and keyboard player Daniel Mintseris, joined in on the action, dramatically waving their arms in synchronised motions or hopping around to the music. These playful moments look like everyone’s having fun, with plenty of shared glances and sly smiles. “They’re not as choreographed as I am,” Clark says of her band. “I’m not fully choreographed by any means but they don’t move as much as I do simply because on a lot of songs they have to remain stationary at keyboards or drums, but they enjoyed incorporating that as well. It’s another way to challenge yourself, it’s another way to give people the best, most considered, produced show you possibly can.” Just because her live show has such a great reputation doesn’t mean her albums are weak. Her collaboration with David Byrne on Love this Giant was a perfect union of their idiosyncratic styles, and the surprising third element of a brass band gave it a sound of its own. Clark’s first album since that project, simply called St. Vincent, restates her assumptions in their most complete form so far. It’s personal – I Prefer Your Love is about her mother, Rattlesnake is about trying to commune with nature by taking her clothes off in the woods then being chased home by a snake – but by opening herself up like this she’s more relatable than ever before. When she sings quotable lyrics like, “Oh, what an ordinary day/Take out the garbage, masturbate,” she’s both letting us into her life and reflecting ours. “I’m glad people like it,” she says simply. “My main thing is that I’m glad it connects with people’s hearts and weaves its way into their lives. I can only think of it from a bird’s-eye view and think of how many records have meant the world to me and changed my life forever, and so to get to give back to that tradition in any way, small or large, is immense.” Critics have been especially impressed, with several reviews giving her perfect scores and calling the album a triumph. It’s destined to feature prominently in the inevitable Best of 2014 lists. Clark says she pays more attention to the reaction from crowds (“I play shows and get fan responses in real time”), but admits that “the reaction’s been great. I’ve been lucky enough to get to refine what I do over the course of four or five albums and get better at what I do and become a more powerful artist. I feel lucky to get to play music. It’s never lost on me that it’s a privilege to get to live your dream. And I got to play with Nirvana.” ST. VINCENT plays Howler on Thursday May 22, Friday May 23 and Saturday May 24. She also plays Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday May 25. WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV
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BRODY DALLE By Shane Pinnegar Diploid Love is a more pop record than Brody Dalle’s earlier Distillers and Spinnerette affairs. It’s dark pop, for sure, and still with a strongly beating rock’n’roll heart and a punkish sneer – but it definitely has a sheen of pop over the top. “Pop over the top…” Dalle smiles. “It’s so weird. I don’t know. I made it under the radar. No-one was looking. I just did my thing.” Dalle’s debut solo album is hardly a star-studded affair, but Shirley Manson from Garbage contributes some backing vocals, and The Strokes’ Nick Valensi, Michael Shuman from Queens of the Stone Age and Warpaint’s Emily Kokal are all on there somewhere. Dalle says the core music was all her, producer Alain Johannes and drummer Hayden Scott recording at the studio Dalle and husband Josh Homme keep in their home, with Dalle assisting Johannes on production. Some tracks are densely layered, but she says that happened by accident rather than design. “It wasn’t deliberate – it wasn’t anything other than time management,” she says with a weary laugh. “I have two kids, so I didn’t have the time to [do anything but] make my record incrementally. If there’s layers, it’s because I’ve been listening to it over and over again, and I’m like, ‘It needs this.’ I would go back in and would put that on it. Yeah, time is scarce for me – time to do anything!”
Dalle makes no attempt to disguise how crazy it is trying to tour, be in a good shape to perform, and have two kids, a husband, a new album and a promo schedule to worry about. “It’s fucking exhausting!” she says, sounding exasperated at the reminder. For a moment she looks like a little girl, but a wave of determination crosses her face and she holds herself together. “I locked myself in the bathroom on the plane and just cried. It’s really hard. We’ve got to get up at six in the morning, and [do] kid shit all day for as long as I – we – can do it, and then we go to soundcheck and we have to play the show. And then I’m amped and wired and I want to stay up and hang out… “Some nights, I drag myself to bed at fucking eight o’clock, and then other nights, I want to just feel like me and hang out a little bit and have that space and that time. But our whole year is like this, basically. When Queens aren’t on tour, then I’m playing.” There’s no avoiding the truth – Dalle sounds tired just talking about it. “I’m really excited,” she affirms, the
weariness showing in her voice. “I’m really lucky I get to do this, but it’s not a cakewalk.” Her energies come from a refreshing place, though: Dalle says she’s loving the creative freedom that comes with being a solo artist now. “Fuck yeah!” she exclaims. “The possibilities are endless. I’m so excited. I made the record in my own time, on my own terms, and it’s like, ‘Well, you might as well call it your [own] name, you know?’” Once a punk rocker, always a punk rocker though – and
any hint that she may have been concerned what Distillers or Spinnerette or Queens fans may think about her solo, poppier direction is met with a brick wall. “I don’t really care. That’s not what [I do]… I don’t sit around making music for other people. That would be an impossibility – you couldn’t satisfy everybody.”
the first record I spent two years working away before people really heard anything. The response to the new record was really quite compelling and drove me onwards to play the songs better and better every night. The response has been how I hoped. I never expect it; I just hope for it when I do these things.” The first single off the album is Cavalier, which McMorrow explains is the most accurate representation of what Post Tropical has to offer. “I chose it because I thought it was the best song on the record, in the sense of letting people know what’s coming,” he says. “I wanted it to be a song that draws a line in the sand, or plants my flag in the ground or whatever you want to call it. “It’s a definitive sound; there could have been songs
that show where the last record was and where the next one is going, before we deliver something like Cavalier further down the line, but I didn’t want to do that. I think people are smart, and I’m not in the business of trying to convince people; you either like it or you don’t, and that’s totally fine. With Cavalier, I thought people will hear it and either be in or be out. If they hear it and understand what I’m doing and what I’m going for, musically and stylistically, then they’ll like it. I don’t want to waste people’s time putting out songs that might be a little bit like something they might’ve heard before.”
Brody Dalle’s latest album Diploid Love is out now through Caroline/Universal
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
By Paul McBride
James Vincent McMorrow’s music is tailor-made to fill big spaces, metaphorically and literally. Luckily for him – and us – an upcoming show at the Forum will allow it to do just that. “I want [the show] to be something that’s not just song, gap, song, gap,” he says. “I want it to be something that flows and gets bigger as the set goes along. We’ve got this really expansive lighting rig that we’re bringing; it’s kind of the fifth person on-stage. Hopefully we’ll bring a booming big set.” The 31-year-old Irishman is no stranger to Australia, having been here as recently as five months ago, but he admits the sudden demand for tickets caught him off guard, in a good way. “I don’t really pay attention to what’s going on in particular countries unless I’m there,” he says. “We were [in Australia] in January and the reaction was brilliant. When we talked about doing these shows, the idea was to do them way later, then all of a sudden I was told things are really good here. About a week after they put them on sale, I got a call saying that the Sydney Opera House was sold out and they were adding second dates. It definitely took me by surprise in the most wonderful way possible. “I mean, I’m pretty ambitious and I want to play places like that, but I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly in somewhere as far away as Australia,” he says. “But then, you can’t predict everything; sometimes things just work. We just finished the US tour, and it was very much big venue to small venue to big venue, depending on which city we were in. I don’t feel any different if we go from 1,600 people one night to 600 people the
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following; I still feel the same. “Obviously [the] Sydney Opera House is a special place; it’s like the Royal Albert Hall or Carnegie Hall or somewhere like that. There’s a resonance that goes beyond it being just another show, perhaps. I’ve looked at all the other Australian venues and they are all stunning and look amazing, so I won’t think about them any differently, and they’re all equally important.” Released in January, Post Tropical is McMorrow’s second album, and sees his sound moving further away from his folk roots in a more soulful direction. “This record was made for people to live with for a while,” he says. “I didn’t expect it to give itself away to people incredibly quickly. “It’s been interesting going from territory to territory and seeing people’s reactions. The first record did very well in Europe, and when we played shows there we could see people starting to wrap their heads around the new sounds and new ideas. By the end of the shows we could really see people understanding it. When we went to the US, people were really into it intensely, and we could hear people singing every word ... with
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JAMES VINCENT McMORROW stops in Melbourne for one night only to play the Forum on May 27.
KONÉ EXPRESS
Bassidi Koné
By Meg Crawford
Koné Express is a high-energy, prodigiously talented, West-African music sensation, borne out of a friendship between Adelaide-born percussionist Simon Lewis and master drummer and balafonist Bassidi Koné, from Mali. The band are on tour now, promoting their debut album, Koné Express – Non Stop. Lewis explains how it all came to pass.
THE RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION
By Meg Crawford
Baba Brinkman is not your regular rapper. For a start, he has a Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature and his show, The Rap Guide to Evolution, examines some pretty erudite topics, taking a stroll through natural and sexual selection and evolutionary psychology. It’s all for a good cause – namely, hailing Charles Darwin as the forward-thinking genius that he was and, respectfully and humorously, putting the creationists back in their place through the medium of rap.
It’s a slightly odd concept for Australians to contemplate, but in the States the majority of folk still don’t believe in evolution. “I started this show in England,” explains Brinkman, “where the theory of evolution isn’t controversial. They have Charles Darwin on their money. That’s part of the reason I wanted to move to the US. The theory needs soldiers and I’m doing my best in these songs. There’s a few reasons why creationism still holds sway in the States. The main one is probably that entrepreneurship and religion is a big thing here. A lot of people make a good living off it. It’s a version of capitalism. America was founded by religious outcasts. The people who were too religiously extreme for England became the Pilgrims. Now they have all sorts of off-shoots – Mormons, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals. “There were real opportunities here for charismatic leaders and it’s been persuasive to a lot of people. I’m exploring how you move people on this. Traditionally, people have tried using argument, education and logic. Maybe an emotionally salient experience will go further. It may be harder for people to feel hostile that way. I’m trying to reach people with art, rather than with argument.” Not that he is shying away from an argument – he’s had a few lately, having taken the show most recently to Mississippi, Texas and Alabama. Tennessee is next. Brinkman is making a documentary while he’s at it, which all sounds like a risky proposition, but he sounds remarkably relaxed about it. “I have a good rapport with people,” Brinkman says. “I’m going to entertain them, intrigue them and make them laugh and do it respectfully. Sure, there have been plenty of heated arguments, but to date, I haven’t been threatened.”
“About 17 or 18 years ago, I was playing drums in a number of bands,” Lewis says. “I used to play on a traditional drum kit. However, I had the opportunity to play percussion in a Latin band, which was about to tour Japan. It wasn’t too long afterwards that I came across the djembe and therein began the love affair. Over the last 15 years, I’ve gone on study trips six times to West Africa. One thing led to another and I have been doing it, teaching and playing it, ever since.” The study trips proved fortuitous for other reasons. “I was in Mali studying when I was introduced to Koné by one of my friends,” Lewis elaborates. “I could see immediately what an incredible musician he was.” Lewis and his bandmates were so blown away by Koné that the direction the band had to take became apparent immediately. “I had an Afro-jazz band at the time,” Lewis explains. “It was a bunch of guys – I’d been playing with some of them for almost 20 years in lots of different bands. We had actually formed the base of Koné Express seven or eight years ago, but we weren’t driving it. We played shows occasionally. We always had fun and got a good response, but when we invited Koné to jam with us, suddenly, it made more sense. We knew immediately that we were on to something great. Everyone was like, ‘Wow, he’s incredible and we need him in the band.’ So, we put him out front.” In context, it makes sense, because Koné is doing what he was born to do and his story is fascinating. “Koné began playing at a very early age,” Lewis reveals. “He was the first son in the family. His father was a musician and his grandfather was a performer. For Koné, this meant that ‘you too will be a musician’. “He didn’t go to school. Instead, he went to festivals and events and played with his father. He’s devoted his whole life to music. He’s a ‘griot’. That’s a French word, but in West African culture it means that he was born and expected to carry on the musical tradition.
When you watch him, there’s so much joy. He’s totally engrossed. You can see why he’s gotten so good at what he does and he does it with ease. In Mali, he’s recognised as one of the best players around. In my view, he’s one of the best in the world.” Koné’s talent is all the more impressive when you consider the band’s meld of genres. “African music works in so many styles and we cross them: jazz, reggae, blues, trance, Latin,” Lewis clarifies. “It’s fun for us as players and we all learn to be flexible. However, for Koné, who has such a strong African musical tradition, it’s extraordinary. Many people find it extremely
“IN MALI, HE’S RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS AROUND. IN MY VIEW, HE’S ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD.” difficult to play in styles other than their own, but he does it and fits in so well.” The band plus Koné are a magical unit. “We made the album in one sitting,” Lewis divulges proudly. “It was five hours in the studio, and we had only played together and rehearsed two or three times at that stage. It was all recorded live. We just let it flow, which means that some of the tracks are longer, but it’s…so good and we just want people to hear it.” KONÉ EXPRESS play at the Emerge in the West Festival on Saturday May 17 and launch their debut album, Koné Express – Non Stop at Bella Union on Friday May 23.
He is also attracting a lot of supporters. “People are super enthusiastic. It’s unusual to be saying these sorts of things down there, so people are telling me, ‘We need more people saying it’, and thanking me.” The shows are well attended and it’s inspiring healthy debate. “The evolutionist brings his creationist friend and then we get some discussion,” Brinkman explains. The show is not just an opportunity to win over creationists. The demographics of his audience have been very mixed, which has the beauty of bringing new things to new audiences. “The show ran for five months off Broadway”, Brinkman explains. “That was an older demographic. For some of them, I became the embodiment of a hip hop theatre performer. One of my favourite things was that I had people coming up to me later saying, ‘I never liked it before,’ or ‘I never got hip hop before, but now I do’. Young people would come, too, because it was hip hop in a theatre and I had them telling me that science was interesting.” The irony of his name is not lost on Brinkman, a dedicated atheist. “My parents were into Hindu mysticism,” he laughs. “I think they were doing yoga with Baba Hari Dass. I was given the name unironically, but for a rationalist to be named after a guru is some sort of cosmic joke.” Although, after a moment’s reflection, he recants. “Babas in mystical traditions were just teachers of wisdom and all I’m doing is collecting pearls of wisdom about science and distributing them.” BABA BRINKMAN performs The Rap Guide to Evolution at the Arts Centre on Friday June 6 and Saturday June 7. WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV
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THE BOHICAS
By Krissi Weiss
Meet The Bohicas. They’re the new buzz band creeping out of old London town (for something different) but don’t switch off yet. This angular rock four-piece have more than just label hype behind them – their music already seems awesome with only a double A-side to their name, and other musicians like them. Weird right? With three quarters of The Bohicas literally learning how to play music as kids, forming a pre-teen garage band at 12-years-old, they eventually decided to ignore uni degrees and embrace life as fulltime musos in the last year or so. Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos happened to be in the audience of one of their earliest shows, liked what he heard and took them for a small tour around the UK and Ibiza. Now there’s an EP on the way, an album nearing completion and the video for their double A-side release, XXX/Swarm, is still absolutely tearing up YouTube views. Things have moved fast for The Bohicas and frontman Dominic McGuiness explains quite simply why the childhood friends finally decided to take this music thing seriously. “I think we grew up a little bit and realised we wanted to avoid real work and play rock’n’roll for as long as we can,” he says. “It’s tunnel vision I suppose.” So how
is he handling the role of front man with only a few serious hours of gigging and press under his belt? “It’s fine,” he says. “I mean, I can’t do anything else so I have to get this right otherwise that’s it for me. We’re trying to deal with it differently, though. We share the rhythm and lead guitar so there’s no single lead player; there’s no Elvis Presley. We also have harmonies so we’re The Beatles I guess.” The last comment is delivered with a wry laugh – he’s no Gallagher brother – he’s actually nice. Unlike the usual career progression, The Bohicas are only just about to do their first run of fully-fledged festival dates and McGuiness is keen to see how the audiences compare with smaller club shows. “We’ve got a bunch of festivals we’re gonna be doing over here in the UK over the summer,” he says. “We’ve done a few small city festivals here and they’ve gone really well. We played one the other day in Leeds and I wasn’t
expecting that kind of reception at all.” No matter how much kudos it gives you, supporting Franz Ferdinand would seem like a daunting way to kick off a career but McGuiness was humbled by the band’s warmth towards them and their continued support. “Yeah it was a real deep end that one; it was so early on for us,” he says. “They were really lovely, though. Alex had come to see us a couple of times in much smaller, crappier venues in London and he just has nothing but love for us. We’ve done another show with them since Ibiza and that was awesome, too.” They’ve got some catching up to do as far as releases go, with a plethora of material written and a burgeoning fan base growing ever more eager for their music. “We’ll have the EP to release, hopefully, before we
come over. We’re recording the album at the minute as well and it’s basically done, we’re just putting the final pieces onto that,” he says. “We’re recording in a place out east that takes about two hours to get there and it’s in a warehouse at the back of a fish shop. It’s not exactly the slick, Abbey Road environment you might think of but it’s really big. There’s this great space where we can play live and actually see each other without having to look around corners or anything; it is a pretty good space in a way. And it’s big enough that it doesn’t smell of fish, but you pass it on the way so it’s not the most appetising start to the morning.”
the view from the stage. “Last time in Seattle, one guy was bangin’ his head against the stage. Someone did a handplant on the back of his head and put his face right into the monitor wedge! SMASH! It’s better than television.” From the beginning, they’ve earned respect not only from punk rockers, but almost any band that add distortion to guitars. Powerfully driving a hardcore sound and borrowing heavily from hard rock at large, bands from Nirvana to Pantera once pointed to this steadfastly DIY crew as influences. “We don’t have a choice,” Lang says on staying true to core punk values. “We’re not commercially accessible in that kind of way. I don’t think a band like Antiseen will ever be on Top of the Pops and I don’t think Poison Idea ever will either. I didn’t think Turbonegro would, but they changed my mind. They’re ready to endorse their line of Turbonegro Levi’s products.” Finishing that thought, Lang’s stung by disappointment. “If you wanna play that game, that’s fine. Just put it back into the community.”
