Brag#680 by Furst Media

ISSUE NO. 680 SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

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

MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE

THE

R A I G T G L E S D GALACTIC VOYAGERS

Plus

ENSLAVED MANLY ARTS FESTIVAL GLEN HANSARD BLE ACHED

CHASTIT Y BELT

WARPAINT

THE STRIDES

Escaping LA with their sanity intact.

Talking the intricacies of Aussie slang.

Translating live energy into the studio.

The global citizens playing Global Rhythms.

THE SONICS AND MUCH MORE

Secret Sounds Presents

The 24th Annual Music & Arts Festival

marion bay

byron bay

29 DEC 30 DEC 31 DEC

01 JAN 02 JAN

tas

nsw

t u o 31lDEC d so

CHILDISH GAMBINO (NO SIDESHOWS) • LONDON GRAMMAR (NO SIDESHOWS) • THE AVALANCHES VIOLENT SOHO • MATT CORBY • ALISON WONDERLAND • CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN FAT FREDDY’S DROP • TA-KU • THE RUBENS • THE JEZABELS • BALL PARK MUSIC GROUPLOVE • BERNARD FANNING • JAMIE T • BROODS • TKAY MAIDZA • GRANDMASTER FLASH ILLY • MØ • HOT DUB TIME MACHINE • DMA’S • ALUNAGEORGE • BOOKA SHADE • CLIENT LIAISON VALLIS ALPS • PARQUET COURTS • CITY CALM DOWN • L D R U • MODERN BASEBALL • TIRED LION REMI • RY X • MARLON WILLIAMS • LEMAITRE • SHURA • PLUS MORE ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

MARION BAY • ALL AGES

LICENSED

FESTIVAL CAMPING • FOOD TRUCKS & GLORIOUS GOURMET FARE • POP UP BARS & BEER GARDENS OADS OF OTHER AWESOMENESS INTERACTIVE ARTS • MAKERS MARKETS • YOGA & WELLBEING PLUS LOADS

tickets on Sale now fallsfestival.com

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 3

ON SALE NOW VIA

WWW.NEWTOWNSOCIALCLUB.COM AND 1300 724 867 387 KING ST, NEWTOWN, 2042

EILEN JEWELL USA 22/11

JAALA 26/10

/)3

. -" -/&. ( 62/' 287

j*)#-)( #.3 *, - (.-k *#.3 - 2 86$

- &&3 - &.' ((

6(//,1* )$67

, #( )1 " ( !& 6(//,1* )$67 ' &) 3 *))& + * . , # 3 ")&3 &' "). *). .) (

SON LITTLE

12/11

USA 30/11

. -

CASS MCCOMBS USA 06/12

+ " * % -

.). &&3 /(# ),( # %#(! 86$

REMI 02/12

LISA MITCHELL 23/10

4 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

COLUMBUS 11/11

7+( $8'5(<6

,# "# , ')( 86$ ." " , " -

L@=

-& * , )&/' / , -

." ) ." (! ,-

' 3

." -()1 ,)** ,- 62/' 287

&#!/& - "),-

." &&#! , (.-

#& ( $ 1 && 86$

&#' ), # &

$/&# ( % , 86$ 62/' 287

!1 (() 8 .

$/&# ( % , 86$ 6(//,1* )$67

$ ( &)" , & ."

." ')(% 31, ( " 86$

( & -- -

-)( &#..& 86$

%#(!

, '#

#-" $/&# (( ,1# % 86$ &#( # ),. ! &$1 + ." ./- &)--)'- 86$ . -" -/&. ( 62/' 287 . -" -/&. ( 62/' 287

(:;

. '))( 86$ . -" ) . - ( " , ' & ( ")&3 -1 ." ,.-

. & )( :$/(6

6(//,1* )$67

. -

." -)

$), # & ( &

& " 86$ !3*-3 & ." .

(:;

&#- '#. " && 6(//,1* )$67 $ &

3 ) 6(//,1* )$67

CERES

&#- '#. " && 62/' 287

&& -

, - -- ' )' - 86$ 6(//,1* )$67 ' % ." ' -/ , ,) 3( "#. " ) % 8 . + '' -1# . 6<'

HAPPY HOUR PINTS MON - FRI 5 TO 7PM II KITCHEN OPEN LATE PLUS HEAPS MORE AT WWW.NEWTOWNSOCIALCLUB.COM

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 5

music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Emily Norton, Alex Chetverikov and Joseph Earp

five things WITH

WES PUDSEY FROM WES PUDSEY & THE SONIC ACES time, particularly combined with his theatrical look, really spoke to me. Inspirations When I was 15, I discovered the 2. album Rant N’ Rave With The Stray

Cats by the Stray Cats. Their rockabilly sound was a big influence on me when I first picked up a bass and a guitar. I also love jazz – especially big band jazz and early rhythm and blues. Your Band Robert Taylor is renowned as 3. one of the greatest finger-picking

Growing Up Music was here and there in 1. the background for me as a child.

My dad could play the harmonica,

but the power of music never struck me until I was about 12 years old and I saw Adam Ant on TV. The visceral tribal sound of his band at the

roots guitarists this side of the planet Mars, and he has a brilliant understanding of music. He loves everything from Chet Atkins and Scotty Moore through to blues and jump blues and Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. Dean Upston on bass loves everything from Hawaiian

steel guitar to Tex-Mex and rockabilly, and he brings a wide variety of influences to the Sonic Aces. Bruce Dunlop on drums can play anything, I think. We’re very solid musically and I’m in awe of my band’s talent. The Music You Make Our new release The Road 4. To Rhythm showcases our growth

from straight ahead rockabilly to a more R&B-based entity, whereas our previous albums were full-tilt rockabilly for the most part. We’ve recorded at Charing Cross and Zen here in Sydney and at Tail Studios in Sweden. Live, we’re undoubtedly the most dynamic roots act Australia has ever seen: there’s a lot of movement and energy on that stage. We project that feeling to the audience; push that rhythm out to them.

Music, Right Here, Right Now The music scene is sadly 5. lacking those great venues like Bar

Broadway andThe Gaelic Club that used to cater to larger audiences. The culture has changed a lot due to political constraints on live music and “noise” and shows like The Voice or The X Factor. Years ago kids went out and caught live acts and supported the ones they liked: now they’re happy to be told by the TV who’s supposedly famous and don’t seek different, innovative or exciting acts for themselves. That’s very sad. Who: Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces Where: Sydney Rock’n’Roll & Alternative Market, Manning Bar When: Sunday September 18

Tortoise

MANAGING EDITOR: Chris Martin chris@thebrag.com 02 9212 4322 DEPUTY EDITOR: Joseph Earp ONLINE EDITOR: James Di Fabrizio SUB-EDITOR: Sam Caldwell STAFF WRITERS: Joseph Earp, Adam Norris, Augustus Welby NEWS: Alex Chetverikov, James Di Fabrizio, Anna Wilson ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Bryant PHOTOGRAPHERS: Katrina Clarke, Ashley Mar COVER PHOTO: Ian Laidlaw ADVERTISING: Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com

Steve Poltz

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

PREPARE FOR POLTZ

GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties)

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

like us:

THE BRAG

6 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

GETCHA GIZZ ON

The Big Top is bringing the Gizz and Liz back to Sydney this November. After an incredible response to their recent Nonagon Infinity Tour, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are set to bring their one-day festival Gizzfest to Luna Park’s Big Top, with international acts Pond, White Fence, funk-psych outfit Mild High Club, Dinner, Boulevards, and a slew of Australian guests joining the lineup this year. With four albums scheduled for release in 2017, along with their reputation as one of the most unflinchingly productive, energetic groups going around, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s psychedelic madness has drawn many admirers, with frontman Stu Mackenzie ranking among the music industry’s most

relentlessly creative individuals. Get down to Gizzfest on Tuesday November 29.

ORIGINAL OUTLAWS

The hip hop outfit A.B. Original are heading to Laneway. Briggs and Trials revealed their slot on the 2017 Laneway bill, letting it slip at their Bigsound keynote address. “It is dope to be part of Laneway,” said the pair. “It is kind of cool that Laneway recognises us as part of the forefront of where rap music is heading.” Not only are the pair set to play the festival, they will also be hosting the event, filling the big shoes not-so-long ago worn by Mac DeMarco’s mum and Kirin J. Callinan. Laneway 2017 will go down on Saturday February 4 at Sydney College Of The Arts.

SORROW’S CHILD

The Black Sorrows are hitting the road, celebrating the imminent release of their 20th album. Faithful Satellite is the name of their new record, and as ever the band will be fronted by Joe Camilleri and long-time writing partner Nick Smith. Faithful Satellite will be released Friday September 16 so you have lots of time to listen to it before you can catch the gang at The Basement on Thursday November 3 and Sunday December 11 at Camelot Lounge.

STRUNG OUT

Have you heard Liz Stringer is doing a national tour of Australia? No? Well you have now. Stringer, the celebrated muso behind the recently-released and overwhelming acclaimed All The Bridges is setting off round ole ‘Straya for a national tour. Yew! The ‘80s inspired album she will be trotting out on the tour is a little bit rock‘n’roll and a little bit folk, full of bold electric guitar and a lot of rich background vocals thrown in for good measure. Yes, you can probably listen to All The Bridges at home, but why do that when you can see her perform it in person? Way cooler. Liz Stringer will perform in Sydney at the Django Bar on Friday September 16, with support from Leah Flanagan.

Julia Jacklin

JACKLIN’S JOURNEY

To describe Julia Jacklin as the next big thing would be borderline insulting: she’s not a songwriter on the rise, she’s a songwriter already risen, and her fiery singles ‘Pool Party’ and ‘Coming Of Age’ have already won her ample acclaim. After touring the world for a few solid months, performing critically-acclaimed showings at major UK festivals, she’s now coming home in order to drum up even more support for her magnificent record Don’t Let The Kids Win, due for release on Friday October 7. She plays the Oxford Art Factory on Friday December 9, so make sure you head over so you can claim to have seen her back when she was only very famous, as opposed to ridiculously famous. xxx

@TheBrag

Best known for being at the forefront of the then-burgeoning post-rock movement, the legendary Tortoise are set to return to Australian shores in December, following the release of the band’s latest album The Catastrophist in January. Ever-experimental, evolving and improvisational, the quintet continue to push against the boundaries of definition with their inimitable instrumentation. After 25 years and seven albums, the group’s live shows continue to be as powerful as ever, fusing the electronic and the organic, and melding jazz, prog, indie, prog rock and Krautrock into a unique blend. Tortoise will play Manning Bar on Wednesday December 7.

xxx

AWESOME INTERNS: Anna Wilson, Emily Norton, Alex Chetverikov, Angela Antenero

Steve Poltz came to Australia for a festival run earlier this year on a trip that included Nannup, Port Fairy and the National Folk Festival and now he’s back to showcase a string of new releases. The Nova Scotiaborn, Nashville-based folk troubadour released a new record, Folksinger, at the start of the year, one which has already received rave reviews off the back of immediate crowd favourites ‘I Want All My Friends To Be Happy’ and ‘Mother Russia’. The forthcoming tour takes off with a special performance at Queenscliff Music Festival, after which he’ll then embark on a mammoth 20-date tour across the country in a single month. Steve Poltz comes to the Camelot Lounge on Thursday December 15, the Bunker on Friday December 16 and The Basement on Saturday December 17.

SLOW DOWN

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 7

live & local

free stuff

welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Alexander Chetverikov, Joseph Earp and Emily Norton

five things WITH

CHASTITY BELT

MICK PEALING AND MALCOLM EASTICK FROM STARS sound engineer, mixing Stars live for its initial four years on the road. Mick: I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. My key childhood music memory would be listening to the kitchen radio, which was always on and playing the hits of the day. My parents were both music lovers: my father played guitar and my mother would sing at any given occasion. I really think all of the above affected my music tastes today. Inspirations Mick: My favourite band of 2. all time is English band Free. They

have everything you could want from a group of rock musicians; they have great songs and musicianship and a style ranging from rock, blues, soul and even a little country, I was struck by them when I first heard ‘All Right Now’ back in 1970. I also love Little Feat, The Band, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, of course.

Your Band Malcolm: The lineup on our 3. first album, recorded in 1976, was

Mick Pealing, myself, drummer Glyn Dowding and bass player Roger McLachlan. Our rhythm guitarist and main songwriter Andy Durant tragically died of cancer at 25 years of age. His guitar style is admirably covered now by Nick Charles. The Music You Make Mick: The music of Stars is 4. mainly written by Andy Durant and Mal Eastick: it’s rock and country with a hard edge and a touch of soul. We have record two studio albums, Paradise and Land Of Fortune. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Malcolm: The challenges

musicians face are numerous, and include income that does not increase in parallel with gig costs or the general cost of living and

minimal opportunities to play to large audiences, particularly not being offered as the support act for internationals. Mick: I host a couple of community radio shows out of Melbourne and am still constantly knocked out by new releases. As long as that keeps happening I have to say it’s as healthy as it has ever been. The only downside is the lack of live venues for new bands. but the stage these days seems to be the internet.

Jangly, post-punky chillers Chastity Belt are making their first ever journey to Sydney, playing at Oxford Art Factory on Saturday October 1, and we’ve got one hot little double pass to give away that could well have your name on it. Founded in Seattle, Washington, the fourpiece outfit know how to mix up humour with unbearably catchy riffs. They also happen to boast one of the most impressive band shots around – seriously, Google ‘em: you won’t regret it. Oh, and while you’re there, type thebrag.com/freeshit into your browser bar, and give yourself a chance to win big, yah?

What: Stars Where: Windsor Function Centre When: Saturday October 29 More: As part of Sydney Blues And Roots Festival, Thursday October 27 - Sunday October 30, with Diesel, Gail Page and more.

Xxx

Growing Up Malcolm: I did not grow up in a musical household at all. I was the black sheep, so to speak, hungrily saving up to buy singles and LPs, and I started to learn guitar at about 15. My younger brother then tried saxophone but gave it up. In time he became a fine

head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

Prepare to be water-blasted with culture, arts and dance as Oceanic Rhythms Festival returns to envelop you with stories and tunes. Be amazed as drummers, vocalists, hip hop artists and a full-on choir take you on an exciting cultural and soulful journey through a sea of rhythms. You’ll be in the safest of hands as you bask in performances from 501, soprano singer Ballina Gee and the Samoan SDA Choir. Oceanic Rhythms: Sounds Of The Pacific will run on Saturday September 17 from 7am 9pm at Campbelltown Arts Centre.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Lime Cordiale

SUGAR RUSH

HOLY BALM, BATMAN!

Holy Balm, one of Sydney’s best-loved bands, recently dropped their second album Activity, a rubbery collection of pop hooks and fuzzy fun that represents a band at the height of their powers. Now the three-piece are heading to the Newtown Social Club in order to officially send the record out into the world. They’ll be supported by Enderie and Phone, transforming the gig into a three-pronged delight, and a perfect chance to see some local talent struttin’ their stuff. It all goes down on Saturday September 24.

Osaka Punch

Lime Cordiale, those pitch-perfect purveyors of indie pop, are experiencing a new wave of success following on from the release of their jangly record Road To Paradise. Given the astronomical critical acclaim that the EP received, it’s fair to say that the band are going to be met with open arms as they tour around the country. Us lucky Sydneysiders are going to get three seperate serves of the band, so if you’re a real diehard fan, you’ll be able to follow them around a fair city as they blow minds and warm hearts. They’re playing Hotel Steyne Manly on Thursday October 6, Newtown Social Club on Wednesday October 12 and an under-18s gig at The Lair on Saturday October 15.

xxx Holy Balm photo by Traianos Pakioufakis

OCEAN SOUNDS

Holy Balm

Hold onto your sprogs: It’s A Family Affair, an afternoon of music and mirth designed for, well, families, is returning once more to the Petersham Bowling Club. The event has been curated as ever by Nic Dalton, the man behind Sydney’s famous Half A Cow record label, and will feature Dalton’s band The Sticker Club, as one of the acts. Also on the bill are Queen Porter Stomp, The Answers and Moonshine Revue, so don’t go in expecting to hear a bunch of sickly sweet kid’s songs: It’s A Family Affair has been especially designed to please both the ears of children and their grown-ups. Thank the lord for that, eh? It all goes down on Sunday September 18, and kids are free.

GET FUNKED UP

The funky folks from Funk Engine are back at their favourite venue Mr Falcon’s for a Friday night of free funky fun. The Sydney-based four piece – dedicated to groove-based music, jazz fusion and reggae – have been moving from strength to strength since their 2013 launch, and are in the process of finishing up their second album under the guidance of ARIA-winning producer Llew Kiek, slated to drop at the end of 2016. From slews of gigs around town, Funk Engine have earned their reputation for quality and energetic live sets. See it for yourself on Friday September 23.

Glebe Record Fair

ONE-TWO PUNCH

Osaka Punch are back with a lucid new clip and a sprawling east coast tour in support of their new EP. Bringing the fear and loathing to Bris-Vegas, the band’s video for ‘Make The Call’ sees shit getting pretty weird, and the clip documents an acid-fuelled trip to Brisbane’s famed EKKA (AKA The Royal Queensland Show). The results speak for themselves, so do give the clip an ogle and then make sure you catch the nutters live when they play Frankie’s Pizza on Wednesday September 28 or Town Hall Hotel on Saturday October 1.

ON THE RECORD

Twice a year the retro Glebe Record Fair comes bursting into our midst, so if you want to grow your vinyl collection – or start one – head on down to the fest. The day-long shindig will feature over 100,000 records, as well as CDs, DVDs, and books and the stalls will cover every genre of music, including but not limited to punk, pop, jazz, soul, blues, hip hop, and rock‘n’roll. So hakuna your tatas because there’s a bit of everything for everyone. Glebe Record Fair will be held on Saturday September 24 from 9am - 4pm at the Peter Forsyth Auditorium. Xxx

8 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 9

Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer

THINGS WE HEAR • Which muso who scared his friends by disappearing for a few days turned up explaining he’d been on “a spiritual journey”? • How much will the Manly Jazz Festival make for the suburb in the 11 dates it stages between Friday September 23 and Monday October 3? Organisers are predicting 100,000+ visitors who will spend an estimated $5 million with local businesses. • Did Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston fizzle out because he allegedly wanted to play up the publicity and she didn’t? • Will we see Brucie and the E-Streeters back in Oz in February? Initially the rumours were that they play the AFL Grand Final. But the new date comes after Frontier Touring’s Michael Gudinski dropped hints on Melbourne radio, and emphasised he’ll be playing Hanging Rock in Victoria again. • Now that Labor romped back in the Sydney elections, how soon before we can expect moves to start using government buildings for rehearsal and performance space for bands? • Are The Strokes working at release new material next year? • Rap duo A.B. Original’s Q&A keynote at Bigsound in Brisbane was one of the more entertaining sessions. Briggs and Trials

REPORT: AUSSIES CHANGING IN THE WAY WE CONSUME MUSIC

First, the good news: 40 per cent of Australians rank music as their number one passion and more people are listening to music than ever before, according to a report by US based global self-service ticketing agency Eventbrite. The bad news from The Australian Music Consumer Report though, is that not everyone will spend money on purchasing music, because many of them grew up in the post-Napster era when music was expected for free. In fact, females aged 16-24 are the lowest buyers of music even though they rate it as among their top passions. The 25-34 male

revealed they’re doing Laneway Festival (which unveils the first acts on this week and confirmed its NZ site as Victoria Park in Auckland). Moderator Lindsay McDougall had a dig at how Trials was a dumb stage name. Trials quipped back, “I’d love to change it … know what I mean, Frenzal Rhomb?” • Speaking of names, Chet Faker is dropping his stage moniker after five years and reverting to good old Nick Murphy for his second album. He explained, “There’s an evolution happening and I wanted to let you know where it’s going.” There’s no release date yet for the follow-up to the breakthrough Built On Glass. • A bunch of musicals are being made based around hit songs: aside from INXS’, one is around Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell and Donna Summer hits. • Speaking of musicals, a fan has gone online with the theory that either Danny or Sandy were dead for most of Grease. Clues were scattered through the 1978 film, including the flying car as a metaphor for Sandy (played of course by our Livvy) ascending to the heavens. Danny doesn’t save her from drowning after all but dies himself and the movie is really about how he wished his life had panned out. One wet blanket sniffed, “explain Grease 2”. The response was that people can stay in comas for a very long time. So there. demo is second worst at buying music. It’s the Gen Z males (16-24) that drive Australia’s live scene and recorded music industry. 46 per cent of them go to see a gig at least once a month, compared to 18 per cent of females, who are twice as likely not to go if they don’t have someone to go with or don’t know the act. For a snapshot of current music consumption in Australia, the report says 50% of us download to listen to music, 23% use CDs, and one in ten use streaming. The 35-44 group use 50% new media and 50% traditional. New media is only used by 30% of 45- to 54-yearolds and 20% of 55- to 65-year-olds. In other

• Johnny Depp will play a detective trying to solve Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. murders, convinced rogue members of the LAPD were involved. • Axl Rose flew 18-year-old waitress Sadie Elledge all-expenses paid to AC/DC’s show at Washington’s Verizon Center on Saturday September 17 after reports she was dissed by a racist customer. US-born Elledge, of Honduran and Mexican, worked in a fastfood place in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and was handed a note by the asswipe saying “We only tip citizens.” Rose personally rang to invite her. • Kanye West has confirmed the joint album with Drake is happening, and also that he’s launching a kids’ clothes range with Kim. • NSW Police are hunting for visiting student Tiemuzhen Chalaer, who disappeated at a bush doof in the Hawkesbury region last month after going to the toilet and may have ended up in dense bushland. The diabetic did not have his insulin. His family, who flew over from China, reckon he was kidnapped. • In a bid to raise money for the Salvos, the Totally Workwear brand is hoping to rope 1,000 people in Cairns to try for a new Guinness world record: whistling a tune for five minutes, to break the current record set in the UK of 853 people.

figures, 35% of us head to YouTube to listen to an artist after discovering them. Radio and CDs remain the two most common ways to consume recorded music – but that is because almost half (49%) of Australians are over 44. But the transition has begun: 75% of Millennials and 86% on Gen Z use new media (YouTube, streaming, downloads, online radio) as their primary channel for consuming recorded music. Between 2008 and 2014, Australia saw a 42% increase in revenue from live performances and a 17% increase in attendance. “Looking at the festivals market, we have seen a shift away from the larger mass-market festivals to more boutique offerings that offer a lot more than just a musical experience,” says the report.

