Brag#629

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ISSUE NO. 629 SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

INSIDE This Week

T HE SMI T H S T R EE T B A ND How a Tony Abbott protest song found overseas fans.

S T ER E OP HONIC S The Welshmen deliver part two of a two-album suite.

E V E S T HE BEH AV IOR Her maiden headline tour arrives at last.

M A X R ICH T ER An eight-hour composition to soundtrack your sleep.

Plus

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rock music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Bridget Lutherborrow, Tegan Reeves and Aaron Streatfeild

five things WITH

TOM KENNEDY FROM BARE BONES Growing Up I had a great musical 1. upbringing. My dad was really into

rock’n’roll and blues and I spent a lot of time with my older sister and cousin who were really into ’90s punk rock, and my grandfather who had a huge jazz and swing record collection. The first show I ever went to was to see AC/DC with my dad – as an 11-year-old kid, it was the greatest thing I had ever seen; I was hooked instantly and never looked back. Inspirations There are so many – there’s 2. constantly songs/bands I hear that

can inspire me for a time or can help bring me out of a funk, but there’s always the mainstays; the bands that initially sparked something in you to go pick up a guitar or explore your voice. Definitely as a teenager becoming obsessed with Metallica – I still remember the first time I heard

Master Of Puppets in full; it gave me chills, it demanded my attention and jumped out of the speaker. It still has the ability to do that today. Your Band Bare Bones is Tom Kennedy, 3. James Dean, Chris Blancato, Chris

Breedon and James Clarke. Formed in 2013 in Sydney, we’ve all played in bands together and ran in the same friend circles for years, and came together as Bare Bones connected by our drive to make music we want to hear for ourselves, and to have fun doing what we love.

The Music You Make Bare Bones is high-energy 4. rock’n’roll with a strong punk and

metal influence. We have released 2 EP – Villains and Cut Throat Living (available on iTunes) – and are working on our debut album, all of which were recorded and produced by our drummer Chris Blancato.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. It’s an interesting time. On one

hand, numbers across the board are down, and venues are closing left, right and centre as a direct refl ection of that, but I think the music scene is in the early stages right now of a great transition period. People are growing tired of seeing the same thing rehashed over and over; there are lots of fresh-sounding bands coming through getting the attention they deserve. You can go down to a venue like Frankie’s Pizza, Newtown Social Club or Black Wire Records on any given night and you’re bound to fi nd a hidden gem. There’s something really exciting happening at the moment. Where: Frankie’s Pizza When: Sunday September 13

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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: Bridget Lutherborrow, Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com Krystal Le - 0421 662 486 / (02) 9212 4322 krystal@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Elias Kwiet, Bridget Lutherborrow, Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Keiron Costello, Christie Eliezer, Fergus Halliday, Cameron James, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Kate Robertson, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Lucy Watson, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial: Friday 12pm (no extensions) Ad bookings: Friday 5pm (no extensions) Fishished art: No later than 2pm Monday Ad cancellations: Friday 4pm Deadlines are strictly adhered to. Published by Furst Media P/L ACN 1112480045 All content copyrighted to Cartrage P/L / Furst Media P/L 2003-2014 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600 PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 like us:

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VIVA VANFEST

THEY DIDN’T REFUSE

A massive name has been confirmed for the 2016 incarnation of Soundwave. Hardcore punk icons Refused have become the latest band to join the drip-fed lineup, which already includes Bullet For My Valentine, Dead Letter Circus and Failure. The Swedes dropped their latest effort Freedom at the end of June, their first album since 1998. Soundwave 2016 takes over Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday January 24.

DIESEL DOWN UNDER

With eight studio albums, six ARIA Awards and a reputation that has followed him from the US to Australia and back again, Mark Lizotte – better known as Diesel – has reached the point of looking back. More than 25 years on from bursting onto the Aussie music scene with ‘Don’t Need Love’, the man behind such records as Hepfi delity and The Lobbyist has announced an Americana album and tour that will pay tribute to the many artists who influenced him in his early days. With recording for the album under way, Diesel will hit the road with his concept in February and March next year. See him in Sydney at the Bridge Hotel on Friday February 5, Newtown Social Club on Saturday February 6 and The Basement on Saturday March 5.

THE END OF BLACK SABBATH

It’s all coming to an end for one of the greatest metal bands in history, with the announcement that Black Sabbath will embark on one final

tour before calling it quits. So far, the seminal heavy metal outfit has announced five Aussie dates on The End tour, as well as two in New Zealand and a whole bunch in the US and Canada. The news came via the band’s Facebook page, which stated: “When this tour concludes, it will truly be The End.” Sabbath will hit Sydney on Saturday April 23 at Allphones Arena, with ticket details and full information to be announced this Thursday September 10. Check out thebrag.com for more details as they’re revealed.

SATELLITE SKA

Melbourne Ska Orchestra are hitting the road. The news comes as Nicky Bomba’s 26-piece prepare to drop their latest single ‘Satellite’ this month, lifted from their forthcoming sophomore album Sierra-Kilo-Alpha. They’ll be in Sydney this October, and with the record set for a February release through Four|Four, this’ll be your best chance to hear their new material before everyone else. Catch them on Friday October 23 at the Metro Theatre.

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK ADDS MORE ACTS

Regional New South Wales music festival Vanfest is returning to Forbes this December, and organisers have announced an impressive lineup to celebrate. Of course, it wouldn’t be any kind of festival at all without the ubiquitous John Butler Trio, who’ll be joined by a slew of exciting names, including ARIA Award winners Birds Of Tokyo. As if that wasn’t enough, Illy will be adding some hip hop to the menu, with Sticky Fingers, Sheppard, Twin Fires, Bootleg Rascal and DJ Stacie Todd also along for the ride. Aside from bringing this stellar lineup of international and local talent to Central West NSW, Vanfest will include your usual array of food and drink stalls, bars, meet and greets, a range of camping facilities and the all-important phone charging stations. See all this and more at Forbes Showgrounds on Saturday December 5.

KAMASI EXCLUSIVE

Jazz giant Kamasi Washington has announced an exclusive sideshow at iconic Sydney jazz venue The Basement. The Los Angeles master will be in Australia playing a round of shows as part of Soulfest, and this sideshow will give fans the chance to hear sounds from his latest 172-minute masterpiece The Epic, which came out in May. The threedisc anthology combines elements of jazz, soul, classical, hip hop and gospel to create an otherworldly sound like nothing else. See Washington at The Basement on Thursday October 22.

Sarah Belkner

Australian Music Week has revealed an exceptional second round of artists as well as a national fi lm project. The brand spanker music summit being held this November will span fi ve days and feature a diverse range of panels, masterclasses, celebrity interviews, breakout sessions, workshops and live showcases. The recent announcement includes the likes of Mar Haze, Sarah Belkner, The Cairos, The Ruckus and Jenny Broke The Window, to name a few. They join an already huge lineup that features names like Ivan Ooze, Lepers and Crooks and The Belligerents. AMW organisers have also announced Captured: Australia, a project/ competition that pairs musos with local fi lmmakers to create a fi ve-minute music video or short fi lm to be showcased at the conference. Check it all out from Wednesday November 18 – Sunday November 22 in venues across the CBD and Cronulla Esplanade.

Xxxx

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John Butler Trio

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BRING ME THE HORIZON T H AT ’ S T H E S P I R I T

11TH OF SEPTEMBER

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live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Tegan Reeves and Aaron Streatfeild

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

WITH

xx

industry profile JULIA ROBINSON FROM MAX WATT’S

Tell us about yourself – what’s your role and your background in the industry? My role at Max Watt’s has a national aspect, working with promoters and clients as well as across social media, as well as Sydney-centric in the capacity of venue manager. It’s a really full role where I have to don many hats – just the way I like it! I’ve been involved in the music industry for nearly 15 years, mostly within the live music festival circuits. You fi nd a lot of the same people involved in festivals also work the music venues, so this feels like home. What’s new about Max Watt’s, now that it’s been relaunched? We have reworked the venue spaces in terms of capacities, allowing for a more comfortable night out thanks to shorter entry and bar lines. Our in-house production capabilities are getting a facelift too. There are exciting things in the pipeline too – but we can’t give it all away, you’ll have to

stay tuned. Who’d be your dream lineup for a night at the venue? If there are no rules for this dream, right now I’d go with an oldie but a goodie like Portishead supported by Cuban newcomers Ibeyi and a local favourite George Maple. Who’s been your highlight so far? The recent What So Not show is a great favourite. So many special guests and such a great crowd. It’s been a tough time for Sydney venues recently – what keeps Max Watt’s going strong? At the end of the day, it’s all about the music… and the people. Those two things haven’t changed and we try to keep that in mind. What: Max Watt’s Where: Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park More: maxwatts.com.au

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW

Some bands just look prettier in pink. You can bet it’s the case with Closure In Moscow, the enigmatic alt-rockers who put out their latest album Pink Lemonade to positive reviews last year. They’re still working hard at going where few Aussie groups have gone before – cracking the elusive American market – having relocated there in 2011 and earned an ongoing list of tour and festival bookings. That doesn’t mean they’ve forsaken their roots, though, with a three-date tour of Sydney and surrounds planned early next month, including a show at Studio Six on Friday October 2. We’ve got two double passes to give away to the show. To be in the running, visit thebrag.com/freeshit. Xxx

Joy.

The Hotelier

HOSPITALITY FOR THE HOTELIER

BEACH ROAD GOES BIG

It’s a fine week ahead at Bondi hotspot the Beach Road Hotel, kicking off with a double headline bill at the regular Sosueme night on Wednesday September 9. Hotly tipped youngster Joy. will share the stage with Luke Million in a party sure to get all the cool kids talking. Later, Friday September 11’s Night Lyfe event will feature Richie Ryan, but be sure to save some energy for Saturday September 12 and the Yours night starring Beni, launching his new single after lauded releases through Modular and Kitsune.

VINTAGE ROCK’N’ROLL

Vintage vultures, this Sunday September 13 is a day to pencil into your diaries, with the spring edition of Sydney’s Rock’N’Roll & Shameem

Alternative Market showcasing a special event, Devoted To Vintage. The usual and some of the more unusual marketplace goodies will be ripe for the picking when the event takes over the University of Sydney’s Manning House once again this weekend. In addition to the usual marketplace fanfare will be a Vintage Best Dressed Competition judged by Pia Anderson, and a vintage vehicle display featuring classic cars from a number of eras. This market’s live lineup includes Papa Pilko and The Binrats, Hank’s Jalopy Demons and the Kieron McDonald Combo in addition to the return of beginners’ rockabilly dance lessons.

Massachusetts punks The Hotelier have locked in their maiden tour Down Under this November and December. Fans (and prospective fans) can give thanks to Australia’s own The Smith Street Band for getting the Americans on a plane out here, after the two groups met in Europe and had a chinwag about the touring scene. The Hotelier fit comfortably into the scene with the likes of Modern Baseball, Title Fight and Beach Slang, and they’ll be making a mark of their own at Black Wire Records on Wednesday December 9 and the Factory Floor on Thursday December 10. Ceres will play in support. year, Leisure are bringing their chilled vibes to Australia for the first time. Five friends with backgrounds as music producers, artists and writers have come together to form the lax grooves and Tame Impala-esque

production of the band. Their tracks ‘Got It Bad’ and ‘Hot Love’ are reverb-heavy comedown anthems. Catch the vibe at Goodgod Small Club on Wednesday October 14.

Bodyjar

FAREWELL THE LANSDOWNE

SHAMEEM ON SHOW

Independent Perth performer Shameem is taking the trip to the east coast next month – and she’s making the journey count, with a run of nine shows from Canberra to Brisbane. The new dates will see the neo-soul singer-songwriter performing in an intimate and solo set-up, fresh from the release of her record The Second City. Shameem has previously supported the likes of Michael Bolton and Anthony Callea, but she’ll be topping the bill at Since I Left You on Thursday October 1.

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Another Sydney music venue, the Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale, is set to close its doors – but not before throwing one hell of a send-off party. The Last Call mini-festival will mark goodbye to the Sydney live music institution, set to shut on Tuesday September 29 after being purchased by the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) for its new campus, opening next year. 14 bands who’ve been regulars on the Lansdowne stage will take part in the all-day event, which features a BBQ and giveaways – and all with free entry. The names include Juice, Money For Rope, Darker Half, The Ruckus, The Lockhearts, Nerdlinger and more. The Lansdowne’s Last Call takes place on Saturday September 12.

LEISURE IN THE SUN

Auckland fi ve-piece Leisure are leaping the ditch for the first of many shows in the land of Oz. After widespread interest in their debut track ‘Got It Bad’ earlier this

A BODYJAR BIRTHDAY

In celebration of the 15-year anniversary of their ARIA Top 20-charting album, Bodyjar will be performing How It Works in full at Newtown Social Club in November. The 2000 release achieved gold status in 2005 and produced hits ‘Not The Same’ and ‘Fall To The Ground’. After calling it quits in 2009, Bodyjar have reformed on a number of occasions, notably in 2012 to perform the album No Touch Red in full at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel. They’ve since released Role Model (2013), which was their first album in eight years. UNFD will be putting out a limited edition vinyl pressing of How It Works to coincide with the anniversary. The show happens on Friday November 20.

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

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THINGS WE HEAR * Which new owners of a digital music company cut off the staff’s free sweets and fruit as one of its first orders of business? * Which young Australian entrepreneur quickly bought up the rights to six domain names relating to Kanye West’s presidential elections, figuring he’d make big bucks in selling them later? A US man who bought kanyeforpresident.com in April for 99 cents has now been offered US$80,000. * Which muso went to see his drug dealer just as he was

getting a visit from the blueys? * Avicii cancelled dates in Las Vegas, China and Japan for a break until 2016. * The first official UK chart dedicated to prog rock last week was topped by Tame Impala’s Currents. * In the latest certifications, Vance Joy’s Dream Your Life Away has gone platinum, while Ed Sheeran’s X picked up its seventh platinum certification in Australia. * 2XX’s long-running program S.I.N.G.E.D (synthpop, industrial, noise, gothic, electronica, darkwave) broadcasts for the last time tonight (Wednesday September 9). The show’s

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The Australian Independent Record Labels Association has revealed the nominees for the 2015 Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards, with Hermitude appearing four times. #1 Dads, Courtney Barnett and Vance Joy are each up for three awards. Now in their tenth year, the awards celebrate independent music across a range of genres including jazz, classical, blues and roots, country, hip hop, hard rock/punk and dance/electronica. This year’s ceremony will take place on Thursday October 22 at Melbourne’s Meat Market, with performers to be announced shortly.

ABBEY ROAD BUYS 301

Abbey Road Institute Australia has acquired Alexandria’s Studios 301 to launch a Sydney location in early 2016 and use it to provide practical education for students. Partner Gianni Michelini and CEO Paul Ledingham are the executive team behind Abbey Road Institute at Southbank in Melbourne, which starts classes on Monday September 21. Also part of the team is publisher Deke Miskin, who is behind such magazines as TV Hits, Girlfriend, Sugar, That’s Life and Wallpaper and currently develops hotels abroad. Ledingham says they are “100 per cent committed to seeing 301 evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century music industry. We’ll continue to service our existing clients and pay homage to the incredible legacy that is Studios 301.�

TASK FORCE TO MAKE EDM EVENTS SAFER

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A task force has formed in Los Angeles to make the city’s dance events safer. The news follows the death of two teens from suspected drug overdoses at LA’s Hard Fest last month. The task force will include representatives from the police, fire departments, council and health services, with its guidelines to be adopted by all EDM festivals held on county-owned property, and will probably expand throughout the rest of the US.

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The rise of vinyl sales has led to Panasonic reviving its Technics turntables – beloved by DJs the world over – after discontinuing them five years ago. At the IFA trade show in Berlin, Panasonic unveiled a prototype turntable built of aluminium, an allusion to the still-in-demand 1200 series. It is set for release in the next two years, with new direct-drive motor technologies to improve the quality of sound. Panasonic also announced an all-in-one hi-fi system, amp and headphones.

LUCKY ENT BUYS REVELRY’S BOOKING DIVISION

Melbourne-based booking agency and management firm Lucky Ent has acquired the bookings component of Brisbane’s Revelry Agency. Revelry’s four acts (Jordan Burns, Yvng Jalapeùo, Noy and Jordan James) now join Lucky Ent’s 42-strong roster, which includes Will Sparks, Tigerlily, Mashd N Kutcher and DCup. Revelry director and entertainment booker at Brisbane’s The Met, Hugh Foster, also moves over into the newly created role of head of alternative electronica.

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A survey by consumer advocacy group Choice has found the arrival of video-on-demand services like Netflix, Stan and Presto has cut down piracy from ‘regulars’ by 25%. The amount of Australians who refuse to illegally stream or download movies and TV shows is now 70%, compared to 67% in 2014. Choice

support for local acts included running gigs and in-studio sets. * While sentencing a dope dealer who was working in nightclubs, an Adelaide judge suggested that clubs put up posters warning of the possible jail terms for dealing, in order to deter future offenders. * Philadelphia Grand Jury, who have been doing reunion dates over the last two years, have taken it a step further. Their second album Summer Of Doom was recorded in Berlin over ten days with producer Tim Whitten, and comes out next month. * Simon Lewicki (Groove Terminator), who recently

argues that pricing and availability is the most effective way to combat online piracy, rather than the government’s strategies of an industry code, blocking access to overseas websites and its ‘three strikes’ policy. 54% of responders said they’d simply find another site if one was closed, and 49% would find other methods to circumvent the blocks.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC EARNINGS RISE

Universal Music Group’s earnings climbed 3.1% to ₏2.3 billion in the first six months of 2015, a 15.4% rise when changes in foreign currency exchange aren’t taken into account. Recorded music revenues grew 3.6%. UMG’s streaming and subscription service revenue was up 34%, while digital download sales declined 5%. Music publishing grew 2.7% and merchandising and other revenues by 3.2%.

NICOLE MILLAR TO EMI

Sydney singer-songwriter Nicole Millar, probably best known as the voice on Peking Duk’s chart-topping triple-platinum single ‘High’, has signed with EMI Music Australia. The 22-year-old has also collaborated with the likes of Cosmo’s Midnight, Golden Features and What So Not, and toured with RĂœFĂœS. Millar has been in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sydney writing and recording her debut EP.

RDIO PICKS DUSTIN TEBBUTT

Dustin Tebbutt is Rdio’s Artist To Watch for September. Listeners can access exclusive playlists, where he hand-picks favourite artists and some of the influences behind his new debut mini-album Home, out Friday September 18.

MOTT’S LIFE IN PHOTOS

Welsh-born chef turned Sydney-based global rock photographer Tony Mott is celebrating his 30-year career with a free photo exhibition, What A Life!, at the State Library of New South Wales from Saturday October 17 – Wednesday February 17. Mott, who took his stage name from the band Mott The Hoople, has been published in over 700 music mags and asked by Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones to shoot their Aussie tours. At one of those, he met up with his lookalike, Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.

ITA ON THAT CHISEL SONG

30 years after Cold Chisel wrote ‘Ita’ about media icon Ita Buttrose, B&T asked her if she was sick of talking about it. “God no, it’s my favourite song ever! Who would’ve ever thought that Cold Chisel would have ever written a song about me and it was inspired by the fact that I was editor of the [Women’s] Weekly and I was doing the Weekly’s commercials on television. To this day I’m amazed that I’ve managed to inspire them. My kids, who were little at the time, reckon to this day that the Cold Chisel song is the best thing I ever did! All my other achievements pale into insignificance!�

NSW GOVERNMENT TO UPGRADE STADIUMS

The NSW State Government plans to spend at least $600 million on stadium upgrades in Sydney. It would mean upgrading or rebuilding Allianz Stadium in Moore Park to a capacity of about 60,000. Sports Minister Stuart Ayres told a budget estimates hearing that the Government is considering buying out the owners of ANZ Stadium.

