BAR WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL
OPEN MIC
Show the Boogie Man what you’ve got ! THURSDAY 21ST APRIL
DANE BLACKLOCK
LIBBY STUBBS & THE DIAMONDS FRIDAY 22ND APRIL
STEVE LUCAS
Happy Hour 5 till 7.30
COLD(LiveRED MUTE video shoot) VIOLENT PARADISE, SPLATTERPUSS SATURDAY 23RD APRIL
GAYLE CAVANAGH & THE MIXED COMPANY BAND SUNDAY 24TH APRIL
THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE VENDETTA, BREAKING POINT, SLEEPLAB, PURROXIDE MONDAY 25TH APRIL
BETTY RUMBLE
BLACK ARROW, THE BALL BOYS 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.
Saturday April 23 5pm
TESS MCKENNA Affiliates of Pony Face, Hired Guns and the
Underground Lovers sit, spin and knock it all around.
Saturday April 23 9pm
ALISON FERRIER + BAND Melodic waltzes, heartsick ballads and haunted blues.
Sun 24 April 3.30pm
TIM IRELAND Excellent, alt-country/folk duo from Sydney. Sun 24 April 5pm
THE T-BONES Storytellin’ alt-country band with tales of life in the city and bush: cars, guns and broken hearts.
Tuesday Nights In April
TRIVIA
Quizmasters c’mon down.
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HOT TALK / FREE SHIT UPCOMING TOURS & GIG OF THE WEEK MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA WHAT’S ON JIM JEFFERIES ART OF THE CITY CALENDAR MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016: CLOSING THE CURTAIN MISS JULIE REVIEW: SUPANOVA 2016 BEAT EATS CLUB GUIDE OFF THE RECORD KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD MIKELANGELO & THE BLACK SEA GENTLEMEN GRAMOVOX THE JACK EARLE BIG BAND NO ZU TORB PEDERSEN GREENWOOD LOFT PARQUET COURTS CAMP COPE LUSH GAY PARIS THE SIGIT THE BEARDS CORE & CRUNCH COLUMNS MILLENCOLIN LIVE ALBUM OF THE WEEK SINGLES / CHARTS ALBUMS GIG GUIDE / ALL AGES BACKSTAGE INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH
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THE SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2016 LINEUP IS HERE Start planning your trip to Byron, folks, because Splendour in the Grass has revealed an absolutely huge lineup for their 2016 incarnation. Headlining this year’s event comes The Strokes (only Aus show), The Cure, Flume, The Avalanches (only Aus show), James Blake and At The Drive-In. Elsewhere comes Violent Soho, Hermitude, Band of Horses, Sigur Ros (only Aus show), Santigold, Matt Corby, Sticky Fingers, Boy & Bear, Courtney Barnett, Jake Bugg, The 1975, Leon Bridges, Duke Dumont (DJ set), James Vincent McMorrow (only Aus show), The Kills, The Preatures, What So Not, Years And Years, Gang Of Youths, Illy, Peter, Bjorn & John, Band of Horses, Golden Features, Crystal Fighters, Ball Park Music, Tegan & Sara, DMA’s, Jack Garratt, Hayden James, City Calm Down, Snakehips, Mark Lanegan, Michael Kiwanuka, Jagwar Ma, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Jungle Giants, The Internet, Motez, Marlon Williams, Lido, Emma Louise, Kim Churchill, Nothing But Thieves, Lapsley, Kacy Hill, Slumberjack, Robert Forster (10 Years On), Beach Slang, Urthboy, Little May, Boo Seeka, Ganz, Spring King, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Fat White Family, Total Giovanni, Methyl Ethel, Slum Sociable, L D R U, In Loving Memory OF Szymon, Blossoms, High Tension, Roland Tings, Sampa The Great, The Wild Feathers, Harts, Ngaiire, Montaigne, Tired Lion, Green Buzzard, Jess Kent, Gold Class, Lucy Cliche, Opiuo, Mall Grab, Dom Dolla, Paces, Just A Gent, Dro Carey, Running Touch, Wafia, World Champipn, Sui Zhen, Remi, Nicole Millar, Dreller, Feki Kllo, Banoffee, Moonbase Comander, The Meeting Tree, Twinsy, Purple Sneaker DJs, Human Movement, PaneteSwick, Amateur Dance and Ribongia with more to be announced. Splendour in the Grass 2016 will run from Friday July 22 through to Sunday July 24 at North Byron Parklands. Tickets on sale 9am Thursday April 21 via splendourinthegrass.com.
OPEN 4PM - 3AM MON-FRI 2PM - 3AM SAT-SUN
FRIKSTAILERS TO RIP UP DING DONG AND 170 RUSSELL Already confirmed to play Groovin the Moo as well as guest spots with Ratatat and Kirin J Callinan, Frikstailers have locked in a Melbourne show. Originating from the digital cumbia scene in Bueno Aires, the group have created their unique South American rhythm by fusing elements of dancehall, hip hop, house and techno. Having released their latest EP Crop Circles last year, they’ll be joined by good friends Cumbia Cosmonauts. It’s all going down at Ding Dong Lounge on Thursday April 28. Tickets via Oztix.
THE SUGARCANES TO TEAR UP LUWOW After their outrageous sold out album launch at The Tote on Friday April 15, The Sugarcanes are continuing their huge fuck-off tour promoting their forthcoming self-titled album. The soul powerhouse have been non-stop since touring nationwide with The Smith Street Band and their month long residency in February at The Old Bar. They’ll be hosting quite the party at The LuWow on Friday June 17 with special guests La Bastard and The Villenettes.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ANNNOUNCE 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW Bullet For My Valentine are heading to Australian shores, backed by some equally heavy hitters. Fresh from destroying stages on the US Warped Tour, the Welsh metal quartet will still be riding high off the success of their 2015 Australian #1 Venom. Coming along for the ride are Atreyu, who are riding the wave of their recent effort Long Live, in addition to the New Orleans outfit Cane Hill. They’ll play 170 Russell on Tuesday October 25. Tickets via Destroy All Lines. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 10
Australian folk group The Paper Kites are heading off on a national tour this June. The tour arrives following the release of their latest video for the track Renegade directed by the renowned Dan Huiting (Bon Iver) and the widespread success of their latest album, twelvefour. Catch The Paper Kites when they play The Athenaeum Theatre Friday June 24. Tickets through Ticketek.
IRON MAIDEN DOUBLE PASSES Metal heavyweights Iron Maiden are playing their first Australian tour since 2011, and on Monday May 9 they are set to destroy Rod Laver Arena in celebration of their 16th studio album, The Book of Souls. The arena spectacle is selling out fast, but Beat has got you covered with some double passes on offer. The best haiku about Iron Maiden will get the goods. Get creative at beat.com. au/freeshit
LYALL MOLONEY LOCKS IN SINGLE LAUNCH MILWAUKEE BANKS CONFIRM MELBOURNE SHOW Melbourne-based electronic act Milwaukee Banks are set to jump on a national tour in celebration of their debut record. Following on from their 2014 EP Rose Water, Deep Into The Night is a record that blends R&B, house and electronica influences together, as well as featuring a host of collaborating artists including KUČKA and Stax Osset, who lent their talents to the release. The duo will hit up Melbourne on Sunday April 24 at Ding Dong Lounge. Tickets available through their website.
HARRY HOOKEY AND MITCH POWER JOIN FORCES THE PAPER KITES ANNOUNCE A NATIONAL TOUR AND 2016 MELBOURNE SHOW
Free $hit
Alt-country singer/songwriters Harry Hookey and Mitch Power are joining forces for a one-off Melbourne show. When they’re not travelling around the country playing with two of Australia’s most accomplished singers - working with Kasey Chambers and Kylie Auldist respectively - both Hookey and Power are making waves with their own successful solo careers. The ARIA-nominated Hookey has made a name for himself resulting in festival slots across the country. Power has gone from strength to strength in recent times, releasing his debut EP No One’s Waiting Anymore to both local and widespread acclaim. Catch the pair at The Retreat on Thursday April 21.
Lyall Moloney, aka LyMo has announced a Melbourne show in May off the back of his latest single. His latest effort, If You Don’t Love Me boasts an infectious chorus and gives insight into LyMo’s otherwise unheard impressive vocal range. As part of his single tour, LyMo will hit up Melbourne’s Shebeen bandroom on Friday May 6.
THE HARLOTS ARE GEARING UP FOR A SINGLE LAUNCH Having spent six years cultivating their unique blend of sounds, six-piece powerhouse The Harlots are finally ready to unleash their debut album, and they’ll be playing a single launch gig to celebrate. The Harlots have recently unleashed a music video for High Roller, the latest piece from the band’s forthcoming album, following their highly praised single On My Way in 2015. The track was recorded at Soundpark studios in Northcote and was engineered by Richard Bowers (Magic Bones), through old-school preamps and onto reel to reel tape. Catch The Harlots when they launch High Roller on Friday April 22 at Cherry Bar.
GRINDHOUSE TO PLAY ALBUM LAUNCH MINIFESTIVAL Melbourne rockers Grindhouse are preparing to unveil their latest effort and second album, Crazy Pussy. Not a band to do things by halves, they have organised a mini-festival at Cherry Bar to celebrate. Joining them on the bill are notable acts and fellow party-animals the Meatbeaters, Sun God Replica, Sheriff, Don Fernando and Space Junk to name a few. Crazy Pussy was recorded with the assistance of California-based producer Steven McDonald (Red Kross, OFF!) and shows Grindhouse experimenting with a fresh new sound. The launch festivities are all going down on Saturday April 23 at Cherry Bar. HOT TALK
LED ZEPPELIN SYMPHONIC TRIBUTE TO PLAY MELBOURNE SHOW One if the biggest and best Led Zeppelin tribute shows is gearing up to hit Melbourne, following two sold out shows in Sydney. The tribute features Australia’s frontrunners of Zeppelin covers, Zep Boys, and is backed by the Black Dog Orchestra – culminating in a showcase of over 36 musicians smashing out 20 Zeppelin classics. The Stairway To Heaven Led Zeppelin Masters are taking on Hamer Hall at The Art’s Centre Melbourne for two shows on Friday July 8 and Saturday July 9. Tickets are on sale now.
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King Parrot
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The Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is back for its fourth instalment and the Yarra City Council has unveiled a first class lineup to go with it. Over 50 participating venues in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Abbotsford, North Carlton, Clifton and North Fitzroy will showcase more than 300 events featuring around 900 performances over two weeks in July. Melbourne-based South Sudanese born hip hop collective Together Like Brothers (TLB) lead off an announcement also featuring ‘90s indie legends Dave Graney ‘n’ the Coral Snakes, eclectic songbird Georgia Fields supported by art pop collaborator Phia, Aboriginal singer/songwriter L J Hill as well as You Am I guitarist Davey Lane. Elsewhere, the Living Legends showcase will bring together iconic local musicians paying tribute to Deborah Conway and Phil Kalkulas; the Brunswick Soul Fiesta will take over Brunswick Street with a slew of live soul, funk and jazz; Bus Tours with Bruce Milne; To The Nines - a selection of nine classic albums recreated by nine current day artists, a shoegaze vs. psyche showdown and a whole lot more. Other program highlights an Old Bar set from Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk on opening night, PBS 106.7FM will be broadcasting their longest running program Acid Country live from The Rainbow Hotel in Fitzroy, a live series from Bakehouse Studios, a performance from King Parrot, The Hard Ons and Camp Cope at The Tote and a closing party at Yah Yah’s. The festival will be leaping and bounding in from Friday July 1 until Sunday July 17. For more information check out the Leaps and Bounds website.
JOSH CASHMAN UNVEILS NEW MUSIC AND TWO 2016 MELBOURNE SHOWS Australian singer/songwriter Josh Cashman has returned with a new single, and is playing a string of shows across the country to celebrate. Patience is the follow-up to previous singles Running and All About You which introduced the young Melbourne artist to a broader audience. Josh Cashman will play Friday April 22 at Shebeen with Jack The Fox and Tommy Castles, then Friday May 27 at Penny Black.
HOODLUM SHOUTS EMBARK ON NATIONAL TOUR More than four years since their last album, the critically adored Young Man, Old Man, Canberra’s Hoodlum Shouts has announced their forthcoming record Heat Island. Set for release via Poison City Records on Friday May 20, the album is a cognizant snapshot of modern Australia, as seen through a world-weary but optimistic view. In support of the new LP, the band will tour the east coast with a selection of Australia’s finest live performers throughout May. Catch Hoodlum Shouts Saturday May 21 at John Curtin Hotel with special guests Heads of Charm, Fraudband and Bad Vision.
THU 02 JUN
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THU 16 JUN - SOLD OUT
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SCOTDRAKULA TO FAREWELL BASSIST IN STYLE Garage locals Scotdrakula are sadly saying goodbye to their lovely bassist Dove Bailey, who is heading off to the big smoke of New York City. To give Bailey the best send off possible, they are throwing one heck of a party on Friday May 20. Party boys Mesa Cosa will be supporting, alongside jangle rockers Good Morning, newly formed supergroup Pregnancy, with Mighty Boys on the DJ decks. It’s getting started at 8pm down at The John Curtin, and it will only cost you $8 to get in.
THE MEANIES TO PLAY OLD BAR Before they jet off for a Spanish tour, The Meanies are set to tear up the stage at Old Bar. Following on from their first album in 21 years, It’s Not Me, It’s You, The Meanies will be heading off on a wild expedition of Spain hitting up Freekfest and Primavera Sound with a bunch of shows in between. Helping send them off will be performances from Wet Lips and Tankerville. It all goes down Tuesday April 26 at The Old Bar.
Eleanor Friedberger has confirmed her imminent appearance back in Melbourne with an exclusive show. After a decade long attachment, the former Fiery Furnaces singer/songwriter has moved forward with her newly released third solo album, New View. Eleanor Friedberger will play The Toff Saturday June 18.
TOGETHERAPART TO PLAY FREE SINGLE LAUNCH Dark electronic trio Togetherapart are playing a free show at The Retreat to celebrate the launch of their new single Too Far. The Melbourne locals are known for blurring the lines between digital and analogue production, merging elements of ‘80s synth, triphop, dance and electro. They’ll be joined for the launch by avant-pop group Dear Plastic. It’s locked in for Saturday May 7 at The Retreat.
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LOST AND LONESOME PRESENTS SING OH! DE MAYO Melbourne-based record label Lost and Lonesome will be shaking up the month of May. Nearing their 1000th release, Lost and Lonesome are gearing up to celebrate by hosting a party every Tuesday night for an entire month. Sing Oh! De Mayo will consist of three acts per night, including The Zebras, The Icypoles, Lowtide, Milk Teddy Jams, Melbourne Cans and a truckload more. Sing Oh! De Mayo will kick off Tuesday May 3 and will run through till Tuesday May 31 at the Gasometer Hotel.
SUI ZHEN ANNOUNCES FAREWELL SHOW Dreambeat project Sui Zhen is the alias of Melbourne-based artist Becky Sui Zhen, who has recently signed to Twosyllable in the US for the release of her record Secretly Susan. In order to raise funds for her overseas turn, Sui Zhen has organised a fundraiser show next month which will also act as a farewell to Melbourne festivity. Secretly Susan takes influence from Japanese lovers rock, ‘80s electro-bossanova and dubby-lounge pop which she discovered during holidays in Japan and London, where she was a participant at the Red Bull Music Academy. Support Sui Zhen in her venture to the US and wish her all the best at Hugs & Kisses on Thursday May 5. HOT TALK
NGV ANNOUNCE FINAL WEEKS OF ANDY WARHOL AND AI WEIWEI SPECIAL EVENTS To celebrate the final weeks of NGV’s hugely successful Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei instalments, the exhibition will be open for extended hours from this week, with a final Saturday night performance featuring Robert Foster, 24 hour opening, and more talks and DJs announced. On Saturday April 23, Australian singer/ songwriter Robert Forster will perform from his latest album Songs to Play – his first album in seven years. Best known as the co-founder of the legendary rock band The Go-Betweens, Forster has become one of Australia’s most respected musicians and a singular talent on the Australian music scene. During the 24 hour opening event on Saturday April 23 and Sunday 24 April, visitors can enjoy a range of activities including further insights about the artists in a pop-up talk from screen and sound researcher Hugh Davies, a selection of food and drinks inspired by Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei offered in the Great Hall bar and Gallery Kitchen, and music from the vastly talented electronic producer Oscar Key Sung. Tickets to the special events and exhibition are available now from the NGV’s website.
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MONEY FOR ROPE Old Bar April 20 SPYRO GYRA Bird’s Basement April 20 - 24 GANG OF YOUTHS 170 Russell April 20, 21, 22 THIRSTY MERC Melbourne Public April 20 JOSH CASHMAN Shebeen April 22, Penny Black April 27 THE YARD APES The Spotted Mallard April 22 LOOSE TOOTH The Gasometer April 22 BLIND MAN DEATH STARE Bendigo Hotel April 22 SPLIT SECONDS The Catfish April 23 HEADTORCH Ding Dong Lounge April 23 NO ZU Max 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 MILWAUKEE BANKS Ding Dong Lounge April 24 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 HEADS OF CHARM The Tote April 27 TWENTY ONE PILOTS The Forum April 27 RYAN BINGHAM Northcote Social Club April 27 FRIKSTAILERS Ding Dong Lounge April 28 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 MIGHTY BOYS The Tote April 30 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 FIONA JOY Burwood Music Centre April 30 GROOVIN THE MOO Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo April 30 SUPERSUCKERS Cherry Bar April 30 CHERRYROCK016 Cherry and AC/DC Lane May 1 MATT CORBY Palais Theatre May 1, May 2 MILLENCOLIN 170 Russell May 3 RICHIE RAMONE Cherry Bar May 3 OF MONSTERS AND MEN Palais Theatre May 4, 5 BLACK CAB Howler May 5, 6 THE TEMPER TRAP The Forum Theatre May 5 LYALL MOLONEY Shebeen May 6 RUFUS Festival Hall May 6, 12 COMMON & TALIB KWELI Trak Lounge May 6 SCREAMING JETS Hallam Hotel May 6, Corner Hotel May 7 THE PRETTY LITTLES Shebeen 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 SPOOKY LAND Shebeen May 12. DARLING JAMES & MACHINE AGE The Workers Club May 12 THE WONDER YEARS Corner Hotel May 12 THE UPBEATS The Roxanne May 13 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 BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 14
A R T I S T S
H E A D I N G
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 TIRED LION Northcote Social Club May 19 SUMMER FLAKE The Tote May 20 SCREECHING WEASEL & MXPX Prince Bandroom May 20 HOODLUM SHOUTS John Curtin Hotel May 21 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 CLARE BOWEN The Corner May 25 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, 26 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 BAD VISION The Old Bar June 3 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 CLIENT LIASON Forum Theatre June 4 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Various Venues June 3 – June 12 SPLIT SYNDICATE Shebeen June 10 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 THE SUGARCANES The LuWOW June 17 ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER The Toff June 18 FROM OSLO Cherry Bar June 18 WE LOST THE SEA Old Bar June 18 OLYMPIA Northcote Social Club June 18 STEEL PANTHER Festival Hall June 18 SAVAGES Corner Hotel June 19 HARRY HOOKEY & MITCH POWER The Retreat April 21 SWERVEDRIVER Corner Hotel June 23 THE PAPER KITES The Athenaeum Theatre June 24 URBAN SPREAD Chelsea Heights Hotel June 24, Village Green Hotel June 25 THE LIVING END The Forum June 24 THE JUNGLE GIANTS 170 Russell June 24 BONJAH Corner Hotel June 24 THE RUBENS Margaret Court Arena June 25 LEAPS AND BOUNDS FESTIVAL Various venues July 1-17 MAT MCHUGH The Toff July 2 PARKWAY DRIVE Chelsea Heights July 3 THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN LED ZEPPELIN MASTERS Hamer Hall July 8,9 BOO SEEKA Howler July 15 TOTALLY 80’S Palais Theatre July 15 COG 170 Russell July 15 WEEDEATER & CONAN Max Watt’s July 16 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS North Byron
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Gig Of The Week
GRINDHOUSE There are only so many situations you can get away with screaming “Crazy Pussy!” at the top of your lungs. Weddings, funerals and christenings are generally frowned upon, but on Saturday April 23 you can head on down to Cherry Bar and help the blokes from Grindhouse celebrate by doing just that. They’re launching their second album Crazy Pussy with the help of the Meatbeaters, Sun God Replica, Sherriff, Don Fernando, Spacejunk, Killerbirds and Dukes of Deliciousness, plus stacks more. Release your inner sex punk when the mini-festival kicks off at 2pm.
HILLTOP HOODS If you were born in 1990, you would have been the ripe young age of 13 when Hilltop Hood’s The Nosebleed Section first dropped. Parents let out a collective sigh of relief, when the far more palatable release captured the imaginations of teens who had previously been rapping along to the likes of Eminem’s Drips. That isn’t to say Hilltop Hoods are a squeaky clean alternative, but their locally grown hip hop has gone from strength to strength since their first inception. They will be playing at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday April 23.
Parklands July 22-24 DROWNING POOL Max Watts July 30 MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS Rod Laver Arena August 5 TROYE SIVAN Margaret Court Arena August 9 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 BIGSOUND Fortitude Valley, September 7 - 9 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 BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE 170 Russell October 25
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LOOSE TOOTH Have you ever had one of those dreams where all of your teeth fall out, and you’re left with a gummy mess of an orifice trying to chomp through something crunchy like a bag of chips? No? Never mind. Loose Tooth inspire quite the opposite, providing dreamy garage pop since 2012. On Friday April 22 they are taking over The Gasometer in order to belt out some of the first-class material from their recent release, Saturn Returns. Special guests include Big Smoke, Rolling Blackouts, Coastal Feve, Wet Lips and Fee B Squared. Tickets are $10 a pop on the door and it all goes down at 8pm.
THE VENGABOYS 170 Russell October 30 MSO - INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF 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 R U M O U R S : G W E N S T E FA N I , P U P, DEFTONES = N e w A nnouncements
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INTERGAL ACTIC SPACE JAMS BY ADAM NORRIS
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icky Bomba is a man cut from a unique cloth. He has toured the world under various guises for decades, and his passion for performance (not to mention his unrestrained enthusiasm in conversation) has to be seen to be believed. The man is a powder keg, yet as captain of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra he shares the stage with anywhere from 14 to 35 other sharply dressed players, and he couldn’t be happier. Following their self-titled debut in 2013, the stars have at last aligned and MSO are back with Sierra Kilo Alpha.
