Brag#633 by Furst Media

ISSUE NO. 633 OCTOBER 7, 2015

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

Boy & Bear THIRD TIME 'S THE CHARM

Plus

L IOR T HE BE A R D S M A RC M A RON EDI T ORS

How they made their fi fth album by accident in the Scottish Highlands.

A IN S L IE W IL L S

A new EP gives the singer-songwriter a creative workout.

C A L IGUL A' S HOR SE

Chasing a more expansive sound as their new release blooms.

Q UEENSRÂ&#x;CHE

The Americans return with an examination of the human condition.

T H Y A R T IS MUR DER A ND MOR E

MYLES SHARPE & PAUL MCKIE ARE DIRECTORS OF THE AUTUMN CO.

No two days are the same Myles and Paul run The Autumn Co, a studio specialising in print, design, web and sign. They studied at Shillington part-time and since graduating have worked with the likes of Google and Semi-Permanent. “Having built up the credibility to work with these amazing brands has been the biggest thrill for us—there’s days when we still have to pinch ourselves. There’s no other course that delivers the full-on practical skills that Shillington provides you with—and in such a compact and timely manner Being taught by working professionals gives you such a unique insight into life outside of college and prepares you for the challenges that the industry presents. Just do it!” Enrol now for 2016, 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time. INFO SESSION—FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER. SHILLINGTONCOLLEGE.COM.AU

College of graphic design shillingtoncollege.com.au F shillington.fb T @shillington_ SYDNEY • MELBOURNE • BRISBANE NEW YORK • LONDON • MANCHESTER

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CALIGULA‘S HORSE BLOOM OUT: 16.10.15

Third album „Bloom“ is their most vivid, vibrant, and emotional work to date, melding CALIGULA‘S HORSE penchant for dramatic colour with high-energy musical drive. Available as CD, LP and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

MALEVOLENT CREATION DEAD MAN‘S PATH Out: 2.10.15. Malevolent Creation‘s 12th studio album! A ferocious, riff-driven and relentlessly uncompromising death/thrash massacre. LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR! Available as CD, LTD. DIGIPAK (incl. woven patch & 2 re-recorded songs of the „Stillborn“ album as bonus), LP (180 g vinyl, double-sided poster, 4-page LP inlay + the CD of the Digipak version) and as DIGITAL DOWNLOAD/STREAM.

QUEENSRŸCHE CONDITION HÜMAN OUT: 2.10.15 THE LEGENDARY PROGRESSIVE HEAVY METAL VETERANS ARE BACK! The massive, densely layered, unflinchingly driving and consistently memorable Queensryche album the world demanded. Available as LTD. DELUXE BOX SET, LTD. CD DIGIPAK, GATEFOLD BLACK 2LP and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

NEW YEARS DAY MALEVOLENCE Out: 2.10.15. Gothic vampirism, heady fantasy and an adventurous spirit akin to Alice tripping through the looking glass. For fans of HIM and Motionless in White. Available as CD and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

www.CENTURYMEDIA.com

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www.INSIDEOUTMUSIC.com

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FRI 8 JAN METRO THEATRE ALL AGES

DEBUT ALBUM ‘BADLANDS’ FEAT ‘GHOST’ & ‘NEW AMERICANA’ OUT NOW

OH WONDER

W E D 6 J AN

WED 6 JAN GOODGOD HIT SINGLE ‘LOVE ME BADDER’ OUT NOW

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NE W TOW N SO C I AL C LU B

D E BUT A L BUM ‘ O H W ON D E R ’ O U T N OW

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

THU 7 JAN. OXFORD ART FACTORY DEBUT ALBUM DOPAMINE FT. ELECTRIC LOVE OUT NOW

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THU 7 JAN ENMORE THEATRE WWW.BLOC.PARTY

Tue 20 Oct Enmore Theatre

THE ALBUM S H O RT M O V IE O UT N O W L AU RAMARL IN G. C O M

WED 6TH JAN - METRO THEATRE TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, Eden Gillespie and Aaron Streatfeild

MICHAEL P CULLEN Lazybones Lounge Thursday November 19

speed date WITH

LUIS ROJAS FROM SHANGHAI by such luminaries as Ennio Morricone, Bernard Herrmann and Angelo Badalamenti.

FOALS

to say the least, but being the seasoned pros that we are, we haven’t had to resort to backing tracks, lip-syncing and miming just yet.

Hordern Pavilion Tuesday January 5

Your Band 3. The Shanghai nucleus was initially Music, Right Here, Right Now formed by an elite species of high school friends 5. The music scene has changed so much who then managed to kidnap a bunch of other over the last few years, with quite a few long-

Growing Up 1. My first vinyl record was ‘Macho Man’ by the Village People and my first cassette tape was Mickey Mouse Disco. Oh, what a wonderful journey I was to embark on from such humble beginnings. Couple that with my mother’s love for Elton John and ABBA, it’s no wonder that Shanghai has become such a diverse musical beast. Inspirations 2. In a nutshell, my favourite musicians are Frank Zappa and John Zorn. Both those artists have trodden so much musical ground it’s hard not to be impressed. Another key inspiration comes from film music composed

scallywags and assorted riff-raff along the way. There’s nine of us – disagreements are bound to happen – but seeing as I am the self-proclaimed musical director of the group, I just whip ’em back into line. Have you ever tried to arrange catering for a three-piece horn section plus a percussionist? I assure you, it’s no mean feat. The Music You Make 4. We’ve been called many things, but the one that stood out to me was “mutant-metaljumpcut-cabaret”, and even that doesn’t begin to cover it. Our album The Ultraviolent, which we have just released, covers a lot of musical ground and genres in an orchestral cinematic form. Self-funded, produced and recorded completely by us in the comfort of our own bedrooms, somehow we have managed to cobble together a luscious-sounding opus of biblical proportions. Translating this ambitious production to the live stage has been testing

STILL PARTYIN’ FROM THE BLOC MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio, Eden Gillespie, 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, Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild, Eden Gillespie REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Christie Eliezer, Patrick Emery, 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

standing, iconic venues falling like dominoes to the corporate whim. It is sad in a way from a nostalgic perspective, but I am keen to see what springs up in its place. The Sydney music scene in particular has needed a kick up the proverbial for quite some time now, as it had grown quite complacent, especially in terms of crowds. The talent is certainly there, with so many amazing bands lurking in the depths, but the crowds haven’t necessarily been there lately to help support them or the venues. Shanghai is totally up to the challenge.

BLOC PARTY Enmore Theatre Thursday January 7

PARTY IN THE PADDOCK – ft. Violent Soho, Spiderbait, The Preatures and more Burns Creek, Tasmania Friday February 19 – Saturday February 20

What: The Ultraviolent out now independently With: Face Command, Moof De Vah, Josh Shipton Where: Town Hall Hotel, Newtown When: Saturday October 10

You Am I

For those not lucky enough to make the 2016 incarnation of Falls Festival, British indie rockers Bloc Party have announced a Sydney show going down this summer. Fans can expect a smattering of hits from records such as Silent Alarm, A Weekend In The City, Intimacy and Four, alongside doses of new material, with whispers that album number five is currently in the works. Catch ’em on Thursday January 7 at the Enmore Theatre.

FOALS RIDE INTO TOWN

Thought your only chance to catch Foals was at Falls? Neigh! They’ve locked in a Sydney headline show. They were here earlier this year in the prelude to dropping their fourth LP What Went Down, which went down just before an unannounced set at this year’s Leeds and Reading Festivals, for which they were voted the number one live act. They’ll no doubt unleash a suite of new tracks alongside such hits as ‘Balloons’, ‘Cassius’ and ‘My Number’, taken from their records Antidotes and the Aussie chart-topper Holy Fire, when they hit the Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday January 5.

MULLUM IT OVER

The pubs, clubs and streets of Mullumbimby will once again play host to the family-friendly Mullum Music Festival on New South Wales’ North Coast. “This year it’s going to be about dancing – lots of party bands!” says the

Gary Clark, Jr.

YOU AM I RETURN

To celebrate their forthcoming album, Oz rock legends You Am I have announced a huge run of national shows that will see them tour the country from October through December. To record their tenth studio album, You Am I locked themselves down in Bushwick, New York. The result? It’s called Porridge & Hotsauce, and is set to drop on Friday November 6. The tour itself will take You Am I to 19 stages around the country, kicking things off in Geelong. Along with ten studio albums, the last 25 years for You Am I have also included ten ARIA Awards, two live albums, two best-of albums, and hundreds of sold-out shows – some of those played with the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Replacements. Catch You Am I at the Metro Theatre on Wednesday December 2. festival’s patron and Cat Empire musician Harry James Angus. Those party bands (and beyond) include Ron Sexsmith, Trinity Roots, Ben Ottewell, Robert Forster, The Californian Honeydrops, Hauschka, We Two Thieves,

Arte Kanela Flamenco, Emma Donovan and The PutBacks and Tinpan Orange, among many others. The Mullum Music Festival runs from Thursday November 19 – Sunday November 22.

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

Halsey

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:

THE BRAG

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Gary Clark, Jr. has announced that he’ll take to the stage for a headline show in Sydney this January. The Grammy-winning virtuoso guitarist, vocalist and songwriter is a regular visitor to Australia, having sold out Sydney and Melbourne shows four times over. This time he’s bringing his second full-length studio album, The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim. The album, inspired by his Southern roots, was recorded in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Clark will play the iconic Sydney Opera House on Monday January 4.

MORE FREAKY FALLS SIDESHOWS

Mac DeMarco has answered the prayers of his fans by locking in a Sydney show on his trip out for Falls this summer. DeMarco has risen to the cream of the crop after the chart and cult successes of Another One and Salad Days. He’ll be at the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday January 6. Also freaking out the neighbourhood while Falls-ing Down Under this January will be Kurt Vile. Following the release of his new album, Vile will be joined by full band The Violators for a headline show at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday January 7. Meanwhile, Django Django will play the Metro Theatre on Wednesday January 6, Halsey will do the same venue on Friday January 8, Oh Wonder will headline Newtown Social Club on Wednesday January 6, Børns will be at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday January 7, and you can catch Soak at Newtown Social Club on Friday January 8.

thebrag.com

xxx

@TheBrag

THE STORY OF GARY CLARK, JR.

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live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Eden Gillespie, Tegan Reeves and James Di Fabrizio

WITH

MULTIPLE MALEVOLENCE

JOHN PARKINSON FROM WORLD’S END PRESS

The First Record I Bought 1. ‘Country House’ – Blur. I was very young and I probably got the money by pairing up socks and folding the washing. I think I was a little bit in awe of Britishness, as my dad’s side of the family are all from the UK. So hearing a good-looking cockney guy with a floppy fringe singing about an aristocrat was just enough to get me to invest $1.50 at Brashs (it might have been less/more and not actually Brashs). The Last Record I Bought 2. Quite boring really but I’m going about replacing all my old favourites that have either been tenuous digital files or misplaced CDs. So a few days ago I repurchased the Come To

Daddy EP on vinyl. This was a bit of a favourite from back in the day. I was quite obsessed with Aphex Twin, although I have come to realise, with the release of Syro this year, that I am more into his easy listening stuff. Tracks like ‘Flim’ or the Selected Ambient Works I find quite lovely; not so much the chaotic chattery stuff. Is that like being into Paul McCartney and not John Lennon?

spent too much time indoors while the sun was out! I can remember the process actually beginning the week after Rainbow Serpent. I was quite physically drained from all that goes on there, but I returned home inspired to make my own new music. There are six tracks on this EP and they are mostly propelled by house rhythms, which may be the dance lingering on from the Market Stage.

The First Thing I Recorded 3. As soon as we left school (literally the day of our last exam), Rhys [Richards] and I

The Record That Changed My Life 5. The Queen Is Dead. The Smiths. Looking back on my teenage years, I am very grateful I

bunkered down at his mum’s house with an iMac we borrowed from my older sister’s boyfriend. We simply plugged in a cheap interface and recorded whatever came to mind. There was a daytime black-and-white movie on Channel 31 called Topper Returns and I remember sticking a microphone in front of the television and recording a 1930s argument, which we used in the intro for our Line Of Sight EP. It was a very strange-sounding collection of songs that I am actually quite proud of, in spite of its total obscurity and super dumb teenage moments.

encountered Morrissey. I’d never felt so close to an individual pop identity before, and he really made an impression on me. I probably even took a second-hand interest in Oscar Wilde and James Dean for a while. I learnt from his wit, his cynicism, even his unashamed vanity, and I felt quite comfortable with the idea of art for a living. As it turns out, I think I prefer Johnny Marr now, who seems a bit more comfortable with himself and was a genius of a different variety.

The Last Thing I Recorded Well, the Tall Stories EP actually. It was recorded over the last summer and I probably

What: Tall Stories out now through Liberation Where: Civic Underground When: Friday October 9

Metal fans will be stoked with the delivery of two anticipated albums from Century Media this month. Florida’s Malevolent Creation have released Dead Man’s Path, their 12th album, boasting a highenergy drive and fired-up mood. In other malevolent metal news, gothic hardcore heavyweights New Years Day have also given their fans some goodness in the form of their latest release, Malevolence. We have three prize packs to give away, each including a copy of Dead Man’s Path and Malevolence. Enter the draw at thebrag.com/freeshit.

Rae Howell_Credit – Anne Skilbeck

on the record

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

THE HOLLOW OF THE HAND

How long has it been since you got your hands on a good book? Not only is “the hollow of the hand” a great phrase to describe how you feel when you haven’t read in a long time and you’re missing the weight of holding onto a good hardback, it’s the new collaborative novel by PJ Harvey and photographer/ fi lmmaker Seamus Murphy. Inspired by their journeys together through Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington, D.C., The Hollow Of The Hand is out now through Bloomsbury. We’ve got ten copies to give away – head to thebrag.com/ freeshit to enter.

A GYPSY COMEBACK

Gypsy and The Cat

After a two-year absence, Gypsy and The Cat have announced that they will be touring around Australia, right after they dropped a surprise EP Hearts A Gun just last month. They’re clawing their way straight back onto the scene with a headline Sydney show after they perform at Valley Fiesta in Brisbane and Melbourne Music Week. The pair have been recording their LP for 18 months, so to get a taste of what’s to come from these toe-tappers, head to Goodgod Small Club on Saturday November 14.

FANCY SOME NANCY

The Metro Lair is set to be overtaken by a night of chaos and calamity for one of the biggest Sydney punk gigs of the year. Headliners Nancy Vandal are reforming this weekend to bust out tracks from their almost quarter-ofa-century history, including songs from their most recent 2013 album Flogging A Dead Phoenix. The Sydney ska-punk legends will be joined by Adelaide punk outfit Hightime and a legion of other bands, including Kujo Kings, Ebolagoldfish, The Tenants, Chris Duke and The Royals, Crapulous Gee Gaw, Driverside Airbag, Pitchfork and more. Get amongst it this Saturday October 10.

GINGERFEST RETURNS

Gingerfest, the festival that offers a generous serve of the punk scene, has announced its lineup for a 2015 return. The event honouring the memory of one of Australia’s most dedicated punk rockers, the legendary Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber – lovingly referred to as the Ginger Ninja – is back for a second year with a lineup featuring some bumper Aussie names. This year’s festival will feature Gay Paris, The Porkers, Irrelevant, The Sinking Teeth, The Hard Aches, God God Dammit Dammit, Jay and Lindsay’s Variety Hour, plus more. Gingerfest is set to ignite on Saturday December 19 at the Factory Theatre.

OUTLAW ON THE RUN

Californian singer-songwriter Sam Outlaw will be taking to the stage for a local headline show when he drops by for this year’s Out On The Weekend festival. While still in the relatively early stages of his career, the past two years have been a whirlwind for Outlaw. After his self-released EP landed him a spot at the Stagecoach Festival in the Coachella Valley, he went on to play Nashville’s world-renowned live showcase, Music City Roots. His debut album, Angeleno, was produced by Americana legend Ry Cooder and features contributions from Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers).

Alpine

The Ocean Party

THE OCEAN SWELLS

The fifth album from The Ocean Party in the space of three years, Light Weight, arrives this Friday October 9. That means it’s time for yet another launch party, and the Vic On The Park has the honours this Friday night. The new record follows 2014’s acclaimed Soft Focus, and was tracked in Melbourne with producer John Lee.

Joining Outlaw for a Newtown Social Club show on Sunday October 25 are Jonny Fritz and Shelly Colvin.

FOOT IN THE DAWES

LA rockers Dawes have announced a one-off sideshow to their headline appearance at Out On The Weekend festival. Fresh from releasing their latest record, All Your Favourite Bands, Dawes will be dipping into their four-album discography to play a condensed, best-of set in Sydney. Coming along for the ride are fellow Out On The Weekend artist Barna Howard and local muso Tracy McNeil. Dawes headline Newtown Social Club on Wednesday October 21.

GETTING DOWN TO JAMESTOWN

NEWTOWN HOTEL HALLOWEEN

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Xxx

Newtown Hotel has announced the details for its third birthday party, to coincide with Halloween. Indie outfit Alpine will be headlining the fancy dress event, with fellow Melburnians Tiny Little Houses supporting. Releasing their second album earlier in the year (and starring on the BRAG’s cover), Alpine have become quite the masters of sultry, infectious pop music, selling out a number of their shows on their most recent national tour. Meanwhile, Tiny Little Houses are currently nailing their take on lo-fi rock, and it may be the last chance to catch these guys for free before they well and truly blow up. Celebrate a spooky Newtown birthday on Thursday October 29.

As an aside to their highly anticipated set at Out On The Weekend festival, Jamestown Revival will play an exclusive headlining show. Fronted by Southern rockers Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance, Jamestown Revival recently released their debut full-length album, Utah. Performed live and tracked entirely to tape, the album aimed to capture the old-school magic of their favourite records. Joining Jamestown Revival at their headline date will be Little Georgia, plus Sarah Humphreys & Kris Morris. It goes down at Newtown Social Club on Thursday October 22.

