M E L B O U R N E R E C I TA L C E N T R E P R E S E N T S
T W E E D Y Wilco front-man Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer are the father/son duo Tweedy. Tweedy and band perform their debut album Sukierae plus highlights from the amazing catalogues of both Wilco and Uncle Tupelo. ‘Jeff is a songwriter not shy about tackling the big songs or the big ideas, and rightfully taking his place among the very best of rock ‘n’ roll history.’ – Consequence of Sound
M O N 2 1 M A R C H 7. 3 0 P M TICKETS $85/$75
THE NECKS S AT 5 M A R C H 7 . 3 0 P M
TICKETS $55/$45
Cult Australian improv trio, The Necks’ live shows have been described as religious experiences. Celebrated for creating immersive sets with sensitivity, intelligence and stamina, blending jazz, ambient and avant-garde, their music gradually changes as the narrative fades and drifts – and no two shows are ever the same.
‘Absolutely riveting... how three musicians can sound like 18 is a mystery... extraordinary magical sounds emerged from the ensemble.’ Financial Times (UK)
‘Entirely new and entirely now. They produce a post-jazz, post-rock, posteverything sonic experience that has few parallels or rivals.’ The Guardian (UK)
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BAR WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH
OPEN MIC
Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got ! THURSDAY 3RD MARCH
GWYN ASHTON Up close and personal BLUE BALLS FRIDAY 4TH MARCH
STEVE LUCAS Happy Hour 5 till 7.30
SPEECHLESS MASSACRE OF INNOCENCE THE NUREMBERG CODE SATURDAY 5TH MARCH
THE JETSONS BLACK PINK WHOOPIE CAT SUNDAY 6TH MARCH
THE INTERCEPTORS STAVROS BROTHERS MONSTERIA AFTER WORK HAPPY HOUR FROM 5PM:
WED, THURS & FRI 160 HODDLE ST ABBOTSFORD
Monday Residency 7.30pm
MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE
Get on board the soul train and check out this allstar cast of musos playing old soul and soulful funk. PLUS: Check out the dinner special: Moreland City Soul Revue fried chicken dinner. Every Monday night at the Union!
Sat 5 March 5pm
LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES
Led by charismatic frontman Lachlan Bryan, the Wildes have been racking up the accolades. Expect great songwriting, tight playing and sweet harmonies from this alt-country band steeped in Americana.
Sat 5 March 9pm
THE CELESTIAL RAILROAD
Making good while Chris Altmann is in town, the original Celestial Railroad band is reforming for one night only to play its debut album from start to finish.
Sun 6 March 3.30pm
AMARINA WATERS Hear the sweet, sweet tones of this singer-songwriter with Dan Watkins on mandolin.
Sun 6 March 5pm
DAVIDSON BROTHERS
Those award-winning brothers in bluegrass are back for a fast-pluckin’ ride of superlative bluegrass and mayhem.
URTHBOY PG. 46
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HOT TALK / FREE SHIT UPCOMING TOURS & GIG OF THE WEEK COVER STORY: THE NATIONAL WHAT’S ON VITESSE ART OF THE CITY THE COMIC STRIP CALENDAR PORTRAITS IN MOTION CASTLEMAINE ARTS OPEN GIVE ME A REASON TO LIVE BEAT EATS OUT OF THE CLOSET SYDNEY ROAD STREET FESTIVAL LIFTOUT URTHBOY IBEYA ILLY NICK CAVE: THE SICK BAG SONG TAJ MAHAL STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES THE CAT EMPIRE MELISSA ETHERIDGE PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL BLACKBERRY SMOKE JANIVA MAGNESS TWILIGHT SOUNDS DMA’S TONIGHT ALIVE ALVVAYS CORE & CRUNCH COLUMNS THE MUMMIES LIVE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SINGLES / CHARTS ALBUMS GIG GUIDE / ALL AGES BACKSTAGE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
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PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Cara Williams ACTING ARTS EDITOR, ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR & ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB EDITOR: Augustus Welby ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE & EDITORIAL COORDINATORS: Thom Parry EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Cassie Hedger, Gloria Brancatisano, Jess Zanoni, Kate Eardley, Bel Ryan. MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr BEAT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Michael Cusack GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Michael Cusack, Andrew Rozen, Lizzie Dynon. COVER DESIGN: Michael Cusack ADVERTISING: Cara Williams (Music: Bands/Tours/Record Labels) cara@beat.com.au Thom Parry (Hospitality/Bars) thom@beat.com.au Keats Mulligan (Backstage/Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Tom Brand tombrand@beat.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classifieds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at www.beat.com.au or bands email gigguide@beat. com.au ACCOUNTANT: accountant@furstmedia.com.au OFFICE MANAGER: Lizzie Dynon ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION: Free every Wednesday to over 2000 points around Melbourne. Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@beat.com.au CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Mary Boukouvalas, Ben Gunzburg, Anna Kanci, Charles Newbury, Tony Proudfoot, Laura May Grogan, David Harris, Emily Day, Lucinda Goodwin, Dan Soderstrom. SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR: Christie Eliezer SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR: Patrick Emery SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Ian Laidlaw COLUMNISTS: Emily Kelly, Peter Hodgson, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Anna Whitelaw BEAT TV/WATT’S ON PRESENTER: Dan Watt CONTRIBUTORS: Kelsey Berry, Graham Blackley, Gloria Brancatisano, Chris Bright, Avrille Bylock-Collard, Alexander Crowden, Liza Dezfouli, Jules Douglas, Jack Franklin, Emma Gawd, Chris Girdler, Joe Hansen, Nick Hilton, Peter Hodgson, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Cassandra Kiely, Billy Killing, Jody Macgregor, Nick Mason, Denver Maxx, Krystal Maynard, Paul McBride, Miki Mclay, Rhys McRae, James Nicoli, Adam Norris, Jack Parsons, Leigh Salter, Sisqo Taras, Kelly Theobald, Tamara Vogl, Dan Watt, Augustus Welby, Garry Westmore, Rod Whitfield, Jen Wilson, Thomas Brand, Alex Watts, Tyson Wray, David James Young, Bronius Zumeris, Simone Ubaldi, Natalie Rogers, James Di Fabrizio, Tex Miller, Emily Day, Matthew Tomich, Matthew Woods, Matilda Edwards, Lee Spencer Michaelsen, Joe Hansen, John Kendall, Bel Ryan, Izzy Tolhurst, Isabelle Oderberg, Navarone Farrell DEADLINES: Editorial copy accepted no later than 5pm Thursday before publication for club listings, arts, gig guide etc. Advertising copy accepted no later than 12pm Monday before publication. Print ready art by 2pm Monday. Deadlines are strictly adhered to. © 2016 Furst Media Pty Ltd. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.
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free entry & entertainment featuring MARGIE LOU DYER PAUL WILLIAMSON’S HAMMOND COMBO JULIE O’HARA THE PEARLY SHELLS JAZZ PARTY HORNS OF LEROY
Mussel Festival 2016 as ty eafo od street par
Sat 12 & Sun 13 March FROM 12PM – LATE CECIL STREET, SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET
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Free $hit ROAD SERIES BY HUGO RACE ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Drones
SPENCER P. JONES BENEFIT CONCERT ANNOUNCED An all-star lineup featuring some of the country’s finest talents are joining forces to raise funds for singer/songwriter Spencer P. Jones, who is currently battling health issues. Featuring Anthony Morgan as MC, The Axeman’s Benefit will see The Drones, Paul Kelly, The Johnnys, Tex Perkins & Charlie Owen, Adalita, Renee Geyer, Two Am I, The Pink Tiles, DJ Tony Biggs and a series of mystery guests come together to raise funds for Jones’ recovery. It goes down at The Prince of Wales on Friday April 15.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA ANNOUNCE SECOND MELBOURNE SHOW
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE REVEAL BONUS ARTISTS They may’ve already dropped a sweltering lineup for the approaching The Hills Are Alive Festival, but yesterday the festival crew unveiled a round of special bonus artists, lead by the one-and-only Barry Morgan of Barry Morgan’s World of Organs. In addition, Melbourne singer/ songwriter HOWQUA, FEL!X the Magician (yes, a legit magician), the mysterious late-night duo I’m-Re, Gameboy electro act Jamatar, local South Gippsland rapper Canverse, the good-vibing Uncle Penny Bags and the Vibe-A-Centrics, and Phillip Island acoustic duo Nic and Mads - recent winners of the South Gippsland Busker’s festival have all joined the bill, rounding out the total performing artists to 33. They join previously announced artists like Bad//Dreems, Ngaiire, Mesa Cosa, Tiny Little Houses, The Belligerents, E^ST, KLP, Fraser A Gorman, The Babe Rainbow, Tash Sultana, Bootleg Rascal, Tired Lion, Child, Lyall Moloney, Tully on Tully, Milwaukee Banks, Bad News Toilet, Alex Lahey, Man Made Mountain and more. The Hills Are Alive 2016 will take place at The Farm from Friday March 25 to Sunday March 27. A limited number of tickets are still available from thehillsarealive.com.au.
BEN ABRAHAM REVEALS ALBUM LAUNCH PLANS Melbourne’s own cinematic folk artist Ben Abraham will launch his upcoming album Sirens with an intimate hometown show. The release marks the long awaited debut album from Abraham, who collaborated with the likes of Jonno Steer, percussionist Leigh Fisher, Gossling and Gotye to bring the record to life. Ben Abraham will launch Sirens at Howler on Sunday March 20. Tickets via Moshtix. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 10
New York hardcore veterans Coheed and Cambria have added a second Melbourne date to their national tour, hot on the heels of selling out their first show. Their Australian tour follows on from their eighth record, The Colour Before The Sun. The album was tracked entirely live in the studio, and is the only release thus far to deviate from the conceptual storyline of prior records. The group will be bringing tunes both old and new to Australia with a careerspanning set, promising to be loaded with a discography that sprawls over two decades. The second show is taking place at Max Watt’s on Saturday May 7. Tickets via Oztix.
HEDGE FUND UNVEIL MELBOURNE HEADLINE SHOW DETAILS Sydney’s post-rockers Hedge Fund are venturing out to Melbourne as part of their east coast tour this April. The tour comes in homage to their brand new single Summer’s Getting Shorter, and will kick off with three interstate shows supporting British India. Hedge Fund’s previous works have received critical acclaim from the likes of triple j, as well as national community radio where they scored four weeks of chart success on the AMRAP Metro and Regional Charts. Catch Hedge Fund at The Workers Club on Saturday April 30.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL ANNOUNCE THIRD AND FINAL MELBOURNE SHOW Following on from their two completely sold out dates, Eagles Of Death Metal have announced their third – and final (for real this time) – Melbourne headline show. They’ll be joined by Melbourne three-piece All The Colours, featuring members of 1QA, Betchadupa, Miami Horror and Impossible Cinema. It’ll go down at The Croxton on Thursday March 31. HOT TALK
Some of the finest jazz names in town will appear at St Kilda Summer Jazz Festival, celebrating the area’s rich history of jazz – both traditional and contemporary. The not-for-profit event, which is run by passionate volunteers, will be held at a host of iconic venues around the area. Special one-off performances from legends such as Vince Jones, Bob Sedergreen and Peter Gaudion are set to feature alongside local heroes Horns Of Leroy. The Sugarfoot Ramblers and Justine Jones are among others set to take the stage. St Kilda Summer Jazz Festival will run from Thursday March 3 - Sunday 6. The St Kilda Sports Club will play as the hub for the duration of the event, with other venues such as the MEMO Music Hall and Claypots set to light up as well.
NORTHLANE AND IN HEARTS WAKE TEAM UP FOR 2016 TOUR Two of the country’s heaviest hitters are joining forces for a bone-rattling tour, dropping into Melbourne along the way. Since Northlane and In Hearts Wake hit the road together for the first time on the Discoveries Australian tour in 2011, the idea for a joint adventure has been forming in their back of their minds. Capping off the all-Australian lineup comes Hands Like Houses and Ocean Grove. Tapping into a truly collaborative spirit, expect to see bands take on guest vocals with each other’s tracks along with some closely guarded surprises. They’ll play Festival Hall on Sunday June 12. Tickets via Live Nation.
Hugo Race has just released his highly-anticipated memoir Road Series. The book is a collection of stories from Race’s life, starting off in post-punk share house in St. Kilda, moving through to his years with the Bad Seeds and the Wreckery, before moving on to Cold War Berlin and far, far beyond. Race takes the reader on an epic journey through his life in the underground music industry, which proves as enlightening as it is inspiring. Beat has a bundle of these up for grabs and reading if you haven’t heard, reading is cool. For your chance to win, visit beat. com.au/freeshit
DOUBLE PASS TO THE SNOWDROPPERS On Friday March 4 The Snowdroppers will be playing a kickarse show at Howler with supports from The Hard Aches, The Strums and Twin Fires. The Gluttons For Punishment tour is being followed around by a film crew for a documentary of the same name, so here’s your chance to get famous for free. Beat has one double-pass on offer and if you don’t have any friends, there’s always Tinder. Go to beat.com.au/freeshit
HEIN COOPER LOCKS IN MELBOUNE ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW After a huge 2015 including slots at major festivals and a recent tour in support of the UK’s James Bay, Hein Cooper has announced he’ll be hitting up Melbourne to launch his debut album. The release, entitled The Art of Escape, was recorded in Canada with producer Marcus Paquin, who has worked alongside the likes of Arcade Fire, The National and Local Natives. You can catch Hein Cooper with his full band when he plays Shebeen Friday March 25. Tickets via the venue. Gold Class
GOLD CLASS AND HIGH TENSION TO OPEN CROXTON FRONT BAR After reopening its doors just five months ago, The Croxton Bandroom has quickly established itself as one of Melbourne’s major music venues, with sold out shows from You Am I, The Drones, Augie March, Goat and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The Croxton Front Bar will open as a small live music venue, hosting special events and intimate gigs from Australian talents. This Friday night, Gold Class will christen the room, and High Tension will play a free gig two weeks later. Gold Class have had a monster year, signing to Spunk Records, releasing their critically acclaimed debut record It’s You and will appear at Golden Plains festival next week. This will be the band’s last headline show before they head overseas on tour. Heavy metal ensemble High Tension are fronted by the mesmerising Karina Utomo (exYoung and Restless) and are one of the fiercest, loudest head-fucks on the scene right now. High Tension released their second album, Bully, in 2015, winning themselves a whole heap of critical plaudits and a new legion of fans. Gold Class will play Croxton Bandroom Front Bar Friday March 4, Tickets are $10, strictly door sales only and capacity is very limited. High Tension will play on Saturday March 19.
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This Week:
LOUD
WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH - 8PM $10
HAMISH KILGOUR (THE CLEAN) ALI E, LADIE DEE
THURSDAY 3RD MARCH - 8PM $10
OSCAR LUSH - LAUNCH MATHEW COLIN, GEORGIA SPAIN FRIDAY 4TH MARCH - 8:30PM $12
VAMPILLIA (JAPAN)
PRIMAL FEAR ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
BATPISS, SPERMAIDS, WATCHTOWER SATURDAY 5TH MARCH - 8:30PM $10
GRANT HART (HUSKER DU) TOM LYNGOLN, THUG MILLS (TIX ON DOOR ONLY)
SATURDAY ARVO - 3PM FREE
J O E L PA R N E L L - L AU N C H
AARTI JADU, TONY CLAY SUNDAY 6TH MARCH - 8PM $8
B E E R S O A K E D S U N D AYS
THE 131’S
THE CONTROLLERS, NO CLASS SUNDAY ARVO - 3PM FREE
A L L I E D W ES T
RACOO CHARLES, A’TUIN
EARTHCORE REVEAL FIRST ROUND LINEUP FOR 2016 Earthcore have kicked off their 2016 lineup with some of the most in-demand DJs and producers from all over the world. Topping the announcement comes Israeli psytrance duo LOUD alongside Chris Liberator, who will be making his first Australian appearance in four years. Elsewhere in the lineup comes Astral Projection, Ø [Phase], Bryan Kearney, Durs, Headroom, Ghost Rider, Miguel Bastida, Kaya Project, One Man Orchestra, Vaperror and more, with dozens yet to be announced. Earthcore 2016 will take place from Thursday November 24 - Monday November 28 in Pyalong, around an hour and a half out of Melbourne. Head to their site for full lineup details and bookings.
MONDAY 7TH MARCH - 8PM $10
MUNDANE MONDAYS:
MARINE MASQUERADE ANNOUNCES 2016 MELBOURNE BOAT PARTY LINEUP
STONEFIELD IMMIGRANT UNION (NO PRESALES)
TUESDAY 8TH MARCH - 8PM $8
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$10 JUGS MON - SAT UNTIL 7PM, ALL NIGHT SUNDAY $5 CANS ALL THE TIME 74 JOHNSTON ST, FITZROY | ph. 9417 4155
theoldbar.com.au
OPEN 4PM - 3AM MON-FRI 2PM - 3AM SAT-SUN
German metal fiends Primal Fear are set to tear up Australia in 2016, having announced a tour in support of their 11th studio release Rulebreaker. The band have been kicking it since 1997 with founding members Mat Sinner on bass and vocals and frontman Ralf Scheepers. They will be bringing their face-melting variety of power metal to Northcote Social Club on Saturday June 11. Tickets are available via Metal Obsession.
NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE SET FOR 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Melbourne’s own psychedelic dance outfit Northeast Party House are being let loose from the studio for one night, and are hosting a special one-off show in their hometown to celebrate. The show comes before the boys head off on their upcoming tour of Europe and the UK, which includes shows at prestigious festivals such as The Great Escape and Dot To Dot. The set will include material off the six-piece’s forthcoming album, due for release this year. They’ll be joined by their mates Good Morning, and DJ sets from Gold Fields and Neon Love. Give them your very best wishes at the Corner Hotel on Saturday April 2
MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA BOOK IN HOMETOWN SHOW 30-piece groove juggernaut Melbourne Ska Orchestra have locked in a Melbourne show for 2016. The gang have recently released their second album Sierra-Kilo-Alpha, the follow up release to their hugely successful selftitled debut. They’ve toured across the nation and overseas with sold out shows and major festival appearances at the likes of Bluesfest, Golden Plains and Caloundra. Now they’re hitting the road again to celebrate the launch of their fresh new album. Don’t miss ’em when they take over Max Watt’s on Saturday May 28. Tickets via the venue.
A masquerade ball will take place on the high seas surrounding Melbourne, with seafaring punters encouraged to strap on a mask and hit the dance floor when the Victoria Star takes off with local dance and house DJs on board. Helmed by the crew at Change Music, the party will pack the musical talents of local legends Sunshine and Greg Sara on to the ship alongside the likes of Luke Vecchio, Will Cooper, Jarrah Wales, Christian Hendy, Bijan, and Angus Milham. Marine Masquerade will begin its journey from Dock 9, Melbourne Docklands on Labour Day eve, Sunday March 13.
GOOD MANNERS KICKS ON INTO MARCH Boney’s heated Friday night tradition Good Manners Weekly has released its March program, which may possibly be their most stacked lineup so far. The array of artists includes, Oscar Key Sung, HTML Flowers, GL, Ara Koufoux, Kate Miller, World Champion, Mildlife, Urban problems, Statue DJ Set, Harold Saaatsumo, Liluzu and resident DJs on the wax. Guess your Friday night’s are sorted then. The first lot of shows will commence at Boney on Friday March 4 headlined by GL.
WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL EXPANDS LINEUP Wide Open Space Festival, the threeday festival held in Central Australia has released their second wave of artists to join their ever growing lineup. Topping the announcement comes Perth hip hop export Mathas alongside UK producer Skope and electro group, Formidable Vegetable Sound System. Elsewhere in the lineup comes sets from Muska, Kabookie, Hooves, How Green, Miss Moneytoast, Liam Niko, Drazics Girlfriend, EASTWARD and DJ Senor Pato. Capping it off comes a slew of talent from the Northern Territory including Apakatjah, Eastern Reggae, Serina Pech, Edward Francis, Kardajala kirri-darra, SNAKES, Broadwing, Stellar Sea, Bad Acid, Gabby Dever and Bec Mathews. They’ll play Wide Open Space Festival from Friday April 29 Sunday May 1 at the Ross River Resort. Visit their website for more details and ticketing info.
THE RAAH PROJECT ANNOUNCE MELBOURNE ORCESTRAL SHOW Following on from sold out launches of their latest album, The Raah Project will take to the stage as part of the upcoming Brunswick Music Festival backed by a 16-piece orchestra. The show will feature symphonic instrumentation, electronics, horns and a string quartet. Drawing inspiration from elements of hip hop, classical, dub and funk, the performance comes after widely lauded sets at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the MONA FOMA Festival of Art and the Perth International Arts Festival and off the back of their latest effort, Take Me Elsewhere. It’ll go down at Estonian House on Thursday March 17.
THE LOVE JUNKIES REVEAL 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Off the back of announcing a new member and dropping a new single, Perth grunge-cats The Love Junkies will embark on a national run of shows including a stop in Melbourne this May. The announcement follows the release of their single Nobody, the first taste of the band’s forthcoming third album of the same name. Having already shared the stage with the likes of La Dispute, Band Of Skulls, Die! Die! Die! and Birds of Tokyo and playing spots at Big Day Out and Groovin’ the Moo and international jaunts for SXSW and Canadian Music Week - the group will be touring throughout America in the coming months. Say buh-bye to The Love Junkies when they take over The Workers Club on Saturday May 28. Tickets via Oztix. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 12
FAIRFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL TO HOST A DAY ON THE FAIRFIELD GREEN Fairfield Primary School will play host to a mini music festival as part of the school’s annual fair this week. The fair’s theme this year is ‘A Day on the Fairfield Green’ and music acts including Dave Graney and Clare Moore, Dan Kelly, Ashley Naylor, Kerri Simpson, Moreland City Soul Revue and Thornbury High School’s band will rock the stage for over five hours. The Fair will be held from 2pm onward on Saturday March 5 in the Fairfield Primary School grounds. Further information available via the Facebook page. HOT TALK
NO ZU TO PLAY MELBOURNE HEADLINE SHOW Off the back of their second album, Afterlife, heat-beat outfit NO ZU have announced a run of national dates including a stop in Melbourne, this April. The Melbourne-based octet dropped their record earlier this month, exploring themes such as the human beauty, body movement, belief systems and immortality. NO ZU will be taking their 16-legged percussive punk-funk machine to stages Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as Wollongong and Fremantle. In the lead up to the tour, the band will stopping through Golden Plains Festival and WOMAD. NO ZU will be hitting up Max Watt’s on Saturday April 23.
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$13 RUMP STEAK WITH CHIPS & SALAD
OPEN MIC NITE 7.30PM. $13 JUGS
DAILY HAPPY HOUR! 4-6PM
$3.50 POTS, $5 BASICS & HOUSE WINE
Wesley Anne - Bar • Restaurant • Etc -
Tuesday 1 March ---------------------------------------------------------
The Moulin Beige
7.30pm, Band Room $12 / $25 Dinner and Show Deal
Wednesday 2 March ---------------------------------------------------------
TRIVIA
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with Sparx
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Thursday 3 March ---------------------------------------------------------
Jane McArthur 6pm, Front Bar
8pm, Band Room, $8 / $5 Conc
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Windari “Here you Unfold” Album Launch
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8pm, Band Room, $10
Sunday 6 March ---------------------------------------------------------
The Boys 6pm, Front Bar
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Pay the time for pints of Mountain Goat Steam Ale from 6pm until 9pm.
SAT 5 MARCH
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[ Formerly The Hi-Fi Bar ]
World’s End
WED 09 MAR
THE MUMMIES USA THU 10 MAR
IBEYI FRA/CUB SAT 12 MAR
FREDDIE GIBBS USA
THE GOON SAX SET FOR MELBOURNE SHOW
WED 16 MAR - SELLING FAST
SUNN O))) USA
FRI 18 MAR - SOLD OUT
DIED PRETTY SAT 19 MAR
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TUAN HUNG & DAM ME VNM
CAT POWER RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA American songstress Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, will be returning to Australia for a string of shows across the country. At the beginning of the year she was forced to cancel her Australian tour due to illness, though has promised all tickets remain valid for the new tour dates. The gigs will be held at the same venues and will feature Cat Power in all her solo glory, accompanied simply by her guitar and a piano. Power is set to play two shows at The Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday May 22 and Monday May 23. Tickets are on sale through the venue.
Teenage upstarts The Goon Sax will take to the stage in Melbourne off the back of their watershed album, Up To Anything. It comes after their breakthrough singles Boyfriend and Sometimes Accidentally which garnered international attention, as well as a legion of local fans. They’ll tear up The Tote on Saturday April 9 with supports to be announced.
SAT 23 APR
NO ZU
FRI 06 MAY - SOLD OUT
COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA
SAT 07 MAY - SELLING FAST
COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA FRI 13 MAY
LITTLE MAY SAT 14 MAY
PLAVI ORKESTAR BOSNIA + S.A.R.S SERBIA
LOS CHICOS ADDS ANOTHER MELBOURNE SHOW Those crazy Spanish punk rockers are at it again – Los Chicos have added what promises to be yet another hectic show to their already long list of Australian tour dates. This third Melbourne gig is set to be a corker, with some very special guests including The Meanies, The Pretty Littles and Kit Convict & Thee Terrible Two. They will be hitting The Reverence Hotel on Sunday March 20. Tickets are available via Ticketscout.
SAT 21 MAY
SILVERSIX AND AUDIOJACK SIGN ON FOR PIKNIK ELECTRONIK #8
FRI 27 MAY
SUN 26 JUN
Audiojack and Silversix will join Melbourne stalwart Boogs for the series’ eighth instalment. The Leeds-based DJ and production duo Audiojack – comprised of Richard Burkinshaw and James Rial – have played some of the world’s most respected clubs in Ibiza, Paris and Berlin. Melbourne’s very own Silversix will has also joined the lineup, after getting some serious attention over the past few years through producing official remixes for Nile Rodgers, Booka Shade and José González. Piknic Electronik #8 will be going down on Sunday March 6 at The Paddock of Federation Square. Tickets are available through Resident Adviser.
THU 14 JUL - SOLD OUT
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Inner Varnika – regional Victoria’s three-day music festival, kicking into action across the Easter weekend – has finalised its 2016 lineup. Joining Jamie 3:26, Brian Not Brian, Lee Gamble, Vril, Mo Kolours and Sex Tags will be London Based DJ and live performer Throwing Shade. Coming from an incredibly diverse background, which includes an undergrad degree in history and ethnomusicology, a masters in philosophy of African history and as well as formerly practicing as a barrister, Throwing Shade has been localising global sounds for the past five years. Inner Varnika have promised that their 2016 incarnation will steer and sound out a platform for catharsis and freedom of expression by way of some solid thump. Inner Varnika will go down Friday March 25 to Sunday March 27. Final release tickets are on sale now.
RIFF RAIDERS TO PLAY CHEAP TRICK TRIBUTE SHOW After more than four decades of music and over 5,000 gigs, legendary rockers Cheap Trick will be inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To celebrate, Riff Raiders will play their classic album At Budokan in full. After performing the album from start to finish, Riff Raiders will launch into a set filled with other Hall of Fame musicians, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Queen and Kiss. Recorded live in Tokyo in April 1978 and originally only for Japanese audiences, At Budokan launched Cheap Trick to the world, going triple platinum in the US alone. Riff Raiders tribute to Cheap Trick will go down at Cherry Bar on Saturday April 9. Tickets are available now via the venue.
THE GO SET LOCK IN 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Australian folk punk rockers The Go Set have locked in a Melbourne show, hot off the heels of their latest release. Rolling Sound is the group’s sixth studio album and while earlier records had been produced by the likes of Lindsay Gravina (Hole), Jonathon Burnside (NOFX), Rob Younger (Radio Birdman), and Paul McKercher (Something for Kate, Silverchair), this was the first time the Melbourne-based sextet decided to go at it alone. Instead, they decided to produce and record the album entirely on their own, in an old surf club on the Victorian west coast. They’ll rock The Tote on Sunday April 24. Score your tickets through the band’s website.
BIG COUNTRY ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Z-STAR DELTA TO EMBARK ON AUSTRALIAN TOUR British rock band Z-STAR DELTA have announced an Australian tour, that is set to kick off next month. The outfit are fronted by Zee Gachette accompanied by lead guitarist Sebastien Heintz. On their debut tour of Australia, the pair were a duo at the time under the name Z-Star, performing stripped back shows up and down the east Coast. It was there they garnered immense praise from everyone they touched with their high-octane shows. Frontwoman Zee Gachette is no stranger to the stage, performing globally in prestigious venues and festivals such as The Royal Albert Hall, Radio City Hall, Zanzibar, Glastonbury, Bestival, Womad UK and Berlin Philharmonic to audiences up to a quarter of a million. Her legendary live shows have attained a myth-like reputation, bringing rock legends Jimmy Page and Roger Daltrey to their feet, and winning awards for Best Female Act and Best Live Act. Z-Star Delta will play two Melbourne shows. The first at The Wesley Anne Friday March 25 and the second at The Grace Darling Hotel Friday April 1. HOT TALK
Scottish rockers Big Country have announced they will be hitting Australian shores for the first time ever in June. Rising to fame in the ‘80s, the band have endured several lineup changes, released ten studio albums and secured a cult following with their blend of Scottish folk and modern rock. Big Country will look to revive many of their trademark hits, such as In a Big Country, Chance, Wonderland and Look Away. They’ll play Wednesday June 15 at The Corner Hotel. Tickets via Metropolis Touring.
MITCH POWER TO LAUNCH DEBUT EP Melbourne based singer/songwriter Mitch Power has announced the release of his highly anticipated debut EP, No One’s Waiting Anymore. Recorded and produced by three time ARIA winner Jeff Lang, the EP is set to showcase Power’s rich storytelling through his first-class brand of alt-country. Catch some of his soulful tunes when he hits The Evelyn on Saturday March 20 with support from Mastwyk and Tom Dockray & The Dockledoodledoos. Tickets on sale via the venue.
L7 RETURNS WITH 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW After an extended hiatus, leading ladies of punk L7 are back with a Melbourne show amidst a national tour. Rising to acclaim in the ‘90s, the four-piece have released six studio albums boasting hits such as Shove, Pretend We’re Dead, Shit List, Andres, and Fuel My Fire. They’ve been cited as a key influence from the likes of Nirvana to the Riot Grrrl movement and the tour marks their long awaited return to Australia. Don’t miss ‘em when they play 170 Russell on Tuesday May 17. Tickets via Metropolis Touring.
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RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement March 2 - 6 VISHTEN Spotted Mallard March 2 CALEXICO Hamer Hall March 2 CO-GROUND SOUL-CIAL The Gasometer March 3 ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ FESTIVAL The St Kilda Sports Club March 3 - 6 GLEN MATLOCK SLIM JIM PHANTOM Ding Dong Lounge March 4, The Flying Saucer Club March 5 GOLD CLASS The Croxton Bandroom March 4 ÂME Brown Alley March 4 MAX FROST Northcote Social Club March 4 SENSES FAIL Corner Hotel March 4 THE SNOWDROPPERS Howler March 4 NOVEL OPEN AIR SERIES 351 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne, March 5 A DAY ON THE FAIRFIELD GREEN Fairfield Primary School March 5 THE ALL SEEING HAND The Curtin March 5 SOUL-A-GO-GO Bella Union Trades Hall March 5 L.K MCKAY Anyway March 5 COME TOGETHER Edendale Farm, Eltham March 5 BOOTLEG RASCAL Northcote Social Club March 5 CHAPTERFEST 24 Gasometer Hotel March 5 BABAGANOUJ + PALMS Shebeen March 5 CLUTCH The Forum March 5 GREENTHIEF Cherry Bar March 5 TEX PERKINS AND CHARLIE OWEN Croxton Bandroom March 5 PIKNIC ELECTRONIK MELBOURNE Federation Square March 6 - April 3 ALVVAYS Northcote Social Club March 6 SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY Sydney Rd March 6 THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN The Forum March 6, 7 THE NECKS Melbourne Recital Centre March 7 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Melbourne Recital Centre March 7 MISS QUINCY The Retreat March 8, 15 and 22, Shebeen April 21 PEKING DUCK The Forum March 8 THE MUMMIES Max Watt’s March 9 SLEATER-KINNEY The Croxton March 9, 10, 11 FLUIR Shebeen March 10 RUBY BOOTS Northcote Social Club March 10 IBEYI Max Watt’s March 10 ART VS. SCIENCE 170 Russell March 11 THESE NEW SOUTH WALES Shebeen March 11 ASH Corner Hotel March 11 MOOMBA FESTIVAL Various Venues March 11 - 14 A FESTIVAL CALLED PANAMA Lone Star Valley March 11 - 13 PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL Port Fairy March 11 – 14 THE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD STORY The Yarraville Club March 12 GAYTIMES FESTIVAL Kinglake March 12 - 14 FREDDIE GIBBS Max Watt’s March 12 BUILT TO SPILL The Corner March 12 MADONNA Rod Laver Arena March 12, 13 GOLDEN PLAINS Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre March 12 – 14 PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley March 12 MARINE MASQUERADE Melbourne Docklands March 13 BLACK HARMONY GATHERING Fairfield Amphitheatre March 13 TOTAL CHAOS The Reverence Hotel March 13 JOHN GRANT The Forum March 13 BUZZCOCKS The Corner March 13 CLOSURE IN MOSCOW The Workers Club March 13 THE CHARLATANS 170 Russell March 13 AT SUNSET Rubix Warehouse March 13 BUCKCHERRY 170 Russell March 14 ST GERMAIN The Forum March 14 ACTION BRONSON The Forum March 15 BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL Various Venues March 15 - 20 BIG DADDY WILSON Flying Saucer Club March 16 HIGHLY SUSPECT The Evelyn March 16 LUKA BLOOM The National Theatre March 16 DON MCLEAN Hamer Hall March 16 SUNN O))) Max Watt’s March 16 SONGHOY BLUES Melbourne Recital Centre March 16 THE RAAH PROJECT Estonian House March 17 THE FUMES The Gasometer March 17 MARY BLACK The Forum March 17 THE VIOLENT FEMMES The Corner March 17, 18 MILES & SIMONE The Toff in Town March 17 JORDIE LANE The Gasometer March 18 THAT GOLD STREET SOUND Northcote Social Club March 18 THE JENSENS Shebeen March 18 DIED PRETTY Max Watt’s March 18 SEVENDUST 170 Russell March 18 BRYAN ADAMS Rod Laver Arena March 18 STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES Melbourne Recital Centre March 18, 19 LOS CHICOS The Tote March 19, The Reverence BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16
A R T I S T S
H E A D I N G
March 20, Sooki Lounge March 23 HIGH TENSION The Croxton Bandroom March 19 TUXEDO KITTEN Wesley Anne Hotel March 19 THE STIFFYS The Old Bar March 19 STRUNG OUT The Corner Hotel March 19 D’ANGELO Palais Theatre March 19 TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND Forum Theatre March 19 THE WOOHOO REVUE Estonian House March 19 KIM SALMON The Northcote Social Club March 19 BEN ABRAHAM Howler March 20 MITCH POWER The Evelyn March 20 THE PENINSULA PICNIC Mornington March 20 LORD HURON The Corner March 21 LUCKY PETERSON Northcote Social Club March 21 THE JESSICA STUART FEW The Retreat Hotel March 21. KENDRICK LAMAR Rod Laver Arena March 21 TWEEDY Melbourne Recital Centre March 21 ELLE KING Corner Hotel March 22 KAMASI WASHINGTON Prince Bandroom March 22 STURGILL SIMPSON 170 Russell March 23 MODEST MOUSE Margaret Court Arena March 23 RHIANNON GIDDENS The Corner March 23 THE RESIDENTS The Croxton March 23 EAGLES OF DEATH METAL The Croxton Bandroom March 24, 25, 31 YEO Howler March 24 ENDLESS BOOGIE The John Curtain Hotel March 24 HOUNDMOUTH Northcote Social Club March 24 ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES The Corner March 24 CARMADA Star Bar, Bendigo March 24 BLUESFEST Byron Bay March 24 – 28 INNER VARNIKA FESTIVAL March 25 - 27 HEIN COOPER Shebeen March 25 Z-STAR DELTA The Wesley Anne March 25, The Grace Darling Hotel April 1. GYPSY & THE CAT Howler March 25 WALKEN AND MUDDY CHANTER The Tote March 25 WAFIA Northcote Social Club March 25 COLD WAR KIDS 170 Russell March 25 BOOGIE FESTIVAL Bruzzy’s Farm March 25 – 27 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE Krowera March 25 – 27 TOM JONES Hamer Hall March 25 THE SELECTER Corner Hotel March 25 EILEN JEWELL Caravan Club March 26, Thornbury Theatre March 30 A GAZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS Cherry Bar March 26 THE HILLS ARE ALIVE South Gippsland March 25 – 27 LEGION MUSIC FEST Melbourne Showgrounds March 26 LEFTÖVER CRACK Bendigo Hotel March 27, 28 (AA) NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE The Corner March 27 THE WORD The Corner March 28 THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND 170 Russell March 29 NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Margaret Court Arena March 29 JASON ISBELL Melbourne Recital Centre March 29 THE DECEMBERISTS Hamer Hall March 29 TAJ MAHAL Melbourne Recital Centre March 30 NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS 170 Russell March 30 LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL Howler March 30 MELISSA ETHERIDGE Palais Theatre March 30 VINTAGE TROUBLE The Corner March 30 STIFF LITTLE FINGERS 170 Russell March 31 ALLEN STONE The Corner March 31 MIKE ELRINGTON The Flying Saucer Club April 1 SHADY COTTAGE East Trentham April 1 THE BENNIES The Corner April 1 THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA Melbourne Recital Centre April 1 JACKSON BROWNE Palais Theatre April 1 BY THE MEADOW FESTIVAL Bambra April 1, 2 NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE Corner Hotel April 2 AS A RIVAL Cherry Bar April 2 TIGERTOWN Northcote Social Club April 2 THE TIMBERS Yarra Hotel April 2 ED KUEPPER Melbourne Recital Centre April 2 CITY AND COLOUR Sidney Myer Music Bowl April 2 THE VASCO ERA + LITTLE RED The Corner April 3 BRIAN WILSON Palais Theatre April 3 LOW Melbourne Recital Centre April 4 GORDIE TENTREES Billyroys Blues Bar, Bendigo April 7 MONTAIGNE Howler April 8 SKYSCRAPER STAN AND THE COMMISSION FLATS Cherry Bar April 8 SASKWATCH The Corner Hotel April 8 OH PEP! Northcote Social Club on April 8 CALIGULA’S HORSE Ding Dong Lounge April 8 THE MURLOCS The Tote April 8
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Gig Of The Week
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Melbourne Recital Centre March 7 One of Montreal’s finest, Godspeed You! Black Emperor are set to bring down The Melbourne Recital Centre with a sold-out show. Having collected a strong following of die-hard fans since their formation in 1994, it’s no surprise tickets for their Melbourne show basically flew out the door. They have solidified themselves as a concrete influence on the experimental, post-rock genre, putting on a live show so all encompassing your ear-holes are likely to explode with happiness. It’s on Monday March 7, doors at 7.30pm. THE GOON SAX The Tote April 9 CITY CALM DOWN The Corner April 9 THE LULU RAES + POLISH CLUB Shebeen April 9 WITH CONFIDENCE Arrow On Swanston April 9 MODERN BASEBALL The Reverence April 9, 10 DAUGHTER 170 Russel April 10 CHRIS ISAAK Margaret Court Arena April 13 TRIVIUM 170 Russel April 13 WEDNESDAY 13 Corner Hotel April 14 SPENCER P. JONES BENEFIT The Prince of Wales April 15 MONIQUE DIMATTINA Melbourne Recital Centre April 15 OPIUO 170 Russell April 15 SONS OF ZION The Croxton April 16 NADIA REID Northcote Social Club April 19 BLACK SABBATH Rod Laver Arena April 19 FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Festival Hall April 20 THIRSTY MERC Melbourne Public April 20 GANG OF YOUTHS 170 Russell April 22 NO ZU Maxx Watt’s April 23 HILTOP HOODS + MSO Rod Laver Arena April 23 VANCE JOY Margaret Court Arena April 23 SARAH BLASKO The Forum April 23 THE GO SET The Tote April 24 PURE FESTIVAL Shed 14 April 24 JOSH GROBAN Palais Theatre April 25 DANNY BROWN Forum April 26 TWENTY ONE PILOTS The Forum April 27 RYAN BINGHAM Northcote Social Club April 27 VIC MENSA Prince Bandroom on April 28 MUTEMATH Corner Hotel April 28 RATATAT 170 Russell April 28, 29 ODESZA Forum April 29 MS MR Prince Bandroom April 29 WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL Ross River Resort April 29 – May 1 HEDGE FUND The Workers Club April 30 KADAVAR Corner Hotel April 30 GROOVIN THE MOO Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo April 30 SUPERSUCKERS Cherry Bar April 30 CHERRYROCK016 Cherry and AC/DC Lane May 1 MATT CORBY Palais Theatre May 1, May 2 MILLENCOLIN 170 Russell May 3 RICHIE RAMONE Cherry Bar May 3 OF MONSTERS AND MEN Palais Theatre May 4, 5 HINDS Northcote Social Club May 6 TINPAN ORANGE The Toff In Town May 7 COHEED AND CAMBRIA Max Watt’s May 7, 10 IRON MAIDEN Rod Laver Arena May 9 RUDIMENTAL Margaret Court Arena May 10 THE WONDER YEARS Corner Hotel May 12 LITTLE MAY Max Watts May 13 MELODICROCKFEST Elephant & Wheelbarrow May 13, 14 PURE GOLD LIVE Palais Theatre May 13 L7 170 Russell May 17
S O . M A N Y. G I G S .
ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS The Palais May 18 SCREECHING WEASEL AND MXPX Prince Bandroom May 20 THIS IS HIP HOP Festival Hall May 21 CAT POWER The Melbourne Recital Centre May 22, 23 TINASHE The Forum May 25 THE BEARDS The Loft May 25, The Golden Vine May 26, Karova Lounge June 23, Barwon Club June 24, The Corner June 25 A WILHELM SCREAM The Reverence Hotel May 26 MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Max Watt’s May 28 THE LOVE JUNKIES The Workers Club May 28 ANGELUS APATRIDA Bendigo Hotel May 28 THE DRONES 170 Russell May 20, The Tote May 28 THE CAT EMPIRE The Forum Theatre May 27, 28 CHERIE CURRIE The Corner May 28 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Various Venues June 3 – June 12 PRIMAL FEAR The Northcote Social Club June 11 DMA’S The Corner June 11 THE RUBENS Margaret Court Arena June 25 BIG COUNTRY The Corner June 15 TOTALLY 80’S Palais Theatre July 15 COG 170 Russell July 15 BEN FOLDS WITH YMUSIC Palais Theatre August 26 BRING ME THE HORIZON Margaret Court Arena September 2 ELLIE GOULDING Rod Laver Arena October 8 MSO - INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC Arts Centre November 4, 5 EARTHCORE Pyalong November 24 - 28
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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 17
THE NATIONAL Begin Again
B Y DAV I D J A M E S YO U N G
S
ummer camp is over for Ohio’s celebrated purveyors of solemn, suited-up gloom, The National. The tour in support of 2013’s acclaimed Trouble Will Find Me took them all around the world to perform some of the biggest headline shows of their career. Since wrapping up, the band’s five members have busied themselves with family life and a handful of side projects. Guitarist Aaron Dessner, for instance, focused on production work for artists such as Frightened Rabbit and Little May; while his twin brother Bryce honed his work as an orchestral composer. The brothers Bryan and Scott Devendorf (drummer and bassist respectively) have teamed up with Beirut’s Ben Lanz on the project LNZNDRF, and frontman Matt Berninger formed the band El Vy alongside former Menomena multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf. El Vy’s left-of-centre indie pop, a fascinating contrast to the sepia sadness oft-associated with The National, resulted in an album, Return to the Moon, released last November.
“It looks like the El Vy stuff is going to keep on going,” says Berninger, now residing in Venice, Los Angeles with his wife, daughter and brother Tom, who made the 2013 National documentary Mistaken for Strangers. “We’re actually going to be playing three songs at the TED conference in Vancouver – I’m heading over there tomorrow. We’ve got a handful of things in the pipeline, too. Putting out the album and touring in support of it was such a blast. We got to play these really intimate rooms – places that I haven’t had the chance to play in years. When you’re seeing The National these days, most of the places that we play have the big security barriers and a big moat between you and the audience. I had missed that intimacy – that’s actually a part of why I started going out into the crowd during our shows. It was BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18
great to have people right up against the stage again. We enjoyed it so much that we’re already starting work on the next record.” Despite affirmations that El Vy is not just a one-off, Berninger is quick to clarify that it remains a side project for both him and Knopf, who also makes music under the moniker of Ramona Falls. “It’s funny – I was working on El Vy songs the whole time I was on tour with The National,” he says, “Then, when El Vy were on tour, I was working on new songs for The National up the back of the bus. I’ve always sort of juggled more than one thing. Working with my brother and my wife on the documentary... that all took place as we were making Trouble Will Find Me. For me, I don’t think of any of these projects as being separated by a big B E AT.C O M . A U
barrier. It all weaves into one another. It’s a good, healthy thing – for me and for all the other guys in the band. We all know everyone who works on our other projects intimately. It’s basically a big extended family.” The National themselves are back in session, hard at work on their seventh LP. Though, nothing is yet set in stone regarding the album – it has no title, no tentative release date and not even a nascent tracklist. However, the singer is incredibly excited about what’s potentially coming up for The National – he sees the album as a chance to explore what the band’s capable of and leave their comfort zone. “We’re pretty deep into making this record right now,” he says. “We had a big batch of about 30 songs that we played around with in the studio when we were starting out. Now Aaron and Bryce are sending me even more new stuff to work with. Sometimes they’ll just send over a loop, I’ll put it into GarageBand and if I find myself drawn to it, I listen to it over and over. It’s weird – sometimes they’ll send over these beautiful little sketches of songs and I will have absolutely no idea where my place is in it. You never know what it’s going to feel like. We’re exploring and experimenting right now and there’s about ten songs that are really starting to take over my focus. They’re songs that I feel are just dying to be written. I’ve never been this excited and motivated to try new things on record. The things that are coming out of this process... a lot of it is different to what we’ve done in the past. We’re trying to push the boundaries on our own terms.” Berninger is an outlier in The National insofar as he is the only member who cannot play an instrument, as well as being the only member without a brother in the band. It’s perhaps this dynamic, however, that has assisted in him becoming one of the most revered frontmen in contemporary indie rock. Every last word is held onto by the band’s adoring listenership, sung back in a mass refrain – which is interesting, considering that a lot of the time what ends up on the record is literally a stream of consciousness response to the music Berninger’s been sent. “I don’t usually really pay that much attention to what the songs are about until they’re almost finished,” he says. “You could throw one little phrase into a song somewhere and it ends up becoming the chorus. I could use a lyric as a placeholder, just ad-libbing or something like that, and the other guys
will get really attached to it. I never find it that helpful to know exactly what I write about. I wait to find what’s in my head at the moment I’m hearing the songs. I think I was preoccupied, lyrically, with mortality for a while. I feel like I wrote a lot about that on Trouble Will Find Me, and I know it wound up a little bit into the El Vy record. I’m at a point now, after years of being hedonistic, where I see life as being good, something precious and to be taken care of. I’m thinking a lot about my place in the human race, as a part of the continuum. I’ve been thinking about what we do with our little piece.” 2016 will primarily see Berninger and The National focused on completing – and hopefully releasing – their seventh album. Before climbing that mountain, however, the band will be back in the southern hemisphere for a whirlwind visit. The National are booked as festival exclusives for Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, joining the likes of Brian Wilson, D’Angelo, Modest Mouse and Tom Jones; as well as Auckland City Limits in New Zealand, where they will be joined by Kendrick Lamar, Girl Talk, Action Bronson and Cold War Kids. Despite the demand, The National will not be playing any other sets. “If you’d have told me ten years ago that this band would be at a point where we could fly halfway across the world, play two shows and then go back again, I’d have never believed you,” laughs Berninger. “Especially if those two shows were in Byron Bay and Auckland, of all places. We’re looking forward to the break from the studio. As much as we want to keep making the record, it’s good to shake the vibe of it and shake up your chemistry a little bit. It’s invigorating for us. We might even play one or two songs we’ve been working on, just to see how people respond to it. “Besides everything else, we get to see each other again. Everyone has this idea of bands just hanging out together all the time – we honestly don’t get to do it all that much. We all have kids, apart from Bryce, and we’re still trying to balance out our work and family life as much as possible. I mean, you’re telling me we get a break from being husbands and dads for a week to go hang out in Byron Bay and be rockstars? We live very fortunate lives.” THE NATIONAL are playing at Bluesfest, which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW.
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This Week: The Wheeler Centre will play host to three major events, including Miranda July’s Lost Child! alongside For Thought: Hope for the Planet and Carrie Brownstein in conversation with Myf Warhurst. With Lost Child! the awardwinning artist, director and author Miranda July will be discussing the making of books, shoes, friends, movies and personal protection devices in an intimate appearance. For Thought: Hope for the Planet will see world renowned environmentalist, author and activist David Suzuki alongside climate scientist James Hansen and Harvard Professor Naomi Oreskes discuss their individual perspectives on hope for Earth in the face of a rapidly changing environment. They’ll both take place at the Melbourne Town Hall on Monday March 7. Finally, Carrie Brownstein will appear off the back of her latest book, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. She’ll appear at the Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday March 8.
With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au.
Coming to a close with its final run of shows, Carly and Troy Do ‘A Doll’s House’ takes a surreal interpretation of Ibsen’s classic play. Exploring gender, sexuality and power, the play investigates what it means to continually present scripts that embed old ideas of gender within them. Directed by Emma McManus and performed by Troy Reid and Carly Young, the play will run every night until Sunday March 6. The Australian String Quartet launches its season with Beethoven – one of the undeniable greats of string quartet arrangements – with Alleged Dances in a program that also features the world premiere of a new work from contemporary composer Matthew Hindson, showcasing the playing of dynamic percussionist Claire Edwardes. Rounding out the program is the first quartet of Robert Schumann alongside American minimalist, John Adams, in a selection of groovebased compositions. Alleged Dances will take place at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on Thursday March 3. Bookings can be made through the Melbourne Recital Centre. You know her story from the Netflix series based on her bestselling memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, but now hear direct from Piper herself on how her criminal past inspired a cult television series. In a live-streamed talk hosted by ACMI, Orange is the New Black with Piper Kerman will explore the life lessons Kerman learnt from her time in prison, as well as how the generosity and acceptance of the women she met behind bars inspired her to become an advocate for the rights of female prisoners. Since serving her sentance, Kerman has been called as a witness by the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights to testify on solitary confinement and women prisoners. Furthermore, she has spoken at the White House on re-entry and employment to help honour Champions of Change in the field. Hear her speak at ACMI, streamed from the 2016 All About Women festival on Sunday March 6. Entry is free.
PICK OF THE WEEK
200 Years of Australian Fashion will open at the NGV this week, featuring over 120 works from more than ninety designers – amounting to the first major survey of Australian fashion to be undertaken in this country. Showcasing the work of contemporary designers such as Dion Lee, Romance Was Born and Toni Maticevski alongside key designs from the past 200 years, the exhibition is a comprehensive look at both the past, present and future of Australian fashion. It opens from Saturday March 5 and runs until Sunday July 31.
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Vitesse BY MATILDA EDWARDS
A
lthough he’s danced many coveted dream roles in ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, what really gets The Australian Ballet’s Rudy Hawkes going is contemporary ballet. “For me, that’s the sort of movement I like to do, and I find it most rewarding for my body to push it in that way,” he says, during a break in a chaotic schedule that involves performances of Swan Lake and Cinderella in Sydney and Brisbane by night, and rehearsals for the company’s upcoming triple bill of modern ballets during the day. “We’re heading to Brisbane for Cinderella tomorrow, and you know – compared to this new program, the two pieces I’m in, that kind of ballet is just a walk in the park; it doesn’t really push me anymore.” Taking its name from the French word for speed, Vitesse - the company’s major contemporary production for the 2016 season – is a triple bill of ballets from three of the 20th century’s most prolific choreographers in Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe and Christopher Wheeldon. A fast-paced, sleek production stripped of extravagant costumes and narratives to return to contemporary ballet’s technical foundations, the bill consists of Kylián’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Forsythe’s Forgotten Land and – for Hawkes, the most exciting – DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse by the Royal Ballet’s Christopher Wheeldon. “These choreographers really make it look like the music was just written for what they do – you know, you couldn’t see it suited to anything else at all,” Hawkes says. Set to celebrated British composer Michael Nyman’s Musique à Grande Vitesse, composed to celebrate the opening of the French high-speed rail system (TGV, or Train à Grande Vitesse - get the pattern now?) in 1993, the piece is inspired by the systematic, mechanical movement of the swift electric trains.
“Ah, God – which one am I doing in this?” Hawkes laughs. “We all learnt the whole ballet last year when we knew we had a bit of time, then we went on break and we haven’t touched it again since – but we’re about to go and have rehearsals up in Brisbane for it and touch it up. “I do the second pas de deux in this one, and I get to do it with my wife Dimity (Azoury, a soloist with the company) – so that’s pretty cool, I love dancing with her.” Created originally for the Royal Ballet in 2006, DGV has been performed by many of the world’s best ballet companies – including Russia’s Bolshoi and the New York City Ballet – but this year’s addition on the Vitesse bill is the work’s Australian premiere. “I always find it a little bit daunting to learn works that weren’t created on you, and you have to learn it after other people; particularly when those people are huge stars in the Royal Ballet,” Hawkes says. He calls the pas de deux “real punchy – with heaps of energy, and lots of big sweeping movements”, which will suit Hawkes and his partner Azoury perfectly. “It does give you that impression of a train going through a tunnel, and there’s this real wave to the movements that’s like the motion of a train,” he adds. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon is coming to work with the dancers on DGV in the final week before it opens in Melbourne in early March. “I think he can put in some pretty big changes even in that time… if he doesn’t like you, he’ll just take you out and swap you over…so I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen to me,” Hawkes laughs. ‘The Power To Transform’ is the theme of this year’s
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Australian Ballet season – part of that being the transformation of ballet and the preconceived notions that often surround it. With both the Vitesse triple bill and another contemporary work later in the year based on the life of ballet superstar Nijinsky, Hawkes says it’s refreshing not only for the audience, but for the dancers to continue bringing innovation to an art from steeped in tradition – though more work needs to be done to keep young people interested in ballet. “The contemporary tickets are a bit cheaper than the classical full-length ballets,” he says. “I do think they succeed in having modern stuff aimed at a younger audience.” After Vitesse hits Melbourne and Sydney, it’s still all systems go for the rest of the year for Hawkes – back to the classics with Swan Lake alongside Romeo and Juliet, then the Nijinsky ‘bio-ballet’. Having been in the Australian Ballet since 2005, there aren’t a lot of works he hasn’t seen – but what about a dream ballet; his ideal role? “I feel like I’ve done quite a lot of what I wanted,” he reflects. “Really, I’d love to do a couple more Wayne McGregor pieces, to work with him one-on-one would be amazing. “I feel like I’m at my absolute best when I’m working with a choreographer who’s really intense, and who really pushes something fresh and new out of you. That’s my ideal situation.”
Vitesse will showcase a triple bill of work featuring Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, Jiři Kylian’s Forgotten Land and William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated from Friday March 11 – Monday March 21 at the State Theatre.
For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au
DIRTY SECRETS COMEDY
THE COMIC STRIP
DIRTY SECRETS COMEDY This week they have a stellar lineup at Caz Reitop’s featuring Dilruk Jayasinha as MC as well as Ben Lomas, Daniel Connell, Matt Stewart, Claire Sheila, Grace Sullivan, Firdi Billimoria, Anthony Jeannot plus more. All with with free entry. Get in early for some great whiskey and beer. This show is going to go off. It goes down tonight, Wednesday March 2. See you every Wednesday from 8.30pm sharp.
CRAB LAB On Wednesday March 2 for absolutely nothing you can see a slew of the country’s finest stand ups – right in the heart of the city. Catch Lawrence Mooney, Josh Earl, Greg Larsen, Sam Taunton, Sami Shah, Laura Dunemann, Adam Knox, Ben Lomas and Jack Druce with $7 pints and free popcorn. It’s an 8.30pm start at the House of Maximon, 16 Corrs Ln, CBD.
THURSDAY COMEDY It’s a lineup full of guaranteed big name surprise guests this Thursday night at the European Bier Café. We’re not allowed to name many of these TV and radio stars, because they want to come down and try some new jokes. This may be the last chance you get to see these people before you have to pay $40 to see them during the comedy festival. It’s all happening this Thursday, March 3 at 8.30pm, at the European Bier Café, 120 Exhibition St, Melbourne. All for only $12.
COMEDY AT SPLEEN Mondays at Comedy at Spleen are always chockers. It’s simply never not full. The only place to be on Mondays will be packed full of laughs with guests, and it’s the place where big names drop in. This Monday they have Michael Chamberlin, Daniel Connell, Miles Milson, some very special guests and more. It all goes down Monday March 7 at 41 Bourke St in the city, starting at 8.30pm. It’s free to get in, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.
ACMI to Present Martin Scorsese Exhibition in Australian Exclusive
From Goodfellas to The Wolf of Wall Street and everything in between, SCORSESE will track the artistic legacy, creative process, output and life of prolific director Martin Scorsese. The major exhibition will explore everything from the director’s early experimental works through to his award-winning feature films alongside delving into his working method, key creative collaborations and personal motivations – offering insight into Scorsese’s career as one of cinema’s most widely lauded auteurs. Drawing on years of Scorsese’s personal collection, notes and reflections, the exhibition will make its only Australian stop in Melbourne. A program of film screenings, talks, live events and education programs will complement the experience, along with an audio guide and an exhibition book featuring commentary from Scorsese himself. SCORSESE will make its only Australian showing at ACMI from Thursday May 26 – Sunday September 18.
Marilyn Monroe Exhibition to Arrive at Bendigo Art Gallery
One of the most comprehensive exhibitions to ever explore the life and legacy of Marilyn Monroe will come to Bendigo Art Gallery in a world exclusive. The exhibition will showcase more than 40 of Monroe’s outfits and items from her personal collection, as well as drawing from expansive private collections the world over. It aims to look further inward than just focusing on her screen appearances, analysing the multifaceted human behind the character. It will show from Saturday March 5 – Sunday July 10.
Velvet to Make Melbourne Premiere
Award-winning musical Velvet will make its Melbourne premiere after sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brisbane Festival and the Sydney Opera House. Directed by Craig Ilott, Velvet is inspired by the sounds and events of the infamous Studio 54 nightclub - following one man’s journey as he slips past the velvet rope into an underbelly of disco and debauchery. Singer/songwriter Brendan Maclean and Australian R&B icon Marcia Hines reprise their roles for the Melbourne iteration, joined by an ensemble of international circus, cabaret and musical talent. Velvet will run at the Malthouse Theatre from Wednesday March 23 – Sunday April 17.
COMEDY AT THE WILDE Tuesdays at The Wilde some of Melbourne’s best young comedians join with sign up on the night open mic acts for one of the loosest nights in town. This week ABC2 Comedy Up Late’s Jess Perkins is joined by Kate Dehnert, Xander Allan and more. It’s this Tuesday March 8 on 153 Gertrude St, Fitzroy at 8pm. And, it’s totally free.
Coming Up Jurassic World: The Exhibition Saturday March 19 - Sunday October 9 Melbourne Museum
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Wednesday March 23 - Sunday April 17 Various Venues
Degas: A New Vision
Friday June 24 - Sunday September 18 National Gallery of Victoria
Cirque Adrenaline
Friday April 1 - Thursday April 7 State Theatre
Raiders of the Lost Ark Live in Concert
Friday November 4 - Saturday November 5 Hamer Hall
Shane Koyczan Announces Melbourne Show
Award-winning spoken word performer and recognised author, Shane Koyczan, is bringing his internationally renowned show to Melbourne. Using rapid-fire rhythmic verse, Koyczan navigates his audience through social and political issues. In 2013, Koyczan collaborated with animators to create an anti bullying video – To This Day - which has been viewed over 18 million times, as well as going on to secure the top prize at the US Slam Poetry Championships. He will perform at The Forum Theatre on Sunday May 22. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Redbubble Artist In Residence Program Now Accepting Applications
Applications are now open for the biannual Redbubble Artist in Residence program. The program will see Redbubble open their doors to creatives in both Melbourne and San Francisco for the first time. The paid residency will offer those selected the opportunity to do what they love in new and redesigned studios located at Redbubble’s offices, while being supported by the organisation’s team to further develop their skills and increase sales of their work. The unique program encourages collaboration and experimentation as well as supporting artists to push the boundaries of their practice. Ultimately, the art created during the residency will be showcased at the Made in House Pop-Up Shop this December and be made available online for purchase. Applications close on Sunday March 20 and can be made through their website. G E T S O M E C U LT U R E U P YA
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For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au
Castlemaine Fringe and Arts Open
BY AMANDA SHERRING
In a few weeks time, the Castlemaine community and surrounds will come together for the biggest Arts Open and Fringe events yet, and Arts Open project manager Rob Jennings couldn’t be more excited. “It’s looking fantastic because it’s a community run event, so it’s all run by artists themselves, plus myself. Everyone is really working hard at it themselves,” he beams. With the first event beginning on March 11 (with Arts Open spread over two weekends on March 12 - 14 and 19 - 20) the two events see 148 artists spread their craft across more than 65 venues, celebrating the creativity
and community that comes from Castlemaine, Newstead, Maldon and Chewton. The seed for the Fringe Festival was first planted in 1992 and was (and still is) devoted to supporting, promoting and exhibiting the golden wealth of its local talent. This year’s theme is ‘breakout’ with the festival breaking out of its biennial structure and splitting into two streams: performance one year and visual arts the
Give Me a Reason to Live
Arts Open runs from Friday March 12 – 14 & 19 – 20 while Castlemaine Fringe Festival runs from Thursday March 11 – 20, both at various locations throughout Castlemaine.
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
Beat talks to Glaswegian dancer/choreographer Claire Cunningham, currently in Perth for the Perth Festival and on her way to Melbourne to perform in the Festival of Live Art. Cunningham, on her first visit to Australia, will perform Give Me a Reason To Live, at FOLA, the latter a work inspired by the paintings of sixteenth century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch.
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the shots, it’s simply a team of locals passionate about their town, their craft and being able to showcase that to others. Over the three years of Arts Open running (the event itself is biannual) and more for the Castlemaine Fringe, the most recent incarnation saw more than 6,000 people brought to the idyllic town just 90 minutes from Melbourne. People came from all over; Sydney, Melbourne and from fellow regional towns near the region, all absorbing the diverse array of artworks and shows on display each year. “We wanted to cover all bases with the type of artwork, we didn’t want it to just be sculptural or just be contemporary artworks or traditional. We wanted to make sure the art covered stuff for men, older people, textile fans and everyone else in between. We wanted everyone to be enthusiastic and no one to be dragging their feet – the idea is that everyone can have some fun,” he says. With diversity in both the theatre shows, musical performances and the art hanging on the walls, when Jennings declares there’s something for everyone, he truly means it. “It’s a great thriving community with music and art everywhere; we’re going to have bands on the street, in front of cafes and everywhere,” he says. “It’ll be heaps of fun.”
Portraits in Motion
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
“There are so many different influences in this work,” Cunningham says. “Bosch’s work contains so much judgement about the deserving and the undeserving. His paintings formed a representation of the bible, encouraging people to be upright and goodly. I saw a book of Bosch sketches – a French curator showed me two pages of about 30 different sketches, all of beggars and cripples. All the beggars were cripples. That was the only career option at the time. I was so fascinated by these extraordinary bodies. The curator speculated that the figures might symbolise original sin. Or they might symbolise greed – a very interesting proposition. This could also seem to be very current – in our modern capitalistic way of thinking – that in society you get what you deserve. Whenever there is an economic crisis, the people at the top blame the people at the bottom. It ties in with the sorts of things I was seeing in the UK media, and all across Europe. Propaganda to the effect that society can’t afford the disabled, the immigrant, the poor, the ill, the unemployed. In the 1940s in Germany, the disabled were rounded up. The term for them at the time translates as ‘useless eaters’ – a waste of food. It keeps coming around. Whenever we’re told things are in crisis, we look for someone to blame or judge as a threat to our quality of life." Give Me a Reason to Live involves something of a departure for Cunningham. “I’m always trying to push my practice, push myself out of my comfort zone," she says. "I ask myself ‘where am I comfortable? Let’s challenge that’. I made a conscious move to push myself further physically while I was testing bigger themes of judgment. Through so much of Bosch’s work
next. Arts Open was soon bred from the same community focused concept, showcasing the talent of those visual arts minded in the community. As Jennings tells me, there is around 400 professional artists in the region, and the festival is rapidly including more and more each year. “It’s getting bigger and bigger. The first year we had 45 artists and the second year we had 65, now it’s ballooned out,” he says. “So there’s 50 individual events and then about 12 group shows. We’ve got one at the Castlemaine Gaol, which is looking really good as there’s about 50 people exhibiting there – which is pretty good for a 150-odd year building. Every single cell is filled with artwork as well – it’s kind of kooky and fun.” As for the fringe festival, 20 musicians and groups will perform over the 10 days covering everything from jazz, electronic and improvised music. And then there’s the theatre, featuring the black comedy of Hobo Playhouse’s Come Back for Light Refreshments After the Service, which is set in a kitchen in Melbourne in the 1980s and follows four women as they prepare traditional food for a wake. Though there’s something for everyone with reinterpretations and adaptations of local sites and stories in Company On Foot’s Promenade Locale #3 to the avant-garde spokenword performance of town-crier Araignee Chaine’s Revelations. A highlight comes with Jail House Rock Opera, the colonial gaol-themed musical variety show packed to the bars with fun. Part of its growth is thanks to the event being 100 percent community run. There’s no ‘big names’ calling
is the theme of judgement. It’s a literal thing in each work, which addresses a number of things in my own practice." Many dancers work under a perception that by their mid-30’s they’re past their peak of strength and physicality, and therefore, apparent ability. Is Cunningham, who has osteoporosis, conscious of a pressure to do it all now, given that her physical limits might be compromised sooner rather than later? “I’d be a total hypocrite if I said I’ve got to stop dancing at some point,” she answers. “I don’t agree that only specific bodies can dance. I don’t sense there’s a point where I’ll say I can’t physically dance. Bodies just change. It’s part of a natural evolution. I might not be as strong or as fit as I am now forever, and I might choose to change the way I dance if things become difficult or impossible, but that just means I’m working within different parameters and I’ll be creating different work. I find it really depressing that performers are thrown out, that once they’ve lived and really learned their bodies, they’re pushed off the stage – it’s appalling. I am more interested in that kind of dancer. I want to watch people who have lived." Give Me A Reason To Live will run at Arts House as part of the Festival of Live Art from Wednesday March 9 – Friday March 11. The show is also part of FOLA's Town Hall Ticket initiative, offering access to all of the festival's performances, shows and exhibitions at North Melbourne Town Hall on the day or night of your session.
“I am a storyteller,” says Volker Gerling. “A flipbook-filmstoryteller.” Gerling is a troubadour of sorts. He is renowned for wandering his native Germany collecting stories, taking photos of people, compiling the photos into flipbooks and turning himself into a travelling cinema. A flip book is a primitive form of animation, and the Germans have a delightful word for it – Daumenkino – which essentially translates to ‘thumb movie’. Now, Gerling’s flip book travels will bring him to Australian shores with his Portraits in Motion, which he is bringing to The Festival of Live Art. Last year, Portraits in Motion won the Edinburgh Fringe’s Total Theatre Award for innovations, experimentation and playing with form. Gerling has clocked up almost 3,500 kilometres of travel since 2003. He says he originally started walking around Germany because he wanted to travel, but couldn’t afford it. “I wanted to make a long journey but I didn’t have enough money,” he recalls. “Walking is the cheapest way of travelling, and I set off without any money of my own.” As he wanders, he shows people the flipbooks, telling and collecting stories along the way. “Walking is important to me; walking is the right way to do this,” he says. “It’s the right pace for people to have time to stop. There is the relationship between walking along and looking at the flipbooks. People can look at the flipbooks at their own pace. Same with me – I walk at my own pace. There is a matching rhythm between walking and looking at the flipbooks, a connection between walking and showing people the portraits.” The stories he finds along his travels are all unique. When considered as a whole, they become woven together in a tapestry of narrative that reveal the different facets and feelings of what it means to be human. “Sometimes the conversations last one or more days. Sometimes they are sad stories, sometimes funny stories. It’s a mixture,” he continues. “I use a film-based camera; for me it’s important to use analogue. I develop the photos in a dark room. Each flip book is 36 pages,
EVERYTHING MELBOURNE
because there are 36 pictures in a film. Another reason I use film is that if I used digital, then people would want to discuss the photos or they would ask me to delete some of the photos.” In Gerling’s opinion, the ephemeral nature of the medium is what makes his project so appealing. “People are so touched because it’s a simple idea. You don’t need any technology, any electricity to see them.” Ultimately, Portraits in Motion came about through a chance encounter. “It was not my idea,” he elaborates. “In 2005, the Berlin Festival of Arts asked me to do something on stage. The first performance was done without a rehearsal. In German we have a saying – ‘to jump in cold water’. That is what I did. I looked at the flipbooks at lunchtime and went on stage that night.” Portraits in Motion sees Gerling showing the flip books held under a video camera, and the moving images subsequently projected onto large screen. Throughout, he treats the tales with the upmost respect. “I tell the stories as if the people whose stories I am telling are in the audience. I want them to feel good. And I want to feel good about how I tell their stories, even though they are not in the theatre. Authenticity is a very important word for what I am doing.” Thirteen years on, Gerling is still enthusiastic about photographing people and hearing their stories. “It’s always changing,” he says. “There are always new flipbooks in my show and new stories to tell. I hope that I do this until I am an old man.” Portraits in Motion will run from Tuesday March 1 – Sunday March 6 at Theatre Works as part of the Festival of Live Art.
PORTRAITS IN 1–6 MARCH MOTION *6 SHOWS ONLY!
BY VOLKER GERLING (GERMANY) PRESENTED BY THEATRE WORKS AN AURORA NOVA PRODUCTION
'These miniature stories rinse your eyes like spring water' - The Sunday Times WINNER: Edinburgh Fringe 2015 – Total Theatre Award for Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form
As part of the Festival of Live Art BOOK AT THEATREWORKS.ORG.AU // (03) 9534 3388 B E AT.C O M . A U
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 23
W I T H T Y S O N W R AY - T Y S O N @ B E AT.C O M . AU
Launched in partnership with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2013 before taking to the Flagstaff Gardens back in 2014, the Melbourne Craft Beer and Food Festival made its message clear – ‘quality not quantity, stop sip and savour’ – promoting an educated approach to Australian drinking culture. Fast forward to 2016 and the Melbourne BeerFest is back - carrying this credo to the Catani Gardens in St. Kilda with more food, beer and fun than you can shake a tinnie at. Patrons will get to experience a unique journey as they explore the best in Australian craft brews and brands on a tap by tap expedition, savouring a lengthy range of aromas, flavours and styles along the way. Over 40 brewers from all across the country will be attending to answer questions and help match the best beer and cider to suit each palate. Besides this, they’ll be bringing down food from the likes of Mr Burger, Smokin Barry’s Slow Cooked BBQ, Melbourne Paella Company, That Arancini Guy along with a righteous swathe of other food and beverage stands. Pop on down to Catani Gardens down in St Kilda on Saturday March 5. Tickets available via the Melbourne Beerfest site.
Mukka has recently opened its doors on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, delivering a fresh take on classic Indian cuisine. Their philosophy is earnest: keep things simple and real. Mukka simmers, sizzles, kneads, roasts and flips the way that it’s done in India, using recipes cooked with love and care from the ground up. Home smoked and ground spices, freshly made chutneys, delicate naan breads and soothing lassis are all served with traditional favourites such as tikka masala, dosas, biryani, smoky eggplant mash and slow cooked goat. They cater for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters and have options available for all with their street food entrees and main courses. The Brunswick Street location is easy to get to, and the restaurant leaves its doors open over the course of both lunch and dinner. You can shoot down to Mukka on 365 Brunswick Street in Fitzroy from either 5pm – 10.30pm from Tuesday to Sunday for dinner, or from 11.30am – 2.30pm on Thursday to Friday or 12pm – 4pm on Saturday to Sunday for lunch.
