central coast|hunter|north coast #062 Sep ’ 11
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music, arts & culture monthly
ODS and SWN Return for Coaster Steve Cropper Original Stax man Gotye Search for Wally Josh Pyke Off with the birds
kasabian Release the VELOCIRaptors
Also inside: eskimo joe + Stonefield + baron wolman + Icehouse + birds of tokyo
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TICKETS ON SALE now WWW.BOYANDBEAR.COM
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No. 62
Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress, Marrickville: sales@spotpress.com.au
index
contents
News 8-14 Kasabian 17 The Trews 18 Little Dragon 18 Josh Pyke 20 Stonefield 21 Eskimo Joe 22 Eagle and the Worm 22 Don Walker 23 One Dollar Short & Something With Numbers 24-25 Steve Cropper 26 Birds of Tokyo 27 Icehouse 28 Gotye 29 Opeth 30 The Subways 30 Baron Wolman 31 Talking Shop 32 Cartoon 32 Horoscopes 32 Byron Bay Writers’ Festival review 33 Travel – Daydream Island 34 Motoring – Lexus LFA 35 Album reviews 36-37 Live reviews 38 Splendour review 39 Film reviews 40 Imogen Poots 40 DVD reviews 41 Gig guide 42-44
Coldplay
editor’s letter
Credits
Contacts
As the editor of Reverb, I try and shy away from doing interviews, preferring to leave them for the guys who are actually journos. But I could not help myself when the opportunity to chat with Baron Wolman came in. Being an avid live music photographer myself, the chance to talk to Rolling Stone’s first photographer was just too much to pass up. What a gracious guy. During our 30-minute phone call, we talked about those heady times back in the late 60s, the modern day photo release forms that are plaguing the industry, and of all things, topless beaches. It totally made my month. Hope you enjoy it as much I as did.
Editor
Senior Writers
Writers
Kevin Bull
Matt Petherbridge
Paul Appelkamp
Sasha Petrova
Birdy
Amy Barnwell
Max Quinn
Nick Bielby
Luke Saunders
Sales, Newcastle & Central Coast
Kevin Bull
Jess Saxton
kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360
Mark Snelson
Steve Burrito
Madeline Smith
Josh Clements
Jeff Theys
Sales, North Coast
DVD Reviewer
Stephanie De Vries
Rod Whitfield
stephen@reverbstreetpress.com or 0458 559 938
Sallie Maree Pritchard
Liam Demamial
art director Cam Bennett
Cameron Edney
Photographers
Gig guide
Motoring writer
James Gallagher
Kevin Bull
gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au
Peter Douglas
Shelby Houghton
Courtney Fitzsimmons
North Coast Mgr Stephen Bocking
Charli Hutchison
Jim Graham
Production
Cartoonist
Nick Mackay
Richard Hedger
cam@reverbstreetpress.com
Tony Jenkins
Jamie Nelson
Sean Roche
Amelia Parrott
Madeline Smith
Postal address
Darren Pauli
Linda Wales
PO Box 843, Woy Woy NSW 2256
Much love guys, Kevin.
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
kevin@reverbstreetpress.com or 0410 295 360
Film reviewer
Sub-Editor Kate Hamilton
Editorial
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Giveaways just email editorial@reverbstreetpress.com.au First come, first served
3 copies
Three copies of Baron Wolman’s The Rolling Stone Years.
2 double passes
Win one of two double passes to Coaster festival at Gosford Showground on Saturday September 17.
5 double passes
Win one of five double passes to Birds of Tokyo at Newcastle Panthers on Wednesday September 15. Ladyhawke
4 double passes
Win one of four double passes to Drapht at Cex, Coffs Harbour on Thursday October 13, or Yamba Bowling Club on Friday October 14.
4 double passes
Festival of the sun: LINEUP ANNOUNCED
Win one of four double passes to Stonefield at Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday September 15, or Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle on Friday September 23.
6 double passes
prize pack #1
prize pack #2
5 copies
20 double passes 3 copies
Win one prize pack containing double pass to Grand Atlantic at Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton on Friday September 30, and a copy of Constellations.
Five copies of Triple J Hottest 100 Australian Albums of all Time on CD.
Win one prize pack containing double pass to The Nomad at Valla Beach Tavern on Friday September 16, a copy of Perilous Times, Greatest Hits, and a signed tour poster.
Win one of twenty in-season double passes to Fright Night.
Win one of six double passes to Eskimo Joe at Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni on Friday September 23, Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour on Wednesday October 5, or SCU Unibar, Lismore on Thursday October 6.
Three copies of Brett Dennen’s Loverboy on CD.
Check one, two… Festival of the Sun is back to fine tune your summer, with 3,000 mates, a surfside location and a rocking homegrown line-up. Wickedly outrageous BYO policy aside (yeah it’s still here!), 2011 will quench your musical thirst over a rollicking two days of live music encompassing roots, indie, rock, blues, acoustic and everything in between. Ladies and gents please welcome to the stage the 2011 FOTSUN line up: Art vs. Science, Ladyhawke, Dan Sultan, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Floating Me, The Snowdroppers, Young Revelry, Brothers Grim, Guineafowl, King Cannons, The Delta Riggs, The Medics, Benjalu, Pigeon, The Pixiekills, Ben Wells & the Middle Names, Colin Moore, Claude Hay, Blake Noble, Microwave Jenny, Larissa McKay, The Lyrical, Surecut Kids DJ’s plus one lucky Triple J Unearthed artist to be announced. As always, FOTSUN is hosted at Port Macquarie’s Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, December 9 and 10.
PLANTATION HOTEL & QLIVE PROUDLY PRESENT
LIVE @ THE PLANTO WEDNESDAY 5TH OCTOBER TIX ARE $35 PRE SALE FROM THE VENUE OR
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TIX ALSO AVAILABLE FROM WWW.OZTIX.COM.AU
ESKIMO JOE
DOORS OPEN 7:30PM
“GHOSTS OF THE PAST” ALBUM TOUR
88 GRAFTON ST, COFFS HARBOUR PH [02] 6653 3855 WWW.PLANTATIONHOTEL.COM.AU FACEBOOK.COM/THEPLANTATIONHOTEL
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mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
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MULLUM MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED
amity affliction
AMITY AFFLICTION AND THE REAPER to tour
The Amity Affliction return to the stage this October with the UK’s Asking Alexandria and the Gold Coast’s Skyway on board for all dates. The tour will celebrate the release of the Deluxe Edition of The Amity Affliction’s hit 2010 release, Youngbloods. The new edition includes a DVD feature, edited by vocalist Joel Birch, as well as bonus tracks, film clips, liner notes and artworks. The Fuck The Reaper Tour is Asking Alexandria’s first Australian tour since their much-touted sophomore album Reckless and Relentless hit shelves in April 2011. The band’s growth and maturity since their debut effort Stand Up and Scream has been astonishing. Those fortunate enough to have seen Asking Alexandria in the flesh will testify the live arena is where this band excels. The Amity Affliction, Asking Alexandria and Skyway perform at Newcastle Panthers on Saturday October 8.
Mullum Music Festival is living up to its hometown moniker and fast becoming The Biggest Little Festival in Australia. Headline artists have just been released, with international artists such as The Dynamites with Charles Walker (USA), Stranger Cole (Jamaica), Little Bushman (NZ), Serena Ryder (Canada), Ray Bonneville (USA), Epizo Bangoura (West Africa), Cornerstone Roots (NZ) Tracy McNeil (Canada) and Anna Coddington (NZ) bringing their world class music to festival stages. They’re joined by Aussie acts The Bamboos, Tim Freedman & The Idle, Jordie Lane, Husky, Abbe May, Lanie Lane, Dubmarine, Darky Roots, Anthony Garcia, Declan Kelly & The Rising Sun, Electric Empire, King Tide, The Graveyard Train, Mojo Juju, Barons of Tang, Sal Kimber & the Rollin’ Wheel, The Tiger and Me, The Good Ship and Liz Martin. The line-up features more than 30 per cent local acts, allowing the cream of our industry to play alongside international and national profile acts. These artists include Sara Tindley, Yeshe, M Jack Bee, Garrett Kato, Greg Sheehan, Fyah Walk, Wild Marmalade, The Perch Creek Family Jug Band, Jacqueline Amidy, Ilona Harker, The Lucky Wonders, Alice Blu, Jimmy Willing & The Real Gone Hick-Ups, The Round Mountain Girls, Rebecca Ireland, The Black Billy Goat, The Windy Hills, Acre, Paul Hasselgrove & Rusty Steel, Soulshakers, The Rogue Gene featuring Belle Hendrik, Zoe Lamoure & Space Cowboy Stunt Show, Mae Wilde, Flycycle, Spikey & Friends, The Slow Show, The Lolly Pops, The Cupcakes, The Biggest Little Town Choir & Uke Mullum. Mullum Music Festival happens November 24-27.
AIH PERFORM AT NEWCASTLE UNI
It’s been a big week for Architecture in Helsinki. They arrived home from a twomonth tour of the USA, Europe, UK and Russia right before heading off to play a transcendent homecoming set at Splendour in the Grass. Drawing an immense crowd that filled the Mix Up Tent way past capacity, the show was one of the band’s favourite live experiences of all time. Now they can’t wait to head off and around the country throughout September. Architecture in Helsinki, with Cut Off Your Hands, Oscar + Martin and Little Dottie in support, perform at the Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni on Friday September 2, and Homebake, Sydney Domain, on Saturday, December 3.
ART VS. SCIENCE RETURN HOME
Art vs. Science have had a busy year. They supported the Chemical Brothers and pulled some of the biggest crowds at the Future Music Festival and Groovin The Moo. Now, having sold out theatre shows on their recent run and just about to embark on their second North American tour, the band return to Australia in September to do what they do best: bring the party to as many people as possible. These will be the last headline dates for quite some time. Art vs. Science perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Wednesday September 21; Coolangatta Hotel on Saturday September 24; Newcastle Panthers on Friday September 30; Bateau Bay Hotel on Saturday October 1; FOTSUN, Port Macquarie’s Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, December 9-10.
Baron Wolman
WOLMAN’S years at ROLLING STONE
The first photographer to work for America’s legendary Rolling Stone magazine, Baron Wolman, will be in Australia in September to launch his first-hand account of the halcyon days of rock ‘n’ roll and his memorable encounters with the rock stars of the day. The book will be launched in conjunction with two exhibitions of Wolman’s photographs to be held at galleries in Sydney and Melbourne. Featuring iconic rock shots from the 60s and 70s, The Rolling Stone Years tells the previously untold story behind the photographs of rock’s most fertile era. From Jimi Hendrix to Johnny Cash, from Miles Davis to The Who, one man’s camera captured the times that really were a-changing: been there, done that, photographed it all. Baron Wolman’s The Rolling Stone Years opens at The Blender Gallery, Paddington, Sydney between Saturday September 17 and Saturday October 22.
Hamilton 73 Tudor Street T. 4962 5266 Erina 8/4 Ilya Avenue T. 4367 4566 www.eckersleys.com.au Conditions apply. Selected offers available throughout the period 5/09/11 to 2/10/11, or whilst stocks last. See in-store for further details.
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LIVE MUSIC L I V E S P O R T, G R E AT F O O D
boy and bear
SEP 2
FRI
Katabasis
BOY & BEAR TOUR MOONFIRE
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SAT
The Fevered How To Survive A Bullfight
SAFE HANDS
SEP 4
SUN
E asy T i g e r Run Squirrel
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WED MATT GRAHAM
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THE DRONES’ THOUSAND MISTAKES
SEP 8
THU
L e a d b e l l i es
SEP 14
WED
I, The Hunter (one band)
SEP 15
THU
On the eve of releasing their debut album Moonfire, Boy & Bear are pleased to announce their Moonfire Tour. Kicking off in early November, the Moonfire Tour will encapsulate all the elements that have made Boy & Bear Australian favourites – aching harmonies, booming drums, delicate acoustic textures and of course, roaring sing-alongs. As those who witnessed their Splendour In The Grass performance will testify, Boy & Bear are at the height of their live game, stretching their performance and songwriting prowess further than ever before. Moonfire is a testament to the integrity that Boy & Bear have ignited, and it translates to an honest and passionate affair on stage. Boy & Bear perform at Newcastle Panthers on Wednesday November 2 and Coolangatta Hotel on Thursday November 10.
Bits and Pieces
SEP 18
The Drones are without a doubt one of the most acclaimed and revered bands of modern Australian music. Famous for their exhaustingly brutal live shows, lyrical honesty, and uncompromising approach to music, The Drones will take to the road to support the release of their live DVD, A Thousand Mistakes (released September 16). Good friend Adalita will join them on the tour. One of the great local songwriters of the past two decades, the Magic Dirt frontwoman will open each night with her hauntingly beautiful solo show. The Drones, with Adalita in support, perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday October 8.
SUN Truth Ruby SEP 22
THU
Corey Price
confession
SEP 25
E F TA C E N TA SUN L Little Glimpse One Mike
Live It Up Karaoke
FRI SAT 9.30PM–2.30AM FRONT BAR
Monday Night Poker Tuesdays
7.30PM BEAUMONT STREET’S ONLY POOL COMPETITION
Happy Hour
THURS SUN 4-6PM $3.50 SCHOONERS
2-6 BEAUMONT ST OPEN 9.30AM-3AM DAILY 10 reverb
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CONFESSION’S LONG WAY HOME
Following the success of their debut album, Cancer, and sold-out national tours throughout 2010, Australian hardcore band Confession prepares to push forward. With members living in Adelaide, Byron Bay and Melbourne, the quintet took proceedings to the north coast, to the Parkway house in Byron Bay, to write 10 new songs. Vocalist Michael Crafter credited the relaxing and peaceful house with making the record what it is. Recorded with iconic Swedish metal producer Fredrik Nordström (Bring Me The Horizon, I Killed The Prom Queen, In Flames), at his Gothenburg Studio, The Long Way Home, released September 23, presents an assured and strengthened outfit. “We knew he was going to make this record sound amazing and he did exactly that,” said Crafter. Confession perform at the YAC, Byron Bay on Thursday October 13; Newcastle Panthers on Saturday October 22; Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong on Sunday October 23.
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icehouse
ICEHOUSE RETURN TO THE NEWCASTLE STAGE
On the back of their Espy gig, which saw a mass of fans take to the pavement in the hope of being among the few people to watch one of the most iconic bands in the history of Australia, Icehouse are delighted to announce they will be performing in Newcastle. This year, Icehouse has once again proven their ability to take the music charts by storm with the 30th anniversary edition of their Icehouse album (as Flowers) charting at #2 of the Aria Top 20 Australian Albums, #14 of the Top 50 Albums Charts and #18 of the Top 50 Digital Albums Charts. The band has also just announced they will follow up the 30th anniversary edition album release with White Heat: 30 Hits, which brings together every single from the Icehouse pantheon ever released worldwide. Icehouse performs at the Belmont 16-foot Sailing Club on Wednesday September 28.
GRAND ATLANTIC TOUR THIRD RELEASE
Brisbane band Grand Atlantic recorded their new album, Constellations, in an abandoned psychiatric hospital near the NZ town of Dunedin, over the space of 12 days. Producer Dale Cotton helped capture the sense of unease felt by the band during recording. Lead singer and guitarist Phil Usher said there were a “few strange experiences while we were there”. “Hearing voices during takes, strange sounds, and we saw things like the microphone stand move when no one was near”. Sheer, psychedelic sophistication, Constellations is an alternative indie pop rock album that tips the hat to the band’s influences (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Teenage Fanclub), whilst remaining fresh and contemporary. Grand Atlantic perform at the Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton on Friday September 30.
THE GRATES SUMMER TOUR
As winter begins to wane and spring starts to blossom on the horizon, The Grates have their sights set firmly on the coming summer as they hit the hot bitumen again in late November for their biggest national tour yet. Having ignited the main stage as the sun set over Splendour In The Grass, The Grates are at the peak of their game. Helmed by the enigmatic, sassy frontwoman Patience Hodgson, The Grates sophisticated live show has as many twists and turns as Hodgson has dance moves, unparalleled by any band in the country right now. From provocative banter to stage-diving antics, you never know what you’re going to get when you’re up close and personal. The Grates, with Last Dinosaurs in support, perform at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday November 11; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Wednesday November 16; Coolangatta Hotel on Thursday November 17.
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Leader Cheetah
LEADER CHEETAH TOUR LOTUS SKIES
Josh Pyke
JOSH PYKE comes TO TOWN
After a year-long sabbatical, Josh Pyke will be back on the road in September to celebrate the release of his eagerly awaited third album, Only Sparrows. Featuring the infectiously up-beat first single ‘No One Wants A Lover’, Only Sparrows is Pyke’s most assured record to date, and follows on from his gold selling, ARIA award-winning albums, Memories & Dust (2007) and Chimney’s Afire (2008). Written on the road and in New York, Only Sparrows might be Pyke’s most complete record yet. With a host of talented musicians on board and producer Wayne Connolly helming the desk, Pyke was given the freedom to take a step back so he could take a step forward, so to speak, creating a cohesive album that pushed him in all the right places. Josh Pyke performs at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Thursday September 8; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday September 22; Coolangatta Hotel on Friday September 23.
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mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
Having just released their highly anticipated sophomore album Lotus Skies, Leader Cheetah are excited to announce the upcoming dates for their Lotus Skies headline tour, joined by Belles Will Ring. Dan Crannitch, singer and guitarist, says the band are keen to get the tour started: “We’re thrilled to have the chance to get out there and play the material from Lotus Skies live”. “It’s been a long time coming and we’re super excited to have Belles Will Ring come along for the ride!” As with most bands that are built to last, Leader Cheetah don’t sound like anyone else as much as themselves. No one can say for sure what accidents of history, genes and personality creates an original sound in a band, but Leader Cheetah have it. The result is an album like Lotus Skies, music with wide-open spaces and long horizons and with real emotional force. Leader Cheetah, with Belles Will Ring in support, perform at the Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton on Friday September 23.
TRIAL KENNEDY EXOLOGY TOURing east coast
No one could accuse Trial Kennedy of idling their time away. Straight off the back of a national album tour, the band announced
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they will once again hit the road in September, this time to celebrate the release of the third single, ‘Exology’, from their sophomore album Living Undesigned. On the Exology Tour, Trial Kennedy will be joined by Dangerous! (excl. Gosford), an unhinged and explosive garage rock ‘n’ roll band, with an injection of punk and hardcore shot through it. Trial Kennedy perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Saturday September 10; Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Thursday September 15; Blush Nightclub, Gosford on Thursday October 27.
THE PANICS launch OFFICIAL ALBUM TOUR
Following on from their sold-out national tour and stand-out Splendour In The Grass performance, The Panics hit the road again in September and October for their official Rain On The Humming Wire album tour. Music critics and fans often say the same thing about The Panics: listening to their songs is like immersing yourself in the soundtrack to your own life. In their albums and EPs, people discover the cinematic score to their own lost Australian summers: the bittersweet Antipodean road-trips where they found first love and made new friends, only to lose it all on the way back. Underneath the elegant pop-rock tracks are modern hymns for a generation; anthems of rash joy and quiet heartbreak; all the songs you would have written yourself, if only you had the right words on hand. The Panics now take their unique perspective to all corners of this great southern land, performing at Newcastle Leagues Club on Friday September 23; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday October 6; Coolangatta Hotel on Saturday October 8.
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The trews
THE TREWS SET UP RESIDENCY
Acclaimed Canadian rock band The Trews are thrilled to announce they will once again grace Australian shores for a run of dates this September and October. The Trews wowed Australian audiences with their dynamic live shows earlier this year, when they played a string of packed-out residencies in Sydney and Melbourne. The Trews, who have toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses and KISS, are one of Canada’s hardest working and best-loved bands. They have claimed two Gold certified albums and, with Hope & Ruin, a huge 11 Top 10 singles including two chart –toppers. Fresh from touring their home turf with Kid Rock, The Trews are delighted to be heading back to their ‘second home’ later this year. Be sure to catch The Trews in action, for a truly jaw-dropping live music experience. The Trews perform at the Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle on Wednesday September 14, Wednesday September 28, and Wednesday October 12; Brewery, Byron Bay on Thursday October 6.
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PEATS RIDGE FESTIVAL FIRST LINEUP ANNOUCEMENT
Stonefield
STONEFIELD’S FIRST NATIONAL TOUR
From humble beginnings in a rural Victorian shed, to impressing thousands of new fans in the UK, Stonefield have well and truly arrived, and to celebrate, the four Findlay sisters are about to embark on their first Australian national tour. The Stonefield live performance needs to be seen! Their home-grown psychedelic rock blew everyone away recently at the world’s most famous music festival — Glastonbury, where the girls performed on the John Peel Stage (famously dedicated to the promotion of new and emerging bands), exposing them to a legion of new fans and their international peers. Stonefield perform at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday September 15, and Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle on Friday September 23.
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Four months out, and we have just received the first lineup announcement for this year’s Peats Ridge Festival — Gotye, Xavier Rudd, Salmonella Dub, Stanton Warriors, LTJ Bukem, A-Skillz, Hanni El Khatib, San Cisco, The Paper Scissors, Marshall & the Fro, The Dead Leaves, Benjalu, Amelia Curran, Montpelier, Jungle Brothers, Cloud Control, The Holidays, Mountain Mocha K ilimanjaro, Dum Dum Girls, Holly Throsby, Thundamentals, Faux Pas, Tijuana Cartel, Hermitude, Sietta, Husky, The Bird, Passenger. Peats Ridge Festival happens at Glenworth Valley between December 29 and January 1.
