Beat Magazine #1472 by Furst Media

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 14-24 MAY 2015

The award winning Stonnington Jazz Festival celebrates 10 years with more than 40 events over 11 days in 10 venues across Stonnington.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

stonningtonjazz.com.au moshtix 1300 438 849 facebook.com/stonningtonjazz

IN THIS ISSUE

HOT TALK

TOURING

RED FANG, THE SHRINE

LOS HOMBRES DEL DIABLO, CHERRYROCK TIMETABLE

WHATS ON, ENDINGS, THE FLICK

ART OF THE CITY, THE COMIC STRIP

METROPOLIS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL, ARTS REVIEWS

OUT OF THE CLOSET, BEAT EATS

MUMFORD & SONS, 360

PALMA VIOLETS, MARY OCHER

NICKELBACK, ANASTACIA

MUMFORD & SONS page 30

MARY OCHER page 32

KARNIVOOL, JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD

CORE/CRUNCH

MUSIC NEWS

LIVE

ALBUM OF THE WEEK, SINGLES, CHARTS

360 page 30

THE SHRINE page 20

RED FANG page 20

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HOT TALK THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS STONNINGTON J A Z Z F E S T I VA L

DEATH DEALER Death Dealer have announced that they will tour Australia this September. The band, featuring members who have worked with Manowar, The Dictators, Rob Halford, Lizzy Borden, Udo Dirkschneider and Cage, will take over Max Watt's on Sunday September 13, tickets are on sale now at thehifi.com.au.

T H E G E TAWAY PL A N

FLIGHT FACILITIES & THE MSO Flight Facilities will join forces with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for one night only as part of the 2015 Melbourne Festival. The night will see the duo alongside 50 classical musicians, who’ll create a brand new and all-immersive experience of their debut album Down To Earth. Special guest singers will be announced for the show next month. At last year’s Melbourne Festival, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra joined forces with Detroit techno titan Jeff Mills to great acclaim. Now, see this special performance set under the stars of the outdoor amphitheatre at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday October 17. The full program for this year’s Melbourne Festival will be announced on Tuesday August 4. Visit melbournefestival.com.au for tickets and more information.

Five years since their last release, Melbourne’s The Getaway Plan have announced that they’re dropping a new album this July, accompanied by an extensive national tour. The alt-rock four-piece will play a slew of capital city shows leading up to the release of their third LP, Dark Horses, followed by a run of regional dates. Due out on Friday July 3, the crowd-funded album is the band’s first release since 2011’s Requiem. They’ll play The Corner Hotel on Friday May 22. Grab tickets from cornerhotel.com.

MIKELANGELO

CIRCA SURVIVE

Mikelangelo will pay homage to Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen this June. The multi-instrumentalist will perform music from across their classic catalogues, sprinkled with anecdotes in between. It all goes down on Friday June 5 at Hawthorn Arts Centre. Tickets are available through hawthornartscentre.com.au.

Circa Survive are returning to Australia. The Philadelphia rock outfit will hit our shores for the first time since 2013, when they toured the country with Coheed & Cambria. This time around, they’ll showcase songs from across their 10-year catalogue, including their 2005 debut, Juturna and last year’s Decensus. They’ll be joined by PVRIS, who have been enjoying the success of their 2014 album, White Noise. They’ll play 170 Russell on Sunday September 20 (18+) and Monday September 21 (U18). Tickets are on sale now via oztix.com.au.

ART VS SCIENCE Art Vs Science have released their latest single In This Together from their forthcoming album, as well as revealing a 2015 Melbourne show. Nine months after their Splendour In The Grass appearance, the boys have planned a performance at Howler in celebration of the release, and revellers can expect the old classics as well as their latest offerings. See the show on Saturday June 20 at Howler, and grab your tickets from h-w-l-r.com.

JEREMY NEALE With his new single Hold On Together out now, Jeremy Neale will hit the east coast in May and June. Neale will perform at Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday May 30. Tickets are now available via oztix.com.au.

MARLON WILLIAMS 24-year old Kiwi Marlon Williams has announced a nine day tour in both Australia and New Zealand. Since moving to Melbourne in 2013, Williams has had a success of sold out shows around the country and New Zealand as well as playing at Byron Bay Bluesfest, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Meredith Music Festival and more. He will be joined by long time pals Ben Woolley and Dave Khan in The Yarra Benders as well as Melbourne drummer Gus Agars. Indie folk singer Laura Jean will be opening up all shows. Marlon Williams and The Yarra Benders will appear at the Corner Hotel on Friday July 3. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 14

EARL SWEATSHIRT Off the back of releasing his well received 2015 release of I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside and a slot on the Splendour In The Grass lineup, the American rapper-producer is hitting Australian shores again for a series of headline shows across the country. Melbourne is scoring a show at Prince Bandroom on Tuesday July 28 which will see him take his thoughtful, visceral rapping to an eager audience. Get your tickets from livenation.com.au.

SNOT Reformed punk funk nu metal band Snot are returning to play their classic 1997 debut album Get Some in full across Australia in October. Although the album gained the band a strong following upon its release, 1998 unfortunately was the year that their charismatic frontman and co-founder Lynn Straight passed away, forcing the band to break up. They’re returning with long time friend Carl Bensley to start touring again after a 17 year break, and they’re back in fine form for a show at the Corner Hotel on Saturday October 17. Get your tickets from cornerhotel.com.au.

The Stonnington Jazz Festival has announced its biggest lineup yet. The award-winning festival will celebrate its 10-year anniversary with more than 40 events over 11 days in ten venues across Stonnington. The only festival in Australia to showcase 100 per cent Australian jazz, this year will see a program that also features soul, a tribute to Kerrie Biddell and a Brass Band Battle between Melbourne street bands Horns of Leroy and Immortal Horns. Other highlights include a special tribute to the women of soul and jazz renditions of David Bowie’s hit songs by the Adam Rudegeair Quintet. The 2015 Stonnington Jazz Festival will take place from Thursday May 14 to Sunday May 24. For a full list of shows and tickets, visit the festival’s website at stonningtonjazz.com.au.

JOAN BAEZ HOLY SERPENT The Melbourne quartet of psyche doom rock’n’roll are slithering across the east coast of Australia on their Shroom Doom tour. The band have garnered a solid amount of fans in the stoner-doom scene, with their debut album being so popular that it crashed their label’s website upon release for several hours, creating a sound tailored to challenge and fertilise the imaginations of lovers of hard psych music. Catch them when they hit The Tote on Friday July 3, or at The Brunswick Hotel on Sunday July 19. For more info, head over to thetotehotel. com.au or brunswickhotel.net.

Legendary folk singer, songwriter, activist, peacenik and cultural icon for over 50 years Joan Baez returns to bewitch Australian audiences. This concert series follows 2013/2014’s triumphant world tour that saw Baez receive standing ovations across four continents. Joan Baez’s voice is as extraordinary as ever but carries with it the gravitas of a life well lived, and these unmissable concerts offer a rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s most experienced performers. She plays a show on Thursday September 24 at the Arts Centre Hammer Hall, snap up your tickets from artscentremelbourne.com.au while they’re hot.

RICHARD IN YOUR MIND Sydney’s beloved psych-pop oddballs Richard In Your Mind are heading across the east coast for their Give A High Five Tour, celebrating their vinyl release of their acclaimed fourth album, Poderosa. The tour will see Richard In Your Mind showcase material from all six of their releases and to celebrate the rebirth of Ponderosa on vinyl, the band are giving away free digital downloads of both their second and third albums (My Volcano and Sun, respectively) to anybody who pre-orders a vinyl copy of Ponderosa through the Rice is Nice label. They’ll be playing a show at Shebeen on Friday June 12, with tickets available from shebeenbandroom.com.au.

BATPISS Batpiss are set to release their new album Biomass on Friday June 26. The Collingwood band’s latest album follows the incredibly popular 2013 LP Nuclear Winter, and delves into the darker facets of human existence. Catch the boys at Howler on Friday July 17, more info from h-w-l-r.com.

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REMI Following the announcement of his new mixtape, Call It What You Want (F.Y.G ACT:2), REMI has announced a handful of shows around the country this June. The mixtape follows his 2014 album Raw X Infinity and recent tours and showcases across the UK, Europe and the US. This new seven-track mixtape will be the sequel to REMI’s 2013 breakout mixtape F.Y.G. ACT:1. REMI will kick off the tour at Sydney’s Come Together Festival before playing clubs in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Catch REMI at Northcote Social Club on Friday June 12. Tickets are on sale from northcotesocialclub.com.

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CERES Melbourne based sadboys Ceres are shooting around Australia over June and July, taking their impeccably refined breed of emo inspired rock for a show at The Tote, followed by a show at The Old Bar. The band’s Selfish Prick EP was a hotbed for feelings, tight acoustic, hard rock and electronic jams, and some deep vocal delivery that blew the expectations of what the Australian scene has to offer. With supports from The Pretty Littles, make sure you get down to this one for beers and tears. Ceres plays at Corner Hotel on Saturday June 6, The Tote on Saturday June 27, and The Old Bar on Saturday July 25. Check out weareceres. com for tickets and more details.

After winning over audiences across Australia supporting The Kooks in January, Welsh four-piece Catfish And The Bottlemen will return this July to play Splendour In The Grass. The band have announced a Splendour sideshow in Melbourne at the Corner Hotel, taking their loud, explosive, sexy rock and roll to the stage on Wednesday July 22. Head on over to catfishandthebottlemen.com for tickets and more details.

SAL KIMBER & THE ROLLIN’ WHEEL The alt-country project of one of Melbourne’s most exciting singer songwriters has blossomed with the announcement of the release of the group’s new single Stumble in the Dark and a seven date Australian tour through June. Their first studio release in over three years, Stumble in the Dark was written in a beach town shack by Sal and her sister Beth Kimber and sees a bold turning point for the band as they step aside from the assumed upbeat single offering. The band will be hitting the road in June to share the new single, with a show in Melbourne penned in at The Gasometer Hotel on Friday June 12. For tickets and more information, get to salkimber.com.au.

Eagle eyed readers out there would have noticed a special AC/ DC poster included in this week’s issue, assuming someone hasn’t ripped it out of your copy already. The peeps over here at Beat have teamed up with the God’s of Australian rock themselves in giving out an official AC/ DC Rock or Bust World Tour pack. All you have to do to win is take a picture of yourself with the poster and chuck it up on Facebook or Instagram with the #acdcaustraliantour tag. Make sure to follow acdcaustraliantour on both sites for the upcoming winner announcements.

VOYAG E R / KLONE

Perth’s progressive metal act Voyager are releasing their new music video for Seasons of Age by heading on a whirlwind tour around the nation, bringing alternative French heavyweights Klone along for the ride. Klone are over here launching their new album, Here Comes The Sun, out next month through Bird’s Robe Records. Don’t miss these two, playing Friday May 29 at The Evelyn Hotel. "But I can’t afford ticke-" shut your mouth and go to beat.com.au/freeshit, there’s a free double pass with your name on it (or some other reader's).

YOB In 2014, Yob released their near universally praised record, Clearing the Path to Ascend - topping Rolling Stone’s list of the best metal albums and receiving rave reviews across the board from Pitchfork to The New York Times. Their live show boasts frenetic riffs, furious drumming yet ultimately covers this with a brand of slow, crushing doom metal, and luckily enough they’ll be taking to Max Watt’s to prove this to fans. Get tickets for their Friday August 21 show from lifeisnoise.com.

ELTON JOHN Sir Elton John and his band will return to Australian shores later this year. It’s been over 40 years since Elton John first toured Down Under in 1971, and since he has performed 179 concerts across the country to in excess of 1.5 million people. On his upcoming tour he will perform a series of arena and winery shows. Catch him on Friday December 11 at Rod Laver Arena (tickets via Ticketek) or on Saturday December 12 at A Day On The Green at the Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong (tickets via Ticketmaster).

THE CHERRY DOLLS

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

Following the release of their upcoming single, The Last Time, The Cherry Dolls have just announced an east coast tour. Inspired by post breakups, the single is said to be a taste for what will be coming up on their EP titled, Wasted Pearls, due out later this year. The ‘60s inspired Melbourne five-piece band have recently supported British India, DZ Deathrays and USA’s Strand of Oaks and have definitely built up their reputation. They have again teamed up with producer Alex Markwell (Delta Riggs) to bring you their forthcoming single. The Cherry Dolls will headline Shebeen on Friday May 29.

Dead Letter Circus have announced a run of intimate shows around the country to support their forthcoming single, While You Wait, this July. The track is set to be the lead single from their yet-to-be-announced third album, expected for a late winter release. The band will play five shows around the country, with an average of 300 tickets available for each city, making this run of shows their most intimate full band tour since the early days. Dead Letter Circus will take over Northcote Social Club on Friday July 17. General tickets will go on sale Thursday May 7. Grab them from northcotesocialclub.com.

NECRO THE GRATES The Grates have announced their long awaited Team Work Makes The Dream Work east coast tour. The announcement follows the November release of their Dream Team LP, which was recorded in just ten days, and the tour will be The Grates’ first live shows since 2011’s Summer’s Breath tour, barring a handful of dates. Joining them on their trip along the east cost are Sydney’s fuzz punks Straight Arrows and Brisbane’s synth duo Pleasure Symbols. The Grates play at the Corner Hotel on Saturday August 15. Tickets are available now from Ticketscout. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

Necro has announced he is returning to our shores for the first time in six years, playing a show in Melbourne this May. Having played sold out tours in 2007 and 2009, the Brooklyn rapper will embark on his biggest run of dates yet. Necro started off playing guitar in bands until 1990. In 1991, after winning a demo contest on the Stretch and Bobbito Radio Show in NYC he headed in a different direction. Since 1996, when Necro released a series of top five college radio singles, he has established himself as one of the most successful crossover artists from the hip hop genre. Necro will take over The Espy on Saturday May 16. Tickets are on sale now at espy.com.au.

THE KING KHAN AND BBQ SHOW The King Khan and BBQ Show have locked in a return to Melbourne. Five years since their infamous break up at a Sydney Opera House show, the boys have solidified their two-year regrouping with Bad News Boy, their first album in half a decade. In celebration of this, a Melbourne performance is planned with garage kings The Living Eyes. Expect a rehash of their classics as well as a strong set of the new shit when they touch down. Head down to the Corner Hotel on Friday July 24. Tickets are available from cornerhotel.com.

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TOURING

WHO'S ON TOUR, WHERE AND WHEN

For all the latest tour dates check out beat.com.au

INTERNATIONAL OPETH The Forum May 7 ANASTACIA Palais Theatre May 7 EVERCLEAR Corner Hotel May 8 THE BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena May 8 SILVERSTEIN 170 Russell May 8 BEASTWARS Cherry Bar May 8, Yah Yah’s May 9 SUFFOCATION & DECAPITATED Corner Hotel May 9 ALT-J Rod Laver Arena May 10 MOTLEY CRUE & ALICE COOPER Rod Laver Arena May 12 LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION Playhouse May 13 – 16 BAM MARGERA Corner Hotel May 15 THE HAUNTED & INSOMNIUM Max Watt's May 15 NICKELBACK Rod Laver Arena May 15 NECRO The Espy May 16 DANCE GAVIN DANCE Corner Hotel May 17 HERBERT Prince of Wales May 22 BILL CALLAHAN Hamer Hall May 26 HERBIE HANCOCK & CHICK COREA Hamer Hall May 28 BORIS Corner Hotel May 30 BEN HOWARD Margaret Court Arena June 1 BRIAN KENNEDY The Spotted Mallard June 4 BAD MANNERS Corner Hotel June 4 NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL Portarlington June 5-6 AGAINST ME! Corner Hotel June 6, June 7 EMAROSA Wrangler June 8 YNGWIE MALMSTEEN 170 Russel June 10 TV ON THE RADIO The Forum June 12, June 13 CROOKERS Prince Bandroom June 13 PALLBEARER Northcote Social Club June 19 MACHINE HEAD 170 Russell June 22 EMMYLOU HARRIS & RODNEY CROWELL Palais Theatre June 25 MARLON WILLIAMS Corner Hotel July 3 WAXAHATCHEE The Toff July 4 SEETHER Forum Theatre July 4 CHRIS BOTTI Hamer Hall July 5 YELLOWCARD Margaret Court Arena July 11 RYAN ADAMS Forum Theatre July 19, July 20 OF MONSTERS AND MEN The Forum July 20 CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN Corner Hotel July 22 JOHNNY MARR The Forum July 22 MS MR 170 Russell July 22 WOLF ALICE Corner Hotel July 23 PETER ROBINSON The Forum July 23 THE KING KHAN AND BBQ SHOW Corner Hotel July 24 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS North Byron Parklands July 24 – 26 PURITY RING 170 Russell July 24 MARMOZETS Ding Dong Lounge July 25 EVERYTHING EVERYTHING & URBAN CONE The Corner July 25 TIGERS JAW Reverence Hotel July 25, July 26 (AA) BEST COAST Corner Hotel July 26 AZEALIA BANKS Prince Bandroom July 26 THE VACCINES Corner Hotel July 27 THE DISTRICTS Northcote Social Club July 27 EARL SWEATSHIRT Prince Bandroom July 28 MØ & ELLIPHANT The Corner July 28 BLUR Rod Laver Arena July 28 THE WOMBATS Palais Theatre July 28 MARK RONSON Margaret Court Arena July 29 YEARS & YEARS Howler July 30 KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS 170 Russell August 2

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

CHELSEA GRIN Corner Hotel August 14, Wrangler Studios August 15 (AA) YOB Max Watt’s August 21 MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER Palais Theatre September 4 POISON CITY WEEKENDER 170 Russell, Public Bar September 4, Corner Hotel, The Old Bar September 5, Reverence Hotel, Corner Hotel September 6 DEATH DEALER Max Watt's September 13 CIRCA SURVIVE 170 Russell September 20, September 21 (AA) JOAN BAEZ Arts Centre Hammer Hall September 24 MAROON 5 Rod Laver Arena September 26 KISS Rod Laver Arena October 8, October 10 SNOT Corner Hotel October 17 NEIL DIAMOND Rod Laver Arena October 27 ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Palais Theatre October 29 HOZIER Palais Theatre October 30 AT THE GATES Friday October 30 ANATHEMA Corner Hotel October 31 AUDRA MCDONALD Hamer Hall October 31 FLEETWOOD MAC Rod Laver Arena November 2, 4, Mt Dundeed Estate November 7 EARTHCORE Pyalong, Victoria November 26 – 30 ED SHEERAN AAMI Park December 5 TAYLOR SWIFT AAMI Park December 11 ELTON JOHN Rod Laver Arena December 11, Mt Duneed Estate December 12

NATIONAL FOREST FALLS Workers Club May 6, 13, 20, 27, Workers Club Geelong May 10 PARTY AGAINST PAM The Toff May 7 ROCKNROLLA 2 Prince Bandroom May 8 MONTGOMERY Shebeen May 8 CASUAL BAND BLOGGER PARTY Ding Dong Lounge May 8 MONEY FOR ROPE The John Curtin Hotel May 9 ROOGAZE The Tote May 9 LURCH & CHIEF Howler May 9 CHERRYROCK015 featuring Red Fang, Beastwars, Child and more, AC/DC Lane May 10 NEPAL EARTHQUAKE CRISIS FUNDRAISER Section 8 May 10 CHRISTINE ANU Bennett’s Lane Jazz Club May 13 - 15 THE FUNKOARS The Workers Club May 14, 15 JOHNNY CASH IN SOLITARY Flying Saucer Club May 14 MILES AWAY Northcote Social Club May 14 PETER BIBBY Northcote Social Club May 15 COURTNEY BARNETT The Forum May 13,14,15 THE CASANOVAS Ding Dong Lounge May 15 THE JUNGLE GIANTS Howler May 15 IVAN OOZE Can’t Say May 15 JAMAICA JUMP UP The Gasometer May 16 THE GOOD SHIP The Spotted Mallard May 16 WICK STUDIOS LAUNCH PARTY Wick Studios May 17 KING PARROT Corner Hotel May 16, Wrangler Studios May 17 EMERGE IN THE WEST Nicholson Street, Footscray May 16 THE TWOKS Catani Gardens, St Kilda May 16 ROSS MCLENNAN Post Office Hotel May 17 CRAFT & CULT 2015 Grumpy’s Green May 20 DAN PARSONS AND STEVE GRADY The Workers Club May 21 THE GETAWAY PLAN Corner Hotel May 22

SAN CISCO 170 Russell May 22, Max Watt's May 23 (U18) BOB FEST Memo Music Hall May 22 - 23 RAISED BY EAGLES Howler May 22 GANGS OF YOUTH Northcote Social Club May 22 CLOWNS Bar 12 May 22, The Tote June 12, Karova Lounge June 13, The Barwon Club June 27 THE PEEP TEMPEL Howler May 23 SHELLEY SEGAL Caravan Music Club May 24, Nortcote Social Club May 30 NEIL FINN Melbourne Recital Centre May 27 THE CHERRY DOLLS Shebeen Bandroom May 29 SUPERSUCKERS & THE BELLRAYS Corner Hotel May 29 SHE WHO ROCKS TOUR Max Watt's May 29 COOPERS AFTER DARK Shadow Electric May 29 VOYAGER The Evelyn Hotel May 29 JOELISTICS AND ASTRONOMY CLASS Howler May 29 JEREMY NEALE Ding Dong Lounge May 30 BIRDS OF TOKYO 170 Russell June 3 HOT DUB TIME MACHINE Hi-Fi Bar June 5 IN HEARTS WAKE 170 Russell June 5, Arrows June 6 (U18) CERES Corner Hotel June 6, The Tote June 27, The Old Bar July 25 BEN LEE Northcote Social Club June 7 MY DISCO The Toff June 7 SAL KIMBER & THE ROLLIN’ WHEEL The Gasometer June 12 RICHARD IN YOUR MIND Shebeen Bandroom June 12 REMI Northcote Social Club June 12 COSMIC PSYCHOS & DUNE RATS Chelsea Heights Hotel June 12, Max Watts June 13 HENNESSEY’S BEETHOVEN Sacred Heart College Geelong June 12 Deakin Edge June 13, Melbourne Recital Centre June 14, West Gippsland Arts Centre June 16, Peninsula Community Theatre June 20 DAN CRIBB AND THE ISOLATED Public Bar June 12 WALLAPALOOZA The Espy June 12 DEEZ NUTS Arrows June 12, Corner Hotel June 13 OSCAR KEY SUNG Howler June 13 MIKELANGELO Hawthorn Arts Centre June 5 THE AUDREYS The Spotted Mallard June 19 DALLAS FRASCA Howler June 19 BAD/DREEMS The Tote June 19 THE GOBLIN BALL Northcote Town Hall June 20 HERMITUDE 170 Russell June 19 ART VS SCIENCE Howler June 20 TIM ROGERS AND THE BAMBOOS Corner Hotel June 25 THE KITE STRING TANGLE & DUSTIN TEBBUTT 170 Russell June 26 TITLE FIGHT Corner Hotel June 26 EDDIE PERFECT Melbourne Recital Centre June 26 ALPINE The Forum June 27 HARTS Ding Dong Lounge June 27 MOJO JUJU Corner Hotel June 27, Caravan Music Club July 4 DARREN COGGAN The Palms July 3 YOUTH GROUP Northcote Social Club July 3 HOLY SERPENT The Tote July 3, Brunswick Hotel July 19 THE CHURCH 170 Russell July 10 ICE CREAM HANDS The Evelyn Hotel July 11 JARRYD JAMES The Forum July 11 BATPISS Howler July 17 FRASER A. GORMAN Gasometer Hotel July 17 DEAD LETTER CIRCUS Northcote Social Club

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CHERRYROCK015 AC/DC LANE SUN MAY 10

13 ACTS, 2 STAGES, NO CLASHES.

RED FANG B U R N I N G Q U E S T I O N S By Patrick Emery

Every band needs a plan. It can be aspirational (‘the best rock’n’roll band in the world’), radical (‘fuck the system’), decadent (‘dope, guns and fucking in the street’), economic (‘shitloads of money’) or artistic (‘fuse Witches Brew-era Miles Davis with Love Gun-era Kiss’). Aaron Beam, bass player and vocalist with Portlandbased stoner metal band Red Fang, says the band came together with three goals in mind, “The only criteria we had was firstly, that we all felt inspired by the music we were playing, secondly, our music made people want to party and finally, we wanted to minimise odd time signatures and overly complicated arrangements ± that, is ‘keep it simple, stupid’.”

writing a song based on a riff,” Beam says. “I’d say probably half the songs we have recorded from Murder the Mountains forward, we have had little to no lyrics or melody written before we go into the studio to do them. Bryan has been known to completely ad-lib during a vocal take and not even need to redo.” Nonetheless, a sense of darkness and foreboding can be glimpsed in songs such as Voices of the Dead, Behind the Light and No Hope. Though, Beam says the band’s gaze isn’t that deep. “Voices of the Dead is specifically about my fear of failure to write a decent record amidst all the pressure I was feeling to make a follow up to Murder the Mountains. It’s about the death of Red Fang, really. Behind the Light is similarly themed, although it’s a bit more optimistic, actually. It presents the idea of walking behind the light rather than into the light as a way of denying death, I suppose. No Hope was a song Bryan wrote and I think it’s about how hard it was for him to get the high score on the Doctor Who pinball machine. Or maybe it was about how much he loves kittens,” Beam laughs. As residents of Portland, the members of Red Fang are very familiar with the characters and scenarios played out by Fred Armisen (who features in the video to Blood Like Cream) and Carrie Brownstein in Portlandia.

“The reason Portlandia is so successful is because it effectively lampoons a segment of the population that had previously been sort of left off the hook,” Beam says. “It’s called Portlandia because a disproportionately large percentage of the population of Portland is like those characters. And that is part of what makes Portland so desirable and comfortable to live for some people, and part of what makes it attractive to me, so naturally I identify with some of those characters. There is a dark side to all this, but that would be a whole separate interview.” Right now, Red Fang are preparing for their second trip to Australia, after playing Soundwave in 2013. In the future, well, that’s another story. “I think the future holds for Red Fang the same thing it holds for everyone else,” Beam says. “We will all turn into grey-skinned hermaphrodites with our brains directly attached to the Internet. We will become a single being with many bodies.”

