Beat 1519 by Furst Media

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Tickets at the door or from

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JOHN HASTINGS JUSTIN MOORHOUSE DANNY O’BRIEN (CANADA) (UK) (IRE) AS SEEN ON LIVE AT THE APOLLO ★★★★ ★★★★ ★★ ★EXAMINER ★★ HERALD SCOTLAND THE ★★★★ ONE4REVIEW

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BAR

Thursday April 7

STAY GOLD FEATURING LIVE BANDS:

WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL

OPEN MIC Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got ! THURSDAY 7TH APRIL

COLOURING CATS FRIDAY 8TH APRIL

STEVE LUCAS Happy Hour 5 till 7.30

DEAD PHARAOHS NEW AGE SATURDAY 9TH APRIL

COLD TURKEY BLUES BAND FEATYA

SUNDAY 10TH APRIL

THE NIGHT COLLECTORS LIMNAL

AFTER WORK HAPPY HOUR FROM 5PM:

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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 April 9 5pm

LUCIE THORNE

One of Australia’s most striking contemporary songsmiths, playing spacious gritty rock n roll to dark and delicate folk.

Saturday April 9 9pm

ANDRE WARHURST & THE RARE BYRDS + RICK RALLI Rockin’ and rootsy three-piece (guitar, bass n drums) w support from acoustic singer-songwriter Ralli.

Sun 10 April 5pm

SIDESHOW BRIDES Sisters Layla and Rhianna Fibbins craft a unique blend of country/rootsy/folk with haunting harmonies and captivating melodies.

Tuesday Nights In April

TRIVIA

Quizmasters c’mon down.

ANCHORS, FOXTROT IN TRENCHES, TIGERS DOWNSTAIRS

STAY GOLD DJS Friday April 8

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B E AT.C O M . A U

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A TI V

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DERADOORIAN • PG. 31

#1519 • APRIL 6 14 18 20 22

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HOT TALK / FREE SHIT UPCOMING TOURS & GIG OF THE WEEK OF MONSTERS AND MEN ART OF THE CITY WHAT’S ON CALENDAR BONNIE WRIGHT SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL JOEL CREASEY SARA SCHAEFER THE COMEDY ZONE COUPLES! DAVE HUGHES TANYALEE DAVIS COLIN LANE IGOR MEERSON AMOS GILL WIL ANDERSON CHARLIE PICKERING BEATS - CLUB & URBAN NEWS CLUB GUIDE DERADOORIAN THE WEEPING WILLOWS THE VIBRAPHONIC ORKESTRA DALLAS FRASCA FOREVER SINCE BREAKFAST THE MERCY KILLS BLACK SABBATH POWER CORE & CRUNCH COLUMNS TRIVIUM LIVE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SINGLES / CHARTS ALBUMS GIG GUIDE / ALL AGES BACKSTAGE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH

DA L L A S F R A S CA • PG. 32

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PUBLISHER: Furst Media Pty Ltd. MUSIC EDITOR: Cara Williams ACTING ARTS EDITOR, ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR & ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB EDITOR: Augustus Welby EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Cassie Hedger, Gloria Brancatisano, Jess Zanoni, Kate Eardley, Bel Ryan, Christine Tsimbis, Abbey Lew-Kee, Tom Parker, Rochelle Bevis, Jacob Colliver MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr BEAT ART DIRECTOR: 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 (Indie Artists/Beat Eats) tombrand@beat.com.au CLASSIFIEDS: classifieds@beat.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS: now online at 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, 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.

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E AT.C O M KB .A

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HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS DARLING JAMES AND MACHINE AGE TEAM UP FOR MELBOURNE SHOW Darling James and Machine Age are making waves in the electronic scene, and now the powerhouse duo are joining forces for a co-headline tour. Celebrating Darling James’ new single, The Itch, the pair will play a run of shows along the east coast. Machine Age is also coming off the back of his new single Don’t Look, which dropped earlier this month. They’ll play at The Workers Club on Thursday May 12.

TWIN PEAKS REVEAL 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW AND DEBUT TOUR Chicago natives Twin Peaks are embarking on their first ever Australian tour, dropping into Melbourne on the way. The tour supports their highly anticipated album, Down In Heaven, which spawned the lead single Walk To The One You Love. Twin Peaks have been playing to ever-increasing crowds, including festivals in the US and Europe such as Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds, and Roskilde. Catch them at The Curtin on Sunday May 8.

THE VENGABOYS ARE COMING TO AUSTRALIA The Vengabus is coming – Euro-pop icons the Vengaboys are trekking all the way from the Netherlands for a non-stop party across Australia. In case you’ve forgotten, the Vengaboys were responsible for the ‘90s chart-toppers We Like To Party and Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!. Happiness is just around the corner, with the Melbourne date set for Sunday October 30 at 170 Russell. Get your ticket via the Metropolis Touring website.

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JOE BONAMASSA TO PLAY ACROSS AUSTRALIA Following his recent slot at Bluesfest, Joe Bonamassa has announced he will return to Australia in September of 2016. Bonamassa’s career spans over 27 years, with his first live performances as a 12-year-old whipper snapper in support of blues great BB King. The tour will allow audiences to experience a live rendition of tracks from his recent release, Blues of Desperation. The Melbourne show is set for Wednesday October 5 at The Palais Theatre. Tickets go on sale Monday April 11 via Bonamassa’s website and Ticketmaster.

WEEDEATER & CONAN TEAM UP FOR AUSTRALIAN SHOWS

BOB MOSES LOCK IN NATIONAL TOUR DATES

North Carolina’s lords of sludge Weedeater have announced they will be hitting up Australia for the first time ever. Joining them on the road will be Liverpool’s doom legends Conan, who are celebrating their latest release Revengeance. The two bands make up an unbeatably heavy combination, and have locked in a limited run of shows across the country. Catch them when they play Max Watt’s on Saturday July 16. Tickets are available via Life Is Noise and Oztix.

Vancouver’s electronic-pop visionaries Bob Moses are set to play a string of headline shows across Australia, in addition to their support slots with Rufus. Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie make up the duo, and their Australian tour is hot off the heels from their appearance at SXSW and debut album Days Gone By. Bob Moses will play a headline show at Revolver on Friday May 13. Tickets are on sale via Bob Moses’ website. HOT TALK

THE MURLOCS TO CELEBRATE MELBOURNE SHOW WITH CHEAP BEERS Geelong’s eclectic five-piece The Murlocs have announced the perfect companion to their three upcoming Melbourne shows – beers at a glorious 99¢ a pop. The gigs are a precursor to their first ever tour of the United Sates, and in support of their newest offering and second album, Young Blindness. Have a bev with The Murlocs at The Tote on Friday April 8, or at The Curtin on Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10.

MAYDAY PARADE TO HEAD DOWN UNDER American pop-punk band Mayday Parade will be visiting Australia in October 2016 for an impressive run of headline shows. The tour will see them treating punters to tracks off their fifth release from late 2015, Black Lines. Mayday Parade will play one all ages show at Arrow on Swanston Saturday October 8, and an 18+ at 170 Russell on Sunday October 9. Tickets go on sale Friday April 8 via Select Touring.

Free $hit THE WEEPING WILLOWS DOUBLE PASS Melbourne’s acoustic Americana trio are gearing up to play the hometown launch show for their new album, Before Darkness Comes A-Callin. The Caravan Music Club are playing host on Saturday April 17, with the addition of special guest Bill Chambers on board for support. Beat has got your entry fee sorted for you and a pal with some double passes up for grabs. Head to beat.com.au/freeshit if you’re feeling lucky.

HOWQUA DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY HOWQUA is a captivating singer, songwriter and storyteller. His debut EP Naked has amassed stellar acclaim and this year he also secured a slot at The Hills Are Alive! festival. He’s about to head abroad on a new musical adventure and Beat has a couple of double passes on offer for his bon voyage show, which is going down on Saturday April 23 at The Shadow Electric Bandroom. You know the drill, www.beat. com.au/freeshit

POLICIA LOCK IN 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Following on from their third full-length release, Polica are set to play an intimate Melbourne show. The electronic giants will make their Melbourne Recital Centre debut with the performance, following on from their critically acclaimed album Untitled Crushers. It’s all happening on Tuesday May 31 at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Tickets are available now through the venue.

THE SMITH STREET BAND ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR The Smith Street Band have confirmed their return home for a national tour before getting to work on their next release. Since dropping their latest album Throw Me In The River in 2014, the Melbourne punk band has been busy touring the US, as well as having played Laneway Festival and a headline debut of mini-festival Weekend At The Wonk. Throw Me In The River landed them a swag of accolades from The Age, Rolling Stone and more. Catch The Smith Street Band at Max Watts Friday June 17.

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HOT TALK

THE BIGGEST IN INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL NEWS KING PARROT’S MATT YOUNG TO CO-HOST FREE MUSIC SEMINAR

[ Formerly The Hi-Fi Bar ]

SAT 23 APR

NO ZU

Vocalist and co-manager of Melbourne’s King Parrot, Matt Young, is teaming up with Rodney Holder of Music Business Facts to present a free online seminar about the music industry. After their hugely popular collaboration last year, the second seminar will see the pair hone in on the topic ‘How to Take Your Band from the Jam Room to International Touring’. It’s going down on Wednesday April 13, secure your free spot via the Music Business Facts website.

FRI 06 MAY - SOLD OUT

COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA

SAT 07 MAY - SELLING FAST

COHEED AND CAMBRIA USA

POLARIS ANNOUNCE MELBOURNE SHOW Sydney’s metalcore five-piece Polaris have announced a Melbourne show as part of their national tour. The tour celebrates the release of their latest album, The Guilt and The Grief, and they’ll be joined by I, Valiance and Justice For The Damned. The date is set for them to play at Wrangler Studios on Sunday May 22. Tickets are available via Destroy All Lines.

FRI 13 MAY

LITTLE MAY SAT 14 MAY

PLAV I ORKESTAR BOSNIA

+ S.A.R.S SERBIA

SAT 21 MAY

ELUVEITIE

JOSH PYKE TO HEADLINE URBAN SPREAD Suburban party-makers Urban Spread will be warming up this winter with Sydneynative Josh Pyke. The singer/songwriter is known for his intelligent lyrics, warm melodies and quirky song structures. Across his five studio albums, Pyke has proven to be a modern-day storyteller with a unique and evocative use of both words and music. Catch Josh Pyke along with Jack Carty and Ben Jansz Friday June 24 at Chelsea Heights Hotel and Saturday June 25 at Village Green Hotel.

SUI

TRIPLE R LAUNCH 2016 APRIL AMNESTY CAMPAIGN

FRI 27 MAY

THE MATCHES USA

SAT 28 MAY

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA WED 01 JUN

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER USA

THU 02 JUN

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SAT 11 JUN - SELLING FAST

RADIO BIRDMAN SUN 26 JUN

BLACK STONE CHERRY USA

TUE 05 JUL

THE FALL OF TROY USA

ALEX WATTS REVEALS NEW MUSIC AND 2016 MELBOURNE RESIDENCY

Local Melbourne radio giant Triple R are launching their 2016 April Amnesty campaign. Listener funding allows the station to remain fully independent, while also acknowledging the work of all the volunteers that see the day-to-day running of the station. Subscribers and April Amnesty punters are eligible to receive a host of weekly giveaways including records, film screenings, concert tickets, accommodation packages, passes to the Melbourne Zoo and more. To see what it’s all about and to sign up, head to the Triple R website.

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BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16

WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL 2016 UNVEILS THIRD ROUND LINEUP

IVAN OOZE ANNOUNCES NATIONAL TOUR The young-gun rapper Ivan Ooze has announced a tour across the country. Kicking off 2016 with a killer set at Beyond The Valley, Ooze has also spent the year supporting Wu-Tang Clan, and working in the studio with none other than Ghostface Killah. The tour comes in support of a new mixtape entitled, ‘93 KFC Rotisserie GOL. He’ll hit up Melbourne on Saturday May 28 at the Northcote Social Club.

GANGGAJANG ANNOUNCE NATIONAL TOUR Following the release of their new single, GANGgajang have announced a national run of dates kicking off this month. Circles In The Sand marks the band’s first single in over a decade and features the Gang’s four original members Cal, Buzz, Geoff and Robbie, along with bassist Peter Willersdorf. The tour will take the band to capital cities and regional stages across Australia. GANGgajang will play at Chelsea Heights Hotel on Friday April 29.

TANZER TO DROP NEW EP AND PLAY LAUNCH SHOW

USA

THE LEVELLERS

Enigmatic Melbourne seven-piece LAMA have just dropped a brand new single Wolf, and are gearing up to play a string of shows around Melbourne to celebrate. Known their energetic live show and surreal, off-beat style, LAMA pit a selection of orchestral elements against a powerful rhythm section to create a distinct sound. Wolf will be released on Friday April 8. Catch LAMA at The Retreat Hotel, The B.East and Bar Open on Saturday April 9, Friday April 15 and Friday May 13, respectively.

A mammoth 20 extra acts have been added to the already huge Wide Open Space Festival. A vast selection of artists from Alice Springs have been announced including Skank and Shake, Nicole Soorkia, Golden Orb, Tarantism, False Beings, King Marong & the Tamala Express, KND – Karnage & Darknis and more. They’ll be joined by Aussie acts Bumble, Daddy LongLegs, Billy Dread, Face Invada, Candice McLeod and the Brazilian Southeast Desert Metal. Wide Open Space will run from Friday April 29 to Sunday May 1 at the Ross River Resort. Tickets available via the Wide Open Space Festival website.

Melbourne singer/songwriter Alex Watts will release the first cut from his upcoming album, alongside a monthlong Melbourne residency. Following his 2014 EP, Sing, Strum & Strut, Watts’ new single Hopeful takes its cues from ‘60s R&B music. The track is out Friday April 15 through Astound Records. Watts and his full band will hit up the Grace Darling Hotel every Wednesday in May with special guests each week.

DROWNING POOL

LAMA LOCK IN SERIES OF MELBOURNE SHOWS

BEN ABRAHAM ANNOUNCES POP-UP SHOW IN MELBOURNE Folk musician Ben Abraham is due to end his global album launch run with a one-off show in his home town of Melbourne. After a sell-out launch at Howler earlier this year for his debut album Sirens, this will be his last performance in Australia before he heads overseas to tour with American indie-rocker Damien Jurado. Abraham will play at The Toff on Saturday April 9. Tickets available via the Toff website.

Melbourne composer Tanzer has just unleashed her new single Johnny, from her upcoming EP Four Love Songs With Tanzer. Combining elements of ‘60s film soundtracks and new-wave, Tanzer’s musical style is hard to pin down and sits in a realm all of its own. The launch will go down at The Toff on Saturday May 28. Tickets available via Moshtix.

DROWNING POOL TO TOUR AUSTRALIA Nu-metal icons Drowning Pool have set their sights on Australia for their first ever headline tour. Following the release of their latest album Hellelujah in February, this will be the first time Drowning Pool have come to Australia in over a decade, with their last visit all the way back at Big Day Out in 2002. Catch them on Saturday July 30 at Max Watts. Tickets available today from Metropolis Touring. HOT TALK

ALEX GOW & DAN KELLY TO CO-HEADLINE AUSTRALIAN DREAMERS TOUR Two of Australia’s renowned singer/songwriters, Alex Gow and Dan Kelly, are teaming up for The Australian Dreamers Tour. Both artists have recently released their fourth studio albums – Kelly’s solo endeavour Leisure Panic and Gow’s When We Talk About Love with his band Oh Mercy. Melburnians will be treated to two shows, the first on Friday May 27 at Thornbury Theatre and the second on Friday June 17 at the Caravan Music Club.

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K B E AT.C O M

R T H E L AT

L O C A L

UPCOMING

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

ST ALI’S FREE MUSIC SERIES St Ali April 6 GORDIE TENTREES Billyroys Blues Bar, Bendigo April 7 KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES The Dogs Bar April 8, The Catfish April 9 THE MURLOCS The Tote April 8, The Curtin 9, 10 HAILMARY Yah Yah’s April 8 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 LAMA Retreat Hotel April 9, The B.East April 15, Bar Open May 13 BEN ABRAHAM The Toff April 9 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 CINEMUSICA Hamer Hall April 10, 11 DAUGHTER 170 Russel April 10 CHRIS ISAAK Margaret Court Arena April 13 TRIVIUM 170 Russel April 13 HÉLOISE The Grace Darling April 14, The Reverence April 15 WEDNESDAY 13 Corner Hotel April 14 METHYL ETHEL Northcote Social Club April 14 ABABCD The Gasometer April 15 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 TULLY ON TULLY The Workers Club April 16 HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS Bang April 16 SEAN MCMAHON Bella Union April 16 WALLAPOLOOZA The Corner Hotel April 16 SONS OF ZION The Croxton April 16 SPYRO GYRA Bird’s Basement April 19 - 24 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 THE YARD APES The Spotted Mallard April 22 LOOSE TOOTH The Gasometer April 22 BLIND MAN DEATH STARE Bendigo Hotel April 22 NO ZU Maxx Watt’s April 23 HILTOP HOODS + MSO Rod Laver Arena April 23 VANCE JOY Margaret Court Arena April 23 SARAH BLASKO The Forum April 23 THE GO SET The Tote April 24 PURE FESTIVAL Shed 14 April 24 DEBROH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER The Spotted Mallard April 25 BLISS Royal Melbourne Hotel April 25 COSMIC PSYCHOS The Tote April 25 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 GANGGAJANG Chelsea Heights Hotel April 29 THE BELLIGERENTS The Gasometer April 29 ODESZA Forum April 29 MS MR Prince Bandroom April 29 WIDE OPEN SPACE FESTIVAL Ross River Resort April 29 – May 1 YOU AM I Ding Dong Lounge April 30 VINCENT GIARRUSO The Toff In Town April 30 HEDGE FUND The Workers Club April 30 KADAVAR & MT MOUNTAIN Corner Hotel April 30, Old Bar May 7 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 BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 18

A R T I S T S

H E A D I N G

MILLENCOLIN 170 Russell May 3 RICHIE RAMONE Cherry Bar May 3 OF MONSTERS AND MEN Palais Theatre May 4, 5 THE TEMPER TRAP The Forum Theatre May 5 RUFUS Festival Hall May 6, 12 COMMON & TALIB KWELI Trak Lounge May 6 SCREAMING JETS Hallam Hotel May 6, Corner Hotel May 7 BLACK CAB Howler May 6 HINDS Northcote Social Club May 6 OCDANTER The Gasometer May 7 TINPAN ORANGE The Toff In Town May 7 COHEED AND CAMBRIA Max Watt’s May 7, 10 TWIN PEAKS The Curtin May 8 IRON MAIDEN Rod Laver Arena May 9 M83 The Forum Theatre May 10 RUDIMENTAL Margaret Court Arena May 10 STONNINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL City of Stonnington May 12 - 22. DARLING JAMES & MACHINE AGE The Workers Club May 12 THE WONDER YEARS Corner Hotel May 12 ***CAMP COPE John Curtin Hotel May 13 BOB MOSES Revolver May 13 MELODY POOL The Shadow Electric May 13 LITTLE MAY Max Watts May 13 MELODICROCKFEST Elephant & Wheelbarrow May 13, 14 PURE GOLD LIVE Palais Theatre May 13 MATHAS Northcote Social Club May 14 HENRY WAGONS & THE ONLY CHILDREN Howler May 14 THE VANNS The Evelyn May 14, 15 VIOLENT SOHO Forum Theatre May 14 L7 170 Russell May 17 RENEE GEYER & ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS The Palais May 18 SUMMER FLAKE The Tote May 20 SCREECHING WEASEL & MXPX Prince Bandroom May 20 REMI Howler May 21 THIS IS HIP HOP Festival Hall May 21 POLARIS Wrangler Studios May 22 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 ALEX GOW & DAN KELLY Thornbury Theatre May 27, Caravan Music Club June 17 HOT DUB TIME MACHINE 170 Russell May 27 A WILHELM SCREAM The Reverence Hotel May 26 URTHBOY Howler May 27 IVAN OOZE Northcote Social Club May 28 MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Max Watt’s May 28 THE LOVE JUNKIES The Workers Club May 28 ANGELUS APATRIDA Bendigo Hotel May 28 THE DRONES 170 Russell May 20, The Tote May 28 THE CAT EMPIRE The Forum Theatre May 27, 28 CHERIE CURRIE The Corner May 28 POLICIA Melbourne Recital Centre May 31 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER Max Watt’s June 1 LAST DINOSAURS Northcote Social Club June 3, 4 DEAFHAVEN Corner Hotel June 3 SAFIA Mystery location June 3 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 DITA VON TEESE The Forum June 10, 11 NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL Portarlington June 10 - 13 PRIMAL FEAR The Northcote Social Club June 11 DMA’S The Corner June 11 BIG COUNTRY The Corner June 15 THE SMITH STREET BAND Max Watt’s June 17 WE LOST THE SEA Old Bar June 18 OLYMPIA Northcote Social Club June 18 STEEL PANTHER Festival Hall June 18 SWERVEDRIVER Corner Hotel June 23 URBAN SPREAD Chelsea Heights Hotel June 24, Village Green Hotel June 25 THE LIVING END The Forum June 24

T O

M E L B O U R N E

Gig Of The Week

THE MURLOCS The Murlocs are a five-piece already making huge waves in the music community. They’re playing a string of shows in celebration of their recent album Young Blindness, and there’s an exceptionally thirst-quenching twist – 99¢ beers on offer at all three shows. Even if the music doesn’t float your boat, at least you can afford to get yourself absolutely canned. Everybody wins! They’re playing at The Tote on Friday April 8 which has already sold out, and another two shows at The Curtin on Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10.

THE RIFF RAIDERS CHEAP TRICK TRIBUTE SHOW

MAYFAIR KYTES AT THE WORKERS CLUB

Cheap Trick are finally getting inducted to the Rock’n’roll Hall of Fame, and The Riff Raiders are playing a tribute show in their honour. Cherry Bar will be hosting the festivities on Saturday April 9, which will see Melbourne’s classic rockers The Riff Raiders belting out a rendition of Cheap Trick’s 1978 masterpiece, At Budokan in full. Take a wander down AC/DC Lane at 8pm, tickets are $15 a piece.

Mayfair Kytes dropped their debut album Animus on Friday April 1. The incredibly quirky, folk-artpop outfit are getting ready for the official launch at The Workers Club on Friday April 8, with the taster single Sleepyhead already getting tongues wagging. They will be supported on the night by Tulalah, Sam Lawrence and Mike Guerreri DJs. Goes down at 8pm, $15 on the door.

THE RUBENS Margaret Court Arena June 25 MAT MCHUGH The Toff July 2 TOTALLY 80’S Palais Theatre July 15 COG 170 Russell July 15 WEEDEATER & CONAN Max Watt’s July 16 DROWNING POOL Max Watts July 30 MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS Rod Laver Arena August 5 GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER Amamoor Creek State Forest August 25- 28 BEN FOLDS WITH YMUSIC Palais Theatre August 26 BRING ME THE HORIZON Margaret Court Arena September 2 CRYPTOPSY Northcote Social Club September 3 HENRY ROLLINS Arts Centre’s State Theatre September 19, 20 JOE BONAMASSA The Palais Theatre October 5 MAYDAY PARADE Arrow on Swanston October 8, 170 Russell October 9 ELLIE GOULDING Rod Laver Arena October 8 HOT CHOCOLATE AND THE REAL THING Palais Theatre October 22 THE VENGABOYS 170 Russell October 30 MSO - INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF

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

THE LOST ARK Arts Centre November 4, 5 DISTURBED Margaret Court Arena November 18 DYLAN JOEL Prince Bandroom November 18 EARTHCORE Pyalong November 24 - 28

BEAT PRESENTS RUMOURS: LUDACRIS, CHASTIT Y B E LT, M I S S Y E L L I O T = NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

OF MONSTERS and MEN B Y a d am no r r i s

t’s a fitting time to be chatting with Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, female lead of Icelandic juggernauts Of Monsters And Men. A few months ago we farewelled the triple j Hottest 100 for another year, but back in 2013 the band were just pipped for the #1 position by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Even so, Little Talks cemented their presence not just in Australia, but led to their debut album My Head Is An Animal reaching #1 across the globe. Not bad for a song that first gained attention from a small recording filmed in somebody’s living room. Hilmarsdóttir speaks to Beat about where the band is today, and why it’s necessary to simply step back sometimes and breathe in the frozen night air.