MY SCHOOL ACT OFFERS 50K AND BDO GIG
Musicians from every metro, regional and rural high school across Australia are being given an opportunity like never before — the chance of scoring a recording deal with Sony Music Entertainment to the value of $50,000, as well as being included in the lineup at Australia’s biggest touring music festival the Big Day Out 2012. Prizing for MySchoolAct 2011 is more than impressive; it’s a career launch pad, with the winner scoring a $50,000 recording deal from Sony Music, a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Publishing to the value of $15,000 and Motorola prize packs. One top act from the areas of WA, ACT/NSW, TAS/ VIC, SA, QLD/NT will land the ultimate gig and be included in the lineup of the hottest music festival in Australia, Big Day Out 2012. MySchoolAct offers a platform for budding musicians to be heard and discovered by submitting a video or MP3 of their performance at www.myschoolact.com.
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SNELSON’S 40TH AT THE LASS
BACARDI BAND SEARCH ENTERS THIRD YEAR
The Bacardi Band Search is in its third year and after 12 months reflection on our last competition, we’ve tightened some nuts, polished out some blemishes and are set to make an even bigger impression on the Newcastle music scene. In 2010, over 50 Newcastle and Central Coast bands entered the BBS at The Cambridge Hotel, with 42 bands competing over 10 heats, four semi-finals, two repechage finals and a Grand Final with Central Coast’s I Am The Agent emerging as the winners. In 2011, with a focus on enhancing the quality of competition and performances, the live aspect of the competition will be scaled down. This year, entrants will have to pass a preliminary selection round, whereby their recordings will be judged before being given the chance to perform in one of the heats. This year’s prizes include $2000 cash, a guitar amplifier and effects package, an electronic drumkit, free advertising in Reverb street press and free rehearsal time at Newcastle’s premier rehearsal space, The Studio. The Bacardi band search is open to any unsigned band from the Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast region. Heats begin on Thursday October 6. Entry forms can be picked up from The Cambridge Hotel and Allans Music + Billy Hyde or downloaded from www.yourcambridge.com
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Resident film critic and occasional photographer for Reverb, Mark Snelson will be celebrating his 40th birthday at the Lass O’Gowrie Hotel on Saturday September 3. It is a public gig featuring kings of the Newcastle cowpunk scene The Australian Beefweek Show, backed by the hard rockin’ sounds of Horse Bolted and a rare appearance by Snelvis & The Cowpunchers. All welcome, entry is free and it all kicks off at 8.30pm.
BELLINGEN GLOBAL CARNIVAL FOR OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND
The 15th Bellingen Global Carnival program is host to a swag of class acts and a veritable journey through music, dance and the diversity of our planet. Held over the October long weekend (Sept 30 — Oct 2) in the glorious Bellingen Valley, this magical event opens on Friday evening with Soulman O’Gaia, Mama Kin, Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Djangoholix, Armandito y su Trovason, Nayika. Start Saturday with a great coffee and a massage and settle in to a brilliant day of music and dance with Madakto, David Bridie, Frank Yamma, Shellie Morris, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dubmarine. Sunday heralds another fine day of music featuring headliner Jon Cleary & the Philthy Phew, The Band of Brothers, Slava Grigoryan, Joseph Tawadros, Lotek. For the full program visit www.globalcarnival.com
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mama kin
MAMA KIN RETURNS HOME
WA soulstress Mama Kin is a force to be reckoned with. Fresh from a rollicking tour of North America, including dates with The John Butler Trio and stellar performances at Ottawa Bluesfest and Rocky Mountains Folks Festival, Mama Kin is already a festival favourite at the annual Mullum Music Festival with her foot-stomping take on New Orleans soul. It’s not often this real-life mama makes it to the east coast, so be sure to catch her when you can. Mama Kin returns home to perform at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Thursday September 29, and Bellingen Global Carnival on Friday September 30.
COUNTER REVOLUTION RISES FROM THE ASHES
With the demise of Soundwave Revolution, a reworked smaller event, Counter Revolution has taken its place with dates and venues recently announced. Performing will be Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low, Yellowcard, Story of the Year, Face To Face, The Damned Things, Set Your Goals, Funeral For A Friend, Hellogoodbye, D.R.U.G.S., The Pretty Reckless, Young Guns, This Providence, Go Radio, Make Do and Mend, Alesana, The Swellers, We Are The In Crowd, We Are The Ocean and Terrible Things. Counter Revolution happens at the Riverstage, Brisbane on Saturday September 24, and the Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney on Sunday September 25.
THE MIND OF JEFF LANG
The curious and canny musician, Jeff Lang has never been one to accept formulas. Carried In Mind is Lang’s 15th studio album in which he has shown his adeptness for conjuring a sense of time and place. Due for release Friday September 9, the trademark qualities of Jeff Lang’s playing resonate stronger than ever, displaying not only a guitarist of gob-smacking talent, but a songwriter of the highest order. As with most of Lang’s collection, Carried In Mind was recorded live in the studio, with longtime musical partners in crime Grant Cummerford ( bass) and Danny McKenna (drums). The addition of Garrett Costigan on pedal steel feels so natural that one might mistake his presence on earlier albums. Alison Ferrier’s brief appearance singing backing vocals on the track she cowrote with Lang breathes harmony and stillness into the album, which is ripe with the rhythms of work, life, and loving. Jeff Lang performs at Lizotte’s, Lambton on Sunday September 25, and Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Sunday October 23.
QUEEN: IT’S A KINDA MAGIC
Queen fans across Australia will be able to celebrate the music, the magic and the memories of Freddie Mercury and Queen when the stunning theatrical production Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic tours Australia from late September. This fully staged
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mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
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“concert experience” show features over twenty Queen hits including ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, ‘We Are the Champions’ and many more. Originally created in Australia in 2001, Queen - It’s a Kinda Magic has since been internationally acclaimed as the premiere Queen theatre show. Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic delivers the ultimate Queen live concert experience and is as close as you’ll ever get to the real thing. With 21st century sound and lighting, and an explosive cast that takes magnetism to new heights, this theatrical attraction produced by Showtime Entertainment recreates Queen’s show from their 1986 world tour; the hit songs, the charisma of Freddie Mercury, the amazing guitar solos of Brian May and all those unbelievable harmonies. Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic performs at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle on Sunday October 2.
WILD MARMALADE HEADLINE LOCAL M.A.D.E.
Local MADE is putting on the highest energy indoor dance event of the year with veterans Wild Marmalade and Terrafractyl heading the line-up, featuring amazing fresh local talent. The Bellingen Memorial Hall will be completely transformed on Friday September 16 into an electric jungle to symbolise the magical technologicallyenhanced world we live in and often get lost in. But it’s time to bust out in the real world, get off ya computer and on to the dance floor! How much? $10.
WHALEFEST SUPPORTS SEA SHEPHERD mission
When the word “festival” gets mentioned, it is usually not attached to a worthy cause, so it is refreshing to hear that Whalefest is being organised by local musos to raise awareness and funds for the Sea Shepherd organisation. Performing on the night will be The Family Clan, recent Great Northern Open Mic comp winner James Thompson, Jen Buxton, The Canyoneersmen, The Havelocks, Golden Highway Truckstop, Tad Poe Dee & Ochre, and Black Island. Whalefest happens at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Saturday September 10 from 4pm.
THE QUICK AND THE FUNKOARS
The Funkoars are back ‘n’ badder than ever, and are set to unleash their highly anticipated fourth album The Quickening. Known for having one of the most dangerous shows in the business, The Funkoars will be performing an all-new live show incorporating songs from The Quickening as well as their claaaassic material that forged them one of the biggest cult followings in the country. Fresh off the back of releasing their thumping first single ‘Where I Am’, The Funkoars will be performing at Fat As Butter, Camp Shotland, Newcastle Foreshore on Saturday October 22.
LIVE AND LOCAL AT LIZOTTE’S
There’s plenty of local music to be had at Lizotte’s this month. Lambton Lizotte’s: Wednesday September 7, Jade Gannon, Ben Webb, The Tillegra Damned, Gareth Hudson & the Arc Angels; Wednesday September 21, Lauren Arms, Hamish White, Sarah McLennan, Skyepoint. Kincumber Lizotte’s: Friday September 2, Tiali, Gerard Masters, Duncan Woods, Claire Jean; Wednesday September 7, Jackson Besley, Jaywalker, Paul Eagle; Friday September 16, Chris Byrne, We are the Birdcage, Dan Ford, The Goods; Thursday September 22, Jacob Pearson.
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kasabian
In many ways, Kasabian’s sound reflects the evolution of modern music. Brewing elements of electronic dance, chainsaw guitars, distorted bass lines and swaggering rock/hip-hop vocals, the brazen, cut-throat band has cleanly incorporated the best of traditional and digital developments in the industry; risky business for the most skilled of sonic sorcerers, but the four Leicester lads have shown no fear. Instead of a messy concoction of genres, they have successfully flung three complex razorsharp albums at the world. And now there’s a fourth on its way. Chris Edwards, Kasabian’s bassist, talks about the naming of the new album. “If you take it at face value you’d expect it to be a vicious album but it’s actually not,” says Edwards. “It’s actually quite a beautiful album and there’s some sing-along tunes in there. The reason we actually chose the name Velociraptor is because if you look into velociraptors as a species, they used to hunt in packs of four - there’s four of us in the band and that’s what we’re doing. We’re hunting down the industry if you like. You know, we’re trying to beat the T-Rex. So it’s not about the viciousness of the album, it’s all to do with the group mentality.” Although the chorus of the album’s title track, which front man Tom Meighan sings with British bravado, could be seen as a tad deceptive: “Velociraptor, we’re gonna find ya, we’re gonna kill ya, we’re gonna eat ya”. But it’s not only the industry that this band is out to get – the ambitious foursome is keen to snap up more fans as well. With the exception of ‘Velociraptor’ and ‘Switchblade Smiles’, two songs that possess the distinctive Kasabian punch,
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Release the Raptors What do you get when you cross Britpop with psychedelic acid rock, hip-hop, techno and electronic dance? You get a foursome of talent, otherwise known as Kasabian. Sasha Petrova spoke to bassist Chris Edwards about Kasabian’s upcoming album, Velociraptor. the rest of the album is more accessible to the mainstream. “I think Serge (Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist and songwriter) has tried to write a few songs for a wider audience,” says Edwards. “We’ve got our fans and they’re amazing – we’ve got, you know, hundreds of thousands of them. But I think on this album Serge just tried to write a couple more tunes to excite a few more people. We’ve not changed our tune. We’re still doing Kasabian stuff in a Kasabian way. But I think they’re just more accessible by more people.” The third track, ‘Goodbye Kiss’ is a swooning melody about a long-lost love that two partners could easily twirl to on a dance floor. The unexpected tune seems to be too sweet and soft for the Kasabian repertoire. Edwards admits most of the album is “mid-tempo”, a mixture of stadium songs and occasional ballads. “As for our music that we’ve got to play live, this album is going to slot in perfectly,” he says. Kasabian’s last album, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, which was released in 2009 and nominated for the coveted Mercury Prize, had two such stadium songs - ‘Underdog’ and ‘Where Did All the Love
Go’. Velociraptor offers ‘Days Are Forgotten’, which Edwards describes as “an anthemic kind of arms-in–the-air, euphoric” tune. But while its older siblings may have lacked the mixed-genre complexity of the Kasabian sound, ‘Days Are Forgotten’ is more creative and features a Franz Ferdinand-style guitar that cuts through a hip-hop drum intro. Previously, anthemic songs such as ‘Underdog’, with their whiff of Britpop, have been easy targets for critics who have compared the band to Oasis, one of their early influences. But as Edwards notes, the band has progressed much further than the Gallagher brothers. “I don’t think, musically, we’re a lot like them. But the way the band’s structured and set up, we are... Serge is the Noel - he’s the guy who does the backing vocals and a few solo songs and he writes the songs. Tom is Liam. He’s a frontman head-case. But musically, Oasis had their formula for making tunes. Noel says every song starts with an acoustic, whereas our songs could be a bass line or a synth line or a sample. We kind of explore a bit further than Oasis.” The intros to most of the songs in
Velociraptor are synth-induced, space rock. But ‘I Hear Voices’ is followed by New Order-style keyboards, while ‘Le Fee Verte’ (the Green Fairy) has a dreamy Beatleesque quality (“I see Lucy in the Sky, telling me I’m high”). Overall Edwards, Meighan, Pizzorno and drummer Ian Matthews are happy with the album. “This album is going to be, I believe, better than the last one, better than the one before. I think this is hopefully where we turn the corner and get accepted by the mainstream, if you like. Because after four albums, people start to think, ‘these guys have had four albums so they must be doing something right’. So hopefully the name will proceed the music and people will search it out.” Velociraptor is out on September 16 in Australia and Kasabian will celebrate with an exclusive launch in Melbourne. “Australia is somewhere where we want to get bigger and better and keep coming back to because, one, the fans are amazing and, two, it’s a beautiful place. It’s giving us a lot of loving at the moment.” Velociraptor is to be released September 23 though Sony Music.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 17
The Trews — Little Dragon
Hope and Ruin is your fourth studio album. Do you find it difficult to come up with new material to work with in the studio? I find it comes and goes as we keep making studio albums. We do our best to shake things up creatively with every album. We never use the same recording studio; never use the same producer; we try to have a different angle on the sound we make, and that’s helped us a lot. If you try to do something new you will be inspired to write. Take us through the songwriting process for the band? It happens all different ways and I don’t want to sound too cheesy but some of the best stuff is just magic. I was sitting at the piano at midnight in the studio playing a riff, and our drummer Sean, who’s a really good songwriter as well, came in and he had a melody for the riff I was playing. Sean sang the verse melody, the pre-chorus melody and the chorus melody in thirty five seconds. So we recorded a fifteen minute jam of us just humming the melody. The next day we were wondering what to work on next and we decided to call up this riff from the night before. I wrote lyrics to it within an hour and that song became ‘If You Wanna Start Again’. It must feel awesome to know that on the other side of the world your music is getting out to the masses. It’s really cool for us because I find Canadians and Australians to be similar. We’ve been to Australia twice and you don’t have to twist my arm to ever get back down there. We were driving around, touring five nights a week back in February and March and we were listening to Triple
from you’re shit to you’re great and it’s all meaningless. You need to see for yourself, that was the best advice I’ve ever received. You’ve toured with some of the greatest rock bands on earth: The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Robert Plant. What do you take away from those experiences? Shock and awe. We get these calls and it just seems surreal. When we opened for The Stones I was just trying to get tickets to go in and see the gig. My manager called me saying he couldn’t get me tickets but they want us to open the show and that left me dumbfounded. I got to meet Mick and Keith, Ron and Charlie and it’s just surreal.
Trew Believers Consisting of two brothers, one cousin and a long-time school friend, Canadian rockers The Trews have certainly put in the hard yards since they joined forces, in 2002, under the name One I’d Trouser. It didn’t take long for these young, hungry boys from Nova Scotia to get recognition in their hometown and, soon after, the rest of the world followed suit. CAMERON EDNEY spoke with the band’s main lyricist and vocalist, COLIN MacDONALD, to discuss the band’s upcoming Australian visit, the phenomenal success the band has enjoyed, and their most recent album, Hope and Ruin. M on the radio. We listened to Aussie bands we’d never heard of before - the classic old stuff like Cold Chisel, and we loved it. We were saying how cool would it be if they were playing our song down here, [so] it’s a full circle moment. We love a lot of Aussie bands and we love touring Australia.
Who’s given you the best advice on the road and what was it? The best advice came from Kid Rock. The advice he gave us was “watch your shows, man; listen to your shows; don’t rely on the feedback of subjective, potentially drunk fans”. People can tell you all kinds of things
What other immediate plans are in place for the band? I’m really into the idea of recording singles now. Albums don’t seem to be the big deal that they used to be. But having a couple of singles on the go all the time is appealing. We always have song ideas and songs on the backburner that we feel should be out there. What can we expect when you hit the stage come September? Right now, we’re doing headlining festival dates. I think it’s going to be really tight, it will be punchy, not too much dead time. We’re already known for being a really good live band and right now we’re at the top of our game. I don’t think anyone will be disappointed; we’re going to bring it every night! The Trews perform at the Great Northern Hotel in Newcastle on September 14, September 28, and October 12; and at the Brewery, Byron Bay, on Thursday October 6.
Right. Our debut feels like a bunch of demo songs, and [the sophomore] Machine Dreams was all about getting it right; soundscapes and lots of layers. Ritual Union is kind of more minimal. We mixed it at the same studio as we have done for all of our albums. I think it has a poppy vibe, but it’s still psychedelic. What happens when you get in to the studio? How do you collaborate? The process is pretty much always the same, but we try to be inspired and find sounds that feel fresh and different; you want to feel like you’re in motion. The process usually involves one of the guys coming up with a beat or a structure, and then from the music I will generally feel out some images that will lead to lyrics. After that we’ll add stuff or take away stuff — everybody adds their part.
Electronic pop has been booming lately, and you’ve been lucky enough to be right at the centre of that movement. Does it feel like the tip of the iceberg to you? Not really. It’s a journey, for sure, and we’ve worked really hard to get where we’re at. It must be special to be a part of it? Absolutely. It’s a dream come true to play in a band with your best friends and be appreciated for the music that you make. You were fortunate enough to be noticed outside of Sweden before you were really noticed inside it. Tell me about what that was like for you? We’re still pretty unknown in Sweden. Just lately there’s been a bit of interest, maybe because there’s been interest abroad. I 18 reverb
mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
Breathing Fire Swedish electronic quartet Little Dragon will be packing up their keyboards and heading south for the spring, as part of Parklife Festival 2011. Their third album, Ritual Union, was released in July to more critical praise than you can poke a stick at. Max Quinn talks to singer Yukimi Nagano about how to survive as an electro band in Scandinavia. don’t know. I can’t really say why that is. It was pretty much the US that caught on first; it was so surreal to have our biggest fan base in LA and sell-out a show at the Roxy, but not be able to fill a little club in Sweden. What’s the music scene like in Sweden? There’s a big heavy metal scene, apparently, and a big indie rock scene as well. I find out more about Swedish music when I go
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abroad than when I’m at home. Why do you think that is? I don’t know. People looking in from outside seem to have an interest in Scandinavian music in general. There is a lot of good music from Sweden, so people expect quality. It’s obviously important for you to grow and evolve as artists as well.
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Many of the bands I speak with default to writing music on acoustic guitars or pianos, and build their songs from there. That’s definitely a difference. Some songwriters are all about structure: we’re more spontaneous. We’ll have the keyboards plugged in, and we’ll be jamming to a beat or a bass line, and when we decide that something’s cool, we press record. It’s capturing little moments of music and producing as you go. Is that spontaneity something that’s reflected in your live show as well? Yeah! We love to improvise, you know. We love to change things up and I think that’s something that is very, very important to us. Little Dragon perform at Parklife Brisbane on Saturday October 1, and Parklife Sydney on Sunday October 2. Follow us on Twitter
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 19
tion ine c u d o r p d n a c i ag more mus an you can im
josh pyke
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It’s still possible to experience a career and confidence crisis, even if you’re the celebrated winner of two ARIA awards and a proud new papa to boot, reckons JOSH PYKE. Although you’d never know it listening to the Australian singer-songwriter’s third album, Only Sparrows, Pyke says he was so plagued by self-doubt during the writing process that he escaped to New York City in search of inspiration. Thick in atmosphere yet sonically simple, Pyke describes Only Sparrows as a spiritual journey into uncharted waters. By BIRDY. “I had a few months there where I was seriously thinking to myself, ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore’,” Pyke recalls. “I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that caused it, but I know I felt anxiety about making music. I would totally call it a crisis — a confidence crisis, more than I’ve ever experienced before. Looking back on it now, I think it was because up until now I never really cared if my albums would sell and do well, but now it’s actually become my job. In the past I was just happy to be able to finish a song and know that it was done! Getting to hear it on the radio was just a bonus. Now all of a sudden, this is my profession — it’s what puts the food on the table, and I really did start to feel that pressure.” According to Pyke, the fact that he is now an ARIA award-winning artist did not help in the pressure stakes, and neither did becoming a father. And although Pyke claims he wouldn’t have it any other way, he does admit that life is a little more demanding these days. “I had to get myself out of that mental state where I was just panicking. I know in myself that I never wanted to be a famous rock star, and I just needed to get back to the same place where I was two albums ago. It just seemed like the only sane option for me to take would be to just get out of the space I was in and go somewhere entirely different – to step out of my comfort zone and get away for a little while.” New York’s Greenwich Village was Pyke’s destination for his first ever overseas writing trip. It proved fruitful, albeit lonely
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
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at times. “I rented this apartment in Greenwich Village which had a stunning vibe about it and a full open fireplace,” says Pyke. “Outside it was pure white and snowing all the time and the scenery was just wicked, [although] I felt really alone. I’d just gotten used to working with other people and letting up on the solo thing, because of the stuff I’d been doing with the Basement Birds. But I think it gave me a new perspective that changed my headspace.” The change also includes Pyke’s shift from a one-man project to a full-fledged band that’s hitting the Australian highways as part of an upcoming national tour. If his most recent run of dates for the Fans First shows is anything to go by, the album jaunt is sure to sell like hotcakes. “Fans First was a bunch of solo shows but I was amazed how well it did,” says Pyke. “This tour is going to be very different. It’ll be all the new stuff off the album and you won’t have to sit through the whole thing with just me in your face. The whole trip to New York really helped me get my confidence back as an artist, and I have to mention that [producer] Wayne Connolly was the hero… on this album. He’s got an amazing way of being able to create a sound that I am thinking of but not able to explain to him in words. It feels good to have my head back in check again.” Josh Pyke performs at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, on Thursday September 8; Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, on Thursday September 22; Coolangatta Hotel on Friday September 23. Follow us on Twitter
stonefield
Flowers in the Field Stonef ield ’s inf luences a ren’t ha rd to pick . T here ’s t he psychedelic rock screa m s of Led Zeppelin , P in k F loyd a nd Fra n k Zappa . But t heir stor y is more or igina l t ha n t he music t hey play. S A SH A PET ROVA has a chat to H A N NA H F IN DL AY, t he ba nd ’s g uita r ist a nd second- oldest sister.
