Brag#643 by Furst Media

ISSUE NO. 643 DECEMBER 16, 2015

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MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

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K AT E T E MPE S T

EL V E Z

BU T WA I T...T HER Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOR E

F R EN Z A L R HOMB

The performance poet who transferred her skills to hip hop.

The King lives on, and he's here to celebrate Christmas.

Circus Oz's latest Sydney show and the star couple at its centre.

Have the enfants terrible of Aussie punk accidentally reached maturity?

T HE W OR D BR I T ISH INDI A T HE W E AT HER S TAT ION B A RONE S S T HE E A S T P OIN T E R S A ND MUCH MOR E

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BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 3

rock music news

the BRAG presents

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio and Anna Wilson

Hordern Pavilion Tuesday January 5

five things WITH

Her eyes would glaze over and she’d go to a place that I knew even as a young child I wanted to explore. One of my favourite and most 2. Inspirations

Davies are my compadres in the current formation, which is set to embark on a national tour of Australia this December. Sean, Andrew and I first played together in the late ’70s and we released our first album Alphabravocharlie… on Mushroom Records in 1980. There have since been many lineups and incarnations of the band and we were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010. Ash is a relatively recent addition to the ranks, although I’ve worked with him in other projects (JVG Guitar Method, studio band for the ABC TV series

Please Like Me) the last fi ve or so years.

The Music You Make Models have never worked to a musical template and the sound of the band has always been the product of the individuals in the band at any time. Sean has been the constant in the band since its inception so his songwriting style and musical vision has always been a touchstone, but he’s always been generous and allowed input from whoever else is in the band at any time. Music, Right Here, Right Now Models were active in the so-called 5. ‘golden era’ of Oz rock in the late ’70s and ’80s, which was an exciting time to be playing. I think, however, that the current scene is a lot more professional and there is much more variety in places to play than the pub scene, which was so dominant back in the day. Where: Factory Theatre When: Friday December 18

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

GLEN MATLOCK, EARL SLICK & SLIM JIM PHANTOM Newtown Social Club Sunday February 28 Shakey Graves photo by Jarred Gastriech

Your Band Models is the band and Sean 3. Kelly, Andrew Duffield and drummer Ash

Growing Up My key childhood memory is 1. watching my grandmother play the piano.

BLOC PARTY

MARK FERRIE FROM MODELS infl uential musicians is Ross Hannaford, who famously played guitar in Daddy Cool. One of the first gigs I ever saw was Daddy Cool at the Myer Music Bowl just prior to them entering the mainstream with their single ‘Eagle Rock’. Ross is a musical magician with his very own personal sound and style. He is always an inspiration to see playing live. I’ve also been fortunate to be his neighbour for the last 15 years and have the opportunity to play with him.

FOALS

STURGILL SIMPSON Metro Theatre Tuesday March 22

LORD HURON Oxford Art Factory Wednesday March 23

SHAKEY GRAVES The Basement Thursday March 31

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: Tyson Wray SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio, Joseph Earp, Anna Wilson ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: Rachael Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Elias Kwiet, Joseph Earp, Anna Wilson, Anita Connors REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Christie Eliezer, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Tegan Reeves, Kate Robertson, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Lucy Watson, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121

Spectrum Now, the arts and culture festival that lights up Sydney in March, has revealed its biggest music program yet. The Jesus and Mary Chain will headline the 2016 iteration of Spectrum Now, adding a Sydney date to their Australian tour as part of the Divine Times event, being presented by Popfrenzy and Yours And Owls. Joining the Scottish alt-rockers on that bill are Seekae, Alvvays, U.S. Girls and Jonathan Boulet. Divine Times will take over a purposebuilt Big Top in The Domain on Saturday March 5. Other gigs on the Spectrum Now schedule include Calexico and Augie March on Sunday March 6, Godspeed You! Black Emperor on Tuesday March 8, RocKwiz Live on Thursday March 10 and Birds Of Tokyo on Friday March 11. Spectrum Now’s music program is being curated by Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco of Secret Sounds, the brains behind Splendour In The Grass, and they promise even more additions to come. Spectrum Now 2016 takes place in The Domain from Tuesday March 1 – Wednesday March 16.

BYE BYE MISS AMERICAN PIE

‘American Pie’ hitmaker Don McLean will hit stages across Australia for the first time in years as he gears up for his performance at the 2016 edition of Bluesfest. The veteran American artist has had a critically acclaimed career spanning 40 years and 20 albums, penning tracks like ‘Vincent (Starry Starry Night)’, ‘Castles In The Air’ and ‘Dreidel’. With countless international gold and platinum records under his belt, McLean has become a cultural phenomenon. For Sydneysiders who don’t manage to make it to up to Byron, McLean will play the State Theatre on Sunday March 20.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

The Blind Boys Of Alabama will be bringing their gospel sound to the Sydney stage next year before hitting up Bluesfest. The original group

A PUNISHING TOUR

The Snowdroppers will take their Gluttons For Punishment tour down the east coast for a trio of headline shows next February and March. Having spent three months on the road this year supporting their new album Business, the blues rockers are this time taking with them an all-new live and visual show as well as a stack of friends including The Hard Aches, The Strums and Twin Fires. The best part? The whole night (possibly including your best dance moves) will be documented by a film crew to be made into a film featuring the live show and a look into the reality of being an Aussie touring band staring down a decade of being on the road. See The Snowdroppers when they stop in at Oxford Art Factory on Friday February 26.

met singing in the 1930s at the Alabama Institute, and the Blind Boys have persevered through several decades to become a defining part of gospel and soul music in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Their latest record Talkin’ Christmas comes as a collaboration with fellow Bluesfest artist Taj Mahal. Get a piece of The Blind Boys Of Alabama at the Factory Theatre on Saturday April 2.

BEST DAY OF THE YEAR

Alongside his appearances Down Under at the 2016 Good Life festival, Chicago’s R&B megastar Jeremih has locked in a run of headline shows around the country. First breaking through way back in 2008 with the now infamous ‘Birthday Sex’ – the lead single from his self-titled debut – Jeremih Felton is now up to album number three, dropping the 15-track Late Nights earlier this month, which features Future, Big Sean, J. Cole, Ty Dolla $ign, Migos and more, and already has critics raving. Catch him on Wednesday February 17 at the Metro Theatre.

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The Snowdroppers

COLD WAR IS OVER (HAPPY XMAS)

Indie stalwarts Cold War Kids have announced a string of Australian shows to coincide with their performance at next year’s Bluesfest. The upcoming Australian tour comes in the wake of the group’s fifth album, Hold My Home, and its latest single, ‘First’. No stranger to Australian shores, the band behind the 2006 hit ‘Hang Me Up To Dry’ has played festival slots at Falls, Southbound and Splendour In The Grass. Since forming in 2004, Cold War Kids have sold over 500,000 albums, more than a million singles and count 50 million streams to their name so far. Catch up with Cold War Kids when they hit the Metro Theatre on Saturday March 26. D’Angelo

Saskwatch

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D’Angelo photo by Greg Harris

SPECTRUM NOW 2016

THE MESSIAH COMETH

I SPY SASKWATCH

Soulful Melburnians and all-round groove kings Saskwatch are set to travel the country on a massive 30-date tour, including a couple in Sydney. With the release of their third studio album Sorry I Let It Come Between Us earlier this year, the band will be hitting all the major city capitals to celebrate. While their first two albums saw Saskwatch establishing their sound, the third demonstrates progression with refined simplicity. Never ones to shy away from the unconventional, Saskwatch will be joined on tour by fellow boundary pushers, Brisbane’s Cub Sport, who complement the headliners with their catchy blend of indie and pop. Saskwatch will play Studio Six on Wednesday March 2 and The Basement on Thursday March 3.

Grammy Award-winning neo-soul star D’Angelo has locked in a oneoff Sydney show in the lead-up to his highly anticipated set at next year’s Bluesfest. Marking his first Australian performance since the release of his comeback album Black Messiah, D’Angelo has been garnering rave reviews since returning from his ten-year hiatus. The latest critically acclaimed record took years to complete and features contributions from an all-star cast of players including Questlove, Pino Palladino, Isaiah Sharkey and Roy Hargrove. D’Angelo will play at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Monday March 21.

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AVAILABLE AT ITUNES OR ALL GOOD DVD RETAILERS BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 5

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, James Di Fabrizio and Joseph Earp

songwriters’ secrets WITH

LISA CRAWLEY Songwriting Secrets 90 per cent of the time I 3. write my lyrics first – they usually

Foals photo by Neil Krug

The First Song I Wrote The first song I ever wrote 1. was titled ‘Will You Be Waiting’, when I was around 14 years old. I am sad to say I can definitely still remember how to play it! An insight into the quality of the lyrics: “I guess I’ll be lost in this labyrinth of love / And you’re the only one who can save me…”! It had an epic key change too. Last Song I Released The last song I released 2. The

was ‘Up In The Air’ – this was part of the EP (with the same title) that I released a few weeks ago. The song was written in my bedroom and at the time was about to fly to Los Angeles. The first lyric in the song is talking about this, but the rest is fictional. I recorded the EP with producer Ryan Ritchie, and I think it’s one of my best songs – I’m definitely proud of it and especially love the live strings that are featured in it.

pop into my head and I feel compelled to write a page or two, but recently I’ve been needing to approach songwriting differently, by picking a lyric or a topic and writing from more of a character point of view. Personally, I feel that my best songs usually are written quite quickly and flow easily, but I’ve got a few that have taken me a very long time to finish and I’ve had to use different techniques and approaches to create a song when I’m not feeling overly inspired to write.

people hear the banjo and assume it’s a feel-good tune. It was funny to have my song about saying goodbye being used for someone’s wedding video! The Song That Changed My Life 5. It’s very tricky to pick one song, but

The Song That Makes Me Proud 4. ‘Up In The Air’ is my recent

I would have to pick ‘Samson’ by Regina Spektor. It’s a beautiful tune by a beautiful artist. Regina Spektor is a big inspiration for me – I love her melodies and piano skills, as well as having a beautiful voice. She sings about such a variety of things, she’s super clever and is so entertaining/moving live. ‘Samson’ is a Regina Spektor’s most popular ballad – it’s based on a story from the Bible that I remember hearing at Sunday school.

favourite, but my song ‘Blind Eyes’ has been the most popular before that – it’s been on a few TV shows and advertisements. The music is deceptively upbeat, but the lyrics aren’t overly happy. A lot of people don’t realise that it’s a sad song –

What: Up In The Air out now independently Where: Petersham Bowling Club When: Thursday December 17

SHARP LIKE THE SWORD

Already announced for the Rolling Thunder festival, The Sword have locked in a run of Australian headline shows. The Austin heavy metal stars will be making their return to Australia and New Zealand this February in support of their acclaimed fifth album,

Ruth Carp and The Fish Heads

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

FOALS

Lured by the call of Falls Festival, British indie rock behemoths Foals are heading back to our shores. This time round, Yannis Philippakis and co. are armed with four albums’ worth of brooding emotive rock and tender Afropop, not to mention a sprinkling of slick techno. One of the UK’s top live bands, their return to Australia is sure to go off. What’s more, they’re also set to do their own headline shows. ‘Spanish Sahara’? More like Australian Arcadia. Foals play the Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday January 5 with support from Djanog Django and Mansionair. The show is presented by the BRAG, and we’ve got two double passes to give away. Be in it to win it at thebrag.com/ freeshit.

High Country. Having previously supported Metallica and performed at the 2011 and 2013 Soundwave festivals, this will mark The Sword’s first headline tour Down Under. They’ll be in town on Wednesday February 24 at Max Watt’s with American Sharks, Los Hombres Del Diablo and Clowns.

The Brand New Heavies

SOMETHING ON THE SLY

The next headliners for Slyfox’s Live At The Sly night are Ruth Carp and The Fish Heads, AKA Sydney’s finest fish-themed psych rock outfit. Despite being one of the newer additions to Sydney’s cultural calendar, Live At The Sly is already impressing, what with its combination of cutting-edge music acts and boozin’. The Thursday December 17 lineup for the event has been locked in, with alt-rock/jazz/hip hop hybrid group Colour Cage and up-and-comers Phantastic Ferniture joining the fun. The night kicks off at 7:30, but it’s best to get there early – not only to save a spot up the front, but also to start lapping up those $5 drink specials.

SABBATH SESSIONS

Christmas is well and truly coming, and that means one thing: legions of lapsed Catholics and apathetic agnostics will do their family duty and make a token appearance in the house of the Lord to celebrate. But if your Sabbath is more about rock’n’roll than kneeling in pews, then Frankie’s Pizza has you covered with its regular Sabbath Sessions evening of hedonism. Of course, the Sunday parties have been running weekly throughout the year, but this is the silly season, and with it comes a special lineup. Sunday December 20 features Rick Dangerous and The Silky Bantams, joined by Blackbird, Gladstone, Warhawk and The Great Awake.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…

Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke are rounding out the latest selection of Bluesfest sideshows, making their Australian debut with a one-off Sydney show. With four studio albums under their belt, the group’s most recent effort Holding All The Roses peaked at number one in the US country charts. As well as headline tours of their own, Blackberry Smoke have gone on to support a slew of American blues and rock legends including ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They’ll light up The Basement on Wednesday March 23.

SHAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

With a full band in tow, former Mac DeMarco guitarist Peter Sagar will appear under the cloak of Homeshake for an Australian visit in the New Year. The Canadian outfit will look to intoxicate Sydneysiders with a blend of ’80s and ’90s styles 6 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

as they cosy up with Sydney fans at an intimate show at Brighton Up Bar, adding the date to their tour schedule due to overwhelming demand after confirming gigs elsewhere around the country. Homeshake will perform songs from their second album Midnight Snack, a smooth and lustful record that harks back to the soulful tones of ’90s R&B with a twist of Sagar’s own brand of indie-pop. It all goes down at Brighton Up Bar on Wednesday March 2.

SUMMER AT THE STEYNE

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING BRAND NEW

The Brand New Heavies will be bringing their unique mix of jazz, funk and soul to Australia’s new open-air spaces this February. This will be the third time the UK groovemakers have graced our shores since making their live debut here in 2010. 2013 saw the Heavies release Forward, their first studio album in seven years. The record added to a career that has seen the band score 16 top 40 singles in the UK and sell over two million albums. This summer, two new openair spaces in the Yarra Valley and Hunter Valley will be unveiled to Australian audiences for the first time, creating a boutique alternative to the existing vineyard venue options. The Brand New Heavies will play Calais Estate in the Hunter on Sunday February 21.

Bin Juice

The Hotel Steyne in Manly has confirmed a sprawling summer lineup to keep toes tapping and hearts heaving throughout the season of sunshine. From Thursdays through Sundays every week, the beachfront venue is hosting some of the best musical talent going around. This week it’s Ocean Alley headlining on Thursday December 17, Winston Surfshirt on Friday December 18, High-Tails on Saturday December 19 and Animal Ventura on Sunday December 20. After the Christmas festivities, the January program amps up again with highlight acts including Lepers and Crooks (Thursday January 14), Bin Juice (Saturday January 30) and Steve Smyth (Thursday February 4).

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Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR â&#x20AC;˘ How did Taylor Swiftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Knew You Were Troubleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mistakenly reappear on Spotify under the name of Lostprophets, the UK band fronted by convicted paedophile Ian Watkins? â&#x20AC;˘ Why was Ed Sheeran spotted at the Coffs Harbour airport? Had he made a flying visit to catch up with Russell Crowe? â&#x20AC;˘ What would you do for a ticket to a sold-out festival? A punter named Alex advertised his tix to Sydneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knockout Circuz for $260 on Gumtree on the proviso the buyer cook him breakfast, sing the national anthem and lose to him on Mario Kart. â&#x20AC;˘ Chris Cornell dedicated Temple Of The Dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1991

track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Say Hello 2 Heavenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to Scott Weiland at his Melbourne Palais gig. Weiland was buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA at a service attended by members of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. Chris Kushner, wife of Velvet Revolverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dave Kushner, posted to Instagram: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A very sad day when u bury a friend. He was a good man. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe everything u read. Remember, we were all there.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ In the current debate about pill testing at festivals, Adelaide City councillor Anne Moran suggested that as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to stop people from taking drugs in, a way to prevent overdoses is to stop festivals from being held on very hot days. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weather predicting technology would give promoters ample

Lifelines Dating: 5 Seconds Of Summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ashton Irwin and Playboy playmate Bryana Holly, according to The Daily Telegraph. She was previously linked with Brody Jenner and James Packer. Expecting: twins in June for Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 68, and wife Sally, 37. Ill: the CD launch of ailing Melbourne guitarist Ross Hannafordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hanna was postponed to this week after â&#x20AC;&#x153;his health took a sudden turn for the worstâ&#x20AC;?. In Court: Christopher David Navin, former fl atmate of Canberra punk identity Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber AKA The Ginger Ninja, was acquitted of his murder. But a jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Navin, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s receiving treatment behind bars for schizophrenia, is likely to be sentenced in the New Year and faces a maximum of 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; jail. Sofer-Schreiber was stabbed 73 times in his home on Boxing Day 2013. In Court: two members of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s British band The Tremeloes pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl in a hotel room in 1968. Suing: Jared Leto is taking action against the US gossip site TMZ for publishing a video (in which he disses Taylor Swift, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give a fuck about herâ&#x20AC;?) even though they had been warned the video had been stolen. Died: Holly Woodlawn, the US transgender actress who inspired Lou Reedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Walk On The Wild Sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and appeared in Andy Warholâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fi lms Trash and Women In Revolt, of cancer at 69. Died: John Garner, singer/ drummer of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s US heavy metal cult band Sir Lord Baltimore, of liver failure. Died: the body of former American Idol contestant Marque â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lynche was found in his room in suspicious circumstances. He was also a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1995 alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling. Died: Native American recording artist, poet and activist John Trudell, 69, best known for 1992â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AKA Grafi tti Man.

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time to reschedule, she said. â&#x20AC;˘ In the wake of three Perth cops facing dismissal after testing positive for drugs, a Queensland cop resigned after being found with drugs at a festival. The 26-year-old woman faces Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday January 5. â&#x20AC;˘ London cops are investigating if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a link between the home burglaries in the same week of The X Factor judges Simon Cowell and Rita Ora. They live within a three-mile radius of where eight thefts took place. A professional gang with possible inside knowledge robbed Cowell of ÂŁ100,000 worth of goods while Ora lost â&#x20AC;&#x153;cash and personal items worth thousands of poundsâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;˘ Eskimo Joe guitarist Stuart MacLeod is the new general

manager of Perth community station RTRFM 92.1. â&#x20AC;˘ Going viral is a video shot by Newcastle punk band Local Resident Failure drummer Kye Smith playing every Beatles song. The video was recorded in five minutes and shot on the roof of the Great Northern Hotel. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had 670,000 YouTube views. â&#x20AC;˘ Deerhunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bradford Cox, who claimed onstage that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been assaulted by Billy Corgan after an argument, has retracted his statement, saying it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;just stage banterâ&#x20AC;?. Corganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people were threatening to sue. â&#x20AC;˘ Among ARIA certifications are a first platinum for The Amity Afflictionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Let The Ocean Take Me, a second platinum for Human Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Christmas Album and a sixth for Adeleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25.

