Beat 1658

Please Do Not Litter December 26, 2018 Issue N o 1658

Sex on Toast / Every Time I Die / The Growlers / Queen Kong / The Espy

FREE

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PRESENTS

JANUARY

FRIDAY 25th

THE ESPY

GERSHWIN ROOM

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WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

+ saturday 26th - bEECHWORTH BEECHWORTH MUSIC FESTIVAL Saturday TICKETS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE NOW NOW FROM FROM WWW.BEECHWORTHMUSICFESTIVAL.COM WWW.BEECHWORTHMUSICFESTIVAL.COM TICKETS

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NICKY BOMBA 13 jan

GARRETT KATO

fem belling presents

kon shes

1 feb

17 FEB

JESS & MATT 22 feb

max riEbL 16 feb

THANDO

INTIMATE, LIVE MUSIC ONE NIGHTERS

jordie lane 11 JAN

8 feb

23 feb 12 JAN

matt DOLL

sex on toast

2 feb

taylor henderson

Bookings chapeloffchapel.com.au BEAT.COM.AU

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ISSUE NO 1658

Contents 8 10-11

Contents News

12

Arts Guide

14

Beat Eats, Punk, Artists to watch in 2019

15

Action Bronson

16

Beat’s Guide to The First NYD Festival, Sex on Toast

17

Every Time I Die, Blaze Festival

18

The Kooks, The Growlers

19

East Brunswick Hotel, Queen Kong

20-22

Writers’ Wrap Up

22

The Espy

23

Beat’s Best Live Pics of 2018

24

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Sex on Toast

Album of the Year, Singles of the Year

Interview

25 26-29

Albums of the Year Gig Guide

Editors’ note With Tom Parker and Caleb Triscari

Christmas has been and gone and your mum is probably whacking her mum opponents with a Louis Vuitton handbag to get the best deal on Boxing Day sales. Screams echo through the hallowed halls of Highpoint. In the distance, sirens.

Meanwhile, you’ve managed to nab yourself the final copy of Beat for 2018. Your intrepid editors may be weary from the year but the content is as fresh as ever. Hip hop legend Action Bronson takes over the cover as he gets set for a special set at The First NYD Festival. M.I.A., yes that’s right, M.I.A., will be there too alongside the likes of The Presets, Banoffee and producing wunderkinds KiNK, Krystal Klear and more.

We’ve also got sultry soul-inspired outfit Sex on Toast in for a chat about their upcoming set at Chapel Off Chapel’s forthcoming event series Summer Sessions. Californian psych-futurists The Growlers feature as well while we also take a first-hand look at Sand Hill Road’s overhaul of The Espy.

What are your favourite albums and singles of 2018? It’s time to compare with the Beat maestros, the writers who make this mag tick, those who just get it, you know. Yes, our Writers’ Wrap Up is back once more.

There’s some fantastic content for our last issue for the year so dive in and have a swim, you won’t regret it. We wish you a safe and happy New Year’s. Have a tinnie on us.

EDITOR Tom Parker DIGITAL EDITOR/SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Caleb Triscari SUB EDITOR Abbey Lew-Kee EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Holly Denison, Jacob Colliver, Kate Streader, Anthony Furci, Greta Brereton, Brooke Ledbury, Lexi Herbert, Joshua Martin, Gabriella Beaumont GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Erica May, Ruby Furst

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COVER IMAGE Tom Gould MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr ADVERTISING Nicholas Simonsen (Backstage/Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Brad Summers (Advertising/Campaigns) brad@beat.com.au Greg Pettinella (Advertising/Editorial) greg@beat.com.au

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE accounts@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION Free every Wednesday to over 3,200 points around Melbourne. Along with being handed out at Train Stations.

Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@furstmedia.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS now online at beat.com.au SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Ian Laidlaw

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Harris, Zo Damage, Lee Easton, Lewis Nixon, Shaina Glenny, Andrew Bibby, Sally Townsend, Andrew Friend, Rochelle Flack COLUMNISTS Joe Hansen, Lochlan Watt, Michael Cusack, Sose Fuamoli, Christie Eliezer, Georgia Spanos, Augustus Welby, Ellen Rosie

CONTRIBUTORS Alexander Crowden, Dan Watt, Augustus Welby, Alex Watts, David James Young, Bronius Zumeris, Natalie Rogers, Isabelle Oderberg, Holly Pereira, Nathan Quattruci, Julia Sansone, Claire Morley, Lee Parker, Benjamin Potter, Lizzie Dynon, Abbey Lew-Kee, David Ohaion, Luke Fussell, Jacob Colliver, Anna Rose, Kate Streader, Paul Waxman, Anthony Furci, Zachary Snowdon Smith, Nathan Gunn

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Friday 28th 9.30pm

BENNY PETERS & THE MISTREATERS (R&B bop)

Saturday 29th 9.30pm

SHANTY TOWN (Rock steady)

MONDAY JAN 7

ANDREA KELLER LEADS THE COMPOSERS CIRCLE $15/$10 THURSDAY JAN 9

DAVID JONES: DRUMSCAPES

$30/$20

FRIDAY JAN 10

JOE CHINDAMO TRIO

$25/$20

SATURDAY JAN 11

Sunday 30th 5.30pm

DR HERNANDEZ (Rootsy boogaloo) Monday 31st 9.00pm

“HAPPY NEW YEARS”

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SUNDAY JAN 12

ALMA ZYGIER BAND

Gig Guide

$30/$25

FRI 28th DEC 9.30PM- inkasounds

WEDNESDAY JAN 15

PINK PURSE

$20/$15

THURSDAY JAN 16

DAVID JONES MINI ORCHESTRA $20/$15

DOORS OPEN EVERY NIGHT FROM 8PM AND SHOWS BEGIN BETWEEN 8:30PM AND 9PM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

SAT 29th dec 6.00pm- Sophia brown 9.30pm- tim & JACQUIE GREEN 280 LYGON ST BRUNSWICK EAST WWW.EASTBRUNSWICKHOTEL.COM.AU

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NEWS

News The Beasts Have Lifted the Lid on their Local Supports Alt-rock band The Beasts have announced who will be joining them on their upcoming The Beasts Still Here Australian tour kicking off in February. Joining them for both Melbourne shows will be alt-rockers Dallas Crane. Country punks The Johnnys will be joining them for the remaining of the shows along the east coast, whilst The Painkillers will perform in Perth.

Supporting the band’s new album Still Here set for release in February, The Beasts are slated to perform at Prince Bandroom on Friday February 22 and The Croxton Bandroom on Saturday February 23. Grab your tickets via Oztix.

Aminé

FOMO Festival

Ballarat Beer Festival

Three weeks before the tour kicks off, FOMO have revealed American rapper Aminé and Canadian duo Loud Luxury as the latest additions to the festival lineup. Aminé received success in 2018 following the release of his single ‘Campfire’, before his surprise sophomore LP ONEPOINTFIVE kicked things up a notch further.

Loud Luxury will make their Australian debut at FOMO after the global success of multi-platinum hit ‘Body’. FOMO Festival goes down at Flemington Racecourse on Sunday January 13 and tickets are available now through Eventbrite.

Ballarat Beer Festival returns in 2019 in a whole new location.

Dubbed “The Gardens Edition”, the one day festival has announced ‘80s Collection – essentially a band put together for the festival to play iconic Australian pub songs – will be performing along with The Blues Roulette, Kelly Auty and Justin Yap, the latter garnering a great following in recent years with his funky guitar sound. It’s all happening at the Northern Gardens in Ballarat on Saturday January 19, with tickets available via Eventbrite.

Add Aminé and Loud Luxury to 2019 lineup

Melbourne Japanese Summer Festival

Will return for its tenth anniversary in 2019

303 Sydney Rd Brunswick entry via Phoenix Street

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The Melbourne Japanese Summer Festival is back for another year, this time being their tenth anniversary edition. The cultural event showcases traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, with song and dance performances, as well as food and activities suited for all ages. Everyone’s encouraged to participate in the Best Dressed competition too, with a stack of fun prizes on offer. The River Terrace will be lined with food stalls, ice cream and Japanese beer offering a unique taste of Japanese flavours, when the free event goes down at Federation Square on Sunday Februrary 24.

Set to return in 2019, reveals date and lineup

Billy Elliot The Musical

Announces return to Australia in 2019 The critically acclaimed Billy Elliot The Musical is set to open in Sydney in October 2019, followed by seasons in Melbourne in February 2020 and other capital cities later that year. So far the adult cast members have been announced, and feature some of the best talent that the Australian theatre circuit has to offer including Kelley Abbey, Justin Smith, Vivien Davies and Robert Grubb. Based on the film of the same name, Billy Elliot The Musical follows the story of a young boy raised in a British mining town who discovers a love for ballet. Sign up for the pre-sale waitlist via the official website.

NEWS

The Saboteurs Have Announced Their Debut Australian Show Bluesfest has announced that The Saboteurs (known as The Raconteurs outside of Australia) will be on the lineup for 2019, playing in Australia for the first time since their formation in 2005. Originally slated to just be a Jack White performance, the Bluesfest show is the only announced show for the band for the new year. Along with this announcement comes the news that the band is working on a forthcoming LP set for release in 2019, which follows their recently released singles, ‘Sunday Driver’ and ‘Now That You’re Gone’. Catch the supergroup performing at Bluesfest 2019 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside Byron Bay, as they close the festival on Monday April 22.

Thursday 27th December

8pm:

The Keynes Bros.

Friday 28th December

6pm:

Traditional Irish

Music Session 8:30pm: Julian James Saturday 29nd December

Ciaran Boyle 9pm: Duncan Phillips & The Long Stand 3pm:

Sunday 30th December

Pont Face Trio 6:30pm: The Bona Fide Travellers 4pm:

Monday 31st December

[closed for New Year’s Eve] The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au

Nina Oyama

Matt Stewart

Armed with her hilarious self-deprecating show Nina Oyama Needs A Lift, Oyama will be performing for the first time at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2019. Since moving to the country from the city to start a new life five years ago, Oyama has gotten 13 speeding fines, lost her licence four times and racked up a huge debt to the government, creating hilarious content for her autobiographical show. Oyama is slated to perform at The Forum from Thursday March 28 to Sunday April 21 as part of the 2019 MICF. Tickets available via Ticketmaster.

Adored Melbourne comedian Matt Stewart has announced that he will be taking his show Bone Dry to the 2019 Melbourne International Comedy Festival for its final pit stop. Heralded as one of Melbourne’s “most purely funny comedians”by pedestrian. tv, Stewart started his career in community radio and TV and has been writing, directing and creating comedy since 2009. Matt Stewart will perform at the Chinese Museum, Laundry Room from Thursday March 28 to Sunday April 21 as part of the festival.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

Flint Eastwood

Due to popular demand, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson has added extra dates to his 2019 12 Rules For Life tour across Australia and New Zealand, with special guest Dave Rubin. Taking a deep-dive into his celebrated book 12 Rules for Life, Peterson’s live show features talks on overcoming life’s biggest obstacles, how to improve oneself, the psychology of religion, mythology and more. The renowned professor, clinical psychologsit and best-selling author will be speaking at The Plenary, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on Wednesday February 13 and Wednesday February 27.

Tickets are available now via Ticketek.

Flint Eastwood (AKA Jax Anderson) is set to arrive on Australian shores in February to perform two east coast headline shows, as well as dropping in to two festivals. The singer is expected to perform tracks from her latest EP This Is A Coping Mechanism For A Broken Heart released in October. Dabbling in different genres and styles with her brother, Anderson lyrically explores the issues associated with growing up gay in a deeply Christian household. Victorians can look forward to catching Flint Eastwood at Gaytimes Festival from Friday February 15 to Sunday February 17 and headlining Howler on Wednesday February 27.

To make her comedy festival debut in 2019

Adds extra Australian dates to 12 Rules for Life tour

Set to bring his show to the 2019 MICF

Locks in Australian festival appearances and headline dates

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ARTS

Arts Guide BEAT’S K TOP PIC 18 0 2 R O F

Acute Misfortune (dir. Thomas M. Wright)

BY JOSHUA MARTIN

Puffs (dir. Kristin McCarthy Parker)

BY CLAIRE MORLEY

Puffs is the story of the other Hogwarts kids who attended, as the unshortened title so cleverly puts it, seven increasingly eventful years of wizard school alongside the household name Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and also saved the world and wizardkind. The emotional heart and takeaway message of Puffs is beautifully universal, and certainly adds a special layer to the show. If you ever feel inadequate in comparison to someone else, remember the Puffs. They may not have felt brave, smart, or ambitious, but they still really mattered.

Now Sound: Melbourne’s Listening (dir. Tobias Willis)

Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chamedian (Josh Glanc)

BY KATE STREADER

The first feature-length film from KEWL Studios – the Melbourne production house spearheaded by Tobias Willis and Marcus Rimondini – Now Sound serves as a stellar debut.

Though an ambitious subject to unpack, the documentary beautifully pulls apart the threads which, weaved together, create the fabric of Melbourne’s music community. The documentary sweeps a wide selection of genres and artists as well as incorporating everything from community radio and local live music venues to underground music communities and independent record labels in order to emphasise the importance of the communal spirit that makes Melbourne’s music scene what it is.

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BY CHRIS SWAN

The comedy show is a madcap array of individual bits and moments, jumping chaotically from one to the next under the guise of being Glanc’s first “proper” stand up show. What follows is a sequence of brilliantly off-kilter and hilarious moments ranging from mime, lip-sync, prop humour, and even song and dance. One second you’ll see a group of audience members up on stage miming along to a Smash Mouth song, before suddenly you’re presented the tale of a frustrated cyclist. The loose structure and insanity of the material makes the whole thing feel like you’re watching one of the weirdest and funniest sketch shows you’ve ever seen.

Acute Misfortune might just be the best Australian film of the last ten years. It’s a challenge to the streak of larrikinism in Australian culture and an understated denouncement of the enveloping male artist mystique. Daniel Henshall’s performance as Adam Cullen is magnetically repulsive, a macabre cinematic villain that self-consciously invokes the convict spirit of Australian film. As Cullen oscillates between Chopper-style facial hair, and the fedora adorned bald artist, Henshall impeccably embodies his volatility.

Burning (dir. Lee Chang-dong)

BY JENNIFER PARK

While the women in Murakami’s stories are often twodimensional and oversexualised, Lee Chang-dong gives character Hae-mi a newfound freedom and complexity in Burning. She’s not perfect, but her desire and search for meaning in life comes across as profound and moving.

In the film’s most enchanting moment, Hae-mi undresses and dances to Miles Davis against the backdrop of a vivid countryside sunset, crying as the sky slowly dims. We, the audience, are both touched and startled at her sudden emotional response, and actor Jeon Jong-seo is amazing at carrying all the weight of someone who wants to live and yet simultaneously vanish from existence.

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COLUMNS

Beat Eats’ Best Finds of 2018 WITH GEORGIA SPANOS

Best Punk Rock Shows in 2018 (that I attended)

WITH JOE HANSEN

Artists to Watch in 2019 WITH ELLEN ROSIE

Capitano

Surfbort

Seeing as everybody on the earth is wrapping things up for the year, I thought I might as well do the same and share my favourite food that I’ve discovered in 2018 — because who doesn’t love looking back with nostalgia.

This year, as you may have read, I continued my obsession with Italian food. I will never get over the incredible spread of options available to us here in Melbourne thanks to the migrants that shared their culture. I dined mostly at Mr Pietro, Kaprica, Shop 225 and Mario’s. My favourite dishes have been the gnocchi pomodoro at Mr Pietro, the broccoli pizza at Kaprica, the tiramisu at Shop 225, and the pasta amatriciana at Mario’s. Capitano, Bar Liberty’s recently-opened sibling, cannot escape an honourable mention though, as they are a particularly snug venue to spend time at. Their deepdish pizza is sublime, as is their wooden decor that feels smooth, sleek and stylish.

Mukka

The punk rock scene in Melbourne in 2018 showed no signs of slowing down, with countless local and international shows on every week all around this great city. While it would be impossible for me to have seen everything that was on offer over the past year, here are some highlights of my time attending shows.

SURFBORT + PRIVATE FUNCTION + GIRL GERMS + PINCH POINTS Last Chance Rock N Roll Bar, Friday November 30

Not only did it feature the debut Australian performance from New York City trash punks Surfbort, but this show also exclusively featured bands that have released music on Roolette Records. Founded by Carsten Bruhn just shy of two years ago, the label made its mark releasing some of the best music from Melbourne, while they have also now released Surfbort’s debut LP Friendship Music. The show sold-out via pre-sales and was hotly anticipated by everyone in the circle. With a feel-good vibe of friendship running throughout the night, every band played well and Surfbort made their mark in Melbourne as one of the best new punk bands.

Aburden

As we approach the end of 2018, with so many big eruptions from bands and artists this past year, it’s time to look forward to the new year and see which artists are going to be big in 2019. Coming from someone with a penchant for punk and ‘90s alternative rock bands, these are my top picks for acts to keep your eye on in 2019, in no particular order.

First on this list is Aburden, a five-piece melodic hardcore group from Melbourne. They released their debut EP The Last Goodbye in October this year via Greyscale Records, which featured hit single ‘Need You’. With tour dates already lined up for the new year, including their EP launch at Northcote Social Club, this is certainly an act to keep tabs on.

Next up is Loose End, whose members are made up of half inner city Melburnians, and half Horsham-natives, though they all live in Melbourne now. Forming in 2016 and releasing their debut EP shortly thereafter, their sophomore EP came out in November this year called Overthinking Everything I Know. Lead single ‘Jordan Street’ has themes of childhood and nostalgia. With their EP launch in February at the Catfish Bandroom in Fitzroy and talks of more music, they are definitely ones to watch.