“I just took a really sturdy walk – sturdy walk? What am I saying? But it’s really, really cold outside right now and I was panicked, because my phone actually died from how cold it is. It went from 20% suddenly to 1% and then just died. So I had to run back to make this phone call.” As Hilmarsdóttir paints this portrait of a standard Icelandic evening, I am on a balcony sweltering in 40 degree heat. Extreme as her temperatures sound, it’s hard not to feel a pang of envy. “It’s really nice to come home to your own environment,” she says. “Right now it’s really dark and cold and pretty depressing, and it has this certain feel to it. So I feel like right now is such a good time to be writing, and we’re home now for two months which is great. I think everyone here is cursing Iceland right now, but I love it. Touring life can be very… it’s weird, because you’re very busy but also not. Your whole status revolves around playing the show, so while there’s time between, it just gets sucked up. I think we definitely had to learn how to exist as a band and be active. You always feel like you have this time, you should create, you should be active, and you just end up not doing anything. It’s strange, BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 20

but I think you have to just exist in that craziness, just go with it. That’s probably why Iceland becomes very important to me. You go home and breathe.” In my mind, Iceland is a kind of sleeted wonderland, full of endless snow-capped mountains, sheer frozen cliffs and Norse gods quaffing mead. The reality is just slightly different, but in that coveted downtime, Hilmarsdóttir’s days are more educational than mythological. “I read a lot of comics, and I listen to podcasts. Podcasts have become my ultimate time killer. They’re perfect. My pick would probably be Serial right now. It’s such an insane thing. It sucks you in. I also listen to This American Life a lot. It’s good because you can be doing whatever, you know? You can be doing your dishes and listening to it, and it’s like, ‘Ahh, yes, information’.” As sabbaticals go, this one is certainly well earned. Hilmarsdóttir and her four band mates have been yo-yoing from swerve of shore to bend of bay of late, with performances across the breadth of North America and Europe prior to heading to South America, Australia and Africa. It’s an itinerary that brings tears to your eyes, and all of this thanks to an inauspicious living room in Reykjavík. B E AT.C O M . A U

“The way that we started was kind of that living room session,” Hilmarsdóttir says. “Seeing that [footage] is seeing very much how we functioned at that time. We would meet in my living room, hang around and make music, drink beers and have a good time. It was really nice when KEXP came over doing Iceland Airwaves, and they said, ‘Hey, we’ll come tomorrow and do a session,’ and we just ran it from the living room because that’s where we usually were. And when people saw that video and started connecting to it, they were very much [connecting] to our world at that time. “I really like talking to fans, I think we have really cool and interesting fans and I like interacting with them. Like that remix thing we did – it’s so cool that we can be like, ‘Hey, we have this song, do you want to be creative and do something cool with it?’ And the things that we got out of it were so amazing.” The song in question is Wolves Without Teeth from sophomore album Beneath the Skin, which saw fans have a crack at submitting their own remix of the track. It illustrates that despite the band’s commercial and critical success, Of Monsters And Men are still very much a protean act. They have developed at an incredible rate, and the depth of their catalogue is remarkable. But Hilmarsdóttir feels certain that the band have more shapeshifting to come. “I think we still haven’t still figured out who we are, but I also don’t think you’re ever supposed to get to that place. I don’t really know when we’re going to make the next album or what we’re going to be feeling like then. I feel like it’s important for us to keep an open mind and to figure out [who we] are more and more, because I have no idea. No idea at all. People ask me all the time, ‘Oh, so what kind of band are you in?’ And I feel like I could say this, and this, and this, and then all of that could just change again.” It doesn’t hurt that the band’s music videos are such flights of imagination. Each clip is an exercise in world building, in opening up visually sumptuous landscapes to lose yourself within. Of these, Crystal is a standout. The song has multiple official videos, but the version featuring Icelandic actor Siggi Sigurjóns seems to somehow capture that strange, unbridled celebration that the song

promotes. “Well, that was actually really funny how that one happened. We were sitting around chatting, thinking about doing lyric videos. We thought, ‘OK, we’ll have lyrics, we’ll do some kind of graphic stuff,’ but it all sounded pretty boring and we wanted to do something more. Someone came up with the idea of having people just there in front of the camera, just to sing. To do their own interpretation, have their own emotions come up. We did the video with Siggi, and then did a few more – I think ten or something – which was us telling them, ‘Imagine you’re at home in your room alone, you’ve just turned on this song, and what comes up.’ It was pretty interesting to see, because people have such different reactions to it. I still have different reactions to it myself.” When Of Monsters & Men visited Melbourne in 2015, they sold out their sole show at the Forum before most people even had time to take out their wallets. Less than a year later, they’ll now be taking to the Palais Theatre across two nights. They’ve also just been announced as one of this year’s Glastonbury artists, which indicates they’re undoubtedly a band whose star is continuing to rise. It’s something Hilmarsdóttir is certainly conscious of, though she is reluctant to dwell too much on the shape of their future. Insatiable fans are already pleading for album #3, though with roughly three years between Beneath the Skin and their debut, they may be looking at a bit of a wait. In the meantime, Hilmarsdóttir remains happy and philosophical about the road ahead. “I think we’re just getting through the winter, and finishing touring. But in all of our minds we’re thinking about it. We’ve started writing a little bit, started piecing things together. We’re all slowly getting ready for the next chapter. But you shouldn’t always be thinking ahead of yourself. You should just be enjoying things while they happen.” OF MONSTERS AND MEN are playing at the Palais Theatre on Wednesday May 4 and Thursday May 5. Beneath the Skin is available now via Universal Music Australia.

"brooding folk-pop" - Rolling Stone "a strikingly assured album" - Rolling Stone "part Portishead, part Bond theme" - The Weekly Review

Tickets on sale now tinpanorange.com/tours

Album out this Friday 8 April Pre-order now via iTunes B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 21

This Week: The Chapel Street Precinct is set to host the 2016 ART-Town art festival, featuring participation from illustrious Melbourne fashion designer Rowena Doolan alongside a slew of other artists. As the face of Greville Street’s FOOL Clothing, it will be Doolan’s first appearance at a festival, now entering its seventh year. 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. ART-Town will take place around Chapel Street’s neighbourhoods including South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor on Saturday April 9 – Sunday April 10. An all time anime classic, My Neighbour Totoro will screen at ACMI this week. From the revered Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), the story follows two young girls – Satsuki and Mei – as they move to the country while their sick mother remains in hospital. To the girls’ delighted surprise, they find that they share their new home with some rather unusual creatures, including a giant furry creature called Totoro that only they can see. When the girls decide to visit their mother, Totoro becomes a devoted guide and ally. It’s been a cult favourite since its debut in 1988. It screens in its English language version, from Wednesday April 6 to Friday April 8. Two of Australia’s longest standing musical entities are bringing their collaborative work to Melbourne this week, featuring iconic compositions from silver-screen favourites alongside premieres of new works with Cinemusica. Bringing some of the 20th and 21st century’s most iconic moments from film scores to the stage, it will feature the compositions of Bernard Herrmann (heard in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho), Thomas Newman’s work from American Beauty and Bartók’s epic Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta – used to chilling effect in The Shining. The performance will be the first time the two musical ensemble giants have performed together in 30 years, helmed by a collaboration between Richard Tognetti and Timothy Constable. Cinemusica will play Hamer Hall, in a matinee show on Sunday April 10 and an evening show on Monday April 11.

With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au. RAW Comedy 2015 winner Angus Gordon

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

Circus Oz’s TWENTYSIXTEEN June 15 – July 10 Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr

Degas: A New Vision

RAW Comedy Announces 2016 Finalists, Nazeem Hussain to Host

Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s search for Australia’s next comedy superstar comes to a head this April with the RAW Comedy National Grand Final, hosted by Logie nominated Legally Brown star, Nazeem Hussain. Part of the RAW Comedy alumni, Nazeem will host the event as ten finalists compete to win the title in Australia’s largest open-mic comedy competition. Across eight states and territories, the country’s freshest new comedy talents have battled their way through 63 heats and state finals, coming out on top from 800 other competitors to make the National Grand Final. The finalists for this year’s competition are Lewis Garnham, Shea ‘Squirly’ Faithful, Craig Quartermaine, David Woodhead, Emily Vascotto, James McMahon, Maedi Prichard, Clinton Haines, Chris Kearey, Danielle Walker, Michael Shafar and Naomi Higgins. A Melbourne International Comedy Festival institution since 1996, previous RAW Comedy graduates include Ronny Chieng, Celia Pacquola, Matt Okine, and Hannah Gadsby. It all goes down at The Melbourne Town Hall on Sunday April 10.

An Evening With Henry Rollins

Monday September 19 & Tuesday September 20 State Theatre

2016 Bike & Life Festival

Alchemy Unveil 2016 Program Rites Of Passage Festival Returns For 2016

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 22

Friday June 24 – Sunday September 18 National Gallery of Victoria

Barkly Square Announce

PICK OF THE WEEK

It’s your last week to soak up some quality film at Shadow Electric’s Outdoor Cinema. This week, they’re going out with a bang with screenings of Steve Jobs, Carol and Hail Caeser. A special event is set to take place on the final night, featuring music and art from Wax’o Paradiso in a closing night spectacular. The finale is going down on Sunday April 10, at The Shadow Electric Outdoor Cinema with screenings running until close.

Coming Up

Rites of Passage Festival will once again return to Melbourne for a massive weekend of tattoos, art, music and culture this April. For its fifth year the Festival takes on a neo-traditional theme, celebrating the history of this era with awards and an ‘Ink Off ’ competition, where six artists will compete over two Ink Offs for a chance to win a one-year sponsorship package. International headliners joining this year’s event include Paul Acker, Jime Litwalk of Ink Master, Carlos Rojas and Alexi Vaatete. The lineup also features more than 250 of Australia’s top artists with Matt Curzon of Empire Melbourne, Tater Tatts, Brendan Boswell of Frontyard Tattoo and Mystik, all tattooing live. Rites Of Passage will take over the Royal Exhibition Building from Friday April 22 until Sunday April 24.

The Abbotsford Convent Foundations’ principal arts funding program, Alchemy, has announced its 2016 program of site-specific works, set to take over the convent in May. Hand-picked by the ACF to receive a $5,000 grant, the Alchemy works promise to celebrate the Convent’s architecture, environment, people and history. Cross-disciplinary duo Alex Akers and Helen Fitzgerald will install their work in the Convent courtyard from May 4 until May 31. Taking inspiration from the local flora and fauna, the piece will include everything from robotics and 3D printed works to natural materials. Alice Dixon, Caroline Meaden and William McBride will present their cross-discipline work, inspired by the experiences of a young woman performing liturgical dances at a catholic high school. Lastly, Mural Hall will also see performances from award-winning theatre company, Rawcus, as they bring their new work, Cross My Heart (And Hope) to the stage on May 28 and 29. For more details on all the works on the Alchemy 2016 lineup, head to the Abbotsford Convent website.

Emerging Writers’ Festival Reveals 2016 Ambassadors

The Emerging Writers’ Festival has appointed five Ambassadors who will share their experience, insight and knowledge with the next generation of writers at the National Writers’ Conference, a keynote event running as part of the Festival. Some of Australia’s finest writers have been selected to share their knowledge, including Adam Liaw, Alice Pung, Chandani Lokuge, First Dog on the Moon and Omar Musa. The two-day National Writers’ Conference is one of the best ways for aspiring and emerging writers to get tips and advice from industry experts, as well as looking at ways to refine their craft and diversify their practice. The National Writer’s Conference runs from Saturday June 18 – Saturday June 19 at the State Library. It acts as part of the Emerging Writers’ Festival, running from Tuesday June 14 – Friday June 24.

G E T S O M E C U LT U R E U P YA

Celebrating fitness with free entertainment comes the Bike & Life Festival. The Bike & Life Festival will feature in-centre spin classes, pop-up stalls, bike servicing and a free ‘Craft Bike’ workshop class run by designer Kitiya Palaska, offering the opportunity to alter your bike with woven wheels, handle bar streamers or a basket decoration. You can also take a free spin class in order to enter a draw to win a new bike. Capping it off, DJ Mikey Cahill will be spinning some tunes to keep the party going. The Bike & Life Festival will be hosted in the Laneway at Barkly Square on Sunday April 10.

Dita Von Teese Announces 2016 Melbourne Show

International Queen of Burlesque Dita Von Teese will tour Australia in June to perform her new burlesque show. Dita Von Teese will showcase four acts within her Burlesque: Strip, Strip, Hooray! show, and these include a new version of her Martini Glass routine, which includes an art-deco style cocktail glass crystalised with over 250,000 Swarovski crystals from top to bottom. She will be joined onstage by her full cast of supporting performers which include MC Murray Hill, Catherine D’lish and Perle Noire. Dita Von Teese will perform at the Forum in Melbourne on Friday June 10 and Saturday June 11.

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

Bonnie Wright BY AMANDA SHERRING

“It was one of those experiences that took a while to fully comprehend,” Bonnie Wright says of the moment her decade-long stint as Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter came to an end. “It takes days to come to realise what the experience meant to you and what it was. It was definitely one where all of us were really excited with the next chapter ahead of us – having spent such a long time with these characters.”

“It was always going to be very exciting to support one another on what would be our next endeavour. I think it took me longer than I thought to find where I wanted to work and what products I was into or interested in, and I think that was probably just down to that fact that anyone in their early twenties is going through the same thing no matter what kind of experience they’ve had.” These days, it seems Wright has swapped her life as the red-headed witch in the Harry Potter franchise to a beach going, sun baking jetsetter who is often taking in the lilac tinged sunset on the rocky coast. However, many of those travel-inducing shots are taken just north of Bondi while visiting family and as a part of a long form film series which Wright is piecing together with each trip. “All my mum’s side of my family live in Australia so I have a strong connection to there – having gone there since I was a child,” she says. “I recently was there in Sydney visiting my grandma and my aunt, and I was also there shooting a film that is part of a long series I’m doing. “To be honest, I always wished I could travel a little bit more and I say that every time I go. I just see my family and then never go and explore. There are such beautiful landscapes and it’s such a huge country. I went to Uluru once when I was a child and I thought that was incredible.” It was only expected of the now 25-year-old that after first stepping foot on set at the age of eight, film would become a key part of who she was. After being exposed to the industry for so long, Wright continued her studies in film and television at University of the Arts in London and since graduating has gone on to create her film company, BonBonLumière. While acting is still something Wright takes pleasure in, recently acting in After the Dark (2015) and The Highway is for Gamblers (2015), her passion has now stepped to the other side of the camera in directing due to the unique perspective it provides on storytelling. “That was why directing is something that naturally appeals to me more, because I just like to see the whole picture of things and be there at the birth of the idea, the development and how you put people together,” Wright says. “I’m still so much trying to

“That was why directing is something that naturally appeals to me more, because I just like to see the whole picture of things and be there at the birth of the idea, the development and how you put people together” tell stories I’m interested in, and figuring out what stories I want to tell.” Having made her directorial debut in 2012 with Separate We Come, Separate We Go at the Cannes Film Festival, Wright has developed her style and received widespread accolades for her work and ambition. However, there’s still plenty of growth ahead for the budding filmmaker. “I feel comfortable but I don’t think I’m anywhere near having figured out my niche as a director,” she says. “I think the beauty of short films in particular is that they are on a much smaller scale in terms of turnaround, so you can be making a lot of content year-by-year and each piece is a progression of what you’re trying to say, what kind of questions you’re trying to ask with your work and what kind of stories you’re trying to explore. I definitely feel much more confident than I did the year I left film school.” BONNIE WRIGHT will appear at this year’s Supanova Pop Culture Expo alongside Jack Gleeson, Allison Mack and more from Friday April 15 – Sunday April 17 at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Spanish Film Festival 2016 THE BEST OF THE FEST B Y G E N E V I E V E K E L LY

Viva España! The Spanish Film Festival is back for 2016, bringing a healthy slice of Spanish culture to cinemas across Australia. The program has plenty to offer this year, with award-winning Spanish director Daniel Guzmán visiting our shores with his feature, Nothing In Return. The full schedule also includes films from Argentina, Chile and Mexico, and to help us pick out the finest cuts, we asked Spanish Film Festival director and producer Genevieve Kelly to talk us through her top five. 1. EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT Ciro Guerra’s multi award-winning, Oscar-nominated film is a breathtaking cinematic odyssey through the Amazon, following the quests of two European explorers in search of a rare flower alleged to have healing properties. The spectacular widescreen blackand-white cinematography and evocative sound design combine to depict the landscapes and characters with an hypnotic, mythical sense of wonder. This is an extraordinary film exclusive to the festival on closing night events only.

grin as Amaia’s father Koldo and ex-lover Rafa join forces to prevent Amaia from promising herself to Pau, the wealthy hipster. This is the perfect film to enjoy before celebrating opening night with a riotous party the festival is notorious for.

2. TRUMAN Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara star in Cesc Gay’s funny, moving and hugely entertaining reflection on male relationships, which won Best Film, Director and Actor at the recent Goya (Spanish Academy) Awards. Set in the heart of glorious Madrid, this unmissable jewel of a film is a reminder that the best friendships are, indeed, forever.

5. MA MA In one of Penélope Cruz’s finest-ever performances, the beloved actress powerfully depicts a woman experiencing major life challenges, with an indefatigable dignity, persevering in the only way she knows how. From acclaimed director Julio Medem (A Room In Rome, Sex & Lucia), the festival is proudly presenting the world premiere of Medem’s original cut, which expands the motivations of characters and includes depictions of sexuality that were deleted for the Spanish theatrical release.

3. SPANISH AFFAIR 2 If one affair wasn’t enough, the romance of Rafa and Amaia returns – this time with some new friends and fresh laughs as the Catalans are thrown into the mix. With new elements of playfulness, 2015’s number one Spanish box office hit will leave audiences with a fresh

4. INNOCENT KILLERS A very polished, twisting thriller about a young man whose professor allows him to pass the course on the basis that the boy kills him. And with a standout cast that is easy on the eye!

The SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL will run at The Astor, Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth and Kino Cinemas from Wednesday April 13 – Sunday May 1. EVERYTHING MELBOURNE

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BEAT’S 2016 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL COVERAGE CONTINUES...

JOEL CREASEY BY KATE EARDLEY

It’s certainly not uncommon for modern comedians to rely on personal anecdotes and brute honesty as a way of better relating to their audiences. We see it from prolific comedy icons like Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Louis CK, with the latter only reaching success after he got older, fatter and had a couple of kids to complain about. Australian humour has always had blunt, genuine and somewhat self-deprecating undertones to it and Perth’s Joel Creasy, who has recently found himself to be a staple of Australia’s ever-growing comedy scene, has carved an unfaltering and unashamedly honest identity on both home soil and internationally. Now he brings his latest show, The Crown Prince, to this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “I’ve always been brutally honest,” admits Creasey. “I don’t have the time to be nice to people. It just sounds exhausting. I do feel like, each year, I have to step up my game to retain the title.” The title to which he is referring to is ‘The Acid Tongue Prince’. Nothing is a taboo topic to the young comedian, and he uses it to brilliant effect within his comedy. He is particularly forthright, and unabashedly honest. “To me, fame equals money, equals hot boyfriend,” says Creasey on his wish to become mega-famous. “It’s simple science really.” With previous shows in America, England and a recent set in South Africa, Joel Creasey is definitely getting closer to

having his name immortalised on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While his comedy has brought him to different corners of the globe, he has found that laughter seems to transcend any perceived cultural barriers. “Humour doesn’t really differ all that much around the world,” he says. “Funny is funny. I’ve had some of my best audiences in random parts of Asia or Africa – you just never know. As long as you give the audience some content, they’re on board.” However, Creasey admits that there are some jokes that are just a little too specific to Australia. “The odd Cosima De Vito or Shelley Craft joke is lost on an international crowd,” he jokes.

It’s easy to find yourself feeling envious of Joel Creasy. Entering the RAW Comedy stand-up competition at the age of 17, nobody can deny that the still very young talent has achieved so much in the past eight years. Questioning him about his humble beginnings, it becomes apparent that he owes a lot of success to his home city. “Perth’s comedy scene is brilliant,” he praises. “It’s where I started out and it’s a really supportive community. Take a look at how many successful comedians have come out of Perth. I can’t think of another city with such a high hit rate of top shelf comedians.” He’s not wrong either. Claire Hooper, Rove McManus and Judith Lucy are just some of the many talents that have come

out of Perth. It hasn’t been an easy ride to the top for Creasy, however, having gone out on a limb to pursue his love of laughter – dropping out of his political science degree to solely concentrate on his comedic endeavors. He advises young creatives that are in the same stressful situation to trust their instinct. “If it feels right to drop out of your accounting degree and go paint murals in Tanzania, then do it,” he says. “You only live once.” Since he debuted at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival six years ago, Creasy explains that he has found more confidence with his act and as a performer. “I’ve really grown into the comedian I am today,” he reflects. “This has developed with my brilliant audiences.” He has

“The people coming are all really amazing, so I’m very excited to be able to feed off their energy and vice-versa,” she says. “And learn something new, because you always learn something new whenever you watch another comedian perform.” Despite all of the positive vibes surrounding her visit, Schaefer still issues a warning through anecdote: you’re never safe. Do comedy for long enough and you’ll soon realise that not every crowd is as receptive as you hope. “I was doing this club in Indiana, in the States, and the shows weren’t good,” Schaefer recalls. “I was doing six shows and they were just bad. The audience didn’t like me, and I didn’t like them. There was this one show that was just so bad, I was bombing really badly, not getting any laughs. I was opening for this other guy,

and I get off stage, and I’m watching him from the back. I wasn’t upset – I wasn’t happy with the show, but I wasn’t in the back crying or anything like that – but then this woman comes up to me. I thought she was about to say, ‘I’m so sorry, I thought you were funny.’ She had that kind of look on her face, like she wanted to connect to me, and make me feel better. She reached out to me and she said, ‘I just wanted to let you know – I wasn’t laughing because I didn’t think you were funny.’” Schaefer takes it all in her stride, however. “It’s funny to me. As a comedian you just have to let that stuff roll off your back. I think people always say, ‘comedians are supposed to have a thick skin’, but I actually think that comedians are incredibly sensitive people. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to comment, and

managed to both establish and enhance his raw, unique and innovative style of comedy over the past couple of years. Clearly, it’s resonating with an ever-growing audience, with Creasey performing a total of ten times throughout the festival. You can’t argue with supply and demand. Scoring glowing reviews for his performances so far, audiences can expect “a truckload of sass, some naughty stories and some pretty scandalous gossip”. JOEL CREASEY will perform his show The Crown Prince at Max Watt’s from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

SARA SCHAEFER BY JACOB COLLIVER

The exceptionally talented and effortlessly funny Sara Schaefer is coming to Australia for the first time this year, making her debut at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “My father served in the Navy in the Vietnam War, and he has always said – and he has travelled all over the world – that Australia has the nicest people he’s ever met,” she laughs. “So there’s a high standard. I’m expecting the red carpet guys. I’m expecting total niceness at every turn.” No pressure, everyone. With her debut performance at this year’s Festival, Schaefer can add another experience to her already impressive career. She’s hosted a successful talk show (Nikki & Sara Live), created a podcast series (You Had To Be There), interviewed countless musicians and comedians for an online video series (The DL) and even won two consecutive Emmy Awards for her work as Head Blogger on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Long story short – she’s earned a plethora of skills. “I basically moved to New York in 2001 and I wanted to be a comedian, but I didn’t know how or what... I knew nothing,” Schaefer reflects. “I just went there with stars in my eyes and had no idea how long it was going to take, but I stuck with it. When I was a little girl, the internet didn’t really exist yet. As I went along in New York, I would get auditions for things, or get opportunities for things, and it was all in the medium of internet and podcasting, and I would just kind of go forward and say yes to any and every way to be creative. By being very open, it allowed me to experience PAGE 24

all these different types of jobs and they really made me very well-rounded. Now, I’m more focused on my stand-up comedy and my writing, but all of those things have helped me get to where I am now.” Despite the diversity of her expertise, however, stand-up still holds a huge place in Schaefer’s heart. “Doing television, ultimately, is probably what I want to do the most, but stand-up has this purity, and it will always be there,” she says. “It will always call me back, where it’s just me, a microphone and an audience. There’s just something really magical about that that I’ll never walk away from. A really great show and a really great audience, when the comedian is on top of their game and the audience is really there – there’s really nothing like that. That’s just unbeatable in terms of experience and the adrenaline you feel, and the high you feel.” Schaefer will be performing with Headliners – a pool of great American comedians binding together for what promises to be a hilariously eclectic series of nights. Schaefer’s looking forward to it.

feel, and be upset about the world. So, I don’t think with ‘thick skin’, I just think that you have to process rejection and pain very quickly. You just have to move through it quickly. You feel it - you feel it deep - but you’ve just got to move on.” It’s a good thing Australians are all so nice.

