Brag#650 by Furst Media

ISSUE NO. 650 FEBRUARY 17, 2015

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

A SYMPHONIC REVOLUTION IN HIP HOP Plus

BE T W EEN T HE BUR IED A ND ME

C A L E X IC O

W OL F MO T HE R

JON AT H A N BOUL E T

Touring a rock opera about comainduced time travel. Obviously.

Eight albums of cross-cultural rock and still going strong.

Andrew Stockdale is keeping his rock'n'roll dream on the rails.

For this restless Sydney soul, the only constant is change.

W IL D NO T HING M A R K SE Y MOUR T HE PEE P TEMPEL T HE S W OR D ROMEO A ND JUL IE T A ND MUCH MOR E

PRESENTS

FOUNDING MEMBER OF FLEETWOOD MAC WITH HIS GRAMMY NOMINATED BAND

“

The band’s sound takes you back to the early blues-driven years of Fleetwood Mac, a musical legacy from the 1960s, reaching forward to today.

”

MAUI NEWS

thebrag.com

MONDAY MARCH ALSO PERFORMING AT

METRO THEATRE

FROM WWW.TICKETEK.COM.AU (132 849) BLUESFEST 2016 TICKETS FOR MORE INFO VISIT BLUESFESTTOURING.COM.AU

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 3

rock music news

the BRAG presents

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

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

songwriters’ secrets WITH

JORDAN MILLAR

was in year six. Oh boy, it was bad, but for some reason I have a recollection of my class singing at an end of year assembly, or something like that. I wrote it with a friend of mine, Mat, but it was honestly about nothing. The chorus went, “There’s a stranger, a girl in danger / I should be paid for what I’ve done”. No idea what I was on about, but you’ve gotta start somewhere. The Last Song I Released The last song I released was a track 2. called ‘True Or Nothing’. It came out in

Songwriting Secrets If there’s a secret to songwriting then 3. someone needs to tell me because I have no The First Song I Wrote The first song I wrote was a ridiculously 1. ordinary song called ‘The Stranger’ and I

idea about it. I’ve picked up some tips and tricks along the way that have helped me get across the line with a song a few more

GLEN MATLOCK & SLIM JIM PHANTOM Newtown Social Club Sunday February 28

The Song That Makes Me Proud My most successful song is definitely 4. not my best song. I don’t know what my best

LORD HURON

song is. I know what I like, but I’m a guy who likes album tracks, not singles. I had one song of mine, ‘Walking On Me’, played on repeat in a line of clothing stores for three months. The poor staff had the same 17 songs to listen to all summer and that was one of them. Poor buggers. I got a $19 royalty cheque for it.

ELLE KING

The Song That Changed My Life I have no idea about this, but looking 5. back I’m thinking maybe Incubus – ‘Drive’.

Oxford Art Factory Wednesday March 23

Metro Theatre Thursday March 24

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL Exhibition Park, Canberra Thursday March 24 – Monday March 28

Incubus were so damn cool at the time and then came out with a nice acoustic track with a cracking chorus and I was sold. That’s the music I’ve connected with most ever since.

SHAKEY GRAVES

What: Courtyard Sessions Where: Seymour Centre When: Friday February 19

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: Anita Connors, James Di Fabrizio, Joseph Earp, Anna Wilson, Tyson Wray

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, James Di Fabrizio, Christie Eliezer, Emily Gibb, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, Adam Norris, George Nott, Daniel Prior, Tegan Reeves, Natalie Rogers, Erin Rooney, Spencer Scott, Natalie Salvo, Leonardo Silvestrini, Jade Smith, Lucy Watson, Rod Whitfield, Harry Windsor, Tyson Wray, Stephanie Yip, David James Young Please send mail NOT ACCOUNTS direct to this NEW address 100 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 ph - (02) 9212 4322 fax - (02) 9319 2227 EDITORIAL POLICY: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, editors or staff of the BRAG. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121 DEADLINES: Editorial: Friday 12pm (no extensions) Ad bookings: Friday 5pm (no extensions) Fishished art: No later than 2pm Monday Ad cancellations: Friday 4pm Deadlines are strictly adhered to. Published by Furst Media P/L ACN 1112480045 All content copyrighted to Cartrage P/L / Furst Media P/L 2003-2014 DISTRIBUTION: Wanna get the BRAG? Email distribution@ furstmedia.com.au or phone 03 9428 3600 PRINTED BY SPOTPRESS: spotpress.com.au 24 – 26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204 follow us:

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THE BRAG

4 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

The Bluesfest sideshows keep rolling in. Mick Fleetwood, the iconic co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, will be heading Down Under with his Grammy-nominated band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito. The group will be performing early Fleetwood Mac songs along with a string of blues classics. Catch them at the Metro Theatre on Monday March 28.

DMA’s DMA’ s

WALTZING MATILDAS

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant 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

GOING HIS OWN WAY

Ben Folds

ROCKIN’ THE CONCERT HALL

Seminal singer-songwriter and piano man Ben Folds is coming Down Under and playing a set at the Sydney Opera House, joined by the yMusic ensemble. No stranger to the iconic white sails, having last played the venue back in November 2014, Folds dropped his latest effort So There in September last year. Fans can expect to hear songs from the album along with other favourites from Folds’ extensive back catalogue. The event adds one more big tick to the exceptional contemporary music program at the Opera House, which is set to feature Brian Wilson at the end of March, and has recently hosted the likes of José González, Hot Chip and Purity Ring. Folds will play the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Saturday August 20.

GUM BALL WIZARD

The Gum Ball Music and Arts Festival has announced a new round of artists joining the already stellar lineup playing its tenth incarnation in Lower Belford this April. Leading the list are indigenous electro-dub outfit Oka, surf/psychedelic supergroup The Break, Kristin Hersh, Sex On Toast and The Belligerents, just to name a few. They join the likes of You Am I, Dan Sultan and Jeff Lang for what will no doubt be a laid-back weekend of good people and good music. The tenth annual Gum Ball goes down at Dashville from Friday April 22 – Sunday April 24. See the full lineup at thebrag.com.

A bunch of Aussie rock all-stars are recreating The Band’s iconic Last Waltz tour. Given the last Last Waltz concert was held in 1976, this upcoming event is a significant show in Sydney’s cultural calendar indeed. 11 celebrated Australian musicians have been enlisted to recreate the tour, performing a version of the now-legendary set at the Sydney Opera House. The show will feature the likes of Richard Clapton, Paul Dempsey and Tim Rogers, all banding together in order to restage one of the most famous farewell shows in history, a night that saw the likes of Neil Young and Bob Dylan wandering onto the stage to play a few tunes. It remains to be seen if any of the musicians will arrive onstage with a very noticeable lump of cocaine hanging out of their nostril (à la Neil Young), but in any case, those looking for a night full of good ol’ fashioned rock’n’roll would do well to head along. The Last Waltz hits the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House on Friday April 1 and Saturday April 2.

ALL THE WAY WITH DMA’S

With their madly anticipated debut album Hills End set for release next Friday February 26, Sydney trio DMA’s have announced the Aussie dates for the worldwide album tour. It’s been two years since the release of their breakout single ‘Delete’, and the boys have been flat out busy ever since, hitting stages around the world including appearances at Lollapalooza, Reading and Leeds and supporting the likes of TV On The Radio and The Drums. After a killer crowd favourite set at Sydney’s Laneway this month, there’s little doubt that these guys are charging towards the top of their game. You can see them for yourself at the Metro Theatre on Friday June 10.

COG ROCK

Prog rock icons Cog will return to the stage this July. It’s been five-and-a-half years since the guys were last on the live circuit, but now they’ve announced a run of east coast dates. Having emerged from a hiatus after 12 years of solid touring, since their inception in 1998 the trio have released multiple EPs, singles, DVDs

and two studio LPs – 2005’s The New Normal and 2008’s Sharing Space. They’ll be in town on Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17 at the Metro Theatre.

Something For Kate

EAGLES OF DEATH METRO

In good news for everyone, Eagles Of Death Metal are returning to Australian shores. Already announced to perform at Bluesfest, the Californian crew formed back in 1998. Since then, they’ve released four albums (Peace, Love, Death Metal in 2004, Death By Sexy in 2006, Heart On in 2008 and 2015’s Zipper Down), toured the globe many times over, and played a bunch of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Roskilde and many more. After a tragic 2015 for the band, owing to the Paris terror attacks, they’ll be safe and sound at the Metro Theatre on Sunday March 27.

Shakey Graves photo by Jarred Gastriech

October last year and was a bit of a departure from everything I’d released before. I produced it with Beau Golden and we used a lot of different instrumentation to what I normally would. It was a good experiment and people seem to dig it, but it won’t be on an album. I’m going back to the old style for the new record.

times, but it’s a weird thing. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s impossible. My process is always guitar, melody, vowel sounds, hook, lyrics.

SOMETHING FOR SPECTRUM

Aussie alt-rock legends Something For Kate have announced a one-off ‘greatest hits’ show in The Domain as part of the 2016 Spectrum Now festival. The festival’s Big Top will play host to Paul Dempsey, Stephanie Ashworth and Clint Hyndman as they embark on a journey through six top ten albums, 24 singles and countless memories from over 20 years on the circuit. Something For Kate join a Spectrum Now bill that already includes the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Missy Higgins, Hot Dub Time Machine and heaps more. Take a trip through time with Something For Kate at the Big Top in The Domain on Saturday March 12.

thebrag.com

MOONSHINE

MJR BY ARRANGEMENT WITH SOLO PRESENTS

AT H O T E L S T E Y N E M A N LY

AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2016 FRIDAY 11TH MARCH - MAX WATTS, SYDNEY SATURDAY 12TH MARCH - MAX WATTS, BRISBANE SUNDAY 13TH MARCH - 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE TUESDAY 15TH MARCH - THE GOV, ADELAIDE WEDNESDAY 16TH MARCH - CAPITOL, PERTH

THU FEB 18

BIG WHITE

+BUFFALO GRASS BOYS FRI FEB 19

THE RUMINATERS

+EDDIE BOYD & THE PHATAPILLARS SAT FEB 20

MANALION

+RUTH CARP & THE FISH HEADS SUN FEB 21

KING TIDE +NATIVOSOUL

THE NEW ALBUM MODERN NATURE OUT NOW For tickets and info head to thecharlatans.net or mjrpresents.com

LEVEL 2, 75 THE CORSO, MANLY WWW.HOTELSTEYNE.COM.AU || FACEBOOK.COM/HOTELSTEYNEMANLY || @HOTELSTEYNE

LIVE

AT THE

SLY

FIREBALL WHISKEYS + SLY FOX BEERS 7.30 - 9.30PM

TINNIES ALL NIGHT

THURS 18 FEB

HI-TOPS BRASS BAND RECALL THE COOKING CLUB

1 9 9 E N M O R E R OA D, E N M O R E thebrag.com

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 5

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Chris Martin, Anita Connors and Elias Kwiet

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

speed date WITH

JAKE VOROSHINE FROM THE RUMINATERS Your Band There’s four best buds that 3. make up The Rumies: Pencil (vocals), Teddy (drums), Jarleth (bass) and Jake (guitar). We all met in the school yard trying to outdo each other’s stupidity for some attention. We eventually worked out that we could all play music and that’s when The Ruminaters were spawned. We all have similar taste in music that’s totally not restricted to one style, which is probably where our versatility comes from. The Music You Make I guess the music we make 4. generally falls into the garage/

Growing Up Inspirations My childhood is a complete 2. As a collective I think our 1. blur until I met my three best favourite band would have to be friends, Teddy, Pencil and Jarleth. We grew up together teaching each other Strokes riffs in Teddy’s garage while we flagged school.

The Strokes. No-one does a hook quite like Julian. Although artists like The Beatles and the Stones and The Clash have definitely helped shape our sound.

psych category with a little pinch of nice too [laughs]. Over the years our sound has definitely developed and we are now writing music that best represents our direction. We’ve just completed recording four tracks with Mr. Steve Law of Sunroom Studios, a studio located somewhere between Mullumbimby and Lismore amongst a macadamia forest. Nuts! The first

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. I’m not gonna whinge about the current music scene because I am constantly hearing and seeing sick new music. I won’t deny that there are a few popular styles of music at the moment that I would like to put in a spaceship and send to the moon, never to be heard again, but hey – it’d probably fuck the moon up. We see bands all the time that inspire us, but from a live point of view, I don’t think anyone is doing it better than King Gizzard. Those guys bring a disgusting amount of energy to their live sets and that definitely encourages us to do the same. Where: Moonshine Bar, Hotel Steyne When: Friday February 19

OFF THE RAILS, IN THE MOUNTAINS

Off The Rails, a new music festival celebrating the fine musical talents from the Blue Mountains, has locked in its debut lineup for the end of the month. Mountains hip hop exports Thundamentals and Urthboy will lead the celebration, joined by the Sydneybased all-star musical monolith that is Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders. Three-piece crew Peaks round out the first announcement, with more local names to come. Off The Rails takes over Scenic World in the Blue Mountains on Saturday February 27.

HALCYON DAYS

JUMPING FOR JOY

If longevity is a virtue, then Tinpan Orange have the history to prove their wares. The Aussie folk mainstays have announced the release of their fifth album, Love Is A Dog, which will land on Friday April 8. It’s a concept album built around love and relationships, but not necessarily with a happy ending. Emily Lubitz, Jesse Lubitz and Alex Burkoy will hit the road to celebrate the record, with tour dates arriving on the back of the album’s lead single, ‘Rich Man’. Tinpan Orange will be at The Vanguard on Friday May 20.

Zikora

6 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

We have a double pass to giveaway to the Big Top gig in The Domain on Sunday March 6. Visit thebrag.com/freeshit to be in the running.

REMIND ME MISS QUINCY

Canadian rocker Miss Quincy is returning with a new single and a Sydney show. Her latest track, ‘Remind Me Of Myself’, is matched with a live in-studio video clip and comes off the back of her latest record, Roadside Recovery. Backed by a handpicked Australian rhythm section, Miss Quincy intends to pick up where she left off on her last tour, playing 18 festivals over three different continents. Miss Quincy will be at Lazybones Lounge on Thursday March 17.

Art vs Science

SIBLING SONGS

The Bros. Landreth, the acclaimed altcountry Canadian group, have announced the dates for their very first set of Australian shows. They’ll be heading our way as part of Bluesfest, along with big names like The National, Tom Jones, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band and some up-and-comer you might not have heard of by the name of Kendrick Lamar. Along with their appearance at the festival, the boys have also unveiled an intimate sideshow, a move that will be sure to delight long-term fans of the brothers’ aching mix of Americana traditions and bluesy licks. The Bros. Landreth hit Newtown Social Club on Monday March 28.

Brisbane’s Hey Geronimo are headed down to Sydney for what’s been dubbed the world’s ‘Longest Shortest Tour’. At 10am on the morning of Saturday February 27 at the Secret Garden festival, the band will play the first of ten shows, after which they’ll board a free hop-on, hop-off bus alongside punters that’ll take them to the Petersham Bowling Club. The bus will then continue through to Newtown Hotel, Chippendale Hotel, Red Eye Records, The Bald Faced Stag, Plan B Small Club, Kings Cross Hotel and the Captain Cook Hotel, to cross the fi nish line at Moonshine Bar at Hotel Steyne in Manly. Find more info at facebook. com/heygeronimo.

KEEP SYDNEY OPEN RALLY

Sydney’s anti-lockouts movement is gathering speed, with the Keep Sydney Open organisation announcing a rally and live performances to protest the State Government’s current restrictions on nightlife and business. The rally, which will meet at Belmore Park next to Central Station at 12:30pm this Sunday February 21, is set to be the city’s largest anti-lockouts demonstration yet. Its route will include Bar Century, the latest venue to announce its impending closure, where there’ll be a mock funeral for small businesses and jobs lost since the introduction of the lockouts two years ago. The event will also include live performances by high-energy local acts Art vs Science and Royal Headache, plus speeches and appearances from Isabella Manfredi (The Preatures), Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus), Bernard Keane (Crikey) and Tyson Koh (Keep Sydney Open).

thebrag.com

Art vs Science photo by Cybele Malinowski

Melbourne-based alt-pop band Zikora are marking the release of their first single ‘Golden Thread’ from their debut EP with a special launch gig. The Golden Thread EP was recorded at Sing Sing South in Melbourne, and produced and recorded by ARIA and Golden Guitarnominated mixer and engineer Jimi Maroudas (Kimbra, Eskimo Joe, Bertie Blackman). Its title track tells the tale of an old woman who can mend broken hearts, and draws on an eclectic range of influences including West African rhythms and musical theatre. The record also features the talents of former John Butler Trio bassist Andrew Fry, Xani Kolac of The Twoks, and Mike Mills from Toehider. Zikora celebrate the release of their EP and single at the Marrickville warehouse event Art Party Number 40 on Friday February 26.

Tex-Mex indie rockers Calexico are heading Down Under as part of this year’s Spectrum Now festival program. With eight albums under their collective belt and having been performing live for the better part of two decades, their Sydney show promises to be massive. They will most certainly be playing tracks from last year’s Edge Of The Sun, as well as many other post-rock, mariachi, jazz, conjunto, country and tejano selections from their huge back catalogue. Supporting the Arizonabased band are Melbourne’s own alt-rock songsmiths Augie March.

Melbourne-based indie-pop three-piece Halcyon Drive have unveiled a run of east coast tour dates alongside their new single. ‘Untethered’ is the second track lifted from their forthcoming EP, and was recorded with producer Steve Schram (San Cisco, Eagle and The Worm) in a makeshift studio at the Otways National Park in Victoria during late 2015. Halcyon Drive have already had an exciting last 12 months, and on the back of supporting Danish alternative rock band Mew on their tour, plus a performance to cap off 2015 at boutique festival NYE On The Hill, they will be travelling the eastern seaboard to perform in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Canberra, Wollongong and Sydney. Halcyon Drive play Waywards on Friday March 11.

TEN SHOWS, ONE CRAZY DAY

ZIKORA’S GOLDEN THREAD

CALEXICO

Mangelwurzel photo by George Johnson

Tinpan Orange

of the four tracks, ‘Mr Bubbles’, is scheduled to be released this week, which will feature on our next seven-inch vinyl that will be released later this year.

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR â&#x20AC;˘ Which Skyhooks member refused to watch the Molly teleseries? â&#x20AC;˘ Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard three Aussie singers put up their hands to audition for Stone Temple Pilots: two from Perth and one from Newcastle. But how many are well-known names? â&#x20AC;˘ UNDR Ctrl and Purple Sneakers, whose Sydney charity football tournament Musica Copa raised $16,500 for charity, are expanding it to a Musica Copa basketball event. The recent tournament was won by Sydney/LA influencer agency The Projects*, which donated $7,000 to its nominated anti-slavery trafficking charity Project Futures, while runner-up Lucky Ent. donated its $5,000 cheque to The Reach Foundation, and third place-getter MTV donated $2,000 to the Ted Noffs Foundation. â&#x20AC;˘ Perth Formula 1 ace Daniel Ricciardo ticked off his ambition of joining a band onstage. He rocked out with Parkway

DINE ALONE SETS UP SYDNEY OFFICE WITH HUB Canadian indie label Dine Alone Records has set up an office in Sydney in partnership with Troy Barrottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hub Artist Services, to cover Australia and New Zealand. It is the labelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fifth office, after Toronto, Montreal, Nashville and LA. Barrott and Dine Alone founder Joel Carriere have mutual friends around the world, and have â&#x20AC;&#x153;bonded over barbecue and beer, and a like-minded philosophy on independent musicâ&#x20AC;?, says Barrott. Dine Alone has had success here with City and Colour (whose If I Should Go Before You album went top five), Alexisonfire, Tokyo Police Club and Hey Rosetta. It has also released such Aussie acts in the US as DZ Deathrays, The Jezabels, Miami Horror, Dune Rats, Children Collide and Hubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zeahorse. Coming up in 2016 on Dine Alone Australia are albums by The Dandy Warhols, Monster Truck, The Dirty Nil, Wintersleep and George Byrne.

Lifelines Expecting: Alanis Morissette and Mario â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Souleyeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Treadway, their second. Born: a daughter to singer Kate Alexa and her husband, making Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski a grandfather. Hospitalised: DMX was found unconscious in a hotel car park after suffering from bronchitis â&#x20AC;&#x153;for a couple of daysâ&#x20AC;?. Injured: Jason Derulo required 20 stitches in his leg after falling over while dancing in a Paris nightclub. In Court: rapper Meek Mill will spend three months under house arrest after being found guilty of changing a court-approved travel schedule and accompanying girlfriend Nicki Minaj to the American Music Awards. Sued: rapper Future by ex-fiancĂŠ Ciara for US$15 million, allegedly for slander and libel in tweets and interviews in which he questioned her skills as a mother. Died: Northern Rivers guitarist and teacher Rob Yeatman from a serious illness. Died: US singer-songwriter Dan Hicks, 74, from throat and liver cancer. Died: US performer Joe Dowell, who had a US chart-topper in 1961 with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wooden Heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, 76, from a heart attack. His followup â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Little Red Rented Rowboatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reached number 23. Died: All four members of UK indie band Viola Beach, and their manager. While on tour, their car drove off a bridge outside of Stockholm that had been opened to let a boat through.

thebrag.com

Drive at their headline show on Friday night at Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s O2 Academy Brixton in front of 5,000 fans. â&#x20AC;˘ A reunion of five original members of The Triffids after five years before a 50,000-strong crowd was one of the features of the Perth International Arts Festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening spectacular. It celebrated all things Western Australia and featured the likes of John Butler, The Drones, The Waifs, Kavisha Mazzella, Dave Warner and Ernie Dingo. The Triffids were joined by Rob Snarski, The Panicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Jae Laffer and The Dronesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Gareth Liddiard stepping in for Dave McComb on the unofficial WA state song â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wide Open Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;˘ With all first round Prince tickets sold out in ten minutes, frustrated Australian fans were blaming ticketing agency websites for meltdowns. â&#x20AC;˘ The deadline for artist applications to play this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manly Jazz Festival is Thursday March 31. â&#x20AC;˘ Another Sydney venue is closing, and blaming lockout laws in part for a downturn

in business. Bar Century on George Street is not affected directly by the 2014 legislation, but a drop in foot traffic in the area and a rise in rent will see it close on Saturday February 27. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll become a nightclub with â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtual gamingâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;˘ Live Industry, which axed this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Valley festival due to low ticket sales, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope to return with an alternative, yet similar event later in 2016.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ Katie Noonan is the new artistic director of the Queensland Music Festival and promises an emphasis on indie acts. â&#x20AC;˘ Welcome back to Cog, whose July tour sold out instantly, with more shows added in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. â&#x20AC;˘ Kelly Osbourne said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;paying for Ozzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crimesâ&#x20AC;? after a bat shat on her head. â&#x20AC;˘ A house party thrown by Big White to fund their trip to SXSW drew 400 fans, including some forced to climb through windows. â&#x20AC;˘ 16 songwriters and producers involved in Adeleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25 split US$9.6 million in royalties from its eight million US sales alone (15 million worldwide).

