ISSUE NO. 620 JULY 8, 2015
FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com
MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE
INSIDE This Week
DE A D L E T T ER CIRCUS
Kim Benzie reveals plans for the band’s new album.
MIGUEL
A Grammy winner returns to the fold, soulful as ever.
BONDI FE A S T
Booze and good times take on a vintage sheen.
L OV E A ND INF OR M AT ION
Caryl Churchill features at Sydney Theatre Company.
Plus
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rock music news
the BRAG presents
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio and Lauren Gill MARMOZETS Newtown Social Club Thursday July 23
speed date WITH
LUPA J
Keeping Busy Sadly, school’s been keeping 2. me busy. The idea of studying keeps me busy – trying to study, failing, writing music instead. In between school terms I’ve been playing little local gigs more and more frequently, but I’m about to stop that and actually study hard because I’ve got my HSC coming up at the end of next term. Your Profile Classically trained 1. violinist turned indie-electronic songmaker. I try to make my music sound like Grimes or FKA Twigs with violin. A cool term to describe my sound is
Best Gig Ever Supporting Twin Caverns 3. at the Oxford Art Factory last month. Firstly, Twin Caverns are just so cool, it was awesome to even just watch them do a
soundcheck (unfortunately we couldn’t watch their real set because we’re under 18 and we got booted out). Secondly, the sound system was amazing. Defi nitely the most technically fl awless gig I’ve ever played – we could hear ourselves crystal clear, which I think is vital for a good performance. Current Playlist I’ve been listening to 4. Alpine’s new album Yuck quite a bit recently, it’s awesome! I also recently went through a stage of listening to Radiohead’s entire discography (well, mostly Kid A and onwards) very thoroughly – there is so much to be discovered in returning to Radiohead again and again; I fi nd it only gets better with every listen. Same with Grimes. Before that, I was going through a Laura Marling obsession, around the time her album
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4 :: BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15
Oxford Art Factory Sunday July 26
ALITHIA The Factory Floor Friday August 28
celebration of his third album, Bahamas Is Afi e. The tour features eight shows, including spots at Brisbane Festival, Wave Rock Weekender in Western Australia and Dashville Skyline in New South Wales. His Sydney show at Oxford Art Factory on Friday October 2 will also feature Fraser A. Gorman. Baby, why don’t we go?
It seems like Rise Against can’t get enough of Australia. After touring the country earlier this year with Foo Fighters, they’ve announced that they’re already coming back this summer. The politically charged punk outfit will make the journey from Chicago for a trio of gigs in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. To celebrate the announcement, they’ve unleashed a new single, ‘People Live Here’, which is taken from their 2014 album, The Black Market. They’ll play the Hordern Pavilion on Saturday December 5.
THY ART IS HOLY MUMFORD & FRIENDS
Contemporary folk specialists Mumford & Sons are returning to Australian shores later this year, and they’re bringing along some pretty special guests with them. The tour follows the release of their third studio album Wilder Mind, which was written in The National member Aaron Dessner’s garage studio and produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Haim, Florence + The Machine). The Sydney leg of the tour will feature a special all-day event under the Gentlemen Of The Road banner, with sets from – wait for it – Jake Bugg, Future Islands, The Vaccines, The Jungle Giants, Meg Mac and Art Of Sleeping. It all goes down on Saturday November 14 at The Domain.
Fresh from releasing their third album Holy War, metal five-piece Thy Art Is Murder will visit Sydney as part of their celebratory national tour. Exciting news. But they do still have a busy schedule to get through first – they’re currently playing shows in the US alongside Slayer and Whitechapel, and will also headline shows across Europe and the UK before finally coming home. Upon their return, they’ll be joined by Aversions Crown, Feed Her To The Sharks and Colossvs. See them all at the Factory Theatre on Saturday October 17.
NIGHTMARE TOUR
Tumbleweed
INTERGALACTIC TUMBLEWEED
20 years ago, Wollongong rockers Tumbleweed released their second album, Galactaphonic. It came after the success of their debut self-titled album in ’92 and a stint around Australia in support of Nirvana, and to this day holds a strong legacy and still features in their live show. Tumbleweed have built a rich history in the two decades since. After some successful releases, they disbanded in 2003, only to return to the stage for 2009’s Homebake, and release Sounds From The Other Side in 2013. After the sad passing of founding member Jason Curley last year, they’re back with the reissue of Galactaphonic, which has been expanded from 13 songs to a 34-track celebration, and an accompanying tour. See them back and ready for action at Manning Bar on Friday September 11.
Fresh off the back of a UK tour, Adelaide’s outsider rock outfit Bad//Dreems have announced a string of shows in support of their debut album, Dogs At Bay. Set to drop on Friday August 21, the album features singles ‘Dumb Ideas’, ‘Cuffed And Collared’ and their latest, ‘Hiding To Nothing’. They’ll play these and more live when they hit seven cities from Sydney through Perth this September and October. They’ll land here Friday October 9 at Oxford Art Factory.
EMBRACE THEM
To follow their appearance at this year’s Splendour In The Grass, Safia have announced their Embracing Me national tour, kicking off in August. The trio from Canberra have been on the rise ever since winning the triple j Unearthed competition to play Groovin The Moo back in 2012. Since then, they’ve played a series of sold-out headline shows around the country, scored a national support slot with Lorde, performed at Falls Festival, The Great Escape, Primavera Festival and SXSW, and featured on Peking Duk’s double-platinum single ‘Take Me Over’. Novocastrians (and ambitious drivers) can catch Safia at the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday August 29, and Sydneysiders at the Factory Theatre on Friday September 11.
C’MON PRETTY MAMA
Canadian musician Afie Jurvanen AKA Bahamas has announced he will return to Australia with his full band in September and October. Last in Australia in 2012 supporting City And Colour, Jurvanen is returning in
Gang Of Youths
FRIDAY NIGHT GANGSTERS
The latest hot things in Aussie rock, Sydney’s own Gang Of Youths, have locked in a free show at the Beach Road Hotel this Friday night. The news follows the release of the band’s debut album, The Positions, on Sony Music, and a massive national launch tour that saw the local rockers sell out shows all over the country. They’ve impressed audiences with their aptitude for expansive sounds and anthemic choruses, and will be back to deliver a little more at Bondi’s returning night of live music, The Filth, before stepping out on another set of interstate and regional tour dates. See them this Friday July 10 with support from Black Zero.
thebrag.com
Mumford & Sons photo by James Minchin
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YEARS & YEARS
RISE AGAINST… AGAIN
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 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.
Oxford Art Factory Friday July 24
What: Future Is Now With: Spirals, Suiix, Trip Fontaine Where: The Bald Faced Stag When: Sunday July 12
ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: James Ambrose, Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar
AWESOME INTERNS: Vanessa Papastavros, Elias Kwiet, Jade Smith, Bridget Lutherborrow
WOLF ALICE
5.
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: Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio, Lauren Gill, Elias Kwiet, Vanessa Papastavros, Jade Smith
GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATORS: Sarah Bryant, Vanessa Papastavros - gigguide@ thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)
Metro Theatre Friday July 24
Your Ultimate Rider I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to write a rider – the gigs we’ve played have all been too small, it’s been more than enough to even have the opportunity to perform my music! However, I have fantasised a little about a dream rider. It would defi nitely include a cat and lots of chocolate. No plastic or bottled water either.
Mumford & Sons
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AZEALIA BANKS
Short Movie came out. My favourite album of hers is Once I Was An Eagle; I listen to that heaps. I bought tickets to see her in November just the other day – so excited!
Years & Years photo by Mike Massaro / Wolf Alice photo by Jordan Hughes
‘folktronica’ – which means a blend of acoustic instruments, folky songwriting and electronic sounds. Basically, I think lyrics are important and beats are cool, and violin is the only real instrument I can properly play, so it has to be involved somehow.
“A bittersweet, utterly charming romantic comedy” FilmInk
See Carl Barron in his first full length movie! On DVD, Blu-Ray & Digital July 8
mannylewisthemovie.com BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15 :: 5
live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, Lauren Gill and Vanessa Papastavros
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
speed date WITH
SPENCER WHITE FROM MORNING HARVEY of-the-charts songs. I think the last one was ‘Drops Of Jupiter’.
Current Playlist A whole heap of Gary 4. Numan, Beck, The Human
Keeping Busy I’ve been writing and 2. recording with most of my free
League, Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music, Nick Cave, Todd Rundgren, Split Enz, Simple Minds, et cetera. The best show I’ve been to recently was Kirin J Callinan and TV On The Radio at the Tivoli. TVOTR were exceptional as always, but it was probably the first time I’ve seen Kirin live properly. It really blew me away and I was genuinely captivated for the four or so songs he played.
time lately. It wasn’t until the end of last year that I learnt how to use any proper recording programs, or at least use them to a very basic degree. I was a touch scared of trying to get my head around all the bits and bobs, or maybe just lazy. When we’re not on tour/not playing shows I tend to travel with my friends on their tours. Most of the people I live with are in my bands, or in others, so I don’t particularly like being at home alone. Your Profile I get quite bored after a 1. while with writing in the same style. It’s fabulous when you see someone take on a different approach to their norm. It’s like when you’re younger and you tell your mum or dad that you’re
never going to wear skinny jeans… and the next thing you know the trousers are so tight you can see your religion. We have gotten in the habit lately of coming home after a big night and creating home videos of us poorly redoing clips to old, top-
Best Gig Ever We played a show at the 3. Grace Darling [in Melbourne] a couple of years ago and came off feeling really buzzed about it. I don’t know why; there weren’t many people there if I recall correctly.
Your Ultimate Rider If we have more than just 5. two drink tickets we’re generally happy. Our rider is fairly modest – just some beer, wine, food and cigarettes for now. That’ll be OK! What: Love&loveand. out now independently Where: Beach Road Hotel / Oxford Art Factory When: Wednesday July 15 / Saturday July 18
MIGUEL
Wildheart, the latest offering from Grammy Award winner Miguel, has been described as an album of contrasts. It’s both “sonically rich” and “unapologetically raw” according to Billboard, with “lush vocals against uneasy backdrops” if you ask The New York Times. The soulful new record has landed alongside a 13-minute music video titled ‘Find What You Love And Let It Kill You’, starring Miguel alongside model Kota Eberhardt. The short film features three full tracks from the album played against dark urban environments and neon lights. To celebrate the release of Wildheart on RCA/ Sony, we have five copies to give away. Enter the draw by visiting thebrag.com/ freeshit.
Katie Noonan photo by Cybele Malinowski
Verticoli
Andy Bull
VERTICOLI GET HAPPY WINTERFEST ON SALE
Ticket sales are underway for Winterfest, the night of fun, frivolity and music happening across two bars on the UTS campus next month. The Underground and The Loft are used to hosting all manner of student activity, from upstart live music acts to earnestly whispered conversations about the merits of Chekhov, but the big names are rolling in on Friday August 7. Andy Bull, Slumberjack, Just A Gent, KLP (DJ set), Indian Summer, Odd Mob, GRMM, Hatch, Tear Council and Owen Rabbit will bring the party, you just need to bring a ticket. Visit activateuts.com.au/winterfest15.
Katie Noonan
Hobart guitar rockers Verticoli have revealed the video for their latest single, ‘Happiness’, alongside a string of tour dates. Taken from their forthcoming album, Punching Bag, the track has already enjoyed spins across triple j and community radio around the country. They’ll play it live, along with a slew of new material, when they head out an eight-date national tour this winter. They’ll play at Frankie’s Pizza on Sunday August 9.
WHAT EDDIE SAID
The songs by Eddie Skiba come from a place far, far away – Cairns, in fact, where the alternative rock songwriter calls home. Touring is a big enterprise for a musician from way up north, and sure enough his latest album Blend On The Border took shape on the road and in the air. Previously, Skiba has performed alongside the likes of the Hoodoo Gurus, Diesel, Ian Moss, Colin Hay, Mark Seymour and Dragon, but he’ll be headlining in his own right at Newcastle’s Lass O’Gowrie this Friday July 10 and The Newsagency on Saturday July 11.
BARTER TRADES WITH GORDI
NOONAN AT NIGHT
Singer-songwriter Katie Noonan has announced a 15-date national tour in support of her new album, Transmutant. Due out on Friday July 24, the LP marks the return of Katie Noonan’s Vanguard, her fleshed-out four-piece band. She’ll take them out on the road this spring, making stops in regional Australia as well as a slew of capital cities before ending the tour with a special show in the Hunter Valley. Catch her at the Australian Institute of Music’s John Painter Hall on Friday October 30 and Saturday October 31, The Brass Monkey on Thursday November 5, and Spicers Vineyard Estate in the Hunter on Sunday November 8.
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THE NEWSAGENCY SESSIONS
Musical residency and recording collaboration The Newsagency Sessions will see Sydneybased Sarah Belkner team up with another exciting local artist each week for four Wednesdays in July and August. Both artists each night will perform a stripped-back set, before finishing the show by collaborating on a duet. If you can’t make it to The Newsagency
BALLOONS KILL BABIES
Instrumental rockers Balloons Kill Babies are heading around the country this July and August. The Queensland trio will play seven shows around the land, bringing a host of guests with them. They have just released the video for their new single, ‘Patches In The Sky’, shot on location in Toronto, Canada and put together by Brisbane videographer RCStills. You can see them in person when they take over The Bald Faced Stag with Transience, Mercury Sky and Enter Reality on Friday July 17, or at Tattersalls Hotel in Penrith on Saturday July 18.
THE DEMON PARADE
In support of their forthcoming EP release, Stone Circles, The Demon Parade have announced a string of east coast shows for this August. Since they first started, The Demon Parade have clocked up almost 300 shows, released two EPs and six singles, supported international acts such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Swervedriver, The BellRays and Sleepy Sun, and shared stages with some of Australia’s finest including The Preatures, Something For Kate, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Stonefield, British India, Kingswood, Gold Fields and Dune Rats. They’ll carve another few notches into the bedpost at the Old Manly Boatshed on Friday August 21, The Standard Bowl on Saturday August 22 and Frankie’s Pizza on Sunday August 23. thebrag.com
ReclinkCommunityCup#5080_photo Rod Hunt
Ali Barter has announced she will team up with Gordi for a double headliner single launch show this month. Barter will be launching ‘Hypercolour’, the first single from her forthcoming record AB-EP, following tours with the likes of The War On Drugs and Phosphorescent. Local folktronica artist Gordi, whose music has drawn comparisons to Ásgeir, The Tallest Man On Earth and Angel Olsen, will be launching ‘Can We Work It Out’ from her debut EP set for release in August. Barter, Gordi and White Gums will perform at Hibernian House on Saturday July 18.
itself, The Newsagency Sessions are streamed online to your living room via Concert Window, a portal where musicians and fans come together. This year brings a stellar roster of special guests, including Martha Marlow (Wednesday July 22), Ed Wells (Wednesday July 29), Katie Wighton (Wednesday August 5) and Maples (Wednesday August 12).
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BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15 :: 7
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR * Which new nightclub promoter is facing court for an incident in his past as a travel agent – allegedly taking $200,000 in payments for holidays that were not booked? * Which artist manager had to spend money to upgrade his vehicle because of a freebie? His artist was given a new keyboard by a company. Alas, it wouldn’t fit into his sedan, so he had to fork out for a new van. * Is Facebook set to get into music videos to rival YouTube? * Hilltop Hoods’ Walking Under Stars has been certified double platinum. * Dave Grohl’s broken foot cost Foo Fighters US$10 million in
lost fees and merchandising sales after the cancellation of shows. * On the middle night of a fivenight stay at Chicago’s United Center, U2 slipped in ‘Gloria’ as their third song, ten years since they’d last performed it. * Prince has pulled his music from all streaming services except Tidal. * Sydney venues: Glebe’s Nag’s Head Hotel has changed hands for AU$5 million, with the new owner being former Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon … fresh from being closed for 72 hours after reports bar staff were taking ecstasy between serving customers, Erskineville’s Imperial Hotel has adopted a no pass-outs policy from 1am and no re-entry after 3am. * Plans to stage an Adelaide version of Thailand’s notorious
MUSIC ASSOCIATIONS WANT TASK FORCE The Australian Music Industry Network (which represents eight state associations), APRA AMCOS, Music Australia, The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) and The Association of Artist Managers (AAM) have jointly asked the Australian Government to set up “a Federal, cross-portfolio task force” to help support the contemporary music industry. They supplied 2013 figures from Music Australia, showing the industry brings in between $7 billion and $8 billion per year. But its artists face uncertainty and constraint due to globalisation, piracy and the shift to streaming services “significantly impacting on the ability of professional musicians to earn a living wage”. Most earn less than $10,000 a year from music, the industry claimed. “99 per cent of Australia’s music and performing arts businesses turn over less than $2 million per annum, and some 88 per cent are micro-businesses, turning over under $200,000 per annum,” it continued. “In other words, almost the entire industry is built on independent or small-to-medium organisations.”
