ISSUE NO. 595 JANUARY 14, 2015
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MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE
INSIDE This Week
BEL L E A ND SEB A S T I A N
BLUE
KING
On the eve of a ninth album, the Scottish darlings look back.
E Y EH AT E GOD
“If a fight breaks out we’re not going to stop, we’re going to keep playing.” Rock.
S WA NS
It ain’t easy listening, but these guys have won some loyal fans.
BROWN
S W EE T CH A R I T Y
Love is coming to town, in the shape of a girl named Charity.
Plus
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rock music news
the BRAG presents
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Tyson Wray and Spencer Scott
the hottest artists on tour...
five things WITH
CALIGULA’S HORSE Factory Floor Friday January 23
ALI BARTER
1.
Growing Up My dad was obsessed with Frank Sinatra, so we listened to the standards by Cole Porter, Gershwin, Irving Berlin. My mum loved Patsy Cline, Fleetwood Mac and The Beach Boys. My folks were a bit older and I am an only child so I wasn’t exposed to popular music till I got to high school. I was a mad dork. I remember listening to Ella Fitzgerald on the back of the bus on the way to school – on my Discman [laughs].
2.
Your Band I work with Oscar Dawson, 3. a producer, composer, songwriter from Melbourne. We met around the traps a few years ago and started working together at the beginning of 2013. We write and produce all our music together. The Music You Make We are recording at the 4. moment and the references we always come back to are Radiohead, Sharon Van Etten, Fleetwood Mac, Chairlift… We are tracking at The Aviary in Melbourne and Oscar’s family holiday house in Lavers Hill. When people come to a live show, they can expect big hooky guitar riffs, rock drums, lots of sweet effects and great songs!
SOHN
5.
Music, Right Here, Right Now I think managing money can be tough… I’m lucky because I have access to a studio and gear, which makes recording easy. The ability to create work is really important. I would hate to have to wait around until someone gave me money to record. I like being an independent artist for this reason. It’s important to be surrounded by passionate people. All my friends inspire me! My mate Matik (Steve Mowat) is an incredible producer and songwriter (he produced my first EP, Trip), and Ben Wright Smith who writes millions of rambling, crazy, country man tunes, and Steve Clifford who has a voice like a chocolate fudge sundae.
Oxford Art Factory Thursday January 29
BALKAN BEAT BOX Oxford Art Factory Wednesday March 11
PAOLO NUTINI Enmore Theatre Tuesday March 31
THE NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL Exhibition Park, Canberra Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6
What: Community out now independently Where: Goodgod Small Club When: Friday January 16
THE OCEAN Factory Floor Friday April 10
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Inspirations I love Cat Power. I love her vulnerability. The first time I heard her was singing ‘Sea Of Love’ on the Juno soundtrack and I immediately went out and bought her record Jukebox. I saw her play at The Forum in 2008 and she was electric. It was at a time when I was dipping my toes back into music after a long break and I hadn’t been inspired by anything for years, until
I found her. ‘Metal Heart’ (Moon Pix version) is my favourite song. I also love Father John Misty, Land Of Talk and Warpaint.
Hozier
MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray ONLINE COORDINATOR: Emily Meller SUB-EDITOR: Emily Meller STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Tori Bedingfield, Nicholas Hartman, Spencer Scott, Tyson Wray ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Dylan Demarchi, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Georgina Pengelly - 0416 972 081 / (02) 9212 4322 georgina@thebrag.com ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600
BLUESFEST LINEUP GROWS
Byron Bay’s famous Bluesfest has revealed a sixth lineup announcement for its 2015 edition. Joining the likes of The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band and Lenny Kravitz at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm this year will be Hozier, The Waterboys, Switchfoot, Hunter Hayes, Fly My Pretties, Super Chikan and Vasti Jackson, Diesel, Jeff Lang, Phil Wiggins and Dom Turner, Watussi, and for their final festival appearances, Nikki Hill and The Rumjacks. Bluesfest 2015 is on Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6.
GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Tori Bedingfield, Emily Meller - gigguide@thebrag. com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Tori Bedingfield, Lachlan Mackenzie, Spencer Scott, Nicholas Hartman REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Prudence Clark, Keiron Costello, Meg Crawford, Marissa Demetriou, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Mina Kitsos, Emily Meller, Adam Norris, Kate Robertson, Erin Rooney, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227
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LANEWAY LINEUP CHANGE
2015 has begun with a switcharoo on the Laneway bill. Due to health reasons, Lykke Li is no longer able to perform. A statement from Li provided by the festival read: “I’m incredibly sorry to announce that I’m no longer able to play in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore for Laneway Festival. It’s been a long time coming, but unfortunately tour life has caught up with me and it’s been recommended that I take a break. I’m devastated, but know I will return. Thank you for all the support, and I sincerely hope I can make it up to you at a later date.” Li’s sideshows have also been cancelled. To account for her absence, Tkay Maidza has joined the lineup. Sydney’s edition of Laneway will take place on Sunday February 1 at the Sydney College of the Arts.
AGAINST ME!
The new-look Against Me! lineup will tour Australia this year. Frontwoman Laura Jane Grace and guitarist James Bowman will be joined on the road by bass player Inge Johansson and drummer Atom Willard, performing songs from last year’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues and more across the band’s six-album catalogue. Tagging along for the ride are Joyce Manor. Against Me! take over the Metro Theatre on Saturday May 30 and Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Sunday May 31. Tickets go on sale Friday January 16.
AC/DC LEAD AUSSIES AT COACHELLA
One of the world’s biggest music festivals, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, has announced its 2015 lineup, with legendary Australian rock band AC/DC headlining alongside Jack White and Drake. The schedule boasts well over 100 acts and artists from around the world, and features a strong Australian contingent this year, most notably on day one, which sees AC/ DC and Tame Impala topping the bill, as well as Angus & Julia Stone. Chet Faker, Alison Wonderland, What So Not, Kimbra and Vance Joy also grace the lineup, alongside artists such as Interpol, Alt-J and Ryan Adams. Coachella is held over two separate three-day weekends in April. Since its first edition in 1999, it’s played host to some of the biggest artists in the world,
including Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Daft Punk and Paul McCartney. Coachella 2015 is on Friday April 10 – Sunday April 12 and Friday April 17 – Sunday April 19. From 2011 onwards, the festival has been streamed live on YouTube.
MAKING HAY
Iconic Scottish-Australian songwriter and Grammy Award winner Colin Hay has announced a string of Australian tour dates. The former Men At Work frontman has put his name to 11 solo albums, with Next Year People due out on Friday February 13. He’s also known for having a great sense of humour – see that one time he appeared as a singing zombie in Scrubs – which explains his Enmore Theatre date for Sydney Comedy Festival on Saturday May 9. He’ll also play Lizotte’s Newcastle on Thursday May 7.
SURF’S UP
The 2015 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, going down in Manly this February, will not only have surfing and a wide range of surfing-related events, but will also host a free concert program. On Friday February 13, dancey boys Jagwar Ma will be pumping out some beats to get the weekend started. The next day, Saturday February 14, sculpted hedge-o-hair Vance Joy will be there with his ukelele. Joy will be joined by sandgropers and general loose units, San Cisco. There’ll also be a cool range of lifestyle events, including skating demos and the surfing event itself. The Hurley Australian Open of Surfing takes over Manly Beach from Saturday February 7 – Sunday February 15.
Vance Joy
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EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.
Tkay Maidza
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live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town...with Chris Martin, Spencer Scott and Tori Bedingfield
songwriters’ secrets WITH
3.
they’re doing at the expense of everyone around me. It’s a weird habit that I don’t realise I’m doing until I’m told to shut up. Although, I think the first proper song I wrote was called ‘Take My Hand’ and it’s about travelling and not
Rufus Wainwright
ANA VEIRA FROM HURST debut EP IV. It’s my favourite song on the EP, and among my favourite that we play live. The lyrics are about those people whose opinions always sit on the fence. They’re not confident enough to be able to say what they believe or think so they’ll let anyone shove anything down their throats. I think it’s boring conversing with people that have no backbone. Honestly, who are you? What are you? Musically, it’s a riff-raff of hard rock and rockabilly influence.
The First Song I Wrote I’m one of those people 1. that is constantly singing what
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
knowing what clothes to pack. I was 15. The chorus went like, “All your clothes are there, but you don’t know what to wear”. I am now listening to my dodgy GarageBand demo of it. Thanks. The Last Song I Released The last song we released 2. was ‘Fence Rider’ off of our
Songwriting Secrets The bluesy riff for our track ‘Whine’ was written while I was on the toilet, note-for-note. Sometimes I’ll make mind maps of words and phrases, make up a narrative, or a chord progression. For our earlier tracks, my lyrics were fuelled by things that have annoyed me. However, I don’t have one set way for songwriting. I think it’s better that way. You feel less trapped if one technique doesn’t work. The best tip I ever got was to never throw away an idea. Keep them shelved to look at with fresh eyes (thank you Clive Harrison).
Saskwatch
The Song That Makes Me Proud 4. I’m most proud of a track that we haven’t even released yet, and probably never will. It’s called ‘Animal’ and I wrote it about the demise of my father’s life as a result of alcoholism. When we play it as a band, it carries so much emotion and energy. The song is in your face and confronting. Just as the realities of substance abuse should be. The Song That Changed My Life 5. ‘When She Loved Me’, written by Randy Newman. You know it. It’s the song Jessie sings in Toy Story 2. I really admire Randy Newman as a songwriter. If you heard the song out of context, you wouldn’t think it was written in the perspective of a doll. But in context, it makes so much sense and still makes me emotional every time I hear it. With: Wolves In Fashion, Electric Vogues, Octavian, Two Headed Man Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Friday January 16
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Rufus Wainwright, dreamy songwriter and son of Loudon Wainwright III (the name that never fails to impress), is coming Down Under for a legion of adoring fans in March. The junior Wainwright’s visit follows the release of his new compilation, Vibrate: The Best Of Rufus Wainwright, which features cuts like ‘Out Of The Game’, ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘The One You Love’. He’ll melt hearts at the State Theatre on Monday March 9. To celebrate Wainwright’s latest tour, we’ve got a bumper prize pack to give away. It includes a double pass to the show, a copy of Vibrate on CD, and a CD and DVD copy of Rufus Wainwright – Live From The Artist’s Den. To be in the running to win, head to thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us why Rufus Wainwright makes you go ga-ga.
AUSTRALIA DAY AT THE ROCKS
The Rocks precinct will transform into a lively place of celebration on Australia Day, with a showcase of music, art and events announced for Monday January 26. The Green at First Fleet Park will feature a free-entry show headlined by nine-piece group Saskwatch, alongside Dustin Tebbutt, Thelma Plum, The Bombay Royale and Benny Walker. Meanwhile, The Laneway at Atherden Street will host folk trio Little May, Fishing (with special guest Al from Cloud Control), Winterbourne, The Morrisons and The Lulu Raes. The Rocks will also host a 10km wheelchair race along George Street and a series of street party games, as well as a ‘relaxation area’ to listen to triple j’s Hottest 100 countdown.
EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’
plate to portray Nilsson in this performance – a live imagining of what one of his concerts would have looked and sounded like. Everybody’s Talkin’ ’Bout Me runs at Hayes Theatre Co from Monday April 13 – Sunday April 19.
GET A PIZZA THIS
Frankie’s is up and running for the New Year, with a massive January lineup of nightly frivolity leading up to a second Vulgar Display of Pizza event on Sunday January 25. The Australia
Day Eve gig will feature tunes by Gutter Tactic, Bastardizer, Arteries, Sumeru, Rise Of Averunus and Sorcery, and the pizza will be hot and cheesy. Just the way we like it, uh-huh uh-huh.
INDIE NIGHT WEDNESDAYS
Marble Bar’s Indie Night Wednesdays event is rolling on in 2015. The famous old venue has undergone something of a musical rejuvenation in recent times, and Wednesdays are the prime night to check out some up-and-coming local talent. This Wednesday January 14, the show kicks off with sweet folkster Maia Jelavic. Next up it’s East Of Here making their Marble Bar debut, then neo-soul outfit Aphrodite. Tunes from 7:30pm.
Kahl Wallis
KAHL WALLIS
The Medics songwriter and environmental activist Kahl Wallis is in town this week. Wallis is a Wuthathi man from the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, but he’s making the trip south to join Blue King Brown at their Born Free album launch shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Catch the vibe at the Metro Theatre on Friday January 16.
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Hayes Theatre Co has announced a run of dates for the cabaret that explores the life and music of Harry Nilsson, Everybody’s Talkin’ ’Bout Me. Nilsson was an American singersongwriter who rose to prominence in the ’60s and ’70s, winning a Grammy for his song ‘Everybody’s Talkin’’. His songs were popular worldwide, but his stage fright prevented him from ever performing live. The Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman is stepping up to the
Strange Tenants
The Bennies
SWEAT IT OUT WITH THE BENNIES
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This Australia Day Eve, the Marrickville Bowlo will be celebrating with a lineup of Aussie ska legends, a barbecue and bowls on the green. Strange Tenants, The Allniters, Club Ska, The OzSkas, The Hangovers and Ska’d 4 Life will be headlining alongside DJ sets from 2pm until late. The Ska-BQ is sure to provide a chilled-out afternoon for the whole family, celebrating all the good vibes our land has to offer. Barbecue-style food will be available from 1-3pm, plus a selection of snacks from Danny’s Bistro and a fully stocked bar with craft beers on tap. Kick off your shoes and head down on Sunday January 25 for some barefoot bowls and catchy ska tunes in the afternoon Aussie sun.
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Funloving Victorian lads The Bennies are putting the country on notice with another national tour announced for March. It’s all about party, party, party at a Bennies gig, and fittingly this one’s called the Party Whirlwind Quest tour. The dates follow the weird-arse party-reggae vibes of their second EP, Heavy Disco, and scheduled appearances at Soundwave and Golden Plains. The Bennies play the Factory Floor on Friday March 20, with support from Foxtrot.
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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * During his family vacation in Hawaii’s Kailua, President Obama visited Eddie Vedder for 20 minutes. In 2012, Vedder raised US$1.7 million at a $20,000-a-head concert for Obama’s re-election campaign. In the meantime, British PM David Cameron was seen dancing at a party at Blur’s Alex James’ house. Cameron was recently presented with a Smiths T-shirt by a reporter. Cameron was told by The Smiths’ Johnny Marr to stop telling the world they were his favourite band as it was embarrassing to them. * Tame Impala have confirmed their third album will be out in 2015. It’s going to be “less rock and more electronic”, keyboardist Jay Watson hinted last year. Watson’s other band Pond will issue its sixth album this year. * Sydney broadcaster/author Stuart Coupe is working on a biography of Mushroom’s Michael Gudinski.
* Tweed-Byron police are investigating a verbal allegation from a woman that she was raped at Falls Byron. A male was interviewed. * AC/DC’s Brian Johnson told Q that long before Malcolm Young got dementia, he had surgery for lung cancer and had a pacemaker fitted in. * Drake’s collection of tattoos now includes landmarks of his city Toronto. * The Flinders in Surry Hills is the latest to blame Premier Barry O’Farrell’s year-old lockout rules for its closure. “Barry got us in the end,” the venue posted on Facebook. * Spain’s Deers will tour Australia under the name Hinds, after being forced by a Canadian band to change their moniker. * Marilyn Manson says he has sex with his girlfriend, photographer Lindsay Usich, five times a day in the dark (because he’s shy) and won’t take his underwear off when screwing “in case the house catches on fire”. * The sex scandal surrounding US comic Bill Cosby saw
NIGHTMARE AND PUSHWORTH FORM TOUR PARTNERSHIP Sydney tour promoter Nightmare Music and Brisbane boutique agency The Pushworth Group have struck a new alternative music touring partnership. Tours will include The Bellrays and Supersuckers mid-year, the B-Boys World Champions in autumn, and a double-headliner for winter. Pushworth started out as Manick Promotions and celebrates its 25th year in 2015. Nightmare Music, set up 27 years ago, was the first to tour Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax and Cheap Trick. Manny Kyriakidis, Pushworth’s managing director, said, “Pushworth’s partnership with
Hilltop Hoods uncomfortable over name-checking him on ‘Cosby Sweater’. Now Indianapolis funk band Cosby Sweater have changed their name to Turbo Suit. * WA Liberal MP Luke Simpkins saw red when he spotted stickers pasted on the Leederville Railway Station footbridge in Perth in November. Thinking they were displaying the Islamic Shahada flag, he got authorities to paint over them. The Daily Mail spotted this claim on his Facebook blog and revealed they were actually stickers for the Speakeasy nightclub. * The family of Doc Neeson took to Facebook pleading for a lawyer to provide free or ‘no win no fee’ advice as it pursues a man it accuses of “swindling” Doc of $100,000. The family is offering Doc memorabilia including an acoustic guitar, signed CDs and lyric notes. “Legal costs thus far have cost thousands of dollars but we made a promise to Doc we would see this through to the end,” the family said. If you can help, email them at docneesonestate@gmail.com.
Nightmare Music is one that all parties hope will take alternative touring in this country to a new level. Pushworth and Nightmare Music have always focused on supporting artists that are complicit in raw and real experiences. This partnership is a natural progression to continue these kinds of artists coming to Australia.”
