Brag#665

ISSUE NO. 665 JUNE 1, 2016

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

BAND OF SKULLS THE RULE OF THREE Plus

NG A IIR E B A G R A IDE R S L I S A F I S CHER THE KILLS

ESPER ANZA SPALDING

PURPLE SNE AKERS

MICHAEL FR ANTI

JA ME S MARSTERS

Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart are back with an assertive new record.

The neo-jazz star brings her alter ego Emily to Vivid LIVE.

Celebrating ten years at the forefront of the Sydney club scene.

Only three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes and Franti.

A ND MUCH MOR E

ROCKSTAR MARGARITAS LIVE ROCK N ROLL BANDS 4G

NOW OPEN

BOOK ONLINE

COME ON IN

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 3

rock music news

the BRAG presents

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

on the record WITH

Metro Theatre Wednesday July 20

TEGAN QUIN FROM TEGAN AND SARA

The First Record I Bought 1.

I remember finding a copy of Sublime’s 40oz. To Freedom at a record store. I have no idea why my parents let us buy this. But Sara and I thought the cover was ‘cool’. Which leads me to hypothesise that we had smoked pot before we went CD shopping.

2.

The Last Record I Bought I bought the new Chvrches record, Every Open Eye. I do tend to download or stream music more often than buying it these days. But I love them so much I preordered and bought the record. I also love Lucius and their new record Good Grief is astonishingly good. Both bands – albeit very different – have incredible

female lead singers and vocalists. The songs are deep and dark and heart-wrenching while also managing to be uplifting and inspirational.

I would happily join either band if they were looking and willing to take me.

Death. For old-school Tegan And Sara fans I think they will find a darker, more melancholy, raw, edgy version of Tegan And Sara. But for fans of the pop production and sheen of our previous record, there is a lot there for you too.

3.

The Record That Changed My Life Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Live 1975-85. The stories, the live production, the crowd. It just sold me from a very young age on everything to do with music. It shaped the Tegan And Sara live show more than people even realise.

It inspired us to tell our own stories. It encouraged us to be real, raw, open and honest with our audience. It made fans out of us. But it also ignited a spark in us to make music from a very young age.

The First Thing I Recorded Sara and I started writing songs when we were 15. We had an acoustic guitar kicking around the house. We had played piano all of our lives, but as we were classically trained and focused more on theory than on creativity, the guitar opened up a whole new world to us. Both of us had an interest in recording our new songs that we had written and so we used each other to man the tape recorder, and over time we started to collaborate. While Sara was performing her song into the tape recorder I would sing along or add little guitar melodies here and there. With the recordings we would create artwork and dub them after school to then sell in and around the hallways of our high school. And that is how Tegan And Sara was born.

The Last Thing I Recorded 4.

We are [about to release] our eighth full-length studio album. It’s called Love You To

PETER BJORN AND JOHN

5.

What: Love You To Death out Friday June 3 through Vapor/Warner Where: Metro Theatre When: Tuesday July 26 And: Also appearing at Splendour In The Grass 2016, North Byron Parklands, Friday July 22 – Sunday July 24

THE 1975 Sydney Olympic Park Saturday July 23

AT THE DRIVE-IN Enmore Theatre Sunday July 24

JAKE BUGG State Theatre Tuesday July 26

SAD GRRRLS FEST Feat: Le Pie, Coda Conduct, Twin Caverns + more Factory Floor Saturday October 8

Peter Garrett photo by Maclay Heriot

DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER

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: Gloria Brancatisano, James Di Fabrizio, Amy Henderson, Keiren Jolly, Zanda Wilson

Heavy-hitting four-piece Pup have announced a headline jaunt across the country. The Toronto punks are heading over in support of their sophomore release, The Dream Is Over, titled after the first thing doctors told singer and guitarist Stefan Babcock following a recent examination of

Frank Iero

ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar, D.A. Carter ADVERTISING: 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

Hey Geronimo

G’DAY GERONIMO

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, Christie Eliezer, Emily Gibb, Tegan Jones, Lachlan Kanoniuk, Emily Meller, David Molloy, Annie Murney, 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

PUNK ANDTHE FURY

Frnkiero andthe Patience will be bringing their punk fury to Australia on their first national tour. In January, Frank Iero won the hearts of Aussie fans when he decided to come to Australia to perform free acoustic shows after the cancellation of Soundwave 2016.

Now he returns with his full band, as well as locking in support from Walter Schreifels – a founding member and principal songwriter for Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand and Rival Schools. It all goes down at the Metro Theatre on Thursday October 13.

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

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:

THE BRAG

4 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

his damaged vocal chords. Luckily for us, Babcock and co. are back in fine form and are ready to hit the ground running when they reach Australian shores this October. They’ll play Oxford Art Factory on Tuesday October 4.

ANOTHER SLICE OF HEAVEN After an eight-year gap, Dave Dobbyn has released a new album and is crossing the ditch this August to celebrate. Harmony House marks the seminal Kiwi artist’s first release 2008’s

THE POWER AND THE PASSION

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE: Luke Forrester: accounts@furstmedia.com.au ph - (03) 9428 3600 fax - (03) 9428 3611 Furst Media, 3 Newton Street Richmond Victoria 3121

@TheBrag

Hey Geronimo are hitting the road and trying their hardest not to burn themselves on the heat radiating from their upcoming debut album, Crashing Into The Sun. The announcement follows on from the success of the album’s lead single ‘Boredom’, which has had 50,000 views online and received strong radio support from triple j. Since forming in Brisbane’s burgeoning indie scene, Hey Geronimo have developed a reputation for throwing a formidable live show. They’ll prove it on Saturday July 30 at Newtown Social Club.

Peter Garrett

Legendary Australian musician and politician Peter Garrett is hitting the road ahead of his forthcoming solo album, A Version Of Now. The string of intimate shows will see Garrett play smaller clubs and theatres for the first time since Midnight Oil’s watershed pub rock era.

“Getting up close and physical is what live performance is all about,” says Garrett.

“Being back onstage and playing these new songs will be a blast.” Throughout this tour the iconic frontman will be backed by an all-star band that he’s christened The Alter Egos. The lineup features Martin Rotsey from the Oils on guitar, Mark Wilson from Jet on bass, Peter Luscombe (RocKwiz, Paul Kelly, The Black Sorrows) on drums and Rosa Morgan (Red Ghost) on keys. Catch Peter Garrett and The Alter Egos at the Factory Theatre on Thursday August 11.

Anotherland. Described by Dobbyn as a “record of hope”, it was produced by Luke Buda and Sam Flynn Scott from The Phoenix Foundation. The tour itself will see Dobbyn perform songs from his 40-year back catalogue across seven shows around the country. It will kick off in Newcastle before hitting up Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast, Margaret River, Fremantle and Perth. See Dobbyn at The Basement on Saturday August 20.

FIST FROM THE NORTH

Swedish hardcore powerhouse Raised Fist are set to hit Australia for a long-awaited return to our shores. Formed over two decades ago, Raised Fist are one of the longest-running hardcore bands in the world today. Their national tour comes in the wake of their latest album, From The North. The sixth studio album from the five-piece, described by frontman Alexander ‘Alle’ Hagman as one where “everything has connected, like pieces in a perfect puzzle”, was released at the start of last year. Catch them at the Metro Theatre on Friday December 2.

ENSLAVE YOURSELF

Norwegian metal heavyweights Enslaved are doing the rounds of the country to celebrate 25 years of bone-crushing music. In a stint of Australia-only shows, the band will present two full sets over the course of the night. Capping it off, fans are allowed to get into the song selection process themselves. The first set will feature songs from the earlier chapters of Enslaved’s career, such as their 1994 debut Vikingligr Veldi and follow-up Frost. Set two will look towards the future, visiting tracks from records including Vertebrae and their most recent, In Times. Get down to this one-off gig at Manning Bar on Friday October 7. thebrag.com

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 5

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with James Di Fabrizio, Amy Henderson and Zanda Wilson

JOSH RENNIE-HYNES

five things WITH

SIMON SMITH FROM BACKY SKANK no-one was doing it. But then I discovered ska.

Your Band 3.

It’s a phenomenal lineup of rugged individuals. Pete

4.

The Music You Make We do a bit of everything for our warm-ups – we’re working through the Glenn Medeiros songbook at the moment – but out there live it’s ska, ska and

Music, Right Here, Right 5.

Now Since we started in 1998 it’s seriously getting harder for bands to find venues for music. This combined with lockout laws has changed the whole nature of the scene. But you can still find brilliant bands and venues if you look hard enough. Speaking of which, did I mention Backy Skank are playing the Sydney Rock ‘N’ Roll & Alternative Market on June 5 at Manning Bar? What: Sydney Rock ‘N’ Roll & Alternative Market With: Pat Capocci, Hank’s Jalopy Demons, Narelle Evans and The Jetbacks and more Where: Manning Bar When: Sunday June 5

Despite being at the earlier stages of his career, Queensland performer Josh Rennie-Hynes has already shared bills with the likes of Kasey Chambers and JD McPherson, and played festivals as varied as Nashville’s Americana Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Nannup Music Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival.

Now, Rennie-Hynes is celebrating the release of his new single, ‘Rosie’, the first track he’s aired since releasing his debut album February.

Rennie-Hynes has locked in a whole lotta tour dates in support of ‘Rosie’, including a Sunday June 12 show at Lazybones Lounge with support from Caitlin Harnett. We’ve got a double pass to give away – enter the draw at thebrag.com/ freeshit.

xx

the spoons in a George Formby tribute act and Dad was a bass drum virtuoso for The Salvation Army. I think I get my showmanship from her and my lifelong commitment to a strong first and third beat from him.

2. Inspirations I spent many happy hours in my bedroom with all the greats – Max Bygraves, Tiny Tim… probably my favourite was Mad Manuel and His Music Of The Mountains. I had the pan pipes and everything. There was a real opening at the time in Australia for a pan pipe player – literally

Wilson on vocals (and an avid trainspotter), guitarist Andy Mifsud (runs a herd of beef cattle), Tony Donoghue on bass (Lego fanatic), Mike Quigley on drums (closet Phil Collins fan), Scott Kelly on sax (spends all his spare time watching reruns of Ally McBeal) and Danny Carmichael on trombone (carries the camera and logbook for Pete). Cracking fellas but not so much fun at parties, which is probably why we don’t get invited to many, come to think of it.

more ska. The secret for us is giving an Australian flavour to the ’80s Brit 2 Tone influence.

xx

Growing Up 1.

I was surrounded by music as a child – Mum played

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

BOJACK FOLKMAN

Wil Wagner

Novocastrian singer-songwriter Bofolk Ballico is set to return to Sydney on a special lineup of acts at Black Wire Records.

The guys at Black Wire are currently gearing up to host an event called Sad-O-Meter, featuring the first Sydney show by the alternative folkster in a couple of years, and coming off the back of the release of his Top Five Songs EP in February. Alongside Ballico, the day will also feature the likes of Spencer Scott, Rachel Maria Cox and Dog Dirt, as well as a number of poetry readings by leading local authors. Don’t let the name get you down – check out Sad-O-Meter on Sunday June 19.

DAYS AND YEARS

ARIA chart-toppers Lukas Graham will be making their way to Australia for the very first time off the back of a national tour. The Danish popsmiths’ track ‘7 Years’ – lifted from their second self-titled album (that’s right, two albums with the same name) – climbed to the top of the charts in more than 20 countries globally, as well as amassing more than 200 million streams. Here in Australia, the track has been certifi ed double platinum and spent eight consecutive weeks at number one. Frontman Lukas Graham Forchhammer and mates will be at the Metro Theatre on Tuesday August 16.

FRANKIE’S, MY DEAR…

WAGNER SOLO SHOW

6 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

MIRELLA’S HAUNTING

Sydney locals Mirella’s Inferno will play a special Sydney launch party for their sophomore EP Haunting – a five-track effort that combines gothic grunge, deep electronica and shoegaze indie-pop. The follow-up to the band’s 2012 debut Epica will be launched at an intimate one-off show at Oxford Art Factory’s Gallery Bar. Supporting them will be fellow Sydneysiders Ed Wells, La Vif and Clulow Forester, and punters will be able to get their hands on an exclusive free download from Mirella’s Inferno with every ticket purchase.

Mirella’s Inferno will play live on Friday July 15.

Yessac and Friends

420 PICNIC-IT

A cannabis picnic is being held in Victoria Park this weekend by Free Cannabis NSW. The group’s last picnic in April attracted considerable attention, and featured a large contingent of people smoking dope in front of an army of police in a “peaceful act of mass disobedience”. The upcoming event is set to be bigger than ever and will feature a lineup of bands including The Shrews, Ted Addic and Mates, King Colour, Son Of Ra, The Murray Greys and Jah Tung, as well as comedy from Darren Hunter and Steve Stonerson. Newtown’s notorious new stoner café D’Munchies will have a marquee on the day which will also feature the soft launch of Australia’s newest stoner title, dopamine. net.au. See it all go down on the greens this Sunday June 5.

SLYDE IN NEXT TO ME

Get ready to shake your thang all Thursday night long, and with abandon – just blame it all on the boogie. Live At The Sly has you covered with funk, soul and good grooves all up in that place. For this coming week’s event, Slyfox has hustled up a solid crew to have you swaying: Yessac and Friends, Eüsh and Tim McMahon will do their thang, croon their croons and make it all just right. With $5 Fireball whisky and tinnies, solid tunes and a great atmosphere, Live At The Sly returns Thursday June 2.

thebrag.com

Wil Wagner photo by Ian Laidlaw

The Smith Street Band frontman Wil Wagner has announced two solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne this August. The news comes just days after Wagner was brought up onstage at Violent Soho’s Sydney show for a surprise performance of ‘In The Aisle’, sending the crowd wild. For the upcoming shows, Wagner will be joined by long-term friend and collaborator Jeff Rosenstock from The Arrogant Sons Of Bitches and Bomb The Music Industry!

See it go down at Oxford Art Factory on Thursday August 18. Meanwhile, commitments with The Smith Street Band are keeping Wagner busy, with the group gearing up for a show at the Metro Theatre this Friday June 3.

The citizens of Sydney are experiencing an interesting time. Metal fences and closed streets are in ample supply, yet the town will be be packed to the rafters until the end of Vivid on Saturday June 18 (well, at least until midnight, thanks to Casino Mike). With the crazy foot traffic inevitably running up and down Hunter Street, those guys over at Frankie’s Pizza are gearing up for an absolutely huge week of live music. This Wednesday June 1 will see Big Red Fire Truck joined by The Sugarcanes and Delphine Geoff; Thursday June 2 sees Big Blind Ray bring some killer blues to the room; and Sunday June 5 hosts a headline set from rollicking legends Release The Hounds supported by Former Angels, From Oslo and The Reveries. Don’t let the crazy Vivid crowds stop you having a wild rock’n’roll night out.

Mirella’s Inferno

(-,: : 83-: ': !: !! : $: &/8: : 83-: !: $ : $ ' *: "): 50: : 829: $ : ! : $ : ) "$ : "): #+7: : 829: $ : $! : "* *: "): &/8: : 8.867: !: : ! : !$: ' ! : "): 50: : 8.867: *: *: ": ! '!: "): #+7: : 8.867: :!" : : "):

Brag g Featurin BACKY SKANK Pat CapoccI 125mm x 180mm Hank’s Jalopy Demons w

IMAGE: @RAPTOR_BLOOD

THURSDAY JUNE 2ND

RICHARD IN YOUR MIND + ALL THE COLOURS

Narelle Evans & The Jetbacks Jimmy & the Swingin Kitten D j s Limpin’ The Crimplenes w Andy Travers

SPECIAL GUEST

The Rockabilly Rhino mc: Limpin’ Jimmy

V TRIBE

FRIDAY JUNE 3RD

SATURDAY JUNE 4TH + GLADES

SUNDAY JUNE 5TH

CARIBBEAN SOUL

WWW.ROCKNROLLMARKET.COM.AU UNDER 18s MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT LEVEL 2, 75 THE CORSO, MANLY WWW.HOTELSTEYNE.COM.AU | FACEBOOK/HOTELSTEYNEMANLY | @HOTELSTEYNE

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 7

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR • Who is the Sydney pub identity who wants to keep mum about his purchase of Brisbane’s GPO Hotel for $5.25 million and Bowral Hotel for $6.35m?

• Are AC/DC and Axl Rose talking about making their relationship ongoing? Angus Young says they just want to get the current dates done. “I know [Axl]’s very excited: he keeps saying, can he do more? But we don’t really know at the end how we will go from here.”

• Did Mötley Crüe part on bad terms?

Tommy Lee says he hasn’t been in contact with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil since they split five months ago, Sixx unfollowed him on Twitter the next day, and they didn’t even say goodbye to each other at the end of their farewell bash.

• Why did Bruce Springsteen give Adele his jacket? Because she turned up to his open air show in Lisbon in a skimpy dress and he didn’t want her to catch a cold.

• Is Harry Styles to “cut all One Direction

ties” and leave Simon Cowell’s label?

Apparently two major labels have told him they’re interested in his solo stuff.

• Are Tame Impala, Mark Ronson and Lady Gaga working together? Ronson uploaded a photo of them in the studio.

• Among the winners of the National Indigenous Arts Awards at the Sydney Opera House last Friday was Nowra rapper and producer Nooky (Corey Webster), who took out the $20,000 Dreaming Award.

• Drake bought a 21,000-square-foot place for US$6.7 million in Toronto’s exclusive Bridle Path district. He’s knocking the house down to rebuild it with two swimming pools, a basketball court in the basement, a sports jersey museum, a room just for awards, and a bar area with separate fridges for wine and for champagne. He’s also got a place in LA that he bought in 2012 for $8m. Drake’s Views album was streamed over half a billion times in just three weeks in the US. • Umbrella Music has dropped its PR service to concentrate on artist management, so publicist Stef Kubowicz has gone freelance at stefania@skub.com.au.

• Evelyn Morris AKA Pikelet may not have recovered the gear stolen from her car a few weeks back. But a GoFundMe campaign allowed her to replace most of it in time for her upcoming European trip.

• The “ban the Wicked Campers” campaign which started in Byron Bay has extended to the rest of NSW, Tasmania and New Zealand, and is being considered by the Queensland government at the urging of auto association RACQ. • Newcastle metal band Grim Demise got US artist Sam Shearon to design the cover artwork of their upcoming album, Watchers Of The Dying Earth. He has also designed cover art for Biohazard and Ministry, and T-shirts for Iron Maiden.

• New signings: “Spaghetti disco pop” artist Bec Sandridge has signed with Wollongong label Farmer & The Owl. First single ‘You’re A Fucking Joke’ is about someone she knew in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, veteran Aussie metal band Hobbs Angel Of Death, who are doing 25 US dates in August/September, have signed with Hells Headbangers.