“I think there’s a beautiful core, this great scene,” Bomba says. “I always break things into two worlds. There’s the creative, and then the organisation. The thing that can mess you up as a musician is doing all of that admin, booking the flights. It really eats into your creativity, so the ultimate aim is to find a way to be in that creative state the whole time as a band, and have someone else taking care of the other things. “This new album is a great example of how we wanted to experiment with the ska form and really dig deep. We’re able to do that because the band has reached that point where it’s a well-oiled system. It’s just a matter of having planted a lot of seeds, and now we need to nurture them as we sow more. It doesn’t happen without any planning. The shows have to be good, your new songs have to be something different to what you’ve done before. It will always evolve. Any musician who is in it for longer than ten or 15 years, bands will develop, members will come and go, styles morph into something else, but that’s part of the joy as well. It’s not a static thing, and I find that incredibly exciting.” The band’s latest single, the splendidly titled Funkchunk, finds them in epic, theatrical form. However, Satellite, the first single from Sierra Kilo Alpha, resonates most strongly with the soul of the MSO. With an outfit so large, it’s no simple task to ensure that each member can feel they are contributing equally. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 16
But as Satellite – and indeed, the album overall – demonstrates, this is a beast with many faces. “You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Bomba says. “Ska is about community, it’s about hope, danger, and fun. It’s all those things. With ska, you have to take a bit of a risk. It was born of the independence of Jamaica in 1952, and that was an incredible time. Finally, they were going to be self-sufficient, it was an exciting time, and ska was synonymous with that. The Skatalites were the main band then. They played interesting solos, interesting chord formations. There was a lot of fantastic complexity. “I was already playing reggae and dancehall and rocksteady anyway, so embracing ska was embracing the roots of everything I knew. So from a songwriting perspective in the band, this album opened things up even more. Everything was on the table – every idea, let’s try and make everything work. Sometimes they might just a couple of lines recorded on a phone that was then played over a Skype session. Everything went, and if you had some little idea, that was cool. We didn’t have to be in a special room under special conditions. I think as the captain, if you like, seeing that sense of family and feeling that love is really what the band is all about. It’s what music is all about. Go back to the earliest roots of music and it’s about celebrating a marriage or a birth, or someone is returning from a hunt. Music B E AT.C O M . A U
is celebration and community.” If you’ve been fortunate enough to catch one of Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s live shows over the last few years, this would come as no surprise. Rarely will you find such packed crowds on their feet, dancing with benevolent energy. The MSO have found accolades both at home and abroad (Pauline Black, singer of ska revival band The Selecter, praised them in a Beat magazine interview last year), and their momentum seems certain to keep the dream run alive. After the uncertainty of launching such a cumbersome act – dozens of musicians, numerous instruments – it must be a relief for Bomba that the band has found some stability. “I don’t think relief is the word. I think more amazement,” he laughs. “It’s not like we were trying to achieve any commercial success. Any songwriter would love to have a hit record that is played for everybody and ensures an audience. A lot of bands have one hit song and try and build a career on just that. If one of our songs became a hit our profile would grow a lot more, sure, we’d be able to do more performances at a better fee, so we just wouldn’t need to worry too much about all those financial concerns. That’d be a beautiful thing. But underneath it all is a love of music. The band couldn’t be what it is without that.” “The first album was really a collection of that whole time together,” he elaborates, “having a lot of time to work on the songs and tour them around. It was a reflection of what our world was then, and sneaking in covers that had our own twist. This new album is, OK, we’ve made a footprint here, now, we can just do more of the same, or we can take it a step further. A lot of famous bands make their own sound by not copying style, not just looking at the charts to see what One Direction are doing. We’d never do that. But you do want to be able to be heard on the same playing field. So we spent more time mixing and mastering, we spent more time making sure that the ideas translated a lot stronger. It wasn’t just a ska-lovers album. It would be an album that has a wider appeal. Funkchunk is a perfect example of that. Going through that whole process, well, we love all these songs, but it’s hard to see the forest for
the trees. So we put Funkchunk out there for feedback, and it was incredible. That, if you like, is an exercise in playing the commercial game. Of course we want to be successful, we want to be on more than the community stations, though their support has been amazing. But any artist is like that. You want your work to be appreciated and reach as many people as possible.” It has been a long but thrilling road for Bomba and company. Sierra Kilo Alpha is the work of a band firing at their creative peak, but that isn’t to imply they have nowhere to go but down. There is always another mountain to climb, another ocean of sound this gregarious captain and his larger-than-life crew might sail. “2003 was when the band started, but it was only as a celebration of ska. That year was the 40th anniversary of when Millie Small came out with My Boy Lollipop, which put ska on the map. The six or seven years after that, nothing really happened with the band. It was really just a tribute band that would come together once a year, but in 2009 I managed to find a festival spot in Queenscliff, and we changed tactics there. We started putting a better show together, and on that show, we actually got offered a recording contract to do ska covers, and I said, ‘No. We’re writing original songs, and that’ll be the album.’ In the end, we released it on the 50th anniversary of ska in 2013. “I really don’t consider the years between 2003 and 2009 as MSO years. I was in the John Butler Trio, but at some point I acquired the name from my partner at the time, took over the band and really started to pull it together. I pinch myself, but also give a gentle pat on the back for everyone in the band. We all knew there was something interesting there, there was potential, and we all committed to seeing where it would go. The more we play, the more we get together, we realise with the musical talent in this band we could go anywhere. I’m excited about the next five years. Who knows the things we might do?” MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA are launching their new album Sierra Kilo Alpha at Max Watt’s on Saturday May 28. Sierra Kilo Alpha is out on Friday April 22 via Four|Four.
The Spotted Mallard
Thursday April 28th Doors 6pm — Band 8:30pm Tickets $15+bf
Jackearle.com
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
PALACE CINEMA COMO | PALACE WESTGARTH
The Fits (Feature) Unhurried and fluid, this coming of age story that follows an 11 year old tomboy as she looks for a place to belong.
Mapplethorpe (Doc) A dazzling look at the life, times and influence of one of the great renaissance men and one of the great artist/photographers of the 20th century.
The Strongest Man (Feature) This film is from that special oddball school of innocent filmmaking in the zone of the legendary American Astronaut and The Adventures of Power.
We’re Still Here: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited (Doc) Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears recording is beautifully reconstructed in the studio by a stellar collection of country music stars.
18 MAY - 1 JUNE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
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This Week: Alien Day is now a thing, and you better believe The Astor Theatre are celebrating it in style. The 26th day of the fourth month will now honour LV426 - the exmoon where the xenomorphs were first discovered in Ridley Scott’s 1979 seminal science-fiction horror film, Alien. To celebrate, The Astor are screening a double feature of Alien along with the special edition of its sequel, Aliens. It all goes down on Tuesday April 26.
With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au.
The ground-breaking debut play from Harry Potter film star Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) will make its Melbourne premiere this week. Told in free form snap-rap, Peddling tells a story of street kids selling goods door-to-door. The one man play starring NIDA graduate Darcy Brown and directed by the award-winning Susie Dee presents an unnamed, disaffected teenager on his journey of self-discovery in contemporary London. Peddling will run from Thursday April 21 to Friday May 6 at The Lawler, Southbank Theatre. ACMI will host New Zealand artist Steve Carr for an intense and hyper-sensory exploration of his high definition videos Dead Time and Bubble, Cactus in Steve Carr: Stretching Time. These two works present a profound transformation of material. Together they draw into focus the connection between our sense of time and space, and the complex relationships between materiality, magic, performance, and cinema. Carr’s work navigates the possibilities of film beyond traditional linear narratives. His work resists the detachment of spectatorship, where, in our obsessively digital era, we consciously overlook or forgive the artifice of moving images. Join him on Tuesday April 26. From the first intimate blush to the tragic finale, Romeo And Juliet is a story for all ages. A tale of a chance meeting, love at first sight, the passion of youth, and old family feuds spilling blood. The acclaimed Bell Shakespeare company will be bringing a new take on the classic with their Melbourne production. In a city divided by anger and from rivalling families, Romeo and Juliet come together in a dangerous union of love. Beautiful and intimate, Romeo And Juliet will be directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, who will breathe new life into one of the greatest love stories ever told. Visually stunning in its nod to the layers of storytelling and the history of the play, it will feature a talented cast, including Alex Williams(Underground: The Julian Assange Story, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart) as Romeo, and Kelly Paterniti (Bell Shakespeare’s As You Like It) as Juliet. Catch it from Thursday April 14 to Sunday May 1. Acclaimed Australian artist Bill Henson has revealed his latest installation, with a new series of photographs featuring priceless artifacts that are thousands of years old. ONEIROI sets Henson’s photographs beside treasures from the Benaki Museum in a showcase that aims to break new ground by creating a cultural dialogue between the ancient past and the present. Notably, ONEIROI incorporates a 3,500-yearold solid gold Kylix and a 2,500-year-old gold wreath. It’s now up and running at the Hellenic Museum.
PICK OF THE WEEK After taking off in cities like London and New York, the Hot Tub Cinema has officially splashed its way into Melbourne, opening this week. The aquatic and cinematic will combine with titles including Friends With Benefits, Jumanji, 21 Jump Street, The Karate Kid and Step Brothers featuring over the six week event. The hot tubs will be heated to 40 degrees, with bar service plating up cocktails – namely, martinis – all night. And of course, all hot tub water is tested regularly and chemically treated by fully qualified lifeguards. The Hot Tub Cinema will run at The Common Man in South Wharf from Thursday April 21 – Sunday May 22. Tickets on sale through Splash Out Hire.
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Jim Jefferies BY TOM PARKER
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t’s ironic that Jefferies would be performing in Melbourne around the time of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, while not actually performing as part of it. He’s Australian comedy’s most un-Australian Australian, so of course his contribution would be separate. Before Australians could get a taste of Jefferies’ emerging joviality, he had taken his shtick overseas. Nowadays, things have changed. Once relatively anonymous locally, Jefferies’ brand of abrasive humour collected him accolades, notoriety and ever-growing articles in the UK and US. Now it seems he has finally cracked the hardest market of all – his home country. “I’m getting there,” reflects Jefferies. “It’s taken me a while to turn heads in Australia, but I think people are starting to come around. I do enjoy coming back. I’m so busy touring that I don’t have a home a lot of time, but I’m hoping to continue making an impression in Australia.” After wowing crowds at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival, Jefferies was signed by North America’s premier talent agency CAA. It was the twilight of 2009 and he’d suddenly secured his very own standup special on US cable network HBO, titled Swear to God. Jefferies had made his name – sans Australia, but after selling out crowds, to his surprise, during his 2014 and 2015 Australian tours he seems to be slowly working into his hometown market. Talking a relaxed approach to his upcoming shows, Jefferies ultimately
wants nothing more to make people laugh. “I’m just trying to be funny,” he says. “There’s no political agenda attached to it. All I’m hoping is that all the people that saw me last year are as entertained as last year – if not more.” The comedian is equally motivated about bettering his act and being as sharp as he can when he hits the stage. “I’m hoping for consistency and improvement. I don’t want to be a guy that just tours for money. I want to go out there and not let down the people who have been following me for a long time. For the people who are seeing me for the first time, I want them to enjoy themselves.” Since establishing himself in the US he has begun exploring his talent and potential. As such, vision of his face has not only been confined to off-the-record comedy clubs and theatre stages but has emerged
EVERYTHING MELBOURNE
on television screens as well. Most notably has been his co-creation of the unapologetically crass comedy series Legit, with which he also starred in. Despite solid reviews, the show only lasted two seasons. However, Jefferies remains undismayed, admitting he would like to do more acting when the opportunity presents itself. “I’m not as good at acting as I am at stand-up comedy; I’m not as confident. So it is harder for me but I do enjoy it,” he says. “Lately I feel like I’ve done a few projects which weren’t the best projects so now I’m just going to hold out until something good comes along.” While Jefferies’ own show may have met an untimely end, it seems it planted the seed of further creativity within him, currently with a new project in the pipeline. “I really enjoyed doing Legit,” he says. “My own TV show was easy because I was acting like myself and I’ve got another show that just sold in America that is going to go to pilot and we’ll see if it goes to series. If it goes to series, I’ll be back on the telly. But if it doesn’t, I won’t be. I won’t for a second say I’m a very good actor. I think I do some things well when I’m acting, but I don’t think I’m a very dramatic actor. Who knows what the future holds? I feel like acting’s one of those things that if I keep doing it enough, I might get good at it.”
JIM JEFFERIES will perform at Margaret Court Arena on Wednesday April 27 and Thursday April 28.
With James Di Fabrizio. Do you have thoughts, news or time for a chat? Email james@beat.com.au.
Coming Up SCORSESE
Thursday May 26 – Sunday September 18 ACMI
Circus Oz’s TWENTYSIXTEEN June 15 – July 10 Circus Oz Big Top, Birrarung Marr
Melbourne International Comedy Festival:
Degas: A New Vision
Friday June 24 – Sunday September 18 National Gallery of Victoria
The Curtain Closes
An Evening With Henry Rollins
Monday September 19 & Tuesday September 20 State Theatre
BY NICK MASON
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recently took an hour-long time-out from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to indulge in a spot of house hunting. Chatting with a prospective flatmate, I went over the highlights and lowlights of the Festival and, eventually, we stumbled upon an intriguing question: what sort of person do you have to be to pursue comedy? I left the house ruminating on the subject, as I’ve often done before, my tram rattling back towards the Melbourne Town Hall. It’s easy to see comedians as somehow extraordinary. Melbourne, at least, seems to adopt that view for the duration of the Festival. The Comedy Zone’s Sam Taunton put it best. “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,” he explained to Beat in a recent interview. Comedians earn every bit of adulation, too. The Festival is their premiership season and it’s the one-percenters that count. Consider comedy duo Jennifer Byrne and Vicky Falconer-Pritchard, who have been flyering people, in costume – that is, as yetis, wearing five kilograms of mop yarn – the entire Festival. That’s dedication and, as anyone who has ever flyered at the Town Hall will attest, it’s sheer resilience. Stories have filtered down through the Festival season, detailing similar feats. Stuart Daulman’s computer crashed just minutes before showtime, compromising almost three-quarters of his performance. David O’Doherty, at one stage, lost his hat. It’s rough out there. In all seriousness though, comedians are extraordinary. It extends far beyond the typical focal point of their courage. It’s about metamorphosis. The view on the ground makes it plain as day just how many hats performers are expected to wear on a daily basis. From all accounts, you have to see yourself as a business, from the requisite bureaucracy of festival registration to the ongoing chore of selling yourself to strangers (or, at the very least, organising others to do it for you). There seems to be so much at stake and the way that every day and night unfolds is of huge importance, whether it’s about the bottom line or stitching your ego back together. When you’re chatting with a comedian about how well tickets are moving for their show and neither of you are laughing, that pretty much says it all. But here we are, at the end of the 30th Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Everyone has survived an eventful few weeks and finds themselves better or worse off for the experience. The 19th Annual Comedy Awards have come to a close, with Zoe Coombs Marr taking out the illustrious Barry Award. Her shows consistently received standing ovations throughout the Festival, and the award is well deserved. Ultimately though, I think we can all agree that comedy has been the real winner. Honestly, if there’s one thing that this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival has taught me, it’s that whoever ends up winning whichever award will have truly earned it. And yet, how much it will separate them from their peers seems somewhat negligible. They all share one important quality. I feel I have a better idea now more than ever about what kind of person you have to be to pursue comedy. Put simply, you have to be extraordinary. The MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL will return in 2017 for its 31st incarnation.
Raiders of the Lost Ark Live in Concert
NGV’s Warhol and Weiwei Exhibition Reveals Final Events
Friday November 4 – Saturday November 5 Hamer Hall
To celebrate the final weeks of the blockbuster Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition, the National Gallery of Victoria has announced a slew of special events to send it out in style. Australian singer/songwriter Robert Forster will perform from his latest album, Songs to Play, at the gallery for a final Saturday night performance. Adding to the festivities, the exhibition will be open for extended hours from this week, as well as a special 24-hour opening. Get down the National Gallery of Victoria before the exhibition closes on Monday April 25. Robert Forster will perform on Saturday April 23, with the exhibition holding a 24-hour opening from 10pm Saturday April 23 through to 10pm Sunday April 24.
MSO Meets the Circus in New Production
For two nights only, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will be joined by a host of international circus performers, including acrobats, contortionists, jugglers and strongmen for a show that will see the worlds of classical music and circus collide. Led by MSO’s Associate Conductor, Benjamin Northey, the Orchestra performs classical masterpieces while circus artists enact their spectacular feats in front, above and around them. The program features popular classical music by composers from Tchaikovsky and Sibelius to John Williams, whose music from Hook closes the first half of the program. Catch it at Hamer Hall on Friday July 16 and Saturday July 16.
Arts House Seeking Participants for Trilogy Premiere Red Stitch Theatre to Premiere The River Renowned UK playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth’s haunting tale will premiere in Melbourne with a production by Red Stitch Theatre Company. Delving into the darker side of human nature, Butterworth’s The River follows a nameless man who whisks his new lover away to a remote cabin he frequented as a boy, with his intentions quickly becoming sinister. The River will stage from Tuesday April 26 until Saturday May 28 at Red Stitch Actors Theatre.
Circus Oz and City of Melbourne Celebrate World Circus Day To celebrate the seventh World Circus Day on Saturday April 16, Circus Oz and the City of Melbourne came together to bring everything circus to the great outdoors. The famed Circus Oz ensemble showcased a series of breathtaking acrobatics, flips and spins on the grasses of Birrarung Marr to live music against the backdrop of the splendid Melbourne city skyline. Under the patronage of HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco, each year the Federation Mondiale du Cirque and circus companies around the world celebrate World Circus Day. This year’s World Circus Day theme is focused on collaboration and cooperation for the future of circus. The TWENTYSIXTEEN Circus Oz Big Top season commences on Wednesday June 15 and runs until Sunday July 10 on Birrarung Marr. G E T S O M E C U LT U R E U P YA
Trilogy, a three-part theatre work presented by Glasgow-based artist Nic Green is coming to Melbourne, and is offering up the chance to be involved. The first part of Trilogy ends with a high energy naked dance — a powerful and emotive moment that presents the female body in an empowered way. Applications are now open for punters to join this moment. Rehearsals and performances will be happening throughout June 2016. For more information check out the Trilogy webpage.
A Conversation on Making a Murderer Comes to Melbourne Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, the defence lawyers for Steven Avery, have announced a speaking tour of Australia - hitting Melbourne to talk one of the most infamous cases of recent times. The event will feature Strang and Buting discuss the systematic failures of the justice system, Avery’s case and its wider implications, as well as a Q&A session open to the audience. A Conversation on Making a Murderer will come to Hamer Hall on Tuesday November 8. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 19
For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au
Miss Julie BY LIZA DEZFOULI
Beat talks to Mark Leonard Winter and Robin McLeavy, the two leads of the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of Miss Julie, directed by Kip Williams. August Strindberg’s 1888 play is set on Midsummer’s Eve on the estate of a Count in Sweden. Miss Julie is an aristocratic young woman who’s attracted to one of the household’s servants, a sophisticated valet named Jean, who’s already in a relationship with another servant, Christine (played by Zahra Newman). Miss Julie and Jean are caught in a power struggle arising from both class and gender restraints.
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“They are ruthless with each other,” notes Winter. “They’re like a young George and Martha from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. They are both intense humans for different reasons. Miss Julie is monstrous due to her upbringing, and Jean’s ambition is a significant factor – his dreams are of the clearest way to pitch above his station. She’s trapped by gender, and he’s trapped by class. They find a weird portal in each other but they misunderstand each other. As their conversations progress they’re talking about different things in their arguments. She’s arguing from perspectives of gender and repression; he’s arguing from class repression. They are coming from such different places and they manage to wound each other. It’s tricky material to negotiate. These two people really turn the knife into each other. It’s a cage match.” Inhabiting characters living lives of such emotional violence can take a toll on performers. “We burnt ourselves out in week two of rehearsals,” says McLeavy. “Mark and I have an unspoken agreement to take care of each other, to make sure we’re safe in the work. The biggest challenge for me is endurance – to get through the day without collapsing in a heap at the end. You have to find a way to consciously let go of the character.” Like so many great works for the stage, Miss Julie endures because its themes of class and gender oppression resonate with modern audiences. “I’ve been in LA for the last five years,” McLeavy reflects. “I’ve experienced a lot of sexism in Hollywood. We’re still in a situation where the patriarchy is telling women how to live. It’s a proscription, the paradigm. Women are still being punished. It’s in the play, and it’s real life. You just need to look at what’s going on in the USA around abortion. Society’s restrictions on the female are so prevalent – this play is over 100 years old, but when you put it on you see how these things are still a problem. The patriarchal construct insists that work is more important than love, that money is more important than self-discovery.” “For each of them the essence of privilege means freedom,” McLeavy continues. “The privilege of freedom, as opposed to the privilege of wealth and status. You see the frustration of these two. They both want freedom but they have very different ideas of what freedom is. Their thinking, their conditioning
EVERYTHING MELBOURNE
“Society’s restrictions on the female are so prevalent – this play is over 100 years old, but when you put it on you see how these things are still a problem. The patriarchal construct insists that work is more important than love, that money is more important than self-discovery.” brings them to dead ends. The tragedy for Jean is that he succumbs to his original position, to his conditioning.” The character of Miss Julie is problematic: in the text she’s reduced to the trope of the irrational woman. Subsequently, the cast in this production are working deeply on creating a complexity to her that’s usually overlooked in performances of the play. “It’s a notoriously misogynistic text,” notes Winter. “We are creating the emotional language for a character that didn’t have one so she doesn’t come across as hysterical. We don’t dismiss anyone; everyone has a legitimate claim to their emotions.” McLeavy also uses her past experiences to fill in aspects of her character. “What I bring to the role is a very strong connection to Miss Julie’s desire for freedom. Miss Julie’s mother is described as a radical; my mother is an avid feminist [and] activist, and I was raised in a similar way to the way Miss Julie describes. My mum didn’t make the distinction about what men could do or what women could do; I didn’t have this concept that there was a difference in opportunity. Now I’m in my 30s and have lived in the USA for the last five years, I’ve woken up to the fact that the patriarchy is as powerful as ever.” Melbourne Theatre Company’s MISS JULIE will run at Southbank Theatre, The Sumner from Wednesday April 20 – Saturday May 21.