KILTER, MULLENS ADDED TO WEMC JUDGING PANEL The World Electronic Music Contest (WEMC) Australia has expanded its judging panel with Etcetc head Aden Mullens and Kilter. They join SCNDL, Ministry of Sound A&R Dylan
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* Brisbane’s Eternal Rest introduced their new guitarist Liam Strong by releasing a video of him playing Decapitated riffs to display his skill. * Dapto has a new place to hear live music. Little Joe’s Kitchen and Bar on the Princes Highway is run by Jo and Amanda Kowalczyk, who bought the building two months ago and turned it into a relaxed after-work environment. * Mac DeMarco’s old trainers, used during his tour last year, were sold on eBay for US$21,000 towards funding a music and mentoring program for women. * With Netflix launching here in autumn, is it trying to block access by the 200,000 Australians who already stream shows from the US using a virtual private network (VPN)? * Plans by the Tamworth Liquor Accord to introduce ID scanners into the city’s late-night pubs and clubs have been scrapped. The Accord did a study and found the scanners too expensive for small businesses to install them.
Sanders and Studio 301’s Ben Feggans to find the next big DJ/producer. For full details see famemusic.com/au.
YOUTUBE’S MOST PROFITABLE CHANNELS YouTube’s most profitable channel of 2014 (calculated by analytics company OpenSlate) was DisneyCollectorBR, which just has videos of women’s hands unboxing and playing with toys. It had 379.9 million monthly views and earned US$4.8 million. Second was Taylor Swift’s Vevo channel with 341 million monthly views earning $4.1 million. EMI’s emimusic, which hosts vids of its artists, had 254.6 million views and earned $3 million. The only other music channel in the top ten was EDM empire Spinnin’ Records’ channel SpinninRec with 200 million views and revenue of $2.5 million.
PACHA SYDNEY PARTNERS WITH THE SQUARED DIVISION Pacha Sydney has named The Squared Division as creative directors to design weekly new productions at Ivy from Saturday January 24. The Squared Division, AKA Aussie directors and choreographers Antony Ginandjar and Ashley Evans, have worked with Taylor Swift, Rita Ora, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Kylie Minogue. They directed Kesha’s 2011 and 2013 world tours and choreographed Britney Spears’ sell-out Las Vegas residency. They have also done the production for The X Factor in Australia since 2011.
HOODS GIVING $10,000 TO EMERGING HIP HOPPER Hilltop Hoods and APRA AMCOS have teamed up again to offer an emerging hip hop or soul artist $10,000 to manufacture, release and market their debut album. The act must be a member of APRA AMCOS. Applications open Tuesday January 20; see the APRA AMCOS website. Judges include Koolism’s Hau of triple j’s The Hip Hop Show, graff artist Nish, producer/ booking agent Ran-Dee, Brisbane producer Tommy Illfigga and Blank Clothing owner Raph. Previous recipients include Jimblah, Chelsea Jane, I Am D and Runforyourlife.
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Josh Pyke and APRA AMCOS are bringing back the Josh Pyke Partnership, in which a musician gets a $7,500 grant, mentorship from Pyke and a meeting with Gregg Donovan (Wonderlick) and Stephen Wade (Select) to set up a business plan for their career. Pyke said two grants he received at the start of his career made a difference, adding: “If we all want it to remain a healthy and vibrant scene, then giving young artists a bit of a leg up is key.” See the APRA AMCOS website for info. Last year’s winner Govs went on to release two singles and became the 16th most listenedto Unearthed artist in 2014. Pyke has raised over $50,000 in total for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation since he became its ambassador.
Lifelines Born: son, Samuel Arrow Lee, to Missy Higgins and playwright Dan Lee. Married: NZ singer-songwriter Ladyhawke (Phillipa ‘Pip’ Brown) and actress/musician Madeleine Sami, in Masterton, NZ. Married: Take That’s Howard Donald and Katie Halil. The ceremony was attended by three of his Take That colleagues. Married: Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden in Beverly Hills. Injured: Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney dislocated his shoulder after a swimming accident on the island of Saint-Barthélemy. Recovering: Sydney music identity Phil Tripp, 64, from a stroke he suffered at his Coffs Harbour home over the holidays. Suing: a Connecticut resident is hitting Live Nation for injuries received when “violently knocked to the ground and trampled” at a Lamb Of God show. In Court: Leroy Smith III, charged with murdering his father, was declared unfit to stand for trial after he claimed Slayer were there when he killed him. Died: Irwin Steinberg, 94, co-founder of Mercury Records, chairman and CEO of PolyGram Records, then a pioneer in the digital music industry consulting to start-ups as MusicMaker. Died: US gospel artist Andraé Crouch, 72, of a heart attack. He wrote gospel hits like ‘The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power’ and ‘My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)’. He built a bridge between pop and gospel, and directed the choirs on Michael Jackson’s ‘Man In The Mirror’ and Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’.
CHARTWATCH: TAYLOR SWIFT Taylor Swift’s 1989 this week notches up its sixth (non-consecutive) number one on the ARIA chart. Chart historian Gavin Ryan notes the last album to have six or more weeks at the top was INXS’ The Very Best (February to April 2014), which stayed for seven weeks. Swift has now racked up as many weeks at number one from her three albums as Coldplay, Silverchair (five number one albums each), Live, Missy Higgins, Bruce Springsteen (three) and Dido (two), and is equal 60th on the list of Accumulated Weeks at Number One: Albums (1965-2014). She also moves from five to four on the list for this decade behind Eminem’s 11 weeks.
SAMSUNG EXPANDS ITS MILK STREAMING SERVICE Samsung has expanded its Milk Music streaming service to new devices in America, with an Australian launch “in coming weeks”. The app can now be downloaded from its Smart TVs. Samsung has also made Milk Video into a virtual reality app that works on the Gear VR headset. It offers 360-degree videos that give the experience of being right up onstage with performers.
MORE DETAILS ON TRIPLE J 40TH CELEBRATIONS The ABC has unveiled more details on triple j’s 40th anniversary celebrations. The Sounds Like Teen Spirit documentary, looking back at its history, begins on Monday January 19. On the same day, the Beat The Drum exhibition opens at the ABC Ultimo foyer with artwork, audio/video and memorabilia.
RDIO POWERING LANEWAY APP Rdio is for a second year powering the Laneway Festival app. Users can listen to tracks from acts on the bill, get news and comp updates, plan a schedule and receive alerts onsite. One user who downloads the app, takes a screenshot and provides details of an artist they discovered though the 2015 app will get a VIP upgrade and a 12-month Rdio Unlimited subscription. thebrag.com
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20 – 28 FEBRUARY 2015 | Capitol Theatre Sydney #TABSwanLake Government Partners
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Amber Scott and Adam Bull • Photography Liz Ham
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THE FREEDOM OF THE RHYTHM BY ADAM NORRIS
ack in 2010, I was struggling with the tide at Woodford Folk Festival on my way to catch a band that had taken the week by storm. I had heard their name bandied about, and had vague memories of hearing them broadcast on Rage and triple j, but was otherwise coming into the performance blind. Trudging through the flooded streets with thousands of other sodden festival folk, however, one thing was undeniable – Blue King Brown had a whole lot of people excited, and it took no time at all to understand why. A sea of dancing people sprawled back from the stage stretching off into the night, with the maestro in the middle, Nattali Rize (then known as Natalie Pa’apa’a), inciting everyone to their feet. Her voice was incredible – but as she explains it, singing is not a talent that came easily.
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really hone in on exactly how I want it. After doing that, I feel like my voice is stronger now and has a bit more of a unique sound to it, but at the same time I still feel like I can still get better. I can still reach forward.” Today, Blue King Brown are in the midst of touring their latest album, Born Free, four years after their last release, Worldwize, Part 1: North & South. Prior to that, we had another four-year gap since Stand Up. One can only assume that the next record will drop like clockwork at the close of 2018. “I know!” Rize laughs. “There’s been no planning. It’s a balance for us between touring and the studio. Trust me, I’d love to have albums out in half that time. It’s more a case of you look around and, ‘Woah, four years have gone by? Holy shit!’ But that’s the nature of the beast with us. We don’t do a lot of writing on the road, and we’re on the road a lot. Time is key, time is the master, and we just have to roll with it. And we don’t want to release anything unless it’s the best group of songs out of all that we’ve written. These have to be the
dopest tracks, and have to be able to hold strong in our minds as well as other people who hear it.” This sense of strength-in-numbers sits close to the heart of Blue King Brown. From their fledgling days in Byron Bay, developing a communal sound has been pivotal to their motivation, and forging a genuine bridge between performer and listener is something that seems to resonate with Rize more so than with many other touring artists. The impact – or rather, the potential – of their songs in affecting positive change and social justice acts like a pilot light for the band. “Music is a huge part of my life, like everyone,” Rize says. “Everyone is music. It makes up our memories, our good times and bad times, that’s its power. You can enjoy it by yourself, and other times it’s something you share with as many people as you can, like we try and do now. I guess with Blue King Brown we have come to be a group that is known for the lyrical content, and also for actually being activists. I speak at a lot of rallies, we perform
at a lot of benefits. For us, we’re just doing what we feel in our hearts and souls is part of our purpose as human beings. “It was never a preconceived concept that Blue King Brown would be a particular kind of band. We just got together wanting to make kick-arse music that people would dance to and connect with. I’m passionate about human rights, about justice, and so of course that will come through in our music. I guess it’s up to other people to say where we stand in the tradition of protest songs, but even that term ‘protest songs’ makes me cringe a little. It boxes the music into some label, whereas I think that we’re approaching a new era where we’re not protesting as much as we are offering empowerment and a movement for truth. “We’re all born equally. A government doesn’t have any power unless you give it to them, and you give it to them every time you go to the polling booth. It’s the same with any authority. They only possess it when you’re willing to recognise it, where in reality, they don’t. We are all equal.
“EVERYONE IS MUSIC. IT MAKES UP OUR MEMORIES, OUR GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, THAT’S ITS POWER. YOU CAN ENJOY IT BY YOURSELF, AND OTHER TIMES IT’S SOMETHING YOU SHARE WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN, LIKE WE TRY AND DO NOW.”
As the title of Born Free suggests, this is a theme that stretches across the entire album. Blue King Brown’s rising popularity suggests it’s not simply the beats that are keeping people listening; it’s the frank, joyous sentiment to stand up and be unshackled. Their sound is enthusiastic and catchy as hell, though as Rize is first to admit, it has taken time for this country to finally embrace what the music has to offer. “Australia is so far behind in the whole reggae genre,” she laughs. “Ska, reggae, dancehall, all of it. But slowly and surely it’s creeping forward. We love bands like the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, it’s so good to see them having such a broad reach. People actually really like it when they hear them; I think they just haven’t had much access to it in the past. I mean, even if you only go as far as New Zealand you can find reggae songs at number one. Reggae is huge everywhere outside of Australia, and so one of the things we hope to do is to see reggae and ska flourish in this country. It’s a main part of our mission. We’d love to see more Jamaican reggae come to Australia, more Hawaiian reggae, Irish reggae, more US reggae. We’re not there yet, but it’s building, slow and inevitable. We just have to keep getting the sound out there.” What: Born Free out now through MGM With: Kahl Wallis Where: Metro Theatre When: Friday January 16 And: Also appearing alongside The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes, Train and many more at Bluesfest, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6
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“I feel very lucky,” Rize admits. Her answers are warm and direct, and while most people tend to speak in sentences that spatter about like beads of spilt ink, Rize is strikingly clear in what she has to say. “I still consider myself very much a student in the world of singing. My first love was guitar and I picked that up quickly, could play it easily. It felt very natural, and when I first started trying percussion I felt the same. But when it came to singing, suddenly this thing was fucking hard. I couldn’t just open my mouth and sing, and I felt kind of bad about it. But now, I see my voice as having had a real journey. I practise singing more than any other instrument; I try and push myself daily to become a stronger singer. And I feel now as though I’ve broken through a level and started to open up, and to be honest I really think that only happened while I was in Jamaica. Just trying new music, finding different styles and spending time alone in the studio. I do a lot of my vocal recordings myself, because then I can
“For us, music is a way we offer that spark to be yourself, and who we are as people all wanting a better future.”
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Eyehategod Fighting Spirit By Augustus Welby Eyehategod are often cited as pioneers of sludge metal. Williams isn’t too pleased with this tag – “Everybody wants to call it sludge or some garbage like that, but it’s just rock’n’roll” – and you can understand why. ‘Sludge metal’ doesn’t account for the band’s implementation of blues riffs, Black Sabbath grooves, blasts of punk rock fury and Williams’ eye-popping vocal outbursts. Taming these disparate elements to create a cohesive listening experience no doubt stipulates an advanced level of communication between band members. Yet despite the lengthy delay, Williams says Eyehategod came together without much difficulty.
I
n cosmic time, 14 years is a mere blip. In high-tech neoliberal society, 14 years is eons. Between the years 2000 and 2014, America let that goofy redneck George W. Bush have two terms of presidency. Following this, the USA twice voted in a progressive leftwing president, an African-American by the name of Barack Obama. Meanwhile, Idols, X-Factors and robot voices have taken over the music world and it’s become increasingly apparent that Big Brother truly is watching us. This same 14-year stretch is how long it took for New Orleans hard rock dudes Eyehategod to produce a follow-up to their fourth LP, Confederacy Of Ruined Lives. When the band’s fifth record – and its first self-titled release – finally
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arrived in May 2014, there was no indication that time had wearied the five-piece. “We knew that we would definitely put a record out one day. We just didn’t know when,” says vocalist Mike Williams. “Songs had been written, it was just a matter of getting our asses into a fuckin’ studio and putting down the tracks. It took us a while but we did it so we’re happy.” Although Williams dismisses doubts concerning the band’s subsistence, Eyehategod endured a multitude of tumultuous experiences during that 14-year interval. In addition to several band members working on side projects – including Down, Outlaw Order and Arson Anthem – in 2005 Hurricane Katrina brought devastation to their hometown and Williams’ narcotics addiction landed him in jail for three months.
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Despite all of this, by the time 2013 rolled around, Eyehategod looked in better shape than ever. Not only were they touring the globe in celebration of their 25th anniversary, but the band fi nally hit the studio to record album number fi ve. However, tragedy struck in August 2013 when drummer Joey LaCaze passed away from respiratory failure. LaCaze’s death could easily have brought an end to Eyehategod, but the remaining foursome chose to stick with it and enlisted new sticksman Aaron Hill. “I miss Joey tremendously,” says Williams. “The first couple of shows were weird, because I was always playing off Joey. But onstage, Aaron’s a part of the band. He’s a part of us now, so it’s not weird at all.”
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“It’s not like there’s a set formula that we follow. We play the music that we like and the music that we want to be a part of, so it just comes naturally. We don’t force ourselves to play in a certain way. That’s who we are, so we couldn’t sound like any other band. It’s these people in the band, so we’re going to sound like Eyehategod. We’re not the type of band to go changing our sound and experimenting with our sound or anything weird like that. “We knew on the first album what we wanted to sound like,” he adds, “but we weren’t quite adept enough to put it together properly. We were very naïve around studios and playing our instruments. But Take As Needed For Pain [1993] – that sounded like what we wanted to be. And I think we’ve been doing that ever since.” Production-wise, Eyehategod is a cleaner-sounding work than most of the band’s earlier releases. In spite of this, the record actually hits a more ferocious extreme than
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previous outings. While the irrational outbursts never overwhelm, anger is a primary characteristic of all Eyehategod albums. “We’re just naturally pissed off, depressed people,” Williams says. “We’re a bunch of miserable bastards. There’s always something that’s going to make us angry. Until the day we die, I’m sure something’s going to piss us off here and there. “It’s mostly just singing about human emotions and the way people feel. I think people relate to that stuff more than singing about a specific thing. [We sing about] depression or loss or poverty – just any type of human feelings.” Eyehategod are determined to make up for last year’s cancelled Australian tour when they return for a run of shows later this month. And if any Aussie fans want to let their demons run wild, the band isn’t likely to take offence. “It’s nice to see people breaking shit and inciting minor riots at our shows,” Williams says. “We’re one of those bands: if a fight breaks out we’re not going to stop, we’re going to keep playing. Of course we want people to get angry and be a part of the music with us. It just goes with the territory – we can get aggression out. “It’s a relationship with the audience. We feed off their energy too. I know a lot of bands say that, but it’s true, that’s how it works. If some kid’s punching himself in the face, it’s all the more reason to play harder and heavier and more aggressive.” What: Eyehategod out now through Century Media With: I Exist, Lo! Where: Manning Bar When: Saturday January 31
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Swans
The Kindness Of Strangers By Augustus Welby
Y
ou’re unlikely to find a comprehensive list of last year’s finest releases that doesn’t include Swans’ 13th LP, To Be Kind. Despite being widely adored, the third Swans album since the band’s 2010 career reboot is by no means an ingratiating listen. To Be Kind runs for more than two hours, encompassing violent instrumentation, muscular grooves and the odd retreat into disquieting choral beauty. The critical fervour directed at Swans in recent years is matched by an unheralded amount of listener interest. While the art rockers’ formidable recorded output warrants the prevailing honeymoon period, it’s hardly what bandleader Michael Gira anticipated when he decided to put the band back together after a 13-year hiatus.