Amato, who has worked at AIR for ten years, will be interim general manager.

Flume

KANYE WEST SUED OVER SAMPLE…

Kanye West is being sued by Hungarian rock singer and composer Gábor Presser for US$2.5 million. Presser claims that a third of his 1969 composition ‘Gyöngyhajú Lány’ (‘Pearls In Her Hair’), from when he was in the band Omega, was sampled without permission on ‘New Slaves’ from West’s 2013 chart-topping Yeezus album.

After the sample was discovered, West sent him a cheque for $10,000, which Presser never cashed.

…AND JUSTIN BIEBER, SKRILLEX OVER ‘SORRY’ FLUME SELLS 210,000 TICKETS

Flume’s world tour has now sold 210,000 tickets, taking in 53 shows in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Europe between Tuesday July 19 and Saturday December 17. Of these, 22 are sold out. In the meantime, his new album Skin is getting rave reviews. Its lead single ‘Never Be Like You’ feat. Kai is triple platinum in Oz, with 1.1 million streams daily on Spotify and approaching 1.5m hits on Shazam. In the US, it is number 26 on the top 40 radio charts and number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.

CITY OF SYDNEY GRANTS HELP LIVE MUSIC Live music was the winner after 21 projects were funded in the City of Sydney’s new community and cultural grants, totalling $680,000. Music association MusicNSW got $80,000 for two new initiatives: $50,000 for an All-Ages Devolved Funding Program to work with promoters and venues to stage more all-ages shows, and $30,000 to establish a Live Music Alliance to work together with, grow and strengthen Sydney’s live music sector. The Music and Booze Company, run by ex-Annandale Hotel owners Matt and Dan Rule, received $28,000 for its King Street Project to showcase 200 bands and performance artists in Newtown and Erskineville.

Confirmed for the next three years are Sydney Improvised Music Association’s Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival ($65,000), Chippendale Creative Precinct’s BEAMS Arts Festival ($75,000), Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre’s Surry Hills Festival ($75,000) and Newtown Entertainment Precinct’s Sydney Fringe Festival ($660,000). Also on the receiving end were Ensemble Offspring’s Kontiki Racket festival in Redfern ($10,000), Glebe Chamber of Commerce’s Glebe Street Fair, which drew 70,000 people last year ($35,000), Wingdings & Things’ two-day Volumes 2016 ($10,000) and 107 Projects’ music tech and multi-arts 107 Presents in Redfern ($90,000), while Intimate Spectacle got $20,000 for Performing The Present 1-4, its four performance events at 107 Projects.

NEW GUITAR APP FROM TRISTAN ‘TRIZO’ BOUILLAUT Sydney producer and guitarist (ex-Thousand Needles In Red) Tristan ‘Trizo’ Bouillaut has created the Guitar Get Up app for new players. He says he used his 28 years of playing and 14 years of teaching at his guitar school to “uniquely design a guitar learning platform using backing tracks specifically written and recorded for the app. Students that really practice their timing tend to have a more professional sound. I’m not only talking about

8 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

being in time to a metronome or a song, I’m talking about using half time, full time and double time.”

AIR CEO DEPARTS

After 18 months as CEO, Dan Nevin is departing the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) on Wednesday June 15. He is relocating to the UK with his family. During the search for a replacement, chief financial officer Maria

Justin Bieber and Skrillex are getting legal grief from US indie singer Casey Dienel (White Hinterland), who says his global hit ‘Sorry’ ripped off the melody of her 2014 track ‘Ring The Bell’. Dienel reckons the “unique characteristics of the female vocal riff” in her song is identical to Bieber’s, which also has the same instrumentation. She says attempts to contact Bieber’s people through lawyers since December have been ignored. Diplo reckons that as the track had ten writers on it, it “must have been an oversight”, adding Dienel is “pretty dope”.

SPOTIFY RELEASES FIGURES To celebrate its fourth birthday in Australia, Spotify has released some facts and figures of Aussie listening habits. Its most streamed artists are Justin Bieber (who has four songs in the top ten streamed tracks), Ed

FEEDBACK CONFERENCE RETURNS

Indent and MusicNSW are bringing back Feedback, the conference for 12-to-25-yearolds who want to enter the music industry. It’s at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Monday June 13. Thundamentals will give a keynote speech, and Thelma Plum will oversee a songwriting session. The Epic Fails panel is being hosted by Jake Stone with Annie Hamilton, Andy Bull, Sweetie Zamora and Neal Hunt. The One Of Us panel will feature KLP with L-Fresh The Lion, Yeo, Katie Rynne and Julia Wilson. The industry ‘speed dating’ event will include chats with folks from FBi Radio, Arts Law, APRA AMCOS and triple j.

Thelma Plum

Sheeran, One Direction, Eminem, Drake, Coldplay, The Weeknd, Calvin Harris, Rihanna and Kanye West. Spotify’s most streamed Australian artists of all time are Sia, Hilltop Hoods and Flume (whose 2012 album is the most streamed Aussie album), followed by Vance Joy, Chet Faker, RÜFÜS, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Sticky Fingers, Tame Impala and Angus & Julia Stone.

Making their debut in the top 20 were Troye Silvan and The Rubens. The most streamed “legacy” artist (read: old farts, but say it with affection) was Fleetwood Mac with a huge lead, followed by David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley and The Wailers and INXS. Spotify Australia’s most streamed track of all time is Major Lazer’s ‘Lean On’ (feat. MØ and DJ Snake) with Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ the only Aussie entry in the top ten, at number ten.

The next most streamed Aussie tracks are Sia’s ‘Chandelier’, Flume’s ‘Never Be Like You’ (feat. Kai), Chet Faker’s ‘Talk Is Cheap’, Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’, Flume and Chet Faker’s ‘Drop The Game’, Marcus Marr and Chet Faker’s ‘The Trouble With Us’, Sheppard’s ‘Geronimo’, Peking Duk’s ‘High (Original Mix)’ and Jarryd James’ ‘Do You Remember’.

Melbourne has the most eclectic tastes of all Australian cities, says Spotify, because it listened to a total of 751 different genres, beating Sydney (714), Brisbane (692), Perth (653) and Adelaide (499). The hippest suburbs in the country are Ashfield in Sydney’s Inner West (354 genres) and Glen Iris in southeast Melbourne (325). The “proudest” cities (that is, with the highest streams of LGBT pride-inspired playlists) were Brisbane, then Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.

HIP HOP REACTS TO CHIEF COP Darryl ‘D.M.C.’ McDaniels of Run-D.M.C. is demanding an apology from New York chief commissioner William Bratton – who called all rappers “thugs that celebrate the violence that they live all their lives” – following the Irving Plaza shooting at a hip hop concert.

D.M.C. said it “did so much damage [and] pushes hip hop back” and was a travesty to rappers like Chuck D, LL Cool J, De La Soul, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, who promote non-violence, community solidarity and positive images.

THREE STRIKES ‘ON BACKBURNER’ Australian music and movie rights holders and internet service providers have quietly shelved for the time being the idea of the ‘three strikes’ warning letter system against consumers who download illegally. The issue has been the cost of the process, which neither side wants to foot. They might look at it again next year.

The scheme was to have come into effect last September.

Lifelines Split: Jason Derulo, 26, and model Daphne Joy, after six months. The 29-year-old Joy is the mother to 50 Cent’s threeyear-old son Sire Jackson.

Divorced: Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin have officially uncoupled after announcing their split in March 2014.

Ill: Canadian band The Tragically Hip’s singer Gord Downie has terminal brain cancer but will tour with the band in coming months.

Arrested: an Usher fan for trying to film him at an Atlanta recording studio. He took a restraining order against Darshelle Jones in 2012 that ruled she must remain at least 200 yards away from him.

She got within 100 yards at the studio.

In Court: Whitney Houston’s heirs are challenging an estate tax bill of US$11 million by the IRS. Released: rapper Gucci Mane from an Indiana prison to be in house arrest. He was jailed for 39 months in 2014 for possession of two firearms but his sentence was reduced. During that time he’s been releasing mixtapes.

thebrag.com

Entries close: 31 July 2016

AW]Z [PWZ\ MV^QZWVUMV\ Ă…TU KW]TL win you some of the $5,000 worth of great prizes up for grabs!

-V\ZQM[ KTW[M ;]VLIa 2]Ta [W [\IZ\ Ă…TUQVO

.WZ UWZM QVNWZUI\QWV XTMI[M KWV\IK\" footprints@lmc.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9367 9381 www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Footprints-Film-Festival thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 9

COVER STORY

BAND OF SKULLS NO TEARS TO CRY

BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON

K

nown for their relentless touring schedule, Band Of Skulls recently stepped off the stage and into the studio to record their fourth LP, By Default.

According to guitarist and vocalist Russell Marsden, the title – taken from the track ‘In Love By Default’ – isn’t a description of the album’s content. “By no means is it the Band Of Skulls on their default setting,” he says. “By no means is it us just doing the basic thing. It’s definitely the opposite.”

The UK power trio are now back on tour and have regained their onstage power. Marsden admits that removing themselves from the live circuit last year was an almost impossible task – it’s the longest off-stage stint they’ve experienced thus far, but it was exactly what they needed to make their fourth album a creative success.

10 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

got an idea I’ll play it for a couple of weeks around the band on my guitar, so that when I present it to them, they feel like they know it already. They’ve fathomed it now; they’re too savvy.”

The majority of By Default was written in the Southampton Baptist Church and recorded at the legendary Rockfi eld Studios in Wales. Producer Gil Norton joined the trio in the studio, a collaboration that brought the best out of Band Of Skulls.

Having been hidden away in the Welsh countryside, Marsden says the trip home from the studio was almost as extensive as the recording process itself.

“The first thing we did afterwards was tried to get back to England, which takes all day,” he says.

“You have to get a taxi to this small train station, that train to Cardiff or wherever, then a train to Bristol and another train back to where we live. We just travelled, so you do feel like you’re in this other world. When I got home I went to my local pub and had a beer on my own and the guy there said, ‘Where the hell have you been? We’ve been worried about you!’ I think they get used to it now – they thought I’d been on tour and I was like, ‘No, I’ve just been emotionally drained by Gil Norton,’” he laughs.

“IF PEOPLE GET INTO THIS RECORD, IT’S GOING TO BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JOURNEY FOR US.”

Given the extensive creative preparation, selecting the correct tracks to include on By Default was a difficult process. The three band members didn’t always agree with each other’s choices, but they were eventually able to settle.

“We were writing a song every couple of days and we just didn’t stop,” says Marsden. “We put everything we had on this huge list. It became the never-ending shopping list – we had all these pieces of paper stuck together and we just got a kick out of having lots of ideas. But we are very diplomatic. There’s nothing on the record that we don’t all love. It just takes some time to get people into it, and we have all these underhand ways of infl uencing each other. For instance, if I’ve

“We got a call from Gil Norton and he said, ‘Do you want to have a beer?’” Marsden explains. “We said yes and two weeks later we were in Rockfield making the record. It was like a speed date that got really out of hand. Gil really works you hard. He destroyed us. He takes a lot from you in the recording process, but he just brings out the best performance. He’s super experienced and he’s got really high standards. The biggest names you can think of, he’s made them cry. I think we were too tired to cry – we’d sweated out all of the tears, they were gone, there was no liquid left. Gil was always going for that better take and that perfection, and that’s the sort of standard you have to step up to.”

Also raising the bar for the new record was drummer Matt Hayward. After a special request from Marsden, he learnt some exotic techniques for the song ‘Tropical Disease’.

“I said to Matt, ‘Can you do samba?’ And he looked at me and didn’t say anything. So I was like, ‘Can you do mambo? Can you do South American beats?’ We spent some time researching it and released it’s completely different to the way drum beats are put together in a Western or rock’n’roll way. We got obsessed with it and did ‘Tropical Disease’ as a

moment of that. We were in this cold church in England playing this really loud samba music with the Band Of Skulls fi lling in the gaps.

I didn’t know if Matt was going to say, ‘I’d love to learn the samba,’ or punch me in the face. Luckily he learnt it,” Marsden laughs.

Hayward and Marsden, who met back in school, have the type of relationship that allows them to push each other to the limit musically.

“We were at school with decreasing frequency as we slowly got into music,” Marsden recalls.

“Our teachers would say, ‘Where’s your homework?’ – problem was, we’d had a gig the night before in London [laughs]. We met Emma [Richardson, bass/vocals] when we were a little older, college sort of time, but Matt and I have been playing music together since then.

“It was very natural, how bands should be put together, not like an audition process that seems to happen more now. We meet people in the industry and they think it’s just a gag and really we met at music school or whatever, and it’s like, ‘No, no, we were hanging out smoking cigarettes, that was it’ – like how it happens in movies. We’re thankful for that, and when something amazing happens for the band, we tend to look at each other and think, ‘Holy shit, what happened? How did we get here?’”

What: By Default out now through Liberator/BMG

thebrag.com

Band Of Skulls photo by Andy Cotterill

It took Band Of Skulls roughly 12 months off the road to record the album, in what was an extensive process that Marsden is still trying to wrap his head around. “It’s our fourth album – that’s amazing to me,” he says. “We wrote 100 songs and we are only releasing 12 of those. So I really think what we are putting out is the most exciting things we have right now and almost the signpost to all the places we want to explore in the future as a band. If people get into this record, it’s going to be the beginning of a new journey for us. There are definitely elements of Band Of Skulls that everyone knows already, but there are a few more layers that we let people into that perhaps we haven’t before.”

“We had to be convinced – we definitely got talked into stopping,” Marsden laughs. “Initially, we were an independent band and friends from our hometown, so getting out there and getting our name out there was the way we got our fan base. It was just our day-today existence. There’s a limit to everything, but we love it too much – we just want to get out there and play our songs. We just did a few shows here in London; I think people are really excited to have us back. It was mental. It was in a really small venue and there wasn’t much clearance from the audience to the ceiling, so the crowdsurfers could have just crawled onto it.”

Esperanza Spalding See Emily Play By David James Young developed a pattern in my music. There’s no formula.

I can’t say things like ‘I tend to…’ or ‘I go for…’

– that’s just not the kind of songwriter I am. Each project has essentially started with me simply having an idea, being inspired by it and taking it as far as I can. I’m curating a vibe, and that’s defi nitely a big part of this record.”

Since her elevation to a wider audience in the early 2010s thanks to her unexpected Grammy win for Best New Artist, her performance on Austin City Limits and her tribute to Prince at the BET Awards, Spalding has been perceived as one of the most celebrated acts of the new generation of jazz – and indeed, a gateway artist of sorts for many younger listeners to fi nd their way into the world of jazz and its various subgenres. Spalding appreciates that platform to a certain extent, but also acknowledges what she perceives to be her own place of privilege in terms of exposure.

“T

he shows I’ve been playing lately are like a blur,” says Esperanza Spalding.

The former child prodigy, Grammy Award-winner and American jazz-fusion extraordinaire is borderline delirious as she talks through transit, getting in and out of cars and moving towards the next part of her world tour for her new concept album, Emily’s D+Evolution. She’s being asked how audiences have responded thus far to the new material being performed live. After a pause, she confesses in all honesty – the delirium and exhaustion settling in – that she just doesn’t know.

“It’s like an out-of-body experience,” she says.

“I’m so overwhelmed and oversaturated with thinking about what needs to be done differently, what lights should go where in what parts – I’m so caught up in the details that sometimes I can’t even tell if people are responding well to the music. Especially to the new stuff. I mean, I know people like it – I’ve had interactions with people over it that have been so enthusiastic – but it’s all over in such a fl ash that you can’t really take it all in.

I go onstage, I’m Emily, and then it’s all over.”

Emily’s D+Evolution was recorded by Spalding, her band and various other musicians at North Hollywood’s NRG Studios, which have previously housed projects by artists as diverse as No Doubt, Fear Factory and The Monkees. Behind the boards was Tony Visconti, a long-time collaborator and producer for the late, great David Bowie.

Indeed, this is Visconti’s first credited production following the January release of Bowie’s fi nal thebrag.com

album, Blackstar, and one certainly recognises some of Bowie’s duality and creative spirit on Emily’s D+Evolution – especially considering the album is performed by Spalding’s alter ego, Emily, who ostensibly serves as her very own Ziggy Stardust.

“The truth is that there were very few premeditations about this project,” Spalding says. “I was chilling – literally just taking time off from writing and touring and all that – when inspiration hit very unexpectedly. It was so strong and so vibrant that I knew right then and there that it was what I was going to do next. I suppose it was in the execution process that things became a bit more intentional.

“I knew I was going to play the character of Emily, and I knew that it was going to be her voice being channelled through this music. It’s her philosophy.

This album is the energy that she personifi es. I also knew that this project had to be one that was interdisciplinary – it was always going to be more than just standing there and singing the songs.”

Given the considerable creative changes on this record, incorporating more funk and rock elements than her previous LPs, Spalding is asked whether she fears becoming predictable, or perhaps even fi nding herself in a comfort zone as she creates more music to add to her canon. She shuts down the idea instantly – her goal, as an artist, is to be quite literally fearless.

“This is my fi fth record, and each of them has been a really different experience every time,” she says.

“I don’t think I’ve ever

“I’m definitely aware that I’m not always making the kind of music that people necessarily are exposed to on an everyday basis,” she says. “The fact that a lot of people hear what I do is amazing, unquestionably, but we live in a society that favours and pays attention to pretty women. As a pretty woman, I’m not going to try and pretend that it somehow isn’t a factor in people being exposed to my music. I also, however, happen to be a badass musician. So when people come to my music, for whatever reason, I know that the quality of the musicianship is still getting through. Maybe it will make people’s ears open up a little to make them want to hear more of that kind of sound.”

LIVE

AT THE

5

$

TINNIES ALL NIGHT

SLY

5

$

FIREBALL WHISKEYS 7.30 - 9.30PM

Thurs 2 juNE

YESSAC & FRIENDS

EÜSH TIM McMAHON 1 9 9 E N M O R E R OA D, E N M O R E

So, what next? Emily is around for the time being – Spalding is taking her out on the road for the rest of the year, including a maiden voyage to Australia, which will entail appearances at both the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Sydney Opera House’s Vivid LIVE program. “I’ve never been out there,” says Spalding, “but I’ve wanted to for a very long time now.

I just know it’s going to be something special.”

But there may not be another album to come from Emily. “I don’t think she’ll stick around,” says Spalding. “I think this all came to be to serve a function in my own life. It’s the equivalent of a volcano erupting, or kicking in a door. Once it’s done, it’s out there. You can’t go back from there. The energy has to move on. It doesn’t have to stay in one place. The force is there, and it’s there for you to access. In a way, she is that force.”

What: Emily’s D+Evolution out now through Concord/ Universal Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE 2016 When: Saturday June 4

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 11

Coda Play It Again By Augustus Welby “Lyrically and melodically he’s just so amazing. And such a unique voice – it surfs that non-genderspecifi c edge, which is quite beautiful.”