THE JEZABELS ASSIGN PUBLISHING TO NATIVE TONGUE

The Beatles contribute ÂŁ82 million a year to the Liverpool economy as fans from around the world continue to make pilgrimages to where it all began for the band in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s. The figures come from a report commissioned by Liverpool City Council and conducted by Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool. It found that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the Beatles economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Liverpool grows 15 per cent each year with â&#x20AC;&#x153;further significant growth potentialâ&#x20AC;? in the future. Last December, a new Beatles statue was unveiled in Liverpool to mark the 50th anniversary of their final hometown gig.

BUCKERIDGE HEADS DOMINO ANZ

REGIONAL RADIO TO BECOME MORE DIGITAL

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON TAKES AIM AT LAWSUIT The team behind hit movie Straight Outta Compton lashed back at a US$110 million lawsuit filed by former N.W.A manager Jerry Heller. He says he was depicted as a villain, not compensated for the use of his likeness and had his work stolen. The filmmakers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including NBCUniversal, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, director F. Gary Gray and the Oscar-nominated screenwriters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; insist there is no defamation. They used Hellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own autobiography to argue that many of N.W.Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s episodes were subject to â&#x20AC;&#x153;ambiguous and hotly debatedâ&#x20AC;? interpretation and a scene where he refused to hand over a $75,000 cheque to Ice Cube didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make him a bad guy.

WANNA ATTEND INDIE WEEK? AIR, Sounds Australia and PPCA are seeking expressions of interest from indie labels to take part in a ten-strong Australian delegation to Indie Week 2016, a labelfocused conference hosted by A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) from Monday June 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thursday June 16 in New York. Australian delegations have attended since 2013.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC SETS UP BRING AGENCY Universal Music Australia has teamed up with creative agencies Host and One Green Bean to launch new agency Bring. It will team brands with its own acts, as well as external music and film artists. It is led by Universalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head of business development Roddy Campbell, and Host and One Green Bean will create campaigns.

CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT CEO STEPS DOWN Chugg Entertainmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO and co-director Matthew Lazarus-Hall will step down in late March. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decided to focus more on his young family, and is setting up his own consultancy firm. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue to work with Chugg as an ongoing consultant on specialist projects, and through his new firm, will continue to run the CMC Rocks QLD festival, and hold his leadership and operational role with Laneway Festival across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. His role at Chugg will not be replaced, but shared by founder Michael Chugg and general manager of touring Susan Heymann.

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BEATLES CONTRIBUTE ÂŁ82M TO LIVERPOOL

The Jezabels have assigned their publishing to Native Tongue, just as their new album Synthia gets a world release. Native Tongueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Matt Tanner said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long-time fans of The Jezabels, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited to be joining them on the next part of what has been quite an extraordinary journey so far. Synthia is a truly accomplished body of work and we take pleasure in being a part of the team.â&#x20AC;? The album was released last week via MGM in Australia/NZ, The Groove Merchants in the US, Caroline in the UK/Europe and Dine Alone in Canada.

Former EMI Music executive Lucy Buckeridge is the new label manager for Domino Records Australia and New Zealand.

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The Australian Government is making changes to broadcasting rules in order to extend digital radio in regional areas. It aims to remove all obstacles to the process and set up a Digital Radio Planning Committee of execs from community and commercial radio to oversee the roll-out. The Community Broadcasting Association applauded the move, saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Community radio is at the forefront of innovation, especially for the benefit of communities, and we will continue to be.â&#x20AC;? The commercial radio sector sees the regionals as integral for the growth of digital radio.

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HILLTOPS INITIATIVE BACK FOR 11TH YEAR The Hilltop Hoods Initiative is back for its 11th year to further careers of emerging Australian hip hop and soul artists who are APRA AMCOS members yet to release an album commercially. The winner gets $10,000 cash to cover costs of manufacturing, marketing and distributing an album or EP, plus legal advice from Media Arts Lawyers and a Love Police ATM merchandise start-up kit. The deadline is Tuesday March 22, with the winner to be announced Wednesday May 11. See apraamcos.com.au/hth.

UK MUSIC MAGAZINE SALES RISE Most UK music magazines showed a rise in circulation in recent figures. The biggest success was the NME. After going free last September, it had a massive 1,897% jump to 307,217 (the highest in its 64-year history) from 15,384 the same time in 2015. Its website nme.com rose 25% to 5.6 million users and its social users were up 24% to 2.1 million. Mojo remains the most paid-for UK mag (70,445, up 4.7%), while Q was up 0.1% to 44,050, and Rock Sound up 3% to 13,924. Dropping were Kerrang! by 12.5% to 24,207, Metal Hammer by 14.6% to 20,961, Classic Rock by 5% to 51,219 and Uncut by 3.4% to 47,890.

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AC/DC LAUNCH LET THERE BE ROCK FUND, B&C CANS AC/DC are launching their new Let There Be Rock Fund. It invites up-and-coming talent to cover their favourite AC/DC song in any style and go in the draw to win prizes and industry experiences. Visit biggestfanpromo.com. au/acdc. The fund is partly funded from sales of the new AC/DC Bourbon & Cola range, each new monthly range showcasing an AC/DC album cover. Buyers of the drink can also win prizes, including signed Gibson SG Specials.

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BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 7

STRUNG UP AGAIN

n 2007, Hilltop Hoods were already a widely adored, charttopping hip hop group. The previous year they had released their fourth LP, The Hard Road, and armed with the singles ‘Clown Prince’, ‘The Hard Road’ and ‘What A Great Night’, it debuted at number one and reached gold sales status in just its second week. However, The Hard Road’s success didn’t make the Hoods infallible. So in early 2007, when they announced their next project would be The Hard Road: Restrung – a collaboration with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – plenty of diehard fans had reservations about this seemingly incongruous match-up. Up until that stage, the band’s production predominantly consisted of samples and programming, so it remained to be seen whether a symphony orchestra could complement the broad Aussie accents of MCs Suffa and Pressure. But working with the ASO wasn’t just a huge opportunity for the boys from Adelaide, it proved a successful venture both commercially and artistically.

In contrast to a traditional remix album, which involves giving songs to a range of producers to redo them however they like, the ‘restrung’ method let the Hoods flex further creativity within their songs. This made it an especially appealing

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“WE DO WHAT WE KNOW AND WE REFLECT THE MUSIC WE’VE LISTENED TO. I THINK THAT’S WHEN MUSICIANS GET REALLY OUT OF THEIR DEPTH – WHEN THEY TRY TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THEM RATHER THAN WHAT THEY KNOW.” format to revisit for their latest two records, 2012’s Drinking From The Sun and 2014’s Walking Under Stars. These two releases were conceived as separate instalments in an interconnected sequence, and the forthcoming Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung LP (again featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra) completes the project. “Every album we’ve dropped since The Hard Road – State Of The Art, Walking Under Stars, Drinking From The Sun – people that were fans of The Hard Road: Restrung have asked us if we’re going do it with this album,” Lambert says. “We thought the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone was great. And the fact that Drinking From The Sun and Walking Under Stars were companion pieces, to bring them under this one umbrella of being remixed with an orchestra joins them together, like they were sort of meant to be.” Hailing a record as an orchestral restyling will naturally lead listeners to pay extra attention to the symphonic elements. However, Lambert and his co-parts Daniel Smith (Pressure) and Barry Francis (DJ Debris) were scrupulous about the orchestration not detracting from the songs’ original essence. “Our plan was, ‘It can’t be an orchestral album. It’s got to be a hip hop album,’” Lambert says. “So when we were mixing, we went back to the beginning and remade the beats with the orchestral and choir parts before we brought in the vocals.”

Much like The Hard Road: Restrung, the new project was formulated alongside prolific symphonic composer Jamie Messenger. The Melbourne-based Messenger regularly composes for symphony orchestras all around the country, and has previously ventured into rock and pop to work with the likes of Sia and The Whitlams. However, despite his vast experience, giving these songs an orchestral makeover was no easy task – especially because the group needed to be satisfied enough to justify re-releasing the material. “It was a real collaboration between us and Jamie,” says Lambert. “Obviously I’m not classically trained so I’m not able to say, ‘The tremolo in this section needs to be blah blah blah.’ So all we can do in the build-up is constantly give him feedback in the direction we want the songs to go. Initially, when we gave him all the songs, we gave him notes on what direction we’d like them to go in. For example, for ‘Speaking In Tongues’ we wanted him to make it a bit moodier and a bit more melancholy because otherwise it was going to stick out on the album and not fit in against the other tracks. Then he wrote his initial arrangements, and then for about six months we went back and forth with him on each track until we were both happy.” The three members of Hilltop Hoods are all accomplished creative individuals, who’ve released four straight number one albums and done countless sold-out shows and

major festivals around the world. However, throwing ideas around with a classical composer was a somewhat humbling process. “I’ve got a huge admiration for what [Messenger]’s able to do, because it’s not just writing some strings or writing some horns or writing whatever – it’s writing all of it and having it work with each other and work with the existing music,” Lambert says. “I think that’s an incredible gift. But at the same time, music is a language that we all speak. Maybe we don’t phrase everything the same way. But generally we can go, ‘The feeling or the mood of this track is too upbeat…’.” Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung contains 19 songs, covering the majority of the two pre-existing records plus parts six and seven in the ongoing narrative serial ‘The Thirst’ and the new singles ‘Higher’ (featuring James Chatburn) and ‘1955’ (featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum). “[Those songs] weren’t around when we were recording the other albums. It was less something to tie the two albums together and more something to give value added to the fans. You know, if we’re going to go over the top, let’s go completely over the top and throw a bunch of new songs on there. We’re always writing and recording as well, so we always want something new on there, because I constantly find myself distancing myself from the last project. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I like that, but this new stuff we’re doing is way better.’

“[Chatburn] actually entered the Hilltop Hoods Initiative,” adds Lambert, referencing the Hoods’ collaboration with APRA AMCOS to encourage emerging local talent with a $10,000 cash prize. “Even though he didn’t take it away, we thought he had an amazing voice and he’s a great songwriter. And my wife put me onto Montaigne, because she listens to a lot of radio. She really did end up being the perfect fit, because she’s such a gifted singer and [brings] really good energy as a person.” Aside from the symphonic collaborations, Hilltop Hoods have stayed pretty close to their boom-bap origins. While they’ve gradually expanded their palette – after The Hard Road: Restrung they started working with session musicians in the studio, and they’ve grown cumulatively stronger as lyricists and MCs – they haven’t deviated into EDM or trap or fiddled with stripped-down acoustic arrangements. “We do what we know and we reflect the music we’ve listened to. I think that’s when musicians get really out of their depth – when they try to keep up with what’s going on around them rather than what they know. As a result, our music’s a reflection of what we’re into. Sometimes we stray out of our comfort zone, but at the core there’s a very Hilltop Hoods sound. And we know it when we hear it – when someone sends us a beat, we know it. After all this time, it’s just sort of innate.” What: Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung out Friday February 19 through Golden Era/Universal With: Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Chamber Choir, Maverick Sabre Where: Allphones Arena When: Saturday April 2

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Hilltop Hoods photo by xxx

“There’s a list of things somewhere on the internet that musicians should never do,” says Suffa, AKA Matt Lambert. “‘Think that your album’s going to sound better with a symphony orchestra’ is on the list,” he laughs. “Our only concern was that people knew we weren’t being self-indulgent – which it was to a degree – but that it’s something we genuinely wanted to do, and that we thought orchestral arrangement would lend something really special to the music.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Jonathan Boulet Divine Times Ahead By David Molloy around them all the time, of course you’re gonna start to miss ’em.” Gubba is simultaneously more stripped-back and weightier than Boulet’s previous releases, driven by a mindset of ‘maximum impact, minimal bullshit’ that forms the backbone of his new approach to music.

or a restless soul like Sydney noisemaker Jonathan Boulet, the only constant is change. In the last five years – a good chunk of which he spent in Berlin – the mercurial muso has gone from an indie-folk festival mainstay to the grime-smeared Gubba, a character who slithered from Boulet’s 2014 garage-punk album of the same name. Let’s backtrack a second: just who the fuck is Gubba? “The phrase is an indigenous term for a white man,” Boulet explains, “but when I was thinking about it over the course of that album, it turned into this character who’s kinda like white man’s evil over the course of time, of history. You know the cartoon character Rat Fink? That’s kinda what it looked like to me: it was just

For the unfamiliar, Rat Fink appeared in the album art of The Birthday Party’s Junkyard, a similarly “moody and aggressive” record, in Boulet’s words. It may seem like an odd reference point, but fans of his self-produced albums may not be so familiar with the rough-and-ready bands he’s played with in the past.

Despite the sudden sneering doom aesthetic, there’s been no real philosophical change for Boulet, he maintains, even after time spent overseas in a city that many of our generation perceive to be something of a cultural mecca. “It’s such a different place; there’s such culture and history there,” he says of Berlin. “But at the same time, most of me would prefer Sydney because it’s such a thriving city. It’s got everything you need.”

“The whole record is just a summation of all the heavier, aggressive bands that I was in before we moved, like Snakeface, Top People and my solo stuff,” he says. “Everything’s narrowing into the same project in [Gubba], and I think most of those songs could work with any of those bands.”

While it’s worth noting this interview occurred before New South Wales Premier Mike Baird’s reiteration of his lockout policies, the nightlife is not what Boulet’s after. “I like being close to the bush, having access to the beach and the bush, and having the good weather. They’re really simple things, but if you’re not

this crazy, psycho, don’t-get-in-hisway son of a bitch.”

“The album before Gubba [2012’s We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart] was quite thick, it was quite layered … and it kind of made it harder to hear what was going on because there wasn’t a lot of clarity,” he admits. “I found through the shows that was kind of where I needed to go – for it to work properly, you need to arrange with clarity in mind and make sure everything has purpose. And there was too much – there was bullshit! I didn’t want to have any long, wanky intros, soundscapes, that kinda thing. People seem to have short attention spans; I’ve also got a really short attention span, so I kinda just want the song to start when it starts, you know?” We talk about the kinds of bands that are carrying the no-bullshit torch and getting Boulet excited – “ridiculous” underground punk bands, specifically Melbourne’s Total Control and “any band that Mikey Young is associated with” – and I can’t help but bring up the recent Hottest 100 countdown to gauge Boulet’s reaction. It elicits a laugh. “It was on at the pub we were at. Every song, one of us was just like, ‘What the fuck is this?’ I don’t wanna rat on anyone, but I think it’s interesting that was the reaction that I think a lot of people had also.” We swing back to Boulet’s own work, which at present sees him hit

the studio every day – as he puts it, “I’ve just gotta sit there until the shit comes out.” He says he’s sticking to the aesthetic established on Gubba for now, at least loosely. “In the same ballpark,” he says. “I think it was a fun album and it was pretty brash, a little bit offensive on the ears, but I’m hoping to stay close to it. Maybe, like, make it a little more groovy, a little more dynamic. When we launched [Gubba] in Sydney, at one point it just erupted and I was like, ‘Yes! This is why the whole album happened!’ It was very nice.” Boulet is looking to make the live show more fun than ever, and with Popfrenzy’s Divine Times festival on the horizon as part of the 2016 Spectrum Now program – which sees Boulet play alongside postpunk pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain – there’s never been a better time. Never fear, hardcore fans; he’s still raging with his other outfits – Snakeface tore up Black Wire Records just last week. “We’re currently making new music with all those guys,” Boulet says. “Snakeface is starting to record some new stuff; same with Top People, trying to get that started up. [I’ve] got another project called Party Cousin, which is this noisy saxophone and drums duo. Basically right now, for me, it’s time to go to town and just make as much shit as possible.” What: Divine Times as part of Spectrum Now 2016 With: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Seekae, Alvvays, U.S. Girls Where: The Domain When: Saturday March 5 And: Gubba out now through Popfrenzy

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Mark Seymour Singing In Tongues By Adam Norris time to muse on then and now. “Hunters & Collectors retired back in ’98, and there were a bunch of songs amongst the records that became very popular,” he says. “Looking back, and broadly speaking, I think the [reason] for our reputation is that we really toured relentlessly. But that said, of those songs, maybe half a dozen have become a part of my history as a writer. I still play them at gigs, though I’ll rotate them so I’m not just up there playing the same thing every time. But over that 33 years of writing and singing I distil the best out of that band’s work and continue on with that into my own albums. Even though I’ve been doing it a long time, it still feels fresh to me.” Part of this must surely stem from the fact that unlike a great many charting artists today, Seymour is still a man obsessed by story. From a song like ‘Holy Grail’, an epic quest narrative inspired by Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion, to his more recent everyman tale of ‘Two Dollar Punter’, finding a way to create a story and keep listeners engaged is at the core of his craft. However, while it may be the familiar figure of Seymour standing there onstage, these days his songs are more likely to feature observation rather than revelation.

n 1998, after 18 years and nine albums, Hunters & Collectors closed the door on one of the most successful rock band careers in Australian history. Certain songs have become generational mainstays, with ‘Holy Grail’ embraced by the AFL and the iconic ‘Throw Your Arms Around

Me’ now recognised as a classic across the globe. Yet frontman Mark Seymour has never been shackled by the band’s success, and since then has released nine albums of his own showcasing his ever-evolving songwriting prowess. Ahead of his Twilight At Taronga appearance, Seymour takes the

“There’s quite a few songs on the new album that are constructed in character. They occupy the mind’s eye of a person who’s going through some fairly profound experience, and I’m observing that at third hand. I’m trying to describe how that would feel, to elicit the emotion of a person being challenged by the circumstances they’re in. That’s something

that I’ve become more and more interested in as a way into a song. But it’s also really firmly grounded in the notion of walking out onto a stage in front of a whole lot of people I don’t know and telling stories about life as I understand it. As I become more interested in the world around me, I’ve found my songwriting has become broader. It’s less directly connected with me now. When I go out, I tend not to give them the impression that I’m singing about my own shit. I’m singing about this other guy’s stuff.” Seymour’s concerns as a songwriter prove to be an interesting insight into what compels him to keep touring, to remain excited about the shape and potential of each performance (he talks enthusiastically about his upcoming show at Taronga, hoping to use the environment there to create a special and intimate space). While the bedrock of writing strikes him as something quite simple, finding the spark of creativity is much more elusive. “In songwriting you’re grappling with some very basic principles. Three to four minutes of music, you’re throwing words into chords, and it’s a turkey shoot. When you’re finding stuff to write about, you’re trying to distil some kind of psychological twist that you’re carrying around. With my writing now, I don’t pin things down too quickly. I let ideas fester. The idea of getting bogged down in front of a computer with a multi-track device just kills it. I did that for a long time when I left Hunters, because I thought, ‘How in the hell am I going to do this? I don’t have a band anymore!’ But I think songwriting is a completely

spontaneous experience. The raw material is so basic, it’s so easy to get lost in it. Songwriting deals with very little stuff, but the strange and interesting ways into it can happen really randomly.” An interesting example might be found in the recent update to fan favourite ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’. A new second verse begins with the line, “Whatever worlds you come from, whatever tongue you speak”. Written in response to racist tirades captured on camera on public transport, and in earnest support of asylum seekers, it very simply celebrates the idea of unity and support without driving its message down people’s throats. “I try to keep my mind open,” says Seymour. “‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’, there’s an exchange of emotion, and there’s an act of generosity on the audience’s part as much as mine. So for me to walk out and sing a song that has a really strong political narrative, for example, is an entirely legitimate exercise. These are stories I can share with [audiences] because I want them to own them like they did with ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’. That verse, I just thought, ‘It’s time to change up this song. It’s not going to go away.’ A lot of people don’t seem to know the words have gone by them. You see them mouthing them a lot. People want you to know that they know what the words are. It’s just beautiful.” Who: Mark Seymour and The Undertow What: Twilight At Taronga 2016 Where: Taronga Zoo When: Friday February 19

Wolfmother The Victory Lap By George Nott

“H

ow would you describe this album to someone who has never heard it?” It’s a question interviewers often ask, even though the answers they receive are nearly always underwhelming. Perhaps surprisingly, artists are usually quite bad at putting their own music into words. They begin with, “It’s kind of…”, then say who else it sounds like, often citing themselves, then give an approximate genre and lift some line straight from their own press release. No such issue with Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale. In full, then, the band’s new album Victorious is: “Like, err…” He clears his throat and pauses. “A high nervy epic journey through a black forest in Germany on a galloping horse that saves the village from the evil bosses and plants edible gardens where people sit around picking passion fruits and recline in their tepees with their Pocahontas women.” An overdue deep breath and high-pitched giggle.

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“Just press ‘record’ and start playing!” he laughs. “I did think, ‘I should make this one sound like Wolfmother,’ you know? So I went back to my old approach of writing big riffs and doing outlandish drum fills and cymbals. The actual concept of working quickly seems to work, get that momentum going.” The result is big-production, bombastic rock – a return to form for a band some fans felt had lost its way. Victorious is, by the way, a Wolfmother record, although currently Wolfmother means Stockdale and a clutch of trusted session musicians. The 2005 debut Wolfmother was a full-band effort. Following the original lineup’s split in 2008, second album Cosmic Egg was written by Stockdale, but the touring band tracked it. “That was cool,” Stockdale says, “but making the touring party the recording party, maybe I jumped the gun a little bit with that.” Then there was an Andrew Stockdale solo record, Keep Moving, in 2013, before Wolfmother’s last release New Crown (written by Stockdale and recorded live by the band) simply appeared on the internet one day in March 2014. Wolfmother had no label at the time – the record was self-produced without so much as a murmur of marketing. “I started off with a major label and producer, and the first record was massive so I had everything set up,” Stockdale recalls. “I never really experienced doing the whole

DIY thing. Maybe I romanticised about it. I thought, ‘Let’s try it. Technology has changed, you just put your music up, everything has shifted – maybe we should embrace the new wave of reaching people.’ I’ve done that now; I’ve got it out of my system.” Now Stockdale is back with Universal, and Victorious comes with editable gif goodies, colour-itin-yourself album art and a video for the lead single ‘Victorious’ complete with ray-gun-toting sexy space cadets battling evil interplanetary overlords. Appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a pre-Grammys warmup show will follow in the coming weeks. Big label backing also

meant the album was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles with multiple Grammy-winning producer Brendan O’Brien. “I really enjoy the service major labels provide, the resource they have,” Stockdale says. “It’s all positive. I love it, bring it on, please do all the work for us!” It’s now been more than a decade since Wolfmother released their self-titled debut, breaking big (five times platinum in Australia) with singles ‘Woman’, ‘Love Train’ and ‘Joker And The Thief’. “I haven’t really looked back the whole time,” says Stockdale. “I’m always thinking about the next record and the next tour. When

you get to ten years you kind of go, ‘Whoa! What?!’ You can reflect for a little while and look back, it’s kind of nice to be a bit nostalgic for a while – but only for a little while. “It’s hard to believe,” he adds. “You tour, you write the next one, tour that and it’s like, wow, the cycle of a record – it goes quickly. The writing and touring balance each other. You take time off from touring, and then you write. It rejuvenates the touring, and then touring is exciting, so you have more you want to say, and want to create new music to play to people. It’s a healthy balance between the two.” What: Victorious out Friday February 19 through Universal

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Wolfmother photo by Piper Ferguson

It’s a fi ne synopsis that also demonstrates Stockdale’s approach to writing Wolfmother’s fourth album. “I just try and get it done really quickly, have it all done, don’t overthink it,” he explains. “I think personally, the best riffs are the ones that have that reckless abandon and that out-of-body experience where you don’t feel like you’re playing it. If you work quickly, there’s a better chance of that happening, but if you labour over it, it can sound too deliberate or forced. So I try to work quickly just to capture the excitement of a good idea before it’s overdone.”

