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ISSUE 1693 • FEBRUARY 12 • 2020
Grampians Music Festival LISA FISCHER • CONRAD SEWELL • JOSH WOLF • SLEEP TALK • EDUCATION SPECIAL
AUSTRALIA’S HOTTEST MUSOS HIT THE MOUNTAINS
Presented in collaboration with Arts Centre Melbourne for Asia TOPA.
29 FEBRUARY – 1 MARCH Sidney Myer Music Bowl
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mso.com.au
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ISSUE 1693
Contents EDITOR Tom Parker DIGITAL EDITOR Kate Streader SUB EDITOR Greta Brereton EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Gabriella Beaumont, Jacob Colliver, Joshua Martin, Emilia Megroz, Saskia Morrison-Thiagu, Leland Tan DESIGNERS Erica May, Sophia Temporali COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Laidlaw MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr ADVERTISING Greg Pettinella (Advertising/Editorial) greg@beat.com.au
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Bill Callahan
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 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ian Laidlaw, David Harris, Lewis Nixon, Sally Townsend, Andrew Friend, Rochelle Flack, Anna Madden, Dan Soderstrom, Joshua Braybrook, Tasha Strachan, James Hughes
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Ecca Vandal
Psycho Zydeco
Editor’s Note Another edition and another festival that continues to push boundaries and redefine the regular confines of music and art. St Kilda Festival just delivered its epic 40th instalment and now we ready ourselves for Grampians Music Festival, an occasion on the other side of the spectrum in terms of size but one that is equally ambitious and progressive. In 2020, Grampians welcomes its biggest lineup boasting Julia Jacklin at the top, with prominent names such as Ecca Vandal, These New South Whales, DRMNGNOW, Elizabeth, Maddy Jane, CLYPSO and much more to follow. We chat to Festival Director Carly Flecknoe about what Grampians Music Festival is all about and what looms over the Pinnacle in 2020. To celebrate the nearing festivities, we’ve pieced together a special guide to the Grampians, across four pages from top to toe. You’ll learn about wineries, accommodation, festivals as well as a spiritual retreat. It’s time for a roadtrip, I say. Outside of that, we’ve got interviews with music heavy-hitters Hot Chip, The New Pornographers, Bill Callahan and Thando, and give you the lowdown on the forthcoming Under the Southern Stars and Lemonade Festival. So join us as we keep telling the story of this fertile music and arts industry that won’t cease to deliver. The machine ain’t stopping for you so you, better not stop for it. Let’s do this. TOM PARKER, EDITOR
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News Arts Guide Columns Grampians Music Festival Grampians Special Julia Jacklin, Ecca Vandal Lemonade Festival Bill Callahan, The New Pornographers Hot Chip, Thando
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Under the Southern Stars Psycho Zydeco, Gio Taranta Festival, Open House Thornbury HuRU-hARa, Puppa Palooza The HU, The Leadbeater Hotel 60 Seconds With… Best New Album Album Reviews Gig Guide
COLUMNISTS Christie Eliezer, Sose Fuamoli, Augustus Welby, Morgan Mangan, D’arcy McGregor, Sam Howard, Anna Rose 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
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News
Image by Pooneh Ghana
Boogie DROPS BIG 2020 LINEUP Returning for its 14th instalment, and final incarnation at the Tallarook site, Boogie Festival has just dropped the first look at this year’s lineup. Two mammoth Aussie acts head the bill – psych-rock favourites POND are set to touch down in Tallarook alongside mighty rockers Cash Savage & The Last Drinks for Boogie 14. Each pushing boundaries in their own right and known for their energetic live performances, the two headliners serve as a double-whammy worthy of scoring tickets to this year’s festival alone. But that’s just the beginning, with US rock favourites Twin Peaks and Endless Boogie also set to hit the stage alongside the likes of Even, Grace Cummings, Karate Boogaloo, Hayley Mary, Mr Teenage, The Vovos, Imperium and a bunch of others yet to be announced. Boogie Festival goes down from Friday April 10 to Sunday April 12 at Our Friend’s Farm, Tallarook. For tickets and more info, head to the festival website.
Kylie Auldist
Diesel ANNOUNCES SOLO TOUR Renowned Aussie hitmaker Diesel has revealed Sunset Suburbia, a new solo tour around the country to celebrate the release of his 2019 dual EPs of the same name. The tour kicks off on Friday February 14 and will venture up the east coast from Victoria into New South Wales and Queensland across 28 dates. As part of this, he’ll be dropping into the Yarraville Club on Friday March 13 and Belgrave’s Sooki Lounge on Friday March 20. Tickets are now onsale via his website, dieselmusic.com.au.
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Eltham Jazz, Food & Wine Festival RETURNS FOR 2020 The Eltham Jazz, Food & Wine Festival will return to the suburb’s town centre with the best of local live music, food and drink this February. This year, the festival will welcome both emerging and established acts alike, and feature performances from iconic vocalist Kylie Auldist, alongside the likes of The Lachy Doley Group, Claude Hay, Geoff Achison Trio, Ogopogo and heaps more. The festival takes over Eltham on Saturday February 22 and Sunday February 23. Entry is free, find out more via elthamjazz.com.au.
DIIV
City of Melbourne
REVEAL MELBOURNE SHOW
OPENS SMALL MUSIC BUSINESS GRANTS
US dreamers DIIV have announced they’ll be heading our way for an Australian tour in April. Their new album released late last year, Deceiver, saw the band explore new sounds. Working with an outside producer for the first time, the band employed the help of Sonny Diperri (Protomatyr, Trent Reznor) to flesh out the record’s rich sonic palette, resulting in a full sound bound to come alive when they bring the record to Aussie stages. The band hit The Croxton on Tuesday April 28. Tix available via Oztix.
If you ever dreamed of owning your own record store, music festival, dive bar, now’s your chance; the City of Melbourne’s small music business grants and event sponsorship applications open on Monday February 17.The council will help you out with development, start-up, expansion and exportation. Don’t dawdle on your brainstorming though – applications close Monday March 16. More information is available via the City of Melbourne’s website.
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NEWS
Karina Utomo
Soul Star Holistic Festival
HuRU-hARa
Alanis Morissette
Looking Out, Looking In
RETURNS FOR 2020
AN AVANT-GARDE INSTALLATION
UNVEILS MELBOURNE SHOW
Celebrate your inner wellness and spirit when Soul Star Holistic Festival returns to Melbourne this March. Taking over Port Melbourne’s The Timber Yard on Sunday March 1, punters will be able to indulge in energy healing yoga classes, a cacao dance celebration, and absorb inspirational talks from some of the Australia’s best facilitators. There will also be workshops while natural practitioners, healers and psychic readers will be giving 20-minute one-on-one sessions all day long. Find out everything about Soul Star and grab your tickets at soul-star.com.au.
As part of Asia TOPA, HuRU-hARa is bringing artists from Australia and the Nusantara archipelago of South East Asia together for a living art installation at Abbotsford Convent. Musicians like Riar Rizaldi, Duto Hardono, and radio DJ Karina Sokowati alongside Malaysian dancer Rithaudin Abdul Kadir, Butoh artists Yumi Umiumare and Takashi Takiguchi and more will perform around a lo-fi dive bar while artists work on a permanently impermanent installation from found material. Free from Thursday 20 February until Thursday 1 March 2020.
Having just joined the Bluesfest lineup, Alanis Morissette has revealed two Australian headline shows as part of her 2020 World Tour celebrating 25 years of her seminal debut album, Jagged Little Pill. Released in 1995, Jagged Little Pill stands strong as a decade-defining masterpiece 25 years on. A testament to Morissette’s power as a songwriter and musician, the record boasts fan favourites such as ‘Ironic’, ‘You Oughta Know’ and ‘Perfect’. She comes to Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday April 15 with tickets now on sale via Live Nation.
NEXT CITY OF MELBOURNE PLAYLIST REVEALED
Ebonivory
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra
Women of the North
Ebonivory + Glass Ocean
Twilight Sounds
ANNOUNCE BUSHFIRE ANIMAL BENEFIT
ANNOUNCE MELBOURNE BUSHFIRE RELIEF SHOW
DROP 2020 LINEUP
Nine of Melbourne’s northern suburbs’ “classiest” performers are putting on an allfemale matinee bushfire benefit gig at Chalice Hall on Sunday February 16. Organised by singer-songwriter Sonia Serin and Melbourne Acoustica, the “Women of the North” include Cate Taylor, Tori, Joyce Prescher and several more. All proceeds will go to ARC Animal Collective Rescue Guild, and Gippsland emergency relief charities, with tickets available at the door and online at Eventbrite.
Ballarat prog rockers Ebonivory are teaming up with Sydney’s Glass Ocean for a co-headline tour across the country in February and March. The show is a treat for local prog fans, with Ebonivory rising off prestigious support slots from Monuments and The Ocean last year, while Glass Ocean continue to be a stalwart of the scene. To sweeten the deal, all proceeds of the Melbourne leg at The Workers Club on Friday March 6 will go directly to Wildlife Victoria and the CFA for bushfire relief. Tickets are available via wildthingpresents.com.
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Melbourne is a hotbed for almost any musical genre and the City of Melbourne has brought on High Tension’s Karina Utomo to curate a playlist that’s distinctly metal. With a showcase playlist of local grindcore, black metal, doom and noise for the third volume of its ‘Looking Out, Looking In’ series, you’ll find tracks from the likes of Divide and Dissolve, MY DISCO, King Parrot, Pagan, Grim Rhythm, Outright and more. Celebrate the local grind and check it out now via Spotify.
Banyule City Council’s flagship annual free music festival Twilight Sounds (not to be confused with Zoo Twilights) is back, and the lineup is looking tasty. The 17-piece Public Opinion Afro Orchestra combine the afrobeat of Nigeria and West Africa while Tracy McNeil and The Goodlife’s homely country music promises to mesmerise. The Voices Supergroup are also set to belt out a selection of Aussie hits; a pseudo karaoke machine, if you will. It all goes down on Saturday March 14 in Sills Bend Park from 5:30pm. BYO picnic rugs and chairs, but there will be food trucks onsite.
When It Rains (I feel like eating Jeon) INTRIGUING INSTALLATION ARRIVES Inspired by the story of a Korean elder walking through an urbanised section of Ansan where the sea used to be is this new installation from producer Jin Yim. When It Rains traces the connection between site, sensation and memory; colourful but blank shop panels work together to create a poignant sight. The free installation will sit on South Magdalen Laundry at Abbotsford Convent from Thursday February 20 to Sunday March 1.
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Arts Guide
BEAT’S K TOP PIC
Image by James D. Morgan
Billy Elliot The Musical DANCES INTO MELBOURNE Over ten years after the curtain fell on the Australian premiere of Billy Elliot The Musical, the award-winning production will return to Melbourne this month. Based on the film of the same name, the West End production features music by Elton John, lyrics by Lee Hall and choreography by Peter Darling. Since making its debut in London in 2005, the critically-acclaimed musical has been seen by over 12 million people across the world. Its return to Melbourne is part of its 10th Anniversary Australian tour. It comes to Regent Theatre from Thursday February 20 until Sunday April 19. Head to billyelliotthemusical.com.au for tickets.
REVIEW
Locke & Key An adaptation of Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez and Jay Fotos’ comic series of the same name, Locke & Key has been a long time coming. After a decade of unsuccessful attempts, the project emerges from development hell
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in the form of a Netflix series. The streaming giant’s Locke & Key is largely a family and teen drama peppered with soft fantasy elements, culminating in a show that drifts between solid and strained in its execution. Following the murder of husband and father Rendell Locke, the remaining Locke family moves cross-country to Rendell’s childhood home. His children soon discover magical keys hidden throughout the house, with mysteries and threats emerging with them. Rather than dumping them all on the
viewer at once, the show reveals them — and their varying abilities — gradually, often evoking a sense of mystery. However, other facets of the series are too familiar to be deeply interesting. The Locke children are initially rooted in cliché: Tyler (Connor Jessup) and Kinsey (Emilia Jones) begin with all the sarcasm and detachment of archetypal teenagers, while Bode (Jackson Robert Scott) is the energetic, naïve young child. The Locke who most defies cliché is Nina (Darby Stanchfield). While she is the mother of the children and Rendell’s wife, she isn’t a character revolving solely around maternalism, but rather her own questions, anxieties and demons. While the narrative can sometimes exclude Nina for feeble reasons, she is the hardest of the main characters to pin down. Rendell’s death and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it weigh heavily on the Lockes. It understands the ways we try to cope with pain and the unhealthy things we do anyway because the alternative options just seem too hard. We shouldn’t try to bring back the dead, Locke & Key says, but if we
surround ourselves with the people still here, we can make it through. It’s not an original thought, but still worthwhile. Though Locke & Key never quite hooks its audience enough to become genuinely gripping. Some of its narrative decisions work, and there are a few neat visual tricks: ghostly forms, a mirror characters can walk through, a key used in the back of characters’ necks – the show’s creepiest effect. But it’s held back by insisting on sarcastic quips, most of which fail because at best, they’re grating rather than funny or, at worst, hinder the progression of the characters. Much of the drama is contrived, too, from small character conflicts to big, unconvincing twists. This includes Locke & Key’s central antagonist; some scenes aim for foreboding but are laughable instead, lacking the necessary menace to create tension. The final episode looks towards another season – which is reportedly already being written – but for now, Locke & Key lacks the magic to truly soar. Locke & Key is on Netflix now. BY MATT MAIDA
MULTICULTURAL LIVE MUSIC WAREHOUSE EXPERIENCE
AUSECUMA BEATS
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ARTS GUIDE
Transitions Film Festival EXPLORING A FAST-CHANGING WORLD Returning for its ninth year, Transitions Film Festival is set to bring a huge slate of documentaries to the silver screen. Spanning topics including the climate crisis, artificial intelligence and wellness, the expansive program tackles the overarching theme of resilience. From the Stephen Fry-narrated I Am Human, exploring the ethical implications of AI, to Magic Medicine, documenting clinical trials for treating depression with magic mushrooms, this year’s festival has something for everyone. It’s happening from Thursday February 20 until Friday March 6 across various cinemas. Find tickets and the full program at transitionsfilmfestival.com.
Almost Human
LIVE MUSIC FEBRUARY FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
JACARANDA SNOW + TOM KENDALL 9PM SATURDAY 15TH FEBRUARY
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Image by Ashley Prazer
OPEN HOUSE THORNBURY FROM 8PM THE BRADS
Latin Valentine
Shrek the Musical
Double Delicious
SEAN SIMMANS (COMEDY)
A NIGHT OF DANCE AND ROMANCE
PAINTING THE TOWN GREEN
A THEATRICAL CULINARY PERFORMANCE
Inspired by the Latinx Day of Love and Friendship, Latin Valentine is bringing a night of traditional dance, music, food and more to the Immigration Museum. Join your loved ones on the dancefloor and shake it out as you’re serenaded by tropical beats and mariachi love song dedications. There will also be traditional Mexican street food and drinks to fuel your moves. It’s happening on Friday February 14 from 5:30pm as part of Summer of Dance. Get tickets and find out more at the Museums Victoria website.
After making its Australian premiere in Sydney in January to rave reviews, Shrek The Musical will travel to Melbourne this month. Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film Shrek, this special production sees the tale of your favourite ogre come to life on stage in a flurry of laughs, dancing and lots of green body paint. Shrek The Musical comes to Her Majesty’s Theatre from Sunday February 16 to Sunday April 12. Tickets via shrekthemusical.com.au.
THE COLLABORATORS
Melding cooking and storytelling to showcase the role food plays in our lives, Double Delicious is an immersive experience bound to arouse the senses. Presented by cooking legend Elizabeth Chong alongside author and journalist Benjamin Law, this is a culinary show like no other. It’s happening at Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent from Thursday February 27 until Sunday March 1 as part of Asia TOPA. For tickets and all the details, head to the Abbotsford Convent website.
SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY
WIDOWS OF THE PARISH 5PM
WEEKLY SPECIALS MONDAY HAPPY HOUR 10PM - 1AM $6 JAMESON $4 POTS $8 PINTS $6 WINE
TUESDAY TRIVIA 8PM (FREE) $10 PIZZA
WEDNESDAY OPEN MIC 8PM $10 BURGER & FRIES
THURSDAY
What Happened in Shanghai EXPLORING LIFE, DEATH, RESILIENCE What Happened In Shanghai sees choreographer Victoria Chiu drawing from her family roots and female ancestors. Featuring four dancers, projections and live music, this multi-disciplinary work weaves through varying cultures, timelines, and emotions. It’s happening at North Magdalen Laundry, Abbotsford Convent from Friday February 21 - Monday February 24 as part of Asia TOPA. For tickets and more information, visit the Abbotsford Convent website.
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Black Ties
Jason Alexander
WHEN FAMILIES AND CULTURES CLASH
MASTER OF HIS DOMAIN
A hilarious and immersive production sure to give you the warm and fuzzies, Black Ties sees two families butting heads. While Maori corporate hotshot Hera and Aboriginal entrepreneur Kane may be head over heels in love, their headstrong families aren’t so smitten. Coming to Melbourne following sold-out runs in Sydney and Perth, Black Ties stars Uncle Jack Charles, Mark Coles Smith, and Lisa Maza among its dazzling cast. It comes to Arts Centre Melbourne from Friday February 21 until Saturday February 29. Grab your tickets from the venue website.
Best known for his role as George Costanza, Jason Alexander is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld with his live show Master Of His Domain. In an evening of comedy, music and conversation, Alexander will tell tales from his life and career. Get the lowdown on the Seinfeld goofs and how the television series set up the rest of his career. He comes to The Palms at Crown Melbourne from Wednesday February 12 until Saturday February 15. Tickets are selling fast, so grab yours now via Ticketmaster.
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COLUMNS
Hip Hop
Electronic
Punk
Metal
WITH SOSE FUAMOLI
WITH SAM HOWARD
WITH JAMES LYNCH
WITH ANNA ROSE
Eminem
Cable Ties
Records turning 20 in 2020 Art and music combine at Something Unlimited Prep the birthday cake, ‘cause there are some iconic records turning 20 this year. To get the celebrations started early, we’re revisiting three big ones that helped not only to define trends, but also stand tall two decades on. EMINEM’S MARSHALL MATHERS LP The third studio album from Slim Shady dropped in May 2000 and explored the enfant terrible of American rap to another level. Courting controversy upon its release, the Marshall Mathers LP took aim at everyone from the US government to Britney Spears, and churned out some of Eminem’s most memorable hits. With Dr. Dre back on board as executive producer, Eminem explored lyrical depth better than on any other record he had released until that point. ‘Stan’, ‘Who Knew’ and ‘Kill You’ are early examples of this, while ‘The Way I Am’, ‘The Real Slim Shady’ and of course, ‘Kim’ would turn out to be album touchstones. The album still ranks as one of the best-selling records ever (over 21 million copies sold globally), a certified Diamond release. SLUM VILLAGE’S FANTASTIC, VOL.2 Released in June, the sophomore release from Detroit’s Slum Village would go on to be a genre-defining album, loved by many. Originally completed a few years earlier, Fantastic, Vol. 2 went through a period of limbo before finally being released through GoodVibe. The result was an accomplished 74 minutes of groove, hip hop cuts and production style that would influence contemporaries for years to come. A memorable part of J Dilla’s legacy, the album featured the likes of Pete Rock, Common, Kurupt, D’Angelo and Q-Tip a veritable who’s who of the game at that time. OUTKAST’S STANKONIA Taking things down south, October of 2000 would see Outkast come through with their fourth record, Stankonia. Following 1998’s Aquemini, this offering saw Big Boi and Andre 3000 explore melodies, experiment with production and introduce a new sense of flair to the hip hop game. Aside from producing the likes of ‘Ms. Jackson’, ‘So Fresh, So Clean’ and ‘B.O.B’, Stankonia was an early and defining example of Outkast’s adventurous nature in the studio. Gospel influences were married with higher tempos more commonly attributed to funk and psych music. Like De La Soul on steroids with the punch of Public Enemy and Prince, the album changed the way many conceptualised the boundaries of the genre.
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For many years, art and music scenes have been considered somewhat mutually exclusive – art was for galleries, and music performances were for gigs. But with the emergence of creative collectives, crews like Genre Spanner, Tessellate and Cool Room have begun to shift the goal posts and go so much further than the event scene has ever gone before. This weekend is the second instalment of Something Unlimited – a multidimensional neon-botanical playground that aims to merge the mediums of music and visual art. Located at the 131-year-old Northcote Town Hall, the one-day festival is a showcase that demonstrates how truly artistic and creative the electronic culture of the city is. Mikaela Stafford is Something Unlimited’s leading art curator and believes the emergence of combined mediums has a lot to do with Australia’s holistic installation and production values at festivals. “People are looking for experiences now, not just music. It’s all about having a more experiential engagement with sound, and the visual and sonic qualities of going to an event are so synonymous with each other. It makes so much more sense because both elements marry so well, and it means we can facilitate new ways for media installation and projection-based artists to exhibit outside of a gallery context,” she says. The design brief for the weekend is “neon florists meet earthly delights”. Visual artists will have their work showcased within eight separate art spaces which will feature experimentations of interactive sound performances with plants, ceiling to floor sculptures, body-based technological projections and ‘60s-meets-futuristic-disco mediums. There have been great gains in the electronic scene enabling visual artists to flourish, yet Stafford says that sometimes funding often holds growth back. She believes that people within the scene need to truly understand the value of the craft. “It’s hard to have a practice that’s based on not just time and labour, but materials as well. It’s not always a level ground for visual and music artists. I think you need to have festivals, promoters and organisers that believe in the value of that level of production, and that’s what we’re trying to demonstrate,” she says. Art curation for the weekend includes Alice Gascoyne, Chris Golden, Rhys Newling, XXFlos, Goodie Goodnow, Victoria Bitter & Prue Brown and more, with musical artists including Adriana, Jazz, Mount Liberation Unlimited, Tiana Khasi, No Zu, Cable Ties, Gordon Koang and more. Something Unlimited hits Northcote Townhall on Saturday February 15. Tix via Eventbrite.
