Reverb Magazine - Issue 52 by Reverb Magazine

central coast|hunter|north coast

FREE #052 Nov ‘10

music, arts & culture monthly

Kasey Chambers Songbird sings

built to spill Know your enemy

Tony Mott Shooting rock stars

Al so inside: H u ng ry Kids of H u ngary + Pieta Brown + panter a + danie l Lee kendall

No. 52

re v er b

Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress, Marrickville: sales@spotpress.com.au

index

contents

News Built To Spill Birds of Tokyo Christa Hughes Horrorshow Gareth Liddiard Kasey Chambers CD reviews Gig guide The Chemist Pieta Brown Hungry Kids of Hungary Philadelphia Grand Jury Zakk Wylde John 5 Daniel Lee Kendall Nat Col and the Kings Pantera Sevendust Fashion Motoring Michael Franti Talking Shop The Evening Son Lydia Gaming Live reviews Fat As Butter review Book reviews Tony Mott Film reviews DVD reviews

8-14 16 17 18 18 19 21 22-23 24-26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 31 32 32 34-35 36 37 38 38 38 39 40-41 41 42 42 43 43

Ice Cube

editor’s letter

Credits

So here’s a hypothetical for you to consider — I am planning my daughter’s 18th birthday party to be held at home, you know, pool, BBQ and DJ sort of thing, and it is this coming Saturday. Leading up to it, I get an offer from a business client wanting to entertain some of their clients around my pool, and it will be the Friday before the 18th birthday party. Now my business client will hand over some $$ for the use of my back yard, and ‘promises’ that things will be fine. Unfortunately, Saturday morning comes and you find a dead cow in the pool, and the 18th birthday party is in a shambles, and it is all my fault even though I did not invite the cow. My wife and daughter don’t speak to me for weeks. Sounds familiar — well done Knights. Much love all, Kevin

Editor

Senior Writers

Adelaide French

Photographers

Editorial

Kevin Bull

Peter Douglas

Paul Frost

Brad Barber

kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Hugh Milligan

Aaron Hayden

Kevin Bull

Sub-Editor

Nick Milligan

Mark Henderson

Bianca Dantl

Sales, Newcastle & Central Coast

Amanda Bevan

Mark Snelson

Roger Killjoy

Jim Graham

kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Terrease McComb

Aaron Hayden

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

Contacts

art director

Writers

Stephanie McDonald

Tom Hudson

Sales, North Coast

Cam Bennett

Nick Bilbey

Mandy Nolan

Mitchell Jones

stephen@reverbstreetpress.com or 0458 559 938

Steve Bisset

Scarlett O’Horror

Ian Laidlaw

IT Manager

Stephen Bocking

Darren Pauli

Linda Wales

Kieran Ferguson

Kevin Bull

Matt Petherbridge

Cameron Clarke

Jessica Saxton

Cartoonist

North Coast MGR

Josh Clements

Jeff Theys

Tony Jenkins

Stephen Bocking

Emily Cones-Browne

Cassandra Tobin

Eliza Cox

Lee Tobin

Sales

Courtney Fitzsimmons

Kirsty Visman

Postal address

Stephen Bocking

Kieran Ferguson

Jordan Watton

PO Box 843, Woy Woy NSW 2256

Kevin Bull

Sean Frazer

Marija Zeko

Gig guide gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Production cam@reverbstreetpress.com.au

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Giveaways just email editorial@reverbstreetpress.com.au First come, first served

1 double pass

One double pass to the Future Music Festival, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Saturday, March 12

gareth liddiard

2 prize packs 1 double passes

Win one of two packs: One copy of Amy Meredith’s Restless CD, and one double pass to their show at the Cambridge Hotel on Thursday, November 4

Win one double pass to Kid Kenobi and MC Shureshock, LaLaLand, Byron Bay, Thursday, November 18

3 double passes 1 double passes

Win one of three copies of Triple J ‘s new Like A Version 6 on CD

One double pass to the Mullum Festival, November 25-28

5 CDs 5 double passes

Win one of five Crowded House CDs, The Very, Very Best of Crowded House

Win one of five double passes to see Jackass in 3D

LIDDIARD PARTIES FOR REVERB AT LIZOTTE’S

bluejuice ©kevin bull

As Christmas approaches, what better way for Reverb to celebrate but to help bring one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary songwriters to Lizotte’s. For the past ten years, Gareth Liddiard has been the driving creative force behind Australian Music Prize-winning band, The Drones and a string of modern classics. Now comes Liddiard’s debut solo release, Strange Tourist. Recorded in an isolated mansion just outside Yass, in country New South Wales, Strange Tourist captures Liddiard at his most naked and most explosive. Armed with just a guitar and a bottle of whiskey, he makes surreal stories of tightrope walkers, down and outers, suicidal Japanese salarymen and suburban radicals come alive like no one else can. Reverb is proud to present Gareth Liddiard at Lizotte’s in Lambton on Wednesdaym, November 17, and Lizotte’s, Kincumber, on Thursday, November 18.

REVERB PRESENTS NEW BEGINNINGS FESTIVAL

Newcastle and the Central Coast are about to receive their very own summer festival. New Beginnings is a two day camping festival aimed at showcasing the emerging talent from the region with a focus on artists within the indie and electronic genres. These acts will perform alongside numerous headlining national artists across three stages. Punters are set to experience a new beginning and a way to discover new talent. Already booked are Bluejuice, Hook n Sling, Timmy Trumpet, Canyons, The Seabellies, The Protectors, The Snowdroppers, Mojo Juju & the Snake Oil Merchants with over 70 other acts filling out the lineup. New Beginnings, presented by Reverb Magazine, Southern Cross Ten and Big Apachee happens January 15-16, 2011, at Morisset Showground.

R E B M E V O N Come to the Island! Live Entertainment – Nov Tues 2nd Nov (M/Cup), Josh Callaway from 5pm Fri 5th - Yellow Taxi Sat 6th - Bunch of Funkers Fri 12th - Driver 8

Sat 13th -Wayne Avery Fri 19th - DJ Pucko Sat 20th - The Wagon Fri 26th - Angie Sat 27th - Bunch of Funkers

Every Week MON - Free pool TUES - $10 Jugs WED - Killer Pool Comp ($100 Prize Money) THURS - Lunchtime Raffle (6.30pm Schooner Draw) FRI - Double Happy Hour 4-6pm $3.60 Schooners Afternoon Wind Down Raffle, Hot Bar Snacks 7Seas6pack Challenge

Take aways are available till midnight 6 nights a week.

COWPER ST CARRINGTON 4961 2467 8 reverb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

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CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER Line-up ANNOUCNED

inxs

INXS TO ROCK THE HUNTER

An exciting new chapter in the illustrious career of INXS is about to begin, with the announcement of their first Australian tour in four years exclusively for A Day On The Green to support their eagerly-awaited new album. Joining INXS will be US Grammy-award winners, Train, whose blues and folk-infused rock has propelled them to the top of the charts around the world. The re-formed Baby Animals and ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, the Models complete this stellar line-up. INXS, with special guest JD Fortune, will play their only Australian shows at wineries nationally in January/ February next year, including Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley on Saturday, January 29.

After three very successful years in Thredbo, Australia’s premiere roots and country music festival, CMC Rocks The Snowys is moving. In 2011, the festival will be held in luscious surrounds of the Hunter Valley in March and will be renamed CMC Rocks The Hunter. The move is due to the growth of the festival and the need for a larger site. An unprecedented roster of international and local country music stars is headlined by US legendary superstar, Alan Jackson. Jackson will be joined by Miranda Lambert (US), Joe Nichols (US), Jack Ingram (US), Troy Cassar-Daley, Emerson Drive (Canada), The McClymonts, Buxton Hughes (US), Jasmine Rae, Russell Morris, O’Shea (US), Dean Brody (Canada), Jonah’s Road, Peter McWhirter, Dianna Corcoran, Mike Carr & Springfield, Victoria Baillie, Busby Marou, McAlister Kemp, The Wilson Pickers, Mark Wells, Harmony James, Liam Brew, Markus Meier, Jayne Denham and Stephanie Brownlee. CMC Rocks The Hunter will take place on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley.

IN GOOD COMPANY IN LISMORE

With the shambolic state of mental health services in regional NSW being the subject of intense media and political attention in recent months, a bevy of north coast musicians have banded together to proactively address the issue. Over 20 local bands have pledged their support to the In Good Company Open Air Festival for mental health and homelessness, to be held in Lismore this coming November. In Good Company’s musical line-up includes Ngaiire, The Re-mains, The Tendons, Samba Blisstas, Very Unique Existence, Stipsky and Luke Vassella. The grassroots event, organised entirely by volunteers, will be held on Saturday, November 13, at The Lismore Turf Club and is tipped to draw to town a crowd of thousands, as well as raise big bucks for local charities the Mental Health Support Group and the Lismore Soup Kitchen.

usher

USHER VERSES NEWCASTLE

In what promises to be his biggest and boldest tour yet, Usher is heading to Australia in March 2011 for a massive arena tour. Following the huge success of his landmark sixth studio album Raymond V. Raymond and its extended play follow up Versus, Usher is set to embark on a worldwide tour, bringing his slick R&B beats and dynamic style to eager Australian fans. Usher’s last appearance down under was for a whirlwind promo trip in May 2010 that saw tickets to his exclusive Sunrise performance snapped up in just two minutes. Usher, with Trey Songz supporting, plays Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, and Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Saturday, March 26.

FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL LINE-UP ANNOUNCED

Award-winning musical spectacular, the Future Music Festival is back in March 2011 for another dazzling roll of the electric-loaded dice. Featuring a blue ribbon field flush with the world’s finest bands and DJs, Future Music Festival has more bright lights and neon action than Vegas. Ensuring that Future Music Festival 2011 is a winner from start to finish, Future Entertainment has pulled out all stops and is pleased to give music fans across the country a festival trifecta: the best DJs and bands, the best production, and the very best major event venues. The line-up for Future Music 2011 includes The Chemical Brothers, Pendulum, Dizzee Rascal, Mark Ronson and The Business Intl, MGMT, Ke$ha, The Presets, Art vs Science, Richie Hawtin, Sven Vath and Leftfield. It all happens at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, on Saturday, March 5, and Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, on Saturday, March 12.

Doves

PLAYGROUND WEEKENDER LINE-UP TEASER

Playground Weekender is back this summer, offering music lovers a truly unique festival alternative. Situated just one and a half hours south/west of Newcastle, it’s the perfect opportunity to escape the city for an eclectic mix of sounds featuring international artists, the cream of local talent and numerous quirky asides spread over four unforgettable days. Surrounded by natural bushland and the Hawkesbury River in what has been described as “the most spectacularly beautiful site for a music event bar none” (Robbie Buck, ABC), organisers have revealed a taste of the 2011 line-up: Doves, Kool & the Gang, De La Soul, Kate Nash, Caribou, Four Tet, Roy Ayers, Tunng, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Toro Y Moi, Norman Jay MBE, Tom Middleton, Damien Lazarus, Belleruche, LTJ Bukem, DJ Heidi, Canyons, Danimals, King Tide, Roska, Clive Henry and Strange Talk. Playground Weekender 2011 is at Wisemans Ferry, February 17-20. Find us on Facebook

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PEABODY GET LOOSE

Australian rock stalwarts Peabody have just released their fourth studio album, Loose Manifesto, and to celebrate, the band will play Newcastle and Maitland in November. Loose Manifesto was recorded on the same 8-track tape machine that Nirvana recorded their debut album, Bleach. Espousing all the punk rock aesthetics and themes of the Swiss World War I ‘anti-art’ movement, Dada (or Dadaism), Loose Manifesto ridicules the meaninglessness of the modern world through a series of short bursts, aural assaults, hypnotic rhythms, verbal sprays and carefully crafted diatribes. Catch Peabody at the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday, November 12, and the Grand Junction Hotel in Maitland on Friday, November 19.

uriah heep

URIAH HEEP RETURN AFTER 25 YEARS

It’s been over 25 years since the legendary Uriah Heep have played on Australian soil. In that time we’ve witnessed a lot of changes to our musical landscape, and through all of this, Uriah Heep has ensured at least one constant on the horizon — a hard, heavy rock band that continues to deliver. Uriah Heep’s unique, progressive, hard sound has made them a mainstay of the rock circuit for four decades. Famed for their accomplished musical chops, diverse song writing and powerful live performances, the band has released some of the most popular and defining music of their genre. With a catalogue that includes albums such as 1972’s Demons and Wizards and 1982’s Abominog, it’s no surprise that the band has sold over 30 million records worldwide. In 2003 Uriah Heep enlisted the vocal talents of none other than Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes on the Relentless album, thus cementing their affinity to this country. Uriah Heep play The Tivoli, Brisbane, Thursday, March 31, and the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Friday, April 1.

THE JOE KINGS HEAD EAST

NUMBERS RADIO TOURING NEW EP

Straight off the back of a 17-date national tour with Calling All Cars, the hard working Brisbane-trio, Numbers Radio, are hitting the road again to launch their new EP The Final Day, due for release this November. Offering more then most EPs, this seven tracker, better described as a mini album, is jam-packed with that high-octane rock dynamite we’ve come to expect from Numbers Radio. The first single, ‘Final Day’, was added instantly to high rotation on Triple J, and is just a taste of things to come. You can catch Numbers Radio touring nationally this November with Melbourne garage rock outfit Fangs, coming along for part of the ride. Catch them at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, Thursday, November 18, and The Northern Star Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday, November 20.

NEWCASTLE RECORD & CD FAIR

For those of you who like to get you hands on a big black 12-inch, the Newcastle Record and CD fair is the place for you. These events are always top class, with 1000s of rare and collectable records and CDs on offer, and lots of the best Sydney dealers making the trip to Newcastle. It all happen on Sunday, November 7, from 9am to 4pm at the Uniting Church Hall, Beau mont Street, Hamilton. Entry is one dollar.

natalie Pa’apa’a

COME TOGETHER — OUR MUSIC, OUR BUSINESS

‘Come Together — Our Music, Our Business’ is a professional development and networking event aimed at everyone working in the music industry within the Northern Rivers region. The day’s programme will begin with a panel discussion with particular emphasis on working within the Northern Rivers region. The afternoon session will be a break-out workshop session, where attendees will have the opportunity to discuss, debate and share knowledge in smaller groups. Panel speakers will include Leigh Treweek (National Marketing Director for Street Press Australia), Natalie Pa’apa’a (Lead singer of Blue King Brown), Rob Hirst (Drummer for Midnight Oil, The Break, The Backsliders, The Angry Tradesmen, Ghostwriters), Glenn Wright (Director of Vitamin Records and the Mullumbimby Music Festival). ‘Come Together — Our Music, Our Business’ will be held at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall, Wednesday, November 3.

It’s been an eventful year for The Joe Kings — as well as winning a WAMI, they’ve played at Southbound and the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, have continually sold out shows across Perth, released their EP nationally through MGM, had their debut EP on high rotation on Perth’s RTR FM with plays on Triple J as well, supported Ash Grunwald on the WA leg of his tour and were showcased to the world at the One Movement Festival. With such success on the west coast they are now venturing out across the country to take their raucous energy to audiences from Adelaide to Brisbane. Catch The Joe Kings at the Port Macquarie Hotel, Thursday, November 4; the Sawtell Hotel on Friday, November 5; Pacific Hotel in Yamba on Saturday, November 6; and The Rails, Byron Bay, on Sunday, November 7.

numbers radio

                                                          

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010



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the vasco era to play new year’s eve AT THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL

It’s the question on everybody’s lips as each year draws to a close, “What are we going to do on New Year’s Eve?” With the threat of a major anti-climax looming, the pressure to make the right choice on NYE can often be enough to keep the hardest of party goers locked in their bedroom, . The key to avoiding disappointment on NYE? Keep it simple. Good friends, good entertainment and all without putting a major hole in the hip pocket. The Vasco Era, after a mammoth 12 months touring with the likes of Placebo, Gyroscope, Alberta Cross and Powderfinger, will return to the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on December 31 to count down the final seconds of 2010 with good friends The Fumes and The Tunstalls. With all bands at the peak of their powers, there’s no reason not to expect a sweaty, thumping evening of rock and roll to wile away those New Year blues.

Krafty Kuts

KRAFTY KUTS november tour

Martin Reeves (aka Krafty Kuts) is fleeing the stranglehold of yet another English winter this November and heading south, embarking on a 16-gig nationwide mega-tour of Australia and New Zealand. The fingerlickin’ head honcho will be headlining a number of intimate clubspecific shows across both nations aimed at reconnecting with his fans and showcasing some of the jaw dropping skills he has become oh so well known for. Creating instant summer classics with a blend of breaks and electro, Krafty plans on showcasing his two newest singles ‘Shake Them Hips’ and ‘Lets Ride’ off his Instant Vibes label while letting the sun shine. Expect sets loaded with bass-heavy breaks, bangin’ hip-hop, and a smattering of electro all wired together with some of his signature rapid-fire mixing. Catch Krafty Kuts at the Byron Bay’s Great Northern on Saturday, November 13; The Beach House, Port Macquarie, on Friday, November 19; and the King Street Hotel, Newcastle, on Wednesday, December 1.

the vasco era

foreign objects

FOREIGN OBJECTS GET THE JAMIESON TREATMENT

Produced by Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson, The Foreign Objects’ second EP, 321, will hit shelves November 19. Following hot on the heels of March’s Amongst Ghosts, By The Sea EP, 321 proves that Foreign Objects are here to stay. “We don’t care about trying to prove anything to anyone,” says front man, Luke Hall. “Rock ‘n’ roll has never been about being accepted. We just wanna scream in your face.” Boasting a raucous, relentless sound, 321, was recorded in early August in Byron Bay. Bolstered by blistering new track, ‘Candy’, which recently graced the featured playlist at Triple J’s Unearthed website, the record is built on rock’s fundamentals: 60s and 70s pub-rock beats, punk-fuelled guitar triplets, sweltering riffs, and chaotic, howled vocals. Set to embark on a massive national tour throughout November and December, the New South Wales four-piece are proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Catch The Foreign Objects at the Beach House, Port Macquarie, on Saturday, November 6, and the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle on Friday, December 10.

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SHAWS BAY HOTEL Ballina

urban freeflow

URBAN FREEFLOW LAUNCH DEBUT EP

NOV

5 Angry Penguins 7 Jabaru 12 Mossey rock 14 Fossil rock 19 Plateau 21 Mossey rock 26 Lady & Tramp 28 Fat Albert

john steel singers

JOHN STEEL SINGERS TOUR TANGALOOMA

With their highly anticipated debut album Tangalooma just bursting to be played live on stage, The John Steel Singers kick off their biggest national tour yet, taking in capital and regional cities across Australia. Tangalooma was produced by pop legend Robert Forster, of The Go-Betweens, and mixed by uberindie producer Nicolas Verhnes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter). It features the

singles ‘Overpass’, ‘Evolution’, ‘Masochist’ and ‘Rainbow Kraut’ that manage to combine lyrical content exploring social anthropology on death and life with adventurous pop hooks. The John Steel Singers, with Deep Sea Arcade supporting, will be performing at the Coolangatta Hotel on Thursday, November 18, and the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, on Friday, November 19.

DEC

3 Glenn Massey duo 5 Pink zinc

Jackpot badge draw every Friday

THE SHAWS BAY HOTEL 2 BRIGHTON STREET, EAST BALLINA 103 River Street, Ballina P: 6686 2034 Phone 02 6686 2015 WWW.SHAWSBAYHOTEL.COM.AU 12 reverb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

IMMATURE MUSCLE FLEX

Our favourite beat wizard is marking his comeback with a new EP entitled Younger & Immature. Rather than tackling the dreaded second album syndrome head on, Muscles has instead taken a decent break to clear his head and rediscover the essence of what makes his music so special — producing thumping electro tunes that make dancefloors bounce, and kids take their shirts off and dance. The man himself has just returned from Toyko, filming the video for his come back single ‘Girl Crazy Go’. Muscles will also mark his comeback with a national tour. Catch Muscles at the Coolangatta Hotel, on Saturday, December 4.

NEW MATERIAL FROM OF THE RED SEA

Tradies hump day every Wednesday 4:30 to 6:30 *Bikini girls* *Free BBQ* *Happy hour prices*

After four years of delivering hip-hop to Newcastle, Urban Freeflow are about to drop their debut EP to the waiting masses. Having shared the stage with the likes of Urthboy, Muph n Plutonic, Horrorshow, The Tongue, Blades of Hades, A-love, Hyjack n Torture, Mind over Matter and Tycotic, it is now time for Urban Freeflow to step forward and shine. Catch the guys as they launch their EP at the Great Northern Hotel in Newcastle, on Friday, November 5.

my disco

After a long break for travel and other projects, Of The Red Sea are returning with new songs and a new bass player. They will be breaking in some new material at the Cambridge Hotel on Wednesday, November 24. With Sydney indieband buddies Rapids and locals, The Bastilles, closing out the night, it’ll be well worth showing up early.

MY DISCO DELIVER LITTLE JOY, LIVE

Jez Mead

JEZ MEAD’S SMALL TOWN

Jez Mead is the archetypal slow-burner. Relying on a DIY attitude and an unyielding touring ethic, Mead has been building a fire of support through constant gigging around the country and unwaveringly positive word-ofmouth. Taken from his recently released album, Beard of Bees, his new single, ‘Town’s Too Small’ typifies the intimacy and raw emotion that his fans constantly return to. To think that Mead has achieved so much without mainstream exposure is testament to his craft, although reviews for the new single are suggesting this troubadour is about to turn a spark into an inferno. Jez Mead will be performing at The Brewery in Byron Bay on Thursday, November 18, and The View Factory, Newcastle, on Wednesday, November 24.

With their third album continuing to defy conventions, My Disco take the Little Joy release to the road. As always with the Melbourne trio, the best thing about their new album is its weird kind of absence, a produced rawness that is at its heart. It’s the sound of a band using the fewest tools to create the greatest range of possibilities. It’s a record both expansive and minimal, a compressed expression of vast emotions. See My Disco deliver Little Joy at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, Thursday, November 25.

