Brag#636

ISSUE NO. 636 OCTOBER 28, 2015

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

LOVIN' AT FIRST SIGHT

Y N DON T E N BE

Plus

GU Y G A RV E Y CHR IS IS A A K MI A DY S ON A S S A S SIN'S CR EED EL V Y

Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf team up on a disarming new project.

K E V C A R MODY

One of Australia's finest songwriters is also one of our funniest characters.

A C O UNDERGROUND

Classical meets punk in this assault on the senses.

CL OW NS

Because if you want it done properly, do it yourself.

FA I T HL E S S A ND MOR E

“A TRUE FIVE-STAR TRIUMPH – SEE IT!” THE TO DO LIST, UK

“A WINNING MIX OF NOSTALGIA, DANCE MUSIC AND CIRCUS TWIZZ.” SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, AUS

“THIS TRIP TO BOOGIE WONDERLAND IS A GOLD-PLATED HIT.” THE LONDON TIMES, UK “ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING, ENGROSSING AND INTELLIGENT PIECES OF THEATRE I’VE SEEN THIS YEAR.” DAILY REVIEW, AUS

“BIG, BRASH, NOISY AND BUCKETS OF FUN.” THE GUARDIAN, UK

“BURNS BRIGHT FOR ALL AUDIENCES. SIMPLY EXQUISITE. A WONDERFUL, JOYOUS NIGHT OUT.” DAILY TELEGRAPH, AUS “EXPECT PURE, UNADULTERATED FABULOUSNESS, LIBERALLY SPRINKLED WITH SEQUINS AND WRAPPED UP IN A THUMPING DISCO SOUNDTRACK.” CITY ARTS HUB, AUS

WWW.VELVETTHESHOW.COM

CONGRATULATIONS BEEST INDEPENDENT ARTIST

BEEST INDEEPENDENT HARD ROCK, HEAVY OR PUNK ALBUM

Courtney Barnett

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - I’m In Your Mind Fuzz Flightless

BESST INNDEPENDENT ALBUM Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit Milk! Records

Barney McAll - Mooroolbark ABC Jazz

BREAKTHROUGH INNDEPPENDDENT ARTISST OF THEE YEARR #1 Dads

BEST INDEPPENDDENNT DAANCE / ELECTTRONICCA ALBUUM Flight Facilities - Down To Earth

BEST INDEPENDDENT SINNGLE OR EP

Future Classic

Courtney Barnett - Depreston

BEST INDEPENDENNT DANCE,, ELECTRONICCA OR CLUB SINGLE

Milk! Records

Hayden James - Something About You Future Classic

BESTT INDEPENDENT HIP HOP ALBUM Seth Sentry - Strange New Past High Score Records

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra - Brandenburg Celebrates

BEST INDEPENDENT COUNTRY ALBUM

ABC Classics

Frank Yamma - Uncle Wantok Musik Foundation

Milk! Records

BEST INDEPENDENT BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM C.W. Stoneking - Gon’ Boogaloo King Hokum Records

PR ESE NTED BY

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M AJ OR PA RT NE R

S UPPORT E D BY

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 3

rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, Sam Caldwell and Chris Martin

Lazybones Lounge Thursday November 19

five things WITH

2.

Inspirations I love all sorts of music, but the artists I always revert back to are Aretha Franklin and Cat Stevens. They are two very different artists, but I love Cat Stevens’ storytelling and you can’t ignore Aretha’s soul; it gets me feeling good every time. I am currently particularly fond of Courtney Barnett and Alt-J.

3.

Your Band The Ripley band is in its infancy but I am really excited about how we are gelling. I’m basically borrowing my favourite bass player and my favourite drummer from two of my favourite new Adelaide

bands. Hugh Black on drums plays in a band called Archers and also Dr Piffle and The Burlap Band, both of which you should definitely check out if you get the chance.

On bass is Ryan Francis Garde from God God Dammit Dammit, who blow my mind every time I see them.

The Music You Make The EP Bigger Than Me 4. was recorded in Melbourne with producer Pip Norman. I have always wanted to work with Pip since we were constantly bumping into each other on the tour circuit a few years ago with our respective bands – he was playing with TZU and I was with Lowrider. We were only in the studio for one week, so we were both stoked to achieve what we did. You will see me playing around Australia as a solo act or a band, both of which will take you back to the ’90s while being right here in the… well, the now!

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I am quite confused about the music industry at the moment.

There is still plenty of great new music around, but with iTunes now streaming I’m not sure how mid-level bands are meant to make any money from their recorded material. I’m sure it will figure itself out, but the life of a recording artist has become increasingly harder and harder over the last ten years, and at some point something’s gotta give. It’s particularly sad for recording studios across the country, because if you can’t make money off your recorded material, then people will stop spending good money on recording.

What: Bigger Than Me out now independently Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday October 31

Hordern Pavilion Tuesday January 5

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

STURGILL SIMPSON Metro Theatre Tuesday March 22

SHAKEY GRAVES The Basement Thursday March 31

Shakey Graves photo by Jarred Gastriech

1.

Growing Up I remember listening to the Hot 40 Countdown on the radio at about age ten with a blank cassette ready to record my favourite songs.

I was quite scared that somehow I would get caught by the police for recording songs off the radio. My first musical purchase was Mariah

FOALS

RIPLEY

Carey’s Music Box on cassette. I had a Walkman which I would lay in bed listening to whenever I could.

My parents never showed much musical passion, but I do have fond memories of my dad playing me his records of Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd.

MICHAEL P CULLEN

DON’T GET COCKY

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, Eden Gillespie, Tegan Reeves, Aaron Streatfeild ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant COVER PHOTO: Andrew Finlayson PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com

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

PARKS AND RECREATION

Party In The Park, the festival dedicated to sparking up Sydney’s music scene north of the Harbour Bridge, will return in 2016 with a great Aussie lineup. After debuting in 2015 at North Sydney Oval, Party In The Park will move next year to Pittwater Park (AKA Rat Park) on the Northern Beaches. Organisers have locked in twice the amount of acts as this year’s event, alongside a bunch of DJs to keep the vibes going into the late hours. The 2016 lineup so far is Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants, The Beautiful Girls, Dune Rats, Nina Las Vegas, Touch Sensitive, Kilter, Young Franco, Lime

Built To Spill

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

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4 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

Psychedelic pop icons The Flaming Lips will launch Sydney Festival and the Summer Sounds In The Domain series with a free performance in January. Alongside their headline appearance for Mona Foma 2016, Wayne Coyne’s outfit will take over The Domain for what will surely be an enormous love-in, smack-bang in the middle of summer, and launching the Sydney Festival program of music, theatre, art and more. The Lips recently made headlines for apparently planning a nude concert with their pal Miley Cyrus, and while that’s unlikely to take place at this particular gig in Sydney, it’s hard to predict what else we’ll see from this chameleonic band on Saturday January 9.

PRAISE BE TO CHVRCHES

EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG.

DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600

SAY YEAH YEAH YEAH

Cordiale and Sons Of The East. It all goes down on Saturday March 19. Presales have already begun, with general public tix on sale next Wednesday November 4.

Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227

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The Flaming Lips

SPILL THE BEANS

It’s been half a decade since Idaho indie rockers Built To Spill last graced our shores, and they’ve managed to achieve a helluva lot over that time.

They’ve replaced two band members, created synthpop side project The Electronic Anthology Project and played shows all over the US while still fitting in a three-year break from live activity.

Now, they’re returning for Victoria’s Golden Plains Festival, and are doing a few other stop-offs while they’re down here. They dropped their eighth album Untethered Moon earlier this year, so fans can be excited for some of the old and new. Built To Spill will be in Sydney on Thursday March 10 at Manning Bar.

Glasgow world-beaters Chvrches have locked in a Sydney headline date alongside their Laneway Festival duties in 2016. The Lauren Mayberry-led synthpop trio followed up their breakout 2013 debut, The Bones Of What You Believe, with this year’s assured second effort, Every Open Eye. They’re rapidly growing into one of the must-see bands on the festival circuit, but will be a sight to behold on their own when they play their biggest-ever standalone shows Down Under, including at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday February 4.

THE TWILIGHT ZOO-NE

Taronga Zoo will once again host a series of spectacular outdoor concerts over the Sydney summer, and now a bumper lineup of Aussie and international acts has been confirmed.

The 2016 Twilight At Taronga program will commence with homegrown hero Courtney Barnett, performing just a couple of days after Australia Day on Thursday January 28. She’ll be followed by the likes of Josh Pyke (Friday January 29), John Butler Trio (Friday February 5), Birds Of Tokyo (Friday February 12) and American alt-rockers Violent Femmes (Friday March 4). Other acts on the schedule include Colin Hay, C.W. Stoneking, Missy Higgins and The Waifs. The return of

Twilight At Taronga brings twilight open-air live music back to the shoreline of Sydney Harbour – and if you feel like popping in to visit the animals while you’re there, well, all the better.

The 2016 program runs from Thursday January 28 – Saturday March 12.

THE SOUND OF THE MOUNTAIN

The boutique Mountain Sounds Festival is returning to Kariong in 2016, and the first round lineup is here at last. Situated in the Mount Penang Parklands, halfway between Sydney and Newcastle, the festival will expand to a massive five stages at its February event, and alongside the music there’ll be markets, pop-up bars, live art and installations. The Jezabels will headline the 2016 edition, with the first list of names also including the likes of Albert Hammond Jr., Alpine, Holy Holy, I Know Leopard and The Lazys. Check out thebrag. com for the full lineup and more details.

GRANTED, IT’S JOHN

Off the back of his newly released third studio album Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, John Grant has announced a Sydney headline show next March. After making his name fronting Denver band The Czars, Grant began his solo career with his 2010 debut Queen Of Denmark.

He has also performed alongside artists like Elton John, Hercules and Love Affair, Gus Gus and Goldfrapp. See him at the Metro Theatre on Wednesday March 16. thebrag.com

The Flaming Lips photo by Todd Spoth

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

Punk legends Buzzcocks have announced they will kick off their 40th birthday celebrations with a tour of Australia in March. The UK group will play Golden Plains Festival plus a run of capital city headline shows while they are here. Since forming in February 1976, Buzzcocks have released nine albums – six of which dropped after their break-up and reformation – as well as a stream of globally successful singles. You can see them play some of these live when they take over the Factory Theatre on Friday March 11.

04.04 Enmore Theatre ON SALE NOW If I Should Go Before You Out Now

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BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 5

live & local

free stuff

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

WITH

THE TEA PARTY

GEOFF O’CONNOR FROM CRAYON FIELDS of their songs a while ago and then came across this vinyl compilation. The song titles alone, such as ‘Please Respect Our Decadence’, ‘In Bed With Boys’ and ‘True Romance At The World’s Fair’, would have been enough to convince me that this was something worth listening to.

I like how the music doesn’t really interact with the spoken word at all, it just sounds like a fun party in the background. I think the whole thing would be a bit tacky it were any more dramatic.

1.

The First Record I Bought The first CD I owned was Eurythmics’ Revenge, which was a gift from my aunt. I remember listening to the song ‘Missionary Man’ on repeat for hours. I think the first album I actually bought was Smash by The Offspring, which is just awful. Thankfully my

primary school teacher forced our class to sing ‘Come Out And Play’ at school assembly, which ensured I would never buy another Offspring CD ever again.

The Last Record I Bought 2.

Algebra Suicide – Feminine Squared. I downloaded a few

The First Thing I Recorded 3.

I recorded myself singing over Beach Boys songs on an old boom box when I was ten or so. ‘California Girls’ seems like a sinch when your voice hasn’t broken yet. A friend somehow got a hold of the tape a few years later and played it to some people at school to mock me.

The Last Thing I Recorded 4.

This new Crayon Fields album, No One Deserves You. We took our sweet time and I’m very proud of it.

The Record That Changed My Life 5.

Sonic Youth – Washing Machine. I bought this CD in year seven and still have it somewhere. Listening to their songs and looking at the Polaroids on the insert made me feel like I had cool older siblings looking out for me. Watching R-rated movies made me feel like an adult and listening to this record made me look forward to becoming one.

With: No One Deserves You out now through Chapter With: Angie, Abigail & Daisy Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday November 7

The Tea Party are seasoned performers who have won friends and fans both in Canada and frontman Jeff Martin’s adopted home Down Under. To celebrate the 20th birthday of their seminal album The Edges Of Twilight, The Tea Party have re-released the record in Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition format, and locked in an Australian anniversary tour. They’ll play the Enmore Theatre on Saturday November 14. We’re giving away a Tea Party prize pack, including a double pass for you and a friend to attend the show, meet the band and walk away with a copy of the album. To enter, visit thebrag.com/ freeshit.

Rae Howell_Credit – Anne Skilbeck

on the record

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

MICHAEL HUTCHENCE

Calling all INXS fans: this CD is one to add to your collection. Michael Hutchence’s best singles have been hand-selected

by The Music Sales Group and mixed into a new promotional-only compilation titled The Music Of Michael Hutchence.

It’s a celebration of the INXS frontman’s best solo tracks, drawing mainly from his posthumous debut solo album of 1999, and accompanies the release of a new single, ‘Friction’. We’ve got ten prize packs to give away, including a copy of the compilation and its lead single. To be in the running, head to thebrag.com/freeshit.

DIIV

Metz

MEET UP WITH METZ

Metz will hit Australian shores early next year for Laneway Festival, and now they’ve locked in a headline show in Sydney. Having released their sophomore album II earlier this year, the three-piece will also be putting out a seven-inch single called ‘Eraser’/‘Pure Auto’ on esteemed Canadian label Three One G to coincide with their Australian tour. They land at Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday February 10.

HALLOWEEN AT FRANKIE’S

Sydney’s getting ready for a spooky Saturday night, with Halloween falling this year on Saturday October 31, and Frankie’s Pizza is firing up for a party like no other. Mexico-infused Melburnians Mesa Cosa will lead the charge, joined by Horrorwood Mannequins, Hedge Fund and The Dead Love DJs. Meanwhile, the pizza menu will have a distinctly Day of the Dead flavour to it, with 25 themed pies available for one night only.

And because it’s Halloween, there’ll be a prize on offer for the worst dressed punter in attendance.

Now scream.

themselves as having a taste for the best things in life: “crashing cymbals, loud guitars and cold beer”.

Join them at the Lewisham Hotel on Thursday November 12.

HEAD-FIRST INTO DIIV

The festival sideshows just keep rolling in, and next on the list are Brooklyn’s DIIV. On their first-ever Australian tour the guitar-lovers will play headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne, outside of their appearances at Laneway Festival. DIIV have recently released their new single ‘Dopamine’, the first taste of their forthcoming second album Is The Is Are. DIIV will take over the Factory Theatre on Tuesday February 9.

JUST GET JESSO

Tobias Jesso Jr. is set to play his very first headline show in Sydney alongside his appearances on the Laneway Festival tour. The LA-based Canadian expat will bring his debut effort, Goon, to Australian fans for the first time in 2016. He’s already collaborated with Sia and Danielle Haim, and is tipped for big things – so now’s the time to get on board. Jesso Jr. will be at Oxford Art Factory on Tuesday February 9.

THIRSTY MERC BENEFIT EXTRAVAGANZA

SIMPLE PLEASURES

The Daughter’s Agenda, a loud and local rock band, will be cranking up the volume next month, joined by guests The Callum Chynoweth Band and Wicked Envy. The headliners have released their first three demos and are working tirelessly on a new EP. The Sydneysiders describe 6 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

IN GOOD HEALTH

Health have locked in a headline show in Sydney alongside their appearance at Laneway Festival.

Fusing elements of hardcore punk, grindcore and dubstep to pop and disco, the LA four-piece will be returning to Australian shores following the release of their latest album, Death Magic. They’ll top the bill on Monday February 8 at Oxford Art Factory.

THUNDER ON THE BASS Darren Hanlon

HANLON IN CONVERSATION

Giant Dwarf is hosting the second edition of acoustic and talk show My Tunes, following the success of its maiden event with Paul Dempsey. My Tunes is an event in which prominent Australian figures are invited to host their favourite musicians. This time, Australian comedian and media personality Tom Ballard will be sharing his love for Darren Hanlon, who will perform a live acoustic set on the night. Hanlon is a prolific storyteller and has a raw talent that will be sure to charm audiences, while Ballard, the youngest person to win the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Best Newcomer Award, will lead an evening of discussion, music and laughter. It takes place Wednesday November 18.

Following on from his last record, 2013’s Apocalypse, Thundercat will release a new minialbum, The Beyond/Where The Giants Roam, next year – and he has announced his Australian return next February to celebrate. After starting his career playing bass for punk thrash icons Suicidal Tendencies, Stephen Bruner AKA Thundercat followed up by becoming an occasional session musician for Erykah Badu. He also wrote a large chunk of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly album and is a member of Flying Lotus’ highly esteemed Brainfeeder imprint. Thundercat will bring his grooves to Max Watt’s on Wednesday February 10 alongside his Laneway Festival engagements. thebrag.com

metz_PhotoBydavidwaldman_1

The biggest names in Aussie rock’n’roll are coming together in support of Thirsty Merc, after the horrific road crash last month that caused the death of the band’s production manager Shane Cooper and left drummer Mick Skelton in hospital with serious injuries. One For The Road, organised to raise money for the families of Cooper and Skelton, will feature a bunch of Oz rock legends with big hearts, including Hoodoo Gurus, Diesel with Jimmy Barnes, Jeff Martin, Baby Animals, The Superjesus, Wendy Matthews, Russell Morris, Dragon and many more. Skelton has now been released from hospital, and his Thirsty Merc bandmates will be appearing on the night. The show takes over the Enmore Theatre on Monday November 23.

Tickets go on sale 10am Monday November 2.

BUY TICKETS NOW “REJOICE, LOVERS OF IMAGINATIVE, BEAUTIFUL STRANGE MUSIC” TIME OUT NEW YORK

JOANNA NEWSOM USA

CONCERT HALL, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 21 JANUARY CELEBRATE NEW YORK CITY LUMINARY ARTHUR RUSSELL AT A RARE PERFORMANCE OF HIS PIONEERING 1975 MASTERWORK.

“IMPROVISED LAVA ERUPTIONS OF OVERAMPED FIDDLE, GUITAR AND TRAIN-WRECK PERCUSSION” MOJO

DIRTY THREE AUSTRALIA

ARTHUR RUSSELL’S INSTRUMENTALS DIRECTED BY PETER GORDON USA

STATE THEATRE 15 JANUARY

“THE MANCUNIAN MISERABILIST GETS A MAKEOVER IN THIS MEXICAN RE-IMAGINING”

JAZZ TIMES

MEXRRISSEY |

CITY RECITAL HALL 16 JANUARY

“SANCHEZ’S SCORE FUNCTIONS IN THE WAY THAT THE BEST FILM MUSIC DOES… IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THE WORK WITHOUT IT”

LONDON EVENING STANDARD

MEXICO

| AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE

BIRDMAN

(OR, THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

SCREENING AND LIVE FILM SCORE ANTONIO SANCHEZ

ENMORE THEATRE 23 JANUARY

| MEXICO

STATE THEATRE 16 JANUARY

BUY 3 OR MORE SHOWS AND SAVE WITH MULTIPACKS | SYDNEYFESTIVAL.ORG.AU thebrag.com

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 7

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

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THINGS WE HEAR * Which musician-turnedTV person aroused the wrath of his network by opting to attend his ex-roadieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement party over his current bossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gala event, which all staffers had to attend? * Why are label reps badmouthing one of their new releases as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a load of shitâ&#x20AC;? to the media? Is it connected to the fact the band involved had been talking about doing an audit on the label? * Is BeyoncĂŠ really 36 and not 34 as she claims?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what her estranged father Mathew Knowles reckons. * Three winners were no-shows at last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independent Music Awards: Courtney Barnett was playing in New York, Seth Sentry was recovering from leg surgery and Frank Yamma had a family emergency. * RĂ&#x153;FĂ&#x153;Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You Were Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has been certified gold for sales of 35,000. * The Seven Network reported that its 2016 programming will include the Molly Meldrum biopic, a drama starring Jessica

Mauboy as a country pub singer, and the return of The X Factor. * Bad//Dreems told Channel [V] that at a recent Adelaide show, a fan jumped onstage, and what started as horseplay ended with a fight, with the dude and Ben Marwe rolling off the stage. One of the band picked up Marweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guitar to finish the song. * In Melbourne for their arena show, Robbie Williams and band hit tiny jazz club The Paris Cat and jammed on a scintillating set including Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner covers. Williams and crew also took over the place when they were in Melbourne last year. * Blink-182â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Travis Barker admits that following his 2008 plane crash, where he suffered second- and third-degree burns that led to 27 surgeries, he was in so much pain that he offered friends a million dollars to end his life. * US author Greg Renoff, while promoting his new book Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal, revealed police once

INDIE AWARDS CELEBRATE TENTH ANNIVERSARY

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With the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20th anniversary and the tenth Independent Music Awards, it was nice to see many of the original AIR faces at the awards in Melbourne last week.