By quick, he really does mean quick – as in, all songs written in around 15 days quick.

Between The Buried And Me Coma Chameleons By Aaron Streatfeild

rock opera about comainduced time travel sounds like something from an upcoming Christopher Nolan film. Fortunately, Coma Ecliptic – the seventh studio album from tech metallers Between The Buried And Me – is yet to be pitched to Hollywood heavyweights. Paul Waggoner, the band’s guitarist and founding member, looks back on the lead-up to the album’s release last year.

Between The Buried And Me photo by Justin Reich

“I guess us labelling Coma Ecliptic as a ‘modern rock opera’ was a little bit tongue-in-cheek,” he says. “It was something we put on social media and it just took off. But in a way, it was the next evolutionary step for the band. In the past we have done both musically and lyrically conceptual albums, this time we just wanted to do something we hadn’t done before.” Between The Buried And Me are known for their complex arrangements and genre-mashing, and although the idea of a modern rock opera sounds like a throwaway line, it isn’t hard to imagine the band orchestrating such an opus. “I think it’s just a product of all of us being older and more mature as people and as musicians,” Waggoner says. “We don’t feel like we have anything to prove anymore, so we’re just trying to write the best music that we possibly can and challenge ourselves creatively. We wanted to create something that’s timeless and something that we can be proud of. “It was really just the next step – it felt natural for us. It wasn’t forced, we just kind of did it and everybody was on the same page.”

Across the Between The Buried And Me discography, elements of science fiction have formulated a good chunk of their lyrical and conceptual themes. However, Waggoner says the recurring sci-fi motifs don’t stem from any particular member’s dedication to the genre. “The way our music is, [it’s about] the linear nature of our songwriting and the fact that we try to write music that is very dynamic,” he explains. “We feel the sci-fi element fits the music. In some ways, it’s the aural version of sci-fi – that’s how we feel about it. “Tommy [Rogers, singer] writes all the lyrics and occasionally we all collaborate on what the concept of the album will be, or the general storyline. He often compares the Coma Ecliptic story to something like a Twilight Zone episode, which I think is pretty fitting. We all have a casual interest in sci-fi, not to a tremendous extent or anything like that. We like to think of things like time travel and space travel – I guess that’s something that’s fun to think about and inspires us to write music.” Since the release of Coma Ecliptic, there has been wide speculation among fans as to whether or not the band will perform the album in its entirety, as has been the method with previous releases. And with an Australian tour set to begin later this month, the question stands. “We haven’t quite gone down that road just yet,” says Waggoner. “For the Australian tour, we are just going to do a montage of different eras of BTBAM. With the last couple of records, we toured the whole album from start to finish upon

its release, but we felt like people didn’t have time to fully digest it. We thought in a live setting it might have been a little overwhelming. For Coma Ecliptic we thought, ‘Let’s just let it be out there for a while, for a good long while.’ That way, when we do decide to play it in its entirety, it is a little more familiar to the crowd. That’s our mentality this time around.” Joining the band for the length of the Australian tour will be San Diego sonic scientists Chon. Like Between The Buried And Me, they blend an eclectic mix of influences to produce a chaotic and technically proficient sound. “They’re just one of those younger bands that I think have a unique

sound and a unique style, and that’s something we really respect,” says Waggoner. “It’s hard for an instrumental band to really capture the attention of an audience, but I think they just do a good job of writing catchy melodies. Those guys can play, man.” Our conversation quickly turns to the current state of metal music in Australia and around the world. With the demise of big-time music festivals in both Australia and the US, Waggoner reflects on the future of not only metal festivals, but festivals of all kinds. “It’s tough, you know; we have a festival here called Mayhem Festival and that one is also no more. I think a lot of times these festivals are

really expensive to produce. There are so many expenses – logistics, insurance and paying the bands. It’s just hard to sell enough tickets these days to make it work. “I think sometimes you just have to take a step back and instead of doing festivals with big lineups and venues, maybe scale it back and make it more affordable for the fans and make it less of a burden for the producers to come up with the overhead.” What: Coma Ecliptic out now through Metal Blade With: Chon, The Helix Nebula Where: Metro Theatre When: Sunday February 28

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The Sword A Finer Cut By David James Young Being 12 years and five albums into their career, The Sword were determined to venture into unknown territory on High Country in order to keep things interesting for both themselves and their listeners. This led to further use of synthesizer, a drum machine running through the track ‘Seriously Mysterious’, and various instrumental interludes throughout the song sequence. The palette expansion could well have left older fans out in the cold, or made for a more challenging live show, but neither has been the case.

arrying on a time-honoured tradition of making manethrashing metal about weird, mythological and trippy shit, The Sword are one of the genre’s more popular contemporary proponents. 2015 saw the Texan four-piece release their fifth studio album, High Country, to unanimous critical acclaim – which is just as well, considering positivity has characterised the album’s entire existence.

“Making this record was easily the highlight of my entire year,” says John D. Cronise, the band’s lead singer, chief songwriter, and one of two guitarists. “The whole process of writing it, working on it, getting it out – it was one of the best experiences we have ever had as a band in terms of that side of things. “It’s a record we’re really proud of, and it’s a record that we really

enjoy playing live. We went on tour through Europe a little bit after the record came out, and it was really great to take it to places we’d never played before. We got to play in places like Tilburg [in the Netherlands] and Norway, which was a really positive experience. Touring this album has been so exciting. We’re looking forward to sharing these songs with you down in Australia for the very first time.”

“People have been really cool about it,” Cronise says. “We think the record translates really well live, even the stuff that’s obviously very studio-centric. When we’re playing one of those different tracks, you’re always going to look up from your guitar and see a few doubting bearded faces in the crowd [laughs]. You just know that we’re the least gnarly band that these guys go and see. We’d like to think that, by coming to see us, you’re getting a bit of an education about a rock’n’roll show. It’s not all just about the volume or the intensity. It’s about the dynamics. It’s about letting the songs speak for themselves. Once we’ve done that, I know we’ll get those doubting faces to crack a smile.” High Country came out last August, and Australian audiences will get the chance to witness it live later this month. 2016 also marks a special anniversary for The Sword

– it’s been ten years since they properly arrived on the scene with their debut album, Age Of Winters. Cronise himself wasn’t actually aware of the fact until now, but when looking back on that album’s creation, he associates it with the Spinal Tap dream of turning amps up to 11 and attempting to truly embody their authoritative band name. “With making that record, we wanted it to be a really bold statement,” he says. “We wanted it to be as undeniable as we could make it – we wanted to make the heaviest heavy metal that we knew how to make. It wasn’t to the extreme of, say, death metal or anything like that. Without going to that extreme, though, we still wanted to try and reflect our name as best we could. We wanted to be a musical sword, chopping stuff up, sharp and dangerous. These days, I think that same sword is a little more tempered. We’re not running around trying to decapitate people anymore. Now it’s a little more ceremonial. It’s kept in a glass case in a cavalry somewhere – it never gets used, but it still looks really nice.” What: High Country out now through Razor & Tie/Cooking Vinyl With: American Sharks, Clowns Where: Max Watt’s When: Wednesday February 24

The Peep Tempel Gracefully Raging By Tegan Reeves

he Peep Tempel have been slogging away at their brand of Australian hard rock since 2008. Formed by singer-songwriter Blake Scott and drummer Steven Carter, who were neighbours at the time, they were later joined by bassist Stewart Rayner. Their 2014 release Tales marked a breakthrough for the band, pushing them into the realm of triple j airplay – something Scott attributes to their resonating hit ‘Carol’.

“Triple j certainly exposed us to a wider audience, but ‘Carol’ was probably the only track they’ve played a number of times. We’ve cut our teeth more so with the local and independent stations. I don’t know where triple j see us in their demographic, but they seemed to like ‘Carol’, and we’ll see what happens in the future and whether they pick anything else up. One thing we did notice was the difference between crowds as soon as we started getting that triple j airplay – it widened the demographic of our shows and tours in a big way.” The experience of this larger audience and foray into the mainstream is something The Peep Tempel have taken into the studio with them for the recording of their third album, due out later this year. “This new record doesn’t feel as as ‘rock’ as the last, especially topically, where the last album was quite Australian,” says Scott. “I like my music to be quite rough and loud with the feeling that it may fall apart at any minute, and I think we achieve that vibe with a mixture between intent and maybe a lack of chops on our instruments. “We’ve written most of the album, which we’re looking to record in March,” he continues. “We’ve left it a bit late – we don’t really know where we’re doing it yet, but we’re happy with that part of it being 12 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

reasonably spontaneous. We haven’t finalised the structures of a lot of the songs as much as we would have in the past, and we’re planning to have a little bit more time in the studio to try and capture the creation of the songs as opposed to the last few records, where we really knew what we were doing with each song as we went into record them. Hopefully that works out well – it could be dangerous, but we’ll see what happens.” At the very least, Scott and co. are sure the album will have a different personality than its predecessors. “This album seems to be a little more laid-back – there is still some of the faster and more raucous stuff in there, but maybe we’ve started raging gracefully, because there’s a lot more groove-based stuff in there. I do feel that we are

a better band compared to the last two records – as a band playing together and also in our creation of material, I think it’s much better than it has been in the past. “People change, things change, you have different sorts of outside influences and I think you develop together as a band. Sometimes it also comes down to mood. We went through stages when we were coming up with this laid-back, groove-based material, and then a couple of months later we came up with some more faster stuff. I’m not really sure why this album has taken on a different feel, but it’s just kind of the way it’s evolved – it just feels natural. You just have to hope that the audience comes with you. Hopefully they’ll dig it.” It seems safe to say that fans will applaud whatever it is The Peep Tempel put out in 2016, after the

band was awarded the coveted ‘Boot’ at Victoria’s Meredith Music Festival late last year. The Boot is a Meredith and Golden Plains tradition whereby the audience members hold their shoes up to the skies in appreciation of something that goes above and beyond expectations. In 2015, the honour came The Peep Tempel’s way for their performance of ‘Carol’. “That was pretty cool,” says Scott. “I never thought we’d play to that many people, for one, and then secondly we were pretty happy with our time slot, and then to get The Boot was a real buzz. The adrenaline was definitely going and hairs were sticking up on the back of my neck. It’s just such a great festival and all of the band members have been there a few times, and to be a part of it and get that kind of reception was

absolutely fantastic. It was sort of like Christmas for us.” Peep Tempel fans who missed out on that fabled Meredith performance will get their chance at redemption as the band heads up to Sydney this week. Scott speaks fondly of Sydney, especially its smaller venues. “Newtown Social Club was amazing last time we played there and it was the best turnout we’ve had up that way. We’ve done a lot of shows in Sydney where we might do two shows in one night and there’s nothing better than playing the smaller venues where you’re on the ground with the crowd, like upstairs at The Bank. We always like getting up to Sydney – the weather’s always a little bit better than Melbourne.” Where: Factory Floor When: Friday February 19

thebrag.com

Calexico To The Edge And Back Again By Augustus Welby alexico, natives of Tucson, Arizona, have been regular Australian visitors over the last decade, touring in the wake of their Garden Ruin, Carried To Dust and Algiers LPs (albums five, six and seven in their catalogue, respectively). With their eighth LP, Edge Of The Sun, released in mid-2015, Australian fans have been anticipating their return, and they’ll be back next month for a run of dates around the country. The BRAG speaks to co-founder and frontman Joey Burns, who says Edge Of The Sun material will dominate the tour setlist.

John and I to Cuba many years ago to do some recording.”

“As well as some older songs,” he adds. “You never know really. If there’s anyone around willing to sit in, it’s always fun to do some interesting cover songs with friends.”

“There is a sense of travel or exploring – LPs were little windows to different worlds around the planet. My parents’ collection was similar. So I spent a lot of time hanging out with the record player and headphones, and I think that rubbed off on me as a kid.”

Calexico photo by Paco Gómez

Unsurprisingly to Calexico fans, Edge Of The Sun is a stylistically and instrumentally diverse record. The opening sequence of songs – ‘Falling From The Sky’, ‘Bullets & Rocks’ and ‘When The Angels Played’ – eases listeners in with subdued folk rock opulence. From there it branches out, taking a more adventurous, Latin-inscribed route on songs such as ‘Cumbia De Donde’, ‘Beneath The City Of Dreams’ and ‘Moon Never Rises’. Having made eight albums, Calexico have no cut and dried approach for developing each new one, but there’s a general urge to move away from what’s come before. “That usually informs what we’ll do next or where we’ll go next,” Burns says. “In 2012 we put out Algiers, which we did some of the recording and writing [for] down in New Orleans. It was in the wintertime and I think that season had an effect on the songwriting. Also being in that area where there’s a lot of humidity, there’s a lot of history and culture, and a close proximity to Cuba – one of my favourite music forms is Afro-Cuban music – that record eventually became kind of introverted and mapped out more of an internal landscape. So it had this overall subtle approach to the sound and the mixing and some of the instrumentation.

Burns’ knowledge of American and Latin folk music is undeniably vast, but his musical education has by no means come to a standstill. “I just got four boxes of vinyl records from my aunt that she collected since the ’60s, and it’s really interesting. She had several mariachi records, there’s also the bull fights of Spain, she had a Françoise Hardy record, she had some things from Japan – quite a few koto records, which I was very excited about.

What: Spectrum Now 2016 With: Augie March Where: The Domain When: Sunday March 6 And: Edge Of The Sun out now through Spunk

ANTHONY WARLOW STARS IN

“This time I wanted to turn the lights on and turn up some energy and I couldn’t think of a better way than to go to Mexico City, which is another place I’ve wanted to spend more time in. I went there with John [Convertino, drummer and multi-instrumentalist] and our good friend Sergio Mendoza, who plays keyboards with us. It was fun to go to do some writing, to record those sketches, [and] some of those sketches became actual tracks for the record.” In the spirit of making a more energetic record, the band invited a number of guest vocalists into the studio to contribute to Edge Of The Sun. Early in the tracklist, there’s a trio of names indie rock audiences will be familiar with: Ben Bridwell (Band Of Horses), Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) and Neko Case. However, the more conspicuous vocal additions come from Spanish musician Amparo Sanchez (on ‘Cumbia De Donde’), Guatemalan singersongwriter Gaby Moreno (‘Miles From The Sea’ and ‘Beneath The City Of Dreams’) and Mexican indie-pop performer Carla Morrison (‘Moon Never Rises’). “The idea of asking people to come and sit in was one of the final thoughts of making the record,” Burns says. “The song ‘Bullets & Rocks’, after recording this idea and I put some scratch vocals on and doubled those harmonies, I was reminded of the feel and the sounds of working with Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. So I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just reach out to him.’ I sent him a text and he wrote back, ‘Hey, I’ll do it next week.’ “I’d never met Ben Bridwell of Band Of Horses, but I’d been a fan. Ironically, he even lived in Tucson at one point. Carla Morrison is a very popular singer from Mexico. She works with the same label and manager as Sergio. The same thing with Gaby Moreno.” As its title suggests, ‘Cumbia De Donde’ is a flirtation with the dance-oriented Latin American folk music, cumbia. Along with Sanchez’s vocals, the track makes use of drum loops and synthesizers. It’s not entirely unfamiliar territory for Calexico, but it’s nevertheless a brave songwriting experiment. “It came about because [Convertino], who had just recently moved to El Paso, Texas, needed some time before he could get to the studio. So the first day was just the bass player, myself and Sergio Mendoza. We wound up just making up some ideas based on cumbia rhythms. “We’ve always had a lot of influences just by virtue of being excited about different kinds of music and styles. We’ve worked with Amparo Sanchez for many years. She’s the one who actually took thebrag.com

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Wild Nothing A Refreshing Pause By Jody Macgregor

he live incarnation of Wild Nothing is an indie-pop band of three or more, but in the studio Wild Nothing is frontman Jack Tatum’s baby, and always has been. However, for his third record Life Of Pause, Tatum worked with a handful of collaborators. Brad Laner from Medicine contributed some guitar and John Eriksson from Peter Bjorn and John played most of the drums, as well as marimba on the single ‘Reichpop’. Named after minimalist composer Steve Reich, ‘Reichpop’ opens in a shoegazey haze before the marimbas come in and signal a shift into a much more 1980s pop sound, complete with synth.

Tatum is interested in the way the demo version of a song can be radically different from the completed one, and one of his favourite bands from which to track down obscure demos is Australia’s own The Go-Betweens. “You can go and find a lot of demos for songs that ended up on their records,” he says, “and it’s fascinating, it’s fascinating that a song and a melody

Tatum calls The Go-Betweens “kind of a constant presence for me, definitely one of my favourite bands”. Their influence on Life Of Pause shows most strongly in ‘Lady Blue’, with Tatum’s doubled vocals serving as his own backing, as if he’s both Robert Forster and Grant McLennan simultaneously. He says it’s a shame the two songwriters aren’t better known in the States, and he only stumbled across them himself thanks to Mike Sniper, who runs Wild Nothing’s record label Captured Tracks. “He is just like an obsessive record collector, it’s not uncommon for him to always have doubles of things laying around,” Tatum says. “He can’t help buying things. I think he gave me Before Hollywood and that was my introduction to The Go-Betweens. I really fell in love with them because I felt like they had a very natural evolution of their sound, and to listen to their early work, which really is a bit more angular, and from that to 16 Lovers Lane, which is just like this very beautiful pop record, I related to that a lot. I liked seeing that forward motion and seeing from one record to the next how they changed.” The forward motion of Wild Nothing is reflected across his albums too, with 2010 debut Gemini being the kind of mopey guitar pop that unites singer-songwriters in bedrooms across the world – whether in The Cure’s Crawley, The Go-Betweens’ Brisbane or Wild Nothing’s Blacksburg, Virginia. 2012’s second album Nocturne benefitted from an actual budget, adding string sections and a drummer who wasn’t a machine, as well as more production

polish. To ensure that Life Of Pause feels like another step forward, Tatum took his time with it. “I had a lot more to prove with this record,” he says, “and I think by that I mean that I wasn’t content to just quickly make another record that I didn’t feel would be an accurate statement, not only of where I was currently but where I also hoped to go with my music.” Life Of Pause took longer to record than both of Tatum’s previous albums, and there was also a longer gap in between when he wasn’t working on anything. “I did take a lot of time off after the last record and was writing a bit more casually. I think because of that, the casual nature of me slowly working on things, I ended up trying out a lot more ideas than I had in the past. Especially with Nocturne it was kind of like – really Gemini and Nocturne were the same way – once I felt like I had the songs, then that was it. I didn’t really explore too much.” Instead, Tatum’s exploration and experimentation found a home on Golden Haze and Empty Estate, the two EPs he released on the back of Gemini and Nocturne respectively. Even though he felt freer to explore on Life Of Pause, he says there’s something about recording EPs that feels looser, like you can get away with more, and he’d like to experience that again. “I certainly, with regards to the last EP, felt much less pressure to make this really grand, concise artistic statement. It was really more about feeling that itch to write and record again until I did it, and that EP happened so much more quickly than any of the other records in the past. But I think that will maybe be

a trend with me. I like the idea that I have this opportunity to not freak myself out so much over a release. I feel like I can get that with an EP.”

What: Life Of Pause out Friday February 19 through Captured Tracks/Remote Control

five things WITH LUNA

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GRAND just released a single called ‘Chase The World’. We collaborated with a super clever producer by the name of Shawn Naderi on this one. We are currently on a national tour launching the new single. People coming to these shows can expect songs with stories and beautifully haunting melodies paired with a fivepiece monster outfit of gifted musicians giving their all to a backdrop of soulful, electronic beats and basslines.

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Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The music scene in Sydney

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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Growing Up Music has always 1. played a major part in our lives growing up. We have an annual family reunion called Stitt Fest where every year we all take turns at hosting from Sydney to Perth, to Coffs and the Hunter. It’s pretty much just a weekend of family time, eating, drinking and making music. It’s really cool to join all the generations in the family through music. Inspirations Mario Kart – no 2. explanation needed. Stevie Wonder – he’s just the complete musician, songwriter and human being. He has inspired the three of us since the day we heard him. James Blake was probably the main inspiration in our evolution to where we are now musically. Rage Against The

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Machine for their energy and huge sound. Daniel Johns is our homegrown hero – Silverchair inspired us as teenagers (particularly Diorama) and now his new solo stuff has really been a huge influence on our sound, along with Jarryd James, Meg Mac, Katie Noonan, Banks… ahh, too many to recall them all. Your Band We are a trio of 3. cousins who create soulful electronic pop music. The three of us have been writing music for the past 13 years. We write really well together and always seem to be on the same page artistically, which helps a lot. The Music You Make We are all about 4. creating soulful music that moves people (well, that’s our aim anyway). We have

is interesting. There’s a lot happening but it’s so spread out that unless you really know where to go to, it can seem like there’s not a lot out there at all – unlike other cities/countries like New Orleans, where you know if you head to Bourbon Street or Frenchmen Street you will find live music in every building. There’s a lot of crappy stuff out there on the radio, yes, but that kinda makes it so much more thrilling when you come across a beauty! The best thing about our local scene is that there is always someone new to meet. There are so many great musicians in Sydney, it makes it easy to stay inspired. There’s an awesome jam at The Basement every Monday night, which is a great place to hang/meet new musos. Where: Newtown Social Club / The Brass Monkey When: Thursday February 25 / Sunday February 28 thebrag.com

Wild Nothing photo by Shawn Brackbill

A lot of the songs Tatum wrote for Life Of Pause changed dramatically while he was working on them, somewhere between his bedroom and the studio. “There are quite a few songs that started in my house in a pretty different form,” he says. “Part of that was due to my own limitations of not being able to add some instruments that I wanted, but part of it was just that you start something thinking it’ll be a certain way, and it’s not until later – maybe once you’ve introduced a new part or you’ve introduced a new instrument – where you realise this is actually more appropriate for the song, this is a more appropriate arrangement, this is a more appropriate production style.”

can really flourish in a lot of different forms.”