Jay Reatard
The legacy of Jay Reatard January just marked ten years since the death of Memphis punk-rocker Jay Reatard. To celebrate his legacy, we’ve looked back at his incredible career through three defining albums. TEENAGE HATE - REATARDS A few years before Teenage Hate was released, Jay caught the attention of Eric Friedl of Goner Records by sending the label a demo tape of his first attempts at songs. Friedl described it as “a kid bashing in his bathroom with buckets and a guitar” – a sprawl of garage-rock that was primitive, yet packed with potential. Friedl recalls his thinking - “I’m gonna put this out, this will probably be the only time we hear from this kid, this is great, I don’t care if he becomes an accountant”. He soon realised how wrong he was as a year or so later, Goner released Jay’s first full length album. On Teenage Hate, all the restless energy and chaos that would define Jay’s later work can be heard. It’s an 18 track sprint through garage, punk, power-pop, and even southern-rock; it serves as a thrilling uncovering of the scope of this creative madman. LOST SOUNDS - LOST SOUNDS Referred to as Jay’s “lost legacy” by Pitchfork, Lost Sounds was one of his longest running projects. Lost Sounds played together for six years, which is a lifetime considering Jay’s breakneck work rate. While their fourth and final album might not be the band’s ultimate statement, it does encompass everything that made the project so powerful. Mixing brutal hardcore moments with synth-punk irreverence and pop-smarts, Lost Sounds perfectly marries Jay’s untapped creativity with his destructive tendencies. That’s not to downplay the role of cosongwriter Alicja Trout either - the competition between the two musicians forced Jay to test boundaries and wander into more innovative territory, her influence seemingly dictating where Jay would take his own music next. As Pitchfork write, “Trout was hardly the muse, hers was the A-game he was trying to beat”. It was this band’s end that saw Jay channel any leftover energy and frustration into his breakthrough solo album Blood Visions. WATCH ME FALL - JAY REATARD While Blood Visions may be Jay’s definitive work, his second and final solo record Watch Me Fall is a profoundly apt closing statement. On this album, Jay trades punk chaos in favour of the melody and charm of Flying Nun janglepop or ‘60s garage, without compromising the thrill and urgency of his earlier work. It’s a tricky album to leave us with though - the transition to a more mellow sound opened plenty of new doors which would be tragically shut a year later, halting a career that ended well before its time.
Make Them Suffer
Australia’s only heavy music annual countdown returns Australia’s best (and only, to my knowledge) heavy music countdown, The Faction’s Hardest 100, announced its return last week. The Faction have quickly made a place for themselves as the heavy music community’s go-to for exclusive streaming playlists, news from the best heavy outlets in Australia and exclusive announcements, spread across a variety of platforms. Each year The Faction have held one of their Hardest countdowns, UK outfit Architects have taken out the number one. ‘Doomsday’ was voted number one in the Hardest 100 countdown in 2018, and ‘Hereafter’ reached the top spot in the Hardest 100 announced last year. So, will an Aussie act take out the top spot this year? Let’s take a quick look at some of the sensational Aussie artists featured in last year’s countdown to get you thinking. MAKE THEM SUFFER – ‘27’ Like a car coming to a horrifyingly fast stop, Perth metalcore lads Make Them Suffer grind their gears through this vibrant and harmonic banger, sparing no effort in making their sound as gnarly as humanly possible. Epic song. LIKE THIEVES – ‘NEVER SEE IT COMING’ Oof, what a bassline! Brisbane’s Like Thieves took out the middle spot at #50 in last year’s countdown, and rightly so. There’s a very In Flames-meets-System Of A Down thing going on here and it’s pretty exciting. HELLIONS – ‘SMILE’ If ever there was a contender for a heavy music anthem – a song that simply brings people together – would be this absolute banger from Hellions. Placing at #10 in last year’s countdown, it rightly deserved a place in the top ten. ALPHA WOLF – ‘BLACK MAMBA’ The opening vocals on this one from Alpha Wolf are kinda scary, but I suppose that’s the point. Alpha Wolf were out to make their mark with this one. Melbourne’s own guttural guys scooted into #2 (so close!) with this heaving track, ‘Black Mamba’. Public voting for the Hardest 100 of 2019 is open now and closes on March 13 at 5pm AEDT before the final results are revealed through The Faction’s website, live on March 22. The Faction have got a bunch of countdown parties taking place in major cities, including Melbourne’s Stay Gold, where you can listen to all 100 of the nominated tracks. Make your vote count, the heavy community needs you!
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COVER STORY
Grampians Music Festival is iconically Australia WORDS BY TAMMY WALTERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN LAIDLAW
We explore one of Australia’s most unique and intimate music celebrations. Nestled in the heart of the picturesque rolling mountain circle of the Grampians National Park in Halls Gap, Grampians Music Festival explodes with Australian identity. From its landscape, to their core values of inclusivity, mateship and representation, and its layered lineup of incredible Australian emerging and up-and-coming talent, GMF hits the mark time and time again in showcasing Australian music and culture. Going into the festival’s fourth year, they’ve well and truly outdone themselves. In 2020, GMF is championing a broad spectrum of Aussie talent on their biggest lineup to date. Front and centre is the divine songstress Julia Jacklin following on from the biggest year of her career. 2019 spawned her critically-acclaimed sophomore album Crushing. In a water to fire contrast, Jacklin will be joined by pocket rocket, Ecca Vandal, and the comedic satire stage presence of DIY punks These New South Whales. DRMNGNOW, Maddy Jane, Elizabeth, CLYPSO, Raave Tapes, Zoe Fox & The Rocket Clocks, Pinch Points, Sledgehammer and more, also join the diverse lineup, ready to stun the familyfriendly field. “The festival is located smack bang in the middle of the Halls Gap valley so you can see
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both sides of the incredible granite mountains – it’s such an Australian location. You’ve got kookaburras, you’ve got kangaroos, you’ve got the sunset; being an all-Australian lineup speaks to the heart of what it is,” explains Festival Director Carly Flecknoe. “The way we address our programming is that they need to be Australian, independent, they have to be on an upward trajectory and doing something that creates something original in the scene. I guess that allows us to play with a lot of genres because that’s not specifically genre-defining. “We always look at whether we’re crossing other nationalities, whether we have Indigenous representation, we look at nonbinary – all different aspects to make sure we’re representing a spectrum of the industry.” GMF have certainly hit the nail on the head with this year’s lineup feeding into the festival’s strong alumnus of Sampa The Great, Angie McMahon, Polish Club, WAFIA, Slum Sociable, Alice Skye, Tired Lion and Ruby Fields, all of whom have catapulted off the Halls Gap platform. Another outlet for performer growth is their Emerging Artist stage at surrounding pubs and venues which puts the spotlight on all things shiny and new. While the festival offers a stage to artists, the artists have been
equally influential in moving GMF into its next stage of development, shaping it for years to come. “Grampians Music Festival will always be a festival that evolves with what is happening and what is current in the industry. That is what happens when you work with independent bands and bands that are on their way to doing something that creates a really great noise in the music industry. “It’s important that we allow ourselves to be guided by what is going in the music industry and where paths are forming and where those needs and new spaces are,” Flecknoe continues. “I would almost describe it as a person – when you first come into your teens and you’re looking around and thinking, ‘I’m sort of on my way to being a grown up here, and I kind of know who I want to be but I’m not really sure whether or not I’m comfortable with that or confident with that’. With each year that has gone on that has solidified, so we’ve really started to feel confident in our position around the kind of music we want to put on and have really started to love the way our audience itself has been defined. “To see and create a space that feels safe for people to bring their children – and that started really organically – and then for us to
be able to embrace that has been fantastic. That in turn has provided that extra growth for the festival. The more aware we become in our role the more we define what we do. Each year GMF becomes more of who it is.” The adult version of the festival, as it approaches its five-year anniversary, looks to be even more comfortable in its skin, continuing to evolve with the music-scape and introducing new elements to the mix. “There is talk in the works of possibly introducing a new stage but it is – and I can’t give too much away yet because it isn’t confirmed and locked in – but it is a niche stage, so there won’t be two competing lineups,” Flecknoe says. “It will be complementary and it will serve a specific purpose. We still believe in our philosophy of being able to watch a band at one stage and not have to run away and coordinate your day with 15 minutes of one band and 15 of another.” Grampians Music Festival goes down across two nights from Friday February 28 to Saturday February 29. Grab your tix via the festival website, grampiansmusicfestival.com.
GRAMPIANS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Six songs we can’t wait to hear at Grampians Music Festival Something is happening up in the mountains. In just a few short weeks the sun-kissed Halls Gap will play host to Grampians Music Festival. With its spectacular horizons and unbelievable Aussie talent in the one spot, the festival is shaping up to be one of summer’s biggest. Here are a few tracks we can’t wait to sink our ears into. BY FERGUS NEAL
Julia Jacklin
These New South Whales
DRMNGNOW
‘Pool Party’ might be a favourite but following Jacklin’s duet with Lana Del Rey a few short months ago, ‘Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You’ has re-energised music fans all over the globe. With a spine-tingling crescendo that hits breathtaking heights, Jacklin’s ability to tap into raw emotion has made her one of Australia’s most exciting musical exports. Listening to this track while the mountain air sweeps through your hair and your best mate rocks gently in your arms might very well move you to tears.
Quirky, abrasive and unabashed fun are just some of the ways people have described These New South Whales. If you’ve ever seen these boys live or caught their mockumentary series on Comedy Central then you’re used to the black tape over their nipples and their famed lived performances. ‘Cholesterol Heart (God Bless Ya)’ is set to be the head-bopping track of the entire festival – this track was pretty much made for festivals so get ready for an absolute belter.
Grampians Music Festival is located within the beautiful Grampians National Park, also known as Gariwerd, a sacred part of Victoria, a place that has always been and always will be the land of the Djab Wurrung and the Jardwadjali people of the Kulin Nations. DRMNGNOW, aka Neil Morris, is a Melbourne-based rapper and songwriter and is a must-see for his innovative music and daring compositions. His big bass track ‘Indigenous Land’ will surely take on a larger meaning at the festival.
‘Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You’
‘Cholesterol Heart (God Bless Ya)’
Image by Sean McDonald
‘Indigenous Land’
Image by Laura Du Ve
Ecca Vandal
Maddy Jane
Elizabeth
Melbourne’s genre-transcendent Ecca Vandal will serve up the perfect track for the occasion with ‘Future Heroine’. Since her appearance at BIGSOUND in 2016, the singer-songwriter has gone on to release her debut record and play the likes of Reading and Leeds in the UK. Punters will conjure newfound levels of oxytocin when this singalong is played – you can’t help but to tap your feet to the dynamic bass. Slip on your best pair of sandals and get ready to stomp to the beat of Ecca Vandal lighting up the stage.
Maddy Jane’s music is down to earth and sweetly melodic. The Tassie girl from Bruny Island will make her way up into the mountains with a guitar over her shoulder to perform a crowd favourite, ‘Thank You and Sorry.’ The song has a finger on the pulse of modern-day relationships which isn’t uncommon for a singer who often hits on universal themes. Give yourself a wide berth in the pit so you can spread your wings and dance to this track from an artist that continues to inspire.
Elizabeth’s critically-applauded 2019 album the wonderful world of nature was a return to her work as a solo artist after a long stint of working with a wide range of collaborators. The album captivated audiences across Australia and over the world and now Elizabeth brings her breathtaking voice to the Grampians. ‘Here’ reminds you to, in the words of George Harrison, “Be here now” – a timely reminder to take in the terrain around you, to taste the air on your tongue, and dive head-first into the music.
‘Thank You and Sorry’
‘Future Heroine’
‘Here’
Head down to Grampians Music Festival when it takes place from Friday February 28 to Saturday February 29. For more info and tickets visit grampiansmusicfestival.com.
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BEAT’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
The Grampians Grampians Grape Escape
Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park
Image by Tony Evans
Tell us a bit about Grampians Grape Escape. What’s it all about? The Grampians Grape Escape celebrates the best of Western Victoria’s wineries, producers and makers. Held over the first weekend in May, festival-goers can explore a village of more than 100 stalls and enjoy everything from exhibitor masterclasses and cooking demonstrations to live music and guest chefs. It is a weekend of regional wine, food and music that cannot be missed. The festival is iconic, celebrating local producers and makers from the region for the best part of 30 years. How have you built this reputation? Simple – good food, good wine and good vibes. Grampians Grape Escape provides the opportunity to discover almost 40 local wineries and over 100 exhibitors in total, all at the foothills of the Grampians National Park. What live music can we expect at the festival? Grampians Grape Escape supports original artists, local talent as well as providing the party tunes as the day comes to an end. Expect this year’s festival to cover everything from rockgrass and Americana blues to heavy flamenco and trop-pop. What makes the Grampians the perfect travel destination? The Grampians is the ultimate road trip destination where you’ll find magic in every season. In winter, find a wonderland of cool-climate shiraz. In spring, dazzling wildflower displays. In summer, cool off in mountain waters, and discover breathtaking lookouts in autumn.
Give us the lowdown on Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park. This highly-rated and fully-upgraded tourist park has proven ideal for those who enjoy the independence of self-drive holidays and are looking for comfort and luxury while also wanting to experience the outdoors. You can sit around a campfire whilst watching kangaroos, emus and cockatoos or have a swim in one of the woodfire-heated outdoor pools. You’ve just launched some new glamping tents. Tell us about these. We really wanted to allow guests to experience the Australian safari in full luxury. I mean Sealy beds for sleep comfort, private BBQs, stylish décor, reverse air-con and even a bath on the deck! Each tent overlooks the valley where kangaroos and emus hang out undisturbed. How do the Bell Tents differ from the Safari Tents? The Bell Tents are specifically designed for a romantic getaway. They are extremely well received and affordable. They all have a small fridge, kettle, microwave, a Weber BBQ and a little Ozpig. The Safari Tents have their own bathroom, kitchenette, bath and also sleep five guests. They are not as private and are ideal for families or a mini holiday with friends. What makes the Grampians the perfect travel destination? Three hours from Melbourne, the Grampians is the perfect roadtrip. You can indulge in nature, but still have the luxury of some modern-day luxuries like wineries, olive groves, breweries and some lovely eateries!
Grampians Grape Escape goes down from Saturday May 2 to Sunday May 3. Find out more and grab tix and via the festival website.
Check out Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park at their website and keep up to date with them via their Facebook page.
GRAMPIANSGRAPEESCAPE.COM.AU
HALLSGAPLAKESIDE.COM
Kailash
Icon Central Halls Gap
Tell us a bit about Kailash. What’s the idea behind the space? Kailash is a sacred space and retreat centre that offers group lodging and facilities for retreats, gatherings and events. Nestled in the Grampians, we have an abundance of wildlife and nature on our doorstep and stunning mountain views. Tell us a bit about your upcoming Easter Meditation Retreat. The retreat is a supportive environment for both those new to meditation and seasoned practitioners alike. There is space for personal practice and optional group practice sessions, including sunrise and sunset meditations, light yoga and mindful engagement in tasks. There is also plenty of time to find your own peace and connect with the land. How does the space celebrate the Grampians region around it? The Grampians has been sacred land for Indigenous Australian groups for at least 20,000 years. As custodians of the land, we continue this legacy by connecting to the wild, raw nature of the land and by offering approachable and powerful practices to re-establish health and balance in life. We are situated in the heart of the Grampians and close to major attractions like MacKenzie Falls and Hollow Mountain. How do I get involved with Kailash? Follow your soul’s guidance and come and stay with us! We are available for group bookings for family and friends’ gatherings, volunteer working stays where you can contribute to the space, retreats and programs offered by our guests and also our own offerings such as retreats, gatherings and workshops. Visit Kailash for their Easter Meditation Retreat from Friday April 10 to Thursday April 16. Register interest or check out other workshops on their website. KAILASH.CO
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Give us the lowdown on Icon Central Halls Gap in under 40 words? It’s a private and luxurious getaway for couples, surrounded by wildlife and stunning mountain views. The property is designed as a romantic hideaway with all the trimmings, including a spa, pizza oven and infared sauna. How do you guys stand apart from other accommodation options in the Grampians? Icon Central is more than just accommodation – it’s an escape for those wanting to spend time with their loved one, and do so in a breathtaking setting. Anything special coming up in 2020? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, now’s the perfect time to make the trip out and spoil your partner (and yourself). We’re also the ideal honeymoon location, so make sure to check out our website if you want a getaway to remember. Describe the perfect day in the Grampians. Wake up refreshed after a sleep in our luxurious king bed and tuck into our carefully curated breakfast basket. Take a short bike ride into town or head out for a bushwalk, and later watch the sunset from the spa with a glass of local wine and your loved one. What’s an underrated aspect of the Grampians? There are so many amazing hikes to do in the Grampians, but sometimes it’s just as nice to completely relax and let yourself be refreshed by nature – Icon Central is the perfect place to do this. Head to the venue website to book your next romantic escape. ICONCENTRALHALLSGAP.COM.AU
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS join us on the first Friday of every month for live music and wine at Wine Down 76 Chalambar Rd Ararat, Victoria 3377 | www.montarawines.com.au
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GRAMPIANS SPECIAL
Best’s Wines
The history of Best’s Wines extends all the way back to the 19th century. How have you built such a legacy? The Thomson Family started as vigneron’s back in 1892, and purchased Best’s Wines in 1920 from the founder Henry Best. During this time they have kept the business running through five generations due to the love of the vines and winemaking. What’s your most popular drop at the moment? Shiraz is always the biggest seller here as 85 per cent of the region is shiraz. We have seven shiraz’s at the moment ranging from $25 for our Bin 1 shiraz up to $250 for our Thomson Family shiraz. You have a cellar door too. Tell us about this. We have a cellar door in the original stables that houses many interesting artefacts and historic family images. After wandering around the cellar door, guests can take a self-guided tour through our hand-dug underground cellars. What makes the Grampians the perfect travel destination? The Grampians is said to have some of the best shiraz in Australia. The Grampians is a place of tranquillity; we have a beautiful mountain range that is one of the most visited places in Australia. Head out on walking tracks that lead to dazzling waterfalls, wildlife and aweinspiring lookouts. In 2020, Best’s Wines celebrates their 100th year. Check out their range and book in for private tastings via their website. BESTSWINES.COM
Hop To It Tours
Give us the lowdown on Hop To It Tours. We aim to give people the quintessential Aussie camping experience amongst the best scenery Victoria has to offer. By running small group camping tours we cater for adventure travellers who want to experience the great outdoors in style. How do you guys stand apart from other touring companies? Our goal is to find the balance between seeing as much as possible and immersing yourself in the experience. By camping, we feel you appreciate nature better and by spending three to four days on the road we give you time to soak it all in. You have a few tours to the Grampians. Tell us about these. Our main tours are the 3-4 day group camping tours where you spend a night in the Grampians before hitting the Great Ocean Road. We also have private day and overnight trips to the Grampians for those with their own groups that don’t have the time to go longer. What’s one activity punters can’t afford to miss when visiting the Grampians? The Pinnacle lookout hike is not to be missed. A great 4km hike, it balances great rock formations such as the Grand Canyon and Silent Street with the majestic views of the Pinnacle overlooking Halls Gap.
Hemley House
How would you describe Hemley House in under 40 words? A luxury three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with open-plan living. A large rear deck with alfresco doors which allows the outside to flow inside also awaits you. Why not watch the visiting wildlife from the heated jacuzzi on the rear deck. How do you guys stand apart from other accommodation options in the Grampians? Both Hemley House and Heath House offer you the convenience of a close proximity to town, capacity to sleep eight comfortably and the amazing heated jacuzzi which can be enjoyed all year round. What’s new at Hemley House? Hemley House has a big sister in Heath House who opened her doors in April 2019. It’s luxury three-bedroom, two-bathroom open plan living, located close to town. Describe the perfect day in the Grampians. Doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, Mother Nature is always on show in the Grampians. From Boroka Lookout to the Pinnacle or maybe a waterfall or snow in winter at Mt William; don’t forget the abundance of wildlife either. Check out Hemley House and make a booking via their website. HEMLEYHOUSE.COM.AU
ATR Wines
Give us the lowdown on what ATR Wines is all about. Everything at ATR wines is done by hand, from pruning vines to blending small batches. Owner Adam Richardson has over 20 years of winemaking experience, having lived abroad before relocating to run the winery in 2016. His focus at ATR is on elegant, coolclimate wines. How has the winery evolved since things began in 2005? ATR’s catalogue of wine varieties has expanded a lot since the early days, where shiraz, riesling and durif were the main three grapes. Over the past ten years, Adam has planted a wide range of vines, some of which aren’t commonly seen in the Grampians region. What’s your most popular drop at the moment? Our Hard Hill Road Range is the most popular, but the most popular variety changes seasonally. At the moment, our 2018 Writers Block Riesling is selling like hot cakes, with hints of passionfruit and guava. Are there any new wines you’re currently working on? In April 2020 ATR Wines will be releasing a 2019 Hard Hill Road Nebiolo and a 2018 Hard Hill Road Petite Sirah. In 2021 ATR Wines are planning on releasing a 2019 Hard Hill Road Tannant too. What makes the Grampians the perfect travel destination? Even though it’s not the most famous Australian wine region, it is one of our most historic. Whether you’re a wine taster, outdoor explorer or food finder, the Grampians has an adventure waiting for you.
Check out Hop To It Tours at their website. You can also keep up to date with them via their Facebook page.
Visit the ATR Wines cellar door to try and buy your favourite new drop. You can also find their selection on the ATR website.
