Beat Magazine 1515 by Furst Media

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

MON 2 1 M A RC H 7. 3 0 PM

T IC K E T S $8 5/$7 5

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

SONGHOY BLUES WED 16 MARCH 7.30PM • TICKETS $59/$49

The acclaimed Malian band tours Australia for the first time with their debut release Music in Exile. The powerful and unique Songhoy Blues blend rock and hip hop with their Malian roots in the tradition of guitar heroes Baba Salah and Ali Farka Touré.

‘TALKING HEADS FUNKY… GROWLINGLY BLUESY… CONTEMPLATIVE AND HYPNOTIC… A TRIUMPH.’ THE GUARDIAN (UK)

BRODSKY QUARTET

KATIE NOONAN

WITH LOVE AND FURY Katie Noonan joins the U.K.’s intrepid Brodsky Quartet in a stunning new collaboration inspired by the evocative poetry of Judith Wright. An exquisite, spine-tingling performance with a distinctly Australian voice. FRI 29 APRIL 8PM TICKETS $65

LISA FISCHER & G R A N D B ATO N

Star of the Oscar Award winning documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom, and backup singer to some of the biggest names, Lisa Fischer takes centre stage revisiting iconic songs. ‘She inhabits her songs, taking listeners on a journey filled with generous heart, soul and spirituality.’

Tickets $70/$60

Thu 16 Jun 7.30pm

CNR SOUTHBANK BLVD & STURT ST, SOUTHBANK

BUY NOW: 9699 3333 MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU

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A transaction fee between $5.50 and $8 applies to orders made online and by phone. A delivery fee of up to $5.50 may also apply.

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BAR

WEDNESDAY 9TH MARCH

OPEN MIC

Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got! THURSDAY 10TH MARCH

JOHN DOE & THE SHALLOW GRAVES THE VIGNETTES MICHAEL YULE FRIDAY 11TH MARCH

STEVE LUCAS Happy Hour from 5pm $5 Stubbies and $5 basic spirits SATURDAY 12TH MARCH

GAYLE CAVANAGH & THE MIXED COMPANY BAND SUNDAY 13TH MARCH

SWAMP DONKEY

STACKHOUSE LITTLE HOUSE GODZ 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 all-star 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!

Saturday Residency 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. They play Saturday arvos in March.

Sat 12 March 9pm

DETONATORS

Roots rock ’n’ roll, with a good dose of blues and rockabilly.

Sun 13 March 5pm

NATIVE PLANTS +THE JOELENES

Harmony and guitar-driven trio playing original pop propagated with 60s rock ‘n’ roll.

Sun 13 March 8.30pm

SPOONFUL

They’re back in action! Come check out this kickass, high-energy rhythm and blues rock ’n’ roll played by brothers Kit and Andre Warhurst, Paul Winstanley and David “Lordo” Lord.

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SUNSHINE • GREG SARA LUKE VECCIO • WILL COOPER • JARRAH WALES CHRISTIAN HENDY • BIJAN • ANGUS MILHAM DOCK 9 CENTRAL PIER, DOCKLANDS / BOAT DEPARTS AT 6 FOR TICKE TS GO TO CHANGEMUSIC.ORG/MARINEMASQUERADE

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HOT TALK / FREE SHIT UPCOMING TOURS & GIG OF THE WEEK COVER STORY: MATT CORBY WHAT’S ON DANNY BOY ART OF THE CITY THE COMIC STRIP B U I LT TO S PI LL P G. 29 CALENDAR BLIND THE SECRET RIVER BEAT EATS OUT OF THE CLOSET BEATS BLURBS CLUB GUIDE SOCIAL PHOTOS SUNN 0))) HACKTIVIST KILLSWITCH ENGAGE JORDIE LANE THE EAST POINTERS WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL U.S. GIRLS XY LOURIS W HITE P G. 3 1 DIED PRETTY MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO HORNS OF LEROY STEVE BERKOWITZ BUILT TO SPILL LUCKY PETERSON SANTIGOLD INNER VARNIKA JOHN GRANT BUZZOCKS XYLOURIS WHITE CORE & CRUNCH COLUMNS SA N TIGOLD P G. 3 0 STRUNG OUT LIVE F O R B R E A K I N G NE W S , RE VIE W S , N E W C ONTE NT A N D MORE GIVE AWAYS VIS IT ALBUM OF THE WEEK SINGLES / CHARTS ALBUMS GIG GUIDE / ALL AGES GET SOCIAL: FACEBOOK.COM/BEATMAG @BEATMAGAZINE BACKSTAGE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

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, Christine Tsimbis, Abbey Lew-Kee, Tom Parker, Rochelle Bevis. 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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port phillip

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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H E A D T O B E AT.C O M . A U F O R A L L T H I S S T U F F & H E A P S M O R E

3 NEWTON STREET RICHMOND, VICTORIA 3121 Phone: (03) 9428 3600 Fax: (03) 9428 3611

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Free $hit UV BOI RETURNS TO MELBORUNE WITH NEW SINGLE TO BOOT

VIOLENT SOHO LOCKS IN 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Hell Fuck Yeah. Violent Soho are heading out on tour in support of their highly anticipated forthcoming album, hitting Melbourne along the way. Before WACO is released, the band will jump up to their biggest ever headline rooms with support from the likes of DZ Deathrays and Dune Rats. Violent Soho have been touring relentlessly since their watershed LP Hungry Ghost took the band to a new level of international and local acclaim. Their first two shows sold out fast, so best move quickly. Join them at Forum Theatre on Monday May 16. Tickets through Ticketmaster.

ROBERT GLASPER TRIO ANNOUNCE MELBOURNE SHOW Contemporary jazz icon Robert Glasper will be returning to Melbourne in an acoustic trio format, playing two sets of music as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Locking in over two hours of music, the performance will see him reunite with long-term collaborators Vicente Archer and Damion Reid to reconfigure the music of John Legend, Radiohead, Harry Belafonte and Joni Mitchell as well as jazz standards and a collection of Glasper originals. The Robert Glasper Trio will play the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday June 4.

KIT WARHURST DROPS NEW SINGLE AND ANNOUNCES MELBOURNE LAUNCH Kit Warhurst, best known as the drummer in seminal Australian group Rocket Science, is set to launch his second single, Rose Red City. Produced again by Warhurst and mixed by Jeremy Glover ( Julian Casablancas & The Voidz, Crystal Castles, Liars, The Devastations) in Berlin, this song showcases Warhurst’s knack for an irresistible melody and a power pop chorus. Celebrate with Kit Warhurst when he hits up The Workers Club Friday March 18.

Brisbane’s UV Boi has shared his latest single, Show You, and has locked in a Melbourne show to celebrate. The track features fellow Brisbane boys MTNS, and is a new cut from his upcoming debut EP, L-UV. In support of the release, UV Boi ‫يجسفنب قوف‬ will be heading on a national tour, joined by special guests Collarbones, Gill Bates and Villette. He’ll play the Northcote Social Club on Friday April 15. Get your tickets via Moshtix.

JOHN SCOFIELD ANNOUNCES MELBOURNE RESIDENCY Legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield has locked in an intimate Melbourne residency off the back of his latest Grammy-winning album. Known for his distinctive guitar sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is one of the most influential electric guitarists of the past 40 years, collaborating with musical greats such as Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, Pat Metheny, Mavis Staples, Billy Cobham, Phil Lesh and more. His most recent album, Past Present, took out the Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Album, featuring nine original compositions. He’ll play Bird’s Basement on Tuesday May 3 Sunday May 8.

FEAR FACTORY ANNOUNCE 2016 SHOW 30/70 TO OPEN LIVE AT ST ALI’S FREE MUSIC SERIES South Melbourne’s finest hub of all things coffee and food, St Ali, has announced the first of many free live music events, kicking off with Melbourne’s rising hip hop and soul collective, 30/70. Mike Gurrieri, label owner of Equinox Records and PBS radio presenter will DJ the first coming of Live At St Ali’s, spinning everything from jazz and soul to disco and electronica. Capping it off comes food from St Ali’s head chef Andrew Hearenden, providing soul-food classics along with locally owned beer from Sample. Originally a quintet, 30/70 has expanded its network to a nine-piece clan, incorporating some of the city’s finest musicians and producers. Live At St Ali’s first free event with 30/70 will go down at St Ali on Wednesday April 6. Head to their Facebook event for more details.

THE SWAGGER MUSIC FESTIVAL EXPANDS FOR 2016 The Swagger Music Festival, held in the natural surroundings of Wandiligong, has officially announced their return for 2016. As a first for the festival, it will now be held over a three day period. They’ll still be retaining their intimate community atmosphere, bringing back their array of music, art, food and market stalls. Swagger Music Festival 2016 will take place from Friday October 21 to 23 in Wandiligong (around three hours from Melbourne). Stay tuned to Beat for lineup announcements. In the mean time, head to their Facebook event to learn more. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 12

Metal heroes Fear Factory will be heading to Australia off the back of their latest album, Genexus. After releasing Genexus last year and marking their ninth record to date, the Californian heavy hitters continue to follow the live circuit with performances across the globe. Catch Fear Factory when they play the Prince of Wales on Saturday June 4. Tickets avaliable via Destroy All Lines.

SEAN MCMAHON & THE MOON MEN GEAR UP FOR ALBUM LAUNCH Sean McMahon has confirmed plans for the launch of his upcoming record Shiner, following his previous acclaimed releases with alt country outfit Downhills Home, Sean McMahon’s Western Union and his concept album Welcome to Gippsland. Fusing the sounds of Americana, psychedelic country, folk, blues-rock and rock‘n’roll on Shiner, McMahon furthers his sound on this new release to be playful, reflective and personal. Check out Sean McMahon and his full band at Bella Union on Saturday April 16.

CALIGULA’S HORSE Prog rock outfit Caligula’s Horse are hitting the road to celebrate the release of their new single Turntail from their third and current album Bloom. They’ll be hitting up Ding Dong Lounge on Friday April 8 and Beat has a free double pass up for grabs. For your chance to win head over to beat. com.au/freeshit

SIGNED TONIGHT ALIVE ALBUM Tonight Alive have just released their third studio album, Limitless. The album was recorded and mixed at The House Of Loud in New Jersey, produced by David Bendeth (Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin), and is the follow up to their 2013 album The Other Side. Beat has some autographed copies of Limitless looking for a new home, so snap one of these babies up via beat.com.au/freeshit

VINTAGE TROUBLE Bluesfest 2016 is looming, with a massive lineup of international acts set to take over Byron Bay from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28. For those who can’t make it to the festival, you’re in luck. There’s a swag of sideshows going down and Beat has some free tickets for the taking to see Vintage Trouble at The Corner Hotel on Wednesday March 30. Get your paws on one at beat.com.au/freeshit

THE WOOHOO REVUE The Woohoo Revue are bringing their genre-blurring act to Estonian House for their first Melbourne headline gig in over a year. They’re the kind of musical group that you simply have to get down and have a boogie to. No money? No problem! Beat’s got you covered with a free double pass. You’ve gotta be in it to win it, so hit up beat.com.au/freeshit

WALLAPOLOOZA FESTIVAL TO MAKE 2016 RETURN One of Australia’s longest running independent festivals, Wallapalooza, will take over the Corner Hotel this April. Spread across two stages will be performances from the likes of Electric Mary, Dallas Frasca, Dirt River Radio and Smoking Martha. Using the music industry’s reaction to the recent lock-out laws in the northern states as inspiration, the event advocates for collective strength through bonding over a shared love of live performance, and a breaking down of the perceived barriers between genres. This event will kick off a series of live festival events held across the country throughout the year. Wallapalooza will take over The Corner Hotel on Saturday April 16. Tickets are on sale now through the venue. HOT TALK

METHYL ETHEL GEAR UP FOR 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Following a string of international success, Perth trio Methyl Ethel will hit Melbourne off the back of a national tour. Having just announced their latest signing to the 4AD roster, the dream pop outfit will be joined by Melbourne’s own Jaala. The group have gone from strength to strength in recent times, being shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and rising to acclaim with their album, Oh Inhuman Spectacle. Don’t miss Methyl Ethel when they hit up Northcote Social Club Thursday April 14.

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MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM ROMEO AND JULIET

World’s End

WED 09 MAR

THE MUMMIES USA THU 10 MAR

IBEYI FRA/CUB SAT 12 MAR

FREDDIE GIBBS USA WED 16 MAR - SELLING FAST

SUNN O))) USA

FRI 18 MAR - SOLD OUT

DIED PRETTY SAT 19 MAR

TUAN HUNG & DAM ME VNM

MAYFAIR KYTES REVEAL DETAILS OF MELBOURNN LAUNCH Folk-art-pop four-piece Mayfair Kytes have announced the imminent release of their debut album Animus, which will be celebrated with a launch show in Melbourne next month. Recorded in just over a year with close friend Nick Herrera between his notable home studio and a converted chapel in Melbourne’s inner north, the album features performances from string players from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as extra synths and production added by Hiatus Kaiyote’s Simon Mavin and Paul Bender. Catch Mayfair Kytes when they tear up The Workers Club Friday April 8.

GRIZ TO AUSTRALIAN SHORES

The 2016 Glenmaggie Blues and Roots festival has announced its initial lineup, including some of Australia’s most emerging and well-established blues outfits. Australian pop blues icon Mia Dyson leads a lineup also featuring The Strzelecki Stringbusters, Amnesia Blues Band, The Dirty Souls, Rod Miller Blues Explosion, Henry Davis and The Steaming Monzas. The festival will take place at the Glenmaggie Mechanics’ Institute Hall, a setting which also hosts the Glenmaggie Scottish Festival and is an important meeting place for the Glenmaggie community and surrounding areas. The festival takes place on Sunday March 20 and tickets are available via Moshtix.

After a sold out tour saw him pack top venues across the US, GRiZ is making his way to Melbourne. 2015 saw the release of the artist’s critically acclaimed studio album Say It Loud, which was crafted over a span of more than three years. Since then GRiZ has gone on to collaborate at the legendary Daptone Records’ studio with Antibalas, as well as teaming up with Big Gigantic to unleash their single, Good Times Roll. GRiZ will be supported on the night by Sun:Monx, Skiitour and Jesswah. Catch him at Prince Bandroom on Thursday March 24. Tickets on sale via OzTix.

NICHOLAS ALLBROOK SHARES NEW SINGLE AND ANNOUNCES NATIONAL TOUR

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 SAT 21 MAY

ELUVEITIE SUI FRI 27 MAY

THE MATCHES USA SAT 28 MAY

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA SAT 11 JUN - SELLING FAST

RADIO BIRDMAN SUN 26 JUN

SHADOW ELECTRIC REVEALS SHOWS FOR 2016 BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL A slew of Melbourne’s finest are taking to the stage for the upcoming Brunswick Music Festival. Mia Dyson and Jess Ribeiro will join forces in an alt-country themed bill alongside fellow singer/ songwriter Karl S. Williams. Elsewhere comes the first show from The Woohoo Review in over a year. They’ll be joined by gypsy jazz mavericks Galata Express and The Willie Wagtails. Capping it all off comes a special orchestral show from The Raah Project, following sold-out performances off the back of their album launch. The Raah Project will play on Thursday March 17, Mia Dyson and Jess Rebeiro will perform on Friday March 18 and The Woohoo Revue on Saturday March 19 as part of the Brunswick Music Festival at Estonian House.

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FROM THE JAM UK SUN 09 OCT

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GLENMAGGIE BLUES AND ROOTS FESTIVAL 2016 REVEALS FIRST LINEUP

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS ANNOUNCE 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will be hitting Australian shores off the back of their largest world tour to date. This is following up from the duo’s latest single Downtown, featuring Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz and Melle Mel from their second album This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. Aside from their chart-topping track Thrift Shop, their debut studio record The Heist also scored a Grammy and a slew of successful singles. They’ll play Rod Laver Arena on Friday August 5. Tickets available via Live Nation.

STEEL PANTHER ANNOUNCE 2016 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

ED KEUPPER LOCKS IN INTIMATE MELBOURNE SHOW

The kings of glam metal are set to return to Melbourne as part of their Australiawide tour. The band are visiting our shores promoting the release of their live acoustic record and feature film, Live from Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage. However, don’t expect acoustic performances and cups of tea from the Steel Panther boys. Expect an all-out assault on your ears, moral standing and your private parts. They’re tearing up Festival Hall on Saturday June 18, tickets available via Ticketmaster.

Supporting his first entirely solo and electric release, Ed Keupper will be taking to the stage in Melbourne to kick off his national tour. Recorded over just three days at Brisbane’s Gasworks Studio, Lost Cities is Keuppers’s 50th release and is out now through his own record label, Prince Melon. The singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist will be playing the Melbourne Recital Centre on Saturday April 2. Tickets are available from the Recital Centre website. HOT TALK

Nicholas Allbrook has dropped his latest solo offering Advance, the first taste from his forthcoming second LP, and with it, has announced he will be heading out on a national headline tour this month. Allbrook has proven to be a man of many talents, the frontman of POND, former-Tame Impala bass player, one half of Allbrook/Avery and the drummer for Peter Bibby’s live band. However his solo endeavours have earned him a devout following since the release of his debut LP Ganough, Wallis and Fatuna which was released back in 2014. Catch up with Nicholas Allbrook when he plays Northcote Social Club Saturday March 26.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will take to the stage over three special nights in June, with their performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s renowned score for Romeo and Juliet. Originally composed for the Kirov Ballet in 1938, this rendition will be conducted by Diego Matheuz. The performances will also feature distinguished Korean concert pianist Joyce Yang, on her return to the MSO. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet will play at the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on Friday June 3, Saturday June 4 and Monday June 6. Tickets are available from The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

VINCENT GIARRUSO UNVEILS ALBUM LAUNCH Vincent Giarrusso, founder of Underground Lovers, is set to release his debut solo album Everything Was Singing… Everything on Friday April 22. The album is hyped to be a stirring collection of bittersweet pop tunes made in collaboration with Kyneton sound designer and musician Jed Palmer. The deeply personal songs are inspired and dedicated to a brave young soul who succumbed to the ravages of leukaemia at a young age, with all proceeds from sales of the album going to the Snowdome. Don’t miss Vincent Giarrusso when he launches the new album Saturday April 30 at The Toff In Town.

LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR TRANSGENRE 2016 TRANSGENRE is a brand new mini music festival, with the goal of celebrating a variety of trans and GNC (gender non-conforming) musicians, DJs, poets, and performance artists. The musical styles on display range from the dark and danceable techno-pop of Simona Castricum, to coral ceto’s accordion-based aquatica-folk, to the sweetly-crooned smackwave of Spike Fuck and beyond. It’s taking place at Howler on Sunday April 3. Tickets are available via Moshtix. REMI

MOONEE TUNES FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE DEBUT LINEUP The Reach Foundation and The Valley have announced the lineup for their first ever music festival, Moonee Tunes, kicking things off this April. The first event in a series of four mini-festivals is led by Melbourne rock outfit Kingswood and global hip hop force Tkay Maidza, along with the psychedelic jams of The Delta Riggs, multiinstrumentalist Harts, hip hop wonders REMI, and indie pop group Tully on Tully. As well as music, the event will also feature some of Melbourne’s favourite food trucks in order to provide a diverse foodie experience for all. The all-ages event will raise funds for the Reach Foundation, who work to support young people within the Victorian and New South Wales communities. Moonee Tunes will take over Moonee Valley Racecourse on Friday April 8. Tickets are on sale now.

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UPCOMING

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

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 The Gasometer 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 SPRINGFIED 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 PIKNIC ELECTRONIK MELBOURNE Federation Square March 13 - April 3 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 MILES & SIMONE The Toff in Town March 17 KIT WARHURST The Workers Club March 18 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 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 GLENMAGGIE’S BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL Glenmaggie Mechanics’ Institute Hall 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 GRIZ Prince Bandroom March 24 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 BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

A R T I S T S

H E A D I N G

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 NICHOLAS ALLBROOK Northcote Social Club March 26 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 ST ALI’S FREE MUSIC SERIES St Ali April 6 GORDIE TENTREES Billyroys Blues Bar, Bendigo April 7 MAYFAIR KITES The Worker Club April 8 MOONEE TUNES FESTIVAL Moonee Valley Racecourse April 8 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 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 METHYL ETHEL Northcote Social Club April 14 UV BOI Northcote Social Club April 15 SPENCER P. JONES BENEFIT The Prince of Wales April 15 MONIQUE DIMATTINA Melbourne Recital Centre April 15 OPIUO 170 Russell April 15 HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS Bang April 16 SEAN MCMAHON Bella Union April 16 WALLAPOLOOZA The Corner Hotel April 16 SONS OF ZION The Croxton April 16 NADIA REID Northcote Social Club April 19 BLACK SABBATH Rod Laver Arena April 19 GANG OF YOUTHS 170 Russell April 20, 21, 22 FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Festival Hall April 20 THIRSTY MERC Melbourne Public April 20 NO ZU Maxx Watt’s April 23 HILTOP HOODS + MSO Rod Laver Arena April 23

T O

M E L B O U R N E

Gig Of The Week

GOLDEN PLAINS FESTIVAL Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre March 12 – 14 There was no question about it – the haven that is The Golden Plains Festival is where it’s at. Stand-out acts making up some of the massive lineup include Sleater-Kinney, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Violent Femmes, HTRK, The Black Madonna, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Gold Class, Tyrannamen plus a shit load more. It’s running from Saturday March 12 to Monday March 14 at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. Tickets have completely sold out but if you were lucky enough to score one, get keen for one hell of a long weekend. 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 VINCENT GIARRUSO The Toff In Town April 30 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 M83 The Forum Theatre May 10 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 VIOLENT SOHO Forum Theatre May 14 L7 170 Russell May 17 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

S O . M A N Y. G I G S .

CHERIE CURRIE The Corner May 28 ROBERT GLASPER TRIO Melbourne Recital Centre June 4 FEAR FACTORY Prince of Wales June 4 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 STEEL PANTHER Festival Hall June 18 MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS Rod Laver Arena August 5 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 ARK Arts Centre November 4, 5 EARTHCORE Pyalong November 24 - 28

Beat Presents RUMOURS: SMASHMOUTH, JACK W H I T E , PA R Q U E T C O U R T S = N e w A nnouncements

Finding Out What Works BY ADAM NORRIS

t is a cold early morning in Glasgow, and Matt Corby is stomping around a car park trying to keep warm. The first leg of his global tour will take place over here, before making it to Australia in April. Although only just releasing his debut LP, Corby has sold out more than 20 gigs across the world in the past 12 months. He’s essentially been touring since the age of 14, and I have spoken to few artists so talented and inspired, yet so wracked with self-doubt. However, it’s not as though Corby is running from his past; he is quite sincerely trying to make music that matters. Regardless of the shape of his career, it’s the integrity of Corby’s songs that lets him rest easy at night. “I would like to think that I have this rough plan of being a 70-year-old and not feeling like I compromised in any way,” he says. “I think that’s always been in the back of my head. I mean, we’ll all be dead soon, and that’s fine, that’s the beauty of art. It’s why art is made. For the most part it’s ‘cause of this crazy fear of your own mortality and of making a mark. I mean, I can sing all right, I can convey a message, so why don’t I devote my life to being uncompromising? I would hate to have someone dictate my creativity and self-expression, and that shouldn’t be taken away from people just for the sake of people making money, or you being successful. “I mean, what does success mean? You could have something with no substance that doesn’t help any one, and it could still make a shit ton of money. Is that successful? I don’t know. I don’t measure it that way. If this were the ‘50s, would anybody even fucking give a shit about what I was doing? Back then you’ve got real musicians that fucking play everything together live on tape, that have worked their entire lives to hit that snare at the exact right increment so you BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

get the exact right tone. Those musicians knew all that. Now, you’ve got fucking chaos pads and machines that you can trigger and you’ve got the snare hit that guy spent 40 years figuring out how to move his wrist that way to do. I don’t know.” If Corby sounds frustrated it’s certainly not without reason, but he is by no means a bitter man. After finishing runner up on Australian Idol at age 16, followed by his break-through single Brother, the Sydney musician worked long and hard on the debut album that would finally show the world the artist he’d always wanted to be; explorative and engaging. But after being encouraged down insincere musical paths in the studio, he abandoned the project. When he returned, he was resolute about only making music he was inspired to create. “I think I kind of knew it wasn’t working the whole time, in my gut,” he says. “You know, when you’re in the middle of something you’ve been obligated to do, which is how I felt straight off the bat. I had made a tiny bit of music, a few EPs, and then got the attention of the industry, record companies, and they B E AT.C O M . A U

sign you and say, ‘We’re going to make your album, and we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that.’ And it’s like, ‘Well, no. What the fuck are you talking about? I didn’t know this was going to be a proviso, this was a condition of me signing the contract, that I have to immediately go out and do what you say.’ I was going along with it because I felt obligated to do it. But then I realised, ‘Wait, I should be able to hold all the power here, because A) I’m using my legal name, and B) I’m writing all the music and performing it. “So I just got to a point where I was so unhappy with the way that music sounds. It isn’t something that I would ever buy or listen to, but I’m putting all my time and all my emotions and effort into it. And for what? For them? For an audience that I would end up hating, because I’d hate myself ? So I got to the end of that process, listened to the album and I was like, ‘This is fucking terrible.’ Maybe if I was 40 and I’d made that record I’d probably release it, but I was 22 and I should be doing things that I want to do, that were interesting. I don’t want to be some fucking cookie cutter, boy-band singing [artist].” Which leads us to Telluric, an 11-track release that reflects Corby’s roots music background, but doesn’t shy away from funk and blues. It’s strange to think of his debut only now arriving, when he has been a household name for many years. While it’s easy to think we already know Matt Corby, that we have an understanding of his style and sensibilities, the portrait that has been presented to us is really half in shadow. Corby is an earnest and refreshing artist, but he is also shackled by doubts and confusion. He gives the impression of someone who hasn’t quite surmounted the struggle that comes with working out who you are and what you stand for. But by God, you know he’s not going to stop trying. “I think I feel a little better about myself now. I think I haven’t for a long time. It sounds really weird, but I’ve been forced into this. Not into this record, but into playing music. I must have done it to myself in a weird way and then been continuously pushed by other people because they saw value in it. And I think from the last ten years, since I was 14

onwards, I’ve been scrambling to find out what the fuck I’m doing with it. Because I know you can do something good with it, and I feel like this record is the first little glimmer of hope for me being self sufficient, making the music all on my own, finding a very core group of people that I can work with and trust, be vulnerable with and respect their opinions, have that unfolding of everyone’s combined creative efforts. I feel better about myself. It’s been hard, man. I mean, everyone has a fucking hard time, but I just …” Corby trails off. In the background the wind has begun to pick up, and from somewhere comes the muted sound of a reversing truck. “It’s been very strange to have to grow up as a musician when, since Idol, people look at you and go, ‘Oh, he’s that guy from Idol,’ or, ‘He’s that guy who wrote that dumb song Brother.’ You know what I mean? You’re continuously redefined, and it weighs you down. And you have so much to offer and just want to do some good, but people just clutch at straws to try and put you in a box so that they seem smart, and then you have to deal with that public perception. “To be honest, I hate doing interviews. I get so nervous and I don’t know what to say, because I don’t want to put myself in the position where I say something fucking stupid, like everyone does. I don’t want people to have a bad impression of me, because I wouldn’t want it to destroy any of the music for them, because that is all that I ever want to say. I don’t necessarily want to be politically active or big note myself, because to be honest, I have so much self loathing, like so many people. It’s just … I don’t know. This album will hopefully speak to people who are hurting. Which everyone is, in their own way, and I am too. Obviously life isn’t too bad; it’s great. But we’re all in this together, and it’s quite difficult sometimes. But if we have things to bring joy into our lives, that’s a good thing.” Telluric is available on Friday March 11 via Universal Music Australia. MATT CORBY is playing at the Palais Theatre on Sunday May 1 (sold out) and Monday May 2.

