Brag#660 by Furst Media

ISSUE NO. 660 APRIL 27, 2016

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

IRON MAIDEN THE RULE OF SIX

Plus

TA L IB K W EL I L I T T L E M AY C AT E L E BON MEL ODY POOL DA NN Y BROW N

From LA to Detroit, he's dining on the fruits of his labour.

T HE A X IS OF AW E S OME

Jordan Raskopoulos on gender dysphoria and inspiring the youth.

MIK EL A NGEL O

The theatrical performer brings his Black Sea Gentlemen to Newtown.

DIS T UR BED

Two decades since their inception, and still at their peak.

T OM GL EE S ON A ND MUCH MOR E

APRIL 22 - JUNE 17

Image attribution. Still from AFTRS student film Over the Hills

MIDYEAR INTAKE

DOCUMENTARY DIRECTING CAMERA EDITING SOUND VFX DIGITAL RADIO CONTENT

AUSTRALIAN FILM TELEVISION AND RADIO SCHOOL aftrs.edu.au/midyear thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 3

J ULY 2016

T HE 1975

// A U S 2 0 1 6 //

AUSTRALIA 2016

S AT 23 JULY

SYDNE Y SYDNE Y OLYMP IC PARK WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

TUE 26 JULY HORDERN PAVILION JAMESBLAKEMUSIC.COM

4 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

T ICKE T S: T HE1975. C OM/L IVE

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

BLOSSOMS (UK)

TUESDAY 26 JULY STATE THEATRE T HE1975.C OM

DIRT Y HI T

JAKEBUGG.COM

thebrag.com

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

T H U 2 1 J U LY METRO THEATRE J A C K G A R R A T T. C O M

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

Wednesday 20 July Metro Theatre PETERBJORNANDJOHN.COM

AND

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

WED 20/7

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

SUNDAY 24 JULY ENMORE THEATRE ATTHEDRIVEINMUSIC.COM

O X F O R D A RT FA C TORY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

SATURDAY 23 JULY FACTORY THEATRE MARKLANEGAN.COM

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SECRETSOUNDSTOURING.COM thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 5

rock music news

the BRAG presents

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

songwriters’ secrets WITH

SHAUN KIRK to the 35th anniversary of AC/ DC’s Back In Black album and proceeds will be donated to the beyondblue organisation in an effort to raise awareness for depression and anxiety. Songwriting Secrets I wish I knew the secret. 3. As I’m sure all songwriters do!

The First Song I Wrote I wrote my first song lying in 1. a hospital waiting for surgery after

song has been long ripped up and thrown in the bin.

breaking my ankle when I was 17. It was a complete rip-off of the old “rain, rain, go away” rhyme – I just changed the words at “pain, pain, go away” and added some melodramatic verses to go with it… genius, right? Fair to say the

The Last Song I Released I actually just released a version of AC/DC’s ‘Let Me Put My Love Into You’ that will be featuring on an upcoming compilation album called Back In Blue. The album is a dedication

For me it’s mostly jotting down ideas that randomly come into my head and then setting some time aside to build on those ideas. It’s usually a timely process, unfortunately. I just don’t think I’m one of those guys who can just put a song together in a couple of hours and be happy with it. The Song That Makes Me Proud 4. I guess the song that I find a lot of people asking for is an old tune called ‘Steam Train’, which actually has nothing to do with a steam train at all. It was written in a metaphorical mindset and the

lyrics are kind of based around the idea of, “Ain’t nobody gonna get in my way and tell me I can’t do what I want to do.” The Song That Changed My Life 5. Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ was a pretty pivotal song for me personally. I remember discovering Dylan when I was around 16, 17 years old after my mum had bought me one of his ‘greatest hits’ albums, and his songs really spoke to me. I always felt like he was getting some serious shit off his chest and at that time, I really needed to do the same and began to do this through writing. I also may have never started playing harmonica if it wasn’t for my “I want to sound like Dylan” phase in my younger years.

OLD MAN LUEDECKE The Gaelic Club Wednesday May 11

PETER BJORN AND JOHN Metro Theatre Wednesday July 20

THE 1975 Sydney Showground Saturday July 23

AT THE DRIVE-IN Enmore Theatre Sunday July 24

JAKE BUGG State Theatre Tuesday July 26

Where: The Vanguard When: Friday May 6

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Joseph Earp, Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Rochelle Bevis, Gloria Brancatisano, Elias Kwiet, Abbey Lew-Kee, Zanda Wilson ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar, D.A. Carter ADVERTISING: Les White - 0405 581 125 / (02) 9212 4322 les@thebrag.com Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Elias Kwiet, Zanda Wilson, Keiren Jolly, Amy Henderson REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nat Amat, Prudence Clark, Tom Clift, Anita Connors, 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:

like us:

@TheBrag

THE BRAG

6 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

PIGSTY IN JULY

Pigsty In July has announced its first group of artists for 2016. The little sister of The Gum Ball and Dashville Skyline festivals is a one-day bush bash with a ‘second-hand formal’ dress code. This year’s festival will be headlined by New Zealand rockers Shihad, who are currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 1996 self-titled album. Fans can expect a set of old and new tunes, as Shihad slot tracks from most recent record FVEY in among their live classics. Also featured on the first lineup announcement are King Tide, Masco Sound System, Lepers & Crooks, Justin Ngariki and The Dastardly Bastards and Claire Anne Taylor. As well as great tunes, the event also provides a feast of quality boutique beers, fine wines, naughty cocktails and mouth-watering food. Pigsty In July will take over Dashville in the Hunter Valley on Saturday July 2.

SPLENDOUR SIDESHOWS

After Splendour In The Grass sold out in rapid time last week, music fans who weren’t lucky enough to score tickets – or who just don’t want to leave Sydney for their fix of festival acts – have been rewarded with a glut of sideshow announcements. The 1975 will play a massive show at Sydney Showground on Saturday July 23, while fellow crowd favourite James Blake will do the Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday July 26. Other sideshows include At The Drive-In (Enmore Theatre, Sunday July 24), Jake Bugg (State Theatre, Tuesday July 26), Peter Bjorn And John (Metro Theatre, Wednesday July 20) and Låpsley (Oxford Art Factory, Wednesday July 27). For the full list of Splendour sideshows in Sydney, visit thebrag.com.

PAUL KELLY HONOURED

Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s finest ever songwriters, will be honoured at a charity event with some special guests in Sydney next month. Music industry charity Support Act has announced Kelly as the recipient of its award for invaluable services to the Australian community, to be awarded at the Music In The House lunch on Wednesday May 18 at the Ivy Ballroom. Legendary Australian interviewer Andrew Denton will host proceedings, with performances from a trio of musicians who’ve been influenced by Kelly over the years: Julia Stone, Urthboy and Thelma Plum. As a special gift to attendees, Kelly himself will also perform. The news follows last week’s release of Seven Sonnets & A Song, Kelly’s new album based on works by Shakespeare.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney following what was a huge 2015 for the band. After releasing their debut album, Zaba, last year saw Glass Animals playing to massive crowds at festivals all over the world, including Outside Lands, Central Park Summer Stage, Reading and Leeds, and Glastonbury. They’ll be at the Metro Theatre on Saturday July 9.

ALPINE UP CLOSE

Australia’s most colourful indie-popsters Alpine will play a one-off intimate show in Sydney next month. The Melbourne six-piece will make their way north for a show exclusive to members of GiggedIn, the live music subscription service based on a monthly membership model. Alpine have hit the heights off the back of their 2015 album, Yuck, which itself followed up the success of their 2012 debut A Is For Alpine. The show will be supported by Jess Kent and R.W. Grace. The Oxford Art Factory show on Thursday May 19 is free for GiggedIn subscribers, and you can join at giggedin.com.

The Bennies’ party machine has been turned up to ten. Following the January release of the single ‘Party Machine’, itself taken from the album Wisdom Machine, the fun-loving Melbourne punks played sold-out shows around Australia, and now they’re in the midst of tour dates around the UK and Europe. The party never stops with these guys, and so it is they’ve announced a brand new run of Australian shows, with support from their mates in Clowns and Axe Girl. The tour will cover metro and regional areas, with a Sydney show at the Factory Theatre on Saturday July 9.

BREAKING FOLK IN BROKE

The Lower Hunter Valley’s Folk In Broke festival has announced its 2016 lineup. Returning Saturday November 12 to McNamara Park in the heart of Broke village, this year’s bill will be topped by Afrobeat band Bakoomba and Australian roots supergroup The Protesters (featuring members of Melbourne Ska Orchestra, King Tide and Watussi), alongside folk singer Liz Stringer and co-winner of Australia’s Got Talent, Fletcher Pilon. For aspiring performers who didn’t make the official bill, the Busk Stop will be making a return after its successful 2015 debut. Food and wine stalls will be dutifully handled by the Sacred Tree Markets, and there’s plenty of camping in and around the picturesque McNamara Park.

WILSON ON THE ROAD

GLASS ANIMALS MARCH AGAIN

Glass Animals have announced their return to our shores with a trio of shows this July. The British four-piece will play shows in

THE BENNIES AGAIN

Steven Wilson

Steven Wilson will return to Australian shores for a run of national shows this October. The former Porcupine Tree leader has continued to build on the reputation he earned across more than 20 Porcupine Tree albums and his four solo records. The most recent, Hand. Cannot. Erase., landed last year. Throughout his career, Wilson has collaborated with the likes of Yoko Ono, Opeth, Robert Fripp and Dream Theater. He was last on our shores in 2013, when he treated fans to an incredible audiovisual sensory performance. Wilson will be back at the Metro Theatre on Saturday October 29.

thebrag.com

The Bennies photo by Ian Laidlaw

The Bennies

Shihad

ACADEMY OF FILM, THEATRE & TELEVISION

A BRAVE NEW WORLD OF

ACTING, FILM & STAGE MANAGEMENT.

OPEN DAY 14 MAY. REGISTER NOW.

ABN 87 079 097 920. CRICOS NO. 01544D. RTO PROVIDER NO: 90168.

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 7

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Zanda Wilson, Abbey Lew-Kee and Rochelle Bevis

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

speed date WITH

KONSTANTIN KERSTING FROM THE BELLIGERENTS Your Profile We’re a five-piece 1. alternative rock group from Brisbane. We’ve released three EPs and toured throughout Australia a heap of times in the past five years.

Best Gig Ever I think the best show 3. that we’ve ever played would

Current Playlist King Gizzard, MGMT, 4. Methyl Ethel, LCD Soundsystem and the new RÜFÜS record. Your Ultimate Rider Vouchers for all of us to go 5. on a fully catered tropical island holiday? Currently all we ask for is a few beers and a raw meat tray, pretty standard stuff. Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Saturday April 30

LUCA BRASI

Tasmania’s finest, Luca Brasi, are set to make their biggest statement yet. The hardworking melodic punks are back with their third album, If This Is All We’re Going To Be – and if this is indeed all they’re going to be, it’s more than enough for us. They’ve already released a number of singles ahead of the record, including the feel-good hit ‘Anything Near Conviction’, driven by the impassioned vocals of Tyler Richardson. If This Is All We’re Going To Be has been in the works for a couple of years, written amid the band’s continually busy touring schedule, but it finally drops this Friday April 29 through Poison City. We’ve got five CD copies of the album to give away. Enter the draw at thebrag.com/freeshit.

Singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti has announced an intimate one-off Sydney show. The UK gold-certified recording artist will hit Sydney for a showcase of his tunes off the back of his his acclaimed fourth studio album Written In Scars, which was produced by Jon Green (Ed Sheeran, James Bay). He plays The Vanguard on Tuesday May 3.

Barb Jungr

RIDING A WAVE OF THE BLUES

ARIA-nominated blues band The Bondi Cigars will play a special Sydney Harbour blues cruise in May. The band has been around since 1989, the year it cottoned on to the blues revival of the mid-1980s. Since then the Cigars have undergone some personnel changes but are still led by two founding members in Shane Pacey and Al Britton, releasing seven albums and picking up an ARIA Award nomination along the way. The Rhythmboat will set sail from King Street Wharf on Sunday May 15.

COME GET A TASTE

Reformed ’70s rockers Taste are back with a brand new single and will be heading out on a national tour to celebrate. Their new work ‘I Am God’ comes ahead of their forthcoming album Life On Earth. Boasting 40 years in the industry, their new track marks a step forward for the band that was once destined to go on tour with Queen before mismanagement saw them disband. Taste will play Thursday July 14 at Frankie’s Pizza.

THIS OLD MAN

Canadian folk singer-songwriter Old Man Luedecke is set to release his album in Australia and will celebrate with a string of shows around the country. Entitled Domestic Eccentric, the record is a collaboration with the multiple

Grammy Award-winning Tim O’Brien, who Luedecke describes as his personal favourite musician. The dream pair share a love of folk and roots, and pay tribute to the genres with their latest work. Old Man Luedecke will hit up The Gaelic Club on Wednesday May 11.

NOT QUITE SILENT

Melbourne punk act Pitt The Elder will jump on tour throughout June and July in support of their second full-length release, Radio Silence.

Dua Lipa

Rick Dangerous and The Silkie Bantams

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Barb Jungr will bring her interpretations of the songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen to stages across the country this June. Jungr has been taking this collection of material on the road since February 2014. She will be performing her own interpretations of six of Dylan’s most politically hard-hitting songs along with five of Cohen’s finest songs of conscience. Her selection reflects her personal despair with the politically troubled times we live in, and she has deliberately chosen compositions that resonate as strongly today as they did when they were originally written. Jungr will play The Basement as part of the Vivid Sydney program on Tuesday June 7. The album features already beloved singles ‘Tired Eyes’ and ‘Party Hierarchy’ and is set to be released on Wednesday May 16 via Arrest Records. The band will hit up Frankie’s Pizza on Friday June 17.

CAGE FIGHT

THE ONE AND ONLY

NO PITY FOR PHIL

Rick Dangerous and The Silkie Bantams have just released their new single and locked in a Sydney show to keep the party rolling. They have given their listeners a taste of what’s to come by releasing their track ‘Fucking Phil’ from their forthcoming EP. Byron Bay rockers Hammers will be supporting them throughout their tour. The band will blast the roof off The Factory Floor on Friday May 27.

8 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

Following the standout success of her latest single ‘Be The One’, Dua Lipa has announced a Sydney show this winter. The 20-year-old from London has already notched up 28 million views on YouTube for her ‘Be The One’ video and earned herself a number one charting hit in ten countries, alongside a top five spot in Australia. Dua Lipa will play an intimate show at Newtown Social Club on Wednesday July 13.

Alternative rock four-piece Stone Empire want you to step into the cage. The self-described “hardest, loudest, nastiest rock band on the planet” have released their latest single, ‘Cage’ – the video for which was recorded on a selfbuilt set complete with its own cage fighting ring. ‘Cage’ is taken from Stone Empire’s EP Octorabbitsquidskull, which climbed into the top 15 Australian alternative EPs upon its release in December. Stone Empire play a one-off Sydney show at Hermann’s Bar on Friday May 6.

RETRO FUTURISTS

The Ataris have revealed the date for their 2016 Sydney show. The American rock band will hit our fair city for one night only, playing fan favourites and deep cuts. Returning to Australia for the first time in seven years, The Ataris will be performing classics from their 1999 breakthrough album Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits and their 2003 record So Long, Astoria. They will play the Metro Theatre on Sunday June 5. thebrag.com

Barb Jungr photo by Steve Ullathorne

SCARS AND STRIPES

Taste

The Belligerents photo by James Adams

Keeping Busy We toured with The Delta Riggs at the start of the year and then recently went away to a nearby island to record our debut album. We recently released the first single off it, called ‘Before, I Am’, and are currently in the process of mixing the rest of the record.

have been our first-ever EP launch at Woodland (now Woolly Mammoth) in Brisbane. There was about 600 people there, the place was way past capacity and the atmosphere was insane.

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

LIVE MUSIC HUB FOR SYDENHAM? Marrickville Council has unveiled a vision for a creative hub to be set up at Sydenham Stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial area. The precinct is full of manufacturing plants and with low vacancy rates, a recent survey found that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential to bring in younger, creative industries. According to Council, it has â&#x20AC;&#x153;identified the potential of Sydenham Station industrial lands as a great place to nurture live music in its Live Music Action Plan particularly because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good fit in an area dominated by aircraft noise and industry. There [are] already a number of music venues operating well.â&#x20AC;? Aside from music venues, the precinct would also include small bars, restaurants and cafĂŠs as well as offices and studios for creative types, all close to public transport into the city. The land would need to be rezoned to accommodate the change. Want to put in your two centsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth? Go to yoursaymarrickville.com.au.

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC WEEK RETURNS After its successful inaugural year, Australian Music Week returns from Wednesday November 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday November 4 at Cronulla Esplanade. Tickets go on sale Wednesday June 1. The summit is designed for industry execs, recording pros, artists and fans, and focuses on the business of global music. The conference element includes panels, masterclasses and networking sessions. Showcase applications are open now. One of the showcasing acts will be selected by an industry panel for the Australian Music Incentive Prize, which includes studio time from Damien Gerard, distribution of

Lifelines Born: Son Odin Reign to Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys and fitness expert and actress Lauren Kitt, via a water birth. Expecting: Maroon 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo, seemingly a daughter judging by her buying habits. Married: US blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. and Aussie model Nicole Trunfio in Palm Springs, near where they first met at Coachella four years ago. They have a 15-month-old son, Zion. Recovering: KISSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Paul Stanley from surgery to reattach a torn bicep tendon. Ill: Due to Marie Fredrikssonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ailing health, Roxette announced they would give up touring permanently. Injured: ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill suffered a shoulder injury at a Lubbock, Texas concert after stumbling on a stair while going onstage. The band had to postpone several US shows. Charged: Chris Lytras and Paul Polito of Brunswickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Railway Hotel and DJ Jason Peter Kolbeck of Two Floors Up nightclub in the Melbourne CBD after police raids this month allegedly uncovered thousands of ecstasy pills, methamphetamine and cash, The Age reported. In Court: US hard rock band Rattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding drummer Bobby Blotzer is trying to stop bassist Juan Croucier from performing under that name. He says he has sole rights. In Court: Four men have accused US hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa of the influential awareness group Universal Zulu Nation of forcing them to give him oral sex when in their early teens. In Court: Nicki Minajâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother Jelani Maraj, 37, has pleaded not guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl in New York. Died: Pete Zorn, one-time member of UK folk-rock band Steeleye Span, and a collaborator with Richard Thompson, 65, from cancer. Zorn played guitar, mandolin, saxophone and flute.

thebrag.com

THINGS WE HEAR â&#x20AC;˘ Which newspaper is apparently trying to lift the injunction on the extramarital affairs of a well known celeb? â&#x20AC;˘ Was Courtney Love kicked out of Guns Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rosesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; party at the Coachella festival because she â&#x20AC;&#x153;was literally falling overâ&#x20AC;?, according to sources? â&#x20AC;˘ Did Waka Flocka Flame really smoke so much weed (20 blunts) while in Seattle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where legal recreational pot is allowed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that he needed medical attention? (His rep said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need medical attention, although Wakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram photo suggested there was an ambulance on hand.) â&#x20AC;˘ Triple j won Radio Station of the Year at the third International Music Industry

Awards in Hollywood. â&#x20AC;˘ The Peoples Club crew launches a new weekly party from Friday May 6 at Eleven Nightclub in Paddington, moving away from the lockout climate of Oxford Street. â&#x20AC;˘ The weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gum Ball festival of music, comedy and food was a sell-out for the first time in its ten-year history, with all 2,500 tickets sold. Its organisers also announced that the Americana-themed Dashville Skyline festival is back on the Friday September 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday October 1 long weekend. â&#x20AC;˘ The current generation is less interested in clubbing, according to a British survey by The Guardian. It took in 196 responses from people aged 18 to 35. Of these, the majority said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be safer to stay at home. Copping the

a single by MGM, radio servicing by The Right Profile and publicity from The PR Files.