VIRGIN INCREASES BAG ALLOWANCE, APRA INSURANCE DEAL Touring has become easier for some musicians. Virgin Australia has doubled its checked baggage allowance for bands on domestic flights to 64kg across four pieces. To be eligible, musicians have to be members of a number of music associations, including APRA, ARIA and state music associations. Once you have booked your flight 48 hours before, contact music@virginaustralia.com with your booking reference number and Music Association Membership number. APRA members and clients, and musicians who are members of music bodies, can get instrument and equipment insurance as low as $75 per policy from APRA’s insurance partner AON, and other deals if you buy online before the end of September. Go to aon.com.au/apraamcos or call 1800 806 584.

DIDDY REMAINS HIP HOP’S BIGGEST EARNER

Sean “Diddy” Combs topped US business magazine Forbes’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings list for a second year. This year his Bad Boy Reunion Tour and a short film for Ciroc vodka has seen him earn US$62 million. Jay Z is at #2 with $53.5m while Dr. Dre moves to $41m after the box-office smash with the Straight Outta Compton movie. Drake, Wiz Khalifa and Nicki Minaj follow right after. The list is gross earnings from touring, record sales, streaming, publishing, merchandise sales and endorsements.

SOULFEST PROMOTER TO COUGH UP HALF A MIL

The Federal Circuit Court in Sydney ordered Soulfest promoter John Denison to pay APRA AMCOS $437,000 in compensatory and extra damages for infringement of the Copyright Act (1968), as well as $70,000 in legal costs. The costs go back to 2014 over “Soulfest, Supafest and other tours and events.” Richard Mallett, Head of Revenue at APRA AMCOS, said, “Venues, caterers and artists are able to withhold their services – but songwriters’ work cannot be withheld after the fact.”

UK INDIE WINNERS

Winners of the UK’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) indie awards included XL Recordings’ Richard Russell

10 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

Lifelines Dating: Calvin Harris is stepping out with Mexican actress and singer Eiza Gonzalez, no doubt sniggering over Taylor Swift’s trainwreck relationship after they dumped each other. Pursued: US model/actress Emily Ratajkowski, 25, from the ‘Blurred Lines’ video, by ball-chucking Shane Warne, who spotted her photo on Instagram. Ill: former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal’s bladder cancer has returned three years after he had surgery for it. In Court: a NSW North Coast farmer lost his appeal against a $36,000 fine for holding illegal bush doofs on his property. He said he didn’t understand the law when he pleaded guilty and he had no legal representation. Jailed: Melbourne DJ Jake “Badmouth” Mastroianni got two life sentences in Thailand for possessing 61 ecstasy pulls in August 2014 in a Pattaya resort where he played regular gigs at Club Sapphire and Full Moon parties. Sued: Mötley Crüe, for allegedly using images on their final tour merchandise without permission from the photographers. Arrested: a 21-year-old man for allegedly stealing $3 million worth of jewellery from a tour bus used by Drake during a show in Phoenix, Arizona. Died: Prince Buster, 78, a founding figure of Jamaica’s ska and rocksteady styles, at his home in Miami. He was the first Jamaican to have a Top 20 hit in Britain with 1965’s ‘Al Capone’. Madness named themselves after his song ‘Madness Is Gladness’ and had big hits with covers of his ‘The Prince’ and ‘One Step Beyond’. Buster was awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction in 2001. Died: Fred Hellerman, 89, of US political folk outfit The Weavers, who had hits with ‘Goodnight Irene’, ‘Kisses Sweeter than Wine’, ‘Guatanamera’ and ‘This Land is Your Land’. Their success stopped during the Red Scare witch hunt when Pete Seeger and Lee Hays were named communists. (pioneer), Adele’s ‘Hello’ (track of year), rapper and actress Little Simz’s debut A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (independent album), folk band Daughter’s Not To Disappear (difficult second album), French singer-songwriter Christine And The Queens (breakthrough act), Epitaph/ Anti (label), Numbers (small label), Grime star Stormzy (innovator), Irish singer-songwriter Róisín Murphy (outstanding contribution), DJ and producer Sigala (most played), Brainchild (festival), laptop 22-year-old Oscar’s Sometimes (video), Japanese band Babymetal (live act), troubadour, guitarist and former Hefner member Darren Hayman (hardest working) and ’70s band Slade (special catalogue release for When Slade Rocked The World).

UNIFIED ANNOUNCES GRANT TO “REALISE DREAMS”

Independent empire Unified has announced The Unified Grant, “available to passionate people to help them realise their dreams”. It was announced by Unified founder and CEO Jaddan Comerford during his Bigsound keynote speech in Brisbane last week. The grant is for music creatives who don’t play instruments, such as photographers, producers, videographers, web developers, graphic designers, journalists, app builders, data analysts and others. Go to theunifiedgrant.com, deadline is Monday October 31.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC TO LAUNCH RECORDING STUDIO

Universal Music is next month opening a recording studio, Forbes Street Studios, at the corner of William St and Forbes St in Woolloomooloo. In the ’80s, it used to be Paradise Studios, run by singer Billy Fields (‘Bad Habits’), and where INXS, Icehouse, Chisel and the Oils recorded some of their most important albums.

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 11

COVER STORY

THE DELTA RIGGS OUTER SPACED BY ADAM NORRIS

or a group that began life as a jam band killing time at the Surfer’s Paradise Hard Rock Cafe, The Delta Riggs have managed to achieve something pretty remarkable. Elliott Hammond and his crew have crafted their own signature sound while touring almost non-stop and amassing a legion of committed fans, even fi nding a way to keep friendships from imploding while crammed in the back of a Tarago. The road hasn’t always been kind though, and with the tour for third album Active Galactic about to send the band off around the country, the time seemed right to talk about life, the universe, and socks. “I’m constantly trying to fi gure out ways to put up barriers,” Hammond laughs. “My girlfriend got me these socks the other day as a present, and there were all these polka dots on them. I looked at them and said, ‘I don’t think I can wear these, they’re too friendly’. And she said,

12 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

‘But you’ll wear stripey socks?’ But to me, stripey socks seem to say, ‘Danger, danger!’ Whereas polka dot socks are more about, ‘Hey come on over and we can talk about crepes.’ Stripes make you formidable. And my girlfriend’s like, ‘You know you’re going crazy, right?’ And I’m like, ‘But am I?’ It makes total sense.” Indeed. It does makes a certain sense that Hammond would feel the need to keep himself at a slight remove from the distractions of the world. The popularity of the band has been growing massively since things started falling into place back in 2010, and though he hardly seems like a guy ready to lock himself in a room and channel his inner Howard Hughes, Hammond does strike you as someone with his eyes on the prize. That’s perhaps unsurprising, given any chance at success is of course a rare and remarkable thing, but more so because the band itself came about almost by accident. “We were all playing in different punk bands,” Hammond recalls. “We were all in different circles. At the start Delta Riggs was just this jam band: it was never supposed to be a real thing. We

were all in other bands. Alex [Markwell] was living in Sydney engineering, Monte [Tramonte] was working for a label. It was just this thing where we’d get together, book a show at the Hard Rock Cafe, and peacock around. It was always really well received. We’d always get people in, but it was only ever something we did on the side. Then we kind of got some interest from a couple of labels in 2010, and that’s when we had the chat. We were like, ‘Should we actually take this thing a bit more seriously and have a crack?’

“That’s when we decided to move to Peats Ridge, into the house we called the Orange Orchard. That six-month period was where we forged what the band was, and really learned a lot about each other. Being in a band for this long, you’ve got a lot of strong and different personalities in the band. And bands generally breakup because of those confl icts, but we have a deep respect for each other, and I think we learnt that from living in each other’s pockets for those six months being really poor.” It proved to be a fruitful time for the Riggs. After a handful of EPs, 2013’s

Hex.Lover.Killer was followed just a year later by Dipz Zebazios. They found themselves embraced by triple j, invited to tour with Wolfmother... You know, all of the things a bunch of young musos would sell their striped socks for. But hindsight is a hell of a drug, and Hammond is candid about times when the future of the band seemed much more uncertain. “There were defi nitely [pessimistic] times. That kind of happened at the end of that [Peats Ridge] period, when Aaron Jackson, who I started the band with and was a pivotal inspiration for me and the band – an excellent musician and songwriter – he just couldn’t handle the pressure of it, mentally and fi nancially. So he bowed out and it was basically just me as the primary songwriter. I had some proper melts,” he laughs. “I was living in a fl at in Melbourne at the time and didn’t know what I was going to do. It got pretty hairy. It’s weird how stuff like that happens though. It got bad, but we said, ‘Let’s just knuckle down and make an EP.’ We released that as quickly as we could, because we didn’t know if the band was about to

thebrag.com

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH

THE LAURELS + LUKE MORRIS

+ JAMES THOMSON & THE STRANGE PILGRIMS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH

PLANET

+ BETTY & OSWALD SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH

THE HIGH GRADE

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

completely combust, and then we got this call from triple j saying, ‘We love the Delta Riggs!’. They really provided us with a platform to boost off from, and Melbourne really embraced us as well. It all went from there. But it was a hard time to get through. But two things happened at once, really. We had the triple j support, and then we got the call to do the Wolfmother support. I was broke. I had nothing, so getting a call like that lets you think you’re doing something right.”

The Delta Riggs photo by James Adams

Active Galactic’s fi rst single, ‘Surgery Of Love’, dropped back in June along with a run of warm-up gigs, but by Hammond’s reckoning if you caught that Back To Earth tour you were seeing around 20 per cent of what their new show has to offer. Every band wants to bring you something memorable when they take to the stage, but the Riggs have poured massive thought and energy into ensuring this album tour will be unlike anything seen from them before.

Even though the album is still fresh, the happy news is that the group are already cobbling together material for what comes next. “We’ve already started exploring some ideas for the next album,” Hammond says, a signifi cant note of pride in his voice.

“AT THE START DELTA RIGGS WAS JUST THIS JAM BAND: IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A REAL THING.”

“It’s shaping up pretty rad!” Hammond enthuses. “I’m super excited to push the live show in a new direction. We have more at our disposal now than last time. On top of that we have a new guy in the band, Gold Fang, who’s from Trinidad. He brings a cool hip hop MC vibe to it. There are so many keyboard parts in this album: it’s really rich with textures so we needed

thebrag.com

to bring someone else in and Fang is the man. It’s going to be a cool show – we’re diving into the back catalogue a little and going to throw in some surprises for the long-term fans. We’re listening to the feedback we’ve got in the past about certain shows. So this is defi nitely going to be a new stage vibe with new lighting.”

“As soon as one gets done, we’re always thinking ahead. So we’re talking about songs already, which is super exciting. That’s why I’m thankful to be doing music for a living. I get to have those times in the studio and songwriting, which is the number one thing for me. It didn’t come easily, and there are still times when it’s an up and down industry. It’s not all roses. But I defi nitely don’t take what we have for granted. We’ve worked super hard, and we’re humbled by the success that we’ve had.” Where: Metro Theatre / Mona Vale Hotel When: Friday October 28 / Saturday November 5 And: Active Galactic out now through Inertia

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 13

Enslaved Absolute Chaos By David James Young

var Bjørnson is 38 years of age, and this year his band Enslaved celebrated 25 years together, a hefty chunk of time over which they have released 13 studio albums and toured the world several times over. You might be doing the maths in your head, and the sum you have hit is indeed correct: Bjørnson was all of 13 years old when the band formed in Haugesund, a town in south west Norway some 435km from the nation’s capital, Oslo. If you’re at all familiar with Enslaved, you’ll know they are one of the most celebrated bands on the extreme-metal spectrum, which naturally leads one to ask how an impressionable young lad barely in his teenage years found himself in the midst of some of the heaviest tunage around. “It was a closed-off world, so to speak,” explains Bjørnson. “We were living in a really rural place, far away in the countryside, so the only way that we found out about this world of death metal was through the radio. By age 11 or maybe 12, we were trekking out to whatever record stores that we could find – although there weren’t that many – to try and find out as much as we could about this music. We wanted to hear what was going on in the scene in the big cities, and we wanted to hear the right kind of bands. I would get my guitar and try and do exactly what they were doing, and I’d get the other kids in the area that played music to try and do the same. I went through a few different kids, just jamming in garages and living rooms, and they were all eager to play music, but it just didn’t end up being for them. Eventually, I found the right combination of kids to start Enslaved. It was a really exciting time: just the discovery of the extreme side of heavy metal was so revelatory to us.”

Vera Blue Wrapped Up In Blue By Gem Doow

nce upon a time writing under a masculine nom de plume was the only way for a female author to be published. But these days a pseudonym doesn’t just operate to disguise an artist’s identity, an alias can free you up to be whoever the fuck you want. Sasha Fierce lets Beyoncé channel her bad self and Emily D is jazz wunderkind Esperanza Spalding’s way of letting her inner brat run riot. In the same vein, Celia Pavey’s new identity Vera Blue has let her metamorphose from folkie to festival favourite. Pavey initially conceived of Vera Blue as a creative project, but once she started operating under that name it took her a million miles from her days as a contestant on The Voice. Recently, she shared a stage with Flume and Illy at Splendour in the Grass and, if you have a look at the comments on Flume’s Facebook page, by all accounts, Pavey slayed. “It’s definitely freed me up,” says Pavey of the Vera Blue project. “I feel like I’m still the same person. I’m still Celia, but with the new music, when I perform I can really unleash. I can open up and be whoever I want. It allows me to perform in a different way than I would usually, and that’s fun. There are different flavours and colours in the music, which I’m very passionate about. The reason why I gave the project the new name was because the songs were so different from what I’d been writing. They were so fresh and so new I felt that the project deserved its own name and Vera Blue is what came out.” When starting work under the moniker, Pavey teamed up with Melbourne’s pop powerhouse Helen Croome, better known as Gossling, and songwriting/producing duo Thom Macken and Andy Mak to record her EP, Fingertips, released in May this year. Record label Native Tongue played matchmaker in bringing them together at a band camp. “We got together and kind of exploded,” Pavey says. Indeed, before they started writing, Pavey

14 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

“AT TIMES THE MUSIC CAN BE EMOTIONALLY DRAINING FOR ARTISTS WHEN THEY GET UP AND PERFORM THEIR OWN SONGS, BECAUSE THEY’RE POURING EVERY INCH OF THEMSELVES OUT WHEN THEY PERFORM.” had but the bones of the song – it was folky and stripped back. “It was a bit Angus and Julia Stone-y and I didn’t really know where I wanted it to go. I said to Andy that I’d been listening to a lot of alt-J and FKA Twigs and stuff like that. I’d definitely been gravitating towards electronic music, but still music that was emotionally driven, but had some grit. I wanted to keep the acousticness, where my roots are, and blend the two, and that’s what ‘Fingertips’ is.” It’s a fair call. Pavey always had the voice of an angel, but Vera Blue lays it over ambient electronica – think less ‘Scarborough Fair’ and more Sui Zhen or The Acid. Pavey had grown up listing to and playing folk, but the interest in electronica was a long time coming. “In high school I liked heavy and gangsta beats, bass driven stuff, but I never thought I’d make music like that, so I just kept writing the folky stuff, which I really loved as well,” she explains. “But I started listening really closely to alt-J and artists like that and thought, ‘Oh, one day I could make something like this.’ I just had to say the word.” Since Vera Blue’s debut, Pavey has been crazy busy. She had her first solo tour, which did so goddamn well that she’s about to embark

on another one of a bigger scale, as well as touring with artists like Broods and Matt Corby. “I do get tired, but I just have to push on because this is exactly what I want to do,” Pavey says. “And what I’m doing may be nothing compared to what I might be doing in the future, so right now I’m having fun. It’s not just the schedule though. At times the music can be emotionally draining for artists when they get up and perform their own songs, because they’re pouring every inch of themselves out when they perform. So yes it’s tiring, but the best feeling in the world.” Pavey’s call about being drained by her tunes makes sense – every song on Fingertips is an emotionally-charged nugget. Pavey always sings about what she knows, and this time around it’s relationships, love and selfdiscovery. “It’s nerve-racking – for some songs it’s easier than others though,” she notes. “Everyone can relate through music and that’s all I want: for people to relate. But then, there’s a couple of songs that I’m working on that are even more personal and I’m nervous about them. I’m saying things about someone out there and it could affect them, but at the same time, it’s just music.” It’s an understatement to say that Pavey is chuffed about what’s unfolded in the last year or so: new highlights kept superseding the old. So, what’s the latest? “Definitely performing on stage with Flume,” she says, sounding still slightly giddy from the experience. “The whole festival was a highlight. It was the first time I’d ever gone to Splendour and I was able to hang backstage and chill and then get onstage with the best people, like Illy, Slumberjack and Flume. It was like it was a dream. It’s definitely the highlight of my life so far. It just keeps getting better. It’s crazy.” Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday September 24 And: Fingertips out now through Universal Music

Fast forward to 2016, and both Bjørnson and co-founding bassist/ vocalist Grutle Kjellson have lasted

through every inception of the band. The group has significantly evolved in that time, not just in terms of its members, but from a stylistic standpoint as well. Enslaved have incorporated elements of black metal, progessive rock and even Viking mythology through their timeline, and are set to touch on every facet of their sound as they perform two sets a night on their anniversary tour. “This has been a year of reflection,” says Bjørnson. “The scale and the more professional approach of the band has definitely changed, but away from that surprisingly little has changed. The focus is still on the music itself – we want to collect it, we want to experience it and we want to make music that we would want to listen to ourselves. That’s what we said when we started out, and that’s still what we say now. We are keen observers of many kinds of music and many kinds of art. What we do in this band is our interpretation of those things, and we just try and have fun while we’re doing that.” Although never a band destined for the mainstream, Enslaved have nevertheless comfortably forged a niche for themselves. This has resulted in securing a global fan base, where hundreds and even thousands of the faithful come out in force to see the band playing live. Enslaved have become a part of many metalheads’ existences over the years – something that Bjørnson does not take for granted. “It’s very humbing,” he says. “It’s also a way of connecting with people. When they talk about their own experiences that they’ve had and they link them to specific songs or albums, it’s like they’re telling me directly where my music has travelled to and what it has achieved. In that context, I treat the band as something like common

The Sonics Travelling Still, Always Will by David James Young

years. That’s how long The Sonics have been around. That’s nearly as long as the evolution of rock‘n’roll itself. At a time when countless garage rock acts are bringing a distinctly lo-fi sound to the masses, it’s important to remember where it all came from. Of course, The Sonics have gone through a mix of lineup changes over the years, as more and more folks have stepped in and out of the collective. The most recent changes, however, are some of the biggest in the band’s history. At the forefront of this handover is Gerry Roslie, the band’s lead vocalist since 1964, whose health has sidelined him from any future touring with the band. “Gerry had a major operation about 15 years ago – he actually had a heart replacement and he’s been taking medicine since 2007 to stop his body rejecting his heart,” explains Rob Lind, who has been with the band since 1963 as its saxophonist.

“WE PLAY THE SONGS EXACTLY AS WE’VE ALWAYS PLAYED THEM. WE’RE VERY, VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S NO CHANGE WHATSOEVER ON THAT FRONT.”

“We did a five-week European tour last summer, and it hit Gerry really hard. He gave me a call not too long after the run ended and basically said that he can’t do it anymore. He still wants to write and record with the band, but the touring has just become too much for him to bear.” Founding member Larry Parypa, who has served as the band’s guitarist since its inception, has also made the executive decision to step down from playing on a fulltime basis. Lind puts this down to Parypa’s understandable reaction to being in a band that tours the world. “Larry is a lot different from me,” Lind says. “Personally, I love to travel, whereas he just doesn’t want to do it. I suppose it’s a bigger part of my life – I was an airline pilot for 25 years and a navy pilot for 27. Coming in, landing on the strip, going through security, walking through the terminal and out onto the street of a completely different city or a completely foreign country... I just love that. Larry’s just fed up with it – we even asked if he wanted to come to Australia, and it was a flatout ‘no’. He’s available to play with us on short notice, but for now he’s just taking a bit of a break from the whole touring thing.” Filling in for Roslie and Parypa, respectively, are Jake Cavaliere and Evan Foster, both veteran musicians from the same area where The Sonics were founded: Tacoma, Washington, a port city in America’s north west. Lind cannot speak their praises high enough, noting they have blended into the fold of the band exceptionally. “The thing that’s

thebrag.com

ground – Enslaved is something me and the fans have both experienced, however different our experiences may be. I can remember the first time that we played in Perth, we met this guy who had somehow gotten a copy of our first demo mailed out to him. He was the same age as me, so he had followed Enslaved this entire time. His kids were even the same age as my kids. It was like some sort of parallel universe.” Bjørnson and co. are set to return to said parallel universe this October for a whirlwind three-city tour in three days, taking in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Despite the bigger-picture differences between the land Down Under and the band’s native land of Norway, Bjørnson insists that there is common ground in the form of the universal language of music, and more specifically, heavy metal music. “Australia and Norway, surprisingly enough, have quite similar metal scenes,” he explains. “They both developed and started blossoming around the same time, so our reference points are very similar in terms of what albums we were consuming and magazines we were reading.” Bjørnson laughs as he notes one key difference between the two countries. “Hanging at a pub in Australia and talking about metal with the people that were there isn’t all that different from doing it in Norway – except you guys say the word ‘cunt’ a lot more.” Where: Manning Bar When: Friday October 7 And: In Times out now through Nuclear Blast

“WHEN [FANS] TALK ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES THAT THEY’VE HAD AND THEY LINK THEM TO SPECIFIC SONGS OR ALBUMS, IT’S LIKE THEY’RE TELLING ME DIRECTLY WHERE MY MUSIC HAS TRAVELLED TO AND WHAT IT HAS ACHIEVED.”

important about these two guys is that they’ve both grown up knowing and loving The Sonics’ music,” he says. “I don’t wanna embarrass Jake too much, but he once told me that when he was about nine or ten years old, he was buying Sonics albums and going to the clothing stores to try and find the outfits we were wearing on the cover – he even wanted to dress like us! As for Evan, he knows exactly the kind of guitar sound that we use and the really dominant playing style that’s required to get it. Growing up in Tacoma, he grew up with The Sonics too. We’ve used him a lot in the past – if Larry couldn’t do a show, then Evan would step up and do it. It’s just on a slightly more permanent basis now.” Of course, The Sonics are a band that has truly stood the test of time; they’ve never once split up or cashed in on a lucrative reunion tour. The band’s classics – ‘Psycho’, ‘Have Love Will Travel’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘The Witch’, among others – not only hold up to this day, but speak for themselves as mainstays in the rock‘n’roll pantheon. “We play the songs exactly as we’ve always played them,” says Lind of smashing out the tunes a half century on from their original incarnation. “We’re very, very careful to make sure that there’s no change whatsoever on that front. With that said, there’s probably a bit of new energy in the air with these two guys on board – we’ve been having so much fun playing with them. If you’re going to work in such close proximity with people, it helps if they’re great people along with being great musicians.”

thebrag.com

The Sonics are set to return to Australia through late September into early October, centred around an appearance at Wollongong’s Yours And Owls festival. Lind is particularly excited to return Down Under, largely because of a fi gure exceptionally dear to The Sonics’ camp.