Major Tom’s Head Chef Sam Kearney unveiled an updated dinner menu at the Smith Street, Collingwood restaurant last Thursday, sharing a series of delicacies that encapsulated his control on delicate flavour pairing. Whilst offering a wide range of meals that focused on poultry and seafood, Kearney covered all bases by providing everything from appetisers to paellas, all quick, easy to eat, and backed by intelligent wine pairing from the staff. Meals included the kingfish ceviche, a delicious mouthful of avocado, olive salt, chilli, coriander and salmon roe, the Pulpo A La Gallega, a strip of octopus served over soft confit potato, seasoned lightly with paprika, along with many others such as spicy grilled mojo prawn skewers and gastric pork belly. Favourites included the Mack on Crack, a slice of marinated baby blue mackerel on a squid ink rice cracker with a touch of tomato, tinged with a subtle hint of lemon while still maintaining a clean, fresh seafood flavour, along with the soft melt of the crab and coconut croquetas sitting in a tangy jalapeno aioli. Pop on in to Mjr Tom at 108 Smith Street Collingwood and get a taste for yourself. They’re open every day from 8am until late.
On Wednesday February 24, Doughnut Time opened their first highly anticipated standalone Melbourne store on 5 Degraves Street in the Melbourne CBD – and by golly what an opening it was. People were lining up all the way through Degraves for a taste of their uniquely flavoured doughnuts, dished out in complementary manner between 4-6pm on opening day. There’s all sorts of vibrantly garnished doughnuts on offer, from The Mariah Cherry (a Cherry Ripe themed doughnut), The Slim Shady (covered in M&M’s), all the way through to jam, apple and Nutella filled selections, making Doughnut Time a more than welcome addition to the revival of Australia’s doughnut craze. Doughnut Time is open from Monday to Friday between 7:30am through to 11pm, and on Saturday and Sunday they’re open from 8am until 11pm.Get down to 5 Degraves Street in the CBD if you want to get around it.
OUT OF THE CLOSET Queer happenings with Anna Whitelaw
It is a cruel irony as well that the courage of the 78’ers is being finally recognised, our federal politicians have been waging a campaign against the Safe Schools Coalition that seems like something that belongs back in those dark times. In the last week, a program that supports gay, lesbian, bi, trans and intersex young people from being bullied at school and receives as little as $2 million a year nationally in government funding is under review by the Turnbull government, and has been accused of sexualising young children, promoting a homosexual lifestyle and agenda, trying to brainwash 11-year-olds into being transsexual and even in one particularly outlandish statement “grooming” kids in the same way a paedophile would. Isn’t it funny how those who compare homosexuality to paedophilia always seem to turn a blind eye to child sex abuse rampant within their own clergy and religious institutions? And isn’t it hypocritical that a Chaplaincy programme that cost nearly $250 million isn’t regarded as propaganda, but a program promoting equality is. It BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 24
to Mardi Gras this weekend, several of the best parties in town are already sold out – Heaps Gay’s Pardi, GiRLTHING’s Mardi Pardi and the famed Laneway at the Beresford – but you can still get tickets to the official Mardi Gras Party. If you arrive there the night before, the bearded homos behind Melbourne’s own BARBA Party are throwing BARBA Sydney at the Slyfox in Enmore on Friday night. For tickets and further info, head to www.trybooking.com. If you’re staying in Melbourne, why try something arty instead of
isn’t surprising that the likes of Senator Bernadi and his ilk – who realise they are losing the same sex marriage battle and need a new battleground in their culture war – would pick on an anti-bullying initiative aimed at helping young LGBTIQ kids. What is surprising, and disappointing is our Prime Minister - who supposedly represents the seat of Wentworth (which the Mardi Gras parade will march through the heat of ) – hasn’t said a word. If you happen to the one of the many Melburnians heading up B E AT.C O M . A U
party and check out queer dancer Luke George and sound artist Nick Roux’s Erotic Dance at the Arts House in North Melbourne, as part of the Festival of Live Art which riffs on the Susan Sontag 1961 essay. Erotic Dance is described as “primitive, seductive, intimate and visceral”. Oh, and did we mention it features hot naked men? From Wednesday March 2 to Saturday March 5. For tickets, visit head to FOLA’s website. With less than two weeks to go, Gaytimes – Australia’s first queer camping music festival - is now almost on final release. Along with a lineup of more than 50 musicians, DJs and performers including the likes of Paul Mac and Banoffee, Gaytimes will also boast visual art, light installations, film screenings, yoga, speed dating, granny bingo, an actual drag race, and after parties from POOF DOOF and GiRLTHING. For final release tickets, visit gayitimes.iwannaticket.com.au
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BEAT MAGAZINE’S 2016 SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY GUIDE - PAGE 3
WELCOME Forget about washing the windows and reorganising the living room. Forget about lunch with the inlaws in Glen Waverley. Forget about alphabetising your sorely neglected CD collection. Forget about re-wording your OkCupid profile. Forget about going on a YouTube binge of Bernie Sanders speeches. On Sunday March 6 there’s only activity worth your time: the Sydney Road Street Party. This year’s party is set to equal the amount of happy mayhem you’ve experienced in previous years. Ten official Street Party stages will appear within Sydney Road and on adjacent streets. The 800-metre strip between Union and Victoria Streets will be closed off to traffic, making for a stress-free walk through a parade of ridiculousness. Specifically, the Sydney Road Street Party is a chance to celebrate local musicians and dancers, stuff your face on locally-sourced and produced food, and be inspired by the market crafts on display. It revolves around the magic of Moreland, but of course everyone is welcome. In fact, that’s the mentality that has allowed the City of Moreland (and Melbourne more generally) to prosper – its embrace of people of all shapes, sizes, colours and creeds, no matter the extent of their oddball interests or the volume of their voice. This guide will give you a rundown of the performers and retailers involved in this year’s Street Party.
Additionally, a number of the fine bars and restaurants in and around Sydney Road will be rolling out their own mini-parties, and we’ve got the lowdown to point you in the right direction. The Sydney Road Street Party is free to enter and it runs from midday until sundown. Oh, and anyone looking to kick on will have no trouble attaching themselves to a pop-up party.
BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL BEHIND THE MUSIC By Liza Dezfouli
Brunswick Music Festival producer Natalie Lidgerwood is “really proud” of this year’s event – the 27th incarnation of Melbourne’s unique inner city acoustic folk and roots festival. “It’s a great reflection of the diversity of the area,” Lidgerwood says. “And of the diversity of Melbourne overall. It’s so interesting trying to find all the audiences in the pockets of Brunswick. The festival has something for everyone. Each year it’s a slightly different festival as the neighbourhood changes; it moves and shakes. It’s always relevant at the time. For example, this year we’re doing more family friendly outdoor concerts using different spaces.” Lidgerwood works for the production company Strut and Fret, who took over the Brunswick Music Festival in 2013 when director and founder John McAuslan retired after more than 20 years at the helm. Intense engagement with the community is the most important thing to the Strut and Fret team, says Lidgerwood. “With this festival you have to take the time to get to know the artists, to sit down with them, especially the more emerging artists. We talk with artists, with creatives and producers; it makes it exciting. People want your time and your opinions. You can end up working at a very fast pace, but you get more joy if you reserve some time to reflect and talk to people, hear about their work, their collaborations. They become our friends. Last year we had Buffy St Marie and she took a liking to us. She’s a special woman; all I wanted to do was hang out with her. And there’s a lot of great skill-sharing between local and international bands. Local artists get to meet international artists. I see the results of that on social media; they become friends and work together.” Putting such a significant festival together is a big job. “It’s keeping me out of trouble,” says Lidgerwood. “We spend a lot of time going to shows, artist markets, music expos, industry events. As a festival producer I wear so many hats – I’ve got to make sure the trams don’t come down Sydney Road, manage the creative program, the marketing, the box office – with a small team, on the smell of an oily rag.” Events pairing food and music feature strongly in this year’s festival, and very much at a community level. To illustrate, Brunswick Uniting Church are hosting an Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre dinner featuring
performances by Ajak Kwai, Bashra and Jawa Pitu Band; there is traditional live music and belly dance at the Rumi Lebanese Dinner & Show featuring Zourouna and Lala Shouha; and a Gospel Brunch hosted by PBS FM presenter Peter Miles at the Brunswick Uniting Church featuring music by the Sweet Monas Choir, with catering provided by local eatery Pope Joan. Lidgerwood is especially excited about this year’s outdoor indigenous concert at CERES. “We definitely want to do more First Nation shows outside,” she says. “This is the second year and we’ve got the phenomenal Yirrmal. He’s astounding, his song-writing is gorgeous.” Another highlight is New York artist Blind Boy Paxton performing as part of the Live at The Wick Studio sessions. At only 26, Paxton transports audiences back to the 1920s with pre-World War II blues numbers, moving between banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion and the bones (percussion). “It’s nearly sold out,” says Lidgerwood. It’s a diverse program and all part of realising the team’s overall vision for the Brunswick Music Festival. “I would love to do more at CERES. I love putting stuff on at the Town Hall – we’re pushing the boundaries of what we can do there. We’ve got Arnhem Land dance troupe Djuki Mala for five nights. Two years ago they played the Victorian Arts Centre and now we’re bringing them to Brunswick. We team up with Port Fairy, with Golden Plains, with East Coast Blues and the National Folk festivals. Brunswick is the front door to Melbourne for those festivals. “We’re always dreaming even bigger. We have huge plans which come up against the reality of the budget,
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and who’s touring. We’re competing with the Recital Centre and the Corner. We’re not subsidised by any means; we have to sell tickets. We aim high and find the balance of what we want and what audiences want to see. We are investing in the profile of the festival at an international level, letting artists know that this is a festival they want to be a part of, making sure we attract new audiences and new artists.” The Sydney Road Street Party is a beloved annual event and one of the very few such events left in the inner city. “It’s the only one where we close such a vast stretch of road,” says Lidgerwood. ”It starts the festival off with such momentum. The street party hasn’t changed dramatically over the years. We have a few more stages, a few new collaborations with venues, a few different
partners and a few more side streets involved. We ask one question when programming music for the street party: will people dance to it? Yes? Good. That’s the energy we want.” BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 happens from Tuesday March 15 – Sunday March 20 in various venues around Brunswick. It’s preceded by the Sydney Road Street Party on Sunday March 6. Check out brunswickmusicfestival.com.au for full details.
The Spotted Mallard 314 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
PHOTO BY COURTNEY KING
The Spotted Mallard isn’t just a lovely old ballroom with parquet flooring, lavish furnishings and a second storey, people-watching balcony. No. The Mallard isn’t just home to perhaps the most diverse pub beer list in Melbourne, compiled by way of direct contact with several unsung craft brewers from around the state. Uh-uh. The Spotted Mallard isn’t just the place responsible for the iconic, mythologised wagyu beef and bacon burger, served with their unfailingly generous potato chips, as well as the equally sumptuous butternut squash and halloumi burger and tempura cauliflower. Oh no. It’s not even just the place that always smells like agave syrup and circulates an aroma of home sweet home. Perhaps most significantly, The Spotted Mallard is where you’ll find one of the city’s finest live music stages and a booking team who know exactly what you want to hear. For Sydney Road Street Festival they’ve gathered a lineup of country, swing, honkytonk, Dixieland and deep funk. The noises will come from bluegrass adherents The Bakersfield Glee Club, seven-piece New Orleans revivalists The Grubs, and wired-eyed funk and afrobeat faithfuls The Seven Ups. Tying it all together are the Heels On Decks DJs who’re known for dishing out classic rock and rockabilly, alternative hits and indie anthems – or whatever the occasion calls for, really. The folks at the Mallard are a kind bunch, and it’s all coming at you for free. Get your kicks from midday onwards, with music from 2.30pm.
The Retreat Hotel 280 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
For yet another year, The Retreat Hotel will be delivering the goods during the 2016 Sydney Road Street Festival, offering you a multi-genre serving of some of Melbourne’s finest live acts. Located right in the heart of Sydney Road, The Retreat is renowned for having one of the best beer gardens in town, some of the chillest bar staff goin’ round, and a laidback vibe to boot. Well, until the music starts, that is. The Retreat’s Sydney Road Street Festival celebrations will kick off at 2pm with Andrew Swift taking to the stage, and the good times will keep rolling on through till 8pm. Phoebe Daicos, Tom Dockray and the Dockledoodledoos, Small Town Romance, The Vaudeville Smash and The Heartbrokers will be providing the tunes all day long, keeping crowds swinging all the way through the arvo. Get down early to secure a prime location – entry is free and good times are guaranteed.
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BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL - THE STORY SO FAR BY PATRICK EMERY
While John McAuslan can remember the first Brunswick Music Festival in 1989 held in Dawson Street, opposite the Brunswick City Baths, it’s the festival’s subsequent move to the congested arterial route of Sydney Road that causes him to chuckle. “We just had one stage and we closed Dawson Street off from the railway line to Sydney Road. Later on we convinced the council to move it to Sydney Road, and the first two or three we ran with the trams running through the middle of it, which was hilarious and very dangerous, until the tram drivers’ union finally said ‘we’re not doing this anymore’, so we got the trams off the street,” McAuslan laughs. The Scottish-born McAuslan was one of the first local performers featured on the festival program, which had been created out of the Arts and Culture Unit in the Brunswick City Council. Within a couple of years of his appearance on the inaugural festival program, McAuslan had become involved in the administration and operation of the event; by 1994 McAuslan had become the festival’s director, a position he maintained until 2013 was he was forced to undergo openheart surgery. “That was the end of me, so to speak,” McAuslan laughs. While Brunswick has undergone significant demographic changes over the past 27 years – and Brunswick City Council itself was dissolved as part of the Kennett government’s radical overhaul of local government arrangements in the early 1990s – the Brunswick Music Festival has lived on. “I think the festival’s resilience has come from the artists,” McAuslan says. “They bring the interest with them. When we started out we had to be aware of the artists that were coming through. And now there’s a lot more younger artists – not old farts like me!”
Finding the right blend between showcasing Brunswick’s local musical talents and bringing outside musicians onto the bill has always provided a challenge. “We tried to do both,” McAuslan says. “There was an ever increasing stream of great international blues, roots and folk musicians coming through, and there was never really anywhere for them to perform in Melbourne at that time. So you had that on one hand, and the idea was also that we would support the local music community – there was a lot of Greek, Turkish and Polynesian shows – and as the street part became ever more popular, that became just the local acts. So the combination worked very well.” In its infancy McAuslan says the program was influenced by what he describes as “unwritten guidelines” – that is, the inclusion of diverse musical styles that might not necessarily find a spot in Melbourne’s indie and rock’n’roll venues. “We wanted to have blues and roots, and indigenous, women’s folk, and what became known as world music – acts that didn’t have the opportunity to play around Melbourne,” McAuslan says. “So we were quite specific where we wanted to go.”
McAuslan contrasts the evolution of Brunswick’s demographic profile with the consistency of Sydney Road’s character. “Sydney Road has never actually changed that much, and it’s never been gentrified like High Street in Northcote, or all sorts of other main streets in other suburbs,” McAuslan says. “But demographically there’s a lot more young people around, students and artists. The music scene back in those early days wasn’t as vibrant, though you did have the Union Hotel, which was the home of Greek music in Melbourne. I suppose it was a more local scene in a lot of ways.”
Leanne Connell, the Chairperson of Performing Arts Moreland, the body that sets the “strategic direction” for the festival says these days the development and finalisation of the program is guided by particular objectives. “The festival has to reflect the cultural diversity of the different communities that live in Moreland, as well as fostering the local music scene and acknowledging the important contribution of the musicians and songwriters in the municipality,” Connell says. “And we also want to create opportunities for live music performance through the festival, and also exposing the community to high quality acts,
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both national and international, as well as our local performers.” Moreland Mayor Samantha Ratnam says the festival has to find the right balance between providing a celebration for the local musical community, and attracting visitors to the Brunswick area. “It started very much for the local community, celebrating the diversity, and we’ve had a change over the years in terms of emphasising the local communities and music. The population’s changing so much, so I think we’re getting better at getting those settings right in terms of the cultural groups who’re represented, and the types of music people want to see.” Connell admits one of the biggest challenges is not being able to include more artists on the program, such is the quality of the applications received by the festival administration. “It’s a real challenge given that we can only put on a certain number of acts in a limited period,” Connell says. “The choice and range of performers that are available is huge, and really exciting. Our biggest problem is not finding people who represent the diversity, but we just can’t put on as many acts as we’d like to!” Ratnam agrees the significance of the festival multicultural character is especially important, given the resurgence of xenophobia in contemporary political debate. “We often hear these days of people wanting to portray multiculturalism as a negative, or wanting to use bad examples to prosecute their argument, but events like this show just how rich a community can be with different cultures coming into it, and showcasing and sharing their culture. And I think people’s lives are really enriched by it,” Ratnam says. The role of music in cultural expression is well understood: every culture and community has its distinctive musical style; the blending and crossfertilisation of cultures has created new musical styles (think rock’n’roll with its cultural antecedents in blues, celtic folk and country). “I think music plays an absolutely massive role in promoting cultural awareness,” Connell says. “The festival actually started out after a very successful program called the Music of Migration, which was very much about celebrating the diversity of the area. Music really does bring people together.” Since 1994 a key plank of the Brunswick Music Festival has been the Sydney Road street party, an expansion
of the event that McAuslan concedes wasn’t embraced by all of the street’s retail traders. “A lot of people couldn’t see the benefits initially but the people who did see it from a business perspective did very well,” McAuslan says. “They certainly did get to embrace it, and it became a highlight of their year. But it always was an interesting proposition dealing with the local businesses,” he laughs. Ratnam says the local retailers now support the street party, both in terms of its role in celebrating local culture, and its commercial benefits. “I think it’s definitely changing, partly because the types of businesses operating in Brunswick, and Moreland more broadly, are changing, and with that comes a change in outlook and attitude towards these types of festivals,” Ratnam says. “What we’re getting now is the retailers participating actively in the street party. Whereas in the past they might have been involved indirectly because they had a shop near the festival, they’re now putting up a stall in the street festival. So I think we’ve got a new breed of business that can see the incredible benefits of the event,” Ratnam says. This year’s program is yet another eclectic program, with local artists including indigenous performers Emma Donovan and the Putbacks and Yirrmal, local songwriters Jess Ribeiro, Kylie Auldist, Liz Stringer and Suzannah Espie, the Victorian Trade Union Choir and a host of international performers including Japanese ‘Godzilla funk’ band Mount Mocha Kilimanjaro, Blind Boy Paxton from the United States, the Italian Greek Orchestra Magna Grecia and Ajak Kwai from South Sudan. John McAuslan says the Brunswick Music Festival has survived by “being around, being aware, and finding the new stuff that’s happening, and making sure that you’re able to present that”. While he’s content to leave the running of the festival to others, McAuslan will still be making his annual trek to the festival and imbibing the sounds, sights and smells of the event. “It’s actually my 70th birthday the night before the street party. I’ve got some friends come out from Scotland, so I’m not sure when I’ll get down there, because it’ll be a bit of a bash!” McAuslan laughs.
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ROAD CLOSED
Barkly Square Laneway
Edward St Stage
12:30 1:30 2:30 3:45 5:00 5:45 6:15
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» Chaos Magnet » Drums Of War » Madeline Leman And The Desert Swells » Tin Lion » Rambutan Band
Stay hydrated with free tap water
» Brunswick Secondary College Band » Jemma And The Clifton Hillbillies » Hot Wings » Lem Lem Band » The Shabab » Katumba Latin Dancers » Totally Mild
Presented by 808-818 Sydney Road Brunswick apartments
2
12:10 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00
Presented by Barkly Square 90-106 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
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1
UNION ST.
Just down the road The Laneway Live Stage Barkly Square
STOP 19 Take the #19 Tram from the City
MICHAEL ST.
t
TOWN HALL
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» Westside Circus Aerial Show » Westside Circus Free Aerial Workshop » Hoop Dog » Chaos Magnet » Cabaret Circus Hosted By Captain Ruin » Westside Circus Aerial Show » Westside Circus Free Aerial Workshop » Red Brigade » Cabaret Circus Hosted By Captain Ruin » DJ Richie 1250
Roll up with your bike to the Festival and access valet parking
» Welcome To Country Ceremony » Sounds Of Polynesia » Pans On Fire » Arthur Penn And The Funky Ten » Lalibelas Feat. Nhatty Man » Johnnie And The Johnnie Johnnies » Miss Colombia
Iramoo Stage
12:00 12:45 1:30 2:30 3:45 5:00 6:15
4
MERRI ST.
Skyscraper Stage
12:30 1:00 1:45 2:00 2:30 3:15 3:45 4:30 5:30 ALL DAY
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3
GLENLYON RD.
750m by Foot to Jewell Station
DAWSON ST.
EDWARD ST.
Oxygen Stage
» Forever Son » Domini Forster » Astro And The Ages
Presents the Victoria Street Stage
Jeff Rosenstock (USA), Wil Wagner, Antarctigo Vespucci (USA), Camp Cope, Indigenous Hip Hop Projects, Artful Dodgers Soundsystem ft. Da Hypnotist, Ronikka and more, Reel Tapes, The Desolettes, Lawrence Austin, In House, Sydney Rd Community School bands & DJ Ladyfingers.
Presented by Moreland Youth Services And FReeZA
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» Coburg North Primary School “Sing Sing Sing” » Azura’s Oasis “Tales Of The Arabian Nights” » Brunswick Shape Note Singers Workshop » Sugar Basin Salon make-overs under the tree
Saxon St Gardens
12:30 2:00 3:30
6
t
PHOENIX ST.
Mechanics Institute
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• Drinking Water
12:30 2:00 3:00 ALL DAY
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6 SAXON ST.
UPFIELD BIKE PATH
THE BOITE WORLD MUSIC CAFé
VICTORIA ST Stage
1:15 2:00 3:15 4:30 5:45
» Mercy College Vocal Group » La Voce Della Luna » Melbourne Accordion Orchestra » Chicks With Picks » Moreland City Band
Town Hall Awning
12:15 » Danika Smith 1:00 » Alleycatz Rock ‘n’ Roll 2:15 » Darcy Fox 3:00 » Bey Dance – Routine And Workshop 4:15 » Alexander Biggs 5:00 » African Dance And Drummer Show
Presented by Sydney Road Brunswick Association
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STOP 27 Take the #19 Tram from the Festival to North Cobburg
350m by Foot to Brunswick Station
Presents World Music Café
Festival Bars presented by Brunswick Bitter & Harcourt Cider
Alcohol consumption or possession is NOT permitted by Law on Sydney Road. Consumption is restricted to licensed areas only.
Drop into The Boite’s World Music Café on Albert street and sample some of the best local talent in an open mic format. The café invites the diverse cultures who live in this community to share a song or two from their distant homelands. Hosted by local Flamenco Trio Huanchaco.
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» Belove » Phia » Los Pat Moritas » Real Hot Bitches » The Person » Yaw Faso » Jawa Pitu Band
Albert St Arena
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10
BRUNSWICK STATION
SYDNEY RD.
12:30 1:20 2:20 2:55 3:20 4:20 5:30
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8
ALBERT ST.
UPFIELD TRAIN LINE
ALBERT ST.
SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY • 6 MARCH. 12 - 7pm • EVENT MAP & PROGRAM
VICTORIA ST. VICTORIA ST.
JEWELL STATION
ROAD CLOSED
Goin’ Back
GIVING VOICE TO THE IMAGES OF THE PAST By Patrick Emery
According the latest survey of postcode rankings undertaken by APRA AMCOS released in late 2014, Brunswick has the highest concentration of songwriters of any Australian suburb. With its eclectic cultural make-up, relatively affordable housing and supportive arts community, Brunswick’s a breeding ground for diverse country, folk and alternative music. But it wasn’t always that way. Just before the turn of the century, Brunswick was symbolic of the social and economic strictures of the time. A photo taken in the mid 19th century shows a group of stonemasons in Brunswick holding a banner supporting the eighthour working day. Stonemason James Stephens led the campaign, and it culminated in 1856 when the government agreed to the stonemasons’ demands. While local musicians might bemoan the lack of financial security available in their tightknit community, the prospect of having to work 16 hours straight in a gruelling manual trade seems almost incomprehensible. “We’re always crapping on about our nine-to-five day jobs these days, so even eight hours seems too long these days,” laughs songwriter and musician Tracey McNeil. The image of the protesting stonemasons proved sufficiently evocative for McNeil and Luke Sinclair (Idle Hoes, Raised by Eagles) to choose it as the creative inspiration for their contribution to the Goin’ Back songwriting event, which is happening during this year’s Brunswick Music Festival. The event follows the successful Goin’ Back event held during last year’s Darebin Music Feast, in which local songwriters chose a photo from the Darebin Council’s archives and wrote a song based on the chosen image. For the Brunswick show, songwriters from the Moreland area have trawled through to the Moreland Council archives for creative inspiration. Like the Darebin Music Feast show, songwriters at the
Brunswick Music Festival will be backed by Jemma Rowland’s backing band, the Clifton Hillbillies. The show will also feature musicians who performed in the Darebin event, including Mick Thomas, Charles Jenkins and Cat Canteri. Each song will be performed against a visual backdrop showing the photo, with an introduction explaining the background to the song. While it’d be hard to find any musician familiar with the stonemasonry craft, Sinclair says the scenario of having to work a job you’re not enthusiastic about, but which is necessary to pay the bills, is all too familiar to musicians. For that reason alone, Sinclair says writing a song based on the photo he and McNeil chose was “surprisingly easy”. “It was really fun to write from a visual cue,” Sinclair says. “Usually you have to pull it from inside of you, which can take longer and require more searching.” For McNeil, it was the evocative nature of the photo that was significant. “The photo just jumped out at us,” she says. “We found ourselves writing from the perspective of this guy who’s got no time for life, no time for his family, just waiting for the clock to tick over. While Australia was said to be the working man’s paradise, this was definitely not a paradise.” The idea of McNeil and Sinclair’s song isn’t to preach the virtues of unionised labour, or to offer a moral commentary on economic conditions. Rather, it’s about capturing a moment in time – going back in time, as it were. “When you’re writing something like this it can be
The Penny Black
420 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
The Penny Black is up there with the more impressive looking establishments on Sydney Road. In a former life the double storey red brick building was a post office, but these days we know it as one of the neighbourhood’s most accommodating vendors of food, drink and live entertainment. Their Sydney Road Street Party gigs have tended to become messy parties and extroverted celebrations of the lucky life, and that’s fated to be the case this year too with a bumper lineup spread across two stages. The fact the Penny Black isn’t known as the home of Melbourne’s foremost pub bandroom is an indication of the blessed extent of quality live music houses in this city. If this bandroom existed in Sydney, NSW it’d indubitably be the centre of activity – there’s a big stage with a more than qualified PA and an audience area that leans back onto the bar; just how we like it. On the big stage this Sunday you’ll find hip hop soul crew Mose + The FMLY giving you plenty to think about without letting the thematic substance water down the fun. There’s also local power rock quartet Reika and the self-styled practitioners of “dope music” rock/soul/ hip hop foursome Neon Queen. The Penny Black beer garden is a must visit for anyone that enters the 3056 post code, and the beer garden stage hosts music all afternoon, including rising nu-folk songwriter Heloise and Kiwi loop station extraordinaire Reuben Stone. Free entry, and the party runs from midday till late. BEER GARDEN STAGE 1.00 - Brie Wallace 2.00 - Amy Pollock 3.00 - Ben Whiting 4.00 - Héloise 5.00 - Reuben Stone FRONT BAR STAGE 1.30 - Fulton Street 2.30 - Tali Sing 3.30 - REIKA 4.30 - Netti 6.15 - Neon Queen 7.30 - Mosé + The FMLY DJs Jens Beamin, Naz and Larrie throughout the day till 10pm
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pretty easy to go down a didactic path,” Sinclair says. McNeil says the fact that the subjects in the photo were largely anonymous allowed them to write a song that wasn’t weighed down by too much emotion. “We wanted to tell a story, but we also wanted to write a song that we actually wanted to play,” McNeil says. “So we got a groove and a vibe going, like it was any song that we were writing together, and that we could find ourselves within it and enjoy it, so it doesn’t become a writing task.” While the Goin’ Back is very much about giving voice to the images of the past, Sinclair concedes there’s a contemporary element as well. “Because you’ve got people who live there now, who’re writing about the past, you’ll get that current perspective coming across. I think that’s happened with our song, because you naturally want to relate it to your own life. That’s why we choose that image, because we could relate to it,” Sinclair says. Transposing the past into the current era raises other interesting issues, such as the contrast between the social attitudes of multicultural 21st century Brunswick
and its predominantly white, mono-cultural 19th century ancestor. While complaints about working conditions can be found in any generation, it’s difficult to imagine what the Brunswick stonemasons of the 1850s would think of the suburb’s diverse ethnic community. “You do think about that, but there’s no end of things you could decide to write about,” Sinclair says. For McNeil, the fact that the eight-hour work day was based around the interests of the male working population is interesting. “They were saying it was an eight-hour work day for men, but you still had women working 14 to 16 hours – so there’s a song in that as well,” McNeill says. “So there’s gender inequality, there’s racism – hard times in Brunswick. So you could find other songs in there if you wanted.” GOIN’ BACK, featuring Jeff Lang, Alison Ferrier, Tracy McNeil, Luke Sinclair and more, happens at the Mechanics Institute on Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19.
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Barkly Square Laneway Festival Barkly Square is where you’ll find the Laneway Stage during the Sydney Road Street Party. One of the event’s ten official stages, the Laneway will host a five band lineup of Chaos Magnet, Drums of War, Madeline Leman and The Desert Swells, Tin Lion, and Rambutan Band, plus a range of activities and amenities to please music lovers of all ages. Chaos Magnet are kicking off proceedings just after midday. The boot-stomping trio have a real sense of occasion: they’ve only ever been sighted in public wearing matching outfits (usually silver two-piece dresses and elaborate, slightly militaristic headgear) and they combine trumpet, saxophone and drums with juggling, dancing and fantasy adventure stories. Next up are Drums of War, who’re in the midst of a rampant run of live appearances all over the state. For those that feel Sale or Kyambram or even Prahran is too far away, then the Barkly Square gig is the one to see. Drums of War are a six-piece – four blokes, two women – a cappella cover band. Encompassing soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass and vocal percussion, they stick their claws into tunes from hip hop and R&B artists Outkast, Black Eyed Peas and the one, the only Justin Timberlake. Come 2pm Madeline Leman and The Desert Swells take over the Barkly Square Laneway. Leman is an established songwriter whose object of attention is Americana soul with freewheelin’ surf rock groove. The Desert Swells are no mere backing band; featuring vocalist Leah Senior and guitarist Fabian Hunter, they help lift Leman’s songs to the point of conviviality. The prospect of going to see country music often sounds as promising as taking a job in door-to-door sales. But Leman and the Swells can remind us of the form’s empathetic propensity. After Leman has lifted the pulse, Tin Lion will be on
hand to make sure your energised blood flow doesn’t go to waste. There’s only one condition when it comes to what makes these guys tick: a damn good beat. If it’s specific reference points you’re after, think The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem or Datarock. Tin Lion pile on sustained synth, jabby guitar, overdriven bass, constant kick drums and hypnotising deadpan vocal refrains. The Laneway festivities will come to a close with a feel good merging of psych rock, reggae, hip hop and boogie blues. Rambutan Jam Band are the culprits, who’ll do their best to encourage you to skip your afternoon nap. Though, dancing all over the walls of the laneway will set you up for a good night’s sleep. Oh and what about those other attractions? Well, there’s food available courtesy of Jerry’s Burgers and Fried Chicken, Zambrero and Schnitz. It’s Sunday, so you’ll probably want to get yourself a drink from the licensed bar specialising in locally made beverages. There’s also going to be a stall loaded with vinyl records and vintage tour posters, all of which is up for purchase. The folks from Brunswick’s Bitter Orca Guitar Works will be doing free guitar restringing and cleaning, plus handing out maintenance advice. Knowing the mindset of the average guitarist– that is, way more interested in playing the thing than servicing it – it’s an opportunity you’ll want to take full advantage of. And for any kids that get kick a flutter of inspiration from seeing the wealth of live musicians populating Sydney Road, High Voltage Rock School are offering free workshops.
The Brunswick Hotel
140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Ask any musician in Melbourne, no matter their stature, chances are they’ve played a gig at the Brunny. Yes, the Brunswick Hotel are huge supporters of local music and have strong relationships with plenty of acts who are on-the-charge. The dividends of this relationship are made blatant by their Sydney Road Street Party lineup. A whopping 19 bands will be involved, hitting one of two stages – the classic inside stage and another in the Brunny’s enormous beer garden. It kicks of just after midday, and anyone craving a hair of the dog tipple will be pleased to have their noon-time beer accompanied by the funk/soul romp of ten-piece collective Papa G and The Starcats. As the day moves forward, you’ll find the dark alt-rock of Fierce Mild, the groove-heavy spoken word hip hop of Danny Kransky, and the capital-R rawk of The Pass Outs. Bringing it all home are Masco Sound System; disciples of Canned Heat’s take on boogie music and wielders of woe-defeating blues harmonica. The Brunny are determined to make this a buoyant event, so to help the party along, schooners of Coopers Pale Ale will be going for $8 (schooners? Like what they drink in Sydney? Yep, sticking to theme here.) Past instalments of the Brunny’s Street Party event have been loaded full of eager punters, so get in early. It’s free entry. Inside 12:30 – 1:10 – Udder Ubductees 1:30 – 2:10 – Keggin 2:30 – 3:10 – Dogsday 3:30 – 4:10 – UNICORN ON THE COB 4:30 – 5:10 – Sierra Leone (AU) 5:30 – 6:10 – The Pass Outs 6:30 – 7:10 – Long Holiday 7:30 – 8:10 – The Balls 8:30 – 9:10 – Lazarus Mode 9:30 – 10:30 – Third Eye 10:30 – 1:00 – DJ Obilveus Outside 12:00 – 12:40 – Papa G and The Starcats 1:00 – 1:40 – Avenues 2:00 – 2:40 – Vision Street 3:00 – 3:40 – Fierce Mild 4:00 – 4:40 – Lieutenant Jam 5:00 – 5:40 – SFZ (Sforzando) 6:00 – 6:40 – Scurvylicious 7:00 – 7:40 – Danny Kransky 8:00 – 9:00 – Masco Sound System 9:00 – 12:00 – DJ Dan Attard PAGE 12 - BEAT MAGAZINE’S 2016 SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY GUIDE
It’s not just for the real little ones; anyone between the ages of 5 and 18 can get involved. And it’s free. Yes, because on such a blessed day as this the focus is on cultural investment, not money grabbing.
This is just Barkly Square’s first Laneway event, and they’ll continue to occur on the first Sunday of every month until June. It all happens from 11am-6pm.
BLIND BOY PAXTON EVERYTHING’S GETTING BETTER by shaun cowe
Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton is an American songwriter and multiinstrumentalist who is bringing back the classic sound of pre-war blues and jazz, both in his solo work and in acts like Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess. He’ll be coming to Melbourne to play the Brunswick Music Festival on Thursday March 17. He speaks to Beat about his distinctive blues style. “I play traditional music. I do my best to do it right,” he says. “It has a little bit of me, as it’s supposed to be, but you know, it’s not forced. With a name like Blind Boy Paxton and a musical style to match, you can be forgiven for picturing a gnarled, pre-war blues musician chugging away on a derelict acoustic guitar in Chicago’s Black Patti recording studios. But in fact Paxton is a 27-year-old from Los Angeles who’s politely laconic and quick to laugh, despite his imposing build. A revivalist of traditional blues, Paxton has an earthy approach to his music. His live shows revolve around friendly banter with the crowd and songs that he personally relates to, whether they’re originals and covers. Blues is his life story, an avenue for selfexpression. “I don’t try to change [blues]. I don’t make fusion music,” he says. “I let myself come through organically, you understand. You’ve got to go with the feeling at the current time. You don’t feel the same way twice.” Last year Paxton released the grainy album Recorded Music For Your Entertainment, which takes a more traditional and live approach than the 2012 Dirtiest Little Darling / Railroad Bill single. In recent years, Paxton’s preference for playing live has swayed his approach to recording. “I don’t like writing at all. I much prefer playing live in front of people,” he says. “You get to see the affect of music as it happens. When you record it you don’t
get to see the affect of music at all. You can see it on people’s faces, the way different kinds of music affects them. Sometimes it’s instant and sometimes it’s gradual but it changes people in profound ways.” Paxton’s been performing in music venues since his teenage years. By the age of 17, only three years after trading in his fiddle for a banjo, critics and magazines were hailing him as the future of blues music. The early success meant he outstripped his peers for many years, though it never bothered him. “It’s the only way I know how to do, so I don’t know what it was like because it seemed normal to me. I didn’t know nobody my own age [playing gigs] until I was up in years; until I was almost 20.” Paxton’s blues education came from his family, especially from hearing his grandmother sing old blues and religious tunes. He was quickly attracted to blues for its focus on intuition and unintellectualised expression. “Chord progressions and pentatonic scales, they’re not of my culture. They’re things my culture uses but they’re not how we relate music to each other. That’s really more of a conservatory technique, or Western European classical technique. That really has no place in indigenous music of any kind. Unless it’s Western European indigenous music.”