DIRTY LITTLE REBELS AT YADA YADA

The idea of teaming up local artists, free entry, cheap food and all-ages has worked a treat, with the monthly ‘Yada Yada’ events attracting an ever increasing crowd. This month will see The Dirty Little Rebels, Dwaine Cameron, Carissa Temple and Jae Peklar performing on Wednesday, November 24, at Port Macquarie Panthers. Remember, if you are under 18, you must be accompanied by an adult.

head of state

HEAD OF STATE RESIGNS

After seven years, two independent EPs and one independent album, playing alongside likes of The Drones, Spoon, Airbourne, Faker, Dappled Cities, The Sleepy Jackson, Karnivool, and about 150 shows, Head of State are calling it a day. Join them at their farewell show on Friday, November 19, at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle.

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the book of ships

THE BOOK OF SHIPS SAY AAGH

As part of the east coast tour for their new single ‘…Aagh’, The Book of Ships are heading to The Lass O’Gowrie, Newcastle on Saturday, November 13. They’ll be joined by local dirty blues/folk troubadours The Owls (fresh from winning Triple J’s Unearthed Fat As Butter competition) and the exploratory whimsy of FK Sampler (somewhere M83, Cornelius and Alps). ‘…Aagh’, the second single from Dark Continent, Cold Century, is released digitally on November 9

BAG OF FRIES

With releases out on Ministry of Sound, One Love, Young Gunz and Sound Pellegrineo, the bearly legal Frenchman, French Fries, is heading South for an extensive Australian tour.. His first release, at the tender age of sixteen stamped Valentino (real name) on the musical

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on Nomachinethinking/Vitamin. A free, three-track digital single will be given away to all who attend on the night. The download includes a cracking remix by Sydney production duo, Fishing. The show will be something of a homecoming for The Book of Ships — the record was produced in Newcastle at The Institute Studio. This is the first Newcastle show for The Book of Ships since 2008, and the first with their new, Melbournebased line-up.

map. About to hit the big time, French Fries was something of a an apparition until earning timely support from Sinden, Crookers, Brodinski, and A-Track, at this year’s Miami Winter Conference. See French Fries at the CBD Hotel, Saturday November 13.

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 13

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WILDSIDE OF THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL

Longtime collaborators, The Tongue and Spit Syndicate, join forces for a national tour of epic proportions. This is hip-hop’s answer to Voltron, or was it Captain Planet? The Tongue’s new album, Alternative Energy, has just dropped and it’s been generating quite a buzz. His renowned charisma and sharp wit will be on display once again where he will be joined on-stage by DJ Skoob (Three times NSW DMC champion) and Joyride in a show not to be missed. Spit Syndicate are on a high after the release of their critically acclaimed second album Exile. This tour will cap off what’s been an incredible year for the Sydney duo. Don’t miss this chance to catch two of the country’s most infectious and exciting young hip-hop acts in a rare double-headline tour. To make things even sweeter they’ll be joined by Melbourne MC, Class A, who is launching her album Me, Me, Me and Him: The Secret Life of a Receptionist. The Tongue/Spit Syndicate Wildside Tour play the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday, November 6. graff art will be on show

ALMOST FAMOUS

Have you ever felt famous? Well, almost famous is close enough. Binary Creative, in conjunction with Before it Began, is proud to present ‘Almost Famous’, a collaborative exhibition of art, fashion, music and models that will showcase some of the east coast’s most infamous graffiti artists, musicians and fashion designers. Almost Famous will be held at Before It Began’s new location at 14 Thorn Street (Newcastle mall), on Saturday, November 6, 6-9pm. There’s to be an after-party at Silk from 10pm.

THE MYSTERIES OF LOVE

“Green Room” award winner and Time Out Critics Choice artist Mikelangelo, joins with golden-voiced songbird Saint Clare for “The Mysteries of Love” - a seductive evening of love songs and lullabies. The pair have spent our winter touring in the UK. The on-stage rapport of these two stunning performers is affecting in its honesty, generosity, humour and sensuality. Mikelangelo and Saint Clare create an intimate bond with the audience, filling the theatre with a rare magic. “The Mysteries of Love” will be performed at the Royal Exchange Hotel, Newcastle, Wednesday November 10 with a Mojo Juju (solo) in support.

Light Noise

IT’S HULLABALOOZA

Dallas Frasca

DALLAS frasca GOES BIG AT BULGA CREEK

Dallas Frasca, one of Australia’s most successful independent musicians, the Queen of Aussie blues, roots and rock music, Oz Music Awards’ artist of the year, will be performing live at Bulga Creek Bushcamp, North Arm Cove, on Saturday, November 13. Gina Payne won, from over 500 entries, to have Dallas Frasca perform a free concert at a venue of her choice and now she says you’re all invited! Gates will open at 10am, camping is available at $10 a night. Also performing with Frasca will be The Adam Hole and Marji Curran Band, and Strangers With Candy. Entry is free and the concert is all-ages.

With Newcastle having one of the most thriving music scenes in the country, it would seem appropriate that we should celebrate it. Step in Hullabalooza, a mini music festival that will converge in Newcastle, Friday, November 5. Hullabalooza will play host to the region’s best and most promising artists at the Newcastle Leagues Club. Among the mix of five bands are Bacardi band comp grand finalists Little Blak Dress, Dungog-based hard rock band Caleb Skips Chemistry, progressive rockers Cota, the hyper-intense Sendfire, and well- known headliners, Light Noise. The night will not just be about the bands, though — the Jim Beam party crew girls will be on the prowl, mixing it up with the crowd and giveaways provided by Reverb, Lathams Music, Parachute Music, Coke and EAO Entertainment.

LIVE AND LOCAL AT LIZOTTE’S, PRESENTED BY REVERB

There’s plenty of local music to be had at Lizotte’s this month for their weekly live and local nights. Lambton Lizotte’s: Wednesday, November 10 — Adam Miller, Ghost Road, Dan March, Stick Figure Opera CD launch. Kincumber Lizotte’s: Wednesday, November 17 — Smokey Dan, Tri-tone Groove, Rocwater, Rowan and The Chestnuts.

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

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b u i lt t o s p i l l

You’re coming back to Australia two years to the day since your debut tour. Are you coming back for the Australian summer as much as the Australian audiences? Mostly we just love long aeroplane rides. What are your strongest memories of that first tour? I thought it was nice driving across Tasmania, from the airport to the [Falls] festival. Since then and now, you have released your seventh studio album, There Is No Enemy. As a musician, is it satisfying to have released a large body of work with full creative control? You know what, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought about anything like that but yeah, for me, I take that ‘non-compromise’ for granted because I have always been able to do it. I am more concerned with whether or not we are able to pull shit off that we are trying to do, and that’s a mixed bag of success and disappointment. Of course, it’s really nice to be able to do that — to do what I want and have some sort of success. You recorded digitally for the first time on There Is No Enemy. In hindsight, was this the right thing for you? The whole time I was pretty nervous about whether or not it would affect the sound too drastically. We did as much as we could to preserve the analogue world. We recorded the drums and bass on to tape. We did all the overdubs digitally, and then we mixed it through the boards and to tape. We basically tried to treat the pro-tools like a tape machine. The thing that I liked about it was that you can sing the song fifty times and 16 reverb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

Not being your average rock band can have its benefits — fans will embrace your creative left-turns, and critics are open to your new release being completely different from your last. As US indie leading-lights Built To Spill prepare for their second visit to Australia, Kevin Bull spoke with vocalist/ guitarist Doug Martsch about creative control, digital recordings and coming to terms with possessing a unique, but rather weak, singing voice. keep every take and then decide what you want to do, which one you want to use. For me that freed my mind so when I did sing I wasn’t worried if I was having a good take. I was mentally able to get rid of that whole situation. With a five year wait for You in Reverse and three years for There Is No Enemy, how is the album number eight looking? [Laughs] Right on schedule. I feel that there is no rush to get anything out cause we’re not like a hot new band that has to be getting things done. I think there’s plenty of Built To Spill music out there. I don’t think people are holding their breath for our next release too much so we feel like we can just work at our own pace and come up with stuff as we do. You’ve made the comment in the past that a song writing collaboration between all band members has the potential of being way better than anything that you have ever come up with by yourself. Do you still believe this, and it is something you wish to actively pursue? Definitely, already some of our best material is collaborative. I think the best stuff comes from when everyone’s making up their own parts. I feel that when people come up with their own parts in the midst of a jam when no-one really knows what’s going on, that’s when people do the most interesting things for whatever reason.

Looking at your tour schedule, it looks like you’re playing gigs on a daily basis for the next couple of months. Do you look forward to this type of workload? This tour might be pushing it a little bit just because we’ve done so much touring this [American] summer already. We may have overbooked ourselves this time so I’m a little bit dreading it, wondering how our morale is going to be. Looking at your set lists over the last month, none of them are the same. Is this to keep you engaged with your music live? I think so, yeah. I’ve never considered playing the same set every night — it’s just what we do. I think we’re a band that don’t have a huge amount of fans but, we have a lot of people who come to multiple shows. Just the fact that someone comes back to see you a second time, to me, is very flattering. To come back, over and over again, or make a trek to see you, that’s just the best thing I could possibly hope for as a musician. In 2002, you released your solo album Now You Know. Why didn’t these songs become Built To Spill songs? Actually, that was just a thing where I got into the blues and wanted to learn Fred McDowell’s slide technique, wanted to learn

open-tuned slide guitar. So, over the course of six months I came up with all these little riffs and parts, and started hooking them together and turning them into songs. I thought it would be fun to record them. It was a really slow process. I don’t think there will be another solo album, at least nothing like that. You have commented on your insecurities regarding your singing voice, yet I find it a truly unique and engaging voice. Are insecurities simply feelings about ourselves that make us strive to do our best? Yeah, definitely, and I definitely feel lucky that my voice is weird and all that, and sometimes I do appreciate the quality of my voice. When I sing live, even when I sing in the studio I feel really good about it. Listening back is when the trouble starts to begin. I know that Built To Spill’s success, a large part of it, is that I have a unique voice. Sometimes it’s about hitting notes, sometimes it’s about having strength in my voice which I don’t have at all which is why I double my vocals all the time. Listening back to some of the old things, a record like Perfect From Now On, I was so concerned with my pitch being a little off that I sang all the life out of the songs, so I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I ended up going with a lot of the scratch vocals on both of these last two records. I tried to re-sing it over and over again and I was like, “hey, the first time I went in and just sang to get something on there.” That scratch take seems to be the best thing. Built To Spill will be performing at the Peats Ridge Festival, December 29 – January 1, and the Metro Theatre, Wednesday, December 29. Follow us on Twitter

birds of tok yo

How was your tour with Silversun Pickups ? Brilliant, they were the nicest group of guys and gal. On the last show on the tour the lead singer Brian [Aubert] was down the front dancing around with a skeleton. They were a barrel of laughs and they were just stoked to have the opportunity to come out and do what they do. We felt really good that fans of theirs, who may or may not have been fans of ours, had the opportunity to see them in their element.

Were there any reasons behind this being a self-titled release? Yeah, we discussed it at great length while we were recording in Sweden. We were all trying to justify what title could be thrown around as a brand for the body of work we were doing. It really did feel like this time around, as opposed to our previous two records there was a lot more thought, effort and time put in. What we were doing was Birds of Tokyo and it felt like it had eclipsed anything we had done before. It sounds a little cliché, but it just kind of made sense for us to say “hey, if we’re going to put anything out there and give it the title Birds of Tokyo than this would be it.” So, it was a bit of a no brainer after we all agreed on that.

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Flying Together It’s been a big year for Birds of Tokyo and things only seem to be getting bigger for the Perth based four-piece. Amongst the shows and swelling success, drummer Adam Weston chats with Terrease M c Comb about their new eponymous album and touring tidbits. The band has been described as ‘a collective of individuals’, did you have a story of your own to tell on this album? Yeah, but at the same time I find I can only get as much as I do out of playing drums if my band member next to me is getting what they want, from what they do. As soon as there is a kink in the chemistry, I think that’s where things tend to go a little pear-shaped.

This was the first time we worked with someone out of the band; enlisting producer Scott Horscroft (The Sleepy Jackson, The Presets, Silverchair). It was interesting to work with someone and have them to critique what your doing. I think the best kind of players need to leave their own ideas and perceptions at the door, to an extent, and welcome other people’s feedback.

There’s a massive string of shows lined up for you, in particular the Open Arms Festival and Big Day Out. Does it get testing on the road? It’s going to be a breath of fresh air to be able to roll in to Coffs [Harbour] and do a festival because it will be vastly different, productionwise, from what we’ve been doing at our own shows. We’ll be following that with the Big Day Out run and New Zealand as well. When the temperature gets warmer heading into summer it’s all about the festivals, so we just wanted to get our own run of shows out of the way and then be able to jump into this. Is there anyone in particular you’re looking forward to seeing at the Open Arms Festival? Well, without a doubt The Living End are always at the top of my pile of festival bands. We have played on a couple of bills with them before and get along with them really well. They’re one of the most amazing live bands out there and always will be so that’s going to be a treat for us and everyone else alike, also Grafton Primary I’ve seen a couple of times before so I’ll be looking forward to seeing them again. It should be a really good day. Birds Of Tokyo is out now through EMI. Birds Of Tokyo play the Open Arms Festival, Coffs Harbour, on Saturday, November 20.

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 17

c h r i s t a h u g h eS — h o rr o r s h o w

Oh, The Horror!

Confessions of a Show Girl Christa Hughes is a show girl. Whether performing one of her many onewoman cabaret shows, up front as KK Juggy of Machine Gun Fellatio, or crooning jazz classics with her jazz pianist dad, Dick Hughes, she delivers. Mandy Nolan speaks with Hughes as she prepares to play the Mullum Music Festival. This multi-dimensional, multi-tasking mega star of the avante garde is a surprise package — one moment roller-skating nude singing “I want to be your motherfucking whore” and the next, cast as a lead for Victorian Opera. Hughes has also just released an album with her dad, and is soon to appear with him at the Mullum Music Festival. For Hughes, singing with her father is about returning to the music of the man who first inspired her musical path. “I started learning guitar in my teens. I’d appreciated the jazz and the blues, and I suppose because it was always there I’d taken it for granted,” admits Hughes. “It was trickier than I thought. When I learnt guitar, I started listening to Dad’s records; music like Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith. I had always really liked those records — it was lovely listening to things from another era. I used to take refuge in Dad’s record collection from all that overproduced 80s stuff. All those awful vocal effects, they just seemed so thin compared to these albums full of great big voices. These were real voices singing real songs about real stuff.” Hughes started singing jazz with her father when she was still a teenager. So, how does an inexperienced naive young girl manage to convey the emotion and story of jazz? “I was so aware of that as a teenager,” Hughes muses “because as a teenager you are so earnest and self conscious. You know, I’d sing with my eyes closed and my hands on my hips. I had my eyes shut because I couldn’t bare the eye contact. You could feel people thinking, ‘what would you know?’ because I was singing about things I had never experienced, like ‘my man done me wrong’.

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

Twenty years on, Hughes can open her eyes. This time round she’s lived the heartbreak and survived the emotional trauma. Hughes’s father is not a traditional jazz singer’s pianist. “Dad has a way of playing that I have to fall in to. Apart from performing with me, he doesn’t really accompany any other vocalists. In fact, a lot of singers wouldn’t sing with him — he has his own distinct style of playing, so I have to find a way to fall in with him.” Hughes has a big voice, and listening to the voice of a woman in her stride is nothing short of refreshing. It’s something she’s intensely aware of. “Every female singer now has a voice that sounds as if she is 12 years old. It’s kind of sick, really,” she muses. “If there was just one or two then you could let it pass. I suppose some women do naturally have that freaky voice but, on the whole, it’s so contrived. I don’t mind if someone uses that technique for a bit, but as for the whispering little girly voice, for god’s sake, grow a diaphragm, woman!” As for song choice, Christa and Dick Hughes have a huge repertoire of the expected and the unexpected. “There’s always Bessie Smith in our repertoire because Dad and I are both big fans of Bessie.” As for the rest of the set, tune in for Jelly Roll Morton, Memphis Slim and a special Mullumbimby Festival Surprise, “‘Weed Smoker’s Dream’ by the Harlem Hamsacks — what a fantastic name! It’s just perfect for Mullumbimby!” Christa and Dick Hughes play the Mullum Music Festival, November 25 — 28. www. mullummusicfestival.com.

Dynamic Sydney hip-hop duo, Horrorshow have placed themselves firmly on the ‘ones to watch’ list. At just 22 years of age apiece, and with two albums under their belts, they’ve played to sold-out festivals around the country as well as toured internationally with hip-hop heavyweights the Hiltop Hoods and Urthboy. Cameron Clarke spoke with the emcee of the outfit, Solo as they prepare to embark on a national tour. Horrorshow are one of those musical outfits that seem to capture collective sentiment remarkably well. Solo is a canny observationist and Adit is equally adept at cranking out ridiculously enchanting beats. One only has to listen to his work on Spit Syndicate’s latest album to gain an idea of his talent. The pair are, without doubt, making one solid move after another. Several months ago they accompanied Urthboy as well as Hilltop Hoods at a number of European shows. Both acts played sold-out shows in London on the same night. With such lofty accolades under their belt, perhaps Solo would afford himself a measure of confidence when approaching ensuing tours in Australia? “I don’t know if I really think about it that way, nothing in this business is set in stone. We had a very successful tour with Spit Syndicate, we managed to sell out a lot of the shows. Seeing punters who’d come through the door specifically to see us — as opposed to encountering us as the opening act for someone else that they’d come to a show for — was an awesome feeling, seeing whole crowds of people mouthing lyrics and meeting so many people at the shows and stuff… but you know, the success of the last tour doesn’t necessarily mean that this upcoming one is in the bag already.” Solo is decidedly more eager when describing the experience of touring and travelling around Europe. “We went to a few music festivals over there and it was amazing to see how they do things over there and the quality of the acts on the touring circuit. In particular we went to one festival in Switzerland which Urthboy and the Hoods were playing at where we saw Jay-Z, Eminem and Nas and Damian Marley in one weekend! Amazing shit. So, seeing all of that was very inspiring when we headed to London to play with the Hoods. It was a massive night.” As much as any avid hater will say otherwise, the fact that Australian artists are beginning to find markets overseas in previously uncharted live territory is testament to the vitality of the culture locally. However, overseas recognition is by no means an entirely

novel concept for Australian artists; legendary Sydney group Def Wish Cast were receiving solid airplay in parts of Europe back in the 90s. Solo explains his take on the phenomenon, “Hip-hop has grown and grown within Australia and acts are pulling larger numbers at festivals and on their own tours, and I think at the end of the day people (and particularly promoters) have to take notice of that, even if they’re from countries on the other side of the world! But I think it’s also about the work ethic and the dedication there. A lot of people I would speak to in places like France or Germany or even the UK would tell me that so often they’d have American acts schedule big shows or tours there, only to cancel just before they’re supposed to play — apparently this happens quite a lot, or worse, to show up and do a really half-arsed show just to get paid.” Whilst meandering around Europe, Solo also took full advantage of hip-hop’s capacity to immediately provide common ground between individuals of vastly different cultural backgrounds. “I spent some time with Pokerbeats, a German producer who did the beat for ‘She’s So Ugly’ on the Hilltop Hoods’ most recent album. We just chilled in the studio, listened to some stuff he’s been working on and drank, had a barbecue, etc. I wrote a verse while I was there but it was more for fun than anything. It was really cool to see people on the other side of the world doing pretty much exactly what heads in our local scene, and in my immediate circle, are doing here in Australia.” Recently, Solo and Adit have been doing just that, getting busy playing a gang of shows all around the country, as well as supporting Sage Francis on the Melbourne leg of his tour, the duo recently played a set at Fat As Butter festival. No doubt the boys will be back in the area sooner rather than later. Horrorshow will be performing at the Coolangatta Hotel on Friday, November 12, and at the Open Arms Festival in Coffs Harbour, Saturday, November 20. Follow us on Twitter

GA R E TH LIDDIA R D

“I’m the same guy and I have the same general view and outlook, but now I’m more in control.”