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR * Is a well-known Australian resort looking at running a music festival? * Which entrepreneur found out through reading an overseas newspaper that his business partner intends to move abroad to set up a studio and record label? * Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Commerford has apologised for inspiring Fred Durst to form Limp Bizkit, as Durst claimed during a New York show when they did a cover of RATMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Killing In The Nameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Commerford told Rolling Stone, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do apologise for Limp Bizkit. I really do. I feel really bad that we inspired such bullshit.â&#x20AC;? * The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation accidentally announced the death of Carlos Santana after someone with the

same name died in a car crash. * Ruby Roseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international profile continues to rise. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-hosting the MTV EMAs in Milan on Sunday October 25 with Ed Sheeran. * The first Melbourne Music Symposium will be held on Thursday November 12 to discuss its further growth as a music city. * After getting 15,000 signatures on an online petition, activist group GetUp! withdrew its campaign to get Chris Brown banned from his Australian tour in December, apologising for racist aspects in its messenging. * The latest of Foo Fightersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on-tour guests was Jewel in Phoenix, doing Led Zeppelinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whole Lotta Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but only after she nixed Dave Grohlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original preference to do â&#x20AC;&#x153;something niceâ&#x20AC;?, he confessed. Other celebs through the tour have included Stevie Nicks, Gary Clark, Jr., Janeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Addiction duo Perry Farrell and Chris Chaney and Yes frontman Jon Davison. * Cosmoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Midnightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Walk With Meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (feat. KuÄ?ka) has in its first month landed over 450,000 plays each on SoundCloud and Spotify, and 800,000 YouTube views. * Steven Pickett, managing director of Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EAO Entertainment, told 1233 ABC Newcastle breakfast presenter Garth Russell that current noise regulations for venues near the growing amount of residential blocks was damaging the Newcastle music scene and would lead to venue closures. He suggested the city should introduce entertainment precincts, and builders take responsibility for soundproofing. The current regulations include no live music after 10pm and some venues having to stop their patrons mingling outside. * Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Don Henley called

Kanye West â&#x20AC;&#x153;arrogantâ&#x20AC;? and Frank Ocean, whom he once threatened to sue for sampling â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hotel Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a talentless little prickâ&#x20AC;?. * Jimmy Barnesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Best Of The Soul Years has been certified gold. * Coldplay have emerged as the bookiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favourites to headline Glastonbury Festival 2016. Adele, Blur, Foo Fighters and Muse are also tipped for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event. * Taylor Swift, who donated US$50,000 to a fan battling leukaemia in July, gave a similar amount to a nephew of a backing dancer who is battling cancer. * The Nights With Alice Cooper show can now be heard on Triple M Classic Rock Digital. * LGBTQI community hub SameSame has been sold by Junkee Media (previously Sound Alliance) to publisher Evo Media.

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AIR LABEL NOMINEES Elefant Traks, Future Classic, Ivy League Records, Liberation Music and Milk! Records have all been named as nominees for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Independent Label at the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards. The awards are organised by the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) and will be held in Melbourne on Thursday October 22. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner was I Oh You.

STEREOSONIC FOR SALE?

Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stereosonic festival could be up for sale, as New York-based global EDM empire SFX Entertainment starts to shed some of its assets for â&#x20AC;&#x153;basement pricesâ&#x20AC;? after its awful run on the share market. These include music download site Beatport, Australian dance promoter and Stereosonic operator Totem OneLove Group, Amsterdam promoter ID&T â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which handles TomorrowWorld and Tomorrowland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and ticketing company Flavorus. Business analysts say that when SFX went on a twoyear buying spree to become an empire, it paid too much for some assets and â&#x20AC;&#x153;now the value has bottomed out.â&#x20AC;? SFX paid US$69.1 million for Stereosonic alone two years ago, while SFXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current value is $311.1 million. It paid $130 million for ID&T.

FOUR FILM FELLOWSHIPS

Sydney Film Festival has launched a new national short film competition. Four Fellowship winners will receive $50,000 each to produce their next short film in 2016, to premiere at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival. All Australian filmmakers will have their film seen by Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Weinstein Company (TWC) with the chance to also win the international competition Lexus Short Films. In the international comp, four winners will go on to direct short films that will be produced and receive first look deals by TWC, and tour to four international film festivals.

BLAK DOUGLAS DESIGNS ARIA ARTWORK This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ARIA Awards commemorative artwork is by 2015 Archibald Prize finalist and Koori visual artist Blak Douglas. He explained, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I immediately thought of the unearthed. The unsung. The undiscovered. The forgotten and the excluded. Only a very small percentage of talented musicians have their voices heard.â&#x20AC;? Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork was by Ken Done, and Reg Mombassa did it in 2013. The winners of the ARIA Fine Arts Awards covering classical, jazz, soundtrack and world music are to be announced this Wednesday October 7, along with those for the Artisan categories (engineer, record producer, cover art).

SPLENDOUR/FALLS TEAM TAKES ON SPECTRUM NOW EVENT

Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, who run the Splendour In The Grass and Falls Festivals, have been appointed by the Spectrum Now festival to curate the music program held in The Domain. Spectrum Now 2016 is set to run from Tuesday March 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wednesday March 16, and this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition drew 100,000 people. The festival is looking closely at its programming after some 2015 events hit capacity while others were duds. thebrag.com

KISS WORK WITH AUSSIE WAR WIDOWS

KISS have done good work in the US, assisting returned servicemen and women to find work through programs like Wounded Warrior and Hire Our Heroes, and have raised US$2 million in support of military vets. For their current Australian tour, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve teamed up with charity Legacy Australia to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a war widow at each of their shows to work as a roadie in their VIP area. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help set it up, host VIP fans whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll attend an afternoon acoustic session and manage the photo sessions before seeing the nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show.

SOUNDWAVE COMPANY WOUND UP, FESTIVAL TO GO AHEAD Soundwave Festival Pty Ltd, the company that founder AJ Maddah used to operate the Soundwave Festival, has gone into voluntary administration. But that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the company hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t operated the fest since April. According to court listings, it changed its name to Penny Denny and then ACN 127 870 866 before a Supreme Court case. Maddah, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole director, has made no secret of the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fluctuating fortunes. Soundwave Festival Pty Ltd was wound up after action by Melbourne builder World Stages for monies owed. In June, cleaning company Spotless Facility Services made a similar bid, saying it was owed $47,666. A creditorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meeting is to be held this week.

RDIO PICKS SLUM SOCIABLE

Jazz/hip hop duo Slum Sociable have been named as Rdioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artist To Watch for October. Edward Quinn and Miller Upchurch have this year released two singles, showcased at Bigsound, gigged regularly and have an EP, TQ, coming out this week on Liberation Music. They will create a playlist for Rdio, providing a glimpse of the influences that have shaped their sound.

THIRSTY MERC TO HOLD BENEFIT CONCERT

Thirsty Merc, who go back on the road this week in Canberra after their recent tragedy, have announced plans for a benefit to assist the family of late stage manager Shane Cooper and hospitalised drummer Mick Skelton. A portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold for the rest of the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour dates will also go to both families. Helping donations is the news that Thirsty Mercâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Good Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is being played on the Triple M network and Southern Cross Austereo regional stations.

PATRICK JAMES SIGNS TO ALBERTS, CREATE/CONTROL

NSW singer-songwriter Patrick James has set up the Friday October 16 release of debut album Outlier with two partnerships. Alberts has inked James for a global publishing deal, with the artist saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have such an amazing history in Australian music and I am humbled to get to work alongside them.â&#x20AC;? Create/Control, which worked on Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Broken Lines and All About To Change EPs, will do the same

for the album. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have made close and important relationships at Create/Control. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to working with the team for my album release,â&#x20AC;? James said.

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WANNA WORK AT LIVE MUSIC OFFICE? The Live Music Office is looking for a Live Music Programming Coordinator. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a 12-month pilot project being completed with MusicNSW and APRA AMCOS. The role involves providing tailored site-specific guidance to both new and existing venues, ensuring that live music presented by them is appropriate to their space and business model. You need experience and contacts in venues, genres and programming. The deadline is Friday October 9; send your CV to info@livemusicoffice.com.au. Call 9935 7990 or 9935 7875 for more information.

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Lifelines Dating: Rita Ora and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker have become â&#x20AC;&#x153;inseparableâ&#x20AC;? since they met a month ago. She was once linked to Wiz Khalifa, while he has had two failed marriages. Recovering: Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roses/ Dead Daisies guitarist Richard Fortus suffered multiple broken bones and a lacerated liver after a motorcycle crash, but expects to be playing later this month. In Court: a Czech court threw out Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blytheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid to be paid 15 million Czech Koruna (AU$910,000) in damages after being accused, and acquitted in 2013, of causing the death of a fan three years earlier. In Court: Peter Jing Zu Lessnau, 34, accused of selling tickets to a bogus Mark Ronson gig in Perth, appeared briefly in Perth Magistrates Court last Thursday. Charged with three counts of fraud totalling $4,250, he was released on $3,000 bail to appear in court again on Monday November 16. In Court: A June attack on two musicians busking at 2am in the Wollongong CBD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; punching them and hitting one with a guitar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; got a drunken tradie 200 hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; community service and $400 for the guitar.

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BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 11

BOY & BEAR

STRETCHING THE LIMITS BY ADAM NORRIS

y now, Boy & Bear have written enough earworms to have infiltrated every household in Australia at least the once over. While Boy & Bear: The Musical might still be some years away, allow me to assuage your fears; their new album, Limit Of Love, provides enough catchy melodies to keep you distracted until that fateful future matinee. In fact, the Sydneysiders’ third LP may actually be their strongest yet, blending all their preceding strengths into a record brimming with character. Having performed 170 dates last year alone, the fact they even found time for an album is impressive enough, yet as bassist Dave Symes explains, it was on the road where they first began to sense the shape this next phase of their music was going to take.

“We did three or four writing trips where we’d set up all the instruments, have a bit of a surf in the morning and then come back to 12 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

It has been a remarkable trajectory for a band that started in the shadow of the Mumford & Sonsheaded modern folk movement. Since 2009, Boy & Bear have found themselves supporting some incredible artists – Laura Marling, Angus & Julia Stone and Mumford & Sons themselves, to name but a few – and in the course of their own headline touring have worked hard at fostering a live reputation that keeps the band and audience riding the same wave. The development of their sound has been a fascinating thing to behold, and on Limit Of Love there are echoes of both 2011’s Moonfi re and its follow-up, Harlequin Dream. Yet as Symes explains, these songs do not develop in a vacuum; central to their innovation is stepping back and allowing each to find its own life onstage. “I think there are a few tunes on Harlequin Dream that could fit on this record; there’s definitely a bit of a marriage between the two. What happened on Harlequin, there was a step in a certain direction of writing music together, expanding our sound, and I think that got more refined with Limit Of Love. I really, really think that comes from performing live. You learn so much there about songs and songwriting, about what you want to do different next time. Not feeling the need to add more, to trust the most basic elements of a song. ‘How does it feel to play it live? How do those chords work, how does it work with the melody?’ I think from playing all

“IF YOU LET YOUR EARS TELL YOU WHAT’S RIGHT AND WHAT’S WRONG, IF YOU TRUST YOURSELF AND TRUST THE BAND, HOPEFULLY THE MUSIC CAN ALMOST TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. OVERTHINKING AND OVERPLANNING DOESN’T REALLY LET A SONG GROW.” those shows last year, performing the band’s repertoire side by side and seeing which [songs] work best, it made Limit Of Love the best of both that came before.” It is therefore quite fitting that lead single ‘Walk The Wire’ had its premiere at this year’s Splendour In The Grass. An anthemic, catchy number, it grabs you from the first bar and clings on tight (though another highlight is ‘Hollow Ground’, a track Symes describes as their Beach Boys/Beatles throwback). It is easy to hear the truth to Symes’ words; listening to these tracks is to summon the sounds of summer, of festivals and music beneath gentle skies and cooling winds. As it turns out, the secret to Limit Of Love relied on the band having the faith to step back and let the songs call the shots.

“I think if you let your ears tell you what’s right and what’s wrong, if you trust yourself and trust the band, hopefully the music can almost take care of itself. Overthinking and overplanning doesn’t really let a song grow. Prior to this album there was a lot of discussion about what the record would be, because you’re always trying to move forward and improve on something that you didn’t get quite right the last time. What was strong, what wasn’t. So you’re always trying to create something that represents your new time and place. Usually we’re just there letting the song dictate where it wants to go, and hopefully we don’t get in the way too much. You just want to let yourself be driven forward.” Which, you imagine, is precisely the time when having a diplomatic touch would come to the fore. With everyone in the band having fronted their own projects in the past, there are many hands tinkering with the Boy & Bear engine. It is a creature of equality, with each of the five members encouraged to bring their own distinct colour to the canvas. “I think that’s the nature of writing music,” says Symes. “Having five different musical opinions all coming together, you’re suddenly drawing from a big pool of styles and influences and tastes. ‘Hollow Ground’ might not be everyone’s cup of tea when it’s first brought to the table, but by the end it’s amazing how everyone is totally on the same page, all because of an individual vision. It’s the same with something like ‘Walk The Wire’, which are very different songs. But that said, you look at them in the context of the album and I think they work really well together. I

think there are common threads, and a lot of that can be traced to our live shows. It builds variety.” With the album release just days away, and another string of international performances around the corner, there is precious little time for the band members to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labour. As Symes says, Boy & Bear want to keep driving forward, and who knows what shape their next few years will take? They will keep following the songs, of that there is no doubt; keep trusting the music to know its own soil. As such, while my next suggestion is not dismissed out of hand, neither does Symes sound all that convinced. “Boy & Bear: The Musical? Wow. Would anyone go? For now, we’re just excited to be getting the album out, then the tour. Later we want to do the same thing as last time – do a big regional tour. We’ve already started working on some new songs; we did some rehearsals of them last week. I think we had such a fun time making this record, it was so pleasurable and inspiring to work on, that we came out thinking, ‘We’re not burned out, we’re not exhausted. We’re kind of hungry to keep going.’ I think working on another record isn’t too far away.” Suffice to say, stay tuned for Boy & Bear On Ice, coming soon to an imaginary arena near you. What: Limit Of Love out Friday October 9 through Island/ Universal With: Art Of Sleeping, Montaigne Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Friday February 12

thebrag.com

Boy & Bear photo by Lucinda Goodwin

“Harlequin Dream came out August 2013, and obviously we did a lot of touring from that,” Symes says. “It was an amazing time. We got to play three European tours, three American tours and three Australian tours, and [Limit Of Love] started during that time on the road. We’re always looking towards the next project, which I guess is true of most artists. You always want to be writing and making new music. So some songs definitely came about on the road. We’d be at soundchecks and try out stuff here and there. But most of the writing started in February. We’d go down to Berry and rent a house, and we’d also had a place a little earlier up at Macmasters Beach.

do a bunch of writing, record a few demos, until we went in to record in May. But all that time touring we were talking about music, about the kind of record we wanted to make.”

MARY TOBIN PRESENTS

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MARYTOBINPRESENTS.COM.AU BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 13

Autre Ne Veut Seeing Through The Smoke By Augustus Welby

ince emerging at the turn of the decade, Arthur Ashin’s output as Autre Ne Veut has had little to do with sonic lucidity or decisively communicated truths. Despite its bare, monochromatic artwork and corresponding title, his third LP, Age Of Transparency, is no different. Age Of Transparency is the second instalment in a trilogy that began with 2013’s Anxiety, furthering that record’s interrogation of the barriers obstructing interpersonal communication in the contemporary world. At first, Ashin didn’t plan to make three interlinked records, but once Age Of Transparency began to take shape, he realised the overarching theme contained plenty of untapped creative potential. “When I was making Anxiety, I was still at the stage of being in total wonderment that I’m permitted to make a record, and would never allow myself to actually concretely dream past the specific record that I’m making,” he says. “But as I started writing for and working on Age Of Transparency, there was this subcategory of songs I was writing that didn’t really feel appropriate to the record, but felt like they were still dealing with the same kind of umbrella of topographical high-level concepts.” As with its predecessor, a tremendous amount of work went into Age Of Transparency. An unflinchingly ambitious performer, Ashin recorded with a small jazz ensemble before adding his emotionally exhaustive vocals and embarking on an extensive period of studio tinkering. The album was by no means easy to make, but Ashin has discovered a way to optimise the expressive potential.

“I used to just write and produce at the same time and that turned out to not be as productive – the production value and the songwriting both ended up getting stymied at different moments,” he says. “I’ve really compartmentalised my writing process from the production process of a record. So the records are really designed around almost a singer-songwriter paradigm in terms of how they flow and the thematics of them. But then with this record there ended up being a huge amount of time and energy put into the production of it, well after the songs were written, to really focus on that.” Much like Anxiety, Age Of Transparency reveals Ashin’s flair for immediately appealing pop songs – the likes of ‘Panic Room’, ‘Switch Hitter’ and ‘World War Pt. 2’ pair sing-along melodies with patent sensuality. However, throughout the record, subversive impulses push the compositions beyond the realm of conventional accessibility. For Ashin, studio production is just as expressively effective as songwriting. “I’m the happiest when I get a chorus to feel big in the way I want it to feel big, or whatever,” he says. “Those are the moments that dopamine and serotonin start shooting off in my brain and I just bliss out. “I think a lot of the struggle for me is that I’m not naturally very gifted at music. So I end up working really hard to get to a place that somebody else who might be more naturally gifted could just open up and [get to]. But with my struggles come interesting accidents that I end up liking more than something

I would’ve crafted with intention. That has its own set of rewards, like, ‘Oh wow, the world’s just gifted me this transition because I hit the wrong note when I was trying to play the bassline on the synth.’ It’s something that I would never write if I were intentionally trying to do it, but because I end up failing to do it correctly, I end up with these beautiful accidents.” Considering how staying open to accidents is likely to uncover uniquely evocative ideas, possessing such an attitude is clearly an asset. “It’s very much learning ways to utilise the studio to the best of my abilities,” Ashin says. “The studio really is my primary instrument, because – even though it’s not a guitar or a bass or a piano – it’s the only thing I’m moving in the direction of mastery towards.