As for passing on blues to the next generation, Paxton is stumped. In the end he settles on an education plan based on the way he learned himself. “I guess you show ‘em what it’s supposed to sound like and tell ‘em to do their best.” Paxton is playing at the Brunswick Music Festival next month. With more than a decade of performing experience and an innate desire to interact with the crowd, he finds festivals a prime opportunity for new experiences. Not just with fans, but with fellow musicians too. “They’re fine little festivals. It’s good to meet other people who play similar kinds of music to you. You meet friends and people who make the same kind of music as you. You collaborate as much as you can.” However, one of the things Paxton has noticed about blues festivals is the increasing move towards alternative blues and blues fusion. He’s not too fussed about the change (a surprising statement from a man who once claimed on Down Home Radio that jazz stopped being jazz after 1941), but he can’t help but
notice how he stands out. “I rarely ever find somebody who does what I do. Which is a bit shocking because I do just plain old blues. But there’s a lot of different kinds; a lot of influenced blues and stuff like that. My influence comes primarily from my culture.” As for the future, Paxton feels his songwriting and performing is always improving. Recorded Music For Your Entertainment shows Paxton’s sound is more focused than it’s ever been – a little cheeky, always with a story – but it’s still just a stepping stone for him. “I’m getting better at it; I’m starting to learn it a little better. Everything’s getting better. You know it’s a growing process and you’ve got to be better at all sorts of things. You grow as an artist. It’s a little bit of growing older and a little bit of just playing more.” BLIND BOY PAXTON is playing at Wick Studios for the Brunswick Music Festival on Thursday March 17.
MISOYA SAKE BAR
THE EDINBURGH CASTLE
If you’re looking to add a Japanese twist to your typical Sydney Road experience, you’re in luck. Ramen Misoya Sake Bar have opened their doors and menu to revellers, sharing both history and delicious miso with anyone that wants a quick bite during the Sydney Road Street Party. To understand the history behind Ramen Misoya Sake Bar, it’s important to know that the the owner and chef are from Hokkaido and Osaka Japan. In the comfy confines of Brunswick, they’ve created a restaurant offering miso ramen, composed of a thick miso soup made from free range chicken and fresh vegetable stock. There’s also a gluten free ramen option available. Plus, Ramen Misoya proudly use no additives such as MSG or sugar, opting instead to implement their own condiments to create naturally delicious flavours in the soup. The inclusion of egg noodles and fresh seasonal vegetables results in a ramen that is bound to please, and make you want to come back for more. You can also find crispy deep fried river prawns, gyoza, the dashi-maki (a traditional Japanese rolled omelette), plus delicious desert offerings such as Yuzu cheesecake, green tea pudding or tomato jelly. Order your noodles how you please, be it fried, paired with a dipping sauce or in a delicious broth. Misoya Sake Bar is conveniently located at 165A Sydney Road, making it the perfect spot for an enlivening meal in the midst of the Street Party festivities.
The Edinburgh Castle has earned a solid reputation throughout Brunswick. The area’s longest standing pub is well known as a great place to relax, unwind and knock down a cheeky brew or two. Serving a range of great food to locals along with delicious boutique beers and wine ,plus entertainment all through the week. The venue is also fitted with charming décor as well: the comfy beer garden is loved by locals, the ping pong table makes for a nice alternative to a pub pool table, and the open feel of the bar gives it a bright, welcoming atmosphere. What’s more, if you’re looking for a child and adult-friendly place to hang out during the Sydney Road Street party, the Edinburgh Castle is the place to be. They’re whipping out a Shrek themed jumping castle amongst other fun activities to keep the kids entertained and letting parents off the hook. As well as the bouncing castle, they’re also hosting face painting from Face Creations between 2pm-4pm, a recycled art workshop from Ben Taranto between 3pm-5pm, and live music from Entropy Quartet from 5pm onwards. They’re also chucking out cheap eats all day, and $15 jugs of Thunder Road for mum, dad, uncles and aunts or older brothers/sisters. If that doesn’t sound like a Shrektacular day for all, then you’ve clearly got the heart of an ogre. Get on down to the Edinburgh Castle at 681 Sydney Road from 2pm onwards during the Sydney Road Street Party.
165a Sydney Rd, Brunswick
PAGE 14 - BEAT MAGAZINE’S 2016 SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY GUIDE
681 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
9383-5694 i n f o @ e a s t b r u n s w i c k tat t o o s . c o m . au w w w. e a s t b r u n s w i c k tat t o o s . c o m . au BEAT MAGAZINE’S 2016 SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY GUIDE - PAGE 15
The B.East 80 Lygon St, Brunswick East
If you’re keen to escape to the sensory inundation, commotion and baby strollers of Sydney Road, then skip over to Lygon Street where the B.East are more than equipped to keep you entertained, boozed-up and well fed. These guys understand the principles of a good Sunday sesh: it’s arguably the finest day of the week to get boozey, but the tone of the revelry vastly differs from what you’d engage in on a Friday or Saturday. This Sunday (and in fact the first Sunday of every month until, well, forever) The B.East have enlisted The Horns of Leroy to turn to venue into a New Orleans Funk Factory. Chances are that any local lovers of Dixieland will already be well acquainted with The Horns of Leroy. The party-oriented brass band formed to enliven and add a touch of authenticity to a series of New Orleans street parties. Their purpose has subsequently expanded, but they’ve stayed faithful to the funk, soul and trad jazz that sparked their existence. Even without the music, the B.East is worth a visit for its food and drink offerings. Many of us have gotten to know their classic Filthy burger – a beef patty joined by homemade chilli paste and smoked jalapeno aioli. To fit the New Orleans theme, however, this Sunday you’d be best off grabbing a fried chicken po boy, and washing it down with a Havana Club Hurricane cocktail. After all, Sunday just isn’t Sunday without a mouthful of poultry and rum. It all begins at 1.30pm.
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY KING
RECORD PARADISE
WICK STUDIOS
15 union st, brunswick
23-25 leslie st, brunswick
Record Paradise are once again celebrating the Sydney Road Street Party by rolling out a corker of a lineup. Just slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the main strip you’ll find local champions of dole-core/punk, The Mighty Boys, who’ll unleash a performance as fiery as the end of your ciggies. They’ll be backed by King Choonga and Flow, along with local DJs keeping the vibe up all day long. Beyond this, Record Paradise are paying attention to all you crate digging record junkies by setting up a pop-up shop at the Barkly Square Laneway Party. Outside of chucking ripper parties each year for the Sydney Road Street Party, Record Paradise has been a staple of Melbourne’s independent music community since 1955. Operated by music lovers Paul Allen and Renae Maxwell, they’re proud to stock a huge selection of new release and reissued vinyl including local independent releases from amazing labels such as Homeless, Chapter, Mistletone, Poison City Records, Milk!, Aarght, Caroline, Inertia, Remote Control and many more. They also boast a strong range of CDs, DVDs and books as well as stylus and vinyl cleaning accessories. Local bands are always encouraged to drop Record Paradise a line, as they love to help out with either selling their releases or possibly launching it in their beautiful store. Check out Record Paradise’s party during the Sydney Road Street Party from 3pm-7pm at 15 Union Street.
After redeveloping itself as a cutting edge music hub, Wick Studios is chipping into the Brunswick Music Festival by hosting Blind Boy Paxton on Thursday March 17. A New York based artist who’s only in his 20s, Blind Boy Paxton has developed a reputation for transporting audiences back to the 1920s and making them wish they could stay there for good. Paxton croons out pre-war blues like a Fats Waller or “Blind” Lemon Jefferson reincarnate, all the while moving between banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion and the bones (percussion). He’s got an eerie ability to transform traditional jazz, blues, folk and country into the here and now, mesmerising audiences with his humour and storytelling. You can catch Paxton’s first Australian show live at the same time as Wick Studios premieres their performance space, cementing its status as one of Brunswick’s must-visit locations for musicians. With added office space, two recording studios, two live music venues, a full-size photographic and video studio along with 15 pristine and completely soundproofed rehearsal rooms equipped with top-ofthe-line technology, the owners deliver these facilities along with a single, important goal – to undermine the homogenisation of the music industry and give the power back to the bands that dare to challenge the norm. Catch both Blind Boy Paxton and Wick Studios’ performance space re-launch on Thursday March 17. Doors open at 8pm, tickets available from the Brunswick Music Festival website.
PAGE 16 - BEAT MAGAZINE’S 2016 SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY GUIDE
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snaps khokolat koated
club guide wednesday march 2 • COQ ROQ WEDNESDAY - FEAT: JENS BEAMIN + AGENT 86 + MR THOM + JOYBOT + BLABERUNNER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:30pm. • CURIOUS TALES - FEAT: DJ WHO + TIGERFUNK + TOM SHOWTIME + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • MODULAR DREAMIN’ FEAT: MZRIZK + BENNY BADGE Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. • REVOLVER WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: DANIELSAN + BUSON Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. thursday march 3
faktory
• 3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + SAM GUDGE + JESSE YOUNG + JAMES STEETH Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. • CAMPUS THURSDAYS Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • DISCO VOLANTE - FEAT: DELTIOD CURVE + THE MILKMAN + BOWANCE + YANI ARSENAKIS + BALTIMORE GUN CLUB Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • DJ SHAKEY MEMORIAL South Melbourne Market, South Melbourne. 6:00pm. • LOCAL MOTION - FEAT: BILLUS MOON + NELSON + DAN FABRIS + SENPOLO Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. • SQUARE SOUNDS FESTIVAL PRE PARTY - FEAT: CALAVERA + CAPTIVE RAPTORS + EMPRESS PLAY + MORE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 6:30pm. $10.00. • UPTOWN Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. • VARSITY - FEAT: PAZ + MATT RAD + PYZ Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. • WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. friday march 4 • #MASHTAG - FEAT: NUGEN + MALPRACTICE + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. • ÂME - FEAT: AME Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $33.00. • AVALANCHE CREW FEAT: DJ TURF + BEN RYAN Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • BASS MANIAC 2ND BIRTHDAY - FEAT: WARFACE + SPLINTA + PARALYZER VS EXCAVATOR + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $35.00. • CAN’T SAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • CIROQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • CITIZEN KAIN + MATT RADOVICH + SORCERESS + MOSKALIN
+ HANDSDOWN New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $20.00. • DANCE PARTY Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00. • DJ DUSTIN MCCLEAN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. • FABULOUS FRIDAYS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. $20.00. • FAKE TITS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + SUNSHINE + SAMMY LA MARCA + BUTTERS + ADAM BARTAS + JUNGLE JIM Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. • LUCK TRUCK FRIDAY DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: 99 PRBLMZ + CONGO TARDIS #1 + LITTLE LEAGUE BOUNCE CLUB Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • NINE SHORT LIVES - FEAT: FIN OD + HAMISH PAYNE + MICHAELIS + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + MR.GEORGE + MATT RADD + ASH-LEE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • PHIL GOOD FRIDAYS FEAT: PHIL K Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • RARE MOVE 002 - FEAT: THE BLACK MADONNA + CC:DISCO! + BROOKE POWERS + RARE MOVE DJS Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $25.00. • REVOLVER FRIDAYS & SUCKMUSIC - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + SAFARI + DOAKES + SUNSHINE + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm. • SEASONS OF CHANGE #19 - FEAT: J-RED + DJ WHO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. • SQUARE SOUNDS FESTIVAL (DAY ONE) - FEAT: CHIBI-TECH + SHIROBON + ROBERT PARKER + MORE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $36.00. • TECHNO TEMPLE - FEAT: DIAGRAM + KANZO + KAZUMA ONISHI + MORE Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • THE DISCO - FEAT: GREG SARA + LUKE MCD + JEN TUTTY + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • THE EMERSON CLUB FRIDAYS The Emerson, South Yarra. 3:00pm.
• DJ JESSE FULTONE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9:00pm. • DNM SATURDAYS FEAT: LUCIE M + BEC & SEBASTIAN + KIARA & KELLY + MORE Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. • ELECTRIC DREAMS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:00pm. $20.00. • GMS + GLO Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 10:00pm. $36.25. • HOT STEP - FEAT: 99 PROBLEMS + TIGER FUNK + SILVER FOX + ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. • IN THE CARRIAGE - FEAT: DJ JNETT Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 12:05am. • JOHN SNEDDON + PIKATUNES + GAMER Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00. • PLATFORM ONE SATURDAY NIGHTS Platform One, Melbourne. 9:00pm. • PONY SATURDAYS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • SEVEN SATURDAY DISCOTHEQUE Seven Nightclub, South Melbourne. 10:00pm. $20.00. • SLACK ANTICS - FEAT: TIMMUS + BROCK FERRAR + JIM WESTLAKE & FRIENDLY PETE Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • SPACEY SPACE Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 9:00pm. $15.00. • SQUARE SOUNDS FESTIVAL (DAY TWO) - FEAT: HARLEY LIKES MUSIC + ULTRASYD + CTRIX + MORE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $36.00. • TEXTILE SATURDAYS - FEAT: KODIAK KID + D’FRO + JENS BEAMIN Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • THE EMERSON CLUB SATURDAYS - FEAT: FAMILIAR STRANGERS + KIN + ANDY MURPHY The Emerson, South Yarra. 9:00pm. • THE HOUSE DEFROST FEAT: ANDEE FROST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. • TOMMY’S CLUB - FEAT: SCAT Matthew Flinders Hotel, Chadstone. 8:00pm. $10.00. • TRAMP SATURDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.
saturday march 5
sunday march 6
• ANDY PADULA Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • AUDIOPORN SATURDAYS - FEAT: LE ZOK + JAMES WARE + GREG SARA + TOM EVANS + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 9:00pm. $15.00. • CQ SATURDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.
• ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00. • BOP ART - FEAT: HAWAII + WHO + TIGERFUNK + MATT RADOVICH + LEWIS CANCUT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • DAYDREAMS Gasometer
Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm. • DJ THE KNAVE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8:00pm. • DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - FEAT: DJ NIGEL LAST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • GOOD TIMES - FEAT: MATT RADOVICH Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 3:00pm. • JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS + JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. • KENJI TAKIMI + MISTY NIGHTS + ANIMALS DANCING The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 3:00pm. $25.00. • LIFE’S A PEACH - FEAT: JAMIE VALE + STAKSI + WARSAWYER Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • PIKNIC ELECTRONIK FEAT: DUBFIRE + KEVIN SAUNDERSON + THE HACKER + KODE 9 + MORE Federation Square, Melbourne Cbd. 1:00pm. $15.00. • REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + T-REK + SILVERSIX Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am. • ROOFTOP SUNDAYS - FEAT: KHANH + KEN WALKER + JESUS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12:00pm. • THE SUNDAY SET FEAT: DJ ANDYBLACK + SHAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. • WAX ON WAX OFF Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. monday march 7 • CALL IT IN - FEAT: INSTANT PETERSON + DYLAN MICHAEL + ROBYN TREASURE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • MONDAY STRUGGLE FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm. tuesday march 8 • CARRIAGE 252 - FEAT: SALMON BARRELL Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • CUSHION TUESDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm. • OASIS TUESDAYS Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • VOICES IN THE ATTIC - FEAT: ANTHONY WP O’SULLIVAN + HANKERCHIEF THIEF Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.
urban club guide thursday march 3
RCEE + KAHLUA + DJ SHOOK + DJ ANGEL JAY Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • BOOTLEG RASCAL Baha Tacos & Tapas • FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE Bar, Rye. 8:00pm. SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, • HIP HOP KARAOKE Boney, Melbourne Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. • URTHBOY (THE PAST BEATS INSIDE ME • UPFRONT FRIDAYS - FEAT: THE TONGUE + THE PSYDE PROJECTS + LIKE A SECOND HEARTBEAT PREVIEW) SOL’ MANIC Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. 9:00pm. $25.00.
friday march 4
saturday march 5
• BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY - FEAT: DJ
• BOOTLEG RASCAL Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $15.00.
electronic - urban - club life
• KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. • RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ TIMOS + DJ KAHLUA + DJ ANGE M & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.
off the record with james di fabrizio “On my way to see my friends who lived a couple blocks away from me. As I walked through the subway, it must have been about quarter past three”
Earthcore Earthcore have kicked off their 2016 lineup with some of the most in-demand DJs and producers the world over. Topping the announcement comes Israeli psytrance duo LOUD alongside Chris Liberator, who will be making his first Australian appearance in four years. Elsewhere in the lineup comes Astral Projection, Ø [Phase], Bryan Kearney, Durs, Headroom, Ghost Rider, Miguel Bastida, Kaya Project, One Man Orchestra, Vaperror and more, with dozens yet to be announced. Earthcore 2016 will take place from Thursday November 24 - Friday November 28 in Pyalong, around an hour and a half out of Melbourne.
Piknic Electronik #8 Audiojack and Silversix will join Melbourne stalwart Boogs for the series’ eighth installment. Leedsbased DJ and production duo Audiojack – comprised of Richard Burkinshaw and James Rial –have played some of the world’s most respected clubs in Ibiza, Paris and Berlin. Melbourne’s own Silversix has grown in stature over the past few years, producing official remixes for Nile Rodgers, Booka Shade and José González. Piknic Electronik #8 will go down on Sunday March 6 at The Paddock of Federation Square. Tickets are available through Resident Adviser.
NO ZU Off the back of their second album, Afterlife, NO ZU have announced a run of national dates including a stop in Melbourne, this April. The Melbournebased octet dropped their record earlier this month, exploring themes including human beauty, body movement, belief systems and immortality. NO ZU will be taking their 16-legged percussive heat-beat machine to stages in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as Wollongong and Fremantle. In the lead up to the tour, the band will stopping through Golden Plains Festival and WOMAD. They’ll be hitting up Max Watt’s on Saturday April 23.
Inner Varnika Inner Varnika festival has revealed the final artist to round out their full international lineup. Topping the announcement comes London’s Throwing Shade, who has been gathering traction over the past five years with her world music inspired sets. Throwing Shade completes the international lineup, joining the likes of Jamie 3:26, Brian Not Brian, Lee Gamble, Vril, Mo Kolours and Sex Tags. Inner Varnika will run from Friday March 25 – Sunday March 27, with the last round of tickets available now.
45
Ibeyi
D eu x F ois
B y N ata l ie R ogers
“Come have a party with us,” cries Lisa-Kaindé Diaz, one half of the French-Cuban duo Ibeyi (pronounced ee-beyee). Over the last two years the Parisian twins have taken the music world by storm with their blend of Yorùbá folk songs and electronic R&B. The Diaz twins are in high spirits as they prepare to fly to Australia for the first time. “We can’t wait to meet everyone,” says Naomi Diaz (who is the elder of the pair by two minutes). The sisters say that this tour is a dream come true. “We’re really excited about it,” says Lisa-Kaindé. “We know that Australians are really cool people and there’s loads of nature, waves and sand – it will be beautiful.”
URTHBOY HEART TO HEART B Y D AV I D J A M E S Y O U N G
After two shows opening for The Roots at the end of 2013, Urthboy fell off the map. The same cannot be said for the man behind the mask, Tim Levinson, who kept up appearances as one of the heads of the Elefant Traks record label and as a dutiful father. However, while he was scheduling record releases and changing nappies, Levinson was planning big things for the next Urthboy release – so big, in fact, that he began to think he’d bitten off more than he could chew. “The record started in this really grandiose, hugely conceptual sort of way,” he says. “The original idea I had wasn’t even an album – it was going to be a string of five EPs, with each one covering the course of a decade. On each EP I was going to sample and utilise the sounds of each decade. I explored it. I did a copious amount of research and I had an endless pile of notes about things that happened in each decade. At the same time, I was struggling. I was suddenly trying to deal with newfound pressure on my time – my daughter, my work, my managing of other artists. As much time as I put into it, I felt like I was sinking into a quagmire of detail. Everything that I had compiled felt strictly academic. It lacked heart. It bored me.” How then did Levinson turn himself around and create the fifth Urthboy LP, The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat? Basically, a new willingness to digress from the initial concept set him on the right path. “I started writing freely, rather than academic or historically-accurate songs,” he says. “I was writing about the people in my life, I was writing about my family... the dam broke after that. I reached a point where I was finally able to compromise between what I had originally set out to do and where my writing had taken me. I wasn’t limiting myself anymore.” The new record takes its evocative title from a poem by Irish writer John Banville. It’s a substantive and wide-scoping album, ranging from the sombre distance of lead single Long Loud Hours to the defiant energy of Running Through These Flames and the spirited bop of Second Heartbeat. Levinson hooked up with a long list of collaborators to complete the record – including Sampa the Great, Bertie Blackman, Jane Tyrrell and Caitlin Park – and says he gained a great deal from the process. “I learn so much from a woman’s perspective. My mother and my sister have always held a huge influence over my growing up, and I like to bring that to raising my daughter as well. It’s the same when it came to people I wanted to work with. I knew I had to have people on board that would help this record stand the test of time. Sampa is pretty clearly one of the best MCs in Australia at the moment. Okenyo is at the very start of what’s going to be a very exciting career. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46
Jane Tyrrell is someone that I’ve always worked with. Bertie Blackman is someone who I have such a great affection for – you can only speak in superlatives about her any chance that you get. Caitlin Park makes these incredible records full of interesting pop music. Kira Puru is a diamond in the rough of Australian music. What more can you say about these women? They’re doing incredible things. They’re brilliant talents.” Levinson also says that working with people younger than him – such as Montaigne, who sings on Rubble of the Past, and MC B-Wise, who appears on Running Through These Flames – assists with getting a fresh perspective on his own creative process. “They’re really great artists, and they’re really open to working toward making the song the best that it can be,” he says. “I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are. It’s about coming to a track as equals. If you don’t treat young people with the respect that they deserve, then you’re missing out. There’s no simpler way to say it. You need to have people that reject previous generations in favour of their own evolution of ideas.” To coincide with the release of The Past Beats Inside Me, Levinson has two intimate launch shows in Sydney and Melbourne. At Northcote Social Club this Thursday he’ll showcase both the new material and a new, vocally-oriented live band, which he says sounds great. “It’s been a while since I was under those lights. I feel like I’ve been backstage and side of stage for so long, just watching from the wings as acts like Hermitude and Horrorshow have just shined so brightly. There’s an undeniable element of performing your songs live that makes the process feel whole, in a way. You can write songs and get a great buzz from doing something you haven’t achieved before, but if you don’t perform those songs it feels like a real missing piece. It’s like you’re incomplete. I’m so excited about getting out there and performing songs that mean something to people.” URTHBOY is playing at Northcote Social Club on Thursday March 3 with Okenyo. The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat is out on Friday March 4 via Elefant Traks/Inertia.
Ibeyi (which translates to twins in the Yorùbá language) may be new faces on the international stage, but don’t be fooled – they’re old souls with a rich musical ancestry and strong connection to their faith. Their self-titled debut album was released last year through XL Recordings. The album has lyrics sung in English and Yorùbá, which is a West African language brought to Cuba by slaves in the 1700s. “We learnt this language from our mother. When we were girls she would sing to us,” Lisa-Kaindé says. Their bond with their mother, FrenchVenezuelan singer Maya Dagnino, is strong. Their father, Miguel “Angá” Díaz, was also a musician before his death in 2006. Their oldest sister died in 2013, and their family ties (and tragedies) have become a source of inspiration for the 21-year-old twins. “We never wanted to be musicians before, even though music was a huge part of our lives. I wanted to be a music teacher for teenagers,”
Lisa-Kaindé says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be,” Naomi says, before Lisa-Kaindé adds, “Now we always say that life took us on that path. We were not expecting it at all.”
ILLY A FOUR LETTER WORD BY ADAM NORRIS
Who would have thought Illy would turn out to be such a survivalist? He has earned a respected place in the echelons of Aussie hip hop, often hailed as our intelligent rapper for songs that aren’t afraid to carry a political message or speak to some of the more troubling issues facing society today. In the lead-up to his first national tour in over a year, we lure the Melbourne muso out from his cave to hear what’s coming up next. “Man, I couldn’t even tell you what kind of day it is, because I haven’t been able to see outside,” he laughs. “I’m in the studio in a windowless room, in the belly of the beast here in terms of getting this album done, just trying to punch my way out. The last couple of weeks belong to the studio; we’re putting the finishing touches on the album now. I want to say the album will be out in April, but I’ve already said it would be out earlier and it still isn’t finished.” The gap since 2013’s Cinematic is the longest wait between Illy records to date. Not that Illy has been sitting idle all that B E AT.C O M . A U
time. There have been international tours, the running of his label OneTwo, and festivals galore. He also claimed an ARIA Award and has a gold-selling album under his belt. But despite these successes, there are still voices in the industry keen to take cheap shots. “It’s always going to be that way, but that’s rap,” he says. “Rappers always want to be the best. When you start rapping you need that; it gives you the confidence to get onstage with no real ability to sing and just say words over a beat. As far as I know, the criticisms I’ve got have never been from
Originally created as a homage to their father and sister, today Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi see their debut release as a celebration of hope. “I remember people used to ask us a lot about the message of our album or about what we were trying to say with it,” Lisa-Kaindé says. “All we could say was to have hope – that’s the most important thing for us,” Naomi says. “And the beautiful thing about music is having people connect to it,” says LisaKaindé. “For me, writing is really personal and I never thought those songs were going to be out in the world one day. So when I hear people say that our songs have helped them a little bit, even for two minutes, then that feels really nice. “In our songs we just talk about what’s going on in our lives, and talk about our pains and our joys. Making pain look and sound beautiful – that’s our goal.” An Ibeyi gig will no doubt be a sight to behold, with Lisa-Kaindé at the helm of a piano and Naomi slightly hunched over her cajón drum to produce the perfect rhythm. “When we play live, our music comes to life. We just want everyone to enjoy the party and come to our show.” See IBEYI at Max Watt’s on Thursday March 10 with Sampa The Great. Ibeyi is out now through XL Recordings.
people I consider peers.” Illy’s recently been trying to communicate his messages with more subtlety than in the past. “Swear Jar is a silly song, but with a serious message behind it about online abuse and about artists getting on their high horse and thinking they’re top shit. But I didn’t want it to be a preachy song. I find they can be cool to a degree, but they can also date really quickly. It’s a hard balancing act.” Swear Jar arrived last November, and in addition to promoting it through his current tour, Illy has banded together with mental health organisation Beyondblue to launch a campaign aimed at addressing the repercussions of cyber bullying. The concept even made its way onto the ARIA Awards red carpet, with artists at the ceremony last November donating dollars every time they dropped their favourite curse word. “Swear Jar came about after I’d been getting messages from a lot of people over the years, especially kids, saying one of my songs helped them through this or that. More than a few have said they’ve been having trouble with people at school or their workplace, and the songs really help. So I wanted to address that without giving these fuck heads who do this shit the satisfaction of a [serious song]. I wanted to do it in a stupid way so people can hear it and think, ‘Yeah, fuck these guys. They’re the losers.’ From that, reaching out to Beyondblue was a bit of a no-brainer. They do such good work with mental health, and with the song called Swear Jar, it’s not a far leap to fundraising.” Just as there are many young people out there hearing his music and finding ways of getting through times of struggle, there are just as many who have been inspired by Illy to start experimenting with hip hop. As Illy sees it, the genre is facing a unique evolution in Australia. “Even amongst myself, ‘60 and the Hoods, we’re all very different in our approach, but between us and the generation that’s coming up it’s totally different again. You can hear the influences are very different, and that’s reflected in the music.” ILLY is playing at Groovin the Moo, which goes down at the Prince of Wales Showground in Bendigo on Saturday April 30.
TAJ MAHAL
DOING WHAT TURNS HIM ON
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
When you’ve been around for as long as blues maestro Taj Mahal, not a lot fazes you. Taj Mahal has worked with a staggering list of musicians, including Ry Cooder, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, and The Roots, to name just a few. He’ll soon be on his way to Australia for Bluesfest, and he’s making the trip on his lonesome. “I’m used to setting up my own instruments,” he says. “Touring solo is nothing new. My son is 35 this year and he was one-year-old when I first started touring in 1978.” Taj Mahal was born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in Harlem, New York. He’s no stranger to Australian shores, last visiting in 2013. “It just means I travel 15 hours across the oceans to play.” You can detect a touch of frustration when Mahal talks about touring. “Getting from one place to another takes time,” he says, “but I make my living as a touring musician, and I have done for years. People don’t pay me to make my music; I do that anyway, travelling or not. I could be doing other things with my time. I’d like more time to write more songs than I do. People pay me to put up with the misery of travelling.” Mahal will perform four solo shows surrounding his visit to Bluesfest. Audiences can expect a fluid onstage approach. “Stuff happens on stage,” he says. “Every night when I go on stage I challenge myself. I always try to do something different. When you play music you always come up with something new. It magically appears on the horizon. No serious musician would play music if he didn’t feel like it; as soon he starts getting boring he should get off the stage. I’m not sitting here resting on my laurels. If I’m not doing something exciting on tour I
may as well stay at home and phone it in.” Mahal’s career dates back to the mid-‘60s. One wonders if there’s anything he still wants to try. “You think about it, modern music, it would take you a hundred lifetimes before you get to be able to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve,” he says. “I’m a fan of woodwinds and reeds, but I don’t play ‘em. That’s not my thing. But I know the guys that do. Strings are my next thing. Steel guitars are exciting, different types of ukulele, cuatros, mandolins, mandolas, fiddles – I yielded to the sound of a ukulele I really liked, with harmony strings. That’s the type of ukulele I want to play.” We ask Mahal about his creative process – is he prompted to write by images? Dreams? A feeling? Sounds? “All of the above,” he says. “I want to be open. The hardest part is to come up with something new. I didn’t do a lot of reaching out when I was younger. It was a long time before I could collaborate with anybody. I didn’t go to somebody else with some music I’d written and say ‘Hey, what can you do with this?’ I’m more open now to songwriting collaboration That’s kind of what’s different now.” Unlike many musicians who’ve been around since the ‘60s, Mahal isn’t dismissive of modern genres. “I like to listen to everybody. I’m a senior musician and I have no problem with rap. I have a problem with the content
STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES ON THE NOWHERE ROAD B Y A D A M N O RR I S
Steve Earle’s in New York where it’s a pleasantly chilled evening. His day has been happily put to bed, while outside in Australia the mercury is doing strange things to our heads. Weather forecasters are openly weeping on camera, and they say that out west the heat has gained enough momentum it will soon run for office. Still, best to get this upheaval out of the way before Bluesfest rolls around, when Earle and a vast cavalcade of music’s brightest descend on the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm. Yessir, there’s a change a’coming, but for the Southern troubadour, change is a constant. “The South is a good place to be from,” he says in a low drawl. “Though I don’t live there any more. I lived there until I was 50, and I’ve been in New York for the last 11 years. You know, I still have a house in Tennessee, and I spend some time in Texas. Though I feel more at home in the North, for a lot of reasons, most of which are political. The South was heading in a different direction when I was growing up there. Especially Texas. To me, Texas felt like it was heading towards being something like Southern California. I left in 1974, and it took this hard turn to the Right at some point, and
I don’t know what happened. Some of my friends blame it on me because I was so far to the Left [laughs], but I don’t think I’m that powerful. “It’s kind of frightening now, but it’s where the music comes from. American music was born in the South and you can’t deny that. Jazz, the blues, those are both very American art forms. But jazz and the blues, which rock’n’roll is based on, that led to our country music system. It all comes from the South.” There’s another distinctly American artform about which Earle is truly passionate: the
of some rap, and their thought processes, but in general I have an awful lot of respect for young people doing rap. They’re getting paid. These young people are brash and bold and they’re smart enough to get what’s due to them. “You have some powerful singers down there in Australia. Sia is wonderful. She sang Many Rivers to Cross and it was so good. She can improvise with a song that’s very constrained in its musicality. There’s good stuff happening everywhere, on every continent. Stay open and aware, and do what turns you on.” TAJ MAHAL is playing at Bluesfest, which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW. He’s also playing at Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday March 30.
Nick Cave: The Sick Bag Song W e K now W h o Y ou A r e B y A ugu s tu s W e l by
American book musical, that inimitable constant of Broadway. Although he now has 15 studio records to his name and is celebrated the world over for his rock, country and folk music, Earle’s enthusiasm for theatre is absolutely clear. “Theatre is very important to me,” he says. “I’m sitting in my living room looking at this coffee table with a glass top you can open, and it’s full to the top with play bills. I guess there’s easily around 200 of them in there now. I have musicals in development right now. One on my own, one with David Simon, who created things like The Wire and Treme. One is with the couple who wrote The Exonerated, which I was involved in. I’m doing music for a piece they’re doing about this mining disaster in West Virginia like ten years ago, and then also Richard Maxwell, who’s kind of the experimental playwright these days. I’m doing music for that and we’re performing it next week. So I’m pretty immersed in theatre when I’m not on the road.” There are at least two songs now in Earle’s catalogue – Warrior and The Tennessee Kid – that are written in iambic pentameter. Trepidatious as I am to ask something as naïve as where Earle gets his ideas, my slowly boiling blood emboldens me to ask something similar; how he determines which ideas fit which form? “Most things turn out to be songs, because that’s what I do the most and I’m best at. But there are some ideas that are too big for a song. I can fit a lot of stuff into a song, because I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I’ve written story songs that are almost more like prose than poetry, especially the songs I wrote in the beginning. But I’m prouder of the lyrics when I can flex those muscles a little bit. I’ve gotten better at it, and theatre helps with that. Theatre is about poetry.” STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES are playing Bluesfest, which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW. They’re also playing at Port Fairy Folk Festival from Friday March 11 – Monday March 14 in the village of Port Fairy, VIC. And they’re headlining the Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19. W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ elliptical and surreal Push the Sky Away LP came out in February 2013. Despite being Cave’s 15th album, it became the most successful of his career, topping the charts in eight countries. As a result the support tour took up the better part of two years, and for a period it felt like I was following them around. In early March I saw them in Austin, Texas, then over Easter at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway in Manhattan. By October I was in the UK and took a trip down to Brighton to see the Bad Seeds at the Brighton Dome on Jubilee Street. The show began with the song Jubilee Street, which reflects the fact that Brighton is Cave’s hometown. However, it was a rare trip home for the frontman during a loaded tour schedule. I next saw the band in December 2014 in Melbourne. Prior to coming Australia they completed a 22-date North American tour, which is when Cave composed The Sick Bag Song. It’s an unconventional tour diary containing surrealist poetry and in depth intertextuality. It incorporates elements of autobiography and confessional poetry, and presents drafts of song lyrics that Cave proceeds to critique. A recurring feature is Cave’s inquiry into the nature of memory and its relationship to identity. Specifically, the book starts with a memory of himself as a boy standing on a railway bridge. To avoid annihilation, he must take a plunge into the unknown. This becomes an allegory for the artistic process. As far as the particular memory goes, in March 2015 Cave told Vice’s John Doran, “[It’s] a true memory, as much as memories of these sorts of things can be true.” Whether or not memories can ever be regarded as true or fully accurate is one of the book’s central queries. However, perhaps the most revealing element of The Sick Bag Song – and what ultimately ties it all together – is the revelation of how being on tour distances Cave from his wife. In that same Vice interview he explained, “The idea of being on tour and having certain kind of anxieties about what’s going on at home becomes the engine of this particular book, because my wife isn’t answering the phone throughout this.” Throughout his 30-year career Cave’s been a characteristically enigmatic artist, frequently writing in character and about characters. But The Sick Bag Song partially dismantles the fourth wall to illuminate the isolating nature of life on tour. One can’t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude in seeing this man who many regard with mythical reverence exposing the fact that his marriage, like all marriages, goes through periods of instability. But how can we be sure The Sick Bag Song is in fact a work of confessional poetry? There’s every possibility that Cave’s again writing in character, or at the very least exaggerating the real life circumstances. In June 2015 he told The Guardian’s Tim Lewis, “It’s a character-driven story and
that character is on some level a literary invention that just happens to be an ageing rock star on the same tour I’m doing.” We shouldn’t get carried away presuming that The Sick Bag Song brings us any closer to the man behind the rock star mask, and in the end that’s not really the point. This epic poem isn’t just worthy of curiosity because a famous guy wrote it. It’s both funny and philosophically potent, occasionally prosaic and banal, and illustrative of vulnerability, while also containing avowals that being onstage transforms Cave into a deity. The title stems from the fact that Cave began writing the poem while he was on a airplane. Finding himself without a notepad, he grabbed a sick bag from the seatback pocket in front of him. His first intention was to write a song, but what came out required him to take a plunge into the unknown. “I have always had a terror of writing poetry,” he told Vice. “Once I’d realised that I was writing a poem, and the kind of strictures of writing a song – the economy of writing a song was lifted off me… it sort of opened the gates to something I hadn’t done before.” As the book proceeds, the sick bag becomes more than just an object onto which he records his thoughts. “Inside the sick bag is everything that I love and loathe,” said Cave during the Vice interview. “My influences and the people that I worship, in a way – the people that have had huge impact on me over the years.” Here we get to know what artists Cave values above all others – Leonard Cohen, John Berryman and Nina Simone among others. Though, they’re not referenced in an act of glorification, but rather to explicate the concrete impact their artistry has had on Cave’s outlook. If you want to believe you’re getting to know Nick Cave on a more intimate level, then The Sick Bag Song will provide plenty of clues to convince you. But it’s not simply a self-centred letter to the fans – Nick Cave’s got too much imagination for that. The Sick Bag Song by Nick Cave is available on Tuesday March 1 via Text Publishing (hardcover) and Canongate (paper back). BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 47
MELISSA ETHERIDGE
STILL BRAVE, STILL CRAZ Y
BY ADAM NORRIS
Alright, be honest, who out there hasn’t imagined that fateful moment when the envelope is opened, your name is called, and you bound onstage to accept your Oscar? Whether you’re a teacher, tradie, or two-time Grammy Award-winning artist, it’s a fun fantasy, and for most of us that’s where the dream ends. But with the dust from this year’s Academy Awards still settling, Melissa Etheridge remains amazed at her 2007 win for Best Original Song. As her This Is M.E. tour unfolds across the country, she ponders the shape of her blues-rock past.