B E AT.C O M . A U

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This Week: The award-winning film, On The Banks Of The Tigris: The Hidden Story of Iraqi Music comes to a close this week, exploring the narratives of Iraqi music and the cultural ties that still connect Jewish, Muslim and Christian Iraqis. Awarded Best Documentary at the Baghdad International Film Festival, the film was made in Melbourne and tells the story of Iraqi-Australian exile Majid Shokor’s journey from Melbourne to Europe, Israel and Iraq to discover the source of the music he has always loved. Catch it before it finishes at Lido Cinema, screening on Wednesday March 9 and Thursday March 10.

With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au.

Danny Bhoy

Kate Grenville’s acclaimed novel The Secret River will come to life in a stage adaption from Andrew Bovell and directed by Neil Armfield. Winner of six Helpmann Awards including Best Play, Best Direction and Best New Australian Work, the play has been almost universally critically lauded. Featuring Trevor Jamieson (Rabbit Proof Fence, Bran Nue Dae), Nathaniel Dean (Puberty Blues), Madeleine Madden (Tomorrow, When the War Began) in staring roles, The Secret River tells a story of two families divided by culture and land - depicting the collision between a A family from the Dharug people and a family headed by a former convict, direct from the slum’s of London. It runs for a limited season at the Arts Centre from Thursday March 10 – Saturday March 19.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

Fresh from being snubbed at the Oscars, the critically acclaimed Carol is showing at Shadow Electric’s Outdoor Cinema on Tuesday March 15. Billed as one of the finest films of 2015, the film is an adaption of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt. Based in ‘50s New York, it follows two women from diverse backgrounds that find themselves falling into an unbridled love affair. Featuring stunning performances from Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett, you can catch it on Tuesday March 15.

PICK OF THE WEEK

cottish comedian Danny Bhoy has a special relationship with Australia. Since his debut at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2003, he has received consistent critical acclaim alongside regularly selling out shows across the country. From the prestigious Opera House to packed out clubs, there is something about his conversational style of comedy that connects with our traditions of spinning a tall tale over a cold drink. As Bhoy enthuses, the feeling is mutual. Fabrik arrives as a conceptual, minimalist and performative exhibition surrounding textiles. The exhibition finds the point of cross-pollination between the fields of fashion, textiles and contemporary art. Featuring a selection of new and existing works, artists showcase range from emerging, mid-career and established creators from both Australia and overseas. Investigating both materials, method of production and the physicality of creating with textiles, Fabrik showcases works from John Barbour, Clementine Barnes, Sarah crowEST, Christine Dean, ADS Donaldson, Mikala Dwyer, David Egan, Andreas Exner and more. Whether scrunched, snipped, draped, folded, ironed, threaded or torn - the exhibition is a celebration of the humble textile’s numerous forms and malleable qualities as a conduit for creativity. A multi-venue exhibition, it is open now and runs until Sunday May 22 at the Ian Potter Museum, Saturday April 2 at Margaret Lawrence Gallery and Saturday March 12 at Sutton Project Space.

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“Australia is a good place for me, because I’ve probably been here more than any other country,” he says through his charmingly thick accent. “I know it quite well. It’s kind of this strange thing when I watch comedians at the Melbourne Comedy Festival who are here for the first time, they sort of do all those jokes: ‘you guys do this, and you talk like that’. I can’t really get away with that anymore, because I’ve been here seven or eight times.” Clearly, the man has an affinity for our country that runs deeper than a few jokes. His first two DVD releases were recorded live here, and exclusively released in Australia and New Zealand. It comes as no surprise then that the award-winning comedian is returning to this year’s Comedy Festival for another year. “The show itself; it’s all kinds of different topics,” he says. “I’m talking about politics, religion, music… some very, very broad stuff. It’s all anecdotal really for me, so I bring in stories all the time about where I’ve been. It’s changing all the time.” Bhoy has become known for the way his jokes weave together, following expertly crafted tangents from one story to another before returning to the original punch line. It’s an approach that led him to win The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award early on in his career and

sell out a three-week run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival within a single week. Seen live, it seems almost effortless. As Bhoy recalls, it’s something that always came naturally to him. “I was the classic class clown as a kid,” he says. “I used to do impressions of all the teachers, and I got in a lot of trouble. I spent more time standing outside the classroom than sitting in it, because I was always quite disruptive by that standard. I never had any kind of inclination to do it professionally, it was just something I enjoyed – I enjoyed watching people laugh. Some Freudian psychologist will tell you it was a defensive mechanism or something, but I don’t really see it that way.” He might not have known it at the time, but it seems Bhoy found his calling at a young age. While he has come a long way from schoolyard impressions, his lust for laughter has both endured and grown tenfold. “It’s one of the few emotions in this world where you can never get tired of it,” he says. “That’s the great thing about it. I mean, I get tired of touring sometimes and I certainly get bored of the travel side of it, but the actual moment when I’m on stage and making people laugh it’s as good now as it was for that very first joke I did all those years ago. It’s an addiction. I’m a kind of comedy

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

junkie if you like. I like to watch people laughing and I can’t stop.” With his standup, Bhoy transcends something more than just stringing together a series of jokes. As his career has developed and his craft matured, he’s been able to avoid the self-described “hack pitfalls” that can become easy to fall back on. Instead, his anecdotes have a way of feeling like a side-splitting story retold by old friend. Indeed, the Scotsman has always been fascinated by the power of storytelling. “I grew up working every summer holiday I had in my uncle’s hotel on the west coast of Scotland, and I was a barman. I used to love these old Scottish guys coming in and telling stories every day, so I grew up with that tradition,” he recalls. “My very first standup that I did – my very first open spot – was a three and a half minute story. It’s always felt very natural to me.” There’s a much loved anecdote Bhoy used to close his critically acclaimed Subject To Change show, in which he retells his hilariously awkward encounter with the Queen of England. In it, Bhoy feels out of place amongst those who have “climbed Everest with half a head, and raised money for charity”. He needn’t feel out of place anymore however, going on to use his comedy to raise thousands of dollars for worthy causes the world over. “There was a point about two years ago where I got very down about comedy; down about life generally,” says Bhoy. “All you’re left with are the empty echoes of a room that was once filled with laughter and it all felt a bit, ‘is that it, is that all I can ever do?’. I’m not an activist; I’m not able to change the world in that way. One thing I can do is do shows, raise money and hopefully raise a bit of awareness to whatever charity it is that I’m raising money for. Then after that, I found out I was skint and I had to go out and work again,” he says through a hearty laugh. Danny Bhoy will perform at the Arts Centre as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival every night from Sunday April 3 – Thursday April 7.

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

DIRTY SECRETS COMEDY

THE COMIC STRIP

Coming Up

DIRTY SECRETS COMEDY

Jurassic World: The Exhibition Saturday March 19 - Sunday October 9 Melbourne Museum

Free, Free, Free. Tonight on Wednesday March 9 there is a super sweet line up at Caz Retorts featuring the amazing Ben Russle, Laura Dunemann, Danielle Walker, Toby Halligan plus heaps more for the crazy price of – you guessed it – free. Get in early for some great whiskey and beer. This show is going to go off. See you Every Wednesday at 8.30pm.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival Wednesday March 23 - Sunday April 17 Various Venues

Degas: A New Vision

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 Nick Cody, Tim Hewitt, Karl Chandler, Ben Russell, Michael Chamberlin, Nick Capper, Jess Perkins, Peter Jones and a special guest 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 for only $12, before you have to pay $40 to see them during the comedy festival. It’s all happening this Thursday March 10 at 8.30pm, at the European Bier Café, 120 Exhibition Street, CBD. All for only $12!

COMEDY AT SPLEEN

Friday June 24 - Sunday September 18 National Gallery of Victoria

ART-Town Festival Returns For 2016 The Chapel Street Precinct is set to host the 2016 ART-Town art festival, helmed by illustrious Melbourne fashion designer Rowena Doolan. Over two weekends, invited artists create works inspired by what’s around them while making the street their own very public studio. Visitors can interact with painters, collagists, photographers and illustrators as the creation unfolds. Expect to find sculptors taking over shop windows and sketch artists populating the surrounding parks. Local artists and retailers are encouraged to get involved and celebrate the diversity, history and arts culture of the surrounding Chapel Street precinct, with interests of expression open from now until Monday March 14. ART-Town will take place around Chapel Street’s neighbourhoods including South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor on Saturday April 2 – Sunday April 3 & Saturday April 9 – Sunday April 10.

Melbourne Queer Film Festival Reveals 2016 Program

Friday April 1 - Thursday April 7 State Theatre

Supanova Pop Culture Expo Friday April 15 – Sunday April 17 Melbourne Showgrounds

Raiders of the Lost Ark Live in Concert

Friday November 4 – Saturday November 5 Hamer Hall

Australia’s largest queer film festival has returned, boasting a program with 128 films from 22 countries. The program consists of a diverse range of feature films, shorts and documentaries, and includes a host of Australian and Melbourne premieres. Now in its 26th year, the MQFF will host 88 sessions at ACMI and Kino Cinemas, and in a first for the event, punters can also enjoy a weekend of sessions at Carlton’s Cinema Nova. The festival will not only showcase titles such as the critically acclaimed Naz & Maalik, Fourth Man Out and Remembering The Man, but will also hold 12 special event screenings and forums. Further highlights include a film-themed evening of speed dating as well as a women’s only night. The Melbourne Queer Film Festival will take place from Thursday March 31 – Monday April 11 at cinemas throughout Melbourne.

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 some very special and famous surprise guests, plus Luka Muller, Brett Blake, Michael Shafar and more. It’s this Monday, March 14, at 41 Bourke Street in the city, at 8.30pm. It’s free to get in, but they appreciate a good gold coin donation at the door.

The City Of Melbourne To Present Fembots And Feminism

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, one the all time crowd favourites Nick Capper is joined by Jay Morissey, Laura Dunemann and more. It’s this Tuesday March 15 at 153 Gertrude St, Fitzroy at 8pm. And, it’s totally free.

Cirque Adrenaline

Soprano Camilla Tilling Returns For Second Melbourne Recital

Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling is returning to the Melbourne Recital Centre for her second recital as part of the Great Performer series. Joining her on stage will be Adelaide Critics Circle prize-winning pianist Leigh Howard. Tilling has made a speciality of the late-Romanticism of Richard Strauss, and her recordings of Schubert and Strauss have brought her wide acclaim from audiences around the world. For her only Melbourne solo concert, Tilling performs Schumann’s great song cycle Frauenliebe und -Leben, Op.42 – telling a woman’s journey from the first flush of love through marriage and finally the death of her beloved. She will also perform works from Hector Berlioz and Alban Berg. Tilling will perform at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on Friday April 8.

Giveaway: Jaws

Ever wondered why Siri has a female voice? Fembots and Feminism: Exploring Diversity in AI will see Astrid Scott present a discussion on the role of gender and cultural diversity in the digital world. The community is being encouraged to join the conversation, focusing on topics of gender and cultural diversity within the world of artificial intelligence. Guest speakers for the Fembots and Feminism event include Professor Ann Nicholson, journalist and cultural critic Mel Campbell and Dr. Petra Gemeinboeck - an artist working in robotics. The event aims to bring together leading creative minds to debate diversity issues in the world of artificial intelligence, and examine its proper Fembots and Feminism: Who Creates Digital Intelligence? will run at Carlton Connect LAB-14 on Tuesday March 15. Tickets are free, but bookings are essential.

ACMI To Present Future Manifestos Short Talks It’s the sound that kept the world out of the water for the year of ’75. Steven Spielberg’s monster-shark sent ripples through the beach-loving community back in the day, and in 2016, it remains just as petrifying. Relive the water-born nightmare along with the iconic theme from John Williams in all its glory when it comes to the Shadow Electric Outdoor Cinema on Thursday March 10. Luckily for you, we’re giving away some passes so you can get in on the action for free. Head to beat.com.au to win.

Romeo And Juliet To Open Bell Shakespeare’s 2016 Season The renowned Bell Shakespeare company will open their 2016 season with the classic Shakespearean tale of forbidden love. Their latest interpretation of Romeo and Juliet will be directed by Peter Evans, with Alex Williams (Underground: The Julian Assange Story, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart) and Kelly Paterniti (Bell Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Griffin Theatre Company’s Emerald City) as the famous star crossed lovers. They’ll be joined by Michael Gupta, Angie Milliken, Tom Stokes, Damien Strouthos and Jacob Warner. Capping it off, designer Anna Cordingley will re-imagine the setting of Verona with a distinct nod to both a time long past and a world not yet envisioned, giving the time-honoured production a revitalising twist. Romeo and Juliet will play at the Arts Centre from Thursday April 14 – Sunday May 1. G E T S O M E C U LT U R E U P YA

Coinciding with the closing weekend of their brilliant Julian Roseveldt: Manifesto exhibition, Future Manifestos will feature an afternoon of short talks investigating the place and relevance of the manifesto today. Walkley Award-winning journalist Paul Barclay will host the event, joined by the likes of Clementine Ford, Professor Anne Marsh and writer Jeff Sparrow. The conversation will explore the relevance of the manifesto in today’s digital sphere – delving in to the impact public discussions and televised debates have had on its contemporary potency. Future Manifestos will take place at ACMI on Sunday March 13, while Julian Roseveldt: Manifesto will run until Sunday March 14. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21

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

BLIND BY LIZA DEZFOULI

“Blindness has brought a lot of things to my life,” says Brazilian performer and puppeteer Duda Paiva. “It has made me a person I would not be if I’d had normal eyes.” Paiva’s childhood was dominated by a mysterious ailment that compromised his sight. He’s now turned this experience into art, and is bringing his new show BLIND to The Festival of Live Art. Blind is a performance where the audience, via puppets, vicariously experience some of the sensations of blindness and anguish that defined Paiva’s life from the age of two until the age of 20. However, BLIND isn’t about angst or catharsis Paiva says. Rather, it’s something transformative where audience members can become part of the show and go on a journey of healing with him – one which ultimately comprises a conversation about the experience of disability in general.

The Secret River BY ADAM NORRIS

Nathaniel Dean is truly in the thick of it. With Sydney Theatre Company’s season revival of The Secret River just days away, the cast and crew have battened down for one of the most anticipated productions in recent memory. The reason behind this is simple: with a lineage bestowed by six Helpmann Awards – including both Best Play and Direction – the bar has been set at a formidable height. Many still recall Dean’s previous turn as 18th century convict William Thornhill, and with Neil Armfield also returning to the director’s chair, we have all the ingredients to witness another triumph. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

There is much for Paiva to draw on. “I had cysts inside of eyes,” he explains. “My eyes were clouded and infected. I was in pain 24 hours a day and I had 18 operations. So this was my whole childhood. I couldn’t ride a bike. My hands had to be my eyes. It makes life weird and difficult, but it has given me a kind of humbleness in some aspects of life. I didn’t know what was happening. Was it a demon inside me tearing me apart? I take my ghosts and give them to the audience,” he continues. “A lot of the puppets come from inside me. They enter the space deformed, then they slowly start to reveal what’s inside me. I get out of my comfort zone. I am not making therapy on stage; this is an art piece using disease. I have constructed a story where people can also have the experience I am going through, there is the sensation of the unknown, of beauty, of the difficulties and mysteries of pain that was the disease.” Paiva developed the show with Black Hole Theatre’s Nancy Black, to whom he’s keen to give due credit. “It took one year of research to make this show, in order to go deep into emotion. Nancy Black is a beautiful, strong coach. She is the right person to direct this show. I am very comfortable working with Nancy Black. We have both experienced disability. We share a certain voice.” Paiva’s background is in dance. What made him move to puppetry? “For me to become a puppeteer was like a response to the whole European culture of modern dance in the ‘90s, which was so conceptual. I wanted something more intimate; I really need the audience. Puppets are happy and vibrant; they are a bridge between myself and the audience. They bring something much more. Puppets are disarming, and humorous and dramatic. They need the audience to exist.” Manipulating puppets comes naturally to Paiva, he says, after years of needing to reach out into the space around him in order to move through life, and literally through the world. “When you are blind you are extending always – with the stick, the dog, the friend – these are extensions of yourself,” he observes. “I use the puppets as extensions of myself – moving with high stretches, then shrinking. It’s playful, easy and fun and they give so much to my life.” The puppets are made of a particular type of foam, formed from the stuff used in sofa padding. “It’s light and elastic and durable – it survives for many years; it’s the most generous material I have ever worked with, so light and good to sculpt. Making the puppets is

difficult. It takes a lot of time. This substance allows them to become metamorphous – at any moment you can get them to transform. They extend as well, from the body of the actor [and] dancer.” Paiva says Blind changes with each performance, as the show includes audience members. “The chemistry changes. But mostly it is the experience of human generosity and calmness. It is interesting for me as an artist and also for them. We have a plot,” he continues. “We are in a waiting room. Everyone is waiting for an old doctor, a healer and an oracle, who uses the Yoruba language – a language of religion which came to Brazil from Africa. I bring a lot of my background from Brazil to the show.” Has Paiva noticed any differences in audience responses depending on where he is? “What I get depends on the energy of the audience,” he answers. “It depends on the day. When I do the show in the Netherlands, some parts of Holland are more sceptical, where they come from the Protestant line. If I do the oracle or the healer on stage, rather than something scientific or medical, they are still captivated but they believe it’s just imagination. For them it’s something they’ve never heard about, or it’s unknown to them. In the south of Holland, where it is more Catholic, people see the work differently. In Belgium there are a lot of disabled people watching, and they go along with me the whole time. I have never had any extreme reactions. One guy in Germany was overactive on stage, he thought he was in a children’s show and regressed and was kind of performing big time. By the end of it he was crying. You see the transformation of people around you, on a human level. For the show itself this is very compelling and important. We all go through something together.”

“It’s a pretty arduous rehearsal period, really,” Dean chuckles, “because the whole thing has a live music element, it has a huge cast, we’re doing lots of runs. But it means that we’re in really great shape.” Dean coughs and clears his throat. It is early Monday morning, and his voice doesn’t quite sound like it is accustomed to speaking just yet. These days there is an impressive cast of characters stretching behind him, from Thornhill to Underbelly, to his AACTA-winning role in 2002’s Walking On Water. Yet the character of Thornhill remains unique; the one character he has found himself evoking a second time, drawn to a life not all that distant from our own. “I think Thornhill’s is an interesting, but still very common story from our history,” says Dean. “Thornhill is a guy who has come from the most horrible place on Earth, the lowest of the low in London, desperately starving and trying to look after his family. He stole something – he wasn’t like a career crim or anything – but gets plonked on a boat, comes over here in godawful conditions, lands, and like so many of them, would have been struck by the beauty of the place, and how alien that must have felt. “Thornhill’s story is about a man’s dream of creating a new life. There’s a line that Kate Grenville wrote, which is in Andrew [Bovell]’s adaptation, that says Thornhill’s story was just a blank page on which he might write a new life. That’s the point where this play leaps off, and so for a modern audience, it’s a play about that first contact, and about how when that contact happened, communication just fell apart. “I feel we have so much to do – so much to learn in Australia,” Dean adds. “We are not the perpetrators, we’re not the victims, but we are the generations that have come from that, and I feel if we can look back with honesty, with truth, perhaps acceptance can come from that.” Though the story has its roots in real local history (the Hawkesbury River is but an hour north of the theatre itself ), Grenville’s celebrated tale of European colonisers and indigenous communities is nevertheless a fiction. Born of another project altogether – an attempt to research her ancestor, Solomon Wiseman, whose eponymous township still stands – it conjures a striking picture of early Australia, and the fear and desperation that fuelled so many early encounters with the local Aboriginal peoples. “Kate has written a fictitious tale based around a lot of research, trying to find the Wiseman story,” says Dean.

“That was certainly the launch pad for this. Within that, one of the great things about this production was researching the Dharug language – the language of the Hawkesbury mob. The interactions between the Thornhills and the Dharug tribe is in this language, so it’s a story that needs to be told from both sides. I feel that Andrew has done a really wonderful adaptation of Kate’s book. Iain Grandage has done some amazing live music, which is played by the actors during the performance. It adds a whole other element. When you come to see it, you’ll be struck by this giant white ironbark stage, this open white stage, and throughout the performance there are no tricks, it’s really just a bunch of actors telling their story. I think it makes this really accessible. I believe we’re showing the heart and soul of both sides to this.” The Secret River will also showcase a very meaningful facet of Dean’s acting career. The opportunity to revisit a former character is not one offered to many performers, and he sounds genuinely excited to show audiences precisely what kind of transformations a role might undertake across a span of years. He will still, first and foremost, remain William Thornhill – but a Thornhill perhaps more rooted in this remarkable story. “It’s quite a fascinating thing, to get the chance to reapproach this world. After I did the first production I became quite fascinated with the Hawkesbury and have been up there quite a number of times now. It was three years ago, long enough to be a dream, not enough to be something we’re trying to quickly replicate. There’s a new cast, which brings new ideas. It’s definitely one of biggest challenges I’ve had as an actor, but I’m really thrilled. “I’m also really stoked that we’re going to Brisbane and Melbourne with it, that other states get to see this story. I think it’s a very important time in our country to tell this story, and that’s what we’re here to do in the arts: present these stories. When you look back at some of these convicts and where they came from, you find some amazing stories. I really encourage people to look into where they came from.”

EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

BLIND will run at Theatre Works as part of the Festival of Live Art from Tuesday March 8 - Saturday March 19.

The Secret River will run from Thursday March 10 – Saturday March 19 at the Arts Centre Playhouse.

W I T H T O M B R A N D - T O M B R A N D @B E AT.C O M .AU

Northcote’s Curry Cafe has been the jewel in the crown for Westgarth’s curry lovers, and now they’re bringing the taste straight to doorsteps and sidewalks all across the city, right until the early hours of the morning. If you’re stuck out on the street mid-bender and wanting to get your mouth around delicious samosas, tempting tikka masalas or their deliciously sauced and seasoned Indian barbecue range, you can give Curry Cafe a ring up until 3am on Friday or Saturday night and they’ll drop you off some of the freshest Indian food you can get this side of the country. Another fun fact – if you’re stuck out at a mate’s house pre-bender and short a few brews, Curry Cafe can deliver booze to you at bottle shop prices up until 11pm. Their selection of free range meats come with in-house roasted and ground spices, culminating in light smoky flavours, rich and sweet sauces and a taste that’ll have you calling back for more. You can get down to Curry Cafe at 73 High Street in Northcote from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm through to 10.30pm. Either that, or give them a call on 03 9489 9066 for delivery between 6pm and 10.30pm on most nights, 6pm through to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The team behind Port Melbourne’s Tenpin have just announced that the opening of the upper level is just around the corner. After several initial delays, diners can now feast on complementary South East Asian fare with Asian inspired cocktails, all with picturesque Port Melbourne views. The new upstairs level seats 40 people inside and on the balcony. The imposing 12-foot giant tenpin, the venue’s inspiration, now has a permanent home upstairs with beach side views in the background. While dining has been a huge focus for the venue, Tenpin also offers an extravagant cocktail menu designed by head bartender, Victor Aeberli – formerly of Eau-de-Vie. A favourite selection from the cocktail menu includes the Cheeky Collins - a twist on the original Tom Collins which combines the fruits of Asia with the labor of London as lychee is mixed with gin, citrus and shards of ginger to create a gentle drink. The Cherry Sour is also proving a hit with locals, featuring the full-bodied flavour of ripe cherries which are then accentuated with maraschino liqueur and topped with French almond syrup and delicate shaved coconut. Tenpin, located at 67 Beach Street, Port Melbourne, opens up its new balcony and upstairs area this Friday March 11.

Glamorama has been making waves down on Brunswick Street, not only as a primo joint for a late night boogie, but also due to an exceptional food and wine list that’s drawing more than just a few foodies into the establishment. Taking the absolute piss out of fads and favourites, Glam’s dinner list has cheekily named dishes such as Chicken Tits, Botox Pies along with Duck Fat Roasted Potato. Fitzroy locals have seen a steady stream coaxed up up the stairs of this popular night-time destination for dinner and late night snacks. Signature dish Going the Whole Hock is made to share - fried hock, crackling, coleslaw and parsnip puree easily divisible by three. The smoked crotato qualifies as something for everyone – it’s a vegan béchamel smoked potato croquet. The venue delivers everything for the perfect night out under one roof: live music from world-class artists, high-quality food and drink, and more whiskey than you can imagine. Glamorama’s dinner menu is served until 11pm, with bar snacks available until 3am. You can find the venue at 393 Brunswick Street.

Easter’s about to roll through again, bringing with it buckets worth of chocolate, time off work and of course, hot cross buns. Schmucks, getting ever creative with their bagel selection, are about to bring out their Hot Cross Bagel, a cinnamon and sultana riddled treat, topped off with a smearing of almond butter for all those looking to get a little different with their festive classic. They’re doing a special deal on it too - $5.50 nets you the bagel, $7.50 nets you an AllPress coffee to complement it. They’ll be selling them from now all the way through to Good Friday with take-home gift packs available as an option for those who want to share some hot crossed love. Head down to Schmucks from Monday to Friday between 7am and 3.30pm down at Guests Lane in the Melbourne CBD.

OUT OF THE CLOSET Queer happenings with Anna Whitelaw

It is a truth universally acknowledged that once something gets mainstream it loses some of its edge. That’s what homosexuality is like in 2016. Last weekend, for the first time both a sitting Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition attended Mardi Gras. While Malcolm Turnbull just showed up with his wife Lucy to watch the parade through his very own electorate, Bill Shorten went along and marched with his wife. The irony was not lost on anyone that both men brought their wives to a party full of people who can’t get legally married.