Mesa Cosa Drown This City

Onto the asian cuisines, Jinda Thai, hidden off Victoria Street, has been a solid choice for me this year. When dining here, I’ll always order the papaya salad, the jungle curry, the tamarind fish (their most popular dish) and coconut rice. Other great asian eateries are Viet Rose Vietnamese Restaurant on Brunswick Street (the classics here are delightful), and Shimbashi Japanese Soba & Sake Bar along Smith Street. At Shimbashi, I order edamame as well as the smoked salmon cold noodle salad. They also serve a delicious sesame soup. Mukka is my favourite Indian eatery along Brunswick Street, and is where I head for light and spicy Indian delicacies such as dosa. On the pub front, the Builders Arm’s Hotel is the only pub I’ll go to for steak night (Monday nights). My recommendation: always order your steak medium rare and ask for their delicious selection of mustards.

MESA COSA + FSBS + GREWSUM TEWSUM Cherry Bar, Saturday September 15

Although headliners Mesa Cosa are always excellent, one of the bands that blew my mind the most this year was newcomers Grewsum Tewsum. I’m not exactly sure what it was I was experiencing at the time, but my best analysis of it all was some kind of cowpunk with nu metal breakdowns with two lead singers in wedding dresses. All I know is that it was one of the most refreshing things I’ve seen in a while. I’m normally completely wrong about these things, but I’m touting this band will be huge.

Drown This City have been around since 2015 and broke waves very early in their career when they were the opening act to Falling in Reverse’s 2016 Australian tour and were invited to perform at UNIFY Gathering in 2017. They have also been invited back for the festival’s 2019 run. They released single ‘Third Law’ in April 2018 which was more aggressive and complex than previously heard by the band.

When performing live, the band is a powerhouse, with Alex’s dynamic clean and harsh vocals keeping momentous energy on stage. As a band that has been steadily building a name for themselves since their formation, they are on the verge of something really big.

Bearclaw Camp

Horace Bones HORACE BONES Builders arms hotel

And now for the guilty pleasure that I rarely share, but seeing as the deal expires in January, I simply must make this known – I’m talking about Foresters Pub & Dining on the corner of Gertrude and Smith Street. Yes, you’re correct, it’s that strange looking pub (that kind of looks like a TAB), but simply walk inside and you’ll find that the establishment is actually lovely. Plus, they offer $5 parmas (including eggplant parmas) every night of the week from 4pm to 10pm. Unfortunately, the deal expires in January 2019 so get in quick.

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The Tote Front Bar, Sundays in September Residency

One of my favourite punk bands in Melbourne, Horace Bones are difficult to categorise yet are sonically raw and straight to the point. Dubbed “horror punk” by some, but sounding little like The Misfits, the band tore apart the intimate front bar of The Tote every Sunday throughout September. With the standard set high by frequent raucous sets in the small space throughout the year, there’s no doubt Horace Bones made it their own. With countless spilled drinks, broken mic stands and dangerously low ceiling fans being bent out of shape, the front bar floor copped another series of scars, and continued its tradition of telling the story of one of the best music scenes in the world.

Bearclaw Camp hail from Adelaide and formed in 2015.

They released their debut self-titled EP in June 2016 and then released new single ‘Colour Me’ in November this year.

After the release of their EP they’ve landed support slots for bands such as Neck Deep, With Confidence, Mooseblood and Knuckle Puck. Their music is heartfelt and engaging and the themes are relatable. The band finds themselves regularly on the road, meanwhile they’ve just announced more music is coming in 2019, so stay tuned.

Jungle Breed are from Melbourne and are a three-piece rock band playing laid back and chilled out garage rock tunes.

Playing regular gigs at The Grace Darling Hotel, The Ev and The Toff amongst others, this band, although young, is definitely on the rise. Their single ‘Wasterr’, released in June 2018, features call and response alternating vocals and offers a taste of what’s to come.

COVER STORY

Action Bronson The making of a hip hop kingpin

BY WILL BREWSTER

Newly minted festival The First NYD is perfect for music fans seeking something a little more flavoursome on New Year’s Day, with a lineup offering an eclectic combination of live electronica, hip hop, house and techno to satisfy even the pickiest of palates.

Serving as the main course of the evening alongside music luminaries M.I.A., The Presets and a number of rising producers such as KiNK (Live), Project Pablo and Krystal Klear, is New York MC Action Bronson: an enigmatic character renowned for both his mastery as rapper and culinary chef.

For many, Action Bronson represents a new breed of rapper: a multi-talented star capitalising on their irresistible curbside appeal as hip hop continues to take up the majority of space in mainstream culture. Whether through television hosting gigs on cult late-night Viceland programs or via his distinctive snarling rhymes filled with bombastic culinary references and abstract comparisons, it’s incredibly hard not to fall for Action Bronson’s paradoxical aura as an entertainer.

Born as Ariyan Arslani in the multicultural melting pot of Queens, New York, a career as a rapper was never one of Action Bronson’s lifelong ambitions. Despite being raised in an era where locals like Nas and A Tribe Called Quest received heavy airplay citywide, hip hop was no more than a hobby for Bronson. However, one way or another, recognition was always demanded by the New York rhyme spitter: for years, Arslani worked as a highly respected gourmet flame grill chef throughout the city, and even hosted his own online cooking series, Action In The Kitchen.

This was until one day, a fateful wet floor caused Bronson to slip and break his leg while at work, forcing him out of the kitchen with nothing but a rhyme set and countless culinary lyrical inspirations to keep him occupied.

After attracting the attention of several local hip hop blogs with early culinary-themed releases such as Bon Appetit .… Bitch!!!!! and Dr. Lecter, Bronson entered the conscience of America through a handful of guest verses on projects from

members of Odd Future, the now-seminal LA hip hop collective helmed by the likes of Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean.

Through these collaborations, Bronson sparked relationships with modern rhyme kings Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples and the late Mac Miller, with the latter playing a large role in Bronson’s rise to prominence outside of the US. In 2013, Bronson featured prominently on high-profile releases from the likes of ASAP Rocky and Chance the Rapper, and nabbed a spot on the cover of the country’s biggest hip hop magazine as part of the prestigious XXL Freshman List alongside Travis Scott, ScHoolboy Q and Chief Keef.

However, it wasn’t until 2015 that Action Bronson attracted mainstream success with his debut studio album Mr. Wonderful. Bolstered by the soulful charm of singles ‘Easy Rider’ and the Mark Ronson-produced ‘Baby Blue’, featuring a standout verse by Chance the Rapper, the album cracked Billboard’s Top 10 albums chart and hurtled Bronson onto the radar of the populous – for better, and for worse. Irked by critical comparisons to the Queens rapper [the pair sound almost identical on record], Wu-Tang Clan wordsmith Ghostface Killah posted a bizarre sixminute diss-video online which featured copious amounts of crotch-grabbing.

The online brouhaha culminated in Killah threatening to ‘hang him from his beard’ and ‘gut him like a pig’ after Bronson implied his rapping cadence had surpassed that of his forebearer.

While the two have settled their differences now, Bronson’s subsequent Google search traffic proved there’s no better promotional tool like hip hop beef – and nobody knows beef like Bronson does.

With a string of acclaimed rap releases under his belt, Action Bronson’s natural recorded

charisma saw him expand into the world of television through a deal with Viceland in 2016.

His debut offering Fuck, That’s Delicious depicted Bronson flexing his muscles as a chef, cooking and eating his way around the world with a slew of guests including Jonah Hill and French restaurateur Daniel Boulud. Follow up Traveling The Stars: Action Bronson and Friends Watch ‘Ancient Aliens’ was a stoner’s late night dream that saw Bronson kick it with his buddies, smoke weed and critique the fundamentals of conspiracy theoryladen documentary series Ancient Aliens.

While Action Bronson experienced widespread success with his onscreen ventures across the world, it must be said that all good things must come to an end, with Bronson announcing the end of his partnership with Vice this year in late October. Although the rapper/ chef/TV multi-talent plans on starting afresh with another network, 2018 also saw Bronson expand his interests to the silver screen by joining the cast of The Irishman, Martin Scorcese’s upcoming Netflix crime drama which will see Bronson star alongside cinema legends Al Pacino and Robert de Niro.

All this comes on top of the release of his third studio LP White Bronco, a tight-knit jazzy release which sees Bronson spreading his creative endeavours to new levels – does the man ever slow down? The answer: no.

With Australian fans set to receive a live sampler of White Bronco when the Queens MC touches down in Melbourne to headline The First NYD, if anything, 2019 only looks like we’ll be getting more of Action Bronson. Make sure you start your year the right way with an entrée from Queens’ finest. Bon appetit.

“For many, Action Bronson represents a new breed of rapper: a multitalented star capitalising on their irresistible curbside appeal as hip hop continues to take up the majority of space in mainstream culture.”

The First NYD festival takes over Sidney Myer Music Bowl on New Year’s Day. Head to the festival website for tickets and more info on what’s going down.

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FEATURE

Beat’s Guide to The First NYD Festival Before you get your festival kit on, stash the drinks in the fridge and sort out how you’re getting there, devise your must-see bucket list, because you don’t want to miss out on one, single, thing.

M.I.A.

Mathangi Maya Arulpragasam, AKA M.I.A., is the creator behind one of the most acclaimed party songs of the past two decades. ‘Paper Planes’ was released in 2007 on album Kala, and successfully turned the sounds of gun shots, a gun cock and the clink of a cash register into an irresistibly, contagious beat. Her compositions combine alternative, dance and electronica to create badass, punchy hip hop – her other song ‘Bad Girls’ another stellar work. A rapper, songwriter, producer and activist, M.I.A. has delved into film also, working on the acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire and she has recorded five studio albums as well.

THE PRESETS

2018 has been a huge year for Australian electronic duo The Presets. Behind their vibrant new album Hi Viz, the effervescent duo, comprised of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes, have toured internationally and taken to revered festival stages such Splendour In The Grass and Meredith. Hi Viz flew to #1 on the iTunes Album Chart hours after its release, with tracks, ‘Do What You Want’ and ‘14U+14Me’, ‘Downtown Shutdown’ and ‘Martini’ becoming instant hits. Their back-catalogue is

M.I.A.

stunning also, so expect to hear the timeless ‘My People’, ‘This Boy’s In Love’ and ‘Girl And The Sea’ when The First NYD Festival comes around.

BANOFFEE

Releasing her singles ‘Bubble’ and ‘Muscle Memory’ earlier this year, Banoffee has taken her self-produced electronic music into new realms of experimentation. Her 2015 EP Do I Make You Nervous? fused R&B with dreamy synthesiser, yet Banoffee’s latest music incorporates a richness that is full-bodied in comparison to her gentler, sparsenatured works. Martha Brown, as she is known behind the pseudonym, is sure to entice listeners with her ethereal vocals and harmonies, all on the backboard of pulsing rhythms and swirling synth.

BLOODY MARY

Vinyl DJ, producer and label-owner Bloody Mary will spin acid sound on The First NYD stage, whilst encompassing her own eclectic music tastes.

Having toured the world as an international DJ and live act, she has played venues such as Fabric in London, Panorama Bar in Berlin and Smart Bar in Chicago. Do not miss the remarkable stage presence of the French-born, Berlin-based artist, as she twirls her booming beats overlayed with glistening sounds.

The Presets

KINK

The man behind KiNK is Bulgarian producer Strahil Velchev. KiNK tantalises genres, manipulating them in ways you wouldn’t think possible. Laying down funk-filled cuts with elaborate intermissions, KiNK weaves spontaneity and the unexpected into the realms of techno and house. Hear the improvisational nature of jazz transcend into electronica and experimental synth with KiNK’s much-anticipated slot at The First NYD Festival. You won’t want to miss it.

PROJECT PABLO

The First NYD Festival is set to deliver some of the finest electronic, hip hop, house and techno talent to Sidney Myer Music Bowl on none other than 2019’s greenest day.

The First NYD Festival will go down on New Year’s Day at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Head to the festival website for tickets and more information.

Following the release of his full-length album, Come To Canada You Will Like It, this year, Project Pablo will be coming in hot and ready to ignite The First NYD’s stage. Finding inspiration in the depths of dollar bills and adult contemporary, Project Pablo’s music is diverse and incorporates multiple dance music sub-genres into his own warm, energetic and blurry deep house sound.

With classic groover ‘Closer’ and revered new cut ‘To Sealeigh and Back’ sure to make the set list, Project Pablo is poised to put on the ultimate party.

BY GABBY BEAUMONT

Sex on Toast After losing his mentor early in 2018, Sex on Toast’s frontman reveals that from this adversity he grew and wrote music like never before.

Melbourne-based sumptuous soul act Sex on Toast has spent the last 15 years providing audiences with an escape from reality. The vessel for this transcendence is a combination of their music and aesthetic, a rambunctious mix of ‘80s synth-wave, disco, metal, blaring horns and swaggering baritone vocals. Regardless of how dejected or downtrodden an audience member is at the beginning of a Sex on Toast show, any weight will be lifted by the end of it.

Nevertheless, at the beginning of 2018, Sex on Toast founding member, primary songwriter and frontman Angus Leslie found himself at a treacherously low ebb as adulthood and mortality loomed.

“My step-father’s death wasn’t so great. It affected my creativity in general,” laments Leslie.

He supposes that the passing of a person very close to him this year floored him, but once he had picked the pieces up there was a silver lining.

“What it did was it gave me a creative fearlessness.

My apprehension to take my focus off Sex on Toast and do other projects vanished and I really threw myself head on into those because that is what he would have wanted to do,” he says.

“He was in a band in the ‘80s called 10,000 Guitars and he came from a very musical family.

He played in that band with his brother Keith and his brother Michael, with Michael playing bass for Paul Kelly at some point and his oldest brother was the guitarist from The Sports, Martin Armiger.”

Leslie’s stepfather is the late Andy ArmigerGrant, a veteran of that heady period in the ‘80s 16

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“What it did [my stepfather’s passing] was that it gave me a creative fearlessness.” when Australian rock was in what many consider a sweet spot, producing the likes of INXS, Midnight Oil, Australian Crawl, The Sports, The Motels, Icehouse and many more. ArmigerGrant’s experience became invaluable to Leslie who has since crafted one of Australia’s most inimitable acts.

“He made me understand that certain things need to happen for you to get yourself out there and really do a band properly,” he says.

With the gift of Armiger’s advice and perspective combined with the aforementioned nothing-to-lose attitude, Leslie set about writing material for what would become Sex on Toast’s EP, Rough, that came out this September. The lead single from the release is simply called ‘Party’ and as Leslie describes, it immediately conjures the punchy and popping grooves of Bobby Brown, MC Hammer, Back from Hell-era Run DMC and Prince circa ‘Cream’.

Leslie discusses writing ‘Party’, making reference to the subgenre that dominated pop for a good chunk from 1989 to 1993.

“I was trying to capture the essence of new jack-infused pop – new jack swing is a genre that arose from Teddy Riley’s production work in the late ‘80s on songs like Johnny Kemp’s ‘Just Got Paid’ and Keith Sweat’s ‘I Want Her’. Teddy Riley

ended up becoming a big-name producer and did Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’, he pioneered that swing beat and high-snare sound.”

The economy and focus of ‘Party’ is in stark contrast to the enveloping opulence of Sex on Toast’s biggest song to date, ‘Oh, Loretta’.

Whilst Leslie’s obsession with new jack swing is partially responsible for this, the band’s shedding of two of its horn players also played a part.

“We now just have Nick Piestch on trombone, Johnny Bassoon moved to Canada while Bovril [Harrison] is focusing on his professional knitting career. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have full horns back one day, but we are kind of enjoying playing with a slightly smaller lineup that’s more about the rhythm section and less about horn arranging. This allows me to focus on the vocal arranging,” admits Leslie.

It will be this streamlined makeup that will greet fans in the New Year as Sex on Toast perform at Chapel Off Chapel on Saturday January 12.

Leslie enthuses about the show, “There is a grand piano there that is exciting, so we will try to incorporate that in some stripped back versions.

It is a nice space.”

BY DAN WATT

Sex on Toast play Chapel Summer Sessions on Saturday January 12. Grab your tickets and check out the rest of the Summer Sessions lineup at the venue website.

FEATURE

Every Time I Die

“It’s a milestone that not many bands reach, so when you get there you don’t treat it as the finish line. You turn it up. You go harder.”

They’ve been delivering ripsnorting, slobber-knocking, southern-fried hardcore for 20 years now, and Buffalonatives Every Time I Die have zero intention of stopping any time soon.

Their most recent tour through North America was billed as “Celebrating 20 Years Of Bullshit,” although it wasn’t quite the nostalgia-fest that many bands of that particular vintage tend to go for. According to Keith Buckley, the band’s lead vocalist, it was a celebration of how far they’ve come as opposed to how much they dwell on the past.

“We just want to look forward,” he says.

“Twenty years is no time to stop and reflect. It’s a milestone that not many bands reach, so when you get there you don’t treat it as the finish line. You turn it up. You go harder.”

Indeed, Every Time I Die have simply not stopped since the release of 2016’s Low Teens.

The album has been their most successful to date, charting in a half-dozen countries and taking them the world over in support of it. Two-anda-half years after its release, Buckley hasn’t even entertained the idea of the ninth ETID record.

“Low Teens is still too full of life to even think about putting it on the shelf,” says Buckley.

“Imagine if your grandfather just walked out of the doctor’s office and he’s like, ‘Well, I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been and I have a long, fulfilling life to look forward to. As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to take up playing chess considering how sharp my mind is.’ If you were like, ‘Whatever you say, old man. Time to get you to the old folks’

home,’ that would be insane. Low Teens has so much strength left.”

