Issue #17

PowerMouth Entertainment proudly presents

CELEBRATING QUEENSLAND’S MUSIC SCENE!

Issue #17 2014

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS NEW SECTION:

LAUNCHPAD p.24 PLUS! ROCK N’ BLUES FEST / ASH GRUNWALD / PHIL BARLOW & THE WOLF LADI ABUNDANCE PROJECT / NATALIE DEJAGER / FAT BAXTER / TIGER STREET

WHAT’S INSIDE 5 | MOUTHZOFF TALKS TO: FAT BAXTER

Winner of the Archived Untapped Band Competition 2014

6 | COVER STORY: DEAD LETTER CIRCUS

Exclusive interview about innovations and breaking boundaries

9 | SONIC BOOM: THE NEW ENVIRONMENT

Regular column, exploring the shifts and trends in our industry

10 | LIVE REVIEW: THIRSTY MERC

At favourite Brisbane haunt, Mick O’Malleys

12 | LIVE REVIEW: ROCK N’ BLUES FEST Blow by blow of the Mitchell Creek Blues Fest

16 | MOUTHZOFF TALKS TO: LADY ABUNDANCE PROJECT Randy catches up with the Ladi herself about gigs at Woodford

17 | LIVE REVIEW: CASEY FOGG

Album launch at The New Globe Theatre

18 | LIVE N’ LOCAL

Regular photo galleries of local and touring artists on Queensland stages

22 | CD REVIEWS

Founding Editor Randy G Art Direction & Layout Abby Skye Laura Grainger Sub-Editors Randy G Kylie Cobb Writers Peter Muldoon Sonic Edwards Matt Thrower Kylie Cobb Jasmine Gailer Matt Gleeson Randy G Lauren Brodie Jim Corrigan

27 | SOUND ADVICE: MICROPHONE PLACEMENT & TECHNIQUES PART 3

Photographers Graeme Plenter Lauren Brodie Greg Elkenhans Geoff Norris

28 | LIVE REVIEW: ELLY HOYT & NATALIE DEJAGER

General Manager Abby Skye

24 | NEW SECTION: LAUNCH PAD A platform for self-promotion

Regular column from Peter Muldoon At the Brisbane Speigeltent

31 | LIVE REVIEW: MURPY’S PIGS

Business Manager Wayne Ficnerski

Dosing us up with old-fashion Irish goodness

33 | LIVE REVIEW: ASH GRUNWALD Last gig at Rock Central

34 | MOUTHZOFF TALKS TO: TIGER STREET

About the evolution of their sound and the new album

36 | LIVE REVIEW: T-BAR FESTIVAL Kylie Cobb cuts to the chase

38 | LIVE REVIEW: PHIL BARLOW & THE WOLF

Crankin’ out tunes from their new album ‘Phoenix Rising’

Phone: 1300 309 609 Email: admin@mouthzoff.com Web: www.mouthzoff.com www.facebook.com/mouthzoff

About the Team MouthZoff is put together by musicians and music-loving volunteers, who want to celebrate our local live scene and see it thrive. We know that to do this, bands and artists need exposure and sometimes, a little help. We aim to provide promotion opportunities and publicity via our interviews, live reviews and platforms such as Live n’ Local and the newly-added LaunchPad, along with useful information via our Regular Sections. We love welcoming new members and are thrilled that the community has welcomed this endeavour so warmly. Thanks, Queensland- you rock!

We hope you enjoy this latest edition and don’t forget to check out the website www.mouthzoff.com for more content!

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FAT BAXTER MouthZoff had a quick chat with the winners of Brisbane’s 2014 Archive Untapped Band Competition

Most rock n roll moment so far?

Haha well it’s still pretty modest. Probably playing Lock’n’Load on a packed Saturday night to a really receptive audience and having a pineapple bestowed upon us from an adoring fan.

Tell us about the band comp you just won.

We launched into it with no real expectations and really just tried to have fun. Almost half of our songs were new and I think once the initial nerves were over we could enjoy playing all the new material and bouncing off the audience’s energy.

First album you bought (be honest!!)

I’m actually proud of this one… although I must admit it wasn’t an informed decision. It was (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis – as suggested by a friend’s older brother.

Tell us one of your band rituals.

Last gig you went to?

Rehearsal followed by fiercely competitive rounds of FIFA. It was meant to be Mos Def at Woolly Mammoth but he bailed so I guess it would be Listen Out festival – Zhu was What’s coming up for you guys? definitely a stand out.

We’re releasing our debut single San Francisco City Guide and recording. We’ve been road testing a handful of songs Whose music career are you following closely at the moment? for ages and can’t wait to get back into the studio.

Probably Royal Blood – it’s awesome to see some in-yourface riff rock taking the world by storm.

Best thing about the music industry at the moment?

I’m not sure. I guess advances in technology have allowed Brisbane band to watch? (Besides you of course) greater access to music, especially for smaller artists.

Brisbane has so many great bands so it’s hard to pick a standalone. Our mates from Capre are definitely ones to Worst? keep an eye out for – they’re coming up with some really It seems as though there are a lot of really great musos out fresh and exciting electronic/hip-hop tunes. there that are struggling. Earlier this year Violent Soho’s guitarist was applying for a job at Maccas on the same day the band was nominated for an ARIA… although maybe those days have passed for them now!

Get social with Fat Baxter www.facebook.com/wearefatbaxter

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS INTERVIEW WITH KYLIE COBB

Getting the five boys from Dead Letter Circus together for an interview may be harder than herding kitty cats, but the same cannot be said when it comes to the real work.

S

Undoubtedly one of Australia’s hardest working rock bands, Dead Letter Circus is dominating the alt rock scene with two #2 Aria charting records, Gold selling plaques under their belts and tour after tour of sold-out national shows. However, this band are not ones to rest on their musical laurels. DLC are constantly looking for ways to innovate and push their own, as well as the industry’s boundaries. Inspired by Tool’s reinvention of hit song ‘Pushit’, DLC’s lead singer, Kim Benzie had no qualms about rewriting Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ for Triple J’s Like A Version. Met with controversy and internet ‘trolling’, Kim stuck to his guns explaining

So, what can we expect from the next album by these ubertalented multi-instrumental rockers? They’ve certainly set the scene for anything is possible and from my chat with Kim, here’s what we know: 1. The boys played it somewhat safe with The Catalyst Fire following the departure of guitarist and co-writer Rob Maric; 2. Since the last album Benzie has wed his longtime girlfriend. In our interview he mused that they had been broken up when the last two albums were written, leaving him “depressed and broken, but it got great results!”

What began as a bit of fun and something different to do between album cycles, soon turned into “the biggest head f*ck of all time.” there is a deeper message in the lyrics that deserved more 3. All band members are now writing; and than a “beer-garden” delivery.

4. They’re ready to step out of their comfort zones in a massive way!

Their ballsy Like A Version was merely a prelude.