EUROPE FREELOADING ON MUSIC

moved back to Australia after ten years in LA “to start a family�, was a guest of honour at the opening of the Adelaide Casino’s new bar Pop. * It’s not just in the US where Zac Efron’s EDM movie We Are Your Friends has been a box office disaster, bringing in a mere US$1.8 million on its opening weekend. In Australia it took in just $229,394 from 161 cinemas. * With their massive crowdfunded European tour now finished, symphonic metal merchants Ne Obliviscaris are planning to return there in October and November, opening for Cradle Of Filth in 17 countries.

Commission says 60% of the 27,000 European consumers surveyed had either streamed or downloaded music in the previous 12 months. This was higher than video content (59%, excluding sports), games (37%), sports (35%) and e-books (27%). But while Europeans are consuming music in big numbers, most of them are not paying, with only 29% paid users and 19% on subscriptions.

INDIGENOUS LABEL DEADLY RECORDS LAUNCHES

An indigenous record label, Deadly Records, is launching this month, covering traditional and contemporary music from musos in remote communities. The first act is Koomurri, who’ve been busking regularly at Circular Quay for the past 30 years. They’re releasing an album a month until December, starting with Yuin People (of traditional songs from the First Australians of the NSW South Coast). Label manager Darrel Baird told the BRAG that they’re also setting their sights on American world music audiences.

HIP HOP SISTERS LAND ON [V]

The first season of Sisterhood Of Hip Hop premieres on Channel [V] on Thursday September 24. It follows five female hip hop artists AKA “femcees� as they “navigate their way through the male-dominated music industry�.

Lifelines Born: a son, Sawyer, to Geisha frontman Chris Doheny and wife Simone, their fifth. Injured: one-time bar staffer at the Newport Arms, Brooke Baldwin, 20, was hit by a car in Las Vegas a week into a US visit. Friends are trying to raise $50,000 for her medical expenses. Split: after haughtily denying marriage split rumours, Avril Lavigne and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger have admitted that yes, they’re separated after two years of marriage. In Court: US rapper Young Buck was fined US$7,500 and must complete 100 hours of community service after he was sprung faking a urine test. His probation officer caught him using a tube connected to a plastic bag filled with someone else’s urine. In Court: Courtney Love has settled the lawsuit for sending defamatory tweets about fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir, paying US$350,000 on top of the $430,000 she already paid. In Court: US rapper Afroman got a suspended six-month jail sentence, was fined $330 and ordered to undergo anger management for punching a woman who jumped onstage during a concert earlier this year. Died: Graham Brazier, of New Zealand’s Hello Sailor, 63. He had been in ill health after a heart attack. The band lived in Sydney for a time in the late ’70s.

A report on online content by the European

thebrag.com

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Saturday 10 October 2pm & Monday 12 October 7pm City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney The crisp articulation and rich timbres of the acclaimed French Modigliani Quartet is a perfect match for music that demands both strength and clarity. Performing a selection of masterpieces by Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, Dohnรกnyi and Westlake.

Visit musicaviva.com.au/Modigliani Book Now cityrecitalhall.com or 02 8256 2222

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BRING ME THE HORIZON

ring Me The Horizon have undeniably left their legion of fans surprised after each album release, with every one of their four records thus far sounding different from the last. From the thrash metal roots of Count Your Blessings to the ominous keyboards in Sempiternal, there is no doubt the Sheffield gents have undergone a remarkable transformation over the years, and become all the more popular as a result. Yet with their upcoming fifth album That’s The Spirit, Bring Me The Horizon have taken an extraordinary leap into unfamiliar territory. With ample playing time on triple j already for the single ‘Happy Song’, it’s evident the band is set to achieve a higher reach than ever before. “I guess our fans are used to being surprised by what we do now,” says vocalist Oli Sykes. “That’s The Spirit is not really an exception; it doesn’t really sound anything like Sempiternal. We have felt like we have progressed as songwriters as we wrote Sempiternal, and I think we got there writing something we felt more comfortable with. It has just been a constant learning curve. None of us were musicians when we started this band, so we learnt how to write and we got better at it progressively. We are always learning, and we always will.

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BY MICHAEL EDNEY

Sempiternal had, and I think that is just because we have really pushed metal to its capacity.” Bring Me The Horizon have taken a big leap of faith on That’s The Spirit. Sonically, it still has riffs that will open circle pits, but the noticeable absence of Sykes’ screaming vocals could leave fans divided. “We do want to appeal to the mainstream, but everything we have done on the record was done for a reason, and it is not being done for any other reason than it works for the songs,” he says. “It’s weird; when we started writing we were like, ‘There is hardly any screaming on this record,’ but every time we tried to put it in, it felt forced. It felt like we were doing it for the sake of it. “We had this experiment one day where we just wrote this all-out heavy song, something that would have fit in on Sempiternal, but for this record, it didn’t feel like us. It wasn’t working. We aren’t trying to send this message this time. We haven’t got this straight up anger. There is so much more emotion that had to be illustrated, and just screaming one note wasn’t going to cut it, and it felt weird.”

The change in flavour risks coming across to fans as ‘selling out’, but Sykes is adamant that throughout the whole writing process, Bring Me The Horizon have stayed true to their identity. “We are obviously really proud of the music. We knew that we were doing it all for the right reasons. We weren’t doing it just to become a bigger band; we were doing it because we can really write better music this way. We can really do something special and unique, and it wasn’t just for the sake of it. At the same time, we have got those old songs, and we knew that, but we wanted to try and challenge ourselves to write music that hits people heavily in different ways.” Whether you listen to metal or not, you can’t avoid the presence of Bring Me The Horizon on the front covers of music magazines everywhere. For Sykes, however, the spotlight was initially too much to handle, leading the idolised vocalist into his darkest moments. It was only a year ago that Sykes shocked the music world when he stepped up to receive the award for Best Album at the inaugural AP Music Awards, and for the first time, admitted his addiction to the drug ketamine – one which he had been

battling for a number of years. It was this turning point in Sykes’ life that inspired That’s The Spirit. “It was very important to me to figure out how to deal with sadness, my emotions, and my insecurities to overcome drugs,” he says. “You basically aren’t given a choice in rehab to overcome addiction. You pretty much get better on their terms with the 12-step program where you hand yourself over to God, and you apologise for this and that, and accept that you’re a drug addict, and that the rest of your life will be a struggle because of drugs. “For me, I thought, ‘Fuck that, this is not what it is about.’ I didn’t always want drugs. At one time drugs scared the shit out of me – I didn’t want to touch them. I wanted to get back to that place. To get back to that point was very important, because I figured out why I was taking these drugs. It was all to do with this band and the way I had been built up in the media. “Some people fucking hated me and some people worshipped me like a god. I thought that I could never live up to the unrealistic image that magazines and the media create of me. I used to beat myself up so

“SOME PEOPLE FUCKING HATED ME AND SOME PEOPLE WORSHIPPED ME LIKE A GOD. I THOUGHT THAT I COULD NEVER LIVE UP TO THE UNREALISTIC IMAGE THAT MAGAZINES AND THE MEDIA CREATE OF ME.”

much because of that. Everyday. I just wasn’t how people thought I was in both respects. That’s what made me want to take drugs in the end. Instead of not fucking dealing with it, I’m just not going to feel it whatsoever; I’m just going to numb myself. So that’s what the whole album is about. It’s more about things I have realised or noticed that make me a happy person.”

There’s no doubt now that after battling the darkness that almost separated the band, Sykes and Bring Me The Horizon have come out stronger than ever. To cap off a stellar 2014, they headlined their first-ever arena show in front of a massive crowd at London’s Wembley Arena – a feat that blew Sykes away. “We never thought that we could sell out Wembley in a million years. I’m not someone who believes in our hype, and last year we were proposed the idea of Wembley and I thought they were stupid. I’m really surprised by how much we have progressed and what we have achieved. I think Wembley really set this mindset that I’m actually going to listen to what people say about this band now, and accept it when they say that we could play arenas or headline festivals. It doesn’t sound as ridiculous now, and I think we have just surprised ourselves so much from playing that show. “I think that now we are ready to give it a shot at going into the big league, and even attempting at becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.” What: That’s The Spirit out Friday September 11 through Sony

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“I think a big thing for us is we took our time and we never did anything we didn’t want to do. We really wanted to make a record that wasn’t just for people in our scene. It doesn’t matter what music you listen to, we just wanted to make a rock album that could really break into the mainstream and appeal to anyone. That’s The Spirit doesn’t have your breakdowns and your metal riffs like

A GUIDING SPIRIT

The Smith Street Band Winning Hearts And Minds By George Nott

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hen The Smith Street Band released their song ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’, they never thought they’d perform it overseas. A cutting criticism of the Liberal Government’s ‘Stop The Boats’ campaign (Tony Abbott’s said grin is featured on the record sleeve), the song articulated the reaction of many Australians to their nation’s heartless immigration policy. This was a protest song about a very domestic issue – how would foreign audiences relate? “I thought it was just an Australian issue,” says the four-piece’s drummer Chris Cowburn, “one we would never play outside Australia. That’s not the case at all.” Formed in 2010 and fronted by Wil Wagner, The Smith Street Band have released two EPs and three studio albums. The band donated proceeds from ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’ to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. At Splendour In The Grass this year the Melburnians played under a banner that read, “Real Australians Say Welcome”. When we speak to Cowburn, the band is in the UK finishing off an intensive European tour with festival appearances at Reading and Leeds. Earlier that day, the tour bus had passed hundreds of refugees desperate for an opportunity to leave France for England.

winning hearts and minds wherever they go. Did ‘Wipe That Shit-Eating Grin Off Your Punchable Face’ change government policy? No. But it did make people think about the issues concerned. It’s catchy enough that people will remember it the next time a minister appears on TV to defend Australia’s border policy or detention centres. And the next time people get to vote. “We said our piece and spoke freely about our opinion when we released that song,” says Cowburn. “It’s important for people to speak up about what they feel if they think something’s not right, and music is a pretty sweet way to do that.” What: Throw Me In The River out now through Poison City With: Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Sidekicks, The Sugarcanes Where: Manning Bar When: Wednesday September 9 And: Also appearing at I Love Life Festival at the Metro Theatre on Saturday September 12

“It’s something we care about pretty deeply,” says Cowburn. “It was a big learning curve for me personally, learning about the issues politically. You find a lot of similarities with other places.” Just like in Australia, governments in Europe are far from welcoming to those seeking refuge. Some have even praised Abbott’s stance on ‘the boat people’. It’s little wonder, then, that the crowds The Smith Street Band have played to on tour have reacted so well to lines like “Just to keep your job you’re putting bodies in the ground / Drowning refugees at sea / Kiss babies screaming vote for me / I’ll take you to the future via the 1950s”. “The reaction [the single] got was crazy,” says Cowburn. “It was far greater than we thought. It just goes to show that the world’s a small place. We all have similar issues and people feel the same way about a lot of issues.” Music and protest can be awkward bedfellows. Politics and song don’t always mix. The Smith Street Band, however, pull it off in style. “It’s not an easy thing to dip your toes into,” says Cowburn. “As long as it’s honest, that’s the important thing. It can’t come across contrived or forced. It has to be actually something you really fucking care about. You should just feel it. Just do whatever you can, with whatever your set of tools are, to help people who are less fortunate than you or affect something in a positive way.” The band’s powerful punk music is delivered with equally moving lyrical content, and it’s not just about social issues. From the pains of growing up and breaking up to the dark depths of depression, Wagner’s words are proven to have the power to help and heal. “I’m really genuinely still touched every time someone emails us or sends a Facebook message and says, ‘Hey, I’ve been having a really shit time or I’ve broken up with my girlfriend or I suffer from depression and I listened to your music and [it] really helped me,’” says Cowburn. “The first time we got one of those messages, I was just blown away. It’s happened lots of times since and that feeling doesn’t get old. Music does have that powerful effect on people. I totally get it, because we’re all in the same predicament. Music is one of the most powerful things out there in the entire world.” It feels like some time since the always-on-theroad Smith Street Band have played in Australia. They are about to embark on one of their most comprehensive tours yet, visiting every state and territory, including places they’ve never been before like Cairns and Townsville. It’s as if they’re on the campaign trail – and they’re thebrag.com

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The displaced and desperate have survived dangerous journeys to reach countries all over Europe. Immigration is not just an Australian concern.

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“There are sprawls of camps and people trying to migrate to the UK,” Cowburn says. “It’s an eye-opening thing to witness first-hand. There’s giant fences and barbed wire everywhere and it’s all pretty over the top. We were trying to recall the security measures they had last time, but what they’ve got set up now is just insane.”

SUMMER HIGH WORLD TOUR 2015 WiTH SPECIAL GUESTS

Summer High Tour

THU 10 SEPT - VELVET UNDERGROUND, CAIRNS FRI 11 SEPT - MAGNUMS, AIRLIE BEACH SAT 12 SEPT - HARVEY RD TAVERN GLADSTONE SUN 13 SEPT - BAY CENTRAL TAV, HERVEY BAY THU 17 SEPT - ROOTY HILL RSL, ROOTY HILL FRI 18 SEPT - METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY SAT 19 SEPT - MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE SUN 20 SEPT - THE PIER, FRANKSTON THU 24 SEPT - SETTLERS TAVERN, MARGARET RIVER SAT 26 SEPT - AMPLIFIER BAR, PERTH SUN 27 SEPT - METROPOLIS, FREMANTLE THU 1 OCT - HOTEL BRUNSWICK, BRUNSWICK HDS FRI 2 OCT - THE BACK ROOM, BRISBANE SAT 3 OCT - PARWOOD TAVERN, GOLD COAST WWW.KATCHAFIRE.CO.NZ

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Micachu And The Shapes Happier Sad By Adam Norris

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xperience has taught me that international phone interviews are always a roll of the dice. This is mostly because the technology seems to have been developed by gremlins, but throw multiple connections into the mix and you’re asking for trouble. It’s exactly what happens when chatting to Mica Levi and Raisa Khan of Micachu and The Shapes. Somewhere between our three phones is an ominous sound like somebody devouring a typewriter, which in retrospect is somewhat fitting for the experimental pop trio, known for their odd time signatures and found-object appeal.

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“We basically decided to commit to this process of working the album from a couple of recordings we had,” says Levi. She has quite a deep and charismatic voice that wouldn’t be out of place at a poetry slam. “That was going to be the beginning of songs, kind of build them, but they ended up just being warts and all. From there I just got into the writing as normal, but I was really excited about doing it like this with the recording already there and was writing [constantly]. It wasn’t like I wrote the song and then

The fact these fledgling recordings exist at all is due to drummer Marc Pell. With his bandmates unaware he was recording the rehearsal, it allowed a level of creation and inhibition that became the bedrock of the entire album. Of particular intrigue, however, are the skeletal songs that never made it onto the final product. Given the relatively brisk length of each track (‘Sad’, for example, clocks in at just over two minutes) compared to the many hours of recordings, the trio were rather spoilt for choice. It makes you wonder if there isn’t a second release still haunting the studio. “Yeah, totally!” Levi says. “There’s some really great bits in there. Prior to other situations we’ve been in, we’ve had lots of bits of ideas that have been more about getting something together, but we basically had to decide on a vibe – where the record was going to go based on things that we thought had the right and accurate energy. We decided that there were a few particular strengths there that we went towards, but there are other good sets in there.” “We certainly wanted to do more at the time,” Khan recalls. “We kind of wanted to do two records,” Levi laughs. “A daytime record and a night-time record.” Tremendous as this idea sounds, Good Sad Happy Bad already has

great variety without losing any coherence. There is something oddly disquieting about its blend of simple, soothing sounds and unexpected movements, like waking abruptly from a dream. Establishing an overarching, wholealbum experience was at the core of deciding which songs would be pursued and included, yet as Khan explains, the trick was not to overthink the process. “I think with this record, the reason it was quick and had to stay quick was the more you do to it, the more fraudulent it’s going to become,” she says. “We have to all stand back and make a judgement on it, to see if it feels like it should. To be honest, we made the decisions based on the flavours of songs more than anything. More than whether if it

[felt] finished, it was more … what kind of feeling it could have. If we kept working, it might take it to the wrong mood. “A song like ‘Oh Baby’ stands on its own two feet quite well, but a lot of the other songs need to be seen as part of the record. Sometimes the ones you originally would like to sit in that means not going with your favourite at all. It has to be about the whole thing.” “I find [a song is] great at first,” adds Levi, “but if there’s just one thing wrong with it, like there’s a little smudge, you start looking at that, try to fix it, and you just fuck everything up, and spend the rest of your time trying to get it back to where it was originally. The beginning is always the best bit. The hard part is taking

it through to the end – that’s the work. I think there’s something that feels really pure in doing that. I don’t know, I always … it’s like you’ve got to practice in your own time to get a performance together, you know? By the time that you press ‘record’ you should have your shit together enough that you trust what you’re going to do. In my mind that’s ideal, in terms of a performer. “You can’t polish a turd,” she finishes matter-of-factly, and Khan chuckles. “You’ve got to know if it’s punching above its weight. If you’re fucking around with it too much, it just becomes a different thing.” What: Good Sad Happy Bad out Friday September 11 through Rough Trade/Remote Control

Micachu and The Shapes photo by Steven Legere

The British group’s latest release, Good Sad Happy Bad, is only days away, but already three tracks have dropped, showcasing not only how the band has progressed since 2012’s Never but also the sheer scope of the record. First single ‘Oh Baby’ is a lush, eerie pop number, while its follow-up ‘Sad’ shines as a quirky, circuitous dream. Disparate as the record is, it was born of a common fount; an evening’s rehearsal that was recorded almost as an afterthought.

the lyrics developed over time. My job was just to sing the lyrics – I almost didn’t have to think about the song, really.”

Stereophonics Staying Alive By Augustus Welby album.” Keep The Village Alive and Graffiti On The Train were both recorded between ICP Studios in Brussels and the band’s own Stylus Studios in London. Although the textural details were scaled back, the recording and production methods stayed largely the same. “I think the method is going to be pretty much the same, but we did change the actual instruments,” Jones says. “On each album we usually find an instrument that departs from the previous album. There’s something about playing a new instrument as well. It makes you play differently.