NEW MUSIC CONFERENCE FOR SYDNEY Australian Music Week is a new conference, festival and artist showcase that will run in Cronulla from Wednesday November 18 – Sunday November 22. Behind the initiative are Geoff Trio and Scott Mesiti (festival directors), Karen-Lee Goody (marketing, brand partner), Jonathan Howell (conference manager) and Ryan Van Gennip (production manager). They are looking for emerging artists to showcase. Interested? Check out their Facebook page, facebook. com/AustMusicWeek.
SXSW MEET ’N’ GREET ANNOUNCES PANEL South By Southwest’s free Sydney networking night has announced its panel of experts providing tips on how to get the best out of the career-changing event. They are Julia Natoli (Channel [V]), Chelsea Sinnott (Sounds Australia), Mark Berry (VML), Marc
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Full Moon Party in October as part of Asiafest caused a row. Late-night clubs are demanding it face the same liquor licensing policies as they do, residents are complaining music festivals shouldn’t be held in Rymill Park, and Adelaide Council is feeling uneasy about the Thai event’s hedonistic reputation. * Former At The Drive-In singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, currently with Antemasque, revealed that during his days with The Mars Volta, he spent US$1,000 a week on pot. * Kanye West’s expletive-heavy set at Glastonbury aired on BBC Two, drawing 1.1 million viewers and 44 complaints. Subtitlers changed some of his language to “liggers” and “motherducker”. A British comedian ran onstage during the show in retaliation for
Sousley (Secret Sounds Touring) and Brad Thomas (official travel agent for SXSW). It will be moderated by Phil Tripp, who’s represented SXSW Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii for 13 years. The event is being held on Tuesday July 14 at Newtown Social Club. For further info on SXSW 2016, email tripp@sxsw.com.
ALLDAY SIGNS GLOBAL DEAL Adelaide-born, Melbourne-based rapper Allday has signed directly to New York’s Wind-Up Records. It covers all territories except for Australia and NZ, where he is with Onetwo, Illy’s label with UNFD. His manager Jim McKinnon of Teamtrick says Allday is the second Aussie hip hopper after Iggy Azalea to score a direct deal in America. Allday’s first album, Startup Cult, which debuted at number three on the ARIA chart last July, also went top 20 in America’s CMJ Hip Hop chart.
AMP’S NEW JUDGING PANEL The judging panel for this year’s AU$30,000 Australian Music Prize (AMP) is to be chaired once again by Dave Faulkner. The Hoodoo Gurus frontman is one of three artists on the 16-person jury along with Al Grigg and Phil Jamieson. Those from the media are Mikey Cahill, Bryget Chrisfield, Sosefina Fuamoli, Kate Hennessey, Caitlin Nienaber, Sarah Smith, Myf Warhurst and Bernard Zuel. From the retail sector are Chris Berkley, Mike Glynn, Shannon Logan, Nate Nott and Christopher Powell. The winner will be announced in March.
ONELOVE’S RYAN WILSON TO SONY MUSIC DJ and producer Ryan Wilson is the new director of electronic music at Sony Music Entertainment Australia. He replaces Jon Hanlon, who is leaving to concentrate on his business interests. Wilson was most recently the national and international marketing and promotions manager for Onelove. Between 2005 and 2011, he was music director at Adelaide dance station Fresh 92.7FM. Wilson produces and hosts Australia’s longestrunning dance music radio show, Release (now up to episode 754).
Kanye’s notorious award ceremony interruptions. * Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’ is the biggest-selling single in the UK this year, moving 1.44 million units in 2015 and notching up total sales there of 1.93 million. * Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Australian tour is minus Fleshn-Bone. He decided to stay in the US after being denied a visa into New Zealand for a past jail term. * US instrument maker firm Artisan Bass Works has offered to make a special guitar for Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, who suffers from arthritis in his hands. An angled neck design will take away much of the strain caused by having to keep the guitar in a playing position and makes the fretboard easier to navigate.
AVER SIGNS WORLD DEAL WITH RIPPLE Sydney stoner metal band Aver have signed with US indie label Ripple Music to release their second album Nadir worldwide in November.
X STUDIO ANNOUNCES NEW EXEC Ron Creevey’s Moment Media, which owns X Studio, has appointed Hazel Savage as its global head of music. The UK-born Savage was previously with Shazam in London, Universal Music and most recently Pandora, heading up industry relations in Australia and NZ.
ALBERTS TO REPRESENT A&R DEPARTMENT Alberts has signed on to represent The A&R Department’s music catalogue. The companies will collaborate on developing new songwriters, along with managing existing works by such artists as The Ruminaters, Battleships, Magic Bones and The Occupants. Over eight years, The A&R Department has kick-started the careers of Harts, Meg Mac, The Occupants and Safia via artist development and tailored release strategies.
AUSTRALIAN RADIO AUDIENCE GROWS BY SEVEN PER CENT GfK’s latest AudienScope report shows that Australian radio audiences have grown by 7% in the last five years. 19% are listening to more radio than they were a year ago and 66% listen while driving. 48% stay on the same station for long periods, showing it’s a multi-tasking medium. 59% choose their station for personality-driven content, and 82% are drawn to humour.
ART MUSIC AWARDS RETURN The Art Music Awards are back for a fifth year, covering jazz, experimental and classical. Produced by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre, they will be held Tuesday August 11 at the City Recital Hall Angel Place. The ceremony is being hosted by Fenella Kernebone,
Lifelines Expecting: Peter Bayliss, managing director of Canberra music management and accounting firm Into Tomorrow, and his wife Brianna, their fourth child. Ill: Meghan Trainor was forced to cancel two US shows after suffering a vocal cord haemorrhage, and told not to talk or sing. Hospitalised: Russell Morris for an operation for an unspecified condition. In Court: felony charges against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs over an altercation with his son’s football coach have been dropped. He was up for assault with a deadly weapon and making terrorist threats. In Court: Enrique Iglesias for allegedly driving with a suspended licence and trying to change seats with his manager when caught on a closed express lane in Miami. Sued: Rod Stewart over the song ‘Corrina Corrina’, by the heirs of US bluesman Armenter ‘Bo Carter’ Chatmon, who wrote the folk blues song ‘Corrine, Corrina’ in 1928, for alleged similarities. Died: British drummer Bruce Rowland (Joe Cocker, Fairport Convention), 74, cancer. Died: Nashville songwriter Red Lane, 76, cancer. He penned hits such as ‘Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa’ for George Strait, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard and lived in a converted DC-8 passenger jet airliner. host of triple j’s long-running electronic music show The Sound Lab.
SONGWRITERS CONFERENCE RETURNING Registrations are now open for the fourth Australian Songwriters Conference (ASC) to be held from June 10-13 next year. The conference covers publisher pitching sessions, seminars, workshops, onsite recording and performance nights. Some names have already been confirmed. See australiansongwritersconference.com for details.
DOG WHISTLE MUSIC SIGNS KAYLENS RAIN Dog Whistle Music has signed new country music duo Kaylens Rain to a recording and publishing deal. It includes their debut Found and follow-up due later this year. Dog Whistle was set up by Tom Inglis and Andrew Cochrane last March and signs acts “that push the envelope”, says Inglis.
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o use trying to hide it – I’m a little smitten with Ms Mr right now. And by ‘smitten’, I mean compulsively listening to their 2013 debut Secondhand Rapture and its exceptional followup, How Does It Feel. It also doesn’t hurt that singer Lizzy Plapinger is one of the most entertaining interviewees around – honest, engaging and laugh-out-loud funny. We chat about the significant shift in the New York indie-pop duo’s sound, and her surprise at discovering how deeply personal lyrics can still resound with a legion of fans. “Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen! Shit’s about to get real! You’re about to talk to Lizzy Plapinger! And coming up next, The Interview!” she laughs. “God, what is happening? I feel like I’m on some kind of imaginary carnival ride.” And so the tone is set for the duration of our interview – a little madcap, a little reflexive, and never a dull moment. Though worlds apart, there is a parallel here with the media’s fascination with Jennifer Lawrence – someone who appears quite genuine and earnest, yet is also disarmingly charming. It makes sense that Plapinger’s gregarious, somewhat vulnerable character translates into music with such ease. What is surprising, however, is the extent to which the band hit the ground running.
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that’s very inherent to me. I never feel like I’m putting on airs or being someone that I’m not. “But I do feel like I found my voice by just singing along to all of my favourite artists, learning how to sing through them. And whether that was Patsy Cline or Aretha Franklin, the women that I’ve grown up loving my entire life – even if I don’t actually sound anything like those women – have somehow taught me vocally how to come back to myself. I think that’s sort of beautiful, and makes me hope that maybe someone out there is listening to my voice and singing along, and they’re finding their own voice through that.” Her mention of Patsy Cline is quite topical, given the Hologram USA company has just announced a holographic tour by the late country singer. Anyone out there still waiting for the future to arrive can finally kick back and relax – and really, if they can bring back Tupac, Cline is the next logical step – but you can’t shake a vague sense of horror at the entire enterprise. “You’re kidding? Oh, that’s just awful,” Plapinger laments. “How interesting. I think I would rather just sit at home and listen to Patsy rather than go out and see some virtual reality version. I think that would be quite sad. Sometimes when you’re on the grind of tour, a fantasy like that does have its appeal, but ultimately … I don’t
think I’d ever be comfortable with that. There’s something so important about physically being there with your audience and connecting with them. “The other part about performing live is working out how you’re growing, how your audience influences and inspires you. I’d say that playing live is becoming more and more one of my favourite pieces of having this opportunity to be in a band. I think I love being onstage more than anything now, and I only really discovered that about myself through touring the last record.” Plapinger has had ample opportunity to test this theory lately, with a tour schedule that has seen Ms Mr not only cross oceans and hemispheres, but feature at tentpole festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, and closer to home, Splendour. Recognising how their motivations have been shaped by live performance informed much of Ms Mr’s new album, and even the most cursory first impression reveals a compelling departure from Secondhand Rapture. “So much of enjoying touring was brought into How Does It Feel,” says Plapinger. “We wanted to make music that we could dance to, that made people move and engage with us. So the challenge we set up was to make a dance record that sort of redefined what dance movement was for us and for our
audience. We didn’t want dance music to have to be EDM or houseborne, but to find different ways of moving to different sounds. You know, there are songs where it’s all about fist-pumping and dancing around as loudly as possible, but there are also songs that make you want to grind, to sexually move against your partner, and then there are songs that are more rocksteady stoner dance, where you just want to bop your head,” she laughs. “We really wanted to engage our audience physically as much as we could, and I think people will find that now at the shows.” Every music journalist will gush to an artist’s face just how much they loved their recent project (the alternative – “Man, your new album really sucks. How does that feel?” – might be more sincere, but would make for a brief conversation). Yet here, the accolades are legit. How Does It Feel is a bold evolution in the Ms Mr sound, sure, but it sacrifices none of the integrity or musical prowess of their debut. What’s more, it paints a striking story of celebration and despair, with standouts ‘Tripolar’ and ‘Leave Me Alone’ showcasing this range. “Ha, well ‘Tripolar’ is one of my favourite songs on the record, and ‘Leave Me Alone’ is probably the favourite, so you chose well,” Plapinger laughs. “[The album] is absolutely the most intimate, personal and honest extension of who I am. Especially in a song
“I think we’re starting to crosspollinate different songs, and I think musically there is an element of call-and-response across the entire record. The lyrics play off each other as a whole, even if the experience in the end is quite specifi c on a song-by-song basis. I think ‘Painted’ is very much a song about picking yourself up and fi nding a way forward, but I also think ‘All The Things Lost’ is one of the darkest songs I’ve ever written – a song about completely being the lowest, most lost and tortured version of yourself. And then ‘No Guilt In Pleasure’ is about being carefree and throwing yourself into sin and not feeling bad about it, just experiencing your life in a somewhat reckless capacity, and ‘How Does It Feel’ is this moment of heightened passion. I think each song has its own journey, but they need to be brought together for the bigger story to be told.” What: How Does It Feel out Friday July 17 through Columbia/ Sony With: George Maple, Tigertown Where: Metro Theatre When: Saturday July 25 And: Also appearing alongside Blur, Florence + The Machine, Mark Ronson and many more at Splendour In The Grass 2015, North Byron Parklands, Friday July 24 – Sunday July 26
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“Honestly, I’d never sung in my life before Ms Mr,” says Plapinger in a rush. “I hadn’t sung for anyone before Max [Hershenow, producer and bandmate], and Secondhand Rapture were the first songs that I’d written in my entire life, the first time that I’d ever seriously used my voice. I think it’s something
like ‘Tripolar’ – that one almost more than any other song on the record. In a way, I thought that people would never connect with it, because it felt too personal. But maybe that’s what makes a successful song. What makes me feel like a successful songwriter is that every song will sound individual to everyone who listens to it.
Dead Letter Circus Up Close And Personal By Natalie Rogers
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015 has seen the reboot of one of Australia’s hardest-working and most successful rock bands. Lead vocalist Kim Benzie is so passionate about Dead Letter Circus’ new single ‘While You Wait’ and their forthcoming album, he’s taken time away from the hospital where his wife is due to give birth to chat about another new beginning. “I’ll admit, before going into the studio we honestly thought this could be the last time we’d all be together, but in the process of making this album I believe we all felt a rekindling of our passion for making music,” says the Queenslander. “Our personal lives and friendship are at an all-time high at the moment after finishing the recording. We’re all feeling super positive.” Benzie’s enthusiasm is infectious as he details what would become the catalyst for Dead Letter Circus’ third studio album. “We did an acoustic EP [Stand Apart] which featured songs from our last album [The Catalyst Fire] and on that we built a really simplistic sound around the vocals. We wanted to showcase a different side of the band. We soon realised people really enjoyed being able to hear the lyrics so clearly. Some of my buddies said, ‘Oh wow, I didn’t understand the power of the words,’ and said they started to appreciate the story within the songs.”
“I love sweaty little club shows,” Benzie says. “We did a few of them when we were touring overseas and it was like being back in the good old days. I remember thinking, ‘Ah, I love this!’ They were so much fun. Everyone’s in the moment. There’s no big light shows, it’s just the music, the sweat and the people – they can touch you and you can touch them. You’re not separated by a barrier and a couple of metres of elevated stage. It’s up close and personal.” While it’s obvious Dead Letter Circus are in an enviable position in 2015, it’s always a good idea to have a future goal. “All I know is, I do not wanna be a judge on Australia’s Got Talent or The Voice,” says Benzie. “But I really hope that Stu [Hill], our bass player, is on that I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! show. I think I’d get great pleasure out of seeing him on that.” With: I Am Giant, Motioner Where: Newtown Social Club When: Thursday July 16
Rather than letting the success of the Stand Apart EP and subsequent tour go to his head, Benzie began writing again, penning lyrics without any music to speak of. “Normally we would write an epic piece of music first that would dictate the mood and emotion of what I’m going to sing,” he says. “Then I would go away and write the words – but this time we did everything in reverse.”