SARA SCHAEFER will perform as part of Headliners at the Melbourne Town Hall featuring Sarah Tiana, Whitmer Thomas, Mark Forward and more from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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BEAT’S 2016 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL COVERAGE CONTINUES... Sam Taunton

THE COMEDY ZONE BY NICK MASON

With the 30th Melbourne International Comedy Festival officially in full swing, Sam Taunton and Pat McCaffrie – two of the stars of The Comedy Zone – are very much excited to be amongst everything. “It’s the only time of year I feel like comedians are almost on par with AFL players for the most important people in Melbourne. It’s bizarre,” jokes Taunton. “You flyer down at the Town Hall and you chat to people, and people want to take flyers and talk about it. It’s like election day but so much better. It’s great that for a month of the year people embrace comedy.” The Comedy Zone is the Festival’s own showcase of emerging talents. Each of the five performers experienced outstanding success in last year’s RAW Comedy competition, making it to the state finals and beyond. “Angus [Gordon] won RAW last year, Jess [Perkins] was in the final with me,” explains Taunton, one of two Victorians in this year’s line-up. “Andrew Wolfe is fantastic, he’s an absolute ball of energy. Pat does topical stand-up and a lot of politics gear and it’s really good. It’s a great show. I MC the show which is frightening to think, that I’m in charge of anything, let alone a comedy show that people pay money to see.” “The one thing so far that’s great is how well everyone gets along,” says McCaffrie,

acknowledging that the young comics will continue to live in each other’s pockets as the Festival unfolds. “We spend a lot of time together, because we’re flyering together, doing the show and then seeing other shows together. It’s been so much fun so far.” Each of the participants were hand-picked by the festival – a glowing endorsement from the industry bigwigs that live and breathe comedy. Taunton very much values the opportunity to perform as part of The Comedy Zone, as well as everything it stands for. “It’s a really overwhelmingly validating thing,” he says. “Like most comedians, I’m plagued by self-doubt and constant anxiety about how good or funny I am. It is very validating for them

to say, ‘Look, we think you guys are great emerging comedians and we’d love for you to do the show.’ And it’s nice when you look at the honour roll of the people who have come through Comedy Zone: you’ve got guys like Ronny Chieng, Celia Pacquola, Tom Ballard and Hannah Gadsby. It’s actually ridiculous when you look at some of the names that have come through. It’s very validating.” According to McCaffrie, it’s nice to have something to hang your hat on. “You’re always doing that thing where, as a performer, you think, ‘Oh, that gig went well.’ But if you think that gig went well and the audience didn’t laugh, that’s only half the equation,” the South-Australian comic explains. “This is one of those things where it’s very easy for me to say, ‘Well someone else thinks I’m good at comedy.’ So I’m probably doing something right.” Taunton and McCaffrie were privileged to

be under the tutelage of comedy great Bob Franklin, this year’s director of The Comedy Zone. According to both performers, it was a terrific experience. “We all ran through our material, workshopping ideas and working out what order we would go in,” explains McCaffrie. “We spent a week with him in the first week of the festival,” adds Taunton. “It was an amazing. He’s such a genius, a legend of Australian comedy. It was great just hanging out with him and racking his brains about the industry and the experiences that he’s had. Just chatting to him and getting his advice on some of our jokes, hearing him talk about the industry and about how he started and getting advice on how to do certain gigs and how to handle certain crowds was fascinating.” “And he’s just a lovely guy, too,” confirms McCaffrie. “It was really great that not only was he very helpful, he was a real gentleman

and a real lovely guy to get along with.” In working with such a big name, The Comedy Zone performers could not have asked for a better lead-up to the festival. As for their season, it’s off to a great start. “Everyone’s said lots of positive things,” says Taunton. “People are still always a bit dubious if they haven’t seen you on the TV too much or if they haven’t heard you on the radio. But that’s the beauty of the comedy festival in general: there’s so many great acts and the best comedian you’ve never heard of is out there doing a show. You’ve just got to go and see it.” THE COMEDY ZONE will run at Trades Hall from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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BEAT’S 2016 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL COVERAGE CONTINUES...

DAVE HUGHES BY JOANNE BROOKFIELD

“I’m still torn between the large box of Nutri Grain at the supermarket being $3.50 and the small box being $4.90 and buying the large box – even though we’re on holidays and it’s only going to be two days and my wife is going to get angry at me for the large box, not the small box - but I can’t walk away from the value of the large box of Nutri Grain being cheaper than the small box of Nutri Grain,” Dave Hughes pauses, then laughs at himself. “Seriously, those things tear me apart.” Of course, Dave Hughes has always had a way to turn the minutiae of life into a hilarious, relatable anecdote. “I just can’t fucking do it. I can’t buy a small box of Nutri Grain that is more expensive than the big box. They’re tiny moments in my life but that shit ends up in my show,” he says. Dave Hughes is in his car, having soundchecked at the Athenaeum Theatre ahead of his opening night, he’s been back

home to iron a shirt and is now on his way in to start his drive time radio shift with long-time broadcast partner Kate Langbroek. This year, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival celebrates 30 years and Dave Hughes is performing his twentieth show, Sweet. This means for the better part of the Festival’s history ‘Hughesy’, as he’s affectionately known to fans and colleagues

alike, has been one of the main drawcards. His first show was back in 1996, having started stand-up three years prior, and right from the start Hughesy was a hot ticket. Ultimately, nothing has changed – only the size of the venues has continued to increase. It’s how, in his chat with Beat, we end up talking about the value of a box Nutri Grain. When he first started, Dave Hughes was a laidback country boy navigating a new life in the city, talking about being on the dole. Sold out seasons around the country, a profile from a decade in breakfast radio, plus evening appearances on national television shows has led him to become one of this country’s most successful stand-ups. Given how far he

has come, what is the rich and famous Hughesy talking about these days in his new show. “Just personal stuff. The money doesn’t make much difference to me,” he says, and then gives the Nutri Grain example. “The amount of money I’ve got in the bank, or don’t have, or whatever, it’s still my life and anyone’s life. I’m being honest,” he says of his material. That honesty extends to candid revelations about his wife and three children, he’s just built a new house that might get a mention as well his experience hosting Australia’s Got Talent. “Whatever goes on in my life will end up on stage,” says Hughes. “I never have an order. I don’t know what order I’m going to roll out my stuff.”

Having switched from the breakfast shift to drive, Hughesy has been able to concentrate more on his stand-up. “I genuinely focus on my stand-up, much more than I used to – much more. And consequently, I’m enjoying it much more,” he says. “I really do feel like I’m giving audiences really good value at the moment, because I feel that I’m maximising my shows in terms of funniness, basically,” he laughs.

is to be able laugh at ourselves. We really want people to be entertained and to enjoy themselves. And then walk away talking things over with each other. If we can encourage people to have dialogues about these things then we’ve achieved what we want to achieve.” Mayer sees audience members get involved in the characters’ various dilemmas. “Especially with Rachel, the lawyer character,” he says. “People want to know if she’s really like that.” The play has something to offer everyone who has or has had a partner, and on the night the work can almost perform as a kind of therapy session for audiences in its own

right. “They get sucked into the stories,” he says. “It’s like the audience becomes part of the process; at first they are getting used to what’s happening on stage and then their reactions become part of the drama. It’s accessible and relatable.” The characters are people we all know – Mayer has brought to life everymanstyle characters that seem at once familiar. Eventually, each character gets to display their humanity and dignity, even characters who perhaps might be somewhat unsympathetic to begin with. Like life, there are more to these people than you first realise. Couples! lets the individual

stories of the respective relationships speak for themselves. But ultimately, says Mayer, the entertainment element is paramount. “We’re looking forward to being in the Comedy Festival and performing Couples! in different venues to what we’re used to. It’s a funny theatre piece. Our point of difference is that we’re in the Comedy Festival, but it isn’t stand-up.”

funny and a cute gag, but it was also to gloss over the fact I didn’t have enough material for a full set.” She laughs. “Now I’m very happy with this show. I think my act is really solid and the audience is going to get a good laugh. I feel like this time around, it’s my time.” Davis has every right to feel excited. Her voice is bright, full of energy and comic asides, and the lessons learned in a life of stand-up over 25 years are employed to full effect. This was not always going to be the case, however. Growing up in Canada, Davis had every intention of breaking into the world of acting, but fate (in the form of a penguin, because of course) intervened. “I grew up in the ‘70s, where your parents plunk you in front of the television instead of actually parenting, so I watched a lot of American sit-coms. I loved watching

Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy. My parents were divorced and my dad kind of looks like Robin Williams a little, so I think that might have been a link to him. He always made me laugh, and I think I got my humour from my paternal side of the family. I’d always try out for school performances and end up in the background playing a tree or something nonsensical. Never the leads – they eluded me. When I graduated, my family told me I needed to go to university. But when I got there I realised you really are studying theatre; we didn’t really get to perform. So I started doing community theatre and auditioned for a Christmas performance and got the lead. I was Perry the Penguin, and the other adult in the production, I started dating. Apparently he had a thing for penguins. But he asked if I wanted

to go down to the comedy club to watch him, and that was my first ever exposure to stand-up. When we got there and I saw that people just stood up and performed, I thought it was amazing. And then I realised how badly this guy sucked. I could tell instinctively the things he was doing wrong. And he was like, ‘You think you can do better than me?’ And I thought, ‘Well, yeah!’ So they got me up there on January 23rd, 1990. And here I am. He later dumped me for a seal, but hey – now I’m living the dream.”

DAVE HUGHES will perform his show Sweet at The Athenaeum Theatre from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

COUPLES! BY LIZA DEZFOULI

Is your relationship in need of some therapy? And do you need to have a laugh while you’re at it? Beat talks to writer, director and performer Phillip A Mayer about Couples!, his light-hearted but truthful one-act play about love which is making an appearance at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “Everyone can relate to this play. We all have relationships,” says Mayer. “Audiences get to laugh at themselves, then talk about the issues afterwards.” Over a weekend therapy retreat conducted by doctors Edwin and Jessica, four couples take a look at their relationship issues and work to resolving them. Needless to say, the men aren’t too happy about spending a weekend discussing their relationships. Mayer actually put his cast through one of these couple therapy sessions in development in order to make sure the piece rang true. Couples premiered over a year ago at the

Carlton Courthouse, and has been touring in one-act play festivals since, proving very popular with urban and regional audiences. Moreover, the cast get to profit themselves from some of the insights the play contains. “We work well together as an ensemble,” notes Mayer. “We enjoy each other’s company and have done for an elongated period of time. We’ve had to replace a couple of cast members along the way.” Having seen the play, it manages to be both accessible and wise at the same time. “We all have our own idiosyncrasies, our own hypocrisies,” Mayer says. “The thing

COUPLES! will run at The Last Jar Hotel from Tuesday April 12 – Saturday April 16 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

TANYALEE DAVIS BY ADAM NORRIS

Tanyalee Davis is something of a veteran of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, although there’s admittedly a bit of time between her debut performance and Actual Size, her second. She first appeared here back in 2001, having forged a name for herself both at home in the US (though the 3’6” comedian is Canadian born) and across the UK. She has just wrapped performances at the SoHo Theatre, featured on the Live at the Apollo’s first Christmas Special, and is now set to unleash her updated show on this year’s Festival. “It’s kind of a different ballgame for me this time,” Davis explains. “Back then I was very fortunate to meet up with Fahey [Younger] and Linda [Haggar] from Miss Itchy, who I met online through a comedy forum. They came to Los Angeles and we had a kind of reunion of all the comedians who were on this forum. I’d told them I’d love to go to the Melbourne festival, but I PAGE 26

didn’t know anything about it, at that time I’d never done anything like that. Being an invite-only thing, they ended up bringing me over, which was an amazing experience, but I really didn’t have enough material. We padded it out with a video of me at Disneyland with the two of them walking up to me thinking I was a lost little girl, trying to help me find my parents. It was

TANYALEE DAVIS will perform her show Actual Size at Little Sista from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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COLIN LANE BY ABBEY LEW-KEE

Colin Lane has been gallivanting around the comedy scene for almost as long as the Melbourne Comedy Festival has been in existence. An expert of his craft, he’s even been around long enough to remember the “old days” when the festival always began on April Fool’s Day. “It was just such a perfect day to start it on,” he explains. Lane is still delighting audiences just the same as ever, and will be bringing a new, three-nights-only show, to this year’s event. Aptly titled and with the promise of plenty of variety and hilarity, Colin Lane and Friends is simply feel good entertainment. “It’s a celebration of 30 years of the Comedy Festival,” says Colin. “I’m pretty much curating an evening where I do some shtick, and then I introduce people that I’ve admired and known for a while.” The show promises stand-up veterans aplenty. Punters will be spoilt with three different comedians taking the stage alongside Colin, each night. In fact, avid

comedy-goers could treat themselves to three nights in a row, and would not be disappointed with the new string of guests at each show. With a career that is as long and versatile as Lane’s, audiences would be right to think that he has made illustrious and hilarious friends along the way. Lane jokes that to a young audience, his line up might resemble a group from an old people’s home. However, household names including Peter Rowsthorn, Glenn Robbins and Denise Scott, among others,

and are all set to feature in Colin and Friends, and there is no doubt that Lane is excited to be sharing the stage again with not only some of his mates, but his comedic idols. “I’ve known Peter Rowsthorn for many years, and in some ways I borderline worshipped him,” says Lane. “He was doing shows at the Last Laugh in Collingwood in the ‘80s and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, I just want to be you’.” Also in awe of Glenn Robbins’ oh-so-

natural funny bone and enduring career, Lane is thrilled to be sharing the stage with another comedian of such acclaim. Nazeem Hussain, a more recent face to the comedy circuit, but no less recognisable, is also one of Lanes’ friends and will entertain audiences on one of the three nights. With variety at the heart of the show, audiences can look forward to a piano gracing the stage, with songs and even multimedia adding to the diversity of the show. “I don’t want to undermine what we’re doing but [the audience] aren’t going

to have to think too much,” he says. “I just want people to go out knowing that they’ve had a rollicking good night, knowing that they’ve seen a good variety of funny comedians.”

still don’t, in fact – so I came to stand-up without knowing any comedians at all. I just started to tell my personal thoughts and stories from the stage. I’ve really always been myself.” It’s solid advice, and something many other comics also extol – don’t try to be something you’re not, because the audience will always sniff you out. But for Meerson it is particularly apt given his background. He is very aware of the occasionally repressive image that Russia conjures in the Western mind, and with the media portrayal of Russia’s authority when it comes to artists such as Pussy Riot, poking fun at certain topics can be a loaded game. “It is a very good question and a very important one for me. I’m not political

comic but I don’t stop myself from talking about anything at home,” reflects Meerson. “When I’m abroad, I think of myself as a representative of my country so I try to defend it as much as I can. The interesting thing is that everybody has a stereotype about Russia, that we have censorship or something like that. But lots of jokes I have at home are impossible to say here because of so called political correctness. It is irony – I was waiting for Western freedom of speech but in fact you face so many boundaries here, too.” Meerson comes across as a funny guy, sure, but he also seems so damned nice. His reception outside Russia has seen him impress the likes of Dylan Moran and GQ, and his stint in Melbourne is likely to be

just as celebrated. “I perform everywhere in the world and everywhere comedians are very kind and supportive to me. They know that English isn’t my native language and they are ready to help. I’m lucky, I have to say. Unfortunately, I have to fly back home the day after my last show here, but I really hope to explore Melbourne as much as I can. I hope it’s not my first and last visit here, so I’m sure I will have an opportunity to find my own Australia.”

somewhat of a recognisable figure about town. “I have really bad hair,” laughs Gill. “I genuinely look like Jon Snow if he had 25 kilos extra on him. You think when people recognise you they want to have a chat, but usually they just yell out ‘Amos!’ It’s a bit like bird watching. “For radio, you get to work at 5am. It’s hard to get your head around wanting to be funny at that time. Every other job I’ve had when you start that early you don’t talk to anybody, you hate everybody, you drink a coffee and hunch over. Every day in radio feels like I’m taking a weird early morning

flight with Tiger. I’ve got a great co-host, but obviously you can’t swear. So you can’t talk about your mum’s vagina, it’s frowned upon.” Working for radio has also proved to offer up some material, which Gill talks about in his new show. “A lot of it is about commercial radio, taking the piss out of elements of that which are crazy. Some of the weird things you encounter”, says Gill. “Then some of the terrible sexual encounters in my life. Bizarrely a lot of it is about the Reclaim Australia movement, the NRL dog sex scandal and Australian culture at the moment,

politics and nuclear waste. I’ll do thirty minutes about sex, and then say, ‘Here’s a story about a hand-job and by the way, what’s going on with nuclear waste?’ There are so many sex stories in my show. My dad was like, ‘Reckon Nan can come along? I’m thinking of taking her out for a roast and then going.’ I don’t think she needs the heart scare.”

COLIN LANE will appear with his show Colin Lane and Friends at the Melbourne Town Hall on Friday April 8, Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

IGOR MEERSON BY ADAM NORRIS

Given our relative countries are about as far apart as you can get without stepping into myth (it’s no coincidence Russia and Narnia have the same number of letters), it’s possible you’ve yet to discover Igor Meerson. But with Hou I Lernt Inglish, all that is set to change. We chat with the friendly but oddball Russian about comic identities, national stereotypes, and ubiquitous ushankas. “The ushanka on my poster – it is pure marketing,” he says of the military-style fur cap on his tour posters. “I’m talking about stereotypes in my show and this image of a tough Russian military guy is typical all over the world. You have so many comedians here, I thought this would catch the attention of the audience. And the thing is that my face isn’t stereotypical Russian – I’m not blond and bearded – because I’m Jewish. So I use this hat to make my Jewish looks more Russian. “Russian people ‘laugh by their hands’,” Meerson continues. “I mean, instead of loud

laughter they give you applause. But funny ideas – it works everywhere. I should say that I try to find something interesting in local life, language and traditions to talk to people about topics which are close to them, but I never change my basic comedy approach according to the audience. I see in Russia a lot at the moment young comedians inspired by Western comedians they watch on the internet, that sometimes they just copy someone they like. Because I started to do stand-up 12 years ago, when the internet was so slow in Russia, we had no English speaking comedy on TV – we

IGOR MEERSON will perform his show Hou I Lernt Inglish at the Melbourne Town Hall from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

AMOS GILL BY BEL RYAN

The cheeky and charming Amos Gill is back at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival with his new show, Netflix and Gill. Covering a range of topics from sex to nuclear waste, the stand-up comedian is set to win over an even bigger fan base with his honest and very Australian humour. Gill first knew he was going to be a comedian from a young age. “I was 13-years-old and I used to do speeches at school,” he says. “There was an opportunity once a year and I was kind of known for it. I’d work on it all year for a five minute round. I got to roast teachers, kids, talk about what had happened. Then I started doing debating which kind of turned into more telling jokes than debating topics. When triple j had that RAW comedy competition, I just thought – I’m doing it.” One particularly hilarious attribute of Gill’s stand-up shows are his brutally personal anecdotes. Sometimes these can PAGE 28

prove a little awkward when it comes to talking about his parents. “I don’t invite her,” says Gill of his mum. “But then her friends come along. My mum does Botox on people so it’s those inner-city types who are all like, ‘Oh, we heard your son talking about your vagina.’ It’s super uncomfortable. My whole stand-up show is grim personal stories. Someone once told me you should write comedy like your parents are dead, and unfortunately for them they’re alive.” With his unique brand of humour Gill has not ceased gaining momentum, recently being picked up as a host for breakfast radio, which has resulted in him becoming

AMOS GILL will perform his show Netflix and Gill at the Forum Theatre from Wednesday April 6 to Saturday April 16 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

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BEAT’S 2016 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL COVERAGE CONTINUES...

WIL ANDERSON BY NICK MASON

Once upon a time, long before he became the face of Australian stand-up comedy, Wil Anderson was weighing up his options, career-wise. Looking back, what seemed like a roll of the dice actually turned out to be a pretty safe bet. “When I quit the ‘safe’ world of newspaper journalism to tell dick jokes to strangers in bars, that probably seemed like a crazy choice,” says Anderson. “But strangers in bars still like dick jokes, and there are no newspapers anymore. I guess I made the right choice. It feels like a lifetime ago to me, to even imagine. I guess I’d be a 42-year-old guy with a blog,” he laughs. “Don’t get me wrong, I still am a 42-year-old guy with four free podcasts, so I may not have actually made a better financial decision.” Anderson, a five-time winner of the Comedy Festival’s People’s Choice Award, is currently performing Fire At Wil at The Comedy Theatre. “It’s about 70 minutes of the funniest shit I can think of, said in a row,” he says on the show’s ethos. “I kind of hate the idea that anyone would ever come to a comedy show based on what it’s about. The idea is that, whatever I’m talking about, it just should be funny. I guess the thing that I will say is that it’s a little bit more focused at home, because this is the first show for the last six years that I’m not going to tour overseas. Having the opportunity to be able to talk about Australia Day or talk about Adam Goodes or talk about these things to an audience that really, truly understands them inherently is pretty fun.” Pressed for a broad evaluation of Australia

– that is, whether we’re on the right track or headed down a dark path – Anderson offers his two cents. “Neither of those things are true,” he declares. “We’re not a racist country and there’s not no racism in this country. We seem to have this black and white opinion of things these days... this kind of striving for black and white, for people to have definitive opinions – rather than understand that everything’s pretty messy and we have to look for a compromise – is probably what’s ripping us apart at the moment. “You hear it on radio all the time. ‘So this three-month study by the finest scientists in the world is coming out, give us a call and give us your opinion about whether it’s shit or not.’ And I’m like, ‘No, don’t. Go home, read it for a week, talk to some experts and

then maybe offer your opinion’. Or maybe don’t, because they’re experts and maybe it’s your time to just shut the fuck up and be an expert in whatever you’re an expert in.” Anderson points out that he doesn’t have all the answers. However, that’s precisely the point. “I don’t care if I’m right or wrong. I just feel like we need to find a way to work together to keep the country moving forward. That’s where I feel like we’re at. I feel like we’re a bit stagnated because we’ve forgotten how to move forward together.” To that end, there’s no grand plan to bend people to his, ahem, Wil, via his shows. “My sole concern is to make people laugh as hard as they possibly can for 70 minutes. There is no other agenda to what I do. There’s no higher calling; I don’t think that

comedy can change the world. I don’t think anyone is walking in with one opinion and walking out with a drastically different opinion. But I do think that comedy is at its best when the performer is talking about something that they’re genuinely interested in.“ While he asserts that comedy cannot change the world, Anderson ponders loftier notions of control. “I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason to life,” he says. “I think we’re an accident in a tiny corner of the universe and there’s no specific meaning to any of our lives, other than the meaning that we give our own lives. “I understand people wanting to subscribe to something. There’s some comfort in going, ‘This will explain it all.’ But it won’t. It can’t. There’s no guidebook and even

if there were, the wisest words of all are from the fucking theme song to Diff ’rent Strokes: what might be right for you, may not be right for some. There’s no one size that fits all. I have kind of resigned myself to that, but not in a bad way – more just like, ‘This is life. Some good things are going to happen, some bad things are going to happen.’ The one thing that I have kind of realised is that it’s how you handle those things that defines you much more than what those things are.”

“At The Project I was running the risk of being taken seriously, and I think now people know they should absolutely not be taking me seriously, and that makes me feel a lot more comfortable. “While I was doing The Project, I think everyone was quite surprised when they saw me doing stand-up. It’s a very different job. That light entertainment news stuff is pretty sanitised, and my stand-up never has been. The Weekly is a lot more like my

voice, so I think people are used to seeing me do lots of jokes in a row rather than just doing the news, and how cyber-bullying is making life hard for our kids, and how obesity is a problem – you know, all those stories that are on repeat five nights a week. “I do think it all comes down to the idea that we’re actually trying to find the truth in every story. Quite often, the coverage of stories gets so carried away [that] it misses the truth of the situation, so yeah – all we

try to do is just get to what we reckon is the reality, and it’s not always easy but it’s a good compass to sail by.”

WIL ANDERSON will perform his show Fire at Wil at The Comedy Theatre from Wednesday April 6 to Sunday April 17 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

CHARLIE PICKERING BY MATILDA EDWARDS

“I might be at a point in my life where I don’t really have time to take an animal that really should be wild and domesticate it,” Charlie Pickering laughs. “Although there is a woman online who is convinced it’s possible. Her guide on how to do it is a very interesting insight into her life and – I assume – the life of fellow squirrel tamers.” When I call for our interview, I get a side of Charlie Pickering the public doesn’t see often. Still razor-sharp, witty and genuinely warm, the normally slick and composed comedian and TV personality is a little flustered. “I had planned to be at the airport by now, chatting to you. But I’m in the heaviest traffic on the freeway, my plane leaves in half an hour for a show in Tasmania tonight, and I’m pretty sure I’ll struggle to make the show if I miss this plane. So, if I swear and it’s not in an entertaining or humorous fashion, it’s nothing to do with you.” Known primarily for his work on Channel 10’s The Project and now his ABC news satire show The Weekly, Pickering has let comedy take a backseat over the past few years. “It’s really hard to do both properly. Well, no. I think you can do both properly, but not be a good member of your family,” he says, correcting himself. “If I spent all day in the office doing my job job, then went out at night to do stand-up, then spent all weekend writing stand-up, then there’d be no space for a life or for relationships. And then also, what the fuck would I do standup about, too? If you’re not living a life, you’ve got nothing to talk about.” He’s back at the Melbourne International

Comedy Festival this year with his first solo show since 2012 – an event he used to appear on the bill for year in, year out – with How To Tame A Squirrel, a show inspired by the woman who told him that he should, in fact, attempt to domesticate one. “Part of why I want to talk about it is that the people who think you can do something so ludicrous is, you know, one of the absurd corners of the greatest time-wasting device that the world has ever known,” he says. After a few years away from the Australian comedy scene, and with the new challenge of his own TV show under his belt, the 38 year-old’s approach to stand-up has relaxed. “In previous shows I’ve been more anchored down in my material, but in this one I’m keen to improvise a lot more and see where the shows go,” reflects Pickering. “There’s a rough framework, but whenever I talk I have other ideas come into my head that I feel like bringing up, and that seems to be working out pretty well for me. I kind of feel like if people want to see me do some highly scripted work, The Weekly is a good description of that, so this is a good chance to have a bit of loose fun.” Having moved on from The Project, Pickering is now afforded more creative freedom to pursue his ideas into new areas.