If you, like me, cynically suspected the recent ‘reimagined’ I think this next album will see Dead Letter Circus move album and tour was going to be a camp-fire version of the boundaries for how we define rock. We’ll no doubt see Dead Letter’s latest album, ‘Catalyst Fire’ to squeeze the band’s trademark meaningful messages and hooks, every last drop of musical goodness from the album...then however they’ll be embedded in melodies and beats that you are forgiven but must stand corrected! Deep in the leave space for the lyrics to breathe and be more readily tropical recess of Fortitude Valley’s fresh coffee grinders, comprehended. If the Reimagined tour gives us any clues, I The Fifth Artillery, Kim assured me that what began as a think we’ll also be seeing a lot more of our friend, Tom, on bit of fun and something different to do between album the keys and perhaps more of the electronic drums, Luke? cycles, soon turned into “the biggest head f*ck of all time.” Whatever form it takes, I have no doubt Dead Letter Circus As soon as they rewrote the first song, they felt they owed will blow us away with their next album, due for release in it to explore the ‘Sliding Doors’ for all of them. The result? 2015. Be sure to catch the guys in their last run of shows Dead Letter Circus like their fans had never imagined. before then: Acoustic, instrumental, melodic, sitting down to perform?!

Each song was completely and wholly reimagined into Thursday 11th December 2014 what it could have been with different instruments, tempos The Gov, Adelaide, SA and melodies.

Friday 12th December 2014 Fast forward three months from their short yet intense Capitol, Perth, WA studio time and the guys feel it was well worth it. And, from the magic I witnessed at the very first ‘Night in with Dead Saturday 13th December 2014 Letter Circus’ at Brisbane’s New Globe Theatre, their fans Prince of Wales, Bunbury, WA thought so too. An audience used to a heavy band with a high energy, full impact performance - it could have gone one of Thursday 18th December 2014 two ways really, couldn’t it? All, band and fans alike, were The HiFi, Brisbane, QLD visibly nervous, treading in this unfamiliar territory. But certainly at the Brisbane show, there were many moments Friday 19th December 2014 you could hear a pin drop the audience was so enrapt in The Metro, Sydney, NSW the performance and other moments they all sung at the top of their lungs once they recognised the song. “They Saturday 20th December 2014 didn’t know we’d gone to that much effort and they were The HiFi, Melbourne, VIC playing ‘guess the song’,” said Kim, “everyone was really buzzed.” So much so, even Benzie himself couldn’t sleep Sunday 21st December 2014 that night reliving the magic moments!

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THE NEW ENVIRONMENT I wrote this back in July and since then Taylor Swift has been in the news for not just with-holding her new album 1989 from Spotify but also pulling her entire back catalogue. It has resulted in 1.287 million copies being sold in the first week, a feat that hasn’t been done since 2002. It is however, available on pay-to-stream services like Beats Music and Rhapsody.

relentlessly. And, according to a London Stock Exchange report, they made big-time profits: They reported earnings between $12-34 million dollars.

All of these bands are experimenting with new revenue streams or at least new ways to engage with people willing to part with their cash. The absurdity of labels paying $250 million dollar deals for something that isn’t physically In the turbulence that followed this decision, Adeles tangible has finally hit home and combine that with changes manager Jonathan Dickins has spoken out in favour of in sales. There is a documented shift from physical album music streaming - “Streaming is the future, whether people sales being the majority of profits, with a minority in singles like it or not. Within five years it will be ubiquitous,” he said to digital singles becoming the main seller and albums on the closing day of the Web Summit tech conference, being almost irrelevant. which took place in Dublin on Thursday 06 November 2014.

The one thing that artists still have? - their physical Original Article: Wu-Tang Clans new album The Wu - Once presence. Which is why concerts have been the money Upon a Time in Shaolin is currently housed in a hand-carved maker for big acts. Amanda Palmer is a master at this: silver-and-nickel box under heavy security in Morocco and She is noted for her use of various internetty avenues, from will go on a museum tour where paying attendees will be her forum, blog, free music and social networking sites, able to hear it for $30-$50 a pop - after being screened by fund raising, and direct-to-fan marketing. Her grasp of the security to avoid leaks. It will then be sold to the highest evolving landscape of music is epitomized by her success bidder. The rap legends claim to have a $5 million bid using Kickstarter for ‘Theatre is Evil’ . She will even save already on the one and only copy of their next album as it money on a hotel by giving a fan a unique experience – heads to auction. In addition, two Wu-Tang Clan fans have crashing on their lounge! joined forces and initiated a Kickstarter campaign with hopes of matching that bid.

What does this mean for new young acts? There has been no precedent in the music industry – if you didn’t get signed Indie band Vulfpeck uploaded 10 tracks of silence to Spotify by a major label, you lacked the resources to compete. under the name Sleepify. Then, they put out a video, urging Today, with social media turning individuals into publishers fans to stream the album on repeat while they slept. The and distributors, technology giving easy access to ‘studios’ band pledged to use the royalty revenue they racked up to and music discovery is almost purely digital, we have an fund a tour, where all shows would have free admission. influx of new music.

Each song on Sleepify is completely silent and only runs about 31 or 32 seconds long, the bare minimum length As much as I hate to say it, become a personality that people for a song to register as a royalty-worthy play on Spotify. want to hang with. Forget the music and play the game as The band calculated that if one user listened to the album that’s what people will be paying for. Fake it until you make all night on repeat (800 plays) that would work out to a $4 it. Find temporary loopholes, exploit them then move on payout. Multiply that by thousands of listeners and you start to the next one. It’s less about what you know and more to get some serious numbers. The band ended up netting about how on the bleeding edge of technology you are. As around $20,000 in royalties from the album. for how long this needs to occur before it ‘normalizes’?

Probably at least until the next generation who grow up in Since May of 2012, Iron Maidens online social presence has this environment and work on solutions with a fresh mind increased by 8 million, with many fans coming from South and clear vision without any of the hangups and ‘wishing for America. That growth, in turn, resulted in more BitTorrent the old days’ that plagues the rest of us. So keep fighting to activity — with Brazil leading the charge in illegally be heard and work smarter at it. Right up until they develop sharing the band’s music. The band didn’t monetize their software that allow Djs to stay home, oh wait they’ve done digital music sales; instead, they spent this period touring that!

THIRSTY MERC LIVE REVIEW

Review and Photography

by Lauren Brodie Mick O’Malleys, Brisbane Saturday Oct 31

It’s a Friday night and I headed off to Mick O’Malley’s in the Queen st Mall, anticipating a small intimate little gig with Thirsty Merc. I’ve been particularly looking forward to seeing them as they are home grown favorites, being one of Australia’s iconic bands.

From the bar, the stage seemd fairly small but I’m pleased to report the atmosphere was the complete opposite and what started out as a small dedicated group quickly culminated into a large crowd of die hard fans. Then starts the

chant “Thirsty Merc, Thirsty Merc” which echoed round the room as anticipation grew. When emotions were finally at an all time high, the band casually progressed to the stage and there wasn’t a dull moment after that. Evidence of this was expressed by some of the fans standing on the tables and chairs to ensure a better line of view.