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MUSICIANS SHARE IN $10.4M FUNDING ROUND

PPCA/AUS COUNCILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW ROUND OF RECORDING GRANTS

Musicians, record labels, associations and conferences were among the 290 projects that received a share of the Australia Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent $10.4 million funding round. They included Courtney Barnett ($20,000 for future releases), APRA ($150,000), Pond ($15,000 for a US tour), Rice Is Nice Records ($24,901 to support new releases), The Necks ($50,000 to record new work and collaborate with Sunn O))) and Brian Eno), Contemporary Music Victoria ($150,000 in funding for three years), QMusic ($150,000 for Bigsound for another two years), Melbourne Jazz Cooperative ($50,000), as well as Jack Ladder ($36,855), Seven Stories ($24,990), Skipping Girl Vinegar ($6,990) Sophia Brous ($20,000), Sui Zhen ($11,334), The Getaway Plan ($14,560), Kate Miller-Heidke ($80,000), Little May ($42,685), Trophy Eyes ($14,166), Jess Ribeiro ($12,000), Cambodian Space Project ($34,864), The Peep Tempel ($17,950) and The Gooch Palms ($14,166). Applications are open for the next grants round, closing Tuesday February 2 at australiacouncil.gov.au.

The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) and the Australia Council are again partnering to offer another series of $15,000 grants to assist Australian artists with new sound recordings. Previous recipients have included Courtney Barnett, Mia Dyson, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, The Growl and jazz ensemble The Vampires. Applications close on Tuesday February 2. For more information or to apply, head to australiacouncil.gov. au/strategies-and-frameworks/ppcaaustralia-council-partnership.

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NEW SIGNINGS #1: TWO FOR KLUE

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KATY PERRY MAKES BIG BUCKS Katy Perry was the highest-earning rock artist of 2015, making US$135 million from her 17-month Prism world tour, according to business magazine Forbes. Last year she was in 23rd place. Others on the list included One Direction ($130m), Garth Brooks ($90m), Taylor Swift ($80m), Eagles ($73.5m), Calvin Harris ($66m), Justin Timberlake ($63.5m), Diddy ($60m), Fleetwood Mac ($59.5m) and Lady Gaga ($59m). They were followed by The Rolling Stones ($57.5m), Paul McCartney ($51.15m) and Foo Fighters ($38m).

THE WEEKND SUED BY FILM FINANCIERâ&#x20AC;Ś

A UK film financier is suing The Weeknd, alleging his hit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; used part of the score from an obscure 2013 film, The Machine. Cutting Edge Music Limited is a company that finances films and acquires interest in film soundtracks. The Machine, about cyborgs created in a war against China, had a score by Tom Raybould. He claims the tracks have the same synth bass â&#x20AC;&#x153;with almost identical idiosyncratic sounds at the same register and using the same pitch sequence, melodic phase structure and rhythmic durationsâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;ŚAND KENDRICK BY A FAN

Kendrick Lamar, having last week led the Grammy nominations with 11, is being sued for US$1 million by a fan. Whitney Larkins paid $350 for a VIP meet-and-greet at a concert. She then emailed his manager Dave Free requesting a further three minutes of â&#x20AC;&#x153;one-on-one timeâ&#x20AC;? with the star. She claims Free emailed her to say the extra time would cost $10,000, but the night before the show she was told she would be barred from attending the show and had her $350 refunded.

MELANIE WITHNALL BECOMES CBAA VP

2SER managing director Melanie Withnall is the new vice president of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), after former VP Phillip Randall was elected chair. The board also formally appointed SYN presenter Bethany AtkinsonQuinton as its womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative.

Sydney songwriter, producer and multiinstrumentalist Klue AKA Gabriel Clouston has signed with record label Etcetc Music (to release his debut EP in March) and electronic agency Nuffsaid, which is booking his current national dates behind his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hidingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; single. Klueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand of garage, soul and Afrobeat saw acclaim from media and peers such as Hermitude and Lance Ferguson for his debut â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Way Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which was picked up by triple j. Clouston also presents a weekly FBi Radio show.

NEW SIGNINGS #2: SOPHIE LOWE WITH NICHE Gig bookings for singer-songwriter and actor Sophie Lowe are now repped by Niche Productions in Australia and New Zealand. This year she played sold-out shows with Meg Mac and Montaigne, had her track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Understandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on triple jâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roster, earned a hit with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pink Flowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from EP 2 and directed her own videos. In between, she had acting roles in US series The Returned and Aussie ABC drama The Beautiful Lie.

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NEW SIGNINGS #3: FLOWERTRUCK AT SPUNK

Sydney garage-pop/rock band Flowertruck have joined the Spunk roster, releasing their Dirt EP on Friday January 29. Inspired by the likes of Talking Heads, The Smiths and The Go-Betweens, their intense shows and understated pop gems saw them nominated for Best Live Act at the FBi SMAC Awards. They have a single, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sunshowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, to follow up debut track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Wanna Be With Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

NEW SIGNINGS #4: HATEBREED EXTEND NUCLEAR BLAST

US hardcore merchants Hatebreed, coming to Australia for Soundwave 2016, have extended their deal with Nuclear Blast to a worldwide one. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re currently in the studio with long-time producer Zeuss for an early 2016 release.

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NEW SIGNINGS #5: TEES AT FARMER AND THE OWL

Sydney dreamy house-pop duo Tees have signed with the Wollongong-based Farmer and The Owl label, which has just released their new single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spending Your Heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. According to their website, Sean Duarte and Lizzy Tillman first met when she made him â&#x20AC;&#x153;a special teaâ&#x20AC;? and then again in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;similar subconscious state of wonderlandâ&#x20AC;?. He was writing songs with a female singer in mind but hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t found anyone, so he poached her from her band.

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BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 7

Sturgill Simpson WHEN THE TRUTH HURTS

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

here’s a renaissance happening in country music right now, and if the rumours are to be believed, Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson is leading the charge. However, you won’t find any traces of Nashville tropes tucked away in his songwriting. Exemplified in his latest effort Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, Simpson is more concerned with existentialist ideas than sinking beers in the back of a pickup truck. He’s got one foot rooted in tradition and another far out into the cosmos.

Metamodern Sounds In Country Music was pitched as a relatively low-key follow-up to Simpson’s debut, High Top Mountain. Recorded over a whirlwind five-day session 8 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

“Country – more than any other music style in America – just stagnated at a certain point,” Simpson says. “Sonically speaking, I love country music but I love all kinds of music. I’ve listened to everything you can possibly imagine throughout my life at various stages. Aside from a writing perspective, I’m equally as interested in exploring sonic possibilities as much as anything else. I think it’s sort of necessary. I’m not chasing a commercial career, so there’s really no reason not to pursue new sounds.” Simpson is the first to admit he is not a laborious songwriter. He doesn’t lock himself away for hours on end, polishing and refining arrangements until all the ragged edges are smoothed over. Nor does he feel the need to. There is something profoundly human in the beauty of imperfection, and Simpson writes music in the same way he tries to live his life – in the moment and to the point.

Indeed, when Simpson talks about music, it is with a sense of gravitas

“There’s plenty of dishonest music out there … With music, it’s the only real honesty in this world, so you have to approach it with that respect.”

The buzz that has surrounded Simpson since Metamodern Sounds has catapulted the once-unknown artist onto the world stage, complete with a Grammy nomination and a freshly inked major label deal through Atlantic. It has proved a blessing and a curse for Simpson, however, as he has never personally connected with the iconoclastic title imposed on him. “I was just trying to push the envelope in terms of my own expectations,” he says. “It was all about personal growth and personal challenge – trying to express other influences or experiences from my life that I’d yet to capture or touch on.” It is baffling to look back now and think that Simpson entered the studio ahead of Metamodern Sounds without even a concrete intention to make an album. “Really, I think that record got made because there was nobody in the room telling us that we probably shouldn’t,” he says. “It’s true. I honestly didn’t think much would come out of it. We weren’t really trying to make a record, we just had the week off and I had some songs. I released it myself again on my little label thinking, ‘This is it – this is probably the last record I’ll make.’ Then it sort of snowballed.” And snowball it did, selling over 150,000 copies in the US alone. Not a bad effort for an album made on a US$4,000 budget. Aside from its acid-laced production values, one of the most groundbreaking things about Metamodern Sounds is the lyrical content. Like all great country songwriters, Simpson is a naturalborn storyteller. However, in place of the usual reflections on small-town life and whisky-fuelled nights come tightly woven narratives of space and time, hallucinogenic drugs and the writing of Stephen Hawking. It’s not the traditional fodder for a country music song – but that’s entirely the point. “I wanted to challenge myself to write country songs about things other than heartache and drinking. A lot of people get hung up on all

the drugs, or the one line in one song. But to me, the whole album was very simple in its underlying meaning. I’m trying to say I’ve already gone down all these roads to the point of exhaustion, and maybe even insanity. As an adult, I’ve found that the only thing that really matters to me is love. That doesn’t mean that I discredit or disprove of what anyone else thinks or believes. I just know that the only thing that’s ever made me strive to be a better human being is the idea that someone I care very much about has of me, and who they might think I could be.” It’s a sentiment echoed on album opener ‘Turtles All The Way Down’, as Simpson sings through a mix of sputtering delay and swirling keys: “Marijuana, LSD, psilocybin and DMT / They all changed the way I see / But love’s the only thing that ever saved my life”. Now completely sober for over seven years, Simpson finds clarity by reflecting on a hazy past. Above all, it’s music of breathtaking honesty. And when it comes to country music, honesty has always been the most prominent cornerstone. “There’s plenty of dishonest music out there,” says Simpson. “When I was younger – in darker places – I lived a more nihilistic life. I realised at some point that that wasn’t the most beneficial, not only to me, but to those around me. With music, it’s the only real honesty in this world, so you have to approach it with that respect. For me, I find it’s more therapeutic than anything. I write songs to get rid of emotions or feelings that I carry around. I think that’s why people responded to the album in the way they did, because there’s a certain level of vulnerability and humanity there that maybe everybody can relate to.” What: Bluesfest 2016 With: The National, Tom Jones, Kendrick Lamar, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and many more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 And: Also appearing at the Metro Theatre on Tuesday March 22 More: Metamodern Sounds In Country Music out now through High Top Mountain

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Sturgill Simpson photo by Crackerfarm

Simpson’s music sees traditional bluegrass and country sounds collide head first with a psychedelic palette of warbled tape echoes and dizzying ambience. In a genre often accused of rehashing itself, Simpson continues to defy both expectation and convention. “I think the most meaningful art is trying to show people something they have never seen or heard before,” Simpson says in his lethargic Southern drawl. “I think that’s what any real artist is chasing. Whether you get there or not, [it] is the ultimate goal.”

with kingpin producer Dave Cobb, its release garnered huge acclaim, with critics and fans alike crowning Simpson the modern-day saviour of country music who had come to liberate it from the shackles of overproduced and commercialised songwriting.

“If I have an idea for a song, it tends to come very quickly, in 20 or 30 minutes,” he says. “I find if I end up working any longer, I’m just overthinking it until it’s less than what I’d hoped. Once I get started on a song, I hear how I want it to sound in my head because I know what I’d be trying to say musically to emphasise the lyrics. I’m always writing, whether I want to or not. When it happens, it kind of has to happen. I wish I could be lazier,” he says, completely deadpan.

that indicates how seriously he takes his craft. “I’m very introverted and I don’t go out a lot, so when I’m home, off the road, I tend to live in the studio to get rid of nervous energy. I could probably put out two records right now if I wanted to.”

Tickets now on sale for Red Line Productions season 2016 at the legendary Old Fitz. It’s big, bold and beautiful.

Tickets available at www.oldﬁtztheatre.com. Come and see what Red Line have in store. WHY NOT?! thebrag.com

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 9

The Word

Baroness

Say It Again By Tegan Reeves

Changing Colours By Augustus Welby

merican blues supergroup The Word will be gracing the stage at Bluesfest next year, treating Australian fans to their first live experience of the band’s second album, Soul Food, released earlier in 2015. The term ‘supergroup’ is often associated with shortlived, usually temporary collaborations in the rock and pop scenes, but The Word are none of these. Their take on instrumental gospel sounds and collaborations that began over 15 years ago sets them apart from run-ofthe-mill supergroups. Where some bands might recoil at the prospect of being seen as a supergroup, pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph – also the frontman of Robert Randolph and The Family Band – views the title in a different light. “It’s cool being called a supergroup because everybody in the band is a super musician,” he says. “When you get the chance to put all of these guys from different bands into one band and then into the same room where everyone can share all of their experiences, it becomes a magical kind of music. New creative energy comes out and everybody has so many more ideas. There’s influences of gospel, rock’n’roll, old blues and new blues when we get into the studio. It’s so much fun, and so spontaneous.” Randolph is joined onstage by John Medeski (keyboard), along with all three members of the North Mississippi Allstars, to play a brand of improv gospel music known as ‘sacred steel’. “It’s a style of music – anyone familiar with the Buena Vista Social Club, they’re basically what sacred steel is,” Randolph explains. “The Pentecostal Church is an organisation that goes back to the 1920s in America, and I grew up watching all of my sacred steel forefathers in that church, wanting to be like those guys.

“At the same time, a lot of other guitar players have been influential on my style, from Jack White to Derek Trucks to Eric Clapton and Santana, so I’ve also had some contemporary influences, and that’s the great thing about music – it’s always ongoing, and there will always be new influences.” The Word’s second album Soul Food is only their second release in 14 years, with the follow-up well seasoned in comparison to their self-titled debut. The band is tighter, and each musician has somehow managed to play their instruments harder and better. “Years passed and we had talked about doing so many different things, writing and recording, and it all just finally came together naturally,” says Randolph. “We felt like the time was right and it happened quite organically, and it was great, because years go by and we had let all of these different influences come by and sink in, and things kind of came full circle. As we listened to the first record we made, we were telling stories and re-educating everybody on what it means to be The Word. It was this new, sort of old energy, which was really fun.” With such a busy, diverse and talented bunch of musicians collaborating on the one project, one might think the recording process would be somewhat difficult to orchestrate, but Randolph is cheerfully positive about what goes on behind the scenes. “I think in years past we used to say it was hard, but now we’ve gotten back on task, it’s become really easy. It’s become quite simple to just get into the studio and hit ‘record’. The advantage of today is that we can send each other music and ideas online, so by the time we all get into the studio, we’re ready to plug in and go for it.” Randolph tours with a number of specialty pedal

steel guitars – he is, after all, a latter-day pioneer of the instrument. When The Word are in Australia for Bluesfest early next year, he won’t be travelling with his US roadies, and is instead looking for an Australian crew to take care of his catalogue of rare, custom-made instruments. “I’ve got an acoustic pedal steel guitar and a stand-up pedal steel guitar – actually, I’ve got to so many types of guitars now, it’s added a whole lot to the show and the vibe of what we do.” There’s something refreshing about a person who backs themselves and their band in a manner that doesn’t ooze arrogance and superiority, and the fact Randolph’s excitement to tour Australia is palpable over the phone just makes the guy even more likeable. “Yeah, it’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait – I love Bluesfest. It’s such a great festival. We’ve been talking about it ever since we heard that we were coming back to Australia, and I can’t wait to be there. It’s so much fun to spend a couple of days in Byron Bay; you’re right on the beach, you get to play twice and it’s such a great vibe. “I’ve been to Australia twice before with Robert Randolph and The Family Band, but not as The Word, so this will be awesome. Australia is one of my favourite places, and I’m not just saying that – I even told a promoter last time, ‘I’d like to come here every year if I can.’” What: Bluesfest 2016 With: The National, Tom Jones, Kendrick Lamar, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and many more Where: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm When: Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28 And: Also appearing at the Factory Theatre on Sunday March 27 More: Soul Food out now through Vanguard

aroness’ fourth album, Purple, continues their navigation of the colour wheel. Set for release this Friday, the record follows Yellow & Green (2012), Blue Record (2009) and Red Album (2007). Aside from the continuity, the new album’s title can be seen as a reference to the bruises the US band incurred from a near-fatal bus crash in August 2012. However, purple is also a wonderfully comforting colour, often associated with magic and sensuality. Accordingly, while Purple is a sonically powerful record that touches on dark themes, it’s also an uplifting listen. “I’ve been struggling for the past couple of years via the fallout from the accident,” says frontman John Baizley. “But I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I’ve got this wonderful outlet to pour all of my thoughts into, and we’ve got this amazingly positive fan base who seems to respond really well to the songs that we write when we’re being honest and open about what’s going on.” Although generally classed as a metal band, with Yellow & Green, Baroness swerved away from the in-your-face heaviness of their first two records. Purple carries over the melodic clarity of Yellow & Green, while also incorporating a tinge of stadium rock immediacy. “We’ve spent a long time trying to set in the stone the fact that we are not going to repeat ourselves and we’re not going to become comfortable with one particular sound,” Baizley says. “There are elements of our music that get repeated – there are themes that we stay with, and I would say we have developed a sound. But part of that sound requires that there’s always somewhere new to go, some new frontier that we haven’t investigated yet, or else we’ll get bored and quit. We need to evolve, we need to grow as musicians and as a band.” Helping foster the band’s evolution on Purple was

10 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

producer Dave Fridmann. Across a three-decade career, Fridmann has frequently collaborated with The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, as well as producing everyone from Weezer and MGMT to Sleater-Kinney, Neil Finn and Spoon. “It’s always been a dream of mine to work with him,” Baizley says. “I didn’t think it was a realistic dream, ever. But he said yes, and in doing so he gave us more confidence to push harder and to try to write better songs with more interesting parts and to set our bar that much higher.” Baroness’ previous two records featured production from John Congleton. Having worked with the likes of St. Vincent, Swans and Cloud Nothings in recent years, Congleton certainly knows his way around the studio. However, the band looked to gain something else by partnering with Fridmann. “We’ve gotten to the point in our career where we feel confident enough and comfortable enough with what we do that we wanted an outside opinion,” Baizley says. “[Fridmann]’s a bit out there and we feel a bit out there from time to time. So in collaborating with him and co-producing this record with him, we were really able to work with somebody I consider an outright genius in terms of creating audio soundscapes and albums.” Despite Baizley’s patent admiration for the producer, it was a somewhat surprising match-up considering Fridmann hadn’t worked with any acts quite so heavy and progressive as Baroness. The relative disparities in each other’s approach actually became a creative pivot. “Being fully outside your comfort zone and holding yourself to a very high standard is important if you’re going to make any kind of breakthrough,” Baizley says. “I think we were making that breakthrough by ourselves anyway. He helped [us go] even further.