Normally this is where we’d write an intro that lays out who The Shrine is for the uninitiated, but their official biography does such a good job of that ± not just as an informational tool but as a work of art ± that it deserves to be read on its own merits. “On the night of November 6th, 1979 Black Sabbath was at their most drug addled and explosive standing,” it reads. “They were on tour supporting their newly released Never Say Die album and had a night off in Los Angeles. After knocking back a few drinks at the infamous Rainbow Bar, they decided to check out the local rock scene at the Whiskey A-Go-Go. Arriving late, they caught the tail end of a set by The Circle Jerks. Feeling intimidated yet inspired, they rented a rehearsal space and spent the rest of the night jamming. For an unknown reason they exclusively played Thin Lizzy material and Keith Moon was sitting in. These events never took place. But if they did, the results may have sounded similar to Los Angeles’s The Shrine.” Which is to say that Venice Beach trio The Shrine, who formed in 2008, play the kind of psychedelic, beer-drenched, riff-blasting rock’n’roll that could have existed 35 or 40 years ago, but is instead happening right now.

inspires us, really,” says Landau. “Things are a lot more unnecessarily complicated these days in terms of the way records sound. I mean sure, there were plenty of bad records being made throughout time, but we always try to capture the band as we play live. We want it to sound like Robin Trower sitting on Lemmy’s face. “We met Lemmy once at a strip club in Hollywood and he was so awesome and friendly,” Landau boasts. “He talked to us for a while. I talked to him about the MC5 for a minute. I told him I saw Wayne Kramer play an acoustic show and that it was awesome, and Lemmy said ‘Of course it was’.” Although Landau appreciates fine guitar gear, he relishes the challenge of unexpected borrowed gear on the road, from whoever can lend it to them. “Well, if we’re flying out we just borrow whatever is there, whatever we can borrow from people,” he says. “We’re so grateful to people letting us use their gear, coughing up their shit ± you know how that can be. But we’re going in kind of blind, we don’t know what gear we’ll be using at any of the [Australian] shows until we show up, apart from our guitars and pedals. I have a JEN wah-wah. It belonged to my dad. It’s his old wah-wah and he doesn’t use it and I’m too stubborn to give it up. I keep getting new pots for it year after year because it sounds too awesome.” Landau started playing guitar at 14-years old after somebody gave him a Black Flag CD and a Misfits CD. “I didn’t listen to anything except punk and hardcore all through high school,” he says. “Eventually I started listening to what those bands were listening to. I found out Black Flag were listening to Hendrix and Mahavishnu Orchestra and King Crimson, so I checked that stuff out, and KISS, and I got way deep into Bob Dylan, Radio Birdman ± probably my favourite Australian band ± then Slayer and Metallica. We try and funnel all that down the toilet and have the shit that comes out the other end be our sound.”

But despite their professed reliance on linearity, Red Fang are anything but simplistic. The band formed in 2005 when Beam, drummer John Sherman and guitarist David Sullivan found themselves in an individual and collective musical void. Sherman, Beam (at that time playing guitar) and Sullivan started jamming in Sherman’s basement in Portland, Oregon, gradually working out a bunch of instrumental tracks. When rhythm guitarist Bryan Giles returned from San Diego with a collection of his own fledgling tracks, Red Fang was born ± almost. “We had a problem,” Beam says. “We were getting ready to play our first show and we had three guitarists and no bass player. We each took a turn as bassist, and it became clear pretty quickly that I was not going to be playing guitar in this band anymore.” After playing a show under the name Panda on December 31, 2005, the band soon changed their name to Red Fang (which, according to some Star Wars nerds, is a lesser-known bounty hunter). In 2009, Red Fang

THE SHRINE L I G H T

T H E

C A N D L E S

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By Peter Hodgson

R O C K

released their debut record, Red Fang. “That record absolutely captured exactly what we were all about at the time,” Beam says. The recording of the album was split between the living room of Sullivan’s house and a studio that wasn’t much different to Sullivan’s living room. “At that point I would say none of us had really yet devoted much mental energy to the studio process,” Beam says. “Going into the studio at that point was always more about making a historical document of songs we had spent time perfecting live, and was not as much of an independent creative process.” Red Fang have gone on to release another two albums, Murder the Mountains in 2011 and Whales and Leeches in 2013. Chris Funk ± multi-instrumentalist for The Decemberists and producer of records by alt-country artist Langhorne Slim and folk-rock outfit The Builders and the Butchers ± produced both albums. “If Whales and Leeches was a ship, then Chris was the navigator,” Beam says. “He made sure we stayed the course and didn’t veer too far into dangerous waters.” While it’s Red Fang’s brutal stoner metal riffs that hit you first, within the band’s lyrics can be found evocative images and challenging psychological themes. “I think it is safe to say that in 100 per cent of cases we begin

Josh Landau (guitar/vocals), Courtland Murphy (bass) and Jeff Murray (drums) are here to remind us that it’s fun to break stuff, it’s fun to crank the amps up to “antisocial” and it’s fun to give yourself over to the power of the riff. They’ll be in Australia for much of May including a high profile slot at this Sunday’s CherryRock015. The CherryRock Festival almost seems custom-built for The Shrine. “Yeah ± it’s going to be so rad,” Landau says. “We’ve toured a lot with Red Fang. We’ve done two European tours and an American tour with them so we’re always stoked to see those guys. We’re good buddies. We came down once to Australia in 2013 or 2014 and we played about eight shows. And we drove everywhere and we went out of our fucking minds doing overnight drive after overnight drive. But we had an awesome time. We played a last-minute gig in Fitzroy Park in Melbourne, at the skate park, and we set up all our stuff on the edge of the bowl and played. The cops walked up and they said, ‘As long as this finishes in a couple of minutes this is cool.’ That never would have happened in America. In America they’d be telling you they’re going to impound the gear and all that shit.” The band is playing in Melbourne multiple times over the course of the tour, and after each gig they’ll head off somewhere else to play some shows before coming back. “We’re zig-zagging all over,” Landau says. “We rented a private jet and we have a wolf painted on the front of it so we’re just going where we want all the time.” Was it always a goal for The Shrine to have that kind of direct, honest vintage sound, or was it more a matter of economics? “It’s only as intentional as the music we like is, the records we listen to and the shit that BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20

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RED FANG are playing CherryRock015 on Sunday May 10, as well as hitting up the Prince Bandroom on Friday May 15. Their latest album Whales and Leeches is available now via Relapse Records/Rocket Distribution.

Catch THE SHRINE at The Bendigo Hotel on Wednesday May 6 and CherryRock015 on Sunday May 10. Grab the band’s latest album Tee Pee, out now on Tee Pee Records.

CHERRYROCK015 AC/DC LANE SUN MAY 10

13 ACTS, 2 STAGES, NO CLASHES.

LOS HOMBRES DEL DIABLO C R O S S I N G

B O R D E R S

By Augustus Welby

This year’s CherryRock Festival is set to be a veritable feast of stoner, doom and heavy blues-rock. If there were laws restricting how many de-tuned guitars could sit inside a single building, the Cherry Bar owners would be in for one hell of a wrist-slapping. As well as US headliners Red Fang and The Shrine, and New Zealand’s Beastwars, several acts on the lineup represent Melbourne’s bustling heavy rock ranks, including Child, My Left Boot and Horsehunter. A lesser-known outfit that sits comfortably alongside these bands is Los Hombres Del Diablo, who’ll make the trip down from Sydney. Last August, Los Hombres Del Diablo released their debut EP The High Hound Blues. The six-song release prominently showcases the band’s interest in grooveheavy stoner rock and bluesy rock’n’roll ± recalling the heavier end of ‘60s blues-rock with a harder edge gleaned from the ‘90s Palm Desert scene. Yet, in spite of evidence the Sydneysiders have engorged themselves on the likes of Sabbath, Cream, Kyuss and Monster Magnet, they’re not hell-bent on resembling these artists. “All of that sort of style ± stoner, heavy-blues, fuzz rock ± is all the stuff we love,” says drummer Nathan Millett. “But we don’t sit down and go, ‘Right, let’s write a song that sounds like Fu Manchu.’ I think from what people have listened to over the years, and stylistically what they like, it does come out in the writing. The writing is a collaborative process as well. There’s not one person that says, ‘Right, this is the guitar riff so the bass riff has to sound like this, the drumming has to go like this.’ It’s

a process that we all contribute to.” In a typical instance of Melbourne elitism, we tend to regard our stoner rock scene as the strongest in the country. Perhaps it’s not an unfair reckoning, but Millett fills us in on what’s happening north of the border. “There’s another band in Sydney called Arrowhead,” he says, “who are a good band within this style that we’re doing. There’s a couple of younger bands too, like Aver who just released an album, and Comacozer. There’s also a couple of Canberra bands, like Witchskull and Looking Glass, who we’re good friends with. It’s not as strong as Melbourne, but there’s bands here doing it. I know all the bands here like going to Melbourne when they get the opportunity.” Since they last played in Melbourne, Los Hombres have undergone a significant lineup change. In late January, Michele Madden stepped down as the band’s lead vocalist and has since been replaced by Luke

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Enright. Fortunately, the change-over didn’t upset the band’s creative drive, and they’ve got a stack of new material to share with punters who get to AC/DC Lane early this Sunday. “We had a lot of new songs written,” Millett says, “so when Luke started we focused on those with him and let him do his vocal spin on it ± let him write his own lyrics and everything. Though, for live performances, we have performed some songs we did with Michele.” Having changed vocalists and penned a bunch of fresh material, Los Hombres are eager to produce a followup to The High Hound Blues. Thus, along with the CherryRock gig, the band are heading into Reservoir’s Goatsound Studios this weekend to work with Blood Duster’s Jason PC Fuller. “We’re doing a split 7” with that band from Canberra, Witchskull,” Millett says. “After that we’re looking to release a full length later this year, if all goes well.” Given the band’s penchant for muscular, groovedriven rock, their studio approach is appropriately nononsense. “With our last recording, we really tried to capture that live performance element,” Millett says. “I hate going to see bands live and then you purchase the album and it sounds nothing like the live performance ± it’s way over-produced. We really make an effort to keep it raw, so what you hear on the CD is hopefully pretty close to what you’re going to hear if you come to see us play live. It’s quite basic, the processes we go through with recording. It’s basically set up and play. We love the live element and I don’t want us to get too far away from that in the recording process. I like to keep that energy there.” Outside of Los Hombres, the band’s five members all work full time jobs. But even though playing rock’n’roll is more or less a hobby, over the last 12 months, Los Hombres have scored support slots with the likes of Conan, The Datsuns and King Parrot. CherryRock is another impressive feat to add to the CV, but Millett refrains from making any overly ambitious future predictions. “Because we all work full time, there’s only so much you can do,” he says. “Most of us have kids too. But this is our creative outlet. We don’t play team sports or anything like that. This is our thing that we do each week. Within those restrictions we push as much as we can. “We definitely appreciate the opportunity to come down for CherryRock. I’ve actually never seen Warped play, so I’m really keen for them. Obviously Red Fang and a lot of the other bands ± I haven’t seen Clowns yet either, so it’s a great opportunity. To play with some of these bands will be great.”

LOS HOMBRES DEL DIABLO hit the CherryRock stage at 1.40 pm this Sunday May 10. The band’s EP The High Hound Blues is available now via Bandcamp.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21

This Week: As part of its Australian premiere season, Sydney Dance Company is set to present a limited run of its acclaimed double bill, Frame of Mind, in Melbourne. Frame of Mind features two dance works, legendary American choreographer William Forsythe’s acclaimed masterpiece Quintett, and Rafael Bonachela’s newly created Frame Of Mind, direct from its world premiere Sydney performances. Created in 1993, Quintett was developed in collaboration with Ballet Frankfurt dancers Dana Caspersen, Stephen Galloway, Jacopo Godani, Thomas McManus, and Jone San Martin, as a final love letter to Forsythe’s wife, dancer Tracy-Kai Maier. One of Forsythe’s most closely guarded pieces, Quintett has rarely been performed outside of his direct supervision. In the 22 years since its creation only eight companies around the world have been permitted to present the piece. Sydney Dance Company is the first in the southern hemisphere. In Frame Of Mind, Bonachela brings together 17 of Australia’s most accomplished dancers, as time passes from day to night and back again as the dancers transition from solos to duets, trios and high energy ensembles. Frame of Mind opens at Southbank Theatre on Wednesday May 6, with just nine performances until Saturday May 16. 31 feature films, 18 shorts, 15 forums and five exhibitions will take centre stage when the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival returns this week This year’s films will include the Melbourne premiere of Australian documentary I Will Not Be Silenced on opening night and will close with the premiere of The Beekeeper. Other highlights include Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, Ivory Tower, an exploration of student debt in America and Pervert Park, a look into the life of residents at a halfway home to registered sex offenders. 2015’s arts program will feature contemporary art exhibitions by Christian Thompson and Rushdi Anwar. Thompson’s exhibition The Imperial Relic will include the world premiere of his new photographic series as well as a new video work, Refuge. Anwar’s works will explore ideas formed from his personal experiences and will be presented at No Vacancy Project Space and the Atrium at Federation Square. And for the first time ever, the festival will present a talk series which will consist of forums over two weekends. The sessions will focus on topics that are at the forefront of the human rights debate, ranging from domestic violence to refugees. The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival will run from Thursday May 7 to Thursday May 21.

With Tyson Wray. Got thoughts, news, gossip, complaints or cat photos? Email tyson@beat.com.au or send by carrier pigeon before Friday 12pm.

Endings By Augustus Welby If Salt-n-Pepa had chosen to name their 1991 single Let’s Talk About Death, it probably wouldn’t have become such a global mega hit. No, compared to sex, death’s a far less attractive conversation starter. Nonetheless, death is going to happen to all of us, and according to most branches of modern philosophy, an open acceptance of death is integral for living a full and authentic life. Endings, the new work from Melbourne performance-maker Tamara Saulwick, utilises a range of sound sources in order to stimulate thoughts and conversations about death and dying. “When you sit down and really talk to people about death in a meaningful way, they’re very interested and happy to share those experiences,” Saulwick says. “In a way this piece is just creating a space for people to come into and for people’s stories to be heard and evoked.” In order to piece Endings together, Saulwick spent a lot of time interviewing people about death. Throughout the performance, a couple of portable 1960s record players emit recorded snippets from these interviews. While Saulwick’s now become an expert interlocutor on the subject of death, the interviews initially covered broader territory. “I started off with not just life ending, but all sorts of endings in our lives,” she says. “It could be a phase of our life or endings of books or whatever.” However, as things progressed, death revealed itself as

an especially compelling focus. “In those conversations I was asking people their thoughts on death, what it means, their own sense of mortality, loved ones they may have lost, and I’ve ended up taking tiny fragments out of those recordings and using them in the show. A kind of narrative emerges through this multi-voicing, but it’s not a narrative piece in the traditional sense of the word. There’s more this sense of a theme and they start to unfold aspects of the theme. With help from composer Peter Knight and songwriter Paddy Mann (aka Grand Salvo), Endings is also a highly-musical affair. “It’s almost like a performed concert,” Saulwick says. “It really sits somewhere between concert and theatre. Most of the material does emerge out of sound.”

and a guest to ofÉ

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Recital Centre will again join forces for the Metropolis New Music Festival. The festival will feature three concerts with works written for and inspired by the moving image, including Jonny Greenwood’s score from There Will Be Blood, Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Concerto and Penderecki’s Polymorphia. The festival will also feature compositions by Phillip Glass and Nico Muhly, as well as multimedia collaborations by Julia Wolfe, electronic music artist Edgard Varèse, filmmaker Bill Morrison and video artist Bill Viola. Metropolis New Music Festival will run until Saturday May 16 at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Visit metropolisfestival.com.au for more details.

PICK OF THE WEEK

d Stitch are bringing ma, The Flick, to their Arts House’s latest show will see some of the reative eam. stagestall-time greatest death scenes recreated

and condensed into 70 short minutes. Created by Zoë Coombs Marr, Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose of post, Oedipus Schmoedipus “takes several hundred of the all-time greatest plays, picks out the death scenes, mixes them together and hands them back to the people”. The show will enlist the help of 25 new volunteers each night who will help the ladies perform their collective manifesto on death. Oedipus Schmoedipus will run from Wednesday May 6 to Sunday May 10 at Arts House in North Melbourne.

heater, The Flick follows f three underpaid op the floors, play "Six of the last 35-‐ BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

The Flick By Liza Dezfouli Beat chats to one of this country’s most sought after directors of film and stage, Nadia Tass, about The Flick, a Red Stitch Actors Theatre production back by popular demand after last year’s production at Shebeen in the CBD. The play, a Pulitzer Prize winner by US playwright Annie Baker – ‘talent and vision,’ says Tass, is being brought home to the Red Stitch stage after its happy outing at MIFF last year, where it sold out. But MIFF’s a film festival and The Flick is a play. What was that about? “The play is set in a small cinema in a small town in Massachusetts; it’s about the transition from 35mm film to digital. I’m fascinated by the crossroads of film and theatre. Annie Baker and I talked about it long before the production. I wanted to bring the two entities, Red Stitch and MIFF, together and it was the perfect play to do that.” The demand for the show was so great last year that Red Stitch is remounting it at their home theatre. The cast is the same, and includes Red Stitch ensemble actor Ben Prendergast playing Sam (the other two Red Stitchers are Ngaire Dawn Fair and Dion Mills, along with guest actor Kevin Hofbauer). Prendergast says the team feels really good to be staging the play at Red Stitch. “It’s a beautiful feeling.” The play tells the story of three young people facing loneliness and heartbreak. “They are three diametrically opposed characters. Avery (Hofbauer) has his own issues; he’s young and black, and privileged, in comparison to Rose and Sam. His dad’s a professor.” Prendergast’s

character, Sam, he says, is a victim of circumstance and at the same time, so much more. “He’s the oldest of the three, at 35, he still lives with his parents, he never really went to college, and he’s paralysed by his class and his station. And he has a massive crush on Rosie,” Prendergast adds. “Rose (Fair) reminds me of every great ‘90s female heroine. The sort of character Janeane Garofalo would play. She’s brash, she doesn’t give a fuck. So back to Tass. Challenges for both actors and director lie within the language of the text, she says. “The quick pace and comic timing are different from the conventional. There’s a different rhythm. The Flick is funny and wrenching and funny and wrenching

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Knight largely stands in the shadows, processing and looping his recorded score through a Revox reel-to-reel tape recorder. Mann, on the other hand, joins Saulwick in the thick of the action. “Paddy’s principally a musician, but he’s helping to manifest a lot of the sound that’s happening on stage,” she says. “The interviews have been cut onto these vinyl records and Paddy and I physically DJ the records so that you’re getting one voice then another then another and they interlock. He assists in all of the movements of lights and operating the sound-making machine and then also at times does his beautiful singing, sometimes with guitar, sometimes not. There’s a Grand Salvo song in the piece, Flowers from his album Soil Creatures. Then there’s others that he’s written for the piece. ” Along with the added visual allure, Saulwick chose to implement archaic technology in order to further accentuate the work’s core theme. “It’s the fact that [the record players and reel-to-reel recorder] are kind of redundant,” she says. “Also, the vulnerability of these machines – the fact that they feel like they’re on the verge of death the whole time – you turn them on and ghost sounds start coming out of them or they start feeding-back. There’s so many things about them that resonate with the theme, from their fragility to their unpredictability.” Saulwick’s evident attraction to death might suggest there’s an underlying morbidity to Endings. However, while developing the piece, she was rigidly opposed to taking it down a grim or soppy pathway. “They’re the two traps if you’re dealing with this theme,” she says. “I didn’t want it to be ghoulish either. The thing that was really fantastic about the Sydney season – [Sydney Festival, January 2015] – was that the adjectives that people were describing it with were ‘lifeaffirming’ and ‘uplifting’. In that sense, even though we say it’s about death, I think it’s much more about life. It’s about love, it’s about the desire of the living to connect with loved ones always, whether they’re alive or dead.”

Tamara Saulwick’s Endings is on at Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall from Wednesday May 13 until Sunday May 17.

and funny and wrenching. It’s so clearly the lives of three people who work in a small cinema. One is full of dreams, one filled with ambition, and the third is incredibly cynical. It really shows where the young people are in their lives. It focusses on things that make human beings. They’re not the sort of people who go to the theatre. That’s not who we’re talking about. The play shows how young people struggle and it’s about where they put their own humour into that struggle. Annie Baker is completely clear about what this demographic is going through. And what they want. You know it’s about them. The play is richly nuanced in its life force, it’s very real and naturalistic, it highlights misery, the drudgery of people in the poorer pockets of society everywhere.” Melbourne productions of Annie Baker’s work include The Alien, staged by Red Stitch in 2011, and the MTC production of Circle Mirror Transformation the same year. “She’s the ‘it’ girl of theatre right now,” says Prendergast. “I’ll admit to having a crush on her!” What does the actor like best about his character? “He’s absolutely all about truth and justice, but not anything else. He’s in denial about everything else, his life is in stasis. The play does seem to be about class issues,” he adds. Tass elaborates on the play’s theme of the poverty trap: “That gap is mammoth. I travel the world constantly with my work and I see it everywhere. The play does inadvertently deal with that, with the dispossessed; it’s reflected on the stage. Rose is earning $8.50 an hour. Often people writing plays are living in comfortable homes, and they’re are not faced with those problems most of the time. People who create theatre are often not of that world. Annie Baker is 33. She can relate to that new generation and she can really write theatre. The key thing about this production is that really is about all those people – people who don’t usually go to the theatre. Young people who see the play walk away overwhelmed, it reflects their lives – the constant disappointment they experience in their daily lives. This world is heartbreaking, their lives are mundane and heartbreaking and The Flick is a micro-epic about that, and it’s about movies. It’s confronting and pleasing and satisfying. Kind of funny. And heartbreaking. So real. This is what people walk away with.”

The Flick is currently being performed at Red Stitch Actors Theatre until Saturday May 23.

Arts House North Melbourne Town Hall

post

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Matthias Schack-Arnott

Fluvial

6 – 10 May Hilariously recreating several hundred of the greatest, and goriest, death scenes ever staged.

13 – 17 May An immersive large-scale kinetic percussion installation of quivering metals, glass, stone and water.

Tamara Saulwick

Kate Neal

13 – 17 May Vinyl records, reel-to-reel tape recordings and a stirring live performance by Paddy Mann (Grand Salvo).

27 – 31 May Musicians and dancers synchronize music, bodies and animation with archival World War II recordings.

Tickets now on sale! $15–$30 artshouse.com.au  /artshousemelbourne  @artshousemelb  @artshouse

Endings

Semaphore

tHE COMIC StRIP For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au

JOHN OLIVER

Melbourne International Film Festival

Flat Daddy

The first program of the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival has been revealed. The program, entitled Next Gen, brings together eight films designed to enrich the cinematic experience of younger viewers. The program includes Australian documentary, Gayby Baby, which gives an insight into the politicised lives of same sex couples and their children. It also features films including Being 14, Me Romantic Romani, Spartacus & Cassandra, Partners In Crime, Mateo, Wonderful World End and acclaimed fantasy The Spiderhouse. The Melbourne International Film Festival will hold screenings at ACMI and NGV. Bookings are now open for school groups.

The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)

St Kilda Film Festival

St Kilda Film Festival has unveiled which films will roll on the big screen when it opens for its 32nd year this May. One of Australia’s longest-standing and publicly owned short film festivals, this year’s event will feature 100 of the country’s top short films, music videos, archival screenings, youth programs and more. Some of the highlights include grandpa-grandson flick Imagination Game; Flat Daddy, the story of the effect a life-size cutout of a military officer dad has on his family; Melma, the true story of Metalicus founder Melma Hamersfield; and Jack’s Promise, a narrative of a man trying to make it all work. Along with the film program, the festival will also play host to SoundKILDA, showing off the best music videos of local and international musicians created by some of the country’s most talented filmmakers. Guy Pearce, Client Liason, Bob Dylan and Courtney Barnett will all hit the big screen this year. Other events within the festival include two archival programs, a showcase of films celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers, a filmmaker development series and a competition for filmmakers under 21. St Kilda Film Festival will run from Thursday May 21 to Saturday May 30. To view the full program and to purchase tickets, visit stkildafilmfestival.com.au.

Poppy Seed Festival

Lido Cinema

The inaugural Poppy Seed Festival has just announced its 2015 event, inviting artists individuals and companies to submit their proposals for this year’s festival, opening in November. Poppy Seed Festival is Melbourne’s newest grassroots theatre festival, designed to financially and logistically support artists to develop and deliver their work. Born out of Melbourne’s thriving theatrical landscape, the festival presents a unique proposition to theatre makers, asking them to submit their proposal for a theatrical production. Open to any style and content, four projects will be selected by a panel of actors, directors and producers and programmed into the festival. The projects will receive a venue, marketing, logistical and artistic support as well as financial support for production costs. Poppy Seed Festival will present work at Trades Hall, The Butterfly Club and fortyfivedownstairs from Monday November 9 until Sunday December 13.

The new Lido Cinema is due to unveil in Hawthorn this June. The new cinema will have an eight screen artiplex, showing both commercial and art house films. It will also be the first Australian venue to have a rooftop screen attached to a cinema. The Lido Cinema will open with an electric mix of art house titles, family holiday releases and upmarket commercial releases. The new Lido Cinema will launch this June 25.

Jazz on Film ACMI will screen Jazz on Film later this year. Presented as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, ACMI will screen an inspiring compilation of films exploring the multiple facets of jazz and its soulful artists, from uncompromising mentors and brutal teachers, to steadfast political activists and hardened outlaws. Jazz on Film will feature six films including documentaries and feature films. ACMI will screen Jazz on Film from Friday May 29 to Saturday June 6.

