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ISSUE 1689 • DECEMBER 11 • 2019
UNIFY Gathering LISA FISCHER • CONRAD SEWELL • JOSH WOLF • SLEEP TALK • EDUCATION SPECIAL
SEE YOU IN THE PIT
MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE IN ARRANGEMENT WITH MISTLETONE PRESENTS
Tue 11 Feb 7.30pm / Tickets from $45 Melbourne Recital Centre Dreamy cosmic soundscapes, mesmerising vocals and blissful psychedelic rock. Presented inside The Lightship, a perception-shifting, visual environment light box helmed by artist Emmanuel Biard.
‘Akin to being awake in a dream’ The Line of Best Fit
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melbournerecital.com.au Box Office 9699 3333 Transaction & delivery fees may apply
BLUESFEST SIDESHOWS
PRESENTS
DWEEZIL ZAPPA Hot Rats Live!
Larkin Poe
MON 13TH APRIL | Croxton Bandroom
Thu 16th April | CORNER HOTEL
CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES
JOHN MAYALL
wed 8th April | 170 Russell
MON 20TH APRIL | CORNER HOTEL
TAL WILKENFELD
the MarCus King Band
THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND
Morcheeba
wed 15th April | HOWLER
mon 13th April | Corner Hotel
AMADOU & MARIAM
TUE 14TH APRIL PRESENTED BY Recital Centre Melbourne
LAST TICKETS!
PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND tue 21st & Wed 22nd APRIL | Forum
WED 15TH APRIL | CROXTON BANDROOM
WED 7th April | 170 Russell
WALTER TROUT
THU 9TH APRIL - CORNER HOTEL
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
OUT! & sun 19th APRIL on sale now SOLD 18TH SAT CROXTON BANDROOM
JUST ANNOUNCED!
GEORGE BENSON OUT!
ALLEN STONE
BRANDI CARLILE
the gipsy kings
SOLD 8th & 9th April on sale now WED Palais Theatre
MON 6TH APRIL | Hamer Hall
MON 13th APRIL | Corner Hotel
THU16th APRIL | Palais Theatre
Tickets and more info at bluesfesttouring.com.au all acts also appearing at BLUESFEST BYRON BAY 2020 | bluesfest.com.au bluesfesttouring | bluesfesttouring | subscribe for pre-sales
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THE ELECTRIC MEMOIR OF THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS WILD CHILD OUT NOW
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ISSUE 1689
Contents EDITOR Tom Parker DIGITAL EDITOR Caleb Triscari SUB EDITOR Kate Streader EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Joshua Martin, Kate Streader, Jonti Ridley, Annie-Mei Forster GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Erica May, Sophia Temporali COVER CREDIT Neil Walters MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr ADVERTISING Greg Pettinella (Advertising/Editorial) greg@beat.com.au
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Rainbow Serpent
Mark Stockden (Advertising/Editorial) mark@beat.com.au ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE accounts@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION Free every second Wednesday to over 3,200 points around Melbourne. Along with being handed out at Train Stations. Wanna get BEAT? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au GIG GUIDE SUBMISSIONS now online at beat.com.au SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Ian Laidlaw CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Harris, Lewis Nixon, Sally Townsend, Andrew Friend, Rochelle Flack, Anna Madden, Dan Soderstrom, Joshua Braybrook, Tasha Strachan, James Hughes
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Page 46-47
In the Pit
Pixies
Editor’s Note As we tip toe into December, Christmas is just over the horizon. It’s time to get your Santa list down and figure out just how nice you’ve been. Who’s your KK and what’s the price limit? Don’t forget to plan your social schedule too, there’ll be Christmas parties a plenty I’m sure. It’s a seriously busy time for all of us but we’ve cut you some slack, putting together a special gift guide to simplify your ominous Christmas shopping endeavours. From one festive occasion to another, Thursday January 9 marks the beginning of the next UNIFY Gathering, music’s adored heavy music extravaganza. Taking over Tarwin Lower near Warragul, the likes of Architects, The Ghost Inside, Northlane, Polaris, Dear Seattle and Stray From The Path will perform and we have UK titans Architects in our hood, chatting to us about their love for Australia and its bands. On the comeback trail from bandmember Tom Searle’s passing, their 2019 UNIFY headline slot will be something special. On top of that, we chatted to Pixies about their new album while the likes of Milky Chance and Lime Cordiale joined us as they gear up for Falls Festival over the New Year. Then there’s comedy with Jo Koy and Tim & Eric and a look into the ethos behind the new electronic album from Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq. It’s issue 1689 my friends, what are you waiting for?
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News Arts Guide Columns Architects Tonight Alive, Press Club Rainbow Serpent Lime Cordiale, Milky Chance Five albums with Simon Moro Beyond The Valley, Cub Sport Five times Dune Rats have flabbergasted us Pixies, Yeasayer The East Pointers
CONTRIBUTORS Alexander Crowden, Dan Watt, Augustus Welby, Alex Watts, David James Young, Bronius Zumeris, Natalie Rogers, Holly Pereira, Claire Morley, Jacob Colliver, Anna Rose, Christopher Lewis, Christine Tsimbis, Eliza Booth, Ellen Pritchard, Holly Denison, James Robertson, Rhys McKenzie, Jono Coote, Jonathan Reynoso, Lexi Herbert, Luke Carlino, Marnie Vinall, Maria Glykokalamos, Meg Crawford, Scott Hudson, Tammy Walters
/BeatMag @BeatMagazine /beatTV @beatmagazine
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TOM PARKER, EDITOR
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COLUMNISTS Christie Eliezer, Sose Fuamoli, Augustus Welby, Morgan Mangan, D’arcy McGregor, Sam Howard, Anna Rose
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Patient Wolf, Siesta Cartel The Boite History Project Tim & Eric, Jo Koy The Australian Tattoo Show, War Horse Mycelium Studios Landmark Mural Project Christmas Gift Guide Georgia Maq In the Pit Best New Album Album Reviews Gig Guide
GIVEAWAY We’re giving one lucky Beat reader the chance to win the ultimate Mona Foma roadtrip prize pack valued at over $3500. For more info, head to beat. com.au/win.
ON SALE NOW VIA
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THE LEMONHEADS USA - SELLING FAST A VERY WRESTLEROCK CHRISTMAS PEARL JAM GREATEST HITS TRIBUTE DEFINITELY PARKLIFE OASIS / BLUR 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
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35 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY USA - SOLD OUT
08/01 - PINK SWEAT$ 09/01 - PINK SWEAT$ USA - SELLING FAST 10/01 - BOWIE ‘GOLDEN YEARS’ ANNIVERSARY 11/01 - MCLUSKY* UK - SOLD OUT 15/01 - MCLUSKY* UK - SELLING FAST 16/01 - ORVILLE PECK USA - SOLD OUT 17/01 - THE ANGELS + BOOM CRASH OPERA 18/01 - HOLLOW COVES SELLING FAST 21/01 - GARETH REYNOLDS USA - SELLING FAST 22/01 - GARETH REYNOLDS USA - SOLD OUT 22/01 - GARETH REYNOLDS USA - SOLD OUT 24/01 - JOHN GARCIA & THE BAND OF GOLD USA 26/01 - POP CRIMES THE SONGS OF ROWLAND S. HOWARD 29/01 - OMAR APOLLO MEX/USA 31/01 - FONTAINES D.C. IRELAND - SOLD OUT 01/02 - HORSEHEAD SELLING FAST 04/02 - JAMES SMITH SOLD OUT 08/02 - BOB MARLEY BIRTHDAY BASH 09/02 - JAKE ‘THE SNAKE’ ROBERTS WWE HALL OF FAME
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AUTUMNAL PARK 35 YEARS STRONG
22/02 - THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 23/02 - JAY SOM USA 27/02 - BRASS AGAINST USA 28/02 - LYDIA LUNCH RETROVIRUS USA 29/02 - BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME USA 06/03 - EZRA COLLECTIVE UK 11/03 - JOEP BEVING SELLING FAST
BEN B Ö HMER
SOUL-A-GO-GO
23/05
31/12
SELLING FAST
2ND SHOW SELLING FAST
HOLLOW COVES
PINK SWEAT$
GERMANY
SOLO PIANO CONCERTS
12/03 - FREYA RIDINGS UK 14/03 - NGAIIRE 20/03 - THINGS OF STONE & WOOD
13/06 -
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
L.A. GUNS USA
3RD SHOW SELLING FAST
GARETH REYNOLDS
31/12
USA - 21/01
GRACE CUMMINGS 01/02
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1 2 / 1 2 - AUGIE
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1 8 / 1 2 - JORDIE
LANE & FRIENDS SELLING FAST
SEASONS GREETINGS SHOW
CHRISTMAS SHOW 20/12 - DARREN HANLON XMAS SHOW - SOLD OUT 2 1 / 1 2 - DAMIAN COWELL’S DISCO MACHINE SELLING FAST XMAS SHOW
22/12 - MILK!
11/01
AN HORSE 21/02
2ND SHOW SELLING FAST
SOLD OUT
SEBADOH USA 28/01
USA
23/02
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XMAS SHOW 20/12
NYE
30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
26/03 - THE EXPLOITED SCOTLAND 27/03 - POP WILL EAT ITSELF UK - SELLING FAST 03/04 - MARIANAS TRENCH CANADA 04/04 - FRANK TURNER UK - SELLING FAST 09/04 - WALTER TROUT USA 13/04 - THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND USA 16/04 - LARKIN POE USA - SELLING FAST 17/04 - MAD CADDIES USA - CELEBRATING 25 YEARS 19/04 - KEVIN BORICH EXPRESS 20/04 - JOHN MAYALL UK - SELLING FAST 19/05 - BIG THIEF USA 23/05 - BEN BÖHMER GERMANY - SELLING FAST 24/05 - THE HOLD STEADY USA - SELLING FAST
PLUS HEAPS MORE AT WWW.CORNERHOTEL.COM
DARREN HANLON
UK
ADRIAN EAGLE 31/01
CHRISTMAS SHOW SOLD OUT
ALL AGES MATINEE
22/12 - MILK!
CHRISTMAS SHOW SOLD OUT 23/12 -‘MONDAY NIGHT MASS’ WITH PILLOW PRO / SAD / PUNKO 3 1 / 1 2 - THE SENEGAMBIAN JAZZ BAND NYE PARTY 04/01 - DANIEL ELIA 1 0 / 0 1 - THE EAST POINTERS CAN - SELLING FAST 1 1 / 0 1 - EXEK 1 8 / 0 1 - DEAD CITY RUINS 1 9 / 0 1 - TEX PERKINS & MATT WALKER
COLIN SELF RVNG | JUNE JONES | DIIMPA 25/01 - STREAMS OF WHISKEY 28/01 - SEBADOH USA- SELLING FAST 29/01 - SEBADOH USA- SOLD OUT 3 1 / 0 1 - ADRIAN EAGLE SOLD OUT 01/02 - GRACE CUMMINGS 06/02 - DICK VALENTINE USA - ELECTRIC 6 08/02 - FUCK THE FITZROY DOOM SCENE 09/02 - MIJO BISCAN 14/02 - VOID OF VISION 20/02 - ZUHAIR 21/02 - AN HORSE 22/02 -‘DAMNATION & MALEVOLENCE’ FT NOCTURNAL GRAVES 23/02 - ALL INDIA RADIO TAS 24/02 -‘MONDAY NIGHT MASS’ WITH PLEASURE SYMBOLS / BITUMEN / DARK WATER 29/02 - FLYYING COLOURS 12/03 - MICHAEL DUNSTAN 19/03 - CEDRIC BURNSIDE USA 27/03 - HOLLIE COL 1 1 / 0 4 - D.R.I. USA + HIRAX USA 07/05 - NASHVILLE PUSSY USA 08/05 - CHOIRBOYS ‘6 PACK OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’ 22/01 -‘WIND IT UP’ PRESENTS
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News
Soju Gang, image by C-Pash
NGV Friday Nights UNVEILS ‘80S-INSPIRED SUMMER LINEUP The beloved NGV Friday Nights series has returned with a diverse selection of local and international talent to take us through until April. The programming aims to bring a classic ‘80s sound to the NGV garden, encompassing everything from disco to post-punk. International acts heading to the NGV this summer include UK DJs Ruby Savage and Alex Rita & Errol and Detroit’s Nicole Misha, among others. Representing the local scene will be Melbourne-born, LA-based singer Banoffee, nightlife veteran Soju Gang and Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta man Paul Gorrie. The new Friday Nights series coincides with the world premiere of NGV’s latest exhibition, Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines. NGV Friday Nights goes down every Friday up until April 10 with a special wrap up show on Saturday April 11. Tickets are now available via the gallery’s website.
Reside
Image by Kahn and Selesnick
Bad Bangs
UNIFY Gathering
St Kilda Festival
Bee Virginia
Amanda Palmer
COMPLETES 2020 LINEUP
REVEALS 2020 NEW MUSIC STAGE LINEUP
ANNOUNCES DEBUT SHOW
REVEALS MELBOURNE SHOW
Meet Bee Virginia, a new addition to Melbourne’s R&B scene who’s set to take the city by storm. Released in October, Virginia’s new single,‘Won’t You’, is draped in the sounds of jazz, neo-soul and blues. The song is about the initial attraction you have to someone and how you navigate the subsequent yearning. Bee Virginia – who was formerly known as Lover – plays at The Gasometer on Friday December 20 supporting Poolroom. Tix available via Moshtix, find out more about Bee Virginia at her Facebook page.
Punk cabaret legend Amanda Palmer will be swinging past Arts Centre Melbourne as part of her international tour. Palmer dropped her third solo studio album, There Will Be No Intermission, back in March to critical acclaim, including being named in Beat’s mid-year best albums of 2019 list. Palmer will also be appearing at Woodford Folk Festival, The Adelaide Fringe and Mona Foma during her time in Oz. She comes to Hamer Hall on Wednesday January 22. Tickets are on sale now via the venue website.
UNIFY Gathering is set to take over Tarwin Lower from January 9 to 12. The festival has added another artist to the bill in the form of triple j Unearthed winners Reside. The five-piece alternative rock/emo band from Melbourne will join the likes of Architects, The Ghost Inside, Northlane, Polaris, Tonight Alive, Make Them Suffer and heaps more at the South Gippsland festival. Reside formed in early 2017 and captured the music industry’s attention with their debut EP, Closing Doors, in the same year. Grab your UNIFY Gathering tickets from the festival website.
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The likes of Melbourne garage rockers Bad Bangs, synth-enthusiasts Juno Disco, rapper and producer Mikhaell and boundarypushing post-punks Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice have just won St Kilda Festival’s New Music Stage competition and will be performing at the 2020 edition of the event – its 40th anniversary. They were four of the ten artists/bands recognised as part of the 2019 accolade. St Kilda Festival goes down on Sunday February 9 with the full program to be announced in January. Find out all the winners via the festival website.
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NEWS
Image by Tony Accosta
Elizabeth
Human Nature
Allah-Las
Party in the Paddock
By the Meadow
CELEBRATED WITH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VAULT DISPLAY
REVEAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR
NOT TO RETURN IN 2021
ANNOUNCES NEW NAME AND TEASES 2020 LINEUP
LA psych kings Allah-Las are set to make their return Down Under playing a bunch of shows across the country in February and March. In Melbourne, they’ll take to Howler on Saturday February 22. It comes after the band sold out their maiden Australian voyage in 2017 with which promoters had to add additional shows to meet demand. The four-piece will arrive in support of their recently-released fourth album, LAHS, which dropped in October. Grab your tix now available via Oztix.
The Party in the Paddock organisers have announced next year’s festival will be their last. The Tasmanian music festival was first held in 2012 as a 21st for founder Jesse Higgs and has gone on to stage sold out events for the past five years. PITP will be going out with a bang in 2020 with performances from Matt Corby, Hermitude, Dune Rats, Jack River, Briggs and loads more. PITP takes over White Hills, Tasmania from Thursday February 6 until Saturday February 8. Get your tickets now via the festival website.
Bluesfest
TR!P XL
Matador
Oliva Social
ADDS NEW ARTISTS TO LINEUP
TRANCE AND HOUSE MUSIC PARTY IS COMING
MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO MELBOURNE
FOOD TRUCK THURSDAYS IN PRESTON
Chasers Nightclub will host a massive trance and house music night in December. TR!P XL will take over three rooms in the nightclub, with one room covering hard trance, another devoted to standard trance tunes and the third home to everyone’s favourite house hits. Swiss trance legends S.H.O.K.K. top the lineup, with Andy Golden, Miss Mel, Sgt Slick and plenty more locked in to perform vinyl-only sets. TR!P XL goes down Friday December 20 at Chasers Nightclub. Tickets are on sale now via Eventbrite.
The burlesque, dance and circus spectacular Matador is coming back to the Melba Spiegeltent for a six-show season. Inspired by themes of self-discovery, sexuality and passion, Matador brings together performers from the worlds of commercial dance, ballet, pole dancing, burlesque and circus arts. After launching in Melbourne, Matador conducted a sold out national tour with performances at the Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s Tivoli and Adelaide Festival. It comes to the Melba from Wednesday December 11 to Sunday December 15.
High St, Preston is quickly becoming the place to be for fresh new ideas and quality food and drink. The area’s newest venue Oliva Social is a case in point. Every Thursday the Italianinspired social club plays host to Melbourne’s best food on wheels. The venue’s capacious courtyard has recently welcomed calamari and fish and chips purveyor, Chef Calamari, gelato gurus, Il Melograno, as well as paella and grazing table chef, One Man One Pan. Check social media for weekly lineups and get down to Oliva Social at 104 High St.
Recent ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Human Nature have been honoured in a brand new display at the Australian Music Vault in Southbank. Featuring archive material from band member Toby Allen’s personal collection, punters can view a treasure trove of early publicity shots, posters, photographs and performance costumes from their Imperial Palace residency in Las Vegas, as well as memorabilia from their early days as The 4 Trax. See the display at Arts Centre Melbourne now. Entry is free.
By the Meadow will henceforth be known as Meadow. The festival has leaked the first three names for its 2020 instalment. Topping the list is New York indie rocker Frankie Cosmos, joined by Melbourne’s patron saint of sad girls Elizabeth and Coburg instrumental soul outfit Surprise Chef. Limited release tickets are available now in anticipation of the full lineup, which set to drop in the New Year. Meadow goes down from Friday March 27 to Sunday March 29 in Bambra, Victoria. See the festival website for more info.
Kool & The Gang
The mighty Bluesfest has unveiled new additions to its 2020 lineup. The five-day festival has dropped an eclectic mix of legacy and contemporary artists with funk-disco icons Kool & The Gang, Tamworth favourite Troy Cassar-Daley, flamenco pop troupe The Gipsy Kings and ARIA-toting idol Guy Sebastian. Allen Stone, LP, Dweezil Zappa, The Waifs, Erja Lyytinen, Chain and Ash Grunwald have also been announced for Bluesfest 2020, which goes down between Thursday April 9 and Monday April 13. Tix are on sale now via Moshtix.
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ARTS GUIDE
Arts Guide BEAT’S K TOP PIC
ANNA A ONE-PERSON SHOW Bagryana Popov’s Anna is a story of bureaucracy and fairytale. Set in 1950s Bulgaria, the show explores life inside a totalitarian regime and the ways people creatively kept their sense of self. When protagonist Anna discovers her husband is imprisoned, she falls down a rabbit hole of imaginings and untruths, losing herself in the country’s harsh regime. Popov was inspired to write Anna after remembering memories from her childhood in Bulgaria. The creative process behind the show involved years of research into historical documents, police files and interviews. Anna is being performed at La Mama Theatre between Tuesday December 17 and Sunday December 22. Tickets are on sale via the theatre website.
Netflix
Christmas films may not be Oscar material, but life doesn’t always have to be serious. While holiday-themed movies tend to err on the side of cheesy and predictable, they also promise a case of the warm and fuzzies. From rom-coms to heart-warming family dramedies, you’ll want to snuggle up with some snacks by the tree for this quality slate of festive releases.
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Klaus
Holiday Rush
Three Days of Christmas
Taking two tried-and-tested narratives and throwing them together in one film, The Knight Before Christmas combines a holiday love story with a fish out of water trope. A medieval English knight Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) finds himself transported through time into the present where he meets and falls for a high school science teacher Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens) who has given up on love. Will he find his way home? Will she learn to love? You can probably guess the answer to both, but you know you want to watch it anyway.
Three Days of Christmas
YOUR CHRISTMAS FIX ON
The Knight Before Christmas
Let It Snow
In the hallowed spirit of cult Christmas classic Love Actually, Let It Snow follows a group of interwoven stories of love and friendship. As a snowstorm hits a small town on Christmas Eve, everything begins to unravel for a group of high school students. Based on the best-selling novel by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, Let It Snow is just the kind of uplifting viewing you need this holiday season.
Everyone knows that a good Christmas film must offer up a strong moral – from It’s A Wonderful Life to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, we’re repeatedly reminded that this time of year isn’t really about the presents. And so, comes Holiday Rush, a riches to rags tale about a widowed father who loses his job right when his spoilt kids hand over their lavish Christmas wish lists. A reminder of what’s really important, Holiday Rush proves that it’s more about what you do have than what you don’t.
From one of the minds behind Despicable Me, Sergio Pablos, comes Klaus: a festive-themed animation starring Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons and Joan Cusack. Stationed on a frozen island, selfish postman Jesper (Schwartzman) discovers a mysterious carpenter named Klaus (Simmons) who lives amongst a haul of handmade trucks. The pair forge an unlikely friendship, and alongside Alva (Jones), opt to return joy to their miserable town of Smeerensburg.
Spanning three timelines, each set at Christmas time, Three Days of Christmas explores the family dramas which tend to bubble to the surface around the holidays. In this series, you’ll learn that those frustrating family quirks that tend to set tensions high are pretty much universal. Come for the drama, stay for the inevitable happy ending. All the above Chrissy flicks can be streamed on Netflix now.
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ARTS GUIDE
Liu Sanjie LEGEND OF THE CHINESE SONG FAIRY The China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre bring the classic Chinese opera Legend of the Chinese Song Fairy – Opera Liu Sanjie in Concert to Australia for the very first time. The show tells the story of Liu Sanjie, a Chinese folk singer representing the Zhuang ethnic group from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Known as the Song Fairy, Liu Sanjie is one of the Zhuang’s most iconic figures. Legend of the Chinese Song Fairy comes to Hamer Hall on Tuesday December 17. Tickets on sale via the venue website.
Hamlet
The Barber of Seville
The Sleeping Beauty
Mozart & Salieri
UNDER THE STARS IN MELBOURNE
COMIC OPERA AT THE RECITAL CENTRE
HOLIDAY BALLET AT THE ARTS CENTRE
OPERATIC DRAMA
Gioachino Rossini’s acclaimed opera, The Barber of Seville, is bringing the laughs to Melbourne Recital Centre over a short run this December. Count Almaviva hopes to win his love Rosina from her guardian Doctor Bartolo, and seeks out the help of his barber Figaro. Strap in for two and a half hours of hilarity with some of opera’s most recognisable music. Presented by Victorian Opera, The Barber of Seville runs from Thursday December 12 to Saturday December 14. Get your tickets from the Recital Centre website.
Russian composer Tchaikovsky was known for using a secure, regular meter, which meant he could easily cross over into the world of dance. Ballet was of particular interest to the 19th century composer, which led to three of his most famous works – The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and 1889’s The Sleeping Beauty. The latter comes to the Arts Centre Playhouse this month, kicking off on Wednesday December 18 and running until Saturday December 21. Tickets from the Arts Centre website.
Tash York
Chicago
Songs For Nobodies
Jo Koy
AND HER FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
FAMED BROADWAY MUSICAL ARRIVES
Take a ride with Tash York at the Butterfly Club in this hilarious comedy cabaret show. Friends With Benefits is exactly as it sounds and will see York joined by three talented friends across three different nights, welcoming a certain Miss Burlesque Australia to the stage too. As soon as you walk into York’s world you’re all hers, expect to be dumbfounded by her stage presence and whimsy. Friends With Benefits is on for three straight nights from Thursday December 12 to Saturday December 14 at The Butterfly Club. Grab your tix via the venue website.
Despite starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Jason Donovan, this isn’t a Neighbours reunion. Rather, it’s the classic Broadway musical, Chicago, brought to life on the State Theatre stage courtesy of John Frost and Suzanne Jones. The production features Bassingthwaighte as Roxie Hart, Alinta Chidzey as Velma Kelly, Casey Donovan as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton and Donovan as the spin doctor Billy Flynn. Set in jazz age Chicago, the satirical musical has been a Broadway and West End mainstay for decades. Chicago kicks off on Saturday December 14. Tickets are on sale via the venue website.
MID 20TH-CENTURY DIVAS CELEBRATED
RISING COMEDY STAR HITS MELBOURNE
We all know the thought experiment, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”. So what happens when a song is performed for nobody? Thankfully it’s a question playwright Joanna Murray-Smith has never had to ponder, as her one-woman play, Songs For Nobodies, has been a major international success. Centred on imagined encounters between Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas, this production stars Bernadette Robinson and opens at Fairfax Studio from Wednesday December 18.