CHARLIE PICKERING will perform his show How To Tame A Wild Squirrel at The Comedy Theatre on Thursday April 7 and Thursday April 14 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

BEAT’S MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 COVERAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

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snaps khokolat koated

club guide wednesday april 6 • 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 + LIZ MILLAR Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

thursday april 7

faktory

• 3181 THURSDAYS FEAT: HANS DC + CLINT HARGREAVES + JAMES STEETH + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. • DISCO VOLANTE - FEAT: DELTIOD CURVE + THE MILKMAN + BOWANCE + YANI ARSENAKIS + BALTIMORE GUN CLUB Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • LOCAL MOTION - FEAT: BILLUS MOON + NELSON + DAN FABRIS + SENPOLO 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 april 8

pulp

• #MASHTAG - FEAT: NUGEN + MALPRACTICE + FLAGRANT Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. • AVALANCHE CREW - FEAT: DJ TURF + BEN RYAN Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • AWOL - FEAT: DAKTARI + LUCCA TAN + LIAM WALLER + MORE Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. • CAN’T SAY La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. • CIROQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • DJ PHONE HOME - FEAT: DJ ANDREW MCCLELLAND Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 11:30pm. $10.00. • 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. • GOOD MANNERS - FEAT: FORTUNES + SQUIDGENINI + DJ PJENNE + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd.

10:00pm. $10.00. • LOVE IN BABYLON - FEAT: MEGAPIXEL + PAKMAN + MOSKALIN + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.00. • LUCK TRUCK FRIDAY DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: 99 PRBLMZ + CONGO TARDIS #1 + LITTLE LEAGUE BOUNCE CLUB Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • MAARS + MATT RAD + SAM MCEWIN Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • PANORAMA FRIDAYS UPSTAIRS - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + MR.GEORGE + MATT RADD + ASH-LEE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm. • PHIL GOOD FRIDAYS FEAT: PHIL K Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 6:00pm. • POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • REVOLVER FRIDAYS & TRUST - FEAT: MIKE CALLANDER + SAFARI + MATT RADOVICH + JMCEE + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10:00pm. • THE DISCO - FEAT: GREG SARA + LUKE MCD + JEN TUTTY + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 8:00pm. • THE EMERSON CLUB FRIDAYS The Emerson, South Yarra. 3:00pm.

saturday april 9 • 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. • BAD NEWS TOILET Karova Lounge, Ballarat. 8:30pm. $15.00. • BLVD Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. • CHAMPAGNE INTERNET Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 10:30pm. • CQ SATURDAYS Cq, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • CUSHION SATURDAYS Cushion, St Kilda. 9:00pm. • DISTRIKT - FEAT: BEN SEAGREN + DJ KRAMER + PAUL GEDDES Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 12:00pm. $38.00. • DJ PHONE HOME - FEAT: DJ ANDREW MCCLELLAND Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 11:30pm. $10.00. • ELECTRIC DREAMS FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:00pm. $20.00. • HOT STEP - FEAT: 99 PROBLEMS + TIGER FUNK + SILVER FOX + ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. • IN THE CARRIAGE - FEAT: DJ JNETT Toff In Town,

sunday april 10 • ANYWAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Bottom End, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $25.00. • BLOMA + MR KAPOW + NEUROBLOSSOM Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1:00pm. $5.00. • 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. • DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - FEAT: DJ NIGEL LAST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • GOOD TIMES - FEAT: MATT RADOVICH Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 3:00pm. • JUNGLE - FEAT: HANDS DOWN + ZAC DEPETRO + PETE LASKIS + TRAVLOS

+ JOHN DOE Tramp, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00am. $15.00. • LIFE’S A PEACH - FEAT: JAMIE VALE + STAKSI + WARSAWYER Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • REVOLVER SUNDAYS FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + T-REK + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00am. • ROOFTOP SUNDAYS - FEAT: KHANH + KEN WALKER + JESUS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12:00pm. • S.A.S.H - FEAT: SASCHA DIVE + JAKE HOUGH + MATT WEIR + MORE Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 2:00pm. $15.00. • THE SUNDAY SET FEAT: DJ ANDYBLACK + SHAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. • WAX ON WAX OFF Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. • WAX’O PARADISO - FEAT: EDD FISHER + SIMON TK + MILLY + MORE The Shadow Electric, Abbotsford. 3:00pm. $25.00.

monday april 11 • CALL IT IN - FEAT: INSTANT PETERSON + DYLAN MICHAEL + ROBYN TREASURE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. • MONDAY STRUGGLE FEAT: TIGER FUNK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm.

tuesday april 12 • 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.

with james di fabrizio That’s amore.

Ivan Ooze Announces Melbourne Show And 2016 Tour 2016 has already shaped up to be nothing short of massive for young-gun rapper, Ivan Ooze, and with no signs of slowing down, he has announced a a national tour. Beginning the year with a killer set at Beyond The Valley, Ivan Ooze has already gone on to spend the first bit of his 2016 supporting the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, as well as working in the studio with none other than Ghostface Killah. The tour comes in support of a new mixtaxpe entitled ‘93 KFC Rotisserie GOL. He’ll hit up Melbourne on Saturday May 28 at the Northcote Social Club.

Purple Disco Machine Locks In 2016 Melbourne Show Purple Disco Machine is returning to Australia, locking in a Melbourne show. Well-known for his track My House reaching Beatport Deep House #1, overall #3 at peak and securing his place in the Deep House Top 100 for one year, Purple Disco Machine will be returning to Australia for a national tour. Purple Disco Machine will play Revolver in Melbourne on Sunday April 17.

urban club guide wednesday april 6 • MELLOWDÍASTHUMP - FEAT: COLLETTE + GEEZY + CAZEAUX O.S.L.O + SKOMES Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

thursday april 7 • HIP HOP KARAOKE (2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY) Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

friday april 8 • BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY - FEAT: DJ RCEE + KAHLUA + DJ SHOOK + DJ ANGEL JAY Chaise Lounge, Melbourne

Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. • JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 12:05am. • LOST WEEKEND - FEAT: FRANCIS INFERNO ORCHESTRA + MERVE + TOM BAKER + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. • MERCURY - FEAT: THE MOVERICKS + TYPHONIC + SLEND DAISY + MORE Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. • OBLIVEUS + B-TWO + NO NAME NATH + AKIN Penny Black, Brunswick. 10:00pm. • 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. • TECHTONIC 24 Moons, Northcote. 9:00pm. • 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 DESTINY CHILD Pulp Club, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

Cbd. 8:00pm. • DEZZY & FRIENDS - FEAT: MANIC PIXIE + SAL + LARRIE + MORE Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. • FAKTORY FRIDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. • JOELISTICS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 9:00pm. $16.35. • PARTY & BULLSHIT - FEAT: SONIC VIBES + TALI Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

saturday april 9 • BIG DANCING - FEAT: LARRIE + YO! MAFIA + JUVE + MORE Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

electronic - urban - club life

• KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + K DEE + DURMY + TIMOS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. • RHYTHM NATION SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ TIMOS + DJ KAHLUA + DJ ANGE M & ANDY PALA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

sunday april 10 • MOMENTUM (FOREIGN BROTHERS) - FEAT: MOMENTUM: FOREIGN BROTHERS + THE CORE-TET Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00. • NERV + NICK ROBINSON + ALI MC Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 3:00pm.

Vengaboys Announce Melbourne Show European dance-pop legends Vengaboys are set to hit Melbourne. They’ll be packing the vengabus with certified hits including Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!, We Like to Party, Shalala Lala, We’re Going to Ibiza, and Up & Down. They’ll be joined by the likes of Tina Cousins, Crystal Waters, DJ Sammy, Whigfield, Sonique and Joanne to keep the party rolling. Catch them at 170 Russell on Sunday October 30. Tickets through Metropolis Touring.

THE WEEPING WILLOWS W I N D S

O F

C H A N G E

BY TEGAN REEVES

Last year saw Melbourne alt-country duo The Weeping Willows head to the US to record their second album Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ with Grammy-winning producer Ryan Freeland. The two-piece – made up of musical couple Andy Wrigglesworth and Laura Coates – tried to make the album significantly different from their debut, attempting to emit the darker tone hinted at by the record’s title. Coates shares her experience of the recording process.

DERADOORIAN T H I S

G R E AT

U N K N O W I N G

BY ADAM NORRIS

At first I feel guilty for occupying Angel Deradoorian’s time. It’s her last interview for the day, and she’s no doubt itching to get back to the real world. As it turns out, I’m preventing her from enjoying a pretty great night out. But selfish as it may be, I quickly become enamoured talking with the experimental singer/songwriter. From Dirty Projectors to her debut solo album, The Expanding Flower Planet, Deradoorian has been making music that defies description. Yet it is her observations on performance, reality and writing that truly fuel our conversation. “I was planning on going to see Megadeth, but they’re playing right now,” she says. “I had to choose Megadeth or interviews, and I tried to reschedule it, but then I fell asleep and by the time I woke up it was too late. I was tempted to try and do both, but then I’d be outside at a Megadeth concert screaming at people down the phone, not hearing anything so making up answers.” That idea actually has all the hallmarks of a fascinating interview, but having zero conversational obstacles allows us to talk about the development of the album some seven months after its release. Back then, Pitchfork described it as “an album full of trapdoors,” plunging the listener down sudden sonic shafts. It’s an apt sentiment, but while the songs still allow Deradoorian space to expand, when it comes to her live show we’ll be hearing a very considered set. “Well, I’m very impatient, so I want to change it all the time,” she says. “This is the most consistent I’ve ever been playing live. But I have opportunities to play the music by myself, and there I can change it a lot. I just did a couple of solo shows in Brooklyn and re-recorded all of the songs and then bounced them onto a cassette, made them sound really lo-fi and fucked up. Really gritty. “Songs can always evolve. It’s like, when you’re recording them you’re kind of putting them to death in a weird way. It’s not bad, but I think for live situations you get the opportunity to change that. At least for now though I’m trying to be consistent. I’m also at a point in my career where people are just getting to know me and my solo music, so I have some freedom there.” The subject of death takes on unexpected prevalence during our interview. Deradoorian isn’t overly morbid, but the essence of human experience – including our grasp on mortality and the finite – seems a recurring concern. “If you’re geared towards the melancholic aspects of life, you tend to write them out,” she says. “I think to a lot of people I seem negative or sad, but in my mind I’m a realist. I also think I’m much more optimistic now than I’ve ever been. But I’m still sensitive that when things are heavy I have to explore why I feel that. Like, what part of my childhood made it so much harder for me to deal with it now? I think that might actually be futile. I think I always had some

semi-sinister understanding that the world was not really the place I wanted to be. I wanted to be in other worlds, and so I lived in my imagination for the most part. Or read books, seeing beautiful places that I couldn’t go to. Trying to do something that was artistically linked to a way to get to these places. “[Looking back over] journals now I wonder, ‘Was I just always sad? Did I ever have a happy day?’ I should start writing some of the happy times, too. ‘I had a delicious orange today. It was so fresh and wonderful.’ But usually it’s just, ‘Wow. I feel like shit,’ [laughs].” Throughout the development of the album, Deradoorian’s sense of creative freedom remained largely unchallenged. The sheer variety of Expanding Flower could see subsequent albums move in countless directions. But despite this, there remains a troubled core. She is very open about the emotional and philosophical struggles that shackled her in the past, and those that continue to cast a pall. “I’ve been thinking about music a lot lately, and how it’s kind of like a conduit. It can serve you completely differently at different times in your life. I don’t know. For a time I had a bit of a jaded view of what music is, and that’s changed a lot lately. I feel like I’m much more open to listening, but I’m still very critical of what I hear. It’s hard to talk about. “I think making [the album] reflected my mental and emotional state, which I think is how every record is going to be. I like that the songs are different and that they’re finding a way to work together. I like hearing that in other records, too, where there’s not ever the same tone twice. Sometimes, you feel monochromatic as a person, sometimes you have many different things going through your personal life and that can manifest into the music. So, I don’t really shape out what something is going to sound like, but I like the element of not knowing, the unconscious aspect of any form of art.”

DERADOORIAN is playing at NGV International on Friday April 15. The Expanding Flower Planet is out now.

“We’ve been going over to the States since 2013. In 2014 we attended the Americana Music Festival Awards ceremony where Jason Isbell got up onstage to accept an award and said, ‘Do the things that scare you – that’s the good stuff ’, and that really resonated with us. We felt the thing that scared us the most was recording in the US, and that was our biggest inspiration for going over and recording there,” says Coates.

“We recorded it in a little part of LA called Culver City with Ryan Freeland. He was absolutely amazing to work with – everything we could have asked for and more. Initially it was bit daunting, having not met him before, but he comes with some amazing credentials including work with Bonnie Raitt and The Milk Carton Kids, both of [whom] are idols of ours.” The story of how The Weeping Willows came to work with Freeland proves that sometimes the best way of realising your dreams is to go straight to the source. “When we decided that we wanted to record in the States, we had a listen to some of our favourite albums and who engineered them, and we ended up looking at albums by Gillian Welch and The Milk

Carton Kids. We really liked the sound of The Milk Carton Kids’ album The Ash & Clay and Ryan Freeland engineered that release. I ended up just contacting him through his website, and asking him if he would be interested in producing our next record, and we couldn’t believe it when he wrote back and said yes. It was totally unexpected.” A little over a month ago, The Weeping Willows became the first Australian act to be signed directly to the North Carolina record label Redeye Worldwide. Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ has been labelled as a shift in the wind for The Weeping Willows, something that Coates attributes to the pair’s recording environment. “It’s definitely a darker album than our first and I think it might be because we were spending so much time in the Southern states of the US, where the sound is a little bit darker and more gothic,” she says. More of this influence may have come from the varied musical input of the numerous guests that appear on the record. They include Luke Moller (a Kasey Chambers collaborator), Kevin Breit (a session musician for Rosanne Cash), as well as guest vocals from Melbourne alternative

THE VIBRAPHONIC ORKESTRA RAISED ON ROBBERY

BY ADAM NORRIS

It’s no secret that sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before developing something unique. While The Vibraphonic Orkestra weren’t quite at the end of their tether, things seemed unsurprisingly grim after their studio was broken into and their EP sessions stolen. But like that mythological bird rising from the ashes (an emu, as I recall), they ultimately emerged more vibrant than ever. With their 7” launch fast approaching, we chat with saxophonist Cian Johnson about this unexpected evolution. In the beginning it was just me and my brother,” he says, reflecting on how this tenpiece act was cobbled together. “He’s the producer and I’m the sax player, and we’d made a few songs through the computer, really dubby stuff. We got a few more horns in over the first year, got a flute player a year later, and then a year or so after that the robbery happened and then the rhythm section started rolling along. It’s funny, a lot of bands who start out wanting to be a ten-piece are like, ‘OK, we’re going to need this, this, and this instrument.’ Whereas it W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

was just two of us fooling around and it all started to snowball. You’d meet someone who’d be really into you, so you’d just say, ‘Well, come along.’ So over three years we somehow went from two to ten. It was totally unplanned.” That robbery may well be recalled as the defining moment in The Vibraphonic Orkestra’s life. Having come within a whisker of releasing their EP, thieves ransacked the studio where the record was coming together and the fledgling band were left with empty hands and troubled

folk duo Sweet Jean. “Of all the guests, we spent the most amount of time with upright bass player David Piltch, and he was so enthusiastic and prepared. He would never do only one take and say, ‘Oh, that’s good enough.’ He really wanted to make sure that we were happy with the parts that he did and he was really open to trying new things, but most of all, he just got it and us.” Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ by THE WEEPING WILLOWS is out now through Redeye Worldwide/MGM. Catch them at the Caravan Music Club on Sunday April 17.

hearts. “The band has been through a lot of metamorphosis, really. It’s a bit of a saga. We had a four-track EP recorded, and our studio got rolled one night and all the files got pinched from the hard drive. The release was ready to go, we were booking everything and we had to go back to square one. It’s taken a bit of time to recover, and we’ve changed. We used to be an electronic act with horns, and now it’s a full live setup. We had a gig ten days after all the shit got pinched, so not enough time to rebuild all the tracks. We thought, ‘Fuck, well we’d better get a drummer so we can still do the gig,’ and it just gave another energy to the whole show. So we decided to keep it that way – ‘Let’s leave the computer behind and go live.’ It’s been a rollercoaster since then, but it’s definitely changed the band for the better in a crazy, unexpected sort of way.” Hearing them now, it’s hard to say exactly what style of music they have grown into. Their sound is a blend of Afro beats, of dub and funk, a smattering of ska. Whatever you call it, their songs are big, and prior to taking the winter off to develop their debut album, you can experience them for yourselves at the Gasometer this Saturday. Between The Vibraphonic Orkestra, supports Stellafauna, Isaac Chambers, and multiple DJ sets, it’s going to be one hell of a night. “We like to make a full night of it when we do a launch. We don’t like to finish and then that’s the end. We like to be able to have a bit of a party afterwards as well. So we always try and look for somewhere we can keep kicking on until three in the morning, so there are DJs booked in to rock the house for us afterwards. Our show is pretty high energy, but weird as it is to say, the band wouldn’t be that way now if that robbery hadn’t happened. I’m kind of glad, because we’re a much better band. Particularly for the audience, the live experience is much better. People are up and dancing straight away.” THE VIBRAPHONIC ORKESTRA are playing at the Gasometer Hotel this Saturday April 9 with Stellafauna and Isaac Chambers. The Vibraphonic Orkestra 7” is available now via Bandcamp. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31

THE MERCY KILLS EYEING THE HORIZON

DALLAS FRASCA

B y R od W hit f ield

ENDLESS DISCOVERY BY ADAM NORRIS

Talking with Dallas Frasca is like holding onto a hurricane. It’s hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm and excitement, and that’s not even taking into account the performer she becomes on stage. Alongside her band, Frasca has picked up some outstanding accolades over the last decade. Now, ahead of a performance at the Wallapalooza Music Festival and CherryRock016 (one of the band’s final Australian shows before a European tour with The Bellrays), the Melbourne rocker speaks to Beat about writing, change and Patti Smith. “We have a rule that you actually have to be dead in order to not get up onstage,” Frasca says. “Last year we were on the road for 50 weeks. When we went in to record the album, on the third day I had to go in and get a root canal, but I walked straight back into the studio after the job was done and kept going. “But really man, a big part of being in a band is keeping the band together. It takes the right people, the right mix, the right personality, and definitely the same vision. It might sound like quite an obvious one, but if someone’s goals are to maybe play around Melbourne and not be away from home much, that’s not going to work. We’ve been together ten years now, which is a pretty massive feat. We still really enjoy discovering different ways of songwriting, channelling different ideas. It’s endless, what you can learn. When we get to the point where we think we know enough, well, that will probably be the day that we stop.” That day is likely quite distant. Before embarking on their seventh European tour, the Dallas Frasca band are heading bush to work on some new tunes that they’ll testdrive on the Wallapalooza and CherryRock crowd? Their Euro tour is particularity notable given they’ll be once again hitting the road with US soul rockers The Bellrays. The two bands toured Australia last year, and the fruits of that union are only now about to be revealed. “Our next tour is going to be a big one,” says Frasca. “We’re doing 25 dates in 28 days across five countries. We toured with them last time they were in Australia. Lisa [Kekaula] and I kicked it off really well, and I don’t think I’ve ever met a female performer that I’ve identified with as much as her. She’s amazing. I learned a lot of stuff vocally off her, and every single night I was front row, fan-girling. “We did a three week run and I approached her one day, knowing they had a half-day in Melbourne before we went on the road again, and I said, ‘I’ve got this fantasy. What would Lisa Kekaula think of Dallas Frasca and The Bellrays going into the studio?’ And she said, [mimicking Kekaula’s deep voice] ‘I fucking dig that idea, man.’ So their new release, which they’ll put out in Europe, features that song. It was a huge honour.” BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32

Even after ten years of performing across the globe, there’s no guarantee your adventures will intersect with those of other artists whose work you have long admired. Frasca counts herself incredibly lucky to have formed a friendship with The Bellrays’ frontwoman, but that’s not the only esteemed figure she’s had the pleasure of encountering. “Man, Patti Smith was so rad. It was on Corsica, which is one of the most beautiful places that we’ve ever been. I had appendicitis and had to cancel a few shows. I was advised not to do this show at all, but I was like, ‘Fuck that. There is no fucking way I’m missing this. It’s my surreal, incredible dream.’ We rolled up, and I wasn’t exactly walking very well, but we got a call from our label saying that Patti Smith had decided that she wanted to go on first. So we’re thinking, ‘Fuck, alright, everyone is going to go and see Patti Smith and then they’re going to disappear.’ But the entire audience stayed. It was a really lovely night. She is still this incredible powerhouse, but so humble and direct, and that energy is so present and overwhelming. And I totally got a little photo with her, of course.” The more you hear about Dallas Frasca’s European escapades, the more you develop a fear of missing out. They’re a band at the peak of their powers, and their live shows are widely renowned for their high energy. But although we might miss out on Frasca’s back and forth with The Bellrays, the crowds in France will see exactly the same band that we’ll see at home next weekend. “Our show doesn’t change. It’s our own piece of art, and it doesn’t matter what kind of audience you’re playing in front of. You have to connect. There’s always an element of improv, because every show will be different. But we’re really looking forward to playing with Electric Mary, we love those guys. It’s going to be a cool gig, and there’s a couple of bands that we haven’t seen yet, that we’ll be discovering. It’s going to be fucking rad.” DALLAS FRASCA are playing Wallapalooza at the Corner Hotel on Saturday April 16 with Electric Mary, The Mercy Kills and more, before hitting up CherryRock016 with Richie Ramone, Kadavar, Supersuckers and High Tension on Sunday May 1 in AC/DC lane.

The Mercy Kills have been around for almost a decade now, and with three EPs and one full-length album under their belt, plus all manner of gigging and heavy touring, they’ve become mainstays of the Melbourne hard rock scene. Of course, when you’ve been inside a band for that long and felt all the ups and downs associated with playing original rock‘n’roll, you’re acutely aware of every one of those years. Frontman Mark Entwistle certainly is, and he’s loved every minute of it. “The Mercy Kills from the very start has been a really good journey,” he says. “We’re just good mates and we love doing this. We all write, we write together, we all bring stuff to the table, and it works well.” The band’s hard work and dedication has been rewarded with a prized slot on the Wallapalooza Music Festival, which comes

to the Corner Hotel on Saturday April 16. Entwistle cannot wait to be a part of such a well-respected independent festival. “We really are [looking forward to it],” he says. “We’re thrilled to be asked on board. We’ve played with some of those bands before and we know everyone on the lineup.”

FOREVER SINCE BREAKFAST

DIVING INTO DANGER BY ROD WHITFIELD

Not just an intriguing name: Forever Since Breakfast are a quirky band with a novel approach to running their operation. Co-founding member Matthew Walker is on the phone from Sydney, and he’s very happy to fill us in on the rather unconventional manner in which the band came together. “Scott [Blackley] and I, the other main songwriter, knew each other for ten years,” he says. “Scott used to be in a band called Muzzy Pep, who were a real hard working band and triple j Unearthed winners. One day Scott said, ‘Block out three days in January. We’re going to go and record an album in three days at my mate Steve [Reynolds]’s place up in Alstonville.’ “So we went up to Alstonville and I met Steve, who I’d never met before in my life, and we started writing and recording music five minutes later. We walked in, grabbed a Coopers Pale Ale, plugged in, and started putting stuff to tape 15 minutes later. Then we just went hard for three days and managed to write and record an album.” In this era of hi-tech recording equipment and quests for audio perfection, it’s B E AT.C O M . A U

refreshing to hear of such an on-the-fly studio approach. “Scott laid down the rules, initially,” Walker says. “He said, ‘If you think you stink, there’s no second guessing, no deciding what’s good and what’s not good. That’s not for us to decide.’ You’d be given 20 minutes to write the full lyrics to a song. You’d be called in and you’d say, ‘I’m not ready,’ and they’d say, ‘Done mate, you’re ready.’ You’d put down the vocal in

The lineup is indeed an absolute ripper, comprising a number of bands that’ll be in their element at one of the best rock venues in the land. “Great to be kicking out with Electric Mary,” says Entwistle. “And the Corner Hotel is always a killer stage to play. I think the last time we played a show there was with the Misfits about a year ago, so it’ll be good to get back on that stage. It’s going to go off.” Aside from the festival appearance, The Mercy Kills have a heap of cool stuff on the go, including a new documentary film culled from their massive tour with Courtney Love a couple of years back. “We filmed the Festival Hall show, as you would, just thinking we might get a cool clip out of it. But we ended up compiling a whole bunch of footage from the whole tour. Josh [Black], our drummer is getting pretty good with the old editing software and he’s managed to pull a full feature doco out of it.” Although the DVD hasn’t been officially released yet, you can obtain a copy online. “We’ve been wondering how best to release it. As yet it hasn’t had a bona fide release, like distro or anything like that, it’s just available if you want to order it through us. At some stage we’ll probably launch it with something else, like a double launch.” That something else is likely to be another EP that they’re currently working on. “I’d say it should be released around August/ September. We’ll continue writing up until mid-year, then begin the recording process. It’ll be perfectly timed for the second round of Wallapalooza shows.” On top of all that, the band are casting their eyes well beyond Australian shores, both in terms of touring and the business side of their operations. “We’re just looking over a contract with a European label as well for a re-release of a few songs and a few newies for a European album release. So we’re focusing on getting overseas as well in the near future.” THE MERCY KILLS are playing Wallapalooza at the Corner Hotel on Saturday April 16 alongside Electric Mary, Dallas Frasca, Sheriff and more. one or two takes and say, ‘That’s shit. We’ve got to do that again,’ and they’re like, ‘Nah mate, it’s done. Moving on’.” The band didn’t just experiment with this approach for the one album. Rather, they employed the completely off-the-cuff method multiple times. “It was such an enjoyable experience, although it was bad for the health, we booked in another slot six months later,” Walker says. “We did it again, and then six months after that again, and then six months after that again, and we recorded four albums.” The five members of Forever Since Breakfast are scattered all across New South Wales, which makes the practicalities of rehearsing and performing rather challenging. “We’ve got members in Newcastle, Maitland, Sydney and Alstonville,” Walker says, “So everything is very difficult and impractical. People have to drive ten hours to get to rehearsal in one night, so there’s a lot of talking on telephones and working stuff out. But somehow it manages to propel the band forward, having all these challenges.” Despite the long distance constituency, the band members just can’t help from working together. “I think we’re pretty addicted to it now, pretty obsessed, and I think we’re probably just going to keep going. It’s a bit of a virus that’s got hold of us.” Forever Since Breakfast have just dropped the new album, Dangerous Levels of That’s Fine. It’s not one of the aforementioned quick-fire albums – in fact they spent a lot longer recording this one, since it was intended for broader release. The band will be in Melbourne in mid-April to play two album launch shows. “It’s going to be great to get down to the music capital of the world and have a crack.” Walker has a very left of centre way of defining the band’s live presentation. “It’s a vast smorgasbord of muck and melody, and noise and delicateness, that is hopefully very entertaining in a musical sense, for the music lover. Wow, what a pitch.” FOREVER SINCE BREAKFAST are playing at the Retreat Hotel on Saturday April 16 with The Livingstone Daisies, and the Grace Darling Hotel on Sunday April 17 with Jarvis and Cold Irons Bound. Dangerous Levels of That’s Fine is available now via Wingette Recordings.