“When we booked the studio, we only had one demo fi nished. We had to convince our label and manager that we were ready.” Despite feeling confident about the album today, Benzie says at first he was reluctant to change the way they’d always crafted their songs – their tried-and-tested formula had proved to be a winner in the past. “I was a little apprehensive at the start. I didn’t know if these little songs would ever be DLC tracks, but when I showed one of the guys he said, ‘Dude! We should have a jam and see what can come of this.’ So we all got together, had a jam session and we wrote the first song in the course of a couple of hours, built around the vocals I had already written. That night opened our eyes to the possibility of making music another way.” This was the spark that lit the fuse leading to an explosion of creativity. “I had a bunch of ideas already laid down, so I thought, ‘Let’s get this started.’ When we booked the studio, we only had one demo completely finished. We had to convince our label and own manager that we were ready. I said, ‘We’ve got this,’ and I reminded them that we’ve never let them down before. Of course, unbeknownst to them we had very little organised!” laughs Benzie. “We went into the studio with a few tiny ideas and came out with an album three months later, all done.” We’ve all heard the teaser single, ‘While You Wait’, but Benzie is keen to keep the mystery alive over what to expect from the rest of the LP. “Actually, I only just finished tracking the final vocals yesterday,” he says. “The album has a very broad mix. We’ve tracks that feature our signature sound as always – we can’t really escape that – but we’ve managed to find some super fresh ground in the rock department. The one thing we haven’t done is decide on a title. That’s next on my list actually, after we shot a video clip for ‘While You Wait’ – but I can tell you the album will be released in August.” Although we will have to wait another few weeks to hear Dead Letter Circus’ latest creation in its entirety, those who managed to get a ticket to their sold-out gig at Newtown Social Club are in for a treat. “We will hand-select a couple of songs to debut there,” Benzie says. “But we’re always going to make time to play our signature and older songs – honestly, we’d be upset if we didn’t play [those] as well.” Dead Letter Circus have never had a problem selling out venues in Australia or overseas, and their decision to play this upcoming string of shows at more intimate venues was a deliberate one. thebrag.com
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Tex Perkins And The Dark Horses Courses For Horses By David James Young
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he way that Gregory Stephen Perkins – known to the world as Tex Perkins – is spoken about, you’d think he’s more mythological beast than man. The veteran performer is revered for his work in pub rock, blues, alt-country and adult contemporary circles over the course of several different bands and an extensive solo catalogue. As a figure of Australian music, he’s omnipotent and omnipresent – if he’s not making an album, he’s touring it, and vice versa. He’s just finished with the former – a new record with his long-time collaborators, The Dark Horses, entitled Tunnel At The End Of The Light. “Originally, I had planned to call this album Journey To The End Of The Day,” he explains. “I often map out albums. This album, you could say it’s from midnight to midnight. There’s a middle of the night, there’s a morning, there’s an afternoon, there’s an evening and then there’s the end. It’s seasonal, even. It’s cyclical. The last album had a very similar opening sentiment – an opening of the eyes, seeing the world around it and thinking, ‘What’ve I got to deal with today?’ There’s a lot of existentialism. That can be positive, and it can be not so positive. It can be, ‘Why do we bother?’ but it can also be, ‘Why shouldn’t we bother?’”
“A lot of the songs that I write are stemmed from their environment,” he says. “Through the various bands I’ve been in, sometimes a song would spring out of nowhere – it would just appear in front of me. I’d have to decide which band it would come to life with. I think the best way, though, is to assemble those musicians and start playing. Hopefully someone’s recording your ramblings, and you pick out the parts that seem to work. You could be jamming for 20 minutes and find ten seconds of that whole jam and be like, ‘Hey! That part!’ It can build up again completely from there.” As logic would predict, Perkins and his Dark Horses are following up the completion and release of Tunnel At The End Of The Light with a tour in support of it. When it comes to his demographic, Perkins is incredibly self-aware. There’s the rockoriented folk who are best acquainted with the man through acts like Beasts Of Bourbon and The Cruel Sea. Concurrently, Perkins has also drawn in a crowd that knows him best for his quieter solo material, as well as his many tribute shows in which he portrays the legendary Johnny Cash. So, who’s coming to see Tex Perkins these days? People like him, apparently. “What I’ve really noticed is that my core audience is my age – late 40s, early 50s,” he says. “That’s who I
generally see – the people that have known about me for the last 20, 30 years. You also tend to notice different people that come to shows depending on the venues that I’m playing. If we’re playing a sweaty, rock’n’roll club, it’s a rock’n’roll audience. If we play a nice comfortable club, you’ll get the people that like the nice comfort. I don’t think I’m picking up the teenage audience – they’re not really in tune with what I’m doing. It’s still pretty broad, though. I try to put the right crowd in the right venue, and therefore the right audience will come.” Of course, there’s no rest for the wicked – and Perkins has proven to be one of the most wicked figures out there. As well as dates with The Dark Horses, Perkins has some regional dates planned with long-
time cohort Charlie Owen (remember Tex, Don & Charlie? He’s Charlie). Even more curiously, Perkins has a run of shows coming up with television personality and occasional singer Justine Clarke. Although seemingly an odd couple, the pairing makes more sense as Perkins paints the picture. “Justine and I have known one another for something like 25 years,” he says. “We’re almost family. We’ve done little things together over the years – we used to have dinner parties and we’d sing songs and make stuff up on a four-track. One time, we decided we should do a show together. We started to collect a whole bunch of songs for us to do together, and the music of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood kept coming up. We picked a song of theirs, then another, then
another… eventually we were like, ‘Do you just wanna do all of them?’ We did one of these shows about two years ago, and I’m very excited to be doing them again.” Perkins also vouches for Clarke’s work at her day job as a Play School presenter. “With all respect to the others, everyone knows the A-team of Play School is Justine and Rhys [Muldoon],” he says. “I know it, my kids know it – fuck The Wiggles off, it’s all about those two!” What: Tunnel At The End Of The Light out now through Dark Horse/Inertia Where: Lizotte’s Newcastle / Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday July 18 / Sunday July 19
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“Sometimes a song would spring out of nowhere. I’d have to decide which band it would come to life with.”
Perkins is, as one might expect, the kind of interviewee who takes whatever ball you throw his way and runs with it. Just as in his own songwriting, he mixes gentle ramblings and meanderings with vivid imagery and the occasional bit of storytelling – which, really, is fitting, given that his own approach to creating new music is the very next subject we touch upon. As far as Perkins is concerned, everything he creates is both contextual and circumstantial.
At Last: The Etta James Story Vika Bull Comes Along By Adam Norris the last century. Yet despite having “She was incredibly tough, and a performed James’ classics for years survivor,” Bull says. “And growing up now – songs like ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ in that industry so young, too! She and ‘Something’s Got A Hold On Me’ was 15 when she had her first hit and – Bull is not even close to tiring of started touring, and to have had such them. a long career and survive all of that – the drugs and the lifestyle that “I don’t get sick of them, I just don’t. nearly killed her – is amazing. I’ve been listening to her since I was Obviously she had a strong 17. When I first started singing and constitution, but I think going on the got in a band, I would listen to her road and living that kind of life turns every single day, and I still do. I you tough, which I think you need to could quite happily sing her set for be in this business. You can’t be a the rest of my life, to be quite honest. wuss, or you won’t survive. And of That might sound pretty stupid, but course, back then they had it a hundred times tougher than I ever did.” I’ve truly never tired of her. Bull is a jovial, easy speaker, yet her words are tinged with a pronounced respect for James’ life and artistry, and she is quite conscious of the responsibility she has assumed in sharing these songs afresh. “I’m very mindful of the fact that she’s gone, and so I think about that every night when I go on. You want to do it all properly, and I often find myself thinking, ‘Shit, what if she’s up there watching and really hates all of this?’ I think that all the time, so I work really hard to make sure the show is great every night.”
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respect are wonderful hallmarks of a life in music, but it is the strange magic of bringing songs to life that remains Bull’s enduring passion. As such, you would be hard-pressed to find someone more suited to taking
the stage for At Last: The Etta James Story. The show sees James’ life of hardship and triumph unfold across immediately recognisable classics, and Bull’s voice is their perfect, soulful fit.
What: At Last: The Etta James Story Where: The Concourse, Chatswood When: Saturday July 18 And: Also playing at Lizotte’s Newcastle on Wednesday July 15 and Thursday July 16
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ver the course of her career, Vika Bull has carved a name for herself as Australia’s queen of soul, though it’s a title she shrugs off with an embarrassed laugh. The accolades and industry
Bull first began performing James’ songs back in 2013, and from that first standing ovation it was clear the music still resonated with audiences deeply. The term ‘timeless’ has been bandied across so many songs and genres now that it has lost a great deal of significance, yet few could deny ‘At Last’ is one of the most recognisable and celebrated songs of
“It’s the lyrics. She covered a lot of people’s songs as well, and I’ve always liked her interpretations. She did some cracking covers, like the Eagles’ ‘Take It To The Limit’. I think her version is better than theirs, just because of the way she sang it. That song really does sort of sum up her life, and if you listen close you hear that. But it’s really the strength of her lyrics and voice. Maybe some have dated a little bit, but I think some of her older stuff, the classics, are timeless. The way she sang came from an honest and very deep place. That’s what I like about her.”
Day Ravies Picking Up And Moving On By Augustus Welby
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here are many things involved in building a band’s following apart from producing some attention-grabbing output. Luck will always play a role, but good organisation and shrewd decisionmaking certainly doesn’t go astray. Day Ravies released their debut LP, Tussle, in late 2013. While the record’s woozy alt-pop sound gained critical praise and nabbed the band a coterie of enamoured fans, it’s fair to say the Sydney foursome is yet to make a major breakthrough. Day Ravies’ second album, Liminal Zones, comes out this weekend, and this time around the band is better positioned to make a big impact.
“The first album was a massive learning curve in every respect,” says co-vocalist and keys player Caroline de Dear. “None of us had put out anything quite as significant before. The first album came out with Popfrenzy, but we decided we wanted to do something a bit different with this one – that was quite a conscious decision.” It is a poor workman who blames his tools, but Day Ravies don’t begrudge their former label for failing to make them superstars. Nevertheless, they decided to take the release of Liminal Zones into their own hands. “Sam [Wilkinson, guitar/vocals] actually started his own label, Strange Pursuits,” says de Dear. “And we’re releasing the CD through Strange Pursuits and the vinyl through Sonic Masala. We’ve made decisions about this release
because of our experiences the first time around. We’re all feeling much more confident about it this time.” The band’s increased confidence isn’t limited to the logistical details. Liminal Zones showcases a sharper and more intrepid group than the one responsible for Tussle. Over the course of their relatively short history, there have been stacks of subgenres thrown at Day Ravies – everything from shoegaze to art rock, no wave and dream pop. To add to that pile, Liminal Zones introduces a wacky synth-based new wave sound. “All of our musical tastes are fairly diverse, and I think it’s only natural that that comes across through the music you make,” says de Dear. “It’s entirely dependent on what we’re listening to and what we’re inspired by. We’ve all been huge Devo fans forever, and then we started investing in synths, and it seemed only natural that would be part of the album, and we’d try to make it more textural and experiment with different kinds of instrumentation. Lani [Crooks, bass/ vocals] and I play flute and clarinet on the album as well. We were a lot more experimental with our choice of instrumentation in general.” Day Ravies’ willingness to experiment with new tools also led to a modified recording arrangement. While Tussle’s mixing engineer Pete Beringer was involved again, they also tried out a homespun approach.
get the first one out of the way and then you have a better idea about how it’s going to go and you can have so much more fun. So even though it took so long to record – I think we were recording over a year and we had issues with hard drives and all of that kind of stuff – it was a very enjoyable year. “Sam knows exactly what we’re going for, but with Peter, because he’s not in the band, we rattled off a few albums and bands that we really want to sound like and that we really enjoy the production of.”
Thankfully, the implementation of various recording techniques hasn’t made for a patchy listening experience. In fact, as a whole, Liminal Zones is a more sprightly and sonically forceful affair than its predecessor.
When it comes to the songwriting, however, it’s a different story. The band members clearly have farreaching tastes, but it’s not often they try to directly invoke other artists or stylistic formats.
“I think everyone had a lot more fun with this one,” agrees de Dear. “It’s like that awkward first date – you
“Because we’re all so close, we all know what each other are listening to at any given time,” de Dear says.
“But the songwriting is never that formal. All four of us write songs for the band and I think our influences are a part of that. And then when we start playing demos that we’ve made individually, everyone else’s influences enter the mix. “What I really like about this album is I think there’s a real immediacy to it. It’s sort of fast and furious and really mixed and it’s so much more energetic and interesting for all of those reasons. Recording across different formats really helped as well. We weren’t limited to doing it a really traditional way. We just sort of were impulsive and did what we felt like.” What: Liminal Zones out Friday July 10 through Strange Pursuits/ Sonic Masala Where: Roxbury Hotel When: Friday November 6
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“All of our musical tastes are fairly diverse, and I think it’s only natural that that comes across through the music you make.”
“We did record this one with Peter and we also recorded with Sam at his and Lani’s house on their eighttrack,” de Dear explains. “There’s a few tracks in the middle of the album that we recorded at home on the eight-track in the middle of last year. We liked them so much, we couldn’t not have them on the album. Seeing as the musical influences are fairly diverse, we thought, ‘It doesn’t really matter if there’s inconsistent recording technology.’ So we were working with Pete again – and it was mixed by Sam and Pete.”
High Tension Bully To You By Lachlan Kanoniuk Damian [Coward] and Matt [Weston] in the band, what we like and what we get stoked about is much more aligned, so much more solid, and maybe that’s why it seems like such a big leap.” On the Bully song ‘Take Control’, Utomo sings, “I don’t know what success feels like.” The line stands out on an album otherwise brimming with positive energy.
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“Before High Tension formed,” she explains, “Ash [Pegram] and I were in a band previously together [Young And Restless], and after that band broke up we still stayed in touch. Eventually we said, ‘Fuck, let’s do
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something else.’ I told Ash I wanted to do something far more brutal than what we were doing. Ash is not a heavy music fan, but he loves to play guitar.” While Young And Restless weren’t devoid of aggression, the heavy leanings of High Tension put them on another level entirely – a factor arising from a pressurised ennui, Utomo laughs. “It came from living in Canberra. I have my theory about it. I grew up in Jakarta, where there’s a big metal scene, which I think comes from the Javanese culture of passiveness and being submissive. I think when you have that much submissiveness and forms of repression, that’s where heavy music thrives. But it’s all in a
really positive way. I think with Young And Restless, that time around mid2000s when the band started, I only turned 18 a couple of years before, and because I lived in Canberra all I did was go to hardcore shows and metal shows. I loved going to those, seeing bands like 4 Dead play. I was so blown away and thought, ‘Fuck, I’ve gotta learn how to sing like that somehow.’ “So I think Young And Restless – well, it wasn’t an experiment, but it was the first go, trying to sing in that style. It wasn’t super purist, and High Tension isn’t purist either, but I wanted to play with hardcore bands, but that wasn’t the type of music we had. We still got to play with lots of rad bands. Since that experience and era, and being older and now having
The new album was recorded in Adelaide – a surprising choice considering the band’s Melbourne and Canberra connections. But the reason they chose the South Australian capital was simple. “Cones,” Utomo laughs. “Seriously, why Adelaide? Damian lived in Adelaide for a little while, he’s quite responsible for bringing heavy music into my life in Canberra because he ran Building Records. He’d bring Love Like Electrocution, Pilot To Gunner, whichever bands he was touring or putting out their record. He introduced us to James Balderston, who is an incredible drummer and plays in Grenadiers; he had just
“I’ve tried to record vocal takes on my own and gotten nowhere. It’s this weird subconscious thing of getting the body to perform, not knowing why I can’t do it. Then I tell Damian that and he says, ‘Well, why do you think I was shredding so hard on the EP? Because fuckin’ Tom Larkin was behind the desk.’ Knowing that Jimmy is such a good drummer, it ties it back to the fact drumming is such an important part of the recording, and that’s why we wanted to work with Jimmy. And because Damian thinks so highly of Jimmy as a drummer, we were hoping he’d be shitting his pants and doing good takes. We stayed in Adelaide, but I didn’t do any vocals there.” Having spent plenty of time onstage in between releases, the band’s appetite for performance has imbued Bully with a sense of vigorous energy. “All of the vocals for High Tension have been recorded with a handheld,” says Utomo. “The movement is just as important as the actual sound itself. There are certain sounds I can’t make unless I’m doing a lunge or something like that.” What: Bully out Friday July 10 through Double Cross/Cooking Vinyl With: Mere Women, Narrow Lands, MSV BCP Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday July 18
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elbourne outfit High Tension have been tearing up stages across the country – most recently joining King Parrot on their national tour – and generally living the dream. Now, they’re gearing up to unleash new album Bully. I’m sitting with vocalist Karina Utomo in a Collingwood café on a Monday afternoon as she nurses a Bloody Mary. A member of the wait staff asks if the drink is OK, if it’s too spicy. “Actually, it could be a bit spicier,” Utomo responds, as the waiter goes to fetch more Tobasco.
“Every other song on [2012 EP] High Tension and Bully has been about positive reinforcement with positive themes,” she says. “It’s never personal, but that particular song was the last song I wanted to approach. It was so different to our other songs, with these gross themes, with anxiety and depression, where you really hate yourself, and addressing those concerns. When I proposed the idea to the guys, I said, ‘Tell me if you think this is shit,’ and they said, ‘Nah.’ Especially for ‘Bully’ – that song is about being a bully to yourself.”
brought Mike Deslandes’ studio, and Jimmy’s been working on incredible stuff in there. It was a case of getting us to record the second album differently, because our last two releases were with Tom Larkin, who is also a drummer.