Jo Koy is on fire at the moment. His recent comedy special Comin’ in Hot hit five stars on Netflix and now Koy is heading Down Under. Having appeared on shows such as Chelsea Lately, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live and heaps more, people can’t get enough of the comedy hot rod and now Melbourne is about to get the full lot. He comes to the Plenary at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday December 15. Grab your tickets via Ticketek.
During his lifetime, Shakespeare’s plays were presented at the open-air Globe Theatre. With this in mind, you could say the Australian Shakespeare Company’s Under the Stars series offers a most authentic way to experience the Bard’s work. As indicated by its full title, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the 400-year-old text isn’t exactly a summertime romp, but it is radiantly compelling. Catch Hamlet under the stars in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens from Friday December 20 to Sunday February 9. Tickets from the Shakespeare Australia website.
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Mozart & Salieri is a work of murderous intrigue that asks questions about the circumstances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s death at the age of 35. Namely, it questions whether the composer Antonio Salieri actually killed his friend and colleague. This week at the Butterfly Club, actors Edgar Wegner and Karlis Zaid will alternate in the title roles of Pushkin’s play, while tenor Martin Buckingham and bass-baritone Adrian Tamburini will perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera. It runs nightly until Saturday December 14.
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COLUMNS
Punk
Metal
Industry
Charts
WITH JAMES LYNCH
WITH ANNA ROSE
WITH CHRISTIE ELIEZER
WITH SYN AND PBS
Nirvana
The history of the power chord The power chord has been an undeniable mainstay over the past 60 years of popular music. Looking through some of the biggest rock songs of all time – such as ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ or ‘Iron Man’ – it’s easy to spot the familiar ring of the power chord. Each time the chord appears, we’re reminded of its raw intensity, its muscular tone, its sheer force. It’s all pretty impressive for something that many argue doesn’t even count as a chord. Traditionally, a chord should be made up of three degrees – i.e. three unique notes – and when they’re played together, the characteristic of the final chord is informed by the three amounting parts. The power chord on the other hand has less going on. It is formed out of just two degrees, which makes its inherent power somewhat counterintuitive. However, its sound so often comes together with the help of distortion, which explains why it wasn’t used commonly until the mid 20th century. In fact, in classical music, playing these chords back to back was considered bad form, though we can understand why composers may have thought of them as flimsy or lacklustre on the piano or strings, without the strength of distortion. When the two note interval is distorted, a number of frequencies and harmonics are added giving the chord a richer sound. When this happens to a three note chord, too many frequencies can be generated and the effect can be cluttered and messy. With two notes, the result is bold and assertive. The origins of the power chord are a little blurry. Throughout the 1950s, the power chord began popping up on recordings, with some pointing towards blues guitarists John Lee Hooker or Willie Johnson as the true originators. By the late ‘50s, Link Wray had released ‘Rumble’, which others cite as the first use of the power chord, yet on a close listen, you’re able to hear this is not quite right either. Interestingly, the song was banned on some radio stations as broadcasters feared the rough sound of the track might inspire juvenile delinquency, which says a lot about the power of the distorted guitar. In 1964, The Kinks released their hit ‘You Really Got Me’, and with its frantic opening riff, the power chord earned a permanent spot on the mantle of rock’n’roll history. Sounding both raucous and good-spirited at the same time, the stage was set for generations of rebellious rockers, from the Ramones to The Runaways and Green Day, with a fondness for the power chord.
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Polaris
Tones and I
Heavy music to rule in 2020 The role of artist manager only getting harder We’re nearly there, folks! We’re closing out 2019 with a banging festival, satisfied with the killer splay of new releases that have befallen our eardrums, and having bought more merch at live shows than our wardrobes care to conceal. As I gaze into my crystal ball for what lies ahead, next year I see the Australian metal scene making an even bigger impact on the globe. But don’t just take my word for it – I asked around the industry for opinions, to find out what they think of the achievements of the Australian metal scene this year, and to hear what they foresee in that crystal ball for the year to come. CHANEL ISA – MUSIC JOURNALIST
“With Download, UNIFY Gathering and Invasion Fest just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to be a heavy music fan in Australia – gone are the days where the death of Soundwave left the scene clamouring for their fix! “With a veritable buffet of options at our doorstep, we’re hoping our homegrown talent will continue to get their chance to shine on the big stage. With a stack of talent signed to Greyscale Records, UNFD and Resist Records, and an even wider range of kick-arse independent bands, let’s see 2020s festival circuit dominated by the nation’s finest!” TIM PRICE – MANAGING DIRECTOR, COLLISION COURSE/THE FACTION
“I see the Australian heavy scene only continuing to build and grow, as we have seen every year for the past five [years]. Festivals, media outlets, bands, labels, touring companies and agents – everyone is gearing up and seriously delivering and firing on all cylinders. “I am so stoked to be a part of it all, and I’m also here cheering on everyone else dropping amazing announcements and achievements. It’s so dope to see.” ALEX SIEVERS – CEO/EDITOR, KILLYOURSTEREO.COM
“Like ‘em or not, Polaris will have a huge year in 2020. Alpha Wolf are sure to conquer even more outside of Australia. More people need to know about 生 Conform 死 in the New Year. If you aren’t listening to Gravemind, ya dreaming and Windwaker are sure to blow up something fierce. “With Alien, Northlane showed that five albums in, you can create your best and most unique work. New We Lost The Sea saw a post-rock act bucking the genre norms, and Hashshashin made mathy, proggy MiddleEastern psychedelic drone sound so powerful and moving.”
The role of the artist manager already began changing drastically about a decade ago. Hit with plunging profits, record companies started sacking their staff, and managers had to take over many of those duties. In the interim, many smart new services and apps cropped up to fill the vacuum – ways to engage with fans directly, quicker ways to book tours and monitor streaming sales and royalties. However, the major problem for artist managers and self-managed artists in the streaming era is that careers can start and end more rapidly than ever. Tones and I’s rapid shift of Facebook selfdescription from “Byron Bay busker living in a van and fed by friends” to “global superstar with 1 billion streams” within 12 months is a great example of how hectic things can become. Whether hers is a one-off or an indication of things to come remains a moot point, but the music industry has addressed the issue at conferences and events in the past month. Owen Orford, director at New World Artists said at Australian Music Week, that when an act explodes, it’s crucial to know when to cash in and when to pull back. “Of course everyone wants to get on the biggest festivals, like Bluesfest and Splendour and Falls. But there are other strategies that might be more appropriate to that particular artist. “What happens when an act’s a runaway train and everybody wants them? A trained monkey could be their manager and record label, and it could be a success anyway. “So what does the team around them do to make it special? Or does it end up another story that goes, ‘Wow they burned bright and fast but three years later, no-one gives a damn’.” An artist manager’s panel during ARIA Week agreed that allowing your artist to take time off was crucial even at this time when the world wants you. Tones and I co-manager Regan Lethbridge says artist welfare is vital. “Enforced breaks is important. Managing with mental health breaks are vitally important. You’ve got to take that super serious.” He says Tones has got two more albums worth of strong songs and has a strong vision of a long-standing career, so breaks shouldn’t be an issue. As for self-managing artists, at Electronic Music Conference in Sydney, George Maple revealed that the big career mistakes come when she allows passion to overrule detail. Entertainment and technology lawyer Ishan Karunanayake also warned against the trend where management, label and publishing are rolled into one deal. If one of these doesn’t work, “You’ll be stuck in all three so be wary of signing those sorts of deals”.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
What’s hot on community radio Community radio stations have great taste and none more so than Melbourne’s PBS and SYN. Here’s what’s on their radar this fortnight.
SYN Sweet 16 LOCAL
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Messy Mammals – ‘Not Gonna Let It Go’
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Sarah Mary Chadwick – ‘When Will Death Come’
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Jacki Tut – ‘Good For Now’
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Georgia Maq – ‘Pleaser’
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Eleftherios – ‘Moonlight’
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Andras – ‘Honeybird’
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Eddy Current Suppression Ring – ‘Our Quiet Whisper’
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T$oko feat. Jimmy Drones – ‘S.O.S’
INTERNATIONAL
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Kali Uchis – ‘Solita’
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Cimafunk – ‘El Potaje’
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The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’
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Rina Sawayama – ‘STFU’
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Khruangbin and Leon Bridges – ‘Texas Sun’
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BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Jonah Yano – ‘Key To Love’
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Jacob Collier feat. Daniel Caesar – ‘Time Alone With You’
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Soccer Mommy – ‘Feed’
PBS Top Ten •
Mojo Juju and Joelistics – ‘Leave it All Behind’
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WVR BVBY – ‘Custard Shoulder’
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Headland – ‘What Rough Beast’
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Steam Down – ‘Free My Skin’ / ‘Can’t Hold Me Back’
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El Michels Affair – ‘12345678910’
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Tim Shiel feat. Braille Face – ‘Right In Front Of You’
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TELEKENET – ‘Embreyosis’
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Atom™ – ‘I Want You (Lisa Carbon Dub)’
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Soft Rubbish – ‘1999’
19
COVER STORY
Architects Either British metalcore outfit, Architects, are partial to long flights or they have a serious love for Australia. IMAGE BY ED MASON | WORDS BY TAMMY WALTERS
Having just brought their Holy Hell tour to sellout crowds across our nation in August, Architects founding member, Dan Searle, is currently holidaying in Byron Bay. He’ll be returning Down Under in January with band in tow to headline Gippsland heavy festival, UNIFY Gathering. “It’s weird because we’ve done nothing between the two trips. We finished up the Australian tour, spent time at home and then we go back over to Australia, but it’s always been one of our favourite places to tour and to be and we have a lot of friends here. That’s why I’m here at the moment, not touring, but with my family,” says Searle. The trip has also included a catch up with good friends, Parkway Drive, between their Good Things headline slot preparation. In fact, Architects have adopted several Australian acts into their band family, many of whom are joining them on the UNIFY bill. “Perhaps more so than anywhere else, and it’s not just within bands,” Searle explains. “We know a lot of Australian bands, obviously Parkway Drive and Northlane and more recently Polaris and Ocean Grove, and there are also people outside of the band that are dear friends of ours. “We have a huge network of friends
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around the country so that also sweetens it. It’s a wonderful country anyway but getting to hang out with friends that we don’t get to see very often because we’re on the other side of the planet is a massive treat for us.” Since August 2016 these relationships have grown even stronger. The metal community banded together to support Architects and Searle following the premature passing of founding member and Searle’s twin brother, Tom Searle, who had lived with a melanoma skin cancer for three years. In their 2017 tour honouring Tom Searle, Thy Art Is Murder’s Sean Delander filled in for the band’s Australian leg. Fellow UNIFY Gathering act, Northlane, dedicated their track ‘Paragon’ from their Mesmer album release that same year to the beloved guitarist. Those relationships extend to international acts from the UNIFY Gathering lineup as well, including Saturday night headliners, The Ghost Inside. “We’re going to stick around for the second day [of the festival] too because we want to catch The Ghost Inside because obviously they’ve been through a lot and we haven’t seen them in years and years so that will be a special moment. We’ve both been through major tragedies in our personal lives
that have affected our bands so it will be nice for us to sort of get together and unite under that because we have been through so much,” Searle says. Post-UNIFY Gathering, Architects will be taking a much deserved break from touring to focus on moving forward. Their 2018 Holy Hell album cycle will be wrapped up, a bittersweet moment for Searle who feels the album is the final chapter in their album trilogy and the final stage of his grieving process. “UNIFY will likely be our only show for the whole of 2020. This will be a swansong for some of our material, this will be more about doing some of these songs for the last time,” Searle says. “I’ve kind of already dealt with that when we toured Australia. That was the end to me even though we have this show and it definitely felt sad that I was moving away from this whole process because this album meant a lot to me on a personal level. In terms of moving through my own grief and it felt like starting a new chapter, which was scary but there’s obviously a lot of things to look forward to in the future. It’s kind of like a double-edged sword.” As a final close to the chapter, Architects have released an acoustic version of closing
song, ‘A Wasted Hymn’, a taste for their future sonic palette as they take a leaf from fellow UK metal superstars, Bring Me The Horizon. “To me that song was the most emotionally powerful song on the album in terms of what it meant to me and perhaps some of the subletly or the fragility of the words are lost amongst the enormity of the album version. So I want to set those words in a slightly more scaled back instrumental backdrop,” Searle says. “But I like the idea of expanding the band’s sonic range in terms of what we are ‘allowed’ to do and start to stretch what is considered normal for Architects to do because we are ultimately a very heavy and aggressive band, but to tastefully try to pull something like that off is interesting.” Close out this chapter with Architects when they headline UNIFY Gathering 2020, for what is guaranteed to be a truly special set. Architects come to UNIFY Gathering which goes down from Thursday January 9 to Sunday January 12 in Tarwin Lower. Grab your tix via the festival website.
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FEATURES
Tonight Alive Even though they haven’t been in the spotlight for the last twelve months, Jenna McDougall and band, Tonight Alive, are still very much alive. BY TAMMY WALTERS
In fact, McDougall is the strongest and healthiest she has ever been in her life but it took being at the lowest point to get her to the top of her game. Not only was McDougall’s health issues related to severe eczema a constant underlying battle, the band had been severely bruised. Their third studio album, Limitless, released through Sony Music Australia in 2016 came with an unfulfilled promise that lead to the quick turn-around of follow-up album, Underworld, however Underworld came with the announcement of the departure of founding member Whakaio Taahi. The final hit is one of tragedy involving the sad death of a security guard during their Sydney concert, resulting in the cancellation of their American tour and an eventual touring hiatus. “Making Limitless really broke the back with us because the goal with that record was commercial success and that really broke our heart because we were invested in the band and that album,” explains McDougall. “We put out our record [Underworld] at the start of last year and toured all year on it and then unfortunately we did have to cancel
our American tour and we just decided to commit to a real break so this is big deal. It was the first time we had taken time off in 11 years and it will be 12 years early next year of being a band so coming back from this is really ceremonial in a way.” The first break in McDougall’s music career since starting as a fresh-eyed 15-yearold saw an extensive process of healing – mentally, physically and emotionally. “I don’t recognise myself. I’ve never felt so stable in my life emotionally, physically and mentally and obviously things fluctuate, but it’s been really good to have consistency and to experiment with the lifestyle and the kind of life I want to lead. There’s been a lot of focus in my life on wellbeing and personal development, growth, consistency, stability and balance.” “I’ve never been able to attain the level of those things that I have been in this year off. It’s just so nice to be living at a higher quality of health and stability and happiness and being able to maintain it and not interrupt that progress as you do when you’re touring,” she explains. “It’s so great that in this day and age,
Image by Mia McKenzie
our generation and the younger generation are talking about self-care and self-love and acceptance because that wasn’t part of the social dialogue when we started as a band. My self-esteem and sense of self was really unsupported and that’s fine – it is what it is and I’m not the only one but it’s really great to be healing my teenage and young adult wounds that were inflicted by being a public figure and performer. “I’m really glad for that because I want longevity in my career and I want to keep making music and performing but I think I really needed a gap year and to be reborn a little bit.” In phoenix form, the Sydney rockers will be making their return to the stage for the 2020 UNIFY Gathering, doing so with a
massive support network of friends who will be joining them. “These are friends of the band and some will be artists that we have toured with previously and some of them won’t be. I’d like to think that most of the artists we perform with, people will see as a surprise – not just because they didn’t know who it would be but a surprise of the coming together of different worlds!” Tonight Alive come to UNIFY Gathering which goes down from Thursday January 9 to Sunday January 12 in Tarwin Lower. Grab your tix via the festival website.
Press Club While independent releasing has a well-earned sense of clout attached, it is by no means easy; timing, networking, promoting… it’s a slog and a half. BY LEXI HERBERT
With this in mind, Melbourne punk outfit Press Club have just released their second independently-released LP in two years. Someone give me a stiff drink and a dexy because that is too crazy a schedule to even comprehend. Releasing two critically acclaimed indie punk albums in two years – debut Late Teens (2018) and Wasted Energy (2019) – is a feat within itself, but if you throw in an Australian and European touring circuit, countless festival appearances, a long list of support slots and a brilliant triple j Like A Version… you get a tired but enthusiastic phone call with lead vocalist, Nat Foster. “Hectic is pretty much the way I would describe it. We’re still pulling off our full-time jobs at the moment, so it’s a bit of a whirlwind to be away for three months out of the year. “We’ve been to Europe twice which has been an actual dream, something I’ve always wanted to do – travel with the band and see the world that way.” Any reasonable person who values sleep must be thinking that a band this busy must be cutting corners somewhere… like, they just have to be. But no, what you see is 100%
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what you get with MacRae, Rietwyk, Lees and Foster: pure hard work, dedicated production and a shitload of fun. For proof, the band’s Instagram feed is a collection of professional group photos, crazy looking gig pics and a healthy dose of regular happy snaps that remind us that, deep down, they’re just a few mates getting together to make something they’re proud of. And it works. As a result of this highly dedicated and focused energy, Wasted Energy has become a well-spun record on both Aussie and European radio and festival circuits, once making Press Club triple j’s most played unsigned artist for over 12 weeks straight. Intense production periods laid the blueprint for such recognition. “Pretty much as soon as we released Late Teens we started writing Wasted Energy, and we didn’t use any of the tracks that we scrapped for Late Teens. I think we wrote like 40 songs for the first album but we didn’t use any of the leftovers – these albums are 100% a product of the times we create them in, so it feels only right that everything is created specifically for the album at hand.” On an atmospheric level, Wasted Energy engages with the inarguably turbulent socio-
Image by Ian Laidlaw
moral landscape that we as a society have to learn to live in. Often viewed through the lens of relationships, the album is a razor-sharp tribute to honesty and personal insight paired with external issues that we just can’t afford to ignore. Fostering powerhouse tracks like opener ‘Separate Houses’, gritty ‘Chosen Ones’ and f*ck-you anthem ‘Behave’. So, if all of this is on the books, what’s up next? A few different shows are peppered across the horizon for Press Club, but none more exciting than their upcoming set at Party In The Paddock. “We’re super excited about it. Festival sets are a completely different vibe to headline shows, or even support gigs. In a way it’s
like a challenge because the people aren’t necessarily there to see you, so you have the chance to win people over. “It’s also a lot of fun for us because there’s so much more room to run around on the stage, like I love capitalising on the space. That movement itself creates a new vibe that’s pretty localised to festivals, which makes Party In The Paddock a definite highlight for this summer.” Press Club perform at Party In The Paddock when it goes down in White Hills, Tasmania from Thursday February 6 to Saturday February 8. Check out Wasted Energy via streaming services.
WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER
WHISKY WEDNESDAYS ACOUSTIC SESSIONS $6 Basic, $9 Premium, $12 Cocktails. 7PM, FREE. THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER 9PM
ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER 9PM
FAD XMAS LIVE
MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA PARTY
SPECIAL GUESTS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING FRIDAY 27TH DECEMBER - ALL NIGHT
FAREWELL 2019 WITH FAD AND A BOOGIE
THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER
THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT WITH TEQUILA SPECIALS! FEAT:
OLIVER NORTHAM & THE ELSEWHERES, GUESTS $14 jugs beer/cider - with current student card. 7PM, FREE. FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER EXHIBITION OPENING:
LILLIANNE KOENIGER FEAT: AMOS ROACH Prudence, Monica Jasmine Kare, Leonie Whyman 6.30PM, $15/$10. SATURDAY 14TH DECEMBER THE BLUE HOTEL EP LAUNCH
THE BLUE HOTEL Russ, Nick Batterham (Earthmen) 9PM, FREE. SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER NORTHERN VOICES CHOIR END OF YEAR SHOW!
NORTHERN VOICES CHOIR 5PM, FREE. TUESDAY 17TH DECEMBER
OPEN MIC $15 jugs, free performer drink. 6PM, FREE. WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER
EVERY WEDNESDAY WINE & WHINE NIGHT. WINE SPECIALS AND TUNES ALL NIGHT LONG 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.
WHISKY WEDNESDAYS ACOUSTIC SESSIONS $6 Basic, $9 Premium, $12 Cocktails. 7PM, FREE. THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT WITH TEQUILA SPECIALS! FEAT:
OLIVER NORTHAM & THE ELSEWHERES, GUESTS $14 jugs beer/cider - with current student card. 7PM, FREE. FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER
THE MOTH BODY (DUO) 6.30PM, FREE. EKRANOPLANS CHRISTMAS SHOW
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE HAVE HAD A VAST ARRAY OF EVENTS… THESE HAVE INCLUDED GIGS BY OUR REGULAR BANDS ROCKY AND THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES AND FRANK RAYMOND & THE SILHOUETTES, AS WELL AS FUNDRAISERS, CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS FOR CORPORATES, WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, WHATEVER PEOPLE HAVE WANTED TO ACHIEVE.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING YOUR NEXT PARTY OR FUNCTION CALL JOHNNY ON
(03) 96392700 FAD GALLERY BAR 14 CORRS LANE MELBOURNE
EKRANOPLANS, CRY BONE, POPOLICE (MARC REGUIRO-MCELVIE) 9PM, FREE
WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER
BOHJASS + KOI KINGDOM + EDEL PLASTIK 7:30PM, DONATION THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER
RAMEN + TIDY FILTERS 7:30PM FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER
THE LAMINATORS 7PM, FREE SATURDAY 14TH DECEMBER
H-ZED + SARAH EIDA + COSA NOSTRA 8PM, $10 SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER
PINKO COLLECTIVE 4PM, DONATION MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER
303 YARRA BANKS JAM NIGHT 8PM, FREE TUESDAY 17TH DECEMBER
THE GUITAR LAB 8PM, DONATION WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER
BOHJASS + TOM FRYER BAND + CONFABULATIONS 7:30PM, DONATION THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER
SISTERWORKS: SADIVA + NAISHA + SERENITY UKI 7PM, $10 DONATION FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER
BOSS MELODY + THE MENAGE + DJ’S 8:30PM SATURDAY 21ST DECEMBER
SATURDAY 21ST DECEMBER “A SWAMPY CHRISTMAS” CHRISTMAS PARTY!
THE LOVE SLAPS FEAT THE SUICIDE SMOKERS, VAN & CAL WALKER, THE HAPPY LONESOME, SWAMPLANDS, MAJOR BUMMER, COLD IRONS BOUND, ILL-GOTTEN BOOTY DOORS 3PM, $10. SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER
VERY HANDSOME MEN 4PM, FREE. MONDAY 23RD DECEMBER
CLOSED TUESDAY 24TH DECEMBER
CLOSED
TBA 8PM SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER
TOM CARTOONIST & BAND + TIM WOODZ + IMMY OWUSU 3PM, DONATION
+ OLIVE YAHH 7:30PM MONDAY 23RD DECEMBER
SMILING POLITELY COMEDY 7:30PM, DONATION TUESDAY 24TH DECEMBER
HAPPY HOUR TUE-FRI 5PM-7PM $6 PINTS, $3.50 POTS, $5 WINE/BASIC SPIRITS $10 BURRITOS THURS TO SUN
facebook/swamplandsbar
XMA EVE 7PM, FREE 303 HIGH ST NORTHCOTE 03 9482 4577 | 303.NET.AU FACEBOOK.COM/BAR303NOTHCOTE
Tuesday 10th 8.00pm
IRISH SESSION WITH DAN BURKE AND MARTY KELLY Wednesday 11th 8.00pm
MICHAEL WAUGH, ENDA KENNY, KHRISTIAN MIZZI Thursday 12th 7.30pm
MR SUNSHINES GOODTIME TRIVIA Friday 13th 9.30pm
THE WARNER BROS (Party time)
Saturday 14th 9.30pm
BACKWOOD CREATURES (Swamp blues)
Sunday 15th 5.30pm
REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE AND FRIENDS (Roots grooves)
Tuesday 17th 8.00pm
IRISH SESSION WITH DAN BURKE AND MARTY KELLY Wednesday 18th 8.00pm
GEOFF ACHISON, NICK CHARLES, JIMI HOCKING AND SHANNON BOURNE Thursday 19th 7.30pm
MR SUNSHINES GOODTIME TRIVIA Friday 20th 9.30pm
THE T-BONES AND FOUR DOOR SHITBOX (Alt-country grooves)
Saturday 20th 9.30pm
DUNCAN PHILLIPS & THE LONG STAND (Soul blues)
Sunday 21st 5.30pm
KELLY AUTY BAND (Brassy diva)
ALL GIGS ARE FREE 225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752
23
FEATURES
Rainbow Serpent Each year, people travel from all corners of the globe to join thousands of other like-minded groovers in the dusty hills of the annual Rainbow Serpent festival. BY SAM HOWARD
This year marks its 23rd stint – a remarkable feat considering Australia’s challenging festival climate right now. So, how has the beloved institution managed to maintain its culture and its right to exist for more than two decades? Way back in 1998, a small group of friends decided they wanted to create a special event that incorporated elements of music, art and connection to the land. It was about providing a space for people to experience an alternative way of life, far away from the anxieties and negativity that often plague our everyday lives. With a collective group of open-minded people Rainbow Serpent was born and it wasn’t long before the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, whose countries border the land, were deeply incorporated into the festival. Tim Harvey’s been involved in organising the festival for nearly 15 years now and has been going for the last 21. So understandably, he and the team have seen many faces, many artists, many unforgettable moments and, of course, many challenges along the way. “The diversity of the content has radically increased over the years, going from predominantly trance in its early days to incorporating a much wider range of electronic and non-electronic music too,” says Harvey. He says the team has never believed in having a lineup with just a bunch
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of high-calibre names. For Rainbow, it’s always been about representing a diverse selection of musical styles from across the world, and as each year goes by, that diversity grows stronger. “There’s always something different depending on the stage you go to,” he says. It’s not just about the music, either. As the acts on the lineup continue to surprise and delight music lovers, the growth of visual art, ceremonies, workshops and other unexpected experiences on the bill continue to electrify punters too. “There are some of the most beautiful installations, artwork and structures from both international and domestic artists coming this year. We try to curate a program that in some way has some commentary on either consumerism or politics,” says Harvey. “It’s a wonderland of different sensory stimulation at Rainbow, depending on what your fix is.” He’s most excited for Autumn Skye – a Canadian live painter set to feature in the Evolve Gallery, and says Rolling Stones’ ex-touring manager, Sam Cutler, will be a highlight as he spins some yarns about his crazy life. But calling out highlights among the smorgasbord of entertainment is nearly impossible and entirely subjective. The festival has also been instrumental in incubating the Rainbow community around it, co-funding the Servo@23 arts hub project and the Rainbow Community Grants program. Every cent spent on purchasing Rainbow
souvenir programs at the festival goes into the grants scheme, funding which then goes to worthy members of the wider community. Then there are the many ceremonies that are the backbone of Rainbow’s cultural heritage. Indigenous communities come from around the world to take part in the special rituals across the long weekend. Together, these groups make up a community that is unlike any other in the world. But Rainbow Serpent’s culture has experienced some significant hurdles in the past few years. The recent ‘war on festivals’ has left events like Rainbow with arbitrary fingers pointed at it – and the existence of many music festivals is threatened by police and the media’s framing of drug use. If there was a bigger presence of police at the football or the races, would this be the same conversation? After two decades, Harvey has seen how a zero-tolerance policy at festivals can often cause more harm than good. “Our festival hasn’t changed as much as the culture outside of the festival has, alongside the effects that 30 years of prohibition have had in terms of drug harm. Today there’s an almost commercialisation of drug culture,” says Harvey. “The culture hasn’t shifted in tandem with a change in education. Festivals are left with the consequences of policy not in our remit to influence. We’re dealing with the hangover of failed government policy.” Today, festivals are navigating the damage
that harsh policies have had on the industry, people’s livelihoods and the communities that play a significant role in punters’ lives. “The thing is, these policies obviously don’t fix the issue of drug harm anyway. We all know there needs to be a fundamental change in the way we approach use and harm and I think anyone who has intelligence or critical thinking has worked that one out over a decade ago. The fact that we still sit and argue over this while people are dying is just inexcusable,” Harvey says. Despite these challenges, as one of the country’s biggest and oldest multifaceted festivals, Rainbow Serpent continues to thrive. “There’s a genuine desire of everyone involved in Rainbow to lift people up,” Harvey says. “That culture comes through so many aspects of the festival, whether that’s its Indigenous culture, the generations of families who attend, what’s going on in the village or the music bringing people together to dance to syncopated beats. There’s an unreal ‘togetherness’ you won’t find anywhere else.” Rainbow Serpent goes down between Friday January 24 and Monday January 27 in Lexton, Victoria. Tickets are on sale via the festival website, rainbowserpent.net.