LPA CALLS FOR MORE GOVT FUNDING Live Performance Australia, which represents the entire live entertainment sectors, has asked the Federal Government to recognise its economic and cultural impact by providing it with funds in the Federal Budget on Tuesday May 3. Specifically, it wants the return of the $72.8 million over four years the Government withdrew from the Australia Council last year. LPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO Evelyn Richardson estimated that as a result of the cuts, 40 per cent of small to medium organisations (or 18 to 20 in total) â&#x20AC;&#x153;face going underâ&#x20AC;?. Richardson also pointed out that of the $12 million allocated over four years to the alternate funding program Catalyst, it has only announced $1.6 million in projects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Government must commit to delivering the rest of the Catalyst funding. We do not want to see the Government pocket more than $10 million that it allocated to our industry.â&#x20AC;? 34,000 people work in the Australian live performance sector, which supports more than 500 performing arts companies around Australia, and attracts over $18 million to shows. The live contemporary music industry alone generates revenues of $2.5 billion annually.

AC/DC AUDITIONED TRIBUTE BAND SINGER Axl Rose wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t AC/DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first choice to handle the mic for their upcoming European and US shows. Darren Caperna of Texasbased AC/DC tribute band Back In Black blogged that he and guitarist Mike Mroz were contacted by phone and flown out to a private rehearsal studio in Atlanta, Georgia, the week of Monday March 14. The audition began with a soundcheck in which the two jammed with AC/DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tech crew, and then were joined by the band after a cup of tea. What was to have been a three-song audition turned into all 21 songs from the Rock Or Bust Tour set, plus two additional songs that Angus Young wanted to play â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dog Eat Dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Riff Raffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, with Angus warning Caperna and Mroz that he was still rusty on the latter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did I just hear Angus apologising to me?!â&#x20AC;? said Caperna later. Though he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the gig, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always remember how friendly the band were. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being in a tribute band for 16 years, we were hoping that we would be able to meet AC/DC one day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but this goes way beyond our expectations!â&#x20AC;? Meanwhile, an Italian fan site closed down, grumpy about the way Brian Johnson was treated by the band.

32,500 SPLENDOUR TIX VANISH IN 90 MINUTES Those waiting to buy tickets online for Splendour In The Grass 2016 numbered three times that of last year. 32,500 tickets were sold in 90 minutes. Of those, 17,500 were onsite camping tickets. More tickets will be available through the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resale facility. Ticketing agency Moshtixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief Harley Evans said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our team suspected the demand this year would be up there with previous years after the 2016 lineup was announced, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair to say the level of interest this year was well beyond everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations. For Splendour to sell out yet again is a great shot in the arm for our industry [and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great] to see such an iconic event going from strength to strength.â&#x20AC;?

blame were the state of clubs, specifically rude and aggressive bouncers, DJs who played what they wanted to and not what the crowds wanted to hear, and highly priced drinks. â&#x20AC;˘ Selena Gomezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour of China in August was scrapped when authorities found a picture of her with the Dalai Lama. Bon Jovi and Maroon 5 had their tours axed for the same reason. â&#x20AC;˘ The Game came to the defence of Kesha, saying Dr. Luke and Sony are treating her â&#x20AC;&#x153;like a slaveâ&#x20AC;? and calling on them to â&#x20AC;&#x153;let her do her own thingâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;˘ A crowdfunding campaign has raised $23,000 for Sydney singer-songwriter Miriam Lieberman to record a new album. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already started work on it, after dates in North Queensland.

> )RUPHUO\ 7KH +L )L %DU @

6$7 $35

0,66 ,1. $8675$/,$

AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY FILES TO BLOCK PIRATES Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three major labels, Universal, Sony and Warner, music rights management company Alberts and collecting society APRA AMCOS have teamed up to take legal action so that Australian ISPs will block pirate site Kickass Torrents and its associated sites. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first time the music industry has used a June 2015 court finding that ruled movie, music and software rights holders can apply to the Federal Court to have foreign-based websites blocked if the â&#x20AC;&#x153;primary purposeâ&#x20AC;? of that website is to infringe copyright. The music industry says such sites make â&#x20AC;&#x153;millions of dollarsâ&#x20AC;? from ad revenue but give nothing back to the people who created the content. Singer-songwriter Jenny Morris, also chair of the APRA board, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Illegal offshore sites like Kickass Torrents show a complete disrespect for music creators and the value of music. Australian music fans already have access â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for free if they choose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repertoire of music via more than 20 legitimate licensed online music services.â&#x20AC;?

)5, -8/

61$.(+,36 8.

VALE PRINCE As always, Barack Obama summed it up nicely when he called Prince â&#x20AC;&#x153;a creative iconâ&#x20AC;?. From the late 1970s, Prince reflected the changing landscape of rock music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; melding rock, blues, funk, jazz, soul and psychedelic pop. He was in front of the pack every time. That he was a singer, songwriter, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and producer meant he was able to create a vision that was uniquely his own. He leaves behind a catalogue of sexy, dirty, rock-out, dance-in and romantic songs through close to 40 albums, and a history of mind-bending three-hour live shows, whether they were scheduled arena concerts or late-night jams in clubs where he paid tribute to the music of the icons who inspired him to write his first song at the age of seven.

681 2&7

'5$* )(67

VALE KARL BROADIE New South Wales-based alt-country singersongwriter Karl Broadie passed away after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Just a weekend before, the cream of the country music community rallied at the Rooty Hill RSL to raise money for his medical bills. Signed to ABC Music and Mushroom Music, the Scottish-born Broadie built his reputation through the albums Nowhere Now Here, Black Crow Callinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, One Million Emeralds, Branches and One Constellation, and guested on countless others. Colleagues remembered him as a gentle soul â&#x20AC;&#x153;who brought lightâ&#x20AC;? and recognised his generous penchant for giving extended time to teaching at the Country Music Academy towards the end of his fight, even though he was in a lot of pain.

HOW MANY FESTIVALS CANCELLED IN 2016? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stereosonic, Southbound and Maitreya festivals among those that closed their doors in 2016. The number is even worse abroad. Live music trade bible Pollstar reported two weeks ago that 23 festivals have shut down this year. They included Tomorrowland and Gathering Of The Vibes. Since then, New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electric Zoo, plus the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hevy Fest and All Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Partiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; event curated by Drive Like Jehu, have also gone under.

6$7 2&7

'- /8&. 0& 1($7 8.

7+( $57)8/ '2'*(5 8.

7,; ,1)2

0$ ;:$776 &20 $8 (552/ )/<11 %28/(9$5' (17(57$,10(17 48$57(5 0225( 3$5.

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 9

IRON MAIDEN

FEATS OF ENDURANCE BY PETER HODGSON

e don’t have many truly great spectacles left in rock music. Mötley Crüe are gone. Pink Floyd ain’t coming back. David Lee Roth no longer surfs above the crowd or rides an enormous inflatable microphone between his legs. And while Slipknot still have plenty of fire – both literal and metaphorical – there’s nobody who puts on a show like Iron Maiden. The UK rockers’ stage presence is so damn massive it requires its own jumbo jet to cart it around.

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls World Tour, in support of the band’s 16th album, sees the UK rockers playing in 36 countries across six continents. Their customised Boeing 747-400, named Ed Force One and piloted by frontman Bruce Dickinson, touches down in Australia this May. “We’ve been playing in Australia since the early ’80s and we’ve had loads of really good memories and good tours there,” says bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. “It’s a country we all enjoy playing in and visiting anyway, so it’s all good really!” Across Iron Maiden’s long career, they’ve crossed paths with many an Australian band, but only one of them remains a particular inspiration. “Obviously AC/DC,” Harris says. “I wouldn’t say there’s

an influence, but they’ve been around. I originally saw them at The Marquee [in London] – although they’re not originally from Australia, they’re from Scotland, but Aussies might get a bit miffed about that [laughs]. But there are some great bands [from Australia]. We’ve had some great bands support us over there. But because it’s so far, and since the scene in the UK has been so strong, I can’t really say I’ve been influenced by any Aussie bands. That’s not to say there aren’t some good ones, because there is.” Harris makes a good point about AC/DC’s heritage, and likewise, Australians tend to claim Iron Maiden producer Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley as one of our own, since he lived here between 1987 and the mid-’90s, producing bands like The Screaming Jets, Baby Animals, Cold Chisel, Hoodoo Gurus and Silverchair. “Yeah!” says Harris. “He’s originally South African but in fact I think he’s thinking of relocating back to Australia.” Shirley has collaborated with Iron Maiden since 2000’s Brave New World, and while he’s one of those producers who don’t put an identifiable sonic stamp on the acts they work with, there’s a certain lack of bullshit about every project he takes on. “He’s very direct,” Harris confirms of his frequent producing partner. “He just gets on

and does the job and that’s what we want. No nonsense, really. We get on really well with him and work really well with him.”

While Shirley’s contributions have been important to Iron Maiden, it’s their songwriter Harris who has shaped the evolution of metal itself. And although some songwriters will just bring a skeleton of an idea to their bandmates for completion, Harris can be quite particular about exactly what he presents to the other guys. “If you see a credit with just my name on it, that means I write absolutely everything,” he says. “Rhythm guitar parts, guitar melodies, vocal melodies – absolutely everything, really. The only thing I don’t write is the guitar solos, but even then I might suggest one or two things.” It must have been an exciting moment for Harris as a songwriter and an arranger when Iron Maiden made their 1999 transition into a three-guitar band, with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith playing alongside Janick Gers (who replaced Smith in 1990 but was kept on when he returned). “Yeah,” Harris confirms. “There were things we’d done before where we did layer up the guitars so it meant we could do full melodies, harmonies and rhythms like we’d recorded. And it does help when you’re writing stuff, because you can bear that in mind as well. I think the early stuff that we played with two guitars, you don’t really miss the other bits too much, but when you add them in, it

does make the band sound bigger and better.”

One of Iron Maiden’s most enduring classics is ‘The Trooper’, a song about the Charge of the Light Brigade – a famous battle in the Crimean War. (An aside: I recently found several of my ancestors fought in this battle, and one of them wrote about his exploits. His horse was torn apart underneath him by a shell, then it fell on him, trapping him as easy prey. A Russian officer took a swing at him with his sword, but my ancestor stabbed the attacker, grabbed the reins of the dead guy’s horse, pulled himself out from under his own horse and rode his new steed back to safety. He was permitted to keep the horse and later sold it to Prince Alfred. Real Indiana Jones shit.) Harris’ own lyrical inspirations are sometimes abstract and intuitive, but often he’ll find himself hitting the books to fully research a topic before bringing it to life. “Something like the Light Brigade I knew about anyway just from school, and with something like that you just try to put yourself in the position as if you were there. It depends on the song, though. Sometimes I do research, and I did that with a couple of songs here and there, like ‘Isle Of Avalon’ from The Final Frontier. I just want to be absolutely correct before I say something!” Alongside Iron Maiden, Harris’ other songwriting outlet is British Lion; this side project released a more rock-oriented debut in 2012. And there are plans for more British Lion activity in the future.

“THE EARLY STUFF THAT WE PLAYED WITH TWO GUITARS, YOU DON’T REALLY MISS THE OTHER BITS TOO MUCH, BUT WHEN YOU ADD THEM IN, IT DOES MAKE THE BAND SOUND BIGGER AND BETTER.” 10 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

“Yeah, definitely,” says Harris. “I really enjoyed playing smaller places, and they’re a really good bunch of guys. There will be more albums and more touring. I just love playing live anyway, so to be able to play big places and small places is fantastic. It’s great to be able to do both. Iron Maiden grew fairly gradually. We started playing clubs and then we played theatretype places, and then when we went to Europe back in the day we started playing bigger and bigger places. We just sort of lapped it up and took to it like ducks to water, to be honest. It was just a natural progression. But these days, both bands give me the chance to do both.” Some musicians feel more comfortable on the stage than anywhere else, as if it’s their natural habitat. Does Harris see himself as one of them? “I dunno, really – I’ve never been asked that question, actually! I do feel very comfortable onstage, though, once I’m comfortable that we’ve rehearsed enough. But I wouldn’t say I’m most comfortable there. I probably feel most comfortable on the football pitch, to be honest! Because I’ve been doing that longer, since I was nine. Some people need all kinds of things like alcohol and what have you to come out of their shell, but I think if you’ve got a guitar in your hands and you’re confident, you can be a very different persona offstage to on. I’m still me, but yeah, it’s just a different way to express yourself in another way.” What: The Book Of Souls out now through Parlophone/Warner With: The Raven Age Where: Qudos Bank Arena When: Friday May 6

thebrag.com

FAMILY CONCERT The story of the little pig who wanted to be a sheepdog makes his way to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall! Watch the film and listen for the classical tunes, most notably If I had words, which draws on that famous tune from the finale of Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony. You’ll also hear snippets of much-loved music by Grieg, Fauré and Bizet.

28–30 APRIL SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA NIGEL WESTLAKE CONDUCTOR & COMPOSER A SCREENING OF THE FAMILY FAVOURITE BABE, INTERNATIONAL HIT AND WINNER OF EIGHT ACADEMY AWARDS WITH NIGEL WESTLAKE’S ICONIC SCORE PLAYED LIVE AND IN FULL.

STARTS THIS THURSDAY

BOOK NOW TICKETS FROM $69* | Call 8215 4600 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

sydneysymphony.com TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT SYDNEYOPERAHOUSE.COM | Call 9250 7777 Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm Sun 10am-6pm *Prices correct at time of publication and subject to change. Booking fees for $5-$8.95 may apply depending on method of booking.

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 11

Mikelangelo Fruits Of Their Labour By Adam Norris

f you’ve yet to come across Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen, well, it’s hard to imagine what you’re doing here in the first place. The combined misadventures of The Great Muldavio, Little Ivan, Rufino, Guido Libido and Mikelangelo himself have been seducing starving ears since the turn of the century. With their fourth album, After The Flood, raging forth from the Snowy Mountains, it is time to douse your musical drought with tales of minstrels and scoundrels alike. Indeed, the album is almost as colourful as Mikelangelo himself. “It was something that started onstage,” he recalls of the band’s motley stage personas. “We didn’t sit down and write character profiles at the start, we just started having fun. We enjoyed it, the audience enjoyed it, and we honed it as we went. 15 years later, our alter egos have massive backstories. There could be a movie about Rufino, our violinist, or The Great Muldavio, our clarinet player, who’s also an amazing taxidermist. Stories I can’t even get into now that I’ll have to tell you all another time, so I won’t even mention about the time he stuffed the Grand Prince of Denmark. It’s fun, but beneath it is a heart that’s quite interesting. They’re more than characters. They take us into another world and help dramatise our music in different ways.”

“I’m not going to lie to you – there aren’t many real life people in there,” he says. “But the stories of real people certainly formed it. The way we work, we write a lot from imagination and from things that pique our fascination. We’ve certainly been interested in that Snowy Mountains story because it seemed to be such a fertile place. The story had sat with me for a long time, because my dad came out as a refugee and then migrant worker – he escaped from communist Yugoslavia across the border into Italy in 1960. The band are quite inspired by him, he’s this larger-thanlife character. “There are people in your life who seem to be so full of joy and conflict and tragedy and wonder and sorrow and laughter, they could be a caricature. If you read them in a book you’d say, ‘People aren’t really like that,’ bursting from extreme. But that’s my dad. And the band are really drawn to this magic realist, Eastern European character and idea. And here’s this guy that you love and you know, but he’s a portal to a world you don’t know at all.” This conversational shift from mountains to family is a notable trait of the Melbourne-born singer; each question opens a cavalcade of reminiscence and insight, where stories overlap and inform each other unexpectedly. The significance of his parents, however, is a recurrent and rather revealing theme, and in no small measure explains his animated personality. “I learnt very young how to be open to inspiration. It’s only when you’re

shaping something into a more finished work when it gets tough, but in that initial stage you basically just need to have an open mind and heart. My mother was an interesting woman, a really strong figure. Both she and Dad were really into the arts – they taught me that creativity was a great thing, and if I wanted to follow that, they weren’t going to interrupt. “My earliest memories are of her reading me The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, or singing this gunfighter ballad: ‘As I walked out on the streets of Laredo, as I walked out on Laredo one day / I spied a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen, wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay’. And for the life of me, I didn’t know if he was alive or dead. Listening

these years later, I think the cowboy is either dead or dying. But back then I also kind of thought he was wearing a white suit and looking really sharp, and at the same time had this white funeral sheet over him. It was a strange image that I can still see today.” Juxtaposing these vivid yet contradictory images perhaps says a lot of Mikelangelo, and certainly informs the storytelling of the band. No song is off-limits, no story taboo. It guarantees that we’ll follow the flood, wherever it leads. “It’s easy for people to say we’re not a real band, we’re just making it up. And of course we’re just fucking making it up! That’s what creativity

is, making something that resonates. And that’s where authenticity and truth lies. For some people that’s shoegaze, for some people country and Western. For us, music is just this intriguing thing of every style, and you can use any of it. It’s like we’re moving through a movie and you get to meet all of these strange characters along the way, all telling their own stories, and that excites me.” Who: Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen What: After The Flood out Friday May 6 through Rocket Where: The Vanguard When: Thursday May 12 and Friday May 13

Disturbed Immortality Beckons By Natalie Rogers bass player for Adrenaline Mob and Art Of Anarchy, while Draiman lent his vocals to industrial metal band Device. “We’d all been going non-stop for 20 years,” Wengren explains. “It was healthy to take a breather.” Fast-forward to 2014, and while back in his hometown of Chicago to visit family and friends (and catch a couple of ice hockey games), Wengren met Donegan for dinner. Over a few courses and a few drinks, the seed that would become Immortalized was planted. Disturbed’s sixth studio LP, released last year, debuted at number one on the ARIA chart.