London-based indie rights group Merlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO Charles Caldas flew back for the event, while Julie Owens, the original CEO (now a Federal MP) spoke at the awards about the importance of the independent scene in this country. She had a chuckle that the AIR logo she designed 20 years ago is still being used.

Courtney Barnett won Best Independent Artist for a second year, plus Best Independent Album and Best Independent Single/EP (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Deprestonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;), while her Milk!

Records took out Best Independent Label.

Other winners were Seth Sentry (hip hop), Frank Yamma (country), #1 Dads (breakthrough artist), C.W. Stoneking (blues and roots), King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard (hard rock, heavy or punk), Flight Facilities (dance/electronica), Barney McAll (jazz) and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra (classical).

FUTURE CLASSIC SIGNS WAFIA

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Future Classic has signed Brisbane act Wafia.

Her EP XXIX is out on Friday November 20.

The label has also teamed up once again with the Museum of Contemporary Art for a series of summer contemporary art and music events. The Sunday November 15 return will feature Kenton Slash Demon and Harvey Sutherland, while Sunday December 13 will see Roland Tings and Tornado Wallace on the MCA terrace. Last week saw the launch of Future Classicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s US shows featuring Classixx, Sophie, Cyril Hahn, Hnny and Basenji. New York sold out with San Francisco and LA close behind.

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Max Hole, who as chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group International saw him oversee its Australian operations, has stepped down due to ill health. He suffered from some memory loss after contracting encephalitis in January.

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8 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

Among the 20 nominees for writer directors on the APRA board are Josh Pyke, Jesse Hooper (Killing Heidi, Verses), Lior, The Go-Betweensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Amanda Brown, Richard Moffat, Johanna Pigott, Sherry Rich and Mondo Rockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eric McCusker. Of the publisher nominees, Mushroom Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ian James and Origin Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Philip Walker are standing for re-election. Others are Jaime

feared Ozzy Osbourne had been kidnappedâ&#x20AC;Ś when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d merely gone on a week-long bender with David Lee Roth. * During Fleetwood Macâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour, Mick Fleetwood wants to catch up with Jimmy Barnes to discuss joining him on tour next year when he returns with his blues band, he told The Australian. * Angered by tech problems during Megadethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brisbane show at the Eatons Hill Hotel last week, Dave Mustaine sacked his guitar roadie, later referring to him as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fucking dewclawâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a total waste of skin and lifeâ&#x20AC;?. * If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re into collecting music memorabilia, the New Jersey two-storey house at 7 1/2 West End Court, Long Branch, which once belonged to Bruce Springsteen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he wrote the Born To Run album there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is for sale for US$299,000. * Sydney singer-songwriter Lior is moving into musical theatre, starring in a new production of Fiddler On The Roof alongside Anthony Warlow and Sigrid Thornton. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be on at the Capitol Theatre from Thursday March 24.

Gough (Native Tongue) and Fred Woods (Red Igloo). James and Gough are also up for the AMCOS board along with Mary Megan (Peermusic), Peter Hebbes (Hebbes Music Group) and Steve McPherson (Hillsong).

NINA LAS VEGAS LAUNCHES LABEL Club DJ Nina Las Vegas left triple j last week after ten years to concentrate on her international career, and has also launched her label, NLV Records. The maiden signings are house proponent Lewis Cancut, DJ/ producer Swick, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;oblique clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pioneer Air Max â&#x20AC;&#x2122;97 and industrial grime purveyor Strict Face.

BLAKE QUITS RDIO AUSTRALIA Colin Blake, head of music streaming service Rdio in Australia and New Zealand for the past three years, has quit his position.

WARNINGS OVER â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;MYSTERY PARTIESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; With summer coming up, the New South Wales Fair Trading Commissioner warned punters not to be conned by â&#x20AC;&#x153;mystery partiesâ&#x20AC;? where refunds can be hard to get if â&#x20AC;&#x153;the promoterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s details and event locations cannot be readily identifiedâ&#x20AC;?. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resist, buy only from reputable ticketing outlets and not from social media, and only use credit cards.

Last New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve, one party that sold tix for $99-$199 oversold and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deliver all that was promised, before the operator bailed overseas.

PARKER CELEBRATES 30 YEARS AT SONY Sony Music threw a bash at The Star for its GM of marketing and promotions and artists touring division, John â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Parker, at which he was presented with a crystal ball and South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey signed by the team.

Starting at the Melbourne office, Parker then moved on to head national promotions and was given special awards for Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s periods of chart and radio dominance.

NIGHT MAYOR TO HELP LONDON VENUES Alarmed by the loss of London music venues (47 venues, or 35 per cent, have closed since 2007 due to rising rents and licensing restrictions), the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Venues Taskforce has recommended introducing a Night Mayor to promote the live music sector by bringing together businesses, residents and local authorities. It also wants to introduce an Agent of Change regulation to make property developers responsible for soundproofing in areas where venues already exist.

HEMMES CLARIFIES NIGHTCLUB COMMENTS Justin Hemmes has clarifi ed comments he made in the Wentworth Courier that his company Merivale is moving out of nightclubs and into restaurants because of the 1:30am lockout laws and change in the clubbing crowd from the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, who now go out less. Hemmes admitted, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I made some strong comments about the challenges facing the nightclub industry because the fact is, it has gotten harder.â&#x20AC;?

But club nights at Chinese Laundry and Ivy continue, he says, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Merivale still is and will continue to be a huge investor in this industryâ&#x20AC;?.

Lifelines Married: Frenzal Rhomb guitarist Lindsay â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; McDougall and long-time partner Jen Owens at Sublime Point Cafe in Wollongong. The 250 star-studded guests were served a vegan dinner. McDougall, his brothers and members of Art vs Science and Grinspoon jammed on covers (including a bulk of AC/DC toe-tappers). The coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bridal waltz was to Iron Maidenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Blood Brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Injured: Slipknotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sid Wilson damaged his left foot from jumping onstage. In 2008, he broke both heels from doing the same thing.

Injured: Tommy Lee had to miss four MĂśtley CrĂźe US farewell shows after he woke at 3am in Buffalo, New York with tendonitis, his wrist hurting so much he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t â&#x20AC;&#x153;even hold a drumstickâ&#x20AC;?.

Injured: Taylor Swift accidentally cut her thumb with a kitchen knife before a show in Arlington, Texas.

She did the show, covering the bandage with the number 13 (her lucky number) and bringing on Ellie Goulding as a guest.

Ill: Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh has been diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Investigated: Glenn Danzig for allegedly attacking a fan who violated the singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;no photosâ&#x20AC;? rule at a Montreal concert. The fan claims he was beaten up outside

by Danzig and their security team.

In Court: the nephew of Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi who claimed Jay Z stole from his 1957 song â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Khosara Khosaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for his 1999 hit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Big Pimpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; had the case dismissed when a US judge ruled the nephew had no proper authority to sue under Egyptian law.

In Court: Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd escaped jail time for punching a Las Vegas cop trying to break up a brawl in January, in return for 50 hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; community service and a contribution to a fund for injured cops.

Died: Gosford guitarist and sound engineer Ray Beaton, 60, after a 12-month battle with oesophagus cancer. He toured with the likes of Reg Lindsay, Eric Bogle, Kevin Borich and Sara Storer, and also ran WB Speaker Systems.

Died: Cory Wells of US band Three Dog Night, 74, unexpectedly in New York after the band postponed dates as he was suffering severe back pain. Formed in 1968, the band had 21 Top 40 hits including â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mama Told Me Not To Comeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Joy To The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Died: Matty Drax Alexander, GM of the Melbourne-based club, management and tour company Stealth Entertainment, 31, from a car accident near Horsham while driving to Adelaide. He was also involved in the Trill nightclubs in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

Died: Joe Moss, manager of Johnny Marr and previously The Smiths, aged 72.

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DONNY BENET

THE SONGS OF NILE RODGERS BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

S

ydney’s smoothest neodisco operator Donny Benet is bringing the songs of Nile Rodgers to this year’s At First Sight festival. American guitarist Rodgers established himself as a member of Chic in the mid-to-late ’70s, and the band became a prominent feature of the prevailing disco movement.

Outside of Chic, Rodgers – both with and without Chic bass player Bernard Edwards and drummer Tony Thompson – wrote and produced songs for several other big-name artists of the era, including David Bowie, The B-52s, Diana Ross, Duran Duran and Madonna.

Accordingly, Benet’s performance won’t be restricted to Chic material.

“We will be grabbing stuff from all over his career,” he says. “One of the inspiring things about Nile Rodgers is his flexibility as a producer while still keeping his signature touch on the song or project he was involved in.”

Chic were incredibly prolific in their heyday, churning out seven albums in the space of six years. This run culminated in 1983’s Believer, after which they disbanded. However, Rodgers’ name has never faded from relevance. In fact, so successful was his work as a producer and guitarist in the ’80s and ’90s that his 1960 Fender Stratocaster became popularly known as The Hitmaker. His contributions to Daft Punk’s 2013 release Random Access Memories are evidence that he’s still an in-demand producer and guitarist. Benet attempts to pinpoint his defining quality.

“I think his main signature is his guitar work, which in turn inspires the sound he gives to the project.

His rhythmic qualities as a guitarist influence the arrangement – both rhythmic and timbre – of the music he’s involved in.

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Disco music has clearly had a big influence on the entire Donny Benet discography. You can hear it on his own two albums, 2012’s Electric Love and last year’s underrated collaborative effort Weekend At Donny’s. Unsurprisingly, Benet has been an avid disco and funk fan since his youth.

“When I was about 12, my dad bought me an electric bass and told me to teach myself how to play,” he says. “He also had a copy of a 30-minute episode of an English TV show called Rock School. There was about ten minutes dedicated to bass playing in the funk episode.

The three bass players interviewed and featured were Larry Graham [Sly and The Family Stone], Bootsy Collins [James Brown, ParliamentFunkadelic] and Bernard Edwards/ Nile Rodgers. They’re three very good starting points. Also, growing up in the ’90s with grunge was pretty hard for someone who wanted to play funk music. It was pretty boring music to play.”

Benet has also ventured into jazz, releasing three albums with Triosk before launching his solo career.

On top of that, he’s a member of Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders, so he’s no stranger to the rock realm. He’s already carved out an exceedingly broad back catalogue, which reflects his perspective on making music.

“I don’t think one sets out to play a particular style of music at any point of their career. Influences and interests always change over your career as a musician. I’ve never really set out to play disco music exclusively. These days, playing and making a meagre living from music itself is hard to consider a serious prospect. I was over in the Greek islands a few months ago and would spend the day driving around Milos from beach to beach listening to ’70s/’80s Greek music. I really got off on the music. Maybe I’ll start playing Greek social clubs – who knows?”

For now, however, he’s focused on the music of Nile Rodgers. In order to present Rodgers’ music in all its glory at At First Sight, Benet will have some esteemed company. Along with his demi-legendary five-piece Show Band, a bunch of guest vocalists will be announced closer to the festival.

And Benet’s no stranger to this kind of show. At the 2014 Sydney Festival he teamed up with Jack Ladder for a performance of Lou Reed songs, and in years past he’s covered a wide assortment of tracks with the likes of Kirin J Callinan and Spod out front.

In other words, he knows how to approach a cover version.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: FIVE ARTISTS NOT TO MISS AT CARRIAGEWORKS THIS YEAR Nicholas Allbrook The Pond frontman has gone solo, bringing with him a set that will command attention while mystifying and hypnotising audiences in the best way possible. At First Sight will be one of the first chances to catch Allbrook perform his new EP Walrus live, along with its first single ‘Blanket 3072’. After wowing crowds with his stripped-back sound on his recent string of dates supporting The Laurels, Allbrook is one to put on your to-do list for At First Sight 2015.

Oscar Key Sung Melbourne producer Oscar Key Sung sounds good under headphones, but the best way to appreciate this multi-talented instrumentalist is undoubtedly in the flesh. Half of the Melbourne duo Oscar + Martin, Key Sung has had wide appraisal for his latest release, Altruism, combining experimental sounds with the soothing effect of his own voice.

All of this makes for interesting listening, especially in a live sense.

“[For At First Sight] we’ll try and nail the songs as played while adding the Show Band touch. If they sound great to begin with, there’s no point bastardising them just for the hell of it. As long as people dance, I’ll be happy.”

Palms

Many people have reservations about covers shows, either because they don’t think it’s a particularly constructive exercise or they fear the songs getting ruined. Given the prevalence of malnourished cover bands, these fears are warranted, but Benet doesn’t take this sort of thing lightly.

“It is quite a challenging exercise, as you’re learning new material in a short space of time for a small amount of shows. It can be positive in that audiences will hear you perform music they’re either familiar or unfamiliar with and hopefully you add your signature to it. I don’t mind doing it, as you play other people’s songs and through doing that find out the successful musical attributes of the song, which in turn will maybe assist you in the future when composing. That, and if all goes to shit we can at least score a few gigs playing covers at Penrith Panthers.”

What: At First Sight 2015 With: My Disco, Lost Animal, Acid Baby Jesus, Richard Cartwright and more Where: Carriageworks When: Saturday November 14

Perhaps being swooned to sleep by the sounds of Oscar Key Sung isn’t your thing?

You’d rather get sweatier than an obese tourist in the tropics while elbowing your mates in the ribs? Palms are for you. Think Surfer Blood meets Bad//Dreems meets Royal Headache. Mainstays on the Sydney touring circuit, Palms have proven their highenergy brand of loud and fun racket-rock many a time before, but are worth checking out at the festival, even if it is just to burn a few calories and put a smile on your face.

My Disco You know those moments you have while watching a band that kind of end up feeling like an out-of-body experience? My Disco specialise in that kind of freaky shit – in a good way. A band that thrives on the sounds of tribal drumming and wailing vocals, My Disco’s minimal yet powerful presence is not to be missed.

Blank Realm These guys are fresh off the boat from a massive European tour, having released their latest record Illegals In Heaven to acclaim both nationally and internationally. Blank Realm are by no means newcomers to the indie music scene, having worked their arses off touring and recording for years, and pleasing audiences with their compulsive brand of lo-fi rock. This might just be the last time Sydneysiders will get to see Blank Realm play a smaller-scale, more intimate show before they hit up the Laneway 2016 stage.

Tegan Reeves

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Xxx photo by xxx

“Being involved with Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson in certain projects facilitates the Chic sound, which in many cases is a desired sound. Putting that sound and approach into the mixing pot of artists like Bowie creates something quite distinctive and also helps bolster

artists like Madonna and Duran Duran. One of my favourites is his work on ‘Original Sin’ by INXS.”

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Chris Isaak Night And Day By Adam Norris

I

t’s hard to know what to expect when you sit down to chat with Chris Isaak. Not because he is particularly aloof – in fact, the man is about as gregarious as they come – but because his career has so many facets. There is The X Factor judge currently charming screens. There is the respected roustabout unveiling his 13th studio album, coupled with the earlier crooner lamenting wicked games and bad, bad things. There is the actor, enlisted by talents as disparate as David Lynch and Adventure Time. There is the guy sketching Charles Addams cartoons in the corner. Mostly, though – and perhaps this above everything else – there is the Chris Isaak who likes to tell stories.

“I was over in Nashville,” he recalls, “and I went to Scotty Moore’s house, who was Elvis’ original guitar player in the ’50s. He had a box of 78s, and they belonged to Elvis when he was just a kid. We were just sitting around the kitchen playing them. And you could hear everything that Elvis did later on in his career was on those records.

And those sounds might be far apart, with a big dichotomy between one another, but he put them all together in his voice and style, and it was something new. I think that’s what a lot of artists do. They take a lot of influences and people, they pour ’em into themselves, and that makes them unique.”

Isaak himself has drawn on an incredible array of music to shape the man he is today. From Elvis and Louis Armstrong, to the fledgling performers he spends offscreen time with on The X Factor, the Californian singer has a deep bag of influences at his disposal. These

many years later, while he has succeeded in crafting a sound of his own, his allegiance to earlier music remains strong. There is perhaps no better example of this than his homage to Roy Orbison, ‘Perfect Lover’, which appears on his new album, First Comes The Night.

“Man, I wish Roy was still here. I would have loved to have him come in and sing on that,” Isaak says.

“He was the nicest man I’ve ever worked with. He was such a sweet guy in real life, and you know, when he died I was young enough to think, ‘Well, he lived a full life, he did all this stuff.’ And now I think what an idiot I was. He was only 52 when he died. He was young!

“In real life he was part-redneck and part-poet. Seriously, I think I got along better with Roy than most other people I’ve ever met. The two of us just hit it off like a couple of ducks. We could talk about music, and we could talk about cars, we could talk about guns, we could talk about women. One time he told me, ‘People always ask me what kind of a singer I am, and I tell them I’m a romantic balladeer.’ Someone had told him that, and he liked it. I told him, ‘Well, I’m going to start calling myself that too, Roy. That’s what we are. We’re romantic balladeers.’”

While Isaak’s new record is not without its share of ballads, there is something inherently energetic to the release. Across happy tunes and sad, Isaak has endeavoured to make each song entertaining. While each track stands alone, there is still an overarching tone that soon becomes apparent; it feels very cinematic. Unsurprising, given his forays into the world of film, including that most idiosyncratic

of landscapes, the terrain of David Lynch.

“You know, when I hear the term Renaissance Man, I think of David Lynch. He can do everything. I’ve worked with some great directors, like Bertolucci, and David Lynch is really one of the most impressive.

He could take a scene apart and put it back together in an instant, and have the actors giving better performances with really simple direction. Very insightful. He can write, he can put music together.

He’d come in and say, ‘What if the guitar did this here? Can we make it go baaa-OOO?’ He was such fun to work with. People always think he’s going to be this dark and crazy

guy. It’s never the guys who make dark and crazy films who are dark and crazy themselves. The people you need to watch out for is the cub scout leader who’s also a clown at children’s birthday parties. Watch out for that guy.”

Despite, or perhaps because of this mix of achievements, Isaak is still drawn to times when music was simpler – when the stage lights were still a dream, no-one cared for your name; when all that mattered in that moment was the song.

“I fi nd myself playing on the street, even now,” he says. “My older brother called and said, ‘Bring your guitar and we’ll make enough

money for breakfast.’ So we drove down to this beachside town, we opened up the case there on the street, and just started playing.

We both had hats on, we were both singing, and no-one was making a big deal out of it. We got some tips, and almost had enough for breakfast, when this girl walks by with her boyfriend.

I saw her look back, and she said, ‘That’s Chris Isaak!’ And her boyfriend just nodded and said, ‘Yep. He used to be big.’ And kept on walking. I thought that was hilarious.”

What: First Comes The Night out now through Universal

El Vy Walking On The Moon By David James Young create something with all of these responsibilities in mind, but an unexpected outside influence set the wheels in motion for Berninger.

“I never thought about the song that was going to surprise people the most,” he says. “That song became the title track primarily on account of it being a great title. The reason that it was picked to open the record… I mean, it kind of gives you an idea of what the album is going to be, but it also comes back to my daughter being obsessed with Grease. That opens with a song called ‘Grease’, right? ‘Grease is the word’. It kind of sets up the tone during the title sequence of the movie. I think ‘Return To The Moon’ is that kind of thing. Movies used to bring you into the time and the place with these ornate music numbers, as opposed to being dropped in the middle of the ocean with Jason Bourne the second that the movie starts. I think ‘Return To The Moon’ is playing that role.”

I

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– although that wasn’t the game plan when El Vy started.

“Brent and I never had a single conversation about what kind of record we wanted to make,” says Berninger. “Not even about a single song. I didn’t have a big plan to write about all these characters – especially not all of these people from Cincinnati – with these recurring narratives and storylines.

Every time I go in to make a record, it comes out being a reflection of what was going on in my own life.

I guess it all has something to do with that. My daughter was listening to the Grease soundtrack all the time, my family and I had moved

to California, I was listening to the Minutemen and watching their documentary… it might all seem like just a series of events, but it all adds into how the record was shaped.”