For more arts news, reviews and interviews visit beat.com.au
Review SUPANOVA 2016 AT MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS B Y AV R I L L E B Y L O K- C O L L A R D
It’s 6.45pm and my best friend and I are dressed as Rey and Wednesday Addams respectively. It’s been a long day and the baristas at Starbucks are enthusiastically questioning our garb, their words curious and genuine.
“Is it worth going to Supanova?” asks a barista eagerly, who’s feigning cleaning tamp handles on the counter. My friend hesitates, considers her response and then answers:
“Yeah, it is. If you’re into that kind of thing – sci-fi, fantasy, pop culture and all that.” And it’s true. Since 2008, Supanova Pop Culture Expo has been a hub for various fandoms. Its fanbase demographic is huge, ranging from Stars Wars to Lord of the Rings fans, Naruto to Adventure Time fans too. Its atmosphere – one focused on being unapologetically passionate – has facilitated a large following. A following so large that the convention feels much older than its eight years. This year, Supanova had to step up from its Back to the Future and Star Trek mega-star list last year. It delivered. Torchwood crewmembers Burn Gorman, Gareth David-Lloyd and Naoko Mori joined Smallville favourite Alisson Mack. Teal’c from Stargate SG-1 made an appearance, and, most importantly, the most hated character in the world appeared: Joffrey Baratheon. Ironically, from the commentary at Supanova and online (thank you, Melbourne Cosplay Community) Jack Gleeson is the antonym of his sadistic, megalomaniac Westeros character. Even shouting “Dad!” when a Robert Baratheon cosplayer walked in for photos. It’s difficult to describe what makes Supanova so great without resorting to effusiveness. It caters to a range of interests, Anime Kaika has you set for Non non biyori, Sword Art Online and other anime paraphernalia. Artist Alley allows you to support local artists and fan artists — a friend told me it was a great opportunity to meet their favourite artist instagrammers and talk fan-theories, fan art and Stucky, Captain America and Bucky, fanfiction. The Epic Gaming district – it’s not really a district, but it should be – satisfies game-lovers needs with
rows of computers and opportunities to try new PC games and connect with like-minded people. The panels give you insight into the lives of guests and the seminars can provide enlightenment on who your favourite authors will eat first in a zombie apocalypse. For me, it was the books – Madman had their annual three for $25 manga offer, so hello One Punch Man – and the cosplay. Need to see a sailor scout Elsa? Done. Need a Deadpool to photobomb your selfie? There’s probably a hundred nearby. Need a Lolita Kylo Ren? Not quite sure about that one, but Emerald City Comicon delivered that one this year. Cosplayers are amicable too, willing to pose for photos despite their most likely 5am starts. Their dedication to their costumes makes them just as starworthy of the super-star guests themselves. Also, due to the number of wandering Jakku orphans, this year should’ve been named Rey-nova. Logistics wise this year, the coordination and flow of traffic improved. The new floor layout, with its wider carriageways and grid format, made movement throughout the venue easier during peak times. The only aspect that needs major improvement is a greater food van options. Honestly, if you want to go to Supanova – go. It’s such a joyful, fun and friendly atmosphere with a diverse range of interests to explore. The venue is disability friendly too. So, why not go next time and make sure you get dressed up, because that’s half the fun. SUPANOVA POP CULTURE EXPO was held at Melbourne Showgrounds from Friday April 15 to Sunday April 17. For details of interstate and next year’s Supanova, visit supanova.com.au.
W I T H T O M B R A N D - T O M B R A N D @B E AT.C O M .AU
EVERYTHING MELBOURNE
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KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD I N F I N I T E
L I N K S
B Y PAT R I C K E M E R Y
Stu Mackenzie, guitarist, vocalist and psychedelic auteur with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, is casting his mind back to a couple of years ago when the band’s new album, Nonagon Infinity, was originally conceived. King Gizzard had just recorded 2014’s I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, and they were flirting with extending that record’s mixture of thematic consistency and distinct song structure. But while there was the seed of an idea there, it would take a while for the concept to grow. “With I’m In Your Mind Fuzz we had the idea of making the record kind of like one long song and having all the songs run into each other, and having themes which came in and out, and having it like being chapters of one big track,” Mackenzie says. “But I think we ran out of patience or motivation. I guess we wrote some songs that we felt should be on that record but didn’t completely work with that concept.” The bones of Nonagon Infinity would lie bare for the next 18 months while King Gizzard diverted their attentions to the quadratic psychedelic assembly of Quarters! and the folk-acoustic wandering of Paper Mache Dream Balloon. “Quarters! and Paper Mache were distractions from Nonagon while we were working on it, while we were telling ourselves, ‘No, it’s not ready, we need more time, we need to keep playing the songs live, it’s not ready yet.’ So this record was definitely a slow burner.” While it’s a strain to remember what was on the turntable at the time the album was conceived, Mackenzie can recall, “being on a massive Hawkwind binge”, as well dipping into some ‘70s Turkish psychedelia. “There was also some more heavier stuff than we’ve listened to before,” he says. “We did want to make this the heaviest record we’d made before – that was one of the things we were trying to tie it up with.” Structurally, Nonagon Infinity was about having a single musical concept that could broken down into modular elements. “We wanted to experiment with different time signatures – we wanted every song to be an experiment in its own way, but we wanted them to be all linked and not only flow on from each other but to reference each other so that it’s more of one track than it is separate tracks. But at the same time we wanted it to be somehow listenable as nine separate chapters, which as an individual piece makes sense and goes from A to B.” The notion of having a single organising idea for a record has always seemed part of King Gizzard’s modus operandi, whether it’s a thematic element, or the repeated presence of a melodic refrain. “I think we’ve always done that,” Mackenzie says, “Whether it’s heavier, whether it’s acoustic or there’s a certain feeling, or with Quarters! the songs were supposed to be simpler and repetitive on purpose, or kind of boring on purpose. Maybe it’s just me personally, but I like to know the destination before we set off on the journey. Some people will say that songs just pop out of their heads, or they can’t choose what they’re writing, they just follow their emotional path, but I’m not that person.” Mackenzie compares King Gizzard’s creative process to that of construction work. “You’re building something,” he says. Random ideas can be the source of artistic inspiration, but what might appear to be chaotic has an underlying pattern. “Creation can be black and white, creation doesn’t have to be this miracle spark, like your brain is this magic power that spews forth randomness. I think there’s an element of that, and your brain definitely does spew forth randomness, but if you can organise the chaos I think you can get from A to B more easily – at least I can. But for us there’s always been the destination not the journey, I suppose.” Mackenzie sees himself as the producer or director of the King Gizzard project, but he didn’t assume the role of artistic dictator on Nonagon Infinity. “Everyone in the band has their own places to put their creative ideas if they need to. I’m lucky that there’s a bunch of super creative people involved who are all capable of doing their own thing. It’s always been different for different records – for Nonagon this was one that I did take over. All the ideas were mine but a lot of them were like a very vague melodic refrain or something, or vague feel or groove. [Then I’d say], ‘Everyone go nuts, now see what happens.’ A lot of this record was that – it was very free.” Mackenzie concedes that Nonagon Infinity’s long gestation period has led to an element of fatigue. “I think I’m a lot more tired of Nonagon Infinity that anything else at the moment, because it’s been so present for so long, and I’ve spent so many hours working on so many elements of that record that just listening to it again is killing me. But I don’t often do that. Some people will probably look back on their past things they worked on and feel that maybe they could have done better or something, but I suppose over the years rather than trying to better ourselves we’ve tried to do something different.”
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KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD will release their new album Nonagon Infinity on Friday April 29 via Flightless / Remote Control Records.
www.thebongshop.com.au W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
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MIKELANGELO & THE BLACK SEA GENTLEMEN S T O R I E S
F R O M
T H E
S N OW
BY ADAM NORRIS
As Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentlemen, The Great Muldavio, Little Ivan, Rufino, Guido, and Mikelangelo himself have been seducing starving ears since the turn of the century. With their fourth album, After the Flood, raging forth from the Snowy Mountains, it’s time to douse your musical drought with tales of minstrels and scoundrels alike. Indeed, the album is almost as colourful as Mikelangelo himself. “It was something that started on stage,” the frontman says of their motley stage personas. “We didn’t sit down and write character profiles at the start, we just started having fun. We enjoyed it, the audience enjoyed it, and we honed it as we went. 15 years later, our alter egos have massive back stories. There could be a movie about Rufino, our violinist, or The Great Muldavio our clarinet player, who’s also an amazing taxidermist. Stories I can’t even get into now, that I’ll have to tell you all another time, so I won’t even mention about the time he stuffed the Grand Prince of Denmark. It’s fun, but beneath it is a heart that’s quite interesting. They’re more than characters. They take us into another world and help dramatise our music in different ways.” Mikelangelo is no stranger to theatricality. In addition to the Black Sea Gentlemen, he roams far and wide as a solo act, performing as the Balkan Elvis or a troubadour reimagining the holy trinity of Cave, Waits and Cohen. As we speak, he’s not far from the Snowy Mountains Scheme that provided the genesis for After the Flood. It’s roughly two hours from his house in the coastal village of Tathra, and the confluence of personalities that helped build the hydroelectric dam served as rich soil to shape these songs. “I’m not going to lie to you. There aren’t many real life people in there,” he says. “But the stories of real people certainly formed it. The way we work, we write a lot from imagination and from things that pique our fascination. We’ve certainly been interested in that Snowy Mountains story because it seemed to be such a fertile place. The story had sat with me for a long time, because my dad came out as a refugee and then migrant worker – he escaped from Communist Yugoslavia, across the border into Italy in 1960. The band are quite inspired by him, he’s this larger than life character. There are people you meet who seem to be so full of joy and conflict and tragedy and wonder and sorrow and laughter, they could be a caricature. If you read them in a book you’d say, ‘People aren’t really like that, bursting from extreme.’ But that’s my dad. And the band are really drawn to this magic realist Eastern European character and idea. And here’s this guy that you love and you know, but he’s a portal to a world you don’t know at all.”
THE JACK EARLE BIG BAND
This conversational shift from mountains to family is revealing of the Melbourne-born singer’s personality. Each question opens a cavalcade of reminiscence and insight, where stories overlap and inform each other unexpectedly. The significance of his parents, however, is a recurrent theme, and in no small measure explains his animated personality. “I learnt very young how to be open to inspiration,” says Mikelangelo. “It’s only when you’re shaping something into a more finished work when it gets tough, but in that initial stage you basically just need to have an open mind and heart. My mother was an interesting woman, a really strong figure. Both she and dad were really into the arts, they taught me that creativity was a great thing, and if I wanted to follow that they weren’t going to interrupt. My earliest memories are of her reading me The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, or singing this gunfighter ballad – ‘As I walked out on the streets of Laredo, as I walked out on Laredo one day, I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen, wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay.’ And for the life of me, I didn’t know if he was alive or dead. Listening these years later I think the cowboy is either dead or dying, but back then I also thought he was wearing a white suit and looking really sharp, and at the
MIKELANGELO & THE BLACK SEA GENTLEMEN are launching their new LP After The Flood at the Thornbury Theatre on Friday May 6 and Saturday May 7. They’re also doing an instore performance at Basement Discs on Friday May 6.
Q&A The Jack Earle Big Band specialises in jazz, funk, fusion, swing and bebop. In your opinion, why are these genres so appealing? They make people feel good. The grooves are infectious, the tunes make you want to click your fingers, or get up and dance.
Hey there Jack, can you tell us a bit about The Jack Earle Big Band? The Jack Earle Big Band was formed in 2008 as part of a Big Band festival held annually in Mordialloc. Since then it’s been my chance to compose and create, and experiment, musically with 18 of my favourite people. We’ve been regularly gigging around Melbourne for the past five years or so, and last August independently released our debut, self-titled album.
You’ve got the super talented Rose Muller as your lead vocalist. How does her voice complement the band’s sound? Super talent indeed. Her voice is a smoky, sultry and smooth addition to our punchy, brassy sounds. She has a great ear, great feel, great time, and makes intelligent musical decisions. She has a knack for hearing ideas for original arrangements of tunes that have previously not even been thought of being performed with a big band.
You’ll be playing at Brunswick’s The Spotted Mallard on Thursday April 28. What can punters expect from the show? Punters can expect big, brassy sounds, groovy grooves, original compositions, inventive new arrangements of pop tunes, amazing burgers and an all-round good time. This gig will feature world premier performances of brand new original compositions, as well as favourites from our album.
For a 20-year-old, you’re a super accomplished musician. You studied at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, and you’re a proficient pianist, vocalist, conductor, composer and trumpet player. Where does your love of music stem from? I’ve always had music surrounding me. I grew up with musical parents, and a musical sister. I was always lucky enough to attend concerts, see shows, and go to festivals. There were
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same time had this white funeral sheet over him. It was a strange image that I can still see today.” Juxtaposing these vivid yet contradictory images says a lot of Mikelangelo, and certainly informs the storytelling of his work with the Black Sea Gentlemen. No song is off-limits, no story taboo, guaranteeing that we’ll follow the flood wherever it leads. “It’s easy for people to say we’re not a real band, we’re just making it up, and of course we’re just fucking making it up. That’s what creativity is, making something that resonates. And that’s where authenticity and truth lies. For some people that’s shoegaze, for some people country and western. For us, music is just this intriguing thing of every style, and you can use any of it. It’s like we’re moving through a movie and you get to meet all of these strange characters along the way all telling their own stories, and that excites me.”
always instruments being played, or records being blasted. It’s been the love of my life from day one. If the Jack Earle Big Band was asked to compose and perform the soundtrack of a documentary about any musician, living or dead, who’d you pick? Harry Connick Jr. THE JACK EARLE BIG BAND, featuring 18 exceptional Melbourne musicians, plus the vocals of Rose Muller, are launching their debut, self-titled LP at The Spotted Mallard on Thursday April 28. Doors/dinner from 6pm, show begins at 8.30pm. w w w . beat . c o m . a u
GRAMOVOX V E R T I C A L
T U R N TA B L E
R E V O L U T I O N
B Y C H R I S S CO T T
The term ‘vinyl revival’ is now set in stone within contemporary music vernacular. Independent record stores are popping up left, right and centre, and corporate retailers are trying to catch up; new albums are being pressed by the bucketload, and old classics reissued. It makes sense, then, that high volumes of new turntables are also entering the market. This is a development that Pavan Bapu, CEO and co-founder of Chicago consumer audio company Gramovox, is all too familiar with. Gramovox have just released the Floating Record Vertical Turntable; a turntable that, you guessed it, plays records vertically rather than horizontally. This product is designed to change the way we experience vinyl, driven by an intense passion for the format, and an endeavour to reinterpret it within a 21st century context. “Vinyl, just the visceral feeling of it – the grooves, the tactile nature, the colours – it’s an experience lost when played horizontally. And when sitting across the room you almost have to be in a birds eye position to appreciate it,” Bapu says. “And so I felt that a record player for the modern audience should play vertically, and not just vertically in a box or linear tracking arm or anything of that sort, but vertically sort of in isolation in some respect – to look like it’s actually being appreciated as a piece for art as well as an analogue medium to play music. “In that respect I came up with this creative strategy of a floating record player, in which the record would actually float and create this disruptive illusion that defied gravity. And it just kind of creates this majestic presence and gives a lot of attention to the record. But in that process it’s got a beautiful wood base and built-in speakers so you can just play as soon as you put the record on.” The defining philosophy of Gramovox is to reimagine vintage design with modern technology. It’s a vision embodied by the Floating Record – a contemporary remodelling of the age-old format, which is easy to use and highly accessible. With the inclusion of two built-in 2” full-range stereo speakers, a hi-fi phono preamp, and a preinstalled AT95E cartridge, it offers all-inone functionality. Each component ensures the experience for a first-time record listener is one of comfort and immediacy. “With traditional turntables today, you have to buy the turntable, cartridge, adjust the cartridge,” Bapu says. “You have to buy cables, you have to buy a preamp, you have to buy speakers and you probably have to buy half a room to put that in. It’s cumbersome and it’s difficult. And I felt that with the vinyl revival movement people want ease of use. I think there are audiophiles and there are people that aren’t audiophiles that enjoy buying higher-end equipment and customising it. But I think the mainstream audience, they just want something that just works out of the box.” The idea of an all-in-one, vertical turntable does, however, pose difficulties when it comes to producing high performance playback and sound quality. To combat these difficulties Gramovox looked to some
of the most popular and world-renowned turntables for inspiration, purchasing models such as Pro-Ject’s Debut Carbon and spending a year producing hundreds of prototypes. The end result is a marriage of aesthetic appeal and flawless sound quality that will impress vinyl newcomers and audiophiles alike. “We made sure that our tone arm had the right kind of innately built-in anti-skate to prevent the tone arm from skidding across the record, which is a basic element of most decent turntables,” says Bapu. “In addition to that we have an adjustable tracking force. So for ours it tracks at two grams, and that’s factory set for our particular cartridge, but that is adjustable for a user that wants to use a cartridge that’s half a gram or more. So that’s another staple of a quality tone arm and audiophile grade kind of product – that tracking force customisation. “But in addition to that working grade, we also wanted to make sure that those that are more serious have the option of using external speakers, not just ones built into the product – which is great for convenience, but there are tonnes of audiophiles with MartinLogan speakers or Eclipse speakers or others out there. So in that respect we built our own audio circuit topology and there is an RCA audio line out so people can connect it to their own receiver and their audio system.” As a start-up, Gramovox doesn’t have the same financial resources as the major corporations it’s competing with. But what it lacks in funding, it more than makes up for in terms of customer engagement. The overwhelming success of the Floating Record Vertical Turntable is a telling sign of a company taking consumer audio to new and exciting places. “Half of the people that buy our vinyl are first time vinyl listeners,” says Bapu. “So these are people that have been somewhat interested in vinyl, and seen it around, but they just haven’t had the right player or experience to warrant them really going allin on it. So that’s kind of exciting, that with this product we’re actually growing the vinyl market industry.” GRAMOVOX’s Floating Record Vertical Turntable is available in Australia via The Sound Of Vinyl online store (thesoundofvinyl.com.au/store/gramovoxfloating-record/).
NO ZU
F E E L I N G
T H E
H E AT
B Y A L E X WAT T S
Nic Oogjes started No Zu as a solo recording project in 2007. The band’s two records, Life and Afterlife, are both heavily informed by his personal experiences. “Life was really about suburban living, because I grew up in the suburbs – as did most Australians, even though that’s something that people run away from, at least for a while. And when there’s a lot more going on in suburbia, to put it down like that is just absurd,” says Oogjes. “Afterlife was about facing up to who you are and being part of the discussion about bigger issues under the surface, which is how in Australia we hold a lot of our insecurities and thoughts about national identity: under the surface.” Released last month, Afterlife is reflective of the fact No Zu is now an eight-piece collective. The band’s unique take on percussive groove music has gained much critical acclaim and led to major slots at Golden Plains, Sugar Mountain and WOMADelaide. Oogjes remains the factory centre of the band, overseeing the propulsive rhythms and abstract universe presented on Afterlife. “We’re connected by this umbrella term heat beat,” he says. “[It’s] semi-tongue in cheek, but also that’s an attempt at stripping away the ego and being about a collective sound with a clear focus. Everyone has their own idea of how they fit into it and what particular skills or dynamics that they can add to it. I definitely don’t say, ‘This is the way everything’s happening,’ and that’s it.” Created in a time of endless subgenre classification, heat beat was an off-the-cuff term invented to lampoon journalists who sought to categorise No Zu’s sound. “There’s this world of global dance music, from salsa to Afrobeat,” says Oogjes. “I mean you could just name a million, and they all fit in together as a unifying thing and that’s part of what the heat beat is. So it is quite easy for people to pick who they think our influences are because a lot of things relate to it.” The phrase has now come to represent the band’s philosophy as well as their onstage approach. “If we’re not drenched in sweat after a show then I really don’t feel like we’ve put in enough energy. “We played a show at Howler and the air conditioner wasn’t working. It was packed and I was in my element. When there’s just sweat dripping and people taking their clothes off, feeling the heat, that’s the whole point of No Zu.” While Life was a sonically dense production, the tracks on Afterlife are largely built around simple grooves with layers of percussion, horns and vocals, plus
GREENWOOD LOFT
delays and reverbs shifting in and out of the arrangements. The result is an album of global funk music that’s heavy on hooks. “Since the last record, I – and I’m sure a lot of the other guys – have been listening to a lot more dance music than previously, and dub as well, where you only need three elements and you can base a whole track around it. I’ve got a real aversion to music that sounds too clever or intellectual for the sake of it. By pulling out the bass at one point so you can hear the drums for 16 bars, there’s something in the pleasure parts of the brain that really gets off on when the bass comes back in.” Although there are some electronicfocused tracks on Afterlife created by just Oogjes, the majority of songs were tracked all together and then picked apart. “We record a whole bunch of live grooves with as much percussion and saxophone and stuff as we can, and then I go back and start stripping things down and trying to find what needs to be there. “It’s a completely intuitive process. As an example, in Spirit Beat there’s this breakdown bit where I use the deep voice – ‘It goes, goes, goes’ – with just the kick and the bells. Something like that would have just happened at rehearsal and got us excited. It’s essentially body music that you shouldn’t really be using your brain for.” No Zu are a consciously self-referential outfit. They’ve invented their own terms for
song titles (see Ui Yia Uia) and aren’t afraid to re-use musical motifs within multiple songs. Oogjes compares this to ParliamentFunkadelic, who famously created an abstract narrative that runs throughout their catalogue. “I think to have something focused and for people to feel like it’s a complete world of its own, it needs to have references from within itself and that should come through clearly. That’s probably the main drive of No Zu that’s different. I like to think of our catalogue of music like one work and things relate to each other.” Within that lexicon, the term heat beat could be seen as a satirical comment on both national and musical identity, and the crushing effect that can have on culture. “I think homogeny and gentrification, whether it’s of current dance music or rock’n’roll, is actually the point. That’s the scary thing for me and something that I’m happy to rebel against, because that in itself is pretty gross. “But all that said, you can just cross that out and say, ‘But also No Zu’s just body music as well,’ because it’s also meant to be about the feel and not the brain. So there’s a real contradiction there, but I think that reflects society as well, so that’s fine.” NO ZU launch Afterlife at Max Watt’s on Saturday April 23. Afterlife is out now through Chapter Music.