Moreover after his appearance at Mardi Gras, Turnbull went to work the next Monday and continued to refuse to ditch the pointless plebiscite policy and allow a free vote. Bill Shorten meanwhile proudly marched in favour of Rainbow Labor’s pro marriage equality platform but let’s be honest he is pretty much the definition of Johnny Come Lately to this particular fight as one of the Labor power brokers who opposed it for years until it became politically opportune to suddenly be seen waving a rainbow flag. Even worse, a float for LGBT refugees was allegedly sidelined and threatened to be prevented from

marching in the parade if they dared to say a word to Shorten. If that’s not against the spirit of anti authoritarian ratbaggery that started all this I don’t know what is. I’m all for our politicians getting behind the gays but let’s not forget Mardi Gras isn’t about opportunities for Qantas and ANZ to show off, it’s about the spirit of the 78ers fighting for their rights. That and having a big street party covered in glitter. This weekend in Victoria you are spoiled for choice if you want your own big gay party to come covered in glitter. In Daylesford, the annual country queer festival Chill

B E AT.C O M . A U

Out Festival is on with its street parade and nightly parties. For details visit http://chilloutfestival.com.au. And the first ever Gaytimes Festival is happening at Lake Mountain in Marysville. Join hundreds of your fellow queers for this boutique BYO camping music festival with a huge lineup of live acts, yoga, workshops, food trucks and more. Final release tickets are on sale now from gaytimes. iwannaticket.com.au.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 23

snaps khokolat koated

club guide wednesday march 9 • 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. • REVOLVER WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: DANIELSAN + GEE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. • THE LOFT - FEAT: LIFEWORLD + LIFEWORLD + NELSON + MARSH + MORE Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

thursday march 10

faktory

• 3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: SAM GUDGE + JAMES STEETH + OLLIE HOLMES 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. • ISLAJA + JASMINE GUFFOND + HALF HIGH + MORE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00. • LOCAL MOTION - FEAT: BILLUS MOON + NELSON + DAN FABRIS + SENPOLO + SILHOUETS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. • 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 11

pulp

• #MASHTAG - FEAT: NUGEN + MALPRACTICE + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. • AVALANCHE CREW - FEAT: DJ TURF + BEN RYAN Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • CAN’T SAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • CIROQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • DANCE MISSION CLUB - FEAT: ALLYWAY + ANIMATE + COMMANDER RAY + DECIBEL + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $8.00. • DJ FEE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 11:30pm. • DJ STICKMAN Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm. • 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. • JOSH BUTLER Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 10:00pm. $10.00. • LUCK TRUCK FRIDAY DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: 99 PRBLMZ + CONGO TARDIS #1 + LITTLE LEAGUE BOUNCE CLUB Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • MR TIES + DJ JNETT Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne. 10:00pm. $15.00. • PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + MR.GEORGE + MATT RADD + ASH-LEE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • PARTY UP Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 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. • REVOLVER FRIDAYS & MAMA SAID - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + ALEX CRAM + RETZA + PAT TOSSONE + SUNSHINE + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm. • STREET VIBEZ FRIDAY (DANCEHALL LIVE) - FEAT: DJ RUBZ & SHERLOCK + SISTA ITATIONS + DIZZY DEE + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10.00. • THE DISCO - FEAT: GREG SARA + LUKE MCD + JEN TUTTY + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • THE EMERSON CLUB FRIDAYS The Emerson, South Yarra. 3:00pm.

6:00pm. • IN THE CARRIAGE - FEAT: DJ JNETT Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 12:05am. • MELBOURNE TECHNO COLLECTIVE - FEAT: VIRIDIAN + LINAS + MATT RADOVICH + MORE Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 1:00pm. • 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. • SUBLOW - FEAT: P MONEY + ROYAL-T Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 10:00pm. $34.70. • 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. • TRIBUTE TO BLACK EYED PEAS Pulp Club, Melbourne. 10:00pm.

saturday march 12

• ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00. • BOOGIE BEATS SHOWCASE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. $11.00. • BOP ART - FEAT: HAWAII + WHO + TIGERFUNK + MATT RADOVICH + LEWIS CANCUT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. • CUSHION SUNDAYS - FEAT: COURTNEY MILLS + TOM EVANS + FRAZER ADNAM + MORE Cushion, St Kilda. 10:00pm. • DAYDREAMS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm. • DJ MADDY MAC Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 2:00pm. • 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. • GUY J Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 1:00pm. $30.00. • JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS + JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. • LIFE’S A PEACH - FEAT:

• 90’S MANIA - FEAT: SNAP + CORONA + CULTURE BEAT + MORE Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 7:00pm. $89.95. • 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. • CHAMPAGNE INTERNET Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 10:30pm. • CQ SATURDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • CUSHION SATURDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 9:00pm. • DJ FEEFEE STARSUN Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm. • DJ MUSICMAN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 11:30pm. • ELECTRIC DREAMS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:00pm. $20.00. • FOR THE RECORD 50TH RELEASE PARTY - FEAT: LOUAY + ROB ZILE + MINIMULE + MONSIEUR ALI + MORE Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • HOT STEP - FEAT: 99 PROBLEMS + TIGER FUNK + SILVER FOX + ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy.

sunday march 13

JAMIE VALE + STAKSI + WARSAWYER Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • LQ Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. • NO TITLE - FEAT: BABICKA + BABY BJORN + MOOPIE + JEZADIN Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • PIKNIC ELECTRONIK FEAT: DUBFIRE + KEVIN SAUNDERSON + THE HACKER + KODE 9 + MORE Federation Square, Melbourne Cbd. 1:00pm. $15.00. • REVOLVER SUNDAYS & KONNEKT’D - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + ACM + PWD 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.

off the record with james di fabrizio

Soft-Pedal 5 For the latest instalment of Soft-Pedal, the team have sought out a fine selection of Melbourne’s tastemakers and samplers to delve into their extensive back catalogues of sound. The event will feature Steeplejack and Heads of Tales’ signee Nali, citipower’s Sam Hilton, and electronic music steadfast Walter Juan alongside Technoir founder Ranjit Nijjer and Adrian Bell. It goes down at Howler on Sunday April 10. Entry is free.

monday march 14 • ADANA TWINS Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 2:00pm. $30.00. • 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. • ST GERMAIN Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $79.90.

Hot Dub Time Machine

tuesday march 15 • 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.

Hot Dub Time Machine is back with a one-night-only Melbourne show. Coupling old school scratching techniques, vinyl turntables and enormous customised visuals, Hot Dub Time Machine spins everything from Rock Around The Clock to Nirvana and House of Pain. With a show that travels through the musical history books, he has played the likes of Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Stereosonic, Groovin’ The Moo, Coachella and more. He’ll take to the stage on Friday May 27 at 170 Russell. Tickets are available now through his website.

M83

urban club guide

friday march 11

saturday march 12

• BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY - FEAT: DJ RCEE + KAHLUA + DJ SHOOK + DJ ANGEL JAY Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. • KOI CHILD Karova Lounge, Ballarat. 8:30pm. $15.00.

• FREDDIE GIBBS Max Watt’s, Melbourne. • MOMENTUM (FOREIGN BROTHERS) 9:00pm. $45.00. - FEAT: MOMENTUM: FOREIGN BROTHERS + THE CORE-TET Evelyn • KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00. DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne • ROOTS OF HIP HOP Ferdydurke, Cbd. 9:30pm. Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. • RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ TIMOS + DJ KAHLUA + DJ ANGE M tuesday march 15 & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00. • TIKI TAANE + DJ SEAN DEANS Northcote • ACTION BRONSON Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $69.90. Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $35.00. • BACK & FORTH - FEAT: ESESE + LOGO Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm.

electronic - urban - club life

sunday march 13 As he heads towards the release of his upcoming album, M83 has returned with a new single and an Australian tour. Do It, Try It is the first taste of the upcoming album, entitled Junk, due out later this year. It marks the long awaited follow up to his critically acclaimed album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, that featured the Grammy-nominated single Midnight City. M83 will play The Forum Theatre on Tuesday May 10. Tickets via Ticketmaster.

HACKTIVIST R A P

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Hip hop verses spat over mind bending Meshuggahesque riffs; it’s a metal purists’ worst nightmare. But whatever your reservations, you can’t deny the tenacity of Hacktivist. With little over a handful of songs and music videos, the UK rap metal djents have managed to gained worldwide recognition in a mere five years. Guitarist, songwriter and producer Tim ‘Timfy James’ Beazley discusses the technicalities of a developing a monster guitar tone, and learning the art of simplicity whilst recording the band’s debut album, Outside The Box.

SUNN O))) WAT E R FA L L

O F

S O U N D

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Anyone that’s seen Sunn O))) perform live will testify that the band’s albums are nothing compared to their stage show. It’s a visceral, full body experience involving thunderous volume and mystifying visuals. Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar conveys austerity by donning a grim reaper cloak, while the stage is enshrouded in mist and populated by a staggering number of amplifiers. Csihar is also the frontman of Scandinavian black metal band Mayhem. Although there’s stylistic disparity, there are some crossovers between the two acts’ live shows. “It’s similar because it’s same kind of level of extremity for me,” Csihar says. “Mayhem is of course very intense musically, and it’s really intense live shows, but also Sunn O))) is really intense in terms of volume and vibration and the whole experiment. All those conditions on the stage, it sucks up your energy but it’s also kind of breathtaking. I have this position in the centre with the speakers in the background and everything, and I just love it. It’s almost like out of the body experience. All your cells are shaking and it’s completely extreme.” While Csihar equates the two bands in terms of extremity, Sunn O)))’s experimental drone metal is a stark contrast to Mayhem’s fiercely aggressive black metal. “Compared to Mayhem the music is totally different,” he says. “It’s no drums, it’s very monumental and slow. Of course, it would be impossible not to play slow music, because it’s the mass. You just can’t move around mountains. But it’s so monumental, it’s so big, and at the same time it’s experimental. It’s all actually about adoring the sound itself.” American musicians Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson formed Sunn O))) in the late-1990s. The name comes from the Sunn brand of amplifiers, and their stylistic identity was directly inspired by drone metal progenitors Earth. As time’s gone by, however, they’ve become harder to categorise – branching out into experimental orchestration and dark ambience, and collaborating with the likes of Scott Walker and Ulver. “It’s metal, but it’s more experimental music,” Csihar says. “Sometimes it reminds me of Indian ragas. You know, when they play these like long forms and repeating and the circulation of the tone and the sound. That’s what happening. When we play a long drone, it’s like a waterfall of sound.” Sonic waterfall is an apt description for the immense volume that typifies a Sunn O))) performance. Though, as dazzling as their performances are, they can also be a test of endurance. “It’s evolved into this through the years. They had less when they started and now it’s grown,” Csihar says. “You could put more [volume], but there’s a certain limit of how much you need for the experiment, because the point is that you don’t want to hurt the people. Some people might feel hurt by the volume, but if you have some earplugs then you can enjoy it. The point is your whole body responds to the music. It goes through your body – the whole

resonance that we all create together, in a way we are all united in this sound wave. To feel this resonance is important. “It’s kind of psychedelic and it’s extreme. It’s pushing the boundaries and it’s pushing your senses as well and expanding your hearing somehow; you hear with your whole body. Some people at some shows they came with sleeping bags. Not kidding. They were laying down, just spaced out in the sound.” Csihar first teamed up with Sunn O))) on 2004’s White2 LP, reciting elements of the ancient Hindu text Bhāgavata Purāa. He then began touring with them, and made a major impression with his underworld operatic vocals on 2009’s Monoliths & Dimensions. However, although he’s remained a fixture of the live band, he didn’t sing on another Sunn O))) LP until last year’s Kannon. Kannon isn’t an easygoing listen, but in terms of instrumentation and personnel it’s the most minimal of the recent Sunn O))) albums. It’s also relatively brief – comprising just three pieces of music across 33 minutes. “We definitely wanted to do something different,” Csihar says. “All the Sunn albums are kind of different. I mean look at the album with Scott Walker [Soused, 2014] or the collaboration with Ulver [Terrestrials, 2014]. Monoliths & Dimensions is maybe one of the most successful albums to date. When you have a successful record it creates a bit more expectations, and this took some time actually to find what we feel most honest and comfortable with, because [Monoliths & Dimensions] was really honest. But that’s seven years ago and we’ve been playing more and more shows. The vibe of the band in live shows is getting more and more concentrated. It seems like we are having a better time than ever actually. It’s still work, sometimes you really have to focus, but we enjoy it so much. “Monoliths & Dimensions is great, but it’s hard to reproduce live in some parts, because there was so many fantastic musicians involved and there were so many beautiful instruments around. Somehow Sunn is not only about that. Sunn is really about rawness – it’s about the cavemen, it’s about the primal sound. It’s an animal, is what it is. It’s more like instinct and all those things come more alive as we play on stage.” SUNN O))) are playing at Max Watt’s on Wednesday March 16. Kannon is available now via Southern Lord.

With the Hacktivist sound incorporating elements of djent, hip hop and grime – there is a lot to account for in a live setting. “We have a backing track that we play to, that means that our drummer is continuously playing to a click track and keeping everything in time. I’ve got midi controlling my guitar amps. It changes all of my patches as the set goes along, so I don’t have to worry about pressing buttons or pedals. It’s quite high tech sort of stuff, but it’s there to make our life easier on stage. Because I’m the only guitarist and I sing, it’s very difficult for me to get up to the mic and sing and make sure I’m on the right patch for lead parts. It’s made my life so much easier.” “We use Ableton live, so everything is triggered from a laptop, we just press play and the whole set flows - even between the tracks we have some ambient stuff going on. We try and make it as much an audible pleasure as possible. I find it very awkward when bands play and it’s silent while they are tuning in between songs.” The technical know-how doesn’t end there either. On the topic of the band’s forthcoming debut album, Outside The Box,

Beazley confides in a love of integrating modern amp simulators and tube amplifiers. “It’s taken me a while to get back into valve amps, but I am quite proud to use digital to bring the most out of valve amps; they just work so well together.” Lucky for the band, Beazley’s creative input doesn’t only cover a good chunk of the songwriting, but includes the production side too. Outside of the band, Beazley works as a producer and engineer from his studio, Old School in Milton Keynes

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

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Metal core magnate Killswitch Engage’s seventh studio album, Incarnate, sees the band in the best shape they have been in years, according to guitarist Joel Stroetzel. It’s no secret Killswitch Engage has had its fair share of ups and downs. Since inception, frequent shifts in the band’s lineup has been commonplace, with original vocalist Jesse Leach’s abrupt exit shortly after the release of the breakthrough album Alive Or Just Breathing. Since then, the band has seen the replacement of drummer Tom Gomes with Justin Foley, the arrival and departure of singer Howard Jones, and the subsequent return of Leach. With four fifths of the band’s original lineup back on board, it seems things have finally settled down for the Massachusetts five-piece. “I feel like the past few years have been the most consistent and happy that everyone’s been,” says Stroetzel. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride. It was obviously a big scare when Howard [ Jones] left the band, because we were like, ‘What are we going to do? How is that going to work?’” Much to the band’s relief, Leach returned with a new gusto. “He had all the reasons W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

not to want to do it back in the day, which is totally fair, but we were just really lucky it all came together. I feel like internally, it’s the happiest everybody has been for quite some time.” Killswitch Engage began work on Incarnate, sharing song ideas and demos via email from their various home dwellings. Stroetzel says that his preferred method of

in the UK. With the band’s tech reliance and approach to songwriting a key to their success, it pays to have an engineer and studio-owner on board. “I write most of the music. So I’ll write a shell of a song with all the riffs and rough drums, and then upload that so the rest of the guys can have a listen to it. Ben [Marvin, vocals] and J [Hurley, vocals] will write their bars, Richard [Hawking, drums] will take the drums away and make them a bit more snazzy. “But, as we write, we record. So there is never really a time when there is a song that exists that hasn’t been recorded. That means we kind of have a working model, and so we just re-record everything and develop the sound.” With the debut’s release imminent, Beazley reflects on what he got out of the recording process for Outside The Box, “The main thing I learnt was simplicity. I used to rely on putting a lot of processors on my mixes and relied on the fact that just because I’ve used loads of stuff that must mean it’s good. But I’ve learnt to strip back, you know – less is more. Some people record like eight guitar tracks and I just find it’s unnecessary. If you get one fat tone, pan it left and right and that’s all you need. As soon as you start adding more to it you start getting phase problems and it muds it out, and it’s just a pain in the arse.” HACKTIVIST’s Outside The Box is out now via UNFD.

song writing involves burning the midnight oil alongside a drum machine. “For me personally, I do my writing at night. I have an old two-track drum machine and I lay down a drum track and some scratch guitars, trying to piece together songs. I think it’s kind of the same thing for most of the other guys. Once we get stuff that we think is worthy of sharing with each other, we email it and from that point we decide whether we need to get together and jam.” When the band was satisfied by its collective efforts, they convened and began developing what would soon be Incarnate. “We did that a little more with this record than we have in the past. A lot of the other records were a combination of us being able to play live in a room together and writing from our homes. We just didn’t have that luxury on this album, with all of us living so far away.” Despite the lack of proximity, Stroetzel is confident the writing process had little affect on the album’s outcome, “Adam and Justin worked out midi drum tracks for the demos we had, and we each started learning the songs that way. As the songs came together, we would hand them off to Jesse so he could start writing and putting his ideas together, so it really wasn’t that different from jamming live in a room, instead it was just a bunch of guys sitting in front of a computer in a room [laughs].” With the demise of Soundwave Festival and consequentially Killswitch Engage’s 2016 trip to Australia, the conversation diverts to the likelihood of a return to the sunburnt country. “That was quite a bummer when we found out we weren’t able to come over, we always look forward to Soundwave and just going to Australia in general. It’s such a great place and such a great scene, other than the long flight over there [laughs]. Hopefully something will come around as far as a good festival. I guess we are going to have to come back and do some kind of club tour in the very near future.”

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s latest record Incarnate is out Friday March 11 via Roadrunner Records. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 25

JORDIE LANE B U N G A L O W

M A K E O V E R

B Y B E L R YA N

WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL S U B M E R G E D

I N

T H E

L U S H

D E S E R T

BY ADAM NORRIS

Imagine sitting in a camp site in the crook of some of the oldest mountains on earth and staring up into a night sky brimming with thousands of stars while music is carried to you on the Northern Territory breeze. And now upgrade that vision. It’s still just as splendid, but now there are 1,499 other revellers equally enraptured by the musical sprawl that is the Wide Open Space Festival. Scott Large is one of the founders of this genuinely unique cavalcade of art and culture, and he tells Beat about this year’s instalment. “The festival has been running for eight years, and it’s certainly grown a lot in that time,” he says. “We started out as an opportunity to throw a bit of a party for an extended group of friends with some of our favourite artists from around Australia. It proved quite popular and it’s grown organically since then. After three or four years we suddenly had a thousand or more people, and so the personality of the festival has grown its own identity now, which is much bigger than our original vision. “It’s the culmination of a whole group of people now, in this really unique location. There’s a very strong community out in the Northern Territory, particularly in Central Australia. A lot of artists, a lot of motivated people, a lot of community projects; people are very DIY in their approach to putting things on. It’s a very active community, and they’re very involved with us. We use the festival as a bit of a platform for all of that activity that’s happening around the year, and showcase this amazing talent out here.” Part of the festival’s ethos is the celebration of desert culture, something I freely admit to knowing very little about. Having spent many years moving up and down coastlines, the desert is very much an abstract image in my head, full of hard earth and deadly snakes. But the reality is far different. The culture of Central Australia is a vibrant mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous history, and the landscape is much more alluring than you’d think. “It’s a complex set of ingredients,” says Large. “There’s obviously a rich Indigenous culture out there, which is also still an active culture. They speak their native tongue, they still live on their country and practice traditional ceremonies. But they live in a contemporary world. They love reggae, they have mobile phones, Facebook profiles. So there’s this really ancient tradition mixed with a really savvy contemporary culture. And then of course there’s the non-Indigenous people who live there, who are predominantly working in Indigenous services, which might be health, education, arts, media. It sets up a really interesting sequence of social networks. “And obviously the landscape in itself is a whole other thing. A lot of people haven’t been to the centre of Australia, and their idea of what it looks like is a very 2D idea. Most people think of the outback as Western Victoria or New South Wales, which is mostly pretty flogged out cattle and sheep country. The centre isn’t like that at all. It’s the wrong environment for crops, BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 26

so a lot of it hasn’t ever been farmed and it’s in really good condition. It’s vibrant country, much more green and lush and abundant than people think.” By all reports (and after looking through countless dazzling photos), WOS looks very much like an oasis. The punters it attracts are engaged and encouraging people, where trust is high and friendships forged for life. It seems to share an affinity with other festivals like Rainbow Serpent and Woodford, although with several crucial differences. “We’re more intimate. We’ve grown a lot through word-of-mouth, and we’ve done that quite purposefully so we grow through a network of people. For locals, it’s an opportunity to see the best of NT culture with a high level of production, and visitors get to see a part of Australia they might not have seen before, and experience something really unique. We put on a good show, it’s not just a bush doof. “Put it this way: if we put on an obvious festival that looked a whole lot like of other festivals on the east coast, why would people bother to come? Part of our intrigue, our point of difference, is putting emerging artists from interstate alongside established artists. Getting local NT artists who we know have got the chops to stand on a main stage and deliver, but have never had the opportunity before. So we put them alongside acts like Saskwatch, and what we find is that if we give them that confidence, they really step up. We like people who are innovating, who are doing something fresh rather than just churning out the same old stuff.” For those who remain freakishly unmoved by Large’s descriptions, there is one final consideration before you drop this mag and start packing a bag. “It’s a resort: there’s hot showers, flush toilets, a pool. We have a pool party in the middle of the desert, it’s amazing. It’s a really comfortable spot, and it really turns people’s idea of what the desert is on its head. It’s so spectacular and lush and grassy and shady. People expect a dusty paddock, and instead they find us.”

WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL happens from Friday April 29 till Sunday May 1 in the Ross River Resort, Central Australia. The lineup features Saskwatch, Tek Tek Ensemble, Knobs and stacks more.

Melbourne’s Jordie Lane is coming home to celebrate the launch of his new single, Frederick Steele McNeil Ferguson. The track is a grungy contrast to the acoustic sounds of previous releases, marking a new chapter in Lane’s musical journey. Beat caught up with Lane in advance of his return to Australia from America. “I wanted to start something new,” says Lane of the upcoming album. “The single is just the beginning of the transition from some of my older music, moving into more garage, electric territory – because that’s where I recorded it, in a garage here in LA.” It’s been four years since Lane’s last full-length release, Blood Thinner, and he’s experienced a lot of ups and downs in the interim, trying to figure out where to go next. “I knew that I needed a lot of time on my own to work out what I wanted to talk about,” he says. “So I rented out this little bungalow and we had it for three months. The first three weeks were mostly spent just sitting, or frying eggs and other food – more and more procrastinating. I sat there on my own for ages feeling lonely and stupid, then I started looking at the topics I’d been too afraid to tackle.” Lane’s eventual creative breakthrough was triggered by his resolution to develop the songs on his own. “When you’re in a studio, you’ve got people there working with you and I feel like I’m holding them up or keeping people waiting. The other thing is I love doing it in the middle of the night. There might be one or two people in your crew who are OK with that, but to have everyone involved up for working between midnight and 6am? I couldn’t bear the thought of even asking anyone. “There was one guitar riff from a song, which I’d had on a loop recording for about four hours,” he adds. “I looked

down and saw there was blood all over the guitar and realised I’d cut my finger right open. It was a fun moment to myself where I was like ‘Yeah, that’s rock’n’roll’.” Lane has just released the accompanying film clip for Frederick Steele McNeil Ferguson, in which his trademark brown locks are hacked away on camera. “The filmmakers are this Brazilian couple who are going around the world doing 80 music videos in 80 different cities,” he says. “They approached me and they said the only catch was they were only

THE EAST POINTERS

I N S T R U M E N TA L

I L L U S T R AT I O N

BY ADAM NORRIS

The East Pointers might sound like the name of either a land mass or a species of shark, but many enthusiastic Australians have been totally bamboozled by this Canadian three-piece. Their festival appearances guaranteed packed-out shows and their repeat rambles throughout the country have seen them amass a fast and loyal fan base. Indeed, their blend of quasi-instrumental foot-stompin’ folk proved so popular that their love of Australian audiences translated directly to their debut LP, Secret Victory. “[Touring] was really an amazing experience last year,” says guitarist Jake Charron. “We didn’t really have a full album then, just our little EP. So it’ll be nice to get back with the full record. A lot of it was definitely inspired by the things we were doing and seeing there in Australia, so I hope people like it. It took around ten days to record. Ten days, pretty relaxed. We were in this open, big old church that had been turned into a studio, and we recorded most of it live off the floor. We wanted to try and capture some of that live feeling.” B E AT.C O M . A U

The rise of contemporary indie folk has been well-documented for almost ten years now, ever since acts like Bowerbirds, Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and the like began roaming the land. Yet it is a movement that still seems on the rise, snatching influences out of the air and working them into new forms. Perhaps this is the reason for the genre’s endurance; alongside a very long history of folk artists is a potential for renewal and exploration. “I think [for] people these days, there’s so

doing one sequence videos with no editing. They said they wanted to hear my idea and it was sort of a selfish thing, as I’d always wanted to challenge myself to cut my hair off. It’s probably been 20 years since my hair was short. “So it was a good opportunity and it fits the theme, which is about how over generations people have these in-built ways of thinking and acting, being stuck with guilt for no reason. The idea of cutting off the hair is to rid yourself of that baggage and move on. That night my hair resembled Guy Pearce in The Rover, so I bought a pair of clippers and shaved it all off myself.” Lane’s toured extensively around the world, but he still thinks our humble city stands up on a global scale. “It’s pretty hard to beat the Melbourne music scene. Spending time New York, London, LA, Nashville, Toronto – they’re all amazing scenes, though I’ve found it hard to get used to there not being as much going on every night. I haven’t found anywhere as thriving.” For his trip home, there’s something else on Lane’s mind. “Café breakfasts in Melbourne are the best in the world. They do the avocados right, the mushrooms, poached eggs. I can’t find a good poached egg in America.” JORDIE LANE is launching his new single Frederick Steele McNeil Ferguson at The Gasometer Hotel on Friday March 18, before headlining Twilight Sounds at Sills Bend on Saturday March 19.

much produced music available, and you know, some of it is really amazing,” Charron says. “But there’s something about this more organic type of thing. It’s fun to play, it’s fun to dance to… hopefully fun to listen to. For the previous few generations here in Canada, this type music hasn’t been mainstream. But it seems to be coming back around. I don’t know if it’s the same in Australia, but there seems to be a lot of younger people digging this genre. It’s always been there, but maybe there’s a little more strength to it this time around.” The East Pointers’ own roots lie in an early love of Celtic music, and an awareness of the power of instrumental compositions. It is an inherent aspect of their music, and to witness the trio in the midst of a vocal-less song – Charron on guitar, Koady Chaisson on fiddle and Tim Chaisson on banjo – it is easy to see the allure. “I think most of our focus has been on the instrumental, because something the three of us had in common growing up was playing these traditional melodies that didn’t have words,” Charron says. “We all like to sing, and Tim specifically had a great solo singer/ songwriter thing on the go. So we have a lot of fun working out three-part harmonies. But right from the get-go, having [songs] go down a vocal path or instrumental path, we haven’t quite encountered something that could be either yet. I’m sure that’ll come. We haven’t had to force any of our songs yet. They become what they want to become. “[Instrumentals] kind of leave it a little bit more open to interpretation. We’re influenced by the strong Celtic tradition that goes back for centuries, and I think people can feel that. They want to move and dance. Words might take you down a different path completely. That’s not a bad thing, but I like seeing where an instrumental set can change a mood, and paint pictures in your head that lyrics might force on you instead.”

THE EAST POINTERS are playing at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, which runs from Friday March 11 – Monday March 14 in Port Fairy Village.

