ISSUE NO. 606 APRIL 01, 2015
FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com
MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE
INSIDE This Week
PABLO FRANCISCO
First impressions count when it comes to this comedian.
GISELLE
The Australian Ballet makes a splash at the Opera House.
NICKY BOMBA’S BUSTAMENTO
Busting a move across the land.
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE
A natural storyteller in his element.
Plus
FRITZ KALKBRENNER LUISA OMIELAN GUTTERMOUTH
steve smyth UNDER THE
INFLUENCE
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PASSION PIT, MARK FOSTER & DAN from BASTILLE
OUT NOW BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 3
rock music news
the BRAG presents
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Meggan Turner, Lauren Gill and Ayla Dhyani
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
speed date WITH
Enmore Theatre Wednesday April 1
DAVID GRAY
PETE SOTIROPOULOS AND CLAUDIA SCHMIDT FROM BETTY & OSWALD Woodford Festival, where there were spiders everywhere and the heat was so intense you didn’t bother sleeping anyway. When we came home we got a warehouse studio space where we’ve been spending a lot of time writing and rehearsing. At the end February we recorded a new track, ‘King Of Bohemia’, at Jungle Studios with Lachlan Mitchell. In two weeks we’ll be doing an east coast tour to promote the tune, before heading to Canada to play Canadian Music Week. Aside from that, Pete’s been perfecting the art of bliss balls and we’ve been scraping together all our pennies to fund it all. Damn bliss balls.
Your Profile Gritty, Mediterranean, reckless 1. abandonment. Whisky on the back of a motorcycle on a tiny island in Greece.
2.
Keeping Busy We finished off last year with a tour. We were on the road for about six weeks by the end so it was a pretty crazy time. We went everywhere from sleeping in inner city Melbourne in our shabby plumbing van to
Best Gig Ever We had a show at Brighton Up Bar late 3. last year for the launch of our previous single and it was the first real show with our new band. It ended up being a sell-out night and packed with people, but we were so nervous before to see if people would turn up or not. It was like having a big house party and nervously/excitedly drinking all the tequila while you wait for your mates to show. Then when we finally got onstage a combination of not enough practice gigs and crazy nerves came into fruition so that somehow we
State Theatre Wednesday April 1 and Tuesday April 2
played one of the best sets we’ve ever done. Everything just kind of clicked into place. It was a pretty wild night and some people were definitely topless by the end.
JOHN MAYALL Factory Theatre Thursday April 2
Current Playlist There’s a whole lot of rad stuff coming 4. out of Australia. Courtney Barnett’s album is
G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE
pretty banging! We also found this American band called Foxygen the other day. Also, Pete just discovered the world of SoundCloud and let loose on there and managed to discover some insane old BBC interviews. In one of them Lou Reed is being interviewed about his time working with Andy Warhol and Andy’s influence on Lou.
The Basement Sunday April 5
Your Ultimate Rider Ultimate rider would be a bunch of ripe 5. avocados, maybe some poached eggs, Turkish
JIMMY CLIFF
THE GIPSY KINGS Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House Tuesday April 7 and Wednesday April 8 Metro Theatre Thursday April 9
bread, lemon, chilli, a bottle of Jameson and maybe some VBs. Our usual rider at the moment is aligned with the saying ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ [laughs].
THE OCEAN Factory Floor Friday April 10
VOYAGER
Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Friday April 10
Factory Floor Saturday May 23
At The Gates
MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Sarah Basford, Sam Caldwell, Ayla Dhyani, Lauren Gill, Meggan Turner ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, 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 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Sarah Basford, Sam Caldwell, Ayla Dhyani, Meggan Turner - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@ thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Meggan Turner, Ayla Dhyani, Sarah Basford REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Ian Barr, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Keiron Costello, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Mina Kitsos, Emily Meller, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, Kate Robertson, Erin Rooney, Raf Seneviratne, Leonardo Silvestrini, Krissi Weiss, 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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Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti is coming to Australia later this year. Botti is America’s highestselling instrumental artist, having sold more than four million albums. He has played with a wide range of musicians, including Sting, Lady Gaga, Andre Bocelli and Yo Yo Ma. Botti will play the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Thursday July 2 and Friday July 3. Visit the Opera House website for tickets.
Swedish melodic death metal icons At The Gates are returning to Australia for the first time since stopping off during their world tour in 2012. Having only reformed in 2007 after an 11-year hiatus, the band has since released a new album, At War With Reality. Off the back of this, they’re playing shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth this October. Catch them at the gates of Manning Bar on Saturday October 31.
due out in April. Waxahatchee will play at the Newtown Social Club on Friday July 3.
Dali and The Paper Band
THE BLACK KEYS CANCEL AUSSIE APPEARANCES
The Black Keys’ upcoming tour to Australia, New Zealand and Japan has been cancelled due to complications with drummer Patrick Carney’s shoulder injury. Carney had injured his shoulder at the beginning of January while body surfing in Saint Barthélemy, an island in the Caribbean, but despite ongoing treatment, has sustained an infection called frozen shoulder. Moving into The Black Keys’ Good Friday slot at Bluesfest 2015 will be Alabama Shakes, with Paolo Nutini appearing immediately before them. The Black Keys were also scheduled to play Qantas Credit Union Arena on Friday April 10 and the Rolling Green event at the Hunter Valley’s Bimbadgen Winery on Saturday April 11. Refunds for those events will be processed at the point of purchase.
WAXAHATCHEE TAKES A TRIP
American singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield has announced she will be heading to Australia for the first time this July with her latest indie project, Waxahatchee. She will play two intimate shows in Melbourne and Sydney to support the release of her new album Ivy Tripp,
NIDA AND TRIPLE J COLLAB FOR MUSIC VIDS
The National Institute of Dramatic Arts and triple j Unearthed are collaborating to give six lucky artists the opportunity to have a professional music video produced by the next generation of creative professionals. NIDA’s talented directing, production and design students will have just $200 and two days to create a unique video to be aired on Rage. NIDA head of directing Dr. Egil Kipste said this opportunity is a great learning experience for both the musicians and the NIDA students. “The NIDA and triple j collaboration is an opportunity for both the students and the musicians to gain valuable insight into the entertainment industry,” said Dr. Kipste. Entries are now open to musicians across Australia.
QANTAS’ EXTRA BAGGAGE
DALI AND THE PAPER BAND
Hobart-based trio Dali and The Paper Band have spent some time in the studio and released their newest EP Island – a fitting title given it was written on the remote Bruny Island in Tasmania. The EP features a collection of upbeat songs written and performed by the band over the last few years. The record is diverse, with a mix of indie, hip hop, jazz, dance and funk sounds. In addition to the release of Island, Dali and The Paper Band have announced a few tour dates along the east coast of Australia to support the release, with more to come. They’ll play at Valve Bar on Wednesday April 22.
Qantas is set to offer additional baggage allowance for musicians from Monday April 13. It is an update of its first allowance, which came into effect in 2012. The announcement comes just a week after the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) and Travel Beyond Group unveiled a series of discounts for touring Australian musicians with Virgin, car hire and hotels/apartments. The latest Qantas offer includes a free baggage allowance of three 23kg pieces for artists travelling with musical and touring equipment on domestic flights, but the offer does not include flights operated by partner airlines and some regional flights. Musicians must be current members of an association such as MusicNSW, the Australian Chamber Orchestra or Opera Australia, but Qantas encourages musicians to book flights via a specialist music industry travel agency or promoter. Find out the full list of recognised organisations at thebrag.com. thebrag.com
xxx photo by xxx
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CHRIS BOTTI TO JAZZ UP SYDNEY
AT THE GATES ARE AT THE GATES
Xxx
EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.
Chris Botti
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BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 5
live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Sam Caldwell, Lauren Gill and Sarah Basford
five things WITH
FOO FIGHTERS: SONIC HIGHWAYS
TOM BAIRD FROM LOST WOODS
Growing Up Sam (the other guitarist 1. in Lost Woods and my twin
Inspirations Our older sister was the 2. bee’s knees when we were little,
brother) and I didn’t grow up in a particularly musical environment. There was a vastly out of tune piano and a stringless guitar knocking about but we were too busy pouring buckets of water down ant hills and playing GoldenEye to take notice. Our best friend got a guitar in year three or four, but for him to get lessons at school there had to be more than one student, so he convinced us to learn guitar too.
so we wanted to listen to whatever she was into. She was getting into the whole early ’90s Seattle thing and indie rock music in general – Nirvana, Soundgarden, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, the Pixies; those types of bands. They were the ones that gave me the initial interest in music and their influence is pretty evident in our latest single.
rock five-piece from Adelaide. I met Pete (vox/terrible banter) at a mutual friend’s party in mid2013 and we were both winding down our previous bands. The conversation went, “You were in a band, I was in a band, we should totally start a band.” But then he destroyed me at Rage Cage (a drinking game from hell) and I left in disgrace. I hit him up a month or so later saying I was serious and we started writing songs. We recruited Sam (guitar) because he lived at the house where we rehearsed, and Brayden (bass/ cuff pant enthusiast) and Crago (drums/iron bladder) are mates from uni. We started gigging in January 2014. The Music You Make Our latest single is called 4. ‘Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant’, and was recorded at Island Studios in Flagstaff Hill, which is just outside Adelaide, with the amazing Joseph Cheek. It’s probably our heaviest song
and gets compared a lot to grunge-era ’90s rock. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Adelaide has a great but small music scene; it’s slowly getting bigger though. It’s pretty tightknit, where everyone knows everyone; there are a lot of shared personnel across bands and everyone’s very supportive of each other. There are some really great bands coming from Adelaide, too many to name but obviously Tkay Maidza, Bad// Dreems and Jesse Davidson are killing it at the moment. There are also bands like It’s A Hoax, The Informers, Orelia, The Rocketeers, Dan White, West Thebarton Brothel Party, Sincerely, Grizzly and many more. With: Little Coyote, Octavian Where: The Standard Bowl When: Saturday April 4
Foo Fighters are at it again. Their latest release, Sonic Highways, comes in the form of an HBO docuseries, which lead singer Dave Grohl has described as a love letter dedicated to the history of American music. The series follows the Fooies as they travel to eight cities in America in an attempt to create a work that aptly describes the American sound. The result was an eight-track album of the same name, which audiences around Australia lapped up on the band’s recent stadium tour. Pretty cool stuff. Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways comes out on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes on Tuesday April 7, and we’ve got five DVDs to give away to our readers. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit.
DEAN RAY
Dean Ray had a big 2014 and is set to continue his success after his self-titled debut album scored a spot in the top five of the national ARIA album chart. Since then, he’s been wooing massive crowds after joining a sold-out Australian tour with The Veronicas. Now, the suave popster is heading out on the road solo, with a number of east coast live dates. We’re giving away five double passes for his show at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday April 18. Feel like swinging by? Click to thebrag.com/freeshit. Xxxx
Band Lost Woods are an indie 3. Your
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
Bonjah
Total Giovanni
xxxx
BOO YAH, BONJAH
Following the release of their new single ‘Burn’, the six-date national tour from Melbourne soul rockers Bonjah is finally beginning. They’ve toured both nationally and around the world over their nine years together, and will kick off this run with a set at Victoria’s Bendigo Easter Festival this Thursday before they stop off at the Newtown Social Club the next evening, Friday April 3.
WATCH GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH
Portland surf rockers Guantanamo Baywatch have announced they are heading to Australia for the first time this April. The trio has gained great attention across the USA, having earned
numerous slots with cult indie label Burger Records’ fistful of festivals including Burgerama, Burger Boogaloo and Hangover Festival. They’ve also featured on split seven-inches with the likes of Shannon & The Clams and Natural Child. Guantanamo Baywatch will take over Oxford Art Factory on Friday April 17.
TOTALLY GIOVANNI
Total Giovanni will take the east coast by storm this May, touring in support of their latest single, ‘Paradise’. The tour will mark their first since signing to Dot Dash/Remote Control Records, and will see the funky five-piece play five shows, including a DJ set at Groovin The Moo. Catch ’em at Waves on Saturday April 25.
FACETS OF THE STRING CONTINGENT
Jarryd James
JARRYD JAMES
6 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
Sydney chamber folk trio The String Contingent have announced an Australian tour for this April to celebrate the release of their fourth album, Facets. Following on from 2013’s Talk, the album offers a worldly experience, shifting from baroque and classical to the sounds of faraway lands such as India and the Balkans. It will feature the works of renowned Australian musicians such as ARIA Award-winning cellist Julian Thompson and internationally recognised recorder player Genevieve Lacey. You can catch The String Contingent on Thursday April 23 at Camelot Lounge.
THE IRON EYE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Brisbane rockers The Iron Eye have dropped a new single entitled ‘Different’. They’ve also announced their first east coast tour this May, with shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The trio have previously played alongside the likes of King Of The North, Jericco, The Dead Love, Sub Atari Knives, Greenthief and Nine Sons Of Dan, but will be supported by Andy The Kid and Enter Reality when they hit up Sydney. Catch The Iron Eye at Spectrum on Friday May 29.
$10,000 FOR A GOOD JAM
After battling it out at the Discovered At Marble Bar competition, local band Nothin But Jam have taken out the highly desired $10,000 residency thanks to this week’s live Grand Finale. The top five acts – Night Light Band, Nothin But Jam, Rory Cross, AJ Dyce ‘The Piano Man’ and Death Do Us Part – were selected by the public on Marble Bar’s Facebook page, and battled it out at the finale in front of a selection of VIP industry, media and Sydneysiders for the opportunity to win the residency. Nothin But Jam will now be playing at the iconic Marble Bar every Wednesday night throughout April and May, showcasing their smooth rock and Latin soul style.
thebrag.com
xxxx xx
After reaching number two on the ARIA singles chart with his debut single ‘Do You Remember’, Jarryd James has announced that he will take on the east coast this July. Having just finished supporting Angus & Julia Stone on their national tour, James will play shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – both impressive achievements for an independent artist. Jarryd James will play at the Metro Theatre on Friday July 10.
Nothin But Jam
BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 7
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * Which bunch of ageing Aussie musos are talking about going on a motorbike tour through New Zealand? * Which festival is about to get some bad publicity from a charity for initially refusing to allow it to collect donations for a fundraiser… and then changing its mind when a journalist started to ask questions? * Who stole $4,000 worth of speakers from Osmanthus Garden’s Lantern Festival? * Are the hush-hush Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement talks pushing for a GSTfree threshold on foreign purchases, which could make online shopping in Australia more expensive?
servers in Australia and New Zealand. * Are Ed Sheeran fans so fanatical they’d even give up going to a friend’s wedding so they can see him in concert? When 2Day FM’s Dan & Maz gave away tickets to see him play on the 2Day rooftop last Friday, the deal was listeners had to “trade in” something. Among those objects handed in were three invitations to weddings in October, a bar fridge, a piece of jewellery inherited from someone’s grandma and an acoustic guitar. * While a fierce debate goes on in the US hip hop community as to how “cred” Australian-born Izzy Azalea is, Compton rapper Skeme claims he ghostwrote the lyrics to her number one hit ‘Fancy’. He told Sirius XM, “That’s what the [ghostwriting is] about.
UNIVERSAL NOT FOR SALE Vivendi, the owner of Universal Music Group, has firmly insisted that the music company is not going to be sold. This follows US calls from activist hedge fund P. Schoenfield Asset Management (PSAM) for its sale since December to increase the value of its 1% stake. Vivendi says that UMG and its other asset, film and TV studio and distributor Canal+ Group, “constitute the strategic pillars in the building of a major industrial media and content group”.