Q&A
B Y K AT E E A R D L E Y
Hello. Who are we speaking with and could you tell us a little bit about Greenwood Loft? Brendan Frankcombe, owner. Greenwood Loft is a hip New York style loft bar featuring live music and DJs nightly playing funk, soul and disco. Greenwood Loft is the only bar in Fitzroy where you can dance late into the night/early morning to such great sounds. At Greenwood Loft our aim is to provide an inclusive venue that caters to both locals and visitors alike who all share a passion for music. You’ve recently had the venue renovated in order to easily connect with patrons. Paint us a picture of the revamped Greenwood Loft. Greenwood Loft has the relaxed feel of a New York style loft bar. The venue wraps around a bespoke bar area allowing our super professional team to connect easily with our patrons creating a friendly vibe – a boutique venue with ambient lighting and super cosy booths.
You’ve explained that your hearts are “firmly rooted in the Motown, funk and soul scene”. In what way does the atmosphere of Fitzroy complement these iconic genres? Fitzroy is a very diverse area and has venues catering to all music types. Funk, soul and disco are timeless and are loved by all ages. When speaking with locals before we opened, they were all very excited to have a venue in their area that is dedicated to funk, soul and disco. We’re not afraid to mix it up either though, with regular and varied DJ nights, special events and the venue/spaces for hire. You offer some pretty excellent drink deals for those keen on a night out on the town on a smaller budget. What poison should we order? On Thursday nights we have a postcode night offering drink special to those living in Fitzroy and Collingwood. We want to give something back to our neighbours and
make them feel special. Check out our Facebook page every week for what’s on offer. We’ve hand selected the drinks menu and are motivated by a desire to create simple but delicious drinks that tickle in all the right places. The venue at the corner of Smith St and Gertrude St has changed hands and undergone change after change over the years. How has this classic venue transformed with Melbourne’s nightlife and music scene? The venue has undergone changes over the years. We have taken the venue from a nightclub feel to a warm and cosy loft bar with a generous dance floor to show off your moves. GREENWOOD LOFT is open from Thursday to Saturday, 7pm-late at Level 1, 83-87 Smith St, Fitzroy. Check out greenwoodloft.com.au for more details.
W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
TORB PEDERSEN H E A R I N G
V O I C E S
BY CHRIS SCOTT
Torb Pedersen understands the human voice better than almost anyone else on the planet. As founder of the Torb Pedersen Institute he has long led the charge in vocal science, developing groundbreaking technologies and innovative strategies aimed at promoting vocal health and helping singers reach their optimum potential. Pedersen is bringing this vast wealth of knowledge, which has seen him work with artists on major labels like Warner, Sony and Capitol Records, to Melbourne this month with the Destiny By Design vocal workshop. “This is the most advanced vocal technology in the world,” says Pedersen. “Between the types of people that we’ve done the research with, plus the fact that we had access to the world’s biggest stars under the toughest schedules, no one’s ever going to have the access we’ve had over the last 20 years to actually try out this material, under the most difficult circumstances.” Throughout the workshop Pedersen will demonstrate the findings of this research, advising singers on how to improve their vocal range, better manage their vocal health, and ensure greater control and precision. “What happens is that people don’t understand the range,” Pedersen says. “They don’t understand how the voice works, so what happens is literally in the first night I will increase most people’s range by an octave without any switches or breaks. “Essentially I’ll show them how to play their voice like an instrument. Most people use things like breath pressure and stuff like that, and that actually just ruins the voice over time and decreases your range. You start to damage your nervous system and then what happens is you start to damage the physical structure itself. So what I do is I show people the basic mechanics of the voice – what their vocal cords are, how they function and how you can basically harness them with the finer musculature that was designed to use them, instead of using breath pressure to push your cords around.” These details are often a total mystery to singers, and Pedersen believes his instruction will be of great use to many Australian musicians. “Basically, we figured the most common barrier for Australian artists is that they’re not getting their music heard and reaching a wide enough audience. So what we wanted to do is provide a little bit of enlightenment in a place that you wouldn’t normally get it. “Basically we’re connecting the emotional part of the brain to the science, because without the science you’re completely lost, and TPI leads the development in this area. So we wanted to bring something to Melbourne that you would just never get the chance to see otherwise.” Pedersen’s vocal workshops can provide singers with immediate gains that are truly remarkable. He also seeks to implant sustainability and longevity – to improve the voice beyond the four walls of the workshop. This can only be achieved by implementing solutions tailored to each singer’s voice. “This is actually how this project started,” he says. “We had two singers through Capitol
records, and one piece of stimulus got one reaction and that same piece of stimulus got the opposite reaction. So immediately from that point I realised that there’s no such thing as a conservatory system, because how your nervous system is wired depends on how your voice responds to stress. We noticed people have a bunch of stress reactions, whether it’s an ascending line of a held note, or certain perceptions, or certain parts of their voice. So the nervous system is built up over time based on their own individual personality, based on their history, and based on how frequently they try to sing. And this develops what we call a neuro cascade. You develop all these odd neurological aberrations, which prevent you from being able to sing efficiently. “So people learn a little bit about why their voice is put together that way, but as they start to solve these issues and you start to figure out how your nervous system is oriented, then you also figure out how to sort of rewrite the way you react to stress. It’s a really interesting process.” Following up on last year’s sessions, the Destiny By Design vocal workshop is being held at Black Pearl Studios in Moorabbin – an ideal location for the event thanks to its state of the art recording and production equipment, and all-round acoustic richness. For Pedersen, holding the workshop there was a no brainer. “We looked at pretty much every studio in Melbourne before we selected Black Pearl to go with. They just had the best facilities, they were the most interested in doing it – they really, really wanted to and that’s who we wanted to work with eventually. And to do that last year worked really well, and that’s why we’re coming back this year.” One of Pedersen’s most famous clients is the dance pop superstar Gloria Estefan. His job is to ensure her voice remains safe throughout the rigors of her global tours. He’s also worked briefly with Australian vocalist Wes Carr, who was in London for an audition. “He called me and he was desperate. He was like, ‘I can barely talk.’ ” But, after 25 minutes spent doing exercises over Skype, Carr was back on track. “[He was] able to go right back into the audition and recover 70% of his voice.” TOR PEDERSEN’S Destiny By Design vocal workshop is happening at Black Pearl Studios over two weeks, from Monday April 25 – Thursday April 28, and Monday May 2 – Thursday May 5. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 25
Camp Cope H umour
A nd
H ope
B y J oseph E arp
Spend enough time interviewing musicians and you’ll risk falling into a rut. You start asking the same questions, and often getting the same answers in return. You even begin following a formula when it comes to writing the stories, starting the piece with a pithy hook, moving through a description of the recording process and/or recent tour, and ending with a significant statement disguised as a casual one.
PARQUET COURTS D U S T
I S
E V E R Y W H E R E
BY ADAM NORRIS
Everybody has a superpower, but it’s not always immediately apparent what form it takes. Chatting with Austin Brown, co-frontman of New York rockers Parquet Courts, it’s hard to pick just where his focus lies. Restlessness, perhaps: refusing to stay pinned to one sound, always seeming to be on the road, and the ability to keep one step ahead of his own expectations. That, or the fact that he can telepathically summon wolves; who knows? “I’m not big on Batman,” Brown says. “I don’t really like superhero movies, but I’m a sucker for X-Men for some reason. I don’t know why. It might be because everyone has their own special power. And some people might have a kind of useless mutation. I like to think of all us artist types as being weird X-Men characters. “I think that my favourite genre of film would be post-apocalyptic, sci-fi. Something like Children of Men, that’s one of my all-time favourites. So anything like that I’m drawn to – post-apocalyptic, or pre-apocalyptic. I’ve been thinking about Melancholia, the Lars von Trier movie. I love that one. I always love a movie that doesn’t have a happy ending. I’ve seen The Road a couple of times now, though I don’t know why since it’s such a bummer. No Country for Old Men is another favourite. Maybe I’m just really fatalistic? There Will Be Blood. God, as I hear myself saying all this I’m really starting to worry.” Bleak as his cinema taste may be, there is a thematic link here: faith in momentum, in adaptability, change and survival. Parquet Courts are in no danger of annihilation, but of all the topics touched on in our interview, we keep circling back to Brown’s refusal for the band to be left behind. Intriguingly, it’s only after the advent of an album – in this instance, the newly released Human Performance – and the subsequent media cycle that Brown starts to reflect on exactly what he was trying to achieve. “There are certain questions I get a lot, and it’s not like it’s unfair to be asked them, but it’s also something that I never really think about until I’m asked,” he says. “I like that, reflecting back on something, wondering, ‘Well, what was that record about?’ There’s nothing that we do when we start making a record; no conscious decisions, we don’t talk about the concept. But as I start doing press, I draw lines and connect dots between songs. All our records do have an overarching theme to them that develops through the process of making them that I never really analyse until after it’s all said and done. And I really do appreciate that. It allows me to understand the narrative of my creative arc and the arc of the band. I think that’s important, because without that perspective you might not be able to BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 26
get out of your box or move forward. “We’ve done quite a lot of records, and I think it’s easy to get in that routine of writing a Parquet Courts song. But by now, this is our fifth record, we’ve been a band for five years, more or less, and now,” Brown breaks off and laughs in pleasant amazement, “Now I’m starting to hear bands that sound like us. So when it comes to making Human Performance, it seemed obvious to me that if we were to make a Parquet Courts record as the band has existed, it would just be fine. And it’s a nightmare for me to make something that people listen to and just say, ‘Yeah, it’s fine. Kind of what I expected.’ That would be painful.” Human Performance arrives roughly six months after the band’s previous release, Monastic Living, an EP that divided critics and fans alike with its largely instrumental and experimental content. Despite being unveiled half a year apart, Monastic Living was born in a single day of curiosity while in the studio for the album; a chance for Brown and co. to flex their creativity and find what other sounds might be lying in wait. “I was so thrilled to see [Monastic Living] get completely trashed in the press. It was divisive, and I think that’s a good sign. It gave us that much more of a perspective of what we were doing. It was seeing what happens when we rattled our cage a little bit, when we turned the snow globe upside down. Making Human Performance, it was like we needed to prove we weren’t going to do the same thing over and over and hope people keep paying attention. We recorded 30 songs for this record, whittled down to fourteen, and the songs that sounded like routine Parquet Court songs were the ones that got cast aside really early in the process. Songs you wouldn’t peg as being a Parquet Court song, those are the ones I really carried the flag for. To me, those are songs that define not just the record but our steps forward. I didn’t want it to be a collection of songs that could have come from any of our other records. And I think we did that.” PARQUET COURTS new LP Human Performance is out now via Rough Trade / Remote Control Records.
But every now and then a musician comes along who forces you to break the mould. Georgia Maq, the lead singer and songwriter of Camp Cope, is one of those musicians. “Siri used to be really funny,” Maq says. “Now if you ask her, ‘Siri, where’s the best place to bury a dead body?’ she doesn’t show you abandoned mines anymore. It’s like, ‘Siri, what happened?’ ” Although Maq is on the phone to talk about Camp Cope’s brilliantly painful selftitled debut LP, the conversation touches on a staggering number of topics. These include the American political race (“My ideal situation is Bernie Sanders. I just think he’s so beautiful; he’s for the people”), along with Americans in general (“They’re all afraid of each other”), guns (“I wish all guns were put in a pit and burnt”), and the art of performing live (“It didn’t really come naturally. It scared me a lot to perform in front of people”). The broad scope of Maq’s conversation is reflected throughout Camp Cope, a record that makes the mundane seem mythic and vice versa. It’s also an LP full of deep sadness – tragedy so substantial it settles in your bones. “As you probably gathered, I’m not a very uplifting person,” Maq laughs. “I do have a lot of sadness. I am one of the many people in the world living with depression
LUSH B A C K
I N
and mental illness. All my songs are kind of sad because they’re about my personal experiences.” Indeed, the most striking lines on the record all come with an element of darkness. For example, on West Side Story Maq laments, “It all comes down to the knowledge that we’re gonna die / Find comfort in that or be scared for the rest of your life.” “That’s such an emo song,” she laughs. “Whenever someone says my lyrics back to me I get so embarrassed. But singing them is totally different – an outlet. It helps trying to get everything out. You have all these things buzzing around inside your head, and to come to terms with them and
C O N T R O L
B Y A A R O N S T R E AT F E I L D
Reunited and ready to roll, Lush shake off the dust with a return to the stage and studio – a first since the band’s late-‘90s demise. Shortly after the band’s most successful chart release, Lovelife, Lush dissolved; an ending inflamed by the death of drummer Chris Acland in 1996. Distraught by the loss of their dear friend and band member, Lush receded into obscurity, eventually calling it quits in February 1998. Two decades later, Lush have resurfaced with a new EP, Blind Spot, and scheduled tours of the UK, America and mainland Europe. Beat speaks to bass player Phil King to find how the band’s resurgence came to fruition.
“We did think about it a few years ago, but we’ve all got families,” he says. “At the time, Miki [Berenyi, guitar/vocals]’s children were too young. Miki wasn’t comfortable with the idea just yet, so we put it on the backburner. So now just seemed like the right time. I mean, there was talk about B E AT.C O M . A U
doing it last year, but I was doing the Psychocandy tour with The Jesus and Mary Chain, so I asked if we could delay it a year. It also makes it a clean-cut 20 years since disbanding, so it’s a lot neater.” Originally the plan was just to get back together and play some shows. “Then
find peace with them you’ve got to get them out and do something constructive with them. I find I do that with my songwriting. It’s cathartic.” She laughs, gently, but the question remains: does she take comfort in the certainty of death, or is she scared? “I don’t know. We’re all scared of death,” she says. “I have experienced a lot of death. I feel like my whole life has been laced with deaths. Really sad, unfortunate deaths. You know the more you do something the more you get used to it? Not that I’m used to people dying and used to deaths. But it’s only talking to people after an experience like that you realise death is a part of life. You learn to appreciate and make use of the life you’re living now. You might as well just do it. If you don’t throw yourself into things, you’ll never know and you might regret it. One day you might die all of a sudden. “There is a comfort in the fact we’re going to die. Our generation probably won’t have to deal with how fucked global warming is going to get. It’s bad, but like, I’m not going to have to live through 50 degree days. So that’s nice. Also, leaving your mark behind in the form of art is really beautiful and important. You don’t remember businessmen, but you always remember artists and their art. Maybe [art] is just me wanting to live forever.” CAMP COPE are launching their debut LP at the John Curtin Hotel on Friday May 13. Camp Cope is out Friday April 22 via Poison City Records.
Emma [Anderson, vocals/guitar] suggested we write new songs,” says King. “It was all quite effortless really. But because we’ve all got families and day jobs, it took quite a while to organise anything.” Blind Spot was co-produced by Danny Hunt of UK outfit Ladytron and British studio wiz Jim Abbiss (Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian). After spending one week in Abbiss’ studio, they came out with four songs that are undeniably Lush; dreamy guitars awash with reverberating vocal melodies and hazy pop undertones. “Emma wanted new songs rather than playing the old numbers and it being more of a revival thing,” King says. “All the reviews of it have been very positive. We picked up from where we left off really. And hopefully, you know, we will be planning an album at some point. I hope we make it to Australia at some point. We haven’t been there since 1992.” A photo researcher for Uncut magazine and a veteran of the British music press, King is well versed in the inner workings of the music industry. “I think the climate has changed a lot. I think in terms of music press, the press that’s around today is not as bitchy and negative. It could be quite flattering at times but also extremely vicious. It doesn’t seem to happen any more, thankfully. And also with the internet, you’ve got your audience right there. You’re in direct contact with fans. So the power of the press isn’t as overwhelming or as strong as it was, especially the English music press. At one point they could build you up and knock you down.” Reminiscing on the times of old, in particular the band’s visits to America, King recounts one of Lush’s most memorable on the road hiccups. “I think the only time we really got heckled was at the KROQ Weenie Roast in 1996. It was Kiss’ return show. We were on a revolving stage and The Fugees were on right before us. They went over the stipulated set time and were only halfway through Killing Me Softly – which reached number one on the charts – and the stagehands rotated the stage. We came out to resounding boos and a lot of unhappy punters.” LUSH’s Blindspot EP is out now through the band’s own label, Edamame Records.
THE SIGIT L A U G H,
C R Y
A N D
G O
C R A Z Y
B Y PAT R I C K E M E R Y
In 2007 Indonesian rock’n’roll band The SIGIT travelled to Australia to promote their debut album, Visible Idea of Perfection, which had been released on local label Caveman! Records. During their time in Australia, The SIGIT would share stages with bands such as the Beasts of Bourbon, Children Collide and Dallas Crane. Looking back on the tour, guitarist and vocalist Rekti Yoewono realises it taught them a lot about live performance and being in a rock’n’roll band generally. “It was a very mind opening experience because we were so clueless,” he says. “We didn’t know how to set up an amp properly, we didn’t know how to play the guitar properly I guess. We saw a lot of bands playing with them, and we learned a lot from them by seeing how to perform and how to put on a show.” The members of The SIGIT – Yoewono, lead guitarist Farri Icksan, bass player Adit Bagja, and drummer Acil Armando – met at high school in the city of Bandung, Indonesia, bonding over a common love of ‘70s rock’n’roll and contemporary punk rock. After getting together for some garage jam sessions, they saw a local band playing their own songs – a diversion from the covers acts commonly seen around the city – and realised it was time to make the quantum leap to writing their own music. The origin of the band’s acronymic name is cloudy. Even Yoewono isn’t exactly sure of the sequence of events that led to its conception. But at the root of it was his preference to have an Indonesian name, so he decided to use his father’s name, Sigit. The next part of the puzzle derives from the group’s desire to have a name that had a similar semantic style to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. “We kind of wanted to make a band name like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Rapid Eye Movement [REM], so we came up
THE BEARDS H A I R
T O D AY,
with the long name of S.I.G.I.T. – the Super Insurgent Group of Intemperance Talent,” Yoewono says. “That’s the whole idea of the name of the band having dots between the letters. But we don’t use it anymore because it’s too complicated, especially in Indonesia.” The SIGIT released their debut self-titled EP in 2004, followed by Visible Idea of Perfection in 2007. With rock’n’roll largely a niche market in Indonesia, they noticed a sharp difference in the way rock’n’roll is marketed and promoted in Australia. “There was a very big difference between the industry in Indonesia and the industry in Australia – it was vastly different,”
G O N E
T O M O R R O W
BY JOSEPH EARP
Some 11 years ago, Johann Beardraven played his first gig as the lead singer of The Beards. It was a support spot for a band led by a chap named Joel McMillan. So far, so average – playing warm-up duties is a rite of passage almost every band on the planet has gone through – except for one small detail: Beardraven and McMillan were the same person. “We were actually supporting ourselves,” Beardraven/McMillan says. “We had another band at the time and this was a gag. It was our other band’s CD launch. We kind of threw together this gag band, The Beards, as a bit of a laugh to support ourselves. We played the set, then went backstage, shaved, and then came back onstage and played the other gig. A lot of people didn’t realise we were both bands. A lot of people came up and said, ‘Who were those first guys?’ It was the most ridiculous idea that we’d come up with.” While conceived as a lark, The Beards have become a much more serious entity in the
years since. “It was just a bit of a gag, a bit of a joke, a goof, for our own amusement really,” McMillan admits. “Happily, we discovered there was a ferocious public appetite for songs about beards, so we were forced to play more than one gig.” Oddly enough, to describe the Australian public’s desire for beard-related content as ferocious might even be an understatement. The Beards are now an undeniable force – an award-winning band with one of the most devoted fan bases in the land. Over the course of their career, they’ve released five albums and a live DVD, giving birth to bristly hits like You Should Consider Having
Yoewono says. “That experience helped set out goals – we wanted to make our music industry listen to the kind of music that we play. We want to make this music heard nationally, because at that time we were new in Indonesia. So the first Australian tour made us more focused.” Apart from the release of a couple of EPs in 2009 and 2011, The SIGIT’s second album, Detourn, didn’t come until 2013. Yoewono isn’t entirely sure why it took so long to release a new album – though dissatisfaction with the quality and production of the songs they’d recorded played an important part. “Really, I don’t know why it took so long,” he laughs. “We’d focused on the purpose of the band, we’d taken time to learn how to write a song, how to play guitar and that sort of stuff, and we’d made a decision between making music and getting a real job – all that stuff came into the equation. And without realising it we spent six years coming up with a proper album.” As for The SIGIT’s live show, Yoewono hopes audiences will feel a mixture of emotions. “For me a good live show would be similar to seeing a good movie – you can laugh at one point, you can cry at one point and you can get very excited when you see action. I want to put on a good show where people can laugh, cry and go crazy.” THE SIGIT are playing at CherryRock016 on Sunday May 1, with Kadavar, Supersuckers, Mesa Cosa and more, at Cherry Bar and AC/DC Lane. They’re also joining You Am I at the Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday April 30.