O
nce upon a time there lived four sisters – Amy, Hannah, Sarah and Holly, who lived on a farm in a small Victorian town called Darraweit Guim. The girls loved music – they all took singing lessons and liked dancing around to the old records that their parents played. One day, their mum and dad bought them some instruments - a guitar, a drum kit, a bass guitar and some keyboards. Amy sat behind the drums, Hannah picked up the guitar, Sarah jumped behind the keyboards and Holly pulled the bass guitar strap over her head. They decided to form a band. They called themselves Stonefield. In the age of consumerism, technology and Lady Gaga, the story of the Findlay sisters sounds like a modern fairytale – their world, an enclave in which time stood still, and girls wore flowers in their hair. With their loose, 70s tie-dyed attire and Led Zeppelin-saturated, psychedelic rock sound, Stonefield are an ode to an age gone by and to sisterhood. The rock aesthetic has been making a comeback throughout the local music scene in the last few years – particularly in Victoria. So, apart from the quirky feature of their powerful vocalist “frontman” (Amy) being resigned to the back of the stage as the drummer, what distinguishes Stonefield from the rest of the young, rock revivalists? “I think the music that we play… the Led Zeppelin sort of stuff, even though it’s starting to come in, we’re a little Find us on Facebook
bit different with the four girls,” says Findlay. Although it may be empowering to belong to a respected all-girl band in a male-dominated scene, Stonefield are not out to make a political statement. “We try not to think about it like that. We don’t want to be set apart too much from all the boys in other bands.” Whether their gender has had any influence on Stonefield’s recent success is irrelevant; the fact is that the star of these four sensationally young girls (21,18, 17 and 13) is rising fast. “Since last year, we’ve just had one thing after another,” says Findlay. Stonefield’s song ‘Foreign Lover’ won them the Triple J Unearthed High Contest in 2010, then they were signed by Warner Bros and then… Glastonbury. They were approached by a booker for the legendary UK festival and flown overseas to play with the biggest bands in the world. “We got there the night before and we played on the first day,” says Findlay. “We were the second band… so we got that over and done with. We were pretty nervous but it was really fun and then for the rest of the festival we got to go round and see as many bands as we could.” Findlay said being one of the first bands on worked to their advantage. “People had been there for a couple of days before and they were sort of waiting for some music so we had quite a good crowd.” And it didn’t stop there for Stonefield. “We got back from Glastonbury probably about a month
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ago… and we just finished supporting the Kaiser Chiefs for their tour over here. That was awesome. They were lovely people.” Getting together the kind of synergy conducive to a well-functioning band is difficult enough, but throw some sibling rivalry into the mix and it may be nigh on impossible. But Findlay says the four girls have always got along. “We’re quite similar. [But there are] a few different things, like Sarah is quite crazy when she’s comfortable with the people she’s around…” Six years ago, when the girls picked up their instruments and formed the band, did they have any idea they would be where they are now? “Definitely not,” says Findlay. “Even now we don’t get too ahead of ourselves. We just live in the moment and try to work hard.” As unique as Stonefield may be, their sound is a direct replica of the music of a past era. But they are young. Perhaps, as they grow in confidence, the Findlays might start incorporating modern elements to their music and move away from the tone of their parents’ record collection. “I think we’ve still got that modern thing to our music,” says Findlay. “But we’ll see what happens. We’ll probably change a little bit as time goes on.” Stonefield perform at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Thursday September 15, and Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday September 23.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 21
Eskimo Joe — Eagle and the Worm
“You know how it is: it doesn’t really feel like that much time’s past, or that much has happened,” says Temperley. “But then when you think about it, it’s like ‘fuck, a lot has happened! It’s been five albums. How the hell did we get here?’ It still feels positive, and we still love hanging out with each other, so I’m quite impressed that we’ve made it this far,” he laughs. Temperley says setting achievable milestones has helped. “I don’t know if when you first start a band that you over-think anything too much. We were just enjoying the fact that we were able to get out of Perth, and play shows. Firstly we wanted to play a gig and sell out the Grosvenor back room, which was the venue to play back in 1997. And we kind of pulled that off. And then the next thing we wanted to do was have a song on the radio and be able to tour, and that happened. And then we wanted to get signed to a label, and we did that. And then it was
Laughing About Stupid Shit Perth’s Eskimo Joe have been around for almost a decade and a half, and are set to release their fifth fulllength studio album, Ghosts of the Past. They’ve also won numerous ARIA, APRA and WAMI awards over the years. The band members themselves are a touch incredulous at their longevity in arguably the most transient industry on the planet, as lead vocalist and bass guitarist KAV TEMPERLEY explains to ROD WHITFIELD. ‘hopefully we can do a record’ and we did… [But] I think in this day and age bands look at the big picture straight away. They’ll be in some remote town… but because of the internet… they’ll be like ‘Yes! Tomorrow, world domination!’ And then if that doesn’t happen they possibly get a bit put off by it. For us we’ve had small milestones along the way, that have kept us satisfied and happy.”
While Eskimo Joe have done just about everything you can do in the Australian rock scene, Temperley and the band aren’t busting out of their skins to leave home on a permanent basis. “We’ve always done a bit of touring overseas,” he says. “We’ve always just gone where people wanted us to go. We’ve never gone ‘fuck it, let’s get out and tour for four years straight until we break’. We always
played just enough. Our theory has been that if we enjoy our lives and if we enjoy playing music together, then the success will come.” Possibly even more amazing is that they’ve retained the same core line-up since the band formed in 1997, which is also rare in the industry. According to Temperley, the only real secret is the chemistry between the three of them, as
Melbournites Eagle and The Worm are quickly earning a reputation as one of the nation’s best party bands. Their debut, appropriately entitled Good Times, was released in June, and the band are about to hit the road on their first ever headline tour as an eight-piece band. Singer and songwriter JARRAD BROWN speaks with MAX QUINN. Tell me about going around the country with an eight-piece band. I’m really proud of it, actually. When we made the album I was getting pretty bored of drums/ bass/guitar bands, and there were so many sounds that I wanted to record. That’s why I wanted a bigger band — to put on a good show for audiences, and having grown up playing in nine-piece ska bands I had a good idea of what I needed for that to happen. This will be our first opportunity to travel across the entire country with the full eightpiece band, which is something we’ve been edging towards since the album was released. So I’m really proud that we can get out and do it. As well as the shows being really fun because you have a bunch of people on stage, travelling around the country with eight of your best friends is pretty amazing. You’d be hard pressed not to have a good time. I don’t know whether it’s the honeymoon period, but there just aren’t any tools in the band — there’s no social hierarchy — we’re all really good friends on a contact high. It’s like being in the Manson family or something! How did you go about assembling the band? They’re all my friends. Some of us had played together before, and others are friends of friends. I tried to pick a band based on the criteria of good people and good personalities — people I knew would want to be around 22 reverb
magazine issue #062 — September 2011
well as injecting fresh ideas and sounds into the mix by incorporating various session players over the years. “When we go on the road, we have session guys who come and go… But the secret to our success is that there’s a really good formula between me, Stu (MacLeod, guitars) and Joel (Quartermain, drums). You don’t really know you have the right people together until you have the right people together. Me and Joel played in other bands but as soon as me, Stu and Joel got together it was just very instant and very like ‘ahh yes! This is the right combination of personalities’. We’re all kind of moving in the same direction. And we still have laughs about stupid shit, and that is not to be discounted. Laughing about stupid shit is what keeps you going for a long time.” The new album is about to hit the streets, and the band couldn’t be happier with how it’s come up. “We just set out to make an album that had intent, and had a real consistent sound to it. [Previous album] Inshalla… was a ‘genre jumper’! [But] we always try to kick against the last thing we did. With this album, we wanted to make a record where, if you pressed play at any part of the record, you’d know exactly what you were listening to; it has a sound to it. We’ve tried to keep this one really stripped back and lean. It’s more us getting back to our Pixies/the Police type of vibe.” Eskimo Joe perform at Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni, on Friday September 23; Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour, on Wednesday October 5; SCU Unibar, Lismore, on Thursday October 6; Homebake, Sydney Domain, on Saturday, December 3. Ghosts Of The Past is released August 12. couple of chords, verses and choruses and a couple of vocal harmonies. Although the record has a grand sound to it and really big arrangements, underneath it all we play the same three or four chords as every other pop band. When you break it down, music should be able to stand on its own legs, based on the strength of the song rather than the arrangement. I kind of like breaking it down to test out our material. If it works as a trio it’ll sound great with eight people. I really dug the arrangements on the record. They were completely unrehearsed, dude! No rehearsals — we weren’t even a band, really. We just went into the studio and nobody had heard the songs. I had all of my demos and I tried to explain the vibe, and we turned out 14 tracks in four days. That was all of the bed tracks covered — bass, guitar, drums, keys — then I took it home and built the arrangements. That’s the cool thing about recording at home; there’s no dollar sign hanging over your head and there’s no clock ticking. You can just do whatever you want. You just need to be a self-editor and decide when to stop.
This is our first nationwide tour as an eightpiece. We’ve toured so much in our little life as a band, but not always with the full contingent. Last time we were in Western Australia there were only three of us.
Are you good at that? I don’t know, dude! I just sneak in there, most of the time! That’s why I liked working with [producer] Steven Schram. We started with Steven to get some good bass and drum sounds, then I recorded a lot of the other stuff myself, and then I finished by working with him on the mixing as well. That was the key to the record, because being a self-editor he just has such a finely tuned ear. He took what we did and made it better.
How do you condense an eight-piece arrangement so it’s appropriate for a trio? I think that most pop songs boil down to a
Eagle and the Worm perform at the Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland, on Saturday September 10.
Let The Good Times Roll each other. Everyone is a great musician in their own right, but for me it was all about the connection. I didn’t want us to be some bumbling, piece-of-shit band with a whole bunch of people just bashing around on stage, so I tried to pick the band members on the proviso of people first, musicians second. Are you visiting new places this time?
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don walke r
The Suave Outsider Mention the name Don Walker and the biggest hits of Cold Chisel spring to mind. But fans of the Aussie pub rockers are in for a shock if they come to Walker’s upcoming national jaunt for a taste of Cold Chisel’s new and much-anticipated album. His band, Suave Fucks, is about as far from Jimmy and co. as it gets. BIRDY speaks to Walker as he prepares for his life to be taken over by Chisel. “Right now, I still consider Cold Chisel a side thing, whereas my main thing is the solo stuff I’m doing,” says Walker. “There is a big difference between what Cold Chisel sounds like and what my other music sounds like. In fact, I discussed this many times with [the late] Steve [Prestwich, drummer] and we were saying that Cold Chisel is like a sausage machine. No matter what song you take and put it to the band, it’s going to come out sounding like Cold Chisel – that’s just the way we play. My band, Suave Fucks, is difficult to describe, but I know for a fact that everybody who’s seen us has pointed out it sounds quite different to what they expected. I think just the fact alone that you’re listening to me sing and not Jim or Ian, that just separates it all the more.” While the sound of the two bands is vastly different, Walker points out that the new Cold Chisel album, scheduled for 2012, will feature some of his songs. “Last year I spent a lot of time writing,” he says. “Some of which was specifically aimed towards the Cold Chisel release. Though, of course, not all of the songs have come out as being suitable for that band. There has been the rare instance that a couple of songs have come out sounding not only suitable for Cold Chisel but perfectly suitable for the guys I’m playing with at the moment. A couple of the songs that I’ve been doing with Suave Fucks, the guys in Cold Chisel have heard them and really liked them and asked if I would consider allowing them to record the songs. In the end I thought, ‘why not?’. But still, I’m just putting out a warning that people shouldn’t come to my shows if they’re wanting to hear Cold Chisel’s new material!” Walker says he has no interest in the music industry. “I just don’t feel that… what my band does is really a part of the ‘music
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industry’, as it’s known. It’s just two different planets! The major record companies are only concerned about having enough vehicles to put in some good quarterly figures, and that’s fine, I don’t condemn that. I have high regard for people in that industry but I am not really a part of it; I haven’t been in 30 years. It seems like people who are passionate about their music are pretty much invisible to the commercial music industry. The stuff I like is very remote from that. For example, if I list some of my favourite albums, I would put the two Peter Wells solo records up there.” Despite his love of the obscure, Walker says hearing his songs covered by other Australian music legends have been some of the biggest highlights of his career to date. “It’s always a good thing when you can listen back to the song and it sounds good to your ears. If I was to list them all I would miss some out for sure, but Slim Dusty on ‘Looking Forward Looking Back’ is definitely up there.” Disgruntled Cold Chisel fans aside, Walker and his band Suave Fucks won’t have a problem attracting crowds when they take off on their Tales From Landsborough Highway Tour. “I’ve only got days left to live a normal life at home,” says Walker. “And then it’s on until Christmas Day! This touring stuff takes me by the scruff of the neck. I’ve got my own shows coming up, then I’m mixing with Cold Chisel in Los Angeles, and then I’ve got my own shows around Sydney. After that Cold Chisel is touring, and in the New Year there will be the new Cold Chisel album.” Don Walker and the Suave Fucks perform at Lizotte’s Lambton on Wednesday September 14, and Lizotte’s Kincumber on Thursday September 15.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 23
one dollar short & something with numbers
While SWN frontman Jake Grigg has been running amok in the US with new project Maniac, ODS vocalist Scott Wood has been focusing on getting his daily fix (coffee, of course). “I have a café on the Coast because I became a total coffee nerd on tour with ODS!” Wood laughs. “I like good coffee and café-style foods. I love cooking too, so it seemed like a cool idea to open a shop. I’m also running a studio and a graphic design business, which is in the same building complex as the coffee shop… I like to keep things convenient, as you can tell. I’ve been producing quite a bit since the band called it a day and I’m actually in the middle of recording with my other band, Sparrows. I guess I just got a fire in the belly about a year ago after being away from music for like six years. I got some riffs together, I got some guys together, and Sparrows was born.” As for Grigg, escaping the hype of SWN
band [which] turned out to be exactly what I needed. It’s changed my perspective on things quite a lot.” SWN fans will no doubt be ecstatic to know that for the first time in “a very long time,” Grigg has agreed to a one-off performance of the song he claims he hated for years and yet was always hassled to play — ‘Barnicles And Stripes’. “I got sick of saying no!” he laughs. “Yep, it’s true, we’ll do the song. But only because it’s a special occasion. I guess it’s time to stop torturing people and give them what they want! I’ve been really enjoying being in the US. San Francisco is a crazy town, but it’s nice to reunite with these guys [SWN] again too. Yeah, it’s a little bit nerve-racking, not because of confidence though. It’s just because it’s been a little while. But it’s better to be at least a bit nervous than to not feel anything at all.” Wood completely agrees with Grigg
way. I guess it shows that we’ve grown even though we’ve been apart as a band.” While Wood and Grigg are glad to see a resurgence in pop-punk and melodic rock, both are sketchy on the chances of a permanent comeback. “We had some really amazing times with ODS,” enthuses Wood. “We got to tour with some great bands. We toured Japan, which was incredible, and it’s definitely been a highlight for me. We got to see the modern side of Japan and we got a tour of traditional Japan, the record company was chaperoning us everywhere, the food culture was amazing. We also met Morrissey at one point and I remember he had all these crazy white flowers, like lilies or something, and an entire entourage — everything had to be white. Yeah, we had some pretty crazy times. Meeting people in general was always the best part of touring for me. I don’t know if we could do it again, though.” For Grigg, the 2009 Pyramid Rock Festival
Returning Home
Now in its fourth year, Aussie music extravaganza Coaster is one of the biggest events to take place on the Central Coast. While John Butler Trio, The Potbelleez, Bag Raiders and Drapht are sure to pull massive crowds in 2011, local acts Something With Numbers and One Dollar Short are proving to be the biggest drawcards, having left a massive void in Australia’s pop-punk scene during their long absence from the national stage. This September, SWN and ODS are back with a vengeance — both bands rejuvenated after a long hiatus and hungrier than ever to conquer the local crowds. By BIRDY.
after three albums seemed like the only option for getting his head straight after years of relentless touring, writing and recording. His other project, Maniac, with partner-incrime Shawn Harris of The Matches, has taken off quicker than Grigg expected. But most importantly, he’s having fun. “The whole thing with Something With Numbers really started to wear me down after a while,” he confesses. “It’s not that we were incredibly famous rock stars, it’s more that the cycle of writing, recording, touring… It can get really tiring and it can exhaust you. That’s what it did to me. I don’t want to say you become ‘over’ it, but you kind of do. You never take it for granted, but the pressure does get to you on the inside. I made it very public… that I wasn’t in a great headspace around the period of our last album [Engineering The Soul, 2008]. There was a lot going on in my life and it was a very, very dark time for me. I got my stuff and I went to the US and I’ve been working with Shawn on this other
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
when it comes to having a slight case of the jitters — especially considering that, for One Dollar Short, it’s been a much longer absence. The idea of a possible reunion had been tossed around occasionally, Wood admits, but it always seemed to end up in the too hard basket. Until, of course, the opportunity to play Coaster came up and the demand from fans was too strong to ignore. “Our original booking agent came on board with the whole thing and all of a sudden my Facebook just started going crazy!” recalls Wood. “I didn’t even know we’d been confirmed and it was already going nuts! Sure enough, I went online and saw One Dollar Short on the bill so it was like, ‘surprise!’ — but a good surprise! We rehearsed last night and it was really nice… Adam (Check) the bassist was always too drunk to sing backing vocals and Trent (Crawford) was always too shy, so I did all the backing vocals — but now Adam doesn’t drink so much and Trent is more confident, so the back-up is working out better! That’s a joke, by the
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was the last time SWN hit the stage together for an unforgettable show that saw them execute mash-ups of Kings Of Leon’s ‘Sex On Fire’ and Cypress Hill’s ‘Hits From The Bong’. The crowds went ballistic, according to Grigg, and the singer is hoping for the same response from his hometown audience this time around. “I’m thinking ‘Barnicles And Stripes’ should be enough to get them going!” he jokes. “We got a little bit overwhelmed with the constant touring a few years ago, but doing a show here and there has the opposite effect. It really brings back the enthusiasm and it reminds you why you started the band in the first place. In a lot of ways, you always get the best crowds when you’re playing your home town because there’s a sense of belonging, and there’s almost a sense of ownership from the audience. I mean that in a good way, obviously.” One Dollar Short and Something With Numbers perform at Coaster, Gosford Showgrounds, on Saturday September 17.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 25
steve cropper
D
espite being praised by England’s Mojo magazine as “The greatest living guitar player”, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, guitarist Steve ‘The Colonel’ Cropper flat denies the validity of this media crown. “To say I’m up there in the stratosphere is impossible,” he laughs. “I just ignore that. I mean, it’s not true… It’s obviously something to be proud of but I don’t do ‘Battle of the Musicians’. That said, Cropper was quite chuffed with his inclusion at #36 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitar Players list. “That really impressed me. They had me next to Bo Diddley, one of my biggest idols. The first song I ever learnt was ‘Honky Tonk’, I later found out Diddley played the guitar on that.” Even the greatest guitar players never quite shake the influence of their childhood idols. That’s exactly why the Booker T & The MGs/ The Blues Brothers Band guitarist has chosen to dedicate his new album to the man he patterned himself on early in his career, Lowman Pauling. Guitarist and songwriter of 1950s R&B band, The Five Royales, Pauling’s groundbreaking approach to rhythm and lead inspired Cropper to push himself further as a guitarist. “In the early days, I met Lowman Pauling after I started playing in clubs and bands. What he was doing really influenced me a lot. I kind of patterned myself after his style, a marriage of rhythm and playing licks and fills from time to time. I started playing in that style on sessions, and the producers and everybody loved that style so I started getting a lot of sessions”. When friend and co-producer Jon Tiven (who also plays trumpet on Dedicated) suggested Cropper make a record dedicated
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mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
Cream of the Crop
On the back of the release of his latest album, Dedicated, a tribute to his childhood idol, STEVE CROPPER spoke to MATT PETHERBRIDGE about his motivations for the new release, the importance of collaboration and the only noteworthy artist to ever audition for Stax Records.
to The Five Royales he knew it was a great chance to honour the man who influenced him all those years ago. “I said to Jon, ‘that might be fun. Could we get a record company interested in it?’. He called me back very quickly and said, ‘we’ve got a deal and we’ve got a budget, let’s go!’.” Cropper and Tiven put together two distinctive wish lists: one of songs they really wanted to cover and another of songs they wanted certain singers for. After comparing notes, they had a guest list worth frothing at the mouth over, including BB King, Brian
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May, Sharon Jones (The Dap Kings), Steve Winwood and Lucinda Williams, to name a few. They cut the tracks in two days, using minimal overdubs for “the guys who couldn’t really travel”, like BB King and Brian May. In August, Cropper launched Dedicated at New York’s Lincoln Centre, to a crowd of 5000, calling the show “a rousing success”, with guests from the album including Bettye Lavette, Ellis Hooks, and Dylan LeBlanc. However, Cropper isn’t too sure about how quickly the band will be getting on tour in support of Dedicated, especially with his upcoming commitments to The Original Animals and fan-favourites The Blues Brothers Band. One thing is certain though, Cropper is a big fan of collaboration. As a member of Booker T & The MGs, the Stax Records house band, he played on thousands of sessions for acts including Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. In fact, ‘Green Onions’ (1962), by far the most iconic song of Booker T & the MGs, came directly from an off-the-cuff, spontaneous collaboration. “We just sat in the studio and made that up. Had the artist that was supposed to be there for a demo session shown up, ‘Green Onions’ would have never happened,” he cackles. “Jim Stuart, (owner of Stax/ recording engineer), asked if we had anything we could put out as a record. Booker had this riff he’d played to me two weeks prior to that session. I asked him if he remembered the riff and he did. So Al (Jackson, drums) put a beat to it and we each started making up our own piece to it. Everybody pitched in and three cuts later we had ‘Green Onions’.” On the side of sessions, Cropper even
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scouted talent for Stax as the A&R representative. Every Saturday from 10am until 1pm, local kids and out-of-towners were welcome to audition for a spot on the label. But did anyone ever come in and blow him away? “You know what, as far as I can recall... nobody,” he laughs. “The only audition that ever paid off was Otis Redding. The MGs were there to cut Johnny Jacobs. Anyway, Otis turned up to the audition and howled all day at Al (Jackson, drums) for a chance. We brought him into the studio and he said ‘I don’t play piano’. “I started playing these church chords and Otis started singing ‘These Arms Are Mine’. I was like ‘holy hell!’. I grabbed Jim Stuart and said, ‘you’ve gotta come down and hear this guy’. The band was already putting their instruments in the car and Donald (‘Duck’ Dunn, bass) remembers me running outside and yelling at him, ‘Get your bass back inside, we gotta cut a track’. We cut ‘These Arms Are Mine’ (from Redding’s debut album, This Pain is Mine) that afternoon. And we completely forgot about Johnny Jacobs.” Redding and his backing band the Bar-Kays died in a plane crash mere days after he and Cropper co-wrote and produced ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’. And then there was the drug-overdose death of troubled Blues Brothers co-star John Belushi. “Yeah it’s followed me around,” says Cropper. “It’s pretty strange, I mean, the fact we lost our drummer Al Jackson, and then Otis and the Bar-Kays and then John. It kind of gets a little annoying. Whether they’ve gone on to a better place, I don’t know. But life goes on.” Dedicated is out now on 429 Records.