t’s been two decades since drummer Mike Wengren and guitarist Dan Donegan held auditions to fi nd a much-needed frontman for their new band (then known as Brawl). After seeing dozens of singers, both Wengren and Donegan started to lose hope – until in walked David Draiman, a 23-year-old Jewish guy who had previously worked as a healthcare administrator. He had an air of confi dence that impressed them, and a catalogue of original songs, but it wasn’t until he opened his mouth and sang that the two aspiring musician buddies knew they’d found someone special. “From the very beginning, we knew that together we had something,” Wengren says over the roar of a crowd. “I apologise for the noise!” he yells. “I’m at an ice hockey game. It’s the Detroit Red Wings against 12 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

the Philadelphia Flyers – they’re both fi ghting for a play-off position, so this game has a lot of weight behind it. I try to go to as many games as I can when we have days off. It’s defi nitely a passion of mine.” Content to be just one of the thousands of fans in the crowd, Wengren is anonymous for a night while he cheers and claps the rock stars of his favourite sport. It’s funny to think that while he lines up for a beer and a hot dog alongside other hockey fanatics, he is actually a member of one of the most talked-about rock bands of 2016. Disturbed’s cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound Of Silence’ has become a worldwide sensation. Appearing on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, Paul Simon gave Disturbed his blessing

and congratulated them on their arrangement – and at last count the official music video for the cover has been viewed over 37 million times on YouTube. “It’s pretty amazing!” Wengren says. “We’re still pinching ourselves on a daily basis.” Disturbed released their first LP, The Sickness, in 2000, and spent the first decade of the new millennium touring the world while steadily producing a new album every two or three years up until 2010’s Asylum. After touring that record, they announced the band would be going on hiatus. “We all just needed time to do our own thing,” says Wengren, who along with founding member Donegan, pursued other projects and formed the alt-rock act Fight Or Flight. Bassist John Moyer also found interests elsewhere, becoming the

“Over the years the writing process had changed because we all moved to different cities. For Immortalized I really wanted us to be working and writing music in the same room like we used to,” says Wengren. “It’s great to see that once we came back from hiatus, not only have people not forgotten about us, but new people have been discovering us.” Currently on a tour of the US, the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated group will tour the UK, Europe and Canada before returning to our shores in November. “We’re just enjoying the ride right now – it’s been amazing,” says Wengren. “It’s always exciting to hear the audience’s reaction to new material. We’re up there onstage giving it our all, and having everybody sing every word – it doesn’t get much better.” Immortalized shows off the signature Disturbed sound and Draiman’s lyrical style, from the aptly titled opener ‘The Eye Of

The Storm’ to lead single ‘The Vengeful One’, which is Disturbed at their old-school best with robust, aggressive guitar distortion and a big, powerful backbeat. ‘The Sound Of Silence’ features on the record, as does the thought-provoking ‘Who Taught You How To Hate’. “Kevin Churko was the producer – he’s worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, In This Moment and Five Finger Death Punch,” Wengren says. “We knew he was the man for the job because the chemistry was there from the beginning.” While Wengren says they love playing their most recent recordings onstage, he promises the older ones will also be on the setlist Down Under this year. “Every tour cycle is a bit of the best of both worlds. We get to play all the favourite hits, the older songs that the fans wanna hear, and we also get to play some of the new stuff that we’ve created on each record – we play it all. We just can’t wait to get back to Australia. “When the Soundwave Festival got cancelled, we were crushed, so it became a major priority for us to try to put something together to make sure we could come here this year. It’s such a beautiful country – we love the scenery and the sightseeing. The people are wonderful, the food is great, the culture is amazing.” What: Immortalized out now through Reprise/Warner With: Twelve Foot Ninja Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Sunday November 13

thebrag.com

xxx photo by xxx

Mikelangelo is no stranger to theatricality. In addition to The Black Sea Gentlemen, he roams far and wide as a solo performer, as The Balkan Elvis, as a Cave/Waits/Cohen troubadour – he’s a man of many glamours. As we speak, he is not far from the Snowy Mountains Scheme that proved the genesis for the latest album – perhaps two hours from his house in the coastal village of Tathra

– and the confluence of personalities that helped build the hydroelectric dam was rich soil to shape these songs.

Cate Le Bon Stepping Sideways By Adam Norris

Cate Le Bon photo by Ivana Kličković

e seem to be surrounded by Welsh accents these days. Of course, in reality there have only been a halfdozen or so on the mainstream music scene lately, but any voice that strikes you as distinct from the norm is destined to leave an impression; it will arrest you from your reverie, shake you back to attention. The haunting Cate Le Bon doesn’t try to hide the roots of her accent in song, as many artists seem strangely compelled to do (a trend that is happily fading here at home). But then, as her fourth album Crab Day scuttles across the shores, Le Bon sees little point in trying to be anything other than herself.

responses and instead talk entirely off the cuff (as the best interviews almost always are). But as a result, her remarkably softly spoken answers can be somewhat elliptical, and are studded with many long pauses and half-formed sentences.

“To me, I think the only goal you should have in music is that no matter what you create, it should be authentic. I don’t understand why you’d try and hide anything – your accent or any other part of you. I mean, this record, to me, it was written in a short amount of time and recorded in a short amount of time. The title is kind of an ode to the absurdity of this age that we live in, how nobody seems to have time and everything is complicated nonsense. So living in that seems absurd, but comes with great fear as well. There’s playfulness, but also dissonance. We played the songs live, and then I did a lot of the overdubs, and I think it’s a pretty… yeah. It’s very much an album.”

“There are a lot of great journalists out there, writing about music and having great interviews with artists, that are able to extract something that their fans would find really enjoyable to be party to. I think in this modern day of social media, everyone is so willing to share and have their experiences validated. To me, it’s important to retain as much as you can, because once you give something away, it’s gone. I don’t see the harm in creating your own world. You’ll likely have things written about you that are supposedly meant to be true that come as a surprise. You might as well be the first to go there.”

Though this may seem itself a perplexing statement – the album is, indeed, an album – I suspect Le Bon is not deliberately trying to be obtuse or enigmatic. Our conversation is interesting and at times revealing, in large part from her tendency to not rehearse

“I mean, I’m… Of course it’s wonderful talking to people around the world, and you can be asked very interesting questions that make you think about things that have maybe never crossed your mind. But I don’t think what people write about you, what they say about you, is something that should determine or influence what you do next.

It’s an inspiring sentiment, but few out there truly embrace the potential for self-mythologising. Le Bon is herself a musician of disparate shores, and seems adept at evolving into whatever new environment presents itself. Though born in Wales, she now calls Los Angeles home (she sings in both Welsh and English), and the inspirations she has found on

the West Coast have clearly had a profound impact on not only her musical development, but the cultivation of a whole new lifestyle. “Well, to begin it was just a change of scenery. I’d been living in Wales a long time, and came out here to record a record and it seemed, well, the perfect opportunity to get something new going. I didn’t have any expectations, it wasn’t a frame for anything. When you’re a musician, and maybe not earning that much money, there’s a quality of life up here that’s sustainable. To me, that was the reason predominantly for moving here. I wanted that new scenery and a different quality of life, with a low wage,” she softly laughs. “And I was lucky to fall into a group of

FIREBALL WHISKEYS + SLY FOX BEERS 7.30 - 9.30PM

What: Crab Day out now through Caroline

TINNIES ALL NIGHT

Thurs 28 APR

TERZA MADRE HOLLIE MATTHEW JAC BETH

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

“You know, I think the thing that inspired me the most on Crab Day was working with Tim and [having] no expectations,” she says. “We didn’t know what we were doing, really, other than deciding to make a record together. It was really thrilling. It made me question why I had expectations when I was making my own music

“I think this record is then influenced by any music or literature whose attitudes have left an impact. And you know, it’s also growing older, and a kneejerk reaction to a lot of, I think, beige that’s being prattled these days. We’re always completely bombarded with mediocrity, so I wanted to have something more uninhibited on this record. To keep that knee-jerk reaction.”

HOTEL STEYNE MANLY

AT THE

In terms of stumbling upon a ragtag crew of musicians, Le Bon was blessed with a rather enviable dose of luck: Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa, and White Fence’s Tim Presley, with whom she collabored as Drinks.

– which I know leads to complete mismanagement on my own part – when actually, the best thing you can do is close the door and employ complete abandon.

MOONSHINE

LIVE

SLY

wonderful musicians who I’ve worked with ever since.”

THURS APRIL 28TH

PAT CAPPOCCI + LANKS + WOODES FRI APRIL 29TH

WINSTON SURFSHIRT + SUNDOWN STATE

SAT APRIL 30TH

SELAHPHONIC + CAPITAL COAST

SUN MAY 1ST

CARIBBEAN SOUL

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

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 13

Melody Pool That Old Black Dog By Joseph Earp

t’s not particularly unusual for musicians to say they felt ‘trapped’ while writing an album – after all, a lot of records are born despite pressures both internal and external. However, it is rare to hear an artist use the word in a practical sense. When Melody Pool explains the claustrophobic conditions she found herself in while penning a key song from her second album Deep Dark Savage Heart, she’s not speaking in abstracts. “I came down to Melbourne and I was subletting one of my friend’s rooms,” Pool explains. “I was there for a month and I didn’t really know any of my housemates. I had pretty bad depression at the time, so I was locked in this room, and I was too anxious to go out and talk to people I didn’t really know. I was just holed up.” While the temptation was there to cave in to her own personal black dog, Pool not only stood up to it, she borrowed its name for a song. “It took about an hour to write [‘Black Dog’] and then about three hours of crying,” she says with a wry laugh. “Then I went back and edited for a couple hours. That’s rare for me – I hardly ever edit. But I just wanted to make it a bit more poetic. I thought that it had a lot of potential. It was a pretty gruelling experience to write that song, which is why I think it’s stuck in my brain.” Given its intensely personal nature, listening to ‘Black Dog’ inspires that odd mix of vicarious satisfaction and vague guilt one can feel when flipping through a friend’s diary. “Everything in my writing is usually connected to me in some way,” Pool says. “I really draw from it. I think that’s why I tried a bit of co-writing, but I’ve never been comfortable with

it because it is so personal … I can’t ever imagine co-writing a song like [‘Black Dog’] with someone else. That was a really, really personal experience to write that song and to sing it as well.” Though ‘Black Dog’ is about as emotive a song as one can imagine, it’s not the only track on the record that deals with darkness and despair. Deep Dark Savage Heart is a black wave of emotion – an avalanche of troubled, twisted compositions. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Pool found the writing of the album draining. “It was hard emotion-wise,” she says. “It was a pretty confronting record to write, but at the same time it wasn’t like I forced myself to feel those things in order to write it. It just sort of happened naturally.” Pool generally likes to work impulsively, taking a kind of unconscious approach to her craft. She doesn’t have a writing schedule, and embraces the spontaneity that arises from working on a whim. “I [won’t] write for months at a time but I’ll bottle it all up and write a whole bunch of songs in a week or something. But I’ve always worked like that and I’ve always thought the songs are better from that, ’cause I can never, ever write when I’m forcing myself to.” Though it’s easy to assume that writing Deep Dark Savage Heart soothed Pool, that’s a romanticised version of the truth. Reality is more complicated. “[Writing] doesn’t exactly make you feel better, it just makes you feel like you’ve vented enough to get it off your chest,” she says. “Sometimes it can be sort of worse, because you realise all

of the things you’ve been thinking, and sometimes it can be better because you sort of figure out what’s going on in your head. “I tend to just ramble when I write songs, and just kind of blurt out anything till I get to the chorus. Then I get to the point where I’ll have a rest. I’ll read back, and then I’ll be like, ‘Shit, that’s what’s been going on at the moment.’” Though the album may not have entirely eased Pool, it has certainly had that effect on others, and the musician’s voice goes warm when she talks about the reaction certain songs on the albums have received. “It’s

actually been amazing,” she says. “I was really scared to release [it] into the world, but the response that it’s had… Just people relating to it, or knowing someone and kind of understanding their friends who deal with mental illness. It’s kind of what I wanted. It’s kind of the reason I wanted people to hear [it].” Indeed, there is something ultimately uplifting about Deep Dark Savage Heart, despite its trauma. Though it’s a document of a struggle, it’s one that ends with something being gained – the kind of progress that has been refl ected in Pool’s experience of performing the album live.

“When you play [a song] for the first time – especially a song like ‘Black Dog’ – [it’s] really, really scary. It was the strongest physical reaction I’ve had from playing a song onstage before. I came off just shaking ’cause I felt so vulnerable. I felt so naked in front of 300 people.” She laughs, sounding strangely content. “But it gets easier. I don’t feel that vulnerable playing the song now.” What: Deep Dark Savage Heart out Friday April 29 through Liberation Where: Paddington Uniting Church When: Friday May 20

Present

NSW Battle Of The Bands 2016 a chance to launch A career

1st prize: $5000 CASH!! A Recording and Production Package $1000 Equipment Gift Certificate Future Gigs AND Industry Showcases

pLUS...entry BONUSES FOR ALL bANDS

entries Closing Soon MORE INFO AND Sign Up at NSWbattleofthebands.com.au SYDNEY HEATS AND NSW gRAND fINAL Hosted at PADDO rsl

14 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

thebrag.com

Little May In Good Company By Adam Norris

aving interviewed Little May back at the release of their self-titled EP, the chance to catch them again a year down the road – on the eve of a massive May touring schedule and with their debut album, For The Company, now under their belt – was far too enticing to pass up. The Sydney trio’s music is one of those rare and captivating finds, whose indie stylings are selling out gigs at home and abroad. In what seems like a fine idea at the time, however, we meet in a bustling Surry Hills café, and the sound of other diners and the screech of coffee machines transforms the recording of our conversation into something of an omelette. “I definitely still get nervous before we go onstage,” Hannah Field tells me… or at least, I think it’s Hannah. While their words are clear, distinguishing who is speaking at any one moment against the background hubbub is a taxing task. “There’s a rush just before we step out and you realise, ‘Oh, that’s still a thing.’ It’s less nervous leading up to the show now, it’s more straight before.” “We each have a little huddle before we go onstage, a kind of, ‘Oookay… now, let’s actually be good!’” laughs Annie Hamilton. “There’s usually not a pep talk, we’ll just walk around saying nonsense words to warm up.” It would be a sight to see; the darlings of the indie-pop world roaming backstage, spouting nonsense as the susurrus of the crowd seeps through the walls. Little May have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time, and though the size of the venues may have jumped up a few notches (Oxford Art Factory to the Metro), the support of a particularly ardent fan base will almost guarantee a strong show. Little May’s fans are a passionate bunch, and are clearly not afraid to open themselves up to the band’s scrutiny.

xxx photo by xxx

“The only way we really get to connect with fans is through Instagram, which is actually a huge one,” Liz Drummond explains. “We have a lot of messages there, and a lot of them can be really personal. Emails as well. Fans sharing their stories can really be quite deep, so I think it’s really important for us to reply to those people and talk to them. It’s not often that you have someone really tell you their life story, so I think it’s amazing, and we’re really lucky that we get to have that opportunity with people. We’ve started trying to meet up with fans after our shows, and we’ve met some really beautiful people like that. People that I’ll stay connected with. It’s really special for us, but it’s even better to see that it’s something special for them.”

OPENDAY 7TH MAY 2PM-5PM

“I think that’s the most rewarding thing,” Hamilton agrees. “To have people share something about their lives.” This upcoming tour will find Little May roaming from coast to coast after having taken a brief hiatus from band commitments. The break gave each of the girls a chance to recentre themselves and come back to the band revitalised, brimming with fresh perspective and input. Their next release will likely showcase a stronger group again, given their craft has developed a great deal between EP and album and is certain to keep evolving. “The album was done in a really short space of time,” Hamilton recalls. “And because we did it in New York, we couldn’t go back and change things. What wasn’t done in that five weeks just wouldn’t be changed. Same with mixing, that all happened while we were touring in the UK, and depended on us getting back to our hotel, finding Wi-Fi and having to approve stuff by 7am – it was all very rushed. So we didn’t have the luxury of, ‘Oh, let’s just sit on this beat and see how we feel about it.’ It was more like, ‘Ahhh, get it down!’ It’s definitely a very different process to our EP.” “We all approach music very differently,” Field reflects. “I know for me, I can be very critical, and want to go back and change things quite a bit. Like [EP track] ‘Dust’ had very different stages of life. We just weren’t happy with it, it never felt right. The EP was something we stewed on for a really long time, and I think back in those days we were a lot more selfconscious and critical. We poured pressure on ourselves, whereas now it’s all a bit more freeflowing.” “We’ve only recently been writing again,” Drummond continues, “but before we got together again and locked ourselves away for a week, we’d spent some time apart. We were all doing our own thing but still sending each other little demos and ideas, so I think having space allows for a different kind of activity than when we’re together. It’s great, but sometimes [creativity] doesn’t happen that easily. I think for a long time we thought the way to write was, ‘OK, the way to do this is let’s go and write ten songs in two weeks!’ Sometimes we’d come out then with just one song and it would feel really disappointing. But now, we’ve put less pressure on ourselves to get results right away. If an idea comes and we love the song, great. But if it doesn’t, we won’t beat ourselves up as much as we used to.” What: For The Company out now through Dew Process/Universal With: E^ST, Australia Where: Metro Theatre When: Friday May 6 thebrag.com

WEE W ’RREE ’ OPP OUU O O EN R E NIIN R CO D C OM D O NG G MEE OO O ON O SS N IRR N!! IN Sydney Film School offers one year Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses of Screen and Media that provide practical filmmaking skills in a unique and creative environment. Renowned internationally for its focus on storytelling and hands-on teaching philosophy, the School is set up as a working film production house that makes around 180 short films a year. Our students are the filmmakers and they graduate with between 10 and 20 film credits.

RSVP: sydneyfilmschool.com 82 Cope Street WATERLOO NSW 2017

www.sydneyfilmschool.com

PH: 02 9698 2244

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 15

arts in focus

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Chris Martin, Rochelle Bevis and Zanda Wilson

five minutes WITH

NIGEL WESTLAKE FROM BABE: PIG AT THE SYMPHONY test of time, but Babe still looks as fresh as the day it was made.

Babe

ilm fans will know you as the composer for the film Babe. How proud are you of the fact your music has been heard by a generation? 21 years ago I had only composed two movie scores and a handful of documentaries, so I was very surprised when George Miller (producer) and Chris Noonan (director) invited me to audition for Babe. When they offered me the gig, it took me about a week to pick up my jaw off the floor! It’s rare a film endures the

You’ll conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as it performs your score live with a screening of the film. What new challenges does this bring? Keeping 80 musicians in sync with the picture requires incredible concentration and endurance from everyone onstage. The score is very detailed and technically challenging for the musicians. I have to take all my cues from a monitor which indicates the start, tempo, hit points and end of each piece of music. How long and involved is the process for composing a score, as opposed to a standalone piece? Composing for film is a collaborative process and a close working relationship with the director is a prerequisite. The director usually plays a major role in guiding the genre, instrumentation and emotional contour of the score. Composing a standalone concert piece is usually a much more isolated experience, where you are left to your own devices. Films

usually have to be composed very quickly, whereas standalone concert works are not usually prone to such tight deadlines. Is there one musical moment that defines Babe, and if so, did you know at the time of writing it was going to leave a legacy? The emotional peak of the story occurs when Babe wins the sheepdog trials at the end of the film. The chorale from Saint-Saëns’ third symphony is the predominant music for this scene, but it has been re-orchestrated and I have added variations and a coda. In the process of writing, recording, revising and performing the score, I must have seen the film many hundreds of times, yet every time I conduct a performance, I still get just as excited and emotionally involved as I did 21 years ago. None of us working on the film had any idea just how successful the film would become when it was released in 1995. What: Babe: Pig At The Symphony Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House When: Thursday April 28 – Saturday April 30

photography and film – the largest of its kind in Australia. Its 120 pieces span an important period in Moffatt’s life and career, from 19852013. Moffatt’s Laudanum And Other Works will exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW from Wednesday May 25 – Sunday September 4.