“We trust ourselves, and we’ve become confident over the years. With that confidence comes an open admission that maybe we haven’t considered every option that’s available. And the best way to [find out] is to have a dialogue – if you can truly be democratic and make informed decisions, out of that can be born something that’s very unique.” In contrast to the positivity surrounding the recording, the debilitating bus crash did leave an undeniable imprint on the album. Half of the band moved on following the accident, opening the door to bassist/keyboardist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thomson. Death is something we’re made aware of every day; we see it in newspapers and on the television news, and depicted in films and novels. But it isn’t until death comes right up and touches us – say, if a close friend or family member dies – that we’re reminded of its unflagging inevitability. When their tour bus fell from a viaduct near the city of Bath in the UK, Baizley and guitarist Peter Adams didn’t just stare death in the face, but it remained oppressively apparent for a long time afterwards. “[Death] leaves an impact, it dents your psyche and puts something there that cannot be removed,” says Baizley. “I don’t think that’s entirely a negative thing. It has negative elements, but if you can go with that in a way that isn’t destructive then you’ve just grown that much. “Through that accident, it was a goal of mine to make a conscious effort to have a healthy respect of what we have been through, but not to focus on it and let it work at us in a negative way. The fact that we took all of this crap that happened to us and didn’t let it destroy us has been a really profound thing.” What: Purple out Friday December 18 through Abraxan Hymns/Cooking Vinyl

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The East Pointers Their Secret Is Out By Adam Norris roaming the land. Yet it is a genre that still seems on the rise, snatching infl uences out of the air like leaves and working them into new forms. Perhaps this is the reason for the music’s endurance; alongside a very long history of folk artists is a potential for renewal and exploration. “I think [for] people these days, there’s so much produced music available, and you know, some of it is really amazing,” Charron considers. “But there’s something about this more organic type of thing. It’s fun to play, it’s fun to dance to. Ha, hopefully fun to listen to. The previous few generations here in Canada, this type of music hasn’t been mainstream. But it seems to be coming back around. I don’t know if it’s the same in Australia, but there seems to be a lot of younger people digging this genre. It’s always been there, but maybe there’s a little more strength to it this time around.”

his time last year, I had never heard of The East Pointers. I’d wager that for many who had journeyed to the Woodford Folk Festival, the story would be similar. A band that sounds either like a land mass or a species of shark; probably worth checking out. As such, I was one of the surprised and enthusiastic many who were bamboozled by this Canadian three-piece. They went on to be the highest-selling act of the festival, and their blend of quasiinstrumental foot-stompin’ folk proved so popular that their love of Australian audiences translated directly to their debut LP, Secret Victory. “The pressure’s on now!” guitarist Jake Charron laughs. “It was really an amazing experience last year,

especially at Woodford. We didn’t really have a full album then, just our little EP. So it’ll be nice to get back there with the full record. A lot of it was definitely inspired by the things we were doing and seeing there in Australia, so I hope people like it. It took around ten days to record. Ten days, pretty relaxed. We were in this open, big old church that had been turned into a studio, and we recorded most of it live off the floor. We wanted to try and capture some of that live feeling.” It’s an interesting aside, given that dirges are clearly in the air this year. So many bands across so many different genres have seemed compelled to record in churches lately. It must be something in the holy water.

“I don’t know what it is about these beautiful old buildings that aren’t being used anymore. They sound awesome, their acoustics are just fantastic. A lot of what is on [the album] we were writing as we were touring, playing bits and pieces live as we went. People might recognise some of it, maybe a song or two they heard last year at places like Woodford that ended up on the record. It really kind of evolved as we went along, and so by the time we left Canada we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to put on the record.” The rise of nu-folk (which is a truly terrible descriptor) has been well documented for almost ten years now, ever since acts like Bowerbirds, Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and the like began

The East Pointers’ own roots lie in an early love of Celtic music, and the perhaps unexpected potential of the instrumental. It is an inherent aspect of their music, and to see the trio in the midst of a song sans vocals – each entirely consumed by their instrument, be it Charron on guitar, Koady Chaisson on fi ddle or Tim Chaisson on banjo – it is easy to see the allure.

right from the get-go, having [songs] go down a vocal path or instrumental path, we haven’t quite encountered something that could be either yet. I’m sure that’ll come. We haven’t had to force any of our songs yet. They become what they want to become. “[Instrumentals] kind of leave it a little bit more open to interpretation. We’re influenced by the strong Celtic tradition that goes back for centuries, and I think people can feel that. They want to move and dance. Words might take you down a different path completely. That’s not a bad thing, but I like seeing where an instrumental set can change a mood, and paint pictures in your head that lyrics might force on you instead.” The East Pointers have a string of Australian performances ahead, and while you’re unlikely to hear them choose their favourite local haunt, the fact they named a song ‘Woodfordia’ probably says quite a bit. “This whole thing is a new project for all of us, and it’s nice to be so well received right from the start. It meant a lot having all of that support at Woodford, and we’ve tried to keep in touch with fans from there as the year has gone along. We can’t wait to be back. It’s a special place for us, and with the full album now we’re really excited.”

“I think most of our focus has been on the instrumental, because something the three of us had in common growing up was playing these traditional melodies that didn’t have words,” says Charron. “We all like to sing, and Tim specifi cally had a great solo singer-songwriter thing on the go. So we have a lot of fun working out three-part harmonies. But

What: Secret Victory out now independently With: The Button Collective Where: Gaelic Club When: Thursday January 14 And: Also appearing at Woodford Folk Festival 2015/16, Woodfordia, Sunday December 27 – Friday January 1

too. “You just get to go and watch a bunch of awesome bands! You get your set over and done with and then you go and watch bands, or if you don’t like that band, go into their little dressing shed and nick their beer while they’re onstage. We did that to NOFX.”

When it comes to his instrument itself, McDougall – like so many of the greats – is a long-time Gibson SG guy. “It’s a pretty boring – I say off-the-shelf but really off-the-onlinestore model, a 2007 one. And I got another really cheap one from somebody in Brisbane on Gumtree that has really nice P90s in it, so that’s my spare guitar. But P90s are very different pickups, so if I need to switch to that guitar it’s like, ‘Shit, that’s very loud and buzzy.’

Frenzal Rhomb Disrespect For Elders By Peter Hodgson

It wasn’t a bad interview, but in terms of shocking a young journalist out of his boots and into the realities of trying to craft a story out of 20 minutes of insult comedy, it was a learning experience. So I looked 12 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

forward to the opportunity to talk to McDougall with more than a decadeand-a-half of distance – and his career in triple j broadcasting – now behind him. “Wow. I apologise for that interview. It must have been horrendous,” McDougall laughs. Dude, I’ve been waiting to hear that for 15 years. “That was before I’d ever interviewed anyone [myself] and we didn’t realise how hard it actually was!” he says. But the real reason for this interview, of course, is Soundwave, which Frenzal will be laying waste to in just a few short months. “We’ve got a whole album ready to go but we can’t record it until our drummer [Gordy Forman] gets his broken arm better,” McDougall

explains. “The nerve damage has almost healed, and [our December] shows will probably be the last we do with our fill-in drummer Kye Smith. We probably won’t do any of the new songs at these shows because we’re not going to teach Kye the new songs, but here’s the good thing about getting Kye in: the new guys know the songs so well and it’s a whole new thing to go, ‘Oh, that’s how that song’s supposed to go!’ Kye’s like this kind of drum savant who knows every drum part of every song ever. So it’s going to be a masterclass of how our songs are actually meant to be played, for the audience and for us.” There’s something else McDougall is looking forward to about Soundwave

“Then last year – maybe it was the NOFX tour – I thought, ‘Fuck it, I want to use Marshalls again.’ So I pulled out my JMP, which I’d never used onstage. It hadn’t been modded at all and it was the loudest fucking thing in the room. It was amazing. It was like, ‘There’s Malcolm Young.’ That’s that sound. It’s a proper amp being overdriven because it’s being blasted in the power amp, not by a Boss Metal Zone pedal. And I’m really excited to do these shows in New South Wales and Melbourne because I can drive to the shows and bring my amp.”

“But my favourite guitar is this beautiful Cole Clark Culprit that I used in triple j a lot. It feels like a Telecaster but it sounds rad, and really angry when you overdrive it. I had astronaut Chris Hadfield come in and I brought that guitar in. We had a little jam together on that and an acoustic. And after the interview I left it in the studio. We had these desks in our studios that can be lifted up or down electronically, and unfortunately I’d left the guitar under the desk and … lowered the desk. The whole thing smashed at the headstock and I cried a little bit. I sent it down to Andy at Cole Clark. Unfortunately they had a fire a couple of years ago and they didn’t have any necks. So he’s gonna fix it one day when he finds another beautiful neck. It was a really beautiful guitar and it will be again.” What: Soundwave 2016 With: Disturbed, Bring Me The Horizon, The Prodigy, Deftones and more Where: Sydney Olympic Park When: Sunday January 24 And: Also appearing at Carmens, Miranda on Thursday December 17

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Xxxx

ot to be all Rocky VII: Adrian’s Revenge about it, but I had an ulterior motive when I put my hand up for this Frenzal Rhomb interview. I last interviewed Lindsay McDougall in 1999, both of us rather green young men. It… didn’t go well. I was new to interviewing bands and I wasn’t prepared for the comic interplay and bratty attitude of McDougall and vocalist Jay Whalley. It kinda felt like being trapped in a Looney Toons cartoon. Or maybe Ren & Stimpy.

As one of Australia’s pre-eminent “elder statesman who’s not even that ‘eld’ yet” punk guitarists, McDougall has plenty to say about the gear that gets him through a set. “I’ve been playing some shows with Briggs, the hip hop artist from Shepparton, and I’ve just pulled my Roland guitar synth out of storage. I’ve started learning how to use foot pedals – I’ve never had to use them! I’ve been using the Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeller. But in Frenzal I just use a Marshall JMP and a tuner. I bought the JMP quite a few years ago. About that time I was using 5150s, which are rad but too heavy to carry. Then I started using Mesas again because our bass player is our sultan of sound, the guy who sits there twiddling the knobs on the amp.

Brigitte

Brigitte photo by Dimitri Coste

Plurality Of The Feminine By Anita Connors amed after ’70s porn star Brigitte Lahaie, actress Brigitte Bardot, and singer Brigitte Fontaine, French duo Brigitte are provocative, feminine and unabashedly pop. This is all reflected in the latest release by singer-songwriters Aurélie Saada and Sylvie Hoarau. It’s a sexy mix of ’70s disco, hip hop beats and lavish strings, not to mention sensual vocals.

The two felt that if they truly wanted to succeed, they had to write, record and produce themselves. Saada recalls, “[Even] if we were not like amazing guitar heroes and very great musicians, we wanted to do everything with our four hands, and trying to do it alone with all the things that we know, with our fragility. And it was great because we built everything together … it was an amazing moment [in our lives].”

The pair first met in 2003 but it was five years before they collaborated on what would become Brigitte. “We had friends in common,” recalls Saada. “They introduced me to Sylvie because they thought that we could do something together. And they were right. It was like falling in love. We were really impressed by each other and we wanted to work together.”

The pay-off for this leap of faith was profound. 2011 saw the release of Brigitte’s debut album, Et Vous, Tu M’aimes? [Mister, Do You Love Me?]. A collection of retro-infused indie-folk gems, it went double platinum. And the fluidity of sounds, influences and genre is palpable.

Back then they were pursuing separate projects; Saada was performing alt-rock under the pseudonym Mayane Delem, while Hoarau fronted the Parisian rock band Vendetta. But neither guise found success, and throughout this chapter they felt like they “were totally dying”. Yet Saada refused to flounder. In fact, the setbacks only galvanised her, and she asked Hoarau to join musical forces with her. “I really wanted to work with her,” says Saada. “I thought that maybe we could do something great together. Even if it’s not quite a success, because we are used to not having success, but just because I wanted to work with her – [even] if it was the last music project that we do in our lives.”

“It’s totally natural for us,” says Saada. “We wanted to be free to try to touch every style or music or influences we love. We didn’t want it to be a rock band or a feminist band. We wanted to try to be who we are. And who we are is a mix of many, many things and influences.” Not taking themselves too seriously, Brigitte’s music also bursts with humour. This can be seen on their cover of French hip hop group Suprême NTM’s ‘Ma Benz’, which went viral, catching them by surprise. “It’s funny, because when you sing it and you’re a woman, it becomes almost like a feminist song about sexuality and desire, you know,” says Saada. “You don’t talk about sex when you’re a woman. And it’s great, I like it. Alain Bashung, the French singer, said when you do a cover, you have to not respect the song too much. You have to love it but not respect it too

much. You have to make it your own.” The idea of making music that is their own and on their own is at the very heart of Brigitte. It propelled the duo to found their music label, B. Records, as well as craft a wonderfully unique onstage look. Their matching outfi ts can be described as a little vintage, a bit neo-hippie and a whole lot of diva. Saada laughs, “We like sparkly dresses, like Diana Ross or Cher or Marilyn Monroe or Rita Hayworth.” This love of beautiful clothing led them in time to French designer and haute couturist, Alexis Mabille. “And he makes for us all the dresses that we dreamed to have and to wear.”

Saada explains Brigitte is ultimately “about the freedom to be all this woman – you don’t have to choose a face, that we have many faces and it is pretty important”. Their second album, cheekily titled À Bouche Que Veux-Tu [Mouth Of Plenty] came out in France a year ago. It picks up where their first left off, celebrating that “a woman can be plurielle, that you can have a lot of paradox and that a woman is complex”. Since its release, Saada and Hoarau have spent much of the past several months experimenting with expression and sound. Yuksek and We Are I.V were asked to remix the record’s title track. And they also decided to put out a revised version of the album. “We recorded seven of our songs with a classical orchestra,” Saada says.

“It was an amazing experience to do that! And we’re really happy that this new album has been released.” Now that it has, they have been able to channel their creativity and energy into touring. “I’m so excited to come to Australia,” says Saada. “The totally opposite end of the world. We will travel 27 hours to come to Australia. And this is crazy to think the French songs that we write in my dining room about our lives and our stories bring us to Australia. This is full of emotion for us.” What: À Bouche Que Veux-Tu out now through Cartell Music And: Appearing at So Frenchy So Chic In The Park, St John’s College, Saturday January 16

British India Street Smart And Steady By Natalie Rogers With a newfound passion and dedication around the band, Melia says the weeks spent in the new studio working on another album were an incredible time. “The writing of Nothing Touches Me was just a dream. Everyone was in a really good headspace – the ideas were coming from all four members of the band. It was a real pleasure to write and it comes through on songs like ‘Suddenly’ and ‘Angela’ – they’re more joyous than anything we’ve done in the past, and I think it was just reflecting the feeling of the band.”

ver the past decade, British India have become leaders in the Australian indie music scene, something that’s reflected in the success of their five studio albums and fiercely loyal fan base. Their latest release, Nothing Touches Me, sees the four passionate Melburnians back where they belong – riding the airwaves and out on the road. I caught up with their affable frontman Declan Melia during some well-earned downtime in Sydney earlier this month. “I’m enjoying the beautiful weather while we have a few days off,” Melia smiles. He has a softly spoken charm that puts you at ease and makes you believe he’d be just as comfortable discussing the works of Jean-Paul Sartre as he is in front of thousands of screaming fans.

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It may be a surprise to hear Melia express doubts about British India’s music, but it’s their drive to produce albums they can be proud of that sets them apart from others in the pop/ rock world today. “I look at successful music, and sometimes the lyrics feel like they’re an afterthought,” Melia says. “You can get tricked into this mentality where you think that stupidity sells or that the lowest common denominator stuff is what it takes to get yourself heard on the radio, or to get 80 million downloads. “Our credo from the beginning is to always try to be the antithesis of that. Especially in this country, pop music should be intelligent and clever – we should aim a little higher. I hope we never fall into that trap. Songs don’t need to be stupid to be accessible.” Clearly Melia knows a thing or two about songwriting, as all five of British India’s studio albums have debuted in the top ten of the ARIA charts. However, life hasn’t always been so rosy. Despite the success of the

band’s fourth album, Controller, in a 2013 interview Melia revealed British India had almost reached breaking point. “After the release of our third album, Avalanche, we all decided to take a holiday, but it was the worst thing we could have done,” he recalls. “Shock [the band’s former label] went broke and our studio got flooded. It felt like the perfect storm, and for the first time we had shocking writer’s block, which has never happened before, and it coincided with us moving into a new studio. So it was really hard not to get into a superstitious headspace about how the change in vibe had affected our ability to write, and we got really fearful that we wouldn’t get it back.” Not only did they get it back, they returned with a vengeance. Controller went gold and British India sold over 35,000 copies of the hit single ‘I Can Make You Love Me’, with the track earning them a place in triple j’s Hottest 100 for the fifth time. “The moment that Controller came out, it reaffirmed everything for us. It really did feel like the beginning of British India part two.”

“We don’t think of tours as big business ventures, like planning some military coup to conquer target markets or anything – we just love to play and it’s been pretty well documented that we’ll play anywhere that will have us! We just like to play as much as possible.” Indeed, British India pride themselves on the ability to connect with a small audience at an intimate gig, or blow the speakers out at a sold-out festival. “It’s really important for us to retain the ability to do both,” Melia says. “I don’t think anyone wants this band to become a stadium act that can only play with a big backdrop and the

most deluxe amps, because our best shows these days hark back to when we were playing at tiny pubs and clubs when we were first starting out.” Ten years on, and 2016 is already shaping up to be a big year for the friendly four-piece, with their first scheduled show of the New Year set to take place at Tasmania’s Party In The Paddock festival alongside The Preatures, Violent Soho, Spiderbait and Tkay Maidza, among others. “As far as New Year’s Eve is concerned, we’ve got the night off and are left to our own devices – but we’re looking forward to playing in Tassie in February,” says Melia. “It’s going to be huge!” What: Party In The Paddock 2016 With: The Preatures, Violent Soho, Spiderbait, Tkay Maidza and more Where: Burns Creek, Tasmania When: Friday February 19 – Saturday February 20 And: Nothing Touches Me out now through Liberation

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xxx by xxx

“We’re all feeling really good. When we toured for Nothing Touches Me earlier this year, the album was so new it almost didn’t feel real, whereas this time around we’re more used to the setlist,” he explains. “The material has already been tested and we know what works and what doesn’t.

“So we’re a lot less tense and we’re able to enjoy ourselves more.”

While Melia seems happy and contented to soak up the sun, sand and sounds in Sydney, he admits his heart lies closer to home on the Surf Coast of Victoria. British India are planning to wrap up their year of touring with shows in Lorne, Barwon Heads and Mornington. “It’s a good way to cap the tour off. We just look at it as a holiday at the end of the year. Lots of people are around the area for Christmas and we love the pubs there, so we might as well get up and play a few songs!” he laughs.

“Especially in this country, pop music should be intelligent and clever – we should aim a little higher. Songs don’t need to be stupid to be accessible.”

The Weather Station Acting Out By Adam Norris “It’s not so much about being pinned to a time,” Lindeman says. “I really enjoyed making Guinevere – it was a really beautiful time in my life and I loved the people I worked with. I loved living in Melbourne. But at the end of the day, that is still just a character that I played, and I think especially when I was younger, I found it very difficult. People always wanted you to be that character, they wanted you to be something you weren’t. It’s less that it’s strange to have these pictures of yourself as a 17-year-old floating around, as much as it’s a strange thing to reclaim your identity out of that experience. Even though that person is me, looks like me, it wasn’t.”

ike Janus, all of us wear different faces at different times. For some this is a little more pronounced, as is the case with The Weather Station’s frontwoman Tamara Lindeman, AKA Tamara Hope, AKA member of Bruce Peninsula, AKA television’s titular Guinevere Jones… you get the idea. As the Canadian folk band touches down for a series of Australian performances, including at the Woodford Folk Festival and Sydney Festival, Lindeman talks about memory, voice, and the revelation that she is actually supernatural. “It’s quite a complex feeling,” Lindeman explains of balancing her acting self and life as a musician. Her voice is very quiet but also very

warm; an observation of her singing that many critics have championed. “They are definitely two different things in two different worlds. I mostly acted as a teenager and my early 20s, and then fell in love with music. Once I started making records, especially in the beginning, I kept them very separate. I didn’t want it to overlap. “I think a lot of people who buy my records don’t know I’m an actor, which is just great. Making music is what I do; it’s my words, my ideas, I’m in charge. Acting, it isn’t about me at all. It’s a matter of helping someone else realise their vision. I don’t really see it as something that has very much to do with me. It’s the least amount of artistic expression in a lot of ways,

because there are so many cooks in the kitchen. Producers, directors, writers. Your ideas, well, people listen to them, but they tend to be pretty low in priority.” Lindeman laughs without bitterness. Her memories of acting seem to be quite cherished, though she doubts the likelihood of stepping in front of a camera again anytime soon. Of these past roles, her time in Australia filming the young adult series Guinevere Jones is recalled with particular fondness, although the experience also proved a watershed moment in the overlap of art and life. It seems such a strange testament; a television series marking you at a certain age, a certain place, cemented in time while your own life moves on.