THE CAT EMPIRE THE RISING SUN
BY SETH ROBINSON
For more than 15 years, The Cat Empire have been an inescapable feature of the Australian music scene. They probably hooked you with the catchy singles Hello and The Car Song, or maybe you were late to the party and only caught on with last year’s Wolves. Either way is fine, because these guys aren’t going anywhere. To kick off 2016, The Cat Empire have announced their seventh studio album, Rising With The Sun, complete with an accompanying tour. Beat tracks down frontman Felix Riebl to speak about the new album, upcoming tour and what it means to be in a band nobody can put their finger on. “We didn’t rehearse this album, which I think was an awesome decision in the end,” he says. “In the past we’ve spent months in pre-production. This time we didn’t do that at all. A lot of the songs were actually written in the studio. We’ve played so much together as a band, and our sound has evolved from what used to be a collection of ideas to a sound that the band has inherently now. It has a real freshness.” The Cat Empire are known for their stageshaking live shows, and Riebl makes it clear that Rising With The Sun was created with exactly that in mind. It’s an ode to the festival stage, the fans, and the world we live in. “It helps having played on so many festival stages, because I can draw on that for the band,” he says. “I can imagine, ‘This is what I want to feel on stage or this is the uplift I want for this chorus,’ and write with that audience in mind. These are songs I love. Bulls, because it’s so immediate; Creature as well, because it’s really light hearted; but the song I’m most attached to emotionally is Bataclan, which is written about a venue that we played at many times. I was really cut by what happened in Paris. To write a song about that is important, because that’s so much the world we’ve lived in. I think that song’s going to perform well onstage. For me it’s a chance to really sing about what we do.” Rising With The Sun was recorded in two blocks over the course of 2015, with production split by a European tour, which added more spice to the album’s live flavour. “Each night is its own kind of world in itself,” Riebl says. “Whether it’s in Australia, Europe, or even India where we just played for the first time. Each night is its own community. There are differences in every country though. In Spain people go absolutely mad pretty quickly, whereas in a country like Switzerland you might need to work a little harder to get that kind of enthusiasm. Australia is great. It’s our home. A lot of the music has been written here and played to these audiences first of all. Overall though, it definitely comes down to the night, and the people in the room.” BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 48
The Cat Empire’s greatest achievement could be that their fanbase doesn’t just spreads across hemispheres, but across generations. Many of the Rising With The Sun tour dates are all ages, which is a necessity for Riebl. “I doubt the band would still be around if our fanbase didn’t continue to become younger, and older; honestly everything at once. It’s a really nice feeling to go into a room and have people who know you from your first album, but at the same time it keeps it fresh knowing the albums are crossing over generations. That keeps our enthusiasm strong. It’s different to feeling like you’re becoming a nostalgic band, and that only. I think if that was the case, it would be time for the band to finish. “The great thing about having a new album is that you can play the new stuff, and give some new life to the old stuff as well. We’re putting a lot into this tour. The production is going to be bigger than anything we’ve done before.” More than anything, Rising With The Sun is a celebration of The Cat Empire and the community that supports them. “The atmosphere comes from the people, and as long as we continue to be a band that noone can quite put their finger on or describe in terms of a genre or style, people are going to keep being a part of the music. “For me, it’s about the fact that everyone in the room that night doesn’t necessarily belong to any country. It’s not about any one genre or style, it’s about people being part of the music as we perform it. That’s our legacy, and we’ve been around long enough now to realise it. We’ve surpassed what I imagined the band might do, so it’s been incredible to sit back and just be surprised by what might happen. It’s nice to look up, as opposed to always looking down.” See THE CAT EMPIRE at Bluesfest, held Thursday March 24 until Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW, and on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28 at Forum Melbourne with support from Bombay Royale. Rising With The Sun is out on Friday March 4 via Two Shoes Records.
“When I was growing up in Kansas, I always watched the Academy Awards. They were it, the epitome of awards. I’d have these dreams of standing there, thanking the Academy, that beautiful, iconic moment. I knew that they only had the one original song category, and boy did I want to win that. So when Al Gore asked me to do [I Need to Wake Up from An Inconvenient Truth], he just said if I could write a song for his ‘slide-show.’ I was really only expecting it would be shown in high schools and that would be it. So when I realised it was becoming this very large thing, it was amazing to have this experience of getting nominated, to then sitting there having John Travolta say your name. And there it is. Getting up you just think, ‘Holy cow. There’s Robert DeNiro, there’s Meryl Streep. There they are, and here I am, and this is crazy.’ ” It was an unexpected accolade for the respected musician, but then, that is really what fuels her fire; following unfamiliar paths, and searching for new means of expression. In 2002 Etheridge released her autobiography; though by her own admission a second volume is now warranted,
since she has since survived a serious breast cancer diagnosis, married her partner Linda Wallem, had children, and released nine more albums. “Well, that is the key. To keep that energy going,” she says. “Success is not about reaching some place, because then it’s game over and there’s nothing left to do but die. Success to me is to keep evolving, to keep creating, keeping thinking differently, keep questioning. Keep reaching for something that makes you better or different. There’s also
PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL 40 YEARS YOUNG BY GRAHAM BL ACKLEY
At last year’s Port Fairy Folk Festival legendary singer/ songwriter and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie delivered an electrifying performance that displayed her boundarystretching musical prowess and fiery social conscience. The goosebump inducing experience created by a maverick singer in her 70s encapsulated all that’s great about the Port Fairy Folk Festival. Despite its venerable status, Port Fairy continues to embrace musical diversity while remaining as vital and exciting as ever. With the 40th anniversary just around the corner Beat caught up with festival director Jamie McKew to chat about the event’s colourful past, present and future. “In May 1977 I restarted the Geelong Folk Music Club,” McKew says. “That got off to a flying start. Later that year I suggested to our little group, ‘Let’s start a festival’ They said ‘Yeah. Good. Where?’ and I said ‘Port Fairy’ as I had been going to Port Fairy since I was a tiny kid. I was probably conceived there. I knew some people down there who knew how to do a bit of organising. I went down and said, ‘We want to start a festival’ and they said, ‘Yeah, what will you need?’ I said, ‘I need a couple of halls and a couple of parks.’ I got some help from the Melbourne Folk Club people who had been involved in national B E AT.C O M . A U
folk festivals in the past, so we had a bit of knowledge of how to get things done.” Happily for McKew and his colleagues the first festival proved to be a success. “We had a good weekend really,” he says. “Tickets were only $4. We took in about $1,000, which paid the bills. We thought, ‘OK, let’s do it again.’ ” In the last four decades countless festivals have bloomed and then withered, but the Port Fairy Folk Festival has gone from strength to strength and has become an internationally acclaimed drawcard for music fans and performers. According to
nothing like children to completely spin your world around. I mean, I was a gay rock star. Back when I was much younger, it wasn’t a possibility, really. In that world I just couldn’t comprehend a gay family, or gay marriage; back then in my 20s. It’s the moving forward that makes the music interesting.” Etheridge cut her teeth in the music world at an early age. After picking up a guitar at eight, her teenage years were spent playing in country music groups before hitting the bar circuits of Boston and then LA. Although it would take until 1983 to find mainstream success, her seminal years playing rowdy audiences and slowly developing a fanbase are never far from her thoughts these decades later. “Especially when I do my solo show, I’ll sometimes sit down at my piano and it always makes me feel like I’m back in a piano bar again. But if it wasn’t for those club days, I wouldn’t be the kind of performer I am now. I wouldn’t feel so comfortable doing it. I’m so grateful for that. But you know, I’m also grateful that there aren’t people smashing pool cues over each other’s head in the crowd now, too. You could always look straight out and see everybody there. But I still absolutely think about those days, and what they were like.” MELISSA ETHERIDGE is playing at Bluesfest, held Thursday March 24 until Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW, and at the Palais Theatre on Wednesday March 30.
McKew, the festival’s success and longevity is down to several important contributing factors. “It doesn’t hurt that it’s a really beautiful place to go down and visit,” he says. “It doesn’t hurt that it’s a long weekend and it’s a great time to escape Melbourne. As you are building a program you get a feel for acts that are going to really hang together well. I spend probably three months at least just getting the program into shape. That’s part of it. It’s a community not-for-profit festival and I think this is one of the most powerful things. It’s [also] the effort we put into great venues. Right from the start I was mad keen when I ran the folk club [to have] people listen to the music and it’s kind of become a culture at the festival. “It is a listening audience. That’s brilliant for the acts as it’s a great place to put your music across. We strive to have really great sound production so that you can get the best out of the musicians and get the best experience for the audience as well. The community has embraced the festival since the early days. All of the volunteers and construction crews [work] really hard. It’s got tremendous community spirit.” The festival has had a beneficial impact on Port Fairy and the surrounding areas. As McKew says, “It builds community. Financially, we put money back into the community. It’s a great example of an artistic event supporting the economy and the liveability of the community as well as building the culture of the community. It has made the town a really great, strong and thriving place. It’s a healthy community.” The musical treats on offer for the upcoming 40th anniversary include Mary Black, Shooglenifty, DakhaBrakha, The Mastersons, and Luka Bloom. There will be other attractions such as “lantern parades” and “40 huge flags installed, flying in the wind, actually made by local volunteers. “Bob Dylan’s song Forever Young has become a little bit of a theme of the festival. Sure, we are 40 but our attitude is to remain forever young. That’s my attitude too.” PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL celebrates its 40th anniversary from Friday March 11 – Monday March 14 in the village of Port Fairy, VIC. The lineup features Archie Roach, Greg Champion, Cedric Burnside Project, Songhoy Blues and more.
JANIVA MAGNESS THE WINNER IS LOVE
BY TEGAN REEVES
The interview with Janiva Magness doesn’t get off to the greatest start after my Australian pronunciation of her name comes off more like ‘Geneva’ instead of the correct ‘Jenn-e-vah’. Graceful as ever, Magness laughs it off, proving herself to be the personable character that her music so vividly portrays. The past year has been a busy one for Magness, nearing the completion of recording her 12th studio album, maintaining a substantial touring schedule and earning the title of Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year at the US Blues Music Awards.
BLACKBERRY SMOKE NOT HOLDING BACK
BY SHAUN COWE
Blackberry Smoke are a hard act to pin down. With the long, unruly hair and ‘70s stonewash aesthetic of Almost Famous extras, the band have been hailed as the future of Southern rock. Though, it’s an accolade the Atlanta, Georgia five-piece don’t quite know what to do with. Frontman Charlie Starr speaks to Beat about the band’s evolution of style, as well as their upcoming appearance at the Byron Bay Bluesfest. “The band just sounds the way that it does purely by happenstance,” says Starr. “The first time we plugged in together we knew the kind of music we were going to make because that’s just the kind of guys we are. “Obviously our love of music goes deeper than Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers – who we love dearly – but we never really decided we’re going to fly this flag. We’re just a rock’n’roll band from Georgia.” As for being hailed as the future of Southern rock, Starr’s as indifferent to the title as he is to those who call Blackberry Smoke revivalists. For him, the band’s ethos is to live and let live. This focus on the music underpinned Blackberry Smoke’s transition from their grittier early work to the sound of the 2015 studio album, Holding All the Roses. “The fans that appreciate our music, if they get something from that then great. We are that band, but we’re not revivalists or a throwback band or anything like. We’re just five guys playing our music. For instance, we wouldn’t make a very good punk band.” Holding All the Roses is a uniquely formed album that came out this time last year. Blackberry Smoke’s recording style has historically been an attempt to capture the band’s live sound, from the southern bar feel of their 2004 debut Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime to the band’s 2012 breakthrough The Whippoorwill. However, Starr says Holding All the Roses was made for headphone listening, and producer Brendan O’Brien helped push the band in this direction. “He and I agreed that The Whippoorwill, our previous album, was just us playing live and it was under-produced. We love it of course, but we’d just made that record and we don’t like to repeat ourselves. We always record together; playing live, if you will, while recording. But you can try in vain for years trying to capture real, live energy in the studio. It’s nigh impossible, you know? I think we started to understand it’s two completely different things.” Blackberry Smoke actually cut their teeth as a live band. Starr believes the band’s ability to reinforce their fanbase around the world through touring has played an integral part in their 16-year longevity. “Play in front of as many people as possible,” he says. “Unless you have a huge radio hit in your pocket, I would say playing every club from west coast to east coast is the plan. When we started Blackberry Smoke we bought a van and a trailer and loaded up our ramshackle gear pretty much constantly.
That’ll drive you kind of crazy, when you’re not making much money and everybody wants to go home. But then you find your rhythm and get in to it. [But] keeping a van together is quite a challenge.” The success of the band’s last two albums has allowed Blackberry Smoke to tour around the world, reaching the European circuit and now Australia. When asked about why Southern rock and Americana are so favourably received in Australia, Starr says it’s to do with the instinctual significance the music has with the middle classes. “I think that kind of music resonates with so many people because it’s so honest. It comes from the blues, jazz and hillbilly country music; those kinds of music resonate. It hits people where they live. It’s nostalgic, not only musically but it reminds people of the good times and bad times and home.” Speaking of nostalgia, Starr sees the internet as a changing force in kids’ appreciation for music. Starr believes his own children’s relationship with music is too ephemeral; there’s no tension and release anymore. “We all turn into our dads at some point. I was trying to explain to my oldest son, that I would spend months searching for some record or cassette that wouldn’t be readily available the way music is today. Once I finally found it after searching record stores, modern pop stores, flea markets, whatever, the wait to get home was thrilling. Instant gratification is the name of the game these days and I think there was something to be said for the anticipation of finding something you’d really yearned for.” Regardless of the changing of the tides, Blackberry Smoke’s future direction remains a point of curiosity. Starr sees the vocal-driven, stylistically diverse country feel of Holding All the Roses to be a sign of maturity. “Writing songs for me now, I’ve got a pretty good idea what the songs are going to sound like as they’re being written.” As for Bluesfest, Starr’s looking forward to the visit. “I hope we can make a lot of new fans. I know that Byron Bay festival is full of great music and I’m looking forward to checking out the bands that are there and just checking out Australia.” BLACKBERRY SMOKE are playing at Bluesfest which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW.
“I am always honoured to be nominated for Blues Music Awards,” she says. “That’s the fifth one of those that I’ve won, and it’s still equally as exciting as the first time. It’s such a huge honour to be held up for that nomination and that win, especially when I’ve been so busy finishing up my latest record. There’s always a tremendous amount of decisions and deadlines – it’s crunch time at the moment. I’ve really been focused on getting this record done.” Magness found fame relatively late in life, releasing her first album More Than Live at the age of 34. It wasn’t until her sixth LP, 2004’s Bury Him At The Crossroads, that she was signed to a label and began to gain some recognition for her work. The Detroit singer expresses gratitude for finding fame later in life. “I think I have a different perspective in what fame really is,” she says. “I wouldn’t say I’m a terribly successful person and apparently I’m getting some level of fame later in my career, and I’m grateful for that, and I’m grateful for the timing of that because I think I’m a lot calmer than I used to be. Consequently, because I’m older, I think it’s more natural for me to take things
in my stride.” Fame isn’t something that most musicians find easy to talk about, and Magness is hesitant to admit that she’s achieved it, but shares an anecdote that might suggest otherwise. “I had a very fun thing happen today. I was on the phone to a customer service agent, a lovely young man who went by the name Hermann from Mumbai, India, and he was verifying the spelling of my name. So I spelt it out for him, and he said to me, ‘That’s so funny, you have the same name as this singer.’ And [I said], ‘Who’s that?’ and he replied to me, ‘A blues singer – Janiva
TWILIGHT SOUNDS
COMMUNITY IDYLL B Y B E L R YA N
Banyule’s favourite music event Twilight Sounds has become known as a night of first-class local music, delicious food and chilled out vibes. It’s all set in the picturesque setting of Sills Bend on the Yarra River. This year’s edition is almost upon us, so Beat caught up with organiser Jacqui Ratcliffe to find out what it’s all about. “I’m the Festival Director at Banyule City Council,” she says. “I’ve been working on Twilight Sounds for three years now – and I think this year is shaping up to be our best yet.” Twilight Sounds is an all ages event, with the focus on harvesting a sense of community. “We put a lot of effort into ensuring that the festival is accessible to everyone,” Ratcliffe says. “We make sure that the musical acts we choose are family-friendly and we aim to create a vibe that is relaxed and welcoming. We have free activity for kids called the Trash Test Orchestra, where kids can make a musical instrument out of recycled materials to take home. We also have the amazing Anna Go-Go coming W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
along to teach festival goers some simple boot scootin’ dance moves in between acts. The timing of the festival is also great for families as we don’t finish too late.” In addition to fostering a family-friendly atmosphere, the event makes a solid effort to look after the surrounding environment. This year punters are encouraged to take part in the Nude Food Picnic; an initiative that seeks to minimise waste and pollution to the area. “Nude Food is an initiative of the council’s
Magness.’ Then I told him that was me and he was completely gobsmacked.” Magness has a strong relationship with her fans. In mid-2014, she posted an open letter, starting with the words: “I have been blessed with a wonderful career as a blues artist, but lately I’m a bit of a basket case.” The letter went on to give reasons for her departure from Alligator Records and the decision to release her first album made up of entirely original tracks. “I did three records with Alligator Records over the course of six years, and they’re a fantastic label and a magnificent family and I’m very grateful for the time I spent with them,” she says. “But ultimately it was time to move on. I would have never been able to release [2014 album] Original with them. I had to do it completely autonomously, and it turned out to be the right move, but it was definitely a leap of faith. It was very stressful, it was very exciting, but there is no question in my mind that it turned out to be the right move.” Magness is clearly looking forward to travelling around Australia this March, which will coincide with the release of her new album Love Wins Again. “We’re going to be debuting the new record at Bluesfest in Byron Bay. It comes out late March and it’s got quite a heavy Australian connection on it – I collaborated with a few Australian songwriters. I’m really excited.” JANIVA MAGNESS performs at Bluesfest 2016, which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW.
environment team,” Ratcliffe says. “We want to encourage festival goers to think about minimising waste at the festival and respect the beautiful natural environment Twilights Sounds is set in. We’re asking people to bring along their picnics in reusable containers for a chance to win a great prize pack from Nude Food Movers.” The lineup for this year’s Twilight Sounds includes acts Jordie Lane, Jemma & The Clifton Hillbillies, The Stetson Family and Dougal James and the Sunken Sea. “Choosing artists for the event is always tricky because we have such a wealth of amazing local artists in Melbourne. If time allowed we could’ve programmed a whole day of sensational folk and alt-country performers. All the acts are going to be great, but I am extra excited to boot scoot to the sounds of The Stetson Family. They have such an infectious classic country sound that I reckon will be impossible not to dance along to.” Residents of the area play a vital role in deciding which musical acts make the final cut. “We always consult with our local community to see what genre of music and acts they are interested in hearing at the event. We also have a great festival advisory committee who help with scouting and recommending musical acts.” Twilight Sounds has gained momentum over the years and once again PBS FM will broadcast the entire event live. Though, for those lucky enough to attend, the night promises to be an experience like no other. “The idyllic surrounds of Sills Bend, which is located on a bend in the Yarra River amidst parklands, make a truly unique place for a music festival – it’s like being transported to the bush in the middle of Melbourne’s suburbs. Mayor Craig Langdon says, ‘As the sun sets over the trees, it’s great to see music lovers of all ages settle in for the night, bringing picnics or sampling the variety of food from onsite food trucks.’ We believe it’s this mix of beautiful natural surroundings, first class musicians, and laid back atmosphere that make Twilight Sounds such a unique experience.” TWILIGHT SOUNDS takes place on Saturday March 19 at Sills Bend in the Warringal Parklands, Heidelberg. The event is free and kicks off at 6pm. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 49
ALVVAYS
FROM SERENDIPITY TO SELF SUFFICIENCY
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
Molly Rankin comes from a large family of performers. In recent years, however, she’s moved away from The Rankin Family’s country/folk sound to claim indie pop’s next big thing status as lead singer of the band Alvvays. Based in Toronto, Alvvays are something of an accidental band. The lineup of Rankin, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan, guitarist Alec O’Hanley, bassist Brian Murphy, and drummer Phil MacIsaac all knew each other as kids. However, “We never thought we’d be a band,” says Rankin.
DMA’S
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
DMA’s, aka Tommy O’Dell, Johnny Took and Matt Mason, are renowned for their casually cool demeanour, on and off the stage. Nevertheless, with their emotive lyrics and hearty garage pop sound, the Sydney boys have caused quite a stir. Two years after releasing their selftitled EP and countless shows later, DMA’s have released their debut album, Hills End. “It’s made a big difference for us after touring for nearly two years on the back of like five songs” says Took. “It’s nice being able to make a setlist and know that people are going to recognise a certain amount of songs.” As expected, the laidback lads make no attempt to entice their listeners and instead, adopt a take-it-or-leave-it kind of attitude. “The songs are all very honest and very real,” Took says. “If you like it and connect to it, then that’s mad. We hope you do. If you don’t, go listen to something else.” The album contains a couple of DMA’s earlier works. With the emotional depth of Delete and the power of Play It Out, the record pays homage to the boy’s initial release. “We thought it was important for two of our earlier tunes to be on the album,” Took says. “Even though we’ve done fine in Sydney, we also felt like more people needed to hear these songs and that they could be given another chance. We didn’t want them to go under the radar and become a nothing song.” In addition, Hills End also features So We Know, previously released as a 7”. “We rerecorded it and added drums,” says Took. “We recorded it while we were in London, which was a great experience.” Recording the remainder of the record between a garage studio space and Took’s inner-city bedroom, the boys seem relatively unaffected by their recent success. “We did the bones of the record in Coogee, drums, bass and rhythm guitars,” he says. “Pretty much all the creative stuff, most of the electrics and the vocals were all recorded in the apartment. If you heard the original takes that we tried to do in the studio, it just didn’t really feel like us and we didn’t feel comfortable. The sound of that room is a big part of the DMA’s sound.” Having released the album, they’ll swiftly be heading back to the UK and the US. DMA’s are no strangers to the various challenges that come from being on the road. “We don’t argue but there’s a lot of early starts and we are exhausted a lot of the time” says Mason. “The truth is, after you’ve been in a car for six hours and then set up for a gig, you just kind of feel like eating or having a beer, you don’t really feel like writing,” adds Took. However, through the use of a homemade demo-recording device, the lads are ready to BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50
record on the road like never before. “We’ve set up pretty much a recording studio in a briefcase, so Mason and I are going to try to get into the habit of demoing properly,” says Took. “I want all the stuff we record on the new demos to be at a high enough quality so that we could potentially use them on the second record. That’s how you get the cool and creative stuff, when you’re not thinking of making records, you’re thinking of sounds.” Hills End sees the DMA’s arrangements diversifying, with the use of unconventional instruments evident on many of its tracks. The record features a dobro, mandolin and a Guzheng. “It’s like a Chinese piano,” Mason says. “I bought it from an antique shop years ago, we tuned it up and I played it in one of the songs [In The Moment]. I recorded about 20 takes and then cut them up to make a little melody.” While the guys won’t bring all of these elements to the stage, Mason ensures that “you can emulate the sounds with a guitar.” As opened-minded as ever, the boys don’t know what’s to come for the DMA’s sound. “I think we’re still working it out,” Took says. “It’s going to depend on what we’re into, but I think we are pretty excited to push it as far as possible and experiment as much as possible.” Agreeing with his bandmate, Mason says, “We will probably just wait and see what other songs we write in the next ten months or so.” With a potential move on the horizon, Took says that while, “Sydney will always be home… we’ve thought about somewhere like LA, where we can get a decent size house and build the studio that we want to build. I think we are going to keep [producing] ourselves, but with no mattresses in the room.” Hills End by DMA’s is available now via I Oh You. See them at the Corner Hotel on Saturday June 11, Sunday June 12 and Monday June 13.
But after Rankin released a solo EP, the group of high school friends from Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island formed Alvvays. In 2014 they released their selftitled debut record, and the world has fallen in love. Having made waves at the Glastonbury, FYF and Reading festivals, and successfully toured the US and UK alongside the likes of Belle and Sebastian, Real Estate, and The Decemberists, Alvvays are all set to become huge. Not that they’re desperate for massive fame. “We wouldn’t want that,” says Rankin. “I’d be wearing a wig over my face or something every time I went out. I don’t think that will happen.” Rankin is actually somewhat bemused by their success. “It’s hilarious for us,” she says. “Though we have worked really hard, we never expected our work to come to anything. Maybe if you expect nothing, things work out.” Alvvays are noted for their sweet, clean sound awash with waves of melancholy. How would Rankin describe their music? “I just say we are guitar pop. Sometimes I say we are wistful guitar pop,” she says. “I get bogged down with jargon, with all the ways to describe current categories of bands. If you’re crossing the US border then whatever you say sticks. I just say we sound like the Cranberries. It is what it is.”
While she jestingly references the Cranberries, Rankin’s musical influences are little more left of centre. “When I got to age 20 I really got into the Replacements, the Smiths, Camera Obscura, Stereolab. I was consciously trying to influence my music based on stuff I was listening to.” Things took off for Alvvays when the five moved to Toronto, a decision forced on them by the practicalities of living in such a vast country (Australian regional bands can surely relate). “Toronto’s quite far from where we grew up on the east coast
TONIGHT ALIVE
THERE IS NO LIMIT BY ROD WHITFIELD
When you think of pop rock, a certain sound and style immediately springs to mind. Sydney’s Tonight Alive are generally classed as a pop rock or pop punk band, but their sound is full of surprises, especially on the excellent new album Limitless. It’s an appropriate title, as they haven’t confined themselves to what most people would consider a pop rock sound. They’ve spread their musical wings on Limitless, yet it’s unlikely to alienate the evergrowing fanbase they’ve built up over the last eight years. Singer Jenna McDougall and guitarist Whakaio Taahi joined us at a café in South Melbourne to chat about the expansive new sounds explored on their third album. “That’s my favourite stuff,” Taahi says. “I love the epic, spacious thing. A big influence that I’ve been listening to a lot is movie scores and soundtracks. I really got into a lot of Hans Zimmer’s stuff and I delved into how he did his stuff, and that was a huge influence on a lot of the music. I wanted to do it differently this time.” B E AT.C O M . A U
Tonight Alive took their time with the writing and recording of this album, which also had a strong impact on the way it sounds. “I think it’s so varied because it was over a period of two years that we wrote this,” Taahi says. “So it’s like a snapshot of the best of those two years.”. “We stand by everything we recorded, everything we wrote,” McDougall says. “Having been the people that were on that journey and facing the challenges and facing the expectations from ourselves and from the people we
of Canada,” Rankin says. “We had been doing a bunch of shows, and seemed to be driving such a great deal of distance to New Brunswick and Quebec. It would take six months of work just to play a gig to about six weird people. That never panned out so we said, ‘We should probably stop driving.’ Things started changing. We made our only record and that’s when everything started to sound like a band.” Everyone has their own way of going about creating music. Rankin lets us in on her creative method. “A lot of the time I’ll have a melody and I work on it in my head, push through and develop it. I start with a few words of a story or an image – something I’ve been dreaming of, something I’ve read. I show the song to Alec, I tell him what I’m trying to do, then we decide whether it deserves a few days of scrutiny and effort. If not we throw it away. If so we work on it for a few days and that’s it. I throw stuff at the band and then it’s seeing what sticks after three days. “It’s a ton of work; we are spending a lot of time writing. I play the guitar and that’s an easy way to create my own ideas by exploring, seeing whatever’s going to come out next. Our last record was a really concentrated effort.” ALVVAYS are playing at Northcote Social Club on Sunday March 6, and they’re supporting The Jesus and Mary Chain at Forum Melbourne on Monday March 7.
surround ourselves with, the journey was what made the record what it is. This will be the next phase.” “I’m excited,” Taahi adds. “Every single song has a purpose. It’s on there for a certain reason, whether that be lyrics or just the mood of the album. I don’t think we could have done it any other way.” Fans will get to hear and enjoy the album when it lands this weekend. However, as with most releases, it’s difficult to gain a clear appreciation of what the band went through to arrive at the finished product. Tonight Alive went through a truly gruelling and soul-searching two years as they prepared Limitless, and this had a monumental impact on the strength and variety of the album. “Those first nine days in the studio just turned our lives upside down,” McDougall says. “We tore the songs apart and tore us apart as people too. But what it taught us to do was converse with our instruments. We were talking to each other with what we were playing, complementing each other with our parts. Nobody was competing any more. There was no repetition, there was no two guitars strumming the same thing, there was no two rhythms that were the same. Every instrument learned how to use its voice.” The album’s lyrics are autobiographical and reflect the cathartic process the band went through in bringing the album to fruition. “The lyrics are about the personal choice that went into the whole thing, to do this for our own happiness,” McDougall says, “and to make sure that this record, if it became successful, it was on our own terms. It was kind of a looking myself in the eye moment, and I think I got the purest expression of myself and our band with those lyrics.” The band have a list of tour dates longer than their arms stretching out ahead of them, including some less well-trodden paths on the world touring circuit. However, you can rest assured that they will do at least one Aussie run on the Limitless world tour. TONIGHT ALIVE’s new album Limitless is out on Friday March 4 via Sony Music.
CORE
PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP with EMILY KELLY ek1984@gmail.com
The 131’s are the fresh new four-piece formed by former King Cannons frontman Luke Yeoward and they’ve announced a new song This Ain’t Culture and an Old Bar residency for Sundays in March. See them this Sunday March 6 with The Controllers, No Class and DJ Mohair Slim for a taste of what they’re up to. The Go Set have announced their latest string of tour dates on the back of their
CRUNCH
new album Rolling Sound. Ever the hard workers, The Go Set will play Barwon Club on Friday April 22 before returning to Melbs to play The Tote on Sunday April 24. Tickets are up for grabs now if you want to guarantee a rollicking night out.
A Wilhelm Scream Australian tour as national supports. The Perth-based punk rock staple will support on all shows of the May tour including The Rev show on May 26th. Tickets are available now and moving quickly.
Kickarse three-piece Pat Chow have just released their new single Outta Words from their debut album Are You Okay and they thought it fitting to tour in celebration. They’ll smash out a set at The Old Bar on Friday April 8 with tickets available at the door.
Modern Baseball seem to have underestimated the demand for their live show in Melbourne. After their Reverence Hotel show promptly sold out in less that 24 hours, a second Rev show was put on sale for Sunday April 10. That show has now been hastily upgraded to the Corner Hotel. Yeow. Tickets purchased for the Rev April 10 show are still valid so fear not. Anyone who’s slept on tickets best move quickly.
L7 were originally scheduled to come out for Soundwave this year. Thankfully there’s no shortage of promoters keen to bring this legendary riot girl band to the country and a headline show has been scheduled for May 17 at 170 Russell. Tickets go on sale this Friday and it’s likely to sell out. The Decline have jumped on the upcoming
AS A RIVAL HIT THE ROAD
Off the back of their debut album By Design, Melbourne trio As A Rival embark on an extensive tour from February until April. As A Rival are driven by a feisty fire during their live performance, with a sound METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC anchored in rock and punk influences. By ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL Design was recorded and co-produced by Tom Read (Bodyjar) and mixed by GOOD SHIT Grammy winning producer Adam Kasper with PETER HODGSON (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone crunchcolumn@gmail.com Age, Soundgarden). The album boasts a multitude of guests including Grant PRIMAL FEAR TOURING Relf and Shane Wakker (Bodyjar), Rich AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST Hall (Laser Brains) and Charlie Zulu (Darn Matter). Catch them at Barwon TIME Club, Geelong on Saturday March 12, Primal Fear have just announced their first The Eastern, Ballarat on Saturday March ever tour of Australia and they promise 19, Cherry Bar in Melbourne on Saturday to “absolutely smash out a set that will April 2, Saloon Bar Traralgon on Friday destroy and completely rule the memories April 8 and Nexus Youth Centre in of the people that attend.” Awesome. One Horsham on Friday April 15. of the most notable power metal bands of all time, Primal Fear will leave nothing NEW JUDAS PRIEST LIVE behind as they perform tracks off their ALBUM/DVD new album Rulebreaker along with all the classic fan favourites. Black Majesty will Judas Priest’s tour in support of their be supporting Primal Fear at Northcote 17th studio album, Redeemer of Souls, was Social Club on Saturday June 11 and one of the most extensive of the group’s they’ll be playing an extended set, including entire career – consisting of 130 shows tracks from their recent album Cross of in 33 countries, and offering a setlist that Thorns. There will be a strictly limited VIP included selections from nearly all of their meet and greet pass available (15 per show), classic albums. And now, fans can relive the live Priest experience once more with available online from metalobsession.net
Sydneysiders The Great Awake have planned a massive Australian tour in support of their debut album Reason For Leaving. They’ll launch the pop punk LP at Bar 303 in Northcote on Friday April the release of the new CD/DVD/Blu-ray, Battle Cry, on Friday March 25 via Sony Music Australia. Battle Cry was recorded live on August 1 2015 at Germany’s Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000, and the DVD/Blu-ray component will include an additional three tracks shot in Poland on December 10 at the Ergo Arena
SWIDGEN ALBUM OUT NOW Melbourne three-piece Swidgen launched their second album, Doghouse, last month to a roomful of riff-loving punters at the Bendigo Hotel and now you can pick it up on limited edition vinyl and on CD from swidgen.bigcartel.com.
RAGNARÖK RETURNS Ragnarök is an alternative nightclub held at Loop Project Space & Bar in Melbourne. The nightclub is devoted to playing the latest and greatest in heavy metal, punk and hard rock music. After the success of Ragnarök’s opening night on Australia Day Eve this year, Ragnarök returns for another session of hard and heavy music on Labour Day Eve (Sunday March 13). Loop is a versatile project space/bar hybrid, presenting film and arts events, audiovisual performances and creative forums. Those passionate about hard and heavy
1 then Cherry Bar on Saturday April 2. Tickets for both shows will be available at the door.
GIGS
Andrew Jackson Jihad have renamed their band AJJ. They’ve clarified that it’s because “1. We are not Muslims, and as such, it is disrespectful and irresponsible for us to use the word jihad in our band’s name and 2. We no longer wish to be a living reminder of president Andrew Jackson. Interesting historical figure as he was, he was an odious person and our fascination with him has grown stale.”
BEASTLY BIRD, JOHN DOE AND THE SHALLOW GRAVES, ATIVANDAL at The Bendigo
Coheed and Cambria have added a second Melbourne show to their Australian tour after the May 6 show at Max Watt’s promptly sold out. You can now see them at Max Watt’s on May 7 (18+) as part of their The Color Before The Sun Australian Tour. VIP packages available.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 2: THURSDAY MARCH 3:
SENTIA, MEDICINE DOG AND DAVID SOMEBODY at The Bendigo FROWN, WHITEHORSE, WATCHTOWER, SEWERCIDE at The Tote
FRIDAY MARCH 4:
JEFF ROSENSTOCK, ANTARCTIGO VESPUCCI, CAMP COPE, MAX QUINN’S ONOMATOPENIS at The Reverence Hotel SENSES FAIL, TROPHY EYES at Corner Hotel XIBALBA AT BENDIGO HOTEL VAMPILLIA, BATPISS, SPERMAIDS, WATCHTOWER at The Old Bar THE SNOWDROPPERS, THE HARD ACHES, THE STRUMS, TWIN FIRES at Howler
SATURDAY MARCH 5: music can enjoy the diverse collection of music on offer from resident DJs Dave “Higgo” Higgins (Triple M, Distortion), Lochlan Watt (Colossvs, The Racket) and Bambi. The atmosphere of Ragnarök is a safe and entertaining one, further enhanced by the collection of classic grindhouse and horror films presented across various projector screens. Loop Bar offers a wide variety of domestic and imported wine, beer and spirits, as well as an awesome selection of cocktails. Drink specials available throughout the night. Doors at 9pm. Entry is completely free.