I found it really refreshing to see the band interacting with the audience as if they knew every individual personally. The smiles on their faces were consistent all night and not a single person could resist smiling right back! I have to say, I enjoy a band ten times more when I can see that they truly want to be there.

I caught the first glimpse of a double bass and this had me wondering what more was in store for us tonight? The soulful Rai Thistlewaite singing away on his guitar is such a familiar sound and he had the audience fully pumped. His performance was seemingly faultless and left us all a bit gaga!

A little deeper into the performance and now every single person present is singing along loudly to each song on offer. A big highlight of the evening was how everyone got stuck into ‘Someday” and “The Hard Way.” But all in all the entire evening was fantastic from beginning to end, one that I will remember for a long time to come. Many thanks to Thirsty Merc for reinvigorating my love of Australian music.

ROCKS our t u o Check

Jasmine Gailer and Kylie Cobb give you a blow by blow of 2014's Mitchell Creek Rock n Blues Fest.

As we towed our caravan along a dirt road with no GPS network, following the scattering of inconspicuous ‘Festival This Way -->’ signs, it seemed like Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Fest might be one of the Sunshine Coast’s best kept secrets.

There wasn’t a soul to be seen along our drive from the Bruce Highway (unless you count the strange but charming homemade scarecrows that lined the Kandanga streets), but upon rounding the last corner a whole valley of tents appeared, along with a crowd swelling to 2000 plus.

If it ever was, Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Fest is definitely not a secret anymore; festival goers attend from all over Australia and musicians travel from all over the world to be part of this unique weekend.

dividends, with a noticeable absence of rushing ambulances, argy-bargy security guards and barbed-wire fencing.

The relaxed vibe was obvious from the outset, with festival goers, volunteers, press and musicians mingling together at the entrance, soaking up the atmosphere. There was ample space to park our caravan and no one seemed to really mind where we put it. The set-up of Mitchell Creek is really quite cool, with the music and food set out on the largest flat section of the valley and the campers up on the hills that surround it. It makes for fantastic acoustics and great views. For campers not so keen on having close neighbours it was easy enough just to move further away from the centre; nothing like what we’ve experienced at larger festivals where tents are packed like sardines.

The lineup this year was stellar.

Up and comers like The Pierce Brothers and Phil Barlow & the Wolf really grabbed the attention of the audience, while old favourites The Soul Men drew the biggest crowd of the weekend. However, the absolute highlight of the weekend’s lineup was the noticeable domination of women musicians. Stonefield, Dallas Frasca and Sandi Thom all headlined and not to mention the plethora of other rockin’ women who performed throughout: Lani & Lecia, Two Girls Will and Cass Eager to name but a few. It was truly great to see chicks representing at an Australian music festival.

Rock and Blues music seems to attract a certain type of person in general: mad-keen on music, dances like nobody’s watching, and not afraid to chat to strangers. It was a crowd of like-minded people who support good quality, original music. There was not a bikini-clad, flouro-donning teenager in sight at this festival! It is held in the middle of nowhere, away from main roads, nightclubs and (god forbid) phone reception! Although there’s a good mix of people who attend; from trendy 20-somethings to grey nomads and tie-dye wearing hippies, the love of music united all.

Unlike other festivals we’ve been to, this one was BYO, which may call to mind images of over-indulging drunkards running rampant, however it seems that handing over the responsibility to patrons pays

Don’t get me wrong; all this talk about the ‘chill out man’ vibe gives the wrong impression. Note: Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Fest is not for the faint hearted! Music starts at 8am in the mornings and runs until midnight, followed by a free-forall jam session in the bar tent that ran until the birds chirped the next morning. With two stages side by side showcasing one band after the other there is rarely a quiet moment. We look back with bitter-sweet tastes in our mouths on the sounds of Jason Lockhorst and Nathan Kaye making for fantastic alarm clocks.

We would love to give an unbiased review of the food but unfortunately after discovering ‘Pancake’ and ‘Nacho Guy’ we were as faithful as two loved up penguins! We had packed our own food for the festival to save our cash but the appeal of sitting on deck chairs in the warm sun enjoying the sounds of Richard Perso’s didgeridoo over a stack of pancakes and bacon was all too appealing. Luckily we weren’t the only hungry campers because we would never have strayed away from our favourites if it weren’t for the rave review’s of ‘Ole Gourmet Calamari’.

It is hard to fault Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Fest because the usual festival-headaches like alcoholfueled disorder, mosh-pit injuries and hour-long cues were nonexistent.

There were a few teething problems perhaps at the

Left: Dallas Frasca, Stonefield. Right (from top): Stonefield; Phil Barlow; Konspiracy Killers; Dallas Frasca; Stonefield; Phil Barlow.

ROCK N’ BLUES ROCKS most. A common complaint heard amongst friends was of too many cover bands. With the popularity that the festival is earning we doubt that this will remain a problem come 2015.

Our only further suggestion would be to delay the music to a 10am start and have some laid-back acoustic artists play first. Waking up to a rock band at 8am was a little too much for this happy camper.

We had a blast at Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Fest. Even if we didn’t like the early mornings, we must admit that for many the ample music was a big plus because the sound that travelled through the valley was of such a high quality that you could sit in your caravan or by your tent and still enjoy the awesome sounds of rock n blues like you were right by the stage. It made it possible to enjoy each performance no matter where you were at the festival; lounging on some deck chairs eating pancakes, chatting to artists in the bar lounge, or rolling out of the caravan at 10am.

What we took away from the weekend was simple: rock n blues rocks! Not all the musicians who played at Mitchell Creek would class themselves as rock or blues but the class of musician that this type of festival attracts is clearly of a high standard. We drove away on Monday having overdosed on about 50 hours of live music. The need for a good shower and a proper sleep was high and needless to say the car radio stayed off for at least a few hours.

Having said that, while the festival crew were taking down the tents and starting the clean up (over 10 tonnes of rubbish and hardly a piece out of place, the site was left pristine!) we couldn’t tear ourselves away until we’d had an impromptu bass guitar lesson on some camping chairs with a local guitar teacher. See what we mean? A grass roots experience which unites us all.

Clockwise from top: George and Noriko; Dallas Frasca; MCRnBF; Dallas Frasca; Up Late with Audrey’s Late Night Jams; Phil Barlow and the Wolf.

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MouthZoff had a candid chat to the band leader/singer/song writer ‘Ladi Abundance’ about the year that’s slipped by and the next 12months looming!

You’re playing at Woodford this year! How many spots will you play?

We play 5 times, all late night sets... We seem to be this years resident party band. This also includes the count down on New Years Eve! Wow, this sounds like a big opportunity for LAP? We’re all feeling really excited about it and I hope this will expose us to a fresh audience and lead us to play at more festivals like Woodford.

You have a lot of substance behind your music.