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

arts in focus

Day For Night photo by Amanda James

day for night 24 hours of bliss also inside:

ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH / ROMEO AND JULIET / THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE / NEWS / REVIEWS / GIVEAWAY thebrag.com

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arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Anna Wilson, Anita Connors and Joseph Earp

five minutes WITH

ALEX DUGAN FROM NEWTOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE What do you think makes Newtown special? Can you take a guess? Its vibe! Newtown is a place where your individuality is not discouraged, but rather, celebrated. A place for musicians and accountants to form unlikely friendships over their shared passion for a particular local burger joint on Mary Street, or whilst belting out a karaoke song together in a Toyko-themed basement bar (stay weird, Newtown).

ou’ve introduced the Friday Night Vibes event to Newtown. Did you have a guiding philosophy in place when you began curating the program? Yes! The idea for Friday Night Vibes (FNV) was born from public concerns around a changing ‘vibe’ in Newtown. Our aim is to curate a program that showcases the weird, wonderful and diverse talent this community has to offer. Over the weeks you’ll see Newtown locals (and honorary locals) doing their thing to support the Newtown Vibe.

Much has been written about the way Sydney has altered in the wake of the lockout laws. Is that something you have seen the effects of in Newtown?

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

The world’s most recognisable rabbit celebrates 25 years of the magical Bugs Bunny At The Symphony project with a wild and wacky on-screen program accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Performed live at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Bugs Bunny At The Symphony will celebrate the spectacular concert series in a fusion of classical music and timeless Warner Bros. animations. Emmy Award-winning conductor George Daugherty will lead the SSO in the Australian stretch of the anniversary tour. Enjoy Bugs’ crazy antics on Wednesday July 13 and Thursday July 14.

Friday Night Vibes was funded in part to tackle anti-social behaviour. Do you fi nd there’s particular merit in a positive approach to such issues? Absolutely, you catch more fl ies with honey – or in this case, fl owers (keep your eye out for the Newtopians distributing fl owers at each FNV). I think it’s important to lead by example, so hopefully the good vibes at FNV will spread and remind King Street punters to look after each other – and stay weird.

Machu Picchu, the new play by writer Sue Smith, will feature Australian favourite Lisa McCune, who returns to perform with the Sydney Theatre Company for the first time in over a decade. Abruptly human and wickedly humorous, Machu Picchu follows two civil engineers, Paul and Gabby, who after a shocking event must re-learn how to approach their lives. The play see-saws through the history of an extraordinary love. With her career spanning 30 years, Smith has written scripts for many productions both in film and onstage, including The Young Doctors and Sons And Daughters. Directed by Geordie Brookman, the cast also features Darren Gilshenan, Elena Carapetis and Annabel Matheson. Machu Picchu plays from Thursday March 3 – Saturday April 9 at Wharf 1 Theatre.

The Art Of The Brick

HAMLET AT THE GREEK

The Bard On The Beach theatre company has announced plans to stage a performance of William Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet. Directed by lauded theatrical talent Kylie Rowling, the show will undoubtedly take on added pathos and weight in the intimate confines of the Greek Theatre in Marrickville. Though the work has become canonised – so much so that anyone can rattle off a few lines from its oft-parodied soliloquies – the upcoming production could serve as a timely reminder of just how vicious and cutting-edge Shakespeare was, and still is today. Hamlet is showing from Friday March 11 – Saturday March 19. 16 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

The Perth-born and Melbourne-based artist Matlok Griffiths is showcasing his paintings at his first solo exhibition with Waterloo’s Darren Knight Gallery. Buffoon Seeks Pleasure is a 19-painting-strong exhibition showcasing Griffiths’ vibrant oil- and acrylic-based talents. Griffiths will also be giving an artist talk at the gallery on Friday March 11 during the Waterloo Sunset walking tour hosted by Art

Penny Arcade

Fiddler On The Roof opens its limited season at the Capitol Theatre on Wednesday March 23, and we have a double pass to give away to the performance on Thursday March 24. Head to thebrag.com/freeshit to be in the running.

UP LATE AT THE POWERHOUSE

The 2016 MAASive Lates program has been announced, with four free after-hours events for adults only, including an extra special opening night to appease your inner child. Don a superhero cape and fly on over to the Powerhouse Museum on Thursday March 24 for a night of superpowers and Lego. Current exhibit The Art Of The Brick: DC Comics will feature a new artwork by international Lego artist Nathan Sawaya, unveiled to coincide with the release of the upcoming Batman V Superman blockbuster. Visitors to MAASive Lates will not only be able to enjoy the exhibition kiddy-free but will have the chance to create their own superhero moments against a birds’ eye perspective photo wall. The Art Of The Brick event will be just one of four themed nights across MAASive Lates, each event expanding upon themes that underpin current exhibitions at the Powerhouse Museum. For more information on the 2016 series, head to maas.museum.

One of India’s most well-loved comedy collectives is making its debut on Australian soil. Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya – together All India Bakchod – have attracted a huge following in both their home country and internationally, garnering over 1.4 million subscribers on their YouTube channel. The troupe was also responsible for India’s first-ever celebrity roast, viewed over three million times. All India Bakchod’s hour-long Australian shows will feature stand-up, songs and sketches. Catch them at the Enmore Theatre on Sunday May 8.

MATLOK GRIFFITHS

One of the greatest and most loved musicals of all time is heading to Sydney. Fiddler On The Roof stars superstars Anthony Warlow and Sigrid Thornton, as well as ARIA Award winner Lior. Set in Russia at the turn of the last century, it tells the heartwarming and often hilarious story of a family that has its traditional life turned upside down as the modern world starts to impact life in an idyllic village. The celebrated score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick features such famous songs as ‘Matchmaker’ and ‘If I Were A Rich Man’.

What: Friday Night Vibes Where: Newtown Square When: Until Friday April 1

INDIA’S FINEST AND FUNNIEST

MOUNTING MACHU PICCHU

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Month Sydney. Buffoon Seeks Pleasure runs Saturday February 20 – Saturday March 19.

PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL

The NSW Writers’ Centre has unveiled the full lineup for its 2016 playwriting festival, a celebration of theatre and the men and women who are shaping its current direction. The program will feature such established luminaries as Stephen Sewell

(the wordsmith behind The Blind Giant Is Dancing) but has also found room for a host of younger, emerging artists such as Tom Holloway. It’s sure to be a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes business that goes on before the actors even begin treading the boards, so aspiring playwrights and theatre lovers alike should get involved. The playwriting festival hits the NSW Writers’ Centre on Saturday March 19.

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Given that her most famous work was named Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore!, it’s probably safe to describe the title of Penny Arcade’s new show as on the subtle side. The legendary stand-up comedian/ Warhol contemporary/free speech advocate is set to return to Australia with a brand new show, Longing Lasts Longer. The work, a selfdescribed call to action that Arcade hopes will inspire audience members to “change the world around them”, has already won two awards and received rapturous critical notices. It’s sure to be a raucous evening unlike many others, so those who like their comedy to fall on the other side of good taste should certainly head along. Arcade will appear at Giant Dwarf Theatre from Wednesday April 6 – Wednesday April 13.

thebrag.com

Machu Picchu photo by James Green

Lisa McCune in Machu Picchu

There is a live music element to Friday Night Vibes. What kind of artists are appearing? The artists will be as diverse as the suburb. Rockabilly band and best-dressed-in-theInner-West The Cruisin’ Deuces kicked off the first FNV with their take on 1950s classics. Upcoming genres will include indie rock, acoustic and vaudeville.

There’s certainly a different feeling on Friday and Saturday nights with crowds looking for an alternative destination to Kings Cross. Both friends and myself have experienced incidents of aggressive, sexist or homophobic behaviour along King Street during these times and think that’s why it’s crucial to take action now.

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit Friday Night Vibes photo by Diana Shypula/Prema Photo

arts in focus

free stuff

mardi gras film festival

feb 18 - mar 3 2016 FESTIVAL STARTS THURSDAY

FRONT COVER

DRAG BECOMES HIM

WAITING FOR B

BARASH

SAT 27 FEB 9.30 PM

SAT 27 FEB 7PM

FRI 26 FEB 6.45PM

THU 25 FEB 6.30 PM

Ryan is a gay ChineseAmerican who has distanced himself from his heritage. Yet when he meets Ning, a closeted Chinese actor, the clash of egos leads to a heated attraction.

RuPaul’s Drag Race fans love season 5 winner, Jinkx Monsoon. Drag Becomes Him is a raw and unseen look at Monsoon’s life from his working class upbringing to being on the road.

A heartwarming crowdpleaser which follows a group of Beyoncé fans camping out for two months to get the best seats. A very fun documentary like the legendary Paris is Burning.

Naama escapes her small-town life by getting stoned at dance parties. Dana introduces her to hip lesbian clubs, drugs and kissing girls. Destined to be a lesbian cult classic.

Ticketing and more info at

queerscreen.org.au

thebrag.com

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Day For Night: 24 HRS [PERFORMANCE ART] A Day In The Life By Joseph Earp

hose who consider the concept of ‘queer spirituality’ a contradiction in terms – an ideological clash so drastic that it renders the phrase oxymoronic – would do well to head over to Performance Space’s upcoming Day For Night: 24 HRS festival. The program features not one but three separate art pieces designed to explore the concept, a trend that fascinates the program’s director Jeff Khan. “It’s really interesting that there’s [so many] artists wanting to explore these themes and the idea of spirituality,” he says. “There are three major projects that explore queer spirituality … We have Jess Olivieri, who has composed these two independent meditations that follow the tradition of Buddhist meditation. One meditation is focused on sex and the other meditates on death. Then we have Cigdem Aydemir, who has produced a work that really looks at the figure of the female, and Muslim traditions and Muslim identities and how they might be explored by a queer or feminist lens … And then we’ve got Holcombe Waller’s Requiem Mass.” Of the three, it’s Waller’s piece that is being treated as the festival’s headline event, and with good reason: the Mass is a moving and memorable exploration of queer culture, a melancholia-tinged trip through the LGTBQI community’s challenging past. It’s a work that has already been performed for receptive audiences in the States. “It’s a work that I actually saw at a festival in Portland last year,” Khan says, his voice rich with excitement. “[Waller] has been based more recently in Portland and a festival [there] commissioned this work from him … His background is as a musician – an experimental

musician – and he’s quite well regarded in the States. He builds performances that have a kind of political edge to them, so they’re always interested in the idea of community in a broader sense.” For Khan, it’s Waller’s use of Christian traditions that is so fascinating, and he fi nds particular pleasure in the blend of the traditional and the cutting-edge. “The work is almost an exploration of the Christian tradition. [It’s] structured in the same way as a Requiem Mass, which is a Christian musical tradition. It’s an attempt to use these religious musical forms to re-examine issues that have been ignored by religion, and to put them back into circulation. It’s about remembering the dead.” Waller didn’t create the work in a vacuum, and the piece was born out of months of research. “He specifically did a lot of research around kind of queer communities or queer people in the 20th century … people who have lost their lives,” Khan says. “[People] who have been persecuted because of their gender or sexuality.” Though Khan readily admits that the piece is emotionally charged, he seems eager to stress that it’s one brimming with hope; a show of solidarity and resistance rather than a sonic expression of defeat. “It’s an amazing work performed by a choir of volunteers; volunteers who have put up their hand because they have some connection to the theme, and feel moved to remember those lost. “It’s a huge production as well. It’s very, very moving, as you can imagine with the subject matter. The beautiful presence of such a large choir in the space – all of the

emotion and the forgotten history – it’s a very emotional and…” he searches for the word. “And beautiful. Very beautiful.” Aside from Waller’s Mass, the festival will also showcase a new performance piece devised by Emma Price, 24 H(our) Diner. No stranger to the festival or its program, Price worked alongside Khan for a number of years as a co-curator, choosing 2016 to step out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight. “For the last two years Emma was my co-curator for Day For Night,” Khan says, his tone noticeably growing warmer as he begins talking about his colleague. “We really put the program together very collaboratively and this year I wanted to see if she would be interested in this time participating as an artist. As well as being a really great collaborator she’s a really, really great artist.” Price’s work is an examination of one of the festival’s other major themes: the fourth dimension itself. A “constantly changing installation”, 24 H(our) Diner is designed to provide a unique experience for each and every festivalgoer who visits it. Sometimes it’ll be a quiet space of reflection; other times it will be a party, a swinging American diner featuring the likes of Cindy Pastel (the inspiration for Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert) standing in as wait staff.

what people think about queer culture.”

“The subtitle [for the festival] we almost have is, ‘A Journey Through Queer Space And Time’,” Khan says. “It’s an exploration of sort of what queer space and time is and what it might become. [It’s a] constant fl ow between performances and parties and lectures … It’s about changing

For Khan, Day For Night isn’t just a one-off event, or an isolated exploration of a marginalised community – it’s a celebration of complexity, a charged attempt to redefi ne contemporary classifi cations. “The idea of queerness is very much linked to the idea of diversity. And rather

than using more conventional ideas about gay and lesbian culture, ‘queerness’ complicates all that,” he says. “I think we’re more complicated than simple binaries.” What: Day For Night: 24 HRS Where: Carriageworks When: Saturday February 20 – Sunday February 21

Alexander McCall Smith [LITERATURE] From Place To Setting By Adam Norris 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, 44 Scotland Street and Corduroy Mansions to name a few – are found characters of such charm and familiarity it is like discovering a vintage jacket that fits perfectly and has pockets full of old letters. It is a testament to his craft that across each world, the voice of the author – the nuance and tone – is incredibly varied.

lexander McCall Smith has a kind of rumpled gregariousness that makes interviewing him rather difficult. Not that the best-selling novelist isn’t forthcoming; it is more a matter of avoiding complacency, of not allowing yourself to simply close your eyes and let this exceptional storyteller carry you away with tales of Indian literary festivals, of outback graves and magic charms and the enduring merits of Mozart. With four new books arriving this year, it seemed an ideal time to determine exactly what kind of voodoo the outrageously prolific McCall Smith has tapped into. “We mustn’t laugh at voodoo,” he says, chuckling. “I was in the Caribbean a couple of years ago, on the island of Martinique. There was a voodoo shop in the port where we were moored, and it was absolutely fascinating. There were little bottles of

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coloured liquid for every purpose. If you wanted to deal with your enemies you’d buy this colour, if you wanted a successful business venture you’d buy another. And then on one side of the room was all the religious stuff, so if you didn’t want to put all your eggs in one basket you could buy your holy soap or candles. But to actually answer your question, I suppose I’m very lucky in that I write quite quickly, so that’s what really enables me. Plus I get up very early in the morning and get two or three hours of uninterrupted work before the world starts, which is quite useful. You do have to have a certain amount of structure, of routine in your life if you want to write in a serious fashion.” The author of around 18,000 books, give or take, McCall Smith has an output that puts many of his contemporaries to shame, and crucially, it is a fine balance of quantity and quality. Across numerous series – The No.

“I do have different voices for different series of books. I write the No. 1 Ladies’ books in a particular tone, and there’s a certain feel or style I suppose to the narrative there. The Isabel Dalhousie books are written in a different way to my Scotland Street series, and then you have the standalones. I suppose I’m conscious of the fact that I’m going into different worlds when I sit down to write a particular book, which is reflected as well in any music I might play. I do quite like having music playing when I sit down to write, though not necessarily when I carry on doing so. When I’m sitting down to write an Isabel Dalhousie book I will play a particular piece of music to put me in the mood, which is the ‘Soave Sia Il Vento’ trio from Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. I’ll also play the Penguin Cafe Orchestra when I start writing the Scotland Street stories, and so on.” A recurring accolade across his oeuvre is McCall Smith’s sense of setting. It becomes a tangible aspect of each story – so strong, in fact, it is very nearly a character all to itself. Yet there is a contrary school of thought that suggests good setting should remain nearly unnoticeable; it envelops the reader unawares. “Setting is very important in my mind – I regard it as being central, and perhaps even more important than character or plot. I tend to think first of setting, and then the other elements fall into place. But I do think that when you’re describing a setting, you

must use a very delicate brush. I don’t think you need to lay on an excessively detailed description; that will destroy the sense of discovery. For example, in my Botswana books I will pay attention to setting, because I want to convey the very special atmosphere of that part of Africa. You can do that in my view by saying something about the sky, about the build-up of rain clouds. I find I can do the same thing when I’m describing something set in Australia. [For] my Trains And Lovers book I did a trip around Lake Eyre, and we went to a place called Coward Springs. I went for a walk along a dry riverbed and came across a grave. A child’s grave. It was very poignant, as it had obviously been made many years ago and said nothing about who the child had been. That became an instant in Trains And Lovers, so place there was very, very important.” McCall Smith’s upcoming conversation at the Seymour Centre will no doubt provide further insight into the genesis of many of his creations, as well as the man himself; charting the separation of author and individual today makes for a rather impossible task. “I think as one goes through life, as long as you don’t close your mind, you come to understand more about human nature and human foibles. You have a natural tendency to become more embedded in your attitudes – I think that’s always a danger. But with every year that passes, you see more of human life, and you might understand people a bit more. You’ve had more practice in working out how people tick.” What: Alexander McCall Smith: Unexpected Love Stories Where: Seymour Centre When: Friday March 4

thebrag.com

Romeo And Juliet [THEATRE] A Love That Transcends Time By Tegan Jones

omeo And Juliet is arguably the most well-known and beloved tale of romance in recorded history. Unless of course you’re looking at it from the perspective of high school students, most of whom want to burn the damn thing. Bell Shakespeare is once again revitalising this powerhouse of literary canon with the beauty and finesse that Sydney has come to expect of its local company. Leading lady Kelly Paterniti speaks about the new production and why people still care about a 400-year-old play. “The language is beautiful and I think people are drawn to the literature and the poetry,” she says. “With Romeo And Juliet, I think everybody can relate to it in some way and it really transcends time. It’s this beautiful love story about two people who aren’t able to be together due to a conflict that has nothing to do with them. And I suppose also because it’s so tragic – everybody knows the story going in and the eventual outcome. It makes their love more tragic, more heartbreaking and the way they communicate like a fairytale. It’s what everyone hopes for, but without the tragic end.” Indeed, it speaks volumes that audiences are still drawn to the play centuries later, particularly when they know things are going to end in a horrible mess of missed messages, poison and blood. And let’s not forget the part where a friar helps a 14-year-old Quaalude herself.

“It sums up life really, doesn’t it?” Paterniti says. “It’s very bittersweet – you have these beautiful moments that you know will end, and I think that makes it more magical because you know they only have this very short amount of time in which these two lovers can be together and fall in love. You want them to have as much time as possible and you secretly hope that maybe it won’t end, but you know that it will.” Despite the age and historical context of Romeo And Juliet, it continues to embody universal themes that seem to transcend time. It’s for this very reason that it continues to haunt the high school curriculum and be the bane of every young adult’s existence. But regardless of time periods, love is still love and teenagers are still hormone-fuelled crazy people – it seems fitting the story is kept alive for them alone, if not anyone else. Have we all forgotten that Romeo was obsessed with some chick named Rosaline about a week before he poisoned himself over Juliet? “We’ve been having a lot of conversations about time and there’s a very specific reference to it in the play about what time and when,” says Paterniti. “But Shakespeare has this really beautiful way of making it seem elongated, which is what it can feel like sometimes when you first fall in love – it feels like you’ve known this person for a really long time. “In regards to the contemporary, I think we’re a lot less romantic than that these days, but I think

it’s actually quite fitting if you think of their age and what it was like for you when you were 14 – it was all or nothing. You wanted all the experiences at once. Teenagers are rash, and that’s the whole point of what being a kid is. You act without thinking of the consequences. I think in that sort of regard Romeo And Juliet is still relevant. Plus of course, as you say, there’s the old argument of, ‘If they had just waited a few days they would have settled down,’” she laughs. Bell Shakespeare is known around the world for its unique approach to the Bard’s works and for its particularly magnificent set design and costuming. When a play has been performed and reinvented as many times as this one, you begin to wonder how a company can keep it fresh, unique and exciting for audiences. Sometimes going back to the true roots of a work can be the answer. “The design is very special, I think it’s going to be very beautiful – the designers have done an amazing job,” says Paterniti. “We are setting it in the Elizabethan period. I think since it’s a production that has been modernised so much, it’s going to be fascinating to see it set in its traditional setting. We were talking about how lovely it’s been to set it in the time that it was written, because you don’t have to argue anything – it’s all relevant and makes sense. I think that’s going to be interesting for an audience too, to see it that way. Bell Shakespeare is so good at connecting modern audiences to

The Killing Of Sister George H

alf a century is an impressive gestation time for a play. To find success (or better still, notoriety) in any production is remarkable enough, but to stand the test of shifting cultural values and interests across 50 years and remain just as engaging – if not more so – is a feat few plays can achieve. The Killing Of Sister George returns to the stage right in time for Mardi Gras, and with its themes of sexuality, fame and the overlap of public and private lives, it is as pertinent as ever.

“But coming back to it now, we’ve realised how funny it is. One minute I’m laughing my head off at the actors delivering lines, and the next moment comes this really dark, almost S&M aspect to the scene. Something that Marcus does really well is go from one extreme to the other within just a few lines, and you’re totally taken along with it.” The private lives of celebrities have become one of the most coveted and sensationalised aspects of thebrag.com

Of course, as adept as Bell Shakespeare is at exciting contemporary audiences, overwhelming them with beauty and helping them easily relate to Shakespeare’s stories, characters and themes, Paterniti believes the majority of the credit should go to the text itself. “The play is just so beautiful that it’s

going to do a lot of the work for us, and if we stay true to the emotions of the story we won’t have to do a whole lot. People love it, people want to see it and they’re moved by it. Honestly, the more I read this play the more I see it as a complete work of art.” What: Romeo And Juliet Where: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House When: Saturday February 20 – Sunday March 27

five minutes WITH

JUSTIN HAMILTON

ou’re set to appear at The Laugh Stand’s Comedy Gala, as well as this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival. What’s making you laugh in 2016? I’m thoroughly enjoying all the people in Australia who don’t believe that Donald Trump could be elected the next President of the United States. Obviously these people have never heard of B-grade actor turned terror of Russia, Ronald Reagan. Be afraid people, be afraid!

[THEATRE] The Old Fame Game By Adam Norris

“My first contact with [the story] was Robert Aldrich’s movie, actually,” director Peter Mountford recalls. “I saw it in my coming out years. My really good friend Marty introduced me to the movie, which apparently Quentin Tarantino has recently described as one of his favourites. So I didn’t even know then that it had been a stage play. But we’d put a theatre company together in London about 15 years ago, and we found the original script and did a version. It was written as a comedy by Frank Marcus, but I was quite a moody mid-20s director so we did a version that was very dark. There’s a clairvoyant in there who appears as much for comedy value than anything else, so we took her out and only focused on the dark and serious issues of the play.

Shakespeare, which is why so many things are brought into contemporary times.”

Across a 20-plus-year career, you’ve worked across stand-up, television, radio, theatre, podcasting and more. Where do you get the biggest thrills? Nothing is as thrilling as having a great gig with a new show. I opened my new show Hoot! in Perth a few weeks ago and it had never been performed before. I looked at the sold-out crowd, had a moment of thinking, “If this doesn’t work it is going to disappoint a lot of people,” and when it came together it was like taking a sugar shot straight to the brain. Is it necessary to be adaptable in order to make a living out of comedy? Yes.

entertainment today. Tabloid websites are gushing in speculation and stolen personal moments, and although the world of the play may seem a more innocent time, the fear at its heart is familiar.

gender roles was remarkably progressive at the time, and although Mountford has updated the production for modern audiences, the emotional core of the text remains as sincere as ever.

