ISSUE NO. 683 OCTOBER 5, 2016
FREE Now picked up at over 1,600 places across Sydney and surrounds. thebrag.com
MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE + MORE
INSIDE This Week
HENRY WA GONS
From Nashville to Australia and back again.
A NGEL OL SEN
How a tree change affected her new record.
G W E NNO
The rising talent on Wales, sci-fi novels, and the future.
PI X IE S
Doing right by Doolittle, decades after the fact.
Plus
A N T IGONE PA R R A M AT TA L A NE S F E S T I VA L T HE T ROGG S F R A NK IERO A ND MUCH MOR E
DMA’S GLOBAL TAKEOVER
EXPERIENCE THEIR LAST SHOW EVER! ONE NIGHT ONLY - 12 OCTOBER
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Food Art Music 10 Lanes 4 Nights
October 2016 Tuesday 11–Friday 14 From 5pm parramattalanes.com.au Presented by
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music news welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Alex Chetverikov, Emily Norton and Anna Wilson
five things WITH
DOMINIC PRICE FROM DEAD LANGUAGE
Growing Up I haven’t been in Sydney my 1. whole life. I actually grew up on a
farm in Somersby on the Central Coast which was oddly isolated, given we didn’t live that far from town. I imagine it was the reason we always had music playing – there was no-one to disturb. My dad was huge David Bowie and Rolling Stones fan, and every car trip would be punctuated by the soundtrack of their greatest hits. I don’t suppose I come from an especially musical family, although my grandparents did meet at musical theatre. Inspirations My first great music love was 2. MGMT. I was in year seven and their debut album had just come out. I was truly obsessed with it. In later years, I’d make the graduation into
Amy Winehouse, La Roux, Florence And The Machine and eventually Depeche Mode. Your Band My act isn’t so much a band 3. as it is an assortment of instruments and a computer in my bedroom. I’ve always liked being relatively selfsufficient, which is what drove me to learn production. However, for my current live set I’ve recruited two of my best mates to help flesh it all out with drum pads and synths. The Music You Make My music is fundamentally 4. pop. There are a lot of elements of electro, disco and baroque rock, as well, but ultimately I write pop tunes. I suspect it’s because I’m a huge sucker for the contradiction of a really saccharine melody and
intensely melancholy subject matter, songs that you can dance to and cry to. My debut single ‘Stockholm’ is my latest attempt at this. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. The music scene in Sydney is
dynamic and exciting. There is just such a wealth of talent that having enough venues to play in is becoming more and more difficult, no thanks to the lockout laws. Some of my favourite acts right now are Froyo, Jackie Brown Jr., Aela Kae and Hollow States. They all comprise fantastic instrumentalists and songwriters, who I’m constantly humbled by. What: ‘Stockholm’ out now independently
FINN IS FUN
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: Daniel Boud ADVERTISING: Tony Pecotic - (02) 9212 4322 tony@thebrag.com PUBLISHER: Furst Media MANAGING DIRECTOR, FURST MEDIA: Patrick Carr - patrick@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 / 0402 821 122 DIGITAL DIRECTOR/ADVERTISING: Kris Furst kris@furstmedia.com.au, (03) 9428 3600 GIG & CLUB GUIDE COORDINATOR: Sarah Bryant - gigguide@thebrag.com (rock); clubguide@thebrag.com (dance, hip hop & parties) AWESOME INTERNS: Anna Wilson, Emily Norton, Alex Chetverikov, Angela Antenero 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:
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CRUSHING IT
Save water, drink beer – specifically drink East Coast Crusher beer. A collaboration between Violent Soho and Byron Bay brewery Stone & Wood has led to an explosion of mouthgasmic flavours. Don’t believe it’s that awesome? Try the brew for yourself at one of the many East Coast Crusher launch parties this October. The first 50 people to flash their ticket receipt for the October/November Violent Soho tour will get a taste of the new brew courtesy of the band. The Sydney East Coast Crusher Launch Party will go down on Thursday October 13 from 6pm at The Lord Gladstone Hotel. Entry is free, though it’s an over-18 show, so keep that in mind.
NO MORE BLUES
The good-newsfest of Bluesfest has added Santana and The Doobie Brothers to an already impressive lineup for 2017. Having already announced names like Mavis Staples, Buddy Guy, Billy Bragg, Jethro Tull, Mary J. Blige, Roy Ayers, Booker T.’s Stax Records Review, and Patti Smith and her band performing Horses among a list positively teeming with musical pedigree and talent, the 28th annual Bluesfest is promising to be one of the best yet. What’s more, Bluesfest has promised further artist announcements to follow. It’s all going down from Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm.
Band Of Skulls
SKULLS STILL COOL
Hitting the road in celebration of their fourth album, Band Of Skulls have locked in an Australian tour. By Default was written in a Southampton Baptist Church, produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Patti Smith) and recorded in Rockfield Studios. The record sees the band return to their roots. “We went back to square one,” said band member Matt Hayward. “In the church – between visits from the vicar, bringing tea and biscuits on his trolley – we found the new songs in hours of wood shedding on ratty old practice amps.” They’ll hit Oxford Art Factory on Sunday November 27.
Parquet Courts
BOW DOWN TO THE KING(S)
Treat them like kings, for they are the almighty rock royalty Kingswood. The band members Laska, Fergus Linacre and Justin Debrincat, have spent the earlier part of 2016 bunkered down recording the follow-up to their 2014 debut, Microscopic Wars, at the legendary studio Sound Emporium, owned by musical icon Jack Clement. Wowza. Now they are back and at it again with their very own Aussie tour. Go radiate in their sexy music while making sure to bask in their luscious hair. Long live the Kingswood! The band will gig at The Imperial Hotel on Thursday November 17.
I SPY SPOTIFY
Spotify is love, Spotify is life. Sick of spending hours upon hours creating Spotify playlists? Do your fingers hurt? Wrist paralysed? Well be in pain no longer with the new Spotify Daily Mix feature. The Daily Mix will shazam your pain away by giving listeners a series of playlists with near endless playback, combining your favourite tracks with new song suggestions. So when you hit up Spotify for a good tune, you’ll come across your old favourites and discover some excellent newbies without having to tirelessly search. Don’t like that new track? Simply “ban” a tune to remove it from future playlists. If you love it, be sure to “heart” the track to add it to your collection. With the Daily Mix feature expect no work, all play, making Jack a very happy boy indeed.
HOLDING COURT
One of the best up-and-coming punk rock bands from Brooklyn will be arriving on our shores very shortly. Parquet Courts’ critically-acclaimed new album Human Performance and recent television performances have amped up their presence in the punk and rock world. The Brooklyn band delves into the anxieties of modern life through their mix of innovative and emotional collection of songs from the latest album. Their Sydney show will be held at the Factory Theatre on Wednesday January 4. They will also appear at the Falls Festival, so you can get lots of bang for your buck, hey? xxx
@TheBrag
The legendary Neil Finn has been announced for Golden Plains. One of the most acclaimed songwriters of recent history, Finn will be taking to the stage as the full moon rises for a careerspanning set. From his time in Split Enz to the inimitable Crowded House, Finn has written countless songs that have resonated the world over including ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Distant Sun’, ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘Four Seasons In One Day’ and more. Golden Plains goes down on Friday March 11 – Sunday March 13.
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live & local
free stuff
welcome to the frontline: what’s goin’ on around town... with Alex Chetverikov, Emily Norton and Joseph Earp
head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
five things WITH
CASS GREAVES
album I ever bought because they’re just embarrassing – especially for someone who loves the blues so much. My earliest memories of music are noodling on my grandad’s piano and the Nat King Cole songs he was always singing to me. I actually started playing sax at a young age and grew up playing in various big bands before I started singing: that’s where I started loving that jazzy, bluesy sound.
1.
Growing Up So, I won’t tell you the first concert I ever went to or the first
New Orleans cats. But most of all I love C.W. Stoneking: he’s another Aussie out there killing it in the blues scene worldwide. All I need to do is put on his album and I’m inspired – the sound is so authentic and rustic. I want to do a duet with him so badly.
The Music You Make Two words: New Orleans! 4. From the moment I stepped foot
in that place I was home – and it’s not just the music. It’s the people, the food, the whole culture: it ignites my soul like nothing else When I’m singing blues and jazz or writing my music it all has a sprinkle of New Orleans in it, and
MILLER’S MAKING IT
Coming off a highly productive year, which included a Like A Version performance, along with national support spots for Michael Franti, Josh Pyke and Dustin Tebbutt, Robbie Miller has announced second EP Closer To Home out Friday October 28. The EP follows on from regular triple j rotation for singles ‘The Pain’ and ‘Road’. In support of the new EP, Miller will play tri-state across the east coast, landing in Sydney on Friday November 11. He’ll be playing Plan B Small Club, with doors opening 8pm.
MEET A MENTOR
The Association of Artist Managers has put a call out to emerging artist managers to participate in their mentorship program. The applications are for mid-tier and emerging Australian artist managers to get involved with a 12-month mentorship program. The program promises to match successful applicants with established artist managers, providing them with a wealth of knowledge, knowhow and experience with the music industry. Previous years have seen such high-profile
mentors involved as Danny Rogers from Lunatic Entertainment (The Temper Trap, Chvrches, Laneway Festival), John Watson from Eleven Music (Birds of Tokyo, Child Chisel, Silverchair, Gotye), Gregg Donovan from Wonderlick (Boy & Bear, Grinspoon, Josh Pyke) and Dan Medland from i.e.:Music (Ladyhawke, Passenger, The Bamboos). Applications are now open for the mentorship and close Sunday October 9 – head to aam. org.au/aam-blog/2016-mentor-program to enter.
Jaala
Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Honestly, I think there is a major
lack of representation for artists who transcend the pigeonholes the Australian music scene has created, the ones who don’t necessarily fit the triple j mould. There have been a few venues pop up like Leadbelly that are opening the doors to the blues/ folk/rockabilly genres which is awesome, but it’s tough out there, especially in Sydney. I released an album which actually got more recognition in America than here – that’s kinda disappointing. Who: Cass Greaves Where: Leadbelly When: Thursday October 27
MÖTLEY CRÜE: THE END
Everybody loves a good concert film. From Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense to the Jay-Z and Ron Howard collaboration Made In America, concert movies allow us to fully experience gigs that we wouldn’t usually be allowed to participate in, giving all of us out there with terrible cases of FOMO a great chance to soak in some sights and sounds. To that end, only a fool would miss out the opportunity get a glimpse of Motley Crue via their fantastic new flick Mötley Crüe: The End. The film is screening on one night only, Wednesday October 12, and to celebrate, we have ten double passes to give away. Just head over to thebrag.com/freeshit to enter.
FOXY FOLKS
Why is a fox considered sly? Who cares, just check out these rad bands playing at the Slyfox next week. Headline spot will be filled by Hi-Tops Brass Band, a group that blend ten-pieces of raw brass, while bringing banging vibes. Next up will be The Brassholes, peddlers of grand times with an even grander name, while rounding up the set proper will be Beatside, a six-person act from east Sydney: expect extreme experimentation and wordplay. Lastly, Zig Zag Wanderer DJs will be on the decks from 12:30am till 3am. Live At The Sly is a weekly event that will go down on Thursday October 6 from 8pm onwards. Entry is free.
Jaala xxxphoto by Wilk
Robbie Miller
generation of up-and-coming jazz and blues players coming out of Sydney and I’m so lucky to have them. I also met an amazing up-and-coming engineer while at uni, Antonia Gauci. I was lucky enough to have her mix my album He’s Whiskey In A Teacup at Studio 301. I’m so proud of that girl: keep an eye out for all her stuff.
it evokes a sense of nostalgia that brings me home.
Motley Crue photo by Dustin Jack
Inspirations Big Mamma Thornton, 2. Muddy Water: all the blues and
Your Band I was lucky enough to meet 3. my band at uni. They are the next
The Brassholes
GET STUFFED BAIRD
You will notice that the title of this news item does not contain a pun, or some kind of flippant wordplay, as is our usual wont. That’s because there is no longer anything funny about Mike Baird and the restrictive practices he has put in place that are slowly suffocating Sydney’s live music scene and creative arts. We’re still fighting, and we’re still hanging in there, but goddamn is the man trying to stuff things up for the music scene in this fair city
or what? To tell ol’ Bairdy exactly what we think of him and his draconian laws, head over to the upcoming Keep Sydney Open rally on Sunday October 9. The rally will feature an amazing lineup of speakers and performers, so expect it to be a perfect opportunity to prove to ole mate #CasinoMike exactly what his lockout laws sit in direct opposition to – i.e. the incredible cultural life of this city. It’s happening at Belmore Park, and kicks off at noon.
Flowertruck
Given Melbourne pop-punk provocateurs Jaala will be well-known by any lovers of the outre, weirdos of the world can rejoice: the band are heading our way. The group have received ample acclaim over the years, particularly for their debut record Hard Hold, a glossy mess of textures that calls to mind Sleater-Kinney and Pavement, yet sets out in a direction solely of its own. The band are about to release ‘Junior Spirit’, the first taste from their long-awaited second record, and to celebrate they’ll be playing a show at the beloved Newtown Social Club. Expect it to all go down on Wednesday October 26 and, given the band’s fondness for causing trouble, expect it to all be just a little bit mental.
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FANS OF FLOWERTRUCK
Flowertruck aren’t just a band, they’re a goddamn institution. The group have gone from strength to strength this year, wowing at the Bigsound music conference and playing a slew of gigs over the state, cementing their reputation as singularly compelling live performers. They’ve lined up a gig at the Golden Age Cinema, one of Sydney’s most surprising and exciting new music venues (the place has already hosted sets from the likes of Jack Ladder and R.W. Grace) and are due to blow minds, so head over to the joint on Thursday October 6, won’t you?
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Flowertruck photo by Luke Stephenson
JOY FOR JAALA
Industrial Strength Music Industry News with Christie Eliezer
THINGS WE HEAR • Which band member of a major band is refusing to cash his wage cheques because the figures are less than what the band promised when he joined? • Which music executive was in the shower when someone broke into her house, stole some money, had a cigarette and then left? • Has Spotify struck a deal to buy SoundCloud for £535 million? The company also announced it is entering Japan. • Is Justin Bieber working with his manager Scooter Braun to create his own record label?
DEADLINE FOR YOUNG MANAGERS MENTORING
Emerging or mid-tier artist managers wanting to learn the ropes through a 12-month mentorship with some of the country’s most skilful and high-profile managers can do so through the Manager Mentor Program. Applications close on Sunday October 9 at aam.org.au/aamblog/2016-mentor-program/. Now in its fourth year, the AAM has partnered with the Face The Music conference in Melbourne. Successful applicants will be flown to Melbourne to meet their mentor, do a full-day management workshop, attend The Age / Music Victoria Awards and Face The Music, and get three nights’ accommodation in Melbourne. Check out aam.org.au to see the calibre of past mentors.
SIMON COWELL HIRES SONY AUSTRALIA A&R CHIEF
Yet another Australian music exec has been recognised by the global music biz. This time it’s Pat Handlin, head of A&R for Sony Music Entertainment Australia. He was the man behind the signing of Justice Crew, Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian, The Veronicas, Jai Waetford, Samantha Jade and Peking Duk. He also brought in the DNA writing and production team to work extensively with local Sony acts. Handlin has been appointed Senior A&R Manager for Simon Cowell’s Syco Music in the UK, whose acts have included One Direction.
FLUME DONATES TRACK FOR SYDNEY LOCKOUT LAWS
While Art vs. Science sang a song about the Sydney lockout laws when 18 plaques were hung at the site where a closed venue used to be, Flume has offered the unreleased ‘Heater’ to use in Keep Sydney Open’s latest video. The vid is about the installation of the plaques to highlight the importance of a vibrant nightlife to Sydney’s music scene. Flume is currently on tour in North America.
AN AUSTRALIAN SXSW IN CANBERRA?
Australia might get its own music, film and interactive conference called South By Southeast in Canberra. It will be based on South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, which draws tens of thousands each year, and where many Aussie talents have signed career-defining global deals. This has been promised by the Labor Party as one of its platforms in the run-up to this month’s ACT elections. Labor also promised to slash fees for music venues that shut before midnight, or small bars (i.e 150-capacity) that close before 2am.
HD VINYL ON ITS WAY (AND OTHER NEW TECHIE STUFF)
Austrian company Rebeat says that within three years, record buyers can buy “High Definition Vinyl”. The vinyl record will have 30 per cent more capacity and volume, and double the sound quality. It can be played on current turntables but HD-compatible turntables are on their way for enhanced features. Currently, records are made using a slow antiquated process. But HD Vinyl uses 3D-based topographical mapping and laser inscription technology that will cut costs by 50 per cent and manufacturing time by 60 per cent. Japan’s Sony is issuing Virtual Reality headgear for not just video games but also music videos and movies. They enhance horror, razzle-dazzle and "erotic effects". Young London band Sugar Coat made the world’s first playable jigsaw. 35 copies of its debut single ‘Me Instead’ come as a jigsaw vinyl, designed by artist Cameron Allen of Finland’s Royal Mint Records. Newly arrived to the Australian market is Gramovox’s vertical vinyl Floating Record Player. Available only on The Sound of Vinyl site, it is a modern take on the record player, combining
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• Will we see The Eagles back on the road if the late Glenn Frey’s son agrees to join the band? • Have Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams done another duet for his next album? • Which New Zealand music executive is worried about being linked with an alleged celebrity cocaine drug ring after a police string, according to the Herald On Sunday? • Slipknot’s Corey Taylor says his vocal performances have improved since he had surgery on his broken neck. He’s given up all headbanging and other onstage antics as a result. • [V] HITS and Shazam will launch a new four-hour Sunday midday Shazam Chart
“the beauty and nostalgia of yesterday’s turntable with modern sound technology and cool, contemporary design”. Each one is handassembled in Chicago, and includes a carbonfibre tone-arm and pre-installed AT95E cartridge
ADELE’S 25 HITS DIAMOND IN UNDER A YEAR
Adele continues to be in a league of her own. Her latest achievement is having the 25 album hit 10 million sales in the US in under a year. That means it’s been certified diamond, which very few artists achieve. But Adele also got one for 2011’s 21, which took two years to get there. The diamond certification for 25 was awarded to her onstage on the final night of her six-show stint at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her sell-out North American dates ends on November 21.