Tell me a little about your music, it’s main vibe? It stands for a few things, depending on the song of course. Some songs I just write to help myself understand or deal with a particular situation. Sometimes I feel like I discover more about myself and life through spirituality and then I feel moved to share these new learnings, through song. I’ve also written some songs about society ‘Take Another Trip’ and the state of the planet. I want to be a voice for women to stand in their power, for people to grow within themselves, to encourage love and kindness and healing for humanity and the planet. I recently wrote a song called, Here is Our Future, after swimming in the devastatingly polluted ocean in Bali. This track has both a ferocity and fragility.

The last thing you guys released was your self titled Ep- Slice you up! Which was a complete sell out. Given that you’ve clearly been busy writing new material can we expect a new release anytime soon? Yes, we have an album on the way called ‘Softening To Saturn .’ It was written over the past couple of years as I have been going through a transitional time called Saturn Return. I have arranged the songs more or less in chronological order to how they were written. The songs tend to get a little more refined and softer as the album progresses

which I feel is a true reflection of myself as a person through these past few years. Prior to the album release we plan on releasing a single called, More Time With My Soul and I filmed a video clip with a german film maker in Bali earlier this year and will be launched soon.

It sounds like your time in Bali had a really big impact on you? Bali has been such a powerful place for me this year, I spent over three months there and I am so glad I have a piece of art that captures some of its beauty. I went for five weeks and it was so magical, it really was the best time of my life. I then returned for another two months in the middle of the year to train as a yoga teacher. Though I’m not religious, I do agree with a lot of Buddhist philosophy, eg. Compassion and kindness and having respect for animals really gels with me as I’m a huge advicate for animal rights and justice for all beings.

So tell me, what have the highlights been for LAP this year? Well I spent most of this year away so most of my highlights would have to be playing with other musicians. I performed at Sisters For Sisters in Melbourne, alongside some really great women and collaborated with other great girls down there such as Phoebe from Stellafauna and Alex who plays under the name Arowe. LAP have been invited to play Earth Frequency, Manifest and now Woodford all this year and of course getting the album written is a great bench mark.

And what do you plan on doing in 2015?

Next year I am studying vocal pedagogy to improve my skills as both a vocalist and a vocal teacher, so that will be keeping me pretty rooted in Brisbane. I plan on applying for grants to tour the new album and focus on playing more shows outside of Brisbane. There is a plan to throw a warehouse party with some Melbourne musicians early in the year and LAP are also playing Earth Frequency Festival again in February!

Interview by Randy G Photography supplied Sunday Dec 7

MOUTHZOFF TALKS TO

LADI ABUNDANCE PROJECT This year’s Woodford goers are in for a real treat as Ladi Abundance Project will be a constant feature throughout this years Festival with their full 8-piece line-up and guest percussionist, Elliot Orr (from Kooii and Bobby Alu).

ALBUM/SINGLE REVIEWS

HAT FITZ & CARA ROBINSON

TIM HULSMAN

ADAM HOLE & MARK EASTON

Do Tell

Dead Man’s Garden

Monster Guitars Live

It’s not often that you get to hear the sound of two vocalists come together that sound like a raw mix of Janis Joplin and Ray LaMontagne (check out Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs, you’ll see what I mean). It’s a bluesy, freestyling ride that makes you believe the album was recorded as you hear it. No layering, just played and recorded all at once as all albums should be. I really hope this was the case.

Firstly, cool album cover. Secondly, he opens with a very cool cover of Goodnight Irene (am I showing my age?). You get into this album quite easily and Tim’s vocal timbre ranges from Nick Cave to Ben Lee. And that’s just in the one song!

Having reviewed one of Adam’s albums in the past, I was really looking forward to this collaboration with Mark Easton.

From the onset, you can tell these guys have played together before. Big noise, big riffs and big energy. If they added Satriani or Steve Vai to the mix, there’s another G3 right there.

In my opinion, the only hiccup is ‘Gotta Love’. It has an awesome start and awesome finish but how it got there didn’t seem to gel. But that’s my only criticism; these guys did so much right. For me, the standout track is ‘Excuse me’. It’s fun, loose and all the musicians sound like they had a ball laying this down. Check them out, Cara’s voice alone makes it worth it.

By Hal Jordan

He also steers away from the mainstream chord progressions and melody lines without being so self indulgent that it’s unlistenable (yes, that’s a word). In fact, the whole album wouldn’t be out of place as a Tarantino movie soundtrack. His tune ‘Fire Storm’ was one of my favourite because it’s just so pretty. And ‘Road Song’ is just that. A cruisy, country driving song.

For those that like folky sounds, pretty harmonies and really sweet guitar, this is for you. I dug it.

By Hal Jordan

Remember the scene out of Crossroads (no, not the Brittany Spears one) where there is a ‘guitar off’? That’s this whole album. Seriously, it’s an awesome, hour long jam session. Now, I’m not saying they’ve used ‘crowd in a can’ (they have) but it works so well and gives the album that proper live feel, you actually wish you were there. This is the record you put on when you’re preparing to go punch someone or get so drunk you forget your own name. Or both.

Either way, it’s another cool album from Adam Hole and great collaboration with Mark Easton.

By Hal Jordan

THE BAND FROM ODDWORLD

CC THE CAT

CLARA ROSE

The Band From Oddworld

Inna Babylon Jungle

Queen of the Late Night Radio

From track one, you know this band is the real deal. I was so impressed, you’ll probably see me get a bit carried away and make some big calls. I don’t care, these guys are really that good.

Think of Fleet Foxes but better. Gypsy and the Cat but with more depth. Of Monsters and Men but they’ll win more awards.

For anyone that enjoys reggae, jazz, lounge, hip hop, disco, dubstep and thrash metal, this album is for you.

Ok, I lied about the trash metal but for some reason, this album appealed to every one of my music genre senses at the same time.

Clara Rose Monaghan is a talented vocalist from Ireland who takes a few styles of roots music and blends it into a soulful and cohesive whole. Her latest EP Queen Of The Late Night Radio manages to cram a wide range of moods into its four tracks.

With very sweet and well put together vocals, smooth bass and Ron Burgundy jazz flute, this is a record you can listen to over and over again.

There is such a strong undertone of Sting and The Police meets Bob Marley that makes me realise this should have happened sooner. And this chick absolutely nails it.

Opening number Never Let You Go is a good old-fashioned soul belter, before Mama Dear temporarily mellows the mood with its heartfelt combination of country and gospel.

Some soaring blues harp and Hammond organ enhances the simmering bluesy swing of the title track and Wallflower Waltz closes the record with a tender yearning – it’s this song that particularly shows off Clara Rose’s emotional range as a singer.

Now, every album has at least one dud track or filler but not these guys.

Actually, no, one track just doesn’t work – ‘Smile’. I didn’t feel like smiling when I listened to it. It’s like the whole album is purposefully laid back but then someone slipped some speed into the studio when ‘Smile’ was being laid down. Not cool dudes.

But this is the only blemish on a seriously amazing album. The harmonies are dropped in at perfect moments and the stops and starts are exactly where you want them. I can’t praise this record enough and definitely one of the best all year. This is staying in my collection.