U.S. GIRLS T H E

PE R S O N A L

I S

P O L I T I C A L

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

U.S. Girls’ latest release, Half Free, has a more hi-fi sound and more melodic clarity than much of the project’s earlier output. However, it’s not easy listening. Meg Remy’s lyrics adopt a tone of solemnity from opening track Sororal Feelings through to the concluding Woman’s Work. Each song loosely explores the idea of being half free, depicting women who’ve been let down, abused, or emotionally downtrodden. Even the so-called skit, Telephone Play No. 1, contains loaded revelations about a woman’s unsteady relationship with her father and a consequent lack of self-esteem. “This was the plan all along, basically, to have each song portray a different type of character that is dealing with the various forms of oppression in the world,” says Remy, U.S. Girls’ sole official member. “Oppression in love, that’s a very lighthearted… it’s not really earthmoving. It is for someone personally, but not in the grand scheme of things for the world. But then to tackle other things like war and plastic surgery, but for it always to be from the personal perspective that can then speak to the worldly effect of these things.” Musically, Half Free isn’t an entirely upbeat affair, but songs such as Damn That Valley, Sed Knife and Window Shades convey feel-good summertime energy. There’s an essential contrast, however, with the songs’ ugly or depressing core. “I like a song that you can just get into it if you just want to be into the music and the beat, and just have fun and dance and not think, but if you feel like going the extra step and then investing in the lyrics, then there’s something there to chew on,” Remy says. “Not just lyrical content that matches the sunniness; that’s just not enough for me.” When performing live, Remy stays acutely aware of this juxtaposition. “We’re not just cheerleaders up on stage. I think there’s often a seriousness and an intensity that is there with us that relates to the serious subject matter in a lot of the songs. Although I do want to entertain, I’m not an entertainer. I’m not really capable of just being an entertainer. So I want people to have a good time, but I also don’t. I like when people feel uncomfortable.” It’s a prevailing character trait among millennials to be either disaffected or apathetic and distracted. Such an attitude belies the fact we live in a politically crazy time where economic prosperity seems to rely on social inequality. By seeking to provoke uncomfortable feelings with her songwriting, Remy endeavours to wrench people out of their stupor. “I really believe the personal is political, and I like starting from there because I understand that,” she says. “I haven’t taken tons of classes, I haven’t read lots of crazy books, I don’t read the newspaper every day, I’m not totally up on my history, but I can speak from what I’ve experienced and what friends of mine have experienced and things I’ve seen and those more close to home things.” To be a human being is to be a political being – it’s an act of wilful blindness to think otherwise, and yet a lot of people fail to accept this fact. By demonstrating the direct correlation between social imbalance and matters of personal import, Half Free emphasises the political liability of every individual. “I don’t think many people really understand their role in politics. Even when they think they’re not engaged, they are. They’re engaged by allowing something to continue on, or participating in a certain type of system that’s YOUTUBE oppressing others, or in the States paying your taxes SENSATION towards bullshit. You’re paying taxes and it’s not going to the people. The roads are a mess, schools are shutting ‘THE CHOOKY down, it’s all going to the military industrial machine. DANCERS” And I think people need to stop paying their taxes in the States [laughs], until the money starts being used towards something that’s good – at least healthcare.” Despite what her moniker suggests, Remy now lives in Toronto, Canada. She moved there to be with her husband Max Turnball (AKA musician Slim Twig), and she’s come to value certain aspects of the country’s infrastructure. “I can go to a doctor anytime I want to and I don’t have to pay for it. My husband just had to go to the E.R. They thought he had to have his appendix taken out, he had to have CAT scan, all these tests, and we walked out of there with no bill. That alone is incredible.” There was a Canadian federal election last October, which saw the end of the Stephen Harper-led Conservative Party’s ten year reign. The victors were Justin Trudeau and the centre-left Liberal Party, bringing in progressive policies on abortion, marijuana, women’s rights and indigenous rights. “Having Trudeau in was a huge win. Thank God having Harper out of there – he was a terrible conservative who was just fucking everything up for however long he was in office. And Trudeau may end up being more talk than walk, but so far things look good. His cabinet is 50/50 men and women, which is unheard of. And having a Defence Minister that’s wearing a turban, it looks good. I’m happy for that. I came here because I found love, but I also came here to escape where I was from, which had begun to disappoint me and has continued to do so.”

DJUKI MALA - BRUNSWICK TOWN HALL - 16, 17, 18 & 19 MARCH ALSARAH & THE NUBATONES (SUDAN/USA) | BLIND BOY PAXTON (USA)

SHANE HOWARD TRIO, EMMA DONOVAN & THE PUTBACKS WITH YIRRMAL

SHOOGLENIFTY (SCT) | SPIRO (UK) | THE RAAH PROJECT | THE TARANTINOS

TONY MCMANUS & BEPPE GAMBETTA (CAN/ITA) | THE WOO HOO REVUE & MORE!

W W W. B R U N S W I C K M U S I C F E S T I VA L . C O M . A U

U.S. GIRLS are playing at The Tote on Monday March 14. You can also see them at Golden Plains X at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 12 – Monday March 14. Half Free is available now via 4AD / Remote Control.

The Brunswick Music Festival is proudly presented by Performing Arts Moreland with the continued support of princial public partner Moreland City Council.

W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 27

MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO FEELING THE FUNK

B Y PAT R I C K E M E R Y

According to funk lore, back in the 1960s James Brown ensured disciplined in his backing band by maintaining a careful watch on his band members’ timing. If a musician missed a note, skipped a beat or otherwise deviated from Brown’s methodically planned funk attack, the musician would be fined; another transgression, and the musician’s tenure would be under threat.

DIED PRETTY

RELIVING THE DIRT

B Y PAT R I C K E M E R Y

In 1986, fresh from the release of their debut album Free Dirt, Died Pretty embarked on their first European tour. Three months later and Died Pretty had built a strong European following that dwarfed their loyal but narrow support in Sydney and Melbourne. But despite that – and the excitement of meeting Johnny Thunders at a gig in Italy – the tour left many in the band exhausted. “It was three months non-stop touring,” says guitarist Brett Myers. “I enjoyed, it, but I can’t vouch for the rest of the band. Some of the others were a bit shell shocked. [Bass player] Mark Lock vowed never to leave Australia again. In fact, he told us he wanted to keep playing in the band but he was never going to play outside of Sydney – more than half an hour from his home he wouldn’t play. So it was a bit overwhelming, but I loved it, and it shaped the rest of my life, honestly.” Died Pretty had formed a few years earlier from the ashes of two Brisbane-based bands: The 31st, fronted by Ron Peno (who, as lead singer of The Hellcats, had adopted the nom de plume Ronnie Pop), and The End, a Velvet Underground and Stooges influenced band based around the songwriting and guitar talents of Brett Myers. As a teenager growing up in Joh BjelkePetersen’s conservative Queensland, Myers was acutely aware of the cultural and political constraints within which he and his contemporaries were forced to exist. “It was a pretty repressive time and there wasn’t much in the way of youth culture, and anyone who acted slightly different got squashed by the police and by the general cultural milieu of the time,” Myers says. “Anyone who was into anything slightly alternative had to band together for safety in numbers more than anything. But conversely, I made a lot of really good friends that I have until this day, and there were some exciting things going on musically, so it wasn’t all bad, but as a general rule I’d rather have been somewhere else.” When Peno moved from Sydney to Brisbane and joined The 31st with Mick Medew and Tony Robertson (who would go on to join The Screaming Tribesmen and Hitmen respectively), Myers found himself increasingly impressed by the enigmatic frontman. “Besides The Fun Things, there wasn’t really any other bands like [The 31st] in Brisbane in the late-‘70s and early-‘80s,” says Myers. “Ron, as you could imagine, was a pretty compelling figure on stage to watch, and I really enjoyed going to see them. He’d seen my band, The End, and we’d done some obscure songs they he liked, and vice versa, so a bit of a mutual admiration society sprang up.” While impressed by The End, Peno suggested they needed a new singer – and brazenly recommended that he fill the role. “I was the singer in the band at the time, so I said I’d think about that,” Myers laughs. Myers and Peno enlisted RAM journalist Frank Brunetti on keyboards, with ex-Radio BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 28

Birdman lead singer Rob Younger (who would go on to produce the band’s early singles and Free Dirt) assuming drumming duties. From conception, a critical element of the Died Pretty style derived from the interaction between Myers’ garage riffs and Peno’s country-tinged melodies and lyrics. While he didn’t acknowledge it at the time, Myers now concurs with this observation. “I was listening to Mirror Blues [1984] the other day, and realised that I was playing this storming, hard rock version of Suicide and Gun Club, and Ron’s singing these Okie backwards melodies on top of it,” he says. “It was basically a country song placed on top of it. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was.” The release of the groundbreaking Doughboy Hollow album in 1991 saw Died Pretty attract commercial interest, and the band eventually signed with Sony. Two moderate-selling albums later, and Died Pretty were back in the independent forest. “We had mixed success [on Sony] – some of it went well, some of it didn’t, but I don’t regret it at all. There was an opportunity and we took it. We knew how they operated – they’ll back you and fund you and you have to sell, and if you don’t they’ll throw you off. And that’s what happened – they gave us a couple of records, and we sold OK, and that was enough.” After releasing a couple of experimentallyinclined records – Using My Gills As a Roadmap and Everydaydream – by 2002 Peno and Myers realised Died Pretty had run its course. After a sell-out farewell tour, Peno and Myers went their separate ways. Subsequent years have seen the occasional reunion show, including the Don’t Look Back series in 2008 where the band played Doughboy Hollow in its entirety, and the Dig It Up! festival in 2012. 2016 sees Died Pretty reforming again for a series of A Day on the Green shows with the Hoodoo Gurus and The Sunnyboys, and a run of club shows – the band’s first since the 2002 break-up. “It’s not as if it’s easy for us to get together. We’re all scattered around, some are overseas, and Ron’s in Melbourne,” Myers says. “The Hoodoo Gurus were nice enough to ask us to come on these winery shows with The Sunnyboys. And with these side shows we’re playing a full set like we used to in the old days. So it’ll be fun.”

DIED PRETTY are playing at Max Watt’s on Friday March 18.

Naokazu “Bobsan” Kobayashi, the dapper guitarist and bandleader of Japan’s premier funk outfit Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro, is a big fan of James Brown and his seminal funk and soul style. But he stops short of implementing the type of ruthless discipline for which Brown was infamous. “We don’t have any similar incentives,” Bobsan says. “There’s a lot of freedom to what we allow each other to do.” Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro formed in the Japanese city of Saitama in 2003 while the original members (of whom three, including Bobsan, are still playing in the band) were studying at university. While the band’s name is evocative, its significance is more in what it can mean to the observer and listener. “The name is free for each listener to take on their own meaning,” Bobsan laughs. Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro take their musical cues from James Brown, The Meters, Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament/ Funkadelic and the Motown and Stax artists of the 1960s and 1970s. Before immersing himself in the funk genre, Bobsan was playing in a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band, augmented by what he describes as “some hard rock music.” It was through listening to and playing Red Hot Chili Peppers that Bobsan and his band mates switched from a rock’n’roll to a funk and soul path. “We liked Red Hot Chili Peppers because they weren’t pigeon holed into a certain style or a genre,” Bobsan says. “They were funk, punk, rap, rock and many

other things. That unique mixture allowed them to create their own genre called the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and that’s what was cool about them.” Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro played their first gig at a local festival in Saitama, inauspiciously on a stage mounted on the back of a two ton truck, and to an audience who may not have been aware what was about to hit them. “We played funk music for these old folks,” Bobsan laughs. It was around this time that the members of Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro discarded their tatty rock’n’roll attire in favour of cool, jazz couture. The band’s fashion aesthetic, Bobsan says, is anything but contrived. “Yes, it’s the same as waking up and brushing your teeth in the morning. It’s the norm. It’s standard. It’s very important,” Bobsan says. Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro have built

HORNS OF LEROY THE RIGHT WAY TO PART Y B Y B E L R YA N

Horns of Leroy know how to get down. Ahead of their slot at this weekend’s Port Phillip Mussel Festival, Beat speaks to trumpet player Travis Woods about the band’s origins and plans for the immediate future. “I’ve played trumpet since I was 13 or 14. Technically I’ve been playing for 14 years now,” he says. “We started the band about three years ago. Our first gig was at the B.East and then our second gig was at White Night. The band has been go, go, go ever since. We’ve always been pretty lucky in that people have come to our gigs and we haven’t had to deal with there being nobody there.” Indeed, it’s been a blessed run for the seven-piece New Orleans-style brass band. Though, there was one gig that didn’t go according to plan. “We ended up playing while it was raining on us,” Woods says. “We couldn’t find anyone that worked there and they hadn’t set up any cover or stage. We all got into blues with each other, not knowing what was going on. That’s part of being of a musician though; you’re going to face adversities all the time. Out of the hundreds of gigs we’ve done I can legitimately tell you only once or twice we’ve had good sound B E AT.C O M . A U

on stage. There’s always something that goes wrong, but that’s part of playing and making do with what happens.” Horns of Leroy have made a name for themselves courtesy of their genre-hopping sound and innate ability to get everyone on the dancefloor. “My favourite part is always playing to people who enjoy it, want to party and get down,” says Woods. “There’s definitely uniqueness in our sound. We take a lot of elements from the New Orleans style of music, whether that’s jazz, funk or soul, then everything from Latin, to

a solid reputation in Japan, with overseas interest building via the band’s vibrant performances published on the Internet. While the band have a loyal local following, funk remains a niche interest in Japan. “Funk is still not that well known and not really a big scene,” Bobsan says. “I’d say it’s still on the build. But you can hear the elements of funk in pop music here, so I think many people would’ve heard it, but just don’t really recognize it as funk.” Airplay on commercial radio remains sporadic, though Bobsan says interest continues to grow. “We do get played on radio, although most music here requires words to be played on the airwaves,” he says. “We have had our music used in jingles and such a lot on TV. Our status is still on the build, to be honest.” In 2009 Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro made their first trip overseas, venturing to Australia. Such was the positive reaction of crowds that the band returned in 2012 and 2013 (as part of the Falls Festival) and they’ll be back again for this month’s Brunswick Music Festival. “I think we all knew that our music could reach people beyond Japan and we could make people dance. I think the great reaction we got in Australia told us that we weren’t wrong. Everyone is a lot more open and accepting in Australia. Not just towards different types of music, but to other cultures.” MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO are playing at Howler on Thursday March 17 with Sugar Fed Leopards.

covers, pop music – whatever we can make work. Because there are so many aspects to it, we just make it a big party. We can turn up any time of the day or night, even someone’s birthday party in their backyard or whatever, and it’s always really fun.” A recent highpoint for Woods and co. was returning to White Night for 2016. “That was one of my favourite gigs, there were so many people there and they were really digging it. Funnily enough we played Howler the next day, there were probably only 60-80 people. It was a really intimate kind of thing. Then the whole beer garden just went bananas. People were dancing on tables, it was really unexpected.” Playing everywhere from the local pub to the national festival stage, Horns of Leroy have been lucky to avoid too many unruly punters. “I’ve got more stories about the drunk band,” laughs Woods. “We used to do a lot of playing on Brunswick Street though. Every now and then you’d have young drunk people wanting to throw things or play your instruments. Never anything too memorable though. We’ve had some fun times travelling around playing festivals. Usually by the time we get to the airport someone is at least one or two pints down. The band definitely likes to party, there’s no doubt about it, but we’re still professional.” They’re a committed bunch too, and are looking forward a hectic few months. “Mostly we’re concentrating on recording our first album. We’ve got sessions booked in for early June so we’re going to do that, then organise a big launch and tour at the end of the year.” While eager listeners will have to wait for the album, their upcoming show at the Port Phillip Mussel Festival promises to be a banger. “We don’t play on that side of town that much so it will be fun to play to a mixed crowd. There’s also a really good lineup of bands. Plus the food and beverages look very appetising.” Catch HORNS OF LEROY at the Port Phillip Mussel Festival, running from Saturday March 12 till Sunday March 13 at the South Melbourne Market. You can also see them on the first Sunday of every month at The B.East.

BUILT TO SPILL VISCERAL RELEASE BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

The lineup of Built to Spill has never been fixed. Guitarist/vocalist Doug Martsch founded the band on the principle he’d be the leader and find the appropriate group of players for each album. As such, while they assumed a five-piece, three-guitar formation on 2006’s You In Reverse and 2009’s There Is No Enemy, Built to Spill stripped back to a three-piece for last year’s Untethered Moon, with Martsch joined by drummer Steve Gere and bassist Jason Albertini. Before returning to Australia this month, Beat speaks to Martsch about the current status of the band and the recording of Untethered Moon. “We just got back from a two-week tour down the west coast [of the USA] as a threepiece, but we’ll be coming over to Australia as a five-piece,” he says. “We’re going to do a bunch of stuff around the States as a threepiece for a while and then at some point be able to go back and forth. I think the fivepiece is great and those two guys [Brett Netson and Jim Roth] are amazing, so it’ll definitely happen. But we’re trying a threepiece out for a little bit as well.” The intricate layering of guitars forms a central part of the Built to Spill sound, so the three-piece incarnation puts additional pressure on Martsch’s playing. In the

context of Untethered Moon, however, it proved a fruitful alteration. “Making a record as a three-piece was a creative decision. Well, it was more a logistical thing. It just went a lot faster,” he says. “You get a lot more work done as a three-piece and I kind of knew what I wanted to do; I was pretty focused on what I wanted it to be like. And then that stirred up some feelings about playing as a three-piece and the kinds of music we could make.” On stage it’s been a somewhat different story: Martsch has been forced to work harder and in some cases completely rethink

LUCKY PETERSON

ONE DAY AT A TIME B Y J A M E S D I FA B R I Z I O

The blues have always been a part of Lucky Peterson’s life. Growing up, his father owned a nightclub in Buffalo that became a regular hotspot for touring bluesmen across the United States. The sounds of gospel, early R&B and gritty guitars surrounded him as a youngster, so it should come as no surprise that he cut his first album at just five years of age. Clearly, the iconic sounds he grew up with have never left him because Peterson continues to perform and write music today, maintaining a rigorous touring schedule across the globe. “I’ve been playing since I was three years old,” he laughs. “Now I’m 51, so I’ve been doing this all my life. Now I’m kind of elevated, so I’ll play blues, jazz, soul, gospel, funk – I think the key thing is to make the hair on your arms that you can’t see rise. You know what I’m saying? Give you those chillbumps.” Peterson is right. The blues and its many derivatives can be tabled any way you want, but at the heart of the genre is the same visceral effect that’s been there since the beginning. In his eyes, this is, and always will be, what gives meaning to the music he

makes. “First of all, you have to be able to feel it,” he says. “If you can’t feel it deep within – from your heart and from the depths of your soul – then it’s not worth doing. Everything I’ve done in my life, I’ve felt it. I’ve put myself through the test.” As a child Peterson appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show singing a cover of James Brown’s soul anthem Please, Please, Please. The music of Brown touched the young Peterson, and he cites the Godfather of Soul as the artist who awoke him to the power of music.

his approach to songs he’s been playing for years. “I practised a ton to get ready for this tour,” he says. “It was a challenge, but it was also fun and rewarding. You don’t really know, when you’re playing, what it sounds like out in the audience. But with three guitar players you have no idea what it sounds like out there – you have no idea when you’re playing a guitar solo if it can even be heard by half the people. So the three-piece is so much more focused where you feel like what you’re doing matters and is being heard. With the five-piece sometimes I would get lazy and let the other guys hold down the fort. I think the whole band was a little lazy. You guys will get pretty good shows, because me and the rhythm section have gotten a lot tighter playing as a three-piece.” Despite the diminutive setup, the guitar playing on Untethered Moon is still very playful. Each song contains a root riff or a chord progression with melodic lead parts or rushes of volume appearing throughout. That said, it’s all precisely managed, and never grows saturated. “The main thing with this record is we wanted to keep it stripped down as much as possible. We’ve actually had the intention of doing that for the last few records. Definitely the last two records we wanted to make pretty much live, and then over the course of things just end up overdubbing a lot of stuff. Sometimes because the stuff needs it, sometimes because of insecurity; thinking ‘Is that even good enough?’ or even trying to bury my voice under guitars. So this time I wasn’t going to let any insecurities lead me to make those sorts of decisions. “Sam Coomes [producer] was also helpful because he embraced the whole idea of keeping it simple. So he could keep us on task. We wanted it to be more visceral, more of an urgent sounding punkish record. I wanted it to sound like some kind of punk record from the ‘70s.” BUILT TO SPILL are playing at the Corner Hotel on Saturday March 12. They’re also playing at Golden Plains X at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 12 – Monday March 14. Untethered Moon is available now via Warner Music. “He was the first person I heard who gave me goosebumps,” says Peterson. “Make It Funky Now, all that type of stuff. Then when I saw him live that really lifted me up. The only part about that was I thought, ‘Well I know I can’t dance like him’, but boy I wish I could.” After diving into live music performance at such a young age, Peterson was taken under the wing of fellow bluesman Little Milton, playing guitar and keyboards in his band. “He was like a father to me,” he says. “I learned how to present yourself to an audience; how to feel the right way. That’s what I learned. I learned the right way how to play the blues and how to read the audience. And that’s the type of stuff I was happy to be around.” As well as being an accomplished frontman, Peterson developed his chops playing with the likes of Etta James and Bobby “Blue” Bland. Arguably, it was his years as a hardworking sideman that allowed him to develop his guitar skills to near virtuosic levels. Peterson has never needed to rely on flurries of fast-paced notes. Instead, he developed a type of musical intuition; the ability to move with the music before the band had even gone there. “I let my spirit do that,” he says. “My spirit will put me there. I work with the spirit and the people and it will take me where I need to go at the time I need to get there. I don’t force anything; I let everything come naturally. I rely on the audience participation to make me feel good, and when the audience makes me feel good, I want to give back to the audience. That’s what I do.” After spending a hefty chunk of his life onstage, performance has become second nature to Peterson. In his opinion, he never feels more at home than he’s when armed with a guitar and presiding over a crowd. “I feel wonderful. I feel great when I make that connection,” he says. “I have no problems, and I don’t want any problems, unless a piece of blues decides that it wants to come over my way.” LUCKY PETERSON is playing at Northcote Social Club on Monday March 21. He’s also playing at Bluesfest, which runs from Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW. W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

JEFF BUCKLEY: YOU AND I

AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE BERKOWITZ

BY LIZA DEZFOULI

David Bowie once told Pulse! magazine that if he were to be stranded on a desert island, he’d take Jeff Buckley’s Grace with him. Buckley’s demise by accidental drowning in May 1997 was a tragedy. The folk rock singer was only 30 and full of incandescent talent. Grace, his only completed album, has since appeared on countless top-albums-of-all-time lists. Beat talks to Steve Berkowitz, the Columbia Records A&R man who signed Buckley in the early 1990s. Berkowitz is in Melbourne talking up You and I, an about-to-be-released compilation of early Buckley recordings, many of which have lain in the vaults for over 20 years.

Berkowitz first heard Buckley sing in New York at a tribute concert for his folk-singing father, the late Tim Buckley. He knew right away he was listening to something extraordinary. “Jeff was a lyre bird who goes his own way,” Berkowitz says. “He could imitate anybody but he chose not to. Musically he had no limitations. He took influences from Count Basie to Debussy; he could do anything. He could have been a jazz great. The hardest thing for Jeff was that going one way musically meant not going other ways. He played good and he played better than good. He always played real music with real commitment.” Jeff Buckley only met his father briefly when he was eight, but his step father and mother were both musical. Buckley took up the guitar at the age of five and was blessed with a multi-octave voice. However, Jeff wasn’t trying to sound like his famous and accomplished father. “There were hints and motifs and he alluded to him, but his work was not an homage to him,” Berkowitz says. “There were little visitations of the original.” Jeff Buckley is most famous for his cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Like every other cover he performed or recorded, he made it entirely his own. “Leonard’s version of Hallelujah is anthemic, biblical, sonorous,” says Berkowitz. “Jeff ’s version is more intimate. It’s the one people in New York wanted to listen to after 9/11. It offered solace.” In some ways You and I is the result of an informal recording session for the young singer. The choice of songs – including covers of Bob Dylan, Sly & the Family Stone, Led Zeppelin and The Smiths – was to some degree spontaneous. “The most important thing was to have Jeff record,” Berkowitz says of the original intention behind the session. “We wanted him to create a table of contents so we could pick one or two to begin that journey towards making an album. The second reason was to get him to feel as comfortable in a recording studio as he was in lounge rooms and small clubs; so that his playing was as natural and organic as it was in those environments. “Jeff being comfortable meant he could branch out, burst out of his own mindset around the process of recording for a big studio. He himself was left of the underground, he was alternative and independent – working with a studio

like CBS for him was like selling out to The Man. He thought of it as ‘the big red machine.’ CBS had Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel signed to them.” In contrast to other artists on the Columbia roster, Buckley and his manager signed a contract where they maintained artistic control. “This wasn’t an everyday occurrence,” says Berkowitz. “When studios invested in recordings, they wanted to know what they were getting for their investment. With Jeff they didn’t know what he was going to do. There was no formula for Jeff; he was a loaded gun that could just go off. No-one could dictate what he could or couldn’t do. He had to do his own thing. “The reality of what I heard in him was there, that talent, to begin with. The pathway needed to be made open so it would let him come to fruition. It was clear to me, and it was agreed to by the powers that be, that everybody needed to support him in this. We knew to leave him alone. That flower needed to bloom in its own time. Even my boss at the time, Don Inner – a super powerful promotions guy who worked the machine like a fighter pilot – was so supportive of Buckley doing it his own way.” As far as Berkowitz is concerned, You and I marks chapter one in the Jeff Buckley story. “You’ve already got chapters two, three and four. Now we’ve got chapter one.” Along with several unforgettable covers, You and I comprises two Buckley originals: the first-ever studio recording of his signature song, Grace (co-written with Gary Lucas), and the unreleased Dream of You And I, which includes an interlude of him talking about the song. Despite nearly two decades having passed since Buckley’s death, Berkowitz still feels a closeness. “I’m happy to talk about him, happy to share his music with people. There are still some days when I wake up and have to remind myself, ‘Fuck, Jeff ’s not here.’ I’d much rather this was album number 12 I’m talking about. People talk about Jeff Buckley as having a voice like an angel. It’s not a just a coy little quip. And he looked like that.” You and I by JEFF BUCKLEY is out on Friday March 11 via Sony Music Australia. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 29

INNER VARNIKA DANCING DAYS

B Y B E L R YA N

Inner Varnika 2016 is just on the horizon. Festival directors Bryce Lawrence and Glyn Hill are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the three day event goes off without a hitch. “There are five of us in total,” says Lawrence. “I’ve been here from its inception five years ago. As a festival we’re at a relatively early stage, so we’re still slowly working out what each of our roles consist of. At the moment we’re all helping each other and working in a pretty collective manner. But really, we’re just doing this so we get to use walkie-talkies at the festival.”