“When we started the whole project, the songs just kept on coming thick and fast,” says bassist and co-founder Richard Jones. “Over

the space of about 12 months we had about 36 songs. So we had the thought then of releasing a double album, but then through various talks with management and different people we know in the industry, they dissuaded us by saying that people’s attention spans ain’t what they used to be and they’d rather listen to single songs and shorter albums. So we decided to condense Graffiti On The Train down to ten songs, and the other bunch of songs we thought, ‘We’re not going to waste those,’ so we continued to work on them along with a bunch of other tracks. And that’s rolled into Keep The Village Alive.” Throughout their career, Stereophonics have made a concerted effort to distinguish each

new album from its predecessor. While the latest two inhabit a similar stylistic and creative space, this remained a priority. “Graffiti On The Train was a bit of a departure from [2009 album] Keep Calm And Carry On,” says Jones. “We used a lot of orchestration and let the songs breathe a little bit – we weren’t afraid to add big instrumentation. I think we kept about five similar tracks for this album, but we stripped back a little bit. So even though they were from the same bunch of songs, I think people will distinguish this album from the previous one. We’ve got a lot more instant songs on this new release. The first two singles [‘C’est La Vie’ and ‘I Wanna Get Lost With You’] are a good indication of the type of direction we went on this

As with every Stereophonics album since Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, Jim Lowe co-produced Keep The Village Alive. By now, he’s integral to the band’s recording approach. “As soon as we get an idea, we want to get it out as quick as possible,” Jones says. “Then what usually happens is the demo turns into the finished article. Jim is really good at getting everything set up so quick. He’s got tracks up and running even before we pick the instruments up, and he’s always really quick with coming together

“Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train, feeling near as faded as my jeans.” 12 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

Stereophonics have been through a few lineup changes over the years, but Jones and frontman Kelly Jones have been there since day one. Amid the various comings and goings, they’ve never had serious questions about doing another album. “As far as the Stereophonics go, we’ve always said that, ‘I don’t think any member of the band is bigger than the band.’ So if somebody isn’t that tied into what we’re doing and their heart’s not in the right place, then sometimes you’ve got to let them go. The band’s got a life of its own, really. You’ve got to try to let it do what it needs to do.” Evidently this attitude has been beneficial. On the cusp of album nine – which comes nearly 20 years since their debut – an enormous number of people around the world remain eagerly interested in Stereophonics. “We’re really lucky,” says the bassist. “We’ve got a good solid relationship with our fan base and we never take it for granted as well. We always want to bring out new material which stands the test of time and not rely on past big records. We want to try to make the next record the big record.” What: Keep The Village Alive out Friday September 11 through Stylus/Warner

- The Janis Joplin Story thebrag.com

Stereophonics photo by Hans-Peter van Velthoven

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ver the course of pop music history, only a select number of acts have managed to maintain an interested fan base for more than two decades. Welsh rock mainstays Stereophonics are one of them, and are all set to release their ninth album, Keep The Village Alive, this week. It comes two-and-ahalf years after their previous effort, Graffiti On The Train, which was their first to achieve platinum sales since 2005’s Language. Sex. Violence. Other? The new album is tagged as a companion piece to Graffiti On The Train, and the band initially toyed with the idea of releasing them together as a double album.

“We’ve got our own studio in London, so it gives us a lot more breathing space to try out new things as well. Jamie [Morrison, drums] is very accomplished and very experimental. He’s great at coming up with different sounds from anything – he hits anything and makes a good rhythm out of it. I think we spent a lot more time trying to find these different sounds and actually distinguishing the two records apart.”

with demo drum tracks and sounds. He’s got a vast library of sounds and he’s always really quick at finding a good sound when we need it as well. He’s a great bloke to have around and he’s a good friend as well.”

Oh Wonder Boy Meets Girl By Adam Norris

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ccasionally you find yourself speaking with somebody so interesting you are immediately inspired to ditch everything and track down their entire body of work. This is certainly the case with Josephine Vander Gucht of Oh Wonder, and while it is exciting that at this early stage in the London synthpop duo’s career there remains many years of writing ahead, it is also frustrating not being able to gluttonously dive into a vast body of waiting work. Their self-titled debut has just been released, and not only does each song offer something unique and captivating, but behind each is a world of detail that the listener only glimpses. “I read this about J.K. Rowling,” Vander Gucht says, “how with Harry Potter she had written a book about the book prior to even commencing writing. She had built up this whole universe in her head where the books were only five per cent of what she’d actually created. That’s really how Anthony [West] and I write. We sit down and come up with this huge narrative. I mean, we write the chords first and the melody, but prior to approaching lyrics we’ll come up with this world that has a beginning and end, that has reasoning behind each word. That’s something that’s very important to both of us. We’re both big fans of lyrics that aren’t necessarily descriptive, but they come from a place that isn’t just gobbledygook. Each song has an individual story, and each comes from a place that isn’t really even in the song at all.”

“That’s really what the album is. The characters here are just average people, and I think that’s the crucial thing. We wanted it to be a comfort to anyone who is listening. Our human propensity is to self-analyse, to pick ourselves apart and be judgmental; that’s just what we do. So it was important to show the importance of being there for someone in real life, not just texting. It’s about maintaining real human relationships, whether that’s with a stranger you meet on the street, which sounds kind of cheesy, or someone you know really well. “It’s a universal thing to both feel bad and to feel brilliant, and that should be acknowledged.” What: Falls Festival 2015/16 With: Foals, Disclosure, Bloc Party, Django Django and many more Where: Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron Bay When: Monday December 28 – Sunday January 3 And: Oh Wonder out now through Dew Process/Universal

The wonder (as it were) is that with so much left unsaid, the result remains a collection both universal and unflinchingly personal. The ethos behind their creativity is not some abstract force that only influences the album obliquely, but is inherent to each song’s composition. For proof of this, one need look no further than their genesis; each month, Vander Gucht and West would write and upload a song to SoundCloud. This monthly deadline led to the slow, thoughtful completion of the album we hear today, and while that experiment is unlikely to be repeated by the band anytime soon, it has certainly paved the way for the next creative expedition. “Looking back, we are pleasantly surprised,” says Vander Gucht. “It was a way of showcasing our songwriting skills, as a way to challenge ourselves and get better. But in terms of moving forward, I don’t think we’ll do this again. It’s really stressful [laughs]. And it would be interesting to make an album more traditionally. “We want to try going to a different place, a different country maybe. I definitely encourage anyone to set themselves a goal like that. I think the structure and having that routine, setting deadlines, is something to be celebrated, and is really important if you’re a creative person to instil in your work ethic. It’s been magical and bizarre and inadvertent, but we’re really blessed by it, and really excited that we’ve been able to build this platform to now jump into something else even weirder.” What impresses most about Oh Wonder is not just the music itself – strong as it is – but the intent and detail behind it all. It is inspiring to find artists who are that engaged with the world they are creating, where songs are not casual radio fodder but entire narratives that take the listener on something of a journey. In this eponymous instance, that journey – or perhaps portrait is a better term – is sustained by two very different characters. “The whole album to me has an overarching theme of loneliness, certainly, and a lot of the songs address loneliness in some way,” Vander Gucht says. “Whether that’s ‘Dazzle’, which we wrote about gambling addiction, which is obviously a very isolating and lonely world. Songs like ‘The Rain’ and ‘Landslide’ are about being on your own. ‘All We Do’ is about being on your own and not aspiring towards anything greater than your inhibited viewpoint, lost in monotony. But then a lot of the songs are also about being there for someone, about showing that you have their back. The whole album is kind of a conversation between two characters – one who is feeling really lonely and fearful, and the other character who is saying that they’re still there holding their hand.” It’s a fascinating notion, and prompts you to look at the album afresh, ears primed to distinguish the voice within the lyric. As Vander Gucht suggests, the characters within Oh Wonder’s work – and indeed, the crux of their music as a whole – are an appeal towards the everyperson; a message to find the commonalities within us all and encourage expression from those who feel too scared to seek help when life seems to have dulled.

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Luna On The Road Again By Patrick Emery accompanying The Velvet Underground on their European reunion tour. For the headliners, the tour was fraught: Lou Reed and John Cale struggled to overcome personal and artistic differences, and the band broke apart again shortly after the tour’s end. But Wareham says Reed was a model of goodwill and kindness toward Luna. “Lou was always very nice to us. He always treated us really well, and always made sure we had the opportunity to do a soundcheck.”

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bout five years ago, Dean Wareham was asked if he’d consider reforming Luna, the shoegazey art-pop band he led from 1991 until 2005. In response, Wareham relayed David Byrne’s cynical comment on the possibility of a Talking Heads reunion: band reunions are like getting back together with an old girlfriend. So when Wareham and his former Luna bandmates – bass player Britta Phillips, guitarist Sean Eden and drummer Lee Wall – reformed to play a run of shows in Spain in 2014, the risks were already apparent. “Yes, I remember that David Byrne quote,” Wareham laughs. “But when we did get back together in

Spain last year it was nothing like getting back together with an old girlfriend. It was actually a lot of fun, and it was exciting to play the songs.” Wareham formed Luna in the aftermath of the demise of his previous band, Galaxie 500. That group had imploded acrimoniously, with Wareham not speaking to his former Galaxie 500 comrades, Naomi Yang and Damon Krukowski, for many years. “It was hard being in a band with a couple,” he says. “So I wanted to have my own band – and I wanted to have a quartet, because a trio can be really difficult onstage.” While Wareham wanted Luna to

explore different musical territory to Galaxie 500, there was no grand plan. “I think a band takes on a life of its own based on the people that are in it,” he says. “You can have something of an idea, but you don’t really know where it’s going to go.” Wareham is mildly critical of Luna’s debut album, Lunapark, released in 1992. However, the ‘Time’ seveninch that followed included ‘Egg Nog’, an instrumental track penned by the band’s original bass player Justin Harwood that Wareham once claimed was “just about the best thing the band ever committed to record”. In 1993, Luna were offered the support gig of a lifetime,

The Velvet Underground affiliation continued on Luna’s second album, Bewitched, with Sterling Morrison contributing guitar on two songs. “It’s true that Sterling Morrison is to some degree underappreciated,” Wareham says. “But having him in the studio with us, and hearing him onstage, you thought instantly, ‘That sounds like The Velvet Underground.’ And all the pretty stuff on the third Velvets album, that’s Sterling.” Yet Wareham explains it wasn’t until the release of the band’s third album, 1995’s Penthouse, that Luna “really hit [their] stride”. Routinely lauded as Luna’s most impressive recording, it includes the elegant eight-minute dreampop track, ‘23 Minutes In Brussels’. “I took the name of that track from a Suicide bootleg,” Wareham says. “Suicide were supporting Elvis Costello and they got booed off the stage and someone steals Alan Vega’s microphone.” Coincidentally, Wareham’s own experience playing in Brussels isn’t especially positive. “Something bad happened when we were there – van windows getting smashed or

something like that,” he says. Luna would go on to record a total of seven studio albums before disbanding in 2005. While they received constant critical acclaim during their 14-year career, the New Yorkers never achieved commensurate commercial success. It’s not something Wareham spends too much time dwelling on. “I don’t know if I’d do anything differently if we had to do it all again. All we ever did was to try and make the best songs we could. We didn’t sit there listening to the radio trying to work out what we should try and sound like. I remember reading an interview with John Lydon in which he said, ‘Once you start doing that you become everything you hate.’” The band’s 2014 reunion was specifi cally motivated by a request to play shows in Spain and Portugal. While Wareham reflects negatively on tour life in Luna songs like ‘Black Postcards’, this time around the touring dynamic is different. “We could be dragging our asses across Europe, but we’re not going to – we’re just going to play where people want us, and we can have some fun, or make some money, or hopefully both,” he says. “But it does feel strange sometimes singing those songs about bad times on the road. It’s not like that anymore, because we don’t expect it to be the whole future.” With: Sand Pebbles Where: Newtown Social Club When: Wednesday September 16

Lou Barlow The Wave Of Truth By Patrick Emery

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ou Barlow is big on truth and honesty: being true to yourself, being true to your bandmates, and being true to your emotions, no matter how uncomfortable or confronting that truth might be. “I guess when I do sing, it’s important I tell the truth,” Barlow says down the line from Easthampton, Massachusetts, where he’s recently returned after almost two decades living in Los Angeles. “When I sit down and write, I just want to say things that are truthful, and the reality of the truth is very complicated.”

Barlow’s commitment to conveying the truth of his personal situation is apparent on his new solo record, Brace The Wave, his first release under his own name since 2009’s Goodnight Unknown. “I guess songs are my way of understanding [my emotions] in a lot of ways,” he says. “By putting them down and making them into a song is my way of writing a lesson about them. Sometimes I can write a song and realise I don’t know a lot about them. And coming to that conclusion and still being able to sing that song reminds me each time I sing it how much I’ve changed.”

In the early years of his musical career, Barlow was notoriously introverted. His complex personality was the catalyst for his confrontations with Deep Wound and Dinosaur Jr. bandmate J Mascis. These days, Barlow has a better understanding of his own psychological make-up, and recognises the catharsis that comes from exploring his personal feelings. “I guess I deal with anger a lot in songs, so I’m talking myself down and trying to be reasonable and being truthful about myself,” he says. “The older I get, the more I realise how much of a hot-headed person I am. So I talk myself down from my hot-headedness.”

immediately. I played for about an hour and listened to what he’d done and I was like, ‘That’s it – this is where we start.’”

Brace The Wave was recorded in Easthampton with producer Justin Pizzoferrato, with whom Barlow worked on Dinosaur Jr.’s recent trio of albums – Beyond, Farm and I Bet On Sky. While Barlow says he went into the studio with an “opened mind”, he was hoping to achieve a particular sonic aesthetic.

Whereas Goodnight Unknown featured a range of guest musicians, Brace The Wave is a genuine solo record. “It wasn’t really about my creative vision – I guess I didn’t have anyone else to play with,” he laughs. “The last solo record I did, I was just around people I know and trust. This time I’d just moved back to Massachusetts and I didn’t really have a lot of people around that I could play with.”

“I only had a few ideas in mind. I wanted it to sound like it was in a room, but I also wanted it to sound like it was close up as well. And it sounded like Justin got that

In addition to acoustic guitar, Barlow plays ukulele on a number of tracks, adding a distinct emotional vibe to the songs. “I don’t really play the ukulele in a traditional style,” he

says. “I play it a bit like a guitar, but it’s not a guitar really, it’s a small four-string guitar. With the heaviest and lightest strings I can get both elements – the heavy stuff and the light stuff. I can do that more directly with ukulele.” In addition to his solo work, Barlow continues to play with Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, and juggling the separate projects can be both exhausting and rewarding. “I think it does give me a good musical balance. Bands are really interesting creatures, and the way you’re communicating with people evolves over years of your life. I enjoy very much having these relationships that do change over years and years because it makes it real. And at some point you have to tell the truth to these people you’re

“Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.” 14 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

working with, and be truthful about what you want and what you need.” In the lead-up to the record, Barlow has suggested Brace The Wave is a transformational album. However, the same description could apply to all of his releases. “I think they’re all transformational records. I think saying something like that now doesn’t mean anything more. I know that I’ve said that myself, and I always do, but I don’t know why. With every record I’m trying to reach some other place, so hopefully every record I do in my life will be a transformational record.” What: Brace The Wave out now through Domino/EMI

- The Janis Joplin Story thebrag.com

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In the album’s opening track, ‘Redeemed’, Barlow sings, “The story of my innocence is brief,” which accurately reflects his assessment of his own humanity. “The way people talk about things, y’know – ‘I don’t know why this happened’ – if you look at it, the reality of it when I became a human being is that I can’t continue

to claim my innocence. That’s ridiculous. If I want to be truthful, I can’t talk about things in a helpless way, or claim that I am helpless. So I wanted to start the record out that way. Telling the truth is important, maybe not always for good. It’s better than devising a whole new life that’s fabricated.”

Eves The Behavior The Eves Of Success By Augustus Welby

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tarting out under the name Eves, the songs of Hannah Karydas first appeared online two years ago, and were promptly added to triple j rotation. The ensuing 12 months comprised stacks of gigging and songwriting, luring in fans from around the country. Interest continued to ramp up last December when Karydas tweaked her stage moniker to Eves The Behavior, and subsequently delivered the anthemic single ‘TV’. But despite two years of nonstop activity, the debut Eves The Behavior EP didn’t arrive until this July. “When you’re about 18, which is when I started, you think one day you’ll reach some sort of destination of, ‘This is where I’m going to be as an artist, and this is going to be my sound,’” says Karydas. “It took me about a year into putting stuff out to realise there’s never going to be a final destination. You’re always going to be growing and learning. This time next year I’m going to be, maybe, a completely different person.”

‘TV’ and ‘Electrical’ feature big beating choruses and sing-along melodies. The third track, ‘Digging’, is a bit of a sidestep; there’s greater restraint and more of a minimal, downbeat electronic flavour. “I thought that was a really good counterpoint to the other two tracks,” Karydas says. “I really wanted to wait until I had that before putting anything out. I wrote that when I was overseas, then I was like, ‘OK, I could put this on the EP.’” Along with adding a sonic contrast, Karydas is especially proud of ‘Digging’ for the circumstances of its conception. “With ‘Electrical’ and ‘TV’ I was in the studio with someone and it was like, ‘Let’s track everything, blah blah blah,’ but ‘Digging’ was made 80 per cent on my computer in airports and hotel rooms,” she says. “That was a big step for me, because I was lacking a lot of confidence in my production abilities.

On that note, containing just three tracks (plus a Warpaint remix of ‘TV’), Eves The Behavior is more akin to an introductory paragraph than a comprehensive exploration of the project’s stylistic parameters.

“Going into the music industry, you’re put into a bit of hamster wheel and it’s like, ‘You have to work with producers and you have to stick to this framework of how music is produced and released.’ It takes you a little while to shake that off. I think I shook it off and realised I can do it all myself.”

“I wanted to just get into a space where I had put together a nice selection of songs that almost acted like a business card,” Karydas says. “That’s how the EP is for me. Two of the songs were already released and one’s a remix, so it wasn’t exactly a body of work no-one had heard before. But I think it’s a nice little taste of where I’m going; a front door entry into the house of Eves The Behavior.”

Karydas can’t take all the credit for feeling bold enough to break free from the industry-imposed formats of production and release. “With ‘Digging’, I got Stella [Mozgawa] from Warpaint to play some drums on it, and she was actually the one that gave me the confidence to put it out as it was. I was playing her a bunch of things I’d done on my computer and she was like, ‘Why aren’t you doing everything like this? This is so

cool.’ It took that comment for me to be like, ‘Oh, it’s not actually that bad.’” Being thrust into the music industry at a young age, there’s any number of know-it-alls waiting to instruct you on how things must be done. But at the end of the day, what really matters is the creation of interesting ideas, and for this there are no rules. “When I was 18, 19, you know, you’ve got a really young mind, not fully developed and all that sort of thing, and it’s understandable that most people don’t see that. As humans we have such a strong mentality to just be sheep and to follow what we’re told without question. I get annoyed at my anatomy sometimes and the way my brain works. But that’s alright.”

Having gained confidence in the strength of her own ideas, Karydas is now unafraid to push Eves The Behavior into more adventurous territory, and she’ll do just that during her forthcoming headline tour. She’s played a lot of major shows in the last couple of years – festivals such as Groovin The Moo, Laneway and Splendour In The Grass and supports for the likes of Sky Ferreira – so she’s no stranger to entertaining big crowds. However, these will be her first headline shows to date. “I remember when I first started playing ‘Electrical’ and I definitely noticed audiences reacting to that song in a different way to the other songs in my set. At the time I was like, ‘I’ve got to write more songs

like this.’ But then I was like, ‘I don’t actually have to do that.’ It’s entirely up to me what I write and I don’t want my songcraft to be defined by how stages are set up. “[I’ve been] making weird, esoteric sounds and pushing it. I don’t really mind if it’s alienating or hard to understand. If it makes me feel something, that adds into the whole energy of what I do, so I don’t think that should be overlooked.” What: Eves The Behavior out now through Dew Process/ Universal With: Paul Conrad Where: Newtown Social Club When: Tuesday September 15

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Max Richter The Sounds Of Sleep By Augustus Welby

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s far as album titles go, Sleep – the new release from UK contemporary minimalist composer Max Richter – is as plainly descriptive as they come. Clocking in at eight hours and 24 minutes, it ranks among the longest single pieces in the history of classical music. However, Richter isn’t asking you to ditch work and give Sleep your utmost attention for its entire duration. Rather, the music is designed to be played while you’re sleeping – the running time reflecting the length of a healthy night’s rest. Considering music is essentially something we listen to, it seems like a nihilistic extravagance to advise that Sleep gets played once conscious thought switches off. However, the record is accompanied by a one-hour piece of music, From Sleep, which is geared towards listening.