HOPTOITTOURS.COM.AU
ATRWINES.COM.AU
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Montara Wines The Grampians calls a lot of amazing things home: waterfalls, wildflowers, wallabies, as well as a very good drop of wine. BY MARNIE VINALL
The latter is possible through various vineyards in the region, and one of these, Montara Wines, is celebrating their 50-year legacy in 2020. The milestone will be felt outside the parameters of the vineyard too, as it’s been a cornerstone in the region and has history in the Ararat gold rush days. “There has been a rich history of winemaking and grape growing here,” Fennell says. “We’re maybe the fourth oldest in the region.” Once owned by the McRae family, Montara now lies in the hands of the Stapletons, who acquired the vineyard in 2006 and have been on a mission to combine the old with the new, fusing tradition with the cutting-edge. The vineyard, as true to the region, specialises in cool climate wines – think your shirazes and rieslings. It hasn’t always been this way, however, as the nearby Great Western township used to be famous for sparkling wine production. Being a pioneer of the region, the winery has seen different styles of wine shift over the
last 50 years as consumer palates change. “Through the journey of time, winemaking styles have changed and I think that what we’re trying to make now is a contemporary, fresher style of Australian shiraz and Grampians shiraz. I think in the past, there’s been a nod to that rich, ripe and oaty, generous style of winemaking,” Fennell says. “I think we’ve really dialled it back and made the wines far more approachable as younger wines. It’s not just with us but that’s a trend in the industry – people are looking for lower alcohol and drinkability.” Now, to celebrate 50 years, the vineyard are continuing and ramping up their successful Wine Down Fridays. This is an ongoing series, where each week a new local or touring acoustic solo artist takes the stage. It has previously seen the likes of Steve Kilbey from The Church entertain wine-loving guests. “We utilise Wine Down for a few different reasons: for one, it’s a great way to showcase to our customers – our trade customers being hotels, cafes, and restaurants. But as well as that, we have a lot of our international guests fly down for Wine Down. So, it’s a really good
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marketing tool to show-off the vineyard. “A few of us here at the winery are a bit musical so it’s wonderful to have that affinity with wine, food and music – and put it all together in that way.” And if the music, food and wine wasn’t enough to tempt attendees, the view should win them over. “The view is pretty magical,” Fennell continues. “It looks out towards Mount Langi Ghiran and especially on a summer’s night with the band performing on the deck, it’s almost like a natural amphitheatre. The crowd can look down to the stage, sort of framed by the backdrop of Mount Langi Ghiran and the vineyard in the foreground. “So, it’s a really lovely spot for live music and entertainment.” Despite this regular affair, wine-lovers should also keep their eyes peeled for other
celebratory events going on this year at the winery. Fennell admits there will be more on the horizon. “We’ll have a couple of commemorative dinners and gatherings throughout the year; we’ll do some retrospective tastings and we’ll look at older vintages of the winery going back through the years.” Most notably, July will be Montara’s month of special 50-year events. Things will kick off with Wine Down on Friday July 3 and continue throughout the month with a winemaker’s winter fest and more. Check out Montara Wines at 76 Chalambar Road, Ararat for your next Grampians roadtrip. Head to montarawines.com.au to explore their wines and for more info on upcoming events.
Grampians
Meditation Retreat
MEDITATION
Join us in a beginner friendly, welcoming and supportive environment to reconnect to self, nature and community. • 3 x nights accom + food • $300 per person (including $130 donation to Samarpan Australia)
NATURE
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GRAMPIANS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Julia Jacklin Julia Jacklin never expected to become a full-time musician. BY GRETA BRERETON
She hung in the background choir of school musicals, went to university to study social policy, juggled a few jobs, dabbled in a few bands. Back then, the now 29-year-old from the Blue Mountains was tirelessly pursuing her passion, but didn’t think it would become her career. “It wasn’t really something I expected,” says Jacklin. “I don’t know if anyone really expects it, unless you grow up in some sort of musical troupe. “I just think human preservation is to keep expectations low, and then everything is a surprise.” Jacklin released her debut record Don’t Let The Kids Win in 2016, which abruptly thrust her into the touring circuit. Four years on and the shows have barely ever stopped, sending Jacklin on constant stints around Australia and beyond. “It’s exhausting but I think because I’ve been an all-the-time touring musician for the last four to five years, it’s just kind of normal now,” she says. “When I’m not on tour it’s like, ‘Oh, what is this?’. “Everyone’s always like, ‘Just relax, look after yourself’, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what that means’. I’m trying to figure that out right now.”
This change of pace wasn’t an easy transition for the singer to begin with, and she reveals these struggles on Crushing. The record, which came out last year, is a sort of diary for how she felt while evolving from a casual musician to a touring one, and the changes she was grappling with. “It was just the changing dynamics of my relationships around me, based off of the new way that I was living,” she explains. “Just being away a lot and very disconnected from all of the support networks that I had built up over the years in Sydney. “Suddenly they’re kind of torn away from you and you’re thrown into this foreign environment and you’re not really supported.” At the time, Jacklin was young and appreciative of the opportunity to tour and do shows, but it was almost a double-edged sword. On the one hand, she was doing what she loved, but the lack of support and guidance sucked some of the joy from it. “There’s this kind of idea that you’re happy and so grateful to be doing it that that overrides the difficulties of doing it,” she says. “There’s also this idea that if you say that you’re not having a great time, then you’re not cut out for it.
“In the beginning, like those first couple of years, I was just trying to do the work but I wasn’t really enjoying it because it was just so much to take on – that kind of travel time mixed with the absolutely insane nature of the job. “I love touring now because I understand I can say no to things or push back onto [certain] behaviour, but at the beginning I thought I was just a sponge-slash-doormat. Like, ‘I just have to do everything, and I just have to put up with everything because I want to do this’.” Jacklin has grown up since then, both as a person and a performer. She’s become more familiar with the nature of the music industry and the pressures of touring life, and has learnt to put herself and her work back into perspective.
“I’ve definitely become more confident in what I do,” she says. “I have so much more perspective on what a good performance is and what a good show is and how important it is to remember you’re literally just singing songs, like it’s not that important work really. “I don’t say that in a flippant way. You’re there to connect with people and entertain, but it’s not very serious work. I take it seriously, but I try not to take myself seriously anymore.”
that they feel like they’re up for branching out and doing something different. “When I started getting into the industry and releasing music just as I knew it, I realised that the industry and the music that was around me was all very much in certain lanes. It was very categorised, it was very safe. “That’s when I remembered to myself, ‘Ok I don’t have to be like that. I can just be who I am’. That was when I had the intention of actually making sure that I stayed true to who I actually am as a musician.” Outside of her many collaborative ventures, Vandal has been working hard on new music. Album two isn’t far off. “I’ve been writing a lot and there’s going to be some new music at the top of [this year]. I can confirm that it’s still heavy and it still has a
heavy intention – not necessarily with guitars, but there’s all sorts in there,” she says. Vandal’s first gig of 2020 will be at Grampians Music Festival and fans can count on hearing some new music then. “There’s definitely going to be a few jams in the live set. It’s going to be sick. I’m ready to release some music and get amongst it, get out there and tour and travel, see the world. This year is the year.”
Catch Julia Jacklin at Grampians Music Festival when it goes down from Friday February 28 to Saturday February 29. Head to grampiansmusicfestival.com for tickets and the full lineup.
Ecca Vandal 2019 was a major year for genretranscendent Melburnian Ecca Vandal. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
She started it by singing on a couple of tracks from Hilltop Hoods’ The Great Expanse LP and capped it off by joining the hip hop collective on a national arena tour. Vandal also lent her voice to Alice Ivy’s ‘In My Mind’, Birdz’s ‘Place of Dreams’, and ‘Dare to Fly’ from Sampa The Great’s The Return. In August, she was awarded the $30,000 Levi’s Music Prize for 2019. “2019 was largely about collaboration and learning that it’s quite powerful being able to collab with so many different types of artist and learn from them,” Vandal says. Vandal also teamed up with DZ Deathrays on a track that’s due out sometime in 2020. All up, it’s a diverse roster of collaborators, which was entirely the point. “It’s exciting when I get to dip into other artists’ world and hear what they’re up to and have the privilege to contribute to their projects,” says Vandal. “When I went back into the cave to write my own music it inspired me to keep going and keep pushing it musically and sonically.” Since debuting with the single ‘White Flag’ in 2014, Ecca Vandal’s music has consistently been multi-layered and stylistically dissociative. She combined
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hardcore punk with R&B and hip hop influences on 2017’s self-titled debut LP, while also flirting with pop in many of its assorted forms – electronic pop, emo pop, indie pop, pop rock. “I grew up on all sorts of different music, so I was open to just exploring and learning more about different weird sounds, different styles,” Vandal says. “So when it came to writing my own music it felt natural for me to explore all those different layers and different nooks and crannies of my musical heritage. All different genres, different styles, different influences.” Ecca Vandal includes guest vocals from Refused’s Dennis Lyxzén and Letlive’s Jason Aalon Butler on ‘Price of Living’ as well as Sampa The Great on ‘Your Orbit’. It’s tough to think of many other artists who could employ guests from such disparate backgrounds without it seeming really odd. But this ploy aligns perfectly with Vandal’s polygonal artistic identity. “It felt natural for me to be able to express all those different feels and emotions on the album,” she says. “Having Sampa, Dennis and Jason on there felt really cool. It’s just really cool that other artists are open to it as well,
Ecca Vandal comes to Grampians Music Festival when it goes down from Friday February 28 to Saturday February 29. Grab your tix via the festival website, grampiansmusicfestival.com.
WEDNESDAY 12TH FEBRUARY
WHISKY WEDNESDAYS ACOUSTIC SESSIONS $6 Basic, $9 Premium, $12 Cocktails 7PM, FREE. THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT WITH TEQUILA SPECIALS!
FEAT.
TONO FEB RESIDENCY 7PM, FREE. FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
RIPLEY HOOD AND ASH
WEDNESDAY 12TH FEBRUARY
‘JAZZ, ROCK‘
TOM FRYER BAND + BUSH TICKET + THE CONFABULATIONS 7:30PM, DONATION
THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY
‘BLUES, SOUL’
KICKIN THE B AT 303’ THURSDAY HAMMOND SESSIONS: WEREWOLVES OF MELBOURNE 8PM DOORS, $10
JONES 6.30PM FREE VALENTINES DAY COSMIC LOVE IN FEAT PERSON OR PERSONS UNKOWN, DANDELION WINE DUO AND USER 9PM, FREE. SATURDAY 15TH FEBRUARY BUSHIFIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISER GIG
FEAT. THE BACKS, LOVEBONER, TEAM LOVE,
FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY
‘BALKAN BRASS PARTY’
OPA! 8PM
SATURDAY 15TH FEBRUARY
WORDPLAY: R.EM.EDY, TEQUILA SPANISH, CANDIDATE, GLOCA, LACHED UP 9PM, $10
THE FLORETS AND FOX
SUNDAY 16TH FEBRUARY
2PM-6PM, $10.
‘FOLK, ROCK, JAZZ’
JAMES’ BIRTHDAY PARTY FEAT COSMIC OVERDRIVE 6PM, FREE. SUNDAY 16TH FEBRUARY ARISE FROM THE ASHES FIRE AID BENEFIT
FEAT. MONSTERIA,
AMONAL, NOIR, INTERCEPTORS, BRITTLE
PINKO COLLECTIVE 4PM, DONATION +
KABBOBIE + TRIO K (CZ) 8PM
MONDAY 17TH FEBRUARY
‘COMEDY’
ROSS NOBLE + SURPRISE GUESTS 7PM DOORS, $20
SUN 4PM, $10.
WEDNESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY TUESDAY 18TH FEBRUARY
OPEN MIC $15 jugs, free performer drink 6PM, FREE. WEDNESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY
WHISKY WEDNESDAYS ACOUSTIC SESSIONS $6 Basic, $9 Premium, $12 Cocktails. 7PM, FREE. THURSDAY 20TH FEBRUARY THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT WITH TEQUILA SPECIALS!
FEAT.
TONO [ FEB RESIDENCY ] 7PM, FREE.
TRIVIA 6pm-7pm FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY
‘JAZZ, ROCK‘
TOM FRYER BAND + KIER STEVENS BAND + KOI KINGDOM 7:30PM, DONATION
THURSDAY20TH FEBRUARY
‘CHIPTUNE’
SQUARE SOUNDS: GLITTER CRITTER + NULL HYPOTHESIS + THE GOTH”S 7PM, $10
FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY
‘ALT GROOVE’
FIRETAIL + I HOLD THE HORN 8PM
HENRY HUGO AND THE
SATURDAY 22ND FEBRUARY
BARSTOOL GHOSTS
‘ELECTRONICA, VISUALS’
6.30PM, FREE.
THE KIDS NEXT DOOR, THE SIERRAS, PEACH 9PM, FREE.
COLLECTIVE DELUSION – LAUNCH PARTY 9PM, $15
SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY SATURDAY 22ND FEBRUARY
EKRANOPLANS, GRUPS, GARETH SKINNER 9PM, FREE. SUNDAY 23RD FEBRUARY
THE FAQS, THE MERLIN BIRD, SOTU 6PM, FREE. TUESDAY 25TH FEBRUARY
OPEN MIC $15 jugs, free performer drink 6PM, FREE. HAPPY HOUR TUE-FRI 5PM-7PM $6 PINTS, $3.50 POTS, $5 WINE/BASIC SPIRITS $10 BURRITOS THURS TO SUN
facebook/swamplandsbar
‘FOLK, ROCK, JAZZ’
THE BLACK SWANS OF TRESPASS 7PM
MONDAY 24TH FEBRUARY
‘JAZZ’
PATRICK LEFEVRE QUARTET + GUESTS 7:30PM, DONATION
TUESDAY 25TH FEBRUARY
‘COMEDY‘
SMILING POLITELY COMEDY 7:30PM, DONATION
303 HIGH ST NORTHCOTE 03 9482 4577 | 303.NET.AU FACEBOOK.COM/BAR303NOTHCOTE
Wednesday 12th February 8.00pm
LOMOND ACOUSTICA NICK CHARLES, MARTY KELLY, CHRIS LAZZARO Thursday 13th February 7.30pm
MR SUNSHINES GOOD TIME TRIVIA Friday 14th February 9.30pm
GWYN ASHTON BAND (Rockin’ blues)
Saturday 15th February 9.30pm
THE HANDLE BARS (Honky-tonk grooves)
Sunday 16th February 5.30pm
AINTREE SWEET (Alt-country roots)
Tuesday 18th February 8.00pm
IRISH SESSION WITH DAN BURKE AND MARTY KELLY Wednesday 19th February 8.00pm
LOMOND ACOUSTICA THE 3 FOLKS, BRUCE WATSON, PAUL TEHOVNIC Thursday 20th February 7.30pm
MR SUNSHINES GOOD TIME TRIVIA Friday 21st February 9.30pm
THE WRITER’S BLOCK (See website for acts)
Saturday 22nd February 9.30pm
CATFISH GUMBO (Rockin’ blues)
Sunday 23rd February 5.30pm
THE WARNER BROS (Party time)
ALL GIGS ARE FREE 225 NICHOLSON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST. PH 9380 1752
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FEATURES
Lemonade Festival The infusion of live music and entertainment Gippsland so desperately needs. BY LEXI HERBERT
The past few months have been an absolute whirlwind for Australia’s eastern states. Victoria’s Gippsland hasn’t been given a breather from Mother Nature, with both fires and then floods tearing through the region. This is a catalyst for the beginning of Lemonade Festival in 2020, says Antony Hilf, Director of Lemonade Festival and co-owner of the Wy Yung Pub in Wy Yung, Gippsland. This coming March, Lemonade Festival will take place in Sale – a town in the eastern region of Gippsland – for a single day of bevs, boogies and beautiful scenery. Unsurprisingly, the lineup is stacked with Australian artists, such as Hilltop Hoods, SAFIA and Slowly Slowly, while also harvesting rising local talent, like Jesswar, Alice Skye and Desert Alien. “My partner and I always aimed to one day have a huge name as part of a festival we’d organised,” Hilf said. “Hilltop Hoods were definitely a goal a few years ago and now we’ve got them playing at Lemonade. It’s like bringing the city into the country. Slowly Slowly are one of the hottest bands on the circuit right now and are about to release their much-anticipated third album on Friday February 28. They’ll be hitting Lemonade at breakneck speed. SAFIA don’t need any introduction – one of Australia’s
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Hilltop Hoods
WAFIA
Alice Skye
Slowly Slowly, image by Kane Hibberd
leading electro-pop exponents, their 2019 album, Story’s Start or End, consolidated their global audience. Performing tracks like, ‘Make Them Wheels Roll’, ‘Starlight’ and ‘Embracing Me’, it’s going to be a huge party. Jesswar made an appearance at 2019’s Meredith Festival, which was lauded by Beat’s Alex Watts as “hypey [and] modern” style hip hop that kicked off Meredith in the right direction, while Alice Skye is one of Australia’s leading up-and-comers, with a ripper 2018 LP and a fresh single on the records. Desert Alien is a force unto itself; Jack Hookey and Jesse Kidd’s previous project, Small Town Alien, was a shit-stirring meme of a band that seems at odds with Harry Hookey’s sultry folk vibes. Alas, Desert Alien is a gamble that has paid off, and are a band to keep tabs on as they will definitely rise to the occasion of Lemonade’s huge stage and amped up crowd. Additionally, 14 food vendors will be present at the fest, with mostly local brands and businesses repping the stalls. Now, as Australians we are well-versed when it comes to a good old music fest. We’ve all crammed three people into a two-person tent, and we’ve all had the marquee fly away on a gust of wind. However, while Lemonade
Festival may sound similar to most countrybound fests like Meredith or Lost Lands, it is one of the few large fests to currently call Gippsland home. And in Gippsland’s current time of crisis, this is vital for the region’s spirit and income. “The reason most organisers are hesitant to host [festivals] here is because it’s so far from everything, like getting equipment out there is costly. Our stage is coming from Adelaide, a lot of our vendors are coming out from Melbourne, like it’s a good few hours drive and it’s usually pretty indirect. You can sort of understand why organisers avoid it,” says Hilf. The mid-2019 drought in Gippsland was understandably eclipsed by the devastating fires that ripped through the region, and, as such, Hilf and his colleagues are giving directly back. A portion of all revenue from ticket sales will be donated to drought relief via Rural Aid, while there is an upcoming announcement regarding financial support for fire-stricken businesses and communities in the area. “Sale is a beautiful area, and they’ve been suffering. We’re looking to lighten the load a bit. Despite all this, the locals are keen to be involved, and we have a lot of kids who want to volunteer and learn the ropes.
“We have a sort of work experience thing happening where we have a few students from event management courses coming in to help out. They don’t often have the opportunity to work on events as big as this, so we’re aiming to be as transparent and clear with them in the set-up and take-down – so that they can learn as much as possible.” If this sounds like both a communityminded and stacked festival, it’s also aiming to be incredibly sustainable. “We have a sustainability plan, like there are no single-use plastics at the event. There’s currently no camping, so the rubbish should be pretty minimal. We’re not yet completely carbon-offset, but that’ll be a goal for the next few years. Again, the means of getting the equipment out there is a bit of a setback for our footprint, but we’ll continue to work on it.” In light of recent climatic events, it’s a weight off to know you’re booging to some of Australia’s best new and established artists while celebrating and helping out a resilient Lemonade Festival goes down at Sale’s Stephenson Park on Sunday March 8. Check out the festival website for tickets and the full lineup.
68 SYDNEY RD BRUNSWICK 3056
The Northside’s newest place to party – and throw parties! Wednesday 12th February
Wine, Whiskey, Women 8pm: Melanie Baker 9pm: Libby Ingels Thursday 13th February
The Misty Drifters
8pm:
Friday 14th February
Traditional Irish Music Session 8:30pm: Dan Warner & Dave Evans
6pm:
Saturday 15th February
Marty Kelly 9pm: Matt Dwyer & The Magnatones 3pm:
Serving a selection of imported beers, wine and Spritz on TAP with our authentic Italian bar menu.
OPEN MON - WED until 10pm
THU
until 11pm
FRI
until 12am
The Subliminals 6:30pm: Fields Tuesday 18th February
The Moonee Valley Drifters play the songs of Doug Sahm and The Texas Tornados 8pm:
Wednesday 19th February
Wine, Whiskey, Women 8pm: Chritsmas 9pm: Chelsea D.E
BAR & BEER GARDEN HAPPY HOUR
MON - WED ~ ALL NITE THURS - FRI ~ 4PM - 7PM
$7 PINTS BEER + CIDER
FREE COMEDY
FUNNY NEAR THE BRUNNY $7 PINTS ALL NITE
OPEN STAGE
THE SELTZER SESSIONS HOSTED BY HAMISH MCNAB $7 PINTS ALL NITE
BERGY THURSDAYS 8PM LIVE BANDS + DJS $8 PINTS OF COOPERS PALE $5 JAMOS, VODKAS, GINS
Sunday 16th February
4pm:
OPEN 4PM 1AM 7 DAYS
SPECIAL GUEST!
UPCOMING GIGS THE TOUGH BROTHERS
WITH JUAN ROBERTS
GROOVECULT RECORDS + MUCH LOVE EVENTS PRESENT:
BERGY THURSDAYS
THIS WEEK: JIMMY HARWOOD, DANITCHY, TBFS (DJ)
THE BERGY SELTZER PRESENTS: A SPECIAL VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL EDITION OF
PLAYING EVERY FRIDAY FROM 9PM - $10 ENTRY
A NIGHT OF SINGER SONGWRITERS
FEAT: PARMY DHILLON, RIKI PLATT CIARAN BOYLE AND KIMBERLEY RAY
YMAGO
WITH GUESTS NATURAL STATE
RUSE
Open Mic Night Friday 21st February
Traditional Irish Music Session 8:30pm: David Holmes Gang 6pm:
ON TAP
Saturday 22nd February
THE WISECRACKS
Ciaran Boyle 9pm: Duncan Philips Band
TWO SETS
3pm:
GROOVECULT RECORDS + MUCH LOVE EVENTS PRESENT:
BERGY THURSDAYS
THIS WEEK: THE MOTHER GURUS, MAJEZTIK AND SAPPHIRE STREET
Sunday 23rd February
Greg Champion & Khristian Mizzi 6:30pm: Red Dirt Radio
OF THE WILDE
4pm:
Tuesday 25th February
Tuesday Tribute: 8pm: Andy Mcgarvie playing the songs of Paul Simon The Drunken Poet 65 Peel Street (directly opposite Queen Vic Market), Phone: 03 9348 9797. www.thedrunkenpoet.com.au
Contact us at: ciao@olivasocial.com.au for private function enquires.
/olivasocial @olivasocial
olivasocial.com.au
ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES THURSDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 9PM
THE KIDS NEXT DOOR + SPECIAL GUESTS THURSDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 9PM
NEON SOUL:
BERNADETTE NOVEMBRE & HER 10 PIECE SOUL BAND THURSDAY 5TH MARCH 9PM
FRATS 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.