Lang doesn’t see our current “me generation” supporting each other. A punk rock sense of community 30-40 years on doesn’t stack up. “The hippies were cool in a way because they got big pieces of property, built communes and took care of their people,” Lang observes. “I don’t see the punks doing that. I don’t see punks buying acres of land and take care of old punks. It would be nice to see that.” These old punks blazed the trail for young fans today. To give thanks for their service, Lang feels the new guard ought pay at least some of their success forward. “I go around and see that some of the first generation of punks have bad teeth... they’re fucked up. They have medical [complaints] and stuff. They need assistance. Foo Fighters, Guns n’ Roses, someone with money. Throw a couple bucks in their direction. We need to put the idea in somebody’s head. There are a lot of old punks that need help. Seriously.”
Arabic scales… So I just took it from there, playing block-chords and rhythm. That’s how the violin became what it is [with Baseball].” Arabic rhythm violin, you say? “Well, I’ve always been a drummer so that percussive thing’s in my DNA. The main thing for me [in Baseball] is just to sing; the violin’s like a chugging mid-crunch rhythm thing to punctuate the singing. I’ve broken a few of them along the way.” With no plans to play again in the foreseeable future, this gig is being billed as Baseball’s last ever Melbourne show. Is this a Glenn Wheatley-esque ploy to bring in the punters? “No!” Potts laughs. “But as a continuing thing I can’t see [Baseball] happening. We all love to play together and catch up, but everyone’s got a bit too much else on.” So is it beers and tears expected for the final show
then? “I dunno about the tears, but definitely a few beers! And the No East-West Tunnel campaign is a worthwhile excuse to play a show,” Potts says. “The last time we played the Old Bar it was the first ever gig in our current lineup (consisting of Potts, Monica Fikerle of Love of Diagrams, Evelyn Morris of Pikelet and Ben Butcher of The Assassination Collective). That was in about 2005 and we haven’t played there since. I’m pretty keen to get back there and make amends for that first show!”
THE BOHICAS will be at the Ding Dong Lounge on Thursday June 19 with Drunk Mums.
POISON IDEA
By Tom Valcanis
Death punks Poison Idea are the self (and fan) proclaimed “Kings of Punk.” Stirring up trouble for over 34 violent years, the band are finally touring Australia. However, vocalist Jerry A., aka Jerry Lang, is no stranger to what horrors lurk Down Under. “The last time I was in Australia was back in the ‘90s,” Lang warmly recalls. He talks while roaming the weird streets of the band’s hometown, Portland, Oregon. “I played with the Hard-Ons,” Australia’s equally legendary punk rock export. “We did the Big Day Out and travelled around to Melbourne and Adelaide – all the Big Day Out cities. I got to check out everything. On one show I preferred to drive instead of fly. I got to see the Outback and shit, it was fuckin’ beautiful.” During that road trip, Lang “fell in love” with our pretty yet lethal country. The sight that won him over, tourists usually run a mile from. “It wasn’t a beautiful vision or a romantic sunset,” Lang recounts. “We stopped and I was in this bathroom, and I saw this spindly black spider in the corner. I was like, ‘Fuck! Look at that spider, man!’ So I got the guys to come look at it. They’re like, ‘That’s a blah blah blah spider, one of the most deadly spiders in the world,’” Lang deadpans. “Eight out of ten of the world’s most lethal spiders live down there. It’s pretty insane.” Poison Idea formed in 1980. Cutting ten records and touring widely, they disbanded in 1993. Since 1999, Lang reformed the band with varying incarnations and success. He’s seen bandmates leave, come back and even get arrested. In 2006, veteran guitarist Tom “Pig Champion” Roberts passed away. Now, they’re heading to Australia for the first time with a mix of members
both old and new. Long time fans will welcome back Eric “Vegetable” Olson on guitar, rejoining after 25 years. Lineup changes are by no means rare. Difference is, they’re a world apart from acts dominated by one or two “bandmakers.” “All these other bands have big personalities,” Lang says. “I mean, you look at the Dead Kennedys, and that’s Jello Biafra’s band. But when they got Brandon Cruz, it wasn’t really the Dead Kennedys anymore.” Poison Idea are notorious for whipping up explosive live shows, once fuelled by drugs, alcohol and punk rock mayhem. After 34 years of battling addiction, injury and heartache, why does Lang press on? “Revenge,” Lang laughs. “I have a really addictive personality. With booze and food and fuckin’ everything. If people say you can’t do something, you just go out of your way to prove them wrong. There are times when I say, ‘I wanna give it up, I’m tired, whatever,’ but someone will say, ‘You suck!’ and that’s all it takes. I’ll come back and say, ‘Fuck you! I’m gonna do this, I’ll show you!’ I’ll do it just to spite them. But it’s fun. It’s always been fun and I’m still having a blast.” Poison Idea play to more than a few generations of punk rockers these days, usually in crusty dives and sweaty clubs. Crowds packed in to see them are often more entertaining than the act they paid to see. “I get up there and laugh my ass off,” says Lang on
POISON IDEA play the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood on Saturday May 17 and Sunday May 18.
BASEBALL
By Julian Douglas
Perth, 1996: My big sister gives me a CD of Melbourne bands called the TriANtiWontiGoNgOlO compilation, featuring emerging acts like Baseball and Ninetynine. It’s a pretty lo-fi affair, but it’s my first keen-teen taste of the Melbourne indie scene. Flash forward to the present and (with some still-lingering memory of youthful idolisation) I pick up the phone to talk to Cameron Potts of Baseball about their upcoming No East-West Tunnel Benefit gig at the Old Bar, and that long-lost ‘90s compilation. “Oh god, I’d forgotten all about that!” Potts enthuses. “That’s when Baseball was just a solo thing I was doing in my room – I didn’t have a band. I think at the time Laura (Macfarlane) was still in Sleater-Kinney, and Ninetynine was just her solo stuff. It’s weird – given the future that was to unravel – the fact I joined her band and everything that’s happened since then. When that compilation came out we were isolated, doing different things, we just happened to end up on the same record.” Baseball was later reborn as a renowned touring band, but Potts says at first it was just an excuse to hang around Europe between Ninetynine tours. “I just wanted to keep playing – I had a taste for it and it lasted six or seven years. We’d finish the Ninetynine tour, then the Baseball guys would fly over and it’d start again.” Given the international acclaim Baseball enjoy (having played across four continents with the likes of Tricky, BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Mountain Goats) it seems odd it started as an excuse to just hang around overseas. Surely there must’ve been some grander genesis to the violin-driven, proto-Arab-punk stylings of Baseball? “I bought my first violin in Cairo in 2001 when I was travelling around the Middle East with my girlfriend. I just played it and annoyed the hell out of her for four months. I’d be in the bathroom where we were staying and it sounded like I was killing a cat. She really hated it, but she was good about it,” he laughs. “I got back to Australia and started introducing it into Ninetynine sets and it just built from there. “I didn’t really know what I was doing; I was influenced by what was around me when I was travelling. I would just play what I was hearing tonally, but Laura [of Ninetynine] said I was playing some kind of weird
DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION
BASEBALL play (possibly) their last ever Melbourne innings at the No East-West Tunnel Benefit on Saturday May 24. Ten bucks at the Old Bar with support from The Infants, Whitewash and Cabin Inn.
CRUNCH
METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD SHIT
With Peter Hodgson: crunchcolumn@gmail.com
By Emily Kelly: ek1984@gmail.com Hello world! Maybe it’s turning 30 recently or maybe it’s a just a well-timed yet rather long overdue epiphany, but I realised something this weekend just past. After 30 years of obsessive music fandom (okay let’s narrow that to 15 since the first ten were spent blissfully unaware of music, and the later five oscillated between being obsessed with my dad’s vinyl collection, squealing over the Spice Girls and concocting elaborate dance routines to 2 Unlimited so we’ll pretend they didn’t exist), I’m starting to broaden my horizons.
GAY PARIS NEED YOUR HELP Those bastards Gay Paris toured Australia throughout 2013 in support of their album The Last Good Party, leaving a trail of beer, blood and other fluids hither and yon. They need your help to do it again for studio album number three, for which they plan to head to San Francisco to resume their work/drink relationship with producer Sam Pura. You can help to fund their frivolities (and end up with some awesome music and goodies as a result) by contributing to the band’s Pledgemusic drive. There are all sorts of perks available, from various versions of the album on download, CD, vinyl or what have you, to shirts, stickers, lyric books with your name in the liner notes, golden tickets qualifying you to a year’s worth of Gay Paris gigs for you and a friend, a Godin acoustic guitar signed by the band, the honour of having the band party and DJ at your venue, a private gig, a game of Dungeons & Dragons with Slim and W.H., the opportunity to go on tour with the band for a long weekend (including entry, trail, accommodation and the honour of having the guys look the other way while you drink their rider), and even the ‘Hail Satan!’ package, where for $10,000 you get anything you want as long as it’s legal.
CORE
PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP
ANATHEMA TOUR. FINALLY. Anathema’s Australian fans have been waiting patiently for almost 25 years and the innumerable calls and requests have finally borne fruit – Anathema are making their long-awaited first visit to our shores in August. Anathema have been at the forefront of the UK rock/metal movement for many years. Influential pioneers of melodic heavy music, the band’s forwardthinking, intellectual musicianship has earned them accolades such as Classic Rock’s 2010 and 2012 Prog Album of the Year. And whilst their sound and musical visions have continually evolved, Anathema have always remained true to their original goal of creating meaningful, passionate and honest music. Likened to acts such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, Anathema present an aural and visual experience that stimulates all six senses from start to finish. Catch them at the Corner Hotel on Saturday August 23. Tickets are $69 plus booking fee from metropolistouring.com, and strictly limited VIP meet and greet packages are also available.
THURSDAY MAY 15: The Casualties, Big D and the Kids Table, Heartsounds at The Reverence DZ Deathrays, Palms, Foam at Karova Lounge FRIDAY MAY 16: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septicflesh at The Hi-Fi DZ Deathrays, Palms, Foam at Corner Hotel The Rumjacks, Not OK, The Tearways, Coffin Wolf at The Bendigo
Excellent NZ-based hardcore band Shitripper are returning to our shores this month, playing a couple of shows in our fine city. See them on Friday May 23 at Wrangler Studios with Caged Grave, Hailgun, Diploid and Stuck Below. Or head to the Bendigo to see them alongside Party Vibez, Hailgun, Removalist and Atomic Death Squad.
SUNDAY MAY 18: Poison Idea, Batpiss, Clowns, Cabin Fever, Counter Attack at Bendigo Hotel Johnny Craig, This Wild Life, Kyle Lucas, Red Beard at Wrangler Studios
Meanwhile, more pop-punk is headed our way with UK punkers Neck Deep and US band State Champs
The mighty Frankenbok will utterly decimate the Reverence Hotel in Footscray on Friday June 27 with special guests Moustache Ant, Enter Reality (Sydney) and Bury The Fallen. Entry is $20, doors at 8pm. The band is also having a huge merch clearance sale with free postage in Australia and only $9 for all t-shirts. Check it out at frankenbok.bigcartel.com.
WEDNESDAY MAY 14: Strung Out, Unwritten Law, Face To Face, Ten Foot Pole, Death By Stereo, Masked Intruder at The Hi-Fi
I guess live music evolved primarily as a social activity for me. I went to gigs with friends, to see other friends and make new friends. The live music was one element of a grand night out, so if I didn’t know anyone else in attendance at a gig the likelihood of me rocking up was pretty much nil. But recently I’ve caught some of the most interesting bands I’ve ever seen by deliberately avoiding the usual musical and social circles that I so staunchly insisted on operating within for the last decade. Sure, I didn’t have any mates in attendance, and I didn’t know the bands on the bill that well…but it was extremely liberating and immediately made me a little disappointed in my previous behaviour. I feel like the next chapter of music appreciation has begun for me. It might be distinctly lonelier and probably way more sober, but it’s a necessary step in getting a full understanding and appreciation for live music.
Remember late last year when Forever Came Calling were supposed to tour and they canned that shit mere moments before arriving? Now they’ve stayed true to their word and will tour with Trophy Eyes and Anchors around the country. Next hosts them in Melbourne on Thursday August 28 or check out the underage gig at Wrangler on Friday August 29. Tickets are available now.
FRANKENBOK THIS WAY COMETH
CORE GIG GUIDE
SATURDAY MAY 17: Strung Out, Unwritten Law, Face To Face, The Casualties, Ten Foot Pole, Death By Stereo, Big D and The Kids Table, Masked Intruder, Heartsoiunds, Implants at The Hi-Fi Poison Idea, Depression, Kromosom, Hailgun at The Bendigo Johnny Craig, This Wild Life, Kyle Lucas, Red Beard at Coern hotel Max Geos To Hollywood, Foley at Public Bar
announcing a co-headlining tour for September. Sidelines will join on all dates including the Melbourne show at the Evelyn on Saturday September 6 and the Tape Deck Festival show on Sunday September 7 (AA). Get tickets from Thursday May 15. Anchors and Thesis have revealed some east coast dates for this June. They’ve hooked up a neat lineup at Wrangler on June 8 with Your Weight In Gold and Satellites and then the Bendigo the same evening with The Sinking Teeth, Outlines and Brittle Bones. Keen.
GARY NUMAN TO KICK ALL OUR ARSES The one and only Gary Numan – electronic pioneer who has influenced everyone from Trent Reznor to Fear Factory to Prince and The Prodigy to Afrika Bambaataa, Basement Jaxx and Kayne West – released his 20th album last year (called Splinter), and it reaffirms what hardcore fans have long known: that Numan remains a fiercely individual creative force who shows no signs of musical stagnation. And he’ll be here in just a few short weeks to perform tracks from Splinter as well as material from his expansive back catalog. You can catch him at The Hi-Fi on Friday May 30.
TRIVIUM PARTS WAYS WITH DRUMMER Trivium have announced that they’ve parted ways with drummer Nick Augusto, who has been with the band since 2010. Bassist (and excellent backing vocalist) Paulo Gregoletto said in part: “This decision was not one that we took lightly, given the fact that we are in the midst of a tour, and more importantly, that Nick has been with us for almost three-and-ahalf years. We spoke face-to-face for about an hour on the bus – first informing him of our decision to move forward, both discussing the situation and how to precede with announcing it, as well as personally thanking him for being there when we needed him as a tech, and then as our drummer. On stage we all fit well together – I believe we became a tighter and more unified band because of him. There was not a dramatic ending to this, honestly it was quite muted and I’m happy to have been able to speak directly and calmly to one another. I believe we all agreed that what started out great “off stage” in the beginning, over time began to fray. It became obvious that things were not going to work out in the long run. We did not want to reach the point where the differences between us became apparent on stage.” The band’s drum tech, Mat Madiro, stepped in and learned Trivium’s entire set in 24 hours so they could continue their current tour without interruption. No word yet on future plans – hell, they probably haven’t had time to even discuss it yet.
VERUCA SALT SELLS OUT. IN THE GOOD WAY. Holy crap, that was fast. Last week Veruca Salt announced an Australian tour featuring the original lineup (a few hours after this column was submitted), and the Melbourne show at the Corner Hotel on Friday September 26 sold out in a day. Now, I don’t know about you but I had a huge crush on Louise Post throughout my teens and while I’m happy for the band for selling out this show, I’m bummed out for everyone including myself who didn’t manage to get a ticket. Check out the band’s new single The Museum of Broken Relationships, which perfectly recaptures the sound and spirit of their best ‘90s work.
CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 39
MUSIC NEWS
YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE
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ALEX AND THE SHY LASHLIES
WEDNESDAY MAY 14
Alex and The Shy Lashlies have been hanging around for something close to a year now, and have already discovered their own unique vein of brooding psych pop music. The quintet unites around 23-year-old frontman and songwriter, Alex Lashlie, and brings to life his vast and cosmic back catalogue of tunes. A&TSL released 7” Eleven Hours/While You Were Sleeping earlier this year under Pure Pop Records and are currently working on their debut album due out later this year. A&TSL will be stripped back for the SWAGS Charity Event, performing as a celestial trio, accompanied by Jeff May and Etta Curry with harmonies a-plenty. The event kicks off on May 14 at 7pm. Entry is free and donations will also be gratefully accepted.
CHRIS WILSON
Chris Wilson has been an essential part of the Australian blues and rock music scene since taking to the stage with the Sole Twisters over 20 years ago. Stints with Harum Scarum and Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls followed, and by the end of the ‘80s Chris was renowned as one of Australia’s finest vocalists, harmonica players and songwriters, fronting the superb Crown of Thorns. Chris’ performances are filled with his own brand of sensuality and dynamic power and his stage presence, voice and talent are all as big as the country he lives in. This blues icon will be playing two sets at the Retreat Hotel front bar this Wednesday May 14 from 7.30pm. Free entry.
THURSDAY MAY 15
CLAIRE JENKINS
This week the Drunken Poet’s weekly celebration of female songwriters, ‘Wine, Whiskey, Women’ is rapt to welcome Claire Jenkins and Mayia to the fold. Since relocating here from Canada, Claire has established herself as a songwriter worthy of attention. Mayia are a pair of multi-instrumentalists straight outta Deutschland. They tend to leave their audience wondering what the hell they just saw. This can only be good. ‘Wine, Whiskey, Women’ gets underway at 8pm this Wednesday May 14 at the Drunken Poet.
THE MOONMEN
The MoonMen sees Sean McMahon reunited with Downhills Home co-founder Michael Hubbard on bass, with Ben Sullivan on drums rounding out the rock solid rhythm section. Expect killer tunes with a ton of grit when the trio play their debut show on Thursday May 15 at the Spotted Mallard. Entry is free and doors open at 8pm.
THE CASUALTIES
Hits & Pits Festival proudly presents this super sweet sideshow featuring three terrific US punk acts - The Casualties, Big D and The Kids Table and Heartsounds. The Casualties will be in tow with nine studio albums that have influenced and paved the way for so many of the disillusioned and dispossessed. Representing Boston and known for both ferocity and tenacity is none other than Big D and The Kids Table. Not anyone’s token ska/punk band as they showed with the release of Stomp/Stroll in 2013. Heartsound’s take on ‘90s skate punk influences is digestible and addictive, almost making it hard to believe they find their roots in death metal. A big night that’ll no doubt sell fast, so get down early. Entry is $50 and doors open at 7.30pm.
FRIDAY MAY 16
8FOOT FELIX
8Foot Felix are playing this Wednesday night at the Penny Black. Crafted from Balkan blues with a thick slice of New Orleans and a heart that pumps from Mexican ranchero out into the roots of the Caribbean, the 8Foot Felix musical offering is as colourful as their theatrical onstage presence. This year, under the guiding genius of creative director Cy Gorman, they have been digging deep and unearthing fresh gold by the day. They’ll be supported by Tankt this Wednesday May 14.
jenniferkingwell.net/. Doors open at 8pm.
THE FIRETREE
Indie folk darlings The Firetree return to Melbourne on the heels of their brand new single Star Dreamer to perform at the Spotted Mallard, Friday May 16. Entry is free and doors open at 8pm.
HIATUS KAIYOTE
Hiatus Kaiyote will play a farewell residency every Wednesday in May at Howler before embarking on a world tour and releasing their much-anticipated sophomore album. Hiatus Kaiyote defies definition and demands distinction. Don’t miss your last chance to see this award-winning act on Aussie soil before they make international tracks. This Wednesday May 14 they’ll be supported by Sex On Toast. Tickets are available through the venue.
ARTIST PROOF
CALLUM & THE BIG ORDER
SUNDAYS IN MAY & JUNE THE SEVEN UPS
8-PIECE AFRO/FUNK BLENDING 70’S NIGERIAN AFROBEAT W/
tuesdays in may
DEEPEST STREET FUNK!
LET’S GET TRIVICAL
MUSIC THEMED TRIVIA HOSTED BY LAURA IMBRUGLIA MATINEE RES(2 X SETS) FREE ENTRY, WIN BOOZE, MUSIC & FOOD SHOWTIME 4:30PM FREE ENTRY, BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL QUIZ STARTS 8PM
WEDNESDAY 14th MAY
MAX SAVAGE & THE FALSE IDOLS
+ CO-CHEOL
FREE ENTRY, SHOWTIME 8:30PM
SAT 24TH MAY PAPA PILKO &THE BIN RATS +MICK DOG’S BONEYARD
Newly established Melbourne swamp rock band Callum & The Big Order have come together to deliver poignant vocals with country harmonies and an up-tempo distorted blues guitar to create a Robert Johnson meets Led Zeppelin twang. Callum also indexes Creedence Clearwater Revival and Neil Young as inspiration behind his atmospheric sound. Callum was raised in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Europe, and moved as many as sixty times before settling into the musical hub known in Melbourne as St Kilda. As a result of the hustle and bustle of his travelling childhood, he has picked up influences from around the globe and created a provocative brand of rocking swamp-country blues with a psychedelic edge. They launch their new album at the Retreat Hotel on Thursday May 15 with special guests Scurvylicious, and Grace Anechka & Oli Dear (Perch Creek Family Jug Band). Music kicks of from 8.30pm. Entry is free.
Artist Proof are thrilled to release their new single Transformed at the Kelvin Club on Friday May 16. The song showcases the band’s unique, epic, and unashamedly grand musical sensibilities. With soaring harmonies, powerful rhythms, and explosive melodies, Transformed is a new take on the quintessential Artist Proof sound. Joining the bill are Melbourne alternative rockers Veludo, a group of four like-minded souls with a ferocious dedication to music, who have combined forces to create a new wave of revolutionary intonation with a positive, heartfelt and very real foundation. Opening the night are the sublime alternative country soul rockers Saint Jude. Performing as a duo, Saint Jude will be showcasing their unique brand of bittersweet country soul fusion. $10 on the door with a free CD of Transformed. Doors at 8pm.
CITIZEN
Citizen’s album launch has just got a whole lot better with Sailor Jerry and Prince Of Wales coming on board with complimentary rums from 8–9pm. Get there early for a Sailor Jerry and then settle in for a night of stellar rock’n’roll with Citizen, Drifter and The Black Alleys. Music starts at 9.15pm.
THURSDAY 15th MAY SEAN MCMAHON & THE MOONMEN
*DEBUT PERFORMANCE* + THE SCOUTS FREE ENTRY, SHOWTIME 8:30PM
FRIDAY 16th MAY
FIRETREE
PERFORMING 2 X SETS SHOWTIME 9:00PM
SATURDAY 17th MAY STU THOMAS PARADOX PERFORM THE SONGS OF LEE HAZLEWOOD DOORS/DINNER 6:30PM SHOWTIME 8:30PM
HAPPY HOUR $8 Pints Of Craft Beer 4pm-6pm Daily
KITCHEN HOURS
Tues-Thurs: 4:00pm-9:30pm Fri: 4:00pm-10:30pm Sat: 2:00pm-10:30pm Sun: 2:00pm-9:30pm
TICKETS
For ticket sales visit www.spottedmallard.com
314 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40
JENNIFER KINGWELL
Formerly of indie-cabaret darlings The Jane Austen Argument, Jennifer Kingwell is releasing her debut solo EP, The Lotus Eaters, through the label/art collective, Red Like A Fox. As you’d expect from a performer who gave her debut Sydney performance on the Opera House main stage, toured internationally with Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman (who makes a cameo appearance on the track She Never Again Trusted Stars) and received rave reviews for her work with The Jane Austen Argument, Kingwell has offered up plenty of punch in this six track record. The Lotus Eaters features a heady mix of experimental electronica, neoclassicism, punk and art rock and is being launched on Thursday May 15 at the Wesley Anne with special guests Mechanical Pterodactyl and The Kill Love. Tickets are available on the door or get them early at http://music.
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VILLAINETTES
Born in 2013 amidst the ashes of three totally diverse bands, Villainettes create music from a dark and strange place. Their sound is driven by impressive shimmering synth-like guitars, pumping beats of claustrophobia and bass full of hypnotic grit. With influences ranging from The Stone Roses and Joy Division to The Horrors, Villainettes have a distinct energetic restlessness burning in their souls. Be sure not to miss their second Melbourne show. It’s at the Evelyn this Friday May 16. Entry is $10 and doors
MUSIC NEWS
YOUR COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GUIDE
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THE INFANTS
open at 8.30pm.
THE SHARDS
Fresh from their first two tours of NSW as well as Adelaide and Hobart, Melbourne fourâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;piece The Infants have returned with a brand new single Halves (a preview of their coming second EP). Blaise Adamson skips from yelps to whispers, spewing affecting flashbulb memories, while instrumentally the boys bend luxurious and persuasive into harrowing and heady. Having already played support to Thee Oh Sees, Puta Madre Brothers, The Grates, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks and Harry Howard & The NDE this will be one of your last chances to see The Infants for some time before they disappear again back into their basement studio for the winter. Support will come from Blackwood Jack and DJ Kezbot playing till 3am. It all starts from 10pm on Friday May 16 and entry is free.
Melbourne shoegaze/noise group The Shards are headed Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way on Friday May 16. The group recently released their debut self-titled release and are starting to make a name for themselves around town. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be supported by locals Grandstands and King Evil. Entry is free and doors open at 7pm.
SATURDAY MAY 17 CITIZEN KAY THE RECHORDS
The Rechords are playing a big double-header show at The LuWow in Fitzroy with rhythm & blues royalty, Louis King & The Liars Klub this Friday May 16, doors open at 8.30pm and entry is $12.
FLORELIE ESCANO PLAYS ARETHA
Original soul artist, Florelie Escano, will bring you two scorching sets of Arethaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest hits. Backed by her talented nine-piece band that includes a horn section and backing vocalists, expect a soulful yet energetic show to keep you up on your feet all night. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all happening at the Flying Saucer Club this Friday May 16. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are available through the venue.
After spending a triumphant early 2014 making us all Raise a Glass, Citizen Kay announces a slew of tour dates alongside the electrifying fellow scene-stirrer, Brontosaurus rapper Tkay Maidza as well as the release of his third single, Manage. Off the back of such prestigious live sets and support slots including, Falls Festival, Wiz Khalifa, Earl Sweatshirt & Danny Brown and most recently Public Enemy, CK is ready to hit a city near you with the same energetic stage show this May. You can catch the Melbourne leg of the tour at Shebeen on Friday May 16. Entry is $15 and doors open at 8.30pm.
TWO HEADED DOG
Head down to the Reverence Hotel this Saturday May 17 and get hip with the psychedelic sounds of Two Headed Dog, the pub rock scene that is The Supporters, the rock and roo of Australian Kingswood Factory, and to finish off, the swampy metal sounds of The Superguns. Doors open at 8pm and entry is $6.
JP KLIPSPRINGER
This Saturday May 17, JP Klipspringer is taking to the Toff In Town to launch his debut EP Drip Dry. The Melbourne-based artist and frontman of local band The Zanes has been laboring away on this project for some time now, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss your opportunity to see it all come to a head when the release finally launches. Entry is $13 and doors open at 7.30pm.
SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS
At the end of the month, Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats are going underground for a while to make an album. Because they will be gone a fair while they figured they should have one last hurrah in our native Melbourne town. Come get loose on May 17 at Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy, and see Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats play a nice long set with all the tunes soon to be recorded and some oldies thrown in too. Support from none other than the dashingly handsome Oskar Herbig and the Kebab Shop Punch Up. Doors open at 7pm. Free entry.
POISON IDEA
Get ready to witness punk rock royalty. Forming in Portland, Oregon in 1980, Poison Idea has had a huge impact on the hardcore punk sound releasing seminal albums Feel the Darkness, Blank Blackout, Vacant, We Must Burn and their most recent album in 2006 Latest Will and Testament. The more raw-sounding earlier releases like Pick Your King, Kings of Punk, War All the Time and other releases in their extensive catalogue still stand the test of time in any hardcore collection. Poison Idea play Saturday May 17 at the Bendigo Hotel with local Melbourne legends Depression, Kromosom and Hailgun at 8pm and a second show Sunday May 18 with Batpiss, Clowns, Cabin Fever and Counter Attack. Tickets available through oztix. com.au.
STU THOMAS PARADOX PLAYS LEE HAZELWOODÂ
For those who missed out on tickets to the first soldout show, STP are playing the songs of Lee Hazlewood one more time in an encore presentation, this time north-side, at the Spotted Mallard on Friday May 16. Lee Hazlewood is the perennial musical cult hero, best known for writing These Boots Are Made For Walkin', and all Nancy Sinatraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hits. There are many sides to the very special world of Lee, both as a songwriter and performer. The Stu Thomas Paradox presents a decent sample of Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vast catalogue.
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243 Swanston St, CBD 03 9663 2916 Facebook.com/loungemelbourne @loungemelbourne Soundcloud.com/loungemelbourne
WEDNESDAY FROM 9PM
MAY 14TH
TIM MCMILL AN
BLOW OUT
Voted by Australian Guitar Magazine in the 'Top 25 Guitarists of 2013', Tim McMillan will be joined by drummer Crutey, violinist Carmen and sitar/bassist Jarrad, to perform their unique blend of acoustic goblincore/deep smug thrombosis at Ding Dong Lounge Sat, May 17.
Get Busy, Mat Cant & Sammy the Bullet
THURSDAY
RSVP
FROm 9PM
May 15TH
NOISEY presents
HOLLOW EVERDAZE Sugar is the first subtle tasting of what Hollow Everdaze has ready for the sweet future. After the release of singles, Selfish and Ships, and playing shows alongside Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Wavves, and The War On Drugs. Sugar, which was recorded independently in various homes around Melbourne and mixed by Rob Long, is the first single from the band’s upcoming self produced EP I Will Not Fear. It follows Hollow Everdaze’s ever-weaving string of sonic labours; honing in on the true intentions of their craft. Hollow Everdaze are launching Sugar at the Curtin May 17 with supports from Sunbeam Sound Machine, Sagamore and Trophy Wife. Tickets are available through the venue and doors open at 8.30pm.
DOGSDAY
Veterans and legends of the Melbourne music scene, Dogsday, return to their favorite local venue the Retreat Hotel to play two sets of their unique brand of rockin' country surfabilly. Come out of the cold and warm your soul with Dogsday’s catchy original tunes and classic covers from the likes of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Kip Tyler. Definitely a night not to be missed. Doors open at 5pm. Free entry.
Reptiles, Constant Mongrels, Repairs
BROOKE RUSSELL AND THE MEAN REDS
FRIDAY MAY 16th
FROM 10PM
GET LIT D'fro, YO! MAFIA, Thaddeus Doe, Twerkshop Melbourne
S AT U R D A Y may 17th
$10 from 12am
FROM 10PM
~
~
SUPER GRANDE
KIYOMI
Having shot to national fame as a much-loved member of ‘Team Joel’ on the second season of The Voice, Kiyomi is now embarking on an east coast tour with Ben Hazelwood. The tour hits Melbourne this Saturday May 17 at the Grace Darling. Kiyomi will be releasing her debut single Alien. Tickets are available through the venue.
With songs about boozy nights, bad decisions, broken hearts and the best intentions, Brooke Russell and The Mean Reds blend country, blues, fold and swing to appease their love of all things vintage. Culminating in a kitchen in Fitzroy North, The Mean Reds draw influences from swing, alt country and trad jazz. The band is also inspired by the songs of Ryan Adams, Joe Henry, Gillian Welch, Tom Waits and Neko Case. With their debut album, Poor Virginia released August 2013, Brooke and the fellas play B.East for the first time Saturday May 17 and will be joined by the beautiful Ayleen and special guests from The Shotgun Wedding. They play three sets from 10pm. Entry is free.
CC:DISCO!, Moonshine
s u n d ay A M may 18th
$10 from 2am
FROM 2am
60 SECONDS WITH with SUSY BLUE
PLEASURE PLANET Luke Coleman, Toby Mackisack, Harold, Beenak.
s u n d aY P M MAY 18th
FROM 10PM
EYES WIDE SHUT MAY 11th
Harold & friends
t u e s d ay may 20th
FROM 9PM
ta s t e m a k e r s Able 8, Bevin Campbell, Shikung
So then, what’s the band name and what do you ‘do’ in the band? I’m Susy from Susy Blue, the singer, songwriter, keyboardist, flautist and general person-whoorganises-the-things. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? Fun vintage genre hoppers bouncing from calypso to noveau-folk, ‘60s pop, soul, old-world jazz, neo-klezmer and surf-rock. What do you love about making music? Playing music is magical. It’s also pretty exciting to have a song you wrote in your bedroom be on the radio or be brought to life on stage with your wonderful bandmates. What do you hate about the music industry? Self-promotion.