NEW DAEMON PYRE VIDEO Sydney’s Daemon Pyre are at the forefront of the Australian metal scene. Their self titled debut album was released in January 2015 and received critical praise at home and from the European and US metal media. One of the album’s most played tracks, Misanthropic Parallels, has now been given a stunning music video directed by Tim Grosse and James Lopes of Dusk Music Video Production. Check it out on YouTube.
ADMIT ONE, CALL THE SHOTS, DOUBLE LINED MINORITY at Bang CLUTCH, COSMIC PSYCHOS at The Forum STORIES, BELLE HAVEN, POLARIS, PERSPECTIVES, ARKIVE at Worker’s Club GRANT HART, TOM LYNGCOLN, THUG MILLS at The Old Bar THE DUVTONS, THE CRUNTBURGERS, THE PATIENT, SOUTHPAW, ALL WE NEED, JERKBEAST, CROOKED PATH, DIXON CIDER, BOTTLECAPS, THE COMMONLY INSANE, FEED MY FRANKENSTEIN, NORTHWOOD, PUBLIC LIABILITY, ABOLICION, POWERSKIDS, ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE at The Reverence Hotel ATOMIC RIOT, SISTERS DOLL, SKARLET, WILD VIOLET at The Bendigo BEACHES, HOLY BALM, LUCY CLICHE, RED RED KROVVY, DEEP HEAT AND MORE at The Tote
SUNDAY MARCH 6:
THE 131’S, THE CONTROLLERS, NO CLASS, DJ MOHAIR SLIM at The Old Bar JEFF ROSENSTOCK, ANTARCIGO VESPUCCI, CAMP COPE, WIL WAGNER at Sydney Road Community School Carpark ADMIT ONE, CALL THE SHOTS, DOUBLE LINED MINORITY at Wrangler Studios DARREN GIBSON, TIM HAMPSHIRE, LACHLAN HICKS, JO NEUGEBAUER at The Reverence Hotel
MONDAY MARCH 7:
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR at Melbourne Recital Centre THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN at The Forum
TUESDAY MARCH 8:
THE MUMMIES, WILD OSCARS at The LuWOW
THE MUMMIES PLEASING THEMSELVES
BY BEL RYAN
The Mummies don’t give a shit if you like them or not, and this year they’re bringing their reckless variety of lo-fi garage rock to Australia for the first time ever. Frontman Trent Ruane had a chat with Beat about what pisses him off, why technology sucks and the pitfalls of wrapping yourself in gauze. Since their formation in 1988, The Mummies have refused to be tainted by the flood of mainstream pop culture. Opting instead to go against the grain, Ruane says he’d never be able to follow someone else’s rules. “Doing everything ourselves means everything ends up being just as we want. No approvals needed. If people don’t like what we’re doing, they don’t have to listen, pay attention or buy any of our shit. It’s a win-win.” The Mummies have supposedly been embalmed for 5000-odd years now, so they’ve had ample time to ruminate on what’s been happening in the music world. According to Ruane there’s only one way to do it right. “Anyone who creates music purely to satisfy themselves without a care for whether anyone else likes it – that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any good, or that I’d want to listen to it, but that’s the point. “The problem with popular music is the word popular. Trying to appeal to others? Fail. The Mummies create music to please ourselves. We don’t care if you like it. Billy
Childish accomplishes this. Devo did, mostly.” It’s clear The Mummies have never been concerned with garnering fame and fortune. This is evidenced by the fact they don’t show their faces on stage and are known for hurling abuse at their audience. The Mummies started doing their thing in the golden DIY era of the late ‘80s. As time progressed they refused to bowdown to the rampant commercialism permeating the music industry, which saw a vast number of musicians cashing in on new technology in the quest for celebrity. One example of this was their vinyl release Fuck CDs. In recent times the band has refused to engage with social media and rejected most elements of the digital age. “Technology just makes things easier for people, which just makes it easier for everyone to be lazy and feel entitled. The Internet makes it easier to communicate with people all over the world, but I don’t want to communicate with people in my own town, let alone those on the other side of the planet,” says Ruane. “DIY is
easier than ever, but it means people don’t have to work as hard at the thing they supposedly care about. What’s wrong with putting more effort into the thing you love doing? Make it easy for me to find a toilet when I’m out in public and have to take a shit, not to make music.” The Mummies are known for using ancient, less than perfect equipment and yet producing a killer sound. This example drives home their rejection of hyperprofessionalism, which shines through in their raw presence on stage. Ruane describes one item in particular which has been with the band since the ‘90s. “Mid-‘60s 1484 Silvertone Twin Twelve amplifier. Bought it in 1990 at Thrift Town in Redwood City for $35 and came with a Doric electric organ. Both appeared to have been completely unused. The backstory I like to think happened was that somebody W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
bought their kid this gear in 1965 to play in a garage band, then the kid got drafted, went to Vietnam where he got his head blown off and the parents put it in the attic, where it sat until they died and their other kid, who had to live his whole life in the shadow of his older brother who died in the war, finally got to get rid of it along with all the other shit his parents owned when he cleaned out their house to sell.” Making his first trip over to Australia, Ruane says he’s excited for one thing only: “Cheap Easybeats records.” As for what punters can be excited for, “Expect to be transported to a shitty nightclub in San Francisco during 1990, where the band can barely keep it together, the equipment is on the brink of failure and there are no refunds.” Obviously a major component contributing to the The Mummies’ notoriety is the fact
they always perform in their tattered, gauze ensembles. Unsurprisingly, this has its ups and downs. Echoing the anti-celebrity mentality that’s been tied to The Mummies since day one, Ruane says, “The best part is that you don’t have to deal with anyone after playing, since they have no idea what you look like.” The flipside, however, is as hilarious as it is disconcerting. “The worst part is that occasionally you end up putting on someone else’s mask and there’s no time to fix the situation. I got a bad case of facial gonorrhoea once – no, twice – in Seattle from performing in our bass player’s mask.” Catch something from THE MUMMIES when they play at LuWOW on Tuesday March 8, and Max Watt’s on Wednesday March 9. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 51
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ECCA VANDAL HOWLER
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27
The streets of Brunswick have recently been decorated with posters declaring the release of Ecca Vandal’s debut EP End of Time. On Saturday night, she made her way to the secreted hollows of the Howler to entertain the adoring folks of her hometown. Support act Waax delivered a ferocious punch, frontwoman Marie DeVita ensnared in their songs and consequently ensnaring the punters. Her hands clawed the air, her eyes rolled back revealing their whites and her wide mouth poured forth an American-tinged howl. The snarling attitude clung to her persona between songs, as she shouted at people to fill the gap between crowd and stage and dedicated Something’s Not Right Here to Donald Trump, “the little shit cunt.” DeVita ran off without warning
ALITHIA CHERRY BAR
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27
You might think you’ve seen some crazy things at Cherry Bar, but if you missed seeing Jack The Stripper on Saturday night, then sorry – you ain’t seen squat. Melbourne post rock trio Anember hit the stage first, but it was JTS that smoked it like a cigar. The clue to the ensuing carnage was in the size of the stage: the burly lads in the extreme metal outfit were never going to fit up there, so naturally they spilled into the crowd like bloodthirsty wolves after sheep. Guitar headstocks were flung and beer spilled as punters – including an enormous bloke dressed as a wizard – hurled themselves into one another. “I’m seeing a lot of rocking but not a whole lot of rolling,” quipped vocalist Luke Frizon BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 52
during their final song, leaving her four bandmates to roll out a thundering buildup and abrupt finish. Despite Vandal’s End of Time falling to Earth only a few weeks ago, Howler was filled with folk excited to see the young performer. The crowd were as varied in aesthetic as Vandal is with her influences, bright blue hair mingling with surfer curls, business suits and inevitable man buns. For tonight, the grungy crunch of Vandal’s sound rose to the surface and dominated. The diminutive Vandal twisted, paced and jumped in a sizeable clearing in the middle of the stage, pointed fingers slicing through the air and slinky hips shifting in time. Her presence was magnetic. A threepiece band accompanied her, seemingly in a honeymoon trance and savouring the energy emitted from the crowd. Her recorded material was rendered more jagged and chunky onstage and within minutes a small cluster of aggression formed front and centre of the crowd. The short and sharp set began with lesser known material from the EP, before her
between songs as he beckoned the bar flies to hover closer to the stage. Nibiru and Grinning Death crushed. Sweaty, manic and unpredictable, JTS slay live. Headliners Alithia don’t put on a show – they provide an experience. Joint audience meditation coexisted with Cherry’s usual rock’n’roll antics as astral projections lit up the stage. Having honed their craft by touring the globe, the Melbourne quintet summoned monolithic slabs of prog rock, psychedelia, and world music, which were effortlessly mixed together like watercolours. Percussionist Jeffrey Ortiz Raul Castro’s tribal rhythms locked onto guitarist John Rousvanis’ searing lead. Reverb, delay and wah pedals were stomped mercilessly as the soaring dual vocals of Rousvanis and keyboardist Danny Constantino shone throughout. In an outdoor setting, it would be powerful – inside Cherry the effect was amplified tenfold. While choice cuts from Alithia’s debut album, To the Edge of Time, were highlighted
first ever single White Flag grabbed more attention and injecting new vigour into the set. Whilst Vandal has a powerful voice and a powerful sound, the two elements seemed to battle one another throughout. The vocal delivery was strong, but there is a hidden finesse to her singing and that’s what it remained for the duration – hidden. In her quieter moments, such as Father Hu$$la, the fluidity and versatility of her voice was clearer, but still buried underneath the surrounding noise. However, this was the only qualm for the night and it didn’t overpower Vandal’s star quality. It’s early days and she’s already oozing with charisma, whipping sizeable crowds into frenzies with unstoppable drive from start to finish.
SUFJAN STEVENS THE SWORD HAMER HALL
CHERRY BAR
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 29
Sufjan Stevens’ last national tour was in early 2011, just a few months after he released The Age of Adz. The live show embraced that album’s challenge to present intelligent avantpop music you could dance to. A follow up LP didn’t come until early last year, and boy did it showcase a different side of Stevens. Carrie & Lowell was notably inspired by the death of his mother, with whom he shared a less than joyous relationship, and it found Stevens at his most introspective and blunt. Correspondingly, tonight’s show vastly deviated from the extroversion that came with the Adz material. There’s always been a spiritual element to the Detroit songwriter’s output, but on Carrie & Lowell the prospect of a harmonious afterlife isn’t enough to preclude feelings of regret and existential inevitability. That said, the studio and the stage are different arenas, conducive to the conjuring of different emotions, which was evidenced tonight. The setlist revolved around Carrie & Lowell, but while it’s a relatively pared back album, it’s not lacking in textual depth. Stevens is a skilled composer and arranger, and the record’s deft intricacies were recreated with help from an exceptionally versatile ensemble, contributing keys, synths, Casiotone and electronics, drums, guitars and other peculiar stringed instruments, as well as trombone and choral backing vocals. To give an indication of how impressive the quartet of backing musicians was, James McAlister’s drumming was worthy of its own showcase, and yet it was never more than an assistant feature. On the other hand, Dawn Landes’ backing vocals might’ve also played a supporting role, but they were so divinely rendered as to command infatuation. Backed by such technical prowess and a lighting show of equal merit, Stevens was left to embody the emotional psyche of his songs. On occasion, the stark substance threatened his composure, but despite such a sombre focus, the show had an uplifting effect. As Stevens told us during the extended encore, losing a loved one emphasises the imperative to live life to its fullest. All things go, we’re all going to die, but Sufjan Stevens is doing something to inspire those he’ll eventually leave behind. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY LOVED: The band. HATED: The Church. DRANK: Tears from my cheeks.
BY ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES
LOVED: The roaring call-and-response during End of Time. HATED: Howler’s carpet feeling like a treacly cake underfoot. Yum. DRANK: Water. Girl’s got to scrimp. throughout the set, it was set closer Sacrifice that elicited the strongest reaction from the band and their “street dog” fans. The near ten-minute track shifts from towering crescendos to gentle piano interludes and it showed Alithia at their most fluid and experimental; shattering the confines of rock and rearranging the pieces into their own sonic mural. Alithia are doing things their own way – or the “street dog” way as they like to refer to it – and going by the howls from the crowd as they wrapped up tonight, their pack is only going to keep growing in numbers. BY JACK PILVEN LOVED: Trippy music with trippy visuals. HATED: Almost copping a guitar to the face. DRANK: Anything that wasn’t knocked out of my hand.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE TOO CLOSE
Austin, Texas psychedelic metal act The Sword’s intimate show at Cherry Bar was the greatest rock show I have seen so far this year. Cherry booker and co-owner James Young pointed out how lucky the capacity crowd of 200+ was to see these guys playing here, as they’re normally seen at large metal festivals and have also supported Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. First up, however, was new rock act Devil Electric. Fronted by the richly voiced Pip O’Brien, the band ripped through classic metal riffage with a doom metal overtone; their debut single Devil’s Bells was a highlight. Primary support Two Headed Dog put on a mesmerising set of lush psychedelia accented by hard rocking crescendos. The original lineup of Tony Alkemade (guitar and vocals), Michael Stepheo (organ and harmonica) and Andrew Alkemade (drums and lead vocal), has grown with the inclusion of Long Holiday bassplayer Andie Fitzpatrick, whose bass rhythms filled out Two Headed Dog’s already opulent sound. Cherry Bar was at capacity and then some when The Sword took the stage. The musical relationship between founding members vocalist/guitarist John D Cronise and lead guitarist Kyle Shutt was astounding to watch – the tacit musical communication between the pair via their axes makes them the Lennon and McCartney of modern metal. They opened with lead single Tre Brujas (translation: three witches) from 2010’s doom masterpiece Warp Riders. Another highlight from this album came later in the set: the intimidating Lawless Lands with Cronise taking us on a journey to a parallel world ruled by outlaws and dark magic. While The Sword’s album from last year High Country sounded like a departure from their heavier works, its deeply psychedelic, almost Americana material didn’t sound out of place beside the heavier material from 2012’s Apocryphon.
BY DAN WATT LOVED: Being able to stand on the benches. HATED: Nothing. DRANK: Pints.
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WU-TANG CLAN MARGARET COURT ARENA TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23
As DJ Mathematics dropped the opening bars of 1993’s Bring Da Ruckus and the packed arena went predictably nuts, RZA strode out, in total command of the stage. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Masta Killa and GZA each followed, delivering their verses and taking their positions on either side of the producer. Beginning with Da Mystery of Chessboxin’, in which Masta Killa delivered a fiery a cappella verse, each member of the Clan took turns to shine through both group classics and early solo cuts such as Criminology and Liquid Swords. Everybody gave his all to the performance, attacking both their own and each other’s verses with gusto, seemingly meaning it as much as they did 23 years ago. The
polished performance and the complete professionalism evident in the way they played to the crowd was befitting of the large-scale nature of the stadium setting. RZA in particular, who was without doubt the frontman of the group, brought an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm; jumping around, spraying the front rows with sparkling wine and directing crowd participation as well conducting the DJ. Anyone who caught Ghostface’s set at Meredith 2014 will remember the sight of paralympian Dylan Alcott crowd surfing in his wheelchair to the stage and then rapping alongside his hero. It was a joy then to see Ghost leave the stage during Reunited and return wheeling on
Alcott, who absolutely nailed Method Man’s verse. Ghost then explained that, while U-God and Inspectah Deck had been denied entry into Australia, Alcott had written him a letter of reference that allowed him passage. You never know who’ll you meet on the road, right? The sound quality was fairly substandard, the booming bass and drums making the melodic elements of the tracks – particularly the soul samples that compose the hooks of many of the early songs – difficult to hear. For some reason Raekwon and GZA’s microphones were quieter than the rest of the group’s, which was never adjusted. Shame on a Nigga and C.R.E.A.M. were back-to-back set highlights, and unlikely
MANGELWURZEL NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26
Photo by Anna Madden W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
Beatles and Nirvana covers also went down well. Then something strange happened. After bidding the audience farewell with an animated performance of Gravel Pit, everyone left the stage, except for Masta Killa. It was as if he decided that this was finally his time, and instead of ending the show with his bandmates, took centre stage and began freestyling, with DJ Mathematics supplying some breaks. Ghostface wandered back onto the side of stage, seemingly confused, before bringing out a rapping busker he had met earlier in the day, who admirably rose to the occasion. Following this brief interruption, Masta Killa resumed rhyming, even after the If ever you ask yourself, ‘Should I see Mangelwurzel play?’ the answer should be yes. And if you don’t know them yet, they’re liable to soon become your favourite local act. The evening kicked off in extremely noisy fashion. When not holding down a solid groove for the headliner, Matthew Kirkis can be found driving the freight train of noise that is Kirkis. It feels as though we’ve been allowed into his bedroom to witness him experimenting with loads of wild sounds. You could call it noise rock, but there’s no point in trying to pin it down. As it turns out, it’s only the beginning of a night of genre-mindbending. After a little break it’s time for pop extravaganza Cool Sounds (not just a clever name). They’re pretty relaxed and laidback as they work through their dreamlike repertoire, however, it’s clear they’ve slaved over arrangements for hours to get the songs spot on. The performance is full of dead set pop gems. And the inter band banter is hilariously awkward. The tunes are reminiscent of Mac DeMarco at times, so is the verbal back and forth between band members. The sound of Whitney Houston blasting through the PA means it’s party time, Mangelwurzel style. And who wouldn’t want to do exactly that by celebrating the release of their debut long player, Gary. Cosima Jaala fronts this outfit with the kind of conviction I haven’t seen in a very long time. When you’re this good, you have
DJ stopped playing and also quit the stage. Eventually as the house lights were lit and people began shuffling out, the rapper ceased performing and merely demanded people give him weed, which many did, much to the bemusement of the stage and security crew. It was a weird footnote to an otherwise polished performance from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. BY ALEX WATTS LOVED: The unity and energy of the group. HATED: The absence of Method Man. DRANK: Nothing, the queues were massive. every right to get the crowd to do whatever you want them to do. At times, Mangelwurzel taste a bit like Blondie, other times they’re a bit closer to No Doubt or even Nirvana. But they’re never not Mangelwurzel. They’re incredibly unique and it’s no mistake that they’ve been dubbed ‘the weirdest band in Melbourne’. Sure, sometimes there’s a prog-rock lead break, immediately followed by a mariachi band trip out – that’s totally normal, right? “You know, I’m naked underneath these clothes?” Jaala says before launching into another track from Gary. After sampling all that their new album offers, My House is an instant favourite. There’s some nice crowd participation with a front row punter giving the band some impromptu lyric subject matter. What follows is a brief story about sleeping with Donald Trump, having ginger kids, then defending Trump because he’s such a great guy. Mangelwurzel then give us a pretty great encore that finishes with the new album’s title track. Between all the fun, stupid rambling, and broadway-show dance moves, it’s impressive to see such killer musicianship delivered with such happiness. Mangelwurzel’s new album rules and their live show adds even more to it. BY NAJ LOVED: Psycho pop gems. HATED: Nada. DRANK: Tinnies.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 53
A L B U M
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Top Tens HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN 1. Hidden City LP THE CULT 2. Better Call Saul LP SOUNDTRACK 3. Victorious LP WOLFMOTHER 4. Night Time LP KILLING JOKE 5. Sittin’ Heavy LP MONSTER TRUCK 6. Nurse LP THERAPY? 7. Saint Cecilia 12” FOO FIGHTERS 8. Geidi Primes LP GRIMES 9. White Walker 12” MASTODON 10. Domkirke 2LP SUNN O)))
OFF THE HIP TOP TEN 1. Hikikomori LP HITS 2. General Project LP MJ HALLORAN 3. Anywhere and Everything LP RON S. PENO 4. Sky High Heels 7” STONEAGE HEARTS 5. Incantations LP NEW CHRISTS 6. Kaptain Kavemen LP VARIOUS 7. Saeva LP LITTLE DESERT 8. Born Bad LP VARIOUS 9. Diamond In The Forehead CD GARRY GRAY 10. S/T LP SMOKE
PBS FM TOP TEN
U r thbo y
The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat (Elefant Traks/Inertia)
It may only be February, but it looks like a hip hop legend has dropped one of the finest albums of the year. At a time when Urthboy (AKA Tim Levinson) could understandably have been winding down as far as his own music is concerned – he’s in his late 30s, settling into family life – he has emerged with what can only be described as his pièce de résistance. The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat is a striking, resplendent reflection on the world around him and the private universe he has come to call home. His highly conceptual lyrical approach blends the introspective with the interpersonal, stepping in and out of the picture as he tells stories of his family (Little Girl’s Dad, Daughter Of The Light, Second Heartbeat) as well as the figures he observes distantly
WEDNESDAY 2ND 7PM
MODULAR DREAMIN’ BENNY BADGE & MZRIZ A NIGHT OF NEW WAVE, MODERN FUNK & BOOGIE
THURSDAY 3RD 7PM
JUNGLE FUNK
RESIDENT MANCHILD WITH SPECIAL GUESTS. AFROBEAT, CUMBIA, FUNK, SAMBA & LIVE PERCUSSIONISTS
FRIDAY 4TH 7PM
WINTERS & BUSON
(MUNICHOPENMINDED / BERLIN)
SATURDAY 5TH 7PM
ALL YOURS BABICKA & RAAGHE
SUNDAY 6TH 7PM
STICKY MUSIC BAYU & KANZO
EASTERN EUROPEAN STREET FOOD NOON UNTIL 9PM SUN - THUR. A LITTLE LATER FRI & SAT
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 54
but acutely (the stunning Hey Juanita and Long Loud Hours). The guest list is immaculate too. Long-time collaborators Hermitude, newcomer Sampa The Great and Bertie Blackman all make their presence felt, and this is naming but a few. Each story compels and is masterfully conveyed, whether coming from a place of darkness or of light. Urthboy has not put a foot wrong here. It is going to take something of mammoth proportions to knock this LP from its perch as the most rewarding and overall best Australian album of the year. By David James Young
SINGLE REVIEWS WITH LACHlan
Congratulations to Sam Smith for winning the Oscar for Somehow Making It As A Popstar Despite Having The World’s Most Generic Name. NGAIIRE Diggin (Independent) Daggering synths underpin the opening of Diggin, which finds Ngairre playful and powerful in inflection. It’s a strange track, somewhere between ‘80s pop, future gospel and contemporary Australian electronica. It runs the very high risk of not working, but such is the potency of Ngaiire’s star power that it works seamlessly. There are no limits here. IGGY POP Sunday (Caroline) Another taste of the Josh Hommeassisted Iggy Pop comeback, Sunday sounds great, Iggy’s croon-mode voice hitting the spot. But like Gardenia, there’s a lyrical overstretch, compounding the meandering aspects of composition. The orchestral coda here could be a touch of brilliance, but only accentuates the pervading dumbness of what came before, and the project itself.
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MIGUEL Waves (Tame Impala Remix) (RCA) First Rihanna flips a straight karaoke version of Tame Impala’s New Person Same Old Mistakes, now Kevin Parker puts his spin on Miguel’s Waves, and the bridge between Perth psych pop and American R&B pop feels like a bridge between the same territory. This sounds more like Tame circa Lonerism, with lavishes of phased drums. Hopefully Kev will dabble more behind the desk, as he’s done with hip hop collective Koi Child.
RACE BANYON FEAT. TY DOLLA $IGN What Are We Doing (Independent) New Zealand’s Eddie Johnston, who also records and performs as Lontalius (debut album out soon), concurrently keeps his electronicfocused Race Banyon moniker active, here linking up with Ty Dolla $ign for What Are We Doing. There’s still a sparse air of emotion, subtle production punctuated by sparing walls of bass, and Ty Dolla $ign’s vocal makes a perfect fit for Johnston’s soundscapes. This is just the beginning.
THE GOON SAX Up To Anything (Chapter) The title track to Goon Sax’s upcoming debut LP opens with a wonderfully simplified existentialism, “I only do these things / So I can tell you / All about doing them”, delivered with teenage droll. It continues into general malaise and want, vague feelings expressed purposefully.
THE TEMPER TRAP Thick As Thieves (Liberation) Dougy and the boys are back, baby. Oh hell yeah. This actually starts out OK, harking back to some farkin’ Strayan rock’n’roll on a scale of the mighty Oils, but doesn’t really go anywhere from there, the grit fizzling into car ad territory with a featherweight hook.
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L-FRESH THE LION 1 In 100,000 (Elefant Traks) There’s a slight misdirection in the minimal Afrika Bambaataa-style production that kicks off 1 In 100,000, L-Fresh spitting down‘n’dirty bars leading into the bridge, trap snare rolls hinting at something large, before blowing up into storeys-huge laser beams. It’s a remarkable change of style for L-Fresh, always a lyrical powerhouse, and if you’re not paying attention the immensity of the instrumental chorus will snap you from slumber. HOW SICK IS MUSIC? HEAPS WICKED
1. Brute FATIMA AL QADIRI 2. #TriggerWarning40 SIMONA CASTRICUM 3. In Memory EP SPACE CAPTAIN 4. Detestation MAX KOHANIM 5. The Knife BAN WINKLEMAN TRIO 6. A Season On Line EP GLEN HANSARD 7. Stop Look Listen MARTA REN AND THE GROOVELETS 8. Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ THE WEEPING WILLOWS 9. Blue Cheese KANE STRANG 10. The Winter Hymn EP PANTHA DU PRINCE
SYN TOP TEN
1. You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me ALEX LAHEY 2. Let Go CHRIS WATTS 3. City On The Moon HUGH FUCHSEN AND SAUCE SAUCE SAUCE 4. The Overman LUCIANBLOMKAMP 5. Nobody THE LOVE JUNKIES 6. Town & Country BIBIO 7. Gimme The Love JAKE BUGG 8. Good To Love FKA TWIGS 9. Colors HALSEY 10. Wasted On You LOUIS FUTON
RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN
1. Primary Colours EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING 2. Songs For Our Mothers FAT WHITE FAMILY 3. Carrie & Lowell SUFJAN STEVENS 4. Hard Hold JAALA 5. The Man Who Sold The World DAVID BOWIE 6. Adore Life SAVAGES 7. Cubist Blues ALAN VEGA,ALEX CHILTON,BEN VAUGHN 8. High ROYAL HEADACHE 9. Paper Mache Dream Balloon KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 10. Aubergine Dreams LAZERTITS
BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT NATIONS
1. Spain CHICK COREA 2. Cambodia KIM WILDE 3. The Irish Rover THE POGUES 4. England THE NATIONAL 5. Home Among The Gumtrees JOHN WILLIAMSON 6. Ethiopia LORD LEBBY 7. Goodbye England LAURA MARLING 8. Under The Milky Way THE CHURCH 9. America SIMON & GARFUNKEL 10. Australia THE SHINS
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GABRIELLA COHEN
Still Waters (Ed Banger Records/Because Music)
The famous French cultural arrogance tends to manifest in dance music as a spectacularly casual crème anglaise of synthesisers and rich vocals that kicks in just before things get serious. Breakbot’s sophomore release, Still Waters, is a perfect example, sounding like a Motown Records tribute played through vintage synths on the deck of a yacht. It’s relaxed, to say the least. During the mid-to-late 2000s, Breakbot founder Thibaut Berland flew from sexy party to sexy party representing the burgeoning Ed Banger Records. As a new decade dawned, Berland began to focus on recreating disco classics, and on Still Waters his long time vocal collaborator Irfane Khane-Acito is acknowledged as half of Breakbot. The yearning Get Lost is an intensely danceable track featuring wellrounded analogue tones coalescing with a 303 drum machine, and enhanced by Khane-Actico’s intensely desirable vocals. Embedded amongst all the simmering sensuality is an indelible sense of sleazy fun. Whereas Breakbot’s previous album, By Your Side, lacked a certain je ne sais quoi in its post-electro, angular finish, Still Waters is a well rounded affair that could soundtrack a jammin’ rooftop party in Paris. Meanwhile, the R&B heavy 2Good4Me could aptly soundtrack an afternoon spent sunbathing on the lawns at Château Clerc Milon as one quaffed down a Petit Verdot.
HANDS LIKE HOUSES
FULL CLOSURE AND NO DETAILS (Independent)
Taking a step away from her work as frontwoman of The Furrs, Gabriella Cohen has delivered her first solo record, Full Closure And No Details; an album with the same sweetness and thorns of a black rose. Cohen crafts a dark slacker grunge-pop sound, her work feeling like the natural offspring of Courtney Barnett, The Velvet Underground, and The Cure. Opening song Beaches contains the cruel stupor of romance, as though Cohen is inviting you to go skipping down the beach, kicking over kids’ sandcastles and laughing all the way. I Don’t Feel So Alive is a seductive invitation to give up, grow a beard and/or beer belly, sit on the porch and just watch life go by. Tracks like Piano Song and Sever The Walls see Cohen’s voice drenched in the echoes of some dark and empty bar, full of a bleak darkness that wouldn’t seem out of place on the soundtrack for True Detective. There’s a character to Cohen’s voice that is both charming and winging, and it’s difficult to ever work out whether it’s enjoyable or irritating, but the riffs and melodies soothe and coax you into the affirmative. When you need to flip life a big “F-you”, Full Closure And No Details is the album for the job. It’s dark, it’s rebellious, it’s intoxicating, and it’s a beautiful debut.
DISSONANTS (UNFD)
Canberran five-piece Hands Like Houses have really outdone themselves on their third album, Dissonants. It bursts out of the speakers with the scintillating first single I Am, and continues to scintillate for the length and breadth of its 12 ripping tracks. This band’s grasp of dynamics is wonderful to behold. They seamlessly blend driving, fist-pumping heavy rock with poppy moments, as well as touches of sweet ambience. They even stray into metal territory on occasion – not too much, though, just enough to give the listener a quick smash in the face before pulling back again. They have crafted some magical songs with interesting arrangements and stunning, soaring choruses delivered by versatile frontman Trenton Woodley. There isn’t a weak track amongst the 12 on offer here, with the exhilarating Degrees of Separation being the standout. Hands Like Houses are difficult to categorise, which is a good thing. Possibly a little too heavy to be called a rock band, and definitely not heavy enough to be labelled metal, or even metalcore/post hardcore – they are their own band, doing their own thing, and doing it rather well. BY ROD WHITFIELD
BY DANIEL PRIOR
BY DAN WATT
M.E. BAIRD
TONIGHT ALIVE
FALL (Independent)
They say that from darkness comes beauty. Emerging from what may have been the darkest time of M.E. Baird’s life, comes his latest release Fall, recorded before, during and after the deaths of his mother, father, sister and nephew. The heartbreak is evident, clearly and painfully, on every note and chord of the album. From the opener Always Tuesday to the closer Sertraline Dream, the violin cries, the guitar weeps, the drums echo, and through it all, Baird’s vocals struggle on, desperately defeated. And yet this isn’t an album drowning in depression. Baird’s writing has transformed it into something more, transcending the pain and instead casting tear-stained eyes up to the horizon, in search of better days. With the pacing of a funeral march, Baird ever so slowly takes us through emotions that would come off as forgeries by songwriters of lesser skill. This is an album of twilight folk, to be played at the sun’s departure when you’re left alone with your thoughts in the dark, to brood on in sorrow. Baird speaks of lost loves and scarred hearts, but while he paints life in a harsh light, he still finds something to hold onto, be it a memory or a dream not yet faded. This is folk: sad, bitter and beautiful.
CUB SPORT
LIMITLESS (Sony)
THIS IS OUR VICE (Nettwerk)
Tonight Alive’s third album proves you can write three to four minute pop rock tunes and still remain varied and interesting. The first thing that hits as you embark on the album-length journey is the Sydney band’s sheer diversity. Track to track they’re full of surprises, especially within the context of a pop rock album. Naturally, there is snappy, up-tempo stuff to get you movin’ and groovin’ (To Be Free), some rather beautifully executed ballads (Oxygen), and more emotional, expansive tracks (Human Interaction, which is quite magnificent). And that’s just the first three tracks. Limitless is a highly appropriate title for this record. Tonight Alive obviously made the decision to place no boundaries on their songwriting and just let it all hang out. Every track has a definite identity and bears the imprint of the band’s heart and soul. At the same time, every song is ultra-catchy in its own right and will appeal to the band’s massive teen and young adult following. Limitless is a superbly crafted pop rock record that should cement this band’s position in the mainstream stratosphere.
The band that rose to prominence under the name Cub Scout have proven they were not at all deterred by the forced name change that Scouts Australia demanded back in 2013, and have now completed their debut album, This Is Our Vice. After bursting out of Brisbane’s thriving indie pop scene way back in 2012, the four-piece took some time off to record, and the result is a release that eloquently expresses the notion of coming of age. Radio listeners may be familiar with the first two singles Only Friend and I Can’t Save You which hit the airwaves earlier in the year. These singles are somewhat indicative of the rest of the album – think catchy pop beats with Cub Sport’s signature call-and-response vocals. If indie pop was what Cub Sport were going for, then they have certainly nailed it, while managing to incorporate a healthy dose of broodiness, best heard in the relationship ballad Mess Me Up. All in all, the album is a strong offering, and shows a new maturity to Cub Sport’s musical direction. This Is Our Vice is a delight, and proves that taking time to get it right has paid off.
BY ROD WHITFIELD
BY TEGAN REEVES
BY DANIEL PRIOR
ALBUM REVIEWS - BECAUSE YOU CARE WHAT WE THINK
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 55
GIG GUIDE
AVOID + MARES + JULES SHELDON + OBSCURA HAIL Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
GIRLS ON KEY Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.
WEDNESDAY 2 MAR
LOOKING FOR LAWSON - FEAT: JOHN THORN + LINDSAY FIELD + EMILY TAHENY Bella Union Bar, Carlton.
SWEEPS
JUDE PERL
TH E TOFF I N TOWN Triple-threat Jude Perl has finally succumbed to the natural progression of the music industry – selling her music, her brand and her ability to make decisions to SugarHope Records. The singer, songwriter and comedian will be celebrating the release of her debut album Modern Times with a launch party at The Toff. Expect a night of music and hilarity as Perl rips out a combination of honest lyricism backed by enjoyable music – a combination of both comedy and tunes to remember. Catch Jude Perl at The Toff In Town this Wednesday March 2. Doors open at 7.30pm, entry is $18.
T H E WO R K E R S C LU B Sweeps will be kicking off what promises to be a brilliant month long residency at The Workers Club on Wednesday March 2. The progressive soul quintet will be gracing the stage for every Wednesday of March, featuring different supports each week. For the first gig Thando and Jacinta will be joining them for a 7.30pm start. Entry is $10.
7:30pm. $22.00.
OPEN MIC Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm. OPEN MIC NIGHT Purple Emerald, Northcote. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC NIGHT Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm. RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE - FEAT: JOEY ELBOWS The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
SUMMER SONGWRITERS - FEAT: RICHARD JEFFREY &
RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:00pm.
THE MIST8KEZ Tago Mago, Thornbury. 8:00pm.
ROB BURKE & TONY GOULD QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz
VISHTEN + THE LITTLE STEVIES Spotted Mallard,
Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $20.00.
Brunswick. 6:00pm. $16.50.
SEX ON TOAST + 30/70 + KARATE BOOGALOO Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $17.00.
STAV + FINDING ISLA + IMOGEN PEMBERTON Grace
THURSDAY 3 MAR
Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.
BEASTLY BIRD + JOHN DOE & THE SHALLOW GRAVES + ATIVANDAL Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. CALEXICO + KRISTA POLVERE Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 8:00pm. $30.00.
HAMISH KILGOUR + ALI E + LADIE DEE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00.
HEY HEY IT’S FRIDAY - FEAT: ASTRO BOYS Royal Hotel (essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.
RENNY M
TH E D RU NK E N P O E T Indie folk songstress Renny M will be hitting up The Drunken Poet on Wednesday March 2 for an evening of honest acoustic jams. Originally from Sydney, Renny is visiting Melbourne to perform her sincere brand of folk-inspired tracks so you can sit back and enjoy a mid-week break from the daily grind. Free entry with doors at 8pm.