By Hal Jordan

It was difficult for me to pick a standout track because I seriously enjoyed every single one of them (a complete rarity)! Although, the opening track ‘Concrete Jungle’ sits nicely at the start of the album so maybe that’s my favourite.

If you’ve never heard of this girl, do yourself a favour and change that.

You won’t be disappointed.

By Hal Jordan

Throughout this EP, she boasts a deep, smoky voice that knows exactly when to tone it down and when to belt to the balconies. Combined with strong songwriting and excellent musical arrangements (lots of crisp drums and atmospheric twanging guitars), this is an independent release that is well worth your time.

Queen of the Late Night Radio is available for purchase on iTunes.

by Matt Thrower

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DONNELLE BROOK’S CULINARY TOUR

LORDS OF WONG TURN 10

This December, singer/songwriter Donnelle Brooks will be combining her three passions: Food, Music and Travel. After being the artist in residence at Coorparoo Bowls Club for the last year, she thinks it is time to spread her wings and take her music interstate. Over the course of three weeks she will be travelling from Toowoomba to Albury/Wodonga on the NSW/VIC border, stopping each day at a local café to play some music and sample the local fare. Her tour will take her through many small towns and regional centres along the east coast. “Many small towns don’t have a traditional music venue, so I thought playing at cafés would be the perfect solution. I grew up in a small town and would have loved to have the opportunity to go to a local café and see a musician when I was growing up”, Donnelle says.

A stare at the wake of spilled drinks, spilled blood, broken bones, and broken equipment. But hey, Lords of Wong are still standing, almost as good as they ever were. Over the last 10 years they have shared the stage with some of Australia’s best rock bands including, The Hard-Ons, Cosmic Psychos and HITS. Both their LP records have been received with critical acclaim with songs from both records featuring on the 4ZZZ FM Hot 100 many times over the last decade. NME featured their video for Reconditioned Motor in their must-see video selection of November 2014.

Donnelle’s tour will be kicking off at Rics Bar on Tuesday the 2nd December from 8pm featuring her three piece band and support from Georgia Mae. Find out more about Donnelle’s Big Adventure, including tour stops and travel stories by visiting her blog www.donnelle’sbigadventure.wordpress.com

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Glynn said. “But we have put a lot of work into those records. As a fully independent band, a lot of effort goes into recording, promoting and financing everything ourselves. We are really looking forward to this birthday gig and we’re putting on a massive night to thank everyone that has supported us over the last decade.”

Helping celebrate with Lords of Wong are the hard-bodied New Jack Rubys, legendary Brissie punk rockers FAT and Gravel Samwidge.

The Beetle Bar, Upper Roma St Brisbane Saturday 13 December 8:00pm $10 Tickets www.lordsofwong.com

TWO LIONS TAKE OUT DOLPHIN AWARDS The 2014 Dolphin Awards gave a warm homecoming for Northern NSW folk duo Two Lions, awarding the pair for two songs from their upcoming, self-titled EP. The sentimental lead track Heading Home took out 'Song of the Year' and folk ballad Golden Chalice the 'Alternative/Indie' award. These award-winning tracks are a prelude to Chris and Kara's collection of warmhearted, antipodean folk music that is sure to resonate with Australian music lovers.

“When we did return to Mullum, we came in the back way through Eureka where Kara grew up and we swam in the stream outside her old house and we knew we had arrived at a place we could call home.”

— Chris Mallory, Two Lions Two Lions are looking forward to an exciting year releasing and performing their new music. Though the official release of the full EP isn’t scheduled until next February, Chris and Kara have made two songs available: Heading Home is now available for streaming on SoundCloud and Belly of the Whale, released last month, is available for streaming and download via Triple J Unearthed. www.twolions.com.au

ELECTRIC SUEDE ‘ROCK AGAINST WORK’ Electric Suede is a four-piece rock n roll band hailing from Brisbane, Queensland. These guys combine the energy and brutality of punk with the sonic groove of funk and rock n roll to deliver a sound that have had Brisbanites moving and a shaking for hours on end lately, with gigs at The Zoo, The Beetle Bar, New Globe Theatre, Rics and more.

Catch Electric Suede at BrisRock’s “Rock Agaist Work” Show, Thursday 18 Dec at 6:30pm for $10 with local bands Weezal, The Bear Hunt and Super Asleep

SMOKING MARTHA’S NEW VIDEO

VIDEO DIRECTOR SMASHES AWARDS

"All Lit Up" is the latest single and Video clip, from Original Hard Rock Band - Smoking Martha. It follows the release of the clip "Sweet as Honey' which was the first single to be released off their self titled EP, earlier this year.

This is the second year in a row that Sarah has been awarded through the Independent Music Video Awards, taking out Production Company of the Year and Best Instrumental Award with her work on 'Virulence'

by Cause In Affect in 2013. Organiser Kelvin Fahey is a huge supporter of independent artists and works tirelessly to make the awards ceremony a great success. This year there were over 1000 entries, 75 finalists, and 65 awards given out on the night, with just under 40 awards going to Australian members.

"The new video clip has a bit of everything. A "Street Fighter" muay thai bar fight, Sexy cowgirl, Brazilian Samba dancing, Pontiac Firebird and rock'n'roll in a bar called the Bearded Lady!!!"

The group have been gaining momentum on the local rock scene, they teamed up earlier in the year with producer Ian Haug from Powerderfinger with 'Sweet as Honey' results, including international air play.

All Lit Up is an artistic journey on the roller coaster ride that encapsulates human emotions. Something we all deal with in our daily lives- some more then others: All Lit Up is powerfully invigorating yet ironically destructive. A song not for the faint hearted but well worth the praises and accolades it is receiving.

Check out the video here Now available on itunes https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/all...

SMOKING MARTHA - "All Lit Up" official music video from the EP 'Smoking Martha'

Sarah was one of two Australian females whose works were awarded at the Australian Independent Music Video Awards and the ceremony saw her take home five of the nine she was nominated for. Sarah stated: “It was a huge night for Tall Poppy, and myself personally. To have all of our hard work recognised both Nationally and Internationally was truly an amazing opportunity and we are all very thrilled. Kelvin gives Australian filmmakers a chance to network and to come together with our true source of inspiration, supporting local musicians in their states.”

Representing Tall Poppy Productions and their artists, Sarah received awards for: Best Hip-Hop Music Video; Best Innovation; Best Metal Music Video; Best Queensland Music Video; and a Judges Commendation. The award ceremony was held at the Australian National Library of Canberra and presented on the 29th of November, 2014.

LAUNCHPAD BELLA CHEN WINS CURATOR’S CHOICE AWARD Young Brisbane pianist Belle Chen has been handpicked by Brian Eno and awarded Curator’s Choice for Music at 2014 NOISE Festival (UK). Belle’s winning work Listen, London: First Impression integrates classical music with captured sounds from London, with the aim of providing audiences of a sonic portrait of her first impression of the big city. Selected from over 5,000 global festival entries, Brian Eno has praised Belle’s work as “original and provocative… feels like a sense of discovery.” Belle is the only classical musician to be endorsed in the Music/ Arts category.