El Vy’s debut album, Return To The Moon, incorporates elements of electronica, pop, funk, R&B and the greater indie rock spectrum; a fascinating genre hybrid that takes Berninger’s typically reserved and morose singing style into an entirely different stratosphere.

Fans were introduced to the record with the song that serves as the title track, the lead single and the opening number. It’s a big ask to

“We’re doing about 20 shows total, I think,” Berninger says.

“We’re playing my favourite LA place, Brent’s favourite Portland

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the album for Berninger in particular is the fact this is the first full album he has ever sung on outside The National. It’s suggested that it must have taken something he was fully committed towards in order to make such a leap – and Berninger himself is inclined to agree.

“I don’t put something out in the world until I think it’s good,” he says. “That goes for The National, that goes for the documentary that my brother and my wife made [Mistaken For Strangers] – it goes for everything. This El Vy record – I mean, we had been toying around with the idea of making it for years.

Neither of us had the time to really focus on it. We knew we weren’t going to put anything out until we were sure that it was awesome and that it was ready. I know it’s not going to be for everybody – I’m actually kind of excited by that. I know that The National tends to have very devoted fans, so I’m curious to see how they react in particular.”

What: Return To The Moon out Friday October 30 through 4AD/ Remote Control thebrag.com

El Vy photo by Deidre O’Callaghan

n the red corner: Matt Berninger, the suited-up blonde baritone who is normally found leading perhaps the biggest indie rock band in the world, The National. In the blue corner: Brent Knopf, a fi gurehead of Portland’s indie/experimental rock scene most noted for his time in Menomena and his solo project, Ramona Falls. Having crossed paths several times over the years, the two have fi nally come together to create a brand new project. It’s called El Vy – pronounced, as they explain, “like ‘hell pie’, or like the plural of Elvis”. It’s also a far cry from what either artist is normally known for

Berninger and Knopf have only played live as El Vy a handful of times, including some acoustic radio sessions and a key performance on Conan, in which the duo were accompanied by a full band of three backing vocalists and a rhythm section. With tour dates imminent, a more excitable daydreamer might wonder if the project will make it to Australia – especially considering Berninger’s day job is booked to headline the massive Bluesfest in March. But he’s quick to burst the bubble on that happening – or indeed, any touring beyond what’s booked.

place – these really small rooms, doing a really limited run. I think we’ve made it fairly clear from the outset that we don’t want another ‘band’, per se – it’s not going to be a fully fledged touring machine or anything of that nature. I feel like if we kept going beyond this, it would take away from the spirit and the fun of what this was to us. Besides everything else, I’m really excited to get back in and make the next National record. We’re in the middle of that at the moment and it’s pretty exciting.”

Guy Garvey Holding Court By Chris Martin

G

uy Garvey, frontman and lyricist of Manchester’s late bloomers Elbow, is an avid listener to new music. The silvertongued vocalist hosts his own weekly BBC Radio show, which means he’s exposed to a legion of unsigned bands on a regular basis.

As for his own career, Garvey is readying for the release of his debut solo LP – but for now, he speaks a familiar lament about the lack of time and opportunity for the current generation of emerging artists to develop their talents over time, in the same way Elbow did for some ten years before finding mainstream success.

“People listen to songs, not albums,” says Garvey of the present musical climate. “Even if they do listen to albums, they don’t pay for them.

And bands have to release more material to excuse going on tour just to survive as a band, otherwise they have to get a full-time job. And together writing music becomes so impractical that they don’t pursue it. So what’s happening now is you get one or two albums, then a band splits up through pressure – which is terrible, it’s awful, and there needs to be a new way of convincing people to pay for their music, convincing people that it’s a good idea, because it’s not tenable the way it is.

“We need to work out a new business model to protect the music that we’re losing. We’re losing a generation of it. All the music that’s getting through – and I hate to say this, because it’s not that it’s bad music – but the only music that gets through is from people whose parents can bankroll them. So The Jam wouldn’t happen, The Clash wouldn’t happen, the fucking Beatles wouldn’t happen in this climate.”

It might seem a pessimistic view to take on the verge of launching a solo career, but the unflappably humble Garvey knows he’s in a privileged position to be able to follow his creative muse thanks to a long and successful time at the front of one of Britain’s most respected alternative rock bands. Elbow’s most recent full-length release, 2014’s The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, was their first to top the UK charts, arriving three years after the platinum-accredited Build A Rocket Boys! and six years after The Seldom Seen Kid, which won the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and propelled Elbow onto the international stage. Going solo remained an ambition of Garvey’s, and the process behind his new album, Courting The Squall, was a refreshing one.

“At one point I had seven amazing musicians playing things at my bidding, at two o’clock in the morning in a beautiful studio in Wiltshire, Peter Gabriel’s place,” Garvey says. “And the minute I realised I didn’t like what we’d all been playing for a couple of hours, I went, ‘Stop! That’ll do. See you in the morning.’ And you can’t do that in a band, you know – you’ve gotta see something through to the bitter end. If you’re not feeling a song but somebody else in the band is, you sit back and you wait to be asked to perform, but you let the process go – you let whoever’s favouring the song rule the ball, so to speak – and quite often you’re very pleasantly surprised by something you didn’t think you’d like turn into something you love. But it’s a lot quicker, moving on your own.”

The opportunity to craft an album under his own name saw Garvey

indulge some influences that will perhaps surprise Elbow fans, including a formative love of hip hop. “There’s not many genres of music that I haven’t found something in that I’ve really liked,” he says. “Even the odd club classic.

I listen to all sorts of music. I really loved early hip hop, particularly when I was a kid.”

While he’s not exactly rapping, Garvey’s hip hop education is evident on Courting The Squall’s more free-flowing vocal deliveries – “going with the groove and the vibe and the feel of something”, as he puts it. However, the turmoil of his personal life aired on The Take Off And Landing Of Everything following his split with his partner of ten years, the writer Emma

Unsworth, still filters through his work.

“There were bits and bobs that were a little bit too painful to put on the last Elbow record, because they were still too raw, and I can’t go into much detail, but they don’t sound that way now, in retrospect. Just little bits of personal detail which would’ve perhaps jarred people that I’m close to if I’d have put them out sooner. But it all comes from somewhere, you know? If you live with somebody who writes in any way for a living – particularly if they write creatively – it’s all got to come from somewhere.”

In true Garvey and Elbow style, then, the singer’s solo record is a musically and lyrically detailed

examination of highs and lows, triumphs and tribulations. Before he departs, Garvey is eager to assure Elbow devotees that he’s got no intention of leaving behind his friends in the group to go it alone permanently.

“They’ve been popping into the studio this week while I’ve been rehearsing for my solo tour.

[There’s] no need to worry – as soon as I’ve had my little fling, I’ll be back in the studio with them boys, and all they’ll hear for the next six months is me saying, ‘Well, I didn’t do that on mine…’”

What: Courting The Squall out Friday October 30 through Universal

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Kev Carmody A Journey In Song By Adam Norris impact on the Australian landscape turned Carmody into one of the most respected artists we have. Of course, my nervousness is entirely unfounded. Carmody is as direct, humble and down-to-earth as they come.

“I’m always unknowingly attuned to sound,” he says reflectively. We are discussing his latest album, Recollections… Refl ections… (A Journey), Carmody’s first in 12 years.

At 40 songs long, however, he is making up for lost time.

“The sound of water over rocks, wind in the trees. We recorded all that sort of stuff. It’s definitely a bloody journey, alright. There’s one song there from about 1967, when I put a few guitar chords together in what we used to call ‘hillbilly’ music style, talking about the old hometown fellas who used to sit down on the big median strips in Central and Western Queensland and be the town gossips, right through to songs written today.

interview somewhat terrified I will overlook some fundamental tier of his life and work. An ARIA Hall of Famer and Don Banks Music Award recipient, his support for indigenous communities and his

There is a genuine pleasure in hearing Carmody speak. He has the gift of the gab, but his tone

“It’s my musical education, in some ways. On the droving camps when I was a young kid in the ’50s, all we could get was the ABC Radio.

We’d run an aerial up a tree to get the signal. In the morning you’d get the old hillbillies – Tex Morton, Slim Dusty, that sort of stuff. Hank Williams. But in the night, you’d get this absolutely gorgeous bloody classical symphony music.

[At university] I started hearing experimental music, this John Cage stuff. So now this album was a bit of experimentation with what was lying around, but I also wanted it all to be in one take. No rehearsal, no bloody pre-production, just walk in and improvise. If it works, it works, if it doesn’t, cut it out! And keep all the bangs and cracks!”

He chuckles. “There’s a guitar that had been lying in that shed for 20 years, and in the heat the soundboard had busted off, so there was a gap of around five bloody inches on it, and if you pressed down on it you’d get this whammy bar sound. You can hear it actually crack on the recording, and if you were in a normal recording studio, you know, they’d just say, ‘Oh no no, take that out, that’s a mistake.’

I said, ‘Bloody leave it in there!

That’s what I played, leave the crack where it is!’”

Over 40 tracks it is hard to isolate any one song as being particularly representative of Carmody and his work. An early example of the strengths of his writing, however, comes in the sweetly stunning dirge, ‘Black Jimmy’, which deals with indigenous issues close to Carmody’s heart.

“There are so many of our people chucked down the far end of the graveyard. They put the brass plaque around their neck and said, ‘This is Queen Daisy, this is old King Billy.’ And then this real degradation of who we are and what we were. I was visiting this little country town, and in the early morning walked up this high hill where the cemetery was, and noticed down under this gumtree there was this gravestone by itself.

Normally, our mob weren’t marked.

We didn’t have gravestones. But this had ‘Black Jimmy’ written there, and the dates. But to be separated even in death just hit me. There was lichen and moss growing over the tomb, and in that morning sunlight, well, it was just beautiful.”

It is a memory well said, and translates splendidly into song.

Before we end, I compliment Carmody on his voice here, and how readily you are caught up in the details of his stories overall. He laughs.

“I’ve always considered myself a songwriter. I’m not a singer, strewth! I’m flat as! Get some other poor bugger to sing ’em!”

What: Sydney Festival 2016 Where: Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent When: Sunday January 17 And: Recollections… Refl ections…

(A Journey) out Friday October 30 through One Louder

ACO Underground Breaking The Boundaries By Adam Norris

W

hat’s the first thing you think of when you hear classical music? I’d hazard for most people it’s going to be a bust of Beethoven and his Symphony No. 9 (or perhaps Edvard Grieg for the more maudlin among us). But for years now the Australian Chamber Orchestra has been working to take the bust off the mantle and into the light of day. ACO Underground takes this one step further, picking up classical and contemporary pieces and transporting them to popular venues, like at its upcoming appearance at the Factory Theatre with special guests including Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie and guitarist Jim Moginie from Midnight Oil. Satu Vänskä is the assistant leader of the ACO, and as she and the orchestra get preparations underway, she discusses not only their hopes and motivations, but her own multicultural development as a FinnishAustralian violinist who grew up in Japan and studied music in Germany.

“As always, the things that happen in your life, in a sense you are the worst person to make the judgement of what has made an impact on you,” she says. “But I’m sure there is an element in your life as an artist where the experiences of your life automatically go into your musicianship. I would say something that is probably there [for me] is not being afraid of some sort of rebellion. I was in Germany, playing in the orchestra as a violinist, and – well, let’s just say for a girl in her early 20s and being interested in all kinds of genres, those orchestras then were all male-dominated, very conservative and very institutionalised.

“That kind of world affected me very much, in that it made me decide I would never want to live in a world like that. That led to the ACO, which is the anti[thesis] of all of that. It’s much more modern, and as a young female, I was allowed to be myself. I didn’t have to pretend, I didn’t have to be conservative in my musical interests. ACO operates with a much 14 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

more explorative nature. But at the same time, there is technical excellence there, and professionalism, which I also love.”

ACO Underground has been breaking the mould of traditional classical music performances since 2012. Here, violin and cello meet electric guitar and bass, Bach meets Neil Finn, all led by Vänskä’s vocals and her 1728 Stradivarius violin (the only Stradivarius in Australia). The purpose of these gigs is not just to introduce new audiences to the wild energies of classical music, but also to remind those dyed-in-the-wool fans that there is more to music than sitting primly in a concert hall.

“We like to turn things on their heads a little, to change people’s perspectives,” says Vänskä.

“Classical music you expect to be something very nice and comfortable, something for grannies. But in ACO Underground, we often play classical composers that are from the 20th or 21st century, and though they’re called classical composers, if you put them next to a pop song, you’ll often find it’s the pop song that sounds nice and safe and for grannies. It’s the classical composers like Penderecki that sound punk in comparison. “‘Classical music’ is a very wide term, and it also includes the avant-garde, it includes so many things. It’s composers like Handel, who I love, but it’s also such a wider world. We often find hardcore electronica has much more in common with Botella [and] Stockhausen than it does with pop music. It’s about letting people come and hear the concert, the gig, whatever you want to call it, in a place where it doesn’t matter what genre it is, but somehow it all makes sense.”

So far, the response from critics and fans alike has been unanimously strong. Vänskä acknowledges that convincing someone to attend their first classical concert can be a tough sell, generally because of the dated conceptions people have with such music; the impression it’s chamber music played

while people dance stiffly in royal courts. But the reality is so much more energising and enthused, and with ACO Underground, the atmosphere is even more informal.

“It developed from ACO audiences saying they wish they could go and see the show but have a beer at the same time,” says Vänskä.

“Which is a totally fair wish – I think the music sounds better and the beer tastes better. Bach sounds better with beer! I think it’s important to take music out of the concert hall. I think that experience can be daunting for some people, but also, it gives us the opportunity to program something very different to what we would normally do.”

Vänskä’s precious Stradivarius is owned by the ACO Instrument Fund, and for instruments of such history and notoriety, the chance for an individual to become part of their story seems a

unique and enviable opportunity – something of which Vänskä is very aware.

“It’s incredibly humbling to be part of the history of such a great instrument. It’s an honour, because this instrument is going to outlast me. Well, hopefully, unless something awful happens. These are things that are alive. They aren’t objects that are still, they have a life of their own, and I am part of that violin’s life at the moment. But at the end of the day, it is still a tool. I’m a violinist, and having a violin that makes all those colours is for me the same as a pen for a writer, a brush for a painter. It’s a voicebox for me.”

With: Stereogamous Where: Factory Theatre When: Thursday November 5

thebrag.com

Kev Carmody photo by Tony Mott

F

ew folk can claim to have led lives quite as vibrant and varied as Kev Carmody.

He’s a man whose cultural and musical significance can’t really be understated, and I enter this

“My basic objective was to a) keep it acoustic, and b) I wanted no drum kit and no bass guitar. The studio is in the huge old fruit-packing shed, with this beautiful insulation in the walls. After the Second World War you couldn’t get insulation, so the workers just got grass and bound it together with wire, made the walls around 20 centimetres thick, and then tarred over it. It has a beautiful feel inside for sound, but that shed was also just full of junk. So there we were, using bits from an old petrol station as drums, recording all of these natural sounds. Chooks and birds from when we took the bloody recorder out at five in the morning, the grandkids’ flamin’ musical toys, just to get some interesting sounds.”

is so expressive as he happily plucks other voices out of the air to elaborate on the people who have wandered in and out of his life story. At 68, he has no scarcity of anecdote and encounter, and has found his career entwined with some of the most memorable characters of recent history (just last year, he and firm friend Paul Kelly performed their song, ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’, at the state funeral for Gough Whitlam). As such, this album represents an overview of a wide and engrossing life.

Royal Sitars Unmasked At First Sight By Rick Wickman ‘Eloise’ and ‘Distant And Vague’ performed instrumentally, their vocal melodies translated to sitar.

Mystery surrounds the Royal Sitars outfit still – though it’s safe to assume the project comes from within Sydney’s network of garage outfits – ahead of their appearance for Carriageworks’ At First Sight festival. For their first-ever interview, Royal Sitars spoke with us, anonymity intact, in a guarded email exchange. “We’ve found sitar to be one of the more expressive instruments in the traditional Indian canon,” they say.

The idea to translate these songs to the instrument, they explain, came from “where all the best ideas come from: a gracious gift from above”.

Arguably Royal Headache’s greatest strength lies in Shogun’s vocals, but Royal Sitars, on the two tracks released so far, manage to navigate that challenge instrumentally. “The sitar itself doesn’t quite have the range of the Royal Headache singer, but we do our best to compensate with additional melodic motifs,” they say.

Though none were present on the recently released High, Royal Headache’s selftitled album featured a few instrumental arrangements. As of now, Royal Sitars won’t be tackling cuts like ‘Two Kinds Of Love’, but they add: “One cannot always accurately predict the future.”

I

n mid-July 2015, a month prior to the release of their second full-length LP – an album many thought would never arrive after the status of the band was declared in limbo from within the

camp – Royal Headache tweeted the words “Mystery cover band” along with a link to a Bandcamp page attributed to Royal Sitars.

The two tracks on the page lived up to the label on the tin, with Royal Headache’s

While the sitar takes care of the vocal melodies, a more nuanced approach is needed for the other song elements, employing garage sensibility. “We strive for the perfect balance between respect and representation of the more exciting elements for a dancefl oor-ready combination that suits our instrumentation,” they explain.

As anyone who has ever attended a Royal Headache show can attest, their songs are loaded with genuine emotion, expressed

in performance and arrangement. “We feel these songs are a great gift to all,” say Royal Sitars. “We strive to – rather than change the mood – enhance melodic elements, and create a blissful mixture of joy and longing.”

When pressed on what makes Royal Headache so ripe for interpretation, Royal Sitars offer: “It is the combination of simplicity, and the ease of translation onto our chosen instruments – in particular, the sitar.”

With High having been out in the world for a number of months now, enjoying a similar affection to Royal Headache’s debut full-length, we can perhaps enjoy sitar renditions of ‘Carolina’ and ‘Garbage’ sometime in the near future. “We have only just received this album but we indeed have begun our arrangement process,” say Royal Sitars. “We’ve been approached by a number of professional recording companies and are considering the most enlightened path.”

Apart from the initial tweet, Royal Sitars are unsure of Royal Headache’s response to their interpretations. Or so they say. “We hope to meet and possibly perform with them in the future. We hope they have enjoyed our respectful representation of their music.”

But the final question for Royal Sitars remains: who are you? Where are you from?

“Foremost, we prefer to let the sitar speak for itself.” OK. What: At First Sight 2015 With: My Disco, Lost Animal, Acid Baby Jesus, Richard Cartwright and more Where: Carriageworks When: Saturday November 14 And: Royal Sitars out now independently through Bandcamp

Martin Courtney Room To Explore By Augustus Welby

O

riginally a Jersey boy, Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney recently jumped across the border to live in the small town of Beacon in Upstate New York. The bucolic scenery captured in the music video for his recent solo single ‘Northern Highway’ is a depiction of his new locale. The song’s lyrics speak of travelling the world and visiting various beautiful places, but never feeling compelled to move away from home.

“Where I live now is about 45 minutes from where I grew up,” says Courtney. “It’s the same general idea, although it’s a pretty different town – the vibe is different. But just this kind of region of the country, the Northeast, is defi nitely where I feel at home. Part of that song is just thinking about moving to different places in the world and realising that this is the area where I want to be.”

“I was kind of just writing songs, then I think I was trying to arrange them in ways that we might not do in Real Estate,” Courtney says. “So bringing in strings, or

“The difference is in the way they’re arranged and also in the fact that different people are playing on them. We have a different drummer on this record, which brings a totally different style to it. Also, Jarvis [Taveniere, of Brooklyn band Woods], the guy that produced it, he played bass on it and had a pretty big hand in the production and putting songs together.”

While Courtney seized the opportunity to stretch out and push these songs in different directions, he doesn’t feel constricted by Real Estate’s more democratic way of operating.

“Obviously we could do whatever we want, but we know that we do have a sound that works for us.

That’s another thing – you don’t want to fall into repeating yourself.

I don’t think Real Estate has done that yet.

“For me, things like bringing strings into the picture, I’ve always talked about doing that with Real Estate stuff, but I don’t think it would’ve worked because the songs are already so lush. The cool thing about Real Estate, each person brings their own thing to the table and it sounds pretty lush without having too much on top.

It was nice to leave room for that

in these songs, or fi nd the songs where there was room for it rather than just throwing [strings] on top of everything. It was a good learning experience. And having a song that just starts with acoustic guitar and vocals – just things that are a little bit outside of my comfort zone. I was defi nitely trying new things.”

