Beat 1672

Please Do Not Litter

FREE

April 17, 2019 Issue No 1672

I Know Leopard / Melbourne Ska Orchestra / Kurt Vile / Trippy Taco / Australian Music Vault

Gershwin Reimagined Troy Miller conductor Laura Mvula vocalist José James vocalist FRIDAY 31 MAY / 7.30pm SATURDAY 1 JUNE / 7.30pm Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall

Book now

mso.com.au

BEAT.COM.AU

3

Wesley Anne

250 High st, Northcote Hill 94

Bar, Restaurant, Etc. 250 High st, Northcote Hill wesleyanne.com.au /9482 1333

MONDAYS - PIANO ATMOSPHERIX 6pm / WEDNESDAYS - TRIVIA w SPARKS 7.30pm

Thu 18 April

Fri 19 April

Sat 20 April

Sun 21 April

MänDzjér front bar 6pm free

SvG Trio front bar 6pm free

Trio Agogo front bar 6pm free

Brendan Lloyd front bar 6pm free

Thu 25 April

Fri 26 April

Sat 27 April

Sun 28 April

Dylan Knur’s Observable Universe front bar 6pm free

The Peacocks front bar 6pm free

Adrian Whyte front bar 6pm free

Esstee Big Band band room 3pm $10

Songs on Song band room 8pm $20 presale

DJ Steely Anne front bar 9pm free

Bob Hutchison front bar 6pm free

Combinado band room 8pm $10 OPEN FROM 12PM EVERY DAY

WEDNESDAYS $12 PIE NIGHT

COBURG & VENOM $15 JUGS BEFORE 6PM

$15 LUNCH MENU AVAILABLE UNTIL 4PM

SPECIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

THE

EDINBURGH CASTLE CHARLES WESTON HOTEL

WEDNESDAYS

L THU 18 APRI

LANEOUS SOLO

MRS SMITH’S TRIVIA , 8PM 6.30PM

GRIM FAWKNER

FRIDAYS

PUB BINGO WITH TINA 7PM

8PM FREE

BEER O’CLOCK

PAY THE TIME FOR PINTS BETWEEN

FRI 19 APRIL LOSUMO 6PM FREE

6PM-9.59PM

L SAT 20 APRI

MIKE TILBROOK

Pizza & Bar

THU 18 APRIL

WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL

SLICE COMEDY 7:30 PM FREE CALZONE & WINE $14.99

DJ ELECTRIC JIM 9PM FREE

6.30PM

THURSDAY 18 APRIL

SAT 20 APRIL

L SUN 21 APRI

ROSS HUBBARD

TRIVIA WITH CONOR 7:30 PM FREE PIZZA & WINE $19.99

TOM REDWOOD 5PM FREE

4PM

DJ ERNEY DEE

TUES

$12 BURGERS

TUESDAY 23 APRIL

9PM FREE

WELL INTO WINTER 7:30 PM FREE PASTA & WINE $19.99

WED

$12 PIE NIGHT

SUN 21 APRIL

ENTROPY QUARTET

THUR

$12 PARMA

COBURG & VENOM $15 JUGS BEFORE 6PM SPECIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

27 WESTON ST, BRUNSWICK MON-THU 2PM TO LATE

FRI-SUN NOON TO LATE

CHARLES WESTON HOTEL@GMAIL.COM OR GIVE US A BELL ON 9380 8777

4PM FREE

TUES $12 BURGERS

WED THUR $ 1 2 PIE NIGHT $15 POT & PARMA

SPECIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

VENOM $15 JUGS 6PM $15COBURG JUGS OF & COBURG LAGER MON - BEFORE FRI BEFORE 6PM

LI VE DJ’ S

W E E K LY

681 SYDNEY RD. BRUNSWICK, (03)9386 7580 WWW.EDINBURGHCASTLE.NET.AU

Wed 17 April

OPEN MICNIGHT 7pm

Thu 18 April

SON OF A GUNZEL 6pm

SPECIALS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 319 Lygon st East Brunswick

9387 6779

Sun 21 April

DON HILLMAN’S SECRET BEACH 4pm

POOL COMP MONDAYS 7.30pm & $15 JUGS OF COBURG until 10pm TRIVIA WITH MATT TUESDAYS 7.30pm / COBURG JUGS $15 before 6pm Mon-Fri 442 Nicholson St, Fitzroy North 9481 4693 / royaloaknorthfitzroy.com.au

4

BEAT.COM.AU

/Tue $12 Burgers / Wed $12 Pies / Thu $12 Parmas

Specials are not available on Public Holidays

MayHeM The Wheeler Centre presents

An alchemy of writers.

An explosion of ideas.

Dhonielle Clayton: the art of inClusion

nana KWame aDjei-Brenyah: friDay BlaCK

natives: in Conversation With aKala

If books function as tools of empathy, what happens when we never see ourselves in them, let alone at the centre of a story?

Endorsed by the likes of Roxane Gay, Colson Whitehead and George Saunders – and by the New York Times bestseller list – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a star on the rise. The 27-year-old author made his debut last year with Friday Black, a mind-bending and provocative collection of short stories about consumerism, race, technology and the violence of the modern world.

MOBO- and BAFTA-winning hip-hop artist, social entrepreneur and writer Akala joins host Andy Butler in conversation about his bestselling debut, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire – a searing, modern polemic on race and class in the British Empire.

Dhonielle Clayton is a bestselling author of YA fiction, including The Belles and The Everlasting Rose. She’s a former teacher and librarian, and currently the COO of We Need Diverse Books, the US-based campaign for a more inclusive and representative literary milieu.

The movement began as a hashtag, went viral, then formalised into a non-profit.

Clayton joins Melissa Keil to talk about her writing, traditional publishing models and how we can create a more equitable and exciting literary culture.

Wed 1 May at the Wheeler Centre Time: 6.15pm – 7.15pm, FREE 3 This event will be Auslan interpreted.

Appearing for the first time in Melbourne, Adjei-Brenyah will speak with Areej Nur about his six years of writing, workshopping and rewriting Friday Black – and what comes next.

In the book, he reflects on growing up poor, mixed race and politicised in Britain during the eighties and nineties, and widens his experiences into a nuanced historical treatise that the Guardian has lauded as ‘the kind of disruptive, aggressive intellect that a new generation is closely watching’.

Hear Akala discuss his incredibly varied skills and ambitions as a writer.

THURS 2 May

TUeS 7 May

at the Athenaeum Theatre Time: 8.00pm – 9.00pm Tickets: $25 adults and $20 concession, plus 50c booking fee.

at Athenaeum 2 Upstairs Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm Tickets: $25 adults and $20 concession, plus 50c booking fee.

aBout the Wheeler Centre The Wheeler Centre is the centrepiece of the Victorian Government’s City of Literature initiative and is Melbourne’s home for smart, passionate and entertaining public talks on every topic.

The majority of events are free.

Most recorded and made available at wheelercentre.com or on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to our Wheeler Weekly e-newsletter for all the latest information and event updates.

BOOK NOW at wheelercentre.com

@wheelercentre wheelercentre wheelercentre WheelerCentre

Media Partner

BEAT.COM.AU

5

6

BEAT.COM.AU

BEAT.COM.AU

7

ISSUE NO 1672

Contents 8 10-14

Contents News

15

Arts Guide

16

Hip Hop, Beat Eats

17

Middle Kids

18-21

Tattoo & Piercing Special

22

Music Victoria Membership Drive

23

I Know Leopard, MØ

24

Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Miss Blanks

25

Fat White Family, Kurt Vile

26

Sevendust, Jimmy Kyle

27

Swamplands, Trippy Taco

28

Australian Music Vault, Q&As

29

Nine underrated Comedy Festival acts you can’t miss

30 25

Fat White Family

Comedy Live

31

Music Live

32

Album of the Week, Singles

Interview

33 34-37

Albums Gig Guide

Editor’s note With Tom Parker

In 1986, Freddie Mercury was still alive; Ronald Reagan was in office; the Berlin Wall still stood and Mike Tyson won his first-ever boxing title. In 1986, Beat Magazine was first born.

What’s a wild ride it’s been – for 33 years, this burgeoning music and arts publication has stood proud atop a creative mammoth; a mammoth that could brave any ice age and come out with its husks intact. Across its storied tenure, Beat has rolled with the punches of a music industry that has endured its fair share of antagonism – yet we’re still here, Melbourne’s still here and the city’s cultural heartbeat remains strong.

A wise man once said, “The times they are a-changin’” and not for the first time in the publication’s celebrated history an alteration will occur. The magazine has undergone many redesigns and progressions to meet contemporary ideals and on May 1, another revolution is coming to the Beat Magazine you, as loyal readers, have come to know and love.

Once the last remaining weekly music and arts street press in Australia, Beat Magazine turns to a fortnightly cycle with a renewed sense of optimism. The publication is becoming bigger and better with our readers in mind – this magazine is for you, first and foremost and as our priceless first fortnightly edition emerges, the surprises slowly ferment. So are you ready, glorious Melburnians?

EDITOR Tom Parker DIGITAL EDITOR/SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Caleb Triscari SUB EDITOR Josh Martin EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Gabriella Beaumont, Jacob Colliver, Joshua Martin, Emilia Megroz, Saskia Morrison-Thiagu, Leland Tan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Erica May

8

BEAT.COM.AU

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr ADVERTISING Nicholas Simonsen (Backstage/Musical Equipment) mixdown@beat.com.au Greg Pettinella (Advertising/Editorial) greg@beat.com.au Tasha Strachan (Advertising/Editorial) tasha@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

COVER CREDIT Monika Pronk CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Harris, Zo Damage, Lee Easton, Lewis Nixon, Shaina Glenny, Andrew Bibby, Sally Townsend, Andrew Friend, Rochelle Flack COLUMNISTS Lochlan Watt, Michael Cusack, Christie Eliezer, Sose Fuamoli, Augustus Welby, Morgan Mangan, Genevieve Phelan

Find us on Instagram @beatmagazine

/beatTV

/BeatMag

@beatmagazine

@BeatMagazine

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

FURST MEDIA PTY LTD. MYCELIUM STUDIOS FACTORY 1/10-12 MORELAND RD BRUNSWICK EAST VIC

N EW AFTER-HOURS EXPERIE NCE

LIGHT AND ART FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVAT IO N ONLY UNTIL 27 APRI L

BUY TICKETS zoo.org.au/neonplayground

BEAT.COM.AU

9

NEWS

News Dark Mofo

Wednesday 17th 8.00pm

Announces colossal 2019 program

‘LOMONDACOUSTICA’

AUBERY MAHER, WAYNE JURY, GRACE JEAN

MONA’s annual winter festival in Hobart is back with a larger and darker lineup.

From virtual reality, radioactive artworks, to cult-black metal, this year’s festival visionaries include world-renowned artists and creative minds coming together to celebrate, educate and share unconventional works. Bizarre new venues like blood banks, old churches and a floating bar have been secured, while artists like Nicolás Jaar, FKA Twigs, Jónsi of Sigur Rós and heaps more helm the musical side. Performers Saeborg and Julie Gough are just two of the artists starring in exhibitions. Signature festival events like the Winter Feast and Nude Solstice Swim mark a welcome return for fans. Dark Mofo runs from Thursday 6 June to Sunday June 23. Tickets are on sale via the festival’s website.

Thursday 18th 8.00pm

WRITERS BLOCK #48 DAYLE ALISON WALKER, BOB HUTCHISON, ALISON FERRIER, CIARAN BOYLE, TOM BOLTON, MICHELLE CHANDLER, JEFF BURSTIN Sunday 21st 5.30pm

LOUIS KING & THE SUN KINGS (Rise & shine)

Tuesday 23rd 9.00pm

IRISH SESSION (Fancy fiddlin’)

ALL GIGS ARE FREE 225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752

Mildlife

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

After signing to Inertia Music, Melbourne four-piece Mildlife are embarking on a 2019 national tour with four shows in three cities.

This also comes off the back of their new 12” single ‘How Long Does It Take?’. The track is an homage to their fans since their 2018 debut, which saw them sell out their first Australian tour before heading to the UK and Europe in 2018. Mildlife will perform in Melbourne at The Night Cat on Thursday May 9. Tickets are available through the band’s website.

The Perth rockers have announced an Australian tour in five cities, on top of a Splendour in the Grass appearance. Off the back of internationally sold out tours and new single ‘Bill’s Mandolin’, they’ve also just announced new album And Now For The Whatchamacallit, inspired by the circus that is life. The band’s third studio album drops Friday May 31, and they’re hitting the road with newfound dynamism. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets perform at The Croxton Bandroom on Friday June 14. Head to Oztix for tickets and more details.

Batpiss

Jess Ribeiro

Dirge-rock heroes Batpiss have returned from hiatus with new single ‘Nothing’, an Australian tour, and a new lineup to freshen the soundboards. The now trio are debuting their single when they hit the road this month. After success in 2017, the band took a sabbatical in 2018, playing just a single show in Melbourne. Batpiss will play at several locations in April across Victoria, before moving to other cities. They perform at The Evelyn Hotel on Friday April 26. Tickets are on sale via Oztix.

After a four-year hiatus from the release of her second album, the acclaimed underground artist drops her third album LOVE HATE, taking heavy inspiration from Arabic literature and its stages of love. Reinventing her sound but maintaining the crisp vocals she’s revered for, Jess Ribeiro embarks on her album tour rejuvenated and ready to showcase a vastly different side of her music. Ribeiro plays in Melbourne at Northcote Social Club on Friday July 26. Tickets are on sale from the artist’s website.

Sign to Inertia, reveal new single

WEDNESDAY 17 & THURSDAY 18 APRIL

BACK IN THE NAUGHTY CHAIR THE MOOKS TICKETS $15 – $25

Announce Australian tour dates, new album

WE’RE CLOSED OVER EASTER GOOD FRIDAY EASTER SATURDAY THURSDAY 25 APRIL 7PM • FREE ENTRY

JAMES MCQ PAT COYLE FRIDAY 26 APRIL 8PM • $5

KINEMATIC THE MANSIONS LEROY BIRCH THURSDAY 2 MAY • 8PM • FREE ENTRY

POLASH GOES BACK IN TIME FRIDAY 3 MAY 8PM • FREE ENTRY

RICHIE 1250S HIP HOP HOUSE PARTY

redbetty.com.au Behind 859 Sydney Road, Brunswick (enter via Cozens St).

10

BEAT.COM.AU

Drop single, lineup shuffle

Releases new album, announces national tour

WEDNESDAY 17TH APRIL

WHISKY WEDNESDAYS ACOUSTIC SESSIONS $7 Basic, $9 Premium, $12 Cocktails 7PM, Free.

THURSDAY 18TH APRIL

PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE! Feat Greg Steps/Maja/Hamish McLeod 8pm Free $14 jugs beer/cider - with current student card.

FRIDAY 19TH APRIL

JULITHA RYAN 6.30PM Free CHOCAHOLICS ANONYMOUS 2: A GOPHER BROKE EVENT feat Jude Joseph, Abitow Yagahn, Spencer Guy 8.30PM, Free.

SATURDAY 20TH APRIL

GEMINI 4 ALBUM LAUNCH,

Sean Simmons Exploding Wheel 8PM, $10.

SUNDAY 21TH APRIL

EASTER SUNDAY MINI FEST Feat Mitchell Ward 5pm, Michael Yule Trio 6pm, 245T 7pm, Free.

TUESDAY 23TH APRIL

OPEN MIC. $15 Jugs,

Free Performer Drink. 6PM, Free.

HAPPY HOUR TUE-FRI 5PM-7PM $6 PINTS, $3.50 POTS, $5 WINE/BASIC SPIRITS facebook/swamplandsbar

BEAT.COM.AU

11

NEWS

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

Announce shows with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra As part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Bad Seeds members will perform soundtracks from films like The Proposition, The Road, Hell or High Water, and more alongside the MSO. Having produced film scores for Hollywood films and indie movies for the past 15 years, the pair are known for their chilling but sublime compositions, which are a far cry from their more mainstream pursuits. Their work for the 2009 dystopian film The Road encapsulates their deep understanding of visual and sonic interplay. The Film Music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis runs Friday August 9 and Saturday August 10 at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets go on sale Thursday 11 April via MSO’s website.

Wednesday 17th April

8pm:

Yazmindi

9pm:

Kinnon

Thursday 18th April

7pm:

Open Mic Night

Sign up from 5pm Starts at 7pm Friday 19th April

CLOSED FOR GOOD FRIDAY Saturday 20th April

Marty Kelly 9pm: Pina Tuteri Band 3pm:

Sunday 21st April

Moonee Valley Drifters 6:30pm: Alex Burns

4pm:

Tuesday 23rd April 8pm:

Tuesday Tribute:

Julian James plays the songs of Muddy Waters The Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au

FAD GALLERY PRESENTS:

THIRSTY THURSDAY LIVE TUNES FRIDAY 26 APRIL 7PM (ALL NIGHT)

FADS 24TH BIRTHDAY SPECTACULAR

Tame Impala

Sharon Van Etten

Following the previously released ‘Patience’, Perth’s Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) has dropped ‘Borderline’ ahead of performing at Coachella. Showcasing instrumentation and inspiration in the same vein as the first single, ‘Borderline’ is rife with signature haunts and psychedelics. Parker’s last album Currents in 2015 debuted to international acclaim. Tame Impala headlines Coachella Festival this weekend, and Splendour In the Grass in July, with no sideshows announced so far. ‘Borderline’ is out now via Interscope/Fiction.

US indie-rock trailblazer Sharon Van Etten has revealed Aussie tour dates for mid-2019, with festival slots to boot. It’s the first time since 2015 that she’s made the trip Down Under. In addition to the Dark Mofo announcement made in early April, Van Etten will also be heading to Melbourne and Brisbane in June. Her most recent album Remind Me Tomorrow was released in January this year to widespread acclaim. She plays at Hamer Hall on Tuesday June 11. Tickets are available via her website.

Releases new single

Announces Australian tour dates

(FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS) THURSDAY 2 MAY 9PM

KINGS OF SWAY THURSDAY 9 MAY 9PM

ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES THURSDAY 16 MAY 9PM

NEON SOUL

(BERNADETTE NOVEMBRE AND HER 10 PIECE SOUL BAND) LOCAL LIVE MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY IN THE HEART OF CHINATOWN RANGING FROM SOUL, FUNK, ROCK & FOLK. DJ EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY PLAYING GROOVY TUNES ALL NIGHT FAD GALLERY BAR, 14 CORRS LANE MELBOURNE (03) 9639 2700

12

BEAT.COM.AU

Black Jesus Experience

Jazz Roots Festival

Boo Seeka

A new independent inclusion to Melbourne, this annual event is inspired by International Jazz Day. Jazz Roots Festival will feature some of the nation’s best established and up-and-coming artists.

With an emphasis on crossover, this one-day event features the likes of Black Jesus Experience, The Meltdown, VCA & Monash Jazz, and many more. Hosted by the Paris Cat Jazz Club, the festival takes place at the Malthouse Theatre on Sunday April 28. Tickets are available via the festival’s website.

‘Millennium Drive’ is Boo Seeka’s highly anticipated new single, following album teaser track ‘Rush’ in February. The duo is ready to take their new creations for a spin with a tour named for the unreleased track. They’ll be hitting 11 different locations in June and July ahead of their second album’s release. Close-friend and party artist Tuka will join them for a jolly good ride. Boo Seeka will play Melbourne on Friday July 5 at the Corner Hotel. Tickets and details are available via the artist’s website.

Celebrates Australia’s jazz talents

Announces national single tour

FAT WHITE FAMILY

serfs up!

FREE! MADE BY MUSIC IANS FOR MUSIC IANS

APRIL 2019

Give awa

SHU y!

RE M V88+ IK M VIDEO ULTIM AUD EDIA KIT IO-T AXE ECH I/O N TURN ICA LP12 0X TABLE

ISSUE #300 OUT NOW INTERVIEWS — Periphery, The Cran berries, Circles, Duff McKagan & More

REVIEWED — Marshall Studios Series, Markbass CASA, Jackson Adrian Smi th, Denon SC5000 ,

Sennheiser True Wireless Headph ones, EarthQuaker Disp atch Master, Ash down Woodsman + man y more

BEAT.COM.AU

13

NEWS

Splendour In The Grass

Sideshows for 2019 unveiled If you’ve decided to give the North Byron festival a miss, a string of festival artists have revealed the details of sideshows throughout Australia. Festival veteran James Blake, rock giants Foals, and synthwave group The Midnight are just some of a long list of artists performing beyond Byron Bay. A DJ set from The Avalanches will accompany The Streets for their sideshows in Melbourne, while the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, FIDLAR, and Foals will also journey to Perth, Newcastle, and Adelaide to satiate fans. To peek at the full list, head on over to Secret Sounds’ website.

General sales for sideshow tickets are out from Tuesday April 16 at 9AM local time.

James Blake

Peter Hook

RVG

Legendary bassist Peter Hook of Joy Division is touring Australia in August for five concerts, combining his former band’s postpunk classics with a classical touch courtesy of The Metropolitan Orchestra. Having sold out its London debut, Joy Division Orchestrated is a celebration of possibly one of the most influential of bands ever, with Hook serving as executive producer alongside musical director Tim Crooks. The performance will be held at the Plenary Theatre on Sunday August 11. Tickets go on sale Thursday April 18 via the wearenice website.

Melbourne’s beloved RVG are back after a two-year release drought with their only single launch show, with support from Terry and Pinch Points. Off the back of a sell-out show at the Brunswick Music Festival, 2018 saw an incredibly busy touring schedule for their 2017 debut LP, A Quality of Mercy. This will be local fans’ final chance to catch the band before they jet off to the US and Canada.

The launch for the as of yet untitled single goes down at Howler on Friday 24 May. Tickets are available via Moshtix.