The film that embodies what is possibly the world’s worst orgy, The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence), is coming to Melbourne. Australia’s premier cult film festival Monster Fest will be presenting a national theatrical tour of the third and final installment of The Human Centipede franchise. Fans will have the rare chance of seeing the film on the big screen in each capital city, with one-off screenings attended by the star of part two of the films, Laurence R. Harvey, who will be at each event to introduce the film, followed by Q&A and signing sessions. Monster Pictures will submit the latest installment in the next couple of weeks and wait anxiously for the verdict from the Australian Classification Board. “We’re nervous, no doubt,” said Neil Foley from Monster Pictures. “I’ve seen the film and it ain’t no walk in the park. Let’s just hope sanity prevails and we can release this film without any issues from the censors.” The final film of the series unites the star of the first two films Dieter Laser with Laurence R. Harvey, as warden and sidekick, respectively, of an American prison. They hatch a plan to cut costs by creating a human centipede with 500 inmates ± each joined in such a way to share the same digestive tract. It will take place in Melbourne Friday June 26 at the brand new Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn.

Melbourne Cabaret Festival

30 fantastic new shows will debut at the Melbourne Cabaret Festival this June. Highlights for this year will include the American rollerblading act Up With Joey, as well as Lighthouse Berlin, a moving tribute to cabaret legend Agnes Bernelle. There will also be jazz shows, drag queen performances, and all things cabaret. Festivities run from Thursday June 18 until Sunday June 28.

John Oliver will embark on a standup tour of Australia later this year. Both an Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award winning writer, Oliver was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, and earlier this year his show on HBO Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won a Peabody Award. Catch him at the Palais Theatre on Thursday August 27. Tickets via Ticketmaster.

PORtLAND HOtEL COMEDY Joel Creasey headlines Portland Hotel Comedy this Thursday. He’s a mega-star in the making, and sold out all of his recent MICF shows. Plus Harley Breen, Oliver Clark, Nick Capper and heaps more. Last week they had Dave Hughes as a special guest, so you never know who will drop in. It’s all happening this Thursday, May 7 at 8.30pm, at Portland Hotel Comedy, 127 Russell Street (upstairs), CBD, all for only $12.

COMEDY At SPLEEN Monday nights in the city are chockers full of comedy yet again, thanks to Comedy at Spleen. Another full house is expected, as Spleen hosts a bunch of surprise acts, including Tommy Dassalo, Timothy Clark, Jess Perkins and more. It’s this Monday May 11, at 41 Bourke Street in the city, at 8.30pm. It’s free to get in, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.

CRAB LAB Crab Lab Melbourne’s loosest comedy night every Wednesday in Chinatown for absolutely free. Tonight there’s Geraldine Hickey, Adam Rozenbachs, Oliver Clark, Laura Davis, Karl Chandler and plenty more. Kicks off at 8.30, 16 Corrs Lnm CBD.

Coming Up Fluvial

Wednesday May 13 - Sunday May 17 Arts House

Endings

Wednesday May 13 - Sunday May 17 Arts House

NEON Festival of Independent Theatre

Thursday May 14 - Sunday July 25 Southbank Theatre

The Waiting Room

A Singular Phenomenon Anything Goes Award-winning musical Anything Goes is scheduled to dock in Melbourne next month. The classic comedy captures the story of two unlikely pairs aboard a ship as it travels from New York to London. The show has captivated millions and picked up numerous awards, including three Tonys during its time on Broadway. Anything Goes will run at Princess Theatre from Wednesday May 27.

A Singular Phenomenon will explore one of Australia’s most loved and loathed cultural icons. Like a massive game of 20 questions, A Singular Phenomenon will delve into the inner world of a particular song that has been translated into 40 languages, been stolen by Sir Elton John and allegedly been used by the US as a means of psychological warfare. Any guesses? Created by Lara Thoms with Aaron Orzech and Liz Dunn, performers include the La Voce della Luna choir, Lin Van Hek and Shian Law. A Singular Phenomenon will run at the Malthouse Theatre from Thursday May 21 - Saturday May 23.

Friday May 15 - Saturday June 27 Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio.

North By Northwest The Hitchcock spy thriller, first released in 1959, will hit the stage for the first time ever when it makes its world premiere in June. Cutting edge technology will be used to translate the film to the stage, including the infamous crop duster chase scene. Directed by MTC legend Simon Phillips (The Importance of Being Earnest, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hamlet, Richard III), the play will feature Matt Day and Amber McMahon in leading roles. North By Northwest will run from Monday June 1 - Saturday July 4 at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

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But Wait... There’s More

Wednesday June 17 - Sunday July 12 Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr

Dylan Moran

Monday July 27 - Thursday July 30 Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre

MSO: Back To The Future Live In Concert Friday November 6 - Saturday November 7 The Plenary

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 24

For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au Ben Walsh

Metropolis New Music Festival By Liza Dezfouli A film or a TV show is informed by its soundtrack as much as anything else; viewers pay close attention to and have high expectations of the music accompanying films or TV programs. Artistic Director of the Melbourne Recital Centre, Kirsten Siddle, talks to Beat about the Metropolis New Music Festival, one of Australia’s most exciting explorations of new classical music, and very much a festival for everybody.

“Metropolis is a joint venture between the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra,” Siddle explains. “It’s a celebration of music made for, or inspired by, the moving image. The festival includes local and international artists performing music they’ve written in response to something they’ve seen. We’re celebrating contemporary crossgenre music, celebrating how well music and film work together; there’s a lot of music written for film, composers influenced by the moving image, by animations, and are propelled and motivated to write something in response. The work are not necessarily film scores, they’re pieces composers felt a compelling need to write, triggered by the moving image. The idea came to them while they were watching this or that film. They experienced a pivotal moment and there was a need to respond. Music has such a pivotal role in how effective the moving image can be.” “There’s a huge range in the repertoire,” Siddle continues. “We’re very excited and proud to be presenting 12 or 13 world premieres of work, as well as seven Australian premieres, so audiences will get to experience pieces that have never been heard before. This festival is a great platform for composers, for the artists, and is very exciting for audiences. Being there at a premiere performance is really fantastic.” Audiences will get a remarkable cross-section of performers and music. “The festival features Australian composers as well as international composers,” says Siddle. “We have pieces from very well-known names like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Philip Glass, along with lesser known names. There are new works from artists like Julia Wolfe (presenting a multi-media collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison), Alexander Garsden, a piece by Kat Hope. It’s a wonderful collection – all of the musicians are really passionate, they want to make exciting things for people to listen to, they’re committed to setting the scene for a wonderful festival.” Siddle is clearly thrilled by the diversity of music in the festival. One Australian premiere Jonny Greenwood’s There Will Be Blood suite from the Academy Awardwinning film starring Daniel Day Lewis. As well, there’s a performance of the musical adaptation to Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival, by Ben Walsh and the Orkestra of the Underground. Melbourne’s Speak Percussion will present Between two parts there is an intermission of a hundred thousand years. “That one involves the audience moving between the stage in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall to the back of the hall and finishing up in the Salon - so they get to experience

the music in different spaces which have been chosen to suit the work,” explains Siddle. Not surprisingly, Siddle says it’s hard work to choose the pieces to include in Metropolis. Where does she even begin? “We start with the MSO. By virtue of this festival, the ensembles of MSO are already involved so we start with what the MSO have in their program. We work with their conductor, who this year is Andre de Ridder from the UK. So we start with those programs. Then it fans out, we talk to musicians and composers and talk about our ideas and their ideas and how they might fit together, there’s a sort of snowball effect and then it’s a matter of honing them all down.” But not only are the concerts in Metropolis diverse, Siddle notices that audience attendance patterns at Metropolis depart from the norm the MRC experiences at other times of the year. “There’s a difference in attendance with this festival,” she says. “Some people who might come along to one or two concerts a year at other times, will come along to almost all of the shows, festival goers tend to dig deeper into the subject matter, and there are people who want to be there at all of the show; we have that core group of people who follow the festival avidly, who get involved, People appreciate these programs, they come with an open mind and a sense of adventure.” It’s an unfair question but we ask it anyway – are there any concerts in particular Siddle is especially looking forward to? “Zubin Kanga, an exceptional pianist,” she answers. “It’s the world premiere of his work Dark Twin. I’m also looking forward to his performance of work by Michel van der Aa. I love what he does, he approaches everything with such commitment and deliberateness, and it will be a really exciting performance. I’m also looking forward to hearing Ben Walsh’s The Arrival again. Ben’s an exceptional musician, a really exciting musician who does exciting things; he’s always creating new sounds. The Arrival is absolutely beautiful. He just came across the book by accident in a bookshop, fell in love with it, and was compelled to set it to music. We had a concert of The Arrival here at the MRC in partnership with the Wheeler Centre, a lot of people missed out on it, and kept clamouring to have it performed again.”

Metropolis New Music Festival will run until Saturday May 16 at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Visit metropolisfestival.com.au for more details.

Theatre Review: Timeshare

Theatre Review: I Call My Brothers

Timeshare is a touching and bittersweet story about love, family and turtles. Set on a resort where the international date line cuts through the middle, we meet the manager Carl (Bert LaBonté) who spruiks off timeshares by promoting the fact that guests can go back in time to yesterday and enjoy their holiday longer. Meanwhile Sandy (Marg Downey) has arrived at the island with her daughter Kristy (Brigid Gallacher) and allows Carl to tempt her with the thought of the timeshare, while Kristy books herself into every activity with the hope of getting the attention of Juan Fernando (Fayssal Bazzi), a member of the entertainment staff. However, once Sandy goes back into yesterday, things begin to fall apart. A highlight is the hilarious musical numbers peppered throughout the show. From Gallacher’s dramatic lament about Tinder, to Carl and Sandy’s sweet duet about finding each other, to Carl’s soulful closing number Fill the Pool, the songs (with music composed by Jethro Woodward) give the show a wonderful energy. The dance numbers choreographed by Bec Reid are utterly hilarious, especially the dancing turtles number, and the nod to Dirty Dancing does not go unnoticed. As the sexually frustrated Kristy, Gallacher is a treat and she brings a delightful sweetness to the awkwardness of the character, while Downey is

I Call My Brothers is a thought-provoking and intense play that takes us through a 24 hour period in a young man’s mind. Originally set in Stockholm, the current MTC production brings an Australian aspect to the show. In the wake of a car bomb going off, Amor (Osamah Sami) has an errand to run. Over the course of the 24 hours, Amor must navigate a changed city where surveillance may or may not be following him and his large backpack around. Despite his attempts to blend in and be “normal”, Amor’s mental state deteriorates and the audience is left wondering what is a truth and what is a lie. The story shifts cleverly between direct addresses to the audience and interactions with other characters to explain what happens over these 24 hours and how Amor has come to be in this time and place. Chats with his cousin, phone calls to an unrequited crush and visions of his dead grandma – all these interactions weave together and lead to a powerful and sombre ending. Despite the bleak topic, the script itself has some delightfully funny and inspired moments, which are enhanced by the talents of director Nadja Kostich and her ability to direct with a beautiful sensitivity. Ray Chong Nee as Amor’s cousin Shavi is the highlight of the show and brings a much-needed warmth to this dark story, while the striking nature of Michael Carmody’s video design, Rachel Burke’s

fascinating to watch - while she may seem to fade into the background sometimes, her constant watchful presence gives Sandy a quiet and regal dignity that is hard to look away from. The set, designed by Dale Ferguson, is visually spectacular and highlights the idea that these characters are all trapped and isolated in one way or another, while Paul Jackson’s lighting is sublime. Timeshare is a charming and poignant play that showcases the wonderful talent that is Lally Katz. BY MYF CLARK

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lighting design and Marg Horwell’s set highlights Amor’s eventual breakdown and inability to grip onto reality. In a world where having a beard or dark skin or carrying a backpack can be cause for suspicion, I Call My Brothers is a topical and unflinching look at social paranoia and what it can mean for the individual. BY MYF CLARK

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 25

OUT OF THE CLOSET Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Last week, the 82-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg showed why she is worshipped by liberal fans as “the Notorious RBG” when she eviscerated conservative opponents of same sex marriage in hearings on whether bans on same sex marriage are unconstitutional. When the court began debating about overturning centuries of tradition, Ginsburg retorted: “Marriage today is not what it was under the common law tradition, under the civil law tradition. Marriage was a relationship of a dominant male to a subordinate female. That ended as a result of this court’s decision in 1982 when Louisiana’s Head and Master Rule was struck down… would that be a choice that state should [still] be allowed to have? To cling to marriage the way it once was?” Ginsburg also smacked down arguments given by same sex marriage opponents that marriage should be about children (and therefore should be restricted to heterosexual couples) by arguing that 70-yearolds are allowed to marry, as well as dismissing arguments that gay couples being allowed to marry would somehow diminish the rights or spell the end of straight marriages. “All of the incentives,

Queer happenings around town with Anna Whitelaw.

all of the benefits that marriage affords would still be available,” said Ginsburg. “So you’re not taking away anything from heterosexual couples. They would have the very same incentive to marry, all the benefits that come with marriage that they do now.” While we will have to wait till June to see if she managed to persuade her fellow Justices, even same sex marriage opponents expect that the plaintiffs – more than two dozen same sex couples for four states with bans on same sex marriage – will win a historic victory that would see marriage equality in all 50 US states. Meanwhile, this month Ireland are preparing for a historic referendum on the issue of same sex marriage. On May 22, the people of Ireland will be given the opportunity to vote on the issue, a controversial move in the minds of many who believe minority rights shouldn’t be left in the hands of the majority. Hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens – particularly young Irish people – live overseas and many of them live in Australia. While those Irish people, many of whom would be most likely to support the Yes vote in favour of equality, can’t vote, there are campaigners in Australia trying to encourage Irish ex-pats to phone home to encourage their parents and grandparents to support the referendum. To throw your weight behind the Irish campaign, visit the Irish Yes Equality Australia’s Facebook page facebook.com/yesequalityaus. If the referendum passes in staunchly Catholic Ireland, Australia will literally be the trophy holder for the last English-speaking developed country in the world where same sex marriage is not allowed. Let that thought sink in for a minute. As Conchita Wurst graced the red carpet at the Logies – outclassing many of the cisgendered ladies in the process – there was another victory for trans rights when transgender Australian model Andreja Pejic became the first transgender model in history to be profiled in Vogue in its May issue. The 23-yearold born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and raised in Broadmeadows before being discovered by a modelling scout in McDonald’s transitioned last year.

Total Giovanni

Gay disco The Outpost returns after their February party to The Gasometer this weekend with legend Pete Kung, Steven Weir and Flawless scene queen Whiskey Houston on the decks from 9pm till 3am in The Gasometer’s revamped retracted band room. As usual, the Outpost is a mixed affair welcoming LGBT people who love a bit of disco. The Gasometer, cnr Smith Street and Alexandra Parade in Collingwood. $15 on the door. Three of the biggest queer party promoters in Australia CLOSET, Thursgay and Sydney’s GiRLTHING have announced they will be coming together to throw one

big fuck off party on Sunday June 7, on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. YASS QWEEN! will take place over the entire two floors of Roxanne Parlour and the Charltons in Coverlid Place in the CBD (just off Little Bourke in Chinatown). The first announcement of the lineup has just dropped and includes the likes of Total Giovanni playing a DJ set, Misty Nights, Mafia, Salvador Darling and many more. Early birds and presale tickets for just $10-15 will go on sale this week, and with over 1000 people already attending on Facebook, they are sure to go like hotcakes. Don’t worry if you miss out there will be entry available on the door. For full details, visit facebook.com/yassqween.

News Bites. basement of The Noble Experiment, at 284 Smith Street, Collingwood. Head to the opening party this Friday May 8. Aloha Sailor is open Friday and Saturday, 6pm till late.

The John Curtin

South Melbourne Market

There’s more to the South Melbourne Market than its famous dim sims, and May is the month to discover all the other hidden treasures. The market welcomes eight new traders this autumn and is celebrating their arrival with an Autumn Trail experience that will run throughout the month. All you need to do is download the map of the Autumn Trail and then set off on your own adventure to discover the new stalls. There are heaps of delicious goodies on offer, such as fresh produce and unique wares, plus you can experience personalised service and meet the friendly market traders. The Autumn Trail is on until May 31. South Melbourne Market is open Wednesday 8am to 4pm, Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm and Sunday 8am to 4pm. Download a copy of the Autumn Trail map at southmelbournemarket.com.au.

Aloha Sailor

You can’t deny the allure of a Tiki cocktail, and now with brand new pop up bar, Aloha Sailor, Smith St will be Tiki central. The bar is in an ode to Ernest Raymond Gant, better known as Donn Beach, who opened the first-known Tiki bar, Don Beachcomber in LA in 1934. This basement secret is the brain child of The Noble Experiment’s Kristin and Daniel Lemura, and head bartender and cocktail connoisseur Linus Schaxmann. Sponsorship from Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum ensures an authentic Tiki experience with a focus on Melbourne sophistication. They will only be using quality, premium spirits and homemade ingredients for their cocktail masterpieces. There will also be fabulous food on offer, brought to you by Chef Cameron Bell, which has a Polynesian twist, and adds to the fun of the Tiki experience. You can find Aloha Sailor in the BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 28

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Collingwood’s own Bluebonnet Barbecue babes have just brought their juicy, meaty American BBQ genius to the live music and booze venue The John Curtin Hotel. The creators of Melbourne’s best American BBQ fare are filling in Huxtaburgers shoes, and will be popping up at the Lygon Street pub for the next four months, where they will be serving up finger-licking’ food until 10pm, seven days a week. The Bluebonnet menu is a cracker—smoked porter braised beef cheek, their signature Angus brisket and, of course, pulled pork all feature, with a variety of veggie sides and slaws as accompaniments.

Late Night Bootleggers

Late Night Bootleggers is a new project which is aspiring to be Melbourne’s first Food and Liquor delivery business which will operate until the hours of 8am. Given the nature of delivering liquor past 11pm (when normal bottle shops close) they have been requested by the Victorian Liquor Commission to present their case for why they believe they should be granted such a licence to operate when others do not. One undeniable reason for why this licence should be granted is because the public want it. I mean who doesn’t want to be able to order booze to your doorstep after the pubs close? If you reckon this would be an awesome thing to have access to, please show your support by signing the petition at ipetitions.com/petition/projectbootleggers and by liking their page on Facebook.

Prosciutto Bros. Craft Bar

A brand new craft beer hall has just opened its doors in the leafy town of Eltham. Prosciutto Bros has 20 beers on tap, delicious nibbles on offer and live music throughout the weekends, and it’s just what the north east was missing. Worth the drive. 1/31 Peel St, Eltham.

off the record

electronic + urban + club life

snaps khokolat koated

thursday may 7 3183 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + MATT RADOVICH + SAM GUDGE + EDDIE EXAMPLE + KIDS TABLE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. DANCE TECHNIQUE - FEAT: POST PERCY + GROOVE CONTROL + BEN RYAN New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. FLANAGANS THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ONTIME + COLONEL Pier Live, Frankston. 8:00pm. JUNGLETRONICA - FEAT: BEN KELLY Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:30pm. MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER + PAUL JAGER + SIMON TK Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. THE RITZ - FEAT: KEN WALKER + ANDO + JOSHUA GILLILAND Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. $20.00. VARSITY - FEAT: PAZ + MATT RAD + PYZ Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. XS DISCO - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. friday may 8 #MASHTAG - FEAT: NUGEN + MALPRACTICE + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. BRODINSKI, GENER8ION + BRODINSKI + GENER8ION Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $30.00. BUNKER’S 2ND BIRTHDAY (730 DAYS OF TECHNO) FEAT: SEBASTIAN BAYNE (IF? RECORDS/SYDNEY) TERCAT (LIVE) + D-REX (LIVE) + ADRIAN BELL + JEREMY GRAHAM + JAKE MCDONALD + BATTON + SHEDBUG Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. CAN’T SAY Platform One, Melbourne. 9:00pm. CHEEKY TIKI FRIDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

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wray

The Plucka Duck memes Facebook page said ‘gronk’ omg is this real life.

club guide wednesday may 6 MIDWEEK SHAKA - FEAT: 6AM AT THE GARAGE + LOOSE JOINTS + SPIN CLUB Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

faktory

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$20.00. CIROQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. DJ JOEL Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 9:00pm. FABULOUS FRIDAYS Co., Southbank. 8:00pm. FAKE TITS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + SUNSHINE + SAMMY LA MARCA + BUTTERS + ADAM BARTAS + JUNGLE JIM Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. MUSE FRIDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. OMG FRIDAYS Seven Nightclub, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $20.00. POLAR INERTIA My Aeon, Brunswick. 10:00pm. $15.00. POPROCKS AT THE TOFF FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. PRINCIPLE SPINNERS Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. REVOLVER FRIDAYS & MAMA SAID - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + ISAAC FRYER + BRENDAN RUYS + MIKE BUHL + DJ WHO + DOAKES + JACK LOVE + LUCILLE CROFT + NICK COLEMAN + PETE LARGE + SOPHIA SIN + WE’RE DEUX Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. RONI SIZE & DYNAMITE MC + ULTERIOR MOTIVE Railway Hotel, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $35.00. SILVER PLATINUM - FEAT: BAMBOO MUSIK DJS The Mercat, Melbourne. 10:00pm. THE EMERSON CLUB FRIDAYS The Emerson, South Yarra. 3:00pm. WHATAGWAN? - FEAT: JIMMY JAMES J’NETT + GIO GARCIA Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. WILD STYLEZ & MC VILLAIN Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $25.00. saturday may 9 ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. AUDIOPORN SATURDAYS - FEAT: DR. ZOK + JAMES WARE + GREG SARA + JACOB MALMO + TOM EVANS + ROWIE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $15.00. BIG DANCING - FEAT: GET BUSY + MAFIA + MAT CANT

Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. BLEEP CUTS PRESENTS MILES COSMO WET BRAIN (ALBUM LAUNCH) + SPLIT SILO + ATMA + BEVIN CAMPBELL + JUXTPOSE Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. CQ SATURDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. CUSHION SATURDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 9:00pm. DJ GEARDY Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 9:00pm. ELECTRIC DREAMS Co., Southbank. 8:00pm. $20.00. FRIDAYS @ ONESIXONE - FEAT: JEN TUTTY + LUKE MCD + LEWIE DAY + PREQUEL + KATIE DROVER + MITCH KURZ + MIC NEWMAN + TOM EVANS + JOEL ALPHA + LIAM WALLER + AARON TROTTMAN + NICK JONES + JESSE YOUNG + ANDRAS FOX + JAC OSCAR WILKINS Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. GENRAW Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. GRIFF + MAD ZACH + SPOONBILL + HYPNOTECH + SAFIRE + KODIAK KID + JOHNNY HOOVES + ALPHA CHANNEL LIVE + ALTRUISM + BEVIN CAMPBELL Railway Hotel, South Melbourne. 4:00pm. $20.00. HOT STEP - FEAT: 99 PROBLEMS + TIGER FUNK + SILVER FOX + ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. LOST WEEKEND LAUNCH PARTY - FEAT: DAN WHITE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. MANIA - FEAT: SLEEP D + SIMON TK + DYLAN B + ZOBS PALACE Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUNDRAISER - FEAT: XENOSCAPES + DAVE PHAM + BODHI WARNE + SUMIRUNA + MISH’CHIEF + MONCHU Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 7:00pm. $10.00. PLATFORM ONE SATURDAY NIGHTS Platform One, Melbourne. 9:00pm. PONY SATURDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. SATURDAY MORNING FEAT: SUNSHINE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am. SEVEN SATURDAY DISCOTHEQUE Seven

Nightclub, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $20.00. TEDDY’S Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. $25.00. TEXTILE SATURDAYS - FEAT: KODIAK KID + D’FRO + JENS BEAMIN Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. THE HOUSE DEFROST FEAT: ANDEE FROST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. TRAMP SATURDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. YES I KNOW. ALL GOOD - FEAT: DAVID SPACE + DUNCOGRAPHIC Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. sunday may 10 DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - FEAT: NIGEL LAST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. ENCORE - FEAT: DAN SLATER + ADAM LOVE The Emerson, South Yarra. 9:00pm. JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS + JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. OPEN DECKS ARVO Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 3:00pm. REVOLVER SUNDAYS FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + RADIATOR + SILVERSIX + T-REK Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. SPITROAST SUNDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm. THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJ ANDYBLACK & HAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. WAX ON WAX OFF Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. monday may 11 CALL IT IN - FEAT: JAMES TOM & DYLAN MICHAEL Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. MONDAY STRUGGLE - FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm. tuesday may 12 AO - FEAT: MIMICRY + THE EGGMAN + HOABLE JUAN Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $3.00. SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. TWERKSHOP Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. $15.00.

earl sweatshirt Following the release of his ten-track sophomore record, I Don’t Like I Shit, I Don’t Go Outside, the American rapper and producer Earl Sweatshirt is set to return to our shores in July. Since the release of the album in March, the hip hop artist has received high praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and XXL who have said the album is an “honest and incisive triumph.” Earl Sweatshirt will take the stage at the Prince Bandroom on Tuesday July 28.

remi Following the announcement of his new mixtape, Call It What You Want (F.Y.G ACT:2), REMI has announced a handful of shows around the country this June. The mixtape follows his 2014 album Raw X Infinity and recent tours and showcases across the UK, Europe and the US. This new seven-track mixtape will be the sequel to REMI’s 2013 breakout mixtape F.Y.G. ACT:1. REMI will kick off the tour at Sydney’s Come Together Festival before playing clubs in Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Catch REMI at Northcote Social Club on Friday June 12.

remedy Melbourne’s community of electronic musicians are coming together to throw a fundraising event to support those in need after the catastrophic effects of the recent earthquake in Nepal. Curated by Amin Payne many of Melbourne’s finest DJs and producers have donated their time and music to the event, including JPS, M I D F L i T E, Winters, Cazeaux O.S.L.O, ABLE8, Ayna, Lotus Moonchild, MzRizk, Billy Hoyle, No Name Nath, Nam, FLOAT, Prequel, N’fa Jones and A13. All proceeds raised will be donated to The Big Umbrella; a Melbourne-based NGO supporting relief to Nepal; Learning Planet; a non-for-profit who have a team on ground in Katmandu Valley and Tashi Yams, a Kathmandu resident who will be assisting in local aid support. Suggested donations for entry are $10, and a $15 donation will include a raffle ticket. The fifth Remedy on will take place on Sunday May 10 at Section 8 and Belleville.

urban club guide wednesday may 6

GEORGIA MAQ, LACHLAN STUCKEY, THE BERKLEY HUNTS + GEORGIA MAQ + LACHLAN STUCKEY + THE BERKLEY HUNTS Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $5.00.

thursday may 7

BEY DANCE The Luwow, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. HIP HOP KARAOKE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

friday may 8

BEY DANCE The Luwow, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY - FEAT: DJ RCEE + KAHLUA + DJ SHOOK + DJ ANGEL JAY Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. GET LIT - FEAT: TWERK SHOP + THADDEUS DOE + D’FRO + NAM Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. MEET. EAT. BEATS. - FEAT: ANDRE LE VOGUE The Fitzroy Beer Garden, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. PARTY & BULLSHIT - FEAT: YVEY GOLD Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. SPICE 1 Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $35.00.

saturday may 9

KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne

electronic - urban - club life

Cbd. 9:30pm. MEET. EAT. BEATS. - FEAT: MARCUS HOLDER + ALEX CRAM + CASTLES + SCOTTY PESTICIDE + ANDRE LE VOGUE The Fitzroy Beer Garden, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. MOTHER (A QUEER GIRLS PARTY) Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 10:00pm. $10.00. RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ TIMOS + DJ KAHLUA + DJ ANGE M & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

sunday may 10

BE. SUNDAYS Co., Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.00.

the operatives The Operatives will turn 11 this June. After 11 years of showcasing some of the world’s most progressive electronic figures, The Operatives are celebrating their success with a party aptly titled We Are 11, featuring the likes of Tokimonsta, Toddla T, Beat Spacek, Losco and Sunit. It goes down on Saturday June 6 at Revolt Artspace from 5pm.