SANTIGOLD

ECLIPSING THE MAKE BELIEVE

BY ADAM NORRIS

At the risk of hyperbole, Santi White has got this whole ‘life’ thing figured out. From her first solo forays back in 2007, to the recent release of the third Santigold album 99¢, the US pop-electronic artist has developed a musical philosophy that’s as inspiring as it is creative. Better still, when the maelstrom of New York City becomes too much, Santigold simply retreats to a tropical hideaway. When she was younger, a performance career was the last thing on her mind. Initially working in A&R, her experiences on the other side of the label provided the impetus to become the artist she is today. “That was really important, because basically I had no aspirations of being a musician or a performer until I had that experience,” White says. “I thought that’s what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to own a record company. But as I started working there I realised, ‘This sucks. I don’t wanna do this.’ So I started writing songs for other people, and then it was more, ‘Well, these songs aren’t sounding exactly like I hear them. So I guess I need to sing them myself.’ “Sometimes you have to figure out what you don’t want before you figure out what you do. For me, it was very clear that in my wildest dreams I would never have thought of being a singer or a performer. But everything has changed since then in the music industry. That was a long time ago, and every time I put out a record there’s a whole new landscape.” After working at Epic Records, Santigold left to co-write and produce the debut record for pop-soul artist Res, and her own musical intentions began to flourish. If learning what she didn’t want to do at Epic helped reveal a different path, the realisation that only she could give her writing the voice it needed was the next fork in the road. “It was hard,” White says. “Especially because I was so inexperienced. I didn’t know how to deal with anything. I wasn’t the diplomatic, seasoned individual I am now [laughs]. Because you’d write a song and just love it, and then you’d give it to someone and they’d change it, rearrange things, it was hard, especially when you thought at any given time they were changing it for the worse. Sometimes for the better, but if you thought it was going in the wrong direction it was hard to step back and let it happen. “Since then I’ve done a lot of songwriting for other people, and I don’t really care as much. You put ideas out there and if it’s not for your record, well, whatever. They can take and leave what they want, and you move on. But I only feel that way because I know I have my own records. The reason I was led to my own music was because of the frustration of having this idea and not getting to hear it the way you dreamed. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 30

That’s what pushed me to be an artist.” Despite taking a leap into the relative unknown, Santigold has beome an artist of significant critical acclaim. 99¢ is a notably more upbeat album than 2012’s Master of My Make-Believe. It’s catchy and contemporary without ever becoming kitsch. You suspect it’s destined to be a crossover album, something that will charm both new and old listeners. Yet Santigold had just one person in mind when she was writing. “I write for myself, because I think if I wasn’t writing music I wouldn’t be living the life I’m supposed to live. I feel spiritually connected to the process of songwriting. I write because I need to write. But it’s not like it’s this thing where, ‘I don’t care if anybody likes this, I do whatever I want.’ Music for me is a very communal thing, and that’s why I’ve done so many collaborations. I love working with people, I love sharing music, I love performing music, I get energy from that. So when I do my songs, I’m writing it for myself and other people too. Just like a novelist. You want to make sure you’re saying it in the right way, you want to get your intention across.” As we finish our conversation, a light snow is falling in New York while in Australia the tarmac has melted to sludge. Santigold is wrapped up snug, looking forward to reading her favourite author, Haruki Murakami, and admiring the winter wonderland outside. Yet even in such romantic surrounds, part of her creative soul is dreaming of green. “I love New York because of the constant stimulus. You get so much inspiration just from being here, because you’re constantly encountering something that’s going to make you feel, that’s going to make you think. But when you need to hear your own voice and ideas, you really have to be silent inside. It’s hard to do that all the time when you’re in such a bustling place, so especially when I’m having trouble with lyrics I like to go to Jamaica. I look out over the ocean, listen to the birds, and the words just come.” SANTIGOLD’s new album 99¢ is available now via Atlantic Records/ Warner.

Inner Varnika takes place over the Easter long weekend. Since day one it’s been an independent music festival catered towards those willing and eager to let their hair down and unite. This year’s festival boasts a killer lineup of dance music including Lee Gamble, Throwing Shade, Sex Tags, Vril, Brian Not Brian and many more. “I’m not going to play favourites, as they’re all stupidly talented,” says Lawrence. “It’s an honour to have every single act play at the festival, especially our local legends, our international guests, and those who have never travelled to the antipodes before. Oh and it’s pretty cool to have HTRK play.” Hill himself will be performing, and he’s pleased to be in such esteemed company. “Vril and Lee Gamble are two I’m particularly keen to see on the international front, having been a big fan of their work for some time,” he says.“On the local front I’m super excited for all of them. Given we have such limited run time at Inner Varnika, it’s a gruelling process to try and decide who plays. We’ve had to make some tough decisions. I think it makes it really special for those playing and they work really hard for it, so they tend to really shine.” “It’s easy to find the acts, the hard part is trying to fit them all on the bill,” adds

Lawrence. “I’d say it takes us three quarters of the year to all agree on a lineup.” Sustainability has become an increasingly vital component of festival organisation over the last five years, and it’s something Lawrence takes seriously. “For the previous years, we used regular diesel generators,” he says. “This year we’ve moved our entire production generators to 100% renewable bio-diesel, which is pretty much vegetable oil and a fairly large move for us. We’re upping the ante for our recycling program, hoping to go kilogram for kilogram with our waste, reintroducing our carbon offsetting program, and a few other bits and

JOHN GRANT HONESTY IN OBSCURITY B Y D AV I D M O L L O Y

Reykjavík, Iceland’s coastal capital, has long been a haven for experimentally inclined musicians. It’s the go-to place for expansive music videos, and it’s home to such industry heavy-hitters as Björk, Ben Frost, Sigur Rós and Ásgeir. John Grant, the American-born singer/songwriter, artist and former head of The Czars, has called Reykjavík home since recording his second solo album there in 2012, Pale Green Ghosts. “It’s an unstressful environment to be in,” Grant says. “The landscape is stunning, the air is crisp and fresh all the time and there’s a thriving music scene here that’s very progressive and modern. And, you know, it’s also a very friendly scene – it’s a pretty happening place. It doesn’t feel as small as it is.” For Grant, it seems the perfect place to focus on his career without being sidetracked by his gradually increasing profile. Despite the critical successes of his latest album, last year’s Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, he hasn’t seen a great increase in media attention – something he considers fortunate. “I’m not terribly jealous of the people I see who are constantly in the limelight,” he says. “That doesn’t seem to have a good B E AT.C O M . A U

effect for anybody, because it just seems like their reality gets warped in the public eye. You get all sorts of different types of entities interested in you that weren’t interested in you before, and I don’t feel like I would be terribly comfortable with that much attention.” Living comfortably out of the spotlight has given Grant the opportunity to focus solely on his craft. Given the personal nature of his songwriting, the freedom and time for introspection are vital. “It seems to me that I’m in a good position, because I’m with a record label that allows me to do whatever the hell I want to do with every album. And the only person that’s putting any input into the music is me. That’s a great position to be in, because

pieces we’ve learnt along the way.” Several Australian festivals have been under fire in the media recently, generally for financial discrepancies or tragic drug overdoses. “It’s a tough climate at the moment for festivals in general,” says Lawrence. “We’ve been lucky that we’ve found a community and council who have been so open and welcoming. We had to cancel the second Inner Varnika in 2014, so we learnt a lot from that whole experience. We always take every precaution possible without cutting any corners to ensure that our patrons and the nearby community are safe and happy.” On that note, Hill points out what makes Inner Varnika unique. “Intimacy is something we really pride ourselves on and a point of difference in my opinion. We have a limited amount of tickets available each year, which means that the communal vibe is maintained. The one stage also ties into this, in that everyone is on the same page in regards to music and what is happening. It means the moment is more collective in a sense, as everyone experiences it simultaneously.” As well as the musical element of the festival, Lawrence says there’s a lot more to be experienced at Inner Varnika. “Full moons, hill climbing, rock-picking, tornado rides, natural smoke machines and other elemental anomalies.” INNER VARNIKA 2016 takes place from Friday March 25 till Sunday March 27 in country Victoria (within three hours of Melbourne). There are limited tickets still available, which you can snap up via innervarnika.tickit.ca.

I would prefer for my visibility to develop naturally because of people’s reaction to the music.” If and when the fame monster does rear its head in Grant’s life, he has excellent models to aspire to – the list of artists he has worked with includes names such as Sinéad O’Connor and Elton John. “They’re people that have their heads screwed on quite firmly, I would say – I mean, with Elton, it’s a little bit different because he is at the head of a gigantic empire,” Grant laughs. “So when you’re out to dinner with him or when you’re at his house – I’ve never seen things like that before, so it’s quite crazy. “[Sinéad] has a nice house on the coast of Ireland and, you know, it’s a very normal existence. I’m just sort of underground and sort of barely visible, and so I suppose I haven’t really had the need to feel like I needed advice on that.” Grant’s relationship with visibility is a curious one; his solo albums have always been marked by a fearless honesty about his own experiences with drug addiction, homophobia, domestic division and living with HIV. Grant is the first to admit, however, that his honesty doesn’t necessarily stem from altruistic intentions. “I definitely am seeking connections with people, with my music. I think that I wanted to just be able to speak about myself and not be ashamed, so I think it’s more of a selfish thing than an intention to help other people. I get a lot of letters from people and the music does seem to resonate with a lot of people and, of course, for me, that’s very humbling and I feel very good about that. “I just needed to say things exactly the way they were, without any fantasies attached to it and without the escapism. To just say, ‘This is the way it is, and I don’t give a shit whether you like it or not, it’s just the truth of my particular existence.’ ” JOHN GRANT is playing at Forum Melbourne on Sunday March 13. He’s also playing at Golden Plains X from Saturday March 12 – Monday March 14 in Meredith, VIC. Grey Tickles, Black Pressure is out now through Bella Union.

BUZZCOCKS EVERYBODY’S HAPPY NOWADAYS BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

It’s 40 years since Buzzcocks formed. Hailing from Manchester, the band quickly became one of the key players in the first wave of UK punk rock. They’ve since undergone several member changes and periods of inactivity, but they’re currently in good health and heading to Australia for a birthday celebration. This significant milestone has led the band members to reflect on what they’ve achieved over the last four decades.

XYLOURIS WHITE TRUE NATURE BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Jim White is a busy guy. Best known as the drummer for the Dirty Three and for frequently joining Cat Power on stage and on record, he started out in the Melbourne punk scene playing with the likes of Venom P Stinger and Feral Dinosaurs. In line with his punk background, he’s never settled down into one relatively comfortable band. Xylouris White is a paradigmatic example of this –a collaboration between White and Cretan lute extraordinaire Giorgos Xylouris.

“It doesn’t seem that long ago since we started in some ways,” says guitarist/vocalist Steve Diggle. “It seemed like a long journey at one time and then suddenly… it seems like the longest life in the shortest time. It’s like, ‘Where’d it all go?’ It still feels like we’re starting in some ways. It did seem a lot longer after 20 years.” Guitarist Pete Shelley and vocalist Howard Devoto formed Buzzcocks, and recruited Diggle and drummer John Maher to round out the lineup. However, Devoto appeared on just a few singles before leaving to start his own band Magazine. Shelley then moved to lead vocals, occasionally handing the mic to Diggle. The band presently includes Shelley and Diggle as well as bassist Chris Remington and drummer Danny Farrant. “Me and Pete have been all the way from the beginning and it has been an amazing journey for me and him,” Diggle says. “There’s been a couple of different lineups on the rhythm section over the years, but the band’s still as good as ever. There’s a lot of people that’ve stuck with us over the years – the fans, who own the records and have come to see us over the years, which has been amazing. So there’s been every reason to keep going. We’ve had a great support group. People have liked the songs – that’s why we’re here.” After a successful three-album run, in 1981 Buzzcocks went their separate ways. They reconvened in the early-’90s and have produced a further six LPs, including 2014’s The Way. Buzzcocks’ first three albums – Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites and A Different Kind of Tension – rank among the most significant releases of the

UK punk movement. Wisely, material from these records still forms a considerable part of their live shows. “I think the kind of music we make, people knew we weren’t bullshitting them,” Diggle says. “We weren’t just trying to write hits. We were writing songs about the human condition. Real things that people relate to. So I think people have stuck with us for that. You can hear a record sometimes by somebody, you might even buy the album, but you might not buy the next one because you might not be into the band that much. But I think we’re the kind of band that people get into the whole attitude, the whole thing, and that’s why we’re here 40 years later.” Buzzcocks shows are a cross-generational affair, with fans of a similar age to the band members standing side by side with newer converts in their teens. If their founding ambition were simply to write hits, it’s unlikely so many people would be drawn to the band 40 years later. Conversely, the subject matter of their early output – themes of isolation, sexuality and sexual curiosity – retains relevance. “When you listen to a lot of the older songs, they still sound like they were just made last week, which is kind of amazing; they stood the test of time. When you were making them you didn’t envisage things like that. It was just like, ‘Let’s make the record and put it out. It’s just a postcard to people.’ But they still sound as good now as when we made ‘em. I think part of the reason is because we recorded a lot of them live. We’d record live and then do some overdubs, so there’s a vibe there. Plus a lot of it’s very strong songwriting. That’s seen us through

the years.” Indeed, in contrast to the provocation of the Sex Pistols or the revolutionary bent of The Clash, Buzzcocks’ chief distinction is Shelley’s voice and pop-savvy songwriting.

“Maybe it seems a bit disparate or something, but it actually flows pretty naturally,” White says. “It’s weird where you end up. I guess really the bands I’ve been most involved with is Venom P Stinger and Dirty Three and now Xylouris White, and obviously other things along the way. You have to think about [all of the projects] separately, but there’s always a thread.” Xylouris came to prominence playing alongside his father Antonis Xylouris (Psarantonis) and uncle Nikos Xylouris (Psaronikos), two famous composers of Cretan folk music. While their musical bloodline is worlds apart, the union between White and Xylouris didn’t happen completely out of the blue. “George and my relationship goes back to 25 years ago in Melbourne and me hearing George play and his father play,” White says. “I was listening to that music for many years and never really playing it. We talked about it for a number of years and then finally we just started doing it. To me it’s a very natural way of playing and a way that you find out about yourself and about your playing. You develop as you go along and sometimes you don’t realise it. It just feels very true and natural to me.” A further example of White’s ongoing artistic curiosity is his recent foray into performance art, More Up A Tree. Premiering late last year, More Up A Tree saw him collaborate with dancer Claudia de Serpa Soares and visual artist Eve Sussman on a piece that merges dance, music and interactive performance art. “We started that a couple of years ago just out of interest,” White says. “Many years

ago Dirty Three and Cat Power played three nights at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and the lighting lady said, ‘Come down and see what I do.’ I went down to the San Francisco Ballet and saw a dress rehearsal, and I had this amazing reaction to seeing that abstract dance piece. I’ve lived in New York for a long time and sometime later I was telling my friend about how I’d like to do something with a dancer and it sort of just happened. This dancer was part of our social circle and we just started working together. Around the same time someone invited me to be an artist in residence at a place in California and me and some friends went down there and starting working on it. “I find music very mysterious, but you sort of forget that because you listen to it all the time and you’re involved in it,” he adds. “With dance I was like, ‘Why on earth does dance feel like something?’ So we just started. Everyone had their own reasons why they wanted to do it. It was just the three of us – the visual artist, the dancer and myself. It came to fruition last year. We did a premiere in Luxembourg and then we did three nights at BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York].” White’s open to the idea of bringing More Up A Tree down to Australia (if approached with the right offer), but he’s putting most of energy towards Xylouris White for the time being. The duo’s first LP, Goats, came out in 2014, and the second one isn’t too far off. “For me it’s so joyful and so natural and different and it feels like there’s lots of places for it to go as well,” White says. “We’re mixing the album soon actually.

That’ll come out later in the year.” We’ll get a taste of the new material when Xylouris White perform a duo of Melbourne shows this weekend. Given the constituents’ disparate backgrounds, they’re a difficult band to categorise. Their music is rooted in traditional Cretan music, but it’s ambitiously experimental and apparently formless. This stylistic aberrance gives them tremendous malleability when it comes to the artists they can go on tour with. “We’ve done a lot of shows with Godspeed You! Black Emperor, done shows with Swans, we’ve done some folk festivals and even rock festivals and also world music festivals. Kurt Vile’s a different one again. We did a tour with Bonnie Prince Billy. I like the fact that we can move around like that.” Moving around is precisely what’ll experience during a Xylouris White live show. Their setlists are founded around the compositions captured on record, but they’re liable to go off script. “Our music is traditional Cretan music, which I play all my life really,” says Xylouris. “But we’ve got our own material, and it’s really open every time to do stuff into that and they come to be different every time we play the same stuff. There’s a lot of improvising; they’re always different. We listen to old and new stuff and into that we put our flavours and our intensity.”

W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

“When you started writing songs you didn’t know how strong they were at the time, but you realised later. We wasn’t that precious with them, really. The band seemed very good: we was all tight as players even though we never set ourselves to be that. When you brought a song into the band and started playing it, it worked right away. There was an instant thing – it was like magic. We didn’t have to struggle and work with all these things. You might’ve had to do at home to get the basic idea of the song, but when the band played and recorded them, it all fell into place. It was like it was beyond your control. “That has been one of our strengths, there was always a good song there, which makes it a lot easier in some ways. But it’s the hardest thing to get there. We’ve heard people rehearsing next door to our rehearsal room years ago and they hadn’t got past the introduction to a song, and by that time we’d written a couple of songs and we was in the pub at the corner of the road. We’d written a couple of chart-topping hits and we was in the pub at five o’clock.” BUZZCOCKS are playing at the Corner Hotel on Sunday March 13. They’re also playing at Golden Plains X at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday March 12 – Monday March 14.

XYLOURIS WHITE are playing at NGV International on Friday March 11 and Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh on Saturday March 12.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31

CORE

PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP with EMILY KELLY ek1984@gmail.com

Unsurprisingly, Millencolin have sold out their first Melbourne show at 170 Russell and have promptly popped a second and final show on sale for Monday May 3. This is the first time we’ve seen the band since they released True Brew. Grab tickets before you miss out entirely. The Hard-Ons are playing a sneaky headline show in Melbourne this May,

with special guests Clowns and Flour. The Hard-Ons are performing as a fourpiece again, with original vocalist/drummer Keish de Silva returning to the band. See them take on Northcote Social Club on Friday May 27. Tickets available now from the venue.

this June for a five show tour of the country. Destroy All Lines are carting the band out here to headline the Prince of Wales on Saturday June 4, a show that will surely sell out in a matter of moments given it’s an awesome, intimate venue. Tickets are on sale now.

Violent Soho announced a mega Australian tour last week with guests DZ Deathrays and Dune Rats. Their two Melbourne shows at the Forum on May 14 and 15 promptly sold the shit out. The band were dismayed to see scalpers hocking tickets for upwards of $200 and implored fans to refrain from buying them. “We’re currently looking into adding more shows and even if you miss out, we promise you will have another chance to see us play in the future. Do not support these selfish motherfuckers.” Stay tuned for more dates.

Steel Panther have announced their return to Australia on the back of their most recent release, Live From Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage. The foursome will bring their solid party vibes to Festival Hall on Saturday June 18. Tickets are available from Friday March 11 for this mammoth event.

Fear Factory are coming back to Australia

CRUNCH

hard, touring the world to perform for their fans and losing money every step of the way. And we want to do it by empowering you, the fans, so that you get to decide who succeeds and who doesn’t.” For more information on what the band intends to do with your money and the different levels of METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL support you can offer, go to patreon.com/ neobliviscaris. GOOD SHIT with PETER HODGSON crunchcolumn@gmail.com

NE OBLIVISCARIS LAUNCHES PATREON CAMPAIGN

Ne Obliviscaris has launched a Patreon campaign to financially support the band, in an industry where it’s getting harder and harder for musicians to make a living. “The music industry is changing and we need to change with it,” they said. “We have inherited a broken system that is no longer what it once was, yet has not found a definitive new way forward. A system where only the biggest of the big bands are able to make a living and the rest of us sacrifice our whole lives and risk financial ruin every step of the way. So where to from here? Well, we want to create an interactive fan experience unlike any band that has come before us. We want to help create a path, not just for Ne Obliviscaris, but for the countless bands across the world that are working incredibly

DARKER HALF AT THE BENDIGO

Sydney’s Darker Half are taking their energetic brand of melodic metal far and wide to Australian audiences, and they land at The Bendigo Hotel on Friday March 11. Having established themselves as one of the country’s premier live bands over the last decade, this will be the boys first Melbourne show of the year. Supports include Mason, Envenomed and Sudden State. Entry is $10, presented by Metal Evilultion.

KILL EASTER BASH AT THE BENDIGO

Check out this great show coming up at The Bendigo Hotel on Saturday March 26: the Kill Easter Bash with Zombie Motor Wrecking Yard and Suiciety, plus supports including Swidgen and one of my favourite local bands, Long Holiday. Doors at 8pm, entry is $10.

In Hearts Wake and Northlane are touring together this June, taking on massive venues with their combined pull. See them with special guests Hands Like Houses and Ocean Grove when they tackle Festival Hall on June 12. Tickets are available now for the Equinox tour. Get stuck in and support local talent. The Strung Out and Pears tour rolls into Melbourne next week and they’ve enlisted Laura Palmer to support for their Saturday March 19 show at the Corner Hotel. Tickets are available now.

Hawthorne Heights and Mest are coming to Australia next month with the duo returning to our country on the Two Headed Monstour. Cop a blast from the past on Saturday April 16 at Bang. London Calling and Hey Reckless will also be on hand to pimp out proceedings.

RESCEDULED L7 TOUR DATES

L7 have announced rescheduled tour dates. They’ll be hitting town in October, performing at 170 Russell on October 11.

CALIGULA’S HORSE HIT THE ROAD

Caligula’s Horse will hit the road for a national tour in March and April in support of the music video for their killer new single Turntail, an uplifting and passionate track with a powerful political message. The song comes from their internationally critically acclaimed third album Bloom, which was released globally via InsideOutMusic in October 2015 and peaked at #16 on the Australian ARIA albums chart. Catch them at Ding Dong Lounge on Friday April 8.

KING PARROT ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR

In true blue collar fashion King Parrot are touring Australia once again, after recently completing a monstrous 36 date tour through Europe and the UK with Soulfly. They’ll headline the Blacken The Globe Open Air in Alice Springs and Murderfest in Perth while supporting US metal giants Five Finger Death Punch in Melbourne and Sydney. They’ve added

GIGS WEDNESDAY MARCH 9:

THE MUMMIES, MESA COSA, MIDNIGHT WOOLFE at Max Watt’s Sleater-Kinney at The Croxton, Thornbury

THURSDAY MARCH 10:

SLEATER-KINNEY at The Croxton, Thornbury SHE BEAST, PUBLIC LIABILITY, GRUDGE, ROT, DANKENSTEIN at The Bendigo

FRIDAY MARCH 11:

ASH at Corner Hotel DARKER HALF, MASON, ENVONOMED, SUDDEN STATE at The Bendigo Hotel

SATURDAY MARCH 12:

a swag of headline dates through Victoria and New South Wales. Their ARIA nominated album Dead Set received rave reviews globally and cemented the band’s place as one of the hardest working and most talked about up-and-coming bands in the genre. They will showcase new material and deliver their trademark over the top and intense live show at Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Saturday April 16, Barwon Club in Geelong on Sunday April 17 and the Forum Theatre with Five Finger Death Punch on Wednesday April 20.

PRIMAL FEAR TOURING AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

Primal Fear will leave nothing behind as they perform tracks off their new album Rulebreaker, along with all the classic and fan favourite tracks during their first ever Australian tour. Black Majesty will be supporting Primal Fear in Melbourne (Northcote Social Club on Saturday June 11) and they will be playing an extended set, including tracks from their recent album Cross of Thorns and a host of fan favourites. There will be a strictly limited VIP meet and greet pass available (15 per show), available online from metalobsession/shop.

HORROR MY FRIEND, GRENADIERs at Shebeen AS A RIVAL at Barwon Club, Geelong DRIVEN TO THE VERGE, EVOLUTION OF SELF, THE NUREMBERG CODE, THE ASCENDED, THIS LIFE I LIVE at The Reverence INFINITY BROKE, OHMS, AGENCY, JESS LOCKE at The Reverence CHASING LANA, SKYCHASER, ELUSIVE, ELUSIVE, EMRESS AND NEW AGE at The Bendigo COVEN, HOLY SERPENT, MERCHANT, SUMERU, MAMMOTH, GRIM RHYUTHMS, WITCH FIGHT. BORRACHERO and more at The Tote

SUNDAY MARCH 13:

TOTAL CHAOS, WOLFPACK at The Reverence PARTY VIBEZ, BLIND MAN DEATH STARE, LEO DOOMSAYER at The Bendigo THE 131’S, KILL DIRTY YOUTH, JAY WAR AND THE HOWARD YEARS at The Old Bar IDYLLS, DIPLOID, DIECUT AND ASH MOUTH at The Tote

STRUNG OUT WORTH THE WAIT

BY NATALIE ROGERS

It’s been a long time between drinks for Southern Californian heavy-punkers Strung Out, but they’re back in the best way, armed with a new album and headed our way to play a bunch of headline shows. “We’re really looking forward to it,” says guitarist Jake Kiley. “The last time we did a headline tour was back in 2009 – since then we’ve only played festival tours. I remember we did Soundwave and we also did the Hits and Pits Festival, so it’s really nice to come back to do our own solo shows.” 2015’s Transmission.Alpha.Delta is Strung Out’s first new release in six years, and Kiley can’t wait to play the fresh tracks live when they hit our shores next month. “It’s nice to add a bunch of new songs to the set that people want to hear and not have people only care about our old stuff.” Kiley says. “We’ve been on a lot of really great tours, so we’re excited to bring it back down to you guys. We always have a great time in Australia, and this time we’re bringing Pears and they’re a killer band. We plan on sort of showing them the ropes. “This will be their first time in Australia so we’re going to take them through all the major cities and some smaller cities that we haven’t been to in a long time – and some of the places we’ll be going to for the first time as well, so it’s going to be an BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32

awesome run.” Kiley is clearly excited and enthusiastic to be out on tour. After the Transmission. Alpha.Delta recording sessions, time away from the studio was exactly what the doctor ordered. “You always have to take time for yourself to recharge and get ready to create another album,” he says. “And that’s true of any artistic endeavour. So we spent a lot of time on retrospective touring. We were playing a lot of our old albums for our 20th anniversary and we put out a boxset, Top Contenders: The Best of Strung Out, in 2011. It gave us a break for a year or so, so that was nice.” Work began on Transmission.Alpha.Delta in 2012, and it is arguably Strung Out’s best release to date. Lead singer/songwriter Jason Cruz is a man on a mission, pushing the boundaries by lyrically tackling taboo

issues of faith, politics, drug addiction and brain washing via technology. “Once we all got back together and got into the writing mode, we were all very receptive to each other’s ideas, and we were all on the same page,” Kiley says. “The general consensus was that we wanted, hopefully, to make something better than we had before. And we’re all really happy with how it turned out, and the fans seem to like it, so it was worth the wait, I think. “We were all very involved in the writing B E AT.C O M . A U

process,” Kiley adds. “I would come in with an idea pretty well worked out, and then each person would take it and play over it, and add whatever they wanted. I think that makes our music more creative. I like our songs when everyone has their place in it, and we like to make it as inclusive as possible.” Transmission.Alpha.Delta was produced by Kyle Black (New Found Glory, All Time Low, Paramore). “It was cool to work with someone who was a fan of the band,” Kiley

says. “Kyle is also a little younger and newer to the process of making an album. Don’t get me wrong – every producer we have worked with was good at their craft, but Kyle was a great experience all round. He definitely brought a fresh approach to it.” Transmission.Alpha.Delta is out now through Fat Wreck Chords. STRUNG OUT are playing at the Pelly Bar, Frankston on Friday March 18 and the Corner Hotel on Saturday March 19.