B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 33

BLACK SABBATH THE WORLD’S END

BY PETER HODGSON

Music changed forever on November 29, 1969. That’s the day Black Sabbath appeared on John Peel’s Top Gear radio program, performing NIB, Behind The Wall of Sleep and the devilish song that started it all, Black Sabbath. In the years since, Black Sabbath have been through a lot: epoch-defining albums, blockbuster tours, rejuvenating lineup changes, and multiple reunions and rebirths. In 2013, original members Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler reconvened for the 13 album, proving they could still write distinct, ear-grabbing material. The subsequent tour (which birthed a live DVD recorded in Melbourne) was notable for the power of its performances and the ease with which the new tracks integrated with Sabbath staples like War Pigs and Snow Blind. Now, with Iommi in treatment for lymphoma (he’s generally keeping on top of the disease, but treatment and recovery makes touring an exhausting proposition), Sabbath have decided to call time on their days as a touring entity. The End tour rolls into Australia this month, and a CD also titled The End will be available exclusively at the shows.

“When we recorded the 13 album we recorded 16 tracks – 16 songs,” Iommi says. “[Producer] Rick Rubin put eight on the album and then we had some bonus tracks that went out with the album as well, but we had these other songs left over. I thought we were going to add some other songs to those to make another album, but we all decided at the end of the day not to do it, and to tour. So we had these tracks and we thought we should put them out. It’s mad to just leave them. We had the idea to sell them at the shows to do something different.” The End comprises four of these 13 leftovers

POWER

GOT A MAGIC TOUCH B Y PAT R I C K E M E R Y

At the heavy beating heart of local band Power lies a few primary influences: the bruising, beer swilling attack of Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls, the satin-clad boogie of T-Rex and the heavy psychedelic exploration of Lemmyera Hawkwind. “It was kind of an adventure for us in the sense that we wanted to hone all these influences that we’d always had there, but without necessarily taking anything from them,” say Nathan Williams, Power’s guitarist, singer and principal songwriter. “So there’d be stuff that we’d always listened to since we were kids, like T-Rex. Whatever our interpretation of that was filtered through our punk playing style. And what it came to be was just what it is.” Williams first got into music around the time he started primary school when he’d find his father’s guitar lying around. Later on he was given a nylon-string guitar on which he learnt the rudiments of guitar playing. Though, his formal lessons concluded when his teacher suggested he learn a Guns N’ Roses guitar solo. “I walked straight out after that,” Williams laughs. As a teenager Williams found other interests and his guitar playing went on standby until he was roped into joining local hardcore band Gutter Gods. “Before that I’d pretty well lost

interest in playing guitar,” he says. “But then one of my mates who formed Gutter Gods asked me if I wanted to play. I hadn’t really thought about, but I was listening to a lot of hardcore records, so I thought I’d give it a crack, and it kind of went from there.” While Gutter Gods took on a hardcore focus, when Williams got together with bass player Isaac (from Soma Coma and Leather Lickers) and drummer Penke (from Krömosom and Evil Ways), the focus was toward the power riffs of Lobby Loyde and his ‘70s pub rock contemporaries.

as well as four songs recorded during the 13 world tour. “Of course it’s always difficult playing so many new songs because people really want to hear the old songs, but they want to hear new things too,” Iommi says. “You’d be playing three or four hours if you played everything everyone wanted you to play. For this show we mainly do stuff that people want to hear from the old stuff.” On drums again for this tour is Tommy Clufetos (original drummer Bill Ward refused to play over a contract dispute). It’s a tough gig for any drummer, but Clufetos won over the doubtful and even earned a standing ovation after his drum solo during Sabbath’s last Melbourne appearance. “It’s difficult for a drummer to do a solo and hold peoples’ attention, but I must say Tommy is such an exceptional player,” Iommi says. “I’m amazed every night. I’m backstage in my dressing room tent and I hear him and he never ceases to amaze me.” There’s nary a rock or metal guitarist alive who hasn’t been influenced by Iommi’s playing. He pioneered not just a style of playing, but also a whole library of techniques to use in the studio. Take for example his method of having two separate guitar solos playing at once, as heard on Iron Man and Killing Yourself To Live. “I suppose that was an accident, really,” he says. “I just liked the idea of having two guitars at the same time playing slightly different things. And so we kept it, but it was a bit of a fluke. We’d do the track and I’d play the solo and then try another solo and we’d happen to play them back at the same time and think, ‘Oh, that’s a good effect.’ I always like to experiment and try

different things. Of course in the early days it was difficult because you had to make the sounds yourself. You couldn’t go and buy a gadget, plug it in and get the sound. It used to take ages and the rest of the band used to think, ‘Oh bloody hell, what’s he doing? This is taking ages.’ But you just couldn’t buy something to do it.” It’s a good point: along with instating much of the musical vocabulary of metal, Sabbath and Iommi also invented the genre’s sonic presentation. There was no rule book for how metal was supposed to sound back then. “That’s right, you had to do everything. You just couldn’t buy the things that exist, so you had to make your own sound with the way you used it, and you had to make the amp adjust to you. Today you can go out and buy

all these things with different sounds, and some of them are really good, but I still like the sound from the actual tubes as opposed to a gadget making the sound. I don’t really like using fuzz boxes and all that sort of stuff. I like the sound from the amp.” So what comes next for Tony Iommi? “After this Sabbath tour I’m not going to be doing tours again. I might do occasional shows, but I’m not going to be going on tour like this again. I’d still like to record, but touring for me is… I get very tired. I’ve got, honestly, hundreds and thousands of riffs and songs that I just never got round to using. It’ll be interesting to have the time to sift through the stuff and see what I’d like to use.”

“I guess Australian rock was one of the major starting points,” Williams says. “The main thing that was on our mind was Coloured Balls and stuff like that, to a certain extent AC/DC and that sort of thing – what we were calling hard Australian rock.” In time-honoured fashion, Power came together in a casual jam after a succession of late-night discussions. “Power just started from us all talking nonsense and meeting through gigs, drinking at pubs and talking about influences we liked, all that sort of stuff,” Williams says. “Eventually we thought we’d have a jam one drunken night, and the next day I’d kind of forgot, and then Penke was knocking on my door.” Power played their first gig at a housewarming party in Preston in 2013; the band’s first venue gig was in Brisbane not long after. But it wasn’t until they supported Total Control at inner-city venue Hugs & Kisses that Williams says the band’s internal dynamic locked in. “The band gelled pretty quickly, but at the start it was a lot more loose and jammy,” Williams says. “At that gig at Hugs & Kisses, that’s when it really came into formation for us and we really felt the spark and connection that was making it rocking.” The band’s initial songs evolved from Williams’ roughly hewn Oz rock riffs. “I’d just have an idea for part of something, but I wasn’t too confident at the start with what I was going for, so it was really jamming, improvised-based. I guess for the first jam I just came up with a couple of riffs, and I was freaking out because the other guys were about to rock up to my house, so I just had to come up with something and whatever popped out, popped out. The first couple were Electric Glitter Boogie and Serpent City, and then Rainbow Man, and they just fell

together on their own. We didn’t have to do too much to put them together.” Having refined those nascent riffs into notionally structured songs, in 2015 Power went into the studio with producer Jack Farley to record what would become the band’s debut album, Electric Glitter Boogie. “We did the whole album in six hours. We recorded it all live, and I’ve overdubbed my vocals, but I did them all pretty much in one take. We just wanted to go in quickly and make a mission statement. Jack recorded it in a warehouse space, which was a really comfortable environment. We just wanted to do something that was as raw and honest as we possibly could.” Williams says listening back to the resulting product was pleasantly surprising. “I didn’t know how my vocals or guitar would sound, and while I wasn’t completely chuffed with myself, I was pretty happy. It was the first time I’d sung for a band – I’d always been pretty shy with singing or playing lead, so I

was pretty happy with how it came across, and so were the other guys.” With the first vinyl pressing (which included a snakeskin embossed album cover) of Electric Glitter Boogie now sold out, Power are about to press another 500 copies. “I think vinyl follows a more honest tradition for music that we’ve all grown up with and loved. I think we’ve all had that thing where the defining moment in our musical experience has been when we were kids and we were looking at this physical medium of the album and touching it and feeling it and being able to connect with it, seeing the artwork big. The sound and the feel of the vinyl, the crackle – I guess that never left us.”

BLACK SABBATH are playing at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday April 19.

POWER are playing at Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday April 16 with Miss Destiny and Tol and CherryRock016 on Sunday May 1 with Kadavar, Supersuckers and more. Electric Glitter Boogie is out now via Cool Death Records.

HHHH H HHHH H HHHH H TIME OUT

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 34

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

B E AT.C O M . A U

THE GUARDIAN

CORE

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

When former Beat editor Nick Snelling called me and asked me to extend my role as freelance writer to include columnist for Core in 2006 I acted nonchalant but just about died on the spot. That such an honour would casually be bestowed upon me midweek with a “you wanna do this one?” was unfathomable. A space, each week, to write my thoughts on the state of music and share pertinent music news was an aspiring music journo’s dream come true. Every column used to open with a paragraph of my own musings on the scene: on a particular gig, on the space between men and women at shows, on moshpit etiquette, on groupie culture, on venue security or on bands breaking up. Core

CRUNCH

METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GOOD SHIT with PETER HODGSON crunchcolumn@gmail.com

DESECRATOR AT THE BENDIGO

Desecrator are launching their Roadwarriors 2016 Mexico/Brazil tour on home soil with a trashtacular night of power at The Bendigo Hotel joined by In Malice’s Wake, Harlott, Join The Amish and Abraxxas. Doors open at 8pm.

MUSIC BUSINESS FACTS WEBINAR WITH MATT YOUNG

Vocalist and co-manager of Melbourne’s notorious King Parrot, Matt Young will

became like my punk rock journal that I was forced to pen every week, detailing my misadventures in music. I even wrote the column while travelling overseas, keenly comparing each European city’s scene with our own, adopting an investigative fervour that Louis Theroux would be surely envious of. I mourned publicly when The Distillers broke up, I pondered Lee Harding from Australian Idol’s punk rock legitimacy, I witnessed downloading well and truly become the prevalent and deeply damaging form of music consumption of our time. My columns during those days when I pondered what it meant to call yourself a ‘fan’ of a band while stealing their music are truly a hilarious and bittersweet thing to behold in retrospect. The similarly naive tone continued when I started working at a local record label. The column became a semi salacious (yet very much anonymous) tell-all on my behind the scenes encounters. You can read through them all and identify the exact week in which each darling, rock’n’roll preconception was swiftly stomped on. I used to get emails on a weekly basis from readers sharing their thoughts on each column, more often than not applauding

some random observation I had made and encouraging me to write more. It was a genuinely validating experience for a young writer, neck deep in the local scene with time and passion to share in spades. Compared to the comments section culture that has since grown to be the more common and infinitely more brutal form of feedback on music journalism, it was a joy to get such excellent and personalised correspondence every week. Sure there was the occasional anonymous email accusing me of being a fuckwit n00b who has no real grasp on what ‘punk’ really means, and I’d be lying if I said they didn’t crush my little studded belt-wearing spirit a bit. But the rest of the communication was a stream of virtual high-fives and positivity. In retrospect that inclusiveness and encouragement bestowed upon a young girl in the heavy music scene was of unfathomable value that I struggle to really even comprehend now. I’m not sure how many young, wide-eyed, female, wannabe professionals feel similarly embraced by the scene these days, but I suspect you can probably count them on one hand. It may sound self-aggrandising, but it is certainly not an overstatement to say that Core has held my hand for a decade as I

once again be teaming up with Music Business Facts host Rodney Holder to present a free online music business lecture on Wednesday April 13. The focus is “How to Take Your Band from the Jam Room to International Touring,” and it’s for anyone wanting to expand their music industry knowledge, or anyone dreaming of undertaking music as a career. Go to musicbusinessfacts.net/mattyoung for more info. It happens at 7.30pm.

acclaimed third album Bloom, released globally via InsideOutMusic in October 2015.

TRIVIUM NEXT WEEK

Following the recent addition of a second and final Melbourne date due to popular demand, US metal monoliths Trivium have revealed that Melbourne melodic death stars Orpheus Omega will support them on all Australian shows. The two Melbourne dates are Tuesday April 12 and Wednesday April 13 at 170 Russell.

CALIGULA’S HORSE THIS WEEK

Caligula’s Horse are at Ding Dong Lounge on Friday April 8. They’ve just released a visually stunning and reflective video for Turntail from their critically

BABY ANIMALS & HABITAT FOR HUMANITY READY TO ROCK THE HOUSE

navigated my way through the Australian music industry. And it’s also played no small part in my still being heavily involved in said industry ten years later. But after a decade, I feel like I’m being a bit of a hog, and it’s time for it to be a rickety old soapbox on which someone else can clamber.

Here’s a picture of little old me the year I started writing for Core, drunk on Cruisers and gleefully making the acquaintance of Jason Black of Hot Water Music at the Corner Hotel. The expression is a perfect reflection of my general attitude towards punk rock and life in general. Bless.

So peace out ya’ll. See you in the pit. rewards of helping others less fortunate. Our rock community is built on the power of music, so let’s call on that passion and unite to empower others. Join us and help to build a rock solid future for generations to come.”

MOTORHEAD CLEAN YOUR CLOCK

As part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, Baby Animals have partnered with Habitat for Humanity Australia and are calling on 300 volunteers to join them in building 25 homes across one week in Indonesia. The campaign, called Rock the House, will take place from October 22-29 in Yogyakarta, and volunteer registration is now open at rockthehouse.org.au Baby Animals frontwoman Suze DeMarchi says, “Baby Animals have had a lot of help over the past 25 years, and we have an opportunity now to help others that really need it. I first worked with Habitat for Humanity in the US in 2006 and loved it so much. When Habitat Australia asked if Baby Animals would be interested in getting involved, we literally jumped at the chance. This is the beginning of a journey toward real change for those in need of homes and for us to fill our souls with the

They were the Kings of the Road. They lived on it. They loved it and the fans loved them. They were Motörhead and they played rock’n’roll. Never was the spirit of Motörhead more alive than when they were on tour, rolling audiences to within an inch of their lives thanks to that indomitable cocktail of power, purpose and headcrunching volume. In fact, after four decades of bone-pulverising duty, Motörhead were still enjoying sold-out gigs worldwide. On November 20-21, 2015 at the Zenith in Munich, UDR Records made the decision to capture what happened to be the very last Motörhead live recordings. The band proceeded to deliver two storming sold out shows. Clean Your Clock, out on May 27, is the natural sound of one of rock’n’roll’s mightiest, rarest and most astoundingly

screaming, I was just shattering my vocal chords. After I lost my voice at Rock on the Range festival, I had to fly home and go to the doctor to find out what the problem was. Thankfully I didn’t do any permanent damage, but I was close. “Matthew Sanders [AKA M. Shadows] of Avenged Sevenfold put me in touch with Ron Anderson, a vocal coach he has worked with for the last ten years. Through working with Ron in the background over the last few years I have finally started to scream again and did so on the last eightweek tour. The Ascendancy stuff sounds exactly like it used to. It’s the same sound, but a completely different technique. And it just took me a long time to learn how to do it. I’m glad, I did miss doing it, but I didn’t miss hurting myself. So now I am singing and screaming and doing it correctly and now it sounds right.” Working for the first time with producer

and fellow Orlando resident Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Slash), Silence in the Snow was an attempt to revisit the band’s initial writing process; jamming, improvising and allowing the magic to happen. “We wanted to go back to how we used to write as a band,” says Heafy, “On Ascendancy we didn’t really have fans and we didn’t have laptops to record with. We would just play in a room and it would develop from there.” Prominently featured on the record, Heafy says his Les Paul Epiphone Custom Signature series guitars were his go to axes of choice when tracking the album. “A lot of my fans still ask me why I have a signature Epiphone and not a signature Gibson, or why would you record on your Epiphone and not your Gibson? For me, I wanted to make a signature guitar that was good enough for me to play live and good enough for me to play in the studio.

excellent beasts. It’ll be released on coloured double vinyl, standalone CD, CD/DVD, CD/Blu-Ray, digital download and box set (including a limited edition box set with a silver or gold Motörhead metal).

BFMV SIGN NEW WORLDWIDE DEAL

The mighty Bullet For My Valentine have signed a worldwide deal with Search and Destroy/Spinefarm Records (UMG). “We’re very proud and excited to announce our signing to Search and Destroy/ Spinefarm Records,” guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck says. “It feels great to be part of a family that truly believes in the band and is ready to take us to the next level. It’s been an incredible journey so far, but with the Search and Destroy/Spinefarm team behind us, it feels like we’ve just begun. Here’s to the future.”

TRIVIUM SCREAM THE PAIN AWAY BY AARON STREATFEILD

Matt Heafy is the guitar lord and central figure in metal’s hardest working band, Trivium. Beat caught up with the battle-jacket wearing frontman in the lead up to the band’s April Australian tour to talk about his struggles with the harsher side of vocals, dealing with a revolving door of drummers and the band’s 2015 release Silence in the Snow. Our interview call finds Heafy residing in his Orlando home off the back of a lengthy US tour. Despite earning time off from the grind, Heafy is a man of regiment and he’s preparing himself for the next tour. “When I’m home from tour, I try to make sure I spend seven days a week keeping up my chops. I spend at least an hour a day practicing vocals and guitar,” he says. “I try to keep very productive during my downtime. In between preparing for tour, I spend six days a week doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I try and do yoga and weightlifting as well.” Along for Trivium’s return trip to Australia – which comes just 18 months after their previous visit – will be drummer Paul Wandtke, who joined only after Silence in the Snow was completed. The newcomer is the fourth drummer since the band’s inception. On the topic of Wandtke’s induction into the Trivium family, Heafy

is quick to assure us that the accumulating tally of ex-drummers isn’t the result of stereotypical rockstardom. “I do truly feel that maybe some of the Trivium fans don’t understand why we do it,” he says. “It’s not the result of a Spinal Tap moment. We do it out of necessity. We’re hoping this will be the last time. With Paul, we’re finally able to play any song from our back catalogue. We haven’t been able to do that for a while.” The new addition coincides with Heafy’s return to full strength at the vocal helm. After a performance at US festival Rock on the Range in 2014 cost him his voice, Heafy was left in recovery mode and his screaming abilities were sidelined indefinitely. “It came down to my screaming technique,” he says. “A little bit of the singing technique, but a 100 per cent of the screaming technique was completely incorrect. The way I was

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

The exact same guitar I play live and in the studio is the same guitar anybody can go buy for a reasonable price. I remember being a kid and wanting to buy many of my favourite guitar players’ signature guitars. I would go to the store and be like, ‘Oh, I can afford that’, only to find out that the real version is $10,000, compared to the $500 version that I’ve got. I tested out a bunch of custom guitars during the recording process and they sounded great. But I also tried my signature series and to me, it sounded a little better.” TRIVIUM are playing at 170 Russell on Tuesday April 12 and Wednesday April 13. Silence in the Snow is available now via Roadrunner Records.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 35

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BLUESFEST 2016

F R O N T

R O W Photo by Zo Gay

TYAGARAH TEA TREE FARM THURSDAY MARCH 24 – SUNDAY MARCH 28

As far as contemporary music goes, Bluesfest’s 2016 lineup may have been the finest Byron Bay has ever seen. Of course, this is a family-friendly festival that caters for everyone from hip local teens to the bring-your-own-deckchair crowd, and with its retro attractions landing more on the pop side of the spectrum, blues diehards may have felt under-represented. Still, predictability was out of the question at Tyagarah this Easter. The spirit of unpredictability came to define Hiatus Kaiyote’s Thursday afternoon set, with Nai Palm leading the charge; so too the sundown performance by Kamasi Washington. This relatively youthful rising star and his band come with a jazz mindset but a glam rock execution – in what other jazz context would a tenor sax trade solos with a keytar, or a double bassist improvise through a wah-wah pedal? It’s not the type of thing Cold War Kids go in for, but then again, the Californians are far from orthodox. They were made for festivals like Bluesfest; appealing to the masses, but never middle of the road. The same applies tenfold to Kendrick Lamar. Last time he toured Australia

was in support of Eminem, a rap icon of the generation past, playing stadiumsized shows. Now Kendrick is the biggest thing in hip hop worldwide, let alone at Bluesfest. Once For Free? got going, the flow never ceased; not through 12 songs from To Pimp A Butterfly, nor another half-dozen from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. This had always promised to be a mammoth performance, and Lamar made sure of it. He squinted through pools of sweat to deliver line after line, all with palpable determination – not merely determination to entertain or impress, but to achieve something genuinely engaging. Needless to say, it worked. A calming breeze blew through the Delta tent on the Friday afternoon as Bluesfest veteran Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges performed graciously to an appreciative audience. Mojo Juju got off to a slow start with her stripped-back setup, but it may have been down to the heat, for Frazey Ford did the same – at least until the assertiveness of Done, her self-described “bitch anthem”. Graham Nash shared stories about Woodstock and Joni Mitchell, though they only really served to highlight just how

literal his lyric-writing has always been. Unlike Nash, City And Colour mightn’t have recorded any ubiquitous anthems, but the layers of Dallas Green’s writing run much deeper, and the reward was a gorgeously illustrated and overwhelmingly unifying performance on the main stage. The warmth of the afternoon translated into The National’s closing slot, their horns interplaying with the Dessner brothers’ guitar lines as Matt Berninger was in particularly fine voice. This masterful band never fails to astound, and the festival set saw the inclusion of tender cuts like I Need My Girl, Pink Rabbits and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks alongside the grander moments. The Saturday lineup saw Bluesfest in its more traditional mode, with sets from Joe Bonamassa, Tedeschi Trucks Band and The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. D’Angelo was the king of the middle night – as evidenced not only in his marathon two-hour billing, but the repeated tributes paid to him by other artists at the festival; Lamar, Green and Ford among those who declared their excitement to be sharing the Bluesfest stage with a neo-soul legend. The inevitable Byron Bay storm came

through on Saturday, so by the next morning, the festival site was caked in mud. No matter for those who were there to have a good time with the music – chief among them Con Brio, a shirtless partystarter whose set was full of gospel gang vocals. Gospel was the order of the day for The Blind Boys Of Alabama, too, bringing a heavy dose of faith and harmony to their Easter performance. Modest Mouse dealt not in religion but in slightly contained anarchy; Isaac Brock’s jack-in-the-box enthusiasm making up for a chaotic sound mix and over-deployed smoke machines. The Wailers had the Jambalaya tent heaving for their ‘in full’ performance of compilation album, Legend, while The Cat Empire pulled a capacity crowd to the Mojo stage thanks partly to a new album of their own, Rising With The Sun. The Decemberists followed with a slightly sparser audience, but they also brought the most impressive set of amps at the whole festival, and a surprisingly powerful sound to boot. Their set was bookended with 15-minute folk songs in The Hazards Of Love 1 and The Mariner’s Revenge Song, but it was all in good humour, not indulgence. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds may

have been billed as such, but the Britpop icon earned his headlining place thanks to the hits he wrote for his old band, Oasis. Champagne Supernova and Wonderwall got a run, naturally, but it was on deeper cuts like Half The World Away, Sad Song and D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? that the old-school devotees found their best rewards. After the farewell Don’t Look Back In Anger, he lapped up the ovation: “How good? I know. I’m the best.” Even with vintage stars like Tom Jones and Brian Wilson to come on festival Monday, you’d have been a killjoy to call Gallagher out on his arrogance this time around. It was all part of the fun.