Real Estate are a band in the true essence of the term; each member plays an integral role in generating their signature sound.

However, since day one Courtney has written the majority of the group’s songs. Stepping out of his comfort zone on Many Moons will no doubt have an impact on the way he approaches the next Real Estate album.

“Just the idea of working with other instruments – seeing how

that can be done or developing my own approach to doing that will defi nitely come in handy in the future if we want to incorporate some instrumentation in or whatever. You’re always learning new tricks. The only thing that keeps me from throwing songs away, or the songs I end up holding onto, is because there’s something about them that seems interesting – there’s a new little thing I learnt while writing it. With every song that I feel is good enough to fi nish, I’m defi nitely learning something new.”

Many Moons has clearly been a constructive project for Courtney, so the question looms as to whether it’s the start of something more long-term.

“I actually don’t know at this point,” he says. “I could see it happening

again. It worked out really well because we finished the last Real Estate record and had all this time to kill. We were finishing all the artwork and putting the whole thing together – that takes like six months before the record even came out, and then we were touring like crazy. This project was a way to stay busy.

“Especially right at the beginning, I started writing these songs and thought, ‘There’s really no reason for me to be putting these towards Real Estate, because any song I write now is not going to come out for another year or two years.

So I may as well put it towards something else.’ I could see that happening again.”

What: Many Moons out Friday October 30 through Domino

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Martin Courtney photo by Shawn Brackbill

‘Northern Highway’ is the second single from Courtney’s debut solo album, Many Moons. Courtney has fronted Real Estate since 2009, leading the band on three LPs and several global tours.

Musically, Many Moons brings some novel adornments to his songwriting: ‘Northern Highway’ adopts a stripped-back country fl avour, the chorus of ‘Vestiges’ evokes ’60s pop, and ‘Foto’ contains luscious Phil Spector string work. But despite this, nothing on Many Moons would sound out of place on a Real Estate album.

on ‘Northern Highway’ having just one guitar part in that song – there’s an electric and an acoustic but they’re playing the same part.

Whereas that would never happen in Real Estate, because we always have lots of different stuff going on, at least two guitar melodies happening. I think it comes from the arrangements, but it’s true that any of these songs could’ve ended up on a Real Estate record.

Clowns Out For Blood By Spencer Scott

W

hen the BRAG speaks with Stevie Williams, frontman of Melbourne punks Clowns, he’s waiting for a train home and contemplating if he should spend his afternoon doing a poster run around the city. It’s this DIY ethic that is at the very foundation of the band – whether it’s getting handson with promo, or booking national tours by themselves, it’s an all-in operation. The latest of Clowns’ activities is the Never Enough tour, running through October and November. They’re the last headline shows planned before taking a welldeserved break and working on a follow-up to their latest record, Bad Blood.

Clowns are already a few songs into writing their new album, and while they’re planning on exploring new sounds, they have no plans to mess with a successful formula. “I reckon we are going to do it at the same

Alongside their upcoming headline tour dates, Clowns will support Rise Against at their Australian shows in December. They’ll go from top of the bill at the Factory Floor to playing the Hordern Pavilion a little over a month later – “It’s pretty weird,” Williams agrees.

“It’s one of those things that I know is happening but I can’t really comprehend what it’s going to be like until we go and do it. The Melbourne show is at Margaret Court Arena, so it’s going to be the biggest gig we have ever done, closely followed by Brisbane and Sydney. I think we’re just gonna go up there and do what we have done for every other show. We’ve done shows in people’s backyards, and we will play a show in an arena. We aren’t an exclusively club band, or a ‘we only play festivals’ kinda band. You can book us for wherever and we’re gonna do the exact same thing.”

Rise Against will add to the list of big names Clowns have supported

recently. They’ve also shared the stage with The Meanies, Frenzal Rhomb, Adolescents and D.R.I., all acts that have had a signifi cant infl uence on the Melburnians.

“Those are the bands that inspired us to be in a band,” says Williams.

“Not only do we get to tour with them, but we’re actually mates with them now, which is a weird blast –

at first [when we] started getting to play those shows, I was definitely a bit of a fanboy and a bit scared, but after you do it a bit it just becomes normal. It’s kinda funny; playing with the Hard-Ons is kinda like playing with The Bennies, which is a band we’ve known and played with for years – except the Hard-Ons inspired us to be musicians and we used to party with The Bennies.”

What: Bad Blood out now through Poison City With: Cosmic Kahuna, Frank Rizzo, Firearms Where: Factory Floor When: Friday October 30 And: Also supporting Rise Against at the Hordern Pavilion on Saturday December 5

Mia Dyson The American Dream By Adam Norris caught countless ears, and as her new EP approaches, the enchantment is likely to continue. This time, however, her songwriting followed a different path.

“I’ve been writing with my husband, which is interesting,” Dyson explains. “Before, I’ve always written by myself. He’s always written poetry and stories, and I started trying to put his poems to music, because they were really interesting, different forms to the way that I would write lyrics. We found this real, unexpected synergy there.

“I’ve tried co-writing before, and I’ve found it pretty difficult. You don’t want to step on toes, you don’t want to hurt somebody’s vision, it’s tricky. But with him, he doesn’t really have any agenda. He isn’t a songwriter per se, but now we’ve written a bunch of songs together. For me, lyrics take a long time, but because he’s such a wordsmith, they come much faster to him. So we’ve been able to write a lot more than I normally would. I’m just interested in so much more, and exploring so much more, especially the next recording.

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here or become a totally different artist, but I want to experiment.”

‘Tearing Up The Lawn’ is the first fruit of this collaboration, a classic rock number with Dyson’s trademark near-anguished vocals and guitar hooks, and the lyrical strength is evident from the very first verse. It’s an intriguing taste of the EP to come in early 2016, and clearly demonstrates that the strength of a good marriage is founded on collaborative songwriting and good communication (well, and love, I suppose).

“I feel like co-writing can be magic, but it requires a kind of luck of the draw,” says Dyson. “I mean sure, I know in Nashville they can get in there from nine to five and co-write songs all the time, but that produces a certain kind of song. I think a singer-songwriter isn’t trying to do that, they’re trying to express something that is meaningful to them. There’s no formula you can stick to.

I

first stumbled across Mia Dyson quite by chance, though it turns out I was rather late to the party. It was the Woodford Folk Festival, and sharing the stage with Jeff Lang and Matt Andersen was this 16 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

guitar-wielding typhoon blowing everyone away with vocals so husky you felt instantly compelled to swill fine Scotch and smoke cheap cigars, probably simultaneously. Her songs are bluesy vignettes that have already

“I think when two songwriters who admire each other’s writing get together, the danger is that you don’t bring the best out of each other. You don’t want to sit there saying, ‘No, not that idea; no, not that one.’ That’s basically how I write when I’m by myself,” she laughs. “It’s mostly just me saying no.

Writers who can sit there and work every day, I try to be that disciplined or I just won’t write. I can’t wait for inspiration. I have to go looking for it.”

Part of that searching has involved return visits to the US, which seems to have become a second home to Dyson over the years.

Having first moved there in 2009, Dyson has yo-yoed across the oceans ever since, notching experiences and influences to her musical palette along the way. At the time of our conversation she has only been back in the country a handful of days, having spent the last 12 months in the States following the release of Idyllwild last year, and just in time for her upcoming tour alongside The Waifs.

“I still think of Australia as my home, but there’s an attitude there of openness and inspiration, a sense that it’s really great to go after your art, that it’s not important how successful you are. And yeah, I know there are so many other attitudes over there as well, the whole shallow spectrum of Hollywood success. But there’s also a world of people just making art for its own sake, which I love. And there’s people doing that here too, of course. But it took going over there for me to see it. It’s like not being in your hometown. After growing up in a rural town, when I first moved to Melbourne I was all, ‘Wow! I’m free! I’m anonymous!’ It’s kind of like that going to the States.”

It also doesn’t hurt that the US seems preternaturally aligned with musical odysseys.

Jumping in a tour bus and sweeping from coast to coast, leaving a trail of larger-thanlife characters and raucous gigs. Dyson is living Cameron Crowe’s dream.

“Absolutely, and honestly, the mysticism and romanticism of America has not gone for me. I think on the first trip you will just see the surface, all of the McDonald’s. The shitty things about America are very visible. But there’s an incredible landscape there, and a mythology behind so many places. I get excited when I drive through certain towns and think, ‘That’s in that song!’ It’s silly, but it’s such a shame that I don’t feel that way when I hear songs about Australia.

“I don’t know if everyone is like that with their own country. It seems like Americans sing about their country with a real reverence that most Australians just don’t quite have. I love Australia and I love the landscape, but I don’t feel the same awe. Like, ‘Khe Sanh’ just doesn’t have the same ring for me,” she laughs.

Where: Supporting The Waifs at the Enmore Theatre When: Thursday November 5

thebrag.com

Clowns photo by Ian Laidlaw

“We released [Bad Blood] in February this year, which to me feels like two weeks ago, ’cause we really just smashed it the entire year,” says Williams. “The idea is that we will do one last headline run and at the same time be writing for our third album, which will hopefully be out next year sometime. This will be the last time that people will be hearing predominantly Bad Blood material at our live show.”

spot we did Bad Blood [St Kilda’s Hothouse studio] – we just had such a good chemistry with the engineers there and it was really organic,” says Williams. “The studio is only 20 minutes from my house, and the sound of it, as well – there was nothing on that album that I thought could have sounded better.”

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

arts in focus

amy

Amy photo by Alex Lake

a life on film

also inside:

SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE / MICHAEL CHABON / GAME ON / ARTS NEWS / REVIEWS / ARTS EXPOSED thebrag.com

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arts in focus

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

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

five minutes WITH

I

t’ll be no case of wishful thinking when James Dive unveils his latest installation Make A Wish at Barangaroo’s The Cutaway this weekend as part of Barangaroo’s Welcome Celebration. We catch up with Dive to find out what’s in store.

Your new artwork, Make A Wish, will be on display throughout November at Barangaroo’s The Cutaway. What can visitors expect?

Make A Wish is a funfair ride that never stops. To adults it is fearful, to kids it is wonderful.

JAMES DIVE FROM THE GLUE SOCIETY

The work celebrates this lack of fear, an enviable naivety that comes from being young. The work is comprised of a full-scale fairground ride in full flight, standing at approximately five metres tall and 25 metres wide, and has been modified to replace its 12 seats with giant white cubes that hurtle around, complete with large, googly eyes.

How exciting is it to be working in a space that’s so new but right in the middle of Sydney?

Creating The Cutaway under Barangaroo’s Headland Park was an absolute masterstroke, and I’m thrilled to be part of the first few steps of this significant new cultural space. The potential of this unique subterranean space is enormous and will continue to both inspire and intimidate artists for years to come.

What’s the mission statement

behind The Glue Society art collective you’re a part of?

This year we’ve been an independent creative collective of writers, designers, directors and artists for 18 years. Personally, I think our biggest success has been that we have remained hard to define. Being ill-defined has allowed us to work across multiple disciplines including art, design, theatre and film.

Is the main aim of your public art to be inclusive, challenging, impressive, or something else?

Public art allows you to interrupt someone’s day with art. And that is why it appeals to me. I’d rather my art bump into someone who was on their way to a bus, to have an unexpected union. My last public work, titled Us, did exactly that. The work was a temporary outdoor photo studio out the front of the Queen Victoria Building.

People passing by were invited to

Meow Meow

be part of a formal group photo with fellow strangers. The work photographed 6,435 people over 17 days. I’ve been told it even resulted in a recent marriage.

Public art seems to be becoming more and more visible at exhibitions, festivals and openings. Are emerging artists now getting the support they need?

As our lives get increasingly connected, I think there is growing desire for tangible experiences.

Festivals and exhibitions are taking note, which will make more opportunities for more artists.

What: Make A Wish as part of the Barangaroo Welcome Celebration Where: The Cutaway, Barangaroo When: Sunday November 1 – Monday November 30

SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2016 PROGRAM

Sydney Festival is set to take over the city once again for its 40th year in 2016, and organisers have unveiled a bumper program. A season of theatre, dance, film, opera, circus, comedy, visual art and music will run in various precincts from Thursday January 7 – Tuesday January 26.

The most visible of Sydney Festival’s installation pieces will this time take over new homes at Darling Harbour and The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve. The sites will host enormous buildings made of cardboard and tape, overseen by the artist Olivier Grossetête, under the banner of The People’s Tower and The Ephemeral City respectively. Adults and kids alike will be encouraged to help construct these temporary cities before helping in their demolition.

One of the highlights on the theatre program, meanwhile, is Woyzeck – a musical version of Georg Büchner’s challenging piece transformed by American music icon Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan and Robert Wilson.

And to ensure there’s plenty of colour coming to Sydney Festival, the program regular Meow Meow will star in Little Mermaid at the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent – a raucous cabaret set on the seven seas. To book tickets and see the full program, visit sydneyfestival.org.au.

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE AGAIN

Sing-A-Long-A Sound Of Music is returning to the State Theatre in 2016. The original film will be screened in its entirety, including subtitles, so all the fräuleins and Friedrichs and Louisas and Liesels in the crowd can sing along. The host for the evening will be Katrina Retallick, one of Australia’s most accoladed theatre, film and television personalities, who will lead the audience through a pre-screening vocal warmup and close the night with a costume parade and competition. Sing-A-Long-A Sound Of Music will take place on Saturday February 27.

FAIR DINKUM THEATRE

18 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

The Cranston Cup celebrates Sydney’s burgeoning improv comedy scene, and this year’s event is set to be a big one, with over 30 teams battling it out in the heats alongside the celebration of 30 years of Theatresports in Australia. This year the semi-finals take on the theme ‘Game Of Games’, focusing on game show-style fun. Previous winners will be competing alongside improv newcomers, ensuring a high concentration of laughs. The 2015 Cranston Cup Semi-Finals will be held at the Factory Theatre on Sundays from Sunday November 1 – Sunday November 15. Tickets for the Grand Final, to be held on Saturday November 28 at the Enmore Theatre, are available now.

ANOTHER SHADE OF GREY

Squabbalogic will present the Sydney premiere of Grey Gardens, as part of the Seymour Centre’s Reginald Season, from Wednesday November 18 – Saturday December 12. Grey Gardens tells the tale of two women – Jackie Kennedy’s aunt and cousin – from their heyday as rich and socially polished aristocrats to their eventual largely isolated existence at

Do you hear that that noise? It’s The Sound Of Music, well and truly in preparation for its return to Sydney this December. The Capitol Theatre will come alive from Sunday December 13 with the extravagant London Palladium production of The Sound Of Music, featuring an all-star cast including Amy Lehpamer, Cameron Daddo, Lorraine Bayly and Marina Prior. Music, theatre and the Daddo brothers are just a few of our favourite things, so make sure you grab tickets before they’re all gone.

We have two double passes to the 8pm performance on Wednesday December 16. For your chance to win, head to thebrag.com/freeshit.

MEANWHILE AT GLEN STREET

Glen Street Theatre has announced its 2016 season, and it’s chock-full with something for absolutely everyone. Highlights on the Belrose program include Jonathan Biggins’ Australia Day, Pollock and Daley’s The Hansard Monologues: Age Of Entitlement (a sobering look into the politics of Australia under the Coalition Government), and of course The Wharf Revue. For the full schedule and ticket sales, head to glenstreet.com.au.

Joel McHale

the decaying estate. Adapted from the 1975 cult documentary by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright, the musical will star Beth Daly (A New Brain), Caitlin Berry (Ruthless!), Maggie Blinco (Biddies), and be directed by Jay James-Moody and Hayden Barltrop.

FANTASTICKS FANATICS

The Fantasticks’ original off-Broadway production ran a total of 42 years and 17,162 performances, making it the world’s longestrunning musical. Sydneysiders will now have their chance to witness this tale of romance and adolescent thrills, presented by Wooden Horse Productions and Hayes Theatre Co. A new interpretation of The Fantasticks will be explored by director Helen Dallimore (High Society) and delivered by cast members Laurence Coy, Martin Crewes, Bobbie-Jean Henning, Jonathan Hickey and Garry Scale.

The Fantasticks tells the tale of two young lovers, their meddling fathers, and the journey we all must take through adolescent thrills, the growing pains of hurt and betrayal, the highs of passion, the challenges of distance and the agonies of heartbreak to discover how to truly love. The season will run from Monday January 11 – Sunday January 31.

COMMUNITY COMEDY

Community fans rejoice: Joel McHale will be performing a one-night-only stand-up show at Sydney’s Theatre Royal next month. Best known for his role as Jeff Winger in Community, McHale is earning a reputation as one of the busiest comedians in the game.

His recent string of commitments include weekly appearances on E!’s The Soup, and 2014’s A Merry Friggin’ Christmas alongside the late Robin Williams. He’ll appear in Sydney on Saturday November 7.

thebrag.com

Joel McHale by Frank Ockenfels

Newtown’s New Theatre has announced its production of a new musical comedy, Dinkum Assorted, by Linda Aronson. The fictional story set in a wartime winter of 1942 tells the tale of the female workers at the Dinkum Biscuit Factory.

“Dinkum Assorted has at its heart stories of struggle and determination. The determination of these women to keep their factory alive; the determination to remain positive when faced with great odds,” says director Sahn Millington.

Starring are Debra Bryan, Melissa Burgess and Colleen Cook alongside many more.

Dinkum Assorted runs from Tuesday November 17 – Saturday December 19.

THE CRANSTON CUP IS COMING

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Amy [FILM] Remembering The Girl Next Door By Tegan Jones

A

my Winehouse was arguably one of the most prolific yet haunted singer-songwriters of the early 21st century. She was hounded incessantly by the media, with a trend of portraying her as a substance-abusing trainwreck whose death at the age of 27 came as no surprise.

This year’s British documentary film about the late artist, Amy, aims to change the public’s perception by following her journey from the girl next door to one of the most talked-about names in modern music. Exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage offer a new perspective on Winehouse and a glimpse of what goes on behind the artist’s curtain. Director Asif Kapadia explains where the narrative behind the real Amy really began – with her lyrics.

xx

“I started by listening to her music again. I knew her records already but I really listened to them,” Kapadia says. “There was a lot on that first album [2003’s Frank] that I really liked and it came to a point where I asked someone in the office to download all the lyrics.

I started reading them as a piece of writing, and having done a little bit of research, suddenly all of these names and moments started popping out. I became very aware that the lyrics felt like pages from her diary. So quite early on in the process, I had a gut feeling that this would be almost like an oldfashioned musical where the spine of the film were her lyrics, which had to be highlighted.

“When you don’t put the text up on the screen you just listen to the music and you slightly zone out. I really wanted people to pay

attention to what she was saying, because I realised that every song was based on a real incident or person. Her writing is very beautiful, eloquent and simple but also very dense. It became a road map, and I had to work out how to tell the narrative around the songs.”

One of the central elements of the Amy narrative is that Winehouse was an artist, not a pop star.

Unfortunately, this also meant she wasn’t necessarily cut out for the limelight or the intense intention and scrutiny that fame can bring.

“The thing that becomes apparent in her story is that she was in her element when she was in smaller jazz clubs singing live,” says Kapadia. “She just felt more comfortable there, and the big concerts with 20,000 people were not her thing. That’s when you see her drinking a lot onstage to get through it and handle everything.

Once you understand the story and understand her, it all starts to make sense. The way she seemed to act in public was aggravated by something else.”

One telling line that Winehouse says in the film is: “I’m just a girl who sings.” Despite her rise to fame, she always saw herself that way.

“One of the reasons I was interested in doing this documentary was because she was a local girl,” the director says. “I’m a North Londoner and she lived just down the road. My connection was to her being this girl-next-door figure with a really good sense of humour who had cultural influences such as jazz. She came from a Jewish immigrant background in this melting pot that’s London.

“That’s what I liked about her, and when I started talking to people I realised that so much of her story took place a half-mile from my door.

“For me it felt like a big connection – yes, it was about her, but it was also about us. It’s about the audience, it’s about society, it’s about the well-known streets. We know those clubs, we’ve drunk in those pubs. It’s about the great things in London, but also the darkness of it, and the two go handin-hand.

“She wasn’t one of these musicians from another world. Here was this ordinary, local girl down the street who had this talent. She liked singing, she liked writing and she used them as a way of dealing with problems.

But the problem with success is that it became the problem.”

The stories about Winehouse during the height of her fame often centred around alcoholism, permeated with terrible photographs that portrayed her as a party girl at best and an addict at worst. These representations held little weight for Kapadia.