243 Swanston St, CBD Facebook.com/gloriaswanstonskitchen @gloriaswanstonskitchen
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42
If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? I’m the type to get sorta star-struck, but I would love to meet Tori Amos ‘cause I reckon she’d be lovely and it’s kinda time travelling ‘cause I wor-
shipped her in high school. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it and why? It’s kinda unrelated but because I play the flute, the person who wrote the, “one time at band camp” line. I’m cool with the Ron Burgundy yazz flute references though. What can a punter expect from your live show? Lots of eclectic instruments, from auto harp to casio organs, and fun, surprising and occasionally cheeky songs. What’ve you got to sell CD-wise? Why funny you should ask – OUR BRAND NEW ALBUM! It’s called Nobody’s Somebody, produced by Shane O’Mara and I’m pretty bloody excited to set it free. When’s the gig and with who? Sunday May 18 in the arvo to appease the nanna within you. I am exceptionally stoked to have The Twoks supporting. Anything else to add? www.susyblue.net
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JAMES KENYON BAND
James Kenyon is a South Australian-born, Melbournebased songwriter who sings about the Australian experience: the broad skies, passing wheat silos, river crossings, grey suburbs and power-lines, merging memory and imagination in song. Kenyon’s fine songwriting is augmented by gun musicians to form a unique slowgrass ensemble. They play two sets at the Retreat Hotel Brunswick on Saturday May 17 from 5pm. Free entry.
ZEVON & THE WEREWOLVES OF MELBOURNE
Zevon & The Werewolves of Melbourne are a thunderbolt of electric boogie blues. A four-piece welding a sound risen from the haze of the Mississippi delta region, the blues clubs of Chicago and the hellfire streets of Melbourne – it’s a look into the future of blues past, soulful as a preacher, powerful as a locomotive. Frontman Zevon Hiltz is a devastating guitarist with a voice to match and built this band with some of Melbourne’s most formidable players, Yuri Pavlinov (Bass), Sam Cope (Keys) and Graeme Pogson (Drums). The Werewolves will be taking to the stage at the infamous Cherry Bar in Melbourne’s rock city for their EP launch on Sunday May 18. Doors open at 2pm with support from Backward Creatures (3-4pm) and The Werewolves of Melbourne (4.30pm). Tickets are $5.
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LOOKING FORWARD MAY FUCK THE FITZROY DOOM SCENE MY DYNAMITE
It’s been a whole lot of recording and little play for Melbourne’s purveyors of southern rock as the feelgood sextet has been burrowing in and out of the studio of late, manifesting their second album following their very successful debut release and European tour of 2013. The band recently received a standing ovation at Sydney’s Qantas Credit Union Arena after a stellar performance opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd on their 2014 world tour. They play the Retreat Hotel in Brunswick on Sunday May 18 with guests DD & The Damaged Goods. Free entry.
Fuck the Fitzroy Doom Scene has hit the Melbourne gig scene with full force after the raging success of their initial shows at Melbourne music institutions the Tote and the Public Bar. With gigs now lined up from here on in, FTFDS are sure to be a fixture on the gig circuit for some time. Going straight for the jugular these guys are currently making a fully analogue recorded album, no digital in mind. Fuck The Fitzroy Doom Scene are performing May 23 at Cherry Bar. Visit venue site for ticketing info.
60 SECONDS with
ARTIST PROOF
SUNDAY MAY 18 JULES BOULT
Jules Boult is a performer and songwriter that is always reaching back in order to move forward. Mining the vast well that is traditional American music, be it jazz, blues, country, whatever, Jules has a hunger to explore and develop these time-honoured traditions in his own way. The songs are neither fact nor fiction, but stories intended to illuminate, humour and move in equal measure. Catch Jules this Sunday May 18 at the Drunken Poet from 6.30, with Lloyd Spiegel kicking things off at 4pm.
MONDAY MAY 19
Define your genre in five words or less: Epic operatic rock.
HIGH TENSION AND GRIEG
Local hair raisers High Tension are playing a show with Brisbane rockers Grieg at the Old Bar this May to launch Brisbane visual artist and No Anchor drummer Alex Gillies’ first solo exhibition in Melbourne. Once Every 15 Days is a showcase of highlights from the last six years of his woodcuts. Alex Gillies’ work interweaves his love of music with his woodcuts, having created artwork for No Anchor, Violent Soho, Harmony and High Tension, as well as Screamfeeder’s Kelly Lloyd and legendary American record label Amphetamine Reptile. The exhibition will be running from May 23 to June 1 in the upstairs gallery at one of Fitzroy’s favourite rock’n’roll watering holes. Opening night Friday May 23 will also include a very special secret guest set from an act whose album artwork Alex recently crafted. Doors open at 6pm.
BASEBALL
THE KILNIKS
Indie-rockers The Kilniks are going to be bringing their catchy melodies and infectious energy to the Evelyn Hotel through May for their own Monday night residency. With their horn section in tow, as well as the Evelyn’s sweet $10 jug specials and some of the best bands from all over Melbourne coming down each and every week, this is a party you don’t want to miss. Joining them this Monday May 19 is Return To Youth and Dayrigs. Entry is $3 and doors open at 8.30pm.
Baseball, The Infants, Whitewash and Cabin Inn combine their musical forces to play a special show the Old Bar on Saturday May 24. This will be Baseball’s last Melbourne gig as well as being a benefit for the ‘No East-West Tunnel’ campaign. Be sure to check it out. Doors open at 8.30pm and entry is $10.
TUESDAY MAY 20
SHITRIPPER
CROOKS AND QUEENS
Crooks & Queens are a hard-hitting groove and improvisational band that fuses elements of Ethio, Latin and hip hop music. This eight–piece have been playing energetic, dance–fuelled shows around Melbourne for the past 18 months. Seriously infectious horn melodies are accompanied by a rhythm section that lays it down like no other. They’ll be playing the Evelyn Hotel on Tuesday May 20 as a part of their month-long residency. Joining them this second week is The Electric I and De La Calle. Entry is $5 and doors open at 8.30pm.
Formed in 2007, Auckland hardcore/punk band Shitripper have played their own brand of fast, angry, straight–to–the–point music ever since. Led by an intense and layered dual vocal attack, their songs are honest and flat out. They share their sound and energy with bands like D.R.I, Minor Threat, F Minus and Trash Talk. You can catch them at Wrangler Studios Friday May 23, or playing the Bendigo Hotel with The Tearaways, Counter Attack and Hailgun on Saturday May 24.
CASEY DONOVAN
It’s been almost ten years since Casey Donovan was crowned the 2004 Australian Idol. To celebrate this momentous achievement, Casey is thrilled to announce her You Believed: 10 Year Anniversary tour for 2014. The anniversary tour will bring audiences together to celebrate the remarkable journey of one of Australia’s most outstanding Aboriginal performers. She’ll be performing at Bennett’s Lane on both Saturday May 24 and Sunday May 25. Tickets available through the venue.
Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, what do you reckon people will say you sound like? The most obvious influences are Queen and Muse, but I think people would also say there are some traces of Pink Floyd, Sparks, Radiohead, and even My Morning Jacket in there as well. How long have you been gigging and writing? Chris and I have been writing music together and gigging since 2005, so it’s coming up to ten years. We spent a long time writing and refining the sound and getting the music to sound the way we heard it in our heads. Dan and Riggs (guitar and bass) joined the band about a year ago, so we’re actually a relatively new band, despite Chris and I having played together for so long. What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Apart from our musical influences, which are really varied amongst the four of us, visual art is actually one of our major sources of inspiration. We’ve often collaborated with artists, or written songs inspired by particular art works. In fact, our latest single is inspired by a Ricky Swallow piece called Killing Time. It’s an amazingly detailed woodcarving; it really affected us. If you could go on tour with any musician or band, who would it be? This is a tough one, but I’d have to say Outkast in their prime. Apparently they had two tour buses, one was Big Boi’s and it was non-stop partying. The other bus was Andre 3000’s and it was all vegan and clean living. I’d love to tour with that set-up: spend a few days with Big Boi, then detox with Andre 3000, and repeat. What part of making music excites you the most? The whole songwriting process is bloody exciting. Being a part of the progression from some nice chords to a song with meaning and a musical journey is what music is all about. I actually love the recording process too, working hard in the studio is one of the great pay-offs in music, then after sitting in a hot, intense room with the same people for ages listening to the same songs over and over, getting out on stage never feels so fun. ARTIST PROOF launch their single Transformed at the Kelvin Club on Friday May 16.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 43
MUSIC NEWS
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FOX & FOWL
RENEGADE PUB FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Canberra–come–Brisbane-based band Fox & Fowl have released their debut EP to cheerful reviews. As they hit the road this week for an east coast tour, the band present the EP’s second single, Jungle Punch. Jungle Punch kick-starts the self-tilted EP, an upbeat and undeniably catchy summer jam. Fox & Fowl will take their show on the road and will be stopping off at the Toff in Town on Saturday May 24. Tickets are available through the venue or $10 on the door.
ALL GAMES HELD AT AG GILLON OVAL, BRUNSWICK WEST.
ROUND 2 - MAY 18. TOTE FC VS THE ROCHESTER
AMAYA LAUCIRICA
Amaya Laucirica and her band embark on a national tour throughout May and June this year to celebrate the release of her third album, Sway. Following on from the success of her second album, Early Summer, which gained critical acclaim and was triple j’s feature album, Sway combines elements of dream pop, janglepsych, and atmospheric rock to produce music that is heartfelt, blissful and at times edgy. Saturday May 24 at the John Curtin Band Room with Early Woman and Palm Springs. Doors open at 8.30pm and tickets are available through the venue.
ANNIE & BERN
Melbourne based duo Annie & Bern have just released their debut album Here Comes The Love and to celebrate they are hitting the road bringing their upbeat, romantic vintage–pop to a town near you. This duo have an unbeatable synchronicity having played together for over twelve years in various other guises, a clear affection for the sounds of yesteryear and a timeless charm that is truly enchanting. Make sure you catch the sweet, romantic pop and vintage sounds, which will capture your heart from the get–go, as Annie & Bern launch Here Comes The Love at the Grace Darling Hotel on Saturday May 24. Annie & Bern perform two sets, with support coming from Suzie Dickinson. Doors at 9pm and tickets are $10.
OLD BAR UNICORNS VS LOMOND BARRACUDAS THE NORTH MELBOURNE TOWN HALL EASYBEATS VS PAIN (LABOUR IN VAIN) BYE: BATS, GOUGERS
THE DUNHILL BLUES
The Dunhill Blues are the noisiest bunch of malcontents this side of the petticoat. They play debauched rock’n’roll, anywhere, anytime. They are heading down to Melbourne again for the eighth time in four years to play a couple of shows on either side of the city. You can find them on Friday May 23 at the Espy front bar with Midnight Woolf, La Bastard and The Hypemators or on Saturday May 24 at the Retreat front bar with Famous Will & Patrick Wilson and The River Queens.
KINGSWOOD
It’s Kingswood versus the Hi–Fi. The Melbourne rock four–piece take on Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane’s Hi–Fi’s through late May for the Funk in the Trunk tour. Not long since their return from Nashville, Kingswood are set to release their debut long player later this year which they recorded with the epic, Grammy Award winner Vance Powell. The Funk in the Trunk tour kicks of Saturday May 24 at Melbourne’s Hi–Fi with The Bennies and Them Bruins. Tickets on sale now.
EMMA RUSSACK
If you follow the Princes Highway northeast across the Victorian/New South Wales border, as it winds up through the Biamanga National Park and over Corunna Lake, you’ll reach the clear blue waters of Narooma, NSW where our singer-songwriter heroine grew up. Her latest album You Changed Me spans the years of 2011 to 2013 and is aptly titled. It demonstrates growth, development and complexity, but also represents a significant change in Emma’s life: single for the first time in seven years and experiencing all the fun and excitement in a newly found independence. Tracked over four days in the undulating surrounds of Yowrie on the south coast, You Changed Me is a deeply introspective and honest narrative of loneliness, exploration and the remnants of lost love. Emma Russack will be playing Boney on Friday May 30.
JUNE JO MEARES
Jo Meares is pleased to announce a string of live performance dates to celebrate the release his latest album, King of the Crystal Mountain. Produced by Charles Jenkins, King of the Crystal Mountain features the sublime work of guitar virtuoso Jeff Lang and ethereal backing vocals recorded in a church in Finland by an all-girl choir. Jo Meares will be launching the release at the Spotted Mallard on Friday June 13 and at Pure Pop Records on Sunday June 15.
60 SECONDS WITH with ZEVON HILTZ from THE WEREWOLVES OF MELBOURNE
ST.VINCENT
After her first cardboard guitar, teen years on tour, three incredible albums and the celebrated recent Love This Giant collaboration with David Byrne; guitar player, singer and songwriter Annie Clark aka St Vincent, returns with her fourth album, the selftitled St Vincent. With the excellent, new album out now, it is never too soon to find out that Annie Clark is on tour and playing shows in Melbourne this May. She has three dates lined up at Howler, and the first two have already sold out. Don’t miss your chance to snap up tickets to her final show on Saturday May 24. Tickets are available through the venue.