“Our favourite guy in the world is our tour manager Matty, and he’s from Sydney,” he says. “He’s a 100 per cent Aussie bloke – you can hear it the second he bursts into the room with a, ‘G’day!’ He’s chomping at the bit to get us to Australia. We just got an email from him this morning, telling us what a great tour it’s going to be.

We had such a great time coming out previously and playing with the Hoodoo Gurus – if we’re in the same city at the same time, I’m hoping that we can get Dave [Faulkner] up onstage to sing with us.” He leaves with an open invitation to the band’s Australian fans: “Come have a beer with The Sonics!”

Where: Manning Bar When: Friday September 30 And: Yours And Owls Festival, Stuart Park, Wollongong Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2, with Bec Sandridge, Chastity Belt and many more

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 15

The Strides

t would almost be an abomination for someone to dream up a music festival that celebrates the cultural diversity of not only Sydney but Australia as a whole and not invite Sydney reggae/hip hop fusion group The Strides to headline. A force to be reckoned with ever since their selftitled debut dropped over six years ago, this ninepiece have not only worked with such Australian heavy-hitters as R&B powerhouse Ngaiire, but each member of the band has also poured their talents into a variety of side projects.

Whether it’s keys man Daniel Pliner getting down with Sydney’s Ethiopian-flavoured funksters Mister Ott, drummer Carlos Adura smashing the skins in Sydney indie outfit Deep Sea Arcade, or trumpeter Nick Garbett joining tenor saxophonist Jeremy Rose in The Vampires, each member seems willing to lend out their services while always coming back to this riveting, worldly collective. Rose, the last name on that list, seems to have a particular penchant for playing in multiple musical outfits, and he seems slightly befuddled when asked why he has his fingers in quite so

many pies. It’s evident that playing music is a natural extension of his character, rather than some ultra-calculated move designed to win him prestige or cash. “It’s a question I get a lot actually,” he says, taking some time to consider his answer. “I guess it’s sort of like watering a garden,” he says. “I sort of foster each project little by little. They kind of grow and mature throughout different times in the year, so it keeps me busy. I’ll have intense periods of working on one thing while the others are on the simmer.

“The Australian music climate is such that you can’t really work full time within one creative project – or at least you can’t with the sort of bands that I work with,” he continues. “One of my mentors Phil Slater used this analogy of a drip-feed, where you just let it slowly build. Each project may have a cycle of six years – that’s just how it is. “We just don’t have the same density of population that other bigger scenes have, like they do in Europe, where you could travel half an hour to an hour and you could be in another

Warpaint photo by Mia Kirby

A Global Movement By Chelsea Deeley

Warpaint Begin Again By Joseph Earp

hrow yourself into anything for long enough and you’re always at risk of the fun draining out a little. After all, anything you work at is you know, work, and even a passion can become a pressure if you allow it to fester. Such was the position that Warpaint found themselves in after the release of their critically and commercially acclaimed self-titled record. As anyone who has heard the band discuss the making of the album on the Song Exploder podcast knows, the release came with its own set of challenges, and its distinctly more radio-ready sound turned the band into indie rock stars they were perhaps not yet ready to be. So how do you fight the implications of your own success? According to bassist and vocalist Jenny Lee Lindberg, you hit reset. “When making this new record, I think everyone came back to the table with more of an open mind and the ability to let things flow freely and to give things time,” she says. “You’re trying not to intercept it. You’re just happy to sit on it for a bit, and hear what everyone else is hearing. Also, I think we all decided that we just had to pick our battles. It was about deciding on the things that you wanted to fight for.” The result is Heads Up, a distinctly more upbeat record than Warpaint. A track like ‘New Song’ represents the closest the band has ever come to disco halls, a choice that Lindberg stresses was very deliberate. “I think the main thing we wanted to do was just make an upbeat album and bring some of the energy that we have in our live show to the album,” she explains.

16 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

The record was produced by Jacob Bercovici, a name that will be familiar to any die-hard Warpaint fans. After all, the industry veteran worked on the group’s very first EP, Exquisite Corpse, and getting Bercovici onboard was a deliberate – though not exactly straightforward – way of making the record-making process as smooth as possible. “We have worked with him over the years on various things,” Lindberg says. “But in the beginning we wanted to produce the record ourselves. We were sort of torn. I was in favour of producing the record by ourselves, and so were the girls, but we thought about it and eventually we said, ‘You know what? Let’s just see if Jake’s available. He’s been there since the beginning, he knows us. It’d be really nice to work with him again.’ And he was super down, so that’s the way it happened ... It was organic. Everything we do comes organically. We always have to enjoy ourselves.” “Ourselves” being the operative word. Warpaint aren’t a one-person band, and they have no strict frontperson. They are a collective, an assemblage of musicians and songwriters who each have something different to bring to the table. Lindberg, for example, released her debut studio record Right On! late last year, and to hear her tell it, it sounds like the experience of going at it alone taught her what makes Warpaint’s collaborative writing process so unique. “I’m the only person writing the music on Right On!,” she says. “There was only one perspective on that record. And I think that’s what’s a bit different about Warpaint. That’s what makes us unique, and what

makes our sound pretty unusual. It’s hard to pinpoint what we sound like, because we’re four different people. Whereas Right On! sounds very much like me. If we were to make a Warpaint album with the Right On! songs they would probably sound totally different, you know?” Though for many bands, writing as a team would be a very exhausting form of torture, resulting in more hurt feelings and battered egos than any actual songs, Lindberg stresses that the band’s long history together means they can communicate effectively when writing, and know when certain players might even need to take the back seat. “It’s definitely a collaborative process for sure,” Lindberg says. “It’s always a collaborative process. Even if one person decides that they don’t necessarily need to play anything, then that’s still a person deciding that they don’t need to play anything. We never decide for each other. You know what I mean? Not everybody always needs to play something. That person will come to that decision on their own. Whenever we bring any song to the table, we’re not expecting everyone to necessarily play on it.” The resulting record is one that brims with plain, old-fashioned goodness, and produces the kind of pleasure that you get when you hear an exceptionally tight band having fun. One could be fairly safe in positing that it is going to go down resoundingly well with fans and nonfans alike. But whatever the ultimate response may be, at this stage, Lindberg understands that it’s out of her hands. “I am excited,” Lindberg says. “I’m excited for it to come out, and then once it’s out, it’s none of my business what happens to it.”

“THAT’S WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE, AND WHAT MAKES IT’S HARD TO PINPOINT WHAT WE SOUND LIKE, BECAUSE thebrag.com

country. So with us, it’s not quite possible for people within the niche scenes such as world music or jazz to tour full time. But I think it does give us opportunities to do eclectic projects here in Australia.” Having just released a riveting colonial Australia-inspired project with the Earshift Orchestra called Iron In The Blood, Rose is the poster boy for multi tasking, and he’s managed to juggle a number of creative endeavours without ever once spreading himself too thin. Though many other artists faced with Rose’s heavy workload would run the risk of burning out, he has managed to keep all of his projects ticking over nicely. “2016 has been a bit of a watershed year for The Strides,” he says. “We were really excited to be invited to perform at the WOMADelaide festival earlier this year: it’s been a bit of a goal for us since our inception as a band. We had such an incredible time there. It’s such a beautiful scenic location and to be included with such renowned and unique artists as Angelique Kidjo, Seun Kuti and even artists that we hadn’t heard of was just excellent for our self esteem and profile.” Not that The Strides were in massive need of a profile-boost, mind you: their reptutation had already been bolstered by the release of their 2015 album The Youth, The Rich & The Fake, a collection of 12 songs that promoted the social consciousness and diversity of their music. It’s an album that Rose still looks back on fondly. “It’s only natural that the band evolves over time, and we’ve been working on some new tunes that we are hoping to record next month,” he says. “But we are still really proud of that album and the tunes still feel fresh while we’re playing them, so we still really enjoy it. I think there is a really interesting mix of dance hall, ska and old-school Skatalites on that album that still really feels fresh. “All of us in the band are songwriters, so it’s quite natural for us to have many points of

OUR SOUND PRETTY UNUSUAL. WE’RE FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE.” thebrag.com

“THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC CLIMATE IS SUCH THAT YOU CAN’T REALLY WORK FULLTIME WITHIN ONE CREATIVE PROJECT – OR AT LEAST YOU CAN’T WITH THE SORT OF BANDS THAT I WORK WITH.” influence,” he continues. “I think that has been a strong point of The Strides: we draw on music from afro-jazz to dance hall artists to hip hop and all of the Marley family too.” The band are particularly looking forward to their showing at Global Rhythms Festival. Set to take place in Centennial Park in Glebe overlooking the waterfront, you can expect to witness the rhythmic brilliance of a range of bands in a beautiful, open setting. The festival will also provide one of the last few opportunities to immerse oneself in the sweet reggae stylings of The Strides before they set upon recording their next album at Rec Studios right here in Sydney. “We try to bring the same energy to whatever stage we’re playing at,” Rose says of their performance style. “We have our vocalist, Blacker C, who is just a phenomenal dancer, and all of our singers are just so much fun to watch. The Strides can really thrive when we’re on a festival stage.” What: Global Rhythms Festival Where: Bicentennial Park, Glebe When: Sunday September 25 With: Joseph Tawadros Quartet, Ajak Kwai, Emily Wurramara, Diesel and more

Brag 125mm x 180mm Rockin’ Marc Rondeau w Mark Keith Brown The Swingin’ Kitten w The Crimplenes w MC Limpin’ Jimmy w 2016

Sunday Sept 18TH www.rocknrollmarket.com.au UNDER 18s MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT

What: Heads Up out Friday September 23 through Rough Trade

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 17

Enter Shikari Super Stars By Jack Pilven

o you ever look up at the stars at night and wonder what the birth of the universe looked like? At some point, silence was shattered by a Big Bang, which resulted in us fl oating about among billions of stars and planets. An overwhelming thought, perhaps, though not for a stargazer like Rou Reynolds, vocalist for UK genre-blenders Enter Shikari, whose fascination with cosmology inspired the band’s recent single, ‘Redshift’. “With the song ‘Redshift’, I’ve tried to encapsulate that quite poetic situation that we’re in,” explains Reynolds. “We’re able to recognise that the universe is expanding and there are all these other billions of galaxies around us. If we had been a civilisation that evolved, say a few trillion years from now, then we wouldn’t be able to see any of these galaxies because they would have accelerated so far away from us and we wouldn’t be able to detect them because they’d be moving faster than the speed of light. So we would conclude that we’re completely alone in the universe, which is quite sad. In a way, we’re quite lucky to be alive at this point in the universe’s age, where we can actually detect other galaxies.” Reynolds’ knowledge of cosmology is impressive. A mention of UK professor Brian Cox’s book Human Universe only adds to his desire to discuss our origins. With talk of space dominating, it’s not long until that question comes up: are we alone?

“Yeah I think that it’s very much, not just a possibility, but that there has to be [life outside Earth],” he says. “But I don’t believe that we’ve found it. I don’t believe in Roswell or anything like that. But I think that we’re going to fi nd some forms of life at some point and they’ll be beyond our wildest imagination. They’ll probably be much too small for us to detect at the moment, or something that we haven’t thought of yet.” Enter Shikari’s Redshift tour will see the St Albans quartet spruik the aforementioned single, along with tracks from their back catalogue and most recent album, The Mindsweep. The title refers to the “pervasive action of people in power trying to keep hold of the status quo [by] quite literally sweeping ideas out of people’s minds,” and the album fuses their amalgam of hardcore riffs and electronic beats with political rhetoric that covers a wealth of topics, from British class inequality to climate change. “One example would be something we’ve talked about a lot over the course of our career, which is climate change,” says Reynolds, “and how oil companies and big energy companies will fund the… I don’t like calling them scientists because they’re obviously not scientists, but the ‘scientists’ that muddy the waters and promote not just scepticism but denial. And that would be one example of where a power structure is preventing a new idea or new technology, and it happens again and again within capitalism, unfortunately.”

There’s no denying that Enter Shikari are a band with an agenda: just read their lyrics for an insight into what fuels the energy behind their music. But while Reynolds is open with his opinions on both political and social issues, that doesn’t mean he wants to force those same thoughts and beliefs onto the fans. “I’m happy however they interpret it,” he says of fans analysing his lyrics. “I’m a fairly strong believer in music as sort of a gift. We put this noise out there and people take it, and then it’s theirs and they can interpret it how they want. They can use them for what they want, whether it’s just to perk themselves up on a day when they’re not feeling great or whether it’s to inspire them to look into a particular subject.” Like the universe we inhabit, Enter Shikari’s sound is ever expanding, with The Mindsweep weaving between an array of genres and influences. ‘Never Let Go Of The Microscope’ is dipped in UK grime, while the beginning of ‘Myopia’ is sprinkled with skittering Radioheadisms. Elsewhere, ‘There’s a Price On Your Head’ sounds like System of A Down and The Dillinger Escape Plan trying to out-crazy one another. The band’s sound covers a lot of ground, though there are still a few styles that won’t make it onto an Enter Shikari LP any time soon. “I think country and western is probably my most hated genre of music,” admits Reynolds. “But I usually find I have a genre of music that I don’t like, and I’ll delve into it a bit more just to make sure, and

there’s usually something I like about it. But I think with country and western … everything I’ve heard I’ve detested, so that certainly wouldn’t be in it.

“I think modern R&B as well – I just can’t deal with it. That sort of singing that’s full of ostentation where they can’t just hold one note, it has to be all Beyoncé style stuff, I can’t deal

Chastity Belt Anywhere But Home By David James Young end of July, and it just hit us that all of this material has been building up gradually. I think the oldest ‘new’ song that we’re looking at putting on the album started kicking around about two years ago” Shapiro is unclear as to what direction the new record is going to take the band in. One thing is certain however, and that’s Chastity Belt’s refusal to stagnate. “I’m not interested in bands that put out the same record over and over again,” Shapiro says. “By that same token, I’m not interested in being in any band that does the same thing.”

Enter Shikari photo by Corinne Cumming

“WE PUT THIS NOISE OUT THERE AND PEOPLE TAKE IT, AND THEN IT’S THEIRS AND THEY CAN INTERPRET IT HOW THEY WANT.”

t was about 18 months ago that Time To Go Home, the second studio album from indie stalwarts Chastity Belt, was released to

18 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

a strong critical reception. Now, coming towards the end of its tour cycle, the band is striking while the iron is relatively hot and plotting out

album number three. The group’s leader singer, Julia Shapiro, takes the call fresh from another recording session.

“We’re at a point where we have too many songs that we want to put on the album,” she says. “We went into the studio for about eight days at the

Chastity Belt formed in 2010, while its members – Shapiro, bassist Annie Truscott, drummer Gretchen Grimm and guitarist Lydia Lund – were taking classes at Whitman College in their hometown of Walla Walla, in the south west of Washington. The band’s profile has risen exponentially in that time, but it hasn’t been all that’s occupied Shapiro’s mind: in 2013, she formed Childbirth, a satiricallydriven feminist garage-punk outfit that have now put out two studio albums, 2014’s It’s A Girl! and 2015’s Women’s Rights. These,

thebrag.com

Chastity Belt photo by Conner Lyons

“The four of us are growing and changing as people,” she continues. “I’d like to think that this new music we’re making is a reflection of that. I’m sure it’ll end up sounding similar, but my hope is that it will be different enough as an album for people to notice a change. I’m definitely already sensing a different vibe, though. It’s definitely going to be different to our last album, but I guess we’ll see in what way that happens.”

Glen Hansard Singing Yourself By Adam Norris

eloved reader, I feel like you and I know each other well enough to speak openly about certain things, and if you’re unfamiliar with Glen Hansard, well, you really need to get your life in order. You might be aware of him from his role in Once, which nabbed him Best Song at the Oscars, or for his work as the frontman of The Frames or The Swell Season. Suffice to say, there are so many avenues into Hansard’s oeuvre that once you start walking them, you’ll never turn back. For a man whose life is so often on the road, it’s rather fitting he proves exceptionally keen to invite us on the journey. “Touring is such a strange, nomadic thing,” Hansard muses. “It’s a fascinating existence, and when I think about it, it seems to be everything I hoped it would be. When I think back to the 16-year-old Glen, who had a wish to play music and was busking every day, everything now seems exactly where I would have it. The path to it hasn’t exactly been what I imagined.

with that. For me that’s just like a guitar solo, which is another thing I don’t like. I could go on and on about things I don’t like.” He laughs. “But I think needless ostentation in music, needless decoration… that pisses me off, and that happens in lots of genres.”

Where: Metro Theatre When: Wednesday September 21 With: Hacktivist, Stories And: The Mindsweep out through Hopeless

“It feels like a wonderful thing, touring. To go to Australia and be fairly confident that there are people who are wanting to hear what you have to say – it changes the nature of what you do. You might go into a small town in the middle of Spain and play for 300 people, and the next night be in Vienna playing for 3,000. So you need to constantly be readjusting your expectations while at the same time staying true to what you do. If I’m searching, doing my thing and doing it for real, and somebody else has the opportunity to catch something that’s real to them…” He pauses; reflects. “I mean, if I’m just going up there every night and doing a show, then it’s just

entertaining. Which isn’t vacuous, but it also isn’t that interesting for me. If I catch myself doing that, which I do sometimes – just being the singing, dancing monkey – then I have to remember, ‘Fuck, that’s not good enough.’ You have to find the centre of your song again, and if you can’t, then you’re really in trouble.”

It’s very hard to call yourself a songwriter, because there is no mastery in it. You’re constantly being surprised by it: there is no formula. Honestly, someone asked me to give a few days of a class on songwriting in Ireland, and I had to ask myself how it’s done, and there’s no answer.”

I’ve been fortunate to catch Hansard live a number of times, and without exception I have always left his concerts amazed by both the power of his voice – look no further than ‘Say It To Me Now’ or ‘Bird Of Sorrow’ for proof – and by the scope of his catalogue. Fanboy I may be, but chief among the reasons I rate Hansard as a musician is that the quality of his songwriting hasn’t dipped as his career has advanced. Innumerable artists find their peak early and then stutter down to a steady plateau, and that fear of running out of things to say is never far away.

Nonetheless, talking with Hansard you quickly come to suspect that were he to indeed settle on an answer – some simple solution to corral a song into shape – he wouldn’t stay satisfied for long. Part of the craft is the struggle, the efforts to turn over distant stones and find fresh perspective.

“The bottom of the keg is something every single musician fears and at some point probably reaches,” Hansard says. “It’s just the point where you really have nothing more to report, or the songs you’re writing now are just rehashes of songs you wrote years ago. That shit happens, and that’s the fear. Even talking about it now gives me the heebie-jeebies. “I have another record to write now, another [solo] Glen Hansard record I think. I’ve got a couple of ideas; a couple of orphans scrambling around. They don’t look like much. They might dress up lovely when I put a band on them, or I might try them out acoustic and see how they stand up, skinny warts and all. But you can’t just switch it on. “I’m not the kind of person who wakes up in the morning, makes coffee and sits down at the piano.

“I think every artist goes through that,” Hansard agrees. “You lose perspective, and I think that’s the one thing you hang on to in your life as a creative person. ‘Do I believe this?’ That should be your criteria. If I believe it, then that’s all that should matter. But if I hear posturing in my own music…” he laughs. “Some songs, when you finish them you sincerely think that you nailed something, and a couple of years later suddenly it’s like, ‘Jesus, I’ve totally lost contact with whatever this was. Don’t believe it anymore, and I don’t believe the guy who’s singing it.’ It’s funny when people ask for a song that you’re not believing. That’s a time you’ve got to reckon with yourself. ‘Look, I can do what’s being asked of me here, or I can be true to myself.’ If you don’t believe it, the best thing you can do is respect it by not singing it at all.” Where: Sydney Opera House When: Saturday October 22 And: Didn’t He Ramble out now through Plateau

“IT’S BEEN COOL TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND GO PLACES I’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE – ALL BECAUSE I’M IN A BAND” coincidentally enough, closely coincide with the release of both Chastity Belt albums – their debut, No Regerts, came out some five months before It’s A Girl!.

have a lot of fans over there, which is really amazing. It turned out great – it would probably have to be one of the chillest tours that we’ve ever done.”

“It’s been kind of challenging,” Shapiro admits. “It definitely has its setbacks. There’s been a lot of touring for me in the past year or so. It’s about sorting my priorities, mostly. Chastity Belt comes first, and it’s the band I put the most into. If there is down time away from Chastity Belt, that’s when Childbirth factors in.”

Chastity Belt are looking to see off Time To Go Home with a maiden voyage to Australia next month, arriving in the country late September. The band’s dates are centred around Wollongong’s Yours And Owls weekend festival, which takes in a huge array of local and international artists – among them The Living End, Hermitude, The Sonics and Black Mountain; not to mention fellow American acts Bleached and The Coathangers – for what is sure to be one hell of a party.