“Her friends always asked me if I was going to make this film about ‘the real Amy’. I kept saying that I didn’t understand, and asked who the real Amy was. It was then that I realised there was almost this other person who was pre-fame.

“I saw pages from her diary when she was young – she had amazing handwriting and she always had this intelligence that was way ahead of her peers. One of her friends said to me that when they were seven they all played hideand-seek and they couldn’t find

SUPPORT ACT PRESENTS

Amy. Eventually they found her in a corner reading Schindler’s List.

When everyone else was running around playing, she was reading these grown-up books.

has seen. I felt that it was really important for the audience to see who she used to be, who she really was.”

What: Amy (dir. Asif Kapadia) Where: Out now on digital, Bluray and DVD

“She was really intelligent, really bright, really funny, really healthy.

It’s that side of her that no-one

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Michael Chabon [LITERATURE] A Test Of Character By Adam Norris

I

f you’ve never read The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay, winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, don’t worry; you’re still a good person, provided you’ve at least read Michael Chabon’s second novel, Wonder Boys. If you’ve never read that, then it’s a life half-lived and food likely turns to ash in your mouth. Across eight books, Chabon has created some of the most vibrant and bewitching characters in contemporary fiction. Ahead of a Sydney appearance alongside his wife, Ayelet Waldman, Chabon talks about craft, habit, and who he wants to be when he grows up.

“It’s last Thursday here. Or maybe a distant Monday. I’m not sure.

Richard Nixon is President, I know that much.”

He chuckles down the phone line.

It is early evening for Chabon, and in just a few hours he will reach the appointed hour where he must force himself into a chair to start the evening’s work. For now, however, he is retracing the creative steps that led to the writer he is today, and just how much those early influences endure.

It’s splendid to imagine Chabon there, fingers whirring across the keys as the sun slips in, characters like Grady Tripp and Crabtree, Rosa Saks and Archy Stallings slowly taking shape. What elevates these characters to the ranks of real pretend-people, though, is Chabon’s grasp of balance. On their own, they may make curious character studies, but finding the story that lets them breathe is a delicate ask.

It is certainly true of Chabon himself; a novel like The Yiddish Policemen’s Union offers fresh gems upon each reread, while every return to Wonder Boys is somehow unique. His writing schedule is itself an exhilarating practice (beginning each night at ten and working until three) and seems to contain the entire gamut of writing; the reluctance, the solitude, the hypnotic pleasure.

“I am absolutely certain that those two things, character and plot, are not exactly in opposition to each other, but it’s like a zero-sum game,” Chabon says. “The more you allow character to drive your narrative, the more that the writing itself is about character and examining what it is to be this particular human being, the less plot there can be. And the more plot that you have – by which I mean that chain of causal events that propels the narrative forward and keeps us reading – the less room there will be for character development. And those two things have to be held in tension with each other. You can’t betray your characters by having them do what they must do for the sake of the plot.

“Lately I’ve been pushing it even later, staying up closer to five o’clock a lot of mornings. The hours between ten and midnight might be spent in a kind of distracted way, although staying off the internet. The internet can’t be part of it, or else it will be all of it.

But fooling around, rereading what I’ve done, maybe a little reluctant to get going. Then around midnight I’ll get rolling, but maybe a little slow. Around three is when it starts to feel it’s really running. A lot of times, around five in the morning, sometimes six, I will simply be too tired to keep going, even though I don’t want to stop because it’s going so incredibly well. I might be tired, but if I can just get to the end of this paragraph, to the end of this page, to the end of this chapter… and next thing I know it’s six-thirty and I force myself to stop.”

“I think for most novelists, especially mainstream novelists, you’re trying to find that sweet spot, that perfect point of tension where there is a sense of forward motion, and at the same time create characters who will move the reader and engage their emotions.

“But I don’t really think about [characters] afterwards. I will say, one of the books that has come closest is Kavalier & Clay. When I got to the end, and I knew I was writing the last few pages of the

novel, I had the feeling of, ‘This is it.

I’m not going to be this close to this book ever again,’ and had a certain wistful, valedictory sense of bidding the whole project farewell. Not just the characters, but the entire period of my life that it was contained within. I would like to write about the so-called Silver Age of comic books. But would I want that to be a direct sequel, about the same

fictional characters 20 years later?

For the most part, when a book is over, I can’t wait to move onto the next story. Who knows? Maybe someday.”

What: Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman In Conversation Where: Seymour Centre When: Tuesday November 3

Sleeping With Other People [FILM] Take Their Breath Away By Ian Barr Avenger now. If they are going to do a romantic comedy, it’s gonna be a comedy and not a romantic comedy.”

She pauses, before laughing again.

“Or maybe they just didn’t like my script.”

While watching Sleeping With Other People, however, it becomes clear that a broader target audience might’ve led to a detrimental change in casting, or some of its riskier moments to be softened or excised for mass appeal. There’s a perfectly written and acted scene in which Sudeikis nonchalantly instructs a naive Brie on how to masturbate to an orgasm – a scene that hints at Headland’s start in the New York City theatre scene.

S

leeping With Other People is a sexually frank new romantic comedy from writer/director Leslye Headland (Bachelorette), and such is the state of the genre that those qualifying descriptors don’t have the sort of novelty they once did. From 1998’s There’s Something About Mary through to the films of Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Trainwreck), the concept of blending sweetness and raunch is nothing new, but it’s the lack of genre calculation that makes Headland’s latest film such a refreshing take on the rom-com.

“I’m writing a screenplay now, but it’s very difficult, and very confusing, and I’m not sure what it’s about,” Headland begins. “But this particular one really flowed out of me. It’s funny – sometimes you sit 20 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

and think, ‘I have no clue what I’m doing,’ or ‘I don’t know what this is gonna be.’ But Sleeping With Other People really flowed out, and I was just as surprised as my producer to find out that it was a romantic comedy.”

always work,” she deadpans, adding that Kirsten Dunst (who starred in Bachelorette) dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Brie, who was suggested

by Anchorman director and producer Adam McKay.

Headland’s surprise is perhaps understandable: Sleeping With Other People premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was made on a relatively low budget, and is top-lined by two talented and charismatic comic actors (Saturday Night Live’s Jason Sudeikis and Community’s Alison Brie) who aren’t yet A-list movie stars.

“I was hoping that we could get a studio interested in making it, and it turned out they had zero interest in making it,” Headland laughs. “I think part of the problem is that we don’t have any real movie stars anymore that are in that age range. I think apart from Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts, there just aren’t a lot of women and men that are popular in that genre anymore. Or they do one, and that’s the end of it. Like Natalie Portman did No Strings Attached, Justin Timberlake did Friends With Benefi ts … Everyone wants to be an

“Jason was having dinner with his wife at a restaurant, and I interrupted them and I pitched it to him. I’ve done that to other people… it doesn’t

“I sorta love when I hear people gasping. I watched Billy Wilder’s The Apartment a little while ago at a second-run theatre in New York, and it was a packed audience, and everyone was gasping at stuff. And this is what I love, when people are fully invested and not sure what’s going to happen next. Or even if you know what’s going to happen, the way it happens, y’know?”

Indeed, the narrative trajectory of Sleeping With Other People may be predetermined, but like every good rom-com, it’s less the will-they-orwon’t-they conclusion that matters than the getting there, abetted by the chemistry between its two leads and a terrific cast of supporting players, including Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet and Adam Brody.

When asked if her involvement in theatre or film came first, Headland replies: “They were always sorta in tandem. One of the reasons I got started in theatre was because I didn’t have any money, and making a film back in the day on digital – which

was when I was coming up – was really expensive … Theatre was an easier and cheaper way to get my work produced. I also think it made me a better actor’s director. A lot of my friends who are men who went to NYU film school, they’re all directing franchises now and doing well for themselves – I always talk to them for sorta technical advice and they talk to me for actor advice.”

On the shift from the cinematic experience to on-demand home viewing, where so many small(er)-scale films find a life (Bachelorette was a record-breaker in the on-demand market in 2012), Headland is pragmatic about the sobering reality of her disadvantaged position as a filmmaker.

“I think it’s a bummer, because you don’t get paid as much. Like, it really affects your career, and your acting price. It’s very easy to hide how much money you’re actually making on VOD [video-on-demand]. I showed the film in New York, and these older ladies were there, and they really loved the film, but they were almost telling me, ‘This isn’t going to go anywhere.’

“I think with the wage gap between what male directors make and what female directors make, if you don’t get proper support as a director for a theatrical release, then you may not have a career. Actors don’t want to be in a VOD release, and it’s hard to pitch to them when you’re only successful on VOD.” She perks up at the end of her rumination, however.

“I really love [what I do], though, so I can’t really complain.”

What: Sleeping With Other People (dir. Leslye Headland) Where: In cinemas Thursday October 29

thebrag.com

Michael Chabon by Jennifer Chaney

“Edgar Allan Poe is somebody I discovered around the age of 11, and became immediately convinced I was the reincarnation of. That was a delusion that lasted around three weeks, but I was very exorbitant about it while it lasted. But that’s a writer I go back to regularly and reread. Not just the favourites, but you always try to push yourself a little further, read the things that you couldn’t quite get into before.

Arthur Conan Doyle is another. I’ll never lose my love and affection for the stories of Sherlock Holmes,

but a few years ago I discovered his Brigadier Gerard stories, which I had known nothing about, and they’re just wonderful. So it’s not at all an exercise in nostalgia for me; I’m making new discoveries. I think that’s probably the hallmark of a writer. It might even be the definition of a writer – when you do go back to them, you find something new to appreciate in their work that you didn’t see before.”

film & theatre reviews

five minutes

Hits and misses on the silver screen and bareboards around town

WITH

THE CAULIFLOWER HOTEL FOR MELBOURNE CUP 2015

■ Comedy

SAMMY J & RANDY Reviewed at the Playhouse, Sydney Opera House on Tuesday October 19 as part of Just For Laughs Sydney 2015 Tonight, comedic duo Sammy J & Randy prove there is no greater love (or hate) than between a man and his purple puppet. As the lights dim over the crowd on this Monday evening, keyboardist Sammy J dances onto the stage while his puppet companion, Randy, makes his entrance behind a strategically placed box.

Within minutes, their hilarious, crass and boisterous brand of sexually charged jokes begin. Exploding with expletives and heady with ball-groping (Randy to Sammy J) and nipple-sucking (again, Randy to Sammy J), there’s little the pair don’t do or say to express their impassioned love for one another… and a shared lover or two.

Then comes the heckling. Not from the crowd, mind you, but from the performers.

Together in what Randy calls “the weirdest thing we’ve ever done onstage”, they gang up against an audience member who has refused to disclose his name and demand that he “show us your wallet”, threatening to continue in this childish manner all night long until he complies. Naturally, he complies. But not in the way they expect.

This unorthodox audience participation doesn’t end here, as latecomers are mocked in a traditional round of the ‘Fuckers Are Late’ ditty, DVDs are thrown into the crowd and promptly withdrawn, money is stolen from an audience member and returned to another one, and Randy’s dream of crowd-surfing comes true as he is thrown into the audience, mouth open and arms flailing manically, travelling to the very back of the crowd before being returned to his rightful place onstage.

Oh, and in between all this rambunctious behaviour, there are some well-worn musical numbers woven in. They feature the politically charged ‘Australian Christmas’, ‘Girlfriend’ and the alliterationheavy laughable little love song, ‘Lucy Littleton The Labrador’. They’re ludicrously lewd and libidinously lively.

Stephanie Yip

■ Film

CRIMSON PEAK In cinemas now Blanketed in a glow of otherworldliness and embracing all that is and all that isn’t Guillermo del Toro is his latest aesthetically charged thriller, Crimson Peak. Signature stylings in the form of elongated-limbed creatures, heightened colourisations, confrontational gore and tongue-in-cheek humour abound, but atypical to the director, they’re coupled with a steampunk/Elizabethan-based storyline that scrimps heavily on the fantasy.

The story quickly spirals from classic tale to something more sinisterly Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (minus the zombies) as Edith fi nds herself in Thomas’ home, a decaying and isolated mansion on the top of a hill. By day, he strives to mine the red clay buried deep beneath the fl oorboards. By night, ghosts

jus, baked cheesecake with berry compote and more!

What does it cost to attend, and what do we get for our money?

Only $40! The Cauli Cup menu includes a glass of sparkling or beer on arrival plus three delicious raceday courses. Yummy canape menus are also available for groups.

Are bookings necessary?

Bookings are a great idea!

For bookings or info call 9698 3024 and check out cauliflowerhotel.com.au for more info. Walk-ins are also very welcome.

What: Melbourne Cup 2015 Where: Cauliflower Hotel, 123 Botany Rd, Waterloo When: Tuesday November 3 from 11am

What’s the fuel?

The delish Cauli Cup Day menu features a glass of sparkling or house tap beers on arrival, plus king prawns with lemon and rocket cocktail sauce, slow-cooked sirloin with potato gratin, green beans and red wine scatter out of the house, rich in the reds of the clay from below, like blood oozing from its pores, haunting Edith at every turn.

Rich and decadent aesthetics come as standard with Del Toro and are understandably one of the most sublime points of Crimson Peak, as is the arsenal of onscreen talent. Wasikowska captures with Edith innocence and beauty, charm and strength, while Hiddleston romances all with his dashing wiles. But even more brilliant than both is the stoic face that is Jessica Chastain. Perhaps better known for more sympathetic roles (Interstellar, The Help and The Martian), her performance as Lucille Sharpe is masterfully cold and astutely conniving.

There’s little to love about her, and that’s exactly what is to love about her.

Arts Giveaway What's been on our TV screens this week Head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

S AY W EA IV G

Essentially, what remains is a ghost story laced with a humble romance – just enough to read to our sentimentalities and implant an air of redemption for the wrongs that have been made, though not enough to make us care about them. Who we inevitably do end up caring for is the victim: Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska).

Young and impressionable, her story begins much like something Austen would have written – she is an aspiring writer, born into privilege, who quickly becomes taken with Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) after he appeals to her father to invest in his mining machine.

What makes your venue the best choice for Melbourne Cup Day this year?

This is your no stress, easy-going Cup Day! South Sydney beauty the Cauli Hotel has just had a facelift and she’s throwing a party.

Melbourne Cup Day will feature our huge screen, on top of the regular Cauli sports screens in the atrium and betting room. There are tonnes of sweeps and prizes for the best and funniest raceday outfits. We’ll have lots of fun sweeps and betting tips all day plus a dedicated betting area and TAB.

WIN!

Beware. There really are things that go bump in the night. And they’re not to be messed with.

Stephanie Yip

Arts Exposed Singapore Film Festival

What's in our diary...

Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre, Saturday October 31

xxx photo by Xxx

Wayang Boy

The Sydney edition of this year’s Singapore Film Festival is an event celebrating Singapore’s 50 years of independence, with films that will showcase the vibrant Singaporean culture. The first of three classic films on the program starts after the 11am opening ceremony, with features to include Wayang Boy, Time Nor Tide and That Girl In Pinafore. The director of the third film, Chai Yee Wei, will be on hand to meet patrons and field questions.

Entry for Time Nor Tide is free, while tickets to the other films are $15. Visit sg50. singaporefilmfestival.org to book.

AMY! MUSIC DOCUMENTARY! WIN DVD PACKS!

A

my, the film tribute and examination of Amy Winehouse’s high-achieving life and tragic demise, has become the highest-grossing British documentary of all time. Now, director Asif Kapadia’s profile of one of the most distinct voices of the 21st century is coming to home cinema, with its release this week on digital, Blu-ray and DVD. The film paints a moving portrait of a talented performer who died at the tender age of 27, ushering fans and audiences into Winehouse’s life and her battle with alcoholism while her career was in full bloom.

To celebrate the release, we’ve got five DVD prize packs to give away, which also include an Amy badge. Enter the draw at thebrag.com/freeshit.

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 21

Game On Gaming news and reviews with Adam Guetti

New Releases

DOWN DOWN, PRICES ARE DOWN

Hopefully you’ve saved up quite a few pretty pennies, because save for a handful of titles in December, November is the last month for massive triple-A releases. Getting things off to a speedy start is EA’s latest reboot in its beloved racing series, Need For Speed. It boosts its way onto store shelves from Thursday November 5.

2015

Good news if you’re looking to buy a PS4 in time for Christmas. Sony has just announced that the 500GB iteration of its high-selling system has dropped from an original RRP of $549.95 to $479.95. “We are delighted to deliver the PS4 system at its bestever value just in time for the holiday season,” said Jim Ryan, SCEE president and CEO.

Alternatively, hold out one more day until Friday November 6 and you can get your hands on Call Of Duty: Black Ops III. This blockbuster shooter means big business, and with a friendlier co-op campaign and zombies, it’s a guaranteed smash hit.

Should you prefer your action with a little more adventure sprinkled in, then direct your eyes to Rise Of The Tomb Raider. Out Tuesday November 10, the Xbox One timed exclusive continues the tale of a hardened Lara Croft during her next expedition while still trying to recover from her first. Also out November 10 is one of the most anticipated games of the year – Fallout 4.

Pick up this gigantic RPG and prepare to lose weeks of your life.

The big attraction, however, lands on Thursday November 19 – Star Wars Battlefront. It’ll all go pear-shaped if the servers can’t handle the load, so hopefully the force is with this one.

Review Round-Up

NEWS

NOV

A SAD FAREWELL? Reports are circulating that Hideo Kojima, the creative powerhouse behind the Metal Gear Solid franchise, has left Konami for good – the video game company where he has worked since 1986. So far, Konami denies the allegations and claims the industry celebrity is merely “on vacation”, although the two have had a publicly tumultuous relationship for some time now.

Finally, wrapping things up on Saturday November 21 is some fun for the whole family via Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. The Wii U title ditches realism for ridiculousness, but that just means you’re in for a hell of a good time.

with Adam Guetti

Review: Disney Infinity 3.0: Rise Against The Empire (PS4, XBO, Wii U, PS3, 360)

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate [GAMING] Double Trouble By Tegan Jones

T

he year is 1868, and at the height of the Industrial Revolution, two new assassins emerge to walk the path the likes of Altair and Ezio have paved for them. Welcome to Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, the latest addition to what has been nothing short of a blockbuster gaming franchise.

With the Assassins’ Brotherhood almost eradicated, twins Evie and Jacob Frye find Victorian London to be controlled by the Templars. They must use stealth and most likely a murder or two to take back the city by uniting the criminal underworld.

One of the most notable and talked-about aspects of Syndicate is its inclusion of a female protagonist, which hasn’t occurred in any of Ubisoft’s eight core triple-A titles before. But this is no mere act of tokenism – both the twins are unique characters who are equally important.

“From the beginning we wanted Evie and Jacob to be able to tell two sides of the story,” says game director Scott Phillips. “I think the way they’ve developed over the past two-and-a-half years has been really cool, and to see people engage with those characters has been great.

“People have been really excited about Evie, and one interesting thing that we found in our playtest was that players are 50/50 between playtime with the twins, which I was amazed by.

I think that really speaks to the strength of those characters.”

A

fter a month on store shelves, the Star Wars faithful can finally boot up the Disney Infi nity 3.0 Play Set they’ve been waiting for, and the good news is that it’s even better than the first.

Based on the original film trilogy, Rise Against The Empire isn’t better merely because it ignores the series’ controversial origin, but because the tale of Luke, Leia and co. is a much more varied experience that jumps between Tatooine, Hoth and Endor.

Fundamental gripes with Infinity y aren’t going to disappear, but if you’re after a nostalgic romp, then Rise Againstt will surely satisfy until the inevitable Force Awakens set.

The respective fighting styles of Evie and Jacob are also vastly different, with each possessing unique skills that will be beneficial during different points of the game.

“In general, Evie is more focused on stealth and Jacob more on fight,” Phillips explains.

“In addition to that, the way you see them do combat is also different. Jacob is more chaotic in the way he fights; more [of a] berserker. Evie is more controlled and focused in her motions, which you’ll be able to see in their multi-kills.

A great deal of care and detail has always been placed on the authenticity of setting in the Assassin’s Creed series. Syndicate continues

this tradition with its treatment of Victorian London, which almost feels like a character itself, and will make the experience all the more immersive for players.

“This is my first Assassin’s Creed, so I was impressed by the amount of time spent on historical research,” says Phillips. “There was a historian on staff and multiple others who we brought in on contract to focus on what people would have called certain weapons, how they would have described this activity, how they would have said things to each other, what the carriages looked like. Assassin’s Creed is known for that and I think we’ve carried that tradition forward by really delivering on what the overall atmosphere of that era was like.”