The Weather Station’s latest release, Loyalty, saw the band relocate to France for recording, which happened to occur in one of the most atmospheric locations you can imagine: a crumbling mansion surrounded by garden in the middle of winter. It’s the kind of studio you expect must be haunted by a governess and her spectral murdered children, but the surroundings inspired Lindeman to produce what is perhaps the band’s strongest record yet. “The studio was a small mansion. You’d drive up to it and it’s surrounded by a ten-foot-high stone wall, you punch in a code into this very old metal gate, and you drive into what seems like The Secret Garden. It’s crazy! Just being there made me feel like we had to make something special. Being there felt kind of magical. Everything in this place was so beautiful, it made me want to make a beautiful record. I was less afraid to sit down at a piano and just play something beautiful, since beauty isn’t something that I’m usually thinking about. I’m usually thinking more

about the meaning of the song, the form. But in this case I really just felt that beauty.” It is indeed a simple yet stunning album, sustained by Lindeman’s achingly pretty voice. She sings in hushed, conspiratorial tones, as though each song is a story for you and you alone. Descriptions of her singing style have drawn some colourful terms over the years: mystic, ghostly, nimble, eternal. It makes her sound less a musician and more like a water sprite. Lindeman laughs again. “I’ve thought about this. The sound of my voice is just my voice, it’s always been there. It’s not something I had to create … I don’t think about whether or not it’s haunting. A water sprite – well, maybe. I just want to talk to you, and my voice just happens to be quiet. When I try to belt, it takes on all of these tonal qualities that I don’t really like. “The thing I think about the most, though, is how to be expressive. Some people try to express when they sing, but you don’t feel anything. Some people – like Neil Young or Willie Nelson – they don’t have particularly expressive voices, but you really feel something strong when they sing. That’s what I try to think about the most. How to best use the tools I have.” What: Sydney Festival 2016 Where: The Famous Spiegeltent When: Wednesday January 6 and Thursday January 7 And: Also appearing at Woodford Folk Festival 2015/16, Woodfordia, Sunday December 27 – Friday January 1 More: Loyalty out now through Spunk/Universal

El Vez Christmas With The King By Natalie Rogers

n a world filled with Elvis impersonators, there is no-one quite like ex-punk-rockerturned-activist Robert Lopez. Under his stage name El Vez, he can best be described as a combination of Che Guevara, Elvis Presley and Zack de la Rocha rolled into a gold lamé mariachi suit. For nearly 30 years, El Vez has been touring the world, spreading his message of peace, love and rock’n’roll.

This summer, the Mexican-American performer plans to sweat it out and spread a little Christmas cheer Down Under at Newtown Social Club in the lead-up to New Year’s Eve. “My crackerjack band and the Lovely Elvettes, Priscilita and Lisa Maria, will play all our Christmas hits, including ‘Santa’s Got A Brand New Bag’ and ‘I’m Dreaming Of A Brown Christmas’, with lots of sexy Santa costumes – we have at least eight costume changes planned,” he says. El Vez’s high-octane show will be turned up a notch for the opening night of Byron’s Falls Festival, alongside “Weird Al” Yankovic, Art vs Science and Peking Duk, among others. His show promises to be a musical extravaganza. “My Memphis Mariachi band will mix and mash-up all your Elvis favourites, as well as rock’n’roll from every decade since the ’50s. From glitter rock to punk rock and heavy metal, we play it all – with me shrouded in an Elvis-type jumpsuit of course!” he laughs. Expect to hear some of the King’s classics with a Latin twist and presented through the eyes of a man passionate about Chicano culture. ‘In The Ghetto’ becomes ‘En El Barrio’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ is reworked to become ‘Immigration Time’, while Elvis’ motto of ‘Taking Care Of Business’ is transformed into an ode to the undocumented workers of America. “I know Australians can’t vote for American presidents, but I plan on running my El Vez For Prez campaign next year – and the Australian audiences are going to be my test market.”

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While El Vez is as outspoken and outlandish as ever, he says his passion to effect change through music was alive in him at a young age. In high school he and his buddies formed The Zeros. “I was 16 in 1977 and in a punk band. It was a great time,” he says. “I remember playing at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood and then driving home to be in school the next morning in San Diego. “I think the early days of punk rock were the best, because later when hardcore came around, it narrowed the genre. It became more homogeneous and homophobic – a very male-dominated offshoot of rock’n’roll. But in the beginning the punk scene was boys and girls, black and white, gay and straight, and all sorts of different styles of music. Some people were taking cues from Frank Zappa, some people were into rockabilly, and other people would write short punk rock tunes. “It was the misfi ts gathered together, and everyone was looking for something new. To me it was a very romantic time. In fact, I just did a chapter for my friend Joe Doe’s book – it’s coming out next year. My chapter was on the Californian punk scene from ’76 to ’78. I’m so glad I got to grow up in that era and be part of that movement as a kid. It’s that fearless attitude and DIY spirit that’s made me the performer I am today.” What: Falls Festival 2015/16 With: Bloc Party, Foals, Disclosure, The Wombats, Courtney Barnett and many more Where: Lorne, Marion Bay and Byron Bay When: Monday December 28 – Sunday January 3 And: Also appearing at Newtown Social Club on Saturday December 26 and Sunday December 27

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

arts in focus

But Wait…There's More photo by Rob Blackburn

but wait…

there’s more

a circus oz love story

also inside:

ARTS NEWS / WIN: KAJAKI: KILO TWO BRAVO / ARTS EXPOSED / REVIEWED: SUFFRAGETTE 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 Joseph Earp, Anna Wilson and Anita Connors

five minutes WITH

CAMERON JAMES FROM THE BLANK SLATE Gremlins

The Blank Slate

an you introduce us to the individuals who make up The Blank Slate podcast? The Blank Slate is made up of three Sydney comedians and fi lm nerds: Cameron James, the bad boy; Henry Stone, the dark horse and bad boy; Alexei Toliopoulos, the cute one and also bad boy. Each week on the pod we watch a cult movie, or a

new classic, or a horrible bomb, and take it apart. We also do general bad boy behaviour. What’s the idea behind your Talkies event at Golden Age Cinema, and what should we expect from the Gremlins edition? The legends at Golden Age Cinema have asked us to program a few nights at their

WELCOME TO THE WONDER WOMAN

venue that we call Talkies. We screen a cult classic, and then afterwards we make fun of the movie and interview a lauded special guest who worked on the fi lm!* We can’t reveal who our Gremlins guest is, but I can say they won’t be snackin’ on any popcorn after midnight. (*We have never had anyone who actually worked on the fi lm, but we have had comedians pretending to have worked on the fi lm, which is just as good and much, much funnier.) What roles will each of you be playing? Us Slaters will be playing the roles of hosts and resident bad boys, and together we will lead an audience discussion of Joe Dante’s classic critter

Gal Gadot

The Art Gallery Of New South Wales will host a series of free events, including talks and live music, in order to celebrate its current exhibition The Greats: Masterpieces From The National Galleries Of Scotland. Up Late With The Greats will run on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays throughout January. Bow-tie-clad comedian Hannah Gadsby is already a confirmed guest, as is five-piece gypsy fusion band Monsieur

For anyone who hasn’t seen Gremlins, what makes it such a Christmas classic? Truthfully, I forgot this movie was set during Christmastime. But you get to see a puppet monster smoking a cig, which is pretty awesome bad boy behaviour, the likes of which The Blank Slate aspire to.

ROBERT WILSON KEYNOTE ADDRESS

THE SECRET RIVER FLOWS Camembert, who will be bringing their energetic blend of the traditional and the contemporary to the gallery. For those wanting to down a couple of pints with Vermeer – and what sad human being hasn’t had that particular dream – Young Henrys will be providing bespoke beer inspired by the classics. So, you’ve got comedy, great art, music and booze: the ideal combination. More information about Up Late With The Greats can be found at artgallery.nsw.gov.au.

Following its 2013 sold-out season, the award-winning theatre piece The Secret River is cascading back to the Sydney Theatre Company this February. With Neil Armfi eld (Keating!, Holding The Man) in the director’s chair, Andrew Bovell (When The Rain Stops Falling, Lantana)’s adaptation of Kate Grenville’s novel is in good hands. The cast includes Nathaniel Dean (Somersault), Trevor Jamieson (Rabbit-Proof Fence) and Joshua Brennan (Underbelly: Badness). The Secret River opens at Roslyn Packer Theatre on Monday February 1 and runs until Saturday February 20.

SHORT AND SWEET AND BACK FOR MORE

Sunset Cinema at North Sydney Oval

NORTH SYDNEY SUNSET CINEMA

Sunset Cinema is back on the luscious greens of North Sydney Oval this summer, and now the program has landed. The season will run from Thursday January 21 – Saturday March 19, and though it is very blockbuster-heavy – SPECTRE and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are among the confirmed titles – it will also feature smallerscale fare like the controversial, confronting and cathartic Spotlight, a drama about the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. The beautiful North Sydney Oval remains the event’s home, and with food provided by The Nighthawk Diner, it represents a perfect intersection of grub, the great outdoors, and celluloid. Visit sunsetcinema.com.au for more info.

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Who doesn’t love a harrowing true story? Paul Katis’ latest film, Kajaki: Kilo Two Bravo, is just that. Depicting the real-life account of the British soldiers trapped in a minefield while stationed at the Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan in 2006, it’s filled with acts of bravery, selflessness and heroism. When a three-man patrol sets out to disable a Taliban roadblock, one of the patrol detonates a landmine, blowing off his leg and setting into motion a desperate rescue mission. His fellow soldiers come to his aid, only to find themselves trapped in an unmarked minefield, a relic from the Soviet campaign of the 1980s. David Elliot, Mark Stanley, Scott Kyle and Benjamin O’Mahony star in this tale of life or death. Kajaki: Kilo Two Bravo is out on Blu-ray, DVD and digital HD on Wednesday a January 20, and we’ve got five J DVDs to give away. Enter the D draw at thebrag.com/freeshit. d Kajaki: Kilo Two Bravo

What: Gremlins: Blank Slate Talkies Where: Golden Age Cinema When: Friday December 18

The acclaimed playwright and director Robert Wilson is to present a special keynote address on the occasion of Sydney Festival’s 40th anniversary. One of the most prolifi c personalities in his fi eld, Wilson, over the course of his own 40-year career, has worked in multiple positions within the arts and is perhaps best known for his collaboration with composer Philip Glass on Einstein On The Beach. The renowned artist is set to discuss the important topic of arts festivals’ place in today’s society as well as his own body of work and professional collaborations. Sydney Festival will also host an exclusive ticketed event after Wilson’s address with the proceeds going to support Wilson’s free talk, Art Festivals: The Long And Winding Road. He’ll be at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House on Wednesday January 6.

Wonder Woman herself, the actress Gal Gadot, will be making an appearance at the June 2016 edition of the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Sydney. It’s unconfirmed at this stage whether or not she’ll be bringing the lasso of truth along with her – but one can hope. Gadot, one of the stars of the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, is Hollywood hot property at the moment, and her addition to the Supanova lineup represents the significant pulling power of the event. At this stage, the only other artist to be announced is James Marsters, AKA Spike from Buffy. His hair might not be the same shocking blonde as it was in the ’90s, but Marsters still has his legion of fans. Supanova comes to the Sydney Showgrounds from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19.

UP LATE WITH THE GREATS

feature, and a Q&A with our special guest (who again I must reiterate will not actually be someone who worked on the fi lm, but will be a funny comedian pretending to be).

KAJAKI: KILO TWO BRAVO

The “Biggest Little Play Festival In The World”, the annual Short + Sweet Festival, proves that brevity remains the key to wit. Now in its 15th year, the festival showcases the best of Australia’s theatrical and comedic talent, with bite-sized plays performed from January all the way through to March. A whopping 160 ten-minute plays will grace the stage at the Depot Theatre in Marrickville over the course of the event. Cue all sorts of ‘big things come in small packages’ jokes. Excitingly, Short + Sweet will be running its parallel event in 2016, Short + Sweet Cabaret. The event will take place at the New Theatre in Newtown for the majority of January, and will provide a platform for up-and-coming cabaret artists to show off their unbridled talents. Visit shortandsweet. org to learn more.

SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL FIRST ACTS

The Sydney Comedy Festival is back for its 12th edition in 2016, and for the first time, it’ll expand to the glamorous surrounds of Sydney Town Hall. Artistic director Olivia Ansell has announced a lineup of funnypeople from around the globe, alongside festival favourites and great Australian talent, for the 27-day event commencing in April (widely recognised as the funniest month of them all). As evidence of the festival’s growing profile, its footprint will extend across the city, from Sydney Town Hall (where Ross Noble will perform and the Lower Town Hall will be transformed into a ‘Jungle’ for audiences aged two to 12 years, with storytelling, live performances and circus acts) to its traditional homes in the Inner West, plus Chatswood, Parramatta, Cremorne and the Sydney Opera House. Alongside Noble, the international lineup includes David O’Doherty, Stephen K Amos, Daniel Sloss, Tommy Tiernan, Brian Posehn, Andrew Maxwell and The Ongals. The local acts locked in for the 2016 festival so far include Jim Jefferies, Dave Hughes, Kitty Flanagan, Tom Gleeson, Felicity Ward, Sammy J and Randy, The Umbilical Brothers, Matt Okine, Em Rusciano, Tripod, Nazeem Hussain, Alex Williamson and Aunty Donna. Sydney Comedy Festival 2016 runs from Monday April 18 – Sunday May 15. For the full program and tickets, visit sydneycomedyfest.com.au.

EL ANATSUI DOWN UNDER

Described as one of the most exciting visual artists of our time, El Anatsui uses unconventional tools such as chainsaws to craft his sprawling, tactile sculptures. His Carriageworks exhibition, opening in the New Year, will feature over 30 of the artist’s pieces. Serving as a celebration of El Anatsui’s entire body of work, some of the sculptures date back to the ’70s. El Anatsui: Five Decades will run from Thursday January 7 – Sunday March 6.

Ross Noble

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But Wait...There’s More [CIRCUS] Destined To Dazzle By Adam Norris

fter realising I would never grow up to be Indiana Jones, the next obvious career path was to run off and join the circus. It didn’t matter that lions were scary and clowns, well, clowns were complicated. While journalism may not be as removed from the Big Top as you might think, April Dawson and Kyle Raftery grabbed their childhood dream by the horns and steered it clear into adulthood. As part of Circus Oz, the pair travels the world eliciting gasps and laughter from young and old. Better still, the two are engaged, so we have an old-fashioned circus dynasty in the making.

But Wait…There's More photo by Rob Blackburn

“I grew up in a small country town and did a lot of dancing and gymnastics,” Dawson explains. “Pretty much anything dancerelated I could do, my parents put me in. Luckily at 15 I was spotted by [Lunar Circus] and that was the pathway from there. It’s funny now, looking back and realising from quite a young age that I wanted to be in the circus without really recognising it. Obviously my parents saw something there. They would take me and my sister to touring shows whenever they came into town, and I remember one day when I was six or seven handing in some homework after seeing the circus of a weekend saying that I wanted to grow up and be an acrobat.” Raftery has a similar genesis story, finding himself drawn to acrobatics and performance in his backyard. While his ubiquitous unicycle may have been absent back then, his love of musicals had hit the ground running, and to this day he needs little encouragement to break into song. “I was singing all the way through training this morning,” he laughs, “and I’ll probably do a bit of singing at another event we have tonight. It’s very casual, but one of my favourite things about Circus Oz is that we have the live band, so music is a part of our everyday. You really can’t help but sing. But my background is kind of similar to April. I lived in Canada when I was four and one Halloween demanded to go dressed as a

clown, but I didn’t know that until I was 21. I’d wondered what it was that made me get into circus, but my parents always knew it was going to happen.” Dawson and Raftery are both relatively fresh faces to the Circus Oz family, having first performed with the troupe in 2014. Yet they had both been fans of the company for years while honing their skills in other projects, becoming masters of acrobatics, flying trapeze, unicycle adagio and juggling. There is something so endearingly romantic about the very idea of the circus; how readily the word conjures sights, sounds and smells that seem so much more exaggerated than everyday lives. It is a thrill that seems destined to never quite fade away. “It is romanticised, the way it’s presented in books and film,” Raftery agrees. “It keeps that allure alive. It’s also always reinventing itself. I think that’s why circus will always stick around. It’s always been a hybrid art form. It’s always taken things that are popular at the time, a lot of performance styles into the ring, and I think that’s what we do as well. We don’t have horses going around the ring, but we have hip hop, we have electronic music. It’s about taking what’s current and making that a form of entertainment. I think that’s why it stays alive – it’s always evolving.” “The show we’re working on at the moment has been in performance now for almost two years,” Dawson elaborates. “It’s quite strange looking back at the beginning to that very first show to where it is today. You feel like it can’t have changed a huge amount, but when you do take the time to look back at it, it’s been constantly evolving. We’re constantly working on new things, trying to change little bits, put in a bigger trick. We have people come in and out of the show as well, and they all bring something unique that we haven’t seen before.” This latest production, But Wait…There’s More, will be striking Sydney just as the year draws to a close; a year that has seen some

remarkable triumphs and struggles for the acrobatic paramours. Their stage selves promise to be heightened versions of their real lives, in a story likely to resonate with everyone who has ever wanted to take a step back from the hurricane of modern life and just take a slow breath. “The characters you see onstage are born of our own quirks and personalities,” Raftery says. “The theme of the show is based around consumerism and the fast-paced lifestyle we have now – the fact that everyone is multitasking, doing so many things at once while the world seems to keep spinning faster and faster.

“So the whole show kind of builds up until it explodes in a way; the stage is just covered in things. We’ve reached this critical mass, and all that’s left after this explosion is us onstage. We do this piece which is just about us as humans. I think that’s a really nice thing about the show. When you switch off the tele and get rid of all the toys, sometimes it’s nice just to be human with other humans.” What: But Wait...There’s More Where: The Big Top, Entertainment Quarter When: Wednesday December 30 – Sunday January 24

Join thousands of shoppers who call Sunday their fun day with us.

RAIN or SHINE

EVERY SUNDAY 7am ‘til 2pm

The Skyline Drive In • 33 Cricketers Arms Rd, Prospect blacktownmarkets.com thebrag.com

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 17

film review

arts giveaway

Hits and misses on the silver screen around town

Head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

S AY W EA IV G

FLICKERFEST! SHORT FILM COMP! WIN TICKETS!

ustralia’s only Academy-accredited and BAFTA-recognised short film festival, Flickerfest, is returning in 2016. The 25th edition of the festival takes over Bondi Pavilion once again in January for a ten-day event, including 53 films in official competition. 18 of Let’s Dance: these are world premieres, with six David Bowie Australian premieres and ten New South Down Under Wales premieres rounding out a bumper program of shorts from across the genre spectrum. High-profile prizes include the Virgin Australia Award for Best Australian Film, the Canon Award for Best Direction and the Yoram Gross Award for Best Australian Animation. The festival runs from Friday January 8 – Sunday January 17.