JEFFERS LIMIT + KATHERINE HYMER + DEAD END Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00.
OPEN MIC Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 6:00pm. OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6:30pm.
SQUARE SOUNDS FESTIVAL PRE-PARTY
THE WORKERS CLUB The Square Sounds Festival is almost upon us, so The Workers Club are chucking a party on Thursday March 3 to get you in the mood. There will be full sets from Calavera, Captive Raptors, Empress Play and Jamatar to get you suitably amped up for the days ahead. It’s also an open mic, so get your butt on stage and show everybody what you’ve got in a ten minute set. $10 entry and doors are at 6.30pm.
PILLOW PRO Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. REBECCA BARNARD & BILLY MILLER (SING-A-LONG)
ALLEGED DANCES Melbourne Recital Centre,
BIG EASY SOUL SESSIONS Carlton Club, Melbourne
Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 7:00pm. $18.00.
Southbank. 7:00pm. $30.00.
Cbd. 8:00pm.
RUBIX RADIO ON KISSFM Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick.
GLOBAL SESSIONS - FEAT: KOZMIK COUNTY Bella Union
BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
8:30pm.
Bar, Carlton. 8:00pm. $8.00.
DEJAN LAZI
SWIM TEAM + PAPPY Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
JUSTIN YAP BAND 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.
7:30pm. $50.00.
THE HUNTED CROWS Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd.
LIFESPAN Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.
DIZZY’S BIG BAND WITH PETER HEARNE Dizzy’s Jazz
6:00pm. $5.00.
$15.00.
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.
Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.
LUISA MORALES Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.
GULYAS - FEAT: STILETTO SISTERS Melbourne Recital
6:00pm. $29.00.
Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $49.00.
MELBOURNE IMPROVISERS COLLECTIVE Uptown Jazz
LO-RES 303, Northcote. 8:00pm.
Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
LOCAL CALL - FEAT: RINTRAH Railway Hotel ,
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER Toff
Brunswick. 6:00pm.
In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.
QUANTUM MILKSHAKE + PILOT + THE SENEGAMBIAN
MONDEGREEN + NLUKE + DANIKA SMITH BAND Evelyn
JAZZ BAND Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00.
Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $7.00.
RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:00pm. ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: PETER GAUDION & FRIENDS Claypots, St Kilda. 7:30pm. ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: LOS COJONES Claypots, St Kilda. 9:00pm.
THE BON TON RHYTHMS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick
THE HUNTED CROWS
CH E RRY B A R If you like your Wednesday evenings to comprise of a mid-week booze fest coupled with some killer live tunes, head on down to Cherry Bar for your fix. The Hunted Crows will be kicking off a month long Wednesday night residency at the venue, providing the ultimate soundtrack for your hump day escapades. The massive sounds that eminate from this rockin’ two-piece have to be seen to be believed. These guys fucking nail it. Get on down to Cherry Bar to watch The Hunted Crows kick off their residency. Doors will swing open at 8pm, and it’s a measly $5 entry. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 56
LADY OSCAR
T H E R E T R E AT On Wednesday March 2 The Retreat are playing host to two sets of Lady Oscar magic for a groovy humpday shindig. There will be some sultry soul bangers, deep fried funk and a head nod to hip hop joints. It will all be topped off with the beautiful vocals and on-stage antics of the one and only Tida, with her lovely pair of backing vocalists Esther and Bianca. It all starts at 8.30pm and entry is gloriously free.
B E AT.C O M . A U
East. 8:30pm.
THE BROW + NAFASI + INDIGO RISING Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.
THE CO-GROUND SOUL-CIAL - FEAT: THE CACTUS CHANNEL + THE EIGHTY 88S + THAT GOLD STREET SOUND + MOTEL DIABLO + MAX & MILI DJS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $15.00.
GIG GUIDE ALTIYAN CHILDS & THE NEW REBELLION + THE
SENTIA + MEDICINE DOG + DAVID SOMEBODY Bendigo
MIDNIGHT PROJECT The Who Club, Warburton.
Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
8:00pm. $20.00.
SHOWCASE NIGHTS Purple Emerald, Northcote.
BACKSTAGE - JAM NIGHT - FEAT: TRAVIS WINTERS BAND
8:00pm.
+ THE SHAKE SHACK BOOGIE BAND Musicland, Fawkner.
SUPER UNSIGNED MUSIC FESTIVAL Corner Hotel,
7:00pm.
Richmond. 7:00pm. $17.00.
CHRIS WATTS + TULLY ON TULLY + DIAMONDS OF
ASTROHYMN + ATLAS + BABY BLUE + LIV CARTLIDGE
NEPTUNE Federation Square, Melbourne Cbd. 5:30pm.
Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
COLUMBIA + THE WEARY Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.
BABAGANOUSH Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.
$5.00.
CENTRE & THE SOUTH + ECHO DRAMA + RAS JAHKNOW
GEE SEAS + DIANA RADAR + PLURAL Grace Darling
Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:45pm. $10.00.
Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $5.00.
CHARLIE PARR Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm.
GOOD MORNING + FULL FLOWER MOON BAND + HEARING
$34.70.
THE GOOD EGG THURSDAYS - FEAT: HENRY WHO +
John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. $10.00.
FAT COUSIN SKINNY Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick. 6:30pm.
TIGERFUNK + LEWIS CANCUT Lucky Coq, Windsor.
GWYN ASHTON + BLUE BALLS Mr Boogie Man Bar,
HAMISH KILGOUR Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
7:00pm.
Abbottsford. 8:00pm.
JANE MCARTHUR Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.
THE SWEETHEARTS + VINCE PEACH + PIERRE BARONI
MEZZ LIVE Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights.
JESS PARKER + SEAN PATRICK Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford.
Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $10.00.
5:30pm.
8:30pm.
TIMBALERO THURSDAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd.
NEVER LET YOU DOWN (A TRIBUTE TO DAVID BOWIE)
LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES + JAMES THOMSON
9:00pm. $10.00.
Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $8.00.
Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.
TOTTIE & THE WANDERERS Paris Cat Jazz Club,
OSCAR LUSH + MATHEW COLIN + GEORGIA SPAIN Old
MCCANDLESS + THE MIDNIGHT SOL + NICHOLAS
Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.
Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00.
COSTELLO. Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
CHUCK
L AST CHANCE ROCK & R OL L B A R Chuck are a punk milkshake with a dash of hardcore and a side of ribs, made for you with love. They’ll be celebrating the release of their debut album Fly the Coop at The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar (FKA The Public Bar) on Thursday March 3. Doors are at 7.30pm, and although you can’t put a price on a good time, it will cost five bucks to get in.
TRUMPET Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.
FRUIT & NUT
P OST O F FICE HOTEL Progressive rock quartet Fruit & Nut are playing the first show of its kind at The Post Office Hotel on Thursday March 3. Punters can expect some experimental post punk with plenty of noise, with support from primitive clunkers Sky Needle and the mysterious FAD. Entry is free and doors are at 8.30pm.
OPEN MIC Station 59, Richmond. 8:00pm.
FROWN
TH E TOTE Brisbane’s doom-lords Frown will be transforming The Tote into a temple of darkness and decay on Thursday March 3. The four-piece are visiting Melbourne with the lone intent of crushing your soul with their grim combination of doom, crust and metal. Supporting on the night are Whitehouse, Watchtower and Sewercide. It’s only $10 to get in and goes down at 8pm.
OPEN MIC NIGHT Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. OPEN MIC NIGHT Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 7:00pm.
OPEN MIC NIGHT Bar Of Bengal, Yarraville. 6:00pm. SAM HANSON South Melbourne Market, South Melbourne. 6:00pm.
Q&A
CHUCK Hey guys. Who are we talking to and what do you do in the band? I’m Sofi, I sing/carry the least gear. What can people expect from you at the album launch at The Last Chance (formerly known as Public Bar)? Lots of yelling, lots of riffs, lots of weak banter, maybe a party popper or two if things get crazy. Who knows? We’ll also have our freshly done DIY CDs and shirts for you to buy so you can look and feel extra tacky for the weekend ahead. What’s it like playing in Melbourne as a band from Geelong/Ballarat? The size of the punk scene in Melbourne is insane compared to what we have. It just seems the place to be if you want to play with more bands and meet new people so we really like playing up there. Do you often trek it over here and crash with mates? Nah. When the night’s over we drive back to Liam’s shed where we practice in Lara, ditch the gear and everyone goes their separate ways. Our drummer Louis has it the worst having to go back to Ballarat from there, but it’s what we want to do so it’s worth it… probably. If you had to put two bands in a blender to create one super band, what two bands would you pick? Nick says he wants to see the Wiggles and Infant Annihilator in a blender together… they’d actually just mutate and become “Wiggles Annihilator” – a band set out to destroy everything Wiggles related with PG 13+ lyrics and blast beats. CHUCK are playing at The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar (ex-Public Bar) on Thursday March 3 with Terra and Sneaky Pats.
COMING UP WED 9TH MARCH
DAVE GUNNING + KRISTINA OLSEN + MARTIN PEARSON
TUESDAYS IN MARCH
FACT HUNT TRIVIA
CHEAP PIZZA + $16 JUGS OF THUNDER RD
Hosted by RRR’s Tristen Harris, this is a comfortably dumb trivia for music fans and couch potatoes, no sport, no politics and no book-learnin’. QUIZ FROM 8PM - RESERVATIONS - samanda@spottedmallard.com NO COVER
WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH
VISHTÈN + THE LITTLE STEVIES DOORS/DINNER 6PM, SHOW TIME 8:30PM, PRE SALE $16.50 + BF
THURSDAY 3RD MARCH
STEVE LANE & THE AUTOCRATS
+ SLEEPY WEST
*SINGLE LAUNCH*
DOORS/DINNER 6PM, SHOW TIME 8:30PM PRE SALE $16.50 + bf
THURS 10TH MARCH
JON CAMPBELL + DARREN SYLVESTER +GEORGIA SPAIN $10 ENTRY FROM 6PM
FRI 11TH MARCH
SOUL CUPCAKE + BIG BAND FREQUENCY SHOW TIME 9:00PM NO COVER CHARGE
TUES 15TH MARCH
THE RAMBLING BOYS (IE)
NO COVER CHARGE, SHOW TIME 8:30PM
FRIDAY 4TH MARCH
JOSHUA SEYMOUR BAND + CHRIS RUSSELL (SOLO)
DOORS/DINNER 6PM SHOW TIME 8:30PM PRE SALE $25 + BF
+ DJ JACK FLASH
NO COVER CHARGE, SHOWTIME 9PM
sunDAY 6TH MARCH SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY DAY DOORS FROM 12PM, FREE ENTRY ALL DAY!
THE SEVEN UPS - 7PM THE GRUBS - 4PM BAKERSFIELD GLEE CLUB - 2:30PM
PLUS DJ HEELS ON DECK FROM 7PM
$8 Pints Craft Beer
Tues - Sat 4pm-6pm KITCHEN HOURS Tues-Fri open 4pm Sat & Sun open 2pm
TICKETS
For ticket sales visit www.spottedmallard.com 314 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
B E AT.C O M . A U
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 57
Q&A
GIG GUIDE STEVE LANE & THE AUTOCRATS + SLEEPY WEST Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:00pm.
DANCE PARTY: DISCO INFERNO Hey hey. Who are we speaking with and what’s your role in running the Dance Party? You are speaking with Fin. CEO and managing director of Stingboi Productions and Unprotected records. I organise, run, play trumpet in the band and DJ at the Dance Parties. You’ll have a ten-piece disco band and a bunch of DJs spinning beats from 8pm ‘till stumps. What can we expect from the night? You can expect to dance, sweat and cry listening to Melbourne’s tightest disco and soul band. Word on the street is last year’s Dance Party: Strawberry Fields Edition was a riot. Do you have any anecdotes to share with us? Strawberry Fields edition of Dance Party was hectic. We had over 1000 people attend and dance until the wee hours. We were flown in by private jet an hour before our show as we had another gig that day for a celebrity whom I’m unable to name. We also caught our sax player getting intimate in the front seat of the jet with a few girls. For those of us who have an intense, irrational fear of looking out of place, how can we dress to look the part on the night? Just wear your dopest swag. Respond to this high school-esque essay prompt in two sentences or less: Disco is dead. Discuss. Disco is not dead. The end. DANCE PARTY: DISCO INFERNO goes down at The Workers Club on Friday March 4.
Q&A
FRIDAY 4 MAR BLUES AND ROOTS SHOW
TH E LU WOW All the way from Austin, Texas, Luwow present Kathy and The Killowats who are gearing up to bring you a smoky night of blues and roots tunes. Alongside them are Melbourne’s own masters of boogie, Catfish Voodoo. Kathy and The Killowats have shared the bill with the likes of Albert King, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Albert Collins, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball and Sam & Dave, and have graced the stages of Austin’s most fabled venues. During a recent hiatus from the stage, in which she concentrated all her efforts on her songwriting, Kathy Murray has amassed a rich catalogue of original songs. Get down to The Forbidden Temple Room at Luwow on Friday March 4 if you enjoy a damn good dance.
PURPLE PLUSH REVOLVER, a one-nightonly tribute to the musical legacy of Scott Weiland, goes down at the Cherry Bar on Friday March 4. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 58
THE STEVE MAGNUSSON TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe,
SQUARE SOUNDS FESTIVAL
THE E VE LYN Square Sounds is back for 2016 to rejoice in the retro celebration that is chipmusic. The festival encompasses 8-bit tunes, visual artists and workshops, all mashed together with some old fashioned bass music. There are a host of international acts including Sabrepulse (UK), Trash80 (US), ‘Chip’ Tanaka ( JP) and Chipzel (US), in addition to plenty more and some locals too. Grab your tickets via the event website, it runs over two days on Friday March 4 and Saturday March 5. Be there. Or you know, be square.
JUKE KARTEL Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm.
TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION Drunken Poet,
$20.00.
West Melbourne. 6:00pm.
KELLY AUTY (BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS 1950S-1980S)
VINCE JONES (WITH STRINGS ATTACHED) Thornbury
Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:40pm. $28.00.
Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm. $42.00.
KEVIN BORICH EXPRESS Caravan Music Club,
WHAT THE FUNK FRIDAYS Purple Emerald, Northcote.
Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $23.00.
9:00pm.
LA DANSE MACABRE + BRUNSWICK MASSIVE RESIDENT
A TASTE OF SPAIN - FEAT: STEFANIA BELLAMIO +
WILL VINSON Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
DJS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.
MASSIMO SCATTOLIN Melbourne Recital Centre,
9:30pm. $25.00.
LEISURE SUITE + ALTA + HTML FLOWERS + MARTIN KING
Southbank. 6:30pm. $100.00.
ALTIYAN CHILDS & THE NEW REBELLION + EINSTEINS
John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. $12.00.
BOSSA NIGHTS - FEAT: DARIUS & NOEL MENDOZA + DJ
TOYBOYS Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. $15.00.
MIGHTY BOYS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 2:00am. $7.00.
JUAN + DJ NAS Osti, Prahran. 7:00pm.
BLACK CAB + ZONE OUT Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd.
NATHAN ROCHE + THE OCEAN PARTY + THE STEVENS +
CANNONBALL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
8:30pm. $15.00.
HIEROPHANTS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
8:30pm. $25.00.
CABBAGES & KINGS + THE BON SCOTTS + NAKED BODIES
NINETY NINE + WORLD AT A GLANCE + S:BAHN 303,
CONTINENTAL ROBERTS’ BLUES PART Lomond Hotel,
Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
Northcote. 8:00pm.
Brunswick East. 9:30pm.
NITE MOOVES Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.
ERICA BRAMHAM (GOLDEN SONGS OF THE SILVER
PHANTOM + MATLOCK Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
SCREEN) Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.
Cbd. 9:00pm. $48.00.
$20.00.
RIFF RAIDERS + DIRT RIVER RADIO Sooki Lounge,
JOHNNIE & THE JOHNNIE JOHNNIES Open Studio,
Belgrave. 8:00pm.
Northcote. 8:30pm.
SCOTT WEILAND TRIBUTE Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd.
MAHALA - FEAT: JODY WISTERNOFF Railway Hotel ,
8:00pm. $13.00.
Brunswick. 8:00pm. $15.00.
THE ATTICS + UNCLE BOBBY + NEON QUEEN + IO Grace
MAX TEAKLE Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.
Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $8.00.
WARPIGS
Hi. Who are we speaking with and what’s your role in Purple Plush Revolver: Scott Weiland tribute? My name is Dellacoma Rio, and I’ll be performing vocals for the night.The idea came about while I was in Sydney just a few weeks after the passing of Scott. I called up Tommy Sunset and we chatted through the idea of getting together a night to celebrate music that Weiland has been a part of creating. Cherry Bar will be hosting this tribute show to the late Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver). What can we expect? We’ve been working hard to put together a full two hour show so you can expect all the hits from STP and VR, but also a couple of songs that are deeper tracks which only the true fans will know. Can you tell us about the one-off supergroup that’ll be paying homage to Weiland? Nick Casalini from Darcee Fox and Voodoocain is on guitar, Tommy Sunset from Atomic Riot and formerly of Kill Shott is on bass. Nick Trajanovski formerly of the Deep End and currently of Dead City Ruins (who just recently returned from a nine month European tour) is playing drums and I (Dellacoma Rio) used to sing for Sydney-based Sunset Riot and now have my own project simply called Dellacoma. In what way did Weiland’s music personally affect you? He was a massive influence on me as a vocalist. The way that he was able to change his voice to suit different styles is incredible.
T H E B.E A S T The first Friday of every month brings the Aleister James Incident to the B.East for a sweet combination of blues, jazz and rock’n’roll. Originally from New Zealand, Aleister James has immersed himself in the Melbourne music scene since 2011. He will be joined by his band on Friday March 4 and there will be Jameson Whisky and Pickleback specials all night long. Cover charge is zero dollars and the band will play two sets from 9pm.
Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:00pm.
PURPLE PLUSH REVOLVER
THE ALEISTER JAMES INCIDENT
TH E TOT E Melbourne instrumental duo Warpigs make a point of balancing noise with delicate melodies. Drawing influence from within the veins of Dirty Three meets Dark Throne, with glimpses of Brian Eno, Sunn O))), Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Earth, Warpigs provide hypnosis via a crushing wall of sound. Also on offer are newcomers Merchant plus Elbrus and Older Men. It’s on upstairs at The Tote on Friday March 4, starting at 8pm.
THE ATTICS
G R AC E DA R LI NG The Attics will be launching their new single at the Grace Darling on Friday March 4. Known for their quirky approach to pop, The Attic’s most recent release Not Like is a layered exploration of minimal synths, looping falsettos and wonky bass lines. Supports for the evening are Uncle Bobby, Neon Queen and IO. Entry is $8 and doors open at 8.30pm.
CAPTAIN SPALDING Customs House Hotel,
GLEN MATLOCK & SLIM JIM PHANTOM
DI N G DON G LOUN G E Glen Matlock and Slim Jim Phantom are coming together for a special gig at Ding Dong Lounge on Friday March 4. Glen Matlock was the original bass player for the Sex Pistols, credited with co-authoring numerous songs on their seminal album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols. He has also lent his hand to work with Iggy Pop and Rich Kids. Slim Jim Phantom is the drummer for rockabilly legends Stray Cats, working alongside Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker on tracks including Stray Cat Strut, (She’s) Sexy + 17 and Rock This Town. Glen Matlock and Slim Jim Phantom will hit Ding Dong Lounge on Friday March 4. Tickets are available via the venue.
SLEAZY LISTENING - FEAT: ARKS + RICHARD KELLY +
Williamstown. 9:30pm.
HYSTERIC + K HOOP Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd.
CEREAL KILLER + LEATHER LICKERS + NO LIMIT Grace
5:00pm.
Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $5.00.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: ALYCE PLATT Claypots,
DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE (STRUNG OUT IN HEAVEN’S HIGH) -
THE JADED CATS Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.
St Kilda. 9:00pm.
FEAT: NUSSY + WHITAKER + ELIZA HULL + SOPHIE KOH + MORE
THE SNOWDROPPERS + THE HARD ACHES + THE
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: JUSTINE JONES TRIO
Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:00pm. $15.00.
STRUMS + TWIN FIRES Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
Laika Bar, St Kilda. 8:00pm.
FINISHING SCHOOL Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 9:30pm.
$20.00.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: JULIEN WILSON
$10.00.
THE SPIN + MOTHER GURU Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
QUINTET St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda. 9:00pm.
FREAK WAVE + FEAR LIKE US + SUMMER BLOOD
$12.00.
$15.00.
Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm.
WATT’S ON PRESENTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: JAM SESSION St Kilda
JEFF ROSENSTOCK + ANTARCTIGO VESPUCCI + CAMP
8:30pm.
Bowling Club, St Kilda. 11:00pm. $5.00.
COPE + MAX QUINN’S ONOMATOPENIS Reverence Hotel,
XIBALBA + REACTIONS + IMPRISONED + HAMMER TIME
THE GLASS MOON Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond.
Footscray. 8:00pm. $25.00.
Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $25.00.
9:00pm. $16.00.
MAX FROST
BAND OF BROTHERS Melbourne Recital Centre,
VAMPILLIA
TH E OL D B A R Vampillia have travelled to Australia all the way from Japan to play a raucous show at The Old Bar on Friday March 4. Hailing from Osaka, the brutal orchestra features mind-blowing twin drummers, paired with experimental, black metal vocals. Supports are from local legends Batpiss, Spermaids and Watchtower. Get there at 8.30pm, entry is $12.
NO R T H COT E S O C I A L C LUB The multi-instrumentalist Max Frost is visiting Australia for the first time. Melbournians can enjoy a slice of his electronic pop by heading down to the Northcote Social Club on Friday March 4. At 23-years-old, Max Frost is already has already released two standout EPs and is on the cusp of blowing up in a big way. He’ll be supported on the night by Melbourne songwriter and producer Lanks and it goes down at 8.30pm. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketscout.
B E AT.C O M . A U
Southbank. 7:30pm. $40.00.
CHRIS ALTMANN + LOST RAGAS + BLOWN CONES Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. $20.00.
CHRIS WILSON Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:15pm. DAVID HEARD 60TH BASH - FEAT: EATEN BY DOGS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.
GIG GUIDE GMS & GLO
melbourne zoo twilights - feat: colin hay Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 5:30pm. $60.00.
miss whiskey Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm.
speechless + massacre of innocence + the nuremberg code Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.
THE SNOWDROPPERS
8:00pm.
T H E PR I N C E B A N D R O O M Saturday March 5 welcomes GLO for a worldwide exclusive set at The Prince Bandroom. GLO is made up of the legends GMS, Ozzy and Legoahead, bringing a non-stop fiesta of the best psychedelic trance on offer. Local Melbourne heavyweight DJs will be supporting on the decks, and the event is split over two rooms to keep you dancing all night. Kicks off at 10pm, tickets are on sale via the venue.
steve lucas Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.
bang - feat: modern dating + admit one + call
5:00pm.
the shots Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd.
the hornets Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne.
10:00pm. $20.00.
8:00pm.
bansheeland + erin will be mad 303, Northcote.
the weeping willows Basement Discs, Melbourne
8:00pm.
Cbd. 12:45pm.
blackpink Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.
windari Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.
central rain Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 10:30pm.
zerafina zara & alleged associates Smokehouse
chev rise + russia Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.
101, Maidstone. 7:00pm.
chook race + cable ties + eat man + shag planet +
SATURDAY 5 MAR
more Coburg Rsl, Coburg. 7:00pm. $5.00.
H OWLER The Snowdroppers will take their Gluttons For Punishment tour down the east coast for a bunch of headline shows, and will hit up Howler on Friday March 4. The Snowdroppers spent three months on the road last year, supporting their new album Business. This time they’re taking an all new live and visual show out on the road and bringing a stack of friends with them, including The Hard Aches, The Strums and Twin Fires. The best bit is the whole night (possibly including your best dance moves) will be documented by a film crew, to be made into a film featuring the live show and a look into the reality of being an Australian touring band staring down a decade of being on the road. The Snowdroppers will play at Howler on Friday March 4, and tickets are available now via the venue.
false prophet + beyond contempt + devilmonkey
a day on the fairfield green - feat: dave gravey +
+ ding dong death hole + sex grimes Brunswick
clare moore + dan kelly + ashley naylor Fairfield
Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
Primary School, Fairfield. 2:00pm.
field + the high drifters + a basket of mammoths + she
aetherial + against our pride Your Break,
beast Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.
Warrnambool. 8:00pm. $5.00.
fosset & badger + the in the out Yarra Hotel,
all seeing hand John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm.
Abbotsford. 8:30pm.
$15.00.
clutch + cosmic psychos + king of the north
gretta ziller Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.
altiyan childs & the new rebellion + sacred +
Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $71.40.
gwyn ashton Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo. 7:30pm.
taboo + the midnight project Eddie’s Bandroom,
collingwood open (chapterfest 24) - feat:
james thomson band Baha Tacos & Tapas Bar, Rye.
8:00pm. $15.00.
crayon fields + the stevens + the goon sax
8:00pm. $10.00.
atomic riot + sisters doll + skarlet + wild violet
+ little ugly girls + more Gasometer Hotel,
joshua seymour band + chris russell Spotted
Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.
Collingwood. 6:30pm. $25.00.
PHIL PARA
PR I N C E P U B L I C B A R Guitarist and singer Phil Para is back at the Prince Public Bar on Saturday March 5, with his trademark eclectic fusion of blues, jazz, Latin and rock. His set will include covers of the greats such as Hendrix, Santana, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, and ZZ Top in additional to some of his original material. Entry won’t cost you a penny, so get yourself there at 6pm.
Mallard, Brunswick. 9:30pm.
disney under the stars - feat: david campbell +
jules boult Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.
ricki-lee + lucy durack + harrison craig + more
kathy & the kilowatts + bill jones + catfish
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. 7:00pm. $99.90.
voodoo + barbara blaze The Luwow, Fitzroy.
grant hart + tom lyngoln + thug mills Old Bar,
8:00pm. $10.00.
Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.
marshall okell Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm.
greenthief + the royal artillery + dear thieves
PURPLE PLUSH REVOLVER
+ the hunted crows Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd.
C HERRY BAR This Friday March 4 Cherry Bar will transform into a rock’n’roll hot spot dedicated to the late and great Scott Weiland. The night will feature a full two hour show comprising of songs from Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, smashed out by a one-off supergroup made up of Dellacoma Rio (Sunset Riot/Dellacome), Nick Casalina (Darcee Foxx/Voodoocain), Tommy Sunset (Atomic Riot/Kill Shott) and Nick Trajanovski (Dead City Ruins/The Deep End). It’ll be a huge night for every Weiland fan. Doors are at 8pm and entry is $13.
8:00pm. $13.00.
COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD
Q&A
G R AC E DA R L I N G Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird have parcelled up all of their indie folk goodness into a brand new single, which also happens to be the title track from their anticipated second EP, Melbourne Bitter. They’ll be launching their latest creation at the Grace Darling on Saturday March 5, accompanied by Jeffers Limit and Forever Son. $10 entry and an 8.30pm start.
NICK BARKER AND THE HEARTACHE STATE
P O S T O F F I C E H OT E L Get ready for some raggedy arse rock’n’roll at the Post Office Hotel on Saturday March 5, with Nick Barker and The Heartache State. Taking a break from riding solo, Barker will be backed by his band to provide some meaty, blues inspired rock. There’s going to be two sets from 9.30pm and you can save all your money for beer, because entry is free.
B E AT.C O M . A U
A DAY ON THE FAIRFIELD GREEN WITH ASHLEY NAYLOR Hey Ash. What’s A Day on the Fairfield Green all about? A Day On The Fairfield Green is a chance for the community of Fairfield to experience music that lives on the fringes of the mainstream. Doug Galbraith is the driving force behind this event and the resurgence of live music for original artists at the Grandview Hotel in Fairfield. We’ve never seen a primary school fair boasting a lineup like this. How did the likes of Dan Kelly, Dave Graney and yourself come together to shape this bill? Doug has extended the invite to musicians who may not otherwise perform at such events. Many of us on the bill have performed with each other in various configurations over the years. Entry to this star studded mini-festival is free, but it’s advised that punters support the school. What food and activities will be on offer? Any money generated for the school via the food, books or second hand clothing stalls benefits the students in some way, whether it be through the purchase of tech resources or the continuing work on the school grounds. We’re anticipating this day won’t just be for the kids. Why should parents come along too? It’s good for parents to step outside of the usual weekday obligations and bring the kids to free events like this and enjoy the school grounds in a different context. Why should Melbourne’s music community make a continued effort to inspire the younger generations? If any of the musicians performing on the day can inspire an individual to hear or see something different from that which is shamelessly pumped out through mainstream media, then that is a very positive outcome. A DAY ON THE FAIRFIELD GREEN goes down on Saturday March 5 at Fairfield Primary School featuring Ashley Naylor, Dan Kelly, Dave Graney & Clare Moore and Kerri Simpson.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 59
GIG GUIDE GREG DODD & THE HOODOO MEN Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.
HUGH MCGINLAY & THE RECESSIVE GENES Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5:00pm.
IMOGEN CLARK Wesley Anne, Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.
JAMES THOMSON & THE STRANGE PILGRIMS + ROB
DEAR PLASTIC
MUINOS Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 9:00pm. KARAOKE WITH ZOE Customs House Hotel,
TH E RE T R E AT Local indie lad Ed Reed will be bringing his Brit pop infused rock sounds back to The Retreat front bar on Saturday March 5. With his full band in tow you can expect three-part vocals over toe tapping beats and crunchy guitars. The fun starts nice and early at 5pm with The Conclusions starting off the night. Reed and crew will be spreadin’ the love at 6pm. As always, free entry.
A B B OT S FO R D CO NV E NT Melbourne’s very own pop four-piece Dear Plastic are a group of visual artists, science enthusiasts and one comic book nerd, whose apocalyptic trip-hop has been getting heads turning. The unconventional act is set to release their second EP Heaven Machine, with debut single Zero demonstrating the band’s artistic sensibility with dark, vintage synth sounds. In support of the new single, Dear Plastic will be performing at Melbourne’s Shadow Electric on Saturday March 5 with support from Lisa Salvo and Mondogreen. Tickets via the Shadow Electric, starts 7pm.
THE BELAFONTES + LANEWAVES Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy.
THE JC LITTLE BIG BAND Paris Cat Jazz Club,
Zoo, Parkville. 5:30pm. $55.00.
9:30pm.
Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $20.00.
RACK OFF! - FEAT: BEACHES + HOLY BALM + LUCY
THE DUVTONS + CROOKED PATH + THE PATIENT + PUBLIC
THE LATE SHOW - FEAT: RANSOM + MAT CANT + PAZ + LEWIS
CLICHE + RED RED KROVVY + DEEP HEAT + MORE Tote
GUNS AND ROSES TRIBUTE + PURE BLONDE + KISS THE
LIABILITY + THE COMMONLY INSANE + MORE Reverence
CANCUT + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm.
Hotel, Collingwood. 3:00pm. $25.00.
VYPER Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. $20.00.
Hotel, Footscray. 6:00pm. $10.00.
THE NECKS Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.
REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE SCREAMIN + COLLARD
HEINZ SHOWCASE - FEAT: THE GLITZ + GABE + SVEN
THE JETSONS + BLACKPINK + WHOOPIE CAT Mr Boogie
7:30pm. $45.00.
GREENS AND GRAVY Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.
DOHSE + MORE Railway Hotel , Brunswick. 2:00pm.
Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.
TROPICOOL RHYTHMS - FEAT: JASPORA + JUMPIN JOSH
8:30pm.
JOEL PARNELL + AARTI JADU + TONY CLAY Old Bar,
THE SHOT GLASSES Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.
+ GOGO GODDESSES The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $5.00.
RELEASE THE HOUNDS + THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT
Fitzroy. 3:00pm.
THE VIBRAJETS + TIJUANA SURF Town Hall Hotel,
+ CARGO CULTS + BLIND EYE Whole Lotta Love,
LALIC + SHARDS + BELOVED ELK John Curtin Hotel,
South Melbourne. 9:30pm.
Brunswick East. 8:00pm. $10.00.
Carlton. 3:00pm.
TIRED BREEDS + DILETTANTES + THE SUICIDE TUESDAYS
T.K REEVE Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick. 6:30pm.
+ NEW LOW + TIM HAMPSHIRE + DAVID GRIMSON
TEX & CHARLIE The Croxton, Thornbury. 7:00pm.
Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.
$39.80.
WILSN + FRIDA Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm.
THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS + THE TIPPLERS Drunken
$15.00.
Poet, West Melbourne. 3:00pm.
A TASTE OF SPAIN - FEAT: STEFANIA BELLAMIO +
THE CELESTIAL RAILROAD Union Hotel , Brunswick.
MASSIMO SCATTOLIN Melbourne Recital Centre,
9:00pm.
Southbank. 12:00pm. $100.00.
TOM DOCKRAY & THE DOCKADOODLEDOOS + TK REEVE
AMÉRICA DO SUL Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.
RACK OFF FESTIVAL
T HE TOTE It’s all about the ladies at The Tote on Saturday March 5. The day plays host to an impressive list of acts all featuring some seriously bad arse femmes. The lineup includes Beaches, Holy Balm, Lucy Cliché, Red Red Krovvy, Deep Heat, Mollusc, Masses, Stations, Pleasure Symbols and more. It’s also a gig with purpose, as the whole affair will be raising funds for YWCA Victoria’s housing services. YWCA is Australia’s longest running secular women’s organisation, working to educate, empower and support women and their communities through workshops, sports, cultural activities and in particular, housing. There will also be heaps of snacks and market stalls on offer from 3pm. Get yo’ tickets via The Tote’s website.
BECOME AN AMAZING LEAD GUITARIST
ED REED
8:30pm. $25.00.
COME TOGETHER MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL - FEAT: THE
THE ALL SEEING HAND
Williamstown. 9:00pm.
KERRYN FIELDS Fox Hotel (collingwood), Collingwood. 4:00pm.
LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES Union Hotel , Brunswick. 5:00pm.
MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS - FEAT: C.W. STONEKING + MARLON WILLIAMS & THE YARRA BENDERS Melbourne
SUNDAY 6 MAR CLUTCH
MATLOCK PHANTOM & FRIENDS (MEN WITH NO SHAME)
+ MISS COLOMBIA + CUMBIA COSMONAUTS + MORE
+ THE MERCY KILLS Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick.
Edendale Farm, 12:00pm.
8:40pm. $49.00.
EMMA GILMARTIN QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy.
MILK RECORDS (GOOD FOR YOU) - FEAT: COURTNEY
8:00pm.
BARNETT + FRASER A GORMAN + THE FINKS + MORE
MAYA + KWASI + OTIOUS + MORE Revolver Upstairs,
T H E C U R T I N B A ND R O OM Genre bending three-piece The All Seeing Hand have locked in a Melbourne show, fresh from a raucous set at the Auckland incarnation of Laneway Festival. The trio is as just as well known for bringing together elements of turntabalism, live drumming and Mongolian-inspired throat singing as they are for squeezing forth from a giant, pink latex suit - called The Blob - to begin their sets. Get weird with The All Seeing Hand when they take over The Curtin on Saturday March 5.
Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
Prahran. 7:30pm. $12.00..
WILL VINSON Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
PALMS Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $15.00.
RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:00pm.
9:30pm. $25.00.
ADMIT ONE + CALL THE SHOTS + DOUBLE LINED
POCKETS + BRUNGAS BAND + BEAUTIFUL BEASTS Penny
SARAH MACLAINE + ROGER CLARK QUARTET Dizzy’s Jazz
BOSSA BRUNSWICK Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm.
MINORITY + KIDS IN CONTROL Wrangler Studios,
Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm.
Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $16.00.
CATHERINE TRAICOS + MARLON WINTERBOURNE Some
Footscray. 1:00pm. $13.30.
POISON FISH + LONG HOLIDAY + MURDERBALLS +
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: MISS BEE TOWNSEND:
Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm.
ALLIED WEST + RACOO CHARLES + A’TUIN Old Bar,
MASTER_BETA Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.
LADY OF LEISURE Laika Bar, St Kilda. 8:00pm.
CHARLIE PARR Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm.
Fitzroy. 3:00pm.
ROB THOMAS (A DAY ON THE GREEN) + PETE MURRAY +
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: ALEXANDER
$30.00.
ALVVAYS + MAJOR LEAGUES Northcote Social Club,
DARREN MIDDLETON + SHAUN BLACK Rochford Wines,
NETTELBECK QUARTET St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda.
COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD + JEFFERS LIMIT
Northcote. 7:30pm. $36.00.
Coldstream. 3:30pm. $105.90.
7:30pm. $15.00.
+ FOREVER SON Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood.
