Reverb Magazine - Issue 57 by Reverb Magazine

central coast|hunter|north coast

FREE #057 Apr ’11

music, arts & culture monthly

Disturbed Within the mayhem Hugh Cornwell In love with a Strangler

kora Brotherly love

The Owls With night vision

long island sound Withstand the turbulence switchfoot Done with grace

a a d l t A i i n n e r e lec tr i cit y

A l s o i n s i d e : t h e m c c ly m o n t s + to ot s & t h e m ay ta l s + b e at s wo r k i n g + ac 4

No. 57

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

index

c a r l o s S a n ta n a h o p e e s tat e , m a r ch 2 6

“Carlos Santana remained the star of the evening, proving that his stunning versatility is still in a world of its own”

contents

News 8-14 The Owls 16 Disturbed 17 Long Island Sound 17 Hugh Cornwell 18 Adalita 20-21 Album reviews 23 Gig guide 24-26 The McClymonts 27 Toots and the Maytals 28 AC4 29 RawFM dance news 30 Kora 31 Talking shop 32 Bowen and the Lucky Dutchmen 32 Beats Working 32 Switchfoot 33 Fashion 34-35 Blue Mountains Folk Festival review 37 CMC Rocks The Hunter review 37 Live reviews 38-39 Soundwave review 40-41 Film reviews 42 DVD reviews 43

Nick Milligan

editor’s letter

Credits

Contacts

Did we all enjoy our trip to the polls a few weekends back? It is difficult to vote out a premier whom we cannot stand another moment with, only to replace them with someone we really do not want either. So I exercised my democratic right, and voted for Jake Cassar, the Central Coast’s bushtucker man. Here is a man who dedicates himself to the good of the environment, and for the past four weeks has been protesting against the sale and proposed development of land at Kariong, land that lies within a National Park mind you. Anyone who is prepared to camp on the side of a main road in order to highlight an injustice deserves my vote. More power to you, Jake. Much love guys, Kevin

Editor

Senior Writers

Writers

Kevin Bull

Peter Douglas

Ross Beckley

Michael Sykes

Nick Milligan

Georgina Bible

Kristyne Weiss

Sub-Editor

Matt Petherbridge

Kevin Bull

Mel Woodward

Sales, Newcastle & Central Coast

Kate Hamilton

Mark Snelson

Emily Cones-Browne

Marija Zeko

kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Editorial kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360

Mick Daley

art director

Photographers

Sean Frazer

Sales, North Coast

Cam Bennett

Kevin Bull

Matthew Glen

stephen@reverbstreetpress.com or 0458 559 938

Jim Graham

Stephanie Jenkins

North Coast Mgr

Chrissy Kavalieros

Craig Lawler

Gig guide

Stephen Bocking

Ashlee Kellehear

David Long

gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Julie Lowe

Nick Mackay

Cartoonist

Kent Marcus

Terrease McComb

Production

Tony Jenkins

Thomas Reid

Liana McDonald

cam@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Madeline Smith

Veronique Moseley Sallie Maree Pritchard

Postal address

Max Quinn

PO Box 843, Woy Woy NSW 2256

Jessie Reid

Responsibility for election comment is taken by the editor.

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

T H E F R O N T I E R TO U R I N G C O . , C H A N N E L [V ] A N D M ETA LO B S ES S I O N . N ET P R ES E N T

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

--MUSIC AS A WEAPON 2011--

THURSDAY 28 APRIL NEWCASTLE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 132 849

DON’T MISS OUT new album ‘asylum’ out now

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Giveaways

MICK DALEY’S SIDESHOW

There is no down time for Mick Daley of the Re-Mains. When this hard-rockin’ alt-country outfit has a break, Daley grabs the musos around him and keeps on playing. Side project, Mick Daley and Sideshow, play all the classic alternative covers from the golden age of underground Australian rock in the 80s and 90s. If you ever saw or heard of The Shout Brothers, then this is the kind of show you can expect. With literally hundreds of songs to choose from the likes of Hunters & Collectors and Paul Kelly, through to Beasts of Bourbon and The Saints, as well as songs from The Re-Mains six albums, these guys deliver a rollicking good show every time. Mick Daley and Sideshow perform at The Fig, Port Macquarie on Sunday April 17, 3pm.

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

2 double passes

Win one of 2 double passes to see Hugh Cornwell at your choice of venue: Coolangatta Hotel, Sunday May 1; Sawtell RSL, Tuesday May 3; Cambridge Hotel, Wednesday May 4.

5 copies Five copies of Triple J Hottest 100 Vol 18 on CD.

2 double passes

Win one of 2 double passes to see British India (that’s 1 x double pass per gig): Coolangatta Hotel, Friday April 15; Port Macquarie Panthers, Friday April 22;

urthboy

COME TOGETHER GOES HIPHOP

4 single passes

Win one of 4 single passes to the Gum Ball Festival, at Belford in the Hunter Valley, April 29-30.

1 double pass & CD Pack

Win a copy of Deniz Tek - Citadel Years CD, and a double pass to see Deniz Tek play the Italo Club, Lismore, Friday April 8;

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mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

6 double passes

Win one of 6 double passes to see Akmal (that’s 1 x double pass per gig): Ballina RSL, Friday April 29; Lismore City Hall, Saturday April 30; C-ex Club, Coffs Harbour, Wednesday May 4; Club Taree, Thursday May 5; Glasshouse, Port Macquarie, Friday May 6; Nambucca Heads RSL, Saturday May 7.

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After seven years of providing a distinctly domestic soundtrack to the June long weekend, Come Together maintains its focus showcasing the best of home-grown talent, with an exciting new twist, for its eighth incarnation. Come Together returns in 2011, for one day only, on Saturday June 11 at Luna Park, Sydney. They’re revamped, refreshed, recharged, renovated and ready to roll out the musical movers and shakers with an all-Australian hip hop line-up which will have the Big Top jumping. The line-up for 2011 is Drapht, Urthboy, Illy, Muph & Plutonic, M-Phazes, The Tongue and Mantra.

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GINA YASHERE RETURNS TO BYRON

She’s been seen on Australian television, on Good News Week and Spicks & Specks, in the UK she’s a comedy star on the Lenny Henry Show, and in the US she’s blitzed it on Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Chelsea Lately. Gina Yashere is quite simply one of the funniest women on the planet. Yashere broke onto the American comedy scene with her appearances on Last Comic Standing (NBC) where she made it to the final ten. Yashere’s sellout live appearances are legendary. Her bombastic delivery, infectious personality and cheeky observations have wowed audiences around the world. Gina Yashere performs at the Pandanus Lounge at the Byron Services Club on Monday April 18.

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NEWCASTLE PANTHERS

George Clinton frenzal rhomb

FRENZAL PROTECTS US FROM THE BIRDS

Frenzal Rhomb will perform shows in swooping bird hotspots over the coming weeks to warn people of the danger of bird attack, and to sell their range of hand-made neapolitan ice cream-container helmets to concerned or injured fans. Top tips for fans who dare to venture between their houses and the shows: know your local swooping birds, move quickly, travel in a group, and most importantly, eyes at the back of your head. Frenzal Rhomb will be performing at the Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni on Thursday April 28, and Coolangatta Hotel on Friday May 6.

ISRAEL CANNAN AND THE WALK

Some might call it a rite of passage — a musician’s inspirational journey across a continent. In 2010 singer/songwriter Israel Cannan left his home on the east coast of NSW to travel around Australia, creating, inspiring and promoting as he went. A year, later, he is doing it again, this time completing his first national tour with his album, The Walk, in tow. “I have never wanted to wait around for some elusive big break that may or may not come,” Cannan says. “There is a whole world of people out there that will connect with what I do, I just have to find them.” Israel Cannan plays the Entrance Leagues Club on Friday April 15.

BRITISH INDIA SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED

With the epic 26-date ‘March Into the Ocean’ tour mere days away, British India are very excited to announce that Melbourne’s Boy in a Box and Adelaide’s City Riots will be joining them as they rock around Australia throughout April and May. Boy In A Box’s first single, ‘Moon Comes Down’ has already been a hit on Triple J, and the follow up single ‘Glitter, Gold, Ruin’ is sure to follow suit shortly. 2011 is definitely the year of Boy in A Box, get in now before the bandwagon-jumpers do. Indie rockers City Riots will be opening the shows, and with the band currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, this is one support band that is well worth arriving early for. British India, with Boy in a Box and City Riots in support will be performing at the Coolangatta Hotel on Friday April 15; Entrance Leagues Club on Thursday April 21; Port Macquarie Panthers on Friday April 22; Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour on Saturday April 23; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Sunday April 24; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday May 13.

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BLUESFEST CLOSE TO SELLing OUT

With Bluesfest fast-approaching and tickets now scarce, if you have not already organised your passes, it’s going to be the very special day six for you. For the very first time, a sixth day has been added, and falls directly on the Anzac Day holiday, Tuesday April 26. The line-up for the day is by no means an afterthought. Headliner is Bob Dylan, with the day rounded out with Grace Jones, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Leon Russell, George Clinton, Warren Haynes, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed, Michelle Shocked, Gurrumul, Paul Kelly, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Osibisa, Tim Finn, Joe Louis Walker, Tony Joe White, Frank Yamma, Kim Churchill, The Mad Bastards, Collard Greens and Gravy and Secret Sisters.

LITTLE STEVIES GO SHOPPING

Attention Shoppers, The Little Stevies’ muchanticipated sophomore album has just been released, and to celebrate, The Little Stevies will be launching the album across the nation. The Melbourne three-piece are set to charm audiences yet again over 18 intimate stage shows full of their trademark humour and personality. Following on from recent performances at the Blue Mountains and Port Fairy festivals, The Little Stevies will head off on their official album tour in April and May, bringing with them an array of special guests including the exceptional talents of Australia’s own Gossling, as well as New Zealand’s multi-platinum selling songstress Anika Moa. The Little Stevies will be performing at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall (support: Anika Moa) on Saturday April 9, and Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle (support: Gossling) on Friday May 6.

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SATURDAY 14 MAY

BLUE KING BROWN

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SATURDAY 21 MAY

Panthers supports the responsible service of alcohol

XAVIER RUDD

PRESALE $45+bf DOORS 8:00PM, ALL AGES

Beer of the Month: April - $4.00 Hahn Super Dry Stubbies

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WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL

NO REFUSING AC4

Fronted by Refused and International Noise Conspiracy frontman Dennis Lyxzen, AC4 was formed in 2008 and debuted at a smalltime Swedish squat before word of mouth stepped in and propelled the band into notoriety, marking them as one of the most exciting acts on the punk circuit today. AC4’s debut self-titled album features 15 songs of intense power and furious hardcore in the vein of Minor Threat and Bad Brains, and will be released April 1 through Shock Records. AC4 with Star Fucking Hipsters in support will be performing at the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday April 9, and Blush Nightclub, Gosford on Sunday April 10.

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PARKWAY DRIVE

PRESALE $37+bf DOORS OPEN 6:00PM, ALL AGES

we are a outlet Become a Fan

NEWCASTLE PANTHERS Cnr King & Union Streets Newcastle West 2302 Tel 4926 6200 newcastle.panthers.com.au

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 9

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THE AMENTA GIVEs V01D AWAY

drapht

THE LIFE OF DRAPHT

The best way to celebrate a new album is to get out and tour it, and Drapht is leaving no stone unturned with the release of The Life Of Riley. It’s a large tour with a large line-up, with Drapht enlisting his good friends Mantra and The Tongue as supports to help give the album the launch it deserves. To quote the man himself, “Never in my life have I put so much time and energy into one single thing. Mentally, the making of this album broke me and drove me to the brink of insanity on so many different occasions, a song wasn’t worthy of the record unless it did so.” Drapht, with Mantra and The Tongue in support, will be performing at the Coolangatta Hotel on Saturday April 16; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Sunday April 17; Groovin’ The Moo, Maitland on Saturday May 7.

The Amenta, Australia’s most forwardthinking extreme music collective, have made their latest release, V01D, available free, directly to the fan, exclusively from www.theamenta.com. V01D is a huge multimedia release, containing 16 audio tracks (an exclusive new song, re-records, remixes, electronic experiments and a cover of an Armoured Angel classic), four live videos (from a recent Sydney Show, professional audio and multiple camera recording) and a new film clip for the re-recorded track ‘Vermin’. The Amenta believe this to be the first time something of this quality and quantity has been released free to the fan. All that is asked is that you spread the word. Share it. Recommend it. Download it. The Amenta, with Ruins Only in support, will be performing at Club LED, Newcastle on Friday April 29.

DENIZ TEK – CITADEL YEARS

Deniz Tek, the founding member and chief songwriter of the acclaimed Radio Birdman, has created a large body of unique work over the last 20 years, and Citadel Records have just released the double-CD compilation, Deniz Tek - Citadel Years. Tracks have been derived from multiple album and EP releases, many of which are currently out of print or hard to find. Collaborations with notable musicians are a feature, amongst others, there is a track recorded with MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer as well as a previously unheard Radio Birdman studio demo with Tek on vocals. To promote the release, Tek will be performing at the Wickham Park Hotel on Friday April 1, and the Italo Club, Lismore on Friday April 8.

GILCHRIST CASTS THE NET

Blue King Brown

WORLDWIZE BLUE KING BROWN

Blue King Brown are pleased to announce dates for their first national Australian ‘headline’ tour in 18 months to officially launch their new album Worldwize Part 1 North & South. A sound unlike any other musical group in Australia, Blue King Brown has broken boundaries with the release of the powerful double-punch that is Worldwize; a bold double disc record with a classy selection of tracks; on Northside is a voice seeking connection, and to the Southside is the yet to be fully discovered irrepressible groove on which it travels. Blue King Brown, with Diafrix in support, will be performing at Newcastle Panthers on Saturday May 14; Bellingen Memorial Hall on Sunday May 15; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday May 19; Coolangatta Hotel on Saturday May 21.

Gilchrist Management, one of the east coast’s most successful casting and modelling agencies is getting set to cast the net for a brand new stock of talent. The agency responsible for putting both actors and extras into some of the biggest productions to hit the southern hemisphere in recent years like Narnia — Voyage of the Dawntreader, Spartacus Blood and Sand and the latest Steven Spielberg pilot Terra Nova is opening its books looking for new talent. According to the principle driving force and manager of Gilchrist, Charmaine Gilchrist you don’t have to have glamour model looks to be successful in this industry. “All you need is the right look for the role, and that can be anything,” says Charmaine. “We need one of every type on our books, young and old, large and thin, absolutely everything and everyone. All you need is confidence”. Among Gilchrist’s biggest success stories has been Eka Darville. A local boy who Gilchrist originally auditioned for Blue Water High five years ago, who has since gone on to take on increasingly major roles in Power Rangers RPM, The Elephant Princess and now the new Steven Spielberg pilot recently shot in Queensland. Along with huge international productions, Gilchrist Management has also placed actors and extras into numerous successful local productions, such as The Slap, City Homicide, Neighbours, Home and Away and more commercials than they can count. The books at Gilchrist will not remain open indefinitely. So if you think you’d like to try your hand at fame and fortune, give the team at Gilchrist Management a call on 02 6621 8062 and arrange an interview. You never know, you could be the next big thing to hit the screen.

Waste ManageMent & neW World artists Present

With sPecial guests

bOY in a bOX & CitY riOts touring nationally

british india MarCh intO thE OCEan tOur 2011 aLL tiCKEts aVaiLabLE FrOM www.britishindia.com.au

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mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

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Fri 15th aPril Coolangatta Hotel thu 21st aPril tHe entranCe Hotel Fri 22nd aPril PantHers Port Macquarie sat 23rF aPril tHe Plantation coFFs harbour sun 24th aPril tHe great nortHern byron bay Fri 13th May tHe Cambridge neWcastle Follow us on Twitter

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symphonic industrial metal — a must-see for all fans of Dimmu Borgir, Deathstars and Rammstein. This isn’t just music. This is sonic assault. Our Last Enemy and Viral Millennium, with support from Shadowmill, War Faction and The Seer will perform at Mayfield Diggers, Newcastle on Saturday April 9. the pigs

PIG’S SWEAT

It’s been more than a year since The Pigs brought their combination of bluegrass, pop, rock and comedy to Newcastle. Known for their kooky performances on ABC 1233, the band plays cracking original tunes and totally unexpected versions of songs from Beyoncé to Daft Punk. In 2010, The Pigs played the hidden nightclubs of Berlin, the majestic Lutherstadt Square in Wittenberg, and the Danish seaside festival in Skagen. Two months in Europe saw the band develop artistically and emotionally, with a swag of new songs and a new approach. T-Bone Pig comments, “We learned a lot from the folk over there and it’s added somethin’ to our singin’ and playin’… now we drink beer outta real big glasses.” The Pigs perform at Lizotte’s, Newcastle on Friday April 8.