Belle is a graduate of Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, and recently Royal Academy of Music in London. Passionate about juxtaposing and challenging the traditional norms of classical music, Belle has embraced stages across UK, Taiwan, China, Spain, and Italy with a diverse array of programmes ranging from multimedia and cross-artform collaborations to traditional classical piano recitals. Belle has recently been appointed as visiting lecturer at Royal Academy of Music and a guest curator for Royal Academy of Music’s Piano Festival. Her other recent successes include the 2014 Finalist Award at The American Prize for Chamber Music.

NOISE Festival is a national celebration of UK’s next generation of creative talent across 14 categories covering film, fashion, fine art, music, photography, graphics, new media, games, product design, comedy / spoken word and enterprise, handpicked by the best in the business.

Listen, London: First Impression is now available on iTunes and via Amazon.

SOUND ADVICE WITH

Peter Muldoon

MICROPHONE PLACEMENT & TECHNIQUES PT 3

ACOUSTIC GUITAR & VOCALS In Parts 1 and 2 we spoke about microphone placement & techniques for room microphones, drums, bass and electric guitar. In part 3 we delve into the world of acoustic instruments, specifically the acoustic guitar. As mentioned in the previous two articles microphone placement is all about knowing what you’re wanting to capture, in other words having some idea of what you are trying to achieve with the end result. This will strongly determine where you choose to place a microphone or what technique you choose to utilise.

When we look at an acoustic guitar we can break it down into three main sections – the body, the neck and the headstock.

Each of these parts of the guitar generates a different sound.

You can hear this by placing your ear close to these sections of the guitar. The sound coming from the body of the guitar will contain more low end and warmth. It will also be the loudest part of the guitar due to the close vicinity of the sound hole.

Moving our ears up to the 12th fret we can notice that the sound gets thinner and the tone changes. As we keep moving we find that the sound up near the headstock is the thinnest and the tone is different again. One of these sounds may be preferable for the application, but this does not necessarily mean that one is better than the others.

Thinking back to part one we discussed the difference between close miking and room miking. In a nutshell when you have a good room it is preferable to capture that sound. In this case you would set up a combination of both room and close microphones.

The position of the room microphones would be determined by finding the sweet spot in the room. This can be done by simply walking around the room while the guitarist is playing until the sound is best to your ears. When close miking an acoustic guitar is good to capture more than one sound so that they can later be blended in the mix. Some of the more popular miking techniques include placing one microphone at the sound hole and another at the 12th fret. An additional microphone may be set up over the shoulder of the player. The purpose of this third microphone is to pick up what the guitarist is hearing while they are playing. Stereo miking techniques such as those mentioned in Part 2 can also be used.

Last, but definitely not least, we move onto vocals. More often than not, but it depends on the genre of music, the voice is the most prominent instrument in the mix. It is the vocals that can make or break a great song or album. There is a lot of pressure on getting it right, but don’t fear, they are one of the easiest things to record in regards to microphone placement and technique.

A lot of the sound heard in a vocal track is determined by the choice of microphone. It is usually a large diaphragm condenser

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or ribbon microphone that will do the job best, but this has not always been the case. No matter which microphone you choose to use you want to ensure that the singer is no further than a few inches away from it so that the signal is as strong as it can be. Positioning the microphone higher or lower than the singers mouth can produce vastly different sounds, so ensure that the placement is right for the material being recorded.

The use of a vocal booth can cut out room noise and is fairly common practice. Unless you make the creative choice to pick up the sound of the room, this is probably the best option. If you do not have a vocal booth a reflection filter can also deaden the sound of the room and produce a much dryer sound. A pop filter is another useful tool that can be placed in front of the microphone. This helps eliminate the pops and syllabence associated with the movement of the singer’s mouth when they sing. It is also good for ensuring you don’t end up with a spit covered microphone. Recording vocals this way means that you can add effects like reverb and delay during the mixing process.

When recording backing vocals you expect there to be a little more reverb than the lead vocal. A simply solution to this is to record them the same way and add a little more reverb in the mixing stage. Another quick technique is to get the backing vocalist to stand a little further away from the microphone. Be mindful that this will also change the EQ due to the proximity effect.

When recording two vocalists simultaneously a great technique is to use a microphone with a figure 8 pattern and have each singer stand either side of the microphone, facing each other.

When recording more than two backing vocalists, or crowd chants for example, it is best to do it in a great sounding room. One technique for recording this way is to set up a room microphone in the middle of the room, set the pattern to omnidirectional and have them stand around and sing into it at a distance.

This concludes the microphone placement and techniques articles. After reading all three parts you should have some ideas or starting points for how you want to set up for your next project. Again, these are only suggestions and there are no wrong or right answers. Experiment as much as you can and be as creative as you wish to be. You may not achieve a great sound the first, second, third or fourth times round, but it is all a learning curve. Like anything, the more you do it the easier it gets and the better it will sound. The most important thing to remember when placing your microphones is that there are some basic rules in place, such as proximity and phasing, but

BRISBANE SPIEGELTENT SUNDAY SEPT 7

BY MATT THROWER PHOTOS BY MISH PHOTOGRAPHY

ELLY HOYT / NATALIE As Brisbane Festival continues its extensive program of musical and cultural events, it’s refreshing to see one of its flagship venues, the Brisbane Spiegeltent, playing host to something as traditional as Sunday afternoon jazz. That’s not to say the performers today are your general rag-tag of off-the-cuff jammers. This is a “proper” jazz event, with seating, soft moody lighting and an audience that applauses after each instrumental (or even vocal) solo.

This reviewer witnesses two bands who play sophisticated back-up to vocalists Elly Hoyt and Natalie De Jager.

Natalie is on first, and she delivers an immensly likeable combination of jazz and pop, even working the indie-pop likes of Gotye into smoky, subterranean jazz colours. She proves a diverse and confident performer, delivering everything from standards to autobiographical originals with panache. Her vocals are of the sweet Sarah Vaughan variety as opposed to the guttural blues tones of Nina Simone. This may have something to do with her musical background, as your reviewer discovered chatting with Natalie after her set.

“I started as a classically-trained singer,” she reveals, partially explaining the clear, bell-like clarity of her

vocals. “And I found myself gravitating more and more towards jazz.”

Abandoning lieder song for the urban heartbeat of jazz, she doesn’t see herself as an artist limited by genre.

“I love Erykah Badu, for instance,” she enthuses. “I’ve been working on material at home that has an electronica or an R&B edge to it. I titled my new CD Tea With Natalie because I think about it as what it would be like if you came over, drank tea with me and listened to music.”

Hence, the disc effortlessly flits between the moody romanticism of Starry Skies, the dreamlike melancholy of Poor Butterfly, the country-flavoured breakup tune You’re Gone and the aforementioned Gotye, in which she makes the decidedly non-jazz Hearts A Mess sound like it was positively written for a horn-piano-drums-upright bass combo.

Her performance today is symbolic of this CD’s effortless diversity.