Daffodils

DAFFODILS

Our mates across the ditch in New Zealand have contributed greatly to the soundtrack of the last few generations. The Kiwi indie and pop-rock scene has given the world everything from Crowded House to Th’ Dudes, and the cabaret Daffodils is a celebration of all that and more. Based on the life story of playwright Rochelle Bright’s parents, it tells the story of family, love and relationships to a backdrop of classic tunes. The music will be performed live by a three-piece band, and the actors play against a background of archival family footage and fashion photography. Daffodils plays at Riverside Theatres from Thursday May 12 – Saturday May 14, and we’ve got two double passes to give away for the Friday May 13 show. Head to thebrag.com/freeshit to enter.

David Koechner

DMG CURATOR OF THE YEAR Independent arts writer Chloé Wolifson has been recognised ahead of her Tensions/ Translations/Transitions exhibition. Wolifson, fresh off completing a two-year tenure on the board of Runway Australian Experimental Art, has just been announced as the winning curator of the second Dominik Mersch Gallery Curator Award. She will now curate her Tensions/Translations/Transitions exhibition at the Dominik Mersch Gallery from Thursday May 5 – Monday May 28.

MAKING A BREAKTHROUGH Goldstone

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL OPENER

Goldstone, a new “Australian outback noir” by indigenous director Ivan Sen (Mystery Road, Toomelah) will headline Opening Night at the 2016 Sydney Film Festival. This year’s SFF is the 63rd edition of the festival, and organisers have already revealed a teaser program of 26 features plus a ten-film selection of Martin Scorsese classics curated by David Stratton. The program of more than 250 films screening over 12 days is now starting to take significant shape, and Goldstone will be its feature attraction on Wednesday June 8 at the State Theatre. Goldstone follows Jay Swan, the same character from Sen’s previous film Mystery Road, as he investigates the disappearance of a young Chinese woman. The impressive cast includes Jacki Weaver, David Wenham, David Gulpilil, Cheng Pei-pei, Michelle Lim Davidson and Tom E. Lewis. For the full list of films announced so far, visit sff.org.au. SFF 2016 runs from Wednesday June 8 – Sunday June 19.

VIVID IDEAS PROGRAM

16 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

Stand-up legend and actor David Koechner will bring his live show to Australia for the very first time this year. Koechner is well known for his role as Champ Kind of Anchorman and Todd Packer from The Office, as well as a filmography spanning over 60 features including appearances in Waiting, Out Cold, Talladega Nights, Get Smart and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Koechner will perform at the Enmore Theatre on Saturday July 23. Whammy!

Howie The Rookie

NOTORIOUSLY NASTY

US actor and comedian Craig Robinson is coming to Sydney for the first time alongside his band The Nasty Delicious. The man behind Darryl Philbin in the Emmy Awardwinning US version of The Office has also appeared in the John Cusack-produced flick Hot Tub Time Machine and accompanied Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen in This Is The End. As a stand-up comedian, Robinson first made his mark at the 1998 Montreal Just For Laughs festival. He went on to feature on Friends, The Bernie Mac Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Robinson and friends will be at the Metro Theatre on Friday June 17.

TRACEY MOFFATT ON SHOW

The influential Australian photographer Tracey Moffatt will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, opening next month. Moffatt was recently awarded an Order of Australia for services to photography and filmmaking, and as a mentor for indigenous artists, and she has also been selected to represent Australia at the prestigious Venice Biennale 2017. That means it’s good timing for the Art Gallery of NSW to put on display its collection of Moffatt’s

NO ROOKIE ERROR

The lauded Red Line production of Mark O’Rowe’s play Howie The Rookie is returning for a reprise season. The high-velocity and suspenseful play, set in Dublin, was nominated for six Sydney Theatre Awards after Red Line Productions debuted it in 2014. Its two actors, Sean Hawkins and Andrew Henry, formed the company in order to show Howie The Rookie at the Old Fitz Theatre, and the results spoke for themselves. Toby Schmitz will direct Hawkins and Henry once again in this limited return season. The rookie turns sophomore at the Old Fitz from Tuesday May 17 – Saturday June 11.

thebrag.com

Howie the Rookie photo © Kathy Luu

Vivid Ideas, the program that will bring over 400 speakers to Australia as part of the 2016 Vivid Sydney festival, has finalised its full list of events. Joining a calendar that already includes headline events on the Vivid Ideas GameChangers program, with appearances from filmmaker Spike Jonze, House Of Cards creator Beau Willimon, Orange Is The New Black writer/ creator Jenji Kohan and Australian fashion icon Margaret Zhang, are a huge parade of influential minds from around the globe. The latest highlights on the Vivid Ideas program include an ‘in conversation’ event with film director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker), presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, and a Women In Electronic Music Symposium held across three days of debate and performance. Meanwhile, the nerdier aspect of the program is getting a boost from Robowars, bringing its Australianthemed crocodile ‘Deathroll’ robot to our country for the first time, and a Sydney: Code In The Park event at Central Park, sponsored by Yahoo and General Assembly. These are just some of the big events on the 2016 Vivid Ideas program, available in full at vividsydney.com. Vivid Sydney 2016 runs from Friday May 27 – Saturday June 18.

The inaugural Breakthrough Art Festival charity event is taking place over four days at Chippendale’s aMBUSH Gallery. The latest initiative of the NSW Cancer Council, Breakthrough Art Festival will showcase the work of some of Sydney’s most talented artists. Artists were given a brief stating that their work must simply represent what hope means to them, and an overwhelming response has seen hundreds of artworks submitted for the exhibition. Between Thursday May 12 – Sunday May 15, the art will be available for purchase at the gallery, with entry free and proceeds from sales going to the Cancer Council.

HE’S A REAL CHAMP

theatre reviews

education profile

Hits and misses on the bareboards around town ■ Theatre

REPLAY Playing at SBW Stables Theatre until Saturday May 7

Replay photo by Brett Boardman

John (Alfie Gledhill) and Peter (Anthony Gooley) are brothers preparing for Peter’s upcoming wedding. As they get ready for the big buck’s weekend, John recalls the death of their third brother Michael (Jack Finsterer), who died when they were teens. Both h witnesses to the event, as John and Peter er rehash the details it becomes apparent ent that their memories don’t entirely match. tch. Suddenly a revelation appears from nowhere where that alters the course of their lives ves and ultimately their very relationships s and existence.

WITH

SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL

on collective memory and experience through time. Excellent performances abound from Gooley, Finsterer and newcomer Gledhill, with a colour-blind cast of brothers a nice touch. However, it doesn’t come without its detractions, as a few short subplots emerge with new characters, leaving the audience confused as to their meaning and place in the bigger story. All in all, though, it it’s s an interesting experiment in supernatural theatre from a new voice. Julian Ramundi

Replay is somewhat what of a supernatural story ry told in minimal fashion, with no trickery in either script or production values. s. A simple couch frames mes the stage for all of the story. Rather than allude to the forces that might be at play, causing the commotion, the script focuses instead on the characters’ experiences throughout; a sort of Sliding Doors experience where re futures collide and alter as the memories of the past fade and dissipate. te. The audience never gets to the bottom of the cause use of this seismic shift, and d the play seems to be a commentary ommentary

Courses on offer: SFS offers two diploma courses: a Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media. The courses offer a two-year program designed to provide the best prospects of employment success in the industry. The Diploma provides you with a working knowledge of all the fundamental disciplines of filmmaking. The Advanced Diploma takes that knowledge and allows you to apply to it to your chosen area of specialisation to produce films of greater depth and technique.

Replay

What makes us different: Founded over ten years ago, Sydney Film School is housed in a converted warehouse in Sydney’s inner city. We do not offer a traditional institutional environment. Our model is one that encourages your creative expression and gives you real filmmaking

experience. The school is set up as a working film production house that makes around 180 short films a year. Our students are the filmmakers. It is an intense learning experience but one that results in our graduates leaving us with up to 20 film credits to take to the industry at the end of their time with us. By choosing Sydney Film School you will join a community that has diverse roots but is united in a passion for filmmaking. Who are the teachers? We have close contact with the film industry. All our teachers currently work in the industry as well as teach. We also regularly invite prominent film personalities to share their career experiences with you. Take the next step: We are well connected with our alumni (now numbering over 1,000), the majority of whom are following successful

screen careers around the world. Typically industry employment rates are 60 per cent from the Diploma and 85 per cent from the Advanced Diploma. Alumni include Gracie Otto (The Last Impresario), Maya Newell (Gayby Baby) and Abu Shahed Emon (Jalal’s Story). Enrolment dates: SFS has two intakes a year, February and July. The next intake is July 25, 2016. Open Day: Saturday May 7. If you cannot make this, you can book an appointment for a tour of the school on any weekday. Address: 82 Cope Street, Waterloo Phone: (02) 9698 2244 Email: admissions@ sydneyfilmschool.com Website: sydneyfilmschool.com

five minutes WITH CHARLIE

FALKNER, PLAYWRIGHT/ACTOR IN DIRTY PEOPLE

The Best Brothers ■ Theatre

THE BEST BROTHERS

Dirty People photo by Nick De Lorenzo

Playing at Old 505 Theatre until Saturday April 30 In an indie theatre version of musical chairs, the Old 505 Theatre has set up shop at 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. Warming up the space is The Best Brothers, written by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor and directed by Gareth Boylan. The play teases out the comedy of an absurd tragedy, excavating family tensions and rivalries along the way. Siblings Kyle (Sean Lynch) and Hamilton (Johann Walraven) have been reunited by the shock death of their eccentric mother, Bunny, who was fatally crushed by a rogue (and obese) drag queen in the midst of a gay pride march. As the pair manage the funeral and set Bunny’s affairs in order, their strained relationship is stretched to breaking point as they wrestle for the vestiges of maternal love. At the centre of the confl ict is Bunny’s beloved Italian greyhound, Enzo, who becomes a bone of contention between the two boys.

thebrag.com

The brothers work on opposite sides of the housing industry – Hamilton is an architect while Kyle is a real estate agent. Lynch is a snug character fit as the breezy and easily baffled Kyle, while Walraven’s Hamilton is more hard-edged – full of pent-up frustration channelled through a passive-aggressive manner. The dynamic between them feels right but the pace of their dialogue could be sharper. There is some poignant scriptwriting, from Hamilton’s rant about Lego becoming too prescriptive to the wry and witty musings of the deceased Bunny. These interspersed monologues are performed by both actors, who alternately slip on silver gloves in order to mimic the delicate snobbery of their mother. On the whole, this play could pack more punch. There are genuinely wonderful moments of comic timing – the eulogy scene is hilarious. However, there is a lag in momentum that brings down the entire energy of the performance. Annie Murney

ou’re the playwright behind Dirty People as well as an actor in the production. Is it difficult to divorce yourself from the acting side of the equation when you’re writing a character onto the page? Originally it was a little difficult. Particularly for the character I’m playing – I had a very specific horrible part of me, myself, that I wanted in there. Thankfully, Michael [Abercromby, director] has taken on the show in full force and brought out so many things I didn’t even know were in there, which has allowed me to become a bit more detached from the script, I think. Which is a good thing. What can you tell us about James and Lucy, the two main characters of the play? They’re not good. I’d say they’re pretty terrible people. I rewrote them quite a few times to make them an inkling more likeable, but the point isn’t really to like them, I suppose. One’s selfobsessed and neurotic, the other is bored and angry. The characters have a few differences, but the thing that connects them is a history of causing chaos through their own selfish acts. Typical 20-year-olds, hey? How connected are the themes of the piece with the environment they’re set in, Sydney? I wrote the piece with Sydney in mind, because I hate Sydney, but I love

Sydney. And the love-hate thing comes across (I’m hoping) throughout the play. There are references to Sydney itself, ones that you may only get if you’re from Sydney. Really, it’s more of a comment on a generation, rather than a place. The themes aren’t specific to Sydney or Australia necessarily, but I’d say some of the comedy would resonate with Australians more than other places. How closely have you worked with the director to realise your original concept? I showed Michael the script when it was in its really early

days – before he signed on as the director. I’ve seen his work before, both writing and directing, and trusted his judgement completely. He actually gave me some ideas for the writing itself, which have stuck for the final script. One of the things I’m most grateful for with working with Michael is the comedy he has not only realised, but also added to as well. What: Dirty People Where: The Depot Theatre When: Wednesday May 4 – Sunday May 8 BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 17

THE

BRAG’S

SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016

GUIDE TO

This Week At Sydney Comedy Festival

PART 3

MONDAY APRIL 18 – SUNDAY MAY 15 had said rather ineloquently, ‘I always thought transgender people were crazy and mentally ill, but I’ve known you for so long and I don’t believe you’re mentally ill, so I think I’ve been wrong.’ I shared that on Facebook and it was this amazing moment of someone being affected by the video and admitting to their prejudice, and making the decision to change. “For all the support, a lot of people were surprised. A lot thought it might be a joke. A small number were horrible, but whenever we release a video a small number are horrible. One thing in particular is that it’s reached a lot of young fans – people in high school, or parents with kids who are trans – who were already fans and suddenly somebody that they like became a symbol for their own struggles, someone they could connect with. It’s really humbling to know I’ve had that effect, just by being myself for the first time.” By sheer but genuine circumstance, just prior to chatting with Raskopoulos I happened to find myself watching Louis Theroux’s documentary on transgender children, and the great complexities behind the issue; whether children possess the emotional and psychological capacity to make that decision so early. Hearing Raskopoulos discuss her childhood and teenage years – hearing her voice fall quiet as she recalls those instances of shame and repression – I can’t help but feel certain that simply having that conversation at an early age today would be a tremendously beneficial thing.

THE AXIS OF AWESOME

Won’t Ever Not Stop Giving Up By Adam Norris

ven before The Axis Of Awesome released their all-conquering ‘4 Chords’ single and video in 2011, the song had been in their sets for a few years. There was something so fundamentally entertaining in not only watching a patchwork of songs you love and loathe blur together, but seeing performers commit to the task with such (hilarious) sincerity. Five years on from ascending to YouTube fame, their recently transitioned frontwoman Jordan Raskopoulos talks about the curious life of the band, and how her gender dysphoria has fuelled the shape of things to come. “We have a song in the show called ‘Birdplane’,” Raskopoulos explains from, rather appropriately, the airport. “We’ve been playing it for ten years now – it’s one of the first songs

we ever wrote, and it’s a parody of the Five For Fighting song, ‘Superman’. They sing, ‘I’m more than a bird, I’m more than a plane,’ and we sing, ‘I’m a birdplane!’ We performed that song at the end of last year, and we realised it was kind of a metaphor for my transition despite the fact it never was before. But the audience picked up on that as well. A song that never had a meaning, suddenly having one.” The comedy trio – Raskopoulos, Lee Naimo and Benny Davis – have been touring AoA since 2006, and racked up seven albums along the way. It has been a colourful and unexpected ride, and with Raskopolous’ transition announced on YouTube, they are embarking on a whole new journey of advocacy and support – though without sacrificing any of the funny. “I think being a comedian, and being in people’s lives in a joyful way already, has been a big deal,” Raskopoulos says. “There was one particular message that was posted on the coming out video on YouTube, where someone

“When they talk about kids not being able to make the decision, there are no medical treatments given to a six-year-old or anything like that,” she says. “It’s entirely social, which is mostly a construct anyway. What it means for a child is not having the chance to feel like themselves, to not being able to play with a particular toy, or associate with a particular pronoun. That’s not a difficult thing to help a child with, and it’s not a medical issue. “For me, as a young person in the ’90s, the only media about transgender people was negative. It was stuff like Jerry Springer, or films like Ace Ventura or The Crying Game. You see a trend in all these that transgender people are victims, or they bring destruction. They’re traps. Ace Ventura kisses a transgender woman and spends the next five minutes vomiting. You watch Jerry Springer, where it’s a revelation to a family or a relationship, and it destroys it. It becomes violent, and that’s all I saw. So no wonder people during that time, myself included, felt a sense of shame and made the decision to be repressed. We’re in a time now where that stuff still sadly exists and is still being made. Deadpool was a great film, and then there was an aside, this little trans joke, and it just kind of broke my heart a little bit. “But we are making progress in a lot of other ways, and there are positive representations of trans stories. Things like [online series] Sense8, and having people being publicly trans and proud. The Wachowski Sisters, Laura Jane Grace. It’s hard to speculate if I was a child now if I would have transitioned, and I don’t know if it’s helpful to answer, but I know that for me, transitioning at this point has been good. I’ve been very proud of my life and my career up until this point, and the work I’ve done with Benny and Lee is still available, we still sell our old albums with the same photos and art – there’s no shame with the way I presented myself then. But my life is now about the future.”

WHERE: Giant Dwarf WHEN: Thursday April 28 – Saturday April 30 AND: Also appearing at The Concourse, Chatswood on Saturday May 7 18 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

For the duration of Sydney Comedy Festival 2016, we’re bringing you a weekly round-up of the hottest tickets in town. Chris Martin reports.

Frenchy: World’s Worst Adult

best of the fest

Factory Theatre, Wednesday April 27 – Friday April 29 Frenchy is a newgeneration comedian – the type of star who made his name not by standing up at open mic nights around town, but by sitting down in front of a webcam and uploading his gags to YouTube. The man behind such viral hits as ‘Around Girlfriend Vs Around Mates’ and ‘Shit People Say On Tinder’ brings his new live show to the Sydney stage, and you’d best be ready for anything.

Jeff Green: THIS Is Your Life?

Factory Theatre, Saturday April 30 This is Jeff Green’s life: a UK-born comic who first hit TV screens doing stand-up in the ’90s, made his name with his well-spoken but ever so unorthodox style of comedy, and after playing festivals around the world, fell so in love with Australia that he moved to Melbourne. He’s a sultan of the silly and now one of our own, and he’ll share more about his life and yours at Sydney Comedy Festival this week.

Simon Taylor: Human

Enmore Theatre, Tuesday May 3 – Sunday May 8 They say travel is the best education. If that’s true, then Simon Taylor is not only a well-travelled man; he’s a learned one, too. He’s spent years travelling the globe, exploring cultures, and now he’s reflecting all his lessons back on the Australia he calls home. Do we really know what the outside world thinks of us? Are we the world’s funniest people, or a running joke? Human will have the answers.

Jekyll x James: Fourth.Wall. Down

Factory Theatre, Wednesday April 27 – Saturday April 30

Sketch, stand-up and physical theatre duo Jekyll x James have been pottering about the Sydney and Australian comedy circuit since their formation in 2012. Four years is a long time in comedy – think of all those jokes – and now Jared Jekyll and Cameron James are breaking down the traditional barriers between performer and audience to deliver something thoughtful, hilarious and occasionally frightening. In a good way.