Suffragette ■ Film

WIN!

We’ve got three double passes to give away to the documentary competition (which includes Let’s Dance: David Bowie Down Under) on Tuesday January 12. Visit thebrag. com/freeshit to enter the draw.

SUFFRAGETTE In cinemas Saturday December 26 It’s surprising to see just how hard Suffragette has kicked the hornet’s nest, particularly as it has seemingly perturbed more feminists than it has patriarchal supporters. Regardless, it’s a significant step forward in the representation of women’s stories as mainstream film, and well worth seeing for its emotive impact. Bethnal Green laundry worker Maud (Carey Mulligan) lives an unpleasant life, paid a pittance and given no real opportunity. But after witnessing a co-worker, Violet (AnneMarie Duff), smashing windows as an act of civil disobedience, Maud is swept into the burgeoning suffrage movement and the fight to get women the vote. Firstly, let’s dispel the elephant in the room – this is a fictional film about a fictional character who experiences several key moments in the real struggle for women’s suffrage, and is intentionally narrow in its focus. This one story cannot hope to represent everyone who fought for the vote, but it can perhaps hope to stimulate further exploration of the subject. It’s a timely and potent film, and while the debate of its white feminist leanings is a vital one to have (there are no women of colour present in the film), a boycott will only do the movement a disservice. But therein lies the rub – if Maud is to be our cipher, why then is her story not given due narrative closure? She is, as the film goes to pains to explain, a foot soldier; no more than a pawn in the greater game. Once the main event has played out, we are given no reason to believe that Maud’s life has changed. The film ends abruptly with the funeral of Emily Wilding Davison, merely a side character in the plot, and seems to lose Maud in the crowd. It’s a crippling oversight in a narrative aiming for our heartstrings. However, the film is of high quality across the board. Mulligan’s central performance is beautiful, as is that of the incomparable Helena Bonham Carter. Duff puts in the hard yards, too, making for a very believable incendiary. As for the men, Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson excellently perform the largely thankless roles of a surly husband and a sympathetic but law-bound detective, respectively – but they would be, one hopes, the first to tell you that this film is not about them.

I M A G I N E B E I N G M A D E TO

Sincere and challenging as Suffragette is, it suffers from flaws in both execution and intention, but makes for a powerful surge forward in the fight for the rights of women everywhere. David Molloy

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

Sydney To Hobart Food & Wine Fair

FEEL L IKE CRAP J UST FOR

BEING

LEFT

H A N D E D.

Hop aboard the Sydney To Hobart Food & Wine Fair this weekend for the inaugural Sydney Race Village at Rushcutters Bay. Yep, as the name suggests, this the tastiest of ways to get in the spirit of this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, setting sail once again on Boxing Day. The fair celebrates all the foodie delights the Apple Isle has to offer – think sumptuous produce, artisan wares and delicious, delicious wine. Make sure to check the Sundowner Bar, and if you have any rugrats with you, there’ll be family-friendly sailing and craft activities.

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

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Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia, Saturday December 19 – Sunday December 20

STOP t THINK t RESPECT

Entry is free. For more information, visit sydneytohobart.events/sydney.

thebrag.com

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

ast week, I walked past the Imperial Hotel on my way up to King Street, a daily occurrence. To my shock, the lights were on, the doors were open, there were people inside, and innocuous “We’re Coming” posters stuck to the wall, with “14.12.15” splashed underneath. The Imperial Hotel

By the time of print, I can assume that “they” will have come, and the Imperial will have reopened its doors. All of this has happened quicker than a BRAG print cycle. But like Charlie when he first smelled the chocolate from Willy Wonka’s factory again, I was excited for what’s to come. I’ve written before about the prospects of the Imperial turning into a gastropub – Erskineville’s answer to the Henson, perhaps, or even just the west side of Erskineville Road’s answer to the Erko. But with less than a week between the first tradies showing up and the planned opening, it’s hard to believe they’ll build a kitchen in that time. I contacted the mysterious people behind the equally mysterious “We’re Coming” posters, but by the time of print hadn’t received a response (presumably they’re too busy building a pub to reply to eager emails). Word has it that the front bar will retain its former glory, while the back bar will become a cocktail bar, and that’s all that will be open for the moment. There’s really no point speculating on this, because as you read this, you probably know (you might even be drinking a cocktail in the Imperial’s new back bar). What we can speculate about is how people will react to the bar’s reopening. Will police be doing laps of Erskineville Road this Saturday, waiting for trouble? Will people flock back to the bar in droves, or will the response be more hesitant, or reluctant? And will the pub be dusted off, built up and gentrified, or will it be as tacky as it was in the opening scene of Priscilla?

The hotel’s website seems to indicate that the former Priscilla glory will be retained. But will the gentrified folk of Erskineville allow that? A few weeks ago, friends of mine living close to the Imperial were left a note, telling them they were too loud (for sitting on their porch at 10pm), and that they needed better furniture, because their milk crates didn’t “suit the Erskineville aesthetic” (I’m not even kidding, this actually happened). How are these guys going to react to the late-night noisy antics of the tacky pub at the end of the street – the pub that definitely doesn’t suit their Erskineville aesthetic, but was there long before them? Erskineville has undeniably changed in the 21 years since Priscilla. In some ways it seems like a hopeless cling to nostalgia to expect the pub to remain emblematic of that time. But, as I’ve written before, it’s more than just nostalgia; it’s a desperate resistance to the gentrification that pushes out a queer community and replaces it with (albeit very cute) puppies, babies, and gastro pubs. If we want to resist gentrification spreading to the Imperial, we need to fight. If you’re out and about (pun deliberate) this weekend, come to the Imperial. Put some tacky songs on the dukebox, pash wildly, make some noise, make a mess (but not enough to have the police shut it down again). Have a good time, and show the new hoteliers that we’re having a gay old time. It was Reclaim The Streets last weekend; this weekend, let’s reclaim the Imperial.

this week…

Imperial Hotel photo courtesy Newtown Graffiti/Flickr

Ho Ho Homosocial is finally here! Featuring Matt Vaughan, Cunningpants, Andy Webb and performances from Tammy Thomas and Aaron Manhattan, this Friday December 18, get down to 90 Liverpool Street. In keeping with the Christmas spirit, this Saturday December 19 is the Chicks With Picks Christmas edition at the Town Hall Hotel. Featuring “the worst band in Newtown”, Scabz are back with a special reunion show, which promises to be extra fucked up. Then on Sunday December 20, Super OpenAir is back at the Factory Theatre. Featuring Discodromo, Claire Morgan, Ben Drayton, DJ Kiti, Stereogamous and Magda Bytnerowicz, this will be a big daytime dance party, the ones that always make summer better. Finally, for the diary: this New Year’s Eve, Thursday December 31, get to Glitterfest at The Shift. DJs Adam Love and Anvi will be on the decks,

thebrag.com

BP Major and there’ll be a tonne of shows from the likes of Thomas Peisley, Ripley Waters, Sia Tequila and Annie Mation. The night is hosted by Ms Summersalt and features a special performance from BP Major, so don’t miss it.

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bread&thread Food & Fashion News... with Joseph Earp and Anna Wilson

Maybe Frank

information and booking details are available at theapa.edu.au.

WHAT’S NEWS AT THE NEWPORT

MAYBE SEE YOU AT MAYBE FRANK

Carbs and booze, AKA the power couple to end all power couples, have been definitively reunited at Maybe Frank in Surry Hills. The pizzeria/cocktail bar has only just recently opened at the old Pizza Mario site, but already boasts a tantalising menu. Andrea Gualdi (ex-Artesian Bar, London) is overseeing the cocktails, with Alessandro Spadoni appointed as head pizza chef. The dough is, of course, made fresh daily, and the 21 Northern Italian-style pizzas come with an array of delicious toppings. See the full menu at maybefrank.com.

WHAT A WAY TO EARN A CRUST

Croissant enthusiasts, rejoice! World renowned chef Jordi Puigvert Colomer will be running three workshops at the Australian Patisserie Academy through June and July next year. The

course will expose baked good philistines to such wonders as evolutionary pastry and new and advantageous ingredients. No more warming up frozen sheets of pastry in the microwave. A range of masterclasses are available, with some lasting a mere day while others stretch out over three. More

Merivale is set to expand its Sydney footprint with the relaunch of The Newport (formerly The Newport Arms) next month. The redevelopment of the historic landmark sees Merivale attempt to create a more dynamic and exciting place for locals to gather and experience diversity in food and drink. The new range of food has been curated by executive chef Sebastien Lutaud, who has been sure to include Australian favourites including smoked brisket, barbecue chicken and hot-smoked salmon alongside seasonal salads. The café at The Newport will feature freshly brewed coffee by Sydney roasters Will & Co. Pizza aficionados can revel in the delights produced by Merivale’s own pizza wizard Vincenzo Biondini, who will be whipping up his lightly charred, wood-fired creations in the open kitchen. They’ll pair well with the wide selection of wine, beers and quintessentially Sydney cocktails at the adjoining bar. The Newport is set to excite palettes from January.

Carriageworks Twilight Christmas Market

Fluffe

WHAT DOES UNICORN POOP REALLY TASTE LIKE?

Fluffe, perhaps the world’s only designer bespoke fairy floss company, has some deliciously unhinged festive flavours available for those willing to try confectionery flavoured with maple bacon and the droppings of mythical creatures. Even the company’s more mainstream flavours have interesting little twists: the Birthday Cake flavour comes topped with real powdered cake, and there’s a mojito flavour available for those who like their cocktails to come in the form of spun sugar. But the real headline-grabbers are Unicorn Poop and Yellow Snow. Mm-hmm. A list of Fluffe’s ever-changing fairy floss flavours is available at fluffe.com, where you can also place an order. The Toxteth

Rather than punching your way through living walls of rival shoppers in the lead-up to Chrismas, why not amble through Carriageworks in style and at your own pace? The Carriageworks Twilight Christmas Market boasts a stunning array of fresh produce and unique gift ideas, with more stallholders than you can shake an artisan wheel of cheese at. “This market is a wonderful opportunity to purchase last-minute holiday gifts and the freshest produce at Carriageworks,” says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. Certainly, with lauded brands like Young Henrys, Field To Feast and The One That Got Away making an appearance, it’s guaranteed to whet the appetite of any self-respecting foodie. The market will take place on Wednesday December 23. More information is available at carriageworks.com.au.

SUMMER MENU AT THE TOXTETH

The Toxteth Hotel’s lauded new head chef Marc Cartwright has announced a brand new seasonal summer menu for the pub, one that embraces simplicity and utterly rejects blandness in all its forms. Dishes are not so pretentious that they will turn off those coming to the Tocky for a few pints and a bite, but this is certainly much better than the stodgy fare some pubgoers might be used to. Selections include roast pork cutlet with celery coleslaw, and salmon dill and caper fish cake dressed with a radish and snow pea salad. Tuck in.

91 OXFORD KITCHEN + BAR 91 OXFORD STREET, DARLINGHURST / 11AM-LATE WEEKDAYS; 10AM-LATE WEEKENDS

restaurant of the week xxx

It’s called: 91 Oxford Kitchen + Bar Who’s the chef? Tanya Robertson Eye candy: The designer was Deborah Whitford. Flavours: Modern Australian with an array of dishes to suit everyone’s palette. Something to start with: Red wine braised capsicum, shallot and basil bruschetta – great to nibble and share. The main course: Grilled Albacore tuna: fillet with chorizo, cannellini bean, wilted spinach, grape tomatoes and basil aioli – light and refreshing, perfect after a hot summer’s day. Room for dessert? Our most popular is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and double cream, but our chocolate fondant is also to die for – gooey and warm with the perfect amount of chocolate. Care for a drink? Baby Doll Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with the Albacore tuna.

Make us drool: We are a casual eatery in the heart of Sydney’s Oxford Street serving a selection of internationally inspired share plates, gourmet burgers, tender steaks, seasonal seafood specials and house-made cakes and sweets. Our preparations are locally sourced and prepared in-house by our masterful chefs. The bill comes to: $51.50 for the three course meal plus wine. We also offer a special each day: a free house wine, draught beer or soft drink with any main! Website: 91oxford.com.au

xxxx

Sounds? We have lounge music playing every day except for Fridays and Saturdays, when we have live cabaret/jazz singers

to entertain intermittently throughout the evening.

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thebrag.com

Carriageworks Twilight Christmas Market photo by Zan Wimberley

CARRIAGEWORKS CHRISTMAS MARKET

on the bookshelf The latest additions to your libary...

Whether you’re looking for a great gift idea for a musicloving family member or friend this Christmas, or curling up yourself to digest a big holiday feast, we’ve picked out a couple of music reads for the silly season.

In Search Of Pharrell Williams Omnibus Press, RRP $32.99 In Search Of Pharrell Williams by Paul Lester is the first substantial overview of the life and career of Pharrell Williams, one of the foremost producers of the modern era, and a storied performer in his own right. It follows him from his days growing up in Virginia to his meeting with musical partner Chad Hugo and formation of The Neptunes, and through to his collaborations with the great and the good of pop, rap and R&B, including Jay Z, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nelly and Kelis. Lester assesses Williams’ groundbreaking work with the radical rap-rock-pop band N.E.R.D, through to his emergence as a solo superstar via Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ and his global mega-hit ‘Happy’. It delves behind the immaculate facade to find out what makes Williams one of the most inventive musicians of the last 20 years. It’s available now at all good bookshops. For more info on this and other music books and biographies, head to omnibuspress.com.

Kanye West: God & Monster Omnibus Press, RRP $29.99 As the title of Mark Beaumont’s new book suggests, Kanye West is one of the most divisive yet influential musicians on the planet. Kanye West: God & Monster follows the producer, performer and all-round egotist from his early life in the suburbs of Chicago through art school and into the revolutionary position he holds today. Beaumont, an awardwinning music scribe who’s written for the likes of NME, The Guardian and Uncut, interviews all the major players in Kanye’s life for this biography. If you’ve ever wondered what makes Kanye tick – and we’re not just talking about his children, North West and Saint West (sigh…) – then this is the book for you. Find it at all good bookshops. For more info on this and other music books and biographies, head to omnibuspress.com.

X-MAS gift pick Ink Gin This is gin like you’ve never seen it before. New to Sydney, an all-natural additive to the traditionally clear beverage colours it a captivating blue. Until you add your tonic, Ink Gin remains a deep blue colour that is created with the petals of the butterfly pea, a South East Asian flower that reacts to different pH levels by changing colour. With the addition of tonic, your drink will develop a violet hue, giving an otherwise bland looking beverage a funky new look as well as a subtle and interesting flavour. Husk Distillers founder Paul Messenger says, “We built the gin around that flower; it smooths out the alcohol, letting the flavours of the major botanicals come through for a nice, long finish.” Look out for Ink Gin at Earl’s Juke Joint, Black Penny, The Cotton Thief and more, and order online at inkgin.com.

Blacktown Markets

The latest hot shopping spots around Sydney…

Speciality: We are known for our mixture of old and new, trash and treasure and vintage wares, as well as a place folks from all over Sydney can hold a garage sale/car boot sale as an alternative to holding it at home. There is also a competitive range of hot food, produce and fruit and veg stalls. Some of the most unique stalls include Te Kina Wahine, who sell traditional Maori food such as kina and hangi; Cook Island donuts from T2Nel bakery; and The Loaded Crumb cupcake stall offers bacon and pretzels in some of their cakes. We also have a stallholder who used to host an appraisals show on 2UE for vintage and antique items (kind of like Antiques Roadshow). He offers this service to our visitors each Sunday. The amount of stalls varies, depending on the time of year and the weather. The last few Sundays we’ve reached capacity, with over 200 stalls. On average throughout the year, we attract approximately 150 stallholders. The crowd: The second-hand element of the market attracts collectors, dealers/traders and bargain hunters from all over Sydney and sometimes beyond, as well as local families, couples and mates looking for a day out to enjoy some live music, a unique find, street food and an alternative to the shopping centre.

Stocking fillers: It’s not for the faint of heart, though queuing up early to be one of the first through the gates at 7am will give you first pickings. However, if you roll up your sleeves and dig through what’s on offer, chances are you’ll snag a bargain pretty much anytime throughout the day. It all depends on what floats your boat. Christmas gifts will be all over the market – something interesting for the person who has everything may be pounamu and bone jewellery from KreatioNZ. What’s the fuel? We can attract a variety of up to a dozen hot food stalls, such as Filipino tapsilog from Tapsi Time and authentic Malaysian BBQ from Master Sticks, as well as the good old sausage sizzle. The fresh juice bar is popular during the hot summer days. Stallholder info: Potential stallholders can jump online and book a stall or they can queue up on the day. Booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Where: We’re located at Sydney’s last remaining drive-in theatre: The Skyline Drive In, Blacktown at 33 Cricketers Arms Road, Prospect. When: 7am-2pm every Sunday, rain or shine. More: thedriveinmarkets.com.au

Glebe Markets Speciality: Glebe Markets is all at once vibrant, alternative, cool and chaotic. It is the ideal place to experience Sydney’s culture on the fringe. Keep your eyes open for the latest unique handmade items and new and emerging designers. The crowd: Renowned for its great atmosphere, Glebe Markets is also a place to find hidden treasures or that cool, vintage or retro item you’ve always wanted. Expect to see like-minded shoppers and last-minute hunters looking for a unique Christmas bargain. Stocking fillers: Get in early as the best deals go first. Affordable stocking fillers include men’s streetware by Kingfruit Apparel (stall U13), exquisite women’s jewellery by Corali (stall C56) and funky gift takes by Little Noisy Miner (stall U25). What’s the fuel? Glebe Markets has a diverse range of multicultural eateries in our specially dedicated food area looking down over the lush lawn. Visitors grab some food and listen to the free live music each week playing on the lawn. It’s a cool vibe. Stallholder info: Interested stallholders can book online through our website. Where: Corner Glebe Point Road and Derby Place, Glebe When: Every Saturday (except December 26) from 10am-4pm More: glebemarkets.com.au thebrag.com

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 21

BARS BRAG

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

A Work In Progress 50 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri noon-2am Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm The Attic 275 Pitt St, Sydney CBD (02) 9284 1200 Mon – Fri 11am-1am; Saturday 5pm-1am Assembly 488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon – Tue 5-11pm; Wed

– Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight Balcony Bar 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon 5pm - late; Tue – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight BAR100 100 George St, The Rocks (02) 8070 9311 Mon – Thu noon-late; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-midnight

Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4712 Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed, Sat 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Fri 3pm-midnight 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 Mon – Fri noon-3am; Sat – Sun 4pm-3am

Gilt Lounge 49 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 0000 Wed 6pm-midnight; Thu & Sat 6pm-2am; Fri 5pm-2am The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am Goodgod Small Club 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD (02) 8084 0587 Wed 5pm-11pm; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-3am Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Sun noon-late Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-late; Sat 5pm-late The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD

Tell us about your bar: Set above bustling Norton Street, and nestled between the eucalyptus trees that line it, the Prosecco Summer Terrace is a stylish new addition to the Inner West’s bar and dining scene. Replete with AstroTurf, citrus trees and comfortable Acapulco chairs, the terrace offers a relaxed atmosphere and is the perfect place for local residents and film fans alike to cool their heels for post-work, pre-movie, or summer holiday libations.