ASSAULT OF OUR LAST ENEMIES

Returning from LA where they recorded their debut album Fallen Empires with Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory, Our Last Enemy are jumping back into the saddle by teaming up with fellow industrial metal trio Viral Millennium for an east coast tour that will tear down the very foundations. Our Last Enemy combine industrial rhythms with the leanings of dark metalcore/rock, and Viral Millennium deconstruct and reconstruct the very foundations of

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mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

KARMA COPS RELEASE HAZARDS

Newcastle rockers The Karma Cops have been gracing the local stages for many years now, and are set to release their seven-track slab, Hazards. Capturing the energy that punters have experienced from their many live shows, the EP is to be launched with the help of Team, Jore and Kris at the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday April 2.

jupiter menace

SCORCHER to pack THE HAMILTON STATION

Scorcher Fest thunders into Newcastle this month with over 20 bands set to pack out the Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle on Sunday April 17. Here is the line-up so far: Beats Working, Blade Saban Three, Elisa Kate, Enemy of Average, Exit For Freedom, fr.esh, Harbinger, Jupiter Menace, King & Ace, Lefta Centa, Matty Effin Morrison, PlusManyMore, Project XIX, Shane Burdan, She’s the Morning and the Night, Short Notice, Teknofear, The Chestnuts, The Dread Sky, Twin Thunder Boy, Verusive.

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FIREROOM BURN

Armed with their debut EP, produced by Stuart Stuart from Chartsong Productions (The Veronicas and Small Mercies), FireRoom are ready to rock! The band’s retro, Woodstock rock will make you feel like you were really there and for those that were there, it will take you back. Some bands claim to be retro but FireRoom capture the real spirit of 50s and 60s rock, and mix it with an indie radio vibe. FireRoom perform at the Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle on Thursday April 7.

WILKINSON SPEAKS THE TRUTH

Frustrated by the cost and delays that come with releasing an independent CD, Sydney singer/songwriter Mark Wilkinson came up with a novel solution. In April 2009, armed with an abundance of songs, a guitar and a camera, Wilkinson set out to release one original tune per week for a full year on Youtube. The project, which concluded in April 2010, has successfully bridged the gap between composing and delivering his music to a wider audience, for free. With over 60,000 views so far, Wilkinson’s raw and stripped-back tracks seem to have struck a cord. For Wilkinson, the instant and honest feedback from Youtube viewers has proved invaluable, helping to shape what makes it into his live shows and onto his new album Truth Came Running. Mark Wilkinson performs at Lizotte’s, Newcastle on Wednesday April 13.

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floatingme

THE RISE OF FLOATINGME

To celebrate the release of their debut selftitled album, out on April 15, Floatingme have announced their first headline national tour. Kicking off in April, the tour will showcase the band’s pedigree line-up, consisting of members from popular progressive rock bands Karnivool, COG and Scarymother. Melbourne rockers Sleep Parade will join the band on all dates. For any fan of progressive rock in this country, Floatingme is sure to excite with the lineage behind its line-up. Vocalist Andrew Gillespie, guitarist Antony Brown and keys-man Tobias Messiter all herald from ‘the’ rock band of the 90s, Scarymother. Joining the trio is drummer, Lucius Borich of enormously influential hard-rock trio, COG, and Jon Stockman of Triple J favourites, Karnivool. Between them, these musicians alone boast a world of experience. Floatingme perform at the Coolangatta Hotel on Thursday April 21; Port Macquarie Panthers on Wednesday April 27; Newcastle Leagues Club on Thursday April 28.

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SET TO GO

tin can radio

TIN CAN RADIO RELEASE DEBUT AND TOURS

Dynamic Brisbane indie-dance/art-rock five-piece, Tin Can Radio, are celebrating the release of their debut long-player Chase the Sun, Hold the Night, with a massive 20-date tour around metropolitan and regional Australia. Chase the Sun, Hold the Night is the accumulation of two acclaimed single releases and many hard months in the studio. The 11-track LP runs a knife-edge between accessible and fun, and ambitious and sonically challenging; journeying through dreamy landscapes, sing-along hooks, punchy guitar-driven riffs and grinding dubstep breakdowns. Lead singer Tom Wearne explains, “The album is a reflection of our shared struggle in trying to do exactly what we want to do, our attempts to live forever, to never sleep and to have neverending, uncompromised fun. You could say that these are over-riding themes in the songs, but they are also over-riding themes in our lives and the reason why we make this music.” Tin Can Radio perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Wednesday April 27, and the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Friday May 13.

Since the band’s formation in 2003, The Go Set has been a unique musical experience. Four studio albums, relentless tours, raw and chaotic live shows united with powerful songs and a strong social conscience. The Go Set have created a sound of their own by combining traditional folk instruments with distorted punk guitars and timeless rock n roll energy. Rising, The Go Set’s fourth album in as many years, was recorded with US producer Jonathon Burnside (Melvins, NoFX, Sleepy Jackson), at Eastern Bloc studios in Melbourne. The band has labelled the new release as a move back to its punk rock origins, but with new forays into reggae and ska – styles not familiar for a folk/punk outfit. The Go Set, supported by The Havelocks will be performing at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday April 2.

tijuana cartel

TIJUANA CARTEL SET TO FLY

After selling-out venues and thrilling hordes of new fans throughout WA, Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel are set to zig-zag their way back to the familiar faces, roads and venues of the east coast. Their new single ‘White Dove’ is evidence of a fresh sound that marries rockier grooves and electronica along with their trademark mix of sub-continent, funk, dub and

world music. Produced by Chris Moore, who has worked with the Midnight Juggernauts, TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ‘White Dove’ hints at what you can expect from Tijuana Cartel’s new album, due for release in the second half of 2011. Tijuana Cartel perform at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Saturday April 2; Queens Wharf Brewery, Newcastle, on Sunday April 3; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, on Friday April 15.

FLOATING BRIDGES ON FIRE

One of the hardest working bands on the Sunshine Coast, The Floating Bridges will be touring with their new EP and many massive nights of not to miss, roots, blues, funk, rock and reggae in many venues around far-north NSW throughout April. Launching nine months after their debut self-titled EP, The Floating Bridges newest offering, Fire, really captures the intensity and contagious feel-good vibes the band continuously put out. The Floating Bridges perform at the Nimbin Hotel on Friday April 8; Cabarita Beach Hotel on Saturday April 9; Lennox Point Hotel on Friday April 15; Rails, Byron Bay, on Saturday April 16; Australian Hotel, Ballina, on Thursday April 21.

CRYSTAL COVE RELEASEs DEBUT

Originally an acoustic duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Sean Degan and guitarist Matthew March, Newcastle outfit Crystal Cove have grown into a full-on pop rock outfit with the addition of bassist/vocalist Aidan Roe and drummer Rory Fennell. For their self-titled debut EP, the band decided to get away from their hometown and locked themselves away in a small studio in Taree. Literally. “We were hours from home and knew nobody in town, besides our engineer,” said March. “Being an independent band we only had so much money we could pull from our pockets, so we saved money by sleeping on the floors of the studio instead of a hotel, and recorded into the early hours of the morning.” Crystal Cove, with support from The Initiation will be launching their EP at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle on Friday April 8.

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 13

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CREATING A SYMBOL

the belligerents

THE BELLIGERENT PARTY PEOPLE

Explosive Brisbane five-piece The Belligerents are set to take their frenzied, disco-pop live show on the road for a national tour in March and April to celebrate the release of their much anticipated debut EP Less Arty More Party. The core focus of the EP was to recreate the energetic live sound which the band is renowned for. “We wanted to concentrate on making a record which mirrors our live show, without the full blown production process of adding in heaps of things which we then couldn’t recreate live. What you get is definitely what you see,” said bass player Konstantin Kersting. The Belligerents perform at the Buddah Bar, Byron Bay on Friday April 29, and the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday April 30.

IT’S THE CLASSIC CRIME

Symbols is a two-piece production and performance team from Melbourne. Consisting of Justin Ossher on vocals and Sam McNicol on guitar, the duo use electronic instruments and rock performance ideals to create their psychedelic sound, which is both unique and accessible. “You could say we’re attempting to bridge the gap between producers and rock bands,” says Ossher. “We’re not just two dudes in the corner of the club playing our guitars, but we’re not two hiphop DJs just spinning tracks and laying down beats either. It’s about having fun trying something absolutely bangin’ but mutable in a way that a fully live band can be.” Symbols perform at the Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore on Thursday April 22, and the Brewery, Byron Bay on Friday April 22.

NEWCASTLE RECORD AND CD FAIR

Vinyl: nothing beats the feel, and we all know they sound better than those silver discs. Your chance to get hold of that rare piece of blackness that you have been seeking for years is happening again as local, Sydney and interstate stallholders descend on Newcastle. The Newcastle Record and CD Fair happens at the Uniting Church Hall, Beaumont Street, Hamilton, between 9am and 4pm on Sunday May 1.

THE FLOATING BRIDGES TOUR NIMBIN HOTEL

sugarcane collins

Hailing from the rich music scene of Seattle, The Classic Crime released their third studio album, Vagabonds, in April 2010 with media stating it was the “perfect radio rock album,” and something to “get excited about.” “Summing up the theme of this album, it’s not about needing money or material things to be happy, it’s about playing music as this is what we were placed on earth to do,” front man Matt MacDonald states. The Classic Crime, with Chemical Transport in support, will be performing at The Grove, Newcastle, on Tuesday April 19, Blush Nightclub, Gosford, on Wednesday April 20; Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Thursday April 21; Switch Skate Park, Port Macquarie, on Monday April 25.

LIVE AND LOCAL AT LIZOTTE’S

THE SWEETNESS OF SUGARCANE COLLINS

Internationally renowned blues singer Sugarcane Collins is back in Australia and on his latest east coast tour. Recently returned from his fifth trip to the USA where he played blues festivals in Illinois, Montana and Washington states, Sugarcane Collins is a one of a kind singer/ songwriter/guitarist. Thirty years worth of adventures on the road as a professional musician coupled with a deep understanding of blues history makes for great entertainment whenever this spellbinding solo blues performer commands the stage. Don’t miss the big voice, the funky guitar and the amazing stories of Queensland bluesman Sugarcane Collins when he plays the Nimbin Hotel on Thursday April 7, and the Lennox Point Hotel on Sunday April 10.

There’s plenty of local music to be had at Lizotte’s this month. Lambton Lizotte’s: Wednesday April 6, Sophie Catling, Holly Clayton, Morpeth Jugbusters, Turner; Wednesday April 13, Mark Wilkinson CD launch, Hunter and King, Duncan Woods, Meags Hill; Friday April 15, Bob Corbett and the Roo Grass Band; Wednesday April 27,Jessica Cain, Allon Silove, Kirsty Larkin, Static Empire. Kincumber Lizotte’s: Wednesday April 6, Jessica King, Ruby 4 Lucy, Claire Sheather, Mark Cashin and the Lil Hussys; Thursday April 7, Jacob Pearson EP launch; Wednesday April 20, Francesca Sidoti, Gilbert Whyte, Nick Kingswell, Fate of the Universe.

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myspace.com/thefloatingbridges mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

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the owls

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mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

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Creatures of the Night

Newcastle band The Owls released their debut self-titled EP at the end of last year. Now they are celebrating their second birthday, with a new member and a swag of new singles. Kevin Bull spoke with lead vocalist and guitarist, Josh Bailey, about the band’s plans for 2011, and why releasing four singles during the year makes sense. At the end of 2010, Newcastle four-piece, The Owls, released a five-track collection that infused the essence of southern rock with the crack of indie intelligence. As a debut release, it was a solid indication of the band’s intent. Moving into 2011, the band once again entered the studio to record four tracks that will be released as singles over the course of the year. “We’re not too sure how it will work out,” says Bailey. “[But] we have a gut instinct that this is the way we should go.” The first single for the year, ‘Sugarcane’, has just been released, and harks back to the lead track from last year’s EP, ‘Go, Let It Go’, with its frenetic pace. However Bailey was tight-lipped when asked about the impending releases, which he said gave the band a chance to experiment with style and sound. “[The singles] give us the opportunity to test the waters out. If we get a song right, we can then move forward.” The production quality of this new single is a major step forward from the self-titled EP. The four singles were recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios, in Surry Hills, Sydney, and mixed at Studio 301. Enlisting Tony Buchen as producer appears to have been a positive move. “Tony mixed our EP, and we decided we should get him in to produce these songs,” said Bailey. “He just

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rocked up, ordered everyone around and was thorough. He added the professional approach that was needed.” I asked Bailey about the state of the Newcastle music scene. “Venues like the Cambridge, Great Northern and the Lass [O’Gowrie] are great for getting in good music, and I mean original music,” he said. “The Lass is like our second home. They have been very supportive of us.” When I asked him whether he thought there were too many gigs for too few punters in the original music scene, making it difficult to fill a venue, Bailey agreed. “Sydney is just the same,” he said. “And you have to guarantee that you can pull a certain number of payers just to get a gig.” With a growing fan base in WA, the band recently flew west to be part of the breakfast programme on RTR FM and they finished off 2010 with a slot on the JD Set show on WA’s Rottnest Island, alongside The Living End and Gyroscope. “The show was great. It was good meeting the other boys, and Gyroscope actually watched our set! They [didn’t] have to do that.” The Owls will be releasing ‘Sugarcane’ at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday April 15, with The Evening Sun, 1929 Indian and Young Pretties in support. Follow us on Twitter

disturbed — long island sound

How did Asylum come about? Can you shed some light on the creative process behind the album? We ended up touring behind Indestructible which was an amazing record. It did really well, we couldn’t have been happier with it, and we had a great tour. At the end of our touring cycle we were talking about taking a little time off, a few months, before hitting the studio. Our guitar player (Dan Donegan) doesn’t like to rush anything and he wanted to make sure that what we had prepared for the studio was really good. Within two months after we had finished the Indestructible tour, I got sent around 10–15 demos from the other boys. They had already gotten the bulk of the record done. They had so much material it was amazing. Dan was just flying with ideas at the time. I don’t think he was over-thinking anything. He was just letting his creativity flow. The lyrics in the album seem so honest. Lyrically speaking, and at the time Dave (Drainman, vocalist) was sent the demos, he was in a dark place. He was living in a new city in which he didn’t know many people. His original plan was to move in with his fiancée, but they had just broken up. So the plans he had made for this album, previous to this happening, had changed. Dave had also lost some people really close to him. So a lot of the lyrics on this new album are really dark — words that are spoken straight from his heart. You self-produced this album as well. What was that experience like? The truth is, we’ve worked with some great producers in the past. Johnny K (Johnny Karkazis) did the first three records and we

Disturbed have been around for 15 years. Apart from the music, what keeps the band healthy after all these years? We hang out. We like each other. On our days off we go out to dinner together, we party together. We’re all family guys. Three of us are married with kids and David has a fiancée. These kind of things keep us very grounded. We have families that care about us away from the band and it creates a stronger bond between us.

Let Loose From the Asylum Chicago heavy metal band Disturbed have packed the bus, climbed aboard and flipped the marquee to ‘Australia’. The four-piece are heading back out here in light of their recent album Asylum. Sean Frazer caught up with bassist John Moyer to talk about the album and find out what has kept them together and on the road since ’95. learnt a lot from him. Nothing has ever changed with the way we do things. We always demo the songs to the point that they are at least 90 per cent ready for recording in the studio. Dan has taken a big share of the work, as far as dictating the musical direction and keeping the pace going, whether there’s a producer there or not. When Dan decided to start producing he said “we’re doing the

same thing we’ve always done, we probably don’t need a producer”. It definitely raised an amount of pressure, but I say that as a positive. That kind of pressure can sometimes make people put out their best work. There was no one else to answer to. At the end of the day we were totally responsible for how the record sounded, we couldn’t just blame it on the producer.

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Disturbed will be performing at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Thursday April 28.

How would you describe the band, relative to those influences? An indie pop core with a whole lot of experimental branches.

What is the musical heritage of the band members, and how did you get started together? Me, Andy (Woodward, vocals and guitar) and Chris (Lawrence, vocals and guitar) have been playing together since 2004. We used to learn Metallica songs and play them at school. Eventually we started writing our own stuff, and then got Mitch (Elliott, bass) to join because he had been in pretty much every band in Newcastle and most people said he ruled at bass.