LIVE MUSIC DECEMBER
LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY
FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER
AFTER DEATH AROUND DAWN 9PM SATURDAY 14TH DECEMBER
BACK TO THE BREAKS CITZEN.COM + FRIENDS 9-3AM
Wednesday 11th December
W/ CHIPS, SALAD & YOUR CHOICE OF BUTTER: CAFÉ DE PARIS; GARLIC OR LEMON & ALMOND
Thursday 28th December
FREE POOL & JUKEBOX
8pm:
JACARANDA SNOW + TOM KENDAL 5PM
Traditional Irish Music Session 8:30pm: Anna Scionti
6pm:
GRACE KING 9PM A RIOTING MIND 10PM
9PM
NATHAN POWER 10PM SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER
TIM WOODS SONGWRITERS CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA 5PM
WEEKLY SPECIALS MONDAY HAPPY HOUR 10PM - 1AM $6 JAMESON $4 POTS $8 PINTS $6 WINE
Saturday 14th December
4pm:
Marty Kelly 7.30pm: T-ÁDH 9pm: Geoff Achison
WEDNESDAY OPEN MIC 8PM $10 BURGER & FRIES
THURSDAY $10 PINTS & $1 BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS OR VEG CAULIFLOWER
FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR 4PM - 6PM KITCHEN OPEN LATE EVERYDAY TILL 11PM
TUESDAYS
$20 PARMA, CHIPS, SLAW & POT TRIVIA & DISCO BINGO FROM 7PM FREE ENTRY – OVER 18’S EVENT
WEDNESDAYS
$20 TACOS & SCHOONER CRISPY FISH (3) OR SPICY CHICKEN (3) OR BBQ JACKFRUIT (3)
THURSDAYS
Sunday 15th December
Poet’s Xams Party! 4pm: The Stetson Family 6:30pm: Waz E James Tuesday 17th December
Tuesday Tribute: 8pm: Marty Kelly plays the songs of Richard Thompson Wine, Whiskey, Women 8pm: Ash Sumpter 9pm: Annabelle Kay Open Mic Night
5pm Sign up at the Bar Friday 20th December
Traditional Irish Music Session 8:30pm: Mr Alford
6pm:
Shanakee 9pm: White Lightning Sunday 22nd December
Moonee Valley Drifters 6:30pm: Alex Burns Dan Bourke & Cyril Moran
DYLAN BRICKLEY SAT 14TH DECEMBER – FRONT BAR
WHISKEY GYPSIES SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER FRONT BAR 5PM
STEPHEN KENNEDY RESTAURANT – 6PM
THE EXCITING MC GILLUCUDDIES THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER 8PM-10PM
FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER – FRONT BAR
HAPPY HOUR (5-7PM)
JOHN RUNNELS
$6 SCHOONERS $8 PINTS $6 SELECTED WINES
SAT 21ST DECEMBER – FRONT BAR
WHISKEY GYPSIES
LIVE MUSIC DECEMBER
MISS LIZZY & 14 THE NIGHT OWLS SAT
DEC
9PM – FREE ENTRY SUN
KANE VINCENT
DEC
5PM – FREE ENTRY
15 SAT
FUNK RABBIT
DEC
9PM – FREE ENTRY
21 SUN
22 DEC
THE BAY STREET PREACHERS 5PM – FREE ENTRY
4pm:
Tuesday 24th December
FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER – FRONT BAR
FRIDAYS
Saturday 21st December
3pm:
ROCK N’ ROLL BINGO WITH CHRISSIE KISS & HER DJ
FREE POOL & JUKEBOX
Thursday 19th December
7pm:
THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER 8PM-10PM
ROCK N’ ROLL BINGO WITH CHRISSIE KISS & HER DJ
$20 BURGER, CHIPS & POT
Wednesday 18th December
TUESDAY TRIVIA 8PM (FREE) $10 PIZZA
Mick Daley
Friday 13th December
FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER
SUNDAY LEMONADE
$25 300GM BLACK ANGUS PORTERHOUSE
Wine, Whiskey, Women: 8pm: Georgia Rodgers 9pm: Jorja
SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER
SATURDAY 21ST DECEMBER
MONDAYS
LIVE MUSIC DECEMBER
BEER OF THE MONTH
SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER FRONT BAR 5PM
DYLAN BRICKLEY RESTAURANT – 6PM
THE EXCITING MC GILLUCUDDIES
HAPPY HOUR
MONDAY TO SATURDAY 4PM - 7PM LUNCH & DINNER DAILY TUESDAY TRIVIA EVERY WEEK, 7:30PM. FREE ENTRY
SUNDAY ROAST & DRINK SPECIALS
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FALLS FESTIVAL
Lime Cordiale Together for 10 years, Lime Cordiale emulate the Australian success story, using hard work and a “she’ll be right mate” attitude to reach success. BY CAITLIN HYNES
2019 has done that for the band, with an Australian tour and to sign off 2019, their 100th show in time for the Falls Festival Lorne stage. It’s the classic Australian story – hard work and perseverance, after much blood, sweat and tears, transforms into success. Lime Cordiale, and its brotherly pair made up of Louis and Oli Leimbach, reflect this over the past ten years as they climbed up the ranks from backyard gigs to European tours. As they gear up for the enigmatic event that is Falls Festival, 2019 has clearly marked a welcome step up for the band. Just recently, the crew were signed by multi-platinum selling global megastar Post Malone, and his manager Dre London, to a co-management and label deal with Aussie record company Chugg Music. Like Malone, Lime Cordiale don’t seek to do anything except make music that’s inherently for them and about them. They aren’t here to stamp down an opinion on political issues; instead they simply seek to express themselves in the cool, laidback style reflected in their daily life. “I think the majority of fans follow that
same process of just being yourself and making music for the fun of it. I think people definitely try and make music with something to prove. We aren’t like that. We’re more selfventing rather than ‘you should all live this way’,” explains Louis. “We definitely write music for people who want to have a good time at shows but when we’re writing, we’re there to be ourselves and not over think it too much. “We try and spit it out without taking ourselves too seriously. The more we do that and the less we write for other people, the more people love it. Basically, the less we worry about ourselves, the more people seem to enjoy it.” This comfortable approach is reflected in their past gigs and records, with experiences overseas only adding to their chilled-out attitude. Having completed tours in the United States and Europe, Louis reflects that, “Our overseas experience has definitely helped prepare us for [Falls]”. “In Europe we were playing night after night in serious music hubs and we were just sitting there thinking ‘oh my god we’re just a group of boys from Australia’. Those
Milky Chance
experiences helped us learn how to roll with it, no matter where you perform or how many people you perform to.” Currently on tour across Australia with remaining dates up until Saturday December 14 that span from Melbourne to Hobart and Maroochydore, Falls is a huge addition to Lime Cordiale’s resume. “We’ve always dreamed of performing at these events. It’s a bit like a pipeline dream that you wish for but know you won’t get to fulfil,” Louis says. “We were on a plane when the news came through about Falls and we were those annoying people on a plane who were yelling and screaming and jumping up and down!” If you thought being added to an already impressive lineup would add to their nerves,
think again. Like their approach to everything, Lime Cordiale are gearing up for one hell of a party, with Falls marking the 100th show of their career thus far. “Falls this year will mark our hundredth or 101st show of our career, so it’s going to be fun. We’re definitely keen to go out with a bang and then sleep once the tours and festivals are done. “Rome wasn’t built in a day and we’ve been working hard over the past nine years, so I think that’s where our success lies.” Catch Liam Cordiale at Falls Festival Lorne when it goes down from Saturday December 28 until Tuesday December 31. Tickets via the festival website.
Image by Anthony Molina
Milky Chance’s new album Mind The Moon and upcoming appearance at Falls Festival over the new year has sent excitement through an Australian audience who can’t get enough of the German band. BY FERGUS NEAL
The band and their unique style of music has been devoured by Australian audiences ever since their debut single ‘Stolen Dance’ took the country by storm six years ago. As they return for Falls Festival over the New Year, Milky Chance have a third album in tow, in Mind The Moon. The band’s bassist and percussionist Philipp Dausch jokes when asked why Milky Chance are so popular in Australia. “Most importantly we sing in English,” laughs Dausch. “When we first started, people told us that our music was ‘genre-less’. I think Australians like that fluidity and as people we have a chill melancholic vibe which fits well with your culture. They are very relaxed, but Australians have their melancholy so it resonates. “Australian audiences love to dance. I remember a unique experience in Byron Bay when we were playing ‘Sweet Sun’ at Falls Festival, suddenly 25,000 people started dancing madly. They moved like the sea, it was insane.’ The new album features home-grown hero Tash Sultana with one of the record’s most
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introspective and hazy tracks ‘Daydreaming’. The song provides a microcosm for the entire album with its minimalistic intention that glides beautifully above an undercurrent of natural energies; energies stemming from the band’s surroundings while recording. “Every song is distinctive and has its own recipe. We were in a studio that was right near the ocean – we felt very influenced by our surroundings, by the energy of the water, the moon, the tide, energies which are not tangible but are there. “At the end of making the album we found a lot of examples of nature in our lyrics, so we realised that our surroundings did influence us. The power and sensation of energies that float through the album, it keeps us doing what we do even though we sometimes don’t know why or how.” In creating the album Dausch has seemingly found a vantage point from where he can enjoy the band’s success. As the explosion of their debut record Sadnecessary meant the band had little time to reflect amid the tribulations of fame and youth.
“So much stuff is happening and you’re in this bubble of fame and being on the road. To be grateful for what it means, that you can survive as a musician and earn money and do that as your job. I think it’s something we’re realising now. Five years ago we couldn’t grab at it because so much was happening and you can’t really build a feeling up to it.” Giving their last album Blossom time to breathe by taking a year off touring, has seemingly allowed for the fruition of their unique style to take a different shape on Mind The Moon. When asked about their musical influences, Dausch points to it being a product of their immersion in various musical styles. “Our parents influenced us a lot with old music, jazz and blues-type stuff. Similarly, in
school, we were in a choir that sang songs from Ladysmith Black Mambazo which we featured on our new album. You hear a lot of techno in Germany, so being musicians and that lifestyle of partying and listening to all kinds of music melted into what we do: a deep driven folk, reggae, dance thing. This is my favourite album out of all three we’ve done.” Milky Chance’s new album Mind The Moon is out now. They will perform at Falls Festival Lorne when it goes down from Saturday December 28 until Tuesday December 31. Tickets via the festival website.
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ALCOHOL NOT PERMITTED • PLEASE LEAVE GLASS AT HOME
27
FEATURES
Five albums with Simon Moro
To find out more about Simon Moro’s work, head over to his website, ninetynine100.com.
SIGUR RÓS - () Another song on the mix CD that Kelly Lane made for me was ‘Untitled #1 – Vaka’ from Sigur Ros’ () album. It’s a beautiful sonic world that is so welcoming, mesmerising, warm and layered, ruled by a gentle voice singing non-lexical vocables in the form of hopelandic – the language they wrote to express and connect with music explorers from all corners. It’s pretty hard to think of any artist that does melodic ambience better than Sigur Rós do it.
AQUALUNG STILL LIFE
We chat with the renowned music producer and mixer about the records that have shaped his career and have got him to where he is today: at the top of Melbourne’s tree when it comes to music technicality and inquisition. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK I still consider this one of the greatest records ever made and it will always have a special spot in my heart. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were the first band I discovered and connected with on my own – although it wasn’t until the mid ‘90s that I got into them. I love everything about this record. I was a guitarist, and John Frusciante was an inspiration, blending precision with such fluidity. I tried to emulate his style; the groove, the funk, with a touch of rock – it is just perfect. The documentary about this record, Funky Monks, definitely inspired me to want to spend a lot of time in recording studios. It looked like a dream.
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DR DRE - 2001 I got into breakdancing in the early 2000s, and started listening to more hip hop. I attended a class renowned break-dance crew Wickid Force taught, where I met Dougy Mandagi from The Temper Trap, although I knew him as Chriz back then. We’d break-dance, and freestyle rap battle. One day, my cousin Matt lent me 2001 and when I put it on, I kept it on repeat! There was a punchiness and fullness that I hadn’t heard in hip hop before. It felt like the next progression. My cousin later went on to play with Dougy in The Temper Trap during their formative years. It’s funny how connections are made.
RADIOHEAD OK COMPUTER When I lived in Elwood, I used to get up early and walk by the beach listening to songs on my old iPod. Streaming didn’t exist, and I never pirated music. I would go to JB Hi-Fi regularly, buy a bunch of CDs that were on sale, and import them to iTunes. One day, I had just reached the halfway point of my walk and a few steps into the return and Radiohead’s ‘Airbag’ came on. Wow, it was the first time I actually heard it. This modern, forward-thinking approach on processing real instruments with crunchy distortions, pitch shifting, and this ‘melodic ambience’ was hypnotic. My brain is already attracted to technicalities and prior to this, I thought “there’s music, and there’s electronic music”. OK Computer taught me the two can meet in the middle. Technology can be so full of soul.
On one of my early recording sessions as an engineer at the now-closed studio The Sound Vault, I met Kelly Lane, who was SYN FM’s program manager at the time. Kelly plays violin with Darren Middleton from Powerfinger these days and I credit her with opening my ears to a world of magical music. She made me a mix CD, and one of the artists was Aqualung. The song was named ‘Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You)’, a hypnotic love song with piano, filtered drums, reversed percussion, a Moog bass with portamento and gentle auto-tuned vocals. Still Life was Aqualung’s second album and its big songs were ‘Brighter Than Sunshine’ and ‘Easier To Lie’. I still love this record so much and can put it on and be emotionally teleported back to my early 20s in an instant. At this time, I was more focused on writing and performing music. My writing had been heavily influenced by the funk grooves of the Red Hot Chili Peppers... but when I heard Still Life, I knew the sort of music I wanted to write. I saw Aqualung perform at the Northcote Social club years later and it was such a great show – I even went total ‘fanboy’ afterward and lined up to have Matt Hales sign the CDs I brought with me.
IN CONCLUSION These records definitely had a major impact during the early years of my music production career, and decades later, it’s exciting to hear how sounds have cross-pollinated. What I love most about music these days is the acceptance of eclecticism. In the ‘90s, it seemed kids had to commit to one genre, and anything that strayed from the group’s ‘strict musical guidelines’ transformed you into an outcast. What a wonderful time for creative expression we now live in.
22 March 2020 Plenary, MCEC BOOK NOW mso.com.au
KAIJUBEER
KAIJUBEER.AU
29
FEATURES
Beyond The Valley Tyler, the Creator, Rüfüs Du Sol, The Veronicas and Skepta sit at the top of Beyond The Valley’s stacked 2019 lineup. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Held in Lardner Park approximately 75 minutes east of Melbourne, Beyond The Valley is now in its sixth year. It’s the flagship product of the Untitled Group, who also run Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering and co-organise Ability Fest. BTV has never been a minor festival – 2014’s inaugural event included international headliners MØ, AlunaGeorge and Danny Brown plus Allday, Pond and Peking Duk. “We started working on the first BTV about 12 months out,” says Untitled co-director Nick Greco. “It was only going to be a smaller party with artists who had been playing in our club, but the idea snowballed and we ended up with some of the biggest acts in the world and a pretty large NYE event.” A lot of planning goes into launching a music festival. The organisers have to find a site, decide on a name, recruit a team to work with, secure a lineup, make sure it’s amply promoted and ward off dickheads. BTV’s inaugural event was a major success, but that hasn’t blinded them to things that may need tweaking. “We’re definitely still learning,” Greco says. “Best practice changes so quickly and
we want BTV to be the best festival possible so we’re always revisiting what we’re doing.” BTV’s popularity has grown every year since its launch and the festival’s reputation now precedes it. After each instalment, the Untitled team keep looking for ways to enhance the festival without sacrificing its identity. “This year we are advancing the festival in other ways by introducing our sustainability policies, which will see us eliminate single-use plastic bottles across the entire site,” Greco says. “There’s a lot more to experience outside of the lineup, which we also expanded on this year.” The Sanctuary is the place to go for these additional festival experiences. It’s a relaxed, safe space where punters can do some painting, learn how to create a doof stick or bust out a bit of Cher at karaoke. It’s also possible to get a massage in the healing tent or participate in yoga, meditation and dance workshops. BTV’s music programming typically encompasses acts from across contemporary hip hop, dance, electronic, indie pop and singer-songwriter genres. To illustrate, joining internationals Tyler,
Image by Ben Jones
the Creator, Skepta, Floating Points, Patrice Bäumel and Claptone on the 2019 lineup are Australian acts Rüfüs Du Sol, Cub Sport, Meg Mac, CC:DISCO! and stacks more. “It always starts with our wish list, which is based on who we think is going to be the hottest acts of the year, who we’d want to see and who we think our patrons want to see,” says Greco. “The lineup probably changes about 100 times from that first list to what we announce each year and it’s a pretty gruelling and stressful process. In the end the criterion guiding the lineup comes down to value – we need to create enough value in our lineup for patrons to want to spend four days with us in our own little city.” It’s a core objective for the organisers of any music festival to attract a loyal contingent of attendees who have the event pencilled in every year, even before the lineup gets
announced. This shows trust in the event programmers and indicates the festival is conducive to self-expression. The fact Beyond The Valley 2019 sold out many months in advance, and that the event’s now recognised all around the country, suggests they’ve achieved this feat. “After a couple of really well thought out events our patrons now trust us to help them bring in the new year, and that’s something we have worked at 24/7 for the last six years,” Greco says. “We feel we have found the right mix of blending festival experience and lineup and it’s great to see that our patrons agree.” Beyond The Valley (sold out) goes down at Lardner Park near Warragul from Saturday December 28 to Wednesday January 1. Find out more via the festival website.
Cub Sport As 2019 comes to a close, many of us are reflecting on the year – and decade – that was. For Brisbane based four-piece Cub Sport, this marks ten years of music making; from humble beginnings to becoming one of Australia’s most beloved dream-pop outfits. BY GRETA BRERETON
Originally Tim Nelson and The Cub Scouts, the band rebranded three years later to the Cub Sport we know today. Many of us have grown up with them, following their journey from This Is Our Vice, to Bats and, finally, their self-titled record which came out earlier this year. For frontman Tim Nelson, it’s been just as much a personal journey as it has a musical one. Having turned 29 last month, Nelson is feeling particularly content and confident entering this lap around the sun. “I’m feeling really good,” he says. “I feel like I’ve already changed a lot around this birthday, and I’ve been feeling really inspired. “I’ve had a whole lot of lessons and things that I’ve been learning over the last couple of years that I feel like I’m really starting to understand.” The past few years have been tremendously eye-opening for Nelson, and he’s undergone a lot of self-discovery. He came out publicly around three years ago, announcing his relationship with bandmate
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Image by Mia Rankin
and long-time friend Sam Netterfield. The pair were engaged shortly after, and finally tied the knot in August last year. Living and working together might be too much for some couples, but not for Nelson and Netterfield. “We really love it,” Nelson gushes. “I like to be around Sam as much as I can be, so it’s really perfect for us getting to tour and getting to make our dreams come true together. “As cheesy as that sounds, it is what we get to do, so we’re incredibly grateful for that.” Getting to a happy and comfortable point in his life has allowed Nelson to really lay everything out on the table with the band’s third record, Cub Sport. Lyrically, it’s beautifully honest, and explores his newfound strength and personal evolution. “The biggest difference going into the third album was my level of confidence,” says Nelson. “I think that that has a lot to do with being out and feeling less pressure to be less cryptic in some of the things I was saying.
“Going into writing an album with the freedom of feeling like I didn’t have anything to hide anymore, that was quite freeing. “Also, I’m always kind of gaining confidence with my production and recording skills as well. Learning to believe in that was another part of the development.” The album release saw the band jet off for a myriad of tours, but Nelson’s creative brain was still whirring. He penned their latest single ‘I’ve Never Cried So Much In My Whole Life’ around the time the record came out, enlisting Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes to add some vocal texture. “We met Darren when he came to our show in LA earlier this year,” Nelson recalls. “It was a few weeks out from releasing the song and I just had the idea come to me that Darren would sound unreal singing it and I thought, ‘Well what have I got to lose?’.” “He replied straight away saying that he loved the song and that it made him cry and that he’d love to record on it. He sent back a
recording of him singing the whole song over an instrumental a few days later, and we were on tour in Europe at the time. “We were driving into Paris and listening to this recording of Darren Hayes singing a song I’d written. It was like one of those moments where it’s just like, ‘How is this happening?’.” Getting to this point full of happy tears and pinch me moments hasn’t always been easy, but Nelson isn’t one to look negatively on the past. “I’m so grateful for every weird and hard twist and turn, because it’s all brought me to where I am now,” he says. “I am who I am because of all those things I’ve had to grow through.” Cub Sport hit Beyond The Valley at Lardner Park (sold out), from Saturday December 28 to Wednesday January 1. Find out more via the festival website.
FEATURES
All the times Dune Rats have flabbergasted the world Brisbane band Dune Rats, made up of Danny Beus on guitar and lead vocals, BC Michaels on drums and backing vocals, and Brett Jansch on bass, hold a dear place in the hearts of many for their fun-loving, bong-smoking personalities. BY MARNIE VINALL
They’ve done some pretty loose things over the years, including riding motorbikes into Splendour, creating their own beer with Young Henrys and vomiting on stage and having a crowd member drink it (yes, really). In light of their upcoming Hurry Up And Wait Australian tour, we decided to take a look at some of the times the band has flabbergasted the world with their stupendousness and tomfoolery.
BRINGING OUT THEIR FRIENDS AT SPLENDOUR The Brissie trio seem like some of the friendliest blokes going around, so it’s no surprise they’d have a bunch of mates eager to get down. This proved true during their Splendour In The Grass “Dune Rats and Friends” set, where they managed to get A.B. Original, Mallrat, Tkay Maidza, Alex Lahey, Drapht, Waax, Hockey Dad, DZ Deathrays, Gooch Palms and one of The Bennies onstage with them. Not only did the band perform their usual hits, but also a cover of Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Pump It’ with Mallrat, Tkay and Anty from the Bennies, plus a rendition of ‘Where’s Your Head At’ with A.B Original and Drapht.