Black Cobra Double Trouble By Natalie Rogers
I
n what can only be described as a match made in metal-god heaven, this month’s Twins Of Evil Australian tour is showcasing two of American heavy metal’s finest duos. Representing the West Coast are San Francisco’s sludge metal outfit Black Cobra, while from Athens on the East Coast come Jucifer.
While it’ll be Jucifer’s first time Down Under, Black Cobra are returning to Australia for the third time on the back of two successful tours. The last time Jason Landrian and Rafa Martinez were here was in 2011, when they went road-tripping with Fu Manchu and co-headlined Melbourne’s Cherry Rock festival. Four years on and Black Cobra have been to Europe twice, toured the States numerous times and have just wrapped up mastering their fifth studio album. “I just flew back from LA yesterday – I was out there to master the record with John Golden,” says Martinez. “A lot of musicians don’t attend their sessions, but I always do because I’m an engineer myself. I’m kind of a geek when it comes to sound and tech stuff. We’ve worked with him on every album – I really trust him and his input. “John really is a legend in the industry. He’s worked with just about everyone. Right now he’s remastering every Sonic Youth record – all 18 of them – and he also just finished up a job for Soundgarden. He worked on their
“Black Cobra was really just an experiment. A progressive metal two-piece? We’d never seen anything like this.”
three-disc collection of rarities with live stuff and B-sides. He’s definitely got some stories to tell!” Martinez says the album was produced by Jon-Tore Dombu, formerly of Norwegian nu-metal band Torch. “We went to Florida to record it with Jon, and it was done in ten days. This is our first release on Season Of Mist Records – we signed with them earlier this year. As soon as everything is packaged and ready to go, it’ll be released. We’ll be playing it live at these Australian shows and we can’t wait for people to hear it.” There’s no denying Black Cobra’s ability to produce a depth and strength of sound that would leave even a seven-piece band in their shadow. “We love to play live and loud,” Martinez says. “Jason and I like to mix our setlists up and choose songs from all our albums. “We now have 49 songs in our repertoire,” he continues. “We play so many different styles – slow Southern sludge, mid-tempo, and creepy psychedelic metal that we mix with our thrashier-sounding songs. We combine our songs and improvise to keep things fresh and interesting – that’s what we’ve always done.” Black Cobra officially formed in 2001, but Landrian and Martinez’s friendship goes back almost 20 years. “Jason and I met each other in Miami growing up. We had a band called Point Blank – we both played guitar. This was in ’96 or ’97. We met through a mutual friend, Sonya – she played drums. We had so much fun back then. Sonya ended up working with Norah Jones. “Anyway, I moved to California and Jason was living in New York when we started thinking about starting another band. I called him and said, ‘Hey, let’s do something longdistance.’ We never thought anything would come of it – Black Cobra was really just an experiment. A progressive metal two-piece? We’d
never seen anything like this – we didn’t know how it would work live and if anybody would like it. We had no idea,” he laughs. “So we did long-distance for a very long time – it was like a bad longdistance romance! Then eventually Jason moved out to LA in 2006 and we put out the first record. We were in LA for a year and then we moved to San Francisco in 2007, and we’ve been here for the last eight years now.” Sure enough, Black Cobra are proud to be representing San Francisco’s Bay Area. The region has a long history of producing world-class rock, metal and punk bands. Faith
No More, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Operation Ivy and Primus all call the area home. “As far as metal bands from around the area, there’s Exodus and Testament,” adds Martinez. “Metallica and Slayer come here all the time. I mean, it’s not like it was in the ’80s – I didn’t live here then, but from what I understand it was absolutely insane! But I still love San Fran – there’s a lot of amazing independent music here and there’s a strong underground culture.” Landrian and Martinez met Jucifer when they were sharing the bill at an underground club. “They sound
incredible – they remind me of the Melvins a little bit,” says Martinez. “They’re really loud and energetic. We’ve played with them a couple of times now, and they’re really cool. As a matter of fact, they were one of the first two-piece bands that we’d ever heard of, and it’ll be their first time ever in Australia. Jason and I are going to take them to see the Bon Scott statue in Fremantle – we can’t wait!” With: Jucifer, Dead Where: Hermann’s Bar / Newtown Social Club When: Saturday July 11 / Monday July 13
Jucifer 20 Years Slaying Ears By Natalie Rogers experience runs deep in Valentine and Livengood. 15 years ago, they left their hometown of Athens, Georgia to immerse themselves in the touring lifestyle. “We moved into our Winnebago in 2000 and we haven’t lived anywhere else since – we’ve been on the road the whole time,” Valentine explains. The nomadic way of life may sound appealing to many, but she is quick to clarify that having no fi xed address doesn’t equal zero responsibilities. “It’s not as free as people often imagine. Everything that people do when they live in a house, we still have to handle – except that our house can break down, and we can get stranded somewhere on the way to a gig. So it’s not exactly the simple life. It’s something that we sacrifi ced a lot for, but it’s rewarding and it allows us to do the thing that we love most in the world; that is, playing music together all day, every day.”
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t’s fair to say Jucifer’s music isn’t for the faint-hearted. This husband-and-wife act is renowned for being one of the loudest bands in the world: at a live show you’ll be greeted by a wall of speakers, typically standing over three metres high and almost fi ve metres wide.
in a live setting,” says guitarist/ vocalist Gazelle Amber Valentine. “That’s something people don’t necessarily know if they’ve only heard a couple of songs from our albums, but if you’re into the really heavy shit, then we’re your thing!” she laughs.
“We’re not everyone’s cup of tea, because we’re extremely heavy
Valentine and husband Edgar Livengood are commonly credited
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as pioneers of the two-piece in the sludge/metal/thrash genre. Prior to Jucifer’s formation in 1993, it was thought that producing such a depth of sound was impossible without the use of loops or a backing track. However, armed with only a drum kit and distorted guitars, Jucifer continue to break the rules and push boundaries. Indeed, a desire for the full
Jucifer have long embodied the punk spirit and DIY ethos, so it was only natural that they would fund their own label and allow themselves the freedom that comes with it. “Edgar and I started Nomadic Fortress Records in 2010,” says Valentine. “We handle it ourselves almost entirely. So far we don’t have a large catalogue, but we’re able to put out our own music when we want to for the first time during our career, and that’s an amazing liberty.
“It was always really frustrating being in the queue when working with other record labels. Now, if we have an idea, we’re able to record it and get it out immediately. The label turnaround is usually at least a year, and it can be even longer than that. So it’s very freeing for us to know that we can directly reach our audience and start sharing our music.” Visiting Australia for the first time as part of the Twins Of Evil tour alongside Black Cobra, Valentine says the decision to make the trip came from an epiphany 12 months ago. “I just looked at Edgar and said, ‘You know, we really better get to Australia!’ It’s something that we’ve always talked about but hadn’t gotten to do before. We’re really happy that it’s happening, fi nally. So to do it with our buddies Black Cobra is so perfect. We’ve known those guys for a long time – more than a decade, for sure – so it’ll be cool to be on a tour together. It’ll be the first time that we’ve done more than just a one-off show with them.” What: District Of Dystopia out now through Nomadic Fortress With: Black Cobra, Dead Where: Hermann’s Bar / Newtown Social Club When: Saturday July 11 / Monday July 13
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BRAG’s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town
arts in focus
bondi feast
a mouthful of culture
also inside:
CAMERON JAMES / LOVE AND INFORMATION / ARTS NEWS / ARTS GIVEAWAY / ARTS EXPOSED / REVIEWS thebrag.com
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arts in focus
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Bridget Lutherborrow, Elias Kwiet and Vanessa Papastavros
five minutes
Bitch Boxer
WITH
JORDAN COWAN FROM BITCH BOXER
an actor and some really surprising things. It’s such an intriguing sport and one that I think is a bit misinterpreted by Hollywood. My trainer in Adelaide made me learn to take punches (by punching me a lot) and also made me hit him daily, which was intense!
Y
ou’re performing Bitch Boxer as part of Bondi Feast this month. Was the preparation for the role anything to rival a boxer’s preperation for a big fight? Yes, I trained for three months with some wonderful coaches in Sydney and Adelaide – it was a crash course and turned out to be pretty tough. I learnt a lot about myself as
I AM BIG BIRD
How important do you think playwright Charlotte Josephine’s message is for young women and men? Men in the boxing world were really sceptical of women stepping into the ring, and I think it made them nervous, but it shouldn’t. Charlotte wrote the play after a passer-by commented on how ‘unladylike’ she looked lugging boxes around on her day job. ‘Unladylike’ to me suggests there is a ‘ladylike’ way of doing something, and this is just baffling. People believe women should act in a certain way – well,
What is it about boxing that’s conducive to great theatre? There is a real ‘theatre’ in a boxing match. The focus and precision of a boxer is really similar to that of an actor onstage. The two go hand-in-hand, and that’s why I think the play is so exciting! The whole final act of the play is a three-round boxing match and it’s my job to have people on the edge of their seat – it’s incredibly exciting. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of women boxing – what do you say to them? I say, “You what?” I think people in general just don’t like change, but need to get over it, really. I think once people see women in the ring and in the gym they change their minds very quickly. I
mean, if people don’t like boxing in general, that’s fine – but suggesting anything is just for men or just for women, well, those people need to move on. It’s 2015, people. Is there anything else on the Bondi Feast lineup you’re excited to see? Geez, there is so much, but I am really excited for the masterclasses and I can’t wait to see Zoe Coombs Marr’s Dave. I missed it at the Fringe and heard it was absolutely brilliant. Also, the 24 Hour Party Playwright is always wonderful. What: Bitch Boxer as part of Bondi Feast 2015 Where: Big Theatre, Bondi Pavilion When: Tuesday July 14 – Friday July 17
Russell Brand
Anyone who’s watched Sesame Street will have wondered about the people behind the puppets, and what their contribution might have been beyond a hand up the backside. The new documentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story profiles the 80-year-old puppeteer responsible for both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. The film delves into Spinney’s home videos, exploring how much of his self was reflected in his biggest character. “Big Bird is the most popular children’s character in the world,” The Muppets creator Jim Henson once said, “and I think that’s largely due to Caroll.” I Am Big Bird opens nationally on Thursday July 30, but if you’d like to be an early bird, we have ten double passes to give away for an advanced screening on Monday July 20 at Chauvel Cinema. For your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/ freeshit.
The Bleeding Tree
The Bleeding Tree photo by Brett Boardman
Victoria Jacono-Gilmovich
screw that! Bitch Boxer explores this myth.
JUST FOR LAUGHS LINEUP
WILD SWANS IN THE HOUSE
The Hans Christian Andersen story Wild Swans comes to the stage of the Sydney Opera House for a second time this month. Originally performed by the Australian Ballet in 2003, this new adaptation sees the tale narrated by Amanda Muggleton, with words adapted for stage by director Rodney Fisher Am. The original Elena KatsChernin score has been updated by Sydney violinist Victoria JaconoGilmovich and pianist John Martin to tell the story of Princess Elise, her search for her lost brothers and her rescue by 11 white swans. Two familyfriendly performances will be held in the Utzon Room on Sunday July 19.
LATE NIGHT AT THE OLD FITZ
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THE BLEEDING TREE
The Bleeding Tree is a revenge play that deals with Australia’s dark underbelly of domestic violence. Melbourne playwright Angus Cerini won the 2014 Griffin Award for New Australian Playwriting with his biting piece, set in rural Australia. It opens with a mother and her two daughters, who have just welcomed home the man of the house – whom they despise – with a crack in the shins and a bullet in the neck. The only issue now is disposing of the body. The season will be running from Friday August 7 – Saturday September 5 at SBW Stables Theatre.
LOST AND FOUND
The autobiographical storytelling adventure of All Lost In The Supermarket will be stopping at Giant Dwarf for one night only next month. Featuring the minds of Phil Spencer, Richard Cuthbert (Green Mohair Suits) and Claire Lovering, All Lost In The Supermarket is a heartfelt tale tracing the politics of language, the horrors of shopping and how a man lost his mind in the Bondi Westfield car park. Following a sold-out premiere offering at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, All Lost In The Supermarket is a darkly comic performance with a little standup and live music thrown in for good measure. All Lost In The Supermarket plays on Tuesday August 18.
DARE TO DARIN
Next September, the Sydney Lyric Theatre will play host to the world premiere of Dream Lover, The Bobby Darin Musical. Cementing its place as Australia’s live performance capital, Sydney will draw an estimated 29,000 visitors to our humble shores for Dream Lover, the story of the legendary American singer, songwriter, actor and musician. It will explore the fascinating life of the Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-nominated actor, as well as spanning a range of music genres. Including such 1960s hits as ‘Mack The Knife’, ‘Splish Splash’ and the musical’s namesake, it’ll be a night to remember, and your parents will love you for it.
FRENCH CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL
The Alliance Française Classic Film Festival is a new annual event that sets out to showcase classic French cinema. Organisers of the maiden festival this September have selected the work of iconic actor Catherine Deneuve as its focus, with each subsequent year choosing a new French director, actor or talent to celebrate. The festival will showcase six of Deneuve’s fi lms this year, following her impressive career and the equally impressive fi lmmakers she’s worked with in a career spanning four decades. Screenings of The Umbrella Of Cherbourg, The Young Girls Of Rochefort, Belle De Jour, A Cop, Indochina and Potiche will be held at Event Cinemas George St and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne from Thursday September 3 – Sunday September 6.
The Young Girls Of Rochefort xxx
Sydney’s new theatre company, Golden Jam Productions, is putting on two short plays this month at the Old Fitz Theatre. Andrew Bovell directs the first, Like Whiskey On The Breath Of A Drunk You Love, a story of betrayal and seduction starring recent ACTT graduates Natalie Freeman and Nicola James. The lust and seduction will be followed by Lunch, a black comedy appealing to animal instincts. The plays will run from Tuesday July 21 – Saturday July 25.
A host of big-name international comedians, joined by some sharp local talents, have been unveiled on the first round lineup for Just For Laughs Sydney 2015. International man of mystery (and hilarity) Russell Brand leads the program this year with his already announced date at the Sydney Opera House on Friday October 23, and a new show added at Qantas Credit Union Arena on Saturday October 24. Also on the bill are UK acts John Bishop and Danny Bhoy, both playing at the Opera House (with the latter also appearing at the State Theatre), alongside Al Murray AKA The Pub Landlord, Omid Djalili and local act Celia Pacquola. The Comedy Channel’s Just For Laughs: The Stand Up Series will return to the Opera House with MC Dave Thornton and a raft of Aussie comics including Ronny Chieng, Cal Wilson, Hannah Gadsby, Joel Creasey, Tom Ballard and more, performing across six live shows. Just For Laughs 2015 runs from Monday October 19 – Sunday October 25.
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Cameron James [COMEDY] Identity Quest By Tegan Jones
“T
here’s a fair bit about sex in there,” says Cameron James of his new show, the mysteriously titled Sha Na Na Na Na Na. “It’s one of the things that unite us as humans; we agree that sex is great and something we should do for the survival of the species. I’ve also got some stories in there about knife fights.” Whenever you talk to James, you know that shit is about to get real, not to mention hilarious. The freshfaced comedian will be bringing his unique brand of humour to Bondi Feast this month, blending comedy and music to talk about growing up, the idiocy of youth, and those two things it’s hard to gloss over – sex and knife fights. I even suggest that perhaps the two occurred simultaneously to inspire James’ material. “Thank God those were at different times, that would have been crazy… actually, maybe that would have been fun,” he says. “Maybe that’s
what I’m into and never found out that was my fetish until right now. It’s totally your fault, Tegan. If you read about me going down in a blaze of sex and razors, I want you to know that it’s your fault.” Having served his time as a teenage boy, James unsurprisingly grew up with the dream of becoming a rock star. That may not have panned out, but Bondi Feast is a close second, and his show will feature a fair slab of music. “I would say that it’s largely a standup show, but I’ve been a half-arsed, shitty musician for most of my life,” he explains. “I’ve been trying to find a way to justify the countless hours and money I’ve spent on guitars since I was 12, and actually use those skills so I’m not just pretending to be a rock star in front of my mirror.” James’ musical past also plays a part in the stand-up portion of his show, as do his previous
attempts at being both a thug and an artiste. “[My friends and I] tried to be a gang, but I went to a Catholic school, so how bad could we have been?” he laughs. “We definitely tried to be real bad-arses; shoplifting and attempts at violence and all that kind of stuff. So I’ve been digging up the past trying to remember all the misinformed shit I did, all the times I tried to be more tough or artistic than I actually was, and all the times I took myself too seriously. “Looking over it, there’s definitely recurring themes like the idiotic shit you do as a teenager and the way you try to pretend to be someone you’re not. So I guess the material I cover is mostly about memory, youth, mistakes, sex, love and that kind of stuff.” Some of the funniest chapters in James’ past involve his trying to find out who he was, and those times yielded some interesting results that he discusses in the show.