He’s the poet laureate of the state of Australian desolation, carrying the torch left behind by The Triffids’ towering balladeer David McComb. But Strange Tourist is Liddiard’s most sonically naked and intimate release. The ragged, sulphurous delivery of The Drones, which has seen them become perpetual critical darlings but a commercial work in progress, is here replaced with heavy silence. Soft, twanging guitar notes are left to float through the air and Liddiard’s voice, which is normally a strangled howl, is more intelligible and gentle, often lifting to a lilting falsetto. You can even hear his breathing over the raw guitar work. “I’ve got a weird voice — it’s got character, I guess,” says Liddiard from Melbourne, where he is based. “It was just the opposite of doing the Drones thing, [where I’m] trying to stay over this huge racket.” Liddiard found the process of recording a solo record more streamline than with his Drones band, but there was still a lot of work to be done. “I really enjoy recording, so I was really looking forward to doing that,” explains Liddiard. “But I hadn’t realised it was just going to be me doing everything. Part of the joy of recording is telling other people what to do and then they’re doing it. You’ll be out playing pool while someone’s [recording] overdubs. I didn’t realise it would be in the stool the whole fucking time,

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p e o p l e g

a r e l

st r a n g e d

Strange Tour ist is a solo record , but on ly in the litera l sense of the ter m . T he Drones have a lways been Ga r et h L iddi a r d’s words and music — but there’s nor ma lly a chaotic, thunder ing backing band . T his is the song w r iter ’s bare musica l bones . N ick M il l iga n spoke w ith Liddiard about his astonishing new a lbum . which is actually a bit tiring. The writing process was fun — it was all really fast. I did it all in eight weeks. Now I’m on the other side, I’m just happy it doesn’t suck, I guess.” Rather than make another record with The Drones after their 2008 masterpiece Havilah, Liddiard saw a lonesome record as a new challenge. “Well, I just hadn’t done it before,” Liddiard says. “I like to do something different every time. There’s solo records where you write a bunch of songs and get a bunch of people to play with you. Then there’s solo records where you play it by yourself. The former I’ve been doing anyway with The Drones. Even though it’s called The Drones, it’s a vehicle for my tunes.” Despite lacking the archaic arrangements of The Drones in full flight, Strange Tourist doesn’t lack ambition. The average song length is just under nine minutes. Lyrically, it continues Liddiard’s ruminations on Australian history and folklore, while sowing

in themes from the current political climate. The epic closing track ‘The Radicalisation Of D’, at over 16-minutes in length, takes a loose look at the incarceration of David Hicks in Guantanamo Bay detention camp in 2001. But while his imagery is as potent and vivid as ever, Liddiard isn’t ready to analyse his lyrics too closely. Time is needed for him to comprehend what he’s created. “It would only be about now that I’m starting to see things on Havilah,” Liddiard admits. “But Havilah and this record are the same beast — they were written in a real short time. They were written under a certain mental climate. It was all the same head space, so there’s going to be a thread that runs through, but I’ll be fucked if I can see what that is.” It’s always a surprise to Liddiard when people like his new material. “The minute you’ve finished it you have no idea how people are going to interpret it,” Liddiard says. “You’re

having trouble interpreting it yourself. Even though you made it, you’re having trouble seeing the forest for the trees. It’s like with The Drones thing when people say, ‘You get good reviews — you must expect to be loved’. But after every record I think, ‘People are going to hate this’. It’s always a surprise that people get it.” Liddiard has been performing solo for over a decade and will be touring the country as a one-man-band, in support of Strange Tourist. Since the early days of The Drones, Liddiard feels he has gained more control over the creative beast. “There’s certain things you can’t do when you’re young, and vice versa,” explains Liddiard of his songwriting. “You just bullshit out your arse when you’re young — things would be hard to fake now. But when you’re young there’s more of a chemical imbalance or something, which is hormonal. Testosterone. Depressive. You’re in a thrall. It controls you. It’s not like I’m old, but at 34, now I control it – that’s the difference. I’m the same guy and I have the same general view and outlook, but now I’m more in control.” Gareth Liddiard will play Lizotte’s, Lambton, Wednesday, November 17, and Lizotte’s Kincumber, Thursday, November 18, for Reverb’s Christmas dinner. Bookings can be made at lizottes.com.au. Strange Tourist is out now through Shock.

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 19

NOVEMBER 2ND

Melbourne Cup – $25 per head – buffet – comp bubbly with lunch - free bingo – fashion parade

7TH

– sweeps & raffles – live music Northern Rivers Big Band– $10 ticket pre-sold – $12 – SELLING FAST! – fundraiser for Maclean Hospital.

12TH Hekyl & Jive – 8.30pm. 13TH-14TH Julie’s Gold Jewellery –all welcome 19TH Little Fish Duo – families welcome 7pm-11pm. 21ST Family & Friends Bowls – $7 – free bbq & coaching 26TH 28TH

- 9.30am-12.30pm. Rocksalt – over 18’s - 8.30pm. Yamba Country Music Club – $3 - includes afternoon tea 12pm-5pm

TICKETS THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS – 8th Jan - $26 - SELLING FAST GRINSPOON - 27th Dec - $35 - SELLING FAST

BISTRO Open every day lunch & dinner. Sunday Night Carvery – $12 per meal. Monday Night Madness – $9.90 per meal. Daily lunch specials – $8 per meal. Gourmet Pizzas - $18 each – dinner only. Riverboat (A-La-Carte) – Steak & Seafood – Friday & Saturday evenings

COMING ATTRACTIONS 16TH DEC 28TH DEC NYE 4TH JAN 7TH JAN 13TH JAN 15TH JAN

THE FAKE 4 BEATLES EBB-n-FLO LITTLE FISH BAND TONI CHILDS SHANE ST JAMES Jemeoin ASH GRUNWALD

Yamba Bowling Club – 44 Wooli Street YAMBA 6646 2305 www.yambabowlingclub.com.au E - yambabowlingclub@tpg.com.au courtesy bus – norfolk bistro – a-la-carte restaurant dunes cafe – kid’s playground & playroom.

pie rre ba r o ni

k a s e y c h a m b er s

With motherhood a full-time occupation, Kasey Chambers had no plans to record another solo album. But in a 12-day period, 14 songs unexpectedly crept up on her. Nick Milligan sits down with Kasey Chambers to discuss the creation of her new album, Little Bird.

b S i n rg d After stepping inside the Delany Hotel to escape the drizzling rain on Newcastle’s Darby Street, Kasey Chambers wastes no time in gravitating toward one of the open fires. However, the dour weather has failed to dampen the songwriter’s desire to speak about her new solo record, Little Bird. It’s been five years since her last solo outing, 2006’s Carnival, and Chambers is quick to point out that she was not expecting to release a follow-up any time soon. But inspiration appeared seemingly from nowhere, and the Central Coast resident poured out 14 new songs in 12 days. So where did this outburst of creativity come from? “I wish I knew, so I could turn it on again — but it’s not that easy,” laughs Chambers. Though the singer does attribute it to the admission that she had no plans to make another record. “[The writing] wasn’t long after I’d told everyone, like my brother Nash, who manages me, and the label Liberation, ‘Look, I’m just not creative at the moment. I don’t want

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you to sit around waiting for an album. I’m not going to have one this year. I’m in mum mode.’ Maybe that took the pressure off and the songs started coming out. I wanted to get back to writing, just because I was writing and not towards something.” Once the inspiration arrived, there was no stopping the flow of material. “Normally I have to go and sit in a room, but these songs were coming no matter what I was doing,” smiles Chambers. “I’d have the kids running around and doing my daily life stuff, but it was like these songs were just coming out.” An album release is a massive commitment for any artist, especially a full-time parent, but Chambers isn’t worried about joining the touring and media circus that has now begun. “When I have a bunch of new songs, I’m excited to get out there and talk about them, so it seems like the natural thing to do next,” Chambers said. “A lot of artists don’t like the whole promo thing, and I get that to a certain extent, but I just want to shout it from the rooftops! I’m excited

about all these songs and I don’t want them to sit in my bedroom, I want to share them with everyone.” Over the past ten years, Chambers has remained a commercially successful purveyor of country music, and she’s certainly qualified to sing about the great outdoors. Along with her brother Nash, Chambers grew up on the plains of the Nullabor, travelling with her father who at the time was a professional fox hunter. Sleeping in the back of his truck, Kasey and Nash would always wake up to a new area of the desert. On the song ‘Nullabor, The Biggest Backyard’ from Little Bird, Chambers sings a love song to that childhood playground. Compared to those early days, Chambers is now a lady of leisure, but she would like to take her two children to the Nullabor one day. “I still feel like the Nullabor is my home,” says Chambers. “Even though I’m so settled where I am and I love my living room — god, I could never live on the Nullabor again. I’ve

become a bit too spoiled now — I like my hot shower and my hotel room when we’re on the road. But I’d love to take my kids out there one day. My eldest son, Talon, is eight and my little one, Arlo, just turned three — they’re living such a normal life. People see that we play music and that we travel around, but that’s not really the main part of my life. It’s school lunches and swimming lessons and P&T meetings. Apart from gigs, which my kids think is normal too, they’re growing up with the TV on all the time and Nintendo. I’d love to take them to the outback and say, ‘This is how I grew up.’ My little one probably wouldn’t get it quite yet, but my eldest son is really quite fascinated by other cultures and by the Aboriginal culture, and he’s fascinated by the fact that I used to live like the Aboriginal way of life. I’d love to show them that not everyone grows up in a house.” Kasey Chambers performs at Newcastle Civic Theatre on November 14, with sales through Ticketek. Little Bird is out now through Liberation.

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 21

album Reviews Feature albums

You Am I

EEls

Amy Meredith

I Am The Agent

Other Tongues

V2/Shock

sony

Independent

4/5 This is You Am I unlike you’ve heard them before. Swapping their wild, bombastic rock and anthemic ballads for a psychedelic, mature and melodic approach, the influential four-piece have created a consistently enchanting album. Singer Tim Rogers’ lyrics are poetic and elusive, his voice clearer and more focused. Musically, there’s a dream-like, hazy aura throughout this self-titled effort, which begins with the epic opener ‘We Hardly Knew You’, continues into the sunny, half-awake Megan Washington duet ‘Lie and Face The Sun’, and then flows until the introspective, almost whispered finale, ‘Let’s Not Get Famous’. Casual listeners might find this a little too mellow and self-indulgent. But You Am I purists will greatly appreciate the intentions of the band on this record, with Rogers, guitarist Davey Lane, bassist Andy Kent and drummer Russell Hopkinson having decided not to follow their usual brand of Aussie rock. You Am I is the mark of a band that are pushing themselves musically, adding more strings to their bow and ultimately further cementing themselves in the annals of Australia’s musical history and mythology. ~Nick Milligan

3.5/5 Tomorrow Morning is the ninth album released from conceptual artist, Mark Oliver Everett aka, Eels and the final instalment of a three-part album concept that included his two last recordings Hombre Lobo and End Times. Within this piece, the consistent theme of retribution and hope is visible, especially within the key tracks ‘Spectacular Girl’, ‘This Is Where It Gets Good’ and ‘Looking Up’. Eels use of organs and electronic instruments creates quite a soft, warm atmosphere throughout the recording. There is a nice slow pace to the album, nothing overly bombastic, which makes this record simply enjoyable to listen to. Eels has chosen to be more conservative in his latest album release, it certainly won’t be a hit, but it supplies a lovely experience for audiences to enjoy. ~Josh Clements

4/5 These guys have broken into the scene at the right time and brought the right sound with them. With catchy melodies and poetic choruses that you might find yourself singing in the shower, Sydney five-piece Amy Meredith are fun. Their debut album Restless is destined to build on the success of the two singles that have already made their way onto the pop charts, ‘Pornstar’ and ‘Lying.’ Their music (lyrically, revolving around girls and sex) is a collection of keyboards, guitar driven rock and electro overtones that are complimented by the perfect pop vocals of lead singer, Christian Lo Russo. Stand out tracks include ‘Born to Live,’ the very upbeat ‘Kiss Me Quick’ and both of the singles. For fans of: The Killers, OutKast and Blink 182. ~Mark Henderson

Shihad

Bag Raiders

4/5 I Am The Agent’s eponymous EP’s only downfall is, it should be longer. The Newcastle/Central Coast trio has a slightly experimental sound, without going overboard. They push the boundaries through their lyrical, vocal and instrumental styles; but only so far as to support the underlying music, serving to add a whole new dimension of emotion to the record. Especially in ‘Leave’, as the song develops from soft, delicate guitar and vocals into thick and heavy riffs and screaming. The EP is by no means an optimistic collection. ‘Melodramatic Popular Song’ shows the unique vocal stylings of frontman Michael Gale, exquisitely twisted through fragile yet forceful drumming and guitar melodies; to create one of the most sincerely poignant releases in a while. For fans of: Bright Eyes, The Smiths, Sunny Day Real Estate ~Jess saxton

Bag Raiders

Modular/Unversal

I Am Kloot

You Am I

Sufjan Stevens

The Age Of Adz Spunk

4/5 The lush, cinematic, orchestral arrangements that have become Detroit-based Sufjan Stevens’ signature sound, typified by 2005’s towering opus Illinois, are still present on his new record, The Age Of Adz (pronounced ‘odds’). But here those rolling, jubilant and resplendent compositions have been chopped up and deconstructed, rebuilt and rewired with buzzing, echoed synths and slow-tempo, trip-hop beats. Stevens has moved away from whimsical storytelling and explored internally constructed, repeated snippets of phrases. Inspired by the apocalyptic, sci-fi artworks of schizophrenic sign-maker and selfproclaimed prophet Royal Robertson (who died in 1997), the songwriter cuts himself adrift from focused, conscious songwriting and creates pastiches of organic and electronic sounds. Many of the background noises float in and out of focus, while shifting beats seem strung from the neurons of Stevens’ brain. Luckily for music fans, a joy ride through his mind is as captivating as it is experimental. The Age Of Adz is a movie musical, complete with gospel choirs and a full orchestra, pushed through Stevens’ doors of perception and reimagined by technology. The album opens and ends with two acoustic, hushed bookmarks, where Stevens’ soft, haunting vocal becomes introspective — perhaps his musical conveyance of falling asleep and waking up. This new album is a must-listen for fans. ~Nick Milligan

22 reverb

magazine issue #052 — november 2010

Tomorrow Morning

Ignite

Roadrunner/Warner

3/5 New Zealand rockers Shihad, have unleashed another instalment of the old-school-rock they’ve spent the last 25 years perfecting. Ignite is standing proof that rock is ageless. Though Shihad is typically known for speed rock, Ignite is quite a melancholy album. The songs follow a ‘less is more’ style; with a vocal focus in the verses, only becoming a heavier sound progressing into the chorus. There is a strong use of power chords, such as in ‘I’m a Void’, a typically cynical rock song based on absence of feeling. The momentum picks up with ‘Sleepeater’, which sees the use of vocal harmonies and a faster pace, creating an upbeat contrast in comparison to the rest of the collection. The album is also refreshingly free of auto tune and synth, which has become a common feature in many rock albums of late. For fans of: Incubus, Foo Fighters and Butterfly Effect. ~Jess Saxton

Gareth Liddiard Strange Tourist Shock

4.5/5 Strange Tourist, the debut solo album from The Drones frontman Gareth Liddiard sees him reinvent himself from the days of his group’s rock hit ‘Shark Fin Blues’, into a more mature solo musician. Liddiard’s latest recording consists only of his unique style of vocals and his impressive acoustic guitar skills. Within tracks like ‘You Sure Ain’t Mine Now’ and ‘Highplains Mailman’, his deep husky vocals and arpeggiated guitar picking help create the soft, warm mood that contribute to the depth of the stories he conveys. However, the 16 minute track ‘The Radicalisation of D’, concludes the album with some of Liddiard’s finest work. The track starts off slow with his guitar playing a soft sweet pattern and builds up to the extreme strumming of guitar chords and the hyperextension of his vocal-chords. Strange Tourist wasn’t made for commercial success, but more to highlight Liddiard’s talents as an Australian poet, which is where he finds his true success. ~Josh Clements

Restless

3/5 The Bag Raiders’ selftitled debut is un-ashamedly pop. The classically-trained duo have been getting about in clubland for quite some time but have only just begun to show us what they are capable of. ‘Shooting Stars’ was a teaser to the rest of the album, reminding us of dance floors past. Instrumental piece, ‘Castles in the Air’, loses nothing without the vocals, while ‘Sunlight’ and ‘Way Back Home’ are summer hit predictions. Breathy vocals, up-beat synths and catchy melodies make for pure pop. What makes it stand out amid the plethora of electronic acts coming out of Australia at the moment? It’s versatility — creating feelings rather than dance hits. ~Cassandra Tobin

Mark Cashin & the lil’ hussys Cashology Independent

3.5/5 With a voice that often brings to mind Brett Scallions from Fuel and a slick production, there isn’t much to not like about this album. Upbeat, driving tunes like the instantly catchy ‘Ordinary People’ sit comfortably alongside piano driven ballads like ‘Set in Stone’. It’s well- crafted punk-tinged pop. It’s inoffensive and you can imagine a room full of slightly drunk people in their mid 30’s having a great time to the live show. However, it’s a double edged sword being this accessible, easy enough for the everyman to listen to comfortably but without enough grit to really get stuck in your psyche and have an impact beyond tapping your foot along with it. Again, there’s not much you can fault here, other than the fact there’s nothing spectacular. ~Roger Killjoy

I Am The Agent

Sky At Night EMI

4.5/5 For every successful artist in the music industry, there is at least one release that truly allows them to shine and be seen. Sky at Night is just that for Manchester- based, I Am Kloot. The album is filled with excellence from the first cut, right until the very end. The opening track ‘Northern Skies’ sets the ambient mood for the album, bursting with acoustic guitars and layers of chamber strings that converge to create a desirable dark folk atmosphere to accompany the profound song-writing skills of Andrew Hargreaves. Sky At Night was one of the shortlisted albums for this year’s prestigious Mercury Prize, which showcases Britain’s greatest musical talents, deservedly being named one of the greatest albums of the 2010. For fans of: Death Cab For Cutie, Broken Bells, The Decemberists. ~Josh clements

Antony and the Johnsons Swanlights Spunk

4.5/5 Antony Hegarty produces highly emotional music. Whether singing about breast amputation or sodomy, this seemingly boyish recluse unleashes a velvety ocean of transcendental vocal ability. An odd and revered musical commodity (his friends include Lou Reed and Boy George) Hegarty’s fourth album with band The Johnsons, continues to showcase his knack for brooding, camp theatricality. Swanlights lacks the educated pop nous of previous work with little to no hooks, but triumphs with breathtaking orchestral landscapes. ‘The Great White Ocean’ uses classical guitar with a pastoral ambience, replacing the mournful piano that dominates elsewhere. On ‘Fletta’ he collaborates with Björk. While it doesn’t reach the dark heights of their previous project, ‘The Dull Flame of Desire’ it’s still an exquisite meditation of harmonic brilliance. ~Adelaide French

album Reviews album of the month

John Steel Singers Tangalooma

Due Process/Universal

4/5 There have been many ears awaiting the debut album from Brisbane’s John Steel Singers. Tangalooma showcases the strange pop prowess of the six-piece outfit. This record has a vibe reminiscent of the sixties and seventies British pop scene. In the song structure, harmonies and interesting movement between rhythmic patterns, a Lennon and McCartney influence is hard to miss. ‘Overpass’ is probably the best example of this. Marching rhythms interchanged with segments of free-floating harmonies abound and there is a touch of cult British group, Madness, in the vocal phrasing. Tangalooma is a collection of great pop songs with snappy lyrical content and some well placed, left-ofcentre, instrumental and melodic hooks. It’s an intriguingly catchy mix. For fans of: Tame Impala, Cloud Control, Washington. ~Nick Bielby

Grinderman Grinderman 2

Daniel Lee Kendall Lost In The Moment Red Cat/MGM

3/5 Being one of Triple J’s Unearthed feature artists, Daniel Lee Kendall’s music may not be entirely foreign to your ears. An eclectic mix of acoustic and electric beats, Central Coast lad Kendall’s new EP Lost in the Moment is a collection of songs that are chilled in atmosphere and smooth in texture. The title track ‘Lost in the Moment’ is soft, subtle and sincere with pop sensibilities and layered melodies. The more sombre sounding ‘The Point in This’ delves into the personal, with melancholy lyrics like “all those memories that used to make me smile, make me sad”. Although Kendall’s voice is mesmerising in its ability to provoke a daydream, there’s nothing in particular that sets in apart from the other folky-pop music in existence. Even though it’s been done before, it will still make you smile. ~Emily Cones-Browne

Jimmy Eat World Invented

DGC records/universal

4/5 Grinderman 2 is the second album from the Nick Cave-led Grinderman. This is Cave and company in fine and aggressive form. ‘Heathen Child’ is a standout track — the chorus features a wailing Cave and screeching guitar while the verses are somewhat measured. This doesn’t displace any of the wildness of the track, but makes it more real before it finally builds in a flurry of noise and suddenly stops. ‘What I Know’ is a soft but unsettling specimen that is essentially Cave on an acoustic guitar singing in sweet voice while an unnerving ghostly hum floats in the background. This second instalment from Grinderman is nothing short of a welcome assault on the ears. It seems to have found the edgy swagger of Cave’s earlier work without sounding dated and is very sharp in its delivery. ~Nick Bielby

4/5 Produced by Mark Trombino who also produced Jimmy Eat World’s first three albums, Invented has some correlations with those records — some hit songs but also, some misses. It opens with ‘Heart is Hard to Find’, a catchy song with acoustic guitar and laden with hand claps and strings. The first single off Invented, ‘My Best Theory’, sees the band remain true to their punk roots, but it’s not their best. In fact, the other punk-influenced songs on the record are also the weakest. Jimmy Eat World shine best when they add a layer of pop sweetness — songs like ‘Movielike’, ‘Stop’ and standout track from the album, ‘Littlething’ filled with sprinkling piano and a driving guitar solo. Jimmy Eat World has matured their sound with Invented and created a piece which will also translate into something brilliant on the stage. ~Stephanie McDonald

Young Revelry

Lior

EMI

You and I Independent

4/5 Reminiscent of late 80s and early 90s rock, Young Revelry’s debut EP, You And I is a collection of indie-grunge sounds. The Perth four-piece create songs that provoke you to nod in agreeance when listening to the call and response between the dirty-guitar riffs and the syncopated drum beats. The generous seven song EP is an ambitious, yet justified, collection of familiar music. The determination rings loud. ‘Came Back Today’ is triumphant in its use of messy solos, solid guitar riffs, dissonant feedback and vocals that hold more substance than the astute lyrics they repeat. The title track sounds like a rock take on the musical ideals of 80s band The Smiths. Young Revelry’s sound is clearly similar to many musical predecessors, but their music shows an ability to rise beyond the status of some 90s revisionist group. ~Emily Cones-Browne

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Tumbling Into The Dawn Inertia

3.5/5 Produced by Francois Tetaz (Gotye), Lior has stayed closed to his Middle Eastern roots and influences on Tumbling into the Dawn. The main theme on the record is lightness and darkness — light melodies, dark lyrics — especially on the title track ‘Tumbling into the Dawn’. The song, about a man who attempted suicide by jumping off The Gap in Sydney and survived, is interspersed with dark piano notes and Lior’s carefree and light voice. It leaves you questioning whether you should be contemplating life and death or tapping your foot to the catchy melody. Or both. Lior’s music isn’t sugar-coated pop — his music doesn’t flow in one melodic line but jumps around between the light and dark. This makes it a bit disjointed, notably in songs like ‘Everybody’s Doing That’ and ‘Chewing Gum’. If Lior had added a bit more sugar to some of these songs, it could have been a spectacular album. ~Stephanie McDonald