Yianni Agisilaou: The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know

Factory Theatre, Wednesday April 27 – Saturday April 30 Well, Yianni, you’re not alone there. The Simpsons Taught Me Everything I Know is exactly as its title suggests: one man’s story of how the world’s favourite cartoon family shaped his life. There’ll be something in this for Simpsons tragics and newbies alike, and who knows, you might even befriend Yianni and convince him to join you at the next Simpsons trivia night. He is smart. S-M-R-T. thebrag.com

TOMMY LITTLE

Dickhead By Julie Carli

You are probably already familiar with Tommy Little. The well-loved comic has saturated Australian media for some time, writing and starring in television shows as well as appearing on panels and Melbourne breakfast radio. However, comedy has always been the cornerstone of everything he does. Having sold out shows around Australia on previous tours, Little’s 2016 incarnation is looking to be no exception. Late last year, Little became disenfranchised with his career in radio. “[I became] really quite pessimistic,” he admits. “[With] heaps of shows cancelled … while it keeps you on your toes, you start to learn everything is shit.” The ups and downs of his career got the better of Little, and the result was a mild quarter-life crisis, with the high points of his 2015 including being the victim of identity fraud and going overseas to a health retreat that he escaped 24 hours later. It all culminated in a big decision to “quit radio to do something new”, he says. “Not listen

WHERE: The Comedy Store WHEN: Thursday May 5 – Saturday May 7

Tongue In Cheek By Adam Norris

Given the sheer number of review stars Nath Valvo has been picking up over the last few years, he could have had a solid second career as an astronomer. The Australian comedian and radio personality has built his reputation on good old-fashioned honesty – though it helps, of course, to fill your day with ridiculous shenanigans and strange fortune. His shows are a smelting pot of impromptu gags and finely honed jokes, though as he explains it, even a well-developed punchline can have an ambiguous history. “I tell you, the process of comedy is so much more boring than people think. Over the course of nine to ten months, there’s a lot of jotting. I have the most random notes in my phone,” he sighs, laughing. “The shit I’ve written in that thing. A lot of the time they’re notes that don’t even make sense to me. Three months later I’ll go through them and see a note that just says, ‘PIGEONS!’ That’s it? What the fuck did I find funny about pigeons six months ago? But I’ll upload all those notes and print them out, and then I concentrate all those pages down to little cards, all the bits I

think might be worth going in a show. The piles grow as the months go on, but after a while you might find a theme or a thread, something that might link them, but that whole time you’re trying them out in clubs, seeing what works, what dies.” Valvo’s latest salvo, Tongue In Cheek, will be arriving direct from sell-out dates at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and keeping in theme, has been a much-celebrated show. His previous runs – Almost 30, Boy Next Door, Happy Idiot – have led to television spots, various radio gigs and regular columns for News Limited. His audience has swollen dramatically as a result, culminating in a crowd of thousands at Falls Festival. “Something’s happening with comedy lately,” Valvo says. “You’re finding comedy at music festivals, art festivals. I think it’s because there’s so much more bullshit than ever on TV and radio. I really do. I think people are so sick of the shit they’re seeing. They’re craving something. The odd thing is, I’ve had people say to me, ‘Wow, there were hardly any gay people in the audience tonight!’ Which I’m sure they mean as a compliment in some weird

way. But I never know what to say. Why wouldn’t there be? Just because I’m talking about my relationship with a dude doesn’t mean it’s just for gay ears. It’s very odd. I know a couple of other gay comedians have experienced that as well. In reviews they’ll see things like, ‘[The material’s] just as relatable!’ It’s like, ‘What the fuck? We’re not mermaids!’ I just think funny is funny.”

to shit pop tunes, or have to wake up at four in the morning.” Fortunately for Little, his personal crisis led to a reboot of sorts. It offered him a chance to explore his dormant talents of the past, and since he’d gone through so many trials and tribulations, it proved the perfect chance to inform a new routine. Soon enough, his new stand-up show Dickhead was born. “[This way] dick jokes can pay for the apartment,” he says. Despite his relative youth, Little has been a favourite of Aussie comedy fans for years now, though he doesn’t count his own family among his audience anymore. “They have had to put up with this for 30 years now. They are over it,” he laughs. “They will stay home to not get abused.” Nonetheless, Little is ready to unleash his best at Sydney Comedy Festival. “Life lessons will not be learned,” he says on the Dickhead hour. “If you giggle at the title, you’ll love it. If you hate musicals, then you’ll love it. And if you don’t like it, go see a musical.”

NATH VALVO

Valvo’s Sydney Comedy Festival show will also be a much different beast to what Melbourne audiences enjoyed, due largely to Valvo’s insistence on leaving much of his time onstage up for grabs. “I don’t write my shows script-heavy. They definitely have certain bits locked in at the beginning and the end, but they’re pretty loose. I’ll try to have chats, make sure I know who’s sitting nearby, who’s in the front row, is that a couple over there? I do a bit of chit-chat to keep each show different, and to keep me on my toes. It isn’t Melbournecentric at all. Obviously there are a few things here and there – a particular café, a particular street – I’ll take out, but in terms of general themes it’s good to take it anywhere. No matter where I am, every night is different.”

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1

in because the other guy seemed shit … I reckon we might even have a hung parliament.” As we talk, Gleeson is busy working away on the next edition of The Weekly – Charlie Pickering’s satirical ABC program. With three episodes left in the season at our time of speaking, Gleeson is tight-lipped on what’s next, but promises “there’s quite a bit coming up”. What definitely will feature for the rest of the season, however, is ‘Hard Chat’ – Gleeson’s weekly segment that has seen him face off with the likes of Jacqui Lambie (whom he asked: “You want to ban the burqa, do you also want to ban welders and beekeepers?”), Mia Freedman (“Do you ever click on your own clickbait and think, ‘Why am I reading this shit?’”) and selfproclaimed psychic medium John Edward (“I’ve heard that Ghost is your favourite film, can you watch it with Patrick Swayze’s afterlife DVD commentary?”).

Great

By Sam Caldwell Tom Gleeson is at his peak, he says, and his upcoming Sydney Comedy Festival show is the best he’s ever done. He is, however, far less confident in the state of our government. “I didn’t think I could be more disillusioned, but it’s like the floors caved in and there’s thebrag.com

just a lower level that I’m sitting in now – I’m just so depressed about the whole mashed situation,” he says. “It’s all so volatile. I don’t really know what’s going to happen. I think the Malcolm Turnbull government is going to implode, Bill Shorten’s going to win the next election, and we’re going to be exactly where we were in 2013, in reverse – with an unpopular PM that nobody likes but we just voted

“It’s sort of weird, I think he takes what he does very seriously,” says Gleeson of Edward, who apparently keeps the whole thing up off-air. “I’m not an idiot – I’d have to think of it as an act … The only way he can do his act is if he believed it completely. So I think he maintains his act offstage as well. He [probably] goes back to his wife and goes, ‘Gee, do you believe anyone believes this bullshit?’ But I think maybe that’s his only confidante. “I usually try to avoid [talking to interview subjects] beforehand because then they get too comfortable – but yeah, I talk to them afterwards. They always seem to come in looking a bit nervous [laughs], and yeah, I just sit them down

THE BRAG’S GUIDE TO SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 2016 BROUGHT TO YOU BY COOPERS

TOM GLEESON and I try to get into it straight away, because then it’s more tense. And I feel like with that tension in the air there’s something a bit more fun about it.” Last time this writer saw Gleeson was at the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala in 2014. He finds galas fun, but adds: “You can’t get away from the fact that it’s a bit of dick-swinging, ’cause you’re trying to stamp your authority on the night. People walk away having their favourites, and you’re trying to be the best on the night, so there’s a bit of pressure there. “When you’re doing a one-hour show, you can actually explore ideas and flesh them out properly and not feel like you’re in a rush. To me it’s a more, sort of a higher-quality performance.” Though too busy for this year’s gala night, Gleeson is gearing up to give a quality performance with his headline show Great at the Enmore this weekend. “I called the show Great, ’cause it is,” he says. “People seem to be a bit relieved that it’s a masterwork. So yeah, there’s a bit of politics, I give religion the boot, family’s in there – it’s sort of hard to describe it by topic … Apparently it’s the best show I’ve ever done. A few friends have told me that, which is nice.”

WHERE: Enmore Theatre WHEN: Saturday April 30 BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 19

bread&thread Food & Fashion News... with Zanda Wilson

Sydney Craft Beer Week

SYDNEY CRAFT BEER WEEK

After the 2015 Sydney Craft Beer Week saw 130 beer-related events successfully held to a growing audience, this year’s festival is again set to be Sydney’s largest celebration of craft beer. Hops enthusiasts can quench their thirsts at Sydney’s craftiest beer festival, with events to take place at over 60 venues including craft breweries, local pubs, restaurants, galleries and pop-up installations. The opening gala evening will kick things off on Friday October 21, with the full lineup of events continuing until Sunday October 30 and set to be announced shortly. Visit sydneycraftbeerweek.com for more info.

A NEW CHARITY BREW

As a unique way of giving back to the community, the Craft For A Cause event is set to introduce a new speciality craft beer in order to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis NSW. An initiative of Annandale’s Wayward Brewing Co., Craft For A

Cause will see the tapping and sale of the new rose kölsch craft beer for the entire month of May at the Wayward Cellar Bar and other partner venues across Sydney. Wayward’s Rose Kölsch Keg Tapping event will kick off the month on Sunday May 1, at an all-day celebration with live music and food – all for a good cause.

Dock & Bay is the brainchild of two good mates, known to their friends as Andy and Benno – travellers who have finally found the solution to the problem of small and dull travel towels. Put simply, Dock & Bay makes microfibre travel towels in an exciting range of colours and styles, providing the comfort of a large beach towel but in a convenient, travel-weight package. The distinctive striped design of the Dock & Bay range is now getting even bigger, with a set of round microfibre towels being introduced to the product line. In order to begin the production process, Dock & Bay has launched a Kickstarter campaign, aiming to raise $20,000. Early birds can pre-order round towels from $50. Visit dockandbay. com.au to get involved.

GET INKED, MISS

Imagine a beauty pageant where sleeve tattoos are celebrated rather than considered a faux pas. This isn’t some strange alternative reality, but a real competition run by Miss Ink Australia. Empowering inked women for more than seven years, Miss Ink Australia sees tattooed ladies put through the standard rounds of competition, all judged by a panel of professionals from the Australian tattoo, fashion and modelling industries. Saturday April 30 will see the titles of Miss Ink and Miss Tattoo Sydney 2016 up for grabs at Max Watt’s, with local rockers Bad Moon Born providing live tunes.

CHARLOTTE’S LITTLE SISTER

Harpoon Harry’s Dining Room

HARRY’S MAKEOVER

Dock & Bay

TOWEL INNOVATION

Harpoon Harry’s upstairs dining room has been undergoing some changes under new culinary curator Morgan McGlone. McGlone has relaunched the room as a hotspot for the best late-night hospitality, drawing on his time overseas to infuse a new menu with South American flavours. The new menu features the chef’s own smoking, BBQ and in-house pickling and fermenting programs, with highlights including the pickled green tomato entrees, steak dinner for two and McGlone’s take on the chess pie as a dessert. Harpoon Harry’s Dining Room serves dinner from 6pm Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

The Australian Technology Park has welcomed a new communityminded café and bar – the latest incarnation of the Charlotte café brand, Charlotte’s Little Sister. The 160-seat establishment was designed by Guru Projects and styled by India Harris, including a custom mosaic tile flooring and featuring brass panelling with raw timber throughout. At the centre sits a one-of-a-kind La Marzocco coffee machine with handmade steamer arms and a personalised logo. Serving a menu that champions rotisserie meats and a signature range of sauces, Charlotte’s Little Sister will satisfy all tastes and

is open for breakfast and lunch weekdays.

MOTHER’S DAY HIGH TEA

If planning for Mother’s Day on Sunday May 8 has you stressed, look no further than Luna Park’s Ferris Wheel Dining Experience. This one-off event will see guests dining on a selection of finger sandwiches and dessert platters, as well as enjoying complimentary champagne or Hendrick’s Gin while they enjoy the picturesque views from the top of the Ferris wheel at Sydney’s iconic theme park. The Deck will then host select à la carte sittings for Mother’s Day lunch and dinner in the restaurant, which can be booked either separately or in conjunction with a Ferris wheel carriage. For tickets and more information head to thedecksydney.com

H&M ON BROADWAY

Swedish retail giant H&M is continuing its expansion in Sydney with the latest store to open at the Broadway Shopping Centre. H&M already has stores in Pitt Street Mall, North Ryde, Macquarie Centre, and a recently opened location at Westfield Chatswood. Broadway is currently undergoing a $55 million, 3400-square-metre level two expansion, and when completed in the springtime, the Mirvac and Perron Group-owned centre will deliver

SURRY HILLS MARKETS

room for 31 new retail spaces. The multinational corporation exists in 61 countries, with the first store opening in Sweden in 1947, and expansion having become much more rapid in the last decade.

Din Tai Fung’s Red Bean Roses

A MOTHER’S DAY FEAST

Spoil Mum this Mother’s Day at one of Din Tai Fung’s four Sydney venues, each set to offer a special feast leading up to the big day on Sunday May 8. The Mother’s Day special will feature Din Tai Fung’s new pan fried chicken and vegetable potstickers, followed by six xiao long bao dumplings, and finally a limited edition Red Bean Roses dessert. We guarantee it’ll put a smile on Mum’s dial. The feast is available from Friday May 6 – Sunday May 8 at Din Tai Fung World Square, Central Park, Chatswood and Miranda.

market corner

WHERE: Shannon Reserve, Surry Hills WHEN: The first Saturday of every month (next market Saturday May 7) Speciality: It’s a brilliant treasure hunt, with vintage fashion from designer labels to bargain second-hand, stunning antiques and kooky bric-a-brac, lush plants, books and records, and artisan creations. It’s curated to make sure we have a great variety of interesting vintage and handmade (so no mass-produced junk). We have a mix of regular stallholders specialising in tracking down unique second-hand pieces next to a courtyard full of friends getting together for a oneoff stall to sell off their wardrobes. All in a beautiful park full of trees and puppies, so it’s a great morning out. Find a bargain: The bargain baskets at the vintage fashion stalls are incredible – you could walk away with three entirely new outfits without breaking a tenner.

coming right out of the oven are a speciality. It’s volunteer-run, famous for generous portions at bargain prices – and all the profits go to supporting the community.

What’s the fuel? The Community Café at the Neighbourhood Centre is a must! Delicious specials include eggplant lasagne and leek and feta quiches, and the Devonshire tea with hot fresh scones

Stallholder info: Just apply on the Thursday in the week before the market at shnc.org/ events/surry-hills-markets/stallholders More: shnc.org/events/surry-hills-markets

xxxx

The crowd: Like Surry Hills itself we get a huge mix – from glamazons and designers looking for unique pieces, to bargainhunters, book-lovers, Sunday brunchers and poor students. There is really something for everyone, no matter your tastes and budget. It’s a very inclusive and friendly vibe; we get lots of beautiful dogs (check out our Dogs of the Markets album on Facebook) and the play equipment and grassy area makes it great for families.

20 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

thebrag.com

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

don’t often read Miranda Devine. Mostly because I don’t like the feeling of my veins pulsating in my temples, doing their very best to escape through my skin.

But when I do, I remember the kind of pleasure and pain she brings me. The immense pain, obviously, stems from nearly everything she writes. But the pleasure comes from both having an easy outlet from which to vent my anger, and the immense satisfaction I feel from knowing that her grasp on society is slowly, but very surely, slipping from her fingers.

‘yes’ in the almost inevitable plebiscite, and the popular vote stands at anywhere between 60-80 per cent, depending on who, or where, you ask. The people Devine ordains herself to represent are increasingly becoming less and less real, and more and more like the unicorns she surely hates: mythical creatures that don’t actually walk among us.

Last week, Devine wrote that Alan Joyce, the gay CEO of Qantas, was turning support for marriage equality into a militant force. In the wake of the Telstra backflip on marriage equality support, and then its backflip on its backflip, Devine seemed to argue that those ‘progressives’ who supported equal rights for human beings were unfairly pressuring people into their totalitarian regime of love and equality and rainbow unicorns.

This column is probably sounding increasingly like the equality totalitarian regime Devine so vehemently opposes, but at this point, I really don’t care. In 2011, Devine told us the London riots were a direct result of Penny Wong having children (well, they were the direct result of fatherless families, and therefore lesbians, and therefore Penny Wong, AKA The Only Lesbian Miranda Devine Knows). This kind of complete and utterly bigoted hatred is, quite frankly, completely infuriating, and also laughable.

While Devine may or may not have complained about rainbow unicorns (placid creatures though I’m sure they are, Devine surely has a problem with their rainbow ways), her point essentially remains that life, as she knows it, has to change to make room for people she doesn’t like. Usually, I like to think of Miranda Devine as one elaborate satire. And whether she is or not, increasingly her columns have become just that. I may live in a bubble (one full of progressives and love and rainbow unicorns), but more and more I just can’t see that her views adequately represent any form of majoritarian thought in this country. Sure, there are definitely some people who have hurt feelings when it comes to the idea of letting gays marry, but they are becoming a smaller and smaller minority by the day. Malcolm Turnbull has emphatically expressed his desire to vote

Devine may claim that people calling her a bigot are part of this totalitarian regime, and frankly, I probably am. But I’m also part of the 60-80 per cent of the Australian population who make up this movement. Another name I like to give this regime is ‘the majority’. The thing that scares people like Miranda Devine – people who, for so long, have been a part of a totalitarian regime that demonises any form of difference – is that progressive thought seeks to undermine their very lifestyle. In a pyramid, only a few people can be at the top. Equality means that pyramid has to broaden, or else some people will topple off. When marriage equality passes, I’ll join the line of people happily waiting to topple Devine from her high horse. Perhaps we can give her a unicorn instead.

this week… If you like music by queers, this week is your week. On Thursday April 28 – Saturday April 30, The Axis Of Awesome have their show at Giant Dwarf. This will be a great chance to see the band after Jordan Raskopoulos’ public transition earlier this year. I hear she’s an amazing frontwoman. Then on Friday April 29, the shittest band in Newtown, Scabz, are releasing their debut single, ‘Beach Song’, at Waywards, just in time for winter. Good timing. Makes sense though, for a shit band.

Bandintexas photo by Ashley Mar

On Saturday April 30, Bandintexas are playing a show in support of Richie Ramone at Newtown Social Club. I heard they replaced their singer with Axl Rose, because Kelly just wasn’t cutting it. So don’t miss Axl’s debut as a lesbian frontwoman.

The Axis Of Awesome

Bandintexas Then on Sunday May 1, a second instalment of Queer Provocations will be held at The Red Rattler, to specifically discuss climate change. There’ll be a fundraising party in the evening with DJ Gemma and Noelene Nabulivou (DIVA Fiji).