“The [character] June Buckridge, who plays Sister George in this BBC serial that’s been running in the world of the play, has this touch of fame, but of course it’s 1965 and that idea of celebrity is quite different,” Mountford explains. “Back then the paparazzi hadn’t happened yet, you didn’t hear anything about the private lives of actors. It wasn’t Hollywood, it’s all BBC, very sanitised. I’m not giving too much away to say she’s fired from this radio show, and it talks about the mortal fear that happens with actors. What’s going to happen next, are they going to lose that fame? That’s as real now as it was then. It’s as much about what it’s like to be paid to act as it is about the idea of being famous.”

“Eileen Atkins, who was in the original stage production, was saying that they took it around to all these provincial towns and it just bombed. People were walking out without applauding, and then it got to London and found these wonderful camp, gay crowds who laughed all the way through, and from there it was a massive hit! At the time a lead lesbian protagonist who makes no apologies for that in the text hadn’t happened before. That’s one of the reasons that, to me, makes this such an interesting work.”

Marcus’ depiction of lesbianism and women who do not fit into traditional

What: The Killing Of Sister George Where: King Street Theatre When: Wednesday February 24 – Saturday March 12

On your podcast, Can You Take This Photo Please?, you’ve interviewed all sorts of famous names. Can you choose a highlight? I’d have to say Scottish Tony Martin. Tony has been so brilliant on the podcast and still makes me laugh like a teenager when we hang out. If you could be interviewed by anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be? David Bowie because it would mean he was still alive and also be a fan of my work. That would be heaven for me. Where: Harold Park Hotel When: Tuesday February 23 And: Hoot! is playing at the Enmore Theatre as part of Sydney Comedy Festival 2016, Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1

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

The Secret River

■ Film

ROOM In cinemas now Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel Room has the kind of premise that comes as a gift to filmmakers, so this film adaptation from Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) carries with it a lot of promise. The story of a young woman, Joy (Brie Larson) and her five-year-old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who together break free from years of captivity in a suburban basement, has two rich strands to be mined from. On one hand, it aims to depict what the world looks like to someone experiencing it for the first time, and on the other, the bond between a mother and her son.

■ Theatre

THE SECRET RIVER Playing at Roslyn Packer Theatre until Saturday February 20 Certain productions come with builtin difficulties. Just ask anyone who has ever faced the wrath of Samuel Beckett’s estate, or staged Sarah Kane’s Cleansed. While The Secret River is burdened with neither rigid fidelity to text or extravagant stage directions, its 2013 debut saw the production heralded as one of the most popular and engrossing plays in recent memory. Earning itself six Helpmann Awards, it is still recalled these years later with gushing admiration. As such, taking a seat to finally see this sad saga unfold comes with inevitable expectations.

Dean does not miss a beat, performing a man more and more haunted as the play moves towards its tragic climax. He will sacrifice everything – including the emotional

It is the indigenous cast, however, which is responsible for making this tale so vivid (though yes, I suppose director Neil Armfield does deserve some credit, as does the exceptional live music provided by Isaac Hayward). As Ngalamalum, Trevor Jamieson burns with barely contained outrage and passion, and both Frances Djulibing and Madeleine Madden are striking, dignified figures. An unfortunate misstep, though, is Ningali LawfordWolf’s narratorial role; while her timbre is strong, there are few passages that do not contain multiple stumbles. The Secret River is not a play for tears. Rather, you exit the theatre feeling stunned and angry; shocked by the double standards of our heritage, and at how easily so much bloodshed and displacement could have been avoided.

On the latter count, Room succeeds in large part to the work of Larson and Tremblay, with the latter giving the kind of naturalistic child performance that can be chalked up to deft, sensitive direction. Where

Ian Barr

■ Film

BROOKLYN In cinemas now Brooklyn is a familiar immigrant story, one that many families will know versions of as their own – but its sense of nostalgia is deftly offset with humour, charm and emotional intelligence. Set between the small Irish town of Enniscorthy and New York, it follows a young woman, Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), as she goes “away to America”. Once there, she battles homesickness and loneliness, which are finally tempered when she falls in love with New Yorker Tony (Emory Cohen). It is here that Eilis finds herself split between two potential lives. Ronan’s performance is emotionally rich and she translates the extensive inner life from Colm Tóibín’s novel to the

screen, employing everything from a twitch of the eyebrow to a shift in her step. The camera lingers on her face for lengths of time that would see lesser actors fall flat, but this allows Ronan to really shine. Like the novel, the texture of the film and its muted colour palette – deep green, teals and mustard yellows – give the film the feel of memory. But there is immediacy to the story, and a very real sense of uncertainty. For a film that is so emotionally taught, Brooklyn has many very funny moments. Many of these happen around the dinner table of Eilis’ new home at an Irish boarding house in New York. Mrs. Kehoe (Julie Walters),

their landlady, manages to elicit laughter with little more than a sharp look. The main weakness is around the relationship between Eilis and Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) that forms when she returns home for the summer. It feels truncated, as though there is something missing. This isn’t the fault of the performers, but is a problem with pacing that asks the audience to simply assume emotions that we aren’t shown. That aside, Brooklyn is an oddly beautiful retelling of a tale that could easily have felt too familiar. Emily Meller

five minutes

What's in our diary...

Picnic On The Green xxx photo by xxx

None of this makes Room an outright bad film (four Oscar nominations including Best Picture can’t be wrong… right?), and it’s largely watchable thanks to its actors and the strength of the material it’s based on. But there’s something about seeing a potentially extraordinary work settle for the bland, smooth satisfaction of a Lifetime movie that stings worse than watching something blatantly awful.

Adam Norris

Arts Exposed

Greenwood Plaza, North Sydney until Friday February 19 Like food? Like sunshine? Then the rooftop Picnic On The Green at Greenwood Plaza this week is where you need to be. For a five-day period, the rooftop spot has been transformed into a lively picnic haven with $5 picnic packs, goodies like mini burritos from Guzman y Gomez, Costi’s fish and chips, and tasty Italian morsels from My Friend Enzo. A range of free games, hammocks, deck chairs and picnic rugs are supplied to help picnic-goers soak up the sunshine and the live entertainment by acoustic group Pop Dynasty. Enjoy the last days of summer with some traditional seasonal fun.

For more details, check out facebook.com/GreenwoodPlazaNorthSydney. 20 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

When both Jack and Ma return to their suburban home and attempt to readjust to life, Abrahamson’s visual motif of staircases framing its characters like prison bars starts to become comical in its repetition. Apart from ham-fisted directorial choices like these, the film

is comprised mostly of long stretches of visually neglibility, and a treacly music score that distracts from the action more than abetting it.

WITH

JAMES TSAI FROM RADIO FREE ALICE

adio Free Alice is taking part in the upcoming Mardi Gras edition of DoDarlo. For anyone who hasn’t visited, what’s Radio Free Alice about? RFA is all about providing ‘food’ for the soul. Our aim here is to enrich the human soul with creations and tactile artefacts by inspirational artists, musicians, writers, et cetera. People may be most familiar with your vinyl, but what art and photography books are among your favourites on shelves? We have a photo book by Hungarian photographer Kati Horna, an art and photo book by William Burroughs, storyboard paintings by film director Akira Kurosawa, an art book anthology of the Czech avant-garde, plus many more!

How do you come to get your hands on such eclectic material and offer it to customers? We made contacts when we were travelling around the world before we set up shop. For example, we made friends with Index DVD in Vienna. Index is an art DVD label with no distribution in Australia. We made them available here at RFA. The same thing happened with the fantastic UK DVD label Second Run. So we have a lot of exclusive things here! You have an active role in the Darlinghurst business scene. How thriving is the local retail environment at the moment? RFA is only just over a year old. The daytime traffic has been pretty consistent throughout that year. But I felt the Sydney lockout laws

have not doubt been casting a pall over the general consumers, local residents and visitors coming to the area. People just can’t relax and have fun anymore. You have to keep looking at your watch! What’s your favourite thing about living and working in Darlinghurst? I’ve been living and working in the area for over 25 years now. I love

everything about the whole area. I guess my highlight would be the Darlinghurst Art School. I was a student there back in 1983 when it was the East Sydney TAFE. What: DoDarlo Mardi Gras Where: Darlinghurst When: Sunday February 21 – Saturday March 5 More: dodarlo.com

thebrag.com

The Secret River photo © Heidrun Löhr

The story is simply told, yet all the more affecting for stripping back to minimal props, grand performances, and feats of sombre imagination. William Thornhill (Nathaniel Dean) has arrived at a bend of the Hawkesbury River with his young family and the dream of building a new life. A former convict who has only recently earned his freedom, Thornhill and his kin soon become acquainted with the odd denizens who make this removed patch of earth their home. Yet the crux of the conflict comes when they begin interacting with the Dharug people whose land the colonists are usurping.

life of the very dream he is fighting for – and the man he becomes by the end is a far cry from the hopeful larrikin we first encounter. As his wife Sal, Georgia Adamson excels in every scene, and ultimately acts as our moral compass. Fellow settlers ‘Smasher’ Sullivan and Loveday (Richard Piper in savage form, and Bruce Spence loquacious and grim) are standouts, as are Jennifer Hagan and Colin Moody.

the film is under-realised is in Ambrahamson’s visualisation of its central characters’ experiences, and a failure to find a cinematic language that correlates with Jack’s subjectivity. Occasionally, a Days Of Heaven-like voiceover will remind us that we’re seeing everything through his eyes, yet the film’s lynchpin moment involving an escape plan from the titular room (scored to a generically ‘soaring’ Explosions In The Sky crescendo) abandons his P.O.V. to milk the scene for full child-in-peril suspense.

Game On Gaming news with Adam Guetti

FEB

2016

What's On GX Australia

GX Australia actually marks a big moment for Australia, for it will be bringing the highly successful GaymerX/GX convention to our shores for the very first time. Taking place at the Australian Technology Park from Saturday February 27 – Sunday February 28, the convention aims to celebrate diversity in all its forms, offer a great place to talk about issues of diversity and queer content in games and pop culture, and most of all just present a really good time. As a result, it’ll be an ideal chance to check out some new and upcoming games, battle a few tabletop foes and even check out some of the event’s special guests. Tickets start from $85, and can be found via gxaustralia.com.

Far Cry Primal [GAMING] Taming The Beasts By Tegan Jones

The Consouls: Video Game Jazz Live

Yes, one of Play Bar’s most popular bands is back for yet another round. In case you haven’t heard of The Consouls, they’re a six-piece group of gamers who have chosen to put down the controller in favour of playing sultry smooth jazz arrangements of popular video game tunes. From Super Mario Bros. to The Legend Of Zelda, and everything Pokémon in between, they’re all rearranged in spectacularly impressive jazz fashion. The group takes to Play Bar’s stage again this Wednesday February 17, and the best part is that entry to see them in action is absolutely free. Doors open at 5pm but the music won’t start flowing until around 8pm. For more information visit playbar.com.au.

Review: The Witness PS4, PC

t’s rare that a video game can leave so much to be desired yet still be so good, but then again, you should expect nothing less from Jonathan Blow, the man behind Braid. The Witness, the follow-up to his indie platformer darling, does not possess a heartfelt soundtrack, there is no real vestige of narrative and no proper sense of direction. It’s just you, an island and a whole lot of brain-teasing. The basic concept of The Witness is rather simple: navigate the game’s 3D world in first-person in search of a plethora of game panels that feature some variation of a twodimensional maze. Do so and you’ll be able to open doors, restore power to cables and a whole lot more. To solve said mazes, though, you must draw the correct path from a circular starting point to the maze’s highlighted end point. At first, they are deceptively easy – acting as incredibly basic puzzles that can be solved with a quick glance. As you continue to progress through The Witness’ astounding 700-plus head-scratchers, however, things steadily escalate. Discussing the ways in which the puzzles constantly chop and change direction is a difficult endeavour without entering into spoiler territory, but rest assured that the warmup efforts designed to help you grow accustomed to but a few of the game’s rules are just the tip of the iceberg. Frustration will inevitably set in during the game’s later stages, but thankfully it never becomes overwhelming thanks to the ability to walk away at any time. With a whole island at your disposal, tracking down a conundrum that you can actually work out is never too far away. But that’s not to say that they’ll be easy. Make no doubt about it, the further you delve into Blow’s labyrinth, the more borderline obsessive your problemsolving will become. Taking pictures of your television, scrawling notes or replicating drawings will quickly become the norm – all necessary measures in order to succeed. Perhaps The Witness’ biggest compliment is that you are never irked by doing so, largely because you’re too busy working on the next big solution that will drive you forward. The fact that Blow is able to get so much out of one concept isn’t so much impressive as it is absolute genius. And that’s probably one of the best ways to describe The Witness. Complex. Tough. Fulfilling. Genius.

Adam Guetti

ar Cry has long been an incredibly wellestablished gaming franchise. Despite changes in location, fans always knew what they were signing up for – cool weapons and vehicles, a strong male protagonist and a reliable combat system. Ubisoft is now turning the brand on its head with its latest addition to the franchise, Far Cry Primal. Guns are replaced with clubs and bows, alongside extinct mammoths and a heavy focus on crafting. Lead writer Kevin Shortt says he’s taking players “back to the Stone Age, back to our roots”. The open-world adventure is set in 10,000 BC in the fi ctional Oros Valley. Our protagonist is Takkar, a Wenja tribesman who has been separated from his people and left to fend for himself. His goal is not only to survive, but to rebuild his tribe. Like most Far Cry games, our hero manages to overcome these odds and rise to power, this time through his unique ability that allows him to tame wild animals. It may seem like an odd idea for a Far Cry game, but Shortt makes a good argument for it. “Far Cry has always been set on the frontier, and we see this setting as being the very first frontier. The Wenja believe in nature and that everything has a spirit, which makes Takkar incredibly valuable to them throughout the game. He has this unique ability, Beastmaster, meaning that he can tame animals and he uses that to survive. It was something that was actually started in the last Far Cry where you could control the Tiger.” He continues, “When we had the idea of the Stone Age we thought about how men evolved from prey to being at the top of the food chain, and it was by taming the animals.” (Side note – at a recent playthrough of Far Cry Primal I also discovered that snow leopards aren’t just

good weapons, but also super fun to pat constantly.) Far Cry has always placed an emphasis on giving players the freedom to explore and truly enjoy their surroundings and the gameplay in their own personal way. However, despite removing the multiplayer feature from Primal, the development team has strived to make up for this by truly embracing the open world sandbox concept. “In Primal it is up to you, the player, what you want to do and where you want to go,” says Shortt. “Past Far Cry games have been more linear, so this is going to be a little different, even with the main missions. There is an end and you’ll get a sense that the game is done, but the world is still available to explore after you’ve fi nished the story.” One of the most fascinating and standout aspects of Far Cry Primal is its use of l anguage. Being set in a prehistoric context, utilising the English tongue would seem wrong and jarring. Instead the developers created their own language, named after the primary tribe of the game, Wenja. “One of the first things we talked about was language and we actually tried recording in English, but when it came to actually telling the story it just felt wrong to say to do it in English or any other modern language, so we got linguists in to help us create a language. They based it on ProtoIndo-European, which is where all [today’s] languages come from. To go into the studio and hear the actors speaking Wenja was so exciting – they made a real language for us and everyone got on board with it.” What: Far Cry Primal When: Out Tuesday February 23 on PS4 and Xbox One

Review: Unravel PS4, XBO, PC techniques, you traverse the local terrain. You will also find yourself having to escape the perils of the local fauna, including my new personal nemesis, gophers.

‘B

reathtaking’ is an understatement when it comes to describing the visual and emotional feast that Unravel immediately unleashes on players. For a relatively short game where the protagonist is a faceless creature, the immediacy of the connection is staggering. In Unravel you play as Yarny, an anthropomorphic character who is born out of an old woman’s ball of yarn. Your adventure takes you through the truly beautiful Swedish countryside, and using your increasingly unspooling yarn and a variety of

thebrag.com

Despite appearances, Unravel is undoubtedly a puzzle game masquerading as a platformer. Although it only consists of nine levels that amount to roughly eight hours of game time, it proves to be rather challenging. One of the advantages of Yarny as a character is being able retrace your steps, recollect your wool and try again. However, when you’re having to replay sections repeatedly due to unclear mechanics, some obvious physics issues became frustrating. Plus, some of those puzzles are just straight up difficult. Between this and my recent foray into The Witness, the urge to rage quit becomes overwhelming at times. However, what cannot be denied is the unique nature of the game design, the story and the pure love that has been poured into Unravel. This is enough to placate any issues with the gameplay, understand

creative director Martin Sahlin’s tears when he revealed it at E3, and explain why EA took a gamble on such a small dev team. I dare anyone to not feel horrified the first time they accidentally drown Yarny, as well as be punched right in the feels during the

final level in particular. This game epitomises the notion of games as works of art that can profoundly move their audiences. Tegan Jones

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 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

Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm

The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight

Balcony Bar 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight

Basement 33 Basement, 27-33 Goulburn St, Sydney CBD (02) 8970 5813 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight

The Attic 275 Pitt St, Sydney CBD (02) 9284 1200 Mon – Fri 11am-1am; Saturday 5pm-1am

BAR100 100 George St, The Rocks (02) 8070 9311 Mon – Thu noon-late; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-10pm

Assembly 488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon – Tue 5-11pm; Wed – Fri noonmidnight; Sat 5pm-midnight

Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4000 Mon – Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm

The Baxter Inn Basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-1am 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 – Sat 5pm-late

Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Sun noon-1am Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St,

The Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm

The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-lste

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

York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight

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 Loft (UTS) 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Wed 2pm-10pm; Thurs – Fri 2pm-late Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD

bar bar

ADDRESS: 55 NORTH STEYNE, MANLY PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9977 6963 WEBSITE: DANIELSAN.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: MON – THU 4PM-MIDNIGHT; FRIDAY – SATURDAY NOON–2AM; SUNDAY NOON-MIDNIGHT

Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight

The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu, Sat 4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight

The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am

DANIEL SAN MANLY

(02) 9262 4999 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu 4pm-1am; Fri 3pm-1am; Sat 4pm-1am

A Work In Progress 50 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri noon-2am

The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight

Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-late

E E W

Care for a drink? Our signature is Sake Sake! Gin, sake and passion fruit served with a sugar rim. Sounds: All the rock’n’roll classics you know, love and sing along to when no-one is around. We strongly encourage air guitar and sing-alongs when and if the mood comes across you. If you like your BPM faster, head upstairs to our Beachside Dojo each Sunday from 3pm for all the fi nest house music you can handle. Come up, get down. It’s that simple. Highlights: There’s never a dull day at Daniel San – if you’re not playing our vintage pinball machines, you can eat all the dumplings you can handle every Wednesday night for $24.50 per person, sip a half price cocktail on Thursday night, and get all of the bangs in your buck on Tuesday from our two-for-one menu. Plus, you can party with us every Sunday afternoon from 3pm on an epic rooftop that overlooks the beach. The bill comes to: Den King sushi roll $14.50, Sake Sake! cocktail $18, Korean Fried Chicken $15.50.

The Palisade 35 Bettington St, Millers Point 9018 0123 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 (02) 9299 5671 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Plan B Small Club 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD

Wed 5pm-11pm; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-3am 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 noon-3pm, 6-11pm 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 Mon – Sat 4pm-late

Tell us about your bar: If Mr. Miyagi decided to open a chow-down bar on Manly Beach and asked a Japanese punk band to decorate, you’d get Daniel San. What’s on the menu? Japanese food with attitude. Curated by head chef Shane Park, who’s worked in the kitchens of Sake, Ananas Brasserie and Sokyo at The Star, you’ll fi nd KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), pork buns and rockin’ sushi rolls. The Karate Kid sushi roll is a delicious roundhouse kick to the taste buds.

22 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

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

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-11.30; Sun 11am-3pm Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 9331 0058 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 Busby 55 Riley St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9326 9055 Wed – Sat 3pm-midnight Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Central Tavern 42-50 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 Fri – Sat 6pm-late The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Wed 6pm-late; Thu – Fri 12pm-late; Sat – Sun 6pm-late

Darlo Country Club Level 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 4279 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 Thu – Sun 4pm-late 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) 8070 2424 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun noon-midnight Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Mon - Sun 3pm-midnight 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 6pm-3am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 1-10pm Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am Hustle & Flow Bar 105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 9310 5593 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sun 5pm-late Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Fri noon-late; Sat 4pm-late

thebrag.com

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

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 – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 2-10pm 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 TIGERLILLY

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

@ THE ARGYLE, 18 ARGYLE ST, THE ROCKS Ingredients: • 1800 Reposado • Triple sec • Lime juice • Passionfruit pulp • Lychee puree • Sugar syrup

Origins: The mystique behind the Tigerlilly comes from a long line of ladies’ drinks. It’s got tequila for the party as the sophisticated base, complemented perfectly with more tequila, passion fruit and lychee.

Method: Add all ingredients, ice shake, strain over ice.

Best drunk with: A tequila shot, a naughty mind or The Argyle’s bruschetta board. During: Femme Fatale Ladies night every Thursday at The Argyle, of course. While wearing: Either a Snuggie or a cocktail dress, it’s pretty versatile. And listening to: Mike Champion and the band at The Argyle serenading you into bliss.

Glass: Sling Garnish: Edible flowers and two pineapple spikes More: theargylerocks.com

LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Mon – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat noon-late; Sun 11am-10pm The Local Taphouse 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0410 470 250 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Old Growler 218 William St, Woolloomooloo 0422 911 650 Tue – Sat 5pm - midnight thebrag.com

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 – Sun 4pm-midnight The Powder Keg 7 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 8354 0980 Wed – Thu 6pm-late; Fri 1pm-2.30am; Sat – Sun 6pm-late The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Thu – Fri 5pm-late; Sat – Sun noon-late Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Tue – Sat 6pm-late & Fri noon-3pm

Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point (02) 8696 1787 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 – Thu 5pm-late; 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) 9368 7333 Mon – Thu 4-11.30pm; Fri – Sun noon-11.30pm This Must Be The Place 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 8063 Mon – Sun 3pm-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, 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 4pm-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 The Hill Bar/Eatery Cnr Campbell Pde & Hastings Pde, North Bondi (02)9130 2200 BAR Mon – Fri 4pm-late, Sat – Sun 12pm till 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 St, Woollahra 0413 688 546 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

Forest Lodge Hotel 117 Arundel St, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 Mon – Sat 11am-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

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

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

Spring Street Social (and Jam Gallery) Underground 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat 5pm-3am

The Gasoline Pony 115 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville 0401 002 333 Tue – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri – Sat 3-11.30pm; Sun 3-9.30pm

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

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

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight Arco 3 Little Queen Street, Chippendale (02) 9318 0815 Tue – Sat 5pm-9.30pm 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 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-1am 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

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 – Tue 7am-5pm; Wed – Sun 7am-11pm Soho In Balmain 358 Darling St, Balmain 0407 525 208 Tue – Sun 5pm-11pm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 4pm-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-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-3pm; Sun noon-10pm Lord Raglan 12 Henderson Rd, Alexandria (02) 9699 4767 Mon – Sun noon-3pm, 5pm-9pm Raven’s Eye 127 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 6429

Alberts Bar 100 Mount St, North Sydney (02) 9955 9097 Mon – Wed 11.30am-10pm; Thu 11.30am-11pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight Daniel San Manly 55 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6963 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Friday – Saturday noon–2am; Sunday noonmidnight 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-midnight; Fri & Sat noon-midnight Sun noon-10pm

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebrag. com 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 noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm The Local Bar 6/8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri noon-late; Sat – Sun 8am-late 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 – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 8am-midnight Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly 0487 713 350 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 :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 23

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK WILD NOTHING

copied from a bygone era. Though they adopt a language and a tone popular in the past, they have enough idiosyncrasies to feel like self-contained, unique efforts.