To Be Kind came two years after the similarly gargantuan LP The Seer. This is an impressive turnover by anyone’s standards, but To Be Kind wasn’t even the first thing Swans released after The Seer. Rather, the majority of tracks on To Be Kind appeared on the 2013 live album Not Here / Not Now. With this in mind, when Swans make their way back to Australia later this week, don’t expect an album recount. “The set that we’re playing right now live is 80 per cent unrecorded material that’s still finding itself,” Gira says. “The goal is to keep things
For decades, Bob Dylan has been dividing audiences all over the world by performing versions of his songs that scarcely resemble the original recordings. Similar to Dylan, Gira’s decision to diverge from the album material onstage isn’t motivated by stubbornness or misanthropic satisfaction. Rather, he’s hell-bent on the live show being a creative and viscerally gripping experience. “The main thing is we’re trying to make something urgent and undeniable happen in the moment,” he says. “I’ve always hated the records as soon as they’re done. Not actively – I don’t try to kill them or anything – but after a couple of weeks it just sounds like a caricature or something that’s dead. So much has been put into it that it’s impossible to see it clearly anymore. “Over the years I’ve realised that to me the really important thing is
being in the process. Of course, the final work is important too, but to me what really matters is being tasked to the utmost and trying to make the maximum I’m capable of as a human being.” Along with fortifying the sensation Swans conjure onstage, the band’s primal, progressive approach to performance has revolutionised how material gets written. “We went out and just played the songs from My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky, as well as just a couple of old Swans songs,” Gira says. “After doing several shows it wasn’t cutting it, so we started mutating the material and improvising and changing it to something else. Gradually, through that process, a whole bunch of new material started to develop. “It’s not individual players improvising in a way that jazz people might,” he adds. “It’s more like finding ways inside the sound to make it find a new path, or to follow the path in a different way. I think it’s kind of unique, what we do, in that way. The music’s
utterly transporting when it’s at its best.” Taking into account the two-hour commitment demanded by Swans records, and their expectationthwarting live shows, the New Yorkers sit in direct opposition to contemporary culture’s emphasis on snippets and predictability. In a career that dates back to the early ’80s, Gira has always been a uniquely uncompromising artist. He’s dealt with plenty of denigrating scrutiny – “In the early days of Swans’ career the response was pretty much negative or scathing,” he says – but that hasn’t impeded his questing aesthetic. “What is the alternative – to sit around and eat veggie burgers all day?” he laughs. “What you do with your short time on Earth is incredibly important, so you better make something of your life. I don’t mean, ‘Achieve, get famous, get rich.’ That stuff means nothing. But it’s your duty as a human being to make something that matters to you and the community around you.”
Speaking of community, the band’s steadfast irreverence hasn’t alienated its fan base. “It just goes to show you that there are people on Earth who are not internet zombies,” Gira says. “There’s a lot of people that want something true. There’s a lot of people that want something that’s challenging and real – they want the sweat, or they want the reality of things.” It’s easy to picture Gira as an aesthetic ascetic – a man who suffers for his art. His unflagging productivity and firm dismissal of complacency belies the fact he’ll soon turn 61 years old. In spite of his astonishing willpower, he still manages to have fun, in a roundabout way. “For me, fun is work,” he says. “Fun is just work that you love. And having sex too, I suppose.” What: To Be Kind out now through Mute / Create/Control Where: Manning Bar When: Thursday January 22
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Swans photo by Samantha Marble
“There’s an alarming amount of people at our shows and they seem to be getting something genuine from the music,” he says. “I talk to fans after the show and it’s really touching to see that people really get something from the music – something powerful. That’s why I’m doing it, for myself and for them. The fact there’s more of them is a bonus.”
immediate and as intense as possible onstage and not just be up there by rote going through the material.”
I PRESENT A NEW SONG OF “SUMMER, “STOMPA” ... IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD IT ON THE RADIO YET, YOU WILL. ” THE NEW YORK TIMES
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TOURING SONGS BY GENIUS PLAYER “LENNY ” THEIR FIRST ALBUM KRAVITZ COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY 30 YEARS; “JEFF BECK ” THE SONGS OF BIG PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
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The Coathangers The Brat Pack By Augustus Welby
P
unk rock is more than just a sound; it’s an entire way of thinking. In fact, it’s fair to suggest that the punk attitude is more crucial than adhering to a stylistic criterion. Take Atlanta’s all-girl outfit The Coathangers, for instance. Sure, The Coathangers’ music is brash, high-energy, and even bratty at times – all key characteristics associated with the punk rock sound. What’s of greater significance, however, is the band’s transcendent ruthlessness. Since forming in 2006, The Coathangers have said ‘fuck you’ to over-thinking and chosen to bash out whatever feels right. “We don’t really talk about it,” says the band’s bass player Meredith Franco. “We kind of just go in there and do it.”
“We [record] live, so we play the music first and then we’ll do the vocals and then move on to some more songs,” Franco explains. “We’re not just focusing on one song and keep listening to the same thing, because then it all starts sounding the same. It’s good for us to go back and listen to it and be like, ‘Oh yeah, maybe you should add claps,’ or, ‘Maybe you should add vocal parts in the back.’ You just hear different things once you get away from it.”
“When we first started writing the record, Candice was still in the band,” Franco says. “So then we had to rewrite some of the songs and change some things around. I think we all stepped it up a little bit just because we kind of had to. We added extra vocal parts, or Julia [Kugel, guitar/vocals] would come up with little extra guitar parts that were something similar to what a keyboard would play. Otherwise, everything was the same. We still play the old songs, there’s just no keyboard. It’s a little more rock’n’roll.” While the keyboard is evidently missing, Suck My Shirt hasn’t suffered from the personnel reduction. Rather, Jones’ departure has opened the way for excellent bass and guitar interplay. On tracks such as ‘Merry Go Round’ and ‘Zombie’, Franco’s bass and Kugel’s guitar interact with a driving, melodic intent that resembles Joy Division or the Pixies. But when it comes to mediating their creative decisions, there’s not a great deal of reference made to other artists. “For this record we were channeling The Clash with the way the drums sound – kind of really clean,” Franco says. “That was the one thing that we were saying. But we’re not
usually like, ‘Oh, I want to sound like this or sound like that.’ We don’t really do that.” This week, The Coathangers touch down in Oz for the very first time. Following the release of Suck My Shirt, the band has toured the States in support of fellow Atlantans Black Lips and recently completed a headline tour around Europe. Despite these achievements, the trip to Australia is no less of a milestone.
“We cannot wait,” Franco says. “It still seems like a dream. It doesn’t seem like it’s really happening. We’re so excited.” What: Suck My Shirt out now through Smack Face Records With: Black Zeros, Sloppy Kiss Soiree Where: Frankie’s Pizza When: Thursday January 22
The Coathangers photo by Jeff Forney
This attitude hasn’t exactly sent the group on a path toward wayward destruction. Rather, early last year The Coathangers released their fourth LP, Suck My Shirt. Though the band has been together for nearly a decade now, the ‘whatever works’ ethos still calls the shots in the studio.
Almost three years separate Suck My Shirt from The Coathangers’ third album, Larceny & Old Lace. In the intervening period, the band released a series of singles and split EPs. On top of this, album production encountered a slight delay when long-serving keyboardist Candice Jones parted ways with the group in 2013.
Belle And Sebastian Read All About It By Adam Norris
B
elle and Sebastian command a particularly loyal following. Between the strength of their lyrics and the group’s overall aesthetic, their listeners are drawn from a wide pool. With the electronic shift of new album Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, they are well placed to gain a whole new sweep of fans again. It’s a pleasantly unsurprising leap for a band that has long been a favourite of music mavens but has yet to strike that commercial vein; from the beginning, Belle and Sebastian have been reluctant to be categorised. Drummer Richard Colburn recalls their early days of fake biographies and shifting sounds. “We definitely fictionalised quite a lot!” he chuckles. It is cold and rainy here in Sydney, but Colburn wins the weather game; down the phone line I
hear a Glasgow snowstorm wailing, and gale force winds are battering the walls. “Another thing we did was to take band photographs, but just get a bunch of friends along to be in them. I think the first time there was ever a real band photograph, it was me lying underneath a van like I’d just been knocked over. It was all a little obscure, but we just didn’t want to have a press angle in the beginning. We wanted the music to be the focus. I remember we had a few interviews with big magazines and they’d bring along a photographer, and we’d go, ‘No, no, we want to do our own photographs.’ And of course that would always turn out ridiculously. Those early years were very anti-press.” I hazard that after so many years of touring and recording, Colburn’s appreciation for the press has
become slightly more pronounced. After all, the last thing this interview needs is a pissed-off Glaswegian drummer in a snowstorm feeding disinformation to a gullible Australian journo. That said… “I’m not too bad. Over the last three records we’ve done a lot more press than ever before. Sometimes it can be annoying in that once you start some media campaign, a lot of journalists will just jump on that first interview and take all the quotes, pull it to bits and throw it back at you. Now we have someone who handles all of it, so that the interviews we do do are big ones, the interesting ones that are going to get the best spread. It’s just one of those things in this modern age as well, you kind of have to just do it. And with bloggers, reviewers everywhere, whatever you do, it’s going to be catalogued somewhere.”
He sounds resigned to the role, but happily so. The band is now just a few years shy of its 20th anniversary, and whatever highs and lows the life of a musician can offer, Colburn is by now surely familiar with them. Belle and Sebastian’s sound has evolved steadily over this time, thanks in part to a host of creative producers enlisted along the way, but also by that old chestnut of practice makes perfect. From 2006’s The Life Pursuit on, Colburn’s drumming in particular has become much more prominent. “In the early days, Stuart [Murdoch] sang so quietly and so far away from the microphone that if we’d try to play even slightly louder it would spill into his mic and you’d get nothing but feedback. Especially when we were playing live. So for the first couple of records I just played brushes or plastics, and if I ever tried drumsticks
I had to do it really, really lightly because they’d interfere with his vocals. And that’s just the way it was. It was good training for me, but as Stuart got more confident singing…” Colburn trails off for a moment, trying to summon the memory. “It might have been 2001 when we started to tour properly. Before that we were quite sporadic and the shows weren’t quite clear. So as we toured more, we grew confident and played better, and I could start fitting in a little more since everyone else had started playing stronger as well. Especially Stuart’s singing. After that, a lot of songs definitely needed a heavy backbeat or a stronger rhythm, and after a while we got used to it. But those early days, brushes all the way. I’d never break a sweat,” he laughs. Preparing the new record came with the double-edged sword of a larger budget and production than previous outings. It allowed for more flexibility in the studio and more elaborate live sets, but had the potential to add a level of expectation and self-consciousness the band could well do without. “With a bigger budget you generally get more time, or at least more facilities, different producers,” says Colburn. “From that side of things it opens up more possibilities. But at the same time, it does put pressure on you, because now you have to come up with something that’s actually good!” he laughs.
What: Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance out Friday January 16 through Matador/Remote Control Where: Enmore Theatre / Taronga Zoo When: Thursday January 29 / Saturday January 31
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Belle And Sebastian by Søren Solkær Starbird
“I feel in this day and age the album is slowly coming back, but the way people listen to music now, people listen to songs individually. It’s not like years ago where the album ruled. We’ve always been a fan of one body of work, and that’s the album. And that needs to flow perfectly, each part has to be right. We still look at albums as albums. They should never be just a vehicle for individual songs.”
“ THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, BASS, DUB AND SOME OTHER RHYTHM TROPICAL” VICE
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Catfish And The Bottlemen The Single Life By Augustus Welby
I
n September last year, Welsh four-piece Catfish and the Bottlemen released their debut LP, The Balcony. A drip-feed of singles over the last couple of years built plenty of anticipation for The Balcony, which debuted at number ten on the UK charts. Affection for the youthful foursome is now spreading worldwide; The Balcony has just seen US release, coinciding with an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, and later this month Catfish and the Bottlemen will grace our shores for the very first time. Frontman Van McCann triumphantly embraces the warm reception they’ve received so far. “For me it’s all about making short little tunes that are played on the radio and people like hearing in their car,” he says. “When I was growing up that’s the kind of bands I liked – big songs that sound like they belong in stadiums.” The band’s forthcoming tour includes a run of gigs supporting The Kooks, as well as a few smaller-scale headline shows. The Kooks are another band whose first album made a big impact. Boasting hit singles such as ‘Naïve’ and ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’, 2006’s Inside In/Inside Out remains a favourite among Kooks fans, and songs from the record continue to dominate the band’s setlists. Such adoration for early material can be a source of frustration for musicians, who are desperate to
spotlight their recent releases. Perhaps it’s too soon to predict whether The Balcony will stand the test of time, but McCann’s not bothered by the prospect of performing these songs for years to come. “If people asked me to play my first album in ten years’ time in Australia in some mad arena I’d be made up with that,” he says. “As much as anybody else says, ‘I make music for myself and if other people get it then it’s great,’ that’s just bullshit, because you’d just stay in bed if that was the case and sing to yourself. It’s about everyone else – the way you make everyone else feel. “Radiohead don’t play ‘Creep’ because they don’t like it. It’s like, who cares what Radiohead like? It’s about what the people who like their music like. That’s what it’s all about, in my opinion. That’s the kind of band that I want to be. I don’t want to be headlining Glastonbury but going, ‘Oh, we’ll play the new album.’ I’d be playing all the singles.” It’s a common occurrence that a successful first album is promptly followed by another record of similar nature. The Kooks’ Konk, The Strokes’ Room On Fire and Kings Of Leon’s Aha Shake Heartbreak are prime examples from recent years. From here, all these bands sought out new stylistic terrain, with varying degrees of success. McCann
“We’re not going to be getting lost and changing our sound every album. I like the simple thing we’ve got. I’m not really into bands that change their sound all the time.”
is eager to release plenty more records, but he’s not too interested in artistic reinvention. “I’ve got the second album written and they’re just songs about different things,” he says. “The only thing I ever wanted to change was to write songs about different things and use different producers to make it sound different. But we’re not going to be getting lost and changing our sound every album. I like the simple thing we’ve got. I’m not really into bands that change their sound all the time.” ‘Simple’ is a rather modest summation. The Balcony is a punchy collection of harum-scarum rock songs loaded with enough catchy choruses to give you a seizure. “We wanted it to be like
The Strokes or Oasis or the Arctic Monkeys’ first albums, in the sense that we wanted every song to be a single,” McCann says. “It wasn’t about making an album. It can take you places, an album – you’ll have a sad song and then a fast song and a love song and a song about how good it is to be alive – but we just wanted to write a collection of songs, almost like a greatest hits album. It doesn’t even have to make sense as an album, as long as each song is good.” The Balcony proves McCann and his three bandmates know their way around snappy, melodic rock tunes. If they keep this up, the forthcoming Australian tour will be the first of many. McCann was actually born in Oz, and returning with his band fulfills a lifelong dream.
“The first year of my life I spent travelling round with me mum and dad,” he says. “They went over to Australia when they were younger and got married over there and then we just travelled round everywhere in the back of a car. I always said, ‘That’s where I want to go with me music. I want to write a song that’s good enough to fl y me across the world.’ It was always the dream, so I could tell me dad.” What: The Balcony out now through Caroline/Universal Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Monday January 19 And: Also supporting The Kooks at the Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday January 20
Kim Churchill Silent Treatment By Augustus Welby
K
im Churchill is an exceptionally affable fellow. His polite, optimistic, conversational tone perfectly complements his easy-going folk rock tunes. Beyond this relaxed air, however, Churchill is also a crusading pop artist. Perhaps he’s not tabloid fodder, but since the release of his third LP Silence/Win last May, Churchill’s global following has grown substantially. “We’ve done the last eight months touring like madmen,” he says. “We did three Canadian tours and one American tour and two European tours. It’s been a crazy, crazy time.” Hailing from Merimbula on the NSW South Coast, rather than waiting for a huge radio hit or a major label deal, Churchill took a grassroots approach to building a fan base. From the get-go, the blonde-haired nomad was determined to play in front of as many as possible, and it wasn’t long before he yearned to leave our shores. “I really wanted to get overseas, because I was young and I wanted to travel,” he says. “I really wanted to see the world, but I’m a complete workaholic and I felt that I could do it with my music.”
“I’ve been fortunate,” he adds. “I think it’s because in the last four or five years I’ve worked and toured as hard in Canada as I have back here at home, so the fan base has been like a homely bunch as well.” 18 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
“It’s a funny old game that you play, especially working with a major record label,” he says. “You walk into the place and you all of a sudden get this very lovely, flattering, wonderful treatment. It’s easy to get a bit swept up in – I catch myself all the time. I think everybody’s constantly keeping an eye on themselves and how they are as a person and it’s no different for me. Well, it might be different in the sense that there’s a little bit more to keep an eye on.” Silence/Win mightn’t qualify as a best-seller, but it has garnered plenty of triple j airtime and led Churchill into major concert venues in the US and Europe. Despite his growing star status, years of experience have taught Churchill to suppress dreams of world domination. “There were certain elements of almost desperation that came to me at some points, when I really just wanted to have that breakthrough album or that hit. Finally, when I was getting into the mode of doing Silence/ Win, I noticed that desperation and I noticed how it could get itself involved in my music and be to its detriment. So Silence/Win was kind of about letting go of that and being OK with whatever it was.” What: Silence/Win out now through Warner With: Pepa Knight Where: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle / Oxford Art Factory When: Friday January 23 / Saturday January 24 thebrag.com
Kim Churchill photo by Sam Atkinson
Somewhat unexpectedly, Canada quickly nominated itself as Churchill’s home away from home. “We went over to do this sloppy little tour,” he says of his first visit to North America half a decade ago. “I went and busked on Granville Island in Vancouver every day for a while and just tied together little shows here and there. It was at a couple of those shows in Quebec that I met the guys that ran the label that I ended up signing to. Around the time I met them I started thinking, ‘Wow, Canada could be a really cool thing.’