ARE METALLICA INTO THE RED? Metallica’s sale of 100 million records worldwide puts them in the top league. But their biographers Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood, who wrote their two-volume book Birth School Metallica Death and Into The Black, reckon they’re strapped for cash. They told literary site The Weeklings that the band’s two Orion festivals, now defunct,
“I’ve got a certificate and a nice ass suit and like four or five plaques … We had something to do with [the words], a lot of vibe, a lot of push. We put trust funds up for that song.” * Timbaland says that Aaliyah “spoke to him in his sleep” to endorse his latest protégé Chicago MC Tink, telling him she is “the one”. * So maybe you couldn’t give a horse’s petunia if Zayn Malik left One Direction because of stress or if he got booted out because of his partying. But have a thought for Wholesale Clearance UK, an English company that spent a fortune making 1,000 full size cut-outs of the five to sell during their tour. Now they’re obselete, and now they’re forced to sell them for £1 each.
“were disastrous financially”, and they’d only recoup a fraction of the US$32 million cost of the Through The Never movie. They also run a huge entertainment complex with large salaries for staff and roadies.
AUSSIES SEEK PROTECTION FROM ‘THREE STRIKES’ The proposed code by Australian ISPs and content owners – which includes a threestrikes penalty – won’t come into effect until September. But Aussies are already starting to protect their privacy by searching for the best Virtual Private Network (VPN) to gain an anonymous connection to the internet. According to The Music Network, searches have doubled in recent weeks. VPN provider TorGuard told Torrentfreak traffic has come primarily from NSW (34.04%), Victoria (26.27%) and Queensland (16.32%). Because of this, TorGuard has added many new VPN
FOUR | FOUR SIGNS BORN LION ABC Music imprint Four | Four’s latest signing is Sydney hardcore group Born Lion. “We are super excited to sign with Four | Four. It’s an amazing label that has had belief in this band from the beginning,” says Born Lion’s John Bowker. “To be on the same label as Tim Rogers, The Snowdroppers and Little Bastard is an honour. We’re strapped in and ready for all the rockin’ good times ahead.” Their debut album, recorded with Sydney producer Dave Hammer (The Snowdroppers, Die!Die!Die!, Thundamentals) is out in July.
SCOTT ESTATE REJECTS FINANCIAL OFFER FROM BON MOVIE Bon Scott’s estate continues to refuse to cooperate with the unauthorised movie being made of his life. In the latest saga, it rejected an offer of financial incentive from the US producer High Voltage Productions, LLC to allow story rights. The estate’s letter, sent via Brett Oaten Solicitors in Sydney, also told producers not to contact them again. HVP responded, “Our legal team has made it quite clear that we do not even need to secure or option story rights as Mr. Scott is deceased and the Estate cannot preclude us from making an unauthorized biopic or docudrama.” It has announced a preliminary open casting call for roles and plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Malcolm Young and wife O’Linda bought a $10 million Palm Beach waterfront home in Sydney. The 520 sq. m property sale is the biggest on the Northern Beaches this year. It is expected to be used for breaks for O’Linda and their two kids while Young is in full-time day care.
WANNA PLAY MANLY ARTS FESTIVAL? The 22nd Manly Arts Festival is on from Friday September 18 – Sunday September 27. Organisers want artists, performers and cultural groups to get involved in its exhibitions, concerts, talks, dance, films and creative workshops. See manly.nsw.gov. au; deadline is Friday May 22. Following this is Manly Jazz Festival, from Saturday October 3 – Monday October 5, which draws 45,000 visitors a year.
TWITTER LAUNCHES STREAMING APP Twitter has launched the Periscope app, allowing people to stream from their phones to their followers on the social networking site for free. It is a rival of Meerkat, which went down a storm at South By Southwest recently.
ABC KEEPS MUM ON SWIFT BAN There have been four Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests to the ABC to obtain relevant documents on why Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ was dropped from the triple j Hottest 100 list after voting put it at number 12. Among the reasons given were that the track had not been played on triple j, and that the involvement of BuzzFeed Australia and KFC in urging votes for Swift contravened the rules. The ABC invoked the clause in the FOI Act that it does not have to divulge documents acquired or created when making a program.
5SOS SIGN US BAND TO LABEL In the way they got a helping hand from One Direction, Sydney’s 5 Seconds Of Summer have signed US pop punk band Hey Violet to their Hi Or Hey Records. 5SOS posted on Facebook that since setting it up last year, “We’ve been looking for a band we really believe in and whose music we love.”
NSW FINALISTS FOR ISC Song finalists for the International Songwriting Competition 2015 include those from Sydney acts Jordan Millar and Lucy Mason (adult contemporary), Adam Eckersley Band (country), Paul Mac (dance/electronica), Danielle Deckard, Cam Nacson and Dustin Tebbutt (folk/singersongwriter), Stu Hunter (jazz), Drummer Buck (lyrics only), The Secret City (music video, directed by Damian Smith), Kat Risteska & Andre Nookadu (pop/Top 40, unsigned only), Thundamentals (R&B/ hip hop), CREO (rock), Cam Nacson and James Edgar Francis (unsigned only). Finalists from other states included established names Vance Joy, San Cisco, Kingswood, Apes, Lil Kendall and Kimbra. 8 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
Lifelines Split: Ed Sheeran admitted on Australian radio it’s over between him and Athina Andrelos (she works for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver) after a year, following rows including one at the BRITs over his endless touring. Split: One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and Eleanor Calder after four years. Recovering: Perth guitarist Errol Tout, 55, is back performing after battling kidney and liver cancer over the past two years. A month ago he had eye surgery to relieve tension created by a benign tumour lodged in his brain. Hospitalised: Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship founding member Paul Kantner, 71, from a suspected heart attack. Charged: Slipknot guitarist Mickael Thomson over the brawl he had with his brother Andrew, in which both were hospitalised with stab wounds. Fined: Sydney man Stewart Robert Duffy, AKA Wodger Stew Duffy, a total of $4,000 for holding a bush doof for 330 ravers in a national park near Newcastle last June and scaring wildlife. Rangers began to investigate after four passing campers tried to sneak in, and one fell 60 metres. He had to be rescued by helicopter and suffered a dislocated shoulder and internal injuries. Fined: a rave party promoter was fined $1,500 by Clarence Valley Council NSW over an unauthorised rave this month to 1,800. The council has been cracking down on such raves saying these parties could easily be held in any music venues in the area with planning permission, and warning property owners they can be fined $100,000 for allowing their land to be used at these. In Court: country singer Luke O’Shea and his father Rick escaped with no convictions from Narrabri Court. They were arrested at a January 27 protest against Whitehaven Coal’s water pump facility using 300 litres per tonne of coal from Maules Creek, causing problems for farmers. In Court: the Beastie Boys have beaten a lawsuit by Tuf America on behalf of 1980s Washington, D.C. R&B group Trouble Funk over two samples used on two tracks from their Paul’s Boutique album. The judge didn’t dismiss the case on copyright infringement but on the technicality that Tuf America had no exclusive deal with Trouble Funk and hence no right to represent them. Suing: a 24-year-old kicked out of a Social Distortion concert in Eugene, Oregon has taken action against two cops who tasered him when he was on his knees surrendering. The music fan was jailed for six days for bad behaviour. Died: UK singer Lil’ Chris, 24, of Gene Simmons’ TV show Rock School. Died: UK folk guitarist and songwriter John Renbourn, 70, best known for his work with Pentangle, who he founded with Bert Jansch. His body was found at home by police after he failed to turn up to a gig. Died: Gabriela Lujan Maumus, 28, bassist with Argentine shoegaze band Asalto Al Parque Zoologico was among those who perished in the Germanwings plane crash in the Alps.
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EXIT STAGE LEFT
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By Augustus Welby
nfluence is a funny thing, particularly in the realm of popular songwriting. Journalists often portray influence as a straightforward part of a musician’s creative method. In this depiction, artists are seen to grab elements from the past and throw them in a blender, sprinkled with fragments of their own experience. Yet in actual fact, the origin and effect of influence is probably too ambiguous to speak about in absolute terms. The repertoire of Sydney tunemaker Steve Smyth invites listeners to play ‘pick the influence’. Tom Waits, Jim Morrison, Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Buckley, Glenn Richards; these are some of the names that regularly crop up in reference to Smyth’s work. However, the bearded blondie rarely deigns to spell out the exact source of his creative ideas. Sure, when it comes to formative role models, Smyth gives a nod to his literary heroes: “Hunter S. Thompson and Arthur Rimbaud and Albert Camus and Bukowski.” But in terms of what’s shaped him as a songwriter and performer, he credits a far less tangible force. “When I left Australia, I started to play constantly and I think that was the
biggest turning point for me,” says Smyth. “You could talk about being a carpenter or you could get taught in university, but it’s never until you start working 60 hours a week that you understand what really works for you and the reality of it. It’s not until you go out on tour that you learn the finest lessons, where you’ve got no money and you’re on the other side of the world and you’ve got to get to the next town to play a show. There’s no time to think about influences. Everything’s an influence.” Facing the tough reality of life on the road hasn’t stifled Smyth’s thirst for touring. Last September he released Exits, his debut album for Ivy League Records. Upon the album’s release, he jumped on a mammoth 45-date Australian tour. After postponing a few shows due to a jaw injury sustained in a physical assault incident in Newtown, Smyth has now extended the tour to include more than 80 dates, which he’ll complete in early May. “We really set out to get into Australia and not just see the capital cities,” he says. “It’s been beautiful meeting so many great people. A lot have let us into their homes and you feel that if you come back around that way,
you’ve always got a friend. That’s almost as important as playing the shows, having those experiences. Not just a tour bus into a venue and a tour bus out. There’s parties you get invited back to … that’s all part of the great times.” Before the Exits tour wraps up, Smyth will play some of his biggest shows to date, including at Oxford Art Factory on ANZAC Day and multiple slots at this weekend’s Bluesfest. These gigs are a sure contrast to the cramped bars and taverns, caravan parks and sidewalks he’s visited throughout the last seven months. But even when performing for a tiny audience, Smyth makes the most of the occasion. “I don’t think I’ve been a hyped man at any point – and I don’t expect to be, and I don’t really want to be,” he says. “If there’s five people at the show, then that’s a good time. The shows where there’s 50 people crammed into a little room are the most precious. There’s a few moments in each show where you’re just so present and you all feel like you’re in a room together. It’s like a big conversation, like sitting down at a big family gathering with the extended cousins that you don’t really know too well, but you know there’s something that binds you.” Performing night after night for more than half a decade, Smyth could easily have developed an onstage routine by now, allowing him to
work on autopilot. However, such a suggestion ignores the fact that Smyth isn’t just an entertainer carrying out a commercial function. Rather, he aims to enact a spiritual exchange. “I don’t do yoga or meditation, but there’s different experiences every time people do that. It’s the same in music. I’m pushing into a certain place and there are certain triggers that push me a bit further into that meditative state, where the world ceases to exist a lot more than any other time in your day. I never want it to be pre-programmed. That would be horrible. Whenever I feel like I’m getting too close to that, something drastic happens. It’d be a shame to feel like I’ve got tricks up my sleeve and it’s not something that’s coming from an honest place.” At first listen, Exits is something of a bumpy ride. Tracks like ‘Get On’ – powered by a hard stomp, coated with demented electric guitar and topped off by Smyth’s murderous howl – stand in harsh contrast to the sweetly subdued ‘Written Or Spoken’, which features orchestral flourishes and gently plucked classical guitar. After building a relationship with the record, however, Exits becomes less a composite of competing characteristics than a depiction of Smyth’s multi-faceted artistry. For Smyth himself, living with the songs day in day out, a similar evolution has occurred.
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Prior to wrapping up his Australian tour, Smyth ducked over to the US for his first stint at South By Southwest. It’s almost become trendy for artists to bad-mouth SXSW, often due to the struggle one faces in making a major impact amid such a mass of performers. But it should come as no surprise that Smyth not only relished every show, he also had some offkilter experiences. “You can’t not embrace it with wide open eyes. And we sure did,” he says. “When we landed in, we had a big night. I walked out of a tattoo that I didn’t pay for and went back to a bar and I got this message on my phone saying that the tattoo artist was coming to my show. So I was like, ‘Holy fuck,’ and I went back in the next day to pay, thinking that I would beaten with a baseball bat. But they had big open arms like, ‘Oh dude, I knew you’d come back.’” Limbs intact, Smyth will head back overseas for a lengthy European tour in May. It’s safe to say his journeyman predilection isn’t weakening. “It’s been beautiful to be back in Australia and I’ve fallen in love with it, but I’m not sure what’s to come after this,” he says. “Once I get back to Europe, I’m not sure when I’ll be back.” What: Exits out now through Ivy League Where: Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle / Oxford Art Factory When: Friday April 24 / Saturday April 25 And: Also appearing alongside Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Alabama Shakes and many more at Bluesfest 2015, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6
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“In the studio, it’s like being at a hospital and these tunes are just freshly born and they don’t really know how to walk or talk. By the end of touring, they’ve metamorphosed and gone through many changes. It’s like getting a nice pair of shoes. You fork out a fair bit of money just to get those nice shoes and they fucking blister and they bleed and you’re sore as shit. But then, by the end of a couple of months, they’re sacred and
they get their own character.”
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Nicky Bomba’s Bustamento Dance To A Different Drum By Natalie Rogers “There are influences taken from everywhere – New Orleans, Mexico, the Middle East,” Bomba says. “We play elements of Latin, Afro-Cuban and of course there are sounds from the Caribbean. This record was made to celebrate all the different sounds and sights we’d experienced over the last 12 months travelling the world together. There are seven of us in the band now and we wanted to hear a journal of our travels through live music – that’s why we chose that title.” The eclectic feel of the 11 songs, co-written by the band and co-produced by acclaimed Melbourne producer Robin Mai (John Butler Trio, Augie March, Blue King Brown), showcases Bustamento’s passion for calypso, mento, early reggae and ska music, while cementing their place as one of Australia’s premier touring acts. Indeed, to truly appreciate Bomba’s infectious personality, you have to hear him in action.
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when I left school,” Bomba says with a smile. “I’d been playing music since I was six years old, every weekend with my family. But it wasn’t until I was about 16 that I got to the point where I had to ask myself, ‘Do I actually want to do this?’ I was really into electronics at that time and I absolutely loved playing soccer, so it was a big decision.”
t’s safe to say that Bustamento founder Nicky Bomba is a man who wears many hats (in fact I’ll wager he is single-handedly responsible for the return of the fedora – no-one wears them better). Aside from his many musical endeavours, Bomba is a brother to fellow bandmates Michael and Danielle Caruana (AKA Mama Kin), best mate and business partner to Joe Camilleri, brother-in-law to John Butler, a doting dad and a budding park ranger.
Could Bomba have been the next Steve Jobs, had he gone down the electronics route? We may never know, but he assures me he made the right choice.
“I told my school’s careers counsellor that I wanted to be a park ranger
“What to do in the future was constantly on my mind, but one day I thought, ‘No more! I’m going to pursue music.’ So I up and left school to head out on tour and finished up Year 11 by correspondence. I wrote my first song on that tour, and my musical journey started there.” Fast-forward roughly 35 years and the experience of this intrepid traveller can be heard in every note of Bustamento’s new album Intercontinental Journal 7, out now through Transmitter Records – the label Bomba runs with Camilleri.