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What’s on the menu? You will find a selection of platters to share, delicious pasta, gourmet sandwiches, frittatas and a range of cakes and sweet treats. The cheese platter includes a selection of local and imported cheeses and is perfect for sharing over a glass of wine on the terrace. We also have smaller tasting platters for those who prefer a light nibble. Care for a drink? The highlight is the Aperol Spritz, hands down, made

with a delicate mix of Aperol, Brown Brothers Prosecco, soda and topped off with a thick slice of fresh orange. Summer’s most refreshing drink. Sounds: The experience is complemented by jazz and contemporary music, with a slightly more up-tempo approach for the evenings and weekend. We have live jazz on the terrace on Fridays from 6-7pm, so it’s a great place to finish up the work week and wind down for the weekend.

ADDRESS: 99 NORTON ST, LEICHHARDT PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9546 5270 WEBSITE: PALACECINEMAS.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: MON – SUN, 10AM-10PM

PALACE NORTON STREET bar PROSECCO BAR bar E E W

Highlights: Palace Norton Street is more than a cinema, it is a great place to relax in the lounge or balcony; whether you are there to enjoy the latest fi lms, meet a friend for coffee, or just enjoy a drink from our fi ne selection of boutique and craft beers, wines or cocktails. The bill comes to: $45 gets you a cheese platter to share and two glasses of a delectable wine.

(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 Papa Gede’s Bar Laneway at the end of 348 Kent St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 5pm-12am Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern Basement, 60 Park St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 6pm-10pm Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Sat lunch & dinner The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505 Mon, Sat 4pm-midnight; Tue – Fri noon-midnight The SG 32 York St, Sydney CBD 0402 813 035 Tues – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon –Wed 8am-8pm; Thu – Fri 8am-10pm Since I Left You 338 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4986 Mon – Wed 5pm-10pm; Thu – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782

Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Smoking Panda 5-7 Park St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 4618 Wed – Sat 4pm-late Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-2am; Sat 4pm-2am The Swinging Cat 44 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 3696 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tapa Vino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Arcadia Liquors 7 Cope St, Redfern (02) 8068 4470 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Bar Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-late; Sun 11am-3pm Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point 0432 241 556 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9319 5061 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Central Hotel 42-50 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3814 Mon – Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-10pm Ching-a-Lings 1/133 Oxford St, Darlinghurst

(02) 9360 3333 Tue – Wed 6pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 5pm-10pm The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Wed – Sat 6pm-4am The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Wed 6pm-late; Thu – Fri 12pm-late; Sat – Sun 6pm-late The Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Darlo Country Club Level 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst 0449 998 005 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-2am Dead Ringer 413 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3560 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Della Hyde 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 5pm-3am 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 noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 9357 5333 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun noon-midnight Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Mon - Sun 11am-9pm Goros 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0214 Mon – Wed 11:30am-midnight; Thu 11:30am-1am: Fri 11:30am-3am; Sat 4pm-3am 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 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am Hustle & Flow Bar 105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 9310 5593 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight thebrag.com

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

NEW, NEW YORK SOUR (NNYS) @ THE HIVE BAR, 93 ERSKINEVILLE RD, ERSKINEVILLE Ingredients: • 4 Pines Hefeweizen • Rittenhouse rye • DogRidge grenache • Lemon juice • Sugar syrup Method: Add all ingredients excluding the grenache into a Boston and shake. Strain out ice and dry shake again. Strain into an old fashioned over a single rock ice. Float the wine on top, creating a nice even float. Glass: Old fashioned Garnish: The float is the garnish More: thehivebar.net

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 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm thebrag.com

Origins: We absolutely love, love our sours here at The Hive Bar, and have always made them in the traditional way. In recent months we have noticed a growing need for vegan options in the Inner West, with many of our customers wanting delicious food and beverages without animal ingredients. We took it upon ourselves to try to create a sour without what we thought was the necessary ingredient of an egg white. After many attempts, we created an egg-free New York Sour, using a wheat beer as the frothing agent. This cocktail celebrates what our bar is all about: Australian craft beer, Australian wine, premium spirits and sustainability. Best drunk with: Scrambled eggs? Joking. Best drunk by itself, but always in good company. This is a cocktail with a whole lot of character. During: Summer nights sitting at the bar. While wearing: The ugliest Christmas sweater you can find so you can pretend you are in NY right now (maybe cut off the sleeves, make it a midriff and sit in front of the fan). And listening to: Cro-Mags.

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 The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington 0424 034 020 Wed – Fri 3pm-late; Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late & Fri noon-3pm Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point

0423 203 119 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Rosie Campbell’s 320 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 8356 9120 Mon 5pm-midnight: Tue – Sun 4pm-midnight Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Fri 5pm-3am; Sat – Sun 6pm-3am Surly’s 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3705 Tue – Sun 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 The Tilbury Hotel 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9368 1955 Mon – Fri 9am-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Tio’s Cerveceria 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9368 1955 Mon – Fri 9am-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm 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 The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noon-midnight

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Tue – Fri 4.30pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late 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 Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Wed 5pm-late; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Bucket List

Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive (02) 9365 4122 Mon – Tue 11am-5pm; Wed – Sun 11am-late The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 8020 6698 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Tue – Fri 6pm-late; Sat – Sun 2pm-late Mr Moustache 75-79 Hall St, Bondi Beach (02) 9300 8892 Mon – Fri 5pm-11pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon10pm 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 Bauhaus West 163 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8068 9917 Wed – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 11am-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 Cnr Knox & Shepherd St, Chippendale (02) 8970 6443 Tue – Thu 4-10pm, Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8084 0758 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight The Moose Newtown 530 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 0072 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 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 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 Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat: noon-midnight; Sun: noon-10pm Thievery 91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8283 1329 Tue – Thu 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-midnight. Sat 11pm-3pm & 6pm-midnight Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri noon-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm Wilhelmina’s Liquid and Larder 332 Darling St Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Tues – Fri 5pm - late; Sat – Sun 8am - late The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Thu – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-late ZanziBar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-12am 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;

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@ thebrag.com

Fri & Sat noon-midnight Sun noon-10pm Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral 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 noonmidnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm The Local Bar 6/8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Los Vida 419 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest (02) 9439 8323 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 11.30am-midnight; Sun 11.30am-10pm Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 6.30am-late The Mayor 400 Military Rd, Cremorne (02) 8969 6060 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Thu – Sat noon-late; Sun noon-10pm Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly (02 99775186 Tue – Thu 8am-10pm; Fri – Sat 8am-1am; Sunday 8am-4pm Moonshine Lvl 2, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly (02) 9977 4977 Thu 5pm-2am; Fri 1pm-2am; Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-midnight The Pickled Possum 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 2091 Thu – Sat 9pm-1am SoCal 1 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5691 Mon – Tue 4pm-late: Wed – Thu noon-1am; Fri – Sat noon- 2am; Sun noon-midnight The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sun noon-late The Treehouse Hotel 60 Miller St, North Sydney (02) 8458 8980 Mon – Fri 7am-late; Sat 2pm-late Wilcox Cammeray 463 Miller St, Cammeray (02) 9460 0807 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 23

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK JENNYLEE

Right On! Rough Trade/Remote Control

Despite the connotations associated with its colloquial title, Jenny Lee Lindberg’s Right On! is a strikingly dark record.

Warpaint’s bass player steps out with a chillingly honest yet appealing effort.

BIN JUICE Episode IV Independent/Bandcamp

Bin Juice’s live shows are a treat, having earned them a reputation within Sydney’s music scene for raucous, high-energy performances. The guys play tight – and so they should, having formed in high school, gradually grown from a three-piece to a five-piece, and added what is now an integral part of their sound: sax. The result of more than five years of slogging it out in the Sydney and surrounding live music circuit is Episode IV. The band has again teamed up with Ben Worsey of Everland Studios, and the result is a collection of tracks that exhibit the musical talents of each band member in a nice, tight package. However, the EP feels a bit lacklustre at times, failing to convey the energy and rambunctiousness of their live performances. The most favourable moments are found on ‘Bubblegum Warrior’, which could be described as ‘the track most likely to maybe get some radio airplay’. The smooth baritone vocals of singer Eli Kwiet sit nicely against the organised rambling of the rest of the band.

Indeed, on some levels it’s even more tortured than any of the albums she has recorded as the bassist of Warpaint. There’s a chilly haze that sits over Right On!, an uneasy mystery that permeates past the reverbheavy vocals and all the way down to the piece’s dark heart. ‘Bully’ mixes up icy riffs and a litany of whispered threats, while ‘White Devil’ concludes with a series of incantations seemingly designed to summon the demonic force of its title.

Not to imply that Right On! isn’t exceptionally beautiful as well, albeit in a tragic way. ‘Real Life’, for example, combines Lindberg’s cooed vocals and the gentle suggestion of violence, as though she were a mother singing protection against the monsters underneath her child’s bed. Nonetheless, of them all, it is ‘He Fresh’ that emerges as the true standout of the album. Traumatising and transcendent, it is steeped in melancholy, and there’s an intoxicating power to its spiralling chorus. Right On! isn’t just a diversion for Lindberg, or a curio that will only appeal to fans of Warpaint. It’s a stunning, spindly work of art in its own right, one that sets upon the listener like a curse. Joseph Earp

WORLD CHAMPION

FELIX RIEBL

Avocado Galaxy Future Classic

Lonely Truth My Shore/Kobalt

“You’re wasting time again acting ageless”, sings Will Campion on the second track of World Champion’s EP. It’s a poetic epithet that characterises the band’s approach to its debut; an introspective offering that relishes the experimental flourishes of psych and electronica. The EP is a raw, sometimes jumbled offering, but it feels like that’s exactly the way it was planned.

Despite his burgeoning success with unrivalled Aussie gems The Cat Empire, Felix Riebl has proven his solo worth and beyond. The real beauty? He’s managed to do so in just the four songs on his EP, Lonely Truth. Take the opener and title song. A Beatles-esque track with triumphant horns appearing halfway through, it sees Riebl elevate an initial acoustic lullaby into a blues-rock crescendo packed with percussive shimmers. It wraps up with some delicate piano chords and a few simple words.

Avocado Galaxy continues the legacy of psychedelic releases that take the listener on a journey through dream states, although World Champion’s pop sensibilities keep things light with cherubic choruses and breezy synth loops. The lead single is an undeniably infectious groove, but the real pleasure comes from exploring the rest of the songs that complete the ethereal trip. The tracks fluctuate from the esoteric vocals of ‘Shakes’ to the densely layered ‘Avocado Moon’. Echoing the production of early 2000s electronica, the song’s steady pulse leaves its audience careering softly into the ether, a fitting coda for an EP that is at least loosely themed around some alternate final frontier.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD Paper Mâché Dream Balloon Flightless/Remote Control Over their past few albums, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard have established a subtle release pattern. A full-band effort like 2013’s Float Along - Fill Your Lungs would be punctuated soon after by something like Oddments, recorded in smaller groups, the whole band hardly ever in a room together. By the time Oddments was out, another fullband album like I’m In Your Mind Fuzz was already taking shape.

JUSTIN BIEBER Purpose Def Jam/Universal Pop transformations are nothing new. Four albums deep at 21, Justin Bieber’s Purpose is his chance to redeem himself before he’s all but forgotten by tweens who’ve all but grown up. Adding his own twist on the zeitgeist, the record brings a mélange of trap, EDM and future R&B without alienating the kids who have stuck around.

‘Crocodiles’ takes a slightly different pace. Filling the ears with a swampy rock vibe, it offers an understated bassline and pensive songwriting, with a bright juxtaposing chorus. Distorted horns are intermittent, slightly scatty and sit subtle under the instrumentation. ‘What Did I Learn?’ is the hand-slapping third track with singular strums that build into a major brass and percussive explosion, followed by closer ‘Frankie Valli’, with its sombre start, warping guitars, drawn-out violins and more strings that quicken as the song builds. But don’t be fooled – there’s no big moment in sight.

Paper Mâché Dream Balloon breaks the pattern. It’s the second consecutive release to not feature King Gizz in full kraut mode. To record a whole batch of songs with nothing but acoustic instruments is a deviation, not simply because they’re all acoustic, but because previously it was not uncommon to hear a wide range of recording fidelity across a single LP from this band. This is King Gizz’s most consistent release to date, yet still features impressively varied songwriting styles. Songs like ‘Dirt’ and ‘Most Of What I Like’ boast less conventional, angular pop progressions. ‘Time = Fate’ is sung by Cook Craig, a plodding but upbeat reflection on past and future.

The genius of this album is in twisting his already existent parts through a 2015 filter as opposed to giving us the complete Madonna. While Skrillex co-produces five of the 13 tracks, he’s more in a support role than reinventing the wheel, and this record is as much a maturity shift for Sonny Moore as it is for young Biebs, bringing both to new audiences. ‘I’ll Show You’ is a future R&B crossover, while ‘What Do You Mean?’ and ‘Sorry’ were the tracks that got everyone listening in the first place. ‘Company’ brings a Balearic house vibe that’s ripe for some choice remixes, while ‘No Pressure’ sounds like it was lifted straight from a Justifi ed-era Timbaland session. Purpose isn’t entirely groundbreaking, but the experimentation and outcome are sincere.

The moral of the story: don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a group by its EP – sometimes you need to get out into the pit to really appreciate a band.

This has been a successful first step for World Champion. Their next will be sure to bring even more excellent adventures into the psych-pop stratosphere.

It seems Riebl has this uncanny ability to make a song satisfying, just by feigning a build-up and then leaving you hanging. But you’re not mad about it. You’re quite the opposite.

But it works because it’s all fed through a consistent acoustic filter with lush flute and percussion arrangements. They didn’t want a concept album this time, but perhaps they got one.

Whatever might be written about his current faux-redemption is irrelevant, when the only redemption that matters for Bieber is musically. Purpose gives it a decent shot.

Tegan Reeves

James Ross

Chelsea Deeley

Nicholas Johnson

Julian Ramundi

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK Elise Cabrét’s debut EP, The Wrong Side Of Blue, is a hauntingly beautiful six-track tale. The Melbourne altfolk singer captivates with her conversational lyrics, stunning vocal performances and enchanting acoustic strumming.

ELISE CABRÉ T The Wrong Side Of Blue Independent/Bandcamp

It opens with ‘The Calling’, a heart-wrenching recount of starcrossed lovers torn apart by tragic circumstances. Cabrét’s vocal cries, matched by delicate layers of acoustic guitar, create a perfectly melancholy soundscape. With the addition of a single violin on ‘Winter’, the young songwriter’s emotive appeal and lyrical depth extends far beyond her years. Lyrically, The Wrong Side Of Blue exposes the many perils of friendship,

24 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

family, life and love, and Cabrét highlights the effects of being forced to grow up too fast. The title track unfolds slowly for listeners, the same way the pages of a book would, drawing you closer with every word. Inspired by Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads album, ‘That Old Violin’ is an exercise in dangerous seduction. Cabrét dreams up a forbidden romance with Johnny The Killer, explaining that, “Fresh out Pentridge / He came to my door”. Led by finger-plucking goodness, ‘Meeting With A Stranger’ and ‘Better Somehow’ reiterate the struggles faced in trying to figure out what you stand for and who you are. Simplistic, yet elegant, they mark an impeccable close.

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... FATHER JOHN MISTY - I Love You, Honeybear WEEZER - Pinkerton BAT FOR LASHES - The Haunted Man

GORILLAZ - Demon Days MOTÖRHEAD - Bad Magic

Phoebe Robertson thebrag.com

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bully

09:12:15 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

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ed sheeran

up all night out all week . . .

frankie’s vinyl fair

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09:12:15 :: Allianz Stadium :: Driver Ave Moore Park 131 000

13:12:15 :: Frankie’s Pizza :: 50 Hunter St Sydney OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

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S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR ::

live at the sly ft. new venusians + the baldwins + the sticks

10:12:15 :: Slyfox :: 199 Enmore Rd Enmore 9557 2917

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 25

live reviews

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What we've been out to see...

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the amity affliction + a day to remember + motionless in 12:12:15 :: Hordern Pavilion:: 1 Driver Ave Moore Park 9921 5333

MERCURY REV, DJ JAMES DE LA CRUZ Oxford Art Factory Monday December 7 Opening proceedings, DJ James De La Cruz plays an eclectic, feelgood set, covering everything from the maximalist pop of Outkast’s evergreen ‘Hey Ya’ to bass-heavy ’70s funk and making unexpected left turns into yacht rock and the Bee Gees. It is a set reminiscent of the diverse yet coherent approach of his former band, The Avalanches, and he ends with a crowd-pleasing cut from that group.

FATHER JOHN MISTY Sydney Opera House Tuesday December 8 It’s said the best performers can play their audience like an instrument. If that’s true, then tonight’s Sydney Opera House crowd is entirely outplayed by Father John Misty, the latest in a string of contemporary acts striving to tame what’s so often a difficult stage. The man born Joshua Tillman is a master of wit, and no other musician in the modern age does irony quite like him (who else could get away with covering Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift in the style of Lou Reed, as he did earlier this year?). For his Opera House debut, he proves he can take on a crowd of thousands in a bloodshot-eyed staring contest – and he’s not even close to blinking first. He declares as much in one of many quips responding to what is a sterile Sydney audience, even

for a Tuesday night: “You’re all cheering, but when I try to make eye contact with you, you act like you’re riding the bus with a pervert.” It’s certainly not the fault of Tillman’s material, nor his decorated five-piece band. I Love You, Honeybear is the second of two excellent albums from the Maryland folk crooner, and all its finest moments are replicated sharply here. There’s a discofied version of ‘True Affection’, and the dirtiest dirty love song of the year in ‘Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)’. For the length of the set, Tillman is found either perched atop the front edge of the bass drum or writhing around on his knees downstage. Yet perhaps intimated by the hallowed surrounds – even if Tillman clearly isn’t – the crowd still peers back shyly. So on goes the contest. Tillman announces, “Let’s turn things up a notch with a deeply sarcastic

meta-ballad about despair,” and drops ‘Bored In The USA’, the centrepiece of his set. He engages just as sarcastically with a fan down the front who’s decided to film the entire song on a camera phone instead of enjoying the moment, and when the audience is finally coaxed into participating via a few yelled-out one-liners, he promises there’ll be a question-and-answer session at the end. There is. By this point, and with very little to work with by way of enthusiasm from the stalls, Tillman has still managed to wrap up an altogether epic set. His thunderous ‘The Ideal Husband’ and encores ‘I Went To The Store One Day’ and ‘Everybody Needs A Companion’ only seal the envelope. As he departs, you just know that somewhere behind the unblinking eyes and the plaintive balladry, Father John Misty wears a triumphant smile. Chris Martin

A critical phenomenon in their early 2000s pomp, Mercury Rev may be a much less hyped act these days, but their decreasing profile has had little effect on their status as a spectacular and singular live band. They throw themselves into their cosmic rock with glee and a rare abandon. Frontman Jonathan Donahue is a particularly animated presence, conducting his bandmates like some mad scientist and gesticulating and vamping his way through the high drama of the songs. There are whole worlds of psychedelic lushness here, from the woozy lullaby of ‘Endlessly’ to the guitar meltdown that ends an otherwise mellow ‘Frittering’, which dates back to their weirder, noisier 1991 debut Yerself Is Steam. There’s a welcome focus on the classic Deserter’s Songs, with the swooping dynamics and Disney fantasia of ‘The Funny Bird’ and the shimmering ‘Holes’ and ‘Goddess On A Hiway’. These are songs at once wildly ambitious and completely inclusive, and they’re played with a shapeshifting zeal. ‘Opus 40’ builds from something delicate into cathartic release before morphing again into white noise. Their latter-day work has tended towards muted prettiness, but live they’re loud and expansive, with new songs like ‘Central Park East’ and ‘Autumn’s In The Air’ both expressions of childlike wonder, full of symphonic grandeur. Later, there’s a trio of songs from All Is Dream, including ‘Tides Of The Moon’, a cosmic, soaring ‘You’re My Queen’ and finally ‘The Dark Is Rising’, an atypically plaintive moment in an often euphoric set. It’s a stunning finish to an alarmingly good performance, a semi-forgotten band serving notice that they’re still special. Daniel Herborn

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

26 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR ::

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white + hands like houses

PICS :: AM

up all night out all week . . .