Golden Times is as electronic as it is orchestral, with many tracks exhibiting a cinematic trip hop sound. By contrast, Marshall is more accustomed to blues and country music, which Coda embraced.

“We’ve always been into bands like Massive Attack and we were really into Basement Jaxx back in the day. A lot of those bands collaborated with singers that had a really unique quality to their voice,” Wales explains. “[Marshall has] such an amazing character to her voice and she does this really great yodelly vibrato thing. Having that country sound with what we were doing was something new for us as well. And lyrically she’s amazing – it’s so poetic what she does.”

W

ith their new album Golden Times due out in July, Coda will play a rare Sydney headline show as part of Vivid 2016. The quartet’s last release, the electronic and orchestral-infused instrumental rock LP Calling Mission Mu, came out in 2006. Golden Times is a long time coming, especially considering the record’s first single ‘Forces’ was released in 2009. But although

it’s taken longer than initially anticipated, the extensive gestation period has proven beneficial.

“It had been 15 years or so for being in the band, so it did get a little bit claustrophobic,” says multi-instrumentalist Nick Wales.

“It’s great to have some space away from it. When we’ve stepped away from it, we can see how gorgeous what we’ve made is.”

The key talking point when comparing Golden Times to earlier Coda releases is the fact that all of the songs feature vocals, courtesy of guests Royce Doherty, Jackie Marshall, Mélanie Pain, Jessica O’Donaghue and Jane Tyrrell.

Doherty sings on ‘Forces’, as well as the title track and the album highlight, ‘7am’. “Royce is an amazing songwriter,” Wales says.

Pain sings on the album track ‘Am I A Pony’. She is French, but that’s not the only element of the song that evokes thoughts of artists like Serge Gainsbourg and Air. “We were performing at a lot of fashion parades. We used to love how the girls would walk down the catwalk a little bit like a pony,” Wales says.

“We wanted Melanie to be a part of the album and we thought, ‘We’ll get her to do the pony song.’

Having her involved made it that one step removed and a little bit more absurd.”

O’Donaghue and Tyrrell will be joining Coda onstage for the

Vivid show. They each sing lead vocals on one Golden Times song, and appear together on ‘Run To Me’. Wales has worked with O’Donaghue many times in the past.

“We went to uni together. She used to sing in opera style with Coda when we used to do stuff at the Opera House. We love the quality of her voice. We didn’t want to have an operatic vibe, but her voice when she sings gently is so beautiful. We were going for a bit of a Goldfrappy vibe with her.”

Tyrrell is best known for working with The Herd and Urthboy, and released her solo album, Echoes In The Aviary, in 2014. Her various accomplishments grabbed the band’s attention. “We all just had such a mega crush on Jane, and then were so scared to call her,” says Wales. “And then we sent her a lot of our stuff and she said she’d love to [work with us]. We liked the depth and the beautiful tone in her voice. She brought a bit of a soul edge.”

As Wales explains, working with all the vocalists was a process of constant collaboration. “A lot of the songs we wrote, the band got the vibe together, and then we sent that to singers and got them to collaborate that way. Sometimes with us in the studio, sometimes apart, but we always came together to record.”

What: Golden Times out Friday July 1 through Undercover/MGM Where: Camelot Lounge When: Friday June 17

The Kills Cool As Ice By David James Young and Switzerland. However, Hince rejects any suggestion that Ash & Ice took The Kills so long due to uncertainty over how to follow their most successful LP. “It’s certainly not as if we haven’t seen each other or anything like that since then,” he says. “We toured Blood Pressures for twoand-a-half years. We were doing all these big tours – The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Jack White.

We’re a touring band; that’s where most of our action is. We’re not working on a schedule. Alison knows when I’m in the zone and working on new music – she can tell when it’s time. She can see my brain working. There’s gonna be a whole period of time where she doesn’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but then it all comes together when we’re in the studio together. Suddenly, she’ll totally get why I was off just listening to digital dancehall for a month or whatever. That’s when we throw her songs into the mix and see what happens.”

I

12 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

“I’m amazed at the amount of fucking gear that we have. Lights, monitors, you name it. We have a truck full of stuff, we have a bus full of stuff that gets us around – hell, these days my guitar is going through four amps. Four amps!

Can you imagine that? For a band that’s been lauded as being minimal – y’know, just always being a two-piece – it just blows my mind how much stuff our crew are lugging around behind us.”

Despite the many things that have changed as far as The Kills – completed by vocalist Alison ‘VV’ Mosshart – are concerned, Hince does recognise one constant.

“Back in the day, we’d look out

into the front few rows and there were all these 18-, 19-year-old kids that were super into the show and knew all the words to the songs,” he says. “I look out now during shows, and I’m seeing the exact same thing – these kids that are just loving it. The fact that we still mean anything to young people is a pretty cool feeling.”

Ash & Ice follows fi ve years on from The Kills’ last LP, Blood Pressures – an album that, after years of existing on the fringe, saw the band fi nally accepted and noticed by a wider audience.

It cracked the charts globally, including a top ten position in France and top 20 slots in Belgium

As much as the duality of Mosshart and Hince’s vocals have served as a defi nitive trait of The Kills’ sound, it’s Hince’s guitar work that has often been the foundation. From the down-tuned snarl of ‘Fried My Little Brains’ to the groove-driven twang of ‘Future Starts Slow’, Hince is the kind of guitarist who is incredibly easy to pick out of a line. This continues into Ash & Ice, which is full of amp-shredding staccato and cleverly inverted fretboard runs.

What is it exactly that makes Hince stand out from the pack?

“I think it’s all in the rhythm,” he says. “I’ve never been a big fan of having layers and layers of guitars on a song – if a band’s got

The stage is set for Hince and Mosshart to return to Australian shores this coming July. Along with some key headlining dates, they will also be performing at Splendour In The Grass – the festival that hosted the duo’s last performance here, fresh from the release of Blood Pressures back in 2011.

“I wish we could come down more often,” laments Hince. “The reality is that we can only really do Australia and New Zealand once per album cycle. That means that we really have to make it count, y’know? The last time we were out was one of my fondest memories, actually. I’d just gotten married, and my wife [now former partner Kate Moss] came with us around the country. It was like an extended honeymoon – we loved it.”

What: Ash & Ice out Friday June 3 through Domino Where: Enmore Theatre When: Tuesday July 26 And: Also appearing at Splendour In The Grass 2016, North Byron Parklands, Friday July 22 – Sunday July 24

thebrag.com

The Kills photo by Kenneth Cappello

t’s load-in time for The Kills, who are currently at the beginning stages of a world tour in support of their fifth studio album, Ash & Ice. For the New York-based American/English duo, setting up shows was a lot simpler back in their early 2000s origins. “We literally just had two amps, a couple of microphones and our little drum machine,” recalls Jamie Hince, the band’s guitarist, otherwise known under the alias Hotel. “We could get everything around on a Greyhound bus or on the tube if we needed to.

It was a lot more compact.” And now? “There have been people here all day setting up our whole light show,” he says, watching them work as he awaits soundcheck.

one guitar player, then I want to distinctly hear that guitar. I think that’s why I started using my thumb when I was playing, picking out melodies on the higher strings with my spare fi ngers. I said right at the beginning of the band that, no matter what kind of music that we ended up making, it had to have a certain swagger to it. I think we’re at a point now that, no matter what we do, it’s just going to end up sounding like us. We could bring in a string quartet and it would still end up just sounding like The Kills.”

Ngaiire From The Heart By Natalie Rogers “Israel is looking pretty good at the moment,” she says with a smile via Skype, half a world away. “I’ll be away for a week and a half, and then we will go straight into the album tour.”

Blastoma will be in stores through her own label Maximillion Brown on Friday June 10, and despite its winter release date, Ngaiire says the record was made over a period of two years and across time zones between New York and London. Along with her collaborators – electronic music master Paul Mac and producer Jack Grace – Ngaiire spent hours sending tracks back and forth to create the soulful and insightful tone of the album.

A

s Ngaiire prepares for the release of her long-awaited second album, she’s decided to take a working holiday in the Middle East, and that is where the BRAG finds her as we catch up to chat about her upcoming national launch tour.

As the follow-up to 2013’s Lamentations, this new release is a brave and intensely personal effort from the one-time Australian Idol contestant. Blastoma is a form of cancer commonly found in children, and as a survivor of childhood cancer herself, Ngaiire chose this title to pay homage to those around her. “Blastoma is a memorial to what I went through during cancer treatment, but it’s also to pay tribute to the people who have helped me over the years,” she says. “And if I could get through a moment in my life that was quite challenging, I hope it’s

an inspiration to anyone going through a difficult time.”

Ngaiire has always been incredibly open about her struggles in life and love, but never more so than on the nine tracks that make up Blastoma.

Her smooth and soulful vocals draw you in from the opening track ‘Anchor’, and they continue to hold you captive during the first half of the album, thanks to a special edit of her hit ‘Once’.

The second half of the record, however, is quite different. It takes on a more personal tone and deals with spirituality, heartbreak, love and loss. “They’re all so macabre!” Ngaiire laughs, before becoming more serious. “I wrote ‘I Can’t Hear God Anymore’ about someone I had a deep spiritual connection with, but we don’t talk anymore. It’s quite rare to find musicians that you connect with on a spiritual level – I’ve only ever had that with him. It’s a song about lamenting over that relationship.”

The final track on Blastoma was written with the help of her friend and producer, Grace. “Jack and I wrote it together immediately after we got back from Glastonbury, and both our partners had broken up with us on the same day, as soon

as we got back,” Ngaiire says. “We were meant to be in the studio writing an uplifting album but that was the first song that came out of us.

“So we kind of left it a bit because it wasn’t feeling very therapeutic or even right to write about our relationships. Then Jack got a call from a friend of his saying that another schoolmate of his had just tested HIV positive. That prompted us to finish the song, and it became more about him not being able to put into words how he felt about that situation, rather than our relationships. So it’s kind of interesting how songs seem to eventuate so differently sometimes.”

What: Peak Festival 2016 With: Remi, Oka, Tinpan Orange, Matiu Te Huki and more Where: Perisher Valley When: Friday June 10 – Monday June 13 And: Blastoma out Friday June 10 via Maximillion Brown/Sony More: Also appearing at Oxford Art Factory on Friday July 8 and Splendour In The Grass 2016, North Byron Parklands, Friday July 22 – Sunday July 24

The Sugarcanes Accidentally Perfect By Adam Norris

Lisa Fischer I

t’s not every day you get to talk with a rising artist moments before they vanish from a flesh-eating, horse-infested mountainside.

Most people avoid ever encountering such circumstances, as The Sugarcanes’ frontwoman Lucy Wilson would’ve attested if she hadn’t just been set upon by crazed hippies in the woods and turned into a stew (it’s a busy mountain).

With the band’s album launch fast approaching, it leaves the fate of The Sugarcanes slightly ambiguous, but happily there is also a measure of fantasy to Wilson’s fortunes.

“I should be alright, because hippies don’t eat meat,” she considers, tramping up a distant hill far from her colleagues. “Or maybe I’ll suddenly emerge from the trees one day, and I’ll be dressed in old-fashioned cheesecloth clothes, waving my arms and screaming, ‘The portal!

The portal!’”

Wilson laughs, and then pauses to catch her breath. “God, I’m so unfit.”

She’s not out there hiking solely for pleasure – Wilson works for an organisation that takes people with disabilities out on camp. She is a jack of all trades – she’s also a primary school teacher – and this ability to wear multiple hats serves her and her Sugarcanes bandmates quite well.

“We’re still self-managed, self-booked, though we do get a little bit of help from our label. That’s more about steering us in the right direction of things we should be doing, or usually things we shouldn’t do. Mostly my brother Jack [Wilson, bass] and I are there fielding emails, working out what to do next. I did the solo thing for a while, and I never realised how easy that was until I had the comparison of having five people in a band. I had a nice little network of friends that I’d played with from solo days, which did help even though it’s a completely different scene we’re playing in now. But it’s all about the connections and making friends.”

That’s no casual sentiment – any artist worth their mud will tell you that the community you surround yourself with contributes both to how you develop creatively, and to opportunities thebrag.com

for exposure and collaboration. For The Sugarcanes, their formation is a blend of family members and festival friends.

“Jack has known Alister [Self, guitar] and Dave [Gualtieri, keys] for years, seeing shows together since they were young. We started as a country band, really. We went through a few little growth spurts since then, you might say. But we landed somewhere we thought was comfortable and thought, ‘Hey, now this works.’ And we found Lizzie [Dynon] about a year ago. We needed a new drummer, and a mutual friend recommended her. It turned out we’d met at a festival a few months earlier and talked about music, so it was a nice moment of six degrees of separation when it all came together.”

With their Sydney album launch at Brighton Up Bar just days away, the anticipation is starting to mount. There has been a strong soul music resurgence over the last few years, and though the genre never truly disappeared, The Sugarcanes’ debut LP is representative of the fact it is now stronger than ever.

“It’s like when it’s Christmas and you just want it to get here, but you also want to savour it all,” says Wilson. “It’s been such a long time coming, it almost doesn’t feel real quite yet. This is my first album and it was a lot harder than I thought. But you’re right, soul never went out of style. Otis Redding, Etta James – James is such a Godzilla of music.

Those guys were just phenomenal. They wrote and played their instruments so well.

And the precision of it: some soul music is so accidentally perfect.”

It’s suggested that last sentence would make a rather lovely inscription on a tombstone.

Wilson laughs. “‘Here lies Lucy Wilson.

Accidentally perfect.’ I think I’ll stick with that.”

What: The Sugarcanes out now through Cobra Snake Necktie With: Loose Tooth, Lily and The Bellows Where: Brighton Up Bar When: Friday June 3

Stardom In Sight By Joseph Earp iven she has spent the majority of her career standing just a few metres away from the spotlight, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Lisa Fischer seems reticent when it comes to discussing herself. Not that the veteran backup singer is rude – our interview is being conducted via email, and touchingly, each of her answers comes with a little flower emoji posted before the text.

G

This shift from extra to leading role was less troublesome for Fischer than one might expect, requiring no great change in attitude.

“The focus is different because when I’m singing background, I am focusing mainly on the artist’s needs via the background parts,” she says. “When performing in the foreground, the music becomes the art in a more direct way.

So no, not rude, but almost embarrassed.

She takes no credit for her achievements, appearing strikingly humble for a woman who has performed onstage with artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Nine Inch Nails and Tina Turner. “I had to work at [performing live],” she reveals, “but thankfully I’ve had some amazing mentors along the way.”

“It feels like bonding with the audience through the music, so for me I would say that I am aware of the audience [but] in a different kind of way … I can feel the music become like warm water. [I love] the symmetry and synergy between the audience, the music and the acoustics.”

Fischer has nothing but good things to say about every one of her musical compatriots.

“I’ve worked with [many] great collaborators and each are unique in how they share it with the audience,” she says. Nonetheless, she does have her favourites, and highlights Luther Vandross as a particularly generous performer to work with.

But the focus of the interview – and indeed Fischer’s new career – is not on her colleagues, but herself. Ever since she appeared in the 2013 Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom, Fischer’s life has changed. “[The film] has given me the wonderful opportunity to be able to tour and share music that I love,” she says.

“It’s given me a new sense of melodic life.”

No longer is she performing the songs of others from the background – now she is centre stage, sprinkling her own material among the covers she adores. Forgotten gems she recorded during her solo career – trembling, tortured tracks like ‘How Can I Ease The Pain’ from her Grammy-winning album So Intense – have found a new lease on life.

They’re no longer footnotes or diversions. Like Fischer, they now stand in the spotlight, bare and unafraid.

Although her sets are full of classics from legendary acts like Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner and Little Willie John, Fischer reveals she finds the concept of a ‘favourite’ song a troubling one. “For me, having a favourite song feels like an impossible thing, [because] I love melodic freedom. It’s almost like asking a mother [about their] favourite child.”

It’s safe to say none of this new-found fame has gone to Fischer’s head. Though she clearly draws great strength from music, she isn’t obsessed with the spotlight. She searches for beauty in the mundanity – for the extraordinary in the ordinary.

“I [have] a lovely and normal life,” she says.

“I try my best to catch up on living. I try to spend time with family and friends and I take joy in simple things. Something as simple as doing the dishes becomes a very beautiful dance in warm water and soap. [Success is] closing my eyes at the end of the day and feeling that I’ve done my best.”

With: Grand Baton Where: City Recital Hall When: Wednesday June 15

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 13

Michael Franti And Spearhead Soul Meets Body By David James Young

I

t’s been said that there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. With this in mind, let us put forward a third: an annual Michael Franti tour. For over 20 years, Franti and his band Spearhead have dedicated their lives to spreading a message of peace, love and goodwill across the globe – especially here in Australia, where Franti has paid so many visits that he has genuinely lost count since first touring in the ’90s alongside the group that broke his name, The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy. He is now onto his ninth studio album with Spearhead, entitled Soulrocker.

According to the man himself, it’s not intended to be a genreblending affirmation of the band’s sound. Rather, a ‘Soulrocker’ represents an identity to aspire to.

A versatile writer and musician, Franti has been known to constantly mix up the genres that

14 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

“It never happens the same way twice,” says Franti on the art of creating a song from scratch.

“I keep hoping I’ll develop this formula someday that works every time – you just wake up, push the buttons and hey presto. Some days, I’ll sing a melody into my iPhone while I’m out walking. I might be working on a beat when it inspires me to write down some words to go over the top of it. Most of the time, it’s about starting with the guitar and writing organically.

I start singing random melodies until something sticks and then I’ll go through my notes – pages and pages of them – and see what I can piece together. That is usually the most interesting part of the entire process, actually – it’s where the song will transform into what it’s supposed to be, and that’s not always gonna be the way that I expect it to go.”

Franti confesses that he occasionally worries a younger, fresher mind has beaten him to the punch as far as songwriting is concerned. “Sometimes I’ll think I’ve come up with a really great line – something I’m really proud of. Back in the day, I’d just go ahead and put it on the record.

Nowadays, I gotta check with my son first: ‘Hey man, this line right here – that’s not deep in the second half of a Drake album, is it?’”

He stresses, however, that even though it’s easy for an artist to repeat themselves or fi nd themselves in a holding pattern so deep into a career of writing, he still gets a lot out of making

music. “Songwriting for me today is more exciting now than it ever has been,” he says. “I get so much satisfaction out of putting my heart into something that I love so much.

I make music for two reasons only – because I love people and I love the planet.”

A few weeks prior to both this interview and the release of Soulrocker, Franti celebrated his 50th birthday. Having first arrived on the scene some 30 years ago as the frontman of The Beatnigs – a punk band that incorporated elements of jazz, industrial and spoken word – Franti has

remained considerably active at a time when many artists would consider winding down.