“This might sound a bit cosmic, but there are harmonic vibrations that are instilled in music and the harmonics of the universe. When you play music you’re tapping into something else, and sometimes it’s just like, ‘Wow, this is beyond any cognitive or scientifi c explanation.’ I feel like I’m connected to something bigger than myself, and music is the portal for me. “Music carries vibrations that are beyond language, race and culture, in many ways. I like the idea that I can’t really put my finger on it, because that’s the magic, the beauty and the mystery of it. I can play a chord and it just does something to me.” Sporadically during our chat, Bomba will play a tune on his ukulele, and even with the crude
acoustics of the phone line, it sounds rather special. “The ukulele is a beautiful way to start the day,” he says, before describing his delight at the prospect of bringing Bustamento’s vibrant show to an upcoming Onespace event at Paddington Chapel. “I’ve never played there before, but when they explained the set-up to me I got a little bit tingly. We thrive in more acoustically ambient situations, so that venue is going to be tailor-made for us. When it’s a bit more intimate like that, it’s a lot more fun. It’s more like a conversation as opposed to just another performance, you know? “When we feel comfortable, relaxed and natural, a lot of funny things come out. Sometimes I think we joke around too much! Honestly, I love the connection you can have meeting someone for the first time. When you’re finding out about them, they’re finding out about you and the common language is music, it’s a beautiful thing.” On that note, I wonder if Bomba ever felt regret for not pursuing his other childhood dreams – especially when he explains that he was granted Honorary International Ranger status for his work with the Thin Green Line Foundation. “I actually live in the bush now too, so I’m my own little park ranger – and my son’s an amazing soccer player, so he inherited those genes and I can live that dream through him!” he laughs. What: Intercontinental Journal 7 out now through Transmitter Records With: Tubby Love Where: Paddington Chapel When: Friday April 10
Guttermouth Politically Incorrect By Adam Norris
T
o say the last few years of Guttermouth frontman Mark Adkins’ life have been colourful is, well, something of an understatement. The US punk rockers’ last Australian performances left fans feeling fairly unimpressed, with good cause. Even their management acknowledges they delivered shitty, inebriated gigs, and their days of excess would eventually find Adkins himself destitute and abandoned in a Mexican prison. Flash-forward, and having pulled himself together, the straight-shooting singer is back in control and doing what he loves; touring the weird byways of America.
With a dozen dates scattered throughout April, the month is shaping up to be a hell of a ride for a band still feeling a little cautious after its last gigs Down Under. Such is 12 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
“Australians can definitely be a little more wild, but the last couple of times I’ve visited I’ve seen it become more, well, politically correct. It’s shocking to me, because Australia was like the last safe haven on Earth. People were people, they spoke their minds. Now a lot of people I know there, they’ve grown different. Everyone is saying that we should all be treated the same, whereas we know in reality we’re not all dealt the same hand. I can’t stand the thought of people thinking we’re all alike, because we’re really not. There are huge differences in a lot of people’s lives.” While he chalks a great deal of this down to conservative politics, there is also a wider trend of social superficiality that has started to pervade not just Australian society, but is also entrenched at home in the US. This is evidenced not only in material wealth, Adkins has found, but has seeped into our very relationships with each other. “Most of my friends are miserable human beings. They’re so miserable. Their wives are like trolls: ‘You’re not making enough money, you need to do this, you need to do that.’ A big part of American life is this ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, unfortunately. It’s really shitty and it’s something I don’t subscribe to. Over here you try to find a nice girl to hang out with, you’ll go out on a date or two, but it’s going to come down to what you
drive, how deep your wallet is, and what neighbourhood you live in. It’s very shallow. “We all have to make money to survive, and I’ve just been lucky to land a job that I actually like. But most of my friends, and I think most Americans, are in jobs that they just don’t want to be in. And you know, while it’s nice to have a significant other around on a regular basis, it’s just not a reality of where I am now. Most girls that I know want a super stable, steady thing. Come home from work with a glass of wine and watch reruns of Seinfeld, and then go to bed. That sounds like misery to me.”
enduring challenges – not least of all the digitised landscape that bands have found themselves forced to adapt to. We are still a long way from the death of the CD, but it is undeniable that barring calamity, there is no going back to the halcyon days of music retailers and album sales. That doesn’t mean you have to go smiling, though. “The market isn’t there like it once was,” says Adkins. “When we come out to Australia, we’ll be recording for six or seven days in Brisbane, and that will be an Australia-only release. And we’re doing a seven-inch here in the States. But it’s almost like, ‘What’s the point?’ We don’t even have outlets to sell through anymore.
While Adkins is indeed one of the lucky ones who can sustain himself through music, it is not without
“Progress is progress and that’s fi ne, you have to embrace the way it is. But how do you stand out in a
market which is so saturated with non-tangible products? I like the physical album. Linear notes are cool, art is cool. You can get a read from the entire package. When you go online and download something, you have no real concept of what’s going on. It’s changed the game, and maybe I’m just stuck in my era, but hey, tough shit. That’s where I’m at.” Where: Factory Floor When: Saturday April 11 And: Also appearing at the Entrance Leagues Club on Wednesday April 8; Mona Vale Hotel on Thursday April 9; Studio Six, Sutherland on Friday April 10; and the Small Ballroom, Newcastle on Sunday April 12
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“I consider the States to be like six different countries. And then you have all these little Third World pockets as well, the places the US Tourism Board doesn’t really bother to boost that much,” Adkins laughs. “We tour here a lot, mostly because, ha, well, it’s here. There are so many markets to hit. We’re a band that doesn’t just do LA, New York, Miami. We do the smaller markets too, and they are so much fun. These are people who are starving for music. They might have a movie theatre, a shopping mall, and their miserable life to contend with. And then we come around and bring a little excitement. Most other bands won’t go to these towns, but I love doing it. People really appreciate what you do, so it makes it a lot more satisfying. You feel like a Good Samaritan.” He chuckles. “Everybody wins.”
Guttermouth’s love of the country, though, that staying away for long was never really on the cards. It has also allowed Adkins to observe changes in Australians’ behaviour he finds rather troubling.
Justin Townes Earle Focused Hope By Augustus Welby
SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS
BEN HOWARD I FORGET WHERE WE WERE TOUR
T
wo-and-a-half years separated Justin Townes Earle’s fourth album Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now from last year’s fifth effort, Single Mothers. While that’s not an unacceptable delay, it felt conspicuously elongated given that Earle’s first four records were distanced by just 12 months. However, as if to reassure fans he hadn’t suffered a creative breakdown, Earle released his sixth LP Absent Fathers in January this year – a mere four months after its predecessor. In addition to being an excellent record in its own right, Absent Fathers revealed the cause of Earle’s relative period of silence. See, the thematic consistency in the two album titles stems from the fact they were composed and recorded at the same time. “I write records to be records,” Earle says. “I’ve never written a large batch of songs and then just picked the ones that work. I write 12 to 14 songs a year that then end up on my records. I was thinking about a double record at first and then thought better of that. I do like my records to be digestible as one, so I split them up intentionally.” As you’d expect from headings such as Single Mothers and Absent Fathers, neither album contains a selection of feel-good summer jams. Nevertheless, Earle does utilise the extended format to enact a significant emotional journey. “It’s definitely a loose storyline of struggle that doesn’t turn into triumph by any means,” he says. “It just turns into hope. That’s one of the hardest things to do these days, I think, is to hope.” Despite this nominal upward climb, a tone of melancholy permeates the two records. Over the course of his recorded history, Earle has frequently turned his gaze towards downhearted subject matter. It’s not likely he’ll turn away from this area of creative exploration anytime soon, either. “Life is much more losing than it’s winning,” he says. “I think we do spend more time melancholic than we don’t. It’s one thing to have an upbeat tempo, to have a good time, but nobody’s walking on sunshine. Nobody. So that’s something as an artist you should be aware of. People love to listen to George Jones because George Jones makes them feel better, because they know he feels worse than they do.” Indeed, Earle’s not alone in his habitual exploration of loneliness, heartache and individual desperation. Yet despite being commonly adopted themes, simply inserting downcast details doesn’t guarantee affective, communicable poetry. Earle’s back-toback albums centre on family breakdowns, imbalanced relationships and individual suffering. His lyrics often cite minute specifics – place names, descriptions of physical attributes – but there’s definitely room for listener interpretation. “I try to focus on the feelings as opposed to the actual situations,” he says. “One per cent of thebrag.com
the population can think with me on something I used to do. Like, I used to get sad and shoot dope about it. You know, that’s not something that’s relatable.” Likewise, melancholy might dominate Single Mothers and Absent Fathers, but Earle crucially avoids schmaltzy resolutions or self-seriousness. Striking this balance is no mean feat, and Earle considers some other songwriters who’ve made it work. “I think that Jenny Lewis is particularly good at that,” he says. “Fleetwood Mac records, they always have this almost melancholic tone. Even when the songs are upbeat they somehow seem to be sad. That’s a very interesting thing to me.” Production-wise, the dual releases are distinguished by a comfortable amount of sonic space, which softens the impact of the thematic load. Throughout, Earle is joined by a small no-frills ensemble, which plays with unhurried poise. As ever, the spotlight is on his expressive lead vocals, which are wonderfully complemented by plaintive slide guitar. Fittingly, Earle prefers a direct recording approach. “The only overdubs that were done on it were by my bass player and my guitar player,” he says. “As far as my drummer and I are concerned, we prefer to be live. I always track my vocals live because there’s a certain amount of spontaneity. There’s a certain amount of melody that usually will be lost if you do tracks and then come back and sing it later. I think it’s very important to actually get in the moment with it.” Speaking of being in the moment, Justin Townes Earle heads back to Australia this month, for his eighth year in a row. After releasing Single Mothers last year, Earle brought down a full band for the first time. This time around, however, he’ll be all by his lonesome. “Playing solo seems to be how Aussies prefer me,” he says. “Australia has only seen me with a band one time, and I’ve been there two to three times a year since 2008, so you’re definitely more versed in what I do solo.” Back in 2008, Earle was a little-known songwriter with an affinity for various strains of timeless American songwriting that weren’t exactly in vogue. Nevertheless, he immediately initiated a relationship with Australian audiences, which continues to blossom. “[That first tour] was a gamble, but it was a gamble that Brian Taranto and Love Police were taking,” he says. “I’ve actually known Brian since I was a kid, so it was a very easy relationship to get involved in. I was very much just looking forward to seeing Australia and now I’ve definitely seen a lot more of it than I ever thought I would.” What: Absent Fathers out now through Vagrant/Warner With: Sam Outlaw Where: The Basement / Newtown Social Club When: Wednesday April 15 / Thursday April 16 And: Also appearing at Lizotte’s Newcastle on Friday April 17
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Los Chicos
Marta Pacek
Spanish Bombs By Augustus Welby
Melancholy Melodies By Adam Norris
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fter a prolonged bout of living abroad, Marta Pacek has only been back in Australia a little over six months, yet is already in the midst of an epic tour across the country. She is joined by Canadian troubadours The Jessica Stuart Few, and as the two acts share the stage from State to Territory, the practicalities of life on the road – travel and accommodation, making sure tensions don’t boil down to someone murdering someone else in their sleep – tends to leave little time for refl ection and new material. Not that the ebullient Pacek seems to mind – she’s having far too much fun to stop and think about writing.
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os Chicos are a Spanish punk band. While for many music listeners Spanish punk music is probably an alien notion, the music Los Chicos make won’t strike punk fans as unreachably foreign. In 2013, the band released its fourth album, In The Age Of Stupidity – a tumbling 30-minute ride, motored by torn and frayed energy. Throughout the record, the influence of bands such as The Pogues, The Replacements and Bad Religion rears its head. “I grew up listening to tapes of The Pogues in school,” says Los Chicos vocalist Rafa Suñén. “I had to hide from the teachers because some of them wouldn’t let you use the Walkman at school. I vividly remember The Pogues tape and also a Bad Religion tape being daily companions when I was 12. The Replacements came later on, but all of them are very important to us and they are on our top list of all-time bands. “The thing is, they do come up in our songs, but most of the time without much thought. The Pogues does come with an intention, because you can go and try to write something with those arrangements. Bad Religion and other melodic bands, I notice it more. I listen to a lot of bands with very pop melodies, from Bad Religion to Elton John, just so I can get a melody different from the typical garage rock thing.” Los Chicos are known advocates of good times – that is, cranking the stereo and drinking like there’s no tomorrow. But in spite of this reputation, they’re not utterly hedonistic madmen. It’s no secret that Spain has been battered around by economic instability in recent years, and with economic instability comes social unrest. Los Chicos haven’t turned a blind eye to these issues. “We are socially and politically concerned,” says Suñén. “We come from punk and we have opinions and act in that way. But we
really wanted to make a point while having a lot of fun doing it, and not ruin anybody’s party by writing newspaper lyrics about the International Monetary Fund. We wanted to say that we are often asleep with what’s going on, that sometimes you get robbed by the ones above, and you have to be aware. But also that the only thing you have when this happens is the things you enjoy, like music, or a live gig, or your friends. “This last few years has been really ugly and makes you want to say something,” he adds. “But I’m really happy and proud of our listeners and people from the radio, because when [In The Age Of Stupidity] came out they really understood our point.”
“When you’re on tour, you’re in a kind of bang-bang-bang headspace,” Pacek explains. For someone who has only just woken up, she sounds remarkably chipper; one of those rare morning musos. “Especially when you have gigs back to back, you just have to put your head down and do it. You’re just tearing off to the next stage, making sure you’re going to get to your hotel on time to check in. Jessica booked the tour, and I’m tour managing. So the division of labour is good. I’ve defi nitely experienced where it’s one-sided, and that really isn’t great. You’re essentially going into a partnership with somebody when you share a tour. You’re splitting the costs; you’re splitting the energy, the work. You have to be careful who you choose to tour with, but I’ve been lucky because Jess is so much fun. So to be honest, I haven’t had time to dwell on how each gig has been!”
In a matter of days, Los Chicos will be back on Australian soil for the third time. Over the years, the band members have revealed their love for several Australian bands such as Radio Birdman, The Johnnys and The Celibate Rifles. The fact they were given an opportunity to tour Australia in the first place, let alone three times, inspires words of disbelief from Suñén.
Pacek is chiefl y touring on the heels of Voodoo Dolls And False Alarms, a beautiful, dark collection that illustrates the alt-folk Americana styling with which she is now synonymous. The album follows 2012’s Rebel Baby, and if both albums seem rife with ghosts, it is with good reason; it is most often through heartbreak and sadness that Pacek fi nds the fortitude to write.
“That first visit was like a dream come true,” he says. “When we were preparing the trip we were thinking, ‘Man, this is actually happening!’ That tour went so, so well we actually couldn’t wait to go there again. So we did, and it went even better. Obviously, we had the help of many amazing people who are like family to us – Johnny Casino, the guys from Off The Hip, Wally and The Meanies, The New Christs, Midnight Woolf, Tim Wold. So we really are looking forward to our third bombing.”
“The last two albums were very dark. I was in a foreign country, and I was dating but it wasn’t really going well. I kept having these awful experiences, and I’m not one of those people who can heal easily. I do things the old-fashioned way; I need to lick my wounds. I can’t just slap on a Band-Aid and move into the next relationship. I need to retreat and refl ect. That sounds like I’ve met 10,000 men and they’ve all done me wrong, but it was only a couple. They really broke me, though.”