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 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

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

The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight Balcony Bar 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight BAR100 100 George St, The Rocks (02) 8070 9311 Mon – Thu noon-late; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-10pm Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4000 Mon – Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm

The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight Basement 33 Basement, 27-33 Goulburn St, Sydney CBD (02) 8970 5813 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight 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 Burrow Bar De Mestre Place, Sydney 0450 466 674 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight

deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri 11.30am-11.30pm; Sat 5.30-11.30pm Easy Eight 152 - 156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3769 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight 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 The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun

11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Mon – Sun noon-1am Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-late The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-late The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Thurs & Sat 4pm-late; Fri noon-late Harpoon Harry 40-44 Wentworth Ave, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 8800 Mon – Sun 11:30am-3am The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu, Sat

WAYWARD BREWING CO. bar OF

bar TH

ADDRESS: 1 GEHRIG LN, CAMPERDOWN / PHONE NUMBER: (02) 7903 2445 WEBSITE: FACEBOOK.COM/WAYWARDBREWING / OPENING HOURS: THU – FRI 4-10PM; SAT NOON-10PM; SUN NOON-8PM

E E W

Tell us about your bar: It’s a community meeting place meets local hangout meets motorcycle enthusiast’s dream meets working brewery. We continually serve unique people and locals down at the brewery – well-behaved dogs are welcome and well-behaved children are tolerated. We’ve used the space for art exhibitions, film and documentary screenings, motorcycle brand launches and festivals. It’s a mash-up eclecticism of people and beer, which we dig. What’s on the menu? We brew on-site and rotate between six and nine seasonal and core beers, and a number of guest brews from our friends around the country. We offer some contract brewing and support as much as possible breweries that are gypsy brewing around the scene, like we once were. We appreciate those soon-tobe-beer converts by supplying wine and cider, juice and soda drinks as well. If you like what we do, you can take us home in a two-litre growler bottle. As for food, we support the growing Sydney food truck scene. An

22 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

ever-changing roster of available foods keeps things interesting. We also support our neighbours and local businesses, offering pizza from a great local joint to cater for as many food types as we can. This month we’ve teamed up with the Annandale Hotel’s chefs to bring a new taste each weekend. This is part of our Love/Live/ Local campaign to support local community and business, which will be ongoing throughout the month of April. I suggest a tasting paddle to really get to grips with all our beers, $15.

Sounds: Depends what we feel like. We have a great playlist called ‘Dad Rock’ that we all groove to. It’s Aretha Franklin while drinking the Sourpuss Berliner Weisse, Lemmy while drinking the Charmer IRA, Waylon Jennings suits the Midnight Barley Cowboy Hopped Porter, and Talking Heads matches well with the Oatis Oatmeal IPA.

Care for a drink? Liquid bread: a fancy name for beer.

The bill comes to: $20 secures you four beers and all the free popcorn you like.

Highlights: It’s a bar in a brewery. Come check out how beer is made and taste it from paddock to palate.

4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight The Loft (UTS) 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Wed 2pm-10pm; Thurs – Fri 2pm-late Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4999 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu 4pm-1am; Fri 3pm-1am; Sat 4pm-1am The Morrison 225 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9247 6744 Mon – Wed 11.30am-midnight; Thu 11.30am-1am; Fri – Sat 11.30am-2am; Sun 11.30am-10pm 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 Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-2am; Sat 4pm-2am The Swinging Cat 44 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 3696 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight

Tapa Vino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Arcadia Liquors 7 Cope St, Redfern (02) 8068 4470 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Bar Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-11.30; Sun 11am-3pm Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 9331 0058 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Bells Hotel 1 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9357 3765 Mon – Sun 10am-1am 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 8:30am-late The Darlie Laundromatic 304 Palmer St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Darlo Country Club Level 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (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 noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon10pm Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 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 Jangling Jack’s Bar & Grill Bar & Grill 175 Victoria St, Potts Point Tue – Wed 4-11pm, Thu – Sat 4-1am, Sun noon11pm 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

thebrag.com

Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Fri noon-late; Sat 4pm-late LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Mon – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat noon-late; Sun 11am-10pm The Local Taphouse 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Wed noonmidnight; Thu – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-11pm Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0410 470 250 Tue – Wed 5pm-late; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Old Growler 218 William St, Woolloomooloo 0422 911 650 Tue – Sat 5pm - midnight The Oxfored Circus 231 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 0457 353 384 Wed – Sun 7pm - late 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 thebrag.com

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

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Tue – Fri 4.30pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late Bat Country 32 St Pauls St, 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 Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4pm-10pm Spring Street Social (and Jam Gallery) Underground 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat 5pm-3am Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

The Angry Pirate 125 Redfern St Redfern (02) 9698 9140 Tue – Thur 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-midnight 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 Forest Lodge Hotel 117 Arundel St, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 Mon – Sat 11am-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Freda’s 109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Tues – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm The Gasoline Pony 115 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville 0401 002 333 Tue – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri – Sat 3-11.30pm; Sun 3-9.30pm The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-1am Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 9911 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-3.30am; Sun 11am-11.30pm Knox Street Bar Cnr Knox & Shepherd St, Chippendale (02) 8970 6443 Tue – Thu 4-10pm, Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8084 0758 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight 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 noonmidnight; Fri – Sat noon3pm; 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 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 Staves Brewery 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe (02) 9280 4555 Thu 4-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat: noon-midnight; Sun: noon-10pm Thievery 91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8283 1329 Tue – Thu 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-midnight. Sat 11pm-3pm & 6pm-midnight Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri noon-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm Wilhelmina’s 332 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Tues – Fri 5pm - late; Sat – Sun 8am - late The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Thu – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-late ZanziBar

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

Alberts Bar 100 Mount St, North Sydney (02) 9955 9097 Mon – Wed 11.30am-10pm; Thu 11.30am-11pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight Crooked Tailor 250 Old Northern Road, Castle Hill (02) 9899 3167 Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm Daniel San Manly 55 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6963 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Friday – Saturday noon–2am; Sunday noonmidnight Firefl y 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 Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm The Hold Shop 4, 9-15 Central Ave (02) 9977 2009 Tue – Sun 4pm-midnight Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm InSitu 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman 0409 100 339 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Sat noonmidnight; Sun noon-10pm Jah Bar Shop 7, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Mon – Fri 4pm-late; Sat 9am-late; Sun 9am-10pm The Local Bar 6/8 Young Ln, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 0027 Tue – Fri 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

Your bar’s not here? Email: chris@thebragcom

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 :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 23

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK CAMP COPE

Beams’ is a good starting point and could read as an audacious statement that’s anti-Trump and everything he stands for, while ‘Lost (Season One)’ finds Maq railing against the middle of the road.

There are at least two very distinct sides to Melbourne indie-punk trio Camp Cope. One is bruised and broken, while another is defiant and angry, and it’s this juxtaposition that makes their debut record so captivating.

It’s refreshing to hear a band making statements rather than platitudes, and the singer doesn’t hold back with her often brutal lyrics. ‘Flesh And Electricity’ (“I could look at you naked and all I’d see would be anatomy / You’re just bones and insecurity, fl esh and electricity to me”) is a prime example, but it’s all carried out with a vulnerability that makes you believe she’s trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

Camp Cope Poison City

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA Sierra-Kilo-Alpha ABC I kid you not, from the moment the needle drops on Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s second record, you’re up and running. Frontman Nicky Bomba is a seasoned hand at crafting a catchy tune, and his encyclopaedic enthusiasm is infectious; to hear him discuss the raucous ramblings of the band is enough to convince you to throw away your daily life, grab a horn and join the adventure. Indeed, adventure is the substance of Sierra-Kilo-Alpha. If their selftitled debut was an introduction to the band’s endeavours, this is a showcase of what comes next. From opening track ‘Escher’ – the scope of which really is akin to the eponymous Dutch artist – we find a band brimming with a movement and energy that in retrospect was only hinted at before. This is largely due to just how far the MSO has grown in the intervening years. Tracks like the treacherously titled single ‘Funkchunk!’ and the celebratory ‘Satellite’ are some of the most polychromatic tunes around, while ‘Sly Boots’ is so suited to the next James Bond soundtrack it would be a crime to miss the opportunity (it doesn’t hurt that secret agents are so entwined in this band’s character).

PAUL KELLY Seven Sonnets & A Song Gawd Aggie/Universal Why is it that great artists of a certain age always decide to release themed albums that are – let’s face it – a bit pretentious? Sting had his lute album. Paul McCartney did a latin oratorio in four movements. Lou Reed’s 19th solo album drew from the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. It’s with a muttered “typical” that we find out Paul Kelly, once of The Dots and The Messengers, has released an album based on Shakespeare’s sonnets. Seven Sonnets & A Song (actually six sonnets, a song from Twelfth Night and another by one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries) marks the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death, but isn’t as groaninducing as you might think. Actually, it’s really good. Kelly and friends leave the words untouched and put them to a range of musical styles. It works. ‘Sonnet 138’, the one that describes the author’s testing relationship with his promiscuous mistress, is brought to life as a 3am smoky jazz club jam. ‘Sonnet 73’ becomes a Bob Dylanesque protest song. ‘My True Love Hath My Heart’, by Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney, is revived as a ‘Jolene’-like country lament.

It’s not all heavy-themed Debbie Downer-ing either; pop culture and television aficionados

EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS PersonA Community / Create/Control Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros have reinvented themselves over the last few years, and their latest album, PersonA, is a far cry from their earlier cutesy, ramshackle, ‘let’s all have a sing-along’ sound. Recorded in one room in New Orleans, which would have been a feat in itself given the size of the band, PersonA sees frontman Alex Ebert’s powerful vocals take the listener on a journey to a crowded, smoke-filled blues bar in downtown Louisiana. Featuring a number of emotional tracks, such as ‘Hot Coals’ and ‘Uncomfortable’, PersonA cleverly weaves smatterings of gospel, folk and blues. Using tribal drums, trumpets and piano, as well as raw, throaty lyrics, the band’s new sound is, at times, captivating. Although the album’s mood is relatively dark, it drags you back from the edge of the cliff with catchy, lighter tracks such as ‘No Love Like Yours’, featuring vocals and a toetapping melody. There are a couple of lacklustre songs, such as ‘Lullaby’ (living up to its name) and ‘Wake Up The Sun’, but otherwise PersonA pushes the boundaries.

Paul McBride

xxx

Georgia Maq and co. explore society and brutality with a hint of pop culture.

Spawned from singer-guitarist Georgia Maq’s musical outlet for social commentary and her take on relationships, misogyny and the degradation of working life, this eight-track effort delights and demands attention in equal measure. Single ‘Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel

will find much to enjoy, with sneaky references to The X-Files, Twin Peaks and Lost peppered among the barbs. Like a dowsing rod pointing to primo tuneage, Poison City Records has done it again. If all you anxious punks out there don’t get onto this, you’re stupider than I look.

J DILLA

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

The Diary Mass Appeal/Sony

The Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Left Remote Control

The legacy of J Dilla has echoed brilliantly since his unfortunate passing in 2006. Credited for his extraordinary work and influence – both in and outside the hip hop industry – Dilla was a priceless contributor to music. Having originally been recorded in 2002, The Diary was shelved by MCA Records at the time and lost in the late artist’s vault, only to have his estate begin its reassembly in 2013. The 14 songs that feature on the record are invigorating, but also incredibly exciting to listen to, as they spur a sort of nostalgia within those familiar with Dilla’s history. Opener ‘The Introduction’ is a glorious way to kick off the sixth posthumous release from Dilla, owing much to the way J’s voice cuts through the booming beat as if to yell, “I’m back!” We’re also blessed with some fun synth-funk on ‘Trucks’ – Dilla’s take on Gary Numan’s 1979 single ‘Cars’. Rappers Kokane and Snoop Dogg feature on the West Coastinspired ‘Gangsta Boogie’, while ‘The Ex’, featuring singer Bilal, is a standout for its beautifully soulful and mellow delivery.

Ever been in a rage so potent you became almost incoherent? Welcome to The Peace & Truce Of Future Of The Left. Andrew ‘Falco’ Falkous’ wordplay still comes as thick and fast as ever, but for the most part his punches are short and sharp on this brutish new record. In its second crowdfunded and selfproduced album, the whole outfit has doubled down on aggression. This has its downsides: Peace & Truce is not as musically ambitious as How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident, with its emphasis on sludging guitar grooves. The perverted bass slides of ‘Running All Over The Wicket’ and the clapdriven ‘50 Days Before The Hun’ make for great variance, and ‘The Limits Of Battleships’ will surely prove an unstoppable force under the spotlight of FOTL’s intense live shows. Taking pride of place, of course, are Falco’s lyrics: he stands like a battered jester, holding sway over a drunken crowd as it exalts the end of the world.

A testament to a group damn close to its peak; pressure’s on for album number three.

It can be difficult to be moved by Shakespeare on the page. Put to song, centuries later, all the meaning and emotion of his work is brought to life again.

This is the album you should listen to if you’d love to visit New Orleans and get a taste of the city’s darker side, but just can’t get the funds together to buy the plane ticket.

The Diary is a more than fitting showcase to celebrate the life of J Dilla and his diverse approach to hip hop.

It’s every bit as aggressive and abrasive as we deserve, but can’t compare to the band’s more diverse efforts. Peace & Truce will find its strength on tour.

Adam Norris

George Nott

Prudence Clark

Ben Pearce

David Molloy

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK It should come as a surprise to no-one that a genre as abstract and oft-inacessible as post-rock has its fair share of elitist fans. To them, enjoying Explosions In The Sky – perhaps the best known perpetrators in North America – is more or less on par with liking the Foo Fighters, for all of their broadreaching appeal.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY The Wilderness

24 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

That said, the Texas natives have sought greener grass and roads less travelled on later albums, by and large pushing out the so-called ‘crescendocore’ that came to define modern genre classics like The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place. The Wilderness marks their seventh LP, following on five years from the divisive Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.

Here, they hone in on a more restrained and minimal approach to their established sound, often washing away in drifts of keyboards or piercing strings. Opener ‘Wilderness’ sways into a hypnotic rhythm, building up through subtle dynamics as opposed to looming, impending release. ‘Disintegration Anxiety’, too, serves as one of their fi nest singular moments, bounding across a shuffled rock beat and ornately layering its triple-guitar arrangements. Adventurous and inventive, The Wilderness works wonders in keeping this band an engaging, enticing prospect to listeners.

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... PRINCE - Purple Rain PRINCE - Diamonds And Pearls PRINCE - Controversy

PRINCE - Parade PRINCE - Musicology

David James Young thebrag.com

The

Surry Hills Markets Corner of

Crown & Collins Sts Shannon Reserve Surry Hills

First Saturday of EVERY month! 7am to 4pm Specialising in

vintage clothes, handmade, second-hand & recycled goods.

a ket

ar Next m

Saturday

May 7

Brought to you by

The Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre, L1, 405 Crown St, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 T: [02] 9356 4977 www.shnc.org

Get an r entry fo 0 3 every $ nd you spe e! in stor

f surryhillsnc

FAMILY ADVENTURE HOLIDAY Load $30 in store and we’ll give you L 10 b o n dollars and an entry in the draw bonus bo on to win wi w a Family Theme Park Adventure da to Orlando Florida in the USA! holiday ho olida

PLUS... Instant prizes to be won in store! sto ore e! won 1300 0 TIMEZONE · TIM TIMEZONE.COM.AU CONNECT WITH TIMEZONE AUSTRALIA *Terms and Conditions apply. See www.timezone.com.au for full terms.

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 25

live reviews

live @ the sly

PICS :: DC

What we've been out to see...

21:04:16 :: Slyfox :: 199 Enmore Rd Enmore 9557 2917

It’s called: Grab Life By The Bowls It sounds like: The best in funk, soul, hip hop and reggae. Acts: The Bowlo yet again has put on a fantas tic lineup of DJs: Frenzie, NoFussRuss, DJ Soup, Toon, The Groove Merchant and JC (Funkdafied). Three songs you’ll hear on the night: We’d hate to be too predictable. And one you definitely won’t: I’m yet to hear anything by Demis Roussos. Sell it to us: On the last Saturday of every month, Funkdafied presents Grab Life By The Bowls – big grooves outsid e by the Bowlo’s greens on Saturday afternoons. These events are starting to get big, so get down early. The bit we’ll remember in the AM: The great atmosphere. Crowd specs: Anyone. Wallet damage: Enter tainment is free, every thing else at Bowlo prices. Where: Marrickville Bowling Club, 91 Syden ham Rd, Marrickville When: Saturday April 30, 2-8:30pm

twenty one pilots

PICS :: AM

party profile

grab life by the bowls

20:04:16 :: UNSW Roundhouse:: UNSW Anzac Parade Kensington 9385 7630

26 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

thebrag.com

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

pick of the week Ratatat

WEDNESDAY APRIL 27

Night - feat: Various Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Ratatat + Kirin J Callinan + Frikstailers Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $67. Thirsty Merc Studio Six, Sutherland. 8pm. $35.20. You Am I + The S.I.G.I.T + Draught Dodgers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Ainsley Farrell + Georgia Mulligan Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. The Groovemeisters Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. Free.

THURSDAY APRIL 28 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Metro Theatre

Katherine Vavahea Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $10.

Ratatat + Kirin J Callinan + Frikstailers 7:30pm. $66.90. WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Pulp Kitchen - feat: Sweet Jelly Rolls

Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free. Tall Man Blues The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Beastwars + Bare

Bones + La Mancha Negra Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Francis Rodr Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Harbourview Hullabaloo Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Hello Bones Captain Cook Hotel,

Paddington. 9pm. Free. Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm. Free. Manouche Wednesday - feat: The Squeezebox Trio Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Muso’s Club Jam

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK Ginger’s Jam - feat: Various Bands Oxford Hotel, Darlinghurst. 7:30pm. Free. Jimmy Watts Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 10pm. Free. Live & Original At The Merc - feat: Spindles Trio + Peta & The Wolf + The Village Idiot The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Live At The Sly feat: Terza Madre + Hollie Matthew +

Jac Beth Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free. Luke Thompson + Jed Appleton Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $13.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Ears Have Ears Live #2 - feat: Half High + Nic Warnock (Q&A) FBi Live, Alexandria. 9pm. Free. Frankie’s Pizza Thursdays - feat: Jimmy Watts Band Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Furnace And The Fundamentals Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Hurst + Fox Company + The Swamp Crocs + Wolves In Fashion Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Kirsty Bolton Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm. Free. Mayfair Kytes + Brokebeat Mountain + Suiix + Lou Millar The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $13.80. Ms Mr Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $57.50. Roadhouse Rockabilly Night Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 7pm. Free. Rock The World Bar Band Comp - feat: Sarahkills + Cigars Of The Pharaoh + Lorenzo + The Crimson Horror + Order 66 + Mpr Radio + Marcband + Gabe Levin The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. $15. Supersuckers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $43. Ted Nash Crown Hotel, Surry Hills. 4:30pm. Free.

The Baker Suite Venue 505, Surry Hills. 8:30pm. Free. Unholy Valve Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

8pm. Free. Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm. Free. Lyall Moloney Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15. Madchild + Mastacraft + Mickey Deville UTS Underground, Ultimo. 8pm. $40. Michael Kopp Lord Raglan Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Millencolin UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington. 7:30pm. $60.60. Minotaur Of The Gods + Diminish The Gods + Three Wise Monkeys + Ex Curia Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $15. Shannon Noll Penrith RSL, Penrith. 8pm. $35. Ted Nash Trio Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 11:30pm. Free. The Syphons + Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free.