WHO REALLY IS SCOTT GREEN? One of the band’s most popular songs, ‘Scott Green’, has a most Dunies origin story. The premise of the song – looking for someone who’s got green at a party – mirrors an experience the boys had in the States. Between the band’s US and UK tour in 2016, the trio had five days to write some new tunes. However, in very Dune Rats style, they still managed to spend a whole day walking around a Walmart in Joshua Tree asking people, “Who’s Scott Green?” And since they needed a new song, they simply wrote about their day.
YEP, DUNE RATS HAVE A TV SHOW Is it really a surprise that Dune Rats have a TV show? Started in February, 2015, the boys log their antics on YouTube through loosely put together episodes, and it’s as cooked as you’d expect it to be. To give you an idea, the first features Beus smoking a joint in the tour bus, a close up shot of Michaels munching down on a sanga, a documented “candle holder that looks like a penis but is really a weird dog creature,” Jansch smoking a bong while in a balaclava and all three getting “DUNIES” tattoos.
WHEN THEY ROCKED UP TO THE ARIA AWARDS WITH THEIR MUMS The boys performed an absolutely adorable move at the 2017 ARIAs when they brought their sweet mums along as plus ones. And in doing so, they gave us a clue as to where they get the lust for loose, fun-loving behaviour from. In an interview on the red carpet, the boys were asked, “Which mum is the most embarrassing and proud at a gig?” Beus told the cameras that Jansch’s mum broke a collarbone while crowd surfing at one of their shows. She replied, “I got a bit carried away.” All three mums also agreed that their sons going to university was never a great concern to them as they just wanted their offspring to be happy and do something they loved.
REMEMBER WHEN THEY PUNCHED CONES FOR A WHOLE MUSIC VIDEO? The music video for 2013’s ‘Red Light Green Light (Green Version)’ couldn’t be more onbrand, as it features Beus and Michaels sitting at a table trying to punch as many cones as possible while Beus also lip syncs the lyrics. Michaels gets ten hits in and Beus claims eight. Word is they wanted to re-create DZ
Deathrays’ Jägermeister-swigging ‘The Mess Up’ video clip, but with bongs. At the end they chase the grass with a VB and marvel at their feat. Oh, and Michaels wipes a huge amount of drool from his face.
THEY FUNDRAISED FOR A LOCAL BOWLING CLUB When the Coorparoo Bowls Club was at risk of being swallowed by an 80-unit high rise, the boys decided to put on a live show and raise funds to save one of their favourite patches of green. At the November 2017 Save Our Green Space community day, the Dunies played alongside Concrete Surfers and The Galilee Three, as well as munched snags at the sausage sizzle and sank tinnies. You can add “community heroes” to their long list of larrikin descriptors. Dune Rats’ Hurry Up and Wait tour comes to Melbourne’s Festival Hall on Sunday March 8 with support from Ruby Fields, Dear Seattle and Totty. Grab your tickets now via Secret Sounds.
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FEATURES
Pixies There are two ways of listening to Beneath the Eyrie, the seventh studio album from the Pixies, which dropped in September. BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
You could proceed as normal, spinning the LP with zero context whatsoever – and, of course, still find it enjoyable. For a more immersive and intriguing experience, however, you could pre-empt your listen with It’s a Pixies Podcast, a comprehensive one-off series in which every waking moment in the studio was recorded while the legendary alt-rockers made their new album. “Of course there were concerns at first,” says Joey Santiago, the band’s lead guitarist. “We were worried about our privacy and we were worried that the creative process was going to be compromised in the process. Would we be stifling ourselves? Would we have to be on our best behaviour, knowing that we were being recorded?” As it turns out, that wasn’t the case at all. “The microphones were so small, and so hidden – they were definitely the smallest piece of equipment in the studio,” Santiago says. “Tony [Fletcher, interviewer and host] was a real professional about the whole thing, too. On the rare occasions we’d need him to leave the room, he would do it without any issues at all.” When questioned about how the
documentation process would have gone while the Pixies were in the studio making any of their classic-era albums, Santiago is the first to acknowledge that the group’s infamous hostility would’ve made for a truly uncomfortable listening experience. “Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde were definitely the dark years of the Pixies,” he says. “We wouldn’t have let anyone in around that time. Even if we did, you wouldn’t have gotten anything. We were barely even talking to one another. Beyond Dave [Lovering, drums] saying ‘one, two, three, four,’ there was next to nothing. “It would have felt as uncomfortable as what I imagine The Beatles would have been like while they were making Let It Be. You know what I mean? It’s like having a baby to save a marriage – it ain’t going to work.” The irony of Santiago’s recollection isn’t lost on him. Despite acrimoniously splitting in 1993, the Pixies famously reunited in 2004 and have remained together ever since. In fact, the Pixies have been reunited nearly twice as long as they were originally a band – something that Santiago himself could have never seen coming.
“Initially, in that first year, I thought we’d have maybe two years of doing it,” he says. “Then, when we reached that two year mark, we had these promoters and stuff grinning at us every time we came to town. They’d say, ‘You guys could do this forever!’ I just thought, ‘Really?’ I wasn’t sure about that at all. But, lo and behold, they were right. We just had to take it one tour at a time.” In 2013, shortly after the departure of bassist Kim Deal, the Pixies began releasing new music for the first time in over two decades. The intervening years have given us three new studio albums from the band – 2014’s Indie Cindy, 2016’s Head Carrier and now Beneath the Eyrie. At first, critical response was divisive – particularly around Indie Cindy – but with each release, there’s been a greater understanding that the Pixies aren’t just
cashing in on nostalgia anymore. “It’s given us life,” says Santiago on making new Pixies music. “This is what we love to do. We knew, after a while, that we had to go and make an album – for anything, to entertain ourselves. We couldn’t put our hearts into doing the same set every day again for a year. “We love making new music. This band has become our pet project again. We have no desire to start new bands or tour with anybody else.” He laughs, before concluding, “We can do this forever.”
compromises for no one. It’s a breath of fresh air that continues to subtly reinvent itself. As we prepare for their arrival in February 2020, Wilder promises fans that the magical memories of Yeasayer’s last Australian tour will be relived through Erotic Reruns. “It’s going to be the same old honestly, the best show you’ll ever see,” he says. “It’s going to be super energetic, a lot of vocal harmonies and up tempo songs.” What Yeasayer’s tunes will also encourage come 2020 are internal reflections on modern issues that concern all of us. From the struggling political situation here in Australia to that in the United States, or the growing rebellion against surveillance, Yeasayer seek to make a statement. “When we were on our last tour we were pretty devastated by the political outcome
here in the States, so we figured if were to put out another album it would have to be a direct political statement of purpose. “That’s been the great thing about touring - we can communicate with people from all over the world who are also experiencing the right wing populism that’s sweeping across the world.”
Pixies are playing at the Palais Theatre on Monday March 9 and Tuesday March 10. They’re also headlining Golden Plains 2020. Beneath the Eyrie is out now.
Yeasayer Once you’re heralded as Brooklyn’s finest experimental rockers, the bar is set high. That doesn’t seem to faze Yeasayer though, who unfailingly ooze groovy John Lennon vibes mixed in with a little Mick Jagger. BY CAITLIN HYNES
Led by singer-songwriters and multiinstrumentalists Chris Keating, Anand Wilder and Ira Wolf Tuton, they’re gearing up for their long-awaited return to Australian shores off the back of their latest record, Erotic Reruns. Yeasayer have fondly coined this album – their fifth since forming in 2005 – as their classic rock record. The album delivers so much more, though, with well-tuned hooks and tantalising harmonies, something it would seem the Brooklyn band have been finetuning since 2005. Like the name suggests, the album seeks to provoke the listener to reflect and discuss the hardest hitting topics of today. It was produced by Yeasayer while riding upon the emotional rollercoaster that was the 2016 US Presidential election. “Reruns are never erotic. They’re always stale and tried and true,” says Wilder. This is what Erotic Reruns seeks to evoke. A clear as day reminder of the unsavoury sleaze and grime so prevalent in our world today, built heavily upon self-surveillance. This – in life and in this record – is juxtaposed
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with humanistic warmth and flashes of loving memories that comes from recognising the nature of existence. As they make their long awaited return for their first Australian headline tour in seven years, Yeasayer see their laidback attitudes reflected right back at them in the fans from Down Under “I’m just so excited to go back. It’s not like we were trying to stay away or anything,” says Wilder. “It’s a great vibe in Australia and Australian’s feel the same laidback attitude that I like. So it’s a good match for Yeasayer.” Following on from their prior records, including their 2007 debut All Hour Cymbals, Yeasayer effortlessly convince their audience to slip on their dancing shoes and slap on a thinking cap. Wilder fondly describes Erotic Reruns as their, “most straight ahead rock album. It also has our most ‘bubble-gummy’, AM-radio staple kind of vibe.” That’s the charm of Yeasayer though, isn’t it? They effortlessly combine intellectual discussions with a niche Brooklyn groove that
Yeasayer’s Australian headline tour Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday February 19. Having sold out shows on their last tour in Australia, don’t miss your chance to see them live near you, grab your tickets via Destroy All Lines.
FEATURES
The East Pointers Is this music’s hardest working band? BY ANNA ROSE
Yours To Break’s four most significant tracks Wintergreen This song is about seeing the strength in someone who doesn’t see it in themselves. This is the most poignant song on the record because it speaks to some of the tough times each of us have gone through. We made an amazing video for this one with our friend Emma Watkins from The Wiggles, who is a big advocate for more content for deaf and hearing impaired audiences in Australia. Halfway Tree This is folklore from our hometown in Western Prince Edward Island in Canada, about a tree that exists halfway between the town and a tavern, and the ghost or spirit that haunts it. Putting a happy spin on that story, this song is really dancy and uplifting from start to finish. When it came to writing ‘Halfway Tree’, our producer, Gordie Sampson was playing with a Cuban rhythm, and a moving bass line. If You’re Still In I’m Still In This song is about going for it and never giving up on somebody. It’s a love song but there is a lot of urgency and it encourages people to throw off whatever may be holding them back. The fiddle tune in it is actually a tune that we wrote for Anthony from The Wiggles.
The East Pointers will perform on all six days of the upcoming Woodford Folk Festival. It’s just the beginning of a very long stretch of appearances for the Canadian band. “Woodford is always the highlight of our year,” says banjo player Koady Chaisson. “There’s not many festivals like it regardless of where you are in the world. It’s one of those festivals you wish you could end a tour with, but starting it off, it definitely creates a good energy that can hopefully last this entire tour.” The Canadian folk-fusion trio will then come to Melbourne for a show at the Northcote Social Club in early January and return to Victoria for the Port Fairy Folk Festival in early March. “A lot of touring between now and then,” says Chaisson. This includes a trip back to the Northern Hemisphere for a run across the UK’s major cities. Floating between countries is kind of what The East Pointers do, to be fair. Chaisson is married to an Australian and the rest of the band reside either in their home town on Canada’s Prince Edward Island or in Toronto. “We dispersed from one side of the earth to the other,” Chaisson says. That doesn’t stop The East Pointers from collaborating on some sensational sounds, though. All these travels, all these different festivals around the world and all the soldout shows in Canada means a lot of different experiences with different cultures manifest in the music. “Ever since the band started, we’ve made it our mandate to get out there put the miles on and try to spread our music the old-fashioned way, thorough word of mouth and just playing in front of people,” Chaisson says.
“There’s oftentimes where we’ll play 200 shows a year and a lot of festivals as well. I think because we’ve decided to do it this way it can restrict your time you’ve set aside periods to write. So to combat that, we’ve gotten pretty comfortable with being able to write on the road. So, as these experiences come up, you can write about it in the moment.” The band’s readiness to write in the middle of a tour sets them apart from many of their peers. “I talk to a lot of musicians who say they find it tough to write on the road, who need the peace and tranquillity of being in a place for a set amount of time, but I think for us, we write a lot of stuff in sound check, or we’re in a hotel in Tasmania and we’ll write something.” Chaisson says he can look at the band’s latest record, Yours To Break, from one side of the world to the other. “And I think playing as many festivals as we do, you’re constantly surrounding yourself with musicians doing it a different way, making sounds with this or that instrument. All that stuff seeps into you and finds its way into you one way or the other.” By the same measure, there are individual personalities to be retained and incorporated into The East Pointers, so incredibly multifaceted as they are. “We grew up on the east coast of Canada, all of us growing up deeply rooted in fiddle music and stuff like that – can’t even remember the first time I picked up the fiddle, I was that young. Keeping that as part of the music, it’s so in
Before My Time ‘Before My Time’ was written at Woodford Folk Festival and has a bit of a hip hop groove to it. For a joke, Jake [Charron] played a classic late ‘90s riff over it on piano and Tim [Chaisson] put down a simple beat. Lucy Farrell had written a beautiful tune for the Modern Fairies project she was working on in England and the words worked so well with the melody.
there, it’s in your DNA. “No matter what we do, that Celtic flair, it’s always going to find its way into our music. Even a song like [2019 single] ‘Halfway Tree’, that can sound pretty poppy at times, there’s a fiddle tune in the middle as the breakdowns or solo. It’s a reel we wrote, and it’s fun to mix it up.” There’s not many bands who’ve been exposed to Celtic music as much as The East Pointers have. “It’s a fun thing we can do that pays our respects to where we come from, and at the same time, it allows us to branch out and do something a little different,” Chaisson says. The East Pointers, like most bands, are determined to switch it up from one release to the next and avoid getting pigeonholed. “On this record we tried to switch it up considerably from the last record but at the same time, keeping that East Pointers thing we’ve got going on. “We did a job – whether good or not, I think we did a job of that! I love it. What more could anybody ask for? Just going and playing shows and playing good vibes, music is one of those unifying things.” The East Pointers come to the Northcote Social Club on Friday January 10 (sold out). Their new album Yours to Break is out now.
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FEATURES
Patient Wolf Gin Co. After many years stationed in Brunswick, Patient Wolf Gin Co. has relocated to Southbank with a new distillery, bar and gin-tasting experience on offer. BY MARNIE VINALL
Melbourne’s much-adored gin, Patient Wolf, has opened the doors of its new home, which is the realisation of a dream. “The vision has always been to have a place where people come and visit, have a bar and front of house”, says co-founder and distiller Matt Argus. It hasn’t been an overnight success for Argus and co-founder and distiller, Dave Irwin. They’ve devoted seven years to the development of Patient Wolf, while the Southbank location has been in the works for a little over a year. “We’ve gutted it, renovated it, decked it out and now we’ve got a world-class bar and working distillery right in the heart of the city,” Argus says. The decision to move into the heart of the city was prompted by a desire to make their offering and experience as accessible as possible. “We’re kind of bucking the trends for regional distilleries,” Argus says. “We want to
be accessible and whether you’re coming from the north, east, south or west suburbs, we’re a 15 minute walk away from Flinders Street station.” The building looks like an old warehouse on the outside, but features a thoughtfully designed interior. “As you walk in through these glass doors, the bar is just front and centre. We wanted to make sure the working distillery and the bar is kind of one,” Argus says. “On the outside, it’s still very traditional and has that traditional warehouse feel, but as soon as you walk in to the building we’ve absolutely modernised it and created a really cool, chic, almost New York-style filling.” The venue pays tribute to the history of gin. The clear spirit came to the fore during prohibition; the nationwide alcohol ban in the US in the 1920s and 30s, which led to the rise of underground bars known as speakeasies. “It’s a hark back to that really important time in gin’s history and a nod back to that
time when the cocktail culture was really born,” Argus describes. One of the first things you notice when you walk through the glass doors of Patient Wolf is a beautiful, German-made copper still. “When people sit at the bar, and they have a Negroni or a G&T, they look across and see the still and know they’re really drinking from the source,” Argus says. “The gin was made 15 metres away from where they’re sitting,” The pair worked hard to make sure the venue is welcoming to everyone who walks through its doors. So, whether you’re a firsttime gin drinker or a seasoned pro who wants to geek out and learn all the details as you sip a world-class cocktail, you’ll feel right at home. And along with the classics – G&Ts, gin & sodas, Tom Collins, Negronis and martinis – you can sip on some pretty unique beverages. “We’ve got some of Melbourne’s best bartenders working behind the bar and so the next tier up is that we’re going to offer a more
experiential and very bespoke cocktails,” says Argus. These, Argus assures, are only available at their bar. There’s the snowpea Collins, a pear liqueur-based old fashioned, and bespoke variations on the Negroni, some of which feature a token bean, one of the botanicals they use in distilling. Plus, they offer gin flights where you can taste all four spirits with a staff member running you through. All Patient Wolf gins have a big bold flavour that won’t get lost in a cocktail. The owners want to provide world-class quality and taste while proudly supporting local enterprise. “Melbourne is the food and drink capital of Australia, and we want to be part of that scene,” Argus says.
“It’s something that I’ve always done, playing it at home, studying it,” he says. “That’s how I really got a good grasp of the language, listening to all this Italian music, singing in dialect. Every dialect is different. They all sound different and people comment, ‘how can you sing in so many dialects?’ And I’m lucky that my first language was English so I haven’t locked my tongue into a dialect.” Cursio takes particular satisfaction from inspiring the next generation. “When people show me videos of their kids playing accordions and tambourines at home, they look at us like we’re inspirational, but they really are the inspiration for me,” he says. “When I see that it gives me a whole year of drive to want to go to Canada or go to America or record something so we can do
that for more kids. Because that’s how I got hooked and it’s just the best thing because it opens up a whole world of language, culture, your heritage. Music is just a medium.” Siesta Cartel haven’t written any originals yet, but it’s certainly on the cards. International travel is also a high priority. “We’ve got aspirations to get to Canada first and if we can go to Canada and play for a crowd and they enjoy it, then we could go somewhere else too.”
Patient Wolf is located at 34-36 Market St, Southbank. See the venue website for more information, patientwolfgin.com.
Siesta Cartel Adam Cursio formed Siesta Cartel in late 2018. The idea was simple; to reconnect with the traditional Italian music he grew up with. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
His ambitions for the band, however, are grander in scale – to help reunite all Italians in Australia with their roots. Siesta Cartel’s first gig was at the 2018 Carlton Italian Festa where they received immediate support from the city’s Italian community. They’ve gone on to play at the Australian Open, Crown’s Gradi Italian Festival and returned to Lygon St for this year’s Melbourne Italian Festa. “I’ve always played in the Italian scene but never really this seriously,” says Cursio. “A lot of the old style gigs in social clubs and at weddings and stuff like that. But then we got together and revisited the same old songs, but we’re turning them on their heads a little bit, changing rhythms and tempos.” Siesta Cartel are performing the next two Friday nights at Preston’s Oliva Social, an Italian-themed venue that hearkens back to European village social clubs. The aim is to offer something for all ages and bring people out of their nuclear family bubbles. The Siesta Cartel repertoire includes Italian songs spanning from the 1800s to the 1960s. “There’s a lot of Neapolitan songs, songs
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from Napoli in Italy,” says Cursio. “There’s a lot of songs from around Sicily, Calabria and generally the southern part of Italy, which is where most of the migrants here are from and that’s the music that we grew up with. “My passion for music probably came from the Cuban stuff and salsa and all the Latin sounds. That’s what hooked me in music. We’re trying to bring that into the Italian genre, we’re trying to Latinise it, and if it’s a slower song it’s a bit more reggae.” Their performances tend to start with acoustic guitar, accordion and mandolin. It gets louder as the show progresses with the addition of electric bass and a full rock drumkit. Siesta Cartel’s interest in updating traditional Italian music makes them outliers on Melbourne’s Italian music circuit. “There’s some that are really sticking to the old school sound and being really folk [purists]. I don’t know that anyone is doing what we’re doing,” Cursio says. As the children of immigrants, Cursio and co. recognise the significance of reconnecting with their family heritage. Music is a great vehicle for doing so.
You can see Siesta Cartel on Friday December 13 and Friday December 20 at Oliva Social, Preston. Check the venue’s facebook for more info.
FEATURES
40 years of Melbourne’s iconic multicultural music organisation
The Boite
The Boite has been providing an integral platform for artists from diverse cultural backgrounds for 40 years. To celebrate the milestone, we look back at eight of the most significant events from the organisation’s four-decade history. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
1979
1988
1989
1991
The Boite’s first Melbourne The Boite joins PBS concert 106.7FM
The World Music Cafe launches
The Boite hosts the inaugural Singers’ Festival
The Boite celebrated its 40th birthday on June 1 this year. It’s the same as that on which the organisation held its first concert at the Actors Theatre on Church Street, Richmond in 1979. The performers included Andean folk band Apurima, Greek musicians the Tsourdalakis Brothers and Indigenous performers Bwung-Gul. Apurima featured a 15-year-old Chilean musician named Alex Vargas who reconnected with The Boite in recent years and played at the organisation’s Fabulous 40th Finale Fling in late November.
The heart of The Boite is the World Music Café. With help from a small grant, the café launched in 1989 and by 1990 had settled into its home at the Mark Street Hall in North Fitzroy. The Café hosts intimate acoustic concerts that let musicians engage with receptive audiences and build a profile through regular performance opportunities. Many local and international musicians continue to benefit from the Café’s intimate atmosphere and its emphasis on instruments and musical styles from all over the world.
The Boite’s inaugural Singers’ Festival took place in Daylesford in 1991. The festival recognises singing as a great gateway for encouraging participation in the arts. The weekend festival continued at the Daylesford Town Hall until 2015, bringing together singers of all ages for workshops, café gigs, special children’s events and a final concert event. Due to floods and encroaching fires, the festival relocated to the Abbotsford Convent in 2016. The 30th annual Singers’ Festival will be held at the Convent on May 2-3, 2020.
1999
Community radio has long played a role in supporting Melbourne’s diverse arts community. In the mid-1980s The Boite began seeking opportunities for coverage on PBS FM, and in 1987 presenter Raymond Mow devoted two consecutive programs to The Boite. This led to a ten-part series on PBS produced and presented by The Boite’s Gwenda Davies, which initiated 16 years of regular broadcasting at the station. The Boite moved to 3CR in 2006, which is where Therese Virtue currently presents Music Sans Frontieres.
2003
2004
The Melbourne Millennium Chorus
The Boite hosts the first Arnold Zable’s ‘The Fig Tree’ adapted into a concert Schools Chorus
The Age referred to the Boite’s Melbourne Millennium Chorus as the highlight of Melbourne’s 1999 music calendar. Led by musical director Melanie Shanahan, the Millennium Chorus was a 400-voice community choir whose performance concluded The Boite Winter Festival. Bulgarians, South Africans, Zaireans, Georgians, Italians, Maoris and Indigenous Australians were all represented in the inaugural Millennium Chorus, which inspired many followup performances.
Australian novelist and human rights advocate Arnold Zable has had a long association with The Boite. The child of Polish-Jewish refugee parents, Zable’s writing draws attention to the rights and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers. In 2003, The Boite partnered with Zable and 17 other artists on a musical adaptation of 2002’s The Fig Tree, which premiered at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. The Fig Tree CD went on to win Screensound Australia’s Folk album of the year award.
In celebration of 25 years since the organisation’s debut concert in Melbourne, The Boite hosted the first Schools Chorus. The concert brought 300 students from 17 schools across Victoria to Arts Centre Melbourne’s flagship music venue, Hamer Hall. The Schools Chorus performed an adaptation of Flight, which the Millennium Chorus had premiered in 2002 and explores refugee issues in Victoria. The Schools Chorus is valued for its inclusivity and contribution to performance and inter-personal skills.
As part of the 40th Anniversary, The Boite has launched its own history website. Find out about The Boite legacy at theboitehistory.org.
2012 The Mai Fali Eh! project Mai Fali Eh means “come home” in Tetum, one of Timor-Leste’s two official languages. It’s also the name of a groundbreaking community engagement program The Boite launched in 2012, which shared the languages, stories and culture of Timor-Leste with thousands of participants. The project was developed with members of Timorese communities in TimorLeste and Victoria, as well as the Australian Timor-Leste friendship network. Millennium Choir members performed in outfits commissioned from weaving co-operatives in Timor-Leste.
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FEATURES
Tim & Eric Tim & Eric will kick off their Mandatory Attendance World Tour with a handful of Australian dates commencing mid-January. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
In keeping with the US comedy duo’s signature, the new live show promises to be totally crazy and really funny, containing lots of music, dancing and awkwardness. The Mandatory Attendance tour comes two years after Tim & Eric’s previous junket across North America, which marked the tenyear anniversary of their Adult Swim series, Awesome Show, Great Job! After busying themselves with various individual projects over the last couple of years, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are thrilled to be back together and indulging their weirdest proclivities. “Tim and I have been editing a new Tim & Eric show that we’ve just finished. We’re rehearsing for the tour, writing some songs. It’s really super silly and really funny,” says Wareheim. “It’s crazy because we’ve been friends for 25 years and a lot of partnerships fail, or you start hating that person. There’s something about our comedy, it’s so embedded in our juvenile minds that whenever we come back to it, we’re still making each other laugh until we cry.” Wareheim and Heidecker have both
shown versatility outside of the Tim & Eric prism. Wareheim co-starred in Aziz Ansari’s Master of None and has directed music videos for the likes of Blonde Redhead and Charli XCX. Heidecker released two non-comedic albums produced by Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado and recently appeared in Jordan Peele’s horror film, Us. “To be in a healthy relationship you have to have that side game going,” says Wareheim. “Tim loves acting. I’ve been directing a bunch, acting some. Now I’m in this food world, I’m releasing a cookbook in a year – a psychedelic food and wine book. “It’s so important to have a bunch of other stuff going on so when we get back together, you’re just that much stronger and happier. I think it fine-tunes the Tim & Eric stuff, because we’re so excited to do it that we try to one-up each other.” When Tim & Eric started out, their offcentre humour could’ve been perceived as limited. Awesome Show, Great Job! comprised clumsily edited videos parodying or simulating the awkward eccentricities of public access television.