With: Johnny Casino and The Secrets, The Dunhill Blues Where: Newtown Social Club When: Wednesday April 8
Though Pacek speaks openly about hardship and turmoil, her conversation is very happy, almost light; the impression one receives is of an artist who has found true catharsis in channelling the lows of life into something fi ner.
“I think the dark or scary things just affect you more. I fi nd it difficult to write when I’m happy. When you’re really happy and things are going well, when you’re not disturbed, it’s harder to want to share. There’s something about bad news, something dramatic that I feel more inclined to write about. When life is good I’m enjoying it too much to really refl ect on it. Whereas with the bad stuff, I need to sit back and process it to access those feelings and write it out. Or I’ll listen to other miserable artists,” she laughs brightly. “Like Ray LaMontagne, Neil Young. They validate your own feelings of sadness. It’s nice to listen to other people being melancholy. It gives you permission to go there.” What: Voodoo Dolls And False Alarms out now independently With: The Jessica Stuart Few Where: The Royal Exchange, Newcastle / Django Bar When: Thursday April 2 / Saturday April 4
Fly My Pretties Conscious Collaborations By Annie Murney Freddy’s Drop and The Phoenix Foundation. “I’m more of a director with Fly My Pretties,” he says. “Although it tends to be an open brief, you have to strike a balance between being hands-on and hands-off. The people we choose to work with us, we know whatever they’re going to do is going to be amazing.”
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t’s a different kind of operation when it comes to Wellington-based group Fly My Pretties. With dozens of musicians on board and an emphasis on live performance, they’re more like a theatre company than your typical band. The group comes together sporadically and comprises the cream of New Zealand’s music scene, swinging between folk, blues, roots, reggae and more. Settling in amongst a star-studded lineup, these Kiwi heavyweights will be smashing out a set at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest. In the lead-up to the festival, co-founder Barnaby Weir has been 14 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
busy organising gigs around New Zealand’s North and South Islands. “We’re really excited, even just being able to attend as music lovers,” he says. “There has been very few Kiwi groups that have been asked over the years, so we’re honoured and we treat it with respect.” Between The Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties, Weir has been juggling different roles and touring schedules for the best part of a decade now. Many of the people involved in Fly My Pretties are established musicians in their own right and have represented the likes of Kora, Trinity Roots, Fat
Since 2004, Fly My Pretties have reached audiences around the world. Mixing established and emerging musicians, the project has fostered the rise of some of New Zealand’s hottest talent. They also collaborate with visual artists and home-grown fashion labels to produce memorable and multi-faceted performances. “It’s like a variety showcase, what we do,” says Weir. “But we do have a consistent sound – our music isn’t totally random. There is a core engine room, if you like.” As well as being a creative outlet for musicians seeking to expand their repertoire, Fly My Pretties cultivate a sense of social awareness. Many
of the members engage with local politics and environmental concerns. These commentaries are often wrapped in storytelling and soulful tunes. Both musically and politically, the aim is to open up new ideas and spark conversation. For potential participants, the opportunity to communicate about social change has become an attractive feature of Fly My Pretties. “Yes, I certainly believe it has,” agrees Weir. “It provides a platform that can shine a light on social issues in front of thousands of people, not hundreds. We’re not a political group, but we are conscious people. It’s the difference between being an individual in a band and working in collaboration with many people. It’s risky but it’s fresh. And it’s always a little bit different each time.” As an alternative model for making music, Fly My Pretties have shifted the way musicians work and interact with each other in New Zealand. “Without blowing our own trumpet, I think it has changed the scene,” Weir says. “When we came out, everyone was doing their own separate thing.
This collaboration started as a way of getting other musicians to branch out and mix with other people. It’s not necessarily an original idea, but no-one was doing it on the scale that we were.” Predicated on community and experimentation, there are many layers to this Kiwi supergroup. They manage to be intimate and theatrical at the same time, weaving together a whole range of personal stories and skills. In Weir’s words, Fly My Pretties are all about “good stories from cool people from different backgrounds”. “You’re not going to be stuck with one sound all night,” he says. “There will be a lot of talent. We just want to make the best impression that we can.” What: Bluesfest 2015 With: Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Alabama Shakes, Train and many more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday April 2 – Monday April 6
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BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town
arts in focus
giselle
Adam Bull and Juliet Burnett in Giselle, photo by Georges Antoni
an affair of the heart
also inside:
PABLO FR AANCISCO NCISCO / LUISA OMIEL AANN / ART S NE WS / ART S GIVE AWAY / RE VIE WS thebrag.com
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arts in focus
arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Chris Martin, Meggan Turner and Ayla Dhyani
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit It Follows
five minutes WITH PETER
CASTALDI, CURATOR OF CASTALDI IN FOCUS
Peter Castaldi
Romeo + Juliet or The Navigator, or films that they will never have a chance to see on the big screen, such as X, Jour De Fete and Omar. And I have a love of documentary, so 20,000 Days On Earth and Bodywork both push that form to the outer limit.
T
he Castaldi In Focus program you’ve curated is set to open at Riverside Theatres. Was there an overarching direction or criteria you followed in order to select the films? I had to work a mix of what is available with what I felt were either films that people would like to see again, or had heard of but never seen – films with a sort of cult status like
What about the competing virtues of making the program accessible to your audience versus challenging that audience? How do you achieve that balance? I am confident that every film in this program will both entertain and challenge the audience in the way that all great cinema does. What can you tell us about the Q&A
You’ve been involved in the Australian film industry for more than 35 years. Is it in a stronger place than when you started? No. That’s another story. What I can say is that this program at the Riverside goes some of the way to redressing some of the appalling imbalances at play in every part of the Australian screen production, distribution and exhibition sectors. What: Castaldi In Focus Where: Riverside Theatres When: Wednesday April 1 – Wednesday May 27
IT FOLLOWS
Horror films are always a late-night classic for the brave and the bold. It Follows – the latest from independent filmmaker David Robert Mitchell – is sure to join your terrifying rotation of horror flicks. With a chilling electronic score by Disasterpeace, it tells the tale of a 19-year-old schoolgirl who can’t help but feel that she is being watched and followed by something or someone. Paranoia? Acute awareness? You’ll just have to find out for yourself. With a standout performance from up-andcoming actor Maika Monroe and a multitude of other great performances, this is not a film to miss. Dendy Newtown will be showing the film exclusively from Thursday April 16, but we’ve got five double passes to give away for the opening screening on Wednesday April 15. If you dare to enter, head to thebrag.com/freeshit.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
Boys Will Be Boys, a bold new work by Melissa Bubnic, will premiere at Sydney Theatre Company in April. Featuring an all-female cast, Boys Will Be Boys is an abrasive look at the themes and ideas of gender in a male-dominated work place. It centers around Astrid, a relentless currency trader who decides to play mentor for a young junior, Priya. Bubnic was STC’s winner of the Patrick White Playwright’s Award 2010. Boys Will Be Boys will play at Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company from Thursday April 16 – Saturday May 16.
MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
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Love & Mercy
STEPHEN HAWKING LECTURE
As part of Ideas at the House, and in partnership with Cisco and the University of New South Wales, physicist, cosmologist and generally amazing human Stephen Hawking will be giving his first-ever lecture in Australia this year. Except he won’t actually be in Australia. Professor Hawking will be presenting from the University of Cambridge, via “the very latest in collaboration technology”. Will he be a hologram? Will he be talking through his daughter Lucy Hawking (who will actually be live onstage)? As an audience with arguably one of the greatest and most inspiring scientists of our time, An Evening With Stephen Hawking is certain to delight and intrigue. It takes place at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Sunday April 26.
the Surry Hills area home in the World War II and post-war era. Participants will follow a series of talks and readings taking place in various parts of Surry Hills, following the literary trail as laid out in the novel. The day will finish off with a buffet meal at the Gaelic Club.
The event is supported by the Irish National Association of Australia, which will be marking its centenary this year. The Harp In The South Day will take place on Saturday April 18, beginning at the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre at 2pm.
Dolores
SYDNEY REMIXED
The world-renowned REMIX Summit returns to Sydney this June with over 75 creative leaders from key cultural centres, plus technology innovators and young entrepreneurs, coming together to tackle the big ideas shaping the future of the creative industries. As part of this year’s Vivid Ideas program at Vivid Sydney, the event will include a selection of inspirational speakers from all over the world including Twitter Australia managing director Karen Stocks, Google Cultural Institute director Amit Sood, Metropolitan Museum of Art chief digital officer Sree Sreenivasan, and Kim McKay, CEO of the Australian Museum, among many others. REMIX Sydney will be hosted at the Sydney Town Hall from Tuesday June 2 – Wednesday June 3.
THE HARP IN THE SOUTH DAY An inaugural “walk and talk” event will be held in Surry Hills this April to celebrate the life and work of New Zealand-Australian author Ruth Park. Park’s 1948 novel The Harp In The South reflected on the lives of Irish-Australians, Europeans and Chinese immigrants who called
DOLORES AT THE OLD FITZ
Red Line Productions will present Edward Allan Baker’s brutally dark comedy Dolores as part of the Old Fitz Theatre’s Late Show season. Dolores stars local actors Kate Box and Janine Watson, taking on the roles of two sisters who both dream of meaningful lives. On an unexpected Sunday afternoon, both sisters share a moment of revelation that will take audiences on a journey exploring universal themes of family, love, relationships and resilience as well as the darker aspects of domestic violence. Dolores will play at the Old Fitz from Tuesday April 28 – Saturday May 9.
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Dolores photo by Marnya Rothe
More than 400 Australian writers and 45 international guests will descend on Sydney in May for the 2015 edition of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. The full program announcement has revealed the theme for this year’s event, ‘How To Live?’, as well as an impressive array of literary talent. Big names include novelist and essayist Mohsin Hamid, who’ll give the opening address; H Is For Hawk author Helen Macdonald, who’ll close the program; actors Alan Cumming and David Walliams; and the best-selling author in the world over the last 13 years, James Patterson. Representing the locals are the likes of 2014 Man Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan, Evie Wyld, Kate Grenville and David Malouf. Former Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and John Howard will appear at different events, as will former Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh. The 2015 Sydney Writers’ Festival takes place from Monday May 18 – Sunday May 24. For the full program and venue and ticketing details, visit swf.org.au.
The 62nd Sydney Film Festival is on its way this June, and organisers have revealed the first 25 films for its ‘teaser’ program. Highlights include the New Zealand horror flick Deathgasm, set to lead the Freak Me Out program at a new festival venue, Dendy Newtown. The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy will feature on the music program, joined for the 2015 festival by blockbuster selections Phoenix, The Duke Of Burgundy, 99 Homes and Dreamcatcher. Australian film critic David Stratton has curated a program called Essential Bergman, chronicling ten films by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Sydney Film Festival 2015 takes over the city from Wednesday June 3 – Sunday June 14, with the full program of around 200 films to be announced in May.
Boys Will Be Boys photo by James Green
SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2015
Boys Will Be Boys
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Do you have any particular favourites on the program? I have always been a huge fan of Jacques Tati, so Jour De Fete is a favourite; I think Jon Hewitt is an important and much underrecognised and under-appreciated filmmaker, so X; and The Navigator is pure magic.
sessions with certain filmmakers during the program? I worked for 15 years as an ABC journalist interviewing all the great filmmakers and actors of the time. Every Q&A will be both entertaining and informative. I do not ask stupid questions. I stay away from gossip. I come at each subject with great love and respect.
Giselle
Juliet Burnett in Giselle
[DANCE] A Noble Love Story By Liza Dezfouli
T
y King-Hall, principal dancer with The Australian Ballet, is carrying a lot on his shoulders. The company is about to reprise its celebrated version of Giselle, and King-Hall is performing the male lead, Albrecht. “Albrecht is an interesting one,” he tells us over a coffee in the deli at the Australian Ballet Centre in Melbourne. “It’s different when you interpret the role yourself. The story is one of a peasant girl who falls in love with a man she believes is a peasant as well, but he’s really from the nobility. A lot of people see him as a cad, initially, who’s really in it for a little bit of fun; he doesn’t take it too seriously. Giselle is warned by her mother not to fall in love. Albrecht is already betrothed to a princess, Bathilde. Giselle has a delicate heart.”
Giselle photo by Georges Antoni
The original Giselle premiered in 1841 and has been one of the world’s best-loved ballets ever since. “This ballet is one of my favourites of all time,” says King-Hall. “It’s the traditional romantic ballet, up there with Swan Lake. The role of Albrecht is rewarding; the character goes through a lot. Not every role you perform has that many dimensions. It’s a role I’ve wanted to perform for a very long time.” King-Hall has appeared in Giselle before, but as a lowly peasant – something he says
helped give him a unique way into the dance. “You get a different perspective from back there onstage; you’ve got the best seat in the house. I draw on those memories with my own interpretation. There are different ways to approach the role. You could see Albrecht as wanting to avoid the pressures of the nobility and of his arranged marriage. By the end he could be genuinely in love with Giselle. Or you could see it as a man who’s in it for fun and didn’t know the danger. Act II is his redemption; it’s a powerful transformation of the character. That’s the great thing about ballet, that freedom for interpretation. The steps are set in stone, sure, the choreography is what it is, but there are slight differences with interpretations. There’s an artistic side for you personally as a performer when it comes to your own acting.” The company is enjoying the presence of former artistic director Maina Gielgud while it prepares the show. “It’s been in our repertoire since she was the director,” says King-Hall. “It’s her version we do, her styling. It’s fantastic that Maina is here – she’s here with us in the room, she’s working with us, working with us to stage the production.” King-Hall has been dancing since the age of seven, growing up in rural New Zealand in a small town called Warkworth, north
of Auckland. It’s not an environment you’d immediately expect to foster a principal ballet dancer. However, King-Hall had encouraging parents. “My parents have an athletic background,” he says. “I fell into it. I was lucky – when my mother found I wanted to dance, she took me to ballet school; she started taking me to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet. For some kids it’s still hard. Ballet is not as institutionalised for guys as it is for girls; as a choice, it’s not as cut and dried for boys. Most little girls have a moment where they want to be a ballerina. Guys find their way to ballet by accident, by going along to their sisters’ classes or going along with a friend or hanging around with their sisters. Every guy’s got a different story. But dance is a lot more mainstream now – there’s a lot more dance and it’s got more of a public profile. People understand that you can’t have ballet without the pas de deux [duet]; that the male dancer is an integral part of it. You have to have guys doing it. I’d encourage as many guys to take it up as possible.” What: Giselle Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House When: Thursday April 2 – Wednesday April 22
Luisa Omielan [COMEDY] All The Single Ladies By Nick Mason
“T
his is very scary!” confesses Luisa Omielan, still adjusting to her surroundings. “I’m on a three-month tour of a country I’ve never been to before to do my first solo show. It’s pretty high up there in terms of adventure.”
Pablo Francisco [COMEDY] First Impressions By Tom Clift
I
nterviewing Pablo Francisco is an experience unlike any other. A staple of American standup comedy for more than 20 years, the Arizona native and former MADtv cast member has made a career out of his spot-on celebrity impressions, and he’s all too happy to demonstrate over the phone. One minute we’re having a conversation with Don LaFontaine, the famous movie voiceover guy. The next minute, it’s Sylvester Stallone having an orgasm. “I would take the VCR and record every comic that came on,” Francisco explains, reverting briefly back to his own voice. “I was really lucky back in 1986 that these comedy clubs were opening up. I was delivering pizza for Domino’s and had all this time to talk to myself. I would try out my material on all the drivers. Then I’d go to the comedy club, where they said, ‘Hey man, drop out of school and come on over here with us!’ So it became its own university.” The first impersonation Francisco remembers mastering was Kermit the Frog. Since then his repertoire has expanded to include Jackie Chan, Keanu Reeves, Jerry Springer, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Stone Cold Steve Austin, among dozens upon dozens of others. One that he’s perfected recently is actor Mark Wahlberg. “He’s always breathing really hard,” says Francisco, before launching into a highvoiced impression that sounds exactly like the real thing.