Life Of Pause Captured Tracks/Remote Control

Jack Tatum and friends cover immense emotional ground with a hint of nostalgia.

ADRIAN YOUNGE Something About April II Linear Labs

Every lyric of Adrian Younge’s Something About April II feels as though it should be printed on skin; every note feels as though it could be measured in sweat. It is less an album about sex than it is an album consumed by it, filled from top to lecherous bottom with desire. It also represents another success for the producer and beatsmith, the second part of a one-two punch begun with Younge and Ghostface Killah’s Twelve Reasons To Die II. As on that similarly infectious album, Something About April II combines retro stylings with a thoroughly modern sensibility. That said, April looks back even further than its creator’s previous work, drawing on baroque and classical references. Indeed, it’s the album the adolescent Mozart might have fashioned if he had access to Playboy and high-fidelity recording equipment. ‘Sandrine’ is so much purple velour; ‘Sea Motet’ is all string-led swagger; and ‘Memories Of War’ redefines the organ solo. It’s oversaturated in the best possible way, and the album only becomes more invigorating the further one sinks into the tracklist, as all semblance of reason disappears and the swathes of velvet and the scent of incense begin to take over.

There’s a whiff of nostalgia to the record too – ’80s-inspired electro work dominates the proceedings, with a dash of ’90s shoegaze fuzz added in for good measure – but never in a way that feels reductive or parodic. The pleasures to be derived from songs like ‘A Woman’s Wisdom’ or the album’s excellent title track aren’t carbon-

DIIV photo by Sandy Kim

Wild Nothing’s Life Of Pause is a profoundly textural release. It’s an album designed as much for the taste buds and the nerve endings as the ears; one you could even plunge your arms into, as though submerging them in a barrel of paint and oil.

Better still, though the album is unashamedly jaunty – the driving, delicious ‘To Know You’ is a genuine crowd-pleaser in the optimal sense of the word – there’s an overriding sense of melancholy to keep things balanced. Loss deeply permeates tracks like ‘Whenever I’, as sadness cuts through the sax solos and oozing choruses. “I thought you’d be good for me,” croons Jack Tatum, “But I know what you are now”. It’s lemon and sugar; it’s pebbles and cotton; it’s darkness and light; and it’s perhaps the best album Wild Nothing have yet released. Joseph Earp

LITTLE GEORGIA

RILEY PEARCE

LAZERTITS

MASSIVE ATTACK

Bootleg Independent

Outside The Lines MGM

Aubergine Dreams Independent/Bandcamp

Ritual Spirit Virgin/EMI

Acoustic folk charmers are pretty much the go for duo Little Georgia’s debut album, recorded live in a farmhouse on the coast of Victoria. But there are two exceptions. The first is the opening track ‘Intro’. Sure, it’s a pleasant enough song filled with sprightly strums and distant vocal exercises, but with only another seven tracks to follow it up, a twominute-and-35-second introduction seems a tad excessive.

With his second EP release, Outside The Lines, Western Australia-based Riley Pearce takes a punt at the ‘sensitive singersongwriter’ gig. It is a seven-track sampler of immersive vulnerability and wanderlust in the fine indie-folk tradition of Bon Iver, Angus Stone and Dustin Tebbutt. It also reflects a musician coming into his own and offers an even more mature sound than his 2013 debut EP We Are Fools. Feel the feels.

Lazertits’ debut EP, Aubergine Dreams, is laden with temptation – not temptation of the titillating kind, but the academic type. Lead track ‘Ladies’ is a statement of female empowerment in our patriarchal world. ‘Shonen Knife’ is the subversive sexuality of rock’n’roll shot through a Camille Paglia lens; ‘Dirty Brown Couch’ is Luce Irigaray musing on sexual politics; and ‘Very Berry Milkshake’ is to vegan culinary opportunity as John and Yoko’s ‘Give Peace A Chance’ was to the Paris peace talks of the 1970s.

After six years of silence, British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack made a discreet return with the release of their own smartphone app, Fantom, in late January. The app contained snippets of four new songs, which have now been revealed in their entirety on this EP, Ritual Spirit. Produced by founding member Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja, Ritual Spirit provides a brief but satisfying update on how things have progressed since 2010’s Heligoland. Throbbing club EDM is smeared against dreamlike meditations, and the familiar moody grooves of yore seep throughout, but there’s a restlessness that’s heightened by the EP’s varied guests.

Get past this and you’re hurled into bare emotion. Standouts include ‘Emily’, which carries a dreamy guitar tone, and lead single ‘Forget Me’, a pivotal moment with a significantly darker vibe and the muffled and pessimistic vocals of the duo’s female half, Ashleigh Mannix. The end statement of, “When I die I’ll find another road”, captures the sentiment of the whole song perfectly. ‘California’ is another downplayed affair with sparse strums and Mannix’s counterpart Justin Carter taking the limelight. However, the second unnecessary moment arrives with closing track ‘Heartbreak’. Hitting the three-minute mark of the song, the vocal break repeats itself for a further two minutes, making you wonder exactly why.

Inspired by a recent six-month jaunt to Montana, Outside The Lines was recorded at Perth’s Debaser Studios. It opens with ‘Brave’, Pearce’s single from late last year. This slowly unfolding gem measuredly reveals its fragile narrative as it slinks into brassy harmonies. Pearce sings, “She tells that I will be alright / And for a second it feels like I believe her / ’Cause I forget the way that I felt … I’ll be coming back for you.” The instrumental ‘406’ is a beautiful albeit brief inclusion, while title track ‘Outside The Lines’ is a sundrenched toe-tapper that picks up the gentle pace. ‘Roskie’ is another highlight with its fingerpicking salute to roots rock. It’ll make a great addition to any summer road trip soundtrack.

But temptation aside, this is just honest-to-goodness punk rock, as fresh as it’s ever been. From this perspective, ‘Ladies’ is the best song the Go-Go’s never wrote in their coke- and booze-stained Los Angeles lounge room; ‘Shonen Knife’ is Bratmobile via Blue Oyster Cult and the Detroit Cobras; the grinding garage power of ‘Dirty Brown Couch’ renders L7 a bunch of private school kids in comparison; and ‘Very Berry Milkshake’ is a dairy-free bubblegum garage track that’d send Kim Fowley into apoplectic excitement. The songwriting is taut and the precision of the lyrics is augmented with a wry humour so often left at the garage door by over-earnest indie musicians lost on a self-indulgent journey.

Emerging from a haze of electronic blips, Roots Manuva spins lyrical webs around shuddering bass and ghostly echoes on ‘Dead Editors’. Tribal drums, oscillating guitar and hand claps dance around the soulful croon of Azekel on the title track, which floats by with the fragility of butterfly wings. Young Fathers’ airtight lyrical flow bridges the generational gap on ‘Voodoo In My Blood’, before ‘Take It There’ hails the climactic curtain call. It’s Massive Attack at their most unmistakable and intoxicating.

The soundtrack to all your future debauched nights, this album is the epitome of cool; an endless catalogue of carnal delights.

These misdemeanours aside, Bootleg is a beautiful collection showcasing gorgeous vocal synergy.

Delicately textured, Outside The Lines places Pearce on the map of artists to watch.

You can listen to Lazertits on any level, and you’ll always be satisfied.

The only real drawback is that the EP is painfully short. The good news is there’s another on the way, followed by an album later this year. This is just the beginning.

Joseph Earp

Chelsea Deeley

Anita Connors

Patrick Emery

Jack Pilven

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK

MIGHTY DUKE AND THE LORDS Mighty Duke and The Lords Independent/Bandcamp

24 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

It’s time to get out your Hawaiian shirts and start mixing those cocktails: Mighty Duke and The Lords’ debut album calls for a calypso party. A tantalising tropical treat, this self-titled release will have all late converts to the band grooving in no time. Introducing themselves with a tribal drumbeat and a series of belting horns, ‘Mama Rogee’ sees the five-piece asking “Are you ready?”, to which listeners are sure to reply, “Hell yeah!”

forbidden relationships, ‘Phantom Panties’ sees the jokers advising their audience to “Take care of your underwear”; whereas ‘Two To Tango’ acts as a hilarious warning to those preparing to sleep with a seductive stranger.

Emulating the sound of a live performance, it’s almost inconceivable to think the record was created inside a studio. ‘Trouble’ blends non-stop hi-hats, powerful trumpets and a cannon of comedic calls. Bringing humour to the many delicate situations of

Absolutely dominating their selfcoined style of ‘trop pop’, Mighty Duke and The Lords are a musthave at your next shindig. Your only regret will be that you didn’t listen to these guys sooner.

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... DAVID BOWIE - Station To Station BOY & BEAR - Moonfi re THE GO-BETWEENS - 16 Lovers Lane

‘Werewolf Calypso’, which closes the party, has enough punch to get the people moving out, but just as much rhythm to keep them dancing while they do it.

THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND - Vicennial THE CURE - Wish

Phoebe Robertson thebrag.com

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

was a late bloomer, realising I was queer around the end of 2009, at the age of 20. I didn’t come out until a little while later, but I started putting the feelers out in early 2010, essentially trialling queerness. I would head to queer central at the Sly Fox on Wednesdays; I went to the Mardi Gras parade (only to make out with the blokey guy I met on the bus on the way in); I worked the bar at the official parade afterparty, flirting with women for tips.

to hide the fact that the only fi lled-in questions were marked ‘never’.

I went to Fair Day with two lesbian friends of mine. I distinctly remember our group being approached by two women, asking if we wanted to fi ll out a sexual health survey. I remember being excited by the fact the women had asked me, as though I was clearly sexually active (I wasn’t) and probably a super cool lesbian (wasn’t sure then, probably still not super cool now), and they could tell this just by looking at me. I grabbed the survey from them to fi ll out, and immediately stumbled. One of the first questions was, “What is your sexuality?” Peering over at my two friends, who were casually racing through the boxes, ticking without a care in the world, and the women who’d given us the survey, standing nearby but very deliberately not watching over, I felt my face burn. Looking back down at the survey, I considered the boxes. I hated the word ‘lesbian’, after having been called it as an insult all through high school. I didn’t know what queer was. I thought about bisexual, but wondered if I could really call myself that too, having suffered through dates with guys because I thought I should, but never really enjoying them. I ticked ‘gay’, covered that question with my hand, and moved on, trying to look as cool and casual as my friends. The next stumbling block came quickly. The survey asked, “When was the last time you had sex with a woman?” At this point, I hadn’t had sex with anyone, let alone a woman. I’d fooled around with guys before. Does that count as sex? What the hell is sex anyway, if I want to have sex with women? When do I stop being a virgin if a penis isn’t involved? These questions raced around my head, but the answer to the survey question was easy. I ticked the ‘never’ box. The ‘never’ box was an easy ticket to fl y through most of the rest of the survey. Mortifi ed, though relieved for not having to answer them, I skipped over the questions asking about whether I’d had oral sex, anal sex, kinky sex, with how many partners, how often… and very shortly after that, the survey was done. I ended up fi nishing before my friends, handing it back in such a way so as

Facebook's Pride float photo by topol6_Flickr

this week…

Fast-forward to 2016, and not only am I capable of fi lling out this survey without getting clammy hands, I’m now working with ACON to be one of the women handing the survey out. The Sydney Women and Sexual Health (SWASH) survey has been conducted every two years around Fair Day since 1996. It’s the longest running and only regular survey of lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women’s health in Australia, and probably the world. The survey is instrumental in providing information for ACON’s projects for women, from discovering what sexual health advice we need, to providing a basis for conducting further research into why LBQ people smoke at higher rates than the general population, and so on. When it started, it was about identifying HIV risk, but now it’s more about painting a picture of our holistic health. It might sound like I’m a publicity bot for ACON right now, but without this research and the resources produced as a result, I might still be asking myself some of those questions I had in 2010. LBQ women are usually so invisible from sexual health research and popular knowledge, to the point that doctors have told my queer friends, “Oh, you’re a lesbian? You don’t need a pap smear!” to friends asking me, “Why do you have condoms? You don’t sleep with men.” Ignorance and invisibility has never helped anyone, and it certainly didn’t help me when I fi nally realised I was approximately eight years overdue for my first pap smear. If you see a woman in a Claude shirt at Fair Day this weekend, go over and grab a survey, and (anonymously) tell us how many times you’ve had sex in the last four weeks.* Don’t be shy. Start counting. *Write it on the survey. Please don’t actually tell us. All information on the surveys is kept completely anonymous and confi dential, and you will be given formal information about the survey before you fi ll it out.

Summertime at Mardi Gras Film Festival

The official Mardi Gras season launches this week, and so there is so much happening. Check the Mardi Gras website for events, as well as the Mardi Gras Film Festival. But most importantly, this Sunday February 21 is Fair Day (AKA my favourite day of the year) at Victoria Park. It goes all day, and then there are afterparties at the Newtown Hotel (Snatch and Grab and Love Club), the Marlborough Hotel (every room), the Imperial Hotel (Heaps Gay) and the Factory Theatre (House of Mince is doing another Super OpenAir). You’re spoilt for choice, but don’t forget to wear sunscreen.

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snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

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MAJICAL CLOUDZ, ANATOLE

better fit for their synth-driven, cathartic pop than Newtown Social Club. Here in snug intimacy, their music positively electrifies.

Devon Welsh, the frontman and founder of Canadian electro-indie outfit Majical Cloudz, is surprised that the duo has a following Down Under. Despite the cheers, whoops and even banter with individual members of the audience, there’s an underlining astonishment and incredulity. Welsh works hard to hide it with wry quips and shy smiles, but it’s there nonetheless. And listening to his mesmerisingly meditative and melancholic vocals, it all just adds to the beauty of the show. It’s hard not to be enthralled.

The twosome begin their show with ‘Disappeared’, the opener from last year’s sophomore release Are You Alone?. It sets the tone for what’s to come. The richness of their studio recording is pared back, and producer Matthew Otto’s sonics slowly uncoil, allowing Welsh’s raw and unflinching baritone to take centre stage. There is an unerring deference to Joy Division, with Vangelis and Radiohead thrown in the mix, which is particularly tangible on ‘This Is Magic’. ‘I Do Sing For You’ is quietly tender, as is the heart-swelling ‘If You’re Lonely’, which Welsh assures has a happy ending. However, ‘Childhood’s End’ is the show-stopper with its narrative about innocence lost: “Someone died, gunshot right outside / Your father, he’s dead”.

Newtown Social Club Monday February 8

Opening the show is Anatole. In many ways more beats-conjurer than musician, the Sydneybased artist effortlessly hypnotises with a crackling, conceptual and almost ethereal take on electro-cumhip-hop. Accompanied by a video background of shifting geometry, forms and planets, his bag of tricks includes samples of jazz, Destiny’s Child and rap, and it quickly has the audience relaxed and reclining on the floor. Majical Cloudz are in the country for Laneway Festival, but it’s hard to be convinced that open-air jamboree is a

It’s an hour-long gig, and with two albums’ worth of material to choose from, Majical Cloudz’s setlist feels masterfully crafted, particularly as there is no encore. Brooding, direct and personal, it is a commanding performance. Anita Connors

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

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

GILLIAN WELCH

thigh-slapping rendition of ‘Six White Horses’ featuring a cowboy boot scootin’ percussion solo.

The 11-year absence of Nashville’s Gillian Welch and David Rawlings doesn’t seem to have affected their Australian fan base in the least, with Welch’s first Sydney show selling out instantly. The duo brought their American country narrative to the Enmore Theatre for a night peppered with humour and a running observation of all the songs about dead people they’ve written over the years – much to the delight of fans who got to hear old favourites like ‘Elvis Presley Blues’, which only worked to raise the body count.

Rawlings and Welch’s “box of curiosities”, featuring a vast collection of unique picks packed up in a small vintage carry cabinet, fed into the guessing game for a lot of audience members trying to predict the next song. The setlist was a mix of old and new, featuring ‘Scarlet Town’, ‘Tennessee’, ‘The Way It Will Be’, and an audience request for ‘Hickory Wind’. There wasn’t a still foot in the entire theatre when the duo launched into Johnny Cash’s ‘Jackson’, with Rawlings showcasing his impressively high voice that makes singing Welch’s parts on songs (which he did several times) conveniently easy.

Enmore Theatre Monday February 8

What makes the often harrowing and melancholy lyrics of Welch’s songs so vibrant and transfixing is their musical delivery. Rawlings’ dynamic fingerpicking in songs like ‘Time (The Revelator)’ absolutely slayed the audience. His ability to craft so many layers of sound, making it feel as though there’s an entire band performing in the room, puts him on par with authentic country greats like Justin Townes Earle. Welch also had a few tricks up her sleeve, with a

HEALTH, MARCUS WHALE, JAMES CROOKS Oxford Art Factory Monday February 8

Music is a disease with a positive purpose; a contagion with an end goal in mind. And like every other illness known to man, it uses the body as a vessel. In that way, the physical form became the star of Health’s show at Oxford Art Factory: the carrier for a very special infection and the focus of every single act. Opening artist James Crooks sweated and sashayed his way around the stage, setting off pre-recorded beats and punctuating them with guitar barbs, occasiona lly sending a lone cymbal fl ittering about in the light. It was an interesting if vaguely slight set; enjoyable but ultimately a little airy and unsubstantial.

live at the sly ft. joseph liddy and the skeleton horse

But from that point on, the body heat in the room increased in direct correlation with the talent on display, as Marcus Whale sent the audience into frenzied fl urries of fl esh, dancing his way through songs concerned with subjects as diverse as ‘Invasion Day’ and the struggles of “the queer [experience] in a hostile environment”, to quote Whale’s own onstage banter. It was heady yet primal stuff; at once danceable and yet supremely intelligent and haunted.

It was refreshing to see a duo that’s been touring together for so long genuinely happy and enthusiastic about playing their music, and this wasn’t lost on the crowd members wouldn’t stop calling out compliments – the most memorable being, “I love you both in completely different ways.” Nena Serafimovska

Health staked claim in the same territory, but violently, with less subtext and more aggression; side-stepping political concerns and selecting as their domain the territory of physical human experience. Everything was felt and nothing was imagined – it was a show that incited movement, fluidity and heat, and it abandoned everything to do with the mind, aiming itself squarely at the gut. Death Magic, the band’s tremendous recent album, provided the bulk of the setlist, with ‘Stonefi st’ proving to be a particularly throbbing standout. But in truth, the entire back catalogue was taken care of, and with each tune the band tore through the boundaries of the stage, seemingly getting closer to every single audience member without ever moving an inch into the moshpit. It was a strangely moving affair too, with the audience fl inching and muttering after every protracted drum solo, becoming increasingly connected to the music. Tendrils extended from the stage; tissue formed and solidifi ed, and backlit by some of the most glaring strobe lights imaginable, the band transformed from personalities into signifi ers. Their faces were blurred, they sang more than they spoke, and they were reduced to simple bodies; swathes of muscle and fl esh. Or no, not reduced. Elevated. Joseph Earp

04:07:16 :: Slyfox :: 199 Enmore Rd Enmore 9557 2917 26 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

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snap sn ap up all night out all week . . .

GIDEON BENSEN, A.D.K.O.B Newtown Social Club Saturday February 13 Fresh from their Laneway Festival debut, buzzy Sydney quartet A.D.K.O.B dutifully worked the stage. With brief but charming chat (which is humorously mirrored on their social media accounts, FYI) between songs, the group delivered of an earpricking array of sounds and solid tunes from their debut EP, A Different Kind Of Busy, including a knee-smashing effort by drummer Harry Simpson. Wrapping with ‘Glue’, a vibrant and catchy breakout effort, the band is set to have a soaring 2016.

BOY & BEAR, ART OF SLEEPING, MONTAIGNE Hordern Pavilion Friday February 12 It may come as a bit of a surprise, but this was Dave Hosking’s first time inside the Hordern Pavilion. The frontman of indie-folk darlings Boy & Bear admitted that in the lead-up to the second-last show on their biggest Australian tour to date, he drove past the venue many times to check out their poster. But yes, it was the first time he’d walked through the doors, and this barely disguised excitement was nothing short of infectious. Sydney singer-songwriter Montaigne opened the show. With a whole lot of energy and heart, the 2012 Unearthed finalist soon had the crowd suitably wowed with her spellbinding vocals and alt-pop melodies.

their discography. An early highlight was ‘Rabbit Song’, as was their epic rendition of ‘Lordy May’. It was also pure delight to hear their Like A Version cover of ‘Back To Black’ by Amy Winehouse. With Hosking’s dulcet tones, plus glistening synths and rustic guitar, the boys transformed the beehive queen’s track into their own. Armed with nothing but good tunes and positive vibes, the Sydney-based Boy & Bear delivered a staggeringly fun set. Clearly, these boys have come so far since their humble triple J Unearthed beginnings. Six years on, and their crisp, polite, folky poprock is at its most powerhouse.

Take two mics, two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and a sax, and you get the allencompassing production Gideon Bensen had in store for his audience at the unveiling of his first solo effort Cold Cold Heart. A relatively low-key introduction for what was ahead, static analogue visuals fuzzed behind Bensen and his band before they set the pace – quick, sharp and electric – with screaming guitar and a crescendo of ’80s sci-fi synths taking off. It wasn’t long before Bensen had attentive

crowd members matching his sleek and expressive moves. If there was ever any question of whether this performance would be anything but slick, that notion was quickly diminished. With clean drums, theatrical vocals and smooth switches between mics, Bensen kept things “short and snappy” both in performance and duration, in part due to the “11 o’clock curfew” imposed on us all. Second single ‘Talk Talk’ saw Bensen excel in playing the energetic frontman, although his energy unfortunately went unmatched by a noisy audience. Regardless, whether or not Bensen and co. heard the chatter didn’t show, and as Bensen thanked his Preatures bandmates for letting him embark on his solo project, guitarist Jack Moffitt took to the stage to lend a hand for ‘All New Low’. Despite an audience paying less attention than he deserved, Bensen nonchalantly and impressively preserved, giving the impression he had figured out exactly what he wanted to do. A bit of background noise wasn’t going to stop him from executing that. Emily Gibb

Anita Connors

Voodoo-peddlers Art Of Sleeping were up next. Playing tunes from their debut album Shake Shiver and EP Like A Thief, it was clear they were just plain thrilled to be there. Their dreamy indie-pop gems soon had listeners crowding the front of stage. Boy & Bear then arrived with an extended, groove-tastic version of their cowbellpowered ‘Limit Of Love’. It was a huge, dynamic performance of the title track from their third album, and it set the tone for the night. Teenage and middle-aged onlookers alike were instantly moving and shaking. The next hour and a half was filled with a stellar, not to mention punctual set, in which they smashed out tracks from across

MISSY HIGGINS, DUSTIN TEBBUTT, ALYS FFION Taronga Zoo Sunday February 14 It would be hard to picture a more appropriate event for Valentine’s Day than Missy Higgins playing a show as the sun set on Taronga Zoo. Lovers were out in force, spreading out in the grass and admiring the view of Sydney Harbour. Alys Ffion opened up the evening with a handful of songs that were quick to win over the crowd, mixing acoustic pop songs with nervous energy. Dustin Tebbutt worked more electronic influences into his set, with his two-piece band creating enough layers and sounds for eight. Phones came out to capture the sun falling behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and bask in the gorgeous amphitheatre as Missy Higgins took the stage. She instantly created a warm atmosphere, talking to the audience as if she were playing in someone’s living room; a few songs in, she invited the crowd to come to the front, and many quickly did so as she launched into The Drones’ ‘Shark Fin Blues’, following it up with ‘Ten Days’ to make sure everyone was dancing.