Luke Million

Frontier and AEG

With his touring entourage handpicked by the producer himself, Luke Million returns to the Southern Hemisphere for his ‘Excellent Adventure’ tour, together with Reija Lee and Juno Disco. With an immersive live show and mouth-watering crew, the producer takes on Australia and for the first time, New Zealand, afterwards hitting the likes of Bali and Korea, and Taipei. He plays at Northcote Social Club on Saturday May 11. For tickets and more details, head on over to Eventbrite.

A strategic joint venture between Frontier Touring and AEG Presents sees both companies unify operations across two different regions starting July. Frontier’s leading concert promotion and broad expertise in Australia and New Zealand, and AEG’s extensive resources and presence in the Asia Pacific region, will see the two independent companies officially solidify a strategic partnership.

Frontier Touring will continue to remain a part of and utilise resources from Mushroom Group.

Announces ‘Joy Division Orchestrated’ tour

FRIDAY 26 APRIL 8PM

Blackfella Whitefella

Announce single launch

FRIDAY acoustic sessions sATURDAY 27 APRIL 8pM

Ali MC Solo Acoustic SUNDAY 28 APRIL 6PM

Cam & Anna duo all our food is vegan.

Our kitchen is open between 8am-3pm for breakfast/lunch, and then re-opens at 5pm for dinner Wednesday - Sunday.

www.themerriclan.com 15 Gilbert rd Preston, Victoria ph (03) 9480 5940

14

BEAT.COM.AU

Announces Australasian tour

Form joint partnership

ARTS

Arts Guide BEAT’S K TOP PIC

James Acaster

Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999

The Miser

Transports you back to the swinging 1660s Bell Shakespeare are at it again, with another performance of an old theatre classic. This time they’ll be performing a rendition of French playwright Molière’s The Miser. The Miser speaks in a broader sense about the disparity across generations, where the young are still relying on their parents and their parents are desperate to hold onto their wealth. Incorporating Australian lingo, Bell Shakespeare present an unlikely juxtaposition between 17th century France and modern-day Australia. The season runs between Thursday April 25 and Sunday May 12 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets range between $40 — $95 and are available via the Arts Centre website.

Sunday Movie Club

Così

The Wyndham Cultural Centre’s Sunday Movie Club will be screening ‘80s sci-fi horror flick Little Shop of Horrors on Sunday April 28, complete with live dance performances, sing-alongs, burlesque and costume competitions. The rock musical tells the story of a florist from New York and a carnivorous plant that can’t contain its hunger for human blood. Full audience participation will be expected, so don’t be shy if you’re called upon to get involved. Tickets are $15.

For more information, head to the WCC website.

A joint production between Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company, Così is a moving story about the transformative power of music. The Aussie comedy classic was first performed in 1992 and has since been adapted into a film starring Toni Collette and Ben Mendelssohn. The work has a place in the hearts and minds of so many generations of Australians. The season runs between Tuesday April 30 and Saturday June 8 at the Southbank Theatre. For tickets, head to the Melbourne Theatre Company website.

Screen a sci-fi cult favourite

Comedy classic is revived on the stage

James Acaster has been in character in all of his previous comedy festival shows. Aren’t all comedians in character to a certain degree? Perhaps, but Acaster’s shows have centred on his experiences running a honey racket, being an undercover cop and entering into witness protection. In all his previous shows, he’s masked his genuine thoughts and feelings under absurd pretences.

The UK stand-up’s new show, Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, is more personal and revealing. The exaggerated delivery hasn’t changed much, however. It’s not a pleading monologue or a steady recount of things as they happened to him. It’s as funny and unpredictable as his fancifully skewed earlier work.

Cold Lasagne affirms Acaster’s intuitive flair for presentation. His routines tend to be so expertly composed that you can’t tell whether certain moments are impromptu outbursts or deliberate narrative disruptions. That said, Acaster has always displayed an inclination for castigating the audience, and tonight was no different.

He stuck the knife in early, underlining the sort of people he doesn’t want coming to his shows and delivering some sizzling burns to make sure the crowd wasn’t feeling too selfsatisfied. “You only go to comedy for this one month of the year,” he snarled. “You’re not experts.”

He took it so far at one point that he made himself laugh, which might’ve been the only moment he properly broke out of his onstage persona. But the substance of the show felt entirely authentic.

Cold Lasagne focuses on the worst year of Acaster’s life.

His girlfriend left him and his agent dropped him. He dips his toes into a serious discussion of mental health, but not in search of sympathy. As he pointed out early, if this stuff was still raw we certainly wouldn’t be the first people he turned to. “Stupidest country in the world, Australia,” he said. “You know it’s true.”

The year in question, 2017, hovers above the whole show, but Acaster deviates to relay a surreal run-in with a famous forebear, have a withering swipe at another big name British comedian and illuminate the odiousness of Britain’s crassest politician, Boris Johnson.

Cold Lasagne offers an honest depiction of Acaster’s emotional life and pulls no punches in regards to his political and social values. It’s also deeply funny, so basically the opposite of a Michael McIntyre show. I’d encourage everyone to buy tickets immediately, but unfortunately, the remaining shows are all sold out.

James Acaster’s Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 runs until Sunday April 21 as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

BEAT.COM.AU

15

Hip Hop

Beat Eats

WITH SOSE FUAMOLI

WITH GENEVIEVE PHELAN

THINK YOU KNOW AUSTRALIAN HIP HOP? /

THINK YOU KNOWUNLOCK THE STORIES AT THE AUSTRALIAN VAULT AUSTRALIAN HIPMUSIC HOP? UNLOCK THE STORIES AT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VAULT.

Anderson .Paak

Anderson .Paak celebrates the release of ‘Ventura’ with Coachella set

BROCKHAMPTON’s Kevin Abstract reveals ‘ARIZONA baby’ E.P

With the first weekend of Coachella now behind us, there’s already talk of whose sets kicked ass, which ones left more to be desired, and what exactly came about from Childish Gambino and Rihanna’s mysterious Guava Island movie. For Anderson .Paak, Friday at Coachella doubled as a memorable album release party, as he and The Free Nationals launched .Paak’s new record, Ventura on the Main Stage. Ventura, the quick follow-up album to November’s long awaited Oxnard, sees .Paak take another swerve in direction, opting for some more funk-laden jams to kick back to. The track list of guests is impressive too, with the likes of Andre 3000, Smokey Robinson, Nate Dogg and Brandy all contributing their vocals, while Pharrell Williams also laid down some production duties.

The release of Ventura continues Anderson .Paak’s coast Californian theme of releases and, when compared to Oxnard, is almost like The Love Below to its Speakerboxx.

Definitely worth listening to, one after the other.

After much teasing, BROCKHAMPTON rapper Kevin Abstract has revealed details of his new solo project, the ARIZONA baby EP. A collection of three songs, produced

by Jack Antonoff and BROCKHAMPTON’s Romil Hemnani, ARIZONA baby is the first of a series of Kevin Abstract releases, with Ghettobaby set to follow this week.

ARIZONA baby features the songs ‘Big Wheels’, ‘Joy Ride’ and ‘Georgia’, while details on Abstract’s Ghettobaby release, as well as a rumoured third solo record, are still under wraps. On social media, Abstract cryptically posted “11th, 18th and 25th”; considering ARIZONA baby was released on April 11th, the next two records should follow accordingly. The music from Abstract is the first since BROCKHAMPTON’s acclaimed Iridescence album dropped last year, and the first solo album from the rapper since 2016’s American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story.

Kevin Abstract

Guava Island

Childish Gambino and Rihanna’s ‘Guava Island’ film available to stream Now, speaking of Gambino’s latest venture, the Friday night headliner of Coachella also tied in the release of his Guava Island film with his bombastic festival performance. The film, directed by frequent collaborator Hiro Murai and costarring Rihanna and Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, was filmed entirely in Cuba over the course of one summer.

The film, featuring reworked versions of Gambino’s songs including ‘This Is America’ and ‘Summertime Magic’, is available to stream if you have access to Amazon Prime or Coachella’s streaming channels. Guava Island depicts Donald Glover as “a musician with designs on pulling off a scheme to rob his way into the good life, which quickly gets him in over his head”. For Melbourne fans, Childish Gambino has recently announced a Splendour in the Grass sideshow for July 17th at Rod Laver Arena.

16

BEAT.COM.AU

Drake and J. Cole tease new music Looks like there’s some more collaborations still to be revealed from Drake and J.Cole. During the final night of his week-long residency at The O2 Arena in London, Drake brought Cole out to perform a banger of a tune in ‘Middle Child’. A lot of love on stage, as footage captured saw Drake teasing new music on the way from the pair; “I can’t wait to make some more new music with you,” he said. “I know we’ve been working. I can’t wait to let these people hear it.” If you’re a fan of that and the What A Time To Be Alive record, then chances are you’re frothing on the idea of a new Drake and Future collaboration, also apparently in the works. If you believe Drake, that is. It’d be the first time the two have linked up since the 2015 mixtape.

UNLOCK THE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN HIP HOP AT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VAULT, A FREE EXHIBITION OPEN DAILY AT ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE

Tequila y tacos is alliteration you can find us rallying behind, maracas and all. A vault of industrial Mexico is amplifying Preston’s burgeoning guac ‘n’ roll scene under the moniker of Benzina Cantina. Head honcho at the Brunswick taqueria Los Hermanos and daredevil motorcycle stuntman ‘Lukey Luke’ Follacchio embarked on Benzina as a duo, and the matrimony between soft leather and crunchy tortillas has proven effortless ever since. Think an arrestingly grungy atmosphere, underpinned by matte-black repurposed shipping containers, flung lightbulb garlands, chalk-boards swathed in evocative Day-of-the-Dead-like artistry and spectacularly moody lighting. Consider the foreboding, skeletal illustrations a premonition of you the morning after guzzling Benzina’s tequila list. You’ve been warned.

A boisterous reflection of this Melbourne-meetsMexico hybrid, the Mexpresso Martini is a compulsory order. Expect a potent swirl of Herradurra Reposado, kalhua, cold drip coffee, agave, chilli and burnt orange.

Or, if you’ve clambered up to the rooftop in pursuit of sessionable sips for an afternoon fiesta, you’re best off cradling a Watermelon Margarita juiced up with Mezcal, lemon juice, agave & watermelon. Essentially, come thirsty. If you won’t be joining the fleet of Melburnians deporting themselves to warmer, Latin-American horizons as we face winter’s wrath, this quintessentially Mexican menu will be here to thaw out your wanderlust woes. Board your culinary flight with an almighty starters menu. The obvious choices are gorditas - hand-made corn flour pockets stuffed with refried beans, ricotta, Oaxaca cheese and mozzarella, or classic totopos corn chips with a gargantuan side of guac. But if you’re really wanting the immersive Mexican experience, brave the ensalada de nopales - that’s cactus salad, marinated in lime juice and topped with fresh tomato, grilled onion topped with feta cheese and coriander. The main spreads are then split into one page dedicated to tacos (!!), and the other boasting vegeratianos veggie options.

Dessert sees only one offering, because what else could possibly conquer your stomach-rumbling cravings for churros. This duo of fluffy, Mexican slabs of gold is dusted in cinnamon sugar and comes replete with a bath of warm dark chocolate chilli dipping sauce. And no, we will not be judging you for ordering seconds or contemplating thirds.

COVER STORY

Middle Kids This creative beast is growing

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

It’s been a year since Middle Kids released their debut LP, Lost Friends. The record reached the ARIA top ten and launched the Sydney band onto an exhaustive international touring assignment.

But after finishing the album, the song ideas just kept coming. The last few months have given rise to the singles ‘Salt Eyes’ and ‘Real Thing’, both of which appear on the band’s upcoming minialbum, New Songs For Old Problems.

“When we made the album it was definitely us being like ‘Oh you’ve got to make your first album, [it’s a] big deal’. We love our first album and feel really proud of it, but feeling like we’ve ticked the box of making our first album, there was this free flow of activity that came after that,” says vocalist and guitarist Hannah Joy. The last couple of years have seen Middle Kids sell out multiple Australian headline tours, support Bloc Party in the UK/EU, win the triple j album of the year, get nominated for an ARIA award, perform on numerous US talk shows, and receive positive press the world over. But in the middle of it all, creativity has remained a priority.

“We have gotten really used to writing on the road and finding the pockets of time in between touring. We got to the end of last year and we had this handful of songs that I felt really excited about as a new direction thematically. And as a body of work I felt the songs worked really well together. So we just felt like, let’s just keep making things and putting it out.”

The new thematic direction revolves around how our enlarged expectations frequently breed disappointment. Latest single, ‘Real Thing’, is a reflection on failing to feel satisfied even when you achieve your goals. “Our big dreams have turned us into hopeless romantics,” Joy sings in the opening verse, “anxiety magnets”.

“We get thrown so many messages from society like, ‘You can have it all and this is what

it looks like to be a successful human’,” she says.

“We can often feel like once we get some of these things then we will feel okay about who we are or where we’re going. But often you get those things and you’re like, ‘Wait, I still feel kind of shit. I still don’t really know who I am. I still feel like a scared little person’.

“We feel like we can accrue all of these things, but actually there’s an identity that we’re needing to establish apart from this. But sometimes we don’t because we’re just striving to get things.”

The contemporary hunger for professional and personal success, and material representations thereof, can override the development of selfunderstanding and self-love. This is a recurring focus of the lyrics on New Songs For Old Problems.

“I feel like ‘Real Thing’ is a lonely song,” she says. “It’s you alone with your thoughts. Loneliness is this epidemic that’s growing with the lack of community these days and so much isolation with the internet and the real strong individualism of the West. It feels like people are so lonely and part of that is because we’re losing those safe places to gather and to find community.”

There’s growing consensus around the idea of the internet and social media having a damaging affect on romantic relationships. People are less patient through interpersonal difficulties, especially when all these other options are buzzing away in our pockets. This extends to platonic friendships too, which is something Joy started to explore on Lost Friends.

“So much of the messaging is, ‘You can be whatever you want, you can reach for the stars’.

And that is a good message, but it will make you lonely. There is the element of going, what can you

do to look after somebody else? It’s harder work and maybe not as fun, but it’s way less lonely. The fruit of that is a much more connected, nourished life.”

As far are the band’s stylistic identity goes, New Songs For Old Problems isn’t a million miles away from Middle Kids’ breakthrough self-titled EP from 2017. It is, however, a more pointed artistic statement.

“I don’t really think so much about it in terms of our sound. I just write what comes out,” Joy says. “When we made [Middle Kids] it was this hodgepodge of songs that I was trying to get together because we’d started a band and I was like, ‘Oh crap, people like this song, I should make an EP. [New Songs For Old Problems] is a lot more realised in terms of sitting in that more melodic, guitar-based, grungy but a bit beautiful realm.”

Joy’s songwriting isn’t directed by the public’s idea of what the band should sound like. But after two years of solid touring, she’s definitely swayed by one thing.

“When we play our shows people really like to sing along. That has probably influenced me to continue to write songs that allow people to sing and allow people to find their voice. To us, that’s actually a really special part of our live show. It’s one of the best things that in many songs people just sing away and do my job for me.”

“When we made the album it was definitely us being like ‘Oh you’ve got to make your first album, [it’s a] big deal’ … feeling like we’ve ticked the box of making our first album, there was this free flow of activity that came after that.”

Middle Kids’ new minialbum New Songs For Old Problems is out on Friday May 24 via Domino Recording Company. They’ll be launching their new single, ‘Real Thing’, at 170 Russell on Wednesday April 24 and Thursday April 25 (both sold out).

BEAT.COM.AU

17

Tattoo & Piercing Special Tattoos and body piercing are an ancient practice that has persisted for thousands of years across the world – their association with rebellion is a Western idea from the last two hundred. Nearly a fifth of all Aussies have a tattoo these days, though more than a quarter of those regret their shoddy ink. This week at Beat, we’re celebrating the joys of body modification by speaking to local parlours about how to get the tattoo or piercing you want, doing it safely and making sure you have no regrets.

Body Pleasure Piercing

How does your tattoo parlour stand out from the crowd?

Body Pleasure Piercing started in 1986 and offers safe professional piercing with one of the largest ranges of high quality body jewellery from suppliers worldwide.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a tattoo but doesn’t know how to do it or what design they’d like?

When looking to get a piercing it is important to consider the following points – how experienced is the body piercer? What type of needle they use (professional piercing blades have no plastic tubes on them and cause less tissue damage and therefore hurt less and heal faster)? Do they use anything to numb the area? Do they use medical grade titanium jewellery for ALL piercings? Do they provide healing instructions, follow-up service and aftercare?

Are there any styles that you specialise in?

Body Pleasure Piercing specialise in ALL types of body piercings, implants and ear repairs.

Do you have a particular theme to your tattoo parlour?

All we do is pierce ~ so we do it better.

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We generally only have one huge sale per year with a week or two of hugely discounted piercings.

Find Body Pleasure at 142 Acland St, St Kilda. More information is available at Body Pleasure Piercing’s Facebook page.

18

Punktured

The Piercing Urge

How does your tattoo parlour stand out from the crowd?

Punktured Tattoo has a portfolio of artists with a variety of styles from traditional and Chicano to fine line, custom script and watercolour. Our artists understand the importance of each tattoo to each individual and no tattoo is too big or too small for us.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a tattoo but doesn’t know how to do it or what design they’d like?

The best advice we can offer is that you gather reference images of what you want and chat to us about what is possible. Consider the part of your body and consider how the design will wrap on that part as well.

In your opinion, what is the most painful part of the body to get tattooed?

This is different for everyone! Unanimously we would say the chest, nipples, inner thighs and stomach/abdomen areas are quite sensitive though. Regardless, it is very worth it ‘cause it looks rad!

Are there any particular after-care instructions people should abide by after getting a tattoo?

We would suggest you speak to your tattooist about what they prefer best. Between wet healing and dry healing, they will let you know what is ideal for your tattoo.

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We will be at OzComicCon and will also be running a Father’s Day charity flash week where $10 from every tattoo goes to The Black Dog Institute.

How does your piercing studio stand out from the crowd?

At The Piercing Urge, we believe in giving our clients the most comfortable and safe experience possible. As internationally recognised members of the Association of Professional Piercers, we take pride in always updating our education, commitment to health and safety, and providing our clients with only the highest quality bespoke jewellery available.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a piercing but doesn’t know what they’d like or how to do it?

Our team are not only expert body piercers, but jewellery styling specialists as well we love nothing more than collaborating with clients to create sets for all anatomies, styles, and budgets!

Are there any particular after-care instructions you have for people who have just got a piercing?

The best thing you can do for a new piercing is to keep it clean and leave it alone.

We recommend assisting your body with its natural healing process by rinsing your piercing with sterile saline and not touching, moving or rotating the jewellery.

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We believe that everyone should be able to get the safe, quality piercing they deserve; no matter their budget. This is why for each day that we are open, we offer a discount on a different type of piercing! These specials run all week, every week, so there’s no missing out!

Find Punktured at 249 Swanston Street and Northland Shopping Centre. More information is available at www.punktured.com.au.

Find The Piercing Urge at 206 Commercial Road, Prahran. More information is available via thepiercingurge.com.au.

BEAT.COM.AU

TATTOO & PIERCING SPECIAL

The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery is Melbourne’s new premier studio. Located in Richmond and hosting up to 14 artists at one time, with two private rooms available, The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery offers an amazing experience for first-timers and regular clients alike. We proudly maintain a safe, fun and clean studio. With an unwavering focus on hygiene, customer service and professionalism, The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery is carving its name into the bedrock of Melbourne’s best tattoo studios and galleries.

Focusing primarily on an unworldly, luxurious Gothic style, our team of artists work hard for your designs. With the mastery to capture a wide range of elegance and character in each piece, The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery proudly hosts guest artists from across the globe on a monthly basis.

Visiting the studio is an opportunity not to be missed!

The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery, 300 Victoria st., Richmond, 3121, VIC Ph: 03 9428 3309 | Web: thedarkessence.com | Mail: info@thedarkessence.com

BEAT.COM.AU

19

TATTOO & PIERCING SPECIAL

Tora Sumi Tattoo

Jose Carlos Junior

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a tattoo but doesn’t know how to do it or what design they’d like?

Try to present your chosen artist with an idea or a meaning for you and let them suggest something for you. The composition part is my favourite and it is included in the price you pay.

Are there any styles that you specialise in?

I’d say my preferred style is abstract lines with watercolour/brushstroke colours.

In your opinion, what is the most painful part of the body to get tattooed?

It depends on the person -- I’ve seen some people take serious pain like it was nothing but I believe neck and foot are pretty rough.

What is the worst tattoo you’ve seen on a celebrity?

I’m a big soccer fan and for the kind of money they make the ink I’ve seen in a few players is unjustifiable. I won’t drop any names but you’ll know if you see it.

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We are organising a Star Wars-themed flash day on May 4th. Keep an eye on Tora Sumi’s Instagram for details (@tora_sumi) Find Tora Sumi Tattoo at 381 Darling Street Balmain, Sydney, more information is available at torasumi.com.au.

The Dark Essence

Victims of Ink

How does your tattoo parlour stand out from the crowd?

We pride ourselves on having a really fun, easygoing studio where everyone can feel welcome in an interesting medieval, gothic interior design. Every tattoo artist here is extremely passionate about their art and the studio so it’s a really inspiring place to be!

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a tattoo but doesn’t know how to do it or what design they’d like?

Getting your first tattoo can be bit daunting but we’re here to help! We recommend looking for images that you love, then contacting us to discuss your idea. All our tattoos are customised so we can take your ideas and come up with something unique that you will love.

Are there any styles that you specialise in?

Each artist has their own particular style. We have over 10 resident artists and are constantly hosting guest artists from all over the globe so we can always accommodate any idea.

In your opinion, what is the most painful part of the body to get tattooed?