E AT.C O M

EV IEWS FOR

R E P O R T S

LIVE

F R O M

T H E

F R O N T

R O W

THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN

Photo by Ian Laidlaw

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

170 RUSSELL

SATURDAY MARCH 5

SUNDAY MARCH 6

First up is the dark garage of Grinding Eyes. They describe their soundscape as having just as much B-movie and cocktail influence as krautrock. The multi-tiered venue begins to thicken out more and more as Underground Lovers do their thing. It’s black clothing as far as the eye can see and the venue’s darkness grows even darker as we wait for the headliners. It’s no wonder The Jesus and Mary Chain sold out The Forum so quickly, which is what prompted this more intimate gig. Jim Reid and his fuzzy-haired and fuzzyguitared brother William float onto the 170 Russell stage for Jim to announce the night’s agenda. The Jesus and Mary Chain will be playing a number of songs, then walking offstage for a minute or two, then coming back to play Psychocandy in full. Let

CLUTCH

FORUM MELBOURNE SATURDAY MARCH 5

“Let’s have a party,” said singer Neil Fallon with a grin as Clutch took the stage for the first of two nights in Melbourne. The huge response from the sell-out crowd suggested many were already in party mode and no wonder. Rocking blues thump-rock duo King of the North had earlier thundered out a quick-fire set, one of their last shows before taking a break to record the follow up to their breakthrough debut album Sound the Underground. KOTN were followed by Australian rock royalty Cosmic Psychos, who had some technical problems. “I patched this lead up about ten years ago, now I think its properly fucked,” said bassist/singer Ross Knight, as he tossed said lead side of stage. Killing time, the band made repeated jokes about the statues at the Forum having no cocks. Despite sourcing a new lead, the fuzz and

URTHBOY

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB THURSDAY MARCH 3

In this fast-paced society where people are overworked and as stressed as cows at an abattoir, it is easy to seek relaxation in the form of some cheap, nasty sherry, or by popping over-prescribed meds like Mentos. But here’s a much healthier solution for you, get some midweek hip hop into your life. It’ll cure what ails you. On the eve of releasing his latest album, The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat, Sydney hip hop legend Urthboy played an intimate preview show at Northcote Social Club. Aside from being one of the country’s strongest writers and performers, Urthboy’s general warmth and ability to engage with people – audience, collaborators, loud drunks disrupting the show – shines through whenever there’s a mic in his hand. With Jayteehazard on the decks and three

THE NECKS

it begin. They open with April Skies turned up to 11 and power through some of their betterknown tunes. A couple from Darklands and a couple from Automatic are included. The hypnotic lights make it nigh on impossible to see anyone but the frontman. I suppose JMC aren’t really about moves or nuanced performance, but it’s nice to see things. But I could see the frustration on Jim Reid’s face just before he manically took his mic off the stand and put it up to his brother’s Orange stack to heighten his fuzzy noise. Prior attempts to get the sound right just didn’t work. It begins a pattern of sonic perfectionism that leads to a few more misfires. Without enough time for the quickest of bathroom breaks, they’re back to play crackle continued, but the trio didn’t let it get in the way of delivering their pioneering, high-octane and hilarious brew of in your face entertainment. Grungy number Better Not Bitter (with the vocal refrain “Fuckin bullshit mate”), Come On Cunt and Dead in A Ditch went down a treat. By the time Clutch’s epic naval artillery banner was lowered, the mostly male crowd was well lubricated and in a jovial mood. Clutch started with two of the faster songs from new album Psychic Warfare – the single X-Ray Visions and Firebirds! The set was dominated by newer material, featuring seven songs from Psychic Warfare and four from previous album Earth Rocker. Old favourite Burning Beard was given an offbeat reworking, with drummer JP Gaster showcasing his jazzy skills. Clutch switched between rollicking tracks like Pure Rock Fury and slower bluesy ballads like The Regulator, and their cover of Gravel Road featuring Fallon on guitar. Neil Fallon was at his best without the constraint of the guitar, prowling the stage and preaching his extensive lexis with wide eyes and erratic hands gestures. His machine gun attack on backup singers in tow, Urthboy launched into Stories from his fourth album Smokey’s Haunt; a paradigmatic example of the personal, introspective work Urthboy has become known for, and which dominates the new album. While this was an album preview gig, the setlist contained a more than healthy dose of classics from Urthboy’s back catalogue. Crowd favourites Knee Length Socks, Hellson, his collaboration with Hermitude, Your Call, and We Get Around were all interspersed with banter taking the piss out of Sydney’s lockout laws, self-deprecating jokes about his dance moves, and a mock telephone call from his mother asking the crowd to show their appreciation. Having already offered a small sample of his new material, the crowd went ape as he began inviting a cavalcade of guest singers onto the already cosy stage, beginning with Bertie Blackman for their 2015 single Long Loud Hours. Regular collaborator Jane Tyrrell made an appearance on Shruggin’, and Kira Puru joined Bertie Blackman on

their debut album. “Boom-bom-bom… Boom-bom-bom” begins Just Like Honey and the crowd erupts. But it’s short-lived when the band stops and starts again. The gents clearly aren’t happy with William’s signature guitar getting lost in the mix. A new microphone is required for In a Hole and Reid looks so much happier for it, even jumping around in almost-joy. You Trip Me Up is definitely a highlight of the night, for both band and audience. Throughout the night I’m reminded of how short and concise a great song can be. A good performance of a great album. BY NAJ LOVED: The wall of fuzzy noise. HATED: Starting and restarting songs. DRANK: To hydrate. the microphone made his voice more like a percussion instrument. The other three band members just got it done. Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines kept their heads down and soldiered through difficult tempo changes. Clutch also hit some technical snags, but their professionalism (forged over 25 years) showed why they maintain such a devoted following. Clutch finished with heavy hitter The Mob Goes Wild and a mash up of Electric Worry and One Eyed Dollar. These brought the house down, but also made you think of what they’d missed from earlier albums. As Fallon said goodbye he invited everyone to the following night’s show at the Corner and promised an entirely different set.

With Lloyd Swanton on double bass, Chris Abrahams on piano, and Tony Buck on drums, The Necks provided a night of hypnotism that consumed us whole. It’s easy to describe the type of music they play, but it’s almost impossible to describe what it does to you. On the surface, the gents play single movements of music that start off soft and slow and become something else entirely by the time they finish. In the meantime the listener is likely to be transported to another dimension, relive their entire life, or inhabit the body of another living being. It’s the stuff lucid dreams are made of. Seeing The Necks play live is like falling down the rabbit hole. In this world, it’s fine to cross your legs, close your eyes and go wherever The Necks decide to take you. The most exciting thing is that perhaps they don’t even know where we’re all going. It’s obvious that most of the audience see The Necks at every chance they get – a group that has improvised their way through 18 studio albums and thousands of gigs over more than 25 years. Seeing The Necks play live is like paying Elon Musk to take you to space but then finding out that your pilot is Willy Wonka.

WINDARI

THE WESLEY ANNE FRIDAY 4 MARCH

Windari take to the Wesley Anne stage with a shy excitement that is mirrored by the crowd. It seems band and punters alike have a keen sense of anticipation for this album launch show. Walking onto a scene dressed with macramé hanging plants (an oddly perfect backdrop), the band quickly hit their stride, and we’re all suddenly off on a little sonic adventure. The slightly awkward but rather endearing song introductions by band leader, Eamon Roy, set the scene for each tune – whether it be an ode to walking by Merri Creek or a study on the lives of beekeepers. With each new song, the band really does capture a profound sense of place and time. Their short Facebook bio describes the band as ‘wilderness jazz’, and while they could be (half-heartedly) described as a jazz ensemble, the live show presents more

The metaphors I’m using to describe the evening may be whimsical or flippant, but there’s no way to give justice to what they do. This is most obvious when the entire room seems to shift when I open my eyes after the first piece. The amount of skill involved in The Necks’ performance makes me react in a way I thought was impossible while sober. They’re not musicians, they’re hypnotists who happen to play music. Seeing The Necks play live is like realising everything else you’ve ever seen just isn’t that good. Comparing them to anything else is likely to be a waste of time. The overheard discussions at intermission sound like some punters have just been reborn. Others describe their visions as reality. As I was somersaulting my way through the desert, one of my comrades saw babies, and another saw lots of water. It’s interesting when an audience is quite clearly ‘in it together’. It’s a journey we’re all on, and we’ll arrive at the same destination, but how we get there is crazily different. BY NAJ LOVED: Hearing the conversations during intermission. HATED: Returning back to Earth. DRANK: Moscato, of course.

than just a talented bunch of musos soloing over one another. The interplay between intricate guitar playing, lyric-less vocals and haunting sax is perfectly underpinned by sometimes explosive drumming, which, when put together, create an evocative mix. I’m generally not much of a jazz fan, but what these guys do occupies an otherworldly space somewhere at the weirder fringes of Radiohead or Tom Waits, and it’s hard not to be drawn in by their unique brand of acid bossa nova. Windari weave a spell on this night, and the set is over seemingly in the blink of an eye. But that’s the nature of dreamscapes – time ceases to exist, but you know you’ve experienced something that’ll stay with you, only to be half-remembered next time you take a walk by the creek. BY JULIAN DOUGLAS LOVED: Macramé is the new black. HATED: Realising I like jazz. DRANK: Pineal extract.

BY JAMES RIDLEY LOVED: Seeing Clutch sell out the Forum. HATED: The audience and the bands being distracted by technical issues. DRANK: $9 Lashes tins.

a cover of Meg Mac’s Roll Up Your Sleeves. After barely teasing the audience with a tongue in cheek early exit from the stage, Urthboy closed out the set with a trio of songs that hit the spot. Nambucca Boy – his ode to fallen cricketer Phil Hughes – was enough to makes your hairs stand on end, followed by the deeply personal Little Girl’s Dad off the new album, before closing with the heart warming No Other, the final track from 2007 album The Signal. It’s hard to pick any flaws from this gig. Urthboy took everyone along for the ride. The relaxed atmosphere made it feel like you were seeing one of your good mates on stage, and at times it resembled a house party sing-along. BY EBEN ROJTER LOVED: Rendition of The Signal sent shivers down my spine. HATED: What’s not to like? DRANK: Stone & Wood. W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 33

A L B U M

W E E K

OF THE

Top Tens HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN 1. Bluenote Cafe LP BOX SET NEIL YOUNG 2. Self Titled LP/CD SLOW SEASON 3. Bona Drag 2LP MORRISSEY 4. At The Beeb LP BOX DAVID BOWIE 5. Rise Above The Meadow 2LP GREENLEAF 6. I Like It When You Sleep 2LP THE 1975 7. Split EP 12” COFFINS & ILSA 8. Dead Dawn 2LP ENTOMBED A.D. 9. Power Corruption Lies LP NEW ORDER 10. In Rock 180g LP DEEP PURPLE

CAN YOU HEAR ME MAJOR TOM? THURSDAY MARCH 10

OBSCURA HAIL + JESS LOCKE RIFLEBIRDS + COLD IRONS BOUND SENSATIONAL HURRICANES + KING KAT ANNA CORDELL + ISAAC DE HEER + OSCAR LUSH

COLLECTORS CORNER MISSING LINK TOP TEN

FRIDAY MARCH 11

1. Dread Marches Under Bloodied Regalia LP ROUNDTABLE 2. Scabeater 7’’ SCABEATER 3. Communion LP ARMOURED ANGEL 4. Dragonslayer CD DRAGONSLAYER 5. Tyrannamen LP TYRANNAMEN 6. The Axeman’s Jazz CD THE BEASTS OF BOURBON 7. Degenerate LP EXTORTION 8. The Stickmen LP THE STICKMEN 9. The Subliminal Man LP THE ESTRANGED 10. Sub Templum CD MOSS

SATURDAY MARCH 12

SUNDAY MARCH 13

WEDNESDAY 9TH 7PM

THE LOFT

FT. LIFEWORLD DJ'S

LÅPSLEY

A humble teenager is behind one of the most emotionally intelligent records of 2016 so far. There’s something pleasantly intrusive about listening to Låpsley’s Long Way Home. It’s as if you’ve followed her aching vocals into a vast auditorium and found her lone silhouette bent over a piano – or a laptop, rather. It’s an expansive yet intimate debut, with each of the 12 tracks reflecting the impressive journey this 19-year-old has been on since releasing her bedroom-recorded Monday EP back in 2013. From the cooing vocals and elastic rhythm of opener Heartless, it becomes clear why this singer/songwriter and producer has garnered such attention. She’s got an affecting Adele-like voice, the DIY spirit of Grimes and that British broodiness that carried Daughter and London Grammar into the limelight. Yet Låpsley’s sound is distinctively her own. Singles Hurt Me and Love Is Blind hang warped vocals

HOUSE, DUB, FUNK & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

RESIDENT MANCHILD WITH SPECIAL GUESTS. AFROBEAT, CUMBIA, FUNK, SAMBA & LIVE PERCUSSIONISTS

FRIDAY 11TH 7PM

JIMMY JAMES & J’NETT STRICTLY VINYL

SATURDAY 12TH 7PM

SUIT SELECTION MYLES MAC, YOUNG EDITS & MICHAEL RICCI

SUNDAY 13TH 7PM

ROOTS OF HIP HOP FUTURE ROOTS, CHRIS GILL & HEPTUNE

EASTERN EUROPEAN STREET FOOD NOON UNTIL 9PM SUN - THUR. A LITTLE LATER FRI & SAT

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34

off minimalist piano chords. Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me) adds a disco twist while Painter slips into a diffused lullaby of reverb-ridden chords and toy box tinkling. However, it is the stubbornly stark Station, with its rhythmic tug of dropped vocals, drifting falsetto and bizarre error-message sounds, that truly flaunts Låpsley’s production prowess. A striking mix of simplicity and surprise, Long Way Home is an ambient gem. BY JENNIFER HODDINETT

Mrs. Credlin and Prime Minister Abbott were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and then the baby looked at me. TYLER, THE CREATOR What The Fuck Right Now (Independent) Freestyling over Yeezy’s Freestyle 4 beat, Tyler rationalises the alluring playfulness of early Odd Future with relative tonal maturity. It’s wild, without resorting to cheap shock. The flow surpasses Kanye’s original, commanding the beat rather than submitting to it. This isn’t a mature Tyler, but a more balanced artist. There’s a roughshod approach here, but the throwaway notion doesn’t diminish the promise of direction. JULIA JACKLIN Pool Party (Independent) Pool Party sways both potent and poignant, an air of ‘50s rock‘n’roll

heartbreak balladry that conjures visions of tears dabbed by headscarves. There’s a wholesomely satisfying dynamic, lifting and lulling, in control of emotion at all times. The kind of song that makes the world slow down, just for a moment. BABY BLUE Soccer Ball (Independent) There’s a maelstrom of guitar treble found on Soccer Ball, an air of alternative country-western, the drama found in a hyperliteral tale of a dog wrapping his barking gear upon the titular ball. The track moves with swagger, the overt charm of the subject matter compensating for dearth of metaphor (or if there is metaphor,

the listener is doing the heavy lifting). Plus, songs about dogs are always winners in my book. NICHOLAS ALLBROOK Advance (Spinning Top) POND leader Tricky Nicky Allbrook is a font of musical ideas, most of them pretty spot on, here giving a sly satire of the national anthem over a barroom piano ballad. It’s drunken bastardry of the highest order, political commentary that doesn’t regale subtlety. It’s a diffusion of the perceived national identity, done by supplanting a righteous sense of Australian character. That is to say: it’s a ripper of a pisstake.

W E

RAINBOW CHAN Nest (Silo) Rainbow Chan finds meaning in mundane signifiers, as expressed on Haircut, here again exploring identity with nuanced approach, employing grounded touchstones. There’s glory in the chorus, emboldened with pop–gospel approximation. Nothing feels lo-fi, melodies cameo in the background to flavour the uninhibited pop aspirations. Look out for the debut album, out soon. HOW SICK IS MUSIC? HEAPS WICKED

1. The Knife BEN WINKELMAN TRIO 2. Up to Anything THE GOON SAX 3. Emily’s D+Evolution ESPERANZA SPALDING 4. Dollar NY*AK 5. Magnetic Seasons MUGSTAR 6. God Don’t Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson VARIOUS ARTISTS 7. More Rain M. WARD 8. Repeat Until Death BOMBUS 9. Time Machine BASEMENT FREAKS 10. WOMAD Australia and New Zealand 2016 VARIOUS ARTISTS

SYN TOP TEN

1. Pressure In An Empty Space BUCHANAN 2. When I Know BUGS 3. I Don’t Wanna Break Your Heart GREEN BUZZARD 4. With You Forever HALIIA 5. Brother LITTLE DEED 6. Pressure In An Empty Space BUCHANAN 7. When I Know BUGS 8. I Don’t Wanna Break Your Heart GREEN BUZZARD 9. With You Forever HALIIA 10. Brother LITTLE DEED

SINGLE REVIEWS WITH LACHLAN

THURSDAY 10TH 7PM

JUNGLE FUNK

PBS FM TOP TEN

Long Way Home (XL/Remote Control)

RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN 1. Afterlife NO ZU 2. Emotional Mugger TY SEGALL 3. No Cities To Love SLEATER KINNEY 4. Twerps TWERPS 5. Eddy Current Suppression Ring EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING 6. Gon’ Boogaloo C W STONEKING 7. Psychocandy THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN 8. Pond Scum BONNIE PRINCE BILLY 9. Painting With ANIMAL COLLECTIVE 10. Half Free US GIRLS

BEAT’S TOP TEN FORGOTTEN SONGS BY AUSTRALIAN IDOL CONTESTANTS 1. Now I Run SHANNON NOLL 2. All To Myself GUY SEBASTIAN 3. 22 Steps DAMIEN LEITH 4. When We Hear Hallelujah LUKE DICKENS 5. Black Box STAN WALKER 6. You WES CARR 7. Here I Am NATALIE GAUCI 8. If You Don’t Mean It DEAN GEYER 9. Maybe Tonight KATE DEARAUGO 10. Listen With Your Heart CASEY DONOVAN

BEA

T.C O M

N E W

M U S I C

I N

W E E K ’ S

IEWS FOR M

T H I S

ALBUM REVIEWS

R E V I E W

CLUB CHEVAL

CRYING SIRENS

DISCIPLINE (Parlophone/Warner)

Winding between bass-filled tunes, electronic rhythms and somewhat abrasive interludes, Discipline proves to be a wild ride through the eyes and ears of French quartet Club Cheval. Many songs contain vocals seemingly inspired by the likes of Ne-Yo or The Weeknd, but these styles mesh together well with the group’s production. The ability to switch the sound from a chant-worthy anthem like Legends to a slower, more heartfelt number like Other Guy represents Club Cheval’s diverse musical style. It’s not hard to pick out the lead single from the 15-track roster though, as the title track Discipline delivers with a fun, upbeat tone that rounds off their debut in slick fashion. There are a few moments on the album that feature experimental sounds, but they don’t really serve their purpose as good gap-fillers to tie over the more powerful tracks. Each member of Club Cheval tries their hand at an interlude, but apart from Panteros666’s effort, they seem out of place and almost compromise the album’s rhythm. Club Cheval have packaged Discipline well, and listeners will be pleasantly surprised with their unique crossover of genres. BY BEN PEARCE

Outside the Box is an apt title for the debut album from UK five-piece Hacktivist. Whilst attempts to combine rap and rock have existed for 30 years or more, few bands have succeeded at melding hip hop with techy progressive metal. But here these guys break some new ground, and they do it well. After releasing an EP a few years back, the long-playing format has allowed Hacktivist to really spread their wings. Not only are they charting new musical territory, but they’re exploring the limits of their own sound. The jagged riffing and off-kilter rhythms of technical metal are still there, as are the street-talking rhymes and staccato delivery of the vocals. They have also injected a touch of ambience into their sound, and there’s greater emphasis on actual melodic vocals to counterpoint the percussive rhymes. Against the odds, they blend all of these seemingly disparate elements into one seamless, cohesive whole. This is a very strong album with broad appeal. People into tech metal will dig it, if they open their minds to a different vocal style. Hip hop aficionados will also appreciate it if they can get their heads around the more complex rhythmic structures. Anyone who’s ever been into Faith No More, Korn, Stuck Mojo and any other band who has fused these styles will find much to love here.

BY ROD WHITFIELD

MIIKE SNOW

LITTLE LOTUS (Clarke & White)

BY ROD WHITFIELD

OUTSIDE THE BOX (UNFD)

In this era of myriad genres and sub-genres, and bands venturing more and more into left field in an attempt to stand out from the crowd, it’s great to occasionally hear a band that hits the reset button, so to speak. The first word that comes to mind when hearing the debut album from Melbourne four-piece Crying Sirens is unpretentious. They crank out no bullshit, guitar-driven rock without straying into glammy/old school rock territory. They don’t try to sound like AC/DC or Guns N’ Roses, nor are they trying to co-opt early ‘90s grunge. They’re simply doing their own thing, writing blues-based, alternative rock songs that are fun and interesting to listen to. Across the course of the 12 tracks on offer here, the band takes the listener on a bit of a musical journey, involving subtle but definite changes in dynamics, tone and vibe. There is driving, up-tempo rock and punky blues; quieter and more reflective moments; and you can even detect some ‘80s indie pop and new-wave influences. Plus there are excellent vocal harmonies, ripping guitar playing from six-stringers Jesse Delaney and Adam Kurzel, and the rhythm section locks in beautifully behind. All up, this is a damn fine rock album with great songs, strong dynamics and skilled playing. Take a few moments to check out this underrated local rock act.

LITTLE LOTUS

This Melbourne four-piece are a little difficult to define or categorise. That’s because they basically have their own thing going on. There’s even a track on this EP called Seldom Wandered Paths, which is quite appropriate. This self-titled effort is equal parts psychedelia, moody dream pop and art rock, and Little Lotus fuse these elements together quite seamlessly. You usually associate this type of music with long, meandering, jammy pieces played by spaced-out peaceniks obviously way out there on their own trip. But these guys and gal have honed things down into tasteful, palatable three to four minute offerings, and the songs lose nothing for it. The three songs presented here take you on a journey across dreamy and soulful soundscapes, and create a mood of enjoyable melancholy. Dynamics come from the male/female vocal trade-off, which works a treat. This is the type of music you put on when you’re feeling mellow, and just want something beautiful and sensual to wash over you as you drift into a reverie.

HACKTIVIST

ATSU (Independent)

THE LONELY KIDS

III (Atlantic/Warner)

Three years of radio silence from indie-pop trio Miike Snow have finally given way to III, a club-friendly simplification of their sound that rests on its heavy-hitting singles. The first tastes of the new record are without question the best – Heart Is Full is a bombastic barnstormer that will have club floors surging, and a 180-degree flip for the band. With its sampling of soul hits, Mark Ronsonesque horns and big sexy vocal hooks, the only way it could be better is with a guest verse by hip hop outfit Run The Jewels. (This does in fact happen in the form of an El-P and Killer Mike-helmed remix, which closes the album). Likewise, Genghis Khan is enormously fun despite its reductive lyrics, and is an early contender for video of the year. The trio slide back to old habits in Over And Over, lacing syncopated pianos with tasty guitar licks, and opener My Trigger is big, shallow and fun. Elsewhere, their new reliance on hip hop aesthetics falls short, as even the pop songwriting skills of Bloodshy & Avant – Miike Snow’s musical core – fail. The glitchy chaos of For You is ruined by its frankly annoying chorus, with vocalist Andrew Wyatt throwing in auto-tune for no reason other than to reference the zeitgeist, and the whole middle of the album feels like a much lazier affair than the singles would imply. With less indie and more pop on offer, the band’s fanbase may feel somewhat cheated, but the singles at least show the jackalope still has kick.

INFATUATION (AND OTHER BAD HABITS) (Independent)

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if one member from All Our Exes Live In Texas broke off and started a piano-based solo project? Perhaps not, but The Lonely Kids is the answer to that unasked question. Infatuation (And Other Bad Habits) is the first official release from Adelaide-based singer/songwriter Sarah Jane Justice. Under the title of The Lonely Kids, this EP is chock-full of relatable tales of heartbreak and showcases the side of love that can make the best of us act like fools. The five songs all speak of different ways to deal with a break up. First track No Answer looks at the internal struggle of learning how to move on. Next up, Habit and Should Have Known Better are both introspective songs racked with self-doubt about the past. The last track is All The Reasons, which focuses on “all the reasons you’re better off now,” providing an uplifting end to a fairly downbeat EP. Infatuation (And Other Bad Habits) wouldn’t sound out of place in a cosy little coffee shop. If that’s your vibe, give this a spin. BY CASSIE HEDGER

BY DAVID MOLLOY

ALBUM REVIEWS - BECAUSE YOU CARE WHAT WE THINK

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 35

GIG GUIDE RUBY ROGERS EXPERIENCE

C HERRY BAR Cherry Soul is set to deliver a big night on Thursday March 10. Ruby Rogers Experience will be guiding you out on the d-floor. Her big blues tones will perform the likes of Sharon Jones, Irma Thomas, Koko Taylor, James Brown, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. DJs Vince Peach and Pierre Baroni on the wax till as late as 5am. $10 entry all night, doors at 8pm.

ALIAS ARISE

WH OL E LOT TA LOV E Alias Arise are a relatively young metal band based out of Melbourne taking a fresh hit at the genre. They will be combining their fast paced instrumentals with melodic tones all topped off with a seriously high-energy live performance at Whole Lotta Love. They headline the night supported by melodic hardcore band Aburden and post-hardcore, metalcore band Heartstrong. Suss them out on Thursday March 10, doors are at 7.30pm.

SWEEPS

MEZZ LIVE Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights. 5:30pm.

SHE BEAST + PUBLIC LIABILITY + GRUDGE + ROT +

SAVAGE NOBLES + DEAD END Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

DANKENSTEIN Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm.

$5.00.

SHOWCASE NIGHTS Purple Emerald, Northcote.

SECRET VALLEY + SMUTTY SAM + SWEET WHIRL Bar

8:00pm.

Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $6.00.

SLEATER-KINNEY The Croxton, Thornbury. 8:00pm.

THE RET REAT Melbourne based singer and songwriter Chris Pickering will be bringing the art of storytelling to The Retreat on Thursday March 10. Pickering blends influences from indie, folk and Americana, to tell tales about relationships, the human condition, plus the black humour of fate and inevitability. It all gets started at 5pm and as always, entry is free.