The set featured many tracks from her 2014 covers album Oz; songs by The Angels, Don Walker, and Kylie Minogue all got a showing throughout the night. Midway through the set, it began to rain and Higgins ran through ‘Watering Hole’ as people scrambled to pack up their cheese platters and picnic blankets. Spirits were still high, however, and ‘NYE’ kept the mood on track. The evening peaked as Higgins asked the audience if they would be interested in a sing-along before launching into ‘Scar’, leaving the last chorus for the fans, who were more than happy to give every word back to her. Then came some confusion onstage, as Higgins suddenly announced that she had to stop the show. It was later revealed that Taronga Zoo had received a lightning warning with three songs left, and Higgins had no choice but to leave the stage. While she still had a few hits left on the table, she was still able to get in 75 minutes of covers and cuts from across her discography. It was an unceremonious end, but with a performance like that, it’s hard to imagine it ruined too many people’s Valentine’s Day. Spencer Scott

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

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BRAG :: 650 :: 17:01:16 :: 27

g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Sufjan Stevens

Danny & The Cosmic Tremors Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 7pm. Free. Smitty & B Goode + The Dunhill Blues + Deadwood 76 + DJ Kenji Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Sunset Sessions feat: Benny Vibes + Krysitie Erickson The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 State Theatre

Sufjan Stevens 7:30pm. $98.51. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Drums Bone Bass Trio Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. Free. Leigh Mcrae Foundry616, Ultimo. 7:30pm. $21.50.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Big Red Fire Truck + Red Gazelle + Thin Air Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Blake Tailor Zest Grill House, Rooty Hill. 5:30pm. Free. Evie Dean Optus Centre, Macquarie Park. 12pm. Free. Mark Travers

Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Muso’s Club Jam Night Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. Pale Ryder Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $14.30. Waxahatchee Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $43.80.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Soul Roots Revival

Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. Tricia Evy Tribute To Mel Tormé Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27.50.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Harbourview Hullabaloo - feat: Zack Martin + Ben Osmo Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Michael Harvey Museum Of Contemporary Art, The Rocks. 6:30pm. Free. Roadhouse Rockabilly Night 1st Birthday - feat:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Pocket Fox + Julia Johnson The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Sunset Sessions feat: Benny Vibes + Krysitie Erickson The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Gin Mill Social feat: Greg Poppleton And The Bakelite Broadcasters Slide Lounge, Darlinghurst. 6:45pm. $99. Salsa Kingz Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Soul Tattoo Optus Centre, Macquarie Park. 4pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Albert Hammond, Jr. + Gunns Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $54.50. Black Aces + The Bitter Sweethearts + The Last Cavalry Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.50. Blake Tailor Club Liverpool, Liverpool. 5:30pm. Free. Blake Wiggins Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Blink-182 Show + California 90s Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free.

Bowles Bros The Oriental Hotel, Springwood. 8pm. Free. Cath & Him Ettalong Beach Hotel, Ettalong. 8pm. Free. Classic Rock Show (Best Of West Coast Rock) - feat: Barry Leef Band + Peter Northcote Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $34.70. Courtyard Sessions - Jordan Millar Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. Free. Dan Melchior + Nathan Roche + Dead Farmers + Dry Finish + Tim & The Boys Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. $15. Dave Debs Figtree Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Evie Dean Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 8pm. Free. Fear Like Us + Hoodlum Shouts + Galluci + Hannahband Black Wire Records, Annandale. 7pm. $10. Geoff Davies The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Glenn Esmond 99 On York, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. Iluka + Betty & Oswald + DJ El Mariachi Waywards, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Jed Zarb Heritage Hotel, Bulli. 8pm. Free. Karise Eden The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $44.70. Killed By Death (A Tribute To Motörhead) Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 5pm. $13.90. Lavage De Cerveau Book Launch - feat: Nathan Roche Sedition Barbershop, Darlinghurst . 11pm. Free. Matt Toms Lord Raglan Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Paul Dempsey + Fraser A. Gorman Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40. Plini + Heavy Metal Ninjas + Three Wise Monkeys

Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18. Red Alert Heritage Hotel, Bulli. 7pm. Free. Riley Beech Padstow Park Hotel, Padstow. 9pm. Free. Rob Eastwood Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 6pm. Free. Sarah Paton Zest Grill House, Rooty Hill. 5:30pm. Free. Spit Roasting Bibbers Kings Park Tavern, Kings Park. 7pm. Free. Stephanie Lea Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Steve Lane & The Autocrats + Napoleonic + The Vacationists Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. Free. Suite Az + DJ Troy T The Arthouse, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Ted Nash Duo Crown Hotel, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. The Chosen Few Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. The Loaded Six Strings Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9pm. Free. The Nobody’s Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. The Peep Tempel Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $18. The Ruminaters Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free. Twilight At Taronga - feat: Mark Seymour And The Undertow + Ben Salter Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 7pm. $70.95. Whispering Jack Show (A Tribute To The Music Of John Farnham) Bankstown Sports Club, Bankstown. 7:30pm. $15.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Bandsonstage feat: Hoochie Mama

speed date WITH

TYLER KINDER FROM BLACK ACES

possible. We are really just going to keep tacking shows onto the tour and play as much as possible. Following that, our plan for before the year is out is to hit Europe hard to promote the release of the album over there. Best Gig Ever It’s hard to say which individual 3. show has been our best over the

Your Profile The best way I could describe Black Aces would be the ominous sound of lightning and thunder cracking over the dusty plains of the Australian outback. The sound of cracking that first ice cold Vic after a hard day’s work in the sun. It’s the sound of all the pubs and clubs at last call across this fair land of ours! [Laughs] Nah, we are just a chestbeating Aussie rock’n’roll band that love to play hard, have a drink and 28 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

have a ripper of a time doing it! Our fans are just like us, people that love rock’n’roll and a good time.

Keeping Busy Over the last few months we’ve been concentrating on organising the album release. We’ve still been playing plenty of shows all over the east coast over that period though. Now we are just working hard at this current tour and getting the album and show out to as many people as

years. We try our guts out every night onstage to put on the best show we possibly can. We leave everything up there – blood, sweat and tears. Saying that, we’ve had some great nights playing at Cherry Bar and Frankie’s. We’ve been lucky enough to have shared the stage with some great bands such as Dallas Crane, Cosmic Psychos and The Casanovas, which were all classic nights. As for worst gig, we were once asked to play at a certain hotel in central rural Victoria that’ll remain nameless. We went

onstage, looked out and saw all of three people in a room that could hold 200. We then began to play. Oneand-a-half songs and the publican pulled the plug, screaming the band is too loud and that the gig was over. This resulted in some choice words coming from the stage, almost an exchange of blows and us leaving with my car being bloody graffitied! Current Playlist We listen to a pretty eclectic 4. mix. There are the standards that always get a run, stuff like AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels and Slade. We do listen to a lot of stuff that people probably wouldn’t associate us with. We are big fans of the great songwriters, people like Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon and Elton John. We mix it up a lot. There is always heaps of blues and soul getting spun at home.

Your Ultimate Rider Geez, our ultimate rider would 5. be pretty simple, just the standards. Enough piss to drown a ship of drunken sailors, seven Vestal Virgins, the soul of Mike Baird’s first born son, the Ark of the Covenant and somewhere to smoke. [Laughs] Nah, if any band member had a strange rider request they’d be exiled to the station wagon without any dinner. To be honest we are happy with enough beer to get drunk on and maybe a cheeky bottle of Scotch. What: Shot In The Dark out now independently With: The Bitter Sweethearts, The Last Cavalry Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Friday February 19

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Sufjan Stevens photo by Emanuel Alofabi

The Hoo Haas The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Reggae Royalty feat: UB40 + Sly And Robbie + Inner Circle Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:15pm. $99.91.

AJ Dyce The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Bill Burns Brown + Robert Wolfe Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Dave Stephens + Dee Donavan + Grooveworks + Monique Montez Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Dirt Picnic + The Dirty Slutz The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5. Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Juju Wings Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Kate Miller-Heidke Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $49.90. Live At The Sly feat: Hi-Tops Brass Band + Recall + The Cooking Club Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Osaka Punch + Rick Dangerous And The Silkie Bantams + Reidemeister Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $10. Radio Moscow + Kings Destroy + Holy Serpent Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $30. Rob Henry Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Russell Morris Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $36.75. Steve Crocker Manly Leagues Club,

Brookvale. 7:30pm. Free. Tasman Keith Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.60.

g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com + The Set Petersham Inn, Petersham. 8:30pm. Free. Bud Petal 107 Projects, Redfern. 8pm. $15. King Curly The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7. The Arc Riders + Cass Eager And The Velvet Rope Blues On The Water, Darling Harbour. 11:30am. $60. Tit’s Live! - feat: The Swampy Tonk Drifters The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 4pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Alfredo Malabello The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Band Of Men Club Cronulla, Cronulla. 8pm. Free. Beastwars + Sumeru + Buffalo Trio Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Cath & Him Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9pm. Free. Chase The Sun + Lloyd Spiegel + Claude Hay The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $20. Chich & The Soul Messengers The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5. Chris Cavill & The Prospectors Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. Corona Sunsets - feat: Taylor BeadleWilliams Watsons Bay Hotel, Watsons Bay. 3pm. Free. Cosmo’s Midnight + Kucka Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $20. Glenn Esmond Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Grace Fuller Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. Free. Groovology Moorebank Sports Club, Hammondville. 9pm. Free. Gypsys Of Pangea + Bin Juice + Montes Jura Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. Free. High On Fire Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $55.60. In Stereo The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 4:45pm. $23. Infinity Broke + Adam Gibson And The Ark-Ark Birds + Milkk Record Crate, Glebe. 8pm. Free. Jed Zarb Wallacia Hotel, Wallacia. 8pm. Free. Jonathan Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Lunatics On Pogosticks + Hunch + Mac The Knife + Buddy Holiday Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.50. Manalion Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm.

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Free. Michael Kopp Rocks Brewing Co, Alexandria. 2pm. Free. Mountain Sounds 2016 - feat: Albert Hammond, Jr. + Alpine + Art Vs Science + Cut Snake + The Delta Riggs + Green Buzzard + Harts + Hockey Dad + I Know Leopard + Jack Beats + The Lazys + Motez + Nina Las Vegas + Odd Mob + Sea Legs + Set Mo + Slumberjack + Tropical Zombie + Violent Soho + World Champion + Bass RQ + Bodega Collective + Catalyst + Elwood Myre + Goonz + Ivy + J-Ray + Jaket + Jimmi Walker + Man To Moon + The Moving Stills + Paperfox + Pear + Peekay + Savilian + The Sea Gypsies + Snillum + Stay Sane + Tom Hogan + Twin Caverns + Voyage Iv + Elaskia + Jake Grigg + Nocturnal Tapes + Ocean Alley + Roof + Skegss + Adi Toohey + Dreems + Kato + Lancelot + Motorik Vibe Council Mount Penang Gardens, Kariong. 11:30am. $105.50. Party Central Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Planet Groove Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 6:30pm. Free. Prints Familiar Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Ryan Enright Novotel, Rooty Hill. 6:30pm. Free. Soundproofed The Henry Sports Club, Werrington County. 8pm. Free. Stephanie Lea Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, Ryde. 6pm. Free. The Party Scarves The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. The Songs Of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd And Deep Purple feat: Peter Northcote + And Friends Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $51. The Sphinxes Crown Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. The Vanda & Young Songbook Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $69. Vanessa Heinitz Red Cow Inn, Penrith. 3pm. Free. Whelan & Grover Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 11:50pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Alan Solomon Jazz Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. Donna Amini + Emad Younan & Oliver Proudfoot The Newsagency, Marrickville. 8pm. $16.50. Jazz Nouveau St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park. 9:30pm. Free. John & Yuki

Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. On The Stoop Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8pm. $15. Soul Nights Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Soul Tattoo Wentworthville Leagues Club, Wentworthville. 8pm. Free. Sweet Echoes - feat: Prophets + Karifi Ensemble + DJs Andy Webb + Jimmy Sing + Jon & Hugh Freda’s, Chippendale. 6pm. $10. Twilight At Taronga - feat: James Morrison Big Band Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 7pm. $70.95.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC J Boog Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $40. Jazz & Shiraz Sundays Northies Cronulla Hotel, Sydney. 1pm. Free. King Tide + Nativo Soul Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. Free. The Mell-O-Tones Big Band + Neil Jensen And The Wurlitzer Organ Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne. 1pm. $38.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Bluesonstage - feat: Andrew Denniston + Red Shift + The Honeysippers + Warren Munce + Samuel Paul Red Lion Hotel, Rozelle. 4pm. Free. Jemma & The Clifton Hillbillies Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4:30pm. Free. John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7. Live Music Sundays - feat: Sydney Blues Society Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 7pm. Free. Songquest Semi 2 feat: Stuart Jammin + Murder Of Crows + Paul Davison + Craig Ball + Kay Camargo + Samuel Davidson And The One Night Band + Pauline Sparkle Harlequin Inn, Pyrmont. 3pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Melissa Page + 5 Blues Drive Petersham Inn, Petersham. 4pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + Monica + Peter & Francis Surrey Club Hotel, Redfern. 2pm. Free. Tit’s Live! - feat: Dave Graney The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 5pm. Free.

up all night out all week...

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Blake Tailor Penrith Panthers, Penrith. 3:30pm. Free. Celebrating The Early Days Of The Lord - feat: Planet + DJ Charlie Manndolin + Money For Nothing DJs Lord Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale. 12pm. Free. Cover Note Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. D’Luna + Montes Jura + Bones Atlas Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $9.20. Dave Debs The Mill Hotel, Milperra. 12pm. Free. Jed Zarb Jamison Hotel, Penrith. 1pm. Free. Lime Cordiale + Wax Witches + Ocean Alley + Mesa Cosa + Mini Bar Mike Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 5pm. $39.70. Saviour + Ocean Grove + Ambleside Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 4pm. $16.90. Sound City Trio Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 8pm. Free. Steve Crocker Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Steve Passfield And The Hand Picked Band Penrith RSL, Penrith. 2pm. Free. These New South Whales + Jack T Wotton And The Wünderz + The Beverly Chills Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6pm. $13. Trophy Eyes + Pledgethis! + Our Past Days + Grizzly Adams + Punchdagger + Pasha Bulka Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. U2 Elevation Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 4:30pm. Free. Valhalla Mist + Roses For Raychael + Fit Bird + Psycho Smiley + Rancor Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 5pm. $10. Vanessa Heinitz Rocks Brewing Co, Alexandria. 2pm. Free. Ziggy Played Guitar Foundry616, Ultimo. 7pm. $12.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 22 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + Chris Brookes Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Live Music @ Manning

Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm. Free. Steve Twitchin Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. The Mighty Surftones Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Latin & Jazz Open Mic Night The World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. Free. Reggae Mondays - feat: Eric Renaud And Caribbean Soul Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $5.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sunset Jazz Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 6pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK JD McPherson Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $50.20. Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + The Paulbearers + Tim Walker Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill. 7:30pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Stuart Jammin Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Live & Original @ Mr Falcon’s feat: Ali Fawcett + Sabrina Soraes + Katey Brooks Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Bandquest - feat: Zack Martin + Ionia + Edgar Owens’ Miracle Men Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Chris Cook Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm. Free. Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Simply Red + Natalie Imbruglia Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7pm. $119.90. Sufjan Stevens State Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $98.51.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20

Reggae Royalty - Feat: UB40 + Sly And Robbie + Inner Circle Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:15pm. $99.91.

Beastwars + Sumeru + Buffalo Trio Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Waxahatchee Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $43.80.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18

Chase The Sun + Lloyd Spiegel + Claude Hay The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $20. Cosmo’s Midnight + Kucka Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $20.

Juju Wings Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10.

Gypsys Of Pangea + Bin Juice + Montes Jura Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. Free.

Kate Miller-Heidke Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $49.90.

High On Fire Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $55.60.

Live At The Sly - Feat: Hi-Tops Brass Band + Recall + The Cooking Club Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

Lunatics On Pogosticks + Hunch + Mac The Knife + Buddy Holiday Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.50.

Osaka Punch + Rick Dangerous And The Silkie Bantams + Reidemeister Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $10. Radio Moscow + Kings Destroy + Holy Serpent Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $30.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 Albert Hammond, Jr. + Gunns Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 7pm. $54.50. Black Aces + The Bitter Sweethearts + The Last Cavalry Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.50. Courtyard Sessions - Jordan Millar Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 6pm. Free. Dan Melchior + Nathan Roche + Dead Farmers + Dry Finish + Tim & The Boys Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. $15. Iluka + Betty & Oswald + DJ El Mariachi Waywards, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Paul Dempsey + Fraser A. Gorman Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $40. Plini + Heavy Metal Ninjas + Three Wise Monkeys Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18. The Peep Tempel Factory Floor, Marrickville. 8pm. $18. The Ruminaters Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 9pm. Free. Twilight At Taronga - Feat: Mark Seymour And The Undertow + Ben Salter Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 7pm. $70.95.

Mountain Sounds 2016 Feat: Albert Hammond, Jr. + Violent Soho + Alpine + Art Vs Science + Nina Las Vegas + More Mount Penang Gardens, Kariong. 11:30am. $105.50. Twilight At Taronga - Feat: James Morrison Big Band Taronga Zoo, Mosman. 7pm. $70.95.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 D’Luna + Montes Jura + Bones Atlas Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $9.20. J Boog Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $40. King Tide + Nativo Soul Moonshine Cider & Rum Bar, Manly. 7pm. Free. Lime Cordiale + Wax Witches + Ocean Alley + Mesa Cosa + Mini Bar Mike Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 5pm. $39.70. These New South Whales + Jack T Wotton And The Wünderz + The Beverly Chills Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6pm. $13. Trophy Eyes + Pledgethis! + Our Past Days + Grizzly Adams + Punchdagger + Pasha Bulka Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 JD McPherson Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7pm. $50.20. Simply Red + Natalie Imbruglia Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7pm. $119.90. Waxahatchee

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 29

brag beats dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Anita Connors, Chris Martin and Tyson Wray

on the record

Hatch

San Proper

WITH THE TONGUE

BEATS AND A BOWL BY THE BEACH

The First Record I 1. Bought Coolio – It Takes A Thief. I would argue this is a criminally underrated album from a great rapper whose career was overshadowed by a hit single. It’s funny and horrifying in equal measure, a super vivid look into the life of a poor black male and how his situation forced him into becoming an addict and a thief. The Last Record I 2. Bought

Courtney Act and Conchita Wurst photo by Jeffrey Feng Photography

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – I’m In Your Mind Fuzz. Super amazing band from Melbourne who always keep you guessing, plus they have some of the best song titles

in the biz. On this album alone there is ‘I’m In Your Mind’, ‘I’m Not In Your Mind’ and ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’.

The First Thing I Recorded I made a song called ‘Counterfeit Cheques’ for the triple j hip hop show compilation many moons ago… still bangs if you ain’t afraid to turn it up.

The Last Thing I Recorded The Hard Feelings album came out November last year, executive produced by Papertoy – he gave me a whole new sound. Rolling Stone gave it four stars and called it “the album of his career”. Groovy.

The Record That Changed 5. My Life I definitely feel that the last two Kendrick Lamar albums have, in a way, kept me focused and motivated over the last few years. It’s just so refreshing to see the most talented/ intelligent/creative/ politically outspoken rapper also being the most successful. To me this proves that hip hop still has the power to be more than just entertainment – it can transcend and change the world. What: Hard Feelings out now through Elefant Traks/Inertia With: Beastside, Omar Musa Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday February 20

The bowl and stage have been built nearby for the General Pants Bowl-ARama, Australia’s biggest skateboarding competition. And to get into the spirit, Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel has announced a massive week of banging tunes. This Wednesday February 17, before the competition kicks off, Holy Ghost! and Hatch will be taking the Sosueme stage to spin some good vibes. The Brooklyn synthpop duo Holy Ghost! will be swapping instruments for the decks, and the classically trained Hatch will be airing his diverse and emotive mixes. Smirnoff Summer Parties takes over Yours on Saturday February 20 with Cassian, who has become one of Australia’s busiest exports, clocking up some serious miles performing all over the world. Meanwhile, the first Escape Sundays of the year, on Sunday February 21, will be offering some quality house music and good vibes. This is the place to be by the beach this weekend.

A PROPER TOUR

In proper-ly impressive news, renowned selector San Proper is heading Down Under. One of the shining lights of the Amsterdam club scene, Proper is well known for pushing the boundaries of genre, dipping his toes in acid house, Afrobeat and everything in between, often over the course of a single set. Best of all, he’s playing one of Sydney’s more intimate dance venues, the Greenwood Hotel, so it’s a perfect case of location and artistry fusing into one singularly impressive bundle. Get ready to get sweaty. Proper hits Greenwood for S.A.S.H on Sunday February 21.

owner, the now-Frankston resident Carl Cox has locked in the lineup for his inaugural Pure event. The 2016 lineup features Cox himself alongside internationals Joseph

Capriati and Format:B and locals DJ HMC and Eric Powell. It’s going down on Saturday April 23 at the Hordern Pavilion. Get amongst it.

TEMPLE AT THE BRIDGE IT’S PURE CARL COX

One of the most charming DJs in the business is heading up a brand new music festival. A world musical ambassador, a champion of techno, a dance music pioneer and label

Paula Temple is bringing the techno to Sydney. The Noise Manifesto label founder and former underground radio DJ has transitioned into a mentoring role in recent years, having used Ableton Live as her production platform and then become a certified Ableton trainer. You can bet she’ll be ready to school punters at the Bridge Hotel on Saturday March 5.

Paula Temple DC Breaks Breaks

DC BREAKS READY TO RAM

RAM Records labelmates DC Breaks and Frankee are charging onto Australian shores next month after they wrap up a short tour of New Zealand. DC Breaks have made a massive mark on DnB globally thanks to the success of their dancefloor anthems like ‘Faithless’, ‘Lock In’ and their latest, ‘Breathe’. They’re also bringing certified star power after remixing the likes of Lana Del Rey, Tinie Tempah, Lady Gaga and Paloma Faith. Frankee, meanwhile, broke through with ‘Nevada’, his collaboration with Basher. DC Breaks and Frankee take over Candy’s Apartment on Friday March 4.