WAAX, ROYAL CHANT, SERVICE BELLS

JULIA HOLTER, MARCUS WHALE

“We’ve got some classics for you,” Royal Chant’s Mark Spence promised towards the front end of his band’s grit-meets-glitter set. “A treasure trove.” His wry smile indicated he was being selfdeprecating, but as the three-piece blasted through tunes like the endlessly likeable ‘Dick Move’ and ‘I Am A Model’, it became abundantly clear that Royal Chant do have access to a treasure trove; one overflowing with giddy, glorious fuzzpop gems.

Newtown Social Club’s small, carpeted interior might not have been the best environment for Julia Holter’s expansive, ambient pop – an empty church would have been ideal – but her live set-up is so refined at this point that her beatific songs no doubt shine in whatever setting she finds herself, reinforcing Have You In My Wilderness as one of the albums of the year.

Though they were meant to perform first, a clerical error bumped Service Bells up the billing, and they took to the stage shortly after Royal Chant belted out their final number. With their knotty three-piece harmonies and eerie, reverb-heavy guitar work, they slunk through a striking set, as the subdued but respectful audience nodded in grim appreciation. By the time Waax arrived, a kind of reverent silence had taken hold of the place. These guys’ reputation precedes them – they have been described as a “terrifying” live presence – and the tension was palpable as lead singer Marie DeVita gripped the microphone by its neck and began to sing. Though proceedings started deliberately slowly, it wasn’t long before the kindling took. With five members crowding the stage, the band seemed like so much flesh in so little space, and their close proximity to one another added a claustrophobic intensity to the surfpunk and hair-metal-indebted tunes. DeVita proved to be a compelling presence. Discarding the stage the way a snake sheds its skin, she lunged out at the ill-prepared audience, her voice a pained, hoarse howl. Every line she sang seemed like an uneasy combination of threat and prayer, but even though her tone fluctuated wildly, she never allowed things to dip into all-out hysteria.

Newtown Social Club Wednesday December 9

Marcus Whale opened with a set of Eastern-informed, dense synth bass cued from a computer, which is never too thrilling live. But what gave him an edge were the two drummers playing against the beat, jumping into different time signatures whenever they saw fit, using the drums more as melodic instruments rather than a rhythm section. They lent Whale’s material an element of unpredictability, and he showed potential. With just keys, double bass, viola and drums, Julia Holter and her band deliver orchestral pop trances; baroque jams. Running through the majority of Have You In My Wilderness with some highlights from 2013’s Loud City Song peppered in, the songs are fleshed out live with the correct balance of a finely tuned band and improvisation, so the material’s overwhelming qualities on record – the climactic end to ‘Silhouette’, the inherent paranoia of ‘Horns Surrounding Me’ – intensify tenfold in a live setting. Oddly, the poppiest turns on her new album, which have given her the most notice of her career so far, are the weakest live. Still charming, these songs come off rather quaint – the harpsichord on indie hits like ‘Feel You’ doesn’t sound too hot coming from a Nord keyboard.

At times, DeVita’s expression and pose seemed almost parodic; her arms clasped behind her back, she seemed like a sociopath posing as a saint. But despite the sadistic scheme of imitation going on, what proved to be most striking was the band’s ultimate honesty. Waax and DeVita lie in order to tell the truth, and by the time they had smashed their new single ‘I For An Eye’ into a fine dust, every shred of artifice had been torn away. The veil had come loose. The band had been revealed.

It’s the dreamy, atmospheric stuff that works best. The final three songs – ‘Betsy On The Roof’, ‘Vasquez’ and ‘Have You In My Wilderness’ – highlighted best the immensely beautiful and incomprehensibly emotional qualities of her music. ‘Vasquez’ in particular had each band member go on long exploratory passages that worked with and against each other at the same time. Wave upon wave of sound coalesced, creating a thrilling mix of relaxation and uncertainty. Truly mesmerising.

Joseph Earp

Leonardo Silvestrini

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halestorm

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Oxford Art Factory Thursday December 10

13:12:15 :: Manning Bar :: Manning Rd Camperdown 9563 6000

wed

16 Dec

thu

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

17 Dec

(9:00PM - 12:30AM)

fri

18 Dec (10:00PM - 1:40AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

5:45PM  8:45PM

Dec

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

sun

20 Dec

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

mon

21 Dec

tue

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

22 Dec

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 27

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week

7:30pm. $39.60. Darren Hanlon

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Paul Hayward And His Sidekicks Town & Country Hotel, St Peters. 4pm. Free.

Cold Chisel

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

THURSDAY DECEMBER 17

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18

Qantas Credit Union Arena

Cold Chisel 7:30pm. $101.85. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Imaginary Numbers Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free. The Darren Heinrich Trio Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Muso’s Club Jam Night

Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Family Dog Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. John Farnham Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7:30pm. $99.90. Mark Travers Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Sosueme - feat: Green Buzzard Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Sugar Jam Open Mic Night Sugarmill, Kings Cross. 8pm. Free. The Shouties The Gasoline Pony,

Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Vibrations At Valve Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $15. Young Lion Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $13.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 17 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Rhythm & Bowls feat: Johnny G & The E Types Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 5pm. Free. Soul Roots Revival Band Lazybones Lounge, High-Tails

28 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

Marrickville. 9:20pm. $10. Thursdays In Jam - feat: El Moro + DJ Av El Cubano Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Bam Bam Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Christmas Kisses St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 6pm. Free. Cold Chisel Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7:30pm. $101.85. Dee Donavan Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Dot Cooper Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Elton John Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $183.41. Fraser A. Gorman Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Greg Hooper + Dee Donavon Penrith RSL, Penrith. 11am. $8. Grill + Ambulate + Snow Leopard Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Grooveworks Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free.

Lisa Crawley Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7pm. Free. Matt Lyon Penrith Panthers, Penrith. 6:30pm. Free. Ocean Alley Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free. Peter Byrne Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Roland Storm Penrith RSL, Penrith. 11am. $8. Ruth Carp & The Fish Heads + Phantastic Ferniture + Colour Cage Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Ryan Enright Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 7pm. Free. The Gentle Enemies + Lacey Cole Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Andrea Kirwin & Band + Leah Flanagan Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $15. Frank Sultana + Mandatory Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Huknee Puknee Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Khan Manuel The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $29.90. Muso’s Club Jam Night Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free.

FOLK Funk Engine Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free. The Road Runners The Merton Hotel, Rozelle. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Andy’s Night On The Prawns The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. Blake Tailor Trio Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 8:30pm. Free. Cath & Him St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 9pm. Free. Christmas Kisses St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 6pm. Free. Cold Chisel Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7:30pm. $101.85. Gingerfest Warm Up - feat: Chris Duke And The Royals + Ebolagoldfi sh + Bagster + Steel City Allstars Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Jesse Davidson The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. Free. Models Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $47.40. No Troubles Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Penny Lane Macquarie Arms Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Rare Finds #9 feat: Mar Haze

+ Phantastic Ferniture + Fontine + Deep Sea Arcade DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Richard In Your Mind Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $13. Ryan Enright The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free. Soundproofed Ettamogah Hotel, Rouse Hill. 9:30pm. Free. Steve Hart & The All Stars + Angry Anderson Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free. The Smooth Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. White Bros Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Winston Surfshirt Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Chich And The Soul Messengers The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5. Rewind (The Aretha Franklin Songbook) - feat: Christine Anu The Basement, Circular Quay.

Abbalanche - The Australian Abba Tribute Show Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 7:30pm. $25. Akala + Jimblah + Omar Musa Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Broken Stone Records Christmas Party Freda’s, Chippendale. 8pm. Free. Christmas Kisses St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 6pm. Free. Creedence And Friends Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9:30pm. Free. Darren Hanlon St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney. 7pm. $30. Elton John Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 6pm. $120. Evie Dean Club Rivers, Riverwood. 6pm. Free. Floating Points Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $49.90. Floyd Vincent & The Temple Dogs + Majun Bu + Girls On The Avenue Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $15. Frenzal Rhomb + Clowns Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 8pm. $31.65. Georgia White Macquarie Arms Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Gingerfest - feat: Gay Paris + The Porkers + Irrelevant + The Sinking Teeth + Mad Dash + The Hard Aches + The Stiffys + God God Dammit + Optionals + Fait

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC James Morrison The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $34.50. The Killer Ts Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES &

The Porkers

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g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Accompli + The Ramschackle Army + Nerdlinger + Foxtrot + Dividers + STFU + Jay & Lindsay’s Variety Hour + Bec Stevens + Billy Demos + Yvette Vials + Josh Arentz Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $35. High-Tails + Bears With Guns Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free. Jack Horner Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. Free. Jim Lawrie & Christopher Coleman Collective + Georgia Mooney Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Jimmy Bear Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Katcha Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9:30pm. Free. King Curly Xmas + Ivana The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. Lime Cordiale Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $17.10. Little Sea Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $23. Lo-Fi//Sci-Fi feat: New War + Splashh + Green Buzzard + Au.Ra + Miles Brown + DCM + Buzz Kull + Noise In My Head + Sex Tourists Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 5pm. $16.67. Mike Hallam Hot Five Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Nathan Hawes The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 5pm. $28. Panorama Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. Free. Paper Hearts Band Marlborough Hotel, Newtown. 11pm. Free. Penny Lane Novotel, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm. Free. Rebecca Johnson Band Town Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9:30pm. Free. Red Alert

Lime Cordiale

Sir Elton John

Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 9:30pm. Free. Salsa Kingz Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. The Frocks Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Ivanhoe The Deck, Sydney. 3:30pm. Free. Not Good With Horses The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $5. Ricardo Steyer Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. The Mighty Surftones Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Animal Ventura Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. Free. Christmas Kisses St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 6pm. Free. Front End Loader + Peg Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $20. Jed Zarb Jamison Hotel, Penrith. 1pm. Free.

Maximon + Doko + Wolfdog Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Open Mic Epping Hotel, Epping. 5pm. Free. Open Mic Night Nag’s Head Hotel, Glebe. 5:30pm. Free. Rick Dangerous And The Silky Bantams + Blackbird + Gladstone + Warhawk + The Great Awake Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free. Swinging Sixties Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. U2 Elevation Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Wild Catz Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free.

MONDAY DECEMBER 21 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Live & Original @ The Corridor - feat: Welcome Stranger + Wartime Sweethearts + Fior Entrio Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Christmas Kisses St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 6pm. Free. Frankie’s World Famous House Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Marty Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

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

Live & Original @ Mr Falcon’s - feat: Ally Oliver + Taryn La Fauci + Cuzn + Octave Inc Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

John Maddox Duo Richard In Your Mind

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16

Elton John Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 6pm. $120.

John Farnham Qantas Credit Union Arena, Darling Harbour. 7:30pm. $99.90.

Floating Points Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $49.90.

Sosueme - Feat: Green Buzzard Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

Gingerfest - Feat: Gay Paris + The Porkers + Irrelevant + The Sinking Teeth + Mad Dash + The Hard Aches + The Stiffys + God God Dammit + Optionals + Fait Accompli + The Ramschackle Army + Nerdlinger + Foxtrot + Dividers + STFU + Jay & Lindsay’s Variety Hour + Bec Stevens + Billy Demos + Yvette Vials + Josh Arentz Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $35.

Young Lion Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $13.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 17 Frank Sultana + Mandatory Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

High-Tails + Bears With Guns Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free.

Ruth Carp & The Fish Heads + Phantastic Ferniture + Colour Cage Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

Jim Lawrie & Christopher Coleman Collective + Georgia Mooney Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

The Gentle Enemies + Lacey Cole Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

Lime Cordiale Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $17.10.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18

Lo-Fi//Sci-Fi - feat: New War + Splashh + Green Buzzard + Au.Ra + Miles Brown + DCM + Buzz Kull + Noise In My Head + Sex Tourists Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 5pm. $16.67.

Models Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $47.40. Rare Finds #9 - Feat: Mar Haze + Phantastic Ferniture + Fontine + Deep Sea Arcade DJs Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Richard In Your Mind Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $13.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 Darren Hanlon St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney. 7pm. $30.

Rewind (The Aretha Franklin Songbook) - Feat: Christine Anu The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $39.60.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20 Front End Loader + Peg Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6:30pm. $20. Rick Dangerous And The Silky Bantams + Blackbird + Gladstone + Warhawk + The Great Awake Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Satellite V Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free.

Christmas Kisses Cabravale Diggers Club, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Open Mic The Bourbon, Potts Point. 7pm. Free. Pete Hunt Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Alma Music Presents Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

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Gay Paris

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 29

brag beats

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

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin, Anita Connors and Joseph Earp

five things WITH

DOORLY

ATLANTIS LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Catz N Dogz

Totem Trance, the organisers behind the enormous Atlantis 2016, found themselves with so much advance interest in their event that they had to relocate to Allphones Arena. Now they’ve followed up with a suitably massive lineup, which features Aly & Fila, David Gravell, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Ferry Corsten presents Gouryella, MaRLo and Orjan Nilsen. Of particular interest is Corsten’s concept, inspired by the Australian Aboriginal word ‘gouryella’ (translated to ‘heaven’). Atlantis storms into Allphones on Friday March 11.

H.O.S.H. AT S.A.S.H

Growing Up My granddad was really into his jazz, so I guess hearing that a lot has definitely shaped my musical landscape a fair bit, in that I don’t like to stick to the rules. My first musical childhood memories were listening to The Beach Boys when we would go on family road trips, but my parents themselves aren’t really musical at all, so not much inspiration drawn from there! Inspirations Right now my 2. favourite producer is Kölsch. His music is so cinematic and different to anything else out there; his tracks are brave and just kind of ridiculous how much they go off in a club. Also Maceo Plex, he’s the benchmark for me for a good club record.

Your Crew I moved around a lot as a kid with my dad’s work and have been a touring DJ for over ten years now. Having been around the world lots and lots of times I feel really lucky to say that I pretty much have a wicked crew in every city I go to now. The world is

such a small place now with the internet and Facebook, it’s so easy to always be connected to everyone. I live in Los Angeles, so my main crew there are all the expat UK lot (Switch/ Jesse Rose et cetera). We’re always working on stuff together. The Music You Make And Play 4. I aim for my set to be very much a live performance, using turntablism and as much drama as I can conjure with the music I make and play. A set for me should be a journey, not just two hours of records that sound the same – so I move through disco, house, techno and everything in between with a few wildcards to smack the crowd in the face every now and then. I mainly release on Cajmere’s Cajual label, which is in Chicago. I feel that is my natural home as an artist and having Cajmere (my greatest influence musically) as my A&R and mentor is just a beautiful thing. However, due to the spectrum of house music I make, I release on a few other labels as well when the tracks fit. This year alone I have had releases on Hot

SKY TERRACE DJ SERIES

Creations, Dirtybird, Moon Harbour, Subliminal and Toolroom.

The Hamburg-based German selector H.O.S.H., AKA Holger Behn, is reiterating his love of the acronym with an appearance at Sydney’s own S.A.S.H this weekend. H.O.S.H. is a leading member of the Diynamic collective and the booker behind the expansive outdoor Grünanlage Festivals, held monthly throughout summer in northern Germany. It’s far too cold for partying in those parts at this time of year, but that’s just a good reason for H.O.S.H. to be at the Greenwood Hotel this Sunday December 20, and G.O.S.H. are we P.U.M.P.E.D.

With: Set Mo, Avon Stringer, Elijah Scadden, Sanger and more Where: Chinese Laundry When: Saturday December 26

Euro house crew Catz N Dogz are set to rain down on Australian audiences for the first time in four years this February. Grzegorz Demiañczuk and Wojciech Tarañczuk came together in 2003, and have gone on to start up the cleverly named record label Pets Recordings. 2015 has no doubt been their biggest year to date, having dropped their immense Basic Colour Theory LP and worked their way onto ‘album of the year’ lists across the globe. Their label has showcased from Berlin to Ibiza and beyond, and now they’ll be leading the line at Chinese Laundry on Saturday February 6.

BOXING DAY IN THE COURTYARD

With nine – count ’em, nine – headliners, what more could you ask for as a late Christmas gift? Ivy’s Boxing Day weekend courtyard lineup will see Sydney’s own Hayden James topping the bill, the house maestro who has been amassing a loyal legion of fans since the 2013 release of his self-titled EP. But the lineup

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I feel like the scene across the globe is in a really healthy place right now. House music has become a universally very popular genre again so it’s great for artists like me that make the more chunky accessible stuff, and labels like Hot Creations and Dirtybird have really helped that happen, educating people away from EDM. The only thing that ever ruins a scene for me in certain cities is stupid ill-informed local governments placing ridiculously early closing hours on underground music venues where there is never trouble as a blanket reaction to issues with everyman pub fights, which has got nothing to do with our scene.

RAINING CATZ N DOGZ

seems catered for all tastes, with diversity being stressed as the key to the proceedings. Americans Wuki and Sweater Beats will be adding an international flavour to the event, while local favourite KLP will be melting minds and taking names with what promises to be an explosive DJ set. Sunday December 27 is the date: mark your calendar now. Tickets are available at courtyardparty.com, along with a full lineup.

DJ T.

LET’S GET PHYSICAL

They say you’ve made it when the world knows you by a one-name moniker. Beyoncé. Madonna. Kanye. Prince. So how well must DJ T. be going that he can get away with just a letter? The Get Physical label head started out in the late ’80s and has carried the groove through to 2015, all the while drawing on his roots in Chicago house. He’s on his way Down Under to welcome in the New Year, and his four-date tour starts on Saturday December 26 at Jam Gallery. Cross those Ts and make your way there for a Boxing Day jam.

Summer Dance

GET SOME SUMMER DANCE

The party people behind Astral People are returning for a residency at the National Art School in Sydney for their series of Summer Dance parties, featuring some boom international and local electronic talent. The outdoor Summer Dance events are a series of four Sunday sessions running from January to March. Brought to the National Art School in Darlinghurst by the founders of the OutsideIn festival, the 2016 return is sure to bring the good vibes to all. The full program includes Julio Bashmore, Florian Kupfer, Andy Garvey, EK Collective (Sunday January 24); Nightmares On Wax, Lefto, Mike Who (Sunday February 14); Hunee, Touch Sensitive, Mark E, Lovebombs, Adi Toohey (Sunday February 21); and Jeremy Underground, Andras, Sadar Bahar, Ariane (Sunday March 6). Tickets to Summer Dance 2016 are on sale now at summer-dance.com.au.