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When picking up a new character, one of the most important things is staying power. “There are so many stars out there that don’t have longevity,” says Francisco, who tends to avoid political humour for the same reason. “I can’t keep up with all these TV shows … I want to make fun of Justin Bieber, but he keeps growing up too quick. “Arnold keeps coming back,” the comedian adds, suddenly sporting a thick Austrian accent that sounds a lot like a certain ex-Governor of thebrag.com
California. “He’s getting old though, so it’s not, ‘I’ll be back.’ It’s, ‘Ow, my back!’” For his upcoming Australian tour, Francisco has put together “a whole new posse”, including a “secret weapon” in the form of fellow comedian and cartoonist Steve Kramer. “He’s Megadeth plus AC/DC divided by the square root of Apple Macintosh,” says Francisco, although what he means by that isn’t really clear. “I’ve known him for 15 years and I’ve always wanted to team up with him … It’ll be great to have him as a breath of fresh air. You’re all going to like him, it’s going to be fun. “We’re going to try and make this show a little bit different,” Francisco continues. “We’re adding some cartoons to it. It’s an hour special, so hopefully people will like it. It’s something different we’ve decided to try, since we’ve been to Australia like three times now. We wanted to give it a new flavour, and see how it goes.”
The British comedian has a huge three months ahead of her in Australia, touring her wildly successful debut show, What Would Beyonce Do?! The story behind the show is a classic case of courage in the face of adversity. Essentially, when life gave Omielan lemons, she made lemonade. “My show started because I was heartbroken over a boy. I was on the beach and I was like, ‘Thank the Lord he dumped me! Dump me again – dump me three times – because I’m in Australia! Hallelujah!’” There are many ways to bounce back from a broken heart, but Omielan has set the bar sky high: back in 2012, What Would Beyonce Do?! became one of the most successful debut shows in Edinburgh Fringe history. It was vindication for Omielan, whose persistence in pursuing her dreams has begun to pay off. “I had no agent, no PR, no industry interest. Nobody was interested in me. I had been gigging for years. This was my life: I wanted to do comedy. I did it throughout college, at university and I had been pursuing it for a long time. I put [this show] on and my only goal was to make the audience go batshit. I was like, ‘Just make the audience go crazy. OK, the industry isn’t interested, but I know the audience: when I kill it, they love me. I’ve just got to find a way to make them leave feeling like, ‘Wow, that was amazing.’’ So I just started focusing on that.” There were promising signs early on for Omielan, with What Would Beyonce Do?! demonstrating the hallmarks of a cult hit. “What was amazing was the amount of people that identified with it,” she says.
“Then I started getting an audience – quite a hardcore following in the UK – and a majority that don’t normally go to comedy nights. “[Comedy can be] quite male and can be a bit chauvinistic and can be an ugly environment to be in … whereas, in my audiences, it’s a lot of women that wouldn’t normally go to a stand-up night and they absolutely love it. They leave and they feel very empowered and very good about themselves and they message me and tell me. I won’t lie, they go crazy. In London, they go absolutely mental. They leave brighteyed and bushy-tailed, like, ‘Woah, that was amazing! I can conquer the world!’ And you’re like, ‘Yeah, you can! You go get ’em!’” Omielan’s message of empowerment has taken on a life of its own. Her season at Edinburgh was enough to confirm that she was onto something special. “Seeing the queues, I was like, ‘Is this for me?!’ Now I cry when it’s not sold out!” she laughs. Of course, with high praise comes enormous pressure, but Omielan is up to the challenge. “I want this show to be bigger, I want more people to see it,” she says. “I want this show to be famous around the world. I want everyone to see this show because I think it is an important show and I love how it makes people feel. It is pressure, but I’m confident in the show. It just speaks for itself. I just hope Australia gets on board with it and I hope they enjoy it and I hope I can give them a good time.” What: What Would Beyonce Do?! as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2015 Where: Factory Theatre When: Wednesday April 22 – Saturday April 25 And: Also appearing at the Enmore Theatre on Sunday April 26
It helps that Aussie audiences tend to be receptive to some of Francisco’s edgier material. “Australia’s the perfect place to try some new stuff,” says the comedian with a laugh. “Australia is like family, but family you can be a bit looser with, if that makes sense? I don’t have to worry about offending anyone. I know where to draw the line, but here [in America] people get touchy over stupid shit.” Even after all this time, Francisco still seems to enjoy what he does. “We don’t have to go onstage and sing the same songs,” he says. “We can change it up any way we want, and the vibe will be there. So you can’t get exhausted, because it’s just too much fun.” What: Here We Go Again (Back In The Outback) as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2015 Where: Enmore Theatre When: Wednesday April 22 BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 19
Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR
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■ Film
Infi nitely Polar Bear
While it’d be easy for Infinitely Polar Bear to take actors like Ruffalo and Saldana and let them carry the film, their performances are only as good as the script. Which is to say they are fantastic in a film that works hard to interweave a drama of dysfunctional relationships and social exclusion with the race and social issues of its 1970s Boston setting. Director Maya Forbes adopts a Handycam style that some may find off-putting, but give it some time and it meshes effortlessly with the upbeat soundtrack to bring the film’s oft-surprising world to life.
In cinemas now
Infi nitely Polar Bear is remarkably downto-earth when it comes to its depiction of romance. The relationship between Cameron and his ex-wife is explored and developed over the course of a year, and this more realistic approach works wonders for the talent involved. This chemistry extends to the relationship between Cameron and his daughters – much to the benefit of the film’s most hilarious moments. Ruffalo’s performance takes a while to get going but once it does, Infi nitely Polar Bear feels authentic, honest, funny and refreshing. Fergus Halliday
■ Theatre
Playing at Belvoir St Theatre until Sunday April 26
The script Jada Alberts (of the superb Brothers Wreck) and Sarks have produced for Elektra / Orestes is fresh and sharply paced. Klytemnestra (Linda Cropper) can’t get Elektra to reveal the whereabouts of her long-missing brother Orestes (Hunter PageLochard), and the tension builds towards an inevitable bloodshed. But interestingly, care is taken to distance the viewer from any realist engagement with the characters. The dialogue maintains its distance, instead opting for an allegorical, archetypal mode. In the first act the violent climax is conducted offstage, keeping us guessing, not quite gratifying because of its lack of catharsis. Then at the halfway point there is a complete shift, offering a double reading of the events that have taken place in the Elektra half, making for a thrilling second act. We start to see the gory details from the other side of the stage, and the interfamilial adultery and
Hunter Page-Lochard and Linda Cropper in Elektra / Orestes murder is now visible almost to the point of being comic in its gratuity.
Alan Rickman’s second directorial project sees him reunited with Kate Winslet in a modern take on life at the court of Louis XIV and the drama surrounding his biggest achievement – the building of Versailles. Interestingly, where this film differs from productions like Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette is the focus it places on the ordinary workers, rather than the royalty. We’re introduced to André Le Nôtre (played by Matthias Schoenaerts), Louis XIV’s landscaper and designer, who has the overwhelming task of meeting the ever-changing demands and whims of the monarch (while staying within budget). The mounting workload forces Le Nôtre to hire an assistant designer in the form of Sabine de Barra (Winslet), whose radical notions of organised chaos offend him in the beginning, until he visits her home to see how a modern garden can be enjoyed.
in some ways the struggle for recognition, work/ life balance and human connection is something that modern audiences will easily relate to. Schoenaerts plays the brooding Le Nôtre strongly, and Winslet gives a highly emotional and authentic interpretation of a woman struggling to overcome the tragic death of her husband and daughter by burying herself in the only passion she has left. But while there is chemistry between Le Nôtre and De Barra, it lacks the intensity of Bronte’s Rochester and Jane or Austen’s Darcy and Elizabeth.
While the reality of an independent woman commanding teams of men to build an outdoor ballroom with a feature fountain in 17th century France is highly implausible,
Rickman puts on a great performance as the Sun King himself, providing the story with a comical element. There’s a particularly well-crafted scene that sees him taking
refuge from everyone at court in a small garden, disguised as a local horticulturist who just wants to have a normal conversation with De Barra, minus the trappings of power. It’s light-hearted scenes like this that set the film apart from other rigid period dramas. While A Little Chaos is unconventional in the way it handles the genre, it’s also very enjoyable and visually stunning, both in terms of set design and costumes. It might not be the most dynamic film, but it is engaging and audiences will find themselves warming to the characters, especially Louis XIV, in a way that hasn’t been achieved elsewhere. Nena Serafi m
The hybridity of form is in itself exciting, caught between dramatic pull, comedy, and meta-theatre; it’s great to have other goals than to make us just hurt or laugh. But through this there seems a lack of clarity about where we’re meant to end up. The climax goes for full-on drama and shock but the continual distancing throughout the play keeps us a thin film away from engaging fully. Particularly strong performances from Cropper as the stoic, seemingly guiltless mother and Page-Lochard as the noble but hugely conflicted would-be king help to cut through to a closer engagement – particularly the searing question of why regret only takes hold after the deed is done, foresight never offered with a head full of vengeance. What we are left with is a play that can’t avoid feeling uncertain, but is still hugely interesting, very contemporary, and exciting to watch. Justin Wolfers
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Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
The Crab Carnival The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room, until Friday April 24 A carnival celebrating everyone’s favourite crustacean – the crab – is underway this month at the CBD’s Morrison Bar and Oyster Room. Spanning 26 days, the Crab Carnival contains activities featuring the crabby critters, both alive as well as fit for consumption. Expect crab The Crab Carnival racing, crab eating and crab cocktails, as well as a cast of other crab-related goodness to help ensure that no attendees leave feeling crabby. Celebrity chef Sean Connolly has created a menu that is sure to tickle some taste buds, so don’t be a hermit this weekend – head on down. Or shuffle sideways, it’s up to you. For more information, check out themorrison.com.au.
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Elektra / Orestes photo by Lisa Tomasetti
ELEKTRA / ORESTES
Resident Belvoir director Anne-Louise Sarks continues her run of interestingly repositioned adaptations, following on from Medea and Nora to bring to life a bloodthirsty Greek myth as a modern-day domestic dramedy. Elektra (Katherine Tonkin) is very open about the fact her mother has killed her father, but in an upbeat, almost farcically energetic manner that imparts mirth more than any kind of horror.
Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet in A Little Chaos
A LITTLE CHAOS
In cinemas now Infi nitely Polar Bear is a comedic drama that follows manic-depressive and father Cameron (Mark Ruffalo) as he struggles to care for his two daughters after ex-wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) leaves them in his care. Right from the get-go, the film feels like an honest look at the struggles of the everyday (even for those who come from wealthy backgrounds) and is structured around each season that Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) spend in their father’s care.
■ Film
Album Reviews
What's been crossing our ears this week... What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK CD OF THE WEEK FILTHY APES
song feels like an extension of the last, but by the end you realise there’s been a drastic shift in tone since the beginning. As catchy as the hooks are, the band knows not to get too stuck on a good thing and frequently introduces new ideas before the old ones get stale.
Indigovidual Kontrol
I’ve just been to the planet of the Filthy Apes and I think I’m going to stay. Donning gorilla masks and pseudonyms, the Perth-based band has crafted a scuzzy, psychedelic debut that is so good it could almost convince you to visit Perth.
There’s no monkey business here – just a brilliant debut to turn heads across the country.
ERRORS Lease Of Life Rock Action
Lease Of Life is Glaswegian electro outfit Errors’ fifth album in, impressively, the last seven years. Before recording Lease Of Life, they toured with fellow Scots, Chrvches. Somewhere between Chrvches and Mogwai (who signed Errors to their label, Rock Action Records) is a pretty good description of where you’ll find this band. On one hand, there’s the laidback synth bipping and bopping along to calm, ocean-going vocals. On the other hand, all these tracks are cut from the post-electro cloth, with long running times (nine tracks over 52 minutes) overlaid with stretching, velvety soft and subtle electronica (prime example: ‘Dull Care’). Other influences from the dust of electronica can be heard too, with ‘New Winged Fire’ sharing the same jingly Scandinavian palette as The Knife, and the back end of the title track running parallel to the work of Depeche Mode.
Meanwhile, let’s settle for the journey that is Indigovidual, starting with the soaring guitars of ‘Colour Cafe’ and riding the monkey magic until the pounding breakdown of ‘Death Kwan Doh’.
This is probably because it’s a ‘use every part of the buffalo’ type of record. No-one in the band is left behind. When vocalist Father Time transitions between psychedelic wailing and punk screaming, the elements are so in sync it’s hard not to feel euphoric. It would work as well in a stadium as it would in your basement, and Indigovidual proves that the Filthy Apes are ready for both. Get your stinking paws on it.
This EP as a whole is brilliantly executed. Each
James Ross
TANGLED THOUGHTS OF LEAVING
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
Yield To Despair Bird’s Robe
Radium Death Anti-/Warner
Existing roughly midway between the thrilling expansiveness of tour mates 65daysofstatic and the finely tuned sludgy drone of Sunn O))), Perth’s Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving are one of the country’s most ambitious post-rock outfits and their seemingly endless well of ideas shows no signs of running dry on Yield To Despair.
EMPERORS
JOE PUG
Chupacabra Gun Fever
Windfall Thrilhill
William Elliott Whitmore lets out a ferocious roar on the opening track of his new album, Radium Death. The eighth record from the Iowa-based singer-songwriter is the first one that he has ‘gone electric’ on, bringing a new sense of energy and urgency into his country and blues sound.
Much like Kumar Sangakkara, Emperors are going to bow out while they’re still good. That analogy doesn’t really work (I just wanted to make a cricket reference), because I’m really not sure how good this band is. Chupacabra is only their second album too, which makes things harder.
The punk-influenced singersongwriter is a road that is well travelled these days, but Whitmore pulls it off with a more blues-based influence than his counterparts. There are plenty of songs that have the melodies and gravitas of old traditionals, as well as songs that borrow as much from Bad Religion as they do Blind Willie McTell. This is all backed up by Whitmore’s powerful and commanding voice, with a whisky-and-cigarette-soaked texture that fits the songs to a tee.
You see, Blue Weezer came out in 1994. That was 21 years ago. Not long after that, Foo Fighters (1995) and Nickelback (1996), to name two, also announced themselves into the world. The difficult thing with Emperors is that it’s almost like they think it’s only 1997 (which isn’t a bad thing; BuzzFeed didn’t exist back then, for one), and in aping the scene of these above bands, they come off as incredibly dated and tacky. Emperors might as well still be wearing shirts with flames on them.
Fans of Joe Pug will know that during the last leg of his continuous four-year tour, the travelling troubadour cancelled his remaining shows, packed up his bags and went off to find inspiration away from music, which by that point had drained him of any enthusiasm for the craft. Pug’s third album Windfall is the product of this soulsearching and rejuvenation. His trademark musings on suffering, loss and struggle are still present, but there’s an overwhelming sense of optimism and willingness to persevere despite the odds.