DON’T TEXT YOUR EX, PIXIE RIOT AND PAGE BOY
Thursday 20th February
7pm:
THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 9PM
WITH GUESTS TAYLA MCCANN
NICK VULTURE - EP LAUNCH WITH GUESTS DANA CROWE, ROB RYLES AND HANNAH POTTER
BYO VINYL DAY
PRESENTED BY MELBOURNE RECORD CLUB ALL VINYLS WELCOME - NO EXP REQUIRED
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
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FEATURES
Bill Callahan It’s a Tuesday afternoon and Bill Callahan is perched in a tree on his property in Austin, Texas. BY KATE STREADER
Considering his latest record, last year’s Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest, embeds itself within scenes defined by sprawling mountains, valleys, rivers and seas, it feels fitting to find him here. The theme of nature is prominent in much of his work, though it is especially present in Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest. The album’s sleeve depicts his face protruding from the earth, the sun shining from within him, as if he were part of the landscape rather than someone simply existing in it. After six years without new music, he has found his place within the world again – harmony has been restored. “It sure feels good to be singing again/ From the mountain and the mountain within”, Callahan muses in ‘Writing’, a song he says anchors the record for him. “It gave me permission to be myself,” he explains. “It’s kind of a Wizard of Oz moment – you know, behind the screen there’s the writer – and I think that is the heart of the record. Maybe when it started to really flourish was when I realised I could root the songs in my daily life or in such basic desires as writing.” It wasn’t lack of want or inspiration that kept Callahan from putting pen to page in the
wake of 2013’s Dream River; in fact, he admits his unfulfilled need to write drove him to seek therapy. Rather, it was becoming a husband and father which required him to put music aside for a while. It wasn’t until his son grew older and he could dedicate hours, rather than minutes, to his craft that Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest began to take shape. “That’s when my mind could relax and grasp the songs that were floating around in there. It’s really just a matter of time.” He speaks slowly and with purpose, as if carefully considering each word before saying it aloud. Having dedicated the past 30 years to crafting lyrics that read like vivid, epic poems, his respect for language and ability to wield it is artful, even in conversation. “I sing for answers/I sing for good listeners”, he purrs on ‘Call Me Anything’. It’s subtle quips such as this and the smile in his voice as he describes what music means to him that best reflects Callahan’s innate need to write, sing and play. He describes it as “a nervous system type of feeling” and it’s such a fundamental part of his being that not six years out of practice, nor
his new roles as a father and husband, could cause him to lose his groove. “My creative life was so ingrained in me because I’d been working and living a certain way for decades,” he says. “Then I just had to figure out how to be a different person and then figure out how to bring that old person back into the fray, also.” It was never that the magic had gone, it was just a matter of giving it space to come out. “It’s hard to really tell anybody what I do because it’s a mystery to me. I don’t really take credit for it, I think I’m just able to see things that someone from some other force made and wants me to channel,” he chuckles as he
considers this notion. “Creativity isn’t really about trying, it’s just about being open.” So, will it be another six years before we see the next Bill Callahan record? “No,” he says without hesitation. “The gates are open and the songs are free to come out now, again.”
or helps you escape from somewhere ... It’s a metaphor that applies to a lot of things in life,” Newman says. Perhaps what the band are looking to escape is shared by many across America. Their preceding album, Whiteout Conditions, was released in April 2017, just months after Donald Trump’s inauguration. Needless to say, it was too late to change the production schedule, but with Brake Lights, it’s a different story. References to wreckage, break-ins, and a “culture of fear” are scattered throughout the album, all thanks to the hindsight of the past three years. “I’ve been living in America for quite a long time now, almost 15 years. It’s stressful. It makes you feel sad and angry a lot of the time,” Newman says. “I have a son who’s almost eight, and it’s hard. You want to show your child a better world, a world where there’s justice … A lot of that I think comes through.” When asked about the state of the world, many high-profile figures will shy away from
politics. Politicians will call for a tragedy not to be politicised, lest it draw attention to their failures. ‘Now is not the time’ is their calling cry. For Newman, politics has finally gotten in the way, and there was no choice but to approach it in his songwriting. “I never try to write overtly political songs, but it’s hard not to. You can’t escape it,” he says. “Even me writing about my feelings in the past few years, you can’t help but be political because it’s all wrapped up.” With the presidential election slated for November, Brake Lights documented a new era with a new voice, all while promising there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Regardless of what the polls bring, The Pornos have admitted the personal is political in their latest release, and it’s hard to turn back from that.
Bill Callahan will perform at WOMADelaide on Sunday March 8. Find tickets, the full lineup and more information at womadelaide.com.au.
The New Pornographers Being in a band for two decades means deciding whether to keep spinning old tricks with each new release or to take the odd musical risk in the hopes it pays off. BY CALEB TRISCARI
A.C. Newman knows this well. Having been at the helm of Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers since their genesis in 1997, he’s been instrumental in steering the now eightpiece through new stylings and a changing staff roster. The power pop band’s 2019 release, In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights, was yet another sidestep from its predecessor’s sound, drifting away from the ‘power’ and more towards the ‘pop’. Tracks like ‘Colossus of Rhodes’ and ‘One Kind of Solomon’ are packed with cosmic synth and chaotic, arpeggiated string lines. Is the old college rock sound a thing of the past? Not necessarily. Even though it’s less frequent nowadays, Newman points to ongoing projects like Car Seat Headrest that are still producing a sound that encapsulates skateboarding down the hill as a teen. Rest
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assured, coming-of-age films will still have plenty of source material for their soundtracks. “After making three records that were pretty upbeat pop, I wanted to mess around with ballads to keep myself entertained,” Newman says. “I’ve always loved the Electric Light Orchestra, I’ve always loved the over-the-top strings, so I thought I’d try and do that [for Brake Lights].” Literally from the first track to the last, the album is filled with car references. It wasn’t intentional at the start, Newman tells me, but once he picked up on the subconscious trend, the wheels kept on turning. It’s not an unusual choice of metaphor among music folklore. Think Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run or anything by Lana Del Rey. “The idea of the car in pop music is so iconic. The idea of a car that takes you away
The New Pornographers are coming to Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday February 20 and Friday February 21. Grab your tix via melbournerecital.com.au.
FEATURES
Hot Chip It’s time we got ready for the arrival of legendary English synth-pop group, Hot Chip. BY TAMMY WALTERS
Exceeding their flight carry-on allowance with A Bath Full of Ecstasy this March, the band will be dropping into Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane alongside special festival appearances at Golden Plains and Farmer & The Owl. After a four-year gap between album six and seven, the five-piece have been excited to reintroduce themselves to live audiences and blend their colourful catalogue of songs into a celebratory concoction. “When we play live, it will be quite celebratory with those moments and we have quite a few songs to draw on … We have worked the aesthetic and material from the new record into the set in a way where it does feel very natural and it does reflect the record in the high points and the quieter moments. It will be like a party,” says guitarist Owen Clarke. Hot Chip have been one of the most consistently inconsistent acts of the 21st century, regularly taking breaks between albums due to external projects, but their ability to stay at the forefront of the pop landscape and continually redefine what the pop world is has been unparalleled. They came on strong in 2004 and seven albums and 15 years later, they’ve managed
to not only find their feet but blaze a trail for others to follow. “When we were starting out we were an odd proposition. We would end up at very arts/EDM festivals in the states or like indierock things in the UK. We didn’t quite land so well. I think we’ve come a long way culturally and musically. There is steering a course in music and then just kind of being around, you get to experience the first rush of an emerging scene and it’s the nature of music consumption. “People do dip into what was happening ten years ago or 15 years ago and that’s a fun thing to still be present for,” Clarke explains. When it comes to keeping on top of the pop scope though, Clarke says the group tend to revert back to their original influences. “You don’t want to try and keep up too much. If you do it’s going to sound really lame which is not a good look. It’s always good to be excited about stuff and have that want to do more things. “We do have lots of different influences going in there and there is that consistency going in there each time, the same deck of cards essentially but we throw a few jokers in there; to try to do new stuff but stay
true to yourself.” A Bath Full of Ecstasy sinks into Hot Chip’s batch of tracks seamlessly with a sense of nostalgia attached, particularly ‘Melody of Love’ and the Daft Punk, Discovery-style journey it takes from start to finish. The group opted for both substance and breadth on this album. “A lot of them start off as e-pop songs, they get longer and then have that respect for that pop-aesthetic and the idea of things being accessible,” Clarke says. “Obviously we want to do things that are fun or strange … In a way we were going for the jugular and trying to make quite poppy songs, I think it’s our natural inclination. We’ll do a really structured
song and then we’ll go, ‘Ok we want to hear the extended twelve-minute version of that’. Being a bit longer there may be a bit more of chance for the record to be its own world.” Hot Chip will come to Golden Plains alongside the likes of Pixies, Stereolab, Sleaford Mods, Weyes Blood, Sampa The Great and more. Hot Chip come to The Forum (sold out) on Saturday March 7. They’ll also hit Golden Plains (sold out) when it goes down from Saturday March 7 to Monday March 9.
Thando A stone’s throw away from the bustling hub of Chapel Street sits a repurposed old church, built in 1858 and steeped in history. BY GRETA BRERETON
Now known as Chapel Off Chapel, the venue has played host to a number of impressive performances since its transformation into an arts space, from cabaret shows to comedy skits, rock music to reggae. Melbourne musician Thando Sikwila is no stranger to the Chapel stage, and has performed there so often she’s almost part of the furniture. Asked to be part of their 2020 Chapel Summer Sessions series, she says there’s something special about the place that keeps luring her back. “Before you even walk in, its magical already,” says Sikwila. “There’s such an atmosphere, and the team behind the venue really work hard to make sure that the space is sacred.” Sikwila spent her childhood years singing in her church’s gospel choir, so the Chapel is a familiar setting for the Zimbabwean-born artist. One of four girls, she was the only one of her siblings to pursue a career in music, inspired by her father’s love of jazz and a fondness for Paul Simon. “I just never pictured doing anything else or being anything else since I was a kid,” she says. “I grew up on the Paul Simon
album Graceland, where he collaborated with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, so that was the beginnings of me discovering music and learning how to compose and how to write.” Her own musical path pushed her into the realms of hip hop and R&B, genres she’s dominated over the years, collaborating with artists like Remi and Françoistunes. However, a desire to grow and expand her repertoire has moved Sikwila in a new direction, seeking out inspiration in unfamiliar places. “I decided to sort of expand my knowledge and world view,” she says. “I started going to gigs more and watching a lot of music that wasn’t necessarily what I was always directly involved with. “I thought I’d said everything that I could in my music at that point in my life and I had a lot of growing or experience to have before I created more content. Taking that time out to find inspiration elsewhere through music that I wasn’t familiar with initially and conversations with people from different walks of life helped me.” This musical progression has involved creating an entirely new set, which she’ll be debuting when she takes to the Chapel stage
Image by Michelle Grace Hunder
on Friday February 21. She’ll be swapping her usual lineup of keys and samples for guitars and organic instruments, aiming to capture the essence of sonics and musicality with a new, raw attitude. With the help of her writing partner Henry James, Sikwila’s new material channels a rougher energy, drawing from performers she admired growing up, like Queen’s Freddie Mercury. “I always wanted to write a rock song or perform a rock song,” she says, excitedly. “I’m quite interested myself to see how it’s going to be received by people who know what to expect when they come and see me play, because we decided to just do a 180.” Driving Sikwila’s ambition forwards is an air of unshakeable confidence, a pride in her art and a belief in herself and what she does. She says it’s something that’s grown
during her development as a musician and a performer, and credits the historic venue for the role it’s played in her personal journey. “I feel like for anyone that’s attempting to do this and to do music, you’ve got to have a sense of confidence whether you believe you’re going to succeed or not,” she says. “I feel like I’ve worked long, and I’ve worked hard enough to know that I’ve done a good job. “I’m the best version of a performer I can be because I’ve had the opportunity to grow on the Chapel stage.” Catch Thando at Chapel Summer Sessions on Friday February 21. Tickets and more information via chapeloffchapel.com.au.
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FEATURES
Under the Southern Stars A troupe of rock titans are hitting the Mornington Peninsula. BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
The touring rock carnival Under the Southern Stars is back for 2020. Three heavyweights of ‘90s alt-rock lead this year’s lineup. Under the Southern Stars has had more of an Oz rock focus in previous years. Jimmy Barnes headlined in 2018 with support from the likes of Richard Clapton, Diesel and Dallas Crane. Hoodoo Gurus headlined 2019’s event backed up by a cast of ‘90s and 2000s triple j favourites such as You Am I, The Superjesus, Eskimo Joe, British India and The Getaway Plan. But this year promoter Andrew McManus wanted to move his focus away from Australian artists. “There’s two strong Australian oneday festivals already in the marketplace. It’s pointless to be creating three,” he says. “As much as we were trying to be a different thing, it was better to step back and have a complete new look at what we were doing. “Our first year out with Jimmy – that was fantastic,” says McManus. “Last year with the Hoodoos – great, done that. But you have to be fresh. So my whole component is three internationals and three great Aussies. And that’s our formula.” So, who are the internationals he speaks of? Live, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots will headline the 2020 tour. Then it’s Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary who make up the festival’s Australian contingent as it stands. Under the Southern Stars also has much to offer outside of its live music programming. “[We wanted to create] a one-day type of Coachella experience for that 35-plus marketplace,” says McManus. “So we’re going to have the village experience, which brings in all these other aspects – Ferris wheels, dodgem cars. To be honest, it’s all about the fan experience.” The range of amusement and amenities will depend on the size of the event site. Under the Southern Stars visits places that are otherwise starved of live music including coastal ports like Tuncurry, Gosford, Newcastle and Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula. “I’ve invested heavily in Hastings,” says McManus. “Hastings on the water is a magnificent site. We have a capacity of 15,000 now. I’m hoping that when we do Under the Southern Stars this year with Live, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Tats, Electric Mary, we’ll smash it, we’ll get to the 15,000. And that’s a proud moment.” There’s also a second Victorian instalment happening in Yarrawonga, which sits on the south bank of the Murray River.
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“Yarrawonga’s amazing,” says McManus. “We planned it to stay away from Bluesfest in Easter. So we’re down in Victoria. And then when we come back up [the coast] it’s after Bluesfest. “From a Yarrawonga point of view, they used to have a great festival there and the town’s been incredibly supportive. In 2021, I’m going to expand to another two to three festivals. If I get the support from a town that’s as magnanimous and supportive as the Yarrawonga people and council, we’ll come there.” All three of Live, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots started out in the late ‘80s or early-‘90s, but became mainstream rock artists in the mid-90s. Live had their biggest hit with 1994’s Throwing Copper LP, which yielded the singles ‘Lightning Crashes’ and ‘I Alone’. Bush were peaking around the same time, with their debut album Sixteen Stone also released in 1994. The single ‘Glycerine’ was a standout and the band continued to enjoy chart success with later single ‘Machinehead’. Stone Temple Pilots sat adjacent to the ‘90s grunge movement. However, led by brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo and the late singer Scott Weiland, the band displayed a fondness for classic rock and heavy metal. 1994’s ‘Interstate Love Song’ and 1992’s ‘Plush’ are STP’s most enduring contributions to the ‘90s rock canon. Under the Southern Stars 2020 consists of 11 dates in total. It’s much longer than an international act’s average Australian tour, which could add to the appeal for visiting artists. “It’s a long run and next year’s going to be longer. We want to add Tasmania. We want to add Western Australia as a region instead of being like a sideshow,” McManus says. “We have our visions of longevity and how we’re going to do it. The most important factor is, with the festival side of it and the village side of it, it’s going to be a fantastic fan experience. It’s not beers and bands like the others just throw up. There’s got to be more to a one-day music festival. We are doing it.”
Image by Andrew Friend
Image by Andrew Friend
Under the Southern Stars comes to Hastings Foreshore Reserve on the Mornington Peninsula on Saturday April 11. Grab your tickets via underthesouthernstars.com.au. Stone Temple Pilots
FEATURES
Psycho Zydeco The Yarra Valley is getting a whole lot spicier this March as the Herb and Chilli Festival hits the city of Wandin. BY TAMMY WALTERS
Returning for its ninth year, following a huge 2019 that saw over 7,000 attendees test their taste buds, the Herb and Chilli Festival has risen to Carolina Reaper heat levels with their 2020 program. Festival favourite Hot Sauce Alley is on the menu again with a wide variety of new tantalising sauces, spices and rubs while the popular Stinger Wing Challenge awaits eager heat gladiators. Corridors of food stalls will line the festival for onsite enjoyment, or you can take home your own selection of over 40 varieties of chillis and herbs to make your own irresistible recipes. But this year it’s the Cajun swampland zing that offers the real kick to the festival and it comes in the form of food for your ears. Sydney-based, Louisiana-inspired band Psycho Zydeco, or The Psychos as their fan club dubs them, join the Herb and Chilli Festival to continue introducing audiences to their colourful sound of zydeco. If you’re not familiar with zydeco, it’s a genre that was birthed from the Louisiana Creoles, which combines blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock and Cajun fusions and incorporates everything from accordions,
fiddles, vest frottoirs to washboards, triangles, drums, bass and guitar. Psycho Zydeco have been cooking up this noise banquet since the early ‘90s. “In 1990, Buckwheat Zydeco who was a big zydeco star at the time, he came to Sydney to open Darling Harbour, and our accordion player [Stefan Sernek] saw him on TV and was like, ‘Accordion. Blues. Rock’n’roll. Where has all this been?’. “Sernek had been playing German oompah music forever, and we all knew each other and it all started from there,” explains band all-rounder Gregg Hatton. “We came at a good time in Australia, there was a Melbourne band at the time doing it, but we sort of became the number one guys. We had this niche thing – zydeco does have a lot of different influences but we were able to manipulate it into a lot of different festivals. We were able to play a blues festival, a jazz festival, a folk festival, world music, country, rock. “There was no band that worked as hard as us. We were flying everywhere and we worked out what an audience needed and it was just to push them into a frenzy and make
them dance and have a great time. That’s how our version of zydeco came about.” That festival frenzy has not stopped. Psycho Zydeco have been waving their zydeco flag at Thredbo Blues Festival, Newcastle Jazz Festival, Sydney Blues and Roots Festival, Cobargo Folk Festival and even Woodford Folk Festival. Now heating up for Herb and Chilli Festival, the band promises good times all round and even some crowd participation. “You never see the one thing. One minute there’s a song that has a lot of sax with no guitar, the next song will be guitar and washboard, the next will be sax and guitar – there’s a lot of variation with that and it’s a very quirky thing. We get people up to play
the washboard which is really quite funny and people really get into that. Some people don’t want to go near it and others can’t wait to give it a go.” If you’re not game enough to take on the Stinger Wing Challenge or the Hot Sauce Alley, perhaps the Psycho Zydeco washboard is right up your alley.
listen to it now or other people listen to it now, I wouldn’t change anything”. Alongside ‘Old Dusty Road’, the EP is the work he and his team have been wanting to put out into the world. “It’s going to be our biggest year yet,” Agosta says. “When we first got down to do it, it was early 2019 and we said, ‘We’re not ready for an EP yet, let’s just get into the groove’. And that’s why we did the covers. “This let us get into the groove and figure out what to do; where to go right and where to go wrong. Then come this year, we felt comfortable with what we were doing
and were like, ‘Ok, let’s do what we’ve always wanted to do when we started’. “It’s exciting. It feels like a long time coming.”
Herb and Chilli Festival takes place in Wandin in the Yarra Valley from Saturday March 14 to Sunday March 15. Grab your tickets via herbchillifestival.com.au. Free entry for children under 14 years.
Gio Hip hop artist turned indie rocker, Gio, the moniker of Giovanni Agosta, is set to release his debut EP this late June. BY MARNIE VINALL
The first taste of it comes with the lead single, ‘Old Dusty Road’, which was released on Friday February 7. Agosta started making music when he was around 12, tinkering away on his guitar and making melodies in his room, so the EP has been a long time coming. “I was never making any full songs or anything like that, it was more having it there and I would sit in my room and play. But then it wasn’t until I was seventeen or so that I thought, ‘I actually want to record some stuff and take it a bit more seriously’.” So, he tried his hand at hip hop between the ages 17 and 20 before navigating his way back to his acoustic sound, most notably in his 2019 single, ‘Your Face’. Now, Agosta is ready to release his first EP, Finding Milly’s Address, this late June. The newest collection of work, he notes, has strong acoustic roots, however, each track has different productions. So expect to hear drums and electronics in the final work. “I think overall it’s probably indie rock. That’s where I’d place it. But I like the – I
don’t how to say it – like the jangle that ‘60s rock had. Like, if you ever listen to Tom Petty or maybe like Bob Dylan, it makes the guitar sound very jangley and very flowy. “So, it’s indie rock but I wanted to put that ‘60s flavour to it. If I had to put a word to it, that’s what I would call it.” Besides some spoken word elements, Agosta admits the EP predominantly steers clear from the hip hop of his past. “There’s nothing really that screams hip hop. It was a complete sea change,” he admits. ‘Old Dusty Road’ is steeped in emotion and storytelling – the narrative exploring the cancer diagnosis of his manager’s father. This made Agosta reflect on his life and what he would think and feel if that was him in forty years time. “When we did ‘Old Dusty Road’, I just did a scratch track of it and everyone that I sent it to was like, ‘That’s it. That’s what you’ve been working towards’.” Reflecting on this feedback, Agosta agreed it was exactly the sound he wanted. “I wouldn’t change anything. Even if I
Gio’s new single ‘Old Dusty Road’ is out now via streaming services. Keep up to date with the songwriter via his Facebook page.