“It’s something that five years ago I didn’t think I would ever get to, which is awesome.” The New York artist’s increased studio inventiveness is epitomised by the new album’s opening track, ‘On And On (Reprise)’. What starts off as a beautiful jazz ballad quickly begins to mutate; the acoustic foundations are subjected to cumulative digital manipulation, causing it to become emotionally jarring at certain points and grossly humorous at others. Towards the end, the transition into the digital world becomes complete, and Ashin’s intense, purging vocal performance begets a major feeling of catharsis. “To me it’s one of the most beautiful songs on the record,” he says. “It nods at Meredith Monk in moments and nods at Pharoah Sanders, Alice

Coltrane and stuff in moments, and nods at Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks in moments. And it kind of introduces the character [of the album]. It’s like, ‘Here’s that thing where I’m going to be doing speed- and pitch-warping stuff, and that’s going to happen all across the record, but here’s where that’s really clear that it’s happening.’ Or, ‘Here’s where I’m going to transition the listener from an organic space and then break that organic material down and then have it reform as this very digital, noisy synth part.’ “For the listener, I wanted to introduce them to the notion they’re going to be dragged around by their hair.” What: Age Of Transparency out now through Downtown / Create/ Control

Thy Art Is Murder The War On Religion By Natalie Rogers momentum. We watched them tour relentlessly, always putting on the best live show that they could, always investing in themselves. Parkway Drive made me believe that with hard work their level of success was achievable. “Sure, there were tours when they didn’t make much money because they were the support act, but they were growing their band worldwide and becoming a brand, whether they knew it or not. They just work very hard – it’s something that’s inspired us and we’ve seen the results for them first-hand internationally. They’re huge in Australia, but it’s not just Australia – it’s hugely impressive how massive Parkway Drive are in Europe. They just headlined a festival over there and played to over 60,000 people – they took the ball, they ran with it and they’re still going, and that’s what we’d like to do as well.”

015 has been a defining year for Sydney’s most talked-about deathcore band, Thy Art Is Murder. They found success both at home and overseas with the release of their third studio album, Holy War, but at the same time they’ve been forced to defend their decision to release a graphic video clip for the title track depicting decapitation and torture. “We hoped it would get a reaction,” says guitarist and band manager Andy Marsh. “Why bother saying something if you don’t intend for it to evoke a feeling? It was definitely a big motivation of ours to put across a strong message that we believe in. We feel that religion is a damaging force on society, and since given the chance to explain ourselves, I don’t think it’s been misinterpreted – maybe we have been, but not in

14 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

any negative light, to my knowledge. No-one is out there saying we’re racist or xenophobic, or hating on people for being who they are. “People make music for all sorts of reasons, but we come from a punk rock background. We’re into hardcore and message-based music – music that people enjoy and that puts forward a message is a powerful thing.” There’s no denying that the band, originally from Blacktown, has an exceptionally loyal fan base that continues to grow around the world. “I’m having meetings about booking the band into 2017 and that does my head in,” Marsh says. “Things are going really well for us at the moment, but to survive as a band these days you have to tour, so that’s what we do.”

Thy Art Is Murder are currently on the road with buddies Parkway Drive. “We get to bring super brutal death metal to the Parkway stage, which is fun,” says Marsh. “The last tour we did with them was their ten-year anniversary. For that they went back to their roots and did multiple nights in smaller venues, and now we get to go back on the road with them and play the really big ones, so that’ll be fun – and hopefully we can play some FIFA on Xbox backstage and see who’s the better video gamer,” he laughs. “We always hang out while we’re on tour and catch waves together.” Marsh says that aside from Thy Art Is Murder’s friendship with the Byron Bay five-piece, it’s their drive to succeed that unites both bands. “I’ve always really admired the work ethic of Parkway Drive. When we were starting out, they started picking up

Marsh is clearly a man on a mission. “I’m the band’s manager, and because we’re a DIY punk band playing death metal, we like to control everything,” he laughs. “We pick our own merchandise, we design our own artwork, book our own tours and choose our own supports – we do everything.” For their upcoming blink-and-you’llmiss-it headline tour, Thy Art Is Murder chose the supports wisely. “The most important thing for us is that we’re on the road with friends. Marinos Katsanevas, the guitarist from Feed Her To The Sharks, is our guitar tech most of the year. Lochlan Watt from Colossvs has been a friend of mine for as long as I’ve been involved in music, and I produced Aversions Crown’s record [Tyrant] that came out last year. We like what they do, even though a lot of our fans might not get into that style of music.

“Feed Her To The Sharks is very 2000s metalcore with some electro. Colossvs is more of an underground metal hardcore band, and then Aversions Crown – they’re the closest to us but they’ve got that spacey death metal element going on. We’re all friends, we always have a good time and we can’t wait to play some heavy music.” But don’t be fooled into thinking that heavy or hardcore music is all you’ll ever hear from Thy Art Is Murder. “Creatively, we have a fairly eclectic range of tastes between the five of us,” says Marsh. “Our other guitarist Sean [Delander] is into late-’90s or early-2000s rock bands like Incubus and the Deftones – those bands that meld funk, jazz and metal, nu-metal and rap. He loves a lot of that kind of stuff – music that has a broad range of influences itself. “I’m into more of the shreddy art metal bands and a lot of hardcore stuff. Lee [Stanton, drums] is into a lot of hardcore, which is no surprise because he’s such a fast drummer, and CJ [McMahon] is into a lot of vocally driven stuff – a lot of rap. [Faith No More’s] Mike Patton is frequently lauded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time, and he listens to a lot of dance music and very little metal. We have a big palette of colours to draw from.” What: Holy War out now through Nuclear Blast With: Feed Her To The Sharks, Colossvs, Aversions Crown Where: Factory Theatre When: Saturday October 17 And: Also supporting Parkway Drive at the Hordern Pavilion on Friday October 9 thebrag.com

The Beards’ Euro Tour Diary

ustralian music’s favourite bearded wonders, The Beards, have been at it for ten years. They’re set to celebrate the milestone with the Ten Long Years, One Long Beard anniversary tour of Australia – but first, they’ve been spreading the bearded gospel across Europe, where the beardy rockers came in contact with plenty of hirsute brethren. The Beards share with us their tour diary, starting with a particularly hairy time in Stockholm…

Cologne, Munich and Berlin, Germany By Facey McStubblington, guitar

It should be mentioned that these isolated cases of pogonophobia were the exception to the rule, and that the overwhelming majority of German people are fervently enthusiastic about beards, and don’t really give a shit about the responsible service of alcohol. But nevertheless, it’s pertinent to note that even in such a beard-friendly country, in such beard-friendly times, there are still detractors out there, plotting and praying for the demise of the mighty beard. Bearded people everywhere cannot afford to become complacent, for it is only through unwavering determination that the revolution will be won.

World Beard Day, Stockholm, Sweden By Nathaniel Beard, bass Sweden is one of the beardiest places in the world. For this reason, we thought it only fitting to kick off our ten-year anniversary tour with a massive show in Stockholm. To a bearded person, World Beard Day is the most important day of the calendar year, so it was with eager anticipation that we awoke in our downtown hotel room and breathed in the fresh World Beard Day air. A local beard club arranged a huge pre-gig party to mark this most sacred of beard-related public holidays, so we mobilised quickly and travelled to the event, where we were met by hordes of hirsute revellers ready for a heavily beard-themed day.

“I had said that I liked beards, Facey had misheard me and thought I’d said that I didn’t like beards, and he just reacted as any normal beard enthusiast would – by roundhousing me in the face.”

The only other incident that occurred came down to a simple case of miscommunication. Basically, a guy at one of our gigs said, “I have a beard”, I misheard him, thinking that he had said, “I hate a beard”, so I roundhouse kicked him in the face. Germany has a long and rich bearded heritage, and right now it has one of the most thriving beard scenes on the planet. Everywhere we went in this glorious bearded land, we witnessed unprecedented levels of sheer beard enthusiasm – however, even in this climate of extreme beard pride, discrimination reared its ugly head.

United Kingdom By Michael Helmstedt, the beardless roadie Life’s not easy being beardless, especially when your job is to be the roadie for a beard-themed totalitarian rock band. In this capacity I’ve been booed by beard-crazed audiences around the world, I’ve been worked to the bone for very little pay, and I’ve been treated with nothing less than utter disdain by my four bearded employers. So it was with a heavy heart that I agreed to my fourth international tour with The Beards.

In Cologne, for example, the operators of this giant, inflatable trampoline refused to let me on, stating that it was for “children aged under 15 only” and that I was “too old”. But I saw this for what it really was: blatant beard discrimination. Needless to say there was much drinking and celebrating, and the event was only marred by one incident in which Facey McStubblington delivered an expertly executed roundhouse kick to my face. What happened is I had said that I liked beards, Facey had misheard me and thought I’d said that I didn’t like beards, and he just reacted as any normal beard enthusiast would – by roundhousing me in the face. Thankfully the injuries I sustained weren’t too serious, and looking back on it, I consider it an honour to have been the recipient of such a graceful and powerfully delivered martial arts manoeuvre.

Most of the band members don’t even know my name. Nathaniel calls me Mark. John Beardman, Jr. calls me Morty. And Facey calls me Markel, which isn’t even a name. Johann Beardraven, the lead singer, doesn’t even seem to remember me at all, often introducing himself to me as if we’ve never met, even though I’ve worked for him for three-and-a-half years. By the time we got to England, my spirit was all but broken, and so was my nose after Facey McStubblington roundhouse kicked me in the face. This happened after I told him his beard looked great. Unfortunately he misheard me and thought I had said his beard looked fake. After that incident, the band invoked a policy whereby I was only to speak when directly spoken to. Gaffa tape was used to enforce this rule. So far, I’d sum this tour up as easily the worst experience of my life. Then in Munich, I was told that I couldn’t take part in a pony ride at the local fair. The people running the event told me that the pony ride was “only for people weighing less than 75kg” and that I was “too fat”. But I saw this for what it really was: blatant beard discrimination.

The bearded Swedes were full of energy and alcohol as we took to the stage, and we played an electric set filled with our patented high-energy pro-beard propaganda rock, encoring with crowd favourite ‘There’s Just Nothing Better Than A Beard’, which saw the packed audience join together in chorus as we brought World Beard Day 2015 to a thundering close. Later in the night, as per the local World Beard Day tradition, the attendees broke off into small mobs and marauded around the city with flaming torches, looting and pillaging the town as they deemed fit.

The prejudice could even be found in Berlin, where these clean-chinned bastards refused to even serve me a beer, citing “responsible service of alcohol laws” and claiming that I was “too drunk”. But I saw this for what it really was: blatant beard discrimination.

With: Dallas Frasca Where: Beach Road Hotel When: Friday October 23

BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 15

Lior Old Love Rekindled By Tex Miller

rom the outside, it’s hard to believe Autumn Flow, Lior Attar’s brilliant debut album, is ten years old. That said, it’s been an action-packed ten years, resulting in three more Lior LPs, various orchestral collaborations, stacks of international touring and a move from Sydney to Melbourne. Attar himself is well aware of the milestone, and over the next month he’ll be travelling around the country on a tenth anniversary tour. “It feels like it’s been ten years,” he says. “I guess the expected response is, ‘I can’t believe it’s been ten years,’ but a lot has happened since then in all facets of my life. The reason that I am doing this tour is that Autumn Flow was the beginning of this incredible journey and is what has allowed me to do all of these special things.” Shortly after his debut came out, Attar was driving back from a gig and feeling a little miserable, which is when he first heard his music on the radio. “That was right at the end of the launch tour that I did,” he says. “I just put out an album of songs that I really loved and I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was taking a band around and playing shows to no-one. I was feeling pretty down and out when I was driving home and I was absolutely stone broke. Triple j said [to listeners], ‘Tell us what you think,’ and due to the public response they then went on to feature the album. That was the beginning of touring nationally.”

Autumn Flow’s opening number, ‘This Old Love’, has become one of Lior’s most widely loved tracks. Pairing beautiful, sweeping strings with a simple band arrangement, it sounds just as interesting today as it did a decade ago. However, back when the song was written, Attar couldn’t have conceived the sort of acclaim it would go on to receive. “I wrote that around the time that I went to see Darren Hanlon, and he had all these gorgeous little packages of ideas that were presented in short songs,” Attar says. “I just wrote that as a song that was about coming out of the summer of youth and entering adulthood. It was almost by accident that it was received as a love song. It resonated with people because of that, and I guess I didn’t realise that at the time.” Those familiar with the kids’ TV show Giggle And Hoot may know that Attar has penned a few tracks for the program, including the APRA Award-winning ‘Hey Hootabelle’. Although it’s a step away from his regular gig, Attar says his involvement with the show has been extremely rewarding. “I was doing a tour back in 2009 called Shadows And Light, which was a collaboration with a visual artist. The producer of it came to me one night and floated the idea of writing a goodnight song. I’d never written any children’s songs before, and little did I know it would

become about the biggest show on the ABC. It’s probably the most successful thing I have ever done.” Lior’s touring schedule includes an appearance at this year’s Queenscliff Music Festival, taking place in Victoria during the last weekend of November. Along with its recognition of Autumn Flow’s

tenth birthday, his Queenscliff set will be especially signifi cant, given he played there in the early days of his career. “I didn’t really know too much about the Queenscliff Music Festival and I remember stepping out onto the stage solo and I had about 3,000 people in front of

me, and I was just terrifi ed. It’ll be great to get back there once again. I can’t wait to hit the stage with the band and play through this record from start to fi nish.” With: Domini Forster Where: Enmore Theatre When: Saturday October 10

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Going Swimming Piss-Taking Punk By Paul McBride play the newer stuff. Progressing as a band has felt pretty natural; we’re still enjoying it and having fun.” Not quite garage and not quite punk, Going Swimming might have invented a genre of their own: monster-punk. It’s a fitting description for not only the Goosebumpsinspired album cover and title, but the often ramshackle way they attack their music. “When you think of the word ‘punk’, I don’t think we fit that bill,” Leggatt says. “And we’ve played with a bunch of garage-punk bands, and sometimes we don’t fit that bill either. So we’re kind of our own little niche, and I think part of that is my vocals; I yell and do weird stuff. I like to try to riff on a working title and see if I can keep the working title as the final title. It’s not like I have a big scrapbook of heartfelt lyrics I want to put into song. That’s the fun part of it, just writing little ditties.” A quick glance over the Deadtime Stories tracklist reveals an additional level of humour with some creative and funny song titles. “‘Yoko, Oh No!’ was a tough one as it’s an instrumental,” Leggatt says. “That song has changed titles a million times. At some stage it was called something like ‘YOLO’, but we decided we can’t have that. ‘Cosmonauts And Crosses’ was a riff on the original title, which was something about being a cosmonaut. The lyrics are a bit messed up and all over the place; we almost wrote it as we recorded and I couldn’t get the lyrics right. We got really drunk one night and I just spat out the verses.”

elbourne monster-punk upstarts Going Swimming are on a mission, and it involves a heavy helping of the F-word, an excellent debut album and an upcoming national tour. Hold the language warning, though, as singer Nick Leggatt explains exactly what the F makes his band tick.

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The quartet has taken three years to get to the point of releasing an album, after Leggatt and guitarist Aswin Lakshman spent time in several bands together since meeting at school. Wanting to play music that better reflected the tunes they listened to, they formed Going Swimming with bassist Callan Trewenack and drummer Ben Barclay. The

result is the hot-off-the-press Deadtime Stories; a 12-track collection of raucous garage, surf and punk tracks, executed with a healthy dose of piss-taking posturing. “The four of us have all been in a lot more serious bands [with] longer songs [which were] a bit more wanky,” says Leggatt. “We thought it was time to put all our new songs into an album, and thought it wouldn’t take us very long, being a very no-fuss, lo-fi recording. We thought it would come together quicker than it did, but we got there in the end and we’re stoked to put it out and move on to

What: Deadtime Stories out now independently Where: Frankie’s Pizza When: Sunday October 18 xxx

“If you’re having fun, people have fun with you,” says Leggatt. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We try to play shows that we think are going to be fun, with bands we like; shows we think we would want to go to. And

I can’t see us [writing about] any subjects too hard-hitting or anything. One of the guys tracked a demo the other day that was about three-and-a-half minutes and we accused him of writing an epic.”

A national tour is locked in for October and November, so expect to be experiencing the F-word on a stage near you. “It’s that fun vibe,” Leggatt says. “We’re pretty loose onstage. We try not to be loose musically, but sometimes that works its way in. Our songs are short and sharp; we smash them out and pack as many songs as we can into a half-hour set. We want to leave them wanting more, so hopefully they’ll come to another show.”

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“I don’t like to explain too much. I don’t like to put quotes to my music, or other music as well. I kind of want [listeners] to be away from me, not so much me as them.”

Ali Barter Technicolour Dreaming By Adam Norris

Jaakko Eino Kalevi In The Zone By Adam Norris

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li Barter has made a name for herself the old-fashioned way. Over the course of two EPs – 2012’s Trip and 2014’s Community – coupled with a steady stream of national tours and pub residencies, Barter and band have won over audiences through sheer craft and perseverance. With her latest six-track release, AB-EP, she is once again hitting the road, showcasing her latest singles and demonstrating exactly why this triple j Unearthed winner is a name to watch. “I don’t know if I consciously think of keeping each gig unique,” Barter begins. She is speaking to us between shows; last night she supported Meg Mac, and in a few hours is set to do the whole thing over again. “I just want to go out and have fun. I think in that way it will be different every time. “If you go out wanting each gig to be a certain way, you’re gonna be disappointed, because it never works out the way you think it will. I think the main thing is I have a really awesome band, and we’ve learnt to say to each other before we go out, ‘Let’s rock hard, have fun, and if someone fucks up, well, then someone fucks up,’ and we get through it smiling. Or I’ll just get really angry, and none of them gets paid.” She laughs, and the image of the tyrant bandleader is instantly dispelled. Barter comes across as a genuine, down-to-earth singer, yet a great deal of her conversation is riddled with second-guessing herself. There is an unexpected blend of confidence and uncertainty as she reflects on the development of her music over the last few years, and while her music is hardly the stuff of wallowing despair, there are certainly shades of sadness and frustration that sit hidden in the shallows. Her latest single from the EP, ‘Blood’, is damned compelling, while the first single, ‘Hypercolour’, is deceptively layered.

“With ‘Hypercolour’, it was sort of the song that everyone we played it to – industry people, my manager, live crowds – it seemed the most different to what I’d done in the past. I think we always knew that ‘Hypercolour’ and ‘Blood’ would be the two singles. You think about a single, you want something that’s going to make an impact. Sometimes you just have a feeling about a song, and it’s something you can’t really explain. Other times you’ll sit with a song for so long, you just want them to be heard and you stop hearing them clearly.” She pauses. “Sometimes when people say, ‘What is that song about?’ I struggle to communicate it, and when somebody else explains it I’ll be like, ‘That’s it!’ With ‘Hypercolour’, no-one has ever said anything that I’m outright offended by. But I think that’s really the beauty of music. Someone can play a song, and they’ll hear something that’s relevant to them. “Sometimes, when I’m asked, I’ll say it’s about needing to shake the monkey from your back, finding some way to free yourself, but then sometimes I think about when the song was written. It came about in a really, really dark time. I didn’t feel any hypercolour in my life, any happiness. I was in a dark place, so the song came to be me projecting myself away from that. Projecting myself somewhere more beautiful, somewhere happier than where I was. So even for me, the song has different meanings.” Between the two singles there is a significant shift in intent, if not tone, and across the EP this broad palette is clearer still. While Barter’s strengths are growing with each release, she is still a young talent – there is a restlessness in her that is reflected in the music; a refusal to find comfort in the confines of one set sound. It is a facet of her songwriting that Barter freely acknowledges, and has become something celebrated by fans and critics alike.