Tokyo Police Club Champ

Due Process

4.5/5 Shake, twist, dance and sing — it’s near impossible to keep still to Tokyo Police Club. Their sophmore album, Champ, is a charming collection of understated rock. The record is filled with dance-worthy, indierock tunes like ‘Wait Up’ — sounding so energetically young, so full of youth, but never childish. The Canadian quartet have just enough cheek and cheer to be uplifting and enough rock not to float away. The days of youth are reminisced in ‘End of a Spark’; a foot-stomping, hipshaking tribute to choices, mistakes and times when it just doesn’t matter. ‘Hands Reversed’ brings the mood slightly more sober, slowing things down. The collection is refreshingly minimal for indie-rock, it’s an easy listen, with tunes catchy enough to have you singing along. For fans of: Arcade Fire, Dappled Cities, Vampire Weekend and The Kooks. ~Jessica Saxton

Interpol Interpol Matador

3.5/5 After backlash from a waning fan base following their lacklustre 2007 release, Our Love to Admire, the self-titled fourth album from the New York post-punk outfit sees the band returning to their early form. Songs such as ‘All of the Ways’ and ‘Lights’ showcase the dramatic, melancholic and ,at times, gothic lyricism of vocalist Paul Banks. This binds well with their minimalist approach to song structure, resulting in haunting and hypnotic pieces. The album switches seamlessly between optimistic, upbeat songs such as the album opener ‘Success’ and the emotional and introspective wrenching of ‘Always Malaise’, with Banks’s deep, legato croon stretching across the entire album. Whether the recent departure of bassist Carlos Dengler, due to restlessness in the band, will sound as a warning to the rest of the band on matters of their growing monotony is unclear. But this move leaves substantial room for future progression and experimentation should they wish to reach the heights of their Gold-certified album, Antics or Pitchfork Album of the Year, Turn on the Bright Lights. ~Jordan Watton

The Jezabels

Sting

Independent

UMG/Universal

4/5 The final of an EP trilogy, this release shows a mysteriously darker side to the Sydney quartet. Powerful female lead vocals again distinguish The Jezabels from other bands usually needing more than one vocal to carry each track. Kicking off with an epic title track; driving drums, guitar and piano are perfectly balanced with pop/rock hooks, effectively creating a huge expansive sound. Amazingly, this energy is sustained right up until the final track, ‘She’s So Hard’, which slows and accentuates the EP’s romantic theme. Dark Storm is an exciting and addictive listen. To have just five tracks feels such a tease. For fans of: Florence and the Machine. ~Eliza Cox

3.5/5 Experimentation can be a wonderful thing. Not only for the musician, but especially for the listener — hearing a string quartet play the riff in the re-worked ‘Every Little Thing She Does is Magic’ in place of a guitar, is a pleasant surprise. Former lead singer of influential 80s group The Police, Sting has composed an album of nostalgic experimentations — consisting of 12 newly contrived greatest hits (yes, including ‘Roxanne’). The fresh orchestral symphonies mixed with Sting’s renowned reggae-tinged rock and minimalist pop-style create an album that indicates a pleasant mix of old and new. However, from the rock-paced ‘Next to You’, to the slower, swing-oriented ‘When We Dance’, no amount of string sections can disguise his original style or sound. ~Emily Cones-Browne

Dark Storm

Stone Sour Audio Secrecy Roadrunner

3/5 Maybe it’s just me but there’s something lacking on Audio Secrecy, Stone Sour’s third album, that I can’t put my finger on. There’s a large shift away from the anthemic hard rock that they’ve done so well in the past and an abundance of aching balladry. I even had to double check that it was Roy Mayorga still drumming with them, his usually huge presence just slips into the mix without much notice. ‘Mission Statement’, with its blistering solo, and ‘The Bitter End’ still get the blood pumping but Corey Taylor’s vocal lines on ‘Dying’ sound like they could have been lifted from a Nickelback radio hit. It’s not a bad album by any stretch, and you certainly can’t expect the hard-rock outfit to repeat themselves album after album, but it is a slightly tepid affair. ~Roger Killjoy

Symphonicities

Elvis CoStello National Ransom Hear Music/Unversal

3.5/5 It seems natural now for a British icon to continue their recording career well into their fifties, treading a fine line between relevance and indulgence (think Paul Weller). Elvis Costello sort of does both. His new LP, National Ransom is likely to be consumed with an overpriced bottle of wine and studied appreciation. Drawing heavily on the earlier part of 20th century rock ’n’ roll, Costello is in fine form with naturally flawless production (T Bone Burnett) and a bevy of killer session musicians. It concentrates on electric guitar, lap steel and organ giving it a well-rounded dose of Nashville country. Costello’s vocals still have that loveable punk swagger as he discusses the financial disarray of modern times on the title track. Tracks like ‘Church Underground’ spin barstool tales with Dylan/ Waits-type conviction. ~Adelaide French

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 23

NEWCASTLE Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night 2 Nov

Melbourne Cup Lunch

4 Nov

The Audreys

5 Nov

Lior

6 Nov

Abby Dobson & Lara Goodridge

7 Nov

8 Ball Aiken

11 Nov

Arrebato Ensemble

gig Guide Newcastle Tue, Nov 2

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Melbourne Cup After Party

Newcastle Racecourse The Potbelleez + Jace Cordell + Meena + Fuel + Mark Maxwell + J-Well + Phonic + Juicy Fruit + DJ Boogie + Saxon + Dsteady

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington Josh Callaway

Wed, Nov 3 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Oh Ye Denver Birds + Post Paint + Long Island Sound

Canyons

Acer Arena, Sydney

Armondo Hurley and The Bodz

Lizotte’s, Lambton Abby Dobson + Lara Goodridge

Maitland Goal Tim Rogers & the Temperance Union + Dave Graney & the Lurid Yellow Mist + Moko and Daniel Beazley +

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Sam Levick + Scott Gelzinnis + Kaylah Ann

17 Nov

View Factory, Newcastle

18 Nov

Gareth Liddiard Ganggajang

Bunch of Funkers

23 Nov 24 Nov 25 Nov

Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson

Beach Hotel, Merewether The Chestnuts

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Philadelphia Grand Jury + Howl + Bearhug

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait.

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Afro Moses & Moses O Jah

26-27 Nov The Last Waltz Revival

Jimmy Bazil Abby Dobson + Lara Goodridge

Lizotte’s, Lambton The Audreys + Nicholas Roy

Fri, Nov 5 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Coma Lies

Fannys, Newcastle

28 Nov

Jack Jones

Beach Foam Party w/- Scott Langley

30 Nov

Wild Women of Comedy

Jaytee + Ules

1-3Dec

Diesel

4-5 Dec Daryl Braithwaite 6-7 Dec 8 Dec

The Alchemical Cabarat George Smilovici

9-10 Dec The Church 11-12 Dec Dragon

+ Stereo Love + Jace Cordell +

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE Urban Freeflow

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Pendulum

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Snob Scrilla Sound System

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson

Lizotte’s, Lambton Lior + Tom Kline + Gossling

Loft, Newcastle Another Broken String

14 Dec

The Black Sorrows

15-16 Dec Jon Stevens 18-19Dec Diesel 21 Dec

Ian Moss

22 Dec

Bondi Cigars

23 Dec

Beccy Cole

Newcastle Leagues Club Hullabalooza w/- Light Noise + Sendfire + Caleb Skips Chemistry + Little Blak Dress + Cota

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington Yellow Taxi

View Factory, Newcastle The Mad Ones

Woodport Inn, Erina Ministry Of Sound w/- Tommy Trash

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4956 2066 or visit lizottes.com.au

Sat, Nov 6 Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley Chris Pickering + Catherine Britt

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Tongue + Spit Syndicate

CBD Hotel, Newcastle 12th Planet

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE Dragstrippers + Hellcrabcity

Sun, Nov 7 Great Northern Hotel, NCLE The Morpeth Jugbusters

Lizotte’s, Lambton 8 Ball Aitken

Maitland Goal

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle Peabody + I Am The Agent + Sister Jane

Lizotte’s, Kincumber James Reyne

Lizotte’s, Lambton Ed Kuepper

Loft, Newcastle Girl vs Ghost + Swallow You Pride +

Public Opinion Afro Orchestra +

Crystal Cove + Second Opinion +

Sally Seltmann + Thomas Lawson

Payroll + Last Friday + Truth Ruby

and Jamie Clarke

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Ghost Road

View Factory, Newcastle DJ The Scorcher + Kid Mince

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Jinja Safari + Alpine + Fishing

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington Driver 8

Sydney Entertainment Centre Robin Williams

Mon, Nov 8

View Factory, Newcastle

Acer Arena, Sydney

Woodport Inn, Erina

Leonard Cohen + Clare Bowditch

Newcastle Entertainment Cent. John Farnham

Bossy Boots DJ Femme + Sax On Legs

Sat, Nov 13

Tue, Nov 9

Acer Arena, Sydney

Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter

Leonard Cohen + Clare Bowditch

Wed, Nov 10 Acer Arena, Sydney Metallica

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Mission In Motion + Valencia

CBD Hotel, Newcastle Bone Thugs and Harmony + NJE

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Bad Taste + Glory Meat+ Chicken + Gentlemen

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle The Real Deal + Dan Potthast

Laycock Street Theatre, Gosf. Fiona O’Loughlin

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Kim Cannon + Earthen Melodies

Lizotte’s, Lambton Adam Miller + Ghost Road + Dan March + Stick Figure Opera

Royal Exchange Hotel, NCLE Mikelangelo and Saint Clare +

Peter Frampton

Stone Shadow + Del Santo

Bitter and Twisted Festival w/-

Lacrymae + Heminia + Typhos Brian Wilson + Chicago + America +

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

sam levick

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Hope Estate, Hunter Valley

24 reverb

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE

Amy Meredith

Terepal Richmond Daniel March

Skipping Girl Vinegar

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait.

Jeff Martin &

Sydney Entertainment Centre

Baroness + Akaname

Racz and Waters

Robert Carl Blank + Hussy Hicks

Metro Theatre, Sydney

Annandale Hotel, Sydney

Short Back and Sides

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Arrebato Ensemble + Gian

Fri, Nov 12

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

21 Nov

James Reyne

Robin Williams

Thur, Nov 4 19-20 Nov Mental As Anything

Alotta Presha + The Family Clam

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

The Charlatons + Deep Sea Arcade

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington

Merewether Fats

13-14 NovJames Reyne

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Waiting For Guiness

DJ Zannon

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Jarrah Thompson + Matt Southon + Genevieve Chadwick

Bitter and Twisted Festival w/-

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Ed Kuepper

Metallica

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait.

Fannys, Newcastle

12 Nov

Thur, Nov 11

Mojo Juju

View Factory, Newcastle Jarrah Thompson + Ash Henfry

Metallica Jimmy Barnes + Vanessa Amorosi +

Rhythm Hut, Gosford Love Child + Act Casual + Tea Shaker + Josh Watkins

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington Wayne Avery

View Factory, Newcastle Conscious Pilots

Sun, Nov 14 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Hungry Kids of Hungary + Big Scary + Ball Park Music

Civic Theatre, Newcastle Kasey Chambers

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait. The Rooftops

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE The Charlotte Jane Band

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Will Wagnor + Run Squirrel + Tim Crossey

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle Ben Solo

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Beccy Cole

Lizotte’s, Lambton James Reyne

Rhythm Hut, Gosford Taylor and the Makers

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Shaun Kirk

Mon, Nov 15 Metro Theatre, Sydney Manic Street Preachers

Tue, Nov 16 Caves beach Beachside Resort Kevin Bloody Wilson

Wed, Nov 17 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Chasing Ghosts

Everglades Country Club, W.W. Kevin Bloody Wilson

Fannys, Newcastle MC Akil

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE The Gin Club + Blame Ringo + The Jimmy Bazil Project

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Smokey Dan + Tri-tone Groove + Rocwater + Rowan & The Chestnuts

Lizotte’s, Lambton Gareth Liddiard + Loene Carmen

Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses + Mark Seymour + Richard Clapton + Diesel + Dan Sultan + Swanee + Mahalia Barnes + Michael Spiby

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Daysend + The Dead Love

CBD Hotel, Newcastle French Fries

Civic Theatre, Newcastle Arj Barker

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait. Botonics

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE The Melodics + ME + Bloody Lovely Audrey

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Grant Smillie

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle The Book Of Ships + The Owls + FK Sampler

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ed Kuepper

Lizotte’s, Lambton James Reyne

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Beards + Nova & the Experience

peabody

Thur, Nov 18 Lizotte’s, Kincumber Gareth Liddiard + Loene Carmen

Lizotte’s, Lambton Ganggajang + Benjalu

Queens Wharf Brewery, NCLE Bonjah

Wyong Rugby Leagues Club Kevin Bloody Wilson Follow us on Twitter

gig Guide North Coast Fri, Nov 19

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Nat Col and the Kings

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait. Peabody

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE Head Of State + The Moniters + The Havelocks + The Family Clam

Lizotte’s, Lambton Mental As Anything

Loft, Newcastle Coma Lies + Legions + Caverns + Hurt Unit + Rosevelt

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington DJ Pucko

View Factory, Newcastle Funkwit + Willow

Woodport Inn, Erina Nick Skitz + Miss Match + James Spy

Sat, Nov 20 Beach Hotel, Merewether The Boat People

Broken Bay Sports and Recreation Centre Patonga Blues Across The Bay w/- Jan Preston + Hat Fitz & Carla Robinson + Steve Garry & The 21-20’s

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Red Shore + Thy Art Is Murder + Third Strike

Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney Harbourlife w/- The Temper Trap + Metronomy + Yacht Club DJs + Canyons + Knightlife

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE Electric Horse + Memorial Drive +

Jack Jones + Meags Hill Daniel March

View Factory, Newcastle Jez Mead

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Philadelphia Grand Jury + Howl + Bugbear

Blush Nightclub, Gosford Children Collide + Violent Soho

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle My Disco + Alps + Bare Grillz

Civic Theatre, Newcastle Heather Franklin The Lucky Wonders + Halfway Home

Lizotte’s, Lambton Afro Moses and Moses O Jah

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Jerico + Breaking Orbit + Enemy of Average

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Here Come The Birds

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Jerrico Miami Horror (DJ set)

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Diesel

Lizotte’s, Lambton The Last Waltz Angie Ben Morris + Veneto + MC Losty

The Spooky Men’s Chorale

View Factory, Newcastle Samba Frog

Tue, Nov 23 Lizotte’s, Lambton Jeff Martin + Terepai Richmond + Gabrielle & Cameron

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE Lydia + Elliot The Bull Find us on Facebook

Groundation + Fyah Walk

Bonny Hills Beach Hotel Brewery, Byron Bay Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Mick Hart

Coolangatta Hotel

Tripod

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Hungry Kids of Hungary + Big Scary + Ball Park Music

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Simone Smith Stick To Your Guns

Infusions Cafe, Bellingen Kira Puru and the Bruise

Sat, Nov 27

LaLaLand, Byron Bay

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Lennox Point Hotel

Belles Will Ring

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE Ruby Tigers + Dali’s Angels

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE The Chemist + Slow Down Honey + The Stranger

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Diesel

Lizotte’s, Lambton The Last Waltz

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington Bunch of Funkers

View Factory, Newcastle Austin Busch & the Good Reason

Woodport Inn, Erina One Jonathan

Sun, Nov 28 Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE

Brittle + Click On Colour + Ikarii

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macq.

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Costa Ray

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Of The Red Sea + The Bastilles +

Fri, Nov 5

Diesel

Wed, Nov 24

Rapids

Jarrah Thompson

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Numbers Radio + Fangs

Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson

Groundation + Fyah Walk

Nimbin Hotel

Chris Pickering + Catherine Britt +

Woodport Inn, Erina

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington

Rhythm Hut, Gosford

Nimbin Bush Theatre

Tijuana Cartel + Wild Marmalade

Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton

Lizotte’s, Lambton

The Bleeding Knees Club

Martini Bros

Mental As Anything

Bag Raiders (DJ set)

Yacht Club DJs + Glass Towers +

Purple Drippers

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

The Pat Capocci Jazz Band Zen and the Art + Truth Ruby

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Diesel

Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong Stick To Your Guns + First Blood + Wish for Wings

Marshall and the Fro

Henry Rous Hotel, Ballina Glenn Massey

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Mick Hart

Lennox Point Hotel

Stafford Brothers Dick Dynamite + The Flangipanis + The Vampers

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Alderman Brothers

Port Macquarie Hotel Psycho Magnet

Sawtell Hotel, Coffs Harbour The Joe Kings

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Little Big Fish

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Angry Penguins

Van She Tech

The Joe Kings

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Blind Lemon

Sun, Nov 7

The Foreign Objects Paua

Byron Bay Community Centre Terry Oldfield + Soraya

Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club Tripod

Coolangatta Hotel

4 Nov

Abby Dobson & Lara Goodridge

5 Nov

Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson

6 Nov

Armondo Hurley and The Bodz

10 Nov

Kim Cannan

11-12Nov James Reyne 13 Nov

Ed Kuepper

14 Nov

Beccy Cole

18 Nov

Gareth Liddiard

20 Nov

Gangajang

24 Nov

Jack Jones

25 Nov

The Lucky Wonders

Ballina RSL Tripod

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Darky Roots

Brewery, Byron Bay Adam Brown

Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads Mason Rack Band

Ocean View Hotel, Urunga Matt Southon + Genevieve Chadwick

Pacific Hotel, Yamba Jarrah Thompson

Rails, Byron Bay The Joe Kings

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Lloyd Spiegl

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Jabaru

Thu, Nov 11 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay CC the Kat

26-28 Nov Diesel 1 Dec

Wild Women of Comedy

2-3 Dec

Daryl Braithwaite

4-5 Dec Dragon 7 Dec

Vasudha + Gem

Port Macquarie Hotel Blame Ringo + River City Haze + Tim Stokes

Sat, Nov 12

Jeff Martin & Terepal Richmond

Gollan Hotel, Lismore

8 Dec

The Church

9-11Dec

Diesel

15-16 Dec The Black Sorrows 17-19 Dec Jon Stevens

Australian Hotel, Ballina Lockie and Denny

Bangalow Hall Rupert Boyd + Jillian Norton

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay MC Akil + Louis Logic

Bonny Hills Beach Hotel Right Go Left

20 Dec

Ian Moss

22-23Dec Diesel 30Dec

Mike McCarthy

Brewery, Byron Bay DJ Beatdusta + A Lot of Pressure

Club Forster Kevin Bloody Wilson

Coolangatta Hotel Horrorshow

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Brewery, Byron Bay

Short Back and Sides

Rob Saric

Australian Hotel, Ballina

The Novocaines + Fangs +

3 Nov

Matt Southon + Genevieve Chadwick

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Beach House, Port Macquarie

Melbourne Cup Lunch

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Sat, Nov 6 T-Bones and Jones

2 Nov

Chocolate Strings + Anarchist Duck

Ocean View Hotel, Urunga

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

every Wednesday night

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Brewery, Byron Bay Gollan Hotel, Lismore

Don’t forget — Live & Local

Fossil Rock

Neverland, Coolangatta

The Matty Devitt Band

CENTRAL COAST

Charlotte Marshall

Thu, Nov 4

The Joe Kings

Lizotte’s, Lambton

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Lisa Hunt

Port Macquarie Hotel

Fri, Nov 26

Ganggajang + Benjalu

Brothers Mercy

Luke Vassella

The Claymores + Slug

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Mistaken + The Sacred Truth

Great Northern Hotel, NCLE

Tue, Nov 2

Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Lydia + Elliot The Bull

Goonellabah Tavern

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Sunset Riot + Cannons Mouth +

Blush Nightclub, Gosford

Byron Services Club, Byron Bay

Thu, Nov 25

E37

Sun, Nov 21

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Fiona O’Loughlin + Nick Penn

Hamilton Station Hotel, NCLE

The Wagon

Mon, Nov 1

PJ Kevo Katie Noonan and the Captains

LaLaLand, Byron Bay Angger Dmas

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4368 2017 or visit lizottes.com.au

Lennox Point Hotel Lloyd Spiegel

Neverland, Coolangatta Danny T

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Beauty and the Beast

Port Macquarie Hotel Charlotte Marshall + Tim Stokes

Thirsty Merc reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 25

NOVEMBER

gigâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;Guide North Coast (cont.)