“I don’t take any of this for granted,” he says. “I’m still doing the job I was doing when I was 20 years old. I have worked to take the best care of myself as possible – I work out every day, I eat the best that I can, I practise yoga, I train to prepare for when me and the band go on tour. Even with doing all of that, though, I think it’s got something to do with more than just your physical health.

There’s a wholeness – a feeling that your life has purpose, that

you’re giving back to the greater good.

“The one thing I’ve learned from turning 50 is that it’s not hard to get there if it’s a group effort. I would not be where I am right now without the efforts of hundreds that have helped me along the way. I have so many teachers in my life that have gifted me with not only wholeness, but incomplete wholeness – I know that I still have work to do.”

What: Soulrocker out Friday June 3 through Fantasy/Universal

thebrag.com

Michael Franti and Spearhead photo by Chelsea Klette

“Soulrocker is a concept – it’s an idea,” explains Franti from his home in San Francisco. “It’s a person who lives from their heart with compassion for all and possesses a tenacious enthusiasm for music, life and the planet.

That’s the person I strive to be, and that’s the kind of person that I come across every day of my life.

You wouldn’t believe it if you spent all of your time scrolling through your phone, trying to fi gure out what the fuck happened in the world while you were asleep. This record is one that, I hope, will help people navigate the world at large.

It won’t necessarily help make complete sense of it, but I hope it shows people that there are others out there that share these values – and that, if we come together, we can help to make a difference.”

make up the Spearhead sound, ranging from rock, reggae and roots to hip hop, funk and pop.

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

arts in focus

The Literati photo by Brett Boardman

the literati

a feminine touch also inside:

PATCHWORK / HOTEL COOLGARDIE / JAMES MARSTERS / ARTS NEWS / ARTS GIVEAWAY thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 15

arts in focus

arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Amy Henderson, Zanda Wilson and Keiren Jolly

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit Time Over Distance Over Time

five minutes WITH

CRAIG ANDERSON, WRITER/DIRECTOR OF RED CHRISTMAS

R

ed Christmas, as the name suggests, is a Christmas horror film. How broad is the Christmas horror tradition in cinema?

One of the first ever ‘slashers’ was a Christmas horror: 1974’s Black Christmas.

Since then Christmas horrors have been messing with childhood memories (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins) and turning Santa Claus into a horrible villain (Silent Night, Deadly Night, Krampus). I also

favourite mums, and not look like a religious psychopath? It took two years to get the script right, but in the end I think I got there.

Were you inspired by any particularly horrific family Christmases of your own?

My family is very charitable, so one Christmas my father invited a loner type home from church. The guy spent the entire time complaining about the government and blaming his ex-wife for destroying his marriage. My family just kept smiling through it, until Dad drove him home after lunch. The same thing happens in my movie, but the family gets fed up and kicks the guy out – bad move.

Who’s starring in the film?

The lead is played by Dee Wallace, who most people know as the mum from E.T., but she’s also in The Howling, Cujo and The Frighteners. The rest of the cast is made up of Australian actors that I’ve worked with including Geoff Morrell (Cloudstreet), David Collins (Umbilical Brothers), Sarah Bishop (Skitbox/Activewear), Bjorn Stewart (Black Comedy), and the unwanted villain is played by young comic talent Sam Campbell (Winner Best Newcomer Sydney Comedy Festival 2015).

This is your directorial debut – how daunting was the process of turning your screenplay into a finished product?

I’m lucky to have directed some TV in Australia, so I’ve gotten used to moving from page to screen. Daunting for me was the writing – how do you make a horror film about abortion, starring one of the screen’s

What: Red Christmas (dir. Craig Anderson) as part of Sydney Film Festival 2016 Where: Dendy Newtown / Event Cinemas George Street When: Saturday June 11 / Friday June 17

TIME OVER DISTANCE OVER TIME

Time Over Distance Over Time is a globestretching production from Irish dance company Liz Roche, and it’s making its way to our shores from Wednesday June 22 – Saturday June 25 at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta. The contemporary production, direct from the Dublin Dance Festival, mixes dance with interactive projection and film, dealing with technology versus intimacy when living on opposite sides of the world. How fitting it is, then, to be playing a limited run of shows here, on the opposite side of the world.

We have two double passes to give away to Time Over Distance Over Time, valid for the Thursday June 23 show. Enter online at thebrag.com/freeshit.

Time Over Distance Over Time photo by Luca Truffarelli

Red Christmas

really love Die Hard and The Family Stone, which are not horrors, but are full of difficult situations. Just like Christmas.

MARRICKVILLE ON SHOW Drift

Open Marrickville is set to return for its fi fth year this June. This year’s series of minifestivals throughout Sydney’s Inner West will see numerous contemporary events, exhibitions and celebrations on show, inspired by the rich history and traditions of the area. Events such as Rhythms, Colours, Flavours Of Peru, which will open the festival, will be complemented by a night showcasing live indigenous music at Newtown Social Club called Klub Koori. Open Marrickville will

Zoe Coombs Marr

Eugene Simon

SUPANOVA’S TV STARS

The Supanova Pop Culture Expo has expanded its already huge list of special guests. Joining a host of previously announced stars from the world of fi lm at Supanova 2016, including actors from Twilight (Peter Facinelli), The Lord Of The Rings (Sean Astin, John Noble) and Deadpool (Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic) will be a veritable who’s who of television. Eugene Simon, known for his role as Lancel Lannister in Game Of Thrones, has just been added to the lineup.

Joining him are Juliet Landau from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Benedict Samuel from The Walking Dead and cult favourites Jade and Ryan from Cheez TV. The Sydney leg of Supanova 2016 will run from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19 at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.

DRIFTING INTO VIEW

From the nuanced and edgy hands of indie theatre company Two Peas comes a raw new play, Drift, which tackles the taboo topics of youth suicide, grief and loss. The inspiration for the play came as writers Tara Clark and Kieran Foster were moved by the unavoidable statistics coming out of Australia and the sheer numbers of young lives lost to grief and pain. In this, their premiere work together and in collaboration with a talented ensemble cast and crew, Drift has come to be an acutely raw play, unafraid to expose in painful transparency the tumultuous times of those in their early 20s battling all host of demons. Drift commences Wednesday July 20 and runs until Saturday July 30 at the Australian Theatre For Young People.

WORLDS COLLIDE

16 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

TRIGGER WARNING

After selling out at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Zoe Coombs Marr will bring Trigger Warning to Sydney for two nights.

The one-(wo)man show sees Marr dressed as the crass, dick-joking Dave as he refl ects on his previous shows’ negative reviews, spiralling into an onstage meltdown while clumsily trying not to offend anyone this time around. Trigger Warning picked up Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s 2016 Golden Gibbo Award for Best Independent Show, and the 2016 Barry Award for Best Show. Before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and London’s Soho Theatre, the production will run at Giant Dwarf on Saturday July 16 and Friday July 22.

THE WEALTH OF THE LAND

The Wealth Of The Land is the new creative project of artist and writer Chips Mackinolty.

Having already been featured in Palermo, Italy, The Cross Art Projects’ latest exhibition provides a look into the natural wealth of Sicilian horticulture through Mackinolty’s series of prints. The exhibition raises questions about the unsustainable nature of constantly sending food around the world via carbon-intensive food distribution networks.

Through his art, Mackinolty shows how locally grown fresh foods will become more vital over time. This Friday June 3, the artist will hold a talk at the gallery, which will be followed by a food walkabout to a nearby roof garden. The Wealth Of The Land continues until Saturday June 18 at The Cross Art Projects.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND

The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Observatory and Australian Museum have

held a beloved place in the lives of those who have called Sydney home for decades. From a young age, these museums of cultural, scientifi c and historic signifi cance have been places of interactive learning and inspiration.

Come one June weekend, all these houses of eclectic knowledge will be open free to the public to explore at will. In the pursuit of innovative and engaging art, the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory will also be hosting a premiere art event for Sydney – guests will be the first to engage in Tanabata: Star Village, an interactive community art exhibit celebrating the Japanese fable of the night sky. The Powerhouse, Sydney Observatory and Australian Museum will be free to enter on Saturday June 25 and Sunday June 26.

BACK AT THE DOJO

Back At The Dojo is the new play from quirky creative Lally Katz, whose playwrighting pursuits have seen her conjure up sidesplitting dramas revolving around her colourful family. Having transparently displayed the inner peaks and troughs of a life exuberantly lived, Katz now turns her gaze to the lives of her parents and the larger-than-life myths that have circulated family gatherings. Back At The Dojo plays at Belvoir St Theatre from Saturday June 18 – Sunday July 17. thebrag.com

xxx

Science alert: Collider is coming to the Powerhouse Museum to provide a unique look inside Geneva’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Direct from the London Science Museum, the Powerhouse Museum will present an Australian-first look the exhibition, which is part of the Sydney Science Festival.

It will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the CERN particle physics laboratory that houses the world-famous LHC. Visitors will be treated to an encompassing visual experience, complete with real artefacts from CERN, as they follow the journey of particle beams speeding through the LHC. Collider will run from Saturday August 6 – Sunday October 30.

also see the premiere of Faraway... So Close To Homeland, a documentary following the journey of a number of Syrian refugees, as well as Pachamama Festival and the Festival Of The Olive. Open Marrickville 2016 will run from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 26, and full details are online at marrickville.nsw. gov.au.

The Literati [THEATRE] A Common Thread By Tegan Jones

R

enowned Australian playwright Justin Fleming is bringing the world of 17th century France to modernday Sydney with The Literati.

An adaptation of the great Molière’s Les Femmes Savantes, this silly yet deeply poignant piece explores the relationship of two characters, Juliet and Clinton, in the face of disapproving, snobbish family members. Will love prevail or will our heroine’s highbrow family prove that class still wins? Director Lee Lewis discusses the play, as well as the funny yet outwardly feminist themes that aren’t only present now, but lingered within the text long before it relocated to Australia.

The Literati photo by Brett Boardman

“It’s essentially an argument for gender equality,” says Lewis. “In the 17th century, the satire was that there was a powerful woman in the house and the husband was downtrodden, so he had to find a voice, which of course is an inversion comedy. But Molière was also speaking to a group of very well-educated, literate women who ran these salons.”

As audience members will quickly discover, the style of Fleming’s interpretation ensures these ideas remain relevant today.

“It’s mostly in the language – Justin has a very contemporary feel in the way he writes,” says Lewis.

“Molière is satirising pretension, and that’s a little bit timeless. This play is surprisingly recognisable in terms of literary pretensions and the way people speak down to those with less education, which I think is interesting at the moment as we’re cutting education away. There are obviously some things that belong in

another time – it’s about a young girl whose mum is trying to make her marry someone. But then that does still happen here too, in more subtle ways. We have gentled that – she’s not about to be dragged by her hair down the aisle, which was much of a reality in 17th century France. It’s the dance between then and now that’s interesting to me.”

In his own time, Molière was an artistic revolutionary when it came to representation of women – he wrote them with depth, wit and intelligence. However, despite the changes that the modern world has brought about in gender balance, can we really say that gender isn’t still an imperative issue that continues to necessitate exploration? How far have we actually come?

“I find in Molière’s work the beginning of very modern thoughts about women, which is one of the reasons I enjoy doing it,” Lewis says. “I think that came from him being championed by some very smart women and marrying an intelligent young actress and writing characters for her to play. On that level, yes, the rise of women was funny at that point, but it was happening. That’s why I can find the threads to the modern conversation.

If you step outside the safe confines of Australia, you see that it still resonates for a huge amount of the world. Because of the conversations from the last couple of years, I think people will still feel those resonances anyway … We’re not done with the conversation yet.”

Although the reality of the gender imbalance in modern society can be draining and depressing, the exploration of it does imbue an

element of solidarity – particularly when shown on the stage.

“I find it comforting that across the centuries, humanity struggles with the same imbalance of power – and there are some that will stay the same dynamically, regardless of the details of the actual imbalance,” says Lewis. “I kinda love that. I also kind of love finding Beyoncé in Molière.

I find it really reassuring that we are that connected as humans. When you look at the fragmentation that’s happening and the way the world is being torn apart by some truly hideous ideologues – I look at Trump and [what] the horrible thinkers of the far right of the American society will say about people and the damage that it’s doing and I think, ‘You know what? I do have faith there is better humanity that will keep us together.’”

This is of course one of theatre’s essential functions – to highlight the injustices in the world in a safe and often enjoyable way. Molière’s work is perfect for this task, as it is deeply intelligent as well as incredibly funny.

“The play is obviously theatrically silly on some level because we’re doing ten characters with five actors in a very obvious, rather than a transformative way,” Lewis explains.

“So there’s a certain amount of storytelling in this, as opposed to realistic representation.

“I think on some level I’m really glad there’s this silly comedy that unites us just a little bit. The power of laughter reminds us that we can do that together. There’s not a lot of ‘together’ at the moment. It’s actually a safe place to start the

conversation when you’ve relaxed people into laughter about it.

“What I’ve learned is that people don’t necessarily want to stop talking about gender equality, but they want to talk about it in different ways and they want a relaxed version of it. It does permeate every layer of their life and they want it to, but it can’t be in the same note all the time. So you hear it in a comic version and you go, ‘This plays with me too – that’s great.’”

What: The Literati Where: SBW Stables Theatre When: Until Saturday July 16 And: Also playing at Riverside Theatres, Wednesday July 27 – Saturday July 30

Hotel Coolgardie [FILM] Dread And Breakfast By Joseph Earp showing off?” she guesses. “Or maybe they are scared of being hurt? Or [maybe] they don’t even know they’re being sexist – maybe they think that’s just the way things are?

“It felt like we were being objectified, rather than being valued for who we were outside of just being women.

Every day we got [told] that we were stupid or dumb as a horse. Little did they know that I have a master’s degree in economics. Racism got a whole new meaning for me in Coolgardie. It was like people were making us the ‘the others’ so that they could feel like they were ‘normal’. Everyone feels good when they’re a part of a gang … and part of reinforcing that is identifying who is not in the gang, by picking differences such as race, gender or language.”

H

otel Coolgardie is to bogans what Jaws is to sharks.

The sometimes amusing, sometimes appalling documentary follows two young Finnish backpackers, Lina and Steph, as they weather a barrage of sexist and racist slurs while working for scraps in the eponymous Western Australian pub, colliding head on with the full force of ’Strayan philistinism in the process.

To say the pair’s stay in Australia was doomed from the start might be a little bit dramatic, but it’s fair to say their ‘trip of a lifetime’ began pretty shakily. “Australia was always on the top list of places to visit,” Lina explains. “But we finally made the decision to move to Australia after we got robbed … and our money was thebrag.com

taken, so we really needed to work to save some money.”

Indeed, it was the friends’ dire financial straits that led them to the ramshackle hellhole of the title – a bar-cum-hovel that emerges as the film’s true villain. Hotel Coolgardie is every negative connotation of Australian culture transformed into a single, slanted building: a den of alcoholism and antagonism that blights Steph and Lina’s exploits from the outset. “If we had been in a better economic situation, we would have left the same day we arrived in Coolgardie,” says Lina simply.

“We were in need of money and had to suck it up and try to keep face so that we could keep our job,” she continues. “The situation between

the employer and the employee in Coolgardie would never happen in our home country – which made it even harder to try to accept it and to be quiet, when you have grown up your whole life learning what is right and what is wrong.”

Describing what goes on in the hotel over the course of the documentary as ‘wrong’ might even be an understatement. The women face a horrendous torrent of sexist and racist remarks from the locals, as the drunks demonstrate their shaky understanding of geography and culture by assuming Lina and Steph’s Finnish background means they dine solely on reindeer.

Lina isn’t entirely sure what breeds such xenophobia. “Maybe they are

But despite such horrors, the pair’s time in Coolgardie wasn’t a total nightmare, and the documentary shines through with some genuinely tender, human moments, most of which are provided by a slightly odorous local legend who goes by the name of Canman. If Hotel Coolgardie has a hero, he is it – he’s the lone resident who comes to Lina and Steph’s defence.

Well, Canman and the documentary’s crew, a tight-knit group led by director Pete Gleeson.

“The filmmaking team were very supportive and empathetic,” Lina says. “We lived under the same roof and they were filming us around the clock. We didn’t even notice after the first day or two that we had a film crew surrounding us all the time.”

However, despite how tough their time in Coolgardie might have been, in retrospect Lina can see the lighter

side of it. “[It is] absurd almost to the point of comedy how downhill things go in the film,” she says. “It’s bad vibes, mixed with really bad luck, mixed with bad circumstances.”

Though she felt a wide array of emotions while watching the film for the first time, more than anything she found herself laughing – a response that audiences will no doubt share when the doco screens at Sydney Film Festival. “It was really emotional to see the film,” Lina says. “It was filmed a few years ago and I had already forgotten some of the things that happened. When I saw it, all those feelings came back … I really wanted to go back to Coolgardie, to meet all the people once again and talk to them now, when I don’t have to be scared of losing my job anymore.”

One can only imagine the kind of things Lina might find herself saying without fear of repercussion.

However, it does seem like her time in Coolgardie has taught her some fairly hard-earned lessons about the human race – lessons that have imbued a strong sense of empathy in the young heroine.

“I hope that the movie is an eyeopener. I hope that people will understand they … affect other people,” she says. “It was difficult to be in a foreign country, with no money, no family and without any support system. The people we were supposed to rely on were the ones who treated us the worst.”

What: Hotel Coolgardie (dir. Pete Gleeson) as part of Sydney Film Festival 2016 Where: Event Cinemas George Street When: Friday June 10 BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 17

Patchwork [FILM] Going To Pieces By Joseph Earp it’s always tough to find the way into the story – as in to find out what it is actually about. Like, what I’m excited about. Usually when I find out what makes the movie tick – what makes me excited about it – then the actual writing of it is a bit simpler. I spend a lot more time outlining than I do writing.”

It’s surprising that MacIntyre encountered so few hiccups, particularly considering the fact that Patchwork’s central conceit is one that requires a fair bit of structural trickery. The trio of heroines spend the majority of the film’s running time communicating while sewn up into one another, a startlingly original plot line that underpins the dark comedy. It is depicted on screen by clever cross-cutting between the lumbering creature that the three have become and scenes in which the characters chat normally as their pre-injury selves – a ‘reality’ only they can see. It’s head-scratching stuff on paper, but in the film it really works.

H

omage is a hard thing to nail. Take it too far and you’ll find yourself in dangerous rip-off territory. But fail to take it far enough and no-one will even realise you’re trying to tip your hat to your heroes. On that level alone, Tyler MacIntyre’s Patchwork, a gleefully gory riff on the Frankenstein myth, is an unmitigated triumph.

The film is jam-packed with references for horror nerds – the kind of blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em flashes that will have buffs jumping out their seats and shouting at their screens whenever they notice the John Carpenter-esque title font, or the Re-Animator-like goo that’s used to resurrect the main characters in the film’s very first scene.