“I think there’s beauty in different tastes, and that’s why I’m so glad I’ve done three EPs now. I’ve wanted to try different things, and I haven’t really wanted to lock down into any particular sound. I read reviews, and I do agree that I’m going from one extreme to another in some respects. But I think, at their core, all the songs are simple. They have great guitar, have great drums, they’re bound together in something we can recreate live. They’re all my songs – they’re real parts of me. “I really like the way these six stitch together. Sometimes when songs are written at a certain time, they’re fused together by something magical. Those six songs just go together – nothing else needed to be added.” Talk of where Barter sees herself today leads, of course, to where it all began. Many musicians claim not to recall the details of their first songwriting efforts, but in this instance the memory remains clear. “I wrote this song called ‘Friend Or Foe’,” Barter recalls. “I wrote it because I kissed a boy my best friend at the time liked. She got really angry with me, and I felt terrible. So I wrote this song, and it was so bad, but I went to her house and played it to her. It went, ‘Why, why, why, I don’t know / Why I want to be a friend and a foe’. Really shit lyrics, but it came from the heart.” She laughs. “That’s what counts, right?” With: AB-EP out now through Ronnie/MGM With: Ben Wright Smith Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Saturday October 10 And: Also appearing at Laneway Festival 2016, Sydney College of the Arts, Sunday February 7

hen Finland’s Jaakko Eino Kalevi answers the phone, he has just woken up, and his voice is still addled with sleep. His timbre is naturally sonorous, somewhat lethargic, and as our conversation unfolds it gets increasingly difficult to imagine him as someone other than a figure encountered in a dream. His sentences tend to drift unanchored around the meaning of his responses, and his laughter arrives at unexpected intervals. For a man who first came to attention with a debut EP entitled Dreamzone, I suppose I should have anticipated an enigmatic exchange. With the release of his eponymous LP back in June, Kalevi’s particular blend of baroque pop has begun to enchant a global audience, and his upcoming tour of Australia is poised to be the first international tour stop of many. Yet regardless of the audience, it remains his fervent hope that listeners should not be distracted by his own intentions in songs; his music is a soundscape that each person should chart on their own. “I kind of like [listeners] to be ignorant in a way. Not to be 100 per cent [sure]. I don’t like to explain too much. I don’t like to put quotes to my music, or other music as well. I kind of want them to be away from me, not so much me as them.” It is not Kalevi’s music alone that audiences should approach with healthy ignorance; ideally, he would see most music stripped of biography. The background clutter – the real-world genesis of lyrics, the process of recording, his aspirations for what comes next – is ideally absent from the appreciation of a song. While he takes great time and care in crafting each dream-dappled track, it is the preoccupations of an unknown audience that will ultimately decide its fate. “Sometimes it’s interesting [to know more], but usually it’s more fun to have your own meaning. I usually say that my music is experimental pop. Well… I think it’s a good start. It would interest me to check something like that out, and I guess eventually people would just hear the music and make up their own minds.” It is a fine sentiment – after all, if we happen to not like a song,

learning about the composer’s childhood is unlikely to change that. Still, Kalevi’s background is of interest, if only because of the unusual day job he found himself with while the music career was still in its fledgling days. As a tram driver in Helsinki, he was in an enviable position to chart the demographic of the city; piloting between the bustle of unknown lives, the intersection of characters and stories. “I noticed the same thing,” he agrees. “I haven’t been doing it in a while – I had a break from the job around two years ago. It’s nice, and it gives you a good view into the city, into the people. So many different kinds. But there is nothing directly in my music that comes from there. No tram songs. It wasn’t at all an anxious job, just the opposite really. Quiet and easy. I could put on music and listen while I drive around. I was making music before as well. But, you know, you have to work sometimes.” With his Australian tour kicking off on Friday (“Looking forward to Australia. I don’t really know. It seems like such a big and different world. I think it might be very English”), local audiences will get their first live opportunity to hear Kalevi’s world brought to life. Between vocals and dreamscapes, however, there is also the promise of his earliest musical love, the saxophone. As a self-taught player, it is a strangely eerie sound that he promises to demonstrate while in town. “I played it and thought it was quite easy. Easy to get started, but to be very good at it takes time. It’s very hard. Often it’s very cheesy, and I like more… well, sometimes I like that cheesy sound too, but I usually like more raw sound. Sometimes if you can play saxophone too well, it doesn’t sound as good. But most people seem to enjoy that, but me not so much. I like sound that is raw.” With: Jaakko Eino Kalevi out now through Domino/EMI With: Marco Vella, Phantastic Ferniture Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday October 10

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The Bon Scotts Let The Good Times Roll By Augustus Welby

olk-pop collective The Bon Scotts have just returned with the single ‘Good Times’. It’s the first taste of the Melbourne sextet’s fourth album, which is due early in the New Year. The group’s last LP, Modern Capitalism Gets Things Done, came out a mere 12 months ago, so it’s a slight surprise they’re already back with new music. However, for frontman Damien Sutton, the songs just kept coming.

The Bon Scotts haven’t always been quite so united. The two-year interval between their second and third

“We had someone from the band take over the management side of things and he became very strategic about how we needed to do everything – how we needed to make sure the hype was right and the timelines were right, all these different rules. After a year of all these rules we kind of hadn’t done anything and I hated it. We had a big talk and he ended up leaving the band because of it. “I don’t do The Bon Scotts for the business side of it. I do it because it’s fun and it’s everything I want to do. I can’t give a shit – no matter how many times people tell me I have to give a shit – whether timelines are right or whether we release at the wrong time. I just want to make music and have fun.” On that note, in typical Bon Scotts style, ‘Good Times’ is a lively folk number with an immediately

infectious vocal hook. However, despite the title, it’s not a celebration of all-out hedonism. The lyrics refer to “bad decisions” and feeling “fucked up”, and they were inspired by some fairly sobering real-life events. “In primary school, in first grade, our teacher said, ‘There’s this kid coming to our school who’s very small and he’s been bullied at his last school,’” Sutton says. “He was introduced to me, and I was told that I had to look after him for a little while. He was my best friend all the way through to year ten when he left school to do an apprenticeship. We kept very close afterwards, but he got into drugs a lot more than all of my other friends and his life spiralled out of control a little bit. Then I actually found out from my dad that he was stabbed in a conflict. It was heartbreaking because he was a really good friend, but it was also just so scary that my life was on that same trajectory and just the small decisions probably stopped me from going down that same path.

“But the song isn’t sad,” he adds. “The song doesn’t remember him like he was a fuck-up or anything like that. It remembers him in the way that I remember him, which is this guy who was kind of dumb at life, but very good at having fun and made my life very enjoyable and probably

shaped a lot of my opinions and attitudes on life.” Where: Frankie’s Pizza / Venue 505 When: Wednesday October 14 / Thursday October 15

Caligula’s Horse Get On Board By Augustus Welby and what kind of sound we were going to put together. So we looked at what were the previous album’s weaknesses or what we could do differently from that album. River’s End, just because it was a concept album, it was quite dark; it ended up quite dark-sounding, and we wanted to take a step forward from that. We wanted to be part of something that was a little more to do with sharing positivity and being part of a positive change.”

hen Caligula’s Horse released their debut LP Moments From Ephemeral City in April 2011, they were an unknown quantity. Not only was the band yet to play a gig, but the project had been in existence for just three or four months. Initially a union between guitarist/producer Sam Vallen and vocalist Jim Grey, the group’s expansion into a fully fledged five-piece was showcased on a second LP, The Tide, The Thief & River’s End, which arrived in October 2013.

concept album, which garnered international recognition for the Brisbane alt-prog outfit. In recent months, Caligula’s Horse have played alongside the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Opeth and The Ocean, and they’re now ready to unleash album number three, Bloom. Vallen and Grey remain the driving creative forces, and this time around they looked to brighten their stylistic outlook. “Sam and I have a really specific approach,” says Grey. “We wanted to have a very specific vision for what the band was going to do next

River’s End was a complex, sinister

Along with significantly boosting the band’s profile, River’s End was hailed as an accomplished artistic statement. In spite of this, Caligula’s Horse felt no compulsion to create something in the same vein. “I don’t particularly want to dwell on things that we’ve already done,” Grey says. “That’s not to say that we’re going to be bizarrely chopping and changing and like, ‘Next album’s just nothing but saxophones.’ We’re just writing the music that reflects where we’re at right now. I feel that this time around there’s an opportunity to

step into a completely different world and meet new people, as well as pleasing people that are already fans. I think it’s got something for everyone.” Caligula’s Horse haven’t abandoned the integration of progressive metal and classic rock that gained them attention in the first place, but Bloom contains gentler textures and ruminative moods, evoking thoughts of A Perfect Circle, The Smashing Pumpkins and Foo Fighters. “When we were writing one of the singles, Sam and I deliberately sat and listened to a whole bunch of Coldplay for a while,” Grey says. “Those guys write amazing choruses and really nice textured softer music, and we were going for that approach for one of these tracks. That was pretty much all we listened to for that week.” Despite its brooding atmosphere and increased accessibility, Bloom still contains moments of metallic heft and technical prowess. As Grey explains, the band members’

wide and varied influences are what produce the Caligula’s Horse signature. “Sam’s a big fan of stuff like Steely Dan, I studied classical and jazz voice as well – all of this stuff that we’ve been working on and performing over all the years is pretty well set in our minds. So if we take an approach, say for example on the song ‘Rust’, which is probably the most straightforward heavy song on the disc, it’s never going to come out sounding like Metallica. But we’ll take the approach, ‘Yeah, we’re going to write this heavy thing, but it’s always going to have those parts of us that are so quintessentially Caligula’s Horse attached,’ because that’s what we do without thinking.” What: Bloom out Friday October 16 through InsideOut Where: Supporting Tesseract at the Factory Theatre When: Thursday October 15

Queensrÿche Conditional Metal By Peter Hodgson

ueensrÿche in 2015 is a very different band to the Queensrÿche of, say, 2010. Now the split with vocalist Geoff Tate is well and truly in the past, the American prog metallers have released Condition Hüman, the second album to feature Todd La Torre at the mic. And if you liked Queensrÿche’s earlier, heavier material, you’ll love where they’re at now. Tate’s more artsy approach is gone, and in its place are pummelling riffs, majestic harmonies and virtuoso solos. It’s true that for a lot of fans, Tate and former guitarist Chris DeGarmo defined the band’s songwriting, but with both those guys now out of the picture we get to hear what the remaining original members – guitarist Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bass player Eddie Jackson – bring to the picture, along with La Torre and guitarist Parker Lundgren. It’s not like Wilton and co. have never written for the band before, of course, but now their writing is once again given the opportunity to thrive. “With this recording we had a little more time to spend on the songs 18 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

and we really brought more of the ingrained roots of our past, especially in my guitar playing,” says Wilton. “With the producer Chris ‘Zeuss’ Harris, we wanted to recapture that magic of how we used to record guitars and bring it into 2015. And I was more than willing, because that’s a great guitar sound, and that is me,” he laughs.

grows, and then you need to leave it alone and come back to it. It’s really important to have a break when you’re creating, because you need your mind to start hearing things. Once the notes start pouring into your mind as addendum to what you’ve been hearing, you can apply it like clay to a mould. And then it’s a matter of interpreting that on guitar.”

A big part of the Queensrÿche identity has always been the interplay between two contrasting guitar parts. It was crucial to the Wilton/DeGarmo chemistry, and it’s something that Wilton and Lundgren also pay special attention to. “I think it’s taking time with the arrangements and making them as interesting as possible and just really bringing the most that we can pack into a song, layer-wise, and just giving it the depth,” Wilton says. “And that layering, first and foremost, does that. It’s just a process we’ve always done over the years that has evolved from album to album.”

As for Wilton’s distinctive soloing style, even he finds it difficult to describe. “I can’t really pinpoint telling you what scale or mode I’m in – it’s more of an intuitive feel thing. I just hear the notes in my head and that’s how I interpret them. And I think as a technician I tend to balance the minor scales with diminished and augmented situations; a lot of harmonic minor, melodic minor and natural minor. And when you’re a guitar player it gets kind of mundane staying in those minor scales, so you throw in something major every now and then. It opens up the whole experience.”

Promised Land was one of the first to take advantage of that era’s new DIY-based digital recording technologies, with the band members working at home on ADAT recorders as well as together in a number of studios. For Condition Hüman, they streamlined the process (and also made it possible to lay down their heaviest guitar sound ever) by re-amping.

recording into there, and then we’d go into the main studio, import it and re-amplify it through the Marshall,” explains Wilton. “I’d never done that before, and I was amazed that you can do that. You can re-amp wherever you are – on hotels, on the bus, and as long as the performance is solid you can always go back and re-amp through your main rig.”

Queensrÿche have never shied away from innovative approaches to recording. Their 1994 album

“When vocals were being done in my studio, I’d be in another room with the session on my laptop,

What: Condition Hüman out now through Century

But as we all know, it all starts with a riff. “I’m sure you’ve heard that ten million times!” Wilton says. “But it all starts with a riff and the idea

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“I never really stop writing,” he says. “And we’re always playing shows, so I always want to have new material. It feels natural. If anything, the break in between Modern Capitalism and the previous album [2011’s We Will All Die At The Hands Of C.G.I] felt very unnatural to me. It feels a lot more natural to just finish recording an album and tour and then come home and start again. That’s just how I like to do stuff, and I think the band does as well.”

albums was the result of a tactical marketing plan, much to Sutton’s chagrin.

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Ainslie Wills Gold On The Ceiling By David James Young

he music of Ainslie Wills has always come from between a rock and a hard place – hell, before relocating to Melbourne, that’s literally where she was; growing up on the state borderline of AlburyWodonga. Her debut album, 2013’s You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine, may have been quiet and unassuming – coinciding, fittingly enough, with a quiet and unassuming manner of release – but Wills is (ahem) willing to flex her creative muscle a lot more these days. This alone is indicative from her latest effort, a six-track EP entitled Oh The Gold.

“I think a lot can change,” she says. “Your listening tastes are constantly changing and evolving. You’re listening to new records and get inspired to listen to new things. I think that’s the most important thing – to evolve from one project to another. You can get a cohesive sound together, and there can be elements of your sound that are recognisable. Musically, though, I want to explore as much as I can. There’s so much to play with and to be inspired by and to use in your own way. I think it’s high on the agenda to make music that represents that.” Oh The Gold was recorded at Grandma’s Place – no, not literally Wills’ grandmother’s home, but a studio on the outskirts of Brisbane in which she convened with multiinstrumentalist Lawrence Folvig and producer Matt Redlich. What came from these sessions reflected the growth and development Wills has undertaken as a songwriter over the two years since the release of You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine. Even so, the lengths to which it went surprised even her. “The first song on the EP, ‘Drive’, has got this kind of new wave ’80s vibe

to it,” she explains. “You think that’s the kind of EP that you’re in for, but then it immediately descends into the song ‘Hawaii’, which goes for something completely different. It’s a very broad collection, and I find it so liberating to not be limited by one style. There’s hopefully a little bit of variation and a point of difference. There’s a less folky vibe here – Matt’s contributions to the songs really helped make that leap. I always wanted it to be different from You Go Your Way, but the production choices helped steer that in the right direction. It’s much more of a reflection on who I am now.” When it came to the arrangements on Oh The Gold, there is a mix of shimmering guitar, layered harmonies and delicately woven patterns that don’t stay in the same place for too long. There’s very little time on the EP for things to get comfortable, and this explains its exciting, exploratory nature. Although Wills’ upcoming shows will feature a full band, expanding out to a quintet, there was an immediate group that worked on the sound of Oh The Gold. “Lawrence is talented enough to be able to play bass as well as he plays guitar,” Wills says. “That was his department. I sang all of the vocals and played the synth parts, plus any extra things that needed to be played. We brought in Arron [Light], our drummer, and he flew through the drums and percussion that we had to lay down. It would have been nice to have a full complement up there with us, but I liked the intimate affair of just having the four of us. It helped to get things done a lot more efficiently. Matt had a very immersed approach to how he produces – he essentially became like a fourth band member, and his insight was really useful.”

Despite some constants in her array – Folvig, in particular, being someone she has worked with for an incredibly long time – the music still solely bears the Ainslie Wills name. It’s suggested that having her own name adds a fluidity – just as people change, so too can the stylistic approach and the collective of musicians involved. Wills is inclined to agree. “The people in my band have always given their time to the music that I make so generously, and I think the world of them,” she says. “At the same time, though, it always seems to have worked better when I have an idea that I’ve spent demoing and

recording by myself and then be able to give it to them and have them do what they wish with it. I think the way it’s all set up now seems to really work for me.” Listeners will get their chance to hear the songs from Oh The Gold – as well as some older material – when Wills and her band play a string of launch shows later in the month, taking in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Although it’s a relatively small run of dates, Wills is a little nervous about returning to the stage. “I haven’t played one of my own shows since a residency I did back in June,” she says. “The last time

I was actually onstage was on the #1 Dads tour, and that wasn’t even my stuff – I was just singing on a couple of songs every night. It was pretty cruisy and a lot of fun, but I did miss playing my own songs. I’m trying to prepare a set that can do it all, with segues and a bit more of a performance element to it. Fingers crossed!” What: Oh The Gold out now independently With: Machine Age, Eleanor Dunlop Where: Newtown Social Club When: Thursday October 29

Editors Dreaming Of Scotland By Kelsey Berry in Scotland with next to no equipment,” says Lockey. “It worked out well with the character of the record, I think.” While In Dream may mark Editors’ fifth full-length, it is only the second album for Lockey and Elliott Williams, who were recruited by original members Tom Smith, Russell Leetch and Ed Lay after previous guitarist Chris Urbanowicz left in 2012. Instead of simply replacing Urbanowicz, the band decided to expand to a five-piece, bringing on Williams to help with keys, synths, backing vocals and guitar. “I think the initial reasoning behind it, and what I was told when I joined, was, ‘We don’t want to replace Chris,’ and I said, ‘Good, because I don’t want to play like Chris,’” Lockey says. “I think they always wanted to have an extra pair of hands onstage as well, in terms of keys and stuff, so we got Elliott too. I think it’s more about evolving the band and the sound instead of trying to emulate and continue in the way that they were previously.” In Dream sees Editors move in a different direction to their previous record, The Weight Of Your Love – one more in line with the electronic influence of their 2005 debut, The Back Room. Smith has explained the record is grounded in the belief that music can be “both pop and experimental” – a notion that is clearly evident in the brooding first salvo ‘No Harm’ right through to the seven-and-a-half-minute final track, ‘Marching Orders’.