Everybody is different, but if you ask all of our artists the most common answers are feet, elbows, ribs/sternum and backs. If you’re looking for an easy spot, upper arms are the way to go!

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We are really excited to be attending Rites Of Passage Tattoo Festival so if you ever wanted to come and have a chat, see our artists working, or discuss a tattoo idea, that would be a great time to do so!

How does your tattoo parlour stand out from the crowd?

At Victims of Ink we aim to provide the best service possible whilst giving you the best quality quality tattoo. We have 10 artists from around the world specialising in different styles.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is keen to get a tattoo but doesn’t know how to do it or what design they’d like?

The best place to start is gather some reference images of subjects you like, and figure out where and how big you’d like your tattoo to be. From there we can recommend an artist for you and get you booked in!

What is the most outrageous tattoo you have designed?

Probably a T-Rex riding a unicycle with a top hat. That was pretty epic.

Do you have any flash days/specials coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

We currently have 25% off all t-shirts on our online store, and will be doing a few gift voucher and merch giveaways over Rites of Passage weekend, so keep an eye out on our social media accounts!

Find The Dark Essence Tattoo Gallery at 300 Victoria Street, Richmond. More information is available at thedarkessence.com.

Find Victims of Ink at 380 Chapel Street, South Yarra. More information can be found at victimsofink.com.au.

20 BEAT.COM.AU

TATTOO & PIERCING SPECIAL

BEAT.COM.AU BEAT.COM.AU

21 21

SPECIAL FEATURE

Music Victoria Membership Drive Back again for another year, Music Victoria is continuing to nurture and advocate for the ever-growing vibrant music scene of our state, helping to build and grow sustainable careers of not only musicians but also the professionals working backstage and behind the scenes.

Music Victoria is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing all involved in the music industry the necessary skills and resources to reap the most benefits out of their respective careers. From Monday April 8 to Thursday April 18, people all over Victoria are invited to join Music Victoria and support the music industry as part of their Membership Drive.

All those new and renewing members who sign up within the listed dates are automatically put in the draw to win an array of prize packs, tailored towards each member’s specific needs.

In addition to the membership tiers listed last year, three new ones have been added – Sound Engineer/Producers, Music Industry Professionals, and the free Under 18 Membership.

Each of these tiers include the standard membership benefits, as well as a few other bonuses depending on how much you choose to pay.

These latest additions allow for a broader range of professionals (including those with little experience) to enhance and expand on the skills they may already possess. They also allow access to a new network of people, many of whom they may not been able to meet in their regular day-to-day work.

However, it’s not just those working in the music industry who get all the good stuff, it’s the audiences, after all, who are making all of this possible. There’s a Music Lovers category for those who just love being part of Victoria’s music scene, whether it be by direct or indirect means.

Venues can get a boost through their exclusive membership option – this will give them the opportunity to be seen by more eyes more regularly while there is also an opportunity for nonprofit and small businesses. So it’s safe to say, it’s a no-brainer to support an industry that provides so much for us, not just entertainment, but friendship, education, safety and more. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s all get involved.

What about the benefits?

Membership Options

• Receive a 20% advertising discount with Beat Magazine and 10% discount on distribution costs with Plakkit.

• Band/artists have the opportunity to be added to Music Victoria’s Spotify playlist.

• For services, get 10% off guitar repairs at Found Sound, while Ditto Music will give you a free 30-minute release strategy, playlisting and consult session.

• Get 10% off van hire through Blue Groove Industries, and if you’re travelling interstate or overseas, you’ll be eligible for luggage upgrades to fit all that gear in.

• Discounts on merchandise from Love Police, Implant Media and Zenith Vinyl Plant to the tune of a cool 10%.

• Free entry to Music Victoria’s Professional Development Program workshops and receive $100 off your BIGSOUND tickets.

• You could also be eligible for sweet discounts at Yarraville’s Commercial Hotel, The Corner Hotel, Northcote Social Club, The Espy, Spotted Mallard and Noisy Ritual.

• Memberships, following the addition of the Under 18 Membership, range from free to $33 for concession card holders and $55 for Music Lovers, and so on.

• The three new membership additions for Sound Engineer/Producers, Music Industry Professionals, and Under 18s all include the standard membership benefits, as well as other bonuses. The free Under 18s Membership is the most revolutionary and will give any young music aspirant access to regular member benefits on top of free access to Music Victoria’s professional development workshops.

• For the first time, up-and-coming and established sound engineers and producers will have the opportunity to hone their skills with all the regular benefits and more.

They, alongside small and non-profit businesses, will receive recognition on Music Victoria’s ‘Who Are Our Members’ page and have the opportunity to be featured in the ‘Member Moments’ section of MV’s e-news.

For the full list of goodies, check out the Music Victoria website.

Head to musicvictoria.com.au/membership-types to sign up and gather all the information you need.

Beat asked key members of Music Victoria why they’re involved, and why you should jump on board

“Through education and empowerment, Girls Rock! Melbourne aims to reduce the gender imbalance in the local and national music scene, and Music Victoria has been a great source of support for our organisation.

Music Victoria offers helpful resources and reports which inform and strengthen our work, and being the main body advocating for musicians’ rights, they ensure that the next generation of Victorian musicians will be supported.”

“Like PBS 106.7FM, Music Victoria is committed to championing and nurturing our local music community. PBS partners with the annual Music Victoria Awards celebrating Melbourne’s thriving music scene and all its diversity ... Music Victoria exists to make sure the scene is vibrant and strong. So we implore you to dig deep and get behind Music Victoria and all that they do. They do such great work.”

PBS 106.7FM, COMMUNITY RADIO

GIRLS ROCK! MELBOURNE, NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION

22 BEAT.COM.AU

STATION

“Eventbrite is proud to partner with Music Victoria to empower independent music promoters, venues, festivals and artists, and foster a thriving local live music ecosystem.”

EVENTBRITE, TICKETING WEBSITE AND PLATINUM PARTNERS

“The music community means a lot to us; having Music Victoria as a voice and as representation for our community allows artists to know that someone has got our back and our best interests at heart. They provide such valuable resources, help and support which then creates such a strong and awesome state to play music in.”

THIS WAY NORTH, BAND

FEATURE

I Know Leopard

Despite having been a band for the better part of this decade, Sydney indie-pop band I Know Leopard have only just come around to releasing their debut album.

Love Is A Landmine was released last week after nearly three years of work. “This has been a long time coming,” says Luke O’Loughlin, the band’s lead vocalist and chief songwriter.

“We lost any sense of objectivity over it a long time ago, so to actually have it out there for people to listen to with fresh ears is an exciting prospect.

It’s terrifying, of course – I’ve been thinking a lot about that the past few days – but the fact it’s finally out after all this time is something to be really proud of.”

The band – O’Loughlin, bassist Rosie Fitzgerald, guitarist Todd Andrews and violinist/ keyboardist Jenny McCullagh – recorded Love Is A Landmine between Sydney and Adelaide, with the latter involving one half of fellow Sydney band The Preatures. Guitarist Jack Moffit was behind the boards for the album, tracking the band playing live, while drummer Luke Davison took to the skins in a session capacity.

“We’ve known those guys since Todd and I first moved to Sydney about 10 years ago,” says O’Loughlin, originally an Adelaide native.

“They’re very familiar to us, and they were able to create a really great working environment to make an album in. Luke, in particular, has been a big part of the band for a while – he’s gone out on the road with us a few times in the past, and he’ll be doing so again for our album tour later this year.”

Photo by Lisa Businovski

Curiously, for an album that had dozens of songs demoed for it, only a couple of tracks have been performed live by the band prior to Landmine’s release. Both ‘Evergreen’ and ‘All That She Cared About’ were taken from early sessions for the album, and thus are somewhat of a stylistic contrast to the rest of it.

“The other key difference for those tracks was that they were pieced together from old stems,” adds O’Loughlin. “Most of the album was tracked live, which gave the songs more of a kind of cohesive feel. For these two, though, they kind of come across perhaps a little more sample-based. I think that ended up being a good thing – it gave the album a bit of a twist to have them included.”

The only other song to be performed prior to the album’s release was its lead single, ‘Landmine’, which was released this past August. Its original form, however, was substantially different from the one that made the cut for the album.

“That early arrangement didn’t have a lot of the bigger parts of the song,” O’Loughlin explains.

“The chorus wasn’t there yet, the ‘didn’t you know’

hook wasn’t part of it, and the guitar solo section was way too long. There were parts I felt had to be toned down, too – that’s a big thing when it comes to me self-editing my work.” The song’s final incarnation was inspired by a myriad of different musical touchstones, which, believe it or not, included lauded rock enthusiasts Devo.

“In the past, I’ve drenched a lot of the keyboards and synths on our records in reverb, just to make them sound as dreamy as possible,” says O’Loughlin. “One of the biggest differences this time around while we were making this record was to switch that up – we either cut down the reverb or took it right out.

“You’re getting pretty much that dry signal for the synthesizer, and it makes them sound a lot more percussive in that element. I feel like that’s a big part of how Devo achieve their sound, and how they were able to really push the weirdness of their music. With any luck, that’s seeped into what we do as well.”

I Know Leopard’s debut album, Love Is A Landmine, is out now via Ivy League Records.

They’ll be launching the LP at the Northcote Social Club on Friday May 24. Head to the venue website for ticks.

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

MØ

“Honestly it was only as my career started to take off that I started to write more pop music. Punk rock is a huge part of who I am in many ways.”

She may hail from the land of fairytales – but pop sensation MØ is the real deal.

Known to her friends as Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted, her 2014 debut studio album No Mythologies to Follow, introduced the world to the one-of-a-kind artist and performer who has gone on to become one of the most streamed voices on the planet.

At last count her smash-hit collaboration with Major Lazer and DJ Snake ‘Lean On’ had been searched and streamed over one billion times. However, when we caught up to chat about her upcoming Australian tour, the down-to-earth Dane seemed more interested soaking up the sun as part of the Groovin the Moo tour than talking statistics.

“Whenever I hang out with other artists who have played the festival, they always tell me how much fun it will be, so now I have very high expectations,” she laughs. “I also can’t wait to see more of the towns and cities of Australia because I come from the suburbs of Denmark so it’s nice to be away from the big cities sometimes and I like the idea of travelling around with the other bands like one big family.”

In conversation, MØ is just as warm and friendly as she appears in her music videos. Maybe that’s why – along with her undeniable talent – world-class musicians are lining up to work with her.

In just one year, last year, MØ released tracks with Diplo (‘Get It Right’), Jack Antonoff (‘Never Fall in Love’), ALMA (‘Dance For Me’), Noah Cyrus (‘We Are...’) and Steel Banglez + Yxng Bane (‘Your Lovin’’), as well as being part of Dua Lipa’s BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge super group performance of ‘IDGAF’ alongside Charli XCX, Zara Larsson and ALMA.

“We lost any sense of objectivity over it [their debut album] a long time ago, so to actually have it out there for people to listen to with fresh ears is an exciting prospect.”

On top of that she also found time to release her highly-anticipated second album Forever Neverland featuring further collaborations with Diplo and Charli XCX, with good friend Stint on board as executive producer. “He was also such a lifesaver,” MØ smiles. “Because I really needed someone to help me finish the writing and help me with the last steps of the album. He’s a genius and I’m so thankful to him, he is amazing.”

With the opportunities coming in thick and fast for the 30-year-old, one of MØ’s latest projects was voicing the official theme song ‘I’m Far Away’ for the new animated TV series of a cherished childhood favourite, Moominvalley.

“It was such a dream come true. I’ve been the biggest Moomin fan since I was little. One of my earliest memories is watching Moomin. For some reason, I felt like I could identify with the Moomins and their fairytale universe. It’s just been an obsession all my life, I even have a tattoo of one of the trolls on my leg,” she says.

“My whole room was covered in Moomin things. Pillows and sheets, posters, cups, teddy

bears – everything. So when I heard they were making a new TV show I just had to do it, and I even got to work with my boyfriend. So that was a really beautiful experience.”

While also admitting to be a huge Spice Girls fan, in her teenage years MØ fell hard for punk rock and sang in a duo called MOR. “All those years that I was getting into punk and trying to form a band they were my formative years, you know? I think through those years I really found myself, and people that I could identify with and just be myself with.

“Honestly it was only as my career started to take off that I started to write more pop music. Punk rock is a huge part of who I am in many ways.”

MØ and her troll tattoo will touch down later this month to play a string of shows supported by the multi-talented man behind ‘Start A Riot’, Duckwrth. “He is so incredible, we will have a great time. I wish I could say that I discovered him – but I’ll have to thank my management for that.”

MØ comes to Festival Hall as part of her Groovin the Moo tour on Thursday May 2.

Head to the venue website for tickets.

BY NATALIE ROGERS

BEAT.COM.AU 23

FEATURE

Melbourne Ska Orchestra

“Normally there’s about 35 musicians but for Bluesfest it’ll be about 26 people. That doesn’t count our support crew as well – there’s two soccer teams right there.”

It’s safe to say that as the conductor of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, the founder of the calypso-driven outfit Bustamento, and a highly successful solo project, Nicky Bomba is a man who wears many hats.

But aside from his many musical endeavours, Bomba is a brother to fellow bandmates Michael and Danielle (aka Mama Kin), best mate and business partner to Joe Camilleri, brother-in-law to John Butler, and a doting dad.

You know, that old saying – ‘If you want something done, give it to someone busy’? So it was no surprise when Bomba, alongside his loyal crew of ska heroes, announced they would release 52 songs in 52 weeks in 2018.

“We called it our ‘One Year of Ska’ mission and it was amazing actually,” the charismatic frontman says.

“The whole concept was a crazy idea that we had the year before last – we thought, ‘Maybe we should just get a lot of songs together as a band’ and somebody said, ‘Maybe we could do a song a week’.

“Towards the end of the year it was like ‘Arghh!’ but it was so much fun. When you’ve got 30-odd people focused on one idea, and when it all comes down to your love of music you can achieve a lot.”

“It was an education in the power of positive energy,” he adds when asked about the project’s logistics. “It was like a military operation, you know? Down to people having to come in at certain times, and timetables and roster systems,

and living on coffee, it was crazy but it was great.”

Bomba likes to joke that as the captain of the Ska-ship enterprise sometimes during rehearsal he needed to take action.

“I have a whistle, and the whistle means ‘Shut up’,” he laughs. “No just kidding. Everybody gets it. There’s a lot of love in there, there’s a lot of understanding that something like this is rare.

“It’s something that most members of the band have never experienced or had any success with, let alone won ARIA awards with.

“We have toured the world with this band, all over Europe and we’ve played festivals like Montreal and Edinburgh. We’ve played at Boomtown in London and Istanbul, New Zealand, the States, and Peru.

“We’ve achieved a lot and I think we’re certainly at a high international level. When I see our shows in relation to other shows we’re up there, if not the biggest shows I’ve ever seen as far as an orchestra goes.”

With at least 25 musicians on stage at one time you can guarantee you are in for a treat at MSO’s upcoming celebration tour.

“In Melbourne it’s all hands on deck.

Normally there’s about 35 musicians but for Bluesfest it’ll be about 26 people. That doesn’t count our support crew as well – there’s two soccer teams right there.”

Earlier this month, MSO released their One Year of Ska four-disc boxset that includes every song from 2018 alongside the MSO “showbag”.

“We’re bringing back the old showbags. You get a tea towel, a t-shirt, you get a badge, and a sticker and you may even get a bit of vinyl as well.”

Jump online now to get yours, but be warned they’re selling fast!”

BY NATALIE ROGERS

Miss Blanks

Despite only being on the circuit for just under two years, Brisbane-born and now Melbourne-based MC Sian Vandermuelen – best known as Miss Blanks – has left an indelible mark on Australia’s hip hop scene.

Daring to be different and never backing down from speaking her mind, Blanks has offered up a slew of sharp, confident and inspired singles to increasingly positive public reception. Her latest is the Baltimore-club flavoured ‘Tommy’, a collaboration with her upcoming tour partner Alice Ivy that matches a vocoder-driven hook with some of the most rapid-fire flow Blanks has ever delivered on record.

“She’s gonna kill me for saying this, but I don’t remember how we actually met,” says Blanks of Ivy, with a laugh. “The first time we properly worked together, though, was when she did Like A Version last year. Our relationship is really great.

There are people I’ve worked with that have a creative energy I connect with, but I feel like we’d never meet up or cross paths outside of music.

“With Alice, though, we have this friendship where I would want to spend time with her away from the studio. Together, we’re really confident – and I’m really happy with what we’ve gotten out of working together.”

Interestingly, the dynamic of ‘Tommy’ was initially shifted in Ivy’s favour – the song was poised to be released under the tag, “Alice Ivy ft.

Miss Blanks”. After a while, however, Blanks took the initiative to have the billing switched so that it could become an official Miss Blanks single.

“We talked about it, and I explained how

24 BEAT.COM.AU

much I wanted this,” she says. “Alice ended up agreeing – she said that this song was right for me, and it would fit as being my song as opposed to hers.

“I think our experience of working together is reflected in the track. There’s a lot of energy in it, and I feel as though both of our characters really shine through. What you’re hearing on that song is really us as people – I like to think we’re both really energetic and fun to be around. We wanted that to be part of the experience of this song.”

‘Tommy’ follows on from Blanks’ two standalone singles released in 2018 – the unsubtle banger ‘Good Good D’ and the G-funk pastiche ‘This Bitch’. All three songs, although stylistically and musically different, are unified by Blanks’ sexpositive lyrical content and sassy sense of humour.

It’s worth noting, however, that having songs that are not meant to be taken too seriously doesn’t cancel out Blanks’ wish to be taken seriously as an artist and a figure within the Australian music industry. There are multitudes within Blanks as a person, both on and off the stage, and it’s something she feels isn’t acknowledged as often as it should be.

“To create something that is super-serious

Melbourne Ska Orchestra launch their One Year of Ska box set at Max Watt’s on Friday May 3. Prior to that, they’ll perform at Bluesfest on Saturday April 20 and Sunday April 21. Head to respective venue and festival websites for tickets.

musically, something really political... I mean, that would be easy for me,” says Blanks. “What’s interesting about my catalogue of work, though, is that it can be enjoyed without all the additional messaging – but at the same time, if you scratch below the surface, you can see me bringing feminism and a lot of other different conversations to Australian hip hop.

“Stuff like empowerment and body positivity are important to me. You can rap about sucking dick and still be an articulate and educated person.

We have the power to do that.”

Blanks doesn’t see herself as some kind of paradoxical being – in fact, the only reason she thinks people are paying any notice on that front is because she doesn’t fit any generic mould.

“If white, cis-het men can be sexual beings but also reclaim their agency and be taken seriously at their corporate nine-to-five, then why can’t women?” she asks. “Why can’t femmes? It’s been really cool to navigate these conversations with people – especially because I love to talk a lot.”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

“Stuff like empowerment and body positivity are important to me. You can rap about sucking dick and still be an articulate and educated person. We have the power to do that.”

Miss Blanks’ new single ‘Tommy’ is out now.

She hits the stage alongside Alice Ivy at the Northcote Social Club on Friday May 31. Head to the venue website for tickets.

FEATURE

Fat White Family

A broad South London accent floats between a nonchalant tone and a childlike interest in the curiosities of time differences.

Fat White Family lead vocalist Lias Kaci Saoudi is a funny guy, attentive though distracted, and harbours a darkness that has affected him and his band for longer than most may realise.

Drugs have been the band’s mistress for far too long, but with the release of their third album Serfs Up!, Fat White Family might finally be treading a straight and narrow path.

With Serfs Up! set to drop in May, Fat White Family have grown musically, but not without some tumultuous personal events. “The two things are definitely intertwined,” says Saoudi. “It’s been a long running battle to get the band clean and off heroin, but the absence of that big brown cloud during the recording of this album meant that for the first time in years we were able to communicate with each other.

“I think that’s made the record into a far more eclectic, dextrous, melodic kind of an animal.”

Saoudi’s unfiltered discussion of Fat White Family’s dabbling with heroin is, to say the least, shocking. There aren’t many who could admit to having a problem, and even fewer who can be so candid about their experiences.

“Saul [guitarist Saul Adamczewski] had been fired after the last record and he very much wanted to quit the whole thing – I never felt comfortable with that, that we’d never managed to live up to the promise of our first record.

“I thought if we managed to get out of London

and all the bullshit, the distractions, the vampires, and the crack and the smack, then we could really do something interesting.

“It’s been a difficult couple of years and I didn’t know if we’d be able to pull it back from the brink and be able to do anything worthwhile again. But I think we have – I’m more proud of this record than any of the other ones, that’s for sure.”

Serfs Up! represents a new creative philosophy within Fat White Family, where Saoudi flatly says that instead of everything being about Adamczewski and “his heroin dictatorship, bullying everybody”, now there’s an even hand. “My little brother’s writing songs, Saul’s writing songs, I’m writing songs … There’s less of a wheel in tolerating that smacky bullshit in the group anymore.”

Like many successful bands of our time with drugs up the wahzoo, Fat White Family have still come out on top – heck, look at Mötley Crüe, however, Saoudi says has one big difference. “Well, I guess the difference to those guys is that there was some money in it. We finished our European tour and it was like, ‘well, we’re all still poor’.

“I felt like I had less than nothing to show for it. I felt like I had chronic anxiety, paranoia, minor problems. My spirit and my psyche and

my ability to live normally was all messed up and discombobulated by the whole experience.”

That’s the past and the band are moving forward to Serf ’s Up!. For many bands the third release is make or break, cementing reputation and style, something Saoudi thinks applies more perfectly to Fat White Family than any other band around now. “We love our clichés and stereotypes – we’re like a slightly more tasteful version of Spinal Tap. “You do two albums and you’re etching out some sort aesthetic framework within which you exist – but you’re still given the benefit of the doubt because you’re a new band.

“We’ve been around nearly a decade as band – by that time people want some sort of justification for you polluting the cultural atmosphere.”