“While scripting the film, [co-writer] Chris Hill and I pulled in lots of references,” says MacIntyre.

“References to films like [Peter Jackson’s] Dead Alive, and Evil Dead II – those older slapstick horror films that we grew up with and really loved. It really took on that tone.”

Certainly the film borrows the kind of distinctly goofy, distinctly American feel that marks out the work of directors like Sam Raimi and Stuart Gordon – filmmakers who prefer the work of The Three Stooges to the pantheon of European art horror films. Indeed, Patchwork is a kind of grand-scale comedy of errors, albeit one dark enough to see the film’s main three leads murdered by a serial killer and stitched up into the one body.

“I had done a short film version of Patchwork which was only two minutes and there was no plan to do a feature-length film,” MacIntyre explains. “But people were interested in the short. I didn’t think it was amazing – but it was super dark. “[The short] was like a tone test, because the shorts I had done before that were romantic and funny and not at all horror,” MacIntyre continues. “But I was pitching a different feature script that was pretty dark, so Patchwork the short was a tone test for the other film. And when people saw the short they were like, ‘Is there a feature version of this?’”

From there, MacIntyre found the writing of the script fairly easy.

“Writing was actually kind of smooth.

Once we got going, that is. For me

“That came out of restraint,” MacIntyre says. “We decided that was kind of the best way to do it. We knew it was going to be a very low-budget film. We knew we weren’t going to be able to do the creature effects for the whole time, even though it was going to be the focus of the story. So we came up with this idea so … about [half] of the film takes place with the monster and [half] takes place without the monster.”

Despite its shoestring budget, Patchwork never looks like anything less than a delightfully sadistic delight. Gory effects work rules the day – though MacIntyre says all the film’s yicky tricks were similarly pared-back and restricted. “[The monster] stabs herself in the eye

at one point, because we were convinced that make-up effect was going to be simpler because it’s much goopier. So once we figured out what we could afford one way or the other, we wrote backwards … We added in elements as we reverse-engineered the script.”

The real highlight of the film’s make-up work comes in the third act, during a particularly vicious rampage through a frat house that features several bros being gorily defenestrated. Though it will certainly provide the film’s biggest talking point come its screening at Sydney Film Festival – some of the violence will cue those great gaspout-loud moments that make the festival’s Freak Me Out section what it is – it originally wasn’t going to be in the film at all.

“It’s funny – that was one of my favourite scenes we wrote in the first draft,” MacIntyre says. “The week before production, we had to cut it because it was going to cost more than anything else in the film.

“So we shot all principal photography without that scene in it, and then we started to play it for people and it got really good responses, and the investor came back and was like, ‘How about that scene you loved? Let’s put it back in.’ So that was all shot in pick-ups.’”

It just goes to show – when there’s a window, there’s a way.

What: Patchwork (dir. Tyler MacIntyre) as part of Sydney Film Festival 2016 Where: Event Cinemas George Street / Dendy Newtown When: Wednesday June 8 / Tuesday June 14

xxx

James Marsters [TELEVISION] Agent Of Change By Tegan Jones

“D

o you want the answer that you want or do you want the truth?” asks James Marsters. Being a serious and hardhitting journalist, I have just asked my teenage crush what it was like kissing John Barrowman during his time on Torchwood. Marsters, also known as Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, will be hitting Australian shores again this month for Supanova, so we’re chatting geek culture and fandom. But for now, let’s get back to the slash fiction of my dreams.

“The answer that you want is – it was awesome! It was fabulous! It was the best kiss of my life,” says Marsters. “The truth is that I don’t really know – kissing for camera is so different to kissing for passion, because your face morphs and distorts so it’s no longer a good image. So it’s a very different process trying to create anything that is glamorous. The more glamorous it is, the more fake it is.

“Frankly, I don’t really enjoy love scenes – they’re kind of weird for me. When you’re showing up to do a sex act for money, I kind of wonder what my job description is,” he laughs. “I need someone I can trust to get me through something that’s a little uncomfortable, so on that level I would rather kiss John Barrowman rather than anyone else. I’d kiss him any day.”

My inner fangirl satiated, we move on to how Marsters has forged a career out of sci-fi and fantasy roles.

I wonder if this was always his goal, or simply how his career panned out.

“It was kind of synchronicity. I grew up avidly watching Star Trek and

18 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

Planet Of The Apes, which were the two things you could be a fan of. I mean, you could have been a fan of Space: 1999, but not if you were a fan of Star Trek because we hated each other. I also read comic books and went to conventions from my early teens, so I was a fanboy from way back.”

So how did a sci-fi geek end up playing an undead sex symbol on one of the most culturally significant shows of all time, Buffy? “I came to Los Angeles having played nerds on cop shows and Northern Exposure and stuff, and then I met Joss Whedon and he cast me as a cool guy on a vampire show. So it kinda just happened, but I was also able to put my heart into the material because I was very comfortable with it and always have been.”

Working the convention circuit is of course part of the territory when an actor stars in such fandom-heavy shows – I’m interested in hearing whether this is something that Marsters enjoys, particularly as a self-professed fanboy.

“I really do. I used to have a theatre company in northern Chicago and we always used to talk about how to build communities and get people in the same room. I think it’s ironic because having joined the beast down in Hollywood, I find myself helping to create large communities, both physical ones at conventions and online.”

He continues, “It’s one of the things that makes me the happiest – if I find out that it’s someone’s first convention I tell them to meet people, because there are more funny and intelligent people standing

right behind them than they would believe. The people on my side of the table, we’re weird but a little broken. We’re good for about 15 minutes, but the fans are the ones who are really cool. I always get into the most interesting conversations with them – I once met a man who worked on the Mars Rover and was dressed as a Wookie.”

As most fans will know, there is far more to these genres than initially meets the eye – they aren’t just highjinks in space. Fantasy and sci-fi are incredibly important tools that are often used for social change and to subvert the norm, which is one of Marsters’ favourite aspects of them.

“I tend to think of fantasy and sci-fi like a jester in a medieval court, because he was the only person who was allowed to call the king an idiot. As long as it was a joke, he got away with it. Because we have the veil of fantasy we can say things far more directly and sociologically than any other art form.

“One of my favourite titbits is how Star Wars is the most successful, subversive art commercially in the world. George Lucas thought of Apocalypse Now, that was his idea, and Star Wars has the same theme. The evil empire is America – they’re a technologically superior culture that’s bombing the poor people in the jungle. At the centre of Star Trek is the idea that we can allow ourselves to hope for the future – that is a powerful thing that totalitarian governments try to take away from people immediately.

Star Trek is all about the strength of diversity, tolerance and difference.

So many great ideas were exemplified by that TV series.”

Marsters feels privileged to have been part of the conversation through TV shows and films that have incited change in their own way.

“I was able to be on Buffy, which was a very subversive show in saying that women can defend themselves, or Torchwood, which said that gay people can be heroes, which at the time made people uncomfortable or even angry. These shows tend to talk about a lot and

attract people who want to talk about these issues.”

What: Supanova Pop Culture Expo 2016 With: Travis Fimmel, Juliet Landau, Brianna Hildebrand, Sean Astin and more Where: Sydney Showground When: Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19

thebrag.com

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Lucy Watson

T

his week, a series of important campaigns from ACON have launched with a focus on lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women’s health.

ACON, previously known as the AIDS Council of New South Wales, was founded in 1985 to fight the AIDS crisis of the time. Since then, while still fighting HIV (with a goal to end HIV transmissions in NSW by 2020), the organisation’s focus has broadened to encapsulate more health initiatives for LGBTI people in this state.

Last Wednesday night, in the cabaret room at the Imperial Hotel, there were more than just drag shows onstage (though there was a bit of that too – just not your average drag queen). Instead, packed into that back room was a crowd of people welcoming the launch of ACON’s #TalkTouchTest campaign, aimed at getting LBQ women to regularly screen for breast cancer.

Then this week, in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day, ACON launched its #SmokeFreeStillFierce campaign, aimed at cutting the rates of smoking in LBQ women.

Neither of these campaigns particularly relate to sexual health, which is what a lot of ACON’s previous work with women has been about. And that’s why these campaigns are so important. Each of them recognises that a health risk that faces all women affects LBQ women differently.

Despite being a higher risk group for breast cancer, LBQ women have typically and historically been under-screened for the illness. And LBQ women smoke at double the rate of their heterosexual counterparts, while young LBQ women (aged 18-24) smoke at three times the rate of young women generally.

Neither of these facts have a direct physical correlation with a person’s sexuality – but they stem from social stigmas. In the #TalkTouchTest campaign, ACON has recognised that LBQ women aren’t represented in typical breast cancer campaigns (even among all that pink and purple?!). And similarly, anti-smoking campaigns weren’t doing enough to capture the unique environment in which LBQ women smoke, and therefore why they do it.

So both campaigns have a unique dedication to representing our community. #TalkTouchTest launched with a photo shoot involving around 200 women in the Sydney queer community touching each other’s breasts, and

#SmokeFreeStillFierce features a diverse group of women hanging out outside The Red Rattler.

These campaigns speak to the heart of the community: its people. It’s easy to not feel included by general public health campaigns, just as it’s easy for an LBQ woman to feel pretty invisible for most of the year (Mardi Gras excluded). These campaigns are powerful in the way they actually speak to the community affected; the way they actually see LBQ women – not as a stereotype, or an idea of what an LBQ woman should look like.

Social stigmas translate to real health risks, and these campaigns prove as much. That women in our community feel less comfortable going to doctors – because of a bad experience in the past, or an unwillingness to come out, or even an assumption on the part of the doctor – is a social stigma that has meant LBQ women don’t get breast screens, pap smears or STI checks nearly as often as they should. By seeing the members of this community for who they really are, these campaigns aim to fight that stigma.

The Pointer Sisters

this week…

On Wednesday June 1 is the After pARTY at Freda’s, featuring 110%, Hissy Fit and LOMB. It’s an unofficial afterparty for all the gallery openings in the area and should be lots of fun.

On Friday June 3, Homosocial is on again at Secret Garden Bar, with a special disco-themed evening to coincide with The Pointer Sisters’ show next door at the Enmore Theatre.

thebrag.com

On Saturday June 4 is the return of House of Mince’s Danceteria edition of Goodgod Super Club as part of Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House. With rapper Junglepussy, Asmara and Baby Face Thrilla, this party should be killer.

Also on Saturday June 4, local artist Astrix Little is launching her new single ‘Neon Explosives’ at Tokyo Sing Song with the help of Wntd and Robustt.

For the diary: the Queen’s Birthday long weekend has a huge lineup of parties to get dancing to. On Sunday June 12, take your pick of Heaps Gay x Vivid (at the Factory Theatre), Bad Dog (at St George Sailing Club) or Pink Bubble (at The Red Rattler). All of the parties have huge lineups, particularly Heaps Gay, so snap up some tickets before they sell out.

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 19

bread&thread Food & Fashion News... with Zanda Wilson and Amy Henderson

A SEAT AT SYDNEY TABLE

The Sydney Table event series of bespoke dining experiences, under way now, is being curated Porteño

PUB LIFE EXPANDS

AROMA IN THE AIR

The Rocks Aroma Festival returns to Sydney on Sunday July 24, bringing back the best coffee and gourmet food to The Rocks. Uniting boutique roasters and coffee specialists, the festival will see live entertainment together with fashion and arts markets and gourmet food stalls, all in a day-long celebration by the harbour. The Aroma Festival also offers workshops for home brewers in the weeks leading up to the day itself, in which you can learn how to brew great coffee and get tips on a variety of flavour profiles. Visit therocks.com for more information.

ABOUT LIFE

Australia’s largest and fastestgrowing whole foods and lifestyle store About Life is set to open in Crows Next on Sydney’s North Shore this month. Providing customers with more than just a supermarket, it’s also a food and social hub complete with an in-store Nature’s Café – a selfservice food bar complete with ready-to-eat meals and Australia’s most extensive range of natural and organic groceries. The new Crows Nest location of About Life will join other stores in Bondi, Cammeray, Double Bay, Rozelle, Surry Hills and more. For more information about what’s available, head to aboutlife.com.au.

HENRY ON A HIGH

A new concept café kitchen and collaborative space called Henry Lee’s has opened within the recently developed arts precinct in Redfern. The new café complements other existing businesses in the space including Cake Wines Cellar Door, and

by some of Sydney’s most exciting creative gastronomic talents. In collaboration with Vivid Sydney, Carriageworks is presenting seven unique dining experiences.

Each dinner will see 50 guests treated to an evening hosted by some of Australia’s most outstanding proprietors of food, music, art and design. Local produce will be sourced from the Carriageworks Farmers Market, prepared by world-class chefs and paired with local wines in order to showcase some of the best produce that NSW has to offer. Sydney Table continues until Saturday June 18. See carriageworks.com.au for details.

design collectives the Frost Collective and Massive Interactive.

Henry Lee’s is run by Kath and Aaron Devaney, who have owned and operated several bakeries and cafés since their time living on the Central Coast, and their newly curated menu features a range of artisan producers including The Urban Beehive, LP’s Quality Meats, The Grifter Brewing Co. and Poor Tims Gins. For the new Henry Lee’s menu and more head to henrylees.com.au.

HUNTER GATHERER

North Sydney has recently welcomed the latest project from the owners of The Corner House and Panama House in Bondi. Hunter Gatherer is a fresh new eatery and bar located on the rooftop of Greenwood Plaza, hosting a new handcrafted, constantly rotating menu exclusively featuring fresh, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients and ethical produce by Michelin-trained head chef Paul ‘Mick’ Micklewright. The bar features a slew of craft beers, as

VIVID NIGHT MARKETS

Carriageworks is set to do its part in conjunction with Vivid Sydney by facilitating The Night Market, a series of evenings of food and wine to celebrate the local produce and exemplary talent found across New South Wales. Inspired by the theme of ‘Cooking With Fire’, the large-scale culinary and cultural event will see some of the industry’s most respected names cooking over live flames, bringing delectable smells and atmosphere to some crisp winter nights.

Utilising purely local produce, the culinary creations on offer will be a testament to the quality produce and internationally renowned skill of the chefs across our home state. With local representatives on call to answer all questions, every imaginable detail on the production of all the ingredients and wine will be easily discovered. Archie Rose, Billy Kwong, Cake Wines, Cornersmith, Efendy, Icebergs, Pepe Saya, Porteño, Single Origin Roasters, Thievery and Young Henrys constitute just some of the 50 vendors set to grace The Night Market on Saturday June 4 and Saturday June 18.

EL CAMINO CANTINA

The team behind Sydney’s renaissance movement of pub food and iconic burgers has seen fi t to open up a new venue. That’s right: Pub Life Kitchen and all its goodness is set to provide more nourishing meals from its

new vantage point at the Ruby L’otel, Rozelle. Knowing what’s good for you and your tum, the team from PLK and their intrepid leader Jovan Curic have been cooking up a plan to bring more hearty meals, quality ambience and downright solid chill times to patrons who are in need of food they can understand and rely on.

The bistro menu sports braised beef cheeks with truffled potato purée and Serrano ham, pies and pastries for days, peas and gravy, and pumpkin and walnut tortellini with sage and burnt butter, just to name a few. The burgers, they still reigneth from their protein and energy throne. The one and only Don Ruby (comprising a salt aged patty, American cheese, McClures pickles, black garlic and truffle aioli) is waiting for your eyes, nose and taste buds to experience contented bliss. The O.G burger and other favourites are on the menu as well. Irresistible.

Capriccio

ITALIAN DINING SERIES

Leichardt Italian restaurant Capriccio has launched a series of regionally themed dinners to continue until August. On the first Tuesday of each month, the acclaimed restaurant will provide diners with a five-course sharing menu complete with matching wines. The food and wine will be paired based on the regional theme of each night, and there will be special guest hosts from each region on hand to provide some insight and anecdotes about the food of their home. Upcoming sittings include Sardegna (Tuesday June 7), Amalfi Coast (Tuesday July 5) and Liguria (Tuesday August 2). Bookings are essential – to secure your place or for more information, visit capricciosydney.com.

restaurant of the week

Eye candy: Melissa Collison is the interior designer behind El Camino Cantina. However, much of the inspiration came from Urban Purveyor Group CEO Thomas Pash. Tom came to Australia from the US about 18 months ago. He lived and worked in Austin, Texas for many years and is a Texan at heart! His first hospitality job at the age of 14 was in a Tex-Mex restaurant. He shipped several containers full of decorative items and accessories from the US to fi t-out the restaurant, including two restored 1957 Chevy trunks, from which customers can help themselves to complimentary chips and salsa.

Who’s the cook/bartender?

We have a very talented culinary team at El Camino Cantina, led by Urban Purveyor Group (which owns this Tex-Mex mecca) culinary director Martin Heierling and his right-hand man, corporate executive chef Damien Brassel. Both have impressive culinary credentials, having worked in Michelin starred kitchens across the globe.

20 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

Flavours: We serve gusty and fl avourful Tex-Mex food (not to be mistaken with Mexican!).

We’re talking chilli-fuelled classics such as tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and burritos, as well as a ghost chilli BBQ burger and chicken wings made with the world’s hottest

chillies. There’s also a child-friendly menu, including a grilled chicken burrito, crispy fi sh taco and a grilled Angus beef burger.

Something to start with: All of our appetisers are lip-smackers!

The jalapeño poppers are proving to be a winner, and you can’t go wrong with our nachos, ghost pepper chicken wings and queso fundido. Another highlight is the complimentary chips and salsas, all day every day.

The main course: If you can’t decide which main to choose (and we often can’t decide ourselves), try one of our four combo meals, which include a selection of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, salads and carne asada (or dishes from the grill).

Room for dessert?

Our end-of-meal sugar hits include crisp churros tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with cajeta (vanilla salted caramel), and spiced dark chocolate pudding with dulce de leche.

Care for a drink?

When it comes to ordering a drink, you’ve got to make it a margarita! We serve them frozen and on the rocks, in original, strawberry and mango fl avours. An upgrade to a Cadillac Margarita – with a Grand Marnier fl oat – is a must.

Sounds: Our resident mariachi band performs every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. A revolving lineup of rock’n’roll DJs every Friday and Saturday night promise to blow your cowboy boots right off.

Make us drool: This mecca for Tex-Mex lovers promises to be more rowdy than a rodeo. With enough neon signs to light up the Vegas strip, El Camino Cantina is unashamedly Tex-Mex, from the food to the drinks and from the music to the décor. We have all the Tex-Mex classics, including tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and burritos. Our freshly shaken and frozen Margaritas headline a stellar drinks list that includes imported Mexican and house-brewed craft beers, and over 100 different tequila and mezcal.