A xx

rtists find inspiration in all sorts of places. For some, creativity may spur from past events – heartbreak, a new love, the loss of someone close. For others, inspiration comes from troubles deep within their mind. Some thrive off beauty, others from dreams, while some opt for extra supplements to enhance their creative capabilities. For UK rockers Editors, it was the picturesque Scottish town of Crear that provided the inspiration for their fifth album, In Dream.

“In Dream was a lot different from other albums, because we didn’t ever really set out to make 20 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

the record,” explains guitarist Justin Lockey. “We initially went to Scotland to write some songs and we took some minimal recording equipment with us. That turned into just making the record, so we made it by accident in a way.” Crear, an isolated artists’ retreat in the Western Highlands of Scotland, is more than 12 kilometres from the nearest town. “It was good to go from the really nice studio in Nashville, where we made the last record, to working on our own in the middle of nowhere

In a first for Editors, and perhaps as a way to extend their stay in Scotland, the band chose to produce the album themselves, before sending it off to Alan Moulder in London for mixing. For the visual side of things, Rahi Rezvani was given free reign for all videos and artworks. “Rahi is a total genius wizard – we all love what he does,” says Lockey. “When it came to doing the record, we thought it would be wise to leave him completely free to do what he wants artistically. Instead of going for a different director on each track and a different guy for the artwork, we just got him to do the whole thing. So far,

three videos and an album artwork later, he’s still totally killing it.” Following the release of In Dream, Editors are heading out on a European tour for the remainder of 2015 – although being on the road isn’t anything new for them, given their prolific touring schedule over the past few years. The Brits have played a bunch of festivals in their time, including a couple of headline slots – one of which offered an initiation by fire for Lockey and Williams. “The first proper show I played with Editors was to like 60,000 people,” explains Lockey. “Going from just hanging out and making left-field records to standing in front of 60,000 Belgians, all going crazy, all wanting to know where the previous guitarist was – I count that as one of the weirdest experiences of my life. There was a sudden moment of realisation when the lights went up and I couldn’t see the edge of the crowd. I remember thinking, ‘Oh shit, this is pretty big – maybe I should up my game a little, or just not fuck up’. So that was a good hour-and-a-half of me trying my best not to fuck up.” Those hoping to see the band on Australian shores will have to wait a little while yet, with no plans confirmed for the near future. If and when Editors do head down, Lockey may have to draw on the experience of his other bandmates when it comes to surviving the harsh Australian environment. “I’ve never been – I have a fear of animals that want to kill you and you as a nation hold the most animals that want to kill you out of anywhere in the world,” he laughs. “If you get to the sea you get eaten by sharks; if you go past the beach you’re gonna get eaten by a spider or snake. So you can only really stand on the beach to be safe, but I’m sure there’s something on the beach that will kill you as well – probably the extreme heat. Aside from all of the things that want to kill you, I’m totally keen to go.” What: In Dream out now through [PIAS]

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Marc Maron photo by David Broach

BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town

arts in focus

marc maron

the crown prince of podcasting

also inside:

JUST FOR LAUGHS GIVEAWAY / ARTS NEWS / ARTS REVIEWS / ARTS EXPOSED / CAIT JOHNSON thebrag.com

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arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild and Eden Gillespie

five minutes WITH

CAIT JOHNSON FROM LAUGH AGAINST LYME talent Cait Johnson, who tells us all about what’s in store. You’re appearing on the Laugh Against Lyme comedy showcase at The Laugh Stand – what can you tell us about the cause? I know a couple of people who have had Lyme disease and as far as I know it is quite misunderstood. I’m very glad I can contribute to this cause. In your experiences, is it true that laughter is the best medicine? It depends! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to laugh. It certainly has made me feel better in many situations!

raising much-needed funds for research into the debilitating Lyme disease. The lineup includes Andrew Barnett, Mark Williamson, Peter Meisel and the upcoming

The Laugh Stand is a Sydney institution – what does the venue mean to the local comedy scene? I think it is a place that comics

You often hear of comedians lying to people when they’re asked what they do for a living, if only to avoid being asked to tell a joke. What do you tell people you do for a living? I wish I could say I was a comic! I don’t earn enough to justify such a title. I tell people I’m “in insurance”. What’s on your schedule for the rest of the year? I have just finished a run at Sydney Fringe and am now doing spots in various venues round Sydney. I’m also planning a short trip to Melbourne to gig down there, too.

Just For Laughs Sydney is getting closer, and with such an impressive lineup of comedians to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. The Just For Laughs All Star Gala is back to ease the pain, though, putting all the best comics on one stage. This year’s Gala lineup includes Tommy Tiernan, Danny Bhoy, Stephen K Amos, Al Murray and some of our very own homegrown talents in Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson and Celia Pacquola. As usual, there’s a whole bunch of funny business Just For Laughs is stirring up throughout the festival – check out justforlaughssydney.com for more details. We have five double passes to give away to the Gala performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, kicking off at 9:30pm on Saturday October 24. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit. Danny Bhoy

Where: Laugh Against Lyme Where: Harold Park Hotel When: Friday October 16

WILLIAM STREET FESTIVAL

Everyday Nauru

JUST FOR LAUGHS ALL STAR GALA

Paddington’s William Street Festival is turning a lucky seven with its 2015 edition, coming to a William Street near you (well, specifi cally that one) next weekend. This annual celebration of the cosmopolitan ‘Paddo’ lifestyle will focus on the local cafés, restaurants, bars, stores and people, with a massive music and entertainment program to keep you on your toes all day and into the night. Taking advantage of a later closing time, 10pm, this year’s William Street Festival highlight is the Open Air Cinema, alongside a music program including DJ Jeremy Lewington and performer Jordan Millar across two separate stages. There’ll also be some 32 street retailers and 17 external vendors offering great deals on the day. Head to William Street between Oxford and Paddington Streets on Saturday October 17.

Xxx

he Laugh Stand, one of Sydney’s most famous comedy nights, is shaking up its weekly event at Harold Park Hotel with Laugh Against Lyme,

love to perform in because it is such a well established venue. It also has such a nice vibe!

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit Triptych photo by Peter Greig

arts in focus

free stuff

THE BARE ESSENTIALS

This month will see the opening of Virago Bare: The Woman, a celebration of the female naked body using black-and-white pastels on paper and canvas. Artist Naomi Brooker’s drawings are starkly realistic, exploring the contours of the body and the vulnerability and rawness of emotion of the women drawn. The show will run for a month and all artworks are available for purchase. There will also be $7 mojitos to sip on while you admire the artwork, and get a bit of a mid-week refreshment, thanks to small bar venue and host The Fox Hole. Virago Bare: The Woman will open on Wednesday October 14.

JIMMY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CARR

IMPRESSIONS OF AN ISLAND

While most Australians have heard of Nauru, very few of us have any idea about the Nauruan culture and way of life. Sally McInerney’s latest photo exhibition aims to bridge this gap in knowledge, by conveying through the traditional form of photodocumentary just what it looks like to live in Nauru. Not necessarily aiming to create political discussion, McInerney simply captures the everyday in order to portray a distinct culture that Australians too often associate with the negative. Nauru Diary: Impressions Of An Island is showing until Sunday October 11 at Paddington’s Janet Clayton Gallery.

Jimmy Carr will return to Australian shores early next year. A TV regular on the likes of 10 O’Clock Live, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Big Fat Quiz, Carr will make Australia the latest stop on his Funny Business tour, on which he’s currently performed over 200 dates around the United Kingdom. Over the course of his stand-up career he’s scored the British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand-Up and a Perrier Award nomination. Catch Carr at the State Theatre on Monday January 18 and Tuesday January 19.

A PREHISTORIC HALLOWEEN

The Australian Museum, as part of The Festivalists’ Jurassic Lounge series, will be hosting a Halloween party on Friday October 30. The night will give attendees the chance for an exclusive look into the museum after hours, including some of the newest additions to the Wild Planet Gallery exhibition. Entertainment will include a spooky silent disco, contortionists, live taxidermy demonstrations, horror make-up tutorials, talks from some of the museum’s leading scientists, and to top it all off, live roaming reptiles.

DEAD CENTRE/SEA WALL Brendan Grace

AN AUDIENCE WITH HIS GRACE

Ireland’s King of Comedy, Brendan Grace, will stop off in Sydney as part of his An Audience With His Grace Australian tour. With a career spanning 40 years in the comedy game, a number one hit and various acting roles, Dublin comedian Grace is one of family comedy’s greats. A master of timing and character portrayal, Grace’s latest performances feature both old and new material, with his legendary character Bottler now a show staple. An Audience With His Grace visits the State Theatre on Monday November 16.

ORLANDO BLOOMS AT STC

This November and December, the Sydney Theatre Company is presenting Orlando, the seminal 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf, bought to life by playwright Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Sarah Goodes, Orlando is inspired by the story of Woolf’s own affair with author Vita SackvilleRest, and is regarded as a piece of classic feminist literature. The STC cast includes Jacqueline McKenzie (Sex With Strangers, Children Of The Sun), John Gaden, Matthew Backer, Luisa Hastings Edge, Garth Holcombe and Anthony Taufa. Orlando runs from Monday November 9 – Saturday December 19 at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. xxx

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Leading indie theatre companies Red Stitch Actors Theatre and Red Line Productions are partnering up to present an exhilarating double bill production, Dead Centre|Sea Wall. The production is the combination of work by two established writers, Australian Tom Holloway and award-winning English playwright Simon Stephens. These vibrant and colourful companion monologues will take up residence at the Old Fitzroy Theatre during October and November, with Holloway’s Dead Centre making its world premiere. The show takes over the Old Fitz from Tuesday October 20 – Saturday November 14.

Orlando

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Marc Maron [COMEDY] Say What? By Emily Meller intimidating, as I have been a little out of my mind this past week in the lead-up to my talk with one of comedy’s finest practitioners. For a long time, critics have described Maron as a “comedian’s comedian”. Louis C.K., his longtime friend-slash-rival, has called him a “compelling and hilarious comedian-poet; truly one of the greatest of all time”. “Comedian’s comedian” is often code for “he’s funny, but you might not get it” – someone who has mastered the craft of comedy but hasn’t bothered to make it accessible to everyone else. Maron, then, is an exception of sorts – a comedian’s comedian who has figured out how to adapt his material for the mainstream. He’s coming to Sydney this month on his stand-up tour, Maronation – which he says he “knows, for a fact, is funny”.

Marc Maron photo by David Broach

“All the things I talk about in general will be covered: anger, cats, food issues, sex, relationships, Jesus, ice-cream… everything you need to know in life will be covered, except for sports, because I don’t know anything about that.”

arc Maron often talks about being a little out of his mind before an interview. Not media interviews, like the one we are about to have, but the hour-long instalments he produces for his immensely popular podcast, WTF.

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“I always freak out before I interview somebody,” he says. “I get really worried that I’m not going to have anything to talk about and then I have these amazing conversations.” This is both comforting and

Maron has been on the standup circuit for close to 30 years. Like many comics, though, he has found much of his popularity from projects that are offstage: his television series, Maron, and of course, WTF. It’s in the podcast, established in 2009, where his combination of neuroticism, sensitivity, anger, self-doubt and talent really finds its niche. He’s had hour-long, in-depth discussions with almost every

comedian, musician or other semifamous person you’ve ever wanted to hang out with – including C.K., Lena Dunham and Barack Obama. For those who’ve tuned in, one of the most striking parts of the conversations is how human the guests come across. That sounds obvious – people are people – but it’s not until you hear C.K. choke up or Obama discuss his insecurities that it really hits home. There are moments of silence that don’t get edited out, in which you can feel the emotion crackling through the speakers as Maron and his guest collect themselves to continue. This is not your average interviewing style, where both sides seem more concerned about how they’ll come off than being engaged in the moment. So how does he get people to be so comfortable speaking with him that they will dissolve into tears, despite being on a podcast that will be heard by thousands of people? “I don’t know,” he says. “It’s happened a few times. It’s some of those pretty beautiful moments. I don’t know what part I play in that or why it happens. I don’t have some magic thing that I do.” It turns out most of Maron’s guests aren’t exactly close friends of his. But that’s part of what keeps the show fresh, and surprising. “I don’t know most of the people that I talk to,” he says. “Most of them are double personalities. They’re always surprising, because they end up just being people with lives. I’ve never not been surprised one way or another, for better or for worse.”

It appears the secret is that there is no secret, which is slightly devastating in its own way. In terms of preparation, more about Maron’s interviewing process and style will be revealed in an upcoming show made for VICE that tracks his progression from research to final interview, and the aftermath. But given the interviews last for over an hour, presumably it takes quite a lot of work to get ready? Well, not exactly. “I try to get an idea of who they are and where I think I want to go with the conversation. I don’t overprepare for anything. I don’t think I do.” But the podcast is really only one part of what Maron does. Despite all his branching out, as Maron says on his website: “All I ever wanted to be, and what I am now, is a stand-up comic.” This is good news for those who want to see the New Jersey artist in arguably his most authentic incarnation – onstage, angry and raw. In particular, he has been known to be fairly abrasive towards hecklers at his live set. The best part is that it’s not a stage persona – Maron just gets angry and lets rip. But things have calmed down, at least from his perspective. “I was in a different place in my life [before now],” he says. “Some of that stuff has settled down. I’m always a little prickly, but I’m pretty grounded now and pretty excited to be out onstage.” Where: State Theatre When: Thursday October 15

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film reviews

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

Hits and misses on the silver screen around town

■ Film

THE LOBSTER

s someone who lives in Petersham, works in Camperdown, and socialises largely on King Street, I’m a pretty firm advocate for the Inner West bubble. Having grown up in the country, I’m grateful for the safety my bubble brings, and the community I share it with.

The Lobster

In cinemas Thursday October 22 After watching Yorgos Lanthimos’ film Dogtooth, a weird pall hangs over the viewer. It’s a surreal experience, and an uncomfortable one at that. At first, it seems Lanthimos has shrugged off the arthouse in favour of the hilarious with his follow-up, The Lobster, but the film eventually slides into a similar black pit of absurdity and pain. David (Colin Farrell) is single, and that’s not OK. After divorcing his wife, he is taken to The Hotel, where he is expected to fall in love within 45 days or be turned into an animal of his choice. It’s a wonderfully absurd concept, executed with perfect tone. The first hour of the film evokes Wes Anderson’s awkward, stilted characters in the best possible way, and had this viewer howling with laughter. The hotel manager, BBC royalty Olivia Colman, is an absolute delight as she icily presides over the whole sordid business. Lensed by Dogtooth cine Thimios Bakatakis, it’s also a treat for the eyes. Each frame in the wild has some new exotic creature stalking through it with perfect comic timing, and the chase scenes – in which hotel guests hunt ‘Loners’ with tranquiliser guns – recall (and parody) Lars von Trier’s most beautiful slow-motion sequences. However, it’s the dialogue and consistency of the performances that really sell this film. Even putting American and British comics side by side (like John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw) shows no disparity. Everyone is

absolutely committed to this world, and well they should be, given just how funny it is. Farrell is also a perfect foil; an everyman of discomfortingly beige character. But therein lies the rub – beige gives way to black, and the darkness of the world cannot be contained. As the play shifts into its second act, it bursts out in full force, repeating some of the brutish, alienating scenes of violence from Dogtooth. Suddenly the lengthy pacing of each set piece feels not comic but oppressive, and the tone shifts from absurd to abject. In and of itself, it’s an admirable shift, but it’s hard not to wonder what could have happened had the action remained in the hotel – there’s more to this wondrous, hilarious, haunting facility whose rituals go unexplored. We’re grateful for the mysteries of the Animal Transformation Room to remain obfuscated, but saddened not to see more of the ridiculous couples’ activities. Despite suffering from pacing issues and an unwieldy sense of despair, The Lobster is a unique and interesting creature in a world full of boring old dogs. David Molloy

how we should view the Krays – magnetic, authoritative and, ultimately, frightening.

Legend ■ Film

LEGEND In cinemas Thursday October 15 Who does this Tom Hardy fella think he is? He’s hogging all the handsome, eating everyone’s protein, taking the lead roles in every second blockbuster, and now he’s playing the supporting role to… himself? Yep, selfish ol’ Tom is everyone in Legend, and he’s just about the only guy around who could actually pull it off. Reggie Kray (Hardy) and Ronnie Kray (Hardy) are known to everyone in Bethnal Green as gangsters, including the local police. With Reggie’s charm and Ronnie’s psychotic tendencies, the brothers are well placed to take what they want, when they want. And Reggie Kray wants two things: Frances (Emily Browning) and London. Writer/director Brian Helgeland is best known for his Oscar-winning screenwriting, and he’s on great form here. The dialogue is sharp and sweary, and the narration from Browning makes her an excellent cipher for

Helgeland’s direction is sharpest when he doesn’t pull punches, and that’s literal in this film. The fight scenes are brutally raw, as well they should be. The veneer that Reggie carefully maintains cannot hide his urge to violence, and Ronnie… well, there’s no veneer for him.