Tyrannamen

instantly blast into every punters memory – his vocals also prove why his frontman lists him as the best backup singer he’s heard. My Concrete, and I Can’t Read lead the way for the band’s big sing-alongs. As half the crowd belt out any and every word, the other half are smiling and dancemoshing their arses off. Diamond Ring kicks off with an intro of some of the most solid drum fills before it takes on a more soulful vibe. The track that earns the most fists in the air is I Don’t Want To Go To Jail. I feel like there’s not much of a difference between what I’m seeing/hearing to what some of our folks saw back when The Angels were shouting their way around the country way back when.

The Tote

Saturday April 2

Photo by Zo Damage BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 36

It’s not worth discussing how many landmark gigs The Tote has hosted in its time, but Tyrannamen played one of them last Saturday night. It was a sold-out crowd as Melbourne flew the rock’n’roll flag with boisterous pride. In fact, the front bar was full of ticketless scallywags transferring stamps from one wrist to another. Label mates, Tommy T and the Classical Mishaps raised the temperature of the room and did their snot-nosed punky thing. It strengthens the case for Cool Death Records being one of the hottest labels around. Tyrannamen gigs are few and far between, but that didn’t stop the crowd from bellowing out every chorus. Their debut album is basically six years in the making and has flown off the shelves of every record store worth its salt. Vocalist Nic Imfeld struts around onstage like some kind of possessed rock’n’roll Neanderthal. As I stare at him leading his bandmates, I easily forget that I can’t even see Chris Gray attacking his drumkit like Animal from The Muppets. Cal Walker’s melodic riffs IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE TOO CLOSE

LOVED: The vibe of the thing. Bluesfest attracts the right kind of punter. HATED: The bus queues to neighbouring towns. DRANK: Faded. By Chris Martin photos by david harris

Loved: A tight AF 40 minute set. Hated: 20cm area of floor space per person. Drank: Stubs and tins. By Naj

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THE ONYAS

F R O N T

R O W Photo by Zo Damage

THE TOTE

FRIDAY APRIL 1

There aren’t too many bands that can go the distance for 25 years, but that’s exactly the milestone The Onyas were celebrating this evening. Unsurprisingly it was the jewel of Collingwood, The Tote, hosting the festivities. The Onyas handpicked some standout bands and good pals to support them for the birthday bash, including the punk rock

TUKA

170 RUSSELL FRIDAY APRIL 1

You’d be forgiven for thinking an iconic Melbourne nightclub was a bit of a strange choice for a guy perhaps best known as one third of Blue Mountains crew Thundamentals; forgiven, and then absolutely proved wrong. Tuka has long been producing solo work outside of Thundamentals, however the past couple of years have proved particularly fruitful. With an extended headline tour for his 2015 album Life Death Time Eternal under his belt, Tuka is once again on the road for his Don’t Wait Up tour. Ecca Vandal was a pretty surprising decision as main support, but if you’re looking for a support acts to pump some energy into your audience, there are few artists better than Ecca. Her high energy, in

THE DECEMBERISTS HAMER HALL

TUESDAY MARCH 29

It’s been six years since The Decemberists last played in Australia, with the band making their triumphant return to our shores off the back of last year’s album What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World. The band played a good dose of the new album, along with old favourites that capture the Portlandians’ inimitable ability to turn folklore into song. Support came from Shakey Graves who appeared beyond excited to be performing in Hamer Hall, speaking a number of times without a microphone to highlight the venue’s acoustics. Delivering an animated set that featured songs To Cure What Ails… and Dearly Departed, Graves expressed his

punk. Frontman Slammin’ Stan broke a string during arguably the highpoint of the set, Killer in the Night, though the rest of their performance went off without a hitch. The crowd was starting to thicken out and the beers were steadily flowing when Cut Sick arrived to kick off their highly-anticipated resurrection. There’s been a sizeable hole in the hardcore punk scene since the band called it quits a few years ago, and it was clear the crowd knew just how special it was to see them back together, providing a heavy reminder of their former glory. The only downside was the fact that it’s not likely to happen again anytime soon. Though, it’s not all bad news, as the band features two members of Flour who have been playing some outstanding shows around Melbourne of late. By the time The Onyas were ready to start their headline slot, The Tote’s bandroom was packed out shoulder to shoulder. The threepiece opened with Origin, a track from their very first demo Brack, to the delight of the ecstatic crowd who accelerated immediately to batshit mental excitement. The rest of the set included tracks from throughout their long discography, smashing out bangers like How Old’s Your Sister from Six!, Weapon off the album Get Shitfaced With The Onyas and Beergut from Heterospective. The blokes onstage were having as much fun as all of the punters on the floor, solidifying the show as one of the best punk gigs of 2016. They closed with two of their greatest tracks, with everyone shouting along to Ow Ya Goin before wrapping up with one last song from their seminal demo, Rugby Wankers. Nobody wanted the night to be over, but all good things must come to an end. That said, it’s obvious The Onyas have no plans on slowing down just yet.

legends Meatbeaters, who made the trek all the way from Adelaide. When Meatbeaters hit the stage, the crowd was definitely starting to get lively although the venue was not yet at capacity. After a recent slot supporting Stiff Little Fingers, Meatbeaters treated some lucky Melburnians to their brand of throaty, rock’n’roll infused

LOVED: Cut Sick coming back from the dead. HATED: Forgetting to snap up a copy of the Brack reissue. DRANK: Carlton Draught, mate.

your face style got the crowd geed up before the man of the hour hit the stage. The shit-tonne of energy Tuka brought with him from the moment he walked out in front of the crowd was enough to put every hype man in Victoria out of business. With first support act Alphamama providing soaring backing vocals, Tuka opened his set in a way that suggested he was trying to break a rap-speed record. The crowd went nuts trying to bounce in time to his up-tempo versions of Just to Feel Wanted and Down for Whatever. Perhaps the ghosts of Billboard got into the set, because there was a real club vibe going on. That being said, the Thundas boys have always been big on messages of peace and love, and Tuka maintained that theme tonight by jumping into the crowd mid-set to embrace his fans. After climbing back on the stage, Tuka was full of thanks to his fans for their support over the past few years. He re-launched his set with some real sing-along numbers:

My Star, Right By You, and a couple of Thundamentals tracks. He closed out with his cover of Big Jet Plane, the hit single Tattoo, and an encore of Die A Happy Man (with Alphamama more than ably subbing in for Jane Tyrrell). The absence of hit single Nirvana was surprising, but then again, given the clubby vibe of tonight’s gig, you could argue there was no way of fitting it in. One thing is for damn sure though, with the ability to pack out such a large venue with so many adoring, Tuka’s star is seriously on the rise. Let’s hope with all that energy, he doesn’t combust.

delight in supporting a band he clearly adores. With a glass of red wine and a smirk on his face, Decemberists lead singer Colin Meloy casually strolled onstage. Never was there a more fitting opening song than The Singer Addresses His Audience as Meloy started the night’s proceedings solo. Meloy’s humour could easily serve as the highlight of the show, managing to squeeze in some golden stage banter before each song. “That’s a new arrangement of that song, it came to me in a jet lagged dream,” Meloy added after playing Cavalry Captain. More than once Meloy commented on the quiet Tuesday night crowd. “You’re all so polite and quiet,” he observed before shutting down a heckler in the crowd. “That wasn’t an invitation to be unruly,” he jokingly snapped. While the crowd was a little more subdued during the newer material, classics Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect and O Valencia! gave diehard Decemberists fans a chance to make themselves known.

Squeezing in three encores, the band surprised with a cover of the Hoodoo Gurus’ Death Defying before delivering a show stealing rendition of The Mariner’s Revenge Song. With a cardboard cut-out of a giant whale and a request for the audience to “Scream like you’re being eaten by a whale,” the show quickly turned into a musical comedy much to the glee of the audience. While it cannot be denied that The Decemberists are stellar live performers, it was ultimately the additional theatrics and audience engagement that made this show memorable. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take them six years to come back.

BY BEL RYAN

LOVED: Such a solid support lineup. Makes a huge difference. HATED: Group hug from the sweaty dude behind me. Just. DRANK: Melbourne Bitter.

VINTAGE TROUBLE CORNER HOTEL

THURSDAY MARCH 30

Comprising drums, bass, guitar and vocals, Vintage Trouble style themselves as a modern soul band, but musically they lack the hallmarks that make that genre special – most importantly the passion, feeling and groove. These are elements that can’t be captured on a sheet of music, but are there in between the ink lines. Despite hailing from Hollywood, the group have a strong Southern bar band tilt to their sound, mixing a solid back beat with chunky rock riffs and sustain-filled blues solos. Vocalist Ty Taylor was the focal point, remaining animated and inciting crowd participation and interaction. The former Rock Star: INXS contestant’s vocal references seemed to be Wilson Pickett and James Brown, often mimicking the latter’s dance moves by reducing them to a simple spin and mic stand grab, much to the crowd’s delight. In fact, from the moves to the grooves, the tones to the moans, the pork pie hats and the songs themselves, everything about tonight’s show smacked of cliché. Total Strangers borrowed heavily from Pickett’s Land of a 1000 Dances, right down to the ‘na nana na na’ vocal breakdown section.

NOEL GALLAGHER AND HIS HIGH FLYING BIRDS MARGARET COURT ARENA TUESDAY MARCH 29

Let me preface this review by divulging the love I had for Oasis. I had posters on my wall, I bought singles collections from eBay, I would aimlessly Google anecdotal stories about the brothers’ relationship, the rifts within the band and the story of Britpop, taking it all for gospel. Making demi-gods out of sour faced and perpetually pissed off Brits, train wreck addiction never looked so good. I would tell dad to shoosh and insist he listen to lyrics, which I thought were some of the most important pieces of writing in the history of humankind. The Holy Grail? Printing off a picture of Liam and taking it to the hairdresser when I was 16. I want to look like that. I want to be that. But ten years is a long time in rock’n’roll. Seeing Noel was hard, because I was trying to capture a feeling and it didn’t quite take.

However, they redeemed themselves somewhat on the ballads, Another Man’s Words and Nobody Told Me. This pair of slower songs allowed Taylor to sing in a higher register and softer tone, which seemed to suit him a little better. At the strongest points in the set they brought to mind Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears or even George Thorogood, but lacking the grit and the grease of those acts. During a quiet section Taylor took on the role of Southern preacher, asking the crowd to say a prayer for depression sufferers, complete with questions like, “Can I get an amen?”, which the band would punctuate with single hits. Unintentional levity was added to this message by guitarist Nalle Colt, who, as if overcome by emotion, removed his hat and looked toward the ceiling. I don’t want to rag on Vintage Trouble any more, because the people that came to see them play were obviously enjoying it. They knew the words and responded enthusiastically to all of the crowd surfing, hand clapping and arm waving requests; they got low during the breakdown and jumped up on command for the outro of the last song. This wasn’t a bad performance, just a bit safe and unoriginal. BY ALEX WATTS LOVED: The new Star Wars movie. HATED: The NWA movie. DRANK: Water. Noel was relaxed. The band was tight. The new stuff is custom built for stadiums and it is really solid. But I was there to see Oasis songs. He played them, albeit an extremely odd selection. He changed most of them, which is fair enough, they are his songs, but this also troubled me. Digsy’s Dinner was straight out of left field, but entertaining nonetheless. Half The World Away was a lovely moment as was Talk Tonight. Unfortunately the anthemic changes to The Masterplan robbed it of its subtle glory. Wonderwall fell short, still picking itself up from every hostel floor and attempting to find something to lean on. Don’t Look Back In Anger was, as predicted, a fitting finale – it was perfect. It must be reaffirming to still be packing out stadiums off the back of two great rock’n’roll albums. But I liked it better when it all looked like it might fall apart at any minute. Which is really some kind of sicko voyeuristic reality TV entertainment thing, but I can’t help it. LOVED: Saying goodbye. HATED: Saying goodbye. DRANK: It doesn’t matter. BY HANK MARDOUKAS

BY EBEN ROJTER

LOVED: The giant cardboard whale. HATED: Awkwardly shuffling past people already seated. DRANK: Mint infused water (aka water with a chewie in my mouth). BY HOLLY PEREIRA W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 37

A L B U M

THIS WEEK AT

W E E K

OF THE

HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN

THURSDAY 7TH APRIL

COORS PRESENTS

DOUBLE DENIM PARTY

1. Atomic LP MOGWAI 2. Changes LP CHARLES BRADLEY 3. Amy Soundtrack LP AMY WINEHOUSE 4. Sire Years LP BOX THE REPLACEMENTS 5. Perdition City LP ULVER 6. Dirty LP SONIC YOUTH 7. Echo Poeme LP NURSE WITH WOUND 8. Soundtrack LP LOST IN TRANSLATION 9. Painkillers LP BRIAN FALLON 10. System Has Failed LP MEGADETH

FEATURING A LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM

ECCA VANDAL FRIDAY 8TH APRIL

MAIN BAR FROM 9.30PM

TRICK DOG SYNDICATE BEER GARDEN DJ’S

PBS TOP TEN

1. Changes CHARLES BRADLEY 2. Human Performance PARQUET COURTS 3. Switched on a Dime EXTENDED PIANOS (PATERAS/GRISWOLD/FOX) 4. Rhythm Method SMILE 5. Hoodlem HOODLEM 6. Lost Time TACOCAT 7. Azel BOMBINO 8. Return to Sky CAUSA SUI 9. Alwasta ODDISEE 10. A Requiem for Edward Snowden MATTHEW COLLINGS

(2 SETS)

MAARS / MATT RAD / SAM MCEWIN SATURDAY 9TH APRIL MAIN BAR FROM 9.30PM

THANDO (BIRTHDAY SHOW)

OFF THE HIP TOP TEN

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

FULTON STREET BAND

The Peace And Truce Of Future Of The Left (Remote Control Records)

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Top Tens

Be prepared, there’s a war against mediocrity going on, and Future Of The Left want to recruit you. The Peace And Truce Of Future Of The Left is an anthemic work of absurdist commentary; a proud moment for the loyal fans who’ve stuck by the Welsh band (this record was made possible by crowdfunding, no less), and a fantastic jump-on point for new recruits. The intransigently punchy noise-rock of 2009’s phenomenal Travels with Myself and Another still marches strong within this LP, but there’s something even darker at play. Opening track If AT&T Drank Tea What Would BP Do takes listeners on an uneasy trudge towards certain doom before eventually erupting in a vicious battle of screams and snares. It’s an apt symbol of things to come: much like the band itself, this album finds a way to pull the rug from your feet. Just as you’re adjusting to the grit and grime, boppier tracks Eating For None and Proper Music burst the tension with catchy alt-rock guitar licks, ensuring that it never gets too murky. Naturally, the record brims with sharp jabs at a multitude of society’s ills, such as excessive consumption, class warfare, and the corporate stranglehold on human endeavour. But despite all the frustration, it’s never suffocatingly bleak (or, God forbid, preachy). There’s

a beautiful theatricality that forbids hopelessness, a grandiose invitation to give in to the madness that surrounds us so we can have a manic chuckle about it. When The Limits Of Battleships sardonically explains the horrors of warfare in the most matter-of-fact manner – “Have you ever been part of / A criminal conspiracy? / It really is incredible fun / Once the boring paperwork is done” – it suddenly feels so silly that you’ll struggle to suppress a laugh. Likewise, Miner’s Gruel – a song about a posh elitist who attempts to instil class prejudice into another generation – is an outrageously goofy performance made all the more baffling when you realise there are people who actually think like this. Unabashedly quirky, Future Of The Left have truly outdone themselves with this twisted revolt against apathy. BY JACOB COLLIVER

SINGLE REVIEWS WITH LACHLAN

DORSAL FINS Let ‘Em In (Gripless) It takes a certain type of chutzpah to cover Paul McCartney, especially Wings–era Macca. The melodies are good, the melodies are daggy. Finding a respect for that balance is the key. Dorsal Fins absolutely nail it on Let ‘Em In, bringing their powerhouse pool of talent without overcooking any element. They have fun with it. Rightfully so: it’s a fun song. I really love this. Open the door and let ‘em in. Dorsal Fins continue to be quiet overachievers

RIHANNA Kiss It Better (Universal) It’s hard to believe one of the world’s biggest pop stars can release something of a sleeper hit of an album, but that’s kind of what we have here with Rihanna’s excellent Anti. Such is the weird nature of the album in the stream–ruled climate. Kiss It Better is a brooding ‘80s soundtrack fanging it into a neon sunset. It exudes sheer power, and it’s all on RiRi’s terms.

A.B. ORIGINAL 2 Black 2 Strong (Bad Apples)

W E

A.B. Original, a new project bringing together Briggs and Trials, unleashes with the uncompromising monster 2 Black 2 Strong. The production (from Dazastah) is ridiculously large, reaching the scale of Pharoahe Monch’s Simon Says as Briggs and Trials outdo each other with the biggest bombshell punchlines in their respective arsenals. Briggs has talked up A.B. Original in a big way, to the extent of if this wasn’t primed to be the biggest hip hop release in Australia this year it would fall short. It doesn’t fall short. HOW SICK IS MUSIC? HEAPS WICKED

SYN TOP TEN

1. The Itch DARLING JAMES 2. Truth To Trade ECCA VANDAL 3. Hypnotised FLAMINGO 4. Waiting For You To Run GEORGIA REED 5. I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else GYPSY & THE CAT 6. Baby ANNA OF THE NORTH 7. Aftergold BIG WILD 8. Free BROODS 9. Famous KANYE WEST 10. Down Under MOGLI & NOVAA

RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN

Full respect to the footy social media managers who have to come up with different ways of saying “tough day at the office” week in, week out. THE VINES In Miracle Land (Independent) Lifting Beatles melodies wholesale? C’mon Vines, that’s a total Jet move. But this Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds-alike is pretty decent, even if it is a weird anthem paraphrasing the Sega classic Alex Kidd In Miracle World. If you’re not expecting much from the seventh LP from The Vines, then In Miracle Land delivers. If you are expecting much, then that’s probably on you.

1. Bite Your Tongue LP SPACEJUNK 2. Louie Louie 7” MOTORHEAD 3. Live At CBGBs LP VARIOUS 4. Should’ve Stayed Home LP/CD YARD APES 5. Of Skins & Heart LP THE CHURCH 6. From Here 7” POPULAR MECHANICS 7. Diamond In The Forehead CD GARRY GRAY & THE SIXTH CIRCLE 8. Quarters LP KING GIZZARD 9. Rx LP/CD LOOSE PILLS 10. Tyrannamen LP TYRANNAMEN

1. Post Pop Depression IGGY POP 2. Young Blindness THE MURLOCS 3. IV BLACK MOUNTAIN 4. Lnzndrf LNZNDRF 5. Tyrannamen TYRANNAMEN 6. Full Closure And No Details GABRIELLA COHEN 7. Barbara Barbara We Face A Shining Future UNDERWORLD 8. Eddy Current Suppression Ring EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING 9. Hurt And The Merciless THE HEAVY 10. United Crushers POLICA

BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT MONSTROUS MEN 1. Song For Clive Palmer EWAN D. RODGERS 2. Gaddafi The Coward EMINEM 3. Holiday In Cambodia DEAD KENNEDYS 4. Ronald Reagan Era KENDRICK LAMAR 5. Goodbye Goebbels FAT WHITE FAMILY 6. Macbeth JOHN CALE 7. Stalin Malone ELVIS COSTELLO 8. The Old Man’s Back Again SCOTT WALKER 9. I Saw Tony Abbott Eat An Onion RUSSELL CROW 10. Little Hitler NICK LOWE

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

FLATBUSH ZOMBIES

HAILMARY

3001: A L ACED ODYSSEY (Glorious Dead Recordings)

EVOLVE DISSOLVE (Independent)

Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott have always been in a lane of their own, desperate to challenge the classic New York hip hop sound. This rebellious trend is particularly evident on their debut LP, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, on which the psychedelic trio vent their dreams and nightmares through 12 tracks of LSD-fuelled lyricism. The collective change flows as often as one would change clothes as the Brooklyn outfit build spectacularly on their previous mixtapes, which date all the way back to 2012. The album relays the raw, zany inner-workings of this group of rappers who are now a household name on the East Coast of America. Few record boast such a fit opener as Odyssey, anchored as it is with resounding drums and haunting keys. The mood shifts between the heavy-hitting and the hypnotic on A Spike Lee Joint, with smooth, ethereal jazz notes there to slow things down. Good Grief and New Phone, Who Dis? are both rife with thick basslines and vocal echoes that highlight the warped, twisted nature of each individual. Flatbush Zombies have gone above and beyond, managing to harness their tortured inner-fantasies and commercially courageous drive to create an unbridled piece of hip hop treasure. BY BEN PEARCE

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS

EVERY THING YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT (Domino)

A completely DIY band, Perth’s Hailmary bob up on a regular basis to put out a high quality release and do the touring hard yards around the country. You can now add their latest EP, Evolve Dissolve, to that list of high quality releases. These guys are extremely consistent; their songs rock hard to a fault and are always catchy as hell. What’s always appealed about this band is that, while you can detect the influence of the glam metal bands who were inexplicably popular in the late ‘80s, their sound has always favoured the tougher, ballsier end of the rock spectrum. This EP carries on and reinforces that tradition. While music is gritty, the production is clean, which makes for a great combination. And even with just five tracks to play with, Evolve Dissolve still manages to be a dynamic journey. The partially acoustic The Longest Line provides a tasteful variation in the middle, before the blistering, fat as fuck groove of Mind Casualty violently slams the listener in the face once again. If you dig Alice in Chains, Filter and Stone Temple Pilots, with just a subtle touch of Guns N’ Roses and Quiet Riot, this band is definitely for you. BY ROD WHITFIELD

Alex Turner and Miles Kane reinvent their own wheel with this oversaturated retro-pop delight. The Last Shadow Puppets may not have matured per se, but there has definitely been an evolution since the debut of this UK supergroup. In retrospect, their 2008 debut The Age of the Understatement now sounds like a bunch of English kids bashing around in the studio, Turner’s voice only a shadow of the lush baritone drawl he has since developed. In these 11 tracks are soaring, emphatic stringed sections, often recalling exacerbated film sound effects, while Turner and Kane’s vocal harmonies have improved tenfold. Standout songs include Miracle Aligner, with its glacial strumming and catchy hook. Bad Habits is another stabbing, punkish gem and one of the more upbeat moments on the record. But none of this compares to the compelling vocals on Sweet Dreams, TN, a stunted ballad full of grandeur. You’ve never heard Alex Turner like this, no matter how many Arctic Monkeys tracks you flash through. So is it everything we’ve come to expect? In some ways, yes, but even with a slight formula in place there are enough twists and turns to send its predecessor out of business. BY CHELSEA DEELEY

SUMMER FLAKE

PARQUET COURTS

THE LUMINEERS

HELLO FRIENDS (Rice is Nice)

HUMAN PERFORMANCE (Rough Trade)

CLEOPATRA (Decca Records)

What a pleasure it is to give an album a spin after enjoying its lead single and finding out the whole lot is as good as the thing that brought you here in the first instance. Such is the case with Hello Friends, the excellent second album from Summer Flake aka Melbourne-via-Adelaide musician Stephanie Crase (formerly of Batrider). The instantly-familiar ‘90s guitar-pop sound of Shoot and Score provides a good indication of what’s to be discovered across ten tracks. At first it all sounds so sunny and warm, but there’s darkness just out of shot at many points and Crase is often in a scathing mood. Opener Son of a Gun finds her in such a headspace, but it’s more contemplative than combative; Make Your Way Back to Me is part Sonic Youth, part dream-pop transcendence; the distortion-driven Wine Won’t Wash Away is a highlight; while the slow, gentle guitar lines and reflective lyrics of Tumbling Down and So Long are no less engaging. Crase’s skill is in making it all seem effortless, whether it’s coldly dissecting those around her, switching from loud to quiet à la the Pixies, or peeling off an epic solo. There’s a lingering feeling she’s not really taking it too seriously, which only adds to the appeal. The musical reference points are clear, but it’s Crase’s contradictions that make this such an appealing collection of tracks, and there’s much more here than meets the eye. BY PAUL MCBRIDE

Since 2010, Parquet Courts have been creating music from a place of nonchalance. Earnestness isn’t avoided, but it’s always offset by indifference, self-deprecation and dry wit. Parquet Courts may be non-committal, but they are committed to not giving a shit. On their fifth studio album, Human Performance, the band supply a balanced serving of art-rock, no wave and indie rock. Opener Dust is driven by a repetitive krautrock riff, speaking to the wealth of influence that the band mine from, with nods to The Fall and Suicide. “Dust is everywhere – sweep,” is a call to arms, but a futile one, as inevitably the dust will return. It’s a clever metaphor for human existence and the monotonous slog through everyday minutiae towards a certain end. Human Performance is a regretful ballad that backs up the nihilism of the previous track, albeit with melodies a little too similar to Instant Disassembly from 2014’s Sunbathing Animal. I Was Just Here is a manic mess; robotic vocals, sparse guitars and heavy tom usage makes for a trudging minimalist number. Production wise, Human Performances boasts an array of sounds. Captive of the Sun is washed out in reverb, with slide guitar and glockenspiel adding another layer of sound; One Man, No City ends in a messy Velvet Underground style outro; Berlin Got Blurry is characterised by a spaghetti western inspired guitar line; and the tubes are driven hard to add some grime to Two Dead Cops. There are signs that Parquet Courts’ creative pool might be drying up but even the songs on Human Performance that we feel like we’ve heard before are well considered and crafted. Even an average album by Parquet Courts is an enjoyable one.