Fans of older albums shouldn’t be too stressed, as there are plenty of songs on which Whitmore puts away his newly found electric guitar to bring out more acoustic sounds, as well as the banjo. Songs like ‘Have Mercy’ really soften things up, which makes the full band tracks like ‘Trouble In Your Heart’ hit just a little bit harder.
Thing is, Chupacabra isn’t a bad album. Most of the songs on this record are deftly crafted alternative rock songs with strong, sometimes poppy, melodies that easily draw the listener in. Take ‘Green Head’, for example, which had me subconsciously tapping along after two half-listens to the song. ‘Automatic Sigh’ and ‘Eliot Ness’ are two others that also house sharp lures to grab you seemingly from nowhere, like a crocodile, or Weezer’s own ‘Buddy Holly’. Nicholas Hartman
However, rather like Homer when he tries to build the pool and ends up constructing a barn instead, there’s just something about Errors that feels misguided, if well-intentioned. None of these tracks ever really come out and kick you, and as a result the influences apparent in this album come off as lazy subsumption.
At their best, there’s a sense their music may collapse into a shuddering heap, a quality they share with Dirty Three. ‘Shaking Off Futility’ works this territory, with a vaguely menacing drone slowly pushing through the chaos to assert itself as the backbone of the song. The real epic moments come on ‘Downbeat’, which morphs from deliberate, isolated drums into a kind of adrenalinefuelled meltdown, with screeching noise competing for space with the kind of furious drumming that could take a mere mortal’s arm off. The mood is predominantly ominous and grimly evocative, but there are moments of beautiful spaciousness, like in ‘The Albanian Sleepover – Part One’, where an intense, grinding rhythm builds to a machine-like density before stripping back layers to reveal a more becalmed oasis within.
The fact that this then-four-album band was supporting Chrvches on their debut tour says a lot.
Yield To Despair is an evocative affair, a forceful demonstration of ambition and scope.
Radium Death removes a lot of the minimalism and simplicity of Whitmore’s previous albums, but in no way is it any less intimate or engaging.
Nicholas Hartman
Daniel Herborn
Spencer Scott
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK “I feel it in my bones, the fear of being alone,” sings Sam Shinazzi on ‘Bones’. It’s a moment of startling rawness, but typical of the intimacy and directness of this record, which benefits hugely from its heart-onsleeve candour. On ‘Go’ he’s weighed down with regret as a relationship flounders, while ‘Grieving’ is matterof-fact statement of loss.
SAM SHINAZZI Forever & For Now Laughing Outlaw
Yet it’s not too long before light starts seeping in. Forever & For Now may be a confessional record, but it’s far from a mopey one. By the time it reaches the Lemonheads-like ‘Everything’s Alright’ and album highlight ‘The Day We Met’, it’s positively rousing. A veteran of the inner city scene with a cultish following, Shinazzi’s
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music has evolved from initial lo-fi efforts that recalled the thrilling scrappiness of early Sebadoh to the more lush, polished sound heard on ‘Ballerina’, where the guitars jangle and surge with optimism. The influences lean to the less bombastic end of classic rock; think Bruce Springsteen in bedroom pop mode à la ‘Candy’s Room’ or The Replacements when they sobered up and bought some Gram Parsons records. It’s gorgeously reflective stuff. Forever & For Now is a gem of rough-around-the-edges romanticism, a warm reflection on life’s disappointments and consolations.
The runaway track is undoubtedly ‘Great Hosannas’ which opens with jangly piano keys playing over the deep thrum of an upright bass. Pug’s talent for storytelling makes this a very moving song, full of cascading lyrics and vivid imagery. Windfall is a multilayered album that demonstrates Pug’s talent and ability to convincingly expand into new genres while retaining the elements of his music that fans have come to love. The stories he weaves are richer, not only in terms of lyrics but instrumentally; there’s a warmth and maturity that he’s managed to master with this album that wasn’t present in his other work. It’s safe to say that we can expect great things to come from Joe Pug. Nena Serafim
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... THE SHINS - Port Of Morrow PAUL KELLY AND THE COLOURED GIRLS - Gossip VIOLENT SOHO - Hungry Ghost
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Plans HAIM - Days Are Gone
Daniel Herborn
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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT
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up all night out all week . . .
live reviews What we've been out to see...
aged man. This was made clearest through new song ‘Nando’s Chicken’. Played early in the set and introduced as a rejected jingle for the food chain, it details how Kozelek fantasised and had a wet dream about a young girl working at a Nando’s across the road from his hotel when he was touring Australia. The song makes many references to other indie musicians, more mentions of Thai food (half-sung in an Aussie accent), before culminating in the admission that he comes back to Australia not for the money, not for the fans, but to have chicken in that same Nando’s restaurant.
SUN KIL MOON City Recital Hall Angel Place Monday March 23 Sun Kil Moon, AKA the Mark Kozelek Show, are riding high at the moment thanks to last year’s Benji landing on every best-of list imaginable. So how did his two-and-a-half-hour victory lap in Sydney begin? With a demand for less air conditioning, low lighting, and a rant about Thai food giving him diarrhoea. As new fans have realised, Sun Kil Moon are recognised as much for their music as they are for Kozelek’s antics onstage. Everything Kozelek said and did made it impossible to read him, which created a confused though jovial mood in the room. Bringing with him on this tour just an additional drummer and keyboardist, with Kozelek himself occasionally playing acoustic guitar but most of the time preferring to keep the beat on a fl oor tom while he sings, he creates stripped-down, beautiful mood music that conjures up the same feelings every time; nostalgia, melancholy, and an urge to call your loved ones. It’s incredibly effective, and the reason he has maintained a fan base for close to 25 years.
vance joy
PICS :: AM
29:03:14 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney
In between songs, the audience got a chance to make sense of the man responsible for such beauty through loosely defi ned ‘banter’, which mostly revealed him to be a horny, middle
jep and dep
Leonardo Silvestrini
28:03:15 :: Newtown Social Club :: 387 King St Newtown 1300 724 876
27:03:15 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
22 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
With the ever-present low lighting and the minimal band set-up, two-and-a-half hours was probably too long to maintain a show. Sun Kil Moon largely deal in sadness after all, and no-one wants to feel sad on purpose for that long. Ultimately, though, it was a rewarding experience hearing nine songs from one of the best albums in recent history live, and getting to be in the presence of Kozelek, the defi nition of an enigma.
PICS :: KC
PICS :: AM
burners
Ostensibly a joke song, it was nevertheless a Sun Kil Moon song that incorporated the same elements from his other much-loved tunes. He followed that up with the infamous ‘War On Drugs: Suck My Cock’, which begged the question – are these songs meant as jokes? If they are, did they need to be ten minutes long?
MAR :: S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY
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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
WEDNESDAY APRIL 1
THURSDAY APRIL 2
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Muso’s Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: CJ Fairleight + Guests Olympic Hotel, Paddington. 7:30pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic + Stephen Ferris Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:45pm. $99.10. Jon Cleary & The Monster Gentlemen The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $55. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue + Keziah Jones Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $66.20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
April Fools Fancy Dress feat: Killamedic + Crimson Horror + Rude Rahlis + Skinpin + Brown Paper Bag + Postmentalist + Which Fight Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. Free. David Gray State Theatre, Sydney. 7:45pm. $99.73. Ed & Astro Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Jeff Martin Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $45. Switchfoot The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7pm. $56. The Lion King 21st Anniversary Party - feat: Richard In Your Mind Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 7pm. $12. Train Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $112.10.
Jon Cleary & The Monster Gentlemen The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $55.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Ben Ransom & James Stewart Keene + Ben Ransom + James Stewart Keene The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $21.80. John Mayall Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $94.20. Mindy Sotrini + Sam Shinazzi The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Muso’s Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free. Phil Wiggins And Dom Turner Lizotte’s, Newcastle. 7pm. $25. Songsonstage - feat: Mick Hambly + Chris Brookes + Ryan & Fi Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Justine Wahlin + Robert Brindley + David Mark + Daniel Tomalaris + Andrew Denniston Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10. The Morrisons Golden Sheaf Hotel, Double Bay. 9pm. Free. The Waterboys Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $95.50.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Alabama Shakes + Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaires Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $75. Andy Mammers Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.
Backfi re The Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton. 7pm. Free. Cath & Him Dee Why RSL, Dee Why. 9pm. Free. Christie Lamb Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free. Crocq Trio Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 7pm. Free. Dan Runchel Duo The Belmore Hotel, Maitland. 9pm. Free. Dane Fitzsimmons Royal Crown Hotel, Dudley. 7pm. Free. David Gray State Theatre, Sydney. 7:45pm. $99.73. Fierce Mild + Without Parachutes + Gypsies & Gentlemen Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Georgia White Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 5pm. Free. Hightime - feat: Bagster + Surprise Wasp + Ebolagoldfi sh Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Hits & Pieces Winmalee Tavern, Winmalee. 8pm. Free. Nothing’s Shocking - feat: Geoffrey O’Connor + Tees Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Ocean Alley + Blueberry Circuit Small Ballroom, Newcastle. 8pm. $13.80. Rock The World (Bar) (Heat One) - feat: Lion Calamity + Flaccid Mohawk + Ryse + Marko Markovic + The Junky Bunch + Heart Of Mind + Dan Crestani + 3 Boys + A Fire + The Fragile Kind + Killing Lennon + Now Or Never + Ginkinta + The Still Shadows + Into The Wild World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15. Scott Barker Tribute feat: Asteroid B612 + The Crusaders + Hell Crab City + 300 St. Claire Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $21.50. The Kamis Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free.
FRIDAY APRIL 3 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Rave On Belmont 16s, Belmont. 8:30pm. Free. Shelby Clements - feat: Jack Livingston + Aiden Roe Record Crate, Glebe. 8pm. $5.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
David Gray photo by Jake Walters
Harry Coulson’s Rain Dogs Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
George Clinton
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Bonjah Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $25. Craig Thomo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. Free. Daniel Arvidson Cessnock Leagues Club, Cessnock. 7pm. Free. Dave Carter Charlestown Bowling Club,
pick of the week David Gray
WEDNESDAY APRIL 1 THURSDAY APRIL 2
State Theatre
David Gray 7:45pm. $99.73. Charlestown. 7pm. Free. FBi Bad Friday - feat: Gang Of Youths + Lulu Raes + Flower Truck + Chief Havoc + Joseph Liddy & The Skeleton Horse + Rooms Vic Hotel, Enmore. 12pm. Free. Freshly Squeezed - feat: DJ Raine Supreme + DJ Katch + Thavy Ear + Izzy & DJ Maniak + P. Smurf & Rivals + Ill Theory + Miz Lush Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 7pm. $5. Gareth Hudson Central Charlestown Leagues Club, Charlestown. 7pm. Free. Go O.D. - feat: Scrotal Vice + Swine + Frame 313 + Dead In The Gutter + Skinpin + Resist Control + Guests Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Matt Bruce Pearl Beach Cafe, Pearl Beach. 7pm. Free. Midnight Drifters Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Nirvana Tribute Show - feat: Buzzlovers + Johnathan Devoy + Alice Through The Windshield Glass + Casters + Human Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $15.
One Hit Wonders Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Rave On Belmont 16s, Belmont. 7pm. Free. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Ryan Enright The Crest Hotel Sylvania, Sylvania. 7pm. Free. Steve Edmonds The Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths. 8pm. Free. Tempest Rising + Red Bee + Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $10. The Rattle Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 7pm. Free.
SATURDAY APRIL 4 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Anubis + Alithia + Shangai + Mandala Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6pm. $11. Bell Weather Department + Noire + Ghostnoises Brighton Up Bar,
Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Crocq Trio Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 8pm. Free. Daniel Arvidson Central Charlestown Leagues Club, Charlestown. 7pm. Free. Drew PJ Gallagher’s, Enfi eld, Enfi eld. 9pm. Free. Endless Summer Beach Party Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Evie Dean Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. Free. Gen-X The Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton. 7pm. Free. Groovology Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Hayden Johns Royal Crown Hotel, Dudley. 7pm. Free. Hit Machine Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Hits & Pieces Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. Free. Holly Wilson Pearl Beach Cafe, Pearl Beach. 7pm. Free. Jamie Hay + Liam White + Jen Buxton + Michael Ferfoglia + Allison Gallagher Hamilton Station Hotel, BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 23
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Newcastle. 9pm. Free. Jeff Duff Orchestra Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Jeff Martin Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $43. Kye Brown Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Last Stand Chisel Show Colyton Hotel, Colyton. 9pm. Free. Loko Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 7pm. Free. Lost Woods + Little Coyote + Octavian Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Luke Escombe & The Corporation + Special Guests Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $10. Nicky Kurta Duo Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9:30pm. Free. Penny Lane Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm. Free. Red Bee + Tempest Rising + Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 8pm. Free. Soda Party - feat: Haus Of Edwards Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $25. Soul Tatto The Henry Sports Club, Werrington County. 7:30pm. Free. The Big Bang Cessnock Leagues Club, Cessnock. 7pm. Free. The Frocks Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Tony Williams The Henry Sports Club,
Werrington County. 1pm. Free. V.I.P. Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. Free. Zac And Ben The Belmore Hotel, Maitland. 9pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
AJ Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Marta Pacek + The Jessica Stuart Few Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $15. Paul Hayward Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. Free. The Cruisers Belmont 16s, Belmont. 7pm. Free.
SUNDAY APRIL 5 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
The Beat + The Ozskas Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $59.10.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Blake Tailor + Cath & Him Panthers, Penrith. 3:30pm. Free. Bloom Belmont 16s, Belmont. 7pm. Free. Crocq Trio
Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 6pm. Free. Dave Carter Honeysuckle Hotel, Newcastle. 7pm. Free. Fish Fry The Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton. 7pm. Free. Julia Why? + Melon Melon Melon + The Cathys Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 3:15pm. Free. Kye Brown Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 4pm. Free. Lonesome Train Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Melody Rhymes Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 1pm. Free. Michael Franti + Soja + Trevor Hall Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 6:30pm. $96.20. Monstrom + God K + Warm Feelings Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Mr Jamie Ray Strattons Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Norma Jean + Belle Haven + Bare Bones + We May Fall Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 5pm. $44. Penny Lane Plough & Harrow, Camden. 3pm. Free. Rooftops - feat: By The Horns + Harbour + Drowning Atlantis + Vinewood + Chasing Everest + Galleries Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $15. Train Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7pm. $109. V.I.P. Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel,
Shelby Clements - feat: Jack Livingston + Rachel Maria Cox Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle. 8pm. Free. Stormcellar Catherine Hill Bay Hotel, Catherine Hill Bay. 2pm. Free.
TUESDAY APRIL 7
MONDAY APRIL 6 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Keb’ Mo’ Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $94.20. Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin + Chris Brookes + Guests Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 8pm. Free.
Michael Franti Sydney. 10pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Ben Fox Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 6:15pm. Free. Beyonce & Rihanna Tribute Show Riverstone Memorial Club, Riverstone. 5:30pm. Free. Norma Jean + Belle Haven + Totally Unicorn + Arteries Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 5:30pm. $44. Originals At 616 - feat: The Mesclados + Matt Savelberg + Charli Simons + Katherine Vavahea Foundry 616, Sydney. 7:30pm. $10.
Big Daddy’s Cajun Blues Party Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free. Bloom Belmont 16s, Belmont. 3pm. Free. Finn And Friends Town Hall Hotel, Newtown. 6:30pm. Free. Menagerie - feat: Various The Welcome Hotel, Rozelle. 4pm. Free. Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free.