Not that Shapiro enjoys much downtime from Chastity Belt touring, by the by; the band have travelled to all corners of the world, and their work has even resulted in a few international exchanges of sorts. When asked about the stand-out moment of touring in support of Time To Go Home, Shapiro has an easy answer: their US run alongside our very own Courtney Barnett.

Glen Hansard photo Flavia Shaub

“On that tour, we played some of the biggest shows we’ve ever played,” Shapiro says. “So many of the shows were sold out, and it was an incredible thing to be a part of. That was crazy for us, and it was so much fun touring with her. I think she’ll be back in Melbourne when we’re in Australia, so I’m hoping we’ll get to catch up with her and the band then.” Shapiro also points to a European jaunt – a first for the band – as a key highlight of touring in support of Time To Go Home. “It’s been cool to be able to travel and go places I’ve never been before – all because I’m in a band,” she says. “We seem to

thebrag.com

“This will be my first time ever in Australia,” says Shapiro. “I’m really excited about it. We’ve heard such great things, and we’ve got some friends over there that we met while they were over here. My plan is to hang out for a week after the tour is over – I want to hang out, see the sights, go exploring. I don’t get the chance to do things like that all that often, so that should be really cool.” Shapiro is also adamant about not being a total seppo and learning a few more Australian phrases. “Courtney and her band taught me a bunch of them, so I’m going to have to brush up,” she laughs. “You guys say ‘sheila,’ right?” What: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday October 1 With: Big White, Shady Nasty And: Also playing Yours And Owls 2016, Stuart Park Wollonging from Saturday October 1 - Sunday October 2

“THE BOTTOM OF THE KEG IS SOMETHING EVERY SINGLE MUSICIAN FEARS – AND AT SOME POINT PROBABLY REACHES.” BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 19

Raghu Dixit A Taste Of Tradition By Augustus Welby India has a lot of contemporary art and culture that is not usually seen around the world, and any festival that showcases this is a step in the right direction.” The Raghu Dixit Project are no strangers to high-profile performances. Along with playing massive shows in India, the group has travelled all around the world, playing at such major festivals as Glastonbury and making multiple appearances on UK television. It’s the sort of career trajectory that many musicians can only dream about, but Dixit hasn’t grown content just yet.

ndian musician Raghu Dixit didn’t pick up a guitar until his late teens, but he’s barely been able to put it down since. He’s been a professional musician for the last decade, gaining praise for fusing Indian folk music traditions with more contemporary Western sounds, touching on pop melodies, electronic production and English lyrics.

November, Confluence is a multicity celebration of Indian arts and culture that has the potential to introduce Indian arts and culture to a whole new audience. Dixit says it’s a grand honour to be selected as a representative of contemporary Indian culture.

“I’m really thrilled to be coming back to Australia after a long break and this time for a more extensive tour,” he says. “I think this is a very important festival because it is showcasing a much wider spectrum of Indian arts and music than is traditionally seen outside of India.

“I still think I have a long, long way to go in my musical career,” he says. “From the first time I went onstage, I always treated each performance as the most important one I’ve ever done. My wish is to ensure that whether I’m performing for 100 people or 10,000, each member of the audience goes away having had a great time.” Despite such wide exposure, Dixit isn’t worried about getting carried away with fame. As for his distinct stylistic fusion, he says it just came

“I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT AS MERGING ELEMENTS OR FUSING STYLES. FROM THE FIRST TIME I WENT ONSTAGE, I ALWAYS TREATED EACH PERFORMANCE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE I’VE EVER DONE.”

His band The Raghu Dixit Project are back in Australia this month, playing four shows around the country for Confluence – Festival of India. Running from August to

naturally to him. “I never thought of it as merging elements or fusing styles,” he says, simply. “From all the band’s travels and the various types of music I’ve heard over the years, a lot of styles and influences are now just part of how I think when I write a song.” Dixit had a traditional upbringing in southern India, and he sings in a variety of languages, including his native Kannada, as well as Hindi, Tamil and English. Tying it all together is his aim to make music that’s indicative of modern Indian culture. “I do take ancient folk poetry and set that to music as well, so it is a combination of both these efforts. I want to rekindle the love and interest in our culture by presenting it in a contemporary form as well as write about modern India.” India has a monumentally varied and diverse cultural history, which continues to develop and expand. The country itself proves to be an unceasing source of inspiration for Dixit’s music. “India’s culture and heritage and the land itself are the biggest influence on my music. The melodies I sing and create are Indian folk songs at the core, and that is what comes naturally to me.” What: Confluence – Festival Of India Where: Sydney Opera House When: Sunday September 18

Bleached Leaving Los Angeles By Anna Wilson

os Angeles is often described as one of the key cultural homes of rock’n’roll for good reason. It’s a town where classic ’70s and ’80s bands made their start, and where musicians swagger about the place with a devil-may-care attitude, lured in by the madness that becomes part and parcel when you’re playing Satan’s blues. Californian punk brats Bleached are well acquainted with the demonic draw of Tinsel Town, and lead singer Jennifer Clavin stresses it was her negative experience with this lifestyle that fuelled the creation of their new aptly-titled album Welcome The Worms. “‘Desolate Town’ I feel like is maybe my most personal song on the new record,” Clavin explains. “I’m just talking about this time in LA when it got dark: I felt like I didn’t know who my real friends were. Were they my friends because of drink? I feel like I rose above that and in this song, I show it.” Clavin is hesitant to discuss details when explaining the themes underpinning Welcome The Worms, though it’s evident that the piece was born out of some truly troubled times. “It kinda was like I was just hitting rock bottom again and again,” she says. “I guess something would happen and I would feel it was rock bottom. Then I’d convince myself it was fine and I could drink again, but when that third rock bottom came, I thought, ‘My God, this is bad. This lifestyle is not okay.’ I called my dad, and I feel like when you call the people you’re closest to – the people you care about most in your life – it’s serious.” There’s still a healthy smack of regret in Clavin’s Californian drawl; regret that the lifestyle took such a toll on her and the band. But despite all that pain, any dark feelings she has are countered by a distinct enthusiasm for the music she was able to make as a result. “I feel like LA is such a big city with so much energy and so many people trying to make it with whatever their art is, but it’s also easy to find people that wanna like, suck the life out of you,” she says. “You’re down to partake in the nightlife because you wanna lose

20 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

yourself. But it’s easy to get sucked into the lifestyle and it does take away from working on your art. I mean, it takes you away but it gives you a lot to write about, a lot of feelings. But ultimately living that lifestyle – it isn’t easy.” Much of the material for Welcome The Worms was written and recorded in the desolate Joshua Tree desert, where Clavin often retreated. “I would escape to the desert. It’s really pretty there. You don’t know anyone. Then you come back to LA and you’re like, ‘Okay let’s do this again, drink and do drugs till 7am’. Now I don’t partake in that lifestyle anymore. Now it’s purely about the band.” Clavin isn’t the only former wild child in the group: her sister and lead guitarist Jessica Clavin and bassist Mikayla Grace also acknowledge that they too went through the grinder, but as Clavin explains, they didn’t realise

it until they were reading the lyrics together. “There’s like, an unspoken understanding,” Clavin says. “We kind of do things different ways. Me and Jessie will write together. Mikayla joined us on this record and that opened it up to more material: it’s just cool the three different ways, with three different writing styles. Three different experiences creates more dynamic within each song. That’s what we want to do: create something real.” Though that distinctive Bleached quality is evident all across Welcome The Worms, Clavin drew strength from a range of new touchstones, mixing up her songwriting process and paying tribute some new acts in the process. “I feel like there’s bands that I will always listen to,” she says. “Bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, Blondie; they will be with me forever. But then there are bands that we were inspired by just for this record. I got

obsessed with Nirvana’s Unplugged record: those songs are amazing in their raw form. I wanted to make sure I could play every song on acoustic guitar and make it still sound good. I was inspired vocally: now I try and scream and growl more, especially where there’s a part that calls for it, especially where there’s more emotion.” Fans and newcomers to Bleached can soon experience that growling emotion live, as the group head to Australia for the first time. “We’ll make the songs sound good but we’ll have fun too: that’s the point of a performance,” Clavin says. “We try our best to lose ourselves in the show – our fans do the same, so we can all have fun together. I really don’t know anything about Australia other than it’s beautiful, so I’m gonna rely on the people we meet to tell us where to go, eat,

things to do, shop. It’s fun knowing nothing. “I’m so excited,” she continues. “I’m kinda like, fearing the plane ride because I heard it’s really long, but other than that I feel like I’m excited for everything, every city.” A long-haul flight Down Under will be a walk in the park for these girls, compared with the time they’ve spent breaking free of the tantalising grip of the City of Angels. Good on ’em. Who: Bleached Where: Newtown Social Club When: Saturday October 1 And: Also playing Yours And Owls 2016, Stuart Park, Wollongong, from Saturday October 1 – Sunday October 2 with Chastity Belt, Bec Sandridge, Ball Park Music and many more thebrag.com

Dirty Wolves Howlin’ At The Moon By Chris Scott

irty Wolves are a metal band like no other, a group ready to push the envelope at every opportunity. Their new concept album, Creation & Chaos aims to explore humanity through notions of formation, destruction and control and during the three-year formation of the project, guitarist/vocalist Alex Hermes and drummer Graeme Young took it upon themselves to act as ambitiously as possible, both musically and thematically. The end result is an album that lands with substance. “We didn’t do it for the success of the album, we just did it because we wanted it to represent something as a whole, and for all the tracks to cover a certain subject,” Hermes says. “So, you know, you’ve got ‘Terra, Pt. 1’, which is [about] our work destroying the earth: you know mining and tracking and things like that. Then you’ve got ‘Leviathan, Pt. 1’, which is about the control of religion. You’ve got ‘Chaos’, which speaks for itself, and you’ve got ‘Creation’. So every track on there … we sort of picked out themes, and we’re covering them sonically.” Over the space of 12 pounding songs, the two-piece batter the listener into submission, and Creation & Chaos is nothing if not a truly unrelenting record. ‘Omnisciens Machina’ is the track that best captures this unflinching approach, and the accompanying dystopian video clip perfectly mirrors the song’s themes of technological control. “Well the track is about, you know, big brother watching us,” Hermes explains.

“IF YOU HAVE A LOOK, CORPORATIONS ARE USING YOUR TELEPHONES: THEY’RE EVEN ADMITTING IT.” “If you have a look, corporations are using your telephones: they’re even admitting it. Sony PlayStation can listen into what’s going on in the lounge room. Police can surveil your lounge room using your phone. Even the AFP got caught out in court by bringing in evidence that [they must have recorded] from a phone call. You’ve got GPS. You know Facebook is telling you where everyone is and what they’re doing, you know they know what you’re searching.” “George Orwell’s 1984 [has come true]: like every single digital device is now used to make out behavioural

patterns so they can put advertising in our faces,” Hermes continues. “So it’s a breach of privacy now. It’s about the world becoming more and more and more controlled… To me it’s an important issue.” Creation & Chaos neatly sidesteps any limitations one might expect from a prog metal two-piece, and there is nothing stripped back or soft about the record. Propelling forward the album’s imperative messages is technically enthralling instrumentation, something that Hermes attributes to an extensive, non-traditional writing process. “So to make them each a bit

different – I’m not saying that they are different – but in our attempt to make them different, we went back to start with Graeme [who] would actually come in with the beats and map out the drums,” says Hermes. “And that would sort of set my limitations. And I had to work extra hard to try and make it work over his wrists … It was a real rough experience, but you know we’ve put out an album before. We know a thing two, and I just didn’t want to go down that same track where I’m just regurgitating what I’ve done before. “Graeme and I both really did believe it was progressive, because it’s an

opportunity to create something new, or try to create something new. It’s an opportunity to sort of find your own uniqueness,” Hermes continues. “You know, we’re unique individuals. We don’t want to be a clone band. We don’t want to sound like someone else.” What: GuitarBaby Showcase With: Red Sea, Simple Stone, James Davies Where: Sydney Opera House When: Saturday September 18 And: Creation & Chaos out now through GuitarBaby

Red Sea Part-y Folks By Chris Scott

ydney’s Red Sea is a band destined for the national spotlight. While the group have only been together for a little over a year, their debut EP Battlescar sounds like one turned out by a musically matured and sonically refined act. It’s a rich mix of prog rock, metal and more melodic leanings, mixed by the three-time Grammynominated Rick Will and released under the group’s label, GuitarBaby. The four-piece is currently embarking on their first national tour, supporting labelmates Dirty Wolves. Indeed, when she talks to the BRAG, frontwoman Erica Bowron is in a van en route to the Newcastle leg of the tour.

“WHEN YOU’RE MAKING YOUR OWN ART YOU KNOW WHETHER SOMETHING IS GOOD ENOUGH OR IF IT’S A BIT TOO BASIC.”

“We do have an interesting little mix – like Attila [Muhari], the bass player is a hardcore, heavy metal guy from way back,” Bowron says amiably. “Like as a bass player he’s a frontman in his own right. Pete [Kelly], the drummer is also a metalhead, but he has this kind of encyclopaedic knowledge of world music and has classical piano training. And then there’s Simon [Owen], who grew up on the Pixie. He caught AC/DC at a gig in a stadium in Ireland. “Then you’ve got me, and I’ve been kind of a rock chick, but also I’ve actually got a music theatre background as well,” she continues. “So we’ve got this crazy range, but I think when we come together it’s certainly worked for us. It’s turned into this thing where the entity is greater than the sum of its parts.” Behind the surging rhythms, ravaging riffs and powerful melodies on Battlescar, there is evidently a band firing on all cylinders. There’s an endearing freshness and a creative energy that can be heard in the five tracks, a passion mirrored in Bowren’s voice when she talks her way through the tracklist. “’Lose Your Head’, like the big thebrag.com

seven-minute-long one: that came together in about 20 minutes,” she says. “It was just crazy. That’s always a great feeling. Like you always kind of know that you’re not trying to force the universe to do something that it doesn’t want to do, I think, when that happens. Overarching the entire release is Bowron’s immense vocal presence. Each track has an emotional weight that grips and

ceases to let go. “For me a track like ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ is really personal,” says Bowron. “It’s about addiction and, again, trying to work through that. I’ve had two family members take their own lives through addiction, but I think it’s something that absolutely everyone can relate to. You know, we’re all addicted to something, even if it’s bloody alcohol or sugar, or whatever.”

As far as the current tour is concerned, Red Sea have the makings of a riveting live act. Only adding to the excitement is the freshness of the new tracks and the newly-charted musical ground they represent. “We love ‘Lose Your Head’ and ‘Caravan’ live,” says Bowron. “We hopefully want to get a moshpit going. We just can’t wait to play them for people. When you’re actually

playing live and you’re connecting with crowds, it’s bloody brilliant. That’s what it’s all about really.” What: GuitarBaby showcase With: Dirty Wolves, Simple Stone, James Davies Where: Sydney Opera House When: Saturday September 18 And: Battlescar out now through GuitarBaby

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 21

arts in focus

free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit

arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Emily Norton, Alex Chetverikov and Joseph Earp

five minutes WITH

COLEMAN GREHAN FROM EDIT What attracted you to working with Joyce’s characters? In 2014, I created a show called Him that I performed along the east coast. Later, the play was retitled Portrait Of A Young Man and restaged with a different actor. The reason for the change was to acknowledge the autobiographical elements of the show, and how they were similar to Joyce’s novel. In a sense, I became a pseudo-Joyce creating a show with my own pseudoStephen.

an you tell us a little bit about the plot of Edit? Edit tells the life story of Stephen Dedalus, the semi-autobiographical protagonist of two of James Joyce’s novels, A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man and Ulysses. Edit loosely follows Stephen’s life as written in Joyce’s work, though it does deviate from Joyce’s novels to accommodate wishful fantasies from my own life.

The play is very lean – it only has one performer, and runs for an hour. What attracted you to that stripped-back quality? Edit is indeed a one-hour solo-performed show with little to no lighting or set design except for the use of, and interaction with, a projected image. Enforcing this strict limitation on ourselves was very deliberate as it permitted us to explore the wide range of stylistic choices in Edit without getting too cluttered. The work is being performed as part of the Sydney Fringe. What do you think makes the Fringe special? I think Sydney Fringe is a really important

festival for the cultural landscape of Sydney. First and foremost, fringe festivals encourage artistic experimentation and creative innovation, but more importantly, I fi nd that Sydney has a decentralised independent art scene, more so than other Australian cities. Sydney Fringe’s artistic hubs and focus on holding all events within one larger area brings together this distributed community in one space. What do you want the audience to walk out of the play thinking/feeling? In a world inundated with great romances and epic sagas, it’s easy to get carried away and disappointed by the mediocrity of reality. I want audiences to become aware of their own embellishments so they can be at peace with the monotony of everyday life and discover the beauty in the unrefined and uncurated chaos. What: Edit as part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2016 Where: PACT Emerging Artist Hub, Erskineville When: Wednesday September 21 – Saturday September 24

Pinot Palooza

Mulholland Drive

THE QUEEN OF IRELAND

Proving particularly relevant in our current age, what with the marriage plebiscite a topic of utmost relevance, The Queen of Ireland focuses on Panti Bliss, one of Ireland’s foremost drag queens and gay rights activists. The documentary focuses on the leadup to the Irish referendum on marriage equality for same sex couples, one that saw Ireland recognise marriage between two persons regardless of their sex. We’re giving ten lucky readers the chance to win a double pass to the fi lm about this historic event – it’s as simple as visiting thebrag.com/freeshit to make your entry!

PINING FOR PINOT

Wine: how classy people get wasted. So let’s all give a big cheer to welcome back to Pinot Palooza, returning to Sydney this fall. The event is Australia’s biggest annual pinot noir and music festival, and will be brought to you by the one and only Bottle Shop Concepts. There’ll be lots of wine on offer from over 100 of Australian and New Zealand’s hottest wine producers, along with a bevy of fancy wine glasses, hot chicken and a range of gustatory delights, not to mention the musicians there to delight and entertain as you down bottle after bottle. Oh, and P.S. - VIP upgrades lead to bonus freebies. Pinot Palooza will be held on Sunday October 9 from 1pm - 6pm.

LYNCH THE LEGEND

David Lynch’s masterpiece is returning to the big screen. Having recently been voted the best film of the 21st century – how’s that for props? – the surrealist cinematic trip Mulholland Drive is hitting a cinema near you. The film stars Naomi Watts, and follows the story of a young ingénue navigating the worlds of success, romance and horrific burntface men who live out the back of diners. To be honest, no description of the film we could offer could ever really give you a sense of its strangeness – or genius – so just see it, yah? Mulholland Drive screens at the Hayden Orpheum on Sunday September 25.

THE NIGHT SHIFT

Art at night: what more could ya want? The National Art School is set to present an exciting new event titled Nas Nights: Start Making Sense. The evening program will include a curator-led tour of NAS Gallery’s current exhibition Sixth Sense, a ceramics workshop, a silent disco, flower market, virtual reality

headsets and much, much more. The series is a multisensory expedition that will test your ophthalmoception, audioception, gustaoception, olfacoception and tactioception (just to get all fancy and chuck in some science-y words for you to look up.) The NAS Nights: Start Making Sense exhibition will be held on Thursday September 22 from 6pm - 9pm.

FEEL LIKE MORE FRIDA?

Diego On My Mind by Frida Kahlo

22 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

Marat/Sade

Seems like we can’t get enough Frida Kahlo in our lives. Reacting to a huge outpouring of public support, the Art Gallery of NSW has announced that it will be extending the exhibition dates for Frida Kahlo And Diego Rivera. Kahlo and Rivera are two towering figures in modern art, with Kahlo in particular well-known for her striking, body-positive paintings that often put her own figure in the forefront. Rivera, by contrast, was more of a naturalist, but his work is no less striking, and the romantic bond between the two (they were married for many years) adds a real power to seeing their work side by side and in the one collection. Frida Kahlo And Diego Rivera will now run till Sunday October 23.

Moonbase Commander

ONE FOR THE SADISTS

Peter Weiss’ The Persecution And Assassination Of Jean-Paul Marat By The Inmates Of The Asylum Of Charenton Under The Direction Of The Marquis De Sade (or Marquis/Sade if you don’t fancy dropping that lengthy title into casual conversation) is one of the most groundbreaking and influential pieces of theatre to debut in modern times. Now, the astoundingly disturbing work is heading to the New Theatre, in a brand new production. The new take on the difficult piece will be helmed by Barry French, a man more than capable of mounting such a production, and the cast will include the likes of Tom Aldous, Kaiya Bartholomew and Andrea Blight. The play opens on Tuesday October 4 and runs through ’till Saturday November 5.

GOING TO THE GONG?

Destination Wollongong is teaming up with Yours and Owls Festival to host a nine-day extravaganza in the ’Gong. The first ever Fringe Fest will feature a ‘90s night hosted by Cheez TV stars Ryan and Jade (talk about Throwback Thursdays), an evening with Dr Karl, a theatrical adaptation of Pat Grant’s graphic novel Blue, outdoor movie screenings of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino classics, gigs from Into It. Over It., Joseph Tawadros, Moonbase Commander and several tech and art installations. Sounds pretty creative huh? There will be food, there will be music, and there will be art, and it’s all going to run from Friday September 23 – Sunday October 2 at Stuart Park, Wollongong.

thebrag.com

arts in focus

Manly Arts Festival

FEATURE

[VISUAL ARTS] Make It To Manly By Adam Norris

Untitled (Figures On Manly Beach) by Nancy Kilgour significant artist teaching upstairs at the Avalon Surf Club. You had Sydney Long, who had a tent on the shores of Narrabeen Lake and would invite groups there to create a little artistic hub.