But not every queer can live in the increasingly expensive and gentrified space between Redfern and Ashfield. Aside from the fact there just wouldn’t be enough room (maybe if we all invested in bunk beds and had some serious overcrowding happening), not all of us have the luxury of being able to afford the inner city location, or work in sectors that mean we can live in the Inner West with a minimal commute – and of course, there are those of us who simply don’t want to. The danger of my insulated bubble, love it though I do, is that it tends to neglect anyone outside of it. It’s easy to forget about rampant homophobia when you can kiss your girlfriend at the bus stop. But it’s also easy to invent a myth of the outside world. Is rural Australia really as homophobic as some of us invent it to be? Surely a lot has changed since Priscilla. Certainly, when I leave my bubble, I can feel the stares, see the looks of shock or derision. But am I inventing them, based on the idea in my head that nowhere is safe outside my bubble? It’s possible that people are just staring at me because I’m different, but not because they hate that difference. I don’t know the answer to this. But you shouldn’t listen to me anyway. I live, work and love inside the bubble. I don’t really know what happens outside it. And that brings me to who else we forget when we live in our bubble: the queers who don’t. All over Australia, there are queers, individually or in communities, who don’t have their inner city bubble. We should be listening to them to dispel or confirm

myths of rural Australia. And we should be supporting them, so that the rest of Australia realises the LGBTQIA community is more than just Newtown and Mardi Gras. Visibility is the key to tolerance, which is why pride festivals outside of Mardi Gras are so important to promoting the presence of rural queers. Over the last few weeks we had Parramatta Pride and Darwin Pride, to name a few. Alice Springs held a festival in late July, while Coffs Harbour’s CoastOut, which celebrated its fifth year last year, is sadly not running in 2015. Broken Heel, Broken Hill’s celebration of The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, also took place a few weeks ago. It’s easy to get Mardi Gras tunnel vision, blinded by the fairy lights and glitter. But these smaller festivals need support so the communities outside the bubble can be seen, heard, and then tolerated. One of the things I love about the queer community is its diversity. And that extends beyond our diversity of sexuality or gender expression, to every kind of diversity. The different jobs, education, families, class, race, locations, political views and life philosophies we have. We’re united by our connection to the LGBTQIA acronym, but different in a lot of other ways. Recognising that our diversity stems from more than just our sexual or gender difference helps to remind me that we’re not all segregated into the (mostly white, mostly middle class) Inner West bubble. And we don’t have to be. We can still party in Darwin.

this week… Cyndi Darnell

It’s a towering performance from Hardy, who realizes both of the Krays as distinct, motivated individuals superbly grounded in their world. Helgeland’s rendering of 1960s London’s East End will have you longing for lemon sherbets and lounge singers. As for Browning, she is as ever a convincing and appealing foil, matched by a barely recognisable Christopher Eccleston as obsessive detective Nipper and a solid supporting cast.

To add to the extensive list of things to do on Friday night, the Red Rattler is hosting the launch of the new network Sydney Queer Wom*n Of Colour with a screening of the short fi lm Vow Of Silence, followed by a Q&A with director Be Steadwell.

The film winds towards what seems an inevitable conclusion, throwing in a curveball here and there to keep you on your toes, but the urgency drains from the film’s last quarter. It’s a shame not to see the film make a strong finish. Regardless, this sits aside Mad Max as yet another hallowed step on the upward climb of Tom Hardy’s career. The best possible outcome for the awards season would be that he is nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Universe, do your thing. David Molloy

Chalk

Arts Exposed

After you’ve been [re-] educated, head over to Hermann’s Bar for Girlthing. It’s a brand new location, but with all the old favourites: Old Mate, Catlyf, The Gatling Gun and the regular Girlthing DJs.

On Friday October 9, Claude, ACON’s adventurous women project, is hosting The Atlas of Erotic Anatomy at the ACON offices in Surry Hills. Featuring sex therapist and educator Cyndi Darnell, the event will screen two educational fi lms, Vulvapalooza and Butt: That’s Not All, before a Q&A session.

Saturday October 10 sees the return of Swagger to Arq, and this time it’s a boy bands versus girl groups party. They’re pitting it as a Backstreet Boys versus Destiny’s Child contest, but to me that one is a no-brainer. Vow Of Silence

What's in our diary...

Queen Victoria Building, Saturday October 10 Chalk is making a comeback this week at Chalk, an event where you have permission to dust up the city and make your mark on the sidewalk. But this won’t be like the chalk your teacher used to scribble words on the blackboard, as artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla’s chalk comes in life-sized sticks. The event is being held in conjunction with the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Art & About Sydney. Head down to the QVB Forecourt on Saturday from 9am-4pm, and chalk up something special. For more details, visit artandabout.com.au.

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THE BRAG ♥s MARKETS GUIDE

Here at the BRAG, we just can’t get enough of Sydney’s market scene. The sun is out and the stalls are ready for the taking, so our regular market wrap-up is back with even more of our hot tips for boutique and bargain shopping around town. Let the organisers behind some great Sydney markets talk you through what to expect…

Speciality: Sydney Produce Market is the largest fresh fruit and vegetable wholesale market in Australia and one of the largest in the world, occupying four buildings at the Sydney Markets site. It is home to over 120 fresh produce wholesalers. The crowd: The Produce Market caters primarily to professional buyers from supermarkets, restaurants and greengrocers but it is also open to the public. What’s the fuel? There are multiple cafés onsite located near the buildings that make up the Produce Market.

Stallholder info: Contact our property officer on (02) 9325 6204. Where: Sydney Markets, A, B, C and E Sheds, Austin Avenue, Homebush West.

When: All year round, Monday – Friday 6am-12pm (most trading happens before 9am). More: sydneymarkets.com.au

Speciality: The Sydney Flower Market is Australia’s largest market for fresh cut flowers. There are around 170 traders, all of whom are flower growers with farms all around the state. Thanks to the range of climates that can be found in New South Wales, many of the flowers for sale are locally grown. As well as fresh cut flowers, you can find potted plants and florist supplies such as ribbon, wrapping, foam and other sundries. The crowd: The Flower Market’s traders mainly supply florists in the Sydney area, regional NSW

Speciality:

Speciality: The Growers Market is Sydney Markets’ very own farmers’ market, providing a daily outlet for growers to sell their own fruit, vegetables and herbs grown and harvested on their farms within the Sydney area. Almost 400 growers within the Sydney basin travel here to market their produce on a daily basis. It is a one-stop shop for buyers to compare prices and products and trade in an open, competitive market. The crowd: Commercial buyers (for example, from restaurants

and the ACT, but the market is also open to the general public. Find a bargain: The Flower Market is the place to go for buying in bulk, and with the number of growers trading in the market, you’ll be spoilt for choice, so do a lap before you start buying to see what’s available. Come early for the best selection. For $10 you could nab a bunch of your favourite blooms. The smiles and banter are free! What’s the fuel? There are multiple cafés onsite at Sydney Markets Flemington, including a few near the Flower Market.

bargain-hunters and families,

Find a bargain: Walk around to visit and talk to multiple growers before you start buying. What’s the fuel? There are multiple cafés onsite close to the Growers Market.

Where: Sydney Markets, D Shed, Austin Avenue, Homebush West.

Where: Sydney Markets, Building F, Austin Avenue, Homebush West. When: All year round, Monday – Saturday 5-11am (most trading happens before 9am). More: sydneymarkets.com.au

What’s the fuel? Food and drink vendors can be found throughout Paddy’s Haymarket, and in the dedicated food court area at Paddy’s Flemington. Stallholder info: Call our property officer on (02) 9325 6204 (9am-4:30pm, Monday – Friday), or fill out an enquiry form online.

and cafés), and foodie bargain-hunters.

Stallholder info: Contact our property officer on (02) 9325 6204.

Stallholder info: All traders in the Sydney Flower Market must be flower growers. For information contact our property officer on (02) 9325 6204.

When: All year round, Monday – Friday 6-10:30am (most trading happens before 9am). More: sydneymarkets.com.au

There are around 1,000 stalls at each of the Paddy’s locations (Haymarket and Flemington). There’s always a huge range of fresh fruit and vegetables to be found, as well as seafood, meats, deli and smallgoods. Once the food shopping is done, you can find just about anything else with stallholders selling a variety of goods including souvenirs, watches, jewellery, clothing, shoes, leather goods, bags and luggage, sunglasses, cosmetics, mobile phone accessories, art, crafts, specialty teas, homewares and much more. For that flea market vibe, check out Paddy’s Swap and Sell Market at Flemington on Saturdays.

with cooking demonstrations and kids’ entertainment taking place regularly. Find a bargain: There’s a lot to see at both Paddy’s locations – give yourself time to walk around so you can see what’s available. Don’t forget to check out the Paddy’s App for special offers and promotions. $10 goes a long way – we’d stock up on some fresh fruit to snack on while we shop!

Where: Paddy’s Haymarket, Market City, cnr Hay and Thomas Streets, Sydney. Paddy’s Flemington, Sydney Markets, 250-318 Parramatta Road, Homebush West. When: Paddy’s Haymarket: Wednesday – Sunday 10am-6pm (closed on public holidays). Paddy’s Flemington: Friday 10am-4:30pm, Saturday (Fresh Food) 6am-2pm, Sunday 9am-4:30pm (closed on public holidays). More: paddysmarket.com.au

The crowd: On any given day you’ll see all sorts of people in the markets – young, old and everything in between. It’s a great place for local shoppers, tourists,

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 25

BARS BRAG

A Work In Progress 50 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri noon-2am Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm The Attic 275 Pitt St, Sydney CBD (02) 9284 1200 Mon – Fri 11am-1am; Saturday 5pm-1am

Assembly 488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon – Tue 5-11pm; Wed – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight Balcony Bar 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD

(02) 9299 3526 Mon 5pm - late; Tue – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight BAR100 100 George St, The Rocks (02) 8070 9311 Mon – Thu noon-late; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-midnight Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4712 Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm

The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed, Sat 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Fri 3pm-midnight The Baxter Inn Basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-1am Bondy’s L1, 16 Philip Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9251 2347 Thu – Fri 5pm-late; Sat 5pm-late

CAFÉ LOUNGE

Frankie’s Pizza 50 Hunter St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-3am; Sat – Sun 4pm-3am Gilt Lounge 49 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 0000 Wed 6pm-midnight; Thu & Sat 6pm-2am; Fri 5pm-2am The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am

bar bar

ADDRESS: 277 GOULBURN ST, SURRY HILLS EMAIL: BOOKING@CAFELOUNGE.COM.AU WEBSITE: CAFELOUNGE.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: MON – THU 5PM-MIDNIGHT; FRI – SAT 4PM-MIDNIGHT; SUN 4-10PM

deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri 11.30am-11.30pm; Sat 5.30-11.30pm

B R A G ’ S G U I D E T O S Y D N E Y ’ S B E S T WAT E R I N G H O L E S

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 2345 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

Tell us about your bar: With over 13 years of history, Café Lounge has become the place for comedy, live shows, great food offerings and good times in Surry Hills. The look is eclectic, with years of history adorning the walls.

What’s on the menu? Our delicious pizzas are named after famous musos and actors. Try a Chozzy Osbourne (chorizo with caramelised onion), a Mozzarella Fitzgerald (mozzarella cheese, basil and cherry tomato) or a Mushrooma Thurman

(shrooms and truffle oil). Care for a drink? We have a great selection of bottled and local craft tap beers on rotation. For cocktails, try a Kiwi Lovechair or The Lychee Holiday, which has returned in time for summer. All cocktails are $10 during Friday Happy Hours. We’re including more local boutique spirits with some of the amazing gins Australia’s producing these days. Sounds: Folkswagon is our Wednesday free live music night run by passionate music lovers, featuring indie- and folk-style acts who always finish with a swagalicious cover. It starts at 7pm and entry is free. Highlights: Café Lounge has always been a top spot in Surry Hills to unwind with friends after a long working week. Our new courtyard is a great place to chill with a cocktail jug and friends. With some of Sydney’s best DJs playing on Fridays and Saturdays, there’s often a table getting moved to make way for a dancefloor.

26 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

The Comedy Lounge (every Monday) just saw its fourth birthday – the night has seen solid weekly crowds with the amazing pool of local talent we have on offer, and we often have a top international headliner drop in. Sunday Comedy is newer and taking off fast – every Sunday is the John Conway Tonight show. The bill comes to: We’re focused on creating great burgers, so our new burgers are all $12 with wedges on Thursdays. Try the Deep South – Southern-style chicken with smoky cheese and sauce, jalapeños and slaw. The Truffalo Soldier for the vegos has a field mushroom with bocconcini, tomato, rocket, basil pesto and truffle mayo. The Angus beef cheeseburger uses our house-ground Angus beef pattie with pickled zucchini and our own secret burger sauce. We’re currently taking bookings for Christmas parties and birthday dinners (groups of ten or more get a free bottle of sparkling) – email booking@cafelounge. com.au.

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 0421 001 474 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 3000 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 Basement, 60 Park 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

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 noon-midnight; 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 Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-late; Sun 11am-3pm Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point 0432 241 556 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am

Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9319 5061 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm 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 Hotel 42-50 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 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 Dead Ringer 413 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3560 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm 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 noon1am; Sun noon-10pm 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 Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Mon - Sun 11am-9pm 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 thebrag.com

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK Pour it in your mouth-hole... (responsibly).

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

CLOVER CLUB Clover Club photo by Saskia Wilson

@ GOLDEN AGE CINEMA & BAR, 80 COMMONWEALTH ST, SURRY HILLS

The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm

Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4pm-10pm

Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm

Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat: noon-midnight; Sun: noon-10pm

Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-3.30am; Sun 11am-11.30pm

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

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 noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Glass: Champagne coupette

Best drunk with: A Director’s Cut cheese plate with Stracco di Capra goat’s milk cheese. During: The height of springtime. While wearing: Iris Apfel-style bug-eye glasses and ropes of chunky necklaces. And listening to: The spooky soundtrack to Suspiria by Italian band Goblin.

Garnish: None

More: ourgoldenage.com.au

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight

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 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 noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-11pm thebrag.com

Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0410 470 250 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; 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 Peekaboo 120 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo 0403 747 788 Mon – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm – 12am 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 Powder Keg 7 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 8354 0980 Wed 5pm-1am; Thu 5pm-2am; Fri – Sat 4pm-2.30am; Sun 1pm-midnight

Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late & Fri noon-3pm

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 Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight

The Robin Hood Hotel 203 Bronte Rd, Waverley (02) 9389 3477 Mon - Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-10pm

Method: Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, add ice, shake again, double strain

The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington 0424 034 020 Wed – Fri 3pm-late; Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm

The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Tue – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

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

Origins: Named for the Philadelphia Men’s Club of the same name, which met in the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, the Clover Club dates back pre-Prohibition era to 1896. It was described as a drink suited to a “distinguished patron of the oak-panelled lounge”, in which the club met (sounds like Golden Age!).

Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm

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

5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 11.30am-midnight; Sun 11:30am-10pm

Mr Moustache 75-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach (02) 9300 8892 Mon – Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon10pm

Ingredients: • gin • lemon • raspberry syrup • egg white

The Hazy Rose 1/83 Stanley St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 5036 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm

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

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

Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6pm-midnight

The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8084 0758 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm

The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon - midnight; Sun noon - 10pm

Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Blacksheep 256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm

The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm

Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0403 621 585 Mon – Sun 1am-11pm Soho In Balmain 358 Darling St, Balmain 0407 525 208 Tue – Sun 5pm-midnight

Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri noon-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm Wilhelmina’s Liquid and Larder 332 Darling St Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Tues – Fri 5pm - late; Sat – Sun 8am - late The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Thu – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-late ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-12am

Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point 0423 203 119 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Rosie Campbell’s 320 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 8356 9120 Mon 5pm-midnight: Tue – Sun 4pm-midnight

The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noon-midnight

Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon, Wed – Thu 5pm-late; Fri – Sat noon-late; Sun noon-10pm

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Tue – Fri 4.30pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late

The Chip Off The Old Block 3 Little Queen Street, Chippendale (02) 9318 0815 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm

The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight

Alberts Bar 100 Mount St, North Sydney (02) 9955 9097 Mon – Wed 11.30am-10pm; Thu 11.30am-11pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight

Bat Country. 32 St Pauls St in Randwick (@ The Spot) (02) 9398 6694 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm

Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Sat 10am-late

Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 2pm-10pm

Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri 4-11.30pm; Sat noon11pm; Sun noon-10pm

Beach Road Hotel 71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 7247 Mon – Sat noon-1am; Sun 11am-10pm

Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0405 671 002 Tue – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 1pm-10pm

Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon 9am-6pm; Tues – Fri 9am-8pm; Sat 10am-8pm

Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8084 8185 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

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

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

Raven’s Eye 127 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 6429 Mon – Thu

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 noon-midnight 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

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

Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight

Zigi’s Wine And Cheese Bar 86 Abercrombie St, Chippendale (02) 9699 4222 Tue 4pm-10pm; Wed – Sat 2pm-late

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

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag. com Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm InSitu 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm 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 The Local Bar 6/8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-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 noon-1am; Fri – Sat noon- 2am; Sun noon-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 BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 27

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK JULIA HOLTER

Holter has created something of a Frankenstein ambient-jazz-pop concoction. Mix Talk Talk, Sade and Twin Peaks-era Julee Cruise and you get an approximation of what Holter has accomplished.

Have You In My Wilderness Domino/EMI

Julia Holter hasn’t so much sold out as sold us on her singular brilliance.

CHVRCHES Every Open Eye Liberator

Chvrches aren’t exactly known for variation in their signature sound. Where their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe was a solid first release, establishing their synthbased melodies and electric vocals, Every Open Eye proves they’ve still got great songs left in them – yet it doesn’t step too far away from the Chvrches sound we know and love. The opening two tracks, ‘Never Ending Circles’ and ‘Leave A Trace’, sound like they’re leading a charge, with Lauren Mayberry’s defiant vocals at the fore. It’s a strong introduction to the album, and from there it doesn’t falter. ‘Make Them Gold’ stands out instantly – a touching anthem with a racing beat and synths that evoke nostalgia and emotion. Martin Doherty takes the reigns in ‘High Enough To Carry You Over’, which provides a nice segue to the slightly darker second half of the album. ‘Down Side Of Me’ and ‘Afterglow’ take things down a notch, slowing the energetic beats to ballads, with soaring yet controlled vocals from Mayberry. Every Open Eye is filled with uplifting, impressive and catchy tracks, but it doesn’t break the Chvrches formula, so it can sound repetitive and simple at surface level. Nonetheless, it’s an enjoyable listen – but perhaps not meant to be consumed in one sitting. Erin Rooney

Beginning with the nostalgic ‘Feel You’, one immediately notices an increased accessibility and pop feel to Holter’s material. Thankfully, her music hasn’t moved into mainstream radio territory. Instead,

Though it’s her most immediate release, the songs aren’t straightforward. Where they end up is far removed from where they begin. The instruments – from drums to bass to strings – don’t play to serve the song. Rather, they each perform their own composed musical vignette that Holter has fit together like the perfect puzzle. Her voice serves as the anchor, with each song having innumerable hook lines that imbue what appear as lyrical non sequiturs with all manner of meaning. Holter has matched her trademark dazzling music with melodies that could conceivably be

Strained Conversations Independent

28 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

Leonardo Silvestrini

RYAN ADAMS

SLUM SOCIABLE

Age Of Transparency Downtown / Create/Control

1989 Pax-Am/Sony

TQ Liberation

2013 saw Arthur Ashin, better known as Autre Ne Veut, release his selfproduced second album Anxiety to critical acclaim. His latest effort, Age Of Transparency, looks set to follow that lead with some seriously strong production, again by Ashin himself.