FRIDAY APRIL 29 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK The JP Project Duo Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 9pm. Free. William Crighton The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $15.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Emma Pask Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30. Soulsville Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Asta + Georgi Kay + Nussy Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $23. Blake Wiggins Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Day Of El Don Fiesta Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. Free. GC O’Connor + July Morning Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free. Geoff Davies The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Hockey Dad Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7pm. Free. Kadavar Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $55.60. Karaoke Figtree Hotel, Sydney.

SATURDAY APRIL 30 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Christine Anu The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $35.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Adam Disney Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9:30pm. Free. Anthony Charlton Oaks Hotel, Neutral Bay. 7pm. Free. Chris Turner And The Cave Men + Finn And Dave Tice Petersham Inn, Petersham. 8:30pm.

five things WITH

MATT KELLY FROM MAYFAIR KYTES Growing Up 1. My first musical memory is of a friend of our parents’ who used to

The Music You Make 4. We have been going under the banner ‘folk art pop’. Collectively our

play guitar. It was the beginning of my musical infatuation. I grew up in a household where Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Elton John, Dire Straits, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson and Miles Davis all got a decent run; my father was the one who liked all the rock’n’roll stuff and my mother liked funkier music or jazz. We had a great record collection.

biggest music crush is on The Dirty Projectors. Our debut record Animus is available now online via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and Bandcamp.

Inspirations 2. The thriving music community in Melbourne is all the inspiration I need to draw from. Your Band Our band consists of a 3. core four members and two extra musicians. Our drummer’s name is Jack Nicholson FYI, and that’s about as good as it gets. When we made our record we had the privilege of Paul Bender and Simon Mavin (Hiatus Kaiyote) working on it with us, doing the final cherries on top. thebrag.com

Music, Right Here, Right 5. Now As far as obstacles musicians have to overcome, it’s purely keeping up morale across the board. Hopefully Baird can pull his head out of his own arse and assist Sydney getting its night culture back in full swing; history will not look favourably upon him and his whims. Regardless, all local music scenes should be nurtured and respected. What: Animus out now independently With: Brokebeat Mountain, Suiix, Lou Millar Where: The Vanguard When: Thursday April 28

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 27

g g guide gig g

g g picks gig p

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Free. Do I Scare Ya? + Ungus Ungus Ungus Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 7pm. $16.90. Dragon Castle Hill RSL, Castle Hill. 8:30pm. $30. Grouse Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 9pm. Free. Methyl Ethel + Jaala Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $15. Miss Ink Australia 2016 - feat: Bad Moon Born Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 9pm. $23.50. Richie Ramone Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $38. Skunkhour Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $37.10. The Belligerents Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $12. The Love Handles Cauliflower Hotel, Waterloo. 7:30pm. Free. Venom Clubnight - feat: With Hope In Vein + Solace In Exile + Rainbow Deathly Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $15. Whelan And Grover Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Yours Family Night Part 2 - feat: Secret Guests Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 6pm. Free.

SUNDAY MAY 1 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Sunday Sessions Feat: Pat Powell Cauliflower Hotel, Waterloo. 2pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Miss Peaches Hootenanny Bluegrass Sundays Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Finn + Orca Band Town Hall Hotel, Newtown. 6:30pm. Free. From Street To Stage Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Jonny Gretsch’s Wasted Ones Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4pm. Free. Night Radio + Trish Young The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7. Of Monsters And Men Sydney Opera House,

Sydney. 7:30pm. $69. S3 Saba Brothers Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 12:30pm. $16.90. Sabbath Sessions feat: Valhalla Lights + Black Rheno + Solar Static + The Culture Industry Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Songsonstage Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 4pm. Free. Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

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

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

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Live & Original @ The Corridor Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

up all night out all week... Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Russell Neal + Chris Brookes Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

TUESDAY MAY 3 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Bucket Lounge Presents – Live & Originals Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Live & Original @ Mr Falcon’s - feat: Lucas Hebndricks + Rob De Masi + Lucy Lowe Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Plastic Jack Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Songsonstage Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill. 7:30pm. Free. Songsonstage - feat: Stuart Jammin Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

John Maddox Duo

Of Monsters And Men

WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 Ainsley Farrell + Georgia Mulligan Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Thirsty Merc Studio Six, Sutherland. 8pm. $35.20. You Am I + The S.I.G.I.T + Draught Dodgers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

27 Apr

thu

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

28 Apr

William Crighton The Vanguard, Newtown. 7pm. $15.

Ears Have Ears Live #2 - Feat: Half High + Nic Warnock (Q&A) FBi Live, Alexandria. 9pm. Free.

SATURDAY APRIL 30

Live At The Sly - Feat: Terza Madre + Hollie Matthew + Jac Beth Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

Christine Anu The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $35.

Mayfair Kytes + Brokebeat Mountain + Suiix + Lou Millar The Vanguard, Newtown. 8pm. $13.80.

Methyl Ethel + Jaala Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $15.

Ms Mr Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $57.50.

Miss Ink Australia 2016 - Feat: Bad Moon Born Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 9pm. $23.50.

Supersuckers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $43.

Richie Ramone Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $38.

Asta + Georgi Kay + Nussy Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $23. (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

Apr

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

30 Apr

5:45PM  8:45PM

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

sun

01 May

mon

28 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

Lyall Moloney Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15.

Skunkhour Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $37.10. The Belligerents Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $12.

SUNDAY MAY 1 Of Monsters And Men Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7:30pm. $69. Sabbath Sessions - Feat: Valhalla Lights + Black Rheno + Solar Static + The Culture Industry Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Richie Ramone

(4:30PM - 7:30PM)

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

02 May

Emma Pask Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30. Kadavar Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $55.60.

Shannon Noll Penrith RSL, Penrith. 8pm. $35.

THURSDAY APRIL 28

FRIDAY APRIL 29 wed

William Crighton

tue

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

03 May

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

thebrag.com

BRAGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture

brag beats

inside:

danny brown also: + club guide + club snaps + weekly column

Talib Kweli photo by Dorothy Hong

talib kweli a voice of conviction thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 29

brag beats

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

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Chris Martin and Gloria Brancatisano

five things WITH

Seth Sentry

LANKS

VOTE FOR SETH

Growing Up Your Crew I grew up in a creative I live with a bunch of 1. 3. family. My earliest musical designers and creatives in memory is improvising on the C blues scale over ‘Hit The Road Jack’, huddled together on a piano stool, with my dad and sister when I was four years old. His mum (my grandma) is also a visual artist, and we would go around to her house and do drawings or sculptures with her, with a fineliner and sketch pad being an integral part of every Christmas gift from her. Creating was something I was strongly encouraged to do. Inspirations Björk, Radiohead, 2. Miles Davis, The Beatles, Beethoven. That’s probably close to my top five. I have fond memories of listening to my grandparents’ cassette tapes of The Beatles until I had broken every last one of them. The first time I heard Radiohead was when I was staying at my cousin’s place in Sydney and my uncle was playing Amnesiac and I remember being so captivated by it. It remains my favourite Radiohead album, despite there being so many quality records in their library.

WOMEN IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC

As part of the freshly announced Vivid Ideas 2016 program, the fine folk at

Melbourne, and all my friends are incredibly inspiring with the work they create and the way their minds work. My girlfriend is a writer/editor and is the most incredibly creative person I’ve ever met; she sees the world in a different way and finds the interesting things in it. My sister Lou manages me, but she also studied music at the Victorian College of the Arts with me, and we have always played music together and through it we pushed each other deeper into the rabbit hole of music. We talk about it a lot, we think about it, we reimagine it, and we challenge each others’ views and opinions. It’s a great way to learn. The Music You Make And Play 4. I think my music is a melting pot of all my influences. I grew up on The Beatles, learned classical flute, then grunge music got me into guitar, and then I became obsessed with jazz. I studied that at uni and went deeper into 20th century experimental composition, started making electronic music on my laptop, and

MusicNSW are hosting a roundtable discussion on one of the most important issues in the industry today – gender equality – and achieving balance in electronic music particularly. The last year

MORE COME TOGETHER

30 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:03:16

Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Right now the Australian music scene is so healthy. People are pushing themselves and taking risks and just generally writing great tunes. Some of my fave releases in the past year have been from artists like Life Is Better Blonde, Montaigne, Gordi, Canary and so many more. With more people able to make recordings in their bedroom, I think it is opening up the doors for artists to release work they might not have been able to afford to earlier. What: Moonshine Bar, Hotel Steyne / Brighton Up Bar When: Thursday April 28 / Friday April 29

or two have been huge for Aussie women in dance and hip hop circles, with the breakout success of acts like Alison Wonderland, KLP and Tkay Maidza (to name a small few), and now’s the

time to have the conversation about addressing gender imbalances across the board. Anna Burns (Future Classic), Jane Slingo (Electronic Music Conference) and Caroline Gates (FBi Radio) are the first three confirmed speakers for the discussion at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday June 18, and the event will be followed by a free showcase of Australian female artists. Register at vividsydney.com.

RBMA WEEKENDER

The Sydney music festival market is getting a huge addition in 2016, with the fourday Red Bull Music Academy Weekender to take place in our fair city this year. The Red Bull Music Academy’s dedicated festival event has taken over a number of cities around the world previously, from Tokyo to Vienna, Warsaw and Stockholm, and now it’s Sydney’s turn. With a sprawling program that includes not only live and club music events, but also artist talks and art exhibitions, the Weekender is a spin-off of the renowned Red Bull Music Academy club nights, which have featured Australian shows from the likes of Romare and Taylor McFerrin, as well as RBMA’s sponsorship of a stage at Laneway Festival and Splendour In The Grass.

Expectations are therefore high for what RBMA will deliver for its Sydney Weekender in September, with the festival aiming to celebrate “the many elements and unique counterparts to the city’s musical and cultural identity”. See the full program at redbull.com.au, and save the dates Thursday September 8 – Sunday September 11.

VALENTINO’S DAY Los Angeles DJ and producer Valentino Khan has made the long journey Down Under, and you better believe it’s for a reason: to pack out the dancefloor at Chinese Laundry this Friday April 29. The Nuffsaid crew has beckoned Khan to come back our way, capitalising on what was a huge 2015 for Khan

thanks to his club hit, ‘Deep Down Low’. The track received a VIP remix earlier this year, and the man himself will be in Sydney with support from Ember, Robustt, Notack, Ebony, Propaganda, Squeef and Visual Lies. Bass for your face.

SNEAKY SATURDAY NIGHT

A pair of familiar faces will headline a massive Pacha party next month. Miss Connie and Black Angus, together Sneaky Sound System, will be on board to deliver a live set, fresh from the release of their new EP I Ain’t Over You, which stormed up the local indie charts last week. Yep, Sneaky have still got it, and they’ll be bringing it to Ivy on Saturday May 28.

Citizen Kay

Tuka

AN ARRESTING CITIZEN

Following the release of his latest single, ‘Our World’, Citizen Kay will head out on a small run of national shows this May and June. The single is taken from his debut album, With The People, which the MC released last year. On the touring front, Citizen Kay recently returned from supporting Illy around the country, adding to a list of notable excursions with the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Danny Brown, Run The Jewels, Ice Cube and Public Enemy. Citizen Kay will play Plan B Small Club on Friday May 27.

thebrag.com

Lanks photo by Brook

Come Together, the all-Australian hip hop festival returning to Luna Park this June, has added a couple of new names to its boom 2016 lineup. Tuka, the man who’s made his name as a solo act alongside his work as one-third of Thundamentals, has joined a lineup that already includes Drapht, Allday, Spit Syndicate, Gill Bates and Mallrat. However, Tuka isn’t the only new addition, with MC Dylan Joel also added to the bill on the back of his high-energy new record Authentic Lemonade. Come Together 2016 takes over the Big Top, Luna Park on Saturday June 11.

then started an indie folk rock band à la Arcade Fire. Lanks is what came next. Lately I have listened to a lot of MØ, Radiohead, Mura Masa and #1 Dads, and my newest obsession is creating energy in my songs and recordings and using space more effectively to achieve that. My music is often lush and melodic, and at its core, emotional and honest.

Following the release of his latest single, ‘1969’, Seth Sentry will be hitting the road for a huge national tour this July and August. Launching his so-called ‘1969 Campaign’ to bring hip hop to the Australian public, Sentry will be covering all corners of the country, kicking things off in Ipswich, Queensland and wrapping things up in Margaret River, Western Australia. The tour continues Sentry’s winning streak, which includes a record-breaking 50-show tour last year, an AIR Award for Best Hip Hop Release, an ARIA Award for Best Urban Release and appearances at a string of summer festivals. Joining Sentry on tour will be Remi, who makes a guest appearance on Sentry’s Strange New Past album. The show is at the Enmore Theatre on Friday July 15.

10 PM $1 - L $1 0 B 5 E 19 A F F O AT E 9 TE RE EN 12 MO R PM RE RD

29 FRI A P DA RI Y L

SAT 30 APRIL SPECIAL GUESTS

DEXTER KANE EZRA RESIDENTS

MESAN

J A N A L M AT P D CK D AL T L SO CR TO EI CE OW N N WI ST NT ER E ER

1 0 P M T I L L L AT E

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

1 y a nd

y nce b a d D te le Hos e Peop h Let T

r oh n

รกin h m a is Ka n l i h P son p m otel Sa dH

ilick K t a c MuJrordan Deriffin

oo enw 0pm e r G to 1 2pm

nG Dyla ATMA ek Tom n rma j e h ley S Ben Mar olari z z a F rew ie Deep d n A Dav eLove W

t.au

.ne ash

w.s

y a M

b tclu h g i EN 4am HOM 9pm to

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 31

Danny Brown Motor City Survivor By Ben Pearce

here’s a great sense of relaxation emanating down the phone line as Danny Brown kicks back at his house in rural Michigan. After an arduous day and night of cancelled and rescheduled flights from Los Angeles back to Detroit, there’s nothing the rapper is more pleased about than taking the top off a few beers and embracing the quiet nature of home. “Out here I’m still Daniel – it ain’t really a Danny Brown type of thing,” he says. “I can just walk around and be free when I’m at home, then when I leave, I go to work.” It seems work has followed him closely. He’s got four more interviews after ours is completed, and is running on little to no sleep, due in part to his unfortunate encounter with the Delta airline the day before, as well as the long studio hours he’s been clocking for a week in LA. “When you travel as much as I do, something is always bound to go wrong,” he laughs. Asked about the diss track he’s lined up after being caught in an airport all day, he replies: “They’ll get it.” For the artist otherwise known as Daniel Dewan Sewell, travel is the least of his worries when stacked against the earlier years of his life. His occupation as a rapper and entertainer has seen him elevate to a respected position within the hip hop industry over the last decade, from troubled beginnings as a drug dealer in the suburbs (a pathway that would eventually see him do jail time). His onstage persona – and the majority of his recent music – would also leave many to assume that the man himself is as exciting as he is completely untamed when it comes to performance time.

“I’m like a boxer, about to get ready to fight that day,” he says. “But sometimes, you know, I might drink too much because I’m just so nervous.” While we chat, it becomes all the more apparent that Brown’s transition into hip hop life has been made easier by the fact he’s distanced himself from the often violent and unruly streets of his hometown to focus on a career. “It wasn’t really too hard for me because I’ve always been a stay in the house kind of person,” he explains. “Even when I sold drugs, I was in the house most of the time doing that, so when I started making music and a name for myself, I was still kinda outside of the city. “I was going through a lot of different, new experiences, and now I can openly talk about it all because I’ve lived it.” When Brown’s debut effort The Hybrid was released in 2010, Detroit’s population was withering away, yet it still had one of the highest murder rates of any major US city. To move through his back catalogue, past 2011’s XXX and his critically acclaimed 2013 album Old, is essentially to take a journey into the mind of this otherwise quiet and surprisingly humble 35-year-old, and to discover the real effects of social injustice. Every piece of music Brown has put out since returning from prison in 2007 to focus on his craft has been a reflection of his environment. His worldly outlook and raw honesty have continued to win him a global network of fans over the years, and to write him off as being one of the

outcasts of the industry for his rockstar-esque mannerisms, skinny jeans and trap music inclinations would be blasphemy – especially given the fact he’s about to release his fourth studio album. “The concepts on all my albums are pretty much the same,” he confesses. “I talk about my life in every album, and this [next record] is a continuation of that.” Having taken a three-year hiatus from any solo projects, the rapper has been working away to achieve his next big musical milestone in the form of this new LP. Backed by Fool’s Gold Records – one

of New York’s most respected labels – as well as a string of world-class producers and hip hop artists, Brown’s yet-to-be-titled fourth album holds promise as something new and invigorating. His eagerness comes across when he’s questioned on the progress of his long-awaited project. “XXX and Old was me still just experimenting to find the right sound,” he says. “We’re still mixing it all up.” Mixing isn’t the same as recording, in the sense that nobody knows how long that will take. But for Brown? “My job is done. I wrote and

starred in the movie – now they just gotta edit it.” Hinting at collaborations with names like The Alchemist and Black Milk, he’s not revealing a whole lot – but there’s a confidence in Brown’s voice, and it’s infectious. “A lot of times [in the past] I would play around with others’ sounds from my influences and put my own stamp on it,” he says. “Now, this is all Danny Brown shit. Nobody else can do nothing like this.” Where: Metro Theatre When: Tuesday May 3

Talib Kweli Monsters And Gun Sales By Joseph Earp says, his voice low and thoughtful. “Ryan Leslie, who is an excellent artist and tech guy, came to me with the suggestion that I should do something like that – him and his company, Disruptive Media. He invented it for himself. His company set it up. It’s been a lot of fun. I have emails from all types of people. [They ask about] all different subjects, from world affairs to music.” Even Kweli’s Twitter feed is jampacked with strangers asking his opinion on a staggeringly diverse array of matters, from Erykah Badu’s recent comments about young women being responsible for attracting the attention of strangers, to the state of modern rap. And though he appears aware of social media’s shortcomings, occasionally chastising his followers for jumping too quickly onto bandwagons, he nonetheless relishes the opportunity to communicate with fans.

One artist who has wholeheartedly embraced the latter option is American rapper and activist Talib 32 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

Kweli, the mastermind behind dense, politically motivated albums like Prisoner Of Consciousness and the incendiary Fuck The Money. Not only does he maintain a healthy discourse with his audience via his social media accounts, any fan who buys a record or book available on his website #KweliClub gets rewarded with the email address of the man himself. “Kweli Club got started up about two years ago,” the New Yorker

Is he looking forward to the tour? “Sure. I haven’t been to [Australia] in a long time.” Will he and Common be performing a collaborative set, or two separate ones? “I have no idea. We’ll see when we get there.” Is it fun to perform with someone you know so well? “Yeah, absolutely … Common is a friend.” Is it easier to perform with a friend? “I don’t know if it’s easier, but it’s definitely more familiar.”