This isn’t to say, however, that Buckley hasn’t been keeping his creative juices flowing – it’s just been channelled elsewhere. 2019 will see Buckley releasing brand new material with his supergroup The Damned Things, which also features members of Anthrax (the legendary Scott Ian) and Fall Out Boy (guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley). Buckley is excited to revive the project after almost seven years in hiatus. “We’ve been ‘secretly’ writing for about four years now,” he says.

“I’m excited for it to blossom again – the band is so much different, and so much better.”

For the meantime, Buckley’s focus is on Every Time I Die – and this month, it’s been the focus of a lot of people’s attention. The band recently held a massive hometown shindig entitled Tid The Season, which brought a myriad of different bands, artists and performers to Buffalo and brought fans of the band not only from interstate, but from overseas. Buckley is the first to admit the whole thing was a blur – “I have no idea how it went,” he quips. “I was too nervous the entire day and don’t remember anything.”

It’s safe to say, however, that the event was a major success. The show even featured matches from Blackcraft Wrestling, an independent prowrestling promotion for which guitarist Andy Williams often competes. Not that Buckley would ever get in the ring himself, though: “I would be the guy they find at the concessions stand dipping a soft pretzel into his beer for some reason and have kicked out of the event,” he says.

Buckley has a home on-stage rather than inring. Australia has served as almost a second home for the band for years, and this month will see the band return for a unique one-off performance at UNIFY Gathering in Gippsland. Needless to say, it’s going to involve a lot of travel – but Buckley’s already got long-haul flights all figured out.

“Bring a lot of painkillers and at least two books,” he advises. “Chances are there will be at least three Marvel movies showing, but even if you watch all of them you still have 11 hours left.”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Blaze Festival

“I hope that audiences will take away some great memories of Ballarat as a hotbed for challenging and extreme music.”

Why should Melbourne be the final world on Australian heavy rock?

This question led to the creation of Blaze Festival, a Ballarat music event that runs the gamut from straightforward hard rock to more esoteric varieties of thrash and death metal. The festival isn’t intended just as a night of loud and frenetic sound, say organisers – it’s also intended to reinvigorate the Ballarat music scene and to pull a little attention to regional Victorian musicians.

“We want to bridge the gap and encourage the Ballarat people and the community around the area to be more inclusive,” says festival spokesperson Serenity Furjan. “The activity is there, but not as prevalent as it should be, on the heavier and harder side of music… This is an encouragement for Ballarat to be a part of something invigorating within their arts and music community. We’re gonna shake shit up – that’s what the plan is. We’ve got big goals and big dreams, and they’re achievable, provided that we’ve got the community’s positive response behind us.”

Headlining Blaze will be a Melburnian group that’s made a name for themselves overseas: Metallica-influenced thrash metal group Desecrator. Also on the bill are prolific death metal group Hadal Maw, black metal artists Encircling Sea, punk ensemble Wolfpack and the inimitable Whoretopsy, among others. “[Wolfpack] are another band who’ve gone out and championed and challenged themselves not only locally, but nationally and internationally,” says Furjan. “Blaze goes from… the darker, blackened end with Encircling Sea to everything in between that makes rock, metal and punk so accessible and so wonderful to be a part of. Ballarat needs that encouragement.”

Encircling Sea

Melbourne death metal group Whoretopsy are well known for their deliberately over-the-top lyrics, which feature material that can be explicitly violent, sexual or just plain weird. The band’s sometimes cringe-inducingly graphic lyrics have led to more than one gig cancellation following public outcry – a response Melbourne usually reserves for right-wing lecturers – but Furjan hopes that Blaze audiences will be prepared to take Whoretopsy’s boundary-pushing music in good humour.

“We’re trying to encourage the artistic merit of this band,” says Furjan. “It actually goes beyond the undertones that a lot of people are seeing, which are quite superficial. I think a lot of people are losing sight of what satirical artistry can be brought forward in music… We don’t want to censor anybody.”

The convenience of streaming services has bitten into ticket sales for live events over past years. As well as revitalising the Ballarat heavy music scene, Blaze Festival should also encourage the public to choose live music over digital services, says Dav Byrne, bassist for Encircling Sea. “It’s definitely up to the punters to show their support for live music by voting with their feet, getting to a show and not taking the easy option of staying somewhere comfortable and doing something that’s a bit more predictable,” says Byrne. “I really hope that the festival will put

Catch Every Time I Die at UNIFY Gathering, going down at Tarwin Meadows, Gippsland from Friday January 11 until Sunday January 13. Tickets via the festival website.

Ballarat back on the map as a destination to come and see some incredible arts and culture.”

Encircling Sea is working on an unconventional lighting setup for their set at Blaze Festival – one that will create a heavy, moody atmosphere devoid of the standard blinking red, blue and green lights. Byrne hopes that Blaze audiences will have fun, but not so much fun that they won’t remember Encircling Sea’s set the next day.

“A crippling hangover is not necessarily a badge of honour,” chides Byrne. “It’s always great to remember some of what you saw the previous evening, and I hope that audiences will take away some great memories of Ballarat as a hotbed for challenging and extreme music.”

So long as Ballarat’s notoriously capricious climate doesn’t intercede with sleet or a 40-degree heat wave, Blaze Festival is set to become an annual event that will breathe new life into the regional Victorian heavy music community, says Byrne.

“It’s not just about the Melbourne music scene anymore,” says Furjan. “It’s about the Victorian music scene. We’ve got so much to give everybody.

Victoria’s only going to be a bigger, better place in the next ten years, and we definitely want to be a part of that growth.”

Blaze Festival goes down at Karova Lounge, Ballarat, on Saturday January 26.

Tickets via Oztix.

BY ZACHARY SNOWDON SMITH

BEAT.COM.AU

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FEATURE

The Kooks

Back in 2004, The Kooks were quietly working away on music they didn’t think the world would hear.

Flash forward 15 years, and the four-piece have won fans across the globe with their brand of British indie rock, cementing themselves as heavyweights of the genre. But singer Luke Pritchard says they never dreamed of making it so big.

“We weren’t like the Arctic Monkeys or something like that, we weren’t like expecting to get massive,” laughs the frontman. “You might talk to Alex Turner and he’d say the same, but it really took us by surprise.”

The band have released a myriad of hits since their debut, catapulting into the spotlight with the track ‘Naive’. While it’s now one of their most recognised and most played tunes, it was almost left on the cutting room floor.

“I didn’t want to cut the song,” he recalls.

“I wasn’t really that into it, but our record label and management were like obsessed with it.

I remember in the studio kicking up a fuss like ‘I don’t want to do this one, we’ve got better songs.’

Anyway, we cut the record and then it ended up being the song that really broke the band to the whole world.

“It’s crazy, my whole life would have been different if I hadn’t done that song. Seriously, like we had some other songs on that album, but that [one] really propelled the whole thing.”

Five albums later, and The Kooks are still going strong. They unveiled their latest record Let’s Go Sunshine back in August, a hefty 15-tracker that sounds a lot like their old school stuff. Considering they’ve chopped, changed and experimented with their music over the past few releases, Pritchard says it felt natural to go back to their roots.

“Music is fickle, and I guess if you’re in it, you’ve just got to be happy with what you’ve got and enjoy it.”

“It was a bit of a journey, you know?” says Pritchard. “We wanted to do less programming and really do a guitar, like a classic record. So, once we’d decided that, then things started to come together.

“I really wanted people who have supported us and people who like the band to like the record and really enjoy it, and make them feel nostalgic as well, because a lot of people grew up with our music and it’s nostalgic for them.”

It was clearly the right decision for the band, who’s joy in creating the album is reflected in the work itself. While Pritchard wasn’t personally in the best headspace at the time, he believes Let’s Go Sunshine captured more of the band’s overall energy than it did his own troubles.

“The lyrics definitely speak to what was going on in my life, but I think there’s a feeling on the record of finding your feet, there’s a confidence,” he muses.

“And there’s kind of a youthful feeling, and a joy to it, you know? And I think that’s what we curated when we did sort of a studio situation,

and [it was] the four of us playing together and recording a great take, we really enjoyed that.”

This sense of enjoyment has always been what music is really about for Pritchard, who’s not concerned with pouring over the band’s ratings or reviews. He doesn’t work towards fame or external success but rather is driven by a desire to create what he likes, and what he hopes others can connect to.

“We’ve never really had amazing reviews or really good press, so I don’t really mind,” he laughs.

“I’ve always thought of our band as more about the people. We’re not celebrities, we don’t get fivestar reviews and we don’t win awards, and that kind of thing in a way sort of shields us. I mean it’d be great, we’d love that, but in life you can’t choose how you’re received.

“Music is fickle, and I guess if you’re in it, you’ve just got to be happy with what you’ve got and enjoy it, and hope you have something that connects. It’s as simple as that.”

BY GRETA BRERETON

The Growlers

There’s banging, cluttering, and general movement happening down the phone line. Somewhere in Los Angeles, Brooks Nielsen is shuffling about, distracted.

“Don’t worry, I’ve cut it out now,” he assures.

Well good, because it’s time to try and crack his effortlessly cool exterior and experience the Nielsen, vocalist of The Growlers, that everybody knows and loves.

It’s been quite the year for the self-proclaimed Californian beach goths. They released their album Casual Acquaintances to high acclaim and began their Beach Goth tour across North America, which is set to hit Australia in January. They’ve already sold out a Sydney show, but Nielsen, in his endearingly macabre manner, hasn’t paid much attention to those details. “I don’t know what it is, but hey, it sounds good to me,” he says.

There’s an epic sort of Jack Skellington meets Edward Scissorhands meets Bob Dylan aesthetic to Nielsen. He may initially appear nonchalant, but really it’s a dry wit and a quick humour that paints colour on the otherwise blackened shell of the singer. Much like their frontman, The Growlers are often described as being a little bit of everything – not goth, not punk, not hipster – and their music is appealing to so many kinds of people, for reasons unbeknownst to Nielsen. “I’m fine with labels,” he drones. “You know, people need to talk, like magazines, journalism and all that. That’s the only way to talk about bands, bands need it to get off. After that, talk is cheap.”

The Growlers are coming out natural, never feeling pressured in anything they do. Where his band mates are out looking for music to inspire

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them, Nielsen of course is a different sheep, trying, he says, to just tap into something and communicate that. In how he seems to want to approach his music, Nielsen is so relaxed that he could very well fall on his backside.

“I don’t know,” he begins monotonously. “I’m a harsh critic of myself, I mean, I tear myself up. I do it to myself when I’m writing but it’s all based on what I want.

“I think the difference is people are making stuff thinking about what other people are thinking about it, I couldn’t give a shit. If the people we make music for – if you don’t like it, I really don’t care at all.

“I guess that’s why we come across casual or nonchalant or careless. I don’t know, if it doesn’t work that way I don’t understand what the fucking point is.”

So gothic is Nielsen’s manner and meaning, it’s a wonder if he frequents the beach dressed all in black – the question of which raises an explosion of laughter from him. “Occasionally,” he teases. “When I’m at the beach I’ll wear my [black] wetsuit the entire day.”

You can catch The Kooks at Lardner Park for Beyond The Valley from Friday December 28 to Tuesday January 1, or at Festival Hall on Thursday January 13. Check out the BTV website for tickets and the full lineup, or Secret Sounds for the headline show.

Admittedly, Nielsen doesn’t know what’s going on. His life is removed from everything going on, and he doesn’t care. His music is internal, direct to his life and what’s directly connected to him when he tries to make music. It’s been described by Nielsen that his persona on stage can be very childlike – if he’s so removed, as he says, from the outside world, is that particular persona drawn from his internal happenings? Heavily, Nielsen says, “There’s only a couple of areas in my life when I get to be weird and artistic, and that’s when we make a record, when I’m designing costumes for us, planning fun parties, and when I’m on stage.

“When I’m not doing music I’m doing the opposite – I’m not listening to music, not looking at what another band does, I’m only worried about using any free time I have to hang out with my family and get to the beach, have a little fun.”

BY ANNA ROSE

“I think the difference is people are making stuff thinking about what other people are thinking about it, I couldn’t give a shit … if you don’t like it, I really don’t care at all.”

The Growlers play The Forum on Wednesday January 16 with support from The Chats and Pist Idiots. Tickets via Ticketmaster.

FEATURE

East Brunswick Hotel Emerging from the ashes of the East Brunswick Club is the East Brunswick Hotel, a newly renovated three-level hotel offering some of Melbourne’s best dining, music and accommodation experiences.

When the venue went up for sale late last year after sitting dormant for eighteen months, the Didier family swooped in and bought it, seeing the Hotel as a bold new venture that the whole family could be part of.

“It’s been a huge challenge, I think especially for me,” says the Hotel’s general manager, Jo Didier. “Just with all the little bits and pieces, starting new, you’ve got staff coming and going and finding your feet but it’s definitely worth it, I love it. It’s really exciting.”

The Didier family also bought the two shops next door with future plans for expansion. Jo sees the retail space being renovated into a piano bar or something similar. Once that gets going, they will have to see how everything will be set up in terms of where things are located in the hotel.

“We’ve sort of done everything we want to do in the hotel at the moment cosmetically,” she says.

“We just did all the paintings and walls and stuff like that, so there’s not really much more to do until obviously we extend next door, then we can look at what we do in both spaces.”

Although the bandroom doesn’t exist anymore, the East Brunswick Hotel still holds a live music program that runs from Thursdays through to

Sundays and features mostly local acoustic duo or solo artists. Didier thinks this suits the venue, because the restaurant, bar and stage are all in the same area. This makes for a pleasant accompaniment to the dining experience and also caters for punters who want to see some great live music.

“We can’t go to extremes and have big bands but it’s something we enjoy and I think people enjoy coming and listening to different local Melbourne acts,” she explains.

What makes the East Brunswick Hotel really unique is its three levels, all offering a different feel and setting to them, as well as 12 boutique style hotel rooms. The cellar downstairs was all concrete floor, ceiling and walls when the Didier’s took over, but they renovated it with plaster walls and a nice timber feature and set it up perfect for a small private function. The ground level public bar caters for dining and drinks alongside the live music, and extends to the cocktail bar upstairs, if there’s no functions booked. The cocktail bar features a beautiful balcony and couches and is more suited to a larger function.

“The cocktail function area is a good space because it’s not just one big square room. You can

fit in a fair few people but they’re spread around, which most people do at functions anyway, so it’s a nice area,” Didier explains.

The Didier family just want to offer the best service that they can to guests who walk in.

There’s nothing worse than going to a restaurant or bar and being turned away because you’re not dressed up accordingly, so the East Brunswick Hotel want to create a warm, welcoming and homely environment, where everyone is treated with respect.

“We’re not for pretentiousness, we just want to be welcoming to everyone,” Didier says.

As they don’t have a set genre or demographic of clientele, the Didier family just want everyone to come in and have a good time. “Every place can serve the same drinks and food, we just want to give the right service. We’re just really big on integrity, and the food’s really good, we’ve got a great chef. I think they’re the main things we’ve got a focus on.”

The East Brunswick Hotel is located at 280 Lygon St, Brunswick East. Head to the venue website for information on upcoming events and to check out their menu.

BY ELLEN ROSIE

Queen Kong

“The audience is definitely encouraged to consider some deeper issues while also engaging with the humour of it all.”

When you think of cabaret, you probably think of sparkly tasselled dresses, men in hats, incredible choreographed sequences and the kind of old-timey music that your grandparents would have loved when they were young and edgy.

While understandable, this is a far cry from today’s world of cabaret, as shown by the second instalment of Sarah Ward’s theatrical Queen Kong trilogy, The Legend of Queens Kong Episode II: Queen Kong in Outer Space.

To give you a basic run down of the show would be reductionist; the perils and adventures of Queen Kong are so complex that it’s mindblowing to consider the story was borne of the human mind at all. Nonetheless, Queen Kong – an immortal being who is part rock and part ape – has been imprisoned for being too large, with her steps causing destruction wherever she goes.

Naturally, the largest meteorite in the asteroid belt, named Ceres, descends to Earth and saves her from her suffocating imprisonment, lifting her into the wider universe; however, danger awaits.

The ensuing journey – backed by rock ‘n’ roll instrumentals, Ward’s incredible vocals and deaf performer Asphyxia’s signing – will shed light on current and pertinent social issues through the lens of sheer silliness and humour.

“It takes on a lot of the tropes of the sciencefiction genre. It really plays with the concept of time not really being linear, so that’s why we start the story of Queen Kong in Episode II,” Ward explains. “We pick up at the point where Queen Kong is imprisoned for being too large, and she calls upon rock to save her – meaning rock music, which is the song of protest.

“Every place can serve the same drinks and food, we just want to give the right service. We’re just really big on integrity, and the food’s really good, we’ve got a great chef. I think they’re the main things we’ve got a focus on.”

“It’s hilarious. That being said, we do end on a melancholy, sombre-ish note, so the audience is definitely encouraged to consider some deeper issues while also engaging with the humour of it all.”

Ward, the mastermind and face behind Queen Kong herself, is no stranger to the stage. She became a mainstay and legend of the Australian cabaret scene when she first embodied the character Yana Alana, a narcissistic yet completely deluded diva who believed herself to be nothing if not absolutely divine. Ward’s alter-ego was likened to Edna Everage and described by Kate Ceberano as “a gun-slinging, take no prisoners kinda girl with her heart on her ass.”