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Taranta Festival A five-day Italian and Mediterranean festival celebrating music, dance, visual arts and food is hitting Melbourne in March. BY AMBER DE LUCA-TAO
Taranta Festival’s program spans across five days, with performances, exhibitions and workshops taking over a range of locations including Darebin Arts Centre, Brunetti, Meat Market, Oliva Social and more. For Festival Director Salvatore Rossano, it’s integral the occasion is consistent with current-day Italy. “I think it’s important to do an event like this so people can experience the whole picture of what’s happening in Italy now, which is more contemporary and modern.” 2020 marks the second incarnation of Taranta Festival, following the everlasting impression Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino left on Melbourne in 2019. “From the beginning we said we are also opening the festival up to other cultures,” Rossano says. “Melbourne is such an amazing place and we need to create the opportunity to collaborate and share something new. “As part of the first Taranta Festival we had a lot of events so people could experience not only the music, but also the bands, the culture and the stories behind the songs and music. “In Melbourne the Italian culture here is mostly to do with food and art, but not much
about music, in particular contemporary folk music which is very big in Italy especially in the last 15 years. And now there’s been a huge revival of people playing it.” Like its first year, Taranta Festival will feature both international guests and local performers from Melbourne. One of the biggest highlights of the event comes via an exclusive performance by Enza Pagliara & Dario Muci. They’re deemed to be one of the most representative voices of the Puglia region and they’ve played a huge role in southern Italy’s folk revival. You’ll be able to catch them at the Festival Gala Concert set in North Melbourne’s Meat Market, alongside local talent Santa Taranta and Arte Kanela as well as Tarantula Garganica, Italy’s acoustic connoisseurs from Gargano. “Music is always changing and it’s important that we keep up to date. A lot of young musicians are going back to the roots and changing and making it more to their taste, which is happening in Australia too – they’re doing something new from a different perspective,” Rossano continues. Other must-sees on the calendar include Rustica Project, Delyrium, Banda Bellini
Tarantula Garganica
and more. The launch of our city’s very own Melbourne Taranta Orchestra is also a show not to be missed. As much as the festival is about celebrating the new wave of Italian folk music, it’s also about celebrating the culture and art that goes with it, hand-in-hand. To represent the notion, you’ll find an array of workshops and exhibitions you can experience as part of the festival too. You can learn tarantella, a dance deriving from the bite of a tarantula, or participate in a traditional singing workshop with Muci and Pagliara which will see you learn how to harmonise in a southern Italian fashion. Those interested in the tambourine can learn specific techniques from Tarantula Garganica in another workshop. On the art front you can expect a healinginspired exhibition by visiting artist Laura
Cionci at the Darebin Arts Centre. ARIAwinner and choir leader Kavisha Mazzella will lead four singing workshops to create the Taranta Festival Choir performing at the Festival Finale on closing day. There’s also multiple opportunities to immerse yourself in the traditional culinary delights of southern Italy, with a prime example being the traditional Pugliese lunch on the Saturday at Darebin Arts Centre. Here, Luciano Castelluccia will present his gastronomic music show which showcases the traditional Puglia region. Taranta Festival kicks off on Wednesday March 11 and runs until Sunday March 15 at venues all across Melbourne. For tickets and all the details, head to tarantafestival.com.au.
Open House Thornbury This year Open House Thornbury is celebrating creativity, community and the magic of wish making. BY AMBER DE LUCA-TAO
The one-day neighbourhood arts festival will decorate Thornbury with live music, art installations and a walking wish trail. This year marks the event’s fourth iteration, with a dream curation of creatives bringing together eight much-loved Thornbury venues and 25 homespun artists and musos. Staying true to form, Open House Thornbury’s bill of performers is top-notch. The Collaborators, led by one of TISM’s founding members Jack Holt, will be performing their latest offering at Thornbury Local. Melbourne-based indie rock band on the rise, The Brads, will be transporting punters to the beachside with their laidback, groovy tracks. And you can prepare to be enraptured by experimental techno musician, Super Magic Hats who will be performing their colourful, intricate melodies. It’s not unlikely you’d recognise one of their songs from a television commercial or from a Melbourne Fashion
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Nicholas Costello
Week runway. The music doesn’t stop there, with more performances expected from Nicholas Costello, Orange Laurence, Ain’t Misbehavin, Zoltan Fesco, Tim Woodz & The Dirty Shoes, Frank Bell, T.K. Bollinger & The Cold Hard Ground and The Deadly Applejohns. As Open House Thornbury is a multisensory experience, you can also anticipate a diverse range of art installations and immersive experiences from the likes of Maja Amanita, Merilyn & Sean Simmans, Miss Darq, Musical Minds, Kim Kim, Tim Goschnick, Tristan Davies, Erik Pobucky, and many more. And while this year’s music and arts program has gone above and beyond in every way, there’s more. “I think imagination is really important and I think that creating an opportunity for adults to have an imagination shouldn’t stop at childhood,” event organiser Tamara Shardlow says. “Creating an opportunity for people to wish as adults is really important,
because adults tend to push it to the side and say that that’s just silly. “So we decided that we wanted to do something a little bit different, which is the wish idea. We thought it would be fun to bring in an idea that was a little bit esoteric, to throw in a little bit of magic.” This year you’ll have the chance to embark on a walking wish trail which connects each of the eight venues. So not only are the locations pockets of arts and music heaven, they’re also wishing stepping-stones. All you have to do is purchase your own wish passport with a donation and get it stamped along the way at each venue. The idea is that as you walk, ponder and enjoy, your wish will grow stronger. It’s a beautiful sentiment to kick off 2020. “It’s been a tough 2019, so we just want to celebrate not only all the great musos and performers, but give back to the audience to give them something to believe in, a little hope
Orange Laurence
sprinkled onto the journey,” Shardlow says. If you’re wondering about the best way to tackle the event, there’s no right or wrong way. You can join in right at the start when the event kicks off or you can get on board later in the day. Whether you come along for the wish ride or just to see all of the artists and performances, or both, is up to you. There’s no pressure. “Something about speaking your wishes makes them more powerful,” Shardlow concludes. “So I think that this event is a celebration of imagination and a commitment to hope that there is good shit in the world. We just have to keep on telling each other that.” Open House Thornbury takes over the suburb on Saturday February 22. To check out the program, download the performance map and submit a wish head to openhousethornbury.com.
FEATURES
HuRU-hARa Kuala Lumpur, 2019. As the silent monoliths of the banking district watch on, a strange spectacle takes over the traditional Old Market Square. BY JAKEB SMITH
Squatting in the square is an incredible bamboo structure. It’s adorned with vivid murals, and packed with televisions of all shapes and sizes broadcasting live mash-ups of images and audio. And there’s a noise, a harrowing, metallic scraping noise bouncing off the windows of the HSBC building and reverberating around the square like the death knell of an iron giant. HuRU-hARa is in town. Flash forward to Melbourne, 2020 and Beat Magazine chats to HuRU-hARa curator Thomas Henning. He and cocurators TerryandTheCuz are transporting the wild world that invaded downtown KL to Abbotsford Convent. The installation-cum-performance-slashparty is a highlight of the Asia TOPA program, and seeks to bring together some of the most cutting-edge visual, performance, and sound artists from all over Asia. With street art, murals, sculpture, video, DJs, interpretive dance, live music, and an ever-evolving junkyard installation, HuRU-hARa is chaos one-and-done, but in the most glorious fashion possible. Such is the commotion that HuRU-hARa
seeks to inject into our otherwise controlled lives. It’ll be a cathartic mix of the traditional and new, the intimate and the impersonal, the ordered and the disordered. “I think the nature of all things is chaos,” Henning explains. “The big bang is born of chaos. It’s made up of things that are and aren’t simultaneously. The nature of chaos is order and disorder and that’s the beauty. I think if life is dominated entirely by order it becomes completely unstable. But if you go totally to disorder then it becomes unstable as well. Commonly, we confuse chaos and disorder as one and the same thing but they’re not. “Chaos is order and disorder.” The theme for the installation is inspired by the Nusantara archipelago, which encompassed Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, and the Philippines, long before any such territorial boundaries existed. “I’ve been looking a lot at the history of the archipelago. I was looking at how people interact when there’s no law, because that was the nature of it, before colonisation and borders and this segmentation of society into us and them. The way society worked was that
you had to negotiate with strangers for things and maybe that fella hates you but maybe they’ve got a bunch of stuff you’re gonna love. “The miasma of information and possibility that was going on throughout the archipelago was huge. Trade was the education system, information was travelling like this. Materials were travelling like this. Weird influences would go from that island over there to that island over here. It was this grand chaos which was the second Silk Road. It was the wealthiest place in the world. And the nature of it was ultimately chaos: good or bad.” HuRU-hARa will focus mostly on the good, with new and unique expressions of rich and diverse cultures, all wrapped around a dive bar serving mind-blowing cocktails and Asian street eats that will light a fire under your palate. The dive bar especially fits the lo-fi, DIY practice of many of the artists.
“It’s probably where we’d all drink, right?” Henning laughs. “Aesthetically it suits the whole world of it and the idea of something buried being resurrected and the idea of something plastic being the facade of all things – a bunch of odd elements colliding and coming together. A dive bar can have that ‘ship of lost souls’ feeling, as well as being littered with memories of lives you didn’t live. “It’s that kind of world.” In a city obsessed with new and unique experiences, it’s sure to be a wondrous world indeed.
for both humans and their puppies so there is something for everyone.” As Melbourne’s dog-friendly parks and hotspots expand in popularity in the new decade, the prospect of holding more occasions like this looks promising. “Through feedback from customers at Puppa Palooza, we are looking at several upcoming ideas instore for the wider community (and of course, the canine community) to really bring everyone together.” Can’t wait until Sunday February 23 to hang out with your best friend? Well, the Newmarket has also got a special Valentine’s Day event, running for the second consecutive year, where you can take your doggo out for a date. Who needs humans anyway? Show
your dog that you care about them with a puppy parma. Pal-entine’s Day goes down on Friday February 14 and Newmarket is putting up twofor-one small bites and pizzas to celebrate. There will also be $20 spritz jugs, $5 puppy parmas and free dog treats. So, what if you haven’t got a man’s best friend but you’re still keen to come along and hang out with all the doggos at Puppa Palooza? You’re still welcome to join in the fun, food, and of course, all the furry friends.
HuRU-hARa takes over the Abbotsford Convent for Asia TOPA Thursdays to Sundays from Thursday February 20 to Sunday March 1. Entry is free. Find out more via asiatopa.com.au.
Puppa Palooza Ever wanted to take your pup to a palooza? Well, the Newmarket Hotel is making it paw-sibble. BY SARAH GHASSALI
The St Kilda venue is hosting an extravagant doggo-friendly event for all dog lovers, complete with grooming, puppy parmas and free showbags. Taking place on Sunday February 23, $40 will see punters get an item off a selected main menu, a special New-bark-et t-shirt for themselves and a New-bark-et tennis ball for their puppies, plus grooming, a puppy parma, dog beer and a showbag containing a number of samples from local pet suppliers. For an extra $30, the owner can also add a two-hour house beverage package. So, what inspired Newmarket Hotel Event Manager Sam Cameron to create this unique occasion? As a pet-owner himself, he has been noticing an increased restriction in dogfriendly grounds around Melbourne. “Last year, there were many dog-friendly parks and ovals being taken over by other actives, like sporting groups. So I thought, what could we do with a large outdoor area [like Newmarket] to help out,” Cameron says. “So we came up with Puppa Palooza, an event that provides a place for both humans and dogs to come down, have a meal and
hold a nice little party.” Alongside Newmarket’s ongoing initiative ‘Puppy Parma Tuesdays’, which consists of a mini chicken schnitzel, shaved ham, topped with bocconcini and greens, alongside a dog-friendly side of “chips” and “salad”, and a regular Newmarket parma for their human companions, the Puppa Palooza is the first event uniquely dedicated to dogs. What’s more, the event will feature a mini-market where small pet business owners will be selling their products, such as custom blingy dog collars by Xena’s Wardrobe. A number of other local pet-care providers, such as Jim’s Dog Wash, LifeWise Pet Food, Petway Pet Care and more will also be in attendance. Of course, no event management comes without its challenges, especially when looking after both owners and their best mates during an eventful day out. “We might run out of space”, exclaims Cameron. “The traction from social media has been huge, all we really want to do is give something back to the pooches. We’re also ensuring that we cater for all dietary options
Puppa Palooza takes over Newmarket Hotel on Sunday February 23. Find out more and make a booking via newmarketstkilda.com.au.
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FEATURES
The HU Direct from Mongolia, The HU are the proud creators of a genre, ‘hunnu rock’. BY FERGUS NEAL
Founded in Mongolia in 2016 by producer Dashka, along with members Gala, Jaya, Temka, and Enkush, The HU has found a powerful way to combine rock music with traditional Mongolian instrumentation. Elements such as the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), tumur khuur (jaw harp), and guttural throat singing coalesce for a distinctive rock experience. “The HU is Eastern-meets-Western, oldmeets-new, traditional-meets-modern,” says the band. “‘Hu’ is the root word for human being in the Mongolian language. We chose this name because of the inclusive nature of the word. We would like to share our music with everyone in the world without any exclusions. “We are the only band in the world playing hunnu rock and we hope that we will not be the last one to play it. Hunnu rock is a blend of Mongolian traditional music and contemporary rock music.” The HU’s first two videos ‘Yuve Yuve Yu’ and ‘Wolf Totem’ immediately went viral, garnering the band 30-million views. Since that explosion into the rock world, the band set themselves the task of completing their debut album The Gereg which was released in 2019.
“A lot went into that album – heart, soul, and a deep message. Our message to the world via our album is reminding the importance of showing gratitude to your parents, loving your homeland, protecting nature, loving and respecting women, respecting your country’s history and ancestors, and finally giving individuals an inner power and belief for their future. “The HU sound is all about traditional Mongolian instruments and their unique sounds. We call our style ‘The Hunnu Rock’ which is a blend of Mongolian traditional music and contemporary rock music, which we blend very carefully.” A key part of The HU’s success has been the uniqueness of their musical style, exposing audiences to a rich tradition of Mongolian music that perhaps most fans are unaware of before they see them live. When asked what makes hunnu rock so captivating, the band point towards throat singing as a technique deeply embedded in the Mongolian culture. It’s something they’ve perfected through being exposed to the skill at a very young age. “Throat singing has been a Mongol technique for generations. Our grandfathers, fathers, mentors always did it. We genuinely
respected that it came from our ancestors and wanted to respect and honour them while attempting to master the technique. “We practiced this style for years since we were kids to be able to control it, apply it and now we’re infusing it into our songs because it feels natural to us. It’s who we are, it’s what we know, it’s where we come from. It comes from an honest human place that we’re proud of and comfortable with.” The HU have a combination of influences inside and outside of the Mongolian music canon and hopes an increasing number of Mongolian bands will break through using an eclectic array of inspirations. “The Mongolian music scene is growing very fast, there are so many talented bands
and artists ready to break out. We have used all sorts of inspirations and influences including Mongolian traditional music, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Slipknot, System of a Down, Rammstein, Tool and Lamb of God. We know that Australia has so many amazing bands and artists, our favourite is AC/DC. “We love Download Festival and being in the presence of these legendary bands is our favourite part. Of course, we can’t wait to get on the stage to show the fans what we can do.” You can catch The HU at Download Festival on Friday March 20 at Melbourne Showgrounds. Head to downloadfestival.com.au for tickets and more info.
The Leadbeater Hotel When Joe Downey announced the opening of former famous Hunchbax theatre restaurant and Eureka Hotel as new Melbourne music venue, The Leadbeater, tongues were wagging. BY TAMMY WALTERS
They launched three months ago, with a night of performances from Jess Locke, murmurmur and Huntly kicking things off. Fast forward to February and the venue is thriving. As the former owner of Nevermind Bar in Hawthorn for a decade and having done ad hoc shows for friends, Downey saw real potential in the space to become a premier music venue in the city. “That was a real thrill for me to help people showcase their talent but I’ve also been a big fan of music – I’m not a musician – so to be around it in that capacity to support musicians and artists has always been a thrill for me,” he says. “When we saw this venue was completely underutilised, we strolled into the front bar and thought ‘this is okay’ and then walked into the back where the theatre restaurant used to
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be and thought ‘oh god, can’t let this go’.” The venue saw a facelift and much needed attention paid to their bandroom. With a stage extension to allow more room for the musicians and to attract bigger acts, the making of a green room, the fitting of a new sound system and lighting rig and the recruiting of a winning team, The Leadbeater was open for business and catching the eyes of the masses. “We’ve managed to leapfrog into the upper echelon because of the quality of the sound system,” Downey says. “We really wanted to nail it first time because our focus is on the artist experience and I think the crowd will follow. We do ensure the patrons are having a good time but we feel if the artist experience is fantastic and they are cared for and able to sound their best, the rest will follow.” Part of that recruitment process included
Holy Holy performing at The Leadbeater
getting a key ingredient to the venue’s success covered – the dedicated position of the venue booker, and Downey struck gold with extraordinaire Will Clancy of Melbourne outfit DIET, who has gone strength to strength with bringing in fresh talent and filling the room. “When we started looking into bookings for the place, the mantra around here was that we are not a genre-fied venue. We won’t discriminate against any music types or different genres of music. It was more about having a bit of diversity across the board and getting more Melbourne bands in as well as trying to pull some interstate people in as well,” says Clancy. Since its inception, the 350-400 capacity venue has laid host to enormous talent, including Ali Barter, Holy Holy, Elizabeth, The Slingers, Ruby Gill, Howlite and Sisters Doll, with the latter set to return to the stage for their ten-year anniversary following a gigantic set at Good Things Festival.
“Sisters Doll called me when KISS cancelled their Melbourne show or Australian tour and wanted to do a tribute night and it so happened that we had an opening that night. They put on an absolute show and after that night they were like, ‘We want to do our 10th anniversary show here’ and I was like ‘absolutely’,” Clancy laughs. The Leadbeater calendar is fully booked for Friday and Saturday nights for the next couple of months with the likes of The Brungas, Moustache Ant, Tarcutta, Elusive, Dal Santo and Eat Your Heart Out gracing the stage. Along with their musical acts they also have trivia on Wednesday nights and are set to launch an open mic night on Tuesdays. The Leadbeater Hotel is at 1 Church Street, Richmond and is open seven days with live music on Fridays, Saturdays and some Sundays. Find out everything about the venue at leadbeaterhotel.com.au.
Q&AS
60 Seconds With... McDermott & North
Melbs bb
How would you describe McDermott & North in under 40 words? We’re an indie/folk pop, songwriting duo from Brisbane, who draw inspiration from the ingenious simplicity of the swinging ‘60s era music and Oasis’ raw honesty. Tell us about your new single, ‘Everytime (I’m A Little Bit Like You)’. We wrote this song a few years ago. The meaning behind it changes for me whenever we play it live; I’d like to think it could have that effect on other people as well. I suppose the inspiration for most of the lyrics do come from a place of uncertainty about a relationship, especially young relationships where things often have the ability to become intense and unsettling. Your music is inspired by the swinging ‘60s. Why is that era of music so influencial? The ‘60s influence ranges more from songwriting, rather than image or sound. What resonates with us from that era is how less is more. What Neil Young and Bob Dylan were writing in the ‘60s was revolutionary at the time, that’s what really inspires us – we want to write songs with lyrics that make you think twice. What can we expect from your upcoming Melbourne show at The Tote? We will be playing an acoustic set – a few songs from the first EP but a lot of new ones we have been working on. We started as an acoustic act so it will be refreshing to hear the songs stripped down to their original form and hopefully the harmonies will sound a bit more prominent than if we played with a band.
When did you first start making music and what led you there? I always wanted to be a musician but my parents were pretty opposed, so after a failed attempt at an arts degree, I went against their advice and enrolled in a music degree, joined my first band and now do my own thing in Melbs bb. Tell us about your new single, ‘Astrology (clothesline)’. I thought western astrology was bogus until last year when I actually looked into my chart and it suspiciously made a lot of sense. I had a bit of a meltdown, went for a drive and wrote this song. How would you describe your sound and how did you come to it? It jumps around but I’d describe it as lush indie pop. I’ve always been obsessed with guitars and synths so those feature quite heavily in my music. My dark past in a shoegaze band also bleeds through a bit. What can we expect from your upcoming single launch at The Workers Club? The set itself will be full of highs and lows so you can have a dance and also a cry but in terms of the vibe, I always try to keep things really casual so everyone feels like they’re just hanging with mates. It’s a very inclusive vibe. What’s next for Melbs bb? Another single in a couple of months and an EP to follow shortly after. It’s all written and ‘Astrology (clothesline)’ is a pretty good teaser for what’s ahead.
McDermott & North come to The Tote on Thursday March 5. Keep up to date with the band via their Facebook page.
Melbs bb launches her new single, ‘Astrology (clothesline)’, at The Workers Club on Thursday February 27. Grab your tix via Oztix.
Plum Green
DESTRUKTOR
How would you describe Plum Green in under 40 words? I put out a question to my listeners and this is a combination of their words: “Soulful sound with lyrics of blood velvet. There’s something wistful though world-weary about your music. Raggedly honest. Sometimes it reminds me of The Velvet Underground, sometimes it doesn’t.” You’re just about to release a film clip for the track ‘Funeral Song’. What’s the inspiration behind the video? A close friend of mine died and ‘Funeral Song’ was her favourite song of mine. The video is a ‘letting go’ ritual. Cinematographer/DP David Chan from Frame of Sound and Director Pete Vulino are both creatively brilliant and thought of the concept together. The video so closely expresses what the song is about – I was moved to tears when I saw it. You’ve been active in your bushfire fundraising efforts, generating donations for The Rescue Collective. What motivates you to support the cause? I’m a Kiwi and I’ve lived in Melbourne for seven years. I feel extremely passionate about our nature and wildlife. It has thoroughly broken all of our hearts to witness the devastation of the fires and I am just one of the many artists who can’t bear to witness without contributing. What’s next for Plum Green? To promote my forthcoming album Somnambulistic we’re touring Europe, starting in Romania and ending in Germany including festivals. There will also be an album release show in Melbourne with details yet to be confirmed.
DESTRUKTOR have been laying down extreme metal for 25 years. How have the band stayed so strong during this time? By not seeking fame or putting pressure on ourselves. Also, not being caught up in the digital world as much as a lot of bands these days. Aside from that, it can only be one thing – passion for hard hitting, extreme music. You’re playing your first Melbourne show in almost three years at The Bendigo Hotel on Friday February 21. Why’s it been so long between drinks? A number of reasons, but first and foremost is because we were without a bass player for some time. I changed jobs, my second child was born, and the lineup was a bit shaky, so I just had to work slowly in the background whilst other things took precedence until the lineup situation was how it needed to be. What can we expect from the show? Hard hitting bands, playing music that is not for the part-time metalhead. All bands lean towards the left-hand path and don’t really care to plod along, so it will be dark, dynamic and intense metal, not for the modern deathcore kids. What’s next for DESTRUKTOR? A couple more gigs in Melbourne, and the recording of our album Indomitable towards the end of the year. Indomitable is on track to surpass all previous recordings by DESTRUKTOR, with wilder riffs, more dynamic attack, and the addition of the strongest bass player in DESTRUKTOR’s existence.
Keep your eyes peeled for when Beat premieres Plum Green’s new video for ‘Funeral Song’ on Monday February 17. Find out more about Green via her facebook page.