Northern Lights by James Brickwood

atherine Roberts is the senior curator for the Northern Beaches Council, and part of her colourful repertoire is overseeing the development of the 2016 Manly Arts Festival. Now in its 23rd year, the festival has long been a jewel in Sydney’s cultural crown, attracting audiences from across the state with the aim to not only get them enjoying the geography of the Northern Beaches themselves, but also to engage them with one of the most thriving cultural communities you could hope to find. Exactly what is fuelling this artistic renaissance within our northern neighbours is hard to say, but my money is on the council slipping something into the water supply. “It does seem to be coming together at the moment, doesn’t it?” Roberts agrees, laughing. “Manly Art Gallery and Museum has been a cultural hub for the Northern Beaches, particularly over the last two decades, but of course there’s only so much

we can do. We have always thought of ourselves as a regional gallery, even though we’re funded mainly by Manly Council and Arts NSW, and we’ve always worked with artists from Palm Beach, to Manly, to everything inbetween. “But in the last five years, Pittwater Council has developed its own cultural plan. It’s moving towards exhibition spaces; it started the Live in Pittwater program to support these pre-existing cultural activities, and it’s generating new partnerships. Eramboo Artist Environment up in Terrey Hills has really been quite trailblazing in activating sites through public art. There’s the Avalon Art Carnival, and the Warringah Creative Space in Curl Curl which is seeing a lot of cultural development and is a very vibrant artistic precinct now. Then there’s artist-run initiatives, like the Art and Soul Collective. There have always been things going on, but we’re seeing extra support now. I think the Northern

Beaches have found new confidence, and perhaps that’s what’s coming through.” With so many music venues threatened, festivals folding and grass-roots galleries struggling for audiences, it’s encouraging to see such commitment to the arts. Of course, the Northern Beaches have long enticed artists of every make and mould, and while it may seem that Manly is turning into, say, Paris in the 1920s, Roberts is quick to assure that arts communities are going to need continued support. “We’re still understaffed and underresourced! But all the indicators for the new council are that arts and culture will be a priority. There are a lot of artists living here now. In the olden days, artists were attracted here because of the isolation and because of the cheap property prices. There was a real sense of community. You had Arthur Murch, who was a

“And there were always photographers. [The festival is] actually profiling seven photographers. When you talk to them they all say there’s something about the quality of light on the Northern Beaches. It’s bouncing from the ocean, from the lagoons at Pittwater and the harbour, and there’s this unique quality to the landscape here as opposed to the southern beaches.” With a program that showcases author talks (including a discussion of Brett Whiteley by Ashleigh Wilson), artists markets, zine fairs, workshops and music – kickstarted by a live performance from Reg Mombassa and Peter Doherty at the launch party – it’s going to be difficult walking the Manly promenade without stumbling over something interesting and engaging. Indeed, coinciding with the NSW Art Galleries’ latest exhibition, Manly will also play host to Frida Kahlo: Art, Life, Culture And Chocolate, an interactive look into Kahlo’s remarkable history. More than anything, the 2016 festival is a tremendous opportunity to break away from your usual suburban shackles and plunge into something refreshing and new; a chance to explore a multifaceted community just a short ferry ride away... “We always want to attract new audiences,” Roberts says. “If you’re

“IF YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING AUTHENTIC AND REAL, BORN FROM THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE VISITING REALLY FEEL THAT, AND THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF.”

doing something authentic and real, born from the community, people visiting really feel that, and that’s what they want to be a part of. They want to quickly embed themselves in a local environment, and one way to do that is through participating in cultural events: visiting galleries, going to a café and finding local artworks hanging from the walls. “And people love venue-hopping, picking and choosing. It really gives you a sense of involvement and a keenness to participate. You might come to the gallery to see an exhibition, but you end up seeing a concert as well, so you’re having that cross-fertilisation of disciplines. From there you might walk across to Desire Bookshop, which is having its Melody Poetry Desire event, and is having live music there as well at the same time. We’re trying to be very creative with our traditional spaces. A bookshop is no longer just a bookshop: it’s a place for conversation and music and dialogue. “The flavour of the festival changes,” Roberts reflects. “Through a lot of socially-inclusive programs that have been developed, local people have really been given a lot of confidence. You might have some of the same presenters who have been there since the beginning, but then every year there are new partners, new events and artists. Everyone seems very motivated, there’s such initiative here, and the crowds we see really appreciate that.” What: Friday September 16 – Friday September 30 Where: Various locations around the Northern Beaches

education profile WITH

SCREENWISE

ourses on offer: Screenwise is Australia’s leading film and TV school for actors, specifically designed to provide specialist, career-focused training in acting for film and television. Screenwise offers a full-time accredited Diploma course in Screen Acting, the Showreel Course as well as several short courses all year round, accommodating for all ages and skill levels. Discover our courses at screenwise.com.au. What makes us different: If you’re serious about an acting career, the Screenwise Diploma of Screen Acting (10065NAT) is designed to give you the best chance at getting the one thing that is most elusive in the acting industry – a job. Overseen by Screenwise CEO and Principal, Denise Roberts (Schapelle, Wonderland, Packed To The Rafters), the Diploma of Screen Acting is a two-year, full thebrag.com

time course that offers students the most advanced and critical acting theories and professional industry advice available today. With VETFEE HELP available, the course covers the full spectrum of skills training required to produce a high calibre, professional screen actor. Based on the Roberts Method, the Diploma of Screen Acting mixes a strong academic element with hard-nosed professionalism, providing total focus and immersion training in the unique skills and techniques required for screen acting to meet the demands of today’s industry. Who are the tutors: To be the best, you have to learn from the best, which is why Screenwise tutors are award-winning actors, directors, casting directors and technicians who are currently employed and up to date with the Australian and International film and television industry standards.

Take the next step: A proven launch pad for acting careers, Screenwise attracts students from around the country and the globe. Our alumni includes high profi le actors such as Chris Hemsworth, Todd Lasance, Isabel Lucas, Matt Levett, Ashleigh Cummings, Stef Dawson, George Houvardas and Nathaniel Buzolic. What else you need to know: Applications for the 2017 intake are now open for the Diploma of Screen Acting as well as the January intake of the Showreel Course. For more information about interview and audition preparation, visit screenwise. com.au. Contact details: Screenwise is located at 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills. Call (02) 9281 4484, email info@screenwise.com.au, or head to screenwise.com.au for more info. BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 23

arts in focus

film review

five minutes

Hits and misses on the silver screens around town

WITH

COURTNEY POWELL

FROM

DISCO PIGS

Don’t Breathe

■ Film

DON’T BREATHE In cinemas now The title of the Don’t Breathe is multifaceted – it’s as much a command to the fi lm’s audience for full immersion as it is a silent mantra that its four principal characters must internalise to survive. The setting is contemporary Detroit – the go-to symbolic location for stories of American economic desperation, where Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto) burglarise houses to make a living, and the city’s poverty and visible air of toxicity add another layer of suffocation. Additionally, the double-edged, respiratory focus of the fi lm’s title and the claustrophobic setting bring to mind Hitchcock’s 1948 landmark Rope, and director Fede Álvarez (fresh off his better-than-it-needed-to-be 2013 Evil Dead remake) is clearly angling to be crowned a new master of suspense. Fortunately, he has the chops to suggest he’s on his way there. In a landscape where horror fi lms are becoming louder and lazier, Álvarez demonstrates a keen understanding of screw-tightening, slowburning agony.

When Don’t Breathe fi nally brings its three principal youngsters into the house of their target – a blind war veteran (Stephen Lang) sitting on at least $300,000 in cash – the fi lm’s set pieces become gradually more elaborate and nerve-racking the more the three uncover their adversary’s capabilities and sinister ulterior motives. Very rarely do you feel unsure of where you are spatially – whether in relation to the rest of the house, or with other characters – and the fi lm’s comic relief is welldistributed throughout, including one moment of supreme tastelessness that clues you into realising this fi lm could go anywhere, even as it stays mostly housebound. The fi lm’s writing isn’t quite as graceful as Álvarez’s direction, with several plot twists half-heartedly attempting to complicate our identifi cation with its characters – the fi lm is initially refreshing for asking us to empathise with this unlikeable, barely-defi ned trio of burglars on their survival instinct alone. Fortunately, these wrinkles don’t detract from the fi lm as a meat-and-potatoes exercise in suspense, which at best legitimises the cliché phrase ‘edge of your seat’.

an you tell us a little bit about the plot of Disco Pigs? Pig and Runt are two inseparable, violent creatures, born at the same hospital only seconds apart. With a bond stronger than friendship or family, they live in a world of their own. As their 17th birthdays draw closer, Pig’s violent nature becomes more obvious, and his romantic intentions towards Runt emerge. Runt, however, does not want to give Pig what he asks of her. She does not know how to reject him and continues with their friendship, feeling caged and helpless. The play has been adapted to film in the past: did you ever feel beholden to that particular take on the story? Quite the opposite actually. The film is very different to the play and we wanted to make the show our own and distinct from the film. The film has an almost supernatural element to the characters’ relationship, but we wanted

to make it very real and grounded in our show. The play focuses on a codependent, overwhelmingly powerful relationship. Was it hard to replicate that onstage? It isn’t often you get to perform with one of your closest friends – and with many years of friendship behind us, Jeff Hampson [Pig] and I found that our offstage friendship enhanced our onstage chemistry immensely. Together, we feel Pig and Runt’s emotions so deeply – the love, the fear and the regret – and I think that our platonic intimacy in real life has helped us to discover a tangible sense of authenticity in the play, and assisted us when navigating Pig and Runt’s deepest, darkest secrets. What would you say the thematic concerns of Disco Pigs are? I think it’s open to interpretation, but at the core of the story are ideas of love,

lust, identity formation and sexual maturation. A lot of our conversations revolved around the idea of growing up, and leaving your childhood behind – about being ready or being challenged to do so, and all the consequences that come with that. What do you want audiences to walk out of the play thinking/feeling? There is so much loss, love, and terror in Disco Pigs, and I feel that everyone will see a bit of themselves in the characters and their experiences. The play is confronting, and it doesn’t let up for a moment. It really holds up a mirror to the audience: how it resonates with people is a very personal thing. What: Disco Pigs as part of Sydney Fringe Festival 2016 Where: PACT Centre For Emerging Artists, Erskineville When: Tuesday September 20 – Saturday September 24

five minutes

Ian Barr

WITH

BAZ SCOTT FROM EGG RECORDS

Arts Exposed What's in our diary...

Chauvel Cinema, Paddington, now until Friday October 21 Paddington’s Chauvel Cinema is a cinephile’s heaven, a place where film lovers can enjoy classic flicks in a beautiful art deco setting. Evidently, the folks behind the cinema also have excellent taste as film programmers, and they have lined up a series of perfectly paired double-feature film screenings. Running every Friday through to Friday October 21, the Chauvel will play host to back-to-back screenings of classics, including such masterpieces as David Lynch’s ethereal Lost Highway which will play alongside his much-maligned masterpiece Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Studio Ghibli’s breathtaking Spirited Away matched with My Neighbour Totoro, and cult horror favourite The Thing bowing out the season alongside its spiritual sister piece, David Cronenberg’s Videodrome. You can’t ask for much more on a quiet Friday night then, can you? For more information, visit palacecinemas.com.au/cinemas/chauvel. 24 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

Are there any particular genres you find people who buy vinyl are generally attracted to? Classic rock is always popular but I find that it is very eclectic these days.

Do you find that people still love going into record stores rather than just ordering vinyl online? There is a place for both, but there's nothing like going into a store and hearing something new, being able to talk to someone about something you love… I have learned about heaps of music that I had never heard before from talking to my customers as well. The larger format of vinyl really allows people to enjoy the albums’ cover art. What’s your favourite album cover?

There are too many, but I have always liked the artwork of a guy named Neon Park. He did Zappa’s Weasels Ripped My Flesh cover, which would be one of my favourites. What is your favourite record that you own? It changes weekly but Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend is up there. What: Glebe Record Fair Where: Peter Forsyth Auditorium, Glebe When: Saturday September 24 thebrag.com

Chauvel Cinema photo by James Stewart /Flickr

Cine Vault

inyl has experienced a real resurgence. Why do you think that is? There is something about the sound: it’s much warmer, and there is no shuffle button so you have to listen to the LP the way the artist put the tracks together. Plus, there’s the size of the artwork.

snap sn ap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

PICS :: AM

oz comic-con sydney

up all night out all week . . .

10:09:16 :: Sydney Exhibition Centre :: Glebe Island thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 25

BARS BRAG

A Work In Progress 50 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri noon-2am; Sat 5pm-2am Ash St Cellar 1 Ash St, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Mon – Fri 8.30am-11pm The Attic 275 Pitt St, Sydney CBD (02) 9284 1200 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu 10am-1.30am; Fri 10am-3am; Sat noon1.30am Assembly

488 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 8808 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Australian Heritage Hotel 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 2229 Mon – Sun 10.30am-midnight Bar Eleven Lvl 11, 161 Sussex St, Sydney CBD (02) 9290 4712 Mon – Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat 4-11pm The Barber Shop 89 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 9699

Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight Basement Bar Basement, 27-33 Goulburn St, Sydney CBD (02) 8970 5813 Mon – Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight The Baxter Inn Basement 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-1am Beta Bar First Floor, 238 Castlereagh St, CBD (02) 8599 8970 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri midday-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight

Bulletin Place First Floor, 10-14 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thurs – Sat 4pm-1am; Sun 4-10pm Burrow Bar De Mestre Place, Sydney 0450 466 674 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Captain’s Balcony 46 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 3526 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight deVine 32 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 6906 Mon – Fri 11.30am-11.30pm; Sat

LEADBELLY

Tell us about your bar: Leadbelly is a brand new cocktail bar located in Newtown offering free live music from Thursday through Saturday and amazing drinks and food all the time. We wanted to pay homage to the venue’s history – it was once the Vanguard – while keeping the live music element alive, but with the format changed slightly to free entry. Our focus is on providing great cocktails using seasonal produce and on-trend street food at an affordable price. What’s on the menu? Come in and try our signature shrimp

26 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

po’boy served on a milk bun Louisiana style, or our speciality Leadbelly lager. Alternatively you could always try our spicy buffalo wings, chicken liver pate, or for those with a sweet tooth, our Nutella donuts. We also offer pizza until midnight on Tuesday through Sunday. Care for a drink? Rye Me A River, our version of the Old Fashioned, blends rye whiskey and cognac, smoked hickory bitters and a salted maple and rosemary reduction. Or you could always try In The Pines, made of Talisker

bar bar

ADDRESS: 42 KING ST, NEWTOWN PHONE NUMBER: (02) 9557 7992 WEBSITE: THELEADBELLY.COM.AU OPENING HOURS: SUNDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY 4 PM – 12 AM, THURSDAY – SATURDAY 4 PM – 1 AM

B R A G ’ S G U I D E T O S Y D N E Y ’ S B E S T WAT E R I N G H O L E S

5.30-11.30pm Easy Eight 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney (02) 9299 3769 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight El Camino Cantina 18 Argyle St, The Rocks Mon – Thu noon- midnight; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun 11.30am-midnight Frankie’s Pizza 50 Hunter St, Sydney CBD Sun – Thu 4pm-3am; Fri noon-3am Gilt Lounge 49 Market St, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 0000 Mon – Fri 5pm-2am; Sun 5pm-midnight The Glenmore 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks (02) 9247 4794 Mon – Thu, Sun 11am-midnight; Fri – Sat 11am-1am Grain Bar 199 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9250 3118 Sun – Fri noon-9pm Grandma’s Basement 275 Clarence St,

E E W

10 whiskey, citrus, fi g and pandan honey water. Sounds? The music ranges from blues, roots and country to modern indie pop and rock. We try and keep the genres mixed in order to be accessible to all music lovers. Highlights: Being able to hang out in a great cocktail bar environment while also being able to enjoy local, national and international artists for free. The bill comes to: Shrimp po’ boy ($18), Leadbelly lager ($8), cocktails ($18).

Sydney CBD (02) 9264 3004 Mon – Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-1am The Fox Hole 68A Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 4369 Mon 7am-3pm; Tue – Fri 7am-late The Grasshopper 1 Temperance Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9947 9025 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri noon-1am; Sat 4pm-1am Hacienda Sydney 61 Macquarie St, Sydney CBD (02) 9256 4000 Mon – Sun noon-late Harpoon Harry 40-44 Wentworth Ave, Sydney CBD (02) 8262 8800 Mon – Sat 11.30am-3am; Sun 11am-midnight Kittyhawk 16 Phillip Ln, Sydney CBD Mon – Thu 3pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 3pm-2am The Lobo Plantation Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence St, Sydney CBD 0415 554 908 Mon – Thu, Sat 4pm-midnight; Fri 2pm-midnight The Local Bar 161 Castlereagh St, Sydney CBD (02) 9953 0027 Mon – Wed 7.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 7.30am-11pm The Loft (UTS) 15 Broadway, Sydney (behind 2SER) (02) 9514 1149 Mon – Fri 2-11pm Mojo Record Bar Basement 73 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4999 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu 4pm-1am; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am The Morrison 225 George St, Sydney CBD (02) 9247 6744 Mon – Wed 7.30am-11pm; Thu 7.30am-midnight; Fri 7.30am-2am; Sat 11.30am-2am The Palisade 35 Bettington St, Millers Point 9018 0123 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat – Sun 11am-midnight Mr Tipply’s 347 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 4877 Mon – Thu 11.30am-10pm; Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat 10pm-4am Palmer & Co. Abercrombie Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 9240 3000 Sun – Weds 5pm-3am; Thu 3pm-3am; Fri noon-3am; Sat 4pm-3am Papa Gede’s Bar Laneway at the end of 348 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 5671 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Plan B Small Club 53-55 Liverpool St, Sydney CBD Wed 5pm-11pm; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 6pm-3am PS40 40 King St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern 199 Elizabeth St, Sydney CBD Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Rockpool Bar & Grill 66 Hunter St, Sydney CBD (02) 8078 1900 Mon – Sat noon-3pm, 6-11pm The Rook Level 7, 56-58 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 2505

Mon, Sat 4pm-midnight; Tue – Fri noon-midnight The SG 32 York St, Sydney CBD Tues – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Shirt Bar 7 Sussex Ln, Sydney CBD (02) 8068 8222 Mon –Wed 8am-8pm; Thu – Fri 8am-10pm Since I Left You 338 Kent St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 4986 Mon – Wed 5pm-10pm; Thu – Fri 4.30pm-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight Small Bar 48 Erskine St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0782 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight The Smoking Panda 5-7 Park St, Sydney CBD (02) 9264 4618 Mon – Sat 4pm-late Stitch Bar 61 York St, Sydney CBD (02) 9279 0380 Mon – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-2am; Sat 4pm-2am The Swinging Cat 44 King St, Sydney CBD (02) 9262 3696 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tapa Vino 6 Bulletin Place, Circular Quay (02) 9247 3221 Mon – Fri noon-11.30pm Tuxedo Bar 195 Gloucester St, The Rocks Mon – Fri noon-7pm Uncle Ming’s 55 York St, Sydney CBD Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 4pm-midnight York Lane 56 Clarence St, Sydney CBD (02) 9299 1676 Mon – Wed 6.30am-10pm; Thu – Fri 6am-midnight; Sat 6pm-midnight

121BC 4/50 Holt St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 1582 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight Absinthe Salon 87 Albion St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 6632 Wed – Sat 4-10pm Arcadia Liquors 7 Cope St, Redfern (02) 8068 4470 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Bar Cleveland Cnr Bourke & Cleveland St, Redfern (02) 9698 1908 Mon – Thu 10am-2am; Fri – Sat 10am-4am Bar H 80 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 1980 Mon – Sat 6pm-11.30 Bellini Lounge 2 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 9331 0058 Thu – Sun 6pm-late The Bells Hotel 1 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9357 3765 Mon – Sun 10am-1am The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 8313 5000 Mon – Sun noon-1am Big Poppa’s 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 5pm-3am Black Penny 648 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9319 5061 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Button Bar 65 Foveaux St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1544 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight

Café Lounge 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills (02) 9016 3951 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sunday 4-10pm Casoni Italian Bar & Eatery 371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst Tue – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight Central Tavern 42-50 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3814 Mon – Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-10pm Ching-a-Lings 1/133 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 3333 Wed 6-11pm; Thu – Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 5-10pm The Cliff Dive 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst Fri – Sat 6pm-late The Commons 32 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9358 1487 Tue – Wed 6pm-midnight; Thu – Fri noon-late; Sat – Sun 8:30am-late Darlo Bar 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 3672 Mon – Sun 10am-midnight Darlo Country Club Level 1, 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 4279 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-2am Dead Ringer 413 Bourke St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3560 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-midnight Della Hyde 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst Thu – Sat 5pm-late Eau-De-Vie 229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst 0422 263 226 Sun – Fri 6pm-1am; Sat 6pm-midnight The Forresters 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 Mon – Wed noon-midnight; Thu – Sat noon-1am; Sun noon-10pm Gardel’s Bar 358 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 8399 1440 Tue – Sat 6pm-midnight Gazebo 2 Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay (02) 8070 2424 Tue – Sun noon-midnight Golden Age Cinema & Bar 80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills (02) 9211 1556 Wed – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 2:30pm-midnight Goros 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0214 Mon – Wed 11:30am-midnight; Thu 11:30am-1am: Fri 11:30am-3am; Sat 4pm-3am Hinky Dinks 185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6379 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 2-11pm Hollywood Hotel 2 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9281 2765 Mon – Wed 10am-midnight; Thu – Sat 10am-3am The Horse 381 Crown St, Surry Hills 1300 976 683 Mon – Thu noon-midnight; Fri 11.30am-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon10pm Jangling Jack’s Bar thebrag.com