“They’re two trips through a shared landscape,” says Richter. “One of which is to be experienced, really – inhabited, you might say – and that’s the eight-hour project, which is the core of the idea. It’s a little bit like the painting of Mark Rothko or some of the early minimal

music from the ’60s – a sort of object to be inhabited, maybe navigated unconsciously. “Then we have the one-hour piece. It’s a bit like a daydream. It’s for the gazing-out-of-thewindow space and it has a grammar which is structured for listening. It’s not the same music as the big piece; there are things on the one-hour piece which aren’t on the big piece. And actually it has a slightly different musical grammar and a different register.” In seeking ways to summarise From Sleep, you can’t look past the gentle beauty that pervades the whole piece. Although there are moments that encourage melancholic reflection – the ambient tracks ‘Space 11’ and ‘Space 21’ in particular – the lovely, unhurried instrumentation is liable to lull one into the sort of relaxed frame of mind that’s necessary for falling asleep. “Both pieces obviously share the basic themes and the basic character, and that is one of it being an environment which would foster something more than that one-dimensional engagement with data and information,” Richter says. “That’s not a critique of us as human beings, that’s a critique of the environment we’ve manufactured – we’re in this data blizzard. Both of these works are an indication to a more refl ective engagement with material, and that’s why they have that quite measured pace throughout.” Richter has described the project as his “manifesto for a slower pace of existence”, but he certainly isn’t promoting lethargy or stagnant blankness. His focus is on the apparent benefits that develop from periods of composed stillness. We move at a frenetic pace in the contemporary world, and especially in the time of digitalisation and high-speed internet, things are consumed in a fragmented way. Despite the inescapable emphasis on efficiency, however, we rarely set aside time for moments of meditative calm. “People working in creative fi elds have often felt that. When you say, ‘I’ve got to sleep on that idea,’ we’re actually talking about something that we do need to do. The brain actually does do something while we’re sleeping. I was reading the other day about the way that they’re mapping the topography of the brain during various activities, and actually the brain is very busy – in a structuring mode – when people are basically doing nothing. “The cliché of artists is that they just spend all their time staring out of the window blankly. It turns out that that is work. I think we intuitively associate productivity with activity. Of course, that’s usually true, but not always. There is another way to engage with things and there’s another way to be productive, but without the active surface.” Music has long been a powerful tool for transporting people beyond their reality and altering the perception of time. Richter agrees that music has a causal power over human feelings, which gives it the potential to ignite constructive change. “The idea that a piece of music can infl uence the way we feel and the way we act – I think that’s embedded in human society. War music the world over is associated with drums and trumpets; conversely, the lullaby, for example, has a particular character; and we’ve obviously come to associate happy and sad with major and minor keys. So there does seem to be this connection between the feeling/interior world and music itself. After all, if that weren’t there then we probably wouldn’t listen to music. In this project it’s a question of the intentionality behind it.” On the topic of intentions, whenever an artist conceives a new project, the question of what it will achieve comes to the fore. Richter is fuelled less by abstract concerns and more an intangible compulsion. “I mostly proceed instinctively. Obviously I have a set of hopes and ambitions and thoughts and concepts and intentions behind the things. But most people, whether it’s novelists or musicians or painters or whatever, I think the thing that gets you started [is] you get a sense the thing wants to be written. Of course, it’d be interesting to explore the neuroscience aspect of that, because in a way a part of the mind’s talking to another part of the mind – one of which we have access to and one of which we don’t. But I think that’s the instinct – you have a story which feels like it wants to be told, so that’s what starts you off.” What: From Sleep out now through Universal

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BRAG’s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town

arts in focus

pearl

Pearl: The Janis Joplin Story photo by Swamp House Photography

the janis joplin story

also inside:

T H E O T H E R A R T FA I R / L I F E / F R E E D O M / A R T S N E W S & R E V I E W S thebrag.com

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arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Chris Martin, Tegan Reeves and Bridget Lutherborrow

five minutes WITH

CJ JOHNSON FROM KINSKI AND I How did you come to approach Kinski And I, your interpretation of his banned autobiography? Where did you get it in the first place? I first read the second, censored edition at least a decade ago. When I found out a totally extreme edition was published, but then banned and pulped, I went looking, and managed to buy a copy from a rare bookseller in Maryland in the US.

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hat’s so captivating about the story of Klaus Kinski? He was a madman! A chronic sex addict, a megalomaniac and a man with serious anger issues – while also being a multimillionaire and one of the world’s most in-demand movie stars. So the world was his oyster, and he just fucked it like a depraved beast.

THEATRE AT THE WORLD BAR

How have audiences responded to the show previously? We’ve only had a couple of walk-outs over three seasons, which surprises us, because the material is disturbing and pornographic. People often use the word “hypnotic”. One audience member tweeted, “Like a bizarre satanic TED Talk of grand filmic proportions,” while another tweeted, “Compelling, baffling, funny and terrifying.” That’s about right! What: Kinski And I as part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2015 Where: 505 @ 5 Eliza Street, Newtown When: Wednesday September 16 – Sunday September 27

MACBETH

The Scottish Play is coming to the big screen once again. Justin Kurzel’s filmic interpretation of Macbeth featured in the official selection at Cannes this year, and with acting firepower from the likes of Michael Fassbender and a scheming Marion Cotillard, that’s hardly a surprise. Shakespeare’s timeless story of passion, ambition and war has captivated for centuries, and this 2015 iteration is boosted by a supporting cast featuring Paddy Considine, David Thewlis, Sean Harris, Jack Reynor and Elizabeth Debicki. Macbeth opens in cinemas on Thursday October 1, and we’ve got ten in-season double passes to give away. To enter the draw, point your browser at thebrag.com/ freeshit.

MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL

Our friends over at Melbourne Fringe Festival (Wednesday September 16 – Sunday October 4) have a massive giveaway up for grabs. You and a friend could win free flights, accommodation, dinner for two and as many Fringe tickets as you can handle to this year’s festival. All you have to do is tell them which Fringe show you’d see first – check out thebrag. com/freeshit for details.

Seed-The-Plow photo by Rebecca Lorrimer

Speed-The-Plow

Often when culture is banned, it only attracts more attention. Is Kinski’s influence a dangerous one? The book’s too hard to fi nd! But, to think about it – he writes from the perspective of megalomania (narcissistic personality disorder), so he sees himself as removed from society and outside its controls (which often saw him imprisoned). If you followed his ideas – particularly regarding sexual relations – you’d wind up in the joint pretty quick. But his book is so extreme, you’d have to be disturbed already to emulate him.

Do you see any similarities between you as an individual and Kinski himself? I’ve got an addictive personality, OCD, sexual kinks, and am a performer. So he’s like me times a thousand. But I do really respond to his European-ness, his work ethic, and his sense of humour. The book is hysterically funny.

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit xxxx

arts in focus

free stuff

A Property Of The Clan

The World Bar’s newly opened Blood Moon Theatre space is set to host Don’t Look Away Theatre and Blancmange Productions’ A Property Of The Clan. Adapted from the highly influential ’90s play of the same name, the show addresses issues of violence against women and the psychology of victim-blaming through the story of the sexual assault and murder of a 14-yearold girl at a party. Director Phillip Rouse will showcase some of Sydney’s best emerging independent theatre talent when A Property Of The Clan premieres on Tuesday September 29 and runs until Saturday October 17. RJ Mitte sourced Surry Hills backyards, and starring a small Arab-Australian boy making sense of his family’s fl ight from Lebanon to Australia. Meanwhile, the theatre shows in the New Year will tackle issues both intimate and far-reaching. In The Great Fire, upcoming talent Kit Brookman weaves a warm and funny family drama, exploring

where the Australian dream of the 1970s has left us now, while Stephen Sewell’s The Blind Giant Is Dancing sees The Code’s Dan Spielman and Orange Is The New Black’s Yael Stone revisit the 1983 examination of political power and individual corruption. For the full season and ticketing info, visit belvoir.com.au.

STC SEASON 2016

Sydney Theatre Company artistic director Andrew Upton has unveiled a sprawling 2016 season, which will be the first overseen by the incoming British theatremaker Jonathan Church. The year will commence with Australian playwright Louis Nowra’s The Golden Age, starring Sarah Peirse, followed by the return of 2013 highlight The Secret River. Ryan Corr will tread the boards in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, while TV and film star Lisa McCune will be back at STC in March for Machu Picchu. Golem, King Charles III, Hay Fever and Disgraced make up the autumn program, followed by Arthur Miller’s All My Sons (John Howard with Robyn Nevin) and The Hanging (Ashleigh Cummings, Genevieve Lemon). The latter part of 2016 will see stagings of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Upton’s new adaptation of French farce A Flea In Her Ear, and David Mamet’s Speed-The-Plow, with a cast led by Rose Byrne. STC 2016 season tickets are on sale now. See full details at sydneytheatre.com.au/2016.

BELVOIR IS BACK

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RJ Mitte can add ‘inspirational speaker’ to his already impressive resume after locking in an appearance for the Sydney Opera House’s Ideas At The House program. The Breaking Bad actor, catwalk model and disability advocate will open up about his life, career and living with cerebral palsy. Mitte arrives at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House on Monday October 12.

HOME WHERE THE HART IS

The Rocks Village Bizarre

THE ROCKS VILLAGE BIZARRE

Each Friday evening from mid-November until mid-December will see The Rocks district light up with music, markets and quirky performances. Sydney’s historical precinct will again play host to The Rocks Village Bizarre, a series of evenings where the weird and wacky come to life. Various cobblestoned laneways will entertain punters with theatre, music, art and pop-up experiences, sure to end the gloom of the working week. Highlights of the festival include Vaudevillia – a mix between vaudeville and cabaret – and sweatinducing dance party No Lights No Lycra. The Rocks outdoor night markets will also be in full flow, ensuring delicious artisan street food in addition to pop-up stalls and a unique curation of stalls from online marketplace Etsy. The Rocks Village Bizarre will be held weekly from Friday November 13 – Friday December 18.

Kevin Hart is set to make his stand-up debut Down Under when he brings his What Now? show to Australian shores early next year. The US comedian and actor will hit Australia following his 90-plus-date American arena tour, which saw him perform last month to an audience of more than 52,000 people in Philadelphia. Over the course of his illustrious career Hart has knocked up film credits in the likes of Top Five, Get Hard and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, was the executive producer of Real Husbands Of Hollywood, and in 2013 became only the second American in history to sell out London’s O2 Arena. He’ll hit Allphones Arena on Sunday February 7.

THIS IS NOT ART

YouTube sensation Natalie Tran and former triple j host and comedian Tom Ballard are among the talent featuring at this year’s This Is Not Art festival in Newcastle. A multidisciplinary festival of many guises, TiNA is put together by the National Young Writers’ Festival, Crack Theatre Festival and Critical Animals. Between them, these factions have put together a program which is both explosive and inclusive, with over 180 individual events locked in for the October long weekend, Thursday October 1 – Sunday October 4. For more details, see octapod.org. thebrag.com

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Incoming Belvoir St Theatre artistic director Eamon Flack has announced a stellar 2016 season, with a focus on inclusivity and the kind of faith in humanity that springs from a magic performance. One highlight is Urban Theatre Project’s The Tribe, to be performed not in the theatre but in crowd-

RJ MITTE IN THE HOUSE

PERFORMANCE SPACE PRESENTS LIVEWORKS FESTIVAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ART

22 OCT – 7 NOV 2015 CARRIAGEWORKS PERFORMANCESPACE.COM.AU @PSPACE #LIVEWORKS

Image: Emily O’Connor (Hissy Fit), I might blow up someday..., 2015. Photo: Toby Knyvett.

thebrag.com

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Pearl: The Janis Joplin Story [THEATRE] Cry Baby Cry By Adam Norris help showcase original artists. All my artists onstage have great bodies of their own work, and I actively promote selling their own wares at the end of the show. We don’t sell Joplin stuff, because you can just walk into JB Hi-Fi and get that; I don’t need to be a warehouse for that. But I don’t mind being a warehouse for these great Australian talents. All original stuff. Liza, who stars in this show, is such an extraordinary singer. Just amazing. As does Jeremy Edwards, our musical director. But still, it’s a tough industry, and this is my way of trying to help.” While many will be drawn to the production on the strength of Joplin’s songs, it is Keeble’s hope that audiences walk away at the end with more than a simple night’s entertainment. Instead, her intention is to educate people not only of the struggles and successes of Joplin’s personal life, but to understand the cultural and historical context from which she emerged; the small, conservative communities that Joplin put so much effort into escaping.

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“I wear many hats,” Keeble laughs as she launches into appropriately rapid conversation. “I’m constantly writing down ideas and coming up with

shows, being on the phone, talking to venues, trying to put together the puzzle of the tour, working on 2016/17 now. You’re a salesperson, you’re a marketeer, you’re a publicist. You’re in conflict resolution, you’re a fixer. I’ve turned into one of those people who somehow find themselves in everything, so luckily I’ve got a good right brain for the creative, but I can also kick in the business side when it’s needed.” Keeble is indeed ideally placed to bring such a show to life. Her life is firmly centred on the development and showcase of indie talent, and with a production such as this that touches on one of the most celebrated and idiosyncratic singers of the ’60s, her

talents truly get to flourish. She has also come quite a long way since her Red Faces debut on Hey Hey It’s Saturday back in the day. “I got beaten by an eight-year-old brat who made siren noises,” she says. “Four years at uni and some eight-year-old comes and puts me in my place. The life lesson? Learn how to make siren noises.” And while klaxons are kept to a minimum, everything else you would hope to see of Joplin’s exceptional life will be on display in Pearl, led by the incredible Liza Ohlback. “My passion is for independent Australian artists,” says Keeble. “It’s tough out there, so I try and look for commercial vehicles, like The Janis Joplin Story, that will

“It’s told in third person. Our story is in chronological order, but the songs aren’t in any particular chronology. They’re dropped in because they suit that particular time of the story. We start with her as a young girl, and the suffering she went through both in her family and when she went to school. She was voted the ugliest man on campus, and unsurprisingly she had massive self-esteem issues. I went to Port Arthur in Texas [Joplin’s hometown] at the beginning of the year to do some research on her life, and … well, you can see why she wanted to escape that place. “She’s quite an interesting girl, was very open about her sexuality. She was openly bisexual, which, in those days, not many people talked about.

Given Joplin’s contemporaries were folk like Hendrix, Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the like, it won’t take much convincing to tempt people into delving back to that era of music. But what is paramount is that Keeble is not seeking to simply replicate Joplin onstage. Having grown up with her music, she has too much respect for such mimicry. “I think the first thing is, we’re not trying to pretend to be Janis. You’re not going to see [impersonators] walk out onstage; I didn’t want it to be your typical tribute by a pub band. I wanted to elevate it to a bit more of a theatrical level, so we deliver the songs in a very cool, well-developed way. That’s why nobody has done a Janis Joplin show. 90 minutes of Janis, lyrically and vocally, is extremely difficult. No-one does it. Janis couldn’t even do 90 minutes of Janis. I wasn’t looking for a pretender to go up there and scream away like Janis did. I wanted something quite intimate and personal that makes her seem real.” What: Pearl: The Janis Joplin Story Where: Riverside Theatres / Sutherland Entertainment Centre / The Vanguard When: Saturday September 12 / Saturday September 26 / Friday October 16

The Other Art Fair [ART FAIR] Accessible Collections By Kate Robertson

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ave you ever seen four Mini Coopers wrapped in artworks? This is just one surprising thing you’ll find if you head to The Other Art Fair this month. The BRAG speaks to co-directors Emilya Colliver and Zoe Paulsen about bringing this artist-led fair from the UK to Sydney for the first time, and the extensive four-day program that’s planned. The Other Art Fair showcases the works of emerging and undiscovered artists – including two artist collectives – and features mediums such as painting, printmaking, photography, installation, sculpture, mixed media and video works. At a conventional art fair, you meet with gallery representatives; at The Other Art Fair, you meet the artists themselves. “It is essentially run in a traditional art fair way [but] other art fairs are all gallery-represented – the galleries choose what artists they want to be represented at each fair,” Colliver explains. “The main point of difference is the fact that this is an artist-led fair. We have about 85 unrepresented artists and they will all be manning their booths, selling direct to the public. “The audience has the opportunity to meet and talk and engage with the artist directly, and on the flip side, the artist has the ability to engage with their buyers and sell work direct to their buyers,” Colliver adds. “It’s that direct engagement with the artist, and I think it’s so important, because I think it gives the buyers a different dimension and a different insight into the work they are potentially going to be walking away with.”

She also points out the benefits for the artists, offering them “the opportunity to learn how to market themselves, to learn how to engage with the public”. Paulsen similarly agrees The Other Art Fair is significant as it ensures that “emerging artists have a voice”. The directors emphasise the interactive nature of the fair as well. “We want people to come over, meet the artists, have a conversation, have a drink with us, so it’s a whole experience that we’re trying to offer,” Paulsen says. “What we’re trying to do is have a hub of creativity. We’ve got some really great programming on as well – we’ve got live music and the Powerhouse Youth Theatre and also some DJs.” There will even be free public workshops held by the Derivan Stencil Art Studio, where the artist Chris Tam will teach attendees how to make their own eco-friendly stencil art without using aerosols. If you’ve never bought an original artwork before, but think you might want to, The Other Art Fair is a great place to start. In Colliver’s view, “That’s one way for us to attract a different audience, who as you said might not necessarily be coming to the fair to purchase work. But hopefully what this fair does for people who are maybe a little bit intimidated about buying their first piece of work [is] it will hopefully foster this kind of environment which is more inclusive and is breaking down those barriers of the white walls of the gallery. “Not only could you purchase your first piece of work at a very affordable

price, those more serious collectors might want to come along and have a look at these artists who have been hand-picked, because you never know – there could be some work there that could potentially turn into a bit of an investment.” Paulson adds, “We’ve got a couple of amazing artists in there that I think are going to be picked up by galleries.” Indeed, the range of artists represented at The Other Art Fair is extensive. They include Americanborn and Sydney-based painter Kim Leutwyler (an Archibald Prize finalist in 2015), British illustrator Sarah Beetson, Wollongong photographer and obstetrician-in-training Sarika Gupta, Melbourne diorama maker Tinny (Danielle Emery) and Sydney photographer Rachel Wells. There are also two artist collectives: the Sydney-based Black Parrot, whose members include the 2014 Sulman Prize-winning artist Andrew Sullivan, and the Korean group Reissue Korea, which will show sculptures and installations. While The Other Art Fair features a combination of breakout artists and more established practitioners, all the participants were chosen from a large pool of applicants. “[The artists] have all been hand-selected by the five people on our committee,” says Colliver, “and they’re well known, really respected people in the art world. We’ve got Mikala Dwyer, who’s obviously the artist; we’ve got Meg Robson, who’s an assistant curator at the MCA; Dr. Dick Quan, who’s one of Australia’s biggest collectors; we have

Start The Riot by Kim Leutwyler Virginia Wilson, who’s a public art advisor, and Paris Neilson, the former White Rabbit Gallery manager … [This is] a point of difference as well, with this kind of artist-led fair, that there is a selection process in place.”

“Love’s got a hold on me, baby, feels just like a ball and chain.” 22 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

What: The Other Art Fair Where: Ambush Project Space, Central Park When: Thursday September 10 – Sunday September 13

- The Janis Joplin Story thebrag.com

Pearl photo by Swamp House Photography

ew would deny the brutal beauty of Janis Joplin. A voice so shockingly raw and searingly honest is a rare thing, as all who have ever heard ‘Cry Baby’ would attest. But few of us know the woman behind the music, excepting her membership in the tragic, perversely romanticised ‘27 Club’. This is set to change with Pearl: The Janis Joplin Story. Writer/director Chris Keeble has assembled a team of outstanding independent talent to resurrect the circumstances of Joplin’s life, and the show has already received a rapturous reception.