What is the origin of the evocative band

Disturbed will be out here in April. How do you feel about coming to Australia? Let me tell you, we are so fortunate to have struck a fan base in Australia and New Zealand. It is our favourite place to go. Don’t get me wrong, we love the United States, we play here, it’s our home. But the truth is, you Australians get crazy!. We always look forward to it.

I’ve always said that a band name doesn’t register anymore once you’ve heard the first note. On the topic of naming bands, which artists do you consider influences — within the math genre or otherwise? I’m just going say that I really like Foals, The Mars Volta, Tool and Incubus. I think our music has a pretty vast group of influences.

Newcastle has a dense population of musicians. What do you think of the local music scene and its focus? The local music scene is cool. There are lots of great bands in Newcastle that don’t really get noticed, though. It also seems like a lot of bands are becoming more imagebased, or genre-defined. Kind of like you can’t be a certain style without having a ‘cool’ image to go with it.

What do you think about pirating and the modern music landscape? Is there still a place for major labels, or is independent digital distribution inevitable? I think in the perfect world it would be great if we could still easily bring out an album or something and the only way it could be obtained was through legal purchase, but I guess that’s never coming back. Pretty much everyone I know downloads music. Digital distribution is awesome — I’d rather buy something on the Net than go out most days. I kind of like the vibe of being semiindependent, but major labels seem to be good for something.

What has been the highlight for you since joining Disturbed? So many! We got to play for the troops in Kuwait for Operation Myspace. We spoke to some of the guys afterwards and some of them told us that they listen to our band to pump themselves up before they go into battle. That was one of the reasons we wrote the song ‘Indestructible’. It is about a soldier going into battle and needing to be indestructible to complete his mission. When you hear things like that you are blown away and understand how much of an impact you can make on people through music. Absolutely mind blowing.

What are the most rewarding and, conversely, most disconcerting aspects of working on a recording? The final product is hopefully rewarding. Being in a room with the same people for a long time kind of blows. Especially Andy. No, not really, he is awesome.

Traversing Choppy Waters Since 2009, Newcastle four-piece Long Island Sound have b e e n p e r k i n g u p e a r s w i t h t h e i r c a t c h y, m a t h y m u s i c . Michael Sykes spoke to dr ummer Sean Cook about the b a n d ’s r e c e n t l y - r e l e a s e d s e l f - t i t l e d d e b u t E P a n d w h e r e t h e y fit into the musical landscape. name — is it a direct reference to the Long Island Sound estuary in the Atlantic, or is there a double meaning? I think the band name just got chosen from a pool of about five or so other potential

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names. I think the imagery of water and open space kind of blends well, but speaking personally, I don’t really take the band name extremely seriously. I like it a lot but it doesn’t have much actual meaning to me.

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Can you speak on the short and long term goals of the band following the release? Short term goals are to play as much as possible and be awesome at it. Long term is a bit unknown, but we’ll see. Is there a consistent thread or underlying theme to the EP and the songs on it? I think the main theme in this first EP is just fun. They are pretty much pop songs with technicality in the mix, so hopefully people can just have fun listening to it. That was the plan anyway. Long Island Sound will be performing at the CBD Hotel, Newcastle with Papa Vs Pretty and Last Dinosaurs on Saturday April 2.

reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 17

hugh cornwell

A Strangler in our Midst

Ground] to watch Australia play South Africa, because I’m a big cricket fanatic, and I saw Ricky Ponting play his 100th test. He managed to score 100 runs in the first innings and the second innings. So he did his best to impress me and I was impressed.

Hugh Cor n w ell is best know n for his creamy singing voice, as Stranglers frontman and solo musician . But with his first novel due out in the UK nex t month and another well on the way to completion , a starr y- eyed Terrease McComb talks to Cornwell about w riting, cricket and the release of his new album . Where are you speaking from today? Well I’m to the west of London, directly west towards Bristol, out in the countryside near a town called Bath. I’m spending some days in the studio here finishing work on some demos for a new album, which I’m going to be doing later this year, and releasing also later this year. So can you tell me more about the new album? Well it’s gong to be called ‘Totem and Taboo’. I nicked the title from a Sigmund Freud book. [Totem and Taboo: Resemblances Between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics; 1913] What kind of sound and experience are we in store for? The album has some great stuff on it. I’m really, really happy. It’s going to be a full-body experience. All the senses will be involved. Since you have ventured into the realm of solo artist you’ve gone from strength to strength it seems. What drives you to create? Well I mean as long as the songs don’t dry up, I’m quite happy, and they haven’t really

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mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

You certainly know how to keep yourself busy; you’ve been working on a novel also? Yes, I’ve got my first novel being published in May. I’ve been working on it on-and-off for about four years. Just in the last year I finished securing the services of a good publishing agent and then finding a publisher, which we just managed to find in the UK. It’s coming out in the UK, in May, with Quartet Books. Then my book agent will be securing deals in other countries and other territories so it might even come out with a local publisher in Australia. It’s called Window on the World.

dried up yet and I’m quite happy with the new stuff I’ve put together. I think that’s what drives me… [if] the songs are there to write. Tell me about your last studio album Hooverdam (2008) and the reasons behind making it a free download. It’s doing really well. I haven’t made any money out of it because… it’s for free, but what’s happened is it’s got me around the planet. People can get it for free and if they like it, it gets good reviews, which it has. People give it to their friends and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, I’m happy with that. It means that I can come to places like Australia and people come to the shows, so it’s like a calling card. What’s your vision towards music after taking on that strategy? Well, the record company convinced me it was the way forward and it’s been a success so far. It’s enabled me to go back to America, regularly playing in places I’ve never been to before. I went to South America this year for the first time. — it was amazing. And I think I’m going to be going to Russia

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What inspired the title? I can’t really tell you because it’s all in the book. I don’t want to give too much away. It’s a thriller love story.

this year, and it’s all because of the album. It’s made a difference. But I’ll tell you what, the next one won’t be free. Someone has to pay my bills I can’t afford to keep doing this for nothing [laughs].’ You’re touring around Australia in April, when were you here last? Last time I was there, I was lucky enough to be invited to the SCG [Sydney Cricket

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They’re the best kind. A psychological thriller love story, it takes place in the art market. In fact the heroine of the story is a female Australian painter… She’s from just outside Sydney. Can we expect to see you dabbling more frequently in the world of literature? Well, yes, I’ve nearly finished my second one. Hugh Cornwell performs at the Coolangatta Hotel on Sunday May 1; Sawtell RSL on Tuesday May 3; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Wednesday May 4.

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 19

a da l i ta

The Inner Electricity of

Rock goddess A da l i ta Sr sen has recently released her debut solo a lbum , Adalita , af ter a lmost 20 years at the helm of Melbour ne gr unge rock band Magic Dir t . Produced by the band ’s for mer bassist Dean Tur ner, who died from a rare for m of cancer in 20 0 9 , Srsen says the record is a testament to Tur ner ’s fr iendship and his commitment to her grow th as an ar tist . She spoke to M at t Pet her br idge about life , death and being a lone on stage.

“[Dean] was such a positive presence,” says Srsen. “Very uplifting, and such a calming presence too. To have him there with me was incredible,” she says. “He was very sick at the time, so for him to even come into the studio… I’m still so blown away at his commitment and his strength and his dedication to my music.” Srsen is revered as one of Australia’s most enchanting rock goddesses, releasing six albums as lead singer of Magic Dirt (not including 2007’s Roky’s Room, the experimental noise album featuring no vocals, no melodies and no percussion). However she’d never considered going solo until three years ago, when she started writing songs with the intention of keeping them in “their most minimal form”. She tracked the entire album with Turner, at Head Gap Studios in Melbourne, at the end of his decade-long fight with a rare form of soft tissue cancer. “It was produced in a way that still gave songs the treatment,” says Srsen. “We wanted to make it sound beautiful and lush and well produced. The voice and the guitar — that’s very much the crux of the record.”

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Don’t be fooled though, it’s not an acoustic album — there’s distortion, reverb, slashes of violin and short bursts of percussion. The album still holds all of the personality traits that one would associate with Srsen’s music — raw, emotional, instinctive and powerful. “I guess with some people it would be acoustic guitar or piano and voice. My music is rooted in electric guitar; it’s a part of me and I really enjoy playing with distortion pedals and reverb pedals, I just love it! It’s not natural to pick up the acoustic guitar for me,” she says. Srsen toyed with a Boss loop station to allow her to improvise lead breaks and spacious textures over the song’s chord progressions, which became more important to her than giving songs the full rock treatment. This process influenced several songs on the album, including the first single and opening track of Adalita, ‘Hot Air’, as well as ‘Perfection’ and ‘Invite Me’. She believes her lyrical content is becoming more direct, with the most personal song on the album, ‘The Repairer’, verbalising Srsen’s fears of Turner’s impending death. “The recurring lyric I sing is ‘I am the grim

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repairer’, which is a take on the phrase, the grim reaper. Just before Dean passed away, I was struck with the fear that I might lose him. In my mind, the song became this very detailed description of the mechanics of death, and how when we die, it’s like switching a light off, or you pull something out of the electrical socket and the energy supply is cut off from our inner electricity.” Srsen is comfortable speaking about death, which she describes as “one of the most important themes” in art. “It’s death. It’s in your face, just like sex is. [It’s] such a full-on topic to speak about and talk about, and at the same time, I have some sort of interest in exploring those themes. Sex, death and what else have you got?” Srsen finalised the album with producer/ multi instrumentalist JP Shilo (of instrumental band Hungry Ghosts fame). He’ll be adding “extra layers” to her live show, which is due to hit Newcastle’s Great Northern Hotel on Friday, April 15.

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a da l i ta

“It’s death. It’s in your face, just like sex is. “I’ve played in Newcastle a couple of times solo now, so I thought I should bring JP (Shilo) along, he’ll be joining me on stage for a few songs.” Melbourne singer/songwriter Amaya Laucirica, who provided backing vocals to ‘Good Girl’, will be the main support act on the tour. Srsen is glowing with her appraisal of Laucirica, “(Amaya) is a beautiful singer, very reminiscent of Mazzy Star. It’ll be a real treat to have her along. And she’ll jump up and do ‘Good Girl’ with me.” Magic Dirt guitarist Raul Sanchez also appears on the album, for the song ‘Lassa Hanta’, a “spontaneous recording” that was born from jamming over a backwards guitar loop in the studio. Srsen will be playing a “handful of Magic Dirt B-sides” on the upcoming tour. She says she’s been amazed by the outpouring of grief from fans and the industry since Turner’s death and the band’s hiatus. “There are a lot of fans grieving over Dean. Even doing interviews with some of the journalists that Magic Dirt has known for a long time and [who] interviewed Dean a lot, they’re all very sad and shocked. It’s

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been a tough time. We’re all still a bit dumbfounded really.” Playing solo has afforded Srsen one of her greatest career highlights, the chance to tour with two of the most influential people in her career, Debbie Harry from Blondie and Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders, on their double headline Australian tour late last year. “It was such an honour. It was a great experience and I never dreamed that I would ever play on a tour of that magnitude. I loved watching Blondie and The Pretenders play, the shows were pretty amazing. For me, it was a really huge tour and I was playing on my own, so it was quite daunting… The first few shows were hard. I was freaking out halfway [through my sets] in my head, not that anyone could tell, but I was like: “Oh God, I feel like I’m going to die”. Adalita is playing The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday April 15; Lizotte’s Lambton on Thursday June 2; Lizotte’s, Kincumber on Sunday June 5. Adalita is now out through Liberation

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 21

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

album Reviews Lupe Fiasco Lasers

album of the month

Lucinda Williams

Lykke Li

The Get Up Kids

Wounded Rhymes

There Are Rules

Atlantic Records/Warner Music

Blessed

Warner Music

Quality Hill/Other Tongues

3/5

Universal

4.5/5

4/5

Highly publicised for being a huge artistic compromise with the record company picking out the songs for Lupe Fiasco to work with, he’s a mixed bag with third album Lasers. Lasers is full of piano ditties and electronic bangers such as the MDMA contributions ‘Beautiful Lasers’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now’. First single ‘The Show Goes On’ is beautiful, taking a Modest Mouse-sample into the stratosphere, lyrically slamming his record company and hoping for the best. ‘Words I Never Said’ drops a rapbomb on the head of America with pearlers like “Your child’s future was the first to go with budget cuts/If you turn on TV all you see’s a bunch of what-the-fucks/And that ain’t Jersey Shore, homie, that’s the news”. ‘Til I Get There’ is a groovin’ pop ditty, ‘All Black Everything’ is dedicated to the best future dreamed big for his brothers, unfolding with a Hollywood, syrupy sample. The album title is an acronym for ‘Love Always Shines Every time, Remember 2 Smile’ — clearly a motivation phrase to get through this record. Maybe he should borrow Weird Al Yankovic’s favourite shirt, ‘Atlanta Records Sucks’. There are great pop songs on the album but he can do better. ~Matt Petherbridge

REM

Collapse Into Now Warner

4/5

It was difficult to listen to REM struggle through a bunch of lacklustre releases in the late 90s and mid 2000’s that showcased what was missing after drummer Bill Berry’s departure, instead of what was still alive and vital. 2007’s Accelerate was heaped with critical praise as a return-to-form record, and the band have capitalised on all of its successes on 2011 follow-up Collapse Into Now. The record sounds big from the get-go, frontman Michael Stipe rediscovering some of the biting cynicism that defined his early work, on tracks like ‘Mine Smells Like Honey’. Still, the best track on the album isn’t a sarcastic exposé — it’s the jangly, catchy two-minute plea entitled ‘That Someone Is You’. Simply, it’s the strongest chorus Stipe has delivered in a very long time, and it’s lovely to hear him back at his best. ~Max Quinn

4/5

Rumour has it, marriage has mellowed her, but you wouldn’t know it from the tone of the songs on Lucinda William’s latest. They still excoriate, castigate and scorn as blithely as ever — and in as poetic a vein. Daughter of a nationally-renowned poet who read his work at Bill Clinton’s second inauguration, Williams’s effortless songwriting template has again produced a collection of enduring classics delivered in her sublimely harrowed voice. Production is exquisite, Don Was steering a well-oiled machine with Elvis Costello donating gentlemanly, if sometimes suitably reckless guitar work. On first listen, the album handles like its predecessors, never straying too far from the ‘Car Wheels’ handbook, but listen closer and you will appreciate Williams’s ineffable mastery of modern songwriting. ~Mick Daley

Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound Independent

4.5/5

There is an intricate bliss to the Long Island Sound EP. It’s an electric guitar-driven affair, but lacking in the myriad tropes of rock music — the distortion is at minimum and the dual vocal work traverses a more approachable soundscape, rife with harmonies and smile-eliciting call-and-response. The band’s commitment to breaching the stigma of their maths roots provides for a somewhat sporadic six-song sojourn, from the saccharine prog-break at the apex of ‘Joseph’ to the campfire aesthetic of the crescendo, ‘Kevin Spacey’. The tracks are slickly produced and the instrumentation is executed with all the necessary precision. Complex yet accessible, the release is a treat for fans of technical pop or anyone ready to be surprised by genres they thought they knew. ~MichAel Sykes

The illustrious Swedish siren Lykke Li proved her worth as both songwriter and live performer after her incredible debut, Youth Novels, was released three years ago. With her latest album, Wounded Rhymes, Li’s hauntingly beautiful vocals are embedded gently into each composition, with a focus on atmosphere and ambience. The second song, ‘I Follow Rivers’, is the album highlight, drawing the audience in with smooth and sensual melodies accompanied by tribal rhythms and outlandish percussion, as well as perfect reverberation on her stellar vocal ability. The upbeat drumming and groove-infused rhythms of ‘Get Some’, as well as the potential festival favourite, ‘Youth Knows No Pain’, give the album a positive vibe. Wounded Rhymes leaves the listener with a quaint and almost euphoric feeling and is, without a doubt, one of the best recordings to be released this year. For fans of: Laura Marling, Sarah Blasko, Beach House. ~Josh Clements