AMBITION SIGNS DISTRO DEAL WITH SONY
Former Warner Music executive Robert Rigby’s Sydney-based company Ambition Entertainment signed a distribution deal with Sony Music Entertainment Australia. Set up in 2009, Ambition proved a massive success by reviving Russell Morris’ platinum-spinning revival when no other record label would sign him. One of Ambition’s imprints, Fanfare, looks after Adult Contemporary acts as James Morrison, Leo Sayer, Don Burreows and Kevin Johnson.
Show, which counts off the most Shazamed track in Australia through that week. • Expressions of interest in buying the national Keystone Group’s venues (include some nightclubs) have closed, with 80 interested parties – including private equity firms – according to the receiver, Ferrier Hodgson. • Bluesfest boss Peter Noble is urging the NSW government and councils to declare Byron Bay the regional arts capital of Australia since there are so many festivals (music and otherwise) and musicians living in the area. • Delta Goodrem reckons she’s returning to The Voice.
her fans. Billboard magazine crunched the numbers and worked out that, for its songwriters alone, it made $40,000 collectively in 2013, nearly $60,000 for them in 2015 and so far this year, about $45,000. The song has four songwriters. Cathy Dennis (who also wrote Kylie’s ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’) has a 50 per cent share. Two others, Christian Karlsson (Bloodshy) and Pontus Winnberg (Avant) have a 22.5 per cent share each, and Henrik Jonback had a five per cent share. The song has had track sales of 239,000, album sales of 177,000, radio plays of 65,000, on-demand audio streams of 37 million, on-demand video streams of 32 million, and nearly two million in programmed streams.
ROCK NAMES FOR SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS
Among the nominees for this year’s Screen Music Awards are those who had their start in rock acts. Former Avalanches member Darren Seltmann and his singer-songwriter wife Sally’s collaborative song ‘Dancing In The Darkness’ from ABC comedy The Letdown is up for Best Original Song Composed for the Screen. Sony-signed DNA Songs (Anthony Egizii & David Musumeci) are up for Best Music For An Advertisement. Former rock keyboard player David Hirschfelder is in the
Lifelines In Court: Jay Z and his former business partners at Roc-A-Fella Records (including co-founder Damon Dash) have won a $7 million lawsuit that alleges they nicked the logo for their label. It was filed in 2012 by clothing designer Dwayne Walker, who said that it came from an artwork he did in 1995 and that the label offered him royalties for using the logo. But the judge said Walker waited too long (five years instead of three) to file the suit, and that no royalties contract existed. Jailed: Spanish concert promoter Miguel Ángel Flores, for four years, for promoting a Steve Aoki show in 2012 at which five women died during a stampede. It was the result of 17,000 tickets being sold to a 10,000-capacity venue. Died: US producer and R&B keyboard player Kashif, 59, of undetermined cause. He made hits for Whitney Houston, Evelyn “Champagne” King and Howard Johnson. He also worked with Kenny G, George Benson, Dionne Warwick and the Average White Band. Feature Film Score of the Year category. In Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie are David Bridie for Secret City and Michael Yezerski and Ashley Irwin for Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door. For a full list of nominees, go to apraamcos. com.au or agsc.org.au. The winners will be announced at a gala event in Sydney at the City Recital Hall on Tuesday November 8. Emmy Award-winning screen composer Ashley Irwin will lead a live orchestra that will perform a selection of nominated compositions. The Chaser’s Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen will host.
CONSPIRACY THEORY OF THE WEEK: AVRIL LAVIGNE
The “Avril Lavigne is Dead” story is doing its rounds again, this time after she celebrated what was (should have been?) her 32nd birthday last week, a Brazilian fan site even posting a bogus obituary. The story – that in 2003, after being unable to cope with stardom and her grandfather’s death, Lavigne went into a depression and topped herself – has been around for years. Her record company hired a lookalike, Melissa Vandella, to play her. But sharp-eyed fans (ahem) have seen through Vandella, as her singing voice, autograph, nose and freckles are different. Put this right next to Tupac living in Peru, Michael Jackson’s ghost, the real Paul McCartney dying in a car accident in 1966 being and replaced by a Billy Shears (later immortalised on the The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers album) and Jim Morrison of The Doors fronting an Australian Doors tribute band.
DIY SYNC DEALS
Sync deals are becoming important for people in the music biz. Many companies here and abroad have execs who specialise in these or use pay-to-pitch services, tip sheets and music libraries. New Australian music licensing company The Sync Report is offering writers and composers the chance to strike deals on their own. It offers its subscribers a comprehensive directory of which person is looking after the music licensing. There’s also a TV calendar to see what shows are coming up, who to contact, and when. The platform also provides Top 50 lists that allow subscribers to pinpoint contacts working on the world’s biggest TV shows, brands, films, trailers and video games in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. Co-founder Daniela D’Onofrio says, “Volume is up and budgets are down, which has opened the door for under-theradar acts to go direct with music supervisors licensing music. If you have great songs, understand the basics of the sync industry and can be professional, then you can get your songs licensed.”
BRITNEY’S ‘TOXIC’ MAKES $60K A YEAR FOR WRITERS Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ was released in 2003 but remains an enduring hit for
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COVER STORY
HEADED HOME BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
While the band are known for being cool, calm and collected both onstage and off, their life on the road is full of the rock’n’roll benders one might expect from such a hyped-up act. Speaking to the BRAG from the UK, guitarist Johnny Took reveals he is ever-so-slightly creaky, still recovering from the exploits of the night before. “I’m pretty hungover, man,” he says, laughing. “I woke up like five minutes ago. If some ridiculous shit comes out of my mouth, you’ll know why. I’m walking to this café called The Grind in Sheffield. Yesterday was bloody beautiful here; it’s like an old steel town. We played a gig last night – it was crazy. The Brits get into it pretty hectic; they get real rowdy at shows.” Took, vocalist Tommy O’Dell and guitarist Matt Mason have attained a committed European following, something Took explains as a natural byproduct of the band’s own love for a very particular era in musical history. “We don’t fucking hide it: we love that ’90s Britpop era and all of the bands that came out of it,” he says. “The crowds here in the UK don’t give a fuck that we are from Australia or from a
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long way away, they just like the tunes and the kick-arse nights. It’s cool to be so far away from home and get that response. To be honest, when it comes to building a career I think the UK has been one of our strongest audiences. They’ve been amazing to us.” In the past two years, the collective of mates has brought the six-piece live set-up to audiences across the globe – exposure that has led them to appear on various 2016 festival bills including Splendour In The Grass, Fuji Rock, Pukkelpop and more recently Reading and Leeds. Understandably, such relentless touring has the DMA’s looking forward to returning to home soil and focusing on their next release. “In February, I was so keen for touring,” explains Took. “I was so up for it, but recently to be honest I’ve just been looking forward to getting home. I miss having a home. I miss having a bedroom, somewhere to just dump my shit. Little things like that: organised pandemonium shit. I’m also looking forward to not having to see the five other heads I have to see everyday. That’s going to be a real privilege.” He laughs. “But in all seriousness, I think we are going to get a studio somewhere. I got evicted
from my house where we recorded the album so I haven’t had a studio for about a year. I got evicted on the night of last year’s King Street Crawl. I forgot about late night trading; we had a DMA’s rehearsal in my bedroom and it was so loud. There’s a hairdresser underneath us and he was just a proper real bad dude.” In addition to relocating to a new recording space, the band’s songwriters are eager to continue their production exploration. Took stresses that though he and his bandmates have always experimented with electronic textures, their plan moving forward relies on completely integrating that sonic element into their new set-up. “We’ve got so many new ideas but we just need to be home for long enough to have the time to experiment with it,” Took says. “We’ve been experimenting with beats and stuff, bringing electronic vibes into some of the tunes and doing something a little bit different within the whole field. With Tommy [O’Dell], he can bring any melody you fucking want him to. He’s the kind of person that you can play a beat and he can just bring a huge melody on top of it without even thinking. “I think we will probably make the next album more of an experience,” Took continues. “We were really happy with
“THERE ARE THESE LITTLE INCREMENTS THAT BANDS IMPROVE BY THAT YOU CAN’T GET FROM BEING IN A REHEARSAL STUDIO FOR NINE HOURS – YOU CAN ONLY DO IT BY PLAYING 60 GIGS IN TWO OR THREE MONTHS.” thebrag.com
DMA’S photo by Dan Boud
DMA’S
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o say that 2016 has been a busy year for DMA’s would be an understatement. The Sydney-based and currently UK-placed trio have toured virtually non-stop since the release of their impressive debut album, Hills End. Between selling out shows in four separate continents and playing some of the world’s most famous festivals, the local lads have proved themselves to be an internationally adored live act. Now they’re headed home to play their biggest Australian rooms to date.
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ills nd and the vibe it has got. It’s a bit vulnerable. Recording an LP in your bedroom means that it sounds a bit shit but that’s kind of cool. But I think we’ll have to step it up for the next album.”
year at Splendour In The Grass – it’s no surprise that the DMA’s will also be making a showing at the upcoming Falls Music & Arts Festival, an appearance Took is anticipating with relish.
Before settling into their follow-up record, DMA’s are set to take ills nd to the Australian stage. The group are currently preparing for a show at the Enmore Theatre, one homegrown fans have been anticipating for some time now.
“Normally when we play festivals in Australia we have mates playing it too,” Took says. “Splendour was almost weird: we were hanging out at the VIP behind the main stage and I felt like I was just hanging out at the local pub back in Sydney. We had heaps of mates there and my little brother was up there.”
“There are these little increments that bands improve by that you can’t get from being in a rehearsal studio for nine hours – you can only do it by playing 60 gigs in two or three months,” says Took. “Now we are at that point with our one-hour set, I’m looking forward to getting home and adding a few different songs to it.” The support slot for the Enmore show is set to be filled by Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems, one of the contemporary scene’s most electrifying acts. Took reveals he and his bandmates were put in touch with the Dreemers after a chance musical meeting in New York. “It was about a year-and-a-half ago during the CMJ Music Marathon,” says Took. “We played our acoustic set and Bad// Dreems got up and hadn’t brought enough acoustics so they asked if they could borrow my guitar. They were playing and all of a sudden [Matt] Mason just walks onto the stage. There was a grand piano there and he had learnt ‘My Only Friend’ a week before by chance, so he rocked up and just started playing it with them.” Given their reputation as a festival staple – they smashed their set earlier this
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Regardless of their expanding infl uence on the Australian and international music scenes, Took assures loyal listeners that when looking to the future, the band’s sound and songwriting will remain true to the heart of DMA’s. “When you think of the songs that have gone well for you as a band, a majority of the songs were written before the band did well,” Took says. “That’s one thing we are going to remember when we are fi nishing up the second or third album: that there is certain candour to those early songs that I think people found endearing. I think artists can lose the plot a little bit when they stop writing for themselves and start writing for an audience, or what they think the audience wants.” Where: Enmore Theatre When: Friday October 14 With: Bad//Dreems And: ills nd out now through I Oh You
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Pixies The Return Of The Debaser By Joseph Earp
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or a drummer, David Lovering sure does have a beautiful set of pipes. Chatting over the phone disgustingly early in the morning US time, the indie rock titan and longtime member of the Pixies shows off the polished tones one would usually associate with television commercial voiceover work. There’s a kind of all-American richness to his speaking voice that is almost distracting, and every one of his sentences comes rounded off with its own suggested exclamation point. “My day’s going very well thank you!” Lovering begins. “Nice and sunny! Can’t complain!” His confidence is particularly unexpected given that, at the time of his speaking with the BRAG, the Pixies’ new record Head Carrier is but a short few weeks away from release. Isn’t he worried about how the record is going to be received? “It’s funny: it’s less nerve racking than with Indie Cindy,” Lovering says, sounding like a man who has never once has his nerves racked in his life. “I’m very excited about Head Carrier. I’m very happy with it. We had a lot of time to work these songs out, and to really like these songs and really hone them.
Given the rocky reception Indie Cindy initially was dealt – at least by the critical establishment – it’s tempting to assume that the band took more time with Head Carrier in order to put their critics’ doubts firmly to rest the next time around. But Lovering stresses that the new record’s extended writing period came about more due to good luck than anything else. “Having all that time … was a luxury we haven’t enjoyed since we were a band in the ’80s,” he says. “Back then we had a rehearsal room and we would rehearse often. We would play shows, so we knew those songs inside out.
Pixies photo by Travis Shinn.
“I mean, the only reason I mention Indie Cindy being scary is because that was a record that we had a little trepidation with, given it was the first record after a long, long time. There were nerves in that we felt we were going to be scrutinised, and didn’t know necessarily what we were going to have to do, even though we were happy with it.”
The Peep Tempel Always Getting Older By Joseph Earp
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hat ol’ git Jean-Paul Sartre really knew a thing or two, didn’t he? Hell truly is other people: just ask Blake Scott, guitarist and vocalist from The Peep Tempel. “I just had to do a first aid course,” Scott says. “It was pretty fucked up. It’s a lot more touchy-feely these days. It used to be you practised on fucking dummies, but these days you have to partner up and touch people.” He laughs. “It’s really uncool.”
Scott’s vague distrust of the human race isn’t just evident in his responses to CPR exercises however, it’s also apparent across his body of work – perhaps never more obviously so than on The Peep Tempel’s new record, Joy. Lead single ‘Rayguns’ speaks of a “regime” of ice addicts, while ‘Constable’ comes over like a Raymond Chandler novel stripped of hope. But as far as Scott is concerned, there was something almost workman-like about the band’s approach to the album. “It’s just a record, you know,” he says. “I think you go in and you set yourself the task of writing a record. You just go in and do it, that’s the way it goes. It’s almost robotic in a sense, the actual process. We’ve gotten to a certain point now we’re ready to do it, so we go off and do it.” Joy has its own distinct internal logic. Despite the record’s darkness, it comes with a significant jolt of humour too, and the manic, ever escalating ‘Neuroplasticity’ is downright upbeat, albeit in a recognisably Peep Tempel-esque, off-kilter way. Yet, despite the album’s recognisable continuity, Scott argues the group rarely sets out with an overall picture of the finished product in mind.
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“It’s strange when you’re writing,” Scott says. “I mean, a piece of magic happens, then you have to pull it apart ’till it becomes a song. You’ve got three different people and their perception of what is going on is different. And then you have to define what is going on without ever killing it, you know?” Ultimately, Scott argues the only way the songs survive the complicated and constrictive process of being nutted out is the band trusting the tune rather than that nebulous thing people call a ‘record’. “All the songs to me are so individual,” he says. “An album is just a collection of those songs, and the fact that you’re going into the same studio with the same band … that’s kind of what makes it an ‘album’. You create something that you enjoy and something you’re really happy with, and the album is almost like a byproduct of that, you know what I mean?” Of course, an album is also defined by something as simple as the order in which the songs appear, a necessity that Scott has previously considered to be an almost hindrance. “Track listings have always been the hardest thing, and the thing I’ve disliked most about making records,” he says. “It’s strange. You go in there and you spend so much time on the album, and you go through so many different emotions. You have an amazing amount of joy and elation, and then you’ve got doubt and you start to lose trust in your own ears, and then you think it’s rubbish. Then the next day you think it’s great again. Then you have to sit down and put it in an order.” Arranging the piece into some semblance of a structure is both an
anticlimax and a kind of stylistic fib then – though Scott says this time around the band was much more prepared for that particular hurdle. “We were thinking about it throughout the process,” he says. “So this time, when it came to choosing an order, we got it done in afternoon. I think we sat down with a couple of beers and just sorted it out. There were a few disagreements, but on the whole I think everyone’s really happy with the way that it turned out. I think that comes from getting older as well. ’Cause, you know, you’re always getting older.” He laughs. Though Joy is now a finished, completed thing, Scott is at pains to stress that it’s also an organic entity, one that is far too easy to inadvertently crush to bloody death. “Every time, you think you’re going to make a better record,” Scott says. “But it’s not just about the record. It’s about the whole process around it. You have to make sure that by the time you’re done with it and it’s time to tour it, you’re not in a position where you fucking hate it. We’ve certainly never mastered it, but it’s really interesting the way you develop throughout that process.” Though it’d be foolish to get all ‘Hollywood ending’ about Joy – particularly given it’s a record from a band as un-Hollywood acerbic as The Peep Tempel – the thing that keeps Scott going is his band members, his mates. “Everybody in The Peep Tempel knows that the other person cares about the band, and cares about what happens, and that our creativity and our output is paramount,” Scott says. “We probably can’t even explain what it is in us that makes us want to do this. But it’s there. It’s in us, and we’ve just got to hold onto it really tight.”
“YOU CREATE SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY, AND HAPPY WITH, AND THE ALBUM IS ALMOST LIKE thebrag.com
“With Head Carrier we got seven weeks to rehearse the songs, so we really got to know them too. That was just a luxury. That was a case of going into the studio, having a little more time with the songs, and having that space to just know what we were going to do with them.” The band are known for their lineup changes – in recent years, bassist and songwriter Kim Deal left, leaving room for The Muffs’ Kim Shattuck to fill the void, until Shattuck too moved on and Paz Lenchantin stepped in. But despite the alterations in personnel, Lovering says the group’s songwriting process has never really changed significantly over the years, and their creative process is buoyed by the group’s frontperson Black Francis (real name Charles Thompson). “What’s interesting is, a lot of the songs – and I will say this about a lot of the songs we’ve written since the Pixies began – they stay pretty much to as Charles has written them. The only thing that really changes is whether it’s A-B-A-C or if it goes from chorus to verse, or if we have a double chorus. All those arrangements – that’s really all that changes.
The PeepTempel photo by Zo Damage
“I mean, I was told recently that it’s 30 years that we have been doing this together,” Lovering continues. “I don’t know if that’s 30 years continuously, but we’ve had a long time doing it. There may be some discussion about writing, but it’s basically just jamming along and someone will occasionally say, ‘No, don’t do that; do this,’ or even, ‘What you’ve done is just fine.’ Or no-one says anything. There’s not a formula. It’s just whatever happens, happens. I mean, I’ve never written a Pixies song because I don’t think that I could ever write one better than Charles.” That said, as far as Lovering is concerned, one of the only ways to test whether a song has got legs is to play it live, and so far he has relished the opportunity to unveil some brand new Pixies songs in front of the fans.