& Grill 175 Victoria St, Potts Point Tue – Wed 4-11pm, Thu – Sat 4-1am, Sun noon-11pm Hustle & Flow Bar 3/105 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8964 93932 Tue – Thu 6pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 2pm-midnight Li’l Darlin Darlinghurst 235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst (02) 8084 6100 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight Li’l Darlin Surry Hills 420 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills (02) 9698 5488 Mon – Fri noon-11pm; Sat 4pm-midnight LL Wine and Dine 42 Llankelly Place Potts Point (02) 9356 8393 Mon – Thu 5pm-11pm; Fri – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm The Local Taphouse 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst (02) 9360 0088 Mon – Sun noon-9:30pm Love, Tilly Devine 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst (02) 9326 9297 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm Low 302 302 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1548 Mon – Sun 6pm-2am Mr Fox 557 Crown St, Surry Hills 0410 470 250 Tue – Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Moya’s Juniper Lounge 101 Regent St, Redfern 0431 113 394 Tue – Sat 4pm-11pm; Sun midday-10pm The Noble Hops 125 Redfern St, Redfern 0431 113 394 Mon – Fri 4pm -midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm The Norfolk 305 Cleveland St, Surry Hills (02) 9699 3177 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Old Growler 218 William St, Woolloomooloo 0458 627 266 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight The Oxford Circus 231 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 0457 353 384 Wed – Sat 7pm-3am The Owl House 97 Crown St, Darlinghurst 0401 273 080 Mon – Sat 5pm-late; Sun 5-10pm Peekaboo 120 Bourke St, Woolloomooloo 0403 747 788 Tue – Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight Play Bar 72 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 0885 Tue – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 5pm-midnight Pocket Bar 13 Burton St, Darlinghurst (02) 9380 7002 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Powder Keg 7 Kellett St, Potts Point (02) 8354 0980 Wed – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4:30pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-midnight The Print Room 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Thu – Fri noon-midnight; Sun – Wed noon-10pm Queenie’s Upstairs 336 Riley St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 3035 thebrag.com

Tue – Thu 6pm-late, Fri noon-3pm & 6pm-late; Sat 6pm-late Riley St Garage 55 Riley St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9326 9055 Mon – Sat noon-midnight Roosevelt 32 Orwell St, Potts Point (02) 8696 1787 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Rosie Campbell’s 320 Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9356 4653 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sun 11am-midnight Shady Pines Saloon Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight The Soda Factory 16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills (02) 8096 9120 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu – Fri 5pm-3am; Sat – Sun 6pm-3am Surly’s 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 3705 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Sweethearts Rooftop 33/37 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point (02) 9368 7333 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sun noon-midnight This Must Be The Place 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst (02) 9331 8063 Mon – Sun 3pm-midnight The Tilbury Hotel 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo (02) 9368 1955 Mon 9am-10pm; Tue – Fri 9am-midnight; Sat 10am-midnight; Sun 10am-10pm Tio’s Cerveceria 4-14 Foster St, Surry Hills (02) 9368 1955 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight Tipple Bar 28 Chalmers St, Surry Hills (02) 9212 0006 Mon midday-10pm; Tue – Sat midday-midnight Vasco 421 Cleveland St, Redfern 0406 775 436 Mon – Sat 5pm-midnight The Village Inn 9-11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington (02) 9331 0911 Mon – Sun noon-late The Wild Rover 75 Campbell St, Surry Hills (02) 9280 2235 Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight The Winery 285A Crown St, Surry Hills (02) 9331 0833 Mon – Sun noon-midnight

Anchor Bar 8 Campbell Pde, Bondi (02) 8084 3145 Mon – Fri 5pm-late; Sat – Sun 12.30pm-late Bat Country 32 St Pauls St, Randwick (@ The Spot) (02) 9398 6694 Mon – Sat 7am-midnight; Sun 7am-10pm Beach Road Hotel 71 Beach Rd, Bondi Beach (02) 9130 7247 Mon – Fri 11am-1am; Sat 10am-1am; Sun 10am-10pm Bondi Hardware 39 Hall St, Bondi (02) 9365 7176 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri noon-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-8pm The Bucket List Shop 1, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive

(02) 9365 4122 Mon – Tue 11am-5pm; Wed – Sun 11am-midnight The Corner House 281 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 8020 6698 Tue – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 1pm-10pm Fat Ruperts 249 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 1033 Tue – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 2pm-midnight Jam Gallery 195 Oxford St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tue 4pm-midnight; Wed – Sat 4pm-3am The Phoenix Hotel 1 Moncur St, Woollahra (02) 9363 2608 Tue – Wed 4-11pm; Thu – Fri 11.30am-1am; Sat 8am-11pm; Sun 8am-10pm The Robin Hood Hotel 203 Bronte Rd, Waverley (02) 9389 3477 Mon-Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-10pm Speakeasy 83 Curlewis St, Bondi (02) 9130 2020 Mon – Sat 5pm-11pm; Sat – Sun 4pm-10pm Spring Street Social 110 Spring St, Bondi Junction (02) 9389 2485 Tue – Sat 5pm-3am Stuffed Beaver 271 Bondi Rd, Bondi (02) 9130 3002 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm

Bar-racuda 105 Enmore Rd, Newtown (02) 9519 1121 Mon – Sat 6pm-midnight Batch Brewing Company 44 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville (02) 9550 5432 Mon – Sun 10am-8pm Bauhaus West 163 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8068 9917 Wed – Thu 5-11pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 2-10pm; Sun midday-10pm The Bearded Tit 183 Regent St, Redfern (02) 8283 4082 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Blacksheep 256 King St, Newtown (02) 8033 3455 Mon – Fri 4pm-11pm; Sat 2pm-11pm; Sun 2pm-10pm Bloodwood 416 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 7699 Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Calaveras 324 King St, Newtown 0451 541 712 Wed – Sat 6pm-midnight Cornerstone Bar & Food 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh (02) 8571 9004 Sun – Wed 10am-5pm; Thu – Fri 10am-late; Sat 9am-late Corridor 153A King St, Newtown 0405 671 002 Mon 5pm-midnight; Tue 4pm-midnight; Wed – Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Cottage Bar & Kitchen 342 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8084 8185 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Different Drummer

185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9552 3406 Mon 4.30-11pm; Tue – Wed 4.30pm-1am; Thu – Sat 4.30pm-2am; Sun 4.30am-midnight Doris & Beryl’s Bridge Club and Tea House 530 King St, Newtown Mon – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat – Sun 3.30pm-midnight Earl’s Juke Joint King St, Newtown Mon – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Forest Lodge Hotel 117 Arundel St, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 Mon – Sat 11am-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Freda’s 109 Regent St, Chippendale (02) 8971 7336 Tues – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm The Gasoline Pony 115 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville 0401 002 333 Tue – Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri – Sat 3-11.30pm; Sun 3-9.30pm The Grifter Brewing Co. 1/391-397 Enmore Rd, Marrickville (02) 9550 5742 Thu 4-9pm; Fri – Sat noon9pm; Sun noon-7pm The Hideaway Bar 156 Enmore Rd, Enmore (02) 8021 8451 Tue– Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat 4pm-1am Hive Bar 93 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville (02) 9519 1376 Mon – Fri noon-midnight; Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm Kelly’s On King 285 King St, Newtown (02) 9565 2288 Mon – Fri 10am-2.30am; Sat 10am-3.30am; Sun 11am-11.30pm Kingston Public Bar & Kitchen 62-64 King St, Newtown (02) 8084 4140 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm Knox Street Bar Cnr Knox & Shepherd St, Chippendale (02) 8970 6443 Tue – Thu 4-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 5-10pm Kuleto’s 157 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 6369 Mon – Sat 4pm-late; Thu – Sat 4pm-3am Leadbelly 42 King St, Newtown (02) 9557 9409 Sun – Thur 4pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 4pm-1am The Little Guy 87 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8084 0758 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 3pm-10pm Mary’s 6 Mary St, Newtown (02) 4995 9550 Mon – Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Midnight Special 44 Enmore Road, Newtown (02) 9516 2345 Tues – Sat 5pm-midnight; Sun 5pm-10pm Miss Peaches 201 Missenden Rd, Newtown (02) 9557 7280 Wed – Sun 5pm-midnight Mr Falcon’s 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9029 6626 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri 3pm-midnight; Sat noonmidnight; Sun 4pm-10pm BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 27

out & about Queer(ish) matters with Arca Bayburt

Queers On The Screen

Emmett (Peter Paige), scored a job on a news show as the “queer guy”. One of the other characters, Brian (Gale Harold) pointed out that Emmett’s segments made viewers feel better about themselves and their progressive views so long as he remained chaste and sexless. Outraged by this, Emmett decided to do a sexualised segment to prove Brian wrong and was consequently almost fired – proving the gay eunuch theory to be a painful truth.

A lot of the media I consumed when growing up was determined by what I like to call the Queer Quotient. The higher a piece of media scored on the Queer Quotient, the more likely I was to be interested in it. This ranged from things like movies that specifically catered to a queer audience, stuff like But I’m A Cheerleader, which would score highly on the Queer Quotient, to queer-baiting rubbish like Marissa’s lesbian romp with babin’ Alex on The O.C.

There are a million ways to talk about the problematic nature of gay media representation, particularly given it is often at the mercy of hetero showrunners. It makes sense that the majority of media is hetero-centric simply because they are the majority. It doesn’t mean that it’s a free pass to treat queer stories as a quick ratings booster or controversy generator in their boring, bland and otherwise heteronormative narratives. We aren’t a fucking spice.

There was also the fact that queers were usually presented as freak-show entertainment or as a highly contrived, controversy-generating grabs at public eyeball real estate. It’s why so many television shows hinted at titillating lesbian romances yet produced no substance; it baited the queers while satisfying the bizarro voyeurism of the heteros on safari through a sanitised, filtered and ultimately safe gay world. This made for some interesting messages for young queers. I mean on one hand, your sexuality exists as titillation, while on the other, it exists as some sort of horrendous sin that can only be represented in media by stripping it entirely of its core component – the actual sex. The media’s “gay eunuch” has been around forever. That awful show, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, was lauded as breakthrough entertainment, but it was an idiotic declaration made by hordes of clueless heteros who like their gays with a side of chastity. By contrast, shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk were absolutely, unapologetically full of sex. Gay sex. These shows ran concurrently with Queer Eye, yet they received limited accolades – they merely prompted the media to raise stupid moral questions while clapping Queer Eye on the back for doing such a great job at not alienating homophobes. Basically, this amounts to, “It’s cool if you’re gay, just don’t be too gay. Also don’t have sex, because that’s gross. And gay.” In fact, one of the story arcs in Queer As Folk centred around a gay eunuch, as

this week… On Wednesday September 14, head over to SlyFox for All Out Fem Pop at Birdcage. Expect the usual dance floor bangers brought to you by Tanner Derrby, DJ Tiny, DJ Panz and other special guests and party treats. It’s gonna be a good ’un.

28 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

Mon – Thu 6pm-11pm; Fri 6pm-midnight; Sat noon3pm & 6pm-midnight Timbah 375 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9571 7005 Tue – Thu 4-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 3pm-11pm; Sun 4pm-8pm Wayward Brewing Co. 1 Gehrig Ln, Annandale (02) 7903 2445 Thu – Sat 2-10pm; Sun noon-8pm Websters Bar 323 King St, Newtown (02) 9519 1511 Mon – Sat 10am-4am; Sun 10am-midnight Wilhelmina’s 332 Darling St, Balmain (02) 8068 8762 Wed – Fri 5-11pm; Sat – Sun 8am-11pm The Workers Lvl 1, 292 Darling St, Balmain (02) 9555 8410 Fri – Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 2pm-midnight Young Henrys D & E, 76 Wilford St, Newtown (02) 9519 0048 Mon – Sat 10am-7pm; Sun noon-7pm Zigi’s Wine And Cheese Bar 86 Abercrombie St, Chippendale (02) 9699 4222 Tue 4pm-10pm; Wed 4pm-midnight; Thu – Sat 3pm-midnight

Crooked Tailor 250 Old Northern Road, Castle Hill (02) 9899 3167 Mon – Sun 4pm-midnight

Daniel San 55 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6963 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Friday – Saturday noon– 2am; Sunday noon-midnight Firefly 24 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 0193 Mon – Wed 5-11pm; Thu 5-11.30pm; Fri noon11.30pm; Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-10pm The Foxtrot 28 Falcon St, Crows Nest Tue – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 4pm-2am; Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 4-10pm The Hayberry Bar & Diner 97 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest (02) 8084 0816 Tue – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri & Sat noon-midnight Sun noon-10pm Hemingway’s 48 North Steyne, Manly (02) 9976 3030 Mon – Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10pm The Hold Shop 4, Sydney Rd Plaza, Manly (02) 9977 2009 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm Honey Rider 230 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9953 8880 Tue – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4pm-10pm InSitu 1/18 Sydney Rd, Manly (02) 9977 0669 Tue – Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat 9am-midnight; Sun 9am-10pm The Hunter 5 Myahgah Rd, Mosman 0409 100 339 Mon – Tue 5pm-midnight;

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

Wed – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon- 10pm Jah Bar Shop 9, 9-15 Central Ave, Manly (02) 9977 4449 Tue 5pm-midnight; Wed-Fri noon-midnight; Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 9am-midnight Manly Wine 8-13 South Steyne, Manly (02) 8966 9000 Mon – Sun 6.30am-late Miami Cuba 47 North Steyne, Manly 0487 713 350 Mon – Sun 8am-4pm Moonshine Lvl 2, Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly (02) 9977 4977 Mon – Thu 9am-3pm; Fri – Sat 9am-2am; Sun 9am-midnight The Pickled Possum 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay (02) 9909 2091 Thu – Sat 9pm-1am SoCal 1 Young St, Neutral Bay (02) 9904 5691 Mon – Wed 5pm-midnight; Thu 5pm-1am; Sat noon2am; Sun noon-midnight The Stoned Crow 39 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest (02) 9439 5477 Mon – Sat noon-late; Sun 11.30am-10pm The Treehouse Hotel 60 Miller St, North Sydney (02) 8458 8980 Mon – Fri 7am-midnight; Sat 2pm-midnight

Queer-baiting is frustratingly effective though. The reason why is that for a long time, (and arguably, still today) the queer community has been absolutely starved for that sort of representation. It’s the whole reason why I started watching a show like The O.C. in the first place; suddenly there was a story in it I could relate to; suddenly I was seeing a version of myself (albeit horribly warped and exploitative) and I was excited to watch it. It was better than nothing. I had a revelatory experience watching a gay romance for the first time. I’d always wondered if I was truly a cold-hearted cynic with no regard for romance… but it turns out that was only true for straight romances, and not because I’m an arsehole, but because I couldn’t relate to it. When I saw a gay romance on a crappy TV show, for the first time I thought, “Holy shit, this is how straight people must feel all the time!” All that said, the media has made great, albeit slow, progress in terms of attempting to be balanced in its approach to different identities. We’ve got a way to go yet, but such is the nature of progression: it’s always in motion. I suppose one can argue that the straight world is trying its hardest and you can’t please all of the people all of the time. To that I say, bless your heart but that’s malarkey. Of course you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but unless you want to actually try to do something with integrity, don’t treat queers as devices in your stories. Treat them as people.

On Friday September 16, Giant Dwarf is hosting Queerstories. Join some of Sydney’s best storytellers for an evening of our city’s queerstories, reflections on lives well lived and battles fought. Speakers include the likes of Paul Mac, Amy Coopes, Kira Puru and Jonny Seymour.

Then, on Sunday September 18, head over to The Shift Club for Queen Cxnt, presented by Sydney Fringe Festival. The event has been described as “a powerful multi-sensory music theatre show exploring feminine sexuality in our psyche, language, planet and the cosmos.” Plus dancing, of course.

thebrag.com

Kiss-In photo by William Hamon/Flickr

Sydney’s Queer Screen Film Fest is on next week and I’ll be there with bells on. We all crave media representation of ourselves. It’s why we get so invested in stories – because we can see ourselves in them. This is a bit trickier for the queers, considering mainstream representation of queer lives is still abysmal, full of a rampant reliance on stereotypes and tokenism.

Newtown Social Club 387 King St, Newtown (02) 9550 3974 Mon – Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-2am; Sun noon-10pm The Oxford Tavern 1 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham (02) 8019 9351 Mon – Thu noon-midnight; Fri – Sat noon-3am; Sun noon-10pm Lord Raglan 12 Henderson Rd, Alexandria (02) 9699 4767 Mon – Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-10pm The Record Crate 34 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 9660 1075 Mon – Thu 5pm-midnight; Sat 2pm-midnight; Sun 3-10pm The Royal 156 Norton St, Leichhardt (02) 9569 2638 Mon – Thu 10am-1am; Fri – Sat 10am-3am; Sun 10am-midnight Secret Garden Bar 134a Enmore Rd, Enmore 0403 621 585 Mon – Tue 7am-5pm; Wed – Fri 7am-11pm; Sat 7am-10pm; Sun 7am-11pm Staves Brewery 4-8 Grose Street, Glebe (02) 9280 4555 Thu 4-10pm; Fri – Sat 4pm-midnight; Sun 4-10pm Temperance Society 122 Smith St, Summer Hill (02) 8068 5680 Mon – Thu 4pm-11pm; Fri – Sat: noon-midnight; Sun: noon-10pm Thievery 91 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe (02) 8283 1329

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

ALBUM OF THE WEEK NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Skeleton Tree Bad Seed

Nick Cave delivers a powerful, heartbreaking, career-best record.

Skeleton Tree is an un-album. It’s a record defined by loss, a chronicle of missing things, and its power derives as much from what it doesn’t contain as from what it does. Songs break and buckle under the weight of suggestion, and a host of known unknowns press down on the record with all the insistence of a brain tumour against the back of the eye. The record is dark, certainly – ‘Jesus Alone’ scalds, and ‘Anthrocene’ is all barely-repressed horror – but

it’s not an all-out exercise in despair, and the piece is full of spit-soaked snatches of beauty. It hurts, but it’s not of hurt, and it has no desire to inflict it. Indeed, at times there are flourishes that could almost be described as kitsch, great swathes of pink paint against the canvas of black, and soprano Else Torp’s solo on ‘Distant Sky’ has a baroque beauty that transforms the track’s subtle tragedy into something else entirely. But, ultimately, reviews like this are pointless. They’re just words: sparks off a match compared to a bonfire. Skeleton Tree is one of the artistic achievements of the year, but it’s also much more than that; not a record but a trembling snatch of life, offered up, ready for you to take. Joseph Earp

OKKERVIL RIVER

LOCAL NATIVES

DUB FX

THE OCEAN PARTY

REBEL YELL

They say misery loves company, so if you’re feeling miserable, you’ll find no better company than the latest offering from Okkervil River. You have to be in a certain kind of mood to digest Away – it’s an emotional transcript of hard times experienced by the band’s lead singer Will Sheff, and the poignant strains of the album may well leave you feeling, well, depressed.

The latest release from American indie rockers Local Natives is a bouncy rubber ball of synth that just doesn’t stop. But despite its high energy, the pulsating multitude of instruments are layered in such a way that it’s never overbearing.

Dub FX has made his way from busking on the streets of Melbourne to become one of the world’s most recognised street and stage performers. More commonly known as Ben Stanford, his fusion of beatboxing, dub, reggae, electronics and hip hop has earned him one hell of a reputation.

The Ocean Party have been making brilliant albums for some time now, and they’re not slowing down: their sixth studio release, Restless, continues on from where Light Weight left off last year.

Rebel Yell is the brainchild of industrial noise artist Grace Stevenson. The Brisbane musician also plays in 100%, an underground electronic act from Queensland’s capital, and though things are less accessible under her solo guise, they’re certainly no less interesting.

Away ATO

Sure, the instrumentation is delightful – even magical at times – and the production has a pleasantly unaffected quality to it that can remind even the most reverb-happy producers that cleaner is often better. Yet everything on the first half of the record feels underwhelming, with Sheff’s lyrics capturing the mundane and the miserable in a way that ultimately feels rather banal. That being said, the colourful vocals on ‘Judey On A Street’ offer a renewed sense of colour and shape to the chronicle. Okkervil River are powerful musicians with the ability to capture memory and experience. That said, the major negative with this experience is the potential misery you may endure if you listen too closely to the lyrics, or indeed the whole album in one sitting. This one is best managed in bite-sized pieces. Anna Wilson

Sunlit Youth Loma Vista

Singer Taylor Rice’s lead vocals are distinctly haunting, particularly on ‘Past Lives’, a beautiful track that leaves you feeling genuinely full of hope and good vibes. Those selfsame injections of empowerment are lifted to even greater heights in ‘Masters’, a tune that provides a sensual jolt of youth and summons up visions of blissful ignorance supported by a carnal guitar line and rumbling vocals. It definitely feels like a soundtrack to an upcoming summer romance. ‘Coins’ is chocked with bluesy undertones, proving hazy and chill, and puts a nice spin on a singularly emotive record so vibey with unpretentious joy that it’s almost not to be believed. Yet what’s particularly special about this release is the production: Sunlit Youth mixes some amazing acoustic melodies with old-school distortions, conjuring up scenes of a topdown summer drive to the beach, romantic and full of hope. Anna Wilson

Thinking Clear Convoy

His third album Thinking Clear was recorded in his very own Treetop Studios and sees the innovative talent blending urban and environmental sceneries, creating a holistic experience that inspires through transcendent electronic and acoustic elements. Beginning the listening experience is ‘Birds And The Bees’, a tune sprinkled with the rising sounds of nature and Dub FX immediately layers on intoxicating levels of intrigue. As a fast tempo transfixes, the transformative nature of the songs takes over. The eight-minute ‘Heat Wave’ sees the experimental artist placing no time limits on his productions, allowing his live sound to thrive and a sense of improvisation to occur. On ‘That’s The Game’, FX showcases his sheer range with an incredible vocal performance, rounding out a beautiful, charming record with an end that simply couldn’t be more enjoyable. Phoebe Robertson

INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK In this age of changing technology, bands seem to fi nd it hard to resist the urge to alter or tweak their sound in some way. But despite the pressing lust for the new, Unity Floors have evidently heard the cries for more that rang out after the release of their debut album, Exotic Goldfi sh Blues, and have given us a delicious dose of the same rather than reinventing the wheel.

UNITY FLOORS Life Admin Popfrenzy Records

thebrag.com

Life Admin, the band’s new record, does nothing ground-breaking compared to their debut. Instead, the band simply launch into the business of being Unity Floors, cracking open with ‘Moving To Melbourne’, a song that captures

the national feeling of giving up the struggle and moving to the happiest place on Earth (or the happiest place in Australia, at least.) Tracks like ‘Give And Take’, ‘Young Professionals’, and ‘Cost Of Living’ show the band showcasing a stripped back but blistering sound, and making a lot from the most basic of components. Their sound is slightly tighter, the lyrics slightly more poignant, but Unity Floors have kept true to their own, and have delivered an album that sits shoulder to shoulder with their debut.