360

T H e P RICe OF FAMe

By Adam Norris I want to make a joke about 360 having come full circle, but I can already hear the groans so I’ll refrain. The Aussie rapper has been making a name for himself for the better part of a decade now, and while the ride hasn’t always been easy, he’s established himself on the live music scene, his albums have gone multi-platinum and he’s even picked up an ARIA. It’s a busy life, so it’s little wonder that when I first try talking with the man (who’s also known as Matthew Colwell), he’s sound asleep. “I’ve just been a little bit run down, man,” he apologises. Though, given I’m the jerk interrupting his recovery, it’s me who should be playing the apology card. “I woke up this morning and my throat was gone, so I’ve been trying to sleep as much as possible. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been constantly run down, it’s quite frustrating.” Since releasing his third album Utopia last June, Colwell’s been criss-crossing the country with frightening commitment, and there are still plenty of gigs to go. It’s all too easy to imagine his life as one of endless revelry, quaffing champagne while dangling out the windows of tour buses, but the reality of success is much more practical. “The main thing is you have to sleep as much as possible,” he says. “When I first started touring, I was heavily into partying, so I was drinking, doing a lot of drugs on tour, and that really fucks you up. You just end up trashing yourself and you get so sick. Even when I’m sober and not partying, I still try and sleep as much as possible. You’ll finish a gig around midnight, one o’clock, and then you get home and you’re still full of adrenalin so you don’t sleep until four in the morning anyway, and then you’ve got to get up at eight or nine to drive seven hours to the next one. It’s quite vicious. I think nowadays, now that I’m older, I treat it more like work, rather than a big party. Back in the day it was insane, we were so loose. But now it’s about looking after ourselves.” Having spoken with several Aussie hip hop acts, the prevailing impression you get from them is an unparalleled enthusiasm for emerging talent in their genre. Fostering up-and-coming talent is a driving

desire, given that for many in the field ± from 360 to Hilltop Hoods ± without receiving early support themselves, they might never have cracked the surface. Lately, 360 has been taking a hands-on approach to promoting fresh voices. “I’ve got this song with an English rapper,” he says, “where I do the first two verses and he does the third, and so for the major cities and some of the regionals we have this comp where young rappers can upload a video of them doing his verse, or do their own verse over it, and just post it to me on Facebook. We’ve been picking the best ones and at these gigs we’re getting people up to rap. There’s been some amazing entries, man. In Sydney we chose four, they were all so sick. It’s been really cool, especially to see how many female rappers have been entering. There are some kids who are 18 or younger who are so good it’s crazy.” Though, it’s not all wine and roses in the industry. While every genre has its purists, in hip hop there can be a lot of negativity, not just between fans, but between performers themselves. “Oh man, it can be extremely negative,” says Colwell. “People like myself, who make music that has a lot of pop elements in it, with some of these hip hop purists it’s a real no-no. I’m someone who’s copped a lot of hate from a lot of rappers, almost being shunned, saying I don’t make real hip hop, all that kind of shit. It’s funny. I don’t know if it’s the same for many other genres, but it feels like the politics of what can and can’t be done, what the rules are, seems really prominent in hip hop. You have to stick to making ‘classic’ hip hop, you can’t rap with a dance beat, that’s not what hip hop’s about. Shit like that, and I don’t know if that really happens in

MUMfOrD & SONS

other genres. It’s really intense.” Before I let the poor guy go and recover, talk turns to the cornea transplant that prompted Colwell’s turn to music. From the sudden end of one dream emerged an unlikely blessing in disguise. “You know, I do feel like it was a blessing,” he says. “I was obsessed with basketball back then and nothing was going to stop me. I wasn’t even that good, truthfully, but when my eye started going down I lost my passion for basketball completely and it made me focus on music as my main love. At the time though it really fucked with my head. Suddenly I couldn’t play basketball and that

was all I’d wanted to do. Back then I was working at an apprenticeship in carpentry, and [MC] Pez said to me, ‘Fuck working all the time. We only live once, so let’s do this music thing for real.’ I quit that weekend, and the rest is history.”

friends has taken on fulltime drumming duties; a welcome development for a bassist that has gone eight years without a drummer. As for the question of the old versus the new, Dwane is confident that songs from Wilder Mind will fit right in with the rest of their catalogue. “There will be fans that are freaked out when they hear [Wilder Mind],” he says, “but in the context of a wider set, I think it will make sense.” Fans across North America and Europe will get the opportunity to hear the new material live when Mumford & Sons head out for a run of headline shows, festival appearances and their own mini-festival series Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers beginning in June. They hope to make their way back to Australia within

the next couple of years and plan to put on another event similar to the two-day camping festival they curated in Dugong in 2012. But for now, Mumford & Sons aren’t playing the role of the unlikely rock stars anymore. “I think we’d hope that people who do understand the spirit of the band and the nature of creativity wouldn’t expect us to knock out a third album in this sort of trilogy,” Dwane says. “I hope that people will just enjoy it, because for us, it’s the best thing we’ve done and we’re really, really proud of it.”

360 plays Max Watt’s (formerly The Hi-Fi) on Saturday May 9, as well as The Commercial Hotel South Morang on Thursday May 7, Chelsea Heights Hotel on Friday May 8 and The Hallam Hotel on Friday May 15.

eLeCTRIC MINDS

By Lauren Gill A few years ago, Mumford & Sons became the most unlikely rock stars in the world. With each pluck of the banjo and stomp of their boots, they catapulted folk music onto main stages and airwaves around the globe. But their third album, Wilder Mind, takes the band’s sound from sepia to technicolour, plugging in and moving away from their grass-stained roots. “We never pegged ourselves as a folk band,” bassist Ted Dwane says. Dwane’s just returned to London after playing a run of intimate gigs showcasing Wilder Mind across North America. The band members have spent the last few days reacquainting themselves with their older material before beginning an extensive tour next month. “Growing up as kids, we were like, ‘electric guitars for days,’ just like all of the other kids,” Dwane says. “We started out with all of the banjos and that sort of stuff almost as a reaction against what everyone else was doing.” But after touring for years behind their Grammynominated debut, Sigh No More, and its chart-topping follow-up, Babel, the band grew fatigued of their rootsy sound. To remedy this, they started experimenting with new instrumentation. By the end of 2013’s Babel tour, the band was playing around with electric guitars in sound checks, jamming out on Radiohead songs. “We’re creative people, we kind of get bored and we wanted to push the boundaries out a bit,” Dwane says. “I think we pushed them a little further than we planned to, but we were just having a really good time.” Following the Babel tour, Mumford & Sons took what was supposed to be a six-month break; their first proper break in nearly five years. But Dwane, keyboardist Ben Lovett, electric guitarist Winston Marshall and frontman Marcus Mumford were writing so much during their time off that they decided to cut the break short and reconvene after four months. With a wealth of new material, the band headed to the Brooklyn garage studio of The National’s Aaron Dessner, who they met while playing at Chicago’s Lollapalooza. Over the next six months, the four-piece flew back and forth between New York and London, working BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 30

on demos and writing what would become Wilder Mind. It was these sessions that brought the band closer than ever, something Dwane credits to Dessner’s encouragement. “He basically taught us how palatable each other’s ideas were,” he says. “It was just a really informal, really loving, open sort of thing which was honestly something that we hadn’t embraced before. We hadn’t had the opportunity to be so free as that.” With this freedom came a shift in the band’s sound, a move that Dwane says wasn’t a conscious decision, but rather the result of having the time to explore new sounds and tastes. “It was a fun record to make and something creatively for us really exciting. It was a breath of fresh air, bringing new life into all of us, all of our devotion to each other and the band.” Along the way, Mumford & Sons drew inspiration from the music of a few new friends and a few old ones. Fleetwood Mac and The War on Drugs’ new album Lost in the Dream were on heavy rotation, alongside staples like The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin. When asked if he would’ve imagined that they’d record an album like Wilder Mind back in the Sigh No More days, Dwane replies with an emphatic “Yes.” “I certainly would have hoped to have done that,” he says. “I think the whole spirit of Mumford & Sons is one of collaboration and one of exploration.” It’s this spirit that resonates throughout Wilder Mind, whether it be on sunny sing-along Just Smoke or powerrocker Ditmas, on which the band’s lyrical prowess is strong as ever, with woeful lines like, “Your words are as empty as the bed we made.” Naturally, the new sound has also led to a revamp of Mumford & Sons’ live show. One of Dwane’s best

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

MUMFORD & SONS new album Wilder Mind is out now via Dew Process/Universal.

PBS RADIO F E S T I VA L CLIMB ON BOARD

By Augustus Welby In a world of iPod playlists and Spotify accessibility, the act of listening to music becomes exceedingly insular. These days, it’s possible to meticulously program our life’s soundtrack so that nearly everything we hear perfectly matches our taste. However, in doing so, the chances of being unexpectedly charmed by an outside recommendation are severely limited. This is where a specialist music radio station like Melbourne’s PBS FM proves an invaluable resource. This year, the community radio broadcaster is celebrating 35 years on air. That’s 35 years of supporting and enhancing Melbourne’s diverse music community. “That’s what PBS is all about,” says the station’s General Manager, Adrian Basso. “We’ve got all these experts, the train drivers, and they take people on a journey. Listeners connect with the announcer and they trust their expertise and knowledge and curation.” As you probably know, community radio isn’t a corporate affair. To stay on course, PBS depends on the financial support of its listeners. Rather than simply making a donation, PBS listeners are invited to become members. “Whether it’s $40 for a concession or $85 for a proud membership, it’s not a real big ask and we get lots of people doing it, which is great,” Basso says. Listeners can join the club at any time in the year, but from Monday May 11 till Sunday May 24, the PBS Radio Festival will look to gather as many memberships as possible. Along with a splash of civic pride, everyone that purchases or renews a membership during the festival goes in the running for a stack of impressive prizes. “We’ve always got businesses putting up their hands saying, ‘How can I help?’” Basso says. “Whether it’s tickets to Golden Plains or the Vespa motorcycle or the Maton guitar, people are really generous in donating. It’s not like we have to go knocking on doors, begging for people to provide the prizes. It’s almost the opposite. They value what we do and they want to help.” In spite of this dazzling array of prizes, requesting money for something that’s generally considered free can probably be a bit of a headache. However, once listeners are acquainted with PBS’s unique identity and

recognise the station’s role in sustaining a strong local music scene, recruiting members isn’t overly difficult. “I’m always pretty optimistic that people will get on board and I haven’t really seen it dwindle over the last many years,” Basso says. “If anything it’s had a steady trajectory, which probably has a lot to do with all the rubbish that’s out there. In many ways, what we do, I think people want in their life.” Speaking of rubbish, in comparison to the glut of advertising that dominates commercial radio, the cost of a PBS membership is a small price to pay. “Commercial stations jam their advertisers down your throat,” Basso says. “They’re there to make money and they use radio as a method of doing that, whereas PBS is about inspiring and nurturing and championing Melbourne’s diverse music community. Then we ask our listeners to pitch in if they agree and connect. I think Melbourne’s a very supportive community. Proof of that is that we’ve been around for 35 years.” Over the course of that 35-year stretch, a lot of people have passed through the PBS doors ± Basso himself came on board as the station’s general manager in 2007. However, one voice has been on air since the beginning; presenter of Acid Country, David Heard. “He won Citizen of the Year a couple of years ago in the City of Yarra and took out some awards at the annual community radio conference,” Basso says. “Someone dedicated like that for such a long time can end up playing a really strong role in the music community. He’s very much loved and respected by listeners and

musicians alike.” Like all PBS announcers, Heard’s there on a volunteer basis. Though, volunteering doesn’t mean simply showing up blind and trying your luck behind the mic, as Basso explains. “There’s a lot of time that goes into it. If you do a two-hour program once a week, often it takes a day to do preparation for your program. You want to get that sense that it’s off the cuff and spontaneous, but there’s a lot of work that goes on in the background and leading into it. The skill is making it come off as warm, engaging, compelling and not stilted and over-prepared.” The announcers’ genuine passion underpins PBS’s commitment to maintaining and evolving Melbourne’s cultural identity. In truth, it’s hard to imagine Melbourne’s music scene could be quite so prominent if it weren’t for community broadcasters like PBS, Triple R and SYN.

“I think Melbourne’s broader community is strengthened by these stations,” Basso says. “We bring people together. In many ways the modern era has disconnected people from things. We bring back some local reality. We get out and do things in the community. For instance, our Rock-A-Bye-Baby Music Sessions, where we put on bands that any adult would go and see and we put them in a child friendly place so parents can listen to music that’s not painful. We’ve got the Young Elder of Jazz, where we help a budding jazz composer in their career. We’re quite active in trying make sure music’s strong and in turn I think that makes sure the community’s strong too.”

“We’re really proud of them,” he adds, “and we want to make our next record something that’s considered and the way we want to sound. The first record was finding our feet ± a lot of the songs on that first record we wrote specifically to play shows. So it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.” Now for a bit of pub trivia: since the source of the band’s name has, until now, been un-Google-able, Mulligan explains that it isn’t actually a declaration of masculinity. “Well, Baz has probably got the most fight in him,” he says, “but the band is named after a Suzuki ute that tries to be blokey but isn’t quite there… it’s extremely small. There happens to be a Mighty Boy dealer around

the corner from my old work, but when it comes to actual might in the members, there isn’t a lot. We’re a pretty placid bunch of guys.”

PBS RADIO FESTIVAL runs from Monday May 11 until Sunday May 24. Tune into PBS right now at 106.7 FM or stream online.

MIGHT Y BOYS AC C E LE R AT I N G F O RWA R D

By Thomas Brand Mighty Boys have made some pretty big waves in the Melbourne music scene in a seemingly short amount of time. They’ve snagged an impressive number of shows and have taken their high energy, piss-take garage punk across the country, including a slot on last year’s Blurst of Times festival. The band’s early success boils down to a few things, as co-frontman Keats Mulligan explains. “Having eight members in your band is always going to be a benefit when you first start playing,” he says, “because you have a wide support network of friends who are genuinely interested in that sort of thing, who are willing to come down to support us. Our friends were really a huge help in getting people down to shows early on, but it also showed that other bands would be more inclined to play with you because you were able to bring people. “We’re also really lucky to have, because we were friends and neighbours, support from Drunk Mums helping us get shows,” Mulligan continues. “[Other bands] that started at the same time, WOD and Dumb Punts, the three of us played together a lot and helped each other out in making a circle of interested people who were into that Australiana garage music. I guess we were lucky to fall into the social circle that we did.” As the band garnered more attention, some bigger questions needed to be asked. For instance, one of the risks run by taking a satirical approach to their music is that some people will take the joke seriously, which both of the band’s vocalists have come to understand. To help give us a broader impression, Mulligan explains the band’s song construction process. “Well, there’s references that we’ve made in the music that work with bands down here,” he says. “Having such a big band though, it can be a, ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’, situation most of the time. Most of the songs have been written when some members have been absent. That being said, no one member has to be present for a song to be made. Everyone contributes. “Lyrically,” he continues, “most of it gets done by the two singers who contribute the lines to the content. But thematically, since the songs were only meant to be heard by the social circles I was talking about before, I

personally ± and I think I can speak for Baz [Travella, vocals] as well ± didn’t think too much about the correctness of them or what would be thought outside these circles, because it just didn’t cross my mind. It’s not a position I’ve been put in before. Moving forward now, there are songs we don’t play anymore because I’m not particularly proud of them and other people aren’t proud of them for various reasons, and sometimes lyrical content is one of them.” However, it’s not all negative. Even though some listeners might’ve mistaken Mighty Boys’ sarcasm for seriousness, Mulligan clarifies the perspective the band writes from. “Thematically, the music comes from experiences of growing up with privilege,” he says. “It’s all tongue-in-cheek and it’s not meant to be representative of our thoughts. It’s satire and having a dig at people who actually think that way. The issue is inevitably people will think, ‘That is how you feel. Those are your thoughts that you’re earnestly putting forward, and when you realise that’s the case, you sometimes have to cut and run. “It’s been an issue that we’ve thought about, Baz and I, and moving forward we think we can be a little more clever,” Mulligan adds. “We can be smarter about the way we write things and make them, while equally confronting and comedic, less cheap and obvious.” The obvious question that now emerges is how the band’s changing approach will effect further works. Mulligan says they won’t make the same mistakes twice. “I think there’s five songs written post our previous record that we play live now. As a band we think they’re proper songs. They’ve taken way longer to write, and they’ve got more interesting arrangements and more considered parts. Lyrically, I think they’re stronger because there’s narrative to them.

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

MIGHTY BOYS play the second instalment of RocknRolla, held at The Prince of Wales Public Bar on Friday May 8 with Kill Dirty Youth, Verticoli and Seattle & Brent. Their album Dole Cheque & Kabana is out now. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31

PA L M A V I O L E T S INTO THE DANGER ZONE

By Augustus Welby Palma Violets’ debut album 180 was created when the band members were all either 19 or 20 years old. The record came out in early 2013 via legendary indie label Rough Trade Records, and in the lead-up to its release, the typically hyper UK music press elevated Palma Violets to ‘next big thing’ status. Not surprisingly, all of this commotion had an impact on the fresh-faced foursome. “We didn’t have a lot of time to write it,” says guitarist/ vocalist Sam Fryer. “We had all that hype and chaos surrounding the band, we didn’t know really what was going on. We just had to ride it and come through it, and then we still had to write five songs after we were signed in order to fill an album. That was really tough.” Fryer shares creative responsibilities in the band with bassist Chilli Jesson. In spite of the hype surrounding 180, the pair managed to cook up an LP of relatively unhinged rock’n’roll numbers. While it’s futile to scrutinise whether 180 satisfied media expectations, Palma Violets basically haven’t stopped touring since its release. However, they did take some time away last year to work on album number two, Danger In The Club. The fact this album is already upon us suggests the band didn’t suffer from second-album anxiety. However, before making Danger In The Club, some friendship restoration was required. “We knew that all we needed to do as a band together was to just go out into the wilderness, find a place and learn how to be friends again,” Fryer says. “On tour, it happens to any band, you lose the connection that you once had. We went out into the wilderness in Wales. I think the most important part was laying down the foundations out there.” After reconnecting on a personal level, the creative juices began to flow. Danger In The Club upholds the boisterous character of 180, while displaying an even greater knack for rabble-rousing chorus hooks. Evidently, the band felt no urge to attempt a stylistic reinvention. “We never talked about any directions that we were going to go in,” Fryer says. “The whole Palma Violets thing at the beginning was based on something that was unspoken. The rock’n’roll feeling was in all of us, all we needed to do was play together and it would come out. That’s exactly how we did this album. The only thing we spoke about, really, was making the record sound youthful. We knew naturally that we’d come on

as musicians and players, but we just wanted to keep it young and dumb.” Danger In The Club is packed full of punchy UK pub rock, which guarantees a few mass sing-alongs when Palma Violets show up at this year’s Splendour In The Grass. Still, in spite of the band’s unspoken aesthetic agreement, the creative process wasn’t entirely devoid of stress. “There was pressure, but that was pressure we built within ourselves – pressure that I put on Chilli and Chilli puts on me,” Fryer says. “Chilli will show me a song of his and I’ll show a song myself, and at that moment where you’re showing each other, that feeling of, ‘Oh fuck, what happens if this is rubbish?’ never goes away. We’ve got to be honest with each other, otherwise we’re not going to get anywhere. When we’d written about ten or 15 songs, there was a sense of trying to get one up on each other. That was actually a very good feeling – Chilli would write two songs and then I’d write another two.” 180 was produced by Pulp bass player Steve Mackey and named after the band’s South London rehearsal studio. The recording approach was really quite simple. “The sound that we were getting in Studio 180, that’s all he wanted to capture,” Fryer says. Danger In The Club was also created with a big-name producer, John Leckie. Leckie has otherwise been inactive of late, but his career successes include The Stone Roses’ debut LP, Radiohead’s The Bends and a trio of records with The Fall. “We knew what he’d done before and we’d been fans of what he’d done before, so it was quite daunting meeting him for the first time,” Fryer says. “He hadn’t done a rock’n’roll record in such a long time and you could see he really wanted to get back into just doing rock’n’roll and keeping things exciting. For him to even come down and say, ‘I really want to make a record with you guys,’ was a huge buzz for us.” There’s no denying that Palma Violets have a penchant

for big, memorable choruses. On Danger In The Club, Leckie’s experienced touch has further amplified this side of the band’s personality. Oddly enough, Fryer says he doesn’t consciously “strive for big choruses or anything like that”, but he has no reservations whenever they emerge. “Sometimes songs are a bit too dark and we scrap it because of that, but never because it’s been too poppy or too pretty. Maybe sometimes we’ll take out a few lyrics that might be a bit too cheesy, but when you listen to our band, it doesn’t matter how atmospheric or

MARY OCHER DO IT YOURSELF AND DO IT S P E C TA C U L A R LY .

By Thomas Brand After recording her first song at the age of 14, Mary Ocher was telling everyone that she was going to be a musician when she grew up. Fast forward to now, after a rough ride and some grit-tooth determination, Ocher reports she hasn’t needed a day job since the age of 17, although music isn’t her only pursuit, and she’s worked damn hard to keep the shows coming. Dabbling in a range of different activities, from arts to writing, film to music, Ocher has developed a variety of engaging performance methods. “The solo performance I tour with is very bare bones, perhaps to the point it makes certain people uncomfortable,” she says. “It’s very vulnerable, up front and in your face. With the band – a drum duo, Your Government – we have video projections and much more going on with lights and stage action, but it’s a very different experience. I love this performance being so bare, it creates a certain intimacy with the audience. “The video work is quite a different thing altogether,” she continues. “There’s perhaps some places where the two have met before – I’ve made video art pieces with musical pieces, as well as just music videos – but the only time so far that a new piece of video was screened along with a live performance was at the big Bowie Gala in Berlin last year. The video was dedicated to all of the artists I’ve met in the city and became close with, some of which had left the city by then.” In order to truly captivate her audiences, Ocher takes a considerate and engaged approach, rather than just playing the set and leaving. “I’ve tried a bunch of approaches,” she says. “It depends on the set, the location, the reaction of the audience. I like to read the reactions and adapt accordingly. It’s a dialogue, though perhaps there’s the illusion of it being just a monologue. But that would be rather boring, wouldn’t it?” Despite managing to tour internationally, and keeping up a consistent flow of releases, Ocher sets herself set apart from the industry by upholding a D.I.Y. work ethic. “Setting myself apart from the industry BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32

wasn’t intentional,” she says. “It’s just that the industry generally supports music that I find tremendously dull. I haven’t counted the times some label big shot told me I had ‘no commercial value.’ Man, it started when I was a kid, I’m quite used to it and expect nothing else of these people. Therefore, I had to find other ways to get things done without relying on any existing channels. “When there is help, it’s wonderful,” she continues, “but you can’t expect someone to always be there and take you by the hand. People are a lot more open-minded than the A&R reps give them credit for. You just have to reach the right people, the very particular audience. It proves the industry wrong time after time. “D.I.Y. was the only way to go,” Ocher continues. “It’s also about the exchange we share with one another, because that’s the only way to keep the ball rolling. “It’s a different type of work, of course it takes away heaps of time, but it’s all about discipline. You wake up at a certain hour and work. Some people work for companies, I do music.”

MARY OCHER’s album Eden is available now through Buback Tonträger records. DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

beautiful it gets, it’s still got a rough tinge to it. I don’t think any producer could ever make it sound truly pop. That’s just the way I play guitar, it’s the way Chilli plays bass and the way Will [Doyle] hits the drums.” PALMA VIOLETS are playing Splendour In The Grass 2015, which runs from Friday July 24 – Sunday July 26 at North Byron Parklands. They’ll also support The Vaccines at The Corner Hotel on Monday July 27. Danger In The Club is out now through Rough Trade/Remote Control.