SOMETHING YOU’RE REALLY A BYPRODUCT OF THAT.” thebrag.com
“THE [NEW SONGS] ARE FUN TO PLAY, AND THEY’RE NOT ONLY FUN TO PLAY, THEY TRANSLATE WELL AS LIVE SONGS. IT’S ABOUT SEEING THEM IN A WHOLE OTHER LIGHT THAN ON THE RECORD.” “We did a short tour – a festival tour – about a month-and-a-half ago,” he says. “We played four Head Carrier songs every night. And what was fun about it was, because people didn’t know the songs, we could really work them. They’re fun to play, and they’re not only fun to play, they translate well as live songs. It’s about seeing them in a whole other light than on the record.” But for Lovering, the real joy came when the new tunes were branded with that undeniable sign of approval: the good ol’ fashioned mosh. “In my position as a drummer, I have a nice position on a podium. I may be up the back, but I’m a foot off the ground, so I can see everything that’s going on. And on this recent festival tour, I saw moshing!” Lovering lets out a hearty guffaw, the kind of sound that wouldn’t seem out of place in an advert for bespoke furniture. “I haven’t seen moshing go on in years. And that was something that was always quite commonplace at Pixies shows, so that was very nice to see.” Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Tuesday March 7, 2017 And: Head Carrier out now through Pixies Music
Where: Oxford Art Factory When: Friday December 2 And: Joy out Friday October 14 through Wing Sing
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Frank Iero Celebrating Patience By Spencer Scott
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espite his debut solo album only being released in 2014, a full Australian tour for Frank Iero and The Patience has been a long time coming. Iero was originally set to bring his project to our shores as part of this year’s ill-fated Soundwave tour, but fate had different plans. “We were going with the intention to bring a full band, and then of course shit happens and it was out of everyone’s control,” Iero explains. “But I thought like, ‘I can still go if I want to go.’ I wanted to go really bad, so it was like, ‘Fuck it, let’s go!’”
Full Moon In Joshua Tree By Joseph Earp
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he tale of the creative type retreating into the country in order to restart their creative process is an age-old one, a myth that has been cemented into the Western canon thanks to folks like Jack Kerouac and Henry David Thoreau. But while singer-songwriter Angel Olsen’s own tree change certainly affected the process she uses to write the powerful, unclassifiable tunes she has forged her reputation with, the rural landscape didn’t have the exact effect on her work that most expected. “When I moved, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh, you’re going to the mountains so now you’re going to write lots of folky music,’” Olsen says. “But I wrote more folky music when I was living in California than now living in the mountains. It’s more that I really like having a lot more space. So living in the country really allows me more space to think and to process.” Not only does that selfsame creative breathing room afford Olsen the creative energy she needs to write a record like My Woman – her bold, critically acclaimed new work – it’s also an all-important way of unpacking after time on the road: a way of staying sane, essentially. “The thing about touring and travelling is that, though you get to see the world, you have to be present so often,” she says. “You have to be present for your audience and you have to present onstage. You have to be aware. You can’t really afford to deeply reflect on things because you’re moving – you’ve got to keep moving. So when I’m home, that’s when I usually write. I mean, sometimes things come to me on tour, and I’ll write then – I’m open to both. But most of the time it’s afterwards, at home.” My Woman dropped in early September, a mere year-and-ahalf after the release of Olsen’s previous record, Burn Your Fire For No Witness: a heartbeat when compared to the drawn-out album cycles of some other bands. But Olsen admits such a quick turnaround was surprising even to her, a byproduct of the lengthy
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“THE THING ABOUT TOURING AND TRAVELLING IS THAT THOUGH YOU GET TO SEE THE WORLD, YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT SO OFTEN. YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE AND YOU HAVE TO PRESENT ONSTAGE.” amount of time she had to stew on the songs before they took properly structured forms. “I didn’t expect to have a record this early,” she says with a laugh. “Last fall I wrote five songs in a row after a trip – I don’t really know what it was. They were all different styles, so I didn’t know where they were coming from. I think because I had put off this record for so long, some of them might have been inspired by things that weren’t really present or things that were happening to me that I wasn’t necessarily processing in the moment of writing. They were just reflections on things that had happened, and then I tried to make them more dramatic, in a musical way.” The record certainly has drama, though it’s of a different variety to the kind that has defined Olsen’s previous work. My Woman has a kind of stylised urgency to it, a knowing yet utterly real sense of danger that underpins the balladry of a song like ‘Intern’, or the garage pop of ‘Heart Shaped Face’. That heightened power is also reflected in the visuals for the record, from the striking, moment-captured-in-time cover to its three vibrant videos. Indeed, Olsen had a bigger hand in the album’s visual element than ever before, directing and co-directing all of the associated clips. The roller skate rink-set and silver wig-saturated clip
for ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’ in particular was something that she had wanted to produce for some time, and the video also provided a good way of reclaiming the visual narrative. “I wanted to aesthetically go all the way on this record,” Olsen says. “I really wanted to revamp the vibe a little bit. I’m working with a bigger band. It’s not a folk band anymore. It’s not been a folk band for a while, not since 2012. So there were things I needed to suggest and change about my own image. But also, I just wanted to have fun. I wanted to roller skate. I threw on the wig because I knew how to style it. But what everyone now thinks is that I’m going to perform in the wig.” She laughs. Ultimately, helming the videos filled Olsen with both a sense of artistic anticlimax and deeply personal fulfilment that many creators have after sending their works out into the world. “It’s definitely a humbling experience, everything that goes into a music video,” she says. “I mean, everyone puts so much work into it, but at the end of the day, it’s all over in five minutes. It’s over. It’s done. But, you know, the people that you meet during the process and the amount of work that you put into it, just to make the perfect shot, that’s so important to me. “I mean, with the third video single, ‘Sister’, we shot that at Joshua Tree,” she continues. “We didn’t know that it was going to be a full moon either. I mean, we were just there. But experiencing such a beautiful moment, it felt like we were all at a crossroad in our lives. We’re all at similar ages. We were all going through different things. It wasn’t just about making the video: the video was just something that we did together.” Where: Sydney Opera House / Factory Theatre When: Monday December 5 / Tuesday December 6 Also: Appearing at Fairgrounds Festival, Friday December 2 – Saturday December 3 at Berry Showgrounds, along with The Drones, Big Scary, Jagwar Ma and many more
“I think it probably could have been done a little bit better just to cut down on some confusion,” Iero admits. “It was a little bit shocking, but I also think there is still a love for that band that is amazing: people get excited any time anything happens.
Following the bottoming out of Soundwave, Iero put together a makeshift tour comprising two free instore acoustic shows, with the Sydney edition taking place at the iconic Utopia Records. The plan for a quick performance and meet-and-greet was blown out of the water when over 600 fans wrapped themselves around the block for the opportunity to meet him.
“[For the anniversary edition] we went through old hard drives and old recording stuff. It has a lot of stuff that got left on the cutting room floor. The songs that didn’t make the record – it doesn’t mean they’re bad songs. They just weren’t right for the record. So it’s nice to have some of these songs come out … I think people will be excited to hear some of these songs that could have been lost forever.”
“I didn’t really have any expectations about how many people would be there or who would be excited,” Iero says. “I just knew that I was excited. So when we showed up it was shocking: it was such an overwhelmingly beautiful experience.”
Only a few weeks after his old band’s release hits our shores, Iero will be landing in the country to complete a national tour with his new band, Frank Iero and The Patience, formerly known as frnkiero andthe cellabration.
Frank Iero is not a man that’s unfamiliar with such acts of fanaticism. After all, he spent over a decade playing guitar in My Chemical Romance, one of the most loved and revered bands of the mid ’00s. Even following the group’s disbanding in 2013, hype and attention has followed every move of the one-time band members.
Iero argues the moniker change reflects his growing sense of comfort about being his own person: he no longer needs to hide behind a band name. “I’ve learnt a lot about what it is to be a solo artist, or what it is to be a frontman,” Iero explains. “So I didn’t really need that distraction, ‘the cellabration’.”That’s where ‘Patience’ comes in, by the by: the name is “a constant reminder to take a deep breath and concentrate on the now.
Indeed, the internet experienced a small explosion on Thursday July 21 when My Chemical Romance released a teaser video on the internet that featured the opening piano notes of ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’. Of course, a wildfire of
“My girls are six and my son is four,” he explains. “I’m watching them grow and evolve and change. I started to realise that life is very fleeting, and
Henry Wagons Hoppin’ On The Band Wagon By Gem Doow
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istening to Henry Wagons sing, one could be forgiven for thinking the man had been born and raised on acid country. His Johnny Cash croon, particularly evident on the tune ‘Moonhorn Lake’, speaks of a great musical upbringing in Americana – one that Wagons argues that he doesn’t actually have. “When I first started playing music I was in a whole variety of bands,” Wagons says. “In particular, I was into jangly ’90s indie stuff. Everyone seemed to have these shrill, high-pitched voices, whether it be Pavement or Built to Spill. It was all pretty unapproachable for me – my voice had broken more than most and I didn’t quite know what to do with my intense puberty. So, when I rediscovered my parents’ record collection and listened to some of those outlaw country guys, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash, I found my calling and my life’s had a strange momentum ever since.” Momentum indeed: it’s hard to imagine that Wagons could be any busier. An icon in Australia’s altcountry/Americana scene thanks in so small part to his instantly recognisable baritone rumble, loud shirts, headbands and wild mutton-chop sideburns, Wagons
“I DO GET KNACKERED. I’VE GOT MY TOE IN THE SHALLOW END OF A LOT OF HOT SPRINGS.”
has a new album out (After What I Did Last Night..., his first full-length solo release) and a much-loved weekly show on Double J (Tower Of Song). Today, at least until the babysitter arrives, he’s looking after his daughter. “I do get knackered,” Wagons confesses. “I’ve got my toe in the shallow end of a lot of hot springs. It’s a really fun life and I’ve got absolutely no complaints about being creatively busy whatsoever. I’ve worked real jobs in my time and just every moment I can savour being able to spin my own brand of bullshit musically, I’m thankful for it.” After What You Did Last Night... is a cracking listen, served up with a hefty side of larrikin. But given Wagons’ usual backing band The Wagons isn’t present, does it feel like he’s cheating on the lads by stepping out on his own? “I know what you mean,” he says. “It does feel very different not playing with my own guys. The Wagons has always been an egomaniacal enterprise, but we have been together for 15 years playing more or less exclusively with one another.” There’s a pause – his selfdepreciation sinks in. “I mean, I like to think it’s a benevolent dictatorship,” he says chuckling. “I always look after my guys and think about them on the road and their welfare very much. But it is my ship to steer, although I try to make it luxuriously appointed. Though it was time for us to explore other creative horizons, at least for a little bit. I love [The Wagons] too
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Henry Wagon photo by Taylor Wong
Angel Olsen
speculation followed in the wake of the announcement, and eventually the band were forced to clear the air, announcing that the surprise was a tenth anniversary reissue of The Black Parade rather than a reformation.
all the clichés that people tell you are true. We are all gonna hit the ground at some point, so it’s nice to have these things to enjoy the fall.” The Australian tour will be the last run of dates before the release of Parachutes, Iero’s second studio album, one that is a rapid expansion from his debut. “With the first one I wrote, the songs and I had no intention of ever having anyone hearing them,” he explains. “I just wrote them purely for myself. This time around, I guess I went through a process where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write another record, or if I even could to be honest. I didn’t do it on purpose the first time. Now I had to actually write a record that people were going to hear. Could I do that? Did I know how to do that? “I’ve got to say, for me this is probably the most proud I have ever been of anything I have ever made,” Iero continues. “I feel like it’s very rare that you get the opportunity to make a record, or make anything, and I think that maybe this is why I was put here. This was one of those moments, and I feel very fortunate to have that.” That’s not all there is to celebrate about the upcoming tour; Iero will also be supported on all shows by Walter Schrifels, an elder statesmen with a career that has ranged from hardcore punk to indie rock leanings. “I look up to him both as a songwriter and performer,” Iero says. “To do a tour like this with him is a total dream come true: I’m so excited.” Where: The Metro Theatre When: Thursday October 13 With: Walter Schreifels And: Parachutes out now through Cooking Vinyl
“MY GIRLS ARE SIX AND MY SON IS FOUR. I’M WATCHING THEM GROW AND EVOLVE AND CHANGE. I STARTED TO REALISE THAT LIFE IS VERY FLEETING.”
much not to continue playing music with them into the future, but we are on a bit of a hiatus and everyone is blossoming without my spectre over them. People are releasing hip hop records and producing and doing all sorts of crazy stuff and my lead guitarist is moving to Paris. We’ll come back even stronger in a year or two, but until then I’m indulging my Nashville fantasies.” Speaking of which, although Wagons had a blast recording over there, it turns out that the rumours are true: they do it different in Nashville. “A lot of music that comes from Melbourne and Australia develops through booze and friendship and organically and slowly over time,” Wagons explains. “Nashville isn’t like that – it’s like sitting down with a few grand architects and constructing something epic then and there. It’s a very different process. In one sense it’s more clinical, but in another it’s an incredibly thrilling roller coaster.” Another conversation is soon broached, but Wagons’ typical selfdeprecation continues – in another interview he said that he “weirded up the joint” during his Nashville sojourn. Given the pill poppin’ exploits of some of country’s finest, what on earth could he have done to wig them out so much? “Nashville has got a lot broader over the past decade, but predominantly the people who come to record in Nashville are straighter country than I am,” he explains. “Even though there’s a lot of amazing underground rock bands forming and punk going on there, that’s more in the band scene than in
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terms of the songwriters who show up and play with session musicians. They’re a little more used to traditional country forms and themes than mine, so I felt like having a bit of an Australian sensibility threw them all a curve ball and it was kind of exciting to
see their faces puzzling.” Wagons laughs, and kicks into high storyteller mode – there’s a reason why this man is on the radio, after all. “There was this one particular segment in a bridge for my song ‘Melbourne’, which is kind of like a Kink-sy move where I
minor to major and pluck out this little pause – everyone looked incredibly bamboozled by what I thought was just a normal little trick. They all liked it and thought it was strange. It was a cultural translation thing. “Besides that, in general whether it be
in Australia or America I tend to weird up joints anyway. Maybe it’s nothing to do with Nashville at all.” What: Mullum Music Festival When: Thursday November 17 – Sunday November 20
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L7 Flying The Nasty Flag By Gem Doow
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ack in the ’90s, the media made a big deal out of the fact that L7 were an allfemale band, as though such a fact was worthy of incredulity. The fact is, L7 were more interested in rocking out than gender politics – well, that and shaking up the status quo.
For instance, when a Glastonbury crowd turned mean while the band was tied up with tech difficulties, Donita Sparks, vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and leader of the pack rummaged in her nickers, pulled out a used tampon and chucked it in the crowd with the war cry, “Eat my used tampon, fuckers”. It’s safe to say then that Sparks and co. were a wild bunch, making their ‘break-up’ in 2001 a real cause for fans to mourn: who was gonna fl y the subversive fl ag with such fl air and nastiness? Thankfully, in 2014, egged on by Facebook fans, L7 decided to give it another whirl. Sparks led the fray, tentatively reaching out to the others. “Back when the band was originally together, I remember thinking, ‘If anybody quits, it’s over; we’re not doing a reunion show’,” she says. “I think as a younger person I found reunions to be distasteful. Now so many have
“I DON’T THINK WE EVER BECAME A SHITTY BAND OR WERE SHITTY SONGWRITERS. I LIKE ALL OF OUR RECORDS.”
happened that I’ve enjoyed seeing them. That kind of changed my mind a little bit. “It was like, ‘Well, shit, if people want to see us I’ll see how everybody feels.’ But if there was anybody who wasn’t into it, it wouldn’t have happened. It was nothing I was pining for – I was not pining for L7 to be doing shows. I think that some bands when they break up, there are band members who really have their fi ngers crossed for years that they’ll get to go another round, but I wasn’t like that.” Obviously, the band members did eventually agree to give it another go, even if it took guitarist Suzi Gardner six months to come around to the idea. Since then, the band has hit the road extensively, touring old material and selling out shows all over the joint. Sparks says that the reception to the reformation has been even bigger than she expected, both from audiences and within the group itself. “I wasn’t sure how we were all going to get along, as far as the band went,” she refl ects. “But because we’re not promoting a record, we’re not in a bus for two months: we’re just doing three weeks here, three weeks there, a couple of long weekend in the United States. We like each other, we have a blast with each other in smaller doses. We’re adults, you know? You can only be in a box on wheels for so many days with the same people before things start getting on your nerves, right?” Sparks says that there was no way the band could have reformed
sooner: a series of setbacks including health problems and ageing parents requiring care took up its collective attention span for the better part of a decade elapsed. “Interviewers have been saying to me, ‘So the last time you were in Australia was 20 years ago,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, my god’,” Sparks says, laughing. “It is crazy how time does fly. I think that does happen as you get older anyway. When you’re younger you can remember what you were doing every year. I know for me, when L7 was together, I know what my timeline is by my hairdos and what record we were working on or touring. But these last 19 years, who fucken’ knows?” Ultimately, financial strife was cited as the major cause for the band’s demise. L7 was dropped by its label and attendance at their gigs started to wane as plastic pop nudged grunge out of the way. Had money not been an issue would the band have stayed together? “I would say that if we’d had a bit more money and a support team, we could have kept going,” Sparks muses. “I don’t think we ever became a shitty band or were shitty songwriters. I like all of our records. Any other band with the support system could have kept going and gone on to great records. It was very disappointing. We felt very beat down as a band and it was very painful and then the split-up of our friendships became even more painful. People fi ght when there’s no money, right? It’s like a marriage: if you don’t have money, shit gets fucken’ weird.” Eventually, the conversation returns to the hell-raising. Sparks has always said that she wanted to
infiltrate the mainstream media: too many opportunities for mischief and mayhem would have been missed if they’d stayed underground. “As a child I saw John Lennon and Yoko Ono and David Bowie on afternoon talk
shows and shit, these very pedestrian, suburban television shows.
to carry on [after he retired]. We had a little try at doing it after he retired, but that didn’t work as none of us had the voice to do it. We were so used to having a frontman
that we could work with. We happened to bump into Chris Allen and he had a go and it fi tted. He’s not a Reg Presley copy in any way, shape or form.