Image by Rickett Sones
But the concept has proven incredibly fertile, sprouting five seasons of the Awesome Show, two seasons of the comedy horror, Bedtime Stories, and the spin-off series, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule starring John C. Reilly. “Everything we make, we feel like we have this duty to find the next level and make it really good,” says Wareheim. “We constantly check ourselves, like, ‘Are we getting too old for this?’. But now, it’s funnier that we’re getting older and doing some of these silly things. We keep going until it doesn’t feel right.” Wareheim remains tight-lipped about the new Tim & Eric TV show, but suggests it’ll be available for public consumption come March/April 2020. “Tim and I star in it with a bunch of other characters that you might recognise from the Tim & Eric universe, but it is a brand new idea,” he says. In the meantime, Australian fans can glimpse the pair’s new material via the
Mandatory Attendance tour, which comes to Hamer Hall on January 21. “The whole tour is all brand new ideas,” says Wareheim. “Our fans would love if we came out there and did the classic characters that we’re famous for, like Beaver Boys and Spagett, but we want to take it to the next level. The whole experience, we want to push.” For Wareheim, the main objective of the Tim & Eric project remains to make each other laugh. This holds true in the live show as much as it does in the writing room. “We have a great show written that’s really funny, but onstage it’s literally our goal to crack the other guy up. It goes back to 12-year-old behaviour.”
his life savings into its production on the offchance Netflix would pick it up. “Every single penny that I’ve worked for 27 years [to make] went into that special and the person I wanted to sell it to already said no,” Koy says. “I had so much pressure on me that night and I knew I had to be really, really funny.” The material on Comin’ in Hot focuses on the peculiarities that come with raising a teenage boy and how these compare to Koy’s own teenage years. Koy’s relationship with his mum, who’s Filipina, also takes up a significant chunk of his act. These days, Koy’s renowned for exploring the quirks and idiosyncrasies of his mum’s background as well as his own FilipinoAmerican identity, but it’s an area he avoided for several years.
“For 14 years I didn’t talk about my mum at all. I didn’t talk about being Filipino and if I did talk about being Filipino, it wasn’t really specific. I remember the day I started talking about my mum, I was just like, ‘Oh this is what I need to do. This is my voice’. “In the past I could only go up on stage if it was funny in my head. Now it’s like, ‘I like this idea, let’s see what I can do with it’. I’m not scared anymore to take chances or just be free and open and honest.”
Tim & Eric bring their Mandatory Attendance World Tour to Hamer Hall on Tuesday January 21. Grab tickets via the Arts Centre Melbourne website.
Jo Koy Jo Koy’s latest Netflix special, Comin’ in Hot, was filmed in front of 8000 fans at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
Koy’s next special, derived from his Just Kidding world tour, will be recorded there too. The Pacific Ocean state has become like a second home for the American comedian. “They were the first audience to really make this whole thing a phenomenon,” Koy says. “After my first special Live From Seattle hit Netflix my first big show was in Hawaii and we sold 22,000 tickets in less than four days. We sold out six or seven shows in two days. It was crazy.” Koy’s been performing stand-up comedy for 30 years. He appeared regularly on the late night talk show Chelsea Lately and is a recurring feature of the enormously popular Adam Carolla Show podcast. But Koy’s fanbase has blossomed since Live From Seattle arrived online in March 2017. “I worked hard to get the fanbase that I had, but Netflix showed the world who I was,” he says. “The ability to pass that content around through Netflix is undeniable. One person can share it with a thousand people across the world and that’s what was so cool about Netflix.” Capitalising on this increased exposure,
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Koy followed up with Comin’ in Hot in June 2019. He’s still coming to terms with how rapidly his star has risen. “I can’t believe the arenas that I’m playing on this tour,” he says. “I’m doing two Forums in Los Angeles and I’m doing two Chase Arenas in San Francisco and I’m doing two arenas in Seattle and then of course I’ve got the Australian tour... It’s nuts. I’m also doing CocaCola Arena in Dubai. I’m pinching myself.” After a couple of decades of moderate commercial success, Koy was eager to reach a larger audience. He saw Netflix as the optimal avenue for achieving this goal. His partnership with the streaming service has more than delivered, but it didn’t come without a fight. “I kept coming at them. At least every month I was like, ‘Please come see this hour. I want to be on Netflix. Please’. Eventually they just turned me down,” Koy says. “That’s when I was just like, you know what, I’m going to shoot it myself and pay for it myself and cut it up myself and then I’ll shop it to them.” When you watch Live From Seattle, Koy’s laughter is suffused with desperation. The typically extroverted comedian deposited
Jo Koy comes to the Plenary at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday December 15. Grab your tickets via Ticketek.
FEATURES
The Australian Tattoo Show For all the tattoo enthusiasts, music lovers and everyone in between, the Valhalla Bound Tattoo Krew are hosting the Australian Tattoo Show. BY CHRISTINE TSIMBIS
The show proudly celebrates the legacy of the tattoo industry, while also combining the music and biker cultures to create a party that will see everybody letting loose and having fun. “[The Valhalla Bound Tattoo Krew] is a collective of old school rock’n’roll mindset folk who came up in the death rattle of the Australian Tattoo biker rock‘n’roll culture,” host and tattooist Kimmy says. “Due to the mass consumerism platform for tattooing, which has the social media mainstream vibe to it, we wanted to make sure that the legacy that’s been built with the tattoo industry is maintained. “We came together, a few cool people, and we decided that we were going to throw parties, and we were going to keep the story and legacy running. We draw a lot from the Angry Anderson era; everybody comes together, throws a party, hits it real hard, takes home trophies and everybody has stories. You’ve got to live it for the culture to thrive.” The essence of these shows is to preserve
the unique Australian culture of tattooing, which is being lost in the over-commercialised society that we live in. “We have social media and it’s a barrage of multiple different platforms coming together to create something, but a lot of it can become over-commercialised,” Kimmy explains. “Australia has a great legacy, it’s very authentic and very Australian, yet I feel that we’re losing our own stamp on everything. “This is about making sure that the Australian tattoo culture stays on the map. We feel obliged in a sense to make sure that the younger generation of tattooists and artists and people that are coming through this legacy have the opportunity to find this information out, because surprisingly not a lot of people know Australia’s history with tattooing, even if they own studios in Australia.” Kimmy enthusiastically discusses the magic of tattoo history, and how important it is to preserve it in this generation. “It’s historically an honour, a right of
passage that cultures all over the world took practice in and took very seriously. It’s not just on a physical level of getting art on your arm – it’s the stories behind it, the intention behind it, why people got those tattoos. The people that are doing that art – how do they approach it? Is it something that’s throwaway content for them or do they look at it like what it truly is?” The Australian Tattoo Show will also showcase music acts such as the Southbound Snake Charmers, Piston Fist and others, along with Kimmy herself who is a hip hop artist known as ‘Valkyrie Odin’. She’s been shaking things up in the industry. “I’ve been playing hip hop shows, as well as working with multiple hip hop artists and tying them into the tattoo show.” Kimmy says. “We do a show because it’s a party for the artists and for the committed clients that support the industry. It’s about giving back to them. For me, performing at these things
is important. I just released my new album, which is called 1% of Nothin, and it really makes you have to listen to it to understand what I’m saying, especially in the culture I’m growing up around; bike culture and tattoo culture. “We’ve got a real infusion of music to set a tone because the music is the magic that is connecting all the energy in that room. The most important part of this show is the vibe and happiness and wanting to come back again and again. It needs to feel like home when you walk in there, so the music is a very crucial part of the entire show.” The Australian Tattoo Show goes down at The Tote on Sunday December 22. Grab your tickets via the venue’s Oztix, thetotehotel.oztix.com.au.
War Horse Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse has become the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history. Puppetry director Gareth Aled has been key to the mesmerising performance where puppeteering is pushed to breathtaking limits. Image by Brinkhoff Mögenburg
BY FERGUS NEAL
Set against the backdrop of the First World War, War Horse is a remarkable story of courage, loyalty, and friendship. The imaginative drama is turned into a show of inventiveness filled with ground-breaking puppetry. Gareth Aled was involved in an early incarnation of the project as a puppeteer and has returned to become one of the directors of puppetry. “I puppeteered the head of Joey when the play was in the West End,” he says. “Returning a year and a half ago as one of the puppetry directors felt like a huge undertaking but it’s been the most incredible learning curve and the rewards that come with it are extraordinary.” War Horse is large scale, epic theatre that pushes at the ceiling of what people envision is possible on the stage. At the same time, some moments are so intimate, it can feel like you’re in a studio theatre. “You’ve got 2,000 people noticing the smallest twitch of a tale or the horse notices
something and you begin to understand that there’s been a change in thought. “That’s the kind of detail that we can achieve via some cane, mesh and aluminium. You have to have a generosity of spirit to convince the audience that these inanimate objects are flesh and bone. Not just horses. They’re characters with individual personalities.” War Horse has been seen by more than eight million people worldwide and received more than 25 international awards. When asked why the production has captivated such a vast amount of people from different parts of the world, Aled says it’s the play’s ability to connect through its vulnerability. “The horse at the centre is key, there’s a neutrality to the animal. The horse doesn’t understand English or French or German. The horse responds to tone, intonation and good behaviour. There’s something incredibly moving about witnessing a war through the eyes of an animal.
“Puppets are inherently vulnerable. An actor walks on stage and you don’t doubt that an actor is living, you buy into it straight away. Whereas a puppet is just an inanimate object that has been designed and fabricated. It’s a kind of emotional engineering – a puppet is constantly striving to live. Before any story is told, we have to convince you that it’s living and maintain that throughout, and tell a detailed story. “I think War Horse is a show that, although its constituent parts are incredible – the lighting design, the set, the costumes, the folk songs, the beautiful score, the puppets themselves – somehow this play resonates greater than the sum of its parts. That’s why I think the play has such an impact.” Aled enjoys that War Horse has brought increased attention to the art of puppetry. Puppeteers put away their ego and undergo enormous tests of physical and emotional endurance to seemingly convince you of their invisibility.
“The thing that struck me when I first started – and it still does today – is that our puppeteers will work extremely hard on stage both physically and emotionally. If they do their job correctly, you’ll forget they exist. The generosity of spirit and the act of trust and listening is on a level rarely seen. “You’re creating the breath of the horse, but also synchronising with the cast physically and vocally. You can’t talk to each other so it’s a huge act of trust and tests the ability to listen and respond. You’re going to stand on stage with all your human charisma and ego, but, if you do your job correctly, they will forget you exist so it’s an amazing thing to witness.” War Horse will open at Regent Theatre on Friday January 10. Visit warhorseonstage.com.au for tickets.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Mycelium Studios Landmark Mural Project To celebrate five years of operations, Mycelium Studios is creating a landmark public artwork to further identify the studios as a creative beacon in the City of Moreland.
Mike Makatron
The large-scale artwork will be painted on the front facade of the building and will be visible to the thousands of commuters, pedestrians and bicycle riders that travel Moreland Road daily. Jeremy Taylor, a director at Mycelium Studios, is responsible for heading up the project alongside renowned artist Mike Makatron. Established artists, who specialise in large-scale murals will work collaboratively and as mentors for three young emerging artists selected through an EOI
process. It is hoped the mural will provide a guiding light for artists in the community wanting to enter a collaborative and inspired creative space. “Our purpose is to provide affordable studios and facilities to creative enterprise, and to foster a community that creates opportunities for collaboration,” says Taylor. “Now that we are settled in our East Brunswick home [having moved from Abbotsford in 2017] we have been able to focus more of our efforts into creating opportunities for public engagement with the creative projects that go on within the building. “We had always wanted to paint the facade of the new space in a similar fashion to the back area of our last warehouse. I had been talking to Bryan and Maka about the idea for some time before I came across Creative Victoria’s Innovation in Marketing Fund. With the support of Haymes paint and Danny Duke at Superb Touch Paint, we were successful in our application for some funding to enhance the visibility of the business through a large-scale public art piece.” The mentorship aspect of the project strongly aligns with the aims of Mycelium to become further recognised as an incubator of bold new ideas, supporters of emerging artists and generators of ambitious new artworks. “An important element of this project is that it is being undertaken as a mentorship program. Three emerging artists (Sophie Gaffney-Smith, Mia Peeters and Shaun Devenney) were selected through an EOI process to work closely with four established muralists (Mike Makatron, Bryan Itch, Lucy Lucy, Jack Rowland and Chuck Mayfield) over a series of workshops we held at the studios. “It has been a great opportunity for the younger artists to work on a large-scale mural project from the concept development stage through to the execution of the painting alongside some highly-experienced and prolific Melbourne
painters. We also provided them with some working at heights training to operate the elevated work platforms, a useful ticket they can take with them at the completion of the project.” The project will take place in mid-December, and the artwork can be first viewed at the unveiling party at the end of the work’s completion. Apart from being a great excuse for a party, it will also be an opportunity to meet the painters, listen to talks from a range of other artists, designers and ecologists, check out the open studios, eat some food and listen to some good music. When asked what the desired outcome of such a huge project is, Taylor responds with a resolution for what Mycelium Studios will continue to be doing into the future. “Having been a part of the concept development workshops I am really happy with what our artists have come up with. It is exciting to develop a large-scale artwork that the public can enjoy for years to come. As a creative studio, it is important for Mycelium to be understood in the public realm as such. “I think this project goes some way to doing that, not only in a visual sense but also in our ability to foster talent in new and meaningful ways. I also hope that the experience helps Sophie, Mia, and Shaun to go on and create more murals and develop their careers in the arts. Personally, the experience has reinforced how fulfilling it is working in collaboration with other artists and motivates me to develop other similar projects in the near future.” BY FERGUS NEAL The Mycelium Studios Landmark Mural Project will be launched as part of the studios’ five-year celebration Open Day taking place at the studios themselves on Saturday December 14. Find out more via their Facebook page facebook.com/mycelium
Why is the Mycelium Studios Landmark Mural Project important and how are you involved?
Mike Makatron
Mia Peeters
Sophie Gaffney-Smith
Shaun Devenney
“I’m honoured to be part of this project at Mycelium, who are a source of constant inspiration. I have been lucky enough to be involved with a number of projects with their team, painting the previous premises and building and designing multiple stages at festivals. They are at the forefront of creating systems for artistic people to grow and thrive and I hope my own art practice becomes more integrated to their community.”
“I’m so excited to have been selected to work on this project. Melbourne’s creative scene is such an exciting cross-pollination of artists – which Mycelium facilitates perfectly – so it’s amazing to get involved in a project like this. I’ve never had the chance to work on something like this so I’m very keen to collaborate, develop and execute what I’m sure will be a fantastic piece.”
“The Mycelium Studios painting project is a fantastic opportunity to bring new life to an old building, and highlight Mycelium Studios as a creative space for all kinds of artists. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this project, and have the chance to be mentored by, and work alongside, such talented artists, both experienced and emerging.”
“The Mycelium mural project is important to me because it’s a chance to work together with amazing artists and learn from them in the process. Getting to work closely with artists who are already doing similar things to which I would like to do in my career is exciting for me.”
LEAD ARTIST
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ARTIST MENTEE
ARTIST MENTEE
ARTIST MENTEE
Christmas Gift Guide 2019 was like a frosty fruity on a 40-degree day, melting away faster than you say Jack Robinson. So we stand here in the second week of December with our Santa sacks empty, naive of the shopping avalanche that awaits. Now’s the time to pounce my friends because our 2019 Christmas Gift Guide is your one-stop shop to all the hot deals on offer just in time for December 25. Dive in.
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GIFT GUIDE
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GIFT GUIDE
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Bee Virginia
Image by Aneta Urbonaite
For those who aren’t across your music, how would you describe Bee Virginia in under 40 words? Bee Virginia is a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter serving up music that’ll beckon you like a hot morning coffee. She sets the listener on an emotional trip that uplifts and soothes the soul with a warming vocal elixir of jazz-infused R&B and top notes of blues and neo soul. Tell us about your new single, ‘Won’t You’. Let’s set the picture: The weekend has just arrived, the night settles in and it’s time to let loose, let your hair down and start feelin’ yourself ‘til you shake all the worry off. ‘Won’t You’ is a song about that initial attraction or crush (if you will) you have with someone. You can say it with eyes, body language or, if needed, words. The night progresses, you are fearless, you are painting a picture of the act in your mind. You are moving towards the inevitable. Are there any bands or musicians that stand out as particular influences for you? Jeff Buckley, for his poetic and emotive lyrics, and his raw passionate vocal delivery. John Mayer has also been influential – he’s undeniably one of the greatest guitarists and songwriters of this age. There’s also Michael Buble, who has the smoothest voice I’ve ever heard. People think I’m lame for this, but he is definitely one of the most charming, charismatic performers in my opinion. Then there’s Drake. I admire his determination, drive and stamina. It’s like he views his music career as a sport – he’s always on the way up, at the top of his game. Bee Virginia plays her debut show at The Gasometer on Friday December 20. Find out more and grab tix via the venue website.
Georgia Maq Most of us think we know Georgia Maq. We know her as the frontwoman of outspoken indie rock trio, Camp Cope, as the voice behind ‘The Opener’, as part of the band who called out Falls Festival for a lack of female representation. BY GRETA BRERETON
We know her as an activist, a driver for inclusivity in the music industry. and the centre of much media scrutiny, occasional ridicule and a pretty unfair portrayal as ‘an angry feminist’. However, Maq’s new solo record challenges everything we think we know about her. “I don’t want people to think that all I’m capable of is screaming about gender inequality,” Maq explains. “I wanted the opportunity to express my more gentle, vulnerable side.” The album, Pleaser, is a totally different direction for the 25-year-old Footscray native. Where Camp Cope’s material is strong, instrumental and sharp, Maq’s solo project is synthy, soft and uncharacteristically vulnerable. The eight-track record is endearing and infectious, peeling back the layers to the Maq we’ve known before. She’s aware of how it contrasts with the music she’s made in the past, and is understandably anxious about the way her new sound will be received.
“I keep having lots of doubts about, like, ‘Oh my god what if it’s actually a joke? What if people laugh at me?’,” she admits nervously. “I like the album, and I hope people don’t hate it. That’s how anyone feels when they put out art – you hope that people will take it seriously.” Produced with the help of friends Darcy Baylis and Katie Dey, Maq didn’t necessarily set out to create a pop album – but that’s exactly what Pleaser is. “It was just like making a song with Darcy, and I realised it was something I wanted to do,” she explains. “I went over to his house with the guitar and was just fucking around and he was like ‘ok, wait we need to loop that’. I came up with the chorus, then quickly came up with the second verse and we made ‘Away from Love’. “Then I was talking to my friend Katie Dey, who I’ve also known since we were teenagers. I sang her this idea and played her some chords and we made ‘Driving Blind’ together. I was like ‘this is the direction I want to go in’.” Most of the album was written and
recorded with the help of Dey, but working as a solo artist was still a different creative process for Maq. Having played in bands for most of her musical career, she was able to fully take the reigns on her vision for Pleaser. “I found it a lot quicker, because I’d be writing everything and it was my call on everything,” says Maq. “It just felt like I was completely in control, which was really nice. Not only has Maq changed up her sound, but the content of her lyrics and the theme of the record are quite different too. It’s basically an exploration of love and heartbreak, which aren’t topics Maq would particularly broach in her work with Camp Cope – but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to them. “It’s like an album about love, about every single kind of love and about love that just doesn’t work out the way you imagined it would,” she says. “I feel like that’s a bit relatable, but I
definitely feel like it’s my most vulnerable body of work. I’m being like, ‘Hey I love you and you don’t love me back and I’m going to tell the entire world’.” While most love songs might be aimed towards a particular person, Maq’s ultimately singing these for herself. “I don’t want the narrative of the album to be about one person,” she adds. “I don’t want it to be like, ‘It’s about this person and they did this’, because that’s not what it’s about. It’s about the feelings within yourself, and it’s more like an album about me; me and my heart.” Pleaser is out now digitally through Poison City Records. Give it a spin via streaming services.
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In the Pit Strawberry Fields
Image by Lady Drewniak
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 1
Festival X SUNDAY DECEMBER 1 From the minds behind the defunct Stereosonic comes Festival X. Spanning five stages that were each dedicated to household names within various genres, and an expansive facility courtesy of the Melbourne Showgrounds, you’d be hard pressed to spot an individual short of elation throughout. OXYGEN Embodying this massive riot was the trance heavy Oxygen shed, which sat next to the festival’s entrance. Just an hour after doors opened, progressive duo FUTURECODE had crowds folding their bodies into criminal movements. Sydneysiders Sunset Bros and European maestro Giuseppe Ottaviani offered a more commercial BPM, but beyond sporadic remixes, the intensity never once diminished. Dutch-Australian headliner MaRLo and Israeli duo Vini Vici packed the shed to the brim for their closing sets, each showcasing their prowess and popularity. Juxtapose that with German wizards Cosmic Gate’s 2019 comeback and it was difficult to pick a resolute champion of the stage. FLUX The second stage in sight, Flux, was sandwiched between amusement park rides and drink stalls and oddly close to the Showground border. The curious location and variety of performances at Flux possibly dwarfed its attendance. Local producer Annabel Hartlett, aka Godlands, was one of the first to firmly grab the attention of passers-by. Spinning remixes of hits from Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar, Godlands displayed her crowd-reading prowess, balancing her grungy metallic drops with the lyrical deftness of rappers. The same can be said for Sophiegrophy, whose energy brought her off stage and into the car park to get down and dirty with the rain-braving audience. But it was Alison Wonderland who stole the night with her bighouse trap antics. House tastemakers Anna Lunoe and Tchami also carved the weirdly situated corner of the festival into an outdoor dance festival of their own.
HELIX The stage that my mates and I found the hardest to leave, but also the most difficult to get in, was the Helix hall. If local party curator Laura King, who regularly spins in North Melbourne, wasn’t enough to get your feet shuffling then maybe Danish producer Kölsch would do the trick. The Panama hat wearing techno wiz cemented his spot as a favourite among locals with his silky, almost languid transitions between tracks. Camelphat mellowed things out with a more standard supply of house hits, the highlight of which being their collaboration with Jake Bugg, ‘Be Someone’. Closer Paul Kalkbrenner’s live screeches and vocal interjections also made for an electric affair. The German is less an out-and-out DJ than a performer, lacing his progressive spins with his own voice for an otherworldly combination. PIXEL The festival’s biggest outdoor stage was Pixel. The acts on this stage were the sole reason for many to have upgraded their tickets to VIP, which allowed access to an elevated and unobstructed viewing platform. Despite being an electronic-heavy affair, rappers Trippie Redd and Lil Pump were festival highlights for many punters. Having never performed on our shores, the Americans were greeted with huge reverence, especially Pump’s record-breaking Kanye collab, ‘I Love It’. Armin van Buuren personifies electronic music festivals for many and the Dutch DJ/ producer put on a masterclass, swerving from psychedelic to house to downtempo. It never felt as monumental as his other appearances across the world, but that didn’t much matter when ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ was all we needed for a frenzy. The same can be said for Calvin Harris, who pulled out everything from ‘Bounce’ to ‘Blame’, ‘This Is What You Came For’ to ‘I Need Your Love’. After the producer had left the stage, the crowd were still raring for more, but the fireworks soon soothed the impending Monday blues. Maybe next year we’ll have it on a Saturday?
BY ALEX WATTS
Highlight: Fantastic location and check-in. Lowlight: Alison Wonderland deserved a way bigger stage. Crowd Favorites: Armin van Buuren, Alison Wonderland, Cosmic Gate, Lil Pump, Kölsch. BY LELAND TAN
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Even before you consider all of the music, art, performances, workshops and food, just on the basic levels of design, scale and location, Strawberry Fields was just nuts. Like any festival worth its weight, it has a distinctive vibe, a combination of the expansive, beautiful setting on Yorta Yorta bushland on the banks of the Murray River, and the way that its layout has been designed to complement those natural surroundings. Giant art installations were erected throughout the grounds, some interactive, some, such as the giant bird made of branches or the pirate ship, intended to be sat within, while others, such as the triangleshaped mirror room or the bus full of lasers, were simply some trippy shit to look at. With five stages dedicated to music there was a lot to see, but interestingly the festival seemed to be built to its own pace, with each stage delivering diverse styles and most of the DJ sets lasting at least two hours. Instead of rushing between areas in fear of missing anything, this meant you could spend a decent amount of time watching each artist before moving on. The Wildlands stage had the biggest names and was basically going off the entire time. Detroit techno legend Derrick May was an early highlight on Friday night, followed by Hamburg’s Helena Hauff, whose acid house and electro vibes built into some pretty hardhitting techno. Over at the Tea Lounge stage, local jazz outfit The Rookies curated Friday’s lineup, featuring a hugely engaging instrumental funk workout from Karate Boogaloo and an energetic, broken beat jazz-funk trip from their own offshoot, Claps. The Grove was the second live music stage, and on Saturday was being run by Cazeaux O.S.L.O, of Man Made Mountain and SO.Crates. He kicked things off with a duo performance, freestyle rapping alongside kora player Amadou Suso from The Senegambian Jazz Band. Drawing both melodic and percussive elements from his instrument, Suso dazzled the crowd with his fast fingerwork and sense of groove.