Sex With A Bearded Man and Beard Related Song Number 38, all while inspiring equal amounts of adoration and bemusement. McMillan has enjoyed every minute of his time as The Beards’ hairy frontman. However, after rising to the top of the beard-related novelty genre, McMillan and co. have decided to bring the project to its close. “It was hard [to end the band],” says McMillan. “We’ve been touring pretty heavily for a long time, and we knew we either needed that break or we needed to go out with a bang. It’s going to be a little bit sad, but we will certainly be keeping the band together as a core entity. We’ll certainly be looking for other ways to spread our pro-beard message. So that might mean releasing more material down the track, but the touring stuff is done… at least that side of it.” The Beards’ farewell tour sees them bringing love and facial hair to venues in a vast number of capital cities and rural outposts. Although the tour is still in its early stages, by the time it’s all done and dusted the band will have visited more than 50 locations across the country. But despite the melancholic nature of the tour, McMillan admits that the full significance of the farewell shows hasn’t hit him yet. “It’s not as [sad] as I maybe though it would be, but I do think it will get there. So far it’s been fine – pretty cruisey at the moment. Just a few festivals, a few headline shows. We played [South Australia’s Blenheimfest] in the Clare Valley recently and we got to sleep in our own beds afterwards, which is a rare treat on tour.” The guiding principle behind this tour was simple – to give back to the people who have shown so much love for the group over so many years. “We’ve been lucky to just build up followers over a time,” McMillan says. “We have a really loyal fan base. And I guess this last tour is a way of getting out there and saying thank you, and having one last beard party before we call it a day.” THE BEARDS are playing at the Corner Hotel on Saturday June 25 and Sunday June 26. W W W. B E AT.C O M . A U
GAY PARIS C H E R R Y
P O P P I N ’
D A D D I E S
B Y D AV I D J A M E S Y O U N G
Adam Simpson, Dean Podmore, Lachlan Marks and Luke Monks are four everyday 30-somethings from Sydney. They shuffle about various day jobs, have longtime partners and there’s even a baby in the mix. When these gentlemen clock off, however, they prowl onto the nearest stage and become drummer Six Guns, bassist Slim Pickins, guitarist Ol’ Black Tooth and vocalist Wailin’ H, respectively. It’s here that they become Gay Paris, the party-trashing rock’n’roll troupe that have cemented one of the best live reputations in the country. “I’m jealous of him,” says Monks, when speaking of his alter-ego, Wailin’ H. “I think that if he had to do all the boring shit that I have to do, he wouldn’t be nearly as cool or energetic. He gets to have all the fun – he’s up there, prancing around, and here I am planning my next night of playing Dungeons & Dragons. I just ran into Drew [Gardner] from Totally Unicorn before, and it really hit me how boring I am. I’m not a skydiving adventure hero like he is. I think not playing shows for a while has kind of driven that home – I need to get that spirit back.” It may have been a while since Gay Paris’ last on the road outing, but the break was well deserved. On the back of their third album, Ladies and Gentlemen, May We Present to You The Dark Arts, Gay Paris toured non-stop for four months, taking their big riffs and hip-swinging stage presence everywhere from Ballarat to Brisbane. By the time the tour ended in Launceston last December, Monks was in a very conflicted place – he simultaneously wanted to start making more music and to never make music again. “I remember we were on the way there in the van,” Monks says. “I had a snap – a breakdown of sorts – while we were driving along. I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I was having a crisis. We had a meeting a couple of months after the tour ended, and I told them that I could still continue on, but I just needed there to be less touring. Then, as soon as that meeting ended, I went home and I started writing songs on my keyboard. It’s unbelievable – I was the one insisting that we spend less time together, and now I’m the one harassing the others to free up their schedule so we can head over to Troy Horse and rehearse. You just never know what you want when it comes to being in a band.” Monks’ keyboard sketches signal the inception of the fourth Gay Paris album. Monks has been sending the music written on his own to Marks, Podmore and Simpson for them to do with as they please. “Because I’m writing music on keyboards,” says Monks, “a lot of the songs originally sound like these cold, dark new-wave songs. Then I’ll play them to the guys and we just
become a rock’n’roll band again. It’s a very interesting transition.” In the past, a lot of Monks’ lyrics have revolved around a series of fantastical characters and beasts – particularly on their 2011 debut, The Skeleton’s Problematic Granddaughter. However, he doesn’t think there will be a well wrought conclusion to this narrative anytime soon. “I’m just at the stage of scrap lyrics at this point,” he says. “It all seems to be about something new. I’ve dealt with art ironically on the first record, salvation on the second, social justice on the third. I don’t know what this could be. It might end up being more about social justice. “I’m less writing a cohesive story and more writing about what happens to someone through a non-linear storyline. I have this character, Alexandra, and I have no idea what fate holds for them yet. Of course, by the time we finish this album, it could have wound up being something else entirely. I’m just interested in writing songs right now, and seeing where we can take them.” Having played just one show so far this year, the Rock N Load festival at the Corner Hotel in January, Gay Paris are set to return to Melbourne to perform at CherryRock016 – an event they’ve taken part in many times before. “It looks like we only care about Melbourne at the moment,” says Monks. “We can’t help it, though. It’s just so nice down there. They always take care of us, and they always bring the party.” That leads to the inevitable line of questioning: who brings the party the most in Gay Paris? “It’d have to be Dean, surely. He’s such a happy boy. He does pretty much all the partying in the band – he’s the one carrying the most weight as far as that’s concerned. Lachlan purely parties when he is contractually obliged. He’s probably having a beer right now and passing it off as work. Simmo has a kid to take care of, but who knows? Maybe that kid will grow up to have an interest in faux-Satanic metal and we can guide it.” GAY PARIS are playing at CherryRock016 on Sunday May 1, with Kadavar, Supersuckers, Mesa Cosa and more, at Cherry Bar and AC/DC Lane. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 27
CORE
PUNK, SKA, HARDCORE NEWS, REVIEWS & GOSSIP with JOE HANSEN joesamhansen@gmail.com
CRUNCH
Grim Rhythm are a sick band you need to be listening to. It’s three members of Poison City signees Apart From This (who’re currently performing under the new name Worm) jamming all kinds of sick riffs and heavy grooves. They’ve been playing every Saturday evening this month at The Tote front bar, delivering the goods with bitchin’ guitar solos, out of control drum solos and riff mastery that puts Matt Pike to shame. This band is the real deal and they’re playing circles around everybody on Melbourne stages right now. Grim Rhythm plays The Tote next Saturday April 23 with Cosmic Kahuna in a late afternoon show in the front bar. Canberran politically charged rockers Hoodlum Shouts have announced a new album entitled Heat Island. Their first since 2012’s Young Man, Old Man, the album is due to be released on Friday May 20 via Poison City Records. The band have also announced an accompanying national tour,
DIMMU BORGIR EXTEND NUCLEAR BLAST PARTNERSHIP
Norwegian symphonic black metal giants Dimmu Borgir have signed a new contract with Nuclear Blast Records. “We wish METAL, HEAVY ROCK. CLASSIC to inform you that Dimmu Borgir and ROCK LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL Nuclear Blast once again put pen to paper, acknowledging the past, present and GOOD SHIT future by opening another chapter in the with PETER HODGSON history of extreme music,” the band said. crunchcolumn@gmail.com “Stay tuned and watch this space for more updates on the new album and the Forces of The Northern Night live DVD/Blu-ray release as it becomes available.” Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger says, “We at Nuclear Blast are super happy to extend AXL JOINS AC/DC… FOR the cooperation with our good friends in Dimmu Borgir. The future holds amazing NOW Axl Rose will be singing for AC/DC on the opportunities and projects to be worked on remainder of the Rock Or Bust world tour. together.” A lot of folks are uncomfortable with the way Brian Johnson was let go, but Guns ELECTRIC MARY AT MEMO N’ Roses played Whole Lotta Rosie and Melbourne rockers Electric Mary make Riff Raff with Angus Young at Coachella their way to Memo Music Hall for the first on the weekend, and Axl sounded pretty time on Friday April 29 with guests Palace badarse. However, there’s no indication Of The King (Doors at 7.30pm, tickets that Axl will continue singing for AC/DC $18 advance or $20 at the door). Electric beyond the last Rock Or Bust shows, so what Mary have shared the stage with a who’s will Young and co. do next? Word is that who of classic rock’s big guns. Whitesnake he wants to keep AC/DC going for as long took them on the road, Judas Priest asked as he can. Would you like to see another them to support, Deep Purple had them singer in AC/DC, or do you think it’s time in stadiums, and KISS, Alice Cooper for Young to do a David Gilmour and hit and Motorhead followed. Ten years, four the road under his own name? He’s enough albums, three EPs, American and European of an icon that he could pull it off. tours, broken teeth, broken bones and
playing Melbourne at The John Curtin on Saturday May 21 Melbourne melodic punk rockers Pitt the Elder have announced the release of their second album Radio Silence, due out this May via Arrest Records. The band have also released a stream of preview single Tired Eyes, available on their Facebook and Bandcamp pages. Melbourne’s Bad Vision have announced the release and launch of their second full length, Turn Out Your Sockets. Following their 2013 self-titled LP, the album is to be released on Friday May 6 with a launch show at The Old Bar on Friday June 3 with support from Camp Cope and Cable Ties Following the introduction of a new law in North Carolina requiring transgender people to use restrooms of their “matching biological sex”, known as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, many broken records. 2016 sees the release of a brand new record Live at Helldorado.
MASSIVE ALBUM OUT THIS WEEK
Melbourne hard rockers Massive will release their new album Destination Somewhere on Friday April 22 and are hitting the road with The Screaming Jets in May. The album launch is on Saturday April 23 at The Evelyn Hotel, and they’ll be at Hallam Hotel on Friday May 6 and the Corner Hotel on Saturday May 7 with the Jets.
THE CHARGE AND SUICIETY AT THE REVERENCE
It’s going to be a massive night of guitar fuelled rock at The Reverence Hotel on Friday May 6 as The Charge and Suiciety head up a lineup along with Red Sky Burial and The Hidden Venture. It kicks off at 8pm, entry is $12.
MELODICROCKFEST
Don’t miss MelodicRockFest at The Elephant & Wheelbarrow in St Kilda on Friday May 13 and Saturday May 14. International Headline acts Eclipse (Sweden), Paul Laine (Canada, ex-Danger Danger) and Mitch Malloy (USA) will be joined by Australia’s brightest rock talent, including BB Steal, Black Majesty, Vanishing Point, newcomers Kaato and The Radio Sun. Tickets via
musicians such as Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr have protested by cancelling shows in the state. However, Florida’s Against Me! have decided to keep a show they have booked in Durham NC, with transgender singer Laura Jane Grace explaining in a Twitter post that, “It was suggested to me in an interview that we might cancel our May 15th show in Durham, NC because of the states HB2 bill. Hell no! I’m even more eager to play North Carolina ‘cause of the bill! Let me know if there’s any activist groups that can come table the show.” Russian beer brewery Zagovor have announced the release of an official Leftöver Crack themed beer. According to the brewery’s website, the beer is a “pumpkin stout called Leftöver Cracker. The brew is black like black metal, solid like pumpkin and supported by rocksteady beat of pastry experiments.”
melodicrockfest.com. Friday tickets are $35, Saturday tickets are $65 and a two-day ticket is $89. There’s also a VIP weekend pass for $225, which includes VIP entry, meet and greet/soundcheck with all artists, exclusive access to the VIP/green room area during the event, VIP laminate and exclusive acoustic performance by Erik Gronwall.
PURROXIDE AT MR BOGGIE MAN
Purroxide will be delivering a dose of cool rock and grunge on Sunday April 23 at Mr Boogie Man Bar at 5pm.
NEW HATEBREED ALBUM ON THE WAY
Hatebreed’s crushing new album The Concrete Confessional hits the streets on Friday May 13 via Nuclear Blast. Frontman Jamey Jasta says, “The title had to be something that was heavy and hard, but also vulnerable and honest. Heavy music is this cleansing, therapeutic, and cathartic experience for so many. You’re there, the guitars are crushing you, and someone’s screaming their head off – sharing their pain and aspects of their life through words, poetry, or songs. There’s nothing like it. You confess you have negative thoughts, and you purge them. For however long you’re at the show, there are no bills to pay, issues to deal with, or problems holding you back. You can be free.”
GIGS
WEDNESDAY APRIL 20
MONEY FOR ROPE, MOTHER GURU, SWAMP at The Old Bar THE STRANGLERS, EL MARIACHI at Corner Hotel VALENTIINE at Cherry Bar
THURSDAY APRIL 21
TERRY, WHIPPER, TOMMY T AND THE CLASSICAL MISHAPS, MOON RITUALS at The Reverence Hotel JURASSIC NARK, BRAD POT, GEE SEAS, GONZO at Yah Yah’s
FRIDAY APRIL 22
BLIND MAN DEATH STARE, TOPNOVIL, STRAWBERRY FISTCAKE, THE FCKUPS at The Bendigo Hotel ANGRY SEAS, SUNDR, MAGGOT MEN, STARTING FIRES at Last Chance Rock N Roll Bar (formerly Public Bar) HEAD LIKE A HOLE, SEEDY JEEZUS, KILL DIRTY YOUTH, LOGIC DEFIES LOGIC at St Kilda Bowlo HEADLESS DEATH, THE ENFORCED, METER MEN at The Tote COSMIC KAHUNA, JERKBEAST, UNCLE GEEZER, THE POLYGAMISTS at The Brunswick Hotel PAGAN, OUTRIGHT, YLVA, LOVE MESS, SASKATCHEWAN at The Tote COSMIC PSYCHOS, KILLER BIRDS, COWSMUFF at Sooki Lounge
SATURDAY APRIL 23
HEAD LIKE A HOLE, SEEDY JEEZUS, VALENTIINE, COFFIN WOLF at The Tote REBIRTH, COLLOSVS, COLD GROUND, LOVE MESS, LIFE DEBT, HOMEGROUND at Reverence Hotel THE PARNELLS, RATHEAD, SPACEJUNK at Last Chance Rock N Roll Bar GROTTO, TACTICAL ATTACK, NO CLASS, SISTEMA EN DECADENCIA at The Footscray Hotel COFFIN WOLF, TANKERVILLE, GREEN TIN at The Bendigo Hotel GRIM RHYTHM, COSMIC KAHUNA at The Tote DON FERNANDO, MEATBEATERS, SHERIFF, SPACEJUNK, SUN GOD REPLICA at Cherry Bar
SUNDAY APRIL 24
COSMIC PSYCHOS, CLOWNS, FLOUR, SHIT SEX at The Reverence Hotel I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN, VOID OF VISION, DANGER! EARTHQUAKE!, ALONG SHORELINES, DEATH IN BLOOM at Plastic DIPLOID, LOVE MESS, REMOVALIST, SICK MACHINE, SOULLESS at The Bendigo Hotel DRUNK MUMS at Yah Yah’s THE GO SET, THE 131’S, HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS, JAY WARS AND THE HOWARD YOUTH, CROOKED FACE, SONS OF LEE MARVIN at The Tote THE RESIGNATORS, BEACONS, THE SCAPEGOATS at Last Chance Rock N Roll Bar
MILLENCOLIN THE HEART OF THE MATTER BY AARON STREATFEILD
Scratching a seven-year itch, Swedish skate punk outfit Millencolin emerged from their hometown studio last year clutching their eighth LP, True Brew. It’s a record that saw the band return to their So Cal-influenced roots in lieu of the experimental flourishes of 2008’s Machine 15. Charged by social commentary, politics and a love for Bad Religion, True Brew marks a return to form for Millencolin. Beat speaks to bassist and vocalist Nikola Šarčević about the lessons learnt from previous releases and why the band opted for self-production this time around. “The ideas of what we wanted [True Brew] to sound like, those ideas came right after we finished the album Machine 15,” he says. “Even before we released Machine 15, I said to Mathias [Färm, guitar], ‘The next album, we’re just going to have 12 songs, and they are going to be Bad Religion songs.’ “For me, I guess every album you do is sort of a reaction to what you have done before it. And we just felt like with Machine 15 we didn’t take our sound as far as we could have. With True Brew, we wanted to go back to where we started and dig a little deeper. It wasn’t a conscious decision to go back to our roots. We just felt like we needed to just make a Bad Religion album. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 28
But for me it was just a reaction to the previous album.” While a major departure from its predecessor, True Brew is by no means a reinvention of the wheel. The album clings closely to Millencolin’s signature sound, with bountiful sing-along choruses and punk rock abandon. It’s a re-ignition of the fire that burned bright in the band’s beginning years in the early-1990s. It’s the best studio sound the band has achieved to date, an especial feat considering the band took production into their own hands. As with Machine 15, the band worked out of their very own Soundlab Studios before sending the record off to famed metal
producer Jens Bogren for mixing. “On previous albums we wanted a producer to come in and do miraculous things, like come up with genius ideas for vocal harmonies or other ways to sing a song,” Šarčević says. “This time we thought, ‘Why not do it ourselves?’ With all the experience we have from recording albums together, and the experience Mathias has as a producer and working with the Soundlab studio, we didn’t see any reasons as to why we would pay a lot of money for something we can do ourselves. For the first three albums we were all living in our hometown. We were rehearsing and jamming on the songs regularly in the same room and that’s how the songs would develop. With True Brew, no one was ever in the same room at any one time.” Traditionally, Millencolin’s songs have been a collaborative effort, with Šarčević and Färm bringing in song sketches to complete with the rest of the band. For True Brew however, Šarčević crafted would-be songs on acoustic guitar, sending the early incarnations to Färm to work on further in the studio. B E AT.C O M . A U
“I sent over a demo to him with like 17 songs with just acoustic guitar and vocals. He added another two songs, and we then boiled the lot down to 15 tracks we were happy with.” Färm spent the next six months developing the demos in the studio, creating prototypes for what would end up on True Brew. Once completed, the remaining members individually tracked their parts in the studio. The result is 12 punk rock bangers, with little time spared for filler. Social commentary makes up the bulk of the lyrical content. In particular, comments on the increase in political opinions online and the recent political climate in the band’s homeland and around the world. “Usually the lyrics are the last thing I write, but during the time of writing these songs, we had the elections here in Sweden. I was inspired by things I saw on news, and on social media among people I know. With Facebook and social media, everyone is expressing so many opinions. There is this pressure for people to have an opinion on everything. Before you really didn’t [before], people were just living, now everyone has an
opinion online. Some of those opinions got me inspired to write some of those songs. Before I was writing about things going on in my head and what I was doing, and now it’s less about what I am thinking and more about how a community is thinking and working together as a society. And I think that is the reason this album is more political, because I’m talking more about society than my own mental state.” The Swedish foursome will be back on Australian soil this month, which marks the beginning of the True Brew world tour. Over the years, Millencolin have been regular visitors to the antipodes, so Šarčević knows what to expect. “You have to do a lot of training to look good on the beach. We’re not 20 years old anymore, so staying in good physical shape is a big part of it. Being on tour it’s very easy to gain weight and on stage you want to be as light as possible.” MILLENCOLIN are playing at 170 Russell on Monday May 2 and Tuesday May 3 (sold out). True Brew is out now via Epitaph.
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DAUGHTER 170 RUSSELL
MONDAY APRIL 11
THE SUGARCANES THE TOTE
FRIDAY APRIL 15
There’s no better place to be on a Friday night than at your local, listening to some of the best sounds the city has to offer. On the eve of Record Store Day, I found myself at The Tote to see the infectious groove machine that is The Sugarcanes. It was a big night for the self-described “rock n soul quintet”, who premiered their debut self-titled LP to an eager crowd. To say that this album was highly anticipated is almost an understatement, with the band easily selling out the modest capacity venue. It’s another big milestone for the Melbourne band, who’ve already climbed the ranks of the local music scene
DERADOORIAN NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA FRIDAY APRIL 15
To follow an exhibition featuring two paradigm-shifting artists is no easy task. As a result, the live music portion of NGV Friday Nights often threatens to be underwhelming. And yet, so well curated is the program that the performers don’t just manage to soar in their own right, but also complement the Warhol | Weiwei pieces on view in the next room. Deradoorian is the project of former Dirty Projectors instrumentalist and vocalist Angel Deradoorian, who performs live with her sister Arlene. Despite being a two-person set-up, they faced no difficulty regenerating the range of textures heard on Deradoorian’s debut full length, The Expanding Flower Planet. It’s a diverse record, containing elements of experimental art pop, droning krautrock, ‘60s psych and a touch of post punk grit. One’s inclined to describe Deradoorian’s vocals as the major drawcard, but the arrangements are so finely assembled that the instrumentation
HIDEOUS SUN DEMON
GRACE DARLING BASEMENT SATURDAY APRIL 16
Downstairs at the Grace Darling Hotel, Dead Heir are bathing the audience in a lush psychedelic wash; a little bit Jefferson Airplane in the fall after the summer of love, a splash of Hollow Everdaze on a dark Melbourne night. There’s some good riffs buried beneath the synesthetic surface, and everything is good in the world (at least the distorted sub-stratum of the world that can be found in the Grace Darling basement). As the world continues its decline into paranoia and hatred, at least there are bands like Dead Heir to give us something to smile about. The set over, the crowd filters out to imbibe the blend of industrial pollutant and tobacco smoke that passes for fresh air. 20 minutes later and Danny Kransky
through persistent touring including a national support run with triple j favourites The Smith Street Band. If you aren’t already familiar with The Sugarcanes, their soulful tunes will make you put down your pint, get on your feet and move around the dance floor like it’s a scene from Grease. With the room filled to the brim, The Sugarcanes arrived onstage to a vivacious reception. Lead by the blissful voice of Lucy Wilson, the five-piece immediately broke into their first catchy number that had everyone dancing within a matter of seconds. The set covered all bases, from upbeat riffs with gospel choruses, like opening track Testify, to the smooth, slow and sultry melody in new single Never Call. Emotions
were swirling as their songs took you on a journey to a past era, reminiscent of the golden age of soul. Siblings combined to great effect in Lucifer, a song driven by the catchiest of bass hooks from Jack Wilson, teamed with the powerful vocals of Lucy. Tonight’s show proved that soul music is alive and thriving, with The Sugarcanes leading the much-appreciated resurgence. Their live show did justice to their debut LP, showcasing the band’s songwriting talents and ability to nail a catchy tune.
doesn’t just idle in the background. They opened with the record’s title track; Arlene playing the lurching percussion motif on floor tom and snare, while Angel played bass guitar and sang lead vocals. It was the set’s barest number, but there was no sense of anything lacking. This was largely down to the way they used their voices. Across The Expanding Flower Planet, Angel displays her capacity to shift from a prowling low register into passages of non-linear high notes, recalling her work in Dirty Projectors as well as the eruptive propensity of vocalists like Bjork. Arlene wasn’t fazed in matching these seemingly impulsive high jolts, and it was a pleasure to watch two people sing in such unerring unison. We heard a good chunk of The Expanding Flower Planet. For a number of songs Angel pointed her vocal microphone towards Arlene in order to create a simple drum loop. This allowed Arlene to add extra percussive elements such as cabasa, egg shaker and tambourine, while also being able to focus on her vocals. Angel moved between bass and a pair of synthesisers, and they didn’t break a sweat while covering the multi-genre spectrum of The Expanding Flower Planet. The whole show had an air of ease, almost nonchalance, despite the fact they were working hard to
ensure the songs had everything they needed. In this way it was reflective of the artworks on display next door. There was an inviting immediacy to everything that occurred onstage, but it was clearly the product of much hard work and visionary focus.
is rapping and venting onstage, his backing band weaving their way through funk, rock, soul and garage psych. Kransky’s tirade against misappropriation of public funds (“don’t fuck with taxpayers’ money”) is more angry than eloquent, and the crowd laps it up in rhetorical spades. Smoke weed and listen to Sabbath, comes a later exhortation, part statement of defiance, part pop-philosophical proposition. There’s more than a bit intriguing about Kransky: the scathing social commentary of hip hop, complemented by the slick groove of early ‘70s rock. Hideous Sun Demon are playing their third Melbourne gig of the day, but apart from a couple of broken strings there’s no sign of fatigue. It’s a set of elasticised freak out events that fry your brain into a perfect cognitive state. There’s some scuzzy Pacific Northwest garage, some lumbering stoner rock riffs, punctuated with psychedelic punk sensibility. It’s infectious, and the crowd is grinding with the adolescent excitement of Liverpool in 1964, the countercultural defiance of Detroit in 1967, the punk insolence of Los Angeles in 1979
and the bent psychedelic rock attitude intrinsic to San Francisco. These guys are from Perth, and you sense James Baker, the patron saint of Australian punk rock, has had a subliminal hand somewhere in Hideous Sun Demon’s gestation. The band says it’s got time for two more songs, and the crowd bays for three, four or maybe even the whole set all over again, like a group of lost souls desperate to hear the sermon on perpetual repeat. But all good things come to an end, and we surrender to reality. It doesn’t matter how shit the world is: there’s always good rock’n’roll, and tonight was seriously fucking good.