“I just thought it was the coolest fucken’ thing to see Bowie – and I’m not talking about ’80s Bowie, I’m taking about ’70s
The Troggs Fifty Years Wilder By Alex Chetverikov
50
years have passed since the incredible success of The Troggs’ ‘Wild Thing’. Cited as a significant progenitor of punk and garage rock by countless artists, and still very much a lasting influence to this day, the song’s irresistibly simple riff, vocal snarl and ocarina solo (played by founding singer Reg Presley in one of the more left-of-centre moments in pop music history) embodied a burst of rock fizz and energy. Its somewhat primal delivery and sexual undertones resonated especially with adolescents experiencing their own teenage awakenings, and though its content is hardly overt in a modern context, it still has a booty-shaking power entirely of its own. To celebrate the track’s 50th anniversary, The Troggs are hitting the road to celebrate, making a number of appearances in Australia in November, their first trip to the country in a number of years. “It all started off with the Rock The Boat trip from Brisbane,” explains original guitarist Chris Britton. “We thought rather than just come over and sit on a boat and fl y home again, we might as well play a few shows across Australia. We’ve been over to Australia about four times. “We didn’t come out in the ’60s, and only managed to get out to Australia in the mid ’70s,” he continues. “We were very glad when we got there eventually though. It’s been about 15 to 20 years since we were last there. There’s still a hell of a lot of the world that we haven’t gotten to yet.” With founding singer Reg Presley’s initial retirement in 2012 and his sad
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passing in 2013, the future of the group looked uncertain. But before long, the band had rejigged, and vocalist Chris Allen stepped up to fill in some rather big boots, belting out songs like ‘With a
Girl Like You’, ‘Love Is All Around’ and ‘I Can’t Control Myself’. “We have a new singer now,” Britton explains. “Reg wanted us
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Chris Cain Australia Got The Blues By Anna Wilson
T
here are two sides to Chris Cain. First and foremost, he’s a musician – a blues guitarist with an admirably workmanlike attitude towards his songs, and he speaks in a voice full of a particularly down-to-earth lack of pretence. Begin a conversation with him about his tours and his beginnings as a musician and you’ll find yourself met by a gruff, understated voice. “There was a lot of locking myself in the room with a record player,” he says of his origins. “That’s how I spent a lot of my younger life. I wouldn’t be talking to you if it wasn’t for guitar.” But underneath the professional sheen to his answers, it’s also clear that Cain is a true lover of music, and he has a passion for the art form that has fuelled everything he has done over the years. Though he is perhaps best known for his 1990 record Cuttin’ Loose, he has released a bevy of accomplished works over the years and, through each and every song he has recorded, his overwhelming love of the blues is immediately apparent. He’s not someone who passively creates music: he’s someone who makes music, and in conversation it’s perfectly evident that there is nothing else he’d rather be doing.
Bowie, the Thin White Duke – on The Dinah Shore Show. It was like, ‘Oh my god, so fucking subversive’. Even as a kid I knew that – it blew my mind. So the aim with us – it wasn’t even in a political sense so much as in a cultural
“Reg actually came to see a couple of the shows and gave us his seal of approval,” Britton says. “He gave Chris Allen his ocarina that he played on ‘Wild Thing’, so we still carry a bit of token Reg around with us to the gigs we’re playing now. The older clay ocarinas, hundreds of those might have broken during tours. Chris has now got one, a fibreglass, that an elephant could stand on. Chris has got his own voice too and it sounds good – it works.” That might even be an understatement. The band is still a thrilling live act, generous and powerful performers. They give everything onstage, making it no surprise that, for Britton, playing shows remains the highlight of the whole experience of being in a band. “The best memories are the stage performances,” Britton says. “Just travelling around meeting lots of people all over the world. It’s more fun doing it with a rock band than it is if you join the army, I’m sure.” He laughs. It is a testament to the legacy of the group that their audiences remain so varied even to this day, and even Britton is amazed by the diversity of the crowds that attend their shows. “We’re quite lucky actually,” he says. “People do tend to bring their grandchildren and great-grandchildren along to our shows, and young people come of their own volition, and quite a lot of bands come to see us. We get a good cross-section of people still seeing us.” Although so many legendary bands have difficult relationships with their best-known songs – read: they often bloody hate them – Britton embraces ‘Wild Thing’, and sees
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sense – was to blow some kids’ minds by seeing us on TV getting weird.” Where: Metro Theatre When: Saturday October 15
“If you live long enough, you’re always the old guy who’s allknowing and all-assuming,” Cain laughs. “I’m still playing the guitar at 60 and I still feel the fun that I felt when I was 12 – I’d come home from school, have a bowl of cereal and lock myself away and listen to B.B. King for hours.” Ultimately, Cain argues that he hasn’t developed much since that initial point – in the best possible way, of course. “I’m still that same guy, still in my room trying to figure this stuff out,” he says. “It feels good to know in doing this that people are listening to
the stuff I wanna do. People wanna hear it. It’s beautiful that anyone wants to hear it.” But Cain has other passions too, namely our fair land Australia – a place that he is excited to visit once more. “There were people who took me into their homes when I first came to Australia and some [of the things] I tried there I tried for the first time. It was a wonderful experience for me. The beer is always wonderful. Australia’s the place I discovered Coopers and VB – I’m the president of all their fan clubs, I swear!” Cain’s favourite word when discussing the topic of Australia is easily “beautiful”. Our music and musicians, our disparate personalities, our country: everything Cain mentions he does with a voice bursting with appreciation and love. He’s even a fan of our continent’s less sightly pleasures, and has the hardy attitude that one would expect from a man of the world. “The insects are super large but I think it’s worth it to see a huntsman,” he says. “I’ll take the trade – they can be so beautiful. The flying fox in Melbourne, did you know it comes in at 6’5” wingspan? I saw one land in a fig tree once.” But it’s not just our flora and fauna that fascinates Cain. He’s also forever hypnotised by the quality of our musicianship. Hearing him talk about a range of Antipodean performers gives insight into the exuberance that he must have had as a boy locked away listening to B.B. King. That fire has not been snuffed out. “I got to tour with Mark Williams – I was playing one night in Broken Hill and he was just such an amazing singer. He knew how to go on the road and grind it out and do it beautifully. “Jeff Lang, Chris Simmons… those fellas are just all powerful characters, great musicians and fun, wonderful
people. It’s etched in my soul how comfortable I felt and how much I loved the people I was fortunate enough to meet in [Australia]. The fact I’ve gone back more than three times in my whole 60 years of being alive proves I love the place. My most powerful and fond memories are of stuff I did in Australia. “I was really lucky,” he continues. “The first ever time I came, it was with people who were very, very kind and that first tour was the first place I heard a band play a tune I wrote. I played with all these Australian fellows and they played so great I went home and fired the band I had. These Aussie guys played my song so beautifully and with so much love, as soon as I landed I changed my band. He takes a moment to reflect. “I felt this about every musician I ever met in Australia: they really know how to play something that can make you happy. Guys can rock a whole gigantic building. It’s the first place I ever saw anything like that, just an organic love for whatever style of music they play. And they play the hell out of it. If a band plays a little bit of something, they play it together and it’s beautiful.” Ultimately, Cain has harsh words for anybody who uses the excuse of Australia’s isolation to get out of touring the country. “Anybody that says they don’t like the flight over there, well, they don’t know what they’re missing. They’re just a softysofty pants.” What: Chris Cain as part of Sydney Blues And Roots Festival Where: Windsor Bowling And Sports Club When: Saturday October 29 / Sunday October 30
“I THINK ALL MUSIC IS GOOD, IN ANY FORM. IN MY MIND, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD MUSIC.” it as a matter of principle to play it right. “With ‘Wild Thing’ we tend to stick to the original, keep it that way, because that’s what people want to hear from us,” he says. “That’s what they hear on the record and so on. We’ve always found that people prefer to hear the music they’re familiar with rather than being hit with something completely different or unexpected.” Half a century on from the release of the archetypal garage single, it’s a bleeding understatement to say the world, let alone the world of music, has changed. Has Britton and his opinion on songwriting changed too? “I just basically go through and listen to the radio as it goes on,” he explains. “As with all things, there is some music I prefer to others. But I think all music is good, in any form. In my mind, there’s no such thing as bad music. Obviously some of it suits different people and they get a buzz out of it.” There’s only one question left, really: have The Troggs tackled the prospect of writing some new music? Britton takes a moment before he answers. “We haven’t got anything new in the pipeline for The Troggs at the moment – we’re still considering that. It’s difficult to get people interested in new stuff when there’s so many new kids on the block. We might get our act together and push something out though, before we get too long in the tooth.” Where: The Basement When: Tuesday November 15
“MY MOST POWERFUL AND FOND MEMORIES ARE OF STUFF I DID IN AUSTRALIA.”
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The Amy Winehouse Show Honouring An Icon By Claire Varley or her incredible body of work. “Her art was so strong,� says Coogan. “She was such a true jazz performer and songwriter, the link is generations long. “All kinds of people, from Baby Boomer crooners to Gen Y-ers, recognise her incredible talent, her streetwise apathy, and her incredible depth as a singer and an artist. Hers was such a tragic demise. A lot of people relate to her. It’s a sadness but she also had a true, god-sent talent. From ‘Valerie’ to ‘Rehab’ to ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’, she has such a wonderful catalogue of music even though she only has two albums. ‘Take The Box’ is my favourite.� There’s no question that for a show of this nature to be this successful, a talented woman is required to fill Winehouse’s huge shoes and even huger wig. Coogan doesn’t disappoint, with the tour coming hot off the back of a sellout show at Adelaide’s Fringe Festival.
F
ive years on from the tragic death of Amy Winehouse, the musician’s legacy is still honoured by fans. But for some, just remembering isn’t enough, and there are many with a pressing need to honour this icon in more public ways. Paying a stunning tribute to the late singer, a force who guided her own burgeoning career, Atlanta Coogan is set to breathe life into Amy Winehouse’s music. To mark the tenth anniversary of the release of Winehouse’s second and final album, Ba k
To Bla k Coogan and The Little Big Band will embark on an epic tour of Australia’s east coast, one that will see the troubadours pay tribute to the monumental musician the only way they know how. “I remember the night Winheouse died very clearly,� Coogan says. “I was on tour and heavily pregnant with my first child. I’d gotten home from the hospital after a small scare. It was 3am, I was eating kebabs with my ex-partner, and there it was: she’d died. I was gutted.�
Coogan’s desire to memorialise Winehouse’s talent was immediate – within a year, she had assembled The Little Big Band and booked a tribute show in a tiny venue on a Monday night. It sold out. “We were quite amazed at how many people wanted to honour and respect her, and to remember her with dignity,� says Coogan. What started life as a one-off tribute has since transformed into a sought-after act, thanks largely to a respectful, dedicated fan base who don’t want to forget Winehouse
“A LOT OF CA TURING HER IS EMOTIONAL. WHEN I LEARNED THE MATERIAL I WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT IN MY OWN LIFE: A LOT OF LOSS AND HARDSHI .�
NOV 1 1–13
MAJORS CREEK FESTIVAL
It’s hard to tell the difference between Coogan and Winehouse’s respective croons, and it’s evident that a great deal of care and respect clearly goes into each of the tribute shows. “I do the eye make-up, then I step into her skin,� Coogan says. “I put on her iconic look and try to understand the songs the way she sings them. She’s such a strong character: how could you not want to pay tribute as correctly and truly as possible? A lot of capturing her is emotional. When I learned the material, I was going through a lot in my own life: a lot of loss and hardship.� Though Coogan’s skill is front and centre, The Little Big Band also plays a huge part in making the show great. “The band and I go back a way,� Coogan says. “We all want to turn this show into the biggest theatre production you’ve ever seen. I have a great bunch of musicians behind me. It’s very special.� What: The Amy Winehouse Show: Back To Black Where: Factory Theatre When: Friday October 21
Kore Productions presents
A new musical by Carmelita Lees Director Kyle Stephens | Music Director Kailesh Reitmans Choreographer Natasha Window | Design Riley Cope
N E I L M U R R A Y RAISED BY EAGLES LUCIE THORNE HARRY HOOKEY ANDREA KIRWIN
11 Oct - 23 Oct Factory Theatre 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville
When four young adults meet up in an attic to help their friend Ethan À QG D SHQQ\ ZKLVWOH EHORQJLQJ WR KLV dead grandfather (Arthur), they have no idea how their lives will change.
THE TIMBERS, MICHAEL WAUGH, LUCY WISE, PAT TIERNEY, THE BLACK MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, THE FOUR SCOOPS, DEN HANRAHAN & THE RUM RUNNERS, ANDY GORDON WITH JOHN KANE, BITY BOOKER, DOLLFACE, THOM LION, EDEMA RUH, LOW DOWN RIDERS, MAT BROOKER, MR TIM & THE FUZZY ELBOWS, PEASANT MOON, ROSE & THE SEA, GUITARAMA, SEASIDE UKULELE ORCHESTRA, THE BLACK HORSES, THE BRAIDWOOD CANTORS, ACCAPALERANG
DAILY KIDS PROGRAM, WORKSHOPS, DANCE SHOWS AND LESSONS, MARKET STALLS, DELICIOUS FOOD AND DRINKS.
FREE CAMPING
TICKETS NOW ON SALE from the Factory Theatre, online or phone (02) 9550 3666
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
www.koreproductions.com.au | www.factorytheatre.com.au www.facebook.com/koreproductions
WWW.MAJORSCREEKFESTIVAL.ORG
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BRAG’s guide to film, theatre, comedy and art about town
arts in focus
antigone anti gone
Antigone photo by xxx
tragics for tragedy
also inside:
PARRAMATTA LANES: BEST OF THE FEST/ ARTS NEWS / REVIEWS / GIVEAWAY / GAME ON / MORE thebrag.com
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arts in focus
free stuff head to: thebrag.com/freeshit
arts news...what's goin' on around town... with Alex Chetverikov, Anna Wilson and Emily Norton
five minutes WITH
JAMES SMITHERS AND JANE ANGHARAD FROM CYMBELINE servant to kill Imogen. As they all go deeper into the dark, mysterious woods, the play twists and turns through unexpected places, and becomes filled with trickery, lies, deceit, poisonings, cross-dressing and a gruesome death.
James Smithers
T
ell us a little bit about the plot of Cymbeline. James Smithers: Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline, secretly marries Posthumus. As punishment, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus to Rome, where he meets the devilish Iachimo, who bets him that he can seduce Imogen. Iachimo manages to get hold of evidence that convinces Posthumus Imogen has been unfaithful, and, enraged with jealousy, Posthumus orders his
What drew you to the new production of the play? Jane Angharad: This is one of Shakespeare’s most interesting yet rarely performed plays, and it is getting a bit of a resurgence at the moment. The Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company have both done it this year: at The Globe it was presented as a reworked version called Imogen. It seems to suddenly be getting the attention that it deserves. It’s a dark story and an interesting play to get your teeth sunk into. What do you think makes Shakespeare relevant today? JS Although Shakespeare’s plays are set in a different time period, in a different country, his themes are universal. At the heart of every Shakespeare play is a message relevant to humanity. He writes about love, jealousy, betrayal, regret, ambition and revenge: feelings that we have all experienced at some point in our lives.
How have rehearsals been so far? JS Fun! We have a large cast of 16, and our wonderful director Sean O’Riordan has kept us working hard while making sure we still enjoy ourselves. JA There are some tricky scenes to navigate in this play and it has been very interesting exploring them and discovering what makes them work. What do you want audiences to walk away from Cymbeline thinking/feeling? JA The theme of power is explored a lot in this play: how people can hold power over others and manipulate situations to their advantage. Imogen is a great female character who rebels against this and accepts every challenge that gets thrown at her. So a message to perhaps walk away with is to never give up. But ultimately we just want our audience to follow us on a journey through this great story, cheer for our heroes, boo at our villains and leave thoroughly entertained.
THE RED TURTLE
It’s normal to get at least a bit excited about a new Studio Ghibli film, even if it’s got absolutely no dialogue. Premiering at Cannes this year and receiving an Un Certain Regard Special Prize, The Red Turtle follows a man who gets washed up on an island populated exclusively by turtles (and a few crabs), to then be confronted with a – you guessed it – cumbersome and belligerent giant red turtle. In the typically life-affirming, spirited and tearconjuring manner Studio Ghibli has become renowned for, the turtle and washed-up man develop a special bond. Speaking of which, you too can share a special bond with the red turtle via one of ten double-passes we’re giving away. For free. Just pop over to thebrag.com/freeshit to enter.
What: Cymbeline Where: Depot Theatre When: Wednesday October 5 – Saturday October 15
Xxx
Interfluxo
FLUXED UP
In the wake of an entertaining and occasionally-surreal Rio Olympics, Brazilian art exhibition Interfluxo will be presented at Paddington’s Comber Street Studios over two weeks. Having travelled to her native Brazil to research and collect artworks that best represented its popular aesthetic, Newport-based Brazilian/ Australian curator Cassia Bundock will exhibit Brazilian art in Australia, with a secondary exhibition offering a collection of Australian artworks to be exhibited in Brazil. Cassia’s interrelated approach will not only celebrate and promote the cultural nuances of each country, but will also seek to recognize and relate the similarities of the two multicultural societies. Award-winning multimedia artist Louise Whelan will also collaborate with Cassia to synchronise this cultural bridge. Interfluxo will hold its opening night at Comber Street Studios on Tuesday October 11 from 5.30pm to 8pm, and will run through to Sunday October 23. A Flea In Her Ear
GET FLEA
A Flea In Her Ear, the Georges Feydeau production, has been newly adapted by Andrew Upton for a season at the Sydney Opera House. The creative ensemble behind Sydney Theatre Company’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead has joined Upton in a new realisation of Feydeau’s 1907 French farce, one that is due to be performed in all its Belle Époque glory. Harriet Dyer, David Woods, and Helen Christinson lead the talented cast taking on the new adaptation. Amorous entanglement and suspected adultery are the comical pivots upon which A Flea In Her Ear revolves. It’s a spectacular romp through the chaos of seedy hotels and ludicrous engagements, with mischief and mistaken identity compounding the whirlwind. Sydney Theatre Company’s A Flea In Her Ear will open on Monday October 31 at the Sydney Opera House, with doors opening at 8pm. The season will conclude on Saturday December 17.