Restless Spunk

Their distinctive crisp, jangly guitar chord sound remains, as do the introspective takes on the state of modern Australia. It’s a formula that works for the band: it’s tried and true and difficult to argue with. It’s just too damn hard to find fault with a band that sounds as sharp as this. The group ooze class, particularly in regards to their songwriting, and they seem to know exactly when to drop ever-so-slightly left of field instrumental bursts. ‘Teachers’ is full of lush synths, ‘Back Bar’ is a straight up summer vibe, and ‘Pressure’ is a bass-heavy work of art that proves as danceable as it is heartfelt. Indeed, though The Ocean Party come across as singularly relaxed, they ensure that their writing remains ridiculously tight, and there’s never a point where they take the heat off enough for their cheese-wire taut melodies to slacken. Ultimately, Restless is a solid collection of songs, each of the tunes unique and replete with their own compelling ideas and powerful melodies.

Mother Of Millions Rice Is Nice

The imagery on Mother Of Millions is bleak, offering a dystopian future with no end, though after one gets past the initial bleakness they will rapidly discover plenty of rewards to be found. To get caught up in the swirl of these soundscapes is a treat in itself, and these harsh tones provide the perfect soundtrack for those with a curious disposition. Though Mother is a celebral experience for the majority of its duration, Stevenson knows how to handle a melody, no matter how harsh it might be, and it quickly becomes evident that as far as she is concerned, minimalism is key. This is the power of Rebel Yell: it’s not an act as much as it is an exploration of noise, a challenging experience that some will find difficult to swallow. Nonetheless, this seems unlikely to trouble Stevenson, given she’s evidently not making music for the masses. Mother Of Millions is a reflection of her own artistic vision, grand in scope and rich in theme. Alex Pink

Alex Pink

OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... DIRTY THREE - Horse Stories DEATH GRIPS - Jenny Death LISA MITCHELL - Wonder

THE DRONES - Wait Long... FLOWERTRUCK - Dirt

Daniel Prior

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 29

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

DARREN HANLON, ERIC ISAACSON, THE GRAND MAGOOZI Newtown Social Club Tuesday September 6

It’s a quiet Tuesday evening when The Grand Magoozi (AKA Susie Scurry) sneaks onstage – or at least, attempts to sneak onstage. Tonight’s headliner takes the opportunity to give Scurry a grandiose introduction, complete with a blaring Tina Turner number. It sets an upbeat tone for Scurry’s set and she goes on to charm with the warm country songs that make up her debut album. She also throws in two well-chosen covers in the form of Nico’s ‘These Days’ (with a little audience assistance so not to forget the words) and Anita Carter’s version of ‘Ring of Fire’, which rounds out the set with campfire levels of intimacy that is a delight to watch. It’s followed by a presentation from Eric Isaacson, a Portland native that runs Mississippi Records and is in Australia to share footage from films shot by ethno musicologist Alan Lomax. The tunes in the footage range from gospel blues and tambourine ensembles to body syncopation and dancing, all an attempt to document movements in music that the late Lomax believed to be going extinct. What could have killed the vibe

in the room only draws the audience in further, as all prove mesmerised by what Lomax captured. Only seeing 12 minutes’ worth of the footage barely feels like enough. It might just be a couple of hundred punters huddled into the surrounds of the Club, but it’s still a world away from what Darren Hanlon and his touring counterparts have experienced in the last month or so touring through rural, remote and regional Australia. Inbetween renditions of beloved numbers in his arsenal – ‘Electric Skeleton’, ‘Happiness Is A Chemical’ and a fan-requested ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ – Hanlon is eager to regale us of stories from the greater reaches of the country. This includes getting rejected by a pub that only did correspondence via letters, playing ‘Wipeout’ ad nauseum to a room full of kids and the rising price of Chomp bars at petrol stations. It all seems a little silly on paper – and that’s kind of the point. Hanlon, joined at various intervals by drummer Holly Thomas, vocalist Shelley Short and even a returning Scurry, is an affable and charming storyteller both in and out of music. It’s nigh-on impossible to leave one of his shows without a grin on your face and a song in your head. Cheers Daz. David James Young

SIMPLE PLAN

Enmore Theatre Saturday September 10 Watching Simple Plan perform is akin to watching an action movie: their live show is full of lights, cameras and plenty of action. From the moment the lads stepped onstage until the very end of the gig, they jumped about the place with boundless energy. Lead singer Pierre Bouvier was the embodiment of that cheeky tongue emoji, leaping around and pounding out songs with his eargasmic pop punk voice, while David Desrosiers showed off his next-level magic tricks with his bass guitar picks. Chuck Comeau’s drumming facial expressions brought as much entertainment as his actual drumming, while Jeff Stinco on lead guitar didn’t need to do anything but stand there while the cool factor radiated off of him. Although short, his guitar solos brought a taste of something electric each time, perfectly complementing rhythm guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre and his grand booty shake.

from the jam

09:09:16 :: Metro Theatre :: 624 George St Sydney 9550 3666

30 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

That said, the Canadians sure know how to put the cheese in cheesy. Their multiple sexual quips, banter and nipple jokes were simultaneously humorous and super awkward, especially when the talk turned to touring Australia and the band began cashing in on classic ’Strayan innuendo. “I love going down under”, said Bouvier, a sentiment echoed by his bandmates. Sure you do guys; sure you do… But beneath all the jokes and laughs there were some truly beautiful human moments, particularly when the room was lit up by the multiple lights of iPhones during the rock ballad ‘This Song Saved My Life’. Though the band finished the set proper with fan-favourite ‘I’m Just A Kid’, the audience screamed for an encore, and it quite quickly became apparent that the show was far from over: the band came out and gave us just what was needed in the form of a four-song encore. It was all wrapped up with ‘Perfect’ – though the show was so much better than perfect. It wasn’t perfect: it was radical. As they left, the band were nice enough to pelt the audience with sweat-covered towels, drumsticks, guitar picks and other take-home souvenirs. What nice chaps. Emily Norton

PICS :: AM

Simply put, Simple Plan know how to rock out, they know how to have fun, and most importantly, they know how to get their audience involved. This wasn’t the kind of gig during which you just stood around and watched. The gang played for over an hour

without ever once letting the energy dip.

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

thebrag.com

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

snap

up all night out all week . . .

CODA CONDUCT, GENESIS OWUSU, RAVIN & ATA Plan B Small Club Friday September 9

You can’t always count on audiences heading out in force for the support act, and sadly, as Ravin and Ata of arts collective Heaps Decent took to the stage, the whole damn club was near empty, with only a handful of punters soaking up the smooth flows of these young rappers. The boys kept it to the stage, and though they had impeccable rhythm, they were drowned out by an overenthusiastic bass mix. Genesis Owusu fared better, bringing huge party energy to the little room. The Canberra MC got amongst it, leaping into the fray with rapid-fire bars that nodded towards London grime. When he wasn’t dancing like crazy, Owusu brought some emotion into the room too, taking time to drop a rest-in-peace song dedication.

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

Then the locals got fired up – Coda Conduct had been on the floor all night, giving the supports their full attention, and their loyalty was repaid as their extended families flooded the room. The fiery duo, dressed in blinding white matching tennis outfits, stepped up with bemused smiles. Their attitude is far from serious, but their rhymes mean business. With guns akimbo they fired ceaselessly into the crowd. Sally Coleman and Erica Mallett have evidently been drinking that Canberra water, tapping into the same energy Owusu carried in with him. Opening with a friendly-fire rap battle, they built into their latest material with old favourites from Butter Side Up. Hip hop is about community, and the duo brought theirs with them, bringing the citysiders seamlessly into the fold. Like Owusu, they spent a good deal of time on the floor with the rest of us, leading to a spectacularly awkward moment as Erica demanded that her brother “get his booty low” during the standout ‘Click Clack (Front N Back)’. The tour was focused around new single ‘Usually I’m Cool’, but the real centrepiece was a moment outside their discog, when they freestyled over their favourite hip hop tracks. Yep, in an underpopulated small bar in Sydney, two local rappers dropped ‘Work It’, spitting the tune out with such lyrical prowess that Missy Elliot, on the other side of the world, must have gotten chills. That shit is going straight to the pool room. David Molloy

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 31

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

pick of the week Camp Cope

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

The Fallen Gentry Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. The Red Wine Roses Leadbelly, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Thursday Night Live At Selina’s feat: Grizlee Train + Citizen Of The World And DJ’s Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 6pm. Free.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Manning Bar

I Love Life

Feat: The Bennies, High Tension, Pity Sex, Camp Cope and more 4pm. $43.90 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Live & Original @ Lazybones - feat: Jessey Napa + Peasant Moon + Skinny Legions Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $10. Manouche Wednesday feat. Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Songwriting Society Of Australia Showcase - feat: John Chesher + Chris Carrapetta + Liam Gale + Dawn Barrington + Levi Burr + Pete Scully + Dave Rowlands + Gavin Fitzgerald + Paul Mcgowan + Russell Neal Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo. 7:30pm. Free. The Nightcaps Sappho Books, Cafe And Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Kim Lawson Trio Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10. Suzanna Wellink

Duo Play Bar, Surry Hills. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Foy Vance + Kyle Lionhart The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $40. Pyjama Sundayz + Poolroom + Stand Up With Hugh Raper + B Sneeze + Twhr Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $5.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Pigeon Laundry + Diamond Duck Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $23. Rajko Band Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $35. Soul Roots Revival Band The Bunker, Coogee. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK &

32 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

COVERS

Blake Tailor Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale. 7:30pm. Free. Foy Vance + Kyle Lionhart Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $40. Glenn Esmond Scruffy Murphy's Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Grooveworks Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Kerryn Grant Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Kris Mcintyre Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 6:30pm. Free. Live Band Karaoke Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9pm. Free. Minor Surgery + Legal Aliens + The Culture Industry + Rocky (And The Bullwinkle) Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Morgan Kent Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Pity Sex + Camp Cope + Cayetana + Horror My Friend Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $31. Rowena Wise + Andy Golledge Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $15. Starla EP Launch + Lauren Azar + Jon Sewell + Tom Wright

+ Dave Molland Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. Stephanie Grace The Temperance Society, Summer Hill. 8pm. Free. Stephanie Lea Dee Why Hotel, Dee Why. 7pm. Free. Steve Smyth Golden Age Cinema, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Anthony Charlton Australian Arms Hotel, Penrith. 8:30pm. Free. Dee Donavan Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 12pm. Free. Harbourview Hulabaloo - feat: Zac Martin + Chris Brookes + Kenneth D'Aran Harbourview Hotel, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. John Maddox Duo Sappho Books, Cafe And Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free. Live & Original @ The Merc - feat: Dominic Youdian + Ionia The Mercantile Hotel, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Shake The Shackles The Little Guy, Glebe. 8pm. Free. Sunset Sessions The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

Australia The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. $12. Blake Wiggins Lord Raglan Hotel, Alexandria. 7pm. Free. Dave Anthony Crown Hotel, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Trio Engadine Tavern, Engadine. 9:30pm. Free. Rick Dangerous & The Silkie Bantams The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. $14. Sunset Sessions The Bristol Arms Hotel, Sydney. 6pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Alfredo Malabello The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Liz Stringer + Leah Flanagan Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $23. Not The Full List Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. The Fever Pitch Blues + The High Grade Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. The John Hardaker Direction Sappho Books, Cafe And Bar, Sydney. 7pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

1927 + Pseudo Echo Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8pm. Free. After Party Band Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Angelena Locke Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 4:30pm. Free. Beatnix - Beatles Show - feat: After Party Band Dural Country Club, Dural. 8pm. Free. Benj Axwell Figtree Hotel, Figtree. 8:30pm. Free. Cath & Him St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. 9pm. Free. Dave Mason + Brendan Gallagher Bondi Pavilion

Theatre, Bondi Beach. 7:30pm. Free. Jack Horner Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. James Rietdijk Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor. 11pm. Free. Jellybean Jam Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. JP Project Duo The Belvedere Hotel, Sydney. 7:30pm. Free. LJ Chatswood RSL, Chatswood. 5pm. Free. Michael Gorham Clovelly Hotel, Clovelly. 4:30pm. Free. Mike Noga Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.50. Northeast Party House Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $33.90. Oh Pep! The Basement, Circular Quay. 8pm. Free. Paper Hearts Duo Quakers Inn, Quakers Hill. 8pm. Free. Rainbow Chan + Moon Holiday Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15. Stephanie Lea Heritage Hotel, Wilberforce. 7:30pm. Free. The Dead Love The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 8pm. $13.90. The Flaming Stars The Bunker, Coogee. 8pm. Free. The Loaded Six Strings Vineyard Hotel, Vineyard. 9:30pm. Free. Vanessa Heinitz 99 On York, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. Wanted - Bon Jovi Show Colonial Hotel, Werrington. 9pm. Free. Woodlock Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 8pm. $16.90.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Groovology Revesby Workers Club, Revesby. 8:30pm. Free. Janet Seidel Quartet Penshurst RSL Club, Penshurst. 2pm. Free. John & Yuki Well Co. Cafe And Wine Bar, Leichhardt. 8pm. Free. King Tide Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $15. Nadya Golski & The Glorious Sousaphonics Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 9pm. $33.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

AJ Dyce St George Masonic Club, Mortdale . 7pm.

Free. Blaming Vegas Crown Hotel, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Dave Anthony Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 5pm. Free. Geoff Davies The Push Bar, The Rocks. 7:30pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Peachtree Hotel, Penrith. 7pm. Free. Glenn Esmond Duo Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 12am. Free. Rose Carleo Plough & Harrow, Camden. 8pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + S.U.Z.I.E + Guests Orange Grove Hotel, Lilyfield . 7pm. Free. Steve Crocker Rocks Brewing Co, Alexandria. 2pm. Free. Ted Nash Duo Florida Beach Bar, Terrigal. 1pm. Free. The Hangout - feat: Keith Hall Blues Band Paddo RSL, Paddington. 8pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

4 Kings Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $23. Astronomy Class Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 9pm. Free. Back To The 80's Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 8:30pm. Free. Brad Johns Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 8:30pm. Free. Bring Me The Horizon Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 8pm. $90. Death Do Us Part feat: Death Do Us Part + Guests Imperial Hotel (Erskineville), Erskineville. 7pm. $20. Dress Up Attack! Music And Arts For Children And Grown Ups - feat: Custard + Bunny Racket + Angie Who + Benny Time Sydney Portugal Community Club, Marrickville. 10am. $28.60. Eye Of The Tiger Carousel Inn Hotel, Rooty Hill. 8pm. Free. Gl + The Goods + Venus II Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $15. Harts Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $25. I Love Life - feat: The Bennies + High Tension + Pity Sex + Rozwell Kid + Camp Cope + The Hard Aches + Cayetana + Creative Adult Manning Bar, Camperdown. 4pm. $43.90. Jed Zarb Wallacia Hotel, Wallacia. 8pm. Free. Kav Temperley'S National Tour + Lucy Peach The Basement, Circular Quay. 12am.

Free. Michael Gorham Panania Diggers, Panania. 8pm. Free. One Hit Wonders Penrith RSL, Penrith. 9pm. Free. Paul Hayward And His Sidekicks The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. Free. Rare Finds #19 feat: High Violet + Billy Foz + Plts + Kato + Dappled Cities Oaf Gallery, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Satellite V, The Missing Link + Satellite V + The Missing Link Vic On The Park, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Sirens Of Song - feat: Alouette Quartet + Pitch Please Quartet + Sydney Harmony The Independent Theatre, North Sydney. 7:30pm. $30. Soundproofed Oatley Hotel, Oatley. 8pm. Free. Stephanie Lea Pj Gallagher's, Enfield, Enfield. 9pm. Free. Temtris The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 7:30pm. $15. The Australian Blink 182 Show Wyong Leagues Club, Kanwal. 8pm. Free. The Bootleg Beatles Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $79. The Pbc 120/10 Year Ball - feat: Dave Graney & The Mistly Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 7pm. $120. Vanessa Heinitz Buckley's Bar, Circular Quay. 1pm. Free. Vanessa Heinitz Duo Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee. 9pm. Free. Zeahorse Single Launch + Grinding Eyes + Shearin Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Gadjo Guitars Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $18. Joseph Tawadros Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $30. Paul Mbenna & The Okapi Guitar Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $10. The Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 4pm. Free.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Blake Wiggins Duo Rocks Brewing Co, Alexandria. 2pm. Free. Dave Anthony Wentworth Hotel,

thebrag.com

g g guide gig g

gig picks up all night out all week...

send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Homebush West. 1pm. Free. Dave Anthony The Push Bar, The Rocks. 4pm. Free. Heath Burdell Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 3pm. Free. Performing Brazil Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Steve Crocker Bellevue Hotel, Paddington. 2pm. Free. Ted Nash Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown. 2pm. Free. Vanessa Heinitz Red Cow Inn, Penrith. 2pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS

Benj Axwell Oceans Bar, Coogee. 5pm. Free. Bring Me The Horizon Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 8pm. $90. From Street To Stage Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Jp Project Duo The Mill Hotel, Milperra. 1pm. Free. Kimya Dawson Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 6pm. $25. Lionizer + Wasters + Raised As Wolves + The Great Awake Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 4pm.

$10. Michael Gorham The Rivo Hotel, Riverstone. 4pm. Free. Sydney Rock 'N' Roll & Alternative Market - feat: The Rocksteady Ratpack + Wes Pudsey & The Sonic Aces + The Dan Barnett Swing 5 + Narelle Evans & The Jetbacks + Rockin’ Marc Rondeau + Mark Keith Brown + The Swingin’ Kitten + The Crimplenes Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10:30am. $6.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $19.

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

John Maddox Duo Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Live & Original @ The Corridor

Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free. Songquest - feat: Russell Neal + Kenneth D'Aran + Paul Davison + Cassie Judychair + Peter Conaty Kelly's On King, Newtown. 7:30pm. Free.

INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Frankie'S World Famous House Band Frankie's Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Frankie's World Famous House Band Frankie's Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Basement, Circular Quay. 8:30pm. $6.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie's Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free. Monsieur Camembert Presents Famous Blue Cheese -

An Evening Of Leonard Cohen Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $48.

Foy Vance

ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK

Bucket Lounge Presents – Live & Originals - feat: Nick Murray + Shawn Lidster + Bandditts Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Little Sundays feat: Local Talent The Little Guy, Glebe. 6pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Russell Neal + Chris Brookes + Pauline Sparkle + Warren Munce Gladstone Hotel, Dulwich Hill. 7:30pm. Free. Songsonstage feat: Stuart Jammin Kelly's On King, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC

Steve Hunter Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $10. Australian String Quartet Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $33.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 Foy Vance + Kyle Lionhart The Basement, Circular Quay. 7pm. $40.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15 Camp Cope + Cayetana + Horror My Friend + Pity Sex Newtown Social Club, Newtown. $31 Pigeon Laundry + Diamond Duck Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 8pm. $23.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16 Australia The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 8pm. $12.

Harts Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $25.

Mike Noga Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $16.50 (9:00PM - 12:00AM)

Oh Pep! The Basement, Circular Quay. 8Pm. $19.20

thu

Sep

(9:00PM - 12:00AM)

fri

16 Sep SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Rick Dangerous And The Silkie Bantams The Bald Faced Stag, Leichardt. 8pm. $14.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

(10:00PM - 1:40AM)

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 3:30PM  6:30PM

$90. Dress Up Attack! Music And Arts For Children And Grown Ups – feat: Custard + Bunny Racket + Angie Who + Benny Time Sydney Portugal Community Club, Marrickville. 10am. $28.60

Liz Stringer + Leah Flanagan Django Bar @ Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6pm. $23

wed

Liz Stringer

Bring Me The Horizon Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 8pm.

Satellite V + The Missing Link Vic On The Park, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Zeahorse + Grinding Eyes + Shearin Botany View Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 Joseph Tawadros Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $30. Sydney Rock’N’Roll & Alternative Market – feat: The Rocksteady Ratpack + Wes Pudsey And The Sonic Aces + The Dan Barnett Swing 5 + Narelle Evans And The Jetbacks + Rockin’ Marc Rondeau + Mark Keith Brown + The Swingin’ Kitten + The Crimplenes Manning Bar, Camperdown. 10:30am. $6

Oh Pep!

sat

5:45PM  8:45PM

Sep

sun

18 Sep

(10:00PM - 1:15AM)

mon

19 Sep

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

tue

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

20 Sep

(8:30PM - 11:30PM)

EVERY SATURDAY

Party DJs GROUND FLOOR - AFTER BANDS

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 33

brag beats

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

on the pulse club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Joseph Earp, Emily Norton and Alex Chetverikov

five things WITH

MIRA BORU

Honey Soundsystem photo by Daniel Case

Honey Soundsystem

UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT

Growing Up I was an 1. extremely lucky child,

and was surrounded by a family who loved dancing and music. That meant I picked up those exact passions from a young age. I remember getting my first CD player at the age of five and listening to George Michael and Michael Jackson on repeat while dancing in front of the mirror. Playing violin since the age of four also allowed me to excel technically with my music. Without the aural training and the technical skills I was able to develop over the course of 17 years playing the violin, I would not have been able to pick up DJing as quickly as I did. Inspirations Way too many to 2. list. But the ones that particularly resonate are Larry Levan, The Black Madonna, Glenn Underground and Four Tet. One of the fondest memories I’ve had inside a club was at Goodgod (I’m missing it so much) when Four

Tet played a sevenhour set. He was the first producer/DJ to show me that you can play whatever style you want, however you want, whenever you want. He told a story, fluctuating between such obscure genres. It totally blew my mind. When I DJ, I just want to take people on a journey: it never has to stick to one genre only. Sticking to one style is such a boring way to play! Also, The Black Madonna is a massive inspiration for me – I secretly want to be her. Her blend of feminism and music story telling just absolutely blows my mind. Your Crew I have various crews, both music and non-music related, and I love that I have that versatility. Going out certainly helps getting to know particular scenes and styles of music. I have a day job: I’m currently working for Lost Paradise as Head of Social. DJing was always something that I just did for fun, but down the line I’d

The team at V MoVement Sydney sure know what they’re doing. The festival of house, trap and techno boasts a stellar lineup this year, with a whole range of outstanding acts playing gigs across our fair city. One of the many drawcards the event boasts is a showing by Honey Soundsystem. The quartet, Jackie House, Robot Hustle, Jason Kendig and Josh Cheon, or the ‘Honey boys’, as they are affectionately known, formed through a mutual love of bangers, and they aimed to directly tackle the image of disco that was being perpetuated by the mass media. They’re not just a bunch of fantastic DJs then: they’re genuine counterculture records, and the kind of left-of-centre geniuses that our lockout-laden scene really needs right now. Catch them at Cruise Bar on Sunday October 23 as part of the V MoVement festivities

love to have it as my full blown career. Only time will tell! The Music You Make And Play 4. I love so many various genres of music, but my sounds vary from afro, disco and funk to heavier house and balearic techno. Music, Right Here, Right 5. Now

The music scene in Sydney is a funny place right now – thank you lockout laws – but there’s hope thanks to the individuals who are willing to fight the fight. Collaboration is vital in getting through these dark times. Friends need to be supporting of each other! It’s magic because that support shines through and manifests itself on the dance floor. What: 5 Years Of Astral People Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Saturday October 22

RAMBLING MAN

Ole mates at Mad Racket sure do know how to throw a party, huh? The event promoters are renowned for throwing star-studded shindigs, the kinds of parties that you’d be a fool to miss, and their upcoming party to be held at Marrickville Bowling Club is no different. The pumping celebration of all things trap, house and techno will be headlined by celebrated DJ Rambl, with support duties being supplied by Jimmi James, Ken Cloud, Zootie and Simon Caldwell, one of the founders of Mad Racket. With company like that, how could you say no? So save the date – Saturday September 24.