“The politics within bands, especially when hard drugs are involved, it gets really sour. It got nasty in our band. So I’m proud of this record but the fact that we’re still friends is a big deal as well, because we really punished each other.”

For Kurt Vile, translating feelings of love, life and anxiety into a heady mix of psychedelic-tinged songwriting comes easy.

album’s title track. A wired and minimal mix of guitar, synth and spindly vocals, it finds Vile at his most raw, vulnerable – and importantly – relatable.

“That’s probably my favourite track on the album,” he says. “It really just came out of me. I think all my songs are pretty simple, but I always know that in the studio I can take it to any place I want. But I don’t sweat that stuff too much anymore – it really depends on the song, and that’s what happened with the title track.

“Basically, I was trying to get this really weird keyboard sound going. And I just sang along to it while my friend [Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa] played drums while the loop kept going. A lot of times I think that they’re not going to turn out as long, but sometimes they just want to.”

Kurt Vile is no stranger to long songs. But his uncanny ability as a songwriter means that songs that stretch on for over ten minutes, somehow, feel like they’re over in three and a half. It’s as if he’s able to translate his own warped, spacedout perception of time onto the listener through spellbinding arrangements. It’s his musical magic

Fat White Family’s new album, Serfs Up!, is out Friday April 19 via Domino Recording Company.

BY ANNA ROSE

Kurt Vile

In fact, when dealing with these types of feelings – which are ever-present on his latest album – it’s the only way he knows how.

“I felt like it was a masterpiece,” says Vile on his sprawling new album Bottle It In. He’s not wrong, either. Bottle It In has been another international hit for the prolific writer, garnering serious accolades and acclaim since its release. “I also know it’s a little weird,” he says. “But I can see it in the crowds we’re playing now – the fans are into it.”

But Kurt Vile has always been more than a “little weird”. In recent years, he’s become a torchbearer for alternative rock – and critically, has a mythologised aura surrounding him as the genre’s resident weirdo. It’s something his fans have long loved about him, and on Bottle It In, he embraces it whole-heartedly – not just because that’s his natural disposition, but because the world has become weird too.

“The world has gotten pretty cartoon-scary,” says Vile. “I mean, it always has been. But now there are people fucking with both reality and your mind. I’m pretty happy in my life, to be honest. But I’m also really scared – we’ve got a president that fucks with everyone’s minds. In America, people are fading in and out of oblivion.”

Vile is right. It’s an otherworldly time to be an American – and it comes as no surprise that it’s causing feelings of dread. And like all great songwriters do, Vile has channelled that feeling into his music. That sense of bubbling anxiety is present on Bottle It In, constantly threatening to spill over the surface – no more so than on the

“It’s been a difficult couple of years and I didn’t know if we’d ... be able to do anything worthwhile again. But I think we have – I’m more proud of this record than any of the other ones, that’s for sure.”

trick, and he knows it. Take, for example, his lush ode to West Coast living – ‘Wakin’ on a Pretty Day’.

“That song was me working on a way to take a jam and be able to hypnotise with it,” says Vile.

“It’s like taking your favourite pop song – like Tom Petty’s ‘Learning to Fly’ – and pulling it apart. We combined a few takes and that’s how we got the finished product.”

‘Wakin’ on a Pretty Day’ came out in 2013.

In the years since, Vile hasn’t been drastically changing his sound with each new album, rather, he’s been steadily and subtly refining it. With Bottle It In, he feels like he’s closer than he’s ever been to the sound in his head.

“I’ve put out so many records and I feel like with each one there’s a small step up,” he says. “It’s been a real journey finding out who to work with, but we’re there now. By the time we got to this record, we had it figured out.”

“I’ve put out so many records and I feel like with each one there’s a small step up ... It’s been a real journey finding out who to work with, but we’re there now.”

Kurt Vile & The Violators play Bluesfest on Thursday April 18 and Saturday April 20.

They’ll also play Boogie on Sunday April 21 and a headline show at The Forum on Monday April 22. Head to respective venue and festival websites for tickets.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

BEAT.COM.AU

25

Sevendust

“It’s just such a great situation the fact that we’ve got so many different people we can look to to inspire you and keep you’re head in the game.”

After the success of their 12th studio album All I See Is War, US hard rockers Sevendust have been thrust into a mainstream spotlight they’ve more than earnt after more than 20 years on the scene.

Ahead of their Australian tour this month, rhythm guitarist John Connolly isn’t quite sitting back, but is pondering the band and how far they’ve come. “It’s kind of a weird period for us right now because I’m actually writing for the next record.

“Which is strange, we’ve not had a chance to tour a bunch of places on the calendar for this album, just with the way scheduling works.

It’s crazy that we’re already looking forward to releasing a record in 2020 – kinda got our head in two different games at the same time.”

Being on the back of All I See Is War in terms of promotion, touring and everything else that comes with supporting an album, while writing the 13th studio album simultaneously… well that’s just crazy, a fact Connolly responds to with raucous laughter.

How bands like Sevendust are able to create new things that build off new experiences but are still living in the now, would be mind-boggling for most – but not Sevendust. “We’re super lucky in the fact that we’ve got so many different songwriting people and possibilities and combinations,” Connolly says.

“Clint’s super prolific [lead guitarist Clint Lowery], he’s working on a solo album coming out. Vinnie [bassist Vince Hornsby] and myself have the Projected project – we’ve released two records and got a third record just sitting on back for when we’ve got an opportunity to do that.

“It’s one of those things where I don’t really look at it like work. It’s kind of a beautiful spot to be in, the fact that what you love to do, what you’re passionate about, you get to call your job.”

Connolly says, when he has a break from touring to explore the creative outlet, he can change it up, writing with different people and instruments to keep it moving forward. “I’ve been relying on piano a lot,” he says. “Instead of my usual programming of drum and the heavy guitars with Sevendust.

“Anything to change it up a bit, to keep it moving forward – but no matter what you do you’re always gonna get critiqued by very strong songwriters. Someone’s always doing something in the world of Sevendust.”

It seems someone’s always focused on moving forward – what’s the vision? What’s the goal?

What’s the endgame? So even when Connolly is preoccupied, he operates under the assurance that there’s someone in the band keeping things moving in a creative direction. “At any given point anyone can bring a great idea to the table and all of a sudden there’s something cool for us to rip our teeth into.”

In 25 years – a fact Connolly calls crazy – Sevendust’s output has been insane. This certainly isn’t work, this is life. “I know if I didn’t have Sevendust I would be doing something musically,” Connolly says. “We’ve got so many different people we can look to to inspire you and keep you’re head in the game.

“Sometimes when you’re in the process and you’re hard on yourself, you play the demo to the guys and see them get super excited, high-fiving, working on lyric ideas and you go, ‘Alright’.

“Sometimes as a writer you can obsess over things for too long, but it’s just a luxury being in this type of band where everybody has input.

It could be minor things, adjustments as far as structure, but it can take a mediocre song and make it a potential single.

“The ones we never thought would see the light of day are the ones people love the most – 25 years later, we’re still learning.”

BY ANNA ROSE

Best Served Loud:

Jimmy Kyle

Young Henrys’ Best Served Loud series returns this month with a swathe of top notch music from local talents across some of Victoria’s most-loved venues – and it’s all free.

In April, the program’s third instalment will see the likes of Luke Yeoward, Hanny J and Jimmy Kyle present a night of poignant storytelling.

Best known as the frontman of Chasing Ghosts, Jimmy Kyle is scheduled to perform at Best Served Loud with something a little different to what fans know him to have done with his band.

“The biggest difference is new material,” Kyle says.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase some of the new writing for the album I’m about to release.

“I think as well it’s an opportunity to talk through some of those subjects a little more intimately – I guess the stories are more poignant.

Still trying to get his first coffee down his gullet, Kyle doesn’t quite know what to say about his set at Best Served Loud. But if it’s the intimate stories he’s noted, then there’s nothing better than a coffee in hand as he mulls over his latest work.

“It’s about overcoming obstacles that I guess were universal obstacles in some ways, but they’re quite specific in their circumstances.

“One song we’ve been working on, is around a friend of mine who was bashed really severely as part of a hate crime for being a gay man. That’s the depth of the story but it goes further where during the court case, my mate advocated for the two men that bashed him to not face prison time.

“He said well ‘Hey, doubling down harder isn’t the answer’. I think there’s a bigger story

26 BEAT.COM.AU

there than just an assault happening – there’s this story about someone with so much depth in their humanity they have a humane approach to the horrific circumstances.”

Of Indigenous heritage, Kyle also places a heavy focus on Aboriginal issues – his music discussing where Australian society is at today with its First Nations people.

“As an Aboriginal person, I’m perplexed by how [wide] the gap of understanding is,” he says.

“It’s hard to get my head around how people can live in a country they claim to be a part of but not speak a single [Indigenous] word, they still speak a foreign language.

“They have that foreign head of state, they can’t understand every summer why they get sunburnt and say that ‘we’ve established white colonies’. It’s like, ‘Nah bro, these are Aboriginal lands, New Zealand lands, Maori lands.

“This is the black part of the world. That’s why white people get sunburnt – we have the highest rate of melanoma on the planet.”

As Kyle talks about trying to create stories of humanity, he’s also attempting to look broader,

Sevendust come to The Forum on Saturday April 27.

Head to the venue website for tickets.

and contemporise his musings. “Some of these discussions are trying to get people conscious of facts and realities,” he says, “and to talk about the narrative in a way that will engage people. That’s what I’m hoping to bring to my set.

“I’m trying to refine classic tales and find the modern elements in them that haven’t been told yet.”

A lot of what Kyle is trying to get out there is, to some degree, best explained with his music.

“There’s a craft to telling a story,” he says. “A big part of Chasing Ghosts is the banter and I think it’s very singer-songwriter in that sense.

“There’s definitely an art to telling a story before one coffee. But I think that’s also part of the challenge between now and then – learning how to articulate stories around these sorts of subjects.”

BY ANNA ROSE

“It’s hard to get my head around how people can live in a country they claim to be a part of but not speak a single [Indigenous] word.”

Jimmy Kyle performs at The Standard Hotel as part of Young Henrys’ Best Served Loud series on Thursday April 25. It’s all free.

FEATURE

Swamplands

“I want it to be a female/malefriendly bar that has good music, good alcohol at the right price and cheap food so people can enjoy a bit of a nibble.”

Located on High St, Thornbury, Swamplands offers live music six nights a week as well as a pool table, regular drinks specials and a burger kitchen.

Thornbury was a fairly sleepy neck of the woods when Calvin Hillis and Peter Malbourne opened the bar (originally called Tago Mago) in 2010.

Their primary aim was to bring live rock’n’roll to the area.

Swamplands has since built a reputation across Melbourne and welcomed scene stalwarts Hugo Race, Kim Salmon, and the late Spencer P. Jones to its stage along with musicians from across the genre spectrum.

The weekly programming includes open mic Tuesdays, ‘Whiskey Wednesday’ acoustic sessions, and Sunday afternoon recovery sessions. The louder bands tend to hit the stage from Thursday to Saturday.

“Initially we thought of it as being a heavy metal, loud music venue,” Malbourne says.

“But we’ve definitely evolved to cover all genres nowadays, i.e. acoustic music, a bit of blues, obviously rock’n’roll and electronic music.

“We’re not just a one-trick pony now. We try to cover all the different varieties of music.

Through the years we’ve [even] had poetry reading and comedy. We just try to cover all the different music and dramatic sides of the artistic industry.”

High St, Thornbury now has several spots that offer live music, including the Thornbury Local, Barton Fink, Café Gummo and Lentil As Anything plus larger capacity venues, Thornbury Theatre and The Croxton. Swamplands differentiates itself from the former by squarely focusing on live music.

“We can cope with big bands and noise and a crowd that purely come to see or listen to the music. We’re not trying to be a restaurant or a boutique beer bar. We’re all about the music and we cater for that,” Malbourne says.

Malbourne doesn’t feel any sense of competition with the nearby establishments.

Rather, Swamplands unites with its neighbours in cultivating a community atmosphere.

“We want [High St, Thornbury] to be a bit like Brunswick St in the ‘60s and ‘70s – a destination area,” he says. “People can come to Barton Fink or Carwyn Cellars to have a few beers and a wine then they come across to Swamplands and listen to a bit of live music. They can spend a whole night here, not purely at the one venue but at a number of different venues who cater for all needs.

“I love it when people are walking up and down the street and they pop in and say ‘we’re just going to go to Carwyn Cellars for a few beers’, and they go there then they come back down. I like to see people moving around – we just like people coming to the area; they can come to this destination and there’s a fantastic different variety of bars and restaurants to go to.”

The venue recently started offering food – specifically, filthy burgers and generously indulgent chips. Malbourne endeavours to keep prices reasonable across the board.

“It’s a middle income area and we try and design the pricing of the alcohol and the eats appropriately,” he says. “Not everyone’s a millionaire walking around here. I want it to be a female/male-friendly bar that has good music, good alcohol at the right price and cheap food so people can enjoy a bit of a nibble.”

Swamplands cultivates a comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere. It’s laidback but not a total dive, and music has remained its lifeblood since day one.

“It’s all about the music, it’s all about the people that come into the bar. I’m just the facilitator, but it’s the people that make the bar and the musicians that put in the effort. It gives me a bit of a kick when 60-70 people come to a gig and people are jumping around enjoying themselves. That’s what I like.”

Trippy Taco has long held a special place in the hearts and bellies of Melbourne’s vegans and vegetarians.

Fischer realised that what he was experiencing wasn’t like anything available back in Australia.

“There was nothing like that when we got home,” he explains. Vegetarians, in particular, were out of luck in this regard. “There was nothing around.

Well, very little. There was definitely no vegetarian Mexican food around.”

So, drawing from what he learnt overseas, Fischer starting experimenting with flavours out of his food truck and “trying it out on customers and seeing what customers liked”. From this, he developed the trademark taste of Trippy Taco in a slow process, evolving the flavours to give the people the scrumptious taste they deserve.

Even today, Fischer acknowledges the offerings of his store are different to others in the city. “We make our own corn tortillas every day fresh and we cook them to order. So, if you order a taco, the tortilla is cooked from raw right there in front of you – you wouldn’t get that anywhere else.”

Although the menu has authentic elements, Fischer is quick to note that he’s never called

Upcoming Gigs • Gemini 4’s album launch on Saturday April 20 featuring Hugo Race, Michelangelo Russo and Julitha Ryan • ‘60s rock’n’rollers Murphy’s Hardware bring their dancefloor freak out on Thursday April 25 for Anzac Day

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Trippy Taco

Serving up Mexican street food-style dishes, the restaurant has been going strong for over 19 years now. It’s fair to say the store is part of the city’s furniture at this point – and with the assorted menu sporting flavours from across the board, it’s easy to see why.

Many years ago, it began as an idea between mates at a get together. “It started from a party,” creator and owner of Trippy Taco, Simon Fischer, explains. “A friend of mine had a bus in this caravan park down up in Byron Bay, and said, ‘Oh, we should have a party here one day’. So, we said ‘Yeah, let’s have a party’ and I said, ‘I’ll make tacos’, because I’d just got back from America and learnt how to make all these tacos and was right into it.”

The party was a success. So, knowing they were onto something good, Fischer and his mates took their tacos on the road, going around to markets and festivals offering up their bites to the masses. “Seriously, it was just fun. It wasn’t even a money thing. It was only three years later I realised and went, ‘Oh you can actually make some money doing this’.”

This went on for around six years, before the Trippy Taco we know and love along Fitzroy’s Gertrude Street opened its door in 2006.

A lot of the menu is heavily influenced from Fischer’s pre-food truck days in America, “I was living in San Diego and my friend who I was living with taught me how to make the tortillas.

We’d literally just be making tortillas every night and then I was going down to Mexico surfing a lot, as we were only 20 minutes from the border, eating lots of tacos down there.”

Check out Swamplands open late Tuesday to Sunday at 744 High Street, Thornbury.

Head to their Facebook page for upcoming event info.

it authentic. “Because I’m Australian, I’m not Mexican”, he says. “I’ve just borrowed authentic elements.”

Fischer is rightly proud of Trippy Taco and the eatery he’s nurtured since those beginning days a long time ago. “It’s a little eclectic, a little bit quirky,” he notes. “It’s maybe a little bit a reflection of myself, my friends and what I like.

It’s just grown out of that and in a way, because of where it is, it’s taken on its own personality.”

“People find it really tricky to pin Trippy Taco down to any one thing and it’s sort of also a bit hectic, and sometimes bit confusing,” Fischer laughs. “I like that because there are all these places that have come and been born out of a concept and you know, they’re really well planned out and everything’s smooth and it’s ok, but I like that Trippy Taco is more spontaneous.”

“There are all these places that ... [are] really well planned out and everything’s smooth and it’s ok, but I like that Trippy Taco is more spontaneous.”

Melbourne’s beloved Trippy Taco has two locations, at 234 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy and 6 Acland Street, St Kilda. Head to the restaurant website for menu information.

BY MARNIE VINALL

BEAT.COM.AU

27

FEATURE

Australian Music Vault

A hip hop odyssey Australians have been making hip hop since the 1980s, but it took a long time for the genre to gain legitimacy.

By the early ‘80s American hip hop had attained commercial success and political potency, but it remained an underground movement in Australia for the next few decades.

The history and evolution of hip hop in Australia is explored in the Australian Music Vault’s hip hop display, which opened in late March at Arts Centre Melbourne.

“We’ve spent the last six months consulting with artists and going and visiting people and looking at the collections of material that they’ve got and really getting a deeper understanding of the story of hip hop in Australia so we could really do it justice,” says senior curator Carolyn Laffan.

The display aims to engage people of all ages including those who aren’t typical museum visitors. The folks at the Vault are also facilitating a school holiday hip hop lyric writing workshop devised by local MC N’fa Jones.

Jones’ group 1200 Techniques were one of the first Australian hip hop acts to achieve crossover success. Their 2002 single ‘Karma’ was a chart hit and won an ARIA award, which paved the way for acts like Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso and The Herd.

The Vault’s hip hop display seeks to portray what led up to this commercial breakthrough.

“There seems to only really be two names that everybody knows, which is Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso,” Laffan says. “We wanted to really

Image by Jason Lau

open that up and say ‘well do you know people even in the early ‘80s were involved in hip hop in Australia contemporaneously with what was happening overseas?’

“It’s not a new thing. It’s an evolving thing and yes there’s a whole lot of new expressions of hip hop now, but we’re really interested in taking it back a little bit to see the evolution in Australia.”

It took a while for the development of a uniquely Australian voice within hip hop, which isn’t surprising given the genre’s deep roots in African American culture. But Laffan argues that imitation of US performers was only short-lived.

“Quite early on you had people like Def Wish Cast who were very much already singing in an Australian accent and about Australian life. Hip hop only really works if it’s an expression of authenticity.

You can’t be talking about guns, girls and cars if that’s not what you’re into.”

The genre has a long history of feuds and battles, but it’s also a powerful tool for raising social consciousness and empowering disenfranchised communities. This is reflected in the work of contemporary artists like Sampa the Great, Remi, A.B. Original and Baker Boy. “Jingoistic, Aussie Aussie Aussie, that’s a part of

it, but I think that gets a lot of airtime,” Laffan says.

“But [hip hop in Australia] is Sampa the Great and it is Tkay Maidza and it is Tasman Keith. It’s many things and I think that’s what’s exciting about it.

“The other really exciting level that we have in Australia is indigenous hip hop. Indigenous hip hop is the continuation of an old tradition that has been going for tens of thousands of years.”

While artists of diverse backgrounds have been involved in Australian hip hop for years, it’s been a white male-dominated field for much of its history. Over the last ten years, however, it’s opened up to welcome more women and people of diverse ethnicities.

“As part of the display we have a place where people can sit down and watch some documentaries,” Laffan says, “and one of those is a documentary called All the Ladies, which is looking at female MCs from the early 2000s.

“It is really exciting to see women in the forefront of hip hop now because that has been a long time coming – they have been a big part of the story for a long time.”

“It is really exciting to see women in the forefront of hip hop now because that has been a long time coming – they have been a big part of the story for a long time.”

The Australian Music Vault’s new hip hop exhibition is now open at Arts Centre Melbourne. Head to The Vault website for more information on what’s going down.

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Benedict

Kosmetika

When did you first start making music and what led you there?

The first time I picked up and played a guitar, I was 3 years old. I started writing songs from the ripe age of 6. My Muma is an incredible singer/guitarist and once she saw my interest in guitar and singing, she guided me on a journey of musical wisdom to get me to where I am today.

You spent much of 2018 recording in nature away from the city gridlock. What were you working on?

I spent this time sequestered away in a cabin in the mountains to hone in on my musical sound and to create new songs. A sound, as it turns out, that echoes somewhere between adolescent Pink Floyd psychedelia and late-night slow dancing with Martika to Fleetwood Mac. Is there any one musician or artist that has been a primary influence on you?

Joan Baez initially led me in my world of inspiration through her drive to make change in the world that she saw crumbling around her – from her stories of war to her gypsy journeys. “That’s the sort of artist I want to be,” I said to my Muma. One that uses my songs and voice for good change to happen. My first show I ever saw was Tracy Chapman. I knew again I wanted to be this sort of writer that speaks of real things in life.

What can we expect from your upcoming show at Boney?

You will be getting a glance into the world of Benedict before my first single release later this year. It will be nothing but raw and electric…I give you my word.

How did Kosmetika first get together?

Mikey [Mike Ellis] and I [Veeka Nazarova] met in Auckland, New Zealand and started writing songs together mid-2017. About a year ago we moved to Melbourne and met Jake [Suriano] and James [Sullivan] at a record store where they were playing Kinks covers. Dom [Moore] just kinda showed up one day, and we’re so glad he did!

How would you describe your sound and how did you come to it?