Beady Eye

Different Gear, Still Speeding Liberator Music

Art Vs Science

2/5

The Experiment Green/MGM

3/5

It’s a reasonable cause for scepticism when the darlings of any given genre re-form after a lengthy hiatus, as purveyors of pre-eyeliner emo, The Get Up Kids, have done with their first studio album in seven years. This is no cash-in, though — the Kids have eschewed their pop-punk bank-ability for an alternate (and now somewhat ironic) take on youthful rock. Their sound is more flexible than ever, navigating a dynamic spectrum. While the album has an angular indie spine, cuts like the ethereal ‘Rally ‘Round The Fool’ and the acute, minimalist lead single ‘Automatic’ demonstrate a sonic flexibility that the band hadn’t quite grasped at their peak of popularity a decade ago. All too often a re-formation is cause to break out the cookie-cutters, but There Are Rules stands to refute its very title: the band you expected to dredge up a few tired teenage anthems is absent — and it’s the smartest thing they could have done. ~Michael Sykes

While many a band fails to translate its live sound into the studio, Art Vs Science has managed to capture the exuberance of their live shows in their debut LP, The Experiment. Though there are no surprises to be had, the result is an accomplished 13-track offering that takes in influences ranging from the Chemical Brothers, The Hives and even Devo. The radio-friendly opener ‘Finally See Our Way’ sets the tone for ‘don’t expect the unexpected’, however, tracks like ‘Take A Look At Your Face’ and the instrumental ‘Meteor (I Feel Fine)’ are set to take over from last year’s mega hit ‘Magic Fountain’, as the bombs to get the party started. Though some critics have panned the debut, The Experiment will satisfy the Art vs. Science fans who happily line the barriers at music festivals around the country. Prediction: ‘A.I.M. Fire!’ is the next ‘Flipper’. ~Georgina Bible

It’s very hard not to compare Beady Eye’s music to Oasis, since this is the band formed by the remaining members after the departure of Noel Gallagher. This feat of forgetting is made harder by the fact that most of the songs sound like throwaway Oasis tunes. To be fair, the album starts strong with ‘Four Letter Word’ and ‘Millionaire’, but starts limping from there. Boring open-chord ballads and halfarsed rock songs populate the rest of the album, and the only other interesting moment is ‘Beatles and Stones’, in which Liam Gallagher boasts, “I’m gonna stand the test of time, like Beatles and Stones”, which is an admirable statement, except this is sung over the same chords as The Who’s ‘My Generation’. Yawn. This one is for die-hard Oasis fans only (who need to kill time until the inevitable Oasis reunion). ~Matthew Glen

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“Get it now” reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 23

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

Ross Wilson

3 Apr

McAlister Kemp

7 Apr

DIG

10 Apr

Cotton Keays and Morris

16 Apr

Jon Stevens

17 Apr

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band (USA)

gig Guide Newcastle Fri, Apr 1

Less + Short Notice + Before The

Cambridge Hotel (Red Bar), Newc

Utility + Hold Your Own + Jessica

Lights + Denham Reagh + Dirty

Star Fucking Hipsters + AC4 +

+ Ange Murphy + Jacinta Burley +

The Worstmen + Coma Lies

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Holdays

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Uriah Heep

Fannys, Newcastle

+ Chris Isaac + Mar Haze + Jess Lord

The Holy Soul + TV Colours + Dead

Darren Skaar (trumpet) + Fuel + Kags + Jace Cordell

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Chesnuts + The Havelocks +

Sunset Brothers

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

8 May

11 May

Ross Wilson

Lizotte’s, Lambton Mental As Anything

New Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths Steve Edmonds Band

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington

29 May

The Idea of North Dave Graney with The Lurid Yellow Mist The Flood w/ special guests, The Pardoners

For bookings and

Bang Bang Boss Kelly + Carus Thompson + Yanto Shortis + I Am Apollo

Pave Leclair

Hamilton Station Hotel

Jungle Kings

Totally Unicorn + Let Me Down + Jungleman + Caverns + Safe Hands

Tues, Apr 5

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

Enmore Theatre, Sydney

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

The Script + Tinie Tempah

City & Colour + Hey Rosetta!

Wed, Apr 6 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

The Only

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham I Am The Agent + Bats and Battleships + Mike McCarthy

Manning Bar, Sydney

Miles Away + Defeater + Fires Of Waco

Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Turner

The Hatty Fatners + Bones Jones

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Go Set + The Havelocks

CBD Hotel, Newcastle

Dead Kennedys

Mayfield RSL

Jessica King + Ruby 4 Lucy + Mark Cashin & The Lil Hussys +

Long Island Sound

Claire Sheather

Cricketers Arms, Cooks Hill Mikelangelo and the Tin Star

Marshall and the Fro

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Oceanics

Dennis Boys Band

Datura Curse + Enviktas

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Hook N Sling The Karma Cops (Ep launch) + Team + Jore + Kris

Laycock Street Theatre, Gosf The Last Waltz

Lizotte’s, Lambton Ross Wilson

Newcastle Entertain Centre Cyndi Lauper + Casey Donovan

Newcastle Panthers Luke and Joel + Sally Chatfield +

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Star Fucking Hipsters + AC4 + Whole Hearted + Porn Ring

Customs House, Newcastle Drop The Lime + Kato + Cassi + Dublife DJs + Beatnik DJ + Wanjun and Loca Motif

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Pat Capocci Combo

Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Tillegra Damned

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Streetlight Manifesto

Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Hard Dance Alliance

Great Northern Hotel, Newc Crystal Cove + The Initiation

Hamilton Station Hotel The Hatty Fatners + Chrome Bison +

Tim Barry + Jen Buxton

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Steve Edmonds Band

Tues, Apr 12 State Theatre, Sydney

Jimmy Eat World Leadfinger + The Prehistorics

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Lizotte’s, Lambton Cotton Keays and Morris

Woodport Inn, Erina

phone (02) 4956 2066

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Fireroom

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Lazy J + Big Guy

Melody Pool DIG

Fri, Apr 8

B.B. King

Wyndham Estate, Hunter Valley Chris Isaak

Wed, Apr 13 Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Tortoise Head Platoon

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

Peregrine

Lizotte’s, Lambton

The Script + Tinie Tempah

Mark Wilkinson Album Launch +

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Huge Shoes

GOATS Festival w/ October Rage + Supremo + Penny Black + Worse For Wear + Orijin of Janken + Sons of Mercury + Faith Falls Short + Static Empire + No Pressure + Never The

Hunter & King + Duncan Woods + Meags Hill

Cassian + Tenzin

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Half Nelson

Koala Park, San Remo

State Theatre, Sydney

Peabody + In The Dollhouse + Barry March

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mental As Anything

Lizotte’s, Lambton

B.B. King

Thur, Apr 14 Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney

The Pigs

Download Page

Israel Cannon

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Lairs + Gleny Rae Virus & her Junkyard Playboys

Great Northern Hotel, Newc Adalita + Amaya Laucirica

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Kidd Kaos

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mal Eastick

Lizotte’s, Lambton Bob Corbett & the Roo Grass Band

Sat, Apr 16 CBD Hotel, Newcastle Redcoats + Rein Room + Broadway Mile

George Tavern, East Maitland Steve Edmonds Band

Genevieve Chadwick

Great Northern Hotel, Newc Young Revelry + Jarrah Thompson

Hamilton Station Hotel Inhale The Sea + Tired Minds + Revival Ashore

Lizotte’s, Lambton

DIG

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington

1929 Indian + Young Pretties

Entrance Leagues Club

Blush Nightclub. Gosford

Jacob Pearson EP launch

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

The Owls + The Evening Sun +

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

Austen Tayshus

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Sun, Apr 10

Thur, Apr 7 Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Fri, Apr 15

Hollerin Matty Southon + Big Earl +

Boys Like Girls

Leadfinger + The Delta Lions

Hamilton Station Hotel

Audrey Auld

Shadowmill + War Faction + The Seer

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington

Sophie Catling + Holly Clayton +

Hamilton Station Hotel

Matt Southern

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Good Charlotte + Short Stack +

Lizotte’s, Lambton Morpeth Jugbusters + Turner

Daniel Champagne

Our Last Enemy + Viral Millennium +

Sydney Entertainment Centre

and the Skeletones + Beatrice Rose

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Last Dinosaurs + Papa Vs Pretty +

Sun, Apr 3

magazine issue #057 — April 2011

Watussi + Tijuana Cartel

Settlers Tavern, West Gosford

Merewether Fats

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

24 reverb

Cock Safari + The Fighting League

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

City & Colour + Hey Rosetta!

information, or visit lizottes.com.au

Grillz + Rat King + Sleepwalks +

McAlister Kemp

Queens Wharf Brewery, Newc

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

27 May 28 May

Woollen Kits + Rites Wild + Bare

Nerds and Music + Thomson’s Way

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Sat, Apr 2

DJ MK + John Glover

Tim Finn Absolute 80s Tour de Force tribute show 21-22May Richard Clapton 24 May The Sowers Group 25 May State of Origin, live on the biggest screen in Newcastle

Farmers + Secrets + Crab Smasher +

Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Deniz Tek

Fannys, Newcastle

13 May 15 May 20 May

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

Wickham Park Hotel, Islington

Dropbear

Grandmaster Monk + Dave Hellens

Tony Joe White Eric Bibb James Reyne The Brewster Brothers play Dylan Mother’s Day lunch w/ Katie Noonan & Karen Schaupp Jeff Martin

Totally Autumn Festival w/-

Charlie Brown + MC Daze +

Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption +

1 May 4 May 5-6 May 7 May

Croatian Club, Islington

Massacre + Northlakes Singing Choir

Holy Balm + Electric Jellyfish +

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Wickham

29-30 Apr Diesel

+ Jupiter Menace + The Greenroom

Eat Skull + My Disco + Slug Guts +

Doug Parkinson

& Heath Cullen

The Creole Choir of Cuba

Memories + Blood Lillies + Bo Banta

(Bluesfest sideshow)

(The Waifs)

Civic Theatre, Newcastle

Illusion + Room 13 + Michael Crafter

+ North of the Border + Stolen

King Street Hotel, Newcastle

David Ross MacDonald

First Aid Emergency + Just An

Matt Nukewood + Kidd Kaos +

Inside The Exterior + Osmium Grid +

28 Apr

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Locke + JDMO + NO + Allay The Sea

Nobody Knew They Were Robots +

23 Apr

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

The Scorcher

Hamilton Station Hotel

Michelle Shocked

Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland

Hang The DJ w/ Kid Mince +

The Jimmy Bazil Project

20 Apr

Sat, Apr 9

James Curd Jon Stevens

Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Dangerous!

Sun, Apr 17 Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Beards + Jimmy Willing + Claude Hay

Hamilton Station Hotel Scorcherfest w/ Beats Working + Blade Saban Three + Elisa Kate + Enemy of Average + Exit For Freedom + fr.esh + Harbinger + Jupiter Menace + King & Ace + Lefta Centa + Matty Effin Morrison + PlusManyMore + Project XIX + Shane Burdan + She’s The Morning & The Night + Short Notice + Teknofear + The Chestnuts + The Dread Sky + Twin Thunder Boy + Verusive

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jon Stevens

Lizotte’s, Lambton Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band

Mon, Apr 18 Rhythm Hut, Gosford Ganga Girl

Tues, Apr 19 Enmore Theatre, Sydney Grace Jones

State Theatre, Sydney Elvis Costello and the Imposters

The Grove, Newcastle Classic Crime

Bruno Mars

Download Issue

gig Guide North Wed, Apr 20

Wed, Apr 27

Fri, Apr 1

Lalaland, Byron Bay

Blush Nightclub, Gosford

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

33 on Hickory, Dorrigo

Lennox Point Hotel

Classic Crime

Hamilton Station Hotel Plus Many More

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Francesca Sidoti + Gilbert Whyte + Nick Kingswell + Fate of The Universe

Lizotte’s, Lambton Michelle Shocked

Newcastle Entertain Centre ZZ Top + Rose Tattoo + The Poor

Newcastle Panthers Xavier Rudd + Carus Thompson

Tin Can Radio

Wed, Apr 6

Cath Simes

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Jessica Cain + Allon Silove +

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Bonjah

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Kirsty Larkin + Static Empire

Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain

Thur, Apr 28

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

David Ross Macdonald +

Zeb Lepplin

Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney

Newcastle Entertain Centre

The McClymonts + Kirsty Lee Akers

Newcastle Leagues Club

Alpine

Sounds Of Summer DJ comp -

The Wireflys + The Karma Cops

Grand Final

Great Northern Hotel, Newc Classic Crime

King Street Hotel, Newcastle Ian Carey

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Bobby Long

Lizotte’s, Lambton Nate Armsberry

Newcastle Panthers Jimmy Barnes + Noiseworks + Broadway Mile

State Theatre, Sydney Imogen Heap

Fri, Apr 22 Great Northern Hotel, Newc Dialectrix

Patonga Hotel Peter Healey’s Phat Magpie

Sat, Apr 23 Great Northern Hotel, Newc Under Wood Mayne

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Diesel

Lizotte’s, Lambton Doug Parkinson

Sun, Apr 24 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Chariot

Kent Hotel, Hamilton Steve Edmonds Band

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Diesel

Metro Theatre, Sydney George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

State Theatre, Sydney John Legend + Lowrider

Sydney Entertainment Centre Bob Dylan

Mon, Apr 25 Newcastle Panthers Grinspoon + Hunting Grounds

State Theatre, Sydney John Legend + Lowrider

Tues, Apr 26 Acer Arena, Sydney Chris Brown

Miles Away + Fires Of Waco +

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore Vasudha & Jem

Bonjah + Ngariki + Bowen & the Lucky Dutchmen

Hamilton Station Hotel The Hatty Fatners + Phat Controller + Spandex Moose

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Ballina RSL

The Stereotypes

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Great Northern Hotel, Byron Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

CBD Hotel, Newcastle

Slim Jim and the Boney Hard Men

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Quickfix

Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads

The Karma Cops

Dashville, Hunter Valley

Lalaland, Byron Bay

The Vasco Era + CW Stoneking +

Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain

Lennox Point Hotel

Resin Dogs + Papa Vs Pretty +

Deniz Tek + Mick Daley and UBL +

Jimmy Willing & the Real Gone Hiccups

Neverland Bar, Byron Bay

Eagle and the Worm + Chase The Sun + Claude Hay + Zoe K & the

Punks Jump Up

The Wildes + The Firemen +

Jarrah Thompson

Purple Sneakers DJs

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

Clay Blyth + The Cobblestones

Port Macquarie Hotel

DJ Skr let

Creamfields w/ Deadmau5 + Martin Solveig + Skrillex + Chuckie + Simon

Oceanics + Tombstone Ramblers

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Sawtell Hotel

Due Wave

Pacha Mamma

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

Patterson + Gabriel & Dresden + Wynter Gordon (PA) + Hi Tek Soul + Bingo Players + Skazi + Surkin +

Rich Latimer

Round Table Knights + Sandwell District + Tim Green + Bart Classens

Sawtell RSL Troy Cassar Daley + Luke Austen

play Dylan 6 May

Grace Knight

7 May

James Reyne

8 May

Mother’s Day night with James Reyne

10 May

Jeff Martin

14 May

Tim Finn

15 May

Casey Donovan

20 May

Richard Clapton

22 May

Brian Cadd & Russell Morris

27 May

Dave Graney &

28 May

The Idea of North

29 May

Abby Dobson

the Lurid Yellow Mist

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

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga

Sun, Apr 3

Dada Life + Umek + Nadastrom +

The Brewster Brothers

The Floating Bridges

Surf Report

Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

5 May

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Sawtell RSL

The Belligerents

The Claymores

Nimbin Hotel

Sawtell Hotel

Peter Healy + Krusty

Eric Bibb

Nicky Romero + Helena

CC The Cat

Entrance Sails Stage

3 May

Lennox Point Hotel

Port Macquarie Panthers

Blackest Sabbath + Dirty York

James Morrison

Lalaland, Byron Bay

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Shadow Katz + Lanie Lane +

30 Apr

Italo Club, Lismore

Rhys Bynon + Miles Jr

Space Invadas + Custom Kings +

Jack Jones

Marshall and the Fro

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Fat Albert

Gum Ball Festival w/ Kora +

Delusional

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Trip Kicks

Strange Talk

Beats Working + Loose Change

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Mum Says Rock

Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley

29 Apr

Ghost Road

Brewery, Byron Bay

Bob Walton

Sat, Apr 30

presents Bobby Long 23-24 Apr Diesel

Martinez Bros

Ballina RSL Bowling Club

Diesel

Gaynor Crawford

Bonny Hils Hotel

Glenn Massey

Lizotte’s, Lambton

21 Apr

Afro Moses + Ebb N Flo +

Ballina RSL

Jack Jones

Fri, Apr 8

Sat, Apr 2 Harry Healy

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Jon Stevens

Defeater

Bill Jacobi

+ Sticky Fingers + Cheap Fakes +

Jarrah Thompson

YAC, Byron Bay

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Gum Ball Festival w/ The Bamboos