Tuesday 2 LUKE VASSEL 3.30pm

MELBOURNE CUP

Friday 5 PURPLE DRIPPERS 8.00pm

Saturday 6 T-BONES & JONES 7.30pm

Sat, Nov 13

Bonny Hills Beach Hotel

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Brewery, Byron Bay

Adam Brown and The Dirty Channel

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay A French Butler Called Smith

Bulga Creek Bushcamp, North Arm Cove Dallas Frasca + The Adam Hole & Marji Curran Band + Strangers With Candy

Coolangatta Hotel Shihad

Diggers Tavern, Bellingen OKA

Federal Hotel, Bellingen The 9th Chapter

Goonellabah Tavern Wear The Fox Hat

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Krafty Kuts + School of Thought

Harrington Hotel Mick Hart

Henry Rous Hotel, Ballina

Friday 12 LOCKIE & DENNY 8.00pm

One Step Closer

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Little Fish

Lennox Point Hotel Broadfoot

Lismore Turf Club

Saturday 13 ADAM BROWN & THE DIRTY CHANNEL 7.30pm

In Good Company w/- Ngaiire + Diana Anaid + The Re-Mains +

The Samba Blisstas + Rich Latimer + The Tendons + Thrillbilly Stomp +

Saturday 20 SABOTAGE 7.30pm

Friday 26 KAMAKAZE THUNDERCATS 8.00pm

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Full Moon Party

LaLaLand, Byron Bay The Swiss

Laurieton Hotel Bonjah

Lennox Point Hotel 8 Ball Aitken

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Glenn Massey

Port Macquarie Hotel Bone Idol

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Ben Jam Band

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Plateau

Tatts, Lismore Helm + Stone Mountain

Yamba Bowling Club Little Fish

Sat, Nov 20 Australian Hotel, Ballina

Madison Kat

Shaun Kirk

Afro Moses

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Tue, Nov 23

Cheyne Murphey trio

Goonellabah Tavern

LaLaLand, Byron Bay Tommy Trash + Feenixpawl

Due Wave

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

LaLaLand, Byron Bay

Lennox Point Hotel

Quick Fix

Andy Murphy + Cassian

Port Macquarie Panthers

Rochelle Lees Damion Towner

Mullum Music Festival w/-

The Dirty Little Rebels +

Harry James Angus + The Remains +

Carissa Temple and Jae Peklar

Pieta Brown + Waiting For Guinness + Washington + Leah Flanagan +

Thu, Nov 25

King Tide + Heath Cullen & the 45 + Gleny Rae Virus & her Playboys +

Coffs Harbour Ex Services Club Brian Cadd and Russell Morris

Gollan Hotel, Lismore Stone Mountain + Deeme

Great Northern Hotel, Byron LaLaLand, Byron Bay Mullumbimby

Lennox Point Hotel Marshall Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Kell

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Fossil Rock

Loren Kate & Mel Robinson + Jen

Mama Kin + Dick and Christa Hughes +

Tue, Nov 16 Byron Bay Community Centre Spooky Mens Chorale + Kate Rowe

Cabins + Bonjah + Thad Lester + The Barons of Tang + Ebb and Flow + Motion Poets Art + The Moniters + Twisted Funk

Federal Hotel, Bellingen Gleny Rae Virus

Thu, Nov 18

Goonellabah Tavern

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Henry Rous Hotel, Ballina

Brewery, Byron Bay Jez Mead

Coolangatta Hotel The John Steel Singers + Pam Pam + Deep Sea Arcade

Gollan Hotel, Lismore Sarah Grant

Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock

Pacific Hotel, Yamba Shaun Kirk

Port Macquarie Hotel Dirt River Radio + The Goats + The One Eyed Kings

Fri, Nov 19 Australian Hotel, Ballina Mark Easton

Bayldon Community Hall, Coffs The Red Shore

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Africa Mandinko

Beach House, Port Macquarie Krafty Kuts

Brian Watt Dean Sharkey

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Open Arms Festival After Party

LaLaLand, Byron Bay

Sal Kimber & the Rollinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wheel

Neverland, Coolangatta

Sunset Riot + Dave Barrie + Lee Murray

Knife Machine

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Hekyl and Jive

Sawtell Hotel, Coffs Harbour 1st Ave

Twin Towns Ex-Services Club Kasey Chambers

Sun, Nov 28

End + Hungary Kids Of Hungary +

City Riots + Metals + Skryptcha +

Karl Farren+ The Yearlings +

Cloher + Lucie Thorne + M Jack Bee +

Open Arms Festival w/ The Living

Horrorshow + Behind Crimson Eyes +

+ Christian Pyle + Tinpan Orange +

Pieta Brown + Nano Stern + Flap! +

That Festival

Birds Of Tokyo + Grafton Primary +

+ Declan Kelly + The Rhythm Hunters

Juzzie Smith + Andrea Soler +

Jack and the Giant Killers

Coffs Harbour Showground

Lisa Hunt + Mohini Cox

Mojo Juju & the Snake Oil Merchants

Mullum Music Festival w/-

Brewery, Byron Bay

+ Peter C & the Soulshakers + Flap! +

Vince Jones + Jo Jo Smith +

Stafford Brothers

The Feramones

Cabarita Beach

Jordie Lane + Ali Baba + Nano Stern

Sara Tindley + Cornerstone Blues +

The Melodics + Me

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Sun, Nov 14

Method

Mullumbimby

Yada Yada w/- Dwaine Cameron +

Port Macquarie Hotel

Shaun Kirk

Push

Henry Rous Hotel, Ballina

Wed, Nov 24

Ballina RSL

LaLaLand, Byron Bay

magazine issue #052â&#x20AC;&#x2030;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x2030;November 2010

Deep Sea Arcade

Diggers Tavern, Bellingen

The Winsome Street Choir

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar

Numbers Radio + Fangs

26â&#x20AC;&#x192;â&#x20AC;&#x192;reverb

John Steel Singers + Glass Towers +

Rails, Byron Bay

The Rhythm Hunters

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

103 River Street, Ballina Phone 02 6686 2015

Bo Jenkins

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Sabotage

Philadelphia Grand Jury + Howl

Saturday 27 DAN HANNAFORD DUO 7.30pm

Pink Zinc

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Mon, Nov 22

Tightrope Alley + Stipsky +

Sawtell Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Friday 19 MARK EASTON 8.00pm

Psycho Magnet

one step closer

Fri, Nov 26 Australian Hotel, Ballina Kamakaze Thundercats

Federal Hotel, Bellingen Thora Zoo

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Mick Buckley

Lennox Point Hotel One Step Closer

Mullumbimby

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Afro Moses

Broadwater Parklands Harbourlife w/- The Temper Trap + Metronomy + Yacht Club DJs + Canyons + Knightlife + Canyons

Mullumbimby Mullum Music Festival w/- Kaki King + Vince Jones + Nano Stern + Oka + Waiting For Guinness + Method + Lucie Thorne + Tijuana Cartel + Mary Gauthier + Tinpan Orange + Morganics Hip Hop set + Flap! +

Mullum Music Festival w/-

The Downstairs Mixup + Gyan +

Pieta Brown + Washington +

The View From Madelineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Couch +

Salmonella DJ Sound System +

Space Cowboy & Zoe Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;amour +

Nano Stern + Mama Kin + Flap! +

Loren Kate & Mel Robinson +

Dick and Christa Hughes + Method +

Invisible Friend + Jackie Marshall +

The Rhythm Hunters + Jen Cloher +

Jen Cloher & Jordie Lane + Kooli +

Tinpan Orange + Cornerstone Blues +

Ghost Mountain + Jo Jo Smith +

Neverland, Coolangatta

Lucie Thorne + Scarlett Affection +

Andrea Soler + Wild Strings +

That Festival after party w/-

M Jack Bee + Joel Salom + Yeshe +

Asa Broomhall + The Yearlings +

Canyons (DJ set)

The Yearlings + Rebecca Ireland +

Global Rhythm Nation + Heath

Sal Kimber & the Rollinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wheel

Cullen & the 45 + Leah Flanagan +

Bang Gang

Lennox Point Hotel Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones

Ocean View Hotel, Urunga Mason Rack Band

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Neil Anderson

Pioneer Tavern, Wollongbar Brian Watt

Port Macquarie Hotel Rockhard + Dave Barrie

Sun, Nov 21

Sawtell Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga

Lisa Hunt

Great Northern Hotel, Byron The Go Set

Hotel Brunswick Mason Rack Band

Lennox Point Hotel Shaun Kirk + Katherine Harnett

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Mossey Rock

Down Houchie Brown Hekyl and Jive

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Lady and Tramp

Yamba Bowling Club Rocksalt

Sat, Nov 27

Mojo Juju & the Snake Oil Merchants

Shaw Bay Hotel, Ballina Fat Albert

Mon, Nov 29 Brewery, Byron Bay That 1 Guy

LaLaLand, Byron Bay Yolanda Be Cool

Tue, Nov 30 LaLaLand, Byron Bay Feenixpawl + Audixx

Australian Hotel, Ballina Dan Hannaford Follow us on Twitter

t h e c h e m i s t — p i e ta b r ow n

Get Your Prescription Filled Emerging from a music scene now well established as a successful breeding ground in this country, Perth’s The Chemist will soon be borrowing your ears with their infectious tunes – no prescription required. Paul Frost caught up with the guys after their set at Gosford’s Coaster Festival, where excitement about festival gigs and the pecking order for band fights were debated. Since forming in 2007, The Chemist have spent time honing their skills in preparation for a full assault on the Australian music scene. The band form a cohesive presence on stage, their name (according to lead vocalist Ben Witt) coming about “when we had a gig, we needed a name, and it just stuck.” Their influences are many and varied — from the expected (Dylan, The Beatles) to the eclectic (Tom Waits, Grizzly Bear). Their current release is a concept record of sorts, an enchanted set of melodies framed around the lead single ‘Lullabies #1 (Mercy)’. “This EP (Lullabies) was different to the last one and the way we are writing for our album,” explains Witt. “I had the idea over a weekend and then set myself a week of working hours to write towards the concept. I find the concept thing helps, it’s like having a conversation with someone you’ve just met, and when you find that common interest it just flows from there.” The opening two tracks of the EP help push the concept opted by Witt, and then there is the terrifying ‘Sweet Dreams’ — a half whispered/croaked eulogy that fulfils the ironic twist that the band intended. The last track is, according to Witt, “kind of like the end of the movie, and the credits roll for a nice upbeat ending. It’s a bit tongue in cheek — we don’t want it to be taken too seriously!” The whole “Perth scene” concept is another topic the band is often asked to respond to. There is no doubt to the riches that the area has provided in recent years — think Sleepy Jackson, Karnivool, Eskimo Joe, Birds of Tokyo — and the band have few doubts as to what has helped their peers from the west. “Everyone plays in each other’s bands” offers bass player Hamish Rahn. “It’s a really supportive environment and everyone is keen to help each other out.” We talk about comparisons to the live music scenes on the

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east coast and Rahn offers another telling viewpoint “that’s one of the lucky things about Perth for live music — no pokies.” A tight touring schedule is keeping the band on its toes; along with support slots for Boy and Bear and Birds of Tokyo they have their own national tour throughout November. I make comment on how band relations are kept in a positive manner throughout a long series of tours, and the guys make it clear that they have a theory as to who would win any on-stage fights if they occurred (we all agree that Rahn and Witt would wipe the floor with everyone). Asking the band how they feel about performing at festivals such as Coaster and the upcoming Festival of the Sun is a much simpler and agreed to proposition. “It’s great,” replies drummer Elliot Smith “practically painted-on shorts and tan streaks are part of the uniform — what’s not to like?” With those thoughts in mind, I asked chief songwriter Witt about how live performances influence his writing. “I try not to think about how we are going to pull (a new song) off live, and think that we will just deal with that when it comes. It does help me focus on the fact that I need to write some more upbeat songs and some things that will be intriguing live as well as on record.” While Witt admits he has tended to dominate proceedings on the band’s recorded output thus far, this is changing with the recording of their debut album. “We have started writing to record early next year. We want to keep it a bit rawer than the EPs.” Rahn adds “We want it to sound like a band playing — to really crank the dynamics.“ Watch this space — The Chemist are coming. The Chemist will be performing at the Hamilton Station Hotel in Newcastle on Saturday, November 27, and at Festival of the Sun, Port Macquarie, on December 10 and 11.

All That Shimmers Pieta Brown has a lot to live up to. With both her father and step-mother Grammy-nominated musicians (Greg Brown and Iris DeMent), music was very much part of her upbringing, and a profession she seemed destined to persue. Kevin Bull speaks with Brown as she prepares to visit Australia for the first time. Coming from such a musical upbringing, was it a given that you would end up on stage? It definitely was not a given! The music and songwriting is and was as natural as could be. The stage part of things was a different story. I came from a broken home and watched the effects of the music business on different parts of my family, so I was not eager to go down that road — or at least not until I was certain that it was my own music and art driving things. I had a lot of personal things to work out before I started taking my songs to the stage. I have so much respect for music and such a deep love for songs, that I didn’t want to take my own songs to the stage until I felt like I was coming at if from some kind of pure place. Was it difficult to step out from your father’s shadow in your home state of Iowa? I’ve never felt the desire to step out from his shadow. For me, my father and his music and songs create light — not shadows! There were certainly personal ‘demons’ I had to face with all of it. But I think that is true of most artists I know, regardless of any parental connection. Honestly, a sense of community and my deep connection to the land in Iowa has ultimately been helpful with all of it. At the heart of all of it, I feel like I’m continuing a musical tradition in my family that goes back quite a few generations. It’s not about me, or my father... it’s about the music. Having had a quite nomadic upbringing, has this provided you with a wealth of experiences that is now being delivered through your storytelling and poetry? Definitely. I think I could write songs from that place for at least this lifetime. There were so many layers that happened early on, emotional and otherwise. And now here I am adding

new layers all the time! For me songwriting, and the music and art, are a way of dealing with the world and I don’t mean that in a journal entry kind of way — just that the songwriting/artist place is my response to the journey we all are on. What does it mean to you to be signed to Red House Records, the label started by your father? I’m glad to have a label that’s getting behind my work! My father has informally moved on from Red House, I believe — at least for the moment — but my father’s truly independent take on everything to do with the music business has affected me and influenced me in all kinds of ways. You worked with producer Don Was on the Shimmer EP. What did you take away from the experience that you took into the studio with you when you recorded One and All? The idea of putting my vocals all the way out front. Don was insistent on pushing my vocal to the absolute foreground on Shimmer. I didn’t put it quite as far out front on One and All, but I definitely put it farther out front than I had before. You have just performed your songs live with a full orchestra for the first time. Considering that your music is painted with an alt-country-folk-blues brush, how did your songs take to this new treatment, and how was the experience? It was grand! All those instruments at once! The songs that the arrangers and I chose seemed to dig the new treatment. The arrangers and symphony did a beautiful job. Pieta Brown performs at the Mullum Festival on November 26-27. One and All is out now through Red House Records/Vitamin.

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hungry kids of hungary — philadelphia grand jury

Things seem to be going gangbusters for Brisbane indie-popsters Hungry Kids of Hungary at the moment. The band is winning its fair share of hearts and minds, of fans and pundits alike, thanks to the refreshing sound of debut Escapades and an extensive national tour that will bring the ‘Hungries’ to Newcastle this month. “Yeah, we’re all really happy with it,” said singer Kane Mazlin of the album. “With Escapades we spent more time doing pre-production than we did on the EPs (the first one eponymous, then Mega Mountain). We re-recorded the songs on the album from the EPs and there’s just a generally more colourful approach. We got to experiment a bit more on Escapades so there’s definitely a few surprises.” What isn’t surprising is that this colourful approach and experimentation is beginning to pay dividends for Hungry Kids of Hungary. The band recently picked up two ‘Q’ awards — Best Alternative Song and Song of the Year, no les — for the joyful and choppier-than-abutcher’s-sideburns single ‘Wristwatch’. The aforementioned ‘Wristwatch’ (which you’ve now doubt heard, unless you’re in some kind of cultural exile) is but one of a bevy of bristling pop gems on Escapade — not least the brilliantly harmonic ‘Scattered Diamonds’ (originally on Mega Mountain) and the equally hooky opener, ‘Coming Around’. Hungry Kids of Hungary are currently smackbang in the middle of quite an extensive national tour, the band’s most ambitious to date, for which they have recruited guitarist Remy Boccalatte, from Paper and the Plane and Spring Skier, to add an extra dimension. Mazlin said he has

Feeding the Hunger With their debut album, Escapades, finally on the shelves and already picking up some impressive plaudits, Hungry Kids of Hungary certainly have a lot to smile about. Stephen Bisset caught up with singer Kane Mazlin in the middle of the band’s national tour. learned some valuable lessons about surviving on the road since the band first took off on the rock and roll highway after winning Triple J’s Unearthed back in 2008. “I think the most important thing to keeping your sanity is not to sit next to each other,” Mazlin laughed. “But yeah, I really think having your alone time is key. Also trying to get lots of sleep is important.”

Earlier this year the band also got to taste life across the pond, heading to the UK to play a few well-received shows around London and the Great Escape Festival in Brighton with the likes of Broken Social Scene, These New Puritans, The Slits and Aussies Angus and Julia Stone, The Philly Jays and Eskimo Joe. They also sampled the heady world of the US touring

circuit playing such legendary venues as The Viper Room in LA and New York’s Mercury lounge — and it looks like the band may just have a pair of floaties in the unforgiving, sinkor-swim US market. “It was really great over there,” Mazlin said. “I also think there’s a fair bit of interest for going back and doing some more touring there next year which is pretty exciting.” Hungry Kids of Hungary will be playing the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay, on Friday, November 5; the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Sunday, November 14; and the Open Arms Festival, Coffs Harbour, Saturday, November 20. Escapades is out now through Stopstart Records.

Since the launch of their debut album Hope is for Hopers just one year ago, Philadelphia Grand Jury have enjoyed consistent airplay on Triple J, floored audiences at this year’s Splendour in the Grass and Laneway festivals and toured extensively throughout Europe, America and South Africa. On the eve of their ‘Save Our Town’ national tour, Joel Beeson aka MC Bad Genius (bass/keyboards) speaks to Kirsty Visman about the indie trio’s success. A year on from the release of their debut album, Beeson speaks from the band’s London apartment with an audible air of excitement. When asked to reflect upon the past twelve months, he sighed, “Being a musician and being able to live off that is just a dream! On top of that we’ve just been everywhere, touring the UK, Germany, South Africa. You know I don’t get many opportunities to look back on the last year but now that you’ve asked me to I just have the biggest smile on my face!” That smile is well earned. Extensive touring worldwide has garnered the Philly Jays a reputation as a stellar live act and they’ve managed to get this without compromising their musical direction. Proudly self-funded,

country? “We’ve been here for six months now and gathered momentum and a good fan base, sort of like when we first started out back in Sydney. Everyone outside of London, in these small towns, is just so excited to have a live band play! They really go nuts for it! We’ve been as far south as the south western tip of Cornwall and as far north as Stornoway in Scotland and everyone has been so enthusiastic.” After the release of the hugely popular single ‘Save Our Town’, the band is heading back to Australia for a national tour which also coincides with the deluxe re-release of their debut album. I asked Beeson what the story is behind ‘Save Our Town’. “It’s about the Hopetoun [Hotel]

S av i n g Yo u r H o m e T o w n self-produced, self-engineered and selfreleased, the band’s two key members, Beeson and Simon ‘Berkfinger’ Berckelman (guitar/ vocals) are not new on the scene. “We’ve played in bands for years and years and have had to have day jobs and all that so when we decided to come to London, we saved as much as we could so that we can live over here without working and that has been amazing,” Beeson beamed. How has the band’s eclectic mix of rock ’n’ roll, funk and soul been received in the mother 28 reverb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

in Sydney. We heard while we were over here that they’d closed it down and we were just so disappointed. We’ve seen so many great bands there and loved playing there ourselves so it was such a blow. It’s such a bastion for live music in Sydney and it seems that so often the live music industry just gets screwed over, so yeah that was the main stimulus for ‘Save Our Town’.” “We told Triple J that we had a new song and they were like ‘great, we want to be the first to play it this Friday during breakfast’ and

we were pretty excited about that, but that was Monday and we hadn’t actually finished the song yet. On top of that we were out of London playing shows so we raced back on the Tuesday night and went into the studio on the Wednesday all day just trying to get it right and we finally nailed it. Then we had an insane amount of Red Bull, mixed it overnight and sent it off to Australia to get mastered on the Thursday. It was a crazy deadline and we were wrecked for the next week afterwards so to hear that the song is going well is a relief more than anything [laughs]!”

It certainly has been a magical year for the Philly Jays and with their upcoming return to our shore it’s time to show them how much they’ve been missed. The 26-date national tour will no doubt see the band coming to save a town near you. Philadelphia Grand Jury play the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday, November 12; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, Thursday, November 18; and the Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley, Thursday, November 25. Follow us on Twitter

z a kk w y l d e

Wylde thunder Zakk Wylde has undergone quite a transformation since his early days in the Ozzy Osborne band as a fresh-faced angel, to the Zeus ‘God of Thunder’ look he currently sports. Wylde has come of age, a married father of three, the 43 year old frontman of Black Label Society also has two solo albums under his belt. Marija Zeko speaks with the Wylde man. There has been much speculation about Wylde’s exit from the Ozzy Osbourne band in 2009, but both maintain that Wylde was not sacked for drug usage, rather Osbourne felt his songs were starting to sound too much like the Black Label Society and wanted a change. “You know we’re still friends, I mean I call Sharon ‘mum’ and my youngest, Jesse, is Ozzy’s godson.” Released in August this year, the eighth Black Label Society album, Order of the Black, hit number four in its first week on the US Billboard 200 music charts and number one on itunes. According to Wylde, the group have high expectations for the record, “it’s going to bring world peace and solve the hunger problem.” Laughs aside, the album is beng touted as the Californian outfit’s best in years with reviews detailing how fresh the production and sound is. Wylde doesn’t see the point in album making being a chore. “I had a blast! I’ve never made an album where I didn’t have a good time. You make the music that you wanna make, I couldn’t be happier.” The front man’s also happy with the reception of the album, “it’s nice to hear good things said about me. Especially as I never get it from my wife and kids!” There are no accolades at home but Wylde balances it out by, “staring at myself in front of the mirror.” Everyone who’s had the good fortune of seeing Wylde perform, would note his strong stage presence. On his last tour to Australia Find us on Facebook

with Osbourne, he performed a frenzied guitar solo, completing it with warrior style pounding of the chest, just like the god of thunder. “Great, so now I’m a cartoon character,” he laughs as I relate my experience. “Well, I do the same for my wife in the bedroom and she just tells me to give it up!” During his time with Osbourne however, ultimately, the songs he was performing were Ozzy’s and Wylde did what was required of him - coming in after Jake E Lee left, following the void filled by Randy Rhoads untimely death. “It has been an amazing experience and we are all still the best of friends. I love Sharon, she’s great, we’re seeing each other on the Ozzfest tour. Black Label Society is something I needed to do, this is my thing where I direct where it’s going and play a style of music that being in the Ozzy Osbourne band doesn’t allow. Everyone’s been really supportive and why shouldn’t they be?” The album has been made and the next step is the promotion and tour, which is taking place in North America. First up, is the Ozzfest tour and then club shows up until late November. Australia however, will have to wait until mid 2011 when the boys will tour alongside Motorhead. “That’s going to be a blast, I’m really geared up for that!” Order of the Black is out now through Riot Entertainment. reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 29

JOH N 5

DEAR JOHN John William Lowery aka John 5 is the wearer of many hats. A former session musician, Marilyn Manson guitarist, commercial jingle writer, movie soundtrack producer and Lynyrd Skynrd collaborator — he has somehow found time to release five solo albums. His latest effort, The Art of Malice, was released earlier this year. John took some time out of his hectic schedule to chat with Scarlett O’Horror about his new record, as well as his return to Australia for Soundwave 2011 as a member of Rob Zombie’s band. You’ve recently released your new album The Art of Malice, how are you feeling about it all? I’m feeling great. I mean this is kind of strange but I just put these records out for myself; for the love of music and the love of guitar. I think people really connect to that because I’m not doing this for money or anything like that and I think people really appreciated it. I feel like a lot of my fans… it’s kinda like a weird cult, because they’re all ages and all types of people. I love it.

important to me and we work really hard on using a lot of different instruments and a lot of different vibes. We record a lot of stuff real late at night, just weird creepy stuff. We just did a lot of strange things to get that cool vibe. On the country songs we used a lot of old instruments.