Alternative music has long indulged in the ironic Top 40 cover. So naturally there was great novelty in Ryan Adams announcing his intentions to cover Taylor Swift’s 1989 in full. But make no mistake; this is not a project that is fuelled by irony, but rather passion.

Slum Sociable, the boys from the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc, have been described as creating their own brand of “lo-fi-jazz-hop”. But what does it mean? Just imagine the likes of Big Scary crossed with the vocals of Jarryd James. Sort of.

Many of the production techniques that made Anxiety the success that it was have been re-used – think warped electronic jazz meets R&B, with some seriously soul-baring vocals. On first listen, Age Of Transparency comes across a little harsh, but stick with it – your ear drums will warm to it. Ashin has delivered the whole package here, launching an interactive companion website at TheAgeOfTransparency. com, complementing the concept of the album – the exploration of the difficulties in making personal connections in the impersonal era that we inhabit.

Adams has taken the biggest pop album of 2014, stripped it right back, and attacked it like it’s Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. 1989 was Swift definitively stepping away from the acoustic guitars and countrytinged instrumentation, but Adams has brought these songs right back into that field. Top 40 bangers have been reworked into slow ballads, spearheaded by acoustic guitars and Adams’ distinctive voice. The songs are certainly sparser though his interpretations, allowing the lyrics to spill forward as they tell tales of love, heartbreak and self-discovery.

This debut EP certainly blurs the line between several genres with its hip-hop-esque drumming and murky synth work. It comes as no surprise that Big Scary’s Tom Iansek is involved in the top-notch production.

The beauty of this album is that the concept actually shines through into the music itself – moments of absolute rarity give listeners access into Ashin’s world, conveying his hardships. It is in this way that Ashin uses his skills in genre-bending to their greatest potential.

Opening track ‘Welcome To New York’ is a love letter to The Boss, while ‘Blank Space’ sees Adams test out some falsetto alongside fingerpicked guitar and strings. Yet while these covers are well done, they’re disorganised. It all lacks the flow and fully formed vision of Swift’s original.

This is the kind of record that really needs a few listens before all of its elements can really be appreciated, but is absolutely worth it.

‘Real Music’ purists will insist these renditions are a vast improvement on the original. But this album only works because the source material is so strong.

If you’re looking for some easy listening background music for doing the crossword of a Sunday morning, then TQ is your jam.

Tegan Reeves

Spencer Scott

Tegan Reeves

AUTRE NE VEUT

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

THE ADELAIDE CROWS

whistled. It’s ostensibly a sell-out record – what a magnificent sell-out it is.

“Why don’t you barrack for the Crows?” It was an indignant rebuke masquerading as a question of football allegiance, delivered in the late 1990s by an old Adelaide friend whom I’d not seen since leaving high school a decade earlier, and provoked by my declaration that I didn’t support the first AFL team to come from my city of birth. “I don’t like their style of play – their jumper sucks, plus, blind parochialism really shits me,” was my defiant response. At that point it was, not surprisingly, a very strained conversation. But had it taken place now, I would’ve said I did like The Adelaide Crows – the Melbournebased band, not the footy team. In the opening track on their EP, ‘Little

Heart’, Twerps meet The Pogues, while ‘New Start’ strolls laconically around the streets to the groove of The Go-Betweens, trying to shed the skin of suffocating routine in the search for cerebral inspiration. Fittingly, the EP ends with ‘The End’, a marriage of harmony, melody and suburban fatalism that arrests your depressive slide and transforms it into excitement for whatever lies around life’s blind corners. It’s nothing at all like The Doors’ Oedipal rant, but it does remind you that when any door closes, another opens. And for the Adelaide Crows, all those doors reveal great songs.

First single ‘All Night’ is undeniably the highlight, demonstrating Slum Sociable’s ability to interweave complex and at times unusually paired layers. In comparison, the following tracks occasionally seem somewhat bare and lacking in gusto. That said, the exposed sound isn’t an entirely negative characteristic, as simplicity allows the boys’ ability to mish-mash genres to shine through. Whether this tasty morsel of smooth electronica catapults two guys from suburbia into the big-time arena is the question on everyone’s lips, and we’ll just have to wait to find out.

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE Harmlessness Epitaph The emo revival is in full swing, and there’s no greater sign than The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die signing to Epitaph Records. Their debut album was heralded as a standout in the current crop of emo artists, and their songs are a far cry from the long fringes and dramatic anthems of the decade prior, yet they’re encapsulating audiences just the same. In the two years following Whenever, If Ever, the Connecticut natives have released a mixed bag of songs, stretching their limbs as musicians and as a band – which makes Harmlessness all the more satisfying. As impressive as their debut was, this album shows the potential of this band at its fullest. Elements of post-rock and ’90s emo collide with expansive arrangements, intricate guitar parts and dynamic shifts that let you dive into the album and get lost in the music. The crown jewel comes early with ‘January 10th, 2014’ telling the true story of Diana, Hunter Of Bus Drivers. Harmlessness not only builds upon the band’s past releases, but shows us what these guys are capable of. Spencer Scott

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... RAE SREMMURD - SremmLife KIRIN J CALLINAN - Embracism THE WALKMEN - Heaven

APHEX TWIN - Analord THE UV RACE - The UV Race

Patrick Emery thebrag.com

Julia Holter photo by Tonje Thilesen

Over the course of four albums and four years, Julia Holter has moved from avant-garde to avant-pop to now something that doesn’t take the ‘avant’ tag at all. This creative restlessness has established her as one of her generation’s premier artists. Have You In My Wilderness is further proof, and her creative peak to date.

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pick of the week Last Dinosaurs

FRIDAY O C TO B E R 9

Key To The Highway + Bree De Rome + Maia Jelavic The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Stormcellar Town Hall Hotel, Newtown. 9pm. Free. Vanishing Shapes The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham. 8pm. Free.

JJ Grey & Mofro

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Enmore Theatre

Last Dinosaurs

Andy Tipton Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 7pm. Free. Bad//Dreems + Green Buzzard Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18. Banquet - feat: Bin Juice + Mount Zamia + Horegous The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. Blake Tailor The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free. Blake Wiggins Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9:30pm. Free. Castlecomer Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.90. Dee Donavan Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. Geoff Davies The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Grooveworks Rooty Hill RSL Club,

Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. John Vella Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm. Free. Jono Collins Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 8pm. Free. Last Dinosaurs + Palms + The Jensens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $39.95. Michael Fryar Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9:30pm. Free. One World Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 9pm. Free. Original Sin Inxs Show Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free. Parkway Drive + Thy Art Is Murder + Memphis May Fire + The Word Alive Hordern Pavilion,

Moore Park. 6:30pm. $62.29. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free. Riley Beech Padstow Park Hotel, Padstow. 7pm. Free. Rob Eastwood Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6:30pm. Free. Rob Henry Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Stephanie Lea Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Steve Crocker Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Stuart Davey + Susan Jon Rose Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 10:30am. Free. Ted Nash 99 On York, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. Tijuana Cartel Metro Theatre,

Sydney. 8pm. $29.41. Tony Macalpine Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney. 8pm. $55.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

‘Born To Run’ feat: The Australian Springsteen Show The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $28.80. Babylon Circus + Midnight Tea Party The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $44.70. First Ladies Of Soul - feat: Jo Elms + Liza Ohlback + Amanda Easton Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $27.50. John & Yuki Well Co. Cafe And

+ Palms + The Jensens 8pm. $39.95.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Hammerhead Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free. Parramatta Lanes Festival - feat: Ethernet Orchestra Une Future Campus, Parramatta. 7pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Twin Haus + Greg Nunan Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Asta + Olympia + Ayla Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $25. Mark Travers thebrag.com

Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Mike Caen + Johnny Batchelor + The Bar Tones The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5

THURSDAY OCTOBER 8 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Ms Murphy Presents: Dirty Soul Revue The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $35.40. Thursdays In Jam - feat: El Moro + DJ Av El Cubano Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Aerials + Evol Walks + Royal Chant + Evol Walks Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Anthems Orient Hotel, The

Rocks. 9pm. Free. Ash Grunwald + Avalanche City Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $35. Glenn Esmond Duo Mr Tipply’s, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. JJ Grey & Mofro Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $55. John Milligan The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Live At The Sly feat: Lyre Byrdland + The Baldwins + Mæn Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Thirsty Merc Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 8pm. $35.20. Trophy Eyes Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 7pm. $21.45.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Little Big Wolf + Ina Maka Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm.

$10. John McLaughlin City Recital Hall, Sydney. 8pm. $89.90. The Lonesome Heroes + Not Good With Horses The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free.

wed

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07 Oct

08 (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

Oct

fri

09 Oct

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

5:45PM  8:45PM

FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Big Mama + The Love Express Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15. Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Hotel Steyne Manly, Manly. 9:30pm. Free. Glenn Cardier & The Sideshow + Jamie Lindsay Eastern Lounge Roseville, Roseville. 7pm. $30. Greg Nunan And The General Jacksons + Jeanie Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $10.

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

5:45PM  8:45PM

sat

sun

Oct

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

mon

12 Oct

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

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13 Oct

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

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up all night out all week...

Circular Quay. 1pm. Free. White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free.

Parkway Drive

Ali Barter

Ash Grunwald

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Sarah Blasko Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9:30pm. $59. Greg Nunan Old Manly Boatshed, Manly. 7pm. Free. Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. La Fiesta Sound System Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Parramatta Lanes Festival - feat: Ethernet Orchestra Une Future Campus, Parramatta. 6:30pm. Free. Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free. The Brassholes The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $24.30.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Alfredo Malabello The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Ali Barter + Ben Wright Smith Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13. Blake Wiggins Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 3pm. Free. Dio Driver + Breaking Point Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8pm. $20. DNA Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free. Dumbsaint + Solkyri + Majora + Seims + Stare At The Clouds Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $10. Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Jaakko Eino Kaveli + Marco Vella + Phantastic Ferniture Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8:15pm. $25. Josh Mcivor Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. King Curly + Hope Street The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Kiss Allphones Arena,

Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $98. Lior Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8:15pm. $72.30. Nancy Vandal + Hightime + Kujo Kings + Ebolagoldfi sh + The Tenants + Crapulous Gee Gaw + Chris Duke And The Royals + Driverside Airbag Metro Theatre, Sydney. 3pm. $25. Papa Pilko And The Binrats Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. Free. Party Central Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free. Pat Ogrady Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10:30pm. Free. Rob Eastwood Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown. 6pm. Free. Rufi no And The Coconuts + Bichos Locos Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $23.10. Sick Of It All Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $47.45. Spit Roasting Bibbers Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 7pm. Free. Steve Crocker Duo Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9pm. Free. Vanessa Heinitz Picton Hotel, Picton. 8pm. Free. Walken + Kaleidoscope Small Ballroom, Newcastle. 8pm. $11.75.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Floyd Vincent & The Temple Dogs + The Royz Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. Greg Nunan And The General Jacksons Stag And Hunter, Newcastle. 8pm. $10. Mojo House Band - feat: Jesse & James Mojo Record Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Paul Hayward And His Sidekicks Town And Country Hotel, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

MONDAY OCTOBER 12 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

John & Yuki Cronulla RSL, Cronulla. 12:30pm. Free.

Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Becky & The Pussycats Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free. Blake Wiggins The Rivo Hotel, Riverstone. 4pm. Free. Dave Ireland Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm. Free. Gary Johns Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. GK Picton Hotel, Picton. 1pm. Free. Glamma Rays + Kay Proudlove The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $10. Glenn Esmond Bella Vista, Pyrmont. 12pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Max Power Ingleburn Hotel, Ingleburn. 1pm. Free. Michael Fryar The Mill Hotel, Milperra. 12pm. Free. Open Mic Epping Hotel, Epping. 5pm. Free. Open Mic Night Nag’s Head Hotel, Glebe. 5:30pm. Free. Steve Crocker Strawberry Hills Hotel, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. Technicolour Psychnight - feat: Fade In Mona Lisa + Psychic Sun + The Baudelaires + The Bleeding Flares + Cupcake Conspiracy + Aether Beach Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free. The Living Room - feat: That Red Head + Jack And Chi Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 5pm. Free. Vanessa Heinitz Buckley’s Bar,

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10

Asta + Olympia + Ayla Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $25.

Ali Barter + Ben Wright Smith Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 8

Dumbsaint + Solkyri + Majora + Seims + Stare At The Clouds Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $10.

Live & Originals @ The Corridor - feat: Andy Kidd + Nick Murray + Lola Sola + Villenz Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

Aerials + Evol Walks + Royal Chant + Evol Walks Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

Jaakko Eino Kaveli + Marco Vella + Phantastic Ferniture Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8:15pm. $25.

Ash Grunwald + Avalanche City Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $35.

Kiss Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $98.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

JJ Grey & Mofro Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $55.

Lior Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8:15pm. $72.30.

Thirsty Merc Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 8pm. $35.20.

Nancy Vandal + Hightime + Kujo Kings + Ebolagoldfi sh + The Tenants + Crapulous Gee Gaw + Chris Duke And The Royals + Driverside Airbag Metro Theatre, Sydney. 3pm. $25.

Dan Spillane Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Swerve Society - feat: Tape/Off + Beast Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Charlie Mcgee The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Open Mic The Bourbon, Potts Point. 7pm. Free. Rock ‘N’ Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 Babylon Circus + Midnight Tea Party The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $44.70. Bad//Dreems + Green Buzzard Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $18.

Rufi no And The Coconuts + Bichos Locos Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $23.10. The Brassholes The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $24.30.

Banquet - Feat: Bin Juice + Mount Zamia + Horegous The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 11

Castlecomer Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $13.90.

Sarah Blasko Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9:30pm. $59.

Parkway Drive + Thy Art Is Murder + Memphis May Fire + The Word Alive Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 6:30pm. $62.29.

Technicolour Psychnight - Feat: Fade In Mona Lisa + Psychic Sun + The Baudelaires + The Bleeding Flares + Cupcake Conspiracy + Aether Beach Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Tijuana Cartel Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $29.41.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Acronym Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free. Sunset Jazz - feat: Jazz Society Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 6pm. Free.

Tijuana Cartel xxx

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

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

five things WITH

DANIEL BORTZ

EP to vinyl, they’d still be going capin-hand to record labels’ all-powerful decision-makers. Not anymore. Recorded music comes in all shapes and sizes, and Wave Racer has even named his forthcoming debut EP after a piece of storage technology. Flash Drive is set for release next Friday October 16, and the man otherwise known as Tom Purcell will hit the road in November to launch it. Plug in and switch on to Wave Racer at Oxford Art Factory on Friday November 6.

Safia

THE PLOT THICKENS

Growing Up When I was only a baby I started playing drums all by myself with sticks on the cooking pots. My father was a musician and played drums in a psychedelic rock band (which was based in Berlin), so I suppose that was always going to rub off on me. My mum was a big fan of music and was always listening to music loud in our flat. We also regularly went to some live concerts.

Inspirations 2. Radiohead, The Cure, David Bowie, Devin The Dude, et cetera… I guess the list will be neverending if I listed all my favourite acts! But they are all still good and I still love to listen to the music that inspired me at a young age. It’s not just music, though, as I’m also influenced

in day-to-day life by various things. For example, when I’m making music in my studio and working on a track, creating a mood, doing sound design, et cetera, and your cat is just chilling on the floor – that can be inspiring too!

Your Crew My crew that I work with is the Pasta Musik label and crew. I’m always exchanging music with my label partner and fellow DJ, Anette Party, who I’ve been working together with since 2006. My friends and buddies in everyday life are very important to me and definitely part of my crew. The Music You 4. Make And Play People can expect all my upcoming Australian sets to be very spontaneous, as

FOUR TET IN THE HOUSE

British electronic musician Four Tet will make his Sydney Opera House debut in 2016, bringing with him an exclusive 3D light experience and a must-see live performance. With the lights and space of the Concert Hall at the Opera House at his disposal, Kieren Hebden will no doubt leave his Sydney audience in awe. The genre-hopping producer has built his chops on the experience of a 20-year music career and collaborations with the likes of Thom Yorke, Jamie

Music, Right 5. Here, Right Now That is hard to say right now. I just had some time off so I didn’t go out a lot, but the last concert I went to was a German rap musician called Haftbefehl. That was a pretty good show. What: S.A.S.H By Day as part of Movement Sydney 2015 With: Gabby, Jake Hough, Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace Where: Greenwood Hotel When: Sunday October 25

xx, Caribou and Floating Points. Following his breakthrough Aphex Twin remix on Warp Records, Hebden has cemented himself as one of the world’s leading innovators in electronic music. Find out why on Wednesday January 6.

RACING THE WAVE

Once upon a time, aspiring musicians would queue outside a modified phone booth to record their first tracks on the equipment inside. As technology developed, artists could DIY their songs onto cassette tape, but if they wanted to cut a real-life

SPICE HITS THE SHORE

Will Sparks

HARBOUR PARTY 2015

The 2015/16 Harbour Party lineup has dropped, and it includes some big names. Will Sparks will be headlining the NYE festival at Luna Park on Thursday December 31 with support from Miami Horror, Nicky Night Time, Odd Mob, Torren Foot, Tom Tilley and Combo. Sparks will be returning to the country after absolutely killing it abroad, where he’s played Tomorrowland, Jay Z’s Made In America festival and a residency in Vegas. This year’s Habour Party will be held across two stages, with more acts expected to be announced in the coming weeks. A range of VIP ticketing options are available, giving punters the chance to secure the best fireworks vantage points, in addition to a number of dining deals. Tickets go on sale 10am this Thursday October 8.

The New Year’s Day event Spice Afloat will this year disembark onto dry land, rebranding itself as Spice Ashore. Friday January 1 will see the guys over at Spice revamp their NYD festival into an open-air, dry land experience at Cafe del Mar on the picturesque Cockle Bay Wharf. The tenth anniversary edition of the event features a solid international lineup including Norwegian house music legend Finnebassen, German natives Lovebirds and Bjorn Wilke, and some homegrown flavour in the form of Andras And Oscar. Andras And Oscar is the lovechild of Andras Fox and Oscar Key Sung, and this will be the first chance to catch the duo after a series of shows in both the UK and Americas. More locals are set to be added to the Spice Ashore lineup soon, with tickets on sale now.