Lizotte’s, Lambton

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga The Weekenders

The Amenta + Ruins

17 Apr

Jim Kelly Trio (front bar)

Tree House, Byron Bay

Clockwork Orange

Dashville, Hunter Valley

Experience

Loren + Murray Kyle (back bar);

SCU Unibar, Lismore

Club Led, Newcastle

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

Down Hoochie Brown

The McClymonts + Kirsty Lee Akers

Mal Eastick presents

Troupador

Sawtell Hotel

Civic Theatre, Newcastle

James Morrison

Earthworker

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Short Stack

Strange Talk

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Benjalu + The B’s + Dean Carroll’s

The Scam

One Mic + Lefta Centa

+ Mumbai Science

Chris Arenston

Port Macquarie Panthers

CBD Hotel, Newcastle

15 Apr

Port Macquarie Hotel

Mark Nixx + The Lost Cause +

Beats Working + Loose Change +

Diesel Find us on Facebook

Big Fish

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Peregrine

Nimbin Hotel Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Port Macquarie Hotel

Fri, Apr 29

13 Apr

Sugarcane Collins

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Frenzal Rhomb

DIG

Mama Lala + Ned & the Poet’s Bed

FLOATINGME + Sleep Parade +

DJ Jonathan

10 Apr

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Gollan Hotel, Lismore

Ryan Rushton

City Riots 70’s Funk Theme Night w/

Mental As Anything

Sparkadia + Operator Please +

Lennox Point Hotel

Newcastle Uni Bar On The Hill

8 Apr

Coolangatta Hotel

Simone Smith

Lalaland, Byron Bay

British India + Boy In A Box +

Grand Junction Hotel, Mait

Ross Wilson

Real Gone Hiccups

Cassian + Daniel Webber +

Disturbed + Trivium + As I Lay Dying

1 Apr

The Beards + Jimmy Willing and the

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Heath Cullen

Leigh James

Thur, Apr 7

Holy Cow

Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi

Entrance Leagues Club

John MacDonald + Rowland Stones

Ballina RSL

Loren Kate + Mel Robinson

every Wednesday night

Sawtell RSL

Shybaby

Lizotte’s, Kincumber

Don’t forget — Live & Local

Greg Lyon’s Hip Operation

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Tall As Lions

Thur, Apr 21 Switchfoot

Easy-P + Discrow

Jackie Marshall

Great Northern Hotel, Newc

CENTRAL COAST

The Bounty Hunters

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Phil Mayer

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

The Darky Roots

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

The Break of Dawn + Rampage + A Witness to the Slaughter

Stoneage Romeos

Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads Mescalito Blues

Download Page

Download Issue

reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 25

gig Guide North (cont.) APRIL AT THE AUSSIE

Sat, Apr 9

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Australian Hotel, Ballina Nathan Kaye Kollective

FRIDAY 1 SHYBABY 8PM SATURDAY 2 HARRY HEALY DUO 7:30PM

Ballina RSL

The Green Room

Hannaford Clay

Bellingen Showgrounds

FRIDAY 15 MUMBO JUMBO 8PM

Jarrah Thompson + Asha Henfry +

King Tide + The Nomads + Gusto +

Lissa and Nikki Thorburn

Morganics + A Little Province + Bats vs Snakes + Shanteya + Five Dollar Billy + Never One Day + Jumbaal Dreamin’ Dancers

Cabarita Beach Hotel Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Beats Working + Loose Change + Matty Effin Morison The Sun Rose The Little Stevies + Anika Moa

Sawtell Hotel Slipway Hotel, Ballina Rob Saric

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore Keegan Sparke

Brewery, Byron Bay

Rebecca Ireland

Sat, Apr 16

Symbols

Lennox Point Hotel Timbah

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Richie Williams

Neil Anderson

Port Macquarie Panthers

Ballina RSL

British India + Boy In A Box + City Riots

Coolangatta Hotel Great Northern Hotel, Byron

Sat, Apr 23 Australian Hotel, Ballina

The Holidays

Mick Daley

Ballina Hotel

Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads

White Party w/ DJ Jimmy D + Abel

Ballina RSL

Lennox Point Hotel

Leigh James

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Ragga Jump

Federal Hotel, Bellingen

The Floating Bridges

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Lennox Point Hotel Sugarcane Collins

Sawtell RSL Tacking Point Hotel Dave Calandra Vasudha & Jem

Tim Helmy

Lennox Point Hotel

The Phonies

Mason Rack

Sun, Apr 17

Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour British India + Boy In A Box + City Riots

Sawtell Hotel

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

The Good Shirts

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Drapht + Mantra + The Tongue

Yamba Golf Club

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Stephanie Rogers

The Lazy Sundays

Treehouse Cafe, Byron Bay

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Fat Albert

Valla Beach Tavern

Peter and Deiter

Barrel House

Andy Bourke

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

Geoff Turnbull

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Lennox Point Hotel

Troy Cassar Daley + Luke Austen

Kathryn Hartnett

Borgs and Reidy

Valla Beach Tavern

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Thur, Apr 14

Fat Labradors

Sawtell RSL

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Hayden Hack Infusion

Gollan Hotel, Lismore Repentance Creek + Blues Stomp Holding Company

Natalie Colavito + Rowland Stones

The Fig, Port Macquarie

Joshua Matherson

Sun, Apr 24 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Mick Daley and Sideshow

Mon, Apr 18

Lisa Hunt

Great Northern Hotel, Byron British India + Boy In A Box + City Riots

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Byron Services Club

Ladi6

Pacific Hotel, Yamba Holy Cow

Port Macquarie Hotel Big Erle + Graham Cain + Andrew Cousins

Rails, Byron Bay

Ben Francis

Lalaland, Byron Bay

Gina Yashere

Daniel Clayton

Wed, Apr 20

Lennox Point Hotel

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Shaun Kirk + Luke Yeamon

Bowen and the Lucky Dutchmen +

Beatdusta + Rob Fu

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Michael Franti

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore The Goldsworthies (back bar); Laura Nobel Trio (front bar)

Zues Baby

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga

Garett Kato

Jarrah Thompson

SCU Unibar, Lismore

Thur, Apr 21

Josh Matheson

Mon, Apr 25 Australian Hotel, Ballina

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Fri, Apr 15

The Floating Bridges

Dan Hannaford

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Kooii

Coolangatta Hotel

Mumbo Jumbo

Ballina RSL

FLOATINGME + Sleep Parade

Painted Crows

Switch Skate Park, Port Macq

Gollan Hotel, Lismore

Fat Albert

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Mick Daley’s Corporate Raiders

Nimbin Hotel

Tijuana Cartel

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

Shaun Kirk

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

The Phonies

Coolangatta Hotel

mag azine issue #057 — April 2011

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

Rails, Byron Bay

Australian Hotel, Ballina

26 reverb

Ballina RSL

Bang Bang Boss Kelly

Sun, Apr 10

British India + Boy In A Box + City Riots

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Bang Bang Boss Kelly + The Oceanics

The Henchmen

Round Mountain Girls

Great Northern Hotel, Byron

103 River Street, Ballina Ph 02 6686 2015 www.theaussiehotel.com

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain

THURSDAY 21 THE FLOATING BRIDGES 8PM

SATURDAY 30 GLENN MASSEY DUO 7:30PM

Fri, Apr 22

Lisa Hunt

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

Stoneage Romeos

Terry Gordon + Rowland Stones

FRIDAY 29 PUSH 8PM

Slim Jim and the Boney Hardmen

DJ Dawagon

Drapht + Mantra + The Tongue

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour

MONDAY 25 DAN HANNAFORD DUO 6PM

SCU Unibar, Lismore

Mick Buckley

Lennox Point Hotel

SATURDAY 16 RICHIE WILLIAMS BAND 7:30PM

SATURDAY 23 MICK DALEY DUO 7:30PM

Valla Beach Tavern

Australian Hotel, Ballina

Solid Gold

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour

King Tide

FRIDAY 22 THE HENCHMEN 8PM

Port Macquarie Hotel

Local M.A.D.E.ness Festival w/

Mullumbimby Civic Hall

SATURDAY 9 NATHAN KAYE KOLLECTIVE 7:30PM

DJ Breno + The Good Kats

Symbols

Lennox Point Hotel The Floating Bridges +

The Floating Bridges

FRIDAY 8 THE STEREOTYPES FEATURING COL GERMANO 8PM

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore

Full Moon Party w/ DJ Jordy +

Classic Crime

FLOATINGME + Sleep Parade

Thur, Apr 28 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Method

Brewery, Byron Bay The Wildes + Lachlan Bryan

Coolangatta Hotel Tim and Jean

Gollan Hotel, Lismore Black Ghost Party + Dougal Binns and the Wino’s

Pacific Hotel, Yamba Chris Fisher

Port Macquarie Hotel Bowen and the Lucky Dutchmen + Matt Southon + Bel Woods

SCU Unibar, Lismore Beatdusta

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore Invisible Friend + The Will Masey Band (back bar); Walt and Angus (front bar)

Fri, Apr 29 Ballina RSL Akmal

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay King Farook

Bonny Hils Hotel Whiskey Road

Brewery, Byron Bay The Belligerents

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour The Rockets

Diggers Tavern, Bellingen Tijuana Cartel

Federal Hotel, Bellingen Owen Campbell

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Fort

Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Ministry of Sound’s Nick Thayer

Lennox Point Hotel The Downstairs Mixup

Port Macquarie Hotel Bone Idle

Sawtell Hotel DJ Brown Sugar

SCU Unibar, Lismore Bats Vs Snakes + Leave Home

Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga The Trip + Driftwood Allies

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore A Little Province

Sat, Apr 30 Australian Hotel, Ballina Glenn Massey

Ballina RSL Oz Latin Brothers

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Nat Col and the Kings

Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour The Weekenders

Ivory Tavern, Tweed Heads The Hodads

Lennox Point Hotel Cleveland + The Red Eye Junction

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Pacific Hotel, Yamba

Vanessa Baker

Lennox Point Hotel Clay Blyth

Rails, Byron Bay

Glenn Massey

Download Page

General Electryk

Port Macquarie Panthers

Lismore City Hall

Painted Crows

Slipway Hotel, Ballina

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay

Tues, Apr 26

Sky Donnolly + Tony Fellon

SCU Unibar, Lismore

Wed, Apr 27

Download Issue

Shaun Kirk

Akmal Preston Train

Sawtell RSL Bronte Wake

Tattersall’s Hotel, Lismore Vasudha & Jem Follow us on Twitter

Th e M c C l y m o n t s

Combine songwriting skill with powerful vocals, memorable tunes, beautiful harmonies and an engaging, energetic stage performance by three gorgeous Australian girls and you have The McClymonts. Bringing country music into the limelight with a unique blend of upbeat country pop and soulful melodies, this trio is singing its way into the hearts of music-lovers everywhere. Brooke, Samantha and Mollie McClymont received their first ARIA for new record Wrapped Up Good, named 2010’s Country Album of the Year. Brooke McClymont’s response is typically humble and genuine, another trait that adds to the band’s success. “It was awesome, to have won. It was amazing. We had no expectations at all,” she says with honest surprise. Fans and industrywatchers may have been less surprised, however, with many accolades already under the band’s belt, including six Golden Guitar awards, appearances in the US, and a third album to be recorded this year with Taylor Swift’s producer, Nathan Chapman. This success story (like all good country songs) begins in a small town. Calling themselves the Young Einstein Club, the three sisters began performing for mum and dad, who were charged $2 a ticket. Music was part of family life. “We used to watch Rage regularly and mum bought every 80s music video she could find. We’d pick out our favourite songs and copy them. (These) included Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You and Dolly Parton’s Apple Sack. I remember the first song I sang as a whole piece — mum bought me the cassette tape of backing music. It was All I Wanna Do Is Love You, by Heart.” “Mum spent every weekend at talent quests and dad didn’t have holidays for years. They both believed in us and without them we wouldn’t be as successful as we are today.” It was this support that inspired Brooke to send away some of her original song compositions. She wrote songs for Olivia Newton John, Kate De Araugo and Hillary Duff among others, with I Can’t Wait recorded by Duff for the Disney series, Lizzie McGuire. McClymont credits country musician Lee Kernaghan with kicking off the band’s career when he invited them to support his tour after seeing them perform at the Golden Guitar Awards. The McClymonts toured with Kernaghan for 18 months and within two months of being on the road, they released their first five-track EP, recorded at Byron Bay’s Rocking Horse Studios and produced by Steve James. They received a lot of advice from a lot of people, says McClymont. “It’s not easy listening to so many different people’s opinions as to what we should do. If we listened to everyone else we’d be lost.” As a result, the three girls tend to keep their decision-making in-house. “We’re a force to be reckoned with once the three of us agree on a decision.” In terms of songwriting, McClymont sees herself as a songwriter with empathy. Often she’ll put herself in her audience’s shoes: “Is this something my audience will relate to?” But mostly she writes from the heart. “I write what moves me — this is who I am. We believe in what we’re singing about.” It sounds as though McClymont and her sisters have had a dream run so far, but a lot of sustained focus and effort goes into their career: “It’s been hard work,” she says. “We signed with Universal Records as The McClymonts in 2006. It’s been five solid years of touring Australia with only a few weeks here and there off. But we’ve had huge support — from family, partners and Find us on Facebook

Wrapped Up and Delivered If you’ve been avoiding country music because it inspires thoughts of cowboy hats and bootscootin’ crooning, it may be time to reconsider. Three sisters from the northern NSW town of Grafton are taking country music to a whole new level that promises to convert the most country-phobic into avid fans. Veronique Moseley and Ross Beckley talked to Brooke McClymont about the journey from country town stages to touring the US.

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fans. We find a balance, through the mayhem, with this support.” Their joint decisions must work well. The Wrapped Up Good tour sold out all over Australia during 2010. The band then spent four months touring the US as special guests of America’s new country sensation Jason Aldean and Lady Antebellum. They’re not at all fazed by what could be deemed enormous pressure. “There is less pressure for us than with some other bands. After all, we’re not only sisters, we’ve also been on the road together for years. We know what works — for us and for our audience. Music is our full-time career, all three of us are on the same page and we’re experiencing this amazing ride together — it’s fun!” The McClymonts perform at the Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi, on Thursday April 28; Civic Theatre, Newcastle, on Friday April 29; Club Forster on Wednesday May 4; Port Macquarie Panthers on Thursday May 5; C-Ex Club, Coffs Harbour, on Friday May 6; Lismore Workers Club on Sunday May 8.

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to ot s a n d t h e m ay ta l s

The Spirit of Jamaica As one of the originals of Jamaican music, Toots and the Maytals will be the genre’s leading torchbearer at the upcoming Bluesfest. Cr a ig L aw ler spoke with Toots Hibbert about his introduction to gospel, the recording studio, and the law. Toots Hibbert is one of the most spirited performers you’ll ever see. Toots and his family were church folk, members of the the Zion Revival Church, which grew out of the so-called Great Revival in Jamaica in 1861, in which the influence of African rituals was brought to bear on Jamaican Christianity. Revival is a syncretic religion, especially popular in the isolated rural areas of Jamaica, where singing, drumming, dancing and spirit possession are an integral part of the church service. There are three types of spirits in the revivalist world: ground spirits (the spirits of the dead), heavenly spirits (God, archangels, saints, etc) and earth-bound spirits (fallen angels) any or all of whom may

Get more info from the Alcohol and Drug Information Service. Call 9361 8000 or 1800 422 599 (outside Sydney).