The Art of Malice unfolds like a story or a journey when you listen to it from beginning to end. Did you have that intention in mind? I did. Each album has a meaning. A lot of the songs mean things to me like ‘JW’ is what my dad used to call me, it’s my initials. There are a lot of things to go with it. There’s a lot of work that went into it and I’m very proud of how it turned out.

Have you set out to say or express something different with each album? Well this one’s the fifth album and it was starting from the beginning of my life, what inspired me and what drove me to do what I’m doing today. I was such a big Van Halen fan; they were such an epiphany for me. David Lee Roth is a good friend of mine, instead of saying “you know?” he always says “ya dig?” so, I called a song ‘Ya Dig’. I wanted to make the best record I could. The other albums were very dark, and that’s great, but I wanted to break away from that and keep people guessing.

What was your original concept for the album? Did this change or develop during collaboration and production? Well, not really. The production is very

You first toured with Rob Zombie in 2005. What was that first tour like? Oh man, I was such a big Rob Zombie fan! I think literally I was more excited than the

crowd was to see us. It was just such a pleasure to play these songs that I listened to all the time. That still hasn’t gone away five years later. But he said in 2005, “we’re just going to do this Ozzfest, you know it’s only going to be six weeks. Don’t get too comfortable.” Then the six weeks turned into five years. Rob has been the best person I’ve ever worked with in my life and I’m going to be there till the end, till he wants to hang it up. You’re booked for the Soundwave Festival early next year. Are you looking forward to touring Australia with Rob Zombie? Oh my god! Oh my god, I am so excited to get there. You just can’t imagine how excited I am. I had so much fun in Australia last time. I can’t wait to come back. Any advice for the aspiring guitarists trying to make it? Yes. You know the real honest answer is you have to be honest with yourself, if you really want this bad enough you need to go outside the lines a lot. You just gotta leave your safe place and do it, cause if you don’t somebody else will. John 5 will be preforming with Rob Zombie at the Soundwave Festival, Saturday February 26, 2011 at RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, and Sunday February 27, 2011 at Eastern Creek Raceway. The Art of Malice is out now through Roadrunner.

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

D a n i e l Lee K en d a l l — n a t c o l a n d t h e k i n g s

Finding the Moment He may just be one man with a guitar and assorted instrumentation, but Daniel Lee Kendall commands a presence. After winning the Triple J Unearthed competition earlier this year, the young central coast musician is set to release his debut EP, Lost in the Moment. Stephanie McDonald chats with Kendall before his gig at the Raval in Surry Hills, about listening to his own music and not wanting to hear his songs on commercial radio. It’s his voice that wins you over, all tenderness, intimacy and vulnerability. However, Kendall finds it hard to describe his music, so picture this: a sunny Sunday afternoon, beer or wine in hand, watching the clouds drift across the sky and contemplating the world, life and everything in between. His music would be the soundtrack to those thoughts. “I listen to my music a lot — I don’t know if that’s weird or not. I find it’s almost meditative music,” he says. In person, Kendall is somewhat shy — his dark hair is hiding his eyes. The mystery of this makes you wonder what lies beneath them. The enigma is reinforced by some of his more introspective songs; ‘Long Way Down’ tells of plans going awry and how far someone could spiral down, while ‘Point in This’ struggles to make sense of the world. Although Kendall dabbled in a high school band, it was a show by Angus and Julia Stone which gave him a burst of inspiration to create his own music. “[The show] was really simple and honest and I was really blown away by them being themselves and not trying too hard. I went away and recorded a song the next day, and songs just seemed to keep coming from there,” he reveals. His journey from that early hit of inspiration to finished EP seems to have been a lucky one. Earlier this year he won Triple J’s Unearthed competition with the lush, ‘Lost in the Moment’, where announcer Richard Kingsmill lavished praise on him, “The voice has got a touch of Nick Drake about it, but the whole feel of the song is not as melancholy as

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that great man. All the empty spaces in the song really works.” ‘Lost in the Moment’ has also appeared as ‘single of the week’ on itunes. After hearing it, you realise it’s not luck which has gotten Kendall this support — it’s the strength of his music. It’s a song which would easily fit alongside the likes of Missy Higgins and Bruno Mars on radio stations like Nova FM. However, pushing his music into commercial avenues isn’t something he is focusing on. “We’d like to try and build it from the ground level up, which can take a bit longer and might be a more frustrating road. If the commercial side takes it then I think that’s good, but I don’t think we’ll push for that side,” Kendall explains, “I don’t think I would cope too well if [Nova] ran with it.” The young muso was fortunate enough to have parents with good taste in music — artists like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Neil Young were floating around the house on any given occasion. “My dad is a writer, he writes really well and he played the acoustic guitar — three chords and one strumming pattern. He had a book of Bob Dylan songs and would play all his songs the same. You couldn’t really tell each one apart,” he laughs. “But he gave it with all his heart and soul.” Luckily for Kendall, heart and soul seems to run in the family. Daniel Lee Kendall is to perform at the Peats Ridge Festival on Wednesday, December 29. Lost in the Moment is out now through MGM.

Mention the name Nathan Cavaleri in the queue at Coles, and half the people there will have memories of a young ten-year old guitar prodigy on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Fast-forward 20 years, and Cavaleri is hunkered down with the Blues in his new outfit, Nat Col and the Kings. Kevin Bull chatted with Cavaleri about the new band, Deep Purple, and the bad old days of the Dirty Skanks. The first time I saw you was on-stage with Deep Purple at their recent Newcastle show. What was it like to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ with them? I found it very surreal. Specifically because of the song I was playing, I had to pinch myself and go, hang on, I’m not playing a cover at the local RSL. It was really bizarre, especially that riff, you hear it so often. That’s probably one of the illegal riffs, one that you should never try playing. To tell you the truth, I was asked to get up spontaneously at the Sydney Entertainment Centre to do it. I said no because I had never played the song before. I was pretty sure I could cover it fine but I didn’t want to get up in front of so many Purple fans and fuck up ‘Smoke on the Water’ — imagine that! Half the people in the crowd would probably know how to play that riff. Going back a few years, you fronted Dirty Skanks. What happened? I can’t escape that one, can I? I was really confused to tell you the truth, and in the end I said “well, fuck you all”. The Skanks was a bit of soul searching for me. It was a bit of fun, it was offensive, probably pissed a lot of people off which was not too good. We didn’t mean to piss anybody off, but we did. I’m trying to work out whether I was actually doing the Skanks to deliberately try to resist my past, which was blues. Now it’s kind of like, fuck, I can’t get it out of my fingers. This is just me, it really is. I can’t work out whether the blues music has chosen me or I chose it. It just feels so right. With Nat Col and the Kings, you appear to be heading back to the Blues. I love that. I think a lot of people get the wrong idea of what blues actually is. See, I love Jack White because he really educates

people on what blues is and where it comes from. He’s filled with blues roots that guy. Blues to me is extreme emotions in a really fiery, yet cool, way. Going way back, a lot of people will remember you as the young guitarist on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Have you found this memory of you that people have as a hinderance? Yes, and no. Whether it was Hey Hey It’s Saturday or whatever show it was, the fact that I was a kid playing guitar was naturally going to have a certain ‘cheese’ or whatever. Overall, it is still positive because a lot of people will remember my name and I suppose there is a bit of a curiosity. You know what, it’s probably more of a hinderance when it comes to industry people. The crowds are all sweet and they are loving it. The industry are more stand-offish — I don’t know, that could be all in my head. I have a lot of expectations on myself and I make a lot of assumptions. There appears to be a big link with yourself and Newcastle. Your drummer, Col Hatchman, was with the Screaming Jets, as was bassist Kenny Jewell. Are you living in Newcastle now? No, I’m a Sydney boy. Newcastle for me is just a band town, I love it. I didn’t go, “I’m going to find some players and I know they’re going to be in Newcastle”, it’s more of being pulled towards playing with dudes from Newcastle. I don’t know if it’s a stylistic thing but Newcastle is just loyal to their rock. I think that would have something to do with it because naturally the players that are coming through there are still in rock mode and they love their rock. Nat Col and the Kings will be launching their debut EP at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, Friday November 19.

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Scott Caliva/eastwest Records

p a n t er a — Se v en d u s t

COWBOYS RIDE The Dust Settles INTO TOWN When Pantera released Cowboys from Hell in the early 90s, it spawned an unprecedented sound to the heavy metal world. Pantera were the front runners in the formation of the newly created sub-genre, groove metal. Sean Frazer speaks to bassist Rex Brown about the album and the era. How did this new ‘groove metal’ style come about? It was just a natural progression in what we were doing with our songwriting. Everything was demoed for this record, so we had time to sit and think of exactly how we wanted it to sound. We just kept on blazing through. At the time, Metallica were going a little southern and funny, and Nirvana were breaking through with their grunge. We found a little hole that we could slip right through that would sound a little different, keeping in mind, we were here to serve up the metal heads with something fresh, too. How long did it take to write and record the album? It was a spontaneous kind of thing — we would write it at different periods of time. Every time that something would come up we would immediately start to demo it, whether it be a full track or just a chord progression. We had plenty of time on our hands, we would just get into a circle and say to each other, “who’s got new material?” then we would turn these tracks into what would eventually make them what they are. Dimebag (Darrell, guitarist) had most of the songs, the main riff and whatever, he had a pretty clear vision of where he wanted to go with Cowboys from Hell. We all had our place with what we wanted and had to do, Phil (Anselmo, vocalist) would add the lyrics and create a melody for each song, adding the final piece to the puzzle. This freshly-mastered copy of Cowboys from Hell features some rare live tracks as well as the addition of a previously unheard recording of the song, ‘The Will to Survive’. Why did it take until now to release this song to the world? ‘The Will to Survive’ was one of the first tracks that we had ready for the album which was to appear on the original record. At the time, we were still growing into our own style and thought that it might not fit in with what we were currently doing. I’m glad that it has finally seen the light of day by appearing on our new release.

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

This time 20 years-ago, Pantera were ruling the metal circuit. What are some of your fondest memories from the Cowboys from Hell tour? We toured for 300 dates which meant that we had 300 good laughs — there was always something crazy going on. We ‘graduated’ halfway through the tour and were given a bus. We had been touring in this Winnebago for about seven months and when we finally got ourselves a bus, we knew we had made it! It was a good camaraderie because living that way was kind of new to us and touring that way was very new to us. We were opening up for all these acts and trying to pick up on what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong, that was the way we learned. There were a lot of beers in between so I can’t really remember everything! [Laughs] As a bass player, who have been your idols? That’s a tricky one. My sister is 17 years older than me so I had all The Beatles stuff and I had all The Rolling Stones stuff. At first it was Paul McCartney, but when I really started focusing on playing bass it had to be John Paul Jones and Geezer Butler, those guys were my top two. It took you guys a couple of years before you hit the big smoke. What was the initial plan for forming the band? Every band, when they first start out want to take over the world but we were not an overnight success by any means. We had paid our dues on the club circuit for well over five years. I was 17 when I first started the band, we played shows around Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma — we also played at every bar mitzvah and wedding in between. It was a dream come true when things started to go our way. After working so hard on a career in the music business with it being such a tough industry to crack, those early years of hard work finally paid off. The deluxe and expanded editions of Cowboys From Hell are available now through Warner Music.

US alt.metal heavyweights Sevendust will be hitting our shores in the New Year as part of the metal juggernaut, Soundwave. Back in the fold, a few years and a few albums later, fans will now see the return of guitarist Clint Lowery. Kieran Ferguson caught up with the man behind the maniacal screams from the riser, drummer Morgan Rose On having their ‘game day’ routine down for touring… We’re so used to it, it’s been easy for us since were not headlining. We run in there, jam for 45 minutes and cut as many heads as we can. Then, we roll out, have a few drinks and on to the next show [chuckles]. On not spending enough time off the road… I definitely wouldn’t say that we’ve sold our souls to the devil to do this, but it’s gotta be just shy of it. There’s no doubt that we’ve missed some unbelievable years, some of us have lost relatives, some of us more than one. We’ve been institutionalised almost, where this is the only thing we know. It’s such a bittersweet lifestyle, to be able to call this a job and perform to the masses for this many years and still be relevant, it’s a complete blessing. But, it’s a curse that our children have grown up without us. We’ve lost marriages and relationships, many personal and band tribulations, to be able to fulfil this dream. There’s so many people out there that would have no compassion for that, because it’s a dream to be able to have this job. On the shift in direction within their most recent album, Cold Day Memory… The main difference was having Clint back, when I put the band together it was a fiveman-band of brothers, we weren’t the best players in town with the hottest guitar player and the best singer, it was the best friends. That was the chemistry that we needed to communicate and not have ego issues. That was the best decision I ever made. That was the thing about all the records we’ve done. When we did the three records prior, without Clint, it became a little more one dimensional. That link was missing. We didn’t have his voice, guitar playing or song writing. Without that, it took a dimension out of the band. The next record might be harder to do than this one. there was a million ideas, the hardest part was deciding which one was the best. On his unmistakable scream lines… I was never going to be someone who had a

voice in this band, I had a ‘57 microphone there, ‘cause I was helping. This all just started with writing songs, I would sing something, with the intention of someone else singing it. It started off as that and it was really hindering my playing, having to reach over and grab the microphone and scream so much. Then someone suggested I get one of those headset mics, Tommy Lee uses one, he’s cool… [laughs]. The intent was just to get ideas, then it became second nature to me. I can have a conversation and play drums now, it doesn’t even register to me that it’s difficult. On heading to Australia… We were able to headline Australia after Seasons, then we ran into financial difficulties as a band and we couldn’t afford to go. We were in lawsuits, and we couldn’t pay the bills. All of a sudden we had different priorities with our families and we couldn’t pull this off. So we sacrificed playing the rest of the world. We ended up going instead with Ozzy, we could break even from that. I had no idea Ozzy hadn’t been to Australia for a while, we have a lot of younger fans, so you get people coming to see us, who had to pay two and three times what they would have paid, to see us play for 40 minutes. I felt horrible about it, it really beat us down. Because our favourite place in the the world to play is Australia, and that’s off of one tour. Of all the tours we’ve played around the world, and we’ve done more than most, Australia has definitely been the best. I fell in love with the people, with the country, and with our reaction. This is such an unbelievable place with untainted and non-bitter people. This is the greatest place on earth, how did i miss this? So, when this came up, it was a great opportunity to say sorry to our fans, and we love you! We wanna come back and headline and do some damage and rekindle this relationship. Cold Day Memory is out now through Rocket. Sevendust will be performing at Soundwave 2011, RNA Sportsgrounds, Brisbane, Saturday February 26, and Eastern Creek Raceway, Sunday February 27, 2011.

WED 24th NOV 7PM-10PM

THE DIRTY LITTLE REBELS DWAINE CAMERON

CARISSA TEMPLE JAE PEKLAR

All proceeds to The Mental Health Support Group and The Lismore Soup Kitchen

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13 at the LISMORE TURF CLUB...

A family-friendly music and arts Festival for Lismore 11am - 11pm LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY FROm NGAIIRE and band + Diana Anaid + The Re-mains + The Samba Blisstas + Rich Latimer + The Tendons + Stipsky + Thrillbilly Stomp + Tighrope Alley + The Winsome Street Choir and many more!

PLUS RIDES & ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS Including: The Big Worm, fun art workshops + roving circus performers!

s 12 hour ic of muc 20 acts er ov g featurin ly $15! for on

Bookyour tickets via thewebsite or by phoning the Lismore Turf Club on 02 6621 3176. Tickets can also be purchased over the counter from Music Bizarre, The Lismore Turf Club ofﬁce and all Northern Star Ofﬁces in Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina, Byron and Grafton.

Ticket Prices Adults: $15 Concession: $12 Families: $30 Kids under 10: free :) V.I.P. Box Ofﬁce seats: $40

(comfortable seating, indoors, prime position with verandah view of the stage, fully licensed area, delish bistro food available for purchase)

Live music

Good food

Art

Lanterns

Market Stalls

See: www.ingoodcompany2010.org for more info. Supported by

fashion — photogr aphy by tom hudson

above Flower headpiece by Alexandra Kachel and Jamie Brassil

above Dr Denim shirt $115, found tee $60, Dr Denim burgundy jeans $129.

above Asuza singlet $59, Brixton cap $55.

above Something Else ‘stellar kaftan dress’ $249.95, jewellery by Cheap Monday, House of Harlow 1960, and Elke Kramer

IN bloom 34 reverb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

fashion — photogr aphy by tom hudson

above Mitch wears Cheap Monday shirt $100, Dr Denim jeans $159. Ruth wears Something Else ‘mystic triangle’ dress $129.95, Elke Kramer ‘tough love’ bangle, rings by House of Harlow 1960.

above Vanishing Elephant shirt $110, Das Monk tee $60, Dr Denim burgundy jeans $129, Vanishing Elephant ‘Collins’ shoes $240, Brixton fedora $90.

above Wish ‘Sahara Maxi Dress’ $110, jewellery by House of Harlow 1960 & Elke Kramer

above Something Else ‘Mystic Triangle’ Dress - $129.95 Jewellery by Elke Kramer and House of Harlow 1960

Photography by Tom Hudson Hair and make-up by Lisa Fowler Clothes and styling by Abicus — 124 Darby Street, Cooks Hill Modelling by Ruth Macdonald & Mitch Storck Prop styling by Alexandra Kachel Shoot Assistant was Jamie Brassil Thanks to Auld & Grey, and Nodding Dog Studio

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reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 35

motoring

r e vi e wed

Holden Spark r e vi e wed by

Peter Douglas

“ P ut four in the thing and you’ d nearly go backwards — well, almost.”

size matters Holden is banking on mostly young female buyers plonking down their dosh on a new Barina Spark. Dunno about you but, we give young females credit for being a bit more discerning than Holden obviously does because this tiddler-size Holden (Daewoo) looks naff on the road. It’s so small it’s a bit of an embarrassment compared with other (larger) cars at similar money or near-new usedies. There are already two “ride-on lawnmowers” disguised as cars running around the streets — Smart for Two and Suzuki Alto. Now there’s another though, to be fair, Spark is a little bit bigger than these two. It’s a five door hatch that looks like a scaled down Barina with lumps. In its favour is a proper 1.2-litre, twin cam, 16 valve, four cylinder engine, seats for four, maybe five, and decent boot with a full size spare under the floor. Spark has scored a four star crash rating overseas without stability control which is standard on the Aussie spec’ models of which there are two, CD and CDX priced from an introductory $14,490 drive away for the CD. That pricing should last a month or two depending on how many Sparks are initially sold. If it fails to light up the sales charts, expect the price to stay the same at least, maybe drop a little to the benchmark for the class — $12,990 drive away though Holden would resist that with a totally new car. Obviously a city car, Spark occupies a small footprint on the road with parking and overall 36 reve rb

magazine issue #052 — November 2010

driving benefits especially in tight city streets. It’s in the “tall boy” style that provides headroom for a full beehive hairdo and a surprising amount of cabin room given its dimensions. Car designers are getting better at space optimisation all the time and Spark is a good example offering plenty of storage, hidey-holes and covered compartments for expensive goodies. Spark is a result of General Motors’ new global vehicle plan — a product of the global financial crisis that has forced model rationalising and international resource utilisation on some of the industry’s biggest players. It means Spark will come out of factories in Korea, South Africa, China and other locations. Ours will eventually come from South Africa after initial supplies from Korea. GM’s new global vision means some of Spark’s components have a familiar look — the engine for example lives in other European models. It’s good for 59kW/107Nm output and is Holden’s most economical Aussie car rated at 5.6-litres/100km. But Holden stuffed up big time with the transmission, which will be five-speed manual only for the first 18 months. At least half Spark sales would be automatic to drivers with auto only licences. Holden dealers are livid about that one but have to take it on the chin or up-sell buyers into something else. Safety issues are neatly dealt with in Spark which offers a high level of protection in the event of a collision. It has six air bags and stability control as standard equipment and

much of the body/chassis is in high strength steel. That said, we still wouldn’t like to be in a Spark in a prang with a Commodore, for example. Numerous other safety features are standard in both CD and CDX variants. Underneath the rather angry looking sheet metal, Spark is a fairly simple device with a strut front and torsion beam rear suspension. They have been around since Adam was a boy, so have drum rear brakes. We can’t see the sense in drum brakes because they would cost as much, possibly more than discs… but there you go. GM also went for hydraulic power steering instead of a more modern and fuel saving electro-hydraulic system. A big effort went into noise and vibration reduction and it’s been successful to a point. The interior is set up for Spark’s Gen-Y target audience with motorcycle-inspired instruments on the steering column, auxiliary jack and full iPod connectivity, steering wheel audio controls and colour coded dash fascia. Bluetooth is not listed but aircon is standard as are alloy wheels and front fog lights. We took the Holden tiddler for a decent urban bash the other day and it was an okay experience tempered with some shortcomings. Access is easy, especially in the back, thanks to the large doors and the seats are pretty good for comfort. It looks the biz around the dash area and is easy to operate. However, the engine is a bit of a dunger lacking enough power and torque to adequately pull up average hills with two adults aboard and the aircon on. It has to go down a cog or

two to keep on the pace whereupon noise levels become intrusive and fuel economy goes out the window. Put four in the thing and you’d nearly go backwards — well, almost. The gearbox shift action is good and controls generally are up to spec’, even the disc/drum brakes. Something we didn’t expect is Spark’s ride/ handling which is quite impressive — offering comfort and control over rough surfaces and a sporty feel through the twisties. There’s no cringe factor here at all. On the highway, Spark is reasonable, tempered by the hill thing. It will maintain traffic pace with ease right up to the speed limit and once at the desired speed, noise is minimal from engine, road or wind. It really comes into its own parking and nipping in and around the tight streets and laneways of the inner city. Love the hidden rear door handles. The boot will take a couple of medium size suitcases and is expandable with folded rear seats. During our brief stint in Spark, we warmed to the semi-tough styling and the perky look of the thing. It’s a definite improvement on cheeky and cute which has seemed to dominate in this class of car for some time. It looks better from some angles than others, especially in side profile, with the tapered roofline and steeply sloping front screen. Spark is a tiny, cheap tiddler that will appeal to a certain group of buyers — like the Daihatsu Charade did a decade or so back. It’s available in seven colours including a striking bright metallic green and something like light pinkish mauve. Follow us on Twitter

m i c h a e l fr a n t i

The Sound of Sunshine is a really uplifting album that just feels like holidays and optimism. Is this an indication of your world view at the moment? Well, I wanted to create music that would help people through difficult times. Certainly in this country and in a lot of other parts of the world, people are really struggling and I wanted to make music that lifted people. I read that you were fairly ill before writing this record. Did that influence the album in any way? Yeah, my appendix ruptured and I was in a pretty bad way. It made me take time to reassess my life and I think I really needed music to help lift me. So, I made this album to get myself out of the darkness and celebrate all the good in my life. You have a history as a very politically motivated artist, however with this album you seem to have left politics alone. Is there a reason behind that? As the years have gone on I’ve realised that making specific political references is not as meaningful for people. All my music has been about caring, whether it be caring for one another or about the environment or certain issues, so that’s remained the same but now for me music is about opening people’s hearts not just opening their minds to certain ideas. You’ve got a milestone looming – 25 years creating music in the various bands you’ve been associated with over your time. Do you ever feel nostalgic about a particular time in your career? Those first few years playing in bands there was so much freedom in just being on the road with friends and getting up to no good.