34 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

Carlo Lio

FLEX YER BICEPS

We all like to escape from reality sometimes, don’t we? Reality is the playground for horror and mundanity, a ceaseless barrage of deadlines and overdrafts and outstanding loans that presses down on you like a brain tumour against the back of the eye. Thank the lord we have an event like Escapism, then, an evening of incredible DJs and producers that is set to make even the most depressed, realitysavaged punter get up and dance. The ostensible headliner of the night is European dance act Bicep, but in actuality every single one of the artists on the bill is a keeper, and

READY FOR REBEKAH?

Rebekah

punters will no doubt be wowed by Dro Carey, Mall Grab, Francis Xavier and Steven Be Calm. Phew. How’s that for a who’s who of talent? It’s all happening at the UTS Tower Building in Broadway on Sunday October 2.

Twenty years is a long time: just ask leading DJ and producer Rebekah, a legendary artist who has been setting dancefloors aflame for two decades now. The musician is well-known for her exhaustive touring schedule, and she’s had more world tours than many of us have had hot dinners. That means you’d be a fool not to catch her when she hits up the Burdekin Hotel, given that her years of training means she controls the club with a laser-guided precision, and she exudes so much style and class that it’s impossible not to be wowed by her showings. She’ll be supported on the night by Trinity, Eliza Dabron, Loveless, Dave Stuart and U-Khan on Saturday September 24. Tickets are selling like hot cakes, so drop what you’re doing and get your spot sorted.

FAREWELL TO FUEGO Prosumer

LIKE A PRO

Prosumer, the celebrated German DJ, loves Australia. That’s not just conjecture: that’s a statement that can be backed up with an ample number of dates, given the man has made his way out to our shores almost every year since 2012. How’s that for commitment? He’s heading back our way very shortly, ready to add a healthy dash of house to the Voguey Bear event’s third birthday. It’ll all go down at Red Rattler on Friday September 30, with ole mates Stereogamous filling support duties.

The name Carlo Lio might not be that familiar to plebs like you and me, but for those in the know, the man is a legend, one of the most celebrated producers about. In 2016 alone he has made appearances at a host of international festivals, and his unceasing desire to tour means that he is now very well versed in the art of playing live. Now, he’s going to be heading to the Chippendale Hotel in order to round out the Fuego Series, a celebrated string of dates that has seen club-punters be regaled with some seriously funky tunes. Its happening on Saturday September 17, and though tickets are selling ridiculously fast, there are still some available, so get on it.

thebrag.com

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 35

TK Go Deeper By Augustus Welby together in groups of two to host the monthly Deeper Than House podcast via Bondi Beach Radio. “The one thing that I love is how well we all get along,” says Powell. “We all have similar goals and aspirations, so we vibe off each other really nicely. Outside of music we socialise a lot, ’cause stripped back to basics we’re all mates. “When it comes to creative advice, I’m sure [labelmate] Alec Bonnici hates me. We spam each other daily with things good and bad we have made, ideas, et cetera. But the banter between us is real and as much as I hate to say it, he’s a good mate.”

ydney electronic music label and event promoter Deeper Than House is bringing the party to four separate locations around New South Wales this month. Having already kicked things off on the Central Coast, this weekend it’s Sydney’s turn. The label’s sevenact roster will take over the Civic Underground, a venue they’ve become rather familiar over the past couple of years. The label defines itself as an underground movement, but that hasn’t stopped it from gaining a lot of popularity. Recently, the monthly Deeper Than House sessions at the Civic sold out, a strong sign of the buzz currently surrounding the DIY collective. “Selling out a show is no easy feat, but fortunately for us we have a really loyal and supportive following,” says

Powell. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t really set out to achieve anything except stay along for the ride. And in the short space thus far, it’s certainly been one.

Alastair Powell, AKA Deeper Than House-signee TK. “Some of these people come to every show, rep merch and just vibe us in the best way possible. It’s amazing. The rapid expansion of Deeper Than House is rather surreal. If you would have told me this time last year that I’d be touring NSW with the crew, I’d probably have laughed it off. I don’t think the realisation of all this will hit ’till we get going, but I’m really excited.” TK has been with Deeper Than House since the very beginning, a date that more or less coincided with the beginning of his own career. While he can’t speak for the entire collective, he had fairly minor objectives at the label’s outset. “When I first got involved with Deeper Than House, I was a clueless, fresh 18-year-old on the scene,” says

“At first, Deeper Than House wasn’t a label, it was just an event,” he continues. “Once we developed a following, that’s when the more serious side developed. Personally I wasn’t trying to bridge any gaps – I just really loved house music and wanted to share that. Although now I truly believe that DTH is Sydney’s premiere house event, and that gap [in the market] is slowly being filled.” Along with TK, the roster currently includes Alec Bonnici, Val York, Sass, Natnoiz, Ludovic and Ellie D. They’re all taking part in the upcoming NSW tour, which visits Bowral and Newcastle after the Sydney show. The label-signees also regularly get

Deeper Than House events tend to have a somewhat nebulous structure, which is the case for the current tour. In keeping with the label’s music-first ethos, there isn’t special emphasis placed on any one performer. No one artist is hogging the spotlight, and the strength of the label lies in their equal-opportunity approach. “The beauty of Deeper Than House and our bond as artists means that there is no conventional headliner,” Powell says. “Together we are the headliner. Musically we flow off each other and the night always progresses smoothly between us.” In July, Deeper Than House issued a new single from TK called ‘Shadow’. The track’s deep neo-house groove extends an open invitation to dance, but it also features some hooky melodic sequences and chopped up vocal parts. “I actually came up with the idea for this one whilst driving one night and quickly raced home – safely of course – to put down the basics,” Powell

Off The Record W

Four Tet

You’ve got once chance left to see arguably the only good thing to come from Newcastle, Mall Grab, before he moves overseas to the UK. Side note: I’ve been told that Newcastle once demolished a heritage-listed building to construct the largest KFC in the southern hemisphere. Can someone confirm this for me? Anyway, back on track. The producer, who only entered the game a year ago, has already released eight singles, and even launched his own label titled Steel City Dance Discs. Kid moves fast. Catch him on Friday September 30 at 77. See him before he’s playing headline shows all over Europe at some of the biggest clubs in the world like fabr… oh. One of the biggest names in UK garage, DJ EZ, is coming our way. A true veteran, the don has held down a weekly radio show for London’s Kiss FM for 15 years, and most recently has shown no

Mall Grab

says. “I wanted to make a really stripped-back club tune, but didn’t want to over complicate things in the process. I think it really works, always gets a nice reaction when played out.” Looking forward, TK is comfortable to keep experimenting with singles instead of diving into an album or EP. “For the time being I really want to refine my sound,” he says. “It’s something that’s proving a lot harder than I first thought. My musical tastes are very broad and my Soundcloud likes reflect that. I think sometimes I confuse myself more than I have to. Until I find that sound, I think singles are the most appropriate approach to music release.” As for the bigger picture, even if TK becomes a household name, he’s sure to keep repping Deeper Than House and emphasising the label ethos. “For the foreseeable future, Deeper Than House is my clique. They have done a lot for me and given me opportunities a young artist like myself could only dream of.” What: Deeper Than House Where: Civic Underground When: Friday September 16 With: Val York, Ludovic, Sass, Ellie D, NatNoiz

RECOMMENDED

Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray ell, there you have it. London has gone and taken a page out of Mike Baird’s book and shut down one of the greatest clubs in the world, fabric. There’s been a huge outpouring of grief from the global electronic music community, but perhaps it was best put by drum and bass royalty Goldie: “I’m wondering whether or not the likes of me, the likes of Jazzie B, Norman Jay, Pete Tong for that matter, should just trade our MBEs in, melt them down and put them in a pencil-pusher’s coffee, so it can taste a little bit sweeter for him today, so he feels more successful in killing counter-culture and culture itself.” Massive fucking sigh over here. All too familiar. The Lord Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has now invited Four Tet to City Hall to discuss fabric’s closure – it will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes from it.

“THE RAPID EXPANSION OF DEEPER THAN HOUSE IS RATHER SURREAL. IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS TIME LAST YEAR THAT I’D BE TOURING NSW WITH THE CREW, I’D PROBABLY HAVE LAUGHED IT OFF.”

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16

DJ EZ Oxford Art Factory

Al Dobson Jr TBA

Return To Rio: Carl Cox, De La Soul, Eric Powell, DJ EZ + more Del Rio, Wisemans Ferry

Detroit Techno Militia Goodbar

DJ EZ

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 Rebekah Burdekin Hotel

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30 Prosumer Red Rattler signs of slowing down with gigs for Boiler Room, Mixmag and Coachella. Furthermore, earlier this year he raised over $80,000 for cancer research in the UK by DJing for 24 fucking hours straight. Legend. Catch him at the Oxford Art Factory on Thursday November 10. Some news for the producers and gearheads out there: Roland has announced the release of three new products in its Boutique line: the TB-03, TR-09 and VP-03. It’s also teamed up with Serato and announced the DJ-808, which adds 808 drum machine and synth connectivity to the DJ controller in an aim to bring “production, live performance and DJing even closer”. Native Instruments is releasing the Maschine Jam performance instrument (piano role mode, anyone?), while Pioneer is bringing out a new two-channel mixer dubbed the DJM-450, with

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11 – SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12

Marcel Dettman Chinese Laundry

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26

an inbuilt soundcard and USB input for integration with laptop set-ups.

Mall Grab 77

Tour rumours: some bloody serious techno is coming our way with the one and only Ben Klock. Announcement imminent. A return of Radio Slave is also on the cards – not to confused with the god-awful Audioslave.

Bicep UTS

Jackmaster Greenwood Hotel

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30

SUNDAY OCTOBER 23

FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 4

Best releases this week: Kornél Kovács’ new album The Bells (on Studio Barnhus) is bloody fun listening, as is his latest mix for Resident Advisor. Otherwise I suggest spending some time with Ruf Dug who has just put all of the Ruf Kutz releases up for free on Bandcamp. Although, to be honest, after being in a room with The Sun Can’t Compare while it was performed by Larry Heard on the weekend, I don’t know if anything will ever sound that good again.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 2

Seven Davis Jr Civic Underground

Honey Soundsystem Cruise Bar

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29

Green Velvet Greenwood Hotel

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10

Randomer TBA

Machinedrum Civic Underground

Subsonic Music Festival: Lee Scratch Perry, Mad Professor, Josh Wink, Ben UFO + more Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort

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. 36 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

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 Val York

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16 Civic Underground

Deeper Than House

Feat: Val York, TK, Ludovic, Sass, Ellie D, Alec Bonnici and more 10pm. $33.50 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 HIP HOP & R&B

Impulse - feat: Neon Agenda + Keeto + Jakobi + Amy Knight Foundry616, Ultimo. 7pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Buoy Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $13. Queerbourhood feat: Seymour Butz + Friends The Bearded Tit, Redfern. 7:30pm. Free.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15 HIP HOP & R&B

I Got Sole - feat: Johnson & Friends Play Bar, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Hayden James + Dena Amy thebrag.com

Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $28.50.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16 HIP HOP & R&B

Az-Ra Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Ellis Island - feat: Helena Ellis + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Flex Mami + Mc Rico Pacino Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $11. Fridays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free. Phat Play Friday feat: Juzzlikedat + Cman + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. Sam Wall Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free.

CLUB NIGHTS Al Dobson Jr + Prequel + Freda & Jackson Secret Location, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Argyle Fridays The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Cold Club - feat:

Snillum + Corleone Ii + Jor-Ja + Solutions + Alteria Motifs + Black Oxford Hotel, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $15. DJ Ruckus Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $12.30. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Fatback - feat: DJs Adverse + Juzzlikedat + Caratgold + Amity + Makoto + Cman + Edseven + Vj Spook Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. Free. Feel Good Fridays Bar100, The Rocks. 5pm. Free. Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Now That's What I Call Fuckfest - feat: Passenger Of Shit + Dislasystem + Fukno + Dave Psi + Hedonist + MC + Madcunt/Mothb + All Z/DJ Magic + The Gabbering + Casket Whine + Earwax Jam + Gelido + Midimachine + Defektro Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 10pm. $10.

Peoples Club - feat: Detroit Techno Militia 2x4 + Andrew Wowk + U-Khan + Matthew Lush + Davi Bangma + Lauren Hansom + Anno Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $22. Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free. Spring Breakdown - feat: Disparo + Rort Menace + Hangman + Durry + Suppressant + John Howard Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Voodoo - feat: Darude Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9:30pm. $23.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17 HIP HOP & R&B

Astronomy Class Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free. New Jack Swing - feat: Cashmoneybros Play Bar, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free.

Tom Boffa + Oh? + GG Magree Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 6pm. Free.

Buoy

CLUB NIGHTS

Argyle Saturdays - feat: Tass + TapTap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Cakes The World Bar, Kings Cross. 8pm. Free. Carlo Lio The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. 3pm. $33. DJ Matt Allcock Rooty Hill RSL Club, Rooty Hill. 8:30pm. Free. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Father Bass Club Weekly - feat: Myrne + Hatch + Luude + Holly + Butcher + Lolo Bx Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $20. Kick On Saturdays feat: Guest DJs Cargo Lounge, Sydney. 6pm. Free. My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Pacha - feat: Autoerotique + Tyron Hapi Ivy Bar/lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Roberto Capuano + Anya + Unknown DJ + Nick Reverse + Db + Callum Duncan + Kev Frost + DJ Page + Shacklo + Lea Zoo Project, Potts Point. 10pm. $27.50. Scndl, Jay Karama + Scndl + Jay Karama Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $31.80. Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Something Else - feat: Carlo Lio + Aaron Robins + Mark Craven + Bodywork + Benny Kidd B2b Benny Mitchell + Boet B2b Thomas Lisse + Jimmy Galvin B2b Taylor Chirk Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50. Vibe Positive X Heavenly - feat: Ian Blevins + Jamie Blanco Freda's, Chippendale. 6pm. $10.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18 CLUB NIGHTS

Heyden James

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 Buoy Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $13.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15

Wowk + U-Khan + Matthew Lush + Davi Bangma + Lauren Hansom + Anno Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $22. Phat Play Friday - feat: Juzzlikedat + Cman + Benny Hinn Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free.

Hayden James + Dena Amy Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $28.50.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16

Astronomy Class Mr Falcon’s, Glebe. 9pm. Free.

Ellis Island - feat: Helena Ellis + Shantan Wantan Ichiban + Flex Mami + MC Rico Pacino Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 11pm. $11.

Roberto Capuano + Anya + Nick Reverse + DB + Callum Duncan + Kev Frost + DJ Page + Shacklo + Lea Zoo Project, Potts Point. 10pm. $27.50.

Fatback - feat: DJ Adverse + Juzzlikedat + Caratgold + Amity + Makoto + Cman + Edseven + VJ Spook Plan B Small Club, Sydney. 9pm. Free.

Something Else - feat: Carlo Lio + Aaron Robins + Mark Craven + Bodywork + Benny Kidd B2b Benny Mitchell + Boet B2b Thomas Lisse + Jimmy Galvin B2b Taylor Chirk Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $16.50.

Peoples Club - feat: Detroit Techno Militia 2x4 + Andrew Ed Seven

Shantan Wantan Ichiban Roberto Capuano

S.A.S.H By Night - feat: Ruede Hagelstein Home Nightclub, Darling Harbour. 9pm. $15. Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free.

HIP HOP & R&B

Brenny B-Sides Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 4pm. Free.

BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16 :: 37

snap

VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT

thebrag.com/snaps

up all night out all week . . .

lndry

PICS :: AM

PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR

L-FRESH THE LION, OMAR MUSA AND SUKHJIT

he says and does onstage in a way that many are not.

Newtown Social Club Saturday September 10

“People have tried to make me simplified and watered down and placed in boxes,” L tells the crowd. “But as an artist, it’s my duty to give you the full picture.” He performs his ‘full picture’ well, jumping and dancing with a smile on face to the jangly Bollywood-inspired chorus of ‘Get Mine’, before breaking into the scathing commentary contained within ‘Hold Up’, even taking the time to cite his mother as one of his biggest inspirations.

“Words with hate have power,” poet Sukhjit tells the crowd early in the night. Unabashed in her exploration of being a Sikh woman in Australia, her words are brash yet warm. She speaks not to the crowd, but with them, as if the few dozen faces are old friends she would rather have a chat with than perform to. At one point she asks everyone to click their fingers when they are moved by her words; she wants the crowd to feel with her. Unsurprisingly, there are finger clicks after her every verse. Her voice has opened up the room.

10:09:16 :: Chinese Laundry :: 111 Sussex St, CBD

rbma ft. flight facilities

PICS :: AM

Queanbeyan rapper Omar Musa introduces his hit ‘Dead Centre’ as a song “for those who are made to feel we’re on the fringes, on the margins, the outsiders … when really we are at the dead center”. A beautiful collision of storytelling in all its spoken forms, Musa’s performance features sharp, politically-charged lyrics, an exceptional DJ and throbbing beats. He and guest performer Hau Latukefu, rapper and host of the triple j Hip Hop Show, have an incredible, infectious energy that can’t be captured in a studio recording.

Refusing to be one-dimensional, it’s L-Fresh’s raw honesty that has every person in the room raising their index finger for his debut hit ‘One’. This feeling of unity stays with the crowd until the very last song, where L gets everyone to sing in Punjabi – possibly a Newtown fi rst. Evie Kennedy

Newtown Social Club is buzzed and wriggling when Western Sydney’s LFresh The Lion and his accompanying emcee take the stage. As the two perform tracks off L’s new album, Become, the air is alive with protest and passion. L-Fresh’s musings between songs are thoughtful and he proves understated and without ego. He is real in everything

10:09:16 :: The Domain, Sydney

five things WITH

SALLY COLEMAN AND ERICA MALLETT FROM CODA CONDUCT throwing my violin on the ground one time because I didn’t want to practice and my poor mum just begged me not to give up. Eventually I gave up and became a rapper. Look mum, aren’t you proud? Inspirations Erica: At the moment I’m 2. feeling really inspired by Sally’s

12-year-old cousin who runs a YouTube account and makes bangers on iMovie. He’s called Ashy Awesome. He also reviews Lego products.

38 :: BRAG :: 680 :: 14:09:16

They’ll try tell you that you can’t be a dog. But you just gotta live your dreams. Erica: I grew up playing the violin and the trumpet. I remember

Your Band Erica: Well, Sally really likes 3. Savage Garden and I have trouble forgiving her for that.

Erica: I’d say it’s just enough blueberries. There was a time in human history where we didn’t know whether a berry was going to be poisonous or delicious when we picked it. I pay respect to my blueberry picking ancestors by eating them every day. The Music You Make Sally: We make hip hop. 4. We write clever, fun and hopefully

intelligent lyrics and then rap them really well. We put a lot of effort into our live show because we think a tight live performance is such an important asset for any artist. Erica: Our aim is primarily to make you dance while also get you feeling what we’re saying. We pretty consciously make our music quirky and sometimes silly because it seems a good way to get people

listening and connecting with your message. Also we’re just quirky, silly people by nature. Sally: At the moment we’re working with newcastle producer Jayteehazard on our new EP, so keep an eye out for that one! Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Erica: There are so many people

doing amazing things in the local scene at the moment. There’s a real sense of accomplishment and community. I’m excited to see where it is going. Sally: We’re part of a new wave, man! Groovy. Hang ten. Hold on. Let’s ride it. Gnarly. What: Sad Grrrls Festival Where: Factory Floor When: Saturday October 8 With: Le Pie, Twin Caverns, Julia Why?, Jackie Brown Jnr and more

thebrag.com

Coda Conduct photo by Cole Bennetts

Growing Up Sally: When I was growing up I asked my neighbour what he wanted to be and he told me he wanted to be a dog. I was like, ‘Right on’. I live my life by that moment.

Sally: We just got back from Bigsound and saw so much music there. We’ve come away feeling super inspired by the talent in Oz at the moment. Stand-outs were Melbourne act Thando, Wallace, A.D.K.O.B, Mallrat, A.B Original and the New Zealand duo Fortunes.

Sally: And Erica eats a lot of blueberries. Like, probably too many blueberries.

(<:;9(30(Â»: 3,(+05. -034 (5+ ;= :*/663 -69 (*;69:

;>6 @,(9: -<33 ;04,

+07364( 6-

5(;

(WWSPJH[PVUZ VWLU :LW[LTILY Z[

:*9,,5 (*;05. =,; -,, /,37 (=(03()3,

9;6 7YV]PKLY *VKL MVY LSPNPISL Z[\KLU[Z

ZJYLLU^PZL JVT H\ :\YY` /PSSZ :`KUL` =PZP[ ZJYLLU^PZL JVT H\ MVY TVYL PUMVYTH[PVU VU V\Y ZOV^YLLS HUK ZOVY[ JV\YZLZ