CHERRYROCK
Playing their first show in Australia in over 20 years, Meat Puppets will headline CherryRock014 in AC/ DC Lane this year on Sunday May 25. The Kirkwood Brothers were made famous when just 138 days before his tragic death in 1993, Kurt Cobain invited them to perform with him on MTV Unplugged, Nirvana also covered three classic Meat Puppets’ songs, Plateau, Oh Me and Lake of Fire. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Meat Puppets massively influenced Nirvana as well as the likes of Pavement, Soundgarden and Dinosaur Jr. and although they started as a punk rock band, they evolved a style of their own that blended punk with country and psychedelic rock. CherryRock014 in Melbourne is the eighth CherryRock festival and will take place Sunday May 25 from 12pm till 9.30pm, with 13 acts playing across two stages and best of all, no clashes. Other confirmed first–round acts include Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, King of The North, Beastwars (NZ), Drunk Mums, Child, Bitter Sweet Kicks, The Harlots and Don Fernando. Tickets available at cherrybar.com.au.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 44
Define your genre in five words or less: Electric swamp blues-funk! What can a punter expect from your live show? Four mates channeling their inner blues soul and delivering a raw, uncut performance of era-crossing sounds that would have the blues gods grooving. What inspires or has influenced your music the most? I’d have to say my bass-playing father, as he brought me into the world of music at a very young age. I was put on the drums at around age five and then eventually I would study guitar. He was playing albums to me from the likes of Steely Dan to Jimi Hendrix, Cream to Frank, Buddy Guy to ZZ Top, the list goes on. We’re also influenced by the juggernaut of amazing musicians that Melbourne has to offer! What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Be well rehearsed, have a good connection internally,
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be able to write clever catchy songs in the genre, record and play the tunes live like your life is on the line! Have a great social media infrastructure in place, keep pushing the limits of your playing, tour the world, all in all enjoy what you’re doing and hope at least one per cent of the world does too! Do you have any record releases to date? What are they and where can I get them? The Werewolves of Melbourne just put out their debut EP titled, Black Diamond Ring. You can buy it online digitally through bancamp.com or come to one the bands live shows and pick yourself up a hard copy. Where would you like to be in five years? Touring the world as a recognised artist, ideally receive a call from Eric Clapton and asked to play at his Crossroads festival in the states with the Werewolves of Melbourne! When are you releasing Black Diamond Ring? Our next show is this Sunday May 18 for the EP
SLIM JIM PHANTOM
By Meg Crawford
Slim Jim Phantom, the charismatic stand-up drummer, is famous in his own right. It’s not overstating it to say that he’s the godfather of modern rockabilly. To put it in context, he made his name as the drummer for the Stray Cats, the band which pretty much single-handedly saved rockabilly from obscurity at the onset of the ‘80s. Since then, while still performing with the Stray Cats intermittently, he’s had some extraordinary side projects, including Head Cat alongside Lemmy, and Kat Men with Darryl Higham, Imelda May’s guitarist. Along the way he’s also managed to play with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Keith Richards, amongst others. It’s all a veritable who’s who of rock’n’roll royalty. Slim Jim’s not a name dropper though. He’s a modest, hard-working dude, who’s had a fascinating life and long-standing love affair with rockabilly. “We [Stray Cats’ Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker] were playing together since school and we were looking for something different,” Phantom recollects. “The first time I became aware of it was when I heard Elvis’ Blue Moon Of Kentucky on a jukebox in a club we were playing at. It had a profound effect on me. Rockabilly rocks and swings at the same time – it has a sound and a style built into it. There was also room for us to put our own interpretation on it.” Phantom was only 18 when the Stray Cats formed and by the time he was 21 they were on tour supporting the Rolling Stones. You might think this’d be daunting, but really it was the product of a hard slog. “It was a great experience,” he smiles. “We were really excited, but we were also really ready. By the time we started and played with the Stones, we had already done 500 shows. We went to England in June 1980. We initially were knocking on doors and homeless for a bit, but by the time 1981 came around we had been playing five nights a week, four sets a night. We were very good at it. So while we were excited and honoured, we were definitely prepared. It certainly wasn’t luck. It was a combination of opportunity and preparation. “It’s now 30 years later,” he continues, “and as a drummer in this very special thing, I can still make a living. It’s unusual for a drummer not to be anonymous. Also, we touched a raw nerve at a young age and it turns out
that it’s not been a flash in the pan. If you told me back then how my life would turn out and who I would get to play with, I would have sold my soul and signed on the dotted line right there and then, even if the deal was that it would last for only five years.” As an expert proponent of the genre, it’s only apt that Phantom has a podcast devoted to it called The Big Beat, which goes out live. “I cover a lot of crazy people,” he laughs. “I talk about rockabilly and the ABCs of it, but I also get into some obscure stuff.” At the end of the day, it’s clear that Slim Jim Phantom’s only concern is to make other people love rockabilly just as much as he still does. SLIM JIM PHANTOM plays at Ding Dong Lounge on Thursday June 12, with special guests The Fireballs. Check out his weekly podcast, The Big Beat, at tradiov.com
THE CAIROS Jody Macgregor Back in 2012, Brisbane band The Cairos released a well-received EP called Colours Like Features, but they took their time following up on it with an album. The band’s frontman Alistar Richardson says they wrote over 100 songs before settling on the ten that would make the final cut for that album, Dream Of Reason. Even after recording it, they’re still writing new ones. “There’s probably been 100 now since the album’s been written as well,” he says. “It’s constant, we just always write music.” Dream Of Reason’s producer Nick DiDia, who has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Rage Against The Machine, had plenty of work sifting through those songs to help them decide which were their best. “It was very good of him,” Richardson says. “He listened to all the demos, which would have been a very daunting prospect for someone to do. So he also came up with his idea of what he thought our best sound was, and how we could come up with an album that really flowed. Luckily his ideas were really similar to ours. I think we all wanted an album that sounded a bit more mature and a bit more – I guess ‘dark’. Not necessarily dark as in ‘evil’ dark, but just a bit more mature.” They’ve succeeded there. Where in the past their sound stayed firmly within the bounds of catchy, upbeat indie pop-rock, Dream Of Reason includes songs like ‘Insane’, a yearning piano ballad worthy of Eels, ‘Fear Of Madness’, which continues the theme of fragile mental health, and a conclusion called ‘Perspective’ that’s a tale of heartbreak more downtempo and bleak than anything else they’ve done. “All of us love melancholy music, we always have,” says Richardson. “We love pop music as well, but I think there’s something really powerful in melancholy music that a lot of people really relate to. A lot of our favourite albums are those albums you can listen to, not just in a car driving along, but you can listen to in your headphones in bed, you can really take it in. Having something like that where you can really listen to it, go through the whole thing and feel a little bit more involved with the lyrics, was definitely one of the ideas.” Those melancholy cuts are contrasted with tracks like ‘Good Day’, a song cheerful enough to do Ice Cube proud – all stress-free adventure and enjoyment. “‘Good Day’ is kind of meant to be, ‘We’re still here, we’re gonna keep doing this.’ And ‘Good Day’ is more of a ‘we as a band’ song, an encouragement. Everything’s
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all right, we’ll keep on doing it. I guess it is a bit of a journey, just not intentionally one we were writing.” Although ‘Good Day’ slots easily into The Cairos’ live show, the more downbeat new songs will be a trickier fit. “We haven’t done ‘Perspective’ or ‘Insane’ yet, maybe for club shows they weren’t too appropriate, but we’ll nut them out on the album tour,” Richardson says. Touring with pop-soul band The Holidays recently wasn’t the ideal environment for testing an acoustic ballad about tragedy. Like the album, The Cairos’ new shows will have to find a way to mature. “If you’re in a club environment, if you start to play the acoustic really quiet and there’s two verses of quiet, and if you can just hear people talking and yelling and stuff, it’s not really gonna work. It’s got to be your own show where people are watching, I think, for us to pull that off.” THE CAIROS launch their latest album Dream Of Reason at Ding Ding Lounge on June 28, alongside very special guests Nova Heart from China.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 45
ALBUM OF THE WEEK HUE BLANES
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46
Hue Blanes has been a keysman about town for the better part of ages, playing with, among other institutions, The Bamboos, The Melodics, The New Black, The Harry James Angus Band. Now, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stepping out on his own with Sad Songs Make Me Happy, a record of original material that wears Blanesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heart on its sleeve, and showcases just how many chops one man at a piano can have. Built around the keys, the twelve tracks on this record range from darkly surreal ballads such as Blackburn Rd to whimsical almost-lullabies to psychedelic grooves where synth and drums circle each other like knifefighters in Pale Song. The arrangements and production are immaculate, but Blanes is at his best unadorned at the piano, unfolding his melancholic musical arrangements like origami. As a songwriter, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to fault him â&#x20AC;&#x201C; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everywhere at once, flitting from the unembarrassed romanticism of Chet Baker to the playful lyricism of LCD Soundsystemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s James Murphy, to the soaring rawness of Rufus Wainwright with a touch of Sinatra creeping in the edges. Lyrically, he blends whimsy, horror and suburban angst in crooners like Ann-Marie and marries plaintive lyrics to hopeful jazz riffs for a Gershwinny lift on Mumma Let Me Go. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a touch of the old school frontman here; Blanesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voice is equally fine sneaking across a minor chord or belting out a coda at an octave that would give most troubadours testicular cancer. He can sing, and does so with a certain retro charisma â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just climbed out of a bi-plane on his way to the studio. Easy to listen to, but deceptively deep and interesting,
SINGLES
RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN Sad Songs Make Me Happy is an accomplished record that defies easy categorisation. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call it: hopeful dolewave? Normcore baroque? In any case, this is an excellent, eccentric record for a songwriter that shines even in this age of boutique eclecticism; everyone is into everything, but Blanes has managed to craft something unique from the disparate worlds of suburban ennui and musical hope. ARKADY LUBOVNIK BEST TRACK: Mumma Let Me Go IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL LOVE THIS: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, HARRY JAMES ANGUS, that one ballad by LCD SOUNDSYSTEM. IN A WORD: Blanesey
BY LACHLAN
For all the latest singles check out beat.com.au *BROKE MY DANG IPHONE 5C SCREEN OVERZEALOUSLY DOUBLE-TAPPINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ALL THESE VINTAGE YUMMY MUMMIES ON INSTAGRAM!
STRAIGHT ARROWS
Petrified (Rice Is Nice) Straight Arrowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new jam is fully sick when the riff kicks up a notch in the bridge. Thing is, it only happens three times, and not for very long â&#x20AC;&#x201C; little spikes of energy emerging from a K-hole of fucking bland Australian garage. Not terrible by any means, just plain uninteresting. Hopefully there is magic to be found elsewhere on Rising, the upcoming full-length followup to the killer Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Happening.
RAT & CO
Vocal Insanity (Caroline) Floating just atop the glut of guitar-adorned local electronica, Vocal Insanity eases tape eeriness into hip hop beats for a comforting mellow buzz. Lacks a little personality when the squeaky clean, reverb-y licks kick in.
the start of Your Mouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found footage clip. Fishing have been listening to too much Animal Collective. Trite indie schlock. Into the bin!
TOTAL CONTROL
Expensive Dog (Independent) Expensive Dog is the second track released from Total Controlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming album Typical System. Like the preceding Flesh War, Expensive Dog is a really fucking great track with an outright fucking corker of a chorus. Huge walls of oppressive riffs snap back into a chugging punk bark. Apocalyptic. If Typical System isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your most anticipated release of the year, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not paying attention.
DARK FAIR
Poison (Independent) Both spritely and darkly, Melbourne-via-Brisbane duo Dark Fair channel a potent strain of sparse, emotive rock, similar to that of EP You Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Be Mineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest bassist, Adalita. Chiming guitars and tremulous vocals cut through as relentless hi-hat action develops a sense of urgency. EP launch at Old Bar, Saturday May 31.
CHIPS RAFFERTY
Big Eyes (Independent) The rhythm-section-heavy instrumentation on Big Eyes manages the elusive feat of sounding pretty damn tasty while not really aligning with any current oversaturated trend, resembling something like J Mascis with his Jazzmaster through the clean channel. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough to compensate for some fairly clunky lyrical assonance. Still, the promise is there, with the Australiana fetishisms (from the band name to the Robert Forster-esque vocals) dealt in fair, digestible measure.
FISHING
Your Mouth (Create/Control) Fishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out-of-focus stylistic vision still manages to produce passable results most of the time, but here we have an outright stinker in Your Mouth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been listening to too much Def Leppard,â&#x20AC;? states the brat at
1. Gravity Wins AGAIN I, A MAN 2. Drop THEE OH SEES 3. Do To The Beast THE AFGHAN WIGS 4. Luminous THE HORRORS 5. Nun NUN 6. Grids TEETH AND TONGUE 7. The 3rd EP LACE CURTAIN 8. The Space Project THE SPACE PROJECT 9. With Light And With Love WOODS 10. Psychic 9-5 Club HTRK
HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN 1. Live At Montreux RSD LP ALICE COOPER 2. Peace On Venus LP BARDO POND 3. Agents Of Fortune LP BLUE OYSTER CULT 4. Studio Albums LP Box Set THE CLASH 5. Blow Up LP SOUNDTRACK 6. Get The Hell LP SUPERSUCKERS 7. Warpaint 3LP THE BLACK CROWES 8. Live Rockpalast 1995 3LP RAINBOW 9. Let It Come Down 7â&#x20AC;? BLOOD CEREMONY 10. Switzerland 2003 3LP JETHRO TULL
PBS TOP TEN 1. Brightly Painted One TINY RUINS 2. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gone UPSET 3. Live At The Wheaty JORDIE LANE 4. Ripatti 04 VLADISLAV DELAY VS. TEETH 5. Acid Rain & Sugar Cane WAGONS 6. Sad Songs Make Me Happy HUE BLANES 7. Little Bastard LITTLE BASTARD 8. Fearful Wiggins DAVE GRANEY 9. Belmar Records Top 10 Vol. 2 VARIOUS ARTISTS 10. The Bitter Suite PAUL GRABOWSKY SEXTET
3RR SOUNDSCAPE 1. Brightly Painted One TINY RUINS 2. Nikki Nack TUNE-YARDS 3. Takes One To Know One GRAVEYARD TRAIN 4. Arcadia RAMONA LISA 5. The Sleeper CAITLIN PARK 6. So We Can Remember THUNDAMENTALS 7. Turn Blue THE BLACK KEYS 8. Yellow Memories FATIMA 9. Magnetica QUANTIC 10. My World Was Made For You THE ICYPOLES
BEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOP TEN DUETS
CHVRCHES
Strong Hand (Goodbye/Liberator) Pretty sure a CD single of every damn track from Chvrchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; debut LP has landed in my postbox in the past year. Strong Hand doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let its bonus track status stop it from joining the singles fray, and fair enough â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely stronger than much of the LP proper. The twists from minimal electro into cheesy bombast into up-tempo power pop create a dynamic more inviting than the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-out, overwhelming bangers.
SYN SWEET TOP TEN 1. 9 Dead Alive RODRIGO Y GABRIELA 2. Mink Mussel Manticore MINK MUSSEL CREEK 3. June ALBERT SALT 4. I Want U ALISON WONDERLAND 5. Oversight GAZAR STRIPS 6. Blue Movie LOWTIDE 7. Be There (Kasiorama Remix) PERTER FRANCIS FT OJ ANDERSON 8. Adjustable Value SONS OF RICO 9. Lilac In Hand AMEN DUNES 10. Cold As Ice CLAP CLAP RIOT
Sad Songs Make Me Happy (Pound Records) %$5Â&#x2021;%$1' 5220Â&#x2021;%277/(6+23
TOP TENS:
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
GUERRE
Deatheat (Yes Please/Remote Control) A master of understated sensuality, Sydney producer Guerre offers a deft, polyrhythmic first taste of upcoming LP Ex Nihilo in Deatheat. The track navigates a snaking groove with subtly pounding ambience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hinting toward coital release without straying beyond foreplay. A forwardthinking percussive delight.
WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES... BEAT.COM.AU/TV
1. Nuttinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; But A G Thang SNOOP DOGG & DR DRE 2. Girl Is Mine PAUL MCCARNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON 3. All I Have JENNIFER LOPEZ & LL COOL J 4. Picture SHERYL CROW & KID ROCK 5. Where You Are JESSICA SIMPSON & NICK LACHEY 6. Especially For You KYLIE MINOGUE & JASON DONOVAN 7. Regulate WARREN G & NATE DOGG 8. Almost Here DELTA GOODREM & BRIAN MCFADDEN 9. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Real JENNIFER LOPEZ & JA RULE 10. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Hold Us Down CHRISTINA AGUILERA & LIL KIM
ALBUMS
NEW MUSIC IN REVIEW THIS WEEK
For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews
IN HEARTS WAKE
THE BLACK KEYS
Earthwalker (UNFD)
Turn Blue (Nonesuch Records Inc.)