DASHING DOWN UNDER

Dutch DJ Dash Berlin will be hitting the clubs this December/January as he embarks on a whirlwind four-date New Year’s tour in just three days. The man behind 2000’s hit ‘Till The Sky Falls Down’ will be gracing our shores over the festive season to play shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Tickets to the NYE show at Marquee on Thursday December 31 are available now, but they won’t last long.

MAILER DAEMON + SAGE

Mailer Daemon. He’s that pesky contact who appears in your inbox from time to time, only ever to deliver bad news – mainly about the non-delivery of your urgent email to a friend, relative or associate whose address you’re certain you bloody typed correctly this time. Ugh. No need to take it out on Mailer Daemon, though – Australia’s own superproducer, DJ and MC set to unveil his Ronin 2 album on Friday October 23. It’s a release heavy on alternative hip hop, post-trap and grime, built by the producer from loops originally fashioned on a mobile phone by Dread Jensen. Guest appearances include Omar Musa and Sage, who’s also got an EP of his own to launch called Friend Or Foe. That means it’s a double dose of launch action at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday October 24.

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Floating Points

FLOATING OUR WAY

Manchester-born, Londonbased DJ and producer Floating Points is making the trip Down Under this summer. The 29-year-old otherwise known as Sam Shepherd has released a series of 12-inches this year, including the eight-minute-long ‘King Bromeliad’, and will drop his debut full-length, Elaenia, on Friday November 6. Despite this being his first LP, Floating Points is already an established purveyor of jazz- and soulinfused electronic music, and the co-founder of the Eglo Records imprint. He’s remixed for the likes of XL, Domino and Fabric, and will be lighting up the dancefloor at Oxford Art Factory come Saturday December 19.

thebrag.com

Daniel Bortz photo by Vitali Gelwich Photography

Mailer Daemon and Sage

The Plot, a brand new festival celebrating local music and produce in Western Sydney, has revealed its massive debut lineup. Parramatta Park will play host to the maiden edition of the event, with a bunch of great acts set to kick-start the summer. In addition, there’ll be a host of locally and family-run food and drink stalls, including Emmy’s Gozleme, Hillbilly Cider, The Australian Brewery and Knafeh. The music lineup includes the likes of Art vs Science, Safia, Urthboy, Tkay Maidza, Spit Syndicate, UV Boi, Basenji, Ngaiire and many more – visit thebrag.com for the full list. The Plot is happening on Saturday December 5, with tickets on sale 9am this Thursday October 8.

I never plan what I’m going to play. I can say that on this tour you may hear some techno from acts like Ben Klock, Luke Slater and Lawrence.

Soul Clap New Renegades Of Funk By Thomas Brand

li Goldstein and Charlie Levine began collaborating as Soul Clap some 15 years ago, running house parties around the Boston area. It’s odd to think that from these humble beginnings, the funk/ house duo managed to establish a career that not only took them touring across the globe, but into an encounter with long-time hero George Clinton from Parliament Funkadelic. Levine reminisces on Soul Clap’s journey, talking about how two guys with a love for old records managed to create an imprint on Boston, Brooklyn and beyond. “I think the launching point for that was when the excitement around Wolf + Lamb and the Marcy Hotel in Brooklyn grew around the area,” says Levine. “People were flying over to experience this thing in Williamsburg and there was a lot of hype around that. There were people like Seth Troxler, Nicolas Jaar and these kind of names coming out of that era – in many ways, the Marcy was the launch point for many of them and for us. “There was a community around then in Brooklyn. We got really lucky, because people were really excited about this community, but we had the hunger to tour tremendously. At that time, Wolf + Lamb had a lot of things on, they couldn’t play as many dates, and we just took the ball and ran. That’s kind of how it works – places of inspiration, pools of talent you find in different cities, communities of guys interacting with each other,” Levine says. “Our original agent from the Geist Agency was an agent with a rich history of starting careers, and that helped a lot. There were many pieces of the puzzle. A lot of it also had to do with our song- and pop-oriented music. 2008 was a time of minimal

techno and we were always guys who represented house and disco; we introduced people to classics that they’d never heard before. There’d been such a big gap since the guys in the electronic music scene had listened to the classics.” During the time when Soul Clap rose to fame, there was a shift in the musical world. Information-sharing was becoming a larger practice as the years passed, giving rise to new and expanding opportunities for artists and listeners to engage with music worldwide. This gave Goldstein and Levine a chance at a new market. “The networks existed, but how did we get so far out? I don’t really know,” says Levine. “I think it’s just the nature of the internet. We had podcasts and a website that people would visit often, which got us a lot of traffic early on and helped us branch out internationally. The internet helped a lot. There’s a few songs and edits that we did that had a lot of legs. Our edit of ‘Bakerman’ by Laid Back; the Jamie Foxx ‘Extravaganza’ bootleg that we did travelled really far and put us out there as guys that take risks.” Over the years Goldstein and Levine have been in the industry, they’ve become known for amassing an arsenal of vinyl, which has been crucial to their six-hour-plus DJ sets. However, the pair are renowned as cunning producers as well – despite not always having enough time to practise. “I’m standing above many, many synthesisers as we speak,” says Levine. “We’ve been collecting pieces of gear for a few years now, but that’s been a change since the time we were getting started, and now we’ve amassed a pretty cool studio. With each addition, we add another layer

or possibility. I’m really grateful that I’ve had time in the past few months to come off the road and really get in, dig deep. There’s been a lot of musical ideas we’ve been wanting to work on that [are] incomplete – so one after another we’re now finishing these projects. It’s going to be a good musical year for us.” Levine’s meeting with his hero, Parliament Funkadelic’s George Clinton, remains an undoubted highlight of his career. “It was a chance of fate really,” he says. “We were huge fans and trying to emulate some of these ideas in our music and emulate the philosophy of funkiness – be the guiding light to your life and lifestyle. We were doing an interview with The Village Voice, which is a

popular magazine in New York, and the guy interviewing, Chris Tarantino, happened to know a guy called Chuck Fishman, who happened to know George – [he] was working with George and Parliament Funkadelic. He is more in tune with electronic music and had heard of us.

the rest now, but at that moment I was zoned in. I saw their faces, they knew we were really P-Funk fans. We got asked to go to Clinton’s mansion. We were flabbergasted – we got to meet the legend. We got to see his master tapes, going back to the ’60s, the masters. It was the vault.”

“When the interviewer said, ‘Hey, you called your record EFunk. What do you know about George Clinton? What’s your favourite George Clinton song?’ I started spitting out some poem that George Clinton speaks. He says, ‘A luscious bitch she is, true / But it’s not nice to fool mother nature / The proud mother of God like all hos / Is jealous of her own shadow / So who is this young Vic Tanny bitch who wish to be queen for a day?’ I don’t remember

What: Return To Rio 2015 With: Davi, Matthias Meyer, Phat Phil Cooper, Mr. C and more Where: Del Rio Riverside Resort When: Friday November 13 – Sunday November 15 And: Also appearing at Rio Recovery, Factory Theatre, Saturday November 21

Off The Record

RECOMMENDED SATURDAY OCTOBER 17

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray Boo-yeah. After being announced for the 2015 Meredith Music Festival yonks ago, Sam Shepherd AKA Floating Points has fi nally added a Sydney date to his Australian itinerary. A classically trained producer, DJ and NTS radio presenter, his fans Down Under will be some of the first in the world to witness him perform following the release of his debut album, Elaeni, due out on Friday November 6. For those not in the know, Shepherd is a co-founder of Eglo Records, has released on the likes of Ninja Tune, XL, Domino and Fabric, and counts Jamie xx, Theo Parrish and Benji B as fans. Catch him on Saturday December 19 at Oxford Art Factory. Merry bloody Christmas.

Kode9

Fred P photo by Nick Lapien

ooooly shit. Normally I try and keep this column Sydney-centric, but Adelaide Festival has announced the 2016 incarnation of Unsound, and the lineup is way too incredible to pass up. UK Hyperdub head Kode9 leads the bill of the Polish festival’s fourth appearance in South Australia, which also features Alessandro Cortini, Powell, Lorenzo Senni, Paula Temple, Kangding Ray and more. That is quite seriously one of the most impressive electronic lineups I’ve ever seen on Australian shores. It’ll take place over Friday February 26 and Saturday February 27 at Torrensville’s Thebarton Theatre. Well, this might just be the best party of the year. Mad Racket is set to turn 17 (it’s almost legal!), and to headline this year’s birthday celebrations it’s calling one of the best DJs I’ve ever seen, Fred P. A stalwart of the deep house scene in New York, he also produces under the aliases Black Jazz Consortium, The

Incredible Adventures Of Captain P, Anomaly, Fred P Reshape, FP197 and FP-Oner. Regular readers of this column will no doubt be aware of my adoration for this man’s productions. He’ll be joined on the evening by Ken Cloud, Jimmi James, Zootie and Simon Caldwell. It’s all going down on Halloween, Saturday October 31, at the Marrickville Bowling Club. Fred P

Keeping it short and sweet: Chinese Laundry is turning 18 next month and will be hosting some heavy-hitting internationals, including Ben Pearce, Low Steppa and the techno titan Ben Klock. Recommended. Tour rumours: you can expect to see the long-awaited return of Erin Duncan AKA Dr. Dunks this November. His How We Do In NYC mix is still one of my all-time favourites. We’ll also be getting a visit from Secret Circuit soon, announcement imminent. Best releases this week: Shackleton once again proves why he’s one of the most respected producers in the game with Deliverance Series No. 3 (on Woe To The Septic Heart). Other highlights include FaltyDL’s Rich Prick Poor Dick (Ninja Tune), Gerry Read’s Limp Biscuit Anthem (Timetable Records), Simoncino’s Amazon Atlantis (Créme Organization) and Patrice Scott’s Euphonium (Sistrum). Oh, and if you’re after a killer mix, Konstantin has stepped up for the latest podcast for The Bunker. Super solid.

Norman Nodge Burdekin Hotel

SUNDAY OCTOBER 25

Justin Martin Chinese Laundry

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27

Eric Cloutier, Peter Van Hoesen Marrickville Bowling Public Possession Club Harpoon Harry Rødhåd Daniel Bortz Oxford Art Factory Greenwood Hotel

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30

DJ Nobu Bridge Hotel

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

Baauer Oxford Art Factory

THURSDAY DECEMBER 3

Gilles Peterson Oxford Art Factory

FRIDAY DECEMBER 4 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 6

Subsonic Music Festival: KiNK, Dop, Rick Wade, Fred P Marrickville Bowling Roman Flügel + more Club Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Mr. G, Fur Coat, Resort, Barrington DJ HMC Tops Greenwood Hotel

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21

FRIDAY JANUARY 1

Nina Kraviz Greenwood Hotel

Lapalux Chinese Laundry

Bicep Oxford Art Factory

Wolf + Lamb Café del Mar

Floating Points Oxford Arts Factory Finnebassen, Lovebirds, Bjorn Wilke + more Café del Mar

Got any tip-offs, hate mail, praise or cat photos? Email hey@tysonwray.com or contact me via carrier pigeon. thebrag.com

BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15 :: 35

g guide

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

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week The Aston Shuffle

Academy - feat: Benedek + Moon B Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. Free. Scubar Saturdays feat: Live DJs Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Something Else feat: Stereogamous + T-Hanks + Rabbit Taxi + Jake Hough + Platform 19 + MSG + Gav Whalan Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50. Super C Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Boyz II Men Big Top Sydney (Luna Park), Milsons Point. 7pm. $103.88.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 11

FRIDAY O C TO B E R 9

CLUB NIGHTS

Xxx

Sydney Harbour

The Island Live The Aston Shuffle + Set Mo + Dena Amy 6pm. $79.25. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7 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 OCTOBER 8 CLUB NIGHTS

HIP HOP & R&B

Downtown Funk feat: JC + DJ Soup + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Bassic - feat: Trop Killaz + Kennedy Jones + Autoclaws + Chenzo + Blackjack + Stalker + Whyse + Lennon Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Blvd Fridays - feat: I Am Wolfpack 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 -

36 :: BRAG :: 633 :: 07:10:15

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 CLUB NIGHTS

Cake Wines Presents Lovebombs - feat: Boogie Monster + Mike Who + Yelo Magic + Resort Styles + Ryan 40 + First Touch + Glen Cassidy Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills. 12:30pm. $27.12. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 10pm. Free. Establishment Saturdays The Establishment,

Sydney. 9pm. $20. 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. 7:30pm. Free. Funk The Bar Australia - feat: D-Funk + Busta + Daigo + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Le Fruit DJs Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Lndry - feat: Poolclvb + Groove Terminator + Kormal + Elijah Scadden + Sassy Andrews + Bronx + Sanger + Harrison Jones + Jaffa + George Gurdjieff + King Lee + DJ Eko + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Marcus Santoro + Trifo Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70. Pacha - feat: Slander + Spenda C + A-Tonez + Beni + Samrai + Fear Of Dawn & Friends + Offtapia + Keyes + Coda + Just 1 + Deckhead + Mike Hyper + Skoob Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Red Bull Music

FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 Bassic - Feat: Trop Killaz + Kennedy Jones + Autoclaws + Chenzo + Blackjack + Stalker + Whyse + Lennon Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Sassy Andrews + Bronx + Sanger + Harrison Jones + Jaffa + George Gurdjieff + King Lee + DJ Eko + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Marcus Santoro + Trifo Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70.

Downtown Funk - Feat: JC + DJ Soup + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

Pacha - Feat: Slander + Spenda C + A-Tonez + Beni + Samrai + Fear Of Dawn & Friends + Offtapia + Keyes + Coda + Just 1 + Deckhead + Mike Hyper + Skoob Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 10

Red Bull Music Academy Feat: Benedek + Moon B Goodgod Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. Free.

Blvd Fridays - Feat: I Am Wolfpack Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40.

Boyz II Men Big Top Sydney (Luna Park), Milsons Point. 7pm. $103.88. Lndry - Feat: Poolclvb + Groove Terminator + Kormal + Elijah Scadden +

Something Else - Feat: Stereogamous + T-Hanks + Rabbit Taxi + Jake Hough + Platform 19 + MSG + Gav Whalan Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50.

MONDAY OCTOBER 12 CLUB NIGHTS

Mashup Monday feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

Stereogamous Boyz II Men

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13 CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10.

HIP HOP & R&B

Chux - feat: Sela Moon Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

with our magical botanical extraction machines! Herbs to get you happy, healthy and romantic.

The Happy Herb Shop

347 King St, Newtown thebrag.com

Xxx

Five Dollar Thursdays - feat: DJs Steve Zappa + Skinny Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. 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 OCTOBER 9

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. The Island Live - feat: The Aston Shuffle + Set Mo + Dena Amy Sydney Harbour, Sydney. 6pm. $79.25. Treble N Bass Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

Duan And Only + DJ Somatik + Murray Lake Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 3pm. Free. Ice Cream Sundays feat: Tulett + Matka + Rikki Mortimore Cliff Dive, Darlinghurst. 9pm. Free. Marco Polo - feat: Yahtzel (DJ Set) Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $22.60. Picnic Social Harpoon Harry, Sydney. 4pm. Free. S.A.S.H Sundays Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 3pm. $10.

Benedek

live reviews up all night out all week . . .

What we've been out to see...

LISTEN OUT 2015 Centennial Park Saturday October 3

30-degree heat, short shorts, $5 water and an army of police conducting unnecessary searches to ensure this writer misses the too-early-billed Client Liaison – yep, another summer festival season is all but here, marked by the third incarnation of Listen Out. It’s a hot one, and merely getting to the festival grounds at the heart of the huge Centennial Park proves to be task of its own – entering from the secluded east side, I’m lost enough to accidentally follow a crowd of guys who turn out to be fence-jumpers. Early to the stage is US hip hop artist ILoveMakonnen AKA Makonnen Sheran, who stands up in front of a devoted crowd. By third song ‘Whip It’, it’s grown bigger, with the devotees in attendance singing along. Sheran performs with energy, but this energy is outmatched by the hugely excited punters before him. The movement and intensity at the more hip-hop-focused ATARI main stage is certainly different to the EDM-centric 909 stage. The latter feels like an Aussie summer festival promo video – the daytime crowd feels bigger and less intense, with everyone grooving along slowly to the smoothly crafted beats of Roland Tings in the orange summer glare. Back to the main stage for what ends up being my festival highlight – US Southern hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd, AKA brothers Khalif ‘Swae Lee’ and Aaquil ‘Slim Jimmy’ Brown. They’ve been killing it since they dropped debut SremmLife at the start of the year, and on their debut appearance Down Under, seem stoked at the large following they’ve amassed. Slim Jimmy films the audience, and thankfully there is otherwise a happy lack of iPhones – though one guy is holding up a pineapple. ‘Come Get Her’ goes off, as does final song ‘No Type’. Rae Sremmurd’s set is

full of energy, and the crowd loves it, singing along with every word. Alison Wonderland makes an appearance onstage towards the end of the set, too. Speaking of Wonderland, she’s great. As the first act to come on once the sun goes down, she treats the audience to a cool light display. It’s also the first time the main stage audience is substantially bigger than the other, indicating the headliners to come. Wonderland loves her fans – she thanks them for her success at every show I’ve seen her do – and knows exactly how to make them party, with her originals, some trap beats and even some Fatboy Slim and Daft Punk thrown in the mix. Every drop goes off. Next is Joey Bada$$. He’s good, but something feels lacking. The performance itself is great; he seems more comfortable onstage than he did in Australia at the start of the year (though he was awesome then, too), and the audience digs him. No, the real issue is – mirroring similar complaints in Melbourne – the volume. Nevertheless, it’s a quality set, and he manages to get through some 1999 material, which is well received. Headlining is Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino, who has been enjoying some controversial press around some unhappy Novocastrians or something over the last few days. The crowd doesn’t care, and despite an unfortunate clash with Golden Features, there is a huge, buzzing turnout. Glover has a cool background of solid moving shapes, and while only rarely acknowledging his fans, clearly enjoys himself onstage. The energy still seems a little lacklustre, and something that probably could have improved with more volume, too. Thankfully, after crowdpleaser ‘Sober’, the music becomes more upbeat and hip hop, with such songs as Kauai’s ‘AssShots’ and ‘Candler Road’. Second-last song ‘3005’ pulls in an even bigger crowd for a ‘Bonfire’ finale. Sam Caldwell

PHOTOS :: ASHLEY MAR

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