Though acutely based around the 1976 film Queen Kong, the show is undeniably linked to the issues faced by our society in the current day, including issues pertaining to the queer, refugee, and other communities. Additionally, the show addresses the lack of deaf-inclusive performance by placing deaf performer Asphyxia in the show, as well as Kirri Dangerfield’s Auslan interpretations and video components.

“Having her as such a big presence in the show means that Auslan is immersive instead of being something that’s put to the side,” Ward explains.

“So deaf and hard-of-hearing people will be able

to experience the show in a more complete way, as well as giving able-hearing people a new language to engage with, because it’s largely gestural.”

Though the ham in the middle of this intergalactic, stratospheric, queer amalgamation of rock and glamour, Queen Kong in Outer Space can stand alone as its own dip into the creative genius of Ward and her team, including co-creator Bec Matthews, the all-gender-diverse-and-queer rock band HOMOsapiens, and deaf performer Asphyxia. When asked if the queer aspect of the show was important to her and the team, Ward laughs.

“Pretty much everyone [on the team] is queer – in regard to sexuality and gender, everything is represented. So it’s very important to us.

“Years ago, we would never have expected to be able to receive encouragement to perform a show this outwardly vocal about issues such as this, let alone receive the funding. And now we have space, and time, and we’re taking up room. It’s so great, seeing as we’ve been doing these sorts of things for so long. This is a real testament to the work we’ve all put in before it was as accepted as it is now.”

The Legend of Queen Kong Episode II: Queen Kong in Outer Space plays at Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne from Wednesday January 16 until Sunday January 20. All performances are Auslan interpreted and you can find more details on show times and tickets via the Arts Centre Melbourne website.

BY LEXI HERBERT

BEAT.COM.AU

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2018 WRITERS’ WRAP UP

2018 Beat Writers’ Wrap Up 2018 was crazy. It might not have been the most memorable year for music highs but there was still plenty to get excited about. So without further ado, here’s our traditional rundown of all the best stuff, from stellar singles to incredible albums and everything in between. What meme was your favourite and what was the most memorable gig, now’s your time to compare compadres.

Name: Tom Parker, Editor Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

2. Constant Mongrel – Living

In Excellence 3. The Green Child – The Green Child 4. A.A.L (Against All Logic) – 2012 - 2017 5. MGMT – Little Dark Age 6. The Goon Sax – We’re Not Talking 7. Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton – When It Ends 8. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs 9. DJ Koze – Knock Knock 10. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Sparkle Hard Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Parquet Courts – ‘Total Football’ 2. The Green Child – ‘Destroyer’ 3. HAIRCARE – ‘Young Muscle’ 4. Constant Mongrel – ‘600 Pounds’ 5. Gregor – ‘I Look Devastated’

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Mildlife – The Night Cat 2. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Corner 3. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Gizzfest 4. Total Control – Sydney Opera House 5. Kevin Morby – The Corner Top movie/TV show: Black Mirror Favourite meme of 2018: Not really a meme guy but that A Star is Born meme is great Highlight of 2018: Climbing a volcano in Guatemala Lowlight of 2018: Missing both Golden Plains and Meredith – my two favourite places on this planet One tour Australia needs in 2019: Stereolab are playing Primavera Sound. Please come to Australia Name: Caleb Triscari, Online Editor Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. King Princess – Make My Bed 2. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs 3. The National – Boxer Live in Brussels 4. Middle Kids – Lost Friends 5. Mitski – Be the Cowboy 6. Beach House – 7 7. The Paper Kites – On the Train Ride Home 8. Belle and Sebastian – How to Solve Our Problems, Pt 3 9. Ariana Grande – Sweetener 10. Phantastic Ferniture – Phantastic Ferniture Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. King Princess – ‘1950’ 2. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – ‘Talking Straight’ 3. Perfume Genius – ‘Alan (Rework)’ 4. Ariana Grande – ‘No Tears Left to Cry’ 5. Rogue Wave – ‘Blonde on Blonde’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Perfume Genius – Melbourne Recital Centre 2. The National – Sidney Myer Music Bowl 3. Pond – Stay Gold 4. Suss Cunts/Frances Fox in a secret location 5. Demon Days – Yah Yah’s Top movie/TV show: The Good Place Season Three Favourite meme of 2018: Alexa Play Despacito or Tide Pods Highlight of 2018: Starting at Beat (obviously) Lowlight of 2018: Facebook isn’t dead One tour Australia needs in 2019: Megan Washington Name: Nicholas Simonsen, Mixdown Editor Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It 2. Coheed and Cambria – The Unheavenly Creatures 3. Thrice – Palms 4. Silent Planet – When The End Began 5. Justin Courtney Pierre – In The Drink 6. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

20 BEAT.COM.AU

7. Greyhaven – Empty Black 8. Hail The Sun – Mental Knife 9. Facing New York – Dogtown 10. Underoath – Erase Me Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Silent Planet – ‘Visible Unseen’ 2. The 1975 – ‘Sincerity Is Scary’ 3. Coheed and Cambria – ‘Love Protocol’ 4. Thrice – ‘Just Breathe’ 5. Emarosa – ‘Givin’ Up’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Snow Patrol – Palais Theatre 2. The Contortionist/SikTh – Max Watt’s 3. Parkway Drive – Margaret Court Arena 4. Shihad – 170 Russell 5. Thursday/Quicksand – Corner Hotel Top movie/TV show: Condor Favourite meme of 2018: Too busy for memes Highlight of 2018: Too many to pick just one Lowlight of 2018: Glassjaw’s Australian tour getting cancelled One tour Australia needs in 2019: Glassjaw!

Name: Abbey Lew-Kee, Sub-editor Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. boygenius – boygenius EP 2. Laurel - DOGVIOLET 3. Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends 4. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 5. Troye Sivan – Bloom 6. The Kooks – Let’s Go Sunshine 7. Emma Louise – Lilac Everything 8. Middle Kids – Lost Friends 9. Greta Van Fleet – Anthem of the Peaceful Army 10. Hatchie – Sugar & Spice Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. King Princess – ‘Holy’ 2. Thelma Plum – ‘Clumsy Love’ 3. Vera Blue – ‘All The Pretty Girls’ 4. Anderson East – ‘This Too Shall Last’ 5. Eaglemont – ‘Mediocre at Best’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Regina Spektor – Hamer Hall 2. Jake Bugg – The Croxton 3. Pink – Rod Laver Arena 4. Gang of Youths – The Forum 5. Middle Kids – The Corner Hotel Top movie/TV show: A tie between The Sinner (season 2) and Alias Grace. Spooky shit Favourite meme of 2018: David Le’aupepe’s dancing over different songs Highlight of 2018: Being a part of the Music Industry Pathways program through alltime legends The Push! Thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been afforded because of it Lowlight of 2018: I’ve become increasingly intolerant to dairy. Not ideal that’s for sure One tour Australia needs in 2019:Argentine songstress Loli Molina Name: Kate Streader, Editorial Assistant Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Kurt Vile – Bottle It In 2. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death In Meatspace 3. Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – Good Citizens 3. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

4. Palm Springs – Palm Springs & Friends 5. Jack White – Boarding House Reach 6. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth 7. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel 8. Emily Wurramara – Milyakburra 9. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer 10. Adrianne Lenker – abysskiss Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Genesis Owusu – ‘Awomen Amen’ 2. Julia Jacklin – ‘Head Alone’ 3. Sampa The Great – ‘Energy (ft. Nadeem Din-Gabisi)’ 4. Kurt Vile – ‘One Trick Ponies’ 5. Courtney Barnett – ‘Nameless, Faceless’

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. David Byrne – Margaret Court Arena 2. Robert Plant – Palais Theatre 3. Tropical Fuck Storm live scoring No Country For Old Men – The Arts Centre 4. Mac DeMarco and Kirin J Callinan – The Forum 5. Kate Miller-Heidke – Melbourne Zoo Top movie/TV show: Broad City Favourite meme of 2018: All of the moth memes Highlight of 2018: Interviewing so many musicians I admire and all the phenomenal gigs – 2018 has been a dream Lowlight of 2018: The fact that our country is being run by a guy who calls himself ‘ScoMo’ One tour Australia needs in 2019: Tom Waits Name: Alex Watts Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Laura Jean – Devotion 2. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death in Meatspace 3. Anderson .Paak – Oxnard 4. The Carters – Everything is Love 5. Teyana Taylor – K.T.S.E. 6. MOD CON – Modern Convenience 7. U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited 8. Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics 9. Paul Simon – In a Blue Light 10. New War – Coin Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Julia Jacklin – ‘Body’ 2. Laura Jean – ‘Girls on the TV’ 3. Mojo Juju – ‘Native Tongue’ 4. Kira Puru – ‘Molotov’ 5. Marlon Williams – ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Anderson .Paak – 170 Russell 2. Tropical Fuck Storm – Howler 3. Little Ugly Girls – Meredith Music Festival 4. Perry Keyes – The Spotted Mallard 5. Lee Fields – Golden Plains Name: Alexander Crowden Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 2. The Wombats – Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life 3. Drake – Scorpion 4. Amy Shark – Love Monster 5. Kanye West – Ye 6. Jack River – Sugar Mountain 7. Albert Hammond Jr. – Francis Trouble 8. Blossoms – Cool Like You 9. Florence and the Machine – High As Hope 10. Luca Brasi – Stay Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Alison Wonderland – ‘Church’ 2. Arctic Monkeys – ‘Four Out of Five’ 3. Lily Allen feat. Giggs – ‘Trigger Bang’ 4. Death Cab For Cutie – ‘Gold Rush’ 5. The 1975 – ‘Love It If We Made It’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. The Killers – Rod Laver Arena 2. The Wombats – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto 3. Grouplove – The Croxton 4. Meg Mac – Australian Open Live Stage 5. Gang of Youths – The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto Top movie/TV show: Big Mouth Favourite meme of 2018: All of my favourite memes from this year turned out to be created in 2017 Highlight of 2018: Moving to Toronto Lowlight of 2018: Losing the Grand Final in the last two minutes One tour Australia needs in 2019: Jimmy Eat World Name: Augustus Welby Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo 2. Beach House – 7 3. Tirzah – Devotion 4. The Breeders – All Nerve 5. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death in Meatspace 6. Kali Uchis – Isolation 7. Mod Con – Modern Convenience 8. Peluche – Unforgettable 9. Thunderegg – Cosmos 10. Eleanor Friedberger – Rebound Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Tropical Fuck Storm – ‘The Future of History’ 2. upsidedownhead – ‘get low (feat. Ric Rufio)’ 3. Cardi B – ‘Be Careful’ 4. Julia Jacklin – ‘Body’ 5. Janelle Monae – ‘Pynk (feat. Grimes)’

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Jen Cloher – The Dome, London 2. Jade Imagine – Oslo Hackney, London 3. Courtney Barnett – The Roundhouse, London 4. Alex Cameron – KOKO, London 5. Marine – Rough Trade East, London Top movie/TV show: Nanette Favourite meme of 2018: N/A (I’m old) Highlight of 2018: Music Lowlight of 2018: The news One tour Australia needs in 2019: Janelle Monae Name: Bronius Zumeris Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. The Aints! – The Church Of Simultaneous Existence 2. Belle & Sebastian – How To Solve Our Human Problems 3. Dead Can Dance – Dionysus 4. Donny Benet – The Don 5. Editors – Violence 6. How To Dress Well – The Anteroom 7. Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Blue Poles 8. Marc Ribot – Songs Of Resistance 1942 2018 9. The National – Boxer Live In Brussels 10. Tangents – New Bodies Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. The Aints! – Thornbury Theatre 2. Blackeyed Susans – Melbourne Recital Centre 3. Black Cab – Northcote Social Club 4. David Byrne – Margaret Court Arena 5. Jack Ladder – Grace Darling Hotel Highlight of 2018: Donald Trump the caricature Lowlight of 2018: Donald Trump the person One tour Australia needs in 2019: Bryan Ferry, Died Pretty and Models Name: Claire Morley Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Ariana Grande – Sweetener 2. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer 3. Travis Scott – Astroworld 4. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 5. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

6. Amy Shark – Love Monster 7. Freya Josephine Hollick – Feral Fusion 8. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer 9. Gretta Ray – Here and Now 10. CHVRCHES – Love is Dead Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Childish Gambino – ‘This is America’ 2. Ariana Grande – ‘God is a Woman’ 3. Kanye West and Lil Pump – ‘I Love It’ 4. Amy Shark – ‘All Loved Up’ 5. Gretta Ray – ‘Radio Silence’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Manchester Orchestra – 170 Russell 2. Perfume Genius – Melbourne Recital Centre 3. Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic – Alex Theatre 4. Bruno Mars – Rod Laver Arena 5. Dua Lipa – Palais Theatre Top movie/TV show: Bojack Horseman Season Five Favourite meme of 2018: r/grandpajoehate Highlight of 2018: Adopting my kitty, Nova Lowlight of 2018: Childish Gambino cancelling his Australian tour One tour Australia needs in 2019: Childish Gambino, though I’m reasonably sure he’ll be too busy being a Lion King to make my dreams a reality Name: Dan Watt Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Jon Hopkins – Singularity 2. Ty Segall – Freedom’s Goblin 3. Drug Cult – s/t 4. Drunk Mums – Urban Cowboy 5. Teenage Dads – Potpourri Lake 6. Total Giovanni – Euphoria 7. Nun – Dome 8. RL Grime – Nova 9. Iceage – Beyondless 10. Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Jon Hopkins – ‘Everything Connected’ 2. Kanye West – ‘I Love It’ 3. RL Grime – ‘Feel Free’ 4. Ty Segall – ‘Everyone’s A Winner’ 5. Pist Idiots – ‘Smile’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Sepultura – 170 Russell 2. Together Pangea – Northcote Social Club

2018 WRITERS’ WRAP UP

3. High Tension – The Tote 4. Actress – Sugar Mountain Festival 5. DJ Seinfeld – Melbourne Music Week Top movie/TV show: Westworld Season 2 Favourite meme of 2018: Anything posted on @ Kickoncameron; however, the greatest memes of all time are those found on ‘Low Income, Single Dads’ Highlight of 2018: The drop on RL Grime’s ‘Feel Free’ Lowlight of 2018: Playing the aforementioned drop to someone on my shitty fucking iPhone One tour Australia needs in 2019: Our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ Name: David Class Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. JPEGMAFIA – Veteran 2. Death Grips – Year of the Snitch 3. IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance 4. Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs 5. Superorganism – Superorganism 6. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death In Meatspace 7. Little Ugly Girls – Little Ugly Girls 8. Leikeli47 – Acrylic 9. Buddy – Harlan & Alondra 10. Confidence Man – Confident Music For Confident People Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Death Grips – ‘Black Paint’ 2. Gesaffelstein – ‘Reset’ 3. IDLES – ‘Colossus’ 4. JPEGMAFIA – ‘Real Nega’ 5. Orb – ‘The Space Between The Planets’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Superorganism – 170 Russell 2. Little Ugly Girls – The Gasometer 3. Cigarettes After Sex – Corner Hotel 4. Primus – Palais Theatre 5. Tkay Maidza – Howler Top movie/TV show: Climax Favourite meme of 2018: Power Rangers Highlight of 2018: Listening to music in my car Lowlight of 2018: Not reading enough One tour Australia needs in 2019: Danny to the MF Brown Name: David James Young Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. The Presets – HI VIZ 2. Pianos Become the Teeth – Wait for Love 3. Mitski – Be the Cowboy 4. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel 5. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love 6. Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere 7. Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance 8. Kanye West – ye 9. Turnstile – Time & Space 10. Neko Case – Hell-On Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Childish Gambino – ‘This is America’ 2. Idles – ‘Colossus’ 3. 5 Seconds of Summer – ‘Youngblood’ 4. Mitski – ‘Nobody’ 5. Flowermouth – ‘Gown’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Passed The Break – Reverence Hotel 2. Solange – Sydney Opera House 3. David Byrne – ICC Sydney Theatre 4. Courtney Barnett – Sydney Opera House 5. The Killers – Qudos Bank Arena Top movie/TV show: Big Mouth Favourite meme of 2018: Was Richard Spencer getting punched in the face this year? No? It’s my carryover champion. But an honourable mention to slamming the top of the car Highlight of 2018: The loss of XXXTentacion Lowlight of 2018: The loss of Shane Collins, Mac Miller, Delores O’Riordan, Aretha Franklin and Richard Swift, among others One tour Australia needs in 2019: Ariana Grande Name: Gabriella Beaumont Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters 2. Khruangbin – Con Todo El

Mundo 3. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

4. Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love 5. Mojo Juju – Native Tongue 6. Noname – Room 25 7. Robyn – Honey 8. Beach House – 7 9. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel 10. Crepes – In Cahoots

Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Sesame Syrup – ‘Cigarettes After Sex’ 2. Charlotte’s Thong – ‘Connan Mockasin’ 3. Oranges – ‘The Putbacks’ 4. Wetbrain – ‘Auntie Leo & the Backstabbers’ 5. Baby – ‘Gabriella Cohen’

5. Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth 6. Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit 7. Hot Snakes – Jericho Sirens 8. Regurgitator – HEADROXX 9. Squirrel Nut Zippers – Beasts Of Burgundy 10. Habits – Salty

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. King Krule 2. Marlon Williams 3. Noname 4. Hiatus Kaiyote 5. Montero

Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – ‘Good Citizens’ 2. Mojo Juju – ‘Native Tongue’ 3. DZ Deathrays – ‘Like People’ 4. DRMNGNOW – ‘Australia Does Not Exist’ 5. WAAX – ‘Labrador’

Top movie/TV show: The Incredibles 2 Favourite meme of 2018: Crappy taxidermy Highlight of 2018: Visiting the Kimberley Lowlight of 2018: Reversing into a tree One tour Australia needs in 2019: Miley Cyrus Name: Gloria Brancatisano Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Architects – Holy Hell 2. IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance 3. Middle Kids – Lost Friends 4. Sam Fender – Dead Boys 5. Sasha Sloan – Loser 6. Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love 7. Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love 8. Snail Mail – Lush 9. Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends 10. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Edward R – ‘Paradise’ 2. Sunflower Bean – ‘Come For Me’ 3. Eliott – ‘Over & Over’ 4. Zara Larsson – ‘Ruin My Life’ 5. Charlie Collins – ‘Mexico’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Harry Styles – Hisense Arena 2. Splendour In The Grass 3. UNIFY Gathering 4. Marlon Williams – The Forum 5. Gang of Youths – MTV Unplugged Top movie/TV show: A Star Is Born Favourite meme of 2018: I’m too old for memes Highlight of 2018: Watching the people I love doing incredible things Lowlight of 2018: Not being able to include all my faves in this list One tour Australia needs in 2019: Harry Styles pls Name: Greta Brereton Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Skegss – My Own Mess 2. Yungblud – 21st Century Liability 3. Jack River – Sugar Mountain 4. Golden Features – SECT 5. Riley Pearce – Eastbound 6. Vance Joy – Nation of Two 7. Novo Amor – Birthplace 8. GRAACE – Self Sabotage 9. Gretta Ray – Here and Now 10. Mallrat – In The Sky Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Maggie Rogers – ‘Light On’ 2. Pacific Avenue – ‘Sally’ 3. Angie McMahon – ‘Helpless’ (Neil Young cover) 4. DMA’s – ‘In The Air’ 5. Tia Gostelow – ‘Strangers’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Gang Of Youths – The Forum 2. Didirri – The Corner 3. Confidence Man – Listen Out 4. Dermot Kennedy – Howler 5. Angie McMahon, Gretta Ray and Ainslie Wills – ACMI Top movie/TV show: The film adaptation of Tim Winton’s Breath was definitely a highlight Favourite meme of 2018: This is super hard, but Triple J memes are always pretty funny Highlight of 2018: Getting to interview some of my favourite artists, particularly Dermot Kennedy AKA the love of my life Lowlight of 2018: Missing out on presale AND general sale for Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets One tour Australia needs in 2019: Bon Iver Name: Jacob Colliver Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) 2. Noname – Room 25 3. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death In Meatspace 4. POLOSHIRT – POLOSHIRT

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Good Things 2018 – Flemington Racecourse 2. David Byrne – Margaret Court Arena 3. Bloc Party – Margaret Court Arena 4. Aunty Donna – Max Watt’s 5. The Presets – The Forum Top movie/TV show: Mandy (movie), Better Call Saul (TV show) Favourite meme of 2018: Any given day in our goddamn parliament, am I right everyone?