I guess our sound lies somewhere in between ‘90’s guitar bands and Russian soviet pop, with a strange dark twist at times? It’s a mix of mine and Mikey’s ideas and influences that have come together to form Kosmetika.

I hear you’ve got an album in the works.

Yes it is true, we’ve been working on it for a while, and pleased to say it’s almost done – yay! Just doing final touches now. I think this LP has a lot of very different songs on it, although you can still follow a pattern throughout all of them which is cool.

What is the band inspired by?

Mikey grew up in New Zealand and played in heaps of bands there which was very influential for him. I grew up in Russia and NZ so I have many different influences from both of those places. Of course, we have been inspired by many other artists from all around the world!

Catch Benedict with Coda Chroma and Pear ATAO at Boney on Friday May 3. Tickets are $15 via Moshtix.

Catch Kosmetika at The Retreat for a June residency, dates unannounced. Follow the band’s Bandcamp site for more singles from their forthcoming record Pop Soap.

28 BEAT.COM.AU

MICF

Nine underrated Comedy Festival acts you can’t miss

BY D’ARCY MCGREGOR

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is wrapping up this Sunday, which means there are mere days to get your funny fix. The heavy hitting comedians might be sold out, but MICF is all about having a go – so why not support the local funnies? Of the (literally) hundreds of shows going down, it’s tough to keep track of them all so we’ve put together a guide to all the underrated acts you have to check out before Easter Sunday.

1. Jack Gramenz

2. Peter Jones

3. 5 Servings of Ham

With a sharp wit and a mean tongue, this 23-year-old retired journalist and Brisbane local wants to win the Comedy Festival’s Best Newcomer award – and he’s letting us know about it. Jack Gramenz’s show, Is Trying To Win Best Newcomer, touches on everything you’d expect a journo comedian to touch on like politics, media, society, and sport – plus some personal tangents that make life worthwhile. He’s on at the Greek Centre, Melbourne CBD every night until Sunday April 21.

Likeable and extremely clever, Jones has an undeniable ‘nice guy’ quality about him that leaves you bemused when he throws around a swear word. Jones’ show They Call Me Peter Jones. Good Morning, How Are You? I’m Peter Jones. is about as polite as the title suggests. Not only is it clever humour, but it’s also relatively clean which is a refreshing change.

Jones writes for Channel 10’s The Project and has been on the ABC’s Comedy Up Late. He’s playing at the Greek Centre every night until Sunday.

The four-piece ensemble, 5 Servings of Ham, have a rather absurd and whimsical long-form sketch show, Tangara Through My Heart. The hour-long show tells the story of a new train coming through the town of Glen’s Ridge. It might be the work of the devil, or maybe the storytellers just aren’t concerned with things like plots or the concepts of time and space. Catch it at The Victoria Hotel in the Acacia Room this Friday April 19 and Saturday April 20.

4. Blake Freeman

5. Josh Earl

6. Barnie Juancan

Up-and-comer Blake Freeman has debuted his solo show There’s Something There at this year’s MICF. The 23-yearold has a distinct storytelling style of standup, which is stupidly relatable. He’s vulnerable and honest about his life experiences, which is disarming and has a certain charm.

His own experiences are funny and cover family, friends, and relationships – which everyone can identify with. You can catch Freeman playing every night until Sunday at Vic’s Bar in The Victoria Hotel.

Probably in a stripy shirt, Josh Earl’s show Josh Earl Talks is an hour of Earl talking – you know, like stand-up? His usual show involves some singing or at least some guitar, but in this show he drops his usual gimmicks and tells the story of how a young Earl spent most of his life before 12 having difficulties communicating – which resulted in lots of money on speech therapy. Now he talks for a living, go figure. He’s engaging, charismatic, and knee-slapping funny. He’ll be playing the Boardroom at The Victoria Hotel until Sunday.

Part stand-up, part surrealist theatre, in Tap Head, Barnie Duncan plays a lonely tap from a public bathroom in Fairfield Park trying to make it as a comedian. He then takes the tap mask off and does stand-up as non-tap-head-Barnie Juancan.

What a ride. Duncan’s humour is odd and thoughtful, and his stand-up is more like a piece of art – but don’t think that makes it any less funny. He’s on until Thursday April 18 and it’s happening at ACMI in the Games Room.

7. Zach & Viggo

8. Rohan Ganju

9. Cameron Duggan

American Zach Zucker and Norwegian Viggo Venn make up the trained clown duo Zach & Viggo. Their show, Thunderflop is anything but a flop – it’s very very funny and very very silly. Non-stop, high energy, and zany, it’s silly and innocent humour that dares you not to enjoy yourself.

There’s slapstick, there’s a saxophone solo, dangerous stunts, and (thankfully) a bit of stand-up in the middle. This show is insanity, and it’s playing in the Mykonos room in the Greek Centre until Sunday.

Rude, risqué, and a little fucked up, Rohan Ganju’s show Ganju Dig it? mostly consists of deadpan one-liners promising the laughs keep going all night. Like a drunk girl trying to tell a story, the show will veer off its path several times – by design, not drunkenness – which makes the journey back to the main story all the more amusing. Ganju hopes the strength of his show’s title will be enough to entice people to attend. Sure to be a hoot-and-a-half, Ganju Dig It? is playing at Vic’s Bar in The Victoria Hotel until Sunday.

Cameron Duggan’s show, ‘Crowd Favourite’ Cameron Duggan, is suitably named. After a successful solo debut last year, he’s back with some new material – and new confidence – judging by the show’s title. He’s good at karate, got a few jet skis, and is very funny. His show covers the facets of life; white dog turds, MONA, Perth, and Tinder dates with psychics (or psychos). Duggan is playing in the Ladies Lounge at the Forum until Sunday night and points out Joel Creasey did the same in his second year of the Comedy Festival (#twins).

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on until Sunday April 21. Head to the festival website to grab your ticks.

BEAT.COM.AU 29

LIVE

Arj Barker

We Need To Talk

Arj Barker is a picture of positivity. Whether it be his goofy cameos on Flight of the Conchords or his appearances on the once-adored Thank God You’re Here or his almost 30 years of standup alone, the man simply knows how to put a smile on your face and keep it there. His show for this year’s MICF is no different, dousing his audiences with just as much goodwill as unrelenting mirth.

Kicking off proceedings by humouring Australia’s quickly revolving political hierarchy, it doesn’t take long for Barker to jest life’s technological gridlock. Children are often the blueprint of many digital age critiques, but this doesn’t refrain Barker from springboarding off such an ideal. Brains are turning to “mush”, and the classroom is the primary setting for such debilitation – attention spans are thinning as the desire for screen time amounts.

Technology has also strangled conventional taxi services and the rise of alternative rideshare options has fostered impatience, Barker says. You used to be happy if a taxi arrived in under “11 minutes”, now if you get an Uber and it says it will take longer than six minutes you’re furious. GPS ride tracking has also seen cars become interplanetary ships riding high above buildings and doing 360s at every intersection. It’s a brisk start from Barker – relevant theories are explored with astute remark and the crowd quickly finds themselves at home.

Across the years, Barker’s ability to seize and apprehend his crowd comes not just through quick wit but also his vocal dexterity. The comic has a knack of bending and twisting his enunciation to exalt any pedestrian remark into the comedic limelight.

He has two techniques of doing this, one of which is caricature.

In We Need To Talk, Barker segues from talking about marriage and how it caters for greater freedom in the capacity to wear camping pants in public. Highlighting the lack of desire to impress, functionality comes to the fore and as Barker mimics a fallen soldier stuck under a tree, he cloaks himself with hyperbole. Cringing in pain, suddenly 30 BEAT.COM.AU

Comedy Live

the seldom-used pocket halfway down the pant leg is Barker’s saving grace.

Another of Barker’s comedic tactics is to distance his mouth from the microphone as if he’s yelling at someone across the road. Used to prove a point, there’s no way of pinpointing a particular example – such is the regularity of the exercise – but if it doesn’t have you laughing on the first occasion, it will on the next.

Barker is a 30-year career comedian and it shows. He’s more comfortable on stage than a tuckered-out border collie in their kennel after a huge day at the beach. He’ll keep selling tickets purely based on reputation alone – for everyone’s sake, let’s hope his imagination doesn’t sell out too.

Arj Barker’s We Need To Talk is on until Sunday April 21 at the Athenaeum Theatre.

Head to the MICF website for tickets.

BY TOM PARKER

You Am I

The Majesty of Tap

Walking into The Corner Hotel’s bandroom, view of the stage is almost entirely obstructed by a comically large devil’s head which barely fits inside the venue. It’s clear from this moment that You Am I aren’t half-assing this Spinal Tap tribute. Circumventing the illfamed This Is Spinal Tap prop reveals a stage decked out as if ready for a stadium gig rather than an intimate venue.

When the band walk out, it looks as if they’ve been plucked straight from the mockumentary they are here to memorialise; guitarist Davey Lane is rocking a bleached blonde do, thick eyeliner, a Giants jersey and a kilt. As for Tim Rogers – well, it’s hard to tell if he is dressing the part or just wearing his usual eccentric get up.

The Majesty of Tap is the band’s own homage to the cult-comedy film This Is Spinal Tap and despite being part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the band are stone-faced in their portrayal – a further tip of the hat to the self-importance of the fictional British band. Why would You Am I subject themselves to such ludicrousness, you may

be wondering. In the words of Mr Rogers, “because no other fuckin’ band would”.

You Am I fervently attack iconic numbers from the film chronologically, highlighting the Spinal Tap’s evolution through the decades.

From the poppy singalong ‘Gimme Some Money’ to a blistering rendition of ‘Rock and Roll Nightmare’, the Australian rock legends are packing some serious heat. When Rogers announces they’ll be playing a track from the album Shark Sandwich, the crowd scream “shit sandwich” without missing a beat. It’s moments like this which truly bring the act to life. You Am I nail the offhand humour, from dropping an 18 inch Stonehenge model while playing ‘Stonehenge’, to Lane and bassist Andy Kent using the necks of their guitars to smack Rogers’ wiggling behind during ‘Big Bottom’. Their delivery of the film’s most absurd moments is flawless and their ability to remain straight-faced is downright impressive.

Not only does the act live up to its namesake in terms of comedic effect, You Am I put on a stellar musical performance to boot.

Between Lane proving himself as an absolute shred lord to drummer Rusty Hopkinson giving his kit absolute hell, anyone who hasn’t seen the film could easily find themselves enjoying The Majesty of Tap. To live up to a film whose dry, satirical humour is its beating heart is no simple feat, yet You Am I prove triumphant in their portrayal. Rogers sums up the evening perfectly when he states The Majesty of Tap epitomises “the ridiculousness and magic of rock’n’roll”.

BY KATE STREADER

Jimeoin Result!

In his usual style, Jimeoin struts onto the stage flexing his eyebrow muscles and well before he’s even cracked a joke, he has the audience in stitches. It takes a rare charisma to elicit uncontainable laughter using just the sheer power of eyebrows, but Jimeoin has it in spades.

After 30-odd years in comedy, Jimeoin knows what works and he sticks to the classics.

Result! is not a show that comes with any

underlying theme or message attached, it’s an hour of masterfully crafted observational comedy. If there is a message, it’s that life is a lot more enjoyable when mundane everyday routines are viewed as a series of hilarious and intricate moments. Jimeoin’s skill in rapidly establishing audience rapport comes from a genuine place of warmth and connection. The comedian delivers on what he promises; killer comedy, without an ounce of self-importance. He re-enacts trivialities like forgetting to put the bins out, injecting dramatics that make us all feel a little bit less strange and a little more understood. A lot of the time, he does this without even uttering a word. It’s a miraculous feeling, to be crying from laughter whilst beaming that someone, or actually an entire theatre of people relate to struggling to put underwear on due to a rogue big toe.

The structure of Result! appears at times to be nothing more than a rough guide for Jimeoin to follow, as he coolly diverges from stories to poke fun at himself or engage with the crowd. It keeps the show feeling organic, the jokes authentic and it never really feels like the stories are pre-rehearsed, even though elements of the performance are honed down to the faintest eyebrow-twitch.

For those who’ve seen Jimeoin before, you may recognise a few familiar bits, as at times he likes to lean back on well-worn jokes. It was slightly disappointing to hear reused material after being promised it’d solely be fresh jokes, although in classic Jimeoin style that may well have been subtle sarcasm.

Jimeoin closes the show with a few songs on his faithful guitar, with cheeky lyrics showing off his trademark silliness.

Every so often, an especially crass line seems to come out of nowhere with a gear change that knocks the audience right back, in case they’ve gotten a bit too comfortable.

Result! reminds us no one is without their own little set of bizarre idiosyncrasies. It’s the perfect show to bring along a partner, friend or relative who knows you all too well, as you’ll be sneaking across glances that say, “you know that’s me” in between deep belly laughs.

Jimeoin’s Result! is on until Sunday April 21 at the Athenaeum Theatre. Head to the MICF website for ticks.

BY NICOLAS ZOUMBOULIS

LIVE

Music Live

Cub Sport, photo by Lewis Nixon

Cub Sport

Festival Hall, Saturday April 13th Melburnians put on their best overalls, Doc Martens and bum bags over the weekend as they headed to Festival Hall to have their hearts and dancing bones warmed by Cub Sport’s passionate performance.

Cub Sport’s entire show felt like something of a love letter between the band – amongst frontman Tim Nelson and vocalist and keyboardist Sam ‘Bolan’ Netterfield especially – but also for the audience. By being so Photo vulnerable and Harris open in their performance,

by David the band made the crowd feel as though they were an important part in the band’s story.

It was a heart-rending performance, raw in emotion and mesmerising in sound.

Both Nelson and Netterfield have previously spoken publicly about their religious upbringings and it appeared as though elements from that may have been adopted in their godlike performance. This was especially noticeable in their set design and production, which invoked Nelson as otherworldly through three giant screens backing the band and extensive lighting.

The height of the show was Nelson opening up about his relationship with fellow band member and husband, Netterfield, and the struggles they faced at the beginning of their relationship in coming out.

“Bolan and I fell in love when we were seventeen”, Nelson tells the crowd, alluding to their momentous new song on their latest album Cub Sport, ‘Party Pill’. “I didn’t want to come out as I thought it would ruin my whole life because I was too scared of what people would think of me.”

Then, he tells the audience that, “it’s more important to live and love than fear. You’re the person you are for a reason,” before finishing off with the high note – pardon the pun – “and now we’re married so it all worked out in the end”.

To really hone in on their love and what it means to their community, Nelson fronted ‘Party Pill’ holding a huge pride flag, which he paraded around the stage. Aiding this emotion were visuals from the couple’s wedding played on the screen – the whole crowd quickly unified in their desperate need for a Kleenex. However, the biggest cheer of the night came when a video of the couples dog came up on screen.

To finish off the evening, the band performed their recent Like A Version from Triple J, Billie Eilish’s ‘when the party’s over’.

The song was a great unifying ending to the band’s emotional performance as the entire audience filled the giant hall in joint sing-along.

Good Boy, photo by Joshua Braybrook

Cub Sport’s show was a well-rounded emotive performance that tugged on the heart, got your feet moving and made you feel a part of something really special. And look, if you’re going to see these guys, you might want to wear some waterproof mascara and slot a packet of tissues in the pocket of your denim jacket before you head out.

Highlight: Tim Nelson’s emotional storytelling of his love with fellow band member and husband, Sam ‘Bolan’ Netterfield.

Lowlight: The scramble out of the venue.

No one likes a scramble.

Crowd favourite: The visuals of Nelson and Netterfield giving their wedding vows followed by footage of their dog.

BY MARNIE VINALL

Good Boy

The Tote, Friday April 12 After a huge 2018, Brisbane outfit Good Boy tied up the year with single, ‘CRF’ and with that, the band are now touring the country.

Before the end of the year, Good Boy also released an accompanying clip, and if that was any indication for the shows ahead, it was going to be weird. For the Melbourne leg, Good Boy hit up The Tote with locals Nat Vazer and The Vacant Smiles. The band room was packed to the brim with the Friday night crowd.

Supports from Nat Vazer and The Vacant Smiles warmed up the crowd in time for Good Boy to take to the stage.

The stage was a lot busier than what we’ve previously seen from Good Boy. For one, the lineup has expanded with Marli Smales joining the group on bass, adding to a thicker sound. Old friend and Jarrow frontman Dan Oke joined the band on stage for a few songs. You may remember Good Boy and Jarrow’s split single that was released in 2017. Funnily enough, we didn’t hear from either song on the 7” – a missed opportunity or onto bigger and better things?

The band kicked off the set with one of their most recognisable tracks, ‘Poverty Line’. The song’s chorus is simple and almost overly infectious. It’s nothing new that deadpan vocals are having a moment in local Australian music. Good Boy’s singer Rian King has perfected his own take on it.

King’s voice has a certain power to capture attention, with absolute clarity to his lyrics.

Other favourites included ‘Fishing With a Shotgun’, ‘Transparency’ and a surprise old Parquet Courts cover, ‘Borrowed

Time’. Although, ‘Green Dress’ was missing from the band’s setlist, a popular choice that I had come to expect. Regardless, with Stu McKenzie’s tight drums and jangly guitar from Tom Lindeman, Good Boy is a welloiled machine at this point. Not to mention, newcomer Smales holding her own with bold basslines. The band drew heavily from their 2017 EP, Shirklife, with a couple newer songs, positioning themselves nicely for their debut album later in the year. The set did not go without its issues, with a few stinging feedback moments. But if anything it added to the raw, low-fi sound the Tote has been known to foster.

Photo Sallyfinished Townsend The by band off with the tour’s single, ‘C.R.F’ and finally, ‘A Waste of Approximately 122 Million Dollars (Taxpayers Funded) – a mouthful to say, but a great end. With the debut album’s release looming, it won’t be long until we see Good Boy grace a Melbourne stage again. Taking note of their lustrous list of supports under their belt, we might even see them that much sooner.

Highlight: The crowd’s energy.

Lowlight: The Tote’s creaking floor. Will it fall through? Won’t it? Who knows.

Crowd Favourite: ‘A Waste of Approximately 122 Million Dollars (Taxpayers Funded)’ and ‘Poverty Line’

BY MATILDA ELGOOD

Norah Jones

The Palais, Friday April 12 It was a cosy and relaxed Friday at The Palais, where couples and families were flocking for a night of throwback pop-jazz at the hands of early-2000s romantic crooner, Norah Jones. Having released an album earlier that day, fans were buzzing to hear the new Begin Again tracks from the artist herself.

With little mucking about, Jones emerged from the wings alongside her bandmates – each respectively manning a piano, a drum kit, a double bass, and what looked like a lap steel guitar – and took her place behind the mic, starting up the band before the crowd had died down.

Shimmering in fully metallic outfit, she led the room into ‘My Heart Is Full’ using finger snaps before relocating to one of the stage’s two pianos.

Unsurprisingly, the overall sound was brilliant and the band – relatively tight – seemed to be enjoying the craft onstage. The true champion, though again unsurprisingly, was Jones’ vocal prowess. Known for her

Norah Jones, photo by James Hughes

husky, bluesy, sounds-like-she-smokes-apack-a-day-but-actually-doesn’t-becausewho-has-the-time-or-cash voice, Jones was blasé as she swept through each song with masterful restraint. Her range was displayed only on limited occasions, but when she let herself loose it made every single hair on your arms stick up.

The set list wound beautifully through new tunes, old tunes (though ‘Come Away With Me’ was a notable absence), and a few covers. Jones pulled out an acoustic guitar to cover Tom Petty’s ‘Angel Dream No. 2’, which created a mesmeric atmosphere that left the audience silent for a beat before exploding into applause and cheers.

Despite the technical proficiency displayed, Jones played three songs before addressing the audience. This was initially endearing; it was as if her unassuming persona mirrored the quietly confident vibe of her oeuvre. However, Jones’ discomfort and subsequent lack of engagement with the crowd, though initially charming, became grinding. Jones’ only on-stage banter emerged from a quip about the number of Joshs in her band, and despite the audience’s surprised laughter it was the only joke of the night. Perhaps venues such as The Palais, though prestigious, aren’t ideal for sounds and atmospheres like Jones’? Maybe she’d shine brighter in a roomy jazz bar like Bennett Lane, or even Howler, where she can see the crowd and foster a more intimate vibe?

A very planned encore (is this a given now? have we all just accepted that this is a thing?) gave rest for a short two minutes before Jones and her band returned, ready to bang out two more for the fans. ‘I’ve Got To See You Again’ and ‘Don’t Know Why’ seemed like fitting closure for the night; well known and a little upbeat, Jones definitely knew that she was saving the best for last.

Highlight: The few times Jones engaged with the crowd it was funny and charming – would have loved it to have happened more often.

Lowlight: To whichever lighting person was in charge of the strobe beams that shone from the back of the stage straight through the retinas of everyone on the floor (and probably accelerated my own ocular degeneration) – please stop using those lights. This happens every time I go to The Palais and I only have so many Medicarecovered optometrist appointments.

Crowd favourite: ‘Don’t Know Why’ garnered a collective “ooooo!!” during the intro and a big ol’ cheer at the end.

BY LEXI HERBERT

BEAT.COM.AU

31

ALBUM REVIEWS

Album of the Week (Poison City Records)

Singles WITH AUGUSTUS WELBY

Mdou Moctar

Tumastin

(Sahel Sounds)

Ilana the Creator, the new record from Tuareg guitar prodigy Mdou Moctar, features some serious Saharan shredding. Recorded in Detroit with a live band, Moctar displays intuitive dexterity on the instrument he learnt to play in secret due to his religious community’s prohibition of secular music. ‘Tumastin’ is a shimmery number centred on a few basic chord changes. It finds the Nigerian native leaning back and saying as much with the notes he doesn’t play. It’s pensive, but Moctar’s guitar playing releases an optimistic beam.