In addition to the deal with Montreal’s Indica Records, Churchill teamed up with Atlantic Records for Silence/Win’s UK release. This isn’t Churchill’s only major label deal, as he’s also signed to Warner Music in Australia. Churchill is certainly a relaxed individual, but he’s not completely blasé about the position he’s in.
J Mascis
All The Stars In The Sky By Patrick Emery
“Yeah, it’s good not having to deal with those guys, or care what they did or didn’t play. It’s good to not have that around to think about,” Mascis says. In solo recording mode, Mascis is notionally confi dent of the type of music he’s looking to create. “I know what I like, and I always have a definite idea of what I want to come out. It’s not hard for me to work out what I like.” On Several Shades Of Why, for instance, Mascis stepped away from the hardcore-cum-Neil Young sound of Dinosaur Jr. in favour of a lighter, more acoustic sonic aesthetic. “In general, I suppose I was influenced by English folk, Fairport Convention; that Crosby, Stills and Nash scene.”
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few months ago, J Mascis was interviewed by tenyear-old Elliott Fullam, the son of Daniella and Justin Fullam, creators of the fashion and design website Little Punk People. Confronted by Elliott’s enthusiasm and excitement, Mascis is typically deadpan: when Elliott suggests Mascis is “a guitar god”, Mascis demurs; Elliott responds by repeating the superlative, brushing past Mascis’ humility as if it were cobwebs covering a Renaissance painting. Whereas most interviewers greet Mascis’ enigmatic demeanour with frustration and occasional annoyance, Elliott is unflappable. “Do you like to dance?” Elliott asks. “My kid is a better dancer than me,” Mascis replies, with just the vague hint of a smile. Mascis isn’t sure how the interview
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opportunity arose – you get the impression he remains slightly bemused by the promotional conveyor belt he’s occasionally forced to travel on each time he releases a new record – but he claims to have enjoyed the experience. “I’m not sure how that came about. But it was pretty interesting,” Mascis says. He did learn one thing from the interview, and its immediate aftermath: don’t read the comments box. “I made the mistake of reading some comments underneath, and was kind of surprised that people thought I was a complete dick to the kid or something,” Mascis says. “It was strange to read – I couldn’t work it out. And I didn’t know why I was reading it – it was such a strong reaction. It was weird.” Mascis is a notoriously difficult interview subject – his answers
are succinct, generally followed by a stony silence during which you wonder whether he’s counting down the seconds left in the interview. There are no profound philosophical observations on the nexus between music, art and life, no colourful stories of sex and drugs on the road, no slanderous observations about his contemporaries or the wheelers and dealers of the music industry. Last year, Mascis released his latest solo album, Tied To A Star, the follow-up to 2011’s Several Shades Of Why, and revealed plans for an Australian tour to promote the record. Given his sometimes fraught relationship with the other members of Dinosaur Jr., Mascis revels in the opportunity to create and refine his own songs, free from the commentary of his bandmates.
Those aren’t bands that you’d ordinarily associate with Mascis in his original hardcore days, an observation with which he concurs. “Right at that moment I was pretty exclusively into hardcore, and I couldn’t think of listening to anything else. It was the only time that I felt that exclusive into what I was doing. I sold some of my old records, and I didn’t know why I ever liked them. It was pretty interesting being into only one thing. But that changed, and I got out of that mindset, and back into liking different types of music again.” Mascis doesn’t give the impression he spends too much time pondering the balance of light and heavy in his musical world. “It’s about taking a breath from the noise, or something,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s important, but I get sick of listening to the same thing all the time. Not that I have really varied tastes, but a little bit, I suppose.”
While Tied To A Star eschews the overt acoustic style of Several Shades Of Why, Mascis is unequivocal on whether the new record is a deviation from its predecessor. “On the first album I gave up the songs to a lot of people to play what they wanted on them, and some of the stuff I’d recorded I wasn’t sure what I wanted it to sound like in the end,” he says. “With this album I didn’t use as many people, and I had a more definite idea of what I wanted it to sound like. When I asked someone to do something it was more specific, like I already had the sound in mind.” So is there a specific theme or idea at the heart of the record? “It’s more just a vibe that I want out of a record – it’s hard to describe. I know what I want it to feel like in the end, and I want all the songs on the record to work toward some kind of vibe. It’s hard to put it into words, but I knew what I was going for.” On his upcoming Australian tour Mascis will be joined by Adalita, whom Mascis met originally when Magic Dirt supported Dinosaur Jr. on their 1995 Australian tour. Mascis remains a fan of Magic Dirt, though his lasting recollection of touring with them concerns the band’s shabby instrument casing. “My main memory of Magic Dirt on that tour was one of their guitars having a really crappy case and being checked into the airport,” Mascis says. “When we’d watch it come out on the belt on the airport I’d worry that it was going to be in pieces every time it came out.” What: Tied To A Star out now through Sub Pop/Inertia With: Adalita Where: Factory Theatre When: Saturday February 21
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2014 THE YEAR THAT WAS Ian Barr
Whichever way you look at it, 2014 was an eventful year. The memories from music and pop culture will last a lifetime – although we’ve just about forgotten the Ice Bucket Challenge already – while the tragedy hit far too close to home. The BRAG team has put its collective heads together to remember the highlights and lowlights of the year that was, and cast an eye towards the year that is now.
Chris Martin
Contributor
Top five films (and their respective MVPs): Inside Llewyn Davis (final scene and line) Under The Skin (soundscape) The Immigrant (Marion Cotillard, also for Two Days, One Night) The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (The ‘runnin’ free’ scene) Maps To The Stars (how fresh the air outside seemed after watching it, which I mean as a compliment) Top five albums: HTRK – Psychic 9-5 Club D’Angelo & The Vanguard –
Top three Australian albums: Donny Benet – Weekend At Donny’s Client Liaison – Client Liaison Fishing – Shy Glow Top three international albums: Aphex Twin – Syro Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots Ice-T – Greatest Hits Film of the year: 20,000 Days On Earth – dir. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard with Nick Cave Gig of the year: Public Enemy at the Metro (Chuck D for Prime Minister!). Diplo’s gig on The Boat for Channel [V] was pretty spesh too. Best arts/cultural festival of the year:
Black Messiah FKA Twigs – LP1 Andy Stott – Faith In Strangers Low Life – Dogging Movie quote of the year: “Don’t be seduced by his word-jazz!” – They Came Together Hollywood’s finest moment: Sorry, but the leaked Sony emails and it ain’t close. Favourite interview: Ice Cube or Kelly Reichardt.
What I’m looking forward to in 2015: The world remaining miraculously unimploded, enjoying the company and work of others on its surface. A foolproof prediction for the year ahead: Australian Government revealed to be a variety of silhouetted mannequins + a life-size Shaquille O’Neal cutout, uncannily puppetted by Macaulay Culkin.
Sarah Bryant Pop To Popism at the Art Gallery of NSW, closely followed by ‘the other’ Nick Cave’s talk at Carriageworks. He’s the Nick Cave you want when you’re not having the other Nick Cave. What I’ll miss most about 2014: Robin Williams. What I won’t miss about 2014: The Ice Bucket Challenge. What I’m looking forward to in 2015: Some more Babe Rainbow sightings. A foolproof prediction for the year ahead: You will want more money than you have.
Tyson Wray Top three Australian albums: Seekae – The Worry HTRK – Psychic 9-5 Club Guerre – Ex Nihilo
Three Australian filmmakers to watch: Jennifer Kent, Sophie Hyde, Richard Tuohy
Online Editor
Top three international albums: Kettenkarussell – Easy Listening Mura Oka – Auftakt Vril – Torus
Art Director
Top three Australian albums: Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders – Playmates The Delta Riggs – Dipz Zebazios Sticky Fingers – Land Of Pleasure Top three international albums: Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots Jack White – Lazaretto Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything Film of the year: The Grand Budapest Hotel. Fantastic, in every sense of the word. Gig of the year: St. Vincent at the Sydney Opera House for Vivid Live.
Augustus Welby Top three Australian albums: Blank Realm – Grassed Inn Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders – Playmates Total Control – Typical System Top three international albums: Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness Perfume Genius – Too Bright The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream Film of the year: A Most Wanted Man. I still can’t believe you’re gone, Philip
Film of the year: Boyhood Gig of the year: A Winged Victory For The Sullen. A Stars of the Lid tour next, please? Favourite interview:
Managing Editor
In a year peppered with old dudes playing their same old (still excellent) shows – Springsteen, the Stones, Dylan, half of Queen – Annie Clark came to town and turned the very construct of the rock show on its head. Festival of the year: Bluesfest. The oldies got Elvis (Costello), the youngsters got Chali 2na, and John Butler got to solo interminably. Favourite interview: Matt Berninger from The National. One of contemporary music’s foremost lyricists happy to discuss his flaws and ambitions. I fanboyed out – a true professional to
the end – but he was fine with it. Three Australian artists to watch: Gang Of Youths, Playwrite, Fractures What I’m looking forward to in 2015: Noel Gallagher’s new album (sorta). Noel Gallagher’s new interviews (definitely). Another Radiohead triumph (hopefully). A foolproof prediction for the year: An unsuspecting festivalgoer will be electrocuted when their selfie stick acts as a lightning rod during a manic storm. Instagram will go crazy over Avicii’s Greatest Light Show Ever #nofilter
Staff Writer
Seymour, but the directing excellence of Anton Corbijn helped to make your final film an utter masterpiece. Gig of the year: Total Control, Kirin J Callinan and HTRK at DARK MOFO, Hobart. Big stage, big sound, big lights, complete devastation. Brilliant. Festival of the year: Meredith Music Festival. It is a biblical event. The setting is Eden and all water gets turned not to wine but tinnies. Fresh cold tinnies.
Three-way tie between Jeff Mills, Peter Dinklage and Sasha Grey. What I’ll miss most about 2014: Apparently, most of my memory. I had to scroll through my Facebook ‘year in review’ to answer most of
Favourite interview: Going to the pub with Mick Harvey, Harry Howard and Genevieve McGuckin to discuss the life, music and many moods of the late great Rowland S. Howard. Three Australian artists to watch: The Stiffys (Melbourne): The most entertaining two-piece on the planet. Motel Love (Melbourne): Power-pop played loose, hard and with enough melody to send you to the diabetes clinic. The Smallgoods (Sydney/Melbourne): Velvet Underground enthusiasts
these questions. What I won’t miss about 2014: Tony Abbott fucking up this country beyond belief. Double dissolution has never sounded so sweet.
with seriously bad manners. What I’ll miss most about 2014: My hearing. What I won’t miss about 2014: Tinnitus. What I’m looking forward to in 2015: Birdman at the cinema, Nas’ Illmatic tour, tunes from Dick Diver, Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett and maybe even some new trousers. A foolproof prediction for the year ahead: I’ll continue to end every day with an episode of Seinfeld.
What I’m looking forward to in 2015: William Basinski fi nally, fi nally coming to Australia. A foolproof prediction for the year ahead: ‘Gronk’ will become a staple in Aussie language.
Have you heard?
thebrag.com Extra bits and moving bits without the papercuts 20 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
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arts in focus
BRAG’s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town arts frontline
arts news...what's goin' on around town...with Chris Martin, Tori Bedingfield and Spencer Scott
free stuff
five minutes WITH MATTHEW
Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup Suite 1, 1968
Matthew Gillett Gallery
O
n Thursday February 26, the Scarborough Hotel’s Matthew Gillett Gallery will host Mercato Arte, an arts market celebrating the best in artistic talent from the South Coast. We asked Matthew Gillett himself to talk us through the idea. Tell us about the history of Matthew Gillett Gallery.
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
GILLETT FROM MATTHEW GILLETT GALLERY
The Matthew Gillett Gallery came about with an idea of changing what I thought was an outdated recipe for galleries and their take on showing art. I had often heard artists complain about it and decided, ‘Hey, the best way to combat an unsatisfied situation is to create a new recipe,’ and the Matthew Gillett Gallery was born. It’s nearly two years old and the response has been superpositive. How did the concept of Mercato Arte come about? Mercarto Arte came about with most emerging creatives I meet through the gallery stating that there just aren’t enough options for showing their craft. I had seen a couple of art markets and thought my gallery as a venue is superb for such an event. It’s an amazing way to encourage emerging creatives to show their work, with the added bonus of then being
involved in an eight-week show at the gallery and using it as a stepping stone into their creative endeavours. What kind of participants are you looking for? We are looking for every form of creativity. There are so many avenues of artistic creativity; different mediums, styles and concepts. We want it to showcase all of them. Without an opportunity to show your talents, only half of the experience is completed. The South Coast is home to some great artistic talent – what is it about the region that inspires creativity? This stretch of coast offers so much inspiration and is full of colourful characters. Add that to being still only an hour out of Sydney, and it allows such a nice mix of influences for amazing creative people to have a broad range of inspiration blended with
Jeanette Cronin in Queen Bette
accessibility to everything else. What’s next on the agenda for the gallery? 2015 is shaping up to be a huge year with Mecarto Arte being the first event in the calendar. There’ll also be a similar winter solstice market event, and alongside our already well-known eight-week rotating shows we are launching the Matthew Gillett Gallery Art Prize, and a couple of cool things that are still in the pipeline, all with the concept of a non-traditional gallery with non-traditional takes on showcasing art in a unique location. All in all, it makes the gallery a place to watch for 2015. What: Mercato Arte Where: Matthew Gillett Gallery, Scarborough Hotel When: Thursday February 26 And: Artist applications close Wednesday January 21, visit matthewgillettgallery.com
THE LAUGH STAND
ART AFTER HOURS
The Art Gallery of NSW has given the people what they want, opening its doors until 9pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for the rest of January. Meanwhile, the new Art After Hours program is underway each Wednesday, with celebrity and artist talks from the likes of Luke Sales, Leo Schofield and Annabel Crabb. It’s all in support of the pop art exhibition Pop To Popism, featuring Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Brett Whiteley and more. Pop To Popism closes on Sunday March 1. If you haven’t managed to catch Pop To Popism so far, the extended hours mean there are no more excuses. We’ve got two double passes to give away to the exhibit – to enter, visit thebrag.com/freeshit and tell us why pop art changed the world.
Nikki Britton
Re-opening for 2015 this week, Sydney comedy venue The Laugh Stand has organised some outstanding weekly acts for the New Year. Don’t miss winner of the 2010 Quest for the Best open mic contest Nikki Britton on Tuesday January 20 as she takes the stage with Good News Week writer Dave Bloustien and special guests. Britton offers a very relatable comedic style, befitting the high standards of hand-picked performers that frequent the iconic comedy night. The Laugh Stand is a weekly event at the Harold Park Hotel every Tuesday from 8pm.
perfect antidote. Nova’s Slidestreet is coming to Sydney for the first time – it’s a enormous water slide as long as two AFL ovals, inviting Sydneysiders to dive headfirst into 315 metres of aquafun. After debuting in Perth, the slip’n’slide is touring the country, and
will be in our backyard for only 24 hours. It’s environmentally friendly, too – the water will be recirculated and monitored throughout the day, before being treated and transported for a secondary use when the slide packs up. Slide away at Parkes Drive on Monday January 26.
ANOTHER QUEEN B
G.bod Theatre has announced the world premiere of Queen Bette, a show honouring the life of iconic movie star Bette Davis. Renowned Australian actress Jeanette Cronin will be taking on the role of Davis, as the one-woman show explores the life of a true movie legend. Davis is one of American cinema’s most celebrated actresses from the mid-20th century, with a forceful and intense acting style and famous work ethic. Queen Bette is running through February and March as part of the Mardi Gras Festival and the Old 505 Theatre’s 2015 season. Queen Bette opens at the Old 505 Theatre on Wednesday February 25 and runs until Sunday March 15.
KILL BILL BURLESQUE
You’ve never seen Quentin Tarantino done like this – unless you have, of course, in Russell S. Beattie’s previous burlesque parody of Reservoir Dogs, or perhaps the similar Star Wars vibes of The Empire Strips Back. Now The Vanguard is set to host Kill Bill – The Burlesque Show, and as the name suggests, it’ll be an all-colourful extravaganza featuring schoolgirl assassins and plenty of swordswomanship. Catch it at The Vanguard on Sunday January 25.
MAASIVE LATES
Sydneysiders have the opportunity to experience the adult side of the Powerhouse Museum’s Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences with the announcement of MAASive Lates, a monthly evening series opening this month. Thursday January 15 sees Circus Follies take over the Powerhouse Museum’s Circus Factory, with an incredible fire show from Circaholics Anonymous, as well as live music and delicious food and sweets. Thursday February 26 takes on a Mardi Gras twist to help celebrate the 2015 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras – Prada Clutch will be hosting the festivities alongside DJ Kitty thebrag.com
Glitter, Belladonna Brabazon and The Go-Gettes. Finally, Undressed: 350 Years Of Underwear In Fashion on Thursday March 26 will feature sophisticated cocktails and treats served alongside various burlesque and pole dance performers.