Catch Destruktor when they hit the Bendigo Hotel on Friday February 21. Check out the venue website for more information.
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NEW MUSIC
Albums & Singles BEST NEW ALBUM
9
THE NECKS
Three
A feast for those into numbers and symmetry – three musicians, three compositions, three words, the 21st record… everything is aligned with severe rationality. Like previous records, Three is an elongated, airy listen and a dense jumble of styles. The Necks are always adventurous with their music, whether on stage or in the studio. It cannot be said that they’re becoming coy with their output and adapt their arrangements accordingly to retain a fresh outlook. ‘Bloom’ is a cacophony of sound vividly creating an aural tempest which crackles and sizzles and leads into ‘Lovelock’. The enthusiastic constituency of hardened Necks fans will revel in this record. Just like mistaking psoriasis scars as evidence of a heroin addiction, in no way can it be said that The Necks are losing their edge. By the time ‘Further’ arrives, your listening pleasure will have eclipsed its expectations. Albert Ayler once remarked that the future of music would not be about notes, rather it would be about sounds. The Necks epitomise this principle with great skill and, when the need requires it, gentleness. The trance-like quality of the compositions stands well alongside their prior releases, a vaunted catalogue of what could be described as experimental jazz, if you’re short of words. Standing outside the tyranny of verse and chorus, The Necks remain at the vanguard of those who favour repetition and expansiveness. It’s another lofty coalition of styles and tones to usher in a new decade. Label: Fish Of Milk BY BRONIUS ZUMERIS
SINGLES – WITH AUGUSTUS WELBY
CHITRA
ANNA CALVI & COURTNEY BARNETT
GUIDED BY VOICES
Leaving
Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy
Man Called Blunder
Chitra is teasing what could be one of the Australian albums of the year. ‘Leaving’ builds on the strength of last year’s ‘A Kind’, but there’s more of a melancholic countrytinge to this one. There’s a natural quiver in Chitra’s voice, which she uses to bounce from vulnerability to exasperation. And with good reason – ‘Leaving’ addresses someone who’s only compelled to express their fondness for the singer when she’s leaving. From a musical perspective, Chitra sounds in full control. Label: Our Golden Friend
Anna Calvi’s 2018 record Hunter was her boldest, loudest work to date. Nick Cave and Arcade Fire producer Nick Launay perfectly amplified Calvi’s scrutiny of conventional gender roles and societal perceptions of sexuality. On the companion piece, Hunted, Calvi strips things down and invites some friends to explore these themes with her. Courtney Barnett dips in and out of view on the reworked ‘Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy,’ providing a grounded complement to Calvi’s soaring emotionality. Label: Domino
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It’s telling that a recent article announcing the imminent arrival of Guided By Voices’ 30th album called it their “first album of 2020.” Robert Pollard and co. put out three records in 2019; the coming Surrender Your Poppy Field will be their 14th since reforming in 2012. So is ‘Man Called Blunder’ any good? Well, it sounds almost exactly like what you’d expect from a 62-year-old school teacher with a thing for distortion and who’s made 14 albums in the last eight years. Label: Guided By Voices, Inc.
ZOE FOX AND THE ROCKET CLOCKS
Shiny Car ‘Shiny Car’ really is very shiny. The production gleams with chiming funk guitars and synth arpeggios. Zoe Fox’s vocals are insistently melodic and unaccompanied by strain. But like the car described in the song, there’s more to the story than what greets us on the surface. “All the kids in the street think it’s pretty neat,” goes the song’s chanted refrain. It recalls status symbols that initially bring pleasure but wind up imprisoning us. Label: Independent
NEW MUSIC
7
GENGAHR
Sanctuary
In compressing what feels like a flurry of lifetimes and infinite personalities, one of North London’s shinier outfits re-emerges as franchisers of the emotional spectrum. In their latest brew, Sanctuary, Gengahr employs longtime amigo Jack Steadman (of Bombay Bicycle Club) to assist in the album’s sonic exploration. It’s extensions like this, as well as choosing to record fully independently, that sees tracks bounce between latencies without feeling all too gimmicky. Take Steadman’s influence in overly darkened single ‘Atlas Please’, and the midalbum ‘You’re No Fun’. In the former, frontman Felix Bushe is severe, “Quit standing down a window ledge waiting … I know at times it’s dark/But you don’t have to take it so far”. Yet Steadman’s pop blessings shift the production’s melancholic dynamic altogether. ‘You’re No Fun’ has an edge faintly recognisable as fellow Brit rockers Local Natives or The Magic Gang, but sitting cutely as a palate curator rather than cleanser, it doesn’t fray into territories too close for comfort. The result is striking; light psychedelia is peppered with bloops and arresting guitar riffs throughout. Sanctuary is haunting but never in-your-face confrontational, and Bushe is often posing conundrums as opposed to fronting answers. Treading breezy riffs and chunky layers, the band orbits temperatures and nooks fluently, oozing a courage that will keep their loyals pining for their magnum opus to come. Label: Liberator Music
8
SARAH MARY CHADWICK
Please Daddy
8
KHRUANGBIN + LEON BRIDGES
Texas Sun
On Please Daddy, the ever-prolific Sarah Mary Chadwick presents us a collection of heart-wrenching, unsweetened tracks that are only suitable for brave ears. The release of the statement, “I tried to kill myself this year, so maybe this song is too powerful”, alongside second single ‘When Will Death Come’, encapsulates the gravity of the situation. Please Daddy, the New Zealand artist’s sixth LP, is a truly crushing accolade to mental health and sees Chadwick at her most vulnerable. Since leading the post-grunge band Batrider in the 2000s, Chadwick has swapped out distorted guitar for brooding acoustic sessions to create a plenary mix of ballads and odes that leave us feeling tender. However, an oddly uplifting tone remains present throughout the album as emotive lyrics are paired with touching orchestral elements. ‘Please Daddy’, possibly the darkest track, is accompanied by jubilant trumpets to give the song a touch of air. Similarly, ‘The Heart and Its Double’ is accompanied by a flute counter-melody that softly compensates for the track’s intense unhappiness. I hear influences from Lucy Dacus’ lyrical content, Peter Jefferies’ songwriting and, of course, Sylvia Plath’s iconic poem Daddy, which Chadwick plays tribute to in the name of the LP. Please Daddy will put you in a trance of melancholic rises and falls until, before you know it, you’re crying on the bathroom floor. I know I was.
For those who’ve craved vocal melodies over Khruangbin’s dreamy, Texan soundscapes, it’s your lucky day – with new EP Texas Sun, the band have enlisted the voice of fellow Texan Leon Bridges, and what a voice they’ve chosen to break their instrumental streak. While Khruangbin typically explore a psychedelic vibe with their sound, and Leon Bridges vintage soul, here they seem tailormade for each other. Across an achingly teasing four tracks, Leon and the band crisscross the entire state, exploring Southern roots with the buoyant ‘Midnight’, sun-kissed patio sounds on ‘Texas Sun’, and the blistering heat of love on ‘C-Side’. Fourth and final track ‘Conversion’ is the weary hangover to what’s come before – a six-minute-plus crooner that soothes, yet also leaves you craving more. Every beat and lyric plays out like a frame from a golden-age movie, “Say you wanna hit the highway while the engine roars/Well, come on, roll with me ‘til the sun goes down” Bridges sings on the titular track. Texas Sun sees two of the Lone Star States’ most endearing acts come together for a celebration of the diverse sounds that make the place so special, like a Coen Brothers film envisioned through a kaleidoscope. But, like a flash in a pan, this collaboration stuns and is then instantly gone. If only the sun was up a little longer.
Label: Rice is Nice Records
Label: Dead Oceans/Inertia Music
BY HAYLEY AUSTEN
BY TOM WALTERS
8.5
ANNA CORDELL
Nobody Knows Us
Anna Cordell, a Melbourne-based muso and custom tailor to the stars, has created a broadreaching compilation of modern siren songs on her new LP, Nobody Knows Us. Cordell’s full-length debut was worth every second of the decade-long wait for her return to music – every indie-folk installation on this album is masterfully created, honed and produced. Combining Big Thief chord progressions with Charlotte Gainsbourg vocals and Florence Welch witchcraft, this is a showstopper. The songs tend to blend together but not due to laziness or lack of insight; where many artists fail to confront their own trends, Cordell has isolated her signature sound and capitalised on the space it leaves for experimentation. ‘Lie Awake’ is the highlight as Cordell creates a tapestry of sound with her layered melodies. ‘The Soul’ is an easier listen than most others due to the classic folk guitar riffs and major key, but the more isolated vocals lose nothing of Cordell’s signature charm. This album is consistent, rustic and raw; Cordell’s voice, though occasionally overpowered by the backing, is hypnotic. Her comeback to music seems to have not daunted Cordell in the slightest, which speaks volumes of her professional abilities as well as her pure talent. There’s little left to be said: this is simply and plainly a great album. Label: Ditto Distribution BY LEXI HERBERT
BY LELAND TAN
EDITOR’S PICK
SUNFRUITS
Certified Organic Melbourne band Sunfruits are like going to the local milk bar and selecting a tasty assortment of lollies at the end of a long day at school.
“I’ll get two milk bottles, three clouds, a racing car and three licorice allsorts, thanks.” Not only does the namesake track of the band’s debut EP detail that nostalgic luxury, but the band’s psychedelic pop is so sweet it would have any kid salivating at the mouth. Certified Organic comes after the release of a bunch of singles and the band’s 2019 split 7” with Noodle House, but it’s this record that cements the band’s foothold in the Melbourne psych scene. Winnie McQuinn’s drawl perfectly compliments the cosmic tomfoolery taking place behind it – the sunny clatter of percussion, drums, vocoder and guitars recall ‘60s psych trailblazers The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band or Ultimate Spinach.
The EP’s highlights come at the release’s bookends. The bouncy rhythm of ‘Above The Clouds’ juxtaposes a stark tale of an apocalyptic world – yet “everything’s alright, everything’s ok”, according to Sunfruits. The final track, ‘Change’, is equally sprightly as McQuinn implores someone to look at themselves in the mirror. The chorus leaps behind a swirling vocoder – let’s hope Winnie gets his message across. Label: Third Eye Stimuli Records/Six Tonne De Chair Records BY TOM PARKER
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GIGS & EVENTS
Gig & Events Guide WEDNESDAY 12 FEB
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. DEVA PREMAL & MITEN WITH MANOSE Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $70.05 - 104.50. LOMOND ACOUSTICA FEAT: NICK CHARLES, BILL JACKSON, CHRIS LAZZARO The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. KIRK FLETCHER, MIKE ELRINGTON Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $33.50. WAGONS Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. MUSICLAND COMMUNITY CHOIR REHEARSAL MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $5. MELBOURNE'S BIGGEST OPEN MIC NIGHT MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. TOUGH BROTHERS, JUAN ROBERTS The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. MONIQUE CLARE & BAND, OPEN SWIMMER Wesley Anne. Northcote. 7.30pm. $15. LIBBY INGELS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. MELANIE BAKER The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. COQ ROQ: UNPLUGGED Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. OPEN MIC NIGHT Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE. THE GRUBBY URCHINS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. FREYA J HOLLICK, ALEX HAMILTON Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP BEATLAB, JONQUIL, KGOMOTSO, LIXXXTRADO, PIETRO Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. WEDNESDAY TWIST The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
GOON SQUAD, RYAN ROXIE Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $25.
THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT FEAT: TONO Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. THE DMTEASERS, FRANCIS GLASS BAND, PATRICK COLLINS Globe Alley. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. PJ THE DJ Globe Alley. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. JOE TERROR Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. GROOVECULT RECORDS AND MUCH LOVE PRESENT: BERGY THURSDAYS FEAT: JIMMY HARWOOD, DANITCHY, T.B.F.S. The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. MINOR MISCHIEF, BLUFFY Bar 303. Northcote. 8.30pm. $10. JIM SWAINSTON BAND, CHARLIE WHITE DUO, ELON HUSK Mr Boogie Man BAR. Abbotsford. 8pm. $10. EARACHE, LEMON DAZE, BLANCO TRANCO The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $10. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BILLIE JEAN Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. VICTORY LAP, CAYN BORTHWICK, WATER SIGNS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10,00. ROCKY & THE TWO BOB MILLIONAIRES FAD Gallery. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. HER, THE BLACKTIDES Gasometer Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $20.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK GEOFF HUGHES TRIO Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. JHELI'S FEMMES & FRIENDS, RAWBIE KI, MON SHELFORD Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. THE NIGHT CAT SWING ORCHESTRA, SWING PATROL FITZROY Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7pm. $8 - 149. TOM FRYER BAND, BUSH TICKET, THE CONFABULATIONS Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm. SAMANTHA MORLEY: THE SONGS OF JULIE LONDON Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. ADE ISHS TRIO, ALEX ROPER, RORY BROWN Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. JOE CHINDAMO Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $29.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL ILLENIUM, FRED & DAVE, LUCILLE CROFT, ENSCHWAY, DABIN, WILLIAM BLACK Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 6pm. $89.90.
CLASSICAL MELBOURNE OPERA: BEETHOVEN'S FIDELIO Athenaeum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $39.
THURSDAY 13 FEB
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL DJS TIL CLOSE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. NIGHTFALL FEAT: CLADDY, HIPHOPHOE, INDICIA, EN.V Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. GUERNS FEAT: PALACE TRAX DJS, PRESIDENT PRESS New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE. THE MASH UP FEAT: AMY LOTUS Bimbo. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK GENE KELLY: THE LEGACY FEAT: PATRICIA WARD KELLY Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $59 - 109. TAPES, PUSH PORTAL, JOHNNY COSTIN The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $10. THE PLAIN BLACK T-SHIRTS Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. PUGSLEY BUZZARD BAND, ADAM SIMMONS, HOODOO MAYHEM Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $11.25. ADAM SIMMONS TRIO Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. ZEDSIX, TUMI THE B Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $10. MAHALIA BARNES + THE SOUL MATES Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $35. THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. THORNE + MISS EMILIA Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. MODAMI The Moldy Fig. 6pm. FREE. SHADES OF LOVE: JACKIE BORNSTEIN QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. JUDITH NIJLAND Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $30. EARACHE, LEMON DAZE, BLANCO TRANCO The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $10. STEVE LACY Max Watt's (Melbourne). 7.30pm. OPEN JAM 'ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟ' FEAT: DELYRIUM, 2K H DIVISION Open Studio. Northcote. 8.30pm. $12 - 15. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BILLIE JEAN Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. ALL STARS LIVE JAM FEAT: MAYA Pause Bar. Balaclava. 8pm. FREE. ANDREA KELLER TRANSIENTS TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES TOM DOCKRAY + WATTY THOMPSON
LIVE MUSIC. FRESH BEER. PROPER SOUND. IN FEBRUARY
THE ADAM
WALDRON TRIO
1 6 . 0 2 JOHN HENDERSON 2 3 . 0 2 TAMA JUNTO: CARNAVAL 0 1 . 0 3 BARNEY MCCALL
ALL DAY L ATIN BBQ - BEERS BREWED ON SITE
245 JOHNSTON ST. ABBOTSFORD 3067
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GIGS & EVENTS
Labour in Vain. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. FREE. SWEET TALK, JIM STIRTON, RAMBLIN' GOLD Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. $10. MARTY KELLY The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. THE MISTY DRIFTERS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BILLIE JEAN Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. HALF THE ANDES, BEC SYKES, TESS GUTHRIE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 7.30pm. $10. MICHAEL SITA Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE. GERRY HALE Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. ROSARIO DE MARCO Royal Oak Hotel. Fitzroy North. 6pm.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP ZEDSIX, TUMI THE B Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $10. THROWBACK FEAT: MATT RADOVICH, EZRA HARVEY, ILRESPONCE, B-TWO, AYNA, NAM Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL MELBOURNE OPERA: BEETHOVEN'S FIDELIO Athenaeum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $39.
FRIDAY 14 FEB
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES RIPLEY HOOD + ASH JONES Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6.30pm. FREE. JESS & MATT Chapel Off Chapel. Prahran. 7.30pm. $45. WE LOVE EARTH - CLIMATE ACTION FUNDRAISER FEAT: AMARINA WATERS, JESSE GLASS, MIMI GILBERT, HANNAH CAMERON, MAPLE GLIDER Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $18.53. OLIVER JACH + IMOGEN CYGLER Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. KARISE EDEN Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $33.50. THE FOUR SCOOPS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE.
SURF STOMP Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 8pm. FREE. THE BERGY SELTZER PRESENTS - A NIGHT OF SINGER SONGWRITERS, PARMY DHILLON, RIKI PLATT, KIMBERLEY RAY, CIARAN BOYLE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. WOODY PITNEY, JUICE WEBSTER, LIZE Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $12.25. TEMPO RUBATO FREE FRIDAY NIGHTS Tempo Rubato. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. DAN WARNER & DAVE EVANS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8.30pm. FREE. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. GWYN ASHTON The Basement Discs. Melbourne. 12.45pm. FREE. VICTOR STRANGES Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 7.30pm. FREE. JAZMINE MARY, GERYON, KATIE DEY, JUNE JONES The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $10 - 15. FRANCES GUMM FRONTIER Coburg RSL Club. Coburg. 8pm. FREE. SHAUNA TONY & CO. Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP LES YÉ-YÉ GIRLS Globe Alley. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. POP TILL YOU DROP The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. HAPPY FEET Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE. CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS New Guernica. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE. RNB FRIDAYS - VALENTINE'S DAY Co. Southbank. 9.30pm. $22.19.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK BANG BANG, ELLE SHIMADA, YANGOS, THHOMAS Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. SUNFLOWER, THE GLAMOUR, SPARKLE MOTION, VWLS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $11.25. MAHALIA BARNES + THE SOUL MATES Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $35. AFRO MOSES Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE. THE EMMA GILMARTIN QUARTET Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. GODTET, THE SEDUCEAPHONES Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. $12.
OPA! Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. CHONK WITH ALMA ZYGIER Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $32.50. JEAN CAZE & TAMARA KULDIN: MY FUNNY VALENTINE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $40. BOSSA FOR LOVERS FEAT: DANY MAIA SEXTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $32.50. DAWN RAGA SERIES FEAT: HARI SIVANESEN, JAY DABGAR Bunjil Place. Narre Warren. 7.30am. FREE. STEVE LACY Max Watt's (Melbourne). 7.30pm. COSMIC LOVE IN FEAT: MALCOLM HILL & LIVE FLESH, PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN, USER Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
7.30pm. $101.70. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30am. $90.75 - 162.10. VICTOR STRANGES Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 7.30pm. FREE. ROCK FOR MENTAL HEALTH TOUR FEAT: COLD SLEEP, CICADASTONE, VERONA LIGHTS, ALL IS VIOLENT The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $10. CICADASTONE, COLD SLEEP, VERONA LIGHTS, ALL IS VIOLENT The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $10. CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 9.30pm. FREE. AN EVENING WITH MARIO MILLO Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 6pm. $45 - 55. WHISKEY RIVER Pirates Tavern. Williamstown. 9pm.
ALICE COOPER Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $101.70. ROBERT FORSTER The Thornbury Theatre. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $44.90 90.80. VOID OF VISION, DIAMOND CONSTRUCT, STARVE Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. DROID, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS, PEELING SUN Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $15. NEEKO Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. DJ STEELY ANN Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. ALICE COOPER PRE/POST DRINKS Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 5pm. WAXFLOWER, EXCUSE FOR AN EXIT, ALEX MOSES Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $9.50. THEE CHA CHA CHAS, MR. TEENAGE The B.East. Brunswick East. 7pm. FREE. THE GEORGE TRIMMER BAND MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. CAPTIVATE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. THE GROGANS Pier Bandroom. Frankston. 8pm. $17.35. THE LOVE BITEZ Mr Boogie Man BAR. Abbotsford. 8pm. $10. KINGS OF OZ Royal Hotel. Essendon. 9pm. FREE. X-GENZ The Missing Gorilla Bar. Eltham. 8.30pm. FREE. ROBERT FORSTER The Thornbury Theatre. Thornbury. 7pm. $44.90. ALICE COOPER FEAT: MC50, AIRBOURNE Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL DJS TIL CLOSE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. BANG BANG, ELLE SHIMADA, YANGOS, THHOMAS Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. YOU & I ARE MADE OF STAR DUST FEAT: HORNS OF NAVARONE, THE SUGARFED LEOPARDS, TEK TEK ENSEMBLE, LOUISE TERRA, RACHEL BY THE STREAM, LINH HA FOR NOW, BONANZA JELLYBEAN Rubix Warehouse. Brunswick. 9pm. $17.27 - 22.60. AUTO-MASH DJS The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 9pm. FREE. STOP 187 FEAT: SPACEY SPACE, SAMMY LA MARCA, EBONY WILLIS, MORE 24 Moons. Northcote. 10pm. $15. BETH YEN + SECRET GUEST, ROB ANTHONY, MELL HALL, BOYBLEWE, ROWIE, DENN FRANCISCO, NICK TAPLIN, ADAM TRACE OneSixOne. Prahran. 9pm. MIRROR 07 FEAT: SAMMY LA MARCA, SAM OWENS, ADAM WICKS, ANDY MOLONEY, DOSHPOT, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15. OPIUO + CLOZEE, MAD ZACH, THE LIBRARIAN Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $78.75. THOMAS SCHUMACHER Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $22.19 - 32.74. JULIET FOX, LAURA KING, DJ KITI, TALEENA Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $22.19 - 32.74. DANCE PARTY - DISCO INFERNO FEAT:
Jinks
ILLENIUM
Bushfire Relief gig
Siesta Cartel
Jess Day
THE FORUM
LAUNDRY BAR
OLIVA SOCIAL
THE GASOMETER
American EDM sensation ILLENIUM returns to Australian shores on Wednesday February 12 with a massive show in celebration of his chart-topping album Ascend. Witness the electronic mastermind’s incredible live production firsthand at 6pm. Final release tickets are $89 via Ticketmaster.
The final leg of ‘Playing the Flame’, a series of bushfire relief gigs (hosted by Nightlight) will take place on Thursday February 13 at Laundry Bar for a night of morale-raising hip hop and R&B. This great night for a great cause will feature Mythic, Kara, Jinks and Mikado. Doors are at 8pm, tickets are $10.
Oliva Social is hosting an Italian night every Friday of this month with live music, food, booze and fussball. Melbourne’s Siesta Cartel will be playing all night and getting your heart beating to traditional Italian sounds. Come down on Friday February 14 and 21 and party hard from 5pm. Bookings via venue website.