“Every teenager who picks up a guitar tries to be Jeff Buckley at some point. I wrote songs for girls with titles such as ‘A Love That Makes The Roses Cry’. You learn a few chords that are jazzy and have sevenths in them and you think you’re the sex god artist who can communicate the deep things that the plebs out there need. But you’ve also never lived and haven’t done anything worth talking about. It’s so embarrassing. “When you’re young and trying to figure out who you are, you try on all of these disguises and a lot of different masks. People who don’t know who they are yet but are trying to figure it out – that’s instantly funny to me.” What: Sha Na Na Na Na Na as part of Bondi Feast 2015 Where: Mini Theatre, Bondi Pavilion When: Thursday July 16 – Saturday July 18
Bondi Feast [FESTIVAL] Vintage Delights By Tegan Jones excited about them. We have a big Snakes and Ladders, a huge dominoes set, a giant Jenga, Cluedo, and a colouring corner as well,” Chant says. But onto one of the most important aspects of the festivities: the booze.
M
ulled cider. Delicious noms. Comedy. Music. Performances. It must be Bondi Feast season again. Sydney’s fastest-growing winter festival is back, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever. Once again, the Feast is getting all warm and snuggly in the iconic Bondi Pavilion, and it promises to blast our eyeballs with over 100 artists and 50 performances across its 11-night run. You might as well pitch a tent, folks, because it doesn’t sound like there will be much point in leaving. We catch up with festival coordinator Rachel Chant to get the
scoop on this year’s Bondi Feast – starting with the bar, which has been transformed into an ’80s-style rumpus room where people can hang out. “This year our designer is kind of rolling with this interactive vintage board games theme,” says Chant. “The first thing she said to me was, ‘A murder mystery meets mulled wine,’ which kind of sounds like the perfect combination. “The main thing we’ve wanted that space upstairs to be for the last couple of years is somewhere that’s
fun. We wanted to bring it alive and make the festival bar stand out as part of the festival as well. It’s not just where you can come and get drinks, it’s the heart of the festival itself.” Board games have been making a huge comeback in recent years, and from the sounds of things, the vintage favourites Bondi Feast will have on offer this time around will stir the moustaches of the most devoted hipsters. “I was given a list of all the games I had to source and I’m genuinely
“We have the Batlow Cider Co. guys back again this year doing their mulled cider, so they’ll pop up in one of the corners of the bar. There’s something about mulled cider that makes me think that it’s healthy and good for me, because it’s hot, spicy and fruity,” laughs Chant. Bondi Feast is known for bringing a myriad of different art forms and performances together every night, so attendees have the opportunity to discover something new and awesome. “Looking at the schedule, you can see music, comedy, a performance lecture and then an exhibition happening downstairs – and that’s just on one night in the first week,” says Chant. “The pavilion isn’t that big in terms of putting six pop-up
theatre spaces within it. So you have all of these different artists from tiny parts of the same sector coming together, which is great. To be able to have a taste of that as an audience member is pretty amazing.” Those who attended last year may remember Shannon Dooley’s Retrosweat – a completely sold-out homage to ’80s aerobics. It’s back once again, so after inhaling all that delicious festival food, punters can get ready to start pumping the Pat Benatar. “Last year everyone came dressed in their best ’80s gear; think G-strings and leotards over bright purple leggings, crimped hair, bright headbands and leg warmers,” says Chant. “People really get into it because it’s just so fun.” What: Bondi Feast 2015 Where: Bondi Pavilion When: Saturday July 11 – Saturday July 25
Love And Information [THEATRE] Information Overload By Adam Norris
K
ip Williams has been described as one of Australia’s theatrical savants, and while this is arguably true, it glosses over the dizzying amount of work the Sydney Theatre Company resident director has put into building his still-burgeoning career. The last 12 months alone have seen a celebrated production of Macbeth featuring Hugo Weaving and a revival of the classic Tennessee Williams play, Suddenly Last Summer. But it is the director’s 2012 staging of Dylan Thomas’ luminous Under Milk Wood that has the greatest resonance with his latest undertaking, Love And Information. Though as Williams explains, the echo of each and every playwright is carried from stage to stage. “I read it about three years ago when it was first published, and was immediately taken by the philosophy in it,” Williams says of what first drew his interest to Caryl Churchill’s celebrated script. “It’s an existential philosophy at its core, and posits quite a brutal premise that human beings are potentially just vessels of
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information, designed to pass on that information from generation to generation. Within that context she poses the question, ‘If that is the nature of our life, than how do we generate meaning?’
preoccupations within Williams’ career – as in the illustration of mankind’s evolution, from primate to pants – there nevertheless remain ghosts within his staging, shaping the director he is yet to be.
“I was very much drawn to that, and read it around the same time that I was thinking about the production of Macbeth. It certainly became one of my entry points into that text. I’m very drawn to the early existentialism Shakespeare is working through in that piece of writing, particularly in the speech ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow’. Again, this relationship between the meaning of life and the impermanence of life. I felt there was resonance between both those writers, and so Love And Information stayed with me.”
“I think any artist’s career is one of evolution and development of certain ideas,” Williams says. “I’m a big believer that if you’re struck by a certain idea, it’s incredibly important to express it as quickly as possible, because if you don’t, I don’t think you ever really move on from that. You’re often stuck in a situation where you’ve changed as a person but that idea is still in you in some way.
The parallels between the sprawling lyricism of Thomas’ ‘play for voices’ and Churchill’s hundred-character carousel make for a tantalising interpretation. While there is no clear line connecting the development of themes and
“So I think the surest way for an artist to develop is to work in a prolific way, and naturally evolve through that process. I certainly think Under Milk Wood informs this production, in that they are the two pieces of work that I’ve done that most ostensibly have no narrative form and essentially use time as a form of structure. They both paint a portrait for an audience rather than tell them a story.
“It’s almost arguable in Love And Information that all of the scenes could be taking place at the same time. The formal nature of the text speaks very much to the way we consume information today, that kind of onslaught and variety of information that we’re assaulted with, though the piece itself is not about technology. What I love about it is that through this very contemporary, formal reflection, it reveals something that’s quite eternal within human beings, and is a particular crisis that we’re still facing today.” What: Love And Information Where: Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company When: Thursday July 9 – Saturday August 15
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Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town
■ Film
MADAME BOVARY
TERMINATOR GENISYS
In cinemas Thursday July 9 Stylish, contemporary adaptations of classic novels are coming through at a constant rate – with Far From The Madding Crowd also in cinemas – presumably because studios are banking that fans of the books will come out and enjoy reliving the story, or seeing it taken in a new direction. But in watching Sophie Barthes’ adaptation of Madame Bovary – based on the widely lauded, intricate work of literary realism by Gustave Flaubert; a book that revels in the details, relating Emma Bovary’s disappointing marriage and her subsequent affairs – you have to wonder why she went there at all. The film is obvious with its characterisation, bordering on hammy, and a strong, versatile performance from Mia Wasikowska can’t save it from feeling melodramatic pretty much the whole way through. She marries the simple, unambitious Charles Bovary, and is quickly disappointed with the quiet country life in rural France (where people speak English, with English/French/American accents). But the unsympathetic, almost brash way she sets out on her quest – for love and satisfaction, for what’s out there, for Paris – borders on the excruciating. We actually end up emoting more with her
confused lovers, including the Marquis, elegantly played by Logan Marshall-Green (Trey from The O.C.!), and Leon Dupuis (Ezra Miller), who mainly looks surprised that he is wearing frilly costumes, or that his character has no depth. I’m no purist, and I can understand the wish to avoid a Flaubertian style of filmmaking, which might have involved a lot of close camera work, cutaways to clothes, roads, objects, et cetera, and could have been too gradual or too slow. But the choice to dispense with subtlety altogether, or to not offer any ambiguity of intention in the characters’ actions, in a story that’s strengths are basically those two things, is really baffling. Anyone coming to see an interesting film about an interesting book, or even an enjoyer of classic romances, will probably be disappointed. Which really begs the question, why did they make it? A coffee and some Flaubert might be the go instead. Justin Wolfers
■ Theatre
LIKE ME Playing at Merchants House, The Rocks until Saturday July 11
The advertising leads us to believe that we’re entering an asylum, whose inmates are obsessed with themselves. Materialistic and gauche, they’ve created a kingdom of sorts with its own internal economy – one that you as an audience member can contribute to or destabilise at your whim.
My own experience took on a revelatory fashion: as the night wound to its conclusion, confronting my own complicity became a very strong focal point. It was invigorating to feel as if I had my own character journey, and to have real impact in this constructed world.
How this plays out is, of course, up to a number of factors: the kind of audience you’ve ended up with, how willing you are to participate, and how you perceive the agendas of the characters put before you. As for the actors, they rely heavily on stock behaviours (being flirty or gross, coquettish or bragging) and the grotesque physicality of bouffon clowning to communicate with you. It’s a technique that can be at times very distancing, but it takes a great deal of commitment from the performers.
At times the choices in language can feel out of sync – on the whole, the performers are not committed to English that’s either perfect or wholly broken, resulting in a strange communication gap. Owing to the clarity and relative simplicity of the tale on offer, this isn’t a play-breaking issue, but it may be a deciding factor in how well some audiences take to the form.
It’s been over 30 years since Arnie asked for our clothes, boots and motorcycles, and now he’s back to turn canon on its head in Terminator Genisys. From the start, the plot is reminiscent of the original Terminator: Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from a digitally remastered Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, things go awry when Reese witnesses John Connor get attacked by Matt Smith mere moments before he is warped back to 1984. It’s convenient that Doctor Who rolls up, because the rest of the film’s time travel explanation is very “wibbly-wobby-timey-wimey”.
So now we’re presented with an alternative timeline where Reese stumbles upon an arse-kicking Sarah and her T-800 father figure who saved her when she was nine years old. Since then she’s been waiting for the naked man from the future to fall out of the sky so she can mate with him and birth humanity’s savior. Simple, right? Also, in this timeline Judgment Day has been pushed back to 2017 and comes at the hands of Apple Genisys – a highly anticipated operating system that will link everything ever and subsequently destroy the human race. Oh, and John Connor is now halfTerminator, or something.
Despite the fact that one could perceive Terminator Genisys to retcon the previous titles in the series, I prefer to think of it in the same terms that they use in the fi lm itself – an alternative timeline. Fans of the franchise can choose to embrace this story as a possibility for the characters, or they can ignore it. Personally, I found it to be an entertaining reimagining of what can happen when you mess around with time, as well as a movie that stays true to the spirit of the originals – cheesy, badass and plain old fun.
I have no qualms in admitting that as an old-
Tegan Jones xxx
crafted from broken tech, computers and lighting, and Merchants House is utterly transformed. Each character is dressed in bold colour with ridiculous adornments and engorged genitals, and the way in which they carry themselves and interact with the audience is appalling and hilarious.
Like Me
In cinemas now
school Terminator fan, I dug this movie. At no point does it take itself too seriously, which is evident in the abundance of campy humour and self-deprecating jokes. It’s also fun revisiting iconic moments from the original two films, but in this alternate timeline. And in addition to the explosions, gunfights and liquid metal awesomeness that one expects from a Terminator title, the Arnie vs Arnie fight may be the best moment in cinematic history. Well, after the flamethrower guitar guy from Fury Road.
Arts Giveaway What's been on our TV screens this week Head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
S AY W EA IV G
Crossing the divide of the proscenium arch is something on which Mongrel Mouth pride themselves. Not content to perform to static audiences, they encourage their crowds to actively partake in – and dictate the direction of – their work. Rarely is interactive work so wholly immersive as their newest, Like Me, a bizarre journey into an alien world with a group of characters whose core traits are surprisingly close to home.
As an exercise in design, Like Me is a triumph. The world of the asylum is lovingly
Terminator Genisys
Madame Bovary
For an engrossing night of theatre that’s very far left of field, Like Me can’t be missed. David Molloy
See www.thebrag.com for more arts reviews Carl Barron in Manny Lewis
Arts Exposed What's in our diary...
Nick Coyle’s Guided Meditation 107 Projects, Monday July 13 Nick Coyle started doing guided meditation as a joke, but you might hysterically laugh your way to inner peace at his latest show at 107 Projects. Promising to be very primal, powerfully cosmic and entirely unprofessional, this show encourages audience members to BYO yoga mat if possible. During the show you can expect to be talked through popular positions like ‘lying down’, ‘headbutting your self doubt’, and ‘toilet access’. Coyle is about to head to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so this is the last time he’ll be saying namaste on our fair shores for a while.
MANNY LEWIS! WIN DVDS! “H
ow ya goin’?” It’s the catchphrase for which Australian comedian Carl Barron has become known, perhaps even beyond his myriad other talents. He’s a funny guy, to be sure, but now he’s unleashed another of his skills for audiences everywhere. Barron has made his acting debut in Manny Lewis, a feature film about a stand-up comedian who realises, despite all his success, that something’s missing from his life. From private life to the stage, we follow our hero’s quest to repair his relationship with his father and embark on a new love with the gorgeous Maria.
WIN!
Manny Lewis is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download, and we’ve got five DVD copies to give away in celebration. To enter the draw, visit thebrag.com/ freeshit.
For more information and tickets, head to 107projects.org. 18 :: BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15
Terminator Genisys still by Melinda Sue Gordon
■ Film
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out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson
E
arlier this year, I went to Club Kooky at Manning Bar. One of the first things I noticed, aside from the fact my boobs were out at my place of learning, was the age range of the crowd. It was not at all surprising to see someone in their early 20s having a conversation with someone in their 50s.
This isn’t something we see all that often, outside of probably family gatherings. Ageism is still a barrier to social interaction, in a way that is far more accepted than sexism or racism ever would be. A friend, who is 22, recently declared that I, at 25, was his oldest close friend. Imagine if he’d said he had no female friends, or no black friends. We can get away with ageism far easier than other forms of oppression, but why? And who is it harming? The queer community seems to be far better at negating ageism than others. I put this down to two main reasons: the first is that we have a smaller pond – there are fewer of us, so we all need to stick together. The second reason is more political: as queers, it’s our position to naturally question dominant social orders. We question why sex should be straight and monogamous; a logical extension of that is to question why sex should only be between two people within an acceptable age range (who’s heard of the ‘half your age plus seven’ rule?). It’s not easy. We live in a world that tells us young people dating older people are gold diggers, that older people dating young people are creepy. Not only that, we live in a world that tells us women are only fuckable up until a certain age – we have that biological clock ticking away, and once it goes off, bam, your sexuality’s gone. Older lesbians are almost entirely absent from the lesbian scenes,
this week…
probably in part because of this alleged unfuckability of older women (Amy Schumer wrote a sketch on this, probably the only genuinely good and not offensive thing she’s ever done), and in part due to outdated and oppressive stereotypes like lesbian bed death and U-Haul lesbians. Society has long told us that a woman’s place is in the home, and so it is with older lesbians – out of the club and into the home, with two cats and a sexless life. Gay men have it slightly better – the gay community has long been viewed as more sexually promiscuous, and men have always been allowed to have sexual agency for much longer, because patriarchy. But even still, the community segregates – while all gay men might be out on a Saturday night, they’re in different venues. These stereotypes and segregation harm not only the older people they oppress, but the rest of the community, which is then forced into smaller agesegregated social groups. That queer spaces generally seem much more open to both the interaction between young and old, and the sexual agency of older women in particular, means the experience of being in these spaces is enriched. Parties like Kooky, House Of Mince, L’Oasis, Loose Ends and Monsta Gras all have a really special vibe, not just because of their outrageous queerness, but also because of the increased diversity of the crowd. Plus, a 50-year-old has, like, 25 more years of sexual experience than us, so they’d defi nitely teach us a thing or two.