Sarah Mary Chadwick

The Queen Who Stole The Sky (Rice Is Nice)

Sarah Mary Chadwick can make a lasting impression with no more than voice and keyboard. Her new live album, The Queen Who Stole The Sky, was recorded in Melbourne Town Hall with Chadwick operating the Hall’s mighty grand organ. The title track illustrates the enlarged aural possibilities of this setup, but the stark and personable nature of Chadwick’s songwriting isn’t lost in the mist. ‘The Queen…’ is an unswerving confrontation with depression.

“Though today I’m losing, I know tomorrow could be fine,” she sings just prior to the song’s conclusion, the rousing organ sounds vindicating the promise of a better tomorrow.

Mildlife

(Inertia Music)

How Long Does It Take?

Psychedelic dance music is becoming a crowded field. But rather than pop melody or summer festival vibes, Mildlife’s songs are distinguished by jazzy instrumental deviations.

That’s not to say ‘How Long Does It Take?’ is without entrancing melodies or dance floor impetus. It’s a riveting seven-minute sequence marked by Rhodes piano and flute.

Aldous Harding

Fixture Picture

(4AD)

Aldous Harding is straightening up. The theatrical bent of her early work has settled into the background and ‘Fixture Picture’ is a refined folk rock number. That said, the song has an abstract quality. The lyrics address an absent lover, or perhaps just the idea of a lover. The singer celebrates the titular picture, but it’s not quite the real thing.

9 Ferla

It’s Personal The title of Ferla’s debut album indicates the emotional excavation contained within. Giuliano Ferla launched the project in 2015, untying himself from the bush operatics of Twin Beasts to adopt a synth-laden sound he termed “guilt pop”.

Things haven’t changed much on It’s Personal, which begins trying to quell desire. “Don’t want for just a little while,” the singer proposes on opener, ‘Don’t Want’. It’s more of a vignette than a song, establishing the mise en scène for the events ahead. “What’s there when you don’t want nothing at all?” goes the chorus, introducing us to Ferla’s sweeping higher register. From here we’re taken on an allegorical tour of what sparked the attempted abstinence.

‘I’m Fine’ is a spruce but brooding number fit for ‘80s pop radio.

There’s been a breakup and he’s figuring out how to cope (the subtext being, really, he’s not coping at all). ‘Unconditional Love’ steps away from playlist-friendly indie pop to display the band’s off-kilter strengths.

The record culminates with two slower and more sensual compositions – the band’s forte. ‘Out of Style’ is a filmic soft-rock number begging to be paired with melodramatic visuals. Penultimate track, ‘Going Solo’, acts as a précis of the band’s catalogue so far. The breakup doesn’t hurt because of some prurient obsession – it’s the loss of connection that really stings.

It’s Personal mightn’t arrive at a satisfying resolution, but when a quaking heart produces such high-class songwriting, there’s really nothing to complain about.

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

THURSDAY 18 APRIL

SATURDAY 4 MAY

W/ DAVEY LANE - ON SALE NOW

W/ SIMONA + WATERFALL PERSON - ON SALE NOW

VAN DUREN (USA)

WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL (ANZAC EVE)

FRIDAY 10 MAY

W/ BITUMEN + UTE ROOT + CLAIRE BIRCHALL & THE PHANTOM HITCHHIKERS – A FUNDRAISER FOR BOB BROWN FOUNDATION

W/ HOI PALLOI + MORE - ON SALE NOW

MAGIC DIRT (SOLD OUT) THURSDAY 25 APRIL

COOL OUT SUN + DRMINGNOW W/ POOKIE - ON SALE NOW FRIDAY 26 APRIL

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

GONZO ALBUM LAUNCH

W/ EXEK + HIEROPHANTS + GUTTER GIRLS - ON SALE NOW SATURDAY 27 APRIL

BEC STEVENS ALBUM LAUNCH

W/ HANNY J + NOTHING REALLY + WORLD SICK - ON SALE NOW

KITCHEN RESIDENCY NOW OPEN!

32 BEAT.COM.AU

HONEY 2 HONEY EP LAUNCH

SPACEY JANE (WA) SINGLE LAUNCH SATURDAY 11 MAY

THURSDAY 23 MAY

TEX PERKINS & MATT WALKER W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW SATURDAY 1 JUNE

SAND PEBBLES ‘GHOST

SHIFTING SANDS ALBUM LAUNCH TRANSMISSIONS’ REISSUE W/ TROUBLE PEACH - ON SALE NOW SUNDAY 12 MAY

CHAPTER MUSIC PRESENTS (AFTERNOON SHOW)

DAVID CHESWORTH

LAUNCH SATURDAY 15 JUNE RAT!HAMMOCK SINGLE LAUNCH

W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW

THURSDAY 18 JULY

THURSDAY 16 MAY

THE NUDE PARTY W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW

HOLLOW DECEMBER EP LAUNCH

SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS

FRIDAY 3 MAY

W/ FIVEFOURS + ARBES - ON SALE NOW

FRIDAY 19 JULY

W/ THE SHIFTERS + DRUG SWEAT + ASL - ON SALE NOW

LANEOUS ALBUM LAUNCH + JAZZ PARTY SINGLE LAUNCH - ON SALE NOW

CHARLY BLISS W/ GUESTS - ON SALE NOW

CONSTANT MONGREL OVERSEAS SEND OFF

FRIDAY 17 MAY

SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS

ALBUM REVIEWS

Albums

Bad Suns

Mystic Truth

9

I Know Leopard

Love Is A Landmine

Following album releases in 2014 and 2016, Bad Suns take a new direction with Mystic Truth, their first on Epitaph Records. The unapologetic, defiant album welcomes a new arsenal of synths and instrumentation for the Los Angeles County band.

The diverse ten track album shows a band reborn, and their new sound is the audible culmination of inspirations varying from Talking Heads and R.E.M, to Kate Bush and Mikhail Bulgakov. With songs like anthemic opening track ‘Away We Go’ contrasted with melodic waltz ‘Darkness Arrives (And Departs)’, Bad Suns leave you obliged to sing along.

‘A Miracle, A Mile Away’ tugs on the post-punk heartstrings while ‘Hold Your Fire’ welcomes a pop-infused rock and roll sing-along. ‘Howling At The Sun’ crams a nostalgic summer guitar riff, hard-hitting bass drum and a headbanging chorus into two minutes and 41 seconds. Final track ‘Starjumper’ allows lead singer Christo Bowman to flaunt vulnerable and dynamic vocals.

You know that friend you haven’t seen in a long time and finally meet again? Love Is A Landmine feels like that friend.

I Know Leopard lets you sink into its debut LP with a cosy and familiar musicality that ranges from the grand, neo-retro wonders of ‘Mums and Dads of Satanists’, to the synth-based grooves of ‘All That She Cared About’. This makes for an incredibly listenable album, that makes you feel like it’s 1981 again or maybe 1982, somewhere in there.

What gives the LP a bittersweet touch is that underneath its welcoming sound, it’s an emotionally beleaguered rollercoaster. The lyrics act as a direct conduit to thoughts about love and the and tribulations of their storyteller. Look at the song ‘Seventy Lies’; its chorus is its beating heart, proclaiming “I want to be what you want, I want to be what I’m not” – a saddening look at how we aim for perfection with love.

The song ‘Heather’ is another example – “You can call me when you get your shit together, you can’t play your games with me forever”. Welcoming and smart, Love Is A Landmine is a great calling card for I Know Leopard.

BY PRIYA FRANCIS

BY RHYS MCKENZIE

(Gorsky Records)

(Ivy League)

(Epitaph Records)

7

6

Sleeper

The Modern Age

Sleeper were part of the Britpop B-list in the ‘90s – riding the same wave as the likes of Oasis and Blur, but never rising to the same heights. The band are however fondly remembered as one of the biggest female-led British bands of the ‘90s, known for their mega-hit hit ‘Sale of the Century’ and their cover of Blondie’s ‘Atomic’ on the Trainspotting soundtrack.

But age has not been kind to the recently reunited London group. Their first new album since 1997, The Modern Age, is a long-awaited joy for die-hard fans, but sadly they might be the only ones listening. Their original ‘90s spunk is largely absent on this new LP and the basic rock tunes that are present lack drive or inspiration.

It is clear from the lyrics of ‘Look At You Now’ Louise Wener and co. wanted to distance themselves from bands that just play ‘all the hits’, but the new songs here will probably not go down as well as their meatier back catalogue. One unmistaken highlight on The Modern Age would be ‘More Than I Do’, which contains explosive energy in the second half with blistering guitar and drums, a rare gem in a largely mediocre effort.

BY JAMES ROBERTSON

Guy

9

Fat White Family

Serfs Up!

Like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark was a hero and mentor to Steve Earle. So when Earle puts together a tribute, no shortcuts are taken. 16 tracks bearing both cohesion and chutzpah are to be found. You can just envision good ol’ boys rampaging through town in a bashed up Dodge, swigging moonshine and listening to Guy. Mordant and powerful songs such as ‘Dublin Blues’, ‘Desparados Waiting For A Train’, ‘That Old Time Feeling’ and ‘L.A. Freeway’ show Steve Earle & The Dukes know how to tear up a Saturday night bar-room audience. ‘Anyhow I Love You’ is a beautiful afterthought and evidences why Earle stands apart from the army of bearded crooners strumming their guitars searching for relevance.

Elegantly crafted, the lived-in voice of Earle remains strong and clear. ‘Heartbroke’ chugs along, as do the other songs set for vicarious listening. ‘The Last Gunfighter Ballad’ yearns for a forgotten time while ‘Out In The Parking Lot’ makes you want to take another swig from the jar.

Instinctive skill captures a band at the top of their game playing songs of a slower and more ponderous time. If you don’t find yourself shimmying to this, you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

It’s hard to describe Serfs Up! in a neat sentence. Honest, divergent and unexpected might be a few words to sum up this mixed bag of 60’s funk, tropicália and ‘80s action movie scores, set to earnest and unfiltered lyrics. Each song feels full without overwhelming in a musical environment you can’t truly explore with a single listen.

Serfs Up! starts bravely with ‘Feet’, an epic instrumental straight out of Kill Bill with lyrics that are an honest and poetic form of erotica. ‘Bobby’s Boyfriend’ begins with a laidback drumbeat and environmental noises complimented by the occasional guitar lick. The chorus refrain “Bobby’s boyfriend is a prostitute” is repeated with “and so is mine” to finish it with a tang.

The longest track ‘Tastes Good With The Money’ sits on the cusp of six minutes, opening with an anthemic choir driven by husky vocals and gradually building across the tune.

It takes a break close to halfway for a short monologue over a laid-back funk beat before rejoining the music in harmony.

Fat White Family create fun, extrinsic tracks that stand tall as production pieces. Regardless of whether the band is normally your cup of tea, it would be hard to fault the effort and musicality of Serfs Up!.

BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS

BY SCOTT HUDSON

(Independent)

Steve Earle and the Dukes

(Domino Recording Company)

(New West Records)

9

EDIT OR’ PICK S

Good Morning

The Option For Melbourne slacker rockers Good Morning, guitars aren’t meant to be in tune – at least it sounds that way.

There’s an irreverent cacophony to their melodies that profits the music rather than injures it; The Clean were the forefathers of such a design and Good Morning are doing no harm to the blueprint.

On their new album The Option, the outfit continue on their merry way but with greater brevity than ever before; across eight songs, the LP barely tiptoes over 18 minutes in length. The project’s chief songwriters Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons have always had the tendency to keep their messages brief and to the point, but this takes such concision to another level.

Whether the tracks were cut from their previous effort, 2018’s Prize // Reward, are earlier unscrubbed demos or products of recent jolts of creativity, on The Option, there’s no doubting Good Morning’s ability to push the pop envelope. ‘You Up?’ is crass and conversational like a deadpan Parquet Courts number, while ‘People Say’ is as uninterested as they’ve ever sounded but is easily the album’s catchiest 107 seconds.

Nevertheless, it isn’t until album closer ‘Credentials (Lester & Eliza)’ that we see Good Morning fully navigate the roominess of their sweet melodies.

BY TOM PARKER

BEAT.COM.AU 33

Gig Guide

FEATURED GIGS

Wine, Whiskey, Women THE DRUNKEN POET

Yazmindi and Kinnon are this week’s female acts set to perform at The Drunken Poet’s Wine, Whiskey, Women show this Wednesday April 17. Yazmindi is one of Australia’s best up-andcoming artists, with a unique songwriting style and sound, whereas Kinnon’s solo acoustic act is reminiscent of nu-folk. Yazmindi comes on at 8pm, Kinnon is at 9pm.

Entry is free.

Big Boiz of Brisbane Comedy FAD GALLERY

Nick Carr, Chris Martin and MJ Wong’s Big Boiz of Brisbane Comedy hits the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after a successful debut at Brisbane’s 2018 Funny Fest. Catch them from Wednesday April 17 until Sunday April 21 (bar Thursday) at FAD Gallery from 8pm, tickets via the festival website.

The Mooks RED BETTY

Praised for their hilarious satire and musical comedy, The Mooks are back with their latest show Back in the Naughty Chair, a show bringing together their love for silly songs and hate for being judged by algorithms. The trio are performing at Red Betty both Wednesday April 17 and Thursday April 18 at 8pm, tickets are available online and at the door.

Trautoniks BAR 303

Bar 303 will be home to some of the greatest international and local live synthesiser performances. The acts a part of the electronic music collective include Peter Pichler, Rae Howell, Nick Wilson, and many more. Show starts at 8pm on Thursday April 18, tickets and lineup information available via Bar 303’s Facebook page.

Wednesday 17 Apr Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music ACID HOMMUS - FEAT: GOOD GRACIOUS + MOSES CARR + LUCKY PEREIRA + FINN REES Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 6pm.

BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15.

CONTINENTAL ROBERT SUSZ & THE EXCELLO ALL STARS Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East. 7pm. $18.

ELLEN BRYANT + SOLI TESEMA + EMMANUEL CANCINO + SHÜMBA (DJ SET) Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15.

ENTROPY QUARTET + BIRD CONFERENCE + WIPPERSNAPPER 303, Northcote. 7:30pm.

JAZZ BAZAAR - FEAT: AUDREY POWNE + MORE Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

LUKE HOWARD TRIO The Jazzlab, Brunswick.

8pm. $20.

SONG APPETIT - FEAT: GELAREH POUR Casa Cultura, Brunswick East. 6:30pm. $10.

THE PAT METHENY TRIBUTE SESSION FEAT: ADE ISHS & LINE MATTER Paris Cat

Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $25.

UNITED VOICES Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $35.

$5.

EX PERILOUS - FEAT: SULO + CARLY FERN + OVERSTAYER Bar Oussou, Brunswick.

9pm.

KASSETTE - FEAT: MZRIZK + SLIPPERY SLOPES + KAM + RUDI Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

NEW KIDS - FEAT: WILL SCULLIN + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

PETER PICHLER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd.

7:30pm. $20.

POSTAL - FEAT: POST PERCY + DAN SAN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 10pm.

WILD LOVE WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: B-THAM + SHINTARO MIN + CHANJO + DREW HOLLY Stay Gold, Brunswick. 10pm.

Laneous

CHARLES WESTON

Infusing controlled chaos with exotica and soul, Laneous and Danni Ogilvie come together for a night at Charles Weston, showing off their new slow jams and improvised soul music. Get lost in their addictive tunes this Thursday April 18 at 6.30pm, entry is free.

34 BEAT.COM.AU

Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 8pm.

LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL + WILLIAM CRIGHTON Corner Hotel,

Richmond. 8pm. $66.40.

MELBOURNE'S BIGGEST OPEN MIC NIGHT Musicland, Fawkner. 7pm.

MUDDY'S BLUES ROULETTE - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Catfish, Fitzroy. 8pm.

MUSICLAND OPEN CHOIR REHEARSALS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $5.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS + FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK The Croxton, Thornbury. 8pm. $76.50.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 8:30pm.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

OPEN MIC NIGHT Penny Black, Brunswick. 7pm.

THE GRUBBY URCHINS The Brothers Public

House, Fitzroy. 8pm.

THE IRONBARK BROTHERS + DENIM GORGEOUS Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 8pm.

THE MARCUS KING BAND + GRIM FAWKNER Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8pm.

WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Swamplands Bar, Thornbury.

7pm.

YAZMINDI Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 8pm.

Thursday 18 Apr

Vain, Fitzroy. 8pm.

Brunswick East. 8pm.

EASTBOUND BUZZ + THE FEATHERHEADS + LOW KEY CRUSH + WELL INTO WINTER Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10.

EASTER WEEKENDER - FEAT: RYAN TAYLOR + JMCEE + SCOTTY PESTICIDE + THE OPERATIVES Lucky Coq, Windsor. 11am.

GO GET MUM + TAMARA AND THE DREAMS + OLD EL PARSO Workers Club,

Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

GOOD FRIDAY EVE PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Pause Bar, Balaclava. 8pm.

HORACE BONES + PISTOL PEACHES Espy, St Kilda. 8pm.

JON STEVENS + VANESSA AMOROSI The Palms, Southbank. 7:30pm.

JONESEZ + DESPRETEENS + DONNIE DUREAU + SPLIT SECONDS Old Bar, Fitzroy.

7:30pm. $12.

LACHLAN DENTON & STUDIO MAGIC + NICK Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 8pm.

LOST ARTS + DAY DREAMERS Young Street

Supper Club, Frankston. 7pm.

MAGICK HYGIENE + SYNDICATOR + CAVEMAN KANO + PASSIONFRUIT Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

MAGPIE + PINCH POINTS + MR. SOPHISTICATION Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

7pm.

MATT BRADSHAW Elephant & Wheelbarrow, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

MENTAL AS ANYTHING + JR REYNE Yarraville Club, Yarraville. 8pm. $32.

MICHAEL SITA Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 8pm.

MINOR FIGURES + CRUST + THIRD ESTATE Wrangler Studios, Footscray. 6pm. $10.

ONE MORE WEEKEND + SPLIT PICK + SANFRED + JACK LUNDIE & THE PITY PARTY Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East. 8pm. $10.

PLASTIC - FEAT: FOXBLOOD + SETMEONFIRE + THE CITY Royal Melbourne

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music

Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

ANDREA KELLER TRANSIENTS TRIO

Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $15.

BLUE NOTE ‘58 Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

Collingwood. 8pm. $5.

Voted ‘Melbourne’s Best Busker’, Grim Fawkner, along with a few of his musical friends, returns to his hometown of Melbourne’s innernorth for a night of country, folk and indie music. Come witness Fawkner’s effortless finger-plucking this Thursday April 18 at Edinburgh Castle at 8pm. Entry is free.

JULES BOULT Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 6pm.

KIDS EASTER KARAOKE - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 5pm.

KINNON Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 9pm.

LOMOND ACOUSTICA - FEAT: AUBERY MAHER + WAYNE JURY + GRACEJEAN

East. 5pm.

GRAVIS + BABYCCINO + TEDDY THE BEAR + CHIP RIDDELL Tote Hotel,

EDINBURGH CASTLE

$13.30.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick

8pm.

Grim Fawkner

JACOB DIAMOND + FEELDS + JESS DELUCA Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8pm.

COSMIC KAHUNA + HOON The B.east,

8pm.

ANTIPHON + NOODLECHILD + IKEY + HORATIO + MORE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.

ANDRE WARHURST + MORE Labour In

OPEN MIC NIGHT The Bergy Seltzer, Brunswick.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights

AC2ZZ Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm. $10.

ALLIPHA + FLOSS + KYE Gasometer Hotel,

ENSEMBLE ANCIEN Melbourne Recital Centre,

Southbank. 6pm. $39.

FLOGGING MOLLY + BEANS ON TOAST + FOOD COURT 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd.

Grim Fawkner

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

Cbd. 8pm. $25.

BOOGIE FUNK THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ RITA SCRATCH Pause Bar, Balaclava. 7pm.

CALENTURA - FEAT: CUMBIA MASSIVE DJS + MORE Loop, Melbourne Cbd.

9:30pm.

CLAPS + ELLE SHIMADA BAND Penny

QUEEN TRIBUTE - A NIGHT AT THE CARLTON - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Carlton REAPER + INTERNAL ROT + SOMATIZED + SANCTION + DEAD ALREADY + ABU GHRAIB Bar Open, Fitzroy.

8pm. $10.

REIGNER + MOJO PIN + BLOODY AZTEC + DEATHBEAT Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8pm. $5.

SEBASTIAN FIELD + ARROM Some Velvet

Morning, Clifton Hill. 8pm. $10.

GREYJACKS + WARDENS + EARL GREY'S BREAKFAST TEA Bar Open, Fitzroy.

Black, Brunswick. 9pm.

SWEET WHIRL + DJ LOOSE FLIT Noisy

GRUPS + STU THOMAS + ALEX PIJPERS

And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 7pm. $10.

SYDNEY ROAD SOUNDS - FEAT: MARC + TRACE DECAY + BABYCCINO Stay Gold,

8pm.

Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $8.

GUTTERMOUTH + GARLIC NUN + UNDAMAGED + STONED TO DEATH Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $40.

HOLIDAY SIDEWINDER + TANZER + KID HERON Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10.

LIBBY STEEL + FULL FLOWER MOON BAND + EAGLEMONT + GEORGIA KNIGHT Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.

MAGGIE ALLEY + FIZ EUSTANCE + NERVOUS PEDESTRIANS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm.

SHAMESY + FUNSTON + MICHAEL ANGELHEART BAND + CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY (SOLO) Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm.

TOXIC KISS Caz Reitop's Dirty Secrets, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $15.

WHITELION CHARITY EVENT - FEAT: PLOVERS + YES YES WHATEVER + THE STAINED DAISIES + BATZ (DJ SET) Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $9.20.