GALERIE POMPOM
Galerie Pompom has announced two new exhibitions that will be showcased at the gallery in February and March. Twelve Paintings by Nicola Smith is a series of works that explore travel and social media through oil paintings. Smith takes photos from her life across the globe and uploads them to Instagram, before transforming and translating the images into stunning oil paintings. Meanwhile, Blue Lines by Josh Foley uses shadows, form, subject and object to create the illusion of a type of “giant made painting”. Blue Lines and Twelve Paintings are showing at Galerie Pompom from Wednesday February 4 – Sunday March 1.
WATER SLIDE FUN
If the summer heat is getting a bit much, then Australia Day at Centennial Park could be the
Absent Friends
ABSENT FRIENDS
The comedy Absent Friends will kick off Glen Street Theatre’s 2015 season at the end of January. The show, written by the notoriously dark-humoured Alan Ayckbourn and directed by Mark Kilmurry, explores the trials and tribulations of married life, after Diana and Paul invite a handful of friends around to comfort bereaving old friend Colin. The show features Darren Gilshenan and Michelle Doake, who have appeared on Rake and Puberty Blues respectively, as well as Richard Sydenham, Jessica Sullivan, Brian Meegan and Queenie Van De Zandt. Absent Friends plays at Glen Street Theatre from Wednesday January 28 – Sunday February 1.
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Sweet Charity
Falling Through Clouds [THEATRE] Spread Your Wings By Tom Clift xxx
Sweet Charity [MUSICAL] When Love Comes To Town By Adam Norris
W
e all have our share of busy times. For many, the last few weeks have been a splendid blur of celebration and travel. But then, you chat with Verity Hunt-Ballard and realise you don’t know the meaning of busy at all. Having performed in the musical Mary Poppins to rapturous audiences, Hunt-Ballard has now returned to the stage as the eponymous character in Sweet Charity. It also happens to coincide with moving house and juggling the evolving demands of an almosttwo-year-old daughter, Emmy-Lou. As some wise man once said, there’s never a dull moment. “I have to be honest with you,” Hunt-Ballard says brightly, “Emmy-Lou isn’t a great sleeper, so I haven’t slept through an entire night in around 20 months now. You kind of just get used to it. From that first six months, I now understand why they use [sleep deprivation] as torture. It’s just crazy, it screws with every part of you. And I was rocking up to rehearsals, already pretty overwhelmed by Neil Simon’s text and the big chunks of dialogue that he has, and realising that, my God, there really is a thing called baby brain. When people saw Charity break down at the end of the show, it was just as likely they were actually seeing Verity.” That blurred line between reality and fiction is something that all stage performers must eventually acknowledge, though in HuntBallard’s case, one would hope that some of the charmed life lessons of Mary Poppins might carry across to her daily life. It’s a notion she has heard before, and while there may be some kernel of truth there, the tone in her voice suggests the reality is somewhat less magical. “I guess, I guess. She’s just so other-worldly. But it was so lovely to play a role that was so extremely different from Mary. There are
elements that I see are alike between the two, but Charity allows me to be quite free physically – it allows me to really play – whereas Mary Poppins was so refined. Playing that role, being in charge of two children every night onstage, certainly prepared me for the responsibility of having someone completely dependent on you.” The two roles do indeed seem worlds apart, and while there remains a darkness beneath the story of Mary Poppins, in Sweet Charity Hunt-Ballard gets to finally sink her teeth into some of the shadows that bubble to the surface. “We talked a lot about Fellini’s vision [in Nights Of Cabiria], which is much darker, much rawer, and really deals with the impression that the women are probably prostitutes. There is a lot of glamour here, but behind closed doors it’s much more sinister, which brought a kind of weight to the story that I really enjoyed. So Charity’s desperation yet constant optimism was something really interesting to play with. There’s a beautiful scene that we approached very sensitively where three women sing about all of the things they’re going to do once they’re out of the dancehall. Charity finally gets the courage to apply for this job and rocks up to an office, and it’s just soul-destroying. When she realises, and the audience realises, that there’s no other choice, she has to go back, it’s a strong scene. It’s very beautiful to delve into these issues with a cast that’s become family. It’s very sad and funny and clever how the whole production has been sculpted, and honestly, it’s like the audience really have just stepped into a music hall.” What: Sweet Charity Where: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House When: Thursday January 15 – Sunday February 8
Falling Through Clouds n a post-apocalyptic future of storms, disease and disaster, a scientist named Mary is split between two worlds. During waking hours she works to rescue a species of birds from extinction, while at night she dreams of flying. Such is the strange premise of Falling Through Clouds, one of several independent theatre productions on the program at this year’s Sydney Festival.
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species. There were only seven left, so they devised this very interesting program where from the moment the little baby cranes were born, they completely raised the birds without the parents … [The scientists] would dress up in these ridiculous outfits, and cover their faces, and use these puppets to teach the baby birds how to eat, and eventually how to fly.”
“It’s always exciting to come to the Sydney Festival,” says the show’s co-creator, Arielle Gray. “It’s such an honour to be one of the Australian companies performing, and Sydney audiences are great.”
Although the ridiculous costumes didn’t make it into the final production, Gray assures us that there will be plenty of puppets. “We work very visually,” she says. “All of our birds in the show are different paper puppets. In some ways you attach to them more than you attach to humans, because they are so pure and imaginative – you’re just watching a pile of scrunched up paper, but you place such emotion on that paper. There’s something really wonderful about that.”
A graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Gray is part of the Perth-based theatre collective The Last Great Hunt, whose members previously collaborated on Sydney Festival shows including It’s Dark Outside and The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer. Speaking to the BRAG ahead of the group’s latest Sydney debut, Gray explains that the seeds of the project – which combines live performance with puppetry, animation, music and video – came from two very different sources. The first, strangely enough, was the nocturnal activity of her partner and fellow Great Hunter, Tim Watts. “Tim sleepwalks,” says Gray, “and there was a certain point, around the time we were working on the show, that it got really bad. We were sleeping in a loft bed, and he had a dream where a truck was coming at him, and he leapt off the side of the bed. So we became quite fascinated with the idea that your dreams, and your imagination, could affect the world around you physically, without your knowledge. “At the same time,” Gray continues, “we heard this podcast on This American Life called ‘Raising Cranes’, about a program in America where a group of scientists were trying to save this crane
Ludovico Einaudi
Gray also credits a big part of the show’s success to music composer Ash Gibson Greig. “Ash is an absolute genius,” she says. “We’ve got a couple of pop songs in there, but other than that it’s all original music. We make huge demands of him … He’s given it a sense of wonder and emotion, and it really lifts the show.” Asked if she ever feels overworked, Gray’s response is simple. “The thing is, when you’re doing something that you love, it isn’t really working. If I have a week off I enjoy it, but if it goes on for longer I start to get a bit itchy. The company is also doing five shows at the Fringe World Festival in Perth, which is happening in February, so we are keeping super-busy, and that’s really exciting. It’s always nice to have something else on the go, ready to dive in to.” What: Falling Through Clouds as part of Sydney Festival 2015 Where: Seymour Centre When: Friday January 16 – Sunday January 18
Ludovico Einaudi
[CLASSICAL] Entering Atmospherica By Liza Dezfouli
Y
ou might not know Ludovico Einaudi’s name but you will almost certainly have heard his music. Einaudi, often cited as the world’s most popular classical composer, gives his music its own genre: ‘atmospherica’, which has been described as a mix between classical, pop and minimalism. Einaudi’s last tour of Australia resulted in an instant invitation to return. “The last time I went anywhere in Australia, I was really well received,” he remembers. “It was very warm. I had to come back, no question of it.”
The Italian-based artist has composed for film and television, including the music for Black Swan, the scores for J. Edgar and The Intouchables, as well as This Is England and Ricky Gervais’ Derek. His concert in Sydney will include 19 musicians from the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra performing string-heavy versions of Einaudi’s compositions, including music from his 2013 album In A Time Lapse. “I will be bringing some different repertoire,” he says, speaking from Italy. “There will be some new music as well as the other music I played here previously. Audiences will see some little changes – they will get a different view of my music.
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“It’s a bit difficult to explain where I get my inspiration from,” he continues. “Ideas, books… there’s always something that catches your attention, but then at the same time the things that catch your attention are synchronous with what is going on in your life, things you might be going through.” For Einaudi, however, composing isn’t a cathartic exercise in emotional selfexpression. “There’s a balance,” he says. “Inspiration involves reflections of yourself. I always try to get inspiration from other things rather than in respect to myself. There’s also a universal feeling of alchemy from time to time. A deeper, better level of musical awareness. Everyone, every musician has their own ideas of arriving somewhere. Something that keeps you awake at night. Of course, this is a feeling of a bit of a fear of not arriving at another level. You want to explore something different. Something you’ve not done before. There’s something I always search for when composing that I’m very
interested in – it is always part of my work. I like to evolve, explore different cultures – [I have] many things still to do. Really, one life is not enough to do everything!” As a teenager, Einaudi started composing his own music and playing folk guitar. Music, for him, is a vocation. “I knew when I was 16 or 17 – I realised I couldn’t live a life away from music. It has become something like a religion. Yesterday in Rome during rehearsals
I was looking at the musicians in the group, looking at their faces. Participation in music, it’s always a bit of religion for everyone – to be there, to be devoted. Even if you’re not connected to a particular religion, you can love sacred music. Music can touch a spiritual side of life.” What: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House When: Sunday February 8 Xxx
“With music I am full of thoughts,” Einaudi
says of his creative process. “I always have a lot of ideas. Also I keep recording, keep noting, before I start the process of composing. I never have that feeling of the empty page. There’s always an uncertain phase, then it becomes clear where you’re wrong.
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Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the bareboards around town ■ Theatre
Masquerade
MASQUERADE
Masquerade photo by Jamie Williams
Playing at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House until Saturday January 17 as part of Sydney Festival Based on the book by Kit Williams, Masquerade is Kate Mulvany’s tribute to the power of stories to bring joy and, specifically, comfort to the sick. Helen Dallimore plays a mother tending to her son, a permanent resident of the cancer ward. She discovers Williams’ book, and the boy is enthralled by the adventures of Jack Hare, who is tasked by his mistress the Moon with telling the Sun of the Moon’s love for him. The Sun thinks he’s ugly, because everybody diverts his or her gaze from him. Jack sets off to deliver a jewel to the Sun, but loses it and returns disgraced. Instead of accepting this ending to the book, the boy and his mother enter Jack’s world and join forces with him to bring the Sun and the Moon together once and for all. This is a show for kids with admirable darkness, in which the possibility of unhappy endings is admitted and narrative resolution is hard to come by. There’s a particularly flinty scene in which the sick boy howls, “Make it stop! Make it stop!” while his mother holds him down and a
“ SHE IS A PURE FORCE OF NATURE ... FULL OF WIT, A DELIGHTFUL LACK OF SELF-DIGNITY, AND LAUGH-OUT-LOUD MOMENTS” AUSSIE THEATRE
nurse administers an injection. But Jack Hare’s story – the thrust of the show – works less well. Opening night to a show like this can be misleading: it’s a production full of panto elements, and this was a house in which the adults vastly outnumbered the children. But even still, several jokes simply don’t land, and the show never manages to key into that raucous, interactive rhythm of the best panto. It never builds up a head of steam – hobbled, strangely enough, by its ambition. It’s certainly bold to juggle the social realist with the fantastical, especially in a show for children, but tonally these worlds are so wildly far apart that jumping between them inevitably makes it hard to get too invested in either.
Harry Windsor
■ Dance
Tabac Rouge
TABAC ROUGE
BETWEENA BENT THE NIGHT OF BLUES, CRACKS BURLESQUE AND BLAME YANA ALANA | AUSTRALIA
FESTIVAL VILLAGE, HYDE PARK 9-18JAN | TICKETS $45
“ MIND-BLOWING PHYSICAL THEATRE” TALK FRINGE
Playing at Sydney Theatre until Friday January 23 as part of Sydney Festival With the exception of the ten-year-old who was seated beside us (“Mum, this is weird”), you can’t imagine anyone will walk away from James Thierrée’s latest surreal, fragmented landscape with any doubt about the choreodramatist’s ambition. It is spectacle unlikely to find an equal this year in Sydney, which says as much about its idiosyncrasies as it does its quality. Anticipation for Tabac Rouge has been building for some time, despite the odd international review lambasting the production as over-inflated and obtuse. I did not find this the case whatsoever, and the respectful standing ovation the show received (prior to a full-house ovation when the company raised “Je Suis Charlie” cards) shows I was hardly alone. However, while a strong sense of narrative is rather outside the production’s intent, were we just a little more grounded in this ornate, bewildering world – threatening as it is fascinating – its resonance would have been much greater. The production seems a sprawling evolutionary puzzle, with protean forms conjured from panels of burnished mirror arranged as a great, somewhat sentient wall. The function of the mirror is as vital as it is ambiguous. It is performer, witness, but also boundary, godhead, tyrant and seducer. Never static (for even when it is still, reflections loom peripatetically), it towers over strange lifeforms, whose components may just as readily be synthetic as they are
flesh and blood. Lifeforms are assembled from the materials at hand: an armchair/ throne gliding about like a starfish or amoeba; rudimentary monsters built from clothing scraps and building materials; there is even a colony creature, in which several dancers come together entangled like a Portuguese man o’ war. The set itself, with exposed back walls and scaffolding, feels organic, and as performers pass within this landscape you cannot help but be struck by how unique a production this is. You’ll have noted by now that I haven’t done much to address the plot, or even describe characters (mirror excepted). It is because their roles are so unsettled. They love and cower, laugh and strike out as though controlled kaleidoscopically. The story itself is non-linear, and the divide between scenes fluid. Special mention must go to Valérie Doucet, whose contortions and manic manipulations (somehow reminiscent of The Evil Dead) left the audience gawping. Tabac Rouge is an exceptional, inspiring feat of world-building and dramatic dance. It should not be missed.
A SIMPLE SPACE
GRAVITY & OTHER MYTHS | AUSTRALIA
FESTIVAL VILLAGE, HYDE PARK 13-25 JAN TICKETS $40
“AN IRRESISTIBLE COCKTAIL OF CIRCUS SKILLS, LIVE MUSIC AND SEXY HUMOUR ” TIME OUT (UK)
Adam Norris
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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
Actors College of Theatre and Television and International Film School Joint Open Day 41 Holt St, Surry Hills, Saturday January 17 Two of Sydney’s leading creative institutions – the Actors College of Theatre and Television and the International Film School – will host a joint Open Day this weekend. Alongside the standard orientation (course details, fee info, et cetera), there’ll be exciting things on offer like acting and directing workshops, campus tours, Q&As with film and drama identities and graduates, and live demonstrations of productions. It’s time to take that next step.
LIMBO
STRUT & FRET | UNDERBELLY PRODUCTIONS | SOUTHBANK CENTRE | AUSTRALIA
FESTIVAL VILLAGE, HYDE PARK 7-25 JAN TICKETS $69
FESTIVAL ON NOW SYDNEYFESTIVAL.ORG.AU
For more information, visit the International Film School website at ifss.edu.au and the Actors College website at actt.edu.au. thebrag.com
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live reviews What we've been out to see...