IBEYI

- FEAT: BEVAN GARDINER Palais Theatre, St Kilda.

M A X WAT T ’S French-Cuban duo Ibeyi are hitting up Max Watt’s on Thursday March 10 as part of their debut Australian tour. Having already embarked on a world tour in 2014 at the age of 19 years old, this tour will see twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz showcasing their self-titled, genre-blurring debut album. Doors are at 8pm, tickets via Ticketscout.

7:30pm. $60.10.

SAVINA YANNATOU + PRIMAVERA EN SALONICO

THEME TEAM South Melbourne Market, South

Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury. 7:00pm.

Melbourne. 6:00pm.

THE FLAMING MONGRELS The B.east, Brunswick East.

DIG WE MUST Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

9:30pm.

8:30pm. $20.00.

THE GOOD EGG THURSDAYS - FEAT: HENRY WHO +

IMMORTAL HORNS + KUJO KINGS Open Studio,

TIGERFUNK + LEWIS CANCUT Lucky Coq, Windsor.

Northcote. 8:00pm.

7:00pm.

MELBOURNE IMPROVISERS COLLECTIVE Uptown Jazz

TIMBALERO THURSDAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd.

Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

9:00pm. $10.00.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER +

TOP CLASS MUSIC Melbourne Recital Centre,

CHICO G Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

Southbank. 10:30am. $13.00.

NEW IMPROMPTU QUARTET Dizzy’s Jazz Club,

TOP CLASS MUSIC Melbourne Recital Centre,

Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.

Southbank. 2:00pm. $13.00.

TAKE ME HOME (THE LIFE & MUSIC OF JOHN DENVER)

CHRIS PICKERING

Q&A

Who are we talking to and what do you do in the band? Cristian. I play the strap on guitar. What are some of the things you love about being a part of Melbourne’s neo-soul scene? All of us have been fans of neo-soul artists for years. D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott are probably three of our biggest influences, and more recently the Robert Glasper Experiment. There weren’t many original acts playing that sort of stuff in Melbourne back then, or there just wasn’t the widespread support and interest as there is now. In recent times Melbourne has caught up and there are a bunch of great bands in the scene who are able to do what they do due to this newly found support from venues, the public and the industry. Tell us about some of the acts you’ve got supporting you for the Workers Club residency. The supports we have are killer. I was actually spoilt for choice, another testament to the growth of the scene in Melbourne. Mayfield, Stellafauna, Mondegreen, BLY DV – all of them are unbelievable bands with great musos. You experiment with unique and complex instrumental sections that complement Jess’ vocals. How much work goes into this? We spent a good couple of years just developing our musical connection, which is a huge part of a band’s sound. We were working out how we wanted to expand out ideas and where we wanted to take them. Having gone through all that we are now a lot quicker at writing and arranging new material. SWEEPS are playing every Wednesday in March at the Workers Club, with support from Mayfield, Stellafauna, Mondegreen, BLY DV and more.

COMING UP SUNDAYS IN MARCH

THE SEVEN UPS (RESIDENCY)

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 9TH MARCH

DAVE GUNNING

+ KRISTINA OLSEN + MARTIN PERASON

FRI 11TH MARCH SHOW TIME 4:30PM NO COVER CHARGE

DOORS/DINNER 6PM, SHOW TIME 8:30PM, PRE SALE $16.50 + BF

THURSDAY 10TH MARCH

JON CAMPBELL W/ BAND *VINYL LAUNCH*

TUES 15TH MARCH

THE RAMBLING BOYS (IE) DOORS/DINNER 6PM SHOW TIME 8:30PM PRE SALE $25 + BF

+ DARREN SYLVESTER

+ GEORGIA SPAIN $10 ENTRY FROM 6PM

FRIDAY 11TH MARCH

SOUL CUPCAKE + BIG BAND FREQUENCY NO COVER CHARGE, SHOWTIME 9PM

sATURDAY 12TH MARCH PEACHY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS PEACHY PARTY FT.

BROOKLYNS FINEST EMILEE SOUTH DJ DANJO CHAINED NO COVER CHARGE, SHOW TIME 9:00PM

$8 Pints Craft Beer

Tues - Sat 4pm-7pm 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 37

Q&A

GIG GUIDE REBTIKA

TOP CLASS MUSIC Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $13.00.

VARDOS Coburg Library, Coburg. 6:30pm. ALDOUS HARDING + JESS RIBEIRO + SETH FRIGHTENING

THAT GOLD STREET SOUND Hey there. Who are we speaking with and what’s your role in That Gold Street Sound? Hi I’m Steve. I play drums in That Gold Street Sound. I bring the funky grooves and keep the dance floor shakin’. You’ve described your sound as Motown with a modern twist. Can you elaborate on this? We absolutely love classic soul music: R&B, funk and in particular the Motown sound from Detroit in the 1960s. We give it a modern twist by keeping it fresh and singing about themes that are relevant to today’s society. You guys will be launching your new single Revive Me next weekend. Paint a picture of how the night’ll go down. The Northcote Social Club will be full of streamers, balloons, confetti and crazy lights. There will be heaps of crowd participation, cowbell solos from on top of shoulders and a whole lot of getting down. Tell us about the support acts. Kicking off the night we have two fantastic female-fronted local soul bands: The Sugarcanes and Stevie & The Sleepers. Both bands deliver killer sets full of really good tunes. DJ Vince Peach is going to be spinning his famous variety of northern soul. Give us some background on Revive Me. The music was composed by Phil (bass) just after he had joined the band in 2014. With a new member and a new tune, the energy in the band really picked and we got some momentum. The track literally revived the band. THAT GOLD STREET SOUND are launching their new single Revive Me at the Northcote Social Club on Friday March 18.

Q&A

Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $20.00.

BACKSTAGE - JAM NIGHT - FEAT: CLEVELAND BLUES

EINSTEINS TOYBOYS + ACE OF SPADES Musicland,

DUO + THE SHAKE SHACK BOOGIE BAND Musicland,

Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.00.

Fawkner. 7:00pm.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE - FEAT: BRADY JAMES + TAYLOR

FIA FIELL + SIMON J KARIS Post Office Hotel, Coburg.

PIGGOTT + BEN JANSZ + MORE Continental Hotel

9:00pm.

Sorrento, Sorrento. 9:00pm.

JOHN DOE & THE SHALLOW GRAVES + THE VIGNETTES

GRASSHOLE + ANIMAL HANDS + STAY SHARP 303,

+ MICHAEL YULE Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.

Northcote. 8:00pm.

8:00pm.

KIT CONVICT & THEE TERRIBLE TWO + JACKSON REID

JON CAMPBELL + DARREN SYLVESTER + GEORGIA SPAIN

BRIGGS & THE HEATERS + LANEWAVES Tote Hotel,

THE OL D B AR Psych-garage four-piece The Baudelaires have just released their brand new hit Foxglove. This is following on from their debut EP Be A Baudelaire! which received some considerable lovin,’ so much so that they have just returned from a NSW tour. This gig will be their last show in Melbourne for a solid length of time. Don’t miss them and the rest of the sweet lineup featuring Lalic, Rackets and Baker’s Digest. Going down on Friday March 11 at The Old Bar, 8.30pm start for just $10.

Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 6:00pm.

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $5.00.

STONE GRAVE + LOWPOINT + BLEACH + STARTING FIRES

OBSCURA HAIL + JESS LOCKE Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford.

LA DANSE MACABRE + BRUNSWICK MASSIVE RESIDENT

Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

9:00pm.

DJS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

THE ‘64 FALCON Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.

PIERCE BROTHERS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm.

M A D O N N A - FEAT: SUPERGIRLY + ANNA MITSIKAS

THE ELLIOTTS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:30pm.

ROBERT FORSTER + LOWER PLENTY Toff In Town,

Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran. 9:30pm.

THE QUARRELMEN Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick.

Hey there. Who are we speaking to and what’s your role in The Once? Geri here. I’m the lead singer. Also the only girl in the band of three. Phil and Andrew are the multi instrumentalist geniuses and singers. To the entirely uninitiated, give us a brief history lesson on The Once. We formed because we got thrown together at a theatre festival. We started as actors and sang some trad. songs together for an evening of entertainment whipped together frantically to sell tickets to the tourists. It worked out for us as venue owners kept asking us to play their space. Eventually a gent gave us $5000 to make a record. The band’s name is from a Newfoundland saying meaning “in a minute”. For example, “We will start a band now d’wonce”. You guys hail from the majestic Newfoundland, Canada. How has your hometown helped to shape your sound? Our sound is very harmony driven and story driven. It’s about the raw elements that existed before instruments. You’ll be hitting up The Workers Club on Saturday March 12 as part of your extensive Aussie tour. What can we expect? Music from our three albums, but mostly from our newest album Departures. You’re touring on the back of your 2014 release Departures, an album that centres on the idea of loss. Tell us a little about the record. It’s the album that defines us the most. These are our own words. Mostly about love, loss and being away from the ones we love. And a ballad about murder. THE ONCE are playing at The Workers Club on Saturday March 12.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38

THE BAUDELAIRES

Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $40.00.

8:40pm. $20.00.

RUSSELL FORSTER + CHRIS BEASLEY Drunken Poet,

THEE CHA CHA CHAS + THE YARD APES Post Office

West Melbourne. 9:00pm.

Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm.

SAMMI CONSTANTINE + ELLERY COHEN + AIRPORTS 303,

THESE NEW SOUTH WALES Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd.

Northcote. 8:00pm. $10.00.

7:30pm. $10.00.

SING OUT SISTER - FEAT: LUCIE THORNE + CO CHEOL

UNDERGROUND LOVERS + EDEN Gasometer Hotel,

+ ALANNA & ALICIA EGAN Lomond Hotel, Brunswick

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $25.00.

East. 8:30pm.

THE CASEY BENNETTO PROJECT + JANE CLIFTON Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 7:30pm. $17.00.

WRONGTOWN + GUY PERKINS Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm.

THE ONCE

T H E R E T R E AT Every second Friday, The Retreat presents Rebtika. Stories of love, loss, drugs, and Greek refugees will be told, and pints will be had. Join Achilles Yiangoulli, Nick Koutsaliotis Con Kalamaras and Illias Chatziemmanoil on Friday March 11. From 9pm onwards, free entry.

DEPARTMENT

C H E R RY B A R Jangle-punk triumvirate Department are bringing their garage-punk madness to Cherry Bar on Friday March 11. They’ve been playing all around town as of late, having released their single One & One at the end of last year. Other bands on the bill include The Nugs and Amyl & The Sniffers. Doors 5pm, $10 entry with free pot of Carlton for every payer from 8pm to 11pm for bands.

VAMPILLIA + RUINS-ALONE + HOTEL WRECKING CITY TRADERS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $20.00. WATT’S ON PRESENTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:30pm.

WHITE SUMMER Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 2:00am. $7.00. ANTON DELECCA STANDARDS QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

FRIDAY 11 MAR

ME & THE ELEPHANT + ALEX ATTRILL + DAVIES WEST

BEN WINKELMAN TRIO Melbourne Recital Centre,

AIRPORTS + MYAMI + SAMMI CONSTANTINE Penny

Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $12.00.

Southbank. 7:00pm. $25.00.

Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS - FEAT: BJORN AGAIN

BOSSA NIGHTS - FEAT: DARIUS & NOEL MENDOZA + DJ

AN ALPINE SYMPHONY - FEAT: RAY CHEN + VAUGHAN

Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 5:30pm. $55.00.

JUAN + DJ NAS Osti, Prahran. 7:00pm.

WILLIAMS + MSO CHORUS Hamer Hall (arts Centre

MOOMBA FESTIVAL - FEAT: ALPINE + ANIMAUX + CITY

BRIDGETTE & BOB SEDERGREEN Paris Cat Jazz Club,

Melbourne), Southbank. 8:00pm. $29.00.

CALM DOWN + THE VANNS + MORE Birrarung Marr ,

Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.

ART VS SCIENCE + KLP 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd.

Melbourne. 11:00am.

CLASSICAL VISIONS - FEAT: MELBOURNE CHAMBER

8:30pm.

NICE TYPES Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.

ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

ASH + FLYYING COLOURS Corner Hotel, Richmond.

SLEATER-KINNEY The Croxton, Thornbury. 8:00pm.

7:30pm. $69.00.

8:30pm. $59.00.

DJ STEVEN MONTGOMERY Reverence Hotel, Footscray.

BARROW-MAN + SPLENDIDID + MINISTRY OF PLENT Bar

8:00pm.

Open, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

DUB PRINCESS + TIM SMYTH Open Studio, Northcote.

BATZ + BABY BLUE + CHERRY DOLLS + DELTA RIGGS DJS

8:30pm.

Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $12.00.

FULTON STREET Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 10:00pm.

CAPTAIN SPALDING Customs House Hotel,

FUNKY MUNKY - FEAT: MIKE GURRIERI + DEXTRUS

Williamstown. 9:30pm.

Greenwood Loft, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

DARKER HALF + MASON + ENVENOMED + SUDDEN STATE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

DEAD BOOMERS + MILITARY POSITION + COMPLETE + SYSTEM BODY Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.

EAT THE DAMN ORANGE + THE DECOYS + SHE’S THE DRIVER + THE DEJA VUS Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. $10.00.

THE RAFFAELLAS

T H E WO R K E R S C LU B The Raffaellas are back from studio land to hit the Workers on Friday March 11 to celebrate of the launch of their second full length EP, Dreams Out of Reach. Stoked to be playing with new mates Alex Lahey and old mates Dear Thieves, the boys will be debuting a swathe of new tracks. Produced and tracked independently, Dreams Out of Reach was recorded with Oscar Dawson (HOLY HOLY, Ali Barter) at Aviary Studios in Collingwood, and in a home studio in Daylesford- the guys are real proud. Come for the chunes, stay for the chunes.

B E AT.C O M . A U

LA NUIT BLANCHE Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00.

MEL SEARLE (AN ELLA FITZGERALD TRIBUTE) Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 9:00pm. $16.00.

PAUL WILLIAMSON’S HAMMOND COMBO Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $20.00.

SLEAZY LISTENING - FEAT: ARKS + RICHARD KELLY + HYSTERIC + K HOOP Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

GIG GUIDE AN ALPINE SYMPHONY - FEAT: RAY CHEN + VAUGHAN WILLIAMS + MSO CHORUS Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 8:00pm. $29.00.

AS A RIVAL + LASER BRAINS + CROWBAIT + CITY AT MIDNIGHT Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong. 8:00pm.

OHMS

SUNDAY 13 MAR AT THE COUNTER

TH E RE V E R E NC E On Saturday March 12 at The Reverence front bar all systems are go for some big and sweet sounding interstate and local acts. The lineup includes Jess Locke, new project Infinity Broke, Canberra’s very own Agency – who are also launching their album – plus local legends Ohms wrapping up the night. $10 entry from 8pm.

WHOL E LOT TA LOVE Perth’s pop punk and alternative rock band Available At The Counter are crossing borders in celebration of their debut album Hello Reality’s first birthday. Melbourne’s pop punk and easycore outfit The Beautiful Monument will be sharing the stage for a show dedicated to all lovers of pools, pizza parties, raging keggers and just being awesome in general. Local hardcore troupe Blind Eye will be kicking off the afternoon activities. 3pm, free entry.

$10.00.

ATOMIC RIOT Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

DUMB PUNTS Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy. 2:00am. $7.00.

$20.00.

GAYTIMES - FEAT: PAUL MAC + BANOFEE + GL + OSCAR

BANG - FEAT: FOREVER ENDS HERE + SATELLITES

KEY SUNG + MORE Gaytimes Festival Site, 12:00pm.

ABBE MAY Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8:00pm. $16.35.

& STEREOS + STATESIDE Royal Melbourne Hotel,

$175.00.

ABSOLUTELY 80’S Grand Hotel Mornington,

Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $20.00.

GOLDEN PLAINS - FEAT: SLEATER-KINNEY + EDDY

Mornington. 8:00pm. $35.00.

BEWARE BLACK HOLES Catfish, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING + VIOLENT FEMMES +

BUZZCOCKS + AUSMUTEANTS + PRONTO Corner Hotel,

BIRDHOUSE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm. $7.70.

HTRK + MORE Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre,

BITTERFRUITT + SQUID NEBULA + MONTAGUE + ORCHES

Meredith. 12:00pm.

Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

GRENADIERS Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm.

BUILT TO SPILL + BEN SALTER Corner Hotel, Richmond.

$15.00.

8:30pm. $55.00.

KILL DIRTY YOUTH + MY PIRANHA Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy.

BURNT LETTERS + RILEY PHILLIPS Old Bar, Fitzroy.

8:00pm.

3:00pm.

KINGS OF OZ Commercial Hotel, Morang South.

GAYLE CAVANAGH & THE MIXED COMPANY BAND Mr

KEY SUNG + MORE Gaytimes Festival Site, 12:00pm.

STEVE BOYD AND THE RUM REVERIE

8:00pm.

Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm.

$175.00.

MADONNA Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

HEYWOOD-MOORE Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

INFINITY BROKE + OLD ETIQUETTES + CHORES + PENNY

$509.65.

JULES BOULT TRIO + CONOR FITZPATRICK Drunken

IKINGER Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.00.

MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS - FEAT: BELINDA CARLISLE

Poet, West Melbourne. 3:00pm.

JAM AT MUSICLAND SUNDAYS Musicland, Fawkner.

Melbourne Zoo, Parkville. 5:30pm. $70.00.

KARAOKE WITH ZOE Customs House Hotel,

7:30pm.

MOOMBA FESTIVAL - FEAT: ALPINE + ANIMAUX + CITY

Williamstown. 9:00pm.

CALM DOWN + THE VANNS + MORE Birrarung Marr ,

KEVIN BORICH + THE NEW SAVAGES Musicland, Fawkner.

PARTY VIBEZ

Melbourne. 11:00am.

7:30pm. $25.00.

PSYCROPTIC + ORPHEUS + COLLOSSVS + ATHENAS WAKE

LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES Union Hotel ,

Karova Lounge, Ballarat. 8:30pm. $15.00.

Brunswick. 5:00pm.

PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE - FEAT: HOODOO GURUS

MARSHALL OKELL Baha Tacos & Tapas Bar, Rye.

+ SUNNYBOYS + VIOLENT FEMMES Rochford Wines,

8:00pm. $10.00.

Coldstream. 4:00pm. $350.00.

MOONEE VALLEY DRIFTERS Victoria Hotel , Brunswick.

JOHN GRANT Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

ROUSSEMOFF + TOBIAS BRODEL + SPIDER GOAT CANYON

8:00pm.

$77.40.

Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.00.

PATRICK WILSON & THE BARE RIVER QUEENS + MADDY

LEVITATING CHURCHES + FORTRESS OF NARZOD + THE

SATURDAYS R COVERED - FEAT: RADIO STAR Royal Hotel

LEMAN & THE DESERT SWELLS The B.east, Brunswick

NIGHT COLLECTORS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick.

(essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.

East. 9:30pm.

8:00pm.

TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD Penny Black, Brunswick.

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL - FEAT: ARCHIE ROACH +

MADONNA Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

9:00pm.

COLIN HAY + GRAEME CONNORS + CEDRIC BURNSIDE

$305.75.

CHASING LANA + SKYCHASER + ELUSIVE + EMRESS +

THE ALTERNATORS Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm.

PROJECT + SHOOGLENIFTY + MORE Port Fairy Folk

MOOMBA FESTIVAL - FEAT: ALPINE + ANIMAUX + CITY

NEW AGE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $12.00.

THE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD STORY - FEAT: WENDY

Festival Site, Port Fairy. 12:00pm. $260.00.

CALM DOWN + THE VANNS + MORE Birrarung Marr ,

CLEVER + MUTTON + EXEK + PENGUINS Old Bar, Fitzroy.

STAPLETON Yarraville Club, Yarraville. 8:00pm. $23.00.

ROBERT FORSTER + SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING

Melbourne. 11:00am.

8:30pm. $10.00.

THE SHOT GLASSES Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 8:00pm.

Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $40.00.

NATIVE PLANTS + THE JOELENES Union Hotel ,

COVEN - FEAT: HOLY SERPENT + MERCHANT + SUMERU +

WHORETOPSY + MIAZMA + HYBRID NIGHTMARES +

RUSSELL MORRIS St Kilda Memo, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

Brunswick. 5:00pm.

MAMMOTH + MORE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm.

HOLLOW WORLD + THE HAZARD CIRCULAR Evelyn Hotel,

$32.00.

PLASTIC - FEAT: BURIED IN VERONA + PSYCROPTIC +

$23.50.

Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $12.00.

SENSATIONAL HURRICANES + KING KAT Yarra Hotel,

HANDS OF HOPE + SARSPELL Royal Melbourne Hotel,

DRIVEN TO THE VERGE + EVOLUTION OF SELF + THE

WING ATTACK PLAN R + STRAWBERRY FISTCAKE +

Abbotsford. 9:00pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

NUREMBERG CODE + THE ASCENDED + THIS LIFE I LIVE

LIQUOR SNATCH + NO IDEA Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick.

TERRY MCCARTHY + BROADS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

RAGNARÖK NIGHTCLUB - FEAT: HIGGO + LOCHLAN WATT

Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 7:00pm. $10.00.

9:00pm.

8:30pm.

+ BAMBI Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

DUMB PUNTS + WASH + ABORTED TORTOISE +

ANNABELLE EVE & CREATURE COMFORT Flying Saucer

THE ONCE + STEPHANIE GRACE Workers Club, Fitzroy.

THE 131’S + KILL DIRTY YOUTH + JAY WARS & THE

FUZZSUCKER + GREAT PLACES Grace Darling Hotel,

Club, Elsternwick. 8:40pm. $15.00.

8:30pm. $15.00.

HOWARD YOUTH Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.

BLACK & BLUE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

THE PEACHY PARTY - FEAT: BROOKLYNS FINEST + EMILEE

THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT + AVAILABLE AT THE

CRANKED Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale. 8:00pm.

SOUTH Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

COUNTER + BLIND EYE Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick

DARYL JAMES + ALEX HUGHES Open Studio, Northcote.

TOBY ROBINSON BAND + DANNY WALSH BANNED Labour

East. 3:00pm.

5:00pm.

In Vain, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

THE CHARLATANS 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd.

DETONATORS Union Hotel , Brunswick. 9:00pm.

WENDY RULE 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $20.00.

8:30pm. $69.00.

DON HILLMAN’S SECRET BEACH Panton Hill Hotel,

XYLOURIS WHITE Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh.

THE VANNS Penny Black, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

Panton Hill. 2:00pm.

8:00pm. $30.00.

T HE RAINBOW The long-awaited return of one of Melbourne’s favourite sons heads back to The Rainbow for his first show in years on Saturday March 12. After a long hiatus from the Melbourne music scene, Steve Boyd and his band, The Rum Reverie are ready to get it on. Mixing a fiery blend of soul, blues and rock’n’roll, the band is pumped up and ready to shake the foundations of the old girl. Blues and Roots legend Alex Burns will also be along for the ride. So come along and bring your dancing shoes for some hip shaking action. Free entry from 9pm.

BECOME AN AMAZING LEAD GUITARIST

DEGREES OF SEPARATION

WHO LE LOT TA LOVE Whole Lotta Love is gearing up for a night of rock’n’roll on Saturday March 12. Melbourne mainstays Degrees of Separation will be headlining the evening with their ballsy brand of straight-up rock. The lineup also includes Mooshifter – boasting punchy hooks, blistering vocals and orgasmic leads – with alternative rockers Zakytuss and solo artist Ash Balfour opening the night. Kicks off 8pm, $12 entry. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40

FREDDIE GIBBS

M A X WAT T ’S The USA’s Freddie Gibbs is in town for the Golden Plains Festival, though is very generously performing a sideshow at Max Watt’s on Saturday March 12. Punters can expect some seriously word-class hip hop from one of the finest. Goes down at 9pm, tickets are on sale via Ticketscout.

Richmond. 8:30pm. $60.00.

CLEVER + EXHAUSTION + PLYERS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm.

DARYL BRAITHWAITE Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick. 8:40pm. $33.00.

GAYTIMES - FEAT: PAUL MAC + BANOFEE + GL + OSCAR

B E AT.C O M . A U

THE B EN DI G O HOTE L Free Tacos are back at The Bendigo for a second delicious instalment. Aside from the free eats, there are also some killer bands on offer to serve as the perfect accompaniment while you stuff your face. Party Vibez, Blind Man Death Stare, Tsugnarly and Leo Doomsayer will be tearing it up on Sunday March 13. Free food is from 1.30pm, get in quick before it all runs out.

GIG GUIDE TOTAL CHAOS

THE R EV ERENCE Californian shredders Total Chaos are hitting up The Reverence on Sunday March 13. The band formed in 1989 out of the desperate need to save the dying genre of punk rock, flying firmly in the face of the more commercial style of punk that was saturating the market when they started. Also playing at the Melbourne show only are great local punk rock acts No Idea, Spew’n’Guts and Counter Attack. Grab your tickets for $30+BF, goes down at 6pm.

ESPIONAGE

H OWL E R CRXZY SXXY CXXL are hosting a Garden Party at Howler on Sunday March 13. It’s set to feature Celery Ham, Jade Zoe, Lotus Moonchild, Manic Pixie, Mell Hall, Mimi and Tali with the band room in full swing from 9pm with Average Rap Band, Man Made Mountain, House of Beige DJs and Silent Jay. Entry is $10.

THE DEANS + ALLYSHA JOY Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

WATERLOO (ABBA TRIBUTE) Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot

7:30pm.

Vale. 8:00pm.

THE MELBOURNE JAZZ CO-OP Uptown Jazz Cafe,

CARINO SON Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.

Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

CRAYON KING + NINOX + NICHOLAS COSTELLO 303, Northcote. 2:00pm.

RATCAT

N OT HCOTE SOCIAL CLU B Ratcat remain permanently placed in the indie hall of fame for dragging Australian music culture out of a stagnant pub rock ‘80s phase, bringing alternate pop/punk guitar rock to the masses. Ratcat released the ground breaking Tingles EP in 1990 which made a steady climb to the top of the National Top Forty after seven months of release, eventually reaching the coveted number 1 spot. Tingles thereafter scored the accolade of becoming the highest selling EP of that year. Don’t miss Ratcat when they play a one off show in Melbourne Sunday March 13. Doors at 7.30, $25 tickets online.

HOANG PLAYS CHOPIN Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 5:00pm. $35.00.

WINTER MOON

TH E CH E RRY B A R Since Winter Moon’s 2014 release Lucid Dreaming, the six-piece have been playing show after show, boasting their unique take on psychedelic-blues. Winter Moon take their cues from some of the greatest rock and blues bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s. They’re hitting up Cherry Bar on Sunday March 13, bringing The Dead Lips and The Hidden Venture along for the ride. $13 for entry with doors at 8pm.

BLACK HARMONY GATHERING

FA I R FI E LD A M PH I T H E AT R E Multicultural Arts Victoria is bringing back the annual Black Harmony Gathering for 2016. Opening with a special Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and Koori Dance by The Koori Youth Will Shake Spears, Black Harmony Gathering will also feature the multi-talented Mutti Mutti song man Kutcha Edwards, high energy roots reggae band Rasta Unity, Samoan dance specialists Tama Tatau and more. The Gathering will also feature a Koori BBQ with emu and kangaroo sausages from Warburton run by members of the Warrior Spirt Arts Collective. Black Harmony Gathering kicks off at the Fairfield Amphitheatre on Sunday March 13 at 1pm. All performances are being showcased for free.