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Good Day, Sunshine After 25 years in the business, Michael Franti has put the politics aside, replacing it with a little ray of sunlight. Calling from his son’s taekwon-do lesson in San Francisco, Franti speaks to Kirsty Visman about his new album, The Sound of Sunshine, and never wearing shoes. We’d roll into some little town and just ask people for a place to stay while we were on stage and just hang out for a few days before the next gig. Sometimes I long for those days, they were so simple. Interestingly enough, I was just told that after all this time we might actually be getting nominated for a Grammy. Ironically, it’s for ‘Best New Artist’ so that’s pretty funny to us after 25 years.

Do you ever consider what your life might have entailed if you didn’t end up in music? Well even if I didn’t have a ‘career’ in music, I’m sure I’d still play music. I would dread to work in the jobs I worked before the music took over! The best job I had was as a bike messenger, but I also worked in a lot of night clubs as a cleaner, picking up glasses, which was a terrible job!

I read that you haven’t worn shoes in ten years. I doubt you’d find many workplaces that would be okay with that! Yeah, I used to wade through broken glass in those clubs! I’d hate to try that with no shoes! Well, it’s a good thing then that you’re such a good muso. Do you plan to tour The Sound of Sunshine in Australia? It would be a great soundtrack for the summer festivals here. Yeah, we plan to get to Australia early in 2011. I actually opened a yoga centre in Bali so I’ve been spending a fair bit of time in the southern hemisphere. It would be great to get down there in the summer time and just duck across to Bali as well. I’m really looking forward to it! The Sound of Sunshine is out now through Liberator Music.

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 37

t h e e v en i n g s o n — l y d i a

TALKING SHOP Profiling music industry professionals

Name Bob Stevenson For whom do you work? Roadrunner Records Current position title? Promotion and publicity director How long have you been in this position? 15 years What are the main responsibilities? To work with the artists and look at ways to best expose them to the consumer and media alike. This includes setting up interviews with newspapers and magazines, dealing with radio stations and securing TV interviews. How did you get involved in the industry? I knocked on doors of the London record labels I was interested in working for, and thankfully EMI records gave me a job. I started doing all the shitty jobs for the different departments and quickly got a sense of how it all worked. Proudest moment? Being introduced to Price Charles and Lady Diana at The Prince’s Trust Concert in London with U2. Is there anyone you would really like to meet (living or dead)? Sir Winston Churchill. Best live show you’ve been to? David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’ at Hammersmith Odeon London and Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ at Earls Court, London. Favourite venue? Madison Square Garden in New York. Favourite musical instrument? Violin. To whom should we be listening? Definitely the new Alterbridge album. What would be on your ultimate rider? Never been as lucky to be given a rider for myself, does pinching from the band’s rider count? Best way to spend a Sunday morning? Lazily, with friends having great coffee and conversation at a cool outdoor cafe by the beach. Any advice for people trying to break into the industry? Be persistent and confident, and if you have the chops to do this kind of work, doors will open. More importantly do this work for the right reasons. If you think it’s a free ride and a way to hang with rocks stars you won’t last long. This is a very tough job and should be treated with respect or it will eat you up and spit you out. 38 reve rb

magazine issue #052 — november 2010

Son Rise The Evening Son are genuine diamonds in the rough, and are at the forefront of a movement that is taking the Newcastle sound to the nation. Courtney Fitzsimmons speaks to the heavy rock quartet about the release of their new EP, Open, and what the road has taught them. “People can hear honesty, they just know when you’re being fake”, explains drummer, Sam Peterson. “Music is all about being passionate and wearing your heart on your sleeve. You have to remember, audiences are smarter than you think.” “People revisit the 90s, their inner child”, asserts vocalist Jared Campbell with an impassioned glint of pride in his eye as he describes the band’s sound. “People hear something that’s a space that they recognise, that they feel comfortable with.” Guitarist Cain Horton highlights how “seeing a band with their own sound is refreshing for the punters and you find more people relate to you”. ‘All Aboard the Boat Wherever’ is the band’s first single from the EP and the boys recently shot a film clip in the Cambridge Hotel carpark

with a who’s-who of Newcastle muso socialites, groupies and hangers-on all making cameo appearances. The EP’s title track is the one Campbell describes as, “the open arms to any message conveyed in all the lyrical content, it was named that to open up to people and the rest of the songs are calling to open up.” The group’s continued success has seen them spending more and more time on the road — recently completing a whirlwind run of east coast shows with progressive heavyweights, Dead Letter Circus. “When I get into the van to go and play with the people I love, and the people I love making music with, it is really satisfying and where I am supposed to be,” Campbell reveals. A sentiment shared by bassist Luke Price, who explains, “it feels like going home.”

The experience of playing and working with professional bands such as Dead Letter Circus and Mammal has affirmed the hard work the boys have put in over the last five years. “Time with these kinds of bands give you a new appreciation and understanding of how the industry works and how to be successful, you learn from people who have made the mistakes and done the hard yards before you. Being close to others who are on the same wavelength, doing the same thing and doing it together feels fun and really cool,” shares Peterson. “It feels comfortable, comfortable is home and it’s what you’re supposed to be doing — like you know you’re not wasting your time. Oh, and swapping merchandise is good, too.”

Lydia has had upward of around 15 member changes over the years, if not more. On stage it has always looked different to me and the fans. But I think the thing that really made the farewell US tour work was simply the music. Me and Craig (Taylor, drums) had with us two very talented musicians. I think Lydia fans, and myself alike, don’t really care who exactly is playing the parts on stage, but more so if the music comes across well and hits them in the way they paid for.

Will Australia be included in the Farewell DVD, and will it just include footage of the Farewell tour? The Farewell DVD will most likely only include stops that are in the states. We have had the best fans and done so many tours in the US. I feel like our fans here have more than earned a DVD to themselves. We should have it over in Australia though if anyone over there would like a copy.

Open is out now through MGM.

Hello and Goodbye As a leading exponent if melodic and ambient rock, there is a sense of bittersweet excitement that Arizona’s Lydia is visiting Australia for the first time as part of their ‘Goodbye and Farewell’ tour. Kevin Bull speaks with vocalist and guitarist Leighton Antelman about the upcoming tour, the leaving of band members and his future plans. What prompted you to include Australia on your farewell tour? I don’t think I could ever pass up a free trip to Australia. So, when the offer was made I literally confirmed a few days later. I’ve always wanted to see that continent. What was your initial reaction when Low Altitude Records passed on your latest release, Assailants? My initial reaction was probably what most bands feel when their music is passed on by their own record label. But after the initial shock and initial disappointment it really started to become clear that this was by far the best thing that could have happened to the band. I was not really ever happy with them, really with any label I’ve ever been on. [Laughs]. With the departure of Mindy (White, keyboard) and Steve (McGraw, Guitar), does it still feel like Lydia on stage?

In Steve McGraw’s letter on Myspace, he mentions irreconcilable differences and thick tension at rehearsals prior to his leaving. Are you able to expand further on what the cause of this was? This was, to put very simply, the standard case of Steve and myself wanting to go in completely different directions musically. It got too much for him and he did what he felt he needed to do. There are no hard feelings.

Tell us about the new project you have going? I’m actually quite excited. We have tracked about five songs so far and I will be back in Atlanta this December to do about four or five more songs. Hopefully a release date will be announced sometime later this year. Lydia will be performing at Blush Nightclub in Gosford on Sunday, November 21, and Hamilton Station Hotel in Newcastle, on Wednesday, November 24. Follow us on Twitter

game Reviews

ULTRAVIOLENT RAYS I received Vanquish on a Friday afternoon at the end of a very long week. I had just returned home from a particularly gruelling job interview, and would have been quite happy to fall into bed and slip quietly into a coma, but instead I booted up the game and said, “Okay Platinum, surprise me.” By the end of the opening cinematic, I had watched the entire population of San Francisco boiled to death by microwave radiation, before being launched into the midst of an insanely frenetic battle aboard an orbital space station. Five hours later, I had played through the entire campaign and violently dismantled about six hundred robots in the process. I was painfully awake.

All your sun are belong to us

Vanquish is the latest title from Platinum Games, the developer responsible for such over-thetop action games as MadWorld and Bayonetta. It takes place in the near future, at a time when gross overpopulation has placed tremendous pressure on the world’s dwindling energy sources. America’s solution to this is Providence, an immense self-sustaining space colony that harnesses solar energy to generate unlimited power. Unfortunately, Providence attracts the attention of a Russian nationalist group that would prefer to use it as a handy weapon of mass destruction; they seize the station and channel its collected energy on to San Francisco, whose citizens sizzle and burst in a most unpleasant fashion. War is declared, and US forces are dispatched to the station. Among them is Sam Gideon, a DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) researcher who is field testing the latest in battlefield apparel, the Augmented Reaction Suit. This lengthy introduction launches you quite seamlessly into combat, and from there you’re quickly forced to master the various capabilities

r e vi e wed

Vanquish (Xbox 360/PS3) r e vi e wed by

Hugh Milligan r ated

9/10 of the ARS. The suit is equipped with rockets on both its arms and legs, allowing it to boost and evade fire at blinding speeds, and can also activate brief periods of slow-motion by quickening your reflexes. Speed is your best friend in combat — you’re actually surprisingly fragile, and can be knocked down by a few good bursts of gunfire, so it’s best to burst quickly from cover to cover and use your incredible mobility to keep enemies off-target. The ARS can quite easily overheat if its abilities are overused, and you’re punished severely if you don’t use them intelligently. The result is a high-risk, high-reward gameplay style that moves at a frenzied pace and keeps you constantly on your toes.

“Who invited the chandelier?”

Beyond its initial concept, the narrative isn’t actually developed all that much, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bayonetta suffered from an unreasonable excess of plot twists, flashbacks and contradictions that interrupted the flow of each level, but here the story remains quite linear and unobtrusive. Most of the action and dialogue takes place during combat or through cutscenes, but the game will actually switch to first-person perspective on occasion, allowing you to see the HUD inside Sam’s visor as maps and camera footage are displayed in a sort of real-time briefing screen. It all flows together seamlessly — there’s no downtime between levels and you’re never really removed from the action.

The dialogue itself is terrible of course, sometimes to the point of hilarity. My favourite quotes include “I’m not your turret bitch!”, “Thank God I’m an atheist!” and “This is starting to sound like a bad video game!” Sam is also, oddly enough, a heavy smoker. It seems he can’t have a single conversation without lighting up, and can even do so in combat — you can actually take a smoke break while behind cover and distract the enemy with your lit butt as you toss it. During the final mission, he stops for a cigarette while hanging onehanded above an abyss, saying, “Nothing better than a smoke to remind you you’re alive.” I can’t decide whether Platinum is satirising Hollywood clichés of male bravado, or whether it actually thinks guys like that are really cool.

Bright ideas

The Russians are avid machinists, it seems, and your adversaries in Providence are all robots and unmanned mechanical vehicles. I was actually surprised at how quickly these are introduced to you; barely ten minutes into the first Act, my progress was blocked by a hulking sixty-foot Argus robot that was able to swat down most of my squad. After doing enough damage to its legs (which, like in all video games, had glowing lights conveniently installed on their weak points), a quick time event was triggered whereby I leapt up its body, grabbed a missile that it had fired into the air and dunked it back down into its artillery port. It worked responsively, looked incredible and made the battle all the more climactic (and the Argus robot all the more lopsided). It’s small touches like these that give the whole game a cinematic flair. While the first portion of the game features the same clean, sanitised industrial setting (a little reminiscent of Appleseed), further environments are eventually explored. Sam’s

route through the station is also punctuated with freight trains, monorails and flying transports that shake up the gameplay, and there are a number of moments that pay tribute to other games — one mission in particular, which required me to protect an APC from scampering bomb bots as it cast its headlights down a pitch dark tunnel, felt suspiciously familiar. Regardless of the environment, the game’s visuals are stunning. As the entire station is cylindrical, looking into the ‘sky’ allows you to see massive substructures looming all around you, and it creates a vast sense of scale.

Over in a flash

If there’s any real problem with Vanquish, it lies in the game’s limited depth. I burned through the campaign on Normal Mode in four to five hours, and while this unlocks God Hard Mode and a set of challenges to complete, there’s not a whole lot else to keep you coming back. While Bayonetta included a host of unlockable weapons, characters and costumes, some of them fiendishly difficult to obtain, Vanquish relies on little more than an online leaderboard to draw out any sense of replay value. It would have been nice to see Platinum include some extra suits to earn at the very least. As it is, you can try to beat your score for bragging rights, but other than that you’ll probably just dip into your favourite missions when the mood takes you. Vanquish is like a syringe of adrenaline straight to the heart. It flows like quicksilver from one encounter to the next, and it definitely won’t mollycoddle you along the way. Most enemies have abilities that can destroy you in one or two hits, and if you make a mistake, you’ll know it. It has an ultra-slick presentation from start to finish — beyond the finish, I just wish there was a little more.

NOVEMBER AT KING STREET FRIDAY 5th SATURDAY 6th SATURDAY 13th SUNDAY 21st SATURDAY 27th

SNOB SCRILLA SOUND SYSTEM CANYONS ‘MY RESCUE’ GRANT SMILLIE (TV ROCK) BAG RAIDERS ALBUM TOUR LA GALAXY VS JETS AFTER PARTY

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reverb magazine issue #052 — november 2010 39

live Reviews Parkway Drive

Boy and Bear

Mourning Tide + Wish For Wings

Smashing Pumpkins

Byron Bay High School Thursday, September 23

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Thursday, September 30

Wyong Memorial Hall Tuesday, October 5

Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney Saturday, October 16

Byron didn’t know what hit it. Well, actually yes it did. Byron ‘all ages’ welcomed the Parkway boys home, lapping up the lack of a barrier, punters leapt from the stage at lead singer Winston McCall’s demand. Parkway Drive have hit the big time as far as heavy metal goes but that didn’t stop them returning home to treat the kids to a live set filled with the roar you can only expect from Australia’s biggest hardcore band. It wasn’t just the rippling drums in the latest single ‘Sleepwalker’ from their third album Deep Blue or the speed with which the bass travelled through your bones that had the crowd thumping fists — Parkway had complete control. At one point, the group directed the 1,000-strong crowd to split down the middle as they threw a football to the floor, offering a prize to whoever grabbed it. All in the name of fun, of course. Swollen faces, split eyes and sweaty t-shirts were the reward for those involved and they wore it with pride. Surfboards added new meaning to crowd surfing, as did the blow-up paddle boats and shoes thrown in the air that didn’t always come down. Instead, they left a lasting memory of the ruckus that was, as they hung from the lighting rails above. ~Cassandra Tobin

Before taking to the stage on the first stop of their headlining tour, Boy & Bear joined support act Passenger for a folk jam in the middle of an excited audience. As the boys strummed and sang, calls for quiet didn’t really help with a few hundred people swarming in to hear what may have been something special. When Sydney quintet, Boy & Bear, took to the stage they brought a certain amount of thunder, like galloping horses, with them. Their brand of driving indie-folk seems to take you to a place with long grass and open spaces. Stand out songs of the evening were ‘Rabbit Song’ early on and tour release single ‘Blood to Gold’. Some new tracks showcased tonight may see the boys heading for a more atmospheric folk sound than the beat-driven melodies featured on their current EP. Passenger joined the boys on stage to cover Bon Iver’s ‘Flume’, adding to the choral harmonies that have made the group a rising success. I’ve often wondered why music is played to levels that can make your ears bleed or, at least, ring for hours after. However, with a few hundred people in the Great Northern, at times the crowd over-powered the music they had come to see. ~Cassandra Tobin

The Good the Bad and the Ugly tour of 2010 made its way to the Central Coast. Their sixth show of the tour, the three main Sunshine Coast bands had support from two of the Central Coast’s finest hardcore bands. Hold Your Own kicked the night off with songs ‘Take the Fall’ and ‘Hearts in Hands.’ They were followed by Mark My Words, whose fast and aggressive style got everybody’s heart pounding, with arms and legs going everywhere. Grace is Gone were late hitting the stage due to a technical delay, but they slowly drew the crowd back in with their old school hardcore sound, setting the stage up nicely for Wish for Wings — the strum of the first cord blasting out the doors the crowd quickly filling the room. Playing songs off their new album Echoes (out this month) the fans just wanted more and more. With so much energy and on-stage punk antics, these guys really put on a show making them a hard act to follow. Mourning Tide was up to the challenge with their chunky riffs, pounding beats and glam-style guitar solos. These guys finished up nicely what was a great night with a solid line-up of bands. ~Aaron Hayden

The Smashing Pumpkins left the past in a blaze of glory, scorching earth in front of a sold-out crowd at Luna Park. Fans listened quietly as the Pumpkins kicked things off with ‘The Fellowship’, their newest single from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope. Siamese Dream hit ‘Today’ opened up the crowd, as did classics ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’, ‘Cherub Rock’, ‘Drown’, ‘Zero’ and ‘Tonight, Tonight’. The self-mutilated ‘United States’ put a minor dent in the show’s momentum, somehow spawning an awesome but short cover of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Moby Dick’. This was quickly buffed out by Mike Byrne, the 20 year-old drum prodigy, who ripped a savage drum solo that drew screams of wonder from the Sydney crowd. Corgan showcased his re-energised song writing streak, treating fans to new tracks such as ‘A Song for a Song’, ‘Spangled’, ‘Freak’ and the whirring shoe-gaze of unreleased track ‘Lonely is the Name’. Corgan and guitarist, Jeff Schroeder, shredded like madmen all night, darting across the stylistic divide of the Pumpkins canon. They weaved twin harmonised leads into a rocked out ‘Ava Adore’ and the currently unreleased fan favourite ‘As Rome Burns’. New bassist Nicole Fiorentino provided a smart, groovy low end, doing it best on the psychedelic kangaroo hop of ‘Astral Planes’. Oddly, the encore saw The Vines’ front man, Craig Nicholls, leading the Pumpkins into a supercharged, super shredded version of ‘Get Free’ — which also supercharged the audience — before the infamous 30 minute, semi-improvised space jam ‘Gossamer’. It appears, in the land of the deaf, dumb and blind postgrunge modern music malaise, the Pumpkins are king. ~Matt Petherbridge

Enter Shikari

Bellingen Global Carnival

Little Red

You Am I

UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney Thursday, September 23

Bellingen October 2-4

Newcastle Leagues Club Saturday, October 9

Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley Sunday, October 17

One thing I adore about Enter Shikari is that they play the music they want to play and don’t stick within the standard genres of music. This is probably the reason they have such a devout fan base. Walking into the Roundhouse this was clear; the feeling was electric and the crowd eclectic. Local band Hand of Mercy kicked off the night. These guys were a perfect choice. Following them was House vs Hurricane who have been on a similar path. Unfortunately, these guys just don’t have the energy and raw stage presence in a main support for such an intense headliner. Enter Shikari are one of the most exciting, entertaining and energetic bands I have ever seen live. There are so many elements that this band possess that just can’t be harnessed and translated to an album. Which is not to say they sound bad recorded, they are just outstanding live. The English post-hardcore outfit’s set included stand-out favourites, ‘Sorry You’re Not a Winner’, ‘Mothership’, ‘Juggernauts’ and ‘Labyrinth’. If you’re into hardcore and electro I strongly recommend catching these guys next time they hit our shores. ~Scarlett O’Horror

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magazine issue #052 — November 2010