FALLS FESTIVAL
North Byron Parklands Tuesday December 30 – Saturday January 3 You will find heaven and hell, Aldous Huxley wrote, when you open the doors of perception. 17,500 punters found heaven and hell at the Falls Music and Arts Festival pretty quickly, with a lot less philosophical thinking. Hosting Falls for the second time, there was a sense that North Byron Parklands had drawn a different crowd than the festival was accustomed to. But selfie sticks and unnaturally large muscles aside, the four-day event would prove heavenly with its spectacular scenery and sounds. The second day of festivities, the Wednesday, was when the ball really started rolling with Canadian trio Badbadnotgood. The perfect foreplay for New Year’s Eve celebrations, the set began laid-back (with some in the crowd shrugging at the “elevator music”) but grew in energy as it continued, featuring original tracks and covers of Tyler, The Creator and Flying Lotus. Melbourne duo Client Liaison drew what must have been their largest crowd yet. The signature ’80s Australiana aesthetic and crowdpleasing performances of ‘Feed The Rhythm’ and ‘Queen’ ensured they were an undeniable festival highlight – despite the technical difficulties that saw them begin the set late, and consequently cut-off mid-song. Salt-N-Pepa walked onstage shortly afterwards to the tune of Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’, and immediately dubbed themselves “the original queens of hip hop”. Performing very few of their own hits, Salt-N-Pepa didn’t play ‘Push It’, ‘Whatta Man’ or ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ in full. The girls instead mashed tracks that awkwardly transitioned from ‘Fancy’ to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’. Empire Of The Sun closed New Year’s Day with an extravagant set that had more to do with performing than it did playing music. Rather than listening to the set, I found myself wondering how much the choreographed back-up dancers (in different costumes each song), exploding confetti and futuristic light show must have cost the duo. Though they seemed more concerned with making a spectacle than music, Empire Of The Sun’s performance was still worth catching with old hits like ‘Walking On A Dream’. Clashing with headliner Alt-J on the final slot was Norwegian DJ Todd Terje, who rewarded the faithful few that made it to his set. Terje left us remembering the heavenly half of Falls as the entire crowd crouched together for what felt like minutes before jumping up in unison. Everyone knew they’d made the right choice to hit the Forest Stage for the final performance, cheering “Toddy! Toddy!” Although Julian Casablancas will never be forgiven for pulling out of each of the Falls Festivals this summer, Run The Jewels, Jagwar Ma, Tycho and Jamie xx made the lineup worth catching – even if Black Lips and SBTRKT were disappointing and unmemorable. Otherwise, I’d arrived thinking the lineup wasn’t that great. It turned out there was no room for it to be any greater. Rachel Eddie
ARCHI PHOTOGRAPHER :: DYLAN DEM
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Sydney Opera House Monday December 29
Violent Femmes opened their debut performance inside the iconic Opera House Concert Hall with ‘Blister In The Sun’. Let that marinate for just a minute. Given, this was logical – we were indeed promised a runthrough of the band’s 1983 debut LP, which opens with the double-handclapped hit. From a bigger-picture perspective, however, it was easy to look at it as a huge ‘fuck you’ to every single person that considered the band to live and die by that song and that song alone. Violent Femmes, now celebrating its 32nd year, still has the pizzazz, stomp and frequent detours into intensity that made it an exceptional record to begin with. Highlights ranged from the head-to-wall frustration of ‘Add It Up’ to the slithering ‘Gone Daddy Gone’, in which bassist Brian Ritchie switched over to play what was referred to as a “xylarimba”. There were moments when main Femme Gordon Gano struggled to be heard over the roars of singing along that came right back. Many in the audience had clearly loved and supported the band since the record itself was released – hell, even if the band had just left the stage after ‘Good Feeling’ and never returned, the crowd would have been satisfied.
In the Femmes’ current context, it’s the Brians who run the show. The first: Ritchie, one of the best bass players one could ever wish to see live. He was often found parading around the stage, offering up various licks while seamlessly slipping in backing vocals and switching out to a foreign instrument seemingly just for the hell of it. The second: Viglione, who took over as full-time drummer around 18 months ago. A truly phenomenal percussionist, Viglione matched his dramatic flair with bombastic, splashing fills. When it broke down into a drum solo toward the end of the set, it was extremely clear that both he and a good portion of punters had been waiting all night for it. Across roughly two hours, fans new and old got to hear more or less every song they could have wanted to hear from the band, from deeper cuts like ‘Jesus Walking On The Water’ and ‘Life Is An Adventure’ to big sing-alongs ‘I Held Her in My Arms’ and closing number ‘American Music’. Indeed, we like all kinds of music – but if we use the Femmes as indicative of their home nation’s overall sound, we like American music best, baby. David James Young
sabbath sessions
PICS :: AM
VIOLENT FEMMES
up all night out all week . . .
11:01:14 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney
WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL
Woodford, Queensland Saturday December 27 – Thursday January 1 Oh, Woodford. How I shall miss thee. It is hard to find the best way to approach a review of the 29th extravaganza of music, theatre, circus, dance, debauchery, comedy and camaraderie. This was my fifth Woodford, and though it was not without a fair share of colourful difficulties (the three days of deluge that left my tent resembling the depths of the Louisiana bayou, say), it was nevertheless my favourite yet. Kate Miller-Heidke is a perennial star, and over two performances she handily stunned a crowd of thousands (as she herself was almost stunned by an attention-seeking insect that careened into the side of her head mid-song). Her shared-piano duet of ‘Rock This Baby To Sleep’ with Emma Dean was an absolute festival highlight. A further duet with Jeff Lang rounded out the reasons why KMH is such an engaging performer, though it must be said that her duet of ‘Good Feeling’ with headliners Violent Femmes was an exercise in wellintentioned awkwardness. Speaking of Jeff, this was very nearly the Festival of the Lang. Over several performances, this underrated virtuoso PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
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made each set soar. Should the lyrics not stun you, his exceptional guitar work is a thing of manic beauty. On the final night, ‘Five Letters’ was enough to bring you to tears, while the (apparently) 450-year-old ‘The House Carpenter’ was the festival highpoint. Holy shit, did that rendition ever blow me the fuck away. I have never enjoyed live comedy, yet Mario: Queen of the Circus was a Freddie Mercury-garbed juggling wonder. In that same burlesque venue (though genres apart), Betty & Oswald proved why their seductive, European-flavoured gypsy-folk makes them a band on the rise, while on the other side of the festival the Lucy Wise Trio brought a captivating, reflective charm. My God, who else! Giving Lang a run for his money were Siskin River, whose own percussive guitar and gorgeous songwriting have made them festival favourites. Mia Dyson can build a set like you wouldn’t believe, and Matt Andersen has a voice that makes you feel like you’ve just survived an unlikely collision between a biplane and a grizzly bear. Add the incomparable words of Seanchaí/Irishman Joe Lynch, and you have a festival that is so much more than a week of entertainment. Woodford is an emotion as much as it is a location, and should be experienced by all at least once. Adam Norris
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live reviews What we've been out to see...
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ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF, ALDOUS HARDING Sydney Town Hall Sunday January 11
The songs that filled Aldous Harding’s setlist touched on death, loneliness, psychological unrest and mortal despair. It’s pretty grim stuff, and when delivered in Harding’s wistful mezzo-soprano, it was enough to make one’s own thoughts turn dour. But the gravity of Harding’s compositions was kept at bay somewhat by the frequent appearance of memorable vocal hooks and the excellent support provided by electric guitarist Simon Gregory. Harding’s between-song patter was a further source of endearment. Perceptibly humbled by the Centennial Hall’s architectural splendour, Harding nevertheless amused with offhand statements about her disinclination to create a follow-up to last year’s debut LP. A cover of Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’ closed the set, with Harding rising from her stool to take hold of the song with such aplomb that suggested she’d lived through the song’s every emotional crevice. Anna von Hausswolff also has a predilection for morbid subject matter. Tonight the Swedish artist made use of the Town Hall’s famous pipe organ, which is the instrument that dominates her 2012 LP Ceremony. Thematically, the album focuses on how humans deal with death, both formally and emotionally. Von Hausswolff has noted that her biggest inspiration in the lead-up to Ceremony was drone-metal pioneers Earth. Channelling that influence this evening led her to utilise the full magnificence of the Grand Organ in order to build atmospheres in a cumulative manner. Joined by an electric guitarist and keyboardist/percussionist, it was an instrumentally sublime performance. At one point the sound reached a point of overwhelming dissonance, which was akin to enduring a tidal wave of indecipherable emotional binaries. Although the organ’s position in the room required Von Hausswolff to sit with her back to the audience, the performance was still interesting to watch. Von Hausswolff clearly spent time prior to the gig familiarising herself with the organ, and had pages of detailed notes indicating what stops to turn off and on (allowing air to enter the pipes) before and during each composition. The greatest joy came when Von Hausswolff demonstrated the depth of her magical vocal range. Singing in conjunction with 64 beautifully crafted, tonally expressive pipes is no mean feat. But Von Hausswolff’s vocals didn’t fail to match the brilliance of the organ, enacting a compound of emotional frequencies that defies articulation – perhaps not unlike death itself.
cold war kids
PICS :: AM
Augustus Welby
12:12:14 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300THEHIFI OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER :: JAMIE WILLIAMS ::
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MAR :: PRUDENCE UPTO S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY
N :: IAMS PHOTOGRAPHER :: JAMIE WILL
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olivia chaney
PICS :: JW
up all night out all week . . .
11:01:15 :: The Famous Spiegeltent :: Hyde Park Sydney
I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO
FEEL LIKE CRAP JUST FOR
camille o’sullivan
PICS :: AM AND :: JW
BEING
09:01:15 :: The Famous Spiegeltent :: Hyde Park Sydney thebrag.com
LEFT
H A N D E D.
Okay, that’s hard to imagine? But being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or intersex is no different to being born left handed, it’s just who you are. So stop and think because the things we say are likely to cause depression and anxiety. And that really is pretty crap. GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO
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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
pick of the week The 1975
FRIDAY JANUARY 16
SATURDAY JANUARY 17
Hordern Pavilion
The 1975 + Circa Waves 7:30pm. $63.72. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Jack Henderson + Sam York + Lachlan Bryan + Aleyce Simmonds Lizotte’s, Newcastle. 6pm. $30.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50. Fat Bubba’s Chicken Wednesdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Indie Night Wednesdays Feat: Maia Jelavic + East Of Here + Aphrodite Marble Bar, Sydney. 7:30pm. free. Little Big Wolf + The New Regulars Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. free. The Pigs The Gasoline Pony, Sydney. 7pm. free. Zammuto Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5pm. $39.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Brenny B-Side Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free. Jimmy Vargas And The Black Dahlias + Michael Bourakis + Anastasia Kimberly Aerial The Vanguard, Newtown. 28 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
6:30pm. $28. Lionel Cole Imperial Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. free.
THURSDAY JANUARY 15 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Buddha In A Chocolate Box Coogee Diggers, Coogee. 7pm. free. Darren Cross + Max S Porter + Liam Bramall Union Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. free. Live Music Thursdays At The Sheaf - Feat: Cass Eager + The Velvet Rope Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay. 9pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC 45 Sessions - Feat: Toon + Makoto + Frenzie + Graham Mandroules + Benny Hinn + Trevor Parkee + Josie Styles + Funkafi ed DJs Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free. Debashish Bhattacharya City Recital Hall, Sydney. 8pm. $65. Jaron Freeman-Fox + The Opposite Of Everything Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Alex Hopkins Wenty Leagues Club,
Wentworthville. 8:30pm. free. Black Diamond Hearts Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 10pm. free. Blake Tailor Panthers, Penrith. 6:30pm. free. Brad Johns Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. free. Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50. Children Collide Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $23.60. Dave White Duo Maloney’s Hotel, Sydney. 9:30pm. free. Dick And Christa Hughes Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. $35. El Grande Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. free. Greg Agar Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. free. Jamie Lindsay Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 8pm. free. Julia Why + Hannah Joy Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. free. Kirin J Callinan Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:55pm. $25. Nicky Kurta Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7pm. free. Oxblvd + Sons Of The Universe Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. free. Righteous Voodoo The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. free. Steve Tonge Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 7pm. free. The Amity Affliction + In Hearts Wake + Confession + Antagonist Ad Panthers, Penrith. 7pm.
$47.46. The Jarodi$m Show - Feat: Chico Seeds + Blood Sweat & Fear + 4 Barrel Hemi Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. The Late Night Soda Social Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. The Wild Wild Inner West Review - Feat: Michael Carpenter & The Cuban Heels + Fanny Lumsden + Chris Murphy + Amber Rae Slade The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $25. Truckfighters + Witch Fight + Rick Dangerous & The Silkie Bantams + Death Sleds Studio Six, Sutherland. 7:30pm. $35.20. Xylouris White Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:15pm. $39. Youth Group + Day Ravies + Jono Lattin Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm.
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Blue King Brown + Kahl Wallis Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $38.50. Jazz Hip Hop Freestyle Sessions Foundry616, Ultimo. 11:30pm. $5. Kinky Friedman + Leroy Lee The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $50. Steve Clisby Lizotte’s, Newcastle. 8pm. $60. Youri Defrance Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $22.70.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Black Diamond Hearts Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 8:15pm. free. David Agius Cronulla RSL, Cronulla. 6pm. free. Rob Eastwood Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6:30pm. free. Tiny Ruins Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:15pm. $29.
Ben David + Craig Cowburn + Zzzounds + Nothing Rhymes With David + Jack Riley Black Wire Records, Annandale. 6pm. $10. Black Monday + Headbutt + Minor Surgery + Ya Mum + The Prehistorics + Dunhill Blues + DJ Toxic Spill Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Blake Tailor The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. free. Caitlin Park Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. free. Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50. Carl Fidler Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 6pm. free. Cath & Him Dee Why RSL, Dee Why. 10pm. free. Client Liaison The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:55pm. $25. Darren Johnstone Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 9pm. free. Dave White PJ Gallagher’s Whisky Bar, Jacksons On George, Sydney. 5:30pm. free. Dick And Christa Hughes Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. $35. Evie Dean Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 6pm. free. Greg Agar + Hooray For Everything Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill. 3:45pm. free. Hurst + Wolves In Fashion + Electric Vogues + Octavian + Two Headed Man Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Jed Zarb Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 8pm. free. Jellybean Jam Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. free. Jimmy Bear Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 5pm. free. Live Music At The Royal The Royal, Leichhardt. 9:30pm. free. Luke Dixon Emu Sports Club, Leonay. 7:30pm. free. Luke Dolahenty Harlequin Inn, Pyrmont. 8pm. free. Matt Jones
Tiny Ruins
Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 8pm. free. Melody Rhymes Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. free. Michael And Lucas Kirribilli Hotel, Milsons Point. 8pm. free. Mike Who Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free. October Rage + Catfish Soup + Six Foot Fall + Crying Sirens + Start The Boats Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Red Alert Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 8:30pm. free. Rob Henry Northies Cronulla Hotel, Cronulla. 9pm. free. Sheppard Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. free. The 1975 + Circa Waves Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $63.72. The Ramones & Sex Pistaols Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 10:20pm. free. The Rockaholics Duo Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 7:30pm. free. Tim Conlon Parramatta RSL, Parramatta. 5pm. free. Tim Shaw PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield, Enfield. 9pm. free. Truckfighters The Roller Den, Erskineville. 7:30pm. $35.20. True Vibenation The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. free.
Blue King Brown
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Alex Hopkins Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. free. Andy Mammers Duo Hillside Hotel, Castle Hill. 8pm. free. Anything But Arnold Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. Atomic Bomb! The Music Of William Onyeabor Feat: Gotye + Sinkane + Money Mark + Luke Jenner + Pharoah Sanders + Pat Mahoney + The Mahotella Queens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7pm. $77. Beat The Drum: Celebrating 40 Years Of Triple J - Feat: Hilltop Hoods + The Presets + The Cat Empire + You Am I + Vance Joy + Ball Park Music + The Preatures + Tkay Maidza + Nina Las Vegas + KLP + Adalita + Courtney Barnett + Remi The Domain, Sydney. 4pm. $86.
thebrag.com
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Whippet Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 8pm. free. Zoltan Adria Restaurant, Darling Harbour. 5pm. free.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Five Coffees Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. free. Kinky Friedman + Leroy Lee The Vanguard, Newtown. 3:10pm. $50. Russ Dewbury Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free. Steve Clisby Lizzotte’s, Kincumber. 8pm. $93.
Xxx
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Blake Tailor PJ Gallagher’s, Moore Park. 7:30pm. free. Buddha In A Chocolate Box + Centre And The South The Annandale Hotel, Annandale. 8pm. free. Greg Agar Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6:30pm. free. Jess Dunbar Le Pub, Sydney. 9pm. free. Kris McIntyre Harbord Beach Hotel, Harbord. 8pm. free. Steve Tonge Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why. 7:30pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Am2pm Duo Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill. 7pm. free. Andy & The Cruisers Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 7:30pm. free. Andy Mammers + Masterpiece + Stephen Kelly Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6:30pm. free. Atomic Bomb! The Music Of William Onyeabor Feat: Gotye + Sinkane + Money Mark + Luke Jenner + Pharoah Sanders + Pat Mahoney + The Mahotella Queens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7pm. $77. Ben David + Craig Cowburn + Spencer Scott + Andrew Richmond Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle. 9:30pm. $10. BNO Rock Show Crows Nest Hotel, Crows Nest. 10:30pm. free. Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50. Cara Kavanagh & Mark Oats Duo PJ Gallagher’s, Leichhardt. 10pm. free. Carl Fidler + Rick Fensom Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 4pm. free. Cath & Him Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 8pm. free. Children Of The Grave Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. free. Clive Hay Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. free. Evie Dean Novotel, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm. free. Felicity Robinson Cronulla Leagues Club -
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Sharkies, Woolooware. 8pm. free. Jed Zarb Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9:30pm. free. Jono Lattin + Lobsterman The Gasoline Pony, Sydney. 7pm. $5. Lionel Robinson Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free. Maples Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. free. Marduk + Inquisition The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $55.50. Matt Jones Buena Vista Hotel, Mosman. 4pm. free. Matt Jones Duo Albion Hotel, Parramatta. 9pm. free. Matt Price PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield, Enfield. 9pm. free. Matt Price Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich. 2pm. free. Michael Mcglynn New Brighton Hotel, Manly. 10pm. free. Pink Industrial Whores + Acid Nymph + Abandon Fire + Seconds Till The End + Apparitions Of Null + Concrete Lung Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 6pm. $15. Red Alert Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 9pm. free. Slow Club Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $36. The 1975 + Circa Waves Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $63.72. The Zeppelin Show Bull & Bush Hotel, Baulkham Hills. 9:30pm. free. Tori Darke Duo St George Rowing Club, Wolli Creek. 7:30pm. free. Urban Stone Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. free.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Duan And Only Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. free. Sunday Recovery Sessions - Feat: Johnathan Devoy + The Bean Project + Tim-Lim Sands Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 3pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Blake Tailor Barvarian Bier Cafe, Parramatta, Parramatta. 2pm. free. Buddha & The Bomb The Gasoline Pony, Sydney. 5pm. $5. Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50. Clive Hay St Marys Rugby Leagues Club, St Marys. 1pm. free. Corpus + Safe Hands + Colytons Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. free. Forever Ends Here + Move On + Be Strong + The Chase Metro Theatre, Sydney. 4:45pm. $10. Ghost Notes Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 6pm. $10. Leah Flanagan Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. free. Melody Rhymes
y a d n u S y r e v E
Panthers, Penrith. 3:30pm. free. Mick Aquilina Ramsgate RSL, Sans Souci. 2pm. free. Penny Lane Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 4:30pm. free. Raoul Graf Plough & Harrow, Camden. 3pm. free. Tall Timbre Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. free. The Know + Boris Driver + The Vacationist + Culture Industie Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 3pm. $10. Truckfighters The Small Ballroom, Newcastle. 7:30pm. $35.20. Ziggy & The Wild Drums Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 6pm. free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Alain Franco City Recital Hall, Sydney. 4pm. $55. Kinky Friedman + Leroy Lee The Vanguard, Newtown. 3:10pm. $50. Señor Bambu + DJ Raul Pa Nui Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.