Highlights of 2018: PAX Australia. Moving – stressful, but rewarding. Many quality times with many people I love Lowlights of 2018: Death sucks. Cars that basically explode on the highway to Colac are also not great One tour Australia needs in 2019: Tom Waits?

Yeah. Sure. Tom Waits Name: Jonathan Reynoso Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. BROCKHAMPTON – iridescence 2. Parquet Courts – Wide

Awake!

3. Noname – Room 25 4. Death Grips – Year Of The Snitch 5. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer 6. KIDS SEE GHOSTS – Kids See Ghosts 7. U.S. Girls – In a Poem Unlimited 8. The Internet – Hive Mind 9. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want 10. Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Parquet Courts – ‘Total Football’ 2. JPEGMAFIA – ‘Baby I’m Bleeding’ 3. The Internet – ‘Roll (Burbank Funk)’ 4. Ravyn Lanae – ‘Closer (Ode 2 U)’ 5. Oh Sees – ‘Overthrown’ Top movie/TV show: Sorry to Bother You (movie), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (TV show) Favorite meme of 2018: Steamed Hams Highlight of 2018: Earl Sweatshirt coming back Lowlight of 2018: Frank Ocean not touring Name: Joshua Martin Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs 2. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer 3. Mitski – Be the Cowboy 4. MGMT – Little Dark Age 5. Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love 6. The Voidz – Virtue 7. Tropical Fuck Storm – A Laughing Death in Meatspace 8. Father John Misty – God’s Favourite Customer 9. U.S. Girls – In a Poem Unlimited 10. JPEGMAFIA – Veteran Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. MGMT – ‘When You Die’ 2. Beach House – ‘Drunk in LA’ 3. JPEGMAFIA – ‘Baby I’m Bleeding’ 4. Yves Tumor – ‘Noid’ 5. East Brunswick All Girls Choir – ‘Steeple People’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. David Byrne – Margaret Court Arena 2. Alice Glass – The Corner Hotel 3. Tropical Fuck Storm live scoring No Country For Old Men – Arts Centre 4. Liars – The Curtin 5. Bob Dylan – Margaret Court Arena Top movie/TV show: Two-way tie between First Reformed dir. by Paul Schrader and Climax dir. by Gaspar Noé Favourite meme of 2018: Dassabesso Highlight of 2018: Finding out Kanye’s phone password is ‘0000’ Lowlight of 2018: Drake – ‘God’s Plan’ One tour Australia needs in 2019: Radiohead and Janelle Monae

Name: Lee SpencerMichaelsen Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters 2. Nils Frahm – All Melody 3. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo 4. Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!

5. Wooden Shjips – V. 6. The Men – Drift 7. Ty Segall – Fudge Sandwich 8. La Luz – Floating Features 9. Suicideyear – Color The Weather 10. Young Jesus – The Whole Thing Is Just There Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Parquet Courts – ‘Almost Had To Start A Fight / In And Out Of Patience’ 2. Tropical Fuck Storm – ‘You Let My Tyres Down’ 3. Courtney Barnett – ‘Need a Little Time’ 4. Lucy Dacus – ‘Night Shift’ 5. Wooden Shjips – ‘Staring at the Sun’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Bully – The Mohawk, Austin 2. Nils Frahm – Hamer Hall 3. The Chemical Brothers – Atlas Weekend, Kiev 4. Beck – Margaret Court Arena 5. Bu$ Money – Faux Mo Top movie/TV show: First Reformed (movie), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 13 (TV show) Favourite meme of 2018: Humpty Dumpty had a great fall Highlight of 2018: Discovering you can make fart noises with a sweaty back and wooden floorboards Lowlight of 2018: Being consumed by a black hole designed by James Turrell One tour Australia needs in 2019: Tom Waits Name: Mary Gleeko Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel 2. Last Dinosaurs – Yumeno

Garden 3. Middle Kids – Lost Friends 4. Phantastic Ferniture – Phantastic Ferniture 5. Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley 6. The Beths – Future Me Hates Me 7. Tash Sultana – Flow State 8. Tia Gostelow – Thick Skin 9. DMA’s – For Now 10. Emma Louise – Lilac Everything Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Courtney Barnett – ‘Charity’ 2. Last Dinosaurs – ‘Eleven’ 3. Didirri – ‘Bird Sounds’ 4. Matt Corby – ‘No Ordinary Life’ 5. Wafia – ‘I’m Good’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Iron & Wine – Melbourne Recital Centre 2. Weezer / Foo Fighters – Marvel Stadium 3. Last Dinosaurs – Northcote Social Club 4. Courtney Barnett – Queenscliff Music Festival 5. Didirri – The Corner Hotel

Top movie/TV show: Seinfeld (it’s always Seinfeld) Favourite meme of 2018: Donald Trump Highlight of 2018: The announcement that Childish Gambino was coming to Australia Lowlight of 2018: Childish Gambino cancelling his Australian tour One tour Australia needs in 2019: Oasis ;) Name: Meg Crawford Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Mojo Juju – Native Tongue 2. Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Blue Poles 3. Mia Dyson – If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back 4. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth 5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex and Food 6. David Byrne – American Utopia 7. Cosmic Psychos – Loudmouth Soup 8. Steve Kilbey – Sydney Rococo 9. Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – Good Citizens 10. Marlon Williams – Make Way For Love Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – ‘Susan’ 2. Charles Bradley – ‘Can’t Fight The Feeling’ 3. Civic – ‘Pleasure’ 4. Cosmic Psychos – ‘Better in the Shed’ 5. Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – ‘Better Than That’

BEAT.COM.AU

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2018 WRITERS’ WRAP UP

Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Primal Scream – The Forum tied with David Byrne – Margaret Court Arena 2. Peter Murphy – Max Watt’s 3. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Caravan Music Club 4. Cosmic Psychos – Corner Hotel 5. Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto – Hamer Hall Top movie/TV show: Killing Eve Favourite meme of 2018: Nope. I’m too old Highlight of 2018: Melbourne Festival was a corker this year. Best yet Lowlight of 2018: Sadly, we lost a lot of local luminaries (including Conway Savage, Brian Henry Hooper and Spencer P Jones) One tour Australia needs in 2019: Ride Name: Rhys McKenzie Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. The Midnight – Kids 2. Tremonti – A Dying Machine 3. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 4. Rivers of Nihil – Where The Owls Know My Name 5. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer 6. Ninja Sex Party – Cool Patrol 7. Bruce Springsteen – Springsteen on Broadway 8. DMA’s – For Now 9. Judas Priest – Firepower 10. Alien Weaponry – Tu Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. The Midnight – ‘America 2’ 2. Tremonti – ‘A Dying Machine’ 3. The 1975 – ‘Love It If We Made It’ 4. Judas Priest – ‘Spectre’ 5. CHVRCHES – ‘Graffiti’ Top Four Gigs of the Year: 1. Foo Fighters 2. Iron Maiden 3. Paul McCartney 4. Def Leppard Top movie/TV show: Mission Impossible: Fallout Favourite meme of 2018: Captain America and Your Daughter meme Highlight of 2018: ABBA & The Kinks reforming.

Hope is in the air Lowlight of 2018: Goodbye Rush & Aretha Franklin’s death

One tour Australia needs in 2019: Tremonti Name: Scott Hudson Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Mac Miller – Swimming 2. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer 3. Moses Sumney – Black in Deep Red, 2014 4. Anderson .Paak – Oxnard 5. The Internet – Hive Mind 6. Leon Bridges – Good Thing 7. Tom Misch – Geography 8. Noname – Room 25 9. Matt Corby – Rainbow Valley 10. LANKS – twentyseven Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Moses Sumney – ‘Rank & File’ 2. Montaigne – ‘For Your Love’ 3. Matt Corby – ‘No Ordinary Life’ 4. Maggie Rodgers – ‘Light On’ 5. Mac Miller – ‘Come Back to Earth’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Loyle Carner 2. Drapht 3. Didirri 4. Oh Pep! 5. Lil Dicky Top movie/TV show: BlacKkKlansman (movie), Maniac (TV show) Highlight of 2018: Avengers: Infinity War Lowlight of 2018: Trump’s entire presidency One tour Australia needs in 2019: Little Simz Name: Tobias Handke Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Phantastic Ferniture – Phantastic Ferniture 2. Denzel Curry – Ta13oo 3. Jorja Smith – Lost & Found 4. Travis Scott – Astroworld 5. Jay Rock – Redemption 6. Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy 7. Fenne Lily – On Hold 8. Westside Gunn – Supreme Blientele 9. Malena Zavala – Aliso 10. Vance Joy – Nation of Two

Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Jorja Smith – ‘Let Me Down ft. Stormzy’ 2. Drake – ‘God’s Plan’ 3. Phantastic Ferniture – ‘Fuckin ‘n’ Rollin’ 4. Interpol – ‘The Rover’ 5. Flight Facilities – ‘Need You’ ft. Nika Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. David Byrne 2. Paul McCartney 3. Kendrick Lamar 4. SZA 5. Phantastic Ferniture Top movie/TV show: Mission Impossible: Fall Out (movie), The Terror (TV show) Favourite meme of 2018: American Chopper meme Highlight of 2018: Cardi B Lowlight of 2018: SoundCloud rap One tour Australia needs in 2019: Dr. Dre Name: Will Brewster Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Jon Hopkins – Singularity 2. Pusha T – Daytona 3. Kali Uchis – Isolation 4. Mac Miller – Swimming 5. Saba – Care For Me 6. Noname – Room 25 7. A.A.L (Against All Logic) – 2012-2017 8. Kids See Ghosts – KIDS SEE GHOSTS 9. MihTy – MihTy 10. Travis Scott – ASTROWORLD Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Young Thug – ‘High ft. Elton John’ 2. Jon Hopkins – ‘Everything Connected’ 3. Yellow Days – ‘How Can I Love You?’ 4. Kanye West – ‘Ghost Town’ 5. Blood Orange – ‘Chewing Gum ft. A$AP Rocky and Project Pat’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. King Krule – Golden Plains 2. Vince Staples – The Forum 3. Kamasi Washington – Golden Plains 4. Skepta – Listen Out 5. Portugal. The Man – The Forum Top movie/TV show: Skate Kitchen Favourite meme of 2018: The endless amount of meme material Pusha T’s Drake diss provided

to the world Highlight of 2018: Kissing uni goodbye and seeing significantly lesser amounts of puffer jackets and Polo shirts on a day-to-day basis Lowlight of 2018: Kanye pushing my tolerance of his shit to the absolute limits One tour Australia needs in 2019: If the Australian government could unban Tyler, the Creator that’d be splendid!

Name: Zachary Snowdon Smith Top Ten Albums of the Year: 1. Joshua Redman – Still Dreaming 2. Paolo Fresu, Dino Rubino & Marco Bardoscia – Tempo di Chet 3. Jonny Greenwood – Phantom Thread 4. Les Cris de Paris – Melancholia 5. Víkungur Ólafsson – Johann Sebastian Bach 6. Teodor Currentzis – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 7. James Brandon Lewis & Chad Taylor – Radiant Imprints 8. Saturn Will Not Sleep – Voyager 9. Axel Gillison – Slow Motions 10. Akira The Don ft. Jordan Peterson – 12 Rules for Life: The Album Top Five Songs of the Year: 1. Joshua Redman – ‘Unanimity’ 2. Muse – ‘Something Human’ 3. Esbjörn Svensson Trio – ‘Tide of Trepidation’ 4. Scott Hamilton – ‘Young and Foolish’ 5. Boi Spicy – ‘Love is Love ft. Chris Chan’ Top Five Gigs of the Year: 1. Don Quichotte – Arts Centre Melbourne 2. Take Five drum showcase – Paris Cat Jazz Club 3. Born To Be Blue: Celebrating the Musical Life of Chet Baker – Paris Cat Jazz Club 4. Robbie Williams – Rod Laver Arena 5. Yungblud – Corner Hotel Top movie/TV show: Phantom Thread Favourite meme of 2018: Gamer Joker (“We Live in a Society”) Highlight of 2018: Google scraps plans for a censorship-friendly Chinese search engine Lowlight of 2018: The hate speech conviction of YouTuber Mark Meechan One tour Australia needs in 2019: Marina Diamandis

The Espy

“If you want to see great bands in Melbourne, in St Kilda, this is a place you can come to. If you want to have great food in Melbourne, in a suit, you’ve got options.”

When Andy Mullins, one of the owners of hospitality group Sand Hill Road, signed on the dotted line to buy The Espy, he says the previous owners warned him: “As much as you bought this, you boys, you’ll never own it.”

Anyone who grew up or lives south of the river, especially in St Kilda or its surrounds, feels like they have some ownership of The Espy, so making everyone happy was never going to happen.

“There’s just so much love and angst and nervousness,” laughs Mullins. “Trying to keep everyone happy at the same time, it’s fucking impossible.” That said, the good news is that the Sand Hill Road team have given it a fine crack.

The renewed public bar still has a super casual beer and jeans vibe, meanwhile the standing bar in the middle of the space has been decorated with a stash of musical artefacts salvaged from a room behind a locked door that the new owners stumbled upon after they took over.

“We eventually got it open and there were about two-and-a-half thousand band posters and also boxes of demo tapes, video tapes, CDs for bands,” Mullins explains. “That legacy was handed back to us. We’ll just keep layering it up over time.”

Elsewhere is the basement stage which holds around 180 people. There are currently around three to four days a week of music scheduled, but this is set to grow to seven days a week. Mullins explains that the Espy’s live music offering will boast everything from punk, blues, roots, rap, metal and a healthy dose of rock, while he also asserts that it will remain completely free.

The main bar (in the space that used to be the main stage) offers a light-filled terrace dining 22 BEAT.COM.AU

area. This is the setting for the second stage, which has been a controversial addition because, quite frankly, it’s not much of a replacement for the iconic Espy main stage. But Mullins says it serves a totally different purpose, and expects it to be a great platform for up-and-comers.

“That’s where you go ‘oh, okay, so there’s this cool three-piece.’ They’re playing their own indie, you can walk past – [it’s] almost like busking,” he says.

Walk down past the main bar and you’ll land in the studio, which is a small area with booths on one side and a pretty shmick looking podcast studio – for recording live performances and oneon-ones with bands – on the other. Later, this will become a space that community podcasters will be able to use too.

Further along is The Espy Kitchen, a huge dining area that sits in the old loading bay and has parmas, burgers and pizzas on the menu. “This is food to eat in your hands. And we’re doing a barrel-aging cocktail program,” says Mullins, adding that there’s barrel-aging wine and beer available too. On the second floor is Cantonese restaurant Mya Tiger, while the top floor features a more upmarket cocktail bar named The Ghost Of Alfred Felton.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Espy toes the line between the upmarket cocktail and whiskey-loving clientele upstairs, and the beer-swilling live music fans in the basement and the Gershwin stage, but Mullins would like to think it just means there’s something for everyone.

“If you want to see great bands in Melbourne, in St Kilda, this is a place you can come to. If you want to have great food in Melbourne, in a suit, you’ve got options. So it’ll work itself out,” he says.