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

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make an appearance during rituals in the church and healing balm yard. As the fervour of the music takes hold, revivalists attain a trance state and some are overtaken by spirits. Sounds to me like a Toots and the Maytals show. Hibbert readily acknowledges these musical roots. “Yeah mon. I grew up in the church, the Gospel Revival Church, that’s why I’m here today,” he says. “With my sister and my brother and my father and my mother… a lot of US gospel by Mahalia Jackson, a lot of gospel, and we tried to make it too.” A number of the Maytals’ early sides for producer Coxsone Dodd, like ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Six and Seven Books of Moses’, had this fevered spiritual focus and proved popular with Jamaican sound system audiences in the pre-Rasta era. Recording in those days in Kingston meant a visit to Federal Studios, the original Jamaican hit factory set up by Ken Khouri with the assistance of Australian sound engineer Graeme Goodall. “Yeah, Mr Goodall, he was the one that used to run the place and was the best engineer,” says Hibbert. Tiring of the lack of recompense from the Downbeat Dodd, for whom they released 40 songs from 1963 to 1965, for as little as three pounds a shot, the Maytals moved on to work with Prince Buster, Vincent Chin and Ken Khouri before coming to the stable of ad-man, renowned dancer and fashionable man-about-town Ronnie Nasralla. With Nasralla as their producer and promoter they won the initial Jamaica Festival song competition with ‘Bam Bam’ which made them island-wide stars before things took a turn for the worse. Riding motorbikes across Jamaica’s Blue Mountains to a show in the north coast town of Ocho Rios, Raleigh and Jerry were pulled over by police near Linstead. Hibbert went to the police station and was told to collect his manager. On his return, he was told the police had searched his luggage in which they found ganja. Hibbert blames his arrest on “politics”. “People who begrudge me and want to frame me — I never smoke no weed.” He says his arrest and subsequent confinement at the low security Tamarind Farm was to “hold me back”, so that “a certain group” could take the Maytals’ place on a prospective tour to England. This adversity proved inspiration for their greatest triumph when Hibbert emerged from his enforced layoff in 1967 to begin the Maytals’ world-beating alliance with the sunglass-wearing, mentholsmoking, Leslie Kong, with the hit ‘54-46 (was my number)’. Although Hibbert insists this tune was a work of imagination. While serving time he had meals from home, played his guitar and wrote songs all day. “No prison, no bars, no shit, nothing like that,” he says. From there the Maytals didn’t look back. They got to England and triumphed with killers like ‘Time Tough’, ‘Monkey Man’ and ‘Pressure Drop’. Toots Hibbert continues to pack venues to this day. Do not miss the opportunity to see one of the great performers of Jamaican music. Toots and the Maytals will be performing at Bluesfest on Thursday April 21 and Friday April 22, and the Enmore Theatre, Sydney on Saturday April 23. Follow us on Twitter

AC4

No Refusing the Hardcore

kids and I always assumed you play in a band and you have fun and then something else happens, but this is just what I have ended up doing.

From singing with legendary Swedish hardcore punks, Refused and (International) Noise Conspiracy, Dennis Lyxzen is back as frontman of his new project, AC4 . Nick Mackay speaks with Lyxzen as he prepares to return to Australia.

The members of AC4 are all involved in different musical and artistic projects as well as being in this band. Are you all going to try and keep up with those other projects while this band is recording and playing together? Yeah. Growing up, you started a band and it was you and that band against the world and you were almost like a gang. But it’s not like that anymore. Everybody has their own thing and everybody has their other band and it’s very autonomous, which I like. Sometimes I kind of miss having that band where those are the only guys you hang out with. But then you grow older and things are very different. That’s just the way life is.

You have a new project, AC4. I know you guys have a history together going back a long way. Can you talk a little about how the band came together this time around? Well we’ve all known each other for a long time going back to the 80s. I think it was David (Sandström, bass player) a couple of years ago, he said, “We should get together a proper hardcore band,” and we started talking about who could be in the band and Jens (Norden, drummer) and Karl (Backman, guitarist) were the only guys we wanted who were old enough (laughs).

Not at all. I never really had an ambition to make this a career, it just kind of happened. When we were 15 or 16, forming a punk band was something we did because we were bored and we wanted to play music and

when you’re that age and you see people at a hardcore show that are literally 22 you’re like, “Fuck those old farts, man! I’m never going to get that old.” I always felt like I was a little weird and different from the other

AC4, with Star Fucking Hipsters, will be performing at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Saturday April 9, and Blush Nightclub, Gosford, on Sunday April 10. AC4 is available through Shock Records.

Did the songwriting come easily because of that history? Me, Karl and David write songs and lyrics and Jens writes songs but not lyrics so when we get together and practice there are always three or four new songs because everybody chips in. In that sense it’s pretty easy to get it together. It’s just good times. I think we all have a little bit of a different take on hardcore and punk rock too, so that makes it interesting. Do those differences come from years and years of playing in different bands? A little bit, but I think everything we’ve been involved in somehow rubs off a little on what we’re doing now. It’s like we have this little box and our mission is to fill up this box with the best colours we can find and we’re not interested in colouring outside that box or breaking down walls. We want to do what we want to do, which is play in a fast, loud, hardcore, rock and roll kind of band. Do you feel like you have gone the long way around to eventually get back to your roots a little? Well, it’s not like it’s a nostalgic project. We want to be a band that is very much here and now in our thoughts and ideas but the music we want to play is something that we fell in love with a long time ago. This music has been with me throughout my life. Whatever I was doing in other bands, I was always listening to hardcore music. I’ve been wearing a Bad Brains t-shirt all my life, you know? I read that you’ve said it was challenging to write a hardcore record that has a lot of youth and energy when it’s coming from a band that’s made up of guys in their midto-late 30s. Can you talk about those difficulties a little? I mean whether we want to admit it or not, hardcore music and punk music is music for the young. We really want to show people that we can make it as important as when we were 17, but we’re 36. So it’s a little tricky because you’re not that crazy when you’re older, but I guess if you’re still playing in a hardcore band (when you’re 36) you are fucking crazy. It’s hard because we don’t want to fake it and it’s easy to fake that kind of energy but we wanted to do it for real, right now. Did you think you would still be playing in hardcore bands in your mid to late 30s when you were a kid? Find us on Facebook

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dance NewsDANCE NEWS

GILCHRIST CASTING & MODEL MANAGEMENT

rÖyksopp

RÖYKSOPP TO TOUR?

While there are more dance music festivals than there is money to pay for them, Norwegian electro maestros Röyksopp dropped a comment in a recent interview saying they will be coming to Australia in autumn between their US and European tours. Speculation abounds as to whether the group will perform at this year’s Splendour in the Grass or Parklife festivals. .

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FAITHLESS SPLIT

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Epic pioneer dance group Faithless are calling it a day. Maxi Jazz made the following statement on their website “We’ve had, with you, the most unbelievable, epic and moving experience, stretching over years and tens of thousands of miles… joyful, exhilarating and empowering, we never for a moment thought an affair could last this long. Or be this powerful. Never thought for a moment that the end of this journey would be left to us either…” :(

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MUSCLES AND YOU

Muscles has released a statement saying that he would like to make a second album with you contributing. He gave out a Muscles hotline number where you can leave a message and he will pick the best of the lot to use as samples for his new album. Head to musclesmusic.net for more info.

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

daft punk

DAFT PUNK REMIX

Daft Punk have announced the release of a remix album, as a companion piece to their Tron: Legacy score of last year. Entitled Tron Legacy R3C0NF1GUR3D, the album features a list of contributors, including Boys Noize, M83, The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, Sander Kleinenberg, Kaskade, Photek and Moby. Now there’s a few genres rolled into one

GABRIEL AND DRESDEN FOR CREAMFIELDS

Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden decided to part ways in 2008 following an emotionally charged set at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Citing personal and creative differences, Australians thought their 2005 visit would end up being their last. They have now announced a comeback starting with the Creamfields shows in Australia. What a surprise!

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After a big run of DJ dates around the country, in support of the Sonic Boom Box compilation on Onelove, UK star Calvin Harris has paid tribute to his Australian audiences in the video for his latest jam ‘Awooga’. ‘Awooga’ combines footage from his electro club tour and stint as Rihanna’s DJ.

nate dogg

NATE DOGG R.I.P.

Nate Dogg dies age 41. While this isn’t specific to dance music it is important to mention. Also, Nate Dogg contributed a lot to rap music and pioneered the G-funk sound. While his family have not disclosed the cause of death, Dogg had been suffering numerous health problems including two strokes in the past few years.

Here are this month’s Raw FM additions to sink your teeth into. Cassian — I Like What You’re Doing, Gypsy & The Cat — Jona Vark (Tommy Trash Remix), fRew & Chris Arnott feat. Rosie — This New Style, Jump Jump Dance Dance — 2.0 (Redial Remix), Trey Songz feat. Ni c k i M i naj — B o t t o ms Up, Ce e Lo Green — Fuck You (Bart B More Mix), Spencer & Hill — Yeah Yeah Yeah, Snoop Dogg — Wet (David Guetta Mix), Armin van Buuren feat. Laura V — Drowning (Club Mix), Cupid — Cupid Shuffle

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Kora

especially about songwriting and having a stronger lyrical content. The cool thing about the first album is that it was unusual and musically pushed a few boundaries, but the songs aren’t songs. This second album, we’re looking for songs or tracks that’ll be timeless. Like all great songs. The first album was really riff-based and this one is more formulated. You will be travelling to the US in June for the Sierra Nevada world music festival. How did this invite come about? Shit man, I don’t know. I just know that our manager (Michelle) does a lot of good work. I know that there’s cool people over in the States doing good work, too. Sorry, I just yell abuse in the mic.

First up, how is the recording of the sophomore album going? The second album is going okay, just a bit longer than the first. We’ve been recording it all over the country. Some in Whakatane in Brad (Kora, drums) and Stu’s (Kora, guitar) shed, [as well as] my house in Orewa and in Dan’s (McGruer, bass/keys) room in Auckland. We’ve tried studio’ but nothing too gangsta has come out of those recordings as yet. Kora is known for its genre mixing. Can we expect the same with the new recordings? I’ve never thought of us as a genre mixing band. I think we’re just heavy and play a bit harder than other bands. Like, if we’re playing a groove or a skank, we tend to

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Brothers Kora With an EP released in 2004, and a debut self-titled album in 2007, it could be said that New Zealand band Kora don’t rush their recordings. Kevin Bull speaks to Laughton Kora, one of four brothers in the five-piece band, about recording, mixing and moving to Australia. play them harder and tighter. Then people have this impression that we’ve put metal over the top of it. That’s just our style of playing. We’ve been getting into production and engineering a lot more than the last album. There’s a more polished sound going into this one. Do you feel that this genre mixing has

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Kora have been regular visitors to Australia. Has there ever been any talk about relocating? Not as a band, but a couple of us have thought about it. That’s the good thing about the Net. We don’t live anywhere near each other in NZ either so I guess it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. But for me, other than NZ, it would be Coolie.

been a hindrance or benefit for the band? I’d say a benefit. It’s definitely allowed us to have a unique sound, but it’s still not genre mixing to me. Creative exploration would be a better term for us, or bored easily.

You are playing the Gum Ball festival in April. Is this a special trip to Australia for just this festival or will you be playing extra dates while in Australia? No, just the Gum Ball but we’re hoping to do some exciting things over in Australia when the new album comes out.

Is there a different mindset when approaching a second album? We learnt a lot from the first album,

Kora will be performing at the Gum Ball festival at Belford in the Hunter Valley, April 29-30.

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b o w e n a n d t h e l u c k y d u t ch m e n — b e a t s w o r k i n g

TALKING SHOP Profiling music industry professionals

Name: Anthony Pollock Who do you work for? Deadsets Promotions Current position title? Manager/tour management How long have you been in this position? Since the start of the company. What are the main responsibilities of your position? As the owner/manager I run and oversee all shows, tours and promotions-based activities that Deadsets Promotions undertakes. How did you get involved in the music industry? I started at the ground level, going to shows, studying for a music business diploma, etc., and then continued by booking two local bands before establishing Deadsets Promotions as its own functioning entity. Proudest moment? Professionally — establishing Deadsets Promotions and Club Whiplash. Personally — when people come up to me and say “hey you run Deadsets Promotions. It’s good to see a promoter out there putting on good bands and actually knowing what they are doing.” That always makes my day! Is there anyone you would really like to meet (living or dead)? Layne Staley, Freddie Mercury & Dimebag Darrell. Best live show you’ve been to? Iron Maiden, Sydney show, Somewhere Back In Time world tour 2008 Favourite venue? The Enmore Theatre. Favourite musical instrument? Bass. Who should we be listening to? BerserkerfoX from Melbourne. Viral Millennium from Newcastle. Our Last Enemy from Sydney. White Circus from Brisbane. All of which are on tour right now. Get to a show! What would be on your ultimate rider? Axl Rose on ball and chain, serving whisky to every band on the bill and catering to their every whim — it’s the ultimate revenge for all the terrible music he’s been serving to us for the past decade. Best way to spend a Sunday morning? Recovering from running a Friday and a Saturday night show. Any advice for people trying to break into the industry? Work your arse off! 32 reverb

magazine issue #057 — April 2011

THANKING THEIR LUCKY DUTCHMEN Bowen and the Lucky Dutchmen are a self-managed Newcastle four-piece who have created an impressive combination of blues, funk and jazz on their debut EP, Like A Queen. Matt Petherbridge speaks to front-Dutchman Alex Bowen about the band’s hot creative streak and breaking even on tour. Like A Queen was recorded at Tighes Hill’s Impromptu Studios, with Terry Latham. What was it like to work with Terry? It was great, he was very professional. We had spent a couple of days recording demos with Terry in the past, but this time we recorded for about three weeks – maybe three days a week, a few nights as well. You launched Like A Queen by embarking on your very first east coast tour of Australia. Did you break even? It funded itself, really. We came back with a little bit of money each. It was the first proper tour the band has really embarked on. It’s funny. You have to learn your limits and boundaries, living with each other. We had a really good show up at The Beach Hotel on Stradbroke Island, it was awesome. We had a crazy crowd and sold tons of EPs. The venue wanted us back straight away — we’re going back up there in June.

I find it very impressive that the band manages itself. Are you finding it hard to strike a balance between the business and the music? Just recently, we’ve all designated each other tasks. I act as our booking agent; Red (Tom Atkinson, bass) liaises with upcoming festivals, Thomas (Green, drums) takes care of our paper work and promo materials and Will is in charge of radio and airplay! It’s been tough finding that happy medium, but we all help each other out and it gives me more time to write songs. One of the really cool things about the band is the way you approach tempo changes in songs. In ‘Sea of Shepherds’, there are three breakdowns at the end. It goes against the grain; it’s not a typical pop structure. We love to try different ideas instead of getting stuck with similar song structures. Crowds

really react to those parts, because they’re all unexpected. You’re playing The Gum Ball Festival on Friday April 29. What can fans expect from your live set? We’ve got a pretty good time slot, it will be awesome! A lot of our songwriting comes from us partying, so we try to bring that vibe to our crowds. At a couple of our gigs, we’ve done an acoustic version of Jeff Buckley’s ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over’, [now] we want to do a full band version. We have to print off another 500 copies of Like A Queen before The Gum Ball. Bowen and the Lucky Dutchmen perform at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Wednesday April 20; Port Macquarie Hotel on April 28; Gum Ball Festival, Hunter Valley on April 29; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on May 14.

WORKING THE BEATS With members spread from Coffs Harbour to Newcastle, Beats Working are a truly North Coast band. Microphone magician Tullum Delaney spoke with Krissi Weiss about the band’s new album, the origins of their name and their shared hometown of Newcastle. “Beats Working is a name that we bought off our previous DJ for a couple of cigarettes and a cheese burger,” says Tullum Delaney, member of North Coast hip hop crew, Beats Working. “I think that was the deal, it was around five years ago now, but it was something like that. I don’t mind the name, [it] gets old after a while, but I suppose any name does.” Having honed their craft for five years, Beats Working combine hip hop with funk and soul to create a sound that is truly unique. There are five guys in the crew — Delaney, who “plays” the microphone, Handsome Dan on vocal duties, Jimmy B on vocals and production, Domino Shields on drums and Gruffa doing cuts. Found The Sound is their second album, released on their own label, Handsome Records, and distributed through Obese.