MONDAY JANUARY 19 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
2PM – 3AM HOME TERRACE 101/1-5 WHEAT ROAD, DARLING HARBOUR WWW.SASH.NET.AU
Steve Griffiths Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Catfish And The Bottlemen + Food Court Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $41.40.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Bernie Segedin Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 7:30pm. free. Matt Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. free.
wed
thu
14
15
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Jan
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
(9:00PM - 1:00AM)
fri
TUESDAY JANUARY 20
16 Jan
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Ranch Hands + JD Burgess The Gasoline Pony, Sydney. 7pm. free. The Clean Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 5:15pm. $49. The Kooks + The Griswolds + Catfish And The Bottlemen Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7pm. $69. Triumphant Tuesdays - Feat: Dave Eastgate Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8:30pm. free.
(9:30PM - 1:30AM)
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON (4:30PM - 7:30PM)
sat
17
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
Jan
sun
18 Jan
(9:30PM - 1:15AM)
mon
tue
19 Jan
(8:30PM - 12:00AM) (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
20 (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
Jan
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Sarah Paton Observer Hotel, The Rocks. 7:30pm. free.
BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15 :: 29
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gig picks
up all night out all week...
Camille O’Sullivan
You Am I
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14
Vegas + KLP + Adalita + Courtney Barnett + Remi The Domain, Sydney. 4pm. $86.
Camille O’Sullivan: Changeling The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 8pm. $50.
Blue King Brown + Kahl Wallis Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $38.50.
Indie Night Wednesdays - Feat: Maia Jelavic + East Of Here + Aphrodite Marble Bar, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. Jimmy Vargas And The Black Dahlias + Michael Bourakis + Anastasia Kimberly Aerial The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $28.
THURSDAY JANUARY 15 Children Collide Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $23.60. Kirin J Callinan Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:55pm. $25. The Wild Wild Inner West Review Feat: Michael Carpenter & The Cuban Heels + Fanny Lumsden + Chris Murphy + Amber Rae Slade The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $25.
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 Atomic Bomb! The Music Of William Onyeabor - Feat: Gotye + Sinkane + Money Mark + Luke Jenner + Pharoah Sanders + Pat Mahoney + The Mahotella Queens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7pm. $77. Beat The Drum: Celebrating 40 Years Of Triple J - Feat: Hilltop Hoods + The Presets + The Cat Empire + You Am I + Vancy Joy + Ball Park Music + The Preatures + Tkay Maidza + Nina Las
Client Liaison The Famous Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:55pm. $25. Hurst + Wolves In Fashion + Electric Vogues + Octavian + Two Headed Man Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Kinky Friedman + Leroy Lee The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $50.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17 Maples Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. Free. Marduk + Inquisition The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 8pm. $55.50. Slow Club Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $36.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18 Corpus + Safe Hands + Colytons Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.
MONDAY JANUARY 19 Catfish And The Bottlemen + Food Court Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $41.40.
Kinky Friedman
thebrag.com
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
brag beats
inside:
frikstailers
example
stickybuds plus: + club guide + club snaps + weekly column thebrag.com
a different class
BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15 :: 31
brag beats
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Spencer Scott and Chris Martin
on the record WITH
Soul Clap
DJ PERIL FROM 1200 TECHNIQUES
AN AUSTRALIA DAY PICNIC
The First Record I Bought 1. The first record I bought was
this comp makes me picture from those good ol’ days.
the Car Wash soundtrack by Rolls Royce after I had seen the movie and loved it. One day I was shopping with my mum at Westfield shopping centre in 1982 and I saw that they had the original double gatefold vinyl from the movie for $1, so I proceeded to beg my mum until she bought it for me. I was 12 at the time, this was my intro to the funk side.
The First Thing I Recorded 3. I first started recording on
2.
The Last Record I Bought The last record I bought was a StreetSounds compilation LP from 1983, which was a big year musically for me – it featured Dayton’s The Sound Of Music et cetera. It just transports me back to the city square in 1983 like Doctor Who in the TARDIS [laughs]. I love the funk and electro coming together as one almost in a Zapp way, but mostly the memories that
my Emerson double cassette tape recorder ghetto blaster, which I still have and can be seen on 1200’s clip for ‘Hard As Hell’ all graffiti’d up. And I had a mic input on there and just went straight off some instrumentals that I had actually tape-looped myself, so that’s how it all started for me, and a little later my brother Kem got me a Tascam Porta four-track recorder which was the next step in my evolution in around ’85-’86ish. The Last Thing I Recorded 4. The last thing I recorded and produced was the remix of 1200 Techniques’ ‘Move On’, from our soon-to-be-released EP Time Has Come. This was recorded at my home studio, as had all the 1200’s
albums before (Choose One and Consistency Theory). This track remix was made more for a bar/club party vibe and is a little different from the original with a heavier, thicker bassline – even though I like both versions, so far it’s been getting great reactions on the dancefloor.
Australia Day Eve is set to be a big one at Oxford Art Factory, with Picnic and Funf announcing a massive two-room gig. Headlning the show are Soul Clap and Nick Monaco. Boston groovers Soul Clap have been at the forefront of the global house scene for the past five years, and have recently taken the innocent and quirky Monaco under their wing, signing him to Soul Clap Records. Joining them on the night will be Slow Blow, Dreems and Kali. The second room will be headlined by Apron Records owner and London’s own Funkineven, alongside Picnic favourites Ben Fester, Adi Toohey and Andy Webb. It all goes down Sunday January 25.
THE PRODIGY RETURN
The Record That Changed My Life 5. I would have to say a turning point single and track not only for myself but for hip hop worldwide would have to be Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rockit’, which came out in 1984, and was the first time I saw the turntablist DXT be seen as a musician with poppers and lockers live onstage. I had just got into breakdancing barely a year before, and then I saw the DJ cut and scratching with a jazz legend live – this totally changed me forever. What: Time Has Come out Friday January 23 through Rubber Records
Mister Saturday Night
Figure Of Wax
73 ’TIL INFINITY
One of England’s greatest electronic music exports The Prodigy have announced their sixth album, The Day Is My Enemy, which is to be released in March. The band took to its official Facebook page to spill all the details, including the album cover, release date and tracklisting for the album. It also shows that the record will feature collaborations with Sleaford Mods and Flux Pavilion. The Day Is My Enemy will be the first full-length from the act since their 2009 album Invaders Must Die, which reached number one on the UK albums chart. The Day Is My Enemy by The Prodigy is released on Friday March 27. They’ll play Future Music Festival at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday February 28.
Surry Hills will welcome the return of the 73 ’Til Infinity night at Play Bar this Friday January 16. Headlining the generation-spanning festivities is Figure Of Wax, a party-starter from the north-west of England. Figure Of Wax has recently spread his wings into production, but this weekend he’ll be in his natural element. Meanwhile, Edseven and Benny Hinn will join the fun, covering hip hop, future soul, funk, boogie and more.
MaRLo
A LONG LONG WEEKEND
Cargo Bar is celebrating the Australia Day long weekend with five nights of parties, starting on Thursday January 22. The festivities kick off with DJ Samrai headlining Throwback Thursdays, followed by The Bratpack Crew and Jam Express taking over on Friday night. Saturday night sees the debut set of Ministry of Sound and Soapbox artist Dave Winnel, and Daft Punk tribute act Discovery will be playing a massive set on Australia Day Eve. On Australia Day itself Cargo will be hosting a triple j Hottest 100 party, with Ember and A-Tonez manning a few decks.
LUNICE FOR THE LOVERS
MISTER SATURDAY NIGHT
One of the hottest parties to come out of NYC is heading to Australia, with Mister Saturday Night announcing a show in Sydney this week. Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin are the DJ duo and label owners behind the party, having spent the past five years creating exciting events across New York City. Supports on the night come from Slow Blow, Pelvis, EK, Rimbombo and Adi Toohey all filling out the two-floor event. Picnic presents Mister Saturday Night at the Burdekin Hotel on Friday January 16.
MARLO RESIDENCY
Pacha Sydney has announced that MaRLo is going to be an official resident of the party in 2015. The Dutch-born, Australian-raised trance superstar will be exclusively performing at the Ivy this year, playing only four shows throughout the year. MaRLo has been leaving his mark on the dance scene, getting lots of love on Beatport, and signing to Armin van Buuren’s label Armada Music. His first Pacha appearance will take place on Saturday January 24. 1
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Chinese Laundry has announced a huge trap and breakbeat show for all the lovers out there, with Lunice and Stanton Warriors headlining a Valentine’s Day Garden Party this year. Canadian DJ/producer Lunice has become an international sensation of late, with a style of trap music that incorporates both traditional and current production values. Meanwhile, Stanton Warriors have been huge names since their 2001 release The Stanton Sessions, playing festivals such as Glastonbury and Coachella. Joining them at the show are local acts Hatch, Spenda C, Hydraulix and Deckhead. Chinese Laundry hosts Lunice and Stanton Warriors on Saturday February 14.
FREE entr y
JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT THIS JANUARY.
ACOUSTIC NIGHTS JACK JONES 8pm Thursday 15 January
Southern Sons lead singer and guitarist Jack Jones performs an intimate acoustic session for one night only.
AUSTRALIA DAY LONG WEEKEND MAHALIA BARNES
SHANNON NOLL
Support: SUITE AZ DJ TROY T
Support from 3.30pm: SARAH BIRD CRANKY ALICE AND DJ KITSCH
8pm Sunday 25 January
Monday 26 January
Host: DJ D-FLAT Y CH ECK OUR HE AD
ROCK WITH LAUGHTER MATT OKINE 7.30pm Thursday 29 January Host: MIKEY ROBINS Support: GENEVIEVE FRICKER AND ERIC HUTTON CHECK STAR.COM.AU/ROCKLILY FOR MORE DETAILS
LEVEL 1, THE STAR 80 PYrmont street, pyrmont
open from 2pm
The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be 18 years or over to enter the casino. Think! About your choices. Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au The Star Pty Ltd. BRAG :: 594 :: 24:12:14 :: 33
Frikstailers Cumbian Dance By Augustus Welby
P
raise be to the internet for opening our ears to underground music from all over the globe. The added accessibility not only makes it easier for left-of-centre artists to gain a larger following, but it lets listeners discover such obscure artists as Argentinean electro duo Frikstailers. Now based in Mexico City, Frikstailers are considered pioneers of the digital cumbia genre. Cumbia is a form of Latin American traditional music, rooted in African rhythms and geared towards dancing. The idea of coupling local folk music with electronic production mightn’t be a surefire way to gain hype and success, but this approach has seen Frikstailers beget plenty of accessible and positively joyous tunes over the last eight years. Ahead of their appearance at this year’s Sydney Festival, one half of Frikstailers, Rafa Caivano, brings us up to date with the band’s journey so far. “Lisandro [Sona, Frikstailers’ other member] grew up in Jujuy at the very north of Argentina, on the limit with Bolivia, and I come from a very small town in the province of La Pampa,” Caivano says. “In both places the first music you learn to dance when you start going out to parties is cumbia. On the other hand, we were big fans of electronic music, so the mixture came up quite naturally.” Dance music’s defining feature is its encouragement of physical motion.
Despite this, beyond a pulsing beat, much of cheap contemporary EDM isn’t exactly furnished with a bodily thrust. Meanwhile, on last year’s Crop Circles EP, Frikstailers prove they’re more than capable of generating a vividly corporeal sound. “We always try to transmit this energy that represents us,” says Caivano, “and in this EP we achieved that energy with the emotion and expression of the synths. One of our main goals every time we release something [is] it must work for the live show, but it needs to be something you’d like to listen to at home. And we always think in the details that will call your attention in headphones.” Along with the cumbia influence, Crop Circles’ six tracks show that Frikstailers are partial towards hip hop, techno and new wave. On top of this, Caivano says they’re always on the lookout for new sounds. “We listen to as much music as we can and we get inspired by a lot of what comes up from Germany and the UK especially. We try to keep our sound at that level but at the same time always try to put our own energy and personality into it.” Frikstailers’ forthcoming Australian visit is indicative of the increased attention they’re getting from around the world. Prior to the project’s inception, Caivano and Sona both experimented with a
range of electronic music offshoots. But it wasn’t until they teamed up that their distinct sound was born. “I met Lisandro studying at a school to become audio technicians,” Caivano says. “He was more into rock music then, but he was making beats with a PlayStation software called Music 2000. When I introduced him to computer sequencers he fell in love instantly
and started to produce a huge amount of music. “First, we both had our own projects – Lisandro started with IDM and I was more into ambient and indietronica. At some point we felt curiosity for what would come up if we joined forces and produced together. We went straight to dancefloor music. We made a couple of experiments. A
nice song came up and we thought, ‘Damn! There’s an interesting path here which is not yet explored,’ and so Frikstailers was born.” What: Crop Circles out now through ZZK Where: The Famous Spiegeltent When: Saturday January 17
Example Leading The Way By Augustus Welby In mid-2014, Example released his fifth record, Live Life Living. Following in the footsteps of its two predecessors – 2012’s The Evolution Of Man and 2011’s Playing In The Shadows – the record features slick, radio-friendly production. Example’s recorded output might get increasingly refined as his career progresses, but the live shows remain a raucous affair. “[I set out to] put on an amazing live experience,” he says. “It’s about moshpits and hands in the air and girls on shoulders and tonnes of clapping and screaming and shouting and bouncing up and down, so by the time you leave after about an hour your eyes hurt, your ears hurt, your legs hurt, you’ve lost your voice. It’s kind of like bringing that punk rock/metal attitude to popular dance music. “It’s been really fun to explore that and change it over the years,” he adds. “People might hear ‘Kickstarts’ on the radio – a fun, bouncy electropop song – and then see it live and it’s got rock elements to it and the whole electro elements to it and it’s quite an aggressive performance of what is essentially a pop love song. That’s helped us to take on a whole new meaning live to people.” While Gleave’s hard-hitting, full-band performances divert from the contemporary dance music norm, his decision to work with live musicians isn’t simply a way to distinguish himself from the pack. Rather, this approach is modelled after what he considers the glory days of live electronic music. “Back in the ’90s, when you had Basement Jaxx and Prodigy and Faithless and Leftfield – the list is endless,” he says. “There was like ten or 15 amazing live dance acts, especially out of the UK. People have forgotten that dance music for ten to 20 years was a live experience. It wasn’t just a guy on decks.”
B
ehaviour at dance music festivals can range from tasteful to downright barbaric, but no matter the atmosphere, you’re certain to encounter vigorous bodily movement. Often, however, the amount of physical activity onstage is fairly limited. While blasting beats, flashing lights and video imagery create an illusion of chaos, there’s no escaping the fact many electronic musicians don’t put a lot into their performance. This won’t be case, however, when Example takes the stage at this year’s Future Music 34 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
Festival. Example is the solo moniker of London’s Elliot Gleave, but onstage Example becomes a five-piece band. “[There are] drums, guitar, bass and keyboards and then we run laptops on the side as well,” says Gleave. “I think it’s important to do, because there’s not many live dance acts about. Recently, it’s been me, Chase & Status and Rudimental, but no-one else is really doing the live thing. There’s people who’ve got a live show, but it’s essentially keyboards, laptops and lights.”