Elle Shimada and band were another highlight of The Grove, as their eclectic, beatsheavy jazz-pop was truly mesmerising. Later on, CC:DISCO would turn the small stage into a hugely enjoyable classic house and disco party, playing back to back with Raphaël TopSecret. The Deep Jungle stage offered some of the more left-of-centre electronic music going, with Melbourne’s Cassette for Kids and Roza Terenzi appearing as highlights on either side of Saturday’s lineup, and Moe Aloha owning his Sunday afternoon slot. Thanks to its small size and beautiful location, The Beach stage was constantly packed, with Resident Advisor curating Saturday’s bill and Melbourne’s own Wax’o Paradiso keeping the energy high with their closing set on Sunday. Back at Wildlands, Merve was quite possibly best on ground for Sunday with her opening set, covering lots of musical ground (her bio says she plays house, acid, tribal, techno) but keeping it soulful while moving through sections seamlessly. With 9000 people in attendance, Strawberry was remarkably well run. The sustainability measures enacted were commendable and should be used as a guide to other festivals, including a rewashable plate system instead of single-use goods, plenty of free drinking water and a car entry fee, which was used to offset the festival’s carbon footprint. The news, announced on the main stage on Sunday, that 24-year-old Glenn Mcrae had passed away onsite the night before, was met with silent shock. Perhaps not having any bars onsite helped avoid any agro, as, despite drug use and nangs, in particular, being ubiquitous and very out in the open, there didn’t seem to be anyone out to cause any trouble or behave obnoxiously towards one another at all. By and large, everyone seemed to be on the same page, with outfits channelling combinations of Mad Max-style apocalyptic steampunk, mixed with ’90s rave culture and stripper attire, and all with lots of butt cheek on display. It felt safe. That an event as lovingly put together in such a beautiful place should end in tragedy is just heartbreaking.
Image by Duncographic
LIVE
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen, image by Alex Perkins
MONDAY DECEMBER 2
Good Things Festival FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, FRIDAY DECEMBER 6 After a long drought, Australian heavy music fans are now spoilt for choice when it comes to festivals. Returning for a second year, Good Things put together a lineup featuring a diverse mix of genres and some curiosities thrown in for good measure. Fresh from racking up some serious miles across the States, Byron Bay rockers Skegss were in fine form. With the sun out in force, it was clear the growing crowd were here to have some fun. Storming through their biggest hits, the trio were drowned out by a sea of voices screaming back every single word. If you like your tunes with a combination of smooth falsettos, rhythmic screams, huge riffs and ridiculous lyrics, then you’d be right at home with Californian post-hardcore boys Dance Gavin Dance. While the combination may sound outlandish on paper, DGD know how to put on a bloody good show and make it look like the easiest thing in the world. By far the lineup’s biggest curiosity was Brisbane twins The Veronicas. Whether it was sheer curiosity, real affection or guilty pleasure, their main stage set attracted an absolutely heaving crowd. Powering through all their biggest hits, The Veronicas mixed true pop and heavier renditions, ensuring the crowd lost its collective mind. An acoustic cover of blink182’s ‘I Miss You’ garnered one of the day’s biggest sing-alongs. Of course, synchronised choreography was in the mix, but that didn’t make the much-hyped ‘Untouched’ wall of death any less incredible to witness. A truly iconic set. Festival promoters take note: playing it safe is boring. Nostalgia was in the air as The Butterfly Effect took to the stage for their first festival appearance in 11 years and it was clear they weren’t going to waste a single second of it. Slowly Slowly showed punters why they’re at the forefront of the bands currently ruling our live circuit. Enter Shikari don’t put a foot wrong and their genre-defying sound brought the perfect mix to the day’s proceedings. Led by the effervescent Rou Reynolds, the British
band had the crowd in the palms of their hands. Over at the main stage, a small but very eager crowd were wrapping up their time with veterans Bad Religion putting on a punk rock masterclass. Simple Plan stepped up to take us all back to our early 2000s angst. And while we might all want to forget our fashion choices of the time, the joyous, nostalgia-filled sing-alongs their set brought couldn’t be shaken. ‘I’m Just A Kid’, ‘Shut Up!’, ‘Welcome To My Life’ and ‘Addicted’ were all in the mix, but closing their set with a huge sing-along for tearjerker ‘Perfect’ was a genius move. With a bag of anthems spilling out of their back pockets, Violent Soho had the crowd on their side from the second they ripped ‘Like Soda’ open. Every line of every song was shouted back at the band with undiluted passion. It’s clear there aren’t many, if any, Aussie bands that can match Violent Soho. With vocalist Jeremy McKinnon up front, A Day To Remember hit the stage like a hurricane. Whether it was the confetti cannons, t-shirt guns, beach balls, or the crowd surfing on top of other crowd surfers that has become synonymous with an ADTR live performance, they proved that headlining festivals Down Under is exactly where they need to be. Parkway Drive frontman Winston McCall preceded the festival by saying his band were ready to prove why Australian bands deserve to headline Australian festivals. From the moment they entered the festival – led by men with flaming torches from the very back of the crowd no less – they did exactly that. With more pyro than most other festivals combined, a four-piece string section, an upside down drum solo, and at one point setting the entire stage on fire, Parkway Drive put on a spectacle for the senses.
Glitter-clad fans sporting Carly Rae Jepsen merchandise could be heard buzzing outside Melbourne’s iconic music venue The Forum. Finally, after years of waiting, the Canadian pop star treated Australian fans to her first headline tour alongside special guest Starley. Starley opened the show bursting with energy and charisma. Sporting a huge fur jacket and personality to match, Starley had audiences up on their feet dancing along to hits ‘Call On Me’, ‘Lovers + Strangers’ and covers like Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’. The perfect mix of down to earth energy and charm from Starley left audiences perfectly warmed up for Jepsen. Carly Rae Jepsen emerged on a tall staircase in a skin-tight silver sequined jumpsuit with lights perfectly reflecting off her – the audience already in hysterics after getting a quick glance at the singer. Jepsen opened with ‘No Drug Like Me’ which quickly had the audience hanging off every lyric. You’d be lying if you said you’ve never danced around to one of Carly Rae Jepsen’s cheeky breakup songs or thoughtful love ballads and audiences were treated to all of the above as they swayed and bopped along to smash hits like ‘Julien’, ‘ Want You In My Room’ and of course Jepsen’s 2011 epic ‘Call Me Maybe’. But it was when Jepsen sang ‘I Really Like You’ that things really picked up a notch – the
disco-infused lighting created the perfect environment for the audience to erupt into synchronised song and dance. The Carly Rae fandom is real – devoted fans didn’t miss a beat as they repeated every word back to Jepsen each time she faced her microphone towards them. Amongst all the party fever, Jepsen still managed to stop and pause, communicating the narratives behind the songs. She explained songs inspired from breakups, and makeups – even dedicating ‘Now That I Found You’ to her cat. Her relationship to her fans is something more than just people listening to her music but rather people connecting to her reallife experiences and emotions through her funky, bubblegum pop anthems. This was highlighted throughout the duration of the show. Jepsen’s debut Melbourne appearance was a giant party but a wholesome one at that. The Canadian pop star echoed her very own lyrics of acceptance and self-love and captivated her audience with her innocent, bubblegum pop persona. A warm welcome into Australia, Carly Rae Jepsen is sure to be back spilling more of her E•MO•TION’s on more Aussie stages. Highlight: Mix of both old and new hits were performed. Lowlight: Would have loved to have seen more outfits. Crowd favourite: ‘Call Me Maybe’ and ‘Party For One’. BY AIMEE CRAIG
The Veronicas at Good Things, image by Nick Tamiakis
Highlight: Lineup diversity. Tick. Curiosities paying off. Tick. Proving that Aussie bands should headline our own festivals. Tick. Lowlight: We (me) probably should’ve applied more sunscreen. Crowd favourite: All of the bosses who let us take a day off work to go to the rock show. BY GLORIA BRANCATISANO
47
NEW MUSIC
Albums & Singles BEST NEW ALBUM
8.5
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING
All In Good Time
When I heard the news that Eddy Current Suppression Ring were set to release a new album in 2019, I ran my shopping trolley into a shelf full of custard at Barkly Square Woolies. All In Good Time is its name, but does the album live up to the irony of its title? The title tracks kicks things off, a throbbing garage-punk number that drools an indeterminate narrative. From there, it’s a volley of vitality, bash, crash and critical commentary. ‘Our Quiet Whisper’ juts away without rising to any raucousness, yet its narrative is resounding – “Action speaks louder than any single figure of speech/I begun to ramble/I begun to rant/our quiet whisper has become a chant.” Track five, ‘Voices,’ mirrors a mental crusade. As the track unfurls, the hallucinations strengthen – “Like an interloper walking around in your head/Like a cold wind, blowing/You never really know if it’s coming or going” – before it all erupts. This is the garage anthem of 2019. By ‘Future Self’, singer Brendan Huntley has truly lost it. Like a psychotic Joaquin Phoenix, Huntley laughs his way through its final moments as the tale speaks of setting yourself up for future disaster. The album culminates in ‘Modern Man’, an encapsulation of everything that has come before it. It’s a pulsing exposition of an ignorant gentleman, one that fails to see and understand. It’s Huntley and co-songwriter Mikey Young at their best. All In Good Time is no Primary Colours, but it’s longer and more unnerving than anything Eddy Current have ever done before. It’s great. Listen to it. Label: Castle Face BY TOM PARKER
AUSTRALIAN SINGLES OF THE YEAR – WITH AUGUSTUS WELBY
DRMNGNOW FEAT. KEE’AHN
FERLA
HONEY 2 HONEY
SAMPA THE GREAT
Ancestors
I’m Fine
Under the Hangar
OMG
The late-Jan release of ‘Ancestors’ was a timely reminder that the legacy of January 26 is one of shameful brutality, meaning it’s no occasion for misguided patriotism. Naarm MC Neil Morris makes no bones about his position with lyrics like, “Never forget or deny that anguish, the cries, the ongoing genocide/The devastation, theft and wiping out of tribes.” Morris’ flow is even-paced and restrained, ensuring the gravity of each line sinks in. Sovereignty was never ceded.
In the early months of the year Melbourne band Ferla brought us ‘I’m Fine’, a dynamic rock song with a belting chorus fit for ‘80s pop radio. Giuliano Ferla is figuring out to cope in the aftermath of a breakup. The subtext is that, really, he’s not coping at all. It’s an emotional and defiant power pop number in the vein of Hunters & Collectors. Ferla’s vocals take us on journey from affected calm to bleeding heart longing.
One of the year’s great discoveries was Canberra-via-Sydney trio Honey 2 Honey. That the band’s first releases came via indie gurus Chapter Music is a testament to their high quality individualism. Preceding the trio’s A Taste Of EP was ‘Under the Hangar’, which betrays their affection for Arthur Russell’s Buddhist bubble gum pop. It’s rooted in off-kilter dance beats, artsy instrumental decoration and Rory Stenning’s understated baritone. It’s now a confirmed addiction.
Sampa Tembo’s excellence has been irrefutable since 2015’s The Great Mixtape. She began 2019 having already won the Australian Music Prize despite not having an official album out. She ends the year as an ARIA-winning, internationally acclaimed artist responsible for the double LP, The Return. The album’s standout track is ‘OMG’, which pairs Sampa’s unapologetic rhymes with Kwes Darko’s world-building beats. The self-belief that permeates the Melbourne-based MC’s vocals is outrageously inspiring.
Label: Independent Label: Independent
Label: Chapter Music Label: Ninja Tune
48
NEW MUSIC
7
SUNNYBOYS
40
A surfing background readily lends itself to the ‘60s inspired sounds the Sunnyboys aspired to during their formative years. Now the Sydney band, led by Jeremy and Peter Oxley, have reached 40 years since their inception. It’s entirely appropriate that this release features the Boys’ first EP in its entirety, but also four other tracks cherry-picked from various points of the journey, reworked and laid down for posterity. One can rock out to the mod-pop quality of the first four songs and recall summer days sucking on namesake ice cubes and dreaming to be “Alone with you, tonight.” This quartet of songs is a sterling way to whet the appetite and re-introduce the band. It’s apparent why the Sunnyboys were considered hot property during their 1980s heyday. The songs are message songs and not the fairytale world of pirates and highway robbers so popular at the time. Given the remaining four songs are from various other points of artistic endeavour, they are less cohesive. Yet a golden thread of melody prevails and remains a constant. ‘Can’t You Stop’, ‘Lovers (On Another Planets Hell)’ and ‘Strange Confession’ are songs of the meat and four veg variety – easily consumable for those summery evenings. Label: Feel BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS
8.5
THE FINKS
8.5
Affectations
Milk! Records mainstays The Finks have spent this decade pushing out numerous EPs and albums of soft, whispering songwriting. Affectations offers something a bit different, with group leader Oliver Mestitz creating a mixtape comprising originals and choice cover versions. Strung together by their usual charming piano lines and contemplative instrumental arrangements, the album moves at an exquisitely measured pace. Opening track, ‘No one else’, shines with simple but enriching lyrics and includes a tranquil clarinet solo from Lehmann B Smith. The record’s first instrumental track, ‘The uneventful garden’, features poignant guitar licks that are reminiscent of John Martyn’s sparser moments. One of the crowning jewels is a cover of Randy Newman’s ‘Marie’. Deceptively simple at the outset, the song’s endearing lyrics and Mestitz’s restrained delivery make it one of the best encapsulations of love The Finks have put down to tape. There’s a warm, homely approach taken to the production, with the tracklist fashioned to sound like it were recorded straight onto an old cassette. The guitar work on ‘Down Along the Dixie Line’ – originally performed by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – peacefully shines through the background hiss, transporting the listener back to a simpler time. Affectations is another insight into the enthralling thought-processes of Mestitz, with a handful of covers thrown in to highlight the band’s velvety versatility.
FREE NATIONALS
Free Nationals
The Free Nationals are Anderson .Paak’s live band. Their sets are usually tight and precise, but always leave room for colourful solos. If you like to drink from the chalice of ‘70s and ‘80s funk, look no further. Intro track, ‘Obituaries’, welcomes us to the band’s neon-lit world before ‘Beauty & Essex’ really kicks things off. Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson trade-off sexually flirtatious lyrics. On ‘Shibuya’, Syd of The Internet implores you to stay the night, even offering to make food in the morning. In fact, the whole album reads like a mid-‘70s Marvin Gaye record determined to have your clothes off by the final track. The sound is really what stands out. Rubbery bass lines and plush drums lay the foundation for Ron “Tnava” Avant’s soulful keys and vocoder vocals. The band dives into funk, soul, reggae, and hip hop. The guests – and there’s a new one for every track – never feel awkward or out of place. The album includes the first officially released song following the death of Mac Miller on ‘Time’. The lyrics take a back seat with some generic lines here and there, and the band could’ve taken more liberties to highlight their technical versatility. Still, it’s a sleek and endlessly groovy set of tracks.
8
CANDY
Everything In Motion
Candy has released another perfect summer soundtrack in Everything In Motion. The 11-track album talks about seedy Sundays, feeling guilty about hating Sydney, and finally feeling at home in Melbourne. And although it does cover some deeper issues, such as isolation from your family, the people in your life, and yourself, it’s ultimately a feel good album that would be suited to almost any situation. The deeper side of the album is brought about through the inclusion of voicemails that depict someone trying to get a hold of Candy and saying they miss him. Including the voicemails provides helpful context and makes you feel as if Candy has written the songs right there in front of you. The sound of Everything In Motion is a testament to the experience Candy has accumulated in the lo-fi genre throughout the years. His expertise comes in the form of fun guitar and bass melodies, while the snare holds it all together. There’s also synth mixed in, resulting in a good mix of intertwining melodies that’s sure to make your summer. The album isn’t just carried by the lyrical content – every element of each track has been considered and it pays dividends. Label: Independent BY ROB HARRISON
Label: OBE, LLC / Empire BY JONATHAN REYNOSO
Label: Milk! Records BY JAMES ROBERTSON
EDITOR’S PICK
THE HOWLING FOG
Drifting
Dark-psych wizards The Howling Fog have emerged with their second EP, Drifting. The band’s previous alignment with the shoegaze genre is still evident, but Drifting wanders in a gloomier direction.
The EP crunches from one song to the next. To an extent it resembles a darker Horrors, with reverb-drenched guitar lines and Peter Blunden’s Faris Badwan-like vocals. There’s not much brightness here, however, and the band seem intent on shrouding listeners with as much auditory stimulus as is possible. This strategy with instrumentation and recording at times gestures to the experimentation of Sonic Youth, but before we start making too many comparisons, it’s important to admire the originality of The Howling Fog’s sound. A sound with such density can be
difficult to diversify, yet approaching Michael Badger (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, You Am I), who’s known for working with delay and reverb, to master Drifting was the best decision the band could’ve made. What eventuates is a psychedelic journey into the abyss that will twist your mind. It’s a gritty and intense record that takes time and digestion. Having already deviated from shoegaze, it’ll be interesting to see where The Howling Fog go next. Label: Independent BY TOM PARKER
49
GIGS & EVENTS
Gig & Events Guide WEDNESDAY 11 DEC
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES MUDDY© S BLUES ROULETTE FEAT: MARTY SPIEGEL The Catfish. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. MELBOURNE© S BIGGEST OPEN MIC NIGHT MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. MUSICLAND COMMUNITY CHOIR REHEARSAL MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $5. THE SELTZER SESSIONS - OPEN STAGE, HAMISH MCNAB, MORE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 8pm. FREE. COQ ROQ: UNPLUGGED Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. BLAK STAGE: A FIRST PEOPLES OPEN MIC SERIES Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. LOMOND ACOUSTICA FEAT: MICHAEL WAUGH, ENDA KENNY, KHRISTIAN MIZZI The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. JORJA The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. GEORGIA RODGERS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. OPEN GRAND PIANO NIGHT Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 6.30pm. FREE. MIKE JOSEPH BAND, TRUCK, HER Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. THE GRUBBY URCHINS FEAT: THE GRUBBY URCHINS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. BUTTERED LOAF Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. EDELPLASTIK Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. BOHJASS, KOI KINGDOM, EDEL PLASTIK Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm.
THE BOÎTE PRESENTS WRAP-UP SUITCASE - WORLD MUSIC OPEN MIC Open Studio. Northcote. 8pm. FREE. GEOFF HUGHES TRIO Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. JARROD LAWSON Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. THE TASH WEATHERILL QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. LUKE HOWARD TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL POSTAL WEDNESDAYS FEAT: POST PERCY Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 10pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL GOLF ALPHA BRAVO, GANGZ, JOE TERROR The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $20.40. THE CRUNTBURGERS, DICKLASER, SIMON WILSON Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. FREE. MIKE JOSEPH BAND, TRUCK, HER Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. LIAM GALLAGHER, GERRY CINNAMON Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $99.90. LLOYD COLE, NEIL CLARK Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 8pm. $50 - 69. HARD ROCK LIVE BAND KARAOKE Stay Gold. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. ELTON JOHN Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 8pm. $299.
CLASSICAL PENNY QUARTET Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $39.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP BENEDICT, MILLAR JUKES Gasometer
Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $13.25. WEDNESDAY TWIST The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. THAIBOY DIGITAL + SUICIDEYEAR Max Watt© s (Melbourne).. 8pm. $52.05.
THURSDAY 12 DEC
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK ANDREA KELLER TRANSIENTS TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY FEAT: MR CLIFF, PERON Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 5pm. FREE. SOULSHAM, VINCE PEACH Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15. JAMES MORRISON Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $35. RAMEN, TIDY FILTERS Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm. $18.41. THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. JARROD LAWSON Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. SPEAKEASY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. ADE ISHS & EMOTION BAND Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. SHAYAN The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $20. YVETTE JOHANSSON, JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET The Water Rat Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL SALT & STEEL, GOOD MORNING KAOS, THE HOT COUSINS The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. SPEED WEEK, PUSSY WILLOW, HEIR TRAFFIC Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. SLOW FADES, HANNAH MARJORIE, JESS MCGUIRE Red Betty. Brunswick. 7pm. $10. EL FUKO, HOLLIE JOYCE, AMY HANLEY, DANIKA SMITH Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8.
THE 2ND ANNUAL FLEETWOOD© S BACK CHRISTMAS BLOWOUT The Curtin. Carlton. 3pm. FREE. GORILLA ORCHESTRA, BAREFOOT SPACEMEN, ZACHARY LEO The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $12.25. BBQ HAQUE + PARTY PEST Globe Alley. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. THE LEMONHEADS, MURMURMUR, THE RESTLESS AGE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $59.89. ENOUGH TO ESCAPE, THAW, GREY MANTIS, LAMASSU Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. FREE. CIRCLE PERSON, THE NEW DREGS, OVEN GLOVES Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $5. FRONTIER SEASON, THE ARCHANAN, TIDES COLLIDE, SKY CHASER Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. ROCK© N© ROLL BINGO FEAT: CHRISSIE KISS The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 8pm. ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES FAD Gallery. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. MATT BRADSHAW The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT FEAT: OLIVER NORTHAM & THE ELSEWHERES, MORE Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. SCOTT CANDLISH, TESS GUTHRIE, TIMOTHY WOLF The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $7.80. RAIN OF ANIMALS Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. MYSTERY SEA CREATURE, AL MATCOTT Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. AUGIE MARCH, OH MERCY Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $49.86. ALISTER TURRILL Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. MICK DALEY The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. AMIE GRISOLD Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. PAUL KELLY: MAKING GRAVY, KATE MILLER-HEIDKE, MARLON WILLIAMS, COURTNEY BARNETT Sidney Myer Music
LIVE MUSIC. FRESH BEER. PROPER SOUND. ALL DAY L ATIN BBQ - BEERS BREWED ON SITE
245 JOHNSTON ST. ABBOTSFORD 3067
50
GIGS & EVENTS
Bowl. Melbourne. 3pm. $169.90. MICHAEL SITA Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP THROWBACK FEAT: MATT RADOVICH, EZRA HARVEY, ILRESPONCE, B-TWO, AYNA, NAM Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. TEKWANI Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. UP NEXT FEAT: KIDD.FLASHH, WANDWASEN Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL EAT THE BEAT FEAT: MATTEO FREYRIE, ETWAS, ANDREA GUADALUPI, CHRISS MATTÒ, GAV WHITEHOUSE Section 8. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. LOVE SENSATION: FRIDAY THE 13TH FEAT: MILES BROWN, RHYSICS, PLASTER OF PARIS, RICHIE 1250, LOVE SENSATION DJS The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $14.30. INNER CITY LOFT - SOUP X JONRA FEAT: DJ JNETT, HDSNJMSJR Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. GUERNS FEAT: BARRY SUNSET, BIGMAC, INGRID, EDGEWORK, ADAM COOPER, RICKY NORD New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE. DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. 3181 THURSDAYS, HANS DC, LUKE VECCHIO, JAVI MORLEY, JESSE BROWN Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 6pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL VICTORIAN OPERA: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $39.
FRIDAY 13 DEC
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK THE BARNEY MCALL TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. KABOOBIE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE.
CELEBRATING TINA TURNER Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $35. LATINIDADES, TRASATLANTICO, RUA Bar Open. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. $15. POOCH & THE POUNDS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. JARROD LAWSON Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. VINTAGE ROOTS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $30. TAMARA KULDIN & PAUL COYLE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $32.50. MICHELLE NICOLLE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $32.50. OPEN JAM © ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟ© : EXO 2019 GREEK PARTY FEAT: DE© LYRIUM, KOSTA PAPAPANAGIOTOU, GALE© S EDGE Open Studio. Northcote. 6pm. $20. JACKIE BORNSTEIN QUARTET Classic Southside. Elsternwick. 8pm. $20 - 25. A LITTLE DREAM Bamboo Bean. VIC. 7pm. FREE.
DUCKEYE, TRAUMABOYS, KEGGIN, FEROCIOUS CHODE, RADSNAKE Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. OPETH Palais Theatre. St Kilda. 8pm. $129.90. ANY EXCUSE - CUT SNAKE, SOUTHPAW, RUN, BORN FREE, ANTAGONIST A.D Pier Bandroom. Frankston. 8pm. $24.90. MAMMA JAM Royal Hotel (Essendon). Essendon. 10pm. FREE. ONE STEP BEHIND (MADNESS TRIBUTE) Max Watt© s (Melbourne).. 8pm. $40. YOUNG LIONS, COLUMBUS, RESIDE Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $23.29 - 28.60. METRIK The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 11pm. FREE. MATT BRADSHAW The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE.