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It is a far more evolved outing than their first release, Harbour Drive. This album is also getting them into the minds and hearts of a wider audience. I ask Delaney what their hopes are for Found The Sound. “To get out there and enjoy it I reckon,” he says. “It’s really exciting to finally see all the hard work come together and to have people noticing. I just want to get out there and tour it as much as possible and enjoy it. Studio time hasn’t really been happening lately, as far as writing goes anyway. Just a bit of rehearsal and gearing up for a big run of gigs.” I asked Delaney what his main musical influences have been. “Oh you know, all of the legends and great musos I have heard over the years as a consumer of music,” he says. “But mostly the other guys in my band. We all push and inspire each other to

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make what we feel is cool music to listen to, and that’s a really awesome thing to be a part of.” Asked what their craziest gig so far, and Delaney gets nostalgic about his roots. “Anything in Newcastle, really — it’s my home town, I love the people there, it’s great to not have to travel and the crowd are as rowdy as they come. I love it!” When asked how far Delaney hopes to take Beats Working the answer is simple. “As far as it takes me — all the way. I don’t have plans to stop.” Beats Working will be performing at the the Brewery, Byron Bay, on Friday April 8; Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour, on Saturday April 9; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday April 29. Found The Sound is out through Handsome Records/Hydrofunk.

s w i t ch f o o t

You guys had an interesting tactic to spread the word of your single ‘Mess of Me’ around the world, which really seemed to pay off? Yeah, we had an advanced copy of ‘Mess of Me’ and we tweeted to our followers telling them that we had hidden our single somewhere in San Diego. We told them if they found it, they could make a copy of it and hide it somewhere else, then twitter where they had hidden it. So from San Diego, it moved up to Chicago; from Chicago it moved to Europe, it even ended in South Africa! Eventually most countries had received a copy of it, it was amazing!

It’s every band's dream to one day win a Grammy. Can you let me in on how that must have felt for you guys? Well, just being nominated was a surreal thing for us — going to the Grammys and experiencing the whole thing. Actually, when they announced the winner, they didn’t say ‘Switchfoot’, they said that Hello Hurricane had won. After sitting there for a bit we realised that they were actually talking about our album and we kind of looked at each other like “oh, that’s us!” [laughs]. It was a comical moment for us because we thought we had lost! How was Hello Hurricane approached? A lot of things were changing in Switchfoot land at the time. We became an independent band, we built our own studio in San Diego and got away from everything. We did a lot of soul-searching, trying to decide on what kind of music we wanted to play for the rest of our lives. We were trying to reinvent what Switchfoot was, finding the things that we wanted to accomplish and setting new goals for ourselves. It was a great time for our band, we became a closer-knit unit and we grew a lot from it. You said that you guys built your own studio. That must have made recording a lot more comfortable? Yeah, the great thing was it was close to the beach too. We could surf in the morning before we headed into the studio — which is always a good thing. Three of the guys in the band are really good surfers and then there is Drew (Shirley, guitar) and myself, who like the idea of chilling out on a long board and just cruising along. The other guys like to do fancy tricks and compete,

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There has been word that Switchfoot has already commenced recording another studio album? Yes, we started recording a new record at the end of last year, in December. We

In the Eye of the Storm San Diego five-piece rock band, Switchfoot, have recently edged their way into the rock hall of fame, scoring a Grammy for ‘Best Rock Gospel Album’. It’s their seventh studio album to date, but before Australia gets its chance to congratulate the boys amidst the hype, there’s substantially better news… another album is already on its way! Sean Frazer caught up with guitarist Jerome Fontamillas. but I just like to chill [laughs]. Would you say the style of Hello Hurricane has taken a new path in terms of sound? Yes, a lot of it was us growing as a band. Learning new things about music and trying out fresh things. We recorded over 90 songs and were left with the daunting task

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of narrowing it down to about 11 or 12 tracks. Considering we had recorded so many songs for the record, we were able to experiment more. Some songs would be very heavy, some songs would be very country, some songs would just be an acoustic guitar and vocals. We really pushed ourselves on Hello Hurricane.

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recorded the bulk of it in January, so at the moment it’s almost done. We’ve just started mixing the tracks. Very exciting for us, we are yet to announce a release date for it. Stay tuned! Switchfoot perform at the Big Top, Luna Park in Sydney on Thursday April 21.

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fashion — photogr aphy by Kent Marcus

Photography by Kent Marcus Hair by Wade Ambler Make-up by Karl Wilde Style by Brogan Elizabeth Moore Modelling by Paloma Rodregez Photography assistance by Dell Lawrence

Bracelets by Tree of Life

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fashion — photogr aphy by Kent Marcus

Photography & styling by Kent Marcus Hair by Larissa Filewood Make-up by Karl Henrickson Modelling by April Carrasco Assistance by Dell Lawrence, Levi Gardner & Brad Hoffman Dive assistance by Daniel Atkins Clothing by Rag and Bone 37 Darby Street, Cooks Hill Phone 02 4927 1000 All dresses $71

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 35

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

live Reviews Blue Mountains Folk Festival Katoomba March 18-20

Gum boots and umbrellas were essential for this year’s Blue Mountains Folk Festival. But spirits were high despite the unrelenting rain. The biggest drawcard was undoubtedly The Waifs, who enticed the crowds away from Katie Noonan on Saturday night and Justin Townes Earle on Sunday. Big crowds filled the tents both nights for The Waifs, back in Australia for their first shows in two years, with those spilling out into the rain relishing its cool caress. The highlight of every Blue Mountains Folk Fest, and indeed most music festivals, is the accidental discovery of an artist or band who may have slipped by previously. Crooked Still, Frank Yamma and Mama Kin satisfied my sense of discovery this year. Bostonbased string quintet Crooked Still were a revelation. Essentially a nu-folk, bluegrass band, they are definitely not traditional. Re-imagined bluegrass standards slid easily between their originals, giving their set a modern taste. And to banjo player Gregory Liszt, your solos were mad, and your guitar face intense. Indigenous artist Frank Yamma delivered powerful acoustic numbers, with the ache of cello as accompaniment. His voice speaks from experience — rich, deep and resonant. Mama Kin’s ease on stage is contagious, with her between song banter hilarious, and her music dripping with soul and swing. Other notables were David Bridie, a quality songwriter whose performance was both delicate and powerful. Katie Noonan let loose her wonderful voice, leaving the audience divided. There

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is an air of self-indulgence in her music that audiences either gravitate to, or simply don’t get. The waif-thin Justin Townes Earle presented the dustbowls of America to the mountains, and you either loved it, or went searching for The Waifs. Hearing such confronting raw music from a young man is to not everybody’s taste, even when he is the real deal. But give me Townes Earle over The Waifs any day. By the time Australian blues legends Chain closed the festival late Sunday night, the city slickers had left allowing the locals and event volunteers to let loose. Despite the mud, this year’s Blue Mountains Folk Festival was a resounding success — quality artists and many surprises shared with good friends. I’m already booked in for 2012. ~Kevin Bull

BENJALU Dean Carroll’s Earthworker The B’s FRIDAY APRIL 8

OCEANICS Tombstone Ramblers THURSDAY APRIL 14

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THE JARRAH THOMPSON TRIO Asha Henfry

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DJ’S TILL LATE FRIDAY APRIL 22

CMC Rocks the Hunter Hope Estate, Pokolbin March 5-6

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CMC Rocks the Hunter was a knee-slapping, heel-clicking festival of good, clean family fun. Kasey Chambers was the standout on Saturday night, opening with her smokey 2005 single ‘Pony’ from her third album Wayward Angel. She also showed the crowd why every song sounds better as bluegrass with twangy covers of Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ and The Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’. On Sunday we took in some Americanstyle country with Jack Ingram, who put on an energetic rock/pop performance. Some of the young Australian stars had a similar pop vibe, Jasmine Rae in particular. Not having heard Rae perform before, I would have believed anyone who told me she was a not-too-distant relative of US singer Jessica Simpson. While recording a live video of her duet ‘I’ll Try Anything’ with US country headliner Joe Nichols, the sound didn’t work out as planned and Rae repeated the song: annoyed mutters went up around me as we all sat through round two. The man that stole the show left the flashy chaps and boots at home and took a seat on stage to bring us timeless tracks such as ‘Rip Rip Wood Chip’ and ‘True Blue’. John Williamson had the whole crowd swaying in unison and joining in a massive sing-along, leaving us all with huge smiles on our faces. ~Jessie Reid

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No bands - happy easter. SUNDAY APRIL 24

Blues, beer and bbq festival with Bel Woods & Matt Southon & support. THURSDAY APRIL 28

BOWEN AND THE LUCKY DUTCHMAN Matt Southon - Bel Woods FRIDAY APRIL 29

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live Reviews The Waifs

We The Kings

Illy

Civic Theatre, Newcastle Sunday, February 27

Metro Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, March 2

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Saturday, March 5

Opening for The Waifs at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, Mama Kin wowed the audience with her sultry voice as she blended jazz, latin and soul. Her lyrics were short and precise and although some songs lacked that elusive something, her interaction with the crowd was endearing. After a two-year absence, Newcastle welcomed The Waifs back to the Civic with open arms. Touring to promote the release of their sixth studio album, Temptation, The Waifs displayed their customary Australian accents, threepart harmonies and strong vocals. Earlier in the evening, Mama Kin introduced the concept of a ‘Waifs moment,’ or a memory recalled through a particular song. As The Waifs reminisced about their nineteen years together before launching into oldtime favourites ‘London Still,’ ‘Bridal Train’ and ‘Lighthouse,’ it was evident that the audience was having their own Waifs moment. Although a number of new songs, including the album title track, have a strong gospel influence, the underlying blues and folk tones that define this band were still strong. As a pregnant Vikki Thorn played the harmonica, Donna Simpson joked with a heckler and Josh Cunningham quietly complimented the sisters through two encores, it was evident that The Waifs were back: familiar, comfortable and entertaining as always. ~Mel Woodward

Chemical Brothers Sydney Entertainment Centre Thursday, March 10

A circular vortex of light descends from the ceiling. Epic music floats from the darkness and smoke. Dimly lit gadgetry stands on the stage and the shadows of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons appear. The over-flowing dance floor screams in reverence as the opening notes of ‘Galvanize’ burst from the speakers and the influential duo launch into a two-hour, 20-song journey. Behind them is a giant screen that displays some of the most stunning visuals I’ve ever seen during a live performance. Every song, including hits like ‘Star Guitar’ and ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, has its own video accompaniment, making the concert a feast for the senses. The light show is spectacular. New songs like ‘Horse Power’ and ‘Swoon’ segue seamlessly. The Chemical Brothers shift from the hard and dirty to the tranquil, equal parts grit and beauty. They finish with ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’, before they return for a soaring encore that ends with ‘The Private Psychedelic Reel’. An artistically-crafted evening from two masters of the genre. ~Nick Milligan

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If you’re looking for a fist-pumping, lyricscreaming, mosh-jumping show, We the Kings are the perfect band to see live. I arrived as Never Shout Never opened with ‘Love Is Our Weapon’, the mantra from one of their merch shirts. Vocalist Christofer Drew Ingle drew roars of approval from the crowd as he caught an inflated condom with the words, “just my size!”. A fantastic support act, the band finished with the 2008 ‘Bigcitydreams’, sending the audience into a frenzy. When We the Kings came on stage 20 minutes later, opening with ‘Skyway Avenue’, the audience was screaming like they owned the place. Lead singer Travis Clark managed to keep the music flowing despite a glow stick being thrown on to the stage. The bass was pulsating through the bones of the crowd and the floor of the Metro. The acoustics in the small space were amazing — clear, crisp and loud. Clark, in conductor mode, had the whole audience crouching and jumping as one, as well as making their hands into a ‘W’ for We the Kings. It was a sight to see. Ending the night with their hit single ‘Check Yes Juliet ’, We the Kings put on an amazing show. ~Stephanie Jenkins

MGMT Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Thursday, March 3

Last month the Brooklyn psychedelic explorers were back, hot on the heels of their latest release, Congratulations, for the JD Summer Set. MGMT chose Pond, a mutation of Perth’s Tame Impala, to open for them. Apart from sharing members, there are numerous similarities between the two bands, including a preference for lo-fi psych-rock and a look that passes them as refugees from Nimbin. Where they differ is in execution. Paisley Adams has moves that suggest he is the love child of James Brown, while Kevin Parker could be channelling John Bonham with his demonic ability to bash the crap out of the drums. Exit Pond and enter MGMT. Frontman VanWyngarden and co. kicked off the set with a killer rendition of ‘Pieces of What’ before introducing mega anthems ‘It’s Working’ and ‘Time to Pretend’. ‘Electric Feel’ and ‘Kids’ induced one mass sing-along, although an on-stage water fight saw things grind to a halt halfway through the latter. VanWyngarden stopped singing after losing sound to his ear piece. Minutes ticked by before the problem was rectified but no one seemed to mind when the opening chords of ‘Congratulations’ spilled through the speakers. With a twohour set, punters definitely got their money’s worth. .~Georgina Bible

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The punters were out in force to see Melbourne rapper Illy show off tunes from his new album The Chase. Up first was Aussie hip-hop producer M-Phazes, who fulfilled his role as appetiser before Illy started his set. The man himself was certainly eager to impress, and had a great stage presence, backed only by a DJ and live drummer (which was a nice addition). All the big songs were played and the crowd lapped it up. Unfortunately, Aussie hip-hop gigs usually draw a few idiots and tonight was no exception. The music more than compensated for this however, with ‘Pictures’ receiving a huge response. But the biggest cheer was reserved for encore, ‘It Can Wait’, which had everyone moving and singing along. Illy was definitely one of the better hip-hop acts to grace the Cambridge in a long time but if his recent success is anything to go by, he may be on a larger stage the next time he visits. ~Matthew Glen

Future Music Festival Randwick Racecourse, Sydney Saturday, March 12

The buzz factor surrounding Future Music Festival was tangible on the internet, print media and among conversing social circles — it seemed like there was an infinite line-up of renowned and prominent bands, DJs (and Ke$ha) promised across several stages. Notorious for their mammoth lines, expensive beer, portable toilets and endless streams of girls wearing their quintessential daisy-dukes, festivals are an experience in themselves. German trance and techno prodigy Sven Vath was impressive, his bright hair illuminating the dark club-like space. Mark Ronson & the Business International did not disappoint, with Ronson admirably juggling singing, playing, DJing and accompaniment, simultaneously. The several thousand watching were singing and dancing unapologetically, with ‘Bang Bang Bang’ making viewers nod with respect to Ronson’s showman arrangements. MGMT were refreshingly indie in their slot between all the electronica. ‘Electric Feel’ was played to the backdrop of a summer sunset. Headlining act The Chemical Brothers were unprecedented — their laser light show, blasting electronica and über-coolness were magnetic, giving credence to the notion that good music is always better heard live. Entirely fitting the concept of a ‘future’ music festival, The Chemical Brothers were without doubt, the cherry on the cake of Future Music. ~Emily Cones-Browne

live Reviews

gig of the montH

Rihanna

Unwritten Law

Newcastle Entertainment Centre Monday, February 28

Coolangatta Hotel Sunday, March 20

Monday night, raining. You would think these two factors would be enough to keep people at home, but the Rihanna concert proved to be more than enough to get people out, packing the Newcastle Entertainment Centre to capacity. What can I say, the expectations for a Rihanna gig are fairly high, and from a live music point of view, I don’t think she lived up to them. Then again, for the school kids down in the front row it was probably everything they had wanted, and more. Rihanna’s vocal backing track was pretty loud, sometimes making it hard to distinguish between live vocal and prerecorded. As a fan of truly live music this was a let-down. Her stage props were there, though they were not really awe-inspiring and the live band was a bit gimmicky. However, all things considered, Rihanna put in 100 per cent for the packed Newcastle stadium. She did not leave the stage for a good hour and a half and had the whole crowd singing along to her hits, of which there are lots! She performed her whole set flawlessly and surely won many hearts. ~David Long

Donovan Frankenreiter Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Wednesday, March 16

I feel like surf music gets a bit of a bum wrap from a lot of punters. There’s a stigma of laziness attached to the music, as there is to a lifestyle lived predominantly on crystalline sand and inside baby-blue barrels. Admittedly, the scraggy, bearded Donovan Frankenreiter did little to counteract the stereotype, swigging at a glass of port and waxing lyrical about the ocean. That’s why it was so surprising to hear Frankenreiter and his band crank out an hour-and-a-half of kick-ass rock and roll. It wasn’t until after the show that I realised I hadn’t been treated to a real rock show in some time — the kind of set that incorporates things like guitar solos, brass sections and call-andresponse banter with the audience. The crowd was undeniably pleased by early favourites like ‘Move by Yourself’ and ‘Life, Love and Laughter’, as well as a rousing cover of INXS’s ‘Don’t Change’. The set was also heavy on numbers from Frankenreiter’s latest studio release, Glow, which lent mellow contrast to the more upbeat songs. Most impressive was Frankenreiter’s band — all were startlingly accomplished musicians who truly lifted the set a cut above my own expectations. Give me a lazy surf rock show any day of the week — I’m growing out my beard. ~Max Quinn