30 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

thebrag.com

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

Fat Freddy’s Drop Mates From Across The Ditch By David Molloy

five things WITH JAKE

Growing Up 1. My dad played hand percussion a lot in the house, and was always tapping along to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon and whatever else. I remember thinking I could play drums just by listening to him tap along, so when my sister and I had to take piano lessons, I really wanted to be drumming. I did take up the drums and played for quite a few years. My sister Elana Stone is an accomplished jazz, soul and pop singer, and when we were growing up she hated my taste in music. Inspirations 2. I loved Faith No More because they could write such a wide variety of styles. I loved Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and N.W.A because gangsta really had edge in the ’90s and was very exciting from a production perspective also.

Courtney Act and Conchita Wurst photo by Jeffrey Feng Photography

Your Crew I played in Bluejuice for 13 years, so they are really my ‘crew’, but I also hung around a lot of the indie bands of that era like Red Riders and Dappled, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Deep Sea Arcade and

The Jezabels. Holly Throsby and her folk crew were a huge influence, and I saw Cat Power and Will Oldham and Red House Painters and acts like that through her. I have to acknowledge the influence of Martin Novosel and Purple Sneakers as a social and cultural hub also, because it was a magnet for aspiring musicians and industry. When I was coming up, I was working as a bartender at the Annandale Hotel, the Hopetoun Hotel, and interviewed everyone for the BRAG, SMH Metro and Rolling Stone. The Music You Make And Play 4. At the moment I’m really playing an intersection of house, hip hop, modern R&B and retro R&B, because that’s what kids want to hear, and an eclectic take on classic disco that includes acts like Boney M and others. I also love electro like Yelle and French house like Cassius and classic acts like that, who stray more into the traditional disco vibe as well. I have quite a cheesy side that I like to indulge, and currently that encompasses a

BORGORE BRINGS MORE

Asaf Borger, better known by his musical moniker Borgore, is visiting Australia from next month. The Tel Aviv talent grew from humble beginnings to found his own label, Buygore Records, and play massive festival sets at the likes of Tomorrowland, Made In America, Glastonbury and Ultra. He’s now been in the game for a decade and had several chartdominating hits, including ‘Forbes’ (a collaboration with G-Eazy) from the Keep It Sexy EP. Borgore is thebrag.com

STONE

lot of early 2000s pop and Ministry Of Sound releases like Eric Prydz. Music, Right 5. Here, Right Now There are brilliant acts out there, many of them in their early 20s. They all seem to be very savvy and very computersliterate. Basically the whole game is kind of more complex and more money-oriented and competitive. The stages of music have sped up, and generally an artist will be making big moves overseas early in their careers. They are image-savvy and marketing-savvy early on. As such, I find some of what is going on a little front-loaded. The tunes aren’t as good as the marketing, but sometimes they totally are, and that’s awesome! When they are, they are usually really futuristic and accomplished. People have much better jiu jitsu than they used to have, if you know what I mean. What: Courtyard Sessions 2016 Where: Seymour Centre When: Sunday February 21

bringing the bass to Ivy on Sunday March 27.

BOOMBOX CARTEL

Boom duo Boombox Cartel will follow up the success of their debut Australian tour last year by looping back around for a return visit this March. The Mexican duo made their mark with ‘B2U’, a powerplay in bass and trap, and they’ve been pushing one hell of a noise since. ‘Dancing With Fire’ is their latest release, a free download featuring vocals from alt-popster Stalking Gia. Boombox Cartel will bring the beats to Chinese Laundry on Friday March 11.

espite international renown and relentless global touring, the fellas from Fat Freddy’s Drop are still humble, still your mates and mine. They’ve been best described as the embodiment of “old-school cool”, and it shines through their love of live performance and their soulful fusion of jazz, dub and reggae. It’s there in trombonist Joe ‘Hopepa’ Lindsay’s voice as he lays back, comfortable in his hometown of Wellington. You could hardly believe he’s ever raised his voice in anger – this guy is the definition of chill. “In New Zealand, we’ve just been doing beachy New Yearsy-type gigs, and it’s been great, the set’s been going down really well,” he says, flushed with contentment. “There’s a couple of tunes on [new album Bays] that are more dancebased that cross over to the stage really well – ‘Cortina Motors’ is pretty much a straight-up techno track. And tracks like ‘Razor’ have been working really well – they’re sort of, like, ideally suited to a large stadium rock sound,” he laughs. Funnily enough, that works out perfectly for their upcoming Australian tour, which sees them taking to the Hordern Pavilion – their largest Aussie stage to date. “This one’s got some really big shows for us,” Lindsay says. “Hordern Pavilion’s a big step up for us in Sydney, and y’know, doing three shows at the Forum in Melbourne is pretty next level. We’ve never been to Hobart, as well, so that’s gonna be great. We love touring Aussie – it’s great, the crowds are really great and it’s an awesome place to tour.” They’re no strangers to life on the road – Fat Freddy’s Drop are one of the hardest touring bands around and have visited our shores many times before on their round-the-world journeys. “The reality is, you have to tour if you want to survive as a musician,” says Lindsay. “You can’t release an album and expect to get rich off it, you know? It’s about putting in the hard yards on the road, unfortunately. Or fortunately, actually! I think it’s led to a greater connection with musicians in many ways … I think you see more touring bands and you get more chance to actually just become involved with your favourite bands, which I think is great! I think that’s really positive. So yeah, I’d love to stay home all

“You can’t release an album and expect to get rich off it, you know? It’s about putting in the hard yards on the road, unfortunately. Or fortunately, actually!” the time, but I’ve also gotta go out and tour. [At the] end of the day, it’s a pretty good job – I can’t complain too much,” he laughs. The classic question for any touring band is, ‘How do you keep it fresh?’ For Hopepa and co., it comes naturally, as the band’s whole approach to music is about keeping the seal intact. Fat Freddy’s Drop are constantly revising, reshaping and rejuvenating their own work on the road, and it keeps them engaged as individuals. “It’s really important to stay fresh; I don’t think we’re the kind of band that would suit playing our songs identically every time,” Lindsay says. “We’d probably sound a lot tighter if we did, but… I’m trying really hard not to be safe, y’know? Not to take the safe route. I don’t resent bands that do – I just think that’s not very interesting for you or your audience, really, and I think our audience has probably come to expect us to do things a little bit different.” Another key aspect has been making sure to take time – despite the busy schedule – to spend with their families on their island of origin, and return to the source of their new inspiration, the band’s spiritual home and the namesake of their latest album: their Wellington studio, Bays. “It’s our home, so it’s really comfortable there now,” says Lindsay. “Because [Bays] was the first album that was fully realised at Bays, it just seemed like the right sort of title for us and just sort of felt like a fitting tribute to a place that’s helped us grow as musicians.” Bays represents a shift in the band’s compositional style. Normally the boys will put together their new tracks on tour and road-test them on unsuspecting audiences, but this time they decided to build the album at home. “It was more of a condensed thing,” says Lindsay, “but in that,

the process of writing them was almost a jam session, really. Being able to set up and improvise together in the studio was really important. It’s a different approach but I think it still stays true to our ethos of improv and jamming.” Lindsay is quick to correct when referred to as just the band’s trombonist – “among other things”, he quips – as in this jam phase, he’s an instrumental part of putting together vibrant grooves, laying down basslines, guitar licks and synthesiser stings. “A lot of the time, the horns are something like this layer that you put on at the end, so when we’re improvising, we’re jamming the beats, really,” he explains. “I really enjoy playing guitar – sort of adding to the bed rather than the cherry on top, if you know what I mean. “Toby [Laing, trumpets] and Scott [Towers, sax], they’re both great keyboard players as well, so it’s often a fight, a race to get the best synthesiser on the transitions, y’know?” They’re not just having fun with each other, either. As he’s already mentioned, Lindsay loves meeting people and enjoys the close interaction the band has with its fans. Spoiler alert – where he ends up at any given gig may surprise you. “Something I do sometimes is I get out and have a little dance in the crowd while the show’s going on,” he says cheekily, like a young boy bragging about a prank. “I try to sneak up on people, have a dance with them and leave before they realise it was me.” Sounds like something your mates would do, right? What: Bays out now through The Drop/Remote Control With: Hiatus Kaiyote, Thomas Oliver Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Friday February 26

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 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 Illy

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 Metro Theatre

Illy + Dylan Joel + Citizen Kay Xxx

$40.60. 8pm. WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17 CLUB NIGHTS Electro Nights feat: DJ Vaughan Prestwich + DJ Jeff Gray Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 7pm. $10. Queerbourhood feat: Seymour Butz + And Friends The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 7pm. Free. Salsa Wednesdays - feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Sasslife Weekly feat: Various DJs + Sasslife DJs Secret Garden Bar, Enmore. 7pm. Free. Snapback - feat: Various Artists Newtown Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Sosueme - feat: Holy Ghost! (DJ Set) + Hatch Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 HIP HOP & R&B Heems Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $32.80. Jeremih Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $65. Lazy Thinking Launch Party - feat:

JaysWays Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. $13.90.

CLUB NIGHTS DJ Del Lumanta The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 7:30pm. Free. Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Mansion Lane Funk feat: Mike Who The World Bar, Kings Cross. 7pm. Free. Mixed Tape - feat: DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 4pm. Free. The Thursday Jive - feat: Nukewood + And Friends Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm. Free. XO Thursdays Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. Free.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Fridays - feat: Glover + I Am Sam The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Bassic - feat: Marshmello + Just A Gent + Deckhead + Gradz + Ebony + Goldbrixx + Antara + Gomu + Rack-AMack Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $38.20. Cult + DJ Zok Different Drummer, Glebe. 7pm. Free. DTABM Presents February Club Night - feat: DJ Gary Grim + DJ Natriz + Offensive Behemoth Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Dubstep/

32 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:01:16

Drum’N’Bass/Jungle Party - feat: DJ Reload + Twilight Girl + Scatterbrain + Thierry D + Switchback + Steve P Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. Free. 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. Fridays At Zeta Zeta Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Gassed // Grime Rave - feat: Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Aidan Bennison + Max Gosford + T Syd Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $11. Guilty Pleasures feat: DJ Sean Rowley Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 9pm. $20. Harbour Club - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Harbour Club Fridays The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Jack The House 2 (Jack’s Back!) - feat: DJ Robbie Lowe + Mark Dynamix + Paul Holden + LL eBay Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. $15. Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm. Free. Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

Marti Smith Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 11am. Free. Night Lyfe - feat: Richie Ryan Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Omar-S Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $49.40. Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Student DJs Hermann’s Bar, Darlington. 5pm. Free. The City Knock Off - feat: DJ Just 1 + King Lee + Samrai Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B 73 Til’ Infinity - feat: Chasm + Edseven + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. DJ Hiphophoe The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 7:30pm. Free.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Saturdays feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Blueprint Rooftop Party - feat: Robag Wruhme + Ben Nott + Aaiste + Pedro Vila + Jordan Deck + Lawrence Daffurn The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 1pm. $41.90. C.U Saturday - feat: Slowblow + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Marc Jarvin

Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $22.10. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Foxlife - feat: Rabbit Taxi + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10. Frat Saturdays - feat: DJ Jonski Side Bar, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. Graham M + Raye Antonelli Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 11am. Free. Lndry - feat: Jack Beats + Route 94 + Lo’99 + Daggers + Refuge DJs + Sanger + Tyson Brunn + Camay + Crux + Nes + King Lee + Fingers Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $38. Masif Saturdays feat: Frontliner Space, Sydney. 10pm. $55.50. Mona Saturdays Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale. 9pm. Free. My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Pacha Sydney - feat: Ministry Of Sound Trance Nation Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. San Saturday Nights - feat: Jimmi Walker + Mike O’Connor Daniel San, Manly. 9pm. Free. Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Soda Saturdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Something Else feat: Lando + Baron Castle + Insert DJs + Dave Stuart + Robag Wruhme + Lawrence Daffurn + Matt Weir + Ben Nott + Aaiste + Tsura + Rinse + Wax Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $22. Tale Of Us Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 12pm. $55. The Beat Kitchen + Palma Rubia + Archie + Harry Sounds Different Drummer, Glebe . 8:30pm. Free. Venom Clubnight feat: The Arbitrary Method + Genetics + Lycanthorpe + Sevsons Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $15. Welove - feat: Raffaele Attanasio Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 10pm. Free. Yours - feat: Cassian Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B Afrobrasiliana - feat: Trevor ‘El Chino’ Parkee + Thomas Studdy + Raphael Ramires Brasil + Jon Mcculloch + Paris Groovescooter + Walking Fish Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Boathouse Saturdays - feat: Resident DJs The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. $20. Illy + Dylan Joel + Citizen Kay

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18

Foxlife - Feat: Rabbit Taxi + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10.

Heems Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $32.80.

San Saturday Nights Feat: Jimmi Walker + Mike O’Connor Daniel San, Manly. 9pm. Free.

Jeremih Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 7:30pm. $65. Lazy Thinking Launch Party - Feat: Jaysways Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. $13.90.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 Bassic - Feat: Marshmello + Just A Gent + Deckhead + Gradz + Ebony + Goldbrixx + Antara + Gomu + Rack-AMack Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $38.20. Jack The House 2 (Jack’s Back!) - Feat: DJ Robbie Lowe + Mark Dynamix + Paul Holden + Ll Ebay Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. $15. Omar-S Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $49.40.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 Argyle Saturdays - Feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. C.U Saturday - Feat: Slowblow + Murat Kilic + Robbie Lowe + Marc Jarvin Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $22.10.

Metro Theatre, Sydney. 6pm. $40.60. Player Haters Ball (Beyoncé Tribute) - feat: Alphamama + Milan + Joyride + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Nes + Ma$E & $Ean’don (40 Oz Bounce) + Flexmami Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 10pm. $15. R&B DJs By The Greens Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4pm. Free. The Tongue Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $16.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 CLUB NIGHTS Aden Mullens + KLP + Brenny B Sides Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 11am. Free. Courtyard Sessions feat: Jake Stone Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 12pm. Free. Escape Sundays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 2pm. Free. Marco Polo - feat: Klangkarussell Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $22.60. S.A.S.H By Day: Feat - San Proper + Vakula + Rabbit Taxi

Something Else - Feat: Lando + Baron Castle + Insert DJs + Dave Stuart + Robag Wruhme + Lawrence Daffurn + Matt Weir + Ben Nott + Aaiste + Tsura + Rinse + Wax Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $22. The Tongue Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $16.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 Courtyard Sessions - Feat: Jake Stone Seymour Centre, Chippendale. 12pm. Free. S.A.S.H By Day: Feat - San Proper + Vakula + Rabbit Taxi + Tom Witheridge Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15. Super OpenAir AlternaQueer Pride 2016 - Feat: Tama Sumo & Lakuti + Mike Servito + Simon Caldwell + Matt Vaughan + D&D - Haha Industries + Nick Forrest Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $24.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 22 Leftfield Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $74.

+ Tom Witheridge Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 1pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night: Feat: Trus’Me + Archie Hamilton + Nice7 + FCL + Aboutjack + Cassette + Cameron Cooper + Davey Deep + Matt Weir + Kerry Wallace Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 8pm. $15. Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Summer Dance feat: Hunee + Touch Sensitive + Mark E + Lovebombs + Adi Toohey National Art School, Darlinghurst. 4:35pm. $40. Sunday Sundown - feat: Gypsy & The Cat + Gordi + Porsches The Newport, Newport. 3:30pm. Free. Sunday Sundowners - feat: Jimmi Walker + Mike O’Connor Daniel San, Manly. 3pm. Free. Super OpenAir Alterna-Queer Pride 2016 - feat: Tama Sumo & Lakuti + Mike Servito + Simon Caldwell + Matt Vaughan + D&D Haha Industries + Nick Forrest Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $24.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 22 HIP HOP & R&B Live & Original @ The Corridor - feat: Dawn Laird + Madam Wu + Elise Graham + Nardine + Sarah Connor Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Leftfield Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $74. Mashup Monday feat: Resident DJs + DJ Thieves + Recess + OTG + Chivalry + More Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 HIP HOP & R&B Little Simz Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $44.

CLUB NIGHTS Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. Terrible Tuesdays Slyfox, Enmore. 6pm. Free. thebrag.com

19 -02-2016 DJs: ROBBIE LOWE (Spice, Lost Paradise, Subsonic) MARK DYNAMIX (Big Day Out, Prodigy, Field of Dreams) PAUL HOLDEN (Bacchanalia, Stun!, Utopia) LL eBAY (Jack the House, Macca’s Drive Thru) + special mystery guest performance THE MUSIC OF: Tyree - Adonis - Bam Bam - Kool Rock Steady - DJ Pierre - Beatmasters - Twin Hype Fast Eddie - Deskee - Doug Lazy - Tony Scott - Lidell Townsell - Double Trouble & Rebel MC 2 In A Room - Fast Eddie - Mr. Lee - Phuture - Paul Rutherford - Armando - Adamski Baby Ford - The KLF - The Shamen - Lil Louis - Humanoid - 808 State - Kevin Saunderson Inner City - Hithouse - Richie Hawtin - Kraze - Ten City - D-Mob - Cappella - Nightwriters Ralphi Rosario - Sterling Void - Joe Smooth - New Order - The Beloved - Raze - A Guy Called Gerald - Nexus 21 - Todd Terry - Royal House - The Reese Project - Technotronic Shades Of Rhythm - Altern 8 - Leftfield - Steve "Silk" Hurley

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19th 2016 9pm – Sunrise SLY FOX HOTEL - 199 Enmore Rd, Enmore

EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT WITH RESIDENTS

RABBIT TAXI MESAN KERRY WALLACE

+ WEEKLY GUESTS

Pre-sale tickets: www.jackthehouse.com.au OR $15 on the door, $18 after 1am (first 50 pre-sale ticket holders receive a free & exclusive Paul Holden hip house mix CD)

1 0 P M - L AT E

www.facebook.com/groups/jackthehouse

BY DAY Hosted by

$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 NIGHT

Sunday 21st February

San Proper Vakula Rabbit Taxi b2b

Tom Witheridge S*A*S*H & Charades DJs GREENWOOD HOTEL

Trus'me Archie Hamilton Nice7 FCL (Red D) (6hr set) aboutjack ࠮ Cassette Cameron Cooper Davey Deep ࠮ Matt Weir Kerry Wallace

HOME NIGHTCLUB 8pm to 4am

1pm to 9pm

www.sash.net.au thebrag.com

BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16 :: 33

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up all night out all week . . .

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

GRIMES, HANA, LUPA J Enmore Theatre Wednesday February 10

Performing on a festival stage is certainly a very different experience to headlining a solo show, and it’s a transition that Grimes mastered well from Laneway to the Enmore. Every detail, from the light show to her two synchronised dancers, was carefully tailored to suit the solo act.

PURITY RING

Sydney Opera House Tuesday February 9 As an audience of all ages fills the grand Concert Hall, the stage design is a source of great speculation. Although a thick cloud of smoke hangs in the air, through the haze I can make out rows of beaded thread suspended from the ceiling and a curious-looking contraption cloaked in a heavy black cloth. The house music stops and Purity Ring producer Corin Roddick appears, unveiling an elaborate tech set-up that showcases geometric lanterns (reportedly built by the synth wiz himself), to generous applause. The lights fade to reveal the petite figure of vocalist Megan James hiding among the thread, which has become an intricate maze of LED lights, bursting with colour reminiscent of an underwater wonderland. So begins an evening of visual and sensory excess. ‘Stranger Than Earth’, as the opener, just about blows the roof off the Opera House. The speakers pulsate and the floor vibrates as the multi-coloured lanterns light up with each strike of Roddick’s drum sticks. A former fashion school graduate, James appears ethereal as she takes centre stage, positioned over a wind machine that sweeps her flowing cape and mane of curls up and away. Her vocals are a hauntingly beautiful contrast of light and shade (and a little Auto-Tune), and they interlace perfectly with Roddick’s hypnotic dub beats. ‘Obedear’ starts small, building to an

energetic peak as James creates jarring yet totally mesmerising shapes to the delight of the crowd. After ‘Repetition’ winds up, she takes a moment to welcome us and marvel at the beauty of this world-famous location, before choosing to keep it brief for fear of getting “too emotional”. She finishes by dedicating the fan favourite ‘Push Pull’ to Australia, and the crowd erupts. ‘Bodyache’ and ‘Heartsigh’ force some of the entirely seated audience to their feet, prompting the sweet-sounding James to invite everyone to stand and dance, because “it’s about to get turned up!” Cue ‘Sea Castles’, ‘Dust Hymn’ and ‘Flood On The Floor’, and the audience becomes a heaving sea of bodies moving in time to the duo’s atmospheric dream-pop. James continues to dance and weave between the ever-changing colours of purple, pink, green, orange and blue lights, and seems to thrive on the theatrics they create. The pair are truly in their element – Roddick behind the decks and James perched on a speaker with the crowd hanging on every word.

By the time Grimes hit the stage at close to 10pm, the atmosphere was positively sleepy, but there was little time for that as she exploded on, performing ‘California’ with so much energy that she barely looked human. Her never-ending bouncy dance moves were only proven natural when they were followed by her breathless interjections between songs to introduce collaborations.

A humorous surprise of the night came when Grimes explained that Taiwanese artist Aristophanes wasn’t there to perform ‘Scream’ in Mandarin, so she would be performing it in Russian instead. The audience, unsure if this was a joke or not, smiled and nodded until Grimes leapt across the stage, singing (and screaming) in what we could only assume was a perfect translation. Not every performance was flawless – there was a moment where Grimes had to consult her lyrics mid-dancing (which she approached with good humour), plus some mic issues at the beginning, synth glitches, and her flu threatened to get the better of her in a stunning cover of Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’. But the highlight of the night came right at the end when she skipped the tiresome encore exit/ entry and blasted ‘Kill V. Maim’, the crowd shouting it back so loudly that it even came through the mics. Erin Rooney

After the popular ‘Fineshrine’, James announces that she’s hot and needs to take off her shoes to play their last song. “We never do encores because people make requests, and we like to choose our final song,” she explains. No-one seems too disappointed, however, as they launch barefoot into ‘Begin Again’, before professing their love for Australians – and something tells me the feeling is mutual. Natalie Rogers

s.a.s.h by day

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

PICS :: AM

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

14:02:16 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue Street North Sydney 9964 9477

34 :: BRAG :: 650 :: 17:02:16

At just 17 years old, Lupa J opened the night with a surprisingly mature sound and worked expertly with her violin and looped vocals to draw in the audience. She was followed by the dreamy and cosmic American support act Hana, who filled the space with her ambient vocals, blended from song to song. However, she particularly shone later as a backing singer for the headliner, where her vocals truly soared.

‘Venus Fly’ and ‘Realiti’ pumped up the crowd with heavy beats and their forceful chanting. In fact, tracks from Grimes’ latest album Art Angels were so well received by the audience that hits from Visions like ‘Genesis’ almost paled in comparison because of their slower, more gradual builds.

OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

:: ASHLEY MAR

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