Cunningpants
Speaking of good, non-ageist parties, L’Oasis is hosting its second instalment this Friday July 10 at The Sly Fox, featuring Kate Doherty, Annabelle Gaspar and the L’Oasis boys. The last one was a huge success, so this will be worth checking out. You might have heard that Q Bar is closing down. Sad face. This Friday July 10 will be the last ever Girlthing at Q, featuring all of Girlthing’s faves: Cunningpants, Natnoiz, Catlyf, Astrix and Sveta. Get on down to reminisce about all those times you vomited in the toilets. If you like to flex, get to Goodgod on Saturday June 11 for Amrita’s Flex. This will be an FKA Twigs tribute dance party, featuring Baby Face Thrilla, Laprats and Bad Ezzy. The Love Club is hosting a sleepover this Saturday July 11 at The Bridge Hotel. This should also be a big queer love-in, featuring Stereogamous, Love Club DJs, Aron + Breezy and more. BYO pillow, wear your PJs (seriously). Sunday July 12 sees the second round of Sydney Roller Derby at Big Top Sydney, Luna Park. If you missed dykes on bikes at Mardi Gras, this will be a chance to see some other dykes on wheels (and, you know, amazing sportswomen conquer the rink). Natnoiz
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Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK DAY RAVIES
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Liminal Zones Sonic Masala/Strange Pursuits
The quickest litmus test for a band’s likelihood of success is the amount of input each member kicks in. If it sounds like one person is running the show, you’re gonna run into some problems.
The Inner West’s finest collaborators return with a retrospective sound.
NEIL YOUNG & PROMISE OF THE REAL The Monsanto Years Reprise/Warner Neil Young doesn’t shy away from a battle. After attempting to go toe-to-toe with Apple’s iTunes via the release of his Pono mp3 player and streaming service, and coming off a little worse for wear, he has returned to the ring to battle controversial agribusiness Monsanto on his new record. Thanks to a chance meeting at last year’s Farm Aid concert, Young recruited Willie Nelson’s sons Micah and Lukas, who front the rootsy band Promise Of The Real, for this collaboration. This isn’t a polished record, and it’s not meant to be. It’s a weather-beaten collection of tracks – scruffy and at times underdone. Shrouded in Young’s resolute idealism, the album is too heavy-handed in parts and often comes across as both a diatribe against corporate America and an incomplete side project that sadly hasn’t progressed significantly past the blueprint stage.
This is definitely not the case for Day Ravies, the wonderfully varied Inner West four-piece with all cylinders firing in perfect synchronism. Each member contributes their own writing, and they’ve knitted together a tight arrangement of voices for their sophomore
album. They’ve progressed noticeably from their debut LP Tussle, a droning feel-good indie record that didn’t ruffle any feathers. This new release has somewhat opened the sluices, reaching out to embrace an even wider expanse of influence, nicely garbed in ’80s synthpop dress. A slew of zappy New Romantic melodies brushes up sharply against the band’s trademark rusty vocals and waves of distortion. Tracks like ‘Nettle’, ‘Immaculate Escape’ and ‘Enter The Bee’ form a rich cluster in the middle, spinning all the elements together in good proportion. Liminal Zones works best when it moves within these parameters, a full-bodied blend that produces something far greater than the sum of its parts.
THE STRESS OF LEISURE
THY ART IS MURDER
Achievement Rocking Horse
Holy War UNFD/Nuclear Blast
It would be pretty easy to brand Brisbane’s The Stress Of Leisure as nostalgic, and the presence of nostalgia is clearly apparent in their sound. The sparse synth and angular guitar riffs are steeped in early ’80s new wave, and Ian Powne’s vocals are certainly David Byrne-esque. Yet there’s a decidedly modern twist to the ’80s-infused sound, anchored by a steady, hard-hitting rhythm section.
Thy Art Is Murder have carved themselves out as the indisputable titans of deathcore. 2012’s Hate served up crushing yet creative riffs, pit-pleasing yet pertinent breakdowns, and a bone-chillingly tank vocal performance unlike anything previously heard in the genre. Throw into the mix, well, that mix, and Hate was just about enough to force every stretch-lobed teen to change their mosh shorts.
If simply being a band and carrying on in the current music climate weren’t enough, TSOL’s fifth album – aptly named Achievement – is a thoughtful look back on their last ten years, while remaining entirely present and accounted for. Lead single ‘Girl On A Lilo’ is consistent with earlier releases – an incredibly funky, pulsing tune – while the oneminute-and-20-seconds of ‘You’re Wearing Out Your Time’ is a reeling, relentless countdown of taunting guitar and ridiculing lyricism.
Which begs the question – how the hell do you follow Hate? The subject matter of the band’s third album, Holy War – “all evil born of religious immunity, indoctrination, and ignorance” – has remained steadfastly at the forefront of the buzz. The package is nothing without the delivery vehicle, though, and thankfully Holy War is another twisted ride through the darkest corners of modern heavy music. It would be naïve to suggest that the album is another breakthrough of Hate proportions, and one observes some stark similarities (‘Fur And Claw’ screams ‘The Purest Strain Of Hate’; parts of ‘Naked And Cold’ reek of ‘Reign Of Darkness’).
After having songs such as ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ co-opted by the kinds of characters it was striking out against (hello Donald Trump), Young has gone the direct route.
The record opts for a slight change of pace with final track ‘Goodyear Blimp’, which is a little more ethereal than its counterparts. The jaunty bassline remains but the previously snarling guitar is more subdued and sombre.
While the material isn’t quite as nuanced as you’d hope, it is engaging. Just don’t expect ‘What’s Going On’. Tim Armitage
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THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW
TEX PERKINS AND THE DARK HORSES
Bad News Boys In The Red
Tunnel At The End Of The Light Dark Horse/Inertia
On their first album in five years, The King Khan & BBQ Show waste no time making you realise how much you missed them by launching straight into the irresistible low-fi rock-gospel groove that had them branded a security threat by the Sydney Opera House. The band broke up soon after that infamous show in 2010, and it would be three years before they finally reconvened to give the whole thing another shot.
Tunnel At The End Of The Light opens with the sounds of an uneasy night in the outback, as a lonesome whistle takes centre stage, rolling through the hills. It instantly takes you back to an old Western, one in which Tex Perkins is more than happy to play the cowboy.
Bad News Boys continues where 2009’s Invisible Girl left off, which is to say it’s the musical equivalent of a quickie in the bathroom at a garage party. However, the new album lacks some of the giddy excitement and first-make-out-session energy of its predecessor, which may be a sign of the trajectory of many get-backtogether relationships: sure, it’s good they’re together again, but things may never be the same. In the end though, this music isn’t about romantic and loving relationships – it’s about the raunchy moments in which you happily lose your dignity in exchange for a wink and lipstick-smeared smile.
The Dark Horses have been the primary vehicle for Perkins over the past five years. The man who usually changes projects like underwear has remained surprisingly faithful, reuniting the band for a trilogy of albums, and so we have arrived at the finale. Perkins is undoubtedly the star here. ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ sees him carrying a sense of desperation and melancholy, paired with a female harmony and a steel-string guitar to become a standout track. Things are a little darker this time around; the songs have a bit more of an edge to them. There are still those elements of blues, country and adult contemporary that make up The Dark Horses’ sound, but with just a touch more grit.
It’s music that wouldn’t feel out of place at an ’80s new-wavethemed dance party – equal parts daggy and delightful.
So pop this little blue pill of an album, close your eyes and don’t question where the excitement’s gone; just enjoy the fact that you can, for the first time in years, enjoy rock (hard) music.
While there isn’t much to separate this from the last two Dark Horses album, Perkins and co. have rustled up another bunch of well-crafted songs.
Jade Smith
Sheridan Morley
Daniel Prior
Spencer Scott
With the amount of contemporary Australian acoustic/folky music around today, standing out – let alone maintaining the motivation to stick with it – is no doubt a difficult feat to achieve. The third release from Perth singer-songwriter Helen Shanahan, Finding Gold is a commendable effort if not for that alone.
Finding Gold Independent
Nic Liney
Honestly, though, when the bar has been set so high to begin with, to clear it yet again is nothing short of a miracle. This band is nowhere near done pushing things higher – even if it is only by an inch each time.
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK
HELEN SHANAHAN
Occasionally, towards the end, this impetus drops away, but not before you recognise an innate cohesion that is all too rare in bands.
Her first effort since winning the Telstra Road To Discovery competition in 2013 and her 2012 LP Driftwood, one would expect to hear a more developed Shanahan on Finding Gold. And while this release still sounds like Driftwood, it’s also tighter, and evidence that Shanahan has indeed honed her sound over the years.
The five tracks are all simple, but some nice fills and pleasant buildups make the EP an easy listen. The thump of the bass drum, combined with the way Shanahan holds her notes, is reminiscent of Of Monsters And Men, particularly on ‘Dead Weight’ and the title track. The exception is ‘Windmill’, which relies less on rhythm guitar and has a pop feel to it – an attempt to do something different. While Shanahan may not quite stand out from the rest of Australia’s acoustic singersongwriters with this effort, the passionate lyrics and pleasant sound make it worth a listen.
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours COLD WAR KIDS - Robbers & Cowards SOUL II SOUL - Club Classics Vol. One
BLOC PARTY - Silent Alarm JAGWAR MA - Howlin’
Sam Caldwell thebrag.com
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TUE 20 OCT ENMORE THEATRE ON SALE NOW SECRET-SOUNDS.COM.AU THE ALBUM SHORT MOVIE OUT NOW | LAURAMARLING.COM
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JONES JNR., OKENYO, THE VENUSIANS Newtown Social Club Thursday July 2 Blue Mountains duo Jones Jnr. were committed to bringing the heat to Newtown on a bitterly cold night with their gospel-tinged hip hop sounds. Ahead of the debut show on their first headline tour, the duo – who are about to hit the road with modern day funk fave Mark Ronson – had set expectations high. Opening up the night was the standout Sydney band The Venusians, who demonstrated to the crowd just how to balance groove and soul with a heavy indie edge and theatrics (in the form of frontman Christian Hemara). Okenyo then stepped up to keep things on the same high-energy level with her electro/ soul style. Jones Jnr. have paid their dues
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What we've been out to see...
supporting other acts, from neo-soul’s eccentric Bilal to Kelis and Fat Freddy’s Drop. Now with the release of their debut EP, Step On Sleep, the pair, made up of Thundamentals’ DJ Morgs and Ev Jones, are making the charge to front and centre. Performing songs from Step On Sleep and their previous mixtapes, and with help from a keys/trumpet player onstage, Jones Jnr. kept the packed-out Newtown Social Club in a trance. This may have been partly due to Ev Jones’ smooth vocals, which stayed on point whether he was tenderly crooning or swinging across the stage bellowing the upbeat ‘Perfume’. Jones’ voice rips right into the soul of the listener, channelling eras in music that are long gone, while Morgs’ work on the ones and twos gives Jones Jnr. a gritty, modern edge that allows their soulful spin on R&B to resonate. Kristie Nicolas
seether
PICS :: AM
up all night out all week . . .
live reviews
01:07:15 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666
MARLON WILLIAMS, LAURA JEAN The Basement Saturday July 4 I had always enjoyed what I’d heard from Marlon Williams in the past, and when interviewing him once for this very magazine, he seemed like an easygoing guy. But the discrepancy between a catalogue of songs that see him swing from open-prairie crooning to churchstorming bravado, and the affable, unassuming gent I met for coffee, seemed like a weird gulf. Reconciling the music to the man seemed an act of wizardry more suited to a John Landis film, yet tonight sees the reveal of one of the most riveting performances I suspect I’ll see in some time.
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Opening, we have the incredible wordsmith who is Laura Jean. Alternating between guitar and autoharp, her tone is that of Nick Drake by way of Bill Callahan, but, you know, sung by a woman with a lovely voice. Standout lyric? “I smiled at a man I thought might be an angel / But it was probably the pethidine”.
03:07:15 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
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S :: JAMES AMBROSE :: ASHLEY
When Williams does appear, he launches straight into a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her’. It’s a great choice, given it allows him to showcase just how delicate
his voice can be before soaring off to stunning heights once the band emerges (doesn’t hurt that it’s also a freakin’ amazing song). Once they do join him, we’re treated to ‘Silent Passage’, and it’s a testament to Williams’ stagecraft that he works these songs with such ease, yet never seems as though he’s simply going through the motions. ‘Strange Things’ is the first song that really demonstrates not only the band’s musical prowess, but Williams’ concerns as a lyricist. His voice is wonderfully funereal at times, conjuring as it does vast and threatening landscapes: “The day that Lucy died was the hottest of the summer / Her family all stood around her sweating / When she expired they all went back to the city / I’ve never seen a living soul again”. Happy-go-lucky stuff, you know? Sure, maybe not every song is outstanding – some are just good – but particular props have to go to his choice of covers. From the opening number to the fucking blistering version of Johnny Dowd’s ‘First There Was’, to closing hullabaloo ‘Time Of The Season’, it is a night so wildly entertaining that you lament any poor act who is going to have to follow this. Captivating stuff. Adam Norris
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Newtown Social Club Friday July 3 Gamely battling a scratchy throat, Newcastle singer-songwriter Jen Buxton offers a raw, autobiographical brand of folk punk in the vein of The Smith Street Band or a more subdued Frank Turner. She’s got a sourly funny, selfdeprecating stage presence and spirited songs like ‘Anhedonia’ and ‘Don’t Change Your Plans’ as well as a cover of Cory Branan’s ‘Crush’. Disarming stuff. Ali Barter’s music comes from a more ethereal place, and though her set is unfortunately interrupted by persistent technical problems, she does get an unusually attentive crowd for a support act, with the likes of the gentle, floating ‘Run You Down’ and the more brooding ‘Community’ proving highlights of a promising but stop-start performance. “You guys are weird,” Waxahatchee tells the crowd. “You came to this sadass show on a Friday night.” Playing in solo mode at her first-ever Australian appearance, Katie Crutchfield is soon
STONEFIELD Goodgod Small Club Thursday July 2 Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge Of Seventeen’ seems like a fitting song for Stonefield to take the stage. Barely out of their teens, they already have the credentials – and everyone loves a sibling power band, especially music journalists. But to their credit, there’s nothing gimmicky about Stonefield. They bounce around while banging out tunes and are perfectly modest in between songs. It’s serious business for the Findlay sisters. The four-piece have become known for their take on classic rock, inspired by genre-makers such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Having made a name for themselves at home and abroad, Stonefield have built their popularity around a solid handful of punchy tracks with heavy guitars and screaming vocals; a polished homage to the ’70s (complete with platform shoes and thrashing hair). This kind of nostalgia seems to resonate with older rockers, who were clearly visible here amongst the usual suspects.
into stride with the purposefully fuzzy ‘Grass Stain’, a song which sees her vowing to “Drink until I’m happy”. There are more arresting, confessional lyrics where that came from, like on the gem ‘American Weekend’, in which a barbed guitar line underscores strange and memorable images of heartbreak: “You are shoved awkwardly into my head”. The crowd hangs on every word of ‘Tangled Envisioning’ and the ’90s rock of ‘Under A Rock’. It’s a still, subdued batch of songs, but as on the irresistible ‘La Loose’, where crowd members add their own backing vocals, there’s also a real pop sensibility. As well as cherry-picking the highlights of this year’s excellent Ivy Tripp, there’s also a lot of material from American Weekend, including ‘Bathtub’, ‘Noccalula’ and the beautifully fragile ‘I Think I Love You’. Far from being a “sad-ass” affair, there’s something arresting about seeing such personal and introspective music, and you’re left reflecting that there’s no better way to spend a Friday night after all. Daniel Prior
‘Black Water Rising’ stood out against the rest of the catalogue – it’s a fierce track with bold riffs showcasing Amy Findlay’s iron-clad vocals. Some of their songs tend to lack dynamic – wandering rock music that turns into a multi-instrumental cacophony. It’s a bit like the avant-garde trappings of The Doors or Pink Floyd. Perhaps the jewel of the set was the first single, ‘Golden Dream’, from the new album set to be released later this year. Cultivating more of a psychedelic sound, this song is dreamy and textured; it’s less scream and more serenade. It seems there is a distinct shift between old and new. They also performed a cover of Santana’s version of ‘Black Magic Woman’, a tight tribute to one of their formative musical influences.
frankie’s
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WAXAHATCHEE, ALI BARTER, JEN BUXTON
up all night out all week . . .
05:07:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney
With supports from up-and-coming acts Magic Bones and Destrends, Stonefield put on a quality live show. Rather than sticking to straight rock, it seems the band has started branching out into new directions. Here’s hoping there’s much more to come. Annie Murney
PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
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g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
Alpine
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pick of the week
UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7pm. $88.39.