HOMEGROWN SONGBOOK SERIES (CRAIG CHRISTIE) -
SATURDAYS R COVERED - FEAT: RADIO STAR Royal Hotel
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: HORNS OF LEROY St
8:30pm. $10.00.
FEAT: FRANCESCA ARENA + MICHELLE BRASIER + BAYLIE
(essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.
Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda. 9:00pm. $15.00.
CRAIG WOODWARD + WARREN ROUGH & FRIENDS
CARSON + MORE Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 7:30pm.
SINGLES Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $15.00.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: JAM SESSION St Kilda
Victoria Hotel , Brunswick. 5:00pm.
$30.00.
SLOOM + FULL FLOWER MOON BAND + THE BACKS + DON
Bowling Club, St Kilda. 11:00pm. $5.00.
DAN LETHBRIDGE Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.
JAM AT MUSICLAND SUNDAYS Musicland, Fawkner.
BOSCO Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: VINCE JONES + STRINGS
DR. RICS DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE Brunswick
7:30pm.
$8.00.
ATTACHED St Kilda Memo, St Kilda. 8:00pm. $32.00.
Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.
NATHAN ROCHE + SCOTT & CHARLENES WEDDING
STORIES + BELLE HAVEN + POLARIS + PERSPECTIVES
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: THE SUGARFOOT
FLYING ENGINE STRINGBAND Railway Hotel (nth
+ SCHOOL DAMAGE + ORB Grace Darling Hotel,
Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
RAMBLERS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 2:00pm.
Fitzroy), Fitzroy North. 9:00pm.
Collingwood. 6:30pm.
SEVEN UPS + THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 60
B E AT.C O M . A U
THE CORN E R American rock giants Clutch have been destroying the live circuit for 25 years and on Sunday March 6 they’re letting loose at The Corner. The release of their 11th studio album Psychic Warfare saw them solidify their reputation through their combination of metal, blues, psychedelic and hard rock. Guests for the night are Kings of the North and it all kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketscout.
GIG GUIDE ALLIED WEST
Q&A
THE O LD BAR Chuck a chilled Sunday session at The Old Bar on Sunday March 6 and forget the weekend is almost over. There are $10 jugs of Unicorn lager to drink away your hangover and enjoy live music from Allied West, Racoo Charles and A’Tuin. Drag yourself out of bed by 3pm and you’re all set. Entry is free.
OFF SYDNEY ROAD PARTY - FEAT: SHERIFF + MIGHTIEST OF GUNS + PLAGUE DOCTOR + MORE Victoria Hotel ,
MILK RECORDS: GOOD FOR YOU
THE CON & THE LIAR
LANES + ELLY LANZA + MORE Whole Lotta Love,
TH E WORK E R S C LU B Brisbane blues rock buds The Con & The Liar will be stirring things up at The Workers Club on Sunday March 6. They are visiting down south to promote the release of their new single Drummers & Lovers, the second song from their upcoming EP. They’ll be hanging out with local legends Mild Manic and Tin Lion from 7pm. Just bring $10 for entry and you’re all set.
Brunswick East. 3:00pm. $12.00.
CLASSICAL VISIONS - FEAT: DAVID GRIFFITHS + MELINA
SUMMER SERIES #11 - FEAT: SONNY FODERA Revolver
VAN LEEUWEN + WILLIAM HENNESSY Melbourne Recital
Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.
Centre, Southbank. 2:30pm. $49.00.
SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY - FEAT: ANDREW
CRAYON KING + FAMOUS WILL + NICHOLAS COSTELLO
H OWLE R Milk! Records, the indie label founded by Courtney Barnett, are on the road performing an all-star series of gigs around the country. Barnett started the imprint in 2012 as a way to release her first EP, I’ve Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris. Four years later, and with international accolades coming her way, Barnett has also grown Milk! to become the home base for a number of great Australian acts. In support of the label’s new compilation, Good For You, Barnett and her roster are now hitting the road. Jen Cloher, Fraser A. Gorman, Ouch My Face, East Brunswick All Girls Choir and The Finks will play 11 dates around the country. They’ll take over Howler on Sunday March 6. Tickets via milkrecords.com.au
SWIFT + PHOEBE DAICOS + TOM DOCKRAY & THE
303, Northcote. 2:00pm.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: BOB SEDERGREEN’S BIG
DOCKLEDOODLEDOOS + MORE Retreat Hotel,
ENTROPY QUARTET Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick.
BAD & BLUESY BAND St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda.
Brunswick. 2:00pm.
5:00pm.
3:00pm. $15.00.
SYDNEY RD STREET PARTY Brunswick Hotel,
GRAND WAZOO Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick.
SUNDAY SOUL SESSIONS Purple Emerald, Northcote.
Brunswick. 12:00pm.
3:30pm. $28.00.
9:00pm.
SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY - FEAT: MOSE + THE FMLY
HORNS OF LEROY The B.east, Brunswick East. 1:30pm.
THE MELBOURNE JAZZ CO-OP Uptown Jazz Cafe,
+ NEON QUEEN + NETTI + REIKA + MORE Penny Black,
PEPPERCORN JAZZ Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm.
Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
Brunswick. 12:00pm.
RAVI COLTRANE Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:00pm.
THE UPSTANDING MEMBERS + RENELOPHUS + HI NEW
THE 131’S + THE CONTROLLERS + NO CLASS Old Bar,
RIGIDY ROURKE & THE LOVE DOGS + BEAUTIFUL BEASTS
LOW Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1:00pm. $5.00.
Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00..
+ BUTTERED LOAF + DJ JENNIFER KEYTE Evelyn Hotel,
ALEX BURNS + KAIN BORLASE Big Huey’s Diner, South
Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.
Melbourne. 4:00pm.
SOUL-A-GO-GO - FEAT: MISS GOLDIE + RICHIE 1250
AMARINA WATERS Union Hotel , Brunswick. 3:30pm.
+ VINCE PEACH + PIERRE BARONI Bella Union Bar,
DARREN GIBSON + TIM HAMPHIRE + LACHLAN HICKS +
Carlton. 9:00pm. $15.00.
JO NEUGEBAUER + THE STRAGGLERS Reverence Hotel,
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: HAPPY HOUSE SUNDAY
Footscray. 2:00pm.
Claypots, St Kilda. 3:30pm.
DAVIDSON BROTHERS Union Hotel , Brunswick.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: MARGIE LOU DYER
5:00pm.
THE INTERCEPTORS + STAVROS BROTHERS +
QUARTET Claypots, St Kilda. 9:00pm.
DELLACOMA RIO + JAX HAZE + JARROD MARSH Whole
MONSTERIA Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: STONNINGTON YOUTH
Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.
THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN + UNDERGROUND LOVERS +
JAZZ INITIATIVE + BOB SEDERGREEN’S BIG BAD &
ELWOOD BLUES CLUB Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .
GRINDING EYES 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.
BLUESY BAND St Kilda Bowling Club, St Kilda. 2:00pm.
8:00pm.
$82.00..
$15.00.
FIELD + SEE + MASON Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. 4pm.
UFC 196 + PAUL RAWK Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava.
ST KILDA SUMMER JAZZ - FEAT: REBECCA BARNARD:
GREG WALSH Pera, Brighton. 3:00pm.
5:00pm.
SONGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME St Kilda Memo, St
HOMESICK RAY & THE MILD BUNCH + LUAU COWBOYS
BLOOD ORANGE Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.
Kilda. 3:00pm. $20.00.
Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm.
Brunswick. 4:00pm.
RELEASE THE HOUNDS Musicland, Fawkner. 8:00pm. ROCK 4 TOMMY LEE (ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FUNDRAISER) - FEAT: HOUSE WRECKERS + AIRWAY
THE STETSON FAMILY
P OST O F FICE HOTEL The Stetson Family are swinging by the Post Office Hotel on Sunday March 6 to inject your afternoon with some chilled out vibes. The champions of bluegrass are inspired by Americana roots music, and the five-piece present a fresh twist on folk and alternative country. Free entry and the band will play two sets from 4.30pm.
B E AT.C O M . A U
JEFF RAGLUS Lets talk about your art career. You started airbrushing surfboards in the ‘70s. What transformations have you and your art undergone between then and now? So many. I originally did screen printing on clothes, that led to me doing rock posters, which in turn led to me doing paintings. My first ever exhibitions were around Brunswick Street in the early-‘90s. I’ve never stopped painting and hopefully improving since then. Your art is reminiscent of pop art from the ‘90s and early-‘00s. What iconic brands have you worked with? I worked for Mambo for most of the ‘90s. This had huge affect on my work. In fact it took me most of the ‘00s to shake it off. You’ve said you tend not to concern yourself with genre. What’s the reasoning behind this? Musically I think if you play strictly blues and roots or rockabilly or whatever, it’s almost like being in a covers band except the songs are all old. Likewise with art. I’ve been called lowbrow, but what’s that? Tiki art? Hotrod art? Tattoo art? Surf art? Occasionally I dip into all those areas, but I’d hate to be stuck there. I’d describe my style as abstract cartoon or just pop. You toured in 2014 with your partner Vicki Philipp as the musical project Victoriana Gaye, inspecting art galleries along the way. What did you soak up during that time? Highlights were The Tate Modern in London, The Brighton Museum, The Tate in Liverpool, The Huntington Collection in Glasgow, a haunted graveyard in Edinburgh, the complete collection of Latino street art belonging to Cheech Marin in Bordeaux and an amazing photo exhibition in the Basque Museum in Bayonne. JEFF RAGLUS will be unveiling new paintings in his Be Bop Pop exhibition at 45 Downstairs Gallery from Tuesday March 8 till Thursday March 24.
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 61
GIG GUIDE
The Push
honeybone + smoke rings + the bleeding flares
PRESENT
303, Northcote. 7:00pm. $5.00.
james thomson band Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.
kathy hinch Albert And Sydney, Brunswick. 4:00pm. matt dwyer Tramway Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm. michelle gardiner Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 3:00pm.
miss whiskey Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. monica wieghtman band Lomond Hotel, Brunswick
STONEFIELD
TH E OLD B A R There’s no better way to start the week than by hitting up Old Bar’s Mundane Mondays. On Monday March 7 the all-girl rock quartet Stonefield will be taking to the stage to provide some sisterly love. Immigrant Union are supporting with their blend of psychedelic folk, plus jugs of Mountain Goat are only $15 a pop. Stroll down there at 8pm, entry is $10.
East. 9:00pm.
rick hart & the sweet addictions Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 9:00pm.
russell morris & band Caravan Music Club,
MISS QUINCY
T H E R E T R E AT H OT EL Canada’s bluesy and boozy rock’n’roll singer and guitarist Miss Quincy is returning to our shores for her second national Australian tour, and is hitting up The Retreat Hotel to celebrate. Quincy’ll be backed by her smokin’ hot Aussie rhythm section, who’ll be picking up where they left off last year - playing 18 festivals on three different continents and setting audiences on fire with their infectious upbeat songs and down & dirty grooves. Head on down and hear Miss Quincy’s latest single, Remind Me of Myself and many more bangin’ blues numbers at The Retreat Hotel on Tuesday March 8. Music kicks off at 9.30pm and entry is free.
Oakleigh. 3:00pm. $30.00.
grinding eyes + gravy train three + the pink tiles
sunday session - feat: brunsy Ferntree Gully Hotel,
Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.
Ferntree Gully. 2:00pm.
NEIL HAWKER
hills hoist + dreamin’ wild + baby jaun Evelyn
Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.
TH E R E T R E AT Neil Hawker is bringing his tasty blues guitar style and songwriting to the Retreat on Monday March 7. After fifteen years in the music industry supporting blues, jazz, country, R&B, gospel and soul acts, Hawker has since been stepping out on his own as of 2015. For a bluesy start to the week head down to the Retreat at 8.30pm, free entry.
sydney rd street party - feat: bakersfield glee
monday night cajun dance - feat: the ‘johnny
club + the grubs + the seven ups + dj heels on
can’t dance’ cajun band Victoria Hotel , Brunswick.
deck Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 2:30pm.
8:00pm.
the boys Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6:00pm.
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
sunday sessions - feat: various artists Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.
sydney rd street party - feat: nara & pepi + mon shelford + kerryn fields + more Charles Weston
three kings + dj max crawdaddy Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. $5.00.
woodsmith + balter vada + zoe ryan & the dandy lion Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.
MONDAY 7 MAR GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
MELB OURNE RECITA L C E N T R E Canadian post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor are taking over the Melbourne Recital Centre on Monday March 7, for what promises to be a live show of epic proportions. They’ve hit the road following their fifth studio release Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress, which has become yet another testament to the way the band has mastered allconsuming, experimental rock. Doors open at 7.30pm.
303 yarra banks jam night 303, Northcote. 8:00pm.
Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.
ERN MALLEY
T H E WO R KE R S CLU B Melbourne blues rock locals Ern Malley are playing a sneaky little residency at the Workers Club on each Tuesday of March. They have promised a swag of new material for punters, in preparation for recording their album later this year. Their good pals Grandstand and Maddy Leman will be supporting them for their gig on Tuesday March 8. Get yourself down there at 8pm for a beverage and some tunes.
peking duk Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.
TH E F O R U M The Jesus and Mary Chain are returning to Melbourne for a celebratory performance of their ground-breaking record, Psychocandy, 30 years after its release. The debut album from the Scottish postpunk group, formed the Reid brothers William and Jim in the early ‘80s, proved influential on both the forthcoming shoegaze genre and alternative rock, with acts including Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine among countless other appreciators. They released a string of albums, singles and EPs between 1983 and their 1999 breakup. The band reunited in 2007. Though the band have hardly performed over the last decade, The Jesus and Mary Chain have returned to stages this year to perform Psychocandy in full. The Jesus and Mary Chain will take over The Forum on Monday March 7.
$52.40.
the mummies + the wylde oscars The Luwow, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $35.00.
TASTE OF INDIE COLLECTIVE
PR I N C E P U BLI C B A R Taste of Indie Tuesday at the Prince Public Bar is back on Tuesday March 8 with an Aspiring Songwriters Invitational Night. There’s a great lineup of up-andcoming songwriters stepping up to the stage, hosted by songwriter and performer Bob Crain. The Taste of Indie Collective aims to do its bit to foster local, original songwriting and performance in Melbourne. This week features Sarah Eida, Satta, and Dan Purdey. Music starts from 7.30pm and entry is FREE.
tulalah + up up away + allysha joy Evelyn Hotel,
uptown ace Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.
Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.
jason aldean + florida georgia line Margaret
TUESDAY 8 MAR
Court Arena, Melbourne. 7:00pm. $100.93.
open mic nite Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm. .
beauty and the brass Melbourne Recital Centre,
anna’s go-go academy Bella Union Bar, Carlton.
the jordan bailey band Brunswick Hotel,
Southbank. 6:00pm. $29.00.
6:30pm. $10.00.
Brunswick. 8:00pm.
luca gemma + ross ward Paris Cat Jazz Club,
brazilian music jam session Open Studio,
wrokdown recording - feat: russell morris
Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.
Northcote. 7:30pm.
+ ronald clayton Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm. $5.00.
cherry jam Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.
jaala + little shock + lalic Gasometer Hotel,
pool comp - feat: noel Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava.
Collingwood. 8:00pm. $18.00.
7:30pm.
michael kieran harvey & timothy young
the tap pack Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne),
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 11:00am.
Southbank. 1:30pm. $20.00.
$20.00.
CLASSIFIEDS
33c per word per week (inc GST) Send your classified listing to classifieds@beat.com.au. Payment options include VISA/Mastercard or EFT (1.5% surcharge for
credit card payment). Deadline is Monday 11am, prior to Wednesday’s publication. Minimum $5 charge per week. We do not accept classifieds over the phone - sorry.
Acts wanted for Sunday rock shows Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au
NOW BOOKING BANDS at Dane Certificate’s Magic Bar. Email danecertificate@yahoo.com.au *
Bands/Duos/Solo acts wanted for Acoustic/Indie Fest Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au Rock/Metal acts wanted for local rock shows Contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 62
MELODIC GUITARIST WANTED for an edgy original rock band. Aged 25-45, must have professional outlook and previous band experience, own gear and transport, rehearse in Bayswater. www. alesserego.com. Contact Pete: PRN Management on 0419 004 095 or email prn.management@hotmail. com
WANT YOUR GIG IN GIG GUIDE? EMAIL A SHORT BLURB AND PIC TO MUSICNEWS@BEAT.COM.AU
MODELING. We’re looking for confident women of all styles (aged 18+) for our pro-feminist photographic projects with an emphasis on style and creativity. Nude/undies, paying $100 to $500 per shoot. Don’t overlook this until you’ve found out more about it. Rebecca ph.9495 6555 EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH: Me.
B E AT.C O M . A U
Access All Ages With grace kindellan After a rigorous climb to the top, the 2016 FReeZA Push Start grand finalists are ready to take the stage, going head to head as part of City of Melbourne’s Moomba Festival at Alexandra Gardens at Birrarung Marr Park on Friday 11th March. This year’s finalists bring a wide variety of styles including rap, metal, rock and folk to the festival’s The Push Stage which is gonna be bursting with local young talent all day. Competition will be fierce with a grand prize worth $11,000 and the APRA AMCOS Songwriting Award prize pack of $150. To top it all off, red-hot, Melbourne six-piece Alpine are headlining! Check it out at www.thepush.com.au If you’re interested in organising events for young people in your community, now is a great time to get involved with your local FReeZA committee. There are eighty committees across Victoria that organise a huge range of alcohol and drug free events for 14-18 year olds that suit the different needs and tastes of each area. Head to www.freeza.vic.gov.au for more information. Or if you live in the inner north, Darebin FReeZA and Moreland Council’s Amped Up Productions are both looking for new members so head to their Facebook pages if you want to jump on board. Tonight, and every Wednesday night until the end of March, you can check out music across three stages at the Queen Victoria Night Market from 5pm till 10pm. This week you can catch Melbourne’s favourite Island Reggae outfit T-Rhythm, foot stompin’ folk from Velvet Archers and French gypsy-swing virtuosos La Mauvaise Reputation. For more information and details of upcoming line ups have a look at ww.qvm.com.au Check out the pop-art visuals with a soundtrack of sweet pop music at Friday Nights at NGV. Local heroes Pearls take the stage this week with their melancholy but catchy ballads filled with shimmering synths and floating vocals. Tickets include entry to the Andy Warhol | Ai Wei Wei exhibition and access to exclusive talks, food and bars from 6pm to 10pm this Friday, March 4. For more information, head to www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Signal is hosting five workshops for young LGBTQIA people to explore different illustration techniques and collaborate on newspaper/zine-style publications with artist Klara. The workshops take place on Saturday 5, 12 and 19 March; and 2 and 9 April 2016 11am to 4pm with the final artworks being displayed at the Signal Gallery from Thursday April 21 to Saturday April 30. It’s free but bookings are essential so look up www.melbourne.vic.gov.au. The Sydney Road Street Party is on this Sunday! Jampacked into an 800m stretch of Sydney Road between Union to Victoria Street, it’s a one-of-a-kind free fiesta of the hottest local music in the Brunswick community. There are over 60 acts across stages with the Oxgen Youth stage featuring bands selected by local young people including Camp Cope, Wil Wagner, Indigenous Hip Hop projects and Artful Dodger Sound System. Head to www.brunswickmusicfestival.com.au for more details.
All Ages Gig Guide F ri d a y M arc h 4
Tomorrow Festival w/ Short films by local young people, Village Cinemas, Westfield Doncaster, 1.00pm - 3.30pm, Free, www.youthservices.ymca.org. au, AA
S atur d a y M arc h 5
Barwon Skate Series w/ TBA, Colac Skate Park, Gravesend Street, Colac, 10.30am - 4.00am, Free, AA Open Mic w/ local young musicians, Dumu Balcony Café, Bright, 2.00pm - 5.00pm, Free, AA Echo Underage w/ DJ Bando, DJ Sabotaje, Wonthaggi Town Hall, 76 McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi, 8.00pm - 12.00am, $10, www.facebook. com/BassCoastFreeza & www.facebook.com/ EchoUnderage, U18 W Factor Youth Talent Competition – Heat w/ TBC, Youth Resource Centre, 86 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing, 10.00am-5.00pm, Free, www.youth. wyndham.vic.gov.au, AA
S un d a y M arc h 0 6
Acoustic @the Square w/ Simple Design, Pilot Lights, Jesters for Kings, Junction Square, Elgin Boulevard, Wodonga, 1.00pm - 3.00pm, Free, www. facebook.com/wodongayouth, AA Ramp Rage w/ Skating and BMX competitions, Davidson Oval, Time: 10.30am - 4.00pm, Free, AA
Thursday 3rd @ 8.30pm
THE BON TON RHYTHMS
(Goodtime medecine) Friday 4th @ 9.30pm
THURSDAY 3RD, 8PM
HAMISH KILGOUR SOLO (THE CLEAN) FRIDAY 4TH, 7PM
DAVID HEARD 60TH BASH (PBS LEGEND ACID COUNTRY) EATEN BY DOGS SATURDAY 5TH, 7PM
CONTINENTAL ROBERTS’ BLUES PARTY (Soul kinda R&B)
Saturday 5th @ 8.30pm
REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE
(Screamin’ Johnny Macs’ 70) Saturday 5th @ 10.00pm
COLLARD, GREENS & GRAVY (Swamp blues)
GREG DODD AND THE HOODOO MEN
JAMES THOMSON BAND
SUNDAY 6TH, 5PM
Sunday 6th @ 9.00pm
JVG GUITAR METHOD COMING UP:
DANNY WALSH BANNED PHESANT PLUCKERS FRANK SULTANA
Sunday 6th @ 5.30 pm
(Alt-country roots)
THE STEVE MARTINS (Soul-searchers) Tuesday 8th @ 8.00pm
IRISH SESSION (Fine fiddlin’)
ALL GIGS ARE FREE EXCELLENT RESTAURANT & BAR MEALS
225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752
Wed 2nd March
W I N E , W H I S K EY, W O M E N 8pm: Renny M 9pm: Samara Cullen Thurs 3rd March
8pm:
Open Mic Night Friday 4th March
6pm:
Traditional Irish Music Session
Miss Whiskey 3pm: The Tipplers 9pm: The Bona Fide Travellers Sunday 6th March 4pm: Luau Cowboys 6.30pm: Homesick Ray & The Mild Bunch 8.30pm:
Saturday 5th March
Tuesday 8th March
8pm:
Weekly Trivia
The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au
30TH BIRTHDAY DEALS SUPER SPECIAL WEEKEND PACKAGES From just $990 for 2 day booking Drum Tracking from just $330 Pro Mastering from just $88 per song 50 CD copies from just $99 CALL PAUL 0412 686 252 Download our brochure at
WWW.STUDIO 52.COM.AU
REHEARSAL STUDIOS
threephasemusic.com Weeknight rates from $65
8 Tinning St, Brunswick
PA HIRE Mastering for CD, Vinyl & Online Releases
thecabinmastering.com Ph-0408 565 121
Comprehensive PA systems delivered, set up and operated with crew. Compact, easy, sound systems you can pickup and assemble yourself.Components such as microphones, speakers and effects are also available separately. Lights also available. For details phone Mark Barry on 03 9889 1999 or 0419 993 966
www.bssound.com.au bssound@bigpond.com
18 DUFFY ST BURWOOD WWW.HYDRASTUDIOS.COM.AU
HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS BOOK A ROOM! CALL: 0417 000 397 • 2000 WATT HK AUDIO/MACKIE PAs • TEN CLEAN, 30M2 ROOMS • STORAGE • DRUMKIT/AMP HIRE • AIR CON
DID BRUNO, RONSON, STEAL ‘UPTOWN FUNK’? In the latest saga of modern hits “inspired” by old soul and funk songs, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson are accused of stealing Uptown Funk. Early all-female rap posse The Sequence say it nicked from their 1979 hit Funk You Up. It’s not its first flap. Ronson added five new writers to Uptown Funk’s credits last year after 1970s Gap Band claimed a similarity with their Oops, Up Side Your Head.
CHANGE AT TOP AT ETIHAD STADIUM Etihad Stadium has lost its CEO Paul Sergeant after three and a half years who says it’s time to move on. When he took over the job, his strategy was to widen the range of events held there. The board of Melbourne Stadiums Ltd agreed he had done that, as well as installing Wi-Fi and IPTV through the stadium, reducing catering prices, transforming the playing surface and promoting the stadium overseas to get sponsors. Director of Operations Michael Green will act as interim CEO
AUSTRALIS BUYS BACKLINE HIRE Australis Music Group has acquired the business and assets of Backline Hire Stage Systems (formerly known as Billy Hyde Stage Systems) from AJ Maddah’s Madjo Enterprises. Australis will widen its operations, offering more services to retail customers, “Growing our distribution of musical instruments, pro audio equipment and now the live sound and stage event space.” Set up in Sydney in 1973, Australis Music Group are independent distributors of musical instruments and Pro Audio equipment brands such as Tannoy, Turbosound, Behringer, LabGruppen, Ibanez, Tama and Sabian. All BHSS staff will remain. “The staff at Stage Systems are just amazing, incredibly committed and customer focused. I look forward to working with them”, said Trevor BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 66
THINGS WE HEAR Are there moves for an Australian version of US TV show Vinyl based around sex drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in New York’s 1970s music scene? If so, which high profile music executive will it be based on?
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Foxtel’s dumping of Channel [V] came as no surprise. It’s been losing viewers steadily. Last year viewer figures were down 28% between May and November. Foxtel realises that music fans under 30 get their video fix from YouTube. An experiment 12 months ago with long-form videos wasn’t as successful as hoped. Foxtel will rely on the V Hits format of non-stop music 24/7 with no interruptions. It will set up V Hits 2 by end of March, work on its social media (MTV has 3.3 million social media users), and focus on older viewers who tune in to MAX and Smooth. Three staffers were let go, including Jabba. Danny Clayton remains until his contract ends mid-year. Rebecca Batties continues at Foxtel as GM of Music Channels and Head of Digital.
The inaugural I Love Live Music 60 second film competition is drawing entries from filmmakers and musicians. The national initiative, put together by the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) and the Live Music Office, focuses on creating films and music stressing the importance of Australian contemporary live music. Deadline is Friday April 1. Ten finalists will be screened at the St Kilda Film Festival’s SoundKILDA event on May 26 with the winner announced on the night for $12,000 worth of prizes. The ten will get national exposure through the NXTGIG app, Telstra Road, Palace Cinemas, and the national music bodies including the Live Music Office, AMIN, APRA AMCOS, Music Rights Australia, the Association of Artist Managers and Music Australia. More info: amin.org.au.
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HOW YOUTUBE KILLED CHANNEL [V]
I LOVE LIVE MUSIC ATTRACTS ENTRIES
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Live Nation Australasia and UNIFIED have set up a new heavy music touring partnership. Called Live Nation & UNIFY Present, its first tour is Bring Me The Horizon’s arena run in September. UNIFIED manages acts and runs the UNIFY festival. Live Nation’s hard rock credentials include Metallica, Black Sabbath and Linkin Park tours. Heading UNIFIED’s touring is booker and promoter Luke Logemann who ran its recorded music division for the past ten years. Nigel Melder, head of touring at Destroy All Lines, has joined Live Nation.
Morrow, CEO of Australis Music Group. “We are very pleased with the opportunity to widen our offer to the market and we believe that our history, know-how and industry talent will add value to an already very strong offer.”
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LIVE NATION, UNIFIED, TOURING PARTNERSHIP
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MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
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The run-down Brunswick cottage in Beith Street where Beyonce shot her 2013 No Angel video sold for $650,000, well over the expected $500,000 due to what the estate called “a Beyonce impremium”. A Beyonce impersonator gave the new owner a bottle of champagne and a jazz band played. The Herald Sun reported that the Australian National Academy of Music asked state government to commit to $386,000 funding a year or it may have to move out of South Melbourne Town Hall when the lease runs out next year. It pays only $1,000 rent a year but council costs jumped from $120,000 to $330,000. Brad Guy, who started out at SYN before moving to StarFM in Gippsland, is now Digital Content Producer for the Fifi & Dave Breakfast Show on Fox. Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong are pushing to host the inaugural regional version in 2017 of Melbourne’s White Night, which drew a record 580,000 this year. At his Sydney show at the Hordern Pavilion, A$AP Rocky (fresh from a brawl in New Zealand hotel elevator after telling three men it was crowded) dissed Australia’s refusal to allow Tyler, The Creator in last year. “They say his rap lyrics are too explicit, that’s some bullshit,” he said before the 5,000-strong crowd booed and chanted “Bring Tyler” while A$AP free-styled over Tyler’s Yonkers.
Is Samsung talking to Tidal streaming service about buying it out?
During their Melbourne visit, Wu-Tang Clan spent ten hours at Ginger Studios working on new rhymes.
Will we see private medical groups testing pills at NSW music festivals despite the state government’s zero-tolerance stance on drugs at such events?
Estimated contribution to the Las Vegas economy by the EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival: $1.3 billion.
After an awesome show at Perth Arena before 12,000 (three encores, y’all), Prince arrived at his after-party at Eve nightclub at Crown Perth at 12.30am. He waved to the crowd on the dancefloor below from the second floor VIP section, while a DJ spun soul tracks. At 1.30, a buzz began as a piano was set up, and The Man came down and played a 40-minute set of pop and electro totally different to the arena set, with EDM jams and hits Sign O’ The Times, Hot Thang, If I was Your Girlfriend, When Doves Cry and Alphabet Street. Although he did call on crowd members to dance onstage, the set was about intimacy: lights were lowered (“You don’t need to see me you just need to listen and dance”) and those who broke the “no photos” rule were quickly turfed out. SBS’s digital radio show PopAsia became the first Australian radio station to reach one million likes on Facebook. Triple j was a runner up, losing by 50,000 likes. Tame Impala, who took out Best International Group at the BRITs in London, said, “It’s already amazing to be invited, let alone be given an award to accept.” They were against Major Lazer, Eagles of Death Metal, Alabama Shakes and U2. If you’ve been to Splendour in the Grass five or more times, you can apply by March 7 to become a Splendour Member where you’re guaranteed four tickets in the member presales. See their website. For the seventh year in a row, Bendigo has become the first sell-out for this year’s Groovin’ The Moo. M Phazes, DJ Flagrant and Agent 85 performed at the launch of Steve Kirby’s new generation Melbourne streetwear label WNDRR (“from nowhere to now here”) before a celeb crowd at Section 8.
Brisbane freelance music journo and author of the 2004 book Pig City, Andrew Stafford, had friends worried after a series of “concerning” tweets and then deactivated both his Twitter and Facebook accounts. His mobile was also switched off. The 44-year-old was listed by police as a “missing person” but 24 hours later he made contact with Screamfeeder’s Tim Stewart. The Swans’ Michael Gira is accused of sexual assault by musician Larkin Grimm, whose 2008 album Parplar he produced and released through his Young God Records. She says he made unwanted advances during the sessions, and once woke up from drunken sleep to find him having non-consensual sex with her. She says when she confronted him she was dropped from the label. Gira has since cancelled his Australian shows.
PALACE THEATRE’S SIGNIFICANCE DEBATED AT VCAT The Palace Theatre’s cultural and heritage importance was argued at the five-day VCAT hearing last week. One side argued that despite much of its interior being torn down in 2014, it retained significance and should not be demolished to make way for a hotel. Developer Jinshan’s reps took the line that it no longer had any significance; one claimed that the building had once been a hotel, so there should be no issue about it becoming one again. See Beat.com. au for full report.
WANNA PLAY THE CROXTON FRONT BAR? After reopening its doors five months ago, The Croxton Bandroom has hosted a number of sell-out shows. This Friday March 4 sees the launch of the Croxton Front Bar as small live music venue, hosting MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
S tu f f f or this co l umn to be emai l ed to ce l iezer @ netspace . net . au by Friday 5 pm
special events and intimate gigs. Gold Class will open the bar, with High Tension doing a free show on Saturday March 19.
GOOD WORKS #1: THE AXEMAN’S BENEFIT Ailing but charismatic Spencer P. Jones needs help with medical bills. So the music community comes together on Friday April 15 at the Prince Bandroom. Onstage will be The Drones, Paul Kelly, the Johnnys, Tex Perkins & Charlie Owen, Adalita, Renee Geyer, Two Am I, the Pink Tiles, MC Anthony Morgan and DJ Tony Biggs. If you can’t make it on the night, donate at gofundme.com/ccr2fbfg
GOOD WORKS #2: BAXTER’S BALL Normie Rowe, Vika Bull & Johnny Young, Grace Knight and Ross D Wylie perform at Baxter’s Ball at the Karralyka Centre, Mines Rd, Ringwood East on Friday March 4. It’s to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday appeal, and organised by Bianca Rowe (Normie’s daughter) who wants to raise $100,000 as a thank you for the way the hospital looked after her son Baxter who at five-weeks-old underwent surgery there last August. Tickets at www.karralyka.com. au.
3CR EXHIBITION To celebrate its 40th anniversary, 3CR is staging the exhibition If People Powered Radio: 40 years of 3CR from March 18 to April 23 in association with Fitzroy gallery and studio complex Gertrude Contemporary. The exhibit will cover how 3CR has been a voice for Aboriginal people, women, workers, ethnic and GLBTIQ communities, people with disabilities, environmentalists, artists and musicians via recordings, technological hardware, photographic and textual documents. In March, Friday evenings feature two-hour live broadcasts from the exhibition space featuring campaigns, current affairs and musicians, and a Saturday evening live broadcast of experimental music program, Let Your Freak Flag Fly.
CHANGE.ORG CAMPAIGNS FOR DIVINYLS, BARDOT Online petitions have begun at Change. org urging the Australian operations of major record labels Warner, Sony and EMI/Universal to release DVDs by The Divinyls and Bardot. They are started by Nicholas Walsh who says that EMI didn’t release a DVD of the band’s music videos and live performances when it issued The Divinyls’ Greatest Hits. A second call is for a greatest hits CD and DVD for girl pop band Bardot, who came out the Popstars TV show in 2000 and had six hit singles and two hit albums before splitting up two years ago.
25% PROFITS RISE FOR SCA Southern Cross Austereo posted a 25% leap in profits in 2015 to $43.379 million. Revenue rose 4.7% to $322 million from $307 million. “These results demonstrate material progress in the operational turnaround of Southern Cross Austereo”, said CEO Grant Blackley. He added, “We have been heavily investing in our strong radio business, particularly on talent and marketing.”
MAMMOTH AGENCY ACQUIRED BY US FIRM Sydney-merchandising Mammoth Agency has been acquired by USA’s The Araca
Lifelines Ill: Daryl Braithwaite axed some Far North Queensland shows after his throat was “stricken with something weird.” Hospitalised: Jon English for “a small operation, but is expected to make a full recovery over the coming weeks.” Remarrying: Phil Collins has reconciled with third wife, jewellery designer Orianne Cevey. They married in Switzerland in 1999, split in 2006 and divorced two years later where he paid her £25 million in a record-breaking settlement. In Court: Rymir Satterthwaite, 22, who claims he is a son of Jay Z after his mother Wanda slept with the rapper, wants to force Jay Z to take a paternity test. In Court: NSW guitarist David John Wallenborn was fined $300 and ordered off the road for three months by the Armidale Local Court after pleading guilty to have an illegal drug in his blood stream after a random breathalyser test last September. His lawyer said he’d been to a party and “accidentally inhaled” the stuff. The magistrate told him to be “careful about what parties you go to.” Died: Vi Subversa (Frances Sokolov), singer and guitarist with UK anarcho-punks Poison Girls, 80, after a short illness. Her songs looked at gender roles and sexuality from an anarchist viewpoint. They were involved in Aids — The Musical and Mother Russia Was A Lesbian, while song Bully Boys saw them being physically attacked by members of the National Front. Died: Elvis Presley’s physician, George C. “Dr. Nick” Nichopoulos, 88. He lost his medical licence for prescribing too many pills for patients (including Jerry Lee Lewis) and in 1981 escaped criminal charges for “indiscriminately and negligently prescribing drugs” to Presley.
Group and now trades as Araca Australia. Its client data is due to grow as Araca’s properties include the musicals Wicked, The Book Of Mormon and Chicago, and acts like Linkin Park and Britney Spears. Mammoth owner Rowena Crittle, now managing director of Araca Australia, says the company will expand globally “with the theatrical business, and expand our reach to service our Australian roster worldwide. It’s exciting times ahead.”
KENDRICK LAMAR TO INDUCT NWA Kendrick Lamar, who recently dedicated his Grammy for Best Rap Album to “hip hop” will induct N.W.A into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York on April 8. “When I think of N.W.A, it wasn’t even music to me, it was a real lifestyle,” he said. Lamar was a protégé of N.W.A’s Dr. Dre.