NICKELBACK

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS FOR THE WO R LD ’ S M O S T H AT E D B A N D

By Tyson Wray I fucking love Nickelback. I think they are, quite simply, one of the most incredible bands of all-time – and I say this with no jest. They are truly one of the greatest inspirations in my life. The reasoning for this adoration is not because I feel they write meticulously complex musical motifs, that their lyricism reaches emotional poignancy deeper than Marianas Trench, or that their own ardour for their artistic endeavours is unyielding in spite of an ever-challenging global climate. No, my love for Nickelback comes not from any adherence to the concept that personal illumination can be reached via a spiritual connection with music. I find Nickelback inspiring because they are quintessential proof that you can be successful by taking people that hate you and manipulating them to your advantage by simply just not giving a fuck. Alongside socioeconomics and politics, Nickelback are one of the greatest representatives of the divide between the cross-cultures of contemporary society. In my own social circles (and those adjoined) not a single person would consider themself a fan. In fact, the only person I know of that genuinely loves Nickelback is Joe Hockey, because the cigar-smoking entitled dickhead constantly tweets about them. However, Nickelback’s popularity is undeniable - and it is gargantuan. Over the course of 12 world tours they have sold more than eight million tickets. Their 2005 record All the Right Reasons spent 112 consecutive weeks in Billboard’s Top 200 and sold more than 11 million copies. In fact, with their overall worldwide album sales exceeding 50 million, their status as the best-selling foreign act of the 21st century in the USA is edged out by only The Beatles. To put it in layman’s terms: if you hate Nickelback, everyone around you hates Nickelback. If you love Nickelback, everyone around you loves Nickelback. It’s in this segregated sense that they are a fascinating anomaly. “If your name is ubiquitous, well then, it’s a double-edged sword,” laughs Ryan Peake, guitarist and backing vocalist for the group. “If your name is out there all of the time, then people see you and they hear about you. Whether it’s good or bad. It all goes back to that old saying, ‘There’s no such thing as bad press’.” According to this ideology, Nickelback are unrivalled. For whatever reason, since their formation in 1995, the group have found themselves at the butt of every joke that any meandering music journalist could muster. Yet, it’s this constant compulsion to allude to their supposed

lack of artistic merit that has led to the continuation of their global success. A reply to a tweet, a comment on a Facebook status, any form of self-publication of your distaste for this band will expose them to people who, unbeknownst to you, enjoy their music, thus perpetuating their status and allowing them to reach a new fan base. You – the hater – fuel their success. Try to get your head around that fucker of a paradox. “I can’t exactly say that this is how I envisioned my career would go,” chuckles Peake. “But, you are what you are, you can’t control how people perceive you. If people like you, that’s great, but if they don’t then they just don’t. You’ve just got to get ready for whatever they have to throw at you.” Peake and the rest of the band are incredibly selfaware, which allows them to jovially take any e-abuse in their stride. “We make fun of ourselves pretty badly backstage,” he laughs. “We’re always making fun of Chad’s [Kroeger, lead vocalist and guitarist] various haircuts. You have to have a sense of humour and be able to laugh at yourself. If someone’s trying to be rude to us, but it’s done in a creative and clever way, then it’s hilarious. You can tell when people are just being gratuitous and trying to make fun of you. But hey, if you can make it funny, then I’m all for it. I truly am. I’m a huge fan of comedy. Just, if you’re going to screw with us, make sure you get it right. “People think that we care,” notes Peake when detailing their intake of hate mail via various channels. “But really, we just truly, truly don’t care. We know where we sit. We know about the sentiments that people have about our band. But we know how to use this to our

A N A S TA C I A

advantage. I’m living extremely well. Surely that’s the best revenge for anything? I see hateful comments and they just bounce off me. I’ve got a great life, I’ve got a great family and I get to go and play music for a living. That’s it. There’s really nothing that can knock me off that high.”

Are you one of the approximately 25,000 Melburnians that will be heading along to catch a hefty dose of NICKELBACK when they hit Rod Laver Arena on Friday May 15 and Saturday May 16? No? Well then, it’s likely that someone within 50 metres of you is. Jump on Tinder and see if you can find ‘em.

U N S TO P PA B LE S O U L

By Rick Wickman A breakthrough turn-of-the-millennium hit worldwide, I’m Outta Love holds up today, with its Nile Rogers-invoking guitar flicks, aquatic disco groove, and of course, that voice. It’s the voice of a survivor – empowered, unstoppable – with smoky, soulful inflections, never breaching the vocal gymnastic territory widely flaunted by Anastacia’s Y2K contemporaries. It’s a song about surviving love, yet in the decade-and-a-half following its release, Anastacia has survived the folly of a fickle music industry – we’re now seeing her tour Australia, one of her strongest initial markets, for the first time – and more notably, Anastacia has survived devastating health complications; undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2003, then being diagnosed with the heart condition supraventricular tachycardia in 2007, and then breast cancer for a second time in 2013.

To call the American singer resilient is an understatement. Anastacia’s first Australian headline tour is in support of the recently released, and aptly titled, Resurrection, which arrives in a time when soulful, organic pop again rules the airwaves. “I always keep an eye out for new artists, new music, and I love it,” she says. “I’m learning everyday about new styles and I just see the competition as healthy. It’s a blessing to be working alongside new talent.” While 2000’s Not That Kind was a commercial success worldwide, Anastacia’s greatest success was found outside her native US, and particularly pronounced in Australia, where I’m Outta Love was the biggest selling single of the year. “There is always an element of wonderful surprise when an album does well in any territory, not because there is any reason it shouldn’t, but I never take for granted when my music is appreciated. You put so much into making a record, so you just hope people are going to love it,” she says, going on to detail her hard-fought freedoms as an artist. “I’ve always been my own artist operating on my terms. It doesn’t mean I haven’t learnt from various decisions, but I’ve never not done things on my terms.” After enduring a series of health scares, including putting touring life on hold to undergo a double mastectomy in 2013, one can’t help but infer a literal meaning from the album title Resurrection. “For sure,” she agrees. “More than anything, in every way. I’ve resurrected as an artist, bringing back the real Anastacia

sprock music,” she says, referring to her patented sprock (soul-pop-rock) style. “I’ve been resurrected in life too. As a human being I’m more conscious of what I eat, how I live each day, so it’s changed certain priorities. But ultimately I’m just focused on my music, my touring and just resurrecting in that way bigger and better than ever.” At this stage of her career, there’s a certain inescapable element of nostalgia for Anastacia’s fan base, which the singer welcomes with open arms. “I always love performing my old hits,” she says. “They are part of me, they are what makes me who I am. There is definitely an element of nostalgia, but only in a good way.” Since her breakthrough, Anastacia has also been a lowkey style role model, who’s evolved her aesthetic over the years and dabbled in fashion lines. “Yes, I’ve always loved exploring with fashion,” she says. “My taste and look has evolved with time, but I’m as into it now as ever and I’m launching some exciting things soon, so watch this space.” As for her remaining goals as an artist, Anastacia aims for lofty heights. “Oh, only to conquer the world,” she proclaims, “and to share my new music with everyone. I love my Australian fans, I love the country so much, I really just can’t wait [to be there].” ANASTACIA performs at The Palais on Thursday May 7. Her latest album Resurrection is out now via Sony Music Australia. WATCH INTERVIEWS, CHATS & AWKWARD SILENCES..... WWW.BEAT.COM.AU/TV

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 33

KARNIVOOL A PROG ROCK MOVEMENT

By Augustus Welby Perth prog-rockers Karnivool have just kicked off a massive run of dates around the country, which marks the ten-year anniversary of their debut LP Themata. By this point, it’s difficult to imagine an Australian hard rock scene without Karnivool, such was Themata’s indelible impact. In the subsequent ten years, the five-piece have released just two further albums, but their popularity has continued to flourish. This inspires a touch of disbelief in Karnivool’s regularly boisterous frontman Ian Kenny. “I’m surprised by anybody who’s committed to Karnivool,” he says. “We put records out every three or four years. We don’t plan to do it that way, but for some reason it seems that’s how long it takes to get the records to where we want them to be and get them right. But people are still in love with this band and still finding new things about this band, so it’s fascinating.” Following Themata’s unexpected breakthrough, Karnivool spent the next couple of years touring Australia, as well as making inroads in the US and Europe. It wasn’t until 2009 that they returned with album number two, Sound Awake. Given Themata’s major impact, the anticipation grew thick for a similarly impressive follow-up. However, Kenny denies that such considerations interfered with the band’s creative process. “Themata came about the way it did and there was a certain process to that,” he says. “Each time we make a record, we find that if we allow ourselves enough time to change as people, songwriters and musicians, then we can approach each record as fresh as we can. That seems to get results for us. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t that way, but it’s part and parcel with us. “These days we have an understanding of what people can bring to the recording and writing process,” he continues. “We know our way around a record and how to approach it. But the creative process, actually getting material together that we consider is right and good enough, the band still doesn’t know how to do it, we just do it. It’s a language we speak to each other in, but no one knows what it means.” Accepting that patience is necessary for maintaining a high standard of output underlines Karnivool’s overall commitment to artistic integrity. See, although their following has grown with each successive album release, it’s never been the ultimate goal.

“If getting bigger allows us to do this more and allows us to keep being the band we want to be, then hell yeah,” Kenny says. “But I think the conversation is more like ,‘OK how do we keep this as interesting and as engaging as we can?’ and, ‘How do we become a better band each time we commit to a record?’” As soon as tickets went on sale, several shows on the Themata Decade tour sold-out (including three consecutive nights at the Corner Hotel next week). Considering the band’s third LP ± 2013’s Asymmetry ± reached #1 in the ARIA charts, this is hardly surprising. Even so, it’s worth noting that Karnivool have never had anything that quite resembles a hit single. “I’m sure that would do great things for the band if we do have that big hit,” Kenny says, “but nowadays Karnivool is established in a different way. We never had those hits, but we had songs that struck people in a certain way. That’s always been what’s got us to where we are. “Thankfully in our beginnings we had a station like triple j, which would actually play something off [Themata],” he adds. “No other stations would touch it. Thankfully things like that were on our side and got us heard. Hit singles ± it’s not that type of band. It’s a song-based band, it’s a record-based band and it’s been a bit of a movement more than just a couple of good strikes.” The retrospective nature of the band’s current tour doesn’t signal this movement will soon come to an end. In fact, Kenny says the tour itself has inspired a fresh wave of enthusiasm among the band members: “Since we put out that we were going to do it, all the talk around us and our peers and our friends and family ± everything around us leading to this tour ± has been an absolute trip down memory lane to what that record meant to the band and what it meant to people at the

time and what the band was. “I don’t listen to the records a hell of a lot unless they’re brought up from someone else,” he continues, “but I adore them. I fucking love them to pieces just for what they are. When I listen to them, I very rarely listen to what my part is. I listen to the playing and the bits I love about whatever the rest of the guys have put into the record. [It reminds me] who we were back then. When I listen Themata, we were such a young band and it was just fucking all in, blind. We were bulldozing our way through. We didn’t understand what we were doing, but it’s all there on the record and I love it. I’m

proud of it, I don’t really have any hang-ups about, ‘I wish I could’ve changed that’ or ‘I hate the way that sounds.’ I don’t have that relationship.”

Wasted on the Dream is the band’s eighth album, but after being dropped by their label Warner Bros (which makes Orrall more relieved than resentful), it hasn’t been the easiest of births. Still, the end result is arguably JEFF’s best record to date. Each album has expanded on its predecessor, which is what any successful act hopes to achieve. Though, for Orrall, there is an exception. “I feel like we’ve only once made an album that I didn’t think was as good as the previous album,” he says. “I won’t say which one, but all the others have always been improvements. I felt like I rushed it. I rushed the writing because we were on the road too much. But this release just kept getting pushed back and back. I don’t think [Warner Bros] knew what to do with it. It was supposed to be out last summer, and I think we’ve lost a lot of money and a lot of momentum by waiting

around for it to come out, unfortunately. This album was done for a year before it came out, which was really frustrating. “We tried to make a really fun rock record,” he continues. “A record that harkens back to the day when bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana were still playing, which is a time that will never happen again. So, it’s a very nostalgic record, I think.”

KARNIVOOL play at the Corner Hotel on Tuesday May 12, Wednesday May 13, and Thursday May 14. They’re also heading to Geelong’s Wool Exchange on Saturday May 16.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD G R A N D I L O Q U E N T LY WA S T E D

By Adam Norris Jake Orrall sounds tired. And he’s clearly trying to hold back a runny nose. It’s probably not the most ideal time to find yourself in an interview scrum with a bunch of hungry music journalists. In addition to the beginnings of a cold, Orrall has good cause to sound somewhat weary. JEFF the Brotherhood’s latest album Wasted on the Dream has had an incubation period far longer than the norm. Having suffered delay after delay, it’s well over a year since Orrall expected fans to hear this latest brace of songs. Despite this, he’s in good spirits, especially after learning that I had actually done research on the band before chatting. Turns out, this is a bit of a novelty. “Thank you for doing that,” he says. “Seriously, American journalists do not research before an interview, ever. It’s terrible here. I mean, there’s no real worst question they ask and I really don’t want to talk shit about anybody, but I think American journalists are really lazy. I don’t think they take the idea of being a journalist very seriously. So many times I’ve been interviewed by people in the States and it’s so obvious that it’s just some kid who works for the magazine, doesn’t give a shit at all, has a stock list of questions they ask everybody and don’t try to engage who they’re talking to, they won’t try and get anything interesting out of you.” In truth, I’m a little amazed by this. While you don’t exactly get up in the morning primed to pry the darkest secrets from friendly strangers, you do certainly hope to learn something about an artist that hasn’t already been covered ad nauseum. It makes interviewing all the more entertaining for everybody. To that end, before steering towards the new album, we start chatting about things outside the world of music. “Well, I just planted a vegetable garden this morning, Orrall laughs. “I’m really into gardening. I don’t have time for anything else, really. I have time to do my garden because I have roommates who look after it while I’m on tour. I do a lot of disc golf; I’m kind of obsessed with it. It’s my way to blow off steam. I don’t know if you really have a big disc golf culture in BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34

Australia yet. I don’t feel like it’s big anywhere yet. It’s kind of weird, but it’s also the perfect sport. It’s the perfect sport if you don’t want to commit to much or be too involved, because it’s free and buying a couple of discs is like twenty bucks a piece. Plus, you play it with your friends while you’re walking through the woods, drinking a couple of beers and throwing discs around. It’s pretty awesome. It’s like this weird game of skill you can do whilst hiking through beautiful forests, getting drunk and stoned with your friends.” Sounds exactly like the kind of game most Australians would embrace with open arms. It also seems like entirely the kind of relaxation Orrall would need. Between the exhaustive touring for which JEFF the Brotherhood are renowned (though lately they’ve been scaling back the amount of time spent on the road) and the frustrations of not having the album released as planned, finding some relaxation is high on the todo list. “Whenever a record’s done, we head out and tour that for a year, sometimes eighteen months,” he says. “We won’t really sit down to write again until after that. I don’t like to write in the interim, so in maybe a year from today I might sit down and start writing songs. For a while there we were putting out a record every year, just tour, tour, tour, tour, tour, and then home for five days and start again. But I need a little more time off now.”

DISCUSS WHAT? BEAT.COM.AU/DISCUSSION

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD’s eighth LP Wasted On The Dream is out now via Dine Alone Records/ Cooking Vinyl Australia.

Q&A

WEDNESDAY MAY 6

their all for their dreams, and are worth checking out. It’s unsung talent, it’s raw, it’s new. Get down to The Gasometer at Wednesday May 6 and see what Melbourne has to offer. Tickets are $5 on the door. Doors at 6pm.

NUN OF THE TONGUE THE OLD BAR

SEEDY JEEZUS CHERRY BAR

On your knees, for he has risen – after 1pm and is in dire need of an all day breakfast joint. Seedy Jeezus are hitting Cherry Bar for a series of shows throughout May, taking their beards and riffs out for rockin’ sets from the church of sweet jams. This instalment has guests Right! and Willow Darling supporting - get to Cherry Bar from 6pm to catch a steadfast set of Wednesday night rock. Doors open at 6pm, entry is $5.

Elk + Mammoth

Define your genre in five words or less: Dance rock/ groove So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? “Hey mate, wanna move somewhere else? I can’t hear you over this fucking sick band.” How long have you been gigging and writing? We’ve been jamming and writing together for five years now and gigging for the past year. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? Last time we played the Brunny it was an absolute ruckus. In spooky voodoo fashion an elderly Asian man walked in off the street, practised tai chi in the middle of the dancefloor and tried to pick up our bassist’s grandma. There was plenty of banter and great energy from the crowd. What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Be more than a band. Make sure the whole squad is on point and give your audience that bit extra. And obviously all that stuff about being true to yourselves etc. etc. Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? We have some demos that you can download from our Soundcloud. As far as releases, we are heading into the studio in mid-May to lay down some tracks for a single and possibly an EP.

THE SHRINE

BENDIGO HOTEL

Hailing from Venice Beach, California, with a sound that harks back to the early days of punk and the new wave of British heavy metal, The Shrine are playing at The Bendigo this Wednesday May 6, with a killer lineup behind them. Melbourne boys Clowns are joining The Shrine along with Power and Horsehunter. Doors open 7:30pm, tickets are $17.35 from OzTix.

JMC END OF TRIMESTER SHOWCASE THE GASOMETER HOTEL

These gigs showcase the talent at JMC that have devoted themselves to forging a career in the music industry. What you see is what you get: diamonds in the rough, polished jewels, and those still trying to find their sound and their place in the music spectrum. They give

ELK + MAMMOTH are playing at The Brunswick Hotel on Thursday May 7 with Pockets, Brief Chemistry, and Harmony & Contrast.

ANIMAUX HOWLER

If jazz and pop had a lovechild, got divorced, remarried funk and soul, and then all raised said lovechild together, Animaux would surely be the end result. Animaux have played countless shows and festivals all over Australia, scored air play from local to US college radio, held numerous packed residencies and have cut their teeth on iconic venues like Melbourne’s Forum Theatre and Sydney’s Metro Theatre. They’re bound to bring the house down as they kick off the 123 Agency Howler takeover, so get your tickets for $15.30+BF when the doors open at 7.30pm.

LET’S GET TRIVICAL ROXY LAVISH

R E T R E AT H O T E L

Roxy Lavish, leader of local blues-psych ensemble The Suicide Cult, is hitting up the front bar of the Retreat for a rare solo show on Wednesday May 6. Working on the follow-up to his raucous Join Us Or Die Alone record of last year, Lavish will be playing a mix of new and old, as well as a few covers. Joining him is Charlie Zulu of Darn Matter fame, who’ll be wooing punters will his suave piano melodies and brittle vocals from 7.30. Entry is free, as always.

L I T T L E & O LV E R

Ever felt like you either know too much (in an impressive way) or not enough (in a shameful way) trivial information about music? Well, Let’s Get Trivical music trivia is for you, and the beautiful thing is that covers everyone. Don’t know anything? All good. Know everything? Even better. Hosted by the lovely Laura Imbruglia, Let’s Get Trivical will be awarding lucky punters with record store vouchers, jugs and bar credits all throughout the night. It hits Little & Olver every Wednesday night, get there by 7.30pm to register your team.

COMING UP FRIDAY 15TH MAY

ivY sTone AsseMbLY 2 x seTs, 8PM, Free enTrY. WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY

LAborAsTorY Doors/Dinner 6pm | $10

THURSDAY 7TH MAY

THe PurPLe DenTisTs

SATURDAY 16TH MAY

THe gooD sHiP “PeTiTe MorT” + THe bon scoTTs + DJ MADDY MAc FRIDAY 22ND MAY

Doors/ Dinner 6pm | $12

FRIDAY 8TH MAY

ron s Peno

& THe suPersTiTions

+ Dear Plastic + DJ Mick (cobra snake necktie)

PAPA PiLko & THe binrATs + Mick Dogs boneYArD 9.30PM, Free enTrY.

Doors 8.30pm | $5

SATURDAY 9TH MAY

THe rubY rogers exPerience Performing 2 x sets from 9.30Pm - free entry

SUNDAY 10TH MAY

AnDrew noLTe orcHesTrA

Performing 2 x sets from 4.30Pm - free entry THen: - THunDer rD TAP TAkeover PresenTs

big seAL

& THe sLiPPerY Few

7Pm - free entry

TUESDAY 12TH MAY

FAcT HunT TriviA Doors 8pm | free entry

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 36

HAPPY Hour

$8 Pints of craft beer 4pm-6pm Daily

kiTcHen Hours

Tues-Thurs: 4:00pm-till late Fri: 4:00pm-till late Sat:h 2:00pm-till late Sun: 2:00pm-till late

TickeTs

For ticket sales visit www.spottedmallard.com

314 sYDneY rD brunswick

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Do opposites attract? A question that has plagued the minds of all those naive enough to have attempted answering. Thankfully, it’s gigs like these which can happily answer that question for you. Nun of the Tongue, Cinesex and I Spent Most of 2008 Pretending Not To Hate Myself are three very different bands, but together they’re a perfect match for an aggressive, exciting Wednesday night at The Old Bar. Tonight in fact. $8 entry, get down from 8pm.

FOREST FALLS

THE WORKERS CLUB

Evocative Melbourne folksters Forest Falls are commemorating the release of their sophomore EP Hounds, and the single of the same name, with a residency at The Workers Club, playing each Wednesday in May. The national tour follows Forest Falls dates in Geelong and Sydney in between their Workers Club dates. This week, locals Playwrite and Amistat are joining the bill in support. Come down to The Worker’s, doors open 7pm with $8 entry.

THURSDAY MAY 7

COLD IRONS BOUND

THE REVERENCE HOTEL

Kick start your weekend with a triple treat smorgasbord of pop songs and sweet harmonies this Thursday May 7 at The Rev. Cold Irons Bound recall the tuneful, country tinged distortion of the best indie rock bands of the last few decades. Joining them will be Paul McManus and the Mayblooms, and fresh faces Central Rain. Three great bands for only $5, catch them from 8pm.

THOMAS HUGH

THE POST OFFICE HOTEL

BEN SALTER THE B.EAST

Ben Salter is one of Australia’s most highly regarded performers and songwriters. As well as being a founding member of Giants of Science, The Gin Club and the two time ARIA nominated Wilson Pickers, he is an accomplished artist in his own right. His debut solo album The Cat established his penchant for the melodic mixed with the esoteric, whilst follow up EP European Vacation was a diverse collection of collaborations that Salter undertook whilst on a five month overseas writing mission. With his second full length album The Stars My Destination due for release this month, Ben is settling in at The B.East this Thursday May 7 for a two set performance. Come down from 8pm, and as always with The B.East, entry is free.

Texan native Thomas Hugh is launching his new single Them Dams Never Break and accompanying film clip at Coburg’s Post Office Hotel this Thursday May 7. The single give’s Hugh fans a taste of what’s to come from his upcoming Sum = EP, due to drop soon. Get down by 8pm and let Tom’s layered folksy-fused sound take you somewhere else. Entry is free.

POWER

YA H YA H S

Melbourne three piece Power are hitting Yah Yahs for a series of high voltage rock shows this May, as they take a month long Thursday night residency. Power delve into a murky and loud world where hard rock and boogie is mixed with punk, metal and psych, plotting their next move in a basement with walls adorned with Black Flag, Stooges and Hawkwind posters and a floor littered with Bavaria cans and lyric sheets that reference pagan ritual. Grotto and Destiny are supporting for the first installment of shows. Doors open from 6pm – free entry.

Contrast, Brief Chemistry and Pockets joining the herd, Elk and Mammoth have promised their next show will be equally weird, heading back to The Brunny this Thursday May 7. It’s free entry, with music kicking off at 8pm.

HIP HOP KARAOKE BONEY

The next instalment of the monthly hip hop party is back again. You know you want to do it – heck there’s been at least three giant hip hop albums dropped within the past two months so it’s not like you’re short of songs. This special event is first come, first served – no reservations, so get in early for the sign up period between 9-10pm if you want to spit for your homies. No lyric sheets so fake arse motherfuckers need not apply. Check the rules out at the Facebook page and get down to Boney from 9pm. Tickets are $10. FRIDAY MAY 8

MELBOURNE FOR VANUATU - PARTY AGAINST PAM THE TOFF IN TOWN

After recently being devastated the record breaking category five Cyclone Pam, Vanuatu is in need of support. Melbournians have a chance to get together on Thursday May 7 and help raise funds for the island nation at an event featuring The Cactus Channel, comedy legends Tripod, The Sugarcanes, Skyscraper Stan, The Sweets, The Ivory Elephant and many more. Feel free to get on down to The Toff in Town and tell that cyclone to bugger off over a few beers, tunes and good vibes. Tickets can be found at thetoffintown.com, or $35 at the door if not sold out. Doors open at 7pm.

SAN LAZARO ELK AND MAMMOTH BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Last time Elk and Mammoth played at The Brunny, their music inspired a wave of tai-chi trance dance that crashed over the venue. Now with friends Harmony &

Q&A

THE B.EAST

Melbourne based nine-piece San Lazaro draw upon traditional Cuban son, '70s salsa sounds and funky rhythms, and fuse them into an original sound, creating some of the most diverse and uplifting party music ever

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

Tubular Bells For Two

Hi! Who are we speaking with and what’s the deal with Tubular Bells For Two? We are Aidan Roberts (Lanie Lane, Belles Will Ring) and Daniel Holdsworth (The Saturns). One night we had a few drinks and thought it’d be a laugh to fill the house with loads of instruments and try to play note-for-note Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells – that album that was used as the soundtrack to The Exorcist. Somehow, from that idea, it spawned into a full-blown theatrical show. Tell us how you recreate the iconic Tubular Bells in your show. This show is about much more than just recreating the music. It’s about seeing if two guys can actually pull off such a physical challenge. The task is almost impossible – there’s over 20 instruments on stage and at times we have to be able to play two or three at a time. It could fall apart at any moment. Describe your production in eight words. One album, two men, too many instruments. So... why should we come and see Tubular Bells For Two at the Darebin Arts Centre on Friday May 8 and Saturday May 9? It doesn’t matter if you know the album or not. This is just a unique, exhilarating performance for all ages to enjoy. We just won a string of awards at the Adelaide Fringe, including Best Music, so we must be doing something right.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 37

to come from an Australian band. Beyond that, it references everything from psych funk to roots reggae to Spaghetti Western film soundtracks. It’s raw, noisy and electric one moment, and sweet and soulful the next. San Lazaro are bringing their spicy salsa sounds to The B.East this Friday May 8, playing two sets from 9pm. Entry is free.

NEW TRAVELLERS YA H YA H S

No stranger to the Melbourne scene, New Travellers are a four-piece rock act forming from members of The Aura Cura and Glass Emperor. Although they’ve had a decent run playing alt rock tracks across the city, this will mark their final show as New Travellers before they return with ‘something new’, so catch them on Friday May 8 before they head on their mysterious break. Tickets are $13 with a cheeky free Jager shot at the door, doors open from 8pm.