It takes a fair bit of peer pressure to get me into a CBD nightclub on a Monday night, but the lure of guaranteed sadness through the power of song was enough to bring me to 170 Russell for one of Daughter’s only Australian shows. And they didn’t disappoint – the sadder I got, the happier I became. I nestled in at the brink of the dancefloor and watched Fractures, the Melburnian support act joining Daughter for their two performances across the country. Main man Mark Zito was supported by an effortless two-piece band, cruising through a set of dark, textured music. The set ended dramatically; basically all shredding at maximum in the most controlled, subdued crescendo I’ve ever heard. With only two releases under their belt, London’s Daughter still drew a diverse crowd, all of whom eagerly awaited the headliners. Their debut album won the UK Independent Album of the Year, and the follow up, Not To Disappear, was released in January to equally rave reviews. Creeping shyly onto stage, frontwoman Elena Tonra slid straight into Youth, a beautiful guitar-driven single from their first album. Infectious drums lifted the song and everyone’s eyes eventually unlocked after
LOVED: The drummer. HATED: Getting overcharged for drinks. DRANK: Carlton Draught mate.
METHYL ETHEL
BY MICHAEL EDNEY
THURSDAY APRIL 14
LOVED: Being within touching distance of the stage. HATED: The non-atmospheric lighting. DRANK: Campbell’s soup. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Photo by Lee Easton
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
I don’t get Jaala, an up-and-coming prog blues outfit fronted by a pink-haired Joplin wannabe named Cosima. They’re a wilfully difficult sort of band – “experimental” – and I have zero patience for it. If Jaala are a quintessential underground act, Methyl Ethel are model export material. They open their headline set with an epic INXS-worthy guitar jam, standing with their backs to the audience. Out of the gate, their sound is spectral and sprawling; a three-piece band standing in a hall of mirrors, expanded and duplicated by a raft of effects pedals. The sound is thick with ’80s nostalgia, even the lyrics. “I run to you,” Jake Webb sings, “What can I do?” His voice is the defining thread of their music, straining and breaking over the microphone, riddled with anxiety. This is the last of three sold out shows Methyl Ethel have played at the Northcote Social Club this week, as the buzz around the Perth band continues to grow. A row of young girls behind me lets off a collective squeal of joy when the band begins the climbing/falling notes of Rogues, the lead single from their critically acclaimed debut, Oh Inhuman Spectacle. One of the girl sighs audibly as Webb croons the word
becoming mesmerised by the lead singer. Her two official band mates, plus a can-playevery-instrument support musician, joined Tonra. Each member was equally mesmerising in their own way. While they claimed to be a “sad band”, and called any song with a slightly quicker tempo “the happy song”, they weren’t lacking in energy. Drummer Remi Aguilella was a blur of subtle, driving percussion, with very little in the way of facial expressions. Guitarist Igor Haefeli filled the gaps between the delicate finger picking and howling guitar work. Between songs, Haefeli served as spokesperson, and it became clear the lead singer, whose powerful, articulate voice backboned the entire performance, was the shyest person on the face of the planet. A personal favourite, Alone / With You, began with roaring approval from the now sweaty, yet serenely still crowd. Half of the audience had their eyes closed, the other half involuntarily swaying around with the sniffles. After a set of tearing emotion, one supposedly happy song and a lot of swooning, Daughter left us feeling gooey, and departed with a barely audible “thank you”. LOVED: A downlight in the crowd reflecting perfectly off a bald man’s head. HATED: A downlight in the crowd reflecting perfectly off a bald man’s head. DRANK: a VB, a straight whisky and a water – all at once. BY JAKE MCGOVERN “aliens”, at least partially infatuated with the Methyl Ethel frontman. She continues her gurgling appreciation as the band moves on to Architecture Lecture. Hearing how much these kids love this band, it’s like watching Methyl Ethel break in slow motion, on a wave of triple j airplay and SXSW hype. Not that they aren’t worthy. They are very worthy. Their slacker psych has these huge dynamic shifts, from proggy instrumental pieces to slapping funk worthy of Franz Ferdinand to dissonant crescendos reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange. It’s a wild synthesis of influences. But sometimes, because they are so slick and polished and commercially viable, they also sound like Muse. Whether this is a compliment or a criticism depends on your view of Muse, I guess. The set peaks with Twilight Driving and the room straightens up and lets out a sustained run of whoops and cheers. It’s a great tune, ’roos and all. But the real highlight of the show is when Jack Doepel comes out to play the sax solo. The band is excellent, but this guy is truly incredible, like knock-yoursocks-off talented. I didn’t realise it, but I’d been hunting for that rush of excitement all night. Who knew a sax solo would deliver. LOVED: Jack Doepel, five stars. HATED: The support act. DRANK: Water. BY SIMONE UBALDI
LOVED: Hideous Sun Demon. See them any time you have the chance. HATED: The footy the night before, but that wasn’t anyone’s fault tonight. DRANK: Cans of Hammer and Tongs for the princely sum of $5. BY PATRICK EMERY
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A L B U M
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Top Tens HEARTLAND RECORDS TOP TEN 1. Hope Six Demolition Project LP PJ HARVEY 2. Meds LP PLACEBO 3. Live In Japan 2LP PRIMAL SCREAM 4. Rant In E-Minor 2LP BILL HICKS 5. Bacteria Cult LP KAADA/PATTON 6. Next Position Please LP CHEAP TRICK 7. And The Ambulance Died In His Arms 2LP COIL 8. Three Men And A Baby LP MIKE & THE MELVINS 9. Perdition City LP ULVER 10. Ghostlights CD/LP AVANTASIA
PBS TOP TEN 1. Love Streams TIM HECKER 2. Azel BOMBINO 3. Still Life DEEP HEAT 4. #N/A NISENNENMONDAI 5. Big Bad Good MY BUBBA 6. Xenophobe BOOKWORMS 7. Dream States MAJOR LEAGUES 8. The Diary J DILLA 9. Phantamonium HOTEL WRECKING CITY TRADERS 10. Still Life of Citrus and Slime CFM
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD Nonagon Infinity (Flightless/Remote Control)
The clue to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s latest album lies in the title. A nonagon is a nine-sided polygon, the likes of which are rarely seen outside the pages of maths text books and Dungeons & Dragons game boards; an infinity is the abstract concept invented by mathematicians to solve apparently insoluble equations, and generally understood to mean a perpetual quantitative increase or decrease. There are nine apparent songs on Nonagon Infinity, but in typical Gizzard-styled rubbery reality, this record is a trip – a wild, freaked out excursion into the sonic ether and back again, where time and space coalesce into a dynamic, poly-dimensional form. It starts like a star shooting into space. Robot Stop is all freakish electronic noise and rhythm, some almost indecipherable robotic vocal refrains, explosions of colour and movement, punctuated with dangerously simplistic melodic refrains. With no time to breathe, it’s onto Big Fig Wasp, and Gizzard are out of deep space and into the heart of the jungle, staring at insects so freakish they’d send a strung-out William Burroughs into cognitive paroxysms. The mood calms, ever so slightly, and the scene crystallises; you can hear pictures, see sounds and feel every sonic contour ebbing and flowing. Then it’s into the Gamma Knife and it’s orderly chaos. There’s a vague hint of Wings’ Live and Let Die in there somewhere, or maybe that’s just allegory for where you might end up if you can’t get off the trip.
People-Vultures provides brief respite, followed by immersion back in Gizzard’s weird and wonderful slice of time and space. There’s a little bit of The Who and The Kinks loitering in the background of Mr Beat. Bizarrely, the Sparks-like moment morphs into a pop song, all bent melodies and sugary vocals. And then hold on, because the freak rollercoaster is off with mad abandon in Evil Death Roll. You’re wrestled from what remains of your cerebral comfort zone, and thrust by a speeding Hawkwind lick into a chaotic sonic landscape. You grab hold of what seems like a familiar melody and find yourself edging toward the jaunty Invisible Face. Yet, all of a sudden we’re on a jazzish Stranglers trip, the kind Gizzard eventually wound up when it went on its Quarters! quadratic escapade. And then, inexplicably, it’s into an electronic pop stoner trip that leads to the breathless excitement of Wah Wah. You roll with the moment, and then you fall into Road Train and it’s a black leather-clad journey into the outer realms of ‘70s rock that only Gizzard know exist. The Zen moment is always going to come, and there it is, a familiar riff that’s carried you so far already, as comforting as it may have once seemed confronting. And then it’s all over, a cliff face finish that leaves you wondering what to do next. The answer is obvious: turn it over, and start again. It’s an infinite trip. BY PATRICK EMERY
SINGLE REVIEWS WITH LACHLAN
Little known fact: Johnny Depp’s apology video was directed by Tim Burton in his most understated work yet. STONEFIELD Stranger (Wunderkind) Emerging from a mire of middling corporate rock, Stonefield continue in the right direction with Stranger, playing to their strengths while coming into their own. Nothing resolutely remarkable, but you could go a lot worse when it comes to current Oz rock. BRAILLE FACE Glow (Spirit Level) There’s a rich movement amongst Australia’s promising crop of electronic producers in embracing
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emotion as a tool, but each artist seems to be doing so in a unique way. Braille Face delves into the intricate on Glow, which possesses an ambience to befit its title. The vocal work is spot on, dynamic without being showy. An aural treat. CONTRAST Livewire (Independent) There’s something direct in the delivery of Livewire, cutting through in places shoegaze doesn’t usually cut through, annunciating and augmenting, pushing everything in the right direction.
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The “doo-do-do” refrain seems like sardonic resignation, compounding ambiguity through apathy. First taste of an upcoming debut fulllength from the Melbourne crew. THE TEMPER TRAP Fall Together (Liberation) God, this is a clunker. The ‘80s echo arpeggio works, everything else is grating. The theatrical falsetto would be ridiculous in The Darkness, here it’s fucked. The chorus thuds like a rancid eggplant emoji. The last single worked as sync-bait, this just doesn’t work.
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MITSKI Your Best American Girl (Dead Oceans) This is something special. There’s power in restraint, if you listen close, and there’s power in release, even if you’re not listening close. There’s an uncanny moment of blindside when the song really hits you, and you’ll feel the residual impact, if not the immediate impact. Mitski punctuates with chugging downstrokes, soars with a feather of tremolo in voice. The seeds are planted, now watch it grow. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 30
HOW SICK IS MUSIC? HEAPS WICKED
SYN TOP TEN 1. The Noise CASTLECOMER 2. Something From Nothing GRMM 3. Vodka Ocean LOST WOODS 4. Oh, Oh, Oh MATT CORBY 5. Life Is Long Slow Down THE MEETING TREE 6. Gone With The Wind ARCHITECTS 7. Fill In The Blank CAR SEAT HEADREST 8. Like The Wind FERAL LOVE 9. Show Me KRISTIN KONTROL 10. Good Mourning, America LETLIVE.
RECORD PARADISE TOP TEN 1. Feelin Kinda Free THE DRONES 2. The Hope Six Demolition Project PJ HARVEY 3. Human Performance PARQUET COURTS 4. The Dirt And The Sky DANNY WALSH BANNED 5. Have You Heard? 7” BIG SMOKE 6. Kill It Yourself JESS RIBEIRO 7. I Think I’m Coming Down With Something 7” GENERAL MEN 8. Tyrannamen TYRANNAMEN 9. In Tongues ELLA HOOPER 10. 8 girls 7” TERRY
BEAT’S TOP TEN SONGS ABOUT SKA 1. Ska Sucks PROPAGANDHI 2. S.K.A. MEAT PUPPETS 3. Ska Jerk BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 4. Jamaica Ska BYRON LEE 5. Ska Killers THE TOASTERS 6. Beardsman Ska THE SKATALITES 7. Ska Diddy SLIGHTLY STOOPID 8. Bo Bo Ska Diddle Daddle NICK LOWE 9. This Is Ska BAD MANNERS 10. King Of Ska DESMOND DEKKER
BEA
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THE DANDY WARHOLS
M83
PITY SEX
DISTORTL AND (Dine Alone)
JUNK (Pod/Inertia)
WHITE HOT MOON (Cooking Vinyl)
The Dandy Warhols return with one of their more inspired and diverse records in recent years. 2012’s This Machine was a similarly solid offering, although mired by its lyrical focus on ageing gracefully as a band. It’s not a taboo topic, of course, but the frequent references made it feel that way. The results were sometimes endearing, sometimes shaky, but it was ultimately a little too conspicuous across the whole record. With Distortland the group have really hit their post-Capitol Records stride. They’ve confined the “I’m too old for this shit” sentiment to one song, and are evidently having fun with the rest of the album. Search Party opens the record with a droning jam that lulls just a little, but is sonically stimulating nonetheless. The record picks up pace with Catcher in The Rye. It’s a lovely pop song, evocative of the same Americana charm that permeated their early noughties repertoire. Elsewhere there’s bongos, bowed guitar, hand claps, great choruses (especially in Give) and plenty of tongue in cheek. BY NICHOLAS JOHNSON
As nostalgia continues to overwhelm every artistic medium, even the most forward-thinking musicians prove they are not immune. French awe-inspirers M83 are back with their first studio album in five years. Bandleader Anthony Gonzalez is joined by a few brand new musicians who make strong contributions to a record themed around old-fashioned TV shows. New vocalist Kaela Sinclair makes her presence known in the stunning ballad For The Kids, and Jordan Lawlor showcases his writing and singing chops in the groovy Walkway Blues. Junk’s borderline vaporwave sounds conjure the fuzzy idealism of ’80s television with great charm, but the buzz doesn’t last the runtime and never quite reaches the dazzling heights of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Still, the album certainly has those quintessential M83 moments – when the muffled soundtrack of The Wizard opens out into gorgeous, crystalline dream pop we’re reminded of the wonders the group can create. Junk is far from trash, but Gonzalez and co. have uncovered more captivating treasures in the past. This offering is best regarded as dessert – it’s groovy, gooey and sugary fun.
Pity Sex’s debut record is exactly the kind of limp, regrettable affair hinted at by their moniker. It’s the perfect example of first world problems writ large, all set to the kind of lo-fi guitar buzz a litany of bands perfected almost four decades ago. There is, after all, a difference between homage and straight rip-off. Such tracks as A Satisfactory World For Reasonable People and White Hot Moon come across like the work of a Dinosaur Jr. cover band that have forgotten J Mascis’ lyrics, and substituted them with their own whiny efforts. Elsewhere, uninspired references to Royal Trux rule the day, and the male/ female vocal exchanges on Nothing Rips Through Me are so humdrum they might have been more effective if sung by one person occasionally supping on helium. Worse still, Burden You confuses the self-effacing with the selfaggrandising, turning the track into an anthem for the kind of person who posts, “if you don’t love me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best”, nine times on their Facebook feed. White Hot Moon is the album pop-lovers have always imagined we musical hipsters like: a dull collection of choruses dressed up in difficulty, simply for the sake of it.
BY DAVID MOLLOY
BY JOSEPH EARP
STURGILL SIMPSON
MOGWAI
CAMP COPE
A SAILOR’S GUIDE TO EARTH (Atlantic/Warner)
ATOMIC (Rock Action Records)
CAMP COPE (Poison City Records)
Not since Refused’s The Shape Of Punk To Come has there been as prophetic an album title as Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds In Country Music. With his breakthrough second album, Simpson established himself as one of the genre’s most progressive minds, blending the grit of its traditional origins with psychedelia, blues and rock’n’roll. The best part? He’s far from finished. As thoroughly excellent as Metamodern was, Simpson has gone above and beyond on A Sailor’s Guide To Earth. The album begins in grandiose fashion with Welcome To Earth (Pollywog), brimming with Queen-sized vocal layers and triumphant horns surrounding Simpson’s quiet, intimate addressing of his newborn child. It’s an album with equal footing in both the past and the present. Brace For Impact (Live A Little) is an existential bar-room shuffle, while Nirvana’s In Bloom transforms from thudding screech into gentle lullaby. Through masterful production and an expansive array of sounds, Simpson has put together what can only be described as a game-changer. Metamodernity be damned – Sturgill Simpson has become the living embodiment of music that’s out leaving crop circles and dreaming of the great beyond. BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
Atomic is an original soundtrack album from the BBC documentary of the same name. Directed by Mark Cousins, the documentary uses archival footage to explore the dichotomy of both dread and promise offered by the nuclear age. It’s not Mogwai’s first documentary score – a memorable earlier example is 2006’s Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait – and it’s not the first time the soundtrack has doubled as a Mogwai album either. The album opens with a soft drone that sounds similar to a didgeridoo and the gentle plucking of guitar strings. Then, with the same majestic inexorability of a sunrise, the piece develops into a spectacular song called Ether. Scram continues the momentum of the prior track, but differentiates itself with a warbling synth effect that drags the music into a far more lateral sphere. This mode continues throughout the album, with all songs linked by an overarching texture, but differentiated by colour palette. Are You a Dancer is the only song that appears to be wholly driven by organic instruments, most prominently a violin that overlays clean guitar. This somewhat anomalous offering is reminiscent of post-rock contemporaries Godspeed You! Black Emperor. When comparing it to previous Mogwai albums, Atomic could loosely be seen as merging the intensely emotive character of The Hawk Is Howling (2008) with the clean tech-centricity of Rave Tapes (2014). BY DAN WATT
Camp Cope’s honesty is both unnerving and admirable. While the lyrics are at times deeply personal, the band also make important statements about issues in society. Themes on the album range from the conflicting sense of responsibility we feel towards people in need, to the problematic nature of victim blaming. That all this can come from the one release is pretty incredible. You may recognise some of the songs on Camp Cope from lead singer Georgia Maq’s solo project. These songs have been re-worked from their acoustic beginnings and truly come to life accompanied by a full band. Flesh and Electricity details Maq’s experience working as a nurse, while both West Side Story and Lost (Season One) chronicle the heartache that comes with being separated from the ones you love. Maq’s vocals are heart wrenching and earnest, but rather than overshadowing the music they complement the band’s raw instrumentation. While tracks vary in their aggression and pace, even the slower numbers carry a significant amount of power. Standout track Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams is an unflinchingly realistic account of the struggles many women face. The song is direct in conveying its message that women have the right to feel safe and to be taken seriously. Album closer Song For Charlie is a touching tribute to a lost friend, with the lyric, “I still listen to your songs everyday”, a beautiful sentiment. There’s no room for obscure literary references or complicated metaphors on this album. Instead you get eight songs that document the trials and triumphs of everyday life set against the backdrop of Melbourne’s western suburbs. Camp Cope write and record music because they give a shit about what’s happening around them, and they’re quickly establishing themselves as one of the loudest voices in Australian music. BY HOLLY PEREIRA
FRIDAY 22 APRIL:
SUNDAY 24 APRIL - ANZAC EVE:
SATURDAY 30 APRIL:
W/ MAYFAIR KYTES + PHIA
W. MILK TEDDY + HALF/CUT
- ON SALE NOW FRIDAY 6 MAY:
CODA CHROMA THE JOHN STEEL DEEP HEAT ALBUM LAUNCH SINGLE LAUNCH + DEAF SINGERS SINGLE LAUNCH W/WISHLOVE+ BITSOF DIAGRAMS OF SHIT + MOLLUSC - ON SALE NOW SATURDAY 23 APRIL - 3PM FREE IN FRONT BAR:
NEW LEASE : 2 9 LY G O N S T, C A R LT O N 9663 6350 | JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM
NEW KITCHEN RESIDENTS NOW SERVING! MAIN LOGO
1 2 P M - L AT E E V E R Y D AY !