MARK GARDNER The Prince Patrick.. 5.30pm. FREE. SHAUNA TONY AND CO FEAT: SHAUNA TONY AND CO Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. DYLAN BRICKLEY The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 9.30pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL TEMPERANCE FRIDAYS FEAT: ADAM TRACE, NICK VAN WILDER, DJ T.P.C Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 8pm. FREE. FORMATION FEAT: DONNY Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. 45 SHOOT OUT FEAT: RICK HOWE, DJ FLOYD, DJ-ITAL MAGNUS Section 8. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. BANG BANG FEAT: JIMMY JAMES, UMUT, SOPHIE MCALISTER Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. DJ BON SOY TOY BOY Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. FREAKY FRIDAY FEAT: MAX SHOTTA, DJ SELEKTAH Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE. SYNAESTHESIA FEAT: BREGER, AXON, BEACH COW, DYSMORPH, NIKKI SIG 24 Moons. Northcote. 10pm. $15. HAUSWERK The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. MONKEY TENNIS DJS, GREG SARA, JAY RAMON, ROB ANTHONY, FUNKY COL, BOYBLEWE, MORE OneSixOne. Prahran. 3pm. $15 - 20. SADDLE CLUB FEAT: BRIAN FANTANA, SAMMY LA MARCA, ABE SPARGO, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15. DJ KOZE Brown Alley. Melbourne. 9.30pm. DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. SUMMER SERIES FEAT: ESG The Emerson. South Yarra. 3pm. $15.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES
COUNTDOWN 80© S MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. FLYNN EFFECT, IRONSTONE, CIRRUS CROWN, THE UNSET The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $17.35. MONA BAY, LOOSE BRICKS, SODA Yah Yah© s. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. SMOKING FIGS, X-GENZ, VIN ROUGE Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. BOLLARD, RAINDOGS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 5pm. FREE. SLIM JEFFRIES, GOLDMINDS, RATHEAD, GARLIC NUN Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10. THE VELVET CLUB, TESS GUTHRIE, THE JIVES The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. THE WARNER BROS. The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. KILLING HEIDI Grand Hotel Mornington. Melbourne. 8pm. $44.90. A VERY WRESTLEROCK CHRISTMAS, WHITE DEVIL DETROIT Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $28.60. BADGERS Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 11.59pm. PRESS CLUB Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $22.59. MARTY FRIEDMAN Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. THE LAMINATORS Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. FREE. SORE POINTS The B.East. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE. GET SHANKED 2019 FEAT: I AM
THE BERGY SELTZER PRESENTS - A NIGHT OF SINGER SONGWRITERS FEAT: STEVEN "THUNDERTHUMBS" FREI, ANDREW VINCENT D© ARCY, OF THE WILD, JOSHUA BATTEN The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. LILLIANNE KOENIGER EXHIBITION OPENING FEAT: AMOS ROACH, PRUDENCE, MONICA JASMINE KARE, LEONIE WHYMAN Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6.30pm. $10 - 15. SLIM GRITTY Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. CHANTELLE & JON The Quarry Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. BRAD COX, MELANIE DYER Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $29.86. DON MORRISON Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. ANNA SCIONTI The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8.30pm. FREE. KATE LUCETTA Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. GERRY CINNAMON, GREEN BUZZARD The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. MORNING MELODIES FEAT: CHEEK TO CHEEK DUO Ferntree Gully Hotel. Ferntree Gully. 10.30am. $17. TWILIGHT IN TULSA Coburg RSL Club. Coburg. 8pm. FREE. VANDERLAY, DOG FUTON Some Velvet Morning. Clifton Hill. 7pm. FREE.
Rocky and the Two Bob Millionaires
Siesta Cartel
Anna Scionti
OLIVA SOCIAL
THE DRUNKEN POET
FAD GALLERY
Italian party-starters Siesta Cartel are coming to Oliva Social on Friday December 13 as part three of a four-gig residency. Having performed at the Melbourne Italian Festa, The Night Market, Crown Gradi Italian Festa and more, the foursome have built a reputation with their modern take on traditional Italian music. $10 on the door from 8:30pm.
Anna Scionti is set to takeover The Drunken Poet on Friday December 13 in a night of honest and raw blues. Scionti released her second album Orphan Diary back in May after a year of playing multiple festivals around the country. There’s no cover charge for the 8.30pm gig.
CLASSICAL CELEBRATING RICHARD MILLS Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $39. HOME ALONE IN CONCERT, MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $59 - 125.
Michael Waugh
Lomond Acoustica THE LOMOND HOTEL In the next instalment of Lomond Acoustica, beloved country singer-songwriter Michael Waugh will team up with Enda Kenny and Khristian Mizzi for a night spotlighting the very best in acoustic storytelling. Waugh has forged quite the reputation with his masterful songwriting. It all goes down on Wednesday December 11 and is totally free.
Rocky & The Two Bob Millionaires are no strangers to FAD Gallery and they’re back in familiar surrounds on Thursday December 12. The band are a mix of rock, folk and blues, a sound that they’ve refined over their many appearances at the inner city venue. Get there at 9pm. It’s free.
51
GIGS & EVENTS
HIP HOP, R&B, POP RNB FRIDAYS Co.. Southbank. 9.30pm. $22.19. POP TILL YOU DROP The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. PEACH FRIDAYS Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE. THE HOT AS HELL LIZZO APPRECIATION PARTY Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 9pm. $12.25. THE 90S DÜNDEN BUGÜNE FEAT: YONCA EVCIMIK, ÇELIK, DJ HAKAN KÜFÜNDÜR, DJ TANSU Trak Live Lounge Bar. Toorak. 9pm. $85 - 155. CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS New Guernica. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE.
EAT THE BEAT FEAT: ETWAS, GAV WHITEHOUSE, CHRISS MATTÒ, MATTEO FREYRIE, ANDREA GUADALUPI, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15. STILL IN SESSION PRESENTS: JON BOVI, HANDSDOWN, SAMMY LA MARCA, HABER, EBONY WILLIS, BANDO, PAUL DE SILVA, GABE AGULLO, JESSE HENNESSY, FOR.TUNES, D-ROWE Gasometer Hotel. Collingwood. 6pm. $35. DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. BOUNCE WITH DJ 2P The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE.
$15. SOUTHSIDE SOUL FEAT: DJ HEATA, LADY SOUL, GAIL & MICK SMITH, RONAN HAMILL, CELIA BOW 2 Brothers Brewery. Moorabbin. 7.30pm. $10. NEW SENSATIONS FEAT: ROSHAN GIDWANI, SIR JUDE, JIMMY HARWOOD, KUDZAI, NEW WAVE INFINITY, MORE The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $15.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. MURDER RATS, THE RACCOONS, SAINT KILLED HER, THE SHORTS Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 7pm. $10. HADES 24 Moons. Northcote. 10pm. $20. NIRVANA TRIBUTE Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 8pm. $44.90. THE RIPCHORDS Pascoe Vale RSL. Pascoe Vale. 8pm. $10. ELTON JOHN Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 8pm. $299. WICKED CITY, DEAD, KRUL Cactus Room. Thornbury. 6pm. $15. WINESHANK Beach 162. VIC. 6.30pm. FREE. MISS LIZZY & THE NIGHT OWLS Clifton Hill Brewpub. Clifton Hill. 9pm. ANTISKEPTIC - 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW, WISHFUL THINKING, GOODNIGHT COMBAT FIGHTER Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. $30.
MORE FIRE, SHOTTAZ, CHANT DOWN SOUND, LEGO, SISTA ITATIONS, DJ KUDOH Woody© s Bar. Collingwood. 10pm. MAT JODRELL/MARK FITZGIBBON QUARTET Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. BLUE ROSE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. IAKI VALLEJO Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $30. STRANGE TENANTS - ANNUAL XMAS SHOW, THE MOONHOPS, FISTFUL OF TROJANS, DJ THE PROFESSOR The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $29.50. MAIORANO Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. DJ LADY LOVE POTION Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. SNAJ Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. THE SLIPDIXIES Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. QUEEN OF HEARTS FEAT: KIDD.FLASHH, WANDWASEN Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE. JARROD LAWSON Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. THE COPE STREET PARADE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $32.50. A VERY BIG BAND CHRISTMAS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8.30pm. AARON SEARLE PLAYS TIME OUT: DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $25. DEAN© S MARTINI Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 5.30pm. $32.50. THE MEN OF LAH FEAT: JAMES GREENING, MATTHEW OTTIGNON, GEOFF HUGHES, GARY DALEY, MARK HARRIS, RONNY FERELLA, NIC CECIRE Moreland City Band Room. VIC. 5.30pm.
THE BIG SHOW FEAT: JACK CROOKS & THE BAND, BERT HOWBI, THE GLAMOUR, SAMM BARENDSE, LAUREN & MATT, FUTURO, FRANK SITA The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $15 - 20. THE BLUE HOTEL, RUSS, NICK BATTERHAM Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 9pm. FREE. HITS 4 HIRE Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 8pm. CLEAN CUT SOCIETY + CHASE CITY Yah Yah© s. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. THE CURRENCY, THE HYBERNATORS, LINDSEY KINGSWOOD Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 3pm. FREE. BURIED FEATHER: XMAS PARTY, BROWN SPIRITS Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. DRONGO, SERENE DREAM Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3pm. FREE. NYLEX, GRANE, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, HILDA Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10. INTO THE MYSTIC -THE MUSIC OF VAN MORRISON, THE BELFAST HORNS Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $28. STOMPIN© RIFFRAFFS, THE EXOTICS, THE WRAYLETTES Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $39.22. PEARL JAM GREATEST HITS TRIBUTE, FOOVANA Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $32.11. THE UGLY KINGS, TWO HEADED DOG, THE BONE SHACK Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $14.41. CARCINOID, DOUBLED OVER, BURN THE HOSTAGES Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. FREE. BLUNT SHOVEL, ABU GHRAIB, VEXATION, 100YEARSWAR, REMAINS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10. H-ZED, SARAH EIDA, COSA NOSTRA Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $10. MOTE + SPAWN The B.East. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE. BIG WHOOPS, DEAR THIEVES, DAY DREAMERS, DEATHBEAT Bombay Rock.
Young Lions
One Step Behind
Miss Lizzy & The Night Owls Back To The Breaks
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
MAX WATT’S
CLIFTON HILL BREWPUB
THORNBURY LOCAL
Following the huge success of their album, Mr Spaceman, Young Lions are launching their new single ‘Golden’ on Friday December 13 at Northcote Social Club. They have been ranked third on both iTunes and AIR charts, with recognition from Rolling Stone. Tickets will sell fast, get ‘em through the venue’s site.
Celebrating London two-tone revivalists Madness, One Step Behind will bounce into Max Watt’s on Friday December 13. Dust off your finest Ben Sherman shirt, strap on a pair of Dr. Martens and get ready to bust out ‘It Must Be Love’. Tickets are on sale for $40 through Oztix.
Miss Lizzy & The Night Owls are flying into Clifton Hill Brewpub on Saturday December 14, bringing a bit of swing to the pub. The band takes its cues from The Rolling Stones except with a female lead, much more explosion and less wrinkles. Doors are at 9pm and it’s free.
Breakbeat is one of the most underrated, underappreciated facets of electronic music and the Thornbury Local is putting it up in lights as part of their Back To The Breaks celebration. The likes of Citizen. com, Dopeman and JnrBoom will be on the CDJs for the event’s inaugural instalment. Saturday December 14 from 9pm.
SATURDAY 14 DEC
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL MORE FIRE, SHOTTAZ, CHANT DOWN SOUND, LEGO, SISTA ITATIONS, DJ KUDOH Woody© s Bar. Collingwood. 10pm. RISE & SHINE FEAT: SUNSHINE Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7am. THE BIG SHOW FEAT: JACK CROOKS & THE BAND, BERT HOWBI, THE GLAMOUR, SAMM BARENDSE, LAUREN & MATT, FUTURO, FRANK SITA The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $15 - 20. SATURDAY NIGHTS FEAT: ADAM TRACE, MARCUS KNIGHT, GARRY SHEBA Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 5pm. FREE. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. PRECURSOR FEAT: PIXLETON, GAVIN CASTLE, NICK D, CHRIS THATCHER, MBUG, VJ DIVISN Red Betty. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. PAWN SATURDAYS Pawn & Co.. Prahran. 8pm. ART VS SCIENCE, CLYPSO, ROYAL EAST Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $35. VIEWING TIME PROJECT FEAT: EMELYNE, MR FEET, WAVE DEEP, BBY.B, DJ MUM Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. DJ BENDY RAINBOW Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. SNAJ Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. ELECTRIC DREAMS Co.. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19.
52
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK
HIP HOP, R&B, POP THE BIG SHOW FEAT: JACK CROOKS & THE BAND, BERT HOWBI, THE GLAMOUR, SAMM BARENDSE, LAUREN & MATT, FUTURO, FRANK SITA The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $15 - 20. KG The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $12.25. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. THE TAKE OVER FEAT: SUB-TRIBE, ROYALTY NOISE, NOMADSTATIC, LOUELLA DEVILLE, RAYJAH45 Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. LIGHT - OLD SCHOOL RNB NIGHT Co.. Southbank. 10pm. $22.19. COCOLOCO CLUB La Di Da. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $10 - 20. KHOKOLAT SATURDAYS, DAMION DE SILVA, DURMY Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. NEW SENSATIONS FEAT: ROSHAN GIDWANI, SIR JUDE, JIMMY HARWOOD, KUDZAI, NEW WAVE INFINITY, MORE The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $15.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES THE BIG SHOW FEAT: JACK CROOKS & THE BAND, BERT HOWBI, THE GLAMOUR, SAMM BARENDSE, LAUREN & MATT, FUTURO, FRANK SITA The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $15 - 20. BACKWOOD CREATURES The Lomond
GIGS & EVENTS
Hotel. Brunswick East. 9.30pm. FREE. GEOFF ACHISON The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. MARTY KELLY The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 3pm. FREE. HARMANIAX Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. BEN ABRAHAM’S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL The Thornbury Theatre. Thornbury. 7pm. $42.85. WHISKEY GYPSIES The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 9.30pm. FREE. VOLER FEAT: GRACE FERGUSON Tempo Rubato. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $30. BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS FEAT: BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL BEER & CAROLS Wesley Anne. Northcote. 2.30pm. FREE. VICTORIAN OPERA: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 1pm. $39. HOME ALONE IN CONCERT, MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 2pm. $59 - 125. VOLER FEAT: GRACE FERGUSON Tempo Rubato. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $30.
SUNDAY 15 DEC
ROCK, PUNK, METAL HEAD STOCK - A TREBLE HEAVY SUNDAY The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. BENZO BABY, JANADA, BABYCCINO The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $5. HOTEL MOTEL RECORDS: FESTIVE ARVO AT THE RETREAT FEAT: COOL SOUNDS, L.A. MOOD, QUIVERS, NAT VAZER, S.M. JENKINS, ROMEO MOON Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 3pm. FREE. DJ MS PETTY CASH: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Red Betty. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. RIOT BABY, HEARTS & ROCKETS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3pm. $10. MAKO ROAD, CREATURE FEAR Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. MARTY FRIEDMAN, ESPIONAGE, VEXATION, TRIGGER Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $71.40.
WELL + FATIGUE Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 6pm. FREE. FIXATION SUNDAYS FEAT: LEVITATING CHURCHES Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 2.30pm. FREE. PINKO COLLECTIVE Bar 303. Northcote. 4pm. FREE. THE EXCITING MCGILLYCUDDIES The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 6pm. FREE. HARD ROCK LIVE BAND KARAOKE Blue Moon Karaoke Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. ELTON JOHN Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 8pm. $299. THE DIECASTS, DUMB WHALES, THE LAST APOLLO Old Bar. Fitzroy. 6pm. $8.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES NORTHERN VOICES CHOIR Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 5pm. FREE. HARPER BLOOM, WAMALA, IRENE, RUBY MAE The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $6.80. SUNDAY SESSION, LUKE JOSEPH, JACK & JORDAN, TOMMY RANDO Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 2pm. FREE. MATT GLASS & THE LOOSE CANNONS Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. TRACY MCNEIL & THE GOOD LIFE Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 4.30pm. FREE. RUSSELL MORRIS + BRODERICK SMITH Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $33. REBELS WITHOUT A CLUE & FRIENDS The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 5.30pm. FREE. CAM & ANNA The Merri Clan. Preston. 3pm. TWILIGHT IN TULSA Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. THE POET’S CHRISTMAS PARTY FEAT: WAZ E. JAMES, THE STETSON FAMILY The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 4pm. FREE. COLLARD GREENS & GRAVY Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. TIM WOODZ Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. © OFF THE RECORD© CHRISTMAS SHOW: A CELEBRATION OF 5OTH ANNIVERSARY OF WOODSTOCK & MORE FEAT: THE DUSTY MILLERS, NICK BARKER, ANDREW TANNER, THE PLAGIARISTS, THE LUMINARIES, BROADS, MORE Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 2.30pm. $23. PINKO COLLECTIVE Bar 303. Northcote. 4pm. FREE.
THE NORTHERN FOLK, EASTBOUND BUZZ, ALANA WILKINSON The Curtin. Carlton. 7pm. $17.75. PHIL PARA & BAND Royal Hotel (Mornington). Mornington. 3pm. FREE. BEN ABRAHAM’S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL The Thornbury Theatre. Thornbury. 7pm. $42.85. CATE LE BON, JUNE JONES The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $55.60. STEPHEN KENNEDY The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 5pm. FREE. KANE VINCENT Clifton Hill Brewpub. Clifton Hill. 5pm. COUNTRY AT CUSTOMS FEAT: MICHELLE GARDINER, ANTHONY TAYLOR, DELLA HARRIS, EMILY HATTON, JAKE SINCLAIR, LUKE AUSTEN Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 2pm. FREE. THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK MEZZ COLEMAN© S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Wesley Anne. Northcote. 2.30pm. $25. SPEAKEASY JAZZ JAM, ADAM RUDEGEAIR & HOUSE BAND Red Betty. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. JAZZ SUNDAYS FEAT: ADRIANA, ANGELA DAVIS TRIO Howler. Brunswick. 3pm. FREE. DAREBIN CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA CHRISTMAS PARTY Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. HOODOO MAYHEM Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. FREE. TRIO AGOGO Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. JAZZ ORBIT Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. JARROD LAWSON Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. DIG WE MUST Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $25. PARIS CAT BIG BAND: A LATIN CHRISTMAS, TANYA DARBY, JOSE APONTE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $40. MELBOURNE TRAMWAYS BAND Wattle Park. Burwood. 2.30pm. FREE.
& DELLA, PIATAŌ, OLIVE AMUN, ELAPIDAE, LIDDICAT, MORE Section 8. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. ORKESTRATED, KALUS, SAMMY LA MARCA, BEAU J, CHOOBZ The Penny Black. Brunswick. 2pm. $20. PIKNIC ÉLECTRONIK FEAT: MOODYMANN, MR G Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Melbourne. 3pm.
CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FEAT: AUSTRALIAN BOYS CHOIR Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 3pm. $50 - 55. LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 3.30pm, 7:30pm. $100.95 - 151.90. SONATA QUASI FANTASIA FEAT: LOUIS NICOLL Tempo Rubato. Brunswick. 5pm. $15 - 20.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP MOTHERSHIP Co.. Southbank. 10pm. $15. CRUISE CONTROL BOAT PARTY #21 Victoria Star Cruises. VIC. 6.30pm. RÓISÍN MURPHY Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $99.90. LETS VIBE: RNB BLOCK PARTY (ROUND 2) FEAT: RAJIKI, CHRISTIAN DEAN, DJ ROBIE NYLE, SHADOWZ, PHILLY, DJ JVP, AJL Bourke Street Courtyard. VIC. 5pm. $20.
MONDAY 16 DEC
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 7.30pm. FREE. MICHAEL RIDLEY Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6.30pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
A DAY WIT DA HOMIEZ FEAT: CREY
SHRIMPWITCH, BURGERCHEF, THE DORKS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $8. FRONTSIDE BACKSIDES, YOU LEGENDS Globe Alley. Melbourne. 8pm. MONDAY NIGHT MASS FEAT: THE OMEGA POINT, MYSTERY GUEST, MAIORANO, FOX Northcote Social Club.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL
Marcus Knight
Backwood Creatures
Kane Vincent
Róisín Murphy
TEMPERANCE HOTEL
THE LOMOND HOTEL
CLIFTON HILL BREWPUB
THE FORUM
Marcus Knight will drop into South Yarra’s Temperance Hotel on Saturday December 14 to help you groove all night long. Joining Knight at the venue’s #LETSHOUSE Saturday event are Garry Sheba and Adam Trace. It kicks off at 8pm and runs until 3am. Entry is completely free.
Legendary local swamp-blues act Backwood Creatures are coming to The Lomond for a special show on Saturday December 14. The guitar-driven rock specialists are known for their energetic live shows that harken back to rock music’s glory days. This will be a treat. Kicks off from 9.30pm. All free.
For a perfect night of guilty pleasures, head over to the Clifton Hill Brewpub on Sunday December 15. That’s where you’ll find Kane Vincent playing blues, rock, country and pop covers, which will go perfectly with the Sunday night beers. It’s free and kicks off at 5pm.
Róisín Murphy is bringing her art pop excellence to The Forum on Sunday December 15. Murphy hasn’t headlined a tour in Australia for ten years, so there’s a lot to catch up on. Murphy rose to fame as part of duo Moloko, but has since released four ecstatic solo records. Grab tickets through The Forum website.
53
GIGS & EVENTS
Northcote. 6pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK 303 YARRA BANKS JAM NIGHT Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. FREE. STUDIO YOUTH BAND TWO: A SINATRA CHRISTMAS, BEN MCGILL, TANYA DARBY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $35. STUDIO YOUTH BAND ONE: A LATIN CHRISTMAS, NICHOLAS ROTHOUSE, JOSE APONTE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $35.
CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS MELODIES FEAT: MICHAEL CORMICK, JOHANNA ALLEN, NATIONAL BOYS CHOIR, SALVATION ARMY’S MELBOURNE STAFF BAND Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 11am.
TUESDAY 17 DEC
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6pm. FREE. CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARE, MOUK, EM DUNCAN The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. TUESDAY TRIBUTE: RICHARD THOMPSON FEAT: MARTY KELLY, The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. OPEN MIC Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. IRISH SESSION The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL RAUL SANCHEZ, THE FREES, BONNIE MERCER Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8. JORDIE LANE & FRIENDS, CLARE REYNOLDS & THE LOST ORCHESTRA, TRACY MCNEIL, DAN PARSONS, RUBY GILL, DENISE SCOTT, JUGGLIN© JOHN, MC RANDY FELTFACE Northcote Social
Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. CHILDREN COLLIDE Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. THE GUITAR LAB Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK JAKAL, EMMA VOLARD Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $10. FROOT Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 7.30pm. FREE. THE GUITAR LAB Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. MARY RAPP, SHOWA 44 Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. STUDIO YOUTH BAND TWO: A SINATRA CHRISTMAS, BEN MCGILL, TANYA DARBY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $35. STUDIO YOUTH BAND ONE: A LATIN CHRISTMAS, NICHOLAS ROTHOUSE, JOSE APONTE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $35. GARY PINTO & ANGELA LIBRANDI Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $35. THE LEGEND OF THE CHINESE SONG FAIRY: OPERA LIU SANJIE IN CONCERT Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $43 - 108.
WEDNESDAY 18 DEC
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. BUTTERED LOAF Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. BOHJASS, TOM FRYER BAND, CONFABULATIONS Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm. PAUL CARTER Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. JACKIE BORNSTEIN: DEAR BILLIE Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 8pm. $25 - 36. GIANNI MARINUCCI© S NONET, EMMA GILMARTIN Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. NIELS ROSENDAHL QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $30.
ELECTRONIC,
EXPERIMENTAL POSTAL WEDNESDAYS FEAT: POST PERCY Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 10pm. FREE. COLLARTS MUSIC PRODUCTION PERFORMANCES Bar Open. Fitzroy. 5pm.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES
GILL, DENISE SCOTT, JUGGLIN© JOHN, MC RANDY FELTFACE Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $30.73. #1 DADS, NAT VAZER Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. DEAD ALREADY, SPEED WEEK, APCO Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. FREE. HARD ROCK LIVE BAND KARAOKE Stay Gold. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP
MELBOURNE© S BIGGEST OPEN MIC NIGHT - CHRISTMAS PARTY FEAT: GARRY HOLLOW MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. MUSICLAND COMMUNITY CHOIR REHEARSAL MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $5. THE SELTZER SESSIONS - OPEN STAGE, HAMISH MCNAB, MORE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 8pm. FREE. WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 8pm. FREE. COQ ROQ: UNPLUGGED Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. BLAK STAGE: A FIRST PEOPLES OPEN MIC SERIES Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. LOMOND ACOUSTICA FEAT: GEOFF ACHISON, JIMI HOCKING, NICK CHARLES & SHANNON BOURNE The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. RYLEY WALKER, LEAH SENIOR, ANDREW TUTTLE The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $33. ANABELLE KAY The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. ASH SUMPTER The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. DENIM GORGEOUS + AM RERUNS, THE SECRET HISTORY, JARRAH MA The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. THE GRUBBY URCHINS FEAT: THE GRUBBY URCHINS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL AMBUR, UNDER THE SEA, LUNATIC Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8. JORDIE LANE & FRIENDS, CLARE REYNOLDS & THE LOST ORCHESTRA, TRACY MCNEIL, DAN PARSONS, RUBY
WEDNESDAY TWIST The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE.