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birds of tok yo
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DRAPHT Downsizing The Nest Perth’s mighty Birds of Tokyo have done just about everything you can do in the Aussie music industry in the last 12-18 months. Their third, self-titled album, released in July last year, went top five in Australia, yielded multiple charting singles and has been certified platinum. It also garnered widespread commercial radio airplay across the country, and received no less than six ARIA award nominations, winning the prestigious Best Rock Album gong. Second single ‘Plans’ was voted number four in the Triple J Hottest 100, with two more tunes from the album making the list. ROD WHITFIELD caught up with lead singer extraordinaire IAN KENNY. Kenny’s thoughts have been turning to album number four, however not before he and his band traverse the country one more time for 2011, on their ‘Closer’ tour, this time taking in some more intimate venues than what they’ve been playing in recent times. “It’s something that we’ve been discussing for the last two to three years. For this band anyway, it’s kind of been an upscaled thing. Everything gets bigger: the rooms get bigger, the tours get bigger, and we’re a band that enjoys playing [the small] rooms. Always has, always will. Before we kind of vanish for a little while, we want to play these rooms, we want to get in people’s faces. There’s always people across the country who enjoy these shows as much as we do. So it’s definitely something to look forward to. “It’s really cool to see this tour shaping up. We just got the whole run of dates come through [and] we’ve got the tour itinerary sorted out. There’s a bunch of shows selling out. There’s nothing more pleasurable than looking at a run of dates and seeing a whole stack of them sold out, so you know what sort of shows they’re going to be. It’s going to be kick-arse!” The Birds recently spent a two-week period bunkered down in Nice, of all places, writing songs for the next album. With the massive success of the previous record, the guys in the band and their management know album number four is vital to consolidate and build further on that success, and the south of France proved to be an inspired choice. “It was awesome,” says Kenny. “We wrote a whole bunch of new material for the next record; it was a very productive and quite Find us on Facebook
enjoyable writing period for us. They’re always very intense though. [After] two weeks of ten-hour writing sessions, day in day out, you’re left with nothing. We were kind of bollocksed by the end of it. I hung out in Europe for a couple of weeks after that, and I think so did the other boys. [Now] everyone’s come back, and we’ve got this tour in our sights.” There were a number of reasons for choosing Nice for their writing intensive, as Ian explains. “The Birds have always shared a philosophy that we’re going to allow our passion and our career to lead us to other parts of the world,” he says. “If you can allow yourself to get out of your comfort zone and head somewhere else it’s going to draw something else out of the band. Nice is a beautiful spot. It was just an inspirational place to be and very removed from what we know. I didn’t speak a lot of French, but I do now!” he laughs. “We just bunkered down in this beautiful villa, and got a bunch of work done. The good news is that the new album looks set to come out around mid-2012, a mere two years after their last release. “It’s hard to commit to things, because these things can blow out, but that’s the way it’s looking,” says Kenny. Don’t miss the upcoming shows if you’re among their growing legion of fans — it may be a little while before you get another chance to see them live. Birds of Tokyo performs at the Coolangatta Hotel on Friday September 9; A&I Hall, Bangalow, on Sunday September 11; Sawtell RSL on Monday September 12; Newcastle Panthers on Wednesday September 14.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 27
icehouse
Defrosting the Icehouse Legendary Aussie band Icehouse have released eight hit studio albums, numerous ‘best of’ and compilations, scored many Australian top 10 hits and won countless awards for musical excellence, including being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006, to name but a few of their achievements over the past 35 years. Iva Davies, the man behind the songs (and the mic, guitar, keyboards, and oboe), lives in a magnificent house in Sydney overlooking the Pacific, and remains as grounded as they come. By Rod Whitfield.
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
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e have 15 minutes in which to cover more than three decades of musical history, beginning with the upcoming Icehouse compilation White Heat: 30 Hits, and its accompanying tour. “In the last six months I’ve been working with Keith Welsh who was the co-founder and bassist of Flowers,” Davies begins. “He’s been heavily involved in the music industry for the last 30 years. He’s extremely experienced. He’s been managing me and the band and the catalogue, which is of course great because he was in the band. What that means is that we’ve been working as a team, as we were in the Flowers days. So he and I have been trawling through all this material and a great deal of work has gone into, for example, restoring all the songs… It’s basically 30 chart hits, [which] we’ve spread across two CDs. But [it’s] also a DVD of all the music videos for those [songs]. Most of [which] have never been made available before. So it’s a very comprehensive package. And we’ve re-mixed all of those in 5.1, so they’re very much sonically superior to the originals. Keith and I have been working very closely together on that.” The band are playing a number of live dates across the country in support of the compilation’s release. Long gone are the days of endless touring for Davies and the band, so he is very much looking forward to returning these classics to the masses. “It should be great,” he enthuses. “A few weekends ago we were in Melbourne… doing a charity function. But the following Saturday we did an unannounced show at the Esplanade Hotel, an iconic hotel in Melbourne. Word did get out the day before, and it was just massive. It probably fired up everybody in the band. It really is a great crew. We’re working again with Larry
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Ponting who was our tour manager for eight years, and some of these guys I’ve been playing with for 25 years. It really is exciting for us, because we don’t get to do this very often.” Despite his massive success, Davies is still self-effacing about his musical journey. “Well, in a lot of ways it’s just a great deal of good luck!” he says. “But I suppose the other part of the equation is the massive amount of work that went into it too. I’ve been very lucky that a lot of my instincts have paid off, I guess.” Creating new music is not on the agenda for Davies, who is intent on ensuring Icehouse’s classic material is available to a brand new generation of Aussie music punters. “You literally can’t buy anything except the Flowers album, which is of course our first release,” he says. “Keith’s discovered that I’ve got a lockup full of live concerts and Top of the Pops performances and God knows what… So what we now have to do is dust off all those tapes, and there’s a great deal of work in getting these things restored and transferred. For example, a live album we did, packaged with the [re-release of] the Flowers album, came from about nine different concerts. The immediate task will be getting those albums back out again... So I guess I’m not really in a new song headspace at the moment.” With a back catalogue as large and illustrious as Davies’, bringing all those classic recordings back to life sounds like a full time job in itself. Icehouse performs at Belmont 16 Foot Sailing Club, on Wednesday September 28, and at Homebake, Sydney Domain, on Saturday December 3. Follow us on Twitter
Gotye
It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since Wally De Backer burst on to the Australian music scene as Gotye, with his wildly successful sophomore album, Like Drawing Blood. In the midst of organising his shows at the Sydney Opera House, De Backer spoke with Amelia Parrott about his new single, prealbum release jitters and what he disliked about his last record. It’s been quite a while between releases for you, what’s been happening in your world? I’ve been very busy with all the opportunities that came off the back of Like Drawing Blood. It kept me busy for a long time — a few years here in Australia and then another few years releasing it overseas, [as well as] a couple of album releases with The Basics and touring about nine or ten times around Australia and overseas with them and you pretty much have my last five years, apart from writing and recording the new album. Like Drawing Blood recently ranked pretty well at number 11 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, do you think that’s lifted expectations for Making Mirrors?
Did your songwriting style change at all? I think I’ve got a bit broader. I feel there’s parts of the last record, strangely on the tracks that people really seemed to like, that I thought were a bit half-baked or I didn’t really feel that good about. On this new record, I feel satisfied that I’ve captured the feeling I was going for in the words, the way the words marry with the melody and the way that all fits into the world of the track… I’m really proud of everything.
So, a few nerves? I don’t have them at the moment. I feel really good about having finished the album but I’m a little bit nervy about getting the whole show together for the first performance at the Opera House. That’s why I’m trying to do interviews while also driving around to pick up instruments and meet people. It’s just way too much to do!
I guess it’s hard to predict what fans are really going to like? Things were so varied on the last album [and] maybe people really like that kind of schizophrenic jumping around. But this album is also very varied. I think it may have a more consistent and clear emotional arc so there’s not quite as many sudden left turns. Or maybe those left turns happen between songs rather than within the arrangement.
What can fans expect from the shows at the Opera House? Yeah. Well, you can expect a ten-piece orchestra with a horn section, vocalists, percussion, drums, keyboards and what-not and lots of varied, animated visuals. The new single, ‘Somebody That I Used to
Where’s Wally? I’ve had my own kind of self-imposed pressure about trying to make a record that I think is really good. Here and there it’s crept into my head about whether people will like it and what I’ve got to live up to, seeing so many people really got into my last album. But it’s been more self-imposed.
Know’, is getting a lot of airplay. How did collaborating with Kimbra come about? I’d written this part to the song a few months back and it was proving really hard to find the right vocalist to make the part come to life. It was actually Francois Tetaz, the guy that I mix my albums with. He’d been
working with Kimbra recently and suggested [I get her in]. I thought it was a fantastic idea so I sent her the track and she really liked it and we went from there. You’ve got a fair few more traditional pop songs on this album compared to your last.
How does it feel to finally have the album finished? It feels great. It was pretty tough and I was pretty depressed a lot of the time. I definitely felt like I wasn’t going to be able to finish anything I would be happy with... But now I have it all sequenced and mastered and I’ve got the artwork together I feel really good about it. Making Mirrors is out now though Eleven. Gotye will be playing Homebake, in Sydney’s Domain, on Saturday, December 3, and Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley, over the New Year.
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 29
o p e t h — t h e s u bways
Heritage is album number ten for Opeth, and musically it’s a little different to previous releases. Going into pre-production for this one, was the direction something that was talked about? Mikael [Åkerfeldt, vocals/guitars] started off writing two songs and they were more or less a continuation of Watershed and then he deleted those tracks. He felt that he needed to do something new; he wanted a new, fresh angle. He said that he didn’t want to do so much of the growling and I said, “whoa, are you really sure about that?”. I went over to his house and listened to the songs and there just wasn’t any room for growling on these tracks. And then I realised that [the new sound] was Mikael’s mission for this record, which I thought was really cool. I felt the album had a more straight-70s hard rock feel to it — less distortion, no growls, just a whole different vibe overall. Was that something you wanted to explore? Yeah, exactly. We wanted to do a different recording, no sound effects. We wanted a more organic album, not a wall of distortion. We recorded the bass and drums live and we did spend a lot of time getting some really good takes together; the guitars were done pretty fast; the keyboards we used were older Hammonds and an old piano, we didn’t use any modern keyboards at all. This particular studio that we recorded in had an echo chamber, which is a room with different wall angles and the reverb is really cool to add to the feel of the music. How long did it take you to lay down all your parts in the studio? For the heavy guitars, Mikael and I played one guitar on each side and that was pretty fast — it took us just one day. I think also one day to lay down the acoustics. We
Mikael can still hear the vocal lines when he lays the drums. So he can add to certain parts or hear if anything is going to clash with the vocals. You’ve been to Australia a couple of times now, with Arch Enemy and Opeth. What memories do you have of your previous visits? All good ones really. The crowd is always amazing and intense. The weather is always nice and usually we get a couple of days off and it’s always nice to have a day off and relax in Australia. I’ve played in five different Australian cities so far.
Rock Heritage In mid-September, Swedish metallers Opeth will release their tenth studio album, Heritage, via Roadrunner Records. Not only does this mark the band’s return to the studio following up from their critically acclaimed 2008 masterpiece, Watershed, it also represents a musical move away from some of the band’s better-known albums. CAMERON EDNEY spoke to guitarist FREDRICK ÅKESSON. spent a little more time working on solos and improvising on different parts, but all up maybe three or four days. Considering Heritage is a little left-field when you look at Opeth’s previous work, do you think that created extra pressure in the studio or was it a relief to get in there
and do something different? It was exciting. The process was really smooth, and we didn’t actually rehearse as much as before. Mikael does really good demos; everything’s really thought out when it comes to rhythm parts and melodies, so when members start to record with the bass and drums they play along to the demo. This way
Over the years you’ve shared the stage with many great artists. Who’s given you the best advice and what was it? I think it may have actually been one time when I was playing with Arch Enemy, no it was with Opeth, and I was talking with Doug Aldrich from Whitesnake. I was so nervous that day and usually I don’t get nervous but he turned to me and said “just go up and have fun”, and he’s right, just go up and have fuckin’ fun! Heritage is released this month and you guys will be hitting the road hard in support of that. What other immediate plans are in place for yourself and Opeth? Doing this massive tour - I think we’re going to tour for 18 months. We will be doing the American tour in September, then after that back to Europe, then cross our fingers we will be down in Australia to play and maybe Japan, then probably another American run, then we have the summer festivals next year, Europe again, hopefully Australia again too! Heritage will be released September 16 through Roadrunner Records.
Back In The High Life “We’re in between festivals and I’m excited to get back on stage for what will be a long tour,” says Cooper. “It’s all about the experience of playing live for us.” An experience that won’t be too far off for Australian fans of The Subways raucous live shows, says Cooper, who assures me if all goes to plan we can expect The Subways on our shores by the time the Big Day Out or Soundwave roll around early next year. “When we sit down and talk about tours it’s always, ‘when can we go to Australia?’ she says.” In case you were wondering if you’ve heard these guys (and girl) before, cast your memory back to a time when the hottest teenage soap on air was The OC. The Subways were glimpsed in the background of one dramariddled episode, belting out ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Queen’, which (along with their impeccably addictive live show) helped The Subways arrive in a big way, becoming a mainstay on UK and US festival bills and a happening thing for thousands of fans, young and old. Not bad for a group who would’ve been sneaking their riders into their guitar cases for years. With most of the band still only around 25-years-old, it’s been an impressive
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
The Subways’ CHARLOTTE COOPER has been in the game for more than a third of her life, with band-mates, Billy Lunn (guitar, vocals) and Josh Morgan (drums). But the charming 25-year-old English rocker is showing no signs of fading after a day of interviews to publicise the Subways’ upcoming run of shows and festival appearances. She chats to JAMS GALLAGHER. ride. “We just started out playing Nirvana covers and now it seems like 10 years has gone so quickly. It’s crazy,” says Cooper. “I think when you spend as long as we have on the road and writing together you realise that
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you didn’t know what you thought you did in those early days. We thought we knew it all back then and I’m still learning, I don’t think it stops.” With the longer turnaround between their last LP, All or Nothing, and their new album, Money & Celebrity, The Subways have taken the time to find what really sets them apart. “We tend to write with our live show in mind. The songs on the album are all ready for the live circuit — we’re just keen to get back on stage again.” Cooper’s energy will no doubt be an asset when the band embarks on their mammoth tour, that basically continues until next year (when those Australia dates arrive). Money & Celebrity should be in all the good record stores, and it’s everything you can expect from The Subways with a few
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surprises thrown in, thanks in part to producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur, The Cranberries). Cooper can’t hide her excitement over working with Street. “I love the sounds he creates,” she says. Less predictable for a rocker like Cooper is her taste in female performers .”I really like Kylie Minogue and Madonna which I think sometimes has a bit of stigma to it, but the arrangements are fantastic,” she says. “Especially Kylie, it’s great workout music,” she laughs. And with another album just begging to be let loose on Australian audiences, Cooper might be channelling Kylie for some time yet. Money & Celebrity is out now on Cooking Vinyl through Shock Records.
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photo by Jim Marshall
Baron Wolman
Clockwise, from above: The crowd at Woodstock festival, August 1969; Baron Wolman sitting behind Santana’s stage amps at Woodstock; Pete Townshend of The Who.
to the music publications of the time, before Rolling Stone started. They were very cold, they were very formulated, they were not reflective of what the people themselves were wearing. So they said, “We think there is an opportunity to do the same thing with fashion that you guys did with music”. I said, “Wow, this is really good. I’ve had my run with music. It was a lot of fun but I want to do something new”. Fashion, because it is so visual… became very attractive to me.
The Times, They Are A-Changin’ The name of BARON WOLMAN will always be linked with the birth of Rolling Stone. As the magazine’s first photographer, Wolman had unlimited access to the world’s music elite, and his images carry an air of authority. With a new book just released, Wolman spoke to KEVIN BULL about those heady times when performers were unafraid of revealing their true selves to the camera. You’ve been extremely busy travelling the world since the release of The Rolling Stone Years. Is it your love of photography, and those special years at Rolling Stone, that keeps you going through this busy time? I’ll tell you what’s really fascinating is that my photographic career was not limited to the days when I was shooting for Rolling Stone and/or rock and roll, and yet it’s those pictures that people remember me for more than anything. And it’s those pictures that people are attracted to, not because of me as a photographer, but [because] of what those pictures represent in their lives, in so many different respects. You found yourself in Haight-Ashbury in the mid-60s. Was there something quite tangible in the air at that time? Oh yeah, there’s no question about it, you could just go out in the street and first of all you would see all the hippies who came to San Francisco, secondly you would see all the tourists who were trying to see what a hippie looked like, and third you’d see the changes in how everybody appeared in those days — their clothing, their behaviour. It was tangible, absolutely in the air, every bit of it. How long after your opportune meeting with Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone co-founder), who offered you a job as the Find us on Facebook
magazine’s photographer, did you think, “Man, I’m glad I said ‘yes’ that day”? Well that’s a good question. You know, it wasn’t successful for quite a while and yet it was so much fun that I was, of course, happy to be a part of it. As it became much more noticed on the part of the media and the people, and I realised what a role we were playing, that’s when I said, “wow, it was a good thing that I said ‘yes’ that day”. You worked during a time when access to the artist was almost unrestricted. Will this period be remembered for the images in which artists showed their true selves? Yes, I think so. I’m not a musician. I cannot play any music, and yet music for me is very, very important. And so for me, these people who could make music were important people in my life, and I reflected that in my conversation with them. I think they understood the great deal of respect that I brought to them, and in return they gave me respect and an opportunity to photograph them honestly. I don’t think [musicians] are interested in showing their true selves any more. For example, I did ‘true self’ images for Audioslave and they weren’t interested in it, even though they asked me to shoot the way I used to shoot for Rolling Stone. So I suddenly realised that the artist is much more interested
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in creating an image that makes them happy rather than having themselves represented as who they are, even if they’re really enormously wonderful photogenic and compassionate people. What equipment were you shooting with whilst at Rolling Stone? Well, in the late 60s I was shooting with the Nikon F, and that was before there was a motor drive, there was no internal light meter, there was no auto exposure, no auto focus, nothing like that. Completely manual. How many images would you take at a show? That’s a good question, nobody has ever asked me that. But I can tell you that the one Jimi Hendrix show that I can remember, I must have shot a dozen rolls, so that’s 36 times 12. However with Jimi I got such a high percentage of great photos, it was incredible. Usually that wasn’t the case. Usually you would get three or four frames on a roll and you would be happy. After your time with Rolling Stone, you started your own fashion magazine, Rags. Why fashion? Well it was so easy. These two women came to me, one from Harper’s Bazaar and one from Vogue, and they saw that the fashion publications of the time were very similar
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Before Rolling Stone, you were in the military. I need to ask, were you a spy? Oh, yeah. Actually going to spy school helped me very much in working with the musicians. They taught me how to do interrogation, and they explained to me that people’s favourite subject is themselves, so if you can get somebody talking about themselves, you can pretty much find out anything you want to know about them because they think you are interested in them. So did you put your training into practice? Were you a practising spy and interrogating the enemy? Oh, yeah. If I see you when I get to Sydney, I’ll tell you some stories; there’s some really funny stories. Well, I’m coming down for your gallery opening. If you want to go and shoot a show in Sydney, I can bring the cameras and we can shoot a show together. Oh great man, that might be fun. Even just going out and hanging out with you while you’re shooting, that would be good. Look, I’ve got a question. I’ve heard that Australian women, when they go to the beach they’re always topless. Is that true? [laugh] No, I’m sorry, you need to go to the right beach, you don’t just go down to Bondi and get a beachful of boobs in your face. Oh darn, how disappointing. Well, we need to shoot a show and go to a topless beach when you’re in Sydney. That’s what we definitely need to do. Every Picture Tells A Story… The Rolling Stone Years is available now through Omnibus Press. Baron Wolman’s gallery exhibition is at The Blender Gallery, Paddington, September 17 through October 22. reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 31
Ta l k i n g S h o p — to e n a i l c l i p p i n g s — c r u n c h y fo r t u n e s
TALKING SHOP Profiling music industry professionals
Name? Chris Gray Whom do you work for? Graylabel Recording Studio Current position title? Producer/engineer How long have you been in this position? 14 years What are the main responsibilities of your position? I produce radio singles and EPs for cool bands. How did you get involved in the music industry? 15 years ago, I was in and out of studios, recording with friends’ bands. I bought basic mixing gear and realised I was not bad at this. Proudest moment? Listening to the radio one day and hearing three songs in a row that I had produced by three different bands. I was chuffed. Is there anyone you would really like to meet (living or dead)? I would love to shake Keith Richards’ hand. Best live show you’ve been to? Midnight Oil at the Bridge Hotel. All their songs were on a chocolate wheel. They spun the wheel and played that song. Great night. Favourite venue? The Basement in Sydney. Favourite musical instrument? I love and collect vintage snare drums. To whom should we be listening? The Jefferson. They are turning some major heads in the industry. What would be on your ultimate rider? I would have Iggy Pop sitting in the corner reciting John Lennon lyrics. Best way to spend a Sunday morning? Setting up drums and trying to pull the perfect sound. It excites me. Any advice for people trying to break into the industry? There are no rules in this game. Invest in yourself. If you do, others might too.