The iconic Gershwin room heads the music front, which is set to see a slew of fantastic artists in the near future, including Tumbleweed, C.W. Stoneking and Kingswood on New Year’s Eve. Some unexpected names also pop up on the gig guide, including Mental As Anything and Daryl Braithwaite. According to Mullins, everything old is new again. As for who he’d like to see down the track, one name comes to mind.

“I think a really emotional night would be seeing Paul Kelly on that stage on his promenade singing about his Esplanade. I think that’s a real moment. I get funny just thinking about it.”

BY ISABELLE ODERBERG

The Espy is located at 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda.

Find more details on their new offerings via their website, hotelesplanade. com.au.

LIVE

Beat’s Best Live Shots of 2018 Jack River by Dylan Martin

Download Festival by David Harris

DZ Deathrays by Rhys Pope You Am I by David Harris

Amyl and The Sniffers by Joshua Braybrook Moses Sumney by Dan Aulsebrook

Gretta Ray by Dylan Martin

Perfume Genius by Dan Aulsebrook

Unknown Mortal Orchestra by David Harris

BEAT.COM.AU 23

ALBUM REVIEWS

(Skinnyfish Music / MGM Distribution)

Singles of the Year

Album of the Year

WITH AUGUSTUS WELBY

upsidedownhead

(Liberation Records)

get low ft. Ric Rufio

‘get low’ starts out as a sort of abstract imagining of cacophony.

Distant siren sounds and a scent of danger are undercut by upsidedownhead’s clean electronic production and Ric Rufio’s calm vocal delivery. The track retreats into quiet reflection midway through, taking stock of the situation and recognising its reality. Then we’re thrust into the eye of emergency – synths morph into crumbling rock faces as the push-pull dynamic overrides gravity. But still, Ric Rufio is unruffled, advising us to get low and show our resilience.

Janelle Monae

Pynk (ft. Grimes)

(Warner)

Although Janelle Monae’s always been a pop musician, her scifi concept albums have previously been a bit esoteric. 2018’s Dirty Computer is also a quasi-fictional narrative sequence, but Monae glossed up the album’s singles to allow for maximum accessibility while also addressing pertinent socio-political themes. ‘Pynk’ is a song of celebration rife with barely-veiled suggestiveness that’s made blatant by a stunningly yonic music video. The chorus revolves around Monae hollering the word “yeah”, which translates as a triumphant assertion of self-love.

Peggy Gou

It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)

Gurrumul (Ninja Tune)

A rolling house track from the Berlin-based, South Korean producer, ‘It Makes You Forget’ offered refreshment throughout 2018. Gou’s voice features prominently, a reclining melody sung in Korean, but the song is pure feeling and evades intellectual deconstruction. Its charm comes on gradually, eventually filling you with a sense that everything’s moving in the right direction.

Julia Jacklin

Body

10

(Liberation Records)

Centred on a stripped back drum and bass rumble, ‘Body’ forecasts high winds to end a becalmed internment. Jacklin lays out a detailed narrative of a wayward ex-lover while showcasing her persuasive vocal talents. The tension mounts right up to the lyrical realisation that, “I guess it’s just my life / And it’s just my body.” It could be read as a defiant avowal, but Jacklin’s tone signals the respite might only be temporary.

Honourable mentions:

‘The Future of History’ – Tropical Fuck Storm; ‘Be Careful’ – Cardi B; ‘We Can’t Win’ – The Goon Sax; ‘Energy’ – Sampa the Great ft. Nadeem Din-Gabisi; ‘DVE’ – DJ Plead; ‘Duck Duck Goose’ – CupcakKe.

Djarimirri The passing of Indigenous Australian icon Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu last year was a tragedy.

Following countless awards won, worldwide recognition as an Australian cultural icon, and even having been invited to perform for Queen Elizabeth, the posthumous release of Djarimirri ensures that the name Gurrumul will be irreversibly etched into Australia’s cultural landscape forever more.

Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) is, to put it simply, a masterpiece. From the moment horns begin fading in and swelling around gut-wrenching strings on the astonishing opening track ‘Waak (Crow)’, you know it in the pit of your stomach: what you’re about to experience is something incredibly important. This is vital listening. This is ancient and timeless, yet modern and revolutionary; something ethereal and otherworldly yet ingrained in the very soil of the land we walk upon.

On what became his final statement, Gurrumul has pushed his artistic vision further than anybody could have ever expected, and in his untimely passing has left behind an incredible gift for the country that he strived so hard to represent; a perfect musical representation of an artist whose music has traversed the globe and represented the best of Australia. Each piece is a full orchestral re-imagining of a traditional Indigenous arrangement sung entirely in Yolŋu Matha dialects, bringing together Indigenous and canonically western music to create an absolutely breathtaking listening experience.

The emotional range present throughout is astounding; Gurrumul’s transcendent voice soaring above the arrangements and taking the listener on an emotional rollercoaster that doesn’t let you rest until the very last note.

Djarimirri is an experience completely unto itself, and one that has to be heard to truly be understood. Do yourself a favour and make sure that you hear this. It’s important.

BY JOSHUA TURK

MONDAY 31 DECEMBER

SUNDAY 20 JANUARY

FM) + DJ RELAXATIVE - FREE ENTRY

LANCASTER (DJ), S’AVERAGE GARDEN, AMPON - ON SALE NOW

THE GARDEN (CALIFORNIA)

WONDERCORE ISLAND PRESENTS

SATURDAY 23 FEBRUARY

SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY

SHOGUN AND THE SHEETS NEW YEARS EVE DISCO NOT TODAY FESTIVAL W/ ELECTRIC GUITARS + KT SPLIT- ON SALE NOW W/ JARROW, JUNE JONES (DJ), PINCH POINTS, PARTY MEMPHIS LK (DJ), SLEEPING LESSONS, BRODIE W/ DJ MANCHILD (PBS FM) & MISS GOLDIE (PBS THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY

WONDERCORE ISLAND PRESENTS

CLEVER AUSTIN W/ AEON HAKYAVIK + DJ LORI - ON SALE NOW WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY

2 9 LY G O N S T, C A R LT O N 9663 6350 | JOHNCURTINHOTEL.COM

24 BEAT.COM.AU

NATALIE SLADE

W/ TAYLOR CRAWFORD + DJ BESTFOOTFORWARD - ON SALE NOW

W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW

NO AGE (USA) W/ TERRY + BIG SUPERMARKET - ON SALE NOW SATURDAY 2 MARCH

CIVIC KID HERON W/ HA NA + DJ SHEA BUTTER LOVE - ON SALE NOW W/ LOW LIFE + LAI + DEEP RED - ON SALE NOW

BENCH PRESS EAST COAST TOUR W/ NO SISTER + FERLA + SPIRAL PERM

FRIDAY 18 JANUARY

FRIDAY 8 MARCH

WONDERCORE ISLAND PRESENTS

JONATHAN BREE (NZ) KITCHEN RESIDENCY NOW OPEN!

WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY

W/ CYANIDE THORNTON (EX TWO STEPS ON THE WATER) & AMAYA LAUCIRICA - ON SALE NOW

FRIDAY 25 JANUARY

WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY

WONDERCORE ISLAND PRESENTS

MOTHERS TEMPLE & VULTURE ST. TAPE GANG ACID THE MELTING PARAISO UFO W/ ELLE SHIMADA MUSIC + DJ MIKE GURRIERI ON SALE NOW

W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW

ALBUM REVIEWS

Albums of the Year

Courtney Barnett

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Courtney Barnett has got a sense of humour that’s often delivered in deadpan prose washed with thorny guitars. Tell Me How You Really Feel throws us back into the mind of Barnett – it’s tangled and messy but the singer knows it.

“You’ve got a lot on your mind,” says Barnett on ‘Help Your Self ’. The singer is gently comforting someone but this could be a reflection of how the singer really feels. She’s a scatterbrained musician that needs to get her words out. “Say what you want to say,” Barnett pleads on ‘Walkin’ On Eggshells’. Fair point, we could all take Barnett’s advice and be a little more transparent.

On ‘Nameless, Faceless’, the singer examines the dangerous dichotomy between men and women in the age of #MeToo – she cites the Margaret Atwood quote: “Men are scared that women will laugh at them ... Women are scared that men will kill them.”

A healthy dose of ‘90s grunge wraps around her songs.

Tracks like ‘Charity’, ‘Sunday Roast’, and the menacing opener ‘Hopelessness’ are carried with rising guitar leads and padded drums. Tell Me How You Really Feel is another album that expands our understanding of Courtney Barnett. Behind the humour, the wit and the cheekiness is an artist attempting to make sense of the world around her. This album doesn’t have all the answers, but who really does?

9.5

Tropical Fuck Storm

A Laughing Death In Meatspace

When Tropical Fuck Storm appeared as if overnight last year, there was a great deal of mystery shrouding the four-piece – though it was erased bit by bit as the band dropped a series of 7” records.

With their sweltering first single ‘Chameleon Paint’, Tropical Fuck Storm made it known upfront that Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin weren’t here to replicate The Drones.

Above all else, A Laughing Death In Meatspace is fresh – possibly the most inspired record to hit this year. The lyrics are consistently clever, often riddled with wordplay and snarky social commentary – though never elitist or entitled – while the bonerattling riffs are a force to be reckoned with in and of themselves.

Each track brings a distinctive chapter to the overall narrative that is A Laughing Death in Meatspace. ‘Chameleon Paint’ and ‘Rubber Bullies’ are rhythmic to the point of catharsis while ‘The Future of History’ is calculated and cool-headed. Throughout, Liddiard, Kitschin and bassist/vocalist Erica Dunn share the vocals, often harmonising as a trio or taking turns on the lead, which lends an inimitable feel to each song as well as mirroring the textural nature of the melodies at play. If this is just the first taste of Tropical Fuck Storm, we’re in for a hell of a ride.

(Chapter Music)

(Mistletone/TFS Records)

(Milk! Records)

9

9

Little Ugly Girls

Little Ugly Girls

Little Ugly Girls, who formed nearly 30 years ago, may be Australia’s earliest example of the riot grrrl movement, and until their split in the early ‘00s, were a staple in Australia’s subterranean punk sectors. Aside from some obscure cassette tapes, this is the group’s first official release.

The album is a tight collection of recordings from their career and new sessions of old tracks. Vocalist Linda Johnston is abrasive and foaming at the mouth. Her scratchy voice coupled with confrontational lyrics addressing the likes of abuse, stress, and violence, create tracks more akin to pipe bombs on the verge of combustion.

Opener ‘Tractor’ and ‘Dead C’ stand as favourites, with Johnston rip-roaring under rolling drums from Brett “Sloth” Punshon, and episodic guitar bursts from Dannie Johnston and Mindy Mapp. ‘Jimmeh’, another highlight, could easily find itself on a Japanese noise-rock record.

Among the chaos, Little Ugly Girls does feature quieter moments with the hushed and minimal ‘Storm After Storm’ as well as the closing a cappella ‘Boxen-Hooda-Hayda’.

Little Ugly Girls is a must-listen for punk devotees and lovers of belligerency. An exciting release and the culmination of a cult career.

BY DAVID CLASS

BY KATE STREADER

BY JONATHAN REYNOSO

Make Way For Love

Marlon Williams’ voice is a beautiful instrument capable of expressing vulnerability, lust, defiance and melancholy all within a breath. Throughout these 11 songs, he sings in a confidential tone, his tenor far forward in the mix, as befitting the pop crooners of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s that this record so naturally references.

Though heartbreak is the decided theme here, Williams approaches the subject with just enough sweetness that the melodies will get under your skin. The arrangements are at times stark, at times dramatic, but always serve the emotion of the performance. ‘Can I Call You’ is one of many highlights, as Williams’ own backing vocals inhabit different character voices over a measured beat, plonking piano and a kind of dark atmosphere that brings to mind classic Bad Seeds.

‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore’ was the first track to be released from the record and is its centrepiece.

The song features Aldous Harding, Williams’ ex-partner and presumably the subject of most of these songs, wherein the pair sing line for line about the breakdown of communication within a relationship.

Make Way For Love has all the makings of a modern classic, although as the record sounds like it was transplanted directly from 1962, ‘timeless’ might be a better descriptor.

BY ALEX WATTS

(Chapter Music/Wichita Recordings)

Marlon Williams

(Domino)

(Dead Oceans)

9.5

9.5

Jon Hopkins

Singularity

9

The Goon Sax

We’re Not Talking

On his fifth studio album, Jon Hopkins continues his mission to expose the mainstream to ambient electronic music.

Opening song and title track ‘Singularity’ sees Hopkins announcing to fans of his last record Immunity, that this album is a progression from the analogue synth-driven ‘tape-hiss house’ established five years ago.

Second track in and lead single ‘Emerald Rush’ comes off almost as part two of his popular single ‘Open Air Signal’ from the aforementioned 2011 release. The composition of this track stays true to the ambient genre, building slowly with swirling keys, plucked guitar, echoing feedback whine and a rising muffled drumbeat.

Standout track ‘Everything Connected’ contains the most impactful drop of the album. The song opens with momentum, the techno beat of the previous ‘Neon Pattern Drum’ forming the residual, before washing out into a very-Hopkins ethereal wonderland. The track culminates in a driving, charged beat overlaid by twinkling white noise.

With production credits that include Coldplay, London Grammar and even Natalie Imbruglia, Hopkins’ ability to reinterpret what we know as ‘popular’ is well established but it’s only on his solo work that a window into his genius fully opens. Every song on Hopkins’ Singularity holds its own if played in isolation, but when experienced as a whole, this album is divine.

Brisbane trio The Goon Sax are similarly romantically dispossessed, yet on their second LP, We’re Not Talking, they own their naked confessionals with unpretentious modern honesty.

The Goon Sax’s lo-fi faux-naivety on their debut, Up to Anything, allowed some to dismiss them as cutesy, but ‘Make Room for Love’ immediately establishes they no longer languish under the lo-fi umbrella.

A teeth-chattering rhythm drenched in sugary melancholy is the record’s instrumental constant, manifesting in pattering percussion, rim hits and the jittery organ on the almost laughably gorgeous ‘Losing Myself ’.

The record traverses the minutiae of emotional breakdown from a panoramic array of angles. It should technically make for a mournful listen; each song despairs in an inability to communicate, repair or rebuild, yet The Goon Sax invariably manage to endear, each chorus unfurling into string-laden clarity and social catharsis.

‘Sleep EZ’ is the record’s shimmering centrepiece, drummer Riley Jones and bassist James Harrison get their share of the vocals on the record, their sweetly deadpan personalities synonymous with Louis Forster’s words. The Goon Sax have crafted a consummate work of distinctly Australian indie-pop, and solidified themselves as one of Australia’s best recording artists.

BY DAN WATT

BY JOSHUA MARTIN

BEAT.COM.AU

25

Gig Guide

FEATURED GIGS

Caroline No

EDINBURGH CASTLE

Caroline No is a Melbourne-based project built around the songs of Caroline Kennedy. Incorporating set pieces and improvisation, the group experiments with psychedelic-pop, intertwined with elements of rock and folk. Releasing their six-track EP Swimmers earlier this year, Caroline No are ready to take the Edinburgh Castle stage on Thursday December 27 from 8pm.

Entry is free.

Wednesday 26 Dec

Madi Leeds

CHARLES WESTON

Indie-pop singer-songwriter Madi Leeds is set to take to Charles Weston on Thursday December 27. Armed with her recently released debut EP Spinning, Leeds promises charming lyrical prose, an eccentric energy and insightful take on her world. Catch the performance from 6.30pm and enjoy free entry on top.

The Credits BOMBAY ROCK

Garage metal, rock’n’roll and punk-infused outfit The Credits will be holding down their last gig of 2018 on Friday December 28.

Taking to Bombay Rock, this one is sure to be a belter, as they play their recently-released new singles ‘Californian Reptile’ and ‘Into the Night’, as well as cuts from their 2017 EP Kill Pop Radio. Joining them on the night will be Shit Tatts, Princess Fist and DJ Kellin.

Did we mention entry is free? Get yourself down there from 8pm onwards.

Rice Paper Rollers BAR 303

Psychedelic-groove outfit Rice Paper Rollers are set to play their debut gig this week. Slinging their collection of insatiably sweet tracks, the band will play at Bar 303 on Friday December 28 before beginning their residency at the Evelyn Hotel come the new year.

Entry is free on the door and it’s all set to kick off at 9pm.

Rosario De Marco WESLEY ANNE

Catch musician and composer Rosario De Marco at Wesley Anne on Sunday December 30 for an evening of jazz, classical, folk and popular music. De Marco transposes his love of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea into his music, emitting warmth, richness and colour. Entry is free on the door, with music starting from 6pm.

CHAPEL STREET SOCIAL CLUB - FEAT: PHATO A MANO + NAMN + MATT RADOVICH Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9pm.

GUFFMAN Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North

Green, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

AA MATHESON + MAIN DICE + VAPE MOM Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

Melbourne. 2:45pm.

BOXING DAY BENEFIT FOR ST MARY'S HOUSE OF WELCOME - FEAT: BAD BANGS + DIRTHAND + 24747 + THOMY SLOANE & LUCY WALDRON + MOONLOVER + JAMES ELLIS + ANNALIESE ROSE + RICHARD WALSH

ATOMIC STAV The Vineyard, St Kilda. 11pm.

BEN ALTER Penny Black, Brunswick. 9pm.

CAROLINE NO Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 8pm.

CASSEL + A RIOTING MIND + VALE Last

HONEST LIVES + NTH RD + RARE OLIVES + THE LESSER GIANTS + SOUTHBOUND

Melbourne. 7:30pm.