Despite his nostalgic leaning, one of Gleave’s primary influences is an act from the 21st century. “I think Pendulum did an amazing job as well,” he says. “It was an electronic kit and there was a lot of stuff going on backing tracks as well, but I think those guys and The Prodigy were the models for us in terms of how good we wanted it to look and sound.” The added movement and enhanced aural dynamics provided by a full band make it a stimulating occasion for punters and
performers alike. In addition to his aesthetic allegiance, Gleave relishes the chance to let loose onstage, as his touring schedule is otherwise fairly regimented. “You might land somewhere at 4pm, go straight to the hotel, have a shower, do two hours of interviews, have a few beers, perform, offstage at 1am, back to the hotel for two hours’ sleep, wake up at 4am and then you’re on a flight somewhere else. It’s all very cool saying, ‘I went to Serbia and Hungary and then Dublin and Czech Republic in one weekend,’ but you probably spent like seven, eight hours there, didn’t really get much sleep and didn’t really see anything of interest apart from the crowd.” Along with the emphasis on pop-centric production features, rapping has gradually become less prominent on Example records. Notably, Live Life Living is the first LP where his rapping is altogether absent. Gleave has long proved capable of penning a dancefloor anthem – major examples include ‘Changed The Way You Kiss Me’ and ‘One More Day’ – but his willingness to take on greater melodic responsibility doesn’t mean he’s gunning for the title of pop music’s pre-eminent vocalist. “I didn’t even have the confidence to sing at the start,” he says. “People would meet me – world-class producers – and say, ‘Look, your voice is like Marmite; some people are going to love it, some people are going to hate it.’ Once I realised I was going to be that kind of artist and not be an Adele or an Ed Sheeran where everyone’s like, ‘Fuck, their voices are amazing,’ I got the confidence to sing more and write songs. Then the whole thing’s been an evolution.” This hint of self-deprecation aside, Gleave has always felt at home in a performance setting. “When I was a kid I was always cocky and loud and attention-seeking, but I wasn’t one of the popular kids. I was an awkward teenager with a bit of a funnylooking face. When I was put onstage, from a young age, that’s when I became alive. I became myself.” What: Future Music Festival 2015 With: Drake, Avicii, The Prodigy, Afrojack, Martin Garrix and many more Where: Royal Randwick Racecourse When: Saturday February 28 And: Live Life Living out now through Sony
thebrag.com
Stickybuds The West Coast Scene By Liza Dezfouli
Off The Record Dance And Electronica With Tyson Wray
Nico Stojan
D
J/producer Tyler Martens (Stickybuds) is known as an all-round nice guy and it’s true. The BRAG talks to him from his home in Kelowna on Canada’s west coast and finds he’s downright adorable. Martens is preparing for a trip to Australia to appear at this year’s Rainbow Serpent Festival, and summer festivalgoers can expect a right-on time. “I’m just bringing out a whole bunch of good music,” says Martens. “I’m doing a tour of ten shows – this is my fifth tour to Australia.”
Stickybuds’ increasing popularity means Martens is kept incredibly busy. “My life is pretty full-on. I had only one month off last year. I don’t get a lot of downtime to kick around ideas. I have to find time to let myself breathe and recuperate. You have to learn your boundaries and that only comes with experience. Both performing and producing are really important.” Martens reckons he comes from a unique musical scene, and it’s one he’s been influential in creating. “I’m bringing out some west coast Canadian vibes. A lot of my friends and I have helped to sculpt a multi-genre sound, which sets it apart. The difference is in how we deal with those genres. We make strong, interesting hybrids. For example, I mix a cappellas with funk songs, with other drums and bass, stuff like that.” Despite his moniker, Stickybuds does a lot more than reggae, although reggae features along with Junglist tunes in his glitch hop tracks mixed with heavy bass, funk and breaks. “It’s a good groove,” he says. “Ghetto-funk. I do mid-tempo funk music with horn lines; tonnes of horns.” Martens has been at it now for 11 years. “I’m 30 now. I started playing when I was 20. I’d been going to raves since I was 14. Then I bought a record thinking, ‘I’ll play this at a rave one day.’ I made a mixtape, listened to people doing nu skool breaks. Then I went to audio school and learnt how to become a producer and make music. I made melodies. As a producer, you’re the whole band – drummer, bassline, leads and keyboard player. My goal is to make original content that you can put out there. I’ve just recorded a new song, ‘Easy’, with vocals by Greg Blackman – one of my funky mid-tempo songs. Over the last six or seven years I’ve been involved with 25 independent labels; small, rad labels – some are bigger than others. They’re all cool, underground music labels. “I taught myself,” Martens adds. “It’s been getting bigger and going uphill. It’s a crazy natural progression; a nice, steady uphill progression.” That crazy progression led Martens to a residency at Canada’s Shambhala Music
Festival from 2005-13. He was nominated for Best New DJ at the International BreaksPoll 2012 Awards and has performed at Glastonbury, Burning Man and New Zealand’s Splore Festival, as well as Ibiza’s iconic Space Club. Plenty of preparation goes into a Stickybuds set. “There’s a complete set of stuff I like to put together. I prepare, sequence everything. Mix things harmonically. Create transitions. The vocals are one segment – mix them into the next song. Keep layering about the set, figuring out transitions, all the different options. This tour will be my first time with this set of music so I’m not sure what to expect. “I’m a vinyl DJ. 12-inch records. I used two turntables for the first five years but it’s all on Serato now – it’s not really practical to travel with three or four crates of records! I like to edit, sample, change things – you can’t really edit a vinyl record.” These days, DJs can ascend to rock-god status with massive international careers. Martens offers his view on the phenomenon. “The media is so heavily involved in electronic music, so DJs are exposed to a lot more people. There’s Skrillex winning Grammy Awards … there’s a whole bunch of new people, and the thing gets sculpted into pop. It can be a total cash cow, and that’s where you get the cookie-cutter festivals that become public companies, with investors who are only in it for the money. They couldn’t give a shit about music, they just want their 25,000 festivalgoers to book tickets so they get a return.” Stickybuds’ music fits in somewhere different. “There’s always an antihero to the mega mainstream festival,” Martens says. “What I’m part of is the underground scene that doesn’t much care about trends or who’s the biggest or the best. We’re all just working hard and supporting each other. It’s not like I’m super-famous, not like I’m number one or anything. I just keep pushing things. “I’ve got really good friends in all continents. At the moment I’m totally happy with what I’m doing. It’s hands-on, it’s challenging. How I like things to be. There’s nothing missing DJ-wise at the moment.” What: Rainbow Serpent Festival 2015 With: Beats Antique, Desert Dwellers, Christopher Lawrence, Opiuo, Spoonbill and many more Where: Lexton, Victoria When: Friday January 23 – Monday January 26 And: Also appearing alongside JPOD at The UFO Club on Saturday February 21
“The media is so heavily involved in electronic music, so DJs are exposed to a lot more people … It can be a total cash cow, and that’s where you get the cookie-cutter festivals, with investors who are only in it for the money.” thebrag.com
O
ne of the fastest-rising names within the Berlin scene – Nico Stojan – has locked in a Sydney show later this month. Originally a hip hop DJ, in recent years Stojan has infused jazz, soul, techno and house into his sets to form a highly unique imprint. A regular at seminal clubs such as Panorama Bar, Watergate and Katerholzig, he’s not to be missed. Catch him on Saturday January 31 at The Spice Cellar. Motherfucking Carl Cox is returning to Sydney. Without doubt one of the biggest names on the underground circuit, Cox first made his name in the early days of hardcore rave juggling three decks at once. Since then his career has seen him headline pretty much every goddamn festival and club on the planet. Y’all won’t want to miss the deadset legend on Saturday March 7 at The Greenwood Hotel. Year-in year-out Cox never fails to deliver; highly recommended. Genius Of Time will bring their live show back to Sydney next month. The duo has some serious hardware on hand, and the Boiler Room performance from 2013 still stands out as one of the all-time best. Friday February 13 at the Civic Hotel – put it in your diary. Tour rumours: word on the street is that some big names will be dropping by in March. Expect visits from the one and only Dixon (who was just named Resident Advisor’s number one DJ for the second year in a row), Detroit’s Delano Smith
and Frank Wiedemann of Âme. Oh, and Brighton’s four finest party-starters Soft Rocks should be making a Sydney appearance early next month. Sad news – there’s been another casualty from the lockouts. Over the break everyone’s favourite late-night dive The Flinders shut its doors unexpectedly. Taking to Facebook to announce on Thursday January 8, the venue stated: “It’s been a good run but Barry got us in the end. We know it’s sudden but please come in tonight and pour one out for your fallen homie. Thanks for all the good times. Peace, love, and picklebacks, from all of us at the Flinders.” Some killer mixes dropped over the Christmas break. Pender Street Steppers’ offerings on both Noise In My Head and Resident Advisor are seriously on point, Melbourne duo Misty Nights have uploaded their closing set of Victoria’s Meredith Music Festival onto their SoundCloud, and the six-hour recording of Four Tet and Floating Points going back-to-back at the final ever night of London’s historic club Plastic People is every bit as epic as you’d imagine. Best releases this week: Tiger & Woods have started the year with a bang thanks to a killer EP, Scoring Clubs (Editainment), while other highlights include Phase90’s Infinitati (Echospace [Detroit]), Neu Balance’s Rubber Sole (1080p) and Population One’s Theater Of A Confused Mind (Rush Hour Recordings).
RECOMMENDED FRIDAY JANUARY 16
Omar Souleyman The Aurora Spiegeltent
SATURDAY JANUARY 17
Oneman The Famous Spiegeltent
Soul Clap, Nick Monaco, Funkineven Oxford Art Factory Leon Vynehall The Famous Spiegeltent Nightmares On Wax The Aurora Spiegeltent
WEDNESDAY
Headless Horseman, Kr!z JANUARY 28 The Imperial Hotel Rustie Oxford Art Factory
FRIDAY JANUARY 23
Om Unit Goodgod Small Club
SATURDAY JANUARY 24
SATURDAY JANUARY 31
Lee Burridge, Matthew Dekay TBA
Marcel Dettmann The Imperial Hotel
Nico Stojan The Spice Cellar
SUNDAY JANUARY 25
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3
Darius Syrossian The Greenwood Hotel
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7
Mister Saturday Night National Art School
Flying Lotus, Caribou Sydney Opera House
Chinese Laundry Mr. Scruff Metro Theatre
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8 DJ EZ National Art School
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 Moderat The Hi-Fi
Genius Of Time Civic Hotel
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14
Steffi Marrickville Bowling Club
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21 Detroit Swindle Chinese Laundry DJ Tennis TBA
Kolombo
Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15 :: 35
club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Omar Souleyman
FRIDAY JANUARY 16
+ Acaddamy + Jesabel + Jeff Drake + Matt Nugent + Chris Arnott + Keyes + Fingers + Just 1 + Lavida + E-Cats + Heke + Sushi + Mike Hyper + Eko Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 12pm. $27.70. Rave Radio + Royaal + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + DJ Iko + DJ Seiz + J Reyes + Nick Arbor + Simon Lovell Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. free. Red Bull Music Academy Feat: Clark + Gareth Psaltis + Prize + Jon Watts Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. free. Sienna Saturdays - Feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney. 9pm. free. Skratch Saturdays - Feat: Mr Doris + D.Funk + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 7pm. free. Soda Saturdays - Feat: Resident DJs Playing Disco And Funk Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $20. Spice 17.01 - Feat: Oliver Koletzki + Niko Schwind The Spice Cellar, Sydney.
The Aurora Spiegeltent
Omar Souleyman
9pm. $25. Undr Ctrl Summer Rooftop Series - Feat: Dreems + Slow Blow Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. free.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18 CLUB NIGHTS
La Fiesta - Feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney. 8pm. free. Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. free. Rice Is Nice Presents A Summer Party! - Feat: The Frowning Clouds + Summer Flake + Terrible Truths + Weak Boys + Darts + Angie & Rice Is Nice DJs Vic On The Park, Enmore. 1pm. free. Rob Kay + Tim Boffa Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 5pm. free. S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10. Sunday Sessions - Feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky
Goldfish, Kings Cross. 4pm. free. Sunday Spice 18.01 - Feat: Spice Residents The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $10. Sundays In The City - Feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. free.
MONDAY JANUARY 19 CLUB NIGHTS
Crab Racing Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. Mashup Monday - Feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. free.
TUESDAY JANUARY 20 CLUB NIGHTS
Chu The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Jack Shit Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. free.
send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
Oneman
11:45pm. $39. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14 CLUB NIGHTS
DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5. Whip It Wednesdays - Feat: Various DJs Whaat Club, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.
THURSDAY JANUARY 15 CLUB NIGHTS
Pool Club Thursdays - Feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm. free. The World Bar Thursdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. free.
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 HIP HOP & R&B
Hustler Fridays - Feat: MC Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. free.
CLUB NIGHTS
’73 ’Til Infinity - Feat: Figure Of Wax + Edseven + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 7pm. free. Ali Barter + Guests Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 36 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
4:15pm. $10. Argyle Fridays - Feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. free. Doctor P + Doctor Werewolf + Spenda C + Nemo + Deckhead + Gradz + Beatslingerz + Wntd Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. El Loco Later - Feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. free. Factory Fridays - Feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. free. Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. free. Frisky Fridays Scubar, Sydney. 5pm. free. G Wizard Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.40. Loco Friday - Feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. free. Mister Saturday Night + Slow Blow + Pelvis + Adi Toohey + Ek + Rimbombo Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50. Omar Souleyman Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:45pm. $39. Raus Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 9pm. free. Sam Wall Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. free. Soul Control 16.01 - Feat: Ben Fester + Preacha The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $15. Thank Funk It’s Friday The Ranch, Eastwood. 9:30pm. free.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17 HIP HOP & R&B
Oneman Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:45pm. $30.
CLUB NIGHTS
Cakes - Feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Chipped - Feat: Hamish Radford + Garth Linton + Tobias + Dante Grooves + Jake Makes Noise + Jason Rascal + Chipped Residents The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 12pm. free. Frat Saturdays - Feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 6pm. free. Infamous Saturdays - Feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. free. Inthemix Presents: Frames + Zuri Akoko Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. free. J-Trick & Matt Watkins Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60. Lndry - Feat: Darren Emerson + A-Tonez + Natnoiz + Chris Fraser + U-Khan + Nightwalkers + Gg Magree + DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko + Kings Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 7:30pm. $22.60. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25. Mo Funk + Linda Jenssen Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. free. Pacha Sydney - Feat: Timmy Trumpet + Glover
FRIDAY JANUARY 16 ’73 ’Til Infinity - Feat: Figure Of Wax + Edseven + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free. Doctor P + Doctor Werewolf + Spenda C + Nemo + Deckhead + Gradz + Beatslingerz + Wntd Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. G Wizard Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.40. Mister Saturday Night + Slow Blow + Pelvis + Adi Toohey + Ek + Rimbombo Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17 Lndry - Feat: Darren Emerson + A-Tonez + Natnoiz + Chris Fraser + U-Khan + Nightwalkers + Gg Magree + DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko + Kings Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 7:30pm. $22.60.
DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko + Kings Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 7:30pm. $22.60. Oneman Aurora Spiegeltent, Sydney. 11:45pm. $30. Skratch Saturdays - Feat: Mr Doris + D.Funk + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free. Spice 17.01 - Feat: Oliver Koletzki + Niko Schwind The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $25. Undr Ctrl Summer Rooftop Series Feat: Dreems + Slow Blow Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 10pm. Free.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18 S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.
J-Trick & Matt Watkins Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60.
TUESDAY JANUARY 20
Lndry - Feat: Darren Emerson + A-Tonez + Natnoiz + Chris Fraser + U-Khan + Nightwalkers + Gg Magree +
Jack Shit Sky Terrace, Pyrmont. 6pm. Free.
thebrag.com
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live review
up all night out all week . . .
What we've been out to see...
Oxford Art Factory Friday January 2
Unlike many stories, this one begins at the end. The rear-end variety, that is. There was plenty of it doing the rounds (pardon the pun) as the towering Big Freedia made a return to town. Although many were indeed disappointed not to have Freedia and co. returning to the dark, sweaty dungeon of Goodgod Small Club, the inner-city vibes continued over to Oxford Art Factory, which was about as suitable a replacement as one could hope for. Admittedly, things were not off to a hot start. Goodgod alum Andrew Levins, AKA Levins, practically did his bounce-oriented DJ set to any empty room. Things picked up marginally with two-thirds of Black Vanilla taking over, which coaxed a few more people out onto the floor. You’d have to credit this, at least in part, to the irrepressible energy of Marcus Whale, also of Collarbones fame. You seen that guy bust a move recently? You are only doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t. Sure, an 11pm start is probably an early night in Big Freedia’s world, but that was not going
to deter her – nor her fantastic dancers – in the slightest. She wanted ass everywhere, and that’s certainly what she got across her 50 minutes and change onstage. It’s admittedly quite a peculiar thing to critically analyse a performance of Big Freedia’s – how does one measure and then subsequently dissect it? What angle does one take? There is very little to report on in terms of it being a live performance – Freedia essentially toasts over her own songs, not even backing tracks, and the transitions are jolting on account of Sveta more or less DJing the performance on the fly. If one is looking for energy and excitement levels, however, that is quickly taken care of. It wasn’t long before the entire stage was filled with young women releasing their collective wiggle. No matter how few or how many Freedia is dealing with, she knows how to keep an audience on its feet and connected to her brand of brassy, booming music. As she signs off, Freedia goes through her various nicknames – the Queen Diva, the Dick Eater, et cetera. One thing she really should give herself credit for, however, is being an outstanding entertainer. Yes, it was an inconsistent and occasionally odd evening. When it was fun, however… Lord, was it fun. David James Young
KE PHOTOGRAPHER :: KATRINA CLAR
thebrag.com
joey bada$$ + run the jewels
PICS :: AM
BIG FREEDIA, BLACK VANILLA, LEVINS
07:01:15 :: The Hi-Fi :: 122 Lang Rd Moore Park 1300THEHIFI BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15 :: 37
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nye on the harbour
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
s.a.s.h sundays
PICS :: AM
31:12:14 :: Cargo Bar :: 52-60 The Promenade King Street Wharf 8070 2424
11:01:15 :: Home :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600 38 :: BRAG :: 595 :: 14:01:15
PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
thebrag.com
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