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $66.10. Watsup Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 2pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Live & Originals - feat: Ally Oliver + Alex Guthrie + John & Peter Kaldor + Katherine Vavahea Mr Falcons, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Nuala Kennedy Band The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $15.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Baka Beyond Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 7:30pm. $25. Harry Coulson’s Rain Dogs Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $15. Mariachi El Bronx Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $58.
I M A G I N E B E I N G M A D E TO thu
wed
02 Apr
01 Apr
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
(5:00PM - 8:30AM)
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Andy Mammers Trio (9:30PM - 12:30AM)
E A S T E R LO N G - W E E K E N D
• GOOD FRIDAY
fri
FEEL LIKE CRAP J U ST FOR
03 Apr
sat
(3:00PM - 6:00PM)
(7:00PM - 10:00PM)
EASTER SATURDAY
EASTER SUNDAY
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
04
sun
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
05
Apr
Apr
(9:30PM - 1:15AM)
BEING
LEFT
H A N D E D.
EASTER MONDAY
mon
06 Apr
(2:00PM - 5:30PM)
(6:15PM - 9:30PM)
(9:00PM - 12:30AM)
tue
07 Apr
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
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
24 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
STOP t THINK t RESPECT
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gig picks up all night out all week...
Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $10.
Trombone Shorty
SATURDAY APRIL 4 Anubis + Alithia + Shangai + Mandala Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6pm. $11. Jeff Martin Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $43. Marta Pacek + The Jessica Stuart Few Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $15.
SUNDAY APRIL 5 Michael Franti + Sojo + Trevor Hall Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 6:30pm. $96.20. Norma Jean + Belle Haven + Bare Bones + We May Fall Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 5pm. $44. The Beat + The OzSkas Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $59.10.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 1
John Mayall Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $94.20.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic + Stephen Ferris Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:45pm. $99.10.
FRIDAY APRIL 3
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue + Kezlah Jones Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $66.20.
Bonjah Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $25.
THURSDAY APRIL 2
FBi Bad Friday – feat: Gang Of Youths + Lulu Raes + Flower Truck + Chief Havoc + Joseph Liddy & The Skeleton Horse + Rooms Vic Hotel, Enmore. 12pm. Free.
Alabama Shakes + Charles Bradley And His Extraordinaries Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $75.
Tempest Rising + Red Bee + Not Another Sequel Just Another Prequel
MONDAY APRIL 6 Keb’ Mo’ Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $94.20. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $66.10.
TUESDAY APRIL 7 Nuala Kennedy Band The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Marta Pacek
162 ST JOHNS RD GLEBE 02 9660 1591
Live Music SUNDAY 6TH
SHANE FLEW
SATURDAY 4TH APRIL
Americana / roots music, through styles ranging from pop, rock and roll, blues, folk, country Latin, ballad and western swing.
DOORS FROM 6PM
FROM 6PM
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Octavian
SIGN UPS FROM 5:30PM
ON WEDNESDAY’S
$50 voucher for best performer
FROM 7:30PM with
Drink Specials for performers
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as Pl e e n wh
Little Coyote
OPEN MIC
FREE pool on Sundays ALL DAY
e ar res ig h riv pect ou r ne the ing g at & leavin
The Nags Head Hotel supports RSA & RCG
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BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Ayla Dhyani and Chris Martin
five things WITH BEN WATKINS FROM
1.
Growing Up When I was able to sit up, my parents would sit me in front of the speakers. I could sit there for hours just listening to classical music like a zombie baby… haven’t changed much.
Inspirations Filmmakers, visual 2. artists, theatre, dance – people like Luc Besson, Luis Buñuel, Parajanov, the Wachowskis, Tom Tykwer, Mira Nair, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and so many more. Your Crew I have always been 3. involved in music. I left school at 17 and went busking around Europe; I came back and started forming bands as my own agent, set up tours in
the UK pub scene, then starting making records and signed to CBS then Polydor Records. I started my own label and eventually got to a project that made sense to me, which was Juno Reactor – all the other bands I created were a learning curve to this, and took ages to find. The Music You Make And Play 4. I only play Juno Reactor music, either originals or remixes. We are releasing a new remix album in April in Japan, The Golden Sun… Remixed. [It’ll hit] the rest of the world in June. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Most of the time I feel the music scene is a load of
EXPLORE ATLANTIS
Organisers of the all-new trance event Atlantis have announced that German Grammy Awardwinning producer and DJ Paul van Dyk will be gracing the stage at this year’s party. Atlantis is a mysterious new event launched by Totem Onelove, the team behind Stereosonic festival, as a means to further support all Australian trance fans. Joining Van Dyk on the bill are the likes of MaRLo, Mark Sixma, Roxanne Emery and Driftmoon. Atlantis will be taking place at the Hordern Pavilion on Sunday June 7 before the Queen’s Birthday public holiday.
73 TILL INFINITY
Get the long weekend off to a head start this Thursday April 2 when Play Bar hosts the next instalment of its 73 ’Til Infinity night. Headlining
Luke Vibert
JUNO REACTOR
bollocks – nostalgic recycled crap that has been made as an instrument of torture – and then along comes a sound, a band, a singer that blows all of this away and make it all worthwhile. The hardest part for a musician today, especially a young musician, is to find a way to make it pay the bills, and not to have to work in Tesco’s or other slave labour companies. Here in Brighton there is a very strong music scene, loads of new young bands, musicians, old farts and fantasists, so it’s very healthy for music. What: Earthcore: One Night In Sydney With: Grouch, Basic Where: The Hi-Fi When: Saturday April 4
ANDRE CROM
Label head, DJ and producer Andre Crom is rolling into Sydney for an Easter break this weekend. He won’t just be putting the feet up, mind you – Crom will headline the Shipfaced Boat Cruise on Friday April 3, departing from King Street Wharf. The Off Recordings main man’s solo work moves in a more underground techno and tech house direction, as evidenced on his latest track ‘The Devil’. Expect to hear that and more from the Off label during his shipborne set this Good Friday.
PACHA FT. SANDER VAN DOORN
Rumour has it the Easter Bunny is in town this weekend. Will he be playing a special DJ set? Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, even the Easter Bunny takes a backward step to a name like Sander van Doorn, the Dutch hitmaker who’ll headline Pacha Sydney this Saturday
April 4. The man behind ‘Joyenergizer’ is bringing his beats to Ivy alongside special guest Jebu. But that’s not all – also featuring are Jeff Drake, Jesabel, Matt Nugent, DJ Moto, Fingers, Wheeler, Jace Disgrace, Danny Lang, Vito, Here’s Trouble, Jade Le Flay, Heke, King Lee and DJ Eko. Keep those Easter eggs for Sunday morning.
the party are the handmade stylings of Peret Mako, who first touched down in Sydney some 22 years ago after hearing about our booming techno scene. Joining the fun are Play Bar favourites Edseven and Benny Hinn.
THE 45 SESSIONS
The ever-popular 45 Sessions will throw a special Easter Sunday party this weekend. After appearances during Soulfest and Sydney Festival, the 45 Sessions crew have gone from strength to strength, putting on some killer vinyl-only parties at secret locations around the city. The venue for the Sunday April 5 edition remains secret for now, but the lineup is sure to delight, with DJ MK-1, Shan Frenzie, DJ Jon, Adverse, DJ JC and DJ Soup all on the program.
GOOD VIBES, GOOD VIBERT
Hermitude
HERMITUDE RETURN
Australia’s electronic music kings, Hermitude, have confirmed the details of their new album and a national launch tour to boot. After the all-conquering HyperParadise dropped in 2012, Hermitude bunkered down to work on a follow-up – although at present they’re to be found mid-US tour, where they made a SXSW debut. The hip hop/electronica sounds of Dark Night Sweet Light will be with us on Friday May 15 through Elefant Traks. Hermitude will play the Enmore Theatre on Friday June 26, with support from Basenji and Jayteehazard.
Hermitude photo bty Cole Bennetts
Renowned as the master of subgenres, UK artist and producer Luke Vibert is set for his first Australian tour since 2007. Presented Down Under by the Red Bull Music Academy, Vibert is an artist with a talent for merging a vast selection of genres. His ambient electronic music is inspired by a selection of punk, hip hop and acid jazz, creating a sound appreciated by a strong mix of music listeners. Vibert will be performing at Goodgod Small Club on Saturday April 18. For free entry, RSVP at Dash Tickets.
26 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
Andre Crom
Fritz Kalkbrenner Let It Go By Tom Clift Today Gone Tomorrow in 2010, and hasn’t looked back since. “It’s always different,” says Kalkbrenner when asked about what gets him started on a track. “I mean, of course, I have a lot of infl uences, even in everyday life. But it doesn’t have to come from my surroundings. I don’t have to be on the beach to write a song. All these moments that I experience, I take them and I guess – how do you say it? – re-memorise them in the studio. But on the production side, there really is no formula to start a track. Some people say always start with the kick, or the theme, or that you need the drumming first, or whatever. But this is absolutely not my [method].
I
t’s been a busy few months for producer and singer-songwriter Fritz Kalkbrenner. His latest album, Ways Over Water, dropped at the tail end of last year, with his ever-shifting blend of hip hop, techno and soul earning him commercial and critical acclaim. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of touring, hitting venues all around Europe – including a headline show at the Electric Brixton in London – before embarking on a nine-day blitz across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
He produced his first track at the age of 17, splitting his time between his hobby and his day job as a music journalist.
We’re speaking to Kalkbrenner over Skype from Austin, Texas, where he’s just played a pair of shows at SXSW. He’s midway through his continental tour, with shows in New York and Montreal in the days ahead. After that it’s back to Germany, albeit only briefl y. Australia is calling, with dates lined up over the Easter period.
“It was a step-by-step thing,” says Kalkbrenner. “Eight years ago is when it started being like a full-time job. Being a musician in Germany is like freelancing, in a way. Being a journalist is also a freelance job. So it actually merged in that way. I was playing more and more shows, and then I realised, ‘Gosh, I haven’t done anything for TV in like three months.’ So it happened very naturally.”
Of course, this certainly isn’t Kalkbrenner’s first time on the world circuit. A native of Berlin, Kalkbrenner came up in the city’s club scene during the late ’90s alongside his older brother, Paul.
Kalkbrenner’s break came with the release of ‘Sky And Sand’, produced by him and his brother for the soundtrack to the fi lm Berlin Calling. From there, Fritz released his first solo album Here
On the fl ip side, Kalkbrenner has learnt not to be too precious when he realises that a song isn’t working. “Especially as a producer, when you’re producing for yourself, it’s easy to get lost in the details,” he says. “I know guys, colleagues of mine, who will be arranging on a track for months. It’s essential to learn to let things go. When a track doesn’t really move me, it goes in the trash can.” And when he’s not sure? “When it’s half-half? Like only halfshitty?” he asks, laughing. “Sometimes I’ll put in some extra effort and give it a second try. But after a few hours I recognise that what I’m doing is total bullshit, and that can easily go to the trash.” He’s also aware of the need to
“From my second album to my third album, I was thinking, ‘Oh, what can I do not to be overly repetitive?’ That’s how I came to the decision to work with these studio musicians who play the clarinet, the trumpet, the bassoon, the flute and those kinds of things.” As for what comes next, Kalkbrenner still isn’t sure. “Concerning the next album, I actually don’t really know what to do. From time to time I think about that … but it’s still a little bit far away.”
“When you play a tour, and you rush through continents, you rush through times zones. You can wake up and you don’t know where or when you are. You need to find a way to remember why the hell you started.” What: Ways Over Water out now through Suol Where: The Spice Cellar / Ivy When: Thursday April 2 / Sunday April 5 xxx
“You have to handle your energy,” says a tired but determinedsounding Kalkbrenner. “I mean, I’m 34 now. I can’t go to the afterparty until seven in the morning because the following day would be terrible. This kind of thing does have its ups and downs. When you play a tour, and
you rush through continents, you rush through times zones. You can wake up and you don’t know where or when you are. You need to fi nd a way to remember why the hell you started.”
“When I started producing, I would sometimes sit for weeks on one track, because I didn’t really know the ins and outs of the production gear,” he continues. “Over time I became more confi dent, so usually nowadays I realise pretty fast when it’s going to be a good track, and usually a lot happens in a very short period of time. So the first kind of sketch or whatever that moves me can be produced in like 15 minutes. Then I can put it away and replay it in a few months, but I have that confi dence that it’s a good idea.”
keep things fresh, to ensure that people don’t get bored. “It’s always good to put some extra thought in and not stay in that loop. Some artists, they do the same thing again and again … staying with a certain formula that is going quite well, and then riding it to death.
Phil Kieran Man Of The People By Tom Clift
“I
think when I turned 16, a switch just went on,” says DJ Phil Kieran. “I can’t really describe it. This thing just changed in me, and then that was it. Music was what I was going to do with the rest of my life.” For close to a decade after that moment of realisation, Kieran poured himself heart and soul into his music, gradually cutting his teeth in the Belfast house and techno scene before eventually releasing his first record in 2000. Since then he’s become one of the most respected club DJs in the world, working with the likes of Peter Hook, Green Velvet and Speedy J, as well as various ensemble acts including Alloy Mental, and more recently, Le Carrousel. Asked if he’d ever do anything else, Kieran laughs. “I’m in so deep now that I’ve got nowhere else to go,” he says. “I don’t have any qualifi cations, apart from being an artist. This is all I do; it’s all I’ve ever done. I think if you really want to do something, or be something strange, like be an actor or a writer or one of these weird, difficult things to get into, I think you just have to give it everything.”
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It’s inspiring advice for wannabe artists, although admittedly it’s a little scary as well. “You just have to say, ‘Will I be able to eat?’ And if you’re able to eat, just do it,” Kieran insists. “I think people get too caught up and worry too much about the future. If you really want to do something, you have to really let go and just go for it. No half measures.” What’s perhaps even more encouraging is that, even after all this time, Kieran still feels invigorated by what he does. “You have to keep people guessing,” he says. “Keep it quirky and weird and interesting. Because when it’s just too obvious, it’s boring. People want to be challenged. When they go out to listen to that kind of music, they like it because it feels a bit edgy. So you kind of need to get the balance right, of being edgy but not being up your own arse. “I get bored quickly,” he continues. “What annoys me about a lot of people who make dance music [is that] people not only treat it as a job, but it becomes like a branding exercise. How to sell themselves on the world stage. It’s very controlled and very focused on a certain thing; a certain sound that they really sell themselves on … I need to feel excited and challenged, and to feel
passionate about something.” At times this can mean taking a step back, says Kieran. “Sometimes I’ll feel like I’m kind of repeating myself. That’s when it’s time to switch everything off and get out of the studio for a week. Go and spend some time with the kids, or just go and get drunk and do something. Sometimes it’s better to switch everything off and step away from it. Go and build a fence or something. Get away from music.” At the end of the day though, the music always calls him back. “For me, DJing feels like I’m joining the party,” he says. “I used to take it too seriously, but I just enjoy it now. And I’ve noticed that when I’m enjoying myself, the crowd seems to enjoy themselves more. If I have fun, everyone else has fun. It’s a good feeling, feeling like part of the crowd. If you’re grumpy and not wanting to join in, then you’re just going to be completely out of sync.” What: S.A.S.H Fourth Birthday With: Alexkid, Guillaume and The Coutu Dumonts, Andre Crom, Jay Lumen Where: Home Nightclub When: Sunday April 5
BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 27
club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Matt Nukewood
FRIDAY APRIL 3 Marquee
Matt Nukewood CLUB NIGHTS
DJ Tom Kelly Goldfish, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. The Roots & Riddim Club feat: The Errol Renaud Trio Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5.