SOUL SACRIFICE

F LY I N G S AU C E R C L U B

After a full house and packed dancefloor, popular demand has brought Melbourne’s one and only Santana tribute band back to the Saucer. With a seven piece lineup, Soul Sacrifice pays tribute to the great music of Santana. It’s all about the music and putting on a great show, focusing on classic Santana (late '60s/'70s with a splash of later stuff ) covering Latin rock, Latin soul, jazz and rock genres. Head down to the Flying Saucer Club to catch Soul Sacrifice in action, Friday May 8 from 8pm. Tickets are $20 on the door.

THE REBELLES

ROOGAZE

After two years of hard work, The Rebelles’ debut album has almost arrived – all they need is the final mix before they release their energetic harmonies for the world to hear. Expect it to be an interesting show considering The LuWow is gonna have to fit these 15 wondrous women on a single stage for a vocal rediscovery of girl groups from the early sixties. Show starts at 9pm, $5 entry fee.

Possibly the tastiest pun for a niche show ever, Roogaze is taking place at The Tote to put on an exhibition of some of the finest acts in Australian shoegaze at the moment, celebrating the scene that celebrates itself. Featuring performances from local and national acts such as Bloodhounds On My Trail, Blush Response, Contrast, Day Ravies, Hideous Towns and many more, be sure to get down to the tote on Saturday May 9 for static, fuzz, blown eardrums and vocals that sound like cries from the bottom of a well. Doors open from 5pm, tickets are $15.

THE LUWOW

ROCKNROLLA 2

PRINCE PUBLIC BAR

After the raging and ragged success of the first RocknRolla in April, RocknRolla is back on Friday May 8 with a lineup that captures the best in emerging rock’n’roll from Melbourne and Tasmania. With a filthy lineup that includes Mighty Boys, Kill Dirty Youth, Verticoli, Brent Lockhart and Seattle, get down to the Prince Public Bar on Friday May 8 for a massive night of hard rock. Oh, and just a rum-inder, there’s free Sailor Jerry’s being flung about from 8pm-9pm which should seal the deal, whet your whistle and float your boat. Music starts from 8:30pm, and entry is free. You’d be crazy to miss it.

THE SCRIMSHAW FOUR SHADOW ELECTRIC

The Scrimshaw Four are releasing a new music video! To celebrate the short film, produced and directed by Erin Hingham and shot by the illustrious Andrew Hardy in the You Yangs of Victoria, The Scrimshaw Four are throwing a party and you’re invited. Rock up to Shadow Electric on Saturday May 9 from 7:30pm for a sweaty gypsy dance-off, full of upbeat vibes for positive guys. Tickets are $10 from shadowelectric.com.au

THE TOTE

THE CONTROLLERS GRACE T H E GRACE DARLI NG

COLOUR BOMB

T H E E V E LY N H O T E L

Melbourne indie duo Colour Bomb are launching their new single, My Resting Place, this Friday May 8 at The Evelyn Hotel. Playing a buoyant style of luxuriously produced indie-pop, Colour Bomb’s James also plays in Gotye’s band and the music of this project carries on with the same vibe. Their show this Friday May 8 comes with support from Diamonds of Neptune and Telescopes. Doors open 8pm. $12 entry.

BUNKER 2ND BIRTHDAY BONEY

A lineup of Sebastian Bayne, Tercat, D-Rex, Adrian Bell, Jeremy Graham, Jake McDonald, Batton and Shedbug, hit Boney on Friday May 8 as Bunker celebrates 730 days of techno with this busting line-up. It’s been a big second year for them, but that’s all the more reason for a late night of beats and Boney. Tickets are $10 on the door. Doors open at 10pm.

MOB 47

BENDIGO HOTEL

Originally forming in Stockholm, Sweden in 1982 under the name Censur, hardcore punks Mob 47 changed their name when singer Mentis joined the band the following year. Since then they’ve toured the world, played with the legendary Anti Cimex, and established described as the fastest of Sweden’s D-beat groups. This Friday May 8, Mob 47 are bringing their ruckus to The Bendigo, with a slew of punks in Kromosom, Exctinct Exist, Sewercide and RIP Fucker. Doors open 8pm, tickets are $15.

THE FUNKALLEROS THE LUWOW

Not only aiming to create original music from the heart that resonates in the Australian multi-ethnic community, sending a message of love, hope and understanding for people of all races and countries, The Funkalleros also aim to make people move and have a good time. The trio are hitting LuWow this Friday May 8, so bring your dancing shoes and get your boogie on for this night of Americano beats, soul and funk. Entry is $5 and the doors open at 9pm.

THE RED LIGHTS

DING DONG LOUNGE

Melbourne indie outfit The Red Lights are calling it a day, and to celebrate their run they’ll be playing a farewell show at Ding Dong Lounge this Friday May 8. The guys recently took to their Facebook page to announce that “it is with heavy hearts, but hopeful prospects that we announce that The Red Lights have decided to call it a day. Thank you to everyone who ever supported us and made this all possible. It’s unbelievable to even be able to make music but to have people actually listen to it and come watch it live? Well fuck me, that’s beyond amazing…” Send ‘em off in style. Get down to Ding Dong lounge from 9pm onwards for the show. Tickets are $10 presale, or grab them at the door. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38

After an epic stint covering Sydney, Newcastle and Adelaide, The Controllers return to Melbourne and will be ‘gracing’ the stage at the ever classy Grace Darling Hotel to bring their tight and fresh style of melodic punk rock to tickle your sensibilities. The Controllers are joined for the final show of the Animals EP tour by Once Were Wild, Hunting Season and A Basket of Mammoths. Friday May 8 at The Grace Darling, tickets are $12.

JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS HOWLER

After sell-out Melbourne and Sydney shows late in 2014, Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders return for a four city tour in May. Released in November, the band’s latest album Playmates, became one of the most acclaimed Australian releases of the year. Four star reviews and raves flowed from the likes of The Australian, Tone Deaf and Rolling Stone to Buzzfeed. Tickets are available for their show at Howler on Friday May 8 from moshtix.com.au for $25+BF. Doors open at 8pm.

STAR WARS NIGHT THE PUBLIC BAR

TOTALLY MILD

THE JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

Featuring musicians from Full Ugly, Kes Band and Sui Zhen, and fronted by Elizabeth Mitchell, a woman with an exciting tendency to sing in a falsetto not many can match, Totally Mild are finally ready to drop their debut LP Down Time, and have locked in a Curtin gig to celebrate. Also on the bill, helping the band kick off the release are Geoffrey O’Conner, Milk Teddy, Caroline No and Habits. Head down to The Curtin this Friday May 8 from 8:30pm, tickets are $10 pre-sale or on the door if available.

Wet Blankets have been buzzing along for a couple years now, spitting out tight, tough punk songs from the heart of Geelong. Frontman Zane started the outfit when he was 15, and still scrapes in under 18. If you missed their previous two 7” releases, then you better come down when Wet Blankets launch their debut LP, this Friday May 8 at The Grace Darling. Entry is limited so you better get down early. Old friends The Bonniwells and CUNTZ are also jumping in on the fun. Doors open at 9pm, with $10 entry.

CASUAL BAND BLOGGER 2ND BIRTHDAY

SATURDAY MAY 9

After 12 months of taking on some of the country’s biggest festivals and interviewing acts from around the world, while never losing touch of their focus on local music, Casual Band Blogger are celebrating their 2nd birthday in style. With a bill consisting of Martin King, Sleepy Dreamers, Soviet X-Ray Record Club, Jack and The Kids and DJ RKDA, celebrate with this expansive lineup at Shadow Electric on Friday May 8. Tickets are $12 from shadowelectric. com.au, doors open at 7pm.

CHERRY BAR

Nick Barker unveils the début release from his new project The Heartache State at Cherry Bar on Saturday May 9 with a double bill accompanied by Brisbane eight piece, Halfway. Accompanied by Justin Garner, who Barker has been playing with on and off for ten years, the last 18 months saw them hunched over acoustic guitars hammering a bunch of ideas into songs. Justin loves Aerosmith and the Allmans, Nick loves the Replacements and Soul Asylum, so the self-titled album that resulted is a collision of all. Get down to Cherry Bar on Saturday May 9 to catch a mix of old rock and alt-country. Doors open from 8pm, tickets are $20.

NITE FIELDS

T H E GRACE DARLI NG

Brisbane’s Nite Fields have returned to Australian shores after a five week European tour bender, celebrating the release of their debut album Depersonalisation. It seems their celebrations never seem to stop, Nite Fields are back in town and they’re playing a gig this Saturday May 9 at The Grace Darling. Added entertainment on the night comes from Terrible Truths, VIV, Halt Ever and White Hex DJs setting the mood just right. Come in from 8pm, entry is $10 on the door.

WET BLANKETS

Yes, yes, The Public Bar knows that Star Wars Day is May the Fourth. This year it falls on a Monday, so they figured ain’t no one wants to be at a gig Monday night. The Public Bar are proudly throwing their celebration of all things Star Wars this Friday May 8, with appropriate headliners Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge. Miyazaki!, Joe Guiton & The Suicide Tuesdays, Too Soon and Late Nights have all joined the bill too. There’ll be prizes for best costumes, and might even include a screening of the movie that started it all. The night starts at 8pm, with $8 entry.

SHADOW ELECTRIC

THE HEARTACHE STATE

T H E GRACE DARLI NG

DAN WHITE LIVE BONEY

Losing a weekend is set to become a weekly reality at Boney with an outlandish selection of Melbourne’s most notorious disco deviants and party legendaries set to play host to a steady flow of international movers and shakers. Launching on Saturday May 9, one of Melbourne’s most impressive new live acts Dan White will headline Boney’s new Lost Weekend party series with his hypnotic brand of analogue techno and house. Doors open at 10pm.

LURCH & CHIEF HOWLER

THE DRUNKEN POACHERS

THE DRUNKEN POET

Dishonest and dirty and wearing flannelette better than you do, The Drunken Poachers are leaving heavy heads and dented floors in their very catchy wake. With the aid of banjo, gee-tah, ukulele and mandolin, backed by Irish fiddle, uke bass and propped up with lager phone and a trifle of trumpet, their hearty harmonic throat is unlike any other. This Saturday May 9, The Drunken Poachers are back in their proverbial home, The Drunken Poet. You can’t go past The Poachers if you’re looking for a band who’ll have your feet tapping to the bar and back. Catch them from 9pm, entry is free.

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Melbourne’s only stoner-swirl jampsych band Lurch & Chief are touring in support of their much anticipated sophomore EP Breathe which was written and recorded in the bands derelict spiritual home, 111 Mt Zero Road Halls Gap VIC. 2014 was a breakout year for Lurch & Chief - selling out two east coast tours, making a huge impression on the line up of some of the country’s most iconic festivals and releasing single Keep It Together which received massive love from triple j and community radio. Current single Fading Out is an atmospheric, delicately-crafted end of summer vintage psych jam that sees Lurch & Chief flaunt their nostalgic garage pop side; mixing up the dynamic with co-vocalist Lilibeth Hall taking the lead. Catch them when they play at Howler on Saturday May 9 – entry fee is $15+BF and the doors open at 8pm.

FEE L PRE SEN TS

FEELPR ESENT S.COM NEW ALBUM ‘BAD NEWS BOYS’ OUT NOW ON IN THE RED

ALBUM OF THE WEEK BLUR

TOP TENS: PBS TOP TEN 1. Choose Your Weapon HIATUS KAIYOTE 2. Your Good Fortune MAVIS STAPLES

The Magic Whip (Parlophone/ Warner)

3. Stumpjumper CHARLIE PARR 4. Coming Forth By Day CASSANDRA WILSON 5. Be Here Now ALISON FERRIER

The Magic Whip is Blur’s surprise reunion record – the biggest surprise of which is how effortlessly it maintains the band’s essence, while pushing its sound into uncharted territory. With a few exceptions – the playful Ong Ong, the 1994 time warp Lonesome Street – the album is a moody affair, capturing the bristling tension of later Blur albums. But instead of the tension being directed within the band, it’s at the world at large. New World Towers, My Terracotta Heart, Pyongyang; these are all songs searching for something but not really knowing where to look. There are a number of reference points from Blur and Damon Albarn’s career to give you an idea of what sounds they’re mining: a relaxed 13 (1999), Think Tank (2003) with good arrangements, Albarn’s Everyday Robots (2014), but fleshed out. Really, none do it justice. The Magic Whip is a new phase. Nowhere is this more evident than on album highlight Thought I Was A Spaceman – a sprawling, ever-evolving track that takes cues from Blur’s last few albums (Albarn and Graham Coxon trading verses, a heavy reliance on ambience)

6. Leikeli47 LEIKELI47 7. Colours of the Night PETER BRODERICK 8. From Kinshasa MBONGWANA STAR 9. Kapture SANDY EVANS, BOBBY SINGH, BRETT HIRST, TOBY HALL, SARANGAN SRIRANGANATHAN 10. Apple Bonkers JOEL GION and brings them into new, uncharted areas of dreampop and neo-psychedelia. There are a few things that lifelong fans will nitpick over – Coxon’s otherworldly guitar is under-utilised, and knees-up Parklife (1994) diehards might have a hard time – but overall this is one of the best bands of its generation adding an essential chapter to its storied career.

RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN

LEONARDO SILVESTRINI

6. Mind Renovation DORSAL FINS

1. Marry Me Tonight HTRK 2. Table for Two SUPERSTAR 3. Down Time TOTALLY MILD 4. Pretend You’re mine PEARLS 5. Sound and Colour ALABAMA SHAKES 7. Eons JIM LAWRIE

SINGLES

BY LACHLAN

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

9. Silverspoon 7” FLOUR 10. Carrie and Lowell SUFJAN STEVENS

HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get around the Western Bulldogs Football Club. #gatherthepack #bemorebulldog

right places, just lacking richness in the vocal breadth and lyrical scope. Still easy on the ears after a few spins.

REFUSED

Out Of Age (Rice Is Nice) Out Of Age bursts out of the gate with some huge fuckoff riffs and doesn’t hold back for a single second. Sheer power, impossibly cool. Close your eyes and you can feel the bodies ‘n’ beers flying about the band room.

3. Short Movie LP LAURA MARLING

24 Hr Lover Man (Independent) Equal parts Pussy Galore and Beastie Boys, 24 Hr Lover Man is fucked up and kind of great. A manic pseudo-rap over a blown out sample of Jimi’s Manic Depression, spouting madcap bullshit meditations on the numbing, pathetic vortex of the 21st Century male id; “I’m on some post-Ezra Koenig fuckin’ North Face bullshit boyfriend.” There ya go.

TITUS ANDRONICUS

7. Daredevil LP FU MANCHU

DISCLOSURE

TAME IMPALA

Elektra (Epitaph) (Re)fu(sed) Fighters. I don’t mean that as a heavy pejorative, but I don’t mean it as a compliment either.

FOXYGEN

Bang That (Interscope) The first new material from the Disclosure bros since the freakin’ inescapable Settle is fairly low-key in terms of pop sensibility, honing their house-lite acumen into another tidy little banger that does little to stick in the memory, but a lot to service the D-floor. A little bit of menace in the production, which is a more than promising indication of LP number two, due later this year apparently.

ANGIE

Dimed Out (Merge) Kinda slept on the last Titus Andronicus LP after digging the hell out of their first, but the lead cut from their third has got me woke. Their Jersey-ness is on their sleeve yet again, shades of a Springsteen-anthem and a shamelessly brilliant key change. Reminds me a little bit of The Drones when they gun it. Disciples (Interscope) I’m beginning to think Kevin Parker simply doesn’t give a fuck; heralding the third Tame LP with a nearly eight minute, and resoundingly excellent, sprawling jam, then the first single, the more conventional and little bit shithouse ‘Cause I’m A Man, and now the excellent lo-fi into hi-fi pop ditty Disciples, embracing brevity with a 1:48 runtime. The lack of inhibition is very becoming.

TOTALLY MILD

DANIEL JOHNS

Cool On Fire (EMI) I know what you’re thinking: cool… but on fire? What the? Really makes you think. But seriously this is kind of decent, with some slick production pulsing in the

4. Sound & Color LP ALABAMA SHAKES 5. Vulnicura LP BJORK 6. Edge Of The Sun LP CALEXICO 8. Noir! LP HEAVY TRASH 9. Vestiges LP JOSE GONZALEZ 10. Anthology LP ZOMBI

COLLECTORS CORNER MISSING LINK TOP TEN 1. Caged In Flesh LP/CD HORSEHUNTER 2. Eternally Yours reissue LP THE SAINTS 3. Baptism In Blood CD ARMOURED ANGEL 4. At Newport LP MILES DAVIS AND THELONIUS MONK 5. Unchain The Wolves LP DESTROYER 666 6. Neon Ballroom reissue LP SILVERCHAIR

9. Constricting Rage Of The Merciless LP GOATWHORE 10. We Live LP ELECTRIC WIZARD

BEAT’S TOP TEN CHERRY SONGS

I’m Ready (Warner) Remember when Twin Shadow released an album that was kind of weak and Frank Ocean pushed his album a week forward and blew Twin Shadow out of the freakin’ water? Well good on Twin Shadow for bouncing back. But this track is kind of whack, sounding like some ‘80s kids action flick montage bullshit. Enough Is Enough (Independent) Belting with a Mclusky-like relentlessness, Enough Is Enough drills with demented grit, at times atonal, at times arrhythmic, all times supremely fuckin’ excellent. There’s an entrancing detachment in the vocal, yet still echoes like a heartfelt battle cry. Get it live if ye can.

2. My Happiness 10” ELVIS PRESLEY

8. The Powers That B 2CD DEATH GRIPS

TWIN SHADOW

HEADS OF CHARM

1. Built On Glass LP CHET FAKER

7. Hammer Of The Witch LP RINGWORM

Battleship (Bedroom Suck) A goddamn dreamscape of golden R&B guitar strokes and snaking licks, Battleship is perfect in execution, an impactful beauty, shifting with measured dexterity. “Battleship, battleship / Keep it to yourself ”; the way that last syllable soars is pure magic.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42

8. Fall of the Empire CUB CALLAWAY

1. Cherry LOUIS ARMSTRONG 2. Black Cherry GOLDFRAPP 3. Cherry Blossom Girl AIR

SINGLE OF THE WEEK ARA KOUFAX

Converge (Downtime) The duo also known as Naysayer & Gilsun continue to consolidate their Ara Koufax project, again showing an ear for sampled vocal perfection on Converge, following on from last year’s radiant dancefloor monster Brenda. There’s a tendency for fearless compositional flourish throughout, cutting with a whim, injecting a personality within the tune that indicates mastery, with shades of Burial at times. EP release at Hugs&Kisses this Friday, get amongst it.

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

4. Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go) GARBAGE 5. Cherry Ball Blues SKIP JAMES 6. Sour Cherry THE KILLS 7. Cherry Pies Ought to Be You FRANK SINATRA 8. Cherry Bomb JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS 9. Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) DUKE ELLINGTON 10. Cherry Red BEE GEES

ALBUMS New music in review this week - For more reviews go to beat.com.au/reviews

MIAMI HORROR

OSCAR KEY SUNG

All Possible Futures

MARLON WILLIAMS

Altruism (Warner)

(Remote Control)

Marlon Williams (Caroline)

This record took me a second listen to appreciate. It’s been five years since Miami Horror’s last album, Illumination, and I don’t know why All Possible Futures has taken so long. The record doesn’t sound especially new or exciting, and it’s one that I’ll understand people disliking, but it’s quite nice to listen to. It’s very chilled out synth-pop that doesn’t seem to try too hard. It took me two listens because it wasn’t quite what I was expecting from Miami Horror. The Melbourne band’s previous releases have always made me feel like dancing, but All Possible Futures doesn’t inspire the same enthusiasm. It’s an album for lazy days by the pool, rather than anything that requires energy. Expectations aside, though, it’s a dreamy, hazy record that showcases the group’s production talents. Love Like Mine is definitely a standout track, which taps into a lot of different influences and conjures images of the ’80s in my imagination. All Possible Futures will be well complemented by long summer days followed by warm summer nights. MEGGAN TURNER

Oscar Key Sung has never been particularly worried about breaking from the norm in the electronic music space, and Altruism demonstrates a tentative foray into a more offbeat sound within the genre. The EP’s opener, Skip, gently eases the listener into his peculiar world of electro, guiding them with strong beats and mesmerising repetition of the word ‘skip’. He even experiments with sampling ringtones ± so no, that’s not your phone going off. The aptly named Premonition is perhaps the most interesting track on the EP ± experimenting with continuous loops and whispers hidden behind captivating lead vocals. It’s breathy and intriguing, and it’s here that we can see Key Sung really start to push the boundaries of his sound. However, some of the tracks on this EP don’t make for particularly easy listening, as Inside Job and Light move in stranger directions. Twisting and turning with little regard for an overarching melody, things get more edgy and steer away from the norm. Altruism is an interesting and clever release, but whether it can shine within the near-saturated electronic music scene is uncertain. Key Sung begins to explore a new sound, but doesn’t completely throw himself in, which is a mighty shame. ERIN ROONEY

Described as the love child of Elvis, Roy Orbison and Townes Van Zandt, Marlon Williams’ self-titled debut does nothing more than perpetuate this flattering comparison. Williams is, however, more than just another altcountry crooner, ripping-off your favourite Southern singers. He also has genuine intrigue. Marlon Williams kicks off with a couple of banging rockabilly tunes, but thankfully (or unfortunately, depending on preference) these are followed by a slew of slowed down ballads. The single Dark Child ± where Williams broodingly sings lyrics such as “I always hoped I’d never have to bury a child” ± demonstrates a gloomy sound that diverges from the formulaic offerings of his peers. Williams is in his element recreating the Orbison sound on Lost Without You, while Lonely Side shows off a raw honesty that sees him shedding the showman act. While each song is its own creation, the back end of the album fuses together so effortlessly that it ends up feeling like a drone of heartache and misery. Luckily, a beacon of hope comes in the form of Williams’ voice, which helps to carry these tracks, particularly the stellar When I Was A Young Girl. Williams’ striking voice helps to make this album a cohesive package. It’s an impressive debut with enough variation to prevent you feeling like you’ve been holed up for hours in a small country pub in outback Australia. SARAH BASFORD

CIRCA WAVES

KLONE

Young Chasers

POKEY LAFARGE

Here Comes the Sun

Something In The Water

(Bird’s Robe Records)

(Circa Waves/ Virgin EMI)

Young Liverpool outfit Circa Waves came to our shores for Splendour in the Grass 2014 and then returned late in the year to support Bastille. Their live show was so impressive that Beat Magazine’s review described them as better than the headliners. They hadn’t even released a long player when they toured Australia, but had created a fair amount of buzz, due in part to some airplay on triple j. Their debut album Young Chasers continues the infectious and fun vibe created on last year’s self-titled EP. All of the songs, such as the catchy Get Away, have been brought over from said EP, but there are plenty of new songs to get excited about as well. What is sure to be the next single, T-Shirt Weather, perfectly sums up the band to any newcomers. They have an instant appeal about them; the songs get stuck in your head and you can’t help but hum or sing-along, or perhaps even tap your foot to the beat. For the uninitiated, think the sing-along appeal of The Kooks with a less polarising vocalist. Lead single Fossils again shows off the band’s innate ability to write one hell of a catchy tune. This album is full of quality right across the board. It doesn’t have the indulgent experimental songs that many Brit-pop bands subject fans to later in their career. It’s pure, unadulterated pop-rock with a distinct British feel. Certainly a band to keep an eye on and it’ll be interesting to see what they do next.

I am a massive fan of this unique French outfit’s last two albums. However, on Here Comes the Sun, they have mellowed out significantly. While that is somewhat disappointing after the doomy progressiveness of the previous two releases, viewed in isolation, this album is still a fine achievement and a highly enjoyable listen. The ambience inherent in this album came as a real surprise, and after allowing the album to take hold and grow on you, it becomes a beautiful listening experience. The first three tracks provide the greatest contrast. Immersion becomes quite grandiose over the course of its five minutes, while Fog is a dreamy wash for half its running time, before building nicely to a rather satisfying climax. Gone up in Flames is almost bluesy, and features some subtle sax (which makes a return on the album’s closing number, a cover of George Gershwin’s Summertime). The Drifter is even gentler than the opening tracks. You kind of expect the album to lift a notch at some stage, but it never really does. And that’s perfectly okay; this album is more about the mood and the atmosphere than it is about pounding heaviness. This is definitely an album for more open minded lovers of progressive heavy music. Once you get past the fact that it is not a heavy album and let the unique delights wash over you, you’ll find that Here Comes the Sun really starts to shine.

ALEXANDER CROWDEN

ROD WHITFIELD

(Rounder Records)

With his slightly pomp’d 1940s hair, widelegged high-waisted jeans and banjo in hand, you could well assume that Pokey Lafarge has jumped on the ‘everything is new again’ train. But you would be very wrong. LaFarge has the best of ragtime, blues, swing, jazz and everything in between running through his veins. This is no mere shtick, this is his lifeblood and it’s thoroughly beautiful. Something In The Water (released on independent Rounder Records) is the much-anticipated follow-up to LaFarge’s eponymous album, which was released on Jack White’s Third Man Records back in 2013. This album takes in a wider breadth of influences, with slightly more of the whimsy that Pokey LaFarge fans have come to know and love. There’s a ragtime jazz bent to Wanna Be Your Man, while Underground delves into hip-swinging big band territory, and LaFarge shows off his country chops on Actin’ A Fool. The title track displays Lafarge’s sense of humour ± it’s a ditty about a crazy girlfriend, and you can practically smell the fried chicken, which by the way, she’s cooking in her underwear. The album also features two blues standards ± When Did You Leave Heaven and All Night Long ± as well as two beautiful odes to LaFarge’s beloved American Midwest; Cairo, Illinois and Knocking the Dust Off the Rust Belt Tonight. While LaFarge’s music is decidedly old-timey, he puts his own stamp on it, which makes it a beautifully new experience. He’s maturing and expanding his repertoire, both musically and lyrically, and this effort is a step up in sophistication from his last. ISABELLE ODERBERG

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

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 43

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

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

WEDNESDAY MAY 6 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••AIDAN CHU Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. ••AN EVENING WITH GEOFFREY ROBERTSON Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 7:30pm. $79.00.

••BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••DIZZY’S BIG BAND - FEAT: PETER HEARNE +

CELESTE POUSON Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $14.00.

CONTRAST + BRIEF CHEMISTRY + DJ D-RATS + DJ MAX MANNIX Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. ••GORSHA + SOOKY LA LA + GUY PARKMAN BAND Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.

••LADYDREAMS + PREMIUM FANTASY + MOON

RITUALS + SWEET WHIRL Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

8:30pm. $8.00.

••LUNA DEVILLE + HOLLOW EVERDAZE +

DREAMCOAT + HOWLER Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

$10.00.

••JMC END OF TRIMESTER SHOWCASE Gasometer

••OPETH + MYRIDIAN Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd.

••JULIEN WILSON ‘B FOR CHICKEN’ QUARTET 303,

••POWER + GROTTO + DESTINY Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

Hotel, Collingwood. 6:00pm. $5.00. Northcote. 8:00pm.

••KONRAD OLSZEWSKI Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.50.

••MINGUS THINGUS FEAT. MIRKO GUERRINI Paris Cat

8:00pm. $80.00.

••SAFIA Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm.

••SLIM JEFFRIES + HOLLOW HOUNDS + THE

NARROWS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $5.00.

Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $15.00.

••THE BLACK DOVE FRONT + DEVILMONKEY +

OF THE UNDERGROUND Melbourne Recital Centre,

••THE GORDONS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7.00.

••THE ARRIVAL - FEAT: BEN WALSH’S ORKSTRA Southbank. 7:30pm. $55.00.

••THE ROOKIES The Rooks Return, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••TIM WILLIS Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.

••UNDINE (THE SPIRIT OF WATER) - FEAT: SYZGY

ENSEMBLE + AGATHA YIM Melbourne Recital Centre,

Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00.

••ZÓL BÁLINT + THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE Some

BATTLESICK + OOLLUU Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••THE INVISIBLE DEARS Carters Bar, Northcote. 8:00pm. ••VOWEL MOVEMENT + THE KARMENS + DUOUX Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $5.00.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••BÊTE NOIRE Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $15.00.

Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm.

••DAVID BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM UNPLUGGED

Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

••ZULYA & THE CHILDREN OF THE UNDERGROUND

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••ANIMAUX + JACK STIRLING Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $12.30.

••FOREST FALLS + PLAYWRITE + AMISTAT Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $8.00.

••GINGER & TONICS + BEAU HEARTBREAKER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $20.00.

••KICKASS KARAOKE Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:30pm.

••NUN OF THE TONGUE + I SPENT MOST OF 2008

PRETENDING NOT TO HATE MYSELF + CINESEX Old

Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.

••SEEDY JEEZUS + RIGHT! + WILLOW DARLING + DJ

MERMAID Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $5.00.

••STELLAFAUNA + TIARYN GRIGGS + LAMA Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.

••THE SHRINE + CLOWNS + POWER + HORSEHUNTER Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

••WYN-SHADY & THE WAVERLEY BOYS + SAMUEL

JAMES + PETER COLLIS + CALUM MACTAGGART Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••ALFI ROCKER Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 7:30pm.

••DIANA RADAR Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:00pm. $6.00.

••MUDDY’S BLUES ROULETTE - FEAT: DAMON SMITH Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••OPEN MIC Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.

••OPEN MIC HOSTED BY MARK GARDNER Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.

••OPEN MIC NIGHT Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm. ••REBECCA BARNARD & BILLY MILLER’S

SINGALONG Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 7:00pm. $15.00.

••ROXY LAVISH + CHARLIE ZULU Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

••SPENCER P JONES & CHARLIE MARSHALL Yarra

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••ANASTACIA + JASON AYRES Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:30pm. $99.00.

••ANDREW RIGGO Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 8:00pm.

••BAND WARS HEAT 3 Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00.

MAYBLOOMS + CENTRAL RAIN Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $5.00.

••ELK & MAMMOTH + POCKETS + HARMONY AND

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 44

••WHOLE LOTTA BLUES - FEAT: SONS OF SERENGETI

+ BRENDAN FORWARD Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY MAY 8

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

••KALLIDAD The Loft, Warrnambool. 8:00pm.

••LA DANSE MACABRE - FEAT: BRUNSWICK

MASSIVE RESIDENT DJS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy.

9:00pm.

••MAGIC BONES Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

••MAMMOTH MAMMOTH + ZOMBIE MOTORS

WRECKING YARD + LONG HOLIDAY Old Bar, Fitzroy.

8:30pm. $10.00.

••JAZZ THURSDAYS - FEAT: JOHN MONTESANTE

••DANA CZARSKI Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd.

Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

QUINTET W/ TAMARA KULDIN The Commune, East

Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

9:30pm. $25.00. $20.00.

7:00pm.

Melbourne. 6:00pm.

••FUNKALEROS + DJ TROPICO DANCE The Luwow,

$20.00.

••HUGH STUCKEY QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.

Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••JAZZOBELL DEUX - FEAT: THE JAZZOBELL

••JUDE PEARL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. ••KICKIN’ THE B AT 303 - FEAT: THE SHACKMEN 303, ••KIERAN O’SULLIVAN DJS Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••MASHAKA Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••MELBOURNE FOR VANUATU PARTY AGAINST PAM

- FEAT: TRIPOD + KYLIE AULDIST & THE GLENROY ALL STARS + THE CACTUS CHANNEL + THE SUGARCANES + SKYSCRAPER STAN + THE SWEETS + THE IVORY ELEPHANT + TEGAN HIGGINBOTHAM Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $30.00.

••MELBOURNE IMPROVISERS COLLECTIVE Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

••MONKBERRY MOON - FEAT: CAZEAUX OSLO +

ACID SLOP + RAAGHE + HUDSON JAMES JR Lounge,

Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

••SOUL IN THE BASEMENT - FEAT: THE

SWEETHEARTS + VINCE PEACH + PIERRE BARONI Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00.

Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.

8:00pm.

QUINTET Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.

$17.50.

••KATIE NOONAN Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $35.00.

••MARK COFFEE WITH ROGER CLARK QUARTET Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $16.00.

••MONTGOMERY + LEAKS Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.

••ORCHESTRA MINI Luxor Bar , Brunswick East. 7:00pm. ••RON S PENO & THE SUPERSTITIONS + DEAR

PLASTIC + DJ MICK Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

$5.00.

••SAN LAZARO The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

••THE PURPLE DENTISTS Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 6:00pm. $12.00.

••TIMBALERO THURSDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

••TOM O’HALLORAN Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $20.00.

••DRUNKEN POET OPEN MIC NIGHT Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

••HUME BLUES CLUB SHOWCASE NIGHT - FEAT:

IAN COLLARD + PHILLIPS & THE CADILLAC WALK + SHAKE SHACK BOOGIE BAND Musicland, Fawkner. 8:30pm. $15.00.

••JOHN DEVOY + SARAH EIDA + PLUM GREEN Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:30pm. $5.00.

••LAURA PALMER + CRAIG COBURN + HAVE/HOLD Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 10:00am. $17.00.

••OPEN MIC Station 59, Richmond. 8:00pm.

••OPEN MIC NITE Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm.

••TASHA AMAROSO + LUKE AUSTEN + ALEYCE

SIMMONDS + JAMES AVENT Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. ••THOMAS HUGH Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8:00pm.

8:00pm. $15.00.

••NEW TRAVELLERS + GLASS EMPIRE + RED SKY

BURAL + THE GREY FILE Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

$13.00.

••NO DRAMAS Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 9:30pm. ••PARMY DHILLON & THE PRETTY PRETTYS +

VISION STREET + THE BRICKS + GABE HOGAN Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:30pm. $10.00.

••PURE GOLD LIVE - FEAT: GANGGAJANG +

CHOCOLATE STARFISH + THE CHANTOOZIES + ROSE TATTOO + PSEUDO ECHO + WENDY MATTHEWS + 1927 + JPY + DRAGON + ROSS WILSON + EUROGLIDERS + MI-SEX Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:00pm. $89.00.

••REBETIKO + DJ SHAKY MEMORIAL Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

••RETROMAX Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.

••RONSTAN BAND Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.

••SILVERSTEIN + DREAM ON DREAMER + YOUNG

West Melbourne. 6:00pm.

••ZUBIN KANGA’S DARK TWIN Melbourne Recital Centre,

7:00pm.

SEWERCIDE + RIP FUCKER Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

••TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION Drunken Poet,

••THE GOOD EGG THURSDAYS - FEAT: HENRY WHO

+ TIGERFUNK + LEWIS CANCUT Lucky Coq, Windsor.

LOWHAND + TERRY Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm.

••MOB 47 + KROMOSOM + EXTINCT EXIST +

••SASKWATCH + DORSAL FINS + ROBERT MUINOS

••THE BLTS Open Studio, Northcote. 9:30pm.

••STEINWAY D PIANO SERIES Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $17.50.

LINCOLN Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

••SPENCER P JONES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:30pm.

••YVETTE JOHANSSON FEAT. JOE RUBERTO TRIO

••OPEN MIC The Farmer’s Place, 8:00pm.

••COLD IRONS BOUND + PAUL MCMANUS & THE

••VOIX D’OR Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

••JULES BOULT & BAND Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

••DAN QUIGLEY Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.

Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00.

••CAROUSEL + DOZEYS + KING EVIL + THE ANTICKS 8:00pm. $8.00.

8:30pm.

••GUMBO CLUB - FEAT: PUGSLEY BUZZARD Ding

••MORNING MELODIES - FEAT: STEVE LAWSON

+ GORILLA JETPACKS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

••VAN & CAL WALKER Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

South Melbourne. 8:00pm.

••JUKE BOX RACKET Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:30pm.

••MILES BROWN + KAREN FROM FINANCE + LINDSAY

••BRAD BUTCHER + SEAN KIRKWOOD + BERNIE Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $8.50.

8:00pm.

••CANNONBALL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

••BEN SALTER The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

THURSDAY MAY 7

••TINGY CELESTINO Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown.

••FOREST COLLECTIVE (MOONFALL) Melbourne Recital

Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

TERESA DIXON Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.

So this is Melbourne’s biggest gig in a long time. CherryRock015. 13 acts, two stages, no clashes. It’s a festival goer’s wet dream. The promised “all killer, no filler” lineup includes Red Fang, The Shrine, Beastwars, Warped, Clowns, Hits, Child, Fuck the Fitzroy Doom Scene, Horsehunter, My Left Boot, Los Hombres Del Diablo, Dr Colossus, The Ugly Kings and DJ Mermaid. CherryRock015 starts 12pm this Sunday May 10 at Cherry Bar and AC/DC Lane. Bring your mum.

••MIDNIGHT ALIBI + THE BALLS + BABERAHAM

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

••WINE, WHISKEY, WOMEN - FEAT: TESS DEVINE +

CHERRYROCK015

••BEYOND & BEYOND FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Paris

Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne. 7:30pm.

Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

••THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL’S OPEN MIC Brunswick

GIG OF THE WEEK!

Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

Southbank. 6:00pm. $38.00.

Max Watt’s, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $25.00.

LIONS + HARBOURS 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

$34.00.

••SLEAZY LISTENING - FEAT: ARKS + RICHARD KELLY

+ HYSTERIC + K.HOOP Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

••SOUL SACRIFICE (THE MUSIC OF SANTANA) Flying

••ASTRAL FLIGHT + NAT GRANT + TODD ANDERSON-

••SOULENIKOES + LUNG + ARAKEYE + TELL

KUNERT + LIGHT SLEEPER + LILITH + DJ BLEEPMEISTER 24 Moons, Northcote. 8:00pm. ••BACKSTREET BOYS Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

••STAR WARS NIGHT - FEAT: ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S

$132.00.

••BEASTWARS + HORSEHUNTER + DR COLOSSUS +

HOLY SERPENT + DJ LUCINDA A Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.

••CASUAL BAND BLOGGER 2ND BIRTHDAY - FEAT:

MARTIN KING + JACK & THE KIDS + SOVIET X-RAY RECORD CLUB + SLEEPY DREAMERS + RKDA The

Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 7:00pm. $12.00.

••CHRIS WILSON Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

••COLOUR BOMB + TELESCOPES + DIAMONDS OF

NEPTUNE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $10.00.

Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm. $18.00.

AMAROSA Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $10.00.

DISHOUNARABLE DISCHARGE + MIYAZAKI! + LATE NIGHTS + THE SUICIDE TUESDAYS + TOO SOON! Public Bar, North Melbourne. 8:00pm. $8.00.

••THE ART Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10.00. ••THE CONTROLLERS + ONCE WERE WILD Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm.

••THE CROOKEDS + CANYONERO + SPIRAL ARM 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••THE RED LIGHTS + NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH + I

KNOW THE CHIEF Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd.

9:00pm. $10.00.

••THE TWOKS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:30pm.

••DETONATORS Black Hatt, Geelong. 9:30pm.

••THOMCORDS + VINCES Carters Bar, Northcote. 8:30pm.

••DJ DAVE GRAY Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

••TOTALLY MILD + GEOFFREY O’CONNOR + MILK

••DJ APPLEJACK Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. ••EINSTEIN TOYBOYS + TOTALLY 80’S Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00.

••EVERCLEAR Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm.

••FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE - FEAT: SINGLE INCOME &

EASTWOOD REVINE Pier Live, Frankston. 8:00pm. $5.00.

••JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $25.00.

••JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE SHOW Big Huey’s Diner,

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

••TOTAL GIOVANNI Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm.

TEDDY + CAROLINE NO + HABITS John Curtin Hotel,

Carlton. 8:30pm. $10.00.

••WATTS ON PRESENTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

••WET BLANKETS + BONNIEWELLS + CUNTZ Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10.00.

••WET LIPS + TWO STEPS ON THE WATER + JULES

SHELDON + SHRIMPWITCH Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

••WIRE BIRD + WALKER + RUNNING YOUTH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••ALANNA DEUTROM + ASH BALL + CAT TORRES +

DAVE & THE PUSHIES + LAYLA Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

$16.00.

••BANDAOKE Pier Live, Frankston. 9:00pm.

••CHELSEA WILSON Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm.

••DANIEL LUHRS + MICHAEL HOOD + 99 PROBLEMZ

+ B-TWO + NO NAME NATH Penny Black, Brunswick.

9:00pm.

••HERE COMES THE SUN - FEAT: WES CARR Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 8:00pm. $35.00.

••HUMDINGER BLUES BAR - FEAT: TROY WILSON &

AARON GILLET Humdinger, Frankston . 7:00pm. ••MICK DALEY & CORPORATE RAIDERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

••MISS QUINCY + THIS WAY NORTH Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. $15.00.

••NICK SAXON + MICHAEL GATE Farouk’s Olive, Thornbury. 7:00pm. $7.00.

••RAISED BY EAGLES Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm.

••ROUGH CUT Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8:00pm. $8.00.

••SMALL TOWN ALIENS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm.

••THE GUN BARREL STRAIGHTS + MICHAEL CROWE Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:30pm.

••THOMAS HUGH + SHANNON BOURNE + LISA

MARMUR Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $10.00. ••VELVET ARCHERS Carters Bar, Northcote. 9:00pm.

SATURDAY MAY 9

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••1ST ANNUAL TARANTINO BALL - FEAT: THE

TARANTINOS 24 Moons, Northcote. 8:00pm. $20.00.

••360 + COIN BANKS + LEVA Max Watt’s, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $45.50.

••BANDS ACROSS THE WATER FUNDRAISER - FEAT:

1891 + THE COLOUR CODE + TRANSFERENCE + ALLANAH WEIR & THE HALF TALLS + 8 YEARS IN SCOTLAND + BRONI + MINDY CO + WALTER + A RIOTING MIND + MARVIC FOXES + SO CALLED CELEBRITIES + DJ Y U DO DIS + DJ HALLF + DJ MONTY Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. $12.00. ••BANG - FEAT: NEW EMPIRE + BOY WONDER + ONE DAY MAYBE + HALF BREED HEROES Royal Melbourne

••NITE FIELDS + TERRIBLE TRUTHS + VIV + HALT

EVER + WHITE HEX DJS Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••NITE MOOVES Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:30pm.

••ORB + DRUG SWEAT Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. ••PHIL PARA Espy, St Kilda. 6:00pm.

••PONY FACE + SAILOR DAYS + HOWL AT THE MOON Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.

••PURE GOLD LIVE - FEAT: GANGGAJANG +

CHOCOLATE STARFISH + THE CHANTOOZIES + ROSE TATTOO + PSEUDO ECHO + WENDY MATTHEWS + 1927 + JPY + DRAGON + ROSS WILSON + EUROGLIDERS + MI-SEX Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:00pm. $89.00.

••RATTLIN KANE Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.

••RED FANG + THE DUKES OF DELICIOUSNESS + THE

UNDERHANDED Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 8:00pm.

$35.00.

••RELEASE THE HOUNDS + TWIN AGES + DAMN THE

DAWN + MOJO PIN Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••RIDGY ROURKE & THE LOVE DOGS Catfish, Fitzroy.

PARTY AGAINST PAM

Melbourne for Vanuatu is bringing an all star cast of musical guests together at The Toff this Thursday to Party Against Pam. Tripod, The Cactus Channel, Kylie Auldist & The Glenroy All Stars, The Sugarcanes and more are set to perform, with the purpose of raising funds for the recently devastated Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam. Come down to The Toff and support a good cause, from 7pm Thursday May 7. ••THE KAVA KINGS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:30pm.

••THE PLAYBOOK + BRIGHTER AT NIGHT + THE

CHASE + THESE CITY LIGHTS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.

9:00pm.

••TOTALLY MILD + MONNONE ALONE + BLEACH

$8.00.

••TRIUMPH OVER LOGIC + SPIDEY SPIDEY +

••RIFF RAIDERS Central Club Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. ••ROOGAZE 2015 INCURABLE - FEAT:

BOYS The Eastern, Ballarat East. 8:30pm. $10.00.

MISSSTA Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:30pm. $10.00.

BLOODHOUNDS ON MY TRAIL + BLUSH RESPONSE + CONTRAST + DAY RAVIES + HIDEOUS TOWNS + KIGO + LOWTIDE + LUNA GHOST + MINERS + MINIATURES Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. $15.00. ••SHEWOLF + SHADOWS AT BAY + THE DOJO COLLECTIVE Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm. ••SUFFOCATION & DECAPITATED + WHORETOPSY + HADAL MAW + COLOSSVS Corner Hotel, Richmond.

••ZUZU ANGEL Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. $12.00.

••TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD + THE DROP BEARS +

••HUMAN NATURE Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne),

7:30pm. $59.00.

THE MIGHTY KINGS + STACKHOUSE Espy, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

ALT-J

UK indie darlings alt-J used to go by a triangle symbol, that’s a delta symbol to the smarties (pressing alt-J on a Mac gives you a triangle, hence their name). Thank God they changed their name, or else finding gig information would be really difficult, especially for music writers who need to have those kinds of dates on hand. Don’t worry, I got this shit down. Alt-J play at Rod Laver Arena, this Sunday May 10 at 9:30pm.

BRIDGET & HER MIXED NUTS Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $12.50.

••MORE FIRE - FEAT: JESTER + JESSE I + RAS

CRUCIAL + DJ SAM + NIGHT NURSE The Mercat, Melbourne. 10:00pm. $10.00.

••NOSTALGHIA - FEAT: MELBOURNE SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

8:00pm. $54.00.

••PICTURE BOX ORCHESTRA Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

••PILOT Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.

••CLAYMORE Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:00pm.

••RENEE GEYER Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

••DE LA CALLE The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

••SHANTY TOWN Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm.

$18.00.

••DEAN’S MARTINI Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $20.00.

••DJ ETHAN MCLAREN Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm. Southbank. 8:30pm. $85.00.

••ISM Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.

$20.00.

8:30pm. $40.00.

••TANK DILEMMA Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. ••THE HEALING POWER OF PARSLEY Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $17.50.

••EXPRESS YOURSELF - FEAT: DJ WHISKEY

HOUSTON + MR WEIR & PETER KUNG Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $15.00.

••JAMES SHERLOCK TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.

••THE REBELLES + DJ BARBARA BLAZE The Luwow,

••JOE CHINDAMO TRIO Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond.

••THE RUBY ROGERS EXPERIENCE Spotted Mallard,

••JULIE O’HARA & ULTRAFOX Paris Cat Jazz Club,

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

Brunswick. 5:00pm.

••LISA MOORE Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

••BRIAN CAMPEAU & HANNAH CAMERON 303,

Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $12.00.

••MISS BRIGID & HER MIXED NUTS - FEAT: MISS

••CHELSEA WILSON + NO NAME NATH + D’FRO +

••THE ART The Loft, Warrnambool. 8:00pm.

••THE ELECTRIC GUITARS + LEGENDS OF

MOTORSPORT + CONTRAST + INCIGNERI/ BYSTROM + DJ KEZBOT Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. ••THE GUILTS + MAPS OF TASMANIA Retreat Hotel, ••THE HORNS + HORACE BONES Ding Dong Lounge,

8:30pm.

9:00pm. $16.00.

Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20.00. 6:00pm. $38.00.

Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

Brunswick. 9:30pm.

Northcote. 8:00pm.

Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

••BASHKA + ZOUROUNA + MONDO LOCO Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $15.00.

••BEASTWARS + HORSEHUNTER + HITS + DR

COLOSSUS + SYSTEM OF VENUS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy.

8:00pm. $20.00.

••BYO VINYL NIGHT Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

••COLD RED MUTE + DEVILS PAWN + THE CANING

+ THE RYE CATCHERS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

8:00pm.

••DJ STICKMAN Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

••FIGURES + MUSHROOM GIANT + CICADASTONE +

SCHIKAIN Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.

••GEELONG PUNK ROCK Black Hatt, Geelong. 8:30pm. $5.00.

••I DON’T KNOW KEVIN Victoria Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. ••IGOYA + THE UNKIND + ELDRITCH RITES Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:30pm. $10.00.

••KARAOKE WITH ZOE Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 9:00pm.

••LEVITATING CHURCHES + DAMN THE TORPEDOS Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 8:30pm. $10.00.

••LURCH & CHIEF Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm. $15.00.

••LYALL MOLONEY + JUNOR + ZAC SLATER Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.00.

••MARICOPA WELLS + DREAMCOAT + THE LOST DAY

+ DEL BOCA VISTA + LIZARD QUEEN Public Bar, North

Melbourne. 8:00pm. $10.00.

••MARY OCHER + THE IVORY ELEPHANT Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

••MICK DOG’S BONE YARD Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm.

••MICK TURNER + CHRIS SMITH + G.T. ARP + SKY

BAND + PH4.5 Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:45pm. $12.00.

••MONEY FOR ROPE + THE SINKING TEETH + THE

MIGHTY BOYS John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:30pm. $12.00.

••MUSIC FEST - FEAT: GOATFISH + CYANIDE TEETH

+ MR STITCHER + HORIZONS EDGE + TWISTED FAT + INCRYPT + SELF INDULGENTS + THE RADIO SUN + KISS THE VYPER + COVERDALE + HOLY DIVER + TURRET + PEGAZUS + STRONGER THAN ALL + AYVA + HELOTRY + STRANGERS IN TOWN + TERRA + WINDWAKER + ATTACK AT GREENWOOD + FAIL THE ABSTRACT Musicland, Fawkner. 2:00pm. $15.00. ••NICK BARKER’S THE HEARTACHE STATE + NICK BARKER’S THE HEARTACHE STATE + DJ FEE STAR + HALFWAY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00. CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST NEWS, REVIEWS AND FREE SHIT AT BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 45

GIG GUIDE

WHAT'S ON AROUND MELBOURNE THIS WEEK

THE PUSH PRESENT

ACCESS ALL AGES

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

MAARS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm. ••DAVE GRANEY Piping Hot Chicken & Burger Grill, Ocean

NORTH Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. ••THE HACKETTS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 5:00pm.

••GEORGIA MAQ + CRAIG DERMODY Old Bar, Fitzroy.

••THE INFANTS + WHIPPED CREAM CHARGERS +

Grove. 8:00pm. $20.00. 2:00pm.

••HARRY HOOKEY & THE SMALL TIME ALIENS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm.

••HERE COMES THE SUN (A JOURNEY THROUGH

THE SONGS OF GEORGE HARRISON) - FEAT: WES CARR Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 8:00pm. $35.00. ••LEAH FLANAGAN & SUZANNAH ESPIE Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

••SMALL TOWN ALIENS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9:00pm.

••STETSON FAMILY Union Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

••THE ANTI-FALL MOVEMENT Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm.

••THE BLACKEYED SUSANS TRIO Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

••THE CARTRIDGE FAMILY Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

••THE SCRIMSHAW FOUR The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 7:30pm. $10.00.

SUNDAY MAY 10

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••ALT-J + ÁSGEIR Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $87.00.

••CHERRY ROCK 2015 - FEAT: RED FANG + THE

SHRINE + BEASTWARS + HITS + CHILD + WARPED + CLOWNS + MY LEFT BOOT + F*CK THE FITZROY DOOM SCENE + HORSEHUNTER + DR COLOSSUS + LOS HOMBRES DEL DIABLO + THE UGLY KINGS + JAMES YOUNG + DJ MERMAID Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Cbd. 12:00pm. $79.00.

••CHRIS HAWKER Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 4:00pm.

••CLINT FLICK + FEROCIOUS CHODE + SOCIALLY

HANDICAPPED + STONED TO DEATH Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 6:30pm. $8.00.

••GIRL CRAZY + LAZERTITS + SWIM TEAM John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 4:00pm.

$10.00.

DAFT FOLK Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00.

••THE MCQUEENS + SWIM SEASONS + SPORTSMEN Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $7.00.

••VAN NOSTRUM + FLYING BISON + THE CREEPING

BAM + DOZEYS Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 4:00pm.

••WEDGE TAIL RECORDS BATTLE OF THE BANDS

HEAT 1 Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 7:45pm. $10.00. JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••ANDREW NOLTE ORCHESTRA Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm.

••BAND OF FUN! Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

••EASY NOW - FEAT: AGENT 86 + TOM SHOWTIME +

DJ MAARS Penny Black, Brunswick. 5:00pm. ••ETIENNE & THE SANKAYI 303, Northcote. 4:00pm. ••HEART & SOUL - FEAT: DAVID HOBSON + AUSTRALIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 11:30am. $50.00.

Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

••MICHELLE GARDINER Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 3:00pm.

••MICKEYD & DALLAS Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 4:00pm.