The bill comes to: $70 (with the biggest combo meal option) Website: elcaminocantina.com.au

thebrag.com

El Camino Cantina food and beverage photos by Jane Kelly Photography / Venue photo by Kai Leishman

ADDRESS: 18 ARGYLE ST, THE ROCKS / OPENING HOURS: SUN – THU 11:30AM-MIDNIGHT; FRI – SAT 11:30AM-3AM They’ve worked together for a very long time and have opened numerous restaurants together, including Tex-Mex ventures in the United States. Their amigo chef de cuisine Gabor Denes is a longstanding chef with the business and has travelled extensively, so brings worldwide experience to the El Camino kitchen.

Porteño photo by Andrew Quilty

well as local spirits and cocktails, with a focus on organic and biodynamic wines. To book or to view the current menu check out thehungergatherer.net.

The Rocks Aroma Festival

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK LUBOMYR MELNYK Illirion Sony Classical

A few years ago I was living in Coventry, England.

Though I had a room in a share house, I barely used it. I preferred to live and sleep in the freezing cold shed out the back. I’d sit out there chainsmoking, trying and failing to decide what I was going to do with my life.

The latest record from the pioneering ‘continuous pianist’ makes a fleeting yet heavy impact.

HARLEIGHBLU Futurespective Tru Thoughts

Smooth, sensual and brimming with attitude: these are just the first three thoughts that spring to mind about this record. With a voice that skates between Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu, Harleighblu’s combination of hip hop and electronic soul breathes a welcome breath of authenticity into the pop world.

But her voice is just a piece of this puzzle. Production from the likes of J-Felix, Audio Sparks and Brother Mike, among others, provides the bars that match Harleighblu’s feisty vocal temperament, but also shine a light on her many sides. Where the opening track ‘Real Good’ is a plodding and bulky track with Spectrasoul’s clunky, echoing, percussive production, it’s followed by far simpler funk undertones on ‘MMM’ courtesy Dr. Zygote’s understated touch.

The album continues in this contrasting motion, with other standout tracks including ‘I’ (featuring Lost Midas), which harbours beautiful vocal harmonies and a more subdued performance from Harleighblu. ‘Tell ’Em’ shows off soulful production, with a crystal clear amalgamation of a funky bassline and electronic glitches and flourishes.

Then, one day, a fox appeared in the garden. He spent a few days testing me out, evaluating me.

Eventually, following whatever strange whim it is that guides the business of foxes, he came into the shed.

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD Soulrocker Fantasy/Universal Life sure has mellowed Michael Franti. The Spearhead frontman started his musical career in the late ’80s pushing punk rap. Jumping forward a couple of decades and the punk is gone – as is much of the rap, for that matter – and in their stead is a mash-up of reggae, dance, funk, rock, hip hop and folk.

With a correspondingly more mainstream sound, Franti’s sociopolitical message of peace and acceptance became more accessible. And perhaps even over time it included more and more of the warm and fuzzy stuff; those notions of universal love. No surprises, then, that the band’s ninth studio album Soulrocker continues in this vein.

Produced by Jamaica’s Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor and Dwayne ‘Supa Dups’ ChinQuee (Bruno Mars, John Legend), Soulrocker opens with the feel-good ‘Crazy For You’.

It then gives way to some serious Avicii/Kygo vibes in the way of ‘My Lord’, ‘Get Myself To Saturday’ and ‘We Are All Earthlings’. These tunes sit curiously next the conceptually denser tracks like the Lennon‘Imagine’-lite ‘Good To Be Alive Today’ and ‘Love Will Find A Way’.

During the day, he’d sleep in there. I would sit and watch him. He didn’t like me smoking – he would leave as soon as I sparked up a cigarette – so I stopped. He’d rouse around dusk, give me a quiet, gentle stare, and then saunter out into the yard.

And every morning when I awoke he’d be back, curled up in the corner. Until one morning he wasn’t. And I never saw him again.

That’s what Illirion is. It’s a strange, tender, beautiful thing – unexplainable, the servant of no master. It is Lubomyr Melnyk’s finest album, but it doesn’t even feel like an album. It’s just this thing that enters your life, shares a little room with you, and then moves on, leaving the tiniest scraps of beauty behind.

Joseph Earp

SAOSIN

MOSSY

BABAGANOUJ

Along The Shadow Epitaph

Mossy I Oh You

Pillar Of Light Independent

All it takes is the first few seconds of screeching guitar lines that drop into the incessant chug of post-hardcore riffage and it feels like 2009 all over again. Yet as soon as the vocals kick in on ‘The Silver String’, the opening track from Saosin’s first offering in seven years, you realise there is just one major difference.

Mossy’s self-titled EP is a threat whispered with longing – a curse disguised as a platitude. Beneath its shimmering surface, something dreaded patiently waits, and though the five tracks never outwardly project evil, they vaguely reek of it, like a corpse just starting to sour.

A unique mix of pleasure and pain, Babaganouj’s Pillar Of Light is the auditory equivalent of an ice-cream headache, a shot of sugar-loaded delight that comes with its own distinct measure of aching. It’s sad, and it struggles, but by its conclusion one is left resolutely uplifted.

It’s this interplay between the uttered and the unspoken that gives the piece its power. The vague edge on romantic opener ‘Electric Chair’ proves transformative, turning what could have been a fairly run-of-themill slice of synthpop into something endearingly wretched. ‘Waterfall’ stakes its claim in the same territory, and the Xanax-addled chorus is as oddly moving as it is eerie.

Unusually for an EP recorded by an up-and-coming band, it’s not a musical CV – rather, it’s a stunningly self-contained work, one with its own thrilling internal logic. ‘Would You Like Me’ mixes radio-friendly riffs with a heavy measure of fuzz, blowing pop constraints outwards, whereas ‘Awhile’ is like a Cruisers commercial directed by Ingmar Bergman – all calypso riffs and unceasing reminders of man’s mortality.

Yet most impressively, Mossy never allows the ethereal to become the unsubstantial. Jamie Timony, the man behind the moniker, has a fine ear for pop hooks, and the rigid, iron-ore melodies dotted throughout ‘Shipping Yard’ are genuinely infectious. It’s commercial fare made as non-commercially as possible – a velvet glove cast in iron.

This is music that cares about you, an EP that draws a target on its listener’s heart and aims for bullseyes. But more than that, it’s sincere. It’s earnest and it’s unashamed, and a song like ‘Do Rite With Me Tonite’ gains true power after each sweep of its cap-in-hand chorus.

No, it’s not a minute person with a miniscule voice box squeaking melodically at you. Nor is it Cove Reber, Saosin’s second vocalist.

Original dude and Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green has returned to the fold, and throughout this album there are moments where that decision seems plausible.

Tracks like ‘Count Back From Ten’, with its chorus in equal parts screaming and singing, slower ballad ‘Sore Distress’ and the chugging, bombastic sound of ‘Illusion & Control’ see a sweet fusion between their urgent sounds and Green’s tender yet whiny vocal range.

But a major theme throughout this album is the feeling of mismatch between him and the heavy instruments that back him up.

Futurespective may not be an overly flowing piece of work, but it definitely showcases the diverse talents of a star on the rise.

It all makes Soulrocker a little rocky on cohesion but heavy on positive energy.

Call me Camp Cove, but these shortfalls add up to a product that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

It’s pretty, and it’s piercing, and every one of its blows finds a new, softer patch of skin to rest on. It wants to hurt you. And before long you’ll realise that’s exactly what you want too.

Chelsea Deeley

Anita Connors

Chelsea Deeley

Joseph Earp

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK There’s something not quite right about Classic Connection. That’s not meant to be a criticism – in fact, the album’s delicate derangement is its great strength. It’s both endearing and gross, like a wide-eyed toddler crowning themselves with a handful of mud.

CIGGIE WITCH Classic Connection Lost & Lonesome

thebrag.com

It’s all form versus function, ego versus id, surface versus subtext. The whole record is two things happening at the same time, over and over, and a song like ‘When I Say Jimpy’ marries a flat, neutered delivery with the most polished chord progressions this side of Mac DeMarco’s Salad Days. It’s pop and pop’s very opposite: the record Taylor Swift might have made if she spent four years dropping acid in the desert.

Sure, the very nature of the thing means it’s a thrilling, manic mess – but who cares? When did we start confusing predictability with integrity? ‘Scooter Pants’ is like an episode of Play School hosted by Stephen Malkmus, and ‘Get Away’ is a lurching, spittle-and-sparklesoaked fever dream. Not one song sounds like the one that precedes it: the whole album is one long U-turn.

Classic Connection doesn’t so much end as it does transcend to the next plane. One minute it’s here and the next it’s gone, reeking of absinthe and lurching towards heaven.

None of this is for show. Pillar Of Light isn’t an exhibition, or a desperate plea for the blogosphere’s attention. It’s the sound of a band making music it likes, hoping perhaps you might like it too. And on that level it is an unmitigated success.

Joseph Earp

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

HIATUS KAIYOTE - Choose Your Weapon DAVID BOWIE - Diamond Dogs THE SHINS - Wincing The Night Away

ARCADE FIRE - Refl ektor RATATAT - Magnifi que

Joseph Earp BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 21

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

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

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

VIOLENT SOHO, DZ DEATHRAYS, DUNE RATS, THE GOOCH PALMS Enmore Theatre Friday May 27 For the last date of their WACO Tour, Violent Soho’s performance was less of a show and more of a catch-all celebration of the Australian punk rock revival, which the Mansfield four-piece just happen to be at the centre of.

Kicking off proceedings, Newcastle duo The Gooch Palms followed the timehonoured tradition of two-pieces that perform with the energy of their first live set and the urgency of their last. The pair did well to win over the early attendees with a snappy performance comprised of lean punk anthems delivered with an anachronistic charm and, to their credit, the strongest vocal performance of the evening.

Playing to a near-capacity crowd by time they got onstage, Dune Rats launched into their joyously simple stoner rock without a second’s hesitation. Among the setlist of catchy, driving pop punk songs lay a surprisingly well-executed cover of ‘Blister In The Sun’ that unified the agediverse crowd through sing-along, even if for a few minutes. Add in some onstage antics, including one lucky fan being invited up onstage to do a shoey, and it

was clear to the audience that yes, this Brisbane band alone was worth the price of admission.

Things started to move further from the dumb and fun and more towards the technical with DZ Deathrays. The lights grew darker, as did the energy somewhat, but the masterful punk rock continued to flow forth from centre stage. The only low point in an otherwise impressive set was a stylistically dubious cover choice in Blur’s ‘Song 2’, further worsened by a confused guitar arrangement that fell in and out of key. The trio quickly recovered with a rousing ‘Gina Works At Hearts’, however, and all was forgiven.

Violent Soho took the stage to an ecstatic reception. Even with Luke Boerdam’s declining vocals, the band settled into a groove quickly, carefully balancing the restrained punk anthems and the all-out assaults. This ebb and flow didn’t affect the room’s energy, however, with light fittings and decor shaking amidst the great movement on the floor.

Dune Rats, The Gooch Palms and DZ Deathrays took to the stage once more to take turns jumping into the crowd as Soho delivered an uncompromising ‘Covered In Chrome’ to cap off the night.

The 1,600-odd ‘Yeah!’s in the room won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Lachlan Wyllie

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

party profile

newtown social club 2nd birthday party It’s called: Newtown Social Club 2nd Birthd ay Party It sounds like: Balloons bursting, temper tantru ms and the sweet music of tender youth. Imagine a fantasy fiesta of every thing you love about Aussie music.

Acts: Richard In Your Mind, Betty & Oswald, Slumberhaze, Mario Speedwagon plus heaps more.

Sell it to us: Local music legends will be rockin g across two stages to celebrate the band room turning two (aww!).

We’ve put together a killer lineup with a secret headliner (shhh). There will be fairy bread*.

The bit we’ll remember in the AM: Like your first love, you’ll remember all of it – always. Some of you with a wistful fondness, some of you with confusion and regret, but you’ll all remember how bloody awesome it was.

Crowd specs: The Inner West’s native fauna , more unique and diverse than that of the Galapagos, and anyone who knows where it’s at.

Wallet damage: In proportion to your appet ite for indulgence. Entry is free! Captain Morgan and Young Henrys will be flowing all day and night.

Tasty food available from 12pm-10pm.

Where: 387 King St, Newtown When: Sunday June 5 *There will not be fairy bread.

22 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

BON IVER Sydney Opera House Friday May 27 Author of two of the most sparkling records of the past decade, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has been in deep hibernation of late, lending this Friday night show a real sense of occasion.

Playing in the round, with the band members assembled in a rough circle and a spectacular art installation hanging above them, it begins with Vernon alone in a beam of light, harmonising with his own looped vocals on ‘Woods’ and creating layers of echo with Auto-Tune.

In honour of the special occasion and iconic venue, it’s an extended set, including a rarely played pair of songs from the Blood Bank EP. ‘Beach Baby’ is a gem of lugubrious minimalism, with swirling vocals and a rumbling double bassline, while the EP’s title track is reworked as a sludgy groove before transitioning into something almost aggressive.

It’s not the only song given a radical revamp. On ‘Calgary’ the tempo is dropped and Vernon’s soaring vocals are reined in to a more throaty register.

‘Hinnom, TX’ similarly changes shape

from the record, becoming a fluid creation with burbling beats and backing vocals moved to the foreground.

There are also a couple of covers, with ‘Steady’, a song by tonight’s backing singers The Staves, featuring interlocking vocal lines and swelling harmonies. On Bonnie Raitt tearjerker ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, Vernon trades verses with organist/singer Sean Carey to great effect.

While Vernon’s lyrics often tend to the oblique and poetic, his incredibly emotive voice keeps things engaging, and on ‘Holocene’, a gorgeous reflection on insignificance, the effect is almost overwhelming. Even better is a magnificently raw-throated version of ‘Skinny Love’, which leaves the crowd in awed silence.

‘Heavenly Father’ arrives during the encore, before everyone onstage huddles around a single microphone to deliver ‘For Emma’. It’s a fittingly emotive end to a wondrous show, in which Vernon has recreated some of the jaw-dropping beauty of his records as well as being audacious enough to recast some of the most perfectionist music of a generation into bold new shapes.

Daniel Herborn

thebrag.com

snap sn ap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

up all night out all week . . .

game on Gaming news and reviews with Adam Guetti

JUN 2016

What's On Supanova Pop Culture Expo

Calling all lovers of movies, television, games, comics and… pretty much anything pop-culture-related, for Supanova Pop Culture Expo is back in town. Running since 2000, Supanova borrows a little something from everywhere and places it in Sydney Showground for your enjoyment. There are upcoming video games to play, merchandise to buy and a cavalcade of superstars to see. In fact, this year’s lineup is filled to the brim, including Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s James Marsters, The Lord Of The Rings’ Sean Astin, Deadpool’s Brianna Hildebrand, Game Of Thrones’ Eugene Simon, voice actor extraordinaire Troy Baker (The Last Of Us, BioShock Infinite), and the star of the upcoming Warcraft film, Travis Fimmel. The show runs from Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19, with tickets starting from $28 at supanova.com.au/ tickets.

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016

Before you get too excited, no, you won’t actually be able to attend this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), namely because it’s all the way in sunny Los Angeles from Tuesday June 14 – Thursday June 16. As a video game fan, however, that shouldn’t matter one iota.

That’s because E3 is arguably the biggest event in the video game calendar, at which most of the major publishers take to the stage to announce their upcoming slate of blockbusters. Most demos and press conferences from the show can be streamed online live, so grab a warm blanket, brew yourself a coffee and settle in for what is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Review: Battleborn (PS4, XBO, PC)

I

f you were to ask Gearbox, the studio would claim that – despite sharing many similarities – its new title Battleborn is not a MOBA. So much so, in fact, that Gearbox overlord Randy Pitchford instead described the game as an “FPS; hobby-grade co-op campaign; genre-blended, multimode competitive e-sports; meta-growth, choice [plus] epic Battleborn Heroes.” Irrespective of your confusion level after processing that, the final product is an often entertaining, yet flawed romp.

PICS :: DC

live at the sly

The basic set-up is simple: a mysterious evil race has been taking out all the stars in the universe, leading all remaining civilisations to take refuge around the last star, Solus.

Eventually, however, the evil focuses all its efforts on said star, leading a whopping 25-hero roster to band together to defend it – by combining first-person shooting and hand-to-hand combat in, what is in all honesty, a very MOBA-inspired playground.

26:05:16 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

The characters certainly have a distinct Gearbox feel to them (everything from a longbowwielding wood elf to a robotic butler), the combat is gratifying, and there’s a heavy dose of welcome humour, but the whole game just lacks that core spark.

Interestingly enough, one of Battleborn’s bigger downfalls is actually its viewpoint. By placing the action in first person, it makes keeping track of everything around you a difficult process, especially if all ten players are creating a commotion simultaneously.

Give it some time and there’s a lot to like about Battleborn, but maybe a sequel can help refine its overwhelmingly chaotic nature.

Review: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

N

aughty Dog has always been viewed as best in class when it comes to narrativedriven, immersive storytelling. This is the team that challenges Hollywood, and in some cases, betters it. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is no different. From start to finish, not only is it deeply absorbing and effective, but it’s a visual powerhouse filled with landscapes that will make you gasp and character models likely to send your jaw to the floor. Without question, this is the most beautiful game on PS4 and one of the most gorgeous in the medium, period.

Without spoiling too much, A Thief’s End thrusts Nate into life post-Uncharted 3 as the charming explorer settles into life with Elena, although perhaps not as successfully as one would hope. Regardless, retirement is quickly interrupted when his brother Sam, whom he previously thought had been killed on a job, returns with claims that his life is in danger. The only solution, of course, is for the pair to pick up where that job left off.

Cue some of the greatest third person action to grace a video game console, despite the fact that scenes actually aren’t as consistently bombastic as A Thief’s End’s predecessors, valuing pace over explosions. Shooting is also less floaty than Drake’s Deception and the addition of a grappling hook adds another dimension atop the series’ already stellar climbing mechanics.

Then there is Naughty Dog’s decision to open up levels more than ever before. With greater flexibility on how to reach destinations, exploring the game’s environments feels like a freer experience, even if you’re still fundamentally following a relatively linear path.

Once you’ve watched the final credits roll on the campaign, there’s always multiplayer to dive into, and as luck would have it, it’s pretty darn enjoyable. Gallivanting about luscious stages as you track down foes can be a blast, especially in light of the grappling hook and brand new supernatural Mysticals. The mode definitely lacks the depth of a competitive-focused title like Call Of Duty, but if you’re not ready to bid farewell to Naughty Dog’s series just yet, there’s a tonne to keep you going.

PICS :: AM

models + machinations + dave mason 29:05:16 :: Enmore Theatre :: 118-132 Enmore Rd Newtown 9550 3666 thebrag.com

Eventually, it will all come to an end, but if this indeed Naughty Dog’s final expedition, then it acts as one hell of a swansong.