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
fortunes
Steve Burrito’s crunchy fortunes
VIRGO — Some people are like beautiful butterflies. Other people are like cuddly teddy bears. You, however, are like a cicada. Nobody knows where you come from. You make a shit load of noise, and eventually a bird will eat your arse. Not a bad gig, really.
CAPRICORN — Did you know that baboons can communicate with the colour of their bums? It’s sort of like the original mood ring. Unfortunately, baboon bums are always bright red, so they’re always angry. This month, paint a baboon bum duck-egg blue and let me know what happens.
TAURUS — In the near future you will be shot from a cannon like a circus clown... awesome! Your lucky colour this month will be sparkly, and your lucky piece of clothing will be a helmet. Very soon you will also get a Brazilian: his name will be Juan and he will steal your car.
LIBRA — You’re packing trout and I know why. Trout are the only freshwater fish to have underwater weapons. This month you will be tempted to roll around naked in vanilla sponge cake while singing the Guatemalan national anthem. Your lucky sensation this month will be squishy.
AQUARIUS — You’ll spend this month exchanging the word ‘heart’ for ‘arse’ in love songs. On a psychological level this could mean one of three things. You’re a jerkwad. You’re crap at anatomy, or you’re 12. Avoid badgers and anyone with hair.
GEMINI — A crushing blow for you this month as you realise that you’re a black belt in martial arts, although this will make you the most feared competitor in the UFC. Learn the harmonica. Trust me, it’s your last chance to be cool.
SCORPIO — You will finally discover that your favourite flavour is gecko. Well, it could be chicken, but who can tell the difference? Do you realise that if snakes were hairy, they’d be a lot more fun. Your lucky sensation this month will be runny and your choice of clothing will be cheese.
PISCES — Surprise surprise. You’ll discover this month that you’re related to Tennessee Ernie Ford and you’ll soon live under a bridge. Your lucky phrase this month will be ‘do it or I’ll fart’ and your lucky flavour will be turkey.
CANCER — Your theme tune ‘I fought the floor and the floor won’ will come true this month. Telemarketers will also start calling you offering love and happiness. Tell them to piss off. Oh, and the pub called: they’ve found your virginity; the pub’s budgie was wearing it as a hat.
SAGITTARIUS — The people with the star sign Cancer have complained that theirs is the only star sign that’s a disease, so we’re going to change your star sign to ‘genital wart’. We know you won’t be happy, but hey, it’s only fair.
ARIES — As you reluctantly lift the suitcase of pain and prepare to journey through the departure lounge of dignity, you’ll hope that the rubber glove of fate is at least warm. Your lucky sensation this month will be lubrication, but your lucky number will be zero-point-oh.
LEO — Damn, you look so sexy this month that you can hardly keep your hands off yourself. Have you ever noticed that fruit looks shocked when you enter a room? Your lucky words this month are surprise and lubricant.
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by r o n b ay w r i t e r s ’ f e s t i va l
feel.” But Sayer said she needed quiet for her muse to sing. “I can’t have music playing in the background when I write. That would interfere with the rhythm of my prose.” However, Divola said he listened to 70s music while he wrote his book. “I didn’t have a name for the fictional suburb in which I set the novel and I was listening to a helluva lot of Sherbert at the time, so I named it Braithwaite (after lead singer Daryl Braithwaite) and then I named all the streets after other Sherbert members.” The festival’s final music-related session was on Sunday afternoon, featuring legendary Australian producer Michael Chugg (Chuggi) and his old pal Brian Cadd - singer, songwriter and keyboard photo by Jay Cronan
cabaret performance. “EDM has a place, and that place was a bush doof in Nimbin, in 1994, where people came to commune with nature and stock up on Thai fishermans’ pants,” she said (not a city club packed with teenagers crazy with hormones, booze and party drugs). “Now I’ve got nothing against electronic music,” said Norman. “DJs don’t get paid tons of cash, and flown around the world to play for tens of thousands of people because they’re crap, (that’s what Justin Bieber’s for)… But music has a powerful effect on us, we react to it involuntarily. It does matter what’s played, when, and how loud.” To demonstrate, Scott-Norman played five different pieces of music and asked the audience how it made them feel, from the
Ange Takats
Paul Kelly and David Leser
Skydivers pirouette across a blue dome of sky, scented with the promise of spring — jasmine and damp grass. The sound of waves pounding the empty shoreline drifts across the humped dunes and, high above, a sea eagle calls to its mate, an otherworldly song. Last month’s 15th Byron Bay Writers’ Festival was a far cry from the washout of 2009, which forced organisers to cancel a day of the three-day program and saw diehard punters perched above a slurry of mud and gravel in the marquees (Glastonbury eat your heart out). Barely a 20-something in sight, this festival, like most literary shindigs, is no Homebake; it’s not even a Bluesfest. The crowd is skewed towards the 50-65 age group, with a high schools’ day on the Thursday and special kids’ programming on the Sunday. But this year, music-lovers of all ages and persuasions were rewarded with a number of events riffing on the resonance between language and music. KATE HAMILTON reports.
Waxing Lyrical Described by interviewer David Leser as “the best songwriter this country has ever produced”, Paul Kelly got a standing ovation from an adoring crowd. Here to discuss his recently-released memoir, How to Make Gravy, a book that “sings, talks and plays”, Kelly did the same, performing ‘Adelaide’, ‘To Her Door’, ‘Rally Round the Drum’, and an a capella rendition of ‘Meet Me in the Middle of the Air’, before finishing with the song for which the book is named. He described the process of writing prose as “like bricks and mortar”, compared to the ephemeral nature of songwriting. “Every day I’d write a few hundred words and watch it slowly build, one brick after another, until one day I thought, ‘I’m writing a book!’. But with songwriting, I can set aside a whole day and nothing happens… I’m like a boat on the water with no breeze; then the breeze starts up again and I’m away.” Kelly said he didn’t write a single song while he was working on his brick of a memoir, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s award for non-fiction. “It was like flicking a switch,” he said. “But Find us on Facebook
now I’ve started writing songs again and I’ve written three, so hopefully that continues. I was a bit rusty.” In the neighbouring performance tent, disappointingly scheduled at the same time as Kelly (the pair performed on the same bill at an offsite gig on the Saturday night), journalist and folk singer Ange Takats, barefoot and vibrant in a red cheong-sam and curtains of dark hair (a la Cher 1970), charmed a small crowd with songs from her 2009 album Aniseed Tea, and tales from her self-published book, The Buffalo Funeral, released earlier this year. The book, which Takats said charts her obsession with “b-words”, covers her two years in Thailand as a foreign correspondent, during which she was chased by a tiger, given a Tiger Balm boob job and interviewed Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as reporting on the funeral of a celebrity buffalo. On Saturday afternoon, columnist, DJ and B-grade radio personality Fiona ScottNorman mused on the relationship between bad electronic dance music and street violence, in her hilarious musical
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Australian national anthem (“does it make you feel like getting a Southern Cross tattoo and bashing up a Lebo?”) to Greensleeves (“anyone feel on hold?”). Lamenting the demise of partnerdancing, which was once “like friending on Facebook (except you were face-to-face and friends)”, Scott-Norman said Aussie men left the dancefloor in droves in the 60s when dancing together was put in the “toodaggy basket”. “Let’s face it, the reason most of us are here is because our parents or grandparents danced together,” she said. Food for thought. In their session on music and books, author of Nineteen Seventysomething, Barry Divola, music journalist Sean Sennett and author Mandy Sayer, whose most recent book, Love in the Years of Lunacy, is set in Sydney in 1942, discussed the impact of music on their writing. “When I started the book, I got a record player and a 30 cent jazz collection put out by Time Life, which I listened to over and over again,” said Sayer, whose 18-year-old heroine, Pearl, plays saxophone in all-girl jazz band. “That helped me find the language that approximated the way the music made me
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player in seminal 60s and 70s Australian rock bands, The Groop and Axiom, who later went on to write songs for dozens of huge names in the music business from Joe Cocker to John Farnham. The pair were interviewed by the Australian’s music writer and critic, Iain Shedden, former drummer for The Saints, who cajoled a few expletive-studded industry insiders’ tales from the pair, without giving too much away from their respective books, Hey, You In The Black T-Shirt and From This Side of Things, much to the delight of a packed crowd of old rockers and a few young ones. Chuggi recalled a Gary Glitter concert, when hundreds of hysterical kids poured backstage, upturning the star’s caravan in their desperation to get to him. “It was absolute chaos,” he said. “Then the door opened and he called out [to the roadie] ‘Scrooge, Scrooge, make sure they don’t touch my hair!’.” The pair agreed Australia’s distance from Europe and the US, hindered the careers of many early bands but also shaped the thriving live music scene that exists today. “We made it up as we went along and developed our own unique style,” said Cadd. “By the end of the 70s we’d established ourselves as an individual music society. That’s why we had bands like The Little River Band and… Men at Work, because we were so far away from the mainstream.” But according to Chuggi, the tyranny of distance robbed many bands of their shot at the big time. “There were so many acts, Daddy Cool for example, that were already past it — broke, worn-out marriages, strung out on drugs — by the time the Yanks decided to give them a go,” he said. “Now the world is so much smaller, it’s no longer a problem. Today there are 60 to 70 acts out there making huge inroads, all because of the crazy shit we used to do.” reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 33
t r av e l to day d r e a m i s l a n d
Left: Knuckle Reef. Right: Maxi Ragamuffin
Day Dreaming Getting there (ex-Sydney) The trick is to catch the cheap flights to Hamilton Island. You need to fly to Hamilton, and then catch a ferry to Daydream. Get on the Jetstar and Virgin Blue email mailout, and be prepared to book four to five months out. You should be able to get flights for $90 plus fees each way. Staying there When booking, be patient. Wait until four weeks from your last night’s stay and check the Daydream Island website for their Last Minute Website Hot Deals. The discounts are significant, and are even greater for three nights or more. August is the perfect time to stay, and outside of the NSW and QLD school holidays, unless you want to share the pool with hundreds of kids. The humidity is not as stifling as in summer, and it is still T-shirt and shorts weather. It is also before the stinger season starts. The Garden Balcony Room is my choice unless you want to blow the budget on some ocean views. But the balcony on the top floor is way too small so look at ground or first floor rooms. Internet access via Telstra is available across the island. Other couriers have minimal access. Charging up your wifi dongle enables you to work from the island if you must (sigh). Eating and drinking there There are plenty of options but bear in mind that we are talking Island prices. You are definitely paying a premium for the location. An all-you-can-eat breakfast
If you drive north until you get to Airlie Beach and look offshore, you will see Daydream Island. A little over a kilometre in length and only 200 metres across at its widest point, Daydream is all about relaxation, with the reef on its doorstep. Selfconfessed Daydream addict and Reverb editor KEVIN BULL, having recently undertaken his fifth sojourn to the island in three years, gives the goss on when to book flights and rooms, where to eat, and what to spend your money on. This may be the Whitsundays, but it’s not as out of reach as you might think. smorgasbord at Waterfalls Restaurant is provided as part of the room package and is well worth taking advantage of. Eating as much as you can at the start of the day, plus filling a doggy bag full of croissants and fruit, will avoid the expense of lunch. During the slow season of August, dinner options are reduced. I would recommend the bistro style Fish Bowl or Waterfall’s Call and Collect menu to curb food cost, with the more expensive Mermaids Restaurant (a la carte) for that special night. Avoid Waterfall’s smorgasbord, which at $43 is just not worth it. Drink prices are also on the high side. But it is hard not to indulge in a cocktail or two at Splashes swim-up bar. This is what an island holiday is all about. Activities, on-island I will make it quite clear that Daydream
Island is not a nightclub island. If you want this, stay at Hamilton Island. Daydream is all about relaxing in and around the water. Catamarans and kayaks are free, as is the daily shark and stingray feeding. Snorkelling directly off the island is wonderful, with fish and coral in abundance. If you already have snorkel gear, take it with you as it will save you the daily hire cost. For those wishing for some thrills, parasailing and jet skis are available, and give a unique perspective of the island. Nightly entertainment is rather subdued, with family movies on the 44-foot outdoor cinema screen, and the Bali Boys providing their unique interpretation of classic rock at Lagoons Bar. For the ultimate island indulgence, spend a few hours at the world class Rejuvenation Day Spa. Situated on the North point of the Island, it is not uncommon to see whales swim by while being massaged. The relaxing Sabai ‘Hot Stone’ Therapy penetrates tired muscles and sends you off on a cloud. The ‘Flowing Melody’ vichy shower, including a full body exfoliation, leaves skin and muscles tingling. Prices are quite reasonable, considering the pampering received. A must-do for even the blokiest of blokes. Activities, off-island With the Barrier Reef at your doorstep, there are many off-island adventures that give you the chance to experience this living wonder. Cruise Whitsundays tour to Knuckle Reef is thrilling. It may take two hours aboard their ‘Seaflight’ jet cat to get there, but the experience of snorkelling in the open ocean is thrilling. With no land in sight, you moor on their purpose built pontoon,
Costs
Total costs for two peo
ple over seven nig
Flights and charge
s
Transfers between Hamilton and Day dream Accommodation — Garden Balcony roo m Food Drinks Extras Sabai ‘Hot’ Stone Therapy ‘Flowing Melody’ vichy shower
hts
$456 return $240 return $1400 $301 $462
$165 (1 hour) $155 (1 hour)
Cruise Whitsunda ys to Knuckle Reef
$199p/p
Maxi Ragamuffin to Blue Pearl Bay.
$156p/p
slip the wetties on, and plunge into the depths. It is a unique feeling to be swimming in such deep water - quiet and peaceful, and slightly unnerving. You may also come face to face with a local Maori Wrasse, which is nearing the size of a cow. Alternatively, sail to Blue Pearl Bay aboard the world-class Sydney to Hobart racer, Maxi Ragamuffin. There’s nothing like the feeling of lying in the sun on the deck of a yacht while it cuts through the ocean at 45 per cent. And the diving at Blue Pearl is quite special. While I sat at the water’s edge to adjust my goggles there were foot-long multi-coloured fish all around me After spending two weeks at Daydream Island, I am completely refreshed and recharged: skin tanned, relationship rejuvenated, bank balance in the black. When planning your next getaway, the Whitsundays, and Daydream Island in particular, is definitely within reach.
Although Kevin Bull paid most of his way, some costs were subsidised by tour operators.