“She had tattoos, which not many girls had. She was part of women’s liberation, a thrift shop junkie with feathers in her hair. She was a real trailblazer. We also found a recording that she made John Lennon on his birthday, ‘Happy Trails’. She sent this and Lennon only got it in the post three or four days after she died. So we’ve added that, and it’s really something.”

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Freedom

Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Freedom

[FILM] The Crowning Gem By Adam Norris

O

nce again the Indie Gems Film Festival is upon us, and among this year’s highlights – alongside the much-discussed Gayby Baby and the documentary musical Prison Songs – comes Peter Cousens’ ambitious, poignant story of slavery and redemption, Freedom. It tells the history of the Underground Railroad, an organisation responsible for smuggling slaves from the United States into Canada during the mid19th century. Starring Oscar winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., and from a crew brimming with the best of American indie talent, Freedom was a labour of love like no other. “The experience was classic East Coast of America filmmaking,” Cousens explains. “We really hit the ground running. If you ever find yourself stranded on a desert island, make sure you’re with an American independent film crew. They can turn absolutely nothing into whatever you need. Plus I had an amazing DOP. Dean Cundey was DOP for Apollo 13, Jurassic Park, all of the Back To The Future films – a really experienced guy, in other words. I remember he said to me, ‘Look, there’s no point in storyboarding. We get there, we get the actors in front of us, and everything will change.’ Which is true. The actors arrive and they provide a whole new element you can’t anticipate. There were a few planned train and helicopter [shots], but that was it. We might have a vague idea of what we wanted, but more often than not the best thing to do was wait and see.” As a first-time film director, Cousens was destined to face a raft of

challenges, chief of which were those he had no idea to expect. Yet this task was arguably even more daunting than most. Not only was the Australian actor helming a major US production, but he was directing some of the highest calibre performers out there – including the criminally underrated William Sadler – in a story charged with political, cultural and historical significance. “Those thoughts all crossed my mind too, at first,” says Cousens. “Everyone knew the situation, that I was a first-time director coming in from a different discipline. But we all spoke the same language when it came to storytelling. I was collaborating with these really terrific people, who all did their own jobs so well, while my job really just amounted to making decisions. “The great thing about film is that everyone is striving for the vision of the director, but it’s also the most daunting thing. Everyone will turn around and look at you. I got quite determined to make clear decisions and stick with them. You go with your instinct, which was really all I had. I was ignorant of so much, ignorant of ramifications. I’d have trouble making some of the decisions I’d made now, knowing what I know. I’d be more nervous about the outcome, so ignorance really is bliss. It of course all turned out, but it was a real instinctual process. You have to trust your understanding of storytelling.” Although Freedom is by no means an improvised or unstructured feat, the level of spontaneity

and adaptability that went into filming is impressive. With little time for exhaustive location scouts, Cousens and crew found themselves dropping the cast onsite and watching how the characters organically emerged throughout each scene. At times, this was best expressed once the scene had closed, and actors were caught unawares in that space between action and reflection. “A lot of film doesn’t get a great deal of rehearsal time,” Cousens says. “We certainly didn’t prior to shooting. It’s a very spontaneous reaction to what’s happening in front of you, and you only have a very short time to get what you want. Trying to either create performances that maybe weren’t there, or creating the shape of a scene. “I remember talking to Cuba about it, and he was saying directors will

often use outtakes, these pieces of film from after they called ‘cut’ but let the camera run. We did that quite a bit – kept the camera running to hopefully capture the actors in a slightly different space, just a few seconds afterwards, while they might still be holding onto something. I asked Cuba what he felt about that, because it’s actually his work after he’d stopped working, so to speak. And he said that it happens quite a lot. He thought you had to be quite ruthless, that a director needs to grab what he can from an actor and often that might be in those idle moments when you don’t know the camera is on. You might get a look, an extra few words.” With Indie Gems, Australian audiences are getting the chance to see Freedom for the first time, and Cousens can’t wait to see the response. While the film has dabbled with some of the major festivals, it’s

the independent celebrations that often see the most engaged viewers. “I’m a bit green with festivals. We’ve been asked to take Freedom to India and to South Korea, they’re going to do a big opening, which is interesting. But it’s a bit of a new world, this role of festivals. The great thing about festivals like Indie Gems is that they’re so much better than places like Toronto, because you get hijacked by the studios there. But this idea of these smaller independent festivals is just great for the film and for the audiences as well. They really provide something unique and grassroots.” What: Freedom (dir. Peter Cousens) Where: Indie Gems Film Festival, Riverside Theatres When: Friday September 11 – Sunday September 13

Life [FILM] Behind The Lens By David Molloy Sharing the screen are Robert Pattinson as the uneasy photographer Stock, and Dane DeHaan in what may be a careerdefining performance as Dean. “It was, I have to say, a pleasure working with both. It reminded me a little bit of the energy we had on Control, because they’re young actors and they’re just energetic,” says Corbijn, referencing his Joy Division biopic and screen debut.

Dane DeHaan and Robert Pattinson in Life

“P

hotography is a good way of saying I’ve been here and you’ve been here,” says photographer Dennis Stock to his subject in the new film by Anton Corbijn, Life. It’s not exactly a dramatic moment – just two men walking through the rain when one takes a snapshot of the other. History remembers it differently, however: it’s 1955, the rain is falling on Times Square in New York City, and the subject of the photograph is up-and-coming actor James Dean.

Life is set in the midst of 1955’s dramatic changes in American culture – the great wars were over, exciting new artistic and musical movements were emerging, and the culture was gradually being defined by performers like Dean.

“If you take that picture and it’s raining, you only take a few snapshots – I’ve seen the contact sheets, I know there’s only a few photos taken,” he says. “It’s just one of these pictures you’re taking, and then later on it somehow gains a weight through a variety of reasons, one of which, of course, is that James Dean passed away so early.

“They broke the mould of how these people operated, and I feel the generation that grew up in the war never found a voice until ten years after the wars finished, and then the role became theirs,” says Corbijn. “And James Dean was part of that.”

“I guess he looks like a lonely man, a lost rebel, amidst all the busyness of Times Square. I think when you take that photograph, you don’t experience it as, ‘I’ve just made an iconic image,’ you know? It just doesn’t play like that.”

But this is not a film about Dean: the attraction for Corbijn was a story about a photographer and his subject, and the fact the subject happens to be Dean is something Corbijn considers a “nice bonus”. “They share equal screen time, but it’s really about how these people touch each other’s lives,” he says.

As a photographer and filmmaker, Corbijn is well versed in the complexities of artist-subject relations. His stills, including those currently on display in The Hague, are frequently shaped by his relationships with the creatives he captures, and he has shared a long-standing professional connection to industry heavyweights like Depeche Mode and U2. “First of all, I only picked up a camera because I wanted to be closer to musicians, and therefore a camera was a great excuse,” he says. “The attraction to people for me is always what they make … You start building up a relationship, but that’s something that grows over time.

“Don’t you know when you’re loving anybody, baby, you’re taking a gamble on a little sorrow.” 24 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

As for Corbijn’s own next steps, he’s becoming increasingly engrossed in the world of film – his next, currently shrouded in secrecy, is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel on race relations – which is necessitating a movement away from photography as his primary form. He even refers to his recent museum shows in Holland as “a kind of goodbye”. “It’s so all-encompassing, you know, it takes a lot of your energy making a movie,” he says. “I see photography now as a nice day out: when I do photography, it’s more of a zen moment. The scale of it is so small and it’s so attractive, when you make movies, to go back to this more solitary kind of existence at times.” Perhaps that’s why Life held such a sway over Corbijn – it too has something solitary and sober about it, an intimacy that reflects the scale of his photography. Its core, he says, is “the normality of everything, you know? It’s not hyped up. It’s just normal life and you just go through life and try to make the best of it. “I just make photographs and films and hopefully that’s what people remember.” What: Life (dir. Anton Corbijn) Where: In cinemas Thursday September 10 xxx

“Just an iconic image that a lot of people know,” says Corbijn of the original photograph, recreated with painstaking attention to detail in the film. “They don’t know the photographer always, but they know the image. The producers thought I should make this a very big emotional moment, and I said, ‘Well, that’s just not how that works,’ you know?”

And he would know – Corbijn has been capturing artists on film for 40 years, lensing everyone from Depeche Mode to Nirvana, Björk to U2, and working with A-list actors to craft his four feature films to date. To him, it is everyday reality.

“Dane and Robert are quite different actors, and that, in a way, was purposeful for me because the characters they play are also quite different characters … Dane is very analytical and very well prepared – which he had to [be], of course, because he had to change so much, both physically and to get into the voice and all that. Rob is more intuitive, and so they are both different in their approach, but I love both performances a lot.”

“I mean, I have to admit, I was not attracted to Depeche Mode or U2 initially, so that was just a process that grew and, you know, suddenly you’re talking 30 years later and you’re still working together. And it’s fun, and you think for each other what could be the next step for them visually.”

- The Janis Joplin Story thebrag.com

out & about

education profile

Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

WITH

SCREENWISE

S

ome seemingly good news has arisen amongst the throngs of conservative LGBT hate that seems to be following us around lately: the Imperial is set to reopen. But scratch beneath the surface and maybe this isn’t the good news we were all hoping for.

You’re probably aware that the iconic Erskineville pub has been bought by the owners of the Rose of Australia, the Morrison, and the Watsons Bay Hotel, for a tidy $6.5 million. One of the first things the new owners intend on doing is installing a kitchen. A kitchen may not sound like a dreaded evil, but it points to a broader trend of forcing queers to normalise, to enjoy themselves on ‘our’ terms – those being mainstream, ‘normal’ modes of leisure. One of the new owners, Fraser Short, practically said as much, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: “I don’t think gentrifi cation has to be moving away from the old. Gentrifi cation can be embracing the old and encouraging a demographic to enjoy it in a different sort of ambience.” “Encouraging a demographic to enjoy it in a different sort of ambience” is a sugar-coated way of saying, “We don’t like that you wanted to party until 4am, so instead we’re going to take your venue, turn it into something you didn’t want, and pretend like you still like it because of its history.” The Imperial was one of the last latenight venues in the Inner West, and the last with a truly queer vibe. By turning it into a ‘high-end’ restaurant, you’re telling people who go to the pub that they should be enjoying casual dining with friends, rather than dancing themselves into a sweaty mess to pounding bass until dawn. You’re policing people’s leisure activities, as though the existing police presence at the Imperial wasn’t enough. This is the symbol of gentrifi cation. Queers and creatives develop a place into somewhere desirable to be, yuppies move in because it’s desirable, then complain about the noise. The police, happy to regulate whenever they get the chance, side

with the yuppies, and soon, the only form of acceptable entertainment in the Inner West is an $18 burger, an $18 cocktail and an $8 (cheap) beer. The queers and creatives get forced out of their neighbourhood, and it becomes bland. The yuppies wonder what happened, but are pleased they can fi nally get to sleep at night because the pub across the road now shuts at 12. They wonder why it’s so bland, but it’s because they’re so bland. Turning the Imperial into a restaurant is the knife in the heart of Newtown’s queer community. Yes, the new owners have promised to consult with LGBTI groups, and the willingness to abide by the voluntary 3am lockouts at least partly suggests they intend to still be open late, but I’m hesitant.

Courses on offer: Applications have now opened for the Screenwise 10065NAT Diploma of Screen Acting, a two-year full-time comprehensive creative and technical screen acting program.

With which LGBTI groups will they consult? Certainly a lot of (probably white, probably cisgender) members of the LGB community happily contribute to the growing gentrifi cation of the area, and are all too happy to forget the other members of their community while they look up primary schools for their kids to attend. They’ll probably love seeing the pub turned into Erskineville’s answer to the Henson.

What makes us different: With VET-FEE HELP available, the Diploma of Screen Acting boasts the most advanced and critical acting theories and professional industry advice available today, covering everything from extended acting methods, screen combat, green screen, movement and voice for screen and various dialects.

Because late-night entertainment is still by and large viewed as a scourge on our society (’sup, lockout laws), those who enjoy it (safely and healthily) are unfairly marginalised by those who work 9-5 and are in bed by 10pm. I hope the late-night community is consulted with regards to the Imperial’s redesign, but a willingness to keep locals (who will enjoy that ‘high-end’ dining) onside makes me doubtful.

Overseen by Screenwise CEO and Principal, Denise Roberts (Schapelle, Wonderland, Packed To The Rafters), the

Diploma offers students the full spectrum of skills training needed to produce a high calibre and professional screen actor. Based on the Roberts Method, “It mixes a strong academic element with a hard-nosed professionalism, providing total focus and immersion training in the unique skills and techniques required for screen acting to meet the demands of today’s industry,” says Roberts.

Blues), George Houvardas (Packed To The Rafters), Tabrett Bethell (Legend Of The Seeker), Yvonne Strahovski (Dexter) and Andy Whitfield (Spartacus).

Take the next step: Established 15 years ago, Screenwise’s intimate approach to teaching the craft of screen acting has produced big-name alumni including Stef Dawson (Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1 and 2), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Rush), Todd Lasance (Spartacus), Isabel Lucas (Transformers), Ashleigh Cummings (Puberty

Enrolment dates: Applications close Sunday November 15.

What else you need to know: Applications for the Diploma can be made online. For successful applicants, an interview and audition will follow.

Address: 84-86 Mary Street, Surry Hills Phone: 02 9281 4484 Email: info@screenwise. com.au Website: screenwise. com.au

I wonder if I’ve already emerged to my last sunrise on Erskineville Road. It came too soon.

this week… Goodgod is where you need to be this Friday September 11, because Girlthing is turning seven. In the front bar will be a uniquely queer dance party, #SASSLIFE, featuring Hip Hop Hoe, Cache One and Vibe Positive. Over in the back will be the regular Girlthing vibes, with Keyes and Girlthing DJs. Happy birthday GT!

Luen

The Sydney Roller Derby League is hosting its 2015 grand final on Saturday September 12 at the Big Top, Luna Park. See the Black Widows face off against Team Lumberjack. One for the diary: on the Labour Day long weekend, my favourites House Of Mince, Homosocial and Girlthing are teaming up to bring us Werk. A huge lineup, including DJ Kiti, Magda Bytnerowicz, Kate Doherty, Black Vanilla (DJ set) and Luen, is converging on Manning Bar on Sunday October 4 for a day of festivities. Earlybird tickets are on sale now so snap them up.

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Film & Theatre Reviews Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town

Out Of Line

■ Film

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON In cinemas now Straight Outta Compton

Biopics, like history, are skewed narratives by nature. There are all sorts of agendas involved in representing the legacy of a group of artists, for instance. F. Gary Gray’s slick and polished tale of five boys from urban California who changed the rap game forever is prone to this, of course, but Straight Outta Compton is an explosive and surprisingly emotional journey. Compton, 1986. Eric (Jason Mitchell) and Lorenzo (Aldis Hodge) are slinging dope; Andre (Corey Hawkins) and Antoine (Neil Brown, Jr.) are jockeying discs; and O’Shea (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.) is writing rhymes about the harsh realities of inner city life. United by their passion and enraged by the

There’s a rather on-the-nose epilogue in which the real Cube and Dre personally showcase everything they’ve achieved since the group’s demise; much as they should be proud of their empires, it reads as pure narcissism. Otherwise, omissions and alterations are rife, but they’re made in the name of narrative clarity and to rein in the film’s already expansive 150-minute runtime. It’s a smooth trip loaded with exciting sequences, like Cube’s destruction of his own manager’s office. Gray’s greatest contribution, alongside his swooping and intimate framing, is the resounding humanity of his performers. Mitchell as Eazy-E is a revelation, the most complex and divisive figure in the film, and shares a natural affinity with Paul Giamatti’s increasingly villainous producer, Jerry Heller. Jackson, the real-life son of Cube, channels his father with uncanny accuracy, and Hawkin’s Dre is almost as emotionally present as Mitchell. There are even tearjerker moments that hit with real impact; unanticipated for a film about gangsta rap.

drug wars taking over their streets, these five young men form N.W.A to make their music into a weapon and unleash it on the unsuspecting world. Produced by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Tomica Woods-Wright (wife of the late Eric ‘Eazy-E’ Wright), this was always going to be a hero’s tale. Long-time fans of N.W.A and the genre they helped create will be thrilled at the outstandingly recreated live sets (particularly the one crashed by the FBI), anarchic party scenes, and gradual reveal of the hip hop stars who the group inspired, including Snoop Dogg (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) and Tupac Shakur (Marcc Rose).

One thing that deserves mentioning – its attitudes towards women are routinely horrendous. Perhaps that’s to be expected. If you’re a hip hop fan, this is an unmissable film – but you already knew that. For the layman, it’s well worth investing your time in this carefully buffed, certainly partial but hugely entertaining epic. David Molloy

■ Theatre

The Tempest

THE TEMPEST Playing at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House until Friday September 18

To this end, we are aided by a truly outstanding score by composer Alan John and an ensemble that, though somewhat uneven, brings The Tempest to engrossing life. Familiar as many will be with the story, such is the natural frisson these actors bring to the role, there is rarely a missed beat and the play skips along at great pace. Brian Lipson plays

the mercurial Prospero with a steady hand, deftly switching from tender mischief to almost befuddled rage; especially in his regard for the tormented Caliban (played with bestial relish by Damien Strouthos), you almost feel as though the years of exile have pushed him into senility. Yet of the principal cast, Lipson seems to strain the most with maintaining faith in his lines (Robert Alexander’s Gonzalo struggles to find life in similar fashion, though issues with projection also hamper his delivery). Strong as the production is, with Matthew Backer as the spirit Ariel and Eloise Winestock as Miranda, the play simply

soars. Backer’s ethereal movement about stage is matched only by his splendid singing voice, and Winestock is simply enthralling; a performance so entertaining and honest, so seemingly comfortable, is hard to find. Particular praise must also go to Julie Lynch’s costuming (ten points for Evil Ariel) and set design; the vision of Prospero conjuring the opening storm is the stuff of Fellini. A fitting, imaginative close to Bell’s tenure. Adam Norris

Arts Exposed

Played at Australian Theatre For Young People on Thursday August 27 and Friday August 28 Full disclosure – I’ve worked for several years at Shopfront Theatre and seen firsthand the work that goes into the Bodylines Ensembles program, but couldn’t make it to the mounting of its first full-length show. So it was with great excitement that I stepped into this new iteration of Out Of Line, remixed and remastered for Australian Theatre For Young People’s splendid wharf venue. In an unadorned schoolroom, filled with children repeating robotic actions, a group of Justicators respond to all forms of self-expression with extreme prejudice. Led by a group of hooded rebels, these children begin to resist the status quo.

Ride & Fourplay Playing at Eternity Playhouse until Sunday October 4 Two one-act plays by Jane Bodie, Ride and Fourplay, are featuring as a double bill at Darlinghurst Theatre Company this month. Brought to the Eternity Playhouse stage by director Anthony Skuse, the plays premiered in 2001 and 2007 respectively, yet share a number of thematic strings. Ride opens as two strangers wake up in bed together and reconstruct the night that was, while Fourplay explores the lives of four city-living folk looking for intimacy, friendship and love. Tickets are $45, visit darlinghursttheatre.com to book.