WET KISS + CALLAN + CRYSTAL MYTH SATURDAY 23 APRIL:
LOVE MIGRATE ALBUM PREVIEW SHOW
W/ COOL SOUNDS + GOOD MORNING + WINTERCOATS - ON SALE NOW
- ON SALE NOW THURS 28 & FRI 29 APRIL:
SEX ON TOAST OVER 2 NIGHTS - EP LAUNCH
CREPES SINGLE LAUNCH W/ THE OCEAN PARTY + INTIMATE SET FROM ELIZABETH MITCHELL (TOTALLY MILD)
28/4 W/ LAZERTITS + BEAUTIFUL BEASTS - ON SALE NOW 29/4 W/ THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH + LAKE MINNETONKA - ON SALE NOW SATURDAY 30 APRIL - 3PM FREE IN FRONT BAR:
COMING SOON:
SUN 8 MAY - TWIN PEAKS (USA) FRI 13 MAY - CAMP COPE ALBUM LAUNCH NEW LEASE : LAST LEAVES (EX-LUCKSMITHS) + HOOPER SAT 14 MAY - MY DISCO FRI 20 MAY - SCOTDRAKULA (DOVE’S SEND OFF) CRESCENT + JULIAN SHELDON
TS
STYLIZED VARIEN
SEPPARATED
VARIENTS
ALBUM REVIEWS - BECAUSE YOU CARE WHAT WE THINK
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 31
Q&A
SPEED DATE WITH…
POISON FISH 1. What do you look for in a band? A punk band with little regard for their general wellbeing, to keep an energetic and reckless show that is never dull despite slowly aging bodies. 2. Keeping busy? We have been putting the finishing touches on our debut album that we recorded at Beveridge Road Studio late last year. In the meantime, we recently released a double A-side of our songs Jerk and Pot Glasses Thrown Across the Country as a teaser/ preview of what is to come. It will be available for free at our next show. 3. Best gig ever? One of our best shows was when we recently played at a friend’s wedding. It was weird to play in suits while hurling our instruments and ourselves around the stage. We weren’t sure how the couple’s family would react to us and what we do, but when the bride’s aunts and uncles (and some grandparents) started to get into our overly loud punk rock it got super weird and also really cool. 4. Current playlist? If we are partying we usually like to slam out the first Pigtails EP, but we have also been giving The Melvins and Kyuss their fair share of listens. But when we tone it down a little we don’t mind some of The Eels, Elliott Smith and Gareth Liddiard. 5. Your ultimate rider? Pete (drummer) would love to have a bottle of cheap port and someone that’ll just listen to him by the end of the night. Nick (bassist) would request a slab of VB, Golden Gaytime ice creams and Commando on DVD. Josh (guitarist/singer) would request someone to fix his gear after the show and also a sober drummer. POISON FISH are playing The Brunswick Hotel on Sunday April 24 with Damn That River, Lace and Whiskey, and Molasses.
GIG GUIDE
SAMMI CHENG Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne. 8:00pm. $210.83.
SPYRO GYRA Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 9:00pm. $28.00.
THE STRANGLERS + EL MARIACHI Corner Hotel,
WEDNESDAY 20 APR PACES
CELIA CHURCH
H OWL E R Gold Coast producer Paces is hitting the road across Australia to showcase his new LP Vacation. The album includes a plethora of special guests, including Rye Rye, Bonde do Rolê, Kučka, Oliver Tank and Guy Sebastian. For the tour, Paces will be complemented by visuals from Sydney artist Ego, in addition to onstage dancers and guest vocalists. He’ll be stopping by Howler on Wednesday April 20, tickets are on sale via his website.
BIG EASY SOUL SESSIONS Carlton Club, Melbourne
Cbd. 8:00pm.
BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. DIZZY’S BIG BAND Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.
IMOGEN PEMBERTON Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. JULIEN WILSON QUARTET 303, Northcote. 8:30pm. LIAM BUDGE QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.
T H E D R U NK E N P O E T Singer/songwriter Celia Church is the next spicy addition to the Drunken Poet’s regular Wine Whiskey Women sessions. You can expect meandering guitar injected with a hearty dose of Americana, rounded out with Church’s soulful vocals. Catch her on Wednesday April 20 from 8pm. Entry is free so you can save all your coins for a whiskey or two.
COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD + BIG WORDS + ZOL BALINT Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00. DAVEY LANE + GABRIELLA COHEN + JACKY WINTER Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. $15.00. FRIED GOODS + THE HIGH DRIFTERS + CASCADES Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. GANG OF YOUTHS 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $45.90. HEY HEY IT’S FRIDAY - FEAT: ASTRO BOYS Royal Hotel (essendon), Essendon. 10:00pm.
HURLIN UP LIMBS + COSMOS + HUGH FUSCHEN & SAUCE SAUCE SAUCE Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8:30pm. $10.00.
JADE ALICE + HUNTER EXPRESS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.
MONEY FOR ROPE + MOTHER GURU + SWAMP Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $8.00.
RUBIX RADIO ON KISSFM Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 8:30pm.
HOLLOW EVERDAZE
TH E TOT E Wednesday April 20 marks week three of Hollow Everdaze’s Tote residency. They’re enlisting some close friends to boast the best of the Melbourne music scene in the lead up to the release of Cartoons, their official debut album. Get amongst the blissful near-orchestral sound of Hollow Everdaze’s rock musings. Support comes from Caroline No and Arbes. $8 on the door with 8pm entry.
Torb Pederson ‘The Voice Guy’
JEFFERS LIMIT
T H E G R AC E DA R LI NG H OTEL Diatonic counter-gaze outfit Jeffers Limit are playing Class Acts #9 down at The Grace Darling Wednesday April 20. The five-piece recently dropped their selftitled debut EP which saw a launch show at The Workers Club last month. They’ll be joined by CL Pleasure, Jules Sheldon and Forever Son. Have a bev with ‘em. Doors at 8pm with free entry.
WED 20TH APRIL
VALENTINE + MANNEQUIN DEATH SQUAD Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $5.00.
COTTON CLUB - FEAT: JUSTIN YAP + DJ MATTHEW FREDERICK + THE BLUEBELLES Spotted Mallard,
Brunswick. 7:30pm.
NATHAN MCKINNON & ALEXANDRA SAMULENOK Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm.
OPEN MIC Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 7:00pm. OPEN MIC NIGHT Purple Emerald, Northcote. 8:00pm. RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE - FEAT: JOEY ELBOWS The
Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.
THE WOODLAND HUNTERS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.
WINE WHISKEY WOMEN - FEAT: DARCY FOX + CELIA CHURCH Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:00pm.
THURSDAY 21 APR BEASTLY BIRD
WHOL E LOT TA LOVE Local alt-rock outfit Beastly Bird will be tearing up Whole Lotta Love on Thursday April 21, with the help of a few good friends. The lineup is a mixed one, including Ward Hancock and the Bastard Sons providing some tropical reggae, the art-folk stylings of Zoe Ryan & the Dandy Lion, in addition to solo act Gardence. Make a night of it and head there by 7pm to get in on the action, $6 on the door.
CHRIS MCNULTY Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
8:00pm. $25.00.
MARGARET MORRISON + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET Leroy Espresso, St Kilda. 6:30pm.
MELBOURNE IMPROVISERS COLLECTIVE Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. MICHELLE NICOLLE Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:30pm. MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: PREQUEL + EDD FISHER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.
SUNDAY 24TH APRIL
RAP BATTLES: THE FAQ’S AGAMOUS BETTY HOST
Vocal Workshops at Black Pearl Studios
THURS 21ST APRIL
MICHAEL PLATER’S DRINKING SONGS THE IN THE OUT
Acclaimed vocal coach Torb Pederson has worked with over 100 Grammy Award winners, and now he’s here in Melbourne to host intensive workshops that will help you get the most out of your voice. Torb will help you: - Add signiicant and dramatic new range - Give you sustained high notes - Remove switches, breaks and inconsistencies in your voice - Plus much more!
FRI 22ND APRIL
BEYOND VEGAS, JULES FOX AND THE HYPOTHETICAL PARTICLES TUESDAY 26TH APRIL
OPEN MIC TOM REDWOOD WED 27TH APRIL
BRIAN MORLEY THURS 28TH APRIL
POETRY WITH STEVE SMART TBC VICUNA COAT THE PEPTIDES THE NIGHT COLLECTORS CROSS EYED CAT BEN CARTER
Those who have taken part in this workshop in the past have left with the ability to sing one octave higher than they did before they took part! Workshops will run from 7pm until 9pm on April 25, 26, 27 and 28, with a second group taking place on May 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Black Pearl Studios.
SATURDAY 23RD APRIL
PLYMOUTH REVERENDS
For more information and to reserve you place at this magniicent workshop, contact Black Pearl Studios on (03) 9939 7209 or at galina.blackpearl@gmail.com. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 32
Richmond. 7:30pm.
B E AT.C O M . A U
FRI 29TH APRIL
SAT 30TH APRIL
GIG GUIDE UP UP AWAY SLEEPY DREAMERS
LADY OSCAR
THE B.EAST Lady Oscar are set to warm up the B.East on Friday April 22 with a blend of tasty soul, jazz and hip hop. The Melbourne six-piece combine past and present musical influences, resulting in a unique sound that’s all their own. They’ll be joined by Midflite, aka Ben Maunder, who will be providing his soul/hip hop inspired electronic, instrumental music. Get there at 9.30pm, entry is free for all.
THIRSTY MERC + TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD Grand Hotel Mornington, Mornington. 8:00pm. $35.00.
TOPNOVIL + BLIND MAN DEATH STARE + RAZORCUT + MORE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. WATT’S ON PRESENTS Prince Public Bar, St Kilda .
TH E WORK E R S C LU B Sleepy Dreamers, The Adelaide Crows and Arbes give the term old mates a whole new meaning. This show marks the first collaboration between the three bands, who all formed at the same high school in different years. Since graduating high school, they’ve all pressed forth and managed to keep their music and friendships going strong. On Friday April 22, Sleepy Dreamers, The Adelaide Crows and Arbes are going tip to tip to throw a shindig so powerfully good that you’ll want miss your mate’s birthday party. Actually just bring your mate, they’ll buy them a beer. This gig has been two years in the making, so you’d be bloody foolish to miss it. Doors are at 8.30pm with only $8 on the door.
RALEIGH WILLIAMS + MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $25.00. SAM KEEVERS TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.
BRIAN EL DORADO & THE TUESDAY PEOPLE Baha Tacos
SLEAZY LISTENING - FEAT: ARKS + RICHARD KELLY + HYSTERIC + K HOOP Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd.
CLANCYE MILNE & JAMES MUSTAFA Paris Cat Jazz
SWING TRAIN Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.
8:30pm.
& Tapas Bar, Rye. 8:00pm. $10.00.
Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $25.00.
DJ JAZZ CIGARETTE Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 7:00pm. DJ VINCE PEACH Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 8:00pm. LADY OSCAR + M I D F L I T E The B.east, Brunswick East.
5:00pm.
9:30pm. $25.00.
9:30pm.
MASHAKA Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:00pm. $10.00.
STICKY INSTITUTE’S 15TH BIRTHDAY
TRANSIENCE
G R ACE DARL ING HOTEL Melbourne’s hub of zine culture first opened their doors in 2001 and this year marks 15 years of existence for the iconic Sticky Institute. To celebrate the long haul, they’re putting on a show at the Grace Darling Hotel on Friday April 22. Bands on board for the night include The Girl Fridas, The Church of Hysteria, Maureen and Dogwood. Plus they will be launching a huge number of new zines from around Australia. Doors are at 8pm, entry is $6.
D IN G D ONG LO U NG E Six-piece prog rock outfit Transience are returning to Ding Dong Lounge to launch their brand new single Ocean with support from Glass Ocean (NSW) and Qlaye Face. Following on from their debut album Temple in 2015, Transience have since returned to the studio for their latest release, which takes them in a heavier and darker direction. Get beery with ‘em Friday April 22. Tickets are $12 through Oztix or $15 on the door. Doors are at 9pm.
T H E P O S T O FFI C E H OT E L Local soul six-piece Up Up Away bring their uniquely soulful, deep-grooving sound to the Post Office Hotel on Friday April 22. Hot off the back of 2015’s 7” vinyl release Swells, Up Up Away have developed a sound that harnesses the rawness of ‘60s and ’70s funk and soul, along with the silky smoothness of the modern soul era. Joining Up Up Away will be the most deadly juju-jitsu fighters ever to play improvised hip hop, Trick Dog Syndicate. TDS combine ‘90s hip hop and deep soul sounds with the principles of improvisation to create a performance that is constantly unique. Doors are at 8pm with entry all for free.
THE OFFTOPICS Catfish, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. WHAT THE FUNK FRIDAYS Purple Emerald, Northcote.
9:00pm.
ZULYA & THE CHILDREN OF THE UNDERGROUND Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. $20.00.
BEN CARTER + CROSS EYED CAT + NIGHT COLLECTOR + THE IN THE OUT Tago Mago, Thornbury. 7:00pm. BLUESTONE JUNCTION Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.
COLD RED MUTE + VIOLENT PARADISE + SPLATTERPUSS Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm. JOSH NOVAK Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm. MARK CAMPBELL & THE RAVENS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8:30pm. PHOENIX Pascoe Vale Rsl, Pascoe Vale. 8:00pm. $8.00. REBETIKA Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9:00pm. SAL KIMBER Basement Discs, Melbourne Cbd. 12:45pm. SHANNON BOURNE Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 5:30pm.
ONE KINGDOM
T H E R E V E R E NC E Melbourne’s metalheads One Kingdom are headlining a show to welcome Sydney’s young guns Breaking Point to Melbourne. Breaking Point are currently on their first ever interstate adventure, in celebration of their debut EP Separated. Adding to the warm welcome are supports The Soulenikoes, Arakeye and Shadows At Bay. Head on down to The Reverence on Friday April 22. $15 to get in, starts at 7.30pm.
FIONA JOY “Signature - Synchronicity” Album Launch C O N C E R T
&
F I L M
R E V E A L
Sat 30th April & Sun 1st May BURWOOD MUSIC CENTRE head to www..onajoy.com for more information TWITTER.COM/FIONAJOYMUSIC | INSTAGRAM.COM/FIONAJOYMUSIC INS | FACEBOOK.COM/FIONAJOYMUSIC
B E AT.C O M . A U
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 35
GIG GUIDE TATE SHERIDAN
TH E WORK ER’ S CLUB The multi-talented pianist, composer and singer/ songwriter Tate Sheridan is making his debut at The Worker’s Club on Sunday April 24. After releasing his debut EP Life was Lonely in December of 2015, Sheridan was asked to support Sir Elton John for his stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand. The upcoming show will serve as part of the official launch tour for Life was Lonely, and will see Sheridan backed by a brand new live band. Doors are at 1pm for a sneaky afternoon session, tickets are $15 on the door, $10 if you’re a concession.
PSYCHIC 5 + ST AUGUSTUS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. RON VINCENT (SINGS CAT STEVENS) Flying Saucer
Club, Elsternwick. 3:30pm. $23.00. SIM MARTIN Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne. 4:00pm. SPYRO GYRA Bird’s Basement, Melbourne. 9:00pm. $28.00. TATE SHERIDAN + BELOVE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1:00pm. $15.00.
SUNDAY SESSION - FEAT: BRUNSY Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully. 2:00pm.
SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Lucky
Coq, Windsor. 4:00pm.
THE EVERYMEN Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8:00pm. THE GOOD GIRL SONG PROJECT 303, Northcote. 4:00pm.
$10.00.
THE T-BONES Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5:00pm. THINGS OF STONE AND WOOD + MARK LANG Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 2:00pm. $33.00. TIM IRELAND Union Hotel, Brunswick. 3:30pm. UGLY KINGS Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.
THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS + MILK TEDDY + HALF/CUT John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 7:00pm. $12.00.
THE RESIGNATORS + BEACONS + THE SKATEGOATS Last
Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 9:00pm. $10.00.
SPLENDIDID
TH E G RACE DARL ING H OT EL Brunswick’s dream-pop boys Splendidid are bringing their blissful, glittery soundscapes to The Grace Darling Sunday April 24. In November of 2015, the four-piece released their debut album Easy Trip, a sunny, cruisy collection of songs that’s seen them receive some well-earned attention. Splendidid have employed Indented Head, Picket Palace and The Gaza Stripper to heat things up on the night. No need to scoot off early since it’s a gorgeous long weekend. Doors are at 7pm with $7 entry.
THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE + VENDETTA + BREAKING POINT + SLEEPLAB + PURROXIDE Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm.
THE WINNEBAGO LOUNGE - FEAT: EUGENE HAMILTON & THE MONEY St Kilda Memo, St Kilda. 5:00pm. BOSSA BRUNSWICK BAND Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:00pm. EMMA DONOVAN & THE PUTBACKS + THE MELTDOWN Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $15.00. LOW DOWN BIG BAND Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4:00pm. MJC PRESENTS Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. ROB SNARSKI & FRIENDS The Croxton, Thornbury. 8:00pm. SARAY ILUMINADO & THE HABIBIS DUO Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. SUNDAY SOUL SESSIONS Purple Emerald, Northcote. 9:00pm.
SUNDAY SOULTRAIN - FEAT: SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND
Daveys Bar & Restaurant, Frankston. 2:30pm. THANDO Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm. THE ASTOR CELLO QUARTET Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 2:00pm. ALL DAY FRITZ Open Studio, Northcote. 4:30pm. BURNT LETTERS Tramway Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm.
CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK + MISS WHISKEY + DJ MAX CRAWDADDY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 2:00pm.
$10.00.
CLAIRE ANN TAYLOR Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 4:00pm. DAN BRODIE DUO Standard Hotel, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. DEBORAH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER Caravan Music
Club, Oakleigh. 7:00pm. $18.00. ELWOOD BLUES CLUB Prince Public Bar, St Kilda . 8:00pm. ENDA KENNY + DAVE O’NEILL Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6:30pm. FLYING ENGINE STRINGBAND Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford. 4:00pm.
JAMES SOUTHWELL + JOE CONROY + WILSON & WHITE
Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm. $13.00. JULES BOULT Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. KEN MAHER + TONY HARGREAVES Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:00pm. MICHELLE GARDINER Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 3:00pm. MIKE NOGA BAND + EMILY ULMAN Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. MIST8KEZ + ADRIAN BROOKS Tago Mago, Thornbury. 7:00pm. NICK CHARLES & BLUE STRINGS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm. PETER BAYLOR & THE ROADHOUSE ROMEOS Gem Bar, Collingwood. 7:00pm. SHANI WAKEFIELD Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm. BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 38
T H E O LD B A R Pop down and say hey to The Meanies at The Old Bar on Tuesday April 26, before they bugger off to Spain for five weeks to play festivals such as Freekfest, Sardina, GetMad and Primavera Sound as well as a shitload of club dates. Wet Lips and Tankerville will also be kicking around to help say farewell. Doors are at 8pm with $10 on the door.
FRESH INDUSTRY SHOWCASES Revolver Upstairs,
Prahran. 7:00pm.
MICK TURNER + FOOTY + COLLOID + DJ HUKKU Howler, Brunswick. 8:00pm.
THE COOKS + TEN TONNE FEATHER + GHOST SONGS
MONDAY 25 APR
ANDRE WARHURST & THE RARE BYRDS Gasometer
Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE EXOTICS + THEE WYLDE OSCARS The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE MEANIES + WET LIPS + TANKERVILLE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $10.00. ANNA’S GO-GO ACADEMY Bella Union Bar, Carlton. 6:30pm. $10.00. RICHMOND MUSIC ACADEMY Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond. 8:30pm. $9.00. SCOTT TINKLER Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:00pm. THE PAINTED HEARTS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm. EAMON ROY BAND + DANIKA SMITH Open Studio, Northcote. 8:00pm. IRISH SESSION Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8:00pm. KIWAT KENNEL Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm. OPEN MIC Tago Mago, Thornbury. 7:00pm. OPEN MIC NITE Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 7:30pm. PHIL WIGGINS + DOM TURNER Piping Hot Chicken & Burger Grill, Ocean Grove. 7:00pm.
BETTY RUMBLE + BLACK ARROW + THE BALL BOYS Mr
TASTE OF INDIE TUESDAY
THE GO SET + THE 131S + HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS + JAY WARS & THE HOWARD YOUTH + MORE Tote Hotel,
Collingwood. 5:00pm. $15.00.
THE MEANIES
COSMIC PSYCHOS
T HE TOT E Cosmic Pyschos reckon it’s always a good day to go to the pub, especially on ANZAC day. Cosmic Psychos are getting back on the piss and back on stage real soon. Still riding the residual high from their comeback album Cum The Raw Prawn, the fearless Aus-punk legends are back at it – aiming to offend punters and publicans in Hobart, Belgrave, Bendigo and Melbourne. Special guests for the night include Deaf Wishes, Whipper, Cereal Killer, Killer Birds and Cable Ties. Doors are nice and early at 4pm, tickets are $28. Hotel, Collingwood. 5:30pm.
Boogie Man Bar, Abbottsford. 8:00pm. CHERRY JAM Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. JOSH GROBAN Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7:30pm. $129.90.
KIA MOON - FEAT: MELODY MOON + MATT DANIEL + KIA HEI MOON + REN STONE + MORE Open Studio,
Northcote. 5:00pm.
DEBRAH CONWAY
T HE S P OT T E D M A LL A R D Award-winning songwriter Deborah Conway and collaborator Willy Zygier are in town. They’re arriving in anticipation of returning to the studio to release a follow up to their 2013 release Stories of Ghosts. Conway has been a significant contributor to Australian music for over 30 years, while Zygier has proven to be a thought-provoking composer. Conway and Zygier will grace The Spotted Mallard on Monday April 25. They’ll hop on stage at 2.30pm, tickets are available via the venue.
MANGO RETREAT + OPAL OCEAN + OLLY FRIEND Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm.
MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: NINETYNINE + COLLOID + DENIM OWL + AHEAD OF THE HUNTERS Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:00pm.
NAFASI + SUNNYSIDE + WE ARE LUSH + JORDAN CLAY & THE SKELETON BAND + MORE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $6.00.
POOL COMP - FEAT: NOEL Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava.
7:30pm.
WVRBVBY Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. $7.00. DMJO (THE DARYL MCKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA) The
Apartment, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. $15.00. JAZZ PARTY Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. MORELAND CITY SOUL REVUE Union Hotel (brunswick), Brunswick. 7:30pm. YACHT ROT - FEAT: DJ TROPICAL BREEZE The Luwow, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. BILLY GOLDING Lona Pintxos Bar, Armadale. 8:30pm. KING WOLF Labour In Vain, Fitzroy. 5:00pm. PAUL WILLIAMSON’S HAMMOND COMBO Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $10.00. WILLIAM POVEY 303, Northcote. 8:30pm.