34 reverb
mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
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general motoring
“ T he LFA stands up against legendary fast cars — like the Enzo Ferrari and the McLaren SLR Benz — with its head held high.” They say good things come to those who wait and wait I did, before finally planting my arse on the rich leather sports seat of a hand built, $700,000 Lexus LFA ‘supercar’. Few Aussies, let alone Aussie motoring scribes, have had the chance at the wheel of this baby. But here was little old me strapping in to the LFA at an Eastern Creek shakedown, months before the local launch. Don’t ask how I swung it. Suffice to say nothing sexual, nor financial, was involved. Must have been the charm. But track time was restricted to the hours of 7–9am one chilly winter weekday morning. There were a surprising number of wellheeled punters there to watch, waiting for their track day session to start at 9.30am. Nothing, not even the baby blue, left hook, new Jag XKRS could hold a candle to the LFA in crowd-pulling power. It won the pissing competition hands down, even against the Ferrari 458 Italia and other kit, including a new gen GTR Nissan, umpteen Evos and other tweaked turbo rice-burners, not to mention a modified C63 AMG Benz that sounded like a top fuel dragster. When the LFA came wailing down the main Eastern Creek straight, everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to look — and listen. It was astounding. Out of the triple exhaust outlets comes possibly the best sound from a road car you will ever hear — a scream not unlike an F1 race car at full throat, with a mellower, wellrounded note. But just as exhilarating. That, coupled with the fact that the noise is produced from a carbon fibre projectile blasting down the straight at a velocity exceeding 265kph. Tantalisingly close to the magic 300kph which Find us on Facebook
Up, Up And Away… In An LFA r e vi e wed
Lexus LFA r e vi e wed by
Peter Douglas
this old car hound has tasted only once — on a race track, aboard a superbike, of all things. How did I really get in the LFA? Pure luck. Call it a spot of “tuition” before decamping to the Nurburgring for a “real” drive of the thing at the world’s most demanding race track. This is a defining car for Lexus which has forged a reputation for making silky smooth and quiet white goods. Apart from the ISF, which is a bit of all right, the Lexus line-up is made for nice people who like driving nice cars. In contrast, the LFA is a finely honed beast capable of running with the supercar pack and delivering a level of driving satisfaction attainable by a select few — with fat wallets. It’s mostly carbon fibre — 65 per cent, with the rest aluminium, glass or plastic. This means the LFA tips the scales at a relatively light 1480kg which in turn means its 412kW V10 engine doesn’t have to haul that much
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lard. As a result, the LFA puts away a 0-100kph sprint in 3.7 seconds or better, and hustles on up to and beyond 300kph if you have a handy airfield to cut loose on. That engine has ten throttle bodies delivering premium juice to its 4.8 litres worth of cylinders, set at an unusual 72 degree angle. Help from variable valve timing on the inlet and exhaust sides gives flexible power delivery and fuel economy. It passes Euro 5 emissions regs. There’s not a turbo to be seen either. It’s good for 480Nm, with peak power and torque delivered relatively high in the rev range. Redline is 9000rpm but it will spin to 9500 before cut out. Yamaha designed and built the cylinder heads, which explains a lot about the LFA’s performance. The engine is set front/midships with the six-speed automated manual box down the back where the drive goes. It’s a rear wheel drive to make it easier for average punters to have fun behind the wheel. Weight bias is a near perfect 48/52 front to rear but the LFA still likes to hang the tail out if you give it a chance. The engine is built to withstand extreme use, with forged pistons and forged titanium rods and valves. It’s a dry sumper to reduce size and guarantee lubrication under heavy lateral loads. The engine weighs less than Toyota’s 3.5-litre V6 in the Aurion, and is not much larger in size, if at all. It revs so quickly that an analogue tacho meter can’t keep up, necessitating a digital instrument. The gearbox is electrohydraulically operated and you can dial in the change speed from normal to silly fast. A number of stability control modes are also
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available — we settled for race, which is as little intervention as you can go, without switching it off altogether. Suspension is a conventional double wishbone up front with a multi-link rear, albeit with coil overs and remote oil reservoirs. Brakes are Brembo with large ceramic discs and six piston fronts, four at the rear — pretty good. The interior is replete with plenty of goodies including a decent Mark Levinson audio system that will never get a run, and the full leather treatment. Large gear-change paddles are fitted to the steering column and the start button is on the wheel. Just to make sure you don’t miss the exhaust sound, Lexus fits two sound tubes to the cabin firewall. What’s it like to drive? Sensational, intimidating, incredibly flattering and satisfying. There is no point at which available acceleration is an issue, just push and go. The gear changes stab in with rapid-fire accuracy and the brakes never go away. This is a car that has the potential to make you crook in the guts because you are either accelerating at massive Gs, braking at massive Gs or cornering at massive Gs. Gee, makes me crook just remembering what it was like, despite passing up breakfast before the drive. After initially not really liking the LFA’s styling, I changed my mind after seeing it in metallic blue — much better than white. And don’t worry about the $700K price tag — the LFA stands up against legendary fast cars, like the Enzo Ferrari and the McLaren SLR Benz, with its head held high — it keeps them both honest and costs a heap less. A bargain. reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 35
album Reviews album of the month
Calling All Cars
The Rapture
Dancing With A Dead Man
In The Grace Of Your Love
Shock
Universal
3.5/5
4.5/5
Tight riffs, clear lyrics and an all-over grungy appeal, Calling All Cars latest release, Dancing With A Dead Man, is radio-friendly rock that hasn’t completely forgotten what rock ‘n’ roll is all about. Their second album in less than 12 months, this Melbourne trio have rock down to a tee. But there is little here to really dig your nails into. The lyrics fall back on a few clichéd ideas in places, although their faultless delivery picks up the pieces. The melodies are vigorous and aggressive and the album builds in energy, with some quieter moments to break the intensity. An impressive album, albeit lacking somewhat in heart and soul. For fans of: Birds of Tokyo, Foo Fighters. ~Jess Saxton
It has been five long years since the last Rapture album graced our airwaves. And taking their time with new album, In The Grace Of Your Love, has certainly paid off. The 11-track release is The Rapture’s most cohesive and engaging to date. ‘Sail Away’ opens the album with an enthusiastic and uplifting atmosphere, which features incredibly powerful vocals from frontman Luke Jenner and perfectly layered synthesisers, very similar to the work of LCD Soundsystem. Lead single ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ utilises catchy lyrics and introduces the band’s newfound fascination with mixing synthesised tones into their indie guitar-based style. The Rapture have somewhat reinvented themselves, branching out into the world of dance by incorporating far more bass into their work as well as an increase in percussion, creating a significantly more energetic sound than a traditional rock group. True success is found in their danceworthy rhythms and Jenner’s obscure vocal texture which adds an extra dimension to the recording, seldom seen in this technological age of music production. In The Grace Of Your Love is sublime; a fantastic return to form for The Rapture and possibly one of the top albums of the year. For Fans Of: LCD Soundsystem, The Killers, Friendly Fires. ~Josh Clements
Eagle and the Worm Good Times Warners
3.5/5
Eagle and the Worm burst out of the Melbourne music scene last year, with their tunes ‘Good Times’ and ‘Futureman’. Since then, the eight-piece band (featuring Jarrad Brown, of Custom Kings and Joe Neptune fame), got together and laid down this fastmoving indie/rock/jazz collaborative over the space of four days. Everything about this album screams joy, especially feel-good hit ‘All I Know’, which, with its celebratory trumpets and infectious clapping, made me want to break out the moves. The slower tracks have a spacey sound to them, like some kind of David Bowie vs Scissor Sisters mash up. But what Good Times lacks in uniqueness, it makes up for with energy. ~Shelby Houghton
Steve Kilbey/ Ricky Maymi
David Neil “The Wilderness Years Time Being Communications
3/5
This collaboration will appeal to new wave fans or those with an insatiable shoe-gaze lust. Listeners are led to believe they are hearing covers of a deceased and overlooked musical genius named David Neil; his actual existence is debatable, and ultimately irrelevant. The melancholic vocals are sung in a bland, almost bored voice. Heavy whitewashing reverb smothers the sound, while jangling guitars, splashing cymbals and tambourine attempt to add life and texture. Despite the colourful catalogues of Kilbey (The Church) and Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre), this sound has been imitated with very little variation too many times. The result sounds lifeless. Perhaps the real genius of the ambiguous David Neil will remain lost forever. ~Jeff Theys
36 reve rb
magazine issue #062 — September 2011
Elephant E
Independent
3.5/5
Sydney trio Elephant have dished out a compact debut release, packed with eclectic, aggressive rock, utilising a synthesiser as a substitute for the traditional rock guitar to accompany the dominant bass lines and busy drumming. The modest production values lend a raw edge, with enterprising vocals rounding out the package. Elephant explore a range of oddball rhythms, sound effects and varied tempos throughout the eight tracks. Aptly titled opener ‘Bruise’ melds hyperactive rhythms with melodic, sludgy rock. Dual vocals maintain an element of originality and surprise while alternately recalling such heavyweights as Mike Patton and Jello Biafra; angry screams and punky snarls balanced by Patton-esque melodic crooning. Bursts of aggression are offset by a strong grasp of dynamics and melody. This is nicely represented on the lengthy ‘Shallow Girl’, which builds ominously towards a punchy climax. Elephant’s colourful vocals, energetic delivery and refusal to stick to predictable song structures, create a challenging and rewarding listen for those who like their rock left of centre. ~Luke Saunders
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The Trews
3 Doors Down
Code One
Universal
3.5/5
2/5
Howling Bells
Jay-Z & Kanye West
Cooking Vinyl
Universal
3.5/5
4/5
Hope and Ruin
On their fourth disc, this Canadian quartet introduce a collection of powerful chords and rocking tunes, full of catchy choruses and crisp melodies. They easily slide into Australia’s radio rock band scene, with sing-your-heart-out tunes like opener, ‘Misery Loves Company’, about unrequited love, and the winning title track ‘Hope and Ruin’. The question is do The Trews have enough love and heartbreak under their wings to pull off another gold album of hard rock ballads, without resorting to formulas and clichés that would bore an audience into oblivion? Colin MacDonald certainly has a voice and the record definitely employs it well, but so do their older albums. It’s a tough call as to whether the band has progressed or is living in the past. ~Jamie Nelson The Loudest Engine
Howling Bells, Australia’s favourite indie-folk rock expats, are back with their third release, The Loudest Engine. Recorded in Las Vegas by The Killers’ bassist Mark Stoermer, the album features faultless production and a heavier, psychedelic-tinged direction. ‘Charlatan’ opens with the distinctive sultry tones of leader Juanita Stein, soaring over glitchy and over-driven electric guitar. ‘Secrets’ is Howling Bells at their best, with a thick and unrefined sound accompanied by almost haunting vocals, whilst ‘Sioux’ features melancholy guitar punctuated by progressively building crescendos. The Loudest Engine is both a welcome return to basics and an enviable release by one of this country’s oft forgotten and most exciting bands. ~Liam Demamial
Wu-Tang Clan
Legendary Weapons E1 Music/Shock
3/5
When it comes to hiphop, Wu-Tang Clan are a force to be reckoned with. A collective of rappers lead by super-producer the RZA, Wu-Tang have had a far-reaching and indelible impact on the genre. Latest release Legendary Weapons is squarely aimed at advancing this legacy. Opener ‘Start The Show’ is textbook Wu-Tang, mashing Jimi Hendrix with the smooth flow of long-time Clansman Raekwon. ‘Laced Cheeba’ is almost a homage to seminal debut album 36 Chambers, and features kung fu film snippets and lo-fi beats, matched with bleak hardcore lyrics. ‘The Black Diamonds’ is the standout, contrasting subdued piano with the intense delivery of Ghostface Killah. Largely paint-by-numbers, Legendary Weapons is hardly revolutionary but still enjoyable. ~Liam Demamial
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Time Of My Life
Known for their radiofriendly ballads, 3 Doors Down bring yet another brooding soft-rock album to the table, leaving no surprises. Consisting of a whopping 16 tracks, which flit from slow rock ballads to soft acoustic numbers, with lyrics about longing, difficult life decisions and the ever-popular break-up song. The whole album conveys a serious tone with little time for fun. Title track ‘Time Of My Life’ is a tease, promising something heavy and up-beat, before the vocals creep in and the tempo slows into softer rock than I hoped for. ‘On The Run’ is the heaviest track and best use of guitar, while ‘Believer’ follows suit. Although this album will probably do well on the mainstream charts, there is a lack of creativity in the song structures and little artistic integrity. ~Charli Hutchison Watch The Throne
Stacked up against their most recent efforts (Kanye’s My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy and Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3), Watch the Throne is a great album in danger of being relegated to an afterthought in the pair’s respective catalogues. There’s the children’s choir anthem (‘Murder to Excellence’), the chart-baiting Beyonce cameo (‘Lift off’), the club-bangers (‘That’s my Bitch’) and the sugary soul samples (‘The Joy’) that we’ve come to expect and possibly take for granted from this pair. Most impressively, there’s very little filler. When the Dream Team were wiping the floor with the rest of the world, in Barcelona, in ’92, we didn’t complain they were too good for the competition; we watched in awe. As long as this ersatz day Magic and MJ are willing to take the time off from their tropical island vacations, and front up to the studio, we should listen up, yo. ~Nick Mackay
Jeff Lang
Carried In Mind ABC Music/Universal
4/5
Curling up and listening to Jeff Lang’s comforting voice and smooth, flowing melodies is escapism at its finest. From slow bluesy rock to acoustic folk, his raw, back-to-basics approach to traditional roots music is honest and humble. Although this album is my introduction to the man, it’s not hard to see his songwriting skills are in the ranks of Neil Young and Paul Simon. ‘Frightened Fool’ is a howlin’ 50s-style boogie with shouting vocals and squealing guitar, while the reflective ‘Barely There’ is sweet and sombre. Lang’s detailed lyrics build beautiful images of places and faces, while diverse transitions from slide guitar, electric, acoustic and (I swear I even heard a Japanese shamisen) put the man’s many talents on display. To be played on a lazy afternoon in the sun. ~Charli Hutchison
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album Reviews Feature albums
The Herd
black Mustang
The Laurels
Elefant Traks/Inertia
+1 Records/Shock
Other Tongues
3/5
3.5/5
4/5
Future Shade
The last few years have seen an incredible boom in the Australian hip-hop industry. One of the main groups leading this revival is Sydney collective, The Herd — perhaps one of the most versatile and engaging in the industry. After huge commercial success with their previous two albums, The Herd have returned with Future Shade, which addresses many current issues, from harsh criticism of almost all of Julia Gillard’s policies to salary capping in Australian sport. Political content aside, the album is cohesive and melodic, filled with heavy beats and rhymes to rap along with. Although The Herd haven’t yet matched the popularity of other front-runners in Australian hip-hop, Future Shade earns them a place in the race. For Fans Of: Hilltop Hoods, Bliss N Eso, Drapht. ~Josh Clements
Phraze
Loaded Gun
This sophomore album from Brisbane’s Black Mustang explores the timeless themes of lust, booze and rock ‘n’ roll riff-raff. The first few songs have a raw grunge sound, with muddy bass, simple guitar and thunderous drums providing a taste of heavy blues. But the untamed vocal delivery, which may be an intentional garage-rock effect, leaves a fair bit to be desired. Stand out track ‘Outside The Law’ lets rip a tasty guitar solo that would be spectacular live. ‘Whiskey and Wine’ polishes off the album perfectly — a jangly party tune intricately filled with piano solo, tambourine and hand-clapping. This is straight up, good-time rock ‘n’ roll. ~Charli Hutchison
Josh Pyke
Listening to the Laurels EP Mesozoic is like diving headlong into a surf safari, where the days are seemingly endless and your salty skin prickles as you down beers around a campfire under the stars. Waves of distorted guitar and vocals fall relentlessly upon steady bass and drums to create a kaleidoscopic noise which ebbs and drifts, rises and falls in a chaotic bubble you can’t help but climb into. The album begins with a single hypnotic guitar riff, faded in and gradually built upon, gathering momentum and intensity. This psychedelic rock collection epitomises the genre, with extreme distortion and reverb creating a mash of sound. Only six tracks long, it leaves you gasping for more. For fans of: Flaming Lips, Tame Impala. ~Jess Saxton
Ivy League/Universal
Imaginary Cities
Only Sparrows 3/5
Aussie rapper and MC Harley Webster’s third disc is most notable for its range of dissimilar components. You Am I’s Davey Lane submits the hook to ‘Apart’, the first single and album opener, which, with its dashing garage party vibe, situates Babylon in the pop/rock/Oz hiphip genre. Webster casually drops rhyme over Brit-pop-inspired 60s numbers, and employs a diverse range of vocal pipes, including Jimmy Barnes, Jade Macrae and Guineafowl, with effective use of synth and the right amount of distortion, alluring riffs and soulful choruses. ‘Faithful’ features Sparkadia lead singer Alex Burnett’s divine vocals, which juxtapose gorgeously with Harley’s lyrics espousing the harsh reality of life. A superfluous use of motifs throughout the album fails to detract from its personality and unique composition. ~Jamie Nelson
With Josh Pyke’s successful debut, Memories and Dust, and his equally acclaimed follow-up, Chimney’s Afire, released just a year apart, I was convinced, after a three-year break between releases, his new album Only Sparrows would be sheer brilliance. I was disappointed. To be fair, Pyke is still the wordsmith he has always been, especially on tracks like ‘Break, Shatter, Make, Matter’ and ‘Factory Fires’, and the accompaniments are as soft and beautiful as those on his previous records. However, the majority of songs on Only Sparrows lack spark. ‘No One Wants a Lover’ is the only track that manages to buck the trend. When Pyke drops the F-bomb before launching into a catchy chorus, I pricked up my ears. But the pace falls flat and the remaining songs lack enthusiasm. While pleasant enough to listen to, Only Sparrows certainly won’t be remembered as the stand-out record in Pyke’s portfolio. ~Amelia Parrott
Bonjah
Lucie Thorne
Shock
Vitamin Records
4/5
3.5/5
Babylon
Marlin Records/Universal
4/5
Go Go Chaos
You might have heard the name Bonjah being tossed around lately. They’re a Melbourne-based band that got a nod from Rolling Stone earlier this year, toured with rock greats The Who, and are up to their ears in hype following the release of their second album Go Go Chaos. Luckily, they’ve well and truly delivered with this powerful package that sees the band add a rock edge to their blues/roots vibe. ‘Brother’ is a slow and suspenseful beauty that sits perfectly alongside upbeat tracks such as ‘The White Line’ — a fast and punchy song about cocaine, which may put them in the naughty corner. But with this album, Bonjah prove they don’t need to please the masses — they’ll be flocking to their feet regardless. ~Shelby Houghton
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Mesozoic
Temporary Resident Shick
4/5
Peculiar sounding Canadian duo, Imaginary Cities, is multi-instrumentalist Rusty Matyas and vocalist Marti Sarbit. Their debut album, Temporary Resident has received resounding acclaim for its delightful songwriting and soul-pop combination. ‘Say You’ displays Sarbit’s powerful and unique voice at its best, slowly building before exploding with the assistance of Matyas’s solid instrumentation. The album unapologetically stomps into anthem territory with ‘Hummingbird’ and ‘Don’t Cry’, yet also showcases the softer and more subtle side of the pair on tracks such as the striking and ghostly ‘Where’d All The Living Go’. Temporary Resident is a thoroughly rewarding debut from a band undoubtedly headed for bigger things. ~Liam Demamiel
Trivium In Waves Roadrunner
Bonfires In Silver City
Alternative/roots singer-songstress Lucie Thorne’s sound is slow and spacious, with most of the tracks on her new album, Bonfires In Silver City, starting with the instrumental bare bones: guitar, drums, bass, and her signature raspy voice. But they build in volume and complexity, with new instruments appearing, until there’s a sonic storm going on. Even the spoons start subtly tinkering halfway through ‘Falling’. Thorne never thrashes the axe; she plucks and nurtures it, maximising its warmth. With her seductive voice and dark-edged lyrics, Thorne’s seventh album lured me in. Perfect for any seduction scene. For fans of Joni Mitchell’s later material. ~Paul Appelkamp
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4.5/5
With four fistpumping albums already in the bag, Floridian heavy metal giants Trivium have finally found their sound with album number five. Not only is this the first album to feature drummer Nick Augusto, who replaced Travis Smith in 2009, but musically it is by far the band’s best and most original work yet. Despite comparisons to the likes of Metallica in the past, Trivium has created and perfected their own style. In Waves showcases the originality and diversity of this head-banging quartet at the top of their game. Kicking off with the fantastic ‘Capsizing the Sea’, the album captivates you from the get-go. Tracks such as ‘Black’, ‘In Waves’ and ‘Drowning in Slow Motion’ are highlights. The deluxe version also features a brilliant cover of Sepultura’s ‘Slave New World’. For metal fans that never gave Trivium a fighting chance, listen to In Waves, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Hardcore Trivium fans will keep this album in heavy rotation and turned up to 11! ~Cameron edney
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Blitzen trapper American Goldwing Sub Pop
4/5
A year on from the release of their last record, Blitzen Trapper’s sixth album, American Goldwing, proudly opens with a country-inspired number, ‘Might Find It Cheap’, which made me want to jump in a car and hit the road, with the stereo up full-tilt. The next nine songs are the closest thing to banjoclipping American rock since The Eagles. Sweet harmonica/piano melodies are layered with ambitious distortion and carefully structured to give a full, clear-cut sound. ‘My Home Town’ is more acoustic, with straightforward lyrics about the importance of home and being content with where you are. The rest of the album mooches along with more slow numbers and completes the trip with the upbeat, feel-good ‘Street Fighting Sun’. ~Jamie Nelson
Leader Cheetah Lotus Skies Spunk/EMI
4.5/5
Adelaide-based indie-rock quartet, Leader Cheetah, is an amazing band. From their very first release, The Sunspot Letters, they have been accustomed to critical acclaim and popularity across the nation for their unique contemporary appropriation of rock music. Their sophomore album, Lotus Skies, builds on this sound in a more mature way, focusing on excellent instrumentation and use of Dan Crannitch’s obscure vocal texture, reminiscent of Interpol’s lead singer, Paul Banks. The tracks ‘Crawling Up a Landslide’ and ‘Dark Stands Over’ are truly exceptional, with a sound similar to, and yet so different from conventional Australian rock. This album is one of the finest and freshest local works this year. ~JosH Clements
The paper Scissors
In Loving Memory
Source Music/MGM
4/5
What a strange musical journey. From the beginning to the end of The Paper Scissors’s new album, In Loving Memory, I had no inkling of what to expect. It opens with what feels like a vocal warm up, which is well warranted because when the record gets going, it doesn’t stop. Each track embodies an eclectic collage of sounds which, although jarring and opposing, mesh seamlessly together. ‘Mechanism’ is an exquisite example of The Paper Scissors’s ability to infuse electro with garage rock and make a danceable track in the process. A refreshing collection of incomparable songs on an incomparable album. ~Jess Saxton
reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 37
live Reviews No Use For A Name Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Wednesday, July 27
No Use For A name ©Madeline Smith
Californian punkers No Use For A Name, on stage for a mid-week gig at Newy’s cozy Cambridge Hotel, said they were a little confused after one music scribe’s description of them as “debaucherous”. Like all 40-something punk veterans, NUFAN have gotten a little political in their sophomore years, but they reckon they’ve kept the debauchery off-stage. To prove it, NUFAN lit up the venue with a battery of bests from 1990 to 2011, with freshly-minted drummer Boz Rivera (Mad Caddies) and newish guitarist Chris Rest (Lagwagon) blitzing the set list. Fans stagedived (one landing flat on his face) while others busied themselves overwhelming the two guards in the messy pit. Hallmark album More Betterness! got a workout, along with some new hits and plenty from NUFAN’s lesspolished days, including an encore from their debaucherous first album, Don’t Miss The Train. ~Darren pauli
Pulp Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, July 27
Pulp ©Sean Roche
It’s always a risk seeing a band you idolised in your teens ‘re-formed’. Will they suck? Will they be tired, fat, bald, drug-addled has-beens? Let’s just get one thing straight. Pulp is Jarvis Cocker. Jarvis Cocker is Pulp. So when Jarvis’s usual slim (phew!) silhouette appeared, his fans let out a secret sigh of relief and the show began. Cocker has always trodden the fine line between creepy and charming and he was in his element from the first song. It was hard to believe he was in his 40s, the way he was moving, gyrating, dancing, toying with the crowd, and employing the mic as a
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phallus. He crooned his way through the opening with a selection of Pulp’s more pervy songs such as ‘Pink Glove’ and ‘Pencil Skirt’, before getting stuck into the hits — the now slightly outdated ‘Disco 2000’ and Britpop anthem ‘Common People’. The musical highlight of the night for me was definitely the cinematic ‘This is Hardcore’, complete with gong (to Cocker’s obvious delight). The band was a tad rusty, hitting a wrong chord here and there, but the selfdeprecating front man would just as quickly ‘have a laff’ about it, putting fans and band at ease. Each song was accompanied with personal anecdotes, providing context to his sleazy autobiographical lyrics, and giving an entertaining insight into Cocker’s adolescent years. ~Amy Barnwell
Young Revelry Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Saturday, July 30
Young Revelry ©Madeline Smith
Young Revelry’s national tour saw them playing to roughly 15 people at The Great Northern in Byron Bay. The modern rock trio played with plenty of passion and enthusiasm but didn’t manage to enthral the crowd beyond a few nods of the head and a foot tap or two. The few punters who stayed to the end were serenaded with echoes of 60s and 70s greats, with an alternative rock edge that was both soothing and exhilarating. Young Revelry come across as a very new band, barely beyond garage jam sessions, with songs that are still being developed. But in the band’s youthful days they saw some fame, touring locally and nationally supporting the likes of Children Collide and Shihad. Sebastian Astone’s lead vocals are well suited to the band’s sound, with a versatile edge bringing their well-known track ‘You & I’ to life. The experimental tones of the crashing drums and harmonic guitar compliment the moody vocals, displaying the band’s raw talent. Even with the attention they’ve received through Triple J, Young Revelry need to establish their identity to make them stand out from all the other modern rock bands that play each song on repeat. ~Madeline Smith
magazine issue #062 — September 2011
Kaiser Chiefs Enmore Theatre, Sydney Saturday, August 6
Kaiser Chiefs ©Richard Hedger
It was a spooky coincidence that at the exact moment Kaiser Chiefs were launching into their much loved anthem, ‘I Predict a Riot’, on stage at the Enmore Theatre, England was erupting into what would become the worst riots there in 30 years. On our shores to promote their latest release, The Future is Medieval, Leeds’ favourite sons put on a sweat-fuelled performance, ripping through a deep set list of sing-along pub anthems and lowtempo groovers. Sauntering on stage, the Chiefs looked every bit the best-dressed band in Britain, and went about sounding like it too. Opener ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ had lead singer Ricky Wilson displaying his trademark hyperactive stage presence and microphone acrobatics. Fan favourite ‘Ruby’ energised the crowd enough to drown out Wilson during the chorus, while ‘The Angry Mob’, a fist-pumping, football chant of the highest order, managed to get even the (normally reserved) balcony crowd on their feet. After a brief intermission the band returned and closed with the dynamite ‘Oh, my God’ from 2004’s Employment. ~Nick Mackay
Dead Letter Circus SCU Unibar, Lismore Friday, August 12
Dead Letter Circus ©Courtney Fitzsimmons
There’s something about tooloud, drop-D rock and roll that seems to bring out the emotionally unstable 14-year-old in some punters. And while there are usually enough friendly revellers at these gigs to make up for the chiselled machismo of some, the Dead Letter Circus show at the SCU Unibar was a fullblown convention for the disenfranchised. Some members of the audience seemed to have
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forked out the $27 cover for the sole purpose of picking a fight and there were plenty of other patrons willing to oblige them. In one instance, a young man who was pushed over, got up swinging before (hilariously) tearing off his T-Shirt and, bare chested, re-entering the fray. If you can put all of that aside, the band played particularly well, covering their entire discography in the hour-long set. Despite some early hiccups, the sound quality improved considerably over the course of the evening, and by the time their three-song encore rolled around, Dead Letter Circus had built up to a blistering pace. Set highlights were fan favourites ‘Tremors’ and ‘Next In Line’, when vocalist Kim Benzie gave the crowd the mic. Luckily my chicken arms and I escaped the venue flesh intact, and truth be told we had a pretty good time violently fist-pumping with the rest of Lismore’s best and brightest. Small towns don’t draw big rock and roll bands very often, so the township gets a pass for now, so long as they promise to pick up their game for Jebediah next month. ~Max Quinn
The Panda Band have beyond doubt found their niche and stand out in a flood of indie trend followers who wish they were as cool as this. Their professional attitude and relentless touring have proven their dedication to musical perfection and established them as a unique live act on the pub circuit. ~Charli Hutchison
Ash Grunwald Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley Wednesday, August 17
The Panda Band Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Friday, August 12 Ash Grunwald ©Linda Wales
The Panda band ©Jim Graham
The Northern Star’s dim lit oldfashioned band room set the scene for an intimate date with Perth’s Panda Band. The progressive pop quartet offered an assortment of quirky songs from their early days to their latest endeavour, Charisma Weapon. Song compositions spawned from several musical genres were mashed together to create addictive indie-pop melodies over sweet harmonies. Their edgy grooves and lyrics sounded like the making of a rock opera - a musical wash of ecstasy. Singer Damian Crosbie’s effortless vocals sailed over cool, catchy bass lines, piano tinkles and build-ups of synthesised chord progressions. A duo of interpretive dancers briefly stole the show as they flailed around like epileptics on the dance floor. This visual display was matched perfectly by the band’s whimsical tunes ‘Where The River Rises’, ‘Furious’ and new single ‘The Fix’.