LIVE IN THE BANDROOM - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7pm.

THE NICOTEENAGERS + MANORISM + SANDY DISH Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music DIZZY’S BIG BAND The Fyrefly, St Kilda. 6:30pm.

$15.

JAZZ PARTY Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $20.

THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick

Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 8pm. $10.

CASTILLES + THE FLORETS + SAMESY Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm.

CLOTHESLINE + DIODE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $8.

EARL GREY'S BREAKFAST TEA + FAIRTRADE NARCOTICS + TYRANTS + LAURA SULLIVAN Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

$10.

GODOGGO + PUP TENTACLE + SENZU BEAN Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $7.18.

HOT OFF THE PRESS - FEAT: BACK POCKET + THE GECKO COLLECTIVE + PARKVILLE + MORE Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm.

$5.

LUCY & THE RATS + THEE CHA CHA CHAS + GUTTER GIRLS Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

8pm. $10.

GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOULDIGGERS + HE WILSON-CARROLL BAND Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $22.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Penny Black, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

MADI LEEDS Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick.

6:30pm.

SPACE VISITATION + TRAMPOLINE DEATH MACHINE + LAFFERTY DANIEL Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7pm. $10.

THE KICKER + MISHA BEAR + MASS OF THE INFINITE Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm.

THE MEESEEKS + THE DEADLIPS + 6 FOOT INCH Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

THROWBACK - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky

Thursday 27 Dec House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights

Coq, Windsor. 9pm.

3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + LUKE VECCHIO + RYAN TAYLOR + GAY ROBERTO + LE'BRUH Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

6pm.

A VERY PRIMER CHRISTMAS - FEAT: ADRIANNA + DANNY HOTEP + FLOSS DOGG + FREDDY GARDENS + JOSH KEYS & ROBBIE NINE-O + PORCELAIN PRINCE Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 2pm.

AGENT 86 + EL MADERA + DELTOID CURVE + MEL MARA + TORY ALLEN + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 8pm.

D.A.N.C.E - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Toff

In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11pm.

DIELO TRUDA + AHM Post Office Hotel, Coburg.

8:30pm.

FESTIVUS - FEAT: MHA IRI + CHRIS HALL + ELIAS. + MNMLT + MAC + PG + RIPPLEFACTOR + MORE Gasometer Hotel,

Collingwood. 12pm.

GUERNS - FEAT: POCOCK + PHILOSOPHIA + TEST PATTERN + KIEREN BONANNO + PHRASE & WILLEM New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

MELT SESSION - FEAT: LARA KILLS + JUICY VELOUR + YOLLKS + JERICHO MARCEL + FELINE FINE & GOO + MORE

TINGY CELESTINO Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 8pm.

Hip Hop & R&B CLUB PALISADES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd.

8pm.

DJ NU-MARK + DJ YODA + DJ PERIL Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm. $34.70.

HIP HOP THURSDAYS - FEAT: JOEY COCO + DROOPY 3K + MICKEY P + MAT CANT + CLIFTONIA Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

NO FRILLS THURSDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 10pm.

THROWBAX THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ANYA + CITIZEN.COM + FLIP3000 + TEE DUBYA + DJ SENSI + SISTA SARA + LOTUS MOONCHILD + MORE Little Jax, Melbourne. 6pm.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk MARIAH JAYNE + JESS DELUCA + RACHEL CADDY Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $10.

MUSICLAND OPEN CHOIR REHEARSALS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Musicland, Fawkner.

Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. $5.

7pm. $5.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music

Kilda. 7pm.

SIMON KINNY-LEWIS BAND Dog's Bar, St SOPHIA BROWN East Brunswick Hotel, East Brunswick. 6:30pm.

ADRIAN WHYTE TRIO Wesley Anne, Northcote.

6pm.

FUNK U! - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Radio Bar, Fitzroy. 7pm.

JK BASEMENT SESSIONS - FEAT: JK GROUP + ZEITGEIST FREEDOM ENERGY EXCHANGE Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

THE KEYNES BROTHERS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8pm.

Friday 28 Dec

$10.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

$10.

A NIGHT FOR LEMMY - FEAT: MURDER ONE + MUSCLE CAR Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

JUNGLE FUSION + MARK GARDNER + JAZZOBELL DEUX Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm.

PO’ BOYS 303, Northcote. 8pm. $10.

SUNNYSIDE + HOI PALLOI Cherry Bar,

Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $10.

TEKWANI Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7pm.

THE BLOCK - FEAT: CHICKEN

26 BEAT.COM.AU

$7.50.

CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House

Hotel, Williamstown. 8pm.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3:30pm. $10.

Madi Leeds

WISHBONE + CORDUROY BOY + DJ MYSTIC SASA Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

3pm.

AUTO-MASH DJS Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm.

BIG MOIST & THE SMOKING DURRIES + THE BRUNGAS + PABLO PACE Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm.

HEXMAS - FEAT: ZOMBITCHES + SCRAGGERS + CAKEFIGHT + MORE Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 8pm. $10.

Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 7:30pm. $10.

MOUNT DEFIANCE + SPUTNIK SWEETHEART Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

$10.75.

MURPHY’S HARDWARE Gem Bar, Collingwood.

9pm.

PEACE LOVE MUSIC - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 8pm. $10.

PERFECT WHIP + TRUE VULTURE Post Office

Hotel, Coburg. 8pm.

POPROCKS + DR PHIL Toff In Town, Melbourne

Cbd. 9pm.

PSUEDO MIND HIVE + JUNGLE CUFFS + HONEYBONE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $12.

SABRINA STONE + GRAND PINE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10.

THE BAMBI KILLS + MEDUZA The B.east, Brunswick East. 9pm.

THE CREDITS + SHIT TATTS + PRINCESS FIST + DJ KELLIN Bombay Rock, Brunswick. 8pm.

THE CROOKEDS + NEON QUEEN + MOTHER GURU Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

THE GROGANS Yah Yah's, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

THE SMOKES Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $12.

Hip Hop & R&B AFTER HOURS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

HAVANA FRIDAYS - FEAT: MC SEBA + MORE Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

IF I RULED THE WORLD - A 90S/00S HIP HOP PARTY - FEAT: 007BADASS + MANIC PIXIE Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 10pm.

PARTY & BULLSHIT FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm.

R&B AT EMPIRE VS EMPIRE SATURDAYS - FEAT: CRUNK + J-FRESH + ROBIE NYLE + SHAGGZ + RIDGE B + MORE Empire, Narre

Warren. 9pm.

RNB FRIDAYS CLUB - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. $20.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 4pm.

DJ A-MAN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9pm.

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

END OF YEAR WAREHOUSE PARTY FEAT: SCOTT FEEDMAN + AVES VOLARE + MAD LUCAS + JASMINE SPEERS + TOUFIE + MOE ALOHA Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 9pm. $10.

FORMATION - FEAT: DONNY + MORE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9pm.

FRIDAYS - FEAT: WARSAWYER + CLIFTONIA + BEN & LIL + MORE Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

HOT MESS DAY PARTY - FEAT: MITCHELL GEE + BETH GRACE + LATE NIGHT DATE + HOT MESS RESIDENTS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 1pm. $10.

JAMES ZABIELA + PHIL K + LUKE CHABLE + THAD LESTER + SEARSHA + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $33.

KRYSTAL KLEAR + MORE Pawn & Co, South

Yarra. 10pm. $15.

MELL HALL + STUART FRAMPTON + ROB ANTHONY + JAY RAMON + BOYBLEWE + FUNKY COL + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 9pm. $15.

MIKE SHANNON + JAKE JUDD + MIKE CALLANDER + KATIE DROVER + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $20.

NEUROTIQ EROTIQ - FEAT: KATE MILLER

FOR THE FULL GIG GUIDE HEAD TO BEAT.COM.AU/GIG-GUIDE

LIVE MUSIC 80’S COLLECTION BLUES ROULETTE

FRANK SULTANA • PJ O’BRIEN • CASS EAGER • CHRISTINA CROFT

JUSTIN YAP BAND KELLY AUTY BUTTERFUNKED

ballaratbeerfestival.com.au

BEAT.COM.AU

27

FEATURED GIGS

Folk + Irish Songs

THE BROTHERS PUBLIC HOUSE

On Friday December 28 the esteemed house band at The Brothers Public House will be slinging a barrage of Irish and folk tunes. Get down early to get your lips around $8 pints and basics until 8pm and $2 toasties with a drink until 8pm, before getting your ears around the music from 9pm. Free entry to boot.

+ WHISKEY HOUSTON + ESPACE NOIR Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne. 10pm.

NÜ PSCHIDT - FEAT: ANYO + MIKE GURRIERI + BETH GRACE + FINN OD + JOEY COCO Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

PEST KONTROL - FEAT: SCOTTY PESTICIDE + JMCEE + KAYA KALPA + SHANNON BRIGGS Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

REWORK - FEAT: EDDIE EXAMPLE + DEEN ARIFF + YANNI ARSENAKIS + MARCUS HOLDER + EASTWOODS Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 11:45pm.

STANTON WARRIORS + PLUMP DJS Brown

Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $40.

THERMAL SESSIONS - FEAT: SWITCHSTATE + UNDEFINED + T-BONE EIGHTY SIX + QONTENT + MILTON KEYNES + COLESY Grumpy's Green, Fitzroy. 6pm.

TOKYO LOVE HOTEL - FEAT: ALEX R + EISEN + EL GREY + KAZUMA ONISHI + MORE New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $5.

Pony Face

Pony Face + The Bona Fide Travellers THE DRUNKEN POET

The Drunken Poet has a killer evening of music in store come Sunday December 30. Kicking things off from 4.30pm will be Melbourne trio Pony Face, who blend surf-glazed rock with psych, cracking bass and sampled layers. Roots, blues and countrytinged band The Bona Fide Travellers will then take over the stage from 6.30pm, ensuring a rollicking night of music. Giddy up and get down, did we mention this is all free?

Dr Hernández

THE LOMOND HOTEL

Dr Hernández is set to bestow an exotic concoction of electro, tasty reggae and some good ol’ fashioned ska at The Lomond Hotel this week.

An energetic whirlwind of alto sax, flute, trumpet, trombone and vocals, this is sure to be a blast. Catch it all for free on Sunday December 30, kicking off at 5.30pm.

Mates Rates

EDINBURGH CASTLE

Alex Watts and Moz McKenzie are set to join forces at Edinburgh Castle on Sunday December 30 under the guise of Mates Rates. The pair will rip through two sets of originals from 4pm, and best of all, entry is free.

NYE Disco Party THE CURTIN

Don’t fret if you haven’t got your NYE plans sorted yet – The Curtin has got your back with a killer NYE disco party slated to go down. Bringing together some of Melbourne’s finest 23/19DJs including DJ Manchild and Miss Goldie, say goodbye to 2018 and bring in 2019 with some disco, modern soul and funky creations. Better yet this party is totally free, so head on down on Monday December 31 from 6pm and boogie away.

Red Betty does NYE RED BETTY

Red Betty has assembled some of the finest purveyors of techno to help ring in the New Year. Steve Law will provide cutting edge electronica ranging from his extensive career from the ‘80s to his most recent creations, meanwhile G3D9 (AKA the most recent project from Scott Armstrong) will bring a stripped back yet deep and sophisticated sound. The celebrations will begin at 7pm and best of all, entry is all bloody free. Happy New Year.

28 BEAT.COM.AU

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music CHINA BEACH + BEAUTIFUL BEASTS + BEATNIK COLLECTIVE Penny Black, Brunswick.

8pm.

CONNIE LANSBERG QUARTET The Fyrefly, St

Kilda. 7pm. $23.50.

CYCLO TIMIK + THE WIGGLE OF JUDAS Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm.

JACKIE BORNSTEIN QUARTET Lido Jazz

Room, Hawthorn. 8pm. $25.

JACKIE BORNSTEIN QUARTET Classic

Southside, Elsternwick. 8pm.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS Bird's Basement, Melbourne. 8pm. $39.

PARIS PLAN Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 8pm.

RICE PAPER ROLLERS + MORE 303, Northcote. 9pm.

THE SEDUCEAPHONES Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7pm.

THE STEPHEN MAGNUSSON STANDARDS TRIO Classic Southside, Elsternwick.

8pm. $25.

THE WOOHOO REVUE Bar Open, Fitzroy.

9:30pm. $10.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk BENNY PETERS & THE MISTREATERS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 9:30pm.

INKASOUNDS East Brunswick Hotel, East

Brunswick. 9:30pm.

JESS PARKER & THE TROUBLED WATERS + RATTLIN' BONES BLACKWOOD + ELECTRIC BLUES COLLECTIVE + T.K. REEVE Old Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

JULIAN JAMES Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

8:30pm.

MELBOURNE UKULELE KOLLECTIVE Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8pm. $12.53.

DARLING + EMILY ROSEMAN + PASCAL + POST PERCY Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

NYE PRE-PARTY - FEAT: MISTA SAVONA + MONKEY MARC + DIGITAL AFRIKA Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $15.

PONY SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS La Di Da, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

PRPR KICK 2 - FEAT: PRINT CLUB + CLEANING AGENT + SAN + JESSE BLACK + PINEAPPLE SUMMER + RILEY GOWER Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm. $10.

SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ KISTA + DJ BETH GRACE + DJ DEMIZE + VARIOUS DJS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

SOOKI SATURDAYS - RESIDENTS NIGHT - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave.

6pm. $10.

THE AFTER DINNER MINT - FEAT: CHRIS BONATO + DJ RICK + KYOKU DJS Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

THE SHOCK OF THE NEW - FEAT: SIMONA + DJ KITI Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne.

8pm. $10.

TOFF CLUB - FEAT: LORD HANS DC Toff In

Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11pm.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers APPROACHABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY + YES YES WHATEVER The B.east, Brunswick East. 9pm.

BEHOLD THE DEFIANT + CORDELL + LUNG + SEASONS TOMB + ATRIOX + EROTESIS + ONE MORE WEEKEND + THE BELAFONTES + MADDIE LEE + ABANDONED SOFA + POCKET ELVIS Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 5:30pm. $15.

CELEBRATING TAME IMPALA'S CURRENTS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Stay Gold,

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music CUPCAKE Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12.

DAMIEN ELLIS QUARTET Bar Open, Fitzroy.

6:30pm.

MAYFIELD Night Cat, Fitzroy. 10pm. $5.

PERSONS OF INTEREST Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy.

9:30pm.

RENEE GEYER Bird's Basement, Melbourne. 8pm.

$35.

SLOW GRIND FEVER - FEAT: RICHIE1250 + MOHAIR SLIM + PIERRE BARONI + MATT & ROB (CHOOK RACE) Bar Open,

Fitzroy. 10pm. $12.

THE CONNIE LANSBERG QUARTET (WITH MARK FITZGIBBON) Lido Jazz Room, Hawthorn. 8pm. $25.

THE EUGENE BALL DUKE ELLINGTON NONET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

THE PAUL WILLIAMSON HAMMOND COMBO Classic Southside, Elsternwick. 8pm. $25.

VIPER’S DREAM SWING TEAM Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk CIARAN BOYLE Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

3pm.

CROSBY STILLS & NASH 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - FEAT: CANYON + MICK PEALING & TRACY KINGMAN Kingston City Hall, Moorabbin. 8pm. $22.

DESPERATEENS + JOE JACKSON & THE RESTLESS Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $13.

DUNCAN PHILLIPS & THE LONG STAND Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9pm.

MERIDIAN SUNS + MAXON Open Studio,

Northcote. 2:30pm. $10.

SHANTILY CLAD + JAM JAR TRIO Open

Brunswick. 11pm.

Studio, Northcote. 5:30pm. $10.

Melbourne. 7pm. $10.

Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $23.77.

DICKLORD + THE ATTENTION SEEKERS + GLOMESH Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North DJ STEELY ANN Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 9pm.

DROID + PLANET OF THE 8S + THAW + PEELING SUN Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $10.

HANK'S JALOPY DEMONS Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 5pm.

HOLY DIVER + POWERSLAVE + ODYSSEY Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15.

JHELI EMMETT Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm.

MAGPIE + HEARTS & ROCKETS + PLASTER OF PARIS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm.

MANDARIN DREAMS - FEAT: ALIEN + IKEY Penny Black, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

MATTHEW ALFORD Charles Weston Hotel,

Brunswick. 6:30pm.

NAT ALLISON BAND Royal Hotel, Mornington.

8pm.

OZERGUN + PIN + REDWORM Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1pm. $10.

SIMON KINNY-LEWIS BAND + KEV BUCKINGHAM BAND + TIM HULSMAN SOPHIA BROWN East Brunswick Hotel, East Brunswick. 6pm.

TIM & JACQUIE GREEN East Brunswick Hotel,

East Brunswick. 9:30pm.

VAN WALKER & JEFF LANG Union Hotel,

Brunswick. 5pm.

Sunday 30 Dec House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights ANNUAL LEAVE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 1pm.

DECLAN FLOREZ + SOLI TESEMA + DANIEL ELIA + SADIVA Workers Club, Fitzroy.

7:30pm. $10.

DYSPORA & ELSY WAMEYO + PINK WASABI + RUNK + OC3AN EYES Old Bar,

RHYTHM X REVIVAL Wesley Anne, Northcote.

RON S. PENO & CAM BUTLER Tramway Hotel,

SIMON KINNY-LEWIS BAND Sound Bar, Capel

SFORZANDO + THE FLYING SAUCERS + DEAD TRANSMISSION + THE WIGGLE OF JUDAS + DJ SPEEDING BEAUTY

Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

Bombay Rock, Brunswick. 7pm.

$55.73.

6pm.

Sound. 9pm.

TEAM LOVE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6pm.

TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 6pm.