THURSDAY APRIL 2 HIP HOP & R&B
Asta Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $18. Relevent Words For The People - feat: Nje + Untaymable + Gabreal + Morpheus + Sub + Creep + Jae Druitt + DJ Intense + Saifi + Flip The Script + Tallisman Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $15.
zzzz
CLUB NIGHTS
73 Til’ Infinity - feat: Peret Mako + Edseven + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. Bassic - feat: Luminox + Hydraulix + Phaseone + Pop The Hatch + Autoclaws + Chenzo + Blackjack + Lennon + Kemikoll Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $17.50. Egg (Pelvis Public Holiday Eve Party) - feat: ZanzibarChanel + Pelvis + Victoria Kim + Low Ton DJs + Tennis Boys + Jimmy Sing Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $15. 28 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
Pool Club Thursdays - feat: Resident DJs Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Spice - feat: Fritz Kalkbrenner + Murat Kilic The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 9pm. $20. The World Bar Thursdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. Tim Boffa Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.
FRIDAY APRIL 3 HIP HOP & R&B
Hustler Fridays - feat: MC Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. Free.
CLUB NIGHTS
Argyle Fridays - feat: Resident DJs The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Factory Fridays - feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free. Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Linda Jenssen Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 7pm. Free. Loco Friday - feat: Various Live Bands And DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Matt Nukewood Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $18.40.
SUNDAY APRIL 5 CLUB NIGHTS
Courtyard Party - feat: Gorillaz Sound System
10pm. $18.40. WEDNESDAY APRIL 1
Natnoiz + Orlando Wolf + Coda + Yng Bldz + DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko + King Lee + Taste Sea Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Murray Lake Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 7pm. Free. Rolls Bayce Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Sienna Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Establishment, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Skratch Saturday (Easter Saturday Special) - feat: Whisky Mixd + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $20. Spice Final Fiesta - feat: Spice Residents The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 12am. Free. The House Of Who - feat: Rotating DJs + Levins + The House Of Who + Nacho Pop + Kato’s Wig Shop Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Venom Clubnight - feat: Recoil Vor + The Murdering + Enter Reality + The Arbitrary Method Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $15.
SATURDAY APRIL 4 CLUB NIGHTS
Cakes - feat: 4 Rooms Of Live Music + DJs And International Guests The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. DJ Patsan 5 Sawyers, Newcastle. 8pm. Free. Earthcore (One Night In) - feat: Juno Reactor + Grouch + Basic + Triforce + Zac Slade + Pablo Anon The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7pm. $45. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Flying Circus - feat: Martin Buttrich + Audiofly + Blond:ish + Gabby + Jake Hough + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Sebastian Bayne + Methodix + Shepz + _thoreau_ + Leoch + Ben Nott + B_A + Ezra + Seher + Robbie Lowe + Telefunken + Sam Arellano + Persian Rug + Tyson Bruun + Liam Wood + B2B + Eliot Barham Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 12pm. $55. Goodwill & Trifo Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60. Haus Of Edwards Australian Tour - feat: Shangela + Alyssa Edwards + Laganja Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $25. I Am Wolfpack + Royaal + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + DJ Iko + DJ Seiz + J Reyes + Nick Arbor + Simon Lovell Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. Free. Infamous Saturdays - feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Lndry - feat: Zomboy + Spenda C + Phaseone +
+ Shockone + Fritz Kalkbrenner Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $63.50. DJ Tone 5 Sawyers, Newcastle. 5pm. Free. Electric Easter Sunday - feat: Zac Waters + Who Killed Mickey Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $28.60. Just Another Manic Sunday Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. La Fiesta - feat: Samantha Fox + Agee Ortiz + Av El Cubano + Resident DJ Willie Sabor The Establishment, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Northern Beaches House Party - feat: Yolanda Be Cool + Touch Sensitive + Mazde + Fear Of Dawn + The Nuclear Family + Akunu + Black Jack + Declan + Everto + Faf + Fiktion + Gemien + Jade Le Flay + Jaffa + Jordz + Leigh + Mikee + Nach + Nanna Does + Pete Deraz + Robustt + Rodman + Salvia + Scottydoesntknow + Skarlett Fever + Steph Lusk + Stoney Roads DJs + Style Matterz + Tech No More + Wild Fox + Bonez + Mamajae + Smaal Cats + The Dolphin Show Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 12pm. $33. Reggae Sundays Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross. 5pm. Free. Reload 4th Bday - feat: Footsie + Sk!Tz Beatz + DJ Bpm + Killjoy + Arctic + Juzlo + Fraksha + Alex Jones + Diem + Rapaport +
Swarmy + D-Tech Spectrum, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $27.50. S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10. Spice Final Fiesta - feat: Spice Residents The Spice Cellar, Sydney. 12pm. Free. Sunday Sessions - feat: Cadell + Tom Kelly + Ocky Goldfish, Kings Cross. 4pm. Free. Sundays In The City - feat: Various DJs The Slip Inn, Sydney. 12pm. Free. Swipe Right Sunday - feat: DJ Lou Lou + Benny Vibes Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Vibes On The Wharf Easter Sunday - feat: Aeroplane + Murray Lake + Brenny B Side + Alex Mac Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. $20.
MONDAY APRIL 6 CLUB NIGHTS
Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
TUESDAY APRIL 7 CLUB NIGHTS
Chu The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.
up all night out all week...
Wood + B2B + Eliot Barham Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 12pm. $55.
Yolanda Be Cool
Something Else Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $20. Skratch Saturday (Easter Saturday Special) - Feat: Whisky Mixd + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.
SUNDAY APRIL 5 THURSDAY APRIL 2
SATURDAY APRIL 4
Asta Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $18
Earthcore (One Night In) - Feat: Juno Reactor + Grouch + Basic + Triforce + Zac Slade + Pablo Anon The Hi-Fi, Moore Park. 7pm. $45.
Bassic - Feat: Luminox + Hydraulix + Phaseone + Pop The Hatch + Autoclaws + Chenzo + Blackjack + Lennon + Kemikoll Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $17.50.
FRIDAY APRIL 3 Hustler Fridays - Feat: MC Shaba Hustle & Flow, Redfern. 7pm. Free.
Flying Circus - Feat: Martin Buttrich + Audiofl y + Blond:ish + Gabby + Jake Hough + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Sebastian Bayne + Methodix + Shepz + _Thoreau_ + Leoch + Ben Nott + B_A + Ezra + Seher + Robbie Lowe + Telefunken + Sam Arellano + Persian Rug + Tyson Bruun + Liam
Northern Beaches House Party - Feat: Yolanda Be Cool + Touch Sensitive + Mazde + Fear Of Dawn + The Nuclear Family + Akunu + Black Jack + Declan + Everto + Faf + Fiktion + Gemien + Jade Le Flay + Jaffa + Jordz + Leigh + Mikee + Nach + Nanna Does + Pete Deraz + Robustt + Rodman + Salvia + Scottydoesntknow + Skarlett Fever + Steph Lusk + Stoney Roads DJs + Style Matterz + Tech No More + Wild Fox + Bonez + Mamajae + Smaal Cats + The Dolphin Show Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 12pm. $33. S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 2pm. $10.
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Off The Record
xxx
Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray
ALISON WONDERLAND RUN DEBUT ALBUM FEATURING THE SINGLES
I WANT U + U DON’T KNOW
Hector
I
t’s been a good seven years in between visits, but Luke Vibert has been announced as the next headliner of the Red Bull Music Academy Club Night Series. Born in the Cornwall, the same hometown as fellow tastemaker Aphex Twin, Vibert was a pioneer of electronic music in the early ’90s with a slew of releases on seminal labels Rephlex and Warp. Expect an eclectic evening of electronic music spanning from IDM, techno, drum and bass, house and beyond at Goodgod on Saturday April 18. He’ll be joined by Simon Caldwell and Adi Toohey. Free with RSVP. Dancefloor chameleon Edu Imbernon is coming to town. Since bursting through the stratosphere in 2009 with his mate Coyu with their worldwide hit ‘El Baile Alemán’, which took out the Beatport title of ‘Best Underground Track of the Year’, the Spaniard has continued to go from strength to strength. He’s released on the ilk of Get Physical, Young Turks, Skint and Stil vor Talent alongside running his own label Eklektisch. It goes down on Saturday May 16 at Chinese Laundry. Something Else has locked in a huge party later this month, headlined by Desolat staple Hector. A regular at festivals such as Time Warp, DEMF, Kazantip, Awakenings, BPM, Hideout and Sunwaves, over the course of his globetrotting career he has scored the honour of becoming the first producer to release on Phonica’s in-house label, and has also worked with imprints 8Bit, Watergate, One Records, Siesta Records and Saved Records. Revered by the likes of Loco Dice, Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin, don’t miss him throw down a solid dose of techno when he hits the Burkedin Hotel on Saturday April 18. Support comes from B_A, Hendrik, Shivers*, Dave Stuart, James Petrou, Tech No More and Someunknowndj.
The Manchester-based bass heavyweight xxxy has announced a return to Australia. One of the foremost names in UK garage, in recent times he’s worked with labels Infrasonics and Fortified Audio, Well Rounded and Doc Daneeka’s Ten Thousand Yen, featured on the Fabric compilation Elevator Music, and played on just about every high-calibre electronic festival bill on the planet. Catch him on Saturday May 2 at Chinese Laundry.
OUT NOW
One of Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock’s favourite emerging artists, Ø [Phase], has announced an Australian tour. Taking infl uence from gritty Detroit and minimal techno, the Belgium-based DJ and producer has been called upon to remix for the likes of Robert Hood, Peter van Hoesen and Mark Broom, and is a regular fi xture behind the hallowed decks at Bergain. He’ll storm into Sydney on Saturday May 16. Venue TBA. Looking for somewhere to dance away those bloated Easter bellies this weekend? Our mates over at S.A.S.H are set to celebrate their fourth birthday by taking over the whole of Home Nightclub. They’ve locked in a huge lineup, which includes Alexkid, Phil Kieran, Guillaume And The Coutu Dumonts, Andre Crom, Jay Lumen, Michelle Owen and many more. It goes down this Sunday April 5. Best releases this week: sweet merciful Jesus, if you’re in need of a techno fix then the MDR Compilation (on, you guessed it, MDR) is out of this world. Other highlights include PCK & Stable Mates’ For The Kingdom (The Final Experiment), Glenn Astro & Max Graef’s M$ 01 EP (Money $ex), Stenny’s Hagale (Ilian Tape) and Guise’s In The Caldera (Animal Farm).
RECOMMENDED THURSDAY APRIL 2
Voices From the Lake, Mr. Ties Marrickville Bowling Club Fritz Kalkbrenner The Spice Cellar
SATURDAY APRIL 4
Audiofly, Martin Buttrich, Blond:ish Greenwood Hotel Guy J, Eelke Kleijn Burdekin Hotel
SUNDAY APRIL 5
Phil Kieran Home Nightclub
SATURDAY APRIL 11 Developer The Sly Fox
Milton Bradley Burdekin Hotel
xxxy
SATURDAY APRIL 18 James Zabiela Chinese Laundry
Luke Vibert Goodgod Small Club Hector Burkedin Hotel Alex Niggeman The Imperial Hotel Young March, DJ Sotofett, DJ Fett Burger Oxford Art Factory
SATURDAY MAY 23
Kyle Hall The Imperial Hotel
FRIDAY MAY 29 Carmada Oxford Art Factory
SATURDAY MAY 2 xxxy Chinese Laundry
SATURDAY MAY 16 Ø [Phase] TBA
Edu Imbernon Chinese Laundry
SATURDAY MAY 30
Steve Bug The Imperial Hotel
Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. thebrag.com
BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15 :: 29
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up all night out all week . . .
live review What we've been out to see... JURASSIC 5 Enmore Theatre Saturday March 28 Nostalgia is a hell of a trip. A hip hop group that was big in the early 2000s, and whose sound is largely a tribute to the genre’s early decades, Jurassic 5’s music can come off more than a little dated in 2015. Hip hop has changed at warp speed since the band’s initial break-up in 2007. The lo-fi production, xanax rap and monochrome fashion of now are the furthest cry from the barbershop styles of J5, so it was a shock to the system to walk into the Enmore blindly and suddenly recall the sounds of their era. However, seeing them once again, you’re reminded how big the group actually was. Festival headline slots, sold-out arena shows and a loyal following of dudes in Royal Elastics and three-quarter pants mean the crew
can come back (yet again) on their own terms. Their inclusion on this year’s Bluesfest lineup has seen them manage to carve a niche for themselves as comfortable guardians of the jazz/soul end of hip hop. At their Sydney headline date, J5 played all the hits, from ‘Quality Control’ to ‘I Am Somebody’, ‘Thin Line’ and ‘Freedom’, but it was the tricks of DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist that kept the show going. The guys brought out a range of toys, from ‘guitar decks’ to drum pads made of records, through to a giant, fully working turntable centerpiece. The rappers of the crew were the same well-oiled machine from years ago, with trademark harmonies and good-time banter. Past the nostalgic cringe, there was a fun, musical and well put together show, which is basically exactly the J5 we all remembered. Julian Ramundi
s.a.s.h sundays
CLAKE ::
PICS :: AM
PHOTOGRAPHER :: KATRINA
29:03:15 :: Home :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600
party profile
flying circus sydney It’s called: Flying Circus Sydney It sounds like: Low-slung basslines, left-field loops and a nice chunky Funktion-One wall of sound flung at you from all angles. Acts: Martin Buttrich (live), Audiofly, Blond:ish. Local support: S.A.S.H locals, Church of Techno, Blueprint, The Engine Room . Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Konra d Black & Martin Buttrich – ‘Siamese Connection’; Blond:ish – ‘No Place Like Gnome’; Audiofly & Martin Buttrich – ‘Uninformal Processing’. And one you definitely won’t: Ten Walls – ‘Walking With Elephants’. Sell it to us: Completely transforming the Green a rotating stage in the middle, packing our trademwood Hotel once more with ark Funktion-One sound system and complete surround sound from front to the back and both sides. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: As the sun sets over the Sydney cityscape, the lights slowly panning over an all-hands-in-the-air crowd unified by one of the world’s best acts. Crowd specs: It’s about bringing a positive attitude… and a good pair of boogie shoes. Wallet damage: $55 Where: Greenwood Hotel (with a twist) When: Saturday April 4, 12pm-11pm OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
30 :: BRAG :: 606 :: 01:04:15
S :: ASHLEY MAR :: KATRINA CLAK
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thebrag.com
WIN
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to a destination of your choice* Luxury cruise for 2
Family cruise for 2 adults & 2 children
Get an r entry fo30 every $ nd you spere! in sto
Load $30 in store and we’ll give you 10 bonus dollars and an entry to the major prize draw
PLUS...Scratch an instant prize! CONNECT WITH TIMEZONE AUSTRALIA
1300 TIMEZONE
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*Instant Scratch prizes are wonn via a scratchie awarded at time of transaction. Scratchie must bbe surrendered at counter to win the instant prize. One scratchie and entry form awarded for every $30 spent (eg. $30 = 1 scratchie, $60 = 2 scratchies scratchies, $90 = 3 scratchies etc) etc). One entry to the major prize will be awarded per birthday party booked at Timezone. You may be asked to have your photo taken with your prize in store. To go in the draw to win the holiday, a competition entry form must be filled out. An incomplete entry form is deemed invalid. Photos for illustration purposes only. See counter staff for full terms and conditions.
George Street • Hornsby • Liverpool • Tuggerah • Charlestown
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