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Ash Grunwald’s festival of surf music and culture, the Road Dog Diaries national tour, hit Toukley last month turning the Beachcomber Hotel into a beerdrenched sweaty den pumping with surfer rock and grungy beats. It started off mellow enough with a local photographer selling his surfing images while a few braved the wind to have a beer and a game of pool on the deck overlooking the lake. Surfer Beau Young kicked the night off with a chilled beachy set, followed by Byron Bay natives The Grains. The four-piece pumped out psychedelic surfer sounds and had the room rocking to their new tune ‘Evolution Revolution’. By the time The Grains left the stage, the dark and dingy basement had filled with a crowd that was more than ready to get down and funky with Ash Grunwald, who hit off his set with a friendly hello and a laugh before playing ‘Mind Playing Tricks on Me’. The crowd needed no encouragement, but with Benny Owen on the drums for ‘Shake That Thing For Me’, Grunwald got the crowd clapping, singing and shaking along. By the time they got to the funky lyrics of Hot Mama Vibes, the sweat was flying. Thursday morning hangovers aside, it was clear the crowd wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else but the den of the Beachie Hotel. ~Stephanie De Vries
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splendour Review
Left: Regina Spektor. Above: Warpaint
Top: Dananananakyroyd. Above: Jane’s Addiction. right: Marques Toliver
Splendour in the Grass Woodfordia, QLD July 29-31
Day one World’s End Press opened this year’s Splendour in the Grass in style. Illy followed with a powerful set. Jazz-wacked Kimbra was fantastic, surfacing later in the night during Gotye’s rapturous performance. Jebediah played a woeful, murderous set. Eskimo Joe were solid. Modest Mouse were as sedate as The Hives were repetitive and boring — but Yeezy Almighty, Kanye West, blew away a jam-packed Amphitheatre, intertwining his biggest tracks into a dramatic three-part act that set the crowd on fire! Yeezy’s DJ “didn’t let him finish” a couple of times — he’s probably dead now... Day two Dananananakyroyd were a
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barrel of monkeys, even starting a wall of death, but with cuddles! The Jezabels literally stopped traffic with their amazing set. Children Collide packed a massive gut punch. Foster the People and Sparkadia smashed through their huge hits with massive crowd participation. Seeker Lover Keeper were delicate and tender. The Grates were incomprehensively insane, with Patience Hodgson (vocals) antagonising and tantalising the Amphitheatre crowd like a mad sexcat. The Mars Volta were very disconnected (hush, I know it’s their thing). Regina Spektor was a letdown. To her credit, she still managed to create tender moments, battling a chatty crowd, poor sound and a too-fucking-loud
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Mix-Up Stage (damn you, Aston Shuffle). Jane’s Addiction pulled the worst headlining crowd of the three, but their mixture of hard funk and epic psychedelic tribal music was breathtaking. It would have been great to hear more songs from their forthcoming album, The Great Escape Artist. Day three A flash mob kept re-enacting an avalanche down the Amphitheatre during Cloud Control’s set. And if you’ve seen one Vines show, you’ve seen them all. But the Amphitheatre was alive from then on, starting with the majestic Elbow; the surprisingly harsh, Deep Purple-esque Kaiser Chiefs; the effervescent Pulp (who announced this
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will likely be their last ever Oz show). Coldplay provided the festival’s happy ending to another packed Amphitheatre (seriously, Bliss n Eso?) Upcoming album Mylo Xyloto and the first five tracks to A Rush of Blood to the Head took hold of the set, even a couple of left-hooks from debut album Parachutes — like a game of ‘how do the new babies hold up?’ Frontman Chris Martin was selfeffacing as usual, making a small tribute to Amy Winehouse before ‘Fix You’. The crowd sang along from start to finish amidst flashing lights, crazy visuals and fireworks. It was the most inspiring live music experience I’ve had. ~Matt Petherbridge
reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 39
photo by dreamworks II distribution co.
Film Reviews
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Cowboys and Aliens r e vi e wed by
Mark Snelson r ated
2.5/5 In what is probably the most absurd movie title since Snakes on a Plane, Jon Favreau brings us his genre mash-up blockbuster Cowboys and Aliens. Set in the Wild West, Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes in the middle of the desert with no memory of who he is, a futuristic looking bracelet attached to his arm and a seeping wound to his stomach. He manages to get himself to the town of Absolution where he gets patched up and discovers people have been mysteriously disappearing without a trace. He soon gets on the wrong side of the town’s unofficial head honcho, Colonel Woodrow Dollarhyde (Harrison Ford), but before they can get down to the business of a good ol’ showdown, flying machines swoop down from the night sky, all but destroying the town, and capturing many of its residents. During this invasion Lonergan discovers his bracelet is a powerful weapon that activates when enemies are near.
Dollarhyde and Lonergan embark on a mission to rescue the missing townsfolk, along with a rag tag assortment of residents. This will take them deep into the desert and see them come head to head with vicious aliens who have built an enormous and heavily-protected base that will need to be infiltrated in order to save those captured. At least the title is honest - Cowboys and Aliens it is – nothing more, nothing less. If you have ever fantasised about invaders from Mars taking on the Wild West then you will be rewarded. But with a concept so silly, a little more comedy would not have gone astray. The screenplay is trapped in a quandary as to whether to take itself seriously or not. While there are some impressive battle scenes and action sequences, Favreau fails to deliver much in the way of substance or suspense, leaving it a little flat. Han Solo and James Bond in cowboy hats, taking on the alien infidel, should have been a more exciting adventure than this. Instead, it ends up being two genres thrown together for the sake of it, with all the big-budget effects and Hollywood names not enough to save it from mediocrity.
Just Plain Horrible r e vi e wed
Horrible Bosses r e vi e wed by
Mark Snelson r ated
2/5
Horrible Bosses is a movie with a great ensemble and a promising premise which, aside from a few memorable scenes, fails to embrace its potential. The film is about three friends whose lives are made torturous by their bosses. Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman) works himself to the bone in the hope of promotion but is held back by his sadistic manager who takes pleasure in making his work life a living hell. The recently engaged Dale Arbus (Charlie Day) is an assistant to a female dentist, Julia (Jennifer Aniston), who is constantly making sexual advances, threatening to jeopardise his imminent marriage. Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudekis) loves his job as an accountant for a chemical company and enjoys a great relationship with the owner who hints that he will one day be running the show. Unfortunately for Kurt, his boss suffers a heart attack and the company is handed to his son, Bobby Pellit (Colin Farrell), an egotistical coked-up imbecile who wants to cut corners to improve
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magazine issue #062 — September 2011
company profits in order to pay for his sordid lifestyle. Before too long, Nick, Dale and Jason decide to hire a hitman to kill their respective bosses. This is where Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) comes in. Due to parole restrictions he cannot carry out the hits himself, but he convinces them to hire him as their murder consultant, helping them with ideas to make the deaths look accidental. From the outset it is clear none of the trio of wannabe hitmen have what it takes, and various clumsy endeavours at break-ins, surveillance and attempted murder follow. The best things about this movie are: Kevin Spacey, who relishes in his boss from hell role reprising his persona from Swimming with Sharks; Jamie Foxx as the hard-arse yet quirky hitman; and Jennifer Anniston for shaking off her good girl image in a big way. The downfall for Horrible Bosses is the screenplay, which makes all the characters unlikeable. All of these boundaries have been pushed before, with much better results, in The Hangover or even Me, Myself and Irene. Horrible Bosses will be one of those movies that audiences will love or hate. I’m with the latter. Aside from a few moderate laughs, I found it full of lost opportunities, with very little to enjoy.
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Evil Next Door Imogen Poots is an emerging actress who challenges herself with each new role and continues to evolve with every project she takes on. Having made her breakthrough performance in Juan Carlos Fesnadilo’s critically acclaimed film, 28 Weeks Later, she enters the world of vampires in the soon to be released Fright Night. As Poots explains, Fright Night returns the vampire to its original form, horror. What do you think about our culture’s fascination with vampires? I think the fascination has developed because the vampire is such a malleable creature, and represents hyper-sexuality and religious imagery. Fright Night is a movie that goes back to the original form of the vampire, which is that they are predators in a horror environment. How was working with director Craig Gillespie? It was wonderful — he’s the best. I’m a huge fan of his film Lars and the Real Girl and I think he has a wonderful understanding of character. That’s why this project was so intriguing to me. Craig was taking on this commercial beast of a film and he was going to bring something very human and believable to the characters. It was really fun going on the journey of the film together. We were all aware of the original Fright Night, but this new one is really our interpretation and it was fun exploring those ideas. We all became very close on the film, maybe because we were all living near one another and we spent practically every day together for quite a few months. Inevitably, we developed a bond. As actors, Craig gave us full permission to go off script, to have fun and try stuff, even if it didn’t end up in the film. It was a wonderful technique to ease ourselves into the characters and go beyond the confines and barriers of the dialogue. Did both you and Craig have the same ideas for your character? I believe we did. We didn’t want her to be dismissed as “just the girlfriend” - an object for the male protagonist to bounce off. We also wanted her to take part in some of the humor and find a dynamic there that was light and poignant and real. How was it doing battle with a vampire? Well, Charley (Anton Yelchin) and Amy are battling a vampire but they’re also battling to not lose their innocence. That’s part of why you love them and want it to work out for them. They don’t understand the greater force that Jerry personifies, which is everything you have no control
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over and succumb to in the world. They don’t understand that there are things in the world that make you seem completely insignificant. Did you and Anton get along well? I adore Anton. I think he’s an extraordinary talent. He’s so well-informed, bright and well-mannered. He’s also such a charming guy and a very, very good friend of mine. Marti Noxon, the film’s screenwriter, has said that she was conscious of giving your character more to do and making her more empowered in the film. Did you feel you were playing a strong character? That’s definitely how I felt. Playing a girl who was strong, had an arc, was a character in her own right and got to be funny was key for me. It really elevates Amy’s character and takes it somewhere. Craig really cared about the characters and making a character-based film, too. Do you believe in the supernatural? I think you’ve got to be open to something out there. The whole idea of us being here on this planet is pretty peculiar to start with, so I think it’s good to have an open mind to things both scientific and spiritual. How was working with Colin Farrell? He’s a very intelligent man and a very gentle, extraordinary, fun actor. Plus, the film we were making is fun and watching him transform into Jerry the vampire was really intriguing. Was Colin different than you expected? You never know what to expect from the actors you’re going to work with, so there’s no point in having any expectations. Everyone is just a person in their own right. But I found Colin to be charming and wonderful and I love him. What’s it like to see your face on screen? It is always bizarre, but at the same time, it’s interesting to see the finished product and what the other members of the crew and cast have been up to. You just have to try to take yourself out of it and view it as a piece of art rather than think, “Oh, no. They made my nose 3-D. Follow us on Twitter
DVD Reviews
DVD Marathon Heaps Funny According to Australia.gov.au, the Australian sense of humour is ‘dry, full of extremes, antiauthoritarian, self-mocking and ironic’. But are these characteristics the sole property of Australian comedy? The following series seem to hit all the notes our government believes define our nation’s comedic identity: Frontline: This Working Dog production set the standard for behind-the-scenes mockumentary. Part satire, part expose, Frontline ensured Australian audiences would never again take current affairs programming seriously.
Writer, performer, producer, co-director, and composer Chris Lilley’s third television series, Angry Boys, may just be his masterpiece. The series explores the lives of twins Daniel and Nathan Sims, their grandmother Ruth ‘Gran’ Sims, and three ‘legends’, as nominated by the twins: surfer Blake Oakfield, rapper S.Mouse and skater Tim Okazaki. Lilley plays all three Sims, Oakfield, S.Mouse, and Okazaki’s tyrannical mother, Jen. Lilley’s performances are near-flawless, with every character a rounded, engaging figure, and the narrative is his most fascinating to date. Whereas his characters have previously been united by a single event (nominees for Australian of the Year)
The Games: This series’ premise may date it, but it indulged in the public’s worst nightmare - that our government would stuff up the 2000 Olympics. We Can Be Heroes/Summer Heights High/Angry Boys: Chris Lilley’s entire body of work taps into contemporary society’s obsession with ‘reality’. But it’s also a mirror – why do we watch the people who populate these worlds? Is it life-affirming to know that we’re not as idiotic/racist/homophobic as these people? Or do we see ourselves and our friends in them?
Anger Management or place (a Sydney public school), in Angry Boys the relationships between characters are more sophisticated and complex. The series is primarily about masculinity; in particular, the development of a young man’s identity and sense of self in contemporary society and the people who shape that identity. Daniel and Nathan are the heart of Angry Boys and their relationship underpins the series. Parallels between the twins’ behaviour and that of the inmates Gran encounters in her work as a prison guard at a facility for juvenile boys are easily drawn. Corrupted by celebrity, ‘Legends’ S.Mouse and Okazaki are initially little more than marketing constructs, while Oakfield plays the lead in a cautionary tale about holding on to
boyhood too long. This problem of what happens when a boy’s sense of self is linked to the external world is by no means solved by the series’ end, but there is a possible pathway to a solution. While the last episode is more upbeat than may have been expected, it seems more than fitting. Perhaps the only criticism is that as the Sims are the emotional core of the series, the show is weakest when the story strays from them. Some have suggested the series’ brilliance is undermined by a lack of laughs, but that criticism is to miss its point. Angry Boys is at times unsettling, funny and moving, much like the characters who populate both the reality genre it explores, and that divine comedy, everyday life.
TV, on TV
For those who enjoy that utterly retro pastime of watching television on television. Sallie Pritchard puts down the remote.
Swift and Shift Couriers, series 2 Mondays 8:30pm, SBS Series 1 of Swift and Shift Couriers introduced us to the ragtag delivery team at the Swift and Shift Hashfield depot, headed by operations manager, Keith Warne (Ian Turpie). The team is threatened when new regional manager, Amanda Doyle (Amanda Keller), is sent in to find out why they are the worst branch in the state. What series 1 lacked in complex story development, biting social commentary and sophisticated humour, series 2 makes up for in, well, slightly better production values and the addition of a new office in India. Series 2 sees the team affected by the rising cost of fuel and the economic downtown, resulting in even Find us on Facebook
more dodgy workplace practices by management. The whole depot is being muscled out by a call centre in India and by Indian drivers in Australia, prompting them to work together against outside forces. The issue of outsourcing is handled exactly as you’d expect from this series: with absolutely no cultural or religious sensitivity. But rest assured, the writers appear to have the attitude that everyone is equal when it comes to ridicule. Among those who will be potentially offended by this series are the Muslim community, little people, those with intellectual disabilities, the gay community, women, the elderly, and anyone who was born in New Zealand, Italy, China, or Samoa, not to mention India.
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Angry Boys r e vi e wed by
Sallie Pritchard r ated
4.5/5
Kath and Kim: Interestingly, musician Beck thought it was a real documentary. Originally a sketch on Big Girl’s Blouse, Kath and Kim’s insight into mother-daughter relationships was bestowed with that rare honour — a US remake. Wilfred: One of the better examples of a series full of extremes, the question has to be asked: is Wilfred irreverent or just plain offensive? An interesting premise reveals even a dog can belong to a particular kind of human – the ‘dickhead’.
If there’s anything positive about Swift and Shift it’s that everyone seems to be having so much fun, like a group of friends making it all up as they go along. Although it pains me to say it, the show’s attempts to explore the world of workers affected by corporate intervention recalls series like The Office (by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant), but without the wit and sophistication. However some viewers may see their own workplaces reflected in the trials of the staff and find the irreverent (read: vulgar) humour refreshing. Worth a weekly viewing? Absolutely not. But for those who feel this will be a necessary addition to their collection, Swift and Shift Couriers series 2 will be available on DVD October 5.
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If identifying the Australian sense of humour is an important ingredient in shaping national identity, then in order to understand Australian comedy we have to look to place as well as a defining attitude. Sue Turnbull from La Trobe University states “that despite prevalent and enduring images of the bushman and the ocker, the ‘real’ Australia was, and still is, more likely to be located in what Barry Humphries has described as Australia’s ‘vast and unexplored suburban tundra’,” arguing that “the Antipodean suburb is still being mapped and mined for comic effect on television both at home and abroad”. Again, it seems Australian comedies situated in the suburban world are simultaneously reflecting contemporary society but asking us to critique it. While Frontline, The Games, and parts of Lilley’s work are located outside of suburbia, the aim seems the same — to highlight the Australian nature that is anti-authoritarian, selfmocking and ironic. The government may have hit the nail on the head after all.
reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 41
NEWCASTLE Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night
gig Guide Newcastle Thur, September 1
Sun, September 4
Sat, September 10
Fri, September 16
Blush Night Club, Gosford
Catherine Hill Bay Hotel
Belmore Hotel, Maitland
Belmore Hotel, Maitland
Man Overboard, Paper Wolves,
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
I Am Villian, Braves
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Frenzal Rhomb, Totally Unicorn,
2 Sep
Ilythians
Teenage Bottlerocket
Enmore Theatre, Sydney Anberlin, Tonight Alive
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl Teej
3 Sep
Beccy Cole
Lizotte’s, Lambton
11 Sep
Darryl Braithwaite
Royal Exchange Hotel, Newc
14 Sep
Don Walker
17 Sep
The Beatnix
Ray Beadle Lucie Thorne, Hamish Stuart, Shanna Watson
18 Sep
Mahalia Barnes
23 Sep
Renée Geyer
Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni
24 Sep
Otis Redding 70th birthday
Architecture In Helsinki,
6 Oct 7 Oct
Jimmy Barnes
Eagle and the Worm, The Frowning Clouds
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Storm Cellar
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Lizotte’s, Lambton
dead
Fannys, Newcastle
Fish Fry, Pow Wow
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield
The Shire
UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington
Sparkadia, Cameras, The Trouble With Templeton
Katabasis
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Shockone, Glovecats Gerard Masters, Duncan Woods,
Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton
Aaron Harvie
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield
The Whispering Jack Show
Steve Edmonds Band OMG!