Sky Terrace

As the sun sets over Sydney, The Star’s rooftop bar is set to light up next month for Sydney Festival with its Sky Terrace DJ Series. Cocktails and beats with a view: whatever your musical leanings, Sydney Festival has you covered. One of many highlights will take place Sunday January 10 when FBi Radio’s Jack Shit and Sydney’s Royal Headache DJs hit the decks. Likewise, Saturday January 16 alights with the very hectic 45 Sessions featuring DJ Misbehaviour. Sunday January 24 is a femme affair, as the embarrassingly talented Sophie Harris – broadcaster at the BBC and NPR and writer for Time Out New York, MOJO Magazine, Rolling Stone and The Times – will be spinning American country music, Krautrock, African folk and Bollywood. These are but some of the names on a diverse program running Thursday January 7 – Tuesday January 26. See details at sydneyfestival.org.au. xx

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thebrag.com

Kate Tempest A Wordly Being By Adam Norris

hen word got out that I would be interviewing the Ted Hughes Award-winning Kate Tempest, those I know in the world of slam poetry and hip hop began to hyperventilate, and with cause; it is no stretch to consider Tempest one of the foremost performance poets/rappers of our age. Perhaps the performance poet, though Tempest herself would argue this isn’t so (lest we forget Anis Mojgani). Writing is always moving, she insists, and no-one can straddle a wave for any real length of time. As she returns to Sydney with her Mercury-shortlisted hip hop album, Everybody Down, Tempest talks of words and rage. “Hopefully there’s always a literary evolution happening,” Tempest considers, “but it’s never up to the people within that time to have any say on that. The only people that can plot those charts are looking back. You need the benefit of hindsight to see what happened, what was important. Hopefully there’s always something exciting happening in what people are writing. I don’t know if this is it for our time. I doubt it very much, but who knows? “I definitely feel like I’ve come across some really advanced writers recently – songwriters, rap writers. Some really interesting things are happening in poetry. Oh man, I’ve come across some contemporary poetry that has blown my mind. I think we’re really lucky to be living in a time when we’re so connected, we can experience so much on the recommendation of our peers, not just through the old channels.” I met Tempest back in 2013, in a hotel foyer while milling about for the Sydney Writers’ Festival. When we were introduced, she bypassed my

handshake and went straight for the bear hug and goofy smile. The very next time I saw her – concluding a shared set with Mojgani in a room brimming with transfixed ears – she was in tears from the memory, energy and emotion poured into her performance. They were two striking sides of someone who speaks from their heart in a way that many espouse, but few genuinely attempt. As self-doubt and insecurity seem shackled to so many fledgling slam poets, I wonder how it is that Tempest is able to reconcile laying herself so bare. “I’m terribly shy and say stupid things all the time. But this is not that. This is my absolute joy, this is what I’ve dedicated my life to doing. I began this because I have a burning, burning passion to say something. It comes from my mouth, I need to speak. So when I go up onstage, yeah, it’s pretty weird and awkward if you think about it, if you allow yourself to land in that moment, but it gives me this space to grow into this very true version of myself. It’s much safer. This is now beyond the kind of realm of insecurity or security, this is about conviction and music and poetry. “Unless this is everything, then let it be nothing. That sounds dramatic, but when it comes to standing onstage and delivering your words, if this is something you could potentially not do, don’t do it. That’s a pretty hardcore thing to say, because I’m usually like, ‘Yeah man, this is for everyone! Everyone should write!’ And I do believe that. It’s healthy, it’s good for your brain. It’s good for your heart. But honestly, if it’s possible for you to give this up, do it.” Before diving into Everybody Down, I tried to anticipate how it would

sound alongside Tempest’s spokenword self. My rudimentary suspicion was that the spoken-word would provide the stronger sense of story, would be more narrative. Yet listening to a track like ‘Lonely Daze’, there are characters, there is movement. It is a true testament to the London artist that her command of language is just as strong across poetry and rap, prose and theatre. “When I’m sitting down now with an idea, it feels very different from [when I started], that stage just before the idea tells you what it wants to be. I know it’s going to be happiest with music or on its own, happiest as a play or a piece of dialogue, happy on or off beat, if it’s an idea for a longer story or

a short poem or a sprawling epic. There’s this beautiful moment that I never used to have, because I hadn’t given myself the opportunity to experiment with enough forms. But now, because I’ve experimented in different ways, there’s this interesting new sequence of paths in my brain where I get to see what direction ideas decide they’re going to go.” Tempest’s Sydney Festival debut will undoubtedly be a highlight among many eagerly anticipated artists, and this time around, she might finally get the opportunity to strike out from creative commitments and see some of the country first-hand. “When I was there before, I was only in Sydney for a week, maybe

Off The Record incarnation of Summer Dance. Over the course of four parties we’ll be seeing visits from top-notch internationals including Nightmares On Wax, Julio Bashmore, Hunee, Lefto, Jeremy Underground, Sadar Bahar and Florian Kupfer, alongside local guns Touch Sensitive, Andras, Mike Who, Lovebombs, Adi Toohey, Ariane, Andy Garvey and EK Collective. The parties will once again take place at the National Art School; see summer-dance.com.au for details on the January, February and March lineups.

Kate Tempest photo by Jo Metson

Feel like rolling the dice, taking a gamble and driving 80 kilometres down to Wollongong? This New Year’s Eve, Young Turks and Siberia Records will be joining forces for a laneway party only several blocks from the beach, featuring a completely unannounced lineup of locals and international artists (not to mention the countless afterparties that will be taking place). It’s going down in Globe Lane from 8pm, and who knows who’ll rock up to ring in 2016? *Cough Jamie xx cough*. Tickets via Moshtix. The legends over at Astral People have just announced the lineup for their 2016

JANUARY 2

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19

Something Else, Anomaly and Trojan Records are joining forces for an all-killer no-filler lineup to kick off 2016 in style. Headlined by Sweden’s Abdulla Rashim (who runs the acclaimed Northern Electronics label), over three levels the Burdekin Hotel will also play host to Jordan Peters, Gareth Psaltis, Amateur Humans, Deepchild, Baron Castle, Dave Stuart, James Petrou, Dan Baartz and Michas Dimitris. Get a heavy dose of brooding and experimental techno on Saturday January 9. Tickets via Pulse Radio.

till haven’t made any plans for New Year’s Eve? Those champs over at Mad Racket have you covered. Heading their bash to ring in 2016 will be Smallpeople. Comprised of Julius Steinhoff and Just von Ahlefeld (AKA Dionne), the Hamburg duo run their own record store and label, and have featured on imprints such as !K7, Underground Quality, Running Back and Fuck Reality. They’ll be supported by an all-star local lineup featuring Simon Caldwell, Ken Cloud, Jimmi James and Zootie. It’s going down from 10pm on Thursday December 31 at Marrickville Bowling Club.

What: Sydney Festival 2016 Where: Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent When: Thursday January 21 and Friday January 22 And: Everybody Down out now through Ninja Tune

RECOMMENDED

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray Smallpeople

less. I didn’t have much time to feel anything beyond this very buzzing, intense vibe that was the literary festival. I guess it’s like I could have been anywhere, you know? I’m really excited about coming back this time because I’ve got a few days before the gig just to be there. I want to see the landscape, to see some of the beauty out there. To see all those normal people who didn’t buy tickets to see me,” she laughs.

More international tours to put in the diary: you can catch H.O.S.H at the Greenwood Hotel this Sunday December 20, Doorly at Chinese Laundry on Saturday December 26 and Hot Since 82 at the Greenwood Hotel on Saturday February 13. Tour rumours: over the next six months you can expect to see visits from the likes of San Proper, Recondite, Sonja Moonear and Robag Wruhme. Best releases this week: two last-minute additions for your ‘best of 2015’ lists: Nusons’ (AKA Dubsons and Nu Zau) Lovecraft (on Undefined) and Herodot’s Duo (Unanim). Stay tuned for next week’s column when I’ll run you through my definitive favourites from the year that was.

Machinedrum Plan B Small Club

Floating Points Oxford Art Factory

SUNDAY JANUARY 3

Petar Dundov Burdekin Hotel Worthy, Ardalan Chinese Laundry

Mala Civic Underground

tINI Café del Mar

Seven Davis Jr Chippendale Hotel

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20

SATURDAY JANUARY 9

H.O.S.H Greenwood Hotel

SATURDAY JANUARY 16

Moodymann Harpoon Harry

Abdulla Rashim Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY DECEMBER 26

Francis Inferno Orchestra Burkedin Hotel

DJ T. Jam Gallery

Doorly Chinese Laundry

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31 Smallpeople Marrickville Bowling Club

FRIDAY JANUARY 1

Julio Bashmore, Florian Kupfer, Andy Garvey, EK Collective National Art School

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6

Finnebassen, Lovebirds, Bjorn Wilke + more Café del Mar

SATURDAY

SUNDAY JANUARY 24

Catz N Dogz Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13

Hot Since 82 Greenwood Hotel

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

BRAG :: 634 :: 16:12:15 :: 31

club guide g

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

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Alexkid

SUNDAY D EC E M B E R 2 0

Xxx

Home Nightclub

S.A.S.H By Night Christmas Party Secret Guest + Alexkid + Super Flu + Telefunken + More 7pm. $30. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16 CLUB NIGHTS Bamboo Boogie feat: Harry Sounds + Daniel Lupica + Karim Middle Bar, Darlinghurst. 5pm. Free. Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Sasslife Weekly Secret Garden Bar, Enmore. 7pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 17 HIP HOP & R&B The Snapback Auction - Feat: Jon Cotton & The Book Keepers Play Bar, Surry Hills.

5pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Kicks The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 HIP HOP & R&B Hopsin + Dizzy Wright + Jarren Benton + DJ Hoppa Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $57.91. The Essence Entertainment End Of Year Hip Hop Jam - feat: NJE + Untaymable + Tallisman + Jae Druitt + DJ Intense & Loso + Christian James + 316 + K!Ng + DJ Jimmy New Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20. Who The Funk Is Benny Hinn? Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

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CLUB NIGHTS Bassic - feat: Sleepy Tom + Ember + Jayteehazard + Spenda C + DJ I-Dee + Sippy + Gradz + Propaganda + Goldbrixx Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Blvd Fridays - feat: Kyro Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Champain Lyf + Lystyle Coaches + Bad Ezzy + Catherine Fields Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $10. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Friday Frothers feat: DJ Babysham + DJ Jesse Sewell Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Friday Lite - feat: Victoria Kim Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Harbour Club - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm. Free. Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Night Lyfe - feat: Yanya Boston + Resident DJs Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Treble N Bass Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 CLUB NIGHTS Aden Mullens + Husky Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free. Christmas Party feat: Havana Brown Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70. El Loco Later - feat:

DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Frat Saturdays feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. Garden Party - feat: Scuba + Motorik Vibe Council + Robbie Lowe + U-Khan + Louis Coste & Rouss + Persian Rug Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 1pm. $53.30. Lndry - feat: Worthy + Ardalan + Jordan Burns + Markz & Oz + Friendless + Nana Does + Oh? + Filter Bear + Fingers + King Lee + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Masif Saturdays Space, Sydney. 10pm. $25. My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. No Rest For The Wicked + S.H.E. + Miss Kate + Matt Curley Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Pacha Sydney - feat: Timmy Trumpet + New World Sound + Trifo + Glover + Terace + Jesabel + Fear Of Dawn + Dle + Deckhead + DJ Just 1 + Losty + Beth Yen + Akunu Vs Dollar Bear + Kristiano + Skoob + Jonathan Terrific + Yoji Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Sidechains X Coldtech + DJ Kaita + Graps + Melt Unit Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $15. Something Else feat: Petar Dundov + Mark Smith + Hannah Lockwood + Jordan Peters + Gareth Psaltis + Tred + Eliot Mireylees + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $22. UFO Club - feat: Anklepants + Hutch + Rehan + Sense Datum + Gelido + Tha Heebie Jeebies Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 7pm. $28.90. Yours - feat: Poolclvb Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B 143 Liverpool Street Fam. 10 Year Anniversary - feat: Adverse + Makoto + Juzzlikedat + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Akala + Jimblah + Omar Musa Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Boathouse Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel,

FRIDAY DECEMBER 18 Bassic - Feat: Sleepy Tom + Ember + Jayteehazard + Spenda C + DJ I-Dee + Sippy + Gradz + Propaganda + Goldbrixx Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Blvd Fridays - Feat: Kyro Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Champain Lyf + Lystyle Coaches + Bad Ezzy + Catherine Fields Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $10. Hopsin + Dizzy Wright + Jarren Benton + DJ Hoppa Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $57.91.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 143 Liverpool Street Fam. 10 Year Anniversary Feat: Adverse + Makoto + Juzzlikedat + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Akala + Jimblah + Omar Musa Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Christmas Party - Feat: Havana Brown Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $23.70.

+ Fear Of Dawn + Dle + Deckhead + DJ Just 1 + Losty + Beth Yen + Akunu Vs Dollar Bear + Kristiano + Skoob + Jonathan Terrific + Yoji Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Something Else - Feat: Petar Dundov + Mark Smith + Hannah Lockwood + Jordan Peters + Gareth Psaltis + Tred + Eliot Mireylees + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $22. UFO Club - Feat: Anklepants + Hutch + Rehan + Sense Datum + Gelido + Tha Heebie Jeebies Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 7pm. $28.90.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20 Moodymann Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills. 3pm. $58.90. S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: H.O.S.H. + Rabbit Taxi + Shaun Bro + Chris Woods & Will Allan Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $20. Super Openair - Feat: Discodromo + Claire Morgan + Ben Drayton + DJ Kiti + Stereogamous + Magda Bytnerowicz Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $19.

EMC + Masta Ace Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 8pm. $49.90. Garden Party - Feat: Scuba + Motorik Vibe Council + Robbie Lowe + U-Khan + Louis Coste & Rouss + Persian Rug Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 1pm. $53.30. Lndry - Feat: Worthy + Ardalan + Jordan Burns + Markz & Oz + Friendless + Nana Does + Oh? + Filter Bear + Fingers + King Lee + DJ Just 1 Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.60. Pacha Sydney - Feat: Timmy Trumpet + New World Sound + Trifo + Glover + Terace + Jesabel

Sydney. 9pm. $20. EMC + Masta Ace Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 8pm. $49.90. R&B DJs By The Greens Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4pm. Free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20 CLUB NIGHTS Escape Sundays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 2pm. Free. Marco Polo - feat: Taiki Nulight Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $12.40. Moodymann Harpoon Harry, Surry Hills. 3pm. $58.90. S.A.S.H By Day - feat: H.O.S.H. + Rabbit Taxi + Shaun Bro + Chris Woods

Magda Bytnerowicz

& Will Allan Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $20. S.A.S.H By Night Christmas Party feat: Secret Guest + Alexkid + Super Flu + Telefunken + YokoO + Gabby + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace + Bella Sarris + Cassette + Matt Weir + More Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 7pm. $30. Straight Up Sundays - feat: Cool Hand Luke Middle Bar, Darlinghurst. 5pm. Free. Sunset Sessions - feat: Mo Funk + Chuck Love And Husky Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 4pm. Free. Super Openair feat: Discodromo + Claire Morgan + Ben Drayton + DJ Kiti

+ Stereogamous + Magda Bytnerowicz Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $19.

MONDAY DECEMBER 21 CLUB NIGHTS Mashup Monday - feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22 CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10.

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SAT 19 DECEMBER SPECIAL GUESTS

DANNI B DEAN RELF RESIDENTS

RABBIT TAXI KERRY WALLACE 1 0 P M T I L L L AT E

$10 BEFORE 12AM / $15 AFTER 1 9 9 E N M O R E R O A D W W W . S LY F O X . S Y D N E Y

BY DAY

XMAS PARTY

BY NIGHT

Sunday 20th December

H.O.S.H Shaun Bro Rabbit Taxi Chris Woods & Will Allan GREENWOOD HOTEL Midday till 9pm $20 before 3pm / $25 after

Alexkid Enzo Siragusa Super Flu YokoO Minilogue Bella Sarris HOME NIGHTCLUB 8pm till 8am - $30 before 10pm / $40 after $30 with SASH by Day Wristband

www.sash.net.au thebrag.com

BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15 :: 33

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up all night out all week . . .

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

RUDIMENTAL, GRMM Enmore Theatre Thursday December 10 It was hard not to feel the love when Hackney exports Rudimental took the stage. With positively bonkers energy and two albums’ worth of material, the drum’n’bass juggernaut have a big sound, big heart and big presence. It’s easy to see why Ed Sheeran wanted them to support his Australian tour. Sydney-based Ben Markos, under the groovemaker guise of GRMM, opened the show. Armed with the sinuous electronic and hip hop beats from his latest EP Die Young, he quickly had the crowd limbered and loose. Guest performances by singers Thandi Phoenix and Ric Rufio on ‘Gold’ and ‘Level Up’ only heightened the excitement.

wolf + lamb

PICS :: KC

The Rudimental ten-piece family exploded onstage half an hour behind schedule. Leading the charge was DJ “Sydney make some noise” Locksmith, Amir Amor, Piers Agget and Kesi Dryden. Also in tow were vocalists Anne-Marie Nicholson, Bridgette Amofah, Will Heard, and the cheekily nicknamed ‘Tom Jones’

13:12:15 :: Café Del Mar :: 35 Wheat Rd Cockle Bay Wharf 9267 6700

34 :: BRAG :: 643 :: 16:12:15

who were all more than capable for fi lling in for the likes of John Newman and Emeli Sandé, making this a killer concert. It was half expected that Sheeran would make an unannounced appearance for ‘Lay It All On Me’ or ‘Bloodstream’, but no dice. Not that the audience cared. Standouts of the night included the funk-injected duet ‘Rumour Mill’, and ‘I Will For Love’ brought on seismic waves through the crowd that had the floor worryingly wobbling. ‘Feel The Love’ saw the throng mirror the onstage emotion by forming hearts with their hands. And yet for all the skill, passion and energy, there were a number of tracks that felt a little lacking, a bit underdone. It’s hard to put a finger on why exactly. Perhaps it’s that ‘Go Far’ is unabating in its repetition, or that the lyrics of ‘Love Ain’t Just A Word’ have as much nuance as a motivational poster quote. Yet throughout it all, it was clear that Rudimental were having a ball. From the ‘Right Here’ start to the ‘Waiting All Night’ finish, there were hyperkinetic performances all round. Anita Connors

s.a.s.h by day

PICS :: AM

snap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

13:12:15 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue Street North Sydney 9964 9477 OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

S :: KATRINA CLARKE :: ASHLEY

MAR

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

“COME FOR THE BALLOONS, STAY FOR THE SPACE–ROCK ANTHEMS ABOUT THE INEVITABILITY OF OBLIVION” THE GUARDIAN

LONDON EVENING STANDARD

MEXRRISSEY MEXICO GOES MORRISSEY MEXICO | AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE

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CELEBRATE NEW YORK CITY LUMINARY ARTHUR RUSSELL AT A RARE PERFORMANCE OF HIS PIONEERING 1975 MASTERWORK.

ARTHUR RUSSELL’S INSTRUMENTALS DIRECTED BY PETER GORDON USA | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

CITY RECITAL HALL 16 JANUARY

SUMMER SOUNDS IN THE DOMAIN:

THE FLAMING LIPS USA

THE DOMAIN 9 JANUARY

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