Jess Day is looking after all the lonely hearts this Valentine’s Day as her The Affection Tour comes to The Gasometer. Day is sure to soothe all broken and lonely hearts with her grungy indie pop that presents itself with raw emotion and immense passion. Goes down on Friday February 14. Grab your tix via the venue website.
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GIGS & EVENTS
COMMON NOCTURNE, DANCE PARTY DJS 170 Russell. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $28.73. FORMATION FEAT: DONNY, ONE PUF, BLEND CORP, CONGO TARDIS, DINGO SQUAD Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. COSMIC LOVE IN FEAT: MALCOLM HILL & LIVE FLESH, PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN, USER Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 8pm. FREE.
SATURDAY 15 FEB
HIP HOP, R&B, POP LIBBY STEEL, LESLIE D. KING & THE TREMBLING SHAKES The Penny Black. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. WORDPLAY FEAT: TEQUILA SPANISH, CANDIDATE, R.EM.EDY, GLOCA, LACHED UP Bar 303. Northcote. 9pm. $10. LIGHT - OLD SCHOOL RNB NIGHT FEAT: DJ JVP Co. Southbank. 10pm. $22.19. KHOKOLAT SATURDAYS, DURMY, DAMION DE SILVA Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. HANNAH ACFIELD + JESSICA PAIGE Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 8pm. $15 - 20. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. KIWI FEST 2020 FEAT: CHE FU, ISRAEL STARR, IVA LAMKUM, AMIN PAYNE, THE REFUGEES, DJ SPELL Footscray Community Arts Centre. VIC. 2pm. $55.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK VULGARGRAD, ROWAN BLACKMORE, HORNY ELKS Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $26.48. RUBEN BLADES TRIBUTE The Curtin. Carlton. 9pm. $15. DJ CRISPI Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. SHOTA’S JAZZ TRIO Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. ENTROPY QUARTET Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. BAR OPEN 22ND BIRTHDAY, THE WOOHOO REVUE, THE PIRATESKA REBELLION Bar Open. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. $15. BROOKLYN '86 Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. PAUL WILLIAMSON TRIO Brunswick
Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. THE NEW MONOS, CUERPO NEGRO, BERKAY METE Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE. THE TED VINING TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. THE SENEGAMBIAN JAZZ BAND Night Cat. Fitzroy. 10pm. $12. SOUL CHIC: THE EVA CASSIDY EXPERIENCE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $35. LILLY TUNLEY SEXTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $32.50. NADIRA & FRIENDS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $32.50. JACQUELINE GAWLER'S AMÉRICA DO SUL Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 5.30pm. $32.50. MICHAEL BUBLÉ Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $214.05. BERNADETTE NOVEMBRE + KUMAR SHOME Ragtime Tavern. Preston. 8pm. THE CLASSICS: BROADWAY FEAT: THE JACK EARLE BIG BAND, RONDA BURCHMORE Ardrie Park. VIC. 7.30pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL PAWN SATURDAYS Pawn & Co. Prahran. 8pm. DJS TIL CLOSE Morris Jones. Windsor. 8pm. FREE. DISPATCH RECORDINGS MELBOURNE FEAT: BLACK BARREL, CERN, EWOL Rubix Warehouse. Brunswick. 10pm. $17.27 - 27.93. THE MAD TEA PARTY FEAT: DJ HISA, MEGAPIXEL, SHINIGAMI, POSITIVE PETE, SAVIGIZM, HYPERTONE, THAT TATTOOED GUY, MORE 24 Moons. Northcote. 9pm. $17.50 - 25. ALL NIGHT FEAT: CITIZEN.COM, MORE The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 10pm. FREE. ELECTRIC DREAMS Co. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19. EMPIRE UNLEASHED Empire Nightclub. Narre Warren. 9pm. EAT THE BEAT, ETWAS, MATTEO FREYRIE, ANDREA GUADALUPI, CHRISS MATTÒ, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15. DJ STEFF Royal Hotel. Essendon. 9pm. HOUSE PARTY 2.0 FEAT: BETH GRACE, VARIOUS DJS Bimbo. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE.
UNDERCATT - OPEN-AIR WAREHOUSE DAY PARTY The Third Day. North Melbourne. 1pm. $30 - 35. VOLTAGE 001 - ELECTRO, BREAKS & RAVE FEAT: HEDCHEF, ZEROTONINE, RHYTHMIC SHIFT COLLECTIVE, TOM WILLIAMSON, SHADOW Loop Project Space & Bar. Melbourne. 10pm. $10.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THE EAGLES STORY - HOTEL CALIFORNIA Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $28. LOOKS THAT KILL Globe Alley. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. OKILLY DOKILLY, DR COLOSSUS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $44.55. WOLFPACK Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 2am. LITTLEFOOT, THE NICOTEENAGERS, THE DAGGAR Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $9. DJ SIMON LAXTON Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. FAKE NEWS, ANGRY SEAS, AWAKE NOW, DONKEY VOTE, QUAID, TOO FAR GONE Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $20. THE VICTIM'S BALL, ELECTRIC DOG, SASHA ČUHA Woody's Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. THE DANDY JONESTOWN MASSACRE The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. FREE. KILLER KLOWNS, POIZON'US MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $25. 29 BONES, OCELOT ECLIPSE, THE NUREMBERG CODE, LUNAR DEITY Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $INGLE INCOME Royal Hotel. Mornington. 8pm. HYBRID THEORY - LINKIN PARK TRIBUTE Max Watt's (Melbourne). 8pm. $40. TROPHY EYES, BLESSED, CONGRATS The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm.
CLASSICAL HOANG PHAM Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6.30pm. $51 - 68. DAVID HELFGOTT Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 2pm. $68.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES
THE HANDLE BARS The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 9.30pm. DOGGEREL Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. CANYON Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $23.50. GRIM FAWKNER, ALISTER TURRILL The B.East. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE. KARISE EDEN Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. NATHAN SEECKTS Union Hotel Brunswick. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. YMAGO, NATURAL STATE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS, ROSIE HADEN & GREG HOEPNER Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3pm. FREE. MATT DWYER & THE MAGNATONES The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. PAT MCKERNAN Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 9pm. FREE. BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE.
SUNDAY 16 FEB
ROCK, PUNK, METAL ARISE FROM THE ASHES FIRE AID BENEFIT FEAT: MONSTERIA, BRITTLE SUN, THE INTERCEPTORS, NOIR, AMONAL Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 4pm. $10. AUNTIE LEO & THE BACKSTABBERS Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 2am. THE CHESS SESSIONS FEAT: CHRIS STOCKLEY'S 'BRAM, EZRA LEE, KELLY AUTY, ROBERT PRICE Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 2.30pm. $26.50. THE KILBEYS, SILT, UNCLE BEN'S LAST WORDS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10. FIXATION SUNDAYS, MUDSHAKER, BEAR THE MAMMOTH Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 5pm. FREE. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT, JAM COLLECTIVE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. RUSE, PAGE BOY, PIXIE RIOT, DON'T TEXT YOUR EX The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. PINKO COLLECTIVE Bar 303. Northcote. 4pm. FREE. HAVE/HOLD - FEBRUARY RESIDENCY & BUSHFIRE FUNDRAISER, FRANCO COZZO Old Bar. Fitzroy. 2pm. FREE.
The Florets
SUNFLOWER
Bushfire Relief gig
Dakota East
The Delvenes and Crumbe
BAR OPEN
SWAMPLANDS
THE CLIFTON HILL BREWPUB
THE THORNBURY LOCAL
Brisbane’s five-piece pop rockers SUNFLOWER will be playing an intimate show at Bar Open this Valentine’s Day, following their St Kilda Festival show. Forget about your ex with sweet sounds inspired by Oasis and Fleetwood Mac. It all goes down on Friday February 14 from 8:30pm with $11 tickets via Oxtix.
Swamplands is putting on an afternoon of live music to raise funds for bushfire relief. From 2pm an abundance of local artists will be showing their support. Catch The Backs, FOX, The Florets, Loveboner and Team Love on Saturday February 15 for just a $10 donation at the door.
R&B queen Dakota East will be stepping into The Clifton Hill Brewpub to explore ‘the spaces between blues, soul, pop and indie’ on Saturday February 15. Enjoy a rollercoaster of genre, emotion and talent from 9pm, all for free.
Surf punks The Delvenes and Crumbe will team up for an evening of twangy delights at The Thornbury Local on Saturday February 15. This free event will kick off at 9pm and is sure to leave you feeling beachy clean.
40
GIGS & EVENTS
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK SUNDAY SMALLGOODS FEAT: JOHN HENDERSON, EMELYN, ORCA DJ Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 2pm. FREE. THE MELTDOWN - SONGWRITING SUNDAYS Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $10. JAZZ SUNDAYS FEAT: BEN EMES, JOSH KELLY TRIO Howler. Brunswick. 3pm. FREE. APOLLO MUSIC SOCIETY FUNDRAISER, STRINGS, THE JAZZ BAND, CUTTLEFISH Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. $10 - 15. RUBY DARGAVILLE & NICK KYRITSIS Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. BELLY SAVALAS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. FREE. TRIO AGOGO Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. JAZZ ORBIT Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. LA INFLUENCIA Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. $17.90. KABBOBIE, TRIO K Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. ANGELA LIBRANDI Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $35. NO REGRETS - THE EDITH PIAF STORY, NIKKI NOUVEAU Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. MICHAEL BUBLÉ Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $214.05. ANIA REYNOLDS Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 6pm. FREE. THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL EAT OUT - FOURTH COURSE Pawn & Co. Prahran. 10pm. SUNDAY REVIVAL FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 4pm. FREE. PIKNIC ÉLECTRONIK FEAT: MOODYMANN, MR G Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Melbourne. 3pm.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP SUNDAY SERVICE FEAT: KK, 10YRWAR, DJ R3DBIRD, MG BLAKK Morris Jones.
Windsor. 4pm. FREE. PURR FEAT: PIATAŌ Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. MOTHERSHIP Co. Southbank. 10pm. $15.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES AINTREE SWEET The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 5.30pm. FREE. THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. JEB CARDWELL BAND Union Hotel Brunswick. Brunswick. 5pm. THE WEEPING WILLOWS Union Hotel Brunswick. Brunswick. 3.30pm. MIDNIGHT CREEP The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 4pm. FREE. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT, JAM COLLECTIVE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. PINKO COLLECTIVE Bar 303. Northcote. 4pm. FREE. MARSHALL & THE FRO Royal Hotel. Mornington. 3pm. FIELDS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. THE SUBLIMINALS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 4pm. 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 Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE. MICHAEL WAUGH, LIZ FRENCHAM Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $18 - 28. SUNDAY SINGALONG Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. THE MOONLIGHTERS Frankston Bowls Club. Frankston. 1.15pm. $10. RICH WEBB BAND Spotted Mallard. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE.
MONDAY 17 FEB
EXPERIMENTAL DJS TILL LATE Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THE NECKS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $49.86.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC NITE Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 7.30pm. FREE. PUB CHOIR 170 Russell. Melbourne. 7pm.
TUESDAY 18 FEB
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK CLEAR BLUE SKY Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $60. CHOCCY SALAD Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. ELISION TRUMPET SPECIAL Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. SONIC TEXTURES FEAT: ELLA CLAIR, LARA PROKOP Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $8. MICHAEL BUBLÉ Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 8pm. $172.30.
CLASSICAL BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, JOE CHINDAMO Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35. CLEAR BLUE SKY Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $60.
CLASSICAL
HIP HOP, R&B, POP
BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, PLEXUS Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35. STRELITZIA Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $40.
KATE TEMPEST, OMAR MUSA Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $74 - 94.
ELECTRONIC,
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
8pm. $49.86. NICK LOWE, LOS STRAITJACKETS Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $89.90.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. THE SELTZER SESSIONS - OPEN STAGE, HAMISH MCNAB, MORE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. IRISH SESSION, DAN BURKE, MARTY KELLY The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. TUESDAY TRIBUTE: DOUG SAHM & THE TEXAS TORNADOS FEAT: THE MOONEE VALLEY DRIFTERS, The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. OPEN MIC Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6pm. FREE.
WEDNESDAY 19 FEB
ROCK, PUNK, METAL BUSHFIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISER GIG FEAT: THE BACKS, LOVEBONER, TEAM LOVE, THE FLORETS, FOX Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 2pm. $10. THE WISECRACKS The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. CATTLE DECAPITATION, REVOCATION, REMAINS Max Watt's (Melbourne). 7.30pm. $59.90. SCORPIONS + WHITESNAKE Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $149.90.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. LOMOND ACOUSTICA FEAT: THE 3 FOLKS, BRUCE WATSON, PAUL TEHOVNIK The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 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. CHELSEA D.E The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE.
THE NECKS Corner Hotel. Richmond.
Geowulf
Fieldsy
Aintree Sweet
Sunday Sessions
THE WORKERS CLUB
THE DRUNKEN POET
LOMOND HOTEL
TEMPERANCE HOTEL
After the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album My Resignation, dreampop duo Geowulf aren’t slowing down. They’ve got a run of new gigs, kicking off at The Workers Club. Catch the pair’s sparkly and spirited music live. Saturday February 15 from 9pm, with tickets from $19 via Oztix.
In celebration of her recent single release ‘Promises’, Celtic folk artist Fieldsy is set to grace The Drunken Poet with her magical Dublin accent. Sunday February 16 will be a night of intense acoustic guitar and sweet melodies that will get you stomping your feet. It’s free and kicks off at 6pm.
Aintree Sweet are set to take over The Lomond Hotel on Sunday February 16, and get for a night of alternative country and roots music you can dance to. Doors are at 5:30pm and it’s free.
Had a big Saturday? Let some husky vocals and sweet acoustic guitar nurse you back to health at Temperance Hotel’s Sunday Sessions. Luke Joseph and Jack And Jordan are playing away the evening on Sunday February 16. It all kicks off at 4pm with all day drink specials and free entry.
41
GIGS & EVENTS
CHRITSMAS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. PUB CHOIR 170 Russell. Melbourne. 7pm. COQ ROQ: UNPLUGGED Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE. OPEN MIC NIGHT Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE. THE GRUBBY URCHINS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. FREYA J HOLLICK, JESS DE LUCA Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, LUKE SEVERN & ELYANE LAUSSADE Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK SILK & INK Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $31. JAZZ IN THE LOFT FEAT: MIKE GURRIERI, SHIO OTANI Ferdydurke. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. JOE CHINDAMO Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $29. PAULINA VIROGA Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. BOPSTRETCH Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. THE NIGHT CAT SWING ORCHESTRA, SWING PATROL FITZROY Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7pm. $8 - 149. TOM FRYER BAND, KIER STEVENS BAND, KOI KINGDOM Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm. ADAM RUDEGEAIR TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. JAZZ FUSION EVOLVED FEAT: JOEL SENA Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. THE CHERRY SODAS The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL UPSTAIRS BEATS SESSIONS, WITCH_ BLADE, B.C. SLUMBER, ZATHAALGOR, RUBY LOU Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP WEDNESDAY TWIST The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE.
THURSDAY 20 FEB
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THURSTY THURSDAYS UNI NIGHT FEAT: TONO Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 7pm. FREE. DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $25. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69 - 89. PJ THE DJ Globe Alley. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. EBONY & THE DILEMMAS, FAXMAN, FILTHY HART & THE KINDRED SCABS The B.East. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE. CATTLE DECAPITATION, REVOCATION Pier Bandroom. Frankston. 7.30pm. $59.90. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $69.90. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BAYU Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. BRUISE PRISTINE, PERFECT WHIP, LUNAR TIDE Globe Alley. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. THE KIDS NEXT DOOR FAD Gallery. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, INVICTUS STRING QUARTET Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35. PRAISE! FEAT: MARCUS WHALE, EUGENE CHOI Brunswick Mechanics Institute. Brunswick. 8pm. $22 - 28.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP ZUHAIR, KOBE WHITE, JOSHUA CALEB Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $17.98. PENTATONIX Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $101.70.
THROWBACK FEAT: MATT RADOVICH, EZRA HARVEY, ILRESPONCE, B-TWO, AYNA, NAM Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES ARCHER Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. DAN CHALLIS Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. OPEN MIC NIGHT The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 5pm. FREE. PENTATONIX Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $101.70. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BAYU Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. MICHAEL SITA Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 8pm. FREE. GERRY HALE Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE. ROSARIO DE MARCO Royal Oak Hotel. Fitzroy North. 6pm. AVI MISRA, ALLISON WALKER, BROUHA BEE The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL TORA, HUNTLY, KEELAN MAK Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $33.92. SQUARE SOUNDS MELBOURNE 2020 PRE-PARTY, GLITTER CRITTER, THE GOTH"S, NULL HYPOTHESIS Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. $10. GUERNS, HIT MACHINE, INGRID New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. FREE. THE MASH UP FEAT: AMY LOTUS Bimbo. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK SQUID NEBULA, EMMA VOLARD Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $9. BOWERS/WALLACE/CURNICK Bar Open. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. BRODERICK SMITH Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $29. THE MICHELLE NICOLLE BAND Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. OSCAR PONCELL Bar Oussou. Brunswick.
9pm. FREE. ANDREA KELLER TRANSIENTS TRIO Uptown Jazz Café. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. CLOSE COUNTERS, FOSSEY, EMELYNE Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. $17.90 - 23.31. TANGO MOOD TRIO Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $25. WAYNE'S WORLD - THE MUSIC OF WAYNE SHORTER FEAT: THE JONATHAN COOPER QUINTET Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $25. THURSDAYS W/ THE ADAM WALDRON TRIO, BAYU Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 5pm. FREE. ALL STARS LIVE JAM FEAT: MAYA Pause Bar. Balaclava. 8pm. FREE.
FRIDAY 21 FEB
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES HENRY HUGO & THE BAR STOOL GHOSTS Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6.30pm. FREE. STEVE TYSSEN, BUGSNET, BAKAARI The Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8pm. $10. THE FOUR SCOOPS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. LACHY DOLEY GROUP, FOSSEY, EMELYNE Piping Hot Chicken and Burger Grill. Ocean Grove. 7.30pm. $26. OF THE WILDE, TAYLA MCCANN, ZARA NICHOLLS The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. TEMPO RUBATO FREE FRIDAY NIGHTS Tempo Rubato. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. DAVE HOLMES GANG The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE. TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC SESSION The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. MORNING MELODIES FEAT: DAMIAN MULLIN Ferntree Gully Hotel. Ferntree Gully. 10.30am. $17. VICTOR STRANGES Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 7.30pm. FREE. PAPERJANE Coburg RSL Club. Coburg. 8pm. FREE. SHAUNA TONY & CO. Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 8pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THE KIDS NEXT DOOR, THE SIERRAS,
John Henderson
The Maggie Pills
Three Folks
The Kids Next Door
BODRIGGY BREWING CO
THE TOTE
LOMOND HOTEL
FAD GALLERY
Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of jazz as the iconic John Henderson takes over Bodriggy Brewing Co on Sunday February 16. Entry is free, doors are from 2pm and once you’ve had your jazz fix, you can party on with DJs Sophie McAlister and Emelyne late into the night.
The Maggie Pills are headlining The Tote (upstairs) in celebration of their upcoming EP on Tuesday February 18. This will be wilder than your average Tuesday night. Joining them are ripper local bands Backyard Mafia and Soft Power. It all goes down at 8pm with free entry.
In the next instalment of Lomond Acoustica, Three Folks will headline a night of traditional folk music from three string lovin’ dudes. Head to The Lomond Hotel for an 8pm start on Wednesday February 19. To boot, it’s totally free.
Indie rockers The Kids Next Door will be jamming out at FAD Gallery on Thursday February 20, joined by The Sierras and Peach. You won’t want to miss these four impressionable young men playing tunes like this on a crisp Thursday night. Entry is free, keep an eye out for door times.
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GIGS & EVENTS
PEACH Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 9pm. FREE. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69 - 89. ALIEN NOSEJOB, THE UV RACE, G2G, A+ The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $12. BOUND FOR THE FLOOR - 90’S NIGHT, DJ SPEEDING BEAUTY, DJ KELLIN IN THE NAME OF Globe Alley. Melbourne. 6pm. FREE. ARBRYNTH, SULDUSK, VOIDFALL, ERRESIRE, IDLE PULSE Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $15. NEEKO Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. FREE. Q&A WITH ALAN MCGEE, SHAKERFAKER Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $30. DIABOLIC RITES, DESTRUKTOR, ANARAZEL, KLAVIERKRIEGER, NOCTURNAL GRAVES Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $20. POWERSTRYDE The B.East. Brunswick East. 7pm. FREE. THOMAS BYRNE, TAMS/N OTWAY Some Velvet Morning. Clifton Hill. 7pm. $15. INFERNO MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. COUNTDOWN 80'S MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $10. CHASING ALICE, THE FLASH BASTARD EXPERIENC, ROSSA Mr Boogie Man BAR. Abbotsford. 8pm. $15. GANGSTERS OF LOVE Royal Hotel. Essendon. 9pm. THE SMYTHS: THE SMITHS TRIBUTE Max Watt's (Melbourne). 8pm. $50. NEVER ENDING 80S 170 Russell. Melbourne. 8pm. $39. FOVNDLINGS, GOTHIC LEMON Old Bar. Fitzroy. 5pm. FREE. VICTOR STRANGES Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 7.30pm. FREE. AN HORSE, MOODY BEACHES, KELSO Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $31.80. CAPTAIN SPALDING BAND Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 9.30pm. FREE.
DJ LADY LOVE POTION Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. TUMBAO SOCIAL, RANDY CASTILLA Bar Open. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. $11.25. SOUL SACRIFICE - THE MUSIC OF SANTANA Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $29. KARINA LEHMAN + CHICA YEYE Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE. CLOSE COUNTERS, JK GROUP, SOPHIE MCALLISTER Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. FIRETAIL, I HOLD THE HORN Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. EAMON DILWORTH'S CRAWFISH PO'BOYS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $32.50. SOUL TRANE: THE MUSIC OF JOHN COLTRANE FEAT: JAMIE OEHLERS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $35. ALANNA & OLD HAT JAZZ Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $32.50. THE PLANET - A LAMENT Arts Centre Melbourne. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $39 - 60. SOUTHBANK DAWN RAGA SERIES Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30am. FREE. AGUS BATARA + BARBOD VALADI Ragtime Tavern. Preston. 8pm.