While their choreography is not exactly uniform (partly because I attended an open dress rehearsal), this in itself creates points of interest – often one performer will end up leading a sequence, and the others will quickly follow suit. There’s something very special to seeing a young performer like Jessie Chapman step out from the throng and deliver a movement piece in which she is wholly invested – these moments are frequent and captivating in a manner unique to contemporary dance. The older support artists – Lucy Watson, Lauren Scott-Young and Claire Stjepanovic – blend in surprisingly well among the ensemble. It’s endearing to see director Margot Politis in the front row, giving guidance with subtle gestures to the few lost faces that turn her way. Emma Lockhart Wilson’s unobtrusive lighting keeps us focused on the performers, and the set is purpose-built for projecting video art, all of which is created by the ensemble. Among its most memorable images are splashes of colour in unexpected places; Star Wars-esque villains and character arcs; moments of wholly unnecessary exposition about pirate hats; surprisingly specifi c school rules (“no bird calls”); and the sheer energy and imagination that this huge cast brings with it into the room. Out Of Line will play to enthusiastic family and friends, of course, but I do hope to see ATYP draw its larger audience base in to the see this intriguing new work. The future is bright and open to these young performers, and it’s exciting to think of what they and the Bodylines Ensembles are capable of doing next. David Molloy

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The Tempest photo by Brian Lipson

What's in our diary...

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OUT OF LINE

Bodylines has achieved a remarkable feat here – 35 children of varying ability levels (including participants on the autism spectrum) have contributed to the show, with 20 onstage simultaneously. What they have created is an expressive and complex piece with a clear narrative, but one that doesn’t dominate proceedings; Out Of Line focuses on presence over exposition.

On reflection, there is truly no greater venue to witness The Tempest in all its bewitching glory than the Sydney Opera House. A small point of splendour girt by sea (mostly), here you can almost imagine yourself an amateur Prospero, cast upon Bennelong Point and uncertain of the fate awaiting you amongst the elementals and forgotten magic of conjurers past. Of course, this production already holds unique anticipation, given it is John Bell’s directorial swansong from the company he founded a quarter-century ago. The knowledge prompts you to anticipate a show rife with the secrets and tricks a lifetime of Shakespearean lore allows, yet here at the end of his watch Bell demonstrates just what made him a director of renown in the first place. He forgoes unnecessary theatrics, and while the show is not devoid of illusion and great spectacle, the magic of the stage is of a more traditional kind; the language is what seduces and enthrals, granting the audience the opportunity to imagine much of the island landscape.

■ Theatre

five minutes WITH ■ Theatre

LA TRAVIATA

La Traviata

Playing at Belvoir St Theatre until Sunday September 20 Opera has unwittingly found itself back in the spotlight of late, but not quite as it may have hoped. As the poster child for George Brandis’ National Program for Excellence in the Arts, it has become representative of the class divide in the arts world and beyond. Sisters Grimm have decided to wedge themselves smack-bang in the centre of this division, along with an inflatable swan and too many flowers, and the result is the excitingly provocative La Traviata.

La Traviata photo by Patrick Boland

Ash Flanders, Zindzi Okenyo and Emma Maye-Gibson try their damnedest to sell us the concept of staging opera classic La Traviata in jeans. It doesn’t work, so they change tack and invoke the excesses of operatic staging. This also doesn’t work, so Maye-Gibson tries everything in her arsenal to get our approval. And when this, too, fails, the cast tears the whole thing down and appeals to us directly. There’s a kind of structural unity to be found in the production’s intentions, but as soon as foundations are laid, they are cracked apart by the anarchic tendencies of Flanders and Sisters Grimm co-conspirator Declan Greene. Their loyalty is not to text or form, but to entertaining and inciting. They’re certainly more interested in asking questions than providing definitive answers. But we didn’t come to this show for structural harmony – we came to see a classic get ripped a new one. We came to see main stage opera ferociously parodied in outlandish pastoral costumes. We came to see one of Australia’s premier opera performers, Michael Lewis, lip-sync La

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Traviata to cassette. We came to see Okenyo straddle a swan while slugging a tinnie. And we came to see Maye-Gibson exhaust herself in the show’s best moment, an impressive yet desperate attempt to appeal to the Brandis strictures of ‘excellence’. There are times when this chaotic inquisition falls short – an early sequence in which the cast debates semantics reads too much as academia, like the arguments university students would stage. And there is a 15-minute sequence reliant on audience involvement that drops the energy and has the potential for disaster (though, thankfully, it stimulated complex and heartfelt responses on this night). The show’s emotional ending, however, leaves us stimulated and satisfied. Overwhelmingly, the spirit of experimentation, radicalism and straightup cheekiness pervades and keeps us glued to our seats (until we are physically removed from them). Even the foyer is not free from the Sisters’ commentary, as the show’s end reveals. It’s a reminder to take what we’ve seen and thought out into the world with us. But it’s not opera. And if it’s not opera, can it really be excellent? David Molloy

THOMAS GORHAM FROM HEAD FIRST ACROBATS

What’s the concept behind Head First Acrobats’ latest show, Elixir? Elixir combines world-class circus skills with narrative storytelling and physical comedy. The story follows three bumbling, albeit handsome acrobats as they attempt to create the elixir of life. They say you shouldn’t consume any medicine without checking the warning label first – so what’s on the warning label for this elixir? [Laughs] Yes! Elixir contains some adult themes in the mix, and there are parts where the acrobats wear little clothing. However, it is all tongue-in-cheek, and kids do love the show, although sometimes I think they shouldn’t! Who’s starring in the show? There are three characters in the show, all played by graduates of the National Institute of Circus Arts. Rowan Thomas is our resident funnyman and cyr wheel artist. His character continually attempts to get in on the action in the show, but he is bullied by the boss character (myself) and peer pressured into trying concoctions. He spins the roue cyr (a giant metal wheel) and he is considered to be one of the best in the world at his apparatus. Cal Harris plays the strong silent character, a handsome fool somewhere in between

Fabio and Zoolander, but with a lot more muscle. I play the top character, the angry boss who tries to get things done, but is mostly thwarted by circumstance or idiocy. I’m another all-around acrobat, and I play the breakdancing zombie as well. How important is the ingredient of humour in a production like this? Humour is the most important aspect of the show! Without it, it’s just guys doing tricks – our narrative would never work without the humour. Circus and acrobatics have been around for many

years – what is it about them that endures? Everybody loves the circus – there is nothing like seeing the human body do something that should be impossible. There is no green screen or special effects, just skill right in front of your eyes. I don’t think this form of entertainment could ever truly die. What: Elixir as part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2015 Where: Seymour Centre When: Tuesday September 15 – Saturday September 19

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EK

Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm

Bulletin Place First Floor, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Sat 4pm-1am

E E W

Goodgod Small Club 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD (02) 8084 0587 Wed 5pm-11pm; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-3am Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Sun noon-late Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-late; Sat 5pm-late The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-evening The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Thurs & Sat 4pm-late; Fri noon-late Harpoon Harry 40-44 Wentworth Ave, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 8800 Mon – Sun 11:30am-3am The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu, Sat 4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight The Loft UTS 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Wed 2pm-10pm; Thurs – Fri 2pm-late Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4999 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu, Sat 4pm-1am; Fri 3pm-1am

Old Growler Tell us about your bar: Escape the hustle and bustle of William Street and descend into a world of warm lights, cool beats and excellent food. Craft beers feature Young Henrys and Wayward brews. What’s on the menu? In addition to the regular bar food menu, weekly specials include Pie Night (Tuesday), Seafood Night (Wednesday), Roast Night (Thursday) and Steak Night

(Friday). The Roadhouse Burger is justifi ably famous and has been voted one of the best in Sydney. Care for a drink? We are famous for craft beers, hand-selected wines and cocktails. Why not try one of each?! Sounds: Depending on the time of the night, the house music ranges from cool to creative. You might be in for some jazz, disco hillbilly

or something indie. Highlights: The friendliest service and the knockout burger will have you coming back to this hideaway bar again and again. The bill comes to: A roadhouse burger and a pint of YH lager will only set you back $25. Happy Hour is from 5-7pm where house wine and half pints are just $5.

The Morrison 225 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9247 6744 Mon – Wed 11.30am-midnight; Thu 11.30am-1am; Fri – Sat 11.30am-2am; Sun 11.30am-10pm 11.30am-10pm The Palisade 35 Bettington St, Millers Point (02) 9247 2040 Tue – Fri noon-2.30pm & 6pm-9.30pm; Sat 6pm-9.30pm Mr Tipply’s 347 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 4877 Mon – Sat 10am-late Palmer & Co. Abercrombie Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3172 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Fri 3pm-late; Sat – Sun 5pm-late Papa Gede’s Bar Laneway at the end of 348 Kent St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 5pm-12am Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern 199 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 6pm-10pm Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Sat lunch & dinner

28 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505 Mon, Sat 4pm-midnight; Tue – Fri noon-midnight The SG 32 York St, Sydney CBD 0402 813 035 Tues – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon –Wed 8am-8pm; Thu – Fri 8am-10pm Since I Left You 338 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4986 Mon – Wed 5pm-10pm; Thu – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Smoking Panda 5-7 Park St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 4618 Wed – Sat 4pm-late Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-2am; Sat 4pm-2am The Swinging Cat 44 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 3696 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tapa Vino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noonmidnight; Sat 5pm-midnight York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Arcadia Liquors 7 Cope St, Redfern (02) 8068 4470 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-late; Sun 11am-3pm Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 9331 0065 Thu – Sun 6pm-late

Brooklyn Social 17 Randle St, Surry Hills 0451 972 057 Tue – Sat noon-2am Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Central Tavern 42 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3814 Mon – Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-10pm Ching-a-Lings 1/133 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 3333 Tue – Wed 6pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 5pm-10pm The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Wed – Sat 6pm-4am The Chalet Lvl 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst 0449 998 005 Thu – Sat 5pm--2am The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Wed 6pm-late; Thu – Fri 12pm-late; Sat – Sun 6pm-late The Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Eau De Vie 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst 0422 263 226 Mon – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 6pm-midnight The Forresters 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon10pm Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9357 5333 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun noon-midnight

The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am

Goros 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0214 Mon – Wed 11:30am-midnight; Thu 11:30am-1am: Fri 11:30am-3am; Sat 4pm-3am

Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Redfern (02) 9319 5061 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm

The Hazy Rose 1/83 Stanley St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 5036 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; thebrag.com

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK

MACHETE

Pour it in your mouth-hole... (responsibly).

Different Drummer 185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9552 3406 Mon – Sat 4.30pm-late

@ FREDA’S 107-109 REGENT ST, CHIPPENDALE Origins: We have always been big fans of whiskey and whiskey sours. This cocktail came out of the idea of combining Big Red chewing gum (another favourite of ours) and the classic whiskey sour.

Doris & Beryl’s Bridge Club and Tea House 530 King St, Newtown Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 5.30pm-midnight

Ingredients: • Jalapeno-infused traditional tequila • guava • citrus • agave syrup • salted chilli rim

Earl’s Juke Joint 407 King St, Newtown Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm

Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Rim glass with salty chilli flakes.

Freda’s 107-109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Tues – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm

Glass: Rocks Garnish: Chilli and cucumber Best drunk with: Anything off our delicious food menu designed by the legends at Scout’s Honour, the best café in Redfern. During: A Friday night as you kick-start the weekend listening to our resident DJs Early Grey, Spicy Tuna and DJ Salami as well as guests including Valerie Yum, Simon Caldwell, Adi Toohey, Pelvis and more. While wearing: We have regularly been known as the bar where everyone takes their tops off when the night is in full swing, so dress light! And listening to: ‘Keepin’ Love New’ by Howard Johnson early in the night, ‘Going Back To My Roots’ by Richie Haven to finish things off.

The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm

More: fredas.com.au

Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Hello Sailor 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9332 2442 Tue – Sun 5pm-3am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 1-10pm Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am Hustle & Flow Bar 105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 9310 5593 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Jekyll & Hyde 332 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 5568 Wed – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 8.30am-late; Sun 8.30am-evening Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sun 4pm-late Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Fri noon-late; Sat 4pm-late LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Mon – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat noon-late; Sun 11am-10pm The Local Taphouse 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine thebrag.com

91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0414 691 811 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-10pm Old Growler 218 William St, Woolloomooloo 0422 911 650 Tue – Sat 5pm - midnight The Passage 231A Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 6116 Mon – Sat 5pm-late Play Bar 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 0885 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight Pocket Bar 13 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 7002 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 4pm-midnight The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington 0424 034 020 Wed – Fri: 3pm-late; Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late & Fri noon-3pm Peekaboo 120 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo 0403 747 788

Mon – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm – 12am Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point 0423 203 119 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Rosie Campbell’s 320 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 8356 9120 Mon 5pm-midnight: Tue – Sun 4pm-midnight Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Fri 5pm-3am; Sat – Sun 6pm-3am Surly’s 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3705 Tue – Sun middaymidnight Sweethearts Rooftop 33/37 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point (02) 8070 2424 Mon – Thu 2pm-11.30pm; Fri – Sun noon-11.30pm This Must Be The Place 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 8063 Mon – Sun 3pm-midnight Tio’s Cerveceria 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills Mon – Sun 5pm-midnight Vasco 421 Cleveland St, Redfern 0406 775 436 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight The Village Inn 9-11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Mon – Sun 12pm-late The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry

(02) 8084 8185 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noon-midnight

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Tue – Fri 4.30pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Bucket List Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive (02) 9365 4122 Mon – Tue 11am-5pm; Wed – Sun 11am-late The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 8020 6698 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Tue – Fri 6pm-late; Sat – Sun 2pm-late Mr Moustache 61-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach (02) 9300 8892 Mon – Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-10pm Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4pm-10pm Spring Street Social (and Jam Gallery) Underground 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tues – Sat 4pm-3am

Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6pm-midnight The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon - midnight; Sun midday - 10pm Blacksheep 256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon, Wed – Thu 5pm-late; Fri – Sat noonlate; Sun noon-10pm The Chip Off The Old Block 3 Little Queen Street, Chippendale (02) 9318 0815 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Sat 10am-late Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0422 873 879 Tue – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 1pm-10pm Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain

Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-3.30am; Sun 11am-11.30pm Knox Street Bar 21 Shepherd St, Chippendale Tue – Thu 4pm-l0pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-11pm Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9200 0000 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noonmidnight; Sun 2pm-10pm Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon 9am-6pm; Tues – Fri 9am-8pm; Sat 10am-8pm

The Oxford Tavern 1 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham (02) 8019 9351 Mon – Thu midday-10pm; Fri – Sat midday-11pm; Sun midday-9pm

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag. com Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm

The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Tue – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0409 284 928 Mon – Sun 1am-11pm Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat: middaymidnight; Sun: midday10pm

The Local Bar 8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm

Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri noon-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm

ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-12am Zigi’s Wine And Cheese Bar 86 Abercrombie St, Chippendale (02) 9699 4222 Tue 4pm-10pm; Wed – Sat 2pm-late

Alberts Bar 100 Mount St, North Sydney (02) 9955 9097 Mon – Wed 11.30am-10pm; Thu 11.30am-11pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri 4-11.30pm; Sat noon11pm; Sun noon-10pm The Foxtrot 28 Falcon St, Crows Nest Tue – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri – Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 4pm-10pm The Hayberry Bar & Diner 97 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest (02) 8084 0816 Tue – Thu 4pm-12am; Fri & Sat noon-midnight Sun noon-10pm Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral

The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman 0409 100 339 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm

Thievery 91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8283 1329 Tue – Thu 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-midnight. Sat 11pm-3pm & 6pm-midnight

The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Thu – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-late

InSitu 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm

Los Vida 419 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest (02) 9439 8323 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 11.30am-midnight; Sun 11.30am-10pm Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 6.30am-late The Mayor 400 Military Rd, Cremorne (02) 8969 6060 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Sat noon-late; Sun noon-10pm Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly (02 99775186 Tue – Thu 8am-10pm; Fri – Sat 8am-1am; Sunday 8am-4pm Moonshine Lvl 2, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly (02) 9977 4977 Thu 5pm-2am; Fri 1pm-2am; Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-midnight The Pickled Possum 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 2091 Thu – Sat 9pm-1am SoCal 1 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5691 Mon – Tue 4pm-late: Wed – Thu midday-1am; Fri – Sat midday- 2am; Sun midday-midnight The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sun noon-late The Treehouse Hotel 60 Miller St, North Sydney (02) 8458 8980 Mon – Fri 7am-late; Sat 2pm-late Wilcox Cammeray 463 Miller St, Cammeray (02) 9460 0807 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm

BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15 :: 29

Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...

ALBUM OF THE WEEK BEIRUT

No No No 4AD/Remote Control

MICACHU AND THE SHAPES

Good Sad Happy Bad Rough Trade/Remote Control Mica Levi has been an off-putting presence since her vacuumsampling, cacophonous and wildly experimental Jewellery arrived at the end of last decade. It’s kind of her thing, you might say. Still, there is certainly some sort of method to Levi’s proverbial madness – it has led her to collaborations with the London Sinfonietta, as well as composing the award-winning soundtrack for Under The Skin. Those able to move past the at-times unsettling weirdness that abounds in her work have invariably found one of the great creative minds in contemporary British music. This continues, as one would naturally assume it would, on Levi’s third studio album alongside cohorts Raisa Khan and Marc Pell, AKA The Shapes. It’s said that the majority of what was created on Good Sad Happy Bad was conceived through an extensive jam session, and it certainly reflects on the slow-burning build and driving use of repetition across numbers like the buzzing ‘Sad’, the screech-and-crash of ‘Unity’ and album highlight ‘Oh Baby’, which subtly hints towards Levi’s love of hip hop.

Despite a short recording time, Beirut have managed to build upon the work of 2011’s The

FIDLAR Too Warner

Were Fidlar really ever that good? Their self-titled debut was a record full of crunchy, memorable moments. Too, on the other hand, is devoid of almost everything that made their debut impressive. The LA punk grit has been replaced with sheen, and the anarchic lyrics have been replaced with teenage angst. Where most bands ‘grow up’ and find a more mature sound on their sophomore, Fidlar have decided to defy the norm – they now sound a lot more like your neighbour’s teen garage band, only without most of the fun. Some of these songs are plain painful to listen to, such as the spoken-word attempt at a punk anthem, ‘Sober’. Thankfully, others like lead single ‘40oz On Repeat’ and the Southern-tinged ‘Punks’ are more reminiscent of the ‘classic’ Fidlar sound. Standouts are few and far between, but ‘Overdose’, a slow-burner with a surprising ending, makes the 40 minutes of listening worth it.

After a three-year absence, Levi and co. have resumed business as if they were never gone. They continue to be an acquired taste, but one nevertheless bursting with flavour.

If you’re into throwbacks to a time when punk rock was just a bunch of dude-bros playing crunchy power chords and singing about how no-one understands them, then this record may satisfy. Otherwise, move on.

David James Young

Sarah Basford

While the album is a little short (only nine songs), it packs more of a punch than any before it. Daniel Prior

LE PIE

And He Said Honey, You Look So Fine Independent/Bandcamp Ever see one of those commercials where reality slowly becomes a cartoon? Something very similar is happening to Sydney’s music scene. Consider the fact we’ve got the Italian stallion Donny Benet on one side of Sydney, throwback pop-rockers Green Buzzard on the other – and then, unassuming but powerful, Le Pie rests somewhere in the middle with a pensive demeanour wrapped up in a heartbroken backstory. And He Said Honey, You Look So Fine is a winning debut, introducing Le Pie as a thinker and a dreamer, one foot firmly placed in reality, the other in an idealised world where everything works out just like it does in the movies (particularly classic French cinema). Le Pie, who performs every instrument on this EP, delivers a highly stylised thread of brooding indie-pop that’s equal parts atmospheric guitar work and tearstained, tricky vocals. It can be overly melancholic at times, with each of the five tracks running closely in parallel to one another. If a grand compilation of teenage diary confessions were set to music, this would be the result.