A refinement on what’s come before and an instant classic worthy of a place in everybody’s collection.

Adam Guetti

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 23

g g guide gig g

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com

pick of the week Richard In Your Mind

Newtown. 7pm.

Free.

Slide McBride Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm.

Free.

The Snakemen Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

8:30pm. Free.

FRIDAY JUNE 3 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

SUNDAY JUNE 5 Newtown Social Club N

Newtown Social Club 2nd Birthday Big White + Richard In Your Mind + Betty & Oswald + More 12pm. Free.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Manouche Wednesday - feat:

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Hammerhead Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm.

Free.

THURSDAY JUNE 2 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Gin + Jazz Busby, Woolloomooloo.

6pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Anthony Charlton Australian Arms Hotel, Penrith.

8:30pm. Free.

Ginger’s Jam - feat: Various Bands Oxford Hotel, Darlinghurst.

7:30pm. Free.

24 :: BRAG :: 664 :: 25:05:16

Harbourview Hulabaloo - feat: Zack Martin + Kenneth D’Aran + Chris Brookes + Dennis Jaculli Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm.

Free.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

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

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

All The Colours Hotel Steyne Manly, Manly. 7pm. Free.

Bears With Guns Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm.

Free.

Caravãna Sun + Letters To Lion + Hollow Coves Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

7pm. $18.

Christa Hughs + Leonie Cohen Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $33.

Deafheaven Sydney Opera

House, Sydney.

7:30pm. $39.

Death Bells Golden Age Cinema, Surry Hills.

11pm. Free.

Furious Monk + Hawkmoth + Buffalo Trio Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Glenn Esmond Crown Hotel, Sydney. 4:30pm.

Free.

Live & Original @ The Merc - feat: Lucas Hendriks + Yk Trio The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks.

8:30pm. Free.

Live At The Sly feat: Yessac And Friends + Eush + Tim McMahon Slyfox, Enmore.

7:30pm. Free.

Muso’s Club Jam Night - feat: Finn Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm.

Free.

New Order + ACO Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $79.

No Refunds Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

8pm. Free.

Roadhouse Rockabilly Night Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen,

Deafheaven

Archie Roach Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $63.50.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Oliver Thorpe Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

9pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Aaradhna - feat: Leonard Charles Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $33.80.

Max Richter: Sleep Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

11:30pm. $195.

Suite Az Fridays + DJ Troy T The Arthouse, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

SATURDAY JUNE 4 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Stormcellar Town Hall Hotel, Sydney. 10pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Bakoomba + Epizo Bangoura The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $24.30.

Esperanza Spalding Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9pm. $39.

Max Richter: Sleep Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

11:30pm. $195.

The Sugarcanes + Loose Tooth + Lily So & The Bellows Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $9.50.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Alfredo Malabello The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free.

Bad Pony Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.60.

Batfoot! - feat: Nerdlinger + Laura Palmer + Steel City Allstars + Thrash

Bears Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

Cakewalk Cassette Release + Led + Uncle Axel Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12pm. $10.

Cubans In Whistler Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

8pm. Free.

Dee Minor & The Dischords Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

8pm. $20.

Forenzics + Fabels + Codakrohm The Record Crate, Glebe. 2pm. $10.

Glenn Esmond Scruffy Murphy’s Hotel, Sydney. 4pm.

Free.

Jonathan Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. Free.

KLP Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15.

Michael Kopp The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm.

Free.

New Order + ACO Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $79.

Paul Gray & Friends Do ‘Blue Eyed Soul’ Museum Of Contemporary Art, The Rocks. 6pm.

Free.

Royal Tennyson - feat: Bleeding Gums Murphy The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.

Soundscape Festival - feat: Roland Tings + Sons Of The East + World Champion + Winston Surfshirt + Borneo + The Kava Kings + Two Age + Mount Zamia + The Suins + Locus Cadre + The Realmers + Strange Associates + This + DJs Ando & Carbs + Mannx Cripps + K-Rex + Louke

Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $40.

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

Ted Nash Panania Hotel, Panania. 8:30pm.

Free.

The Loaded Six Strings Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 9pm.

Free.

The Local Brew Paddo RSL, Paddington. 8pm.

Free.

The Pointer Sisters Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $89.

The Smokey Berets The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $5.

Visions Festival - feat: Kirin J Callinan + Deep Sea Arcade + Montaigne + Gideon Bensen + These New South Whales + Flyying Colours + The Pinheads + All The Colours + Pretty City Montes Jura + Hedge Fund + The Jim Mitchells Lord Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale.

12pm. Free.

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

SUNDAY JUNE 5 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

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

Nat James + Emad Younan Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

6pm. Free.

Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding photo by Holly Andres

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

Muso’s Club Jam Night - feat: Jim Finn Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. Free.

New Order Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $79.

Tekno Satisfaction + Wrist Takers + Los Pintar The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $5.

Tiny Ruins Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7:30pm. $30.

Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

Dave Debs Lord Raglan Hotel, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

Flamin’ Beauties Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free.

Geoff Davies The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

High Tide Sound System Presents feat: Vapourwave + Cloud Rap + Future Funk + Cyberpunk Ibis + Yul + Daisey + Lumino + Chad Tha Don Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm.

Free.

Jackie Brown Jr Tokyo Sing Song, Newtown. 10pm.

Free.

Jeff Martin + Matt Boylan Smith The Basement, Circular Quay.

7:30pm. $44.70.

Michael Fryar Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm.

Free.

Moving Pictures Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 8pm. $30.75.

Odyssey (The Live Recording Project) - feat: Darren Percival + Bill Risby Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $23.

Poliça Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

7:30pm. $39.

Radio Birdman Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $44.

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

Rufflefeather + Shamanic + Sundown State Waywards, Newtown. 7pm. Free.

Ted Nash 99 On York, Sydney.

5:30pm. Free.

The Byzanites Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt.

8pm. Free.

The Great Gig In The Sky - feat: Simon Meli + Juliane Disisto + Mark Dacosta + Lozz Benson Dee Why RSL, Dee Why. 8pm. $32.50.

The Smith Street Band + Luca Brasi + Joelistics + Jess Locke Band Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $33.90.

Unlocking The Doors Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. Free.

FOLK

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & thebrag.com

g g guide g

gig picks

up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Songsonstage - feat: Andrew Denniston + Kids With Working Mums Red Lion Hotel, Rozelle. 4pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Gary Johns Trio Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm.

Free.

Glenn Esmond Panania Diggers, Panania. 12pm.

Free.

King Curly + Soursob Bob The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 5pm. $7.

Leonardo’s Bride + David Lane Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $40.

Lonesome Train Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3pm. Free.

New Order Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $79.

Newtown Social Club 2nd Birthday - feat: Big White + Richard In Your Mind + Slumberhaze + Betty & Oswald + Mario Speedwagon & The Spectacles Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

12pm. Free.

Paul Hayward And

His Sidekicks Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham.

5pm. Free.

Release The Hounds - feat: The Reveries + From Oslo + Former Angels Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

The Ataris Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $49.90.

The Fossicks + Deadliners + Maximon + Shnand Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10.

The JP Project Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 3pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Claude Hay Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $20.

Mulatu Astake The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $49.80.

The House Of Who - feat: Mike Who Cake Wines Cellar Door, Redfern.

3:30pm. $16.67.

MONDAY JUNE 6 JAZZ, SOUL,

FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm.

Free.

The Monday Jam - feat: The New Ojezz House Band + Local DJs The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $5.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

John Maddox Duo Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

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

Songsonstage feat: Russel Neal + Dennis Jaculli Kelly’s On King, Newtown. 7:30pm.

Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Above & Beyond Acoustic Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

4pm. $109.95.

Paul Winn Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm.

Free.

TUESDAY JUNE 7

New Order

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Barb Jungr Presents Hard Rain: The Songs Of Bob Dylan And Leonard Cohen The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $70.30.

Co Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free.

Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Bandsonstage Ruby Tuesday feat: Russel Neal + Guests Ruby L’otel, Rozelle.

7:30pm. Free.

Live & Originals feat: Various Artists Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

7pm. Free.

Live Music @ Manning Manning Bar, Camperdown. 3pm.

Free.

Songsonstage - feat: Ingrid Mae + Guests Lord Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale. 7pm.

Free.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 SATURDAY JUNE 4 New Order Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $79.

Tiny Ruins Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7:30pm. $30.

Esperanza Spalding Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9pm. $39.

Caravãna Sun + Letters To Lion + Hollow Coves Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $18.

KLP Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15.

Deafheaven Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7:30pm. $39.

Live At The Sly - Feat: Yessac And Friends + Eush + Tim Mcmahon Slyfox, Enmore. 7:30pm. Free.

Archie Roach Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $63.50.

Jackie Brown Jr Tokyo Sing Song, Newtown. 10pm. Free.

Jeff Martin + Matt Boylan Smith The Basement, Circular Quay. 7:30pm. $44.70.

01 June

Moving Pictures Bridge Hotel, Rozelle. 8pm. $30.75.

thu

02 (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

June

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

03

The Great Gig In The Sky - feat: Simon Meli + Juliane Disisto + Mark Dacosta + Lozz Benson Dee Why RSL, Dee Why. 8pm. $32.50.

June

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

sat

04

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

sun

3:00PM  6:00PM

June

05

The Smith Street Band + Luca Brasi + Joelistics + Jess Locke Band Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $33.90.

Soundscape Festival - Feat: Roland Tings + Sons Of The East + World Champion + Winston Surfshirt + Borneo + The Kava Kings + Two Age + Mount Zamia + The Suins + Locus Cadre + The Realmers + Strange Associates + This + DJs Ando & Carbs + Mannx Cripps + K-Rex + Louke Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $40.

The Pointer Sisters Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $89.

The Sugarcanes + Loose Tooth + Lily So & The Bellows Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $9.50.

Visions Festival - Feat: Kirin J Callinan + Deep Sea Arcade + Montaigne + Gideon Bensen + These New South Whales + Flyying Colours + The Pinheads + All The Colours + Pretty City Montes Jura + Hedge Fund + The Jim Mitchells Lord Gladstone Hotel, Chippendale.

12pm. Free.

SUNDAY JUNE 5 Leonardo’s Bride + David Lane Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $40.

Release The Hounds - feat: The Reveries + From Oslo + Former Angels Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

The Ataris Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $49.90.

3:00PM  6:00PM

June

(8:30PM - 12:00AM)

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

mon

06 June

Poliça Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7:30pm. $39.

Radio Birdman Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $44.

fri

Dee Minor & The Dischords Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt. 8pm. $20.

THURSDAY JUNE 2

FRIDAY JUNE 3

wed

Bad Pony Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $11.60.

tue

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

07 June

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

The Smith Street Band

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 664 :: 25:05:16 :: 25

brag beats

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

dance music news club, dance and hip hop in brief... with James Di Fabrizio, Keiren Jolly and Amy Henderson

five things WITH

Banoffee

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

Growing Up 1.

I was absolutely blessed with more than enough

INNER SPACE

While Sydney’s open air will be filled with lights and projections, the Arthouse Hotel will voyage to Inner Space – another immersive multimedia extravaganza for this year’s Vivid Festival.

Coté’s projections will transform the walls of the Arthouse on Saturday June 11, with music from Arapu working in unison with the visuals. The sensory feast begins 9pm and runs until 4am (!) the next morning. It’s all thanks to the organising efforts of Sydney crews S.A.S.H and Mantra Collective. So as expected, the rest of the music and entertainment of Inner Space will be supplied by members and friends of the two teams. Names on the bill include Gabby, Jake Hough, Datura, Matt Weir, Jac Frier, Kerry Wallace and Le Brond.

music with my parents. They had an exceptional record collection – everything from early baroque to the pop music of the time. They had jazz, soul, blues, world music and plenty of it. I remember taking a liking to the jazz and pop stuff, especially stuff with strong instrumentation and beautiful chords. I feel very privileged to have had such an abundance and variety in musical influence at such a young age.

Inspirations 2.

My inspirations have always been too holistic to single out. I find myself influenced by all sorts of things – in the past it would have been just music, but these days it’s music, film, landscapes, people, loved ones, art, wine, food, travel, stories, memories and life.

I feel my emotions drive my music and those are built on all of the above.

The Music You Make 4.

And Play I think the only confident descriptor I can provide on genre is ‘electronic’. I think there are elements of many preceding genres in the mix, such as folk, ambient, jungle, pop and techno. I think the core or glue of it is the emotive nature of it as a whole.

AFTER PARTY AT FREDA’S

SHE’S NOT SORRY

Your Crew 3.

I love collaborating, especially with producers/ vocalists and musicians that come from very different backgrounds or styles. I worked with several different vocalists on my new album, ranging from folk and jazz singers to techno producers.

Harbour. Tickets range from general admission to dining packages and VIP passes.

The party kicks off midday and also boasts an array of other, non-Boy George DJs like Kate Monroe, Johnny Gleeson and Husky.

Music, Right Here, 5.

Right Now Music right now in my opinion is in a space that has no reference. We have the largest amount of music being distributed in our recorded history, we have software that makes it easy and accessible for people to create and capture musical talent, and we have a world of people that are connected and communicating with each other. I think it is relatively healthy as far as content

goes – although you have to sift through much more content to find things that resonate these days – but unhealthy as far as total money within the industry.

On a positive note though, just a few weeks ago I managed to get a James Blake and Radiohead album within days of each other, so I’m happy for now.

What: The Stillness out now through Create/ Control

Method Man & Redman

In celebration of her newest single, Banoffee is heading out on the road for a string of national shows.

Fresh from touring nationally on this year’s Laneway Festival circuit, Banoffee has locked in six dates before she takes the stage at the fast-approaching Splendour In The Grass in support of her newest track, ‘I’m Not Sorry’. These will be her final standalone shows before heading overseas, and she’s enlisted the assistance of some very special surprise guests to join her. She’ll play the Beach Road Hotel on Wednesday June 15.

SOSUEME SETS UP

While all the footy heads go mad for the first State Of Origin match this Wednesday June 1, there won’t be any shortage of dancefloor action at Beach Road Hotel for Sosueme. Miami Horror will play a headline DJ set at the Bondi venue this week, joined

by Wealth, Bernie Dingo and Zolly. Doors now open early at 5pm for the new BL Burgers kitchen upstairs. Meanwhile, the remainder of the week at Beach Road includes appearances by Richie Ryan (Friday June 3) and Harris Robotis (Saturday June 4).

Hordern Pavilion to play an exclusive, 90-minute DJ set on Sunday June 12 atop Café Del Mar. The night will be backlit by Sydney’s Vivid visuals, with Café Del Mar’s rooftop overlooking Darling

After you’ve had your fill of all the glorious art that’s bubbling and glistening in the nooks and crannies of Sydney’s laneways (yes, we have them too), you had better not take your culturally hungry self home. On Wednesday June 1 from 8pm until morning, After pARTY – the monthly, unofficial exhibition kick-on party – will be thrusting open its doors to you and some fab, fresh artists to keep it all blazing bright and tight. Featured artist trio 110% are joining forces with Hissy Fit and LOMB (L’Oasis Mercedes Brotherhood) to create the ultimate triad at Freda’s.

Skepta

SIMONA CASTRICUM

To celebrate Simona Castricum’s first vinyl release for her new record, the one-woman industrial rave machine is heading out on tour. The shows come in support of her latest album, #Triggerwarning40. She’ll be joined by the likes of Sass Hound, Shag Planet and DJ Hip Hop Hoe. Catch Castricum at The Red Rattler on Saturday July 30.

MEN OF THE HOUR

Hip hop legends Method Man & Redman have at last locked in a return to Australia.

The two prolific rappers, who have also carved out massively successful solo careers, released their first collaborative album Blackout! in 1999, which earned the duo a cult following, and ten years later they followed up with Blackout! 2. Both albums have become certified hip hop classics. The duo, who are known for their hyped-up shows, will make their way across the country for a national tour. Catch them at the Enmore Theatre on Monday September 12.

Boy George’s only Australian DJ set has been announced for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Boy George has decided to stick around after Culture Club’s Saturday June 11 concert at the

UK grime kingpin Skepta has announced his highly anticipated return to our shores. His first headline tour and biggest run of shows to date comes after the release of his new album Konnichiwa, featuring two silver-certified hits, a guest appearance from A$AP Mob and a collaboration with Pharrell Williams. Now a decade into his MC career, Skepta’s latest release has brought him to new levels of success. Get down with Skepta at the Enmore Theatre on Saturday September 24.

Xxx

26 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

BY GEORGE, IT’S BOY

SKEPTA IN SYDNEY

thebrag.com

SAT 4 JUNE SPECIAL GUESTS

SECRET GUEST TARIDAS RESIDENT

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

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

.H & present S . ic A s S. sonic u M c i Sub n nch o

s u Sub tival La Fes wood Hotel

ty Par

y a d un

S

P y e r A nd

en Gre to 10pm 2pm

t.au

.ne ash

w.s

ww

e n u 5J

u

rev a k art sh

Sm Phil rcotix Ma na Tre inter W n so we Jack att Cro ra M Pere n a m n Bros o Coulto rk Hug ock Wo ir Cl t We Mat

club ight am N E 4 HOM 9pm to

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 27

Bag Raiders Australian Exports By Joseph Earp

J

ack Glass and Chris Stracey are, in their own words, “cranking”. “Three coffees in,” Stracey says with a laugh. “Not that chill.” The two halves of electro outfit Bag Raiders are back in their hometown of Sydney, relishing the opportunity to have an authentic caffeine hit. “[Americans] are kind of getting better at making coffee, but every time you go to a good coffee place it’s owned by Australians anyway,” Stracey laughs again.

“There’s lots of Australians going over there and killing the coffee game.”

Baristas aren’t our only national export – Bag Raiders themselves have spent the last few months cleaning up in the States, having just completed a massive tour with Duran Duran. “It was actually awesome,” Glass says of the band’s time with the ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’penning pop stars. “It was pretty funny, because we had just done a tour [headlining] by ourselves [and] had gone to lots of places we had never been before, like New Orleans, and nobody really knew us there. And then we were back there two weeks later playing in front of 17,000 people.”

Though some would find playing a support slot with one of the 1980s’ best-known bands a struggle, for Glass and Stracey it was simply a question of rising to a very specific set of challenges. “It’s kind of obvious what will work and what

won’t,” Stracey explains. “We cut out all the house and techno stuff and just played our poppiest stuff. It was cool. It’s kind of fun to play a short condensed set.”

“Yeah, at 6:30 in the evening,” Glass laughs.

“Straight fire and then you’re gone,” Stracey agrees.

Of course, playing such a massive tour also provided the duo with some very serious exposure. “We would stick around right in front of the crowd barrier [after we played] and so people would come up to us and say, ‘I really like your [stuff],’” Stracey says. “People would write to us on Facebook like, ‘I had never heard of you before, but I really liked you. What was your setlist so I can go out and buy your songs?’ That was really cool.”

In terms of what makes a good show for Bag Raiders themselves, it’s simply a question of vibes. “It’s just about having a good crowd,” says Stracey. “Like, the people are into it, and you can sense the energy.”