MASTER MISCHIEF
It’s easy (and lazy) to describe someone as boundary-pushing - but let’s be honest, Eric André exemplifies the word. From placing rotting sardines under his guest’s chair to throwing toilet water on Ariel Pink and exposing himself to Seth Rogen, the surrealist talk-show host and comedian likes to rankle people. With the fourth season of popular The Eric André Show currently on air, and with a little help from friend and co-host Hannibal Buress, the hysterical host will play a show in Sydney, with his inventive and unpredictable style sure to entertain. Eric André plays Sydney’s Comedy Store on Friday December 9 and Saturday December 10.
JUST DO IT
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ANIMAL INSTINCTS
The People’s Republic of Movies have lined up international artist Tom Ford for a special Q and A on the back of new film Nocturnal Animals. Hot off the success of their sold-out inaugural event with Quentin Tarantino earlier this year, the special event will include a special advance screening of Ford’s new film Nocturnal Animals, four weeks ahead of its release. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon, and was recently awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Nocturnal Animals is Ford’s first major feature film since the success of 2009’s A Single Man. P.R.O.M. will present this special advance screening and Tom Ford Q&A at the Randwick Ritz cinema on Thursday October 13. Xxx
A new solo exhibition by Sydney-based artist Ella Barclay is set to consider the nature of our encounters with technology. Barclay’s I Had
To Do It exhibition is equal parts abstract and tangible in its exploration of the sometimeschaotic physical nature of technology, and how this represents our desire for connectivity with ingrained systems in society. In representing our relationship with technology as being necessarily messy, Barclay is considering not only the connection and reliance we have on these technologically-enabled systems, but the parallel disconnect of computer systems and the abstract ideas they represent to us as individuals and society overall. The exhibition opening will be made all the more immersive with The Woozy Jacuzzi, an illuminated cocktail installation which forms a participatory light installation once dispersed among the viewers. The exhibition, which opens on Tuesday October 4 from 6pm, is accompanied by a schools program and a performance lecture by the artist. It will run through to Friday November 25 at UTS Gallery.
Amy Adams in Nocturnal Animals
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arts in focus
Antigone
COVER STORY
“THE GREAT POWER OF TRAGEDY IS TO PROVOKE AND TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. WHAT IS IT TO BE A FLAWED HUMAN WHO MUST FOLLOW THEIR MORAL JUDGEMENT?”
[THEATRE] A Tale As Old As Time By Joseph Earp
play in a war-torn city, one that feels and looks very much like any modern city that has been ravaged by war,” he explains. “The set and costumes are contemporary and we’ve kept it in Greece, but we are both referencing and highly influenced by the current wars in the world, Syria in particular. It is a world that is broken, destroyed, but you can still see remnants of its former beauty. The city [in the play] is one that is trying to rebuild itself and gain some self-respect and dignity and find the strength to move forward even among all the rubble and suffering.”
E
veryone has that one work of art they encountered as a teenager that changed them forever. For some, it’s the Star Wars fi lms. For others, it’s Jeff Buckley’s Grace. But there aren’t many folks out there who can claim the work that permanently altered their adolescent worldview is a centuries-old Greek play. Terry Karabelas is the exception to the rule, then. The celebrated theatrical director encountered Antigone, Sophocles’ renowned tragedy, when he was but a boy, and it has stayed with him ever since. “I was brought up with Greek myths and have always had a passion for them and their dramatic manifestation,” he says. “I’ve loved this play and its story since I read it as a teenager.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Karabelas’ admiration for the work has manifested itself in him helming a number of adaptations of the work, the most recent due to hit the Riverside Theatre in just a few weeks. “It is one of my favourite plays and I’ve directed it twice before,” he explains. “So in many ways I keep exploring and
mining what this play has to tell a contemporary audience and the effect it can have on us.” As far as Karabelas is concerned, the work’s timeless appeal comes from what is at stake at its heart, and he assures prospective audience members that the play does absolutely nothing by halves. “I’ve always been drawn to the dramatic [weight] of the play and the tensions that exist between the characters. I love that it has a strong female lead who drives the action of the play and is completely prepared to die for her beliefs and her profound sense of justice.” For the uninitiated, Antigone is the third entry in a series of plays by Sophocles that are collectively known as the Theban Cycle. The first entry in the canon deals with Oedipus (he of incestuous infamy) and the second with Oedipus’ two sons: a pair of reprobates who murder each other over a land dispute. Antigone in turn deals with the fallout of this double fraternal murder, and continues the great lineage of tragedy that runs throughout the plays.
“After … Antigone’s brothers … are killed, Creon, their uncle, is declared the new king,” Karabelas explains. “His first decree as king is to have one of the brothers, Eteocles, buried with full rites and state honours, while the other brother, Polynices, will be left to rot on the battlefield, unburied and unlamented. Anyone who disobeys this order will be put to death. But Antigone, unable to live with Creon’s edict, buries her brother Polynices and is caught. She is put to death by Creon by being buried alive in a cave.” Cheerful stuff then, though Karabelas argues that it is that selfsame sense of pain and hurt that makes the play so timely today. “Antigone has lasted 2,500 years for good reason,” the director says. “It still resonates today because its themes are timeless and universal. The great power of tragedy is to provoke and to ask questions about who we are and what we believe in. What is it to be a flawed human who must follow their moral judgement? Who has the right to decide how we live? What happens when the state tries to take control of our conscience, personal lives and our sense of justice and duty?
“At some point in our lives, if not every day, we ask ourselves what we owe to ourselves, our family, our governments. Where does our moral responsibility lie? The Ancients Greeks valued proportion, balance and wisdom in all our actions and relationships. But they knew well that, as humans, we are flawed and rarely able to achieve it in government or in our personal lives.” The problem any director faces when deciding to take on an ancient work is the question of whether or not to update. Although there’s a lot to be said for altering a work’s setting and time period, sometimes modernising a work needlessly can feel gratuitous and without real purpose. Simply put, when a new spin goes right, it’s fantastic. But when it goes wrong, the anachronistic elements simply begin to feel like distractions. But Karabelas has neatly sidestepped these issues by choosing an indiscriminate location, and though he draws in elements of contemporary crises, he never makes his points of reference explicit. “We’ve decided to set the
If that sounds heavy, that’s because, well, it is. Though in spite of the dark subject matter, according to Karabelas the rehearsals themselves have been truly inspiring. “Rehearsals have been great,” he says. “We started with a table read and a lot of discussion about the background to the play – discussion and analysis that is so vital to creating the world of the play and refining what ideas we are exploring as a company and what we want to confront a contemporary audience with.” “Confront” being the optimal word. Karabelas isn’t interested in having the audience leave the theatre being only mildly moved; he wants to shock them, to deeply affect them in the way he too was affected so many years ago when he first encountered Antigone. “I’d like the audience to reflect on so many things,” he says. “What is our moral responsibility? Are we in control of our destiny or is it fate? How do we stand up to injustice? What is justice? How far are we willing to fight for what we believe? To whom do our bodies belong?” What: Antigone Where: Riverside Theatre Parramatta When: Wednesday November 9 – Saturday November 12
five minutes WITH
CLAUDIA CARRARO FROM WILLIAM STREET FESTIVAL
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hat is it about William Street that demands it gets its own festival, the aptly named William Street Festival? This iconic street of Paddington – home to bespoke boutiques, eateries, pubs, beauty and hair salons – is a true gem that once a year gets celebrated in a different way. The event wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and participation of the local businesses, and it’s now coming back with its eighth edition.
end this year’s festival with a movie once more. Which one? It’s a surprise! How important is it to the Sydney night time entertainment scene that William Street Festival has been able to expand after dark? It’s very important to allow people to enjoy the festival at night as well. The William Street Festival has many night features our event lovers can enjoy and experience, from the light projections to the open air cinema, late night shopping and a great variety of food options to choose from. It’s all happening in one street and, surprisingly for a Saturday night in Sydney, there will be no cars around.
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How has the festival grown over its eight years in existence? The festival has become bigger and bigger every year, attracting more people and involving more businesses. Since last year we are focusing on having as many participants from the local area as possible in order to represent Paddington at its best. With the new night features and by expanding the program and activities people can enjoy at the festival, we have ensured that William Street Festival has something for everyone. This year’s event will feature the Open Air Cinema for the second time. What was the thebrag.com
What are the other highlights of the day? We’re going to have over 40 events, with street retailers and external vendors, granting you a fantastic shopping experience as well as delicious food. You will also be entertained all day with live music and if you just need to relax, you can always enjoy our lounge areas.
response like to the cinema the first year around?
Open Air Cinema took place for the first time last year and was hugely successful. We decided to
What: William Street Festival Where: William Street, Paddington When: Saturday October 15
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arts in focus FEATURE
Parramatta Lanes [FESTIVAL] Best Of The Fest By Joseph Earp
5. Tropfest @ Lanes
Don’t pretend you don’t know about Tropfest. The world’s largest short film festival is a homegrown pleasure, one of the biggest events on Sydney’s cultural calendar and a fantastic chance to catch some Aussie talents show off their stuff. Tropfest’s showing at Lanes festival will involve a selection of short films selected from the festival’s archives, giving audiences a range of flicks to lap up. Better still, there will be nearby stalls selling Monster Rolls, slow-cooked meat-filled sandwiches that you can tuck into while enjoying the cinematic exploits occurring onscreen. How ’bout that, eh?
6. Phenomena At Parramatta Artists Studios
Another one for all you visual arts lovers; Phenomena is a totally immersive experience – one that relies on light, colour and shade. The work is vaguely centred around the notion of spirituality, but it’s best to go into the piece not necessarily expecting anything didactic or strictly thematic. The work derives its artistic successes from its esoteric nature, so go in ready for everything, and come out changed.
Plot DJs 7. The At Willow Grove
S
ydney’s cultural life sure does get trash talked a lot these days. It seems like everywhere you turn there’s another blog or media outlet denouncing our artistic contribution as being almost nonexistent, and any trace of optimism is a hard find. But although it’s fair to say that the lockout laws have a lot to answer for, Sydney’s still got a great deal of kick left, and writing off the city as a ghost town would be a mistake indeed. Case in point: Parramatta Lanes Festival, a celebration of food, music and art taking place over three jam-packed nights. Though it might be clichéd to suggest that any one festival has ‘something for everyone’, it’s fair to say that the Lanes lineup is varied enough to satisfy most if not all, and the festival’s great strength derives from its diversity. After all, there aren’t many events that allow you to hop from film screening to DJ set to bespoke food van and back again, are there? That said, all that choice can be a bit overwhelming. To that end, here are our top eight picks from the festival: a collection of events that you would be foolish to ignore. Get to it!
Willow Grove is one of Parramatta’s many historically-important cultural hotspots (try saying that ten times fast), so its selection as the venue for a series of The Plot curated DJ sets has a nice sense of playfulness to it. After all, who in their right mind would pass up the opportunity to see a succession of electro’s hottest young talents performing in the surrounds of a beautiful, stately grove? Nobody, that’s who.
Homemade Donuts 1. In Front Of St John’s Cathedral
Now that the weather is finally getting balmy, we should all be taking any excuse to head out into the night air and drink up the beauty that spring evenings offer. What’s that? You need an added incentive? Well how ’bout this: those good folks over at Alexander’s Bakery are hosting a stall in the picturesque confines of St John’s Anglican Cathedral, selling their renowned donuts. Sweet pastries, a perfect setting and a warm, dark evening: the stuff of poetry.
A Cheeseburger At The Nighthawk Diner
2.
The American diner experience is very en vogue at the moment, and for good reason too. After all, there’s something inherently comforting about the one-two-three punch of fries, a burger and a milkshake – something that seems deeply pure, even if your arteries won’t be afterwards. But that’s why God invented cheat days, right? Head over to the Nighthawk Diner in Centenary Square and you’ll be able to chew your way through more hot chips that you can poke a stick at.
Bakery 8. Knafeh At Erby Place
3. Jane Gillings’ It’s OK To Cry At Roxy Car Park
Jane Gillings’ creative practice has always been about taking the everyday and separating it from its context, injecting images and objects that we are used to encountering with a fresh alien intent. Her massive sculpture on display at the festival It’s Ok To Cry does this brilliantly: the piece – a sculpture 2,000 bottles strong – is arranged in a cloudy weather pattern, a knowing wink towards our consumption of plastic that never preaches or lectures, but rather aims to transcend the boundaries of the known altogether.
4. No Lights No Lycra
You know that old adage, “dance like nobody is watching?” Well now you actually can, thanks in no small part to the genius organisers behind No Lights No Lycra. The event is a pitch-black rave, providing a perfect excuse to dress up in your daggiest clothes and bop your heart away without ever worrying about that smattering of cool kids over by the bar who seem to be judging your every pump and thrust.
The short bio available online for Knafeh Bakery describes its workers as being “dancing and singing bearded bakers”. I’ll repeat that for you one more time: “dancing and singing bearded bakers”. Literally, what more could you possibly ask for? In our technology-saturated, spectacle-filled world, it’s exciting to know that there are still simple pleasures out there to rival the joys of a new iPhone app, or a superhero blockbuster: namely, that there are dancing and singing bearded bakers who actually, truly, really exist. Men prepared to sell you delectable sweet cheese desserts. What a truly beautiful world we live in. What: Parramatta Lanes Festival When: Tuesday October 11 – Friday October 14 Where: Various locations around Parramatta
five minutes WITH
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hen was Festival Of Dreams started? The Festival Of Dreams started at the Hordern Pavilion in 2014. It was an extension of the Embrace festivals we have been running since 2010 in Westfield Shopping centres.
ROSIE SHALHOUB FROM THE FESTIVAL OF DREAMS at our event. As a professional psychic who has been working in the industry for over 25 years, I have seen people pick up a book on how to read tarot and all of a sudden the following week they are calling themselves a psychic and charging lots of money. This worries me a lot as the industry has no regulations. We are different in that we hand pick our readers and do our research well.
The Festival Of Dreams
What is the guiding philosophy of the event? Our guiding philosophy has always been about bringing the mind, body and spirit together and combining them into one. I believe that to live a fully enriched life you need all three in a balanced way.
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Your website describes the Festival Of Dreams as being different from “psychic” festivals. What makes you different from these events?
We believe that you need to have your nutrition, fitness and health in order if you want to expand your spirituality to the next level. We also do not believe in just any psychic working
What: Festival Of Dreams Where: Hordern Pavilion When: Friday October 7 – Sunday October 9
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Xxxx photo by xxxx
What do you think the average Festival Of Dreams attendee seems like? The average attendee is varied and it is hard to put them into one category. Last year we found a big increase in men ranging from early 20s right through to late 50s. However, our event has always attracted women in that category too. Also, our customers do not appreciate the “wishy washy”. They are educated, intelligent and strong people who love a challenge and who believe in making changes in their lives without wasting any time.
What do you want people to walk away from Festival Of Dreams events thinking/ feeling? I am hoping that Festival Of Dreams can become the open doorway that allows people to nourish their souls, believe in magic, love their lives and become the best person possible. We promise to give our visitors the best physical and sensory experience we can, one they can walk away from a little more transformed in their lives, embued with added confidence and a strong spiritual connection to themselves and the divine.
RALLY 2 MAKE SYDNEY GREAT AGAIN! Let's end the lockouts and bring excitement back to our global city.
SUN 9 OCT 12pm, Belmore Park near Central Station
facebook.com/KeepSydneyOpen
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film reviews
arts in focus ■ Film
STORKS In cinemas now Some things are perplexing from the get go: take Trump’s rise to power, daylight savings, algebra and the animated film Storks as just a few examples. Indeed, with its eclectic mix of avian creatures, a pack of supremely collaborative wolves, a pink-haired baby, a red-haired teen and a massive trip down anti-establishment road, Storks sure is one wild experience.
■ Film
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN In cinemas now It’s got the cast. It’s got the setting. It’s got an Oscar-winning actor/director team and a story that has captured generations of audiences time and time again. So why is it that this remake of a remake lacks the titular magnificence? In the Wild West frontier of America, mining magnate Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) takes what he pleases. When he plans to forcefully evict a town of colonists, they turn to the only help they can find – rogue warrant officer Sam Chisholm (Denzel Washington) and any muscle he can rustle up. The screenplay by Nic Pizzolatto (of True Detective fame) and Richard Wenk claims its heritage in Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Seven Samurai, but takes only the core conceit of that film on board. Its greatest achievement is in casting, with an African-American man at front and centre: a character on whom no one casts racial aspersions. A true oddity for a Western, perhaps, but a welcome one. Our seven are a diverse bunch, including knife-throwing badass Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee) and Comanche initiate Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). By the by, how refreshing is it that a Native American role is actually here filled by a Native American actor? Mexican Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) cops the racist banter, generally direct from the mouth of gunslinging card-shark Joshua Faraday (Chris Pratt), but it comes across as innocent enough.
What's in our diary...
The rest is spit and polish, with little true soul. Clocking in at 133 minutes, Pizzolatto and Fuqua still fail to effectively develop their cast of characters in time for us to care about their fates. They exist as sketches – believable and fun, but hardly complex. Pratt’s Faraday, for example, is too similar to his “charming rogue” turns in other summer blockbusters, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s oddball trapper proves again that the esteemed character actor has seen better days. Bogue’s motivations for murder are less grounded, his mannerisms cartoonish. The irony is that all of the titular swords-for-hire from Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins (another adaptation of the same story) felt more rounded and captivating, despite there being a lot more of them.
The film opens with a scene of organised chaos in a gargantuan warehouse. Forget about Amazon: in this reality it’s the storks who will always deliver. But it’s not babies that the birds are dropping off any more – with e-commerce burgeoning and online shopping off the charts, the profit margins are all in parcel delivery and the storks are cashing in. They stopped delivering babies years ago, the only reminder of that world represented by Tulip (Katie Crown), a misplaced human who was never delivered and now lives with the birds. The film starts quickly: too quickly. We are thrust into a world of avian delivery markets, full of efficiencies of scale and low overheads, with little explanation. Before long the storks accidentally produce a pink baby (don’t worry: sans copulation) and there begins the mission to deliver the little tot, something the birds barely remember how to do.