Being a horrible person, I found myself immediately treating Syndicate like GTA during my playtest by hijacking a carriage and running the Victorian po-po down immediately. Apparently this is not a unique occurrence.

“People tend to make use of the carriages right away,” laughs Phillips. “They get into them and mix it up with the rope launcher and the parkour, which fit really naturally into Assassin’s Creed and is exactly what we wanted, so I’m really happy to see that.”

But just remember, fellow awful assassins, there will be ramifications for your actions. “The police will respond as well as you getting that reminder that assassins didn’t kill innocents, but you can still act any way to want to act,” the director says.

What: Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate When: Out now on PS4 and XBO

Review: Rock Band 4 (PS4, XBO)

S

even years ago, the sight of plastic Rock Band instruments strewn across the living room wasn’t so much surprising as it was an all-toocommon occurrence. After all, this was right in the middle of the incredibly encompassing music rhythm game craze, but in the blink of an eye the bubble had burst and the whole genre vanished. Now Harmonix, the mastermind behind the series, wants to get the band back together with Rock Band 4.

Jumping into Rock Band 4 instantly feels strangely familiar, because… well, it is. In fact, Harmonix seems content set on picking up where it left off five years ago with Rock Band 3 rather than try to innovate the genre – embracing the classic ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mantra.

The thing is, that’s not entirely a bad thing, as the very essence of Rock Band remains as enjoyable as it ever has – capable of luring even the most casual of gamers back into the fold.

Rounding up a few friends for a late-night jam will always prove to be a good time, thanks largely to an impressively varied soundtrack that includes the likes of The Killers, Paramore, Van Morrison and even Elvis Presley. Plus, even if you’re rocking out solo, the new campaign should keep you thoroughly entertained.

The game is not without its faults, however. Some of the drum pads do have a bit of difficulty registering hits from the sticks (an issue which should be fixed through a downloadable patch), and the learning curve once you step up from medium to hard remains a stiff challenge, but neither are deal-breakers that mar the overall experience.

however, is the price tag. Pick up the Band In A Box bundle (including the drums, a guitar, a microphone and a copy of the game) and it’ll put a substantial $500 dent in your wallet.

Considering you can buy an entire new-gen console for a lesser amount, to call the investment steep is an understatement. So if you’re keen on retaining all your old songs but need to upgrade your gear, be warned that it’s going to come at a price.

At the end of the day, Rock Band 4 is still very much of the same game you remember, yet after a much-needed hiatus, its return is almost reinvigorating. What’s worth pointing out,

22 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

thebrag.com

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

I

f Sydney’s lockout laws have taught me anything at all, it’s that people (men) who go out in the CBD are all vulgar people who king-hit others and rampantly abuse anyone and everyone in their path. (When discussing laws that make gross generalisations about bar culture in Sydney, it seems only fair to respond with more gross generalisations.)

It sounds hellish, and it makes sense that people would want to escape that.

Bar culture isn’t safe for a lot of people, including queers and women.

Queers escaped the clutches of burly straight men by making their own bars that these men wouldn’t set foot in. (Straight) women haven’t been as lucky, because gays (paradoxically) have had homophobia on their side to keep these people at bay.

So, for some time, women have been seeking refuge inside gay bars.

This phenomenon has led to a huge range of issues, rules and regulations.

Essentially, the gay men complain the straight women are invading their space and not respecting them; the women complain they just want to go have a good time without being creeped on, only to feel the wrath of gay misogyny. Gay men cry, “No girls allowed!” while women respond, “That’s discrimination!”

Last year, the GH Hotel in Melbourne closed off hen’s nights without a booking, and those that did book were fenced into a little hen’s pen. I’ve heard of groups of women being refused entry at Stonewall.

On the flip side, The Shift Bar welcomes hen’s nights, and women generally, to come admire their topless waiters.

Earlier this year, I was DJing at a lesbian party, and my straight friends who came to watch me play were almost denied entry by the bouncer, because they would have been violating the safe lesbian space the party was supposed to be.

I can understand this argument, but problems arise when it involves the policing of people’s sexuality based on how they look, as well as some kind of subtle acknowledgement that straight women can be safe elsewhere. The reality is far from this, though, and women often aren’t even safe in gay bars (seriously, gay guys, just because you don’t like boobs doesn’t mean you’re allowed to grab them).

That doesn’t mean women should automatically be allowed into gay bars.

Hen’s nights entering a gay bar while gay marriage is still illegal is somewhat distasteful, as are the screams of delight men face from women when they are trying to share a private moment on the dancefloor.

This trend is broadening now, too.

Gay parties often have a huge straight contingent in attendance. And while this is often indicative of a more inclusive culture, where even straight people can recognise that gays throw the best parties, and everyone can enjoy a relatively safe party away from the dudebros, it’s not always the case. I’ve written before about the invasion of King Street by beige people who make comments like, “Don’t go down there [to Tokyo Sing Song], there’s a dirty man in a dress onstage.”

I’m all for more inclusive party spaces, where women, queers, people of colour, people with disabilities and anyone else who doesn’t feel safe around king-hitting dudebros can be free from them, but there needs to be respect for the space you’re in, and an acknowledgement that maybe you’re a guest in someone else’s space (and if you’re not a guest, that doesn’t give you the right to treat the guests like shit).

So hens, perhaps acknowledge that your bachelorette celebrations in a bar full of people who are legally unable to do the very thing you’re celebrating is pretty distasteful. Gay men, respect the bodies of the women who enter your spaces.

Straight people, recognise that you’re a guest in a queer party (like the guy who once apologised for wearing a suit while I was in glittery lycra), and basically all bars in Sydney need to do better to ensure their spaces are welcoming of people of colour and people with disabilities.

BY DAY

BY NIGHT

Sunday 1st November TERRACE

TERRACE

Simon Caldwell Benj & Statz Father Joshua Matt Weir

Timmus Lepke ࠮ Kerry Wallace HOSTED BY

THE DEN James Petrou Litmus MIHAS DIMITRIS

MAZE Astronafrika Edseven

HOME NIGHTCLUB

GREENWOOD HOTEL

8pm to 4am $15 till 10pm / $20 after $15 all night with SASH by day stamp

1pm to 9pm - $15

www.sash.net.au

And dudebros, stop hitting each other.

I MAG I N E BE I NG MAD E TO

this week…

On Wednesday October 28, Birdcage is doing a special Halloween edition at its regular haunt, Slyfox. It’ll feature Sveta, Cunningpants, Betty Grumble and Mira Boru.

The last Friday of every month is the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Artbar, and this Friday October 30, feminist art collective Hissy Fit is curating. The event also features Sveta, Justin Shoulder, the harbour view, and a bunch of great contemporary art.

Saturday October 31 is Halloween, and so

FEEL LIKE CRAP JUST FOR

Betty Grumble The Red Rattler is hosting a Mean Ghouls themed party. Check out L’Oasis, Yung Brujo,

Destiny’s Chill, DJ Discount Variety and a bunch of amazing performances.

MCA Artbar photo by Jacquie Manning

MCA Artbar

BEING

LEFT

H A N D E D.

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

GO TO LEFTHAND.ORG.AU TO WATCH THE VIDEO

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 23

BARS BRAG

– Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight 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

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 Basement 33 Basement, 27-33 Goulburn St, Sydney CBD (02) 8970 5813 Mon – Thu 5pm-late 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 Bulletin Place First Floor, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Sat 4pm-1am deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri 11.30am-11.30pm; Sat 5.30-11.30pm Frankie’s Pizza 50 Hunter St, Sydney CBD

THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE ADDRESS: 122 FLINDERS ST, DARLINGHURST PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9360 0088 WEBSITE: THELOCAL.COM.AU/DARLINGHURST OPENING HOURS: MON – WED MIDDAY-MIDNIGHT, THU – SAT MIDDAY-1AM, SUN MIDDAY-11PM

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 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

OF

bar bar TH

EK

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

Mon – Fri noon-3am; Sat – Sun 4pm-3am

E E W

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 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

Tell us about your bar: A European-inspired neighbourhood tavern specialising in craft beer, great food and a warm welcome.

What’s on the menu?

Delicious gourmet pub food, all freshly made – there’s not a frozen parma in sight. Favourites include pork croquettes, mussels, house-smoked Tasmanian salmon, Taphouse fried chicken, charcuterie and cheese boards, Scotch fillet, buttermilk chicken burger, gnocchi, roasted cauliflower salad, shepherd’s pie, craft beer can chicken, slow roasted lamb shoulder and proper hand-cut chips.

Care for a drink?

We specialise in craft beer – not just any ‘craft beer’, but the finest beers from all over the world. You can find on our ever-changing taplist at the moment: Stone Go To IPA, Stone Pale Ale, Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck IPA, Garage Project Sauvin Nouveau 2015, Garage Project Cookies And Cream, Garage Project Dirty Boots, Garage Project White Mischief, Sierra Nevada River Ryed Rye IPA, Moor Beer Company B-Moor, Badlands Brewery Drauhty Kilt and more. For the full list, see nowtapped.com/thelocaltaphousedl.

Sounds: We have an exceptionally good

playlist encompassing some of the best tunes old and new – hip hop to foot-stomping folk – hand-crafted by the whole team here. We like to think we know a thing about good music.

Music and beer go hand in hand and we’re pretty adept at both.

Highlights: So many! We showcase the best breweries in the world and invite guest brewers to come along and give talks on their beer and share the knowledge and love of good beer and good beer-making. The rooftop is also beautiful and great for a summer’s afternoon sipping on a nice crisp sour beer, such as Garage Project’s White Mischief.

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

24 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

(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

– 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

Bar Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am

Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9357 5333 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun noon-midnight

Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-late; Sun 11am-3pm

Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Mon - Sun 11am-9pm

Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point 0432 241 556 Thu – Sun 6pm-late

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

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

The Hazy Rose 1/83 Stanley St, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 5036 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Hello Sailor 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9332 2442 Tue – Sun 5pm-3am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 1-10pm Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed thebrag.com

COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK

Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

(02) 8020 6698 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm

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

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

Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Tue – Fri 6pm-late; Sat – Sun 2pm-late

Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight

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

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 Tio’s Cerveceria 4/14 Foster St, Surry Hills Mon – Sun 5pm-midnight

PRETTY IN PINK @ DOWNTOWN BAR, THE COMMONS LOCAL EATING HOUSE, 32 BURTON ST, DARLINGHURST Ingredients: • vodka • homemade elderflower cordial • vermouth bianco • pink grapefruit sorbet • Prosecco Method: Whisked Glass: Flute Garnish: Ginger candy

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 noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine

Origins: Pretty In Pink is a classic Sgroppino cocktail (fresh fruit sorbet + spirit + Prosecco + twist).

Method: Muddle half a lemon and orange, add vodka, add ice, shake and then double strain in martini glass and garnish topped with Prosecco.

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 White Horse Hotel 381-385 Crown Street, Surry Hills 1300 976 683 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Best drunk with: Sashimi, ceviche, oysters During: Spring/summer While wearing: Nothing And listening to: Bossanova

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

More: thecommons.com.au

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

91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 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

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

32 St Pauls St in Randwick (@ The Spot) (02) 9398 6694 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Beach Road Hotel 71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 7247 Mon – Sat noon-1am; Sun 11am-10pm

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

Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm

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

The Bucket List Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive (02) 9365 4122 Mon – Tue 11am-5pm; Wed – Sun 11am-late

Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point 0423 203 119

The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi

The Phoenix Hotel 1 Moncur street Woollahra (02) 9363 2608 Wed – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-10pm The Robin Hood Hotel 203 Bronte Rd, Waverley (02) 9389 3477 Mon - Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-10pm Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4pm-10pm Spring Street Social (and Jam Gallery) Underground 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tues – Sat 4pm-3am Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6pm-midnight The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon - midnight; Sun noon - 10pm Blacksheep 256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Tue – Wed 6pm-late; Thu – Sun 5pm-late Calaveras 324 King St, Newtown 0451 541 712 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight The Chip Off The Old Block 3 Little Queen Street, Chippendale (02) 9318 0815 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Sat 10am-late Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0405 671 002 Tue – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 1pm-10pm Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8084 8185 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-

10pm Different Drummer 185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9552 3406 Mon – Sat 4.30pm-late Doris & Beryl’s Bridge Club and Tea House 530 King St, Newtown Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 5.30pm-midnight Earl’s Juke Joint 407 King St, Newtown Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Freda’s 109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Tues – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-3.30am; Sun 11am-11.30pm Knox Street Bar 21 Shepherd St, Chippendale Tue – Thu 4pm-l0pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-11pm

Raven’s Eye 127 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 6429 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 11.30am-midnight; Sun 11:30am-10pm The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Tue – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0403 621 585 Mon – Sun 1am-11pm Soho In Balmain 358 Darling St, Balmain 0407 525 208 Tue – Sun 5pm-midnight

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag. com (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm 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

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

Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm

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

Sat 11pm-3pm & 6pm-midnight

The Local Bar 6/8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm

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

Los Vida 419 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest (02) 9439 8323 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 11.30am-midnight; Sun 11.30am-10pm

Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am

Wilhelmina’s Liquid and Larder 332 Darling St Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Tues – Fri 5pm - late; Sat – Sun 8am - late

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

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

The Mayor 400 Military Rd, Cremorne (02) 8969 6060 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Sat noon-late; Sun noon-10pm

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

ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-12am

Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly (02 99775186 Tue – Thu 8am-10pm; Fri – Sat 8am-1am; Sunday 8am-4pm

The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 2pm-10pm Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon 9am-6pm; Tues – Fri 9am-8pm; Sat 10am-8pm The Oxford Tavern 1 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham (02) 8019 9351 Mon – Thu noon-10pm; Fri – Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-9pm

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

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

Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 6.30am-late

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 2pm-10pm BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 25

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK DEERHUNTER Fading Frontier 4AD/Remote Control

At first, Fading Frontier sounds like some of the safest music Deerhunter have released to date.

Compared to previous releases, the contours are smoothed and the grit is somewhat absent.

The Atlantans bring back their sense of adventure on a deceptively expansive new effort.

CLAPTONE Charmer Different/[PIAS]

Don’t waste your time trying to figure out Claptone. Who he is, or might be, is entirely irrelevant, and he keeps it that way. The mask stays on, and the music speaks for itself.

Charmer is the debut album from the elusive DJ/producer, and while he’s known for tracks that go bump in the night, this is a record that doesn’t chain itself to the dancefloor. Although versatile, Charmer doesn’t seem to offer too much variety – chugging slabs of melodic house peppered with plenty of synth or piano interludes reign throughout. It can’t be faulted as an expertly produced record, but Claptone seems to keep things on the safe side.

Special guests Peter Bjorn and John lend a hand on latest single ‘Puppet Theatre’, a decidedly murky offering that oozes a peculiar kind of creepy you find yourself OK with. Elsewhere, ‘Leave Your Light On’ (featuring Young Galaxy) is a pop-flavoured ditty that’s an unexpected gem.

French singer Jaw pops up across the record on vocal duties; ‘No Eyes’ proves why Claptone makes the most of him on multiple tracks.

But let this record grow on you and it’s hugely affecting. It seems now that for all the toil and tantrum that surrounded Monomania’s release back in

2013, it pales in comparison to the gravity that surrounds this release. The album is endearingly earnest, most notably on tracks like ‘Living My Life’, on which lyrically Bradford Cox seems to favour a simplistic existence “off the grid” – a move toward having nothing to prove rather than asking themselves questions like, “[Is] it punk?”

Some things never change, however. Bradford’s still singing about decaying bodies and greying flesh – he’s been doing so as far back as 2007’s Fluorescent Grey. Lockett Pundt

still sings on a couple of tracks.

You’ll still be moved by songs like ‘Duplex Planet’ and ‘Take Care’ the way you used to when you’d listen to Halcyon Digest.

As refreshing as it was for Deerhunter to release a record as singularly focused as Monomania, songs like ‘Leather And Wood’ – a six-minute, pianodriven slow-burner – remind us that it’s equally exciting to see this band get back into tackling a vast sonic territory all on one record again.

Nicholas Johnson

DINOSAUR PILE-UP

ZEBRAHEAD Walk The Plank Rude Records

DAN KELLY

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

Eleven Eleven Double Cross

This type of music (people call it ‘grunge’) is most powerful when it feels and sounds spontaneous, reckless and dirty.

Californian outfit Zebrahead have released their 12th studio album – an impressive feat for any band – but Walk The Plank shows that not much ground has been covered since those first few albums in the late ’90s.

From ‘Checkout Cutie’ to ‘Drunk On Election Night’, a great Dan Kelly song has always involved a mix of the sweet, the sour, the smart and the sardonic. It’s all about striking the right balance, ensuring one doesn’t get the better of the other.

Walk The Plank is quote-unquote a ‘party album’. It’s full of highenergy rock that might be passable when played in the background, but falls flat when it’s brought into focus. The band’s sound can be described as half pop-punk and half rapcore, and every song draws on either Yellowcard or Limp Bizkit. As if to avoid such simple categorisation, there’s a token attempt at every genre under the sun – sitar opens the album but is never seen again; surf influences arise on ‘Headrush’ but nowhere else.

This is where things begin to get out of hand on Leisure Panic, Kelly’s fourth LP overall bearing his name.

He’s not released new material since Dan Kelly’s Dream in 2010, but the time away has sadly not been fruitful. Leisure Panic is not clever in the subtle, self-deprecating manner that once helped to define the Kelly narrative, but instead attacks puns, gags and punchlines with a see-what-I-did-there swiftness that irritates more than amuses.

Bays is the fourth album from NZ dub crew Fat Freddy’s Drop, and after 16 years in business, it’s a reasonably mature, well-polished affair. The long-form jams from earlier releases are replaced with classic song structures and some newer influences coming to the fore, with soul, funk and even dance elements replacing the straight dub vibes they’re known for.

From a production perspective, Dinosaur Pile-Up’s latest LP is too squeaky clean and sonically unchallenging to be as powerful as it needs to be. Yet from a songwriting standpoint, there are some surprising and powerful moments.

The album opens with the title track, built on a fat riff and complemented by its perfect tempo.

Later on, the verses of ‘Willow Tree’ and ‘Anxiety Trip’ suck the air out of the room only to violently blast it back in their huge choruses, and ‘Red And Purple’ goes headfirst into a searing breakdown.

However, perhaps an EP-length release would have been better – around the ninth track (‘Bad Penny’) it becomes noticeable that the extremely compressed wall of a million guitars has failed to diversify and the drums remain in the same mix position throughout the entire 12 tracks.

In the press material accompanying this album, bassist Ben Ozz says: “We wanted it to sound like you’re in an armwrestling competition at the beach while doing a keg stand.”

Does Claptone hit it out of the park on Charmer? Not quite. Will you find yourself dancing to this record? Most definitely.

Live, these songs will absolutely go off, but on record they’re a little too plastic.

If you were to lose the armwrestling competition, fall off the keg, smack your head on the way down and get sand in your eyes and ears, you’d have a pretty good idea of what it’s like to listen to this album for any extended period of time.

Marissa Demetriou

Elias Kwiet

Spencer Scott

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Leisure Panic ABC/Universal

‘National Park And Wildlife’ is cloying and overwrought, particularly its pretentious spoken-word outro.

‘Melbourne Vs Sydney’ has both the premise and the promise of a Dan Kelly classic and still falls disappointingly short. Things aren’t helped by the fact the opener (‘On The Run’) is a whopping nine minutes long and barely even justifies a third of its length.

Bays The Drop/Remote Control

‘Wairunga Blues’ brings some slow funk to open the record, setting the pace nicely, while ‘Slings And Arrows’ and ‘10 Feet Tall’ are, despite the 8-bit intro of the former, some of the most traditional reggae we’ve heard from the band so far.

‘Wheels’ and ‘Cortina Motors’ up the tempo with a Balearic house feel and could easily feature in any opening club or chill-out set, while ‘Razor’ has almost Radioheadmeets-dub qualities. ‘Fish In The Sea’ brings some calypso to the table while still keeping the dub strong, and ‘Novak’ closes out with some old-fashioned slow soul.

There are still the epic ten-minuteplus tracks they’re known for, yet Bays is a varied and textured listen.

Anyone with even passing interest in unique singersongwriters would be immediately drawn to Kelly’s oeuvre. Leisure Panic, alas, makes it difficult to stick around.