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The heavy, loud and incessant punk rock sounds of Unwritten Law stirred the usually quiet air around the town of Coolangatta tonight, and attracted a wild bunch of fans. The lethal combination of a small venue such as the Cooly hotel and a psyched-up punk band like UL, brought out the animal in the crowd. Despite the ‘no moshing or crowd surfing’ sign, everyone on the floor went nuts, and a fair share of goers got kicked out for bravely attempting to crowd surf. Music from the band’s last album Live & Lawless dominated the playlist, which frustrated some, who wanted to hear their gutsy old tunes. ‘Lost Control’ lacked vigour, but ‘Save Me’, also from Live & Lawless, absolutely rocked, and had the crowd singing much louder than lead singer Scott Russo. The band played an unreal cover of Grinspoon’s ‘More Than You Are’, which I really got into. Encore saw them perform an older gem, ‘Lonesome’, and everyone screamed the lyrics together. The moshy vibe catapulted me back to memories of partying in high school. Finally, Russo paid tribute to all the band members as they each played a solo, demonstrating their individual musical talent, sometimes nullified by the harsh sounds of a punk concert. The efforts of guitarist Steve ‘Kid’ Norris and bassist Pat Kim (PK) were spot on and lifted the energy of the whole show. Drummer Dylan Howard was the glue of the performance and had my heart protruding from my chest, and my pupils dilated. UL played a dynamic set that will have my ears ringing for days to come. ~Liana McDonald

Usher Newcastle Entertainment Centre Tuesday, March 22

As soon as Usher appeared on the multi-tiered luminous stage, fashioned as a futuristic astronaut-robot, the crowd went nuts and continued to rock out for the entire two-hour set. Putting heart and soul into his show,

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Usher danced maniacally, drenched in sweat. Dropping back-catalogue songs such as ‘U Remind Me’, ‘You Make Me Wanna’ and ‘Nice and Slow’, he pushed the crowd’s energy levels before stopping the concert after 20 minutes, to call on security to eject two male punters for hitting a female crowd member. “I don’t usually stop my shows, but I love my ladies too much for that bullshit to happen at my concert,” he said, drawing rapturous applause from the crowd. Usher then went on to prove how much he loves the ladies, serenading a beautiful young woman on stage during ‘Trading Places’. The back-up dancers were a huge highlight, using rising platforms, curtain drapes and even a conveyor belt to land challenging moves. The second half of the show mixed new songs ‘Lil’ Freak’ and ‘There Goes My Baby’ with hits such as ‘Burn’, a medley of big mid-2000s hits including ‘Confessions Pt. II’ and ‘Caught Up’, and a dance tribute to Michael Jackson. Closing with his three biggest hits ‘DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love’, ‘More’ and ‘OMG’, Usher created a memorable, powerhouse display that fans will find hard to top. ~Matt Petherbridge

Stone Temple Pilots Newcastle Entertainment Centre Thursday, March 24

For this ageing rocker, the opportunity to see Stone Temple Pilots live was a dream relinquished, yet with the band’s reformation in 2008 and the release of their 2010 self-titled album, I held on to a glimmer of hope. Tonight at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, the planets aligned and ‘Crackerman’ sent the faithful into a frenzy. ‘Wicked Games’ and ‘Vasoline’ quickly followed, and we were living an early 90s wet dream. The set-list ignored 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da altogether, and No. 4’s ‘Sour Girl’, concentrating on the band’s stunning first two albums, Core and Purple. From the reaction of the crowd, this is exactly what they wanted to hear, with later-released tracks received politely at best, and the Zeppelin cover ‘Dancin’ Days’ nearly putting them to sleep. On stage, the Pilots were in fine form, and after the Zeppelin mid-set stutter, the band delivered on all accounts with ‘Interstate Love Song’, ‘Plush’ and ‘Sex Type Thing’. The ‘Dead and Bloated’ encore was the finest of finishes to a show that may not have lived up to sky-high expectations, but it certainly delivered some 90s rock relief. The challenge for STP now is to release something that will be held as fondly as their early 90s material. The response from the crowd tonight showed where the punters’ hearts lie. ~Kevin Bull

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Eddie Vedder Civic Theatre, Newcastle Wednesday, March 16

Vedder, the lead singer, co-songwriter and lyricist of Pearl Jam, steps on to the Civic Theatre’s stage and is greeted with a standing ovation. The first person to their feet is Newcastle-based world champion surfer Mark Richards, about twelve rows back, who has had a long friendship with Vedder. But it’s clear that the room is brimming with adoration for this legendary artist. Vedder opens with the Pearl Jam ballad ‘Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town’. It’s the first in a 29-song set that lasts two hours. He plays a concoction of his solo material, Pearl Jam songs, and covers. The second song performed is ‘Girl From the North Country’, a tune originally written by Bob Dylan and recorded as a duet with Johnny Cash. Other covers by Vedder include Neil Young’s ‘Long May You Run’, which he performs with Eliza Jane Barnes, ‘Trouble’ by Cat Stevens, ‘Brain Damage’ by Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters Of War’, ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ by Hunters & Collectors and ‘The Golden State’ by John Doe. For the Pearl Jam faithful, there are renditions of ‘I Am Mine’, ‘Wishlist’, ‘Porch’, ‘Unthought Known’, ‘Just Breathe’ and ‘Thumbing My Way’. An aching performance of their recent song ‘The End’ is one of the night’s highlights. Vedder chats to the crowd, demonstrating his humble and wry humour. He pays his respects to friend Mark Richards, whom he describes as a “childhood hero”. Vedder’s road crew are all wearing white lab coats and tinkering with stage equipment, as if they’re in a laboratory. Murals change behind Vedder, all of them paintings of a city’s back alleys. The final mural, for the last encore, is of a tent next to a river, a lone firelight illuminating its belly. It brings an already intimate show to an even more personal and enclosed conclusion. Mark Richards arrives on stage with tambourines, the crowd gets to their feet and Vedder belts out a raw, electric version of the Indio song ‘Hard Sun’. It’s a radiant, soulful end to a concert that few attendees will ever forget. ~Nick Milligan

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soundwave Review

queens of the stone age

primus

one day as a lion

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magazine issue #057 — April 2011

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monster magnet

all photos by kevin bull

soundwave Review

iron maiden

rob zombie

the sword

devildriver

30 seconds to mars

Soundwave

Sydney Showgrounds, Homebush Sunday, February 27

The last Sunday of February: Soundwave time again in Sydney. This year’s line-up was gargantuan as some of the biggest players in the metal world headed down under. Big Day Out, once the definitive summer festival, has been well and truly eclipsed by Soundwave, nationwide. It was great to see Primus back together with Les & Co. treating the audience to a weird and wonderful performance. Rob Zombie showed he was ‘more human than human’, his performance quite a treat as he had no sideshows. Queens of the Stone Age was another one to see, as vocalist Josh gave a meaty performance. Racing from one stage to the other became the norm as the day hopscotched from rain to scorching sun. Slash made for worthy viewing, playing a bevy of Guns N Roses hits on the main stage, such as ‘Paradise City’ and ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, and Myles Kennedy belted out familiar favourites from his current solo album. When that set finished, fans veered to the adjoining stage as 30 Seconds to Mars flung themselves into their set, with a lively Jared Leto leading the way. Somewhere on another stage Coheed and Cambria thrashed out an impressive performance before fans were told thrash titans Slayer would not be playing, due to illness. The band decided to pull the pin when vocalist Tom Araya became unwell at the eleventh hour. This was the low point of the night, as disgruntled fans hurled cans on the stage. But the crème de la crème, Iron Maiden, played a set reminiscent of their sideshow, as Bruce Dickinson got stuck into classics such as ‘The Trooper’ and ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’. Steve Harris plugged away as Janick Gers showed off some fancy moves. It was typical Iron Maiden and it was great! The question is, can next year’s Soundwave get any bigger than this? ~Marija Zeko

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reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 41

Film Reviews

r e vi e wed

Back to School

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beneath the hood The Mechanic is loosely based on a 70s Charles Bronson film of the same name and stars a stone-faced Jason Stratham as a highly-trained hitman. Stratham plays Arthur Bishop, an assassin at the top of his game, with a particular skill in making his targets’ deaths look like an accident or natural demise. When he is assigned to take out his mentor and only friend, Harry (Donald Sutherland) things get complicated, but Bishop finishes the job. At the funeral, Arthur meets up with Harry’s son, Steve (Ben Foster), who is jealous that he was never trained to be the killer Arthur is now. So, with just a touch of guilt, Arthur takes Steve under his wing for some on-the-job training. One thing that is noticeably different from most action films in recent years is that The Mechanic is uncompromising in the violence stakes, sharing every busted lip, stab

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The Mechanic r e vi e wed by

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3/5 stars wound and bullet hole in graphic detail. This may alienate some viewers but it is refreshing to see a director not concerned with scoring a PG rating to reach a wider audience. Stratham does the action hero so well it is hard to imagine someone else in this role. Admittedly it is the same persona we’ve seen in Transporter and Crank but it is easy to join him for the ride when he seems to enjoy it so much. Ben Foster also does a good job as the slightly unhinged sidekick with an unpredictable edge. The Mechanic is what it is. It ticks all the right boxes for the genre — gunplay, explosions, steamy sex, a car chase, handto-hand combat and more gunplay. It also gets straight to the point and does not linger around too long. Overall, there is nothing groundbreaking going on here but it is an enjoyable ride all the same.

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Waiting for Superman is the latest from documentary film-maker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), who exposes the monumentally-flawed public education system in America. He does this by combining facts, figures and statistics as well as following the individual stories of five children and their parents as they vie for a place in one of the so-called ‘good’ schools. Aside from the five families followed in this documentary, Guggenheim puts a lot of focus on Geoffrey Canada — an education reformist who chose the toughest area in Harlem to open his ‘Harlem Success Academy’. He took on the best teachers he could find and gave them better pay in return for quality work. The kids he has taken on have gone from being amongst the worstperforming in the country to receiving some of the top results, nationwide. Geoffery Canada is the movie’s superman but

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Waiting for Superman r e vi e wed by

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4.5/5 stars convincing governments, unions and teachers to head down a similar path in the public system seems impossible. The numeracy and literacy statistics that Guggenheim reveals are staggeringly poor, especially when compared to other nations. Education is high on the agenda at election time but at the end of every term, very little has changed. It is incredibly frustrating to see the families portrayed in the film jumping through hoops in order to give their children a chance at decent schooling. While the subject matter may not seem relevant to Australian audiences, there are some definite similarities with our public school system, in particular our recent obsession with performance statistics on the My School website. Waiting for Superman is a superbly-made and galvanising documentary that should stir enough emotion to incite change.

DVD Reviews

DVD Marathon

Saw Long, Farewell

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Saw: The Final Chapter r e vi e wed by

Sallie Pritchard r ated

2.5/5 And so, like the final episodes of Friends or Mash, or that controversial finale to The Sopranos, the final chapter in the successful Saw franchise comes to a satisfying, bittersweet, yet rewarding end. Or not. Saw presents a mildly interesting premise. While it may seem at first that every victim in the film is there randomly, it quickly becomes apparent that they are all interconnected and often for very dubious reasons. In short; they’re all asking for it. And they nearly always perish because no matter the crime that landed them in the steampunk torture chamber it is the characters’ inability to listen and work together that brings about their demise.

Take Back the Forest r e vi e wed

I Spit On Your Grave (1978) r e vi e wed by

Sallie Pritchard r ated

3.5/5 In her 1992 book Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film, Carol J Clover writes that “if the killer has, over time, been figured as shark, fog, gorilla, birds, and slime, the victim is eternally and prototypically the damsel”. Originally released in 1978 and directed by Meir Zarchi, I Spit On Your Grave helped spawn a genre Clover calls the rape-revenge film. It’s about a young female novelist who escapes to a small country town to focus on her writing. While out on the river, she is attacked and brutally raped by four local men. Rather than Find us on Facebook

Jigsaw forces people who have lost their moral compass to relocate it (often in someone else’s innards). And sure, a few people need to be ripped open like cheap beanbags along the way, but doesn’t that just make the message clearer? As one character says, “if something like that doesn’t get you to change your perspective on things, I don’t know what will”. Audiences watch slasher films like this because they’re curious about what happens when the characters are unsuccessful in their attempts to survive. More to the point, we’re curious to see exactly how that jawtrap is going to rip open someone’s face. We’re curious to see if someone is willing

contemplating suicide, she instead plots bloody revenge. Horror films like I Spit On Your Grave hold a certain power because of their willingness to explore the body; whether it’s exposing the vulnerability of the body, providing a vehicle in which to safely enact our darkest desires, or experiencing a film purely at the level of sensation. This film is not a comfortable viewing experience. The rape scene itself is as torturous for the audience as it is for the victim, and the surreal, almost dreamy cinematography seems in stark contrast with the film’s plot and graphic depictions of violence. The brutality of the rape and subsequent murders still have the power to shock audiences today. It’s a truly compassionate being indeed who has not contemplated revenge for wrongs received and this film is an extreme metaphor for the human need to regain the illusion of control of our lives when all has been lost; a really bloody metaphor.

to hack off their own, or someone else’s, bits to survive. That’s why it doesn’t matter about the cast or even about the plot most of the time. That said, after seven films watching people spectacularly fail does start to wear thin. The relationship between characters and victims has been mostly removed in this film, making it the least interesting in the series by far. The cop thriller subplot is boring and resolved in an unsatisfying way. But on the plus side, it does answer a question I’ve had since the end of the original Saw. Warning: refrain from ingesting meat products of any kind during the film’s opening scenes.

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I Spit On Your Grave (2010) r e vi e wed by

Sallie Pritchard r ated

2/5

The remake: that most dreaded of film concepts, so symptomatic of the struggle to tell original stories in the face of risk-averse studios focusing on profit. The questions persist: why retell a story that probably sounded better the first time? What makes another director think they can do any better? What can a contemporary version say if the original isn’t dated? In the case of Steven R Monroe’s remake the answers are: don’t know, nothing and… not much, actually. Attempts to provide character motivation are ineffective, and much of the attack on Jennifer, the novelist,

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is drawn out mostly in metaphor, then literally, just in case we didn’t get it. Several scenes in which Jennifer is scantily clad are possibly more unnerving than anything else within the film and the instinct to take extreme offence began almost from her arrival in the small town. What is the purpose of these scenes? A portrayal of the unconscious character traits that are misinterpreted by others and taken to a violent conclusion? Or a justification for the attack. Part of the power of the original is that the audience is not only complicit in Jennifer’s revenge but happily anticipating it. It is that anticipation that is lacking in this film, which makes the experience grim and unsatisfactory rather than the intense exploration of violence, sex and gender it could have been. Neither film is a joyous viewing experience nor a finely-crafted and well thought out thriller. But for all its flaws, Meir Zarchi’s film is still shocking and relevant today.

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Two-Dollar Cinema Club Rule 32 of Zombieland is ‘enjoy the little things’, and a little two-dollar coin can lead to a lot of enjoyment. Like a long-forgotten film distributed cheaply, en masse, and to the nearest discount store, for example. This month, I present to you a horror film worth every cent of its $2 price tag. Carnival Of Souls Made in 1962 and directed by firstand-only-time director Herk Harvey, Carnival of Souls was inspired by a real-life carnival, in Salt Lake City in the USA. It is the tale of a young woman, Mary, who narrowly survives a drag race and moves town only to be followed by strange apparitions. She finds herself drawn to the abandoned carnival outside of town. But what is drawing her there? And what awaits her in that dark place? The true test of a good horror film is whether or not it still has the power to frighten long after its release. While Carnival of Souls isn’t the scariest film in history, it has some genuinely creepy moments. Part of its charm and its power is that it takes itself just a little too seriously — on the one side it’s a tale of a woman traumatised by a near-death experience, haunted by lives cut short. On the other it’s a supernatural thriller in which she is chased and seemingly taken over by malevolent spirits. The film’s scarier moments play on genuine fears, especially if you’ve ever driven down a lonely stretch of road in the middle of the night or heard a strange noise outside your window and tentatively investigated. And for a generation fed on a diet of Scooby Doo and Goosebumps, there’s simply nothing scarier than an abandoned amusement park. It’s to Generation X and Y what the ocean was to Jaws moviegoers in the 70s. It also has a twist that will put M Night Shyamalan to shame. While this film may not be wellknown, it’s now considered a cult classic, influencing recent films such as Soul Survivors (Stephen Carpenter, 2001), and spawning a 1998 remake directed by Adam Grossman. Maybe Harvey shouldn’t have quit his day job.

reverb magazine issue #057 — April 2011 43

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