Saturday 29 Dec House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights 2018 COUNTDOWN - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Co., Southbank. 9pm. $25.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - FEAT: MORPH + INCOG + DECIBEL + KYMAERA + D RECKON Grumpy's Green,

Fitzroy. 7pm. $10.

BOTTOMLESS SUNSET SESSIONS ROOFTOP PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12pm. $59.

EAT THE BEAT - FEAT: ETWAS + MATTEO FREYRIE + CHRISS MATTO + MATT RADOVICH + JORAM FLYNN + MORE New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $10.

HOMEBASS - FEAT: TOR + COMA-CHI + AUSTERO + GRIFF + AURAMECHANIC 303, Northcote. 8pm. $15.

JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd.

11:45pm.

KILLER T + SLICKER 1 + KUDA CHAMISA + DJ HBK + MORE Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick.

9pm. $60.

North Fitzroy. 4pm.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER - FEAT: ARC + MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA + CLARE BOWDITCH + BRAXTON HICKS Thompson

Reserve, Inverloch. 1:45pm. $50.

TEENAGE DADS + MERAKI MINDS + POLLY & THE POCKETS + HALCYON DRIVE Stay Gold, Brunswick. 7pm. $10.

THE CHERRY DOLLS + PUBLIC HIGH + THE HUM DRUMS Yah Yah's, Fitzroy. 10pm. $10.

TOM LYNGCOLN + DEAN BARDELLWILLIAMS Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 2pm.

VENUS - QUEER CHIC PARTY - FEAT: DJ LILLY STREET + DJ LA DRAMA Woody's Attic

Dive, Collingwood. 8:30pm.

Hip Hop & R&B BIG DANCING SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm.

KHOKOLAT KOATED SATURDAYS - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + DURMY + MORE Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

MARIO Co., Southbank. 9pm. $25.

MONO + NINE 2 FINE + SERENITY + RHOOKAH FRANKY & OLD MAN STONES + JAMIE + DEX Workers Club, Fitzroy.

8pm. $10.

MYTHOLOGY - FEAT: SALVADOR FOR THE FULL GIG GUIDE HEAD TO BEAT.COM.AU/GIG-GUIDE

HOSPITALITY - FEAT: DANNY BYRD + S.P.Y + LOGISTICS + ETHERWOOD + DYNAMITE MC 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

HOT TROPIC - FEAT: HARLEY JAMES + MORE Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 3pm.

REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: BOOGS + SPACEY SPACE + T-REK + RADIATOR + SILVERSIX + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

12am. $25.

RICHY AHMED + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $25.

ROOFTOP SUMMER SERIES - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS The Emerson, South Yarra. 12pm.

SAXON SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Royal Saxon, Richmond. 12pm.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION E.O.Y. DAY PARTY - FEAT: CAMPBELL & EMELYNE + DJ SEZZO + PERCY MIRACLES + EXIT99 Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 3pm.

SUNDAY BEATS IN THE BEER GARDEN - FEAT: DJ MALPRACTICE Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 2pm.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers ADAM PAVITT Union Hotel, Brunswick. 3:30pm.

ALEX WATTS Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 5pm.

CHELA + ELLA SHIMADA + PILLOW PRO Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 4:30pm.

EUGENE HAMILTON & THE MONEY Royal

Hotel, Mornington. 3pm.

FLYING DUTCHMAN + BORRACHERO +

THE QUARTERS + RED PERIL Evelyn Hotel,

Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

GOOD DOOGS + NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH + THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS Northcote

Social Club, Northcote. 7:30pm. $15.

IDIOT BOX Yah Yah's, Fitzroy. 2am.

NYE ON THE HILL - FEAT: THE SMITH STREET BAND + THE KITE STRING TANGLE + SAMPA THE GREAT + LAST DINOSAURS + MORE The Farm, 12am. $249.

OPEN/MIC JAM NIGHTS Musicland, Fawkner.

7pm.

SKELTER + SAPPHIRE STREET + THE LANCIAS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1pm. $10.

SLEEPER SERVICE + BEAUTIFUL BEDLAM + LAEDJ. + LESS FOX MORE WHALE Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. $10.

SPOONFUL Union Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm.

THE FADED OUT + PLOTZ + LYNN JACOB Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm.

THE PRAIRIE OYSTERS + BUFTON PECK Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 3pm.

TRICKGYPSY + COLD SLEEP + ALTRIA + NIBIRA + FRANK BELL Reverence Hotel, Footscray.

6pm. $10.

UNBOUND + VILE APPARITION + LOST TALK + FORNICATADOR + EVOKER Bendigo

Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. $15.

WELCOME TO THE NUMB + WARBIRDS + TORRENTIAL THRILL Last Chance Rock And

Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 3pm.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music BALKAN BRASS - FEAT: OPA! BATO + OPA SEKO Farouk's Olive, Thornbury. 7:30pm. $10.

BROOKLYN '86 Open Studio, Northcote. 2pm.

DAMON SMITH Post Office Hotel, Coburg. 4:30pm.

FLOYD THURSBY Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick.

4pm.

HARVEST PARTY - FEAT: SOULFUL HARVEST + MISHA BEAR + BRUCE JAQUES Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8pm.

ROSARIO DE MARCO Wesley Anne, Northcote.

6pm.

SANTO SONIDO - FEAT: DJ SACA LA MOIS + MORE Georges Bar, Fitzroy. 7pm.

SUNDAY JAM - FEAT: BARTON FINK HOUSE BAND Barton Fink, Thornbury. 5pm.

SUNS OF MERCURY + ELLA TRINIDAD Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10.

THE BADLOVES Bird's Basement, Melbourne. 2pm. $30.

THE CALEDONIAN CASTAWAYS Memo Music Hall, St Kilda. 3pm. $25.

YOLANDA INGLEY & BAND Fireflies Wine Bar,

Fitzroy North. 4pm.

BOUNCE Elephant & Wheelbarrow, Melbourne. 10pm.

NEW YEAR'S EVE 2018 - FEAT: CHILD + FUCK THE FITZROY DOOM SCENE + MORE Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8pm. $28.89.

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY - FEAT: THE RIPCHORDS Keilor East Rsl, 6pm. $65.

NEW YEAR'S EVE PUNK METAL FREAKOUT - FEAT: OBAT BATUK + SOMATIZED + UNBOUND + REAPER + DIPLOID + SHINE GROUP + VOICE IMITATOR Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. $10.

NEW YEARS EVE - FEAT: DOWN FOR THE COUNT + INXSIVE Musicland, Fawkner.

8pm. $35.

NIEUW YEARS EVE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7pm. $10.

NO SCRUBS - 90S & EARLY 00S NYE PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Stay Gold,

Brunswick. 9pm. $15.

NSC NYE HOUSE PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Northcote Social Club, Northcote.

5pm.

NYE - BEGGARS BANQUET 50TH ANNIVERSARY - FEAT: NICK BARKER & THE MONKEY MEN + DJ TONY BIGGS + POLLYMAN Kingston City Hall, Moorabbin. 8pm. $32.

NYE AT THE REV - FEAT: THE BENNIES + BENCH PRESS + LUKE SEYMOUP + WAY SHIT + CRY CLUB + DJ MOON CHILD Reverence Hotel, Footscray. 7pm. $25.

NYE ON THE HILL - FEAT: THE SMITH STREET BAND + THE KITE STRING TANGLE + SAMPA THE GREAT + LAST DINOSAURS + MORE The Farm, 12am. $249.

RAW BRIT Yarraville Club, Yarraville. 8pm. $30.

RIFFINERY Royal Hotel, Essendon. 10:30pm.

SUNIFEST - FEAT: BATPISS + PRIVATE FUNCTION + FLYYING COLOURS + HIDEOUS SUN DEMON + FERLA + GRIM RHYTHM + MORE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 3pm.

7:30pm.

JESSE VALACH'S BLUES MOUNTAIN PHIL PARA BAND Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 3pm.

PONT FACE TRIO Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLERS Drunken Poet,

West Melbourne. 6:30pm.

WOLF ARROW RAIN + MAGNUS TURNER + ANNI M FABLES Open Studio,

Northcote. 5:30pm. $10.

ZERAFINA ZARA & ALLEGED ASSOCIATES TRIO Smokehouse 101, Maidstone.

7pm.

Monday 31 Dec Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers ABSOLUTELY 80S + DJ GRAND MASTER BAITZ Matthew Flinders Hotel, Chadstone. 8pm. $55.10.

BLACK & WHITE NEW YEARS EVE FEAT: MAMA JAM + VARIOUS DJS Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights. 8pm. $20.

FIREBALLS + DESECRATOR + DEAD CITY RUINS Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $20.

MR. MCCLELLAND'S FINISHING SCHOOL Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 9:30pm. $24.

NEW YEAR'S EVE - FEAT: DJ 2P +

Melbourne. 8pm. $79.

THE NEW MELBOURNE JAZZ BAND Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave. 7:30pm. $105.10.

VIKA & LINDA BULL + COOKIN' ON 3 BURNERS Memo Music Hall, St Kilda. 7:30pm. $55.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk DAN HALL TRIO Inkerman Hotel, Balaclava. 6pm.

HAPPY NEW YEARS - FEAT: REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE + MORE Lomond Hotel,

Brunswick East. 9pm.

SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND Royal Hotel , Union Hotel, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

THE LUWOW EXPLOSIVE NEW YEARS EVE - FEAT: THE BREADMAKERS + THEE WYLDE OSCARS + THE GOGO GODDESSES Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $80.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights LEVELS UP - FEAT: ORKESTRATED + OVERDRIVE + HEATH RENATA + SHORTROUND + YROR? + ZAC DEPETRO + MORE Platform One, Melbourne.

10pm. $25.

4pm.

JAMES & THE JALOPYS Gem Bar, Collingwood.

NYE PARTY - FEAT: NINA FERRO BAND + BEV KILLICK The Fyrefly, St Kilda. 7pm. $71.40.

SLOW GRIND FEVER 80S NYE FEAT: RICHIE1250 + SHIO OTANI + BRONTESAURUS SEX & NATURE GIRL + CYNTHIA SOBRATY + JOANNA LAHEAUX Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9pm. $28.

SOUL A GO-GO NEW YEARS EVE - FEAT: STELLA ANGELICO + CHELSEA WILSON + CARLA TROIANO + SHANNEN WICK + AUDREY POWNE + MATT MCFETRIDGE + VINCE PEACH + MISS GOLDIE + MIKE GURRIERI Night Cat, Fitzroy. 9pm. $45.

THE GRAND WAZOO Bird's Basement,

Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

THAT NYE PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS

NO-FUSS NYE - FEAT: DJ ORGAN FREEMAN + DJ DOGMONEY Chuckle Park,

Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.

Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm. $25.

Mornington. 8pm.

Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 4pm.

ACOUSTIC SUNDAYS - FEAT: MICHELLE GARDINER + PAIGE SPIERS + PAIGE SMITH Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 2pm.

DR HERNANDEZ - FEAT: UNDEFINED

NEW YEAR'S EVE JAZZ PARTY - FEAT: THE RUBY PAGE & JOE RUBERTO JAZZTET Clayton Rsl, Clayton. 7:30pm.

NEW YEARS EVE DISCO PARTY - FEAT: DJ MANCHILD + MISS GOLDIE + DJ RELAXITIVE John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm.

NEW YEARS EVE DISCO SOUL TRAIN FEAT: TANIA BOSAK + MANU LURQUIN

$41.85.

LOVE NYE 2018 - FEAT: WILL SPARKS + JAY SEAN Co., Southbank. 9pm. $60.

NEW YEARS EVE - FEAT: TOM TILLEY + DJ DIRTYLOVE + BOSH + VELVET BLOOM + MORE Portsea Hotel, Portsea. 4pm. $40.

NEW YEARS EVE HOUSE PARTY - FEAT: CARLUA Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

NEW YEARS EVE PARTY - FEAT: ZEROTONINE + CONNER LOW + BLAKE ALCOCK Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

NO FRILLS NYE - FEAT: DJ ANYA + NAYZI + MATT RADD + DONNY + MORE

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music

Lucky Coq, Windsor. 11:30am.

THE RECHORDS + JAMES SCHEMBRI

Tuesday 1 Jan House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights BLOCK PARTY - FEAT: DJ SPELL + MZRIZK + JACKSON MILES + AMIN PAYNE + LLOYD BRIGGS Section 8, Melbourne

Cbd. 2pm.

CLOSET - FEAT: SIMONA + SWEATY + JLAW + SIMONETTI + RUBY SLIPPERS + MORE Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 2pm. $25.

CLUB MODA - FEAT: TANJA SAVIC + MODA DJS + MORE The Emerson, South Yarra.

2pm. $130.

DIRTY DAYS - FEAT: T-REK + MR SPOOK + SUNSHINE + HOLMES JOHN + TRAVLOS + ZAC DEPETRO + MORE Platform One, Melbourne. 10pm. $30.

ENTER THE VOID 2019 - FEAT: OXIA + WEHBBA + SPACEY SPACE + ORKESTRATED + SAMMY LA MARCA + DUANE BARTOLO + ALI KH + MORE Platform One, Melbourne. 12pm. $80.

Melbourne. 9pm.

LET THEM EAT CAKE NYD 2019 - FEAT: CC DISCO! + AMA LOU + BICEP + CHAOS IN THE CBD + DJ BORING + DJ TENNIS + ESTHER SILEX + NIGHTMARES ON WAX + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd.

Melbourne Cbd. 9pm. $33.

NYDN - FEAT: BEN GUENTHER + CAL STEER + JUSTIN WARDROP + LENNY + PARTYSHIRTS THOMPSON Revolver Upstairs,

NYE - RED, WHITE & BLUE ESCAPE TO LAS VEGAS PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS The Emerson, South Yarra. 8pm. $85.

NYE 2019 - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Brown Alley, NYE AT THE RETREAT - FEAT: DJ MATTEO + DJ JEFF LEPPARD Retreat Hotel,

Brunswick. 4pm.

NYE PARTY - FEAT: ANDONI ARVANITAKIS + ANASTASIOS KOUTSIKOS 24 Moons, Northcote. 9pm. $40.

NYE ROOFTOP PARTY - FEAT: FEENIXPAWL + JASON FORTE + JONNO HAZE The Emerson, South Yarra. 7pm.

ONE PUF - FEAT: COLDPAST + ALASKA + EPOCH + GING + 2FUDDHA + ZEED + BIMMA Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

RED BETTY DOES NEW YEAR'S EVE - FEAT: STEVE LAW + G3D9 + DJ PETTYCASH + DJ LAMBCHOP Red Betty,

Brunswick. 7pm.

11am. $160.

Prahran. 10pm.

SPIRIT - NEW YEARS DAY 2019 - FEAT: DJ HANNA + DAMIEN MACK + PETER APOSTLE + PINKQUE + MORE Gasometer

Hotel, Collingwood. 3pm. $20.

THE FIRST NYD - FEAT: ACTION BRONSON + MIA + THE PRESETS + BANOFFEE + BLOODY MARY + BOB MOSES + KINK + KRYSTAL KLEAR + MORE Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. 1pm. $99.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers NYE ON THE HILL - FEAT: THE SMITH STREET BAND + THE KITE STRING TANGLE + SAMPA THE GREAT + LAST DINOSAURS + MORE The Farm, 12am. $249.

UPCOMING GIGS FEATURED GIGS

DVSN 170 Russell January 2 THE VACCINES The Croxton January 3 BRENT FAIYAZ Howler January 4 TOTO Festival Hall January 4 INTERPOL Palais Theatre January 4 HOBO JOHNSON & THE LOVEMAKERS Corner Hotel January 5 SOCCER MOMMY Howler January 7 BISHOP BRIGGS The Corner January 8 DERMOT KENNEDY The Croxton January 9 $UICIDEBOY$ 170 Russell January 9 ANDERSON .PAAK & THE FREE NATIONALS Festival Hall January 10 LULUC Howler January 11 UNIFY GATHERING ft Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, Trophy Eyes, and more January 11-13 UNDER THE SOUTHERN STARS ft Hoodoo Gurus, You Am I, more Hastings Foreshore Reserve January 12 FOMO ft Nicki Minaj, Rae Sremmurd Flemington Racecourse January 13 SO FRENCHY SO CHIC Werribee Park January 13 PARCELS 170 Russell January 14 LEON BRIDGES Palais Theatre January 14 FLO RIDA The Forum January 17 BASTILLE The Forum January 18 FLORENCE + THE MACHINE Sidney Myer Music Bowl January 18, Mt Duneed Estate January 19 THE BLACK QUEEN Northcote Social Club January 19 PROGFEST 2019 The Croxton January 26 PHIL COLLINS Aami Park February 1, 2 THE SMYTHS Max Watt’s February 1 ROGER HODGSON Palais Theatre February 2 LUCERO Corner Hotel February 3 KEITH URBAN Rod Laver Arena February 5 LILY ALLEN The Forum February 6 JOHN BUTLER TRIO & MISSY HIGGINS Sidney Myer Music Bowl February 7 PARTY IN THE PADDOCK White Hills Tasmania February 7 - 9 2019 LANEWAY FESTIVAL ft Gang of Youths, Courtney Barnett, more Footscray Park February 9 FIVE + S CLUB 3 The Forum February 12 TEENAGE FANCLUB Corner Hotel February 12 MS. LAURYN HILL Sidney Myer Music Bowl February 13 THRICE 170 Russell February 15 EVES KARYDAS Corner Hotel February 16 COCKNEY REJECTS Corner Hotel February 21 MAROON 5 Rod Laver Arena February 22 PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH Northcote Social Club February 22 BETH HART The Forum February 23 HANSON Palais Theatre February 27 ORBITAL The Forum March 1 BELINDA CARLISLE Palais Theatre March 2 BEAT.COM.AU 29

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