Unfortunately, you simply aren’t given enough time to care about the main protagonists, and a lot of questions begin to circle around as a result. It’s difficult to reconcile the old fable of storks within the modern context of the film, and it’s unclear whether all this is meant to be farce or metaphor. I mean, let’s break it down: storks once delivered babies, then they stopped. Babies were still born in the interim – weren’t they? Was sex magically invented in that time to close the product gap? Did this biological mechanism spring forth from the economic flux of supply and demand? Did human biology suddenly evolve to cater for the product deficit? All that being said, Storks still excels in intense moments of absurd character comedy and dialogue delivery. Simply put, it’s hella funny. The film is full of fiendishly facetious asides involving wolves, a weird stoner pigeon and a gaggle of penguins. Yet at times that only really highlights how unamusing Tulip is, and her lack of charisma is the movie’s real weakpoint. It’s almost as if the creative team had been saving up hilarious jokes that they dreamt up by the by, poured them into a film and lightly fluffed something about storks to tie it all together. Amy Henderson
Once Bogue’s army finally shows up and the action kicks in, there’s a half-hour of competent action. It’s worth reiterating that this is a remake of a remake that broke with convention and laid the foundations of a genre. For Fuqua to create such a forgettable theme-park western is a shame, given that Kurosawa’s name still graces the credits. It’s the last two minutes in particular that nearly break the film, with a finale that features horrible, unnecessary narration, the theme music from the original and a grotesque shoe-horning in of the title. It should never have made the cut. Fuqua’s latest is no Southpaw, thankfully, but never adds up to the sum of its parts. It succeeds only as popcorn fare – satisfying while it lasts, but soon forgotten, and far from magnificent.
David Molloy
Arts Exposed
Story Fest Various locations, Friday October 14 – Sunday October 16 Nothin’ beats a good old bout of poetry, eh? There’s a reason why the art form has been handed down over so many centuries: there is an immediacy to the spoken word, a kind of elemental power that defies age and culture, and speaks to something innate within us. The good folks over at Story Fest know that well, and have crafted an impressive, varied lineup for this year’s three-day celebration of the performed arts. There will be a host of delights to indulge yourself in, ranging from a selection of Slam poetry finals and workshops with acclaimed authors like Tanya Evanson. Get on it, huh? For more information, head over to wordtravels.info. 24 :: BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16
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out & about
game on
Queer(ish) matters with Arca Bayburt
Gaming news and reviews with Adam Guetti
OCT
2016
What's On Sydney Zombie Walk
Are you a fan of walking, zombies and helping out a good cause? Then maybe check out the Sydney Zombie Walk. Running since 2010, the Sydney Zombie Walk is an annual event that allows thousands of people to get together for a bit of undead fun while raising awareness for Australia’s Brain Foundation, last year raising over $10,000 in donations. Joining in is easy: just round up a couple of friends, put on your greatest zombie face and get stepping! The next walk will be on Saturday October 29 at 3pm. Zombies must arrive at Belmore Park at this time in order to participate in the activities, with the actual walk kicking off at 4pm. The best part about it all – tickets are free!
Insert Coin(s)
After taking a bit of a break for the last few months, Insert Coin(s) is back and ready to party. Insert Coin(s) - Halloween Spooktacular will take place from 6pm on Thursday October 20, once again at Oxford Art Factory. As you may have guessed, this time the organisers are changing things up by turning the entire event into a Halloween-themed evening. Aside from the usual wall-to-wall wonder of the classic arcade machines, you’ll also be able to get your first proper look at Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, which will be showcased on ten screens exclusively on PS4 consoles. There will be prizes for the coolest, goriest, scariest and silliest Halloween costumes as well as the event’s trademark free candy, NYstyle hotdogs sold off the cart, horror-themed cocktails to sip on and spooky horror films on a projector all night. For tickets, visit moshtix. com.au.
Review: NBA 2K 17 (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3)
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espite the amount of fanfare the FIFA franchise generates, 2K Games’ NBA series is actually one of the most consistently impressive sports titles on the market, astounding both fans and critics alike. NBA 2K17 is no different, serving up another coat of polish that continues to amaze. Core aspects like dribbling feel fluid with a few extra layers of control, while shooting and layups place just as much focus on practice and skill as they do fun and luck. Meanwhile MyCareer has a new narrative written by the screenwriter of Creed and starring that film’s charismatic lead, Michael B. Jordan. It’s a big improvement over last year’s slightly messy approach even though the grind-heavy nature to levelling remains slightly frustrating. Even still, presentation, along with the rest of the game, can be downright jaw-dropping, as graphics and stats appear seamlessly to the real-life game better than ever before. If you look at NBA 2K17 from afar, it doesn’t have any truly mind-blowing new additions or features, but what it does do is continue to tweak, adjust and perfect an already winning combination into something even stronger. Make no doubt about it – this one’s a slam dunk.
Review: BioShock: The Collection (XBO, PS4) In a crowded sea of shooters, the original BioShock stood out from the competition in a truly impressive manner. It ditched the bombastic Hollywood-style approach and offered gamers a surprisingly smart shooter set under the sea within the dystopian city of Rapture. In many ways it helped define the generation of games that followed it, becoming an instant classic that was beloved by the masses. Its two sequels, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite only helped cement the series’ status as legendary, and just shy of its ten-year anniversary, goes some way towards explaining the presence of BioShock: The Collection. The triple pack not only collates all three games into a single package, but also slaps on a coat of 1080p paint for good measure. As a result, it should be no shock that the original BioShock contains the most improvement, now appearing just as you remember it, and complete with atmospheric environments and homicidal foes.
Graffiti Bathroom by Bob / Flickr
Conversely, being the most recent of the trio, BioShock Infinite perhaps possesses the least impressive visual overhaul. Released at the tail-end of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360’s lifecycle, your adventure through Columbia feels more like the PC iteration of the title rather than a substantial refurbishment. Of course that’s no insult against Infinite’s world: it remains as creative and awe-inspiring as ever. Combat may continue to irk some, but Infinite was, and always shall be remembered, for its mind-bending narrative that will perplex, enthral and amaze you, even on a second playthrough.
Do Queer Women Really Celebrate Their Sexuality? Several months ago, I was attending a panel discussion on HIV prevention strategies hosted at one of Sydney’s premier gay venues, the Shift Club (formerly known as the Midnight Shift). The panel itself was diverse, with a range of speakers from different backgrounds, genders and such. The crowd was mostly male, though that was to be expected. I’d never been in this club during the day, so I saw many things that were otherwise shrouded in darkness or only partially revealed by skull-piercing strobe lighting. There were a couple of artworks that surprised me to see. Perhaps as to be expected, there was a stylised portrait of a handsome man, his eyes closed as if in bliss. It invited you to see the beauty of men. Another right nearby was similar, in that it again wanted to communicate male beauty, but this one was mostly all about the admiration of an idealised male body: fit, muscular and youthful. It was unapologetic in its presentation and subject matter. Its boldness somehow made it hotter. Its unabashed display of celebratory sexuality seemed to come from a place of strength. As my eyes roved over the walls looking at artful, almost reverent representations of handsome men, my subconscious mind started to make nebulous connections. I thought of the cheaply printed signs Blu-tacked to the bathroom doors at every temporary lesbian venue that espoused self-acceptance, and startled myself with the comparison. The contrast of tone was apparent to me. I mean,
of course overt lesbian sexuality was plastered all over the place at parties catering specifically to them – images of women kissing or teasing with toys or sporting fetish gear – but it didn’t seem celebratory so much as subversive. It didn’t invite worship; it dared provocation, something that has always felt to me as stemming from insecurity. I wouldn’t necessarily declare that I’m onto something here, but I do suspect that the way in which both groups of people deal with their respective sexualities is quite telling. The masculine is idealised and anything else is a waste of time – is temporary or silly or weak. Queer women don’t have dedicated venues: they don’t have these places of worship, so to speak, where they can hold up their own image and revere it without having to be fucking apologetic about it. But being socialised as a woman demands you’re apologetic for existing, so there’s that to contend with. There’s a lot of lipflapping that goes on about female empowerment but there is little evidence of it in the queer female world. It’s rather strange to admit that, but it’s true. Queer women have much less power than queer men, on account of being, y’know, women.
this week…
Bloody nobody, that’s who.
On Friday October 7, get on down to Arq because the fabulous team behind the MANCAMP show, Decoda, Rhys and Cory have returned with their newest baby, Gender Farq. It looks to be a good show and entry is free, so go check it out. I mean, come on, who could turn down the offer of some cheap thrills?
On Saturday October 8, Heaps Gay will bring Oxford street to the Inner West (minus the lockout), with the Flamingos party hosted by the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. Entry will be free, and Heaps Gay are known as a premier element of Sydney’s party scene, so make sure you check it out.
Queer women have less capital and less sociallysanctioned bravado, they are expected to be sensitive and politically aware, to be otherwise is almost treasonous. When it comes to building and shaping communities, their voices are worth much less. Queer women are stuck in a turnstile, constantly making apologies, explicitly or implicitly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’ve somehow decided that being passive is fine. Being passive doesn’t equate to pacifism and being apologetic is diametrically opposed to empowerment. An apology implies a wrongdoing. It seeks permission: it seeks to be absolved for the sake of itself. It says, “I’m sorry for existing. For wanting. For fucking. Sorry for being in the way. I’m sorry for not being sensitive to your needs.” Therein lies the difference for me: the artwork hanging in the Shift club is so removed from passive apologetics it’s almost hilariously narcissistic. The sad, peeling posters timidly placed in temporary locations at a rented venue for queer women accurately represent how sexual shame still has them in a stranglehold they’ve become so accustomed to – they can barely feel it anymore.
This one is more general focused rather than queer specific, but on Sunday October 9, Keep Sydney Open have organised a rally starting at Belmore Park at noon. There will be music and marching in defence of Sydney’s endangered night time economy. If you feel like sending a message to your friend and mine, the dishonorable Mike Baird, this is the way to do it. Keep Sydney Open Rally
Also squeezed in is the game’s ambitious DLC, Burial At Sea Part I And II. This extends across the first two BioShock titles as well: all single-player add-on content has been jammed in for extra value, as has the incredibly interesting director’s commentary, Imagining BioShock, featuring Ken Levine and Shawn Robertson. If you’ve played the BioShock games once before, though the visual upgrades may not be as extreme as one would hope, it’s still mighty difficult not to be won over by the series’ unique worlds and wonderfully adult narratives. On the other hand, if you’re a total newbie, this is the perfect opportunity to jump straight in and gain an appreciation for one of the greatest modern-day franchises the industry has to offer. Buy it.
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Album Reviews What's been crossing our ears this week...
ALBUM OF THE WEEK DANNY BROWN Atrocity Exhibition Warp
There is something singularly liberating about “ugly” music. Songs that defy musical constraints come with their own inbuilt meditative quality: you can’t blast a record like Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition in the middle of a packed party or over a family dinner, for example, and the record has been designed to be consumed alone.
The master of musical malaise comes lurching back into the public consciousness.
TINY LITTLE HOUSES Snow Globe Ivy League Tiny Little Houses’ second EP Snow Globe pushes the band’s sonic boundaries, amplifying their trademark sorrow as they venture into darker, more tormented territories via lead singer Caleb Karvountzis’ bleak lyricism. Opening track ‘Medicate Me’ is immediately more gritty and fuller sounding than the band’s previous output, with the line, “I don’t want to live when you don’t want to stay,” foretelling the rest of the EP’s direction. Title track ‘Snow Globe’ has Karvountzis intimately addressing the listener with his morose vocals and an outro that has him unravelling. ‘Song Against Apathy’ represents the band at its most energetic but resignation and despair still mar the song’s lyrics. Glimmers of optimism shine through on closing track ‘Lonely People’, but at the root of the songs lyrics, Karvountzis proves dismissive of romance, sighing, “Love is not easy, love is not pure, love is not kind.” After listening to the EP, you can’t help but agree with him. Never wavering in strength or emotion, each song on Snow Globe holds on its own. While it might be somewhat perverse to seek solace in sad music, Tiny Little Houses make feeling like shit that little bit easier.
As a result, a song like ‘Rolling Stone’ aims for distinctly sensitive targets, finding leverage in the places you thought secret and applying discreet pressure on wounds scabbed over. A lot of that harm comes directly from Brown’s voice, and four studio records in, the performer has evidently learnt how weaponise his leer.
AIRBOURNE Breakin’ Outta Hell Spinefarm Records / Caroline Australia Is there a sound as grating as the hissing and clawing of two warring cats in the early hours of the morning? It turns out the answer to that question is yes: it’s the sound of Breakin’ Outta Hell by Airbourne. In a contest between ten minutes of cats vs the full hour of this album, my recommendation would be cats – that way you can save 50 minutes of your life. The songs are repetitive and each of the individual parts – whether it be the guitar riffs or uninspired basslines – feel as though they could be picked up and copy-pasted into any other track without much of a difference. Lyrically, every song is concerned with some combination of beer/ pubs/hell/the man who turns down rock and how much he sucks. Primary school lyrics like, “I work all day and rock all night / Don’t stop me or we’ll have a fight” reek of a kind of puerile idiocy that really has to be heard to believed. If you really must listen to this album, pick any three songs at random and you’ll have heard the whole thing. But, ideally, do yourself a favour and skip this one entirely. Nathan Quattrucci
Indeed, Brown’s razor blade ravaged tones represent the record’s true through line. They’re the bloodied river snaking through Atrocity Exhibition’s poisonous landscape, with the vocal on ‘Downward Spiral’ in particular coming across as genuinely threatening. Guest spots from names like Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar serve to further reveal the hypnotising horror of Brown’s deliberately clunky, one-leprousfoot-after-the-other fl ow Atrocity Exhibition is here for you, waiting, but not in the way you might like. It’s less a lover throwing pebbles up at a balcony and more Michael Myers glaring through glass, and through its great waves of grottiness, it somehow reaches the sublime. Joseph Earp
BALANCE AND COMPOSURE Light We Made UNFD Given Balance And Composure’s track record, their new album Light We Made arrives with high expectations. It’s certainly dreamier than their previous efforts and pained screams are swapped for echoed crooning and strange, tortured undercurrents. Lead single ‘Postcard’ is an appropriate warning sign for the rest of the album: it’s weak and underwritten, and likewise the only emotion ‘The Things We Think We’re Missing’ leaves in its wake is absolute numbness. That said, there are some high points: even if the lyrics to ‘For A Walk’ are mostly unintelligible, the instrumentals speak for themselves. Fake-outs are rife, beginning with the ambient noise in ‘Fame’ that is swapped out for some bass punching. Ultimately, references to drinking and the weight of fame seem to be the underlying elements of the record, although at times the subject matter does feel loose, and undefined. Given the occasional high points, if Light We Made represents Balance and Composure’s experimental phase, then you might as well throw a tab on the tongue and see how deep this rabbit hole goes. Jonty Simmons
Holly Pereira
INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK On their fourth album Friends, the enigmatic trio from England known as White Lies wrote and recorded without the backing of a label. Instead of seeing this as an imposition, they took it as a great boon and recorded without deadlines, budget or the need for record company approval. The result of this experiment is a polished album filled with highlights, one that proves well worth the wait.
WHITE LIES Friends Liberator Music / Infectious Music
26 :: BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16
From album opener ‘Take It Out On Me’, White Lies hit their stride and never look back, their melancholic but oddly uplifting sound in full flight from the outset. ‘Summer Didn’t Change A Thing’ is a tune custom-made to be belted out inside a sold-out venue, with an amazingly soaring chorus flying over solid instrumentation.
Lyrically, almost every song dwells on the topic of the pain of lost love and tracks like ‘Don’t Want To Feel It All’ and ‘Is My Love Enough?’ tackle the issue head on. The only knock on the album is that the big vocal build-up is a touch overused, but it’s a minor gripe as it’s only noticeable if you listen to the album front to back. Overall this is a fantastic record. If White Lies’ new label is paying attention, it won’t give the group a deadline at all for their next album. If the group’s freedom means more albums like this, then that’s surely what’s best for business.
GOAT
OF MICE & MEN
Requiem Rocket Recordings
Cold World Rise Records
Requiem is a menagerie of sound and colour, a record that combines world instruments with catchy licks, creating a cascade of good vibes and chill beats in the process.
Both the adversity and success experienced by Of Mice & Men in recent years has culminated in Cold World, a record that proves incredibly diverse. Indeed, if the album’s anything, it’s too diverse. Even though it does feature appealing and clean production, there’s just something missing.
‘I Sing In Silence’ is anything but silent: it’s a cacophony of colourful instrumentation and united voices creating a truly sterile ambience, a chill song that speaks of unity without ever being patronising in its message or tinny in its sound. Vibrant number ‘Trouble In The Streets’ speaks of idealistic ways amidst troubled times, though unfortunately has no power or oomph behind it, and lacks the passion that would be needed to truly drive the track home. Indeed, it’s from this point that the lyrics get progressively indiscernible: as the album continues, all vocal sense is lost in a raspy shriek, proving chant-like and scratchy. The band gets a little edgy with ‘Goatfuzz’, the extended instrumental outro quite lovely and setting up for standout track ‘Goodbye’. That tune in particular is vibrant and full of life, the kind of tune that will transport you far away. But ultimately the downside to this release is the repetition: it’s quite samey, unoriginal in its structure and style. Anna Wilson
The album does have its high points: there are moments when it proves pretty hypnotic. ‘The Lie’ in particular is a balanced serving of metal, angst and poetics and a quintessentially Of Mice & Men track, but save another two or three tunes traditional to the band’s sound, the album feels pretty standard. The tail end of the album loses momentum, closing with several ballad-esque tracks of a torn and pensive nature, and sure it occasionally sounds great, it just drags on a bit. For all intents and purposes, Cold World is a metalcore album, one that dips its fingers into other sub-genres in an attempt to convey deep thought and meaning. Only, it doesn’t always sit well with the ears. Neither pivotal nor bin-able, Cold World is an appealing bog-standard release in the overcrowded alternative-nether verse. Anna Wilson
OFFICE MIXTAPE And here are the albums that have helped BRAG HQ get through the week... KORN - Issues PEACHES - Rub CUSTARD - Buttercup
HOT CHOCOLATE - Man To Man BREAD - Guitar Man
Nathan Quattrucci
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BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16 :: 27
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What we’ve been out to see...