DEJAGER

The afternoon goes on to provide something arguably more acceptable to jazz purists, but impressive enough to charm any audience of folks who appreciate good music – and that’s the strength of both of today’s performers.

Elly Hoyt possesses not only an astonishing range, but great musical intuition as well, vocalising along with complex horn lines and making such creative use of scat, it transcends the “be-do-be-bop” clichés frequently utilised to mock this genre of music. She takes the listener back to Bert Stern and Aram Avakian’s documentary Jazz On A Summer’s Day, a cinema

W E I V E R E V I L verite take on the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Specifically, she recalls that film’s footage of a remarkable performance by Anita O’Day, a singer with a similar technical depth and intriguing improvisatory spirit. From fully fleshed-out songs to finger-snapping group improvisations, Elly can do it all.

MURPHY’S PIGS Mick O’Malley’s Irish Pub Saturday Aug16

By Matt Thrower Photography by Rick Ng Murphy’s Pigs are Australians who play Irish folk music. It’s the most natural thing in the world, because in a sense, Irish music is Australian music too. Most of the old Australian folk ballads we sang in school were either actual Irish songs, or bush songs heavily derived from that country in terms of tempo, melody and instrumentation. The Emerald Isle is, quite simply, an essential part of our very DNA as Australians. This is reflected in the crowd tonight, with Irish and Aussies alike singing along with Murphy’s Pigs’ large repertoire of standards.

The band themselves are fairly traditional in style, as fiddle, banjo and acoustic guitar combine with some sharp vocal harmonies and an almost metronome-perfect rhythm section. There’s even a tip of the cap to Irish music’s later imbibing of rhythm and blues (through legendary acts such as Them) with ‘60s-styled keyboard twists thrown in.

A fair amount of those aforementioned songs we all used to sing at school appear, with the result that

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Wild Colonial Boy and Black Velvet Band actually get me a little misty-eyed with nostalgia. When the fiddle player and a guest singer are roaming through the crowd for a rousing take on Dirty Old Town (originally a British song which the Irish made their own), it’s immediately clear the group can amiably play with an audience’s emotions – one minute, you can be crying into your beer, the next you feel the urge to pour it over your head with an effusive “whoop!”. That said, Murphy’s Pigs remain a fairly curious band to review. Most of us music critics write about shows where the performance is the main focus of concentration in the room. This show is somewhat different. Neither background music nor the centre of attention for the audience, Murphy’s Pigs populate a significant middle ground. And that is to be part of a larger, communal whole.

Murphy’s Pigs are just one (albeit important) ingredient in an overall experience that blends music, food, beer, fun, singing along and amiable social contact. There are few more agreeable ways to spend a Saturday afternoon and the whole shebang is as Irish and Australian as Guinness and lamingtons.

ASH GRUNWALD

EW I V E R E LIV

RANDY G & GRAEME PLENTER catch one of the last gigs at Rock Central

It was as a fabulous concept and just what the peninsula needed.

Dan from Bam Bam Management collaborated with Bramble Bay Bowls Club to create a new home for rock music - Rock Central, which created some awesome events and brought some fantastic acts to the coast. Though this was to be one of the last shows hosted by this venue (that’s a topic for another article) this night was no exception, as we were treated to a thumping performance

by Ash Grunwald.

As I waded through the small ocean of humanity that had turned out to watch Ash, I couldn’t help but notice how rad the crowd was!

Redcliffe locals might not be use to many compliments, but this crew wasn’t too shabby at all. Great vibe, totally pumped for the show.

Finally, the time came and Ash stepped out on the stage, receiving a roar of a welcome as the fans all surged closer to him. Wielding a guitar, he took his seat atop a cajon doubling as the stool to a much gutsier bass drum and foot pedal. Never having seen Ash perform before, I was impressed at how competent and complete his performances are as a solo artist. He started off playing the guitar while accompanying himself with a crazy deep drum beat that could not only be felt in all four corners of the club- but every tonsil, kidney and partially functioning liver in a 2km radius (perhaps my only gripe with the evening). After the opening number Ash took a few moments to chat and jest with the audience, connecting a little before breaking into song again. I was loving it.

Over the years it’s become quite clear that ‘blues’ is very welcome in Queensland and if it’s Rock/Blues- well that’s even better. Someone like Ash Grunwald needn’t worry bout much, he is so well received and watching his polished performance, his intricate guitar skills, his thumping beats, his bursting energy and that sometimes sultry, sometimes gruff-blues voice, it was the recipe for a great musical night at Rock Central.

W E I V R INTE

TIGER ST

Interview/Story by Matt Thrower Photography supplied

With a band name like Tiger Street and a new CD entitled Applewood Lane, one could be forgiven thinking this Ipswich outfit are a little preoccupied with street names.

The truth is a little less OCD – Tiger Street is named after the Ipswich location in which the collective first gathered to create music, while Applewood Lane is the converted church studio the band recorded their seven new songs. As one of the last recordings made here before previous owner and production mastermind Magoo handed the property over to new owners, Applewood Lane is a rather fitting way to say goodbye to this fabled location.

It’s also a great way for listeners to say hello to Tiger Street. Two members, bassist Ken Weaver and drummer Chris Andrews, meet your narrator at (fittingly) a cosy little café in Ipswich – Cactus Espresso Bar, also where the group will be launching their CD on Friday, December 12.

A previous EP was released in the band’s name and it was a rather lo-fi affair, with some material even recorded on mobile phones as birds twittered carefree in the background.

“Yes, this is definitely a more high-fidelity take on our sound,” Ken says about the new recordings. “But at the same time, we were trying to get as much of a live sound as possible. Even when we were just putting the rhythm section down, the whole band would play together to give it that live energy.”

Chris agrees.

“I think this is a fairly good representation of what a Tiger Street live show is like,” he says. “Even when just the bass and drums were recorded, it was possible to faintly make out the other instruments bleeding through, which adds a certain space to the songs.”

For this recording, the group worked with in-house man Alex Miller who Ken and Chris both agree was the perfect fit when it came to collaborating with Tiger Street. A look through the sleeve notes to the new recording reveals a real sense of democracy when it comes to songwriting.

“A lot of the time, someone would form the bare bones of the song, by providing a melody and a lyric,” Ken explains. “But then it would be brought to the band and other members would add elements that

REET were vital to how the song came across. So it seemed unfair to credit just one or two songwriters.”

as regulars of popular Ipswich activist culture event Solidarity Külture Club.

When Tiger Street first emerged, they were almost more of a rag-tag collective of transient musicians than a band. As a result, everything from gentle folk to tough rhythm and blues found its way into the sound.

This diversity is still present – the new CD veers between dreamy pop, twanging country rock and woozy Mazzy Star-esque ballads – but it also comes with a more unified sound. “I suppose that’s because this current line-up has stuck around the longest!” muses Ken.

Ken confirms the group’s socio-political leanings: “There are a few of us who are raving mad lefties,” he says with some self-deprecation. “So that inevitably finds its way into the songs. It’s something that we really want to explore further in the future.”