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW

FIREWIRE Catfish, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

THE WORKERS CLUB Closure in Moscow are here to compel you to dance your arse off in a trance of bliss, all while morphing your reality tunnel in such a way that your perspective just might change on some shit. Catch Closure In Moscow live at The Workers Club, Fitzroy on Sunday March 13 with special guests guaranteed to fulfil your impending public holiday hangover. Doors at 8.30pm, $20 on the door, $15 online.

GIN CLUB 2 Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm.

PETER BAYLOR & THE ROADHOUSE ROMEOS Gem Bar,

GUSSET RUSTLERS Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North.

Collingwood. 7:00pm.

5:00pm.

PHEASANT PLUCKERS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

GWYN ASHTON Westernport Hotel, San Remo. 8:00pm.

5:00pm.

HEY GRINGO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm.

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL - FEAT: ARCHIE ROACH +

ITCHY PROBOSCIS The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.

THE SEDUCAPHONES Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

JUMP DEVILS Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 4:00pm.

COLIN HAY + GRAEME CONNORS + CEDRIC BURNSIDE

MODERN DANCER MELBOURNE DJS Brunswick Hotel,

THE SEVEN UPS Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 4:30pm.

KEN MAHER + TONY HARGREAVES Lomond Hotel,

PROJECT + SHOOGLENIFTY + MORE Port Fairy Folk

Brunswick. 2:00pm.

ANNA CORDELL + ISAAC DE HEER + OSCAR LUSH Yarra

Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

Festival Site, Port Fairy. 12:00pm. $260.00.

PORT PHILLIP MUSSEL FESTIVAL - FEAT: MARGIE LOU

Hotel, Abbotsford. 9:00pm.

KERRI SIMPSON + HEY GRINGO Cherry Bar, Melbourne

RAILROAD REX & THE HAPLESS BRAKEMEN - FEAT: MATT

DYER + PAUL WILLIAMSON + JULIE O’HARA + MORE

BILLY & EDDIE MILLER Big Huey’s Diner, South

Cbd. 3:00pm. $5.00.

DWYER Tramway Hotel, North Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

South Melbourne Market, South Melbourne. 12:00pm.

Melbourne. 4:00pm.

LARGE NUMBER 12’S Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

SPOONFUL Union Hotel , Brunswick. 8:30pm.

SUNDAY SOUL SESSIONS Purple Emerald, Northcote.

BLACK HARMONY GATHERING - FEAT: KUTCHA EDWARDS

MICHELLE GARDINER Customs House Hotel,

SUNDAY SESSION - FEAT: BRUNSY Ferntree Gully Hotel,

9:00pm.

+ RASTA UNITY + MORE Fairfield Amphitheatre, 1:00pm.

Williamstown. 3:00pm.

Ferntree Gully. 2:00pm.

RAGNARÖK

BONDI CIGARS Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 3:00pm.

LOO P BA R 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, they’re returning for another session on Sunday March 13 for an eve of hard and heavy music. Loop is a versatile project space/bar hybrid presenting film, arts based events, audio-visual performance and creative forums. Those passionate about hard and heavy 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. Doors at 9pm. Entry is free.

$23.00.

ELWOOD BLUES CLUB Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm.

IDYLLS

TH E TOTE Brisbane lads Idylls are set to leave their mark at The Tote on Sunday March 13. The four-piece are as heavy as they are intense, and as anticipation builds for their follow-up release, punters can expect some new material on the night. They’ll be joined by Diploid, Diecut and newcomers Ash Mouth. Entry is $15 and it kicks off at 6pm.

FLEMING PARK COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

C NR A LB E R T A ND C R O S S S TRE E TS The Fleming Park Community Festival will be offering up the cool sounds of The Immortal Horns, Andrew Murray’s ATM 15, Big Band Frequency, Moreland City Band’s Phoenix Project, JC Little Big Band, Beyond the Bathroom Choir and more, on Sunday March 13. Also on offer for the day is Ray Pereira’s African Drumming Workshop or you can watch an African dance performance before creating your own moves at the workshop to follow. If you’re all tuckered out, there is also a licensed bar and a variety of food stalls to get you back on your feet again. It’s all completely free and starts off at 11am on the Corner of Albert and Cross Streets.

B E AT.C O M . A U

MARINE MASQUERADE

ME L B OURN E DOCKL AN DS 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. Boarding is at 5.30pm and tickets are on sale via the Change Music website.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 41

GIG GUIDE sunday sessions - feat: various artists Lucky

port fairy folk festival - feat: archie roach +

Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.

colin hay + graeme connors + cedric burnside

swamp donkey + stackhouse + little house godz

project + shooglenifty + more Port Fairy Folk

Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm.

Festival Site, Port Fairy. 12:00pm. $260.00.

tackleberry Royal Hotel (essendon), Essendon.

tulalah + tetrahedra + ism Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy.

9:00pm.

8:30pm. $10.00.

the catfish voodoo duo + charles jenkins

u.s. girls (unofficial golden plains afterparty)

Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm.

- feat: terrible truths + darren sylvester Tote

the nudgels Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm.

Hotel, Collingwood. 6:00pm. $16.35.

the slim pickers Open Studio, Northcote. 5:00pm. the stragglers + slim dime + rattlin bones blackwood + baby blue Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 3:00pm. $10.00.

MONDAY 14 MAR MUNDANE MONDAYS

THE O LD BAR Stina Tester and Cinta Masters are a newly reformed duo prepping for the release of their debut album, Awake and Dreaming. The upcoming record marks their first release since their promising EP, Gold Tango, which was released back in 2009. They’ve just dropped their new synth-pop single Deep Sleep and their headline spot at Mundane Monday’s at Old Bar on Monday March 14 will be sure to kick-start their big return. Other acts include First Response and Infraghosts. 8pm with $5 on the door, and of course, $15 jugs of Goat.

TUESDAY 15 MAR TASTE OF INDIE TUESDAY

TH E PR I N C E P U BLI C B A R On Tuesday March 15 Melbourne songwriters Paul Snowden, Mark Gardner and Alistair King will lead Tuesday’s Taste of Indie Collective at The Prince Public Bar. There will be music from 7.30pm right through to 10.30pm and entry is free as always.

anna’s go-go academy Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 6:30pm. $10.00.

irish session Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:00pm.

pedestrian daze + jms harrison + old etiquette

key sung + more Gaytimes Festival Site, 12:00pm.

Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

$175.00.

shattered hell - feat: altered vision + substance

golden plains - feat: sleater-kinney + eddy

abuse + oni knife & bloodfight Old Bar, Fitzroy.

current suppression ring + violent femmes +

7:00pm. $6.00.

htrk + more Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre,

uptown ace + high finance Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Meredith. 12:00pm.

Cbd. 6:00pm.

monday night mass - feat: two steps on the

ern malley + lovers of the blackbird + monnone

water + geryon + jess locke band + julian

alone Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $5.00.

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

miss quincy + matthew colin Retreat Hotel,

moomba festival - feat: alpine + animaux + city

Brunswick. 8:30pm.

calm down + the vanns + more Birrarung Marr ,

open mic Tago Mago, Thornbury. 3:35pm.

Melbourne. 11:00am.

MISS QUINCY

jumpin’ jack william + green tin Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

steve poltz Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 8:00pm. $27.00.

the rambling boys Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 6:00pm. $25.00.

WANT YOUR GIG IN GIG GUIDE? EMAIL A SHORT BLURB AND PIC TO MUSICNEWS@BEAT.COM.AU

milonga Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 8:00pm. $10.00.

gaytimes - feat: paul mac + banofee + gl + oscar

8:00pm. $10.00.

TH E E V E LY N Dole pop boys Hills Hoist are back for week three of their March Residency at The Evelyn on Tuesday March 15. This week will feature a live comedy semi final, before psych/dream pop trio Arbes play a support slot. Have a tight-arse Tuesday with $10 jugs of beer, $5 on the door. 8pm.

8:00pm. $18.00.

Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm. $29.00.

john thorn & the roses Open Studio, Northcote.

HILLS HOIST

jaala + kardinal Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood.

cherry jam Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

shayan 303, Northcote. 8:00pm.

Access All Ages

open stage Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

salon music - feat: melbourne guitar quartet

7:30pm.

PRESENT

open mic nite Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm.

buckcherry 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm.

pool comp - feat: noel Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava.

The Push

With grace kindellan The Push is super excited to launch New Slang – a series of monthly, all-ages events held at Arts Centre Melbourne’s The Channel. These intimate and exclusive gigs will showcase both touring and local artists to Melbourne’s all-ages audiences. We are looking for 10 dedicated and enthusiastic tastemakers aged 15-17 to lead the organisation and programming of New Slang as members of our events team for 2016. New Slang events team members will gain a heap of experience in managing events and programming line-ups plus there will be lots of chances to meet likeminded people and music industry professionals. Head to www.thepush.com.au for more details. While we’re talking about it, 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. More information is available at www.freeza.vic.gov.au. 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 March 11. 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. 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. There is a HUGE line-up this week, starting with the 2013/14 winner of FReeZA Push Start Battle of the bands, Darcy Fox who plays up-beat, acoustic tunes. You can also see the tropical cyclone of mad calypso rhythm and rum soaked tomfoolery of Mighty Duke and the Lords, Aria-award winner Kavisha Mazella and experimental artist Earth Vegetable Orchestra who literally makes music with fruit and vegetables. 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. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Bertie Blackman will take the stage this Friday to showcase her new album of euphoric, fist-pumping synth bangers. 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. Jets Records are Melbourne’s newest youth-run record label and they want you to come and help celebrate their first release! Dougal and the Sunken Sea are launching their debut EP Vast Earth on Jets Records at Twilight Sounds next Saturday March 19 in the lush surrounds of Warringal Parklands, Beverly Road, Heidelberg. The band will be kicking things off at 6pm with CDs and digital downloads of the EP available at the event. Check out https://www.facebook.com/ Jetsbundoora/ for more details.

TH 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 15. Music kicks off at 9.30pm and entry is free.

All Ages Gig Guide F ri d a y M arc h 1 1

CLASSIFIEDS

North East Skate Series w/ local young musicians, The Old Courthouse, Bright, 5.00pm - 9.00pm, Free, AA

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 42

S un d a y M arc h 1 3

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

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: Not Me.

B E AT.C O M . A U

Disturbing the Peace, w/ DJ Buttons, Wycheproof Racecourse, 8.00pm - 12.00am, $15 presale, $20 on the door, U18

Thursday 10th @ 8.30pm

‘SING OUT SISTER’

Featuring Lucie Thorne, Co Cheol, Alanna & Alicia Egan Friday 11th @ 9.30pm

GREG DODD & THE HOODOO MEN (Hepnotic blues) Saturday 12th @ 9.00pm

HEYWOOD-MOORE (SINGLE LAUNCH) + GUESTS (Cross-country celtic)

Wed 9th March

W I N E , W H I S K EY, W O M E N 8pm: Lisa Spykers 9pm: Freida Le Bjorn Thurs 10th March

Chris Beasley 9pm: Russell Forster 8pm:

Friday 11th March

Sunday 13th @ 5.30 pm

CARINO SON

(Cuban grooves) Sunday 13th @ 9.00 pm

KEN MAHER, TONY HARGREAVES & GUESTS (Acoustic roots) Tuesday 15th @ 8.00pm

IRISH SESSION (Fine fiddlin’)

ALL GIGS ARE FREE EXCELLENT RESTAURANT & BAR MEALS

225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752

6pm:

Traditional Irish Music Session

Mike Beale 3pm: Conor Fitzpatrick 9pm: Jules Boult Trio Sunday 13th March 4pm: Charles Jenkins 6.30pm: Catfish Voodoo 8.30pm:

Saturday 12th March

Tuesday 15th March

8pm:

Weekly Trivia

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

BACKSTAGE

ST PATRICK’S DAY DAN O’CONNELL HOTEL

Q&A WITH

AT THE

THE PATIENT

Next Thursday March 17 is St Patrick’s Day. It should come as no surprise, then, that Carlton’s finest Irish pub, the Dan O’Connell Hotel, will be serving up authentic craic all day long. The cherished establishment on 225 Canning St will open its doors at 7am, inviting punters in for a good old fashioned Irish breakfast, featuring homemade soda bread – an Irish specialty in which sodium bicarbonate is used instead of the more common yeast. Soda bread makes a fine accompaniment to a pint of Guinness, and let’s face it, it’s never too early for a pint on St Paddy’s day. Irish breakfast is typically huge, setting you up for a big day of hard work or merriment. However, for those who’re game they’ll begin serving lunch from midday. As you’d expect, traditional fare again dominates, as is the norm at the Dan O’Connell. If at any point you find yourself sated on Guinness and on the look-out for an alternative libation, the venue have teamed up with Moon Dog brewery especially for St Patrick’s Day. The result is their very own drop: Ápple Corrs and the Cranberries. Talk about invigorating, this beverage is a cranberry and apple kolsch, perfectly suited to a sunny autumn day and liable to trigger plenty of blarney among eager sippers. To wholly savour, why not plonk yourself

down in the Dan O’Connell beer garden, or else relocate out front where there’ll be a live entertainment stage setup. St Patrick’s Day is a special occasion – it only comes around once a year, after all – and the Dan hasn’t stopped at just one special brew. Courtesy of Wolf of the Willows comes Mac Tire, a lovely barrel aged Irish red ale (which you could think of as a sweeter, toffee-laced cousin of stout). Now about that live entertainment: before the real shebang kicks off, The Go Set will be playing an acoustic set in the beer garden in the early afternoon. The main stage will then take over, rolling out a programme of craic-inducing entertainment throughout the evening. This includes (but isn’t limited

to) Irish Dancers from the Christine Ayres School of Irish Dancing, Tim Scanlan, The Drunken Poachers and Claymore. You probably already recognise the Dan O’Connell as the home of Melbourne’s best pint of Guinness, and that alone deems it worthy of a visit. But with a couple of extra special Paddy’s day beers on the menu, as well as traditional Irish grub, you’d be hard pressed to find a more authentic and uplifting St Patrick’s Day experience in Melbourne. Plus, the party kicks on until 1am. Head along to the Dan O’Connell Hotel at 225 Canning St, Carlton on Thursday March 17 for a St Patrick’s Day party.

Hi there. Who are we speaking to and what’s your role in the band? Luke here. I play lead guitar in the band. You’re running Dead Memory Fest at the Bendigo. What inspired you to get all these bands together and what are you looking to do differently this year? Last year I ran my first festival at the Reverence Hotel. It was great for a first attempt. This year I wanted to bring together my label mates and put on a bigger show. I have added acoustic acts in the beer garden. This year we are running it out of the Bendigo Hotel and making it a full day event. You recently performed at Radfest over at Public Bar/Brunswick Hotel. How important do you feel these small weekenders are to Melbourne’s music scene? Bands need these types of festival shows to help network and get in front of different crowds they may not normally play in front of. Bands today need to stick together to help the scene grow. The Patient are a non-for-profit band and that you donate all your t-shirt sales to charity. Can you fill us in on that? Craig and I have been hit pretty hard with family members passing away recently due to cancer. We thought it would be great to help so we are donating our t-shirt profits to the Peter McCallum Cancer Foundation. As a band we don’t make much money, but we all have solid jobs so this our small way of helping. THE PATIENT are playing at Dead Memory Fest II, which goes down at the Bendigo Hotel on Saturday March 19. The lineup also includes The Ramshackle Army, Blind Man Death Stare, Josh Arentz, Truthside, Dead Joe and stacks more.

CROSSWORD ACROSS

puzzleguy@beat.com.au

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 44

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

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MARCIA HOWARD PORT FAIRY FOLK’S ARTIST OF YEAR The sold out 40th Port Fairy Folk Music Festival announced Victorian singer/ songwriter Marcia Howard as its Maton Artist of The Year. She will launch her new EP Nashville Sessions, which she recorded at the US city’s Beaird Music Studio with an ensemble of seasoned session players, at the festival. Howard, best known for being a co-founder of Goanna, has released several acclaimed solo albums, and recorded and toured with Mary Black, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Hothouse Flowers, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, The Chieftains, Archie Roach, Bart Willoughby and The Pigram Brothers.

MADONNA ‘REBEL HEART’ TOUR HITS $100M As Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour hits Australia this week, Billboard reported that globally it has surpassed US$100 million. During January, Maddy strutted the stage in seven US cities as well as five other cities including Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In that month she drew 150,000 fans and grossed $19.3 million. It was the second biggest tour in the world in the first month of this year. In total, since the tour began in Montreal last September, it has grossed $107.3 million from 61 shows in 14 countries to 819,792 fans until end of January.

NEW AUSSIE SHOW FOR HIT NETWORK The Hit Network is giving Aussie acts more exposure with a new show called Hit AU, airing Sunday nights from 10pm. It will be “home for hot Australian music – new and old school – and the go-to show for discovering upcoming Australian artists.” Regular host is Byron Cooke, who is joined each week by a different celeb. The launch show, last weekend, saw Samantha Jade co-host and Melbourne’s Masketta Fall featured in the FANSNAP segment, which allows listeners to ask acts direct questions via Snapchat.

THINGS WE HEAR Which international singer’s taken up yoga after the stresses of his divorce? Are Hamish & Andy about to return to TV? Which club DJ is about to land a TV gig? BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 46

More on Wu-Tang Clan’s ten-hour recording session in Melbourne, which we told you about. The sessions included Melbourne rapper Ivan Ooze who opened on their tour, and whom they struck up a close friendship with. Ooze helped Ghostface Killah finish a track called Bills, which will be out later this year. You can imagine Ooze, a Wu-Tang fan since his early teens, is still on cloud nine. As reported on Beat’s website last Friday, moves are afoot for Maitreya festival to be still held this week despite a VCAT decision that sided with local council’s refusal of permission for it to be staged as not all the paperwork was completed. The latest twist is that the promoters have found a new site nearby, that it’s “100% go go go” and only 500 tickets were left online of the 10,000 allocation. This weekend’s queer festival ChillOut got a $10,000 grant from the state government for marketing. Festival director Merryn Tinkler said the show of support sent the right message that would draw more donors. The inaugural Music In The Vines at Macarthur may become an annual event after the first event on the weekend drew 400. The launch of the new 200-capacity Bird’s Basement Jazz Club in Melbourne was a lavish affair, but suffered a technical glitch with food orders. In a gesture of goodwill, founder Albert Dadon decided not to charge 180 customers for their meals, to the tune of $10,000. Congrats to the Ballarat Jazz Club that celebrated its 30th anniversary with a bash for 140 people at the Ballarat Golf Club. Among highlights was the reunion of the Golden City Jazz Band. The 1975 scored their first chart topping album in Oz this week with I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It debuting at top spot. Chart historian Gavin Ryan tells us that the 15 words in the title is NOT the longest #1 album title. That honour goes to the 19 in Bring Me The Horizon’s 2010 There is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen it. There is a Heaven, Let’s Keep it a Secret. The 1975 are also not the first to top the ARIA chart with a year as band name: Sydney band 1927 did that in May 1989 with their debut …ish. In the UK, an £85 (A$105.80) Adele ticket is going for £24,000 ($45,090). DMA’s vocalist Tommy O’Dell told England’s Mirror paper that their drug taking is affecting their sex life. Boom Crash Opera revealed to Noise 11 that singer Dale Ryder left last November and their new frontman is former CDB singer Andrew De Silva. Macklemore feels regret about name

In recognition of the limited performance opportunities for art music composers to showcase new works, APRA AMCOS has launched the Art Music Fund. There is a grant pool of $100,000 to expand the lifespan of a project through collaborations with ensembles, orchestras, producers, recording companies, broadcasters, festivals and other parties. Applications close Saturday April 30. See APRA’s website.

The five Australian shows for Laneway drew 61,150 in total (its most successful run yet). Melbourne (15,000), Brisbane (13,500). Sydney (12,500) and Fremantle (12,500) were sold out before the tour began. Adelaide doubled attendance from last year to 7,600.

APRA AMCOS LAUNCHES ART MUSIC FUND

Armin van Buuren confirmed his upcoming world tour, kicking off in Amsterdam in May, will include Sydney and Melbourne.

EDM empire SFX Entertainment is selling Beatport, the DJ store that it extended to streaming after buying it a few years ago for $50 million. SFX, which has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, explained it can’t keep pumping money into Beatport, which last year lost $5.5m after making a profit of $7.1m in 2014. It generated revenue of $39.1 million in 2015 after $46.5 million the year before. 24 parties are interested, with 18 looking through the books. The auction is in May.

Is Morrissey serious about running for Mayor of London?

STIE EL RI IE

SFX SELLING BEATPORT

H H

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

INDUSTRIAL

checking Australia’s Iggy Azalea on in White Privilege II: “I should have let her know beforehand”. WA’s Southbound festival has moved its dates to late Dec/early Jan, taking on the Falls Festivals. Publisher HarperCollins has two Jimmy Barnes-penned books coming. Out in October is Working Class Boy about his violent childhood, with the second, out next year and still untitled, more focused on Cold Chisel. On Thursday March 10 triple j will reveal which regional town will host One Night Stand with Boy & Bear, Alison Wonderland and Urthboy. The Hard-Ons’ next tour, in April, sees them revert to a four-piece, with Keish de Silva returning permanently as frontman. Swedish singer/songwriter José González’s Vestiges & Claws won the European indie association IMPALA’s Independent Album Of The Year Award. Despite pleas from the live music industry, Liquor and Gaming NSW extended its freeze on new club licenses in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross until Feb 2017. It’s official: the Guns N’ Roses reunion will not include guitarist Izzy Stradlin. They’re rumoured to be asking for $3 million for each show.

POT FRIENDLY VENUES IN AMERICA? A new breed of US venue operators is eying how to get a share of the country’s $1 billion a year legal pot industry. Cannabist editor Ricardo Baca told The Real that the state of Nevada is voting on legalisation in November. He predicts the first to have weed would be the Las Vegas casinos, which have the political clout to be able to include everything from weed delivery apps to pot-friendly blackjack rooms as part of their gambling experience. “I think we will get to a point where you can sell and buy marijuana at a music venue,” said Baca, the first marijuana editor. As the laws stand at present, the venues would not be able to serve alcohol, club entry has to be free and the weed would need to be given away.

GLOBAL PUBLISHING DEAL FOR MEG MAC Meg Mac signed a global publishing deal with BMG and Pulse Music. She’s been in LA writing songs for her debut album. BMG’s Thomas Scherer said, “We fell in love with Meg Mac’s smouldering vocals and soulful songs, which have earned her worldwide praise.” She’s already backed by the powerful 300 Entertainment set up by Lyor Cohen for the world (outside Australia and NZ) which saw her track Roll Up Your Sleeves in the Top 30 of the US Alt Charts last year. In June, she returns to the US to play festivals, and make her live debut in Canada.

NE OBLIVISCARIS TURNS TO FANS Australian prog-metal band Ne Obliviscaris have come up with a twist to crowdfunding to stay on the road. They’re appealing to fans to contribute towards a total of $17,079.40 a month, to be divided between six members (or $34,158.80 a year each, the minimum full time wage in Australia) so they can devote themselves wholly to the band. NeO’s Tim Charles calls the Patreon campaign “the most important thing we’ve done in our lives.” MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

STUFF FOR THIS COLUMN TO BE EMAILED TO C E L I E Z E R @ N E T S PA C E .N E T. A U B Y F R I D AY 5 P M

It’s a new model that this column thinks could become the norm. NeO’s hard touring abroad has given them a loyal global following: their 2014 funding campaign on Pozible raised $86,000, setting a new record in Australia and still among the most successful around the world. See www. patreon.com/neobliviscaris for full details.

WHAT NOW FOR ETIHAD STADIUM? Will Melbourne concert and sports punters have Etihad Stadium around for much longer? A report in The Age reckons the site is up for redevelopment, and potential new sites for a stadium are the North Melbourne site of the planned Metro Rail Arden station south of Arden Street and land at Ron Barassi Snr Park near Bolte Bridge. The Age also pointed out that the AFL is due to take over ownership of the stadium in 2025. But whether the AFL takes it over before then depends on a knock-down price and what positives there are of getting it before.

STREET MURAL CELEBRATES WOMEN Street artist Rone’s striking new mural on the Collingwood office wall of the Minister for Planning and Member for Richmond, Richard Wynne, cast three local female artists for their contribution to the inner city. They are Miso (Stanislava Pinchuk) who creates pinpricks work on paper, sculptor Bianca Chang and film photographer Hana Davies. The mural was unveiled this week, as part of International Women’s Day on Tuesday March 8.

DEADLINE FOR MARKETING INNOVATION FUND The deadline for Creative Victoria’s applications for arts, screen and design organisations for the 2016 Marketing Innovation Fund is 5pm on Wednesday March 9. It provides grants of up to $20,000 to support small to medium-sized organisations to come up with innovative marketing ideas that will build their profiles, reach new audiences and diversify their revenue streams. See www.creative.vic. gov.au/marketing_innovation_fund.

SIX MORE SONGWRITERS INDUCTED The six inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in May are Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Tom Petty, Nile Rodgers & the late Bernard Edwards from Chic, and Chip Taylor (Wild Thing, Angel Of The Morning.)

Lifelines DATING: Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are official as they were spotted holding hands during a Hawaii holiday. ILL: Cream drummer Ginger Baker axed all touring for “serious heart problems.” HOSPITALISED: Ritchie Blackmore had surgery due to an excess of uric acid buildup in his finger joint but will be back in action when the newlyreformed Rainbow hits the road in the northern summer. Unwritten HOSPITALISED: Law’s Scott Russo, surgery for an unspecified problem. IN COURT: Madonna lost her bid for custody of her teen son Rocco after a judge ruled he could remain in the UK with filmmaker dad Guy Ritchie to continue schooling, and urged them to sort it out without undue publicity for the boy. JAILED: Sydney-based Christian hip hop producer Kodi Maybir for 42 years for the May 2013 murder of his live-in partner’s young son. The boy underwent “cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment” in the months before his death, the Supreme Court said, with physical and psychological punishments “in line with his extreme views on religion and discipline,” including fracturing his skull and knocking him unconscious. CHARGED: an 18-year-old man for assaulting a security guard at the Good Life festival in Perth. Police said the guard was questioning him and a mate for allegedly jumping the fence. The guard was briefly hospitalised with concussion. CHARGED: rap mogul and producer Rick Ross and his bodyguard on nine counts over a 2015 incident when he allegedly pistol-whipped his grounds-keeper causing him to lose the use of his jaw. Ross says the man was committing felonies on his personal property and hence it was self-defence. DIED: Lennie Baker, one of the singers of US ‘60s band Sha Na Na, 69, from an unspecified infection. DIED: Winston ‘Merritone’ Blake, influential Jamaican producer and operator of the oldest sound system Merritone Music, 75, complications from asthma. He was among the first to popularise ska, rock steady, reggae and dancehall. DIED: John Thomas, one time guitarist with ‘70s UK band Budgie, 63.