Enmore Theatre Thursday September 29
Having heard the horror stories coming out of Melbourne, where Richie Sambora came onstage an hour after the scheduled time, I was expecting a long night ahead when I rocked up for his Sydney show. After various public sound and equipment checks – no doubt to get his guitar tone perfect – Sambora and the so-described “Australian rock goddess” Orianthi started their set only ten minutes late. Both performers were determined to produce a quality show, kicking off with the U2 classic ‘When Love Comes to Town’. That belter was quickly followed by crowd favourite ‘Living On A Prayer’. To Sambora’s obvious delight, most of the crowd sang over the top of him, a sure sign the audience was ready and raring for a good night. As the tune drew to a close, it was Orianthi’s turn to sing one of her classic tunes, ‘Heaven In This Hell’. This set the tone for the rest of the night as both Richie and Orianthi played the hits that made them famous.
PHOTOGRAPHER :: ASHLEY MAR
28 :: BRAG :: 681 :: 21:09:16
‘Lay Your Hands On Me’ and ‘Stranger In This Town’, a solo hit for Sambora, were well received by the crowd, while Orianthi paid tribute to her former mentor Michael Jackson with a version of ‘Black And White’. Elsewhere, we saw her strength as a musician in the form of an epic guitar jam plonked in the centre of ‘How Do You Sleep’. After that standout jam session, Sambora left the stage to allow Orianthi to sing the song that helped launch her solo career, ‘According To You’. With that heartfelt tune wrapped up, Sambora rejoined his partner in crime, and the two proceeded to power through the classic Sonny and Cher song ‘I Got You Babe’ – a perfect end to the hour long show from the pair.
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into it. over it. + zzzounds 28:09:16 :: Oxford Art Factory :: 38-46 Oxford St Darlinghurst 9332 3711
As the band members left the stage, the crowd shouted for more, and after a few minutes of waiting, Sambora strode back onstage, fist in the air, triumph over the disaster that happened in Melbourne. For the first encore, he attempted to bring the mood down with the acoustic sounds of ‘Harlem Rain’, rapidly followed by the pulse-quickening strains of the Hendrix classic ‘Voodoo Chile’, before ending the show with the crowd favourite ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’. Ashley Mar
newtown social club
PICS :: AM
RICHIE SAMBORA
up all night out all week . . .
VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT
PICS :: AM
live review
29:09:16 :: Newtown Social Club :: 387 King St Newtown 1300 724 876 thebrag.com
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com
pick of the week
$23.10.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6
Coda Condust
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC Slide Mcbride Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free.
SATURDAY O C TO B E R 8
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Factory Floor
Sad Grrrls Fest Feat: Le Pie + Coda Conduct + Julia Why? + Missing Children and more 2pm. $40. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Hammerhead Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. The Fever Pitch feat: Special Guests The Hideaway Bar, Enmore. 8pm. Free. Wailing Wednesdays feat: Live Reggae
Acoustic Rosie Campbell's, Surry Hills. 7pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Alison Ferrier + Justine Wahlin The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. $7.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS 5 Seconds Of Summer Hordern Pavilion,
Moore Park. 7:30pm. $109.65. Bridge Club #7 feat: I Am Apollo + Polarheart + Wishes Oaf Gallery, Sydney. 6:30pm. $5.70. Cate Le Bon Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Manouche Wednesday Ft. Gadjo Guitars Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7pm. Free. Matt Jones Duo Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 9pm. Free. Montaigne Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm.
Anthony Charlton Australian Arms Hotel, Penrith. 8:30pm. Free. Fugitive And Vagabond + De'May + Kay Camargo + Ash-Leigh Barr OAF Gallery, Sydney. 8pm. $11.60. Irish Mythen Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7pm. $30. Sugar Bowl Hokum Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
The Stepfords + Terry Serio’s Half Truths The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 7pm. Free. Collaborate!! - feat: Phil And Trudy Edgeley + Michael Wheatley + Bek Jensen Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $15. Escape The Fate Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $58.65. Gary Moore Remembered feat: Kevin Borich + Mal Eastick + Phil Emmanuel + Dave Leslie + Peter Northcote + Steve Edmonds + Randall Waller + More Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $69. Hey Violet The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7:30pm. $45. Hockey Dad
Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $21. Jukebox Thursdays - feat: Black Diamond Hearts Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Little Lovers + Dick Pix Union Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Live Band Karaoke Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 9pm. Free. Mick Fryar General Gordon Hotel, Sydenham. 5pm. Free. Sloom, Jackie Brown Jr, Sundown State Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 9pm. Free. Ted Nash Fortune Of War, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. The Coathangers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7pm. $31. Vomvellis + Masta Gravity + Trapyard Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Wild Honey Selina's, Coogee. 8:30pm. Free.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Irish Mythen Heritage Hotel, Bulli. 7pm. $30. The Lachy Doley Group Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $25.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Crooked Frames + Valen + The Seven Elvins + Magic Beans Merchants Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 8pm. $10. Deniz Tek + The Dark Clouds + The Undermines Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $18.50. Ellie Goulding Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.
7:30pm. $89.05. Factory Fridays Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 5pm. Free. Fridays - feat: New Horizons Band + M7 & DJ Marty Rooty Hill Rsl Club, Rooty Hill. 7pm. Free. Marc Crotti 99 On York, Sydney. 5:30pm. Free. Mayday Parade + The Early November Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $59.95. Michael Fryar Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill. 4:30pm. Free. Michael Kopp Chatswood Rsl, Chatswood. 5pm. Free. Mitch King + Guest Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Rackett Leadbelly, Newtown. 4pm. Free. Reckless Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. $5. Ted Nash Clovelly Hotel, Clovelly. 4:30pm. Free. Teeth & Tongue Brighton Up Bar, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $22. The Best Of The Bee Gees Show Rooty Hill Rsl Club, Rooty Hill. 8pm. $28. The Levellers Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $85.74. The Snowdroppers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $20. The Superjesus Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $33.80. Ufomammut + Monolord The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 7:30pm. $65.30.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Afro Moses & The Spirit Band Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 4:30pm. $15. Back To The Future feat: Nicholas Buc Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 7pm. $53. Festival Of Dreams feat: Various Artists Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 12am. $45.
Paco Pen᷉a Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $89.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Emma Dean Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 2pm. $40. Finn, featuring Irish John Garry Owen Hotel, Rozelle. 7:30pm. Free. Mitch Gardner & David Taylor The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney. 4:45pm. $18.50.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
D Henry Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $7. Michael Kopp Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 5:45pm. Free. Modtoberfest 5 feat: The Freds + The Zeros + The Smart Folk + The Persuaders Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $15. Montaigne Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $24.60. Ocean Grove Red Rattler, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $16.85. Oliver Thorpe Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 8:30pm. Free. Sad Grrrls Fest 2016 - feat: Le Pie + Coda Conduct + Missing Children + Fingertips + Yon Plume DJs + Twin Caverns + Bad Bitch Choir + Bow & Arrow + Julia Why? + Dawn Laird + Emma & Tony Dean + Ego + Ess-Em + Stellar Addiction + Lovely Head + Jackie Brown Jnr. + Hannah Robinson + Tess Killalea + La Luz Music + Morning Tv + Sally Hackett + Fruit + Annais Paris + Clews + Dog Dirt Factory Floor,
Marrickville. 2pm. $40. Soulsville Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 8pm. Free. Stonefield + White Bleaches + Rackett Imperial Hotel (erskineville), Erskineville. 8pm. $23.50. Sydney Punk Rock Fest - feat: The Decline + Laura Mardon + Local Resident Failure + Tim Hampshire + Batfoot! + Yvette Vials + Wasters + Josh Arentz + 51 Percent + A-Rock Newman + Kang + Whiskey Jeff + Colytons + Jono Read + Angus And Julia Stoned + Raised As Wolves Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 2pm. $15. The Aristocrats Manning Bar, Camperdown. 9pm. $70. The Belligerents + Wild Honey Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $17. The Jezabels + Ali Barter Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $63.11. Wharves + Selahphonic + Edouard Oaf Gallery, Sydney. 8pm. $9.50. Wildcatz Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 10pm. $5.
JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Festival Of Dreams feat: Various Artists Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 12am. $45. Homeground 2016 - feat: Dubmarine + East Journey + Trinity Roots + Leonard Sumner + Brawun Maymuru + Mi-Kaisha Masella Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 2:45pm. Free. Rosco James, Phil V + Rosco James + Phil V The Bunker, Coogee. 8pm. Free. Steve Ross Foundry616, Ultimo. 8:30pm. $27. Two Tribe
five things WITH
WINTAH THOMPSON FROM LITTLE LOVERS
Coda Conduct photo by Cole Bennetts
Growing Up I had lots of music at home. 1. My father Glenn Thompson plays in
Custard and was in the later lineup of The Go-Betweens. I got dragged to a bunch of ’90s Brisbane gigs, which really became my musical influence. Looking back, there were some definite odd moments growing up: playing Mario Kart 64 with the Presidents of the United States of America, watching Germans fan out over The Go-Betweens or just the backstage antics of a Homebake or Big Day Out. Inspirations Last year we were invited to participate in Smudge’s Manilow tribute album. We covered ‘Little Help’: it’s such a simple structured song that keeps changing just enough to keep you captivated. The album included a raft of our influences: Lou Barlow, Ratcat, You Am I, Courtney Barnett
2.
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and Evan Dando. Once, we supported The Lemonheads in Brisbane and played ‘Don’t Want To Be Grant McLennan’, which Evan heard and got very excited about: so much so that he offered us some beers he was hoarding in his arms as if they were the last beers in the place. We politely declined, as we noticed they were Coopers non-alcoholic beer. I didn’t have the heart to tell him though. Your Band The band is myself, Craig 3. [Lyons] and Paul [Kuepper]. I grew
up in Brisbane, Paul in Melbourne and Craig here in Sydney. We’ve all been heavily influenced by the music made in our cities and early practices were spent sharing stories of gigs and bands from out hometowns. We’ve been recording our album in Marrickville for what feels like 10 years now, hence why the record is called Golden Decade.
The Music You Make Robert Forster’s final rule of 4. rock’n’roll is that “the three-piece
is the purest form of rock and roll expression”. I would have to agree: I love watching a three-piece band fill out a sound and use everything they have to make it as big as they can. Music, Right Here, Right Now 5. Dick Pix, who we are supporting us
at our launch, are one of our favourites. They have pop hooks, guts, and songs that can go any direction – think Pavement meets Sleater-Kinney. Weak Boys have a new record coming out, Weak Boys 2, that I’m excited about. Who: Little Lovers Where: The Union Hotel When: Thursday October 6 BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16 :: 29
g g guide gig g send your listings to : gigguide@thebrag.com Royal Hotel, Bondi. 8:30pm. Free.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Festival Of Dreams - feat: Various Artists Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 12am. $45. Homeground 2016 - feat: East Journey + Trinity Roots + Leonard Sumner Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 2:30pm. Free. Sunshine Sunday Sound System feat: DJs Bossman + Prince Vince + Guests Rosie Campbell's, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (An Sso Family Concert) feat: Toby Thatcher + Sydney Children Choir + Tom Heath + Jean Goodwin Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 1pm. $39. The Umbrellas Camelot Lounge, Marrickville. 6:30pm. $25. The Unity Hall Jazz Band Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 4pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Claude Hay Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7:30pm. $16. Gas Acoustica The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 4pm. $7. Heath Burdell Unity Hall Hotel, Balmain. 3pm. Free. Mal Eastick Blues Band & Friends The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 4:30pm. $28.70. Total Country Sundays - feat: Tori Darke Rooty Hill Rsl Club, Rooty Hill. 2:30pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS
Becky & The Pussycats Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10. Belgrado + Death Church + Muscle Memory + Morte Lenta + La Suffocated Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 6pm. $10. D Henry Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $7. El Duende + Even
As We Speak + D Henry Fenton Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham. 5pm. $10. Outlier Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. White Bros Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 3:30pm. Free.
MONDAY OCTOBER 10 JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, LATIN & WORLD MUSIC
Sonic Mayhem Orchestra Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 8:30pm. $10.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
Live & Original @ The Corridor Corridor Bar, Newtown. 7pm. Free.
INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Frankie's World Famous House Band Frankie's Pizza, Sydney. 9pm. Free.
Matt Jones Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. The Monday Jam The Basement, Circular Quay. 8:30pm. $6.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 11 INDIE, ROCK, POP, METAL, PUNK & COVERS Co-Pilot Orient Hotel, The Rocks. 8:30pm. Free. Karaoke Party Rooty Hill Rsl Club, Rooty Hill. 7:30pm. Free. Live & Original @ Mr Falcon's - feat: Jonathon Holmes + Matt Fletcher + Fleur Wilber Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7:30pm. Free. Live Rock & Roll Karaoke Frankie's Pizza, Sydney. 4pm. Free.
ACOUSTIC, COUNTRY, BLUES & FOLK
wed
05 Oct
thu
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
06 Oct
(9:00PM - 12:00AM)
fri
07 Oct (10:00PM - 1:40AM)
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
sat
08 Oct
5:45PM 8:45PM
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
sun
3:30PM 6:30PM
09 Oct
(10:00PM - 1:15AM)
mon
10 Oct
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
tue
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
11 Oct
(8:30PM - 11:30PM)
EVERY SATURDAY
Party DJs
Bucket Lounge feat: Fleur Wiber + Matt Fletcher + Jonathon Holmes Mr Falcon's, Glebe. 7pm. Free.
GROUND FLOOR - AFTER BANDS
gig picks up all night out all week...
Hockey Dad
Captain Cook Hotel, Paddington. 9pm. Free. Wild Honey Selina’s, Coogee. 8:30pm. Free.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 Deniz Tek + The Dark Clouds + The Undermines Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $18.50.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5 5 Seconds Of Summer Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. 7:30pm. $109.65. Bridge Club #7 - feat: I Am Apollo Montaigne
+ Polarheart + Wishes Oaf Gallery, Sydney. 6:30pm. $5.70. Cate Le Bon Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 7:30pm. $33. Montaigne Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 9pm. $23.10.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6
Gary Moore Remembered - feat: Kevin Borich + Mal Eastick + Phil Emmanuel + Dave Leslie + Peter Northcote + Steve Edmonds + Randall Waller + More Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 7:30pm. $69.
30 :: BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16
Little Lovers + Dick Pix Union Hotel, Newtown. 8pm. Free. Sloom, Jackie Brown Jr, Sundown State The Jezabels
Mayday Parade + The Early November Metro Theatre, Sydney. 7pm. $59.95. The Levellers Factory Theatre, Marrickville. 8pm. $85.74. The Snowdroppers Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $20.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 D Henry Fenton The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville. 3pm. $7. Homeground 2016 - feat: Dubmarine + East Journey + Trinity Roots + Leonard Sumner + Brawun Maymuru + Mi-Kaisha Masella Sydney Opera House, Sydney. 2:45pm. Free. Modtoberfest 5 - feat: The Freds + The Zeros + The Smart Folk + The Persuaders Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville. 7pm. $15. The Aristocrats Manning Bar, Camperdown. 9pm. $70. The Belligerents + Wild Honey Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 8pm. $17. The Jezabels + Ali Barter Enmore Theatre, Newtown. 8pm. $63.11.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 Claude Hay Brass Monkey, Cronulla. 7:30pm. $16.
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Montaigne photo y ohnny Dia
Escape The Fate Manning Bar, Camperdown. 7pm. $58.65.
Hockey Dad Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $21.
Ufomammut + Monolord The Bald Faced Stag, Leichhardt. 7:30pm. $65.30.
The e a els y Cy ele Malino ski
Ellie Goulding Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. 7:30pm. $89.05.
The Superjesus Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 8pm. $33.80.
o key Dad photo y an Laidla
Cate Le Bon
brag beats
BRAG’s guide to dance, hip hop and club culture
on the pulse club, dance and hip hop in brief... with Alex Chetverikov, Emily Norton and Joseph Earp
five things WITH
András
KLUE
Simon Caldwell
YOU’LL REMEMBER THIS ONE NIGHT STAND
Growing Up I have fond 1. memories of reggae
and soul music: it was the soundtrack to my parents’ parties growing up. When I was eight, my mum made me play saxophone. I was totally not into it at the time but I’m so glad she did. It was only after getting into hip hop as a teenager – followed by soul and funk when I realised that was where all the beats were sampled from – that I understood what it was really about. Inspirations Fat Freddy’s 2. Drop’s Based On A
True Story is definitely high on my list of favourite albums. Bonobo also gets a strong mention. I remember seeing Hermitude about ten years ago at Wollongong Unibar and being totally inspired. It’s great to see they’re finally
getting the attention they deserve. Your Crew I’m a member of True Vibenation alongside a couple of my best mates Moody and Vuli. We’ve just returned from our first tour of Europe and a show at Glastonbury Festival, which was insane. Add Ribongia and Sam Z and you’ve got the whole Bare Necessities family.
3.
The Music You Make And Play 4. My music is inspired by UK garage, soul, and a bunch of different stuff from around Africa, particularly the drums. In my show I’m jumping between the microphone, saxophone, drum pads and turntables. It’s pretty good exercise. Music, Right Here, Right 5. Now To be honest, I’m
a little concerned about the future of music in Sydney. The loss of venues since the lockouts were introduced has stopped a lot of shows from even happening. For a small population, Australia has done amazingly well in terms of musical exports on the world scale, particularly in the last few years, but unfortunately our politicians have no appreciation of this and they seem to be doing a great job of making sure that it doesn’t continue. If you care about music, or even just freedom in Sydney, make sure you get to the Reclaim the Streets and Keep Sydney Open rallies coming up. What: Feel Good x Oxjam Fundraiser Where: The Chippendale Hotel When: Friday October 14
Sebo K photo by Marianne Waquier
Sebo K
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RETURN TO OZ
Some people just can’t get enough of this country. Not long after his recent trip to Australia, András is now returning for a three-hour set at Goodbar on Friday October 14. The release of two well-received EPs earlier this year has given him an extra spring in his step, and why not –not only were both records produced and mastered exquisitely, but they exemplify the deep vibes that the Melbournebased musician brings to his performances. Given the energised nature of his tunes, that there show is sure set to be a doozy, so make a note, won’tcha?
WOOKIE WHAT WE HAVE HERE
After the announcement that garage legend DJ EZ is heading our way, it has recently been revealed that yet another founding father of UK garage, Wookie, will be coming Down Under. He’ll be playing the Civic Underground on Saturday December 3. Some of us might know him from a brilliant rework of Sia’s ‘Little Man’; others from UK staples ‘Battle’, ‘Scrappy’ and ‘Storm’. He’s played a formative role in the conception of newer genres, with Skream, Benga and Disclosure among the many acts that he’s infl uenced. Don’t miss out on what’s sure to be a very funky show.