BLANK REALM Illegals In Heaven Fire

30 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

This record features a greater range of songs, which creates a more layered whole. After starting with the heaviest track, they move into ‘River Of Longing’ – it’s romantic, melodic, primal, and an instant classic. The tempo drops right down for acoustic ballad ‘Dream Date’, while ‘Cruel

JARRYD JAMES

KADAVAR

Minimalism always straddles a fine line between knowing when less is more and just being lazy. Sure, sometimes having a song with ambient sounds and lyrics can work wonders, other times it seems like the artist was too lazy to take piano lessons or throw a stone and find a guitarist to come in and give the music some life.

There seems to be a no-nonsense ethos to Kadavar. Not bothered about straying from the sound they dig – ’70s-era hard/psych/stoner rock – the band’s music says, “If we want to play guitar lick after guitar lick, we’re going to do it. If we want to adopt nicknames like Lupus, Dragon and Tiger, we’re going to do it. If we want to name our album after our hometown, you know what? We’re going to do it.”

Thirty One Universal

Brisbane artist Jarryd James manages to walk this tightrope with ease, and the result is an album of gentle sincerity and understated beauty. Artistically focused with expert production levels, Thirty One opens with the shy but honest ‘Sell It To Me’, as what begins as a reserved whisper of musical talent builds in bravery across the album. James opens his heart but never once feels like his emotions are getting the better of him. Another standout is ‘Undone’ – cold and broken from the offset, the track builds in strength till James’ voice is pounding against the walls.

Berlin Nuclear Blast

The band’s third LP is the result of four months recording live in the studio on analogue gear, and their first since French-born Dragon replaced Mammoth on bass. Taking no prisoners, the band launches straight into an aural assault with ‘Lord Of The Sky’. It’s held together by fuzzy phaser guitar hooks and groove-driven bass, complemented by classic rock vocals and drums. It’s what AC/DC would sound like if they went psychedelic, and it prepares you for what’s to come.

The R&B style of the album will inevitably be compared with that of Chet Faker, but where Faker’s signature rests upon his personality, James’ lies within his quiet humbleness.

‘The Old Man’, the first single from the record, follows a gypsy-ish riff. Generally, the lyrics are pretty rudimentary – but they’re Germans singing in English, so give them a break.

A striking (if not overly forlorn) debut that exhibits the Sydney songwriter’s flair for sentimental storytelling delivered over emotive, DIY guitar confessionals.

Thirty One is what minimalist music should be: soft, beautiful and a welcome sound in anyone’s ears.

Overall it’s a solid effort from the long-haired, bearded Deutschemen – the meat and two veg of psych rock.

Lachlan Wyllie

Daniel Prior

Lee Spencer-Michaelsen

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK The latest album from Blank Realm may be their most accessible, but Illegals In Heaven doesn’t exactly ease you in. Ragged licks of guitar introduce the impulsive, vicious opener ‘No Views’, a no-apologies submission to the visceral pull of their music. The chorus, “I got no views on it / It’s just something that I do,” is chanted by siblings Daniel and Sarah Spencer, and it could well be the band’s mantra.

Beirut photo by Drew Reynolds

A wonderful introduction to Beirut at their strongest.

There are a few ways you can spend your time when locked inside during a freak two-week blizzard. Binge watch series on Netflix. Finally clean out your fridge. Build an awesome pillow fort. Or you could do what Beirut’s main man Zach Condon did and create an album overflowing with beauty and a sound instantly familiar yet stronger than ever before. From the snows of New York’s coldest winters comes Beirut’s fourth album No No No.

Rip Tide, which saw the band move away from the European signatures of Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup, favouring a more cohesive overall sound. No No No continues this transformation, taking on a very New York style. The marching beat and pop of opener ‘Gibraltar’ and single ‘No No No’ set the pace of the album. Condon’s vocals are uplifting and swoon-worthy throughout, particularly on ‘At Once’ and ‘So Allowed’. Every song possesses heartfelt musical composition and honest lyrics, as though this album was something the band needed to get off its chest.

Night’ has weeping slide guitars and something of a Mazzy Star vibe. Flipping the record over to side B, any assumptions that ‘River Of Longing’ is the album’s biggest charmer are challenged by a stunning twin set of power-pop songs, ‘Flowers In Mind’ and ‘Palace Of Love’. Sandwiched in between them is the gorgeous ‘Gold’, pulling Sarah into the spotlight as lead vocalist. Positive energy is exhausted completely by the final track, ‘Too Late Now’. It’s an eerie, disorientated stagger through psychedelic, shoeless sounds.

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... EFTERKLANG - Magic Chairs RICHARD IN YOUR MIND - Ponderosa LAURA MARLING - Short Movie

THE WAR ON DRUGS - Lost In The Dream REGURGITATOR - Unit

Chris Girdler thebrag.com

live reviews What we've been out to see...

Hermann’s Bar Saturday September 5

The last-minute decision to relocate this show from Manning Bar to Hermann’s across the road seemed like a decidedly wise one. After the stories I had heard from friends about having to leave A Place To Bury Strangers shows in small venues for fear of vomiting, passing out or going temporarily blind from the sheer volume they play at, I was skeptical about the idea of having this kind of experience in a space as forgiving as Manning Bar. Instead, we were treated to a more intimate space and Hermann’s unwittingly became the crucible for one of the strangest shows I’ve been to in a long time. It started out pretty normal, Narrow Lands kicking things off with a crushing set. Live, their bass player thrived, playing the loudest onstage and seemingly even leading the group at times. Flyying Colours had the enviable position of supporting A Place To Bury Strangers on all their tour dates, and were a pleasant enough break from the harrowing noise that had passed and was sure to follow. I’m sure it was the first time you could say Flyying Colours were the quietest group of the night. This was the point at which things started to get weird. About five songs into A Place To Bury Strangers’ set I made a quick trip to the bathroom and

noticed that the fire alarm had been triggered. I dismissed it as deliberately set off by someone, because ‘ha ha wouldn’t it be funny if the noise rock band with the fog machine set off the fire alarm’, and promptly returned to the floor. Another couple of minutes into the set and suddenly the lights were on, the fog machine was off and we were all filing outside. It didn’t put much of a dampener on the night so much as it felt like part and parcel of their being in town. Ten minutes later we were all back inside. APTBS were playing without a fog machine this time, and despite getting the feeling they perhaps felt a bit naked without it, we were treated to a fantastic second half. The main set closed with ‘I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of Your Heart’, and at the apex of the song, Oliver Ackermann, kneeling in front of his discarded guitar, placed a strobe light on top of his fretboard and bashed it repeatedly, creating what sounded like church bells. This, among a litany of other sadistic guitar rituals, carried on a while longer, before the band returned to the back of the room, instruments in hand, to where a drum machine and microphone had been set up for an impromptu floor performance. It was wild. It is safe to assume that a guy who designs his own effects pedals is going to get the exact sound he wants out of a room, and with the exception of the mid-set evacuation, what he got sounded fantastic. I can’t recommend their live show enough. Nicholas Johnson

whole lotta love

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A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, FLYYING COLOURS, NARROW LANDS

05:09:15 :: State Theatre :: 49 Market St Sydney 9373 6655 thebrag.com

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swinging willie’s swillfest

imagine dragons + british india

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up all night out all week . . .

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06:09:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

04:09:15 :: Qantas Credit Union Arena :: 35 Harbour St Darling Harbour 9320 4200

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11 Sept

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

5:45PM  8:45PM

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

12 Sept

5:45PM  8:45PM

sun

13 Sept (8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

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14 Sept

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

15 Sept

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

the whitlams

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON

04:09:15 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

32 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR ::

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AVAILABLE IN

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11

Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Music Sessions feat: Zack Martin + Guests Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin + Chris Brookes + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Taelor-Jane + Camilla Jones + Marvell The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $13.80.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Megan Washington

The Basement

Megan Washington 8pm. $34.50. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Songwriting Society Of Australia Showcase - feat: John Chesher + Paul Mcgowan + Gavin Fitzgerald + Pete Scully Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo 7:30pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC New Orleans Beats Lazybones Lounge,

Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free. The Lowdown Hokum Orchestra & Burlesque Dancers Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 7pm. $27.50.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Bichos Locos Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Ed & Astro Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Greg Nunan & The General Jacksons Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $8.20. Safia + Boo Seeka + Owen Rabbit Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $20.

PRIVATE BALMAIN! SINGING

FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Sosueme - feat: Joy. + Luke Million Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. The Ocean Party + Mere Women + Cool Sounds + Weak Boys Vic On The Park, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free. The Smith Street Band + Andrew Jackson Jihad + The Sidekicks + The Sugarcanes Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $35.

Sarah Mckenzie Quartet Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $21.50. The Lowdown Hokum Orchestra & Burlesque Dancers Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 7pm. $27.50. Thursdays In Jam feat: El Moro + DJ Av El Cubano Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10

Frank Sultana & Rox The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Mark N The Blues

JAZZ, SOUL,

Anatomy Class + The Metal Babies + Red Zora Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Ina Maka Hip Hop + Little Big Wolf Blues + Liam Gale & The Ponytiails Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. Deathsgrip Presents: Imprisoned + Ill Natured + Time Crisis + Burning Season + Society’s Chain Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Funk Star Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Duo Mr Tipply’s, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. Joshua Radin Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $67. Live At The Sly feat: Facemeat + Hashshashin + Miles Thomas Trio Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Megan Washington The Basement, Circular Quay. 8:30pm. $34.50. Iron Chic + Postblue + Sweater Season Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Safia + Boo Seeka + Owen Rabbit Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $20. Steve Edmonds Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Yumi Zouma Goodgod Small Club,

Sydney. 8pm. $15.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free. The Lowdown Hokum Orchestra & Burlesque Dancers Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 7pm. $27.50.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Backsliders + Dog Trumpet The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $25.80. Bandsonstage - feat: Green Manalishi + Mass + Paris Hearts Ruby L’otel, Rozelle . 8pm. Free. Bluesonstage - feat: The Count’s Trio + The Righteous Resonators Orange Grove Hotel, Lilyfield. 7:30pm. Free. The New Delhi Llamas Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 8:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Capital Colours + Genetics + Cosmic Flanders + More Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Banquet - feat: The Shaykes + Space Monk + Aywy The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $10. Big Rich Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9:30pm. Free. Blake Dantier Band Camden RSL, Camden. 8pm. Free. Blake Tailor Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 5pm. Free. Dee Donavan Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. Glenn Cardier & The

LESSONS

ALL GENRES, ALL AGES, ALL LEVELS No Experience Necessary

FIRST LESSON FREE

if you book before 31 Sept! Relaxed, comfortable, home environment. for more info

Call 0438 671 725

or email vanessa.a.raspa@gmail.com Sideshow DJango Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $15. Grooveworks Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. Hits & Pieces Club Cronulla, Cronulla. 8pm. Free. Kye Brown Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Matt Lyon Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Meg Mac Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $29.41. Megan Washington The Basement, Circular Quay. 8:30pm. $34.50. Outland Brothers The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham. 8:30pm. Free. Perch Creek + King Curly + Julia Jacklin Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18. Pink Industrial Whores + The Damned Humans + Contessa Winanrosa & The Thistles + Concrete Lung Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Rebecca Hayes Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free. Rose Carleo The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free. Safia + Boo Seeka + Owen Rabbit Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $20. Seattle Sound Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free. Stephen Fisher King Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. The Bandits Penrith RSL, Penrith.

8pm. Free. The Day Traders Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free. The Getaway Plan Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $20. The Smooth Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Tumbleweed Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $29.10.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Chris O’ Connor The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5. Dress Up Attack! feat: Hoodoo Gurus + Bloods + The Presets (DJ Set) Sydney Portugal Community Club, Marrickville. 10am. $35. Mojo House Band feat: Jesse & James Mojo Record Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Andrew Denniston + The Count’s Rio + David J Bull Ettalong Beach Hotel, Ettalong. 7:30pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Blood, Sweat & Tears Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $92.50. Jonah & The Wailers + The Elementals The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $25. Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts

speed date WITH Your Profile Imagine if Crosby, Stills, Nash & 1. Young, The Beatles and Ray Charles

had some kind of orgy, asexually producing a pack of 21st century Steiner kids with ADD and too many instruments. We’re looking for fans that love to have a great time and be right up there with us for all our upbeat stuff, but that also appreciate a good epic ballad when they hear one.

2.

Keeping Busy Since ditching the antiquated ‘Jugband’ element from our band name, we’ve been writing heaps of new material and exploring a new sound, which is incredibly exciting for us. We recently recorded our current single ‘Mama Sings’ with Greg J Walker (Machine Translations) and shot an awesome video clip for it featuring an amazing hand-carved thebrag.com

JAMES CHANDLER FROM PERCH CREEK

marionette. We recently returned home from an awesomely fun tour of Canada and are now in the midst of touring in support of the ‘Mama Sings’ single across Australia, incorporating a bunch of brand new songs into the setlist. Best Gig Ever Playing the main (and indeed, 3. only) stage at Golden Plains was

pretty damn cool. A whole field full of people, many of whom kindly honoured us with that proud Golden Plains tradition of ‘the boot’. Worst gig? We’ve done some bad ones, but I’m not about to throw away all the progress I’ve been making with my therapist by talking about that one.

4.

Current Playlist Lately we’ve been digging the live sets by Masco Sound System

around Melbourne – they’re a rock band who always perform with a live painter onstage and aren’t afraid to bust out some psychedelic minimalist disco vibes. In terms of record playlist, I’m digging Lanie Lane’s album Night Shade and Tame Impala’s latest as well as my continued appreciation of The Beatles, who I honestly think are underrated. Your Ultimate Rider In order to accommodate all the 5. different personality types in our band

we’d need to get a yoga mat, a joint, a bottle of Scotch whisky, a shiny mirror, a Swedish masseuse and a mountain of strawberries and soft cheese. With: King Curly, Julia Jacklin Where: Newtown Social Club When: Friday September 11

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g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Point. 7pm. Free. The Lowdown Hokum Orchestra & Burlesque Dancers Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 7pm. $27.50.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS La Morgue - feat: Alex Cross + Pills + Joan Banoit + Male Gaze + Tennis Boys Freda’s, Chippendale. 8pm. Free. Amoeba Quake Events Presents Whoretopsy - feat: Infested Entrails + Tortured + Gutter Tactic + Inhuman Remnants + Daemon Foetal Harvest + Burial Chamber + The Hazard Circular + Acheron + As Flesh Decays Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 6pm. $20. Blake Tailor The Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 8pm. Free. Bob Gillespie Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Bootleg Rascal Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18. Brad Johns Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 10pm. Free. Cath & Him Hornsby RSL, Hornsby. 8pm. Free. Culture Of

Ignorance + Rukus + Chatgeaow + Inebrious Bastard + Goldgrip + Hangman Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Dirty Deeds - The AC/DC Show Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Elevate Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free. Georgia White Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. Free. Groovology Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Holy Holy + Fractures Lizotte’s, Newcastle. 8pm. $20. Jimmy Bear Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Jonathan Lee Jones Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9:30pm. Free. King Curly The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. Lansdowne Hotel’s Last Call - feat: Juice + Money For Rope + Darker Half + The Ruckus + The Lockhearts + Nerdlinger + The Dark Hawks + The Last Cavalry + Reidemeister + Black Heart Breakers + Backwoods + Kvlts Of Vice + Van Cooper Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. 12pm. Free. Let’s Groove Tonight

SYDNEY’S FINEST JAZZ CLUB

616 HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO

Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. Free. Mark Shelley Novotel, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm. Free. Matt Lyon Penrith Panthers, Penrith. 5:30pm. Free. Outland Brothers Bondi Diggers, Bondi. 8pm. $5. Oz Rock Revival St Marys Rugby Leagues Club, St Marys. 9pm. Free. Stephanie Lea (Duo) The Fiddler, Rouse Hill. 8pm. Free. The Smith Street Band + Andrew Jackson Jihad + Iron Chic + The Sidekicks + Oslow + Hannahband Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $47.76. Vanadium + Yeevs + Shot In Chicago + Lion Calamity Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $8. Zoltan Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 10pm. Free.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Nathaniel Braddock Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 6:30pm. Free. Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4pm. Free. The Outland Brothers + Adam Gibson & The ArkArk Birds The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $5.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Alin And Melike - El Espiritu Del Flamenco The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $23.80.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Come and ing celebrate inspir t ea gr d music an food with us WEDS 9 Juliana Areias: Bossa Nova Baby (Brazil/Aus)

FRI 11 Mike Nock Quartet: Mike’s 75th Birthday

SEPTEM BER

THURS 10 Sarah Mckenzie Quartet SAT 12 Ten Part Invention: John Pochee’s 75th Birthday

MON 14

Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra Celebrates

TUES 15 Jazzgroove Presents:

Brokebeat Mountain / Scattered

Foundry616’s 2nd Birthday!

WEDS 16 The Dark Tree: Alister Spence Trio plays the music of Horace Tapscott

THURS 17 An Evening with

Fiona Joy & Sherry Finzer (USA) & Guests

FRI 18 Anna Salleh

SAT 19 Tricia Evy

‘Gorgeous Songs from

“From Paris to Sydney -

Brazil & Beyond’

A Story of Music and Love”

60s Chartoppers Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Bare Bones Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Becky And The Pussycats Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free. Gary Johns Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Open Mic Night Nag’s Head Hotel, Glebe. 5:30pm. Free. Sidebar Sundays feat: Dave White Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Steve Tonge + DJs Somatik And Alex Mac Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. Free. Spoonbill Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. Free. Sydney Rock ‘N’ Roll & Alternative Market - feat: Papa Pilko & The Binrats + Hank’s Jalopy Demons +

up all night out all week... Kieron Mcdonald Combo + Cruisin’ Deuces Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10:30am. $5. Toni Braxton Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $89. Walk The Moon Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $39. White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free.

Safia

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Safia + Boo Seeka + Owen Rabbit Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $20.

John Maddox Duo Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free.

Sosueme - Feat: Joy. + Luke Million Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

The Ocean Party + Mere Women + Cool Sounds + Weak Boys Vic On The Park, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Greg Byrne Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Swerve Society - feat: Mezko + Raindrop Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

The Smith Street Band + Andrew Jackson Jihad + The Sidekicks + The Sugarcanes Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $35.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 Anatomy Class + The Metal Babies + Red Zora Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Joshua Radin Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $67.

Sunset Jazz - feat: Jazz Society Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 6pm. Free.

Live At The Sly - Feat: Facemeat + Hashshashin + Miles Thomas Trio Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Iron Chic + Postblue + Sweater Season Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33.

Live & Originals @ Mr Falcon’s - feat: Satya Matteo Priante + Rod Cronwell + Alex Guthrie Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + Guests Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale. 7:30pm. Free.

Yumi Zouma Goodgod Small Club,

Sydney. 8pm. $15.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 Backsliders + Dog Trumpet The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $25.80. Meg Mac Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $29.41. Perch Creek + King Curly + Julia Jacklin Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18. The Getaway Plan Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $20. Tumbleweed Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $29.10.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 Bootleg Rascal Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18.

Vanadium + Yeevs + Shot In Chicago + Lion Calamity Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $8.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13 Bare Bones Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Sydney Rock ‘N’ Roll & Alternative Market - Feat: Papa Pilko & The Binrats + Hank’s Jalopy Demons + Kieron Mcdonald Combo + Cruisin’ Deuces Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10:30am. $5. Toni Braxton Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $89. Walk The Moon Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $39.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14

Blood, Sweat & Tears Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $92.50.

Swerve Society - Feat: Mezko + Raindrop Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

Dress Up Attack! - Feat: Hoodoo Gurus + Bloods + The Presets (DJ Set) Sydney Portugal Community Club, Marrickville. 10am. $35.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15

Jonah & The Wailers + The Elementals The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $25.