Ceres
FRIDAY JULY 10 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Bears With Guns + The Button Collective + Jon Cotton + Dominic Youdan The Gaelic Club, Surry Hills. 8pm. $15. Clayton Doley + Mahalia Barnes + Jade Macrae + Juanita Tippins The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $25. Fraser A. Gorman Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $13. Marlene Cummins And Her Blues Experience Band + Dr Don’s Double Dose Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $20. Peasant Moon + Brielle David + Telegraph Tower The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Satellite V Camden RSL, Camden. 8pm. Free.
SATURDAY JULY 11
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Metro Theatre
Alpine + Pearls + Olympia 8pm. $29.41. WEDNESDAY JULY 8 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Kegan Deboheme + Nick Murray + Ben Camden The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Muso’s Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Alister Spence + Casey Golden Trios Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $15.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Adz & Cookie Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Pretty City Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Sosueme - feat: The Babe Rainbow + Total Giovanni (DJ Set) Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
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THURSDAY JULY 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Muso’s Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Aston Martinis The Golden Sheaf, Double Bay. 9pm. Free. Josué The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm, $25. Steve Barry Trio + Hieronymus Trio Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $15. The KCM Trio Mach2, Sydney. 6:30pm. Free.
Chris Stretton Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Moof De Vah + Durry + Skinny Dave + Electric Lobster + Noble Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Sarah McLeod + Simon Meli + Joseph Calderazzo Rock Lily, Pyrmont. 9pm. Free. Sydney Reclink Community Cup Fundraising Gig Feat: The Maladies + Good Counsel Vic On The Park, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. The Beatvilles Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. The Filth - Feat: Black Zeros Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 8pm. Free. Yellowcard Bears With Guns
Ange St Leonards Tavern, St Leonards. 7pm. Free. Backlash Penrith Gaels, Kingswood. 8pm. Free. Banquet - Feat: Swords + Ruth Carp And The Fish + Wash + DJs L W K Y + PhDJ + Baldwin + Astrix Little The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $5. Ceres + The Pretty Littles + Sincerely Grizzy Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $10. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. Free. Drawcard + Rick Dangerous + The Silkie Bantams + Nerdlinger Studio Six, Sutherland. 7pm. $10. Endless Summer Beach Party Sportsmans Hotel, Blacktown. 9:30pm. Free. Hooray For Everything Taren Point Bowling Club, Taren Point. 7:30pm. Free. Jesse Younan Tribute Show Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $18. John Vella The Forbes Hotel, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Kylie Fisher Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. Free. Marty Stewart Club Liverpool, Liverpool.
5:30pm. Free. Melody Black + Enfield + Grannyfist + Terrorential Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. Free. Mick Fryar Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm. Free. Muddy Feet Vikings Sports Club, Dundas Valley. 9:30pm. Free. Panorama Duo Courthouse Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. Free. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. Free. Red Gazelle Old Manly Boatshed, Manly. 7pm. Free. Rock Solid Duo Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn. 9pm. Free. Russell Nelson Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Sugar Reef Windsor Leagues Club, Windsor South. 9pm. Free. The Babe Rainbow Sweaty Betty’s Bar, Miranda. 7pm. $14.30. The Filth - Feat: Gang Of Youths + Black Zeros Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
SATURDAY JULY 11 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Mickaela Dean Band Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Mojo House Band - Feat: Jesse & James Mojo Record Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Fat Yahoozah + La Tarantella Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15. Jackie Brown Jr Spring Street Social, Bondi. 8pm. Free. John & Yuki Well Co Cafe, Glebe. 8pm. Free. Keyim Ba Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $20. Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP,
METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Alpine + Pearls + Olympia Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $29.41. Black Cobra + Jucifer Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 8pm. $34.70. Burn Antares + The Tambourine Girls + Wild Honey Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free. Carb On Carb + Beast & Flood + Sweater Season Beatdisc Records, Parramatta. 9pm. Free. DJ Marty Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 9pm. Free. Drawcard + Rick Dangerous + Nerdlinger Tattersalls Hotel Penrith, Penrith. 7pm. Free. Eddie Skiba The Newsagency, Marrickville. 7:45pm. $12. Endless Summer Beach Party Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 3pm. Free. Heart Beach + Unity Floors + Aloha Units + Peter Charles Mcpherson Blackwire Records, Annandale. 7pm. Free. James Reyne Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $40. JJ Duo Club Central, Menai. 9:30pm. Free. King Curly The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. Lime Cordiale The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 5pm. $14. Macson Pittwater RSL, Mona Vale. 8pm. Free. Melody Rhymes Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. One Hit Wonders Moorebank Sports Club, Hammondville. 9:30pm. Free. Pete Hunt Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 3:30pm. Free. Plus Mando + Lohans + Red Gazelle + Ginkinta + The Dirty Eights Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 7:30pm. $5.10. Raglan Road Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7pm. Free. Rapture Parramatta RSL, Parramatta. 7:30pm. Free. Red Gazelle Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 7pm. Free. Fraser A. Gorman
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Aaleatha And The Audio Fix Crown Hotel, Parramatta. 9pm. Free. Alpine + Darts + Olympia Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle. 8pm. $23.90. AM 2 PM Brighton RSL, Brighton Le Sands. 7:30pm. Free. thebrag.com
g g guide gig g
g g picks gig p
send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Rock Solid Duo Ingleburn RSL, Ingleburn. 9pm. Free. Ryan Thomas The Palace Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Splinter 2 - Feat: Horsehunter + Yil/Nl 2.0 + Spermaids + Fattura Della Morte + Whitney Houstons Crypt + Orion + Wives + God K + Housewives + Sour Cream + White Dog + Luke O’Farrell Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 12pm. $25. Sugar Reef Club Rivers, Riverwood. 6pm. Free. The Elton Jack Show Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 7pm. Free. Troldhaugen + Before Ciada + Saralisse + Signs Of Escape + Awakened Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20. V.I.P Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9:30pm. Free. Wildcatz PJ Gallagher’s, Parramatta. 9:30pm. Free.
Yellowcard photo by Katie Hovland
SUNDAY JULY 12 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Squeezebox Boogaloo B.E.D., Glebe. 5pm. Free.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Julia Messenger + Greg Coffin + Karl Dunnicliff + Sam Rollings + Nic Cesire The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $20.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Bad Pony + Hannah Joy + Muki Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Future Is Now - Feat: Spirals + Lupa J + Suiix + Trip Fontaine Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 5pm. $15. Gary Johns Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Hayden Buchanan + Sabrina Soares + Daniele Gelonese Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm. $10. James Scott Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 2pm. Free. Ryan Thomas Waverley Bowling Club, Waverley. 2pm. Free. Them Bruins Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Urban Guerillas Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle. 8pm. Free. White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free.
MONDAY JULY 13 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN &
up all night out all week...
WORLD MUSIC
Jazz Jam Session + Games Night - Feat: Special Guests Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.
Pretty City
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Black Cobra + Jucifer Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $30. They Call Me Bruce Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.
TUESDAY JULY 14 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Old School Funk & Groove Night - Feat: Special Guests Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 1am. Free. Knieval + Sounds Like Sunset + The Holy Soul Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 8pm. $10. Live & Originals @ Mr Falcons - Feat: Katherine Vavahea + Rosanna Mendez + Justine Wahlin + Original Sin Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free.
WEDNESDAY JULY 8 Pretty City Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Sosueme - Feat: The Babe Rainbow + Total Giovanni (DJ Set) Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
THURSDAY JULY 9 Sarah McLeod + Simon Meli + Joseph Calderazzo Rock Lily, Pyrmont. 9pm. Free. Yellowcard UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7pm. $88.39.
FRIDAY JULY 10 Bears With Guns + The Button Collective + Jon Cotton + Dominic Youdan The Gaelic Club, Sydney. 8pm. $15.
wed
thu
08 July
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
09 (9:00PM - 12:00AM)
July
10 July
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
(9:30PM - 1:30AM)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
sat
11
Ceres + The Pretty Littles + Sincerely Grizzy Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $10. Clayton Doley + Mahalia Barnes + Jade Macrae + Juanita Tippins The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $25.
fri
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
July
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
sun
12
Yellowcard
Fraser A. Gorman Newtown Social Club,
Newtown. 7pm. $13. The Filth - Feat: Gang Of Youths + Black Zeros Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
SATURDAY JULY 11 Black Cobra + Jucifer Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 8pm. $34.70. Burn Antares + The Tambourine Girls + Wild Honey Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free. Eddie Skiba The Newsagency, Marrickville. 7:45pm. $12. James Reyne Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $40. Lime Cordiale The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 5pm. $14. Troldhaugen + Before Ciada + Saralisse + Signs Of Escape + Awakened Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20.
SUNDAY JULY 12 Julia Messenger + Greg Coffin + Karl Dunnicliff + Sam Rollings + Nic Cesire The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $20. Bad Pony + Hannah Joy + Muki Standard Bowl, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Future Is Now - Feat: Spirals + Lupa J + Suiix + Trip Fontaine Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 5pm. $15. Them Bruins Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
TUESDAY JULY 14 Knieval + Sounds Like Sunset + The Holy Soul Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 8pm. $10.
(4:30PM - 7:30PM)
July
(9:30PM - 1:15AM)
mon
(8:30PM - 12:00AM)
tue
13 July
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
14 July
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
The Babe Rainbow
thebrag.com
BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15 :: 25
brag beats
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Vanessa Papastavros, Elias Kwiet and Jade Smith
THE WORD IS OUT ON OUTSIDEIN
five things WITH NATALIE
SLADE AND JAYO JAMES FROM YUM YUM Hau, Daniel San, Tall Black Guy and The Bankrupt Billionaires, amongst others. The Music You Make We make soul music in the 4. tradition of hip hop and dub in a DIY fashion – we’ve recorded everything so far at home in Jayo’s lounge room on a microphone we borrowed from DJ Caratgold (thanks Carat!). Our sound has been likened to artists like Belleruche, Quantic and Alice Russell, which is a great compliment. The live show is something that we enjoy the most. Natalie has a great stage presence and Jayo plays as many parts as he can live, MPC-style; keys and turntables.
Growing Up Neither of us are trained or 1. from particularly musical families. We both just got a hold of records or saw older people making music and got hooked! Inspirations NS: My first love was Ella 2. Fitzgerald. I got given her CD as a freebie when I bought some other album and I didn’t put it down for months. I sat there trying to emulate each track exactly as she did for hours on end. JJ: To name just one is hard, but I could listen to Sly Stone all day. He pushed so many creative and social boundaries with his music. There’s A
Riot Goin’ On is a classic example of his creativity – it’s said he played and recorded all the parts on the album. Your Crew Yum Yum is a duo made up 3. of Jayo James on production and Natalie Slade on vocals. Nat had just arrived back in town and was jamming with people here and there, when a friend of her new flatmate gave her a USB of beats from a guy called Jayo. We met up and jammed a couple times, and before you know it we had our first EP. Since then we’ve maintained the same relaxed approach to it all – we jam together and we’re lucky enough to get to work with other amazing artists like
Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Sydney isn’t exactly known for its thriving urban music scene but we’re pretty inspired by a bunch of artists that are brewing on some amazing music. There’s a ‘watch this space’ kinda vibe as there’s about to be a bunch of fresh tunes pouring out from locals like Hau, Sampa The Great, Sarah Connor, Kween G, The Venusians, Wallace, Scotty B and Maniak. What: Spell out Friday July 17 independently With: Sampa The Great, Adverse, Makoto, Benny Hinn Where: Play Bar When: Friday July 17
Nosaj Thing
Number56
The first round lineup has landed for the 2015 edition of Sydney’s favourite indoor dance festival, OutsideIn. The festival, returning to Sydney University’s Manning House this September, will feature a bumper lineup of locals and internationals. US multi-instrumentalist Bilal tops the bill, joined by Mississippi’s Big K.R.I.T. The rest of the first round lineup includes Devin The Dude, Cosmo’s Midnight, Star Slinger, Pomo, Total Giovanni, Pender Street Steppers, Kucka and Harvey Sutherland. OutsideIn 2015 is going down on Saturday September 26.
ELECTRO CIRCUS DJ COMP
Want to play the opening set at the first edition of Electro Circus, taking over the Rosehill Gardens Pavilion this September? Or have a meet and greet with all the festival’s featured artists? You could win this and a bunch more through Electro Circus’ new competition, which aims to showcase and support local talent. To get your Artist Access Passes for you and a mate, a meet and greet with all of the artists, and your opening set at the festival, you just need to upload a 30-minute mix to MixCloud or SoundCloud and email the link to djcomp@electrocircus.com. au. Electro Circus will be happening at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday September 5. For more details and competition info, see electrocircus. com.au.
DANCEETC ROOFTOP BASH
After the sold-out success of its recent Vivid Music showcase, Aussie indie collective Etcetc will be taking over the newly unveiled rooftop of Taylor’s Social every Saturday night. Etcetc’s new Saturday nightclub has a strict music policy devoted to all things house. The party series will play host to an exciting roster of ever-growing talent, including Set Mo, Poolclvb, Acaddamy, Lo’99 and Frames, as well as regular surprise guests. The newly renovated Taylor’s offers an exclusive rooftop location with views of the Sydney skyline, delicious food and a range of classic drinks, including signature botanical cocktail creations and a
THEIR NUMBER IS UP
Number56 is a roving underground night party with no fixed address, and it’s been bringing Sydney a taste of Berlin nightlife for the last few weeks. The series curators have teamed up with local co-presenters House Of Mince, Something Else and Charades for the biggest celebration to date – a finale for the opening series – with each collective hosting a melting pot of Berlin-inspired art, music and cultural talent. Leading the charge will be a secret Berlin international DJ. Completing the lineup is Michelle Owen, who calls Berlin her second home, spinning alongside local selector Ben Drayton. The party will be going down on Thursday July 9 at a secret location – check number56.com.au for details and tickets.
handpicked wine list by an in-house sommelier. Sounds like the right place to party. DANCEetc will kick off on Saturday July 18.
Carl Cox
xxx
RBMA FEAT. NOSAJ THING
The latest instalment of Red Bull Music Academy’s Club Night series is bringing LA beatmaker Nosaj Thing to Sydney, following his appearance at Splendour In The Grass. Fresh from releasing his third studio album, Fated, Nosaj Thing has kept himself occupied collaborating with Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper and Future. Fated was released through his own Innovative Leisure imprint, which is also home to releases from Badbadnotgood, Rhye and Classixx. Nosaj Thing will hit Oxford Art Factory on Saturday July 25. For free entry, simply RSVP at dashtickets.com.au.
THEORY OF HARMONY OXFAM BRINGS THE Homegrown street performer and JAM studio wiz Dub FX has locked in national dates for his Theory Of Harmony tour. It’s all about the bass when it comes to the Dub man, who started out busking the streets of Melbourne with nothing but a loop station, and has just finished up his biggest UK tour so far. You can get a taste of his talents on YouTube, where he’s clocked up more than 125 million views, ahead of his three-piece live show at Manning Bar on Friday September 4. 26 :: BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15
Oxfam’s charity Oxjam Festival is coming to Australia for the first time, with a huge lineup of dance-friendly acts now confirmed for the month-long program being held across the country from the end of July. The launch show on Thursday July 30 at MTV’s headquarters in Sydney will feature DJ sets from Cosmo’s Midnight, Set Mo and more, kicking off four weeks’ worth of massive events for a great cause. Highlights on the Sydney program
include UNDR ctrl’s first birthday event at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday August 1, with live performances from Tear Council, World Champion and others, and the Motorik party at The Spice Cellar on Saturday August 22, featuring Stereogamous, Francis Xavier and Made In Paris. And if all that doesn’t take your fancy, you can organise your own Oxjam gigs and parties to contribute to the cause – just visit oxjam.org.au. Oxjam 2015 takes place across various venues nationwide from Thursday July 30 – Sunday August 30.
CARL COX FOR EMC
Techno guru Carl Cox is coming out for the 2015 edition of Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference, being held at a brand new home. Cox will be a keynote speaker at the Asia-Pacific’s leading electronic music event, passing on knowledge garnered from his decade-long residency at Space Ibiza and on his Global radio show, which has now reached 17 million weekly listeners worldwide. The 2015 EMC conference takes place on Tuesday December 1 and Wednesday December 2 at a new venue, the Ivy.
thebrag.com
Tuka A Matter Of Life And Death By Thomas Brand
B
alancing two musical projects at the one time reads out to be a daunting task, and on paper this could very well be the case for Brendan ‘Tuka’ Tuckerman, one-third of the Blue Mountains hip hop trio Thundamentals. However, Tuckerman has found a healthy balance between working hard on his own solo project and continuing to collaborate. The forthcoming release of the MC’s new album, Life Death Time Eternal, not only proves his ability to multitask, but touches on some personal philosophies Tuckerman has picked up along the way. He’s taking fresh approaches to refining his work in hip hop, and learning some new life lessons as he goes.