The journey is consistent, however, and it will be great to catch these songs (or loose variations of them) live, which is where this band is at home.

David James Young

Julian Ramundi

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week...

Philadelphia Grand Jury still know how to party (party), and their new single ‘Crashing & Burning Pt. II’ and comeback record Summer Of Doom prove it. The short and sharp 12 tracks are a raw and red-hot deal that segues off on more tangents than a drunk uncle, and it’s all as bubbly and fun as an enthusiastic teenager.

PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY Summer Of Doom Normal People Making Hits/Inertia

26 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

The trio recorded the album in a whirlwind ten days in Berlin, and often live. This lends the proceedings an energetic and rough-around-the-edges vibe in which some diverse musical styles are referenced – think of everyone from The John Steel

Singers (‘Get Happy Again’) to José González (‘Better Send Someone’), and some loud and fast punk in most of the other tracks.

Summer Of Doom is a sprawling and ambitious stroll towards the sun, full of layers and textures and simple yet clever lyrics. It’s sometimes one big Pro Hartstyle mess, but mostly it’s full of colourful, rocking indie, punk and soul tunes.

BLACKALICIOUS - Nia JEFFREY LEWIS - A Turn In The Dream-Songs JEBEDIAH - Slightly Odway

THE BEATLES - Rubber Soul JEFF BUCKLEY - Grace

A welcome second trip from the well-loved Philly Jays.

Natalie Salvo

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up all night out all week . . .

VIOLENT SOHO, PALMS, WEAK BOYS Oxford Art Factory Friday October 23

Openers and locals Weak Boys set a relaxed atmosphere from early on. Playful drunken banter between the three-piece and the few early-comers complemented songs about mundane hassles. They proved that if landlords and daylight saving piss you off enough, they make for great punk songs.

Then the words: “Hello, we are Taylor Swift and this song is called ‘Shake It Off’.” It was misleading, because TayTay could never belt a Rickenbacker like Al Griggs.

He and the rest of Palms ripped through a set of mostly yet-to-be-released material with ease. Their new LP Crazy Rack is due out this Friday and tonight’s showcase explained the album’s title and direction; frantic and absurd.

Few people left the floor after Palms as anticipation mounted and joints were sparked. At last, the curtain drew to reveal an ominously empty stage. It remained so for so long the crowd’s chants died, as though Violent Soho were saying, “Take one last deep breath, everyone.”

The new single and opener ‘Like Soda’ was towered over by material from 2008

thebrag.com/snaps

LP We Don’t Belong Here and 2013’s Hungry Ghost. ‘Neighbour Neighbour’ and ‘In The Aisle’ received a roaring reception.

The pit was brutal throughout and the wall of relentless and expansive sound was controlled expertly by the band.

After enticing glimpses into the upcoming album, ‘Covered In Chrome’ and closer ‘Dope Calypso’ induced the physical catharsis everyone had come expecting.

The choice of such an intimate venue considering the band’s popularity worked to everyone’s favour. Guitarist James Tidswell asked if people up front were OK and threw out bottles of water. Luke Henery did multiple rounds of high-fives, laughing with his moshing comrades. The spirit of mateship that persevered reflected how beneficial a decade of playing in garages and backyard parties can be.

After their intense rise through the echelons of the Australian music industry (this show sold out in two hours, whereas three years ago they were across the road at Brighton Up Bar in front of a half-full room), Violent Soho remain a group of everyday Brisbanites in love with huge guitars, accessible music for all ages and marijuana.

Welcome back, Violent Soho. You’ve been missed.

Elias Kwiet

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

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up all night out all week . . .

What we've been out to see...

CANNED HEAT, CHARLIE A’COURT

and impressive vocals got the capacity Basement crowd suitably warmed up, though most were already dripping with sweat. It’s hot down there.

The Monterey Pop Festival. Woodstock.

California in the ’60s. If you remember it, you weren’t really there maaan. Whether they remember it or not (and as 70-yearold former acid fanatics, who could blame them) Canned Heat were there. Right there, rubbing shoulders with Hendrix and Joplin, bottling the sentiment of the era with timeless songs like ‘Let’s Work Together’, ‘On The Road Again’ and ‘Going Up The Country’.

Then there they were, The Mole and Fito, their number made up by Dale Spalding on harmonica and John Paulus on bass. “Let’s boogie!” yelled an excited punter, breaking the audience’s hush.

Sunday October 25 The Basement

PICS :: AM

garage project riff off

Now they’re here, in Sydney, for their 50th anniversary tour. Not all of them have survived: co-founder Alan Wilson joined the ‘27 Club’ when he overdosed on barbiturates in a suspected suicide. Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite died after snorting a vial of heroin he’d mistaken for cocaine. Guitarist Harry Vestine departed following the final gig of a ’90s European tour. Frontman Robert Lucas – another overdose.

It’s a wonder bassist Larry ‘The Mole’ Taylor and drummer Adolfo ‘Fito’ de la Parra of the original lineup have made it this far. But they have.

25:10:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney

Canadian Charlie A’Court opened with a bluesy acoustic set of loop-pedal-layered guitar licks. The good-humoured banter

LAURA MARLING

PICS :: AM

It’s difficult to be impartial with a songwriter of such renown. Any stumble in their performance or disconnect with the audience can be readily swept away by your own deep-seated affection for the performer.

Approaching someone like Laura Marling, whose live performance is somewhat pre-empted by a reputation of glum artisanship, you’re expecting a songwriter of extraordinary craft who looks like they accidentally just stepped on a puppy.

dan kelly + ben ely

PICS :: AM

24:10:15 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587

24:10:15 :: Goodgod Small Club :: 53-55 Liverpool St Chinatown 8084 0587 28 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

At the end they bowed in unison. Survivors.

The crowd showed their appreciation in cheers and joyous whoops. “We could walk off and back on again,” said Spalding, “but we’re a bit old for that. Here’s the encore.”

They’re certainly older and road-worn, perhaps a little stiffer than they once were, but they can still put on a show. Canned Heat were really there, and it’s a blessing to have them here.

George Nott

believed it would appear until it did) and key tracks from her most recent, Short Movie.

Enmore Theatre Tuesday October 20

philadelphia grand jury

And they did. Bluesy stompers rubbed up against more refined jazzy jams. Fito was rock-solid and introduced the songs, sharing some sage advice along the way: “Don’t eat the brown acid.” Spalding had a twinkle in his eye, making his harmonica wail and sing while The Mole gave some bass flourishes, shining on ‘Time Was’. John Paulus was on point with some dexterous, soul-soothing guitar work.

Greeted by a rapturous crowd, the Marling we encountered at the Enmore was a singer utterly engrossed in her music and happily at ease. In a set spanning the entirety of her writing, the night began with a familiar medley of ‘Take The Night Off’/‘I Was An Eagle’/‘You Know’, which in truth had several audience members slightly perturbed. Strong as these were, it is an identical pattern to how she last played Sydney, and has become symptomatic of her sets in general. It raises an interesting question of how beholden musicians are to shake up their setlist in an online age, but one that was swiftly forgotten as Marling began showcasing surprise additions from her debut album (we were all hoping for ‘Ghosts’, but I don’t think many actually

Indeed, the performance was characterised not only by Marling’s incredible voice, but the scope of songs. ‘Salinas’ and ‘Sophia’ gave full reign to the power and nuance of her vocals, while the breathtaking delicacy (yes, yes, I know I’m waxing lyrical) of ‘Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)’ made for an unforgettable highlight. ‘Goodbye England’ was also noteworthy in that it saw Marling open up on the history of the song, and gave fine insight into not only the development of her writing, but the technical and emotional practicalities of her composition (the tuning, incidentally, is her father’s favourite).

It was also a night of unexpected covers, from Dolly Parton’s ‘Do I Ever Cross Your Mind’ to an old and very welcome favourite, Jackson C Frank’s ‘Blues Run The Game’.

How impartial can I be? Well, there was the odd forgotten or flubbed word, and here and there she skipped a line completely. But in truth, I was astounded. Stunned by lyrics of such beauty, by a voice that summons them with such tremulous, enduring life. Marling seemed happy to be there. We were all happy, too.

Adam Norris

KE PHOTOGRAPHER :: KATRINA CLAR

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pick of the week

She Rex

Hollis The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Suze Demarchi + Fanny Lumsden The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $34.50.

THURSDAY O C TO B E R 2 9 Newtown N ewtow Hotel

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alpine

3rd Halloween Birthday Party Alpine + Tiny Houses

2nd Annual Zombie Ball Feat: Speedball + Distorted Hearts + The Derros Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20.

Anathema Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $68.05.

Clowns Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $15.

C.W. Stoneking Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $40.

Dave Ireland 99 On York, Sydney.

5:30pm. Free.

Dennis Locorriere Presents Dr Hook Panthers, Penrith.

9:30pm. $71.26.

Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Hotel Steyne Manly, Manly. 9:30pm. Free.

Glenn Esmond Cronulla RSL, Cronulla. 6pm. Free.

Jackson Holt Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free.

Jimmy Mann The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free.

Karaoke Figtree Hotel, Figtree.

9pm. Free.

Katie Noonan’s Vanguard + MKO John Painter Hall, Surry Hills. 7pm. $44.90.

Loon Lake Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle. 8:30pm. $23.90.

One World Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9pm. Free.

Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free.

Sam Newton Padstow Park Hotel, Padstow. 7pm. Free.

She Rex Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $15.

Steve Crocker Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm.

Free.

The Loaded Six Strings St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 9pm.

Free.

The Mick Hart Experience + Freeway Playground + Hairpin Culvin + Monkey Boy The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $18.80.

Vanessa Heinitz Panania Diggers, Panania. 8pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Natiruts UNSW Roundhouse,

Kensington. 9pm. $73.40.

Keiyim Ba Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $20.

Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm.

Free.

The Protesters Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 8:30pm.

Free.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Lynchoween At Golden Age - Feat: Terza Madre Golden Age Cinema, Surry Hills. 6pm.

Free.

Lyre Birdland Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $15.

Nelson Mandela

6pm. Free.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dennis Locorriere Presents Dr Hook Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. $81.46.

Dr Goddard Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

Robbie Williams Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $111.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Chris Cody Quartet Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $20.

Funk Engine Foundry616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $6.50.

The Groovemeisters Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Canned Heat +

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Charlie A’Court Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $72.45.

Live & Original Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7:30pm. Free.

Muso’s Club Jam Night Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free.

Mustered Courage + Fanny Lumsden The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $18.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 29 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Iiro Rantala Venue 505, Surry Hills. 6pm. $40.

The Usual Suspects Oxford Hotel, Darlinghurst. 8pm.

Free.

Thursdays In Jam Feat: El Moro + DJ Av El Cubano Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Dave White Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

Dennis Locorriere

Presents Dr Hook Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $81.46.

East Of Here + Hexaflex + VCS + Bonn Fire Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

John Milligan The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

Let Me Entertain You! - The Robbie Williams Story The Vanguard, Newtown. 6:30pm. $28.80.

Little Georgia + Tom Stephens + Ollie Brown Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. $11.50.

Live At The Sly Feat: Montes Jura + Salvador Dali Llama + The Dinlows Slyfox, Enmore.

7:30pm. $5.

Massive + Picture Perfect Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

Newtown Hotel’s 3rd Halloween Birthday Party - Feat: Alpine + Tiny Houses Newtown Hotel, Newtown. 6pm. Free.

Pesci’s At The Foundry - Feat: The Lulu Raes + Born Joy Dead + Youth Allowance Foundry616, Ultimo.

8pm. $12.

The Riptide Movement Metro Theatre,

Sydney. 8pm. $53.68.

Vanessa Heinitz Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 7:30pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Ainslie Wills Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $20.

Genevieve Chadwick & The Stones Throw + Just Us + The Blues Preachers + That Redhead The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $15.

Lachlan Bryan + Katie Brianna + Mandatory Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Muso’s Club Jam Night Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free.

Paul Winn + Band Emilie Nelson Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30

wed

thu

28

29

Oct

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

Oct

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

30 Oct

5:45PM  8:45PM

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

H A L LO W E E N NIGHT

sat

31 Oct

5:45PM  8:45PM

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

S U N D AY A F T E R N O O N

sun

01 Nov

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

Steve 02 Twitchin

mon Nov

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

MELBOURNE CUP

tue

03 Nov

(5:00PM - 8:00PM)

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Not Good With Horses + Jasper

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 29

g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com One Love Concert - Feat: Afro Moses O’Jah Band + Rhythm Hunters The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $29.

Sexy Sunday Jam Bellini Lounge, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.

Tango Paradiso Foundry616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $21.30.

The Beat Kitchen - Feat: DJs Monobrow + Xs.If + Tom Andrews Different Drummer Bar, Glebe. 8:30pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alex Kuusik Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm.

Free.

At The Gates + The Seer + Diminish The Gods Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $66.

Big Rich Picton Hotel, Picton.

8pm. Free.

Chisel Barnes Show Kareela Golf Club, Kareela. 8pm. Free.

Halloween - feat: Mesa Cosa + Hedge Fund Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

John Milligan The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm.

Free.

Katie Noonan’s Vanguard + MKO John Painter Hall, Surry Hills. 7pm. $44.90.

Lonesome Train Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm.

Free.

Loon Lake Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

8pm. $23.

Mainline Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm.

Free.

Nathan Cole St George Leagues Club, Kogarah.

7:30pm. Free.

Passerine The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm.

Free.

Pat O’Grady Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 10:30pm.

Free.

Paul Hayward And His Sidekicks Town And Country Hotel, Sydney. 4pm.

Free.

Ripley Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $8.50.

Spit Roasting Bibbers Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free.

The Lewisham Halloween Ball Feat: The Lazys + Chase The Sun + The Ruckus + Show Pony Burlesque Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 7pm. $20.40.

The Rubens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $44.95.

This That - Feat: RÜFÜS + Birds Of Tokyo + Sticky Fingers + Baauer +

Birds Of Tokyo Ainslie Wills

Robbie Williams

The Jungle Giants + The Kite String Tangle + Carmada + Tkay Maidza + Slumberjack + Asta + Kilter + Atlas Bound + Stephane 1993 + Ivan Ooze The Foreshore, Newcastle East.

1:30pm. $99.

Tiny Little Houses Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Vanessa Heinitz The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm.

Free.

Wildcatz Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free.

You Beauty + Flowertruck + Marky Vaw Union Hotel, Newtown. 7:30pm.

Free.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

John & Yuki Illawarra Master Builders Club, Wollongong. 2:30pm.

Free.

Soul On 22 - Feat: Yum Yum Live + DJ Makoto And DJ C Man Cafe XXII, Pyrmont.

5pm. $10.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Absolute Botanik Feat: Duan & Only Botanik House, Centennial Park.

2:30pm. Free.

Blues Collective Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm.

Free.

Dougie Dekroo’s Kentucky Moon The Merton Hotel, Rozelle. 5pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Aaron Oswald Picton Hotel, Picton.

12pm. Free.

Black Label + Hammer + In Hydes Shadow Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

Blake Wiggins Strawberry Hills

Hotel, Surry Hills.

4pm. Free.

Cover Note Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm.

Free.

Dave Ireland Ingleburn Hotel, Ingleburn. 1pm.

Free.

Favored Nations + Running Touch + Froyo Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

6pm. $15.

Glenn Esmond The Rivo Hotel, Riverstone. 2pm.

Free.

Movember - Feat: DJ Frendy Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 10am.

Free.

Nathan Cole Royal Motor Yacht Club, Newport. 2pm.

Free.

Open Mic Epping Hotel, Epping. 5pm. Free.

Plunder + Warmer + The Gloomies + Agnes Kain + Wade Jackson The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $7.

Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville.

4:30pm. Free.

Steve Crocker The Mill Hotel, Milperra. 12pm.

Free.

Vanessa Heinitz Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm.

Free.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 2 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

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

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Anton Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5pm. Free.

Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Steve Twitchin Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

Swerve Society -

Feat: Post Paint + Phantastic Ferniture + Cody Monroe Moore Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

7:30pm. Free.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Totally Stringled Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm.

Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Candice McLeod + Blue Child + The Stragglers The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Canned Heat The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $71.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Blake Wiggins Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 4pm.

Free.

Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

Dave Ireland Allawah Hotel, Sydney. 5:30pm.

Free.

Glenn Esmond Chatswood RSL, Chatswood.

12:30pm. Free.

Hozier + Rhodes Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7pm. $79.

Mike Miller Royal Motor Yacht Club, Newport. 4pm.

Free.

Open Mic The Bourbon, Potts Point. 7pm. Free.

Rob Eastwood Campbelltown Catholic Club, Campbelltown.

12pm. Free.

Steve Crocker Duo Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 12pm. Free.

Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 3pm. Free.

Vanessa Heinitz Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 12:30pm.

Free.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

Canned Heat + Charlie A’Court Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $72.45.

At The Gates + The Seer + Diminish The Gods Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $66.

Funk Engine Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $6.50.

Halloween - Feat: Mesa Cosa + Hedge Fund Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

Mustered Courage + Fanny Lumsden The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $18.

Robbie Williams Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $111.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 29 Ainslie Wills Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $20.

Little Georgia + Tom Stephens + Ollie Brown Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. $11.50.

Pesci’s At The Foundry - Feat: The Lulu Raes + Born Joy Dead + Youth Allowance Foundry616, Ultimo. 8pm. $12.

The Riptide Movement Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $53.68.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 Anathema Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $68.05.

Clowns Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $15.

Loon Lake Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $23.

Nelson Mandela One Love Concert Feat: Afro Moses O’Jah Band + Rhythm Hunters The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $29.

Ripley Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $8.50.

The Lewisham Halloween Ball - Feat: The Lazys + Chase The Sun + The Ruckus + Show Pony Burlesque Lewisham Hotel, Lewisham. 7pm. $20.40.

The Rubens Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $44.95.

This That - Feat: RÜFÜS + Birds Of Tokyo + Sticky Fingers + Baauer + The Jungle Giants + The Kite String Tangle + Carmada + Tkay Maidza + Slumberjack + Asta + Kilter + Atlas Bound + Stephane 1993 + Ivan Ooze The Foreshore, Newcastle East. 1:30pm. $99.

Tiny Little Houses Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1

C.W. Stoneking Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $40.

Black Label + Hammer + In Hydes Shadow Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

Katie Noonan’s Vanguard + MKO John Painter Hall, Surry Hills. 7pm. $44.90.

Favored Nations + Running Touch + Froyo Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6pm. $15.

Natiruts UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 9pm. $73.40.

Suze Demarchi + Fanny Lumsden The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.50.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3 Hozier + Rhodes Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7pm. $79.

Hozier xxx

30 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

thebrag.com

brag beats

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

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Tegan Reeves, Tyson Wray and Eden Gillespie

five things WITH

Basenji

Le1f

HAMILTON

NYE ON THE HARBOUR 2015

Growing Up My dad plays 1. the piano to a high level and my brother played guitar, so I guess I was around music from an early age. I went on to learn guitar too, which I’m OK at, and can play some keyboards too, but only just about!

There was always music playing in my house.

Le1f photo by Eric Johnson

Inspirations The album 2. that really helped to cement my love for electronic music was The Prodigy’s Experience, released in 1992. A friend of mine knew the Prodigy guys and got an advance copy on a cassette, and this was on repeat for a long time, believe me!

Your Crew I’ve never had a 3. job as I went straight into music from school and knowing all the hours I work, I’m

amazed any artists manage to fit a fulltime job in too, so respect to them! I was fortunate to know a couple of crews that helped along the way.

Firstly the Pulse FM crew, which was a massive pirate station in London in the ’90s, and a bit later on the Kniteforce crew, which went on to be the first label I was signed to in 1994. I’m still friends with them all 20-plus years later.

The Music You Make And Play 4.

I love all the styles of drum and bass, so I tend to play [that] most in my sets and make a few different styles in the studio too. When playing out I like to try and use two or three tracks at a time that work very well together to try and create something a little different. I’ve been asked quite a few times, “What was the remix of xxx track

you played?” and I’m like, “It’s not a remix, just a double drop!”

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5.

I guess the main obstacle any musician faces right now is the lack of an ability to earn a fair living from music alone, having to rely on live performance with the net result being a fairly crowded marketplace. However, if everybody supports their favourite artists’ releases by buying their music, this would be less of a problem. But it’s hard to compete with free.

I really hope things improve in the future.

With: Opiuo, Hatch, The Mane Thing, Blackjack, Astrix Little and more Where: Chinese Laundry When: Friday November 20

Cargo Bar will host a stellar NYE On The Harbour lineup to ring in the New Year. The venue has earned a reputation for hosting killer parties with previous appearances from artists such as Hermitude, PNAU, Alison Wonderland, Art vs Science, Miami Horror and Bag Raiders. Another massive lineup is in store for NYE On The Harbour 2015, with the first wave of names including DJ sets from Yahtzel, Basenji, Elk Road, Nicky Night Time, Porsches, Akouo and Beni.