Sat, September 3 Avoca Beach Hotel Belmore Hotel, Maitland InFUNKtious, DJ Sonic
22 Oct
Deni Hines
23 Oct
Lior
27 Oct
Jeff Martin
George Tavern, East Maitland
w/ Terepai Richmond
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Phil Jamieson
30 Oct
John Overholt, Encounters with the Beyond
Fannys, Newcastle
Steve Edmonds Band Kate and Max
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling Safe Hands, The Fevered, How To Survive A Bullfight
Hunter Valley Brewery, Mait King Street Hotel, Newcastle Mark Dynamix, John Course
Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Islington
For bookings and information, phone (02) 4956 2066 or visit lizottes.com.au
Australian Beefweek Show, Snelvis & The Cowpunchers, Horse Bolted Jon English, Garry Who
Lizotte’s, Lambton Beccy Cole Buncha Funkers Dr Dave
Dan Ford, The Goods
Lizotte’s, Lambton Glenn Richards, Dan Luscombe, Mike Noga
Loft, Newcastle Hand of Mercy, Wake The Giants, Allay The Sea, Call The Shots, Sunsets
Metro Theatre, Sydney Kimbra, Husky, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield James Johnston
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington The Joe Kings, Bowen & Lucky Dutchman
Sat, September 17 Belmore Hotel, Maitland Streets of Omah, DJ Sonic
Cardiff Panthers
Thirsty Merc
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl The Dennis Boys Band
Centre Section George Smilovici
Gosford Showground Coaster Festival w/ John Butler Trio, Jebediah, Something With Numbers,
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Daryl Braithwaite
Drapht, Tim & Jean, One Dollar Short,
Merewether Fats
Queens Wharf Brewery, Newc
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling Matt Graham Jackson Besley, Jaywalker, Paul Eagle Jade Gannon, The Tillegra Damned, Gareth Hudson & the Arc Angels,
Steve Edmonds Band
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Floyd Vincent & the Childbrides
Tues, September 13 Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Ben Webb,
Jimmy Barnes
Little Red, Gold Fields, Bag Raiders, Potbelleez, Tonite Only, Andy Bull, Horrorshow, Ball Park Music, Ajax, Nina Las Vegas, Taylor & the Makers, Cheap Lettus, Naysayer & Gilsun, Purple Sneakers DJ s, Strangers, Wolfpack, Tom Piper
Great Northern Hotel, Newc Genevieve Chadwick, Matt Southon, Big Erle
Thur, September 8
Wed, September 14
Hunter Valley Brewery, Maitl
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
King Street Hotel, Newcastle
Josh Pyke, Emma Louise, Paper Kites
We Built Atlantis, To Kill A Sunrise,
Daniel Champagne
Ghosts On Broadway
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
The Trews. Jupiter Menace
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
Leadbellies Daryl Braithwaite
I, The Hunter
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Pugsley Buzzard
Jimmy Barnes
Lizotte’s, Lambton Don Walker
Fri, September 9
Metro Theatre, Sydney
Belmore Hotel, Maitland
Newcastle Panthers
Monster Magnet
OMG!, DJ Sonic
Birds of Tokyo
Wests Leagues Club, Lambton
The Chestnuts, Black Mustang, The Cavalcade, Young Pretties
Dockyard, Honeysuckle Beth Robertson
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Hale and Pace
Thur, September 15 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Trial Kennedy, We Are Grace,
Laycock Street Theatre, Gosf Whole Lotta Love
Strangers
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Njariki
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
Metro Theatre, Sydney Title Fight, Touche Amore
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield
Chris Byrne, We are the Birdcage,
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Daryl Braithwaite
Seven Seas Hotel, Carrington
Ziggy and the Wild Drums
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Caves Beach
Teal, Sky Squadron, Raleigh St Slair
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Brothers Grimm
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Jaytee, D*Steady, Jace Cordell
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Fabba
Benjalu
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Nino Brown
Moonlight Drive, DJ Sonic
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Sun, September 11
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
3 Stripe Avenue
28 Oct
Dennis Boys
Fannys, Newcastle
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Hue Williams
Celebrity Chef feat.
21 Oct
Suicide Silence
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Claire Jean, Tiali
Orana Hotel, Blacksmiths
Bob Corbett
Entrance Leagues Club
The Joe Kings
feat. Paul Greene
20 Oct
Emma Soup, Newcastle
Bonjah, Daniel Lee Kendall,
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
Matt Purcell
Wed, September 7
LA Vampires
Great Northern Hotel, Newc
Spy Vs Spy
The Backsliders
The Idea Of North
Manning Bar, Sydney ...and you will know us by the trail of
King Street Hotel, Newcastle
14 Oct
Otis Redding 70th Birthday Concert
Jimmy Barnes
Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
Parris McLeod Band
David Guetta
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
The Philthy Few,
13 Oct
The Delta Lions
King Street Hotel, Newcastle
Mon, September 5
Vulture Culture
Tex Perkins
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
Terrigal Hotel
Savage Track Record, We, The Keen,
12 Oct
15 Oct
Black Island, Family Clam
Mikerat, Luke Warhurst, DJ Lahl
Sarah McLeod
Golden Highway Truckstop,
Beccy Cole
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Bad Fruit, Jacko, Jim Stevens,
w/ Mal Eastick
The Havelocks, Tad Poe Dee,
Easy Tiger, Run Squirrel
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
w/ Jon Cleary &
Stevie Ray Vaughn birthday
Jen Buxton, The Canyoneersmen,
For The Fallen Dream, Sienna Skies,
The Vines
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Whalefest w/ James Thompson,
Hand Of Mercy, Hold Your Own,
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
2 Oct
Jupiter Menace
Little Dottie Hornet, DJ Sonic
Legends of New Orleans,
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Cut Off Your Hands, Oscar & Martin,
Belmore Hotel, Maitland
30 Sep
Rubicon, DJ Sonic
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
Jason Hicks
Fri, September 2
celebration
Morgan Evans
Bits and Pieces
Lizotte’s, Kincumber
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Twinsanity
Kissteria Ashton Shuffle
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Glenn Richards, Dan Luscombe
Lizotte’s, Lambton The Beatnix
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Ryan Daley
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Dan Granero
Wollombi Wollombi Music Festival w/ Watussi, Rapskallion, Marshall & the Fro, Radical Son, The Rhythm Hunters, The Merchants 0f Venice, Benjalu, Rachael Brady, Wollombi Radio
Sun, September 18 Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl Genevieve Chadwick, Matt Southon, Big Erle
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling Truth Ruby
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jane Rutter
Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong MyChildren MyBride, For All Eternity
Don Walker
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington
Jane Rutter
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington
The Slowdowns
Wyong Leagues Club
The Hatty Fatners, Zen and the Art
Thirsty Merc
42 reverb
mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
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gig Guide North Wed, September 21
Sun, September 25
Thur, September 1
Tweed HEADS Civic Centre
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Yamba YHA Backpacker Resort
Greenthief, The Karma Cops,
Counter Revolution w/
Riley & Donna
Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low,
Great Northern Hotel, Newc Thieves, Shivering Indies
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ross McGregor
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Story of the Year, The Damned Things, Face To Face, Funeral For A Friend, Yellowcard, Set Your Goals, Go Radio, Hellogoodbye, The Pretty Reckless, D.R.U.G.S., Young Guns, The Swellers,
Lauren Arms, Sarah McLennan,
This Providence, Make Do and Mend,
Hamish White, Skyepoint
Terrible Things, We Are The Ocean,
Metro Theatre, Sydney Sebadoh, Smudge
We Are The In Crowd, Alesana
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Post Paint
Thur, September 22
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling
Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Bryan Adams
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl Tom Richardson
Hamilton Station Hotel, Isling Corey Price
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jacob Pearson
Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Dead Leaves, The Owls
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Strangers with Candy
Fri, September 23 Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Eskimo Joe
Belmore Hotel, Maitland End of Days, DJ Sonic
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Ringworm, Mindsnare, Hurt Unit
Cessnock Performing Arts Cent Damien Leith
Dockyard, Honeysuckle Duncan Woods
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl Benjalu
Great Northern Hotel, Newc Stonefield
King Street Hotel, Newcastle Danny T
Lizotte’s, Kincumber The Beatnix
Lizotte’s, Lambton Renee Geyer, Zoe K
Loft, Newcastle To Kill A Sunrise, Lenin Lennon, Eastern Break, Exit For Freedom, Fingers Crossed, Revenant
Newcastle Leagues Club The Panics
Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Transit
Sydney Entertainment Centre Motley Crue
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Pat Capocci
Sat, September 24 Belmore Hotel, Maitland Funky Munky, DJ Sonic
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Simplicity
Great Northern Hotel, Newc Jimmy Bazil Project, Dan Southward
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Renee Geyer, Cilla Jane
Lizotte’s, Lambton Otis Redding 70th Birthday Concert
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Greg Bryce
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Sarah Carroll and the Psychedelic Wildmen
Lefta Centa, Little Glimpse, One Mike Jeff Lang
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington Steve Edmonds
Graveyard Train Mumbojumbo
Great Northern Hotel, Byron
Alice Cooper, Syndicate Kate Miller-Heidke
Tues, September 27 Blush Night Club, Gosford Trial Kennedy
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Kate Miller-Heidke
SCU Unibar, Lismore National Campus Band Comp Final
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
Long Island Sound
Civic Theatre, Newcastle Suzi Quatro
Great Northern Hotel, Newc The Trews
Lizotte’s, Kincumber Kate Miller-Heidke
Lizotte’s, Lambton Jane Walker, Gareth Hudson & the Arc Angels
Thur, September 29 Lizotte’s, Lambton Nat Col & the Kings, Grant Walmsley
Wickham Park Hotel, Islington The Stillsons
Kamikaze Thunderkats, The Jaywalks, Max Quinn
The Re-Mains
Lizotte’s, Lambton Jon Cleary & The Philthy Phew, Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
Loft, Newcastle Lyrical Conquest, Tycotic, DJ Ravs, Pariah, Poetic Transitions
Newcastle District Tennis Club Recoil v.o.r
Newcastle Panthers Art vs Science
Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Grand Atlantic
Stag & Hunter Hotel, Mayfield Zane Penn
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Dirty Love
Coolangatta Hotel The Herd, Sietta
Glass Towers
Otis Redding 70th birthday celebration
15 Sep
Don Walker
Bonjah, Daniel Lee Kendall,
16 Sep
Chris Byrne
The Joe Kings
17 Sep
Glenn Richards
18 Sep
Special Sunday lunch with
Thirsty Merc Glenn Richards, Dan Luscombe, Mike Noga
21 Sep
Ross McGregor
22 Sep
Jacob Pearson
23 Sep
The Beatnix
24 Sep
Renée Geyer
27 Sep
Kate Miller-Heidke
30 Sep
Celebrity Chef
Big Erle
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Coastal Soul
Clay Blyth
Port Macquarie Hotel
And Oh!, Nubi
Jane Rutter
Nimbin Hotel Genevieve Chadwick, Matt Southon,
Federal Hotel, Bellingen
Rockin’ Horse, Matt Dean
Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Altowave
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Tom Waits For No Man
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
8 Ball Aitkins
Sawtell Hotel
Acid Bleed
Secret Squirrel
Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Cletus
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
Fri, September 9 Armidale Club
Bevan Spiers
feat. Aaron Harvie 1 Oct
Sarah McLeod
7 Oct
Kim Cannan
8 Oct
Dragon
9 Oct
Spy Vs Spy feat. Paul Greene
Turner, Homeless Yellow
Tacking Point Hotel
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Martini Brothers
Glenn Massey
Tweed Heads Civic Centre
13 Oct
Tweed Battle of the Bands heat 1
Nat Col and the Kings,
15 Oct
Deni Hines
Clay Blyth and the Cobblestones
16 Oct
The Backsliders
19 Oct
Phil Jamieson
20 Oct
Mike McCarthy
21 Oct
Mark Wilkinson
22 Oct
Danielle Spencer &
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Karim Salem and the Beloved
Tre Hombres
Sat, September 3
Brewery, Byron Bay
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina
Clark Black
Barwick Angry Penguins
Coolangatta Hotel
Glenn Massey
Steve Balbi
Birds of Tokyo, The Medics
Federal Hotel, Bellingen
Neil Anderson
Chris Cooke
Brewery, Byron Bay
23 Oct
Street Chant
Byron Bay Community Centre Kirtana
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina Push
Lazy Sunday lunch with Gina Jeffreys
Great Northern Hotel, Byron
Pigeon
John Overholt, Encounters with the Beyond
Ballina RSL
Valla Beach Tavern
25 Oct
Jeff Martin w/ Terepai Richmond
Lalaland, Byron Bay Graz
Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour The Weekenders
Lennox Point Hotel Jimmy D
Goonellabah Tavern
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Brian Watts
Bec Plath
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Vanessa Lea and Roadtrain
Port Macquarie Hotel The Rumjacks
Lalaland, Byron Bay
Port Macquarie Panthers
Rhys Bynon
Thirsty Merc
Lennox Point Hotel
For bookings and information, phone (02) 4368 2017 or visit lizottes.com.au
Sawtell Hotel
Tightrope Alley
The Weekenders
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
Broadfoot
Kamikaze Thunderkats, Max Quinn
Sawtell Hotel
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
Twist Tops
Sharon Cooper
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
Download Page
10 Sep
Mullumbimby Civic Hall
Rob Saric
Kamikaze Thunderkats, Bats vs Snakes
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8-9 Sep Daryl Braithwaite
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Blues Plantation
Ballina RSL Bowling Club
w/ Beccy Cole
Thur, September 8
Great Northern Hotel, Byron
Tin Can Radio
CBD Hotel, Newcastle Fishing
Sunday lunch
Occa Rock
Brewery, Byron Bay
Ballina RSL
Grand Junction Hotel, Maitl
4 Sep
Lennox Point Hotel
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Clay Blyth and the Cobblestones
Fri, September 30 Richard in Your Mind, The Laurels,
Jon English
Surf Report
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Lennox Point Hotel
3 Sep
Discrow, Daniel Webber
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Fri, September 2
Belmont 16ft Sailing Club
Lalaland, Byron Bay
Don’t Mess With Mama, Dee Lavell
Stu & Dave
Lalaland, Byron Bay
Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Willie Hona
Mum Says Rock, Tim Stokes
Wed, September 28 Icehouse, Lime Cordiale
Lisa Hunt
Port Macquarie Hotel
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Sun, September 4 Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Slim Pickens
Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
The Herd, Sietta
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Ballina RSL
Lizotte’s, Lambton
Tim Stoke
Gollan Hotel, Lismore
Mon, September 26
CENTRAL COAST
Tweed Battle of the Bands heat 2
Valla Beach Tavern Phebe Starr
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reverb magazine issue #062 — September 2011 43
gig Guide North (cont.) SEPTEMBER AT THE AUSSIE
Sat, September 10
Fri, September 16
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Shy Baby
Blues Plantation
Ballina RSL Bowling Club
FRIDAY 02 KAMAKAZE THUNDERKATS & THE JAYWALKS 8PM SATURDAY 03 CLARK BLACK DUO 7:30PM THURSDAY 08 BALLINA CUP AFTERPARTY – OCCAROCK 5PM FRIDAY 09 GLENN MASSEY DUO 8PM SATURDAY 10 SHYBABY 7:30PM FRIDAY 16 BLUES PLANTATION – WITH MEMBERS OF CANNED HEAT & THE RADIATORS 8PM SATURDAY 17 SCOTT DAVY 7:30PM FRIDAY 23 OCCAROCK 8PM SATURDAY 24 MARSHALL DUO 7:30PM FRIDAY 30 ALI SMITH BAND 8PM
Bob Walton Spacifix Cath Simes Band Family Tree Band Thirsty Merc
Cex, Coffs Harbour
Drill Hall, Mullumbimby
Pacific Hotel, Yamba Chris Arenston
Twin Towns Services Club Suzi Quatro
Wed, September 21 Great Northern Hotel, Byron
Wordplay
Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour
Sara Tindley
Goonellabah Tavern
Art vs Science
Old Kirk, Yamba
Ben Francis
Lennox Point Hotel
Black Label
Great Northern Hotel, Byron Trial Kennedy, The Moderns, The Ivys
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Rails, Byron Bay
Kindred James Morrison Blood Poets
Port Macquarie Hotel
Anarchist Duck
Pacific Hotel, Yamba Homeless Yellow, Turner
Rails, Byron Bay
Sara Tindley
North Haven Bowling Club Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Kaha Band
Lennox Point Hotel
Jarrah Thompson, Asha Henfry
Thur, September 22 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Genevieve Chadwick, Matt Southon,
The Dead Leaves , Garrett Kato
Great Northern Hotel, Byron
Big Erle
Sawtell Cinema
Genevieve Chadwick, Matt Southon,
Elana Stone, Brian Campeau
Josh Pyke, Emma Louise, Paper Kites
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
Big Erle
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
Dan Hannaford
Port Macquarie Hotel
The Edge
Tacking Point Hotel
Yolan
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Slim Pickens, Dr Baz
Tweed HEADS Civic Centre Tweed Battle of the Bands final
Wingham Town Hall Tijuana Cartel, Speedwell, Whitehouse
Yamba YHA Backpacker Resort Mattie Barker
Sun, September 11 A & I Hall, Bangalow Birds of Tokyo, The Medics
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Paris, Claude Hay, Jarrah Thompson
MC’s Kye & Caroline Agostini,
Yamba Bowling Club
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Occa Rock
Ballina RSL
Scott Davy
Barrel House
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Leigh James
Simon Wright
Blue Water Bar, Port Macq
Gerri Loong
Jarrah Thompson, Asha Henfry
Clocktower Hotel, Grafton
Dr Rhythm, Cutloose
Stone Age Romeos
Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour
Occa Rock
Pink Zinc
Coolangatta Hotel
Arj Barker
Josh Pyke, Emma Louise, Paper Kites
Federal Hotel, Bellingen
Forward Groove
Goonellabah Tavern
The Hemmingway Collective
Lennox Point Hotel
Rochelle Lees
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Altowave
Mullumbimby Civic Hall
The Edge
Elixir, The Tulipwood Quartet
Ocean Shores Tavern
Floating Bridges
Missingham Park, Ballina
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Andy Burke
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Reggaefest 2011
Round Mountain Girls
Port Macquarie Hotel
Mason Rack
Matt Dean
Port Macquarie Panthers
Jarrah Thompson, Asha Henfry
Sawtell Hotel
James Morrison
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
Ben Francis
Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
Due Wave
The Joe Kings, Matt Southon
Port Macquarie Panthers Arj Barker
Josh Matheson
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
Chris Aronsten
Twin Towns Services Club
Troupador
Tacking Point Hotel
Suzi Quatro
SCU Univar, Lismore Bass Heavy w/ Ghettafunkt, Harii, Mandelfrop, Lucious Deed, Sista Ray
Slipway Hotel, Ballina Glenn Massey
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Blackheart, Kyle Watson
Secret Squirrel
Lennox Point Hotel Due Wave
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Repentence Creek, Blues Stomp Holding
Yamba YHA Backpacker Resort Nathan Kaye
Sun, September 25 Byron Bay Community Centre Band of Frequencies
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Coastal Soul
Lennox Point Hotel Andy Burke
Pacific Hotel, Yamba Tim Stokes
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Kyle Watson
Tues, September 27 Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Tom Gleeson
Wed, September 28 Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Hunting Grounds
Ballina RSL
Thur, September 15 Nimbin Hotel
Art vs Science
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Elana Stone, Brian Campeau
Lennox Point Hotel
Stonefield, Lifeline
DJ Nowak, DJ Beatdusta
Coolangatta Hotel
33 on Hickory, Dorrigo
Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour
Hale and Pace
Turner
Marshall O’Kell
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Thur, September 29
Sawtell RSL
Nelson Bay Diggers
Treehouse, Byron Bay
Australian Hotel, Ballina
Fri, September 23
Club Taree
Tues, September 13
Acid Bleed
Sat, September 24
Sat, September 17
Mon, September 12 Birds of Tokyo, The Medics
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
The Potbelleez
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina
Keogh
Matt Buggy
Vida Sunshyne
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Glen Mead
Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
Slipway Hotel, Ballina
The Nomad, Savona Sound System,
Ballina RSL Bowling Club
Marshall O’Kell
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, Gay
Crank
Valla Beach Tavern
Ballina RSL
Geoff Turnbull
Lennox Point Hotel
Port Macquarie Hotel
mag azine issue #062 — September 2011
Arj Barker
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina
Bounty Hunters
Reggaefest 2011
Brewery, Byron Bay The Stetson Family
Neil Anderson
44 reverb
Missingham Park, Ballina
Jarrah Thompson, Asha Henfry,
Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour
The Lucky Wonders
Bellingen Memorial Hall
Club Forster
Pacific Hotel, Yamba
103 River Street, Ballina Ph 02 6686 2015 www.theaussiehotel.com
Lennox Point Hotel
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Wild Marmalade, Terrafractyl
Clocktower Hotel, Grafton
The Trouble With Templeton
Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Little Fish
King Tide
Cherry ST Sports Club, Ballina
Sparkadia, Imaginary Cities,
Ballina RSL Fat Albert
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Coolangatta Hotel
Bone Idle
Yamba YHA Backpacker Resort
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore
Robbie Imeson
Sun, September 18
Sharon Cooper
Valla Beach Tavern
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Israel Starr, Newtown Sounds
Download Page
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Claude Hay, Gay Paris, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate
The Big Gig w/ Chris Radburn, Stephen J Whitley
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Lucky Wonders
Brewery, Byron Bay Cockatoo Paul
Mullumbimby Civic Hall Mama Kin, Ilona Harker
Port Macquarie Hotel The Earlybirds, Kurtis Gentle, Rockets
SCU Unibar, Lismore Quiet Child, Kamikaze Thunderkats
Slipway Hotel, Ballina Glenn Massey
Fri, September 30 Australian Hotel, Ballina Ali Smith
Ballina RSL Round Mountain Girls
Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Dubmarine
Brewery, Byron Bay Owl Eyes
Brunswick Heads Hotel Kamikaze Thunderkats
Lennox Point Hotel Trip Kick DJs
Lismore City Hall Namatjira
Pacific Hotel, Yamba Lead Finger
Tacking Point Hotel The Summerland Kings
Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore Tim Stokes
Valla Beach Tavern The Stlllsons
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Childrens festival, Aerial spectacles & Zip Circus, Trapeze, Street theatre & lots more For tix & info / www.globalcarnival.com
Band of Brothers ( Tawadros / Grigoryan ) / Dubmarine / Armandito / Frank Yamma w David Bridie / Bandaluzia Flamenco / I Viaggiatori ( Kavisha Mazella ) / Linsey Pollak / Grace Barbe / Mama Kin / George Kamikawa & Noriko Tadano / Shellie Morris / The Picture Box Orchestra / Public Opinion Afro Orchestra / Lotek / Stalker Theatre
Live from New Orleans / Jon Cleary and the Philthy Phew / The Dirty Dozen Brass Band