Eves The Behavior Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $15.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Anton Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Eves The Behavior Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $15. Rock ‘N’ Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

The Getaway Plan

F U L L P R O G R A M : W W W. F O U N D R Y 6 16 . C O M . A U 34 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

thebrag.com

brag beats

BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild and Bridget Lutherborrow

five things WITH

WHO’S YOUR BIG DADDY

“To me, Big Daddy Kane is still today one of the best rappers,” Ice T once quipped. “Big Daddy Kane can rap circles around cats.” And if Ice T is saying Big Daddy Kane can rap circles around cats, you’d better believe it. The hip hop icon will make his first-ever trip to Australia in December and has announced a Meredith Music Festival sideshow for Sydney. A man who has been described as one of the most powerful figures in the rap game, Grammyawarded Big Daddy Kane was recognised at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors event back in 2005. Tickets for his Sunday December 13 show at Oxford Art Factory are on sale now.

AVERAGE RAP BAND

1.

Growing Up Tom Scott: I got hit in the head with a xylophone in kindergarten. I grew up in the house that Madness built (‘Our House’). Actually, my old man played bass in that fucking band but they were shit by that time. Lui Tuiasau: My old man played in a bunch of bands in the day, then he got a real job. Went to law school and all that shit. Now he’s unemployed. That’s what you get for doing the right thing.

2.

Inspirations TS: Way too many to name. I can tell you my least favourite though? Taylor Swift. Macklemore. Childish Gambino. Raury. I remember the first time I heard Spirits by Gil Scott. Or Donny Hathaway live. Or Benji by Sun Kil Moon. Or that Courtney Barnett record. Those are some albums that have changed my life.

3.

BBoy Hideboo

Your Crew TS: My old man got me into

music. Been working on this new EP with a Melbourne producer called Mack Winters. It’s got a lot of cowbell and wood block and shit in. It’s the sound of summer climaxing all over winter’s face. The Music You Make And Play 4. TS: Five records/tracks on high

rotation at the moment are… Valerie June – ‘Workin’ Woman Blues’; Diva – ‘Satori’; Giorgio Oehlers – ‘Sunshine & Margaritas (Werk Space)’; Par-le – ‘Light’; Eno x Dirty – ‘How My Day Goes’.

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. TS: A recent band that has inspired us is Tono and The Finance Company.

What: Stream Of Nonsenseness out now independently With: Eno x Dirty Where: Oxford Hotel When: Saturday September 19

Mashd N Kutcher

BOOM BAP BEATS

The time has come for another edition of the Boom Bap Sessions at Surry Hills’ Play Bar, and a team of discerning selectors will deliver exactly what it says on the tin. Liverpool St Familia character BBoy Hideboo will be on hand for an epic breaking show, while beats will come via DJ Co$t, Platterpush, Codecks and special guests. It’s the fifth time the Boom Bap train is coming around the bend, and you can jump aboard on Saturday September 12.

SCNDL IN THE HOUSE

Pacha Sydney partygoers will be getting scandalous with SCNDL this weekend, as the Melbourne duo arrives at the peak of its performance powers. Tom Grant and Adam Amuso broke through bigtime on the dance scene last year, with heavyweights like Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Tiësto, Henry Fong, David Guetta and more queuing up to throw their support behind these latest hot exponents of the sound that’s brewing down south. Joining SCNDL on the Ivy bill this Saturday September 12 are Brooklyn, Fear Of Dawn & Friends, Snillum, Gemellini, Deckhead, Vito, Samrai, Skoob, Elly K, Pro/Gram and many more.

LIFT THE MARQUEE

If you like your fellow clubbers to come with a side of sparkle, join the fashionable folk at Marquee this weekend for a jam headlined by J-Trick and Piero. J-Trick is a talent on the rise, looking forward to a schedule of overseas tours and collaborations with some of dance music’s biggest names, while Piero’s experience stretches back some 15 years, over which time he’s built up a reputation for delivering what the dancefloor wants at every opportunity. The revelry fires up this Saturday September 12.

ANJUNADEEP AFTERPARTY

Dance masterminds Above & Beyond are bringing their deep

Big Daddy Kane

house imprint to Australia for the first time this September. They’ll be taking over the courtyard at Ivy for the #ABGT150 Afterparty, a special afternoon session following up from the sold-out #ABGT150 event at Allphones Arena. As well as a rare deep set from Above & Beyond, the afternoon will see sounds from Anjunadeep label boss James Grant, Lane 8 and Grum. The #ABGT150 Afterparty goes down on Sunday September 27.

LDRU

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

EMCPlay, the showcase program held in conjunction with Sydney’s annual Electronic Music Conference, has revealed its first round lineup for 2015. More than 30 acts will perform across multiple CBD venues on Wednesday December 2, setting up one massive night of electronic and dance music like Sydney’s never seen before. Last year, EMCPlay held showcases throughout Kings Cross, but this time around the program is expanding to reflect the spread of the industry in the post-lockout landscape. The artists appearing include massive Brisbane duo Mashd N Kutcher, Nicole Millar, Strange Talk, Porsches, Indian Summer, GXNXVS, LDRU, Asdasfr Bawd, Elk Road and Vanessa Elisha. For the full lineup and schedule info, visit electronicmusicconference.com.

thebrag.com

LDRU TO YOU

One half of tropical bass stormers Carmada, LDRU, has locked in an Australian Keeping Score Tour. Taking the name from his forthcoming single ‘Keeping Score’, Drew Carmody AKA LDRU will embark on a national headline tour this month and next. Following the success of his 2013 hit ‘The Tropics’ and 2014 anthem ‘Give It All’, ‘Keeping Score’ drops on Friday September 25. LDRU’s tour graces Ivy on Sunday October 4, the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday October 21 and Mona Vale Hotel on Thursday October 29.

BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15 :: 35

Brother Ali The Mechanics Of Feeling By Augustus Welby

F

ollowing a low-key cassette tape release, US rapper Brother Ali caught the attention of discerning hip hop fans everywhere with his 2003 LP hado s n The n. The record was entirely produced by Ant (AKA Anthony Davis of the duo Atmosphere), and this collaborative partnership prevailed on Ali’s subsequent two LPs. However, prior to his latest release, 2012’s o rnin In America And reamin In olor, Ali hooked up with G-Unit affiliate Jake One Despite the change of producer, o rnin In America was no less potent than Ali’s earlier records, nabbing nearunanimous critical praise. It’s common practice for rappers to team up with an extensive array of producers across a single album. But even with Ant out of the picture, Ali didn’t find this an appealing prospect. “I work with people that are equally as enthusiastic about the project as I am,” he says. “Jake has been a friend since before either of us had a serious career and he always talked about doing a project together. I think it’s important to get a producer’s full attention when doing an album.”

Throughout his career, critical discussion has tended to focus on Ali’s incisive lyrical focus and vocal delivery. This is no surprise given his fierce political stance, but without engaging production it’d be difficult to get so many people paying attention. “I choose beats that put me in a mood and then try to identify when I’ve felt that in my life,” he says. “I start writing the song to describe that moment. On a rare occasion I’ll try the words on another piece of music and some really interesting magic can happen that way, but most of

BY DAY

the time I write to the music and the songs are born that way.” Brother Ali’s lyrics regularly dig into less-than-satisfactory aspects of American life and the ugly mechanics of the political system. These can be difficult truths to digest, causing feelings of disgust or helplessness. But despite operating within the realm of popular music, he’s not afraid to highlight issues that could scare off sensitive listeners. “I try to be of benefit to myself, my message and my audience,” he says. “There are definitely times when I try to explain things in a way that’s understandable to the listener, but I don’t water it down for them. I respect and trust their ability to hear what I believe to be true. The concern that I have is in delivering the message with precision and nuance. I want people to know that I love them, and hate injustice.” While Ali’s lyrical perspective never becomes naïve, he softens the blow somewhat by injecting signs of hope and encouraging people to take a stand against injustice. “I live in a faithful, hopeful space and this allows the complete ugliness of the current state to be palatable for me,” he says. “It’s very cruel to diagnose darkness if you’re not willing and able to prescribe and administer light.” Along with broader societal/political themes, several Brother Ali songs expose intimate details from his personal life. o rnin In America cut ‘Stop The Press’ is a prime example, disclosing details of departed friends and family members, strains on his marriage and his rejuvenated creative spirit after the split with Ant left him languishing.

“I include the details that I feel are necessary to convey feeling and meaning. I’m down to be open with my own information. I draw the line with my loved ones’ details, though. There are things that I could share about them that would make incredible songs, but it wouldn’t be right to mine other people’s treasures like that.” Given Ali’s huge emotional investment and unflinching activism, performing live is liable to stir up myriad emotions. And that’s exactly how he likes it. “I’ll give a song a break if I start to get a sense that I’m going through the motions and it’s just becoming part of the show. I have to relive those things when I do the song live.” Considering much of Ali’s output aims to raise awareness, educate people and inspire proactive behaviour, it raises the question of whether live performance or recorded music exerts the greater power over listeners’ emotions. “I think the connection between hearts is what changes things,” he says. “All of the evil in the world has its origin in a diseased and hurt heart. If we can connect the hearts with something true, nothing is impossible. I try my best in the albums and live shows to make my heart as accessible as possible, so that anyone whose antenna picks up on what I’m putting out can connect.” Hip hop has historically been an effective medium for protesting against injustice and rallying activists. Although it’s easy to suggest the glory days are behind us, when he observes the state of contemporary hip hop, Ali sees plenty of men and women utilising it for this purpose.

BY NIGHT

“There are a lot of artists offering greatness in hip hop: Rapsody, The Reminders, Amir Sulaiman, Jasiri X and Sa-Roc are just a few. In the mainstream I think Kendrick is absolutely necessary right now. The dominant culture has never missed an opportunity to condemn black genius, which is responsible for every and all forms of modern music. That

is, until they find a way to co-opt and steal it for their own devilish purposes. But the truth belongs to the creator and falsehood isn’t rooted in anything. Ultimately falsehood and evil survives only as long as truth allows it.” Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday September 11

I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO

OPENING PARTY 13th September TERRACE

TERRACE & DEN

Eddie Richards FCL Amp Rose & T-Hanks Kerry Wallace

GREENWOOD HOTEL 1pm to 9pm - $15

36 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

Special Guest Gabby Jake Hough Mesan Marc Jarvin Matt Weir

FEEL LI KE CRAP JUST FOR

MAZE HOSTED BY

Andy Donaldson Matt Trousdale Tony Garcia

HOME NIGHTCLUB 8pm to 4am $15 till 10pm / $20 after $15 all night with www.sash.net.au SASH by day stamp

BEING

LEFT

H A N D E D.

Okay, that’s hard to imagine? But being gay, lesbian, bi, trans or intersex is no different to being born left handed, it’s just who you are. So stop and think because the things we say are likely to cause depression and anxiety. And that really is pretty crap. GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

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club guide g

club picks p up all night out all week...

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Brother Ali

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11

Oxford Art Factory

Brother Ali 10pm. $39.70.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13

Xxx

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9 CLUB NIGHTS Salsa Wednesdays - Feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Side Bar Wednesdays - Feat: Bangers & Mash Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 HIP HOP & R&B Tkay Maidza +

John 00 Fleming

CLUB NIGHTS

Five Dollar Thursdays - Feat: DJs Steve Zappa + Skinny Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Halfway Crooks Feat: Tullet + Levins + Captain Franco Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. $10. Kicks The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. Mixed Tape - Feat: DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm. Free. The Midnight Swim Sessions - Feat: Thomas Studdy Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 HIP HOP & R&B

Brother Ali Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $39.70. Phat Play Friday Feat: Benny Hinn + Dusty Allen + Whisky Mixd Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Bassic - Feat: Haywyre + Senor Roar + A-Tonez + Nemo + Tdy + Ventures + Two Hoe + Heirs To The Throne + Sequel + Swindail + Gudu Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Blvd Fridays - Feat: Nukewood Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Derriere - Feat: Rotating DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. El Loco Later - Feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Feel Good Fridays Feat: DJs Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Florida Blanca Supper Club + Bar Publico - Feat: DJs Harpoon Harry, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Fridays - Feat: Rock ‘N’ Roll DJs Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Fridays Frothers Feat: Babysham + Jesse Sewell Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm. Free. Scubar Fridays - Feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Student DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm. Free. Treble N Bass Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 HIP HOP & R&B

The Boombap Sessions - Feat: Cost + Platterpush + Codeks + Hideboo Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Tkay Maidza + Willow Beats + Porches + L.K. Mckay Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

CLUB NIGHTS

El Loco Later - Feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Felix Da Housecat Manning Bar, Camperdown. 9pm. $29.10. Florida Blanca Supper Club + Bar Publico - Feat: DJs Harpoon Harry, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Saturdays - Feat: DJs Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Frat Saturdays - Feat: Jonksi + Guests Side Bar, Sydney.

HIP HOP & R&B

Tkay Maidza + Willow Beats + Porsches + L.K. Mckay Metro Theatre, Sydney. 4:30pm. $25.

CLUB NIGHTS

Picnic Social Harpoon Harry, Sydney. 4pm. Free. S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Eddie Richards + FCL + Amp Rose & T-Hanks + Kerry Wallace Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night Feat: Gabby + Jake Hough + Mesan + Marc Jarvin + Matt Weir + Andy Donaldson + Matt Trousdale + Tony Garcia Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $15.

Pan-Pot

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 Halfway Crooks - Feat: Tullet + Levins + Captain Franco Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. $10. Tkay Maidza + Willow Beats + Porches + L.K. Mckay Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11 Bassic - Feat: Haywyre + Senor Roar + A-Tonez + Nemo + Tdy + Ventures + Two Hoe + Heirs To The Throne + Sequel + Swindail + Gudu Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Blvd Fridays - Feat: Nukewood Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Phat Play Friday - Feat: Benny Hinn + Dusty Allen + Whisky Mixd Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 Felix Da Housecat Manning Bar, Camperdown. 9pm. $29.10. J-Trick + Piero

Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70. Lndry - Feat: John 00 Fleming + Strange Talk DJs + Friendless + Made In Paris + Offtapia + King Lee + Fingers + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Pacha - Feat: SCNDL + Brooklyn + Fear Of Dawn & Friends + Snillum + Gemellini + Deckhead + Vito + Samrai + Skoob + Elly K + Pro/Gram + DJ Just 1 + August + Angeljay + Fiktion & Till Dawn + Esar & Jhvssic + Scotty Doesn’t Know Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Pan-Pot The Arthouse, Sydney. 8pm. $40. Yours - Feat: Beni Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12 S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Eddie Richards + FCL + Amp Rose & T-Hanks + Kerry Wallace Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Gabby + Jake Hough + Mesan + Marc Jarvin + Matt Weir + Andy Donaldson + Matt Trousdale + Tony Garcia Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $15. Tkay Maidza

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14 CLUB NIGHTS Mashup Monday - Feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15

Xxx

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Willow Beats + Porches + L.K. Mckay Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

7:30pm. Free. J-Trick + Piero Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70. Le Fruit DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Lndry - Feat: John 00 Fleming + Strange Talk DJs + Friendless + Made In Paris + Offtapia + King Lee + Fingers + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $27.70. Pacha - Feat: SCNDL + Brooklyn + Fear Of Dawn & Friends + Snillum + Gemellini + Deckhead + Vito + Samrai + Skoob + Elly K + Pro/Gram + DJ Just 1 + August + Angeljay + Fiktion & Till Dawn + Esar & Jhvssic + Scotty Doesn’t Know Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Pan-Pot The ArtHouse, Sydney. 8pm. $40. Scubar Saturdays Feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Tim Boffa And Murray Lake Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free. Yours - Feat: Beni Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10.

BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15 :: 37

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Off The Record

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

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up all night out all week . . .

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

(after his family fl ed Uruguay, which had just come under dictatorial rule). Having worked with drums and more percussive instruments all his life, Canzani released his debut EP Arma in 2010 on the Parisian label Youngunz, before founding his own label, ClekClekBoom, alongside Adrien Creuse (AKA Mr Boo) and Jonathan Chaoul. Since then, he’s gone on to produce some of the grimiest and ghetto-rinsed house jams of this decade, including ‘Champagne’ and ‘Hugz’. Catch him alongside Kato, Lewba, U-Khan, James Petrou, Eliot Mireylees and Dave Stuart on Saturday October 3 at the Burdekin Hotel.

S

o here’s the perfect way to celebrate Halloween – the legends behind Finely Tuned and Lost Paradise are bringing back their Lost Disco club series and have locked in a live headline performance from Mr. G. If that’s not enough, they’re also enlisting the services of Crosstown Rebels and Get Physical stalwarts Fur Coat and the godfather of Australian house and techno, DJ HMC. It’s happening on Saturday October 31 at the Greenwood Hotel.

One of Germany’s fi nest, Nick Höppner, is coming to Australia. Currently living in Berlin, Höppner holds down monthly residences at Berghain and Panorama Bar, is revered for his solo releases on Ostgut Ton, has remixed the likes of Asusu, Dauwd and Airhead, and worked with a slew of labels such as Brainmath, Pictures Music and Livity Sound. Most recently, in March this year he released his debut solo album Folk. He’ll be in town on Saturday September 26 at the Burdekin Hotel with support from Magda Bytnerowicz, Phil Smart, James Taylor, Dave Stuart, Brosnan Perera and U-Khan. Valentino Canzani AKA French Fries will hit Sydney early next month. Canzani first began producing at a very young age in Paris where his father had reconstructed a fully equipped studio

The dons over at Picnic have locked in a headline show with one of my alltime favourite DJs and producers – the only and only Maurice Fulton. With a penchant for disco-laden house and lighter techno, Fulton is the absolute perfect selector for a springtime party as the sunnier days begin to creep in. Throw on a copy of his remix of Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators’ ‘Holdin’ On’ and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Expect some curveballs, too, as he also produces more twisted techno and eclectic electro under his various aliases, including Syclops, Stress and BOOF. He’ll be joined by Magda Bytnerowicz, Kali, Heavenly, Boogie Monster, Andy Webb, Hubert Clarke Jr and R.A.F on Saturday October 3 at the Chippendale Hotel. Tour rumours: for the first time ever Norman Nodge is going to be visiting Australia this October – keep an eye out for the official announcement. Oh, and expect a visit from Helena Hauff sooner rather than later.

s.a.s.h sundays

PICS :: AM

Nick Höppner

06:09:15 :: Home Nightclub :: 101/1-5 Wheat Rd Darling Harbour 9266 0600

Best releases this week: if you dig dubby, dark and ambient techno then I thoroughly recommend Periskop’s Immerse (on Kabalion). Other highlights include DJ Richard’s Grind (Dial), Emile’s 1524403342 (Hidden Hawaii), Flxk1 & Wan.2’s Antitheorie (Hidden Hawaii), Kasra V’s The Persian Prince (Make Love In Public Places) and Vrrs’ Benz (Black Venison). French Fries

RECOMMENDED Pan-Pot The ArtHouse

Maurice Fulton Chippendale Hotel

Felix da Housecat Manning Bar

French Fries Burdekin Hotel

Mark Henning Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Kangding Ray Bridge Hotel Gabby Burdekin Hotel

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25 Mark Henning Goodgod Small Club

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26 Nick Höppner Burdekin Hotel

SUNDAY OCTOBER 25 Public Possession Harpoon Harry

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31 Baauer Oxford Art Factory

Mr. G, Fur Coat, DJ HMC Greenwood Hotel Harvey Sutherland, Andy Hart Waves

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

Greenwood Hotel

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20 Lapalux Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 Justin Martin Chinese Laundry

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27

Eric Cloutier Marrickville Bowling Club

FRIDAY DECEMBER 4 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 6

Subsonic Music Festival: KiNK, Dop, Rick Wade, Roman Flügel + more Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort, Barrington Tops

Nina Kraviz

sosueme - ft nico ghost PICS :: JA

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 SATURDAY OCTOBER 3

02:09:15 :: Beach Road Hotel :: 71 Beach Rd Bondi Beach 9130 7247

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. 38 :: BRAG :: 629 :: 09:09:15

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: JAMES AMBROSE :: KATRINA

CLARKE :: ASHLEY MAR

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