If punchy, melodic metalcore is what you’re after, then you have come to the right place. After their 2012 debut, Divination catapulted In Hearts Wake into the Australian scene, the expectations surrounding its follow-up were always going to be huge. Luckily, the band delivered. On Earthwalker, inspired by the Killen Falls in Northern NSW, the Byron boys lead with their passion for planet Earth and the aim of changing the mindset of us ‘earthwalkers’ in a bid to protect and conserve Mother Nature, while also showing a growing technical complexity and courage to step out of the box. The record is a huge step forward for the band, but at times their reliance on typical genre habits could almost force them to get lost in the crowd. However, their instrumentation and intricate layering add a sense of individuality to their sound – a characteristic needed in such a saturated genre. The metalcore formula they have adopted does work in their favour, especially the growing strength between their dual vocalists. The juxtaposing clean and unclean vocal team of Jake Taylor and Kyle Erich adds a clashing of sounds throughout, helping to balance out the ambient to heavy nature of the record. In comparison to their debut, Earthwalker, while still remaining genre-safe, proves that the band have become a lot more comfortable in creating their own structures and trying new things. Though Earthwalker and Divine fall into the standard metalcore formula – relying on multiple big breakdowns and at times overworking the high-pitched clean versus unclean vocal battle – these tracks continue to prove that In Hearts Wake are looming for a top place in the genre. What really shines on this record though is the atmosphere of tracks such as Wildflower and Rebirth that break through the heaviness for brief moments of tranquillity, and show that this band can do a whole lot more within the genre. BEST TRACK: Gravity The album may not show anything drastically new, but In IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS: THE Hearts Wake do present their message in a way that forces AMITY AFFLICTION, NORTHLANE, DREAM you to listen, hopefully leaving you at least rethinking some ON DREAMER part of your actions. IN A WORD: Thought-provoking GLORIA BRANCATISANO
What do you do after you release an album as critically acclaimed and commercially successful as The Black Keys’ last album, the breakout hit El Camino? Release an even better one that also sees the band return to their roots. Turn Blue doesn’t have a radio-ready hit like Lonely Boy or Gold on the Ceiling, yet the album is more solid across the board than its predecessor, with quality oozing out of all eleven tracks. It doesn’t appear that The Black Keys have intentionally stopped their chances of getting commercial radio play with this album – now that they’re on the average person’s radar they probably still will get that air time. It just sounds more like their previous albums, and there sure as hell ain’t nothing wrong with that. The southern American style of rock’n’roll is still here in plain view, however it isn’t turned up to eleven this time. Lead single Fever was released last month and underwhelmed some punters who were clearly hoping for something bigger – the track sees the band playing within themselves from a sonic point of view. Give it a few listens and it’s sure to grow on you. Hidden away as the final track, Gotta Get Away is the closest thing to a commercial hit, its buzzy guitars, thumping drums and Dan Auerbach’s catchy vocals and left-of-centre lyrics make it undeniably the most memorable track of the album from the first spin. In Time is ethereal in its sound and the song benefits from BEST TRACK: In Time the experimentation, while title track Turn Blue sounds like IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS: BLACK The Zutons, in a good way. REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, THE WHITE Following up a breakout album is never easy, and the Ohio STRIPES, CAGE THE ELEPHANT duo have navigated those treacherous waters with class. IN A WORD: Excellent ALEXANDER CROWDEN
THE AUDREYS
KEVIN DREW
‘Til My Tears Roll Away (ABC)
Darlings (Create/Control; Arts & Crafts) The last we heard from Broken Social Scene ringleader Kevin Drew as a solo artist was Love vs Porn, a contribution to 2009’s Dark Is The Night compilation. Themes of sensual escapism continue on the first two tracks of the Banff-recorded Darlings, the rather self-explanatory Body Butter and Good Sex. This new run of songs aren’t simply about getting it on, however, with layers beneath the carnal facade pulled back to reveal a greater complexity on what is Drew’s most personal album. The ‘Broken Social Scene presents...’ tag from his previous solo album has been ditched and Drew’s vocal is now wonderfully exposed without the busy, grandiose surrounds of his former band. There’s considerably less guitar across this collection of mostly mid-tempo tracks, replaced by brittle keys and warm synths that recall the ambience and nostalgia of the self-titled Broken Social Scene debut. The casual vocal delivery and leaner sounds are underpinned by a simmering energy best displayed on the disparaging Bullshit Ballad and the BEST TRACK: You In Your Were Fiest-guested highlight You In Your Were. IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS: The Hour of ‘Mature’ can often be a codeword for dull, but not in the case Bewilderbeast BADLY DRAWN BOY, You Forgot It In of Darlings. It lacks the bombast of Broken Social Scene and People BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE that’s not necessarily a bad thing. IN A WORD: Sexed-up CHRIS GIRDLER
THE PERCH CREEK FAMILY JUGBAND
Jumping On The Highwire (Vitamin Records)
THE HORRORS
Luminous (XL Recordings)
To say that The Horrors have come a long way since their 2007 debut Strange House and all that big hair and goth make-up is putting it very mildly. Having become the darlings of the British music press, expectations were high for their fourth long player after the success of Primary Colours and 2011’s Skying. Luminous allays any fears that this album would be anything other than brilliant from opening track Chasing Shadows; a sprawling aural soundscape that channels early Kasabian with a unique Horrors twist. First Day of Spring is a more direct track, conventional in many ways, but then again for any readers not familiar with the band, there isn’t much about The Horrors that is conventional. They push boundaries sonically, and meld genres together at will. So Now You Know is an album standout, sounding more polished than most songs you’ll hear this year, yet at the same time managing to sound completely different to anything you’ve got on your iPod, too. Faris Badwan’s vocals are smooth and familiar and complement the cinematic musical approach of the track beautifully. In and Out of Sight again sees the band challenging their own sound, and unsurprisingly given how good this album is, to great effect. Jealous Sun pays homage to the progressive bands that have come before them with its more traditional rock feel. Luminous is a tremendous record, one of those albums you BEST TRACK: So Now You Know hear and it reminds you just how exciting, liberating and IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS: TAME altogether different music can still be. IMPALA, BABYSHAMBLES, TEMPLES IN A WORD: Stellar ALEXANDER CROWDEN
THIS WEEK
This is the second studio album from this lovable Melbourne troupe, and it’s an incredibly infectious, knee-slapping blend of country, rock, roots and folk. Party On The Farm sounds exactly as the name suggests. The male/female dynamic is fun and they synchronise well for the short and sweet chorus. Big Things Calling incorporates a simple banjo twang to tell a soft country yarn, and is beautifully backed by a sweeping violin. Produced with an old Casio keyboard, the album’s first single Where You Been has that Southern country crackle that makes you want to get down and dirty. Mother Of My Mother is straight from a Coen Brothers’ film. It starts slow before breaking into a neat little ditty, backed by percussion, keys and a banjo. The Great Unknown feels a little lacklustre after the fast-paced momentum built early on but Bitchin’ Betty Lou picks up the pace again with a fun little rockabilly, bass-filled number. Watch ‘Em Run is playful but doesn’t carry the same spark and while Something In The Valley returns to the smooth country sound, it fails to pack the emotional punch of track #2, Big Things Calling. Luckily, all is restored with the final two tracks. Why’d You Do That For is a fun, big-band brouhaha, with trickling BEST TRACK: Where You Been piano and a fantastic brass section. It’s like something you’d IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS: C.W. hear in a packed New Orleans jazz bar. Carper Catinach STONEKING, KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS, is a strong one-man show influenced by Dixieland jazz, EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC which will leave you sitting with a big smile on your face. ZEROES IN A WORD: Infectious CHRIS BRIGHT
WEEK AFTER
TUES 13TH
TUES 20TH
W SHIT SEX + THE JACKS
W/ GZUTEK, HOODWOLF + MUDHOUNDZ
RAD NAVAJO
MO, MAXI & LOUIS FRI 23RD FULL UGLY
SPERMAIDS THURS 15TH
EP LAUNCH + GUESTS FRI 16TH
27/5 BEN SALTER (THE GIN CLUB)
WED 21ST
29/5 COOPERS PRESENTS… BRISTISH INDIA + THE PRETTY LITTLES 1/6 THE ELECTRIC GUITARS
‘RECORD LAUNCH’ W/ BITCH PREFECT, TOTALLY MILD + MOON DICE
SAT 17TH
AMAYA LAUCIRICA
SAT 24TH
HOLLOW EVERDAZE
‘SWAY’ RECORD LAUNCH W EARLY WOMAN + PALM SPRINGS
SUN 18TH
THE SLIMS W/ THE HOLLOW HOUNDS + CHRIS WATTS THE LET YOUR HAIR DOWN GIRLS
‘SINGLE LAUNCH’ W SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE, SAGAMORE + TROPHY WIFE
THE LET YOUR HAIR DOWN GIRLS FREE IN THE FRONT BAR 5PM
ON SALE NOW
RARA
WINTERPLAN
‘SINGLE LAUNCH’ W/ ARUNDEL (EP LAUNCH) + HABITS
KITCHEN HOURS
‘Til My Tears Roll Away is the fourth release from Australian blues folk duo The Audreys, who have made us wait a considerable amount of time between albums. However, this matters little as the end result is impressive. Featuring sweet blues folk tones that The Audreys are best known for, ‘Til My Tears Roll Away also showcases a new-found rock edge to their sound. Opener and lead single My Darlin’ Girl starts off the rock vibe nicely, with strong vocals and guitar riffs. Other tracks that highlight this style are Baby, Are You There? and Roll Away. Although these rock songs are solid, it’s the folk genre where The Audreys are at their best. Why Must I Wait is an acoustic folk gem, with Taasha Coates’s vocals shining. Comfort Me, featuring The Nymphs on backing vocals, is a likeable song which also appeared on The Audreys previous album Sometimes The Stars. The following track Bring The Stars Out is another favourite, with its sweet melody. Despite its length, Love Has a Way BEST TRACK: Why Must I Wait of Unraveling is a great finish to ‘Til My Tears Roll Away. IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS: THE WAIFS, THE WHITLAMS ALI BIRNIE IN A WORD: Diverse
SUN 25TH
FREE IN THE FRONT BAR 5PM
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ALL TIX FROM WWW.JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM
FRONT BAR EVERY SUNDAY
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 47
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au
WEDNESDAY MAY 14 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS ALICE D + SALAD DAYS + JAMES MOLONEY & THE MADDOG HARRISONS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $6.00. CENTRE & THE SOUTH + JEN KNIGHT & THE CAVALIERS + JAJU CHOIR + THE RAY GUNS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. CHET FAKER Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $43.00. COLLAGE - FEAT: SINCE WE KISSED + MATT KATSIS & THE INDIA BLACK + ROBBIE ELLIOTT + CURTIS WHY Espy, St Kilda. 7:00pm. HITS & PITS (ROUND 3) - FEAT: STRUNG OUT + UNWRITTEN LAW + FACE TO FACE + THE CASUALTIES + TEN FOOT POLE + DEATH BY STEREO + BIG D & THE KIDS TABLE + MASKED INTRUDER + HEARTSOUNDS + IMPLANTS The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $83.50. LATE NIGHTS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $6.00. MAJOR TOM & THE ATOMS + STEVIE & THE SLEEPERS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. MAX SAVAGE & THE FALSE IDOLS Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. RUFUS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $39.60. SCOTT MATTHEW + TOM-LEE RICHARDS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00. SUPER UNSIGNED MUSIC FESTIVAL - FEAT: MANTIS & THE PRAYER + ERAN JAMES + THE RIFT + CHASING LANA + ALLISON TUREK + THE MOODY SPOOKS + CORNERSTONE + JEFFRY’S CABBAGE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:00pm. $15.00. THE HOUNDS HOMEBOUND + THE KARMENS + DARCY FOX Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $5.00. THE ROLLING PERPETUAL GROOVE SHOW + SLUGGER & THE STONE + TWSS + SIREN BLACK Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. YOU YANGS MAY RESIDENCY + SHIPS + PIANO + SALAD BOYS Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $5.00.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
THE ISHS/ALLEN PROJECT Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15.00. ALTIJA Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. CAROLINE ALMONTE Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00. CHRIS YOUNG QUARTET 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. HIATUS KAIYOTE + SEX ON TOAST Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $22.00. MO’ SOUL - FEAT: AMY WINEHOUSE SHOW + FULTON STREET + DJ VINCE PEACH Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. PETER HEARNE & DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14.00. TIM WILLIS & THE END Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BEN ROGERS’ INSTRUMENTAL ASYLUM Clifton Hill Hotel, Clifton Hill. 8:15pm. ALYX DENNISON Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. AUSTIN FLOYD + TELECASTRO Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. CHRIS WILSON Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. MARLON WILLIAMS + MICK THOMAS & SUZANNAH ESPIE Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 8:30pm. $20.00. MIKE RUDD + BEN ROGERS’ INSTRUMENTAL ASYLUM + JIMI HOCKING Clifton Hill Hotel, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford. 7:30pm. OPEN MIC/JAM Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm. SHEEK STAIN & THE CREEP + THE BRAVES + JUNGLE JUNGLE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. SIMPLY ACOUSTIC Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm. THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS - FEAT: JOSHUA AIELLO + JOSHUA BIENSTEIN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: MAYIA + CLAIRE JENKINS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.
$5.00. CABBAGES & KINGS + UNOFFICIAL: MARE + KANGAROO/SPEED-VILE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $2.00. CALLUM & THE BIG ORDER + SCURVYLICIOUS + GRACE ANECHKA & OLI DEAR Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. CHET FAKER Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $43.00. CIDER KIDS TREE + SANS + YOUNG MAVERICK + HALYCON DRIVE Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. CLAUDE HAY & THE GENTLE ENEMIES + THE GROVES + THE IVORY ELEPHANT Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:30pm. $10.00. DAN WHITE + DISCOVERY OF A FOX + SON OF WISE EYES Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $8.00. FRIDA + THE MCQUEENS + SLEEPY DREAMERS Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $8.00. GO GENRE EVERYTHING + TANGRAMS + AUTOPORTRAITS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00. JENNIFER KINGWELL & THE GARLAND THUGS + MECHANICAL PTERODACTYL + THE KILL LOVE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $15.00. LIEUTENANT JAM + TINA & THE BOYS ALOUD + EEO + THREE QUARTER BEAST + VISION ST + DAMN THAT RIVER Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. LIVE N’ COOKIN SESSIONS - FEAT: MARK SNARSKI + SARA RETALLICK + ALEX LASHLIE The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. NEXT - FEAT: TRAIN WRECK + REJUVENATE + WONDERS + PETER DAVIES Colonial Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. NOAH EARP (BOUND FOR GLORY LAUNCH) + DEAR PLASTIC + HEY FRANKIE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00. PLUGGED IN THURSDAYS - FEAT: TAKE US TO VEGAS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $10.00. RAD NAVAJO John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. RUFUS Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $39.60. SEAN MCMAHON & THE MOONMEN Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. SENYAWA + ROBIN FOX + MARCO FUSINATO + MORBID ANAL + GURNER + DJ EVELYN MORRIS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. SHAKE SOME ACTION - FEAT: STREETPARTY + SAMARITAN + POLYAVALANCHE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $8.00. SHE REX + LEPERS & CROOKS + SHE REX + LEPERS & CROOKS Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.25. SINGING FOR HUMANS - FEAT: PRETTY CITY + MY PIRANHA + SHADOW MAKERS Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. STELLA ANGELICO + DJ VINCE PEACH & PIERRE BARONI Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00. THE APRIL MAZE + THE ACFIELDS + KATE CROWLEY Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.00. THE CASUALTIES + BIG D & THE KIDS TABLE + HEARTSOUNDS + ANCHORS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 7:30pm. $50.00. THE ENGLISH BEAT - FEAT: SKA VENDORS + RESIGNATORS Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $49.00. THE ESCAPADES Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:30pm. THE VERNONS (SINGLE TOUR) Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00. THEE NODES + SOMA COMAMASSES + LEATHER LICKERS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. TRIGGER + DOKTOR + RUMOUR CONTROL Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. XYLOURIS ENSEMBLE + MICK TURNER Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 7:30pm. $20.00.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
NATHAN SLATER QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15.00. ARACANIDS Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14.00. BOWERS/BROWNE/ZERNA Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. CHRIS MCNULTY & SARAH MCKENZIE Malvern Town Hall, Malvern. 8:00pm. $44.00. FREE RANGE FUNK - FEAT: EZRA + JAKE & NIKKI WHO + AGENT 86 + LEWIS CANCUT Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET + KIMBRA GRIFFITH The Commune, East Melbourne. 6:00pm. THE BEARDED GYPSIES Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00. THE NEW WORLD - FEAT: TRIO ANIMA MUNDI Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00. THRUST Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
A GAZZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS + BLACK ALLEYS + CULZEAN Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. ARCHER & BOW Great Britain Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. BLACK MAJESTY + HORIZONS EDGE Musicland, Fawkner. 9:00pm. $15.00. BLOODHOUNDS ON MY TRAIL + THE HONDAS + FROM OSLO Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm.
ANTHONY ATKINSON & THE RUNNING MATES Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:30pm. BROOKE RUSSELL Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. GOLD GULL + DAMN THE MOON Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. JOE CONROY + FRASER HENRY + ETHAN JONES
THURSDAY MAY 15
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 48
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK
GIG OF THE WEEK!
TEX PERKINS & CHARLIE OWEN If you we born after the ’80s you’ve probably looked at these two names and already lost interest but if you haven’t, your parents have raised you true and blue. These two musicians have given more to Australia than the coined terms ‘ripper’ and ‘mate’, collaborating in multiple bands across more than three decades with each bringing something special to the Australian music scene. Do yourself a favour and check out their show at the Yarraville Club this Saturday May 17, it’s sure to be a bloody ripper mate.
Highlander, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. RAY SMITH + MITCH BULLEN + MARK GARDNER Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford. 7:00pm. SPENCER P JONES + DAN LETHBRIDGE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm. THE STETSONS FAMILY Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:30pm.
FRIDAY MAY 16 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS 19TH CENTURY STRONGMEN + DJ STEELY ANN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6:00pm. AMAYA LAUCIRICA + SARA RETALLIK Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 9:00pm. APOLLO BROWN + MOTLEY + FLUENT FORM + ONE SIXTH + ELOQUOR Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. BLISS N ESO Flemington Racecourse, Flemington. 8:00pm. CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS + TIM NEILSEN Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $12.00. CHET FAKER Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $43.00. DEATH BY METAL Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. DIRT RIVER RADIO + THE MIGHTY KINGS + ERRIN KELLY Elsternwick Hotel, Elwood. 8:00pm. DISASTERS + OEDIPUS REX + THE MAGGOT MEN + KINESTHESIS + MAMMOTH GRAVEYARD Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $5.00. DRIVEN - FEAT: FALLEN ENDS + STRONGER THAN ALL + ARABELA + A DAY OF STORMS + ROAD TRAIN Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. DZ DEATHRAYS + PALMS + FOAM Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm. $16.00. ED KUEPPER Substation, Newport. 8:00pm. EINSTEIN TOYBOYS + CASSETTE Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00. FEAR LIKE US + DAYSWORTH FIGHTING + THE UNION PACIFIC + INITIALS + REGRETS 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. GOOD BEER WEEK - FEAT: FROZEN PONIES Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. HEAVY JUDY - FEAT: THE INFANTS + BLACKWOOD JACK + DJ KEZBOT Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. LEFT OF WOLVES + RIVALRIES + JACK THE GIANT KILLER + ARCHITECTS OF EVOLUTION + ALONG SHORELINES + EYES OF THE SLEEPERS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $12.00. LOOBS + BAD VISION + PSALM BEACH + THE SHIFTERS + DJ MICHAEL JORDAN Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. LOST PATROL Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 9:00pm. $5.00. LOWLAKES Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. PASSERINE + ECHO DRAMA Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10.00. PRAYER BABIES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. RED HOT ROCK-A-BOOGIE - FEAT: THE RECHORDS + LOUIS KING & THE LIARS KLUB + GOGO GODDESSES The LuWow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $12.00. SABRINA & THE RED VANS + THE ELECTRIQUE BIRDS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:30pm. SCRATCH DADDY BLACK + NIKO NIKO + SLOCOMBE’S PUSSY Workers Club, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $6.00. SEPTICFLESH + FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE + MEPHISTOPHELES The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $64.50. STOPPING ALL STATIONS PRESENTS - FEAT: MAN FROM THE METEOR + LITTLE MISS REMEMBERING + CHASING ALICE + HOLLOW HOUNDS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $15.00. SUN GOD REPLICA + DON FERNANDO + THE KREMLINGS + DJ DAD Public Bar, North Melbourne.