After two nights of steadily worsening weather, the exodus from the Bellingen Global Carnival began. Organisers cancelled the third festival day after the grounds were flooded by relentless rain. As expected, the music was eclectic. While some performances from Australian bands felt slightly weak and inauthentic, this was made up for by a few exceptional musicians. Perhaps the most inspired performance came from Senegalese musician, Baaba Maal. Maal and his band performed a two-hour set with passion and energy representing the lively nature of contemporary African music. Gypsy music was a prominent flavour, with acts such as guitarist Lulo Reinhardt, who derives his style from his grand-uncle, Django Reinhardt. The virtuoso persevered through minor technical difficulties and spitting rain, ending night one on a high. Vulgargrad, a Polish/Australian band, hammered out their erratic gypsy punk, while Melbourne group Woohoo Revue also got some significant attention during both of their frenetic performances. Unfortunately, we were unable to enjoy all the bands on offer, including Ethio-jazz godfather, Mulatu Astatke. Far from the sunny spring event many were hoping for, Bellingen Global Carnival was certainly memorable. ~Jeff Theys

A Little Red show confirms a few indisputable facts: one — boisterous baggy jean wearing blokes love them, two — giddy girls worship them and three — laughable dance routines are a mandatory means of expressing said adoration. The venue housed a massive, messy, sweaty crowd tonight — an apt greeting for Melbourne’s happiest five-piece, who showcased songs from their latest release, Midnight Remember, including ‘Slow Motion’, ‘In My Bed’, ‘Place Called Love’ and, of course, the lead single, ‘Rock It’. With no definitive lead singer, the vocals of the group alternated between guitarists Adrian Beltrame and Dominic Byrne, bassist Quang Dinh and keyboardist, Tom Hartney, whose deep, 60s-inspired voice was particularly striking. This made for an enthralling, albeit slightly flawed, live performance. Support act Sparkadia’s sound was crisp, dreamy and much more refined than Little Red’s. Popular tracks ‘Too Much To Do’, ‘Morning Light’ and ‘Jealously’ were performed flawlessly, as was recent hit ‘Talking Like I’m Falling Down Stairs’ which was one of the night’s most powerful. However, these smartly dressed lads are almost too perfect — bland, even. Sadly, they didn’t project the personality needed to reach the deliriously adored heights of Little Red. ~Lee Tobin

Fresh from a rousing show at the Metro in Sydney the previous night, You Am I arrived on stage like they still had something to prove. Opening with the rising tension of new track ‘We Hardly Knew You’, the band was clearly proud of their just released self-titled album. The angular ‘Frightfully Moderne’ seamlessly melded into ‘Trike’, its opening riff like a call to arms for the many long term fans present. Tim Rogers, Master of Ceremonies, played the crowd with wit and vigour, new single ‘Trigger Finger’ being introduced as the time when “you guys need to dance better than the band”. It also seems that the band finally feel comfortable with being able to drop ‘Berlin Chair’ from the set list and not entice a nearriot from the crowd. The fact remains that You Am I have such an impressive arsenal of songs that classics such as ‘Berlin Chair’ face too much competition, as evidenced by the reaction to older tracks such as ‘She Digs Her’ and ‘Coprolalia’. The sweaty crowd demanded a lot from their band, and they delivered in kind — ending with the scintillating encore one-two kick of ‘Minor Byrd’ and ‘Mr Milk’. Long live You Am I. ~Paul Frost

Fat As Butter Review

Guttermouth

Under The Tent

Entrance Leagues Club Thursday, October 21

Lismore Show Saturday, October 23

live Reviews

“Is it time we grew up?” The question was the first thing to fall from front man, Mark Adkins’s lips, but no one believed he was serious. Maybe it’s because it was said while a litre of Irish whiskey dangled from his hand and coursed down his face. Or maybe it’s because most of us remember him posing the question ten years ago. But no one gave a shit - Guttermouth had come to the Central Coast. Three-piece punk outfit Batfoot kicked off the night with a run of fast-paced songs, followed by local lads Fortune in their first reunion show in more than ten years. Speedlap rounded out the support acts with a string of songs that didn’t disrupt the Cali-punk mood of the night. Adkins ditched his conspicuous Hawaiian tee and took to the stage, while the crowd roared above its size. But barely into the second song, Adkins was swiping around in the mosh. It seemed some kid had stolen the microphone and was intent on keeping it. “Fuck it,” he said and took the back-up. But a schooner later some funny prick stole that one too. The band quickly told the guard to piss off and the crowd took to the stage, steps, and speakers, while songs like ‘Just a Fuck’, ‘I’m Punk’, ‘Chug-aLug’, ‘Lucky the Donkey’, ‘1,2,3… slam!’ and ‘Perfect World’ bounced around the small auditorium. The poxy stage was a mess and the sound was atrocious (thanks to apparent damage to the speakers), yet Guttermouth put on a solid performance that at a better venue, would have gone off. As fans will tell you, inventive rollick and a ramshackle gig is what makes Guttermouth, after 20 years, still down, dirty and punk. ~Darren Pauli

Ok, I’m guilty. I was sent to review Under the Tent at the Lismore show and the moment I entered the gates I instantly became an over excited 12-year old kid. Only at a country show can a Dagwood Dog be considered fine dining, and a city boy like me can only be gobsmacked at the quite terrifyingly bizarre shapes that chickens come in. And a big up to the guy inside the Ghost Train — that was some high quality “boo” action, dude. But after calming down, the honey-soaked vocals of Holly Throsby drew me in to Under the Tent. I pulled up a hay bale and settled in to an almost surreal combination of cart-wheeling children and stunning songstress. It has been the longest time since I’ve seen Throsby, and in the intimacy of the tent she serenaded us into a tranquil and beautiful place. Following the gorgeously talented Throsby were the Darling Downs duo of Ron Peno and Kim Salmon. These two gentlemen delivered a set that filled the tent with love, grit and reality. Like maestros they guided the audience with a mesmerising intensity that had me a little teary. So, where to from here? The answer can only be Ed Kuepper. Kueppers’ instant and light-hearted stage presence had us all in the palm of his hand. This classic ARIA-award winning artist laughed and played his way through a rambling set that embraced everyone in the room. I was hooked on Under the Tent at the Lismore show. It’s a beautiful mix of music, carnival and freakish farm animals. This definitely has to be an inclusion on your calendar next year. ~Stephen Bocking

wolfmother

fat as butter Camp Shortland Saturday, October 23

bliss n eso

Akoostik Festival Central Park, Wingham October 16-17

It’s always nice to go to a fledgling music festival where there is an organic and genuine vibe of appreciation for talent, even if the talent is somewhat unknown to the punters who show up. At the Wingham Akoostik festival, that feeling was all around. It seemed that the gods were determined to make their presence felt on Saturday, as treacherous rain and cold wind reduced numbers at the show. However, the crowd grew substantially just before Wendy Matthews’ set as people braved the conditions to get a rare glimpse of an Australian music icon in action. She was in fine voice, to the delight of the rugged up, picnic blanketed punters. The tide turned overnight and Sunday was a gorgeously sunny spring day. The turnout was much better than the day before as the small festival began to show its true charm. The park was filled with market stalls and the sound was much better without the ferocious wind to contend with. Phil Jamieson was magnetic as he played a set of acoustic songs that included covers of his favourite tunes along with reworked acoustic versions of Grinspoon classics. His sister, Fiona, joined him to sing

metals

Having returned to its birthplace on Newcastle Foreshore, Fat As Butter brought out the crowd early, if the long queue at the entry gates was anything to go by. Those who rose early witnessed an impressive performance by Blade, and a fine set by The Owls, who looked quite comfortable on the large stage. With the early afternoon sun catching many a bare skin unprotected, the bars were hit hard and shade was at a premium. Children Collide’s set was blistering, with the day’s first sizeable crowd being seen. The love continued for The Beautiful Girls and Tame Impala, but they were no match for Bliss n Eso. The energy these two guys deliver is infectious, with the security working overtime removing the young and crushed from the front of stage. Exit Bliss, and enter the main attraction. No offence to Wolfmother but this was Ice Cube’s night. Powerful and bitting, Ice Cube is the real deal. Opening with N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’, the largest crowd of the night was lead through the legend’s musical history. Wolfmother closed the night as the rain began to fall and the crowd thinned, with Sneaky Sound System, playing on the Butter stage, drew many of the stayers away. ~kevin bull

harmonies at various points throughout the set. Surprising renditions of ‘Black Friday’, ‘Just Ace’ and an almost unrecognisable country version of Silverchair’s ‘Tomorrow’ had the crowd wanting more. After his set there was an encore call to which Jamieson explained that he had no more songs, but eventually obliged with an acoustic version of ‘Hard Act to Follow’. It was a rare chance to see Jamieson without a loud band behind him, and it showed the strength of the Grinspoon catalogue. The festival was very well put together and ran without any major hiccups, despite the trying conditions of the first day. It will be interesting to see the talent that is attracted as the festival continues to grow in coming years. ~Nick Bielby tame impala

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reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 41

book Reviews

tony mott

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Hey, You in the Black T-Shirt writ ten by

Michael Chugg with Iain Sheedan PU b lis h ed by

Pan Macmillan Michael ‘Chuggi’ Chugg — his is a name that looms large over the Australian music industry alongside Dainty, Coppel and Gudinski. Having lived the rock and roll lifestyle for close to 50 years, Hey, You in the Black T-shirt documents Chugg’s rise from managing and promoting music in his hometown of Launceston, Tasmania as a 15-year old, his involvement in the explosion of touring, overseas artists in the 70s, and the wheeling and dealing involved in bringing the biggest stars to Australia. We hear of Chugg’s discovery of ex-Easybeats Stevie Wright’s heroin addiction as he was managing the artist’s international breakthrough (the 1974 Hard Road and accompanying classic ‘Evie (Pt I, II and III)’), his prepping of the 1974 Sunbury crowd prior to Queen’s performance by chanting ‘Go home, you Pommie wankers’ through the stage microphone, and Slash hooking a golf ball through John Farnham’s lounge-room window in Port Douglas. Written with a mixture of fact stating and personal observation, it is a very easy read that will keep any music lover engrossed. ~Kevin Bull

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Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade writ ten by

Neil Taylor PU b lis h ed by

Orion

There are few record labels that are considered the champions of independent music (Factory, Sub Pop etc). During the late 70s and 80s, Rough Trade was one such label. Written by 80s NME staffer Neil Taylor, Document and Eyewitness traces Rough Trade’s initial birth as an independent record store opened by music obsessive Geoff Travis in 1976, and its rapid rise into distribution and the record label. Visionary in their ability to spot talent, the Rough Trade’s artist roster included Cabaret Voltaire, Stiff Little Fingers, The Fall, and the signing of The Smiths in 1983. Written chronologically and in the key player’s own voice, the book’s strength lies in the supporting cast that carry weight to Travis’s frank dialogue, with Johnny Marr, Robert Wyatt, Don Letts, Jarvis Cocker, and Bernard Butler (to name a few) all contributing. The Rough Trade dream may have faltered in the early 90s, with the record company and rights to the Rough Trade name sold to repay debts. However, close to a decade later, Travis reacquired the name and Rough Trade was up and running again. The Rough Trade ethos continues and their belief in their artists’ vision has brought us Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Antony and the Johnsons, Low and The Libertines. Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade is a fascinating read and places the reader in the belly of one of the greatest independent record labels of the past 35 years. ~Kevin Bull

reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010

Taking Shots at Rock Stars Over the course of 30 years, Australian rock ‘n’ roll photographer Tony Mott has pointed his camera at thousands of artists. The Rolling Stones, U2, Metallica — you name them and most likely Mott has an image of them in his archives. As he prepares to release his new ‘greatest hits’ book, Rock ‘n’ Roll is the New Trainspotting, Kevin Bull speaks to Mott about the digital age, photo release contracts, and Ron Peno’s pubes. How long does it take to put something like this book together? Surprisingly, not that long. Joe Ferrara [art director] from Rolling Stone designed it and it would be fair to say that he put more of an effort in that I did. I picked the photos, then he laid them out and I added the words. At the moment it is a limited print with 1,500 copies, and after that we are probably going to put another issue out at the end of the year that will go into book shops. There are images in Still Noise and Every Picture Tells a Story (Mott’s previous books) that appear in both... And that will happen again. Blender Gallery asked me to do a retrospect of my 30 years of doing rock ‘n’ roll photography, and I thought I would do a catalogue. This book is basically a direct result of doing that catalogue, so when I first started doing it I didn’t have any qualms about repeating myself. Out of 244 images, we’re talking 20 [which are repeated], it’s not like a huge percentage. It’s a retrospect; the equivalent of a best-of. The image that grabbed me from Still Noise is the Doc Neeson (The Angels) shot from Werrikimbe (1984). For you, what makes a great live image? A combination of capturing the action, even if it that little moment. I mean that Doc Neeson one, he was crawling towards the camera, he’s doing his thing. It’s capturing the essence of performance I suppose. Has it become more crowded in the photo pit over the years? I suppose so. Sometimes it’s ridiculous. Obviously, it depends on who’s allowing them in. The Big Day Out gets over 100 requests for photo passes and they allow 30, which is a lot. The age of digital photography has made it much easier to do so and, as a consequence, there’s a lot more of us doing it. Is the live music shoot still a thrill? Absolutely. A good photo is a good photo doesn’t matter when you took it. When it works out and you’ve got the shot you’re

looking for, there’s definitely a thrill involved in that, as it is the opposite. I feel very demoralised when you have shot and you don’t think you’ve got anything particularly great, it’s still demoralising as well. You’ve recently moved to digital for your live music photography. What held you back? I love film [laughs]. I’ve found that digital seems to have been infatuated with cutting out the grain, or noise as they call it, and I actually like it. The first time I shot digitally was at Judas Priest. I knew the band and they allowed me to shoot the whole show. I was flabbergasted how many images came back. I used to be happy to come back with 10 per cent of usable shots, if 10 per cent of that 10 per cent was great I’d be happy, and if I got 1 per cent brilliant images, that was a good night. With digital, the figures turn to 80 per cent coming back great. I get a sense of cheating. You are using the Nikon D3. Are you using prime lenses or zooms? Funny enough, that’s probably the biggest change, I’ve been using zooms lately. I always had an 80-200mm, and that was one of my stalwart lenses, otherwise I would use a fixed 85mm or 135mm, where now I have a 35-135mm or something around that range. With digital, the f-stop is not as important as it used to be so, I have started using zooms. Apart from digital, what changes have you seen take place in the job of the live music photographer? I suppose there’s a lot less magazines than there used to be, so there’s less outlets for it. The conun drum of live photography has always been that there’s limited outlook. They’re always dramatic, but publicity shots are normally always session shots, and the live shot doesn’t command the money that the session shot does. It’s a really weird thing ‘cause without a doubt, the live shot is more dramatic. It’s the musician in their natural environment. You have commented in the past about the pointlessness of the contracts that live shooters sign. Do you still stand by that?

To a certain extent yeah. The reality is that if in six months time someone rings you and says “did you shoot Smashing Pumpkins, can I buy one off you”, you can [sell it]. I don’t so much ignore them… yeah, I do ignore them. I just did Metallica, no forms whatsoever. What’s the difference between that and shooting Paramore where it’s a contract that they make you sign half an hour before they go on stage and you don’t receive a copy. If you asked me in four months time what it was, I genuinely would not know. My only advice is never go near merchandising. If you start getting into the merchandising, you’re in deep shit. I got in trouble when I flippantly said to ignore the contracts and sign them ‘Donald Duck’ — I got a lot of flack for it. I don’t know what to say about them, you sign them on the night, you do your thing, they’re just ludicrous things. Is there an art in making an artist comfortable when doing a studio or publicity shoot? Yes, essentially meeting them in advance, knowing what their music is about and where they’re at. If there is no opportunity to meet in advance of the photo session, not doing the photos as soon as they walk into the studio or location. If someone gives you an hour with someone, I’d recommend to take the first 15 minutes to just speak with them. I interviewed Ron Peno (Died Pretty) a few years back and I brought up the nude bathtub shoot. In hindsight, he said he was unsure if it was a good idea. I can understand that. With Ronnie’s photo, I think it got too much publicity and took away from the release of the album, the band and the music. I think he loved the notoriety at the time, but as the months progressed it all became too much. I thought it was a good idea, it’s stood the test of time from my point of view. I mean it was a backstage pass pinned to his pubes saying ‘Access All Areas’ — I sort of considered that quite funny. Rock ‘n’ Roll is the New Trainspotting can be ordered from www.tonymott.com. His gallery exhibition is at Blender Gallery, Paddington (Sydney), until Tuesday, November 9.

Film Reviews

DVD Reviews

let me in the right one I must admit to being very sceptical about an American remake of the Swedish horror film Let the Right One In, seeing as it is one of the best vampire movies ever made. However, I was pleasantly surprised that director Matt Reeves has created a very faithful version with Let Me In by maintaining the creepiness and overwhelming sense of dread that made the original an instant horror classic. The movie is centred around pre-teen Owen, a somewhat odd and lonely boy who lives in a rundown apartment complex with his alcoholic mum. When a mysterious girl of similar age moves into the complex, Owen immediately feels an attachment to her. The only thing is Abby has a thirst for human blood and has been 12 years old for a very, very long time. Befriending her could be a very dangerous affair. But far from being the glamorous and romanticised vamp lifestyle seen in likes of Twilight, Abby’s bloodlust puts her in a seedy and murderous world where her cravings are a burden to those around her. Reeves has chosen two fine actors to play the leads. Chloe Moretz, who was brilliant in

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Let Me In r e vi e wed by

Mark Snelson r ated

4.5/5 stars Kick-Ass, puts in a haunting performance as the lonely and blood-starved Abby, and Australian Kodi Smit-McPhee, who proved himself in The Road, is equally captivating. The movie is shot in a very similar style to its European counterpart with some sections seeming like a frame-by-frame reconstruction. The only time Reeves slips up is the introduction of some rather silly looking and unnecessary CGI effects during Abby’s attacks. Let Me In is a true horror that harks back to classics like The Exorcist and The Shining where pacing and character development were equally as important as the shocks. It gets deep under your skin and stays there for a good while after you have left the cinema.

Life of crime

no rust for the wicked Back in 1990, seven years after being fired from Metallica and having released three Megadeth albums with moderate success, Dave Mustaine produced his defining moment, the album he was destined to make, Rust In Peace. 20 years on, Megadeth hit the road to celebrate the anniversary by playing the album in full, and on the tour’s last night at the Hollywood Palladium, he set the cameras rolling. Rust In Peace Live is purely that. This is no tour doco, no backstage pass, it is straight up, in-your-face concert footage of this now classic album in its entirety. When Mustaine walks out on to the empty stage, raises his arms and announces, “You all know why we are here,” you are with him 100 per cent. The sound quality is perfect and, visually, it is everything a metal fan would wish for — multiple cameras capture every grimace and hair whip without it turning into a video clip. Mustaine is almost the perfect metal guitarist — the

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Rust In Peace, Live r e vi e wed by

Kevin Bull r ated

4/5 stars sight of him hunched over his Dean VMNT ‘flying vee’, his legs hugging its wings, golden hair glistening under the stage lighting and shredding like his life depended on it — it’s the purest of metal images. Bonus footage includes six non-Rust In Peace songs that were included in the set, plus some backstage footage that includes band rehearsals and photo shoots. You also get a bonus CD of all the live trac ks, just so you can play it in the car on the way home after buying your copy. If you are a Megadeth fan, you need this. If you are a metal fan, you need this.

The Ed Sullivan Shows starring The Beatles

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The Town r e vi e wed by

Mark Snelson r ated

4/5 stars The Town is the latest film from Ben Affleck, who is director, co-writer and lead actor. This is a solid and suspenseful crime flick that successfully mixes nail-biting action with powerful, character-driven drama. The movie’s title is the nickname of Charles town, the Boston suburb where the film is set. It is a working-class neighbourhood with a high number of criminals. Affleck plays Doug MacRay, the ringleader of a group of professional bank robbers. He has only ever known a life of crime, his mother left at an early age and his father is serving multiple life sentences. After one of their meticulously-planned robberies goes wrong, they briefly take a female hostage whom they release during their getaway. Their hostage is bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) and when his righthand man James (Jeremy Renner) gets very edgy about the information she could provide to the FBI, Doug decides to do something about it. He ends up befriending her in an effort to see if she remembers any details that could identify his gang. But things get complicated Find us on Facebook

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The Ed Sullivan Shows starring The Beatles r e vi e wed by

Kevin Bull r ated

3/5 stars

and his loyalty is put to the test when he ends up falling for her, even though she has no idea he was one of her captors. Affleck’s direction seems to be influenced by Clint Eastwood, which is not a bad thing. He takes time establishing his characters and turns the action up at all the right moments. After a string of poor role choices, he also reminds us here that he can act. He is backed by a great ensemble cast, with Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men) being standouts. It boasts a sleek screenplay, and the action sequences are brilliantly executed and shot. The Town is a gritty and dialogue-driven heist flick that is the best example of this genre since De Niro and Pacino went head-to-head in Heat.

This two-disc DVD pack contains the four Ed Sullivan shows on which The Beatles performed in 1964 and 1965, and is a fascinating insight into not only the hysteria surrounding The Beatles’ introduction to America, but also the innocence of television variety programming from this era. On February 9, 1964, Sullivan presented the first live television appearance of The Beatles, the most watched program in TV history at that point. This appearance was quickly followed by return visits on February 16 and February 23, and a final performance on September 12, 1965. Across the four programmes, The Beatles perform 20 numbers, with a number a songs being repeated during the 1964 shows. Their performances are very clean cut and polite, with the larrikin only appearing occasionally and in the later shows.

The highlight, apart from witnessing the sheer manic reception The Beatles received from the girls in the audience, is their final appearance in 1965. By this stage, their songwriting had matured and we get wonderful performances of ‘Ticket to Ride’, ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Help’. It is not only The Beatles that are presented on these DVDs, but the entire Ed Sullivan programme that they appeared on, and it is this inclusion that makes the package worthwhile. The adverts for Anacin pain relief, Pillsbury biscuits, Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Pizza (with cheese, everybody!) and Aero Shave cream are hilarious, plus the other entertainers are, by today’s standards, sometimes quite cringe-worthy. Taken on the nostalgiac and historical value of Beatles’ performances, this is an essential purchase for any Beatles fan. reverb magazine issue #052 — November 2010 43

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