The Lumineers’ self-titled debut was simple and sweet – the musical equivalent of comfort food. Their folky songs encouraged ardent singalongs and frontman Wesley Schultz conveyed foreign stories with feelings that were all too familiar. Cleopatra is their return, accompanied by production from Simone Felice, formerly of the Felice Brothers. Four years on, the band’s sound is instantly recognisable. Opening song Sleep On The Floor features a spacious arrangement; a steady beat is matched by the call of an electric guitar before the track splits open and soars upwards. The songwriting is still simple, but there are fresh dynamic nuances and a new toying with melodic ideas. The thudding bass drum and cathartic rises – such as on Gun Song – become cyclical. However, sparser tracks on the second half of the record – see the gentle In The Light and the devastating Sick In The Head – break from this pattern. Schultz’s rusty cry douses the record in bittersweet sincerity, less twee and a little heavier than on its predecessor. For those who enjoy their emotions rendered with a little more subtlety, Schultz’s performances may be a bit too cloying to be palatable. Yet it was this very earnestness that originally drew the hearts of the masses to The Lumineers, and this warmth will continue to attract many others. The Lumineers don’t make any sweeping statements or momentous experiments on Cleopatra. However, it preserves the unassuming approach that made them treasured in the first place. BY ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES

BY KRYSTAL MAYNARD

THURSDAY 7 APRIL:

FRIDAY 8 APRIL: LISTEN RECORDS PRESENTS

SATURDAY 16 APRIL - 3PM FREE IN FRONT BAR:

ALBUM LAUNCH W/ SIMONA CASTRICUM + EMPAT LIMA + SHAG PLANET - ON SALE NOW

SATURDAY 9 APRIL - 3PM FREE IN FRONT BAR:

NEW LEASE

- LEATHER LICKERS + WET BLANKETS + GELD SATURDAY 9 APRIL - SOLD OUT!!

NEW KITCHEN RESIDENTS SERVING FROM APRIL 13TH MAIN LOGO

S STYLIZED VARIENT

SEPPARATED

VARIENTS

BEANS - ON SALE NOW

W/ COOL SOUNDS + GOOD MORNING + WINTERCOATS- ON SALE NOW

W/ LEAH SENIOR AND LUKE HENRY (USA)

STINA & CINTA 9663 6350 | JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM

SATURDAY 23 APRIL:

THE MURLOCS W/ GABRIELLA COHEN + LALIC + BAKED

MADELINE LEMAN & THE DESERT SWELLS

2 9 LY G O N S T, C A R LT O N

SUNDAY 10 APRIL - 2ND SHOW:

THE MURLOCS W/ CREPES + DREAMIN’ WILD

NEW LEASE - ANGIE (FULL BAND) +

LOVE MIGRATE ALBUM PREVIEW SHOW

SUNDAY 24 APRIL - ANZAC EVE:

MANGELWURZEL END OF TOUR PARTY

THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS SINGLE LAUNCH THURS 28 & FRI 29 APRIL: SEX ON TOAST EP LAUNCH - ON SALE NOW

FRIDAY 22 APRIL:

COMING SOON:

VACCUM + MYSTIC EYES

SATURDAY 16 APRIL:

W/ SCOTDRAKULA + POW POW KIDS- ON SALE NOW

CODA CHROMA SINGLE LAUNCH - ON SALE NOW

W/ MAYFAIR KYTES

ALBUM REVIEWS - BECAUSE YOU CARE WHAT WE THINK

SAT 30 APRIL - DEEP HEAT ALBUM LAUNCH SUN 8 MAY - TWIN PEAKS (USA) FRI 13 MAY - CAMP COPE ALBUM LAUNCH SAT 14 MAY - MY DISCO BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 39

GIG GUIDE WEDNESDAY 6 APR DANE BLACKLOCK & THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER

MONEY FOR ROPE

TH E OL D B A R Melbourne surf/garage five-piece Money For Rope haven’t released an album for four years, but on Christmas last year the outfit released a fuzzed-out slice of summer heartbreak track, Stretched My Neck. The single was recorded at a Victorian beach house between rounds of fishing. On Wednesday April 6 the boys are bringing the good times to The Old Bar accompanied by Dave O’Connor and Keggin’. It’s only $8 with entry at 8pm.

VALENTIINE

C H E R RY B A R Three-piece girl squad Valentiine commence their month-long Cherry Bar residency on Wednesday April 6. These ladies are ready to make your Wednesday nights super messy with their bold, unhinged scrungepop sounds. The Black Atrypes will help get things rolling for the first instalment. Doors are early at 6pm with $5 entry.

LOW TALK

THE POST OFFI CE HOTE L Melbourne’s very own Low Talk are bringing their minimalist alt-country to The Post Office Hotel on Thursday April 7. Local singer/songwriter Michael Beach will be supporting, in addition to Sweet Whirl. Free entry and it kicks off at 8.30pm.

BLOOD ORANGE + HDOT + REEL TAPES + GIANT GIANT

RUBIX RADIO ON KISSFM Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick.

Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 7:00pm.

DAVEY LANE + GABRIELLA COHEN Gasometer Hotel,

8:30pm.

CITY CALM DOWN + AIRLING + PROBLEMS Corner Hotel,

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

SASKWATCH + CUB SPORT Karova Lounge, Ballarat.

Richmond. 7:30pm.

HEY HEY IT’S FRIDAY - FEAT: ASTRO BOYS Royal Hotel

8:30pm. $15.00.

EASTWARD + GRIFF + CHESHIRE Gasometer Hotel,

(essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.

SHIT NARNIA + ORLANDO FURIOUS + HOSPITAL +

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.

MUSIC SERIES St Ali, South Melbourne. 7:00pm.

PRODUCT Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

EMERGENZA FESTIVAL Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

OPEN MIC Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 6:00pm.

VICTORIANA GAYE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

$20.00.

BEN CARR TRIO 303, Northcote. 8:30pm.

OPEN MIC Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6:30pm.

FIREBIRD TRIO Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:00pm.

GUILLOTYNE + YOU MINX Musicland, Fawkner. 7:00pm.

BIG EASY SOUL SESSIONS Carlton Club, Melbourne

PETRICHORA + LUKE SEYMOUR + STUCK OUT + PLURAL

GIRLS ON KEY Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

JACKY WINTER + GOLDEN SYRUP + DJ SHITSNAKE Tote

Cbd. 8:00pm.

Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm.

MARTHA MARLOW + JAMES GILLIGAN + KIERAN HENSEY

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

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

REBECCA BARNARD & BILLY MILLER (SING-A-LONG)

Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10.00.

LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES Retreat Hotel,

CLASSICAL VISIONS - FEAT: MELBOURNE CHAMBER

Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh. 7:00pm. $18.00.

NATHAN MCKINNON & ALEXANDRA SAMULENOK Lona

Brunswick. 8:30pm.

WHO LE LOT TA LOVE Dane Blacklock And The Preacher’s Daughter claim their musical genre is a mash-up of grime, blues, doom-folk and country-punk – what a combination. If you can’t quite wrap your head around what this could possibly sound like, you’d best potter on down to Whole Lotta Love on Wednesday April 6. Andy Hancock will be starting off the night at 8pm, with Dog Show next on the bill. $8 will have your entry sorted.

ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm.

2:30pm. $49.00.

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

DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Purple Emerald, Northcote. 8:00pm.

8:00pm. $10.00.

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE - FEAT: JOEY ELBOWS The

EMILY WILLIAMS Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

8:30pm. $20.00.

FRANCES MADDEN Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 7:45pm.

BITY BOOKER

T HE DRUNKEN POET Bity Booker is bringing her own brand of folk, pop and psychedelic whimsy Melbourne Wednesday April 6. Her appearance arrives as part of Wine Whiskey Women series, which has become a regular fixture at The Drunken Poet every Wednesday night. For this edition, Bity Booker will be joined by Georgia Ray. Kicks off at 8pm and entry is free.

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40

COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD

BURLAP

TH E E V ELYN Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird are heating up The Evelyn Hotel every Wednesday of April, with their residency starting from Wednesday April 6. Fresh off the back of their Melbourne Bitter single launch, the band are throwing together a lineup of their favourite local artists to complement their eclectic, alternative folk sounds. Bird and beers. Every week. April has never sounded so good. $8 entry at 8.30pm.

THURSDAY 7 APR ASKING ALEXANDRIA (U18) + BLESSTHEFALL + BURIED IN VERONA 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 12:30pm. $53.70. ATHENAS WAKE + XENOBIOTIC + GRAVEMIND + LEGERITY Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

B E AT.C O M . A U

THE OL D B AR Sydney natives Burlap are hitting up Melbourne on Thursday April 7 to promote their fresh new album that dropped in February through Trait Records and Black Wire Records. The noise/punk outfit have been driving around the country in their V8’s to spread the word about their debut release, Burnout King. They’re set to tear up The Old Bar with Mutton, Midwife and Kollaps. Doors are at 8pm, entry is $8, do a good deed and chip in for Burlap’s petrol.

GIG GUIDE HIP HOP KARAOKE

Q&A

STAY GOLD - FEAT: ANCHORS + FOXTROT + IN TRENCHES

BO N EY

+ TIGERS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

The time has finally come – Hip Hop Karaoke is turning two and you’re invited to the party. Thursday April 7 will see the usual karaoke shenanigans, with the addition of Mat Cant on the decks to help you wind down after getting your palms sweaty. 9pm, $10 on the door.

TALI SING + MYAMI + HEADSTONE Shebeen, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.00.

BEAUTY & THE BRASS - FEAT: AUSTRALIAN BAROQUE BRASS Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 6:00pm.

LIONIZER + STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE + CHELSEA BLEACH + WOO WHO + GHOST DICK Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00. LOOSEY GOOSEY - FEAT: THE GROVES + THE BLACK

$29.00.

KID RADIO

GLOBAL SESSIONS - FEAT: OMADOS Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 7:30pm. $8.00.

MADELINE LEMAN & THE DESERT SWELLS + LEAH

TH E GRAC E DA R LI NG H OT E L Kid Radio are finally returning to the stage at The Grace Darling Hotel after a successful 2015 national tour, for a night of electronic, funk, pop and catchy beats. Bringing a dynamic texture of sound to the evening, there will be enough genres filled into one room to please many. They’ll be accompanied by supports Neon Queen and Tin Lion on Thursday April 7. Head down at 8pm, tickets are $10.

SENIOR + LUKE HENRY John Curtin Hotel, Carlton.

MEZZ LIVE Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights.

In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

7:30pm. $10.00.

5:30pm.

MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE Lomond Hotel,

MOE + DEAD + BATPISS + UMBILICAL TENTACLE Tote

Brunswick East. 8:30pm.

Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

PBS 106.7FM ROCK-A-BYE-BABY SESSION - FEAT: LA

NOTHING - FEAT: EVIL CLUB + ROMY VAGER + AMYL

MAUVAISE REPUTATION Fitzroy Town Hall, Fitzroy.

& THE SNIFFERS + SPIKE FUCK Hugs & Kisses,

11:00am. $5.00.

Melbourne. 9:00pm.

ROD GILBERT + JMQ ENSEMBLE + JOHN MONTESANTE

SASKWATCH Workers Club (geelong), Geelong.

+ STEVE GRANT + MORE Leroy Espresso, St Kilda.

8:00pm. $17.85.

6:00pm.

SHOWCASE NIGHTS Purple Emerald, Northcote. 8:00pm.

THE GOOD EGG THURSDAYS - FEAT: HENRY WHO +

THE SWEETHEARTS

TIGERFUNK + LEWIS CANCUT Lucky Coq, Windsor.

ALLEYS + THE QUARTERS 24 Moons, Northcote. 8:00pm.

LUKE SASSAFRAS BAND Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 4:00pm.

ORCHES

THE WO RKERS CLUB Producer, vocalist and pianist Jordan Donnelly, aka Orches, is proud to released his latest single All-ways on Thursday April 7 at The Workers Club. With the success of his debut EP released on the tail end of 2015 behind him, All-ways is a bold step toward the indie/electronic sound that Orches continues to shape for himself. Support comes from Parks Department, Togetherapart and CIVIQUE. Doors are at 7.30pm and entry is $10.

C H E RRY B AR If you know anything about Cherry Soul, you’re bound to be familiar with the 25-piece Geelong based girl band Sweethearts. These ladies are ready to bring their blend of classic soul and Motown, presenting their own brand of nu-soul to Cherry Bar on Thursday April 7. Drag your mates down and get on the Cherry Bon’s. Entry is $10 with doors at 9pm. If you make it down before 9pm entry is free.

KLUKE’S KORNER Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.

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

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER Toff

7:00pm.

THE ISHS/ALLEN PROJECT Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.

THE LACHY DOLEY GROUP 303, Northcote. 8:00pm. $20.00.

AUSTRALIA

1. The First Record I Bought: Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded House. I was nine and Neil’s positive lyrics and smooth melodies really appealed. 2. The Last Record I Bought: Anna Meredith’s Varmints. Nautilus blew my mind so couldn’t wait to get my ears around this record. Some crazy and powerful music. 3. The First Thing I Recorded: I had a band called Billy Jean Demos. I recorded the drum loops out of a multi FX guitar pedal and chopped them up to make rock beats, then plugged guitar straight into the mini-jack input on the old home PC. I eventually got a drum kit but it didn’t have a kick pedal so I’d just whack it with a shoe. 4. The Last Thing I Recorded: Oly, Nick and I went to a house on the NSW south coast for ten days and recorded Portraits of People Places and Movies. I had written the shells of songs so we borrowed a bunch of studio gear and instruments from friends and made it happen. Since then we’ve gotten Wade Keighran (The Scare, Wolf and Cub) in on bass and Joe Driver (Belles Will Ring) on drums for the live show and they definitely bring a lot to the table. 5. The Record That Changed My Life: There’s a few, but the two biggest would probably be Talking Heads’ Remain In Light and Rowland S. Howard’s Pop Crimes. I saw Rowland’s last Sydney show and it really made me readdress what I wanted to do and write. Remain In Light introduced me to Brian Eno and a whole world of production techniques which we’ve used on this record. AUSTRALIA are playing at The Grace Darling Hotel on Saturday April 9 with special guests Osaka and Smoke Rings.

COMING UP SUNDAYS IN APRIL

ABBEY STONE 3PM TUESDAYS IN APRIL

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

BELOVE 6:30PM

WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL

FIREBIRD TRIO

DOORS & KITCHEN 4PM, SHOW STARTS 8PM FREE ENTRY

THURSDAY 7TH APRIL

PHILLIP HENRY AND HANNAH MARTIN (UK) DOORS & KITCHEN 6PM, SHOW STARTS 8:30PM $15 ENTRY

FRIDAY 8TH APRIL

SANTA TARANTA

+ RUSTICA PROJECT & SPECIAL GUESTS

DOORS & KITCHEN 6PM, SHOW STARTS 8:30PM $5 ENTRY

sATURDAY 9TH APRIL

CHARLES JENKINS & THE ZHIVAGOS + CENTRAL RAIN + TIMOTHY NELSON (WA)

DOORS & KITCHEN 6PM, SHOW STARTS 8:30PM $15 ENTRY

FREE WIFI AVAILABLE

COMING UP

MIC CONWAY & MATTHEW FAGAN’S GYPSY FIRE 15TH LIAM GERNER 14TH

$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 41

KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES

T HE DO G S BAR Adelaide’s alt-rockers Koral & The Goodbye Horses have been celebrating the release of their latest single Little Sister, with a national tour. On Friday April 8 they are finally hitting up Melbourne with a show at The Dogs Bar. Can’t make it? No dramas, they’ll also be hitting up Catfish on Saturday April 9.

MOONEE TUNES - FEAT: KINGSWOOD + TKAY MAIDZA

GIG GUIDE

COLUMBIA BUFFET

T HE RE V E R E NC E Queensland’s Columbia Buffet are hitting up The Reverence on Friday April 8, to celebrate their recently released album How To Survive An Atomic Bomb. The band combines elements of punk-rock, indie and pop-punk, somehow managing to balance themselves between the three. On the night they’ll be supported by Tired Breeds, Foley! and Self Talk. Doors are at 8pm and entry is $12.

BEN ABRAHAM

T H E TO FF Ben Abraham is playing a surprise one-off show at The Toff on Saturday April 9. He’s wrapping his album launch for the hugely successful Sirens, before he heads off to the big smoke for an overseas support slot. Get in quick, this one is sure to sell out fast. Tickets are on sale via the venue.

CHANDLER & JEN JEN LEVEL UP - FEAT: THE FCKUPS

+ THE DELTA RIGGS + HARTS + REMI + TULLY ON TULLY

Z-STAR DELTA Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs.

+ WHERES GROVER? + DIXON CIDER + POWERSKIDS +

Moonee Valley Racecourse, Moonee Ponds. 3:30pm.

7:30pm. $10.00.

MORE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

$99.00.

AMARU TRIBE The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

CITY CALM DOWN Corner Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm.

OH PEP! Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm.

ANNA CORDELL + ESTHER HOLT + HANNAH CAMERON

DJ SPEEZE Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 9:30pm.

$15.00.

Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00.

ERIK PARKER Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 7:00pm. $5.00.

PAT CHOW + MAIDS + MONSOON + PUSSY JUICE Old

CHRIS WILSON Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:15pm.

ESTÈRE - FEAT: ESTERE + COCOA NOIRE + HUDSON

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

DEAD PHAROAHS + NEW AGE Mr Boogie Man Bar,

JAMES JR Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $12.00.

RIFF FIST + FIELD + BØG + TERMINAL WALLY Brunswick

Abbottsford. 8:00pm.

FURNACE & THE FUNDAMENTALS Ding Dong Lounge,

Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

FIREBIRD TRIO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $10.00.

ROAD WARRIORS + DESECRATOR + IN MALICE’S WAKE

GEOFF ACHISON & JIMI HOCKING Grand Hotel

GRIM RHYTHM + COSMIC KAHUNA + JACK HARLON &

+ HARLOTT + MORE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

Mornington, Mornington. 8:00pm. $15.00.

THE DEAD CROWS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5:00pm.

8:00pm. $15.00.

JOSH NOVAK Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm.

GRIZZLY ADAMS + SPECTRAL FIRES + DISASTERS +

BONEYARD

KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES Dog’s Bar, St Kilda.

THE APPROACH + OF STOLEN MOMENTS Tote Hotel,

7:00pm.

Collingwood. 8:00pm. $10.00.

LUWOW A killer ‘90s dress up party is going down on Friday April 8 at Luwow. Get pumped for The Boneyard DJ Duo with special guest DJs Eris and Anarki (THE NEW ORDER) plus Silhouette D’amour. There’ll be circus feats, cocktail and drink specials and even a few go-go dancers. Treat yourself, rally together a crew. Entry is just $5 from 9pm.

MR ALFORD Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm. PETER CHAPMAN Milano’s Tavern, Brighton. 5:00pm. ROUGH CUT Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8:00pm. $8.00.

STEVE LUCAS Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford.

SASKWATCH + CUB SPORT + WESLEY FULLER Corner

5:00pm.

Hotel, Richmond. 8:30pm.

THE WOODLAND HUNTERS Basement Discs, Melbourne

SMILE + THE OCEAN PARTY + GOOD MORNING + MORE

Cbd. 12:45pm.

Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00.

TRICK DOG SYNDICATE Penny Black, Brunswick.

ST. MORRIS SINNERS + LOW TALK + DAS KNIFE +

9:30pm.

JACKSON REID BRIGGS & THE HEATERS Tote Hotel,

Z-STAR DELTA + SEBASTIEN-H Suttons House Of Music,

TWO STEPS ON THE WATER

Ballarat. 7:30pm.

T HE P O ST OFFICE H OTEL The Post Office Hotel will be hosting the furious and sad emotion punk of Two Steps on the Water, who are in the process of recording an album due for release later in the year. They’ll be joined for the night by the mysterious but sweet art-rock of Hearing. It’ll all go down at 9.30pm on Friday April 8, and there’s no pesky entry fee. Collingwood. 8:00pm.

STINA TESTER & CINTA MASTERS + SIMONA CASTRICUM + EMPAT LIMA + SHAG PLANET John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8:00pm. $12.00.

LYZEE

LAMA

ZERAFINA ZARA & ALLEGED ASSOCIATES Smokehouse 101, Maidstone. 7:00pm.

T H E R E T R E AT Melbourne psychedelic funksters LAMA will take the stage at the Retreat Hotel on Saturday April 9 for two mammoth sets of glitz and glam. The enigmatic sevenpiece are fast becoming known around the traps for their vivacious and colourful show, culminating in an explosive live set. This may be one of the last chances to see these guys before they head over to Europe midyear. Catch ‘em from 9.30pm onwards, free entry.

GUMBOOT + SCOTDRAKULA Old Bar, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. JAMES MOLONEY & THE MAD DOG HARRISONS + KAKU

SATURDAY 9 APR RIFF RAIDERS CHEAP TRICK TRIBUTE

Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. $5.00.

JOEY ELBOWS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

CHERRY BAR After more than four decades of music and over 5,000 gigs, legendary rockers Cheap Trick will be inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To celebrate, Riff Raiders will play their classic album At Budokan in full. After performing the album from start to finish, Riff Raiders will launch into a set filled with other Hall of Fame musicians, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Queen and Kiss. It all goes down at Cherry Bar on Saturday April 9. Their Cheap Trick set starts at 9pm sharp, while the Hall of Fame set kicks off at 10.30pm.

ARAUJO FEST 2016 - FEAT: CROWNED KINGS + COLD

WHOLE LOT TA LOVE Singer/songwriter Lyzee is launching her EP Luminescent at Whole Lotta Love on Friday April 8. The party is set to showcase her album’s blend of electronic pop with some darker tunes thrown in too, in addition to some back-up dancers from Danza Talent making an appearance. Supports come from Krishool, Brittany Leo and Paige Spiers. Mama Julz will be the MC for the night. There are still some limited tickets left, available via the Sticky Tickets website.

GROUND + DRIVEN FEAR + MORE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

ASTA Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $20.00.

ASYLUM SISTERS + OK SURE + HOSPITAL Grace Darling

LAMA Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:30pm.

AUSTRALIA

T H E G R AC E DA RLI NG H OTE L Australia are embarking on their first national tour in celebration of their debut LP, Portraits of People, Places and Movies. On Saturday April 9, they’ll be treating punters at The Grace Darling Hotel to their Melbourne leg of the tour. Osaka and Smoke Rings will be supporting, with doors open at 8pm. Snap up a pre-sale ticket via the venue’s website.

Hotel, Collingwood. 9:00pm. $10.00.

MAX SAVAGE + KORAL & THE GOODBYE HORSES + THE

AUSTRALIA + OSAKA + SMOKE RINGS Grace Darling

ST. MORRIS SINNERS Catfish, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00.

V E R D I G R I S - FEAT: AFISHANT + MELONCOLONY +

Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $12.00.

MODERN BASEBALL + CAMP COPE Reverence Hotel,

TIMMUS + MORE Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 3:00pm.

BANG - FEAT: YOUNG LIONS + THE VALLEY ENDS + AFTER

Footscray. 8:30pm.

$16.67.

CHANGE Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne Cbd.

NEW LEASE - FEAT: LEATHER LICKERS + WET BLANKETS

WALKIN’ THE LINE (JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE) Big Huey’s

10:00pm. $20.00.

+ GELD John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 3:00pm.

Diner, South Melbourne. 8:00pm.

BUSY KINGDOM The B.east, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

OCEAN BONES + TREEHOUSE CHILDREN + RAD ISLAND

WATT’S ON PRESENTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .

BUTTIFEST - FEAT: JOEY JAY + DIVIDEM + FEAR OF

Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 4:00pm.

8:30pm.

FLYING Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $20.00. B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 43

GIG GUIDE LUKE THOMAS & TRISTAN HUDSON

Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

MICHELLE NICOLLE QUARTET Cross Street , East

T H E R E V E R E NC E If you’re feeling a chilled afternoon session after the weekend festivities, wander on down to The Reverence on Sunday April 10. Luke Thomas of Kissing Booth will be joined by Tristan Hudson, to strum the arvo away like a cool tropical breeze. Get there from 4pm onwards for some good vibes and cheap drinks, entry is free.

Brunswick. 5:15pm.

MJC PRESENTS Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. PETER KOOPMAN QUARTET Cross Street , East Brunswick. 6:15pm.

RASTA UNITY 303, Northcote. 7:30pm.

ROB SNARSKI & FRIENDS

Ferntree Gully. 2:00pm.

SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Lucky Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.

THE DIXIE CHOOKS Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury.

Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm. $5.00.