Eventually, conversation moves towards the state of American politics, a topic Kweli frequently discusses. In the past he has spoken out strongly against the United States’ prison-industrial complex, and has organised concerts to memorialise Michael Brown, the African-American 18-year-old shot and killed by a Caucasian police officer. The first question on the subject is a simple one: does Kweli believe that American politics is changing? “I think that what we’re seeing is the effect of having more information in the world,” he says. “I think that’s having an effect on the entire world. You’re getting more variables when it comes to the political process. Police brutality is in the news now. But I will say one effect, definitely with our election, [is] Donald Trump being such a polarising force. [He’s] someone who is bringing so much entertainment value to the election process – that’s a little historic and different.” Not that Kweli thinks Trump is a mere entertainer, or an amusing headline – the direct opposite, in fact. “I think Donald Trump is a Frankenstein’s monster who has been created by the more rightwing, more conservative arm of America,” he says. “[More extreme] conservatives are stoking the fears

people have after having a black President. When you have a black President you see gun sales go up. You see people expressing racist views more often. “I think [the success of] Fox News and a lot of the success of the GOP is due to this backlash over having a half-black President,” Kweli continues. “The rise of the Tea Party [a far right American conservative movement] is a big part of that. And Donald Trump is that reality, mixed with being a reality TV star. He’s very popular as a TV entertainment person, and he’s also stoking a lot of fears.” Not that it’s all bad news, mind you. When asked whether he thinks the cancellation of a recent Trump rally, a moment celebrated by protesters chanting the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’, was a significant event, his voice becomes heavy with conviction. “I would agree with that, definitely.” Does that mean Kweli believes music can be its own kind of protest, a revolt against hate and bigotry? “Absolutely. That’s been the role of music throughout history. One of the roles.” No further explanation is really necessary, and Kweli certainly doesn’t give one. After all, his thoughts are already on the record. To glimpse his philosophy in its purest form, one needs only to turn to the track ‘State Of Grace’ and its emotive chorus: “Music is the light when it’s dark”. With: Common Where: Enmore Theatre When: Monday May 9 thebrag.com

Talib Kweli photo by Dorothy Hong

iven the social-mediasaturated age in which we now live, musicians are faced with a choice. They can either erect digital walls and retreat from the public eye, or they can speak directly with their fans, bypassing the media and treating the likes of Twitter as though it were a ringing phone waiting to be picked up at whim.

However, despite his copious online discourse, over the phone Kweli chooses his words very carefully. When talk turns to his Australian tour, one he will be conducting with long-time associate Common, he answers in short sentences, turning the conversation into a rapid-fire back and forth.

Perhaps the most telling reveal of the whole exchange comes when Kweli is asked whether performing live comes to him naturally or not. “It’s natural,” he says. “I perform a lot. I perform like 200 shows a year. I mean, at this point, if it’s not natural to me, I would probably do something else.”

club guide g

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

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Danny Brown

TUESDAY MAY 3 Metro Theatre

Danny Brown 7:15pm. $71.26. WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 CLUB NIGHTS

Birdcage - Feat: Various DJs Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. Free. Salsa Wednesdays - Feat: DJ Miro + Special Guests The Argyle, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. SBW - Feat: Jonski Babysham + Resident DJs Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Sosueme Ladies Night - Feat: Gl + FBi Radio Dance Class + Sports + Mira Boru + Genie + Lauren Hansom + Teachesofpeaches + Flex Mami + Sideboob Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. Free. Yellow Wednesdays Secret Garden Bar, Enmore. 7pm. Free.

THURSDAY APRIL 28

xxx

CLUB NIGHTS Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. House Keeping - Feat: DJ Conor Boylan + Guests Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. We ♥ Thursdays Pink Theme Party - Feat: Katie Valentine + The Royals + Helena Ellis + Indigo Starlight + Lavida Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 7pm. Free. thebrag.com

FRIDAY APRIL 29 HIP HOP & R&B

Sydney Beatbox Royale - Feat: LC Beats + Bernie Van Tiel + Voltak + Lukerativ + Ty + Winky + Nabs + Gale + GBC Beats + Sandy Vajhole + Straigh-Tee Red Rattler, Marrickville. 7pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS

Acid Tannins Dance - feat: Mike Who + Anno Cake Wines Cellardoor, Redfern. 5pm. Free. Argyle Fridays The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Bassic - feat: Valentino Khan + Ember + Robustt + Notack + Ebony + Propaganda + Squeet + Visual Lies Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $33.10. Brooklyn Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. 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 + Guests Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Friday Party Syd feat: Belive Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Fridays At Zeta Zeta Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Harbour Club Fridays The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free. Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm. Free.

Johnny Nash + Adi Toohey + Valerie Yum + Kali Tatler, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Lanks Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Loco Friday - Feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Nicole Millar Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Om Unit + 8 Diagram + Chris White + Doobs Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $22. Pip Dalton + Matt Crowe + Donald Leicester + Jackson Winter Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10. Sam Wall Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 11am. Free. Scubar Fridays - Feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Shockone Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $30. Sound Select - Feat: Various DJs The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 7:30pm. $10. Welove - feat: Various DJs Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. Free.

SATURDAY APRIL 30 HIP HOP & R&B

R&B DJs By The Greens Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville. 4pm. Free. UV Boi + Collarbones + Gill Bates + Villette Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS

33-45 (Vinyl Only) - feat: Babicka + Baron Castle + Ben Fester + Matt Lush Red Rattler, Marrickville. 8pm. $27.50. Argyle Saturdays feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. ATB + Arty Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $21.60. Blueprint Presents Rooftop Party - feat: Sabo + Playdate + Ben Nott + Lawrence Daffurn + Adam Proctor + Katia Avorodis The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 2pm. $30. C.U Saturday Rooftop After Party - feat: Sabo + Ben Nott B2B Cassette + Wanos + Steve Birch Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $20. Compound Fourth Birthday - feat: Subaske + Zeus Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $10. Coolroom Saturdays Australian Hotel And Brewery, Rouse Hill. 9pm. Free. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Foxlife - feat: Dexter Kane + Ezra + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10. Frat Saturdays - feat: Danny Simms + Jayowens Side Bar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Lndry - feat: Traumer + Phil Kanis + Jac Frier + Alex Ludlow + Kaiser Waldon + Ellie D + Ludovic + Tk + Alec Bonnici + Glossima Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.90. My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Scubar Saturdays

- feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Soda Saturdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Something Else feat: Hunter/Game + B_A + Dave Stuart + Aaron Robins + Jordan Deck + James Petrou + Tech No More Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50. The Sweet Escape feat: Stereogamous Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 9pm. Free.

SUNDAY MAY 1 CLUB NIGHTS

Bear Ops #8 Soulection Edition - Feat: Esta + The Whooligan & Joe Kay Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 4pm. $48.70. Beresford Sundays - Feat: DJs On Rotation Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills. 3pm. Free. Diva Fiji - Feat: DJ Gemma + Noelene Nabulivou Red Rattler, Marrickville. 6pm. $10. Picnic Social Tatler, Darlinghurst. 4pm. Free. S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Brohn + Amhain + Phil Kanis + Sampson Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 2pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Murat Kilic + Jordan Deck + Dylan Griffin + ATMA + Tomek + Marley Sherman + Benj + Andrew Fazzolari + Davie Deep + WeLove Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $15. Shady Sundays Imperial Hotel, Erskineville. 5pm. Free. Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

MONDAY MAY 2 CLUB NIGHTS I Love Mondays Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

TUESDAY MAY 3 HIP HOP & R&B

Om Unit

FRIDAY APRIL 29

Brooklyn

Bassic - Feat: Valentino Khan + Ember + Robustt + Notack + Ebony + Propaganda + Squeet + Visual Lies Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $33.10. Brooklyn Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $13.40. Friday Party Syd - Feat: Belive Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Johnny Nash + Adi Toohey + Valerie Yum + Kali Tatler, Darlinghurst. 8pm. Free. Lanks Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $10. Nicole Millar Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $12. Om Unit + 8 Diagram + Chris White + Doobs Civic Underground, Sydney. 10pm. $22. Pip Dalton + Matt Crowe + Donald Leicester + Jackson Winter Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10. Shockone Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $30.

SATURDAY APRIL 30 C.U Saturday Rooftop After Party - Feat: Sabo + Ben Nott B2b Cassette + Wanos + Steve Birch Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $20. Compound Fourth Birthday - Feat: Subaske + Zeus Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $10. Foxlife - Feat: Dexter Kane + Ezra + Mesan Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10. Lndry - Feat: Traumer +

Phil Kanis + Jac Frier + Alex Ludlow + Kaiser Waldon + Ellie D + Ludovic + Tk + Alec Bonnici + Glossima Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $22.90. Something Else - Feat: Hunter/Game + B_A + Dave Stuart + Aaron Robins + Jordan Deck + James Petrou + Tech No More Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50. UV Boi + Collarbones + Gill Bates + Villette Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $15.

SUNDAY MAY 1 S.A.S.H By Day - Feat: Brohn + Amhain + Phil Kanis + Sampson Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 2pm. $15. S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Murat Kilic + Jordan Deck + Dylan Griffin + Atma + Tomek + Marley Sherman + Benj + Andrew Fazzolari + Davie Deep + Welove Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $15.

Traumer

Danny Brown Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:15pm. $71.26.

CLUB NIGHTS

Coyote Tuesdays The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm. $10. Side Bar Tuesdays feat: Black Diamond Hearts Side Bar, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Terrible Tuesdays Slyfox, Enmore. 5pm. Free.

BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16 :: 33

snap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

up all night out all week . . .

Off The Record Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

DJ Pierre

dillon francis

PICS :: AM

F 20:04:16 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711

ODESZA

first taste of ‘All We Need’, not even the substantial feedback could ruin the moment.

Metro Theatre Thursday April 22 Embarking on a journey across the universe in 90 minutes, Odesza gloriously took charge at the Metro Theatre for their second of three Sydney shows. With an almost unrivalled lighting and projection display, alongside their vast array of remixes and originals from 2013’s My Friends Never Die and 2014’s In Return, the duo upped their game tenfold from their previous tour just last January. The swarming fans were more than ready as they chanted “O-des-za!” before Rae Sremmurd’s ‘No Type’ turned up the heat and the room went dark. An assault on the senses was to follow, as Seattle’s finest proverbially smashed through the room with fiery strikes on their drum pads and scenes of exploding concrete behind them. If ever there was a few first seconds that ultimately set the tone of a show, this was it. What came next consisted of ventshaking bass, non-stop grooving and perfectly timed visuals. The two silhouettes that were Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight were accompanied by a guitar, trombone and trumpet, elevating the set and some of its lesser-known songs. The projections went from floating lanterns to video game shapes. Tracks from In Return shone brightest, and with the crowd going wild for the

A monumental drum beat and soaring brass for the live incarnation of ‘Bloom’ created pure magic, and transported us all out into the universe when paired with landscapes of the Northern Lights and cosmos – undoubtedly one of the top moments in the set. Brief visits to Japan and New York were next, after some world-class transitions into Odesza’s remixes of ‘Waited 4 U’ by Slow Magic and ‘Divinity’ by Porter Robinson. Then the lights, beat and visuals went down on ‘Kusanagi’, symbolically leading us into the last part of the journey. From ‘Memories That You Call’ set to Indian imagery, to a guitar-soaked and Ratatat-esque version of their ‘Faded’ remix by Zhu, George Maple’s vocals creeping in on Hayden James’ ‘Something About You’ (with a cameo from the man himself) and bursts of pseudo-fireworks as ‘Sun Models’ magically filled the air, the non-stop set drew to a spectacular close as the word ‘Odesza’ filled the screen behind its members. As if we all needed a reminder of who had just dominated the room. Emily Gibb

ancy an acid fix? It doesn’t get any more potent than from the godfather of the movement, DJ Pierre. A king of the 303, alongside Spanky and Rio as the group Phuture, Pierre pioneered the acid house rise back in the late ’80s with cuts such as ‘Acid Tracks’ and ‘Your Only Friend’ now etched in dancefloor folklore. Throughout his time he’s also helped launch the careers of Felix Da Housecat and Roy Davis Jr., and even had a stint as head of A&R for the seminal Strictly Rhythm imprint. See why Pierre can count the likes of Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia and Michael Mayer in his fan base when he swings by Civic Underground on Saturday June 25. Support will come from Simon Caldwell, John Ferris and Charades. Another heavy-hitting name in the realms of deep techno and curveball house, Swedish producer and DJ Tiger Stripes, will hit Sydney next month. With his records finding homes on the likes of the Desolat, Drumcode and Cajual labels, recently the Stockholm-based don has also collaborated with top players such as Kerri Chandler, Adeva and Jerome Sydenham. An all-star local lineup of Simon Caldwell, Whitecat, James Petrou, Lawrence Daffurn, Mick Antonievich and Tom Studdy round out the bill for the night. Saturday May 21 at the Burdekin Hotel. Highly recommended.

month. With the ability to produce sounds that range from the darkest of industrial techno to the more sprightly inclinations of house, the one and only Scuba signed him to Hotflush for his debut, and since then he’s gone on to release records on Permanent Vacation and Life And Death. The rising star will hit Sydney on Friday May 27, venue TBA. Tour rumour: Niv Arzi and Dori Sadovnik AKA the Tel-Aviv based outfit Red Axes have an Australian tour soon to be announced. Stay tuned. Best releases this week: the new Andy Stott LP Too Many Voices (on Modern Love) has finally dropped and it is straight up fi-yah. I’m hearing a lot of praise for MGUN’s Gentium (Don’t Be Afraid) but personally it ain’t doing much. Also, the Giegling website shop section has been updated to say: “The shop is closed until end of April. We gonna have a new record then.” Does that mean we’re finally going to see the new Traumprinz/DJ Metatron drop? Oh dear Lord, I hope so. Locked Groove

If you’re after an eclectic dose of everything ranging from hip hop to dubstep, ambient, jungle and footwork this weekend, look no further than Om Unit. The Bristol-based head is a regular on the likes of Civil Music, Cosmic Bridge, Exit, All City and Metalheadz, and has had his DJ skills called upon in over 30 countries in the past decade, finding himself on every festival bill from Montreux Jazz Festival to Bass Coast and Outlook to Mysteryland. He’s appearing this Friday April 29 at Civic Underground, flanked by 8 Diagram, Chris White and Doobs. I told you guys to lock in this tour a week or two ago, and now it’s confirmed: Locked Groove is coming our way next

RECOMMENDED FRIDAY APRIL 29

Om Unit Civic Underground

Detroit Swindle

SATURDAY APRIL 30

Hunted/Game Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY MAY 7

Anthony Parasole Burdekin Hotel

SATURDAY MAY 14 Edit Select Burdekin Hotel

SUNDAY MAY 15

Bob Moses Greenwood Hotel

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

34 :: BRAG :: 660 :: 27:04:16

SATURDAY MAY 21 Tiger Stripes Burdekin Hotel

FRIDAY MAY 27

Locked Groove TBA

SATURDAY MAY 28

SATURDAY JUNE 25 DJ Pierre Civic Underground

Detroit Swindle Chinese Laundry

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

MASSIVE CLEARANCE

SALE SALE SALE SAL S

! ! T S A L T ’ N O W S L DEA

RRP

SALE PRICE

DISCOUNT OFF RRP

GIBSON SG SPECIAL BS GIBSON BASS EXPLORER SB GIBSON ES-335 STUDIO MB GIBSON LP PAUL LANDERS SIGNATURE GIBSON J-200 STUDIO VS GIBSON LP JUNIOR SATIN EB GIBSON LP SIGNATURE W/MIN ETUNE WR GIBSON LP DELUXE WR GIBSON LPM W/MIN ETUNE VS GIBSON LP FUTURE TRIBUTE WR GIBSON SG SPECIAL FADED WB

$1999 $3099 $3399 $4749 $5999 $1899 $4199 $4499 $1999 $1999 $1999

$1499 $1799 $1699 $2499 $3599 $999 $2399 $2799 $1049 $1099 $999

25% OFF 42% OFF 50% OFF 47% OFF 40% OFF 47% OFF 43% OFF 38% OFF 48% OFF 45% OFF 50% OFF

EP RIVIERA CUSTOM P93 BLACK ROYALE EP EXPLORER 1984 EX EB EP TOM DELONGE SIGNATURE ES-333 EP BASS ZENITH AC/ELEC FRETTED TB EP BASS THUNDERBIRD IV LTD TS EP BASS THUNDERBIRD IV LTD SB

$1399 $1399 $1149 $1599 $879 $879

$999 $899 $799 $799 $599 $599

29% OFF 36% OFF 30% OFF 50% OFF 32% OFF 32% OFF

ORANGE TINY TERROR 15W HEAD ORANGE TINY TERROR 15W COMBO ORANGE TINY TERROR JIM ROOT #4 HEAD ORANGE 2 X 12 JIM ROOT #4 CABINET

$899 $1399 $1199 $999

$579 $1189 $999 $849

36% OFF 15% OFF 17% OFF 15% OFF

STEINBERGER SYNAPSE XS-1FPA BASS TA STEINBERGER SYNAPSE XS-1FPA BASS TL STEINBERGER SPIRIT XT-2DB STD BASS BK STEINBERGER SPIRIT XT-25 5STR STD BK STEINBERGER SPIRIT XT-25 5STR LH STD BK

$1999 $1999 $999 $899 $999

$1499 $1499 $699 $699 $699

25% OFF 25% OFF 30% OFF 29% OFF 30% OFF

PEAVEY CLASSIC 50 4X10 COMBO GUITAR AMP PEAVEY 430B 412 STRAIGHT CABINET PEAVEY 430A 412 SLANT CABINET PEAVEY VB 115 BASS CABINET PEAVEY TOUR700 BASS HEAD PEAVEY TOUR TKO 115 400W BASS COMBO PEAVEY AT-200 GUITAR CAR PEAVEY AT-200 GUITAR BLK PEAVEY ECOUSTIC 110 100W COMBO PEAVEY MILLENNIUM 4 TGE PE P PE PEAVEY HEADLINER 600W HEAD PEAVEY VALVEKING 412 SLANT CABINET PE PEAVEY BANDIT 112 100W COMBO PE PEAVEY VYPYR VIP 3 100W COMBO PE PEAVEY MAX112 200W BASS COMBO V2 PE PEAVEY MAX110 100W BASS AMP V2 PE PEAVEY SANPERA II FOOT CONTROLLER BLK PE PEAVEY ECOUSTIC E110 FOOT CONTROLLER PE PEAVEY RAGE 258 25W COMBO PE PEAVEY SANPERA I FOOT CONTROLLER BLK PE PEAVEY RAGE 158 15W COMBO PE

$2399 $1999 $1999 $1599 $1299 $1229 $1199 $1199 $999 $924 $799 $799 $759 $729 $669 $569 $499 $329 $319 $259 $249

$1899 $999 $999 $799 $999 $959 $599 $599 $799 $599 $449 $599 $599 $799 $519 $439 $389 $259 $239 $199 $179

21% OFF 50% OFF 50% OFF 50% OFF 23% OFF 22% OFF 50% OFF 50% OFF 20% OFF 35% OFF 44% OFF 25% OFF 21% OFF 32% OFF 22% OFF 23% OFF 22% OFF 21% OFF 25% OFF 23% OFF 28% OFF

ANNANDALE 55 Parramatta Rd 9517 1901 Parram www.gallinsmps.com.au

UNTIL SO LD OUT! !

The RRP is the recommended retail price as set by the Australian distributor of the product. While stocks last. Products pictured are for illustration purpose only.