“The good times perpetuate,” Glass chips in. “Till people’s heads explode.”

That said, there is one element of performing live that Bag Raiders find stressful. Having to chat away to their audience gives them all kinds of palpitations. “That’s when I’ve felt

the most self-conscious,” Stracey says.

Glass agrees. “If you come for the banter you’re going to be disappointed,” he deadpans.

flock to the pair. But in their typically modest way, Stracey and Glass see their burgeoning success as simply a question of being in the right place at the right time – hence their move to the States.

Disappointing banter or not, Bag Raiders have a singularly bright future ahead of them. This year has seen the release of their Checkmate EP, a typically frenetic collection of electro tunes that will undoubtedly see a whole new gang of admirers

“I guess the whole EDM has been a big movement there, probably more than in Australia,” Stracey says.

“That’s brought with it a lot of stuff.

That’s brought the best of things and the worst of things in the same movement, you know?”

“Yeah,” agrees Glass. “Now is probably a good time where that sort of bubble is bursting and it’s a good time to make intelligent dance music.” He laughs. “I hope so, anyway.”

What: Checkmate out now through Universal Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Thursday June 2 and Saturday June 4

Purple Sneakers A Decade On The Loose By Sarah Little our upcoming party is just as much about what we’re doing in 2016 as what we were doing back in 2006.”

Novosel adds: “The parties have always been about showcasing what we call ‘emerging club music’. Back in the day we gave first shows to artists like RÜFÜS, The Rubens, What So Not, Alison Wonderland and Flume.

We wanted to be able to do that again with new artists [like] World Champion or Mezko. We’re not just into electronic music per se.

It’s always been a combination of bands and producers. We thought it was a good way to celebrate the past and the present and the community that has naturally built up in Sydney and in Australia.”

The Abercrombie and the Lord Gladstone were very different places ten years ago, but even after the latter’s recent revamp, the guys still think it’s the closest they can get to the Abercrombie circa 2006. “The Lord Gladstone used to a have a very gritty vibe,” says Novosel. “These days it’s quite a different place. But if you compare it to the old Abercrombie it’s probably still the shittiest pub venue you can get. We defi nitely want to keep that trashy house party vibe.

2

006 was a fun year for Sydney’s indie club music scene, thanks to the arrival of the DJ and event collective Purple Sneakers – although they stopped using the word ‘indie’ themselves in 2009. “It’s such a catch-all term that doesn’t really say very much,” says founder Martin Novosel.

Over the past ten years, Purple Sneakers has grown into a beloved music brand. Sydney partygoers from 2006-2011 will have fond memories of wild club nights, first at the Abercrombie in Chippendale, and then at the Lord Gladstone Hotel, long before either institution had entertained thoughts of laying new carpet and serving gourmet burgers.

These days, the Purple Sneakers guys maintain their segment on FBi Click as well as their music blog, are touring DJs, and run occasional events and manage Australian artists. Now, Novosel and his colleague Gabe Gleeson are ready to celebrate a decade of Purple Sneakers as part of Vivid Sydney.

“It’s been fi ve years since our last party so we’re psyched,” says Novosel. “We were going to throw a party to celebrate ten years and Vivid caught wind of it. Stephen Ferris, who runs the music program, was there and he was like, ‘This is amazing. We’re looking for a diverse range of

events, and why don’t we make it a Vivid event?’ It’s nice to be endorsed by something that’s ‘high culture’, I guess. This is Vivid’s opportunity to showcase the underground of Sydney … You know, once upon a time [Vivid] was very Opera House-focused.”

Despite their long track record for hosting zeitgeist events and consistently supporting exciting Australian acts, the guys aren’t feeling too nostalgic about the early days. “There’s a tiny bit of nostalgia,” says Gleeson, “but since we’ve stopped running parties we’ve been running a website for fi ve or six years and we do a radio show on FBi. I guess

“[The Abercrombe’s licensee] was so cool because he was always so happy to allow young people to have fun. He encouraged us and never stifl ed our creativity.

He’s passed away now. He was awesome. There’s defi nitely a lot more pressure on licensees to adhere to rules now.”

Once upon a time, the Abercrombie even allowed Purple Sneakers to set up live bands on the rooftop. “I don’t think Mike Baird would be into that now,” Gleeson remarks. “I remember when Cut Off Your Hands were playing and the lead singer climbed the roof and fell off and broke his arm and just kept

playing. I think he even fell on someone … You can’t even get a medium cooked burger now, let alone play music on the roof.”

Although the jangly guitar sound that held a monopoly in 2006 hasn’t reclaimed its dominance, some sounds are reemerging.

“You defi nitely see a resurgence of the stripped-back electronic stuff that was going around at that time,” says Gleeson. “Stuff like Simian Mobile Disco and that French electronic sound seems to be picking up again.”

Novosel and Gleeson are nicely placed within the Australian music scene to predict what the future holds for talented Australian acts.

“In the last fi ve or so years we’ve seen a lot of Australian music taking a seat on the world stage,” says Gleeson. “It feels much more urgent and real than it has for a long time.”

“I’d also use the word ‘confi dence’,” Novosel adds.

“Australian new music is a lot more confi dent in itself than it has been in the past. Australian artists feel a lot more legitimate and legitimised … I don’t think that confi dence was around ten years ago.

Australia has a really good, robust network of nightclubs all over the country that supports young and developing musicians to hone their craft and travel around and make money before they explode onto the international stage. That’s really what’s so disappointing about what’s going on in Sydney.

It’s threatening to decimate that infrastructure and keep emerging artists down.”

What: Purple Sneakers Tenth Birthday With: World Champion, Mezko, Linda Marigliano, Levins and more Where: Lord Gladstone Hotel When: Saturday June 18 xxx

28 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

thebrag.com

club guide g

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

send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com

club pick of the week Bag Raiders

THURSDAY JUNE 2

SATURDAY JUNE 4

Oxford Art Factory

Bag Raiders 8pm. $28.70.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 CLUB NIGHTS After Party - feat: 110% + Hissy Fit + Lomb Freda’s, Chippendale. 6pm.

Free.

Birdcage - feat: The Lezident DJ Comp - Week 3 Slyfox, Enmore.

9pm. Free.

Hot Dub Time Machine Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:15pm. $45.88.

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 - feat: Miami Horror DJs + Wealth + Bernie Dingo + Zolly Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm.

Free.

The Wall The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm.

Free.

THURSDAY JUNE 2

xxx

CLUB NIGHTS Bag Raiders Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

House Keeping - feat: DJ Conor Boylan + Guests Side Bar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Kučka + Nite Fleit + Lizard Promise thebrag.com

The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $15.

Toho Nights - feat: Jay Katz + Special Guests Goros, Surry Hills.

8pm. Free.

FRIDAY JUNE 3 HIP HOP & R&B Ivan Ooze Newtown Social Club, Newtown.

8pm. $18.

The Soul Of Hip Hop - feat: Filthy Mitts + Soulquest + DJ Force + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Fridays The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

Banquet - feat: Deutsch Duke + Sports + Amastro + Dr Evil & Goldmember + Willson + Live Wire DJs + Georgi Kay + Pieces The World Bar, Kings Cross. 9pm.

Free.

Barba - feat: Secret Lineup Slyfox, Enmore.

9pm. Free.

Bassic - feat: 12th Planet + Chenzo + Sippy + Autoclaws + Blackjack + Bassriot + Lennon Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28.

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: Richie Ryan Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 5pm.

Free.

Fridays At Zeta Zeta Bar, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Goodgod Super Club - feat: Kyle Hall + Magda Bytnerowicz Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. $39.

Harbour Club Fridays The Watershed Hotel, Sydney. 6pm.

Free.

High Tide Sound System Presents (Cool Tide 2) - feat: Vapourwave + Cloud Rap + Future Funk + Cyberpunk Ibis + Yul + Daisy + Lumino + Chad Tha Don Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm.

Free.

Jam Fridays Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction. 9:30pm.

Free.

Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Ta-ku + Wafi a Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

8pm. $39.

Welove - feat: Various DJs Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm.

Free.

SATURDAY JUNE 4 HIP HOP & R&B Beatlab

Play Bar, Surry Hills.

6pm. Free.

Prince Fans Night - feat: Various Artists Mr Falcon’s, Glebe.

6pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Saturdays - feat: Tass + TapTap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.

Bag Raiders Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $28.70.

C.U Saturday feat: Subaske + Zeus Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Clique Sydney Cruise Bar, Sydney.

8:30pm. $20.

Dance Etc. @ Taylor’s Rooftop - feat: Yolanda Be Cool Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm. Free.

El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm.

Free.

Foxlife - feat: Secret Guest + Taridas + Kerry Wallace Slyfox, Enmore.

10pm. $10.

Frat Saturdays feat: Danny Simms + Jayowens Side Bar, Sydney.

8pm. Free.

Goodgod Super Club - feat: Junglepussy + Asmara + Chanel Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. $39.

Halfway Crooks + Dutty Dancing + Levins + Captain Franco + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Aslan Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. $16.90.

Hospitality - feat:

London Elektricity + Danny Byrd + Etherwood + Maduk + Royaston + Severity Zero + Mr Pink + MC Fava + Foreigndub + Friends Manning Bar, Camperdown. 8pm. $55.15.

Lndry - feat: Weiss + Horowitz + Tk + Ludovic + Bronx + Bodywork + Cd Inc + Elijah Scadden + Highbeam + Fingers + DJ Just 1 + Deckhead Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28.

Monthly Nightclub - feat: Quiz Em All + Various Guests Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 1pm.

Free.

My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks.

8pm. Free.

Pacha - feat: Stanton Warriors + Yahtzel Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.

Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney.

8:30pm. Free.

Soda Saturdays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Something Else - feat: Cesar Merveille + Mark Craven + Ben Nott + MSG + Rinse & Wax + Persian Rug + Tech No More Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $22.

Vanessa Wagner’s Cosy Nook - feat: Vanessa Wagner + Ben Drayton Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 3pm. $34.

Yours - feat: Harris Robotis Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 5pm.

Free.

SUNDAY JUNE 5 HIP HOP & R&B One Day Sundays - feat: Adit + Nick Lupi + Aslan + Levins + Klasik + Liz Bird Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 1pm. $15.

CLUB NIGHTS Boogie Night Afterparty Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 12am.

Free.

DJ Sani + DJ Graham Mandroules Museum Of Contemporary Art, The Rocks. 6pm.

Free.

Picnic Social Tatler, Darlinghurst.

4pm. Free.

S.A.S.H By Day: Subsonic Music Festival Launch Party Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 2pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night - feat: Andrey Pushkarev + Phil

Hot Dub Time Machine

Foxlife - Feat: Secret Guest + Taridas + Kerry Wallace Slyfox, Enmore. 10pm. $10.

Goodgod Super Club - Feat: Junglepussy + Asmara + Chanel Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

9pm. $39.

Halfway Crooks + Dutty Dancing + Levins + Captain Franco + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Aslan Plan B Small Club, Sydney.

9pm. $16.90.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 Hot Dub Time Machine Metro Theatre, Sydney.

7:15pm. $45.88.

Sosueme - Feat: Miami Horror DJs + Wealth + Bernie Dingo + Zolly Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.

THURSDAY JUNE 2

Hospitality - Feat: London Elektricity + Danny Byrd + Etherwood + Maduk + Royaston + Severity Zero + Mr Pink + MC Fava + Foreigndub + Friends Manning Bar, Camperdown.

8pm. $55.15.

Something Else - Feat: Cesar Merveille + Mark Craven + Ben Nott + MSG + Rinse & Wax + Persian Rug + Tech No More Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst.

10pm. $22.

SUNDAY JUNE 5

Kučka + Nite Fleit + Lizard Promise The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. $15.

Toho Nights - Feat: Jay Katz + + Special Guests Goros, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

FRIDAY JUNE 3 Ivan Ooze Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $18.

Barba - Feat: Secret Lineup Slyfox, Enmore. 9pm. Free.

Bassic - Feat: 12th Planet + Chenzo + Sippy + Autoclaws + Blackjack + Bassriot + Lennon Chinese Laundry, Sydney.

9pm. $28.

One Day Sundays - Feat: Adit + Nick Lupi + Aslan + Levins + Klasik + Liz Bird Factory Theatre, Marrickville.

1pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Day: Subsonic Music Festival Launch Party Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney. 2pm. $15.

S.A.S.H By Night - Feat: Andrey Pushkarev + Phil Smart + Marcotix + Trena + Jackson Winter + Matt Crowe + Brosnan Perera + Hugo Coultom + Clock Work + Matt Weir Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $15.

Andrey Pushkarev

Goodgod Super Club Feat: Kyle Hall + Magda Bytnerowicz Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 9pm. $39.

Ta-ku + Wafia Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 8pm. $39.

SATURDAY JUNE 4 C.U Saturday - Feat: Subaske + Zeus Civic Underground, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Dance Etc. @ Taylor’s Rooftop - Feat: Yolanda Be Cool Taylor’s Social, Sydney. 5pm.

Free.

Smart + Marcotix + Trena + Jackson Winter + Matt Crowe + Brosnan Perera + Hugo Coultom + Clock Work + Matt Weir Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour.

9pm. $15.

See You Sundays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 5pm.

Free.

Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

MONDAY JUNE 6

TUESDAY JUNE 7

CLUB NIGHTS

CLUB NIGHTS

I Love Mondays Side Bar, Sydney.

9pm. Free.

Lost In The Zoo feat: Open Decks 9 To 11 + Anthony Elia + Anya B2B Surkess B2B Nick Reverse + Kazi Zoo Project, Potts Point. 9pm. Free.

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 :: 665 :: 01:06:16 :: 29

snap

Off The Record

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

up all night out all week . . .

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray

xx

Arapu

Our mates over at Blueprint are set to celebrate their second birthday by repeating one of their most ridiculous parties of last year – by covering the Greenwood Hotel’s courtyard with 60 bloody tonnes of real snow.

Furthermore, the snow-out blow-out will be headlined by Berlin’s Argy (who has had releases on the likes of Cocoon, Cadenza and Desolat) while he’s on the Australian leg of his Chronographic album tour, with supports from Jacob Malmo, Ben Nott, AAISTE, Simon Caldwell, Space Junk and Tristan Case. It’s going down on Saturday June 25.

Germany’s Luca Lozano has locked in his debut tour of Australia. The man behind the seminal Klasse Recordings imprint (and its sub-labels Graffiti Tapes, Zodiac 44 and Klasse Wrecks) has also had his releases find homes on the likes of Sex Tags UFO, 100% Silk, Optimo Trax, Unknown To The Unknown and Crème Organization, and is a selector that is guaranteed to bring the heat to even the coldest of winter dancefloors.

Can’t recommend this one more highly. He’ll be joined by residents from the Heavenly and Ghostly crews on Saturday June 11 at an undisclosed warehouse location TBA. Tour rumour: I’ve got a pineapple or two down on Dense & Pika announcing an Australian return within the next month or so.

SATURDAY JUNE 4 Weiss Chinese Laundry Cesar Merveille Burdekin Hotel

SUNDAY JUNE 5

Subsonic Music Festival Launch Party Greenwood Hotel

FRIDAY JUNE 10

Louisahhh Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY JUNE 11

Andhim Chinese Laundry Luca Lozano TBA Arapu The Arthouse Eduardo de la Calle Burdekin Hotel

Fatima Al Qadiri Oxford Art Factory

SUNDAY JUNE 12

Digitalism Oxford Art Factory

SATURDAY JUNE 18

Pinch Burdekin Hotel DJ Pete, Marcelus Zoo Project

26:05:16 :: Sydney Opera House :: Bennelong Point Sydney 9250 7111

Andy Webb, Ben Fester Jam Gallery

SATURDAY JUNE 25

DJ Pierre Civic Underground Argy Greenwood Hotel

FRIDAY JULY 1

Matthias Meyer Slyfox

Luca Lozano

Best releases this week: fancy listening to a really killer album with a really shitty title by a group with a really shitty name?

Look no further than SHXCXCHCXSH’s SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs (on Avian). Don’t get me started on the track titles, too. Otherwise, I’d recommend giving a spin of Ibrahim Alfa’s Hidden By The Leaves (Workshop), Vester Koza’s OTR (Houndstooth) and Lone’s Levitate (R&S).

xxxx

Argy

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

30 :: BRAG :: 665 :: 01:06:16

goodgod super club ft. bradley zero PICS :: DB

Speaking of S.A.S.H joining forces with other legends, it’s also teaming up with Mantra Collective over the Queen’s Birthday weekend for an audiovisual extravaganza.

House and techno specialist Arapu (who can count the likes of Raresh, Rhadoo, Barac, Ricardo Villalobos and Nima Gorji in his fan base) will be joined by fellow Romanian and visual artist Coté to create a multi-sensory environment set to blow your mind. They’ll be flanked by locals Gabby, Jake Hough, Jac Frier, Le Brond, Datura, Matt Weir and Kerry Wallace. It’s going down on Saturday June 11 at the Arthouse Hotel.

RECOMMENDED

s.a.s.h by day

PICS :: AM

I

t’s already time to start thinking about the 2016 incarnation of Subsonic Music Festival. I know, right? This Sunday June 5 it’s teaming up with the dons from S.A.S.H to throw an all-day mini-festival launch party. Headlined by a secret international guest and also featuring performances from Pepperpot, Stereogamous, Robbie Lowe, Matt Weir, Kerry Wallace, Gabby, Jake Hough and loads more, the day will feature roving performers, market stalls and live art over four rooms. Plus, there’ll be information available if you want to get involved in the festival, volunteer and what have you. It kicks off at 12pm at the Greenwood Hotel.

29:05:16 :: Greenwood Hotel :: 36 Blue Street North Sydney 9964 9477 D S :: ASHLEY MAR :: DANIEL BOU OUR LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHER

thebrag.com

LIGHTS • MUSIC • PARTY

WILLY WONKA 30 MAY - 5 JUNE Tenzin • Brooklyn • Ben Morris • The Faders • Moto THEARGYLEROCKS.COM.AU

ALL STOCK MUST GO!!

BRAG CDS 2016 - 275 x 385.indd 1

30/05/2016 9:33 AM

ANNANDALE 55 Parramatta Rd

CLOSING DOWN

SALE

% 20-80 OFF RRP

ELECTRIC GUITARS • ACCOUSTIC GUITARS AMPLIFIERS • ACCESSORIES

! !

R E F F O ! !

D E N S U A F E R S R U E F F E O E K L B A N MA O S A E R O N

E 2016 N U J h 0t ENDS 3

DEALS NEVER TO BE REPEATED!!

The RRP is the recommended retail price as set by the Australian distributor of the product. While stocks last, some stocks are limited.

Products pictured are for illustration purposes only. Gallins reserves the right to determine what constitutes a reasonable offer and may reject or accept any offers at their discretion p

p p

y

g

y

j

p

y