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8:30pm. $10.00. SWEETS + FULTON STREET Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. THE FINAL FIST2FACE FAREWELL - FEAT: LINCOLN LE FEVRE + THE TALL POPPIES + THE STATICS Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00. THE GALAXY FOLK + RARA + SNOWY NASDAQ + PREMIUM FANTASY + JONNY TELAFONE + ORLANDO FURIOUS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. THE KUJO KINGS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. THE RUMJACKS + THE TEARAWAYS + NOT OK + COFFIN WOLF Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. THE SHARDS + GRANDSTANDS + KING EVIL Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. THE STU THOMAS PARADOX PLAYS LEE HAZLEWOOD Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $15.00. THREE NODES + THE UV RACE + GENTLEMEN + CUNTZ + AUSMUTEANTS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00. VILLAINETTES Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $9.00. WHITE CAVES + MONNONE ALONE + ZONE OUT Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. WINTERPLAN + ARUNDEL + HABITS John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. WOLFPACK + LASER BRAINS + SEXY/HEAVY + THE MAGGOT MEN Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.00. XENOS + BROOZER + ORDER OF CHAOS + HEADLESS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
NICHAUD FITZGIBBON QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20.00. RUTH ROSHAN & TANGO NOIR Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.00. 2CELLOS Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $67.95. ELLY HOYT BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00. ENGLISH BEAT Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $49.00. KUNJANI Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.00. SARAH MCKENZIE & JOE CHINDAMO Malvern Town Hall, Malvern. 8:00pm. $44.00. SENIVODA & SELKI Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. THE BOYS Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. THE PUTBACKS Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE SOUL OF ARETHA FRANKLIN - FEAT: FLORELIE ESCANO Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $23.00. TIMOTHY STEVENS Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $30.00.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK BEN SMITH Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm. FLYING ENGINE STRINGBAND Railway Hotel, Fitzroy North. 9:30pm. GREEK BLUES BAND The Greek Deli, Malvern. 7:30pm. $10.00. JOHN DOWLER’S VANITY PROJECT + DJ SQUEEZEBOX WALLY Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:30pm. KATH HALING + CRAIG JOHNSTON Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00. MATT BAILEY Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8:00pm. SPENCER P JONES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:30pm. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION - FEAT: DAN BOURKE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:00pm.
SATURDAY MAY 17 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS AIRWAY LANES + 4 LETTER LIES + A LESSER EGO Elsternwick Hotel, Elwood. 8:00pm. AMAYA LAUCIRICA + SARA RETALLICK Bridge Hotel,
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $10.00. BEN HAZLEWOOD + KIYOMI VELLA Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $20.00. BRONI Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm. BROOKE RUSSELL & THE MEAN REDS The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. CHIPS RAFFERTY + SAILORS & SWINE + R.B GREAVES Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10.00. CLOSURE IN MOSCOW (ALBUM TOUR) Pier Live, Frankston. 8:00pm. $22.00. COCKS ARQUETTE + DEAD BOOMERS + REPAIR Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. DOGSDAY + DJ XANDER Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. DRUNK MUMS + MISS DESTINY + WOD + RAYON MOON Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $15.00. FALLOE + PEPPER JACK + THE PROMISES Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $12.00. FIRETREE Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. FOURTEEN NIGHTS AT SEA + GOLD CLASS + O LITTLEBLOOD + DJ WHALE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. GANG OF YOUTHS (SINGLE LAUNCH) + MT WARNING + THE RED LIGHTS Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.00. GLAM TASTIX 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRIBUTE SHOW + BRONNIE GORDON + BELLATRIX Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. $15.00. GOOD BEER WEEK - FEAT: THE DRUNKEN POACHERS Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. GUESTS + SINCE WE KISSED + TERRIBLE LIZARD + DONNIE DUREAU Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. HEIROPHANTS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm. HITS & PITS (ROUND 3) - FEAT: STRUNG OUT + UNWRITTEN LAW + FACE TO FACE + THE CASUALTIES + TEN FOOT POLE + DEATH BY STEREO + BIG D & THE KIDS TABLE + MASKED INTRUDER + HEARTSOUNDS + IMPLANTS The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Cbd. 3:00pm. $91.50. HOLLOW EVERDAZE + SUNBEAM SOUND MACHINE + SAGAMORE + TROPHY WIFE John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. HOWLIN STEAM TRAIN + QUARRY MOUNTAIN DEAD RATS + HORNS OF LEROY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $13.00. JAMIE HAY & LIAM WHITE + LINCOLN LE FEVRE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3:00pm. JOHNNY CRAIG - FEAT: KYLE LUCAS + THIS WILD LIFE + WE DISAPPEAR + THE LOST + DRAWING NORTH Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $33.00. JP KLIPSPRINGER + SLOW DANCER + SIRJOSEPH + NEARLY ORATORIO Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.00. KISSASYLUM + FOOVANA + PARANOID + METAL IS THE LAW Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $18.70. LEVITATING CHURCHES Public Bar, North Melbourne. 2:00am. MAX GOES TO HOLLYWOOD + THE SHADOW LEAGUE + FOLEY! + ANGRY SEAS + GEORGIA MAQ + DJ DAN LEWIS Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:00pm. $10.00. MEDUSA - FEAT: CHAIN GUN + AVIRUS + MEDUSA Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford. 7:30pm. MUDLARK Bar 291, Brunswick. 8:00pm. MUSHROOM GIANT (ALBUM LAUNCH) + ANNA SALEN + THE BLACK GALAXY EXPERIENCE + SHIVER CANYON Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $12.00. PAPA CHANGO Bar Open, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. POISON IDEA + DEPRESSION + KROMOSOM + HAILGUN Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS + THE KEBAB SHOP PUNCH UP Yah Yahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. SQEAKER & RABID ZULU Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. SUPERGUNS + AUSTRALIAN KINGSWOOD FACTORY + THE SUPPORTERS + TWO HEADED DOG Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $6.00. TEX PERKINS & CHARLIE OWEN Yarraville Club, Yarraville. 8:00pm. THE BEEGLES (EP LAUNCH) + GREG STEPS + EMPAT LIMA + THE LOVELY DAYS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. THE CACTUS CHANNEL + TULALAH + DJ MIKE GURRIERI Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm. $12.00. THE GUILTS + CABBAGES & KINGS + ZOE FOX Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00. THE PASS OUTS + ARCANE SAINTS + THESE WILD ANIMALS + THE HELLHOUNDS + PHIL PARA Espy, St Kilda. 7:30pm. THE STRAIGHT 8S + STRIPPED BLACK Gasolina, South Wharf. 8:30pm. THREEZZACROWD Lincolnshire Arms Hotel, Essendon. 8:00pm. UP UP AWAY Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:30pm.
7:30pm. $15.00. AVI AVITAL (MANDOLIN) + PAUL DYER Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:00pm. $52.00. DISCO BLING - FEAT: SUGAR FED LEOPARDS + GOGO GODDESSES + DJ DONNY DISCO The LuWow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00. ED KUEPPER Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $30.00. EMERGE IN THE WEST - FEAT: BLAK ROOTS + KONĂ&#x2030; EXPRESS + ASANTI DANCE THEATRE Emerge In The West Site, Footscray. 12:00pm. FEM BELLING QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $25.00. JANELLE MONAE + KIMBRA Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $100.00. JULIE Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HARA BAND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00. MAGIC HANDS + HOLY LOTUS + LEAFY SUBURBS + MYSTERY BAND Dane CertiďŹ cateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Magic Tricks, Gags & Theatre, Brunswick. 9:00pm. $10.00. PANORAMA DO BRASIL & SEXTETO ZONA SUL Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 8:00pm. $25.00. REBECCA MENDOZA & THE JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET Dizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $20.00. THE JAMES SHERLOCK TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. TRACEY HOGUE Open Studio, Northcote. 5:30pm. VINCE JONES Malvern Town Hall, Malvern. 8:00pm. $30.00. WOMEN OF SOUL - FEAT: LISA FAITHFUL + CHRISTINA ARNOLD + FLORELIO ESCANO + CANDICE MONIQUE Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 9:00pm. $20.00.
BLISS N ESO Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as exciting as African-American hip-hop but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely taken over your radio station at some point and it looks like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s here to stay. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less about pimps, hoes and sellinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dope and more about getting drunk with your mates off goon in a coffee mug but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be honest, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about as hard as Aussie thug life gets. Aussie hip-hop has made big waves in the music scene down under in the last few years and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gonna go to a show, Bliss n Eso definitely know how to please a crowd. Bliss n Eso are playing an all ages show at Flemington Racecourse May 16.
POISON IDEA Poison idea formed in Portland, Oregon in 1980 and being a punk band, have played intermittently ever since. The group has had multiple lineâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; up changes with some of the more amusing nicknames of band members listed as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pig Championâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thee Slayer Hippieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and not noted as a stage name but assuming no parent would be that cruel, Kid Cocksman. Poison Idea are setting off on an Australian tour playing the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood Saturday May 17, sadly without Kid Cocksman.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK
A HIGH ST AUTUMN SESSION - FEAT: ESSIE THOMAS & BAND + QUEEN BEAVER + THE MONDAY PROJECT + KYLIE BLOODSTAIN 303, Northcote. 7:00pm. $10.00. BEARDED GYPSY BAND Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $10.00. CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS (GOLDEN WOLVES TOUR) Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $18.00. CLIP CLOP CLUB + DJ BIGGSY Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford.
JANELLE MONAE & KIMBRA A night in a Swiss hotel bar saw Janelle Monae and Kimbra bond over their love of Prince and probably a lot of booze. After an impromptu jamming session, these two electric ladies soon became besties and the idea of a tour began to form. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to see Kimbraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name everywhere next to somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s besides Gotye, it seems like she truly is somebody that he used to know and instead her and Janelle are kicking off their Australian and New Zealand tour at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne on Saturday May 17.
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CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 49
GIG GUIDE
WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK
THE PUSH
+ BEAT PRESENT... whatson@thepush.com.au
For all the latest gigs check out beat.com.au 5:00pm. DAN WHITE Penny Black, Brunswick. 4:00pm. FATS WAH WAH Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. HARVEY CARTEL Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. HEIDI 303, Northcote. 4:00pm. HOMESICK RAYS MILD BUNCH Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm. IVAN ZAR & THE ZARBAR BLUES BAND Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm. JAMES KENYON Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. KERRI SIMPSON & THE BELMAR PLAYBOYS Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. SMOKIN SAM, CHRIS CANNING, DESMOND KENNEDY + SMOKIN SAM + CHRIS CANNING + DESMOND KENNEDY + CARGO BLUES BAND Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00. SPOONFUL Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8:00pm. THE PRAYERBABIES Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. THE SHADY LADIES Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. THOMAS HUGH + BILL JACKSON + SHANNON BOURNE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 3:00pm. $7.00. TIM MCMILLAN BAND (ALBUM TOUR) + SECRET TSUNAMI + TOEHIDER Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $14.30. TINSLEY WATERHOUSE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.
SUNDAY MAY 18 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS BRIAN EL DORADO + ANDY MCGARVIE TRIO + PONY GIRL & THE OUTSIDERS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. COLONEL VIPER’S WHIPSTICK BAND Penny Black, Brunswick. 5:00pm. EASY NOW - FEAT: AGENT 86 + TOM SHOWTIME + DJ MAARS Penny Black, Brunswick. 8:00pm. FRANKIE & THE BLACK HARRY’S Big Mouth, St Kilda. 5:00pm. GARETH LIDDIARD + JIMMY TAIT Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $20.00. GOOD BEER WEEK - FEAT: BROADS Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 6:00pm. JAPANESE WALLPAPER (WAVES LAUNCH) + RAT & CO + LANKS Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 6:30pm. $10.00. JULIA DE MATTAIS + THE IRVINS + BIDDLEWOOD Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 4:00pm. $5.00. KIM SALMON Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 4:00pm. LITTLE BANDS 3 - FEAT: VAIOUS ARTISTS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 2:00pm. MATT WALKER & LOST RAGAS Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm. MOUNTAIN GOAT BEERSOAKED SUNDAYS - FEAT: HIGH TEA + STEVE MILLER BAND + FLOUR Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00. MY DYNAMITE - FEAT: BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB + DD & THE DAMAGED GOODS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. NEXT PRESENTS ELECTRIK DYNAMITE + PURPLE SNEAKERS DJS + GLASS EMPIRE + CRYPTIC ABYSS Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15.00. POISON IDEA + BATPISS + CLOWNS + CABIN FEVER + COUNTER ATTACK Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING BAND + AIMEE VOLKOFSKY + JAY WARS + TONY CREEDON & THE PUNTERS JAZZ Dancing Dog, Footscray. 5:00pm. STRATHMORE Public Bar, North Melbourne. 2:00am. SUNDAY SCHOOL - FEAT: SALAD BOYS Public Bar, North Melbourne. 4:00pm. SUSY BLUE + THE TWOKS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 3:00pm. $7.00. THE JUICE + LASERCATZ + THE HYPNOTIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE LET YOUR HAIR DOWN GIRLS John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 5:00pm. THE QUEEN & CONVICT Victoria Hotel (brunswick),
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
AVI AVITAL (MANDOLIN) + PAUL DYER Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 5:00pm. $52.00. CATHEXIS Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford. 7:00pm. $20.00. DENIS BALL-EUGENE BALL SEXTET & THE SUGARFOOT RAMBLERS Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 2:00pm. $25.00. FROCK (CD LAUNCH) Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 4:30pm. $15.00. PETER PETRUCCI TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00. REFRACTION Wesley Anne, Northcote. 5:00pm. STANDING TALL Open Studio, Northcote. 5:30pm. THE NEW SHEIKS & THE MELBOURNE RHYTHM PROJECT Malvern Town Hall, Malvern. 4:00pm. $30.00. THE WIKIMEN Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK
ACOUSTIC MATINEE - FEAT: DAN WOODHOUSE Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 3:00pm. ANDREW SWIFT & THE RATTLESNAKE CHOIR + ANDREW KITCHEN + DESPERATEENS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 4:00pm. ASTHA TAMANG MASKEY, ROHIT SHAKTA & ALBATROSS + ASTHA TAMANG MASKEY + ROHIT SHAKTA & ALBATROSS The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $35.50. AUSTIN BUSCH Penny Black, Brunswick. 3:00pm. BACKWOOD CREATURES Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. BBQ BLUES SUNDAY ROOFTOP - FEAT: 4 STRING PHIL Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm. CHRIS WILSON Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. DARYL ROBERTS Wine Larder, Brighton. 5:00pm. DUTCHOUND (EP LAUNCH) + MATT HARRISON + BLOOM Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:30pm. $5.00. FIELDS SEE & MASON Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. 4:00pm. JULES BOULT + LLOYD SPIEGEL Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 2:00pm. KEN MAHER & AL WRIGHT & TONY HARGREAVES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm. KINEMATIC + MANSIONS 303, Northcote. 3:30pm. $5.00. OPA 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $5.00. OPEN MIC Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 7:00pm. PRESLEY FAMILY Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:00pm. RACH BRENNAN (EP LAUNCH) + KATE BART + IKE RUCKMAN + PATRICK WILSON & THE BARE RIVER QUEENS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00. ROUNDHOUSE GANG WITH TRACY MILLER & PETER BAYLOR Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. SIMPLY ACOUSTIC - FEAT: CLIVE J MANN + JAMIE LEE DAVIDSON Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 5:00pm. SUNDAY JAMS Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. TEX PERKINS & CHARLIE OWEN + TEX PERKINS + CHARLIE OWEN Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 3:00pm. $30.00. THE DALE RYDER BAND + GARY EASTWOOD EXPRESS + DJ ROC LANDERS Espy, St Kilda. 5:30pm. THE HARMANIAX Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. THE STETSON FAMILY Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm. ZEVON & THE WEREWOLVES OF MELBOURNE + BACKWARD CREATURES + DJ MAX CRAWDADDY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. $5.00.
MONDAY MAY 19 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS
MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS/ACTS WANTED for Espy Shows. Shoot an email through to mark@gunnmusic.com.au for more details SALES CHEAP VINYL: Since the break up of my motley crue tribute band “the good at sex men” I have to sell all my old pants. Contact Randy at SEXMENBAND@hotmail.com
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50
ACCESS ALL AGES
Brunswick. 5:00pm. THE SEVEN UPS Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm. TIN ALLEY (SINGLE LAUNCH) + DEATHFLIGHT + LAZARUS MODE Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 2:00pm. $17.00. TOTTIE & THE WANDERERS + RALEIGH WILLIAMS + BRONWYN ROSE Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. WINTER SUN + MOTH BODY Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford. 5:30pm.