••MULTIPLE MAN + REPAIRS + FREEJACK +

SUBJECTS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. ••OFFICIAL CHERRY ROCK015 ENCORE & AFTERPARTY - FEAT: MISS QUINCY + LA BASTARD + ROSIE & THE MIGHTY KINGS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. ••OPEN MIC NIGHT Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 7:00pm. ••SCOTTY CANDLISH + COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD + THE LIFELIKE PROJECT + MATT GAULT Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $10.00.

7:00pm.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

••KELLER, MURPHY, BROWNE TRIO Bennetts Lane Jazz

Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.

+ ALL DAY FRITZ + DJ EMMA PEEL Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 3:00pm. $10.00.

••THE CAIRO CLUB ORCHESTRA FEAT. NICHAUD

FITZGIBBON Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 3:00pm. $23.00.

Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.50. Room, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. $10.00.

Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $18.00.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK ••KAGU & ALI BARTER Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.00.

TUESDAY MAY 12

••THE MONDAY PROJECT Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm.

••THUNDER RD TAP TAKEOVER - FEAT: BIG SEAL &

THE SLIPPERY FEW Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

••ULTRAFOX Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC ••AINSLIE WILLS + CANARY Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

••BEBOP DUO Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $12.50.

••BIG BAND FREQUENCY Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.

+ JEMMA NICOLE Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm. ••BEKKI O’CONNOR + ROB HORNBUCKLE & MATT DWYER Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne. 4:00pm. ••BRODERICK SMITH Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm. ••DUSTY MILLERS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm. ••EUGENE ALEXANDER Carters Bar, Northcote. 5:00pm. ••GRIYA + OPEN SWIMMER + MADELINE DUKE Evelyn

••DONUT Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.

••IAN VANDY Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 1:00pm.

••JULIEN WILSON ‘B FOR CHICKEN’ QUARTET 303,

••JOEL REED & THEM BLUES CATS + DOC HALIBUT

••PETER VOGLIS Ruby’s Music Room, Melbourne Cbd.

Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $7.00.

••JAM SUNDAYS Musicland, Fawkner. 6:00pm. The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

••MICK DALEY Union Hotel, Brunswick. 3:30pm.

••SONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND - FEAT: LUKE

ESCOMBE + KERRYN FIELDS + BRONI + JOHN FLANAGAN Howler, Brunswick. 6:00pm. $12.00. ••NICK SAXON + MICHAEL GATE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:00pm.

••OXYGEN COLLEGE ARTIST DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM - FEAT: DECLAN MCKINNON Brunswick

$18.00.

••IRISH SESSION Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. ••ISAAC CHAMBERS, DUB PRINCESS, MATIU TU

HUKI + ISAAC CHAMBERS + DUB PRINCESS + MATIU TU HUKI Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. ••JMC MUSIC ACADEMY SHOWCASE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. $10.00. Northcote. 8:00pm. $8.00.

6:00pm.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••CHILD WISE BENEFIT CONCERT - FEAT: RUSSELL

MORRIS + TEX PERKINS + STEVE LUCAS + DEBRA ANNE BYRNE + CHRIS WILSON + JEROME SMITH + HENRY MANETTA + JOEY BEDLAM Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 8:00pm. $45.00.

••KARNIVOOL + CAIRO KNIFE FIGHT Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm.

Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm.

••MÖTLEY CRÜE + ALICE COOPER Rod Laver Arena,

8:00pm.

••OLIVER PATERSON BEAT PROJECT + ANOTHER

••ROCKABILLY SUNDAYS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .

••SUNDAY SESSIONS Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully.

••SUNDAY SESSIONS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.

Melbourne. 7:30pm. $101.00.

BATCH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00.

••THEM BRUINS + THE SAND DOLLARS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

2:00pm.

••TUESDAYS ARE FRIDAYS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

4:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

••DAVID COSMA + SABRINA SANDAPA Retreat Hotel,

9:00pm.

••THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT -

••THE RIFFMASTERS Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. ••THE SHOTGUN WEDDING + BELL ST DELAYS Yarra ••THE STEVE MARTINS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. ••TOOZE & BRUCE SUNDAY RESIDENCY Tago Mago, Thornbury. 7:00pm.

••VAN WALKER & LIZ STRINGER Gem Bar, Collingwood.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46

WALKER & HANK GREEN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

••SUGAR FED LEOPARDS + ANNA’S GO GO ACADEMY

••DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY + THE GLORIOUS

MISSING HAVE YOU SEEN MY IMAGINARY FRIEND? I have. Contact Lizzie at snotface@cobwebs.com

7:00pm. $7.00.

••THE MUTUAL APPRECIATION SOCIETY - FEAT: VAN

••JMC MUSIC ACADEMY SHOWCASE Toff In Town,

••SIDESHOW BRIDES Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS/ACTS WANTED for Espy Shows. Shoot an email through to mark@gunnmusic.com.au for more details FEMALE BACKING VOCALIST WANTED for half day recording session at Newmarket Studios in North Melbourne. Will pay cash. Phn: 0434 300 959

••T.V. + WILDING + JAMES TEAGUE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy.

••ROB BURKE SEXTET Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne

••SUNDAY SCHOOL Public Bar, North Melbourne. 4:00pm.

••THE BELLWETHERS Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. 4:00pm.

••PRETTY CITY Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $3.00.

••DANA CZARSKI & NICOLAI SANADZE Ruby’s Music

8:00pm. $40.00.

••ANDREW SWIFT + IMOGEN CLARK + JACK HOOKEY

MIXTAPE Espy, St Kilda. 6:00pm. ••JUGNI Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:00pm. $50.00. ••KALLIDAD + CITRUS JAM + TERRA + THE BEAN PROJECT Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm. ••KAREN & OLYMPIA ON ICE + DER KREIS + THUSGAY DJS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm. $20.00. ••MICHAEL MEEKING & THE LOST SOULS Standard

GUESTS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm.

••MUNDANE MONDAYS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00.

••RENEE GEYER Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

••JACK EVAN JOHNSON & BAND Catfish, Fitzroy. ••JAM THE FUNK - FEAT: SWEEPS + SUPERSOUNDS

Rock icons Motley Crue have brought along shock rocker Alice Cooper for the Australian leg of their Final Tour. The Final Tour marks the end of Motley Crue, with all four members having signed a “Cessation of Touring” agreement, which comes into effect later this year. This isn’t some wishy washy Rolling Stones “super duper final last time tour we swear it guys” deal, this is your last chance to see Motley Crue live, ever. Catch them perform with Alice Cooper at Rod Laver Arena this Tuesday May 12 and Wednesday May 13.

••CHRISTOPHER GORDON + MUJI & ZOUPA Ruby’s

••NADAV Yacht Club Hotel, Williamstown. 1:00pm.

ACOUSTIC/COUNTRY/BLUES/FOLK

5:00pm.

MÖTLEY CRÜE & ALICE COOPER

••IMMORTAL HORNS 303, Northcote. 7:00pm.

••GOOD FACES FOR RADIO + DJ MERV Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 7:00pm. $5.00.

WITH JESS ZANON

7:00pm.

MONDAY MAY 11

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS ••CHERRY JAM Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

••ICE CREAM HANDS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $25.00.

4:00pm.

Brunswick. 7:30pm.

FEAT: TROY BARRETT + SATTA + AARON POLLOCK + LUKE BISCAN + ANNA HIBBLEWHITE + ANGUS MAIDEN Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. ••WEEPING WILLOWS WITH BILL JACKSON Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 8:00pm.

••WROKDOWN - FEAT: MIKE BRADY + WENDY

STAPLETON + SOOZIE PINDER Musicland, Fawkner.

8:00pm. $5.00.

••MADDAWG MONDAYS - FEAT: T-REK Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

••MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: MULTIPLE MAN &

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

Happy May. We heard Bendigo’s Groovin’ The Moo was a massive success on the weekend and hope your day was a treat. Hey, did you know that Splendour In The Grass has already completely sold out? Not too surprising but if you weren’t lucky enough to grab a ticket, there’s sure to be competitions coming up soon and various other ways you can make it up to Byron in July. Don’t lose hope. Mark Ronson has in fact just announced a Melbourne sideshow for Splendour on July 29 at Margaret Court Arena. Tickets came out May 1, so if you were a fan of Uptown Special (real talk though, how could you not be?) get on www. markronson.co.uk and do something about it. As part of International Design Week 2015, kicking off on May 11 is ACMI’s Ideas on Design. There will be talks, debates, masterclasses, social events and exhibitions for designers, secondary school students, researchers and design enthusiasts, led by a stellar line up of international design leaders across 2D, 3D and interactive design. For more information get onto www.acmi.net.au Boutique music and audio college Collarts offers Bachelor Degrees in Music Performance, Audio Production, and Entertainment Management from their campus in South Melbourne. Their students are working towards careers as musicians, songwriters, music producers, audio engineers, live sound technicians, artist managers, publicists, and festival and event managers. The Open Day is your chance to check out the campus and facilitates, find out detailed course information, learn about careers in the music and audio industries and meet the college’s students, staff and teachers. Register online at www. collarts.edu.au or contact the college at info@ collarts.edu.au or (03) 9281 8888. Arbes are a trio of 18 year old pals from the Melbourne’s west and on Thursday May 7 their debut EP Swimmer is set to drop on Bandcamp, as well as a limited number of physical copies. On Sunday, their first official single Key Largo was released on Soundcloud and it suggests Swimmer will be a super dreamy/ exotic, altpop inspired compilation of tracks. Don’t forget to give it a listen tomorrow. You can find Arbes online at www.facebook.com/arbesmusic. Jarrow is the project of 19 year old Dan Oke and he’s been receiving some attention for the newly released single Last Monday from his upcoming EP Legitimate, due for release on Thursday May 14. If you dig silky smooth garage pop then I’d get prepped for this release by listening to Bantodine and Cody on Soundcloud. You can also jump on Jarrow’s facebook at www. facebook.com/jarrowmusic. Want to know what music and industry opportunities are happening this week? Check our website: www.thepush.com.au

ALL AGES GIG GUIDE

FRIDAY MAY 8

• FReeZA Push Start Battle of the Bands - Hamilton Heat at Hamilton PAC, Brown Street Hamilton, 7-10pm. $10 presale or $15 at the door. www.wdhs.net AA • Pulse DJ Competition w/ DJ Spott at Sandringham Masonic Hall, 23 Abbott St, Sandringham, 6:30pm. $8 presale or $10 at the door. www.facebook.com/baysidefreeza AA • Glow Party w/ Photo Booth and UV Lights, glow sticks and face painting at Nhill Memorial Community Centre, Nelson St, Nhill, 5pm12am. $10, contact Meg Hall on 5391 4444. U18 SATURDAY MAY 9

• Mirboo North Arty Gras Festival w/ Courtney McBride, Janie Gordon, Ashleigh Honan at Baromi Park, Ridgway, Mirboo North, 10.30am4pm. Free. www.mirboonorth.vic.au/artygras, AA • South Eastern Skate Park Series 2015 w/ YMCA Victorian Skate Park League at Port Melbourne Skate Park, Graham St, Port Melbourne, 11.30am-5.30pm. Free. www. skatepark.ymca.org.au AA • SUNDAY MAY 10

• Alt J w/ Ásgeir and Mansionair at Rod Laver Arena Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Boulevard, 8pm. $86.35. www. premier.ticketek.com.au. AA

Wed 6th May

WEDNESDAY 6TH MAY

SPENCER P JONES AND CHARLIE MARSHALL THURSDAY 7TH MAY

VOIX D'OR SATURDAY 9TH MAY L+ EAH FLANAGAN SUZANNAH ESPIE SUNDAYS 10TH MAY

THE SHOTGUN WEDDING WITH BELL ST DELAYS

WINE, WHISKEY, WOMEN 8pm - Tess Devine 9pm - Teresa Dixon Thurs 7th May

OPEN MIC NIGHT Fri 8th May

Traditional Irish Session

6pm: 8:30pm:

Small Town Aliens Sat 9th May

Drunken Poachers 4pm: Dusty Millers TUESDAYS 12TH MAY 6.30pm: Nick Saxon W EEPING WILLOWS WITH BILL JACKSON W E E K lY T r I V I A 9pm:

Sun 10th May

Tues 12th May

The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au

PRODUCTION SUITES AVAILABLE FOR LEASE • 1 x 4m x 3 m & 1 x 3m x 3m • New soundproofed suites • 1-year lease • Vocal tracking room access • Free Internet • Kitchen facilities

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24 York Street, South Melbourne Ph (03) 9973 7474 or contact Jake on 0419 893 989 www.yorkststudios.com

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

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IN YARRAVILLE

Co-Working & Creative Office Studios Short and long-term leases available Base your digital media, recording or other creative business out of Kindred Studios. Call 9689 9859 to make an enquiry.

kindredstudios.com.au

03 9687 0233

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

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

AUSSIE STUDY: COMMERCIAL RADIO LISTENERS HIGH TECH

A study into the buying habits of Australian commercial radio listeners found them hi-tech “connected” and heavy online & mobile users. The Consumer Insights Report (Unleashing The Power Of Radio) was compiled by research company Nielsen in collaboration with Commercial Radio Australia. 83% access the internet once a day (up from 59% in 2012) and 62% a couple of times. In the past 30 days, 58% searched online for info on a product and 34% on a brand. 60% compare prices online – 45% to plan their shopping and 59% to buy. 34% spend less than $300 a month, while 23% spend over. The top three purchases are clothing (23%), airline tickets (20%) and accommodation (17%). They are avid mobile users. 94% own mobiles, 75% of those have a smartphone (up from 65% two years ago). The study indicates to brands that radio is a good place to advertise to reach consumers before they buy products.

MORE NAMES ADDED TO ‘UPTOWN FUNK’ CREDITS

Five more songwriters have been given credit for Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk. They wrote Gap Band’s 1979 R&B anthem Oops Up Side Your Head. They join Ronson, Bruno Mars, producer Jeff Bhasker and The Smeezingtons’ Philip Lawrence, as well as two writers of Trinidad James’ All Gold Everything, which was a sample on the chart topping track.

PINK CONCERTS “NOT HARMFUL”

A New Jersey judge threw out a claim by a man that his ex-wife showed “bad parenting” by taking their 11year old daughter to a Pink concert. The couple is in the midst of a custody battle, but Superior Court Judge Lawrence said that despite some suggestive moves and lyrics, Pink songs like The Great Escape and Perfect are “examples of messages for adolescents.” He said the girl told him she had a great time.

WICK STUDIOS HUB SET TO OPEN

After a year of redevelopment, the Wick Studios hub is set to open on Sunday May 17. It has been changed from an old 13-room rehearsal studio and empty warehouse in Brunswick’s Leslie Street to a state of the art nucleus with two recording studios, two live music areas, a photo and video studio, 15 soundproofed rehearsal rooms and its own bar. Bands can write, rehearse, pre-produce, record, mix, master, shoot album art, film video clips, and launch their records without leaving the building. “It has been a dream of ours to renovate the facility to streamline and improve our ability to serve our clients, not only as effectively as possible, but to make the experience of our clients easier, more productive and more enjoyable,” said CEO Glenn Scott. It also offers services as in-house photographers and video directors, marketing and A&R professionals, music industry legal support and graphic design.

MELBOURNE PRODUCER WINS GLOBAL REMIX COMP

18-year old Melbourne trance and bounce inspired producer Ridvan (aka Julian Casella) won a global remix competition by Ultra Music. Over 6,000 aspiring producers vied to remix Will Sparks’ Another Land. His slow-beats winning track is included on a Sparks remix pack and got him a feature article on EDM site Dancing Astronaut. Ridvan is signed to The Sound Agency.

NO MORE BIG DAY OUT?

Big Day Out might not be back. Last week, promoter AJ Maddah tweeted to ABC reporter Stephanie Corsetti it wouldn’t be back until 2017. A day later he told The Music Network editor Poppy Reid, “There is no guarantee it will ever come back.” He blamed “the pissweak state of the Australian dollar and general availability of bankable headliners.”

COOKING VINYL AUSTRALIA TEAMS WITH RUN FOR COVER

Cooking Vinyl Australia now represents Boston’s Run For Cover Records in Australia and NZ. Upcoming releases are Virginia’s Turnover (their Peripheral Vision is out this week), recent tourists Citizen, Pity Sex and Basement who played to full houses here last year. CVA co-director Stu Harvey states: “Run For Cover have released some of my favourite albums of the last few years.”

MUSIC VICTORIA PARTNERS WITH LITTLE RED TRUCKS

Music Victoria struck a deal with removalists company Little Red Trucks to give a 10% discount to its members. Little Red Trucks was founded (and staffed by) working musos. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50

THINGS WE HEAR

• Which security guard at a venue is up on charges of possessing over $1.2 million worth of methylamphetamine, cocaine and unlicensed weapons? • Which agent asking for funds for a sick musician was told bluntly by a band manager, “If you’d paid us for that gig six months ago we’d have donated”? • With Groovin’ The Moo’s Bunbury WA show sold out (20,000), scalpers were asking for three times the ticket price. 50 patrons were charged with drug possession and eight for intent to sell. A scam “rented” out Bunbury houses for patrons, their owners only realizing when folks lobbed at their door step. • During their GTM set, The Delta Riggs set up a tiki bar side of stage serving cocktails to other bands. • Cold Chisel play a special show on Friday December 18 at the Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly the Sydney Entertainment Centre) to mark its closure. First opening in 1983, it will be demolished and replaced by a new arena nearby. When Chisel first split in 1983, they played five stunning farewell shows at the SEC as part of their Last Stand tour. • New York band Brand New were midway through a show in New Mexico when singer Jesse Lacey forgot the words to their 2006 song Milestone? He asked someone in the front row, “Do you have the lyrics on your phone?” • With all the heavy touring Chet Faker did behind Built On Glass, he told Vulture the follow up will be “a lot of movement, a lot of rhythm, groove-based stuff... heavily performance-based with high energy.” He’s working in his home studio in Brooklyn with a lot of “real players to get that human groove that you can’t manufacture.” One is Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. A shot of the two flashing V signs was up on Instagram. • With The Black Keys out of action due to shoulder injuries, frontman Dan Auerbach is working on a solo album (as The Arc), which is “extra weird.” The music is inspired by boxing (which he does daily in his garage) and The Grateful Dead. • Dallas Frasca was so excited when Love Army came into the ARIA chart at #29 that she spent the next 29 minutes ringing 29 ardent fans (one from the US) thanking them for their support. This month she plays across the country. • Asian governments continue to be paranoid about EDM events and drugs. After 12 months of preparations, including global consultants on safety issues, Future Sound Asia’s Thirst 2015 was cancelled an hour before doors opened.

GOOD WORKS #1: ENCORE FOUNDATION

Michael Snelson, managing director of Victorian event company Soul Management and former chair of Support Act Ltd in Victoria, is setting up the global not for profit Encore Foundation. Having himself suffered through eight suicides by friends and colleagues, the Foundation will work to prevent suicide amongst entertainment and media industry workers through direct support, education and treatment of mental illness and substance addiction. Through social media, Snelson has been contacted by industry folk and associations from overseas wanting to get involved. This week he heads off to visit nine countries, including the UK, Spain (where a group of DJs want to set up an affiliate in Barcelona) and Canada for meetings. The idea is to work with health and social service professionals. He tells us, “It’s important to educate future generations in entertainment and media that there are places to go to, and that it will become common practice to call for help.” If you can help in any way, contact him via Facebook or email at encorefoundationaus@gmail. com. A website will launch down the track.

GOOD WORKS #2: CHILD WISE BENEFIT

Performer Steve Lucas, who is also ambassador for Child Wise, is holding a fund raiser and awareness event on May 12 at the Thornbury Theatre. Joining him are Russell Morris, Tex Perkins, Debra Anne Byrne, Chris Wilson, Jerome Smith, Henry Manetta, Janine Maunder, Ron Romero, Matt Dwyer and Stephen Hadley. Child Wise works towards preventing the sexual abuse and exploitation

of children. Tickets are $50, with dinner & show packages also available. More info at thornburytheatre. com and childwise.net.

GOOD WORKS #3: VANUATU RELIEF

Comedian Tegan Higginbotham has put together a cast of musicians and comedians for a fundraiser for relief projects for the victims of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu. It’s on Thursday May 7 at The Toff In Town (thetoffintown.com) with acts including Tripod, Cactus Channel, The Sugarcanes, Skyscraper Stan, The Sweets and The Ivory Elephant. Tickets are $30.

JAZZ AWARDS ACADEMY LAUNCHED

At the Australian Jazz Bell Awards in Melbourne last week, founder and Chairman Albert Dadon AM announced the launch of the Australian Jazz Awards Academy. “From 2016, members of the Academy will be eligible to vote for the nomination process,” he said. “Members of the Award Academy will be members of the Australian Recording Industry, musicians and academics”. More information at australianjazzacademy.org.au.

JIMI LOVE EXITS LIGHT FM

Light FM’s nighttime announcer for the past two years, Jimi Love, has left the station and gone “onto new adventures.”

WHICH AUSSIE ACTS ARE PIRATED THE MOST?

In a submission to the Australian Government’s plans for online piracy, Music Rights Australia put together a list of 14 most pirated Australian acts on illegal torrent sites. They include INXS, Keith Urban, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and Hillsong United. Most accessed by Australians is Pirate Bay. MRA represents 70,000 songwriters, composers, publishers and labels.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR INDIGENOUS NIMAs

Nominations open for the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) until June 20. They’re held in Darwin. This year’s applications are expected to break last year’s record. Latest performers are Frank Yamma, Tiwi Island’s B2M and The Painted Ladies. The latter is a project by Queensland’s Luke Peacock who’s assembled new and old indigenous musos to re-record Vic Simms’ 1973 ‘lost’ album The Loner. Recorded in Bathurst gaol, it is Australia’s first black protest record. In a rare performance, Simms joins The Medics at the NIMAs. Also opened: the triple j Unearthed Indigenous Comp.

VANCE JOY LEADS AUSSIE WINS IN GLOBAL COMP

In the first time for the US based International Songwriters Competition, an Australian won the Grand Prize. Vance Joy’s Riptide won a perfect score. Aussies dominated in eight categories, including Kimbra (two wins), Paul Mac, Thundamentals, San Cisco, Apes, Lucy Mason and Wons Phreely.

ASIAN COMPANY SCAMMED OVER PHARRELL SHOW

A US man conned South Korean steel firm Dosko out of $375,000 convincing them he represented a Japanese talent agency which could book Pharrell Williams for a function. Sigismond Segbefia was nabbed at his home in Maryland by the FBI. Allegedly he also scammed hundreds of thousands from women saying his medical equipment business was in financial difficulty.

THY ARTWORK IS MURDER

Sydney deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder ran into problems with the cover art of their third album Holy War due out next month. To match the lyrical themes (“our most confronting release to date,” said guitarist Andy Marsh), it depicted a small child in a hood splattered with blood and a bomb strapped to the body. But global retailers and distributors were nervous it could be seen as a pro-war statement and cause a backlash. So they swapped it for an inner shot of the child’s obscured face and used the original inside.

INSTAGRAM LAUNCHES MUSIC ACCOUNT

Instagram launched @music on Instagram, dedicated to visually exploring music, its creators and its community. It is published on Instagram under the handle @music, and on the main page. Instagram has 300 million users, a quarter of its most popular accounts come from musicians.

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

LIFELINES Born: Cat Power revealed on Instagram that she’s had a baby, but gave no more details. Marrying: Aussie country performer Catherine Britt and her businessman boyfriend, in October during her current tour behind her Boneshaker. Hospitalised: Daddy Cool guitarist Ross Hannaford for surgery for a recurring illness. Recovering: Wollongong based Graham Wilson, ex-Four Kinsmen, played two shows since brain surgery three weeks ago. He continues chemotherapy. Recovered: Motorhead’s Lemmy from bad gastro in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which forced them to blow off the Monsters of Rock festival. Arrested: an Ariana Grande stalker, after he turned up at a Connecticut concert demanding to see her. He’d been warned off by cops for sending her numerous gifts last year including a 42.5 pound pumpkin and turning up at a meeting at her record label dressed as Santa. In Court: Kanye West can sue exYouTube CEO Chad Hurley for uploading leaked footage of his high profile marriage proposal to Kim Kardashian. In Court: Jimmy Bakolias, 45, security guard at Geelong’s Home House nightclub was found guilty of two assault charges after an incident last July. The victim saw Bakolias take his ex-girlfriend out for taking drugs, and asked if he could take her out. Geelong Magistrate Court was told Bakolias told him to “fuck off ” and put him in a headlock, dragged him down the stairs and threw him facefirst onto the footpath. The victim, who admitted he was drunk and had taken E, needed stitches to his right eye. The court took into consideration Bakolias’ lack of criminal priors. It did not register a conviction but placed him on a sixmonth Adjourned Undertaking. He had to pay a total of $1680. In Court: police dropped an assault charge against singer Jon Stevens. He was placed on an apprehended violence order for allegedly attacking his fashion designer fiancée Jodhi Meares at their home in Sydney. The police case fell after Meares refused to testify against Stevens, who had many solo gigs cancelled by venues because of the case. Sued: Courtney Love by her ghostwriter Anthony Bozza, who says he presented her with a 123,375 word manuscript but she hasn’t paid him the $300,000 balance after a year. She says she rejected his portrayal of her life. Died: US soul singer Ben E King, 76, best known for Stand By Me, also known for singing lead on The Drifters’ Save The Last Dance For Me. Died: US songwriter Sid Tepper, 96. He co-wrote hundred of songs, 40 recorded by Elvis Presley. His other hits included Puppet On A String, The Young Ones, Red Roses For A Blue Lady and All That I Am. Died: guitarist Alan Wass, collaborator with The Libertines’ Pete Doherty and leader of his own band The Lipstick Melodies, 33, lost a lot of blood after he fell through a glass partition and cut two arteries in his right arm. Died: Jack Ely, 71, co-founder and singer of US band The Kingsmen, after a long illness. Died: legendary Adelaide DJ and hellraiser David “Daisy” Day, 63, after long time health issues. Aside from dominating the airwaves for 40 years, he was more recently CEO of the SA Music Hall of Fame and headed the SA chapter of Support Act Ltd. He published a very funny memoir called Rock Jock.