TUESDAY 26 APR
AIM ENSEMBLE NIGHT Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood.
5:00pm.
DE LA CALLE + LA DESCARGA + THE NEW MONO’S Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $8.00.
DEAR THIEVES + GREENTHIEF + FROM OSLO Cherry Bar,
PR I NC E P U B LI C B A R It’s going to be a huge duo trio night this week at the Prince Public Bar. On Tuesday April 26, the stage at the weekly Taste of Indie Collective will be presenting the rocking tunes of Acoustic Foxx (newly released debut album), melodic rocker Dale Gannon & The Misguided Souls, with the addition of the ultra-smooth sounds of Greg & Nina. Kicks off at 7.30pm and entry is free.
BECOME AN AMAZING LEAD GUITARIST
CLASSIFIEDS 33c per word per week (inc GST) Send your classified listing to classifieds@beat.com.au. Payment options include VISA/Mastercard or EFT (1.5% surcharge for credit card payment). Deadline is Monday 11am, prior to Wednesday’s publication. Minimum $5 charge per week. We do not accept classifieds over the phone - sorry.
ACTS WANTED FOR SUNDAY ROCK SHOWS - contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au BANDS/DUOS/SOLO ACTS WANTED for Acoustic/Indie Fest - contact: mark@gunnmusic.com. au ROCK/METAL ACTS WANTED for local rock shows - contact: mark@gunnmusic.com.au ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY SEEKS DJ’S, EVENT MANAGERS AND PROMOTERS. Please text 0403332570 for work. PIANO LESSONS IN FITZROY with Darina Chakarova. Passionate, highly experienced teacher. Enquiries: 0417 561 473, Book online: www. melbournepiano.com.au/fitzroy VOCAL COACHING GROUP SESSIONS IN FITZROY with Darina Chakarova. Mondays 7:15PM. Call 0417 561 473, www.melbournepiano. com.au/SING. Book online: www.trybooking.com/ LARL **
Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm.
B E AT.C O M . A U
The Push PRESENT
Access All Ages WITH GRACE KINDELLAN The Push Inc.’s first ever SQUAD camp went off. The participants were Bridgette Le (Leisure Suite,) Cheyenne Harper, Demi Louise, Eilish Gilligan (Frida,) Francesca Gonzales (Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird,) Gabriella Cohen, Grace Kindellan (Wet Lips,) Holly Joyce (Oscar Galt and the Eventual Somethings) Tali Harding-Hone and Tori Zietsch (Seavera). Over the weekend the team learnt about dealing with the media with Jenny Valentish, labels and PR with Lorrae McKenna from Remote Control, how to take control of your music with Jo Syme (Big Scary) and Jelena Goluza (Outright), music law with Jen Tutty from Studio Legal, support services like Music Victoria and LISTEN Records with Chloe Turner and how to write killer songs with Ainslie Wills. It was an absolutely legendary convention and there’s heaps more lined up as part of the program, including industry mentors, masterclasses and Face the Music 2016. Check out thepush.com.au for more information. The last time you can see pop art visuals with a soundtrack of sweet pop music at the NGV is this Saturday night. To round out the series, one of our most respected and well-loved songwriters, Robert Foster (The Go-Betweens) will play songs of his most recent album Songs to Play. Plus Oscar Key Sung is DJing all night. Tickets include entry to the Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition and access to exclusive talks, food and bars from 6pm to this Saturday April 23. For more information head to ngv.vic.gov.au. Are you a young muso looking for a record deal? Decibels Records wants to give you one. They’re looking for two local artists in the City of Darebin area aged 12-25 to work with throughout 2016. You’ll get the opportunity to work with industry professionals and the youth led committee to record a four track EP, shoot a music video, and host a launch party. All you need to do is apply at facebook.com/decibelsrecords. Impakt FReeZA are looking for some young, local musos to play at Pay It Forward in the Mornington Park community on Saturday April 30. Specifically they’re looking for people who play acoustic music that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and interests. In the true spirit of paying it forward you will get all the feels from doing something nice for people and it’s a great chance to perform live and share your talents with a supportive audience on the Peninsula. Check out facebook.com/impaktfreeza for more details. Looking for a chance to show off your sick DJ skills? Boombox events are hosting a DJ competition open to soloists and duos between the ages 12-25 who live in the City of Bayside area. Applications close on Friday April 29 with a pre-competition meeting on May 12 and a potential competition date on May 20. For more details and to apply visit bayside.formstack.com/ forms/freeza_dj_comp. Magic Johnston Cultural Complex is accepting applications for their Hall Pass Scholarship, which gives you access to a rent-free studio space for three months. It’s open to writers, artists and composers, with guidance and support from the team to help realise your project. Head to magicjohnston.com and be quick. Applications close this Friday April 22.
All Ages Gig Guide WE D N E S DAY A PR I L 20
School Tour w/ Selling Time, Deadfall at 165-179 Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek, 12.30pm1.10pm, Free, www.nillumbikyouth.vic.gov.au, U18
F R I DAY A PR I L 22
• FReeZA Push Start Battle of the Bands w/ Ricky Newwy, Jacob Gange, The Cameron Tilley Experience, Overwound, Loose Bricks, Le Genie Du Mal at Mildura Senior College Gym, 7.00pm11.00pm, $5, www.mildura.vic.gov.au/youth, AA •
S AT U R DAY A PR I L 23
• Best Trick Jam w/ DJ Bando, skate participants at Cowes Skate Park, 10-14 Church Street, Cowes (nter via Park Street), 11.30am-1.30pm, Free, www. facebook.com/BassCoastFreeza, AA
Thursday 21st @ 8.30pm
THE WRITERS BLOCK #14
Marni Sheehan, Justin Bernasconi, Bronwyn Calcutt, Emma Smyrk, Ciaran Boyle, Frank Jones & Matthew Arnold
SATURDAY 23RD, 7PM
DOUBLE 7” LAUNCH
WHIPPER TOMMY T & THE CLASSICAL MISHAPS SUNDAY 24TH, 6PM
UGLY KINGS ACOUSTIC MONDAY 25TH, 5PM
ANZAC DAY
KING WOLF COMING UP:
COLOUR CLIMAX BON TON RHYTHMS
Friday 22nd @ 9.30pm
BLUESTONE JUNCTION (Blazin’ bluegrass)
Wed 20th April
W I N E , W H I S K EY, W O M E N 8pm: Celia Church 9pm: Darcy Fox Thurs 21st April
Saturday 23rd @ 9.30pm
JEREMY HANLEYS’ HONK-A-TONK (Country honk) Sunday 24th @ 5.30 pm
NICK CHARLES & BLUE STRINGS
7pm:
Open Mic Night Friday 22nd April
6pm: Traditional Irish Music Session
Mark Campbell and The Ravens Saturday 23rd April 3pm: Stephen Kennedy 9pm: Bona Fide Travellers Sunday 24th April 4pm: Claire Ann Taylor 6.30pm: Enda Kenny & Dave O’Neill 8.30pm:
(Finger-pickin’-good !) Sunday 24th @ 9.00pm
KEN MAHER, TONY HARGREAVES & GUESTS (Acoustic roots) Tuesday 26th @ 8.00pm
IRISH SESSION (Fine fiddlin’)
Tuesday 26th April
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 39
BACKSTAGE
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP120-USB TURNTABLE
Audio-Technica has long been a distinguished player in the vinyl market; a company with a rich history in audio production and sound equipment manufacturing. Having been established in 1962, in 2012 the company celebrated its 50-year anniversary with the release of the AT-LP120USB turntable – a record player that harnesses decades of quality audio design in a modernised package. It still stands as a winning example of ingenuity, a professional turntable designed to thrive in the hands of DJs and flourish in the comfort of a household. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR The LP120 weighs in at a compact 10.7 kg, constructed with an all-plastic base and a die-cast aluminium platter. Without the use of high-grade materials AudioTechnica has gone to great lengths to ensure there’s substantial dampening in what is a solid and sturdy unit. The tone arm is an all-metal affair, S-shaped with a standard adjustable counterweight. A preassembled AT95E cartridge ensures setting up is a straightforward process, its elliptical stylus and dual magnet setup offering a high level of performance without any necessary modifications, or the hefty audiophile price tag. Emphasised in every design feature is a welcomed level of simplicity that’s geared towards professionalism, a prime example of which is the hydraulically dampened cueing lever. This enables a measured tone arm descent that will keep your records, for the most part, unscratched and out of harm’s way. Where this level of design is found lacking, however, is in the hardwired RCA connectors. If they ever break or fail, replacing them won’t be easy.
TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE At the height of this turntable’s versatility is an internal stereo phono preamp. This useful feature makes it possible to connect with audio systems that don’t have a phono input. It also offers the option to bypass the preamp, and play the turntable through an upgraded, external preamp. This duality is mirrored by the turntable’s USB output, which directly connects to your computer and enables the conversion of vinyl records into a digital format. It comes with Audacity recording software, which is a nice place to get started when digitising your analogue collection. LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS There’s a range of DJ-oriented features on board the LP120 that make it a sound choice for the live setting. The direct drive, high torque motor produces instantaneous starting and stopping, with the added benefit of being able to reverse the rotation direction (a unique feature for deciphering those secret messages fused into records of old). While the 0.2% wow and flutter
can catch the ear at times, it’s only when speakers are turned down significantly, unlikely to ever be noticed in a DJ setting. The turntable can play at speeds of 33, 45, and 78RPM, while other DJ-savvy functions include the ability to alter the pitch of your music, and a popup stylus target light that makes cueing up a track in minimal light a much easier feat. MAXIMUM SATISFACTION, MINIMAL FUSS Whether you’re looking for a smooth entry into vinyl, or require a live setup that’s both functional and affordable, this turntable has you covered. The seamless setup, easy
manoeuvrability and careful descent of the tone arm make it a joy to use. And when coupled with USB connectivity, an internal preamp, and DJ capabilities, it delivers an all-round rewarding record playing experience. Get yourself a AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP120-USB TURNTABLE today. Check out audio-technica.com/cms/ turntables/583f30b3a8662772/ for more details.
CROSSWORD Hey nerds, this week I went a bit less focused and hope to broaden all of our horizons with a general knowledge crossword. Jerks lose points for Googling, using Bing is allowed though. Feel free to email me themes you want to see or just general hate mail: puzzleguy@beat.com.au
ACROSS 5
What was the capital sounding name of
1
6
If you were snacking on a 'little donkey', what would you be eating?
2
name with a city in Turkey? Also the title of the single for Australian Idol contestant Lee Harding, what is the common name for Japanese horseradish?
3
of what in the world?
7
KFC’s Col Sanders?
12
album in 1963? (6,6,2) Which character slept in the teapot at the mad hatters tea party? Which name connects a three time
13
8 9 10 11 16 17 19 20 22
Duran and the band Queen? (5,6) Wet Wet Wet had a number one hit in the UK charts with Love is all around. Which song a hit? (3,6)
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 40
DOWN
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
4
14 15 18 21
Which fruit, also known as the alligator pear, takes it's name from a native word for testicle? Montana, was played by Al Pachino. What was Tony's nationality? character didn't know his real name was David Webb? (5,6) Which hero's arch enemy is Dr. Robotnik? (5,3,8) Who wrote the Nancy Sinatra hit songs Summerwine and Sugartown? (3,9) a Jake? Bobbidi Boo? Which is the only vegetable that is also a A Polski Ogorki is a type of what? You Wish Upon A Star was written for which from ancient greek means 'hated'?
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$50K QUICK RESPONSE GRANTS HELPS 10
Creative Victoria’s $50,000 worth of Quick Response Grants will help ten artists and labels. City Calm Down get $10,000 to play The Great Escape in the UK and additional shows across the UK/Europe. Broadway Sounds ($7500) can play UK festivals Glastonbury, Beat Herder, Secret Garden Party and WOMAD. David Chisholm ($5000) will attend the Musica Polonica Nova Festival in Poland and Tampere Biennale in Finland for networking, touring and collaboration opportunities. King ($6448) can tour Australia and NZ behind their debut album and open for US metal band Inquisition. Northeast Party House ($4000) connect to international markets including the USA in support of their upcoming record. DJ and performer Laila Sakini ($3535) can engage with the Australian, UK and European markets to support her album release. Andrew Watson ($2900) will perform a live score for multimedia show Elemental as part of Bloomsbury Festival in London and
BEAT MAGAZINE PAGE 42
A baby boomers dream concert starring Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, The Who and Roger Waters? The project, by Goldenvoice and AEG, is being signed off, for Friday October 7 to Sunday October 9 in Indio, California.
STUDY: LIVE MUSIC REDUCES STRESS
Live music reduces stress, says a study from the Centre For Performance Science in London. Researches analysed before-andafter saliva samples of 117 volunteers at two classical concerts.“This is the first preliminary evidence that attending a cultural event can have an impact on endocrine activity,” says lead researcher Daisy Fancourt. More research will be done on various rock genres. A Spotify study found Adele’s Someone Like You as best song for nervous fliers.
THINGS WE HEAR • Which newspaper is apparently trying to lift the injunction on the extra-marital affairs of a well known celeb? • Which music media person, as part of their AA treatment, is ringing up music execs to apologise for slights she/he might have inflicted on them – to discover none of them were aware of any insults? • A report in Media Week found that only 30% of Australian Spotify users are paid subscribers, 20% haven’t watched commercial TV and 40% didn’t listen to commercial radio in the past month. • Slaves guitarist Alex Lyman on the band’s sudden split: “I’m in debt, have hundreds of tickets sitting at my house and I’m still trying to figure out what life has in store for me at 26.” • Just for the record, Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander is the latest to put his hand up to be AC/DC’s singer. But they’d already made up their minds by then. • South Australia’s parliament has passed a motion for a coronial investigation into the drug death of 19-year-old Stefan
R
There was something irresistible about the way AC/DC announced Axl Rose as the new singer to finish off their Rock Or Bust world tour. On Saturday they released a statement on their official website, thanking Brian Johnson and wishing him well. At the end of the statement, they slipped in that Axl “has kindly offered his support.” A few hours later, when Guns N’Roses were playing the Coachella Festival in California before an estimated 90,000 they brought on Angus to jam on AC/DC’s Whole Lotta Rosie and Riff Raff to blow the place apart. Footage went viral worldwide within minutes, and it was obvious that Rose fronting Akka-Dakka was something to see.
CONCERT OF THE DECADE BEING FINALISED?
E
HOW AC/DC ANNOUNCED AXL
SUI ZHEN LANDS U.S. LABEL
Melbourne electro pop artist Sui Zhen, who’s made waves with her rather fab Secretly Susan album out through Dot Dash/ Remote Control, has landed a US deal with TwoSyllable. The record will be released in North America in June. She plays a going away show/fundraiser at Hugs & Kisses on Thursday May 5 for her overseas turn. In addition, she was announced to play Splendour In The Grass.
Z
Australia remains the sixth biggest music market in the world, according to trade body IFPI’s Global Music Report. Top of the list is the US with revenue of almost $5 billion, followed by #2 Japan, #3 the UK, #4 Germany, #5 France, #7 Canada, #8 South Korea, #9 Italy and #10 Brazil. China was the fastest growing market, with a rise of 63.8% after legal music began replacing pirated music. The report also revealed that the global music industry grew 3.2% to $15 billion last year. The 45.2% increase in streaming revenue to $2.9 billion offset the decline in CDs and downloads. Digital exceeded physical for the first time, now accounting for 45% of all revenues compared to physical’s 39%. Australia grew by 5% to $333.8 million (or up by 6.1% if you include live performances). Digital now accounts for 62% of Australian music sales (up from 59% in 2014).
participate in festival workshops. Hope Street Recordings ($4370), Cooking Vinyl Australia ($4135) and Zero Through Nine ($3146) can attend the A2IM Indie Week in New York City in June.
STIE EL RI IE
AUSTRALIA REMAINS 6TH MUSIC MARKET
H H
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
IT
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INDUSTRIAL
W
Woodward at Stereosonic Adelaide, to see what could have been done to prevent drugs coming in. • Kew RSL in Melbourne will feature live music for all five Sundays through May. The Kew Call-Out is to raise funds for drummer Dave Folley (Chicken Walk, Roving Commission, The Killjoy) and partner Rachael Tidd whose 3½ year old son Frankie is diagnosed with cancer. • The new Port Fairy Jazz festival (February 10-12, 2017) has got a quick response from the jazz community. Accommodation booking has already begun, more from the Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre on (03)5568 2682 or vic@moyne.vic.gov. au. The festival relocated from Halls Gap (where it used to draw 5000 over three days) primarily due to bushfire issues. The jazz festival will help put the spotlight on the region alongside the folk and spring festivals, and will use most of the folk fest’s venues. • The Warrnambool Blues Club has formed, with plans to hold monthly live events each month. • Father John Misty recalls “disturbing” experience of taking LSD at a Taylor Swift concert both “holy” and “psychedelic”. • While US rapper Tyga was in Australia, an auto repossession company was trying to repossess his 2013 Lamborghini Aventador in America. • The Molly soundtrack from the Seven series about Ian Meldrum this week picked up its second platinum for sales of 140,000. • The amount of Australians buying tickets online for concerts has climbed to 25% from 18%, says a Nielsen report. • A Finnish university study on why people are so vocal about hating Nickelback found that it’s because the band is unashamedly commercial, and “by nullifying Nickelback’s authenticity, critics are actually authenticating themselves… as protectors of authenticity and originality in rock music.” • The second night of the major two-day EDM festival Time Warp in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was cancelled after five people aged in their 20s died of suspected drug overdoses and another five are critically ill in hospital. Police said they confiscated LSD, marijuana, poppers and cocaine from attendees. Time Warp began in Germany in 1994 and was held in Buenos Aires for the third year. • Clubber of the week was a man at Adelaide’s Rocket Bar nightclub who staggered off to the toilet and went to sleep. He woke at 6.30am to find the whole place closed. It was a rooftop club, so the fire service had to come with a crane to get him out. • Facebook is to start selling concert tickets for Ticketmaster and Eventbrite. • Rammstein are suing the German Government for €66,000 in damages
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
after the Federal Department for Media Harmful To Young Persons put their album Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da on a banned list for being “brutal” and “immoral”
• KENDRICK LAMAR SUED OVER SAMPLE
Kendrick Lamar is being sued for using the music of Bill Withers’ 1975 track Don’t Want You To Stay on his I Do This off 2009’s Kendrick Lamar EP. Last July, a photographer sued after his photo appeared on the digital artwork of his The Blacker The Berry single. In 2014, Eric Woolfson and his group The Alan Parsons Project claimed he used their song Old And Wise on his track Keisha’s Song (Her Pain) on his 2011 Section.80 LP.
MUSICIANS ON $2 A DAY MEALS
Musicians are joining thousands of Australians who are eating on $2 a day for five days to raise funds and awareness for those living in extreme poverty. The Live Below the Line challenge in May is run by The Oaktree Foundation. Joining in are Tom Iansek (Big Scary & #1 Dads), Big White, DJ Maxwell, Will Cumings (LANKS), DZ Deathrays, City Calm Down and The Brow. Frenzal Rhomb’s Lindsay McDougall says, “It’s important to remember that while we’re out there spending thousands of dollars on our acai-infused chia and cacao smoothies, there are people in the world who have to feed themselves on two dollars a day.” To donate to the artists or to sign up for the challenge, head to www.livebelowtheline. com.au. Funds raised support education projects in remote areas in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Cambodia.
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR PT FAIRY FOLK FEST
Applications have opened for artists at the 2017 Port Fairy Folk Festival (March 10 to 13). Since 1977 it has presented 3,500 acts covering folk, roots and world music including more than 500 internationals to over 240,000 ticket holders. That comes to something along the lines of one million attendances to the picturesque fishing village of Port Fairy. Deadline is Sunday July 10. Go to www.portfairyfolkfestival.com.
CLASHES AFTER ROCK INDUCTIONS
There were clashes after the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductions in New York with NWA, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Chicago, Steve Miller and songwriter/ producer Bert Berns. Kiss’ Gene Simmons objected to NWA. NWA’s Ice Cube flared back, “Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Chubby Checkers help invent rock’n’roll. We invent it. Y’all reprint it.” The Black Keys regretted inducting an “unpleasant” Steve Miller, after the guitarist criticised the music industry as “fucking gangsters and crooks”, the other inductees (“kinda dicks
Lifelines HOSPITALISED: Danish/American rock singer Maryann Cotton was smashed on the head with a bottle and stabbed in a nightclub in Latvia after a show there. IN COURT: a US judge tossed out rap entrepreneur Rick Ross’ lawsuit against Redfoo’s LMFAO that their Party Rock Anthem infringed his copyright to Hustlin by use of its lyric “everyday I’m shuffling” as the phrase is not copyright. IN COURT: Coachella festival suing marketing firm Particle for scalping wristbands. IN COURT: Motley Crue’s Vince Neil charged with misdemeanour battery after an alleged incident in Las Vegas when a woman who tried to get an autograph from actor Nicolas Cage says she was grabbed by her hair and pushed to the ground. DIED: Bek Moore, Brisbane musician, promoter and journalist who over 20 years was an instrumental member of the city’s punk scene. One of her bands Clag would provoke and unsettle their crowd, performing in masks or hospital gowns and gleefully turning each gig into a raucous riot. DIED: Brisbane-based indigenous activist and broadcaster Tiga Bayles, 62, from cancer. The long time radio presenter on 98.9 FM helped set up Radio Redfern in Sydney in the early ‘80s and the National Indigenous Radio Service, and began in the music industry as GM of Murri Jama music productions. and arseholes”), the lack of female inductees (none in 2016, just Joan Jett in 2015) and “no respect” from organisers saying he got only two tickets to the ceremony and told he had to pay $10,000 to get any more. The Keys said, “We got a really uncomfortable feeling when we first met Steve. He had no idea who we were. No idea. The first thing he told us was, ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’ ”
AROWAGENCY LAUNCHES
ArowAgency is a new management, digital and artist development services company set up by former Sony Music executives Elizabeth Browne and Tamara Georgopoulos. With the aim of finding new strategies that put artists first, they launched with a roster featuring Sydney’s Breakaway (2 million Spotify streams, 3 million YouTube views), Victorian band Residual and Tasmanian hardcore outfit Save The Clock Tower.