LUKE THOMAS + TRISTAN HUDSON Reverence Hotel,

THE RET REAT The Bona Fide Travellers are riding on into The Retreat on Sunday April 10 for an afternoon of swampy, roots infused country tunes. These genuine horsemen are old hands at the country scene, having been in the same circles as The Dingoes, Saltbush, Hit & Run and Bluestone. It’s happe ning from 5pm onwards and entry is on the house.

3:30pm.

SUNDAY SOUL SESSIONS Purple Emerald, Northcote.

SHANI WAKEFIELD Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale.

9:00pm.

8:30pm.

SUNDAY SOULTRAIN - FEAT: THE ANDY LAYFIELD SOUND

SIDESHOW BRIDES Union Hotel (brunswick),

Daveys Bar & Restaurant, Frankston. 2:30pm.

Brunswick. 5:00pm.

RIFF FIST

SUNDAY SESSION - FEAT: BRUNSY Ferntree Gully Hotel,

C ROXTON FR O NT B A R After 25 years as the singer of the Blackeyed Susans, Rob Snarski decided to take a leaf from his own book by launching his debut solo album Wounded Bird in 2014. In 2015 he followed it up with Low Fidelity, a selection of covers with producer Shane O’Mara. While The Susans continue work on their first album in 13 years, Rob will be playing the Croxton front bar for the month of April. On Sunday April 10 he’ll be joined by JP Shilo. Get down at 4pm, entry is free.

THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS

Q&A

Footscray. 4:00pm.

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

SARAH CARROLL Union Hotel (brunswick), Brunswick.

DAN LETHBRIDGE & THE HANDSOME BASTARDS

T H E P O S T O FFI C E H OT E L The Handsome Bastards are Shane O’Mara, Rick Plant, Ralf Rehak and Dan Lethbridge. The band likes to venture out once in a while to show off their favourite dark and twisted country songs and they’re playing a free gig at The Post Office Hotel on Sunday April 10. Entry won’t cost a thing and there will be two sweet sets from 4.30pm.

Define your genre in five words or less: ’70s inspired stoner rock groove. So, someone is walking past as you guys are playing, they then go get a beer and tell their friend about you... what do they say? amn, that was the most fun I’ve had with a beer in ages. How long have you been gigging and writing? Since around late 2011. What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date? Last year we got to open the festival at Desertfest Berlin. Definitely our highlight so far. Which band would you most like to have a battle/ showdown with? Orange Goblin. If only to settle the eternal debate over who is taller, Big Ben or Cozza. What inspires or has influenced your music the most? Beer and riffs. ’70s heavy rock like Grand Funk and Sabbath, along with classic stoner bands like Clutch, Kyuss and Fu Manchu. What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed? Play hip hop. Do you have any record releases to date? What? Where can I get it? We have a few releases available at shops and at rifffist.bandcamp.com. Why should everyone come and see your band? Because we make your head bang, arse shake and ears bleed. You’re guaranteed to have a blast.

TEZAT + KIER STEVENS Open Studio, Northcote.

4:30pm. $15.00.

5:00pm.

THE HORNETS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

4:00pm.

5:00pm.

THE HOUNDLINGS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

DAN BRODIE DUO Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

THE T-BONES Royal Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. 4:00pm.

ELWOOD BLUES CLUB Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .

THE TAILOR BIRDS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

8:00pm.

6:30pm.

JULES BOULT Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm.

THOMAS FOWKES + ISLA KA + JESSE MARTIN Open

JAZZ PARTY Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

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

Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm.

MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE Union Hotel (brunswick),

KEN MAHER + TONY HARGREAVES Lomond Hotel,

WARREN EARL BAND Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm.

Brunswick. 9:30pm.

Brunswick East. 9:00pm.

KERRI SIMPSON + COBRA 45S + DJ MAX CRAWDADDY

THE MADISONS

WHO LE LOT TA LOVE Get some hard-rock and a wedge of grunge in ‘ya on Sunday April 10, with a cheeky show from The Madisons at Whole Lotta Love. It’s not a house party, but it’ll do! Surf grunge will wash you clean of the weekend’s sins when Shemegma take the stage, and Meeks will be starting everything off at 8pm. Free entry.

BLOMA

TH E WORK E R S C LU B Bloma is launching the new album Strange Bird at The Workers Club on Sunday April 10, with chill-electro producer Neuroblossom and progressive electronica genius Mr Kapow jumping on board for the celebration. Expect tribal influenced, smooth sounds from Bloma, featuring 12-string acoustic guitar and soaring vocals. Neuroblossom has gained warm appraisal for his Zyax Cascade EP last year, and Melbournian Mr Kapow creates chiptune-esq dance music, with elements of Latin prog rock and retro ‘80s ambience. Doors are at 8pm, entry is $5.

RIFF FIST are playing at the Brunswick Hotel on Friday April 8 with Field, BOG and Terminal Wally.

CHERRY JAM Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. DAUGHTER + FRACTURES 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd.

MONDAY 11 APR

8:00pm.

CINEMUSICA Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne),

MANGO RETREAT + AMY POLLOCK + LUCKY MOORE

Southbank. 7:30pm. $49.00.

Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.

CLASSICAL VISIONS - FEAT: MELBOURNE CHAMBER

MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: LOST ANIMAL + JACKY

ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank.

WINTER + LALIC Northcote Social Club, Northcote.

7:30pm. $49.00.

8:00pm.

B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 45

COMING UP: FRI 8/4

GEOFF ACHISON & JIMI HOCKING 'CROSSROADS' - GUITAR SHOWDOWN FRI 15/4

SASKWATCH FRI 22/4

THIRSTY MERC FRI 6/5

TASH SULTANA FRI 13/5

AMY WINEHOUSE ‘BACK TO BLACK’ SHOW FRI 27/5

TEX PERKINS & CHARLIE OWEN THURS 16/6

DAN KELLY & ALEX GOW THURS 7/7

COL ELLIOTT FRI 15/7

ELECTRIC MARY GRAND HOTEL 124 MAIN STREET - MORNINGTON WWW.GRAND.NET.AU FACEBOOK.COM/GRANDHOTELMORNINGTON

Thurs 7th @ 8.30pm

MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE (Chunky funky) Friday 8th @ 9.30pm

THURSDAY 7TH, 8PM

MITCH GRAINGER SOLO BLUES SATURDAY 9TH, 7PM

COLLARDS, GREENS & GRAVY THE HOUNDLINGS SUNDAY 10TH, 5PM

COMING UP:

PETE CORNELIUS BAND COLLARDS, GREENS AND GRAVY PHEASANT PLUCKERS

HONEYDRIPPERS

Wed 6th April

(Hive-jive)

Saturday 9th @ 9.30pm

THE STEVE MARTINS

W I N E , W H I S K EY, W O M E N 8pm: Georgia Ray 9pm: Bity Booker Thurs 7th April

(Mix-masters)

8pm:

Sunday 10th @ 5.30 pm

Open Mic Night

THE ROUNDHOUSE GANG

6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session

Sunday 10th @ 9.00 pm

Saturday 9th April

(Cruisin’ round)

KEN MAHER, TONY HARGREAVES & GUESTS (Acoustic roots) Tuesday 12th @ 8.00pm

IRISH SESSION

Friday 8th April

Mr Alford 3pm: Conor Fitzpatrick 9pm: Catfish Voodoo Sunday 10th April 4pm: The Hornets 6.30pm: Tailor Birds 8.30pm:

Tuesday 12th April

(Fine ﬁddlin’)

ALL GIGS ARE FREE EXCELLENT RESTAURANT & BAR MEALS

225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752

8pm:

Weekly Trivia

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

B E AT.C O M . A U

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 47

BACKSTAGE

ROCK GUITAR LESSONS

How did you come to be involved with music and how long have you been working in the industry? I have been running a guitar teaching studio professionally for half a decade. What is it about this occupation that you enjoy so much – what motivates you to do what you do? I love helping intermediate and advanced lead guitar players overcome the challenges and road blocks they are facing to develop the rock guitar playing ability they have always wanted. What can people expect to gain from coming to Rock Guitar Lessons? Students of Rock Guitar Lessons can expect to develop a confident command of correct rock guitar playing technique that will eradicate technical challenges and enable them to play technical passages with ease. They can expect to learn the theoretical concepts that will result in them being able to play amazing improvised guitar solos every time. They will also master the theoretical concepts that will allow them to write amazing riffs and rock songs, as well as so many other things. What are some of the main problems you encounter with your students?

The main problem I encounter with students is poor technique that causes a myriad of different playing problems, the most frustrating include general inaccurate playing and roadblocks with any kind of speed development. The other main problem is a lack of theoretical knowledge that forces rock guitarists to play within the same musical concepts over and over again. This causes them to feel frustrated and unmotivated about their guitar playing and falsely wonder if they have what it takes to play as well as they have always wanted to. What services can you offer to prospective students? Rock Guitar Lessons specialises in lead guitar within rock styles and variations thereof. Students can expect to receive the very best in rock guitar tuition and receive the most effective solutions to technical and musical challenges they are experiencing within their rock guitar playing. What styles of music do you ordinarily deal with? Rock Guitar Lessons specialises in working with intermediate and advanced lead guitarists over the age of 18 with a primary focus on rock guitar styles and variations. What sets you apart from other schools out there, and how do you get the best

THE COUNT WITH …

BLOOD ORANGE

results for your students? The most frustrating place in the playing development of a rock guitarist isn’t the beginning, because in the beginning they didn’t expect anything to be easy and they never had any expectations of themselves as a player. The most frustrating place in the playing development of a rock guitarist is when they have been playing for a number of years, learnt all the basics as well as a lot of advanced musical concepts, but still struggle and become frustrated everyday with persisting challenges within their playing. They thought that after all these years they would finally be playing the way they wanted to, but in some ways they feel they are still hovering around square one. These are the types of guitar players I help everyday. I first chat with a potential student over the phone, then schedule a free lesson where I can develop an in-depth understanding of all the things they are struggling with, what they would like to improve and how they would like to play, then we get started developing the rock guitar playing ability they have always wanted. ROCK GUITAR LESSONS is located at 27-29 Hoddle St, Richmond. See rockguitarlessons.com.au for more info.

Ten bands everyone should know about: The World at a Glance, Elevator Talk, High Nights, Winter Moon, Sonic Moon, Cosmos, Bin Night, Citronella Candles, Bobby Wilko and Parks Department. Nine food items that you need to make a kickarse dinner party: Shampoo, carrots, wire, antennas, roof tiles, gravel, mud, glass and orange rind. Eight possessions that define you: Rubber, cans, oil, paper, vinyl, soap, wax and plastic. Seven favourite movies/TV shows that go on your mix-tape: Code Name: K.O.Z., Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, Saving Christmas, Daniel der Zauberer, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Pledge This! and Turks in Space. Six bad habits you can’t escape: Drinking air freshener, carnival rides, eating plastic bags, neck stretching, smashing windows and Beat magazine. Five people who inspire you:

Patrick Emery, Daniel Prior, James Ross, Erin Rooney and Tex Miller. Four things that turn you on: Prison, carpet, seashells and broken glass. Three goals for your music: Community voice, heart and soul. Two live gigs you’ll never forget and why: Loophole Community Centre, because of the tiny room. Irene’s Warehouse, because of the judgement. One day left before the apocalypse and you: Watch Two Steps on the Water’s new video clip. BLOOD ORANGE are playing at The Brunswick Hotel on Thursday April 7 with Giant Giant, Reel Tapes and HDot.

60 SECONDS WITH …

ORCHES Tell us a little bit about what you do. My name is Orches. It’s pronounced like Orchestra, but takeaway the ‘tra’. I make beats, sing and play synths. What do you reckon people will say you sound like? Rock, electronica, the odd hip hop beat with vocals on top. A punter once said, “It’s like Chet Faker but with more electronica.” What do you love about making music? There are no rules, particularly when writing with a computer. What do you hate about the music industry? Reality television mentality: “Why don’t you go on a TV show?” And musos being exploited. If you could travel back in time and show one of your musical heroes your stuff, who would it be and why? Roy Orbison, because he can write a tune – a very good tune at that. If you could assassinate one person or band from popular music, who would it be

and why? I’ve never understood the Counting Crows and their lead singer. To much “Shal-la-lalas” and “oh yeah, uh huhs” for me. What can a punter expect from your live show? Synth jams, big beats, a good line up of bands and no Counting Crows. What’ve you got to sell music-wise? I have an EP that you can purchase via www.orches.bandcamp.com. Grab a freebie via my Unearthed page. Catch ORCHES at The Workers Club on Thursday April 7 for the launch of his new single All-ways. Also on board are Civique, Togetherapart and Parks Department. For more info check out www.facebook.com/orchesmusic.

Crosswoof.

WOOF WOOF mother lickers, this crossword is about fictional and famous dogs. Googling is for jerks and I’m telling mum. ACROSS

DOWN

E: jez@myceliumstudios.com P: 9410 0166

BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 48

LOCAL HAPPENINGS

REHEARSAL STUDIOS

threephasemusic.com Weeknight rates from $65

8 Tinning St, Brunswick

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

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www.bssound.com.au

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LIL WAYNE SUING UNIVERSAL MUSIC FOR $40M Lil Wayne is suing Universal Music Group for US$40 million. He accuses it of withholding royalties from his solo records and from his Young Money label, which includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Tyga. He also says that Universal is siphoning its Cash Money Records royalties to pay its own debts. Universal said the lawsuit is “without merit”.

OTHER NEW SIGNINGS Massive are now with UK’s United Talent Agency after veteran bookers Paul Ryan and Ben Ward buzzed over their upcoming second album Destination Somewhere and are booking tours for the UK and Europe this year. Massive are managed by Melbourne’s Third Verse. Sydney booking agency Select and its management roster Verge Management signed 21 year old Perth based multiinstrumentalist Morgan Bain. UNFD’s newest addition are Brisbane metalcore band The Brave, who just dropped a new track Searchlights before an East Coast tour this month. Adelaide trio Skies join Niche’s agency roster, as they release new single Speed Boy. Last year Call For My Heart and Too Young got triple j airplay.

THINGS WE HEAR Has an international rock star decided to get married during an Australian visit and asked his promoter to organise it? Were the facial injuries of an exec really caused by “a flying dildo” as he cheerfully imparted to friends? Which band reunion dinner at a café was stopped by the venue because they were laughing so much and so loudly that other patrons were getting pissed off ? Is there a movement in NSW by musicians to blacklist venues whose security don’t protect them from drunks who abuse them BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 50

Avicii says this year’s world tour “will be my last,” with the 26-year-old giving up his globe-trotting lifestyle “for the life of a real person behind the artist.” Puff Daddy is opening a charter school in in the New York hood he was born in, “to impact the lives of young people in my community, and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education.” Among April Fool pranks were Nine’s Today cast scaring the hell out of their New Zealand born entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins by reporting on a new rule that Kiwis based in Australia must pay 10% of superannuation to help its economy (Wilkins started to work out on-air how much it’d cost until the penny dropped), and In The Mix claimed the NSW Government wants to ban all dancing in Sydney after 1am except at the two casinos. A drunk clubber at Brisbane’s The Met was taken to hospital with pelvic fractures after being crushed by an elevator. He’d stumbled into the elevator shaft thinking it was the loo. ARIA certifications this week: first gold for Hilltop Hoods’ Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung and third platinum for Justin Bieber’s Purpose. In the singles sides, it’s a platinum for Cheap Thrills by Sia (whose name will adorn the new Institute for Contemporary Music and Media in Adelaide) and Roses by US DJ duo The Chainsmokers who did a masterclass for ten aspiring Sydney DJs earlier this week in a comp run by I Heart Radio. The hardest working cast member of Ten’s The Project during Noel Gallagher’s prerecorded interview was the one beeping out all his many swear words (although one got through) as he vented his opinions on everything from record company staffers (“who are, in fact, as we all know, fucked”) and awards (“my mantelpiece is chock-a-block with the fucking things”). At his Melbourne show, he spotted a fan blowing bubbles in the front row. “You’re a magician?” he roared, “Why don’t you make the fucking bubbles disappear then? Did you pay to get in? Or did you magic yourself through the fucking door. If you bought a ticket you’re a shit magician.” He added, “If they mention in the fucking review of this gig that I had a shit bubble machine on stage you’re in fucking big trouble.” Medieval replica Kryal Castle near Ballarat, which hosted EDM raves, is for sale again, five years after Castle Tourism and Entertainment bought it and renovated it. Local and overseas interest is reported. Presumably this does not include the brothel owner who made an unsuccessful bid to the previous owner. Krzysztof and Grazyna Kubiak who took over the lease of the Palais in Hepburn Springs last December complain the place is in such a bad state that they’ve already spent $18,000 on repairs and want the building’s owners to cough up some extra

Cooking Vinyl Australia has launched a publishing division, run by ex-Peermusic managing director Matthew Donlevy. Based in Sydney he will sign local writers for international development. He said, “With support and infrastructure of an international music company behind me I can’t wait to start signing some amazing songwriters.” CVA’s recording operation continues in Melbourne where it was set up in 2013 by ex-Shock execs Leigh Gruppetta and Stu Harvey, and had a #1 album with Parkway Drive and a top five from City And Colour.

Sydney’s Chinese Laundry made a re-entry into DJ Mag’s world’s best clubs poll at #80, the only Aussie venue to make the list, which was topped by Space Ibiza.

COOKING VINYL AUS LAUNCHES PUBLISHING

Good heavens. Was One Direction’s Harry Styles asked for a selfie at his grandmother’s funeral?

BIGSOUND, music industry conference and showcase, returns for its 15th year on Wednesday September 7 - Friday September 9 in Brisbane. Early bird tickets and artist registration are open on its website. 150 acts play 15 Fortitude Valley venues in front of delegates from around the world. Among those who kick-started their careers here were Courtney Barnett, Flume, Rufus, Seth Sentry, Gang of Youths, DMA’s, Kingswood, The Temper Trap, Megan Washington, DZ Deathrays, Ball Park Music, Bertie Blackman and Methyl Ethel. New co-programmer Maggie Collins joined the outgoing Nick O’Byrne to create “a provocative and joyful BIGSOUND 2016.”

or tamper with their equipment? Was AC/DC’s Brian Johnson’s hearing ruined by him not wearing ear plugs while in race cars, and not the band’s high volume?

STIE EL RI IE

BIGSOUND BACK FOR 15TH YEAR

H H

MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP

INDUSTRIAL

moolah for more revamping. Victorian singer/songwriter Kayla Dwyer attended the National Folk Festival in Canberra to do sound for fellow folkie Peter Daffy. When an act dropped out, she was asked to step in at the last minute – and ended up winning the Lis Johnston Memorial Award for Vocal Excellence, named after the late Victorian folk singer who passed in 1994. The world’s first Die Hard tribute band come from Adelaide and are called McClane. The Edge says U2 have 50 songs for a new album, and will tour “sooner than later.” Norwegian feminist punk band Slutface reluctantly changed their name to Sløtface following what they described as “social media censorship.”

BOB SPENCER ADDS VIDEO TO CROWD FUNDING Former Angels/Skyhooks guitarist Bob Spencer’s crowd funding for his first solo album Saints & Murderers (www.pozible. com/bobspencer) has gone great guns. With a month to go it’s already exceeded its original target and this week he added a video preview of one of the tracks. The prizes include one-to-one coaching, executive producer credit on the album, Hooks/Angels memorabilia, a cameo on a video and a print of the Spencer portrait that artist Peter Sesselmann painted as an Archibald Prize entry.

JOSH PYKE JOINS PPCA BOARD Josh Pyke has successfully been voted onto the PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia) board as Artist Representative alongside Lindy Morrison. He replaces Megan Washington who stepped down due to touring commitments and will serve for two years. Pyke says he’ll use his position to help emerging artists sustain a career and to increase radio quota for local acts. Pyke kicks off a national 32date tour on May 26 behind his fifth album But For All These Shrinking Hearts which hit #2 on the ARIA chart.

‘LAYLA’ CREDIT DISPUTE In her new memoirs Delta Lady, Rita Coolidge reveals that the piano section in Derek & The Dominoes’ 1971 classic Layla was written by her. She and her thenboyfriend Jim Gordon of the Dominoes had written a piece, Time (Don’t Get In Our Way) which they played to Eric ‘Derek’ Clapton hoping he’d record it. Instead he dropped the lyrics and tacked it onto the end of his own song – and Coolidge says she was rudely dismissed when she asked to be credited.

ENTRIES OPEN FOR COMMUNITY RADIO AWARDS Entries are open for the 2016 CBAA Community Radio Awards, which are this year held at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne’s Albert Park on Saturday November 12. There are 20 categories, covering excellence in music programming, fundraising, new music program, small stations, indigenous, volunteers and contribution to music. Deadline for entries is May 8.

VALE DJ PAUL HOLDEN Hooked onto the visual and audio spectacle of EDM at the age of ten, Sydney DJ Paul Holden went on to become what the DJs United website described as “one 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

of the single biggest contributors to the advancement of dance music and dance events in Australia.” The owner of a huge vinyl collection his style was hardhouse/ NRG, old-skool and happyhard. In 1980 he started as resident DJ at the Exchange Hotel and pioneering gay club Patchs. His name became synonymous with Field of Dreams, Stun!, Bacchanalia, Sleaze Ball, the Mardi Gras Party and Jack The House. He also was a mentor to younger spinners and his passion for animal welfare saw him a regular fundraiser for Humane Society International. Paul Holden died at 51 after a fall at his home.

CHAPTER SIGNS GREGOR Melbourne’s Chapter Music signed local guitarist Gregor, who “makes eccentric, inquisitive home recordings recalling Durutti Column, Arthur Russell or Talking Heads, then plays them live with a full band.” His Thoughts & Faults is out this week as the first of the label’s cassette recordings this year.

AUSSIE PUBLISHING LEGEND RETIRING Bob Aird, a 40-year veteran of Australia’s music publishing, is retiring to pursue his hobbies of boating and travelling. He is managing director of Universal Music Publishing Australia and before that headed Rondor Music. His signings included Wolfmother, Don Walker, Paul Kelly, Jet, Joe Camilleri, Potbelleez and Lee Kernaghan. Other career highlights were signing Qantas to a 20-year multimillion dollar global ad with I Still Call Australia Home, digital license negotiation with APRA AMCOS, which saw Universal establish itself as a PanPac digital hub; and a deal with NZ’s Dawn Raid which yielded the global hit Swing by Savage.

SYDNEY LOCKOUT ROUNDTABLE BEGINS The first of the NSW Government’s three roundtable discussions on Sydney’s nighttime economy (NTE), began last week – with global coverage from CNN and Pollstar. There were reps from business, live music, transport, health, police, tourism and the arts, among others. Keep Sydney Open reports, “There are many other organisations on-side” with the live music sector. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Lord Mayor Clover Moore will tell the review that live music venues and top bars should be exempt from 1.30am lockouts and 3am closing. That is, if they have no history of violence. She will also suggest that a way to cut down aggro would be to stop clustering clubs in zones, and venues liquor licences be granted for specific periods rather than indefinitely, to ensure they are accountable. In all this, both sides were flapping figures around. A survey of 23,000 by lifestyle network The Socialites found 69% wanted the entry lockout time abolished and 77% thought the government’s handling of the issue was “inadequate”. However St. Vincent’s Hosital trauma surgeon Dr John Crozier, representing the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, revealed that since the lockouts, the number of patients needing surgery for disfiguring facial injuries were down by 60%, from 145 to 58.

Lifelines ENGAGED: Eagles Of Death Metal’s Jesse Hughes and girlfriend Tuesday Cross after he brought her onstage during their Metropolis, Fremantle show, dropped on his knee, proposed and presented her with a ring. ILL: Australian metal band Darkyra postponed a European tour after singer Darkyra Black (Gina Bafile) was diagnosed with stage 3 of breast cancer. HOSPITALISED: Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody in hometown Denver for an undisclosed reason, forcing them to cancel Aussie dates. SUING: Jay Z takes action against Norway/Sweden company Aspiro AB, owners of Tidal streaming service for exaggerating the number of users before he bought it for $56 million last March. SUING: trained Queensland soprano Joy Baldwin, 72, hits Redcliffe Hospital for $4.25 million. She claims its failure to order a scan, that could have led to corrective spinal surgery, left her paralysed and that she lost her singing voice. JAILED: Prominent Angolan rapper Ikonoklasta (Luaty Beirao) for five and a half years with 16 other activists by a kangaroo court for “planning a rebellion against President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.” To wit, discussing a book about non-violent resistance at their monthly book club. He’s been a critic of the government, calling for a fairer distribution of the African state’s oil wealth. SUED: Flo Rida for $390,000 for sending 23 members of his entourage in his place to a post-Grammys starstudded charity bash at the Playboy Mansion. Apparently the 23 were “obnoxious” and allegedly brawled with other guests. SUING: Brandy hits her record label Chameleon Entertainment Group, claiming it won’t allow her to record or release new music until she signs a new recording deal. She wants the judge to cancel her deal, which calls for four more albums. DIED: Ronnie Ryan, long time presenter of Friday night show Make Mine Country with his wife Shirley on Sydney community radio WOW FM 100.7. DIED: Bassist Joe Skyward (The Posies, Sunny Day Real Estate), 57, cancer. DIED: Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman, best known for 1969’s chart topping Something In The Air, 73. The one time postal worker was spotted by The Who’s Pete Townshend who produced the track.