D&B DOYEN DAZZLES
Doyen. Meaning: a prominent or respected person in their field. It’s not really a word we’re used to hearing too often. But it’s a term easily applicable to LTJ Bukem, who changed the face and direction of drum and bass in its early stages, imbuing it with a soulful ambience that
Simon Caldwell is familiar to anyone that’s ever spent much time at all in a nightclub in Sydney in the last 20 odd years. He’s a founding member of the Mad Racket crew, has earned respect not only nationally but among international peers and audiences for his incredibly consistent and varied DJ sets, and is just a super nice, knowledgeable music-lover that can keep you dancing for six hours. Which is exactly what he’ll be doing at his Picnic One Night Stand at Bondi’s Jam Gallery on Saturday November 19.
helped give rise to such sub-genres as liquid drum and bass. His famed Logical Progression mixes and Earth Volumes compilations will forever be embedded in the transformation and expansion of the genre. He returns to remind us of this intrinsic influence on Friday November 11 with a four-hour set at Home Nightclub.
SLAVE TO SEBO Watergate is pretty high up the list of renowned nightclubs to visit in Berlin, and for good reason - it’s a legendary venue, one that has seen sets from some very bright stars indeed. Take it as an indicator of Sebo K’s talents then that he has held a residency there for yonker donks. Now, he’s heading to Australia to grace us with a Halloween-themed party at the Civic Hotel on Saturday October 29 - Sunday October 30. Sebo’s covered it all: after starting out in Berlin’s breakbeat nights of the early ’90s, his love grew to encompass the burgeoning Detroit wave. There are few that can bridge the old and the new quite like he can, so make sure you hit his show up, hey.
Dubfire Dubfi
I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC
A party featuring Dubfire and Matador is a hell of a way to launch a festival, right? All two will play for Electric Gardens’ takeover of the Ivy Bar on Saturday December 10 in anticipation of what’s sure to be another great instalment of the event, which itself takes place in late January. Without waxing too lyrically, both of the legends have smashed through acclaimed careers that have won them legions of fans. Dubfire’s no slouch – remember ‘Deep Dish’? Of course you do, and that’s not to mention some stunning remixes under his own name. Oh, and Dublin-born Matador’s highly productive career has included multiple releases on renowned labels Perc Trax. So, given all that talent, it’s set to be a musically diverse, highly-experienced double-threat that’s sure to convert the uninitiated.
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FEATURE
“MUSIC IS THIS FASCINATING THING THAT HAS BEEN SOLD BACK TO US FOR SO LONG: IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER WHAT IT IS TO US. BUT IT’S SOMETHING VERY COMMUNAL.”
T
Gwenno Native Tongue By Adam Norris
LIVEWORKS 2016 FESTIVAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ART 27 OCT - 6 NOV 2016 Over two jam-packed weeks, 27 October 6 November, join us – and join in – with experimental choreography, kinetic installations, sonic sculptures, captivating Indigenous stories and sexy encounters.
HURRY only 4 weeks to go!
#LIVEWORKSFESTIVAL #PSPACE 32 :: BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16
2N R D& EL F EA IN SE AL
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hough her upcoming Antipodean tour will represent the first time Australia gets to witness Gwenno in full flight, it’s far from the Welsh singer’s first visit. She has performed here a number of times, both as a member of The Pipettes (a band that also included her younger sister Ani), and stranger still, as a cast member from Michael Flatley’s all singin’, all tap-dancin’ musical Lord Of The Dance. She returns now with a very different goal in mind: to showcase her latest album Y Dydd Olaf, a record performed almost entirely in Welsh that is nevertheless currently resonating deeply with people who couldn’t utter a word in the language if you paid them. Gwenno has, in short, followed quite a colourful path. “My parents had taken quite a specific interest in Celtic culture, which I really rebelled against, because I found it…” Gwenno pauses and laughs. “Well, you rebel against anything your parents do anyway, but we didn’t have any English music in the house. I didn’t know anything about Anglo-American pop culture until I went to high school. There might be snatches in the background of like, Madonna, but I didn’t really have an engagement with it. There wasn’t anything like that there in my parents’ record collection. “Instead I had this weird world of contemporary Celtic, Welsh and Irish. We weren’t allowed to watch ordinary television, though there was a Welsh TV channel which people had fought very long and hard for, and so of course we had to watch it. But it’s interesting now, I think. At the time I thought, ‘God, why do I have to have such weird parents?’ But everyone feels like that at the start, and as you get older you start realising it’s actually quite interesting that your parents are so odd. You can use it to your creative advantage.” Y Dydd Olaf found its genesis in the Welsh science fiction
novel by Owain Owain of the same name. (Sidebar: Owain? Y Dydd Olaf? Gwenno? The Welsh sure know how to make a language just sing.) Though the novel is now 40 years old, its themes of rebellion, globalisation and cultural decline are the bedrock of Gwenno’s project. In a way too, it is a record born of absence, a case of Gwenno recognising there were gaps in Wales’ cultural representation that deserved to be explored in her native tongue, even if a wider audience may not necessarily understand what’s going on. “You know, honestly – and I hope to hold on to this – I wasn’t thinking of an audience at all. I needed to express something as directly as I could, feeling that creatively I was being very straightforward, and the languages I use the most are Welsh and Cornish. I wasn’t thinking about who would hear it. That’s the beauty of coming from a smaller culture as well. There is less stuff there, so you have to make it yourself. That really is a motivation. “You think, ‘Gosh, we really need an experimental art scene here. Well, I guess we’d better make it.’ It’s a very DIY culture. It’s something my dad used to do in Cornish. ‘We really need stories and music for our kids. OK, I’ll make them.’ And so when we were little he’d make up these stories. I think that kind of motivation is still there. We really need an album that’s like this. It doesn’t exist, so we’d better make it ourselves.” The album dropped just over a year ago, but quickly found itself a darling of the press and began amassing Gwenno a whole new culture of fans. As we spoke, I was reminded of the Indigenous Australian singer Gina Williams, who has found recent success performing in Noongar, a highly endangered Aboriginal language. Like Gwenno, Williams was uncertain how mainstream audiences
would respond to lyrics they couldn’t understand, but both artists have found a common, reassuring truth: there is a magic to music, something that stirs us beyond literal sense and something that connects us regardless of the sound of our words. “I was conscious that if I made some record in my own language, I wasn’t even trying to aspire in any way to fit into any commercial realm. Music is this fascinating thing that has been sold back to us for so long; it’s hard to remember what it is to us. But it’s something very communal. The first time I toured outside Wales, that was nerve-racking since I was playing in front of people who wouldn’t understand what I was saying. “And then you become used to it. It’s a strange thing, but oddly it somehow doesn’t matter. There is no barrier, but I did know that. I’ve seen a few artists over the years singing in their mother tongues, and it’s had a huge impact on me. I’ve seen a few Welsh artists singing, and there’s always this response of, ‘Wow, what’s this!’ “People are quite used to hearing the familiar, and there’s something so fascinating about music in other tongues. And with the full band, which I’ll have in Australia, you get to appreciate the full musicality of the songs. It’s also nice because I get to tell people onstage what the songs are about, which I quite enjoy doing. When you go to see music or listen to it, you want to be challenged. “We have enough familiar music in our canon that we really don’t need to keep hearing something that sounds like everything else. At least, not any more.” Where: Newtown Social Club When: Thursday October 13 And: Y Dydd Olaf out now through Heavenly Recordings
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g guide
club picks p up all night out all week...
send your listings to : clubguide@thebrag.com
club pick of the week Drapht
SATURDAY O C TO B E R 8 Metro M t Theatre
Drapht 8pm. $44.90 THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 CLUB NIGHTS Drapht photo by Michelle Grace
Femme Fetale The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 CLUB NIGHTS All Night Long feat: Andrew Wowk + Athlon
Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 10pm. Free. Argyle Fridays The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Bassic - feat: Funtcase + Bvsik + Artinium + Infamous + Goreway + Kahl Page + Brandon Jonak + Gomu Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28. Brenny B-Sides Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 8pm. Free. 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. Jade Le Flay Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $12.30. Loco Friday - feat: DJs On Rotation The Slip Inn, Sydney. 5pm. Free. Logistics & Fre4knc - feat: Logistics + Fre4knc
+ Troublesome + Person 3 + Dauntless + Bruxism + Ncrypt Candy's Apartment, Potts Point. 9pm. $35. Old Skool Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park. 8pm. Free. Peoples Club Weekly #7 - feat: DJ Kiti + David Bangma + Pilot Co DJs + Fan Club + Jake Walker Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $15. Scubar Fridays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8pm. Free.
HIP HOP & R&B
RALLY 2 MAKE SYDNEY GREAT AGAIN! Let's end the lockouts and bring excitement back to our global city.
SUN 9 OCT Moksi photo by Fabio De Frel
12pm, Belmore Park near Central Station
facebook.com/KeepSydneyOpen
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Afrobrasiliana feat: Xs.If + Trevor 'El Chino' Parkee + Thomas Studdy + Raphael Ramires Brasil + Jon Mcculloch + Paris Groovescooter Play Bar, Surry Hills. 4pm. Free. Fridays Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 HIP HOP & R&B
Drapht Metro Theatre, Sydney. 8pm. $44.90.
CLUB NIGHTS Argyle Saturdays feat: Tass + Tap-Tap + Minx + Crazy Caz The Argyle, The Rocks. 6pm. Free. Brenny B And Murray Lake Manly Wharf Hotel,
Manly. 6pm. Free. Charades & Peoples Club - feat: Sigha + Trinity + Jac Frier + U-Khan + David Bangma + Thick Owens Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $16.50. El Loco Later - feat: DJs On Rotation Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. 9pm. Free. Elements Of Trance - feat: DJ'S Thomas Knight + Xan Müller + Thierry + Terabyte + Capitol E Valve Bar, Agincourt Hotel, Ultimo. 9pm. $10. Lndry - feat: Moksi + Friendless + Ludovic + Propaganda + Blackjack + Callum Duncan + Jermaine Jones + Scruby & Aron Chiarella + Mike Hyper + Andy Bird B2b Micky Price + DJ Just 1 + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28. Ltr On - feat: Black Tiger Sex Machine + Dabin Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst. 11:30pm. $41.70. Marlo Marquee, Pyrmont. 10pm. $26.60. My Place Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Bar100, The Rocks. 8pm. Free. Pacha - feat: Zac Waters + Slice N Dice Ivy Bar/lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38. Sangria Latin Saturdays St Johns Park Bowling Club, St Johns Park. 9pm. Free. Scubar Saturdays - feat: DJs On Rotation Scubar, Sydney. 8:30pm. Free. Soda Saturdays feat: Resident DJs Soda Factory, Surry Hills. 6pm. Free. Something Else feat: Simon Baker + Tsura + Rodean + Shivers* + Whitecat + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $11. Uk Garage Tour feat: DJ Luck & Mc Neat + The Artful Dodger + Cup & String Max Watt's, Moore Park. 8:30pm. $76.50. Yours - feat: Unknown Records Party Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach. 8pm. Free.
Slice N Dice
Funtcase
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 Bassic - feat: Funtcase + Bvsik + Artinium + Infamous + Goreway + Kahl Page + Brandon Jonak + Gomu Chinese Laundry, People’s Club Weekly #7 - feat: DJ Kiti + David Bangma + Pilot Co Djs + Fan Club + Jake Walker Goodbar, Paddington. 8pm. $15.
Lndry - feat: Moksi + Friendless + Ludovic + Propaganda + Blackjack + Callum Duncan + Jermaine Jones + Scruby & Aron Chiarella + Mike Hyper + Andy Bird B2B Micky Price + DJ Just 1 + King Lee Chinese Laundry, Sydney. 9pm. $28. Pacha - feat: Zac Waters + Slice N Dice Ivy Bar/Lounge, Sydney. 6:30pm. $38.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8
Something Else - feat: Simon Baker + Tsura + Rodean + Shivers* + Whitecat + Dave Stuart Burdekin Hotel, Darlinghurst. 10pm. $11.
Charades & Peoples Club - feat: Sigha + Trinity + Jac Frier + U-Khan + David Bangma + Thick Owens Civic Underground, Sydney. 9pm. $16.50.
UK Garage Tour - feat: DJ Luck & Mc Neat + The Artful Dodger + Cup & String Max Watt’s, Moore Park. 8:30pm. $76.50.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 CLUB NIGHTS Marco Polo - feat: Nora En Pure Ivy Bar/lounge, Sydney. 1pm. $28. Rally Relaxo - feat: Ben Fester + Andy Garvey + Rimbombo Newtown Social Club, Newtown. 3pm. Free. Sin Sundays The Argyle, The Rocks. 7pm. Free. Stuey B And Alex Mac Manly Wharf Hotel, Manly. 4pm. Free.
Moksi
BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16 :: 33
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VIEW FULL GALLERIES AT
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up all night out all week . . .
five things WITH
EDDY MACDONALD FROM HUMAN MOVEMENT Your Crew I started getting into dance music 3. when I was 13 through my best friend. He
showed me his brother’s 2006 mixtape which had all those French electro tunes like Justice’s ‘Phantom’ – it got us hooked. We started making beats from 14 onward but parted ways after school. Now Blake and I make music together as Human Movement and it’s going great. We still have to keep our day jobs on the side. I’m working in childcare during the week which is good because it’s flexible and still allows us to work on music. The Music You Make And Play I guess you could say we make a mix 4. of house and techno. It’s hard to pinpoint a
specific genre, especially when a lot of our releases have slightly varied in genre and style. Our next release is quite different to its predecessors – it’s more light and fun. Music, Right Here, Right Now The local music scene right now 5. is interesting. As a result of the lockouts,
Growing Up We grew up in a very musical 1. household: mum forced us all to play a
musical instrument growing up. I started on piano and later moved onto guitar. However, I ended up dropping both instruments when I started producing music and DJing. I really
people are moving towards warehouse parties, which is fascinating because it brings a whole new vibe to what we have been doing for the last three years or so. We have amazing local DJs playing at these events, week in week out, creating some of the best parties I’ve been to.
regret that, as it would have really helped in my production today. Inspirations I’m really into Flying Lotus. The first 2. track I heard from him was a Mr Oizo remix he did called ‘$tunt$’. I remember hearing
that back when I was 14 and being like, “What is this?” He’s amazing to watch live too: I managed to catch him play in Japan at the Electraglide festival. Other artists like Carl Craig, Kerri Chandler, Jeff Mills and Kenny Larkin, all of whom have been in the game for so many years, motivate us to keep it fresh.
Off The Record
RECOMMENDED SUNDAY OCTOBER 9
Dance and Electronica with Tyson Wray
I
don’t give a fuck how hungover you are – this Sunday October 9 you are heading down to Belmore Park for the second Keep Sydney Open rally. The utter bullshit finding of the Callinan review – that only a mere 30 minutes of the lockout laws should be cut back – is an insult. A curfew is not the answer. The nightlife of Sydney is dying. This is serious (mum) – take back your city. Bloody hell, here comes a double-headed techno bill for the ages. The champs behind Darkroom and IF Records are joining forces to present Sleeparchive and Claudio PRC. Roger Semsroth AKA
Keep Sydney Open Rally #2 Belmore Park
Sleeparchive is a Berlin native who first began making waves when his debut 12” hit the shelves of the seminal Hard Wax record store. Since then, his hard-hitting approach, fuelled by the influences of the likes of Jeff Mills, Mika Vainio and Richie Hawtin, has seen him traverse the globe with straight-up mindnumbing live sets. Some may also know him as one half of the group TR-101 alongside DJ Pete AKA Substance. A relatively new figure to the scene, the Italian Claudio PRC released his debut album Inner State (on Prologue) in 2012, and is the co-founder of The Gods Planet project and related TGP label with ol’ mate Ness. Catch them Sleeparchive
What: Stoney Roads Guinness World Record attempt as part of MoVement Sydney Where: 107 Projects When: Friday October 21
FRIDAY OCTOBER 14 Asquith TBA
SATURDAY OCTOBER 15
Oxford Art Factory
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11 – SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13
Return To Rio: Carl Cox, De La Soul, Eric Powell, DJ EZ + more Del Rio, Wisemans Ferry
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12
HNQO Chippendale Hotel / Marcel Dettman Chinese Laundry Burdekin Hotel
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20
SATURDAY OCTOBER 22
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26
Fort Romeau Cruise Bar HNQO on Saturday October 29 at Zoo Project. Support will come from Methodix, Thick Owens, David McCann, Qu-Zen, Sebastian Bayne and Gav Whalan. A bit of Brazilian house and techno, anyone? It’s time to get deep with the one and only HNQO. Affectionately known as “The King of Curitiba” he’s the owner of Playperview Records and a famed regular at the infamous Warung Beach Club parties, not to mention he’s revered releases on Hot Creations. He’ll be flanked by Trent Hadid, Dave Juric and Brosnan Perera on Saturday October 15 at The Chippendale Hotel. That one’s a day party, with a night-time shindig with the
man himself going down at the Burdekin Hotel. Tour rumours: it’s about time that Palms Trax made a return our way, innit? Wink wink. Best releases this week: oh man, oh man, oh man. After the killer EPs Purple / Blue and Mint / Clay earlier this year, Will Long’s full-length Long Trax (on Comatonse Recordings) is here and fucking hell it’s good – as are the DJ Sprinkles overdubs. Bjarki’s Lefhanded Fuqs (трип) is worth a spin, as is Lustmord’s Dark Matter (Touch) if you’ve ever wanted to hear space recordings and realise how minuscule you really are in the scheme of the world.
Seven Davis Jr Civic Underground
SUNDAY OCTOBER 23
Honey Soundsystem Cruise Bar
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29
Green Velvet Greenwood Hotel Sleeparchive, Claudio PRC Zoo Project
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 10 DJ EZ
HVOB Cruise Bar
Randomer TBA Jackmaster Greenwood Hotel
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30
Machinedrum Civic Underground
FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 – SUNDAY DECEMBER 4
Subsonic Music Festival: Lee Scratch Perry, Mad Professor, Josh Wink, Ben UFO + more Riverwood Downs
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. 34 :: BRAG :: 683 :: 05:10:16
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