ZINGO THING + OSMOS + MIGHTY BIG MISO Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

FAIRTRADE NARCOTICS + LEMON DAZE + SQUID DOCTORS Last Chance Rock PAUL WILLIAMSON TRIO Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

ROD GILBERT + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET Water Rat Hotel, South Melbourne. 7pm.

SOUL SACRIFICE - THE MUSIC OF SANTANA Kingston City Hall, Moorabbin. 8pm. $20.

SWEETHEARTS + GEORGIA VAN ETTEN Workers Club (geelong), Geelong. 8pm. $10.

THE MERINDAS + SOJU GANG + KALYANI Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8pm.

$15.

THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:30pm.

THE MUSIC OF THE INCREDIBLES - FEAT: YOUTH BAND (WITH TOSHI CLINCH) Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

7:30pm. $35.

TWELVE TONE DIAMONDS The Jazzlab, Brunswick. 8pm. $30.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

Ritual, Brunswick East. 6:30pm.

Brunswick. 8pm. $5.

TEX PERKINS & THE FAT RUBBER BAND + MOOGY Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood.

7:30pm. $39.80.

THE BLACKTIDES + DEADWEIGHT 80 + HIGH ON SPRINGFIELD Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

THE SNAKES + CONSTANT MONGREL + DARK WATER + STROKE Tote Hotel,

Collingwood. 8pm. $13.30.

TOECUTTER + HORSE MACGYVER + PERFUME + ITALIANZ + ASPS + REKA Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10.

TOXIC KISS Caz Reitop's Dirty Secrets, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $15.

VAN DUREN + DAVEY LANE John Curtin Hotel, Carlton. 8pm. $35.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights BIG NIGHT OUT - FEAT: ORKESTRATED + AZMAC + SHORT ROUND + KEESH + TRAVLOS + SAMMY LAMARCA + MORE Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights. 9pm.

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

FEATURED GIGS $24.50.

DAN GHENACIA + MR MCKAY + MARK NELSON + JORDAN FROST Yours & Mine, Carlton. 10pm. $25.

DIRTY DAYS - FEAT: SILVERSIX + ORKESTRATED + SUNSHINE + TRAVLOS + T-REK + ZAC DEPETRO + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm. $30.

EASTER WEEKENDER - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS + EZRA HARVEY Lucky Coq, Windsor.

11am.

EINMUSIK + THE JOURNEY + PARTYSHIRTS THOMPSON + SON HO + CONNOR MAC Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 6pm.

$15.

EMPIRE TOP 50 COUNTDOWN - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Empire, Narre Warren. 9pm.

GOOD FRIDAY EVE - FEAT: JANK FACQUES Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11pm.

GOOD FRIDAY EVE PARTY - FEAT: WHO + JB JACKSON + BOYBLEWE + LUKE VECCHIO + FUNKLR + LE'BRUH + HELOCO + SPINN OD + GAY ROBERTO + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6pm.

GUERNS - FEAT: CASSETTES FOR KIDS + QUANTUM MECHANICS + MU-GEN + KONTRAST COLLECTIVE + V O L F + CTSD New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm.

JUNGLE BOOGIE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

LOCAL TO LOCAL - FEAT: LARKS + ANBAR + LOTUS + KIID KODA + DJ MARCO Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $20.

MORE STYLES - FEAT: MOOPIE + CAMPBELL + EMELYNE + KUFATALI + SLIPPERY JIM + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd.

11pm.

NIGHT MOVES - FEAT: SUNSHINE + DAN BENTLEY + MITCHELL GEE Night

Cat, Fitzroy. 10pm. $10.

PERK - FEAT: SECONDCITY + MORE The Emerson, South Yarra. 5pm. $25.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS - FOREIGN BROTHERS TAKEOVER - FEAT: DJ LADY ERICA + MELO FELO + 2ND THOUGHT + HORATIO LUNA + ZIMA + BIG SKOMES CAPONE Section 8, Melbourne

Cbd. 6pm.

THE SIGNAL - FEAT: DIZRUPT + MRWOOKS + LEX + HYBRYD Grumpy's Green, Fitzroy. 7pm.

THE VINYL FRONTIER - FEAT: GSM + COLETTE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

TRAUTONIKS - FEAT: PETER PICHLER + EHSAN GELSI + STEVE WILLIAMS + RAE HOWELL + NICK WILSON + MICHAEL MILDREN 303, Northcote. 7:30pm.

$20.

TRIP BEATS - FEAT: MR. MANIFOLD & THE RESOLUTION + KUNDALINI PROJECT + SKY EATER + SIKANDER + GIBBERISH + MORE Bar Oussou, Brunswick.

8:30pm.

VILLAGE SOUNDS 28S - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave.

9pm. $15.

WHITE LIGHT - FEAT: SUMIRUNA + AXON + KOFDADDY + DISFIGURE CROWHURST + TOUFIE + DANIEL PIERRE 24 Moons, Northcote. 9pm. $20.

X X X L - FEAT: ANDREW RAYEL + MARCUS SANTORO + OVERDRIVE + SHORTROUND Co., Southbank. 9:30pm.

YACHT CLUB DJS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. $27.50.

Hip Hop & R&B LAUNDRY THURSDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 10pm.

LETS VIBE LIVE MUSIC - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Little Jax, Melbourne. 7pm.

RENDEZVOUS - FEAT: YKM DJS + VARIOUS ARTISTS Ferdydurke, Melbourne Cbd.

8pm.

XAVIER WULF Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $45.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

8pm.

GRIM FAWKNER Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick.

Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

HIGH BINDER Bar Open, Fitzroy. 7pm.

I’M WITH HER + ALICE SKYE Melbourne

7:30pm. $39.80.

8pm.

Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:30pm. $59.

LANEOUS (SOLO) Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick. 6:30pm.

MÄNDZJÉR Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

MICK PEALING & NICK CHARLES Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East. 7pm. $18.

MIDNIGHT COUNTRY CLUB + MONA BAY + VELVET BLOOM + DARBY SCHEMBRI Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS + FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK The Croxton, Thornbury. 8pm.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Drunken Poet, West Melbourne. 7pm.

PHIL PARA BAND The Fyrefly, St Kilda. 7pm. $15.

PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE - FEAT: GREG STEPS + MAJA + HAMISH MCLEOD Swamplands Bar, Thornbury. 8pm.

ROW JERRY CROW Memo Music Hall, St Kilda. 7:30pm. $20.

SHANNON BOURNE Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 8pm.

TOMMY EMMANUEL + JERRY DOUGLAS Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 8pm. $101.80.

TREVOR HALL + BOBBY ALU Corner Hotel,

Richmond. 8pm. $50.

ZIGGY & MILES JOHNSTON Melbourne

Recital Centre, Southbank. 6pm. $39.

Friday 19 Apr Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers A GAZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS + NUADA The B.east, Brunswick East. 8:30pm.

ACTION SAM Elephant & Wheelbarrow, Melbourne. 11pm.

BAREFOOT BOWLS CLUB + JUNGLE BREED + POLLY & THE POCKETS Yah Yah's, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

BLACK HEART BREAKERS + SMASH BROS Espy, St Kilda. 8pm.

BONEZ - FEAT: HARDWATERS + SIMO SOO + ASYLUM SIS†ERS Grumpy's Green,

Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

BRAIN STEW - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Stay

Gold, Brunswick. 11pm. $10.

CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House Hotel, Williamstown. 8pm.

CHOCAHOLICS ANONYMOUS 2 A GOPHER BROKE EVENT - FEAT: JUDE JOSEPH + ABITOW YAGAHN + SPENCER GUY Swamplands Bar, Thornbury.

8:30pm.

DAVID GRAY Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7pm. $149.

EASTER BADASS FRIDAY METAL FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Young Street Supper Club,

Frankston. 7pm. $10.

EASTER WEEKENDER - FEAT: CIRCULATE CREW + K21 + B.TWO + MATT RADOVICH Lucky Coq, Windsor. 11am.

GUTTERMOUTH + WOLFPACK + FEROCIOUS CHODE + RATHEAD + VON STACHE + SHANE & THE DC'S Last

Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 2pm. $30.

I OH YOU - GOOD FRIDAY - FEAT: CABLE TIES + JESSWAR + ELIZABETH + NO SISTER + QUIVERS + PORPOISE SPIT + CANDY + MORE Tote Hotel,

Collingwood. 7pm. $25.

JULITHA RYAN Swamplands Bar, Thornbury.

6:30pm.

PRIMITIVE MAN Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood.

SKA NATION - FEAT: AREA 7 + THE ALLNITERS + LOS KUNG FU MONKEYS + THE BEATDOWN + THE RESIGNATORS + MISTER COFFEE Corner

Hotel, Richmond. 7pm. $60.

SNDWNR + THE KAT O ARMY + RIKI PLATT Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 9pm.

SPARKLY BEAR + TINKS Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 8pm.

SUN STUDIOS ROCKABILLY TRIBUTE - FEAT: LOCO HOMBRES Gem Bar,

Collingwood. 8pm.

SWIM TEAM + SHINY COIN Tramway Hotel,

North Fitzroy. 3:30pm.

THE CHATS + THE FACULTY Pelly Bar, Frankston. 8pm. $29.60.

Hip Hop & R&B AFTER HOURS - FEAT: DJ SPELL + MORE Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

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

LAUNDRY FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm.

NEXT EPISODE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Little Jax, Melbourne. 6pm.

RNB FRIDAYS CLUB - FEAT: DJ NINO BROWN + VARIOUS DJS Co., Southbank.

9:30pm.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music ARANDÚ QUARTET (WITH NATALIE GAMSU) Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 6:30pm. $25.

CYCLO TIMIK Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm. $10.

DJ THE KNAVE Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 7pm.

HORNS OF LEROY, THE WOOHOO REVUE Bar Open, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $20.

IAKI VALLEJO Penny Black, Brunswick. 8pm.

PINK PURSE + MIRIAM WAKS The Jazzlab, Brunswick. 8pm. $30.

S U M Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $25.

SVG TRIO Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

THE FEM BELLING BAND Lido Jazz Room,

Hawthorn. 8pm. $25.

THE MAT JODRELL QUARTET Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

THE PHOEBE DAY TRIO Classic Southside, Elsternwick. 8pm. $25.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights BEN RAU + GAV WHITEHOUSE + JAMES WINTER + AARON MAC + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6pm. $20.

BERLIN CALLING - FEAT: SETAOC MASS + LANZER + SAMEER + SHADYMAN + BLK KVR + MRTNZ + LØST REFLEXION The Sub Club, Melbourne.

10pm. $20.

CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd.

Brunswick. 3pm.

MR. MCCLELLAND'S FINISHING SCHOOL + BRITT AYLEN Gasometer Hotel,

Collingwood. 10pm. $10.

P CONTROL - PRINCE CITY - FEAT: CUPIDS CUT + MARNI LA ROCCA + PHIL K Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

PAGAN Stay Gold, Brunswick. 7:30pm. $30.

PARTY DOZEN + HALFCUT Old Bar, Fitzroy.

7:30pm. $10.

GERRY HALE The Brothers Public House, Fitzroy.

Sunshine North. 9pm.

PATRIZIA & THE GROOVE Double Deuce Bar,

Losumo

EDINBURGH CASTLE

With the voice of a sorceress and sharing poetry of mysticism and magic, Losumo will be casting spells through her songs this Friday April 19 at Edinburgh Castle. In the midst of performing with other bands, the visionary will be taking to the stage solo for the show.

Losumo plays from 6pm, free entry.

Blackfella Whitefella THE MERRI CLAN

Each week this month The Merri Clan will be presenting a different lineup of culturally diverse guest artists performing soulful originals and covers. These nights are all about community, storytelling and good music. Plus, it’s family friendly.

Music kicks off from 7.30pm on Friday April 19. Free entry.

Out of the Loop BAR 303

Looking for an event that mixes blues, rock, live looping, dub, gospel and beatboxing? This Friday April 19, you’ll want to be at Bar 303. Sky Eater, Dyzlexic and Erik Palmer will be this week’s selection for a night of experimental, evergrowing sound. Tickets are $10 at the door. Kicks off at 7pm.

SvG Trio

WESLEY ANNE

Making their debut at Wesley Anne’s front bar, Scott van Gemert, Hiroki Hoshino and Luke Andresen combine to form the jazz trio SvG. Join the group for a night of swinging, interactive jazz, and interpretive classical tunes this Friday April 19 at 6pm, entry is free.

9pm.

Cbd. 7pm.

Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $20.

MESSY MAMMALS, ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH + MESSY MAMMALS + ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH Retreat Hotel,

Synonymous with the ‘70s Memphis power pop scene, Van Duren returns following a 40-year hiatus with an Australian show and documentary.

Arguably the greatest cult band of all time, Van Duren, along with some special guests, are playing Thursday April 18. Show starts at 8pm, tickets are $35 through the John Curtin Hotel’s Facebook page.

DO THE JOB - FEAT: ELCOPPI + MICKEY EDWARDS Ferdydurke, Melbourne

MENTAL AS ANYTHING + JR REYNE Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East. 8pm. $33.

JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

COMMODO + DANNY SCRILLA + NOCEUR + PHILOSORAPTOR + SKINNI + RAMSEY The Sub Club, Melbourne. 10pm. $30.

DJ ELECTRIC JIM Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick.

MALCOLM HILL & LIVE FLESH + TWINKLE DIGITZ Merri Creek Tavern, Northcote.

7pm. $10.

Van Duren

4pm.

EASTER JUMP-OFF PARTY - FEAT: DJ KOFI DAGAATI + DJ FRIDAY + LOWKEY + CONCCOINS + RUDE VANDOSKY

ABBEY ROSE, ATTICUS FLYNN, HANNAH GUILFORD + ABBEY ROSE + ATTICUS FLYNN + HANNAH GUILFORD Open Studio, Northcote. 7:30pm. $10.

ANDREW SWANN Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 6pm.

POPROCKS + DR PHIL Toff In Town,

FABULOUS X - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Co., Southbank. 9:30pm.

FRIDAYS - FEAT: AYNA + FALO + HARLEY JAMES + CLIFTONIA + BEN & LIL + CITIZEN.COM Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

GERMAN BRIGANTE + ROB ANTHONY + JAY RAMON + FUNKY COL + BOYBLEWE + MORE Onesixone, Prahran. 9pm. $25.

HORATIO LUNA Bar Oussou, Brunswick. 10pm.

JOHN COURSE + DJ COLIN MCMILLAN Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 2pm.

$34.70.

Hugo Race

Hugo Race SWAMPLANDS

To celebrate the release of their latest album Gemini 4, Hugo Race have put together a massive electronic setup, complete with integrated video projections at Swamplands, set to be unveil on Saturday April 20. You won’t want to miss this wild, high-tech glamour show, tickets are $10 at the door, 8pm.

LOSUMO Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick. 6pm.

MELL HALL + MINX + BETH GRACE

BEAT.COM.AU 35

FEATURED GIGS

Pina Tuteri Band THE DRUNKEN POET

Ever since first picking up a guitar in her early childhood, Pina Tuteri has constantly been evolving her sound, proving unable to be pinned to one particular music genre.

Saturday April 20, the Melbourne local along with her band will be performing at The Drunken Poet at 9pm, stop by for a night of wonderful original songs and tunes.

Entry is free.

Onesixone, Prahran. 6pm.

PERFECT STRANGERS TAKEOVER - FEAT: SADIVA + WALLA C + CHILL EVANS + LOTUS MOONCHILD + NO NAME NATH Section 8, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

POP TILL YOU DROP - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

RED BULL MUSIC - 1800-DOOF - FEAT: LONE + TONI YOTZI + MOOPIE + DJ JNETT + RAMBL + HYBRID MAN + MAKEDA + DESTINY71Z + EMELYNE + BEVIN CAMPBELL Yours & Mine, Carlton.

10pm. $20.

RICH NXT + ALDOUS + DAN GOUL + LEE LAWLESS + LIAM WALLER + JOZEF CONOR + MATT KOVIC New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $15.

SIMPLE - GOOD FRIDAY DAY PARTY - FEAT: PHIL K + MHA IRI + MATT RADOVICH + RORY MARSHALL + HIT MACHINE + MORE Revolver Upstairs, Prahran.

1pm.

SKY EATER + ERIK PARKER + DYZLEXIC 303, Northcote. 7pm. $10.

Trio Agogo

Trio Agogo WESLEY ANNE

Returning to their spiritual home, Wesley Anne, Trio Agogo are set to present another night of Brazilian goodness, complete with the madness of their four, six, and seven-string guitars. The trio is set to perform Saturday April 20 at 6pm, entry is free.

Louis King and The Sun Kings LOMOND HOTEL

Being in the music business for a whopping 30 years, the noted king of rocking blues, Louis King and The Sun Kings, have been impressing audiences both nationwide and internationally. The band are set to perform at the Lomond Hotel on Sunday April 21, 5.30pm, make sure you stop by. Entry is free.

SYC 11|11 - FEAT: MALESH P + FLEXX YOANNES TOR + JOSHUA CALEB + 4FO + ABRAHAM Gasometer Hotel,

Collingwood. 9pm. $20.

TOUCH SENSITIVE + BILLY DAVIS & THE GOOD LORDS + CLYPSO 170 Russell,

Melbourne Cbd. 8pm.

TRESILLO - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Night Cat, Fitzroy. 9pm.

TURNO + STACKPACKERS + RUSHA + RED ALERT + ZERO 1 + LA-TO Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $15.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk BLACKFELLA/WHITEFELLA - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS The Merri Clan, Preston.

7:30pm.

CONTINENTAL ROBERTS BLUES PARTY Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

RHYTHM X REVIVAL Catfish, Fitzroy. 9pm.

SHAUNA TONY AND CO The Brothers Public House, Fitzroy. 8pm.

ST MATTHEW PASSION - FEAT: THE MELBOURNE BACH CHOIR & ORCHESTRA Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 2:30pm. $70.

THE FOUR SCOOPS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 6:30pm.

Saturday 20 Apr

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS + USER + TRUE BELIEVER + LEVITATING CHURCHES Spotted Mallard, Brunswick. 7pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

JAMES SEEDY + WILF JONES The B.east,

HEADHUNTERZ Festival Hall, West Melbourne.

$14.57.

7pm. $86.56.

$8.

JIMI TENOR + SKY HIGH TRIO MYSTIC-BAILEY & MCDEE The Croxton,

JANADA + POLARIZE + COWBOY TUESDAY Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

LEAH EDMOND Tramway Hotel, North Fitzroy.

North. 8:30pm.

Khokolat Bar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

LITTLE NAPIER + DRESS THÈQUE + DUMB WHALES + GORILLA ORCHESTRA Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 2pm.

NATHAN WONG + SANTA FE DRIVING RANGE + HANNAH & SAL Espy, St Kilda.

8pm.

ON REPEAT - INDIE NIGHT - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Stay Gold, Brunswick. 11pm.

ORPHEUS OMEGA, OMNIUM GATHERUM + TRIGGER + TRIPLE KILL + PRIMITIVE Corner Hotel, Richmond. 7:30pm. $29.

PALLET + SHIT TATTS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3pm.

PREHISTORIC DOUCHE + THE GO FUCK YOURSELVES + THE MISSILE STUDS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5pm.

REQUEST DEATH - FEAT: CHARNEL ALTAR + FACELESS BURIAL + VILE APPARITION + ENDLESS LOSS + GUTLESS Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm. $10.

SMALL TOWN ALIEN Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy.

9:30pm.

THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS + MUDSHAKER + HEIR TRAFFIC Yah Yah's,

Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

THE PADDY CAKES + STOKA + ROKAI Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10.

THE PICTURES Gem Bar, Collingwood. 8:30pm.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music BEATNIK COLLECTIVE + GODOGGO + LANEOUS + BLUE SHIVOO Grace Darling

Hotel, Collingwood. 7pm. $10.

BYZANTINE BLUE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 9pm. $25.

CUPCAKE Open Studio, Northcote. 8:30pm. $12.

DARE TO DREAM - A TRIBUTE TO NANCY WILSON & CANNONBALL ADDERLEY Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

ROYAL OAK

BELLE HAVEN + TERRA + RESIDE + MORE Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 8pm.

BIRTHDAYPALOOZA - FEAT: SHANE & THE DOG CUNTS + MORE Last Chance Rock

JACKIE BORNSTEIN + JAMES SHERLOCK Open Studio, Northcote. 2:30pm. $10.

JOSH BENNIER SEXTET Uptown Jazz Cafe,

BROTOWN + LAZY SIDEKICK + THE FLYIN' SAUCERS + NEWTOWN STORY

Sunday Sessions BENZINA CANTINA

Motorcycles? Yep. Margaritas?

Got ‘em. Mexican food? Plenty, want anything else? Salsa, funk and samba? Well, you’re in luck!

This Sunday April 21, Benzina Cantina is playing nothing but salsa, funk and samba music while you enjoy their Mexican delights.

Entry is free.

Well Into Winter COMPASS PIZZA

Joined by Patrick Lionel, Well Into Winter brings his immersive bedroom-produced folk music to Compass Pizza. Just about to release eight new tracks on cassette, his live show is a transformation of his small-scale creations onto a bigger stage. Goes down on Tuesday April 23 with doors at 7pm. Free entry.

36 BEAT.COM.AU

Royal Hotel (mornington), Mornington. 8pm.

BUNYIP + IMPAVID + LSDOOM + LANDCRUSHER + EIGHT COUNT Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

CAN YOU HANDLE THE ACID TEST? FEAT: BURIED FEATHER + GRINDING EYES + BLACK HEART DEATH CULT + THE PINK TILES + THE ELECTRIC GUITARS + MORE Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

6pm. $10.

CRY BABY + PINK WOOL PRESS + GREY WHISTLE TEST + CHE STEER

Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $10.

GOLD FIELDS + NATIVE SPIRIT + HOODLEM + PEEKABOO Howler, Brunswick.

8pm. $24.19.

GROOVE NATION Royal Hotel (essendon),

Essendon. 9pm.

GYPSY ROAD + CLEAN CUT SOCIETY + RYAN SCHMIDT + SPRUNG BAD Wrangler Studios, Footscray. 3pm. $10.