This current line-up benefits greatly from the sweet, assured vocals of Nina Florence and Sarah Rae Meharg, but (typical of Tiger Street) throws in something from left-field in the form of performance poet Cameron Logan. His vocal riffing appears in the surrealist blues rumble of Three Dreams, which artfully blends spoken word with off-kilter rock song structure.

“That’s interesting you say that,” says Chris. “Because I’ve always found the interaction between the musicians and that live energy to be a really important part of the group.”

A look through the lyric sheet of Applewood Lane also reveals a political conviction at the heart of Tiger Street, particularly evident in the impassioned Save Galilee. Locals are also familiar with the band

Tiger Street’s Applewood Lane is out now. They will be launching the disc at Solidarity Külture Club, Cactus Espresso Bar on Friday, December 12. For more information, check out www.facebook.com/tigerstreet

However, while many activist bands find the message can overpower their music, this doesn’t happen with Tiger Street – the art and persuasion of the song always wins through.

Ken adds: “And if we can use that to help highlight both personal and political issues that are important to us, then all the better.”

Clockwise from top: Devil’s Kiosk, Transvaal Diamon Syndicate, Southern Booze Camp, Dallas Frasca, Brendan Leggatt Band

T-BAR FESTIVAL

LIVE R

EVIEW

Review by Kylie Cobb Photography by Jeremy Harris

To adequately review the TBar Fest, I’m going to give you what teachers call a ‘Positive Sandwich’: two slices of positive affirmations surrounding a not-so-positive, but still constructive criticism. I am forewarning readers because as a reviewer I am obligated to give my honest opinion no matter how much I favour the organisers or performers.

If you’d like to just read the good stuff then stick to the first and last paragraphs! If, on the other hand, you are courageous enough to contemplate what I fear is a growing trend in the music scene then go ahead...eat the filling too.

The first slice: TBar Fest was well organised; getting tickets, accommodation and navigating our way around the festival was easy. The sound system was exceptional and not a single squealing amp nor hard-to-hear vocals (although please refer to the ‘filling’ for more on this topic). The afternoon was kicked off with local talent, which is fantastic because I am a huge fan of towns supporting their own crop. Standouts for me were young alt/rock four piece, Kasper. Asa Broomhall drew me in with his witty banter and singing through his harmonica. Dallas Frasca, in her ever growing rock glory never fails to impress. Blues outfit Devil’s Kiosk gave them a head start with their groove-inducing musicianship. However Dallas and guitarist, Jeff Curran worked hard to get the audience off their seats and rocking down front. Transvaal Diamond Syndicate kept up a crazy pace with a sizeable handful of punters rocking the night away, finishing at 2am with an encore of “hillbilly metal”!

My main beef with this event is that it had all the promises of a ‘festival’ but at the end of the day was a pub gig - a really, really, really, really long pub gig. They had more than four bands in the lineup and a stellar sound system. But that, for me is where the likeness ends. When I wanted to talk to someone or needed a break from the music (which was quite often as the sound system was

too loud for the space - my ears are still hurting), it was to a concreted ‘smoking area’ at the back of the pub. I’m a non smoker. So when the sun set and the unexpected cold crept in (even inside), I had nowhere to go. Except home...where some people went.

At a festival I want to lose myself in the crowd and rock out. I just couldn’t do that there; 1) I was too tired; it had been a long day in the smoker’s section, and 2) At its peak I’d say there were 100 people there and by the time headline act Dallas Frasca came on at 11ish there were 50. Honestly, if I hadn’t driven two hours to get there, paid $98 for accommodation and really wanted to see the headlining bands, I would have left the gig at 6pm.

Or better still, not come to the gig till 8pm - a six hour aural assault is doable in return for some musical goodness from my fave musos, but not eleven of them. I feel like I’ve been to far too many ‘festivals’ lately that deliver the same results: the promise of a festival experience but at the end of the day a long gig and an ear ache.

I’ll finish this sandwich with commendation for the intention of this event, which is to foster a culture of live original music in a regional city and give emerging local musicians a leg-up by putting them on a lineup with more established national acts. Events like this are so important and I’ve made it my job to back them. I would though, like to see it be one or the other: a gig or a festival. That way we will have a win-winwin. The punters know what they’re in for; the organisers can earn some money (let’s face it, it’s a tonne of work and there’s no way this event made a profit) and together, we foster a growing appreciation and demand for quality, live, original music throughout Australia. With a more festivalstyle atmosphere and somewhere to retreat when needed, this festival has the potential to be a delicious, positive-filled hamburger-with-the-lot!

W E I V E R LIVE

PHIL BARLOW

AND THE WOLF JASMINE GAILER wished she was Red Riding Hood following Phil Barlow & The Wolf’s single launch at Brisbane’s Beetle Bar. The words ‘for the love of music’ popped into my head on Saturday evening as I drove home from the thumping performance by Phil Barlow & The Wolf at The Beetle Bar in Brisbane. People say if you love what you do then you’ll never work a day in your life. Well the proof was in the proverbial pudding on Saturday night when this four-piece rock/blues band stole the show like Butch Cassidy on a midnight train with an intense, passionate performance.

Following strong openers by The Royales, Don & The Mobsters and newcomers, Electric Suede, Phil Barlow & The Wolf demanded attention from the first note. The band played an hour-long set of mostly new tracks with a few favourites from their Phoenix Rising album. The band started strong and hard with Hit the Road and drew the mingling crowd straight to the front and centre. A quickly captivated audience were treated to a run of robust rock/blues tracks that forced our limbs to move and created an overwhelming urge to “yewp yewp yeeeoowl!!” at the end of every song.

I’ve seen Phil Barlow perform solo acoustic gigs and he is undoubtedly a talented musician. But Phil Barlow & the Wolf’s plugged-in performance as a band was something else entirely. The energy they produced was contagious. Being emerging artists playing near midnight, they didn’t have a large audience to feed

off. But from the front row I could have sworn that there was a crowd of thousands behind me.

The group is quite aptly named, as Phil’s unique style includes grungy vocals and wolfish growls while a cheeky grin rarely leaves his face. If he is the ‘big bad wolf’ then I have no doubt there were a few wannabe Red Riding Hoods in the audience, this reporter one of them, who wouldn’t kick him out of bed for having big ears and sharp teeth. Scott French on lead guitar was entertaining to say the least with a quirky dance style that at first made me laugh and then sucked me in to the pure wreckless joy of it, while he blew my mind with some sensational guitar licks. He bounced seamlessly off Regotron on the bass while Michael tore it up on the drums, at one point pounding the symbols so hard one went flying. But at no point did the wolf pack break formation, always in sync and relentlessly chasing down good music as the prey…

The set was rounded off nicely with their new single Faith or Fear that was released this month, followed by a rip-roaring Bold Sea Eagle. Phil finished the final song and said, “oh no, we forgot to howl” to which the audience responded with a hearty “one more!” The encore was complete with a few howling vocals and enough encouraging ‘wooing’ from the audience to fill the bar with noise.