CHERRY JAM Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. DEAR MONDAY - FEAT: MARY WEBB + BRETT FRANKE + GEG STEPS + JAMIE LEE DAVIDSON Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm. I DO LIKE MONDAYS - FEAT: POPOLICE + LEAFY SUBURBS + BONO ONO + HOLY LOTUS VS MUDLARK DJ’S Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $6.00. MATT WALKER & LOST RAGAS Victoria Hotel (brunswick), Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE KILNIKS RESIDENCY + RETURN TO YOUTH + DAYRIGS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $3.00.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
Wednesday May 14 With Alex Black
RÜFÜS Whenever I hear the name RÜFÜS, the first image that comes to mind is the ugly, little naked mole rat voiced by Nancy Cartwright in Kim Possible. Luckily three–piece, indie/dance group RÜFÜS from Sydney are slightly more attractive even though their ‘look away indie poses’ in most of their photo shoots might say otherwise. Either way, these guys had a huge year around the country and generally make some pretty awesome shit. RÜFÜS are playing three sold out shows at the Palace Theatre May 13, 14 and 15. Boo–yah. 303 FUNK JAM 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. ALLAN BROWNE TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $15.00. BROADWAY UNPLUGGED - FEAT: AMY LEHPALMER + ED GREY + EMILY CASCARINO + ALEXIA BRINSLEY Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:20pm. $20.00. EARS WIDE OPEN 2 - FEAT: RICHARD GILL Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:30pm. $20.00. MINGUS AMONGST US Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 8:00pm. $23.00. ROBERTO PROSSEDA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00. THE NEW IMPROMPTU QUARTET + SIMONE GILL Piano Time, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. VCA SCHOOL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC LARGE ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $8.00.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK THE HURRICANES Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.
TUESDAY MAY 20 INDIE/ROCK/POP/METAL/ PUNK/COVERS BORED NOTHING & OCEAN PARTY Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. CASH FOR GOLD + VALLEÉ Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN + DOMINI FORSTER + KELLY & JANE + CLARE SULLIVAN + BENJAMIN JAMES CALDWELL + BEN WHITING Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:20pm. $10.00. FRESH INDUSTRY SHOWCASES Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $15.00. GRASSHOPPERS’ LAUNCH PARTY - FEAT: JAKUBI + LONDON + TOMDERSON + TRANTER + MARQUEE MOON + TOFFEE APPLE PRINCESS + MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL + CELERY HAM Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. RUBY TUESDAY - FEAT: DESTRENDS + BASTION + OLIVER FRIEND Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7.00. THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT - FEAT: DEVIL MONKEY + SIREN SUN + TYTO Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/ WORLD MUSIC
AMERICAN BRASS QUINTET - FEAT: KEVIN COBB + LOUIS HANZLIK + ERIC REED Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:00pm. $100.00. CANNONBALL & THE DAVID REX QUARTET Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 8:00pm. $25.00. CRAIG SCHNEIDER & THE BOX HILL INSTITUTE Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $20.00. CROOKS & QUEENS RESIDENCY + DE LA CALLE + THE ELECTRIC I Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $3.00. JAZZ IN THE ATTIC - FEAT: NATHAN SLATER DUO Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. NICK PARNELL Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00. REMCO KEIJZER QUARTLET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00. VCA SCHOOL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC LARGE ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $8.00.
ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK GEORGIA FIELDS + HOLLIE JOYCE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. IRISH SESSION Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. NMIT SHOWCASE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 7:00pm.
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With Groovin’ The Moo finishing up its 2014 run and Melbourne getting colder by the day it’s time to soak up the last of the big festivals until July’s Splendour In The Grass and head up north to Makay’s River Sessions featuring The Amity Affliction, RÜFÜS and ILLY to get your festival fix. But with a month until River Sessions I’ve compiled a list of upcoming Melbourne artists for you to check out in the meantime. Singer-songwriter Chris Watts is set to launch his debut album titled Back Down this month. With influences of John Mayer, Maroon 5 and Kings of Leon, Chris’ inspiring lyrics and captivating melodies are sure to end up in the most played section of your iTunes. Check out Chris Watts on triple j Unearthed for all of his upcoming gigs and video clip to Back Down. Check Your Smile’s Jarrod Joske has gone solo since the band’s split and with his unique pop punk acoustic mix he’s sure to get you tapping your feet and turning your iPod up. His EP Promises | Secrets | Lies featuring Nicole Keighery of This Fiasco is set to take Melbourne by storm next month, but until then you’re able to get a sneak peak of his work at triple j Unearthed. The boys in Crooked Path are currently recording their debut EP which is expected to blow up upon its release in coming months. As a band that is fresh out of the Melbourne hardcore scene, the strong influences of Ironmind, Warbrain, Backtrack and Phantoms make them a band you won’t want to miss seeing, head to their Facebook for full details on their upcoming AA show at Bar Twelve in Frankston. It’s not all male talent, though. Collarts student Rach Brennan is putting Geelong on the map with her debut EP Chasing the Sun that is set to drop this month. This impressive multi award winning country/ folk songstress played over 114 gigs in 2013 including Port Fairy Folk Festival and Apollo Bay Music festival. If you’re into The Lumineers or Kina Grannis you’ll definitely fall in love with Rach, so do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Chasing the Sun or head to facebook.com/rachbrennanmusic for more info. If you’re an up-and-coming artist and wanting to play a gig, Bright Side Tuesdays at The Espy are looking for acts to play, whether you’re acoustic, or a full band they want you. There are no age or experience requirements so what are you waiting for? Head on over to facebook.com/brightsidelivemusic for more information on how to get involved. Are you interested in being a part of Melbourne Music Week 2014? Applications for expression of interest are now open, with three key programs plus umbrella events to be involved in head to melbourne.vic.gov. au to find out more information. If you’re interested in volunteering positions keep your eyes peeled for applications, they open in a few months’ time! If you’re looking to get your foot in the door for your career in radio or if you just simply have a passion for radio then I have just the thing for you! PBS are looking for volunteers to help with reception, in the music library and various other departments. For more information on how to get involved head to pbsfm.org.au.
ALL AGES TIMETABLE FRIDAY MAY 16 Bliss n Eso w/ Seth Sentry, and Horrorshow, Flemington Racecourse, 5pm, $65/$99 (VIP), moshtix.com.au, AA Mosh Goes Pop featuring Ocean Grove w/ Take Us To Vegas, Castles, Set The Score, Cards After Midnight, Mooroolbark Community Centre, Brice Avenue Mooroolbark, 6pm-10:30pm, AA SUNDAY MAY 18 Johhny Craig w/ Kelly Lucas, This Wild Life, Red Beard, This Fiasco, Undervienna Skies, Wrangler Studios, 8C Whitley Parade West Footscray, 2pm, $39.80, oztix.com.au, AA
$5.00. OPEN MIC NIGHT Kindred Studios, Yarraville. 5:30pm. SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.
Thurs 15th, 8.30 pm
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Friday 16th, 9.30pm
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 51
BACKSTAGE
THE PLACE FOR MUSICIANS
For more information or ad bookings call Aleksei on 9428 3600
SIMON FINN FROM SAE CREATIVE MEDIA INSTITUTE
Any other interesting exhibitions or showcases you’d like to mention aside from teaching at SAE? I would also like to mention Vertigo, which is an exhibition travelling to the Museum of Contemporary
Do you have a website or online channel we can view your work and upcoming exhibition details? Yes, you can visit my work any recent news at www.simonfinn.info
SAE Creative Media Institute will host their information day at their Melbourne campus on Saturday May 24 from 11am-3pm.
SAE CONTACT DETAILS Melbourne Campus: 235 Normanby Road, South Melbourne. Phone: 1800 SAE EDU Website: sae.edu.au/events
Synthetic Surge
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What’s your favourite piece of work? My favourite piece of work is the one currently in progress in my studio, keep an eye out for coming exhibitions.
Downward Spiral
AW A
What was the inspiration behind your work? The ideas form within the act of making the work. The production process is a subversion of the role of the computer as an image-generating device, and considering the software and filmic-based works to be initial sketches for my drawings.
Art (MOCA), Taipei, Galeri Soemardja – Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia and the POSCO Art Gallery, South Korea. It is a presentation of sculptural works, drawing and video, where ‘the artists disrupt the ordinariness that can pervade life, building new narratives of human experience’.
ONTHS GI VE
Tell us about your recent exhibition. Surge at the Plymouth College of Art, England, was an exhibition curated as ‘a series of works that records matter in motion and responses to changing material states through drawing and mark making’.
Pier Collapse
IS M
How did you come to teach drawing and simulation technology to students in the Bachelor of Interactive Entertainment course with majors in Animation and Games Design? Soon after leaving RMIT with an honours degree (major in painting), I accumulated ten years experience in the Film and TV post-production industry in Canada, and as a 3D visualisation artist for a range of international clientele. I recently completed a Master of Fine Art (Research) at the Victorian College of the Arts where I investigated drawing and simulation.
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REPORTS FROM THE FRONT ROW
For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews ARCTIC MONKEYS Rod Laver Arena, Friday May 9
THUNDAMENTALS Corner Hotel, Thursday May 1 When I first saw that Thundamentals were returning to Melbourne to play the Corner to launch their new album So We Can Remember, I was pretty keen to snaffle some tix. When they announced that Astronomy Class were to be the main support act – themselves having just released Mekong Delta Sunrise – you best BELIEVE I was gonna be strollin’ up Swan St come Thursday May 1 in a mixture of unreasonably baggy hip hop attire and a sensible warm over-jacket. First thing that impressed me about this gig was the need for a second show. I’m a big wrap for the local hip hop scene and often wonder whether it gets the recognition it deserves. In this instance, clearly it has. What has perhaps worked in favour of Thundamentals is the steady stream of hits they’ve dropped over the past couple of years receiving regular airplay. Truthfully, as much as I like Thundas, I was probably more excited about seeing Astronomy Class, fronted by Sydney MC Ozi Batla from The Herd, one of my all-time favourite groups. They got things going with the title track from their new album, which was greeted by a cautious stir from an unfamiliar audience. By the time the reggae beats from Nuthin’ Nice kicked in, the crowd gave themselves over and the gap between the front of the stage and the audience was quickly filled. The set was punctuated by tracks from the new album that they collaborated on with Cambodian star Srey Channthey, adding a little somethin’ somethin’ different to your average hip hop set. Although a touch disappointed they chose not to play Put it on Wax, they absolutely smashed it with their finale Where You At featuring local emcee Vida Sunshyne, whipping the crowd up for the impending arrival of the main act. After a brief wait, the boys from the Blue Mountains hit the stage, and my Buddha did they own it. A few years back, these guys were just one of a bunch of emerging hip hop groups and artists worth keeping an eye on. Now they have well and truly emerged, with a legion of Thundakats – fans of the trio from up North – seemingly dwarfing the number of casual observers. And it’s easy to see why. Their songs are, lyrically, well arranged, relatable and, above all, catchy. Then there’s the coup de grace – their stage presence. There was a bit of a Hillltop Hoods resemblance in their ease with one another and the amount of fun they have on stage, but with less separation from the fans than many other acts. These guys weren’t doing the token “make some noise” jargon that’s over-played at too many hip hop gigs. Instead, they were 100 per cent here to party with the crowd and have fun, and there wasn’t a single person in the crowd not digging it. The set itself had a nice mix of fast, slow, hard and soft beats. I was hanging for my favourite track Paint the Town Red which made an early appearance. Other big winners were Noodle Soup, How You Been and big hits Something I Said and Smiles Don’t Lie. Perhaps the biggest singalong was saved for their triple j Like A Version cover of Matt Corby’s Brother – which, just quietly, this guy actually prefers to the original song – before they finished with an encore of their French/English collaboration with the effervescent Vida Sunshyne Check My Fresh to send the crowd out on a pumped up note. If I may channel my inner Molly Meldrum: do yourself a favour, and check these guys out when you get the chance! EBEN ROJTER
LOVED: Vida Sunshyne. Voice, smile, presence...’nuff said HATED: Young yobs up front for Astronomy Class who spent the whole set skolling and trying to pick up. DRANK: Room temperature water. It was off-tap (see what I did there?)
Arctic Monkeys
Pond
Photos by Charles Newbury The Perth psychedelic scene has given the world another band to watch in POND who opened proceedings on Friday night. It’s almost impossible for Tame Impala not to come up in a conversation about the band due to the two groups sharing some key members. However, they are very much a band in their own right earning a big nod from NME last year when they were named the ‘Hottest New Band in the World’. Their music is raw and dirty but not muddied as each layer of sound is intricately placed on top of the others. The heavily-laden psych sounds are mesmerising while bassist/singer Nick Allbrook steals attention with his imp-like dancing. He’s a bit of a loose unit bobbing in and out of the shadows, contorting his limbs in strange patterns and at times looking like an acid freak Jesus with his arms stretched out to the sides. It’s really been eight years since Arctic Monkeys first spat themselves out into the world and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor became the ubiquitous track of 2006. Back then they were all pimples, scruffy hair and shitty clothes but five albums and a good wringing through the music industry has developed the Monkeys into an entirely different beast. Dapper and debonair in their well-cut rockabilly suits, they’ve become some of the slickest cads around with a live act to match. The roar that went up as singer/guitarist Alex Turner, guitarist Jamie Cook, drummer Matt Helders and bassist Nick O’Malley took their places felt like it could rupture a bowel. The Sheffield lads hit the ground at pace, opening with runaway single Do I Wanna Know off their latest release AM. Their transformation over the years is pretty astonishing with the show acting as a bit of a retrospective. The set list was AM heavy, as you would expect, but songs from most of their albums appeared in the 90-minute slot including 505, Brianstorm and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. It’s good to know even though they’ve made huge leaps stylistically they’re still not forgoing their past, giving the punters what they need and deserve. There’s a few folk spouting Turner as the coolest cat since Miles Davis but at times he just came off like a bit of a wanker. The comb he kept in his pocket to slick back his hair after rocking out a bit too hard reminded me of the lyrics in Shania Twain’s Don’t Impress Me Much. He also finished every second sentence with the word ‘baby’ like Johnny Bravo. This is all probably just jealousy seeping into the w writing and those eccentricities will forever be forgiven as long as he’s LOVED: Nick Allbrook’s flailing limbs HATED: Sitting in the same row as Andy penning his prose over all those foot-stomping classics. Lee and all the people bumping past to get selfies with him RHYS MCRAE DRANK: The blood of my enemies
DJ PREMIER/PETE ROCK 170 Russell, Friday May 2 Pretend you’ve never heard hip hop before. In fact, you’re not even familiar with the genre’s premise. So, it’s angry guys and girls telling their own often highly personal story in a subversively poetic manner. Meanwhile, the backing comes from a DJ who borrows beats and hooks from a wide range of pre-existing recorded music. It sounds like a risky experiment, right? Well, a masterclass in the unique art of building hip hop classics lies in the collected works of DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Premo was one half of Gang Starr (with the sadly departed MC Guru), who produced a majority of Nas’ Illmatic and has worked with Jay Z, Rakim, KRS-One and Mos Def. Pete Rock helped out Nas too, and he’s worked with Run-D.M.C., Ghostface Killah, and Kanye and Jay Z. Tonight saw the two legends DJing back-to-back and they both showed just how integral they’ve been for hip hop’s universal proliferation. Forget any DJ night you’ve ever been to, forget any hip hop show you’ve ever seen. Tonight was an exposition of how DJing is truly an artform and how integral the DJ is to hip hop. Premo and Pete Rock are the most agile DJs you r ever likely to witness. you’re Firstly, the their vinyl-scratching solos weren’t in the least bit naff. Premo’s scratch rhythm, in particular, generates a fever akin to a hard ha trance beat dropping. Supposedly the gig was a battle, but the transitions from one turntablist to the other were so complementary that you had no choice but to applaud both sides. The pair of New Y Yorkers endeavoured to represent the history of hip hop, so to start things they off looked back on classic funk. A sequence of James Brown jams immediately made it impossible to stand still. Spinning these earlier tunes highlighted hi earlier where boom bap production gathered its break beats from, which became the foundation of a unique ar of artform. Afffter a half A After half-hour history lesson the two luminaries decided it was time for hip hop to step forward. Interestingly, th he first rap ra track selected was Jay Z’s 2009 release D.O.A (Death Of Auto-Tune), which signaled that they wouldn’t the fooccus solely fo sol on what they’ve produced. Indeed, by jumping from the West Coast to the East Coast (placing Wufocus Tan Ta T a g next n to Snoop Dogg) the message was that hip hop ain’t about pledging allegiance to a location or an era. Tang As long lon as it’s hella tight, it’s all worth savouring and the grooves are, As LOVED: 170 Russell’s soundsystem truly just as important as the lyrical content. truly, HATED: A few inert bodies DRANK: Hennessy, of course AUGUSTUS WELBY A BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 54
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