CLASSICAL BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL, JOHN O'DONNELL Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35. PRAISE! FEAT: MARCUS WHALE, EUGENE CHOI Brunswick Mechanics Institute. Brunswick. 8pm. $22 - 28. BEETHOVEN 9, CIRCA & CHEETHAM Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $117 - 175.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL
SLAM ROSS 1000, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $20. SQUARE SOUNDS MELBOURNE 2020 FEAT: SAITONE, RADLIB, FEAROFDARK, CYANIDE DANSEN, KENOBIT, BREEZESQUAD, DERRIS-KHARLAN, LITTLE-SCALE, MODERN CHAIR, EXILEFAKER, SCRAPS, KATAPLEXIA, DWEEB CITY, MPEGASUS, HEDONIST, CLASSIC MISTAKE, TOM FOOLERY & THE FAMILY JEWELLERY 24 Moons. Northcote. 6pm. $38.80 - 125.95. TWISTED AUDIO FEAT: CURRENT VALUE, DILLINJA, DUB PHIZIX & STRATEGY, J:KENZO, K+LAB, KOAN SOUND, RENE LAVICE, STAUNCH, LICKWEED Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $38.01 - 59.11. WYT CAT FOX FEAT: LAUREN HANSOM, MERVE, DJ FRIDAY, MARK MOON, TOM CREWS Radar Bar & Nightclub. 10pm. $15. PSEUDO ECHO Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $35. FORMATION FEAT: DONNY, ONE PUF, BLEND CORP, CONGO TARDIS, DINGO SQUAD Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP POP TILL YOU DROP The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. RNB FRIDAYS Co. Southbank. 9.30pm. $22.19. HAPPY FEET Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. FREE. CHILADELPHIA FRIDAYS New Guernica. Melbourne. 4pm. FREE. COMPLETE Pier Bandroom. Frankston. 8pm. $24.50. NEVER ENDING 80S 170 Russell. Melbourne. 8pm. $39.
SATURDAY 22 FEB
EAMON DILWORTHS CRAWFISH PO' BOYS, FOSSEY, EMELYNE Piping Hot Chicken and Burger Grill. Ocean Grove. 9pm. $20. HONEY, ELLE SHIMADA, LOGAN GIBSON, QUARTZ PISTOL Night Cat. Fitzroy. 10pm. $15. GIANNI MARINUCCI'S SWING TRAIN PROJECT Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $32.50. SOUL TRANE: THE MUSIC OF JOHN COLTRANE FEAT: JAMIE OEHLERS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $35. THE NOT-SO-BIG-BAND: A NEW TAKE ON DISNEY FEAT: TOSHI CLINCH Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $35. THE PLANET - A LAMENT Arts Centre Melbourne. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $39 - 60. SUMMER SOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL FEAT: MAYA, XANI, WILSON BLACKLEY, DJ JAMO, DJ MIGHTY MINGO, JAZZ PARTY Bunjil Place. Narre Warren. 3pm. FREE. MELBOURNE SPLASH FESTIVAL 2020 FEAT: ANTHONY B, NYANDRA (BRICK & LACE), MZRIZK, MARVIN PRIEST, YAW FASO Seaworks. VIC. 1pm. $20. MOODY BEACH Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $10.
CLASSICAL BRUNSWICK BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL FEAT: FIREBIRD TRIO Brunswick Uniting Church. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20 - 35. NEW WORLD: INTIMATE MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $50 - 95. PRAISE! FEAT: MARCUS WHALE, EUGENE CHOI Brunswick Mechanics Institute. Brunswick. 8pm. $22 - 28. BEETHOVEN 9, CIRCA & CHEETHAM Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $117 - 175. THE CLASSICS: SYMPHONY FEAT: STONNINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ARCHIE ROACH Malvern Public Gardens. VIC. 7.30pm. FREE.
DRAB MAJESTY, BITUMEN, SIMONA CASTRICUM, MAGNIFIED DESIRE Howler. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $50.96. LOLITA V1 FEAT: VAL VASHAR, HELLQUIST, DAVID KRAS, BASS TO PAIN CONVERTER, KASE KOCHEN, DOCOSC, COMRADENATHAN Rubix Warehouse. Brunswick. 9pm. $15. AUTO-MASH DJS The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 9pm. FREE. CONTROL + DOOM GEN FEAT: NONCOMPLIANT, ZANIAS, DJ KITI, ESTÉE LOUDER, SIMONA CASTRICUM,
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK EKRANOPLANS, GRUPS, GARETH SKINNER Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 9pm. FREE. ANJA & ZLATNA Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6.30pm. $40. JUSTIN FERMINO TRIO Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. PIRATE SKA REBELLION Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 10pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL
TORA
Bad Pony
Sherri Parry
THE CORNER
GRACE DARLING HOTEL
THE THORNBURY LOCAL
Approachable Members of Your Local Community
Byron Bay electro-fusion outfit TORA have kicked off 2020 with a tour entitled Can’t Buy The Mood. Their Melbourne leg will go down at The Corner Hotel on Thursday February 20. Catch TORA live with special guests Huntly and Keelan Mak before they head off to Europe. Doors from 7pm, tickets are $33 through Eventbrite.
Indie-rock-pop-dance-funk-everything outfit Bad Pony will be blessing the Grace Darling Hotel with their theatrical stage presence and sweet synth lines. Joining them will be charming alt-rockers Teenage Dads. Thursday February 20 from 8pm, tickets from $17 via Eventbrite.
Sherri Parry is launching her sparkling new album Leave the Flowers at The Thornbury Local on Friday February 21. The record has been years in the making and delves into the joys and travesties of love (of all kinds). Backed by a full band and production crew, you’re in for a truly magical night. Doors at 9pm, free entry.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK BAILAR TROPICAL FEAT: LA DESCARGA, TRIO SANFONA SENTIDA The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. LILLIAN ALBAZI Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 8pm. $31.
PAWN SATURDAYS Pawn & Co. Prahran. 8pm. WILDLIFE VICTORIA BENEFIT SHOW FEAT: DARK WATER, SOFT APPROACH, QUELL, HOLLY DURANT, GERYON,
THE ESPY Launching their new EP Love Thy Neighbour, Approachable Members will take on The Espy on Friday February 21. If you’re looking for a night of alternative pop played by grown men in matching sportswear, this gig is for you. Doors are at 8pm and tickets are from $19 via Moshtix.
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GIGS & EVENTS
MOSSY 333, HEXTAPE, LUKAS PENNEY, MORE Howler. Brunswick. 7.45pm. $20. DJ CHIPS & SALAD Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. FREE. STAR WARS DISCO The B.East. Brunswick East. 9pm. FREE. OOLLUU The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. FREE. SECOND SUN GROOVE CLUB Mission To Seafarers. VIC. 2pm. $35. COLLECTIVE DELUSION Bar 303. Northcote. 9pm. $15. ALL NIGHT FEAT: CITIZEN.COM, MORE The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 10pm. FREE. ELECTRIC DREAMS Co. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19. EAT THE BEAT, ETWAS, MATTEO FREYRIE, ANDREA GUADALUPI, CHRISS MATTÒ, MORE New Guernica. Melbourne. 10pm. $15. DJ SHADOW Royal Hotel. Essendon. 9pm. SQUARE SOUNDS MELBOURNE 2020 FEAT: SAITONE, RADLIB, FEAROFDARK, CYANIDE DANSEN, KENOBIT, BREEZESQUAD, DERRIS-KHARLAN, LITTLE-SCALE, MODERN CHAIR, EXILEFAKER, SCRAPS, KATAPLEXIA, DWEEB CITY, MPEGASUS, HEDONIST, CLASSIC MISTAKE, TOM FOOLERY & THE FAMILY JEWELLERY 24 Moons. Northcote. 6pm. $38.80 - 125.95. ROLES, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, SAD The Burrow. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10. HOUSE PARTY 2.0 FEAT: BETH GRACE, VARIOUS DJS Bimbo. Fitzroy. 7pm. FREE. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm. MOODY BEACH Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $10.
SARAH CAROLL & SHANNON BOURNE Union Hotel Brunswick. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. IMOGEN PRICE Some Velvet Morning. Clifton Hill. 6.30pm. $10. NICK VULTURE, HANNAH POTTER, ROB RYLES, DANA CROWE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. RUSTIC SONS BAND Royal Hotel. Mornington. 8pm. DUNCAN PHILLIPS BAND The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. FREE. CIARAN BOYLE FEAT: The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 3pm. FREE. MIKE ELRINGTON + JIM WILLIAMS Jimmy Hornet. Richmond. 8pm. $15 - 20. PAT MCKERNAN Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 9pm. FREE. BROTHERS BLUEGRASS ALL STARS Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. THE CLASSICS: SYMPHONY FEAT: STONNINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ARCHIE ROACH Malvern Public Gardens. VIC. 7.30pm. FREE.
ROCK, PUNK, METAL
UNITED JUNCTION - BUSHFIRE APPEAL FUNDRAISER Mr Boogie Man BAR. Abbotsford. 8pm. $10. THE RIPCHORDS Pascoe Vale RSL. Pascoe Vale. 8pm. $15. TOOL Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. THE POOR Max Watt's (Melbourne). 8pm. $35.70. POLARIS, WAGE WAR, CRYSTAL LAKE, ALPHA WOLF Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. ALLAH-LAS The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $46.95. FOVNDLINGS, S.P TWIN, BOLLARD Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 3pm. FREE. FOVNDLINGS, IF SO WHY Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm. FREE. ROLES, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, SAD The Burrow. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10. SUMMER SOUNDS MUSIC FESTIVAL FEAT: MAYA, XANI, WILSON BLACKLEY, DJ JAMO, DJ MIGHTY MINGO, JAZZ PARTY Bunjil Place. Narre Warren. 3pm. FREE. ROSS WILSON & THE PEACENIKS Yarraville Club. Yarraville. 6pm. $35.45 95.87. NEVER ENDING 80'S Wool Exchange. Geelong. 8pm. $39.
Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. TOOL Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. FOVNDLINGS, HUNTER MILES & THE FRENCH PRESS The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 2pm. FREE. HAVE/HOLD - FEBRUARY RESIDENCY & BUSHFIRE FUNDRAISER, SALEEHA Old Bar. Fitzroy. 2pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK SUNDAY SMALLGOODS - BRAZILIAN CARNAVAL FEAT: TIDE, WOMBATUQUE, DJ MAXX R, WALLA C, LIXXXTRADO Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 2pm. FREE. THE MELTDOWN - SONGWRITING SUNDAYS Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $10. STRAWBERRY JAMZ, APLEGATE, IMOGEN CYGLER Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. $12. CALEB WILSON TRIO, OSCAR BRUTEN Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 7.30pm. FREE. SLACKROPE Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. DANILO ROJAS Brunswick Green. Brunswick. 7.30pm. FREE. CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 4pm. FREE. CALLE LUNA Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $17.90. AASHA, ANTHONY & CHARLIE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $20. THE EXCITING WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES FEAT: STUDIO YOUTH BAND TWO Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $30. GEELONG MARDI GRAS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL FEAT: STEVE BOYD'S RUM REVERIE, JULES BOULT & THE REDEEMERS, THE FOUR SCOOPS, EAMON DILLWORTH'S CRAWFISH PO'BOYS, THE HOG STOMPIN' ZYDEGATORS, SPIDERJAZZ Pistol Pete's Food n Blues. 12pm. FREE. SQUARE SOUNDS MELBOURNE 2020 FEAT: SAITONE, RADLIB, FEAROFDARK, CYANIDE DANSEN, KENOBIT, BREEZESQUAD, DERRIS-KHARLAN, LITTLE-SCALE, MODERN CHAIR, EXILEFAKER, SCRAPS, KATAPLEXIA, DWEEB CITY, MPEGASUS, HEDONIST, CLASSIC MISTAKE, TOM FOOLERY & THE FAMILY JEWELLERY 24 Moons.
CATFISH GUMBO The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 9.30pm. FREE. KATIE DEY + V The Curtin. Carlton. 4pm. FREE. SECRET NATIVE Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. MADI LEEDS Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 6.30pm. FREE. PETER CUPPLES Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 8pm. $26.50. DEVIL GOAT FAMILY STRING BAND Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. RUSSELL MORRIS Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm.
WILDLIFE VICTORIA BENEFIT SHOW FEAT: DARK WATER, SOFT APPROACH, QUELL, HOLLY DURANT, GERYON, MOSSY 333, HEXTAPE, LUKAS PENNEY, MORE Howler. Brunswick. 7.45pm. $20. PAGAN, TOTALLY UNICORN, BLIND GIRLS The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $20. WITH WHICH, THE CIGARRILLOS, GREY MANTIS Globe Alley. Melbourne. 8pm. FREE. DJ THE KNAVE Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 9pm. THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, JACKSON CARROLL Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $44.55. KEGGIN Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 2am. FULL TONE GENERATOR, RIVER OF SNAKES, TWO HEADED DOG, THE DIVE BOMBS Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $10. FERGUSON Compass Pizza. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. HARD ONS, PROTOSPASM, ROOT BEER, S.I.C. Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. INXSIVE, RECKLESS - THE AUSSIE CRAWL TRIBUTE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7.30pm. $25. THE BRUNGAS, KOKO, THE RAPTURES Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $10. THE QUIREBOYS, PALACE OF THE KING Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $50.
Into Groove
Nick Vulture
The Brungas
The Black Swans of Trespass
THE CLIFTON HILL BREWPUB
THE BERGY SELTZER
THE LEADBEATER
BAR 303
Funk-jazz fusion outfit Into Groove are returning to The Clifton Hill Brewpub for three almighty sets of toe-tapping, hipsnapping grooves on Saturday February 22. There will be funk. There will be jazz. There will be soul, reggae and R&B too. It’s free entry and doors are at 9pm.
‘Trash Folk’ extraordinaire Nick Vulture will showcase what happens when garage punk meets folk and country at the launch of his new EP Too Close To The Sun. Head down to The Bergy Seltzer on Saturday February 22 to hear Vulture and special guests Dana Crowe, Rob Ryles and Hannah Potter tear up the stage from 8pm. Free.
Seven-piece rock outfit The Brungas are kicking off 2020 with a double single launch. They’ll be celebrating the release of tracks ‘Places’ and ‘Jump In’ on Saturday February 22 at Richmond’s new live music venue, The Leadbeater Hotel. The Raptures and Koko are on support duty, with DJs after. Kicks off at 8pm with $15 tix on the door.
Postmodern fusion band The Black Swans of Trespass are returning to a Melbourne stage for the first time in ten years. Catch them at Bar 303 from 7pm as they explore non-traditional uses of the banjo and fill your ears with music you never knew you needed. Sunday February 23, all free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES
44
HIP HOP, R&B, POP LIGHT - OLD SCHOOL RNB NIGHT FEAT: DJ JVP Co. Southbank. 9pm. $22.19. KHOKOLAT SATURDAYS, DURMY, DAMION DE SILVA Khokolat Bar. Melbourne. 9.30pm. TEXTILE FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 9pm.
SUNDAY 23 FEB
ROCK, PUNK, METAL THE FAQS, THE MERLIN BIRD, SOTU Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6pm. FREE. ANNA CORDELL, LEAH SENIOR, HOLLIE JOYCE Howler. Brunswick. 1pm. $22.65. STARS Caravan Music Club. Bentleigh East. 2.30pm. $33.50. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT, JAM COLLECTIVE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. BYO VINYL DAY The Bergy Seltzer.
GIGS & EVENTS
Northcote. 6pm. $38.80 - 125.95. MEETING POINTS SERIES: HAND TO EARTH Arts Centre Melbourne. Melbourne. 5pm. $29. THE BORNSTEIN ULTIMATUM Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE. MARGARET MORRISON + ERIC BUDD, JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET The Water Rat Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. FREE. MELBOURNE TRAMWAYS BAND Wattle Park. Burwood. 2.30pm. FREE.
HIP HOP, R&B, POP JAY SOM, GENA ROSE BRUCE Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $44.90. MOTHERSHIP Co. Southbank. 10pm. $15. LETS VIBE: RNB BLOCK PARTY (ROUND 4) FEAT: RAJIKI, DJ ROBIE NYLE, PHILLY, DJ JVP, MORE La Di Da. Melbourne. 7pm. $25. A-HA, RICK ASTLEY Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $109.90. SUNDAY SERVICE FEAT: KK, 10YRWAR, DJ R3DBIRD, MG BLAKK Morris Jones. Windsor. 4pm. FREE.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL ALL INDIA RADIO Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 1pm. $17.98. TOMBOY The Carlton Club. Melbourne. 3pm. FREE. SQUARE SOUNDS MELBOURNE 2020 FEAT: SAITONE, RADLIB, FEAROFDARK, CYANIDE DANSEN, KENOBIT, BREEZESQUAD, DERRIS-KHARLAN, LITTLE-SCALE, MODERN CHAIR, EXILEFAKER, SCRAPS, KATAPLEXIA, DWEEB CITY, MPEGASUS, HEDONIST, CLASSIC MISTAKE, TOM FOOLERY & THE FAMILY JEWELLERY 24 Moons. Northcote. 6pm. $38.80 - 125.95. BABYLON IN THE PARK FEAT: BUSHTECHNO, TRIBEADELIC, ALAN FITZPATRICK, CARL COX, ANN CLUE, HIDDEN EMPIRE, STAN KOLEV, REINIER ZONNEVELD Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Melbourne. 12pm. $101.75. AFRO VIBES - AFRIK GLOW PARTY Brown Alley. Melbourne. 9pm. $20 - 40. SUNDAY REVIVAL FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lucky Coq. Windsor. 4pm. FREE.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $12 - 20. CAM & ANNA The Merri Clan. Preston. 3pm. THE WARNER BROS. The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 5.30pm. FREE. THE MAN FROM ATLANTIS Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. ZAC EDEN Charles Weston Hotel. Brunswick. 4pm. FREE. HARMANIAX Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. FREE. TERESA DUFFY-RICHARDS (DUO) Cafe Gummo. Thornbury. 6pm. FREE. MATT JOE GOW Union Hotel Brunswick.
Brunswick. 3.30pm. FREE. MICK DALEY'S CORPORATE RAIDERS Union Hotel Brunswick. Brunswick. 5pm. FREE. OPEN MIC & JAM NIGHT, JAM COLLECTIVE MusicLand Fawkner Music Complex. Fawkner. 7pm. FREE. THE BLACK SWANS OF TRESPASS Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. GEELONG MARDI GRAS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL FEAT: STEVE BOYD'S RUM REVERIE, JULES BOULT & THE REDEEMERS, THE FOUR SCOOPS, EAMON DILLWORTH'S CRAWFISH PO'BOYS, THE HOG STOMPIN' ZYDEGATORS, SPIDERJAZZ Pistol Pete's Food n Blues. 12pm. FREE. GWYN ASHTON Royal Hotel. Mornington. 3pm. RED DIRT RADIO The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 6.30pm. FREE. GREG CHAMPION + KHRISTIAN MIZZI FEAT: The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 4pm. FREE. COUNTRY AT CUSTOMS FEAT: MICHELLE GARDINER, ANTHONY TAYLOR, DELLA HARRIS, EMILY HATTON, JAKE SINCLAIR, LUKE AUSTEN Customs House Hotel. Williamstown. 2pm. 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 Pause Bar. Balaclava. 4.30pm. FREE. SUNDAY SINGALONG Brothers Public House. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. FREE. ROSARIO DE MARCO Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL PRAISE! FEAT: MARCUS WHALE, EUGENE CHOI Brunswick Mechanics Institute. Brunswick. 8pm. $22 - 28.
MONDAY 24 FEB
ROCK, PUNK, METAL MONDAY NIGHT MASS, DARK WATER, BITUMEN, PLEASURE SYMBOLS Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL PROJECT LUDWIG, AUSTRALIAN STRING QUARTET Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6.30pm. $55.
ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL DJS TILL LATE Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE.
For the full gig guide head to beat.com.au/gig-guide
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES
Touring
OPEN MIC NITE Inkerman Hotel. St Kilda East. 7.30pm. FREE.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK PAUL WILLIAMSON'S HAMMOND COMBO The Rainbow Hotel. Fitzroy. 9.30pm. $10. PATRICK LEFEVRE QUARTET Bar 303. Northcote. 7.30pm. THE DARYL MCKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA, FEM BELLING Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $30.
TUESDAY 25 FEB
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY/ FOLK, BLUES OPEN MIC Swamplands Bar. Thornbury. 6pm. FREE. IRISH SESSION, DAN BURKE, MARTY KELLY The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8pm. FREE. FARM Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. FREE. OPEN MIC Bar Oussou. Brunswick. 7pm. FREE. THE SELTZER SESSIONS - OPEN STAGE , HAMISH MCNAB, MORE The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 8pm. FREE. TUESDAY TRIBUTE: PAUL SIMON FEAT: ANDY MCGARVIE, The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 8pm. FREE.
CLASSICAL GARRICK OHLSSON Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $40 - 154. STEWART KELLY + DOUG KELLY Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $40.
JAZZ, GLOBAL, SOUL/ FUNK JOSEPH TAWADROS Bird's Basement. Melbourne. 7.45pm. $30.
ILLENIUM ILLENIUM THE FORUM WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12 STEVE LACY MAX WATT’S THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 IVEY THE GRACE DARLING HOTEL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 ALICE COOPER ROD LAVER ARENA FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 ROBERT FORSTER THORNBURY THEATRE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 GEORGIA FAIR THE GASOMETER HOTEL FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 JESS & MATT CHAPEL OFF CHAPEL FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 MICHAEL BUBLE ROD LAVER ARENA SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 TROPHY EYES THE CROXTON BANDROOM SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 FOR THE LOVE FESTIVAL RIVA ST KILDA SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 GEOWULF THE WORKERS CLUB SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 KOTA THE FRIEND HOWLER SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15 CLARE BOWDITCH ABBOTSFORD CONVENT SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 THE NECKS CORNER HOTEL MONDAY FEBRUARY 17 YEASAYER MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19 TORA CORNER HOTEL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 DAVE GRANEY MEMO MUSIC HALL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 CLOSE COUNTERS THE NIGHT CAT THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 SQUID NEBULA CHERRY BAR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21 APPROACHABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY THE ESPY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21 PSUEDO ECHO CORNER HOTEL FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21 ALLAH-LAS THE CROXTON BANDROOM SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 METHYL ETHYL MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS CORNER HOTEL SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 POLARIS THE FORUM SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 PAGAN THE JOHN CURTIN HOTEL SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22 A-HA MARGARET COURT ARENA SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23 WEYES BLOOD MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26 SAMPA THE GREAT MAX WATT’S WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26
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BACKSTAGE
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