Enjoy wharf views and dance your way into 2016 on Thursday December 31.

MAJICAL CLOUDZ

Fancy a spot of synth minimalism in the New Year? Majical Cloudz have you covered. Montreal’s Devon Welsh is joined by Matthew Otto in the band, and after being booked for Laneway Festival next year, they’ve now added a one-off headline date in Sydney. The news arrives off the back of their latest release, Are You Alone?, the follow-up to 2013’s Impersonator. Majical Cloudz bring their bag of tricks to Newtown Social Club on Monday February 8.

JACK THE HOUSE THROWBACK PARTY

Jack The House has locked in plans for a retro club night in Sydney, with hip house and acid house artists that hope to raise the roof like they did in the good old days. Paul Holden, John Ferris and Mark Dynamix are the headliners at this exclusive Sydney event celebrating the formative sounds of 1988-1992, and playing cuts from the likes of Tyree, Adonis, Bam Bam, Kool Rock Steady, DJ Pierre, Beatmasters, Twin Hype and Fast Eddie. On the night there will be old-school decor from the late ’80s, clothing vouchers from Core Clothing, CD giveaways from Central Station Records and heavy

bass speakers to pump the tunes. Jack The House is on Friday November 13 at Slyfox.

RUDIMENTAL AFTERPARTY

UK four-piece Rudimental will take over Marquee for an exclusive DJ set this December. The Brits have gained momentum since releasing their superhit ‘Feel The Love’ back in 2012, and are now a big name on the electronic scene, collaborating with artists such as Ed Sheeran. Their club appearance will come after their show at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday December 10.

CONNECT TO THE INTERNET

Odd Future offshoot The Internet have announced headline dates in Sydney to accompany their appearance at Laneway Festival. Conjuring a striking combination of R&B and neo-soul, the LA-based group released a third album, Ego Death, in July this year. Supporting their Sydney shows will be Jaala.

They’ll play Wednesday February 3 and Thursday February 4 at Oxford Art Factory.

FCxMCA

thebrag.com

This summer, punters will be able to get their art and dance fix all in the one place, with news that the guys over at Future Classic will again be collaborating with the Museum of Contemporary Art. After a successful series of sell-out shows last summer, FCxMCA will present another run of events at the MCA’s Sculpture Terrace on selected Sundays.

The first two announcements have been made, with Danish duo Kenton Slash Demon and Melbourne synth wizard Harvey Sutherland to play on Sunday November 15. A month later, Sunday December 13 will see local hero Roland Tings play a DJ set alongside producer Tornado Wallace. Check mca. com.au for tickets and more announcements.

In addition to ripping up Sugar Mountain Festival in Melbourne, Le1f will be hitting up the rest of the country with a string of dates to showcase his debut album Riot Boi. Le1f, who started off his career with the prominent Das Racist hip hop group, has constructed a distinctive sound and eclectic persona that challenges perceived boundaries associated with the genre. The New York rapper’s trained background in ballet and modern dance, alongside his impressive vocal depth and speed, result in live performances that are both engaging and unforgettable.

His forthcoming debut will feature guest vocals from Dev Hynes (Blood Orange), Junglepussy, Don Christian and Miss Geri, among others, and production from Sophie, Lunice, Boody, Blood Diamonds, Salva, Dubbel Dutch and Evian Christ. Tackling issues such as trans acceptance and racial injustice, this album will be one to keep an ear out for. Le1f headlines Oxford Art Factory on Thursday January 21.

RIO RECOVERY

Just in case you don’t get your dance music fix at this year’s Return To Rio, organisers have decided to bring their party vibes down south for the Rio Recovery party. The day and night of dancing at the Factory Theatre will feature house and disco maestros Soul Clap backing it up for a special extended three-hour set, appearing again alongside Matthew Dekay, Hoj and a secret international DJ who is yet to be announced.

Locals repping on the day will include Mantra Collective, Murat Kilic, Nick Law, Ricky Cooper, Alan Thomas, Start:Cue, Tristan Case, Monkey Tennis, Sampsonite and B__A. Rio Recovery goes down on Saturday November 21.

SOMETHING SO SHAMIR

Shamir has locked in a Laneway Festival sideshow in Sydney. The 20-year-old Las Vegas artist burst onto the scene in 2014 with his EP Northtown. Since then, he’s gone on to release his debut LP Ratchet, receiving critical acclaim for his meticulous blend of soul, R&B, house, disco, rap and pop.

Experience his show on Thursday February 11 at Oxford Art Factory.

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 31

xx

FCxMCA photo by Sam Whiteside

FUTURE CLASSIC ON THE TERRACE

LE1F OF THE PARTY

Faithless No Rest For The Wicked By George Nott

E

veryone knows that bit in ‘Insomnia’, Faithless’ groundbreaking crossover mega-hit. That bit after Maxi Jazz’s confessional poetry of sin and sleeplessness. That bit after the edge-of-a-precipice pause that ends the line: “I can’t get no sleep…”

Boom! Synthline! That gargantuan riff that sprouts goosebumps, puts hairs on end and sends a shimmering wave of euphoria washing over you, even though it’s Monday morning, you’re sitting in a grey office and you took that pill more than three years ago now.

“I certainly noticed it when we released it,” explains Sister Bliss, the DJ and multi-instrumental musical mind behind the dance trio. “[We thought], ‘People are really going ballistic when the riff comes in!’”

That riff is now 20 years old. Having practically invented ‘the drop’ as we know it today, Faithless are national treasures in their native UK and have legendary status the world over. They are marking their anniversary with an album of remixes, Faithless 2.0.

“It’s quite amazing that it’s endured for so long and had such an amazing response from people over the years,” says Bliss. “Affections can wane, can’t they? We’ve been taken into people’s hearts and that’s an amazing thing as musicians. We could have just totally drifted into irrelevancy.”

Faithless, completed by vocalist Jazz and producer Rollo Armstrong, defined quality ’90s club music while transcending the genre. Tracks like ‘God Is A DJ’, ‘Salva Mea’ and ‘We Come 1’ were born great. “It was a very fertile time for music,”

says Bliss. “Less identikit, perhaps.

There’s a lot of inventive music around at the moment. There’s also a lot of people using very similar plugins and the same sounds over and over again.

“It’s about the sounds. We didn’t have Logic. Pro Tools only came along by the time of our third album.

We love analogue gear. It has a particular sound, it’s wonky and interesting. No two synths sound the same. It wasn’t just using what was fashionable in the moment.

Rollo would spend hours going through banks and banks of sounds, tweaking and mucking about on synths until he found a sound he really liked.

“The songs do have a really timeless flavour. You get some dance tracks that don’t stand the test of time. We were very lucky because we’ve always erred away from using cheesy, horrible, nasty, cheap sounds. We also spent a lot of money mixing our music in really good studios at a time when dance music was often made on tiny mixing desks. So sonically our records have something very special about them.”

The idea of a remixes album came to Bliss, real name Ayalah Bentovim, while she was in the bath.

“People have been bootlegging our stuff for years but it’s never been officially sanctioned,” she says.

“Laying there I thought, ‘We should celebrate and mark our anniversary in some way.’”

There are some huge names on Faithless 2.0: Avicii, Tiesto, Eric Prydz, Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren. There are also some serious rising stars in Booka Shade, Claptone, High Contrast and

Purple Disco Machine. The support Faithless have received is testament to the influence they’ve had on dance music as we know it today.

“For me, having remixes from some of the biggest names in the business as well as the more clubby underground names, it gives an access point to Faithless that perhaps might not have been there before,” says Bliss. “If your big brother’s got a CD, or your mum or dad, you might think, ‘I won’t listen to the music they’ve got.’ But when you’ve got remixes by artists making a mark on music in a massive way, it’s a really cool thing to bring our music to that generation on their terms. You’ve got to remember, this day and age there’s whole generations who weren’t even born when we started.”

In Faithless’ two decades together (including a brief respite), there have been many memorable moments, like playing Glastonbury’s main stage in 2002 and again in 2010.

“We were incredibly hyped both times and had enormous crowds,” says Bliss. “It’s one of those places where that kind of synergy happens.

The stars align. The crowd, the air, the weather, the music – everything.”

On performing earlier this year at Exit Festival in Serbia (which features in the Insomnia 2.0 promo video), she adds: “The country has had its fair share of war and strife.

I had people telling me they were sitting there while their towns were getting bombed and the only thing giving them hope and taking them through was our music. It’s a total head-fry when people tell you that.

There was this insane vibe in the audience, people nearly crying with emotion.”

There promises to be many more memories. Faithless are embarking on a sold-out European tour, with hopes to go further afield, and they’ve just scored their third number one album in the UK. “It’s been a great feeling to be able to come back and revitalise the band, and the shows have just been

Off The Record S

till looking for something to do this Halloween? Well, you might be interested to know that after a brief hiatus while the venue sorted out its sound issues, this weekend SubClub returns to the Bridge Hotel. To celebrate, it’s teaming up with Subsonic to throw a Return Of The Dead themed party headlined by one of the most infl uential names in German techno, Kompakt head honcho Michael Mayer. Dressing up is compulsory, and it’s happening this Saturday October 31.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 Romare

Start 2016 off right with an intimate sunset party headlined by Seven Davis Jr. One of the fastest-rising names in the house world, the Texas-born Californian’s take on early Detroit has seen his work championed by the likes Carl Craig, Moodymann and Gilles Peterson. He’ll be supported by

DJ Nobu Bridge Hotel

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

Red Bull Music Academy has announced the headliner for the next instalment of its monthly club night series: rising British star Romare. Since first releasing his debut EP Meditations On Afrocentrism in 2012, his penchant for multi-layered electronic patchworks has seen him score fans from the likes of Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Huw Stephens and Bonobo. He’ll be joined by Ben Fester and Rimbombo on Saturday November 14 at Goodgod Small Club. As always, entry is free with RSVP. Next month, those champs Astral People are throwing a huge double headline show with Shigeto and Lapalux. Shigeto has toured with the likes of Bonobo, Tycho and Slow Magic and is signed to coveted US label Ghostly International, while Lapalux has worked with Young Thug, The Acid and Mirrors and returns to Australia following the release of his sophomore record Lustmore through Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint. It’s happening on Friday November 13 at Oxford Art Factory.

What: Faithless 2.0 out now through Sony

RECOMMENDED

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray Michael Mayer

off the hook. I feel incredibly grateful to be given another chance to connect with our audience, and they seem pretty happy to see us, so it’s a win-win! Maybe the dance never ends after all.”

Patrice Scott Burdekin Hotel

DJ Deep Burdekin Hotel

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27

Fred P Marrickville Bowling Club

Eric Cloutier, Peter Van Hoesen Marrickville Bowling Club

Mr. G, Fur Coat, DJ HMC Greenwood Hotel

Rødhåd Oxford Art Factory

Maribou State Oxford Art Factory

Tour rumours: we’ll defi nitely be seeing a tour from Detroit don Moodymann before the year is out. Same goes for Scuba and Petar Dundov. Expect to see a return from The Black Madonna in March, too.

Best releases this week: straight after releasing a killer album, Sa Pa is back with a killer EP, We Can Be Friends (on MDR).

Other highlights include Terriers’ Second Labour Of Hercules (Major Problems), Steven Cock’s Fusion (Made Of Concrete), Kvaser’s 44.8 (Tabernacle), Colorhadoo’s Zanzibar (Amphia) and Hüpnosaurus’ Where Am I? (Wicked Bass).

Mathew Jonson, Cobblestone Jazz, Palms Trax Marrickville Bowling Club

Baauer Oxford Art Factory

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12

Ben Fester, Benj & Statz, Karim, Daniel Lupica, U-Khan and Pharley on Sunday January 3 at the Chippendale Hotel.

Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28

Oliver Huntemann Max Watt’s

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13

Max Cooper Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14

Gilles Peterson Oxford Art Factory

Shigeto, Lapalux Oxford Art Factory

Nina Kraviz Greenwood Hotel Romare Goodgod Small Club

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21

Bicep Oxford Art Factory Justin Martin

THURSDAY DECEMBER 3

FRIDAY DECEMBER 4 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 6 Subsonic Music Festival: KiNK, Dop, Rick Wade, Roman Flügel + more Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort, Barrington Tops

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

32 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

thebrag.com

club guide g

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

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Jesse Rose

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31

Civic Underground

Xxx

C.U Saturday Jesse Rose + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Sam Francisco + Sam Arellano 8pm. $22.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 CLUB NIGHTS

RÜFÜS + Cassian + Yuma X Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $45.83.

Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm.

Free.

The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm.

Free.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 29 CLUB NIGHTS Kicks The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm.

Free.

The Midnight Swim Sessions - feat: Thomas Studdy Goros, Surry Hills.

8pm. Free.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 HIP HOP & R&B thebrag.com

Afrobrasiliana First Birthday Party - feat: Trevor ‘El Chino’ Parkee + Thomas Studdy + Raphael Ramires Brasil + Jon McCulloch + Paris Groovescooter + Walking Fish Play Bar, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Cult - feat: DJs Fi Fi La Frug + Pi-M + DJ Rise Different Drummer Bar, Glebe. 7pm.

Free.

Phondupe + Spirals + Yon Yonson + Embassy Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst.

7:30pm. $11.50.

Thando Foundry616, Ultimo.

8:30pm. $16.50.

Tuka Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

CLUB NIGHTS Absolute Botanik feat: Marc Javin + Slow Blow Botanik House, Centennial Park.

6pm. Free.

Access - feat: Cut Snake + L D R U + Torren Foot + Surfdisco + Fiktion Towradgi Beach Hotel, Towradgi.

9pm. $25.

Bassic - feat: Ratlife + Nemo + Jade Le Flay +

Jordz + Goldbrix + Robustt + Kartel + Heirs To The Throne Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Blvd Fridays - feat: G-Wizard Marquee, Pyrmont.

10pm. $13.40.

Brenny B Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

Derriere - feat: Rotating DJs Goros, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm.

Free.

RÜFÜS + Cassian + Yuma X Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $45.83.

Young Franco Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

8pm. $15.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31 HIP HOP & R&B

Halloween Special - feat: Juzzlikedat + Makoto + Cman + Noodlez + Louie Headnod + Adverse + Spook + Caratgold + DJ Amity

Play Bar, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS

Absolute Botanik - feat: Adam Bozzetto + Kato + Nad + Stu Turner Botanik House, Centennial Park.

6pm. Free.

Aden Mullens + Katami Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free.

C.U Saturday - feat: Jesse Rose + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Sam Francisco + Sam Arellano Civic Underground, Sydney. 8pm. $22.

Establishment Saturdays The Establishment, Sydney. 9pm. $20.

Ferry Corsten Marquee, Pyrmont.

10pm. $33.90.

Frat Saturdays - feat: Jonksi + Guests Side Bar, Sydney.

7:30pm. Free.

Halloween Day Of The Dead - Feat: Michelle Owen + Daniel Lupica + Karim + Marc Jarvin Barrio Cellar, Sydney.

5pm. Free.

Halloween - The Argyle Asylum The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. $25.

Le Fruit DJs Goros, Surry Hills.

8pm. Free.

Lndry - feat: Todd Terry + Saint Wknd + Beni + GT + Kormak + Offtapia + Elijah Scadden + Sanger + Camy + King Lee + DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60.

Pacha - feat: Tigerlily + Dzeko & Torres + Kyro + Jaysounds + Kormak + Samrai + Matt Nugent + King Lee + DJ Just 1 + Jade Le Flay + Trent Rackus Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.

Something Else’s All Hallows’ Eve - feat: DJ Deep + Louis Coste Vs Roulian + Waifs & Strays + Ben Ashton + Tech No More + Tim Gollan + Anthony Bohlock + Dugout + Leoch + Oddrob Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $16.50.

Sweaty Halloween - feat: Jai Wolf + Crooked Colours + Porsches + Yolanda Be Cool + Mickey Kojak + Cassian Metro Theatre, Sydney. 9pm. $34.51.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1 CLUB NIGHTS

Marco Polo Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $17.50.

Picnic Social Harpoon Harry, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Simon Caldwell + Benj & Statz + Father Joshua + Matt Weir Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Timmus + Lepke + Kerry Wallace + James Petrou + Litmus + Mihas Dimitris + Astronafrika + Edseven Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. $15.

8pm.

Tim Boffa + Alex Mac Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 4pm. Free.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 2

RÜFÜS

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 RÜFÜS + Cassian + Yuma X Enmore Theatre, Newtown.

7:30pm. $45.83.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30 Bassic - Feat: Ratlife + Nemo + Jade Le Flay + Jordz + Goldbrix + Robustt + Kartel + Heirs To The Throne Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $22.60.

Thando Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $16.50.

Young Franco Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31 Halloween Day Of The Dead - Feat: Michelle Owen + Daniel Lupica + Karim + Marc Jarvin Barrio Cellar, Sydney. 5pm.

Free.

Lndry - Feat: Todd Terry + Saint Wknd + Beni + GT + Kormak + Offtapia + Elijah Scadden + Sanger + Camy + King Lee + DJ Just 1 + DJ Eko Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $22.60.

Pacha - Feat: Tigerlily + Dzeko & Torres + Kyro + Jaysounds + Kormak + Samrai + Matt Nugent + King Lee + DJ Just 1 + Jade Le Flay + Trent Rackus Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney.

6:30pm. $38.

Something Else’s All Hallows’ Eve - Feat: DJ Deep + Louis Coste vs Roulian + Waifs & Strays + Ben Ashton + Tech No More + Tim Gollan + Anthony Bohlock + Dugout + Leoch + Oddrob + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

9pm. $16.50.

Sweaty Halloween - Feat: Jai Wolf + Crooked Colours + Porsches + Yolanda Be Cool + Mickey Kojak + Cassian Metro Theatre, Sydney. 9pm. $34.51.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1 S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Simon Caldwell + Benj & Statz + Father Joshua + Matt Weir Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Timmus + Lepke + Kerry Wallace + James Petrou + Litmus + Mihas Dimitris + Astronafrika + Edseven Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. $15. 8pm.

Young Franco Jai Wolf

CLUB NIGHTS Mashup Monday - Feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3 CLUB NIGHTS

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

BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15 :: 33

snap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

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up all night out all week . . .

It’s called: C.U Saturday It sounds like: Meticulously selected house and techno on a system that gives full appreciation to the esoteric art of great sound.

Acts: Internationals include Jesse Rose, Rodrig uez Jr., Mr. C and Margaret Dygas, plus locals Robbie Lowe, Murat Kilic, Phil Smar t, Michelle Owen, Mike Witcombe and Ant J Steep.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Mike Witcombe – ‘What Do You Wanna Do’ (Oskar Offermann remix); Hugo Barritt – ‘NYC Cougar’ (Rui Da Silva Missing Beats remix); Slok – ‘Box Six’ And one you definitely won’t: Anything EDM. Sell it to us: A new hub for house and techn o; a slice of underground Europe in Sydney.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The flawles s sound and up for it crowd.

Crowd specs: Open-minded, energetic, friend ly-family.

Wallet damage: $25 Where: Civic Underground When: Every Saturday from Saturday Octob er 31

halloween day of the dead party profile

party profile

c.u saturday

It’s called: Halloween Day Of The Dead It sounds like: A haunted house.

Acts: Michelle Owen, Daniel Lupica, Karim , Marc Jarvin.

Three songs you’ll hear on the night: Panth ers – ‘Goblin City’ (Holy Ghost! Extended Disco Dub Mix); Metro Area – ‘Dance Reaction’; Chic – ‘I Want Your Love’ And one you definitely won’t: Anything EDM. Sell it to us: Mouth-watering food meets delicio us drinks and latenight beats. An eclectic mix of agave-inspired drinks and cheap eats to immerse in the ancient Mexican tradition of celebrating and mourning past souls.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: $3 Death

by Tacos saved your life, and your headache is mild to moderate.

Crowd specs: The walking dead, ghosts, ghoul s and vampires.

Wallet damage: Free entry, $3 Death by Tacos and $10 Black Widow margaritas all night.

s.a.s.h by day

PICS :: AM

Where: Barrio Cellar, Basement, 58 Elizabeth St, Sydney When: Saturday October 31, 5pm-3am

25:10:15 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue Street North Sydney 9964 9477 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

34 :: BRAG :: 636 :: 28:10:15

S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR

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