THURSDAY 19 DEC
ROCK, PUNK, METAL SHAKERFAKER The Catfish. Fitzroy. 8pm. $14.50. LADYBONE, EDDIE KIESANOWSKI, MIM JENSEN The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. BLOODY RIPPER, LOCUS, AMBUR The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. THE GEEZERS Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 8pm. THE FAINTERS, FOUR IN THE MORNING, ANNE SIMMONS The Yarra Hotel. Abbotsford. 7pm. TINAFEST FEAT: TERRIBLE TRUTHS, CRY CLUB, ERIN WILL BE MAD, FACE FACE Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8. ROCKDOGS CHRISTMAS SHOW, BRIAN EL DORADO & THE TUESDAY PEOPLE, THIRD EARTH, DJ SHARDI Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. $23.29. CHILDREN COLLIDE Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. A VERY 90S XMAS FEAT: YARD DUTY, BRODOWN, SAINT KILLED HER Globe Alley. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. NEST EXHIBITION FEAT: FUTURE SUCK, CREEP DIETS, MORE Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 6pm. FREE. AVALANCHE, BARBARIÖN, LITTLEFOOT, THE DAGGAR Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $10. FAD XMAS LIVE MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA PARTY FAD Gallery. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. ROCK© N© ROLL BINGO FEAT: CHRISSIE KISS The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 8pm. MATT BRADSHAW The Elephant and
Valac
Cate Le Bon
Viagra Boys
Axed
Steve Tyssen
THE CROXTON
THE TOTE
LAUNDRY BAR
THE BERGY SELTZER
Cate Le Bon is set to fill the Croxton Bandroom with her reflective and diverse sounds on Sunday December 15. The Welsh polymath’s latest LP, Reward, is one of 2019’s finest, wrapping themes of solitude and independence in warped pop craft. Get tickets through Oztix for $56.
On Monday December 16 legendary Swedish punks Viagra Boys will be stepping into The Tote as part of an Australian tour that also sees them play Sydney, Brisbane and the Meredith Music Festival. They’ll be joined by rising garage-punks Pinch Points for a special Monday show. Tix are $49 via Oztix.
Axed is back at Laundry Bar to bring you all your hardcore beats needs on Thursday December 19. This time it’ll see Keeping Count Of Satellites, Valac, Audiophile, Doc Ross and others hit the stage from 8pm onwards. It’s 18+, so bring your ID when you pay $5 at the door.
Launching his new single, ‘Flower In Your Hair’, Steve Tyssen and his band The Midfield will perform at The Bergy Seltzer on Friday December 20. The Midfield helped Tyssen to record his next album, which is due out in early 2020. Entry to the Brunswick venue is free and the gig kicks off at 8pm.
54
GIGS & EVENTS
Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK ANDREA KELLER TRANSIENTS TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY FEAT: MR CLIFF, PERON Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 5pm. FREE. JARED BECKER 4TET Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. GOLDEN HOUR Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. COSMIC HYPER DRIVE, GROCER GREEN Red Betty. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. THE BEST OF LUCK CLUB XMAS SHOW, UNCLE PENNYBAGS & THE VIBE-A-CENTRICS, ANIMAUX, RYA PARK, CALLUM PRESTON Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $28.85. THE BOÎTE PRESENTS A CELTIC CHRISTMAS CONCERT FEAT: MANUS MCGUIRE Abbotsford Convent. Abbotsford. 7pm. $30. THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. SOUL SACRIFICE - THE MUSIC OF SANTANA Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $29. SOUL CHIC: THE EVA CASSIDY EXPERIENCE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $35. SYN-CHRO-NI-CI-TY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. JULIE O HARA + TAMARA KULDIN + TIM WILSON, JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET The Water Rat Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL 3181 THURSDAYS, HANS DC, LUKE VECCHIO, PARTYSHIRTS THOMPSON, CAMBY, CON JOHNA Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 6pm. FREE. DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. 100% PHAT + WNDRR X-MAS JAM FEAT: TOTAL ECLIPSE, DJ SIZZLE Section 8. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE. TREAT ME LIKE SHIT, DOROTH Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. SISTERWORKS FEAT: SADIVA, NAISHA, SERENITY UKI Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm.
$10. GUERNS FEAT: KIEREN BONANNO, STICKS, FOSTA, BIGMAC, TERMINUS, POM, JAMES GATT New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT FEAT: OLIVER NORTHAM & THE ELSEWHERES, MORE Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. BANBURY CROSS, MESSENGER SISTERS, TIERCE DE PICARDIE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $15. DAVID WESTERN + DAVID THOR Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. OPEN MIC NIGHT The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 7pm. RAIN OF ANIMALS Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. THE BOÎTE PRESENTS A CELTIC CHRISTMAS CONCERT FEAT: MANUS MCGUIRE Abbotsford Convent. Abbotsford. 7pm. $30. MORNING MELODIES FEAT: EDDIE & SAMANTHA Ferntree Gully Hotel. Ferntree Gully. 10.30am. $17. FRANK RAYMOND & THE SILHOUETTES FEAT: FRANK RAYMOND & THE SILHOUETTES FAD Gallery. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. MICHAEL SITA Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP THROWBACK FEAT: MATT RADOVICH, EZRA HARVEY, ILRESPONCE, B-TWO, AYNA, NAM Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. TEKWANI Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE.
FRIDAY 20 DEC
8pm. FREE. THE MOTH BODY Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6.30pm. FREE. SUNFRUITS Yah Yah© s. Fitzroy. 11pm. $11.58. FRIGHT NIGHT MUSIC© S CHRISTMAS VACATION FEAT: NEIGHBOURHOOD YOUTH, MERPIRE, SLOWCOACHING, FEELDS, PEACHNOISE Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. MADELINE LEMAN & THE DESERT SWELLS, CHUBE SCREAMER Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. BENCH PRESS, THE NEW DREGS, MACROS, KRUL Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $10. #1 DADS, NAT VAZER Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. BAKERS EDDY The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $17.75. DEFINITELY PARKLIFE - OASIS/BLUR 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY, MEMBERS OF MAJOR BUMMER, FLEETING PERSUASIONS, DEL BOCA VISTA, MORE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $25.41. SUN RISING - THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET SHOW, WILBUR WILDE Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $23. CIRCLE PIT, CIVIC, V Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $18.80. BRUISER + DECOLONISER The B.East. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. AVALANCHE, RIFF RAIDERS, THE CREDITS, THE DEAD AMIGOS Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. THE BIG YARRAVILLE BREAK-UP XMAS PARTY FEAT: X-GENZ Commercial Hotel. VIC. 7pm. FREE. RHYECE O© NEILL & THE NARODNIKS, FOGGY NOTION Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $15. FOREVER 80© S Grand Hotel Mornington. Melbourne. 8pm. $28.60. METRIK The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 11pm. FREE. MATT BRADSHAW The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK
THE GEORGE TRIMMER BAND MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. STEVE TYSSEN & THE MIDFIELD, ALEX HAMILTON The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick.
EKRANOPLANS, CRY BONE, POPOLICE Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 9pm. FREE. MAX & ASHA Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. THE SEVEN UPS, FIRETAIL Yah Yah© s.
Fitzroy. 8pm. $13.68. DJ BAMA LAMA Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. BOSS MELODY, THE MENAGE Bar 303. Northcote. 8.30pm. CRAIG SMITH QUINTET PLAYS BILLY JOEL: IN A JAZZ STATE OF MIND Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $32.50. CANNONBALL, FEM BELLING Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $32.50. NADIRA & FRIENDS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $32.50.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP ELEJI, TALAKAI, YOUNG SAMUEL, JIMMY HARWOOD, NEW WAVE INFINITY The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $22.45. BEN HAZLEWOOD Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $20. RNB FRIDAYS Co.. Southbank. 9.30pm. $22.19. POP TILL YOU DROP The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. PEACH FRIDAYS Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE. MADE IN BEIRUT - CHRISTMAS EDITION Trak Live Lounge Bar. Toorak. 9pm. CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS New Guernica. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. TEMPERANCE FRIDAYS FEAT: ADAM TRACE, NICK VAN WILDER, DJ T.P.C Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 8pm. FREE. FORMATION FEAT: DONNY Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. DO THE JOB! FEAT: MICKEY EDWARDS, ASHWIN.S Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. HAUSWERK The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. SUMMER SERIES FEAT: YOLANDA BE COOL, TONITE ONLY, NINA LAS VEGAS The Emerson. South Yarra. 3pm. $15. MADE IN BEIRUT - CHRISTMAS EDITION Trak Live Lounge Bar. Toorak. 9pm. MELBOURNE TECHNO COLLECTIVE FEAT: HONEYSMACK, BEN CROMACK, DJ KITI, DAVE PHAM, PIXLETON, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 12pm. $10.
Oasis
Cold Irons Bound
Definitely Parklife
Eleji
A Rioting Mind
A Swampy Christmas
THE CORNER
THE WORKERS CLUB
THORNBURY LOCAL
SWAMPLANDS
In a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ Definitely Maybe and Blur’s Parklife, the Corner Hotel will host a night of covers from both bands on Friday December 20. The night will be divided into three sets performed by a house band with rotating singers. Tickets are $25 from the venue’s site.
Eleji is launching his debut album Pray Tomorrow Never Comes at The Workers Club on Friday December 20. The album details a four year period of Eleji’s life that includes growing up in Melbourne, chasing seemingly impossible dreams, surviving cancer and enduring family turmoil. Tix are $23 through Oztix.
Local outfit A Rioting Mind will round off a successful 2019 with a special gig alongside indie talent Grace King. A Rioting Mind have a lot to celebrate having produced and released their debut album in 2019. There’s time for one last hurrah before letting their hair down for Chrissy. Friday December 20, all free.
To celebrate Christmas in the Swamp, Swamplands has put together an almighty lineup of bands including The Love Slaps featuring The Suicide Smokers. Van & Cal Walker will also be there alongside The Happy Lonesome, Cold Irons Bound and more. It all goes down on Saturday December 21 from 3pm. Free.
55
GIGS & EVENTS
STATIC: FIRST BIRTHDAY FEAT: REMCO BEEKWILDER, JANEIN Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $15 - 25.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES DOC HALIBUT, FOOLS The Yarra Hotel. Abbotsford. 8pm. FREE. CLAYMORE + ERIC BOGLE Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $35. DARREN HANLON Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. T-BONES/FOUR DOOR SHIT BOX The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 9.30pm. FREE. GEORGIA RODGERS Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. MR. ALFORD The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8.30pm. FREE. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. THE FOUR SCOOPS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. JOHN RUNNELS The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 9.30pm. FREE. BEN MASTWYK & THE MILLIONS ALLSTARS Coburg RSL Club. Coburg. 8pm. FREE. RHYECE O© NEILL & THE NARODNIKS, FOGGY NOTION Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $15. MARK GARDNER The Prince Patrick.. 5.30pm. FREE. SHAUNA TONY AND CO FEAT: SHAUNA TONY AND CO Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
SATURDAY 21 DEC
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THE REASONS + SPRUNG BAD The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. "A SWAMPY CHRISTMAS" - CHRISTMAS PARTY FEAT: COLD IRONS BOUND, ILL-GOTTEN BOOTY, MAJOR BUMMER, THE HAPPY LONESOME, VAN & CAL WALKER, THE LOVE SLAPS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 3pm. $10. THE PRINTER CONVENTION, THE GREAT EMU WAR CASUALTIES, THE GOOD DOGS The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $15.
PLASTIC, HANNAH KATE, NO STATUES Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 3.30pm. FREE. RIFLEBIRDS Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. FRANCIS T Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3pm. FREE. ELASTIC COLLISIONS ART OPENING FEAT: OGOPOGO, FIRETAIL, CLAPS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $10. THE STROPPIES, THE OPALS, VINTAGE CROP, EDWARD FAME The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $10. A VERY MESSY X-MAS FEAT: GLENN DANZIG TAP DANZIG EXTRAVADANZIG, PRIVATE FUNCTION, TUFF MUSTARD, PURPLE DUCK Globe Alley. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. DANNY WORSNOP + TOMMY VEXT, ANDY MAC Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 2pm. $66.30. NUADA, THE DEAD LIPS, FILTH DIMENSION, THE BALLS Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $15. DESECRATOR, GALAXY, VEXATION, DIREBLAZE Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 8pm. $20. 4ALICIA: ROCK AGAINST VIOLENCE FEAT: MURDERBALLS, THE RAMSHACKLE ARMY, RUSTED TONGUE, ALUMINIUM MONSTER, LINDSEY KINGSWOOD, STINKY DRECKSCHWESTER Bombay Rock. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. BACK IN THE DAY ROCK N ROLL XMAS PARTY FEAT: THE POOR, LOOKS THAT KILL, ACOUSTIKISS Max Watt© s (Melbourne).. 7pm. $29.60. LIME SPIDERS The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $34.70. NICOLE HALFORD & THE ROSE LIMBS, WATER SPORT Open Studio. Northcote. 2.30pm. FREE.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES "A SWAMPY CHRISTMAS" - CHRISTMAS PARTY FEAT: COLD IRONS BOUND, ILL-GOTTEN BOOTY, MAJOR BUMMER, THE HAPPY LONESOME, VAN & CAL WALKER, THE LOVE SLAPS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 3pm. $10. DUNCAN PHILLIPS BAND The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 9.30pm. FREE. DAVE COSMA Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. SHANAKEE The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 3pm. FREE.
MICK THOMAS© ROVING COMMISSION Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $28. THE BLACK SORROWS Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. BACKYARD BREW Royal Hotel (Mornington). Mornington. 8pm. FREE. WHISKEY GYPSIES The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 9.30pm. FREE. HEATHER FIONA BAND, THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS Open Studio. Northcote. 5pm. $8. BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS FEAT: BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP CHRISTMAS JAMBOREE FEAT: ED HAWKE, ALLIPHA, BENJAMIN TRILLADO The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $15. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. TRANSCONTINENTAL VIBRATIONS: ETHNO & HIP HOP NIGHT, BASHKA, THE BLACK JESUS EXPERIENCE, AMARU TRIBE, MZRIZK, MATUTARA, DISCOTECADELIADOR Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $23.29. LIGHT - OLD SCHOOL RNB NIGHT Co.. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19. COCOLOCO CLUB La Di Da. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $10 - 20. KHOKOLAT SATURDAYS, DAMION DE SILVA, DURMY Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL DJS TIL LATE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. SATURDAY NIGHTS FEAT: ADAM TRACE, MARCUS KNIGHT, GARRY SHEBA Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 5pm. FREE. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. ROBERT DELONG Yah Yah© s. Fitzroy. 11pm. $32.57. PAWN SATURDAYS Pawn & Co.. Prahran. 8pm. DJ A-MAN Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. OOLLUU, KENTA HAYASHI, BEN WILLIS
Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $11.25. ELECTRIC DREAMS Co.. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19. EAT THE BEAT FEAT: ANTONIO PICA, CARROT, ETWAS, MATTEO FREYRIE, CHRISS MATTÒ, ANDREA GUADALUPI New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15 - 25. BOUNCE WITH DJ 2P The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK ADRIAN WHYTE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE. LAFAMILIA’S CUBAN CHRISTMAS PARTY The Quarry Hotel. Brunswick East. 11pm. FREE. PURPLE REVOLUTION - A TRIBUTE TO PRINCE FEAT: ANDREW DE SILVA Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $40. DAMIAN COWELL© S DISCO MACHINE, MEN IMITATING MACHINES, TWINKLE DIGITZ Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $28.60. ROSARIO DE MARCO Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. THE MYSTIC CHARMERS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. VIPERS DREAM SWING TEAM, SHOWA 44 Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. JULES BOULT & THE REDEEMERS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $30. FABULOUS DIVA: THE MUSIC OF DR NINA SIMONE FEAT: RUTH ROGERSWRIGHT Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $32.50. CHRISTMAS FROM THE 40© S TO NOW FEAT: BEN MCGILL Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $35. NICOLE HALFORD & THE ROSE LIMBS, WATER SPORT Open Studio. Northcote. 2.30pm. FREE. HEADPHONES JONES END OF YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA Open Studio. Northcote. 8.30pm. $10. FUNK RABBIT Clifton Hill Brewpub. Clifton Hill. 9pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS WITH THE NATIONAL BOYS CHOIR OF AUSTRALIA Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $61.20.
Damian Cowell’s Disco Machine
Dany Maia
Tom Cartoonist
Dylan Brickley
BODRIGGY BREWING CO.
BAR 303
QUIET MAN IRISH PUB
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
Acclaimed Brazilian singer, dancer and entertainer Dany Maia is set to perform at Bodriggy Brewing Co. for the venue’s Sunday Smallgoods series on December 22. Sunday Smallgoods is designed to help you enjoy your last hours of freedom before Monday comes around. It’s free and gets started at 2pm.
For an afternoon of Christmas celebration, Tom Cartoonist is bringing his band to Bar 303 on Sunday December 22. Tim Woodz and Immy Owusu will get you warmed up for Cartoonist’s musical observations on suburban life. It’s free and doors are at 3pm.
On Sunday December 22 immerse yourself in the eloquent sounds of Dylan Brickley when he comes to the Quiet Man Irish Pub. The songwriter, originally from Cork in Ireland, has spent much of the year exploring Europe and is ready to entertain his Melbourne followers. Free from 5pm in the Front Bar.
The voice of TISM, Damian Cowell, is back with his Disco Machine for a special xmas edition. Cowell will be joined by radio legend Tony Martin for the show going down on Saturday December 21 from 8:30pm. Tix $28 via the venue website.
56
GIGS & EVENTS
SUNDAY 22 DEC
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. VERY HANDSOME MEN Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 4pm. FREE. WOLLANGARRA STAGE 3 FUNDRAISER FEAT: LILLY JONES, AVA & MIA, WILL DOUGLAS The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $9.85. SUNDAY SESSION, LUKE JOSEPH, JACK & JORDAN, TOMMY RANDO Temperance Hotel. South Yarra. 2pm. FREE. PTEX Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 4.30pm. FREE. BOBBY VALENTINE, LAUREN ELIZABETH, TOM & LISA GILLARD Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $25. DAN & AL XMAS SHOW Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $28.60. MOONEE VALLEY DRIFTERS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 4pm. SUGARBOOT Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. MICK THOMAS© ROVING COMMISSION Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 2.30pm. $28. TOM CARTOONIST & BAND, TIM WOODZ, IMMY OWUSU Bar 303. Northcote. 3pm. FREE. THE BLACK SORROWS Bird© s Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $39. SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND Royal Hotel (Mornington). Mornington. 3pm. FREE. DYLAN BRICKLEY The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 5pm. FREE. THE BAY STREET PREACHERS Clifton Hill Brewpub. Clifton Hill. 5pm. FREE. COUNTRY AT CUSTOMS FEAT: MICHELLE GARDINER, ANTHONY TAYLOR, DELLA HARRIS, EMILY HATTON, JAKE SINCLAIR, LUKE AUSTEN Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 2pm. FREE. THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM FEAT: THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE.
JAGGED LITTLE PILLS Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $20 - 40. DANNY WORSNOP, ANDY MAC Max Watt© s (Melbourne).. 7.30pm. $66.85. THE EXCITING MCGILLYCUDDIES The Quiet Man Irish Pub. Flemington. 6pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP SUNDAY SERVICE FEAT: KK, 10YRWAR, DJ R3DBIRD, MG BLAKK Morris Jones. Windsor. 4pm. FREE. SUNDAY JAM CHRISTMAS PARTY The Penny Black. Brunswick. 4pm. $15 - 25. MOTHERSHIP Co.. Southbank. 10pm. $15.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK ESSTEE BIG BAND Wesley Anne. Northcote. 3pm. $10. KELLY AUTY BAND The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 5.30pm. FREE. RUBY DARGAVILLE + NICK KYRITSIS Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. ALEX BURNS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6.30pm. FREE. LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING FERALS, AUSSIE ROB, ARCINGWIRES Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. HOODOO MAYHEM Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. FREE. SLACKROPE Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. LATIN AFFAIRES Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $10. THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM FEAT: THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL INNA CITY FEAT: MISTA SAVONA, FEE, FUTURE ROOTS, MR MONK Section 8. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
CLASSICAL
YOUR CREEPY EX, PHOSPHENES, KATE SLOANE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. FREEBOOTER REPUBLIC, ORION HAZE, THE DELIRIOUS The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $5. WILD MEADOWS, HOOK TURNS, PAPER TAPIR Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. PEAR HORIZON, N FUNK DJS Red Betty. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. BLACKIE, JACE Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3pm. FREE. MILK! CHRISTMAS SHOW FEAT: LOOSE TOOTH, COURTNEY BARNETT, HACHIKU Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. MILK! CHRISTMAS SHOW FEAT: LOOSE TOOTH, COURTNEY BARNETT, JADE IMAGINE, DYSON STRINGER CLOHER, HACHIKU Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 1pm.
LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 1pm. $100.95 - 151.90. LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 6pm. $100.95 - 151.90.
MONDAY 23 DEC
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL NIEUW MONDAYS The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 12pm. $3. PLAYAZ BALL FEAT: KIEREN LEE, DRANK WATER, NEO PITSO, DJ SPELL, LOUELLA
For the full gig guide head to beat.com.au/gig-guide
DEVILLE, MORE Section 8. Melbourne. 3pm. FREE.
Touring
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES LISA MILLER + SHANE O© MARA Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP PLAYAZ BALL FEAT: KIEREN LEE, DRANK WATER, NEO PITSO, DJ SPELL, LOUELLA DEVILLE, MORE Section 8. Melbourne. 3pm. FREE. ALEX JONES + WOMBAT, NERVE, SKRUB Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $45.81.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL MUNDANE MONDAYS XMAS SPECTACULAR Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8. MONDAY NIGHT MASS FEAT: PILLOW PRO, PUNKO, SAD Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. FREE.
TUESDAY 24 DEC
ROCK, PUNK, METAL SPARKLY BEAR Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES CHRISTMAS EVE FEAT: MARTY KELLY, DAN BOURKE, CYRIL MORAN, The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 4pm. FREE.
LIAM GALLAGHER LIAM GALLAGHER MARGARET COURT ARENA DECEMBER 11 LLOYD COLE HAMER HALL DECEMBER 11 ELTON JOHN ROD LAVER ARENA DECEMBER 11, 14 & 15 THE LEMONHEADS THE CORNER DECEMBER 12 AUGIE MARCH NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB DECEMBER 12 CRAZY TOWN LAUNDRY BAR DECEMBER 12 MAKING GRAVY SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL DECEMBER 12 RICHIE RAMONE MAX WATT’S DECEMBER 12 DJ KOZE BROWN ALLEY DECEMBER 13 OPETH PALAIS THEATRE DECEMBER 13 DEAD PREZ THE NIGHT CAT DECEMBER 13 PRESS CLUB CHERRY BAR DECEMBER 13 MILES BROWN THE CURTIN DECEMBER 13 GERRY CINNAMON THE CROXTON DECEMBER 13 PAINTERS AND DOCKERS THE ESPY DECEMBER 13 DEEZ NUTS STAY GOLD DECEMBER 14 ART VS SCIENCE HOWLER DECEMBER 14 RÓISÍN MURPHY THE FORUM DECEMBER 15 CATE LE BON THE CROXTON DECEMBER 15 THE DANGEROUS SUMMER STAY GOLD DECEMBER 15 VIAGRA BOYS THE TOTE DECEMBER 15 & 16 CHILDREN COLLIDE CHERRY BAR DECEMBER 17 JARROW THE GASOMETER DECEMBER 18 #1 DADS HOWLER DECEMBER 18 & 20 BRIAN EL DORADO NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB DECEMBER 19 PLASTIC THE TOFF IN TOWN DECEMBER 19 KYLIE AULDIST NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB DECEMBER 19 THE SMITH STREET BAND STAY GOLD DECEMBER 20 DARREN HANLON NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB DECEMBER 20 STEVE TYSSEN THE BERGY SELTZER DECEMBER 20 MAJOR BUMMER THE CORNER DECEMBER 20 WILLOW RADAR DECEMBER 21 ROBERT DELONG YAH YAH’S DECEMBER 21
57
BACKSTAGE
PA HIRE
FREE!
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
MADE BY MUS ICIANS FOR MUS ICIANS
#308 – DECEMB ER 2019
www.bssound.com.au bssound@bigpond.com
Vintage, new & Second Hand ampS, effectS pedalS & RigS
INTERVIEWS — Taylor Hawkins, The Butterfly Effec t, Jimmy Eat World, Yola + more
Huge Selection – All mAjor BrAndS:
REVIEWED — Waldorf Kyra VA Synthesiser, Warw ick RockBass Lee Sklar Bass, Vox Mini Supe r
Beetle Amp, Mack ie SRM Flex Colu mn PA, Prodipe Natu ral Acoustic Amp s, Samson Expedition XP312W PA + more
AVA IL
ABLE N OW
INDUSTRYLEADING CONVERTERS FAST & RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY LATENCY-FREE MONITORING WITH BUILT-IN EFFECTS
guitaRS & ampS wanted top ca$H paid
expeRt guitaR & amp RepaiRS modS & ReStoRation faSt tuRnaRound affoRdable RateS tecHnicianS on Site 1131 Burke rd, keW 3101 PHone: 03 9817 7000 WWW.eAStgAtemuSic.com.Au
SNAPS – Khokolat Koated
58
ISSUE #308 OUT NOW
SHRINK OUTSIDE THE BOX MORE COMPACT, SAME IMPACT.
Transport the greats with you. The studio range brings you those iconic Marshall tones in a portable 20W format.
Marshall Amplification is distributed, serviced & supported by Electric Factory Pty Ltd sales@elfa.com.au