Tuka photo by Cole Bennetts
The process for Life Death Time Eternal took Tuka far less time than usual. “I really only had a window of time to do this solo album while I was touring with Thundas,” he says. “It was a really intense, busy time and I didn’t see a lot of people. I was either in front of heaps of people performing or I was with myself or one other producer in a room going ham on beats whenever I had free time. It was a great experience. I came out of [Thundamentals’ album] So We Can Remember with so much energy coming through me; I didn’t stop writing. Two days after I finished, I started writing again. I felt like I shouldn’t stop, and I’m glad I didn’t, now this is done.” The balance between Tuckerman’s two projects has shifted in light of this new release, he says. “In the past – because I’ve been going pretty much solo album, Thundas album, solo album, Thundas album for the last couple of years – usually, there is solid time off in between. But that last Thunda record really had a lot of activity happening, and to be honest, we want to pretty much put another record out as soon as possible anyway.”
However, working away from the Thundamentals group tends to result in some interesting developments for Tuckerman himself. “The big reason I do the solo stuff is that I go away and test myself, so when we get back to Thundas I can bring more tools to the table,” he explains. “With this album – usually I produce a lot of it myself, but this time I didn’t have the time to produce the music, so I wrote it in my head and went to producers and started from scratch. Usually in hip hop you get a beat or a sample which starts it, and that’s the initial idea of the song, but I kind of didn’t have the time, and I wanted to approach it [from] a songwriting perspective. So I think of the song in my head first, find the initial idea off my own back, rather than starting with a sample or getting a beat off a producer.” Thematically, Life Death Time Eternal represents something of an epiphany for Tuckerman. “I kind of loosely based the album around the idea of duality, kind of around a thought I had,” he says. “We could talk about duality all day, but essentially I didn’t want to put a yin and yang on the album cover and spoon-feed people, so I made it Life Death Time Eternal, so that people can read into it that it might be about that. “Within every song there’s a positive and negative that I’m talking about. It’s quite ironic, that positive and negative, because the epiphany I had to start writing the album is from how that Thundamentals song ‘Smiles Don’t Lie’ went. I was listening to it one day, and was thinking about how if I hadn’t had this heartbreaking relationship that had made me write that song – that’s one of Thundamentals’ most famous songs – I wouldn’t have been able to fulfil a lot of life goals in my career.”
He pauses. “From that failure I got a success. I was just thinking about the duality of that and how humans have really complex emotions, and there’s grey space between that success and failure, love and hate. I started researching duality and psychology within emotional standpoints and I found it fascinating, so when I approached the songs I took the thought that it’s not necessarily ironic that we have these opposing emotions – it’s just a complex system.”
No matter what happens down the track for Tuka as a soloist, he’ll always be looking forward to reuniting with his Thundamentals pals. “The thing about Thundas is we’re all friends before we’re musos,” he says. “We sit in roles for some songs, but with other songs it’s not a big ego thing to switch it up enough and for another member to do a different role. Morgan [Jones, AKA DJ Morgs] has – when he is in the room – input
on choruses vocally. “For a band to really work, you have to drop the ego and people actually have to say what they want to hear. I’m not that worried about the songwriting process – in fact, I’m kind of looking forward to going back to worrying over beats again and not worrying over the music.” What: Life Death Time Eternal out Friday July 10 through EMI/ Universal
Miguel Let’s Get Physical By Tyson Wray Alongside peers such as Frank Ocean and How To Dress Well, Miguel is at the forefront of a new movement of R&B – one that basks in the glory of the unspoken intimacy that takes place during sex. “For me, I think it’s more about all of the emotions behind it,” he says. “I don’t find it difficult, but I think it’s really cool that there are people out there who are into the way that an artist like myself writes about sex. I take it as a compliment that it doesn’t come off as cheesy, corny or cliché. Music has always been about emotion and what it’s meant to represent. When you get to talking about the connection, or the vulnerability that you give to someone, that’s what makes writing about sex so fulfilling.”
Y
ou simply can’t write songs about fucking the same way that people used to. And nor should you. Of all mainstream genres, R&B has a greater way of capturing the current public ethos towards sex, gender and empowerment. Gone (or at least far less prevalent) is the unimaginative, male-pleasure-dominated lyricism that was rampant in the ’90s.
thebrag.com
Today’s R&B artists are delving below the surface; they’re not just exploring the hows of sex, they’re exploring the whys. They’re singing about the consequences, the aftermath and the emotional impact. Coitus has always been multi-layered, but it’s taken this long for these complexities to be explored underneath the concert hall spotlight.
Miguel’s third studio album, Wildheart, runs untamed through the realms of sexual indulgence, emotional susceptibility and personal liberation. “I wanted to capture the unapologetic energy that becomes the force for any wild-hearted person,” he says. “Being wild-hearted begins with knowing who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in and then by living by that. Once you take the time to figure these things out, you’re more likely to make decisions for a more spiritual and deeper place. A place where intuition is. “I believe those decisions are the ones that resonate with our purpose the most. That’s what life’s about, man; it’s about living out your purpose. This album was a way for me to paint out the energy that I have in my life. I think it’s more aggressive, at least sonically. It’s
all about that drive. It’s about being unapologetic and non-conformist.” When it comes to the graphics that accompany the album, Miguel adds, “I’ve spent a lot of time really digging into the creative side of it. It’s been all hands on deck. I’ve spent a lot of time planning what we’re going to do visually – it’s really important for me that all of the visuals match the music.” While Miguel’s 2010 debut All I Want Is You was a sleeper hit, the 2012 follow-up Kaleidoscope Dream catapulted the LA native onto the global stage, with its lead single ‘Adorn’ going on to win a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Needless to say, he realises that a lot more eyes and ears will be following the release of Wildheart. “I don’t want to call it fame, but knowing that you have a broader audience makes it more exciting,” he says. “It makes taking the chances more exciting. It gets a lot more risky. There’s a lot of expectation that comes with it, but you need to just put that out of your head. That’s when it becomes exhilarating. “You’re making music that resonates with you, but you don’t know how your fans are going to take it. You want to give them the truest bits of yourself as possible. At the end of the day, I have to be able to look back at my music and my legacy and be able to say, ‘Man, I’m really proud of that.’ That’s what it’s really about.” The album boasts a number of high-calibre guests, including Benny
Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Kurupt, with the curveball of Lenny Kravitz thrown in for good measure. “When I was growing up, Lenny was a musical mentor of sorts,” Miguel laughs. “Working with someone that you grew up listening to and looking up to? It was a dream come true for me. When someone like that wants to create something with you, it’s a crazy feeling.” Having supported Bruno Mars on his Australian tour early last year, Miguel will return Down Under this October as one of the leading acts on the 2015 incarnation of Soulfest. “I think I’ve always had a really energetic way of performing, but I feel that this album is the closest thing to encapsulate what it’s like when I’m onstage,” he says. “I’ve finally got to make an album that speaks the way that I come across when I perform live. That’s why I’m so excited to play this album live onstage. I’ve always had a certain style when it comes to performing, and I think this music is perfect for that. “When I’m performing it’s just nonstop fun. It’s sexy and it’s wild. That’s what it’s like onstage.” What: Soulfest 2015 With: Mary J. Blige, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, De La Soul and many more Where: The Domain When: Saturday October 24 And: Wildheart out now through RCA/Sony
BRAG :: 620 :: 08:07:15 :: 27
club guide g send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Bag Raiders
Darlinghurst. 9pm. $33.80. Viper Presents – Drum & Bass Slammers 2015 - feat: Matrix & Futurebound + The Prototypes + Insideinfo + Smooth + MC Rhymestaviper + Royalston + Magnifikate + The Bassix Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $44.90.
up all night out all week...
Cristoph
SUNDAY JULY 12
+ Steve Zappa + Yung Man + DJ Lockouts + Lupr + Roan Psyko + Melt Unit Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Black Vanilla Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $12.
CLUB NIGHTS
S.A.S.H Sundays - feat: Jef K + Secret Guest + Charades + Jordan Turbill + Ben Nott + Chris Sauro + Kerry Wallace + Samuel Habykai + Jimmy Brûz + Batty Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 3pm. $10.
SATURDAY JULY 11
Bag Raiders photo by Cara Stricker
Chinese Laundry Chin
MONDAY JULY 13
Bag Raiders
CLUB NIGHTS
+ Mike Metro
TUESDAY JULY 14 CLUB NIGHTS
9pm. $22.60. WEDNESDAY JULY 8 CLUB NIGHTS
Buoy - feat: Jack Grace + Spirit Faces DJs Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $10. Salsa Wednesday - feat: DJ Miro The Argyle, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Side Bar Wednesdays Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. The Wall - feat: Kill Paris + Hydraulix The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.
THURSDAY JULY 9 CLUB NIGHTS
Number56 - The Ultimate Adventure - feat: Secret Berlin International + Michelle Owen + Ben Drayton + Betty Grumble + Matt Format Secret Location, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Kicks The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. The Midnight Swim Sessions - feat: Thomas Studdy Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.
HIP HOP & R&B
Taxx Thursday - feat: Jayteehazard + Moonbase Commander + Grasps_ The Passage, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free.
FRIDAY JULY 10 CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Fridays
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The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Bassic - feat: Caspa + Pop The Hatch + Glovecats + A-Tonez + Steve Zappa + Yung Man + DJ Lockouts + Lupr + Roan Psyko + Melt Unit Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Black Vanilla Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $12. Derriere - feat: Rotating DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. DJ .S Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson. 8pm. Free. DJs Jenetic + Alex B + Danjer + Voodoo Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Friday Frothers - feat: DJs Babysham + Jesse Sewell Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Fridays @ Scubar Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. White Rabbit - feat: Mint Condition + Jubski Surge + Laws + Jim Kim + Humberjack + Stephen Healy + Draaz + Aaron Alpha + Yennad Miind Nightclub, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free.
HIP HOP & R&B
Astro Travellers + DJ Katch Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. $10. Friday Lite - feat: 40 Oz Bounce + Mace Dogg X Sean’Don + Mearebach Music + Nes + Mik Tha Menace + Baby Face Thrilla Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. Free.
SATURDAY JULY 11 HIP HOP & R&B
The Boombap Sessions -
Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10.
THURSDAY JULY 9 Number56 - The Ultimate Adventure - Feat: Secret Berlin International + Michelle Owen + Ben Drayton + Betty Grumble + Matt Format Secret Location, Sydney. 6pm. Free.
FRIDAY JULY 10 Astro Travellers + DJ Katch Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. $10. Bassic - Feat: Caspa + Pop The Hatch + Glovecats + A-Tonez
SATURDAY JULY 11 Cristoph Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 9pm. $17.35. Something Else - Feat: Marc Marzenit Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50.
SUNDAY JULY 12 S.A.S.H Sundays - Feat: Jef K + Secret Guest + Charades + Jordan Turbill + Ben Nott + Chris Sauro + Kerry Wallace + Samuel Habykai + Jimmy Brûz + Batty Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 3pm. $10.
feat: Joe New + DJ Cost + Codeks + Platterpush Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.
CLUB NIGHTS
Amrita’s Flex - feat: Fka Twigs Dance Tribute Set + Bad Ezzy + Laprats + Baby Face Thrilla + Clo Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $10. Cristoph Kit & Kaboodle, Kings Cross. 9pm. $17.35. Homemade - feat: Didier Cohen + Royaal + Venuto + Rees Hellmers + I.K.O + Seiz + J-Reyes Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. Free. Iron Curtis + Phil Smart + Mike Witcombe + Sam Roberts + Charades + Daniel Lupica B2B Karim + Kato + Tom Witheredge + Ant J Steep + Sam Francisco + Aaron Manhattan + DJ Svetta The Spice Cellar, Erskineville. 9pm. $27. Le Fruit DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Lndry - feat: Bag Raiders + Mike Metro + A-Tonez + Whitecat + Aboutjack + Offtapia + Coda + Space Junk + Antoine Vice + DJ Just 1 + King Lee + Jade Le Flay Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. My Place Saturdays Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Pacha Sydney - feat: The Aston Shuffle + Generik + Dave Winnel + Jaysounds + Jesabel + Acaddamy Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $40. Resident DJ The Kent Bar & Grill, Hamilton. 9:30pm. Free. Something Else - feat: Marc Marzenit Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50. Stööki Sound Oxford Art Factory, thebrag.com
Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray
Stephen Allkins will be playing an extended set jam-packed full of the Paradise Garage legend’s seminal productions. It’ll be kicking off from 2pm on Sunday July 19 at a secret location near the CBD, to be emailed out to ticket holders on the week of the party.
Answer Code Request
Here’s a blast from the past – to celebrate the release of the 50th DJ-Kicks mix (by DJ Koze), !K7 has announced the revival of its DJ Top Trumps card series. The series was first seen way back in 1995 and featured the likes of Sven Väth, Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Richie Hawtin. This time around, the series features recent selectors of DJ-Kicks mixers, including DJ Koze (naturally), Nina Kraviz, Actress, Carl Craig, Four Tet, Will Saul, Maceo Plex and more. There are 20 in total, and they include the number of followers each DJ has on social media and details of the longest track they’ve ever produced. You can get your hands on them at k7.greedbag.com. Tour rumour: the announcement of the return of Scuba to Australian shores is just around the corner. You best believe it.
O
ne of the fastest-rising names in techno, Answer Code Request, has locked in a Sydney sojourn. In 2011 the thenunknown producer had an EP of his land in Berlin’s seminal record store Hard Wax. With no name or other details accompanying the release, many believed it to be an alias of luminaries Marcel Dettmann or Shed. Pretty fine company, eh? After outing himself as Patrick Gräser, it only took a year following his first public appearance for him to gain global accolades and pick up a residency at Berghain. Says it all, really. He’ll be joined by one of Melbourne’s finest techno DJs, PWD, on Saturday July 25 at the Burdekin Hotel. Picnic has announced the next instalment of its infamous One Night Stand party series – and
this time around will see Dreems spinning all night long from start to finish. Dreems AKA Angus Gruzman AKA Gus Da Hoodrat AKA Angelo Cruzman needs no introduction, and is one of the most legendary figures in the Sydney dance scene. He ran the highly influential Bang Gang crew for years, worked with Modular forming the Motorik label, and most recently released his debut LP In Dreems on Thomas von Party’s Montreal-based Multi Culti label, just to name a few accolades. The party’s on Saturday July 18 at The Spice Cellar. Up for an afternoon of funk, roller boogie and disco vibes? Soul Of Sydney will once again be throwing a bash to celebrate the musical legacy and birthday of the late Larry Levan later this month. Sydney’s own disco debonair
Best releases this week: hoooboy, let me tell you – you do not want to sleep on the new full-length from Fis titled The Blue Quicksand Is Going Now (on Loopy). It is killer from start to finish. Other highlights include James Mason’s Recollection ∈ Echo (Shout!), Joe Le Bon’s House Music Love Music (Moods & Grooves), Kez YM’s Moving Vision (Yore), Juju & Jordash’s Down To The Roach (Dekmantel), Aroop Roy’s Brazil Breakdown Pt.3 (G.A.M.M.) and Fred P AKA FP-Oner’s 5 (Mule Musiq). Oh, and Off The Record turns one this week. Happy birthday, me. Hope y’all have enjoyed all the news, tours, recommendations and more over the past 52 weeks.
RECOMMENDED SATURDAY JULY 11 Iron Curtis The Spice Cellar Marc Marzenit Burdekin Hotel Cristoph Kit & Kaboodle
SATURDAY JULY 18 Steven Tang Burdekin Hotel Dreems The Spice Cellar
SATURDAY JULY 25 Tiefschwarz The Spice Cellar Answer Code Request Burdekin Hotel
SATURDAY AUGUST 8 The Black Madonna Marrickville Bowling Club
SATURDAY AUGUST 22 Borrowed Identity Bridge Hotel
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20 Lapalux Chinese Laundry
FRIDAY DECEMBER 4 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 6 Subsonic Music Festival – feat: KiNK, dOP, Rick Wade, Roman Flügel and more Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort
Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon.
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s.a.s.h sundays ft. cristoph 05:07:15 :: Home Nightclub :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER
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up all night out all week . . .
01:07:15 :: Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi Beach 9130 7247
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