HANNAH KATE Yah Yah's, Fitzroy. 2am.

Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm. $10.

TOFF CLUB - FEAT: LORD HANS DC Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11pm.

WOOFCLUB'S 14TH BIRTHDAY - FEAT: HENRI & BILLY FINLAY + GEORGE ROUSSOS + ROB DAVIS Yours & Mine, Carlton. 10pm. $40.

Hip Hop & R&B ELECTRIC DREAMS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Co., Southbank. 9pm.

JORDAN ASTRA + JALMAR + DANIEL VELLA Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $15.

LAUNDRY SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9pm.

REAL TALK MELBOURNE - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 6pm.

$5.

THE NEXTMEN + U-WISH + BUICK + SIZZLE + LUKE LUICE Grumpy's Green, Fitzroy.

7pm. $20.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk ANDREW SWANN Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

CRAIG WOODWARD & FRIENDS Merri Creek Tavern, Northcote. 3pm.

DEAR MATILDA + VIOLET TOLHURST Open Studio, Northcote. 5:30pm. $5.

MARTY KELLY Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

3pm.

Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

PAT MCKERNAN The Brothers Public House,

JULIE O'HARA'S GRAND SOIREE Lido Jazz Room, Hawthorn. 8pm. $25.

PINA TUTERI BAND Drunken Poet, West

KEKOSON Bar Oussou, Brunswick. 10pm.

MIRIAM WAKS The Jazzlab, Brunswick. 8pm. $30.

MOTOWN MAGIC Musicland, Fawkner. 7:30pm.

RAISED BY EAGLES Union Hotel (brunswick),

$20.

S U M Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $25.

SWEAT DREAMS DJS Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm.

Brunswick. 6:30pm.

Fitzroy. 9pm.

Melbourne. 9pm.

Brunswick. 5pm.

ROOTS COMBO, BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS The Brothers Public House, Fitzroy. 3:30pm.

THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 6:30pm.

SWING TRAIN Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne

TOM REDWOOD & THE GLUE Edinburgh

TED NETTELBECK & FRIENDS Classic

TWILIGHT IN TULSA Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy

Cbd. 9pm. $32.50.

Southside, Elsternwick. 8pm. $25.

THE ROOKIES The Jazzlab, Brunswick. 11pm. $10.

THE SAM KEEVERS TRIO Uptown Jazz Cafe,

Brunswick. 8pm.

DR SURE'S UNUSUAL PRACTICE + 808S & GREATEST HITS + LOVEBONER

Wheelbarrow, Melbourne. 10pm.

SWARMFEST - FEAT: SAD + KT SPIT + RACERAGE + INFRAGHOSTS + MORE

JULES BOULT & THE REDEEMERS Transit,

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights

9pm.

LAZARE HOCHE + LONER + LIAM DENNY + ROBBIE NINE O + NORTH POLLARD Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 11pm. $9.99.

PAWN SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Pawn & Co, South Yarra. 8pm.

PINE & GINGER - WAREHOUSE PARTY - FEAT: LEROY HOODLMZ + VARIOUS DJS Rubix Warehouse, Brunswick. 10pm. $25.

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

SNACK ATTACK (WITH DJ 2P) Elephant &

MIKE TILBROOK Charles Weston Hotel,

Fitzroy. 8:30pm.

DEALER + BLKLST + ANTICLINE + ATLVS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm.

DJ ERNEY DEE Edinburgh Castle, Brunswick.

KHOKOLAT MANSION - FEAT: DAMION DE SILVA + DURMY + MORE

Fitzroy. 6pm. $15.

Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1pm. $10.

DAVID GRAY Palais Theatre, St Kilda. 7pm. $149.

DEAD CITY RUINS + CROOKED THIEVES + THE CHEVALIERS Stay Gold,

11:45pm.

Thornbury. 8:30pm. $40.80.

LINCOLN LE FEVRE & THE INSIDERS + BROOKE TAYLOR Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy

6:30pm. $32.50.

303, Northcote. 8pm. $10.

JANK FACQUES Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd.

3:30pm.

DUFRESNE + BLUME + VULTURE ST TAPE GANG Night Cat, Fitzroy. 10pm. $5.

EUGENE HAMILTON & THE MONEY

And Roll Bar, North Melbourne. 8pm.

Thornbury. 8pm. $10.

Brunswick East. 8pm.

Don Hillman’s Secret Beach Veterans of the Melbourne folk circuit, Don Hillman’s Secret Beach are scheduled to play two sets of their original alternative country blues and surfing tunes, exploring the life Australians live on the coast, in the bush, and in the outback. The band will be playing at the Royal Oak on Sunday April 21 from 4pm onwards, entry is free.

GEMINI4 + SEAN SIMMONS' EXPLODING WHEEL Swamplands Bar,

TRIO AGOGO Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

DJ PLEAD + DJ LOGIC 1000 + AHM Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm. $10.

EASTER WEEKENDER - FEAT: PHILOSOPHIA + ROWIE + DJ ARLO + CHIEF + DONNY + NAYZI + UV BOI + MORE Lucky Coq, Windsor. 11am.

EAT THE BEAT - FEAT: MATTEO FREYRIE + ETWAS + CHRISS MATTO + ANDREA GUADALUPI + GAV. WHITEHOUSE + MORE New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $15.

FUNKY KINGSTON - FEAT: MISS GOLDIE + FABULOUS FEZ + MOHAIR SLIM + RICK HOWE + JESSE I Section 8,

Castle, Brunswick. 5pm.

North. 5pm.

Sunday 21 Apr Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers A. SWAYZE & THE GHOSTS + FULL FLOWER MOON BAND + MICHAEL BADGER & THE WHITE RUBIES Yah Yah's,

Fitzroy. 7pm. $15.

AYN RANDY + AXILISM + PEST + HACKER + PALLET Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

5pm. $10.

BLASPHEMEASTER - FEAT: MALICHOR + MONOLIYTH + ORDER OF TORMENT + VOIDFALL + IN EDEN SLAIN Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood. 6pm. $15.

CONTINENTAL ROBERT SUSZ & THE EXCELLO ALL STARS Gem Bar, Collingwood.

7pm.

CRASH Elephant & Wheelbarrow, Melbourne.

9:30pm.

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

EASTER SUNDAY MINI FEST - FEAT: MITCHELL WARD + MICHAEL YULE TRIO + 245T Swamplands Bar, Thornbury. 5pm.

GOONS OF DOOM + BUNNY RACKET + DRUNK MUMS + DICKLORD Espy, St Kilda. 8pm. $22.50.

GUMMO + THE GURDIES + LOVEBONER + HEIR TRAFFIC Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

HIGH TIDE FESTIVAL - FEAT: MAGIC DIRT + ORB + THE BENNIES + DRUNK MUMS + BATPISS + UTEROOT + BATZ + POPPIN’ MOMMAS + WHITE BLEACHES + CHOOK & MOLUCK Torquay Hotel, Torquay. 1pm. $65.

IGGY POP Festival Hall, West Melbourne. 8pm.

$95.64.

LAEDJ + TUG + PLUM GREEN + ERIN K TAYLOR Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

NIGHTSOUNDS IV - FEAT: MARLON BANDO + BOY CURSED + TALI + SKYBELLY Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood.

7:30pm. $10.

OPEN/MIC JAM NIGHTS Musicland,

Fawkner. 5pm.

PRECISION AUTO + DOWSER + CASTILLES + SQUARE WAVE GHOST Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $10.

SHOGUN & THE SHEETS + SPIKE VINCENT + PLOTZ Tote Hotel, Collingwood.

8pm. $15.

THE SIERRAS + REEL TAPES + BLEND + PSILOVIBIN' Last Chance Rock And Roll Bar,

North Melbourne. 7:30pm. $10.

THESE NEW SOUTH WALES + TERRIBLE SIGNAL + DARK WATER + JULIA SHAPIRO Corner Hotel, Richmond.

8:30pm. $20.

WAY SHIT + GLOMESH + FOREVER RENTER + VARSITY CHEERLEADER Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 5pm.

XTREME BLUES DOG + MAJA PUSELJIC The B.east, Brunswick East. 4pm.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music AUSECUMA BEATS Bar Oussou, Brunswick.

9pm.

DAVE WILSON QUINTET The Jazzlab,

Brunswick. 8pm. $20.

ELLE SHIMADA + NAI PALM (DJ SET) + HA NA + ABBEY HOWLETT + RARA ZULU + ATHINA WILSON (DJ SET) Evelyn

+ JAY RAMON Onesixone, Prahran. 5pm.

EASTER WEEKENDER - FEAT: JAVI MORLEY + FINN OD + ANYO + BETH GRACE + K21 + RUI + DEEJAYHIJACK Lucky Coq, Windsor. 11am.

FABULOUS - EASTER SUNDAY - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Co., Southbank. 9:30pm.

I REMEMBER HOUSE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS The Emerson, South Yarra. 4pm. $20.

LETS VIBE - EASTER EDITION - FEAT: DJ JERRY C Whitehart, Melbourne. 5pm.

LUCKY THIRTEEN - SECTION 8 B'DAY JAM - FEAT: CLOSE COUNTERS + DANIEL ELIA + MZRIZK + DJ SPELL + XANDER + DANNY OSX Section 8, Melbourne

Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $15.

SYNSONICA - FEAT: EMELYNE + COMPOSITE CONE + ED COOGAN + ZEUSIPHORIA 303, Northcote. 7pm. $5.

THIS IS EMPIRE - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Empire, Narre Warren. 9pm.

TOMBOY PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Carlton Club, Melbourne Cbd. 3pm.

Hip Hop & R&B EASTER SUNDAY HIP HOP HOUSE PARTY - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar,

Fitzroy. 9pm.

GIRLTHING / BOYTHING - FEAT: CUNNINGPANTS + CHEATED HEARTS + HIPHOPHOE + STEV ZAR + KYLIE MONOGAMY + THEMME FATALE Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 10pm. $15.

JEDEKAIH + BLKLST + ANTICLINE + ATLVS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 1pm.

REIIS + CRAIGIE WAVE + AF313 COLLECTIVE + ISAAC PUERILE + D THIZZ + YUGEN 9000 Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $10.

JAZZ SUNDAYS - FEAT: THE ROOKIES + ALLYSHA JOY (DJ SET) Howler, Brunswick.

ALEX BURNS Drunken Poet, West Melbourne.

6:30pm.

NAHKO & MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE + KAHL WALLIS 170 Russell, Melbourne Cbd.

Oak Hotel, Fitzroy North. 4pm.

8pm. $60.84.

SIMMER DOWN Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm.

$10.

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

THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar,

Balaclava. 4:30pm.

THE SOUL MOVERS Old Bar, Fitzroy. 3pm.

THE VIBRAPHONIC ORKESTRA Spotted

Mallard, Brunswick. 4pm.

WILBUR WILDE & THE TROUBLEMAKERS Royal Hotel (mornington),

Mornington. 3pm.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights BLEND - EASTER SPECIAL - FEAT: JULIAN + DJ ESCARGO + RENNELLI + BENJI + ATONAL + GOASIS + DIFFERENT SHADES + DNGN MSTR + GRAM Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

COMING SOON + FUCKING SOCIETY + I ONLY SMOKE WEED + TRIPPIN' IN PARIS + 4120 + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 10pm. $20.

DAY SPA - FEAT: THE SOUND PROJECT DJS + EATMUSIC DJS Pawn & Co, South Yarra. 12am. $25.

DJ JESSE I Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 5pm.

EASTER SUNDAY - FEAT: TRAVLOS + NUNNY + ZAC DEPETRO + LOCKDOWN + SHORT ROUND + DUANE BARTOLO + ALI KH + MORE Brown Alley, Melbourne Cbd. 2pm.

EASTER SUNDAY - FEAT: STEVE BLEAS

Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $72.63.

MONDAY BONE MACHINE - FEAT: T-REK + VARIOUS ARTISTS Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 7pm.

Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 7pm.

ONESIXONE ROOFTOP - FEAT: COLOUR CASTLE + SUPERMINI + HOOPS + RUBBER PEOPLE + TIM LIGHT Onesixone, Prahran. 5pm.

SADDLE CLUB - FEAT: LAURA KING + RORY MARSHALL + RYAN HAYNES + HARRY MOODY + MORE New Guernica,

ACOUSTIC SUNDAYS - FEAT: MICHELLE GARDINER + PAIGE SPIERS + PAIGE SMITH Customs House Hotel,

3pm.

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS + RVG

Southbank. 9:30pm.

GROOVES ON WAX - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Bar Oussou, Brunswick. 9:30pm.

JAZZ ORBIT Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 7:30pm.

$2.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers

Cbd. 3pm.

MOTHERSHIP - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Co.,

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

Brunswick. 4pm.

DRUM N BASS MONDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Radio Bar, Fitzroy. 6pm.

VARIOUS DJS Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm.

MONDAY NIGHT MASS - FEAT: CIGGIE WITCH + DAN KELLY + DOM ROFF

ENTROPY QUARTET Edinburgh Castle,

Hotel, Fitzroy. 8pm. $15.

House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights

Williamstown. 2pm.

NIEUW MONDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7pm. $3.

STEVE HENSBY DUO + WESLEY FULLER Open Studio, Northcote. 8pm.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk TIM SNIDER + JUSTIN 'CHITTY' CHITTAMS + PATRICIO 'PATO' ZUNIGA + MORE Northcote Social Club, Northcote. 1:30pm.

$10.

Tuesday 23 Apr House, Electro, Trance & Club Nights DUMPLINGS 'N' MASSAGE - FEAT: DJ MZRIZK Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 6pm. $15.

Indie, Rock, Pop, Metal, Punk & Covers COLIN HAY + VIKA & LINDA BULL Hamer Hall (arts Centre Melbourne), Southbank. 7:30pm. $99.

GERARD STARLING + LOU DAVIES Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8pm.

LITTLE STEVEN & THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL Forum Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 7pm. $100.36.

SIMON PAPARO Workers Club, Fitzroy. 8pm. $10.

SOFT POWDER + NIGHTLIGHT + JULIAN BENJAMIN Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.

8pm.

STEVE HENSBY BAND 303, Northcote. 7:30pm.

THE GREAT EMU WAR CASUALTIES + SIGNAL CHAIN + STRANGERS FOR SALE Tote Hotel, Collingwood. 7:30pm.

THE STORY SO FAR + BASEMENT + ENDLESS HEIGHTS + BORN FREE 170

Russell, Melbourne Cbd. 7pm.

BRENDAN LLOYD Wesley Anne, Northcote. 6pm.

DON HILLMAN'S SECRET BEACH Royal

TUESDAY TRIBUTE - MUDDY WATERS - FEAT: JULIAN JAMES Drunken Poet, West

GUITAR KINGDOM - FEAT: JULIAN SCHEFFER + ROSE DE LA MONTAÑA

TUVA FINSERÅS + JESS DE LUCA + HUGN FUCHSEN Old Bar, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $8.

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

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music

HARMANIAX Bar Open, Fitzroy. 6:30pm.

HIDDEN IN THE HILLS - OPEN MIC Sooki Lounge, Belgrave. 2pm.

Melbourne. 8pm.

JULES BOULT & FRIENDS Rainbow Hotel,

KING RIVER RISING + SQUID NEBULA

LOUIS KING & THE SUN KINGS Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East. 5:30pm.

MAKE IT UP CLUB - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS Bar Open, Fitzroy. 8pm.

NOW. HERE. THIS - FEAT: JUICE BEATS

West Melbourne. 4pm.

Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8pm. $10.

Caravan Music Club, Bentleigh East. 7pm. $15.

STUART MCCOWAN TRIO The Jazzlab,

Fitzroy. 4pm.

MISS DEE Transit, Melbourne Cbd. 2pm.

MOONEE VALLEY DRIFTERS Drunken Poet, NICK BARKER & JUSTIN GARNER ROSS HUBBARD Charles Weston Hotel, Brunswick. 4pm.

SANDY MILL + CELIA CHURCH Tramway Hotel, North Fitzroy. 3:30pm.

SUNDAY SINGALONG - FEAT: VARIOUS ARTISTS The Brothers Public House,

Fitzroy. 6:30pm.

Night Cat, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $10.

ROCKDOG Brunswick Green, Brunswick. 8:30pm. $15.

Brunswick. 8pm. $20.

UNCOMFORTABLE SCIENCE - FEAT: LACHLAN MITCHELL + MORE Boney, Melbourne Cbd. 9pm.

Y STREET + MORE Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy.

8:30pm. $5.

THE FOUR SCOOPS Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North. 4pm.

Acoustic/Country/Blues/ Folk

Monday 22 Apr

ARLO GUTHRIE Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank. 7:30pm. $94.

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin & World Music ANDREA KELLER'S PIANO CLUB The

IRISH SESSION Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East.

9pm.

OPEN MIC Bar Oussou, Brunswick. 9pm.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Swamplands Bar, Thornbury.

6:30pm.

Jazzlab, Brunswick. 8pm. $15.

PABLO RIVAS + LOS LOPEZ Open Studio,

6pm.

SHAKEY GRAVES + BABY BLUE Corner

7:30pm.

SLATZAPALOOZA - FEAT: PAUL SLATTERY + BLUES ROULETTE + BEN

PIANO ATMOSFERIX Wesley Anne, Northcote.

RAMEN + AUSSIE ROB 303, Northcote.

Northcote. 8pm.

Hotel, Richmond. 8pm.

UPCOMING GIGS FEATURED GIGS

KURT VILE The Croxton April 24 ARLO GUTHRIE Melbourne Recital Centre April 23 SHAKEY GRAVES The Corner April 23 COLIN HAY Melbourne Arts Centre, Playhouse April 23 SLEEP TALK The Gasometer April 24 LARKIN POE Howler April 24 THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS The Corner April 24 GARY CLARK JR. The Forum April 24 MONEY FOR ROPE The Gasometer April 24 MIDDLE KIDS 170 Russell April 24, 25 APPROACHABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY The Gasometer April 25 MESA COSA The Espy April 25 HOZIER AND DIDIRRI Palais Theatre April 25, 26 GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC The Forum April 25 (photo only) VINTAGE TROUBLE The Corner April 25 SNARKY PUPPY The Forum April 26 VULGARGRAD The Corner April 26 JACK LADDER Northcote Social Club April 26 THORNHILL Northcote Social Club April 27 RAY LAMONTAGNE Palais Theatre April 27, 28 COUSIN TONY’S BRAND NEW FIREBIRD Corner Hotel April 27 JUNGLE The Forum April 28 POST MALONE Rod Laver Arena April 30 NICK MURPHY FKA CHET FAKER The Forum May 1 HUMAN NATURE Margaret Court May 1 JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN Northcote Social Club May 2 HOT SLUDGE FUNDAE The Esplanade Hotel May 2 BILLIE EILISH Margaret Court May 3 AURORA The Forum May 3 MEG MAC The Forum May 4 ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER The Croxton Bandroom May 4 YOTHU YINDI & THE TREATY PROJECT Hamer Hall May 4 G FLIP The Corner May 8 COSMOS MIDNIGHT The Forum May 9 BABY ANIMALS The Croxton Bandroom May 10 AMY SHARK Margaret Court May 11 SUN KIL MOON Thornbury Theatre May 19 FERLA The Tote May 24 THE PROCLAIMERS Hamer Hall May 25 RUBY FIELDS The Espy May 28 AMBERLIN The Forum May 29 HIATUS KAIYOTE Max Watt’s May 30 MANSIONAIR Corner Hotel May 30 THE MURLOCS Corner Hotel June 1 JACK RIVER The Forum June 1 KARNIVOOL The Croxton Bandroom June 5 SWEATER CURSE The Grace Darling Hotel June 8

BEAT.COM.AU

37

BACKSTAGE

PA HIRE

Comprehensive PA systems delivered, set up and operated with crew. Compact, easy, sound systems you can pickup and assemble yourself.Components such as microphones, speakers and effects are also available separately. Lights also available.

For details phone Mark Barry on 03 9889 1999 or 0419 993 966

www.bssound.com.au bssound@bigpond.com

18 DUFFY ST BURWOOD WWW.HYDRASTUDIOS.COM.AU

REHEARSAL STUDIOS

threephasemusic.com

HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS

Weeknight rates from $65

BOOK A ROOM! CALL: 0417 000 397

8 Tinning St, Brunswick

• 2000 WATT HK AUDIO/MACKIE PAs • TEN CLEAN, 30M2 ROOMS • STORAGE • DRUMKIT/AMP HIRE • AIR CON

䰀 伀 伀 䠀 䌀 匀 䐀 䰀 伀 ☀ 刀一䈀

䔀嘀䔀 刀夀 匀䄀吀唀 刀䐀 䄀夀

㐀㌀ 䠀䄀刀䐀圀䄀刀䔀 䰀䄀一䔀 䌀䈀䐀

SNAPS Khokolat Koated

38 BEAT.COM.AU

THURSDAY 9 MAY MELBOURNE THE PALMS AT CROWN

FRIDAY 10 MAY T U MELBOURNE O D L O S AT CROWN THE PALMS

SATURDAY 11 MAY T U MELBOURNE O D L O S AT CROWN THE PALMS

Book at ticketmaster.com.au entertainers.co.uk • theprestigepresents.com.au

AS SEEN ON: ‘DARK’ & ‘JIGSAW’

(Now streaming Worldwide)

TH E AG E

THEATRE P EO P LE

HERALD S U N

M AI L ON S U NDAY

THEMUSIC.COM.AU

EDINBUR GH EVENING NEWS

THU 28 MAR - SUN 21 APR THE FORUM BOOK NOW AT COMEDYFESTIVAL.COM.AU

HERALD SUN

METRO UK

CHORTLE

THE AGE

SAT 18 MAY

ATHENAEUM THEATRE MELBOURNE 40 BEAT.COM.AU

STEVEHUGHES.NET.AU